Nature’s gem: a naturally relaxing mineral
When I ask my clients why she thinks she’s gained weight, I’m surprised by the number of women who say “I’m not really sure because I feel like I’m eating really well”.
And when I look at what she’s eating, she’s right!
She IS eating quite well and certainly not enough to be gaining the weight that she is - or explain why she’s not losing any. So what the heck is going on here?
Well, when we think of our weight, it’s perfectly natural to associate it with what we eat, so when we’re eating well and aren’t losing weight, it’s mind-boggling. But believe it or not, what we eat is not the only determining factor in our weight.
So if you feel like you’re eating well and still not moving the scale then maybe it’s time to shift your focus from only thinking about food for a bit and consider another possibility.
And if you read on, I’ll tell you what I mean and give you a good starting point to address it.
This possibility that I speak of that could be hindering your weight loss efforts is a hormone called cortisol and it’s released when we’re stressed.
It’s perfectly natural to occasionally release cortisol when you’re in a true state of emergency because you need to act quickly, but it can become a big problem for your weight (and your overall health) when your stress becomes chronic.
And how does this happen….?
Well, life is so hectic and, like so many others, you’re probably very, very busy; whether it’s with family, kids, household, work…everyday life is saturated with responsibilities, expectations and deadlines.
And - day in and day out - it all gets very stressful. When acute stress starts to turn chronic then more cortisol is released and you may start to notice this band of fat around your abdomen forming (or getting bigger) and no matter what you do, it doesn’t go away and your pants are getting tighter.
So what do you do now?
Well you address your stress. And although there are lots of ways to manage stress, I’ll give you a really solid place to start and that includes the “natural relaxant” mineral, magnesium.
The stress process uses up vital nutrients that we don’t always replace in our diet, because we don’t realize we need to, and magnesium is a very big one.
And you have a few options here (or you can do all!).
First, you can choose a magnesium supplement to take before bed (if you're not taking meds at that time and your doctor approves) and use as directed. I personally like magnesium glycinate.
Second, if you can’t take supplements or don’t want to, you can also choose foods high in magnesium, like nuts, seeds and dark leafy greens. For a few weeks, add kale, swiss chard, spinach or other leafy greens to your meals and top with pumpkin seeds and almonds for a good kick of magnesium.
Third, take a relaxing bath in the evening, or whenever you feel you need to, with Epsom salts or bath bombs that contain magnesium.
Your body will love you for it.
