Break The Stress Eating Cycle and Feel Better!

Stress can manifest itself in many ways, hair twirling, biting nails, lip biting. It seems the most predominant way now days is with food though. Stress eating is on the rise, and no one want to be doing it! How do we stop something we know is happening, that we don’t want to be doing, but we just can’t seem to quit?

Let’s talk about why stress eating is such as easy fall back. Food is very pleasing, with all the additives and sugars, our brain loooves when we pack if full of junk food. It creates a hormone dump that gives us instant gratification. Which when we’re in a state of destress, that’s what we want. A quick fix. Something to balance the stress and create homeostasis. However, this is not the way to relieve stress!

Pumping our body with empty calories, endless amounts of sugars and additives is going to do the opposite! It’s a fake homeostasis. Just as quickly as it comes, those feel good moments vanish leaving more devastation than before. Lowering the immune system, creating brain fog, inflammation, weight gain, which is going to lead to even more stress! Do you see the cycle about to repeat itself? Because it does.

Instead, let’s start looking at ways to avoid stress eating and deal with the real issues. I think it’s important to note, I am not a psychologist, just someone who has a brain, and sees how it responds to stress eating, and the technique I’m going to give you to avoid it!

One sure fire way I avoid stress eating and the endless emotional cycle that it is, is by giving my body the nutrients it needs instead. The most important step in being able to choose nutrients instead of comfort food is to get rid of the trigger foods! Whatever you snack on when your stressed, it be chips, cookies, bread, candy, ice cream, crackers. Whatever it is, get it out, now. Clear the cabinets and throw it away. It doesn’t matter how much will power you think you have, if you’re here, then you need this. You need to just throw it away. It’s not doing anyone any good anyways. Remember it’s creating a hormone dump then leaving you feeling rottener than when you opened it. 

Once you’ve removed the temptation, tell your family what you’ve done and why you’re doing it. You need support though this time. Emotional eating isn’t just craving something every now and then. It’s a spiral of self-control and you will need your family behind in support. Tell them to not bring those foods back into the house, especially husbands! Tell them not to even bring it up! No mentioning what’s been removed, at least until your stress levels aren’t as high and you have a chance of having self-control. 

Now is not the time to tempt your will power. 

Only bring nutritious foods into the house.  The more vitamin dense the better. You’ll need them to detox the sugar you have stored in the body, making you want more. Fruits are a great transition, because they can satisfy the sweet craving, while also giving your body food it can use. Raw veggies are another great option to snack on instead, but don’t force it. If you do not feel like chomping on some carrots right now, then don’t! Despising your better choices will have you running back to a family size bag of chips faster than you can say, eh what’s up doc. * Hehe, Bugs reference.*

 

But seriously, we need nutrients to fight cravings and to help our body reach actual homeostasis. But you will be glad that you were able to remove the food that’s bogging your body and mind down and break away from the mindless eating. A huge help for me was adding in an antioxidant drink as well. It helps me get basically a cart full of nutrients in a 2oz shot. No additives, fillers or junk to worry about. Just delicious healthy juice. You may even feel some stress being relieved just by cutting out the junk food alone! The key is to break the cycle. Once you do that you can start addressing the real issue, which is your emotional state. 

But that’s a whole other conversation. Until next time!

 

Xx Leah Davis