Effects of Stress Management on Diabetes

One definition of stress is "the body's reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental or emotional adjustment or response." It has also been defined as forces from the outside world that impinge on an individual and can cause severe problems. From time to time you will hear someone say that they work better under stress, but that is not an effective strategy for long-term gain.

The effects of stress on people who have been diagnosed with diabetes vary but there is one point of agreement and that stress has a negative impact on diabetics and it is important to practice effective stress management techniques. Following are two areas that stress affects:

1. Stress Hormones Raise Your Glucose Level: When you experience stressful situations your body immediately gets into action to provide you with what it thinks you need to fight off attacks. For example, you breathing speeds up and so does your heart. The body also seeks to protect you by sending more energy or glucose to the muscles. Because the muscles may not be absorbing this added energy the result is that sugar builds up in the blood.

2. Stress Hormones Can Cause You to Gain Weight: In response to stress your body releases stress hormones, and one of these cortisol has been identified as being responsible for increasing the appetite. Cortisol also encourages belly fat, which raises your risk of heart attack.

Stress management includes practicing relaxation techniques like taking deep, slow breaths when you begin to feel agitated. A side effect is that it will strengthen your diaphragm. When possible, get a massage, which could also lower your glucose levels. When stress hormone levels are reduced you will feel less hungry.

In Phase 3 of The Diabetes Reversal Report
the Diabetes Reversal Plan for exercise and physical activity is introduced, which offers a specific approach to target blood control effectively. The Plan includes a workout system called Tabata. I encourage you to learn more about this system and the other strategies by visiting http://www.saygoodbyetodiabetes.com