Cortisol and the Comfort Foods You Eat
Photo by Engin Akyurt from Pexels
While many people think that comfort foods provide quick relief from stress, cortisol levels increase after eating comfort food. This is because the adrenal glands release adrenaline when a person experiences stress. This adrenaline raises the blood sugar level to quickly meet the “fight or flight” energy needs of either activity. If the body does not get what it needs in return for priming these systems with an adequate supply of glucose, it begins to break down glycogen stores (a type of stored sugar) into usable sugars (to keep up with the heightened demands).
The body releases cortisol in response to using its glycogen stores to produce more glucose, leading them back toward homeostasis again (the state where everything is balanced and working correctly in the body).
Hydrocortisone causes an increase in visceral fat and interferes with insulin production, which can lead to diabetes. Cortisol also encourages cravings for fatty foods, sugar, and carbohydrates – all of these feed into a vicious cycle where stress increases even more belly fat.
If you’re not eating healthy foods, then your cells will be functioning at their absolute best for around 20 minutes before they start to break down.
Eating bread, pasta, desserts etc., causes our cells to release cortisol, leading to weight gain and stress belly!