How Stress Can Affect Your Hunger

If you have heard of the term “Stress eating”, then this will probably come as no surprise to you. Many people have discovered that when they are under a lot of emotional stress, they don’t lose their appetite like some, but get a bigger appetite and more cravings. Typically, you aren’t hungrier, but you feel like you want to eat to help soothe the stress.

What is Stress Eating?

Stress eating and emotional eating are very closely linked. This is when you are feeling down, sad, upset, stressed, or depressed, and you want instant gratification. Stress hormones can make you feel like you are hungry because you know eating something will provide short-term relief. This is the same way emotional eating works. You want a quick fix, so you think about how food will help, and then over time, every time you are stressed, you suddenly feel hungry. Most of the time, it is not true hunger from not eating enough. It is related to your stress levels.

Increase in Sugar and Junk Food Cravings

There is also a strong correlation between the types of foods you crave when you are stressed. If you are constantly craving sugar, carbs, or fried foods when you are “starving” in between meals, it is probably more from your stress and not actual hunger.

When you don’t feel satisfied after eating something healthy, the hunger is more likely from how you feel mentally or emotionally. This can also be true of other foods that are comfort foods for you, even if it’s not necessarily sugar and carbs.

How to Manage Stress and Hunger

Once you figure out that all your extra hunger is from stress and not from your appetite itself, you know it is time to manage your stress levels. This in turn will help to balance out your appetite and give you more realistic hunger cues.

Find the source of your stress first. This can be any combination of things, from financial and work stress, relationship or family stress, or just daily stress from a busy lifestyle.

See if you can switch things up to reduce the main source of your stress. If it’s impossible to avoid, look for ways to relax at the end of the day to reduce some of that stress instead of just continuing to pile it on.

Eat Your Stress Goodbye – Stress-Reducing Diet

When you’re stressed out, the foods that you’re turning to are most likely going to be traditional ‘comfort’ foods – think big meals, take-out, fatty foods, sweet foods, and alcohol. Let’s face it – we’ve all found some comfort in a tasty meal and a bottle of beer or glass of wine when we’ve been stressed out or upset about something. However, this isn’t a good permanent solution.

When you’re turning to unhealthy foods you can feel better temporarily, but in the long run, you will feel worse. When your body isn’t getting the right nutrition, you can begin to feel less energetic, more lethargic, and in some cases less able to concentrate and focus. All of this can lead to even more stress.

Foods that Fight Stress

If you’ve been feeling more stressed out than usual lately, it’s important to know which foods are best to choose and which to avoid when it comes to combating stress and helping you to deal with feelings of stress and anxiety. The best way to fight stress is to have a healthy, balanced diet.

When it comes to choosing the foods to eat, some have a range of great properties that help the body combat stress. Choosing these stress-busting foods will help to heal and calm your mind permanently, rather than providing a temporary fix.

Some of the best stress-fighting foods include:

Avocado

Avocados are a creamy and versatile fruit that can be eaten in a range of different ways whether you enjoy it raw, made into sauces, dressings and dips, or in a smoothie. These nutrient-dense fruits have the properties to stress-proof your body, thanks to their high glutathione content which specifically blocks the intestinal absorption of certain fats which cause oxidative damage.

Avocados also contain higher levels of vitamin E, folate, and beta-carotene than any other fruit, which boosts their stress-busting properties. However, be careful with portion control when eating avocado, as it is high in fat.

Blueberries

If you’re feeling stressed out and reaching for snacks, swapping chocolate or chips for one of the best superfoods is a great way to help you deal with your stress levels and achieve a higher level of calm.

Blueberries have some of the highest levels of antioxidants, especially anthocyanins, which means that this berry has been linked to a wide range of health benefits including sharper cognition, better focus, and a clearer mind – all of which can help you to better deal with stress.

Chamomile Tea

Of course, it’s not all about what you’re eating when it comes to managing stress; what you’re drinking can also alleviate or worsen the stress you’re feeling. Drinking liquids that are high in sugars and caffeine, such as coffee, energy drinks, or soda, can increase your stress levels if consumed regularly.

Chamomile tea has long been used as a natural bedtime soother, and it has also been used in clinical trials, which determined that chamomile tea is effective in reducing the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.

Chocolate

Of course, it’s not all about what you’re eating when it comes to Although it’s usually seen as an unhealthy treat, there is an undeniable link between chocolate and our mood. Studies have shown that eating chocolate can make you happier.

However, that doesn’t mean that you can start munching on chocolate bars every time you’re stressed out – chocolate works best as a de-stressor when eaten in moderation and as part of a healthy and balanced diet.

Dark chocolate in particular is best for you, as it contains more flavonols and polyphenols, two hugely important antioxidants which can help combat stress, more than many fruit juices.

Beef

Of course, it’s not all about what you’re eating when it comes to Grass-fed beef is not only kinder to the planet and animals, but it’s also good for people, too. Grass-fed beef has a huge range of antioxidants, including beta-carotene and Vitamins C and E, which can help your
body to fight stress and anxiety.

If you’re looking for more reasons to spend a little more money on organic, grass-fed beef, it’s also lower in fat than grain-fed beef whilst being higher in omega-3.

Walnuts

Of course, it’s not all about what you’re eating when it If you’re looking for a healthy snacking option that will help you to stay better in control of your stress levels, walnuts are a great choice.

There is no denying the sweet, pleasant flavor of walnuts and they can be a tasty snack for in-between meals or as part of a dessert. A versatile nut, walnuts are great for salads, or add them to a sweet treat such as coffee and walnut cake.

Pistachios

Another food that is great for snacking on and can also help to combat stress and anxiety in the long term is pistachios.

Studies have found that simply eating two small, snack-size portions of pistachios per day can lower vascular constriction when you are stressed, putting less pressure on your heart by further dilating your arteries. Along with this, the rhythmic, repetitive act of shelling pistachios can be quite therapeutic!

Green Leafy Vegetables

Leafy, green vegetables should be a pivotal part of anyone’s diet. Along with helping to combat stress, leafy greens are full of nutrients and antioxidants which help to fight off disease and leave your body feeling healthier and more energized.

Dark leafy greens, for example, spinach, are especially good for you since they are rich in folate, which helps your body to produce more mood-regulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which is a ‘feel-good’ chemical. Making leafy greens a part of your diet will help you to feel happier and less stressed out overall.

Fermented Foods

Last but not least, eating fermented foods such
as yogurt can help to keep your gut healthy, which actually in turn will help to improve your mental health and reduce stress levels.

The beneficial bacteria which are found in fermented foods such as yogurt have a direct effect on your brain chemistry and transmit positive mood and behavior-regulating signals to your brain via the vagus nerve.

Putting Together Your Diet Plan

Planning your meals wisely is key to not only staying physically fit and healthy but also staying mentally strong and being able to best manage your levels of stress. Knowing which foods to avoid and which are the best to reach for to snack on when you’re feeling worried and anxious is important to helping you get control over your emotions and fears.

When you’re feeling stressed, you may be tempted to reach for classic ‘comfort foods’ – usually foods which are laden with sugar, very starchy, or greasy. However, although these foods can make you feel momentarily better, they will make you feel worse in the long run.

Having stress-busting snacks such as fresh berries, dark chocolate, yogurt, walnuts, or pistachios, or even a fruit smoothie with avocado and leafy greens in it can help you to feel better in both the short and long term when it comes to stress. When it comes to combating and dealing with stress in the long run, it’s important to make sure that for the most part, you are eating a diet that is healthy and balanced.

To stay on track, it’s a good idea to make a meal plan for your week and plan ahead to make sure that you have a good selection of these stress-busting foods in your kitchen to make meals and snacks when you’re feeling like stress-eating.

Making sure that the majority of your meals include foods such as lean proteins and leafy green vegetables will not only make you feel healthier overall but can improve your mental health and stress levels, too.

A good example of a healthy, stress-busting menu would be:

Breakfast: Chia porridge with berries or a fruit smoothie with avocado and berries

Mid-morning snack: Natural yogurt with fruit or a handful of pistachio nuts

Lunch: A chicken salad filled with plenty of leafy greens

Afternoon snack: Dark chocolate

Dinner: Grass-fed beef with vegetables

Before bed: Chamomile tea

Of course, you don’t need to stick to this menu – but it gives you a good idea! As the saying goes, you are what you eat – so make sure that first and foremost, you’re filling yourself up with foods that are good for your mental health.

Stress-free Meal Planning Ideas

When you first start meal planning, it can feel overwhelming, intimidating, and even stressful. The point of meal planning is to plan and free up your time so that you’re less stressed, so it’s beneficial to plow through those beginning stages to get to the good stuff.

Here are some stress-free meal planning ideas to make cooking and meal prepping as fun and easy as possible.

1. Start Small

If you’re just starting to meal plan, don’t try to prepare all your meals for the entire week in one day. You don’t need to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner all planned out.

Start with something small, such as your snacks for a few days of the week. Wash and cut up some fruits and veggies, brainstorm some quick and easy snack ideas, or go grocery shopping and get your ingredients.

Some simple snack ideas are avocado slices, raw veggies with dipping sauce, or some carrot or celery sticks with hummus. Then, try to plan for one or more meals when you feel more confident with meal planning.

As with any habit, you’re trying to introduce into your routine, setting small goals and working your way up to bigger ones always works best in the long run.

2. Make Easy & Quick Meals

Often, people try to make complicated meals when they meal plan. Don’t make this mistake — stick to easy and quick meals that won’t make you feel more stressed. Some of the most delicious recipes require little time and are simple to make with few ingredients.

There’s nothing wrong with simplicity and repeating meals. You don’t need to eat something different each week unless you like to experiment with new recipes, and that doesn’t add any extra layers of stress for you. 

3. Keep the Fridge & Pantry Staples Stocked

If you notice that you’re using certain ingredients in many of your meals, make sure to continue buying those staples. Keep your fridge stocked with the items you use the most. Meal planning is easy when you always have those handy staples at hand to put together a complete meal. 

4. Batch Cook Foods to Use for Different Meals

When your kitchen is always stocked with staples, it’s a good idea to start batch-cooking ingredients for multiple meals. For example, you can use a large batch of cauliflower rice for both lunches and dinners. Keep the seasoning relatively simple so that it can pair with different dishes.

When it comes to meal planning, spices are your best friend. You can use similar ingredients for two separate meals, but other spices will give you two completely different dishes. This will save you so much time in the kitchen!  Download The Meal Prep Guide For Women With Zero Time

5. Make the Meals Work for Everyone

Whether someone has a special dietary requirement, has allergies or intolerances, or is just a picky eater, consider everyone when planning the family meals.

It’s much more work to prepare separate meals for everyone. You can piece different elements of the meal together for each person. For example, if someone is a vegetarian, they can choose a plant-based main dish while everyone shares the same side items. 

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