Are you overwhelmed by weight gain in Menopause? If so, this information can help give you the boost you need to get on the right track. Hormonal imbalances are often the underlying cause of ongoing weight gain in menopause and these imbalances can be due to an accumulation of toxins in your system.
Researchers have now identified several ways that toxin overload can be a cause of obesity. When the buildup of toxins blocks your liver’s detoxification pathways, unwanted weight gain can result. Here is a snap shot of what can happen:
- Normally our detoxification pathways are open so that we can eliminate toxins and prevent weight gain.
- When we are continually exposed to toxins from sources such as pesticides, plastics, toxic foods, pollution and chemical laden body products, the detox pathways become too burdened to work efficiently and weight gain occurs.
- These toxins can cause weight gain because they mimic our own hormones and alter fat deposition. They also alter the way that we metabolize sugar and worsen hormonal imbalances in menopause.
Wondering if you are toxic and need to cleanse your body? Here are some telltale signs:
- Weight gain despite not over eating
- Caffeine and/or alcohol consumption on a daily basis
- Sluggish bowel movements (2-3 times per week)
- Medication sensitivities
- Sinus congestion and/or post nasal drip
- Poor nutrition choices
- Skin conditions such as Rosacea/Eczema/Acne and/or Psoriasis
- Headaches
- Ongoing fatigue
- Brain fog
- Digestive upset (gas and bloating)
- Frequent colds/infections
The following are five steps that you can take to detoxify your body:
- Remove processed foods from your diet. You may want to start slowly and eliminate one group at a time or jump right in and do an overhaul on your nutrition. Either way the most toxic foods are sugar, alcohol, caffeine, non-organic dairy, gluten, artificial sweeteners and additives and packaged foods.
- Increase your consumption of detoxifying foods such as alfalfa sprouts, flax seeds, artichoke, apples, turmeric, beet root, brown rice, dark green veggies, lemon, garlic, gluten-free oats, millet, root vegetables. These all boost your body’s ability to get rid of toxics and extra weight.
- Move your body! Think of the difference between the water in a clear, running stream and a stagnant pond covered in pond scum. Our bodies are the same. If you don’t move your body daily the “pond scum” will accumulate! Going for a 30 minute walk once daily is enough to encourage detoxification and greatly promote circulation.
- Detox your house! Getting rid of harmful cleaning products, air refreshers, body care products, plastics, perfumes, laundry detergent and dryer sheets is a great way to decrease your daily exposure to a massive amount of toxins. The chemicals found in these common household products are hormone disruptors and build up in our bodies!
- Add herbs and supplements. First, be sure your body is getting its basic needs met by finding a high quality multivitamin and a pure Omega 3 fish oil and Vitamin D . Then you can include herbs like milk thistle, kudzu, turmeric and dandelion to boost your natural detoxification pathways.
Here are Dr Cobi’s Favourite Products for Detox! BioLixV, DIM and Estrovantage, just better Prebiotic Fibre