Stress and Weight Loss
Stress and Weight Loss
By: Alberta McKain
Can Stress cause weight gain?
Stress and weight loss are linked. Emotions influence our hormones which in turn influence our emotions which influence our eating habits.
The hormone adrenaline is released when we are frightened, excited or anxious. Since adrenaline tends to speed up our metabolic rate, the release of this hormone is likely to promote weight loss. Long term stress can have the opposite effect for weight loss. The hormone cortisol, released when we are stressed, can increase fat storage, particularly in the abdominal area.
In other words, short bursts of stress may help us to lose weight, but long term stress can make us overweight.
In other words, since your neuro-endocrine system doesn’t know you didn’t fight or flee, it still responds to stress with the hormonal signal to replenish nutritional stores which may make you feel hungry.
Stress and Weight Loss - The Mind Over Matter
Under stress, there’s an impulse to do something, to move, and often, eating becomes the activity that relieves the stress. It’s easy to do and it’s comforting.
Now for the good news: Whether your urge to eat is driven by hormones or habits or a combination of both, research shows there are ways to interrupt the cycle, break the stress and stop the weight gain.
Here’s what the experts recommend:
1. Exercise.
Yoga, meditation, stretching, weight training and cardiovascular exercise are all good stress relieving activities that you can perform almost anywhere.They are also very good for weight loss because you burn calories exercising.The answer is to choose an activity you really enjoy doing.
2. Eat a balanced diet and never skip a meal.
Eat breakfast and try to consume six small rather than three huge meals a day, with foods from all the food groups.This helps keep blood sugar levels steady, which in turn put a damper on insulin production and eventually reduce cortisol levels,all helping to control appetite and also promote weight loss.
3. Don’t lose sleep.
Don’t let worry over your stress and weight loss problems interrupt your sleep. When you don’t get enough rest, cortisol levels rise, making us feel hungry and less satisfied with the food we do eat.
4. Devote time to relaxation.
Relaxation works much like exercise to produce brain chemicals that counter the effects of stress and promote weight loss,it’s best finding the activities that make you feel relaxed and calm. For some, yoga can do the trick. Others may prefer meditation techniques or deep breathing. And don’t overlook the relaxing power of cuddling up on a sofa with a good book or magazine, or even playing your favorite movie on the VCR.Anything that makes you feel calm and relaxed will help counter the biochemical effects of stress.
5. Snack on whole grain, high fiber foods.
If you just can’t ignore those stress related hunger pangs, try eating foods high in fiber and low in sugar, like oatmeal, whole wheat bread, or fruits such as pears or plums. Foods that are high in sugar and simple carbohydrates,like white flour, cookies, cake, white rice, or pasta, cause insulin levels to rise, which in turn increases stress hormones and ultimately makes you feel more hungry. But high-fiber, whole-grain foods , particularly cereals like oatmeal or multi-grain flakes, as well as fruits , help keep insulin levels on a even keel, which can help control blood sugar levels, and ultimately, hunger.
6. Avoid caffeine, cigarettes and alcohol.
If you are going through a lot of stress in your life, stay away from alcohol, caffeine, tobacco and junk food with no nutritional value. According to the American Institute of Stress, cigarettes, as well as caffeine-laden soft drinks, coffee, tea, and even chocolate, can cause cortisol levels to rise, stress to increase, blood sugar to drop and hunger to prevail resulting in a slower weight loss. The institute also cautions against drinking too much alcohol, which can affect blood sugar and insulin levels and it’s also high caloric.
7. Take your vitamins.
A number of medical studies have shown that stress can deplete important nutrients, particularly the B complex and C vitamins, and sometimes the minerals calcium and magnesium. Because these nutrients are needed to balance the effects of stress hormones like cortisol, and may even play a role in helping us burn fat, it’s important to keep levels high. While a good diet will help, taking a high potency multi-vitamin supplement can insure you give your body what it needs to not only deal with the stress, but also burn fat and lose weight.
Massage to reduce stress is another method that is very effective in reducing stress in your body. The massage actually helps the body get rid of toxins released into your blood stream when stressed out. Increasing your protein by eating protein more often will help your body cope better with stress.
There are several herbal supplements on the market that can give you temporary ease when going through stressful times in your life. Chamomile is a calming herb available in tea form in the health food market. Valerian root is another relaxing herb that comes in pill form. Kava was very popular for a while as a natural relaxation supplement. There are also herbal combination supplements that are non habit forming and not harmful to your body. A good B-complex always helps you feel better if you are stressed out. Taken morning and evening the B vitamins will nourish your nervous system.
And speaking of losing weight, here’s one bit of news you may be happy to hear: Experts say you shouldn’t try to go on a strict diet when you’re under extreme or chronic stress. Severely limiting calorie intake could modify a series of biochemical events that not only increased stress levels, but also can make you feel more hungry.
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About the Author of “Stress and Weight Loss”
I am a nutritionist woman who used to be fat. After testing tens of so-called “wonder diets” I’ve decided to create a Weight Loss Programs Review Website, containing a top of the 3 best programs with a brief description about their features and benefits.
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