Your eating habits might be significantly affected by stress. Acute stress can cause the stress response to suppress appetite (such as in the hours following a vehicle accident or the shock of receiving a layoff notice at wor

How to be better at stress by foods

Anxiety and Appetite

Your eating habits might be significantly affected by stress. Acute stress can cause the stress response to suppress appetite (such as in the hours following a vehicle accident or the shock of receiving a layoff notice at work). The fight-or-flight reaction is created to squelch hunger since it is impossible to fight effectively or run as quickly while thinking about food. Chronic stress, however, has the opposite impact. High levels of stress might cause your body to release cortisol repeatedly, which can increase your hunger.

Gender may have an impact on how you eat under stress, according to the Harvard Health Letter. Some study indicates that men tend to drink or smoke while women are more inclined to overeat as a result of stress.

 

And in fact, eating can help you feel better when you're under stress. In fact, the body's reaction to persistent stress is literally blunted by so-called comfort foods like chocolate cake and ice cream. The issue with continuing to use comfort foods as a kind of self-medication for ongoing stress is that it will result in weight gain and poor health.

 

You can adopt ways to use food to aid you just as you need to reframe your perspective on stress and engage in exercise and meditation to give your body a vacation from stress.

Conscious Eating

When we're under pressure, we may eat carelessly and reach for mindless snacks like candy from the office candy dish or bags of fast food when we're on the go. It's crucial to practise "mindful eating" when under stress, which entails taking your time and savouring each meal.

According to holistic doctor Dr. Michael Finkelstein, who is in charge of Bedford, New York's SunRaven centre for holistic living, "the question isn't what are the meals to eat. "The majority of people are generally aware of what the healthiest foods are, but they don't consume them. What's on your mind when you eat, in my opinion, is mindful eating.

 

Next time you're enjoying a nice dinner, try this quick exercise:

1. Put some food from your fork in your mouth. Make it a passion project.
2. Refrain from taking a second taste and set the fork down.
3. Chew gradually. Pay attention to the food's flavour, texture, and scent. Pay attention to the hues on your plate.
4. Think exclusively about the food in your mouth and stay in the present. Consider the work that went into farming or producing this food, as well as the work that went into making this meal.
5. Enjoy the now.

Read "Mindful Eating as Food for Thought" to find out more

Health

If excessive stress is not properly controlled, it might have negative bodily effects.

While some levels of stress are necessary for human function, persistent stress causes a series of physiologic changes all across your body.

Heart : Your body releases the stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline during a stressful situation, which also causes your heart rate to elevate. Blood vessels constrict in certain body regions, such as the skin, digestive system, and brain, allowing blood flow to larger systems to rise (heart, large muscles). In order to provide you the strength to fight or leave, the body is rerouting oxygen and nutrients to the areas that need them the most. Blood pressure, however, increases as a result of the restricted blood flow. Typical effects are transient, but some evidence indicates that persistent stress may have long-lasting consequences on the heart, increasing the risk of hypertension, heart attacks, and stroke.

Immune System: Prolonged stress can lower immunity, leaving you more susceptible to colds and other dangerous infections.

 

Diabetes Risk: When under stress, the liver produces more glucose to provide you an energy boost in case of an emergency. Prolonged stress can raise blood sugar levels, raising diabetes risk, especially in people who are already at high risk for the disease, such as those who are overweight or have a family history of the condition. The American Psychological Association claims that managing your stress can help you control your blood sugar almost as well as prescription drugs.

Stomach and Digestion: Stress can impact how quickly food passes through your body, the production of stomach acid, and nutritional absorption. Overeating and alcohol consumption are some side effects of chronic stress. All of these elements may cause diarrhoea, acid reflux, heartburn discomfort, nausea, stomach pain, ulcers, and other gastrointestinal problems.

 

Sexual function and reproduction: Prolonged stress in men can lower sperm count, lower testosterone levels, and worsen erectile dysfunction. Stress can worsen premenstrual syndrome in women and cause painful periods and irregular menstrual cycles. Stress can make menopause symptoms worse, including hot flashes that are more frequent and intense. Chronic stress has been shown to reduce sexual desire in both men and women.