Help! How Do I Lose This Weight on My Stomach?

There are several factors that cause us to gain weight such as heredity, thyroid problems, diet, and exercise. When the weight gain is especially on the stomach area, probably Cortisol production is in part to blame.

Cortisol is the most important steroid hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands. This is not the complete story. The regulation of the Cortisol hormone is regulated by the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland in the brain. So all three glands must be working properly to maintain proper Cortisol production. Cortisol production is usually at its highest level in the morning.

Cortisol in balance is a beneficial hormone:

The Cortisol hormone is a positive hormone when in balance. Cortisol helps to maintain many physiological processes that keep your stress under control. Abnormally low Cortisol levels are part of the problem in CFS, Fibromyalgia, and Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

Cortisol Excess problems:

Excess Cortisol is one of the main reasons that you gain weight specifically in your stomach. Gaining weight in the stomach area is one of the worst places to carry fat because it strains the heart and other organs such as the lungs.

Excessive Cortisol is implicated in Cushings Disease, hair loss in some cases, high blood pressure, peptic ulcers, depression, immune system based diseases, blood sugar imbalances and liver function problems.Cortisol lowers bone formation making it a factor in the development of osteoporosis . An adrenal tumor can also cause excessive cortisol production. Cortisol also causes you to retain water which causes many women problems.

How do you know if your Cortisol production is too high?

You can have your Cortisol levels tested either by blood or saliva. Lab results sometimes have different criteria that establish the base for normal and abnormal values. Depending on that criteria, your results may come back as normal when they are not. They have done tests on labs where they sent out the same exact blood sample to all of them. This was done to test the labs accuracy. The results came back with very differing results. Lab errors happen often causing false positives and false negatives. When you have abnormal results, it is wise to have your blood drawn again and tested.

Factors that reduce Cortisol levels:

Caffeine Consumption:

Coffee, tea, and caffeine drinks all increase Cortisol levels in the blood stream. One cup of coffee (200mg of Caffeine) increases blood cortisol by 30 percent in one hour and this elevation can last for up to 18 hours.

Keep your caffeine to a minimum. Caffeine is also hard on the stomach and an irritation to the kidney and bladder. The new coffee drinks have huge amounts of calories, fat, and sugar. They are one of the serious diet factors that cause weight gain in women today. Sodas, even diet ones are not good for you and just junk calories.

Sleep Deprivation:

Lack of sleep increases Cortisol production. It is well known that people who work nights, work long hours of overtime, and have several jobs gain weight. Lack of sleep throws the balance of the body off causing a number of problems including immune system problems. That is why when you overwork for long periods of time, you often get sick and have trouble getting well.

Burnout and extreme physical exercise can cause increased Cortisol production.

Commuting in heavy traffic for long periods of time increase Cortisol production in some people. The use of calming music would help to stabilize the stress response.

Prolonged stress:

You need to reduce your stress and that should be a #1 priority.

Massage therapy, music, pets, playing with your kids, laughter, humor, fun, exercise, walking, praying, a warm bath, gardening, yoga, dance, meditation, and reading are all possible activities that help to reduce stress thus decreasing Cortisol production.

Herbs that have been shown in recent research to lower Cortisol are Phosphatidylserine, DHEA, and Ginkgo Biloba . In these research studies, one should note, it took a pretty high dose of Phosphatidylserine to reduce Cortisol. Phosphatidylserine supplements are pretty expensive. DHEA should only be taken after you have been tested first to show that you have a deficiency.

Herbs that reduce stress and help to balance the body include Ginseng, Astragalus, Eleuthero, Schizandra, Rhodiola, and Ashwagandha. These herbs are called adaptogens and help the body to adjust to stress. They also help to restore balance to the many different body systems. You can usually find a pretty good herbal formulation that includes several or all of these herbs. They be under the label of stress, stress reduction, or nerve herbs.

Make sure that you take a good vitamin supplement that has a strong base of the B vitamins. Vitamin C, alpha lipoic acid, grape seed extract, and Co Q10 are also important and should be present in a good stress complex. Minerals such as calcium, magnesium, chromium, and zinc help to support nerve health and immune system health. When buying vitamins I suggest gel caps because they are more easily absorbed. Most people under stress conditions have compromised digestive function. In the mineral area, Calcium Citrate is one of the best forms of Calcium to take. Oyster shell calcium may be cheap but also very hard for the body to utilize.

Omega 3 fatty acids are another supplement that have been shown to reduce Cortisol production. Omega 3 fatty acids also have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body and help with arthritis.

Black tea helps reduce Cortisol levels in some studies.

The reduction of Cortisol takes effort on several levels but is worth the effort in your path to weight control and health.

Here are several links to explore the subject further:

http://www.raysahelian.com/cortisol.html
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=53304