Stress Less, Eat Better

Stress Awareness Month aims to increase awareness about the negative impacts stress can have on a person. Long-term stress, whether it be physical, mental, or emotional, can have impacts on the physical body. The phrase “stress eating” has quite a bit of truth behind it. The hormone cortisol is released when the body is consistently experiencing stress. This hormone can increase appetite leading to emotional eating or overeating. Additionally, stress eating often pairs with cravings for comfort foods that are usually high in added fats or sugars. Managing our stress can help improve our diet quality. As our diet quality improves, we may also find that nourishing our bodies can help improve some of our symptoms of stress. There are a few basic strategies to start with when attempting to improve our stress levels.

Getting enough sleep ensures our bodies and minds have time to rest and recharge. The National Sleep Foundation recommends between 7 and 9 hours of sleep. Habits to improve sleep include having a consistent bedtime schedule, putting down electronics, and ensuring our bedrooms are quiet, dark, and ready for relaxation. Avoiding large meals, and caffeine, before bedtime can help our bodies settle in for the night. If you do find yourself hungry before bed, seek out a light snack that has both a complex carbohydrate and a protein, such as a small apple and a handful of nuts or Greek yogurt. If you are frequently sleep deprived, start by creating a bedtime routine that allows you to get a bit more sleep each night and build up to your goal. In general, those who are well-rested have lower levels of cortisol. You will likely find as you become better rested, you aren’t reaching for those midday sweet snacks as often.

The QR code is taking over the world. It’s everywhere! it’s everywhere! Just like the 60’s Chickenman radio show where He’s Everywhere! He’s Everywhere!

The QR code stands for Quick Response. The last time I had a quick response was when I spilled a super-hot cup of McDonald’s coffee in my lap at the drive thru. Just sayin’.

Someone got mad at me then told me to take a hike, which is why I’m now on the Appalachian trail.

Pickup line: Is that a pocket fishing rod or are you just happy to see me? My danger zone is Dunkin’ Donuts because it crashes my diet.

Practicing mindfulness, such as meditation, can help alleviate stress and create awareness of hunger and fullness. Find a quiet place to take a few moments for yourself. Spend that time feeling your breath and your body. If you are new to meditating, try one of the many phone apps that will help guide you through the process. Choose a time of day, such as before lunch, for you to devote just a few minutes to mindfulness. When we connect with our bodies, we can bring our full attention to food choices and the experience of eating. This helps us connect with our bodies’ needs, such as hunger, and know when our bodies are full. This helps us make wise food choices to nourish our bodies while preventing us from reaching for those mindful cravings or overeating.

By starting with these two simple principles, we can start to stress less and eat better. Stress and poor food choices are cyclic, meaning they continuously impact each other. Therefore, by focusing on breaking this cycle with small, positive changes, we can create a new cycle of favorable impacts on both our stress and diet quality.

Andrea Reed, MPS, RDN, LDN, is a freelance dietitian with a background in agricultural sciences. Growing up in the outdoors of Pennsylvania inspired her to include agricultural education in her nutrition counseling and is the focus of her writing. To find out more about Reed Nutrition visit https://reedrdn.com.