I found some interesting excerpts from the book, “The Abs Diet” by David Zinczenko so I wanted to share them with our readers:

You probably already know that stress can raise your blood pressure, diminish your sex drive, and cause excessive horn-blowing in traffic. But did you know it is also one of the biggest factors in determining your weight?

Stress Changes Your Body
Stress isn’t just something you feel in your head. It’s something that trickles throughout your body. Under stress, your body produces two hormones: adrenaline and cortisol (adrenaline is like lighter fluid and cortisol is like charcoal). Adrenaline quickly burns off the immediately available sugar in your blood, so you can fight or flee whatever is stressing you. Cortisol continues to fuel the fire, pumping more sugar into your blood so you have energy to burn. The problem is made to be burned off quickly as you either escape or attack. When the stress comes in—like a pressing deadline or a stack of bills—you can’t fight back or flee. And without that burst of physical activity, you don’t have the chance to burn off that extra blood sugar. Instead, it gets stored in your belly as fat. In a recent study at Yale, women who were most susceptible to stress had both higher levels of cortisol and greater abdominal fat than non-stressed women. And ladies exhibiting stress stored fat primarily in one place: their bellies.

Stress Incites Your Cravings
You know the kid in school who always egged you on to do the things you didn’t want to do - throw spitballs, trip the math-club president in the cafeteria, or touch your tongue to the frozen street sign? That’s what stress is: “the instigator.” It goads you to do things you know aren’t good for you, and under pressure, you cave in and do them anyway. Researchers at the University of California have identified a biochemical feedback system that could explain our stress/craving connection. In their study they determined that stress stimulated a flood of hormones that prompts the pleasure-seeking behaviors like eating high-calorie foods. Another study done at Yale University found that people with higher stress-induced cortisol levels ate more food—including more sweets—than people with lower cortisol levels.

Stress Keeps You — And Your Weight — Up
A University of Chicago study showed that men who slept only 4 hours a night had cortisol levels 37% higher than men who got a full 8 hours. Men who stayed awake the whole night had levels 45% higher than the well-rested guys. And remember, increased cortisol equals more fat stored in your belly. Another study tracked the work habits and weights of nearly 1,800 men over a 12-month period and found that those who regularly logged late hours were 36% more likely to tip the scales at above-normal weights than the 9-to-5 workers. That’s another reason why letting go of stress is an important step toward letting go of pounds. Another University of Chicago study showed that men who were relaxed enough to get deep (quality sleep) secreted almost 65% more human growth hormone (HGH) than men who didn’t sleep well.

Stress Changes Your Decisions
Sure, you have every intention of eating right. But when dinner is something that can be considered only in the 15 seconds of free time you have each evening, it’s awfully tempting to swing through the drive-thru and pick up something that’s ready faster than you can say, “I’ll have fries with that.”