Stress Hormones

The Blood Sugar Solution By Dr. Mark Hyman

Dr. Hyman talks about  numerous hormones in his book, but I am going to focus on the adrenals and cortisol.  Dr. Hyman isn't concerned about the stress that short term, and then resolved (speaking in front of a group, meeting a deadline, etc.), his concern is for the stress we put ourselves under on a daily basis, and the stress that we never resolve.  This keeps the body in a state that requires high cortisol production.  This leads to weight gain and attributes to most health concerns.  Here are some questions from Dr. Hyman to ask yourself to see if your adrenals are stressed:

• My life is very stressful
• I am easily startled and suffer from panic attacks
• I feel tired but wired
• I feel fatigued
• I often feel weak and shaky
• When I stand up, I feel dizzy
• I have dark circles under my eyes
• I crave sweets or salt
• I don't feel refreshed after a night's sleep
• I have difficulty either falling or staying asleep
• I frequently experience headaches

The list goes on - if you said yes to many of the questions above, it is worth looking into adrenal fatigue to see if that is a roadblock to weight loss and optimum health.  Dr. Hyman recommends finding ways to relieve and manage stress to improve health, overall (exercise, meditation, laughing, praying and more).  Have a great day - Shanna