Every Monday, That's Fit's very own "charged up" wellness guru Laura Lewis presents The Passion Principle, a weekly guide that will help you achieve your greatest potential through words of inspiration, cutting-edge ideas and action tips you can use in your every day life!

Chronic stress can slow down your ability to lose weight and get rid of stubborn stored fat. Practicing a few unique stress-reduction strategies can help you lose those jiggly arms and way-too-ample bellies and booties!

I am quite familiar with stress -- raising kids as a single mother has given me an intimate relationship with it. As a person who writes, coaches and speaks about health on an almost-daily basis, I know implicitly that experiencing chronic stress may result in weight gain, and I'm not talking about an increase in muscle! And after recently spending more than $100 on a pair of cool, "beautiful booty" jeans, I am highly motivated to keep my stress in check, or I'll have to shell out even more cash for bigger clothes. And that is something I do not care to do. Like you, I have plenty of other things I should be buying with my hard-earned cash.

Storing more calories as body fat, specifically around your middle, occurs under times of stress. Even slim women who eat healthfully and work out on a regular basis are likely to have more belly fat if they are constantly stressed out. Researchers call it "visceral" fat -- the kind that sticks close to your internal organs and interferes with liver function, hampers the processing of cholesterol and insulin and compromises the function of other tissues and systems. Yikes. So what do we do? Develop our own stress-reduction strategies, that's what. Here are a few.

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In the wise words of Dolly Parton, "Working nine to five ... it's enough to drive you crazy if you let it." If you want to avoid the driving-you-crazy part and be more productive and less stressed, the answer is simple: Exercise.

University of Bristol researchers found that people who exercised on work days -- either before work or during lunch -- experienced less stress and were better able to handle the challenges of their workdays.

It's not surprising, really. Exercise can do wonders for your mood. And if you have a crabby co-worker, a demanding boss or unreasonable deadlines to deal with, you can certainly use a little boost in the mood department. And physical activity can increase your energy which, in turn, will make you a more productive employee. So get moving! You never know ... maybe your boss will notice your great performance and you'll get that raise you sorely deserve.

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Stress can certainly take a toll on our health; Jennie Garth is no exception. The actress is back on 90210, showing us what her popular character, Kelly Taylor, is like as an adult. But earlier in the year things weren't exactly sunny in Garth's life.

Within a span of six months, her daughter became ill (and was later diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis) and her father passed away. Garth said "I didn't think about my looks or my weight or my body or anything." She goes on to say that she didn't exercise, eat healthfully, and that she gained weight and inches as a result.

As much as we all hope our lives stay stable and uncomplicated, everyone is bound to hit a rough patch now and then. And, unfortunately, many of us will encounter periods of extreme stress, like Jennie Garth did. It's definitely hard to continue focusing on your health when everything else seems to be falling apart. But that is the most important time to take care of yourself.

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I adopted my son from the US foster care system when he was 10-years-old. He has ADHD and often struggles with focus. He also has high anxiety and can get quite nervous in certain situations. One tool that helps him regain focus and composure is taking a few deep breaths. We face each other, look directly in each others' eyes and take a deep breath in... and out. He usually says "one more, Mom" and we continue until he's feeling in control again. The simple act helps to ground him, reduce his anxiety, and help him focus again. Breathing exercises can help everyone reduce stress and relax.

When you're faced with an abrupt, unexpected stressful situation (such as a car cutting you off in traffic or someone saying something offensive to you) take a moment to pause and breathe deeply before reacting. Those few seconds will calm you so you can respond appropriately and thoughtfully -- avoiding a hasty reaction you might regret later.

When you're faced with longer-lasting stress (such as a difficult deadline at work or ongoing problems with your significant other) make a regular practice of this breathing and stretching technique. It will imbibe your body with oxygen and help relieve stress.

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There's no doubt -- life as an actress can be stressful. And Raven-Symone is the first to admit that. In fact, the actress even goes so far as to say, "I do have anger issues," but she doesn't like to yell at anybody, so she's found another way to get out her frustrations -- boxing.

When she's angry at someone, Raven-Symone said, "I picture that person's face that I want to yell at and I hit it repeatedly [with my] mitt."

I've actually done the same thing on a number of occasions -- beating the hell out of a heavy bag somehow makes me feel better. However, running is a great stress reliever as well. What form of exercise helps you clear your head, or puts you in a good mood?

Don't you love it when people tell you not to stress out? Sometimes, stress is just out of your control and no amount of people telling you, "Relax ..." is going to make you actually do so. So forgive me for the following:

A recent study found that women who experience stressful events during pregnancy may bear children who are predisposed to allergies and asthma. The study found that babies of moms who reported three or more highly stressful events during pregnancy had increased levels of IgE in their cord blood. Elevated IgE levels are associated with the development of allergies and asthma.

The children in this study will be followed for five years to find if they actually do develop allergies at a higher rate than other children.

Obviously, stress is something we all try to avoid. In this study, many of the issues that caused stress were situations that are difficult to overcome, such as financial, marital, or health issues. So while I'm not going to tell you to "relax," I am going to remind you that during pregnancy, your body is already under a lot of stress. Cutting yourself a break will protect your health and your baby's too, potential future allergy problems aside.

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