Nutritional Needs of Women
“In my 40’S I find myself
wishing
for the body I hated
when I was in my 20’S!”
“. . . genetics may play a much more
complex role in obesity than we
previously understood. The effect
maybe on regulatory aspects of
insulin management and
neuroendocrine hormones that
control calorie metabolism.“
Dr. Jeffrey Bland
“There is no magic hormone or
combination of hormones that can
be indiscriminately used by all
women. Each women is an
individual and hormonal balance
must be the ultimate goal for all
women.
Dr. Joseph Collins
Weight control is not just about
calories in versus calories out.
It’s a question of hormonal balance,
diet and lifestyle factors.
Frustration
Are you exercising and
eating fairly well
but putting on weight
especially around your
middle?
Women tend to store excess
fat in the middle of
the body as they get older
– even in Asian countries
Consequences of weight gain:
• Diabetes
•Heart disease
•Hypothyroidism
•Breast cancer
•Depression
•Lower self-image
•Gall Stones
•Sleep Apnea
The Recipe for Success
1.Balanced food taking body fat % into account
2. Proper hormonal balance
3. Appropriate exercise
4. Supplementation
and/or bioidentical hormones
Hormone
A substance formed in some organ
or gland and carried by a body
fluid to another organ or tissue,
where it has a specific effect.
Hormonal Imbalance
Most people do not feel well because
their poor eating habits and life
style have limited
their ability to regenerate the
biochemicals needed for repair.
The Major Hormones
Adrenaline
Cortisol
Insulin
Estrogen
Lifestyle-based endocrine issues
Are more common than
Glandular-based endocrine diseases
Lifestyle-based adrenaline
The adrenal glands secrete high levels
of adrenaline in response to
skipped meals, stress,
lack of sleep or low calorie diets
Adrenaline
Helps your body access its
biochemicals for repair.
Excess adrenaline leads to using
up your body and fatigue.
Adrenaline
There are no early warning signs
of high adrenaline. In fact, you feel
good with high energy.
Adrenaline
People with low adrenaline use
caffeine or sugar to help them produce
and use their adrenaline. Eventually
you become addicted to their use.
Caffeine blocks adrenaline breakdown.
Adrenal Fatigue
(burn-out)
Chronic over stimulation leads to
lowered adrenal hormones and
fatigue. The lower the states the
longer it takes to recover.
(1 - 3 years)
Testing for Adrenal Hormones
BioHealth (800) 570-2000
And
Genova (800)522-4762
Have comprehensive adrenal saliva
profiles as well as
other important testing procedures
Adrenaline and Progesterone
Progesterone increases the release
of adrenaline. Hormones, even natural
hormones, should be given
on the basis of testing, symptoms
and then retested.
Skipping Meals
Skipping meals causes the release
of adrenaline which then signals
the liver to release stored glycogen.
It also causes the body to use other
functional chemicals to supply sugar
to the brain.
Exercise
Over exercising leads to high levels
of adrenaline. Over exercising is
not good for people with adrenal
burn-out. You will actually get
worse and may see no benefit from
exercise in terms of weight loss.
Exercise
Read The Slow Burn by Stu Mittleman
for suggestions and a discussion
of low-impact, appropriate aerobic
exercise.
Lifestyle-based insulin
The pancreas secretes high levels
of insulin to offset a high
carbohydrate meal
Insulin
The proper level of insulin
helps your body rebuild necessary
biochemicals. Low insulin is similar
to high adrenaline.
Insulin/Adrenaline
Ratios
To much adrenaline leads to
body wasting.
To much insulin leads
to weight gain
The Sugar Hormones
Insulin
Raised by carbohydrates
Glucagon
Raised by exercise and protein
Sugar and Your Health
Excess sugar is turned into
body fat,
cholesterol or triglycerides,
primarily by the liver. Excessive
sugar is worse than excess fat.
Flour Products and Sugar
Flour products turn
to sugar quickly.
Avoid processed grains and
other processed carbohydrates.
The Brain and Sugar
The brain runs on sugar.
Insulin regulates how much
sugar enters brain cells. Proper
insulin levels are critical
for good health.
Insulin Sensitivity
• Sugar taken up by liver
• Sugar turned into
triglycerides/cholesterol
• Sugar properly taken up by cells
• Insulin levels rise with a meal then
drop to normal shortly after a meal
Insulin Resistance
•
•
•
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Poor insulin response at cell level
Elevated triglycerides/cholesterol
High blood pressure
Insulin levels rise with a meal and stay
elevated
• Weight around midsection
• Diabetes II
• Difficulty losing weight - even with
good diet and exercise
Insulin Resistance - Testing
• A1C
• Fasting insulin
• Fasting glucose
Insulin Resistance
“As many as 44% of healthy
postmenopausal women may
have insulin resistance.”
A balanced diet helps you
Lower cholesterol
Lower blood pressure
Reduce inflammation
Rebuild biochemicals
Lose unwanted body fat
A balanced diet includes
Quality protein
Low density carbohydrates
Quality dense carbohydrates
Quality fats and oils
Quality Proteins
Dense
Carbohydrates
High quality
Avoid dense
Carbohydrates
Low quality
Low Density
Carbohydrates
Use your hand to
determine the
amount of food
to eat at a meal
The protein should
be the size and
thickness of your
palm
The dense
carbohydrate should
be the same size as
your palm, or less
For example, in this
meal there is too
much potato (dense
carbohydrate)
Cut out this
amount
The potato should be
equal to or less than
the size of the meat
Add at least two
fist-sized servings
of low density
vegetables
Have as much salad
as you want
Use high quality
olive or nut oil for
cooking and salads
Have 6 Servings of
Vegetables per Day
Have at least 5 servings per day
American Cancer Research Foundation
Most People Don’t
Eat Enough Vegetables
WHY
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•
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Lack of time for preparation
No vegetables in the refrigerator
Eat in restaurants frequently (poor quality)
Too busy or tired to fix them
Don’t know how to make them taste good
GOOD FATS
•
•
•
•
•
Extra virgin Olive or Canola oil
Unrefined Sesame or Nut oils
Omega 3 fats (seafood, flax seeds)
Small amounts of butter
Avocado
BAD FATS
•
•
•
•
•
Cell membrane becomes less flexible
Increases LDL cholesterol, lower HDL
Liver, kidney or heart disease
Gall bladder stones / disease
Increases salt craving
Reducing
Inflammation
• Omega 3 fats (seafood, flax seeds,
fish oil, krill oil)
• High color vegetables (color
indicates anti-oxidants)
• Cold-water fish/seafood
• Cruciferous vegetables:
broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower,
collard greens, kale, mustard
greens, and Brussels sprouts
• Allium family vegetables:
garlic, onions and scallions
• Flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds
and seafood (omega 3 content)
• Foods high in selenium: seafood,
walnuts, Brazil nuts
• Foods high in vitamin C and E
• Seafood that has high omega-3
content (wild salmon, halibut,
etc.)
• Soy food, especially tofu and
tempeh as well as certain soy
isoflavones
Foods to Avoid
•Allergens (wheat, dairy, etc)
•Red meat, saturated fat foods
•Corn fed animals, corn syrup
•Sugar
•Margarine and partially
hydrogenated oils
•High glycemic index carbohydrates
Lifestyle-based cortisol
The adrenal glands secrete high levels
of cortisol in response to
lifestyle stressors which can lead to
fat gain, high blood pressure,
depression, caffeine craving
and fatigue.
Cortisol Testing
• Saliva test for cortisol, DHEA,
melatonin, testosterone, estradiol,
progesterone on day 20 of a regular
menstrual cycle
BioHealth (800) 570-2000
And
Genova (800)522-4762
Cortisol
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Reduces inflammation
Raised by lifestyle stress
Affects sleep and hormone cycles
Helps regulate sugars to the brain
Progesterone is a precursor
Affects blood pressure
Uses up proteins when in excess
Excess causes adrenal fatigue
Serotonin
• Raised by carbohydrates/sugars/caffeine,
nicotine
• Lower one week before menstruation
(chocolate cravings)
• Affects ADD/Depression (low states)
• High quality fats and protein are needed
as well as unprocessed carbohydrates
Serotonin
95% of serotonin is produced in the
gut
Gut or digestive issues may need
to be addressed as well as
hormonal balance.
Serotonin and Diet
(eat foods with tryptophan)
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Cottage cheese (avoid if dairy sensitive)
Tuna
Turkey
Soy
Peanuts/ peanut butter
Almonds
Shrimp
Major Metabolic Types
Insulin-sensitive w/ healthy adrenals
Insulin-resistant w/ healthy adrenals
Insulin-sensitive w/ burned-out adrenals
Insulin-resistant w/ burned-out adrenals
Healing Hormonal Issues
• You may put on weight as you heal
• You may be exhausted, have joint pain or be
groggy
• It takes longer than you think, hope or want
• Real fat burning does not happen until your
hormonal system is working properly
• You may need some stimulants as part of
your process
Healing Hormonal Issues
• A high stress job, relationship or lifestyle
with greatly slow down a good diet and
exercise program
• You may need to seriously consider lifestyle
adjustments
• Over exercising will also slow down
progress for those with adrenal burn-out
Jeff Woodward
5336 York Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55410
(612) 929-2207
gofood@aol.com