WHY YOUR LEGS ARE FAT
I had a recent email from a lady (lets call her Mrs Jones) who is following our online transformation programme regarding a problem area for her – her legs.The email I received from Mrs Jones explained that she had tried almost evrything and nothing seemed to be working-punishing workouts, low carb eating, staying in on weekends etc etc. Mrs Jones said she was getting into good shape everywhere except one big problem area which didnt seem to be budging-her legs. Today I hope I will give you an insight into why we store bodyfat on our legs and ways in which we can counteract it.
We are lead to believe from many health and fitness professionals that correct diet and regular exercise is everything, this is only partly true in my opinion. Unless you seek out the very top health professionals then you will find it hard to get cutting edge knowledge that will help make you leaner and healthier. I hope I can continue to help you by giving you this information which I have learned from the very top health professional from around the world.
Ok so back to Mrs Jones – She said her tummy felt tighter, she was dropping inches but there is still one major problem, she just wasnt loosing it from her legs. This may sound like a similar problem to you and if it does a few small changes could help you lean out those legs. In my last blog I spoke to you about hormones and cortisol in particular and how it leads to fat accumalation on your belly. Scientific research tells us that fat storage on the thighs and hamstrings has a lot to do with the hormone Estrogen and too much of it causes fat to store here due to a problem that is better known as Estrogen dominance.
The right amount of estrogen at the right time is of course responsible for proper female reproduction and is necessary for women especially during pregnancy. In women, it also regulates mood and arterial function, is necessary for bone building. Too much Estrogen leads to Estrogen dominance which in turn makes the legs fatter. Understanding how hormones work for and against you will greatly improve your health and bodyshape.
- Chemical estrogensalso known as xenoestrogens and often referred to as foreign estrogens are literally everywhere in the world today and are a big cause of Estrogen dominance. We knowingly and unknowingly breathe them in, drink them, eat them and put them directly on our skin. The three biggest chemical estrogens which you are exposed to daily are – BPA, phthalates, and parabens.
- BPAYou will all im sure have seen BPA Free stickers on different products in shops right? BPA is in almost everything now and you can read a full write up on it here – (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A). This is what wikipedia says – BPA exhibits hormone-like properties and there is a big crackdown on the use of BPA in products and food containers. Studies have shown that people with more BPA in their bodies were more likely to become obese. So it seems simple really AVOID BPA as much as you can!
- PHTHALATESare found in many different products like air freshners and deoderants, they are extremely dangerous to your health. Simple changes like swapping your deoderant to a natural roll on from a health store can help you avoid this harmfull chemical.
- PARABENSParabens are a serious health hazard and are found in bodywashes, creams and lotions. Directly linked to cancer Parabens pose a serious health risk and I highly advise you to check the labels on the back of your health care products to see if they contain parabens. This would be one of the best health choices you could make for you and your family. Again as above I would go to a health shop and buy a natural bodywash or soap amongst other things to avoid parabens.
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- You are probably thinking “How the f*** is that making my legs fat? Well you see the legs have a high amount of estrogen receptors which bind to estrogens and we have been living in a highly estrogenic enviroment for years, eating the wrong foods, breathing in shite, exposed to all sorts of pollution and putting crap products on our skin. Women have also been shown to have a higher number of fat storage receptors in the lower body and have higher enzyme activity causing the absorption of fat from the general circulation in this area. When we have too much estrogen in our bodies caused by the above points i discussed then we get Estrogen dominance and research tells us that this will lead to fat storage on the lower body especially in females.
What can we do to counteract this and balance estrogen ?
- Avoid Chemical estrogens by using only natural beauty products and try to source natural health care products. Dont put parabens(in your bodywashes and creams etc or phthalates on your skin)
- As much as possible try to only use BPA FREE plastics – they are labeled(even the protein shakers you use regularly are available in BPA FREE.
- Eat organic foods as much as possible which are not sprayed or injected with hormones. Dark green veg are also said to be very anti estrogenic. A good tip for ridding your veg of toxins is simply spray the vegetables in a 3 part water-1 part vinegar solution which helps in getting rid of the crap.
- Supplement with a GOOD Omega 3 Fish Oil.
- Filtered water. A reverse osmosis machine works best but if your budget is small then get a Britta Filter.
- A bit contreversial but avoiding birth control pills will also lower estrogen.
- Drink Organic Green Tea. I dont advise more than 2-3 cups per day however.
- You dont need me to tell you about this and as i am a non drinker myself I would advise you to avoid/cut down on alcohol. From the little bit I know on this subject the only drink recommended would be red wine( moderation!!)
- Take a high quality multi vitamin
Doing all of the above will make it easier for your liver to detoxify estrogens easier and safely. There are different health supplements and I have an estrogen detoxification protocol if you wish to know more. But simply taking the above advise is free and will guarantee your legs begin to get leaner over time. Oh and you will also be FAR healthier. I have been getting great feedback on my blogs which is great as I put loads of time into writing them for you. If you think this will help your friends please share on Facebook or tweet on Twitter.
Thanks for reading
