Stress is always part of everyday life: making sure you finish your work on time, taking care of the family, a busy schedule, it is all considered ‘normal’ stress. Chronic or severe stress, however, is a completely different issue and can seriously affect both health and weight loss.
Chronic stress causes your cortisol to rise. And unfortunately, it also raises your blood sugar and lowers your ketone levels. And to counteract these chronically elevated blood sugar levels, your body will start producing more insulin. When that happens, fat burning becomes a real problem.
With that in mind, reducing your stress level is important and in my practice this is also one of the key factors I work on with my clients. Sometimes talking alone really helps to cope with severe stress and this is why I am always available on a daily basis.
Certain supplements also help cope with stress, such as:
- Phosphatidylserine
- Ashwagandha
- Ginseng
- Maca
- Green tea extract
- Omega 3 fatty acids
- L-theanine
- 5-HTP
But try to make these changes too:
- meditation techniques; you can take Zen meditation classes, but meditation can of course be done anytime, anywhere and there are plenty of apps that can help. Many of my clients use Headspace or InsightTimer;
- chronic cardio increases your cortisol level. So skip daily running and try resistance training, Pilates, yoga or HIIT instead;
- monitor your magnesium; the recommended daily intake is 300 – 500 mg;
- take a break from social media and turn off your electronics, especially in the evening; invest your down time in real social interaction or plan relaxing activities such as walking, reading or a creative hobby; being outside for at least half an hour a day is recommended anyway for the much-needed production of vitamin D3;
- get a good night’s sleep, you really will be much better able to cope with stress. Good sleep hygiene is therefore important: go to bed early, preferably at the same time every night, get up at the same time every day and make sure your bedroom is a quiet, dark and cool space.
Are you on a keto lifestyle but stuck with your weight loss? Book a coach call now: together we can come up with a good strategy!
Sevi Rutgrink - Keto Coaching 