Let’s face it, midlife can be a stressful stage of life. We’re dealing with our changing bodies and aging, hormones declining, kids leaving the nest and caring for aging parents! And physiologically, we are simply less resilient to stress without estrogen.
If you have persistent stress in your life, then most likely you have cortisol levels that are out of balance and that can detrimentally affect your health and weight loss efforts.
And did you know that one of the biggest culprits of belly fat accumulation in Midlife is high cortisol due to stress?
Here are four ways you can support your body during stressful times.
- Keep your blood sugar balanced. Always eat protein and carbs together and never skip meals. I don’t recommend Intermittent Fasting when your cortisol levels are out of balance for a prolonged period of time and you are experiencing symptoms. You can take my hormone quiz here to see if you have any symptoms.
- Eat nutrient dense foods. When we are stressed, we burn through vitamins and minerals quicker. Loading up on nutrient dense foods like good quality animal protein, veggies and fruits are even more important when you’re stressed. I load up on extra magnesium and my Juice Plus.
- Prioritize sleep. Not getting enough sleep can raise cortisol levels in the body and make it more difficult to burn fat. Get some sleep to keep those cortisol levels low! Again magnesium at night can be helpful and/or drinking Holy Basil tea before bed. Read more about holy basil tea here.
- Regulate your nervous system. Take some time for you! Try breathwork, meditation, walking and spending time in nature. Lifestyle is huge here! You can’t out supplement an unhealthy lifestyle.
