Stress, Sleep, & Stubborn Belly Fat: The Cycle That’s Eating Us All

Stress, Sleep, & Stubborn Belly Fat: The Cycle That’s Eating Us All

Most of us out there know that stress is considered a silent killer and that we should get at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night. Though there are some “Type A” personalities who may convince themselves they can get by on just 4 to 6 hours of sleep, most people intuitively know that shorting themselves on sleep is a really bad decision. Research shows that after just one week of shortened sleep, testosterone levels begin to fall. Of more than 600 chemicals produced in the liver, more than 60% were found to be controlled by the body’s circadian rhythm, or cycle of being asleep and awake.Tracking the number of hours one sleeps is a starting point, but quality of sleep is often as important as, if not more important than, the amount of sleep one gets.

But, beyond affecting sleep, chronically high levels of stress can alter the main fuel your body uses, turning it into more of a sugar burner than a fat burner. It can also stimulate the growth of visceral or belly fat, and increase the breakdown of muscle tissue.

Lack of sleep alters the hunger regulating hormones, leptin and ghrelin. Leptin is the hormone that tells us we are no longer hungry and ghrelin is the hormone that tells us we are hungry. Stress and lack of sleep decrease leptin production and increase ghrelin production causing increases in appetite and stimulation of cravings for those comfort foods that sabotage goals to eating healthy.

Stress and sleeplessness slow the release of growth hormone. Growth hormone helps repair and build lean muscle mass. Lean muscle mass helps keep the body at a higher resting metabolic rate, a key factor to weight control. Decreased growth hormone release causes increases in muscle breakdown.

Cortisol is the body’s primary stress hormone. Under normal circumstances, cortisol follows a regular circadian rhythm. Its levels should be the highest in the morning, with a sharp drop from morning until afternoon and a more gradual fall into the evening, when cortisol levels should be very low. During periods of stress, cortisol remains elevated throughout the day which in turn triggers several other biochemical responses.

High cortisol levels suppress the release of serotonin and melatonin, causing cravings for junk food and insomnia respectively. Increased cortisol levels also stimulate extended periods of the insulin response. During those periods of time fat-burn is inhibited, and is instead being created. This is when stubborn belly fat is formed.

An increased stress response also depletes pools of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). DHEA is a building block for sex hormones and supports thyroid function and immune function. So you are left feeling sluggish and less protected from illness.

Here are 5 ways to help reset your body back into its normal rhythm:

  • Ensure adequate protein intake. Include high quality protein into every meal and snack!
  • Consume ample amounts of antioxidants. So that means ramping up your fruit and veggie consumption.
  • Limit intake of simple sugars (white bread, crackers, cookies, soda, candy). Instead, opt for whole grains such as quinoa, oatmeal, and wild rice.
  • Limit caffeine intake! It’s easy to over-do it on caffeine when you’re stressed and exhausted but think about it. Caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands. When you’ve reached the point of adrenal exhaustion (after prolonged stress), consuming more caffeine is like whipping a dead horse. It’s no longer helping you.
  • Incorporate stress management techniques into your daily routine, whether it’s yoga, meditation, or simply taking 5 minutes to do something for yourself.

Stress affects all of us. It is easy to get caught up in busy schedules and set off a cascade of stress-related biochemical reactions that damage our bodies. The most important thing to remember is that we need to take care of ourselves and our bodies first. Halloween is right around the corner, but that doesn’t mean we need to force ourselves into being mindless, sleepless, walking zombies.

What have you done for yourself today?

 

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References

The Promise of Sleep: A Pioneer in Sleep Medicine Explores the Vital Connection Between Health, Happiness and a Good Night’s Sleep by William C. Dement, MD, PhD, and Christopher Vaughan (Dell, 2000)

The Harvard Medical School Guide to a Good Night’s Sleep by Lawrence Epstein, MD, with Steven Mardon (McGraw-Hill, 2007)

Say Good Night to Insomnia: The Six-Week, Drug-Free Program Developed at Harvard Medical School by Gregg D. Jacobs, PhD (Holt, 1998)

University of Chicago Medical Center. Sleep loss lowers testosterone in healthy young men. EurekAlert! May 31 2011. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-05/uocm-sll053111.php

University of California – Irvine. Metabolic Output Profoundly Influenced By Circadian Rhythms. Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 21 Mar. 2012. Web. 25 Jul. 2012. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/243145.php

University of California – Berkeley. As we sleep, speedy brain waves boost our ability to learn. EurekAlert! March 8 2011. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-03/uoc–aws030211.php

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Kasia Ciaston

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