Stress is harmful to more than just your health

Everyone deals with stress to a certain degree on a day to day basis.  However too much stress can be detrimental to your health and also negatively effects your success in losing weight.  Let me explain what stress is to your body and how it reacts.

First of all, stress can be in many forms.

It can be working in a job you dislike, being involved in a unhealthy relationships, financial difficulties, lack of sleep, dehydration, poor food choices are some examples.  If we are exposed to a negative energy or influence from some of those examples our body’s release the stress fighting hormone called cortisol.  This hormone comes from our wonderful adrenal glands located near the top of the kidney’s.

Issues arise when there is too much stress that we face.  Our Sympathetic Nervous system is stimulated into a “fight or flight” response.  Typically our Parasympathetic Nervous system would bring us back to a calmer state, however this isn’t the case if we are under constant stress.  The result is the PNS becomes suppressed due to over exposure to stress.  Our PNS has such roles as stimulating our digestive system to break down food, influences our metabolism, and aids in the release of tissue building hormones such as (testosterone, growth hormone, DHEA, estrogen and others.)

Now keep in mind when our body is always wound up with stress from the fight or flight response, our body becomes run down as a result.  Consequently our PNS will be inefficient! In order for our body to burn off body fat we need to minimize stress and keep our metabolisms high! This cannot be done if the body is continually stressed as the adrenal glands will become tired from releasing so much cortisol.  Additionally this suppresses our thyroid which is our metabolism center! A slow thyroid means you will be more susceptible to gaining weight.  This isn’t what you are asking for is it?

Here are some tips I want you to consider to keep minimize your stress levels :

1. Ensure you are getting proper rest each night
2. Minimize negative influences whether it’s through work, friends, relationships.
3. Do something every day that makes you happy whether it’s an activity or gym related
4. Drink lots of water as being dehydrated puts our body into stress mode.
5. Reach out to loved ones and your support systems when in need of emotional releases.  Don’t take everything on your own!
6. Live for the moment.  Enjoy life and make sure you are happy!
7. Don’t over exercise as this can fatigue your body if you don’t give it proper rest. An elevated resting heart rate is a great indicator if you are over training.
8. Eat regular meals with certified organic foods when possible and avoid pop, fast food and other processed junk
9. Minimize the consumption off too much caffeine
10. Spend some quiet time every day to clear your head, with controlled breathing and just to relax!