Effects of Stress:
Hair Loss
II Overall Health II
Depression II
Related Illness II
Ulcer II
Weight Loss II
Weight Gain
Stress and Weight Loss
Stress reduction is not just good for your mental health, it’s
also good for your waistline. Once you learn to reduce the stress
in your life, you may begin to experience weight loss success.
Stress is counterproductive to weight loss goals because stress
can actually shut down your digestive system. Also, stress-induced
overeating makes it difficult to stick to a weight loss plan.
Ironically, one of the major stressors for many people is worrying
about their weight. Yet stress reduction is the key to permanent
weight loss.
You are more likely to crave fattening foods such as pasta, bread
and potatoes when you are under stress. Many starchy foods
stimulate the production of seratonin, a chemical that makes you
feel good. Instead of reaching for donuts, reach for lean turkey
or bananas, other foods that raise seratonin levels. Or, when you
feel stress, have a baked potato instead of chips and French fries
to reach your weight loss goals.
Stress is a part of modern society. People work long hours, worry
about the future, forgo sleep and get too caught up in the rat
race to take time for meditation and reflection.
If you are like most people, your adrenal glands, which were
intended as part of an emergency response system in your body, are
working overtime.
It’s not surprising to learn 61 percent of Americans are
overweight or obese. Weight loss is nearly impossible for people
who are sleep-deprived, under stress and depressed.
In addition to making weight loss nearly impossible, stress can
make us susceptible to illnesses, fatigue and infections
In recent years, experts have discussed the role of stress and
cortisol when it comes to weight loss. But cortisol is not new.
It’s been around since our earliest ancestors, who probably did
not need a weight loss plan, faced danger.
Their adrenals would shoot cortisol into their bodies to give them
the boost of energy they needed to escape predators. Today, the
fight or flight hormone fosters fat deposits particularly around
the abdomen because your body can’t stop producing it when you are
under stress.
By getting plenty of sleep and engaging in relaxation activities
such as yoga, meditation and prayer, many people have experienced
weight loss. Making a spiritual connection and feeling relaxed
communicates to your body it does not need to produce cortisol,
the stress hormone made by the adrenal glands.
Cortisol is helpful to people because it gives us energy and
stamina when a rapist or robber corners us, however, it is not
helpful for weight loss. Unfortunately, stress and the cortisol
hormone can also increase your appetite, making it difficult to
stick to a weight loss plan.
Your body is trying to help. It wants to refuel you for the next
crisis. Your body is trying to replenish the fat and carbohydrates
you used as part of your stress response. Your body does not know
you felt stress because of a test or deadline at work as opposed
to a dangerous lion in the jungle. If weight loss is your goal,
begin by reducing stress in your life. How do you reduce stress?
It’s fairly simple.
First, get a solid eight to 10 hours of sleep every night to
reduce stress and kick start weight loss. If you missed sleep,
don’t sleep in late. Rather, take cat naps during the day to
rejuvenate as your body has a hard time abruptly adjusting its
waking patterns. Some people try to meditate to reduce stress, but
end up falling asleep. Taking a nap can be just as beneficial as
meditation because it gives your mind and body a chance for a
reprieve from the daily stresses in your life.
To reduce stress, turn off the television. People who watch more
than an hour of television a day are more than 90 percent less
likely to succeed at their weight loss goals. Instead of watching
television, go for an evening walk with your children or a friend.
Being active will relieve stress and aid in your weight loss goal.
Weight loss isn’t just about working out with weights and counting
calories, although all of that helps. Letting go of stress and
emotional baggage – which feels good – can mean letting go of the
extra weight we carry around.
To help reduce stress, we
recommend using
Extress.
Extress is a homeopathic and nutrition
supplement that is exceptionally effective in providing the body
with the nutritional requirements which aid the body during
periods of stress, tension, anxiety, minor phobic reactions and
complaints of generalized patterns of anxious discomfort.
The natural ingredients in Extress complement the body's natural powers
to reduce stress and anxiety. The specific doctor-formulated Extress
formula naturally diminishes emotional sensitivity and mood
swings, calms and focuses attention, relaxes muscles and reduces the possibility of stress-induced head pain and muscle aches.
Extress also helps diminish hyperactivity, aggression and anger
outbursts.
