Transcript

Are you trying to do all the right things and not getting any results when it comes to your weight loss efforts? Okay. Maybe you’re feeling [00:01:00] ripped off because you’ve been good all week, you’ve had the salads, you’ve not had the wine and then nothing’s really changed. So come Friday, you face plant straight into a cheese platter and a bottle of wine.

And, you know, that’s, if you made it to Friday, maybe Wednesday or Thursday. So what if it’s not diet and exercise, that makes the biggest difference when it comes to losing weight. Okay. Then what? Certainly what may have worked in our twenties and thirties is not working so well right now. So in this episode, we want to have a look at why stress can be sabotaging your weight loss, and otherwise it can also affect your health.

Now we can’t always change the amount of stress in our life, you know, or the amount of stress that we have going on, but we can certainly learn to change the way we think about it. All right. Welcome back to today’s episode, everyone. I very excited to have you here. And [00:02:00] again, we’re talking about like, one of the biggest frustrations that I hear from women is we’re doing all the right things and nothing is working.

All right. So in today’s busy world stress is hard to avoid. So when we’re doing the juggle of, you know, having a job and a career, when we’re managing kids and how is it that our teenage and adult kids seem to need us even more? You know, we’re juggling partners, we’ve got parents who are getting older, who have, you know, new and different needs of their own, you know, we’re trying to like throw in some work.

We’re trying to squeeze in a social life, you know, that’s, if you have the energy for it, not to mention, you know, let’s layer a pandemic and a few floods over the top. Okay. So who would agree? So our natural fight or flight stress response can sometimes go a little overboard. Okay. So, you know, from. Sort of dare I say it paleo.

Um, no, I was going to say [00:03:00] what’s the word? No words. Guess who’s in peri-menopause. From a biochemistry point of view or a physiological point of view – that’s the word I was after – this fight or flight response is designed to keep us safe. All right. So it’s supposed to help us escape injury or death, you know, if there’s an emergency and then return us to normal after we’ve either fought or flew. Okay. So unfortunately, like today’s current state of busy-ness, you know, in the hectic world and the hectic lives that we live, this doesn’t always happen and stress becomes then a long-term or a chronic reaction. So you have no doubt heard of the main stress hormone cortisol.

Okay. So it comes from our adrenal gland. So our adrenal glands are these two tiny little Walnut shaped glands that sit just above our kidneys. Okay. So. They sort of release cortisol in response to stress. And you know, if our stress response is [00:04:00] healthy, they’re working well, cortisols are naturally, you know, cortisol levels and naturally high in the morning.

This is so we can get up and get going and it slowly fades through the day so we can sleep well at night and often our, you know, what happens is our stress responses are on constant alert. So our cortisol levels remain high, throughout the day. And you know, for a lot of women, we get the, it’s kind of like tired, we’re exhausted, but tired but wired sort of feeling. Or you know, so we keep pushing and, you know, it can get to the point where our adrenal glands just become so depleted, they’ve got nothing left to give. So they basically essentially flatline. And then we’re in this constant state of exhaustion, which, you know, is referred to as adrenal fatigue.

So, you know, that’s kind of like in case, so today we’re going to talk about what happens to our body, where we’re in, when we’re in this constant state of stress, we’re going to talk about how [00:05:00] that impacts our energy levels and also how it blocks our weight loss efforts. And also what we can do about it.

Okay. So, as I mentioned earlier, the problem, you know, or our stress response is designed to keep us safe. So our body releases adrenaline, which is like our alarm. So just think if we’re walking down the street, a car backfires, you know, we get a fright and we might jump or, you know, if we’re driving and the car in front of us slams on its brakes, there’s no kind of like conscious instruction for us to go, Ooh, gee, I better put on the brake. We had that automatic, you know, reflex to, you know, also to throw in our breaks. So that’s where adrenaline kicks in to just sort of like keep us safe to like throw that response out. But the problem is, you know, this alarm phase or this adrenaline phase can be relentless.

You know, we’re constantly, we’re constantly feeling jumpy. You know, we’ve got a problem. So adrenaline is also released when we [00:06:00] consume caffeine. So hands up, ladies, are you starting the day with a coffee before you’ve had any breakfast and okay. Keep that hand up. Now. I want you to put your other hand up. If you actually don’t even eat breakfast and you aren’t eating anything until mid morning or even lunchtime.

Okay. So this, you are surviving on adrenaline until you have breakfast. And you’re going to hear me come back to this a million times. For the love of all things breakfast each to the breakfast. Okay. So this constant output of adrenaline can be really challenging for some women to manage, you know, especially when we’re topping it up with coffee, with this sense of busy-ness that we have, you know, it’s like a badge that we give ourselves and it’s actually our perception of pressure and our perception of urgency.

You know, like when we take a step back, is it essential? Is it, does it have to happen now? Is that urgency as, as big as we think it is? Or is that the [00:07:00] way that we perceive it? So just, you know, something, food for thought there. So when we’re living with all this adrenaline, the actual problem is the adrenaline was designed to be short-lived, okay.

It was meant to shock us into action and should be over really quickly. So if you think about stress historically, you know, the bear starts chasing us. It’s a physical threat to our life. So we want to be able to run and, you know, and ideally we ran. And, you know, the adrenaline kicked in, we ran, we got out of the way and hopefully we didn’t get eaten.

Okay. And it was all over quite quickly. Whereas today, you know, this adrenaline surge can kind of happen like day after day, week after week, month after month, where we have this consistently elevated output of adrenaline. Now, our body just can’t sustain it because, you know, when we release adrenaline, we also, you know, with that comes a whole lot of inflammation.

So when our body goes [00:08:00] into that sort of inflammatory process, it just can’t sustain it. So this is where stage two of our stress response starts to kick in. So this is where we start to create cortisol in excessive amounts, because cortisol in the short term, it can be anti-inflammatory. Okay. So our body’s busy making cortisol to try and calm down the effects of all that inflammation, you know, that the constant relentless output of adrenaline is created. So inflammation then triggers a whole host of its own symptoms, including blocking any weight loss efforts, including speeding up the aging process, including breaking down lean muscle tissue. It messes with our digestive systems, heart issues, you know, it goes on.

So if the stress is ongoing and we don’t deal with it or make some changes to calm things down, you’re now living with the consequences of that. Okay. So when we’ve got this [00:09:00] cortisol floating around our body, again, it’s designed to keep us safe. So what it does in case we landed after the bear chased us in a cave, cortisol goes, Hey, there’s no food here so that, you know, that lunch you had, you know, that big kind of beautiful bowl of pasta with the garlic bread on the side.

Yeah. We’re just going to put that around her waist, you know, just in case there’s no food, there’s a famine coming up. All right. So if this is what’s going on inside your body, no amount of kale and salad and green juices is going to help you lose weight at this point. Okay. So what we have, what happens, what tends to happen is we can stay in this elevated cortisol state for awhile.

Okay. You get used to it. You push through you, soldier on, you do all the things for everyone else. And it blows my mind the extraordinary loads that so many women do carry, but our poor little [00:10:00] adrenal glands cannot sustain that level of output forever. So something at some point will break and you will cry. Okay. So what this means is you just not able to sustain that level of cortisol, that level of anti-inflammatory that you need for your body to keep going.

So while we’re living on adrenaline, while we’re in that high stress state, while we’re making the same lifestyle choices, while we’re thinking the same thoughts, eating the same meals, even though they might be healthy. And even though we’re, you know, pumping ourselves, pushing ourselves at the gym, you know, we’re doing all the, all the things we’re pushing through, we’re thinking we’re doing all the right things.

We’re not actually doing ourselves any favors. Okay. And eventually your adrenals are going to crash. Okay. So these poor little things, remember they’re only the size of walnuts and we give them a flogging. Okay. So like I said, this is where we hit burnout and that’s a whole other [00:11:00] episode for a whole other day.

Alrighty. So how do you know if you have too much cortisol? So I want you to, again, hands up. I hope you brought them down from before. Okay. Who has noticed an increase in belly fat, so that beautiful muffin top, you know, you, might’ve always held your weight, other places around your body, but now it’s gone around your middle who, hey, you know, I know I can a hundred percent know when I’ve kind of pushed my limits too far. I’ve always been a bum and a thigh girl. That’s where I carry my weight. And, but, you know, I hit 40, 42, 43 and I was like, helloa sec, hang on. What’s going on? Where’s my waist gone. So yeah, it happens to me too. So that belly weight is usually the first thing that, that women notice. Poor sleep.

So, you know, you might be wired, but you’ve got that tired. So [00:12:00] you feeling, you know, like your, your body and your brain is going a million miles an hour, but you just can’t and you’re exhausted, but you just can’t get good quality sleep, feeling exhausted all the time. Brain fog, you know, where you’re just fuzzy, you just can’t quite focus.

You can’t quite get, you know, motivated. And another one is, you know, high blood pressure, you know, fluctuating blood sugar levels. So, you know, high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and even, you know, lowered immunity. So if you noticing that you starting to pick up, coughs, colds, you know, a little eye infection, little ear infection, little niggles somewhere.

Okay. So if your nodding along to any of these, then my friend stay with me because I’m going to share all the secrets on what you can do to change this.

 This Hormone Hub episode is sponsored by the Well Balanced Woman. If you’ve been on [00:13:00] a hormonal rollercoaster, feeling bloated, your digestion isn’t the best. And you know, you’re sick and tired of feeling lethargic with your weight creeping up then this is the right program for you. I’m right there with you across the 12 weeks to hold your hand and I’ll give you a loving kick up the bum, if you need it. 

The well-balanced woman is your personalized four phase program created to help you regain your energy, balance your hormones and fire up your metabolism so you get the results you’re after. The link with all the details is on our show notes or over at kyliepinwill.com/wellbalancedwoman.

Of course, we all want to know what’s going on and what we can eat to change this. This is, what do I eat, Kylie? Just tell me what to eat, what supplements should I take? You know, and so on. So these are the questions I’m going to answer. Okay. So let’s start with the foods that you know, can increase your cortisol [00:14:00] and drum roll.

Brrrrm. Sugar. Often we’re looking for sugar as a pick me up. So we want this reward because you know, like our, our brain, you know, says we’ve had a busy day, you know, we deserve this. I’ve had a stressful week. I deserve this. My periods due, I have to have the chocolate because my period’s due in like three weeks time.

Now the problem with going to sugar is it also spikes our insulin. So this is another fat storage hormone. So we get the double whammy of cortisol signaling our body to store fat and insulin signaling our body to store fat. And yep. You guessed it right around the middle. Now some of the worst offenders here are, you know, soft drinks and fruit juices, because you can get a lot of sugar into your body in a really short space of time.

Okay. Now this don’t let the artificial sweeteners include for you because this includes the [00:15:00] soft drinks as well. Then we’ve got sugar in the form of lollies, candy, sweets. And of course, you know, cakes, biscuits, pastries, and the like, so reducing the sugar that we eat and drink can be a huge step towards, you know, better health for our minds and our bodies.

And, you know, I want you to think about how you can make a better swap. So go for a piece of fruit. One of my favorites is a couple of fresh dates. I just cut them open. I put on some, you know, some nut butter. Oh my God. Yum. Don’t knock it until you try it now with this, oh, and actually, I’ll get to all my chocoholics in a second, but you know, don’t feel that you can never ever have these things again.

So this is where a lot of women fall into that. Oh, I can’t have, if you really want something, give yourself permission to eat. But, you know, make it the best damn thing, [00:16:00] whatever it is that does it for you and enjoy every single mouthful and then let it go. So, you know, I often talk to my clients about croissants, you know, maybe I’ve got a bit of a croissant thing happening, but you know, we have an incredible bakery. It’s about 20 minute drive from here. So if I’m going to have a croissant, I will only get a croissant from this particular bakery. I will sit down with my croissant. I will sit down with a nice cup of coffee and I savor and enjoy every single mouth. Delicious and then let it go. I don’t feel guilty.

I don’t feel bad that I’ve had that, I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve been mindful while I’ve been eating it. Then let it go. You know, it’s when we’re doing that mindless eating and then next thing like the whole chocolate block is gone, or the whole, you know, bag of chips has gone, you know, this is where we want to like bring in that mindful eating.

Yeah. Give yourself permission. Let it go. No-one’s feeling guilty about food. [00:17:00] Okay. So next up we talked about, you know, caffeine also in increasing your cortisol levels. So especially when we’re having it on an empty stomach. So if coffee makes you feel anxious and jittery, Think about it, maybe not being the best thing for you.

All right. So again, you don’t have to cut out your coffee. Like I wouldn’t ask you to do anything I wouldn’t do. I love my coffee, but, you know, check in with how much you’re having, if you’re having, if you’re feeling anxious and jittery, you know, and you’re having two or three coffees a day, try cutting it back to one or two, you know, have a smaller coffee, so no more double shots.

So, you know, and also think about the time of day that you’re having coffee. So from a cortisol point of view, the best time for us to drink coffee is around 10:00 AM. Okay. And this is only after we’ve already had a good breakfast. So, you know, if you’re feeling super game, swap your coffee out for green tea, [00:18:00] herbal tea, you know, something like that.

Okay. So yeah, again, you can take your coffee, but just be aware of what it does and what effects it has on your body. Okay. So being dehydrated also increases cortisol. So we want to make sure that you’re drinking enough water, especially if you are feeling thirsty. Okay. So herbal teas count as hydration. 

Sorry, coffee, alcohol, not so much. Eat protein and fats at each meal. This will help anchor your blood sugar, which in turn helps you manage your cortisol levels. So eat a variety of nutrient dense whole foods. So this doesn’t help just reduce your stress hormones. It also helps all aspects of your health.

Okay. So you can also lower your cortisol levels with green tea and dark chocolate. Okay. You’re welcome. Just not the sugary Milky Cadbury kind of chocolate. We’re looking for, we’re looking for good quality [00:19:00] dark chocolate. Okay, and think about, you know, like if we go back to our grandmasdays, you know, one of my grandma’s remedies for all life crisises was sit down and let’s have a nice cup of tea.

Okay. So when you sit down and again, like same as the croissant, just sit down and enjoy your nice cup of tea just for 10 minutes. So give yourself a break, you know, peace out from the world for 10 minutes. While you drink your tea. Cause so often, you know, we’re doing all of the things. We’re juggling everything at once.

We’re not taking that time just to wind down and chill out. Okay. So, you know, just on food, what else can we do? Probiotics and prebiotics. There’s so much research out there about that gut mind connection. So we really need to look after our good gut bugs. So probiotic-rich foods are fermented foods like sauerkraut, [00:20:00] kimchi, miso.

 And they get the good bugs in. We also want to make sure we’re getting a healthy dose of what we call prebiotic fibers to feed all of these good, healthy gut bugs. So again, in our veggies, things like rolled oats, leeks, sweet potatoes are full of those beautiful prebiotic fibers.

So it’s not just about the food. There’s also a lot of really simple lifestyle changes you can take to lower your cortisol levels. So first up, you know, reduce your stress with mindfulness. So again, being aware of your stress triggers and changing the way you respond to themcan reduce, those sort of stressful thoughts and you know, all that unnecessary worry.

So if you’re an over-thinker, if you’re sort of anxious, you know, and sort of tend to like, think of all the things. I love this quote by Mark Twain. I’ve had a lot of worries in my life. [00:21:00] Most of which never happened. Okay. So for all of my beautiful anxious overthinkers, this is going to be a work in progress and that’s okay.

You know, be kind to yourself. All right. So the next thing is get enough exercise without overdoing it. So while intense exercise, you know, increases your cortisol levels temporarily. You can also reduce your overall cortisol levels. So exercise should energize us, not deplete us.

So my number one tip here is move your body in a way that feels good. So really doesn’t matter if it’s walking, Pilates, yoga, weights. Just move. All right, so next one, to help reduce your cortisol and help your waistline is to get enough sleep. Okay. So ideally we want to be in bed nigh nighs before 10:00 PM.

Okay. So for all my night owls [00:22:00] out there, you want to train yourself to get to bed before that second wind kicks in. Okay. So if you’re sort of feeling tired, feeling tired, feeling tired, and then we’ve got that second wind kick in, you know, that’s a big spike of cortisol. Your cortisol wants to go to bed.

You know, it wants to be down and wants to stay down, but you know, it’s spiked back up, so you’re awake for hours. Okay. So we want to make sure that, you know, we’re getting to bed before that happens. So feeling that tired, but wired feeling is not a fun place to be. Okay. So another sort of tip, is just relax, you know, phone that beautiful friend who makes you laugh, gives you that big belly laugh.

Snort laugh. We want to snort laugh. Okay. Get out in nature. Put your bare feet on the grass or in the sand, swim in the ocean. Wherever you live. Sit under a tree, put your face and your chest in the sun, you know, just not until the point where you get sunburned, but just let that vitamin [00:23:00] D in. Now, one of my favorite ones is put on your favorite eighties, nineties, dance music, and let’s party like it’s nineteen ninety nine. It’s amazing how good a boogie can reduce your cortisol levels and get your feel good endorphins pumping. Okay. And it’s a good way to remove all your teenagers from the room at the same time. They’re out. Shit mum’s dancing again. We’re out. So yeah, it works every time in my house.

All right. Take three, slow deep breaths. So these are all so simple and you can feel your body instantly relax. Okay. So we’re going to do it together now, except if you’re driving. All right. So breathe in,

breathe out.

Did you just feel yourself relax. Okay. Do that three [00:24:00] times. Instant relax. Okay. Now the other thing, you know, that can really help reduce those cortisol levels is get social. Okay. So after the last two years, we’ve grown used to living and working at home. We’re in the comfort of our own little cocoon and, you know, there’s quite a significant amount of studies emerging now, like worldwide studies about the health risks associated with that social isolation and loneliness. And look, if you’ve been in long-term lockdown, I’m sure you don’t need a study to tell you that. So, you know, make the effort to make those connections. You know, when we’re maintaining good relationships, spending time with people you like and people who support you, you know, this is really key.

Go and hang out with people who lift you up and make you feel good. I promise that you’re going to make them feel better too. So it really is, you know, who are the five people that you hang out with all the time. That’s a [00:25:00] reflection of who we are. So make sure that they’re good people, make you laugh, lift you up.

All right. So by now you should have a better understanding of why stress can be sabotaging our best weight loss efforts, not to mention our energy levels, sleep and blood sugar. So this is why it’s so important. It’s not just a diet and exercise approach. So yeah, we need to look at the quality of food we’re eating, but we also need to factor in downtime to relax, to laugh, to dance, to have fun, you know, for a more holistic approach.

And this could be the very key piece that you’re missing. You know, if you are doing everything, you’re stuck on your weight loss, think about, your stress. So ladies, until the next episode, it is time to literally slow down and smell the roses.