We have all been there...working hard, exercising, eating cleanly, happy with our progress, and then BAM! One day the scale stops moving, our clothes stop feeling looser, and all of our momentum and motivation dissolves. This is commonly referred to as the weight-loss plateau. What it is, however, is your body giving your goals the ultimate middle finger and adapting for its easiest survival.
What Is Actually Happening?
It turns out your body isn't interested in your quest for summer abs, nor does it care about your upcoming wedding or vacation. Herein lies the problem, your body is designed to resist change, and is extremely adaptable.
I want to talk to you today about how your body does this, and what YOU can do to fight back.
Role of Hormones
Hormones act as chemical messengers, delivering important information throughout your body to keep all systems up and running properly. Hormones affect just about everything.
When it comes to weight loss, they’re responsible for how much energy you have, the amount of muscle you gain, and even your metabolism. And if just one hormone is thrown off, it can cause your weight loss to stall completely.
Too much Estrogen? Bloated, increased fat storage, lethargic. Too much Cortisol? Bigger belly, physical and mental fatigue. Too much Progesterone? Increased appetite and emotional eating, decreased sex drive. All of these hormones are necessary for your body to function...but too much of any 1 hormone can throw your entire body out of whack.
Effects of Stress on Your Body
One of the main causes of hormone malfunction is STRESS. When we have chronic, unrelenting stress, our adrenals continue to fight! They keep producing what we need – and the domino effect in our body begins. Fatigue, weight gain, moodiness, hormone imbalance, thyroid imbalance, and irritability may follow.
What is a large source of stress on our body? You guessed it, Diet and Exercise. So, as we continuously exist in a caloric deficit, and continuously push our bodies through strenuous exercise, we are STRESSING our Adrenal Glands. If we do this for too long, they stop functioning optimally.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, and have been attempting to lose weight, you may be suffering from stress-induced hormonal imbalances:
- Fatigue
- Weight Gain
- Low Sex Drive
- Irritability
- Digestive Issues/Irritable Bowels
Supporting Hormones Naturally
Helping our body naturally re-balance its hormones is not as challenging as you might think. We can focus on 4 key pathways for helping your body to fix itself:
- Hydration: Water is the most refreshing and revitalizing solvent, that can dissolve and remove impurities from the blood. Mild changes in the tissue hydration status can significantly influence the integrity of biological systems by affecting hormonal balance.
- Sleep: your hormones work on a schedule, and a lack of sleep throws off that schedule. A lack of sleep is one of the biggest contributors to high cortisol levels. When you sleep, you give your body a chance to balance out its stress hormones, so try to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night to maximize your hormone function.
- Micronutrients: Vitamins are necessary for energy production, immune function, blood clotting, and other functions. Meanwhile, minerals play an important role in growth, bone health, fluid balance, and several other processes.
- Adaptogens: Adaptogens help support your hormone levels and help manage stress in the body. Adaptogens help manage the stress system, keeping inflammation levels in check.
The Health Stack
The Health Stack was designed to boost your health by providing essential Vitamins, a Super B Complex, Antioxidants, Digestive Enzymes, and Trace Minerals. It also enhances your deep sleep recovery, combats insomnia, reduces daily stress, supports libido, and helps build muscle and burn fat.
If you feel like you are stuck in a rut, now is the time to take advantage, start your new health stack, and prepare to DOMINATE your goals! Any questions, as always feel free to shoot me an email at Sam@naturalsciencecreation. I'm here to help!
Regards,
Sam Bishop
President, Natural Science
