Immune System Support Series: Stress Eating

August 12, 2020 Crystal Juarez

By Lydia Wallie, Nutrition Director

When was the last time you ate snacks or processed food that you knew weren’t healthy or supporting your goals? How did that feel? Did you feel out of control, unrestrained, or like you had no willpower?

If you feel uncontrolled in your food choices, maybe one of the following explanations will make sense...

“Chronic stress facilitates the need to consume high calorie foods leading to acquisition of abdominal fat stores...

In turn, an unidentified signal associated with the abdominal fat and insulin may signal to the brain to dampen the stress response, which could promote the feeling of well-being.
However, when stress is unresolved, the deleterious cycle continues, culminating in insulin resistance and obesity.
Greater exposure to chronic stress affects brain regulation of emotions and impulses, down regulating activity in the prefrontal cortex, reducing executive control, and upregulating activity in the amygdala and hypothalamus.
Greater perceived stress can promote less conscious control over volitional behavior and greater hedonic drive via impairment of prefrontal cortex.
Lack of control over situations in one’s life could lead to the desperate but ineffective attempts to control eating such as deprivation from a particular food followed by later overeating.” (2)

These are some harsh realities considering life has most likely been stressful since the beginning of time! Is it impossible to respond well to stress? What do we do to manage chronic and/or perceived stress more effectively? We’ll discuss possible solutions in an upcoming post.

In the meantime, what if you could have clarity on what to eat, reduce cravings, feel satisfied, and learn what to do when feeling stressed, while not simultaneously ruining your goals?

Click here for ALL the details and email me if you have any questions (lydia_wallie@crossfit925.com).

Here is what participants say:

Besides a healthy body composition, eating well and managing stress are so critical for the immune system...“Chronic stress has long been known to have harmful effects on the immune system.” (2) Focusing on managing stress now is a great step for supporting long-term health and wellness. Are you ready to prioritize your health and wellness or get back on track?

Source List:

(1) doi:10.1016/j.appet.2011.11.028

(2) https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120305103203.htm