We all know stress is not good for general health. But why? I dove into the research on this one, because I know how much we all experience external stressors in our lives. There is a connection between stress and the immune system, menses, appetite, sleep and so many other aspects of our daily health. This article will talk about how stress can affect weight management and how we can work to manage our stress.
Stress, Cortisol & Insulin
When our body experiences stress, our adrenal glands release the stress hormone cortisol, which is apart of the “fight or flight response”. The “fight or flight response” is meant to increase the body’s alertness and ability to escape a dangerous situation. Cortisol causes the release of insulin which is a hormone that enhances the body’s uptake of sugar from the blood into the muscles to use as fuel to escape the “dangerous fight or flight” situation. When a person is continuously experiencing stress, cortisol is continuously released from the adrenal glands causing glucose to be depleted from the blood and stored in the muscles. Not only does this sugar storage cause weight gain, but depleting sugar from the blood causes the body to crave sugar or carbohydrate rich foods to replenish the lost store
Stress & Thyroid Function
The adrenal glands and thyroid are major hormone secreting glands in the body and work together to support hormone function. When one is overworked, the other will be neglected. In the case of stress, the adrenal gland is over worked, leaving the thyroid gland subfunctional. To further explain this system, when the body is over producing stress hormones, there are fewer materials for the thyroid to produce the necessary thyroid hormones. Chronic stress can lead to a under functioning thyroid, aka stress induced hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism slows everything down in the body, aka the bodies basal metabolic rate (BMR) which is the amount of energy burned at a resting state. It also slows digestion which can cause more absorption of food energy. It is likely that we see weight gain in hypothyroid states because less energy is burned and more energy is taken in.
Stress Management
Stress is always going to be there, and stress is not always a bad thing. When faced with a truly dangerous situation, cortisol is important for our escape. We need to help our body identify the difference between stress that is necessary (ie. escaping a near death experience or moderate exercise to improve cardiovascular and muscular function) versus stress that is not helpful to us (ie. worrying about giving a presentation at work or wondering if our kids are safe). In practical terms, our best way to deal with stress is to manage it rather than try to avoid it [I have tried to avoid stress in the past, and let me tell you, I always end up feeling more stressed about avoiding the stress because in modern society, it is unavoidable]. BUT, I have learned to change my perspective of perceived stressful situations, and allow myself to take a view point that is more helpful for me at the time.
To keep this article from being extravagantly long, I will just explain the basics. Stressful situations do not have to be perceived this way if you don’t want them too. There is no such thing as a negative or positive situation, every situation presents to us as neutral, we label things as good or bad in our heads. If we can see every situation as neutral, and accept it as a neutral situation, we are better able to manage unnecessary stress [for more on managing everyday stress, check out http://amberknott.com/consciousness/].
I have also written many articles to help support a life of stress reduction and management, click the following links for more on starting a meditation practice, starting an affirmations practice or minimizing your life to reduce stress.
