Manage Your Stress to Lose Weight and Control Your Diabetes
We all know that stress is a part of life. There are some good points to having stress, as stress can cause us to take action, but an overall high level of stress can cause health problems. Chronic stress can cause weight gain as well as play havoc with blood sugars if stress is not managed.
If we go back in time to the cave men, we can look at how our bodies respond to stress. If a cave man went out hunting and a bear came after him, he would go into the flight or fight response, choosing either to fight the bear or run. This response would trigger hormone responses, such as an increase in cortisol to help increase energy for fighting or running, and a decrease in serotonin levels to prevent falling asleep when action is needed.
Increased cortisol results in your body storing fat (which encourages weight gain) because the cave person would need that stored energy for fighting or running. The decreased serotonin levels result in your body craving carbohydrates, because the carbohydrates are easily transferred to energy. The carbohydrates also function to help relax and comfort you since your serotonin level is not optimal. Sustained stress hormone elevation can lower thyroid function, which can affect your metabolism. The stress hormones can also interfere with growth hormones, which affect your muscle mass, resulting in a lower muscle mass and decreased metabolism.
Along with stress, many behaviors can increase cortisol, such as skipping meals, not getting adequate sleep, not eating properly, and consuming high amounts of alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
If we think about our level of stress compared to the cave man, the cave man’s response to stress was immediate and then, when the bear disappeared, his stress level went down. The problem with stress today is that the stress level remains elevated all the time, resulting in a constant increase in stress hormones in our systems. By lowering our stress and working on how we manage stress, we can lower our stress hormones and help promote weight loss and better diabetes control.
Tips to Relieve Stress
1. Determine what you can control and what you can’t control. We sometimes waste a lot of time worrying and trying to solve problems that we cannot control. It is important to learn to stop and decide whether you can really change the situation, or whether it is beyond your control so that you need to just let it go and change how you are approaching it.
2. Take time for you. I frequently hear that it is selfish to take some time for yourself. I also hear that there is never enough time to do something for yourself. But if you think about running ragged and never having any downtime or “you” time, it is taking away from how you are responding to others in your life. By being stressed, anxious and worried you may be more irritable with those you love, or may not be fully present to enjoy the moment because you are off in your mind worrying about other things. So, by taking time for you, you are able to take care of others better. It is like the airplane analogy: put on your own air mask before putting on your child’s. So make it a priority to schedule some “you” time. It can be something simple like a quiet cup of coffee in the morning, a hot bath, reading a favorite book, going for a walk, or developing new hobbies.
3. Eat healthily and limit stress-increasing foods such as sugar, caffeine and alcohol. Also eat regular meals and planned snacks; skipping meals can increase stress. Many people are not breakfast eaters, so try lighter breakfasts such as a granola bar or smoothie. Seek out a Registered Dietitian if you need help in this area.
4. Try guided imagery, meditation, yoga or progressive relaxation. Guided imagery is a process in which you do deep breathing and imagine yourself somewhere pleasant, such as a beach. You imagine using all your senses: feeling the sand, smelling the salt water, hearing the waves and birds, seeing the blades of grass blow and the waves crash. Even a five minute “vacation in your head” will help relax you. I had a client tell me: “I go fishing in my head.” I love a CD available on amazon.com called ‘Ten Minutes to Relax.’ It is a quick guided imagery that can help lower stress. Progressive relaxation is a process where deep breathing is used along with tensing and releasing the muscles in order to see whether muscles are tense without you realizing it. You will find that releasing muscles helps you relax. Many audios are available that will help you learn this process. When done daily, guided imagery and progressive relaxation help lower overall stress.
5. Take “4 x 4” breaks each day. This means learning to take four small breaks throughout the day, and take four deep belly breaths. This will help you slow down and relax a few times during the day.
6. Exercise. Yes, this is the dreaded word most people do not like to hear. But exercise is a great stress reliever. It also can increase your energy level and help you focus better. Exercise helps lower cortisol levels and stimulates serotonin, so build regular exercise into your routine. Plus you get the benefit of burning calories to help you achieve weight loss.
7. Find a support person. Find someone you can trust and share your thoughts and feelings with them. When thinking of a support person, discern who a healthy support person would be. It should be someone who listens and is nonjudgmental – not necessarily someone to solve your problems, but someone willing to be present with you who will not tell you to “get over it.”
If you work on lowering your stress to help change your cortisol and serotonin levels, you will see the benefits in your life. Work on adding some of these techniques each day, as well as other stress techniques; this is not a complete list of stress reduction methods. It may help to schedule these tips on your calendar or post sticky notes as reminders. And don’t be afraid to seek help from a professional if you need more individualized attention. In order to stay on track, you can enlist the help of an online registered dietitian at Real Living Nutrition Services®. I would love to work with you, and can be reached through the links below.
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