HEALTH & WELL-BEING
The secret of festive weight gain and why it might not be the extra mince pies that you ate
Follow these simple steps to protect your adrenal glands and look forward to a healthier Christmas.
1. Eat steadily throughout the day ideally every four hours. Skipping a meal is one of the worst things you can do in times of stress, as it disrupts your blood sugar levels even more than the high cortisol levels.
2. Exercise to relax, not to create more stress on the body. Vigorous ex- ercise is another leading cause of ad- renal exhaustion. Yoga, walking, deep breathing and stretching are all great way of reducing stress.
3. Sleep, sleep and sleep – get at least eight hours of sleep at night. During sleep, the adrenal glands have a chance to restore and repair.
4. Eat protein and healthy fats at every meal – this helps to stabilise blood sugars levels.
5. Load up on vitamin C. The adre- nal glands love vitamin C and use lots of it. Great sources include: citrus fruits, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and tomatoes.
Festive weight gain is to be expected: mince pies are in the office, Christmas drink par- ties start in November and there’s an endless amount of chocolate boxes. But could the stress of the season be causing you to gain weight, too?
Christmas should be a relaxing time. School’s out, offices close – and everyone is wind- ing down. Tere are opportunities to catch up with family and friends, and to treat the ones you love with special gifts. But the reality can be so different, especially for an expat returning home. Extortionate air fares, bulging suitcases, travel chaos, and the challenge of making time to see everyone. (And why is it that despite travelling thou- sands of miles to get home, you are always the one who has to go out to friend’s houses to do the visiting?)
Te run-up to Christmas begins earlier each year and with this comes a corresponding rise in anxiety and stress levels. In response to the stress, our adrenal glands produce the hormone cortisol. Cortisol increases your blood sugar levels and if the excess blood sugar is not burned as energy, it is converted into fatty acids which are then deposited in our cells as fat. Tis type of stress-related, cortisol-mediated weight gain often fo- cuses around the abdominal area and can elevate cholesterol levels, too.
In preparation for the festive season, it’s a good idea to start looking after your adrenal glands now. Te adrenals are walnut-sized glands that sit above each kidney. Tey help the body deal with stress during flight or fight situations, producing adrenaline and no- radrenaline. In times of more chronic, ongoing stress, they produce cortisol.
www.focus-info.org
Sarah Walford, nutritionist at NW3 Nutrition, helps expats improve their health and well- being by making simple changes to their diet and lifestyle. Her no-nonsense nutrition plans are fad free, realistic and achievable. To arrange a consultation please visit
www.nw3nutrition.com.
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