Stressed & Burned Out? It Could Be Affecting Your Metabolism

Jan 14

If you’ve been eating well and exercising but the scale just won’t budge, stress might be the missing piece.

When we’re under stress, our bodies pump out cortisol (our stress hormone). A little is fine, but when it stays high for too long, it can:

Slow down your metabolism
Increase belly fat storage
Trigger cravings and blood sugar swings
Disrupt your sleep and energy

And if stress goes on long enough, burnout can set in, leaving you exhausted, unmotivated, and stuck in survival mode.

This is why we often recommend the DUTCH Hormone Test. It gives a detailed picture of your stress hormones throughout the day, along with other key hormones that impact weight, energy, and mood. With this info, we can create a plan that actually works with your body - not against it.

That’s where DUTCH Testing comes in: the gold standard in hormone testing

DUTCH Testing, or the 'Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones', is a simple dried urine test that allows us to learn an extensive amount of information on your hormones.

Dutch Testing doesn’t just measure your hormone levels, it helps to tell me how your body produces hormones, breaks them down AND uses them throughout the day -giving us your full hormonal picture.⁣

Comprehensive hormone testing is one of the best ways to uncover the root cause of your concerns and guide treatment in the right direction.

We're able to test:

Estrogen and 8 forms of estrogen metabolites
- E1, E2, E3, 2-OH- E1, 4-OH-E1, 16-OH-E1, 2-methoxy-E1
- This helps to tell us not only levels of estrogen, but how your body is breaking it down
- 2 estrogen metabolites are associated with increase risk of breast and other cancers, while one is protective
- We want to make sure your body is pushing down the protective pathway, not the harmful one
Androgens
- Including Testosterone, DHT and DHEA-S
- This is important to take a deep dive into libido, weight gain, muscle mass, mood, increased facial or body hair growth and acne
Progesterone
- Progesterone declines during menopause but is important for reproductive health, neuroprotective for the brain and important for regulating mood
Cortisol levels
- This tests our body's stress hormone. Learn more about cortisol here
Melatonin
- Melatonin is our sleep hormone that allows you to get into a deep, restful + refreshing sleep.
- As we age, we produce less melatonin
- Melatonin production can also decreased also impacted if cortisol levels are high
Organic acids
- These are markers for neurotransmitters that effect mood, depression and anxiety
The Cortisol Awakening Response
- *learn why cortisol testing is important here*
Markers for Vitamin B6 and B12 and other nutritional status

The best part - DUTCH Testing is a simple at home test!

👉 If you’re feeling burned out and your weight loss efforts have stalled, it might be time to look deeper. Supporting your stress response can be the key to getting your metabolism back on track.