You May Be 'Stomaching' Stress More Than You Think

Do you ever find that no matter how much you exercise regularly or eat healthy, there's that bit of stomach fat you just cannot get rid of? You may think you got dealt a lousy genetic hand when it came to fat distribution, but what you might not know is that chronic fat around your midsection might be due to stress.



One of the hormones released in response to stress is cortisol. (1) It plays a critical role in restoring balance in the body, and we wouldn't want to live without it. Historically speaking, the stress response was all about fighting and/or fleeing, and we did a lot of it. When we did, it utilized the stress hormones the way in which they were designed.



Fighting and fleeing requires a lot of energy, so one of the roles cortisol serves is to "restock the shelves" by making us hungry (2). We needed to replace this lost energy, and do it in the most efficient way possible. Sugar and fat are rich sources of energy. It's no wonder we crave things like ice cream, french fries, chips and chocolate when we're stressed.



And what are the "shelves" that need restocking? The fat cells. Cortisol is very specific about where it stores fat on the body. It makes us deposit more fat deep within the midsection and is called visceral, or central, body fat. (3) It's very different from the subcutaneous fat stored just under our skin and is invaluable for the stress response. Visceral fat is closer to the portal vein of the liver, which means it can quickly be converted into glucose and then released into the bloodstream to provide much-needed energy for fighting or fleeing. (4)



Bottom line: When we're stressed, we're hungrier, we typically eat higher fat, higher sugar foods, and we tend to store more of them around the waist.



So what can we do?



Get short bursts of exercise that mimic the fight or flight response! High-intensity interval training can help combat many of the negative effects of stress.



Cortisol is released to fuel the short bursts of high intensity physical activity related to fighting and fleeing -- and we need to use it for its intended purpose. When we do, we burn more body fat than long, steady state workouts. (5, 6, 7, 8) Researchers have found that high-intensity interval training produces a nine-fold reduction in body fat compared to endurance training. (9)



It also significantly increases muscle oxidative capacity, which is associated with an improved ability to oxidize fats, or burn fat as fuel. (10) One study found high-intensity interval training increases fat use by 36 percent. (11) It not only increases fat burning during exercise, but for several hours to days afterward. (12)



All this means you're only 60 seconds to five minutes away from dealing with stress in a positive, healthy way. What are you waiting for?



References:



1. McEwen, B., Wingfield, J. (2002). The concept of allostasis in biology and biomedicine. Hormones and Behavior. 43:2-15.



2. Newman, E., O'Connor, D., Conner, M. (2007). Daily hassles and eating behaviour: The role of cortisol reactivity status. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 32(2):125-132.



3. Björntorp, P. (1996). The regulation of adipose tissue distribution in humans. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders : Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity. 20(4):291-302.



4. Björntorp, P. (1990) 'Portal' adipose tissue as a generator of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Arteriosclerosis. 10: 493-496.



5. Perry, C. G., et al. (2008) "High-Intensity Aerobic Interval Training Increases Fat and Carbohydrate Metabolic Capacities in Human Skeletal Muscle." Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 33 (6), 1112-23.



6. Talanian, J. L., et al. (2007) "Two Weeks of High-Intensity Aerobic Interval Training Increases the Capacity for Fat Oxidation During Exercise in Women." Journal of Applied Physiology. 102 (4), 1439-47.



7. Macpherson, R., Hazell, T., Olver, T., Paterson, D., Lemon, P. (2011) "Run Sprint Interval Training Improves Aerobic Performance but Not Maximal Cardiac Output." Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 43 (1): 115-22.



8. Trapp, E., Chisholm, D., Freund, J., Boutcher, S. (2008) "The Effects of High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise Training on Fat Loss and Fasting Insulin Levels of Young Women." International Journal of Obesity. 32 (4): 684-91.



9. Tremblay, A, Simoneau, JA, Bouchard, C. (1993) "Impact of Exercise Intensity on Body Fatness and Skeletal Muscle Metabolism." Metabolism. 43 (7): 814-18.



10. Gibala, M. (2007) "High-intensity Interval Training: A Time-efficient Strategy for Health Promotion?" Current Sports Medicine Reports. 6: 211-13.



11. Talanian, J. et al. (2007) "Two Weeks of High-intensity Aerobic Interval Training Increases the Capacity for Fat Oxidation During Exercise in Women." Journal of Applied Physiology. 102: 1439-47.



12. Vella, C., Kravitz, L. "Exercise After-Burn: Research Update." The University of New Mexico. http://ift.tt/1j9Zacq. Retrieved 18 Sept. 2013.



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7 Healthy Habits That Helped Me Lose 170 Pounds in One Year

In 2007 my brother was getting married and asked me to be his best man. I was honored, and excited, until the tuxedo fitting for all the groomsmen. Everyone else fit into their tuxedos just fine, except for me.



The kind people at the store did the best they could, but there wasn't a size that would fit me. I was too big. Weeks later they called and had one specially delivered. The wedding went off without a hitch.



The problem came on Facebook after the wedding. People naturally posted pictures, and I was appalled to see how big I looked. I cried myself to sleep that night.



I woke up the next day determined to lose the weight. When I got on the scale the number I saw was 332 pounds! I was determined to lose the weight, but I didn't understand what it meant to change my lifestyle.



I went on a crazy diet where I was only allowed to eat 1,200 calories a day and exercised for four hours a day. I lost 132 pounds in six months. Mission accomplished. Right?



Since I didn't learn healthy habits I gained all that weight back plus 38 pounds that next year. Flash forward to June 15 of 2013. Again I was a best man, this time at my best friend's wedding.



It was the exact same routine. The pictures were posted on Facebook and I was even more appalled. When I got on the scale I was 370 pounds. I worked so hard the first time -- how could this happen again? On June 17 of 2013 I didn't start my weight loss journey, I started the journey to create healthy habits that ultimately changed my life.



In that journey I quit a job I hated and moved to Maui, Hawaii. I talked about that in my last post here on The Huffington Post. I lost those 170 pounds in one year. At the time of this writing I now weigh 200 pounds.



Learning these seven healthy habits helped me lose the weight and change my life. If you are struggling with weight loss or making big changes, they can work for you too.



1. Patience



Losing weight takes time, especially if it's a lot of weight. I started my weight loss journey for the second time on June 17 of 2013. All I could think about at first was that big number, 370 pounds. It's hard to look at yourself in the mirror every day and not see major changes.



The old adage finally sunk in: This isn't a race. It's a marathon. Instead of focusing on that big number I focused on taking this journey one day at a time. Every day I would wake up and just focus on what actions I needed to take that day. If I had a bad day I would go to bed, sleep it off, and wake up determined to make that day better than the day before.



By learning patience I stopped trying to get a quick win, I learned what real change means. If you're going to be successful in your weight loss journey you have to realize it's going to take time. Patience will teach you what change really means, not just how to lose weight.



2. Sacrifice



To lose the weight it meant sacrificing the things I wanted. I gave up soda; I gave up fast food and junk food. I gave up my TV time to exercise. Instead of trying some fad diet I exercised portion control with my meals.



Making any big change in your life is going to require sacrifice. Instead of focusing on what you have to give up, focus on the why behind what you're doing. When it comes to weight loss, your why is a long healthy life, it's being there for your family. Your why will give you to strength to stick with it, even through the rough times.



3. Realistic planning



Success with weight loss means having a realistic plan. I set the goal of losing 170 pounds in one year's time frame. Breaking that down meant that I had to lose 15 pounds a month. That number was a realistic number in my plan.



Don't set unrealistic plans for yourself by trying to lose too much weight to fast. Don't set unrealistic plans for any change in your life. Take some time, and put a proper plan in place before you make a big change. Stick with that plan, and you will see success.



4. Life change



You can't look at weight loss as dieting and exercise. To have success, and continued success, you have to look at this as a lifestyle change. I didn't learn that habit the first go around, and the weight came back as a result.



By making this a life change you won't just do what's necessary. You'll incorporate healthy habits into everything you do, which will give you that continued success. You won't make those same bad decisions because that won't be what you want for your new life.



5. Consistent exercise



My mother is Kenyan, and I lived in Kenya for two years. When I started exercising I chose running. I couldn't even run for a mile that first time, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I was determined to be consistent with exercising; my plan had me exercising five days a week.



Running is hard on the body and may not be your thing, but you should incorporate consistent exercise as a habit in your life. Consistent exercise gives you more energy and teaches you discipline that you can use in every other area of your life.



6. Accountability



One of the best things you can do for weight loss, and any change in your life, is to keep yourself accountable to someone else. It can be friends or family, but have someone be there to help keep you on track.



When we try to do it alone it's too easy to make excuses, and justify inaction. That accountable will eliminate that. Just make sure you seek out positive, supportive people. A negative person will feed into all the things that would normally hold you back.



7. Perseverance



Whether it's losing weight, leaving a job you hate or any big change in your life, you're going to need perseverance to get through the 1,000 times when you want to quit. The one habit successful people practice is persevering no matter what.



There will be times when you experience failure. Accept that failure for what it really is: a small bump in your journey. It doesn't mean the journey's over, you can totally over come anything that gets in your way. Determine right now that no matter what you're not going to give up.







I lost 170 pounds, and I'm not worried about gaining it back. This time around I learned what it means to have a healthy lifestyle. I've learned that it's not about dieting and exercise; it's all about having the right habits that ensure a lifestyle change.



We're eight months into 2014, long past the time when we would have made our New Year's resolutions. You may not be where you wanted to be, but this year, and your journey aren't over.



Life is too short to let regret rule your life. We only get one life to live, and time is the one resource we'll never get back. Start today. Start right after you get done reading this.



Have you struggled with weight loss or making big changes in your life?



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Religious Quotes For Labor Day: Scriptural Passages That Highlight The Virtues Of Work

A Gluten-Free, Vegetarian Lasagna You Should Definitely Make For Dinner

Not only is gluten-free lasagna possible, it has great potential to be delicious. All that's required is a little inventiveness. And some quinoa.







This immaculate Upside-Down Zucchini Quinoa Lasagna With Baked Eggs recipe is something like a shakshuka-lasagna-quinoa hybrid. It takes one heavenly food pairing and amplifies it even further. The food combination is like introducing one of your best friends to another one of your best friends. Plus, your best friends will probably enjoy the dish too.







You'll need marinara sauce, a bunch of veggies, eggs and that quinoa to whip up this beauty. It's gluten-free, vegetarian, packed with protein and is the quintessential Meatless Monday meal. Join the movement and make this at the start of the week. Find the recipe in its entirety here.



Be sure to tell us how you do Meatless Monday by tagging your food photos with #HPMeatlessMonday on Twitter and Instagram.



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11 Reasons College Students Absolutely Need Coffee To Survive

College is an awakening time in a young person's life, in which they really figure out who they want to be and what exactly they want to do with their life. But what if you discover that all you want to do is drink coffee? And who you want to be is a coffee addict?



It's okay. That's what college is for. It's a time for understanding that the only thing that motivates you to get up and face another day (literally) is the promise that coffee will be there to guide you through the tough times that encompass "being on your own." Behold, 11 reasons every college student must have coffee in their lives forever and ever.





1. First and foremost, because it keeps you awake. And you're somehow always tired.







And without coffee, there are just not enough hours in the day to balance studying and partying.



2. Because it's probably the only time in your life you're going to have the privilege of having a Starbucks coffee truck follow you around campus all day.







Yes, really. If you're lucky enough to be a student at Arizona State University, James Madison University or Coastal Carolina University, this coming school year Aramark will be introducing Starbucks coffee trucks that will "follow students from dorm to lecture halls" and provide you with your much-needed caffeine. Scary or awesome? We'll let you decide.



3. Because coffee shops are where all your studying and socializing gets done.







You learn quickly that the coffee shop is where all your friendships are made and where you cram all that information into your brain. Your addiction to the stuff follows suit.



4. Because you just keep "forgetting" to go to the gym and the antioxidants in coffee will keep your body healthy.







So, you don't have time to go to the gym because you're too busy binge-watching Law and Order SVU all day. Thankfully coffee provides you with enough antioxidants to make you feel better about yourself. It's the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet!



5. Because it makes procrastinating on that final term paper much more fun.







When your coffee gets cold, it's time for you to get creative with your note doodling.



6. Because you stayed up until 4 am watching "Chopped" re-runs on Food Network and you have class at 8 am.







And it's proven that when you're tired and you drink coffee, all of your senses will be heightened, including your attention and logical reasoning.



7. Because it's the only thing that motivates you to do your laundry.







The inspiration to be clean can be found inside that coffee cup.



8. Because when you've been living in the library for the past two days, just the smell of coffee will revive you from your zombie state.







This is proven to be true. A study at the Seoul National University examined the brains of rats who were stressed with sleep deprivation and discovered that those who were exposed to coffee aromas experienced changes in brain proteins tied to that stress.



9. Because coffee is the best hangover cure after drinking too many PBRs out of red Solo cups.







Coffee can also help your liver out (since we know it probably needs some serious flushing). One study showed that those who drink at least one cup of coffee a day were 20 percent less likely to develop liver cirrhosis -- an autoimmune disease caused by excessive alcohol consumption.



10. Because you forgot to put sunscreen on when you laid out on the quad, but coffee will help prevent you from getting skin cancer (if you're a girl).







A study done by the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School found that women who drink three or more cups of coffee a week are less likely to develop skin cancer than other women.



11. Because the only form of organization right now in your life is this daily schedule:

1.Wake up.

2. Put on clothes

3. Get or make coffee.







Aint no shame in your coffee game.



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Travel The Appalachian Trail With This Nature-Loving Vine User

Vine user Isaiah Cooper posted his first trail Vine when he started a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail four months ago. Since then he's entertained followers with posts of wildlife, scenic views and trail culture and cuisine.



Cooper's most recent post lets us know he's somewhere in the Presidential Range of New Hampshire's White Mountains. Through his Vines he has answered all sorts of questions about life on the trail and has also been sending postcards to fellow Vine users. Though he first offered postcards to anyone who asked, after getting tons of requests he had to make the postcards into a contest, sending them to users who submitted great nature Vines. Cooper has gained nearly 45,000 followers in the past month.



The Appalachian Trail spans some 2,180 miles, beginning in Georgia and ending in Maine. Thru-hikers endeavor to complete the entire trail in one hiking season. According to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, most hikers begin in Georgia and hike north (like Cooper) and take an average of six months to complete the journey.



Check out his hike and follow him to the end on his Vine page!



Click the volume button on the bottom right corner of each Vine to hear Cooper's cheerful narration.




























































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Kids Who Sip Alcohol Aren't More Likely To Have Drinking Problems Later On, Study Shows

A young child's sipping or tasting alcohol may not be an early signal that they will have drinking problems or behavior problems later. Rather, sipping may reflect their parents' attitudes toward children drinking alcohol, according to a new study.

Researchers surveyed 452 children, ages 8 or 10, along with their families, to examine the factors linked to childhood sipping.

They found that 94 children in the study sipped or tasted alcohol between the start of the study and the time they turned 12. However, the researchers didn't find a link between this sipping and children's personality and behavior. [7 New Tips for Today's Parents]

"Children who started sipping before age 12 did not differ from children who did not," in terms of factors that predict their risk of problem drinking, marijuana and other drug use, delinquent behavior and risky sexual behavior during their teen years, study co-author John Donovan, an associate professor of psychiatry the University of Pittsburgh, said in a statement.

"This finding suggests that sipping during childhood is not itself a problem behavior like delinquent behavior or drug use," Donovan said.

Instead, whether or not children sipped alcohol was related to their parents' approval of child sipping and the parents' own drinking, according to the study published Tuesday (Aug. 26) in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

"Children who sipped alcohol before age 12 reported that their parents were more approving of child sipping or tasting alcohol, and more likely to be current drinkers than did children who did not have a first sip of alcohol before age 12. Their parents reported the same things," Donovan said.

The findings show the influence of the family alcohol environment on children's first involvement with alcohol, the researchers said.

Is it OK for children to sip alcohol?

Unlike drinking, sipping may be common among children — up to 66 percent of children may sip alcohol before age 12, according to a previous study by the researchers. But is this concerning?

Previous research has found that children who have sipped alcohol by age 10 are more likely to start drinking early, and tend to have more than a sip or a taste before they turn 15, Donovan said. This early drinking has been linked to problems in adolescence and young adulthood, such as binge drinking, alcohol dependence and drug use in previous studies.

However, the evidence shows associations, but not a cause-and-effect relationship between sipping alcohol and going on to have more real drinks later and engaging in other problematic behaviors. Many other factors could be involved, the researchers said.

"So, logically, childhood sipping may relate to these later problems as well, but it may not be the case that sipping in childhood has any negative outcomes. We just don't know yet," Donovan said.

More research is needed to know whether supervised sipping in childhood could contribute to healthy drinking habits later in life, or it would lead to problem drinking, the researchers said.

Email Bahar Gholipour or follow her @alterwired. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on Live Science.

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