Interesting article in Prevention magazine!

7 Ways to Beat Stress

This article said that your body responds to stress-physical or psychological- in the same way. So every time you have a stressful day, your brain acts as though you're in physical danger and instructs your cells to release powerful hormones. You get a burst of adrenalin, which taps stored energy to fight or flee. At the same time, you get a surge of cortisol, which tells your body to replenish that energy even though you haven't used very many calories in your stressed-out state. This can make you hungry....very hungry. AND your body keeps pumping out that cortisol as long as the stress continues.
Sooooo chronic stress can keep you from losing weight, in spite of normally healthy eating patterns and exercising! This can even cause you to add pounds!!! Stress causes you to crave sweet, salty and high-fat foods because they stimulate the brain to release pleasure chemicals that actually do reduce tension. This soothing effect becomes addictive, so that whenever you are anxious, you reach for fattening foods.
Another thing that happens is that while your adrenal glands are pumping out cortisol, production of muscle-building testosterone slows down. Over time, this can decrease your muscle mass, so you burn fewer calories.
Cortisol also encourages your body to store fat-especially visceral fat, which is really dangerous because it surrounds vital organs and releases fatty acids into your blood.raising cholesteral levels and insulin levels.
This was written by a Ph.D and she says to do these 7 things to reduce stress.
1. Drop and do 10
She says any exercise,no matter how little will make your blood circulate more quickly, transporting the cortisol to the kidneys and flushing it out of your system.
2.Go slowly at meals.
She says that slowing down eating may lower cortisol levels.
3.Stop strict dieting.
She says that constant dieting can make cortisol level rise. When you cortisol spikes, your blood sugar goes haywire, first rising,then plummeting. This makes you cranky and then ravenous.
4. Give in to cravings.
When stress drives you toward something sweet or salty, it's ok to yield a little. Just stop at one.
5. Curtail caffiene.
Next time you're under duress, pick decaf. When you are under stress, caffeine drives your cortisol levels even higher!
6. De-stress breakfast.
Deficiencies in B vitamins,vitamin C,Calcium and magnesium are stressful to your body. Fight back by eating a breakfast that high in these. Some OJ, a grapefruit,or a large handful of strawberries to supply C: 6-8 oz. of low-fat yogurt, which has calcium and magnesium: and a whole grain bagel or toast with a bit of peanut butter.
7. Sleep it off.
The most effective stress-reduction of all: Get enough sleep!