Stress and Our Body
We live in a world where stress has been normalized. We run from one commitment to another. We live a go-go-go lifestyle. This state of living is having staggering implications on our health. Consider the incidents of depression, anxiety and the many other diseases with “unknown cause” such as autoimmune, chronic fatigue and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to name a few.
We have to consider the effect of this constant state of elevated or repeated stress on your body. Under these circumstances, we are in the overload phase of stress when our cortisol levels are elevated and stay elevated. This is when one can see problems related to weight gain, immune system suppression, anxiety, lack of energy and inability to concentrate.
Cortisol is the primary stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands. When we are exposed to a stressor cortisol increases levels of fat and sugar into the bloodstream which are used by our brain and muscles to react. We are meant to endure short-term immediate exposure to stress hormones. When we have long-term exposure to cortisol this can lead to a breakdown of our body’s metabolic system – elevated levels of blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure and body fat.
Unfortunately, when we are dealing with periods of heightened stress we do the exact opposite of what our bodies need us to do to support them. Instead of exercising- we stop because we don’t feel like we have enough time. Rather the nurturing our body with nourishing foods our elevated cortisol levels make us hungry and we grab fast easy heavily processed foods. Instead of getting enough sleep, we stay up too late, wake up early and struggle with restless sleep or insomnia.
The term metabolic adaptation is an important when considering weight and someone experiencing constant heightened levels of stress. Metabolic adaptation is also Newton’s Third Law of Motion - every action has an qual an opposite reactions. An example of metabolic adaption as it relates to weight loss; no matter how many calories you cut or how much you exercise it is difficult to sustain a healthy weight. This is often because the focus is one part of the metabolic factor. When you only cut calories your resting metabolism eventually slows to match that caloric intake, you hit a plateau in weight loss or you may even start gaining. To obtain results it’s best to make small, sustainable, simultaneous changes to outsmart your body’s metabolic adaptation process. How do we do that?
Stress Management
The reality is that stress isn’t going anywhere. Trying avoiding or minimizing the stress is a great first step in stress management; avoid over scheduling yourself, plan for traffic or be mindful of situation that you may need a little extra time to get ready. Life does happen and unexpected things do happen. Have a plan for when things get stressful; do you have an outlet, can you predict stressors and do you have control over them? There is no one size fits all way to cope with stress; some people like meditating and going inwards others like to chat it our with friends. Finding what works best for you is important. That being said sleep is instrumental in managing stress and stress hormones. This is way easier said than done; I feel like I haven’t had constant sleep since I was pregnant with my now 10 year old.
A few tips to get you back on track:
Establish a regular bedtime and wake uptime
Do something calming in the hour before bed – reading, chamomile tea, have a warm bath
Avoid screens an hour before bed
Avoid exercising 3 hours before bedtime.
Exercise
Exercise is known to increase endorphins and lower stress hormones. The key here is that you don’t need to become an athlete it’s about movement. The movement you will do regularly is the best one for you. Regular exercise teaches our muscles to transport glucose and respond to cortisol effectively. When you feel you don’t have time think about all the time wasters you do through the day – scrolling on your phone, watching T.V. etc. I wonder if maybe investing some of this time into your health maybe worth while?
Nutrition
Stress is an amazing precursor to cravings for sugar, salt and fat. Unfortunately, eating our way out of stress is not possible. Often it adds to it. Some important tips to keep in mind are:
Every meal and snack should consist of protein, fat and fibre
Food restriction always causes a stress and binge response
Calorie restriction will only lower your metabolic rate
Start drinking water – hydration is important for fat burning, maintaining muscle mass, managing cortisol and boosting metabolism.
The quality of the food you eat matters.
Carbohydrates: as a group are not the villains they’re made out to be. That being said the form that they are consumed will affect the body’s metabolic response. Eating them in as close to their natural (whole) state as possible is best!
Include protein: when protein is eaten with a carbohydrate it creates dietary balance. Beware some proteins are fats in disguise; bacon, nuts, processed meats and cheese.
Finish with Fats: fats are super important for metabolic regulation – balancing blood sugar and cortisol. Along with nourishing the brain and helping to control appetite.
Fill Up on Fibre: fibre like fat helps to slow the absorption of sugar and makes one feel full longer. Foods such as whole forms of grains, fruit and vegetable are great sources of dietary fibre.
What does this look like? Here are a few ideas:
Breakfast sandwich : egg (protein), whole grain toast (carbohydrate and fibre), avocado (fat), arugula (fibre)
Apple Cinnamon Quinoa: quinoa (protein), apple (carbohydrate and fibre), coconut oil (fat)
Apple (carbohydrate and fibre) and nut butter (fat)
Veggies (carbohydrate, fibre) and hard boiled egg (protein, fat)
None of this comes easily. It takes work. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask someone for help if it’s too much. Small sustainable steps will lead to positive change! You can do it and most of all you are worth it!
