Face the facts about Stress Management.

You've seen it in commercials, you've heard about it on the news, and you've read about it in magazines....We all know that stress can take a toll on our bodies--inside and out. Stress management is an essential tool for you to maintain a healthy and happy lifestyle.

Let's take a minute to talk about Cortisol and the effects it can have on your body.

Cortisol is an essential hormone in the body secreted by the adrenal glands and helps regulate and control various body functions.

* Metabolism and glucose metabolism
* Blood pressure regulation
* Insulin release and regulation
* Immune function
* Inflammatory response
(Webmd)


While stress may not be the only reason that cortisol is secreted into the bloodstream, it's been given the nickname "the stress hormone" because of the significantly higher levels of secretion during the body's "fight or flight" response to high stress situations. It is responsible for a variety of stress-related conditions and changes in the body.

Prolonged heightened levels of cortisol in the bloodstream have been shown to exhibit some rather unpleasant and negative effects on the body. These include and are not limited to:
* Impaired cognitive performance
* Suppressed thyroid function
* Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia
* Decreased bone density
* Decrease in muscle tissue
* Higher blood pressure
* Lowered immunity and inflammatory responses in the body
* Increased abdominal fat, which is associated with a greater amount of health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body.
(Wikipedia, Webmd, About.com)

As we mentioned a few posts back, it's really the abdominal fat you need to be concerned about in terms of health risks. The conditions associated with increased stomach fat are less than desirable:
-heart attacks
-strokes
-High LDL(Bad Cholesterol)
-Low HDL (Good Cholesterol)


And while cortisol may be an helpful and important part of the body’s natural response to stress, it’s super important that the body’s relaxation response is activated properly so that the body's functions can return to normal following a stressful event. In our "Go-go-go-now-now-now" society, it's hard to find time to relax, and its easy to let stress get the best of us.

Check out these Stress Management Tips via WedMd.com to help you balance a healthy lifestyle.