THE EFFECTS OF STRESS
There are various reasons for being overweight and its negative consequences. Our genes, our physical activity and our eating habits determine whether we are and remain thin or whether we gain weight, i.e. become "fat". But there are also causes that are far less obvious. Stress can cause the roundness of the stomach to become larger and larger.
For a long time, science wrongly assumed that body fat was a passive form of tissue. Only muscles were considered to have metabolic activity. Today, however, it is assumed, and this has also been proven by modern laboratory diagnostics, that fat also has metabolically active properties. This is particularly true for belly fat.
CORTISOL IS A CATABOLIC HORMONE IN OUR BODY AND CAUSES THE BREAKDOWN OF MUSCLE.
STRESS AFFECTS HORMONE BALANCE
Cortisol is a hormone produced by the body and is released primarily when there is physical and mental stress. As the body's own stress hormone, cortisol has activating properties and is supposed to prepare us for "fight" or "flight" in stressful situations. However, cortisol does not only have good properties, but also some that have a negative effect on our body and especially our muscles.
This leads to the release of cortisol LOSS OF MUSCLE MASS , as cortisol uses muscle proteins to generate energy. This process can be counteracted to a certain extent by consuming sufficient protein, as proteins contribute to muscle maintenance. However, if intense stress occurs regularly, proteins alone are no longer sufficient to protect muscles, which is why measures are required that effectively contribute to stress reduction.
What is even worse, however, is the fact that cortisol promotes the build-up of internal belly fat - especially when it is constantly released due to long-term stress. Since belly fat has certain receptors that cortisol molecules can "dock" onto particularly well, it reacts by releasing cortisol and causing this growth. Too much belly fat is blamed for numerous diseases in both men and women, such as coronary heart disease and heart attacks.
7 TO 8 HOURS OF SLEEP PER NIGHT IS OPTIMAL.
PREVENT STRESS WITH WELLNESS
Less stress and the resulting reduction in cortisol secretion can be a key to weight control. This is especially true as our hormone levels also influence our eating habits, i.e. how much and what we eat. The meals we eat during periods of stress are less filling, are eaten more irregularly and, due to a lack of time, we often eat fast food, which leads to too many fats and carbohydrates. In combination with a lack of exercise, these factors all contribute to increasing body fat build-up. Avoiding stress could therefore be an effective and simple measure for fat loss. Getting enough sleep is also important - 7 to 8 hours per night is ideal. This is especially true because during the night, around 90 minutes after falling asleep, the body's energy levels are reduced. GROWTH HORMONE IS RELEASED , which is also called the "slimming hormone" due to its lipolytic properties (= fat burning).
The first step to effectively managing stress is to differentiate between the different types of stress. Since negative stress (= distress) has a much more detrimental effect on the hormonal balance than positive stress (= eustress), the former must be identified and specifically reduced. The second step involves taking measures that counteract the stress level and ensure relaxation. Massages, sauna sessions, special breathing techniques or meditation can be just as helpful as yoga or a short walk in the fresh air.
Regular exercise can also help reduce stress. As with everything in life, it is important to find the right balance, as training sessions that are too long also mean stress for the body and cause increased cortisol release. 3 to 4 training sessions per week with no more than 60 minutes per session can not only help manage stress, but also activate the metabolism and stimulate fat loss, which actively contributes to successful weight management.