Cortisol and Weight Gain

For the majority of women with PCOS, trying to lose weight is a real issue.  I know it is for me, it has been a problem for many years.  I have always carried extra weight ever since puberty began just before my 12th birthday.

The first place the extra fat began to accumulate was on my belly.  And guess what I have discovered these last couple of weeks?

High cortisol levels cause belly fat!

Okay, so what exactly IS cortisol?

Cortisol is the stress hormone produced by the adrenal gland in response to anything that the human body perceives as a threat (whether that threat is real or not) or anything that we interpret as a stressful situation.

Things like money worries, job losses, family issues - anything that becomes a chronic stress - will cause the adrenal glands to produce cortisol.

This is why it is imperative that we manage our stress levels.  There is no point cutting carbs or counting calories to try to lose weight if you are stressed out, your body is going to fight you all the way.

Try to look at it this way.

Jon Gabriel describes these chronic stresses as a type of FAMINE response.  Our bodies, our adrenal glands, our brains....  they don't know the difference between a real and a perceived threat, but they react exactly the same way.

Facing a job loss or financial loss produces the same kind of stress as not having enough food to eat or anything that feels like it is LACKING from your life.

So how can you reduce cortisol?

Increase the following nutrients by adding foods or taking supplements :

Omega 3 fatty acids (eg fish oil)
B complex vitamins
Vitamin C
Green tea (L-theanine is the active compound that helps to reduce cortisol, so if you don't like the taste of green tea you can buy green tea or L-theanine in capsule form)

Add in new lifestyle habits:

Yoga
Relaxing activities
Music therapy
Meditation
Massage
Improve your sleep
Regular exercise
Stabilize your blood sugar (adding green leafy vegies is a great way to do this!)

All of the above are proven techniques to help you lower your stress hormones and reduce belly fat.

If you are new to meditation, here is a fantastic website that can help you get started:

One Moment Meditation

I am up to Day 3 and it is amazing how quickly one minute goes by, just by closing my eyes and focusing on nothing but breathing.  Time just seems to go by even faster each time I try it!

Inflammation

I have been listening to a BlogTalkRadio discussion about Inflammation and its direct links to PCOS.

You can listen to the recording for free HERE.

PCOS promotes inflammation and causes vicious cycles within the body. Inflammation worsens many of the PCOS symptoms, and should be reversed to help restore balance and optimal health.
What I learned from this discussion: 
Oxidation is a normal process in the human body - any time we burn a calorie, think a thought, regulate our blood sugar, we are oxidising resources in our bodies to carry out those processes.  The easiest way to understand the concept of oxidation is to imagine rust on a car.  If unchecked, the rust gets out of control and creates large holes in the body of the car doesn't it? 

Inflammation is an immunological response to stress, imbalances and infections in the body so it is a natural thing and MOST of the time, it is good for us!

In the human body, oxidation occurs all the time but when oxidation exceeds what the body can keep up with and repair, this causes inflammation.  Our bodies are being asked to be in constant repair mode, instead of being able to rest.

Some conditions that arise out of inflammation might be:

• elevated levels of C Reactive Protein
• bowel disorders such as IBS
• asthma
• heart disease
• depression
• insomnia
• migraine headaches
• arthritis
• fibromyalgia

Omega 3 fatty acid is really important for repairing the oxidative stress.  Research has found that taking fish oil (or marine algae for vegans) also reduces sugar cravings.  Monica Woolsey, the founder of InCYST and the guest on the programme, recommends we take 1000mg of fish oil each day.

Often the symptoms of PCOS are downstream from the real problems upstream, so if we fix the problem upstream then we don't have to waste so much money on supplements and treatments.

Lack of sleep increases inflammation in our bodies.  Sleep is one of the most important parts of our day because that is when our bodies go into repair mode
Practice sleep hygiene to help your body wind down and prepare for a good night's sleep:

• change out of work clothes into loose, comfortable clothing as soon as you get home (I love doing this!  My favourite thing to wear is a light jumper/sweater and a pair of cotton yoga pants)
• a cup of calming tea such as chamomile
• take a bath
• walk the dog
• turn down lights close to bedtime
• avoid using electronic devices after 9pm
• listening to calming music
• an evening snack of at least 8 grams of protein

Vitamin D is a really, really important nutrient to get into our bodies.  Mushrooms are a wonderful source of this, as well as coconut milk, but sunlight is the best source and it is also FREE!
Gluten - if you aren't gluten insensitive and you cut it out of your diet, you could actually CREATE a sensitivity to it, so it is best to get tested for any existing sensitivities first.

I urge you to listen to the broadcast yourself because you may hear something mentioned which I haven't summarized above.