Can Stress Cause Weight Gain And Bloating

How Too Much Stress Can Cause Weight Gain

The question of whether excess amounts of cortisol can lead to weight gain is essentially the same as asking if too much stress can cause you to put on unwanted pounds. The answer in both cases is yes.

Cortisol a natural stress hormone is responsible for regulating your metabolism, so its important to follow common wellness guidelines to lower it. From finding time for relaxation to improving your diet and exercise, you can ensure that you control your cortisol and not the other way around.

Testing For Adrenal Fatigue It Can Be Tricky

If you go to a traditional doctor to see if your cortisol is skyrocketing or flat-lining, they will order a blood test. Unfortunately, this can give a very inaccurate or incomplete picture. It might show that your cortisol levels are fine in the morning, but wont show that your cortisol levels may be barely there by 3pm when you are having an energy crash. Also, blood tests only show the total value of cortisol and not the free value which is what your body utilizes.

Urine or saliva testing is a far more accurate way to check cortisol levels. Good tests will check your levels around four times over the course of the day.

Im also a fan of the DUTCH test.

Instead of collecting many samples, you need only one sample which involves placing urine on filter paper and letting it dry.

You can also check your adrenal function at home.

Does Your Day Look Like This

Have the words Im so stressed and Im exhausted become daily mantras? Do you often feel teary and tense and think, I cant handle this pressure anymore? If stress calls the shots on your life, its highly likely youre suffering from adrenal burnout. Or youre well on the way there. Meanwhile, it will also cause symptoms of hormone imbalance.

Over time, as your adrenal fatigue worsens, it can totally compromise your natural hormone balance, which may lead you to experience enormous energy fluctuations that look something like this:

These constant slumps and dips are signs that your adrenals are really struggling. Adrenal fatigue is one of the biggest cause of hormonal imbalance in women.

Read Also: What Is Stress For Teens

Why This Slow Down Can Be Harmful

Because your metabolism is responsible for converting food into energy, a change in how this system works can cause potential problems. As outlined by the American Psychological Association, these issues include:

• Weight gain

• Health complications, such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes

• Reduced effectiveness of the immune system

Furthermore, the weight that people gain as a result from a spike in cortisol is often around the abdomen. Fat accumulated around the waist area is attributed to the development of cardiovascular disease, earning it the nickname of toxic fat.

Signs Of A Kidney Infection

What does a kidney infection feel like? According to the NIDDK, the most common kidney infections symptoms are:

But depending on a persons age, they may not experience all of these kidney infection symptoms. Children younger than two may only experience high fever as a sign of kidney infections, the NIDDK says, and people older than 65 might only present with cognitive issues, like confusion, hallucinations, and disorganized speech.

Dont Miss: Do Peanuts Cause Heartburn

Also Check: How Can You Manage Stress

Can Bloating Cause Weight Gain

Most of us feel bloated at one point or another. When that happens we also feel heavier, like weve gained a few pounds. Feeling heavier is one thing, but the actual weight gain is something else entirely. The question that probably came across your mind is whether bloating can really make you put on a few pounds. Were going to answer that question in this post. Read on to learn more about this important subject.

Also Check: What Can I Do For Diarrhea And Upset Stomach

Can Stress Cause Other Gastrointestinal Problems

Bloating rarely comes in isolation and can often be attributed to imbalances in the microflora, which can be caused or worsened by daily life stress. During prolonged periods of stress gut microbiome diversity is impacted.

Gut microbiome diversity is a key indicator over the health of the microbiome. Once diversity of key bacteria is lost then the function of the entire ecosystem is impacted.

This may then lead to:

• Increased risk of digestive issues such as IBS
• Increased risk of inflammatory bowel conditions such as Crohns and Ulcerative Colitis
• Disruption of the gut-brain axis and the stress response. For example, increasing how sensitive we are to stress.
• Increased risk of metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and obesity

Recommended Reading: Can Stress Cause Eczema To Flare Up

Can Stress And Anxiety Cause Stomach Problems

Stress and anxiety are so common in our lives in the 21st century that we might not always be aware of them. Daily challenges, endless emails, traffic jams, they all contribute. The issue with these stressors becoming normal is that we stop noticing them. Our brains tune them out.

A very common theme for those with digestive symptoms is that they feel the stress in their gut. This often happens before they feel the stress emotionally. The daily stresses can impact our digestive function through various pathways and its the bloating or churning feeling in the stomach that can be the first warning sign of our stress levels.

This happens mainly through the gut-brain axis. This is a communication pathway that runs between the brain and the digestive system. The role of this pathway is to monitor and integrate gut functions as well as to integrate the parts of the brain responsible for emotional and cognitive function.

When under stress or feelings of anxiety begin to rise, our limbic system becomes activated. Once activated, this then signals to the adrenals glands to release the hormone cortisol.

Cortisol has many roles. These include altering metabolism to increase the energy available to escape the perceived threat. As well as increasing heart rate and respiratory rate, again to provide higher levels of oxygen to power the escape. This is what we would consider the fight or flight response.

What Causes Bloating In The Stomach

Gas

Gas is a natural byproduct of digestion, but too much intestinal gas means your digestion is gone awry. While you can ingest gasses by swallowing air or drinking carbonated beverages, these gasses mostly escape through belching before they reach your intestines. Gasses in your intestines are mostly produced by gut bacteria digesting carbohydrates .

If theres too much fermentation going on, its because too many carbohydrates werent naturally absorbed earlier in the digestive process, before reaching those gut bacteria. That could be for several reasons. Maybe you just ate too much too fast for proper digestion, or you might have a specific food intolerance or gastrointestinal disease. Some possible causes include:

Digestive Contents

These can include solids, liquids, and gas. Digestive contents can build up in your digestive system when there is a backup or restriction in your digestive tract or when the muscles that move digestive contents along are somehow impaired. Any build-up of digestive contents along the digestive tract will leave less room for normal amounts of gas to process through. It also leaves less room for other things in your abdomen, including circulatory fluids and fat, making everything feel tighter. Causes of build-up can include:

Hormones

Read Also: How To Reduce Stress And Headache

Create A Consistent Sleep Routine

Stress and sleep are intertwined. A lack of sleep can make you more vulnerable to stress, but its hard to doze off when youre stressed.

And if youre burning the midnight oil fairly often, sleep deprivation is associated with higher levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin.

This can lead to stress eating.

A healthy sleep routine can help. That includes establishing a consistent bedtime, so your brain learns when its time to wind down.

When you go to bed only when youre tired, youre introducing too much unpredictability into your sleep schedule, says Mia Finkelston, M.D., family practice physician. That can catch up with you.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, spending 5 to 10 minutes on a calming routine like deep breathing or guided imagery can also help relieve stress before bed.

S To Ride Bloated Stomach

The following quick tips may help people to get rid of a bloated belly quickly:

Go for a walk

Take a warm bath, soaking, and relaxing

Try to listen music and also feel always happy .

Drink warm water after food and also before food

Here are additional suggestions to decrease bloating:

Eat slowly, and consume smaller, more frequent meals.

Chew your foods well.

Drink beverages at room temperature.

Have your dentures checked for a good fit.

Increase physical activity during the day.

Sit up straight after eating.

Take a stroll after eating.

Drink more water and walk slowly

Practice yoga or exercise do it slowly

You May Like: How To Lose Your Stomach In Two Weeks

Also Check: What Is The Difference Between Stress And Depression

I Get Chest Pain And Heart Palpitations

Blame it on: High adrenalin, cortisol and aldosterone

When youre feeling wired your stress hormones:

• Move blood out of some organs to others so your heart has to work harder to shift the blood around.
• Make your blood vessels constrict so that you dont bleed as readily should you suffer a wound. This too puts pressure on your heart.

The end result? You may suffer everything from chest pain to heart palpitations . You may also find it hard to get up the energy to exercise, because your heart is already working harder 24/7 just to get through the day.

How To Reduce Bloating

Bloating is a prevalent problem, but in some people, it appears sporadically while in others its more common. Dealing with bloating regularly can be bothersome for many due to the feelings of heaviness, fullness, and increased weight in the stomach. The good thing is that bloating can be managed successfully. The first thing you need to do to eliminate bloating is to identify the cause of the problem.

Do your eating habits cause bloating?

Do you feel bloated after eating certain foods?

Do you experience bloating when youre stressed out or have anxiety?

If youre not sure about the source of bloating, you may want to keep a journal where you will log when you feel bloated, including what foods you ate, how much you consumed, and whether you chewed slowly. Write other notes you find important as well. Once you read the log, youll be more likely to recognize the source of bloating.

In situations when you cant identify the cause of bloating, or you already have an underlying chronic condition, you may want to schedule an appointment to see the doctor. The healthcare provider will recommend the most suitable treatment method.

Some management methods may include probiotics, dietary interventions, gas-reducing substances, antidepressants depending on the root cause of bloating .

Below, you can see other important management methods that may help you tackle bloating.

1. Chew slowly.

2. Avoid swallowing gasses and air.

Gas in the digestive system comes from two sources:

Don’t Miss: Can You Be Stressed And Depressed At The Same Time

Changes In Bacterial Flora One Of The Digestive Disorders That Can Cause Weight Gain

Changes in bacterial flora in the intestines are one of the influencing factors when it comes to weight gain. They interfere with your metabolic rhythm and, at the same time, make it difficult to absorb and correctly use the nutrients that come from foods.

These imbalances happen because the microorganisms grow excessively or because their presence in the colon is decreased. As a consequence, it creates problems like constipation and can also increase how often you eat. This will make you accumulate more fat.

Recommendations

So Can Stress Really Cause Weight Gain

Yup. Whenever you’re stressed, your body kicks into fight or flight mode, causing it to release the hormone adrenaline to help you fight off the perceived threat you’re feeling anxious about. To build up energy to deal with this threat, your body also releases glucose, or sugar, into your bloodstream. When your adrenaline wears off and your blood sugar levels drop, the hormone cortisol jumps in to provide you with more energy to continue addressing the threat.

Since cortisol stimulates the release of insulin in order to maintain your blood sugar levels, it can also trigger sugar cravings and your appetite in general. Giving into those cravings could lead to weight gain. In fact, research shows that people with higher weights tend to have an increased cortisol response to stress, says Vidhya Illuri, MD, an adult endocrinologist in Texas.

Not only can cortisol make you hungry, but it can also slow down your metabolism at the same time . After having their metabolic rates measured, women who reported one or more stressors the day before burned fewer calories than those who didn’t, found a study in the journal Biological Psychiatry.

Read Also: Can Stress Cause Eczema On Face

How To Lose Abdominal Fat

Most of us deal with abdominal fat. If youre trying to lose a few pounds to reduce abdominal fat, you may decide to adjust your diet and increase your physical activity.

Overall, losing abdominal fat is a balance of diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes. This includes eating more fruits, vegetables, and lean protein, and reducing the amount of trans fat, refined carbs, sugar, and alcohol you consume.

On the movement side, make sure to get at least 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise each week. Additionally, 2 days of strength training per week can help reduce abdominal fat.

Read Also: How To Get Rid Of My Stomach Pouch

What Exactly Is A Stress Belly

Basically, stress belly is not a medical diagnosis, its a way of describing how stress and stress hormones can affect your weight, especially your belly. For instance, higher levels of cortisol – the primary stress hormone – have been associated with abdominal obesity. This crucial hormone produced in the adrenal gland also helps with blood sugar control, metabolism and many other functions in the body. Cortisol, along with other hormones like adrenaline, is a part of the bodys fight or flight response that occurs when faced with a crisis. During a stressful event, cortisol levels rise to give you a surge of energy to help you deal with the event. And once the stress is addressed, everything returns to normal.

You May Like: What Is The Best Treatment For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Try Calming Diffuser Oils Or Incenses

Herbal incenses, or essential oils used as aromatic diffusers, have been known to help some people with anxiety.

Purchase products with calming herbs like chamomile, lavender, vetiver, or rose. Follow the products directions. Combine this with some relaxing time and space for yourself when dealing with a nervous stomach.

How Common Is Stomach Bloating

Between 10% and 25% of otherwise healthy people complain of occasional abdominal bloating. As many as 75% describe their symptoms as moderate to severe. About 10% say they experience it regularly. Among those diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome , it may be as much as 90%. Up to 75% of women experience bloating before and during their period. Only 50% of people who experience bloating also report a distended abdomen.

You May Like: How To Control Your Stress

Manage Your Ibs Gain Weight

Just because you have IBS doesnt mean you have to deal with the extra weight. At Gastro Center in New Jersey, we find ways to improve your lifestyle as a person with IBS.

With our proactive methods, we can create a diet and exercise plan that fits your needs. Get in touch with us today.

59 Main Street, Suite 1 West Orange, NJ 07052

Signs Of Adrenal Dysfunction

As we have often heard, all is good in moderation. In todays fast-paced world, youre under considerably more stress than ever before. When you havent had an opportunity to truly relax for a while, the adrenal glands produce too much of the above-mentioned hormones, and eventually, they get beat up from overuse, causing adrenal dysfunction.

With adrenal dysfunction, you can no longer respond normally to the stresses of life, and you begin to feel energy deprived, anxious, and depressed. Some symptoms of adrenal dysfunction include:

• Chronic Fatigue
• Poor digestion and the accompanying abdominal pain or bloating.

Also Check: What Is Stress Testing In Banking

How To Prevent Polyps In Uterus

So, what is the best way to prevent polyps in the uterus? The answer to that is through the natural treatment of polyps and not resorting to surgery. When performed by doctors, surgery will only give you a temporary solution, and you will have to endure the pain for the rest of your life.

On the other hand, natural treatment of polyps in the uterus will help eliminate the problem naturally, and the only thing you have to do is follow the instructions given. When we talk about natural treatment methods, then most of the time, it comes down to eating healthy foods. By eating healthy foods, you will keep yourself from being subject to diseases like cancer and heart ailments.

This is the only reason why it is advisable to eat foods rich in fibre such as fruits and vegetables. Your bowel movement will be regular, and the bowel movements regularity will keep your digestive system clean and free from infections.

Suppose you want to know more about the best way to prevent polyps in the uterus. In that case, you need to know more about the natural treatment of polyps and follow the instructions given in the natural treatment of polyps in the uterus ebook.

You May Like: Does Tramadol Make You Constipated