WE LIVE IN A TOXIC WORLD.

And those toxins may be contributing to your weight gain. Reduce toxins going in and increase toxins going out by eating a nutrient rich organic diet, healing your gut, having at least one bowel movement a day, exercising, drinking enough pure water, sweating regularly, managing stress and sleeping well. That’s a tall order, but if you piece it out over time and create new habits, you can do it.

WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO MENOPAUSE WEIGHT GAIN?

As we get older, do less, and eat more we tend to gain weight. And sometimes as we get older, work hard, stay active and eat carefully, we still gain weight. How and why does this happen? Well, menopause plays a role, as does how our bodies manage toxins during this time of our lives.

Let’s dive in.

When our bodies have too many toxins, the liver becomes overworked. Imagine a conveyor belt of toxins going into your liver to be processed to leave your body. If the conveyor belt slows down, and the toxins waiting to get on the belt pile up, they need somewhere to hang out until it’s their turn.

What our bodies do in this scenario is store those toxins in our fat cells. This toxic excess will lead to an expansion in size and fat tissue growth, creating obesity. It is most common for the toxins waiting to be processed hang out in the fat around our waistlines.

WHAT IS TOXIN BURDEN
A toxin burden is when toxins build up in our system. This can happen from too many toxins coming in, and our bodies not doing enough to process them out. When toxins build up and our body’s natural detoxification system does not work well, it can affect estrogen metabolism. There are various forms of estrogen and we want them in a certain balance. Certain estrogen metabolites can increase risk for estrogen-related cancers, such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer; while other estrogen metabolites are protective towards these cancers. The estrogen metabolites that can increase risk of cancer are also essential to build bone and protect against osteoporosis. As with most things in life, all in moderation. Including our estrogen levels. The liver and detoxification is essential to maintain this balance.

Ideally, we want our hormones to work in harmony. So when one estrogen is overpowering another, this can be bad. Why? For starters, if 16-OH-E1 is dominant, it gives a strong estrogen response and causes unwanted or enhanced menopausal symptoms.

HOW STRESS FACTORS IN
When we are stressed, it has a negative effect on our adrenal glands which are the producer of a good estrogen 2-OH-E1. This estrogen does not stimulate cell growth and blocks stronger estrogens (like 16-OH-E1) that have the potential to cause cancer. We need the production of the good estrogen to create competition for 16-OH-E1 so it doesn’t take over as it contributes to the ineffectiveness of our detoxification system.

Stress increases the cortisol released by the adrenal glands, and too much cortisol is inflammatory. When the brain tells the adrenal glands to produce less cortisol as a way to protect our body from this inflammation, they act as a back-up for producing hormones when the levels are low during menopause. Chronic stress reduces the good estrogen production, and reduces competition for the bad estrogen clearing a path for it to be more dominant.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE TOXIN BURDEN
Hormone imbalances that contribute to hot flashes, brain fog, weight gain and low mood are a sign. Other symptoms include bladder pain, frequency or irritation and thyroid issues which can contribute to hair loss, and adrenal concerns that reduce hormone production, including the good estrogen.

THE INs and OUTs of TOXINS

TOXINS COMING IN
Toxins can be found in many places including our food, environment and in the everyday products we use. Here’s a breakdown of some of the main bad actors:

Toxic Food

• • sugar and fructose
  • processed foods exposed to chemicals
    • exposure to pesticides and herbicides
    • food intolerances
    • mercury in large fish

Environment

• • chemicals in water
  • pollution

Products

• • personal care products and cosmetics
  • cleaning products
    • compounds found in teflon and some food packaging
    • certain medications
    • plastics

A lot of these toxins are within our power to control. We can choose wisely with our foods, drink filtered water, buy products free of unwanted chemicals, teflon, and BPA.

A side note on BPA – it has cousins known as BPS or BPF which can exist even with BPA free products. These can bind to estrogen receptors and cause estrogen dominance negatively affecting our thyroid, central nervous system, pancreas, immune system, and contribute to obesity.

TOXINS GOING OUT
There are four major ways toxins can leave our bodies:

1. sweat
2. excretion (bowel movements)
3. urine
4. breath

There are many ways to sweat. Exercise is the most common. Not only does it improve our mental and physical wellbeing, but the sweat created is part of our detoxification system. Sweating through saunas or hot tubs is also a key way to excrete toxins through our skin. So when you’re relaxing in a sauna at the spa or taking a dip in the hot tub after a long ski day, you’re still working to eliminate toxins from your body. Nice work!

Two other common ways to remove toxins from our bodies through excretion is bowel movements and urinating. Having at least one bowel movement a day is important to keep the detoxification system working well and avoid toxin build up through constipation.

We sometimes forget about C02. It is a toxin we expel with every breath. Exercise and deep breathing exercises help our bodies expel even more C02 and contribute to a healthy detox system.

WHY WE NEED FIBRE AND A HEALTHY GUT

We’ve all heard the importance of fibre in our diets to keep us regular. But did you know fibre is an important factor in the detoxification process?

Fibre helps to bind toxins which means more toxins are excreted instead of absorbed as it travels through the gut. When a gut is unhealthy, it means there are too many gram-negative bacteria in the gut. This bad actor produces toxins that damage the gut lining.

These damaged areas in the gut allow toxins to pass back into the bloodstream and be absorbed, instead of being excreted. The damaged areas may also prevent essential nutrients from being absorbed.

Consuming 30mg of fibre a day is all you need. Sweet potato, green peas, almonds, avocado, raspberries, chickpeas, chia seeds, lentils, whole grain pasta and quinoa are great sources of fibre. To keep it simple, think: a diet high in vegetables will be a diet high in fibre.

SO NOW WHAT?

LIVING WITH TOXINS
They are everywhere and impossible to completely avoid. We do our best and make decisions based on our knowledge, individual situation, and budgets. Managing excess toxin is important however, not just as it relates to weight gain, but its relation to fatty liver and heart disease. What is within our control is to reduce our exposure, and remove the toxins we have stored by detoxifying. Here are a few ways:

• eat a clean diet with fibre and avoid cans or plastic packaging
• buy organic where possible
• use cleaning and personal products made without harmful chemicals
• avoid aluminum and teflon in cooking pots and pans
• incorporate exercise and breath work into your weekly habits
• improve and maintain your gut health
• try to reduce stress

SOME FINAL TIPS ON NUTRITION

1. avoid processed foods, sugar and white flour
2. if it comes in a box, plastic, can, or package consider other options
3. where possible, choose whole foods with good quality organic protein throughout the day
4. consume cruciferous veggies daily to support detoxification (broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, brussels sprouts, arugula, brussels sprouts)
5. wash produce well to remove surface pesticides and residues
6. consume high fibre foods
7. increase the good estrogen with phytoestrogens (organic non-GMO soy and ground flax seed)
8. use fresh herbs and spices
9. detox with herbal teas (milk thistle and dandelion)
10. eat small fish such as salmon, sardines and sole which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, but have less mercury and PCBs
11. drinking green tea, grape juice or eating soy protein and flaxseed helps reduce mercury absorption

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

There are many articles on detoxification, including this one written in Goop where they interview author Bruce Lourie about whether detoxing really works. You may enjoy reading his book (co-authored with Rick Smith) Slow Death by Rubber Duck: How the toxic chemistry of everyday life affects our health. Happy reading!

Written by: Dr. Tracy Lister

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