We all know that stress is a part of life. There are some good points to having stress, as stress can cause us to take action, but an overall high level of stress can cause health problems. But chronic stress can also cause weight gain as well as play havoc with blood sugars if stress is not managed.

If we go back in time to the cave men, we can look at how our bodies respond to stress. If a cave man went out hunting and a bear came after him, he would go into the flight or fight response, either choosing to fight a bear or run. This response would trigger hormone responses, such as increased cortisol to help increase your energy to either fight or run, and a decrease in your serotonin levels because you would not want to fall asleep when you are fighting or running.

Increased cortisol results in your body storing fat (which encourages weight gain) because the cave person would need that stored energy for fighting or running. The decreased serotonin levels result in your body craving carbohydrates because the carbohydrates are easily transferred to energy. The carbohydrates also function to help relax and comfort you since the serotonin level is not optimal. Sustained stress hormone elevation can also lower thyroid function which can affect your metabolism. They also can interfere with growth hormones which affect our muscle mass, resulting in a lower muscle mass which decreases metabolism.

Along with stress, many behaviors can increase cortisol, such as skipping meals, not getting adequate sleep, not eating properly, and consuming high amounts of alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat.

If we think about our level of stress compared to a cave man, a cave man’s response to stress was immediate and then when the bear disappeared, the stress level went down. The problem with stress today is the stress level remains elevated all the time, resulting in the constant increased stress hormones in our system. By lowering our stress and working on how we manage stress, we can lower our stress hormones and help promote weight loss and better diabetes control.

Tips to Relieve Stress

1. Determine what you can control and what you can’t control. We sometimes waste a lot of time worrying and trying to solve problems that we cannot control. Learning to stop and look at whether you can really change the situation or whether it is out of your control and you need to let go and change how you are dealing with a situation is important.

2. Take time for you. I frequently hear that it is selfish to take some time for you. I also hear that there is never enough time to do something for you. But if you think about running ragged and never having any downtime or you time, it is taking away from how you are responding to others in your life. By being stressed, anxious, worried, etc, you may be more irritable with those you love, or may not be fully present to enjoy the moments because you are off in your mind worrying about other things. So by taking time for you, you are able to take care of others better. It is like the airplane analogy. Put on your own air mask before putting on your child’s. So make it a priority to schedule some you time. It can be something simple like a quiet cup of coffee in the morning, a hot bath, reading a favorite book, going for a walk, or developing new hobbies.

3. Eat healthy and limit stress increasing foods such as sugar, caffeine, and alcohol. Also eat regular meals and planned snacks. Skipping meals can increase stress. Many people are not breakfast eaters, so try lighter breakfasts such as a granola bar or smoothie. Seek out a Registered Dietitian if you need help in this area.

4. Try some guided imagery, meditation, yoga, or progressive relaxation. Guided imagery is a process where you do deep breathing and imagine yourself somewhere pleasant such as a beach. You imagine using all your senses such as feeling the sand, smelling the salt water, hearing the waves and birds, seeing the grass blades blow and waves crash, etc. Even a five minute “vacation in your head” will help relax you. I had a client who told me “I go fishing in my head.” I love a CD called Ten Minutes to Relax. It is a quick guided imagery that can help lower stress. Progressive relaxation is a process where deep breathing is used, along with tensing and releasing muscles in order to help you see whether muscles are tense without you realizing it. It helps you relax by releasing muscles. Many audios are available that help walk you through this process. When done daily, guided imagery and progressive relaxation help lower overall stress.

5. Take 4×4 breaks each day. This means learning to take four small breaks throughout the day and do four deep belly breaths. This helps you just slow down and relax a few times during the day.

6. Exercise. Yes, that is the dreaded word most people do not like. But exercise is a great stress reliever. It also can increase your energy level and help you focus better. Exercise helps lower those cortisol levels and stimulates serotonin. So build some regular exercise into your routine. Plus you get the benefit of burning calories to help you lose weight.

7. Find a support person. Find someone you can trust and share your thoughts and feelings with. When thinking of a support person, discern who a healthy support person would be. This would be someone who listens and is nonjudgmental, not necessarily have to solve your problem but just being present with you, and someone who does not tell you to “get over it.”

Work on lowering your stress to help change your cortisol and serotonin levels and you will see the benefits in your life. Work on adding in some of these techniques each day, as well as other stress techniques as this is not a complete list of stress reduction. Sometimes people have to actually schedule them on their calendar or post sticky notes for reminders. And don’t be afraid to seek help from a professional if you need more individualized help.

If you have been hoping to lose weight, let’s begin the process. There’s no time to lose… you can’t wait around for the results of clinical trials advising which eating plans will work best. You have received a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and your blood sugar levels need to be reduced as well as your weight. The truth is this… any eating plan where you are taking in fewer calories or kilojoules than you have been taking in for some time now, will help you lose weight. It won’t matter whether it is low or high in carbohydrates, fats or protein.

And as well as starting to lose weight, you will find your blood sugar levels starting to be lower. All this in a short period of two to three weeks. Isn’t that encouraging?

How do you find a weight loss program that suits your needs, not just for now but an eating style that you will enjoy and want to stick with? And what do you do if you find your chosen eating plan not working for you? You don’t consider yourself a failure, you consider the plan a failure and find another one.

Some of the reasons popular diets work in the beginning are due to:

• many food restrictions
• few food choices
• not enough flexibility
• repetitive boring food

These same reasons are also why these diets fail!

When looking at various diets, keep in mind many of these diets were not put together by people trained in nutrition and maybe their advice is not safe or effective. As you look at different eating plans, remember these points:

• be wary of any diets that promise rapid, easy weight loss… if it sound too good to be true it probably is
• question diets that limit food selections and forbid food groups
• be careful of diets that promote substitution with food products they are selling

A healthy eating plan for a person with or without type 2 diabetes should contain a balance of the three main nutrients in the world of foods:

• carbohydrates
• protein
• fats

Each type plays an important role in keeping your body going every day. A balanced meal plan provides you with food choices from each of these three types of nutrients.

Learning about food can seem complicated, especially if you have never had to follow a special eating plan before. Meeting with a registered dietitian will give you more knowledge about making proper food choices… you will find you are able to eat a wide variety of foods that will help you to lose weight, lower your blood sugar levels and help you control your type 2 diabetes.

Approximately ninety to ninety-five percent of Americans with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, and the key to preventing or reversing this deadly disease is to understand the presenting signs and symptoms.

Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism, whereby the body cannot utilize the glucose it consumes from food. There are two types of diabetes, each having very different causes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease caused by destruction of the pancreatic cells that produce and secrete insulin, which most often occurs in children and is not thought to be linked to diet or exercise. Type 2 diabetes is much more common and is directly linked to obesity, poor diet, and lack of exercise. We are more focused on diabetes type 2 here because it is controllable through proper diet and exercise.

Some of the warning signs of diabetes include fatigue, increased hunger, unexplained weight-loss, and frequent urination. These early warning signs should raise a red flag and warrant seeking medical attention.

There are serious complications that can result from this disease, and even though you may not have the early warning signs, it is important to be aware and seek regular check-ups, especially if you are overweight, eat a poor diet, and do not exercise.

Some of the complications of diabetes include:

1. Nerve damage, which causes tingling and numbing of the hands and feet. This may lead to the development of infections and amputation.

2. Eye problems, such as cataracts, glaucoma, and even loss of vision.

3. Skin infections are more common when diabetes is present.

4. High blood pressure, which may cause strokes.

5. Cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in America

6. Kidney failure, which is also a deadly and very miserable condition.

If you already have diabetes or have risk factors for it’s development, it is important to realize that this disease can be controlled, eliminated, or prevented by taking a few important steps.

Here are some important steps that you should adopt in order to prevent and even control diabetes:

1. Exercise for at least half an hour each day.

2. Lose weight.

3. Avoid trans fats, which are also known as partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

4. Avoid simple sugars as well as refined white flour.

5. Eat plenty of fiber every day.

6. Do not smoke, and if you already do, please try to quit.

7. Limit alcohol intake.

8. Educate yourself, because education is your best tool in your quest for health and wellness.

For much more information on preventing diabetes and many other life-threatening illnesses, please visit www.ultimatefatloss.org/-Get_Ripped__Book.html. Here you will find information that will help you prevent illness and live a long and healthy life.