Stress way less,
weigh way less
weigh way less
It seems as if women are in a constant battle with their midsection. Even with diet and exercise, it may be difficult to get rid of the excessive belly fat that grows around your waist. The reason? Potentially it is due to the stress hormone cortisol. Heightened cortisol levels from stress can contribute to the battle of the bulge. Here is what you need to know about stress and weight gain.
Cortisol is produced by your body in response to stress. This fight-or-flight hormone can be the reason your midsection is growing despite your efforts to lose weight. Even worse, chronically high levels of cortisol can lead to serious health problems.
Cortisol and its connection
Nutritional biochemist and author of books such as The Cortisol Connection as well as his latest book, The Metabolic Method, Shawn Talbott shares his expert tips on how to reduce stress in your life and, thereby, reduce the negative effects of cortisol. His suggestions are beyond mere means of relaxation -- some are quite stimulating.What is cortisol?
Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal glands that works to support numerous functions in your body, such as immune function, blood pressure regulation, vascular tone, inflammatory response and insulin release. Cortisol has been tagged the "stress hormone" because it is released in higher quantities when your body reacts to stress.Cortisol does have several positive influences over your body, such as heightened memory, quick bursts of energy and immunity as well as maintaining homeostasis. However, excessive stress in your life may lead to the negative aspects of cortisol (which actually counter all of its positive features) and result in lower bone density, immunity, blood sugar levels and muscle tissue. Most notably, large quantities of cortisol brought on by stress is largely responsible for excessive abdominal fat which leads to numerous other health problems.
Stress and belly fat
Talbott says the link between cortisol and belly fat comes from the signal the hormone sends for fat storage to your belly fat cells. The fat cells in your belly have more cortisol receptors, making them more sensitive to cortisol and causing them to respond more strongly to the cortisol.Talbott adds that this is an often-overlooked factor in the "battle of the bulge." He says, "This is one of the most under-appreciated aspects of weight loss. Stress and cortisol are just as important as the basics [diet and exercise]."
Excess belly fat and death risk
Excessive belly fat has been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes as well as an increase in bad cholesterol.Further, a recent study by the National Institute of Health (NIH) has linked excess belly fat to an increased risk of death. This is highly significant when considering the number of people with abdominal obesity (over 50 percent of adults in the United States in 2004).
The NIH study followed over 44,000 women for 16 years and monitored their medical histories and lifestyles. Most of the women who participated in the study were white (so they do not know if there is a specific correlation to race), and all of the women were nurses.
Researchers at NIH found that women with a waist size of 35 inches or higher were about twice as likely to die of heart disease than women with a waist size less than 28 inches. Similarly, women with a large waist size were twice as likely to die from cancer, regardless of body mass index. The authors of the study wrote, "Although maintaining a healthy weight should continue to be a cornerstone in the prevention of chronic diseases and premature death, maintaining a healthy waist size should also be an important goal."
Ways to relieve stress
Talbott has several recommendations for relieving stress and, thus, reducing your risk of having belly fat and, most importantly, reducing your risk of disease.Get more sleep
He says that people who get eight hours of sleep have less severe stress than those with only 7 hours of sleep. Talbott explains, "Only a couple hours less of sleep can lead to more cortisol." He also recommends more relaxing activities, such as yoga.Dietary supplements
If you are eating right and exercising, Talbott recommends dietary supplements to reduce belly fat, particularly theanine, and an herb called eurycoma, which is an herbal ginseng.Get excited
Talbott recommends more vigorous, exciting activities such as skydiving or even sex. He says, "Sex is a vigorous activity which leads to relaxation, in general. It releases endorphins, which seem to block the effects of cortisol."More extreme activities like skydiving will release a great amount of endorphins, so -- woo! -- go ahead and get excited to relieve your stress!
Reducing cortisol can be fun, relaxing, and healthy
You can’t completely sidestep stress in your life but you can follow Talbott’s tips to better manage it. Though the reasons to be concerned about your waist size go beyond vanity, reducing your belly fat will help ensure your overall health and look better!More articles that may be of interest
