Find a balance to boost health, decrease stress

Regardless of what you do for a living, you likely battle high levels of stress, which directly impact your metabolism and ability to burn carbs, protein and fat effectively. I know firsthand, how stress, when left unchecked can damage all your efforts.

Stress can spark an outpouring of the primary stress hormone cortisol, which is important for the normal metabolic rate and digestion and absorption of foods. With excess amounts, the body is more likely to pile on fat and break down muscle mass.

Cortisol also puts the brakes on the thyroid gland, which is essential for keeping your metabolism in check, adding to the vicious cycle that promotes fat accumulation and muscle loss.

As an active adult, it’s especially important to work on ways to manage your stress and cortisol levels in order to reap the benefits of your training.

That may mean cutting back on the number of workouts you do in order to alleviate stress with “efficient” programs (no less than three times per week) or setting stricter boundaries to help you manage your life.

Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands and released as part of the body’s “fight or flight” response. Although fine to rise when you are late for an appointment, giving a presentation or requesting a raise, if cortisol is constantly elevated due to a micromanaging boss, lack of sleep, long commute or other factors, it can be counterproductive to what you’re trying to accomplish in the gym.

Get more sleep, avoid drastic diets and try to create less stress in your life. While I understand there are some situations that cannot be avoided, there are other ways in which to handle the stress that are less taxing on your health.

Prepare all your protein sources for the week on Sunday. Bake chicken breasts (ready for salads and wraps), make lean turkey meatballs and patties, ready for a lean burger or a quick meal, slow cook a pot of veggie stew (re-heat in the morning and throw in your thermos), etc…

Being prepared will allow for a little less stress during the week.

Natalie Dreger is a certified fitness trainer. She can be reached at nataliedreger1@gmail.com.