Feeling bad about something? This article may make you feel worse.
Did that sentence cause your heart rate to speed up just a little? That’s stress. And it is one of the root causes of insulin resistance—the condition that leads to diabetes, BP, heart problems, and a myriad other conditions.
But don’t worry, we have a solution!
All stress isn’t bad. Good news—a promotion, a winning lottery ticket, the feeling just before a big game—causes your hormones to spike and your pulse to quicken, although there is no fear or anger. This is good stress. It inspires and motivates; pushes performance; focuses energy.
On the other hand, stress that wears you down makes you anxious, depressed, distressed, drains energy, or decreases performance, is bad. Bad stress isn’t always chronic; it often only lasts for a short time.
Stress and diabetesThere are seven key causes of type two diabetes: four relate to diet, two to exercise and one is stress-related.
(for a deeper dive into the key causes of insulin resistance you can watch our video on this topic, here).
If you measure your blood sugar levels when you are depressed, angry, or worried, you will notice a sharp spike in your readings. This is the effect of stress. And it is caused by a hormone called cortisol.
To understand why stress causes BSL to rise, we must understand the function of cortisol, aka, the stress hormone. Cortisol is what kept our ancestors alive and safe long ago, kept them aware, and gave them the energy to fight or flee, as the situation demanded. What happens is this:
- Stress and weight gain
The primary cortisol-fat gain connection goes back to high blood glucose and suppressed insulin.
These two effects lead to cells being starved of glucose. But those cells still need energy and so they send hunger signals to the brain—leading to overeating.
Some studies have also found a connection between cortisol levels and cravings in some populations.
Stress and Gastrointestinal Problems
We have two nervous systems in the body sympathetic and parasympathetic. Cortisol triggers the sympathetic nervous system causing the body to respond with elevated heart rate, lower insulin, etc. as we have seen.
Stress and heart disease
In a fight-or-flight situation, the body needs an enhanced flow of oxygenated blood, and that’s what cortisol does: it constricts blood vessels and increases blood pressure.
However, if cortisol levels remain high, it leads to damage of blood vessels and narrowing of arteries: the ideal condition for a heart attack. Turns out the stereotype of Type A personalities having heart attacks is actually true!
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