It's not food, it's Cortisol!

For those of you who do not already know, Cortisol is a hormone in the body, secreted by the adrenal glands and one whose discovery has made me so much happier!

According to About.com, (do click on the link to read more about it), cortisol is involved in the following body functions (Proper glucose metabolism, Regulation of blood pressure, Insulin release for blood sugar maintanence etc)

The article also calls Cortisol - the body's stress hormone - and explains that it is secreted in higher levels in the bloodstream, when the body is extremely stressed. Such high secretions  (like those associated with chronic stress) result in negative effects, such as: Impaired cognitive performance, Suppressed thyroid function and wait for this - INCREASED ABDOMINAL FAT, which as we all know is associated with a greater amount of health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body.

Increased abdominal fat(!) - this makes me really ecstatic!

So now I know - it's not the doughnuts I've been eating, nor the corndogs, hotdogs or chilli dogs. It's not the ice-cream or the milkshakes. It's Cortisol. I'm stressed! That's why I am carrying all that weight around my middle!

So all I need to do is to eliminate the stress in my life, which will lower my cortisol to acceptable levels and then I will be slim and svelte - no? The article says 'To keep cortisol levels healthy and under control, the body’s relaxation response should be activated after the fight or flight response occurs. You can learn to relax your body with various stress management techniques, and you can make lifestyle changes in order to keep your body from reacting to stress in the first place'.

I really do not have to do anything about the food, because it's not the food that's causing it - it's Cortisol! Yay!

Really??!!! You tell me...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortisol
http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/cortisol.htm