By Sophie Haslett for Daily Mail Australia
04:23 04 April 2023, Updated 04:23 04 April 2023
- A dietitian shares why stress hormones lead to weight gain
- It recommends exercising less but not too much and going to bed earlier
A dietitian shares the six warning signs you’re using stress hormones and why it’s leading to health problems, weight gain and sleep deprivation.
Whether you’re trying to lose weight, improve your gut health or manage your mental health, your stress level is the most important factor, says Brisbane’s Leanne Ward.
“Too often, people fail to manage small, day-to-day stress and allow it to compound until it explodes or worse, leading to long-term burnout,” Lien writes. Instagram.
The first warning sign is a regular increase in heart rate.
A normal resting heart rate should be between 60 and 100 beats per minute, but this can vary from minute to minute.
Your age and general health can also affect your pulse rate, so it’s important to remember that a ‘normal’ pulse can vary from person to person.
A second warning sign that you are running stress hormones is if you feel tired at night, but then have trouble falling asleep because you are ‘overwired’.
A good way to reduce this is to eliminate all blue light an hour before bed, a warm but not overheated bed and read before turning off the light.
Leanne also says she’s a fan of guided meditation and deep belly breathing before bed – and these are all good ways to relax.
A third sign that something is not right is if you feel anxious about daily tasks or often feel overwhelmed.
Fourth on the list is ‘a lot of brain fog and difficulty thinking clearly’.
For this, Leanne recommends journaling or even taking a cold shower to clear the mind which has numerous health benefits including increasing your circulation, improving your metabolism and boosting your immunity.
Finally, Lien says, if you have regular sugar cravings, bloating or constipation, it’s another sign that something isn’t right with your digestive system.
To combat this, you’d better choose a diet rich in fiber – so think plenty of fruit and vegetables.
You should also keep an eye out for hair loss, irregular periods and skin breakouts – which may not mean anything on their own, but when combined with other symptoms can mean something bad.
When it comes to Leanne’s other strategies for reducing your overall stress load, she recommends exercise—but not too much—as it can have the opposite negative effect.
The dietician also says you can try guided meditation, fresh air and going to bed half an hour earlier every night.
You should also look at your diet, and aim to make sure you’re getting a balanced plate for your meals and snacks.
Ideally, a plate should consist of half vegetables, one quarter protein and one quarter complex carbohydrates.
Then you should top it with a drizzle of healthy fats, like extra virgin olive oil or avocado.
