STRESS

Have you even noticed that when you are really stressed it can be hard to lose weight? Why is that? As if you need one more thing to worry about!

                    

When we are stressed our bodies send out hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that trigger the fight-or-flight response mechanism. Automatically our heart rate increases, the liver pumps out glucose (carb) for extra energy, and blood flow is slowed down to areas of the body such as our digestive system.  This is great if you really do need to fight or run away. The only problem at this time is that we are usually just sitting and fretting about all our problems. Thus, the extra energy (glucose) that was pumped out of the liver is not being used. Instead, it is being stored as fat. So in theory, although the last thing we want to do when stressed is exercise, the best thing to do when going through a stressful time is to move your body!

If you are needing more insight on how to manage your stress: check out this link below!
http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm