6 Ways to Beat Stress and Battle Belly Fat

These days especially, stress is just a fact of life. However recent research also reveals that it’s a fact of FAT. Even if you eat healthy and exercise, constant high stress can make and keep you FAT. Dr. Pamela Peeke (http://drpeeke.com ), MD, MPH author of “Fight Fat After Forty”, says that “21st-century living seems programmed to make us fat. We squeeze every minute out of each day to reach our goals and commitments and constantly worry about falling short. That kind of behavior and anxiety can (and does) produce stress, which is "toxic" to our bodies.

Then if you add to it the constant challenges we’ve been facing with today’s economy, we’re really blasted with stress to the max! Our bodies respond to physical and psychological stress in the same way. When we’re stressed, our cells release potent hormones (adrenaline and cortisol). The adrenaline taps stored energy so you can either fight and face your stress or flee. Then a surge of cortisol tells your body to replenish that energy you just expended even though you haven’t used that many calories. This can make you hungry….really ravenous. And most of us don’t crave carrot sticks and celery when we’re stressed out. We’re more apt to reach for salty or sweet comfort type foods because when we eat those our brain releases those feel good type pleasure hormones that actually does release tension explains Elissa Epel PhD(insert link), a researcher and expert on stress eating at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Epel also adds that this soothing effect can become addicting, which means that every time you’re anxious, you’ll reach for NOT so good food choices. And another thing that adds insult to injury is when your adrenal glands are busy pumping out cortisol, the production of the muscle building hormone testosterone slows way down. If this occurs over time your muscle mass can even decrease which can also slow down your metabolism and allow you to burn fewer calories. Which isn’t good! And you know what? Our bodies will just keep pumping out the adrenaline and cortisol as long as we keep being stressed out. Obviously removing all stress from our lives is a bit unrealistic, however, if you try these 6 easy ways to Beat Stress and Battle Belly Fat that are listed below you can lower your cortisol levels, feel better, flatten out your belly and improve your overall health at the same time.

1.) Crank out 10 Quick Body Weight Squats or Drop down and Do 10 Push-ups.

That’s right, eek out some push-ups or body weight squats. Exercise is an effective, instant stress reliever. It actually fools your body into thinking you’re escaping the source of your stress and it also causes a release of those feel good endorphins that help make the stress not a big deal. Exercise also makes your blood circulate more quickly which helps transport the cortisol to your kidneys to flush it out of your system. But if doing squats or push-ups aren’t practical, just flexing your arms, hands, legs or calf muscles will help move cortisol along it’s way. Even taking a stroll on your lunch break is beneficial. In fact, in one study, Shawn Talbott, PhD, author of "The Cortisol Connection." found that 18 minutes of walking 3 times per week can quickly lower Cortisol levels by as much as 15 percent.

2.) Stop restrictive Yo-Yo dieting

When you’re under stress and your cortisol levels spike, your blood sugar goes crazy. First it rises then it plummets. This makes you not only ready to eat your arm off, but it makes you very cranky too. But are we truly hungry? I would argue not. But that’s a whole other can of worms. We are conditioned to eat when we think we’re hungry and when our brains main source of energy (sugar or carbohydrates) is low, our self-control takes a nosedive and no matter how strong you think you are, our will-power doesn’t stand a chance. It’s ironic too that research has revealed that constant dieting can make cortisol levels rise as much as 18 percent.

That’s why I along with many others have found a KISS (Keep It Simple Smart) way around this insanity with “The Eat Stop Eat” method of calorie reduction. This method utilizes intermittent fasting as a tool for weight loss and control. Brad Pilon’s (The Author) plan is so simple that on your non-fasting days all you have to do is just eat sensibly and be sure to include plenty of fruits, veggies, lean proteins, herbs and spices. In other words just eat healthy and forget about counting stupid calories. Now this doesn’t give you license to go crazy on your non-fasting days. That defeats the purpose. And this method isn’t for everyone. You can also choose to just eat three healthy meals and two snacks spaced evenly throughout the day this will also help your blood sugar stay at a pretty even keel. If you practice either of these approaches, you won’t be stressed out about food, you won’t be hungry and you’ll drop those extra pounds.

3.) Slow down Your Eating

When we’re all jacked up and under stress, we tend to scarf down even good for us food. Research has linked this behavior to bigger portions and bigger bellies. However, if you slow it down, actually chew and savor each bite. You might actually begin to also pay attention to your feelings of fullness and satiety which may also lower your levels of cortisol and also reduce the amount of food you shove in your mouth, which is a win win situation. You’ll reduce your calories in and also reduce the amount of stress hormones (cortisol) released.

4.) Cut down on caffeine

Next time you’re stressed out, choose decaf. The combo of caffeine and stress raises cortisol levels more than just stress alone. The University of Oklahoma did a study that showed when consuming the equivalent of 2 ½ to 3 cups of coffee while under mild stress shot up cortisol levels by about 25 percent and kept it there for 3 hours. They also took it a step further and jacked up the caffeine to about 600 mg (equivalent of 6 cups) throughout the day, cortisol levels cranked up to 30% and stayed there all day long. They also proved that even if you’re used to a lot of lattes, you’ll experience similar effects. And since we’ve also pointed out that high cortisol levels contribute to stress eating, quitting or cutting down on caffeine may not be a bad idea until you get your belly fat under control.

5.) De-stress your breakfast

Nutritional deficiencies in B vitamins, calcium, magnesium and vitamin C can also add to the stress in our bodies which can lead to increased cortisol levels and food cravings. You can combat this however, if you start your day off right with a breakfast that’s high in these nutrients. Whole grains are chocked full of B vitamins and peanut butter (my favorite) contains fatty acids that have been proven to reduce stress hormones. Here are a few sample breakfast ideas that are packed full of vitamin B, C, Calcium and Magnesium.

Breakfast A

6-8 oz low or non-fat yogurt (I love the Greek Strained –Fage brand) with a cup of Strawberries or Blueberries and a ½ grapefruit.

Breakfast B

1 C. Old fashioned or better yet Steal Cut oats, topped with mixed fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries and blackberries) sprinkled with raw almond slices or walnuts.

Breakfast C

1 slice sprouted grain (Ezekiel Bread) with 1 Tbsp organic peanut butter, ½ C non-fat or low fat yogurt and an orange.

6.) Satisfy cravings

Since stress can drive us toward something sweet or salty, it’s ok to give in a little. It’s much better to indulge in a taste and cut off your cortisol response before things get out of control. Have a little piece of chocolate or a few salted nuts. In fact, I’ve even found some organic dark chocolate chips that are perfect for this type of thing. You’ll feel better. But just remember to stop at a few. Take a small amount out of the package and put the rest away and eat them one at a time. You’ll feel better and you won’t break the calorie bank.

So how do you beat stress? Do you have any new, different or favorite ways to unwind and combat the stresses of everyday life? If so please share them.

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