How Stress Can F*ck Your Metabolism (And So Much More)
When you're continuously flipping off that Michigan driver on the interstate, drinking 4 cups of coffee before 10 am, and working out before and in between every meal, you are putting your body in a chronic state of stress.
Now you may be thinking “coffee is the least stressful part of my day” or “working out is my only way to relax” but let’s talk about why they could be doing more harm than good.
When we are in a chronic state of stress, this leads to a continuous output of cortisol in our body. Cortisol is the emergency hormone released by our adrenal glands to combat a fight or flight situation. Cortisol is innately designed to be released far and few between, yet with the stressful lifestyle that we have come to adapt, the release of cortisol is triggered almost constantly. To our bodies, this cortisol release is a sign that almost everything else needs to shut down and we just need to prioritize staying alive. (Sounds dramatic but stay with me.) This stress can shut down our digestion, our hormones, our fertility, our metabolism, you name it. Yet in order for us to alleviate these stressors, we have to be aware of them. So here are a few common examples of stress that we may not realize we are putting on our body:
Coffee. Now don’t get me wrong, coffee is my jaaaahaaamm. But just like everything, you have to be smart about it if you want to keep it in your life. A couple ways to do that? Always, always drink coffee with a meal or a snack (preferably one high in protein and fat) and be conscious of the garb you are putting in your coffee. Doing so will help you avoid the blood sugar/caffeine spike that is then followed by the dreadful afternoon energy dip.
Processed Foods. And I’m not just talking about fast food. I’m talking about granola bars, cereal, pasta, salad dressings, soups, you name it. All of which are fine in moderation (ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE BEING A GOOD LIL’ STUDENT AND READING YOUR LABELS) but regardless, they are processed. Consuming these foods causes a dramatic increase in your blood sugar which signals to the body that there is an emergency. Our pancreas releases insulin to bring blood sugar down, our adrenals release cortisol (which can often over-correct), epinephrine is released to bring the blood sugar back up, and then we are officially on a blood sugar roller coaster that is hard to come off of. Stabilizing your blood sugar throughout the day is one of the very best favors you can do for your body.
Over-Exercising. Yep, you heard me. Sometimes we need to CHILL. Over-exercising is another signal to the body that there is an emergency. This signal of stress can shut down everything from our digestive function to our thyroid function. For the sake of this argument, let’s dive into why we specifically want our thyroid to be running smoothly.
Our thyroid releases the fat burning hormone, T3 and when we over-exercise, this fat burning hormone is turned off. MERRRPP, not the goal right? In an ideal situation, the pituitary at the base of the brain can sense whether or not you have enough thyroid hormones in your blood. It then can signal for more or less hormone production in order to regain balance. But what happens when we are in a stressed state? When we exercise too often? When we eat too much refined garb? When we restrict too many calories?
One of a few things: The brain never sends the signal in the first place, the thyroid may not send enough hormones, or the thyroid may not respond to the signal at all. Because our thyroid regulates so much more than just our metabolism, it is crucial that we keep that sucker turned on and working smoothly.
Now you may be thinking, “Well I don’t drink coffee” or “I only exercise a few times a week” or “I only eat out like once a month” soooo I should be fine right? You’d be surprised. Our bodies categories stress generously. Drinking a smoothie full of fruit, fruit, and more fruit. Not fully chewing your food before swallowing.Waking up after only 4 hours of sleep to make it to your Orange Theory class. Not eating enough calories. ALL STRESS.
So what’s the goal here? Quite simply, to have zero levels of stress. (For those of you laughing out loud, I hear you.) That sounds impossible right? Maybe. But this is what we want to strive for. We want to continually signal to our body, brain, and soul that everything is AAAAAAAAAAAA- okay. That yes, this traffic may make me late but do I need to get worked up to the point that cortisol is shooting out of my a**? No. That yes, although I woke up tired should coffee really be the first thing I put in my mouth? No. That yes, I ate a couple of brownies at Friendsgiving last night but will a restricting myself to 900 calories today make my body happier? No.
We have to learn how to diminish the stress. We have to learn how to prioritize differently. We have to learn how to slow down. We have to learn how to give our bodies grace.
The fact of the matter is, your body can’t chill until you do.