Your fast paced, high stress lifestyle can be one of the most significant contributors to weight gain. Or if you’re trying to lose weight, you may find that no matter how much exercise you do or how healthily you eat, that the weight stubbornly refuses to shift.
Why is this? Simply put, it is down to Cortisol, which simply put, is the stress hormone. And when we have elevated levels of Cortisol, it is responsible for signalling our body to hold on to fat no matter what you try. But you can make some easy to implement lifestyle changes to reduce this and get your body burning the fat again!
Cortisol is an extremely useful hormone for our ancestral selves. Produced by the adrenal gland, it puts our body into the well known state of “fight or flight”. This state was key for our ancestors to survive in life or death situations & to avoid imminent danger. The mix of Cortisol & Adrenaline released by the body diverts energy and blood to the brain, muscles, heart & lungs to improve our response and focus surrounding danger.
The problem is, whilst doing this, it also slows down our digestive processes & actually signals the body to hold on to & store fat. When it comes to a life and death situation, this is all very useful. But whilst our bodies are living in the 21st Century, our internal processes are still lagging behind. This means our body has no way of differentiating between modern day life stress (which is generally not life threatening) and the imminent life danger of say a lion attack.
So what are the signs of high levels of Cortisol?
Other than being acutely aware that you are under prolonged periods of stress, some more physiological signs may include:
We now know how Cortisol acts on the body, why it does it & what the symptoms of elevated levels may be, but what can be done about it?
You probably have guessed the most obvious answer of managing stress levels. Whilst easy to guess, many people find this incredibly difficult to implement. Coming up with a strategy that works for you may seem difficult, and too often, women put everything before themselves.
Building a routine that involves downtime or stress relieving activities is essential. Daily time that is yours and only yours, whatever the duration, is essential.
Activities such as Yoga & Meditation are fantastic for unloading your mind and lowering Cortisol. Many people turn to exercise to help manage stress, which for the most part is fantastic. A word of caution must be applied. High intensity exercise (HIIT) will elevate your cortisol levels post training! If you like to use exercise, try to stick to low intensity exercises such as cycling or jogging.
Sleep - its importance cannot be underestimated. You need both quality & quantity. Between 7-9 hours of good quality sleep per night is essential to lower cortisol levels. It’s our bodies time to heal and flush toxins, making it probably the most important thing we do as humans, yet one of the most abused parts of our lives.
Finally, what you put in your mouth! Firstly, water. Are you drinking enough? Between 2-3 litres per day. Dehydration increases cortisol levels in your body so this one is a non negotiable, easy to implement quick fix. When it comes to food, dark chocolate (Not too much though ;-)), fruits, pro & prebiotics & foods rich in Omega 3 all have been shown to help lower cortisol levels.
High levels of cortisol is a problem faced by many modern day women. Modern day women trying to balance careers, families & social lives are more prone to elevated cortisol levels than ever before, coupled with the ease of access of unhealthy foods, it is making it harder than ever for women to lose or maintain their weight at a level they are comfortable with.
How do I take the first step?
A staggering 43% of women - that’s more than 14 million women in the UK - have imbalanced hormones which cause them huge problems with trying to lose weight.
The good news is, by implementing a series of simple-to-follow changes to diet, lifestyle and understanding, you can get your body firing on all cylinders & before you know it the weight will be falling off.
I call this, my hormone balancing method and I designed my Mind & Body Mentorship around it.
Hormones are complex, but losing weight with my team of coaches and I isn’t.
You’ll be walked through every step of the way, given the tools & support needed to ensure you never have to worry about starting another diet again. It’s not your fault diets failed in the past… the real problems were never addressed.
Even better when your hormones are balanced you’ll have more energy, you’ll see a real physical change in your body, and you’ll be able to wear the clothes which actually excite you!!!
Over the last 8 years we have partnered with over 1000 women supporting them to achieve their weight loss transformations and the one thing they all have in common when leaving the mentorship... increased self worth and the confidence to do what they really want to with their lives.
Whilst also being armed with the knowledge of how to work with their hormones to keep them balanced, so the weight has stays off... for good!
Weight loss does not have to be tough or something you dread, which is why I am offering you a free consultation call so we can explore your unique situation and show you an easier (hormone friendly) way to achieving weight loss.
Simply click the button below, choose a time which works for you and let's together get you unstuck and on to seeing results.
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