Most of us have THOSE areas of the body that we hate the most. For some of us, it is those “flappy” bingo wings. For others, it could be that spare tire around their tummy. For some people, it is a really large booty! All of these three things have one very simple thing in common – your hormones could be causing your problem areas!
“Two fat ladies – 88!”
No ladies, we are not talking about the actual number-calling game; we are talking about bingo wings – those large, fatty, “flappy” areas of skin in the underneath of our arms that we really struggle to get rid of. Scientists have looked at hormone levels in women with bingo wings and it has been shown that one of the main causes, (aside from not working out the right muscles, of course) is a lack of testosterone. I hear what you are saying – how can women have testosterone. Well, we do carry a certain amount of this hormone in our bodies, in much the same way as men carry a certain amount of estrogen. It is when the levels of the hormones are not at a happy balance that we experience problems.
Testosterone helps to build muscle in both men and women. If you have bingo wings, you could have too much estrogen and not enough testosterone. Not only does it helps to build muscle, but it also helps to maintain it, build up bone strength and even encourage better brain function.
Alongside a lack of testosterone, the bingo wings could be a sign of plummeting zinc levels in your diet. This makes it much easier to fix – just eat more foods that contain zinc! Sesame seeds, oysters and even a good chunk of roast beef can help to increase zinc levels in the body. Also, you will want foods that boost testosterone – flaxseeds, salmon and avocado are all good for this.
You are going to want to work the right muscles as well. Ideally, you want exercise that is going to work out more than one muscle group, so rather than focusing on just working out the muscles in your arms; you should combine them with squats and press-ups. These workouts combined will put your body under a lot of stress, which will make you ache the next day, but at the same time will give you the maximum benefits from your workouts!
Ghetto Booty!
We’d all love to have a Jennifer Lopez style butt, but let’s be honest; most of ours just jiggle rather than seductively “bobble”! Just like the bingo wings problem, a large booty could be an indication of incorrect levels of hormones in our body, and to be more precise, too much estrogen. It has been said that too much of this hormone can encourage fatty deposits in the places that you want it the least – your upper thighs, buttocks and even around the hips. This is, in fact, what can cause that Pear-shaped body.
Fixing this problem is as simple as fixing the bingo wings – change your diet and change your workouts! Eat more leafy green vegetables such as kale and broccoli. These foods have actually been shown to reduce the amount of estrogen in your body because they contain a chemical that is naturally found in the body to do just this. Fiber is also something that you are going to want to increase, and a good detox won’t go amiss! This, combined with a detox-style drinking regime, such as adding lemon and lime to water can actually help to flush excess waste and toxins out of the body.
When it comes to exercise, yoga has been shown to have great benefits for those that have a pear shaped figure, and a tendency to store fat around their booty. If you have this problem area, you are actually very lucky because once you are done with your yoga workout; you can then have a go in the sauna to really flush that body out! As a word of warning – avoid the stationary bikes as they can make your problem worse.
Help me beat my belly bulge!
The belly fat problem is one that millions of people all over the world suffer with and the good news is it can be caused by stress and not the food that you are eating! Of course, there will need to be certain dietary changes, as with most problematic areas, but it has been shown in many studies that the hormone connected with stress – cortisol, is the main culprit behind belly fat. The process is actually very simple – stress causes cortisol, cortisol causes heightened blood pressure, high blood pressure causes an increase in glucose, and this in turn causes belly fat.
Stress can be caused by many reasons – work related, family related, relationship related, and even something as simple as not getting enough uninterrupted sleep!
So, I hear you ask, how do I fix it? Well, because of the increase in glucose, you are going to want to cut down on the amount of sugary foods that you eat. Cut out all alcohol, (you’ve all heard of the beer belly!) and also, try to avoid eating refine foods, swapping white bread and pasta for healthier whole-wheat versions instead. There is a very good diet plan out there for people like you – the low GI diet; incorporating more vegetables and lean protein for a better effect.
When it comes to exercising to help get rid of your spare tire, you should do so in the morning, at around 8am. This might sound like your idea of torture, but in reality, your cortisol levels are going to be at their highest point at this early hour, so you should try to fit in a cardio session of around thirty to forty minutes – you will find that most gym instructors will help you bring together a plan for you to follow to meet your body type, and you can also find more information online.