Ovaries
Ovaries: The ovaries produce three hormones responsible for controlling the menstrual cycle. The ovaries release eggs every month and are in charge of making the environment suitable for the eggs to grow. One of these hormones is estrogen. It creates the fat layer around a female body, specifically around the ovaries – hips, buttocks, and lower abdomen below the belly button. When ovaries become dysfunctional, they can produce an excessive amount of estrogen, which causes more fat. This fat is deposited on the thighs lower stomach and buttock. When on the thighs it is known as saddlebags. Not only can the body make more estrogen due to dysfunction of the ovaries but there are many foods that can have synthetic or natural estrogen in them such as red meats, chicken, milk, pond-raised fish, and soy. Some symptoms that may contribute to out-of-balance ovaries are PMS (premenstrual syndrome), cravings at certain times of the month, bloating, extra painful cramping, and excessive menstrual bleeding, as well as depression during the menstrual cycle. A person with an ovary body type may experience pain on either side of the lower back area. Pain can also be in one of the knees, as the pain is being referred from one of the ovaries. During menopause, the ovaries shut down. When this occurs the adrenal glands kick in and begin producing hormones similar to those the ovaries once produced, only in smaller quantities because the woman will not be giving birth. Other symptoms that may occur are weight gain or bloating around that time of the month, ovarian cysts, cyclic fatigue, cyclic brain fog, cyclic pain in the lower back and hips, cyclic lack of libido, infertility, hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, cyclic acne, cyclic mood swings, cyclic constipation, depression during the menstrual cycle, and cravings at certain times of the month.