Last time I mentioned that managing your stress is really important for weight loss.
But managing your stress is important for your entire health.
You see, stress can:
- harm your sex hormones -> menstruation issues, fertility problems, low libido
- create chronic inflammation
- keep you from losing weight
- cause poor sleep
- keep you from healing well
- mess with your moods
- burdens all of your organs
Now, I promise I won’t go into the specific chemistry and bio-physiology of this…
But just understand these basics of stress and weight issues:
- when you stress, your adrenals release cortisol (that’s why it’s called the stress hormone)
- when your cortisol goes up, it tells your liver to dump glucose
- this is actually important, because for your body stress means you’re being chased by a grizzly bear…
- when you actually are being chased by that grizzly bear, you want fight/flight/freeze to kick in so you have a chance at survival
- that’s why your liver dumps glucose during this time so you have the energy for it
- most of us aren’t being chased by a grizzly bear… so that glucose isn’t helping
- your blood sugar is up, and all that extra sugar is making your blood thicker…
- now your blood pressure goes up…
- but you’re always stressed, so now your blood sugar and blood pressure are always up…
(Side note: Your adrenals produce cortisol and DHEA. But it’s one or the other at a time. This matters because DHEA decreases inflammation, aids in weight loss, supports heart health and lowers diabetes risk, improves bone density, fights fatigue, improves production of sex hormones… BUT don’t ever supplement DHEA when you are in the stress cycle, that creates the abnormal environment of high cortisol and high DHEA. That’s going to be a mess! You do need to naturally reduce your stress levels.)
Does that make more sense now why stress can make you weight loss resistant and screw up all sorts of different organ functions for you?
And that stress causes chronic inflammation?
As long as cortisol is an issue, so is blood sugar, sex hormones, healing, and well-being.
That fight / flight / freeze in nature saved us, because the stressor also had a clear endpoint.
In our modern world with tons of stressors that we weren’t actually made for, if we don’t get a handle on it, it makes us sick.
So, what can you do to lower your stress levels, and with that, cortisol?
- EFT – this is one of the reasons I became a clinical EFT practitioner – it has been proven to lower cortisol levels, lowering stress levels, and is great to resolve trauma
- meditation / prayer – any type you like
- take an honest look at your life – are there more things that stress you out than fill you up? Changes might be needed…
- get your sleep! Lack of sleep stresses us out!
- go outside, be in the sunshine, walk barefoot on the ground, breathe
- reduce the clutter – in your home, at work, in your head
- get rid of sources of toxins (back to those heavy metals, chemicals, mold, parasites)
None of this is actually that hard, right?
The biggest part is making these activities a normal part of your life.
But that’s what we’re always working on here. Creating a lifestyle that supports you, nourishes you, and lets you be you.
Now, are there any supplements that can help?
Assuming that you are taking the steps listed above, because supplements are supplemental and shouldn’t be used as a bandaid…
- CALM from Systemic Formulas is great
- Holy Basil
- Ashwaganda
- Ga Adrenal from Systemic Formulas
- Rhodiola
- and if you have a vitamin / mineral deficiency, handling that of course
If you’re realizing there are toxic sources involved with your health issues, check out some of our courses here
