{"id":10256,"date":"2018-03-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-03-16T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/condition-anxiety-anxiety-causes-emotional-eating\/"},"modified":"2018-03-16T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2018-03-16T00:00:00","slug":"condition-anxiety-anxiety-causes-emotional-eating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/condition-anxiety-anxiety-causes-emotional-eating\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Keep Stress From Driving You to Overeat"},"content":{"rendered":"
When you're stressed, eating can seem like just the thing to quell your emotions—whether you're feeling boredom, loneliness, depression, or even anxiety. Problem is, stress eating is hard to stop, and that can lead to overeating. If you're trying to maintain your weight, stress eating makes it harder.<\/p>\n
Stress unleashes the hormone cortisol, and eating actually does make you feel better—at least for a little while. “Food can give us the same type of reward and pleasure that even drugs will,” Melissa Majumdar, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells Health<\/em>. Munching can also serve as a distraction from whatever’s stressing you out.<\/p>\n But eating to quell stress—rather than hunger—isn’t a winning strategy. Whether you have an anxiety disorder<\/a> or you’re facing ongoing stress in your life, a few simple tips can help tame stress eating.<\/p>\n RELATED: 20 Stress-Relieving Foods to Try if You're Feeling Anxious<\/b><\/p>\n It’s not the carrots and the broccoli that people tend to go for when they’re stressed—it’s anything packed with sugar or fat. You're probably not likely to overdo it on something like grilled chicken breast, says Majumdar.<\/p>\n Sugary and fat-filled choices can numb emotions, but they also spike your blood sugar before sending it back into the trenches. Then you can feel hangry<\/a> all over again; you’re on a collision course with more stress eating.<\/p>\n Instead of Oreos and potato chips, aim for a balance of protein and fiber, since they are digested more slowly for "more of a sustained, gradual increase and decrease of blood sugar," says Majumdar.<\/p>\n Because snacks like crackers can be a trigger for some people, causing them to devour an entire box, she likes to steer people toward sources of carbs like berries and melon. Pair them with hard-boiled eggs, low-fat Greek yogurt, or cottage cheese for protein, she says.<\/p>\n RELATED: Stress Eating: 5 Ways to Beat It, According to a Nutritionist<\/b><\/p>\n The longer you go without eating, the more likely you are to eat too much, whether you’re anxious or not.<\/p>\n “You’ve had a long, stressful day, you’re hungry, you’re [more likely] to overeat,” Dena Cabrera<\/a>, PsyD, executive clinical director of the Rosewood Centers for Eating Disorders, tells Health<\/em>. “It’s a perfect storm.”<\/p>\n Instead of stuffing yourself at one sitting, eat balanced meals and snacks every three to four hours. Eating regularly like this will help you control your portion sizes and limit the urge to eat out of stress. “The goal is to feel satisfied and not turn to food,” says Cabrera.<\/p>\n Research suggests that a daily practice of mindfulness<\/a> could reduce emotional eating in people whose stress levels are persistently high. In the study, published in the journal Appetite<\/i>, participants meditated for 45 minutes a day almost every day of the week and performed other mindfulness practices, like eating one meal a day mindfully. Some easy ways to bring more mindfulness into your own eating—and curb the anxiety-provoked snacking—include:<\/p>\n<\/b>Aim for balance<\/b> <\/h2>\n
Eat at regular intervals<\/b> <\/h2>\n
Be mindful<\/b> <\/h2>\n
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