STRESS & YOUR PCOS

I want to talk about stress because so many of my clients struggle with this! So stress is not only emotional, it can be physical as well. Physical stress is when your body is under stress such as infections, excess toxins, high inflammation etc. But we'll talk more about that another time!

Have you ever heard of “fight or flight?” This describes your body’s reaction to stress that originates from the concept of animals in the wild. When introduced to a stressor, such as a bear chasing them, an animal’s reaction is either to fight or flight. Either they will stay and defend themselves aka fight or run for protection aka flight.

This concept is for us humans as well. We may not be found in the wild or jungle and being chased by a bear or lion, but we do have every day stressors that our body reacts to. Your stress may be from your boss, your job, your kids, your friends, or just life in general.

This chronic stress can put us in a constant state of fight or flight. Your body cannot differentiate between running away from a bear or your demanding boss that keeps calling you.

This can cause us to live in a constant state of stress, with our body perceiving the need fight or flight, even if we’re not in actual stress or danger.

When we are stressed, our body will not prioritize balanced hormone production. We produce hormones, digest our food, detox, and restore balance when our body is relaxed. So when we feel danger or stress, all these productions mentioned above will not occur.

When we are stressed our body produces a hormone called cortisol. When cortisol is produced, glucose is also released from our liver which causes an increase in insulin and over time this can lead to insulin resistance, one of the drivers of PCOS. So what this means is that chronic stress can contribute to insulin resistance!

High levels of stress can also cause your Adrenals to increase production of DHEA. DHEA is an Androgenic hormone and is produced to protect your brain from the toxicity of high levels of cortisol. This can contribute to symptoms such as oily skin, acne, hirsutism and male pattern baldness.

Here are my top five tips for you to help reduce stress!

1. Make sleep a priority- Going to sleep at a reasonable is essential for healthy hormones and healthy insulin response.

2. Call your BFF- Call a good friend and vent. Studies show that venting and talking to a friend can reduce our stress! Have your BFF on speed dial :)

3. Focus on what you can control- Pick one thing in your control that contributes to your stress and try to figure out what you can do to either eliminate it or decrease this stress. For example, if finding time to grocery shop is stressful in your busy schedule, perhaps consider grocery shopping online, such as Amazon Whole Foods or Instacart?

4. Limit social media- Social media can cause you to compare your life or accomplishment to others you see on the platform. This can lead to emotional stress.

5. Movement! Movement throughout the day is essential for managing your stress and supports healthy detoxification. What kind of movement? ANY! Walking, running, hiking, biking, yoga, pilates. Really any movement that you find enjoyable!

6. Adaptogens- Adaptogens are herbal supplements that can help our bodies adapt to stress in our environment. My favorites are Ashwaganda, Rhodiola and Holy Basil. As always, consult with your Dr. before beginning or changing any supplement regimen.

Talk soon! xoxo

Chaya Lezell RDN, CDN