In my TEDx talk, I suggest recasting the noxious word “diet” into D-I-E-T — a reminder to ask ourselves “Did I Enrich Today?” One of the ways we can enrich our day is by giving our bodies the chance to unwind.
Stress is a big player in weight loss because one of the hormones released by stress is cortisol, which is a powerful appetite stimulant. This release used to make sense in evolutionary times when one of the main stresses a body might encounter was the threat of starvation. Back then, cortisol made sure we packed on some extra fat when we could for protection against starvation. At the time, that was a very good thing! Packing on extra fat made sure the fuel was there before it was needed—before the body was too weak to hunt for more. Cortisol is so powerful that it can block a person’s weight loss through Fast-5 and other time-restricted eating (TRE) / intermittent fasting (IF) schedules.
This Spotify meditation playlist is called ReMeditation because each step (block) is based on a word that starts with “re.” That makes the series easier to remember if you want to take yourself through the steps on your own or you don’t have an audio device available. You can edit this playlist or make your own to include the parts you like and omit those you don’t need or want. The playlist (linked above and in the ReMeditation image below) has all 11 ReMeditation blocks currently available. We’ll add more if there’s interest.
- Remember
- Relax
- Receive
- Recharge
- Rejuvenate
- Review
- Reconcile
- Refresh
- Request
- Reward
- Return
We may not be able to get rid of the cortisol directly, but we can work to reduce the stress we feel, remind our bodies that we’re not in danger of starvation, and realize our goals. Please comment below if you enjoy this ReMeditation audio, or if there are any other blocks you’d like to see included.