A survey conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that 3 out of 4 Americans reported experiencing at least one stress symptom each month.
Top stressors include acne, headaches, chronic pain, decreased energy/insomnia and appetite changes.
Read more dish out sure-fire best practices that will help you to avoid overeating out of stress, anxiety, boredom AND avoid unwanted weight gain!
Stress, weight gain and cortisol levels: Understanding its Connection
Unfortunately, excess stress can lead to an increase in weight.
And whether the extra weight is a result of overeating and unhealthy food choices, or your body’s response to increased levels of cortisol, getting a handle on stress is a priority if you want to prevent stress-related weight gain.
The body responds to stress by increasing levels of cortisol.
Cortisol is a stress hormone that increases in response to a threat. When you no longer perceive a threat, cortisol levels return to normal. (no big deal)
But if stress is always present, you can experience an overexposure to cortisol, which is a problem since cortisol is also a significant appetite stimulant.
This is the reason so many people respond to stress by going for comfort food
A few tips to combat stress-related weight gain:
- If you’re tempted to eat when you’re not hungry, find a distraction.
- Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast. If you’re in a hurry, grab a piece of fruit and nuts on the way out the door.
- Eat a healthy diet, such as whole grains and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Aim to include most food groups in your meals.
- Identify comfort foods and keep them out of your home or office
How Stress effects our Immune System
When we’re stressed, the immune system’s ability to fight off antigens is reduced. That is why we are more susceptible to infections.
Ongoing stress makes us susceptible to illness and disease.
Some experts claim that stress is responsible for as much as 90% of all illnesses and diseases, including cancer and heart disease.
Here are some tips to lower cortisol levels, which will help keep your immunity high
- Tend to Your Spirituality
- Developing and growing your faith (prayer, devotion, studying) is associated with reduced anxiety and depression
- Get the Right Amount of Sleep
- Timing, length and quality of sleep all influence cortisol
- Exercise, but Not Too Much
- Have balance and variety in exercise with rest days. Refrain from all HIIT and heavy lifting every day
- Learn to Recognize Stressful Thinking
- Stressful thoughts are an important signal for cortisol release.
- Have Fun and keep maintain healthy Relationships
- Eat Healthy Foods (from all 5 food groups)
- Nutrition can influence cortisol for the better or worse
Additional Tips for reducing stress
- Keep a positive attitude. This is essential and makes all the other tips easy to follow!
- Accept that there are events that you cannot control.
- Learn and practice relaxation techniques; try meditation, yoga, or tai-chi.
- Learn to manage your time more effectively.
- Set limits appropriately and say no to requests that would create excessive stress in your life.
- Make time for hobbies and interests.
Summary
Stress occurs when life events surpass your abilities to cope. It causes your body to produce greater levels of the stress hormone cortisol. In short spurts, cortisol can boost your immunity by limiting inflammation. But over time, your body can get used to having too much cortisol in your blood. And this opens the door for more inflammation.
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