Overweight and Stress - Is There a Connection?

Let me guess you've tried all sorts of diets, exercises etc and still found yourself with the same body right?.

Have you ever considered stress could be the cause of your weight problem. Stress is not only a mental condition it is a physical condition as well. If you are under stress and let's face it most of us are on a daily basis through one reason or another, our bodies produce adrenaline or a rush of blood as it is sometimes called.

This adrenalin rush sends energy in the form of sugar into our body but there is another hormone created as well as adrenaline this is called cortisol. This hormone increases your blood pressure,your blood sugar levels and suppresses your immune system. So now we are having this adrenaline/cortisol rush caused by stress what is it that our bodies are producing more of yes you've guessed it energy or sugar.

Now this sugar once it as been produced has to go some where and it usually ends up around our stomachs. What else do we tend to do under pressure I think I'll have a cup of coffee/tea and a bite to eat. Comfort eating a piece of cake, bar of chocolate, Chinese or an Indian meal see where we are heading. This obviously means we put on weight through stress. So as well as a sensible food regime another vital ingredient is a good nights sleep.If you do not get enough sleep your cortisol levels will rise so we are in a catch 22 situation.

So how do we get enough sleep , some exercise whoa I'm not talking running a marathon here just a brisk daily walk and also we could see our doctor and ask for a prescription to help us sleep,this is as well not to replace the walking and health eating way of life. If you go to work on a bus get off at a earlier stop same coming home go by car try to park a little further from work. These brisk walks will bring more oxygen into our body this will help us to sleep.

Do not skip meals especially breakfast the most important meal of the day. A bowl of cereal, boiled egg,slice of toast will set you up for the rest of the day. How about adding fish to your diet especially oily fish such as sardines,salmon, mackerel,all these are high in omega 3. Learn to live with stress I mean are our problems that bad years ago I went to visit a friend in hospital who had cancer, on my first visit there I got a little lost and went into the childrens cancer ward by mistake and ever since my problems are not bad at all. So in conclusion fight stress with a healthy diet, light exercise, and enough sleep and you will lose weight.