Hello and

this week's episode, I'm your host Monica Reinagle

and this week's episode was prompted by Kristen

who wrote,

Can you talk about cortisol and how it affects our bodies?

With all this COVID craziness, it feels like my stress levels are at an all-time high.

What nutritional things can we do to help our stress levels?

And what can we do about the belly fat that being more stressed makes us hang on to.

Well, Kristen is not the only one feeling more stressed

in recent months.

The American Psychological Association

conducts an annual poll to gauge overall stress levels in the population and the specific

things that people are stressed about change from year to year but the

overall level of stress remains fairly constant. Even in the best of times, the majority

of Americans report living with moderate to high levels of stress, and they feel that their

stress levels aren't healthy.

Well, not surprisingly, a new poll conducted in April and May of 2020

found that the reported stress levels have jumped up considerably

in response to the global pandemic.

As many of us know all too well, reaching for sweets or other comfort foods is a typical

coping mechanism when we're stressed. And with many people cooped up at home

stress and boredom eating is definitely on the rise leading to weight gain and if that

...