News Article: Managing Stress is Key to Combating Aging

Although aging is a natural part of life, authors of the new book, TurboCharged: Accelerate Your Fat Burning Metabolism, Get Lean Fast and Leave Diet and Exercise Rules in the Dust, confidently assert that this does not mean we cannot do so gracefully, slowly, and free from debilitations. In fact, the authors, Dian and Tom Griesel, claim anyone can become “bio-medically younger” by doing one, major thing – managing their stress.

By managing your stress levels, you help to control three vital hormones which can either help you to enjoy a long, healthy life or work against you; cortisol, insulin, and leptin. Cortisol is released in response to stress and increases blood sugar. Insulin regulates the metabolizing of carbohydrates and fats in the body –when there is too much blood sugar in the body, more insulin is required. Leptin is the hormone which controls energy intake and expenditure and is responsible for appetite and metabolism.

“The stress levels many, if not most of us, live with today create internal tsunamis of cortisol, insulin and leptin. This combination triggers cardiovascular tension, causes arteries to harden and makes us crave more of the sugary foods that are causing the problems in the first place,” says Dian.

Eating sugary (or refined carbohydrate-filled) foods triggers the release of insulin to remove the excess glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream. This can lead to the formation of triglycerides—a form of fat that can raise the risk of heart disease—when limited amounts of glucose are stored in the liver or muscle tissue. Or this can lead to glucose storage which results in increased body fat. Excess glucose in the bloodstream can also damage our arteries and lead to inflammation in the body which results in cardiovascular disease and many other age-related illnesses as well.

In TurboCharged, the Griesels outline ways to both reduce glucose in the diet and manage stress.

“Everyone has time for a time-out,” Dian says. A solid minute, or more if time allows, of deep breathing with your eyes closed in a bathroom stall or a parked car, can help stabilize the over release of aging hormones.”