What is the Stress Response and it's Effect on Weight and Illness

We all are under too much stress. We can’t get away from it.  Stress is a normal part of today’s life.  However, the amount and severity of the stress we suffer today, is not normal. The body treats physical and emotional stress in the same manner.  Stress is one of the most significant reasons chronic inflammatory diseases are escalating.  Too much stress in our lives produces destructive hormones that alter many functions.  It can alter thyroid function. It can decrease your resistance to disease, attack organs such as your heart and brain.  It can alter your responses to insulin and ultimately, alter the way your body handles sugar.  Stress causes your adrenal gland to hyper secrete a hormone called Cortisol.  This hormone is sometimes referred to as the stress hormone.  Other hormones are produced in response to stress and in combination with Cortisol can wreak havoc throughout the body.  The internal damage done to organs, such as the liver, thyroid gland, adrenal gland, gastrointestinal tract, and cardiovascular system is extensive. Cortisol is also needed for the fight or flight response which is a healthy, natural response to perceived threats. The amount of cortisol produced is highly regulated by your body to ensure the balance is correct. Whenever we're angry, scared, anxious, or tense, the brain produces cortisol and adrenaline: hormones specifically designed to incite the fight-or-flight response that was once crucial to our survival. Cortisol helps increase heart and respiratory rates and getting your muscles tensed and ready. Since, physiologically speaking, your body thinks you've run a mile or two or done something active in response to the 'threat', the hormone sends signals to refuel the body as soon as possible. It's a biological green light to indulge in foods loaded with carbs and fat that leads to weight gain in the chronically stressed. It's a vicious cycle of stress, followed by elevated cortisol, followed by that foods you don't need