Lately, life has become more stressful than usual. I feel it and I imagine you feel it too. There’s more fear, more disruption, more restrictions. All of this adds to our mental stress and wears us down.
But pressures and mental stresses aren’t the only stressors on the body. Here is a list of many more than increase your stress load and therefore contribute to weight gain.
Reducing your stressors and improving your capacity to deal with them is the key to optimal health.
| Cause | How it may contribute to being overweight |
| Eating too many calories and not enough nutrients | Always hungry, nutrient deficiencies may lead to disease, diabetes |
| Preservatives, artificial colours | Add to the load on the liver |
| Pesticides, metals and other poisons | Can damage cells, can kill gut flora |
| Artificial sweeteners | Long term weight gain, carb craving and MS-like symptoms |
| Thinking negative thoughts | Increases cortisol levels |
| Putting up with being unhappy | Frustration & resentment which may elevate blood pressure or stress the liver |
| Boredom | Can lead to overeating |
| Unresolved anger, grief, hurt | Body tension which affects circulation to that area. Can cause emotional eating |
| Unexpressed joy, happiness and appreciation | Emotions become negative and fester within us. |
| White flour | Raised blood sugar and insulin. Produces inflammation, causes cell damage |
| White sugar | Raised blood sugar and insulin. Produces inflammation, causes cell damage |
| Trans, hydrogenated and oxidized fats | Raised blood sugar and insulin. Produces inflammation, causes cell damage |
| Alcohol | Poisonous to the liver, increases requirement for nutrients |
| Caffeine | Leaches nutrients from the body, stimulates adrenalin causing fatigue |
| Eating too often | Increased inflammation |
| Eating too late at night | Affects sleep and reduces the rejuvenation of the night |
| Eating huge quantities of food | Requires more digestive enzymes than your gut can make. Overloads all systems. |
| Medications | Toxic to the liver |
| Smoking, recreational drugs | Increases heavy metal load and contains other chemicals that can overload the liver |
| Poor quality supplements | Waste of money |
| Misguided ambition | Raises adrenalin and cortisol levels, increases inflammation, can raise blood pressure and risk of stroke |
| Jealousy | Makes us irrational and the victim in our own story of life |
| Self-hate | Leads to self-destructive behaviours like smoking and binge eating |
| Allergies & intolerance | Can create cravings, increases inflammation |
| Poor liver and bowel detoxification | Causes unhealthy blood which has multiple flow on affects that can be detrimental to our health and weight, not to mention cancer. |
Have a chat with your naturopath to find out how you can take charge of your stress and restore your body to calm and optimal weight.
Brenda Rogers
Brenda Rogers is the founder of Quintessence Health and creator of the Passage to Power Programs, Retreats and Seminars. She combines the wisdom of Earth medicine, women’s mysteries and a career in the personal development industry to empower women to navigate the menopausal transition being radiant, alive and well. She also supports the wellness and transformation of men in their transition through midlife.
