![\"stress\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/stress.png\")
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By Gina Zammit, on behalf of Nuvance Health<\/p>\n
For many Westporters, stress is a part of our daily lives. When it lingers, it can have a profound effect on our health due to the presence of cortisol.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Often called \u201cthe stress hormone\u201d, cortisol plays a critical role in weight management, energy regulation and overall wellbeing. Understanding how cortisol works, especially in relation to hunger and weight, can open doors to better health, one small step at a time.<\/p>\n
Related content: Understanding cortisol\u2019s role in weight gain<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n I spoke with Erica R. Seebeck, APRN<\/a>, a board-certified Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner in primary care\u00a0specializing in obesity medicine about what we can do to reduce spikes of cortisol in our bodies.<\/p>\n What is Cortisol?<\/strong><\/p>\n Cortisol is a hormone that\u2019s produced by the adrenal glands and helps to regulate the body\u2019s stress response. Cortisol also regulates your metabolism, helps with inflammation, regulates blood pressure, blood sugar and the sleep\/wake cycle.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt really has an impact on pretty much everything<\/strong>,\u201d says Erica R. Seebeck, APRN.<\/p>\n Why is Managing Cortisol Important?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cOur bodies can\u2019t really tell the difference between a deadline or if you\u2019re being chased by a bear,\u201d<\/strong> says Seebeck.\u00a0<\/p>\n Since the body can\u2019t tell the difference between a psychological stressor and a physical stressor, it will automatically treat every attack, whether it\u2019s an actual life-threatening strike or nerves about a big test or work project with the same seriousness, and thus spikes cortisol. Why this is an issue is because it not only throws off our homeostasis, but overtime, it can cause an increase in visceral adipose tissue.<\/strong><\/p>\n That type of tissue is the internal fat that surrounds your organs and can lead to cardiovascular issues<\/a>, cancers<\/a>, and type 2 diabetes<\/a>. The reason this happens is that when you have elevated cortisol, it alters your body\u2019s fat distribution.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cInstead, your body storing it in your subcutaneous tissue, which is underneath your skin,\u201d says Seebeck, \u201cit instead puts it into that visceral area.\u201d<\/p>\n How Can We Best Manage Cortisol?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, we don\u2019t have any kind of magic pill or wand to help reduce cortisol,\u201d says Seebeck. \u201cPeople are often looking for something that\u2019s a little bit easier to intervene with, but really it\u2019s back to the basics.\u201d<\/p>\n Those basics include:\u00a0<\/p>\n Related content: Get better sleep with these top nutrients for sweet dreams<\/a><\/p>\n All these practices help regulate cortisol by calming the nervous system and improving stress responses.<\/p>\n Regarding exercise, Seebeck notes:<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly, all exercise is good exercise, but strength training is great for maintaining muscle mass during weight loss.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Related content: 5 best exercises for weight management<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n For deep breathing, Seebeck stands by the evidence-based \u201cthree by three\u201d grounding technique:\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou can do this wherever you are. It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system to calm things down,\u201d says Seebeck.<\/p>\n The technique is simple:\u00a0<\/p>\n Seebeck also advises busy Westporters to \u201cpick out one thing: sleep, hydration, eating right and just do that. This helps build slow, sustainable habits rather than overwhelming oneself.\u201d<\/p>\n The Stress-Eating Connection<\/strong><\/p>\n If all that information didn\u2019t implore you to reduce your stress levels, perhaps this will. Stress can also increase appetite and promote stress eating.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cStress is the number one reason why people emotionally eat,\u201d says Seebeck.\u00a0<\/p>\n This is especially true of carb-heavy, salty, crunchy foods that \u201ctemporarily reduce perceived stress but worsen metabolic health.\u201d<\/p>\n To counteract this, Seebeck advises us to adopt a more protein forward approach to our meals as well as not skipping meals. Both will help regulate hunger hormones like ghrelin and reduce stress-driven overeating.<\/p>\n Related content: Stressed out? Discover the effect of stress on the brain and ways to manage it.<\/a><\/p>\n Seebeck also recommends seeking out Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and group programs for people struggling with chronic stress eating habits. CBT helps patients understand emotional vs. physical hunger and build mindful eating habits.<\/p>\n Learn more about behavior health programs at Nuvance Health part of Northwell Health <\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n Seebeck runs a virtual group program through the Nuvance Health Metabolic Weight Loss Program at multiple locations including Wilton and Norwalk where patients tackle stress-eating and build healthier habits. The group also covers the behavioral components of weight loss and helps patients differentiate between emotional and physical hunger.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Erica](\"https:\/\/aicdn.speedsize.com\/9872742f-4048-4779-a7ae-1d715ad409f5\/westportjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Erica-Seebeck-Photo-Nuvance-Health.jpg?speedsize=w_992\")
Erica Seebeck \u2013 Photo Nuvance Health<\/p>\n\n
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