Stress Kills.
The more I learn about the damage that stress can do in the body; the more I believe that it is one of my chief responsibilities as a practitioner to encourage my clients to not only manage their stress, but also sometimes make adjustments to bring themselves back into balance.
Lately I’ve seen quite a few clients struggling with signs of adrenal fatigue. Adrenal issues are way more common than we realize! If you or someone you know: started gaining weight around the midsection, can’t sleep, has a hard time focusing, is losing hair or balding, has frequent cravings for carbs and salt, emotionally irritable, has high anxiety or fixation on problems, low libido, high blood pressure, reliant on stimulants to stay awake, has a hard time getting up in the morning, tired during the day, has allergies or asthma issues, acne, inappropriate hair growth in women, blood sugar issues (stress can trigger the release of insulin!), sleep apnea /snoring, leg cramps, brain fog, bloating (because digestion is affected) etc.
The classic adrenal body type is someone who carries and gains the majority of their weight in their midsection. What happens is as cortisol levels stay elevated from chronic stress, the body moves fat around the midsection to protect the major organs. This is a complete survival mechanism and this kind of weight gain usually starts after prolonged stress or a very stressful event or trauma.
A few things you can do to bring the adrenals back to balance: getting sleep / re-balancing sleep, low impact exercise like walking or light yoga, consume potassium rich foods – potassium helps to restore adrenals and lower insulin, getting rid of stressful relationships or toxic work environments, take an extended vacation to de-stress, reduce/eliminate sugar intake, re-imagine breakfast: healthy fats, protein, and vegetables over high carbs will sustain your energy longer throughout the day.
XO Esosa E, MS AKA Raw Girl
P.S. I am taking FREE one-on-one calls for the next week! If you would like to chat with me, and see how I can help you reach your health goals – sign up HERE.
P.S.S. Read more on Adrenal Fatigue in this PAST POST