The Link Between Weight Loss Struggles and Stress: Uncovering the Gut-Stress-Weight Relationship
In today's world, the number of overweight Americans is skyrocketing, and it's not all about downing burgers and scooping ice cream. Factors contributing to this trend are not commonly known, and many may be oblivious to these hidden culprits.
However, there are a few things we know for certain about obesity:
- Obesity escalates the risk of mortality, being the second leading preventable cause of death in the US, right behind tobacco.
- Obesity is closely linked to mood disorders like anxiety and depression.
- Both stress and high-fat diets impact the gut microbiota, which may contribute to obesity.
- The stress hormone cortisol corresponds with a higher body mass index and waist circumference.
To avoid a health disaster, it's time to tackle this issue head-on. Recent studies might help clarify how stress and emotions directly contribute to obesity through stress hormone release and modifications in gut health.
Boosting Your vitality
Your adrenal glands are crucial for essential functions like metabolism and stress response. When they fatigue, various issues like poor sleep, unwanted weight gain, and mood swings can drain your vitality. To restore balance and improve, consider "adaptogens."
Study 1 - Stress, gut microbiota, and obesity in mice
Researchers at Brigham Young University studied mice to examine the relationships between stress, obesity, gut microbiota, and mood disorders. The mice were induced to become obese with a high-fat diet, followed by a chronic stress protocol. The study observed differences in how stress and obesity affected mood disorders and gut microbiota between male and female mice.
While male mice showed increased anxiety and decreased physical activity, female mice under stress developed a gut microbiota resembling that of obese mice. In essence, for women, chronic stress puts almost as much strain on digestive health (metabolism) as an unhealthy diet.
Study 2 - Stress, cortisol, and obesity in humans
A study in the journal Obesity examined correlations between hair cortisol concentrations and adiposity levels in 2,527 men and women participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. High cortisol levels were found to correlate with increased weight, waist circumference, and the persistence of obesity assessed over four years.
Combatting stress
Stress often leads to binge eating or emotional eating, resulting in poor food choices that contribute to weight gain. Additionally, stress causes cortisol release, which, when left at high levels, results in increased waist circumference and obesity.
Today's chronic job stress and family life stress remain constant, causing elevated glucose levels, insulin rise, and body fat storage. If you can't diminish stress, weight loss becomes challenging as fats continue to accumulate.
What's the plan
Adopt a healthy diet rich in fiber, alive foods, and less processed grains and sugars to support a healthier gut essential for effective weight loss. Then focus on managing stress.
Your best bet for reducing stress is to set aside time daily for self-care. Use this time for activities like sitting in silent meditation, reading a book, listening to calming music, drawing, or whatever soothes your mind and body.
Consider adding an adaptogenic herbal supplement to your routine. Adaptogens provide unique protection against different kinds of stressors, physical, emotional, chemical, and biological. You can find out about some adaptogens by reading these articles: Revive Your Groove with This Herb and Three Powerful Adaptogen Herbs That Boost Immunity.
Exercise is crucial for burning through stress hormones and metabolizing fats and sugars from unhealthy diets and the cortisol-glucose-insulin loop. However, the wrong kind of exercise can inadvertently increase cortisol. Instead, try short, intense intervals of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Long bouts of HIIT that are high-intensity gradually boost cortisol levels.
Aiming for 7-8 hours of restful sleep nightly is critical as your body repairs cellular damage, produces serotonin, and metabolizes stress hormones during sleep. If you're struggling, consider melatonin. Aside from aiding sleep, melatonin is reported to have anti-aging and disease-fighting properties[4].
Disclaimer: Are you persistently feeling tired? You might brush this off as part of growing older, but it could be related to your master hormone. When it's not functioning properly, you face an elevated risk of age-related diseases. Learn how to reset your body's master controller and improve your health by clicking here for The Insulin Factor: Mastering Your Body's Trigger for Chronic Disease.
- A healthy diet, rich in fiber, alive foods, and less processed grains and sugars, can support a healthier gut, essential for effective weight loss.
- Certain adaptogenic herbal supplements can provide unique protection against various stressors and may aid in managing stress levels.
- High cortisol levels, which can result from chronic stress, have been found to correlate with increased weight, waist circumference, and the persistence of obesity.
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can help burn through stress hormones, metabolize fats and sugars, and reduce cortisol levels, making it an effective exercise for weight management.
