We begin JJ’s 30-Day Flat Belly Challenge on Monday, January 16th!  Be sure to join us and lose up to 20 pounds and 5 inches off your waistline in 30 days.

Sign up here  

 
Now, did you know that there are 6 types of belly fat?  Well depending upon which type of belly fat you have, you can address the underlying causes to help you eliminate belly fat faster.  In this new Flat Belly Challenge, we help you identify which type of belly fat you have and get specific solutions to get rid of it once and for all.

We begin JJ’s 30-Day Flat Belly Challenge on Monday, January 16th!  Be sure to join us and lose up to 20 pounds and 5 inches off your waistline in 30 days.

Sign up here  

The 30-Day Flat Belly Challenge includes information that we’ve never taught before, such as:

• Identify which of the 6 belly fat types you have and get solutions for it
• Get rid of Mommy Belly (heal diastasis recti)
• Enjoy 40 new delicious flat belly meals
• Learn how peptides are the latest craze for anti-aging and weight loss
• Learn newest non-invasive procedures to get rid of belly fat
• Learn #1 hormonal imbalance that causes belly fat

We begin JJ’s 30-Day Flat Belly Challenge on Monday, January 16th!  Be sure to join us and lose up to 20 pounds and 5 inches off your waistline in 30 days.

Sign up here  

Answers to your questions about apple cider vinegar cleansing and detoxing

I get so many emails asking me about apple cider vinegar and how to do an apple cider vinegar cleanse safely.

I’m so excited that you want to rid your body of toxic overload, jump-start your weight loss, and improve your gut and skin health!

I wrote this apple cider vinegar cleanse FAQ to help you understand the facts on apple cider vinegar cleansing.

Keep reading to get answers to these common apple cider vinegar cleansing questions:

• What is apple cider vinegar?
• What are the top 6 benefits of apple cider vinegar?
• What symptoms does an apple cider vinegar cleanse help with?
• How do I make JJ’s apple cider vinegar detox water?
• What is an apple cider vinegar cleanse?

I’m proud of you for investing in your health. Health is wealth! And one of the best ways to kickstart your health is with an apple cider vinegar cleanse.

Remember to join the JJ Smith Facebook Community page and subscribe to my mailing list to stay updated with the latest from me on apple cider vinegar cleansing, toxic overload, gut health, and looking and feeling your best.

Did you know I wrote a book about apple cider vinegar cleansing? Read 7-Day Apple Cider Vinegar Cleanse to learn all about how to safely cleanse with apple cider vinegar. I include meal plans, recipes, and a cleansing plan – so it’s easy for you to take charge of your health.

What is Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar is fermented apple juice. It is available in most grocery stores in the oil and vinegar aisle.

There are two types of apple cider vinegar:

• Distilled apple cider vinegar is a clear yellow color that you can easily see through.
• Raw and unfiltered apple cider vinegar is cloudy. This cloudiness is caused by the “mother” that typically settles at the bottom of the bottle. This mother is created during the fermentation process and is a combination of yeast and bacteria. The mother in your apple cider vinegar bottle is a probiotic, which means it contains bacteria that help heal your gut.

Like other vinegars, you do not need to refrigerate apple cider vinegar and it has a long shelf life. Choose whichever type of apple cider vinegar you prefer – both are equally healthy and beneficial for you.

What are the Top 6 Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

The top 6 health benefits of apple cider vinegar are:

1. Helps improve digestion. Because apple cider vinegar is acidic, it can help balance your digestive system making it easier for you to lose the bloat and gas. As an extra bonus, apple cider vinegar helps eliminate bad bacteria lingering in your intestines and stomach.
2. Lowers blood sugar levels. Many people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes use apple cider vinegar to help regulate blood sugar levels. Recent research shows that drinking apple cider vinegar during a meal of fast-acting carbohydrates, can lower your blood sugar levels. If you have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, discuss apple cider vinegar with your doctor before you start drinking apple cider vinegar.
3. Helps you burn fat. Because apple cider vinegar helps you feel full, people who drink or cleanse with apple cider vinegar regularly, become more efficient at burning fat. When you’re satiated and feel full, you’re less likely to overeat. Ultimately, this means you can turn your body into fat-burning mode more easily, firing up your metabolism and making it easier to lose fat and get lean.
4. Lowers insulin sensitivity. The visceral fat, or fat you can’t see located deep in your abdomen has serious health implications, including contributing to insulin resistance. When you drink apple cider vinegar, you turn on your metabolism, feel full more quickly, and lower your blood sugar levels – these all contribute to lowering your insulin sensitivity and helping you lose visceral fat.
5. Helps you lose stubborn belly fat. Belly fat is stubborn, but with lifestyle changes and an apple cider vinegar cleanse, you can kickstart your body into burning and losing belly fat. The belly fat I care about is visceral fat – the fat under your skin you can’t see. When you lose this fat, your waistline shrinks, your liver health is improved, and you lower your risks of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
6. Safely and naturally cleanse and get rid of toxic overload. Frequent headaches, brain fog, sugar cravings, bloating, difficulties losing weight, sinus congestion, and irritability are all symptoms of toxic overload. Apple cider vinegar cleansing can help get rid of the toxins in your body that have built up overtime and allow you to hit the reset button on your health.

What are the Symptoms an Apple Cider Vinegar Cleanse Can Help With?

If you experience any of these signs and symptoms, an apple cider vinegar cleanse may help you:

• Brain fog
• Low mood or irritability
• Trouble losing weight, even with a healthy diet and exercise
• Sugar cravings
• Frequent headaches
• Bloating and gas
• Stubborn belly fat
• Nasal or sinus congestion
• Low energy levels
• Digestion issues including constipation
• Reactions to chemicals
• Dry skin or acne skin breakouts

These are all symptoms of toxic overload, an unfortunate by-product of our modern lifestyle.

In fact, toxic overload is so common, it’s one of the reasons I wrote my 7-Day Apple Cider Vinegar Cleanse book. Here’s a sample of what I wrote about my cleanse and how it can help you:

With the 7-Day Apple Cider Vinegar Cleanse you will:

Promote fat loss, both total body fat and body mass index
Resist cravings for sugar and carbs
Improve digestion and overall gut health
Gain renewed energy and better mental clarity

How Do I Make JJ’s Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Water?

To make my apple cider vinegar detox water do this:

1. Add 2 tablespoons of unfiltered and unprocessed apple cider vinegar, a dash of lemon, and a pinch of cayenne pepper to 6-8 ounces of water.

If you prefer a sweet detox water, add a small amount of stevia.

To drink, add a small amount of this healthful water to a large glass of water.

Apple cider vinegar detox water helps remove toxins, aids in digestion, supports liver health, and improves circulation.

Drinking diluted apple cider vinegar water before every meal helps stimulate your metabolism, so you can burn fat faster and reduce the amount of time fat stays in your digestive tract.

What is an Apple Cider Vinegar Cleanse?

An apple cider vinegar cleanse is a healthful and safe way to naturally detox and cleanse your body of toxins, helping you reset your health.

I really want you to watch these videos where I talk about apple cider vinegar cleansing with Dr. Oz. Both videos are packed full of useful information on how an apple cider vinegar cleanse can help you lose weight, get rid of toxins, relieve digestion problems, and kickstart your metabolism.

• The Apple Cider Vinegar Detox to Beat Belly Fat
• The Apple Cider Vinegar Project – The 7-Day Kick-Start Cleanse

Where Can I Learn More About Doing Apple Cider Vinegar Cleanse?

Use these resources to learn more about doing an apple cider vinegar cleanse:

• J.J. Smith’s Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Plan
• J.J. Smith’s Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Recipes
• Quiz: Do You Need to Go on an Apple Cider Vinegar Detox?
• 7-Day Apple Cider Vinegar Cleanse: Lose Up To 15 Pounds in 7 Days and Turn Your Body into a Fat-Burning Machine

I want you to know what I know about apple cider vinegar cleansing! Congratulations for taking charge of your health!

I really hope this apple cider vinegar cleanse FAQ answers your questions about apple cider vinegar cleansing, detoxing, and health benefits.

Remember to subscribe to my mailing list to stay up to date with my latest articles, books, and products to help you lower your blood sugar, kickstart your metabolism, support your liver health, and live your best life.

I’ve been getting lots of emails and direct messages from you about colon cleansing! This is great because it means you’re invested in doing all you can to feel and look your best inside and out.

We have learned so much in recent years about the connection between digestive health, mental health, and overall health and wellness. And this is why I want you to know the facts on colon cleansing.

Natural colon cleansing is a safe and practical way to support your digestive health. Colon cleansing may help you get relief from bowel concerns including constipation, gas, or irregular bowel movements.

Keep reading to get answers to these key colon cleansing questions:

• What is colon cleansing?
• What is the connection between digestive health and whole-body health?
• How do I know if I can benefit from colon cleansing?
• What are the different types of colon cleanses?
• How can I support my colon and digestive health?

Remember to join the JJ Smith Facebook Community page and subscribe to my mailing list to stay updated with the latest from me on your colon, digestive, and gut health.

What is Colon Cleansing?

Colon cleansing is the process of cleaning or flushing your large intestine. A natural colon cleanse may help you manage your weight, support your mental and emotional health, increase your energy levels, and help reduce your risk of colon cancer.

Natural colon cleansing has become popular for one key reason: our modern lifestyles wreak havoc on our bodies. You’re busy, it can be hard to drink your lemon water, get your exercise, and eat lots of healthy greens and veggies consistently. All this adds up to stressing your digestive system – and this is where natural colon cleansing supplements may help.

Science-backed all-natural colon cleansing supplements are a safe and practical way for you to give your colon and digestive system the extra support it needs. When incorporated with a balanced lifestyle and healthy dietary habits, colon cleansing can help you lose extra weight, feel better, and keep your bowel movements regular and easy.

What is the Connection Between Digestive Health and My Overall Health and Wellness?

our digestive health or gut health is integral to your whole-body health. It’s through your digestion that your body breaks down and absorbs nutrients from food and liquids, metabolizes medications and supplements, and removes waste, toxins, and additives from your body.

These processes are essential to giving you energy, helping you grow muscles, repairing tissue damage, strengthening your immune system, and supporting your brain health.

Your digestive system includes your mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine (colon), rectum, and anus. Your liver, pancreas, and gallbladder are key supporting organs in keeping your digestive system running smoothly and easily.

A healthy digestive system supports your heart health, brain health, emotional and mental health, immune system strength and vitality, relaxing and healthy sleep, and may help prevent some autoimmune diseases and cancers.

Your digestive system is the control center for your body – the healthier it is, the healthier you will be. Think of how you feel when you’re constipated or dealing with irregular bowel movements – sluggish, bloated, fatigued, and generally unwell. This is because your body is not able to get rid of waste and toxins or process the nutrients from the foods and drinks you consume. You’re essentially running on empty when your digestive system is not working at its best.

How Do I Know if I can Benefit from Natural Colon Cleansing?

If you have any of these symptoms, you may benefit from a natural colon cleanse:

• Heartburn or acid reflux
• Constipation
• Bloating or puffiness
• Diarrhea
• Irregular bowel movements (less than one a day)
• Weight gain and struggles maintaining your weight
• Regularly feeling like you have an upset stomach
• Low energy and fatigue
• Brain fog
• Low moods or mood swings
• Susceptible to colds, flus, and other viruses
• Gas

Now, I want to remind you that these symptoms may also be signs of other underlying conditions. Do not ignore any digestive or bowel symptoms. If you have regular diarrhea or constipation, stomach cramps, or blood in your poop – please contact your doctor immediately.

A natural colon cleanse using a science-backed and researched supplement can provide benefits to your overall health and wellness such as:

• Digestive health: a healthy colon is essential to your digestive health. Constipation, gas, and bloating means your body is not getting rid of waste and toxins. A colon cleanse helps you reset your digestion, clearing out waste and toxic buildup, making it easier to have regular and easy bowel movements, and ensuring you’re absorbing nutrients and medications properly.
• Weight management: when your colon is not working properly, your metabolism slows down. Gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation may be signs your body is not processing nutrients and calories properly. By resetting your colon health, you may be able to get your metabolism firing again – helping you to lose weight, build muscle, and have more energy.
• Brain health: you may have heard your gut called “your second brain”. Deep inside your digestive tract are 100 million nerve cells that communicate with your brain, giving it signals about your physical and mental health. This information from a John Hopkins Medicine article sums up the link between brain health and gut health:

“For decades, researchers and doctors thought that anxiety and depression contributed to these problems (constipation, diarrhea, bloating, pain, and stomach upset). But our studies and others show that it may also be the other way around.

These new findings may explain why a higher-than-normal percentage of people with IBS and functional bowel problems develop depression and anxiety. This is important because up to 30 to 40 percent of the population has functional bowel problems at some point.”

• Liver and kidney health: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common and chronic liver disease in the United States. NAFLD causes scarring of the liver and has implications for your kidney and overall health. Scientists are learning more about the association between the gut microbiome, NAFLD, digestive health, inflammation, and kidney and liver health.
• Immune system health: 70% of your immune system cells are hosted in your gut, and scientists have learned there is a direct connection between digestive health and immune system health. An unbalanced digestive system can disrupt the balance in your immune cells, resulting in autoimmune disorders and other health impacts.

What are the Different Types of Colon Cleanses?

It’s important the colon cleanse you choose is natural, gentle, and backed by science.

Make sure you know the facts on these 3 types of colon cleanses:

1. Laxatives: do not do this. You should only take fast-acting chemical laxatives when directed by your doctor. These are often prescribed as part of the preparation for a colonoscopy and should not be used regularly. Your colon can become addicted to laxatives, causing further digestive problems.
2. Enemas: a water or oil-based solution is injected into your rectum and bowel. Enemas may help relieve constipation and cleanse your colon. However, you should only use an enema under medical supervision.
3. Colonic irrigation: involves flushing large volumes of water into your rectum and colon. This can be uncomfortable and should only be done by a medical professional.

These 3 types of colon cleanses all come with health risks and concerns:

• Risk of damaging your rectum
• Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance
• Cramping
• Diarrhea and bloating
• Kidney issues
• Infection

The best type of colon cleanse is a natural approach using a gentle science-backed supplement along with lifestyle and dietary strategies. Make sure you discuss colon cleansing with your doctor before doing a colon cleanse.

How can I Support My Colon and Gut Health?

These 5 lifestyle strategies and habits can help you naturally support your colon, gut, and digestive health:

1. Focus on fiber. Fiber helps you feel full and is essential to maintaining regular bowel movements and preventing constipation. The dietary fiber you consume in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other sources helps keep your stool soft and increases the weight of your stool – this helps prevent constipation, diarrhea, and prevents your colon from becoming overwhelmed.
2. Eat fruit, vegetables, and healthy fats. These foods are packed full of antioxidants, fiber, micro- and macro-nutrients which are essential to keeping your digestive system running smoothly and efficiently. Aim for 3 – 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day – this will help give your colon the nutrients and fiber required to support regular bowel movements.
3. Stay hydrated. According to the Mayo Clinic, women need 11.5 cups of water per day and men need 15.5 cups. This is water – not coffee, tea, soda, or juice. Your kidneys, liver, and entire digestive tract rely on water to move toxins, by-products, and waste from your body.
4. Work up a sweat. Daily exercise such as walking, swimming, jogging, yoga, etc. helps increase blood flow and circulation which helps your digestion run more smoothly. As an extra bonus, your body releases toxins through your sweat – so you’re giving your body an extra cleansing boost when you get out for your daily walk.
5. Take a natural colon cleansing supplement. Do your research and choose a natural science-backed colon cleansing supplement that is designed to support your colon and gut health.

I hope this colon cleansing FAQ answers your questions about your gut health and digestive system health. If you have more questions, feel free to post them on the JJ Smith Facebook Community page. Everyone in my Facebook group is like you – committed to feeling great inside and out.

Remember, your gut health is linked to your overall health and wellness. When you keep your colon healthy, look after your liver, and manage your blood sugar levels, you will have more energy, lose the belly fat, and feel like yourself.

Learn how a liver detox can help you ease the signs and symptoms of high estrogen

It’s super frustrating when you’re doing everything right and you still can’t lose your belly fat.

I get it! I’ve been where you are. Even with a super healthy diet, staying hydrated, and moving my body – I still struggled with stubborn belly fat. And then I learned about estrogen dominance.

I knew about low estrogen levels during perimenopause and menopause, and how the changes in my hormones cause my body to change and trigger a range of side effects. But no one
told me about estrogen dominance or high estrogen and this impacts how I look and feel.

The last thing I want is for you to struggle with the symptoms of estrogen dominance. In this blog I explain estrogen dominance, give you the signs and symptoms of high estrogen, and share the 6 steps I followed to lower my estrogen, detox my liver, and ultimately get my sexy back!

You can also use HORMONE FOCUS to naturally support hormonal balance. Hormone Focus supports healthy estrogen levels and helps get rid of stubborn fat around the belly, thighs and arms caused by hormonal imbalances. It also relieves hormonal symptoms such as night sweats, mood swings, fatigue, water retention and poor sleep to help you improve your energy and vitality.

If you have questions about estrogen dominance or want to connect with people like you who put a priority on health, make sure you join the JJ Smith Community Facebook page and sign up for my mailing list.

What is Estrogen Dominance?

Estrogen dominance is one of the most common types of hormonal imbalances in women. Estrogen dominance or high estrogen occurs when there is too much estrogen in relation to the amount of progesterone in your body.

While this imbalance can be caused by the normal fluctuating hormone levels in the body, occurring during ovulation, perimenopause, and menopause – many people overlook the impacts lifestyle can have on estrogen levels.

In fact, estrogen dominance can be attributed to high levels of xenoestrogens in the body. ScienceDirect defines xenoestrogens as “foreign estrogens, substances that are close enough in molecular structure in estrogen that they can bind to estrogen receptor sites with potentially hazardous outcomes”.

We can accumulate xenoestrogens through exposure to plastics, pesticides, chemicals, food additives, and unfiltered water. Over time the level of xenoestrogens accumulates in the body, causing serious health impacts including estrogen dominance, low sperm counts, fertility issues, obesity, hormone-sensitive cancers, thyroid problems, and more.

And when this high level of xenoestrogens is combined with too little progesterone or too much estrogen, it becomes even more critical to understand estrogen dominance and how it affects your life.

Remember, estrogen dominance is about more than belly fat and extra weight, it has large implications for your health and wellness.

8 Signs and Symptoms of Estrogen Dominance

I want you to know these 8 signs and symptoms of estrogen dominance. Now, it’s important you do not ignore these signs because they can indicate serious health concerns and issues. Always talk to your doctor about any unexplained signs and symptoms.

The Hormone Health Network lists these 8 signs and symptoms of estrogen dominance:

1. Weight gain, mainly in your waists, hips, and thighs.
2. Menstrual problems, such as light or heavy bleeding.
3. Worsening premenstrual syndrome.
4. Fibrocystic breasts (non-cancerous breast lumps).
5. Fibroids (non-cancerous tumors) in the uterus.
6. Fatigue.
7. Loss of sex drive.
8. Feeling depressed or anxious.

All too often we don’t notice these signs and symptoms, accepting them as simply part of getting older. I know – because I did this! I assumed the stubborn belly fat, tiredness, and mood swings were normal for a woman in her 40’s.

Thankfully I learned about estrogen dominance and how to rebalance my estrogen levels so I could get back to feeling like my energetic and sexy self. Remember, you should not suffer in silence – if you don’t feel right, speak up and talk to your doctor.

The Connection Between Your Liver, Your Hormones and Your Health

The liver is your body’s purification system, cleansing your blood and body of harmful exposure to toxins, chemicals, processed foods, and by-products of our busy lifestyle including alcohol, tobacco, cleaning chemicals, and beauty products.

But overtime, your liver can become overloaded, making it difficult for your liver to keep functioning properly. This poor liver function can result in the accumulation of xenoestrogens and toxins – leading to the overwhelming problem of estrogen dominance and additional health impacts.

As I explained in Your Liver: What It Does and Why It’s So Important To Your Health, along with cleansing your blood, your liver has four other critical roles:

1. Creates and stores energy. Your liver creates, stores, and exports fat keeping it available as an energy source. However, when your liver is overwhelmed, you end up with excess stored fat and risk the accumulation of belly fat.
2. Creates protein. Along with helping you build and maintain muscle, protein is also responsible for blood clotting, helping you fight infections, and moving critical substances in your blood.
3. Hormone regulation. The liver is a key player in keeping your thyroid, adrenal, cortisone, and sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone) balanced. There are over 50 different hormones circulating in your bloodstream, helping you to think, move, sleep, and recover. Every hormone, organ, and internal process is connected, so when one hormone is out of balance, you feel the impacts.
4. Metabolizing carbohydrates and fat. A healthy liver means you can burn calories and fat, making it easier for you to stay slim and lose inches. Think of your liver as your fat-burning organ!

Every organ and system in the body is connected, so when your liver is not functioning properly, you end up with high estrogen levels, extra belly fat, fatigue, mood swings, and risk of serious illness include fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.

How to Detox Your Liver to Lower Your Estrogen Levels and to Lose Belly Fat in 6 Steps

To detox your liver to lower your estrogen levels and lose belly fat, do the following:

1. Be toxin aware. Use natural beauty products and cleaners, limit your exposure to tobacco, fertilizer, and insecticide, avoid food additives, and wash your fresh produce.
2. Drink one gallon of lukewarm water a day. Space this out during your day. I like to add lemon to my water to aid in the detoxification process.
3. Eat a healthful and colorful diet. Your liver needs essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and specific nutrients from vegetables and fruit to heal, regenerate, and stay healthy. Eat liver superfoods like nuts, berries, turmeric, coffee, oatmeal, grapefruit, and fresh fruit and vegetables.
4. Move your body and work up a sweat. Your skin is a major detoxifier and when you sweat, you release harmful toxins and leftover substances from your body. Exercise helps you burn calories and build lean muscle mass.
5. Limit alcohol. Excessive alcohol can destroy or damage critical liver cells and scar your liver. During your liver detox and to help lower your estrogen levels, stop drinking alcohol and give your liver a break from processing this toxin.
6. Use HORMONE FOCUS. You can also use HORMONE FOCUS to naturally support hormonal balance. Hormone Focus supports healthy estrogen levels and helps get rid of stubborn fat around the belly, thighs and arms caused by hormonal imbalances. It also relieves hormonal symptoms such as night sweats, mood swings, fatigue, water retention and poor sleep to help you improve your energy and vitality.

I’m super thankful I learned about estrogen dominance and how to regain control of my hormones. The combination of a natural liver detox and using bioidentical hormones has allowed me to relieve my estrogen dominance symptoms and feel better.

Remember, estrogen dominance can be treated – it does not need to rule your life. Once your hormones are rebalanced, the belly fat melts away, the bloating ends, your energy increases, and you feel like yourself again.

For a more detailed discussion of estrogen dominance, as well as 6 other hormonal imbalances attributed to weight gain, check out my book, Lose Weight Without Dieting or Working Out.

Some days, it feels like you’re fighting your body. You’re eating healthy, getting regular exercise, and keeping an eye on your stress – but still you feel a bit off. You’re not alone.

Two words: hormone imbalance. A little secret no one wants to talk about. So many women are struggling with fluctuating hormones and the ups and downs this brings. I know this because you are emailing and messaging me – asking me what you can do to balance your hormones and put an end to hormone imbalance symptoms.

Trust me, I’ve been right where you are. One day, my jeans didn’t feel right and I was sluggish, I hadn’t changed anything in my routine. After lots of research and learning, I unlocked the cause – at the age of 48, my hormones were changing, and my body was struggling to adjust.

And now, I want to share with you what I’ve learned about how to get rid of belly fat and get your curves back. No one should struggle alone with the symptoms of a hormone imbalance or feel like there’s no way to get rid of hormonal belly fat and weight gain. Remember to subscribe to my mailing list where I share tips and advice on how to live your healthiest and sexiest life possible.

What is Hormone Imbalance?

A hormone imbalance occurs when there is too little or too much of a hormone circulating in your blood. All it takes is a small change in a hormone level to trigger a range of side effects and symptoms.

Both men and women are impacted by hormonal imbalances. A hormone imbalance can cause a range of issues including itchy skin, weight gain, low energy levels, trouble sleeping, and fluctuating moods.

It’s easy to overlook the critical role hormones play in your body. These five hormones are essential to how you look and feel inside and out:

1. Insulin: is secreted by the pancreas and processes the glucose and sugar in the foods you eat for energy. When your insulin level spikes or is consistently too high, your body immediately converts sugar and glucose to fat.
2. Thyroid hormones: help regulate your metabolism, weight, energy levels, internal body temperature, and the health of your skin and hair.
3. Estrogen: along with being responsible for reproduction, menstruation, and menopause, your estrogen levels impact your body fat levels.
4. Testosterone: is thought of as the male sex hormone, though in women this hormone helps you build strong muscles and bones.
5. Cortisol: known as the stress hormone, cortisol is released when your body senses stress, causing your heart rate and blood pressure to rise.

There are over 50 different hormones circulating in your bloodstream, helping you to think, move, sleep, and recover.

Every hormone, organ, and internal process is connected, so when one hormone is out of balance, you feel the impacts. Depending on the hormone, this can be weight gain, a skin outbreak, trouble losing belly fat, the loss of muscle mass, or sugar craving you just can’t ignore.

Know the Signs and Symptoms of a Hormone Imbalance

So many of us go about our days, assuming it’s normal to feel sluggish, tired, sore, and just not quite right. Newsflash – you should not feel like this!

Your hormones should not be causing havoc in your body. One major problem with our understanding of hormones is how easy it is to overlook hormone imbalance symptoms and signs.

Because hormones are integral to every aspect of health and well-being, I can’t include every single sign and symptom of a hormone imbalance here. Instead, I’ve listed 10 hormone imbalance symptoms I overlooked for too long.

1. Unexplained weight gain and belly fat.
2. Irregular and disrupted sleep or night sweats.
3. Low energy levels and fatigue.
4. Low mood, mood swings, or depression.
5. Changes in body temperature, including hot and cold flashes.
6. Brittle hair and dry skin.
7. Increased appetite.
8. No or low interest in sex.
9. Heavy, missed, or irregular periods.
10. Unexplained muscle aches and soreness or loss of muscle strength.

It’s important you do not ignore these symptoms or other unexplained changes in how you look and feel. Read this Healthline article for a detailed list of hormone imbalance symptoms. Please be sure to talk to your doctor if you’re experiencing any hormone imbalance signs and symptoms – they can be a warning of serious health problems and conditions.

The Connection Between Hormone Imbalance, Weight Gain, and Belly Fat

Have you read or heard about the hormonal belly? Health experts use the term hormonal belly to explain the connection between hormone imbalance, weight gain, and belly fat.

You’re not imagining things! Hormonal belly is real. This definition of hormonal belly by Medical News Today reinforces what I know about hormones and belly fat. “Hormones help regulate many bodily functions, including metabolism, stress, hunger, and sex drive. If a person has a deficiency in certain hormones, it may result in weight gain around the abdomen, which is known as a hormonal belly.”

Now, I don’t want to get too science-heavy here, but it’s useful to know which hormones are connected to belly fat and weight gain.

• Thyroid hormones: when your thyroid is underactive, your thyroid gland does not generate enough thyroid hormone. This causes changes in your metabolism and a slowdown in your body functions – contributing to unexplained weight gain around your belly.
• Cortisol: the levels of this fight or flight hormone are directly connected to stress. The more stressed you are, the higher your cortisol levels. And high cortisol levels tell your body to be ready for a fight or survival, triggering the creation and storage of body fat. Typically, this extra body fat is stored around your belly, on your face, and in your breasts.
• Leptin: this hormone is released by your fat cells and is responsible for telling your brain when you’re full and to stop eating or drinking. The Society for Endocrinology explains the connection between leptin and weight gain, “Leptin does not affect food intake from meal to meal but, instead, acts to alter food intake and control energy expenditure over the long term. Leptin has a more profound effect when we lose weight and levels of the hormone fall. This stimulates a huge appetite and increased food intake. The hormone helps us to maintain our normal weight and unfortunately for dieters, makes it hard to lose those extra pounds!” This helps explain why people who lose weight while dieting often gain back those lost pounds and more once the diet is over.
• Estrogen hormones: during perimenopause your estrogen levels fluctuate and when you reach menopause, your body stops producing estrogen. This has a direct impact on your metabolism and muscle mass. In fact, your estrogen levels are directly connected to where you store body fat. And to top it off, after menopause your body stores more fat in your cells and is slow to use this fat as an energy source.

Now, I don’t want you to feel helpless or feel like there is nothing you can do about a hormone imbalance and weight gain. The great news is, you can restore your hormone balance naturally and get back to feeling your slim, trim, and sexy self.

How to Balance Your Hormones Naturally

To balance your hormones naturally and get back to feeling great inside and out, remember these 5 tips:

1. Eat a well-rounded balanced diet. Include a variety of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and healthy fat in your daily meals. Your organs, cells, and hormones rely on you to provide enough vitamins, minerals, and energy to keep your body functioning and healthy. Read about the top liver superfoods and easy ways to incorporate coffee, oatmeal, grapefruit, berries, and nuts into your meals.
2. You can also use Hormone Focus to naturally support hormonal balance. Hormone Focus supports healthy estrogen levels and helps get rid of stubborn fat around the belly, thighs and arms caused by hormonal imbalances. It also relieves hormonal symptoms such as night sweats, mood swings, fatigue, water retention and poor sleep to help you improve your energy and vitality.
3. Put your feet up and get some rest. Your body needs you to rest and sleep at least eight hours a night. When you sleep, your body recovers from the stress of the day, repairing cell damage, strengthening your immune system, and topping up your energy levels.
4. Master your stress levels. There is a direct connection between your stress and cortisol levels. An increase in your cortisol level can trigger emotional eating, disrupted sleep, and mood changes. Know your stress triggers and get comfortable saying “no” to invitations and obligations.
5. Support your liver. Your liver is essential to your complete health. Along with cleansing your body of toxins, your liver is your energy source, helps create protein and lean muscle mass, metabolizes carbohydrates and fat, and regulates your hormones. When your liver is overloaded, it cannot perform these critical functions, causing you to gain belly fat, trigger a hormone imbalance, and slow your fat-burning rate. Take a natural liver supplement like Liver Focus to enhance your ability to burn fat and support the natural detoxification process.
6. Be mindful and make sure you’re monitoring your blood sugar levels. Blood sugar regulation is important balancing your hormones. Try a blood sugar regulation supplement like my Blood Sugar Focus. Blood Sugar Focus balances key hormones, namely insulin, that causes stubborn belly fat. By lowering insulin levels, BSF targets dangerous visceral (belly) fat around the waistline that is driven by the hormone insulin.

Resetting your hormones and getting rid of a hormonal belly is not easy but it can be done. Do your best to make slow and consistent changes in your daily habits, try specific programs designed to help you balance your hormones for weight loss and your body will respond the way you want. Be patient and do not expect instant miracles.

Join the JJ Smith Facebook Community page to connect and chat with people who like you, are taking charge of their hormones, losing belly fat, and getting back into their skinny jeans.

Does it feel like you woke up one morning and couldn’t zip up your favorite jeans? You haven’t changed your eating habits but all of a sudden, you’ve got a new roll of belly fat. Your jeans don’t fit right. Your shirts feel extra tight. And frankly, you’re not feeling super great.

First of all – it’s okay. Yes, this is okay because the great news is, the too tight jeans and annoying muffin top are not permanent. Yes – you can get rid of the extra belly fat and get back to your sexy curvy self. And no, it doesn’t matter if you’re experiencing perimenopause or menopause symptoms!

I know your hormones are doing crazy things and you’re really not sure what to do or where to start. Trust me, I’ve been there. I started perimenopause at 40 and learned the hard way how to get my curves back and get rid of my belly fat. So, I know what you’re going through. And this is exactly why I wrote this blog.

I want you to understand the connections between perimenopause, menopause, hormonal imbalances, and weight gain. I promise not to overwhelm you with science – I’ll tell you what you need to know about your hormones and how you can reset your hormones and metabolism.

You’ll also learn about a supplement called Hormone Focus that naturally supports hormonal balance. Hormone Focus supports healthy estrogen levels and helps get rid of stubborn fat around the belly, thighs and arms caused by hormonal imbalances. It also relieves hormonal symptoms such as night sweats, mood swings, fatigue, water retention and poor sleep to help you improve your energy, and vitality.

What are hormones?

Hormones are specialized chemical substances in the body, controlling and regulating the activities of other cells and organs.

Your body depends on hormones and the messages they send to regulate every process in your body including appetite, heart rate, sleep cycles, reproductive cycles, sexual function, metabolism, mood, and body temperature.

The Society for Endocrinology explains how hormones are used for two types of communication. “The first is for communication between two endocrine glands, where one gland releases a hormone which stimulates another target gland to change the levels of hormones it is releasing. The second is between an endocrine gland and a target organ, for example when the pancreas releases insulin which causes muscle and fat cells to take up glucose from the bloodstream.”

In other words, everything is connected – for example, healthy liver function is critical for hormone regulation and in keeping the hormones responsible for fat burning and stress management balanced.

The good news is, your hormone health is under your control. Regardless of perimenopause or menopause symptoms, you can reset your hormones and kickstart your metabolism. Join the JJ Smith Facebook Community page to connect with other people, who like you, are taking control of their hormonal health.

What you need to know about perimenopause, menopause and your hormones?

Unfortunately, no one really prepares us for perimenopause and menopause. These very important changes in the female body are taboo topics and this is why so many women struggle with hormonal imbalances, weight gain, belly fat, and frustration.

It’s time to put an end to the lack of information about perimenopause, menopause, and your hormones. Without getting too scientific, here is what you need to know about perimenopause, menopause, and your hormones:

Perimenopause

During perimenopause your estrogen levels begin to fluctuate, and your progesterone levels start dropping. Typically, women begin this hormonal and reproductive transition in their 40s. Perimenopause lasts on average for four years, and in the last few years of this cycle, the drop in estrogen levels accelerates.

According to Healthline, the symptoms of perimenopause can include:

• Hot flashes and heat intolerance.
• Sleep disturbances.
• Menstrual cycle changes.
• Headaches.
• Mood changes, such as irritability.
• Depression.
• Anxiety.
• Weight gain.

Menopause

Menopause happens when your menstrual cycle ends. When you’ve had 12 months without a period, you are in menopause. This happens anytime in your 40s and 50s but occurs for most women in their early 50s.

The hot flashes, weight gain, sleep disturbances, headaches, and mood changes associated with perimenopause are linked to the natural changes in your hormone levels and are often referred to as menopause symptoms.

Estrogen, Progesterone, and Testosterone

Estrogen and progesterone are the two main female sex hormones. During perimenopause the production of these hormones fluctuates and ultimately when you reach menopause, your body no longer produces estrogen and progesterone.

These hormones are also critical in developing strong bone health, regulating cholesterol levels, and in helping you maintain a healthy weight.

Testosterone is the male sex hormone, though women also have testosterone. Testosterone is key to building strong bones and maintaining muscle mass. During menopause your testosterone level also drops.

As your estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels change during perimenopause and menopause, your body’s ability to maintain muscle and to regulate your metabolism changes. This is why so many women gain weight throughout perimenopause and menopause.

The five key hormones linked to weight gain and belly fat

Typically, when we talk about losing weight, building muscle, and getting rid of extra belly fat, we focus on diet, exercise, and detoxing the liver.

But the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation emphasizes how hormone changes also cause weight gain, accumulation of belly fat, and a loss in muscle mass.

And this why I want you to know how these five key hormones are linked to weight gain, belly fat, and a sluggish metabolism:

1. Thyroid hormones control your ability to burn calories and convert food into energy. When your thyroid hormones are low, your metabolism slows down, causing weight gain and low energy levels.
2. Leptin is your hunger signal or appetite hormone. This hormone tells you when you’re full and should stop eating. When you consume too many high sugar or high carbohydrate foods, your body stores the extra sugar and carbohydrate as fat. This extra fat creates additional leptin, causing your brain to get confused, ignoring signals to stop eating.
3. Insulin is responsible for converting sugar and glucose from food into energy. Consuming processed foods and those high in sugar or carbohydrates causes your blood sugar levels to spike, and overtime this results in high blood sugar levels and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance causes a range of health problems including fatty liver disease and increased accumulation of belly fat.
4. Cortisol is secreted by your adrenal glands when you’re under stress, injured, nervous, or depressed. Too much cortisol can cause insulin resistance, an increase in appetite, and trigger cravings for sugary, salty, and high-fat foods. All of this adds up to weight gain particularly around your belly.
5. Estrogen levels, as I noted above are directly connected to your weight, metabolism, and insulin levels. Remember during perimenopause and menopause, you produce less estrogen. Because your body is used to having estrogen, it looks for it from other sources and one popular source is fat. This kick starts a cycle ultimately resulting in weight gain around the belly and lower body.

How to reset your hormones and metabolism

Do not trust people who tell you weight gain and losing your sexy curves are simply part of aging.

This is simply not true!The truth is this – you can take control of your hormones and metabolism so you can get your curves back, fit into your skinny jeans, and feel fantastic.

If you follow my five tips on how to reset your hormone and metabolism, you will keep turning heads – regardless of your age.

1. Take Hormone Focus Hormone Focus supports healthy estrogen levels and helps get rid of stubborn fat around the belly, thighs and arms caused by hormonal imbalances. Hormone Focus also relieves hormonal symptoms such as night sweats, mood swings, fatigue, water retention and poor sleep to help you improve your energy, and vitality.
2. Eat the rainbow. Look at your plate and try to fill it with as many bright colors as possible. Make sure you’re getting plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables with every meal (even breakfast). Try to add these top liver superfoods to your diet and do not overlook the connection between food and your health.
3. Sleep and rest. I know you’re busy and have a lot going on. But your body needs you to slow down and rest. You need to sleep for at least eight hours a night, so your body has a chance to repair cell damage, strengthen your immune system, and rebuild your energy levels.
4. Take care of your liver. Your liver is responsible for metabolizing carbohydrates and fat, regulating your hormones, and creating protein so you can build muscle mass. When your liver is overloaded, it cannot function properly, resulting in weight gain, a sluggish metabolism, and excess belly fat. A natural liver supplement like Liver Focus gives your liver the support it needs to function properly and to naturally improve your fat-burning capabilities.
5. Manage your stress. When your stress level is high your cortisol hormone level increases. This makes it hard to get adequate sleep, changes your mood, and causes you to overeat. Pay attention to signs of fatigue, low moods, and feeling overwhelmed – these are all signs you’re stressed. Take a step back from activities and hit the reset button on your commitments.

Now, remember you cannot kickstart your metabolism and get your hormones balanced overnight. It takes time and patience. Focus on making small changes on a daily basis and soon enough, you’ll be feeling and looking like yourself again.

And I know you have lots of questions about your hormones, belly fat, weight gain, and liver health. Get your questions answered with the insider tips I send out to my mailing list subscribers and remember to join the JJ Smith Facebook Community page.