Spring is here! In our area of northeast Florida, that means temperatures are heating up and our short sleeves are on. If you feel like "spring cleaning" and shaping up your body, it's a great time to follow Dr. Randolph's three step "Belly Flat" plan (described in   From Belly Fat to Belly Flat) to eliminate estrogen dominance and lose weight!

Many patients come to us with symptoms of hormone imbalance that also include mid-section weight gain. Estrogen dominance [read more HERE] is a common hormone imbalance that affects both women and men (as early as the 30s for women and the 40s for men) and causes those "love handles" to appear as you age.  Too much estrogen circulating in the body increases body fat, and fatty tissue (which contains an enzyme that converts adrenal hormones into estrogen) produces and stores more estrogen. This causes a continuous loop: at a cellular level, body fat continues to produce more estrogen, and high estrogen levels cause the body to increase its storage of fat. When you are estrogen dominant, your body is unable to effectively use fat stores for energy, which means that your body's ability to metabolize or burn body fat for calories is compromised. The result is extra weight that won't go away even with more exercise or less eating. When high estrogen levels are unopposed (by progesterone, for example), it also impacts your body's fat distribution. In women, fat tends to be stored around the waist, hips, and thighs, and in men, estrogen dominance causes the classic "spare tire."

Dr. Randolph's three step plan to tackle this common hormone imbalance has three parts: (1) Eat foods that help you metabolize estrogen, (2) Restore balance with bioidentical progesterone, which direclty brings your estrogen levels back to normal, and (3) Take supplements that support (not sabotage) your hormone balance.

Recommended foods on the plan include cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, and cauliflower -- they contain a phytonutrient called indole-3-carbinol (I3C) that helps reduce your estrogen load. Also recommended are  citrus fruits with d-Limonene, and insoluable fiber, which acts as an estrogen binder. (You can find more detail and other examples of estrogen fighting "belly blaster" foods in the Belly Flat book.)

The health benefits of bioidentical progesterone 

[read more HERE] go far beyond weight loss, but that is one of its many positive (and popular!) effects. Bioidentical progesterone neutralizes excess estrogen by triggering a metabolic response that allows weight loss to occur. Thyroid function returns to normal, and the rapid release of insulin is reduced, resulting in normalized blood sugar levels and fewer food cravings.

Supplements that support hormone balance and weight loss include several of the top choices in our special package this month at the Wellness Store: