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Beat stress to loose kilos: neuroscientist

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   Retraining the brain to beat stress is the key to losing weight and
   keeping it off, a leading Australian neuroscientist says.

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   This is because people have learned to ignore their brain - an organ
   which has been dictating behaviour since prehistoric times - and have
   accepted emotional eating that comes with living an over-stressed
   lifestyle, according to Professor Selena Bartlett from QUTʼs Institute
   of Health and Biomedical Innovation.

   Diets can in fact make us fatter and more stressed, says Prof Bartlett

   "When we are stressed our brain seeks pleasure and thatʼs the problem,"
   says Prof Bartlett.

   And the more stress you experience, the more your brain seeks pleasure
   to counter it.

   Choosing to beat stress in order to loose weight has long been
   advocated by US neuroscientist, Dr Caroline Leaf.

   Stress, like real food, is not inherently bad - it makes people alert
   and ready for action.

   But it depends on how a person reacts to stress that determines the
   outcome of a situation and in this case weight loss, according to Dr
   Leaf.
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   If a person chooses to react wrongly to a challenging situation, they
   enter stage two of the stress reaction.

   "During this stage, high levels of cortisol circulate in the blood for
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   The good news is that itʼs possible to override the way the amygdala -
   the emotional part of our brain - responds to stress, says Prof
   Bartlett.

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   1. Be compassionate to your brain - it is an amazing organ that can be
   severely damaged by stress, especially in childhood while itʼs
   developing.

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   impulses.

   3. Identify when your amygdala is taking over in stressful situations
   and acknowledge when youʼre tempted by the urge to eat comforting food,
   like sugar.
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   5. Reduce sugar and alcohol intake and increase cardiovascular and high
   intensity exercise - these will help to heal your brain of its
   stress-induced damage and build a strong, healthy body.

   Originally published as Beat stress to loose kilos: neuroscientist

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