Cortisol: the Stress Hormone’s Effect on Your Health and Weight Loss

Stress is simply a part of life. Stress can be a positive thing: It can save your life in a fight or flight situation, or it can be the kick in the butt you need to finally finish that project at work you’ve been putting off. Too much stress, however, can have a negative effect on your mental and physical health. In today’s society, where we are moving faster, taking on more responsibility and are constantly technologically connected to the demands of work and home, our lives are becoming more overwhelming, and it may be taking a toll on our waistlines.

Cortisol, dubbed the “stress hormone”, is an important hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, responsible for many functions in the body including regulating metabolism and blood pressure, immune function, inflammatory response, and releasing insulin, which maintains blood sugar levels.

Cortisol isn’t only secreted when the body is under stress, but it is secreted in higher levels during the body’s “fight or flight” response to stress (think of when something pops out and scares the crap out of you. That surge you get is your body’s fight or flight response- you either jump and run, or start swinging.) The stress we encounter on a daily basis isn’t always so obvious or sudden, but daily stress, i.e. a jam packed schedule the next day or not knowing how you are going to afford next month’s bills, isn’t immediately remedied, so your stress levels stay elevated for an extended period of time until the stressor is remedied, or more often than not, until another stressor comes along and takes over.

Just as with everything in life, too much of something is never a good thing. Elevated cortisol levels cause many physical, negative changes to the body, including impaired cognitive function, blood sugar imbalances, high blood pressure, and lower immunity, causing you to feel slow and drained of energy, or even come down with an illness.

This is why when you are stressed, you may experience redness in your face, neck and ears due to higher blood pressure, increased appetite due to out of whack blood sugar levels and just generally sluggish and irritable.

Perhaps the most frustrating side effect of elevated cortisol levels, however, is weight gain. Physically, your appetite may increase causing you to overeat, which is often referred to as stress eating or emotional eating, but of course, if you don’t eat the calories, then you won’t gain the weight- simple solution. The deeper culprit to weight gain is that cortisol can decrease your muscle tissue, which will slow your metabolism, causing you to burn less calories in a day and an increase in belly fat, which not only isn’t attractive, it carries a host of health risks all its own.

Increased abdominal fat is more dangerous to your health than fat deposits in other areas of your body. Excess belly fat puts you at risk for heart attack, stroke, high cholesterol and metabolic syndrome.

Lower Your Stress Levels with a Healthy Lifestyle

Most of your stressors can’t simply be eliminated by delegating out your responsibilities or avoiding the situation completely, so finding ways to cope with your stress is the most practical way to keep your cortisol levels down. Fortunately, the best ways to reduce stress are also good for your health.

Yoga

Practice Yoga Breathing to Promote Balance

Workplace Yoga Reduces Stress and Improve Sleep

Yoga Keeps You Calm in the Midst of Chaos

A Consistent Yoga Practice Reduces Stress

Meditation

How Meditation Can Help Conquer Stress and Extra Pounds

What is Active Meditation?

Start a Meditation Practice in Five Steps

Manage Stress with Simple Relaxation Techniques

Sleep

The Importance of Sleep for Good Health

Sleep and Relax to Prevent Diabetes

Staying Up Late Harmful to Your Health

June 14th, 2011

Posted in: belly fat, cortisol, emotional eating, exercise, homepage, hormones, meditation, relaxation, sleep, stress, Yoga

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©2010 Diets in Review

The content of this site is for informational purposes only and is not to be perceived as providing medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The information provided on this site should complement, not replace, the advice and relationship of your healthcare provider. You should seek the professional advice of your medical doctor prior to beginning a new diet or weight loss program.

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©2010 Diets in Review

The content of this site is for informational purposes only and is not to be perceived as providing medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The information provided on this site should complement, not replace, the advice and relationship of your healthcare provider. You should seek the professional advice of your medical doctor prior to beginning a new diet or weight loss program.

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Stress Less, Weigh Less

Stress Less, Weigh Less is a book written by Holly Mosier. This book allows you to follow Mosier and receive an increase in energy and an ageless body all while eating the foods that you love. This book is focused on a new approach of primarily reducing your stress. Mosier offers her expertise as the owner of a boxing gym and a yoga teacher to this weight loss program. Included are exercise and nutrition guidelines that have been tested and proven to work. This book will teach you how to use your mind and body connection to achieve results.

The food included in this book is delicious and the workouts are easy to implement. The program is one that you will implement over 30 days to change your habits and get you going on the right track. Stress Less, Weigh Less is broken into four different parts including stress to weigh less, revamp the way you’re eating, revamp the way you’re exercising and follow Holly. Each section offers several chapters to guide you through the program. If you stress easily or suspect that stress causes you to eat emotionally and want to lose weight, this program might work for you.

Deals with stress as a factor in weight lossIncludes quick and easy meals and recipesEncourages working out Program changes your habits to healthy ones in just one monthAddresses lack of activity and other causes of obesityWeight loss plan is result of author’s research and resultsFocuses on the part that the mind plays weight loss

One of the first steps to your nutrition with Stress Less, Weigh Less is to determine how much you should eat. This part of the book along with all others is based on the research of the author and is meant to make the program easy to follow. The food chapters of the book discuss how to achieve your weight loss and maintain it. Another thing you must do is choose your happy weight. Then you can learn the correct daily calorie amount you need to eat to reach your happy weight. This program does go along with the logic that you must burn more calories than you consume in order to lose weight. There is a chart included in the book to guide you to how many calories should be consumed each day depending on your current weight and activity level. You are encouraged to eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and one snack each day. You are also encouraged to balance your meals with the right amount of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Mosier offers guidance based on what she has had success with. There is another chart that calls out common foods and if they fall under the protein, fat or carbohydrate category.

Choosing foods that have a lower glycemic index is also encouraged. Mosier takes the time to explain how protein, fat and carbohydrates affect your level of hunger so that you can balance things out to avoid spikes in hunger and blood sugar levels. While on the program you should weigh yourself at least once per week and keep a daily food journal. Many people fall victim to guessing inaccurately on their portion sizes. To avoid this you should measure things out. Some of the other tips included that focus on the diet portion of this book are drink plenty of water, try to have a late-afternoon snack, don’t skip meals to speed weight loss, have a beverage with meals and schedule one pig-out meal per week. Below is a sample menu for a day on the Stress Less, Weigh Less eating plan:

Breakfast: Holly’s Cheese Blintzes; coffeeLunch: Holly’s Turkey and Cheese Pita; carrot sticks; hot teaSnack: AppleDinner: Holly’s Cinnamon Salmon; Holly’s Roasted Veggies; Holly’s Salad; Crystal Light lemonade

In Stress Less, Weigh Less Mosier focuses on making your workouts more efficient for results rather than telling you to exercise longer. There are a few chapters that focus on yoga and utilizing yoga poses for stress relief. You can incorporate these yoga workouts with your other workouts. You don’t have to spend hours at the gym to be effective. There are several guidelines to follow in order to be effective with exercise. Mosier admits that she looks for every opportunity to move and does little things like parking far from the door at the supermarket and taking the stairs instead of the elevator. These are the things you can do in addition to your workout each day. To get lasting results you are going to have to put in the work and exercise. Below are some of the guidelines to follow where exercise is concerned:

Exercise everyday for 45 to 60 minutesVary your activities and workoutsDo both cardio exercise and resistance trainingAim to burn at least 250 to 350 calories each day with exerciseUse a heart rate monitor for the most efficient exerciseUse interval trainingDo not over trainHave a cup of coffee to boost your workoutsCalendar your daily workouts

Mosier includes some workout routines for you to follow if you need them. You can always choose your own workouts if you have something fun that you enjoy doing. She also has some recommendations for exercise classes that may be available at your local gym. If you prefer working out at home, there are instructions for completing a home boxing workout.

Stress Less, Weigh Less offers a plan that will work. If you follow the recommendations of reducing your calorie intake, eating meals regularly and exercise as advised, you will see results. Stress Less, Weigh Less takes the work out of figuring things out and gets you started on the road to weight loss. This book lets you know that you will have to put in the work to be successful. Following this program can lead to lasting results and help you reach your happy weight and stay there.

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Avoid Packing on the New Relationship Pounds

Dating – either as a single person or half of a committed couple – can make for a very exciting time. When you think of going on a date, most often you might envision dinner, maybe a movie, or coffee and dessert.

New relationships always seem to pack on the pounds. Many experts say it is because once you are comfortable, happy and secure in a relationship, you are not as diligent about your physical appearance. While in the beginning it is a nice feeling to be able to relax in a new and exciting relationship, a few months in, you may look in the mirror and wonder where all your hard work went.

Especially in the summer, dating can often involve activities and foods to keep your temperature down, but summer time dating doesn’t have to be a body buster. Instead of curling up with your cutie in a dark room, some ice cream and watching TV, here are some terrific summer date activities that will help you keep your cool, but won’t leave you running for a mu-mu to cover up your not quite ready for close up body.

Beach fun – Instead of taking your date to the beach with a towel and the idea of lying out, why not plan an active afternoon? Running on the beach is a phenomenal workout, especially for the calves. Frisbee games will get your blood pumping, and everyone loves beach volleyball.

Frozen treats – It’s hot outside, it’s muggy and gross and everyone wants to cool off, so you stop for ice cream. Bad move. High in sugar and fat, ice cream is the epitome of the saying, “a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips”. Instead, scope out your city for a frozen yogurt stand. It’s cool and refreshing and won’t undo the results of your beach workout.

Rock climbing – Sometimes, it’s just too hot and muggy to be outside. Keep your date active by finding a rock gym in your area. Air conditioning keeps the body cool, and the reality of the trust you need to have in your climbing partner can help you grow in your relationship.

Alcohol intake – Hot day, cold beer. Hot day, cold mixed drink. Hot day, too tight shorts. Alcohol is high in calories and can be the silent sabotage that you don’t notice. If you are out on a date, enjoy your evening with a wine spritzer, light beer or non alcoholic cocktail.

Picnics and Potlucks – There’s not a week that goes by during the summer months that we aren’t invited to a picnic, potluck or barbecue. Many of the traditional foods offered at these functions – potato salad, hot dogs, chips – can be the worst choices. Bring your own foods to toss on the grill - pork tenderloin is a terrific low fat option. Fruit kabobs and a veggie platter are delicious healthy choices that will help keep you on track. 

Dining out - For better or worse, dining out is synonymous with dating. In fact, every time I ask my husband if he wants to go out, his response is always, “Where will we eat?” If you are visiting a restaurant with a date, scope out the menu for a lower fat option – many restaurants have a key on the bottom with a symbol to indicate a healthier choice. One other good option is to split a higher fat meal, or to enjoy soup and salad. 

With just a few tweaks, dating doesn’t have to equal grabbing your fat pants and settling in. Dating can be good for your body!

June 16th, 2011

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Elliptical vs. Treadmill Workouts: Which is Right for You?

Whenever I ask people what their favorite way to get cardio in is, they usually mention two pieces of equipment: the elliptical and the treadmill. This is great because both offer a fantastic cardiovascular workout and work well for people of all kinds of fitness backgrounds. But how do these two pieces compare in regards to cost, ease of use and accessibility? Read on to see how ellipticals and treadmills  compare and how they differ- and find the piece of equipment that is perfect for you!

Cost

While both ellipticals and treadmills vary greatly in price and quality, when looking at cardio pieces that are appropriate for home use, ellipticals are typically a little bit less costly than treadmills. You have to be a savvy shopper, but know that your dollar is going to go a bit farther when buying an elliptical. While there are quite a few ellipticals on the market that are less than $1,000 and are OK for general home use, I can’t really say that about treadmills. This is because when you look at the basic machinery of the two types of equipment, a treadmill is just a little bit more complicated than an elliptical. When shopping and looking at price, also take into consideration that both pieces may need repairs under regular use, with treadmill belts usually needing a bit more love and repair than an ellitpical. Both pieces should come with warranties.

Who wins this one? The elliptical is a more cost-effective option.

Ease of Use

Nowadays, cardio equipment pieces like ellipticals and treadmills are super easy to use. Most feature a big green “Quick Start” button that you can push and get to working out, changing your speed and incline or resistance. So both are pretty easy to use. However, when it comes to the actual movement, walking and running is something we were born to do, while being on the elliptical is a little less natural and takes some getting used to (although it is fairly ergonomic).

Who wins this one? The treadmill is easier to use for the average person.

Fitness Level

No matter what your fitness level is, you can get a great workout on both pieces of equipment by increasing your intensity through speed, resistance and/or incline. Interval workouts are particularly good on ellipticals and treadmills!

Who wins this one? It depends! For beginners, walking on the treadmill is a great choice. For advanced exercisers, the treadmill allows you to work harder because you can adjust both the speed and the incline together. And for intermediate exerciser? The elliptical is a great way to do something that is more challenging than a walk yet not quite as hard as a jog, and the treadmill is great to do a walk-run workout on!

Special Considerations

If you have a limited range of motion, a disability, are recovering from an injury or just generally have stiff joints, it’s very important to choose a piece of cardio equipment that gets your heart rate up without causing you physical pain (remember, soreness is different than pain). For most people with injuries, the elliptical and walking on the treadmill are both low-impact options that are appropriate for most beginner exercises. (Always contact your doc first though!)

Who wins this one? When it comes to injuries and limited mobility, the elliptical has the slight edge because, although both offer low-impact and weight-bearing exercise, there is a lower risk of injury. The ergonomic motion on an elliptical is already set, so it’s pretty much impossible to do it incorrectly.

The bottomline is that — on the whole — neither the elliptical or the treadmill is better. It really depends on your goals, your needs and what you like. If you hate getting on the elliptical, then it’s probably not the pick for you even if it is a little cheaper.

I tend to like treadmills a little bit more because I like the ability to either walk or jog, but what about you? Which do you prefer more: the elliptical or the treadmill?

June 17th, 2011

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Obesity Vaccine May Be on the Horizon

Has it really come to this? Well, maybe it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise since obesity is often referred to as a disease.

Just as kids get vaccines that have made things like polio and smallpox obsolete, there may come a day when adults who are struggling with their weight can be vaccinated to suppress their appetite.

A new study involving mice successfully got the obese subjects to eat 50 percent less after they were given the vaccine, which was ghrelin (the hormone that stimulates hunger) attached to harmless virus-like particles.

The theory behind injecting ghrelin is that the body develops antibodies against the hormone, which would suppress the hunger-inducing substance.

The effects of the vaccine lasted for 18 months, which is equal to four years for humans.

While these studies were successful, the idea has its doubters. The objections aren’t that the study was conducted in a shady or unscientific manner, it’s mainly to caution the public due to the complexities involved in regulating our weight.

“I think that an obesity vaccine is pretty far-fetched,” said Dr. Pieter Cohen, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a general internist at Cambridge Health Alliance. “It’s extremely unlikely we’ll be able to develop a vaccine that will prevent weight gain.”

One of the complexities to weight gain is that there are other factors for why we overeat other than our appetite. For instance, many people get caught up in emotional eating that has nothing to do with feeling hungry.

The study’s authors, including Dr. Mariana Monteiro of the University of Porto in Portugal, would like to see a successful vaccine, if for no other reason than to provide a safer alternative to current weight loss drugs, which sometimes have deadly side effects.

(via: MSNBC)

June 15th, 2011

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