How To Handle Stress Overload
March 10th, 2022
How To Handle Stress Overload
Most people are feeling stressed. When I meet with clients, every single one is enduring their own form of stress. You may be thinking, “Well yea Katie, it’s pretty normal to have some stress.” True. But how well do you manage your stress? Whether it’s stress from work, home, COVID, politics, exercising, nutrition lifestyle…there’s stress coming in all different directions. And most clients I meet with are not managing it well. They are powering through each day living in the sympathetic, flight or fight state. This wreaks havoc on so much that goes on in the body, to include your stress hormone levels. Here is the most common scenario I see with a client:
high stress that is poorly managed
poor sleep
fatigue
over exercising to deal with stress (piling on more stress)
weight gain/body fat gain
eats “healthy” but also mindlessly stress eats
alcohol use
loss of libido
digestive issues
poor recovery (sore and achy)
mood instability
overeating and undereating (both with weight gain)
This person is exercising to improve body composition, yet the results are not showing. This leads the client to feeling frustrated and more stressed. One of the culprits could be an imbalance in the stress hormone cortisol, causing levels to be higher than normal.
What are the symptoms of high cortisol?
feeling tired but “wired”
difficulty falling/staying asleep
increased belly fat
sugar cravings
difficulty concentrating
memory impairment
anxiety/nervousness
depression
muscle tension/pain
high blood pressure
high blood sugar
decreased fertility
increased sickness/lowered immunity
What hormones can be suppressed by high cortisol?
Testosterone
Growth Hormone
Estrogen
Progesterone (if suppressed can lead to estrogen dominance)
DHEA
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
Insulin
Stress is inevitable. But, stress doesn’t have to be a struggle. There are many ways to manage stress so that it doesn’t have an overwhelming impact on hormone health. Try these powerful techniques to help improve your body’s stress response to decrease the damage cortisol could be doing to your health.
Meal Timing: How to set up the body for digestive success when it’s stressed. This helps to maintain a stable blood sugar. Check out my blog on the importance of blood sugar stabilization.
Eat within one hour of waking up.
Ideal meal spacing is 3-4 hour apart.
Avoid snacking before bedtime (more on this in the next blog).
Fast from dinner time until breakfast.
Drink plenty of water. The easy rule is to drink AT LEAST 1/2 oz. per pound of body weight. (150 lb. = 75 oz. of fluid to consume)
Meal Composition: Design meals and snacks with high-quality protein, good fats, unrefined carbs, and fiber. This will help prevent unwanted blood sugar spikes and crashes. Use these guidelines to keep a good blood sugar level:
Avoid eating carbs alone. Pair it was a protein and fat. See meal and snack examples in my blog “What is Metabolic Efficiency Training?” here.
A balanced plate for plant-based eaters might look like a protein-rich food, such as lentils or beans, with vegetables and half a cup of whole grains cooked in ghee or coconut oil. Vegetables should take up half of the plate.
Snacks should also follow this same pairing process. An example would be an apple with a tablespoon (or two) of nut butter.
Eat a wide variety of colors, including dark colored fruits and vegetables.
Avoid too much caffeine and alcohol.
Lifestyle Modifications: These are very helpful to help combat stress. Adopting at least one of these behaviors can be helpful:
Practice mindfulness: Sit quietly for at least 10 minutes per day. Whether it’s deep belly breathing, meditation, yoga, or journaling.
Exercise: Physical activity helps improve our response to stress. Not to mention, it helps improve neuroplasticity in the brain.
Electronics curfew: End screen time at least one hour before bed.
Get a good night’s sleep: Aim to go to bed early - before 11pm if possible - and get 7-8 hours of sleep.
Spend time in nature: This can help boost mood and regulate sleep. Even if it’s stepping outside for 10 minutes or going for a quick walk or hike.
Practice saying “no” or “not now”: Learn to prioritize and create healthy boundaries.
Take a pause: pausing even a few moments before making a decision can make a big difference.
Ask for help: Perfectionism can be addictive and is draining and inefficient in the long run.
Learn a new skill or hobby: Learning something new teaches the brain a new pathway to handle change.
Social interaction: Spending time with friends in a social environment can help reduce stress in the brain.
What can you change
or add to your day to help balance out your stress response?
There are ways to test hormones to include your cortisol levels. I use the DUTCH test (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones) in my practice. This not only tests female and male sex hormones, but also four levels of cortisol, cortisone (storage form of cortisol), melatonin, dopamine, norepinephrine/epinephrine, oxidative stress, B12, B6 and much more. I provide nutrition, exercise and supplementation recommendations based on the results to improve overall hormone balance, to include how your body responds to stress. I have a discount on this test for my clients too!
Learn more about my Fit & Strong Female Program that includes the DUTCH test analysis and recommendations, blood work analysis, customized meal planning, weekly check-ins for accountability, and more.