Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/270856
Page 10 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com I think we can all agree that "muffin tops" – the fat hanging over the waist of a too tight pair of pants – and beer bellies aren't attractive. Still, when it comes to excess belly fat, the situation is more serious than how you look. Excess belly fat has been linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and stress. When you have stress, your body releases certain "fight-or-flight" stress hormones that are produced in the adrenal glands: cortisol, norepinephrine and epinephrine. When you first get stressed, these hormones kick into gear. Norepinephrine tells your body to stop producing insulin so that you can have plenty of fast-acting blood glucose ready. Epinephrine will relax the muscles in your stomach and intestines and decrease blood flow to these organs. Once the stressor has passed, cortisol tells the body to stop producing these hormones and to go back to digesting regularly. It's normal for your cortisol levels to go up and down throughout the day, but when you are chronically stressed your cortisol level goes up – and stays there. When your stress and cortisol levels are high, the body actually resists weight loss. Your body thinks times are hard and you might starve, so it hoards the fat you eat or have present on your body. Cortisol tends to take fat from healthier areas, like your butt and hips, and move it to your abdomen which has more cortisol receptors. Hello ab flab! In the process, it turns once-healthy peripheral fat into unhealthy visceral fat (the fat in your abdomen that surrounds your organs) that increases inflammation and insulin resistance in the body. This belly fat then leads to more cortisol because it has higher concentrations of an enzyme that converts inactive cortisone to active cortisol. The more belly fat you have, the more active cortisol will be converted by these enzymes – yet another vicious cycle created by visceral fat. Myomin for Abdominal Fat Abdominal fat produces the enzyme aromatase. An aromatase inhibitor like Myomin can reduce abdominal fat. Abdominal obesity is associated with decreased testosterone levels (or hypogonadism) and increased estradiol levels. Hypogondism leads to the deposition of fat in the abdomen. As fat accumulates, aromatase activity increases at the site, causing more testosterone to be converted into estradiol. Taking testosterone or DHEA supplements is not enough because if aromatase is uncontrolled, then testosterone and DHEA will eventually be converted to estradiol. Adding an aromatase inhibitor like Myomin blocks the action of aromatase, effectively preventing the testosterone from being converted into estradiol. This leads to more muscle mass and the loss of abdominal fat. Discover the Belly Fat and Cortisol Connection