Stress, Your Health and Weight Loss are they Linked? You Decide!

In response to a stressful situation, our body secretes the stress hormone cortisol, which alters our physiological response.

 Cortisol helps us cope with acute stressful situation by increasing blood levels for energy mobilization, increasing appetite, converting fat to energy, suppressing reproductive system, and stimulating immune organs to cope with bodily injury.

However, if the level of cortisol is chronically elevated, it results in a number of negative and destructive effects, including:

•  visceral fat deposits
•  memory impairment
•  insulin resistance
•  osteoporosis
•  mood swings
•  changes in  Sleeping habits
•  various digestive issues
•  neuromuscular complaints

Besides making us much less able to enjoy life and much more unpleasant to deal with, chronic stress can cause a cascading series of physiological responses in our systems that can lead to serious health issues in long run:


 Here are a few!

Nutrient deficiencies due to decrease in nutrient absorption and increase in excretion of certain minerals

Increased chances of cardiovascular disease by increasing LDL, triglycerides and increasing blood pressure (high blood pressure)

Reduced good gut flora, which can lower immunity and cause digestive issues

Reduced metabolism and increased fat storage, leading to weight gain

Decreased healing ability

Increased oxidative stress which increases premature aging

In the next post we will look at what can be done to reduce and manage stress so that some or all of these negative health consequences can be avoided and managed.

P.S  Feel free to leave me a comment on this post!