Experiencing unexplainable weight gain? Is your brain clouded? Stomach feeling unsettled?
These symptoms could be your body telling you you’re stressed out. To relieve stress on your body, try these simple home remedies if you’re experiencing any of these silent signs of stress:
Unusual Weight Changes
“Stress triggers the release of the hormone cortisol, which changes the way you metabolize fat, protein and carbs, leading to weight gain or loss,” says Dr. Shanna Levine, a primary care physician and clinical instructor of medicine at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine in New York. Stress is known to lead to both overeating or undereating.
What to do: If you’re feeling hungry, pick nuts as your snack of choice. The protein will do wonders if you’re undereating, while the fibre will fill you up if you’ve been bingeing.
A Fuzzy Brain
A cortisol overload – common when the body’s stressed – makes it difficult to concentrate, and is linked to memory problems, anxiety, and depression, says Levine.
What to do: Rest, relax, and regain your focus. Try closing your eyes when concentrating; you can focus on your breathing patterns if your head’s really swimming.
Related: A Short Guide to Managing Stress
Sour Stomach
A stressed-out body will sometimes respond with the production of more digestive acid, resulting in heartburn.
“It can also slow the emptying of food from the stomach, which causes gas and bloating and may even increase the number of times your colon contracts, leading to cramping and diarrhea,” says Dr. Deborah Rhodes, a Mayo Clinic internal medicine physician.
What to do: Take an over-the-counter antacid, or drink ginger tea.
Acne
Once again, cortisol is the culprit here. The hormone causes skin glands to produce more oil, leading to greasy skin filled with dirt and dead skin cells. The oil gets trapped in hair follicles, creating acne.
What to do: Apply topical creams containing benzoyl peroxide, which have antibacterial properties, or salicylic acid, which can keep pores from clogging. If you’d like a more natural solution, wash your face with green tea or apply pure aloe vera.
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