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