Cortisol and The Stress Hormone Trap #shorts

High cortisol is keeping you fat. Here's the mechanism nobody explains. Cortisol is your long-term stress hormone, released by your adrenal glands when your body perceives danger or starvation. What cortisol does: 1. Gluconeogenesis - Breaks down muscle protein to create glucose (you lose muscle) 2. Lipolysis - Releases free fatty acids from fat stores 3. Fat storage - Signals body to store fat, especially visceral (belly) fat 4. Insulin resistance - High free fatty acids block glucose oxidation (Randle Cycle) 5. Thyroid suppression - Reduces T4 → T3 conversion (slows metabolism) The vicious cycle: High cortisol → High free fatty acids → Glucose can't burn → Insulin resistance → More fat storage → Lower metabolism What raises cortisol: → Skipping meals (especially breakfast) → Low-carb diets (chronic low blood sugar) → Excessive exercise (2+ hours daily) → Poor sleep (less than 7 hours) → Chronic psychological stress → Fasting (intermittent or prolonged) All of these tell your body: "We're starving. Conserve energy. Store fat." How to lower cortisol: ✅ Eat breakfast (protein + carbs before 9am) ✅ Don't skip meals (eat every 3-4 hours) ✅ Include carbs at every meal (signals safety) ✅ Don't overtrain (30-45 min, 3-4x/week max) ✅ Sleep 7-9 hours (cortisol resets during sleep) ✅ Manage stress (meditation, nature, social connection) ✅ Support adrenals (adequate salt, vitamin C, B vitamins) Ray Peat: "Stress can be seen simply as an energy problem whereby the needs of the body at a given time outweigh its available resources." Lower cortisol. Raise metabolism. Lose weight. #cortisol #stresshormones #weightloss #metabolichealth #adrenals #thyroidhealth #bioenergetics #fatloss #chronicstress #raypeat 💊 Get the clinical-grade supplements we use with clients (40-50% off): 👉 http://biosparkhealth.com/supplements