What is your stress costing you?

1 in 4 adults report that they are so stressed out that they can't function.

 I believe this because I was once one of those 1 in 4 people who were so stressed out they couldn’t function.

 In today's letter, I discuss what I learned about stress and how it was blocking me from my goals of losing weight. This research is what helped me develop a program that reduced the stress blocking me from my goals in a holistic way.

 I learned that if we pay attention to our bodies it will give us signs when we are stressed. However, these signs often get ignored until something more serious comes about. This is because we are so busy we don't notice what our bodies are trying to tell us until it forces us to notice.  Some signs are more subtle than others. Here are common signs that your body is trying to communicate that it is stressed:

 Some of these signs include ( but are not limited to):

1.  Trouble sleeping . Being tired in the morning  even though you slept but still being wired at night even though you are tired.

2. Intense cravings for crunchy, sugary and carby things,

3.  Stubborn belly fat that doesn't go away no matter how much you diet and exercise

4.  Eye twitching,

5.  Tense muscles

6.  Joint pain and

7.  Brain fog. 

 Even though I had many of these symptoms - I was only concerned about the stubborn belly fat. I had 2 kids and wanted to wear a 2 piece swim suit without embarrassing myself so I started working on getting a flat tummy. I noticed that no matter  how much I worked out and dieted that my belly wasn’t getting better. If anything the bloating got worse.  So I decided to do some digging to figure out what else I could do to achieve a flat stomach.  The results of my research revealed that I wasn't going to lose any weight until I reduced cortisol production.

 Next I had to learn more about cortisol.  Once I understood how cortisol works - my situation began to make more sense.

  Understanding how cortisol works  can feel like you're back in biology class  but here is all you need to know . Cortisol is the main stress hormone in the body that controls mood, fear & motivation. When this hormone level becomes elevated then the result is weight gain, mood swings, high blood pressure, digestive problems  and fatigue.   Cortisol has been linked to serious conditions such as infertility and chronic diseases!

 Therefore stressing out the body causes it to overproduce a hormone that results in adverse effects.

 In theory the solution seemed simple. If I wanted to have a flat tummy then I was going to have to reduce the stress in my life that was spiking my cortisol levels. At this point my concerns became less about my physical appearance and more about my health and mental wellbeing . I was surprised to learn that stubborn belly fat could  also mean that there are more serious underlying condition going on. This motivated me to take action!

 With this information and some trial and error -I created a holistic program that helped me better manage my stress. This program includes : meditation, journaling/writing, stretching/yoga, supplements, setting boundaries , and time management

 In the next letter I will share the meditation that I do daily that helps me rest my mind and body.

 See you in the next one,

Kendall Liann