How stress can affect your waistline

Without stress we could not enjoy life to the fullest, or complete those essential tasks that help us learn and grow. When stress becomes constant, however, the body needs a chance to recover and recuperate. When this doesn't happen stress has the ability to undermine best efforts, including those associated with weight management.

Hormones & weight

The fight or flight syndrome, directly linked to adrenaline responses to stress, has been a biological factor since the dawn of humanity. This response gave early humans the ability to run away from the saber-tooth tiger, John Malatras of Harvest Moon Health and Nutrition in West Milford said.

In contemporary times, the biological response is the same, but humans act differently. Since common stressors are not usually life threatening but more long term, not allowing an immediate resting period afterward (ie: after outrunning or killing the tiger), people are more likely to grab a sandwich, sit in front of the TV or continue tackling other stressful situations while stress hormones such as cortisol are still high.

Food particularly causes weight gain when under stress because the hormones and energy normally in the digestive system have been redirected to the muscular tissues, reducing digestive ability.

Stress triggers both adrenaline and cortisol, adrenaline being the immediate response," naturopathic doctor, Doni Wilson said. Because cortisol is essential to our natural circadian rhythm, with levels rising in early morning to wake us, and lowering at night so we can sleep, when the stress response is constantly turned on cortisol levels can easily go out of whack, becoming too high, too low, or simply at the wrong level at the wrong time of day.

"Cortisol's affect on blood sugar is so direct and so dramatic," Malatras said.

Cortisol also affects other hormones, Wilson said, encouraging them to adjust to mitigate these and other biological effects such as decreased thyroid and digestion function.

Additionally, cortisol directly affects the nervous system including serotonin and dopamine transmitters, which in part affect food cravings and other stress responses.

"A plethora of research demonstrates that stress has a major impact on depression and anxiety," Wilson said in her e-book, 'Stress Remedies: How to Reduce Stress and Boost Your Health in Just 15 Minutes a Day.' "This makes sense when you consider how significantly the stress hormone cortisol affects our neurotransmitters, the biochemical that determine mood, energy, and focus."

Malatras said that high-energy workouts followed by meals can also undermine a healthy lifestyle – the adrenaline and stress hormones, such as cortisol, need an opportunity to calm and return energy to the digestive system before eating for the best weight management and overall energy levels.

In summation, cortisol levels that are too low throughout the day equate to low metabolism, lack of interest and ability to be active, and overall low energy.

Cortisol levels that are too high, on the other hand, result in a constant state of biological and neurological stress, which floods the body with hormones and sugars intended to help deal with immediate stressors. Wilson said when these stressors are chronic the energy does not return to the digestive system so it can properly process food, nutrients and fat.

Stress & food

West Milford herbalist, Robin Rose Bennett agrees that bodies aren't biologically equipped to deal with chronic stress. Instead the body evolved to deal with high stress levels that were followed by periods of calm.

"These days we don't tend to go about our lives that way because of the pace of things and the constant distraction," Bennett said.

Bennett recognizes that a comfort during times of stress can be sweet or fatty foods.

"I think that a loving thing to do is to begin to acknowledge that we do need comfort," Bennett said. "To be truly loving we want to find healthier longer lasting solutions to the problems."

Practical examples of this are having healthy snacks on hand that are a combination of protein and sweet. Wilson suggests six "half-meals" a day to maintain blood sugar and energy levels, and Bennett has a number of recipes in her book, "The Gift of Healing Herbs," such as stewed apple and cinnamon over yogurt, or her Berry Rich Dessert that are easy to make in advance to have on hand in lieu of candy or treats.

"A stressed out state is not optimal," Wilson said. "Make sure we have chances to take a break even if they're bits of time. You don't need the whole day off. Research says, 10, 15 minutes to exercise or have short breaks to let mind relax are beneficial."