STRESS

STRESS = INCREASED FAT?

 

            How many calories does stress have? I am sure you are thinking that this is a ridiculous question, but think about it. After reading an article in On Fitness magazine about stress and how it is associated with fat I realized that stress carries a heavy load. It along with other lifestyle factors work through complicated hormonal and metabolic mechanisms that alter not only what and how much we eat but also where we store the calories we consume and what type we burn (sugar, fat, or muscle). After reading the article, I found a few main reasons why stress can cause fat gain.

First, stress response is regulated by communication between the brain and the adrenal glands. The brain works like a central command station; when it receives a warning about a threat it sends an immediate signal to the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands then release hormonal signals to the body. The major function of adrenal hormones is to raise the amount of sugar and fat in the blood in order to supply the body with energy. Therefore, the body is ready to take the appropriate actions it needs to survive. The liver is then instructed to kick out stored blood sugar as well as make some extra. Technically, stress or stressful situations burns fat, sugar, and muscle under normal circumstances, but when it becomes recurrent, fat is usually spared while muscle is broken down.

Now looking deeper into the article and the section on chronic stress I was able to uncover a second reason stress causes weight gain. Chronic or recurrent stress continually forces the body to work harder and harder to compensate for the physiological disruptions. The first thing that needs to be changed in this situation is the amount of cortisol that is secreted, which is something we really have no control over unless we control our stress level. Cortisol is in charge of our hunger and cravings, therefore high levels of cortisol can down-regulate hunger and increase the urge of sweets and fatty foods. Lastly, another hormone that may increase weight and fat gain is insulin. Insulin is interesting because it signals the body to store fat and not burn it. Therefore, if insulin and cortisol combine it can be a not so healthy combination. Cortisol is a fat burner as well as a muscle burner, but when insulin is in the picture, the body will burn muscle, not fat, since insulin places a lockdown on fat release.

Now instead of only providing you with information on how stress can increase fat I have found ways to help you decrease your stress levels and keep your hormonal levels under control.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1.      EAT BREAKFAST: by eating breakfast you slow down the secretion of cortisol that usually occur in the morning.

2.      EXERCISE INTENSELY WITH WEIGHTS: to counter the negative effects of stress you must increase the release of Human Growth Hormone and testosterone.

3.      SLEEP: if you don’t have a adequate sleep then you have created an unfavorable stress response which decreases the natural release of the anti-stress hormone Human Growth Hormone.

4.      SUBSTITUTE PROTEIN FOR SUGAR: protein allows the release of another hormone that counters the effect of insulin.

5.      USE COCOA: not chocolate with sugar; the addition of 100% unsweetened cocoa powder to the diet can decrease cravings and the excess intake of fat and sugar

6.      EAT 4-6 TIMES PER DAY INSTEAD OF 1-3: eating smaller meals more often will reduce the “fasting effect.”

 * To read more about stress and its impact on the body please take a look at the August edition of OnFitness magazine.