Stress and Weight Gain

When I have clients come in for their first assessment I always ask them what their stress level is on a scale form 1-10.  A score of ten being "I'm absolutely stressed out of my mind!" and a score of 1 being, "I don't have a care in the world."  Most of the individuals that are at a score of ten or on the upper end of the scale say that their main goal is to lose weight.  After several more questions I measure their body fat percentage by doing a skin fold test.  It's fascinating to see the connection between stress and body fat.  Those who say they are overly stressed mentally and emotionally, tend to have a higher body fat percentage than those who claim they do not have much if any stress in their lives.  This is not always the case, but it seems to happen more often than not. 

When you are stressed your body goes into a fight or flight response, which leads to a release of various hormones.  Releasing hormones such as adrenaline or cortisol is a good thing, especially if we really are in danger.  But if we are under prolonged amounts of stress, our bodies can be damaged by these hormones over a long period of time.

Cortisol is an important hormone in the body and is responsible for the following:

• Proper glucose metabolism
• Regulation of blood pressure
• Insulin release for blood sugar maintenance
• Immune function
• Inflammatory response

If cortisol is continually released in the blood stream due to stress, it can take a negative toll on our bodies.  Cortisol can cause your cognitive performance to be impaired.  When an individual is stressed he/she is less likely to think clearly or solve problems.  High levels of cortisol can also suppress thyroid function.  The thyroid controls your metabolism (which is how efficiently your body utilizes energy).  Cortisol is also responsible for increasing abdominal fat which is typically associated with a greater amount of health problems; cardiovascular disease, stroke, and high blood pressure are just a few.

To keep cortisol levels low the body needs to relax at some point during the day.  If you sense that you are stressed, it would be wise to research stress management techniques to keep your cortisol levels down.  If you have unexpected weight gain, take a good look at your stress levels as this may be why you are gaining weight.  You are responsible for your own body.  Although work and life may be stressful, you can control to some level how you let work and life affect you.  Take charge of you health by getting rid of unneeded stress in your life.

Snap Fitness Sherwood, OR

Check out Snap Fitness Sherwood's Facebook page.  I am a personal trainer at this gym and would love for you to stop by! You can use a free 7-day trial pass to check out the gym.  I hope you'll drop in and say hello to take control of your overall health!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Snap-Fitness-Sherwood/370789132021

K-E Diet Controversy

http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/18/health/feeding-tube-allergies/index.html?hpt=he_c2

K-E Diet

     The K-E Diet has been highlighted in the news lately.  It is a diet that targets brides.  It is a quick fix weight loss diet that claims patients will lose 1% of their body weight in 10 days if they adhere to the diets strict instructions.  The only catch is that all caloric intake comes from a feeding tube inserted through the nose and into the stomach.  The tube then feeds the patient 24hrs a day for 10 days.  Please read the brochure and watch the video that are linked to the websites below.

Client on the K-E Diet

 Speaking About the K-E Diet: http://s3images.coroflot.com/user_files/individual_files/167837_RAJGsfkXkDeJ0zfWwghIDFyo5.pdf

Today Show: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/3041426/ns/today-today_health/#47059407

With individuals who have diabetes, their insulin is not functioning properly.  Simply stated, insulin is the key to open up a body cell to accept glucose (sugar) in order for the cell to function properly.  If the insulin does not unlock the cell then glucose will continue to stay in the blood stream.  Normal fat tissue breakdown (lipolysis) requires the presence of glucose.  This glucose then relies on insulin to open the glucose channel to enter into the cell of our body. 

     Ketones are acids.  When there is an excess of fat breaking down in the body, there is an increase in ketone formation which causes ketoacidosis*.  If there is a continuation of ketones present in the blood stream this can result in coma or death. 

     In order to combat ketoacidosis one must intake an adequate amount of carbohydrates.  Carbohydrates help provide sufficient energy to combat catabolism (metabolic process of breaking down large substances to yield smaller building blocks) of tissue protein and prevent starvation ketosis (accumulation of ketones in the blood).

    With all of that said, the K-E diet has placed patients bodies into a state of ketoacidosis, pretty much flooding their blood stream with acid or placing their body into a catabolic state.  The K-E diet only allows the patient to intake (through a feeding tube) 800 calories every 24 hours.  The average person’s Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is roughly 1400-2000 calories.  BMR is the number of calories you would burn if you stay in bed all day long (no getting up, working, sitting, walking, working out, etc).  In other words, the K-E diet is a starvation diet and in my opinion should be associated with anorexia because it is depriving your body of calories it needs to function properly. 

*Ketoacidosis: excess production of ketones; a form of metabolic acidosis that occurs in uncontrolled diabetes or starvation from burning body fat for energy fuel; a continuing, uncontrolled state that can result in coma or death