When Stress Meets Digestion: Navigating Emotional Eating Like a Hormonal Boss
Stress can be a real appetite killer for some, but for others, it's like a green light to raid the pantry. Emotional eating is a common coping mechanism for dealing with stress, but it often leads to unwanted weight gain and unhealthy eating habits. So how can you take control of your hormones and your cravings during those tough times?
First, let's talk about the biology behind emotional eating. Stress triggers the release of cortisol, a hormone that can increase appetite and cravings for high-carb and high-sugar foods. On the other hand, stress can also decrease the levels of the hormone leptin, which helps regulate hunger and fullness signals in the body. So when cortisol is up and leptin is down, it's a recipe for a food frenzy.
As someone who's been stressed to the max, I used to think that forgetting to eat was a myth, and when I heard someone say, they were so stressed they couldn’t eat, I would think, “Who forgets to eat???”
I remember a time when I was working work at a call center pharmacy. A patient was on the phone, who was VERY UPSET. After several minutes of being on the other end of this very upsetting phone call, I was stressed!
There were day old doughnuts in the breakroom. They weren’t some moist Krispy Kreme’s but some grocery store variety and they were dry, crumbly, and stale.
I walked into the breakroom, careful that no one was there, then snuck a doughnut into a paper napkin. I hid in my cubicle hoping no one would see me secretly eat this doughnut.
Honestly, it wasn’t even that good, but thanks to the power of cortisol, my body was screaming for those high-carb, high-sugar treats. But after some trial and error, I found some techniques to combat those hormonal hijinks. And now, I'm sharing them with you!
One key strategy is to identify your triggers and plan ahead. If you know that a stressful work meeting always leaves you reaching for the chips, prepare healthy snacks ahead of time that you can munch on instead. Another approach is to practice mindfulness and breathing exercises to reduce stress levels and calm your body's response to cortisol.
It's also important to find healthy ways to cope with stress that don't involve food. Exercise, meditation, and spending time in nature are all great options. So is calling a friend. And if you do find yourself turning to food during stressful times, try to make mindful choices and listen to your body's hunger and fullness signals.
Navigating emotional eating during stressful times is a challenge, but with the right tools and strategies, you can take control of your hormones and your cravings like a boss. So take a deep breath, grab some healthy snacks, and tackle that stress with confidence!
