Most of us know that cortisol (a stress triggered hormone) is no bueno and beefs up our midsection, yet most of us don’t adopt healthy ways of managing stress.  Sorry, smoking & drinking don’t count. Small amounts of stress are healthy and in many cases, light a fire in us to meet deadlines and get things done; but if you remain in fight or flight mode for long, uncontrolled stress will burn the house down. Here are some helpful ways to keep the fires at bay & your weight in check:
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• Stop eating junk or processed foods
•  Fuel your body with whole food energy since your digestion process is compromised by constantly being in fight or flight mode
• Fortify your microbiome and regulate your metabolism by eating more fermented foods since chronic stress affects the good vs. bad bacteria balance in your gut
• Meditate 5 minutes in the am daily to feel calm, clear, & relaxed for the day
• Slow down & calm your nervous system by practicing restorative yoga
• Consider adding adaptogens to your supplement lineup- after consulting with your healthcare practitioner, since they’re linked to increasing the body’s resiliency to stress
• Get plenty of rest since your body is on overdrive so many hours a day, and your cells need to regenerate with at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.

Having trouble sleeping? You’re not alone. In today’s fast paced, overstimulated modern society and jam-packed schedules, endless technology, never ending stress, complete disconnection from nature, stimulants, and the overall cerebral over-stimulation due to the information age, it’s no wonder that a lack of good sleep has become a huge problem for millions of Americans. By the time it’s time for bed, we’re so overwhelmed and overstimulated that it’s hard to shut down our brains and drift off to dream land. Here are some of the easiest and quickest ways to develop a healthy nightly self-care routine that will have you naturally drifting off to sleep in no time:
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• Be disciplined about turning the lights off by 10:00 pm to 10:30 pm like the ancient yogis did
• Get at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night to recharge
• Stop masking your exhaustion with caffeine
• Stop drinking caffeinated/stimulating drinks by 11am or 12pm or eliminate them all together
• Eliminate “blue” electronic screen time 1 to 2 hours before bedtime so you don’t mess up your circadian rhythms- sorry to cut into your Netflix viewing time
• Establish a relaxing bedtime ritual/routine like taking an Epsom salt bath or hanging out in candle light to signal to your body that deep sleep time is around the corner in an hour or two
• Ditch the technology in the bedroom- take a page out of the Feng Shui book & remove the TV, turn off electronics like cell phones & laptops and remove them from your sleeping space, & simply use an old school alarm clock to wake up refreshed.