Hands up if your stress hormones are running the show right now!? Would you benefit from understanding how stress impacts your hormones, mood & weight.
As women, some of us mums, multi- tasking, juggling work, kids, school applications, Christmas, will there even be a bloody Christmas!?, family & relationship dramas. Some of you may even be dealing with the pain of loss in these uncertain circumstances. So it can feel like we are being slapped in the face from every direction with some form of stress. As a result it can seem like life is literally being sucked out of us, would you agree? Or is that just my experience 😊 So again, I ask “Are your hormones running the show right now?” Let’s talk about, how stress impacts your hormones, mood and weight.
As a result the impact stress has on us as women is truly mind blowing! But on the flip side, it is an area we can achieve some serious results. If we choose to take back the control and make that investment in ourselves. For instance let us choose not to let stress run the show. The show being our lives.
How Stress impacts your hormones, mood & weight.
For a lot of women, I work with it, guilt can be one of those top stressors.
- The guilt that your self-care should even be a priority ( I call this my mom guilt).
- The guilt of spending money on your Health & wellness in a time of uncertainty for many.
- The guilt of spending precious time on your life goals.
I know from experience if you do not make your Physical & Mental health a priority eventually you will be forced to… Your wellness should be a priority, not a novelty and I will give you one reason why!
Because if you fall apart everything and everyone who relies on you will also suffer, including you!!.
As women, some of us mums, we tend to be placed at the end of the self care list. But what if we decided to change the conversation in our head? It can be a real game changer. It could be that simple step to living a stress reduced/managed (you can see I don’t say stress -free!) life.
How? Tell me Michelle how do I get to a space of feeling happy and confidence in myself? Learn the tools to avoid letting stress impact your hormones, mood and weight.
- Firstly, Lets try Focusing on what we can change and not giving space in our precious life for what we have no control over! I always suggest no more then 2- 3 clear actions goals at a time. This is how I work with my clients allowing them to be consistent, taking the overwhelm out of the equation and see the changes these smaller mini goals have on the bigger picture. end result being not less stress run the show. For instance I have a beautiful client whose long term goal is to manage her horrific Pmt (she has really low moods and salt cravings at least 2 weeks of the month) Salt can be an indicator of adrenal fatigue caused by stress. And also she has gained a lot of weight around the middle and not so much the rest of her body. Also an indicator of high cortisol as a result of blood sugar issues and stress. Both of which impact each other. We have broken these down into 3 mini goals a month.
How we broke one big goal into 3 manageable mini goals.
- Stress management techniques which we do weekly to identify stressors and how best to manage them. Identifying stressors and barriers plays a big role in achieving goals and should never be skipped. I also do this as part of my group programmes as part of a workshop and have had great client results.
- Portion sizes to ensure she has the right proportion of carbs, protein and good fats so we can manage blood sugar, which will reduce cravings and belly fat through balancing insulin and cortisol production.
- In her case we reduced the amount of cardio during the second half of her cycle which was adding to her weight gain( excessive exercise can cause more cortisol adding to weight gain in some cases)and swapped for more strength work and yoga.
- Second, Think about Nourishment not deprivation. Food is medicine, I will repeat this again FOOD IS MEDICINE. eating cyclically, using the power of nutrition to support the 4 phases of your cycle. Hormones need different nutrients during each phase. Try adding some simple easy to find foods into your diet can have massive direct impacts with your mood, weight and energy. I have seen first- hand these small changes make to women, their confidence, and relationships. It is a beautiful process, and I am so honored to a part of that.
- Third, Embrace Progress not perfection. If we try to make small consistent changes to achieve the big life changing results. This is what I teach my 1-1 and group clients on my Nourish-Move-Thrive Programme. Balancing hormones to lose weight, achieve more stable moods, body confidence and get rid of any pesky Pmt symptoms holding you back from living your best life.
Do you want to learn more about cycle syncing nutrition for weight loss and balancing hormones ? click here https://bit.ly/3pPyeHu
Some of the conditions increased stress can manifest itself as
- Bloating, increasing the waist up a dress size.
- Gut issues (especially Ibs, colitis, any inflammatory conditions).
- Increased belly fat (especially if exercising your tushy off but you’re not getting the desired results.
- Excess tiredness even though you may be sleeping well. Or maybe you are not sleeping well and waking up a lot during the night due to anxious, racing thoughts and worries!
- Low libido which may be having an impact on your confidence and relationship.
- Headaches and migraines which I have seen on the increase and I have just helped a client this week with and have had great results.
It is so important to remember and be mindful that we are all wonderfully unique. Stress manifests very differently from one person to the next. To summarise everything I have said would be Planning ahead with some clear action though Nutrition, movement, and mindset it is possible to live a life perhaps not stress free, but more balanced, full of body confidence, free from the chains of unbalanced hormones and excess weight holding you back.
My top 5 foods during periods of extreme stress
- Wholegrains such as Spelt, buckwheat, Oats, amaranth. Packed full of B vitamins essential during times of healing and crisis.
- Green leafy veggies which are an abundant source of fibre but also magnesium. B vitamins and magnesium both play a big role in releasing energy from food. Magnesium is known as natures tranquilizer. It is a great supplement to take before bed. Try 300-500mg of magnesium glycinate an hour before bed for a good night of ZZZzzzzzz’s.
- Beans and pulses are a great vegetarian source of protein and fibre. Protein plays a big role in hormone production and weight loss, the fibre also aids digestion and facilitates weight loss.
Are you ready to invest in yourself and be the best version of you?
Are you ready to invest in yourself?
A helping hand I would like to offer everyone is a free 20-minute online consultation to anyone looking for some guidance on where to start on your wellness journey. As a result I hope you have started to understand the connection on how stress impacts your hormones, mood and weight. Always remember my lovely do not suffer in silence. To book follow the link and pick an available slot.
https://nourishmovethrive.as.me/
Michelle xx
Http://www.newbodyandsoul.com/contact