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| Can Stress Make Your Belly Fat? | |
by Michael Stefano
From rising terror alerts to falling stock prices, today's
world provides ample stimulation to trigger a stressful
response. But did you know that this stress response could
be making you fat?
The Flight or Fight Response
Millions of years ago, our cavemen ancestors needed to
react swiftly to any perceived threat. This flight or
fight response was designed to provide quick energy for
five or ten minutes, enabling our forefathers and mothers
to either do battle or run. At the first sign of a
dangerous situation, the human brain releases a substance
known as, corticotropin-releasing-hormone, or CRH. CRH
travels to the adrenal cortex and stimulates the release
of the hormones adrenalin and cortisol.
This added adrenalin improves eyesight and hearing, while
lung capacity jumps, and thinking becomes more focused.
The digestive system is temporarily shut down, and blood
is shunted from the internal organs for emergency use
elsewhere. Heart rate and blood pressure climb, and due
to the increased cortisol levels, more stored fuel (fat
and glucose) is mobilized for quick action. Production of
insulin, the fat storage hormone, is also dramatically
increased. Insulin overrides signals from adrenalin to
burn fat, and instead, encourages the body to store fat
(for future use) in the abdominal region.
This life-saving, emergency response plan was appropriate to
an era when surviving the day was the biggest concern. But
when was the last time you reacted to a stressful situation
by actually fighting or running away? The human brain cannot
distinguish between a valid physical threat and ordinary,
day-to-day, also known as chronic, stress. For many
stressed-out individuals, the flight or fight response is
triggered on an almost continuous basis.
Here's what we know so far
- Your body reacts to stress and prepares itself to run or
fight by releasing certain hormones (adrenalin, cortisol,
insulin).
- Your brain cannot distinguish between chronic stress
and a life- threatening situation, and will react the
same in both cases.
- In today's world, physical threats are few and far between,
but day-to-day stress is chronic, and can also trigger the
flight or fight response.
Cortisol is the Culprit
As you sit in your car and stew over the wall of traffic in front
of you, the deadlines at work you'll never meet, and the bills
you can't pay, your brain begins to sense the onset of a
threatening situation and sets the flight or fight response into
motion.
You feel this as nervous tension or just plain anxiety. Your
heart pounds and you want to jump out of your skin, but you
can only sit. All that extra fuel (in the form of fat and
glucose) that's designed to provide you with emergency energy,
is now being mobilized for action, but goes unused and left
behind, only to be re-deposited as fat -and to make matters
worse, usually belly-fat.
High cortisol levels are associated with increased appetite and
increased fat deposits, typically around the trunk and abdomen.
Some researches theorize that this unused fuel (or fat) is
generally deposited in abdominal area because of its proximity
to the liver (where it can be quickly converted to a usable
form of energy).
The Adrenalin Antidote
As part of the body's short-term protective measures, Cortisol
acts like the adrenalin antidote. Upon removal of the
stressful stimulus adrenalin levels quickly dissipate, but
cortisol levels remain high, causing insulin production to
surge as well.
In the face of prolonged or chronic stress, cortisol levels
can remain constantly high, keeping you in a state of
perpetual hunger. We can easily see how elevated cortisol
levels can promote weight gain due to an overabundance of
insulin. Insulin resistance, which affects 25 per cent of
all Americans, is a major risk factor for Type II Diabetes
and heart disease.
The average caveman was well served by a system that signaled him
to eat after every emergency, and where total energy expenditure
was not uncommon. Thankfully, today, true physical emergencies
are rare, but this short-term protective system, although
somewhat outdated, still works. And to help short circuit the
process even further, nowadays the act of going out and obtaining
food burns only as few calories as it takes drive to the nearest
McDonald's (about one french fry), as compared to our ancestors
who had to hunt for every meal.
The stress response is hardwired into the fabric of our lives.
Ask the average man or woman off the street if he or she gets
stressed out on a regular basis, and you'll most likely hear
an emphatic, "Yes!" So if we can't eliminate stress, how can
we combat the effects of the flight or fight response and stop
making ourselves fat?
Exercise, Fat's Triple Threat
One of the most obvious ways to combat fat and the ravages of stress
is with exercise. Exercise represents a triple threat to body fat.
First, exercise burns calories and utilizes stored body fat as fuel.
Second, working out increases the amount of lean muscle mass your
body must provide with fuel on a 24 hour a day basis. More muscle
means less fat.
Researchers from Yale University have now clearly demonstrated a
third mechanism by which exercise reduces stores of body fat,
especially around the belly. They've demonstrated that moderate
to vigorous exercise, such as lifting weights, can offset the
negative effects of cortisol and insulin. With as little as ten
minutes of strenuous exercise the brain begins to produce beta-
endorphins that calm you down and decrease levels of the stress
hormone. Many feel that strenuous exercise actually mimics a
typical caveman-like physical reaction to a threat, and is the
modern-day version of an appropriate reaction to the flight or
fight response.
A note of caution
- Don't overdo it. Too much exercise can actually cause
additional stress and associated symptoms.
- Be sure to get plenty of rest. Inadequate sleep increases
cortisol levels and reduces leptin, a hormone that signals
fullness.
- Avoid dieting. High protein, low carb diets do not provide
enough energy during stressful situations.
Common sense dictates that you eat right, get plenty of sleep, and
exercise, but now we have another weapon in the battle of the
bulge. Stress management, whether through, education, exercise,
therapy, or just plain fun is a necessary ingredient in fitness
and weight loss, as it is in a healthy, well-balanced life. Be
sure to not ignore the signs of being overstressed, of which being
over weight is just one symptom. Recognize symptoms and do
something today. Whether with exercise or other types of stress
management techniques such as psychotherapy, hypnosis, taking up a
hobby, or meditation, take back control of your life.
Early warning signs of stress
- Sudden weight loss or weight gain
- Tired but can't sleep, excessive fatigue
- Speech difficulties, impatience
- Headaches, repeated colds or flu
- Nail biting, teeth grinding
- Low or high blood sugar
- Low or high blood pressure
- High cholesterol or triglycerides
- Ulcers and gastric disturbances
- Chest pains, muscle aches
- Lower back, shoulder, neck pain
- Menstrual problems, hair loss
- Forgetfulness, withdraw from social life
The Meditation Connection
Another victim of stress is the youth promoting hormone
Dehydroepiandrosterone or DHEA. DHEA is a naturally occurring
feel-good hormone that's been shown to decline under times of
physical and emotional trauma, and may be another connection
between stress and weight gain.
Researches have found that DHEA levels can be easily elevated
during the most tranquil of activities, meditation, as well
as by exercise. In a similar fashion to the beta-endorphins
that are released during vigorous activities, DHEA production
increases during meditation. This process reduces blood
cortisol levels and combats the negative effects of stress.
About the Author
Michael Stefano: Author of The Firefighter's Workout Book,
Not Just For Firefighters! Special Offer: Lose weight and get in
the shape of your life with the FREE Train For Life Newsletter,
as well as Customized Workouts for both men and women.
Go To: http://www.firefightersworkout.com
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