Hormone imbalances and belly fat

Increased belly fat, a carry over of the late 20th century, has become an ever present scourge of the average western waistline.
Watching most infomercials or just walking the streets bears testament to this statement. Belly blasters, abdominal contraction gizmos and countless workout routines are touted to help you melt away that stubborn gelatinous goo that has increased the circumferences of so many. There is good reason for this. Excessive belly fat is not only unsightly but extremely toxic. In addition, in large quantities, belly fat can become one of the largest endocrine organs in the body leading to many kinds of hidden adverse health conditions.

What is belly fat and what causes it?

From a biological standpoint, belly fat, or adipose tissue, is one of the areas the body stores excess energy for future use. While this is a primary role, a secondary function is the storage of toxic substances that the body cannot readily rid itself of. These toxins can be heavy metals, triglycerides bound to cholesterol, excess blood glucose, stress related cortisol issues or any number of other inflammatory agents roaming the body. When we consume more calories than we expend, suffer from chronic stress, and expose ourselves to inflammatory foods and chemicals we pack on belly fat at exponential rates.

How belly fat leads to hormone imbalances

Not to put too fine a point on the issue but belly fat is a sinister beast and understandably so when the composition of it considered. In a real sense it takes on a life of its own. Consider the fact that as adipose tissue forms and increases over time it must be nourished by blood flow. In order to stimulate the growth of blood vessels that would extend further and further into the tissue hormones are produced and released. Your belly fat becomes a self governing endocrine system. This is how hormone imbalances can occur. In women adipose tissue tends to produce more testosterone resulting in increased hair growth where ladies usually do not grow hair (e.g. face). In men, the tissue produces more estrogen often resulting in gynecomastia or "man boobs."

The need to be rid of as much belly fat as possible for better health is a must. An anti-inflammatory eating plan, increasing physical activity, stress reduction or elimination, and limiting exposure to environmental toxins will go a long way in the battle against belly fat.

Now would be a good time to note how the body gets rid of fat so you are not discouraged on your journey. Typically, the body will burn away excess fat from the head and face first, then the extremities (arms and legs) and then the belly. There is really no way around this without applying some sort of gimmick or fad procedure but be warned, these are temporary fixes to a long-term problem and eventually you will have to do things the way your body intends or the consequences will continue to be suffered.