Did you know?

Stress – is it making you FAT??





Whether you've lost your wallet or missed an important deadline, your body deals in the only way it knows how: by signaling the adrenal glands to release the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline (the docs call it epinephrine).

You're probably familiar with adrenaline's role as the fight-or-flight hormone; it gives you instant energy so you can get out of harm's way. In prehistoric times, we needed that boost to fight or outrun predators; today, it's still useful when you have to physically respond to a threatening situation.

So why do we want crave those unhealthy foods when we are stressed?

The logic behind our need to feed under duress, however, is less obvious. After all, doesn't stuffing down cupcakes only make you lethargic? And isn't that the opposite of what you'd think should happen when adrenaline courses through your system? For the answer, you need to get familiar with cortisol. This other stress hormone is released by your adrenal glands at the same time as adrenaline, but you usually don't feel its effect for an hour or so. When you do, you know it--cortisol's sole function is to make you ravenous.


While it might seem as if stress weakens your willpower, the real culprit is cortisol. The reason you want a brownie instead of raw veggies when you're stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic is that cortisol demands the most readily available sources of energy: high-fat, refined/simple-carb foods that your body can use quickly. That's why big bowls of pasta, muffins, chocolate bars, and potato chips have gained comfort-food status--they're exactly what your body craves in times of trouble.

Other thoughts on this topic are that the modern brain craves sugary or refined starchy foods because they release serotonin- a chemical found in the brain’s pituitary gland. The release of serotonin has a powerful elevating effect on our mood. Serotonin is plentiful and free flowing when stress is low- however as stress rises- serotonin production declines. Natural light ( get outside) and healthy food are the best ways to naturally raise serotonin.

Chronically elevated cortisol levels from any kind of prolonged stress can affect weight even more over the long haul. For one thing, cortisol encourages the body to store fat--specifically, in the abdominal region--rather than burn it.

So what to do? Exercise, get ouside in the sunshine when you can, eat a healthy- whole foods diet- and find ways to reduce your stress levels. You will feel better and lose fat ☺ JOIN FITCAMP!

Source: Adapted from Womens Health Mag 2008/ The Thrive Diet- Brendan Brazier-2007