Submitted by: Brigette Boysen

Q: I have been noticing more belly fat despite changing my dietary habits and feeling low energy. What can I do to lose the belly fat and gain back my energy levels?

A: I am often asked this question this time of year. A better question would be how do I lose fat? This is an important and timely question because obesity is on the rise in the U.S. to the point of epidemic proportions.

There is a phenomenon that can develop in the body called insulin resistance (also referred to as Metabolic Syndrome and Syndrome X). Insulin resistance refers to a state whereby the cellular insulin receptor sites become unresponsive to the binding of insulin. Several mechanisms have been found that can contribute to insulin resistance, but for the purposes of this article we are going to focus on one main factor: elevated cortisol. Stress causes the hypothalamus to release corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), which signals the pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which stimulates the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol. Elevated cortisol causes insulin resistance, but insulin resistance can, in turn, cause elevated cortisol. It's a vicious feed-forward cycle.

Conservative estimates suggest that 25-35 percent of Westernized countries suffer from some degree of insulin resistance. That can pencil out to be at least 60 million U.S. adults meeting the following criteria:

This ominous list of signs and symptoms become risk factors for very common and severe health problems, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, polycystic ovary syndrome, dyslipidemia, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, certain hormone-sensitive cancers, and obesity.

Fortunately, with the advances in functional diagnostic lab testing you can easily and non-invasively monitor your cortisol levels. The most accurate way of evaluating the cortisol is a salivary sample. The two main adrenal hormones that are assessed are cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). In general, cortisol tells us how much stress the body has experienced and DHEA tells us how the body is adapting to that stress. Four salivary samples are collected at specific times on a single day and the hormones are analyzed by the lab. More often than not, the rest of the hormone panel is tested along with cortisol and DHEA. Namely, the other main hormones that are involved with metabolism are estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Testing all of these hormones together is important because the ratios are just as imperative, if not more imperative, than the individual hormones.

Many receive advice from unqualified people. As well-intentioned as they may be, manipulating the hormones without receiving baseline analyses can drive an imbalance in the wrong direction. Hormones are the main communication source between the various organs and glands in the body and they operate in a strict balance. Take the previous signs and symptoms seriously and get tested, it is easier now than ever it has been. Moreover, if there is an imbalance it can be treated totally naturally without any pharmaceutical medications.