Tired? Stressed/Anxious? Weight Won’t Budge?

These are 3 big complaints I hear from clients. The interesting thing is that all 3 can be linked to adrenal health & the hormone cortisol.

Cortisol is an important hormone & like most hormones, if there is too much or too little, we see side effects. In the case of cortisol, we may see being tired all the time, weight gain, or feeling stressed out or anxious.

Cortisol imbalances can be caused by things like stress, over-exercising, too much caffeine, blood sugar imbalances, & food sensitivities to name a few. Basically, stress to the body affects cortisol — and all of the things listed above can stress the body. Stress is not limited to just things like having too much to do at work or being in a bad relationship. All of these things can affect cortisol levels and should be looked at when determining the stress load on your body.

Some ways you can work to bring balance to your body & cortisol levels:

• Sleep more & better (get 7-9 hours & don’t use electronics for 1 hr before bed)
• Reduce high intensity & cardio exercise
• Remove or greatly reduce caffeine consumption
• Remove foods from your diet that you are sensitive to
• Balance your blood sugar levels by reducing sugar & refined carb intake
• Manage your stress level with exercise, walking, yoga, and meditation.

These things may seem unrelated to weight loss or fatigue, but if your body is in a constant state of stress (NO matter what the cause), you will see the negative effects.

Do you experience any of those symptoms? Are you tired from the moment you wake up? Can’t lose weight no matter what you try? Feel more anxious and stressed than you think you should? Try implementing some (or all) of those tips above. Your body will thank you!