Clenched muscles and cramps in the calves

Although I don’t have a weight loss issue, I have been under a great deal of stress for many years. Among other symptoms, I have noticed clenched muscles and muscle cramps in the calves of my legs. I do juice on a daily basis and I will now try to incorporate more potassium rich foods. Thanks for the great advice!

Sara says:

Thank you for sharing that. Yes, you are exhibiting the symptoms of excessive cortisol. Of all the stress hormones produced by your adrenals, cortisol stays in the blood longest.

I cannot urge you enough to learn about how to adjust your diet and exercise if you are experiencing this right now. Almost every health problem that is female related is exacerbated by stress and adrenals that are fatigued.

Osteoporosis, hot flashes, weight gain that develops on the hips and thighs and then after menopause, travels up to the mid-section, fatigue, difficulty thinking clearly, depression, premature atrophy of breasts, thighs and upper arms, reduction in collagen, dehydration, etc.

All stem from adrenals that are over-stressed to one degree or another. It seems so simple, but glandular relationships are often overlooked. After the clenching of muscles will come fatigue, feeling of dehydration no matter how much you drink, feeling out of breath, weight gain in the midsection, dry-eyes, joint pain, muscles atrophy, just to name a few.

When approaching menopause the body will take on a life of its own and you will feel like you have absolutely no control over what it wants to do. Hot flashes will be more intense. And the chances of osteoporosis increase dramatically.

So if you are feeling the clenching of muscles now, learn how to reverse it NOW. There are two things that you can do immediately to help:

One, sleep early and sleep enough. Sleep is when the body heals and when growth hormone and testosterone are released. These rebuild your nerves and body to deal with stress better. Try and set a goal to be asleep by 10.30 PM at the latest.

Two, Eat a high protein breakfast. The greatest surge of cortisol in the day, other than after intense exercise is in the morning. Not eating breakfast and/or eating a high starch or high sugar breakfast will make your blood sugar spiral downwards. So eat a high protein breakfast.

If you are getting the muscle clenching when you sleep, eat some high potassium raw foods like celery and lettuce before sleeping. Drink some Cal-Mag or Natural Calm Magnesium before sleeping. If you are not having a hard time sleeping now, it will come.

Do not do any intense high heart rate exercise until you do not have this clenching anymore. One last thing for you is – do not let yourself get hungry. This will make your muscles clench more. It is just another form of stress.