Hormonal Changes When You Near Forty And Over

It has been a crazy week for me and I apologize for not posting more. But, I am here today and would like to talk about hormonal changes when you near forty and when you are over forty. We all have heard that our hormone levels change, but what changes and what do these changes mean?

These hormonal changes are a bit different for a woman over 40 then for a man over 40. In both, hormones regulate our appetite, energy levels, sexual functions, digestion, metabolism etc. The list is long and that is why hormones are very important to overall health over 40.

Both men and women see drops of 2 very important hormones. Human growth hormone or "HGH", and our sex hormones. They drop on average 14% per decade after puberty. This can lead to "androcline" in men and "menopause" in women. This can lead to osteoporosis in either sex.

Another reaction that the body has to the decline of these hormones is the loss of lean muscle mass. As we get older we lose it and generally replace it with fat. In men, the main cause is a drop in testosterone that is also tied to sex drive.

In women over 40 there is also a drop in testosterone. But more importantly, 5 to 8 years before menopause, women start to see a drop experience a drop in progesterone and estrogen. Estrogen is produced by fat cells, so the bodies response to the drop in its' levels is to increase body fat, mostly around the waist. Progesterone helps the body burn fat and stimulates the thyroid. So, a drop in it leads to a loss of lean muscle mass and possible weight gain.

To combat this both sexes need to step up their fitness programs and review their diets. As we age, we need to do what we can to keep our hormone levels balanced and to counter-act these changes. The Fit Over Forty program deals with these issues head on and I encourage you to get on it today.

You can also supplement your diet to get more of these hormones naturally. Increase the levels of soy and flax seed in your diet. Or pickup a supplement that contains these items. There are many great supplements that can help you regualte your hormones and also have a lot of protein to help combat the loss of muscle mass.

You can also find supplements that will increase your testosterone levels and HGH levels. they do work, but make sure you talk to your doctor or dietician before adding these types of products.

Take care,

Allison Holt
Fit Over Forty