GOSSIP HOTLINE

Feeling frazzled? Crazed? Tense? You’re certainly not alone – I would say most of us suffer from stress – some of us a big, bad way. As we know, too much stress can wreak havoc on our mind and body.

But, did you know it expands our waistline? Some folks mistakenly believe too much stress leads to weight loss – so not the truth! Nutritionist and a contributor to Healthy Hollywood, Keri Glassman’s new book, “Slim Calm Sexy Diet,” has the skinny (or not-skinny) on being overwhelmed.

“Our bodies are programmed to treat stress, no matter what the source, as an assault and we go into survival mode,” says Keri. “This means that cortisol, a stress hormone, will increase and disrupt our natural tempo and affects our insulin sensitivity. This causes an increased risk in cardiovascular ailments, cancer, diabetes, and you got it, an increase in appetite and weight!”

Stress-induced weight gain tends to go right to our middle. Maybe that’s why so many of us struggle with bulging bellies. “If you are chronically stressed, this physical response, unfortunately, doesn’t go away. Stress makes it easy to gain weight and harder to lose it,” adds Keri.

So, how can we frantic multi-tasking folks reduce stress? Exercise is an awesome option to combat it, but Keri also has some other suggestions, “Try to have planned out response to that stress trigger. For example, some people like to meditate, call a specific friend, listen to a particular song, or read a passage from a favorite book. The only wrong answer to what helps reduce stress is a triple bacon burger!”

“Slim Calm Sexy Diet” is packed with 365 food strategies for mind/body bliss. Keri shares with Healthy Hollywood five of her favorite stress-reducing nutrients.

1. Avocados – These creamy fruits contain many wonderful vitamins and minerals, and are loaded with belly-burning monounsaturated fats. But, they are calming because they contain serotonin, that happy feel good hormone you may have heard about.

2. Cashews – You may know, I’m nuts about nuts, and these guys contain zinc, which has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression. It’s especially important to get zinc daily, because our body doesn’t store it.

3. Chocolate – Dark chocolate, in particular, is known to lower blood pressure and we all know that chocolate has an undeniable link to enhancing our mood.

4. Green Tea – I am a huge fan of green tea for its amazing antioxidant gifts, and in the case of calming, it contains an amino acid, theanine, which has been shown to protect against cancer. And ever so simply, the act of drinking a warm mug of tea is calming all on its own.

5. Oranges – These vitamin C powerhouses are not only calming, but amazingly portable thanks to their thick peel. Just the aroma of peeling an orange is enough to calm me down. Vitamin C also increases libido.

To check out Keri’s book “Slim Calm Sexy Diet,” head over to www.amazon.com.