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Solutions for Stress Eating
“Stress-eating” is a term that describes eating for emotional or behavioral rather than nutritional reasons.
Hunger is a natural mechanism and a normal part of physiology. Most hunger arises unconsciously--without thinking about it. It serves as our body’s way of regulating energy intake. Even our brain utilizes a lot of calories and often “tells us” when we need to eat in the form of moodiness, fatigue or “brain fog.” Most of us are familiar with the unpleasant sensation of being “hangry,” (hungry plus angry,) and the relief that comes when we eat after we have been hungry for a while.
Most of us are also familiar with the nurturing feeling we can get from eating something delicious when coping with life’s challenging moments, (think, “comfort food.”) This is in part because our brains get a “boost” when we have a yummy snack or delicious meal.
Eating triggers the release of “feel good” neurochemicals in our brains like dopamine and serotonin. Stress eating is an unconscious coping strategy based on this neurochemistry. When we feel stressed, sometimes our brain tells us that eating will “fix” our uncomfortable feelings, whether those feelings are boredom, anxiety, loneliness or fear.
And eating certainly may make us feel better for a moment, but usually emotional eating often involves overeating. This is because we can't fix the stress in our life with food, no matter how tasty, and inevitably our boredom or sadness or stress will re-emerge shortly after we have finished that yummy snack ...so we have another.
Before the modern era of prepackaged and highly refined foods, eating when hungry, tired or stressed was not so problematic because food took longer to prepare, there was less of it and foods had fewer chemical additives and “unnatural” components. For thousands of years most people, hunted, gathered, farmed and raised livestock themselves before the relatively recent practice of making food in factories or factory-farms.
Now, while some of us still don’t have enough food or access to healthy food, many of us have access to too much of the wrong types of foods. The most problematic are often pre-packaged foods containing refined carbohydrates and/or high glycemic additives such as high fructose corn syrup or maltodextrin, preservatives and dyes. These foods promote unhealthy inflammation in our bodies that can lead to things like chronic pain, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. When we have access to these high calorie, low nutrient types of foods our brain and body’s natural physiology to eat excessively when we feel tired or stressed can get us into trouble.
And there's more to the story. For example, did you know that the processed food industry actually designs certain foods to be addictive? The motto “Bet You Can’t Eat Just One,” is actually more than just a marketing strategy—it is a product design. Many refined and packaged foods are chemically designed by teams of scientists to make you eat more, from the texture, salt and sugar content and chemical additives that artificially stimulate you to keep snacking.
This is not be discouraging or alarming, as what we eat is highly personal and tied to our deepest survival instincts; but now more than ever it will pay dividends to be mindful of what you are choosing to buy and eat. Here are some “hacks” to prevent over-indulging in less than healthy snacks, especially if you know we have a tendency to “stress-eat.”
1. Notice when you're eating when not really hungry. Gently start noticing when you are eating because you are bored, worried, lonely or stressed rather than hungry. Don’t shame or blame yourself, just notice. Let it be okay, but think of alternatives for coping with the moment. Can you take some deep breaths, call a friend, write in a journal, sing a song or play with a pet to shift your mood? Just start by noticing and when you are ready, choose to eat only when it makes sense as nourishment for your body rather than a distraction from difficulties.
2. Don't buy junk food. When stocking your pantry avoid even purchasing foods that you know aren’t healthful and are “binge worthy.” Avoid buying chips, soda, cookies/cakes/brownies, candy, crackers, ice cream and generally any single serving packaged snacks. Just don’t buy these items and then you can’t eat them at midnight because they aren’t even in your house!
3. Stock your home with snackable veggies, fruits and nuts such as carrots, celery, apples, walnuts, olives, pickles, almonds, radishes, bell peppers or even napa cabbage. Use these as your go-to snacks when you feel like eating as a way of managing stress. These foods provide nutrients and fiber and will make you feel full without overloading your body with sugar or inflammatory additives. Whenever possible try to buy organic produce—you can prioritize these pricier buys using the “Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen” lists. If a food label reports a long list of chemicals you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce does that really belong in your body? Probably not!
4. Soups and broths are an amazing source of nutrition that also create a feeling of fullness and emotional comfort. Bone broth is wonderful for collagen support, can help arthritis and it gives you that warm fuzzy feeling that can help soothe frayed nerves.
5. Drink tea—herbals teas are available in a wide variety, often locally sourced, and are usually nutritional and medicinal. Many herbal teas are available specifically for calming the nerves. Lots of herbal teas are naturally sweet too. Teas take time to prepare and drink and can be an alternative ritual to unmindful eating.
6. Stay hydrated. Many times, when we think we are hungry we are actually thirsty. Try drinking a large glass, or more, of water the next time you have food cravings. Try to avoid drinking water from plastic bottles though-- metal or glass is safer.
7. Avoid eating while distracted--don't eat watching television or looking at your devices. Eating when you aren’t paying attention is a surefire way to eat too much. Try to make eating special. Many cultures bless their food, say grace or express gratitude for their food before eating—this tradition is not as prevalent as it once was here in the US but is actually a wonderful way to be mindful and create gratitude for healthy nourishment in our daily lives, even if you aren’t religious or spiritual.
8. Break the cycle of cravings by avoiding sugary foods as much as possible. Sugary foods drive up insulin levels (not good) and ironically promote both hyper and hypoglycemia which is closely associated with the feeling of being “hangry." Because refined carbohydrates and sugars drive cravings, when we cut them out entirely, even for a few days, our cravings can be markedly reduced.
9. Eat more nutritious meals. If your body has the nutrients it needs, (vitamins, healthy fats, protein) it is less likely to send “I’m hungry” signals to your brain. Foods that have a lot of calories and few nutrients damage our natural hunger mechanisms and set us up for food cravings. If you focus on giving your body nutritious foods in the forms of proteins, healthy fats (nuts, olives, avocados, fish) and plenty of vegetables and fruits, you will have fewer cravings and improved moods.
10. If your going to binge on chocolate, make it dark chocolate-- Dark Chocolate often has less sugar than milk chocolate or other candies, contains supportive, heart healthy antioxidants and loads of iron and other nutrients. I know there are a lot of people out there who prefer milk chocolate, but just check out this article on the benefits of dark chocolate-- it's amazing! https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate
11. Try intermittent fasting. Mindful fasting can paradoxically curb your appetite if you have cravings. Even extending your overnight fast can help break the cycle of food cravings. Start by trying to eat breakfast later in the morning and dinner later in the evening. This gives your body a longer period to “fast” overnight and can help reset your metabolism and reduce food cravings.
12. Take care of your microbiome. Sometimes it isn’t our body asking for that sugar cookie but the microbes that live in our gut! This may sound strange, but it's true, especially if you have digestive issues. Yeast overgrowth or certain types of gut flora populations can actually cause you to crave certain foods—usually sugar. Eating foods naturally rich in probiotics and prebiotics can help cultivate a healthier gut microbiome and can even improve your mood—sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, yogurt, kefir and miso and most any vegetables are a few examples of everyday foods you can include in your diet to improve the health of your microbiome.
13. Gymnema sylvestre is one herb that can naturally help curb cravings for sweet foods. It has been used for centuries as an appetite suppressant. It works partly by dampening the sweetness of sweet foods to your taste buds. It can also safely curb appetite in general. It comes in a tea and as a supplement.
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