subject: Are Your Body's Hormones Causing You Health Problems? [print this page] For the last 40 years our beliefs in exercise and healthy eating centered on the concept of calories in and calories out. It was a simple belief and we dieted our socks off and did hours of long slow repetitive 'cardio' activity in the hope that we could get ourselves a lean, slim body. Things have changed, we now know that 95 per cent of diets fail, and long slow exercise methods failed to gives us a strong, lean, healthy body.
Research has revealed that the real secret lies in our hormones, the chemicals messengers that give instructions to every cell, tissue and system in the human body. We now know that hormonal decline is a central feature in whether we burn fat or store it, age slowly or faster than we should, stay well and healthy or end up with a disease. It seems that our body's hormones are the missing piece of the fat loss and anti aging puzzle and are the key to lifetime youthfulness, along with super health.
The major factor that causes a decline in our body's hormones is the loss of muscle tissue that occurs from the mid 20s at a rate of one half pound per year until age 50 then this rate doubles. Although the passing years have a bearing on this the main reason this loss occurs is because we do not do enough muscle building and maintaining activity.
This decline in hormone levels sends us headfirst into a downward spiral. Quality of life is threatened with diminished energy levels, accelerated aging and a risk of the many serious diseases that hospitalize and kill millions of people each year. Research shows that unfavorable shifts in hormone levels are responsible.
Our increasingly sedentary lifestyles don't help along with the abundance of highly processed chemically laden foods which all contribute to our hormones becoming 'out of whack'. And out of balance hormones cause us to become overweight, allow disease to stalk us, decrease our vitality and limit the length and quality of our lives.
But the good news is that we can do a huge amount to stop this happening to us. The most important thing we need to get set into our life is a proper exercise program made up of mostly strength training exercise to keep our muscles strong therefore strengthening our entire body and its systems. This type of exercise program stimulates the release of 'growth and repair' hormones that are what we need to stay youthful and strong.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that a walk or some other low intensity recreational activity is going to give you anti aging and weight management benefits. You have to do more than that to stimulate the hormones that will keep you truly healthy and well. If low intensity activity really worked we would all enjoy super health as we all have legs and we all walk. But the combined health of the world's population has never ever been at such an all time low.
Do yourself a big favor and get started on a proper exercise program set up by a fitness professional so you can get the best results in the shortest time frame. As you rebuild lost muscle tissue and hormones get back into balance your quality of life will improve, Greater energy levels and your new found body strength will allow you to squeeze more enjoyment out of life every single day, and, surely isn't this is all any of us want?
