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Stress?

Did someone say stress? Are you a stress eater?

When you’re surrounded by insurmountable stress and worry, do you find yourself reaching for comfort foods or sugary treats? (Insert hand raise here!)

Have you ever wondered why that may be?

Read on to discover the science behind stress-eating, why your sugar cravings may be out of control and, more importantly, what you can do to regain balance.

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The science behind stress eating

Are you a stress eater? Do you reach for comfort foods or overindulge when stress gets to you?

Many people do. In fact, the combination of stress itself, the hormones our body releases in response to stress, and the sugary, fat-filled comfort foods we often resort to as a result lead many of us to pack on the pounds.

“People with higher stress levels tend to gain weight and have a harder time shedding those extra pounds. Plus, it’s no secret that excess stress changes eating habits.”

— Kelly

Stress eating and overeating, in general, are significant risk factors for illness and disease. There’s no question that obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes and other lifestyle diseases increase our risk of experiencing more severe symptoms should we contract COVID-19. In fact, each one of these conditions increases our risk of contracting the virus in the first place.

Of course, overeating isn't the only reason why stressed-out people tend to gain weight. Typically, when we are under a great deal of stress, we also tend to sleep poorly, push exercise to the back burner, and consume more alcohol - additional behaviours that can contribute to weight gain.

Let’s take a step back and look at what happens with our stress hormones from start to finish.

When we first encounter stress, our appetite may actually decrease. Our nervous system calls for the release of adrenaline from our adrenal glands to kick off our fight-or-flight response. By putting all our energy in getting ready to flee a dangerous situation, our appetite will actually decrease and we may not feel like eating.

But this state does not last long. When we are under constant stress, the adrenals start pumping out cortisol, as well. Cortisol has many functions including increasing appetite and motivation - including the motivation to eat.

Normally, cortisol levels drop back down when we’re no longer under stress, however, cortisol levels will remain high if the stress doesn’t subside (which in our day and age it rarely does). This can also push our stress response to remain stuck in the “on” position.

The combination of high cortisol levels along with high insulin (which results when we consume sugary foods or refined carbohydrates) makes us crave hyper-palatable sugary treats, fatty foods, or a combination of both. Studies have shown these are the “comfort foods” we tend to prefer when under emotional stress.

These sugary and fatty foods tend to make us feel better in the short term, but once we give in, we crave them even more. These are also the foods that tend to be the easiest to overeat.

Have you ever been able to consume an entire pizza or container of ice cream by yourself? Possibly.

What about a pound of broccoli? Enough said.

Why we crave sugar when we’re stressed

Do your cravings for sugar go through the roof when you’re stressed? Are they out of control right now?

There could be a few different reasons why we crave sugar and comfort foods when we’re stressed.

1. Sugar literally makes us feel good.

Have you ever taken a bite of something sweet and been instantly overcome by feelings of happiness or contentment?

Those feelings aren’t all “in your head.” Sweet treats raise our levels of serotonin - the neurotransmitter known to make us feel good.

How? When we eat sugary sweets, levels of insulin within our body instantly increase. This triggers the movement of the most readily-available amino acids into our muscles, leaving tryptophan behind in circulation. This is important because our body creates serotonin using tryptophan.

Normally, tryptophan gets out-numbered by all the other amino acids. So once they have been shuttled into our muscles, tryptophan can get busy creating lots of serotonin. And it does!

This is why people who are depressed find comfort and feelings of happiness when they eat sugary treats or simple carbohydrate foods (which are quickly converted into sugar in the body). This is also why these people crave sugary treats - they know it will make them feel better! And it does - but only temporarily.

The more sugary food we eat, the more serotonin is created and the better we feel. Unfortunately, this also leads to an even bigger energy crash and even stronger sugar cravings.

As you can imagine or may know from personal experience, breaking this vicious cycle can be extremely challenging if not downright impossible!

So what should you reach for instead? A protein-based snack like an apple with almond butter would be a great choice. If you must have something sweet (cause let’s be honest - sometimes an apple just won’t cut it!) some dark chocolate would be a good choice. It contains fibre, so it will provide that serotonin boost without as big of a crash after. This can be a great option to help you get off the sugar cravings roller coaster and help you regain some balance.

2. We get pleasure out of comfort foods.

At the end of a particularly stressful day (or week!), our body may simply want a little bit of pleasure - which is not a bad thing!

Food can provide that pleasure for us. However, the guilt we often feel after partaking in a pleasurable treat can negate any good feelings that the food might have provided.

For some of us, eating for pleasure without the guilt can be hard. This is especially true if you happen to have a history of an eating disorder. Guilt can make you feel like if you “give in” to your cravings, you won’t be able to stop at a bite or two. While this can be true for some of us, most of us can feel satisfied after only a few pleasurable bites.

So if you struggle with an eating disorder, go on sugar binges, or harbour extreme feelings of guilt after eating, a little support from a counsellor or nutritionist (like me), may be all you need to help you uncover the underlying reasons behind your struggles.

3. We may be missing magnesium.

If chocolate happens to be what you crave when you’re stressed, there’s a good reason for that - and you’re not alone! Many people crave chocolate and nothing else will do. Why is this?

Chocolate, especially unrefined (dark chocolate and raw cacao), contains a lot of magnesium - the stress-busting mineral. Yes, our body burns through magnesium quickly when under stress. So if you happen to crave chocolate, your amazing body is asking for exactly what it needs!

How to relieve stress and balance sugar cravings

Ok, so now that we know there are legitimate reasons why we crave comfort foods, sugary treats, or chocolate when we’re under stress, what can we do about it?

How can we break that cycle of craving sugar, giving in, feeling guilty about it, then crashing moments later? And what can we do counter stress without heading down this road and potentially pouring on the pounds?

Here are my top tips:

Purge your pantry - Having certain trigger foods lying around the house or at the forefront of your pantry may be too much to resist and only serve to invite trouble. If this is the case, do yourself a favour by cleaning out your pantry and donating or discarding these key triggers. Out of sight, out of mind (and tummy!). Find a healthier option that may still satisfy without setting you on a downward spiral.

Acknowledge your cravings - Yes, your cravings actually mean something. Your body is asking for (or demanding!) something specific or craving a certain food because it is lacking something. We must recognize that and provide what our body needs - otherwise, it’s going to keep asking! If chocolate is what you crave, give in - but choose the healthiest dark chocolate possible. Avoid the Snickers bar and opt for a chocolate bar with at least 85% raw cocoa and few ingredients instead. Keep in mind that the higher the percentage of cocoa, the less sugar was added.
Be kind to your body - When cravings are at their worst, sometimes trying to ignore them will only result in binge eating later. Try opting for healthier sweet treats that contain limited amounts of sugar and no artificial ingredients instead. Better still, make your own sweet treats to store in the freezer and take out as needed. This way, you can control what ingredients and how much sugar (more importantly, what type of sugar) were used. If possible, sweeten your treats with unsweetened apple sauce, mashed bananas, dates, raw honey, or pure maple syrup - each of these natural sweeteners has the added benefit of containing some nutritional value, as well.

Allow yourself the occasional treat - Enjoying something sweet on occasion will provide you with the pleasure your body seeks. If you can manage to moderate your intake, allow yourself the pleasure of a sweet treat on occasion. And enjoy it in all its splendour without guilt!
Start your day with protein - You can also reduce cravings by starting your day with ample protein. Protein helps modulate blood sugar levels. So having a protein-packed breakfast will set your blood sugar and energy levels for the rest of the day, which can reduce cravings or energy crashes that typically hit later. Great protein sources include eggs, ground turkey sausages (homemade), nut butter, or collagen protein powder added to your morning smoothie or coffee.

Meditate - I cannot stress how important meditation or diaphragmatic breathing is for everyone’s overall health! It is such a powerful tool that should be part of everyone’s arsenal. Backed by science, meditation has many health benefits including reducing stress and anxiety, improving digestion, and changing the mindset that lead us to overeat in the first place. All it takes to start is sitting in a comfortable position quietly, and taking three slow, deep breaths in and out through your nose. Meditation can also help you become a more mindful eater and be more mindful of your food choices.
Get moving - This should come as no surprise, but exercise can be the perfect tool! It keeps you busy by providing you with something else to do (other than eat), it helps trim your waistline, and it boosts serotonin levels to help you feel good. Of course, too much exercise or exercise that is very strenuous can be stressful on your body and actually increase cortisol levels. So find a balance of activities you enjoy to keep yourself active and keep your mind off food. If you haven’t tried them yet, yoga and tai chi can be game-changers!

I hope some of these ideas resonate with you and you find them helpful - especially now when your stress levels are likely through the roof. And if you’d like a free downloadable ebook with healthy recipes you can make using foods found in your pantry, be sure to check out last week’s post - sometimes even just figuring out what to eat can help take some stress off the table.

As always, I welcome your thoughts and value your feedback. Let me know what you think by dropping me a line or commenting below.

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