Dr Clare Bailey How to avoid the stress-eating trap - YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Sign in Welcome!Log into your account Forgot your password? Password recovery Recover your password Search Sign in Welcome! Log into your account Forgot your password? Get help Password recovery Recover your password A password will be e-mailed to you. YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Home Life Dr Clare Bailey How to avoid the stress-eating trap By You Magazine - October 6, 2019 When we’re anxious or stressed, we often have the urge to reach for sweet and starchy foods – a slice of buttered toast, a biscuit or three… It isn’t just greed. Although self-control plays a part, your body is also flooded with the stress hormone cortisol, causing cravings, particularly for sugary foods that give you an instant energy hit. This isn’t necessarily a problem if your stress is short-lived, but over time chronic stress and raised cortisol can wreak havoc with insulin levels, as well as the hormones that play a role in regulating appetite. The result is that your body stores fat, yet you feel hungry all the time. Maite Franchi To add insult to injury, the extra weight tends to be laid down as the more harmful visceral fat – the kind that’s stored in and around your abdominal organs – which is associated with diabetes, heart disease and strokes. How to break the vicious cycle? Take a two-pronged approach: combat stress and fight back against metabolic imbalance. It sounds daunting, but these small changes will make a noticeable difference… Reset your appetite Raised insulin not only makes us gain weight, it also makes us hungry. An effective way to counter this is by eating a moderately low-carbohydrate diet. Cut back on starchy carbs such as bread, potatoes, white rice and pasta, as these rapidly turn into sugar. Download some ZZZs Sleep is a great antidote to stress – but it’s a catch-22: when you’re stressed, it’s hard to drift off. Try the NHS-recommended sleep app Pzizz (free, with in-app purchases) which uses ‘dreamscapes’: a mix of music, voiceovers and sound effects designed to help you sleep better. Eat Mediterranean There is evidence that a Mediterranean-style diet – high in fish, olive oil, legumes, nuts, fruit and vegetables – can increase natural stressbusting hormones by boosting the ‘good’ bacteria in your gut. Try a three-minute stressbuster This breathing technique stops stress in its tracks and can be done anywhere – on the train or at your desk. Place both feet flat on the ground. Breathe in steadily through your nose for a count of five. Then, without pausing, let the air flow gently out of your mouth for a count of five. Repeat for three minutes. Be more active Whatever your level of fitness, getting more exercise has been shown to reduce stress. The more sedentary you are, the faster you will benefit. Search online for the NHS Fitness Studio, which has 24 free instructor-led videos covering yoga, aerobics and more. Make time for mindfulness Regular practice will make you feel calmer and more in control of cravings. Visit headspace.com for ten-minute mindfulness meditations. There are ones dedicated to fighting stress, eating mindfully and losing weight. Talk to someone There is often a strong emotional component to stress-eating. If you’re really struggling, talk to a GP or psychologist. Find local services by searching the therapist directory at bacp.co.uk. Are you getting enough calcium Many adult diets lack a sufficient amount of this mineral. This can lead to weak, fragile bones (osteoporosis) and affect heart health as low calcium levels increase the risk of cardiac arrest. Over-18s need 700mg of calcium a day and, while dairy products are good sources, so are green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage, soya beans, tofu, nuts and bread made with fortified flour. Fish where you eat the bones – sardines and pilchards – are great sources, too. You can check your calcium intake with the International Osteoporosis Foundation’s handy online calculator by visiting iofbonehealth.org/calcium-calculator If you have a question you would like answered, email [email protected] RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR Everything we know about The Crown season 5 Aldi s exercise equipment is on sale with up to 50% off The best Halloween events for 2022 across the UK Popular in Life The You magazine team reveal their New Year s resolutions December 31, 2021 Susannah Taylor The TLC tools your body will love January 23, 2022 How to stop living in fear February 6, 2022 Susannah Taylor My pick of the fittest leggings February 27, 2022 Women’ s Prize for Fiction 2022 winner announced June 17, 2022 These BBC dramas are returning for a second series June 30, 2022 Susannah Taylor gives the lowdown on nature s little helper – CBD April 17, 2022 The baby names that are banned across the world April 27, 2022 The Queen has released her own emojis May 26, 2022 Sally Brompton horoscopes 27th June-3rd July 2022 June 26, 2022 Popular CategoriesFood2704Life2496Fashion2240Beauty1738Celebrity1261Interiors684 Sign up for YOUMail Thanks for subscribing Please check your email to confirm (If you don't see the email, check the spam box) Fashion Beauty Celebrity Life Food Privacy & Cookies T&C Copyright 2022 - YOU Magazine. 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