Stress Can Make You Fat
August 16, 2008
Have you heard of the fight or flight response?
Back in the dinosaur days when a brontosaurus chased you, your body responded by releasing hormones, like cortisol. that helped you run faster to ensure your survival.
Today, when stuck in a traffic jam, behind on the mortgage or on a grounded American Airlines flight, your body still responds in basically the same way,
by dilating your blood vessels,
accelerating your heart rate and shifting blood from your digestive track to your muscles.
(and if you’ve ever tried to exercise after a big meal you know that your belly will hurt, since digestion requires blood.but that’s another rant)
Also your liver hurries to make extra fuel in the form of sugar from stored glycogen,
so you have enough energy to fight like a caveman.
And though you didn’t even use this sugar supply,
it causes a dip in your blood sugar level and makes you, the caveman ,
very hungry.
Which makes you go look in the fridge and grab the fastest, biggest snack possible and eat it like your barbarian ancestors,
as soon as you get home. Which makes you fat.
And I mean fatter than you would be if you were relaxed. Like no caveman ever dreamed of being.
And if you are chronically stressed, your body, in it’s ingeniously idiotic prehistoric way, will pack away
as much fat as possible and you will gain weight.
What to do?
RELAX.
MEDITATE.
BREATHE.
Do 6 rounds of 6 count breaths in and out.This slow breathing actually will drop your blood pressure by twenty points, both systolic and diastolic.
Teach it to your kids before they get up to bat in baseball or have a big test.
What’s that you say?
You CAN’T?
Ok. How about trying to add more activities in your life that you ADORE.
They don’t have to be a full day of beauty at a high end spa.
For me I know that my stress levels have been lower (and I’ve probably been storing less fat,too)
since I’ve got my new hip and am pain free and therefore less stress-out all the time.
But over all,
in the trickle-down theory, Everyone in my family has benefited from my new favorite show.
when thinking about what makes me feel good,
It also occurred to me that I enjoy coveting nearly every other house in our neighborhood and I actually spend a sizeable chunk of time pretending I live in them.
This makes my heart sing.
Although, every one of my friends know that , in one week,
I would have even the biggest mansion filled with tacky knick knacks and unmatched furniture and broken things on the front porch in no time at all.
It ‘s not the living in them I want.
It’s the pretend life that I imagine that makes me smile.
Go ahead and laugh, Scrooges.
So ask yourself:
what is a mood-altering activity for you?
Petting the cat?
Spitting watermelon seeds? Joining a go-cart racing club? Jumping on a trampoline with your dog?
Did you know dogs love trampolines?
Find something and do it everyday. It’s called putting yourself in a really good space,
finding your bliss or
getting your groove on.
But the trick is not needing, or even wanting, your groove-getter to be something MAJOR.
Do not make the mistake of waiting for joint replacement surgery,fancy possessions or expensive trips to make you feel good.
Find it in the spaces BETWEEN the peak moments.
Before you know it, the pounds will be melting away.
Or else you will FEEL so good, you’ll be too happy to notice how you LOOK.
Imagine THAT
Comments
One Response to “Stress Can Make You Fat”
Got something to say?
Good post.
People always want to spend money on the cure, but not on prevention! Get a massage or spend some money to reduce your stress BEFORE it becomes a problem.
Josh
Joshs last blog post..Is Stress Ruining Your Marriage?