If you’ve been doing “all the right things” — eating what you feel like is a balance diet, exercising consistently, and getting enough sleep — yet the scale refuses to move, chronic stress could be the missing piece of the puzzle.
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When stress becomes constant, your body produces elevated levels of cortisol. This stress hormone is meant to help you in short bursts, but when it stays high, it signals your body to hold onto fat — especially around the belly. Cortisol also drives cravings for quick energy foods (hello, sugar and refined carbs), making it harder to stick to your nutrition plan.

But it doesn’t stop there. Chronic stress creates systemic inflammation, which interferes with insulin sensitivity, metabolism, and your ability to recover from workouts. This inflammation essentially “locks the doors” on fat cells, making weight loss an uphill battle no matter how disciplined you are.

The good news? By addressing stress head-on — through movement, mindful breathing, quality sleep, and anti-inflammatory foods — you can reset your metabolism and make fat loss possible again.

Your health journey isn’t just about calories in and calories out. It’s about creating balance in your body so it feels safe enough to let go of the weight.

Here’s how stress impacts your body overall and then below, you can download a FREE guide with the steps to combat fat loss resistance and a daily plan to follow! 

Hormonal Effects
• Cortisol elevation → Stress drives up cortisol, a hormone that promotes fat storage
(especially belly fat) and can make the body more insulin resistant.
• Insulin dysregulation → High cortisol increases blood sugar and insulin, which
blocks fat burning and encourages fat storage.
• Thyroid suppression → Chronic stress can downregulate thyroid function, slowing
metabolism.
• Sex hormone imbalance → Stress lowers testosterone and progesterone, while
raising estrogen in some cases, making fat loss harder.

Metabolic & Physiological Effects
• Slower metabolism → Stress signals the body to conserve energy, making calorie
burn less efficient.
• Increased hunger & cravings → Stress activates the brain’s reward system,
making high-sugar, high-fat foods more appealing.
• Sleep disruption → Poor sleep from stress raises ghrelin (hunger hormone) and
lowers leptin (satiety hormone).
• Inflammation → Chronic stress drives low-grade inflammation, which interferes
with fat burning and muscle recovery.

Behavioral Effects
• Emotional eating → Stress eating often leads to calorie surpluses.
• Lack of consistency → Mental fatigue makes it harder to stick to a plan.
• Lower activity levels → Stress can decrease motivation to exercise or increase
sedentary behavior.

Takeaway: Chronic stress puts the body into a “protect and store” mode rather than a “burn and release” mode. Managing stress—through sleep, recovery, mindfulness, light movement, and blood sugar balance—can be just as important as diet and exercise when overcoming weight loss resistance.

Download the FREE guide with steps to help you combat fat loss resistance and a daily plan to put in to action! 

A great way to begin to combat fat loss resistance which you will see in the guide, is to fuel yourself well starting at the beginning of the day. Here are 2 recipes you can use to do just that! 

Why these recipes help with stress:
    •    Protein (30g+) keeps blood sugar steady, reducing cortisol spikes.
    •    Healthy fats (almond butter, pumpkin seeds) help with satiety and hormone balance.
    •    Magnesium-rich foods (banana, seeds) promote relaxation.
    •    Antioxidants (blueberries, cinnamon) fight inflammation linked to chronic stress.

With love and strength, Missy 

DAILY Recipes for Inflammation
In my last posts, we have talked a lot about inflammation. Go here to check out the Foods, Actions, Triggers and Habits that will help you achieve decreasing the not so great inflammation that you may deal with...and also understand when inflammation is a positive things. For those times when we need to combat inflammation using powerful, holistic tools, you can use some of these recipes and items daily to impact inflammation WHILE you work on the other areas covered in the blog post linked above! 

Nutritional recommendation: 
Start your day with a NingXia Red mocktail! 

• 2 oz NingXia Red
• 1 scoop Golden Turmeric
• ½ tsp Sulfurzyme powder
• Splash of coconut water + squeeze of lemon
• Optional: pinch of mineral salt and ice

Daily Essential Oil Use Recommendations: 

• Diffuse Frankincense + Lavender before bed while you journal or meditate.
• Apply Copaiba to the base of your spine or any area of soreness.
• Sip herbal tea while applying Deep Relief Roll-On to neck and shoulders.
• Add Lemongrass and Copaiba to a carrier oil and massage over lymph areas (neck, underarms, groin). Lymphatic massage is a great way to release stored toxins that contribute to inflammation.
• Soak in a warm Epsom salt bath with 5 drops  each Lavender and Frankincense.
• Make this DIY Inflammation: Soothing Muscle Rub:
  • ​​​​​​​½ cup coconut oil
  • 20 drops Copaiba
  • 8 drops Lemongrass
  • 5 drops Frankincense
  • 2 drops Peppermint
  • Mix, store in glass jar, and apply to tight or achy muscles.
• Use this DIY Detox Bath routinely. Epsom salt baths are a great way to relax and detox the body.
  • 1 cup Epsom salts
  • 5 drops Cypress
  • 5 drops Frankincense
  • 5 drops Lavender
  • Soak for 20-30 minutes in warm water to relax the muscles, promote circulation, and unwind after a long day.

See more here and to order any of the products mentioned. 
If you've never purchased oils before and would like to grab an easy kit​ to start with or any of the items above, click on the link and then use the code SHAREYL to save 10% on your first order! They are SO valuable...tools I will never be without!

Here’s a list of top anti-inflammatory foods that are consistently shown in research to help reduce inflammation in the body:
Fruits
Berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries) – rich in anthocyanins
Cherries – especially tart cherries
Citrus (oranges, lemons, grapefruit) – high in vitamin C and antioxidants
Pomegranate – contains punicalagins and polyphenols

Vegetables
Leafy greens (spinach, kale, Swiss chard, arugula) – high in vitamin K and antioxidants
Cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage) – sulforaphane supports detox and reduces inflammation
Beets – contain betalains
Sweet potatoes – beta-carotene and fiber

Healthy Fats
Olive oil (extra virgin) – high in oleocanthal (natural anti-inflammatory compound)
Avocados – contain healthy fats and carotenoids
Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies) – rich in omega-3s EPA/DHA
Nuts (almonds, walnuts) – healthy fats and polyphenols
Seeds (flaxseed, chia, hemp) – plant-based omega-3s

Herbs & Spices
Turmeric (curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory)
Ginger – helps reduce inflammation and oxidative stress
Garlic – contains sulfur compounds with anti-inflammatory effects
Cinnamon – reduces inflammatory markers
Rosemary & oregano – high in polyphenols

Other Foods/Drinks
    •    Green tea – rich in EGCG, a strong anti-inflammatory compound
    •    Dark chocolate (70%+ cacao) – contains flavanols
    •    Legumes (lentils, beans) – fiber and phytonutrients
    •    Mushrooms (shiitake, maitake, reishi) – bioactive compounds support immune balance

One easy way to find recipes that include many of these foods is to use the key words "Mediterranean diet" which includes lots of vegetables, olive oil, fish, nuts, and herbs & is considered one of the best anti-inflammatory eating styles.

FOODS to Avoid
These foods below are probably no news to many of you! We can always work on this area because these top inflammatory foods are everywhere and are linked with promoting inflammation when eaten often or in large amounts.
Processed & Refined Foods
    •    Refined carbs – white bread, pastries, crackers, pasta made with white flour
    •    Sugary foods – candy, desserts, sweetened cereals, pastries
    •    Sugar-sweetened beverages – soda, energy drinks, sweetened teas/coffee

Unhealthy Fats
    •    Trans fats – fried foods, margarine, shortening, packaged snacks
    •    Processed vegetable oils (when consumed in excess) – soybean, corn, sunflower, cottonseed, canola (high in omega-6, especially when refined)
    •    Excess red and processed meats – bacon, sausage, hot dogs, deli meats

Highly Processed Items
    •    Fast food – burgers, fries, pizza, fried chicken
    •    Ultra-processed packaged foods – chips, frozen meals, instant noodles

Excessive Dairy (for some people)
    •    Processed cheeses, flavored yogurts, ice cream (especially with added sugar)

Other Triggers
    •    Excess alcohol – especially beer and sugary cocktails
    •    Artificial additives – preservatives, colorings, flavor enhancers (MSG in large amounts may trigger some people)
    •    Excess salt – especially in packaged foods

These foods can raise inflammatory markers (like CRP) and contribute to chronic issues when eaten regularly. Occasional indulgence is fine, but the pattern of eating matters most. You can probably see how easy it is to consume many of these foods on a daily basis and take great work and care to include those in the first list above! You can do it though! 

With love & strength, Missy 

In keeping with this month’s focus on, “Healthy Aging and Recovery”  let's move in to how we can move our bodies to support and strengthen while we age...age GRACEFULLY for sure! 

We have talked about the importance of strength training, gentle movement like walking, cycling etc but we can round out our fitness routines with some extra gentler moves such as the mobility circuit below, stretching, and using other tools to support our fitness routines. 

These ideas can be done 2–3 times per week on recovery or lighter workout days such as Saturdays and Sundays or maybe even mid-week after you have trained a bit harder on the other days:) 

1. Gentle Strength & Mobility Circuit (10–20 minutes)
    •    Bodyweight Sit-to-Stand (from chair) – 2×8–12
    •    Wall Push-Ups – 2×8–12
    •    Seated Band Rows – 2×8–12
    •    Heel Raises (standing, use chair for balance) – 2×10–15
    •    Bird Dogs (hands & knees, extend opposite arm/leg) – 2×6–8 each side
    •    Marching in Place or Slow Step-Ups – 2×30–60 sec

Purpose: maintains strength, posture, and circulation with low impact.

2. Gentle Stretching Routine (8–12 minutes)
Hold each stretch 20–40 seconds; repeat 1–2 times.
Neck & Upper Body
    •    Chin to Chest Stretch (release neck tension)
    •    Seated Shoulder Rolls + Chest Opener (hands clasped behind back)
    •    Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch

Spine & Hips
    •    Cat-Cow (on hands & knees, gentle spinal mobility)
    •    Seated Spinal Twist (in chair or on floor)
    •    Hip Flexor Stretch (half-kneeling, keep chest tall)

Legs
    •    Seated Hamstring Stretch (on chair, extend leg out, hinge forward)
    •    Standing Quad Stretch (hold chair for balance, bend knee back)
    •    Calf Stretch (hands on wall, one leg back)

3.  Recovery Boosters for Healthy Aging
    •    Walking or light cycling → promotes blood flow.
    •    Foam rolling or massage ball → reduces stiffness.
    •.   Breathing practice (3–5 minutes deep belly breathing) → lowers stress and improves oxygen flow.
    •    Consistency > intensity → daily small movements protect long-term mobility.

Need help in your own fitness or nutrition journey? Reach out to us by filling out this quick form and we will be in touch! 

Supporting our healthy aging & fitness health starts with daily supplementation. PowerGize and Sulfyrzyme are the foundation! Add in NingXia Nitro pre-workout and AminoWise post-workout to round out the routine. Reach for Breathe Again when you want to breathe deeply and for Deep Relief for icy, cool muscle relief! This is just a start to the many things we use on a daily basis in our home. Not to mention the supplements Agilease and BLM for increased healing and recovery! See all of the above here! 

~With love & strength, Missy