Sugar & Exercise… Make Everything Nice?

Ever feel the urge to reach for that box of candy or chocolates when you are stressed? There may be a physiological explanation for this almost ubiquitous behavior. In a recent article published in the New York Times, scientists found that sugar lowered cortisol levels in patients undergoing a randomized trial compared to patients treated with artificial sweetener aspartame. Cortisol is the hormone in the body released during times of stress as part of the “fight or flight” response.

These results are very preliminary and are not meant to give an excuse for people to run out and overindulge in sweets, but may shed some light in how we perceive and respond to a stressful stimulus and how we can modulate that response. A time-proven stress reliever has been to engage in regular physical activity and exercises. Even if you can’t go to the gym, a simple stretching routine can soothe those nerves. At SimpleTherapy, there are a variety of exercise programs for various parts of the body that can help stretch and relax tense and tight muscle groups.