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What is a stressed out belly or stress belly?
Stressed out belly or stress belly is a term used to describe the extra weight that accumulates around your stomach area. The stomach appears swollen and protrudes against the rib cage.
Stress is a hot topic these days. Whether you’re talking about a well-known term like post-traumatic stress disorder, or something more down-to-earth like workplace stress, most of us have been affected by stress at some point in our lives. So, if you have a belly that seems to be the size of a small planet, the cause could be as simple as stress.
We all know what stress feels like. Stress can be an uncomfortable, overwhelming feeling that stops you in your tracks. But did you know that it could also have a physical reaction to your body? Stress belly results from symptoms of stress and anxiety manifesting as excess weight around the middle area of the body.
Everyone has heard that stress is bad for the body. It’s been linked to several health problems, including heart disease and high blood pressure. But did you know it may also be causing your stomach to get bigger?
Stress belly is an emotional response to stress or pressure that typically leads people to eat more than they should and there is a lack of exercise. Eating more will lead to an increase in this fat tissue on your abdomen, so it’s crucial not only for long-term health but short-term too!
Higher cortisol levels linked to excess belly fat
Cortisol is a hormone that plays many different roles in your body. Cortisol secretion is activated by the adrenal gland which releases it in response to acute stress; it also helps regulate blood pressure, blood sugar levels, immune system function, metabolism and other vital functions.
The health consequences of excess cortisol are serious. Excess cortisol can lead to abdominal obesity, weight gain and increase in body mass, cardiovascular disease, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes and osteoporosis. It’s important for people to be mindful of their food and how it affects their stress levels.
The connection between elevated cortisol and abdominal obesity isn’t new – researchers first described this relationship in the 1960s. They found that people with higher levels of cortisol had more fat around their waist than people with lower cortisol levels.
So, what does this have to do with you? For one thing, increased abdominal fat can lead to diabetes, heart disease, or stroke later on in life. And because women, especially postmenopausal women, are especially prone to storing belly fat when they’re stressed out (thanks hormones!), they need to pay more attention.
What causes stress belly?
A stressed out belly is often a mirror of a stressed-out body. Many people ignore their physical state and concentrate on the mental aspects instead. If you are overweight and getting bigger by the day, then it is because you are stressed out, and that could be the leading cause of your expanding belly fat.
Stress belly occurs when you are stressed out, which causes your body to release cortisol into your system. Cortisol boosts the production of insulin, which in turn can cause bloating and weight gain.
Furthermore, let’s talk about stress-induced fat-burning metabolism. A stressed out body will have a lower metabolic rate and high fat due to several reasons. For one thing, it’s harder for our bodies to metabolize hormones and nutrients because we’re so stressed out.
These are items that our bodies need to perform their normal functions. However, being stressed out reduces the ability of the body nutrients to perform their tasks efficiently, resulting in accumulation of belly fat.
It’s a common misconception that stress belly is caused by overeating or not exercising. It’s been said many times before that high levels of stress can lead to obesity, but the truth of this statement has never really been corroborated well enough in scientific studies. Stress causes high cortisol levels, which leads you to store more fat and may make food taste better, so you eat more than usual, making your waist look much bigger than it actually should be!
When we get higher cortisol levels, or cortisol imbalance, our brains and hormones respond in a way that causes our body to produce higher levels of fatty acids.
The stress hormone cortisol slows down digestion and makes us feel hungry even if we just ate. And that’s not all! At times of acute stress, our body releases more of the “fight or flight” hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline from the adrenal gland into our bloodstreams. These hormones are responsible for raising blood pressure levels and increasing heart rate-both of which can lead to an increase in abdominal fat storage.
But the truth is, a stressed out belly is more likely to be because of your lifestyle habits than anything else. Constant stress can cause many changes in the way you live your life, and these changes may include eating less, over-eating, skipping workouts, slouching at work or school and much more.
What you can do to treat or lose stress belly
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and sugar, which all contribute to increased cortisol levels in your body that causes abdominal fat storage.
- Exercise also helps reduce cortisol levels by releasing endorphins into the brain, which promote feelings of happiness and relaxation. Exercise also helps increase blood flow and to break down the existing fat in your body.
- And if you’re feeling stressed out, take a break from work by going outside for some fresh air, taking deep breaths or taking a relaxing bath with Epsom salts to relieve tension in muscles and joints.
- Make sure you’re getting enough hours of sleep at night so that your body has time to repair itself from the day’s stresses!
- Drink more water, eat less processed food and refined carbohydrates to reduce bloating in the short term.
- Eliminate any high-glycemic, sugary foods, salt foods, and junk food from your diet. These foods are likely to reduce food cravings that can indirectly result in eating more and weight gain. Also, eliminate high-fat, fatty foods.
- For long-term relief from stress belly, make sure to get enough sleep each night and practice mindfulness techniques like meditation or yoga regularly. You’ll feel better soon!
- Consider intermittent fasting to manage your weight.
Is There Anything You Should Eat to Reduce Stress Belly?
The best way to reduce stress belly is by eating a healthy diet that includes lots of fresh leafy vegetables and lean protein sources such as fish or poultry.
Eating smaller meals throughout the day will help keep blood sugar levels stable and prevent overeating at mealtime.
Eating certain foods may help reduce stress belly symptoms by balancing your mood-regulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine (which helps regulate appetite).
Foods high in protein like eggs, chicken breast or fish will also help keep you feeling full longer, so you don’t overeat while trying to cope with stressors from work or home life.
Other foods that may help include those containing magnesium (such as leafy vegetables) since this mineral has been shown to have calming effects on nerves. You can also consider complex carbohydrates like whole grains that release energy slowly over time; healthy fats like avocado, which provide long-lasting energy without spikes in blood sugar levels; probiotics found in yoghurt, which promote gut health by improving digestion; and omega 3 fatty acids found in salmon which are anti-inflammatory agents that reduce pain throughout the body including joints. Also consume fresh fruits daily and avoid excess carbs as part of a balanced diet.
Other food items that can turn of the stress hormone and prevent stressed out belly include
- Cherries
- Blueberries
- Asparagus
- Tomatoes
- White potatoes
- Purple cabbage
How About Stressed Out Belly Workout?
This stress belly epidemic is not some kind of mass delusion. It’s a biophysical reality that can be objectively verified using scientific instruments such as a heart rate monitor, a cortisol meter or just a stethoscope.
The problem here is that we’re trying to fix this problem with the same approach paradigm that got us into this mess in the first place.
Stressed out belly workouts are moderate-intensity exercise designed specifically for people with an overactive gut who want to get back in shape. These workouts will teach you how to use your core muscles so that your digestive system works better and you feel less bloated and more energized.
Using a timer, you’ll tone up your abs, obliques and lower back muscles. Each workout takes only 10 minutes to complete.
To develop an effective stress belly workout program, you need to address why your belly fat is there in the first place. There are two leading causes: stress and psychological issues.
First, you need to work on your abs. Ab exercises are supposed to make your belly flat. But for those who suffer from a stressed out belly, exercises don’t work. Instead, you need to take the stress out of the belly.
The process of doing so is what I refer to as psychosomatic processing (PP); this helps you make your gut feel better. The approach is not about weight loss. It’s about feeling better that incorporate stress management techniques.
PP-informed programs have been developed to decrease stress. PP itself is a simple exercise that can make you feel better. As the chronic stress belly pathway incorporates the brain, PP-informed programs can be used with chronic diseases like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and others.
Millions of people around the globe have inadvertently implemented the process. A growing number of scientific studies show that these positive changes from PP-informed programs can be represented with actual, measurable data on brain wave functional changes, epigenetic changes in specific population groups and specific parts of the brain.
These PP workouts will make all the difference in how you look, feel, and live your life! And they’re easy enough for anyone – from beginners to advanced exercisers – because they don’t require any equipment at all.
True stress relief should get rid of symptoms such as bloating and gas. So, we’re tackling that first. When you start to feel better, you’ll lose weight naturally and can focus on other things in your life.
A stressed out belly can be tough to get rid of. However, there are many simple natural methods to help reduce high stress levels and increase your stomach’s size. By using proven, alternative solutions, you can eliminate unwanted belly fat and even body fat, restore health to your hormones and get rid of the chronic stress that has caused the problem in the first place. Follow the above tips, and you will start seeing results within just a few weeks.