The latest post from Featured Contributing Coach Marvin Manzano.  Check out Marvin’s blog at http://lafitclub.blogspot.com/.

Stressed is “Desserts” spelled Backwards…

Research has demonstrated that stress can contribute to the build-up of body fat as a result of stress’s effect on hormonal secretion and its physiological consequences. Explain Please!:
Cortisol sets off an increased rush of glucose from your tissues (including breaking down muscle tissue to make glucose). Yikes! Remember, the body thinks something major is going down. In response to the rise in glucose comes the rise in insulin. You know the drill. Do this again and again, day after day, and what do you have? Insulin resistance eventually.
In the meantime, the cortisol is signaling the body to store fat. (The body thinks it will need it after all.) Specifically, the body directs fat storage in the abdomen, around the organs, where there are more receptors for cortisol and a greater supply of blood.
A lot of research has been done on this in the last few years highlighting the contribution of stress to abdominal fat in particular.
And tell me if I’m lien, when your stress, don’t you eat more?



Suggestions? Choose a lifestyle that supports hormonal balance. Eat a low carb, high anti-oxidant diet, exercise, and get plenty of sleep. Take omega-3 supplements to help counteract the inflammation damage related to stress.