Living on a diet is making you gain weight

Have you ever noticed that when you go on a strict diet, you don't lose a single pound, but the week you relax, you drop up to 2? This phenomenon is not the universe telling us to eat junk food; it’s our body releasing the stress associated with the word diet. From the moment we say diet, we already have a negative connotation towards something that should really be understood as a change in habits for a healthier life. However, since being on a diet is immediately associated with restrictions, our body does not respond favorably to the term. The culprit behind our diets not helping us lose weight is the cortisol we produce when we are stressed. That’s why, when we relax, it’s easier to shed those extra pounds. The girls from Kuzala Salud, a group that aims to promote health through workshops, retreats, and courses, invited us to listen to a talk by Nutritionist Pamela Malvido, who convinced us that living on a diet makes you gain weight. “What’s important is to create healthy habits full-time so that the allowances we give ourselves do not impact our weight.” How does cortisol act in your body? Cortisol (the correct medical term is hydrocortisone) is a hormone produced by the adrenal gland when our body is under stress or subjected to extreme physical activity, poor diet, or lack of sleep. Cortisol is the body’s natural defense mechanism for survival against the stress factors we have subjected our bodies to for years, putting it in a state of shock that compels us to seek food, sleep, or increase our strength. Its primary function is to raise blood sugar levels, suppress the immune system, and help metabolize fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. When cortisol levels rise in the system, the body tries to mobilize energy reserves to enhance brain activity and concentration. It also has a slight effect on hair growth, salt, and water retention. The increase in cortisol may destroy some tissues in a healthy way, but when stress is constant, negative changes can occur in the body, ranging from irritability to obesity. Controlling stress will be the great challenge of the 21st century… Because undoubtedly, the excessive stress we put our bodies under is a major contributor to the obesity crisis we are facing in the world. Pamela Malvido shared these tips and suggestions to help our bodies reduce stress and avoid eating our anxiety or sadness: 1. Keep a food diary; write down everything you eat and your mood when you do so, from breakfast to dinner including all snacks. Gradually, you will notice an emotional pattern behind each food decision. 2. When you enter your home, give yourself 5 minutes before heading to the kitchen to eat something. 3. Rate your hunger on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being a craving and 10 being hunger. When it goes beyond 6, look for a healthy snack. 4. Take drastic measures to help you break bad habits… If you know you have a weakness for chocolate, stop buying it! 5. Relax at social events. Stressing over food only makes you gain more weight than if you allow yourself to enjoy that piece of cake at a birthday once a month. See original article Article courtesy of: Recommended notes: Don't live on a diet for life! Are you addicted to food? 7 tips you can actually do to get the body you want