Dr. Tara Swart

There are so many psychological threats to our safety that it's most people, unfortunately, the levels are high and they're either at the higher end or higher. And that's pretty constant, whereas they should be, you know, kind of undulating between that range.

There are so many psychological threats to our safety that it's most people, unfortunately, the levels are high and they're either at the higher end or higher. And that's pretty constant, whereas they should be, you know, kind of undulating between that range.

There are so many psychological threats to our safety that it's most people, unfortunately, the levels are high and they're either at the higher end or higher. And that's pretty constant, whereas they should be, you know, kind of undulating between that range.

When that happens, because cortisol is carried in the blood supply around the body and it crosses the blood-brain barrier, there are receptors in the brain that monitor the levels of cortisol in a way to sense threat in our environment.

When that happens, because cortisol is carried in the blood supply around the body and it crosses the blood-brain barrier, there are receptors in the brain that monitor the levels of cortisol in a way to sense threat in our environment.

When that happens, because cortisol is carried in the blood supply around the body and it crosses the blood-brain barrier, there are receptors in the brain that monitor the levels of cortisol in a way to sense threat in our environment.

When those levels are high, most of the time or all the time, or higher than the higher end of the threshold, the brain immediately thinks, I'm about to die, what is the biggest threat to my survival? And in some ways, because it's from so long ago, we're wired in such a cave person way. The first threat that the brain will consider is starvation.

When those levels are high, most of the time or all the time, or higher than the higher end of the threshold, the brain immediately thinks, I'm about to die, what is the biggest threat to my survival? And in some ways, because it's from so long ago, we're wired in such a cave person way. The first threat that the brain will consider is starvation.

When those levels are high, most of the time or all the time, or higher than the higher end of the threshold, the brain immediately thinks, I'm about to die, what is the biggest threat to my survival? And in some ways, because it's from so long ago, we're wired in such a cave person way. The first threat that the brain will consider is starvation.

Even though that's, for most of us, thank goodness, not the biggest threat to our survival. In fact, quite the opposite. So to try to protect us from dying of starvation, one of the things that cortisol does is lay down extra fat in the abdominal fat cells so that if we are unable to hunt or gather for some time, we can digest that fat and stay alive until a food source becomes available.

Even though that's, for most of us, thank goodness, not the biggest threat to our survival. In fact, quite the opposite. So to try to protect us from dying of starvation, one of the things that cortisol does is lay down extra fat in the abdominal fat cells so that if we are unable to hunt or gather for some time, we can digest that fat and stay alive until a food source becomes available.

Even though that's, for most of us, thank goodness, not the biggest threat to our survival. In fact, quite the opposite. So to try to protect us from dying of starvation, one of the things that cortisol does is lay down extra fat in the abdominal fat cells so that if we are unable to hunt or gather for some time, we can digest that fat and stay alive until a food source becomes available.

Wait, so are you saying that

Wait, so are you saying that

Wait, so are you saying that

Yeah. It's not just causing fat. It's specifically causing belly fat. So you may not have changed your shape and the rest of your body, but if you're noticing that your belt has become tighter, that's a sign that you could have chronic cortisol. And the other thing is that it's fat that's particularly stubborn.

Yeah. It's not just causing fat. It's specifically causing belly fat. So you may not have changed your shape and the rest of your body, but if you're noticing that your belt has become tighter, that's a sign that you could have chronic cortisol. And the other thing is that it's fat that's particularly stubborn.

Yeah. It's not just causing fat. It's specifically causing belly fat. So you may not have changed your shape and the rest of your body, but if you're noticing that your belt has become tighter, that's a sign that you could have chronic cortisol. And the other thing is that it's fat that's particularly stubborn.

So if you do notice that the belt is tighter and you think, okay, I definitely need to move a bit more or eat a bit less, and you actually start doing one or both of those things, but the belly fat doesn't change because the cortisol is driving the fat there, regardless of your behavior in the physical world.

So if you do notice that the belt is tighter and you think, okay, I definitely need to move a bit more or eat a bit less, and you actually start doing one or both of those things, but the belly fat doesn't change because the cortisol is driving the fat there, regardless of your behavior in the physical world.