STRESS!!! Part 2....
Part 1 discussed stress and its affect on us physically and emotionally, and now i’m going to focus a little more on stress and its relationship with weight management.
“Comfort foods are less comforting when they end up around your waist.”
We’ve all heard of comfort foods, right? You know, the meals or snacks we crave when stressed (tired, emotional, under pressure). Have you ever noticed that these foods are mostly high in calories (energy)? Yep, always, who ever craves a carrot right? Not me!
Life can be full of cruel temptations.
Well, perhaps not quite. The universe has better things to do than tempt us with chocolate ice cream when we’ve had a bad day. There’s actually a very good reason we reach for high energy foods in these circumstances, and understanding this is the very first step to appreciating how important stress can be to weight gain.
“Stress signals the body to fuel itself for physical activity (fight or flight).”
We already know that one of the primary functions of the stress response is to make more energy available to us ready for action.
Our muscles burn energy like a car burns fuel, and when we put the foot to the pedal, we need more fuel to make the engine roar.
In anticipation of physical activity, our stress hormones will provide a signal for the body to release more energy into the bloodstream.
“Carbohydrates and sugars are the most accessible form of energy, and blood sugar levels can rise significantly when you are stressed.”
Our primary fuel sources are carbohydrates and fats, but under stress the body adds other components to its energy production line.
Given that glucose (a simple sugar) is the fuel most efficiently converted to energy by our cells, the body ingeniously creates larger amounts of it from a variety of secondary sources.
The stress hormone cortisol signals our system to convert other substances, including proteins (muscles and tissue) and glycogen (stored in the liver and muscles) into glucose to turbo boost our energy supplies.
This process is called gluconeogenesis, another word you are welcome to forget any time, as long as you remember the following point. Stay with me….
In a stressed state, the amount of easily accessible fuel in your blood (blood sugar level) can spike significantly.
“After more than a day or so of high stress, research shows our blood sugar levels can more than double.”
This can be very useful if you’re running for your life, but if you’re simply sitting in traffic or at your computer, this unused fuel will be left idle in your bloodstream.
There are a host of issues associated with this, not the least of which is the potential for some of this excess energy to be stored as fat around your belly (visceral fat). Apart from being unsightly, this type of fat can be particularly concerning on our health.
So now we know, stress can stimulate higher than normal energy production, which if unused, has a tendency to be stored as fat. But what does this have to do with us craving naughty foods?
“Stress hormones can play havoc with your appetite.”
Whether you lose your appetite or reach for a tub of ice cream largely depends on where you are in the stress cycle.
Initially, stress hormones may act to suppress your appetite. This makes sense. Being distracted by donuts while trying to escape an angry dog would hardly be ideal.
But once the alert has been downgraded, stress hormones direct the body to replace the energy that’s just been made available.
Suddenly those donuts start to look mighty good!
The thing is, while these hormones are impressive, they are NOT smart enough to know whether we’ve actually used the energy they are directing us to replace. Whether you’ve just run from a raging Rottweiler or are having a stressful day at your desk, your body sends you the same message: “Feed me!”
“Those people actively monitoring their diet are more likely to ‘splurge’ in times of stress.”
Studies have shown that, if you’re consciously trying to limit your food intake, it’s even more likely that stress will cause you to eat more and blow your diet.
This can be even more prevalent in people who have an emotional connection with eating.
“The combination of boosted energy production, no real corresponding energy need and an increased appetite is a lethal trio for those dealing with stress and trying to control their weight.”
**** The bottom line is this: If you can manage your stress you may also have a better chance of successfully managing your weight. ****
Go now and find the time to work on turning your STRESS response OFF and your RELAXATION response ON….. for your better health and weight management
Tonya xx
