I’m a Nutritionist – Here’s the REAL Reason You’re Suffering from Weight Gain, Hair Loss, and Skin Aging… and the 6 Steps You Can Take to Fix It

When we’re tired, stressed, caffeine-addicted and sleep-deprived, it’s no wonder we don’t look our best.

But when our anxiety and overstimulation are chronic and our levels of the stress hormone cortisol remain elevated, it can have visible effects. Dull skin, thinning eyebrows, bags under the eyes, cellulite and weight gain around the belly – anyone?

Nutritionist Kristen Stravridis experienced the effects of the cortisol face herself when she was “ridiculously stressed,” leaving her complexion “inflamed, puffy, bloated.” It struck a chord—her Instagram post about the issue went viral, with 6.4 million views.

So why does it happen? Cortisol has many important functions, such as regulating your stress response and helping to control your sleep-wake cycle. But when stress is continuous, cortisol levels can remain consistently high, which can negatively impact your health and appearance.

Nutritionist Kristen Stravridis experienced the effects of the ‘cortisol face’ herself when she was ‘ridiculously stressed’

For example, says Kristen, “Increased stress and cortisol levels can affect digestion and nutrient absorption. You’ll see that in the appearance of your skin, it may be duller and you’ll get bags under your eyes, premature fine lines and wrinkles.”

She adds: ‘Cortisol also releases more glucose into your bloodstream’ – to give you instant energy in a fight-or-flight situation – ‘and consistently high levels can lead to long-term weight gain’. Hello, cortisol belly and cellulite!

There’s more. High cortisol levels can disrupt the balance of other hormones involved in hair growth, like estrogen and testosterone, which causes hair loss. “High stress levels are also associated with collagen breakdown,” Kristen says.

“I tell my clients, if you want to have youthful, radiant skin until you’re 85, you have to reduce your stress.” We don’t need any more convincing, Kristen – tell us how!

Eat regularly

Many women do intermittent fasting every day, and while it has many benefits – such as allowing beneficial bacteria to regenerate – if you are already very stressed, it is not recommended as fasting is a stressor for the body and increases cortisol levels. So don’t skip breakfast and make sure the first meal of the day contains high-quality protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates. This will help keep your blood sugar levels stable.

Adjust your caffeine intake

Drink your first cup of coffee after breakfast, especially if you are sensitive to its effects

We naturally have a cortisol spike in the morning, if it wasn’t for that we would have trouble getting out of bed.

But it does mean that drinking coffee as soon as you wake up, on an empty stomach, can further increase cortisol levels.

You don’t have to cut out caffeine completely, but plan your intake more wisely. Or switch to decaf!

Drink your first cup of coffee after breakfast, especially if you are sensitive to the effects of this stimulant. Caffeine is also a diuretic and dehydration (already a possibility as we lose fluid through sweating and breathing during the night) can contribute to feeling a bit more stressed.

Rest to digest

If you are constantly stressed and hectic and tend to wolf down your meals without chewing them properly, your body cannot absorb the nutrients properly.

Don’t eat lunch al-desko – at your desk while you work – and don’t snack on the couch while scrolling on your phone or on the go (that goes for eating in the car too!).

Take ten to fifteen minutes to sit down, relax, and focus on your food.

This allows you to switch from the ‘fight or flight’ mode – where our digestive system is not fully functioning – to the rest and digest mode. It gives your digestive enzymes time to properly activate and do their job. You can even do some slow breathing before you eat to help put yourself in a state of calm.

Take supplements seriously

In a recent study, severely stressed individuals were given magnesium and vitamin B6 supplements. The participants had low magnesium levels because prolonged release of stress-related hormones depletes the mineral from the body – and low magnesium levels then cause more stress-related hormones to be released, so it’s a vicious cycle. Researchers found that these two supplements together had a more significant effect on reducing stress and cortisol levels than when magnesium was taken alone. Remember to make time for meals to keep your digestive system functioning optimally so that your body can efficiently absorb the nutrients from these supplements.

Prioritize your sleep

Many women don’t get enough sleep. Studies have shown that insomnia and poor sleep causes your body to secrete higher levels of cortisol the next day – possibly to be more alert. I always recommend going to bed earlier and waking up early – so being in bed by 10pm and waking up at 6am is better than staying up until midnight and sleeping in until 8am. This pattern is more in line with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle and you’ll feel more rested.

Link your workouts to your cycle

Cortisol fluctuations are partly linked to the menstrual cycle. Cycle synchronization essentially means synchronizing the types of workouts you do based on the time of the month so that you’re working with your body’s natural rhythms instead of against them and increasing stress. So in the pre-menstrual and menstrual phases, when you may be at a lower energy level, opt for Pilates, yoga, and lower-intensity activities like walking instead of a super-hard cardio class or CrossFit session—which will spike stress and cortisol levels. Save your more challenging workouts for the follicular phase and during ovulation, when you have elevated testosterone and higher energy levels.

@nutritionistkristen