The candy cure to decrease stress and lose weight

Are you carrying around extra pounds, especially around your belly?

Are you struggling with getting out of bed, wondering where you are going to get the energy you need for the day? Do you feel tired, listless, and stressed out?

These are all symptoms of a chronic condition called adrenal fatigue.  And, that “spare tire” isn’t just a sign of a slow metabolism.

You see, increased fat around the belly, especially in women, can be one of the first signs that your adrenals are overworked.  If you’ve seen your doctor for the problem, they’ve probably never even mentioned your adrenal glands.  While they may check your thyroid, your adrenals are usually overlooked.

Ignoring them can be dangerous to your health and damaging to your weight because your adrenal glands are responsible for handling the stress in your life. And, while most of the effects of stress are written off by the medical community as emotional, the truth is that stress also has a profound impact on your weight.

Stress and weight gain

When you’re under stress, your body produces both adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones latch onto carbs and fats in your system and turn them into instant energy, giving you that boost you need to escape a dangerous situation, known as “fight or flight” syndrome.

As a side effect of the cortisol release however, you want to eat more. At first, you crave carbs to replace the ones you just burned off.  Then the cortisol blocks the signals from the hormones that tell you when you’re full.  Put these two together and, unless you are in a real fight or flight situation, the result is weight gain and adrenal fatigue.

Candy’s answer to adrenal fatigue

When you hear the word licorice, you probably just think of those twisted candy sticks. The truth is this herb is good for much more than a sweet treat.  The medicinal benefits of licorice have been so widely researched that the FDA even issued a notice to advise consumers that licorice was more than just a candy.

Licorice has been used for centuries all over the world to treat everything from GI problems to high cholesterol and depression, and it could be the answer to your adrenal fatigue.

The reason it works is that licorice is an adaptogenic herb, which means it helps your body deal with stress. Licorice actually helps your body regulate the stress hormone cortisol, taking the load off your adrenal glands.

This regulation of cortisol can help you drop those unwanted pounds.  In fact, research has shown that taking licorice root extract results in a significant reduction in body fat mass in healthy people.

How to safely use licorice

Although licorice has wonderful benefits, you can overdo it.  You don’t want to take it too much or for too long because it can cause high blood pressure, edema, low potassium levels, and other problems.  Also, don’t take licorice if you are pregnant or have heart, liver or kidney problems.

With this in mind, take licorice in the right doses for the correct amount of time can result in huge benefits to your stress level and your waistline.

The best way to get the licorice you need to support your adrenals and increase fat loss is by taking a DGL licorice supplement.  The recommended dose for licorice root extract is no more than six grams per day for a 130-pound person and shouldn’t be taken for more than four weeks at a time.

But if you want a little beneficial candy, go for the black licorice. Black licorice is made with real licorice, whereas the red twists are just flavored with anise.

Supporting your adrenals is one of the most important steps you can take in re-gaining your health and taking off the extra weight and licorice is a great option to get it all started.

Sources:

1. https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm277152.htm

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21184804

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14594116

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11125713

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8072387