Hump Day Health Hack with @amysfitnessandnutrition
This week we celebrated International Women’s Day and so this Health Hack is for all the ladies out there. As women, we’re under a lot of pressure to look, feel and perform in a certain way. Modern life, its expectations, stress, and hormonal imbalances can all affect how well we achieve living. The good news is there are a few things we can do every day to balance our hormones (aka. Our chemical messengers) that affect our appetite, weight, mood, and more.
1. EATING PROTEIN
Eating protein is crucial for our hormones. Protein provides essential amino acids that our bodies can’t make by themselves. These help to maintain our muscle, skin and bone health amongst other things. Consuming protein also helps to decrease ghrelin – the hunger hormone. Eating 20-30grams of protein at each meal is a good amount to aim for.
2. EAT HEALTHY FATS
Eating healthy fats actually helps our body to burn fat whilst also signaling to our body to release hormones to signal that we’re full and satisfied. High-quality fats from things like unprocessed animal fat (fat on your steak for example) or olive oil can actually help to reduce insulin resistance and appetite.
3. AVOIDING SUGAR
Overeating sugar can be detrimental to our hormones. Sugar highs and lows can really affect our moods at a basic level. At a chemical level eating excess sugar and processed carbohydrates can make us resistant to insulin causing issues like diabetes and even some other issues for women such as PCOS.
4. EXERCISING REGULARLY
Exercising is one of the most powerful ways to regulate our hormones. The simple act of moving our body can work a plethora of miracles. It protects our muscle mass during the aging process, reduces disease risk factors, and regulates our metabolism. The best kind? Any! Resistance training, walking, running – whatever you enjoy.
5. REDUCE STRESS
Easier said than done right? Stress is such a big part of daily life for many of us. Chronic (ongoing) stress means our cortisol (stress hormone) levels are likely to stay elevated. This can lead to excess eating, obesity, and specifically belly fat. Try and take the time to destress; go for a walk, read a book, give yoga a go!