DIM for Lower Body Fat Loss

I rarely even ask a new female client what her problem areas are; I already know -- lower abdomen, hips, butt and thighs. Duh! This is one area we women carry significantly more fat than men. It's our higher estrogen levels that encourages fat storage in area. It's healthy (and beautiful) for women to have curves down there. It's also a biological necessity in case of pregnancy and childbirth.

But many women struggle with excess fat accumulation in their lower bodies. I've worked with women who were incredibly lean but stored a high percentage of fat in legs and hips. One woman I knew was almost skin and bones in her upper body. It seemed her lower body held all her body fat. Her hips and thighs were greatly disporpate to the rest of her. No matter what we did in the gym, nothing changed.

I trust that by now you understand that you can not really spot reduce. Sit ups won't get rid of your belly. Leg exercises won't slim legs. Weight loss comes from where it wants to, and not necessarily from where you want it to. Where you lose and store fat is dependent on a few things: genetics, gender, lifestyle and hormones. By making a few tweaks you can possibly recalibrate your body's fat burning and storing preferences.

Increasingly, hormone imbalance, especially those involving estrogen, is a growing problem in modern society amongst men and women alike. Our bodies make their own estrogen but further production can be stimulated by chemical estrogen we encounter in our everyday life. Chemical estrogens like PBA, parabens and phthalates are found in plastic containers, cosmetics, shampoo, personal care products like soaps and lotions and pesticides. Pollution in our air and water can also mess with our hormone balance. Read this article for 10 tips to lower estrogen toxic load.

While Estrogen dominance inhibits weight-loss and encourages fat storage on the lower body it also has some other very serious health concerns. Estrogen imbalance has been linked to a variety of diseases and cancer -- in particular prostrate, colorectal, breast and ovarian.

Introducing Diindolymethane, or DIM for short. DIM is a powerful nutrient found in broccoli, cauliflower, and other cruciferous vegetables that has a direct effect on hormonal balance and can minimise the negative effects of excess estrogen. Studies have shown that DIM aids in better metabolisation of estrogen.

As such DIM has been prescribed for menstruation discomfort, menopause symptoms, PMS, acne, enlarged prostate in men and to fight against cancers. Fat-loss benefits aside, many health care professional believe that most women should consider taking DIM to ease many common female discomforts.

Men also sometimes battle high estrogen levels, especially as they age. DIM is also prescribed in such cases.

By straightening out estrogen-imblance DIM prevents estrogen's preference for fat storage on thighs. It sounds almost to good to be true but can personally attest to it effectiveness. I've always had thick, fatty legs in relation to the rest of my body. I would often have ripped, washboard abs but flabby thighs and it drove me nuts! I could never get my legs to look ripped, even if I was everywhere else. I started supplementing with DIM about 4 months ago and saw a slight visible improvement in my legs.

It is advised that the best results are seen after 6 months of supplementing with DIM. I will definitely continue to take it and suggest it to my many female clients who suffer that same fate.

Just because you have fatty thighs, it doesn't necessarily mean you have an estrogen imbalance. To be sure, have you doctor do some tests.

This is part where I tell you DIM is not a magic pill. It will not burn off thunder thighs by itself. It is not what anyone would call a fat-burner. It will only be affective when combined with diet and exercise. But you already knew that.

Most suggest supplementing with one pill of 100grams daily. To all you supplement haters out there, you would have to eat 2 pounds of broccoli everyday to get that amount. Not fun.

No serious side effects are associated with DIM supplements. But one commonly reported side affect is gas and bloating -- common symptoms from eating cruciferous vegetables in their raw form. Also, taking DIM with some medications could reduce one of the other's effectiveness. Be sure to talk to your doctor first.

Other essential nutrients that may help metabolize estrogen are the B vitamins, zinc, omega-3 fish oils, green tea, magnesium, selenium, and melatonin.