Stress - A Major Heart Breaker

Stress has become the focus of many health discussions in the past decade and has increasingly become associated with greater susceptibility to various illnesses. Women today are in a situation where lifestyle and the effects of stress take their toll. Women face unprecedented pressures in accommodating the demands of home, career and personal family stresses.

Most people will admit that a stressed-out lifestyle is rarely a healthy one. When under stress, your blood pressure increases, you may overeat, exercise less and you may have a greater tendency to smoke. However, the greatest effects of stress are largely due to hormonal imbalances of the body’s systems. This imbalance can lead to weight gain and thereby increase your risks for diabetes, strokes, and most of all, heart disease.

The famous “stress-hormone”, cortisol, normally maintains blood pressure as well as the provision of energy for the body. Cortisol stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism for fast energy, and stimulates insulin release and maintenance of blood sugar levels.

During times of physical or psychological stress, the secretion of cortisol is elevated. This increase in cortisol secretion promotes weight gain by increasing appetite and by stimulating fat cell growth. Cortisol can also affect the location of weight gain. Some studies have shown that stress and elevations in cortisol secretion tend to cause fat deposition in the abdominal area rather than in the hips. This deposition of abdominal fat surrounds the internal organs and has been referred to as "toxic fat" since it is strongly correlated with the development of cardiovascular disease including hypertension, heart attacks and strokes.

Because cortisol-related weight gain can increase risk for cardiovascular disease, women who live stressful lifestyles are at high risk. The mortality rate of heart disease in women is six times greater than breast cancer, however only 30% of women recognize that cardiovascular disease as a leading cause of death. Therefore, it is pertinent that women engage a preventative action against heart disease and practice a healthy, stress-reduced lifestyle.

Exercise is the best method for lowering cortisol levels that have risen in response to stress and has the added benefit of burning calories to stimulate weight loss. A 30 minute brisk walk everyday will prove to be extremely effective. In addition, the practice of stress reducing techniques such as the breathing exercise mentioned below, have proven extremely useful in lowering cortisol levels.

Stress-Reducing Breathing Exercise

Sit up straight. Exhale.
Inhale and, at the same time, relax the belly muscles.
Feel as though the belly is filling with air.
After filling the belly, keep inhaling.
Fill up the middle of your chest.
Feel your chest and rib cage expand.
Hold the breath in for a moment, then begin to exhale as slowly as possible.
As the air is slowly let out, relax your chest and rib cage.
Begin to pull your belly in to force out the remaining breath.
Close your eyes, and concentrate on your breathing.
Relax your face and mind.
Let everything go.
Practice about 5 minutes, 3 times a day.