Simple steps to stay healthy and lose weight even while stuck at home
Stress. We're all feeling extra pressures right now. And despite being stuck at home, we feel busier than ever. From homeschooling kids to shopping for groceries and managing finances, everything takes more time and mental energy. The truth is, you shouldn’t worry too much about a few extra pounds on the scale right now. But you should prioritize your health – and by doing that, you’ll find a better balance with your weight. Regular exercise, less stress, and a healthy, low sugar diet will improve your overall health – both mental and physical.
Move your body for you – not the scale
Your body is meant to move. Moving your body releases endorphins, which help you feel good, relax your mind, and reduce stress.
Schedule time every day to exercise. But don’t get discouraged if you feel like you aren’t doing enough. In terms of weight-loss, the jury is out on how effective exercise can be. Studies show that exercise isn’t the main factor in maintaining a healthy weight. But exercise does have other, broad-reaching health benefits, including maintaining muscle mass and flexibility, boosting your immune system, improving sleep, and reducing stress, so don’t stop trying to fit it into your day! But, there’s no point in making exercise a situation that increases your stress levels. Even 15 minutes of walking during your day can provide you with health benefits.
Manage your stress – manage your weight
Even during “normal” times, studies find over 75 percent of people experience at least a moderate amount of stress every day. Plain and simple, chronic stress affects your weight.
When you are stressed, your body goes into survival (or “fight or flight”) mode, which changes your hormonal balance. You don’t need to be running from a saber tooth tiger to enter fight or flight mode. Everyday events can cause you to have that physiological response, nevermind the unprecedented stressful events we are living through presently.
Chronic stress causes more than weight gain, it also contributes to high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar levels. Stress causes your body to release cortisol, a hormone that can produce a build-up of fatty tissue and cause weight gain. Cortisol increases both your appetite and the amount of fat the body stores.
The next time you are feeling stressed out, take a moment to breathe a few deep breaths and try to get some exercise into your schedule that day. Not only will you feel better mentally, but your body will be able to reduce the amount of cortisol produced, which will limit your body’s fat storage and help curb any thoughts of over-eating.
Skip the quarantine baking – sugar is not your mental or physical friend
Making another loaf of homemade bread or batch of cookies might sound like a stress-reducer, but those treats are a double-edged sword. Sugar (also read: carbs) is a key contributor to weight gain.
Sugar is made up of two molecules: glucose and fructose. Glucose is what your body uses for energy. Fructose, on the other hand, is a molecule that your liver turns to fat and is a crucial contributor to weight gain and disease – the kinds of underlying conditions that are a dangerous combination with Covid-19.
When you eat a lot of sugar, it causes your blood glucose to rise, which can be toxic. Your body produces insulin to get the glucose out of your blood and into the cells to be used for energy. Over time, your body can actually build a resistance to insulin, which means that your pancreas works harder to create the same balance. When the resistance to insulin reaches a critical point, it can result in Type II Diabetes. But first, your body begins storing an overabundance of fat in your fat cells. The worst part? Not only do you start "gaining weight," but your body has a tough time getting the energy out of the fat cells, which means your brain thinks you are hungry, and you eat even more. It creates a vicious cycle.
A low sugar, low carb diet full of fruits and vegetables, and lean meats is the first building block to maintaining a healthy weight. When you make good choices about how you eat, how you move, and how you think - you are set up for a healthy life.
Our team is here to support your ability to move, think, and eat in a way that results in achieving your healthcare goals.
We know that by moving your body, making smart dietary choices, and managing your stress, you will put yourself in the best place possible to live your life to its true potential. Our workshop this month will be on strategies to stay healthy and fit, even from home - including the role that chiropractic care can play in maintaining your mental and physical health and vitality, whether you are trying to lose weight, or not! Join virtually: