The Skinny on Stress

So often we love to start the New Year with one or more resolutions for better health. And from my experience, both personally and professionally, one of the most common resolutions revolves around weight, body fat and efforts to maintain a healthy shape. And yet despite someone’s best intentions, their lifestyle can be contributing to added weight and they don’t even know it.

It has been estimated that up to 90% of all doctor visits are for symptoms that are stress related. This is not surprising when you consider the health risks that can be caused by stress, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and ulcers. But did you know that a very common side effect of long term exposure to stress is weight gain? Whether you follow a rigid diet or struggle with carbohydrate and sugar cravings, your eating behaviors and lifestyle could be adding unwanted stress and unwanted body weight. Read below to learn how a few simple lifestyle changes can decrease your stress and may even result in deceasing fat.

According to Shawn Talbott, PhD, author of The Cortisol Connection, and James Wilson, PhD, author of Adrenal Fatigue, when we experience stress, small doses of the hormone cortisol are released in our bodies, which is the way nature intended it to be. The problem arises when we experience repeated stress, (and the associated high levels of cortisol) which is common in our fast paced world. Too much cortisol can alter our metabolism, increase our appetite and lead to strong food cravings, especially for high glycemic foods such as breads, crackers, cookies and sweets. For many women, these cravings can turn into a vicious cycle that is hard to break, resulting in mindless snacking and eating even when we are not hungry.

During prolonged periods of stress our fat cells send more fat into the body. If this cycle is repeated often enough, not only can it lead to weight gain, but more importantly it can lead to insulin resistance, which is a precursor to diabetes. For many people, experiencing stress leads to consuming more food and burning fewer calories which then further increases the stress message to our fat cells to store as much fat as possible. As if that weren’t enough of a challenge; research has also shown that stress from dieting can make us fat. Restrictive dieting can be very stressful to your body, causing cortisol levels to rise and fat cells to store more fat. Finally, it is important to know that even if your eating regimen is pristine, there are other lifestyle behaviors that have been linked to unwanted weight gain, including inadequate sleep.

While the stress cycles described above can be discouraging, there is good news! There are some simple steps you can take to manage your stress and reduce your likelihood of unwanted weight gain. Researchers seem to agree the following behavioral changes will help reduce stress and cortisol levels and increase well-being. Look at the list below and see if any of these lifestyle changes may be right for you. Remember that small, gradual changes can have a huge long lasting impact on your health and well-being.

• Get adequate sleep – most experts recommend 7-8 hours per night

• Focus on eating low glycemic foods which keep your blood sugar level stable and are less likely to cause food cravings (avoid white flour and sugar and focus on whole grains and whole foods)

• Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables- if we eat a poor diet our bodies are not equipped to handle stress, so aim for whole real food

• Stay away from artificial sweeteners

• Drink lots of water every day

• Practice daily self-care and relaxation

• Surround yourself with positive thoughts, senses and experiences

• Consider meditation or mindful breathing

• Try yoga

• Use a journal to capture your thoughts, stresses and hopes

• End the day with gratitude