Belly Fat

This one hormone has a lot to do with your bellyfat.

"Ugh, I think my hormones are all messed up!" That's the statement I heard from my sister not too long ago.

After I asked her a few questions about what was going on, I proceeded to explain to her that there are no "bad" hormones. They are all there for a good reason.

Problems arise when your hormones get unbalanced, and bad things happen in your body.

There's one particular hormone that's directly responsible for adding unwanted fat around your middle. It's called cortisol and this was my sister's biggest problem.

Your body releases cortisol when you're under stress. It's part of the whole "fight or flight" response. It worked great for our caveman ancestors when they were being chased by a lion. But it isn't so great for us now...

You see, many of us are walking around with high cortisol levels all the time.

It happens thanks to everyday stressors, like a fight with your spouse or a rough day at work.

Even strenuous exercise like jogging can raise your cortisol to sky-high levels.

And these increased cortisol levels could be making you fat.

The kind of fat you're most likely to store from elevated cortisol is called visceral fat - the dangerous bellyfat that's linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels.

Hot Flashes ...

If you happen to be among the women who suffer severe hot flashes, try some of these tips for gaining relief:

Try to be at the ideal weight: When you carry too much weight, hot flashes are more severe.

Turn up the AC: Pretty basic, but when you are having trouble controlling your body temperature, help manage it with external controls. Turn up the AC at night to reduce night sweats.

Exercise regularly: Studies show regular exercise reduces the occurrence of hot flashes.

Wear cotton pajamas: They breathe better and thus are more comfortable for sleeping in. Try loose fitting, short sleeved pajamas.

Stop smoking: Smoking is shown to increase the occurrence of hot flashes. Stop smoking to help reduce hot flashes.

Choose lower thread count sheets: Sounds like the opposite of normal advice, but sheets with higher thread counts are more tightly woven, so they do not breathe as quickly. Lowering the thread count can help with air flow and keep you more comfortable at night.

Reduce stress: Occasional stress is related to hot flashes. Finding ways to relax and calm yourself, whether through meditation, yoga, or just reading a good book and drinking a glass of tea, can help cut down the regularity of hot flashes.

Practice deep breathing: Similar to occasional stress reduction, deep breathing and relaxing can help reduce hot flashes.

Eat a diet rich in soy: Increase your soy intake and you may just notice a reduction of hot flashes.

Wear layers: Since your body may not be doing a great job of regulating body temperature for you, this will allow you to help regulate it on your own.

Drink to keep body temperature down and avoid dehydration: Dehydration can increase hot flashes. Stay hydrated and use hot and cold beverages to help your body regulate temperature.

What triggers your hot flashes? Watch for triggers and avoid them.

Talk to your doctor. While many women suffer from hot flashes, there are ways to get relief. So don’t just live with the discomfort of hot flashes, do something about them!