Fitness Monday - A Closer Look At The Metabolic Hormones

6:30 AM Posted by jo

Let's take a closer look at the metabolic hormones to understand how each hormone fits into the metabolic function, lean muscle tissue distribution, body fat, general health, hunger and energy level. You will have a better understanding of the cause of metabolic disturbances and what you can do to turn it around.

Metabolism is more like a chemistry lab than just a furnace like most think it is. It is various chemical reactions that is needed to maintain life. These reactions allow organisms to grow, change, maintain their structures and reproduce. The metabolism is divided into two parts, anabolism and catabolism.

When you eat the food is broken down by enzymes in your digestive tract, fats turn into fatty acids, protein turns into amino acids, and carbohydrates turn into glucose. The blood transports the components to the cells and a set of chemical reactions take place that decide how they will be metabolized. The hormones have the final say whether the energy will be used as muscle or stored as fat.

Catabolism breaks larger parts like carbohydrates, protein and fats to provide fuel for the body to function. It provides energy to walk and do things at the same time as it provides energy for anabolism.

Anabolism is when cells take fatty acids, amino acids, glucose from catabolism and make them into muscles, bones, and fat.

Hormones that influence the weight are either catabolic or anabolic and we need both of them.

Growth hormone, IGF 1 and other insulin influencing hormones, insulin, testosterone, and estrogen are anabolic. While cortisol, glucagon, adrenaline, and cytokines are catabolic.

Your endocrine system wants to maintain homeostasis in the body to make sure it is a balance among the hormones. Its job is to make sure there is enough and not too much or little of cortisol, thyroid hormones, insulin and so on. The glands are triggered if the levels of a certain hormones goes down, or if the body thinks it needs more. The hormones fit perfectly like a key and a lock into its receptors. Once they are locked in, they activate tons of processes like muscle building, menstruation, thirst, digestion, hunger, fat storage and so on.

Everything works smoothly until the body gets too much or too little of a specific hormone. Perhaps the receptors don't bond with the hormone very well, or the gland may be overproducing hormones. An organ like the liver or kidney in the body may not function to its full potential, and therefore the level of hormones circulating in the blood is too high. The endocrine system can also receive confusing hormone like signals due to toxins in the food or environment.

Our lifestyle today, and the environment cause many endocrine problems. Some glands overstimulate and overproduce while others burn out and fail.

The food available today do not feed the hormones what they need for optimal function. The environment and the foods are full of endocrine disruptors that give the wrong signals to our body to produce the wrong, or fewer, or more hormones. The body gets confused by these signals from the external endocrine disruptors. This leads to all kinds of problems, and your weight control functions cease to function or slows down as well.

The first step is to learn what hormones play a role in your metabolism and why they may not work as they should. Check back and learn how you can optimize your hormones naturally to take charge of your metabolism.

Thanks for visiting!

Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils. She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives. She received her aromatherapy education at the American College of Health Care Sciences. She also runs Naturally Sports & Wellness together with her husband.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information. Explore her new aromatherapy new blog and find out how you can get her e-book for free. Johanna is also the founder of the new network blog, Living Well Moms, and her posts are published every Monday.

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