{"id":15153,"date":"2022-05-17T21:19:06","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T21:19:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/?p=15153"},"modified":"2023-04-17T16:15:43","modified_gmt":"2023-04-17T16:15:43","slug":"supplements-for-stress-related-weight-gain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/supplements-for-stress-related-weight-gain\/","title":{"rendered":"5 supplements to help you manage stress-related weight gain"},"content":{"rendered":"Whether it\u2019s from work or school or those 10 loads of laundry you need to do, stress is something we\u2019ve all felt from time to time. You probably know from experience that it can cause some unpleasant symptoms like headaches, muscle tension and an upset stomach. But you may not know that in the long term, it can lead to bigger issues\u2014including weight gain. Luckily, there are things you can do to keep this problem in check: a balanced diet, regular exercise and the right supplements may help you avoid putting on unwanted pounds when times get tough.\u00a0Why does stress cause weight gain?\u00a0Whether directly or indirectly, most stress-related weight gain comes down to cortisol, your body\u2019s stress hormone. When your brain recognizes a stressful situation, it triggers your flight-or-fight response, causing your adrenal glands to release a surge of hormones\u2014including cortisol\u2014and priming your body to take quick action. In the case of a brief danger, like avoiding a car crash, this can be a good thing. But over the long term, high levels of cortisol can impact your sleep, impair your immune system, decrease your energy, slow your metabolism and increase your appetite. Those last two can potentially cause weight gain1,2.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s where supplements come in. Taken in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle, these five nutrients may help keep your cortisol under control:\u00a0 AshwagandhaAdaptogens like ashwagandha are natural compounds that help minimize the effects of stress by helping your body to adapt. Ashwagandha, a super root that has been used in traditional treatments for millennia, is probably the most famous of the these, helping to correct imbalances and keep your cortisol levels under control.3 If you\u2019re feeling pressured more than usual and think your pants might be getting a little snug because of stress, try adding ashwagandha to your daily supplements to help manage your stress hormones.*\u00a0 CordycepsIf your cravings seem more intense lately, your cortisol might be to blame. Elevated levels of cortisol can cause cravings, particularly for sweet fatty foods, potentially leading to weight gain. It also lowers levels of leptin, the hormone that promotes the feeling of satiety, and increases ghrelin, the hormone that boosts your appetite.4 Cordyceps, a fungus that\u2019s been used in traditional treatments for centuries, can act on the adrenal glands to help rebalance these hormones and hush those cravings.*\u00a0 Panax GinsengStress and fatigue go hand-in-hand. When you\u2019re tired, it\u2019s easy to grab a sugary snack for some quick energy. It might seem helpful in that moment, but in the long run this habit can impact your health and affect your weight. Instead of chasing that sugar high, try adding a ginseng supplement to your routine. It may help with energy by rebalancing your HPA axis, a signal network between the brain, adrenal glands, stress hormones and nervous system that can cause fatigue and nervous exhaustion when you\u2019re stressed.5*\u00a0\u00a0 Omega 3Omega-3 fatty acids are always important for health, but especially when you&#8217;re stressed. They help manage cortisol levels, promote a healthy inflammatory response and may increase your metabolism, helping you burn more calories6 \u2014although more research is needed on that last point.*\u00a0 CBDThis new addition to the wellness industry has drawn a lot of interest\u2014and a lot of skepticism. CBD is one of more than 100 cannabinoid compounds found in the Cannabis sativa plant. It\u2019s the second most abundant cannabinoid after THC\u2014making up about 40% of the total cannabinoid content\u2014but unlike its more famous cousin, has no psychoactive effects 7. We\u2019re still learning about all the benefits, but there\u2019s\u00a0some evidence showing that CBD helps lower cortisol levels, increases calmness in the face of stress and promotes a healthy inflammatory response8. These apparent effects may in turn help you sleep better, lessening daytime fatigue and curbing fatigue-related eating.*\u00a0\u00a0About Shirley\u00a0Shirley is a nutritionist with a Bachelor\u2019s in Human Food &amp; Nutrition with an emphasis in Sports Nutrition. To Shirley, there is nothing more gratifying than assisting someone in meeting both their health and personal goals while making everlasting connections.\u00a0Interested in supplements, but not sure where to start? Reach out to one of our experts, or take our free nutrition assessment, to learn exactly what nutrients would work best for your diet and lifestyle.\u00a0\u00a0*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.\u00a0\u00a0This information is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. Do not use the information from this article for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal, or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read in this article.\u00a0","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether it\u2019s from work or school or those 10 loads of laundry you need to do, stress is something we\u2019ve all felt from time to time. You probably know from experience that it can cause some unpleasant symptoms like headaches,","protected":false},"author":399,"featured_media":15157,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1825,1891,1945],"tags":[1953,19],"class_list":["post-15153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stress-mood","category-vitamin-101","category-vitamin-101-stress-and-mood","tag-cortisol","tag-vitamins-2"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/399"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15153"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15163,"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15153\/revisions\/15163"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}