英语趣谈:为什么stress会致肥?

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应付逆境人人方法不同。有积极的化悲愤为力量,也有人保持幽默感,苦中作乐,说可以化悲愤为食量。

其实身心受压,不论是悲是愤,都会令人精神紧张,这些情绪不用刻意的去“化”,都会变成食量,所以说stress makes you fat。

Stress是名词,解anxious state,精神压力。 Under stress或suffer from stress是在压力下或有精神压力。

Stress亦解factor causing stress,导致压力的因素、紧张;例如︰The stress of rigorous training makes me tired.(严厉训练的压力使我疲倦。)Stress也用作动词,解使焦虑不安;例如︰The examination stresses the students.(考试令同学们精神紧张。)

影响血糖“打假仗”

Stress makes you fat,紧张令人肥。很多人精神紧张的反应是不断吃,不停吃东西自然就会增磅。这现象很普遍,但为什么会这样?这样的行为又是受到什么生理因素的驱使?英国Leeds University用Giles Yeo医生作“实验品”做了个研究,以种种方法令他过了精神紧张的一天,观察他的生理反应。

Our blood sugar(血糖) levels rise when we eat and, in a healthy person like Giles, they quickly return to normal. But what the Leeds team found was that on the day when Giles was being deliberately(刻意的) stressed, his blood sugar levels took three hours to return to normal – some six times longer than on a previous, stress-free day.
简单说,压力影响血糖,进食后需三小时才回复正常水平,是正常情况的六倍时间。

这是因为在压力下身体进入fight or flight mode,战或退的状态。

Your body thinks it is under attack and releases glucose(葡萄糖) into your blood to provide energy for your muscles. But if you don’t need that energy to run away from danger, then your pancreas(胰腺) will pump out insulin(胰岛素) to bring those blood sugar levels back down again. These rising levels of insulin and falling blood sugars will make you hungry – which is why you crave(渴望得到) sugary carbs when you are stressed.

Carb是carbohydrate的缩写,即碳水化合物,包括糖和淀粉。紧张时血糖水平提高给肌肉提供能量去“打仗”,但其实并没有真的仗要打,所以身体又释出胰岛素降低血糖,这就是精神紧张时会觉得肚饿、食欲增加的原因。

睡眠不足“好胃口”

Stress亦导致失眠或睡不好,另一项英国的研究发现,睡眠不足令人每天多进食近四百卡路里的食物,那想不肥也难。怎办? Aerobic exercise(带氧运动)可令人开心一点,又可”help speed your metabolism(新陈代谢) so you burn off the extra indulgences”。

另外,可做些与食物无关而你又喜欢的活动︰

Taking a hike, reading a book, going to a yoga class, getting a massage, patting your dog, or making time for friends and family can help to relieve stress(减压) without adding on the pounds.

Geneen Roth的Breaking Free from Emotional Eating,提供更多避免化悲愤为食量的方法。

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