Stress on your Metabolism

Have you ever felt that no matter how much you exercise, the extra weight just wont budge? You’ve been eating good, working out everyday but those love handles simply won’t budge? Blame stress.

Stress puts our hormones out of wack which in effect have a negative affect on the way our body metabolizes fat. The adrenal glands, (they sit on the top of the kidneys) secrete hormones that trigger stress reactions such as the “fight or flight” instinct. When you’re stressed, your adrenal glands are stressed. If you are chronically stressed out, then what happens is that your adrenal glands get really tired which result in you not being able to handle stress, resulting in fatigue and hormonal imbalances which ultimately affect your body’s fat burning ability.

Overall, when our body is chronically stressed out, our body is unable to easily convert our fat cells into energy. Instead it conserves it. If you’re looking to lose weight, its definitely worthwhile to evaluate your stress levels and consider whether your stress is affecting your ability to burn fat.

Its definitely a good idea to consult a doctor about these issues, however there are some simple natural things you can do in the meantime to improve your metabolism, thereby improving your body’s ability to burn fat.

* Increase your in take of Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s). Essential Fatty Acids can be found in foods high in Omega 3,6,9′s.

Flaxseed oil, also known as linseed oil is very beneficial for the body. It improves digestion, is good for cardiovascular (heart health) and fights inflammation (such as joint pain, even skin conditions like psoriasis and ezcema) Flaxseed oil is available in capsule form and liquid form. You can likely find this at your local grocery store or nutrition shop.

Diets high in calcium and magnesium are also beneficial. Eating fresh sprouts is a great way to get these minerals into the body. Almonds are also another great option. High in calcium and Vitamin E, an anti-oxidant.