How To Get Rid of Cortisol Belly Fat?
Cortisol belly fat can appear on the stomach, hips, chest, or upper back. There are many reasons to have high stress levels; some of these reasons include lack of sleep, anxiety disorders, medication side effects and emotional traumas. Here are some tips that might help you reduce your level of cortisol belly fat:
- Exercise regularly. Exercising will release endorphins which will make you feel happy and less stressed.
- Take care of yourself. You should eat healthy foods and get enough sleep to be in a constant state of well-being.
- Develop strategies for coping with stressful events. Use any relaxation technique that works for you (meditation, deep breathing exercises) to calm your mind.
- Drink water before, during, and after meals to reduce cravings for sugary drinks or sweets by increasing your brain’s serotonin levels, making you less likely to crave sugar. This helps to break the habit of grabbing a post-meal coffee with something sweet added, such as chocolate loaded with cortisol. Some valuable tricks include drinking peppermint tea or lemon tea. Adding a slice of lemon or lime can start activating digestion before lunchtime too.
- Take care of what alcohol you drink because though it has been shown in studies that small amounts of alcohol are good for longevity, large quantities of alcohol harm your metabolism and digestive system (causing high levels of oxidative stress).
- Avocados contain healthy fats, which are suitable for reducing the fat around your stomach and contain more antioxidants than any other fruit.
- Establish a healthy routine for sleeping, eating and exercising.
- Decrease the stressful lifestyle factors that increase cortisol levels, such as long commute, higher job stress or child care challenges.
- Reduce intake of sugar, alcohol and caffeine to relieve strain on the adrenals glands.
- Practice meditation, yoga or deep breathing exercises to calm down the body’s response to stress in addition to regular physical activity for health benefits. This strategy is crucial if you deal with a high level of toxicities due to chronic illness like fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome; sleep apnea; type 2 diabetes; auto-immune disease, etc.
- In addition to reducing chronic inflammation through diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management, it is crucial to recognize that excess cortisol can also lead to belly fat.