Cortisol and stress - the natural enemy of fat loss in new Mums?

Time and again I meet new Mums who wonder why it's so hard to get the fat loss results they want. Putting aside the need to eat a healthy diet and exercise, there are some other factors to consider when looking to get your pre-baby body back.

What is Cortisol?
Adrenaline and Cortisol are the two main stress hormones produced by the Adrenal glands. Totally useful when we need to get out of danger, not so great when our modern life and stress levels keep us chronically in a state of over-production.

So what does this mean for your fat-burning efforts? And why does it seem that our body might actually be fighting us to achieve our goals?

• Both hormones circulating in the system increase appetite and then drive the stressed individual to consume – guess what? More carbohydrate and fat!
  
• During pregnancy, the hormonal signals have been set to ensure fat is stored in preparation for feeding the baby.
  
• During pregnancy and the early weeks after having a baby, cortisol is naturally elevated. After birth, the body elevates Cortisol and other stress hormones to help keep Mum alert and aware of any possible dangers to the baby - and it's though that they may even have a role in the attachment process.

• The physical stress of labour and birthing, not to mention the stresses of adjusting to life as a new Mum and poor sleeping patterns/lack of sleep means that Cortisol levels may remain high long after the little one comes into your life, making it difficult for you to lose weight.

• Being an older Mum can also be a factor in holding fat as sadly, by the mid to late 30’s the body is preparing for menopause. And the ultimate paradox - as women head towards menopause the body will automatically be reluctant to let go of fat around the middle as this is where Oestrogen is mainly manufactured. This happens because the body knows that Oestrogen will help protect our bones from Osteoporosis so the body tries to hold onto the fat to hold onto the Oestrogen to prevent Osteoporosis which it obviously deems to be a greater threat than having a fat belly!

• The ultimate blow comes in the fact that abdominal fat cells have four times as many receptors for Cortisol than anywhere else in your body so if you’re continually too stressed, your abdominal fat cells will be calling out for Cortisol and encouraging the body to store fat around the abdominals!

So what can we do to keep the cortisol levels at bay?

• Obey your natural rhythms of sleep and rest – our circadian rhythm allows the adrenals to rest and Human Growth Hormone to be produced – vital for optimal fat metabolism.
  
• Caffeine, sugar, tobacco and low blood sugar create emergency situations within our systems and signal stress, they are ALL best avoided!

Special thanks to: Burrell Education 2012 www.burrelleducation.com

Why alcohol makes and keeps you fat

You've had a hard day at work, the kids are finally in bed, and all you want to do is sit down and kick back with a glass of wine or two...or more.

But if you're serious about your health and your waistline then pay special attention to your alcohol intake! Limiting it will help to save calories and enhance your fat burning efforts.

So why does alcohol make and keep you fat?

Alcohol has a two-fold negative effect on our ability to lose fat:

1. Alcohol is highly calorific and easily over-consumed. Compare its calorific value with the other components of our diet: Alcohol is 7kcal/g, fat is 9 kcal/g, both protein and carbohydrate are roughly 4kcal/g).

2. The simple presence of alcohol in your system has a hugely negative impact on your ability to metabolise fat. This was shown by a study where 8 men were given two drinks of vodka and lemonade separated by 30 minutes. Each drink contained just under 90 calories. Fat metabolism was measured before and after consumption of the drink. For several hours after drinking the vodka, whole body lipid oxidation (a measure of how much fat your body is burning) dropped by 73 per cent!

The reason why alcohol has this dramatic effect on fat metabolism has to do with the way alcohol is handled in the body. Rather than getting stored as fat, the main fate of alcohol is conversion into acetate and the presence of acetate in the system puts the brakes on fat loss. The greater the quantity of alcohol, the greater the quantity of acetate created, the less likely fat is metabolised.

In other words, your body tends to use whatever you feed it, and after a time becomes adapted to the macro nutrient intake. Unfortunately when acetate levels rise, your body burns the acetate preferentially.
So the body simply burns the acetate first, this basically pushes fat oxidation out of the metabolic equation.

Acknowledgements: Burrell Education 2012, burrelleducation.com

Why water is a vital part of your fat loss

Drinking water is one of the best things you can do for your health, for many reasons that go beyond hydration. For a start, if you don't drink enough water, your body can't store carbohydrate energy (that you need in the muscles to exercise). BUT your body can still store fat, which can work against any fat-loss plans you may have!

Did you know:

• Your body is composed mostly of water, 65-75%!
• Water is required for every cellular action in the body.
• By keeping hydrated you provide the water required for your body to work optimally INCLUDING BURNING FAT.
• Being dehydrated will REDUCE YOUR CAPACITY TO BURN FAT AS FUEL!
• Water helps to DETOXIFY your system and should be considered one of your most vital supplements.
• Water will also help any substance that your body does not need exit safely and it will also greatly aid in transporting the necessary nutrients throughout the body.
• How much should you drink? Roughly about 3 per cent of your total body weight. For most people getting up to 1.5 – 2 litres a day is a pretty steep order but that is your ultimate daily goal.
• What counts as ‘WATER’? – Pure, clean, simple WATER & FRUIT TEAS!
• TOP TIP: Start by getting a re-usable 1.5 litre bottle and make a habit of having it with your all day so you can see exactly how much you have drunk. Aim to simply finish it before the end of your day, EVERY DAY!

So don’t sabotage all your other great efforts! Get that water in!

 Acknowledgements: Burrell Education 2012, www.burrelleducation.com