Before I get into today’s post, I just want to let you all know that I have set up a YouTube channel.

I realise a lot of people like to listen to posts, instead of reading them. Hence the channel. The video uploads are short and are different from the ones here are my blog.

So, if you would like to see what it’s all about, and perhaps subscribe, click here.

Now, on to today’s post:

Everyone experiences stress. Empaths in particular. But did you know that not only can this cause problems with your health, it can also be the reason behind weight gain, an inability to lose weight?

If you are an Empath, you will know only too well that Empaths have their own stress to deal with, but they can also be affected by other people’s. This puts a huge strain on the adrenal glands.

Although every organ is affected by people stress, the adrenals are one of the first to be impacted.

The adrenals are part of the endocrine system and are responsible for releasing the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.

As well as being known as the stress hormone, cortisol is also called the fat storing hormone. Which quickly explains why so many Empaths have a problem with easily gaining weight.

The weight gain, caused by excess cortisol production, is often seen around the stomach – and is a reason that many Empaths have a pot belly. This fat is difficult to eliminate because it is not caused by eating too much food. So, by reducing food intake it has little effect.

I write a lot about the devastating impact of cortisol, for Empaths, because, when it is out of balance or too much is produced, it can cause so much damage to the mind and body.

If you frequently spend time around negative people, or if you are overly impacted by all the stressful things happening in the world, it causes excessive anxiety and tension, which then activates the fight-or-flight system. This in turn triggers adrenaline and cortisol production…

The thing is, when we experience heightened cortisol levels, we can eventually develop a condition called cortisol resistance, which means the normal hormone signalling system doesn’t do its job properly, and the adrenals go into overdrive pumping out more and more cortisol. This can lead to problems such as depression, anxiety, brain fog and memory issues, insulin resistance, inflammation, and, of course, weight gain.

If you are someone who finds losing weight, especially around the belly, a problem, no matter what you try, then you could have an issue with cortisol and adrenaline production.

A reason I wrote my book, The Eating Plan for Empaths and HSPs, was a way to enlighten Sensitive people to how certain foods, as well as adrenal stress, can cause weight gain and other physical and mental health problems.

Unfortunately, getting rid of stress is not so easy to do. There is so much conflict in the world today that Empaths are constantly picking up negative emotional energy from all directions, and thus having constant stress hormone spikes.

So, any steps we take to relax, will help lower these spikes.

One such way is to drink some tea.

THE TEA THAT HELPS EMPATHS

Now, there are many types of herbal tea that I would recommend for an Empath, to help calm and soothe their emotions, which in turn help to lower cortisol spikes, such as chamomile, passion flower or valerian. See 11 Calming Teas for an Empath.

But whilst watching a video, on Dr Berg’s YouTube channel, he mentioned a tea that I had not known was beneficial for lowering cortisol levels:

Green Tea.

Apparently, green tea contains something called EGCG, a phytonutrient that helps lower cortisol. You only need about half a cup of the tea to get the benefits. Which is good considering green tea contains caffeine, something that in itself is a cortisol trigger. However, you can get decaffeinated green tea. A better option if you are caffeine sensitive (as most Empaths are).

If you can’t get hold of decaffeinated, a great way to get all the benefits of green tea, whilst negating the impact of caffeine, is to combine it with a powerfully soothing tea.

A good combination to try is green tea and lemon balm.

I love to mix different herbal teas together (a bit like a witch’s brew). Not only to get a better flavour, but also to get the healing benefits from different types of herbs. Lemon balm is something I often add into ‘my brews’.

Lemon balm has several known benefits, such as soothing the digestive tracts, helping with sleep problems, stimulating cognitive disorders, boosting the immune system, detoxifying the body, eliminating anxiety, and as an aid to weight loss. See more information on this informative post from SelfHacked:

Ok, let’s get brewing…

Here’s what you need:

1tsp of lemon balm, or 1 teabag
1 tsp of green tea, or 1 teabag
Tea pot or infuser (if using loose leaves or herbs)

First add the lemon balm to your teapot or infuser, allow to brew for 3 minutes, then add in the green tea. Brew for another 2 to 3 minutes. Then remove tea leaves or teabags. Sit back and enjoy.

Green tea is generally easily obtainable in local shops and supermarkets. Finding lemon balm tea, however, is not always so easy. At least not here in Manchester. You can easily order lemon balm tea online. It comes in both loose form or tea bags.

Loose tea is generally cheaper to buy, but you will need to have a tea infuser or tea pot to make your brew. Unless you want tiny leaves floating around in your tea. 😉

So, not only can green tea help lower your cortisol levels, it can be another aid in helping to lose Empath belly fat.

If you want to learn more about overcoming an Empath’s weight problems and protruding belly, see this.

If you have any tea combinations that help with relaxation, please feel free to share them below.

Until next time.