Well, Jack is still pretty happy since he started dropping pounds just by exercising and quitting soda. Jill is kind of disappointed since Jack dropped 4% bodyfat and gained 3lbs of muscle in the first 30 days and she only dropped 1.5% bodyfat and gained 1lb of muscle in the same amount of time.

Both moved towards their goals but Jill had to change the way she ate and workout 2 days more per week than Jack to get there! Now, we discussed a few reasons why men and women differ and the ones I’d like you to remember are below:

In women, living life on a constant diet (or living without enough calories for a long time) can actually suppress ovulation and lower libido. In men, however, living life similarly doesn’t seem to cause the hormonal differences that it does in women.

Because of this we then went on to discuss a few things that could be disrupting hormone levels in women thereby slowing their progress to crushing their goals! If you’d like to read that blog, click this link: “Jack and Jill Went Up A Hill”

This week, I want to mention a few other items that could potentially be setting hormones a bit off balance and lead to more common “Jack and Jill” type situations.

FIRST, LET’S TALK ABOUT FIBER INTAKE:

When it’s low, we can’t properly excrete what we need to, to maintain a healthy hormonal balance. Low fiber = Low Excretion. In folks who might be estrogen dominant, suffering from PCOS, or on birth control, low fiber is a bad thing.

In folks with high fiber intake such as vegans, folks with hormonal deficiencies that come with age and folks not getting a regular period, excretion isn’t always a good thing. Usually we run into a case of the fiber causing these folks to have too much food going out (because well….fiber) and not enough being absorbed or taken in.

Keep in mind: A study with over 500,000 people in 10 European countries showed that people who ate more than 30 grams of fiber per day had approximately half the risk of colon cancer as those who ate 12-15 grams of fiber daily.

So how much fiber is enough and where should you get it?

If you build your diet around vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, you’re probably getting enough fiber. In terms of grams per day

Women should aim for at least 30 to 35 grams of fiber per day. Men should aim for at least 40 to 45 grams of fiber per day.

Also, get it from whole foods. Fiber supplements (or fiber-supplemented foods) don’t provide the micronutrients, phytochemicals and water found in whole plant foods.

If you’re looking for some great fiber rich recipes, click here to get some from a trusted resource in Precision Nutrition.

CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES

These are the veggies a lot of folks don’t like. In fact, I despised most of these for a LONG time until I learned a few new ways of preparing them! Think broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage.

Why might these be important for folks who have lived their life on a constant diet??? Essentially because when they are a regular part of our diet (diet that has enough calories that is), they help eliminate over production of estrogen which is often a common dominant hormone leading to some sort of imbalance.

Not to mention, broccoli literally kills certain types of cancer cells and is packed full of antioxidants.

ALCOHOL INTAKE (PAY ATTENTION FELLOWS!)

We know what it is. We know many of the ways it affects us negatively as well as positively but, do you know what it can do to your hormone levels?

Wine counts too!

Over-consumption of alcohol can lead to low testosterone in men. Men, this should be enough said. Lower testosterone means more fat, less sex drive, and less muscle tissue.

Ladies, excess alcohol consumption may increase estrone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate DHEAS (short for estrone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate) in women, which may elevate the risk of hormonal cancers such as breast cancer.

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

Limit your alcohol intake to reasonable amounts. That nightly glass of wine is usually alot more than you think!

Eat things that are good for the gut like cruciferous veggies at least a few times (veggies in general at EVERY meal).

Make sure you get enough fiber from whole food sources like vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. If you eat these often, fiber wont be an issue.

Also, since we mentioned Gut Health, have you ever considered an elimination diet (click here to learn more on what an elimination diet is) to determine if some of the foods you are eating might be causing you a few issues??

Whether you are looking to get started or take your fitness and nutrition to the next level, check out our upcoming 21 Day Detox. It’s an elimination diet, group personal training at BFP and a bunch of other folks just like you working towards the same goals!

Next time I’ll dive deep into Stress and how when it’s too much stress (some stress is a good thing) it will destroy your body!!

Thanks,

Coach Joe