While obesity in general is a major predictor of serious ill-health, abdominal obesity - excess fat around the stomach - is an added health risk. When we add stress to the mix, our risk factor can easily double since stress triggers the release of the hormone cortisol which can stimulate fat storage around the stomach and abdomen.
Abdominal obesity is one of the several interlinked conditions (the others being high cholesterol, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, high levels of inflammatory and clotting components in the blood) that comprise the condition known as metabolic syndrome. This disorder has been identified as a complex risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Ingestion of sugar and highly refined carbohydrates will lead to a rapid rise in blood sugar levels (this applies to every one of us even without diabetes). As mentioned above, stress also plays a role in the rise of blood sugar. When you consume highly refined foods it creates a stress response in the body leading to the release of more cortisol. This rapid rise stimulates the release of insulin. Insulin is produced to remove the excess sugar from the blood stream and transport the glucose to the muscles and the cells. However, it there is too much insulin released (which can occur when we consume high amounts of sugar & refined carbohydrates especially in one meal), your body can overcompensate insulin causing your blood sugar levels to drop, leading to fatigue, cravings, moodiness, anxiety, jitters, etc.
Although untreated obesity may have serious health consequences, even modest weight loss can bring noticeable health benets. For example, a weight loss of as little as 10-20 pounds can eliminate the need for hypertension or type 2 diabetes medication. In addition, it can raise HDL cholesterol (the good blood-fats) reduce LDL cholesterol and triglycerides (the bad blood-fats) and thus reduce the risk of heart disease. Even so, the more weight you can lose in a steady sustained way, the greater the health improvements, especially if you can reduce the amount of fat around your middle.
Personalize Your Eating Plan
There is no one size fits all diet plan. Moreover, eliminating all your favorite foods is not a winning weight loss strategy. If you are eating for what your body needs in terms of caloric intake, and contains enough healthy foods, you should be able to include a few treats without interfering with your weight reduction. Stay away from all those quick fix remedies, they do not work and are not sustainable long term. Moreover, they can do more harm than good when it comes to your health and wellness.
Seeking out the help and support of a trusted nutrition specialist will help you understand the needs of your body and provide you with a way of eating and lifestyle that works for you. If you are looking for something very specific to your biochemistry, be sure to check out my Metabolic Balance Program. This program is designed to heal the metabolism for healthy weight loss, reduce inflammation and regulate hormones that provides you with your very own nutrition plan according to your blood lab results. We will run 30 (plus) different blood labs and your plan will be developed accordingly. Just like your fingerprints, there is no plan that is identical! Metabolic Balance has the highest success rate globally, at 60-80%!!
The key to a successful nutrition and healthy lifestyle program is perseverance. This means that you need to commit to it for the long haul. I understand that it can be difficult to stay on track at times, having an accountability partner is aways a great idea. However, working with a professional long term for guided support, coaching and the accountability can have a greater impact on the success of reaching and sustaining your goals. Not only will they be rooting for you all the way, but they will provide you with all the tools you need to reach your health goals.
If you would like to chat further and learn more about how I may be able to help you with your health goals, Book Your FREE Consult With Me HERE.
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