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Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Understanding Hormones ........................................................................................................ 3

Chapter 2 The most important hormones for you ................................................................................ 6 Chapter 3 The important imbalance you need to know about ...................................................... 25

Chapter 4 What you need to know about Insulin Resistance ........................................................ 33

Chapter 5 What you need to know about Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) ......... 37 Chapter 6 What you need to know about the Estrogen Epidemic ................................................ 38

Chapter 7 What you need to know about Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) .................... 45 Chapter 8 Andropause – Bringing womens' issues to a man's life ............................................... 47

Chapter 9 Hypothyroidism – And how to tell if you have it ............................................................ 49


Chapter 1 Understanding Hormones Hormones can seem like a technical term, but they're really very easy to understand and work with. Simply put, hormones are the chemical version of a messenger. They tell the body what to do, and how to do it. This is why they have such a tremendous ability to impact the body, they literally begin processes like puberty, and muscular development, and influence factors as fundamental as your height, your gender, and even how tight the skin on your body is. By now it's likely become abundantly clear to you just how powerful hormones are. They control everything from how muscular we are to when we mature, and chances are you can see the implications here. Diet and exercise are important, but they can only do so much. If you are doing everything right (in terms of living an active and healthy lifestyle, eating a well balanced diet), but you have a hormone imbalance, you still will not see the results you're looking for – until that imbalance is corrected!

The terms There are a few technical terms you'll want to understand to fully grasp the power of hormones, let's take a second and review them now. Endocrine – The system primarily dedicated to creating hormones Gland – A hormone secreting organ within the body. Hormone – The substances that the nervous system or endocrine glands create to help deliver commands to various portions of the body. Receptors – The portions of cells within the body that absorb hormones once they reach their final destination. Once successfully absorbed, they then act as a catalyst, triggering the actions associated with that hormone. Simply put, hormones are chemical messengers that trigger the processes your body needs to run to work efficiently!

So what makes hormones so important? You're probably getting the big picture here already, but hormones play a huge role in every part of your everyday life. They're capable of influencing a lot, from the physical body to how you feel emotionally itself. Functions of hormones you may not know about

• All major bodily changes, ie puberty, pregnancy, menopause Hormones are strongly associated with peaking at certain times in life, specifically times related to bodily change. Whether it's puberty or menopause, the body undergoes a host


of hormonally triggered changes to prepare itself to adapt to the new circumstances. In fact, hormones are a huge characteristic of each of these periods of life, who could think of a teenager without the idea of “raging hormones” popping into their mind?

• Emotional changes in mood or intensity of mood Hormones can be the reason you're suddenly irritable without explanation, or even the reason you're crying at a commercial you never thought of as moving before. From depression to psychosis, hormones can be a big cause in sudden mood changes.

• Fight or flight response within the body when danger is encountered Ever found yourself in a situation where you had to run to survive? What about the experience of adrenaline that kicks in right before a fight? Hormones are entirely responsible for regulating the body's fight-‐or-‐flight response that we all know and love. During these stressful situations, it is hormones that will tell your body whether to fight or (take) flight, and enable it to do so by activating the necessary organs. This pertains to escaping, fighting, certain mating rituals, and more.

• Growth enhancement or stunting, depending on the levels The body is always growing and changing, whether telling itself it needs to put on more weight or muscles, or whether its telling itself to shed those pounds and slim down. This is another area that hormones play a key part in, letting your body know when to grow and when to stop.

• Immune system activation and inhibitory process regulation Hormones act as chemical messengers, delivering signals to all kinds of areas of the body. One such area is the immune system. Think of the immune system like a gated community. Hormones trigger the opening of the front gate, to activate the immune system, or the closing of the gate, to inhibit the immune system, depending on how they are functioning.

• Metabolism regulation Hormones are also responsible for activating your metabolism, triggering the creation of new enzymes for your metabolism, determining the rate that it works at, and responding to oxygen and hydration levels of the body. You can see why this would be critical, the metabolism is a key to the entire weight loss idea!

• Plays a role in telling cells when they need to die to make room for new cells The body is always trying to run efficiently, and this means a lot of cell creation and cell death. Old cells that are running at less than optimal efficiency, or even cells that have just served their purpose, must die out to make physical room for the new cells to come in. Hormones are responsible for triggering cell death, to ensure that new cells can be generated. When hormones aren't working well and the old cells remain, this can lead to faster aging like you wouldn't believe!

• Reproductive messenger Hormones are responsible not only for the initial development of sexual characteristics (for both men and women), but also for the maintenance of those systems. They are connected to puberty, when you menstruate, your fertility levels, your levels of arousal,


and pretty much anything else you can think of related to your reproductive system. Whether you're a man or a woman, hormones are absolutely critical to your reproductive systems and their regulation.

• Triggers the production of other hormones The final function of hormones that we're going to mention is their role in the production of other hormones. One hormone can initiate the production, and regulation of, another, depending on the message it sends to the cells needed.

Simply put, hormones tell the body how to behave and where to change to behave in that way. You can see how this could relate to weight loss, hormones can encourage or discourage your body from dropping those pesky pounds. They are related to everything from how you first sexually develop, to where your weight goes when you gain (or lose) it suddenly. This is why we focus so much on hormones in this book, they are the key to successful weight loss.

How do hormones affect weight loss? Each hormone has its own function, some inhibit growth and some promote it. Some cause arousal, and some decrease it. So how does this relate to weight loss? To answer that question we'll need to consider two particular kinds of hormones, catabolic and anabolic. These hormone groups are responsible for aging (catabolic) and anti-‐aging (anabolic), so the better you understand them, the more you'll learn about how to balance them. We want to encourage anti-‐aging hormones (otherwise known as anabolic hormones), and discourage catabolic hormones (aging hormones that will only fight your goals). Catabolic hormones are those that are associated with fat storage and the body's aging processes. Anabolic hormones, in contrast, are associated with fat burning and the body's attempts to fight off the effects of aging. Both occur within the body, and each has its own affect on your weight loss journey, quite simply it is a journey of balance. When one outweighs the other, there is a physical affect on the body. When there are more anabolic hormones within your body than catabolic, you will be able to burn those pounds off just a little easier. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true, and an increase in catabolic hormones can be detrimental to your weight loss success, not to mention how it impacts your general level of health. It should be noted that the body's natural inclination is to favor catabolic hormones, and thus to fight the weight loss process. You can see evidence of this inclination when you consider the top causes of death in today's society – heart attacks, cancer, and stroke – as each of these causes is in some way related to catabolic hormones. Making the shift from catabolic favoring to anabolic favoring takes effort on the part of the individual, and it's exactly that level of effort that's going to pay off in any attempt you make to shed those pesky pounds.


Chapter 2 The most important hormones for you Now that you understand a bit about hormones and how they work with your body, you're probably starting to wonder about which ones will matter to you specifically. That's exactly what we're going to discuss next. This chapter is going to spend some time reviewing each of the hormones that help promote weight loss, hormones that hinder weight loss, and hormones that quite frankly can be either harmful or helpful.

Hormones that promote weight loss Let's start with the “good guys”, the anabolic hormones that your body needs to promote healthy weight loss. The following list names the primary helpers in this process, each of which will be discussed in detail below.

• Adrenaline • Glucagon • Growth hormones • Insulin • Leptin • Testosterone • Thyroxine

Adrenaline Adrenaline, aka epinephrine, is the body's first line of defence against weight gain. This is because adrenaline is the key hormone involved in triggering initial fat breakdown that occurs within the body. This is not to say that burning fat cannot be triggered by other hormones, but rather that adrenaline is best able to quickly trigger it. It is capable of constricting the arterioles in the skin and gastrointestinal tract, dilating arterioles in the skeletal muscles, increasing your heart rate and stroke volume, dilating your pupils, and increasing blood sugar levels and breaking down lipids (fatty tissue within cells). It does this by flowing through the bloodstream to the areas where it is most needed, supplementing other nutrients like glucose and oxygen along the way. These are just some of the reasons that we strongly encourage promoting adrenaline within the body. Where is it produced? The word epinephrine is literally derived from the Greek word for on the kidney, and that's exactly where you can find it produced, in the adrenal glands. Ways to naturally increase levels of adrenaline Exercise. Exercise is the number one way to trigger the body's production of adrenaline, and most types of intense exercise will do the trick. From swimming to jumping jacks, to resistance training and weight lifting, any of these will naturally increase your body's production of


adrenaline – and help you get into shape to boot! Ways we naturally decrease levels of adrenaline The main factor in depleted levels of adrenaline seems to be adrenal fatigue, a gland problem associated with the underproduction of adrenaline throughout the body. If you suspect this may be the case, do a little bit more research and consider consulting a medical professional to assess how to best restore your levels.

Human Growth Hormones (HGH) Growth hormones stimulate the metabolism, the building of muscle, and regulates the shift between using fat as energy and storing it in fat. You can already see how this interacts with your weight loss journey, so it needs to be promoted as much as possible to keep you on track. This is the real champion of anabolic hormones. HGH is a fat burning, muscle building, anti-‐aging, mood improving machine. This is exactly what your body needs when it's trying to lose weight, and may be exactly what it lacks. In fact, there have been numerous studies that have shown that the higher your body mass index (BMI) is, the lower your levels of HGH tend to be – because of a 50% decrease in the amount of HGH you would produce on a day to day basis! So what does this mean? The higher the BMI, the less HGH – and you don't want that at all. So what can you expect with increased levels of HGH? The benefits of having higher levels of HGH within the body are numerous, and are capable of showing physical change within the body. Find a list below of some of the most significant impacts that HGH can make:

• Creates more muscle mass within the body • Grows the body naturally, increasing the literal physical size of several internal organs in a

healthy way. • Improved immune system functioning • Increases the health of your blood by stimulating gluconeogenesis, the process by which

the body actually manufactures blood sugar instead of relying on direct deposits through food.

• Strengthens bones by increasing both the retention of relevant nutrients (like calcium) and by priming bone to be stronger by increasing its mineralization.

• Triggers the burning of fat for energy consumption instead of for storage

Weight loss and HGH Weight loss often results from higher levels of HGH, as it stimulates many of the necessary bodily systems to burn fat and boost your metabolism. That's why it's so important to do all you can do to promote it within your body, particularly when you're trying to lose weight. Aging and HGH The problem is that as we age, our body naturally decreases our levels of HGH, only lowering


them more and more with age. But there is something to be done about it. By being aware of the necessary conditions and habits that affect HGH, you can influence your body's production of the hormone. You may not have the same levels you did as a teenager, but you can certainly have more than you do right now, and make it work for you at that! Ways for you to increase your body's levels of HGH? So what can you do? The list below offers several factors that impact levels of HGH in the body. If you want to increase your levels, pay the most attention to the ones you can control, as this directly puts the power in your hands. Promoting HGH naturally

• Don't skimp on sleep. When you sleep your body goes through a multiple stage cycle of regeneration. Deep sleep in particular has been found to have numerous health benefits, including – you guessed it – increased levels of HGH within the body. This means that if you want to naturally promote it, you should focus on getting a good night's sleep, this will give your body its best chance at naturally raising your levels.

• Healthy blood sugar levels • Keep your BMI at as reasonable a level as possible. When it increases rampantly, your

levels of HGH naturally decrease, creating a problematic association. • Mild hypoglocemia and dietary protein 7. • Physical resistance training has also been associated with higher bodily levels of HGH.

Consider adding it to your workout routine. I'm happy to be able to offer you areas to work on to promote your levels of HGH, but I want to also caution you about the things that can decrease your levels. Ignoring the factors above can have a negative affect on your body, and factors like high blood sugar or lack of deep sleep have been particularly associated with lower levels of HGH. If more HGH is good for the body, I think we can all piece together what less HGH will be... so do what you can today! Please note that the following list will detail factors associated with lower levels of HGH. If you recognize more than a few on the list, chances are your body isn't regulating its HGH levels efficiently yet! What discourages the secretion of HGH?

• Chronic and high levels of stress • Elevated blood sugar and insulin levels • Elevated cortisol levels (also associated with elevated levels of stress) • Poor quality of sleep, lack of sleep, or only sleeping when exhausted

Insulin A particular kind of insulin factor, IGF1, is a great weight loss hormone. This is a hormone that HGH can stimulate that also promotes weight loss within the body. It stimulates the growth of your organs and your muscles, and regulates that growth to ensure it doesn't get out of hand. It is also a fat burning hormone, working in perfect complement to HGH. HGH is created in the brain, specifically in a section known as the pituitary gland (responsible for the production of several hormones that are key to your body). Once created there, it is


distributed throughout the body via the bloodstream. When the bloodstream delivers HGH to the liver, the liver then knows that it is time to start the production of IGF1. IGF1 and HGH essentially work as a team. IGF1 promotes muscular growth, growth of the liver and kidneys, development of the skin and lungs, and more. It triggers this growth, and regulates it – particularly seen in the nerve cells. These effects are all connected to a longer life and lower levels of fat. Where is it produced? IGF1 is produced by the liver, on command of HGH. Factors that affect levels of IGF1 There are a lot of factors that influence the levels of IGF1 within the body, some of which can be controlled and some cannot. They will be listed below for your benefit, and to show you where you have control.

• Age • BMI • Certain diseases • Diets that are low in protein (if you don't have enough protein in your diet, you dont have

enough IGF1 in your body). • Estrogen • Exercise • Family history/genetics • Levels of stress can decrease • Nutrition • Race

Leptin Leptin is the hormone chiefly associated with telling your body when it has had enough to eat. The hormone that is responsible for that full feeling you get after a satisfying meal. Weight loss and leptin When people are trying to lose weight, they often refer to pangs of hunger that lead to binge eating and knock them off their diets. These bouts of hunger last far longer than they should, and tend to overwhelm the person, often to the extent that the individual becomes willing to throw away their weight loss goal in favor of trying to stop the hunger. This is where leptin comes in. If you are one of those people that just feels constantly hungry, you aren't getting enough leptin in your system – your body is failing to tell itself when it's full and to stop eating. This leads to an absolutely painful set of experiences, wherein you hunger all the time but just cannot seem to become full! The harsh truth is, until your body is back up to normal levels of leptin, the constant hunger and eating binges will continue. That's why in this next section we're


going to discuss ways to promote leptin in your system. Natural ways to defend your levels of leptin When the body produces leptin, it leads to you feeling full. When the body fails to produce leptin, the result is tragic, a continual feeling of hunger. This failure of the body to signal itself to stop eating leads straight to over eating, the person ends up feeling hungry all of the time and tries desperately to sate themselves. You can already see how this would stand in the way of any potential weight loss, binge eating only leads to mass weight gain, not loss. The solution here is to focus on ways to naturally increase your body's levels of leptin. The best way to ensure you don't fall victim to over-‐eating is to ensure that you have healthy levels of leptin. The best way to ensure you have healthy levels of leptin in your system is by doing everything you can to defend your body's ability to produce it. The list below is going to make you aware of some of the factors that determine your bodily levels of leptin, to arm you with the knowledge to regulate your levels in a healthy way. By taking leptin into account and doing your best to keep it at healthy levels within your body, you're already taking a huge step towards succeeding in your weight loss goals.

• Sleeping habits. A bad night's sleep decreases your body's ability to replenish its leptin stores. A study done at Stanford University concluded that those who regularly under-‐slept (sleeping for 5 hours or under) had 15% less leptin than those who slept just 3 hours more per night. So if you're looking to promote leptin, get a good night's sleep! (I will keep saying this!). This may be because the body seems to produce melatonin while you're sleeping. Melatonin is a substance that then goes on to create a reaction between itself and insulin. This reaction then triggers the development of leptin. Therefore, even lack of sleep (let alone a bad night's sleep) can be cause for lower levels of leptin!

• Poor diet, particularly one high in high fructose corn syrup. We will be talking about this later, but the main thing you need to understand for right now is that high fructose corn syrup leads to leptin suppression. Leptin suppression means your body is naturally stopping itself from producing the substance, and thus isn't telling you when you're full. The real pain here is that high fructose corn syrup is in almost all of our food these days, particularly in Western countries. We put it in ketchup, we put it in dips, we put it in fruit juice and Worchestershire Sauce. The truth of the matter is, we've used high fructose corn syrup as a substitute for sugar, and we've used it a LOT! But any time your diet is excessively high in high fructose corn syrup, you're going to see a decrease in your levels of leptin – and thus an increase in your levels of hunger.

• Not eating enough. This may sound counter-‐intuitive at first, but bear with me. Leptin tells your body when it's full. It is only produced when you eat enough that your stomach muscles are stretched in certain ways. When that stretching does not occur, because you haven't eaten enough, leptin is still not produced. Over time this can naturally lead to less leptin in your system


(and a constant feeling of hunger).

Testosterone Testosterone has a host of effects on the body, from triggering the burning of fat to the building of muscle and maintaining arousal, testosterone has a lot of good packed in its little punch. The hormone is naturally produced within the body, but again needs to be guarded carefully. There's a lot you're probably doing right now to influence your body's levels of testosterone, without even knowing it. Where is it produced? Testosterone is primarily produced in the testes, ovaries, and adrenal glands. Ways we naturally influence our levels of Testosterone The body is an intricate set of systems, each of which can be influenced by everything from our diet to how we're sleeping at night. Let's take a peek at some of the things you're likely doing right now that are impacting your levels of testosterone, for better or for worse! To elevate levels

• Getting a good night's sleep. As with other hormones we've discussed above, getting a good night's sleep is a great way to promote testosterone naturally. The better your sleep is, the more time you'll spend in a deep, regenerative stage where plenty of hormones are stimulated and increased within the body.

• Resistance training also increases testosterone. This is because resistance training stimulates multiple areas of the body involved with hormone production.

Promoting testosterone is a two part game, on the one hand you need to do the right things – but on the other you need to avoid the wrong ones. See the section below for ways you may be depleting your body's reserves now. To decrease Although there's a lot we can do to elevate our levels of testosterone, there's also a lot we naturally do to decrease it. Check the list below to see if there's any habits you need to kick to keep your body running well!

• Depression. • Diets that are particularly low in fat, or excessively high in sugar and starch, may reduce

your body's levels of testosterone • Lack of oxygen. It turns out that deep breathing can do a lot of good for us, but the reverse

is also true. Make sure you're getting enough oxygen if you want to watch your levels of testosterone.

• Excessive stressful periods. Stress can be good for the body in the short term, but in the long term stress can flood our bodies with cortisol, a stress related hormone that decreases testosterone.

• Zinc deficiencies


Thyroxine Thyroxine, also known as tetraiodothyronine or T4, is a thyroid produced hormone that is associated with increased levels of energy, and the burning of fat. It works in conjunction with another thyroid produced hormone, triiodothyronine (also known as T3), to convert your body's carbohydrates into energy. Both of these are fantastic for promoting a successful weight loss journey, as they help you to both look and feel better about how your body is doing, literally leading to higher levels of energy! In particular, thyroxine is responsible for optimizing your cells for energy efficiency. It makes sure not only is it burning fat, but that it's burning it in a way that converts to the maximum possible energy level, per unit of time. If this sounds complicated, consider it like a high quality battery – one that naturally lasts longer and works better than its lesser alternatives. Where is thyroxine produced? Thyroxine is produced within the thyroid gland (go figure), which is located near the centre of your neck. Ways to naturally increase your levels of thyroxine The good news, as always, is that you can do a lot to promote the growth of hormones in your body. Thyroxine is no exception to this. Consider the following list when trying to naturally increase thyroxine within your body.

• Cleanses, particularly those that target the liver. The liver is responsible for a host of internal bodily functions, not the least of which being the stimulation of production for certain hormones (like thyroxine). A liver cleanse can help ensure that your liver is functioning at the highest possible levels of efficiency, to ensure you're in a position to produce optimal levels.

• Detoxes of harmful toxins that inhibit hormone production can be extremely helpful, and will be discussed a little later on in more depth.

• Exercise. Frequent, high intensity exercise can help promote thyroxine within your body (in addition to the other hormones it promotes like HGH and testosterone).

• Monitor your iodine levels, an element that helps to stimulate thyroxine production. It is worth noting that iodine does not naturally get created within your body, so you need to obtain it nutritionally if you hope to promote a healthy level of thyroxine.

Ways to naturally decrease your levels of thyroxine As with all the hormones we've discussed, it's not only possible to naturally increase your levels of thyroxine, it's also possible to decrease it – just as naturally unfortunately. Consider the following list when wondering if you could be naturally decreasing your levels.

• Ingestion of harmful toxins, even ones that come through your diet. This is why the detox listed above is so important, we often naturally poison our own bodies, and this can naturally affect a host of systems – including those that produce thyroxine.

• Stress decreases levels of thyroxine by naturally slowing down the thyroid. Avoid stress when possible, and practice good relaxation techniques when you do encounter it.


Hormones that hinder weight loss As we've already talked about, catabolic hormones are generally the culprits when it comes to increasing your levels of fat within the body. But we want to get even more specific, so consider the following list of these weight loss hindrances:

• Cortisol • Estrogen • Insulin • Ghrelin

Cortisol Cortisol is a key name in anabolic hormones. I'll be blunt, I consider it the direct enemy of weight loss efforts. If HGH is the good guy, Cortisol is the evil villain, plotting to defeat the efforts made on your part. So what does it do exactly? Cortisol reorganizes the body's priorities in terms of what to consider most important at that moment. This can be useful in terms of short term stress, as cortisol is responsible for that fight or flight response that has saved so many of us, but in the long term it only serves to hurt you. This is because the body was not built to act as though it was under stress for long periods of time, so the longer it's under, the more detrimental to your health it becomes. Specifically, cortisol allows the body to start storing fat instead of burning it. This is where belly fat comes in. Cortisol and belly fat go together like peanut butter and jelly, where you find one you tend to find the other. This is hugely unhelpful, both to weight loss success and to your long term health, and it's not all that cortisol does. Cortisol also damages muscle mass, burning it for energy instead of fat stores, and ensures the body is left bulging – particularly in the stomach. The stomach is home to an unfortunate amount of cortisol receptors, so when it is triggered, that's where the weight goes. As you will see below, excessive cortisol also sets off a myriad of chain reactions within the body, wherein it can lead to one deficiency that leads to another, that leads to a health condition which causes more problems...and so forth. Cortisol is the bad guy behind the curtain, pulling a million different negative strings. On top of its already negative reactions that cortisol sets off on its own, it also suppresses your body's production of HGH (human growth hormones). This means that not only are you suffering from the negative consequences of having higher levels of cortisol, you'll also be victimized by the problems that come with having lower levels of HGH (each of which we discussed above). See the list below for more effects of cortisol The effects of having too much cortisol in your system over a prolonged period of time

• Associated with memory problems

One of the things cortisol seems to deprioritise in the body is memory. Research has firmly linked higher levels of cortisol with lower performance on memory tasks, suggesting issues with memory can be caused by cortisol.


• Creates stomach fat As we talked about earlier, higher levels of cortisol and increased weight gain around your stomach go hand in hand. This is because cortisol naturally leads to fat storage instead of fat burning, and tends to favor the stomach, neck, and back as target areas for this storage.

• Causes potential deficiencies in potassium and calcium. In this case, one leads to another. Cortisol wreaks havoc on your system's ability to absorb potassium, and increases your cravings for sodium (see below), creating a nutrient imbalance that results in absorption difficulty. When the body cannot absorb potassium, it will struggle to absorb other nutrients, like calcium, because potassium is an absorption agent in and of itself.

• Constricts blood vessels Blood vessels are the carrier system of the body, transporting nutrients, hormones, antibodies, and just about anything else that needs to be moved from one organ to another (yes, that includes oxygen too). You want your blood vessels to be in optimal health, meaning as free of blockage and able to keep blood moving as possible. So what's the problem? Cortisol impacts the body's ability to constrict blood vessels, a vital part of the transportation system. This can result in damage to other organs, and in particular to the coronary artery, associated with pains, aches, and poor health.

This can also lead to hypertension, the condition that results when blood cells swell up beyond their normal size to make it harder for them to move. All in all, cortisol is generally bad for the blood – which is bad for the body.

• Causes cravings for unhealthy foods that are high in sodium

Cortisol increases water retention (see below), which imbalances your body's levels of liquids overall. To try and compensate for this, the body will crave foods that are high in sodium, which unfortunately tend to be unhealthy and only further the bloating effects on the body. The craving for sodium also results in the nutrient imbalance listed above (see potassium deficiency).

• Bloats the area around the face.

This can be responsible for creating that unpleasantly rounded look that so many of us hate, or worse, it could result in a double chin.

• Depletes the body's stores of potassium. This often lends itself to muscle cramping and other negative side effects, as potassium is key to helping the body absorb other nutrients. When these nutrients cannot be absorbed, or are not being absorbed at the rate that they are accustomed to, there can be resulting problems for the body.

• Hypertension Because the body's potassium stores have been attacked, it naturally lends itself to hypertension (the condition that results from a lack of potassium). Hypertension is associated


with unhealthy blood cells, which often bloat and cannot successfully fit into the capillaries that they need to get to, and the host of medical conditions that can come with it.

• Decreases muscle mass

High levels of cortisol not only trigger fat storage, they burn through muscle. This is because the body is trying to protect itself by storing fat for later energy usage, and burning muscle for its protein (to give current levels of energy a boost). It essentially means your body is using your muscles instead of your fat as fuel for your energy levels. Eventually, this leads to an extreme atrophy of the muscles, their weakness resulting from their continual burning by the body. When you couple this with the stomach fat and other unhealthy bodily reactions, it's not hard to see why I think cortisol is such a 'bad guy' when it comes to hormones.

• Depletes collagen stores Collagen is responsible for skin tightness, so when cortisol interferes with the body's collagen stores, what it's really doing is causing wrinkles and aging the person. You really see this in people who are perpetually stressed out, physically seeming to age several years at once.

• Increases the acidity of the stomach by thinning its lining. This can result in more upset stomachs, poorer digestion, and overall a weakening of an organ you want to have at its strongest. This is also where the feeling of “sour stomach” can come in that we've discussed with digestion. Increased levels of cortisol thins your stomach lining, which naturally makes the stomach more acidic, which leads to that sour feeling all too many of us have become accustomed to.

• Increases the rate of growth for facial hair

• Increases the chances that you will develop insomnia This is because elevated levels of cortisol have such a host of negative effects on the body. Even the muscle pains that can result can lead to difficulty sleeping, and possibly insomnia. (See the point below about muscle tension).

• Increases water retention This again is linked to the potassium deficiency. When the body is deficient in potassium, it cannot break down sodium as well. Because you crave sodium foods when cortisol is high, there is an excess build up of sodium in the body. To try to correct this, the body will hold more water to try to balance things out.

This can result in an increased need to urinate, bloating, and further imbalances within the

body. • Increases your need to urinate

Because the body is retaining more water, you're going to feel like you need to urinate with more frequency and more urgency. This is the body's attempt to regulate your levels of water


retention, its literally trying to flush away the excess. The problem here comes in when your body is both constantly trying to retain and get rid of water. The more you urinate, the less sodium that will be in your system. The less sodium that is in your system, the less water you will actually retain. The less water you retain, the more dehydrated you will feel. The more dehydrated you feel, the more you will drink. But it won't matter, because the body isn't absorbing what it needs from the water, so it will only try to flush it as 'excess', starting the cycle all over again. You will always feel like you need to urinate, like you're incredibly thirsty, and almost never be able to feel relieved of this. In fact, the more you drink, the more dehydrated you will likely feel as your body knocks itself even further out of order.

• Marks you for muscle tension Your body has attacked its own muscles at this point (see our point on decreased muscle mass above). This will not only lead to a weakening of the muscles but a tensing. Your muscles won't feel able to relax because they are constantly being attacked for their protein, creating a tension that can make it hard to sleep. This is where the risk of insomnia comes in. Higher levels of cortisol practically beg for insomnia. They create mineral deficiencies, they weaken and tense your muscles, and they are associated with stress that can also make it hard to sleep. This is why insomnia is unfortunately another impact of higher levels of cortisol.

• Raises levels of insulin. Insulin is another anabolic hormone that results in storing fat.

• Responsible for puffy eyes, double chins, and all that comes with it. In general, cortisol bloats areas of the body, primarily the stomach but also surrounding the face and neck area.

• Suppresses the production of HGH This is where cortisol gets diabolical, it not only causes problems, it prevents solutions. HGH is one of the main catabolic hormones that you want to encourage in your body (see our discussion earlier in the chapter if you're having trouble recalling), and yet higher levels of cortisol clearly lead to the suppression of HGH within the body. This means that even if you were doing everything right in terms of promoting HGH in the body, if your cortisol levels were too high your efforts would be all in vain.

• Weakens the immune system Prolonged exposure to cortisol ultimately weakens the immune system. This means weaker bodily defences against infections, and an increased likelihood of illness.

• Weakens the thighs and hips.


Elevated levels of cortisol depletes the body's nutrient access and muscle mass, leading to a general weakening that is particularly felt in places where muscle mass was previously dense.

The bottom line is that a person with high levels of cortisol is going to find themselves with a host of bodily issues. In my personal experience I have seen a lot of increased anxiety levels (manifesting in twitching, exhaustion, worrying), afternoon fatigue or persisting generalized fatigue, where the person feels consistently drained or 'foggy', shortness of breath, weakening of the thighs and hips, and several issues with the digestive tract. This shortness of breath is something a lot of people recognize, where climbing the stairs suddenly leaves you feeling out of breath and out of shape, let alone trying to exercise. I've observed these effects, I know what higher levels of cortisol does to the system, so let's talk now to see what we can do about it.


Stress reduction, the best way to lower your levels of cortisol Cortisol is a hormone associated with stress, it comes on primarily when the body perceives itself as being threatened. So lowering your cortisol levels really comes down to one tip, although it may not always seem easy. That tip? Do all that you can to relax, and lower your stress levels. I recognize that this isn't always easy, and can involve a significant amount of personal work, but that's where the idea of lifestyle change rather than dietary change comes to mind. If you work to reduce your stress, you'll be well rewarded for your efforts. Not only will you see a lot less cortisol flowing through your system, and thus be healthier, you'll literally feel better! Stress reduction methods can include anything from withdrawing yourself from stressful situations to relaxation techniques or taking a yoga class. You're going to become the expert on what de-‐stresses you, and if you want to keep your cortisol levels, you'll practice it! This is absolutely critical to your weight loss success. Estrogen Estrogen seems to be another anabolic hormone that triggers the storage of fat rather than the burning of fat. Particularly evil thing about estrogen? It targets the thighs and hips, typically one of the most sensitive areas for women. If testosterone is the hormone that increases male characteristics, estrogen is the one that increases female characteristics. While both men and women have estrogen in their systems, it is women who naturally produce more. The hormone is produced by the ovaries and distributed throughout the body as needed. It is worth noting here however that estrogen in and of itself is not a bad thing, it is a natural hormone produced by the body. Excessive levels of estrogen are where you get the problems, particularly if you're taking on more estrogen from the environment than your body needs. Excessive cortisol levels lead to stores of fat in your chin, upper back, and your stomach; excessive estrogen levels lead to stores of fat in your hips and thighs. This is related directly to fat receptors. The receptors for fat storage for cortisol are in the areas it targets, and the same is true of estrogen. This is where women end up with a pear shaped figure, and is a great source of frustration for both men and women alike. This is because, although naturally produced by women, natural estrogen is not the only estrogen we have to deal with any more. Environmental estrogen is typically found within animal meat and certain chemicals. The key here will be to note the presence of it, and try to keep your levels balanced. A certain amount of bodily produced estrogen is not going to hurt, but add that to a host of environmental estrogen and you could be dealing with an excess before you know it. So what does excessive levels of estrogen mean for you? A lot more weight being carried around the hips and thighs, and suppressed thyroid functionality – preventing other fat burning agents from being produced properly. We will be talking more in detail about the issues with excessive levels of estrogen later in this guide, but for now be aware of the devastating fat storage effects it can have.


Ghrelin If leptin helps to tell your body when you're full, ghrelin is what made you think you were hungry in the first place. Knowing when you're hungry doesn't have to be a bad thing, but having too much leptin can result in perpetual feeling of hunger – even when you should be full. This is where a lot of dietary self control issues wind up coming in, an excess of ghrelin continually signals the body that you're hungry, so you continually eat, fighting your weight loss goals. The good news is that the reverse is also true, if you have less ghrelin in your system you will be less hungry. The key here is to keep it at healthy levels so it won't fight you in your aim to lose weight. So how do you influence levels of ghrelin in your system? You're going to laugh because it's already come up so much but here it is: get a good night's sleep. Research has shown time and again the value of a good night's sleep. Remember that study done by Stanford University about leptin? Well, it's also about ghrelin. This particular study found that those who slept 5 hours a night had (on average) 15% more grehlin – and 15% LESS leptin in their systems! The effects would be a nightmare, you'd feel hungry all the time but never feel full. Interestingly enough, that same study also linked less sleep with a higher body weight and BMI overall, which is similarly linked to a host of medical problems – including the risk of an earlier death. So what advice do I have for those trying to regulate their ghrelin levels? Get a good night's sleep, your body will thank you for it in more ways than one!

Hormones that are both harmful and helpful to the weight loss process We've discussed hormones that help, we've discussed hormones that hurt, but what about those that aren't so clear cut? There are indeed a few hormones that can EITHER help or hurt your weight loss goals, and these are the hormones we'll be discussing in this section. You likely noticed the names already, glucagon and insulin, and that they're present on both our lists. This was no accident, they truly can have either positive or negative effects, depending on their levels. The key with these types of hormones is to keep it balanced, a healthy level will result in a healthy body – but too much or too little will produce a harmful imbalance. The good news is there are things you can do to keep this from happening, mainly to make sure you're as balanced as possible.

• Glucagon • Insulin

Glucagon Think of glucagon as the opposing hormone to insulin. Insulin typically takes blood sugar from the body, whereas glucagon elevates blood sugar levels. It does so by breaking down body fat. The reason that this ends up being healthy is because it only elevates levels when they are low –


at least ideally. What glucagon does within the body – the physical processes Step 1) Glycogen travels to the liver This triggers the development of glucagon within 24 hours. Step 2) Glucagon travels to the nervous system to signal the breaking down of body fat. It converts to glucose. Step 3) The body maintains healthy levels of blood sugar It fills the body with the needed glucose and then breaks down the excess by using the liver as a waste disposal system. When the levels of blood sugar plummet in your body, glucagon steps in to try to elevate them again by breaking down glycogen. It leeches this glycogen from the liver to break it down, effectively using up one of the body's main sugar producing resources. The problem here can come in in the fact that when glycogen is broken down, there is one less place to draw blood sugar from. The only remaining places? Your food, your muscles, or your fat. Obviously, we'd like it to be drawing its blood sugar levels from your body fat, but this is where it can be dangerous (it can decide to go after your muscles instead). Glucagon raises blood sugar levels by breaking down fat. You're probably wondering by now why this is a bad thing, fat break down is always good, right? The problem is that when it gets out of balance, glucagon breaks down too much fat, and ends up eating into your muscle mass. This is where it gets to be a danger to your weight loss goals. Fat burning is good, muscle burning is not. When glucagon levels go awry So when there isn't enough glycogen in your system, there's less blood sugar. When there's not a lot of blood sugar kicking around, glucagon kicks in. Glucagon can create more blood sugar by breaking down fat, or by breaking down muscles. The latter is what we want to avoid. Factors that affect glucagon processes • Malnourishment

You need to be eating and eating well to ensure the right amounts of glucagon. Eating too little can result in ineffective levels of glucagon.

• Intense exercise As with other hormones, glucagon is kept in check through bouts of intense exercise

• Protein Protein triggers the release of glucagon, but you don't want to flood your body with it lest you trigger too much insulin at the same time. Protein also triggers insulin though, which can lead to effects of its own. Typically, protein develops insulin atonly 30% strength as compared to sugar. So, the key (as we will continually see) is balance.

Insulin


Insulin often plays a significant role in weight loss, for better or for worse. On the positive side, it can help the body get the nutrients it needs, but unfortunately it is also capable of overloading the body with blood sugars and causing cravings and weight gain. This double agent nature leads to questions. What happens if you have too much insulin? What about not enough? This section is going to overview everything you need to know about this tricky little hormone. What insulin does within the body – the physical processes Insulin is supposed to act as a delivery system between your cells. Ideally this will mean all your cells have all of their nutrient needs fulfilled, without being overstuffed or starved, but this is not always the case. Let's take a minute and look at the processes insulin goes through to deliver nutrients, and then we can discuss what happens if this is not how your system is currently functioning. Step 1) You consume food. Healthy or not, it all contains nutrients of some kind. Step 2) That food is converted into glucose by your body This is because the body basically works off of messenger systems. Glucose can travel through the bloodstream to the nervous system. Step 3) Glucose acts as a messenger to the nervous system, which then triggers the pancreas to produce insulin and releases it in response. Step 4) Insulin binds to glucose and protein (as amino acids) and transports the needed substances throughout your body. This is because cells recognize insulin as a delivery system, and will allow its entry for safe delivery of the nutrients. Chances are you're already starting to see some of the potential problems when your insulin levels go awry. The bottom line is that insulin should be kept in balance. What insulin does for the body – the benefits you're supposed to be reaping right now If insulin levels are healthy, insulin can be a great trigger of muscle growth, building, and regeneration. It also is capable of triggering fat burning, both of which contribute to your weight loss journey significantly. Insulin triggers muscle burning and fat breakdown by properly using the sugar in your blood. When the sugar in your blood is being used efficiently, there is nothing left to store as fat. This efficient usage then also encourages muscle building, because fat storage is unnecessary, putting your nutrients to literal work. This is of course on top of its delivery of protein and other nutrients to your cells, which also benefit when insulin levels are healthy. Insulin literally transports the protein to the cells that need it. Sounds great, right? Well, consider what happens when insulin gets out of balance to see why it's considered as much a danger as a friend.


What it does if there's too much in your system: Hypoglycemia The first problem with excessive amounts of insulin in the body is that there won't be enough receptor cells for the nutrients, and thus there's going to be a lot of waste being driven to your liver for disposal. This may not sound bad, but insulin can't get there on it's own – it has to leech blood sugar from your body to ensure its passage. The body also fails to deliver the correct amounts of nutrients, starving some cells and causing damage associated with conditions like heart disease and diabetes. Less blood sugar leads to the infamous 'sugar lows' we often hear about. When this becomes perpetual as opposed to just a one time low, you may be suffering from hypoglycemia. Consider the list below, if you're impacted by more than a few of the following symptoms, you may be suffering from hypoglycemia – the condition titled for having perpetually low blood sugar. Symptoms of hypoglycemia

• Blurred vision • Craving sweet foods • Frequent irritation, particularly associated with the loss of a meal • Feeling irritable, jittery, light headed, or going into tremors if food is missed • Fatigue that can only be dealt with by eating more • Increased body weight • Memory issues when trying to commit certain facts to memory

The bottom line with hypoglycemia is that your body is not getting what it needs. Your cells are not accepting nutrients that they need to develop and maintain themselves, and this will result in harm to those cells. While your body is disposing of the 'excess' blood sugar, your cells are literally starving for the supplies that the blood sugar was supposed to deliver. This is how high levels of insulin starve the cells, and is the main characteristic of hypoglycemia. If you think that hypoglycemia may be affecting you, seek the attention of a medical professional for diagnosis and treatment.

What it does if there's too little in your system: Hyperglycemia Now that we've discussed what happens when you have too much insulin in your system, it's time to discuss what happens when you don't have enough. The problems created all centre around the fact that your body is not creating enough insulin to deal with blood sugar, leading to blockages and excesses of its own. The condition title here is hyperglycemia, and refers to having a lower than normal amount of insulin within your body. The symptoms listed below will only worsen without treatment. Symptoms of hyperglycemia

• Constant need to eat and drink • Craving sweets continually, seemingly unable to fill yourself • Eating causes exhaustion • Exceedingly dry mouth • Fruity smelling breath*


• Having a bigger waist than hip measurement • Nausea* • Needing to pee frequently • Shortness of breath*

*The three symptoms marked above indicate the classic markers of hyperglycemia. Though fruity smelling breath, nausea, and shortness of breath are not the only symptoms, these are often the symptoms people identify first when deciding whether to seek medical attention. An unfortunate reality of imbalances in insulin is that no matter which way the imbalance goes, you're going to struggle with weight loss. A research study from 1978, published in the Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, found that rats with injections of insulin had a higher body weight than rats injected with glucagon (the opposing hormone we discussed above), illustrating the problem clearly. Insulin can be a weight gaining hormone in and of itself, let alone if it's allowed to get out of balance. These imbalance issues aren't even stable. A lot of people struggling with insulin levels end up cycling between hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, keeping them tired, poorly functioning people who are still struggling to lose weight. The end result is the same, but the problem seems to differ, do they have too little or too much? The answer is: they have an imbalance. So what can you do about your insulin levels? Insulin levels being out of control can cause a host of problems, whether as a result of an excess or a deficiency, and ultimately can present a huge block to successful weight loss. So what can you do about it? We'll be discussing that very topic later in this guide. For now, just understand the critical balance that must be made between too little and too much insulin. The right amount results in healthy cells that are primed for weight loss, but the wrong amount does the exact opposite. This is why insulin can be either anabolic or catabolic in nature, and why we listed it on both lists above. Conclusions So we've looked at hormones. The good, the bad, and those that can swing either way. What I hope I've emphasized enough here is the key, to be informed and to be as in balance as possible. The good hormones, adrenaline, HGH, leptin, testosterone, and thyroxine, help the weight loss journey, but only when kept at appropriately healthy levels. The bad hormones, cortisol, estrogen, ghrelin, and insulin, can cause a lot of problems if not kept in check. But there are also those hormones, insulin and glucagon, that can play for either side – depending on the levels that are in the body at that time. It's a lot of information to take in, so you can review this chapter at any time if you're needing a refresher as to which hormones do what. Keep the information handy, and try to hang on the idea of keeping everything at healthy levels to keep yourself optimized for weight loss In the next section of the book, we're going to talk about some large scale hormonal imbalances, and the reason that calorie counting and exercise may not be enough to help correct them. Hormone imbalances will continue until something treats the specific problem that caused them


in the first place (not the imbalance itself). This brutal reality can mean it takes some time before people really get to the bottom of what's causing their health problems and hormone imbalances.


Chapter 3 The important imbalance you need to know about This chapter is going to go through one of the most common conditions that can create hormonal imbalances, its effects, and how it particularly impacts weight loss. Remember, knowledge is power, and the more you understand the more on guard you will be against these imbalances. The condition we're going to review? Adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue Your adrenals are the key part of your body when it comes to preparing you for stress. Whether you're worried about an upcoming exam, or having to run from a predator, your body is capable of releasing hormones to prepare itself for the upcoming struggle. That heart racing, time slows down, everything seems to be making a move of its own feeling? Your adrenals and the work that they do are wholly responsible for that. They heighten your senses and prepare your body to move quickly, regardless of the source of stress. Interestingly, the adrenals have more than one function in the body, not only responsible for stress responses but also for regulating the level of fluids in your system and keeping swelling down, as well as setting your circadian rhythm for properly sleeping and reducing inflammation. They also take over for the ovaries when they stop functioning in a woman's later years, producing extra hormones. This of course depends entirely on your adrenals working correctly, which doesn't always happen. Adrenal fatigue and menopause During menopause for example, the adrenals take on so much extra work that they can potentially become weakened from the extra duties alone, this can result in the hot flashes and shifting of weight that so typically accompanies that time of life. When the adrenals are weakened, not only do they not perform their normal regulatory functions, but they actually start to sabotage your body with time. If you were already going through adrenal fatigue when you entered menopause, your system will be doubly taxed with the duty of trying to recover from its fatigue and trying to compensate for your body's changes to its ovaries. Even if you weren't already fatigued however, the excess work can be enough to fatigue the adrenals, and should be watched for. So how will you know if this fatigue is worsening your menopause? Hot flashes and travelling body fat, both of which signify adrenal fatigue. So what do we mean here? Body fat is often concentrated on a woman's hips and thighs, but sometimes during menopause it seems to 'travel' upwards towards her stomach. The reason behind this is because her adrenals are becoming fatigued with the extra work they've taken on, and a classic symptom of adrenal fatigue is belly fat (not necessarily hips and thighs fat). So what is adrenal fatigue? Adrenal fatigue refers to the perpetual weakening of your adrenals, at which point your body is actively hurting itself and your weight loss goals, rather than helping. The adrenals are


weakened ironically by the very substance they prepare, cortisol. We've already discussed the damaging effects of cortisol, well it is actually produced within the adrenals, meaning a lot of the damage begins here. We will provide more details when we talk about the particular stages, but for now just realize it is connected directly to the cortisol it produces. Recall also that the adrenals are supposed to be responsible for the production of hormones. Well, that doesn't occur when adrenal fatigue is happening. This unfortunately is part of the reflected damage done, they become unable to produce the other critical hormones they are responsible for because they are so focused on producing more cortisol as the body stresses itself. The Stages of Adrenal Fatigue Progression There are a few stages of adrenal fatigue before it reaches the ultimate failure of the system. Current research has indicated that the stages of adrenal fatigue progression are as follows: alarm, resistance, and failure. Let's take a moment and think back to our conversation on cortisol. Remember that prolonged exposure to cortisol is a bad thing? Well, interestingly (and unsurprisingly) each of the stages of adrenal fatigue can be charted to the levels of cortisol in the body at the time. The first stage has a relatively average level, but as the body sounds that 'alarm' it begins to produce more. This leads directly into the spike in cortisol levels that you find in the resistance stage, as the body tries to prepare itself for the stress to follow. However, when the body is continually kept in a resistance stage, it ultimately leads to adrenal failure, as the system becomes too stressed to produce any of its necessary hormones it essentially breaks down. This not only plummets your weight loss goals but also your health in general. Let's take some time and look now at each of the stages, so you can better identify them and understand the dangers. Stage one: Alarm Did you fight with your partner this morning? Were the kids giving you a hard time? Are you late paying that same bill as last month? Maybe you were running late... If any of these are sounding familiar, chances are your body reached the alarm phase of adrenal fatigue. Don't panic, it's normal. This is the stage where the body signals you're stressed and begins to produce cortisol appropriately. If you deal with the stress you faced, your cortisol levels will return to normal, and you'll slip right back into regular functioning in your adrenals. It's when you don't deal with the stress that you get the problem of advancing to the next stage. Stage two: Resistance So the stress didn't go away. Maybe it's a longer term financial crisis, maybe you have a terminally ill loved one, maybe you're just working yourself too hard and not dealing with the stress that's been nagging at you. Whatever the reason, if you haven't addressed the stress, neither has the body. That means it continually detects the stress without resolving it, leading to a spike of elevation in levels of


cortisol. The body is merely trying to help itself, but it results in the adrenals becoming severely overworked. This is where adrenal fatigue sets in. Your body was not intended to perpetual stress, and when you force it to do just that it has to adapt as best it can. So what exactly happens? Well, essentially your body's top priority becomes keeping you as prepared as it can (so more cortisol) for the stress it perceives as coming. The problem is that the adrenals have to neglect their other jobs (as do other organs) in favor of this cortisol production, and often end up not only neglecting their jobs but taking resources from other areas that need it. As you can imagine, this isn't any good for you. Chances are by this point you're extremely tense, most of the time. You're craving your junk food, but it's not helping. You're exhausted, but you can't seem to sleep. You seem to be putting on weight again, and suddenly need to run to the bathroom every few minutes. Your sugar highs seem to be especially high, and the lows seem to be particularly low. And on the inside? Your body is literally changing the way it works to try to help you, and hurting itself a lot in the process, both in what it produces and when it gets produced (let alone the amounts). For example, the sugar highs and lows we talked about? They occur when the body is elevating its levels of cortisol. The longer your cortisol levels are up, the less of a chance your body has to recover. The body tries to adapt to this, but it only results in a virtual roller coaster of cortisol levels. This roller coaster is the key to understanding adrenal fatigue, as it dominates all the effects that this fatigue has. In the next section here, I'm going to show you exactly how your body has changed by this stage of adrenal fatigue, and why it's such a very bad thing... Understanding the normal timeline of your adrenals Your body typically takes your adrenals through the following cycle (timing is approximate and would change depending on your sleep cycle):

• 3AM Cortisol spike leading to your wake up • 6-‐7AM The cortisol has spiked enough within your system to wake you, and begins to

decline/go away throughout your day to relax you. • 3PM This is where you're the least stressed, lowest levels of cortisol that continue to

decrease to wind you down for bed time. • Bed time This is where the cortisol levels are at their lowest, to allow you to nod off and

get into deep restorative sleep This pattern is typical. Despite the increases in cortisol, the system has balanced itself out by the end of the day. This however is not what happens when you are in stage two of adrenal fatigue. The resistance stage involves a lot of abnormal spikes, which we'll look at now. Understanding the resistance stage timeline of your adrenals So clearly you're going to be affected, but let's take a look at just how affected this stage of adrenal fatigue makes you:

• 3AM Excessive cortisol spike, disrupting your sleep. This not only temporarily wakes you


up, it also interrupts your ability to enter and stay in deep sleep for the rest of the night. The body then tries to balance out this spike by decreasing instead of increasing.

• 6-‐7AM Extremely low levels of cortisol (making for an unpleasant wake up and potential irritation). The cortisol then increases throughout the day until...

• 3PM Exceedingly low levels of cortisol. The body has tried to balance itself out, but just can't seem to get a handle on the timeline it's supposed to be adhering to. Thus, even though the 3PM drop is normal, 3PM during this stage of adrenal fatigue results in excessively low levels of cortisol – and even lower levels of energy.

• The rest of the evening the body tries to balance itself out by elevating cortisol levels and then slowly starting to decline, in essence doing everything backwards and making it difficult to sleep, and even more difficult to sleep well.

We tried to map out the timelines to similar times of day so you could see just how opposing the timelines are. Adrenal fatigue essentially switches the body's cycle to a backwards one, making it difficult to stay awake but even harder to sleep, and almost impossible to get a good night's sleep when you do. Symptoms of being in this stage of adrenal fatigue

• Struggling to fall asleep, perhaps to the point of insomnia

• Frequent wake ups throughout the night, particularly at 3AM. This is because of the unregulated levels of cortisol trying to figure out when to keep you up and when to let you rest.

• Feel panicked when you wake up. The abnormally spiking and falling levels of cortisol in your body when you're in this resistance stage can really add life to your nightmares, in a bad way. The higher the hormone when you have a bad dream, the worse you'll feel when you wake up.

• The afternoon energy slump worsens. Having a pronounced point in the day when your energy is at its lowest is normal, every one experiences this to some extent, but in those with adrenal fatigue of this stage that slump becomes increasingly extreme. Suddenly it's like some one gave you a sedative. You can't focus, you can't stay awake, you're just exhausted and it's only the middle of the afternoon. This is because your cortisol levels are at an extreme low at this point, and they are driving your blood sugar (and as a result, your energy levels) into the ground.

• Cravings, particularly for junky foods that are high in sodium. This happens because, as we discussed previously, cortisol being high also increases levels of blood sugar, which creates the perceived need for sodium – the body's way of trying to balance itself out.

• Water retention. Another balancing attempt, the body will begin to try to rid itself of the sodium. Water retention can result in bloating, more weight, etc, and is certainly counter productive to your weight loss goals.


• Extra weight coming on.

This is where the other havoc cortisol causes comes in, as you end up being high in insulin and cortisol when you are trying to sleep. This doesn't just affect your energy levels however, it also effects your weight. When you are trying to sleep and you have elevated cortisol levels, you also end up having elevated blood sugar levels. Elevated blood sugar levels interfere with the body's ability to produce fat burning hormones. These hormones usually get produced while you're sleeping (when your cortisol is supposed to be at manageable levels), but with adrenal fatigue this point in the day just doesn't happen. The roller coaster of cortisol thus prevents your body from burning fat, and leaves it right where it is – building and growing it along the way. Night time is truly the worst time to have high levels of cortisol and insulin, but adrenal fatigue pumps your body with just those substances. This is where excess weight gain, poor quality sleep, and other effects of adrenal fatigue really start to kick in.

• Struggling to exercise. This is extremely frustrating. You're putting on more weight, and craving junk food, but you can't seem to find the motivation to exercise – even the stuff you liked to do before. This decreases your motivation, which only adds to the weight, and the vicious cycle is allowed to continue.

As you can see, all of these effects are practically designed to help you gain weight, not lose it. The body is so focused on the levels of cortisol and stress that it fails to notice the lack of nutrients and inefficient processing that has become so routine. All of this bodily irregularity only propels you towards the third and final stage of adrenal fatigue, adrenal failure. Stage three: Adrenal failure By now your body has been improperly functioning for some time. The levels of cortisol have been elevated for too long for your adrenals to recover, and they are now failing to produce adequate amounts of anything. The damage to the system has been extensive. The timelines we referenced earlier are now so irregular that it's just a series of spikes and tiny dips in levels of cortisol, staying at relatively the same mediocre amount, not enough to keep you awake or allow you to sleep, and continue to wreak havoc with your day to day living. Your adrenals have also royally imbalanced your body's level of sodium by this point. We've discussed the effects of low sodium before, but recall for now that feeling of perpetual thirst, that perpetual state of dehydration. As before, the more you drink, the more dehydrated you'll feel, as your body is simply not delivering the water's nutrients effectively enough to keep up. Your body will eventually begin to consume itself, decreasing muscle mass and general levels of motivation. You'll have lost your muscles, and even your hair will feel limp and tired. The only thing to really increase in your life at this stage is your weight. Your body has stressed itself out to the point of extreme inefficiency, and the fat storage has kicked in. This is where you see a lot


more weight. Worst of all? This weight is going to be the worst kind, belly fat and facial fat. These are two of the most stubborn areas of the body in terms of fat storage, and adrenal fatigue only increases that stubbornness. Even people who were previously known for their pointed and chiseled features will now be seen as rounded, maybe even with an added chin's worth of weight. To see what this looks like you need look no further than Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, or William Shatner. These individuals, once known for their features, now have rounded faces that show evidence of the exhaustion that their body is going through. The fat storage that comes with adrenal fatigue specifically targets these areas, and your stomach, upper back, and face (particularly around teh neck) will show evidence of this targeting. As you can clearly see, this is about more than just your weight. This is about your health. So how do you know if you're suffering from Adrenal Fatigue? After reading all this you're probably beginning to wonder how to tell if you have adrenal fatigue, especially if you're recognizing some of the symptoms. These will be tests that you can do at home, but there are others you'll want to visit a medical professional for. Remember that self diagnosing is only worth so much, and you should never substitute for a professional medical opinion. Whatever you decide, don't be afraid to examine the concern so that you can deal with it. Blood pressure test Step 1) Take a day and pay particular attention to your hydration levels. Drink water, eat salad, and so forth. Step 2) Go to a local pharmacy or clinic and get your blood pressure taken while you are laying down. Step 3) Stand up, while still hooked up, to see if your blood pressure raises appropriately (an appropriate reaction would be 10-‐20 millimeters of mercury/mmHg). An inappropriate reaction would be to see your blood pressure fall, in which case you need to pay attention to the amount it falls to measure how fatigued your system is. The level your blood pressure drops will relate directly to the state of adrenal fatigue that you are in. Pen test Step 1) Sit or lay down comfortably, in a room that's relatively private. Step 2) Lift your shirt or remove it (depending on preference). Step 3) Use the dull end of a pen to scratch your stomach lightly, as though itching is occurring. A typical reaction would be to have a white line appear, turn red, then disappear again. However, in those with adrenal fatigue, the line will stay white for a few minutes, possibly widening over that time, but certainly not disappearing. The mark won't be permanent, but you'll know almost for certain whether your adrenals are fatigued.


The flashlight test Step 1) Position a flashlight to the side of your face, aimed across the eyes. Step 2) Turn the light on, flashing across – but not directly into – the eyes. Step 3) Using a mirror, examine the reaction within the eye. A normal reaction would be to see an immediate contraction of the pupil, as it needs to react to the light. An abnormal reaction would be to see the pupil dilate within 2 minutes, particularly if it lasts for 30-‐45 seconds and struggles to contract. If you are having an abnormal reaction, it may well be a sign that you are suffering from adrenal fatigue. Diagnostic difficulties Adrenal fatigue can be somewhat difficult to diagnose in that clinicians are often trained to look at other areas of the body first. There is a lot of overlap in symptoms between adrenal fatigue and arterial, cardiac, digestive, ovarian, and thyroid issues, and clinicians often elect to look for those issues first. The problem comes with the fact that the more progressed your adrenal fatigue is, the more damage gets done to your system. In the early stages, it's just about a lot of cortisol, and the damage that it's doing to your body. It can interfere with progesterone, leading to an attempt to get the ovaries involved in producing more, but if this fails it only leads to more stress. Your doctor may well attempt to treat the progesterone imbalance, while ignoring the rapidly progressing adrenal fatigue! A similar problem occurs with testosterone. If a doctor finds lower levels of testosterone in a man than he's used to, he may well treat THAT hormonal imbalance – instead of the underlying adrenal failure. He may treat the man with supplements that won't be able to solve the real problem, or worse, he may send the man out to exercise to stimulate testosterone production. Recall that intense exercise is not good for adrenal fatigue. The man will rush to work out and try to work his levels back up, stress out his system trying to endure that level of physical activity, and only produce a higher level of cortisol that results in even more of a testosterone shortage. The problem here of course is that while you're treating one, but not the cause, the problems will continue to crop up. Ideally, these imbalances can be treated alongside adrenal fatigue, but all too often they are treated instead of it. This is extremely understandable, you come in with a specific complaint and the doctor attempts to resolve that specific complaint, but that is why it is so important for you to be aware of what is going on in your body – so you can report if there's more than one imbalance. Treating adrenal fatigue? Perhaps you're not asking how to get diagnosed, but what the treatment is. Adrenal fatigue is reversible, but it takes a lot of patience. Why? Because the treatment for adrenal fatigue is rest.


This may seem counter-‐intuitive when your mind is racing and your body isn't letting you sleep, but once you have adrenal fatigue you can learn to recognize that these are symptoms of the problem – not helpful to the solution. On top of rest, relaxation. This may sound like the same thing, but it's not. One is significantly more aimed at stress reduction. If you learn to properly relax, you can help signal to your body to stop stressing itself out, relieving some of the elevation in your cortisol (particularly in the earlier stages of adrenal fatigue). So get some rest, learn to relax, and give it some time. No, it's not a pill cure, but it will work – and have your system working better to boot! If you get frustrated trying to treat adrenal fatigue, just remind yourself you can't get better – or on to your weight loss goals – until you complete this treatment. It may give you just the push you need to get back to bed.


Chapter 4 What you need to know about Insulin Resistance As previously stated, insulin can be either helpful or harmful to your weight loss goals. We've already talked briefly about how it can either burn fat or burn muscle, depending on the body, but this chapter is going to go into more detail into the specifics of what can go right and wrong when it comes to insulin and insulin resistance. What is insulin resistance? Recall that insulin acts as a transportation system, delivering nutrients and other needed substances to the cells of the body as they accept it. When they won't accept it, this is referred to as “insulin resistance”, because it resisted insulin's attempt to enter. This is where you start to see some the unfortunately negative effects that come when insulin gets rejected. Recall some of these effects, muscle burning, cell starvation, and imbalancing of other hormones. This is because when insulin is high, other hormones cannot take the same position they could have before. The liver becomes overloaded with all the 'excess' insulin, and the cells aren't getting what the insulin was trying to give in the first place. When you are in this place of insulin resistance, you will not be able to lose weight no matter what you do. This is what makes it so frustrating, and is why we need to target it for weight loss success. Isn't insulin resistance the same thing as diabetes? Many of us are well aware of the medical condition, diabetes, and that it involves insulin regulation. So isn't insulin resistance just another way of saying the same thing? The short answer is simply no, they are not. So where do they differ? The primary difference is this: insulin resistance can occur in someone without diabetes. It in fact occurs before diabetes has a chance to take root in the system. So although diabetes also struggles with insulin regulation, it is in a different way, far further down the line from insulin resistance. Don't forget what these elevated levels of insulin are going to do to your system. Higher levels of insulin mean lower levels of other hormones that are key in burning fat, and cell starvation. Your body will starve its cells while throwing away the very blood sugar they need to survive. You could be doing absolutely everything right, but still be suffering with the effects of cell starvation and increased weight gain. Insulin resistance is simply the term that describes when your cells are rejecting insulin on a consistent basis. It is worth noting that insulin resistance is a condition in and of itself. You aren't going to be insulin resistant one day, and not the next, regardless of what your cells did yesterday. Insulin resistance is a far more constant cellular rejection process than just a day here or there. As the days pile on and the resistance grows, that's where you may have it develop into a condition that your doctor would diagnose. Symptoms of insulin resistance There are a few key signs and symptoms of insulin resistance, but by and large they follow the symptoms of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. The body will begin by shifting between the two


conditions, ultimately settling on one of them for awhile before going back to the shifting affect. This shift can occur throughout the day, and is a huge drain on your system's resources. Neither hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia allows your body to focus on losing weight, your goal, and both damage the system ultimately. The point is, if you notice symptoms of either hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia, chances are that your system is currently rejecting insulin. The progression of insulin resistance So what happens after you've got insulin resistance? Well, as the insulin resistance really takes root, both your blood sugar and levels of insulin within the body will become noticeably elevated, you'll be shifting between hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia symptoms, and then comes the ups and downs that come with the bodily rejection of blood sugar. You see, when your body thinks there is an excess of a substance, it takes the remainder of that substance to the liver to be disposed of. There are a few problems with this, but the main one is that with insulin resistance the insulin and blood sugar are perceived as being produced excessively, when actually they're being produced in the right amounts and rejected by the cells. When a cell rejects insulin or blood sugar, the body triggers the disposal of the hormone, because it thinks the body doesn't need it. The problem is of course, that the cells do need it, they're just resistant to it, so even as the body destroys insulin the cells cry out for more. Once the 'excess' insulin and blood sugar is destroyed, the cells trigger warnings that they're starved of blood sugar, and more insulin is created, and the whole process only starts again. This is why you're constantly shifted between hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. The body is continually telling itself there is too much blood sugar, disposing of the perceived excess, and then realizing it doesn't have enough (thus starting again). It is worth noting that when this first starts, you will likely have noticed symptoms of one or the other (hyperglycemia OR hypoglycemia), not both. It is only later in the condition that the body has stressed itself out enough to begin shifting. Once they begin, these shifts between hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia will only become more and more frequent. This rinse and repeat cycle can be extremely exhausting, particularly as insulin resistance progresses throughout the body, eventually reaching the liver itself. It also can cause other issues in the body like swelling, higher blood pressure and cholesterol, erectile dysfunction, depression, and illness. This is because insulin is a transporter of nutrients in general, and the body lacking nutrients can then display that suffering in more belly fat or difficulty maintaining an erection (or both). All of this takes a mental toll as well, and depression is common in those suffering from insulin resistance (or adrenal failure, or other hormonal imbalances). Insulin resistance and stress There's another factor at play here though when your body is jumping between too much and too little of a substance, and that factor is stress. We've just learned what stress does to the body in


the form of elevated cortisol levels, and what those elevated cortisol levels do to the body. Insulin resistance is in this way related to adrenal fatigue, because your body can stress itself into that at the same time. Interestingly, adrenal fatigue can also cause insulin resistance, again illustrating how a doctor may try to treat one problem without addressing the underlying cause. It's important to be vigilant of your symptoms, to know whether you're just suffering from insulin resistance or potentially suffering from both. Characteristics of insulin resistance? Let's review some of the harsh characteristics of insulin resistance.

• Adrenal fatigue can play a role. As I mentioned above, if your adrenals are fatigued this can actually lead to insulin resistance. The real issue here is that without treatment to the underlying adrenal fatigue, treating insulin resistance will be futile because the fatigue will keep causing the same problems.

• The shifts between hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia can lead to a host of other symptoms that make it nearly impossible to eat and live healthy. You'll be hungry all the time, but your body isn't going to be using the nutrients effectively (and you are likely craving junk anyway). This will lead to a constant, extreme feeling of hunger, and a lower feeling of energy. The lower energy makes it harder to focus on things, and even working on a favorite hobby may seem like a formidable task with your new issues with concentration and energy. As you get more tired and unmotivated, and still remain hungry, you likely aren't even going to want to be eating and living healthy, and motivating yourself to take care of your body becomes more difficult. If you weren't eating well before, you're going to have a hard time starting now.

• Insulin resistance causes inflammation in the cells that reject it. When cells do not want insulin (or any substance) to enter them, they have to make themselves unable to receive those cells. In the case of insulin resistance, this often shows as swelling. The cell is trying to protect itself from the unwanted substance, but really ends up bloating your body in the process.

• It can spread to your liver. The imbalance that your body has created with insulin resistance is going to lead to a lot of dumping of 'excess' insulin into your liver. The liver typically acts as a disposal unit for unwanted hormones or substances. The problem can come in here when the insulin resistance of your body spreads to the liver itself, and the cells in the liver start to reject it.

• Insulin resistance can create other imbalances within the body. Insulin acts as a delivery system of several substances to the cells. When the cells starve


themselves of insulin, they are depriving themselves of their needs (both basic and otherwise). For that reason, insulin resistance has been linked to a host of other illnesses and conditions associated with imbalances. These conditions include (but are not limited to): depression, erectile dysfunction, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and increased fat around your stomach.

Conclusions In conclusion, insulin resistance can cause other imbalances throughout the body, it can cause exhaustion, and it can certainly roadblock your path to weight loss success. Worst of all? Insulin resistance can be caused in and of itself by adrenal fatigue, in which case all attempts to treat it will be useless until the underlying adrenal fatigue is addressed. Be aware of the signs and symptoms so that you can remove this obstacle if it's in your path.


Chapter 5 What you need to know about Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) NAFLD is an increasingly prevalent liver condition that involves fat surrounding the liver to the point of increasing its size in swelling and fatty tissue, and impacting its efficiency. A recent study done showed that NAFLD is actually affecting between 17% and 33% of all Americans. When your liver is having a problem, your whole body is going to have a host of problems. The liver is the filtration system for the entire body. In the picture below, see just how big the problem can get. On the left, there is a normal liver (healthily sized and displayed). The one in the middle shows evidence of increased fatty tissue and discoloration, and the one on the right is fully impacted by Cirrhosis of the liver. The importance of the liver The liver is your body's filtration system. It takes the good, it destroys the bad, and it comes into contact with all produced hormones. As you are likely already anticipating, a problem with your liver can cause a lot of other problems with other areas of the body. The causes of NAFLD NAFLD can be caused by a variety of other conditions, including but not limited to: diabetes, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. In each of these conditions, the liver winds up paying the price and ultimately swells and fattens. It can also be caused by excess cortisol or adrenal fatigue. You're likely seeing at this point why we're talking about each of these – they are all connected and can all connect one another to a certain extent. The effects of NAFLD As it fattens, it can trigger the development of additional issues, leading to a very unhappy life where you have multiple conditions and little idea about how to fix it. Specifically, NAFLD will lead to insulin resistance, inflammation, and increased production of insulin-‐like growth factor 1 (the hormone that opposes HGH directly). Each of these has its own set of effects and issues that comes with it, but the key one to note here is inflammation. When the liver is inflamed it isn't going to be able to trigger the metabolism effectively. This means that your metabolism will be at a disadvantage, something you do not want when trying to lose weight (or even when you're trying to maintain your current weight). Conclusions I think we've really driven home the point here, the health of your liver is critical to the health of your body and to your weight loss success. Thankfully, this guide contains enough information to jumpstart the health of these organs and get you back on the path of successful weight loss before you know it. Start preparing yourself, because change is coming your way!!


Chapter 6 What you need to know about the Estrogen Epidemic Estrogen is a naturally produced hormone that's primarily responsible for the development of sexual maturity and secondary sexual characteristics of women. Not so bad, huh? Well, if you remember our earlier mention of estrogen, you'll know just how bad it can get – when it's environmentally introduced. We're not talking about the estrogen we naturally produce here, we're talking about environmental estrogen and environmental triggers to produce estrogen earlier, and excessively. This becomes a problem because estrogen is a hormone associated with weight gain, particularly around the lower half of the body (the hips, thighs, and behind we are all so sensitive about it). What does too much estrogen do anyway? Estrogen makes weight loss extremely difficult by building fat rather than burning it, and by impacting other hormones within the body. This makes weight loss particularly difficult for women, whose menstrual cycles and natural levels of production already raise their levels – even before being exposed to the environment. The way that it works is this: the body produces estrogen, either through the pituitary gland or through an estrogen producing gland. Never heard of an estrogen producing gland? It's a synonym for fat cells themselves. That's right, fat cells can create estrogen, adding their own special aromatase enzyme to help in the process. The problem with aromatase? It will convert testosterone in men to produce the estrogen it desires. As the body adds more and more fat to its stores, it moves up the body. So while estrogen weight begins on the lower half of the body, in the hips and thighs, it can progress upwards towards belly fat and neck (and so forth). Estrogen is also excellent at hiding its effects, often being misdiagnosed and improperly treated. This is because excess estrogen causes a host of other symptoms that are common to other imbalances, leading medical professionals to treat those instead of the estrogen issue. It is also capable of hiding in fat deposits, meaning your levels could test as normal even while you have an excess because the body simply hasn't accessed that section of fat yet. We will review some signs of this particularly cleverly hidden excess of estrogen a little later in the book. Isn't estrogen just for women? Because estrogen has been associated with the female reproductive processes for so long, many men assume they have very little to worry about from this hormone. Unfortunately this is not the case. We're going to be talking later in this chapter about environmental estrogen. We can get it from our food, our medicine, and other external causes, even as men. In fact, studies have shown that many young boys have begun to develop extra fatty tissue within the breast area and also to develop secondary female characteristics, showing that it is not only young girls are plagued by


the estrogen epidemic that our society has put us in. Worse still, some estrogen substances (Aromatase) actually converts testosterone in your body to make more estrogen. This interferes with male sex hormones on top of adding female sex hormones to their bodies, and is surely reason for concern. Environmental estrogen has made estrogen excesses a risk for every one, men and women alike, so pay attention regardless of gender! Recent increases We are being excessively dosed with estrogen on a daily basis. Men and women are being environmentally plied with the substance, causing fat deposits to not only remain but to regenerate around the hips and thighs. If you doubt this, just take a look at the average age girls enter puberty. It's getting younger and younger, and that's directly a result of increased levels of estrogen (and earlier exposure to it). You'll see first hand the unfortunate evidence that we're having a problem with excess estrogen in the environment. The medical community has its own members warning of the estrogen crisis we've put ourselves into, and one such expert was Dr. John Lee. Dr. Lee established the dangers of excessive estrogen, and in particular estrogen supplementation, and did a lot of careful work to reveal that the key with estrogen seems to be balancing it with progesterone. Balancing estrogen and progesterone Progesterone is a hormone that naturally works in complement to estrogen. When balanced, the body is healthier, happier, and works at optimal efficiency, but unfortunately this is not always the case. When there is an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone, that's where you begin to see weight gain, and other conditions developing. Imbalance points in life There are times in life when the body naturally creates an imbalance, and thus more fat is produced. These can be thought of as times in life when your body actually wants to gain weight. The points, two in particular, coincide with the sexual development of a woman (puberty and menopause). The graph you see clearly displays how estrogen and progesterone interact over your lifespan to show not only these two points in life, but also a general approximation of your levels right now. These times cannot be prevented (and really should not), but should rather be adjusted to. You can do this by ensuring that you eat well and are active during those periods of your life, to counterbalance against the increased placement of fat deposits. To complicate things... Estrogen deficiencies can hide, or rather can fail to appear when tested for. This can be extremely


frustrating, as women experiencing all the classic symptoms can get tested and be told that their levels are normal. So how does this happen? Fat deposits. Recall that estrogen can be stored in fat. Women with estrogen in their fatty tissue can often test as though their levels are normal, and then have their body burn into that fat and increase their symptoms. To try to help with this issue, I will be listing several factors that can influence a test to say a woman's levels of estrogen are natural, when in fact they are excessive. When adrenal fatigue throws its hat into the ring As always, other conditions can help foster an imbalance of this kind. Specifically, adrenal fatigue has a large role to play in the estrogen-‐progesterone imbalance. This is because, on top of naturally affecting other hormonal systems, adrenal fatigue in particular triggers the production of progesterone. When progesterone outproduces estrogen, there is an imbalance and the effects begin to take place. Another problem with adrenal fatigue and estrogen-‐progesterone imbalances is in that you cannot correct the progesterone-‐estrogen imbalance before correcting the adrenal fatigue, or it will occur all over again as the untreated cause continues to improperly stimulate your system. Yet as women we often notice the symptoms of the issues with progesterone and estrogen long before it occurs to us, or often our doctors, that adrenal fatigue could be the real culprit. Further complexity is added by the fact that recovery from adrenal fatigue involves resting and only low intensity exercise, yet working off the fat that the estrogen-‐progesterone imbalance generates requires high intensity exercises. I think you're getting the idea here, but this is exactly what complicates weight loss for women. Dr. Lee theorized that the true culprits behind the excess of estrogen were the pharmaceutical industry, who only served to profit by convincing women to take unneeded supplements – particularly when those supplements only drove them back to the doctors office for a different prescription! These complications must all be taken into account when undertaking the estrogen epidemic that so often plagues women and men alike. The good news is that if the adrenal fatigue is treated, the estrogen-‐progesterone imbalance it created will quite naturally correct itself. You just have to find the adrenal fatigue first, and work to lose the weight the imbalance produced, and you'll be in fine form once again. Endocrine Disruptor The term endocrine refers to internal bodily secretions, be it hormones or other substances. Once secreted, the substance can be sent throughout the body (travelling via the blood). Once it's received where it's meant to be, the body signals itself that this mission is fulfilled and that no more endocrines need be released. As the name suggests, an endocrine disruptor is any substance that comes in and disrupts this process. A lot of the types of issues listed below involve these disruptions, whether it increases your hormones (to the point of excess) or inhibits their production (to the point of deficiency).


Any time you have a disruptor, you're going to have a series of problems that will continue until that disruption in particular is tracked down and demolished. Examples of endocrine disruptors So where can these disruptors below? Consider the list below for some of the sources.

• Fungicides (used to kill fungus) • Heavy metals • Herbicides (to kill weeds) • Pesticides (to deal with pests) • Plastics • Solvents

Each of these disruptors can cause its own issue, depending on the hormones it interferes with and the disruptions that happen. Environmental Estrogen So by now you're likely wondering, where is all this environmental estrogen coming from? We're going to go through it right now. There's estrogen in your meat, there's estrogen in the drugs, there's estrogen in some pesticides! By the end of this chapter, you'll fully understand why the estrogen epidemic is just that – an epidemic. Finding estrogen in carcinogens Carcinogens are a particularly mean type of toxin, one that has been associated with causing cancer. They are also wickedly deceptive in that years after they're ingested, they can take affect (up to thirty years later to be more specific). There are a host of these carcinogens throughout a lot of everyday household products, which we're going to list below. Let me reassure you that this is not to frighten you, but rather to open your eyes. It is only with your eyes open that you can then take steps to correct the harmful influences of these products, and to see how doing so can actually aid you in your weight loss journey. Bisphenol A Bisphenol A is a product primarily used (and widely used at that) in the manufacturing industry. It has been found in plastics, and is also a xenoestrogen (see below for details). We used it in water bottles, soft drinks, anything plastic really, and carbonless copy paper of all things. The usage of Bisphenol A was so prevalent that we didn't stop until 67 years after we first started using it. You may recognize Bisphenol A by its more common name, BPA. BPA was used popularly in a variety of plastics, including water bottles. It is just now we are working to correct this by creating BPA free products, and in the meantime it is estimated we each ingested six pounds a year of the carcinogenic substance. In fact, in 2004, the CDC did a study of 2,157 people and found that 93% of people had traces of BPA within their urine. Particularly vicious fact about BPA? It's stronger in children and adolescents than it ever is in adults.


Another study published by Health Canada found the presence of BPA in canned soft drinks, illustrating just how real the threat of BPA remains. Childhood exposure to BPA The research on children and BPA is worrisome, to say the least. In a study done by the EWG in 2009, 2.89ng/mL BPA was found in 90% of umbilical cords, showing that we have exposed our children (even before birth) to the harmful effects of the substance. This exposure seemed prepared to continue all the way throughout adulthood, with a study done by the CDC finding a 95% prevalence rate of BPA in adults between 1988-‐1994, and 93% in 2003-‐2004. We are trying to limit our exposure, but it has been difficult so far, to say the least. What's so bad about BPA? BPA has been connected to hormonal imbalances, diabetes, obesity, and overall a difficulty in those trying to lose weight. It impacts the body in an extremely harmful way, and may well be part of the reason that we're seeing such early puberties, such a strong prevalence of cancer, and may even play a role in dementia. What do you do to limit BPA exposure? So what are you supposed to do? The best you can to limit your exposure. The best way to do that? Look for the “BPA free” label that so many plastic containers and canned foods are giving now. This is the best we can do at this stage in the game. Finding estrogen in meat We like our meat a certain way, tasty and bulky. We all want a lot, and producers have responded to this demand by growing certain animals just for meat, and by injecting said animals with hormones that will help them to bulk up. The bigger the animal, the higher the price the farmer will receive when they sell the animal's meat. But while this may make financial sense, it doesn't make sense for weight loss or health of the population. The medical community has been documenting the harmful effects of hormone injected meat for over fifty years, yet still the practice remains common for its financial gains. In fact, the EPA published a report detailing the Concentrated Animal Feed Operations (CAFO) of cattle in particular to show just how prevalent the rates of hormones are. What the EPA found in studying the CAFO of cattle Ready yourself before you read it, it's alarming. The EPA found that an estimated 90% of cattle slaughtered in 1995 had been injected with androgens, estrogens, and progesterone at a concentration of 13ng/L. This is a level that is between five and six grades higher than normal. What the EPA found in studying the CAFO of poultry They also found an average concentration of 14ug per kg of estrogen in male broilers, and 65 ug per kg in females (133 in male and female). These findings may sound complicated, but they


basically dictated that in 1998 alone, the US produced an estimated 160,000-‐760,000kg/year of poultry, leading to an extremely high output of estrogen into the community. These studies aren't to scare you, but rather to show the extensive nature of environmental estrogen. Finding estrogen in drugs given to animals used for meat The problem of estrogen in our food only worsens when you consider antibiotics on top of growth hormones. The meat industry, in an endeavor to maximize profits, has seen fit to pack animals in extremely tightly with one another. That kind of packing involves increased risk for illness and disease, and spreading of illness and disease. The solution, according to the industry, is to medicate your animals. In fact, did you know that one half of all American antibiotics go straight to livestock? They get fed antibiotics before they are sick, to help protect them. This means in turn that when you eat their meat, you are eating even more hormones than the growth ones that are injected. So how much pesticides are we talking about? Over the last year, at least 5 billion pounds has been added to the world. And that trend isn't new. Over the last century, we've accumulated several hundred billion pounds, of both legal and illegal pesticide use, just to keep up with our current meat consumption habits. There has been some regulation of this, in terms of banning, but there is currently no international standard. So just because your American grown beef doesn't have DDT in it doesn't mean that the beef at your American grocer doesn't have it too. Estimates vary, but experts say you'll likely ingest illegal pesticides at least 75 times this year alone – even when you follow all the guidelines you're supposed to!! Let's take some time now and review some of the most popular hormones found in the environment, away from our food. Finding hormones in Xenoestrogens Xenoestrogen, derived from the Greek word for foreigner/stranger, is a compound that is manufactured to act like estrogen, but often ends up disrupting estrogen's signal. This is significant because when the signal is disrupted, healthy reproductive functions of estrogen are interfered with. There are several types of xenoestrogens, each of which will be listed below. They all tend to mimick estrogen, and disrupt your natural processes, only hurting your health – and your weight loss goals! DES DES is an artificial estrogen used to supplement low levels and to prevent miscarriages. It was widely prescribed between 1938 and 1970, doled out as a miracle cure for miscarriage (and fed to livestock to help them as well), and it wasn't until decades after these prescriptions that medical professionals uncovered the truth. A single dose of DES was the equivalent of 5,000 birth control pills. Unfortunately, DES actually caused miscarriages, as well as other health disorders


(one of which was cervical cancer). DDT DDT is a chemical that became so prevalent that even to date, over fifty years after its banning, it can still be found in 99% of childrens' cells. Where do we get it? From meat from other countries where regulations are not as strict, and from some illegally used pesticides. Herbicides and pesticides While fruits and vegetables are nutritious and a valued addition to any diet, chances are that pesticides and herbicides are not. These harmful chemicals are sprayed directly onto the plants that are grown to prevent the interference of insects and bugs from detracting from the farmer's profit line. More research is needed, but the EPA has released several reports detailing the harmful nature of these substances, even in small doses, and the havoc they wreak on your hormone levels. Industrial solvent These are used in cleaners, cosmetics, finishes, and more. They enter the body through skin contact (think how that applies to something like acetone – which frequently touches your skin – or glue!). Once in the body, they build up within the myelin coating of cells and bolster fatty tissue. Petrochemical compounds These compounds are typically found in beauty products, and are a type of xenoestrogens (listed below). Favored beauty culprits? Hand creams, shampoos, perfume, soap, and more. Adrenal Fatigue and estrogen during menopause We've talked about this before, but there is a definite connection between adrenal fatigue and estrogen. Adrenals are one of the areas of the body that are responsible for producing estrogen, the other areas being the ovaries. When a woman's ovaries stop functioning (ie when she has a hysterectomy or begins to experience menopause), the adrenals are left to make up the difference in production. There's a good chance that this process can fatigue your adrenals, if they weren't already. If your adrenals were already fatigued at the time you entered menopause, chances are you saw a huge increase in your symptoms. It is going to be easier to go through menopause with strong adrenals, but this isn't an option for all of us. Whether your adrenals were fatigued before or not, they are picking up a huge amount of work to compensate for the lack of the ovaries doing their jobs. If your adrenals were not already fatigued, watch for the travelling fat we talked about earlier. Recall, travelling fat is the term we used to describe when your weight seems to shift to your stomach and midsection (away from your hips and thighs). This fattening is a sign that you could be experiencing adrenal fatigue, as the estrogen is storing itself where estrogen receptors are (primarily around the midsection).


Chapter 7 What you need to know about Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Polycistic Ovarian Syndrome, known as PCOS for short, is a hormone disorder that impacts the daily lives of several women, unfortunately causing a host of problems for those suffering. Estimates vary, but a good rule of thumb is that 5-‐10% of the population is impacted at any given time. This chapter is going to overview what PCOS is, some of the ways to identify it, and what to do about it. Polycistic Ovarian Syndrome Cysts and Insulin Resistance PCOS is characterized by the cysts that end up on the ovaries. A less known fact about these characteristic cysts is that they are actually caused by insulin resistance. This is because when there are higher levels of insulin in the blood, the body signals itself (through a gland in the brain) to begin producing testosterone. This job then falls to the ovaries, who scramble to produce the extra needed hormone, and often tax themselves into developing a cyst. It is as a result of the insulin resistance behind the cysts, and the testosterone produced by the cysts, that the symptoms below are actually occurring at all. What does it do to your body? A lot of people are aware of the cysts that PCOS can create, but what else does it do? Most people don't know. In fact, by the time you see the appearance of cysts, the condition has pretty much run its course. Polycistic Ovarian Syndrome does several of the following before it ever reaches the cyst level:

• Acne • Baldness following the male pattern • Causes insulin resistance • Infertility • Interferes with keeping a regular menstrual cycle • Issues with cortisol levels (and all that comes with it) • Produces excessive amounts of testosterone (the male sexual characteristic hormone) • Regular headaches that begin in the morning and that may wear off throughout the

day • Shifts weight to the point of almost squaring a woman (instead of your normal

feminine curves, you'll have a bulked, rectangular profile). Most noticeably, PCOS creates a squaring of the female form. When you look at a woman and start seeing small hips, or hips directly parallel to her shoulders, you're seeing the characteristic rectangular shape that a woman's body takes on with PCOS. This is one of the first things that I see when a woman with PCOS comes in. This syndrome is so powerful because it interferes with multiple systems, making it logical that it involves multiple disorders. What disorders make up Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome?


Do you know why Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is called a syndrome? It's because it makes up a series of disorders and imbalances. Although some share overlap in their symptoms, it's actually multiple imbalances at work to create the united syndrome that PCOS presents as. Each of them work together to affect the sufferer, and must be treated to successfully defeat it.

• Adrenal fatigue • (Sometimes) diabetes • Insulin resistance • Metabolic syndrome

So how do you treat Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome? Because Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome involves so many different disorders, it can be quite complicated to treat. The bottom line is that multiple treatments will need to occur, for the adrenals, blood sugar issues, diabetes, insulin resistance, and hormone regulation in turn. The good news is that when these disorders are each addressed, the woman will see a huge benefit to herself. The PMS syndromes will lessen, the menstrual cycle will regulate...the skin will clear up, the headaches may well stop. Treating Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome can indeed be extremely successful, it just needs to be done carefully – by addressing each of the disorders that make it up. Once treated, a lot of women experience intense relief in as many ways as they were effected.


Chapter 8 Andropause – Bringing womens' issues to a man's life Testosterone is the male equivalent of estrogen. Too much of it can be a bad thing, but the right amounts keep your body healthy – meaning too little is bad for you as well. This is where a condition called Andropause comes in. Testosterone's first recognizable appearance in a man's life comes at puberty. It's responsible for the development of your sexual maturity, a pretty important time of life indeed. However, as the body goes on throughout life, it needs less testosterone, so it starts producing less and less. The problem that comes in when it starts to produce too little. When a man's body isn't producing enough testosterone, there's a host of effects to his day to day life. What does a testosterone shortage create?

• Damage to libido and desire for sexual activity • Depression • Fatigue • Hot flashes (just like with women and menopause) • Inability to concentrate • Increased nervousness • Insomnia • Memory issues • Sweating • Nervous • Impotence and erectile dysfunction

When testosterone is in short supply, it is referred to as hypogonadism. Hypogonadism is a condition where your testosterone levels are perpetually lower than they should be. In today's world, it is an unfortunate reality for many men, and far more than it should be. What's causing the increase in hypogonadism? Remember the estrogen epidemic we discussed earlier? Guess what it's affecting? That's right, your testosterone levels. Testosterone and estrogen have naturally opposing functionality, on many levels, and so the increase in estrogen naturally leads to decreases in testosterone. This unfortunate reality makes the estrogen epidemic hugely important for men. Your manhood is being challenged because people won't stop using illegal pesticides and harmful substances. Body fat and hypogonadism Body fat is also a factor in this. Don't forget that estrogen can store itself in fatty tissues, and release at any time. This can create a vicious cycle for men, having an excess of estrogen and producing body fat, and then having the body fat release more estrogen and causing more of a problem. Cortisol factor? As always, cortisol has a hand in hypogonadism. Stress naturally decreases testosterone


production, and this seems to be related to the cortisol levels that stress naturally creates. Cortisol seems to play a critical role in several hormonal imbalances. This imbalance can be seen in the day to day lives of those who exercise excessively, particularly athletes. The more some one over-‐exercises (moving beyond what is healthy into overtraining), the more stressed the body becomes. The more stressed the body becomes, the higher the levels of cortisol – and the lower the levels of testosterone – that will result. The lower the levels of testosterone, the lower the levels of muscle mass. And unfortunately, this all too often can become a cycle, because those looking to work out for muscle mass will often try to work through the stress, believing it will pay off in the end when really the body is merely too stressed and is burning any muscle it creates. How is it treated? The treatment to date has been hormone replacement therapy. The unfortunate reality though is that this therapy only temporarily erases the impact of hypogonadism, and that the person will be suffering again before long. The good news is, as always, that there is hope. Consider the tips in this guide when trying to naturally boost your production levels of the hormone, as this is your best chance at successful replenishment of those levels. As your testosterone levels increase, you will see just how reversible the symptoms of testosterone deficiencies can be, and you will be living proof of the relief that treatment can provide. From increased sex drive to more muscle mass, keeping your levels of testosterone healthy is key to a happy life.


Chapter 9 Hypothyroidism – And how to tell if you have it Hypothyroidism is the name of the condition that occurs when the thyroid is unable to function properly. If you recall, your thyroid is responsible for regulating everything from your energy, to your mental state, to your body temperature, sex drive, and even how strong your nails are. Of particular interest to us is the fact that the thyroid regulates the metabolic rate of the body, telling it how quickly and when to convert nutrients to energy. This is what makes hypothyroidism such a devastating condition. Misdiagnosis of hypothyroidism There are different types of conditions that get mistaken for hypothyroidism, each with their own series of effects on top of the common effects of hypothyroidism. So what are these types? Consider the following list as possible underlying conditions if hypothyroidism treatment just isn't working for you.

• Auto immune thyroid condition Autoimmune disorders involve the body becoming immune to its own effects in one way or another. Autoimmune thyroid condition involves the thyroid, but there are other auto-‐immune conditions. Diabetes type 1, Auto Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and even certain types of insulin issues can all be related back to auto immune conditions. When your body becomes immune to itself, it actually starts attacking itself and causing damage that would not have been there if you could stop yourself. This is what happens in thyroid auto immune conditions, your body starts to attack its thyroid with certain antigens. Once attacked, the thyroid becomes unable to function normally, but it's actually because of this underlying condition (not because of hyperthyroidism) that is causing the hyperthyroidism. This can lead to symptoms of hyperthyroidism AND hypothyroidism. This happens because when the thyroid is attacked, even by the body itself, it releases thyroid hormones from its reserves (as an attempt to defend itself). This leads to unnatural metabolic spikes in these hormones, which can then trigger insomnia, tremors, weakness, racing heartbeat or thoughts. The problem then, is that the reserves of the thyroid are now empty, and so it is unable to gradually release the hormone as needed, there's a huge excess that's being burned up and then there's nothing. This is where hypothyroidism symptoms set in. You can see how the shift occurs. It can make you feel absolutely crazy, as I think any one who had their body attacking itself would feel.

• Abnormal levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)

When this hormone is low, the thyroid is under stimulated. That is to say, it's not being appropriately triggered by the brain any more, it won't be producing more thyroid hormone. This can be particularly frustrating because you could have a perfectly healthy thyroid, but if you don't have the right levels of TSH then you will still have a deficiency of thyroid hormones!


• Adrenal fatigue (where it actually isn't hypothyroidism, but acts like it and ends up misdiagnosed. Adrenal fatigue results when stress on the body has depleted the body's energy resources, effecting the thyroid eventually. If adrenal fatigue is treated, the issue will get better.

• Fatty liver deposits can behave like hypothyroidism This can be seen particularly well when we look at NASH patients. Those affected by NASH have a higher than normal rate of hypothyroidism. This can be detected by examining the levels of TSH, but may be directly related to the fatty deposits.

• Iodine deficiencies Iodine deficiencies can cause other issues (like T3 and T4 production issues), and mimics hypothyroidism issues. I bet you that 90% of the people you know in Western society is failing in iodine levels.

• Iron deficiencies Iron deficiencies mimic hypothyroidism almost exactly. This is one of the conditions where you can take a blood test and have it say you don't have anemia, even when you do, so it's particularly tricky to track down.

• Low levels of T3 and T4 If your thyroid is not producing enough T3 or T4, it will cause issues that look like a problem directly with the thyroid itself. As a prohormone (one that triggers the production of another hormone), T4's main job is to trigger the development of T3. When T4 fails to do so, there can be lower levels of T3 that can cause problems that result really from the issues with T4. That being said, this could also easily be a problem with your TSH, or another hormone that triggers both the T3 and T4 production.

• Thyroid hormone resistance

When normal thyroid hormone levels are produced, but not accepted, you can see thyroid hormone resistance (similar for insulin resistance.

This is the hormone responsible for stimulating the thyroid (as the name suggested). As you can likely anticipate, having low levels of this hormone can cause symptoms similar to when your thyroid is functioning improperly – even though your thyroid is fine, it's really just the stimulating process that's having issues. There's a full list of diseases that can get mistaken for hypothyroidism, so be sure to be mindful of your symptoms to give your medical professional of choice the best possible chance to properly diagnose your issues. What happens when hypothyroidism is taking root in the system? Hypothyroidism is primarily associated with the thyroid running at less than optimal functioning, sometimes colloquially described as being 'sluggish' in nature. It results in a loss of motivation, a loss of libido, weakening of hair, improper body temperature regulation, and (in women) a loss of menstrual cycle. Then there are type specific effects that are associated with hypothyroidism that depend entirely


on what type of it the person is suffering from.

• Adrenal type of hypothyroidism involves a general thinning of the body, in particular a thinning of the shoulders, arms, legs and thigh areas.

• Thyroid type of hypothyroidism typically involves a thickening of the body, in particular the areas listed above, because your body retains fluids in a way that displays as fat.

Hyperthyroidism also ends up with massive sugar cravings. Your body is looking for energy, so it craves the fastest and easiest way to get it – sugar. But, as many of us unfortunately know firsthand, when you get high off of sugar, you can crash just as hard. So this craving doesn't end up helping anything, though it will increase your waistline. Conclusions Regardless of your particular type of hypothyroidism, it's going to negatively impact your weight loss journey. Everything you try to do ends up failing, whether you're too thin and are too tired to correct it, or whether you can't seem to drop a single pound no matter what you do. The bottom line is that improper thyroid functioning is going to keep you exhausted and feeling like you're fighting an uphill battle. All. The. Time. But there's a lot more to hypothyroidism than it seems. It can be another condition entirely, it can be there but caused by something else, or it could not be there at all (it could just be adrenal fatigue).

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