Dr. Sara Gottfried is a Harvard-trained MD, best-selling author, and leading expert on hormones. Now, she’s teaming up with mindbodygreen to share her secrets. Check out her new course, How to Balance Your Hormones for Glowing Skin, Deeper Sleep & Better Digestion.

When you gain excess weight, particularly at the waist, your body’s biochemistry spirals downward. You create more inflammation and oxidative stress, and promote even more fat storage. The result is a vicious cycle of hormonal misfires, symptoms, and disease that will drag you down unless you flip the switch.

In your belly, you have two types of fat: subcutaneous and visceral. Subcutaneous is more external; the type you can pinch with your fingers. Visceral fat is deeper and more ominous, and you’ll find it stored around and even inside some of your organs, such as the liver, kidneys, intestines, and pancreas. Think of it as a bad biochemical broth that bathes your innocent cells. READ MORE