Stress, Nutrition & Everything In-Between
Meg Volley, PostGlo Intern
Stress is a part of daily life, and as a busy parent, there are many things to stress over. Stress affects us in a variety of ways, from raising our breathing rate to impairing quality of sleep, but have you ever thought about how stress affects nutrition, and vice versa?
When one experiences stress, the body triggers the “fight or flight” response, a physiological response to anxiety-inducing situations (1). This reflex traces back to prehistoric times when humans needed to quickly respond to stress to survive. A hormonal cascade occurs, releasing epinephrine, known as adrenaline, and cortisol. Epinephrine increases heart rate and blood pressure to improve oxygen flow and increase alertness. Cortisol stimulates the release of glucose in the blood to be used for energy. Once stress subsides, these hormones return to normal levels.
So how does stress affect our body? Stress and its related hormones can cause gastrointestinal/ digestive distress, increase accumulation of visceral fat, damage cells due to inflammation, and suppress the immune system (2). But what about how stress impacts nutrition and food choices? Stress seems to cause two responses in an individual: the inability/ lack of desire to eat due to low appetite, or the opposite: an increased urge to eat. Turns out this isn’t just an observation, but there’s research and science behind it!
First, let’s talk about appetite-reducing stress. This happens when epinephrine is released and the fight or flight reflex occurs, and hunger is temporarily suppressed (3). Furthermore, many express feeling overwhelmed by anxiety and/ or nausea which reduces the desire to eat.
While some may feel unable to eat when stressed, another response is the urge to overeat. This urge is both physiological and emotional. Physiologically, stress-induced cortisol spikes subsequently increase the hunger hormone, ghrelin (1). Emotionally, we search for a temporary feeling of relief during stressful situations, which is why many may reach for stereotypical “comfort foods” for a source of satisfaction and positive emotions (3). A study in 230 working women explains this phenomenon, as those who reported occupational burnout were more likely to partake in emotional and uncontrolled eating (4).
In a society that promotes undereating and skipping meals, we can sometimes tie guilt and shame to stress eating. However, it is actually more common to overeat when stressed than undereat (5)! Furthermore, using food as a coping skill to deal with stress is more common in women than men, who usually turn to alcohol or smoking (5). So, for anyone feeling guilty for “overeating” due to stress, don’t be. Eating past satisfaction/ comfort is a part of life, and it’s all part of the journey of learning how to eat intuitively. Stress eating isn’t a personal failure or weakness, it’s literally a biological & emotional response to manage negative emotions!
Despite stress’ negative health effects, don’t let all this stress talk stress you out! Stress can be managed. Find some of our favorites listed below.
Write it out! When life gets overwhelming, on paper is a great place to let out our emotions. Whether it’s making a to-do list, or gratitude journaling, writing can help increase motivation, organize thoughts, and increase productivity. Looking for a place to start? Grab our FREE DOWNLOAD of our simple Daily Gratitudes and To Do List
Meal/ ingredient prep! If you have time on Sunday to make meals/ staple ingredients for the week, go for it! But if all you have is 30 minutes to make a couple sandwiches to keep on hand, that’s awesome too! Having meals ready when you need them helps in making mindful eating decisions during the week.
Take your mind off the stress. Whether it’s exercising and listening to music, reading a book, or talking to a friend, sometimes the best way to manage stress is by detaching ourselves from anxious thoughts and/or stressful situations. This can help us stop an anxiety spiral before it begins and allows us to return to reality with newfound clarity.
Stress is not fun. When you’re feeling discouraged, remember that you have a 100% success rate of getting through every stressful situation in your life so far, and that you have the skills and strength to persevere through the road ahead.
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