Weight Loss - The Cortisol Connection
Weight Loss – The Cortisol Connection
Stress is part of our lives and makes it difficult for most people to lose weight. They don’t even know they have a problem with stress and how it affects their ability to lose weight. There are several things you can do to eliminate the stress inducing weight gain in your life. And, the exciting thing is that most cost your nothing but your time, energy and attention.
Your pituitary gland produces adrenal cortical stimulating hormone (ACTH) which in turn causes your adrenal cortex to produce cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone in a group of steroids called glucocorticoids which regulates blood sugar, inflammation and your immune system. Cortisol regulates metabolism and blood pressure. Some studies suggest that cortisol levels may be a predictor of fractures for older adults.
A deficiency of cortisol results in fatigue, chronic exhaustion and Addison’s disease. An overabundance of cortisol causes you to gain weight, especially around your abdomen. It also depresses your immune system and can accelerate aging and stomach ulcers.
Cortisol and Stress
An increase in any kind of stress leads to an increase in cortisol production. Physical: overexertion, trauma, infection; Environmental: heat, cold, noise; Chemical: nutritional deficiencies, refined sugar consumption, drugs; Psychological: worry, fear; or even Imaginary stresses. All these stresses are additive and cumulative in their effect.
Cortisol and Fat
Cortisol impacts fat in two ways. Initially when the stress occurs, fat is broken down to supply the body with an immediate source of energy. You brain releases corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and puts your body on alert to the Fight or Flight response. CRH causes your pupils to dilate, your thinking to improve and your lungs to take in more oxygen. When this happens, your appetite is suppressed and your digestive system shuts down temporarily. CRH then triggers the release of adrenaline and cortisol which helps to mobilize your carbohydrate and fat supplies for quick energy.
This is where the problem begins – when you have overcome the stress, your adrenaline levels dissipate, but your cortisol levels remain high to bring your body back into balance. This balance is achieved by increasing your appetite to replace the carbohydrate and fat supplies that were used up when you needed them.
This whole process sounds logical – and, it worked well before the evolution of modern society. Today, your body is ‘forced’ into refueling when it doesn’t need to refuel. Sustained stress keeps your cortisol levels elevated, and causes your hunger to remain unabated. High cortisol levels keep your insulin levels elevated. A high cortisol level stimulates additional glucose production. This ‘excess’ glucose is now converted to fat and is stored as excess fat.
High levels of cortisol make you feel tired and listless. In order to compensate for being tired or exhausted, you eat to renew your energy level. How many of you had the ‘need’ for a candy bar, or coke, to take the edge of a temporary feeling of exhaustion? This extra fat is stored around your waistline because the cells in that part of your body are more sensitive to cortisol.
Your abdomen contains fat cells rich in stress hormone receptors. The sensitivity to cortisol makes them particularly sensitive to high levels of insulin, which, in turn, makes them very efficient for storing energy in the form of fat. This is a very dangerous place to store excess fat. It can lead to metabolic syndrome, diabetes and heart disease.
What Can You Do?
Removing yourself from these stresses is the best medicine. Eliminating the stress allows time to reverse the physiological effects. Rest and nutritional support are necessary to begin restoring your body to its original condition. Peace of mind returns as you near replenishment. Chronically high levels of cortisol lead to the accumulation of abdominal fat and it is nearly impossible to get rid of it. A suppressed immune system can lead to additional health issues.
So, how do you control or correct your cortisol levels? The first is to get a cortisol test, and then determine if you need to take corrective action. Obviously, stress reduction is the most essential and effective regimen. Since stress caused your cortisol levels to rise, removing the stress shuts down the production of cortisol. Meditation, exercise, hot bath or shower, EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), breathing exercises, improving your time management and self-hypnosis are just a few of the many ways for you to control the stress in your life.
Ten to fifteen minutes of physical activity can improve your mood in the short-term and reduce stress. Work on your attitude and motivation – both are self-initiated. Find something fun to do. Listen to relaxing music or read a fun book. Work out or go walking with a friend. If you can’t gain control over your stress, you can’t expect any other support measure or therapy to work effectively. If you are exercising and finding no response to your efforts for weight loss, then you might not be doing the right kind of exercise (type, intensity, frequency, duration, etc.) Check with a physical trainer or check out the internet.
Positive thinking, positive attitude and affirmations are great options to choose to reduce stress. Negative self-talk (I’m too fat, this doesn’t work, I’ve tried this before and, I’ll never look good again, etc.) has a major impact on your ability to cope with stress. Don’t be overly diet conscious. Focus on feeding yourself balanced meals and snacks when you are hungry – the key concept here is ‘when you are hungry.’ Stop eating when you are really satisfied, not when everything is gone from your plate.
Dedicate a portion of your day to you. Ten minutes to simply reflect and relax. Do something that will revitalize you in the short-term. Give yourself a foot-rub, do a cross-word puzzle, just do something that is devoted 100% to your relaxation.
Rest is extremely important and should be used as part of your strategy to overcome stress. Diet is important also. Choose a low glycemic diet to remove a lot of the sugar that causes an increase in cortisol. A comprehensive and complete vitamin and mineral supplement is needed to help control cortisol levels.
Perception
Some people can react to someone cutting in line at the grocery store, or in front of you when you are driving, with outrage. Others accept it without concern – just a course of life. The way you perceive stress in your life also plays a major factor in how your body will react. It’s not what happened to you, it’s how you reacted to it. How many people do you know irritate you every time you see them? Just hearing them talk, or seeing them in person puts you on alert. Why? You allowed yourself to react that way. You made that choice. The consequence of your choice – how you react to stress in your life – can result in elevated levels of cortisol.
Red OLaughlin is a retired Navy Captain and senior corporate executive redirecting his life’s experiences into improving prosperity for those who deserve it. His research into health and nutrition is to find out why something works or does not. http://www.redshealthtips.com Sign up for his newsletter.
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