Oxytocin

cited from https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/oxytocin

What is Oxytocin?
Oxytocin is a powerful hormone. When we hug or kiss a loved one, oxytocin levels drive up. It also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. In fact, the hormone plays a huge role inpair bonding. Prairie voles, one of nature's most monogamous species, produce oxytocin in spades. This hormone is also greatly stimulated during sex, birth, breast feeding—the list goes on.

Cortisol - stress hormone

If you're stressed you probably have high levels of cortisol. Here are some reasons why you might need to change your lifestyle to give your body a helping hand to deal with this stress hormone.

Negative effects of Cortisol

cited from http://www.castanet.net/news/Natural-Health-News/63064/Negative-effects-of-Cortisol

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Cortisol is a hormone that is absolutely crucial for life. Without it we would not be able to survive. However, when we live in chronic strain, worry, and stress, the adrenal glands produce relatively high amounts of cortisol. The problem with cortisol is that our bodies are not meant to be exposed to these relatively high amounts for long periods of time. However, many people who have stress as an obstacle to cure are experiencing the negative effects of cortisol.

1. High cortisol decreases immunity. Cortisol is a corticosteroid and like prednisone, cortisone, and beclomethasone, it inhibits the actions of white blood cells. Initially, this usually leads to increased susceptibility to infections. Eventually, this may actually lead to long stretches of time without colds because the immune system is so weakened.
2. High cortisol increases abdominal fat deposition. For reasons still unknown, high levels of cortisol induce the body to lay down adipose tissue in the abdomen and upper back/neck. In fact, for those people affected it is next to impossible to lose abdominal fat without addressing stress.
3. High cortisol breaks down muscle, bone, and connective tissue. Cortisol is a gluconeogenic hormone. Gluconeogenesis is a process that creates sugar from existing tissue. Cortisol promotes the breakdown of muscle, bone, and connective tissue in order to increase blood sugar for the brain.
4. High cortisol inhibits thyroid hormone activation. The thyroid gland makes 2 major hormones; thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyroine (T3). It predominantly makes T4, which is actually an in-active hormone. T4 is carried in the bloodstream and eventually hits a receptor on or in a cell and becomes activate to T3. High cortisol inhibits this conversion and thus creates a form of hypothyroid.

"...our own biology—which was designed to insure our survival as hunters and gatherers—is sabotaging our bodies and minds in a sedentary digital age. What can we do to defuse this time-bomb?"

cited in the article here: 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201301/cortisol-why-the-stress-hormone-is-public-enemy-no-1

Trigger foods to curb cravings

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Question from a male, 50 year old client, yesterday.

"How do I get rid of this fat around my ribs and under my armpits?"

David is a 50 year old man who is in great shape, works out 4 or 5 times a week, has strong legs and arms and good body fat levels. However, he has his target trouble spots like everyone else. Aside from the usual battle with the belly and belt line, David has found this area to the side of his chest to be a difficult spot to trim down. Most people will have a body part they are frustrated with. These are the gifts passed on to us from our ancestors, built into their DNA - "You will have fatty deposits around here, there, and down there."

Answer

My answer takes two simple topics into consideration. 1. Diet; and 2. Diet.

1. Diet - sacrifice
Those who show off their bodies in competition are the people who are best at controlling their diets. It would be wise to follow their example. Most of them will declare that they have to make sacrifices in order to force their bodies to shed more and more body fat, often more than their natural design allows. As such, their bodies contain less fat than their natural shape dictates. In other words, their bodies are looking to store fat where their bodies blueprint dictates it to go.
For the layman who thinks he is doing all the right things in the gym and in the kitchen, he or she must realise that an extra special effort is required if those final few pounds of fat are to melt away.
Ultimately, diet is the key and discipline is the door.

2. Diet - part 2 - Food as fun or food as fun-ction?
It is all well and good other people trying to convince us that fresh and healthy food is better tasting than processed slop but our taste buds are built to seek out salt, sugar, flavour and fat! Before we can make a decision we have eaten a round of toast, a plate of chips or a quick sandwich or two. Convenience food is just that, and it is marketed and placed perfectly for those weak moments.
Fine, eat processed food then. Give up trying. One cake can't hurt. Go on, just have one more....

Get organised and plan ahead. Write down a shopping list in your lunch break, and fill it with fresh fruit and crunchy vegetables, lean white meats and fish.

More to follow....

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