Belly Fat, Weight and Stress - Are They Really Connected?

 

Belly fat is ugly. Everyone agrees for sure. But really, belly fat is not just something that looks ugly. It's also detrimental to your health. Excessive belly fat has been associated with various kinds of diseases, from diabetes to cardiovascular diseases to even cancers. and of course, stress.

 

When you are in a state of stress, your body responds by releasing the "fight or flight" stress hormones from your adrenal glands. These hormones are cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine. The first time you feel the stress, these hormones get moving. Norepinephrine instructs your pancreas to stop producing insulin so you can have a lot of fast-acting blood glucose in handy. Epinephrine will tell your stomach and intestines to relax, and your cardiovascular system to slow down blood flow in these areas.

 

As soon as the stressor has disappeared, cortisol commands your body to stop epinephrine and norepinephrine production, and your digestive organs to resume normal functions according to experts form this health blog. Your cortisol levels normally rise and fall throughout the entire day, but when you are in chronic stress, they go up and remain there.

 

When your cortisol levels are elevated, your body fights weight loss. Your body interprets it as being a crisis so it's going to hold on to your fat stores and the fat you're consuming. Cortisol draws healthy fat from your butt and hips and pools it in your abdomen where there are more cortisol receptors. Read more about weight loss here at http://www.mahalo.com/weight-loss/.

 

In the process, your once healthy peripheral fat becomes unhealthy visceral fat (the fat in your abdominal area), increasing inflammation and causing your body to resist insulin. The fat accumulated in your belly area then causes more cortisol to be produced because it now has more of the enzymes that turn inactive cortisone into active cortisol. More fat in your belly means more active cortisol and therefore, more visceral fat. Buy health products thru this site for authentic products.

 

What should you do if you have more visceral fat? Eat food and have a lifestyle that supports you during stressful times. Aside from engaging in relaxing activities, you should also increase your intake of high-quality protein, and limit your intake of simple carbohydrates, refined grains, processed foods and caffeine.

 

Your main goal is to reduce your stress hormones, particularly cortisol. It's going to be a daily choice that you need to make. But as go along, you will find the results to be worth all the effort. You'll be healthy, not just looking from the outside, but most especially from the inside.