This is part five of a series that is looking specifically at how women on keto are affected by this lifestyle. I know this is going to be a shock to everyone, but here it is; women are different from men. Okay, okay, so this isn’t news. It also isn’t news that women’s hormones are different than men’s hormones. So why is it surprising that women on keto will experience this lifestyle differently than men? This blog is looking specifically at women’s hormones on keto.
A Background on Women’s Hormones On Keto
I started this series in Part 1 by referencing Jackie Eberstein. If you forgot to look her up, you should do so as soon as you finish reading this blog. She is a registered nurse, and she worked with Dr. Atkins from 1974 until his death in 2003. She is informed, but she makes the information relatable to those of us who did not do well in high school chemistry or biology. I first heard her on the Keto for Women Show podcast, episode 7.
Why Women’s Hormones are Different
My entire life, I have struggled with my weight. The men I had in my life would decide to lose a little weight, stop eating junk food, and drop 20 pounds. I would stop eating junk food, exercise, eat more vegetables, and gain 5 pounds. It was so frustrating! But, now I know why. Women’s bodies are different from men’s bodies. We have hormones surging through us at different rates on any particular day. So, it’s no wonder that our bodies react differently to food than men’s bodies.
Women’s Hormones Throughout her Life
Women start the complicated hormone changes once puberty strikes. We start having periods. Throughout the 28 day cycle, our estrogen levels are constantly changing. Then, we get pregnant and our hormones shift again. If we breastfeed, that’s a whole new balancing act. Finally, we go through perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause.
Basically, from the time we turn about 12 years old, women’s bodies are trying to navigate a series of hormones going up and down. Even after we stop having monthly cycles, it takes time for our bodies to regain some balance and figure things out. If you add stress onto that (and who doesn’t have some stressful moments in their lives) it just complicates things further.
Benefits for Women’s Hormones on Keto
Thankfully, nutritional ketosis can offer many benefits to women. Jackie Eberstein says that ketones are a cleaner burning fuel than glucose, and that makes perfect sense. Our liver plays a large part in producing our hormones at a balanced rate for what our bodies are going through in that moment in time. There is evidence that ketosis helps us have a healthier liver, which means it can focus on what it does best – producing the right hormones.
Ms. Eberstein says that every chronic illness has an inflammatory component to it. Ketones are anti-inflammatory, and they help our bodies to heal. That works for men as well as women. But when women are going through so many changes, our bodies need to heal and find balance more regularly. Keto helps us to do that.
My Thoughts on Hormones on Keto
I started this series because of the podcast I listed above, and because it spoke to me as a woman who is on keto and is going through menopause. Women’s bodies do amazing things throughout our lives. They allow us to produce children and feed those children. The downside is that we experience side effects from that, such as PMS, mood swings, hot flashes, tender breasts, and weight gain.
If keto can help our bodies stay balanced and keep our hormones where they should be, that helps with those common and awful side effects. Dr. Berg talks in some of his Youtube videos about our bodies in today’s society constantly being in a fight or flight state. When we have a healthy body that produces healthy hormones at a healthy rate, our bodies relax and this can lead to healing – including weight loss.
I hope this series was helpful for women who are on keto. Remember that our bodies are amazing and beautiful. Let’s keep them healthy and balanced.
Wendy
