Counting Calories Works

[amber]

I just remembered another good thing to do is to make sure you take time throughout the day to breathe deeply. Sometimes I forget to breathe, if you know what I mean. Deeply. The whole diaphragm thing and all.
And/ do a calming stretching exercise.

Something about Cortisol levels in your body and the relationship between DHEA - as you get older you have less DHEA, and more cortisol (cortisol is released when you are stressed, it's part of the "fight or flight" chemical process.)

"DHEA can improve glucose tolerance, convert excess body fat to lean muscle mass, alleviate depression, increase energy and decrease pain in chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia patients, decrease joint pain and fatigue in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, improve mental clarity and enhance overall immune function."


There is info online, but basically you want to really keep your cortisol (stress) levels down because it causes a chemical reaction in your body that is not ideal - harmful.
Here is one short snippet of something I found. I'm not saying this is the be all, end all, but it is a contributing factor, and every little bit helps.

"The destructive effect of high cortisol levels

What is cortisol? In its normal function, cortisol helps us meet these challenges by converting proteins into energy, releasing glycogen and counteracting inflammation. For a short time, that’s okay. But at sustained high levels, cortisol gradually tears your body down.

Sustained high cortisol levels destroy healthy muscle and bone, slow down healing and normal cell regeneration, co-opt biochemicals needed to make other vital hormones, impair digestion, metabolism and mental function, interfere with healthy endocrine function; and weaken your immune system.

Adrenal fatigue may be a factor in many related conditions, including fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, premature menopause and others. It may also produce a host of other unpleasant symptoms, from acne to hair loss. (Please click here to see a list of adrenal fatigue symptoms and related conditions.)

The loss of DHEA production
When the adrenals are chronically overworked and straining to maintain high cortisol levels, they lose the capacity to produce DHEA in sufficient amounts. DHEA (the full name is dehydroepiandrosterone) is a precursor hormone to estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, and is necessary to moderate the balance of hormones in your body. Insufficient DHEA contributes to fatigue, bone loss, loss of muscle mass, depression, aching joints, decreased sex drive, and impaired immune function. (For more information, read our article on DHEA.)"
http://www.womentowomen.com/adrenalf...l#cortisoldhea