Why? Because stress increases cortisol levels, and cortisol likes to store weight in your stomach, says Michael Jensen, MD, an endocrinologist and obesity expert at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. (Researchers aren't sure why.) It could also slow down your metabolism. When stressed and non-stressed women ate the same high-fat meal, the harried ones burned fewer calories at rest afterward, found a study in
Biological Psychiatry.
We're not recommending revamping your life just for a slim stomach—these tips are good for your overall well-being, too. In a pinch, try one of
these seven ways to de-stress in under an hour.
