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Image Source A healthy weight is a cornerstone of overall health and wellness, as it can help prevent and manage diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. However, one thing that hinders many people from reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is stress. Whether it’s caused by daily stressors like work and school or traumatic events and disasters, stress is characterised by excess cortisol. High cortisol levels have been repeatedly linked to unhealthy weight and the risk of obesity, mainly due to increased fat storage and stress-induced behaviours like overeating. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to reduce, manage, and relieve stress to fight off its unwanted effects on your body weight. Here are some of the most effective ways to do so.
Adopt mindful eating habits
By now, it’s well-known that a nutritionally balanced, calorie-controlled diet aids healthy weight loss and maintenance. But remember that what matters is not only what you eat but also how you eat. So, while adhering to a weight management diet can be stressful in itself, health experts recommend applying mindfulness to your eating habits to make it easier to sustain a healthy diet. Mindful eating habits can look like paying closer attention to your body’s signals for hunger and fullness and starting with smaller portions to avoid overindulgence. You can also be more intentional with your food choices by setting concrete goals, such as eating more fruits or vegetables per meal.
Try meditative workouts
Likewise, many are already aware that exercise can complement weight management efforts by burning calories and shedding excess body fat. Generally, exercise can help relieve stress by pumping up the production and release of endorphins, which are the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters. Still, you can further maximize the stress-relieving benefits of a workout by incorporating meditation and mindfulness. For example, yoga is a mind-body intervention that combines poses and movements with meditative breathing exercises to benefit both physical and mental health. Research from PLOS ONE shows that practicing yoga helped individuals maintain their initial weight loss of at least 5% over six months.
Consider medication
While diet and exercise are, without a doubt, effective for stress and weight management, they can be insufficient at times, especially if your health problems are rooted in genetics and hormones. Fortunately, you can consider medical weight loss programs that incorporate chronic weight management medications into lifestyle changes as long as you meet the weight and medical requirements. Among the FDA-approved medications that target the biology of weight maintenance and, at the same time, stress levels is Contrave (bupropion-naltrexone). By reducing hunger and controlling cravings to avoid stress-induced or emotional eating, Contrave ultimately helps you lose weight and keep it off.
Harness the power of crystals
While this last stress management approach is not as conventional as the previously listed ones, crystal healing remains recognised as an alternative therapeutic technique. Crystals and gemstones allow positive energy to flow into the body, while also flushing out negative energy that takes the form of stress and anxiety. To illustrate, amethyst has the power to relieve stress by soothing rage and irritability and balancing your overall mood. Meanwhile, celestite addresses both stress and anxiety by promoting inner peace and harmony. You can incorporate these crystals into your daily routine by carrying them, wearing them, or meditating with them.
In summary, you have the option to eat mindfully, try meditative workouts, and take medication if you want to avoid stress-induced weight gain. You can then complement these tried-and-tested tips with crystal healing, specifically with the help of Upbeat and Positive’s crystal jewellery offerings. Explore our website to learn more.
Please consult a health professional before embarking on any weight loss journey or if you have stress issues.