Stress and Belly Fat - How to Deal With Increased cortisol Levels

One major culprit to belly fat: STRESS. In an earlier article, we talked about how to tame your stress through various easy (ok, not so easy, but still worth trying) measures. In this one, we're digging even deeper to figure out exactly what stress actually is, what it does to both your mind and body, and how it affects your belly fat indirectly. It's all about cortisol and stress and belly fat.

Let's start with the stress itself. There are several symptoms of chronic stress including anxiety, high blood pressure, insomnia, depression, irritability, social anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and digestive disorders. Stress also causes many physical problems like heart attack, stroke, arthritis, cancer, and diabetes.

One way to deal with chronic stress is by dealing with its underlying causes. You can do this by means of regular exercise and eating a balanced diet. Regular exercise prevents your body from having to resort to the use of your fat cells (cortisol) to cope with stress. On the other hand, a good diet can keep high blood sugar levels under control so that you don't suffer from "empty" belly fat and fatigue.

Acute stress, on the other hand, arises from events that occur suddenly outside of your control such as a car accident, a murder, a fire, or sudden and severe weather. When this stress strikes, your body releases large amounts of cortisol, a chemical that increases your blood sugar and decreases your insulin levels. Your liver responds by going into overdrive to clear away the excess glucose. In an effort to protect itself, your liver produces excess cortisol production increases.

Chronic stress causes both short-term and long-term health issues. Because your liver is trying to fight off the effects of cortisol, your appetite becomes sluggish, you gain weight, and you have difficulty concentrating. Chronic stress can also cause digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, heartburn, and constipation. In addition, it can lead to osteoporosis, depression, and high blood pressure.

There are a lot easier said than done when it comes to dealing with chronic stress and belly fat. For example, by depriving yourself of carbohydrates, you make it harder for your body to burn fat. This, in turn, makes it easier for you to gain weight and retain it. In addition, depriving yourself of protein makes it harder for you to build muscle and develop mental clarity.

A lot of people have learned that dealing with stress response and cortisol is simpler than they thought. After all, a big part of the stress response is your liver's desire to protect you. By keeping glucose levels stable, your liver is doing what it's supposed to do - but only when it's not under attack from the "stress response." If you can teach your liver to behave differently, and to only produce enough cortisol when it's necessary, then this will allow you to get rid of stress and belly fat much more quickly.

A great way to teach your liver to behave differently is to make sure that it gets plenty of rest. The reason for this is that cortisol levels tend to peak during times when you are sleep deprived, such as when you're working or studying late at night. You may also find that sleep helps to soothe stress, as it tends to reduce the level of stress hormones in your body. One thing to try is to find a natural, long-lasting sleep aid. These products usually contain melatonin, which helps to naturally induce sleep and can be used on a daily basis.