Zone Diet - A New Weight Loss System

Summary:

 

There are all kinds of diet and weight loss programs on the market today. A relatively new diet is the Zone Diet.

 

Article:

 

The Zone Diet works on the principle that 100,000 years ago, we were meat eaters, and our metabolism is designed to handle the demands of a meat-based diet. 

 

Madonna, Demi Moore, and Jennifer Aniston swear by the results of the Zone Diet, which was created by Barry Sears, PhD. The Zone Diet contains 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 30% fat and is known as the 40-30-30 plan. 

 

As the food industry evolved, more carbohydrates have been introduced into our daily diet, thus causing an imbalance in our metabolism to burn fat. The reason for our extra weight can also be attributed to the many grains and starches in our diet (pasta, rice, breads, and potatoes). The Zone Diet's approach calls for a return to the diets of our ancestors where meat, fruits, and vegetables are the main dietary foods.

 

The Zone Diet suggests that you need the right ratio of carbohydrates to proteins and fats in order to control the insulin in the bloodstream. Too much of the hormone (insulin) can increase fat storage and inflammation in the body (conditions that are associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease). Sears asserts that by using the Zone Diet, you are actually optimizing the body's metabolic function. Through the regulation of blood sugar, you allow your body to burn excess body fat. 

 

Although you are not prohibited from any particular food group, it is best to avoid food with high fat and carbohydrates such as grains, starches, and pastas. The ideal sources of carbs are fruits and vegetables and for monounsaturated fats olive oil, almonds, and avocados are recommended. The Zone Diet claims to use food as a drug for overall good health, weight loss and prevention or management of heart disease and diabetes. 

 

Sears says that you can test to see whether you are 'hormonally' correct by eating following the Zone diet and see how you feel four hours later. To simplify the Zone Diet, fill one-third of a plate with low-fat protein, and then two-thirds with fruits and vegetables. 

 

Celebrities and some health experts say that the Zone's recommendations do not stray far from the USDA's (United States Dietary Association) dietary guidelines and therefore are advocates of the Zone Diet. Others argue that the Zone Diet has flawed ratios but Sears argues that the Zone diet is a low-glycaemic-load diet that has adequate protein. . 

 

A critic of the Zone diet such as the AHA (American Heart Association) classifies the Zone Diet as high protein and does not recommend the Zone Diet for weight loss. They contend that the Zone Diet has not been proven effective in the long term for weight loss. The AHA issued an official recommendation warning against diets like the Zone Diet. They believe that the Zone Diet is hazardous as it restricts the intake of essential vitamins and minerals present in certain foods. The AHA also contends that the protein ratio in the Zone diet is too high even if the minimal fat ratio is good. Robert H. Ecker M.D of the A.H.A. finds the Zone Diet's theory on insulin flawed and argues that there is no scientific proof that the hormone insulin plays a big role in weight regulation.

Zone Diet - Criticism

Summary:

 

People all over the world, of any creed, race or community are weight conscious. They have different reasons for this. Some want to look good, some desire as weight loss while some need to be healthy. We can see people working hard to follow the trend. Gyms and diet plans are being used all over today. Diet plans are to be followed in accordance to different bodies and their potentials to lose weight.

 

Article:

 

One diet may not work or suit on everyone. The Zone Diet Plan is a moderate plan to be followed. 

 

The Zone Diet does not only calculate fat and protein match but relates calorie burn as well. It considers the significance of other ingredients as well to maintain a balanced diet. The Zone Diet will highlight the use and side effects of fats proteins, and unlike others, of carbohydrates as well. Carbohydrates affect the hormonal activities and the level of insulin in a human body. A disturbance in these internal systems leads to heart diseases and cancers. This is what the Zone Diet takes concern of. 

 

A Zone Diet will suit every being as it keeps a balance between fats, proteins, carbohydrates and all other healthy ingredients. This balancing gives a healthy development of hormonal activities along with a loss in weight. 

Despite the fact that The Zone Diet stresses on the consequence of carbohydrates for affective hormonal activities involving the hormones like Eicosanoids that relates to different metabolic courses but its shortage is also related to chubbiness and many other diseases. Nevertheless, there is no scientific confirmation for the remarks suggested by the Zone Diet plan. 

Your Tummy Fat Could Be Killing You!

Tummy fat. Some of us have it, others don't. Is there anything special about a big belly compared to a large bottom? Well, surprisingly, not all body fat is created equal! According to a study carried out by researchers from MacMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario it seems that gauging your heart attack risk depends on where your fat is, rather that how much fat you have.

 

These types of findings are not unique to MacMasters. Dr David Heber, Ph.D., from UCLA’s Centre for Human Nutrition reports that distribution of body fat is a more important predictor of heart attack risk than the traditional measurement of Body Mass Index (BMI), which is a measurement based on the ratio between your height and weight.

 

It appears that a more accurate predictor of the impact body fat has on your health, is your overall body shape. You may be more like an apple or a pear, or evenly shaped top and bottom. You may have large thighs, fat hips and a huge bum and have a lower heart attack risk than someone with skinny legs and a big belly.

 

A more accurate and telling predictor of heart attack risk, is the waist-to-hip ratio.

 

What is your waist-to-hip ratio?

 

Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. For example, if your hips measurement is 40 inches and your waist is 34 inches your hip-to-waist ratio is 0.85. If you are a man, that's great, if you are a woman, that's OK (but you are right on the limit of healthy).

• A man's ratio should not be over 0.90

• A woman's ratio should not be over 0.85

 

Don’t fight nature

 

If you were born an apple you will stay an apple and if you were born a pear you will continue to be appear. Accepting your natural body shape is the first step in losing weight. In a study led by Glasgow, Scotland, psychologist Dorothy Hefferman, Ph.D., researchers concluded that women whose actual body shape differs from their desired one may find losing weight frustrating and have more trouble sticking to a weight-loss program as a result.

 

If this sounds like you, accept your overall shape as nature intended, but pay attention to reducing fat around your middle and tummy areas. Circumference is much more important to your health than how you look in relation to your bust and bottom.

Your Metabolism And Fat Loss

If you know someone that has been trying to lose weight and get into shape, you have probably heard words such as, "I just eat one meal a day to lose weight" or "I'm afraid if I eat, I'll gain weight" but sadly, this misnomer is why so many people are in the "battle of the bulge". People all over the world still believe that eating breakfast, or even three meals a day will cause them to gain weight. In truth, as long as they are eating the right types of foods and exercising, then three normal meals or six small meals a day will actually work better with their metabolism than eating the wrong quantities or not eating often enough. 

 

With more than half of Americans over the age of 20 now being considered "overweight", now more than ever, we need to understand how metabolism works in relation to losing weight. Why risk having a heart attack, a stroke, developing cancer, or diabetes when all you have to do is make a few minor changes and live a healthy life? First, a person's metabolic rate is determined by the number and size of respiring cells that compromise the body's tissue, and the intensity of the metabolism in these cells. These two factors combined are what make up the physiological foundation of the amount of energy (calories) in which a body uses. 

 

Keep in mind that energy cannot be created or destroyed, just changed. As we know, potential energy comes from the foods we eat. When talking about weight loss, there are three components of balanced energy, which include calorie intake, calories stored, and calories expended. The way it works is that if the amount of calories taken in equals the amount of calories being expended (burned), then there is balance and the body's weight is stable. 

 

On the other hand, if the balance becomes positive, caused by more food being eaten than is burned, energy is destroyed or in better terms, stored as body fat. It is important to remember that you can be eating a diet considered low-fat and still gain weight. The reason is that most dietary fat is stored while the body is burning carbohydrates and proteins for energy. The problem is the when a person gains weight, the increased level of fat becomes stored energy until the calorie balance is negative. For that to happen, the amount of calories burned needs to exceed the number of calories being consumed, no matter what the macronutrient content. 

 

Metabolism is the rate at which the body uses energy to support the basic functions essential to sustain life. This metabolism is comprised of three parts, which include physical activity (20%), Thermic Effect of Food, also called TEF (10%), and Resting Metabolism Rate or REM (70%). Physical activity is the amount of energy your body burns up during normal, daily activities to include housework, recreation, work, exercise, and so on. Obviously, someone that is physically active will burn more energy than a sedentary person will. TEF accounts for the energy used in digesting and absorbing nutrients, which would vary depending on the meal's composition. When a person overeats, TEF is increased because more food must be digested. Here is where metabolism becomes very interesting and what causes so much confusion. 

 

One pound is equal to 3,500 calories, so let us say a person consumes 3,500 more calories than normal. That individual would not gain one pound because the TED is accounted for but if 3,500 calories were cut trying to lose weight, then TEF decreases since there would be fewer nutrients to process. The result is that with energy expenditure would decrease, meaning that the individual would lose less than one pound in weight. In other words, by cutting out too much food, TEF cannot work as it was designed to do. Now keep in mind that you cannot go around eating a bunch of junk food. After all, the calories you do consume need to be healthy foods but what this does mean is that when you do not eat, you are actually working against your body in fighting weight gain, not the other way around. 

 

Finally, the RMR refers to the number of calories the body needs to run its essential functions, as well as chemical reactions while in a rested state. This aspect of metabolism accounts for the greatest number of calories burned every day. What happens is that if lean weight should be lost because of increased protein metabolism, then RMR decreases. Typically, you would see this happen when a person goes on a very strict diet. In this situation, the body is forced into a negative nitrogen balance, which means a greater amount of protein is lost than what is replaced because of less protein/energy intake. When this imbalance occurs, there is a gradual loss of lean weight, which then lowers RMR. 

 

What happens many times is that dieters will limit the amount of lean weight loss with intense exercise for the muscles to develop a need to maintain more protein. When this happens, the body is forced to use more energy from stored fats. If you want to put your metabolism to work for you, some simple steps can be taken: 

 

By adding a few extra pounds of lean muscle, the metabolic rate can be increased by up to 200% each day Remember that lean weight can burn as much as 20 times more calories than fat weight Regular exercise is one of the best ways to boost metabolism By eating smaller meals and more often, you can boost your metabolism rate 

 

While you need to eat healthy foods, studies prove that what matters most is how much of a person's body weight is attributed to fat. Remember, excess fat is what links to major health problems. Therefore, it is important that you maintain a healthy weight but more crucial that you monitor the fat-to-muscle ratio. 

 

For example, a woman standing 5'5" might weigh only 125 pounds but have a 27% body fat ratio, which is not good. This individual worked hard to diet, while staying involved with aerobics. However, much of what she lost was not fat, but muscle. Even though this weight would be considered ideal for her height, her body fat to muscle ratio is too high. 

 

An excellent way to optimize your fat-to-muscle ratio is by getting involved with weight training in addition to the nutrition and cardio. As you will see with the tools provided at www.comptracker.com, you can analyze the thickness of the subcutaneous fat at various areas of the body. The benefit is that you know exactly what your ratios are so you can achieve a healthy fat-to-muscle ratio as well as body weight. 

 

Remember, you are in control and need to make the decision to do something good for yourself. Therefore, now is the time to take that control and fight to live a lean and healthy lifestyle.

You’ve Lost the Weight, but How Clean are You on the Inside Where it Counts?

Summary:

 

Everyone wants to be slim and toned, but most people are unaware or are just negligent to the importance of being clean on the inside as well, that should be of the most importance.

 

Article:

 

In today's age and world, being slim, shapely, possessing ripped abdominal muscles and toned arms seems to be the aim of a vast majority of the people you see spending tons of hours working out at gyms.

 

These same people spend loads of money on the new weight-loss pill or supplement guaranteed to 'make you eat less and increase your metabolism...' and in spite of whatever side effects the product may contain, the average Joe, still thinks this quick fix will be worth the risk.

 

In truth, some of these people have luck with these efforts, and yes they possess the ever so ripped and toned muscles we as a society admire so much. However, the fact that needs to be accepted and pondered upon thoroughly is: 'Whatever is not built on a proper foundation will eventually crumble!'

 

Most fitness experts and bodybuilders atrophy and wear down prematurely as sooner or later, these muscles 'blown up' with unnatural substances have a tendency to pretty much deflate. Moreover, 'ripped' muscles and supposed 'feats' of strength DO NOT depict proper and optimal health.

 

There is a saying that is known to every culture which goes:” you are what you eat...” What you eat plays arguably the most important role on your overall health and fitness, thus PROPER DIET should be the most important factor of any and every health seeker.

 

What then should one eat? In a nut-shell: yes as boring as it may sound- Fruits and Vegetables.

 

These substances possess the abilities to not only provide the necessary fuel needed for day to day activities, but play important and vital roles in: 

 

1. Providing the alkaline reserves in the body for balancing chemical metabolism within. 

 

2. Cleansing the digestive and excretory tract as they act as the much needed intestinal broom to sweep these 'pipes' (as you may call them) clean to function properly in their duties of nourishing and cleansing the body. 

 

3. Keeping the body fit, trim and in shape WITHOUT the unwanted side effects of toxic and artificial substances such as pills and supplements.

 

Sure, it is a great feeling to be able to see the awesome cuts in your 'abs' and arms when you look in the mirror, but feeling good on the inside as well and knowing that you are thoroughly cleansed internally should be of just as much importance as 'getting ripped'.

 

As I stated in one of my previous articles, a quick and sure-fire method of attaining internal cleanliness and the added bonus of healthy weight-loss will be to undergo a fast.

 

There are several methods of this tried and true method of healing and although it is covered to a degree in the free resources section of my website, you can always do some research on this radical; yet extremely effective method of internal purification and weight loss.

 

In conclusion, the cleaner you are on the inside and the freer you are of toxicity the quicker you can and will attain your goal of being in shape.

Yoga for Weight Loss: What You Need to Know to Succeed (Part 2)

Summary:

 

Can Yoga work for weight loss? From the ‘Breath of Fire’ exercise to the sun exercises, to the specific poses, learn how to execute each Yoga exercise when seeking to lose weight through this ancient, yet effective, form of physical culture. Yoga for Weight Loss: What You Need to Know to Succeed (Part 2).

 

Article:

 

Welcome back folks.

 

Okay, let’s cut right to the chase for how Yoga for weight loss works.

We’ve gone over the sun salutations and if you are anything like me, you probably tried them out and are sold on Yoga ‘the stretching’ exercise actually burning calories.

 

Now let’s target the trouble spots.

 

Poses for Trouble Spots when Using Yoga for Weight Loss:

 

1. Abdominal Region: The Forward Bending Pose, the Bow Pose, the Peacock Pose, the spinal twist and the Triangle Pose.

 

2. The Arms: Definitely the Peacock Pose! the Wheel Pose, the Crow Pose, the Side plank Pose and the 4-limb Staff Pose.

 

3. The Thighs: The Bow Pose, The Shoulder-Stand, the Hero Pose, the triangle and wheel poses.

 

4. Love Handles: The spinal twist, the triangle pose, (with practice) the Side Crow Poses, (for ease) The Side plank pose.

 

I realize the spots above are the ones most of us seem to target when trying to lose weight, so I have made sure to go over them first.

 

I’m under the impression that if you had searched in google or done some research on Yoga for weight loss, you must have gotten some degree of information on the poses above, or signed up for a class, bought a Yoga DVD, something to learn some more about it, which is why I did not go over each pose in detail. But trust me, they are indeed very easy. I will emphasize though, performing the Sun Salutations (upwards of 24 rounds) should be your main focus in using Yoga for a weight loss regimen, even before the other poses.

 

This too will help: One pose that some Yogis and Yoginis state to be a versatile enough pose for the whole body will be the Shoulder-Stand. It is best practiced with its counter poses, in fact, since these poses have effects on the meta-physical and spiritual aspects of our lives, it will be safe to say never execute a yoga pose without counter posing it. You may throw some things out of normalcy.

 

Here’s a brief overview on the Shoulder-stand as a yoga pose for weight loss:

 

Spread a thick blanket on the floor and place your yoga mat on it. Lie on the back. Slowly raise the legs. Lift the trunk, hips and legs to a vertical position. Rest the elbows firmly on the floor and support the back with both hands. (See the Illustration for Proper Execution). Raise the legs till they become vertical. Press the chin against the chest. This is the chin lock. While performing this pose, the back of the neck, the posterior part of the head and the shoulders should touch the floor. Breathe in counts of 5-5-5 (inhalation, retention and exhalation). Don’t allow the body to shake. Its counter poses are the bridge and fish poses which will target your forearms/thighs and chest/neck respectively.

 

As I promised; here is the Breath of Fire breathing exercise that you can add to your yoga practice to speed up the burning of calories. (Doesn’t the name alone tell you something... ?)

 

Breath of Fire Exercise (aka Kapalabathi or Bellows Breath)

 

• Take a few breaths and see that the diaphragm is moving properly. Now with the eyes closed (as they should be when performing all breathing exercises) make a sudden contraction of the abdomen with a backward push. This leads to a sudden yet firm expulsion of stagnant air from the lungs.  

• Now follow this with a sudden relaxation (which naturally makes the new air rush in) now perform the exercise in this manner: passive inhalation and active expulsions at a rate of sudden abdominal push per second one after the other. A round should have 15-20 expulsions. Do not exceed 3 rounds.

• You may gradually increase to 120 expulsions per round and then perform only 2 rounds. (As soon as you are doing 50 expulsions per round, do not exceed 2 rounds!) Between each round take a pause for about 30 seconds of normal breathing.

 

Now, there you have it, the information needed to get you started on the use of Yoga for weight loss: The poses for the trouble spots, the bellows breath, the shoulder-stand and the almighty Sun Salutations. 

 

Remember, for the same reasons Hippocrates-the father of Medicine stated: “Let your foods be your medicine and your medicine your foods”, you’ve got to include a proper diet when seeking to lose weight with yoga. Keep in mind this is an all too important limb of this exercise so, there’s no way around it friends. (But I’m sure you know that already)

 

So strike a pose, and see for yourself how Yoga for weight loss can be an effective and safe choice.

 

Sponsored Article

Yoga for Weight Loss: What You Need to Know to Succeed (Part 1)

Summary:

 

Think Yoga for weight loss is impractical? Well, your opinion on that might change after you read this. When used right (and incorporating all its limbs just as in conventional exercise) Yoga DEFINITELY can help you lose weight... and did I mention the positive effects on your mental and spiritual health? I just did my friend!

 

Article:

 

Using yoga for weight loss might not look effective to most people. I bet you they’ll go: “Naw, it’s just stretching... what can it possibly do to burn calories?”

 

Well, a lot my friend. Yoga can work for weight loss if you use it right and I’ll tell you what to do in due course.

 

“But how exactly can yoga work for weight loss Foras? (That’s my name by the way), ya’ll just stretching that’s it... !”

 

Boy, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that comment.

 

Well for interested parties, yoga as an option for weight loss is wise, safe and effective.

 

Remember, it is the oldest physical culture known to man and not only does this exercise work the body, it works the mind and soul as well. Hey, have you seen Madonna, Sting or Russell Simmons lately? (I can just see you go: “Foras... they were never overweight so don’t go there! Well... they never gained weight either and they actually all still look good for their ages right? 

 

Okay, here are the poses I recommend you use when using Yoga for weight loss.

Now my friend, I will go over what I believe is the CORE of Yoga Poses. 

 

Trust me, there have been times when I did this alone and still got the benefits that yoga gives from daily practice. 

 

Let’s take notes!

 

The Sun Salutations When Using Yoga for Weight Loss:

 

These exercises are a combination of Yoga Poses, Breathing Exercises, Sun Bathing and Prayer. They have been practiced for centuries by Yoga Practitioners in India, Martial Artists and African Wrestlers and as a system to rejuvenate the body and soul are beyond compare. It’s been said in the Drugless Healing circles that one round of the Sun Salutations is much better than a week of exercises at the gym!

 

They are very simple to learn and just about anyone, regardless of their fitness or flexibility levels can learn these simple exercises. In actuality, if you are familiar with “burpees” (the calisthenics exercise), they do derive their origin from the Sun Salutations.

 

Here are some of their benefits: 

• They alleviate disorders of the skin and waist.

• Flexibility increases and breathing is corrected, moreover, they mildly exercise the legs and arms, thus increasing the circulation.

• They are the best way to burn calories and reduce weight and are often recommended for obesity and depression.

• They are an effective way of loosening up, stretching and massaging all joints and internal organs of the body. 

• They stimulate and balance all the systems of the body including the endocrine, circulatory, reproductive and digestive system.

 

Technique:

 

1. Stand straight with the palms together as in a prayer position.

 

2. Inhale and stretch the arms above the head.

 

3. Exhale and bend forward while touching the toes.

 

4. Inhale and stretch the right leg away from the body in a big backward step and keep the hands and left foot firmly on the ground. Bending the head backward the left knee should be between the hands.

 

5. Inhale and hold the breath. Move the left leg from the body and, keeping both feet together and the knees of the floor, rest on the hands (arms straight) and keep the body in a straight line from head to foot.

 

6. Exhale and lower the body to the floor. In this position, only 8 portions of the body come in contact with the floor: the two feet, two knees, two hands, chest and forehead. 

 

7. Inhale and bend back as much as possible bending the spine to the maximum.

 

8. Exhale and lift the body of the floor. Keep the feet and heels on the floor.

 

9. Inhale and bring the right foot along the level of the hands; left foot and knee should touch the ground. Look up, bending the spine slightly (same position as #4)

 

10. Exhale and bring the left leg forward. Keep the knees straight and bring the head down to the knees as in the third position.

 

11. Raise the arms overhead and bend backward inhaling. As in Position 2.

 

12. Exhale and drop the arms and relax.

 

You have now completed one round.

 

Perform as many rounds as possible in multiples of 3. Ideally you want to aim for 6 rounds minimum and up to a maximum of 30. It only takes about 5-10 minutes, depending on your speed and intensity and is best practiced with as little clothing as possible before an open air window first thing in the morning.

 

Okay, we’ve gone over the core pose or combination thereof when using Yoga for weight loss in this part of the series of this article. I’ll go over SPECIFIC poses (asanas) that will target the trouble spots and some breathing exercises that would speed up burning up of calories. But my friends, note, when I say use yoga for weight loss; I mean ALL its limbs: the poses, the prescribed diet for practice and mind-set. If you were doing conventional exercise for weight loss, you’d know to eat a healthier diet right…?

 

Well the same applies to yoga for weight loss as well friends.

 

See you in part 2 of this article.

 

Sponsored Article

Women's Health and Fitness - Weight Training To Lose Weight

Summary:

 

Weight training is one of the most important elements to losing weight. It does not matter what age you are, you should take it up. It will help improve your health, your balance and your strength.

 

Article:

 

Weight gain is a lot easier as you grow older particularly as the motivation to exercise also wanes, but you can turn it around it does not matter how old you are. You should start to weave some sort of exercise into your daily life. 

 

One type of exercise that you should consider to do is weight training, also known as strength training or resistance training. Weight training will not only help with losing weight but will also trim and tone your body. Age does not matter it has been shown that women as old as 70 who have started to weight train and have improved their body strength within a very short while.

 

Weight training is an important element in fighting flab; maybe it is the most important. If you do aerobic exercise you only burn fat during the exercise but with weight training you burn fat even when you have finished. The body is still burning fat for up to as much as twelve hours after finishing the exercise whilst it is building the muscles worked, so you can still be burning fat while you are resting. But that is not the end of the story. 

 

A body full of muscle uses far more calories than a body full of fat, so you will find that you will need to eat more to maintain your weight and your muscle. You do not need to worry that you will bulk up like a body builder, as you do not have the right makeup to do this, as a woman you will only elongate and define your muscles, and build lean muscles.

 

When you first start to weight train you might find that your weight will actually increase. This is because muscle is heavier than fat but as muscle is smaller so you should notice the body getting smaller even if the scales do not show an decrease in weight.

 

The additional benefits from weight training are:

 

1. It helps to strengthen and increase the density of your bones because the act of the muscles pulling and flexing the bones helps to lay down more bone fibre.

 

2. Stronger muscles helps your body to be more steady and so helps to prevent falls.

 

3. It has also been found that it can fight the build up of abdominal fat by lifting weights at least twice a week. 

 

Finally when weight training make sure that you change your routine around so that the body cannot get use to the routine. It only takes the body about six weeks for it to learn how to work efficiently if keeping to the same routine and therefore you will stop seeing any weight or body changes.

 

So have fun and start weight training to lose weight and tone your body.

Women's Health and Fitness - Reducing Cortisol Levels Can Help You To Lose Weight

It is now known that stress can actually stop you losing weight especially around your middle. Stress can cause your body to secrete high levels of cortisol hormone into your bloodstream, because of your body's "flight or fight" response to stress. Stress can be either psychological (mental and emotional) or physical.

 

Cortisol is secreted by the adrenal glands and is actually important for the regulation of blood pressure, the immune system and many other functions. Cortisol can be good in small amounts but high levels can lead to an increase of abdominal fat, which can lead to heart attacks, strokes and can also increase your bad cholesterol levels and decrease your good cholesterol levels. 

 

High levels of cortisol can also decrease your bone density, leading to osteoporosis and loss of muscle tissue, which will also slow down your metabolic rate, and it can also increase your blood pressure along with other problems.

 

Each of you will react differently to stress; some of you will produce more cortisol to a particular stress while others will produce less. It has been found that those of you that produce more cortisol will actually eat more food as well, in particular carbohydrates.

 

What you need to do to combat producing too much cortisol is to learn ways to relax and also to maybe change your lifestyle.

 

Relaxation can be achieved in a number of ways either by exercising, mediation, yoga or breathing to start with.

 

Maybe one of the easiest and simplest ways is breathing. This is done by gently breathing in through the nose, gently expanding your abdomen and then gently expelling the air through your nose pulling in your abdomen at the same time. Whilst breathing out the air you need to focus on that breath. After several breaths in and out you should start to feel yourself relax. You need to practice doing this exercise a few minutes a day to start with building up to five minutes in the end. You can also practice this when you are feeling stressed or when things are getting on top of you. Just a few minutes can slow your body down and help it to feel relax. 

 

Life style changes can be like changing your eating habits for a healthier diet, getting enough sleep, or even organizing your time more efficiently so that you do not feel so stressed. Also looking after your body will help your body to cope with stresses that you come across during your day.

 

So if you are exercising frequently and eating properly but still not losing any weight especially from around the middle then maybe you are suffering from high levels of cortisol caused by stress. Look at ways to solve the problem and hopefully then you should see a difference in your weight and around your middle.