3-Step Plan To Manage Your Stress

Long-term stress is the root of many ailments in our modern-day world. Luckily, there is a three-step approach tomanaging all the stressors you will encounter throughout your life. In fact, treat your stressor as a project and then do the following:

1. Name it
• Whether it’s emotional, mental or physical, write down your stressor.
2. Make a plan
• You want to move your project over the hurdle of procrastination. Do this by writing down an action plan that is SMART:
• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• There’s a Timeline
3. Deal with your plan
• Tackle it – roll up your sleeves and just do it.
• Get help – if you don’t have a lot of time get some support like an accountant or a mediator.
• Let it go – if things are weighted by emotion you may have to use tools such as journaling to letting it go. Remember: this isn’t denial.
• Let it be – if you have to endure something for a period of time, you may just have to practice the act of letting it be. Meditation can help with this.
4. Let CortiSLIM be a part of your plan to get your stress under control.

Quit Being Sick & Tired!

Are you chronically tired for no reason? Do you feel rundown and overwhelmed?
It could be adrenal fatigue.

Adrenal fatigue occurs when your adrenal glands cannot adequately meet the demands of stress. From the demands of work, to family obligations, to the hurried pace of the city and our technology-driven society, many of us feel like we’re under a constant siege of stress.

While the “fight or flight” stress response mobilized by the adrenal glands is a key to our survival as a species, prolonged stress, whether it’s physical, emotional, or psychological, exhausts the adrenal glands, leads to sleeplessness, irritability, and fatigue. When our adrenal glands are constantly required to pump out cortisol, they eventually become impaired. Your body does its best to compensate for under-functioning adrenal glands, but it comes at the price of your metabolism, heart and cardiovascular system, sex drive, and even your sleep.

Research has found that sleep disturbances are directly related to increased sensitivity to the arousal-producing stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is excitatory, which means it arouses us, wakes us up, and leaves us primed for action long after the stressor is gone. Unfortunately, when we’re under prolonged periods of stress, our cortisol levels remain elevated and our adrenal glands, small pyramid-shaped glands that sit atop each kidney, never get a chance to recharge.

When we consistently don’t get a good night’s sleep, our circadian rhythm becomes disrupted. This negatively affects our serotonin and melatonin, hormones which govern appetite and mood. In other words, not only does stress keep us in an agitated state by agitating our cortisol levels, but it can lead to cravings, obesity, and blood sugar imbalances which have been shown to negatively impact mood.

While it may feel like you’re caught in a vicious cycle of stress, sleep deprivation, poor nutrition and mood swings, it’s possible to break free by incorporating these six tips in your daily routine:

1. Eat breakfast

Make a point of eating a high-fiber, high-protein breakfast every morning to stabilize blood sugar and improve mental alertness.

2. Eat regularly

It’s important to keep up the momentum after a nutritious breakfast. Skipping meals leads to irritability and mood swings because our mood rises and falls alongside the dips in our blood sugar. Try eating four or five small, well-balanced meals per day.

3. Ditch the junk

Remove refined, highly-processed food from your diet. This includes sugary snacks, deep-fried food, processed lunch meats, and pre-packaged items with additives, preservatives, dyes, and flavoring agents. These food-like items rob your body of the nutrients it needs to support healthy adrenal function. Our adrenal glands thrive on zinc, manganese, vitamin C, and the B vitamins found in dark leafy greens.

4. Skip the stimulants

Say goodbye to caffeine that leaves you feeling wired, yet tired! Propping yourself up with coffee, tea, soda, and energy drinks will inevitably lead to a crash. These unsustainable forms of energy over-stimulate your adrenal glands and they’re also unnecessary sources of sugar and calories.

5. Supplement with herbs

Adaptogenic herbs like maca, ashwaganda, rhodiola and CortiSLIM Advanced with Vinpocetine, can help the body cope with stress and fatigue. For specific doses of these super supplements, consult your health care practitioner.

6. Wind down

If you have a habit of watching the news before bed or mindlessly browsing the internet, consider a new routine. Unplug and opt for a relaxing bath or a series of yoga stretches to help your mind and body relax. For more info see mindbodygreen.com

17 Strategies for a Healthy Sleep

Getting a good sleep is very difficult for a lot of us. Some of us have trouble getting to sleep, while others have more trouble staying asleep.

Did you know that one of the worst culprits, according to the National Sleep Institute, is having pets!
I think the stress relief they provide me in the daytime offset the problems they cause at night, but I can attest to the fact that the night time cuddle sessions do interrupt my sleep!

Click Here to learn good sleep hygiene and find out 17 Sleep Improvement Strategies you can do to finally get a Healthy Sleep tonight. #sleep #cortislim

Carbohydrates, Insulin Resistance and Fat

You've probably heard over and over again that carbohydrates are perhaps the WORST thing you could eat when trying to lose fat or transform your body, and for most people, that's 100% true.

Fact is, due to years of consuming a diet full of processed carbs and sugars, most people have grown quite insensitive to one of the most important hormones in our body—a hormone that can either be a huge asset to your body transformation goals, or a total fat-loss and health-derailing nightmare. 

The name of this hormone is insulin.

And insulin's function is to help your body keep blood sugar at bay, clear it quickly from your bloodstream after a carbohydrate meal, and (hopefully) shuttle that blood sugar to muscle tissue for energy instead of into fat cells (driving up your weight).

I say "hopefully" because that's actually the exact opposite of what occurs when most people eat carbs.  Going back to insulin sensitivity and carbohydrate tolerance, due to a diet full of processed, insulin- and blood-sugar-spiking carbohydrates, most folks are suffering from some level of insulin resistance, a condition in which insulin is no longer able to efficiently remove blood sugar from the blood stream.

The result?  Dramatically reduced fat burning, increased blood sugar levels and increased fat storage.

Even worse, insulin resistance can and often does lead to type II diabetes and an array of other health problems over time, such as an increased risk for Alzheimer’s and other cognitive disorders, premature aging, heart disease, and even stroke…and it all leads back to insulin sensitivity.

Ideally, when you consume carbohydrates, here is what you want to happen:

1.  Minimum insulin release.  This occurs when your body is highly sensitive to insulin.  When it is, only a small amount of insulin is necessary to effectively and efficiently clear glucose from your blood to its storage sites.  This is great news because your body has an incredibly difficult time burning fat in the presence of insulin.  The less insulin you have floating around, the better.

2.  Quick and efficient blood sugar clearance.  Again, this will occur when your body is highly sensitive to insulin.

3.  Maximum glycogen uptake.  Glycogen is the term used for stored carbohydrate in muscle tissue and the liver.  When these tissues are highly sensitive to insulin, the vast majority of blood glucose will be stored within them as an energy reserve, instead of being converted to fat.

4.  Minimum fat storage.  When you increase insulin sensitivity, your body will choose to store your carbohydrate intake as energy, again in lean muscle tissue and the liver, instead of body fat.

Simply put, your body's ability to process the carbohydrates you eat all comes down to your insulin sensitivity and your body's ability to quickly and efficiently clear sugar from your blood.

Knowing that, and also knowing that you yourself are very likely suffering from too much blood sugar and some degree of insulin resistance due to the previously mentioned dietary and lifestyle factors, you’re probably wondering what you can do to improve your insulin sensitivity and make your body responsive once again to this critically important hormone.
Find out how Adrenal Fatigue from chronic stress affects your health at CortiSLIM.

What is this stress hormone, Cortisol anyway?

Cortisol is a stress hormone that your body secretes to help your organs function optimally, quickly, and more effectively during periods of stress. This is part of that "fight or flight" response where when stressed, your body thinks it needs to crank up the function of everything including your heart rate to get you out of trouble fast.

This worked great when we used to have to run away from predators while out hunting, but unlike our ancestors, we don't need to run away from lions anymore but our body continues to have this response when we are anxious or stressed. Over time, this takes a toll on our body.

Nowadays, we are more likely to be running away from office meetings or stressful exams more than anything else but we still have this cortisol response during times of stress; just as when our ancestors needed to run from a predator.

The cortisol response was meant for short term bouts of stress. Unfortunately, our modern day lives seem to be fraught with incendiary events that cause long term cortisol secretion instead of the intended short term bouts meant for "fight or flight" away from predators.

If your level of cortisol is always relatively elevated because you are always stressed about life events or if you are just overall anxious all the time, our adrenals (which produce cortisol) may become fatigued and adrenal fatigue tends to lead to other issues like hair loss, increased inflammation, insomnia, more anxiety, fatigue, and chronic aches and pains, just to name a few issues. Worsening weight gain, hotflashes and thyroid dysfunction can also be linked to adrenal fatigue.

So, if you are concerned about your adrenal function, ask your doctor for a saliva test or a 24-hour urine test for cortisol level to see if you are doing alright or if your function has diminished. If you are noticing more and more belly fat formation and retention, that may also indicate elevated cortisol issues. But in generally, if you are constantly feeling stressed, you can be sure that your adrenals are having to work overtime and your cortisol level is likely unhealthily elevated.

My main suggestion is to intentionally implement stress management techniques into your daily schedule. Some common options I generally suggest for my patients in my integrative medicine clinic in San Jose CA are exercise, taking time to listen to music, playing with your favorite pet, or talking to loved ones. By incorporating activities on a daily basis where you allow your body some downtime and relaxation, you'll naturally be helping your cortisol level return to normal levels and you will be giving your adrenals a break…which ultimately, can help you looking and feeling younger no matter how many predatory office meetings you want to run from. For more information, see www.cortisol.com

Stress and nutrition

Ongoing stress can take a toll on your body – it can cause weight gain, digestive problems, fatigue, poor memory, moodiness, headaches and muscle pain. Too much stress can also increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes. The good news: Consuming certain foods and nutrients, at the right times, can help you deal with stress and feel better.

The body responds to stress by prompting your adrenal glands to release cortisol and adrenaline, two stress hormones that increase heart rate, elevate blood pressure and mobilize glucose (energy) for your brain and muscles. When stress is always present, this fight-or-flight response stays turned on. Prolonged stress accelerates your body’s use of carbohydrate, protein, fat and many vitamins and minerals. So the better nourished you are, the better your body is able to cope with daily stress.

Research findings from Britain, called the Food and Mood Project, support the link between a healthy diet and stress reduction. Among 200 people surveyed, 88 per cent of people reported that changing their diet improved their mental health. Sugar, sweets, caffeine and alcohol were among a list of foods found to exacerbate stress while fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts and water helped calm stress. So did eating regularly and not skipping breakfast.

The following diet tips are important strategies to help your body manage stress.

Don’t skip breakfast

The morning meal replenishes your body with glucose after a night of fasting. A balanced breakfast should include grains (oatmeal, whole-grain toast, high-fibre cereal), protein (egg whites, Greek yogurt, milk, cottage cheese) and a source of healthy fat (nut butter, avocado, flaxseeds, chia seeds).

Eat five times a day

Eat at regular intervals during the day to keep your blood sugar (glucose) steady, ready to fuel your brain and muscles. Eating too little – and not often enough – can cause imbalances in blood sugar that lead to mood swings, low energy, poor concentration and hunger.

Snack wisely

Good options include fruit and nuts, yogurt and berries, cheese and whole-grain crackers, a whole-food energy bar (e.g. Larabar, Elevate Me Bar, KIND Bar, Vega One Bar) or a protein shake than includes fruit. If necessary, set a timer to remind you to eat.

Focus on carbohydrates

Ongoing stress lowers serotonin, a brain chemical that’s important for sleep, memory and feeling calm and relaxed. Studies show that people under stress have higher serotonin and lower stress hormone levels when they eat a high-carbohydrate – versus high-protein – diet. And they report feeling more mentally sharp and less depressed. Base your meals and snacks on carbohydrate-rich foods such as whole grains, sweet potato, legumes and fruit rather than protein-rich foods like meat, poultry and eggs.

Boost B vitamins

The body uses B vitamins to mobilize its stored energy for immediate fuel. And vitamin B6 is also needed to make serotonin.

Good sources of B vitamins include enriched breakfast cereals, wheat germ (add it to a smoothie), legumes (add lentils or black beans to salads), nuts and seeds, leafy green vegetables, meat, poultry, milk and yogurt. You’ll find plenty of B6 in chickpeas, tuna, salmon, potatoes, bananas, avocados and turkey. To ensure you’re covered for B’s, consider taking a multivitamin mineral or a B complex supplement.

Get extra C

Vitamin C is thought to help blunt the rise in cortisol during stress and, in so doing, mitigate some of the harmful effects of high cortisol. People who have high blood levels of vitamin C have been shown to fare better mentally and physically when exposed to stressful situations compared to those with low levels of the nutrient.

Vitamin-C-rich foods include citrus fruit, cantaloupe, kiwifruit, strawberries, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage. To supplement, take 500 milligrams of vitamin C once or twice daily.

Limit caffeine and alcohol

Too much caffeine and alcohol can reduce mental focus, disrupt sleep and boost cortisol. Switch to decaf or tea. Black and green teas are considerably lower in caffeine than coffee (one cup of regular brewed coffee has about 90 to 200 milligrams of caffeine; one cup of tea has 15 to 60 milligrams). If you can’t give up caffeinated coffee completely, limit yourself to no more than one drink per day before noon.

Supplementation can help

Supplements like CortiSLIM that focus on stress management can help also. Recent studies have shown the ingredient, Vinpocetine, is very effective in managing stress, inflammation, blood flow and heart. It also contains Chamomile, long known for its calming affects on the body.  

Excessive Drinking Linked to Early Childhood Trauma

Why can some people control themselves from drinking too much while others go on to make fools of themselves or destroy their lives?

Sometimes the tendency to drink excessively may be more than just a case of escaping from problems or too much partying. The likelihood for alcoholism has been linked by scientific research to childhood stress.

Now, stress is not all that bad. In fact, it is necessary for survival as the right amount of pressure helps a person to think and act better in the face of difficult situations we will encounter throughout life. Cortisol, our main stress hormone plays a key role in the body’s “fight-or-flight” response by increasing our body’s available energy and nutrient supplies to our muscles so we can respond with quickness and efficiency.

So if too much stress is bad for us, where do we draw the line? According to research published by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the benefits of stress stops when it is ‘severe enough to overwhelm a child’s ability to cope effectively’.

Too much stress suffered over a long period can result to ‘a variety of short- and long-term negative health effects.’ It can disrupt the development of the brain in early life, and also impair the functioning of two body systems that play a vital role in developing a physically and emotionally healthy human being—the nervous and immune systems.

An article written by Dr. Steve Bressert for Psych Central (a website providing the latest news and research about psychological disorders, treatments and medication) adds that prolonged stress suffered as early as infancy could permanently change the way our stress hormones respond and how we react to stressors such as when drinking alcohol.

Wait...did you say drinking alcohol is stressful? In the short term it makes you relaxed, but if you continue to drink while the stress is ongoing (which is most likely the case as alcohol will not actually solve the problem) it increases the possibility that you’ll drink more...and more as a means of coping, till it leads to dependence.

Alcohol and brain chemistry

I’ve mentioned earlier that the occasional stress is an inevitable fact of life and can even be healthy for us. The body’s expected reaction after the threat is over is to gradually decrease cortisol levels until we return to our normal state. But for chronic stress sufferers or long-term heavy drinkers, their body struggles to return to its physiological state ofbalance. As the demands increase on their body’s systems, it sets a new (lower) balance point, resulting in a less effective body functioning.

One such effect is on brain chemistry. Since the balance is now tilted, when alcoholics experience stress, they may experience higher anxiety levels than non-alcoholics as their brains demand the release of higher levels of cortisol and other stress hormones. Cortisol is also linked to the brain’s “pleasure” systems, which is why a heavy drinker with higher-than-average cortisol levels need to drink more than before in order to achieve the same effect. In addition, cortisol plays a role in learning and memory (what a very busy hormone!), which is why our heavy drinker is more inclined to make drinking a habit and has an increased tendency of a relapse.

And oh, did I forget to mention why some alcoholics don’t seem to eat much, yet have large bellies? Cortisol causes the body to crave for high-fat foods AND tells it to put excess body fat in the abdomen, that’s why.

The deciding factor

You may be thinking that a lot of people experienced difficulties (broken family, poverty, war and famine, etc.) when they were young but didn’t turn out to be alcoholics or drug addicts as adults.

A person’s resilience, or the ability to cope with stress is influenced by several factors in the environment. These factors may help offset the effects of physiological changes that happened in early childhood.

Dr. Bressert’s article mentions that the strength of the relationship between stress and drinking depends on whether alternative coping mechanisms and social supports are available.

A study published in the National Institutes of Health also indicate “that mediating factors such as gene-environment interactions and family and peer relationships are important for resilience.” Another research published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism credits positive thinking, an optimistic attitude, problem solving and planning as the characteristics of resilient people.

Alcohol and Stress - NOT a good mix!

Most adults of my generation are very familiar with stress, having experienced it ourselves at some point or watching others go through it. Stress is felt when we go through enormous physical, mental or emotional pressure, leading us to feel tired, drained and spent.  Little wonder that some choose to go the easy route and have a temporary ‘fix’ to their problems—alcohol.

A number of studies have been made regarding the link between alcohol and stress. In this post we’re going to break down the academic lingo—from studies talking about how alcohol affects the functioning of the body’s main stress hormone, Cortisol, and why this isn’t a good thing.

Our body’s Response to Stress

When we drink alcohol as an attempt to relieve stress, it results in a “therapeutic” effect which encourages us to drink more. Generally, the heavier the problem, the more bottles or shots drank. Left unchecked, this can easily lead to alcohol dependence, and that is where the problem grows. I say “grows” because alcohol can easily cause problems even if you’re only drinking it for a night—just ask anyone who’s ever been involved in an alcohol-influenced fistfight, danced topless at a bar, done some drunk sexing or wrote posts in their social media accounts that made them the butt of jokes in the morning, lost a loved one or worse, a job.

Did you know that grain alcohol or ethanol, the ingredient in alcoholic drinks that gives it its potency can fuel cars? Of course this is toxic to your body, unless you’re Optimus Prime! Toxins from alcohol eventually damages many organs over time. In the endocrine system, damage shows in the way alcohol impairs our body’s natural capacity to lower levels of its main stress hormone—cortisol.

Cortisol is responsible for an increase to our supply of glucose (our main source of energy), increased heart and respiration rates, increased blood flow and a boost in the body’s capability to heal any damaged tissues. The body produces high levels of cortisol to help an individual cope with any stressful situation. A short-lived rise in cortisol is important for survival, but once the stressor has been dealt with, the body has to go back to its normal state.

The effects of constant high cortisol levels

What happens if the signal to produce high amounts of this hormone cannot be turned ‘off’, which is one of the effects of alcoholism? A 2010 study in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research found that elevated cortisol in alcoholics can lead to hampering basic mental activities such as making decisions, focusing attention properly or effectively making new memories or recalling old ones.

Elevated cortisol levels in alcoholics also encourage the onset of pseudo-Cushing Syndrome, whose symptoms include upper body obesity, weakened bones which can make common activities—such as lifting, bending or rising from a seated position seem like you’ve been working on the docks without a forklift—result to backaches and fractures in the rib and spinal column, severe fatigue, high blood pressure and sugar, and depression. Beer belly, it seems, may be the least of an alcoholic’s health woes.

In fact, according to another 2010 review by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, recovering alcoholics with pseudo-Cushing’s experience symptoms that are worse than during the period of heavy drinking itself.

But wait, there’s more. Another study in the same journal found that cortisol levels still remained high even in recovering alcoholics who are already going through the initial stages of alcohol withdrawal. Researchers in the study also felt that the lingering effects of elevated cortisol seriously increases an abstinent’s chance of a relapse.

It’s a disastrous loop, according to a 2010 study by researchers from Texas Tech University and Penn State University. Their findings say that stress that is not addressed is a major reason for a person’s inability to control alcohol cravings. In turn, a decreased ability to fight cravings leads to eventually reuniting with the bottle. 

While the effects of pseudo-Cushing’s may be reversed with due treatment, wouldn’t it be better if we just avoided all these complications in the first place by taking on whatever’s stressing you by the horns, instead of looking for a temporary solution that is going to be the cause of more problems later on?

Beware of the "Magic Pill"!

Yes, we all know we’ve gained some pounds from too much food (and for some people, stress) over the holidays, so we’re anxious to take it all off as fast as possible as life returns to normal.

This is where some people are tempted to cut corners. Instead of having a healthy diet and exercise, they allow themselves to be lured by shady marketers promising ‘instant’, ‘all-natural’ and ‘effective’ weight loss products with the idea that simply taking their magic potion would make you fit back to your old high school clothes, no strings attached.

On the other side of the world, the Philippine Food and Drug Administration recently cautioned people to be wary of weight loss-inducing products—and for good reason, as these “health” products marketed as oral capsules, coffee or tea drinks are tainted with harmful and regulated substances such as amphetamine, sibutramine, and steroids.  

What are these nasties and why should anyone using them be concerned?

Amphetamine is an addictive substance that is dangerous when misused. It functions as an appetite suppressant in slimming products, but they affect many different parts of the body and result to side effects that are severe, even fatal. In 1979 the USFDA banned its use in diet pills due to a number of deaths being attributed to it.

In January 2010 a study found that the drug Sibutramine—used in weight loss products to suppress the appetite and stimulate metabolism—increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes in patients receiving the drug. This prompted the European Union to ban the use of Sibutramine for weight reduction purposes. Major pharmaceuticals in other countries such as South Africa followed suit and also withdrew their products containing this compound.

Fat burning steroids, meanwhile, are intended for increasing metabolism, gaining muscle mass and encouraging weight loss. However, using this is generally unsafe due to its various side effects that include heart problems, blood pressure fluctuations, headaches and dizziness, infertility and even changes in personality. In addition, whatever weight loss you thought you achieved will creep right back because the body cannot sustain such a rapid increase in metabolism without the steroid to act as stimulant.

You would think that such encouraging names as “Perfect Slim Purely Natural Fat Reduction Cosmetic”, “Perfect Figure Slimming”, “Pretty Model -Qiaomei Fat Binder” and “Seven Days Miracle -Shaping Body Fat Loss” would have you on the Victoria’s Secret runway or a Cosmo photo shoot in no time. Well, they may be effective at shedding weight initially, but the price you have to pay is too high—think of depression and suicidal thoughts, heart attacks, painful urination, convulsions, brain hemorrhage, comatose, death. In any of these states, does a coca-cola figure matter still? NOT worth it at all.

Last year, the USFDA found amphetamine-like substances in 9 “all-natural” weight loss products currently on the market. The agency also found another substance, Acacia rigidula, whose safety for human consumption has not been tested yet.

But it doesn’t mean that we should entirely junk the idea of using weight loss products, no. Diet pills and weight loss supplements, when complemented with a healthy lifestyle and used with a qualified physician’s guidance, aids in our slimming efforts, boosting it and ensuring that the shedding of pounds is sustained for the long term. Some products like CortiSLIM also address specific issues that contribute to weight gain like our exposure to chronic stress and it contains healthy ingredients like Vitamin C and D3.

Be careful with your supplements, watch for products that contain ingredients that are sourced from reputable suppliers and manufactured in GMP Certified facilities. Ensure they don't have dangerous side effects or whose safety is medically unproven. To know which products you should avoid, view the list of US Food and Drug Administration’s banned products: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/QuestionsAnswers/ucm136187.htm

CortiSLIM's ingredients are sourced from reputable North American suppliers and manufactured in a GMP Certified, ISO 9001, 14001 Certified facility. Nothing but the best for our customers! 

How childhood stress affects us negatively as adults

Living with domestic violence, living in poverty or in a threatening neighbourhood, being made to work in uncomfortable or unsafe conditions or living with a family or orphanage where one experiences abuse or neglect are just some of the chronic stressors some people experienced as children.

We’ve seen how some of these children grow up and turn to alcohol, drugs or sex to escape reality. It’s common knowledge that a bad childhood leaves emotional scars that remains with us through adulthood and affects how we think and act, but what do scientific findings say about this?

A study published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has turned its particular focus on poverty and its relationship to how the brain works as an adult in terms of dealing with negative emotions. Researchers found that study participants who were from lower family incomes at age 9 showed more activity in the regions of the brain associated with psychological disorders related to emotions such as depression, anxiety, impulsive aggression and substance abuse when they became adults. These people showed less activity in the region of the brain known for its role in dealing with negative emotions.

Dr. K. Luan Phan, psychiatry professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine and senior author of the study said that the negative effect of poverty may lead to “a cascade of increasing risk factors” for the kids to fall into physical and psychological troubles in adulthood. The most important takeaway from the findings, according to Dr. Phan, was how much chronic stress an individual goes through from childhood through adolescence, and this determined the extent to which poverty affected brain functioning when dealing with emotions, particularly negative ones.

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University adds to this by saying that a childhood filled with positive experiences lays the foundation for healthy adults who are of great benefit to society by contributing in a valuable and productive way.

Simple and inexpensive solutions to fight holiday stress

It’s the most wonderful time of the year...

Or so the song says. For children maybe because all they have to do is eat, receive gifts and sign the occasional card for relatives, but for us adults who have to deal with nightmarish traffic, huge crowds, long shopping lists and party after party this could easily be the most stressful time of the year.

In our last post we talked about various holiday stressors, how the body reacts to stress and how this leads to weight gain. In this follow-up article we’ll share some ways validated by experts to help you cope with holiday stress. By staying relaxed, calm and energized you can actually enjoy time spent away from work and among the company of loved ones, and keep your waist trim in the process!

These methods are easy to do or find and won’t necessarily require you to wish Santa for a bigger bank account.

·         Spend a day out in the sun. This encourages the body to produce the feel-good hormone serotonin and provides required Vitamin D3, which is crucial for regulating some of our important functions like appetite, sleep, mood and behavior. It is also a natural way to ease Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, a debilitating form of depression caused by the change in season when days become short and cold. Get together with some friends and have a picnic at your favourite outdoor hangout or take the kids and pets out to the park. If you don’t have the time or patience for the crowd outside, opening doors and windows to let those golden rays in is a good alternative.

·         Savour the fragrance of citrus. A study done by researchers at the Mie University School of Medicine in Japan found that citrus fragrance reduced the doses of antidepressants needed to treat depressive patients. Citrus essential oils also do the trick if you need a quick pick-me-up at the office.

·         Get moving! Got a few hours in the morning to spare before work? Jog a few rounds around the block or walk briskly for at least a half hour. We all know it feels good afterward, but what’s the science behind? According to Dr. Ann Kulze, a respected expert on wellness and nutrition, the rhythm and repetition from walking or jogging has a tranquilizing effect on the brain, which translates to decreasing anxiety and improving the quality of sleep.

An even better idea is to combine the first three tips. Get up early in the morning when the sun isn’t too hot yet, walk briskly to the local supermarket or farm and get yourself a bag of oranges or lemons to eat or make into a delicious juice for breakfast.

·         Squeeze, squeeze. In traditional Chinese medicine, pressing the hoku spot or the fleshy area located between your index finger and thumb firmly for 30 seconds reduces stress and tension in the upper body. You can easily do this yourself whenever you start to feel overwhelmed from the long line at the checkout counter or while waiting for a cab that never seems to materialize when you need it most.

·         Find time for laughter. Alright, spending an hour (or a few) to watch Jimmy Kimmel or a Jim Carey flick on your couch might not be too practical if you barely have enough time to chew your food during meals but that doesn’t mean you have to wear a frown the whole day. Stuck in unmoving traffic or waiting for an appointment? Browse through a collection of photos on your phone and have a laugh-fest of your most silly, “what-was-I-thinking?” moments. YouTube on your mobile is also very handy in these situations.

Whatever difficulty we found ourselves in, it’s important to remember that the quality of life we live depends largely on perspective. Hey, even the rich and famous have their own share of feuds, divorces and bad hair days too. If you always find time to be grateful for every blessing that came your way and strive to see the good that has the potential to come out in every situation, you will find that these stressors we go through are merely ‘hiccups’ compared to the happiness we get from life. 

Holiday Stress - Another Reason for Weight Gain

As if the overflowing food and drinks from parties and dinners this month and early the next aren’t enough reasons to pile on the pounds, the stress we experience during this time is another reason for weight gain.

Preparing meals, buying and wrapping gifts, looking for the perfect outfit to complement each event we attend can leave us in a constant state of motion as we go all over town. Others who do not have family or partners face a different type of stress as they deal with loneliness and depression in the season where everyone is under pressure to be in a festive mood.

All of these add on to the pressures we already experience from our daily life of dealing with projects, bosses, clients, heavy traffic, bills, spouses and children.

What goes on inside – how the body reacts to stress

Our body has a built-in mechanism for handling stress. This set of physiological and biological reactions give you a burst of energy needed during make-or-break, dangerous situations. Whenever you experience an acute stressor, adrenal glands release the stress hormone cortisol into the bloodstream. This results to a surge in blood sugar which the body can use to fuel urgent actions like fighting and running or its modern-day equivalents of slamming on the car breaks, sprinting to catch the last bus or going after the colleague that spreads false rumours about you in the office.

Once the problem has been dealt with, the cortisol exits your system and the body resumes its normal metabolic state. Unfortunately, with our modern pressure-filled lifestyle we simply swap one form of stressor for another as we go through the day.

Chronic stress

During the holidays, stress is compounded as we have to deal with additional expenses and additional responsibilities on top of pressures from work and the people we interact with on a daily basis. 

Holiday shopping, writing and mailing Christmas cards, getting the house decorated, preparing for the Christmas and New Year’s Eve meals and the various get-togethers we attend leading up to these two big occasions can leave us feeling overwhelmed. It leads to chronic stress as we feel there is always something that still needs to be done and we don’t have enough time or resources.

Biologically, this causes significant metabolic imbalances and constantly elevated cortisol levels. This means blood sugar is always being readied to provide energy. It doesn’t have a good effect if this happens often.

Chronic stress and weight gain

Most of these mini-stressors we encounter do not require us to exert a lot of physical effort, unlike with our ancestors whose ‘emergency’ situations consisted of fleeing from storms and wild animals or walking long distances to look for food.

All of the excess sugar, generated by too much cortisol that does not get used as energy is stored as body fat. Elevated cortisol also results to a drop in serotonin, the hormone which regulates mood, sleep and appetite, among others. Low serotonin levels send a message to the brain to crave sugar and eat more to address the deficiency. Since most of the food available on the Christmas table is already fatty or sweet to begin with, eating more than what your body needs to deal with stress predisposes it to store more fat.

You can ease your stress, decrease your cravings and get control of your weight today with CortiSLIM!

Does CortiSLIM work?

Do you live a hectic and stress-filled life?

Have you noticed your pants are fitting a little tighter than they used to?

If you find yourself doing all the right things and yet you are still struggling with belly fat --

It’s not your fault!

Studies have linked our busy, stress-filled lives to a hormone called, “Cortisol”.

Cortisol releases glucose, protein and fat into your bloodstream to give you energy to handle your stress. Your body stores this unused energy around the abdominal organs. This type of fat, known as visceral fat, is most damaging to your health and can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Discover the CortiSLIM Lifestyle!

The true secret to beauty is a lifestyle that promotes good health. A sensible diet and regular exercise is vital, but sometimes you need an edge to help with the last few inches around your middle.

CortiSLIM gives you that edge!

CortiSLIM will help your body burn fat more efficiently, it will help you manage your stress effectively, and will help increase your metabolism allowing you to shed those unwanted pounds faster and get your body back on the right track.

Are you ready to say goodbye to your belly fat?

CortiSLIM is a 3^rd Generation dietary supplement that delivers scientifically developed, high-quality formulations that can truly make the difference in your body transformation. You’ve dreamed about it. Now you can do it and CortiSLIM can help you reach your full potential.

The CortiSLIM Advantage:

This revolutionary product blends three proprietary complexes in one unique and powerful fat-loss formula.

Insutrol is a proprietary blend of ingredients that supports increased lean body mass, reduction of body fat and healthy blood glucose levels.

LeptiPlex is a proprietary blend of ingredients that supports a healthy metabolism and thermogenesis (fat burning).

CortiPlex is a proprietary blend of ingredients to compliment the stress-reducing effects of exercising and helps to reduce stress levels and decrease cortisol levels.

CortiSLIM Original

NEW and IMPROVED FORMULA with clinically tested Cinnulin PF®.

3-Complex Weight Loss Formula* each unique Complex contains a proprietary blend of quality nutrients that work in different ways throughout your body to provide focused weight loss and weight management.  CortiSLIM supports Body Fat Reduction, Enhanced Body Composition, Increase in Lean Body Mass, Helps Increase Metabolism, also may Support Healthy Glucose Regulation and Assist in Maintaining Healthy Blood Pressure - in conjunction with diet and exercise.

 90 Capsules - Dietary Supplement 3 Complex Weight Loss Formula* CortiSlim® Original

CortiSLIM Advanced

NEW advanced formula with Vitamin D3 with clinically tested Cinnulin PF®.  

Advanced 3-Complex Weight Loss Formula* Includes all the same beneficial ingredients as CortiSLIM Original, but with significantly higher levels of Chromium Polynicotinate and Green Tea (EGCG). Also includes Vitamin D3, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Cocoa Bean Extract and Vinpocetine which was featured on Dr. Oz as a highly regarded supplement known to increase blood flow to the brain, manage stress and decrease inflammation.

90 Capsules - Dietary Supplement 3 Complex Weight Loss Formula* CortiSlim® Advanced

CortiSLIM Burn

NEW and IMPROVED FORMULA with clinically tested Razberi-K™ (Raspberry Ketones).  Feel the Energy!

Fat Burning Weight Loss Formula* Clinically Tested to Burn More Fat after Exercise. Helps Increase Metabolism, Improve Energy and Stamina, And Provides Powerful Antioxidant Protection. Its unique thermogenic action helps you burn fat and increase energy and stamina throughout your busy day, while powerful antioxidant activity helps decrease the production of damaging free radicals in your body. All are important to a successful weight loss regime.

          **Safe to Use with Other CortiSlim® Products for Added Weight Loss Benefits**

72 Capsules - Dietary Supplement CortiSlim® Burn™ Fat Burning Energy Formula*

Haven’t you waited long enough to have the beach body of your dreams?

Take the first step toward a healthy future; eat well, keep active and let CortiSLIM give you the edge you need to succeed! TRY CortiSLIM today at www.cortislim.com or call 1-888-708-SLIM, if you are not delighted, return the unused product within 60 days for a full refund of the purchase price AND order today and get 1 bottle of CortiSLIM absolutely FREE with every 2 bottles purchased!

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