The seemingly innocent habits that throw your body for a loop.
Your Candy Bar Addiction
Eating foods with too much added sugar is
directly linked to weight gain—and excess pounds can lead your body to
become resistant to insulin, the hormone that moves sugar into your
bloodstream so your cells can get the energy they need, says Holly
Phillips, M.D., a women’s health specialist in New York City and medical
correspondent for CBS News. The result: a precursor to diabetes called
metabolic syndrome or even full-blown type 2 diabetes.
Stressing Out Late at Night
Normally, levels of the stress
hormone cortisol drop at nighttime, which helps you wind down and
sleep. But becoming anxious or tense in the p.m. means your cortisol
levels keep surging, so you’re too wired to catch Zzz’s, says Phillips.
Make sure one of these seven things that are secretly stressing you out aren’t putting you on edge, and be sure to try these anxiety-relieving tips.
Regular Bouts of Insomnia
It’s a vicious cycle: Lack of
sleep raises cortisol levels, and cortisol cranks up your blood
sugar…which then plunges, making you stressed and craving junk food,
says Phillips. Start scoring more snooze time, and your cortisol levels
will even out. These 15 tricks to sleep better should help.
Or Just One Night of Sleep Deprivation
When you sleep, levels of a
hunger-related hormone called leptin surge, signaling to your body that
you don’t need to eat. Toss and turn all night, and your body won’t
produce the right amount of leptin—so you’ll feel extra hungry the next
day and be more prone to weight gain.
Your Spotty Attendance at the Gym
Without regular exercise, your
body won’t produce and release the optimal amount of endorphins, says
Phillips. You know endorphins: They’re the feel-good chemicals in the
brain that make you feel positive and alert. They also keep your immune
system functioning well and increase levels of sex hormones so you score
a libido lift. The more you move (cardio, Pilates, hiking, any kind of
activity), the more endorphins your body will produce.
Crash Diets
A plunge in body-fat levels
due to either a super low-calorie weight-loss regimen or intense
exercise sessions lowers estrogen levels, halting your cycle until your
body fat returns to a healthy level.
Skimping on Cardio
You know how a heart-pumping
workout can make you temporarily forget about where to go for dinner? It
has to do with the way aerobic exercise prompts a drop in levels of a
hormone called ghrelin, which suppresses appetite, studies show.
Easing PMS With a Sweet Treat
Besides leaving you wired,
sugar also does a number on brain chemicals that are already thrown for a
loop during your PMS week. If your premenstrual symptoms leave you
cranky and moody, sugar will just make you feel like more of a basket
case, says Phillips. Instead of reaching for something sweet
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