It’s common for nutritionists to see people doing all the “right” things but still not thriving. Eating healthy, sleeping 8 hours per night, daily movement….yet still not feeling their best and confused as to why.
How Are Your Stress Levels?
When starting your health journey it’s a great first step to ask the question of: how are my stress levels? Usually, they are very high and have been for a long time. If this is the case then you may feel exhausted (no matter how much sleep you get), have digestive issues, experience brain fog, and may also have hormonal imbalances. This is the case for most people living in the modern world so you are not alone!
Chronic Stress Affects Digestion and the Immune System
When we are stressed out all day every day, our body is constantly releasing cortisol. This messes with our blood sugar regulation, causing it to dip high and then drop low over and over again – which is EXHAUSTING the body all on its own. Then, the adrenal glands get tanked from constantly releasing cortisol. Cue: fatigue. Chronic stress also suppresses the immune system and can slow down digestion, creating the perfect environment for dysbiosis & other pathogens to thrive in the body. This leads to digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, and brain fog.
Managing Stress with Lifestyle Changes
Managing stress involves lifestyle changes. Food is important, but it’s not the end-all-be-all when it comes to healing. Sometimes you have to rearrange your life to prioritize healing, and this could lead to changing jobs that make you feel overworked, setting boundaries for yourself, cutting toxic people out of your life, and changing your social habits around alcohol. All of these things can play a huge impact on your body’s ability to heal, despite all your other best efforts with food/sleep/exercise.
It can be a hard pill to swallow, because you may have to change the way that you have been living for so long. But as a result you can become healthier than you ever have been. Decreasing stress levels can lead to more self-awareness and the ability to make changes necessary to become the best version of yourself.
Holistic Nutritionists Who Understand Stress and Mental Health
Can you relate to these feelings of burnout from high stress? Have you “tried everything” and realized that high stress is the link to most of your health issues? Working with a holistic nutritionist who understands how stress, emotions and mental health affect your digestion is key to success.
Holistic nutritionists help clients feel their best through individualized holistic dietary and lifestyle recommendations that address both the physical and emotional levels of well being. Not only do they help with nutritional recommendations but they also provide education to clients regarding the root causes of why they are experiencing symptoms and tools in order to empower them to take the steps toward long-lasting overall wellness and health.
