Stress Increases Your Sugar and Insulin Levels thats a fact
Under stress your body triggers a state of alarm–the primitive ” flight or fight ” response. The adrenal glands ( small glands that sit on top of your kidneys) release stress hormones ( cortisol & adrenalin) into the bloodstream under stress. Theis response also increases the levels of fat, sugar and insulin in your blood. This is to prepare you for increased energy needs to perform your ” flight or fight” response.
You are having a busy day, no time for lunch and are grabbing all those high sugar/carbohydrate snacks-your sugar & insulin levels are really high and you are really riding that viscious roller coaster.You cant even imagine that you could possibly be gaining weight-but you are!! You can diet, think you are increasing the amount of energy you burn up and gain weight at the same time if you are under stress. This weight gain is due to the body`s original design to protect itself at all costs.
This also leads to insulin resistance:
Stress doesn`t even have to be real…it can be perceived.
Some of the causes of stress are: depression, anxiety, grief, low socioeconomic status, divorce, lonliness, unemployment, exposure to cold, environmental toxins, pain, too much exercise, smoking, stimulants, infection and being overweight.
Sleep deprivation is a major source of stress today and a major contributor to hunger and craving for high carbohydrate sugary foods.
High levels of cortisol and adrenalin can become a chronic condition leading to depression, memory loss, bone loss, heart disease, cancer and immune diseases.
Under stress the sympathetic nervous system gets turned on causing increased hunger, slow metabolism, increased blood sugar, heartburn or reflux and constipation. The stress hormone, cortisol, causes you to become less sensitive to `leptin`-the hormone that tells your brain you are full and therefore you keep eating and eating under stress.
Digestion is very poor under stress and you wont get the nutrients from your food.
Higher levels of cortisol also cause low levels of testosterone and thyroid hormones.
Cortisol normally rises in the morning increasing your appetite so you will eat breakfast and have energy for the day. Cortisol then decreases in the evening and growth hormone and melatonin levels rise to prepare you for sleep and boby repair. Under stress this rhythm is disrupted causing some people to have `night-eating syndrome`. This condition leads to a decrease in appetite in the morning and increased hunger at night.
How to reduce stress:
Identify & try to reduce the causes of stress
Correct your insulin resistance using the all natural supplement `Glucofast`
Learn active relaxation exercises
Learn & practice deep breathing for relaxation–breathe in deeply, exhale slowly while commanding your body to relax, breath in deeply, exhale-relax. Repeat…Do anytime, anywhere even for a few minutes.
Eat whole foods that reduce stress ie: green leafy vegetables, high antioxidant fruits, whole grains, omega 3`s from wild fish or ground flaxseeds and lots of fiber.
Supplements:
Antioxidants-vitamin C & E, zinc, B-complex, coenzyme Q10 and lipoic acid.
Potassium & Magnesium help balance the adrenals
Herbs can help you adapt to stress-ginseng, rhodiola, ashwagandha and licorice.
Managing stress in your life can make huge improvements in your overall health.
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