Dec '25 (edited) • Give Advice
Does Your Body Feel Safe or Stressed? Part 1
DANGER SIGNALS
There are literally Dozens of Ways the Body Feels Unsafe
1. Blood Sugar & Food Signals
- Skipping meals
- Not eating enough protein
- Low-calorie dieting
- Long fasting windows (especially for women over 40)
- Roller-coaster blood sugar
- Eating too many ultra-processed foods
- Mineral deficiencies (magnesium, sodium, potassium)
- Food sensitivities causing inflammation
- Under eating for weeks or months
If the body thinks famine is happening, it slows down the metabolism & conserves fat.
2. Light & Circadian Rhythm Signals
- Not getting morning sunlight
- Too much blue light at night
- Sleeping inconsistent hours
- Bedtime after 11pm consistently
- Shift work
- Taking stimulants late in the day
- No wind-down routine
If the body thinks the environment is unstable it reacts with poor sleep & poor metabolism.
3. Emotional Stress / Life Over-Load / Stress Bucket is overflowing
- Chronic overwhelm
- Relationship stress
- Work stress
- Being over-responsible for everyone else
- Lack of boundaries
- Perfectionism + people-pleasing
- Feeling unsupported
- Grief, trauma, or unresolved emotional pain
If Cortisol stays elevated then belly fat increases.
4. Nervous System Stress
- Being in fight-or-flight daily
- Feeling rushed or behind
- Never resting mentally
- Constant stimulation (social media, news, noise)
- Multitasking all day
- No time for joy or play
If the body thinks danger is near it shut down digestion & fat burning.
5. Pain, Inflammation & Injury
- Chronic joint pain
- Poor recovery between workouts
- Overtraining
- Lack of mobility
- Silent inflammation from gut issues
- Autoimmune flares
- Frequent headaches
If the body energy shifts to defense mode, it's not in fat loss mode.
6. Environmental & Biological Threats
- Mold exposure
- Chronic infections
- Viral reactivations
- High toxin load
- Smoking or heavy alcohol use
- Poor air quality
- Chemical fragrances
- Heavy metals
The body goes into cell-protection mode.
7. Hormonal Stress Signals
- Low thyroid
- Low progesterone
- High estrogen
- Low testosterone
- Menopause transition
- Poor cortisol rhythm
- High insulin
These Hormones shift the body toward storing fat, especially belly fat.
8. Gut & Digestion Stress
- Poor stomach acid
- Bloating, constipation, diarrhea
- Bad bacteria overgrowth
- Not absorbing nutrients
- Gluten or dairy sensitivities
Gut stress = systemic stress = fat loss freeze.
9. Social & Lifestyle Stress
- Isolation
- Loneliness
- No fun or play
- No creative outlets
- Feeling disconnected
- Comparing yourself online
- Negative news consumption
Loneliness is perceived as a danger signal to the brain.
10. Physical Environment Stress
- Clutter
- Noise
- Chaotic home environment
- Poor lighting
- Feeling unsafe in your community
- Lack of nature exposure
- No fresh air
The body can’t calm down in a chaotic environment.
11. Post-Menopause Biological Stress
- Low estrogen leads to lower serotonin leads to poor sleep
- Low progesterone leads to anxiety, poor relaxation
- Low testosterone leads to low drive, low energy
- Slower recovery
- Higher inflammation baseline
These amplify all “unsafe signals.”
How about learning about what Safety looks like so we can change this landscape one by one?
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Does Your Body Feel Safe or Stressed? Part 1
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