This is not all down to diet and exercise, but can be indicative of stress hormones being overloaded.  Our caveman life had few but serious stresses, during which time we prepared for ‘fight or flight’, and the body reacted with various hormones and chemicals in response to that.  Modern life has fewer life threatening stresses, but these can be continuous causing similar body reactions and changes without us even realising the impact on our health, and our shape.

During stress, Adrenaline is released which speeds your heart rate, shuts down digestion, increases your blood pressure  and breathing to increase blood and oxygen to muscles; and Cortisol which releases glucose and fat into the bloodstream for energy.  Once the stress is over, Adrenaline levels return to normal quite quickly, but Cortisol can stay in your system for longer, causing you to feel hungry as the body is encouraged to replace the fat and sugar that are released. However, if the fat and sugar aren’t used up in a fight or flight response then it is deposited as fat stores around the stomach.  Why is it stored around the middle? Because this is the area closest to the liver, enabling it to be converted back to energy most quickly. 

If your body perceives an ongoing stress, it needs to keep a readymade fat store for constant use and it does this by causing hunger and cravings for fats, sugars and carbohydrates.

To remedy this, you need to:

• Improves circulation and immunity

• Eat little and often

• Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates (foods made with white flour, crisps, cakes and biscuits.

• Eat more protein with each meal and more good fats (nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocados and oily fish) **

• Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, alcohol, smoking and fizzy drinks

• Exercise enough to make you sweat and build up muscle (good for combating stress)

• Take appropriate supplements (consult a Nutritional Therapist)

• Reduce stress – make lifestyle changes and build in relaxation

There are a number of tests you can have done which measure the amount of Adrenaline and Cortisol in your blood, and how resistant you are to insulin (an indication of whether you may develop type 2 diabetes).

**For a full list on what to eat to reduce fat around the middle, please consult a nutritionist .

Sam Silvester is a qualified Nutritionist who works with people to change their diet and lifestyle to reduce fat and combat stress.  Call the Wantage Natural Therapy Centre on 01235 760079, or contact her directly for an appointment on 07767 260374.

What’s Eating You!

Nutritional Therapy @ Wantage Natural Therapy Centre