Stress Can Help Make You Fat
Do you know by not using proper stress management techniques or
stress relief strategies you could be contributing to fat gain?
There is a condition called stress induced obesity which
promotes a stress producing hormone called cortisol. Let's take
a closer look at how stress, cortisol, and fat promotion can
make your waist, hips, and buttocks larger .
Stress is a word you hear often these days. Due to the extremely
fast paced world we live in, greater demands are placed upon us,
leading to greater stress levels which are higher than ever seen
before.
People desperately attempt to juggle professional careers,
family, and free time, all while fighting traffic jams, social
obligations, financial pressures, and even natural disasters.
All of this results in being "stressed out." Demands are
consistently being placed upon us from different directions,
sometimes occurring at the exact same time. I constantly hear
the words "if there were more hours in the day." Sound familiar?
Stress is defined as any event in which environmental demands,
internal demands, or both tax or exceed the adaptive resources
of an individual, social system, or tissue system.
How many times have you heard the controversial ads for
Cortislim or Relacore? Both are suggested to block cortisol, a
stress hormone that gets your body ready to respond to a threat,
and has been associated with fat promotion. Depending upon the
level of threat, the brain regulates the amount of cortisol
excreted from the adrenal gland. If the risk is huge, like a
bear chasing you, a large amount of cortisol is released into
the blood stream. However, if you are late for a very important
appointment, and rushing vigorously, a smaller amount of
cortisol is released.
The state of readiness, the "fight or flight" response, which
promote the hormone cortisol, has been associated with
increasing fat storage, and cardiovascular effects such as
faster heartbeat, higher blood pressure, constricted blood
vessels, and a release of blood sugar.
Energy regulation and mobilization are also two crucial
functions of cortisol.
Personality type, which includes the way you interpret
stressors, can play a key roll in cortisol release, according to
research studies.
Suppose you are considered a personality type D, which exhibits
negative emotions, pessimistic behavior, and don't share
emotions. In addition to your interpretation of stressful
situations, you also lose your job. You would now be considered
having the cortisol throttle wide open, stuck in the "on"
position. Over the long haul, along with the heart effects
mentioned about, fat gain can be promoted by the aggressive
circulation of cortisol in the blood stream.
According to research, tissue cortisol concentrations are
controlled by a specific enzyme, cortisone, that converts
inactive cortisone to active cortisol. Studies show that the
gene for this enzyme shows up more in obese conditions. It is
shown that deep fat, surrounding the stomach and intestines have
more of these enzymes compared to fat just underneath the skin.
Thus, the high enzyme levels in the deep fat tissue surrounding
the abdomen may lead to obesity due to greater levels of
cortisol being produced at the tissue level. It is also noted
that deep abdominal fat has greater blood flow and four times
more cortisol receptors compared to subcutaneous, or surface
fat. This, in effect, may increase cortisol's fat accumulation
and fat cell size enlarging effect.
Another potential link between stress, and cortisol involves the
appetite. Animal and human studies have shown an increased
appetite, cravings for sugar, and weight gain when cortisol
injections were administered.
Individuals with high circulating levels of cortisol tend to
consume more foods high in sugar, and fat. This may occur
because cortisol directly effects food consumption by binding to
receptors in the brain. This can stimulate an appetite craving
sugar, and fat.
Due to all the negative influences mentioned above, resulting
from continual high stress levels effecting circulating
cortisol, it is a good idea to manage your stress level well.
Please be aware that Cortislim, and Relacore do not appear to be
the answer. The federal government has cracked down on products
like these for stating false and unsubstantiated product claims.
More research needs to be done on these products before being
considered a viable solution.
A much more effective solution is watching your caloric intake,
while participating in a consistent exercise program. You should
also include stress reduction methods such as meditation,
biofeedback, visualization, and/or yoga.
Work hard at exercising, keep a positive mental attitude, and
incorporate as many stress reducing techniques as you possibly
can. It will benefit your waistline, as well as overall health.
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