Did you know that if you want to get rid of belly fat, the place to start is with stress-reduction techniques such as meditation, exercise and deep breathing…and not dieting?

As cited by http://www.elite-wellness-coaching.com/cortisol-belly-fat.html:

Cortisol is a stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. It is very useful in the short term when you need to respond to a life-threatening situation. But long-term high levels of cortisol have these negative effects on your body:

• sluggish immune system
• high blood pressure
• insulin resistance which can lead to diabetes
• fatigue
• headaches
• increase in belly fat

What is the connection between cortisol and belly fat?

Fat in the abdominal area has a greater blood supply as well as more receptors for cortisol. When you are under constant stress, the amount of cortisol you produce remains elevated. With constant stress and, consequently, high cortisol levels, more fat is deposited in the abdominal area since there are more cortisol receptors located there.

This belly or abdominal fat is what researchers call “central obesity.” Central obesity has long been associated with higher rates of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and several types of cancer.

An interesting phenomenon is that dieting or even just thinking about dieting can elevate your cortisol levels. RealAge in their recent post, “Flatten Your Belly with This Eating Habit,” cited a new study in which the tension levels of 121 female dieters were tracked for three weeks. Those who followed a strict low-cal eating plan — consisting of prepackaged meals totaling 1,200 calories a day — experienced a significant rise in their levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Researchers also discovered that the women who kept super-detailed food diaries felt far more stressed than the people who were inclined to wing it. “So while it’s good to think about what you’re putting in your mouth, don’t obsess about it. Watch portion sizes, choose healthy foods, be aware of how many times you visit the snack cupboard, but don’t make things too difficult.”

How to shave off belly fat? The most effective technique is to get plenty of rest and engage in whatever activities work for you to decrease your everyday stress.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 12th, 2010 at 1:22 pm and is filed under Adrenal Stress. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.