Using food as a coping mechanism during stressful periods
Stress affects us all – unfortunately it’s a part of life. And while some stress can be beneficial, when left unchecked, it can wreak havoc in our lives.
Many people will experience stress eating at one time or another. Stress eating can be caused by both physical and psychological factors.
Initially, stress suppresses our appetite as part of our body’s fight or flight response. If however, we are subjected to chronic stress, the hormone cortisol is released. This increases our appetite and can lead to overeating.
Stress eating (also known as emotional eating) is a pattern of eating whereby we seek out certain foods as a coping mechanism during stressful periods. We allow our emotions, rather than our bodies, to dictate when and how much we eat. And, for the most part, it’s the more fattening, sweeter or saltier food that takes the cake (no pun intended!).
Once ingested, foods high in sugar and fat appear to have a feedback effect that counteracts stress, which is why these foods are often referred to as “comfort foods”. Each time we encounter a stressful situation in our lives, we seek out these so-called comfort foods. Unfortunately, this can become a vicious cycle to break.
If you struggle with stress eating, try these few tips to help you manage your stress levels:
- Identify your stress triggers and work towards removing them or minimising them
- Find new ways to relieve stress – did you know exercise is an excellent stress reliever and a great alternative to mindless eating!
- Become comfortable with being uncomfortable
- Allow failure to be an option
- Confront your fears and anxieties
- Seek professional help.
Keen to try Outdoor Grit?
Outdoor Grit is the new outdoor group fitness provider in Adelaide, specialising in functional health and fitness services for all. We are based in Prospect, at St. Helen’s Park, on 39 Prospect Road, Prospect.
We offer early and mid-morning sessions on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday as well as Tuesday afternoons. As our group continues to grow, we endeavour to grow our session times too. This is something we will do in consultation with our members, so we can offer more session times that work in with your varied schedules.
To book in your free intro session, click on the link below:
https://outdoorgrit.sites.zenplanner.com/freeTrial.cfm
We can’t wait to see you at one of our upcoming sessions.
Dayna Jackiw – Co-Founder Outdoor Grit
Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coach