Adrenal Stress and Weight Loss
Belly fat is a key symptom of adrenal fatigue. It helps to understand how adrenal fatigue happens in order to help our bodies maintain a healthy weight. Stress can have a great effect on maintaining a healthy weight.
If we haven’t eaten in a while, our blood sugar drops and the brain sends a message to the adrenals to release cortisol to prevent further drops in blood sugar and to keep the body fueled in the absence of food. When we experience long-term stress (daily job responsibilities, illness of a loved one, tension in a relationship) cortisol and insulin remain high in the blood and extra glucose (sugar) is not needed. This is stored as abdominal body fat. This belly fat also reacts to stress response, spurring more abdominal fat to be deposited. It’s a vicious cycle. One that can also lead to eating disorders that may need treatment in a Malibu treatment center.
What do we do?
- Eat well and regularly
- Convince your body there is no danger of starvation. Keep your blood sugar levels even. Spread your meals and snacks across the day to work with your circadian rhythm.
- Cortisol has a natural cycle to complement your circadian rhythm. It is usually high in the mornings and declines throughout the day to allow you to sleep at night. Eat your biggest meal of the day in the morning.
- Keep healthy foods close to you to avoid making poor choices, like chocolate and caffeine.
- Pace yourself
- Take time for yourself to promote healing. If you are tired, wired and overweight you need to lower your stress levels to help your adrenals to heal.
- Get regular sleep and enough of it.
- Exercise wisely. Make sure you are getting enough and at the right energy levels.
- Play! Here’s your permission to play and have some fun.
- Breathe deeply to help you relax.
- Let your body relax and release
- It can be hard to take time to unwind and relax, especially with so much responsibility we all carry. Keep in mind that your body will respond to the way you treat it.
Even after spending time in a Malibu addiction recovery, adrenal fatigue, eating regularly, and getting enough exercise is something I still struggle with. Recovery from addiction is a process. Go easy on yourself and know that every effort you make, even the smallest one, will make a positive difference on the quality of your life.
Cliffside Malibu recognizes the sober curious movement but believes in the power of lifelong sobriety. For some, that’s doing the hard work in addiction treatment. At our luxurious, private center, you can dive into your questions about your alcohol intake, discuss the roots of your drinking or learn how your mental health can affect your drinking habits. You’re more than a patient to us; you are a person who chose to make Cliffside Malibu a part of your recovery family. Call (855) 403-5641 to schedule an appointment.