Stress Eating Solutions

In today’s fast-paced world, finding effective stress eating solutions is essential, as stress is an unavoidable part of daily life that often leads to unhealthy eating habits and poor dietary choices. Whether it’s reaching for comfort foods during moments of anxiety or experiencing a diet that inadvertently increases stress levels, the link between what we eat and how we feel is undeniable. Fortunately, by understanding the connection between stress and food, we can make conscious choices that not only alleviate stress but also improve our overall well-being.

In this article, we’ll explore how specific foods can help reduce stress, strategies to manage stress eating, and how to identify the dietary habits that may be contributing to your stress levels. By mastering these techniques, you can take control of both your diet and your stress, leading to a healthier, more balanced life.

Eat These Foods to Reduce Stress

You may have heard of ‘fat burning foods’ and foods that fight cancer, etc. However, most people are unaware that there are foods that help to fight and reduce your stress levels.

While they may not be as obvious as other stress relief techniques such as meditation, these foods will lower the stress in your body. Subsequently, your body will feel better, more energetic and a sense of ‘lightness’ that makes you feel more at peace.

Why Reduce Stress?

Besides the obvious reason of not ending up in a mental institution, relieving stress also helps to combat obesity, ward off diseases and curbs emotional eating.
Millions of people turn to the refrigerator when they’re stressed out. They gobble up sweet foods and junk food in an attempt to ‘medicate’ themselves.
The sugar high they get from these foods makes them feel good temporarily, but wreaks havoc on their health in the long run. So, it’s best to eat/drink foods that will calm your body, mind and soul.

Stress-Reducing Foods

1. Green Tea

This is probably one of the best drinks you could drink to relieve stress. There’s an almost calming effect to it that cannot be described. While it’s best to drink it unsweetened, you may add some sugar to it and even refrigerate the tea and sip on it when you’re tired.
The tea is rich in antioxidants and ‘light’. You’ll feel immensely better.

2. Dark Chocolate

While you should not over indulge in it, dark chocolate is a much better option than milk chocolate. It’s rich in antioxidants and positively affects the serotonin levels in your brain, thereby making you feel better.

3. Avocados

This is one of those foods that you either love or hate. Millions love it, and just as many dislike the taste. If you dislike it, do not force yourself to consume it. The goal here is to reduce stress and not create more.
Avocados are rich in vitamin B and E. They also help to boost production of serotonin. This will help you feel better and also calm any anxiety you may have.

4. Fatty Fish

Salmon, mackerel, sardines, etc. are fantastic foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that your body craves. These healthy fats will help to reduce inflammation in the body and de-stress it.
Our diets are often overly rich in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3s. By eating fatty fish, you can help restore balance and health in your body and lower the stress it’s facing.
If you dislike eating fish, you can always consume a fish oil supplement that’s just as good.

5. Turmeric

Used in Indian cooking for centuries, only recently it has gained popularity in the US as being a very powerful antioxidant. Turmeric reduces inflammation and has pain relieving properties. It also reduces anxiety and stress.
You may mix some with a glass of milk and drink up or consume a curcumin supplement to get the benefits of this powerful herb.

6. Blueberries

Add a few blueberries into your favorite smoothie and you can enjoy the sweetness and stress-relieving properties of this cute blue fruit.
These 6 foods are just some of the many out there. Generally, if a food has antioxidant properties, it will reduce the damage done by free radicals in your body. Consume these types of foods and your health will improve remarkably.
Other foods such as bananas, chamomile extract, eggs, seeds, nuts, leafy greens, etc. have all been shown to effect different degrees of stress relief on your body. Include them in your diet and reap the rewards of these miracle foods.

Food Swapping: Use this Method to Control Stress Eating

There’s no denying the fact that cleaning up one’s diet is an uphill task. What you’ll be trying to do is break a bad habit and replace it with a good one.

Here’s why it’s so difficult – repetition deeply ingrains habits in us. If there’s one thing we repeat daily, it’s eating. For most people, it’s just as much an emotional activity as it is a physical one.

The food we eat makes us happy even if it’s not good for our health. Almost all of us know what foods we should eat, and what we shouldn’t. Yet, the majority of people do NOT do what’s in their best interest.

Instead, they eat for taste and to feel good, rather than for fuel and sustenance. Since the damage is not felt immediately, they see no harm in constantly eating processed foods and junk food. Over time, this can lead to severe health problems.

Why It’s So Hard to Make a Change?

Very often, if you’re trying to make a change in your life and eat healthy, you’ll be going against a habit that you’ve been practicing for years. Trying to clean up your diet overnight is almost impossible.
Initially, you may succeed because you are enthusiastic and motivated by a new start. However, as the days go by, it’ll become a horrific grind.
You’ll miss the foods you love and develop strong cravings for these foods. This will stress you out to a point where you finally give in and binge eat all the foods you were trying to avoid.
This will cause feelings of guilt and frustration. Most people throw in the towel when they falter on their diet. They go back to their old ways and their clean eating goal is long forgotten.
The best way to adopt a clean diet will be to make gradual changes. To do this effectively, all you need to do is swap foods to make better food choices. If you do this repeatedly, you’ll soon acquire a taste for these healthier foods.
It’s a slower process, but what you’re doing is building good eating habits that will last you a lifetime.

So How Do You Swap Foods?

All you need to do is find healthier choices for what you’re currently eating. If you love chocolate, replace milk chocolate with dark chocolate which has antioxidant benefits.
You’ll still be eating chocolate, but it’ll be healthier. You can then gradually reduce your consumption of it from an entire bar to 2 or 3 squares of chocolate once every two days and so on.
Replace sugary sodas with freshly squeezed fruit juices. Refrigerate the juices and they’ll be just as tasty as any soda – but with a lot less sugar and additives.
Do remember that it has to be freshly squeezed and NOT packaged juices bought from the store. These are laden with sugar.
If you love ice cream at night, replace it with freshly cut fruit. Once again, keep the fruit in the fridge and it’ll be sweet and tasty. Turn it into an iced smoothie and it’ll be a good replacement for ice cream.
If you’re trying to lose weight, replace an entire meal with a protein shake. This is best done for dinner. You can sleep an hour later and you’d have shaved off many calories from your daily consumption.
Instead of eating potato chips, go with a bowl of salted nuts.
Instead of buying a cheeseburger from a fast food outlet, make your own burger at home. You can bet it will be healthier and less fattening.

Go With Grilled Foods Instead of Fried Foods

Don’t like eating veggies? It’s fine – just juice your vegetables and gulp it down. You’ll still get all the micronutrients you need.
These are just a few examples. There are tons of ways to swap your foods and food preparation methods so that you’re eating in a healthier way without sacrificing taste entirely.
Over time, as you develop better eating habits, you can fine tune your diet and clean it up further. Start slow in the beginning… and you’ll go all the way to the end without giving up halfway. Slow progress is still progress.

Is Your Diet Stressing You Out?

Stress can be a vicious enemy when you’re trying to lose weight and/or clean up your diet. On the one hand, you’re doing your best to eat clean and do the right things.

However, your old eating habits cause you to have strong food cravings which take a toll on your willpower as you struggle to avoid the foods you normally indulge in.

This stresses you out and the constant temptation can be too much to bear. These are the common scenarios one can expect to see.

1. Binge Eating

If you constantly find yourself binge eating at night, it’s because your diet is too harsh. You’re trying to do too much too soon. The constant mental stress takes a toll on you and you finally give in.
When you start the day, you’re filled with energy. But as the day goes on, your energy levels drop and by evening, your energy is almost depleted.
This is a problem because willpower requires energy… and since you’re low on it at night, it’s the time you’re most likely to cave in to your food cravings and indulge voraciously in all the foods you so strictly avoided the whole day.
It’s better to go on a less stringent diet and indulge a little daily so that you’re less stressed out and won’t binge eat.

2. Depressed

If you’re constantly depressed, it means that your diet is messing with your hormones. You’re either cutting your calories drastically or there’s not enough glucose in your body for fuel.
Instead of being too hard on yourself, it’s best to just aim for a 500-calorie deficit daily and take the slower approach to weight loss.
Constant depression can lead to emotional eating and you’ll end up worse off than when you started.

3. Feel Like a Failure

Feelings of failure arise when you slip up on your diet. As mentioned earlier, when you lack energy at night, you’re much more likely to cave in to temptation.
After your binge eating session, it’s common to feel guilt and doubt yourself. It will feel like you lack determination and are destined to fail in your weight loss journey.
What the books do not tell you is that it is extremely difficult to battle your hormones. Insulin and ghrelin are very strong hormones and until you satisfy them, you’ll be fighting a constant battle.
The best way to not feel like a failure is to understand that very few people can win a fight against their own hormones. You have to work with them rather than against them.
Choose a diet that doesn’t require sudden massive changes to your lifestyle. The keto diet which requires you to consume not more than 50 grams of carbs a day can be excruciatingly difficult for many people.
If you’re one of them, it’s better to go on a slower-paced diet and aim for long term results which are more sustainable. Do not stress yourself into quitting.

4. Hating Your Meals

If you hate your meals, you’re on the wrong diet. It’s unnecessary and you’re just torturing yourself. Weight loss comes down to your daily calorie intake.
While you should strive to eat healthier meals, there’s no reason to eat what you dislike. You can definitely lose weight eating tasty and healthy meals. There’s no need to force yourself to eat lean chicken breast and boiled broccoli daily. Leave that to the competitive bodybuilders.

5. Loss Of Interest

If you’re losing interest in your diet and meals, you’re stressed out. Relax and indulge a little. Don’t let your diet get you down. There’s much more to life than obsessing over your food intake.
To conclude, a diet is meant to help you improve your life – to go from unhealthy eating to clean eating. While it will be challenging at times, it should NOT be torturous.
Many people make it harder than it is by trying to do more than they can handle. Take a measured approach and strive for gentle progress over time. Time is your best friend when it comes to clean eating and weight loss.
Once you’ve built the right habits, you’ll lose the excess pounds easily and will not be stressed out unnecessarily. Adopt this approach and life will be easier for you.

Manage Your Stress and You Will Manage Your Diet : Stress Eating Solutions

Stress is a silent cause for many diseases. It sets the stage by weakening your immune system, increasing your cortisol levels and also affects your appetite.

If you’re trying to lose weight, focusing on your diet and exercise is well and good, but you should never ignore your stress levels. It is indirectly linked to how you’ll feel and act when you’re faced with temptations.

Guard Your Energy

When you’re stressed out, it’s normal to feel exhausted and drained. You slump your shoulders and your mind is a cacophony of negative thoughts and consequences. If you do not manage your stress, you will spiral downwards and may end up with depression.
When stress depletes your energy, there are a few consequences. Firstly, you’ll be less likely to exercise because you’re already tired. You just can’t bring yourself to work out.
Secondly, you may develop the negative habit of emotional eating and turn to food as a source of comfort. Almost always, you’ll seek the unhealthy and sweet foods. This will work against you.
By managing your stress, not only will you have the energy and willpower to get yourself to train, but you’ll be less likely to ‘medicate’ with food.

Stress Messes With Your Hormones

When you’re constantly under stress, your body will keep releasing the stress hormone cortisol to manage the problem. Elevated levels of cortisol will lead to higher ghrelin levels in your body.
This hormone is associated with appetite. Very often, when your ghrelin levels go up, you’ll find yourself engaging in night eating. This is why most people binge at night.
They’re stressed out. This could be either due to commitments at work, financial problems, relationship issues or even a diet that’s excessively stringent.
You can actually cause yourself to ‘stress eat’ by putting yourself on a diet that tries to do too much too soon. So, be aware of how much stress you’re placing on yourself. You do not want to be the architect of your own failings.

De-stress Daily

There are tons of ways to relax yourself. No one way is better than another. These days, meditation and yoga are often prescribed as excellent stress relief techniques.
However, the concept behind this is that our world moves at a hectic pace. Meditation and yoga with all its deep breathing will help ‘slow’ down your pace.
While this is good in theory, many people may find it more stressful to meditate because their mind is cluttered with thoughts. Yoga may be too difficult for those who are out of shape and need to build strength and stamina.
The truth is that anything which helps you to laugh and/or calm your mind is a good stress relief technique. It could be watching a comedy or attending a Zumba dance class. It could even be going to the beach for a picnic in the sun.
What matters is that the activity helps you find joy and gives your mind a break from the daily stresses of life. Find something you love to do, and do it often.
With time you’ll discover that you feel happier and more relaxed – and you’ll be less likely to binge eat or overeat. You do not need food to make you feel better and managing your diet will be a breeze.

Use this Technique to Discover the Link between Your Stress and Food

If you don’t have the time to read the full article, the technique is – journaling.

Journaling is one of the best habits anyone could have. It is a practice that most successful people use and not something that only high school girls use to detail the crushes. Journaling is much more than that. For starters, it serves as a record of your actions and the current state of your life. It can be used in a plethora of ways to benefit you and transform your life.

For example, competitive bodybuilders use a food journal to track their calories, meal plan, execution and so on. Since everything is in black and white, they don’t need to rely on memory. It’s easy to refer to the entries and see what you’re doing right and where you’re slipping up. The same applies to using it for business where you write down your ideas and plans, the action steps you need to take and check off the actions taken until you reach your goal.

By now you’ll realize that journaling is not only about pouring out your emotions on paper – but it’s also about details and plans. A journal can serve as a blueprint to success. There are no hard rules here that force you to start off each entry as, “Hello Diary!” People often think of the old idea of journaling that they did in school when one just journaled for fun or used it to write down how they were feeling, etc. Do not let this false assumption make you turn your nose up at the idea of journaling. It is an extremely powerful practice.

When it comes to stress and food – almost always, there will be a link if you are emotional eating to cope with the stress. If you find yourself constantly eating unhealthy foods and your weight is climbing but you can’t bring yourself to stop, you might have a stress issue. When journaling to find the link between your stress levels and food, you’ll need to record down details from two areas in your life. You may wish to draw a vertical line down each page on your journal – one page a day.

On the left side, you’ll state how you feel about your day and if anything is stressing you out. It could be deadlines at work or an argument with your spouse. Or even a bill that’s worrying you. Whatever it is, make sure you write it down. On the right side of the page, you’ll write down the foods you eat throughout that day and the times you have your meals/snacks. Do not miss out any food. Write it all down.

Over a space of 3 weeks, you’ll notice a pattern. Nothing is accidental here. Most people will realize that when they’re stressed out, they tend to eat more and indulge in unhealthy foods. Very often, there will be night eating involved where you binge on junk food at night.

This is normal. What’s fantastic here is that you now have a record of what is stressing you out and what foods you’re consuming. Armed with this precious information, you can take steps to mitigate your stress. If it’s your job constantly depressing you, maybe it’s time for a better job. If it’s the spouse, maybe it’s time for couple counselling. Take steps to fix the problems instead of turning to food. As for your food choices, make a conscious attempt to gradually decrease your consumption of the detrimental foods. This will prevent food cravings and more stress.

Use journaling to reduce your stress and take back control of your diet and life.
“Keeping a journal of what’s going on in your life is a good way to help you distil what’s important and what’s not.” – Martina Navratilova.