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Adrenal Stress And Weight Gain
Times have changed greatly and our lives are busier than ever. Multi-tasking is
now the norm. Between the stressors of our jobs, relationship turmoil, caring fo
r aging or sick parents, and many other responsibilities, we are all very aware
that life challenges are more difficult than ever before. Sometimes unconscious
snacking can occur as it s a quick fix solution to increased stress, and it does t
emporarily soothe the tension. BUT it is by far not the only reason for our wei
ght gain as stress and the physical effects can be such a big factor.
Many physiological changes happen with high levels of stress and all of these pr
edispose us to gain unwanted pounds
many times without changing our diets or eat
ing habits!
The origin of these dramatic changes stem from hormones produced by our adrenal
glands. These amazing glands govern many very important bodily functions and ar
e crucial to helping us deal with the stress response. When the adrenals are com
pletely out of balance, the fight-or-flight response occurs and the body prepare
s for the worst case scenario by storing calories for a rainy day. But the good
news is that when supported properly and healthy function is regained
energy com
es back, stamina returns, cravings for carbs and sugar disappear, and best of al
l the unwanted pounds just fall off with little effort.
Our adrenal products help thousands of women. Learn more about all of the produ
cts included in our True Health Systems for Adrenal Health.
So how does stress really affect our weight? Let s take a more in depth look at ho
w this happens and what you need to do about it so you can feel more like your o
ld self.
How stress really can makes us gain unwanted weight
As a culture, we most often think that being stressed is only related to our emoti
ons, yet few of us understand the dramatic effect it has on us physically. The m
ost frustrating way that it affects us is by storing any calories that are not a
bsolutely necessary, and most often the storage occurs in the abdominal area and
thighs.
Our ancient evolution has everything to do with why this happens this way. Many
years ago, if you were being chased by a tiger, your adrenals quickly went into
the fight-or-flight mode, releasing it s stress hormones
adrenaline and cortisol.
Those superhuman powers we have heard about in cases of stress come from adrena
lin and cortisol, and their ability to quickly mobilize carbohydrates and fats t
o give us instant energy. When the threat is over, our body relaxes but our inst
incts cause us to refuel with carbohydrate dense foods that are most often store
d as fat. When high levels of cortisol are streaming through the blood, we are m
uch less sensitive to leptin, the hormone that gives the signal to the brain tha
t we are full. Therefore, there may be a tendency to eat more than usual, as it
feels like a need for survival.
The real problem here is that these physiological responses take place whether t
he threat is real or psychological. Because most of the everyday stressors we ex
perience on a day to daybasis don t require our fight or flee response we really d
on t need the extra calories our body is so efficiently storing. The other signifi
cant change is that many of us are living in a constant state of stress which ca
uses high levels of cortisol to be released on a regular basis for extended peri
ods of time.
Belly fat: One of the key symptoms of adrenal fatigue
Women with adrenal dysfunction most often develop additional body fat around the
ir middle, known for many as a spare tire . There are several reasons for this. In
normal circumstances, if we have gone for long periods of time without food, ou
r blood sugar drops and our brain sends chemical messages to the adrenals to rel
ease cortisol. This cortisol mobilizes glucose, amino acids and fat to prevent
the blood sugar from going too low and keeps the body and brain fueled with the
energy it requires when food is not available. Cortisol s job is to maintain stab
le levels of glucose in the blood while insulin assists in the ushering of gluco
se into the cells.
After years and or months of long term stress, cortisol and insulin remain high
in the blood and the extra glucose gets stored as that unwanted fat, mostly in t
he abdomen and thighs. Research is now showing us that fat cells have special re
ceptors for the stress hormone cortisol, but most importantly these receptors ar
e much more prevalent on the fat cells in the abdominal area.
Another extremely frustrating issue, is that this fat does not just sit there. R
ecent research shows that it actually works like an endocrine organ that reacts
to the stress response which in turn creates even more abdominal fat and on and
on it goes. The great news and it is great news is that you can stop the cycle
by taking steps to heal that adrenal imbalance.
What can you do to change the pattern: Eat right!!
Many of you may have read my article on how to eat for adrenal health, and every
thing I talk about in my book, Is It Me or My Adrenals? and in this article appl
ies here too. So what can you do?!
Regular meals and two snacks per day. To convince your body that it is not star
ving, and most importantly, that it is not in danger, you must eat on a regular
basis. Keeping your blood sugar stable prevents large amounts of cortisol from b
eing released and in the long run, decreases the burden on the adrenal glands. I
recommend that you eat three balanced meals and two snacks per day, and these n
eed to be spread out across the day to work with your bodies natural circadian rh
ythm. See our diagram of the cortisol cycle for the effects of meals and snacks
on cortisol.
Eating at the right times does matter. Cortisol has a
highest in the morning, and decreases gradually as the
west at night so restful sleep can occur. Eating tends
eating the largest meal earlier in the day is the best
eing.
Having your favorite foods readily available. So many of my patients use sugar,
sugary snacks and caffeine because these give them quick energy and are fast and
easy. But trust me, eating this way often leads to an even bigger drop in energ
y as the blood sugar plummets after the initial spike. If energy is needed, add
protein and foods high in nutrients that support the adrenals, foods such as blu
eberries, broccoli, ginger, avocado and of course lean proteins.
are stressed. The good news is that it takes up very little of your time and yo
u need to breathe anyway. Try to recognize those times when your body needs a br
eak. Get some fresh air, take a few deep breaths, have a relaxing cup of tea an
d relax
even if this is for a short period of time. It will do wonders.
Allow your body to release the stress and relax
In seeing patients every day, I see over and over again the enormous sense of re
sponsibility many women have today. For so many it can seem virtually impossibl
e to take just a minute for themselves. But I know that unwanted weight gain and
lack of get up and go are significant worries for many women. For so many of u
s our stress in intimately connected to our weight and lack of energy. Our amaz
ing bodies are very wise and want to protect us with the fight-or-flight respons
e, and hold onto those extra pounds.
You can encourage your body away from the crisis mode by healing your adrenals. Do
ing this requires taking more time for yourself which means paying closer attent
ion to what you eat, how you exercise, how much you sleep, and how you deal with
day to day stress. Once you calm down your adrenals and the stress reaction, yo
u will be amazed at the results. You will feel as though you have your life bac
k. Many of my patients say they have not felt as well in years. Let s have that b
e you too!