We all know that excess stress can cause us to have trouble concentrating, lose sleep and eat more, but a recent study suggests that being overly stressed can also negatively impact a person’s ability to lose weight. According to researchers out of the University of Florida, people who live with chronic stress tend to produce a protein called betatrophin which has the effect of impairing the body’s ability to metabolize fat. As excess body fat can an increase a person’s risk factor for contracting serious illnesses like hypertension, type II diabetes, and cancer, it’s just another reason to make relaxation a regular part of your life.

One proven way to induce your body’s relaxation response, the condition where your muscles and fascia becomes loose and your bloodstream is flooded with stress fight hormones, is to take a massage session. With one 30 minute treatment with a qualified massage therapist or in a massage chair, you can not only walk away refreshed and reinvigorated but much less stressed. The unfortunate reality is it’s impossible to rid our lives of stress completely. Traffic jams, arguments with loved ones and unexpected job changes are a part of life and rather than try to avoid them, we should all find ways to relax that will allow us better handle the things that aggravate us. As the results of the University of Florida study showed, you can’t afford not to.

Read the full article here: Researchers uncover new details linking stress, fat metabolism