If you’ve ever Googled “most difficult New Year’s resolutions,” you’ve likely seen these two at the top:
- Stress less
- Lose weight
It’s no coincidence—they’re deeply connected. Stress can contribute to weight gain, while struggles with weight can increase stress. Breaking this cycle can feel overwhelming and I’ve been there!
The “health gurus” who float through life weightlessly dispense seemingly “effortless” advice: exercise regularly, eat well, meditate, get enough sleep…How hard could it be?!
Why year after year, like millions of others, do I wake up on January 1st to write down the same New Year's resolutions?
As 2024 wrapped up, I reviewed the resolutions I had made in the previous years which included:
- Exercise daily
- Sleep better
- Spend more time with friends and family
- Learn a new language
- Winning a ballroom dance competition…
As I went through the list, I came to a pleasantly surprising conclusion: I had made progress on all of my 2024 resolutions! The key now was to continue them through 2025…
My Journey to Balance
As a competitive ballroom dancer, staying lean has always been a priority—but also a challenge. Years of fad diets and extreme measures left me stressed and frustrated…And no leaner!
But everything changed when I shifted my focus to stress reduction and brain health instead of just “losing weight”.
On Christmas Eve, 2024, I dusted off my Smart Body Scale, which measures body weight, body fat composition, muscle mass, bone mass, water, and more. The last time I used this scale was right before the pandemic, as part of a weight management research project, using myself and my colleagues as subjects. Although it was clear to me that I had lost weight compared to five years ago from the fit of my clothes, I was still nervous about the readings.
I did not expect these results: my body fat percentage had dropped significantly! And there has been no muscle loss, no bone loss and no water loss: I have lost 10 lbs of body fat without any restrictive dieting or change of lifestyle!
But how?!
It suddenly became clear to me that instead of focusing on managing my weight, I had prioritized managing my stress. JostArriba, the drink I formulated during the pandemic and have been drinking everyday ever since to cope with the stress and anxiety, has helped me stay focused, calm, and energized…And drop 10 lbs of body fat!
Instead of starving my body and stressing my mind to lose weight, I have been nourishing my brain with JostArriba, which has also given me the power and focus to make better decisions on what, when and how I eat.
It's not magic, it’s science: The surprising stress-weight connection
In the United States, one-third of adults feel they are living with extreme stress, and nearly half of all adults report their stress has increased over the past four years, which is proportional to the increase in obesity rate.
Chronic stress elevates cortisol levels, which can lead to weight gain, especially around the belly. Studies show that people with higher cortisol levels often have larger waistlines. In fact, a February 2017 study of more than 2,500 men and women found that those with the highest levels of the stress hormone cortisol in hair samples had larger waists, greater weight, and a higher BMI; obese individuals had particularly high cortisol levels.
And, being overweight in turn is a major contributing factor to chronic stress: the dreaded stress-weight vicious cycle.
But there’s hope!
Over the last several years, I have researched and experimented with adaptogens such as Ashwagandha, Lion’s Mane mushroom, and Reishi mushroom to help lower cortisol, reducing the effects of stress on my body. These ancient plant and mushroom ingredients are now gaining recognition in the health and wellness realms, and JostArriba was developed to deliver these ingredients with their amazing benefits, deliciously.
It has been proven that incorporating adaptogens to mitigate the stress-weight connection could significantly impact personal happiness and weight management.
Here is a summary of a clinical study conducted on Ashwagandha on the topic of the stress and weight connection:
My life has not been less stressful than before the pandemic! I have lost several loved ones including my father, started a new business, and took on more financial responsibilities than ever…In theory, I should be gaining weight with all that stress, no?!
Thankfully, the adaptogenic ingredients in JostArriba such as Ashwagandha, L-theanine, Lion’s mane mushroom and Reishi mushroom not only have helped my mind to stay calm and focused, but they have also lowered the stress hormones in my body, and as a result, reduced my body fat deposit significantly and effortlessly!
How has JostArriba transformed my life
I developed JostArriba during the pandemic to cope with the darkest time in my life: I have shared this journey in another blog post: The Journey to JostArriba: A Story of Innovation and Resilience.
I can't imagine my life without JostArriba, it has kept me happy and calm living in a world that at times feels like it is spinning out of control.
Although JostArriba was never intended to be a weight loss remedy or solution but to help enhance my brain power, cognition, mental focus and calmer mood, I am delighted with this incredible side benefit: a much leaner and stronger body!
This is how I would like to dance into 2025: to keep drinking and sharing JostArriba with the world!
Whether your resolution for 2025 is to stress less, feel better physically or emotionally, or even look better, JostArriba could just be the missing ingredient that you need to create that magic in your life, as it has been for me.
