Why “Cortisol Belly” Isn’t Really How A Lot Of Thinfluencers Present It

Dr. Ruth Machin busts some myths:

It’s not an “in the moment” thing

Cortisol belly is a myth: the term is not a medical diagnosis, and there is no scientific basis for claims that a seven- or 14-day cortisol reset can eliminate abdominal fat. What people are usually describing is visceral fat, which accumulates deep inside the abdomen around the organs.

In reality, cortisol is part of normal biology, and short-term fluctuations are healthy and necessary. The morning cortisol spike helps us wake up, and exercise also temporarily raises cortisol, but levels subsequently fall again. Chronic stress is different from these normal, temporary increases, and is an actual problem.

As for what works aside from stress management, the top things she mentions are:

• Sleep & morning daylight: insufficient sleep is associated with weight gain because sleep deprivation increases the hunger hormone ghrelin, makes healthy decision-making more difficult, increases cravings for foods high in salt, sugar, and fat, and provides more waking hours in which to eat. In contrast, morning daylight helps regulate the body clock and establish a healthy sleep-wake cycle, but its benefits for weight management are primarily through improved sleep rather than cortisol reduction alone.
• Protein and fiber: protein helps preserve and build muscle as we age, but strength exercise is necessary to stimulate muscle growth. Fiber feeds the gut microbiome, which produces anti-inflammatory short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate. both protein and fiber slow digestion, increase fullness, and help reduce calorie intake. Building meals around protein and fiber can therefore be a very good approach.
• Reducing sugary drinks: sugary drinks are a significant source of added sugar. Keeping added sugars below 10% of total daily calories at worst, ideally as minimal as possible, helps reduce unnecessary calorie intake.

For more on all of this, enjoy:

Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!

Want to learn more?

You might also like:

Visceral Belly Fat & How To Lose It

Take care!