Are You Feeding Your Stress?

Robin Anderson B.Sc. RD

Why do so many people reach for food in response to stress? Why is stress such a strong contributor to weight gain?

The answer is a combination of brain chemistry and your internal drive for pleasure. Your brain is hardwired for pleasure; it is a critical component to your survival. Activities that are necessary for your survival are set up in the brain to also provide pleasure. For example, eating and procreation are essential to your survival and to the survival of the species; they are designed to provide pleasure.

Being under ongoing stress wreaks havoc with your brain in a number of ways. First, stress regardless of its type releases a tidal wave of hormones into your brain and your blood stream. One hormone, endorphin is released during stressful times in order to neutralize pain of a possible injury (remember you are wired to react using the flight or fight in the face of physical stress). Unfortunately in situations of emotional stress, endorphins also work to intensify the pleasure of a mere bite of a comfort food. This combined with low levels another hormone, serotonin, sets you up for a strong desire to overeat. Normal serotonin levels in the brain create feelings of satisfaction, decreased appetite and decreased cravings. Unfortunately many aspects of a busy, over committed, and sedentary lifestyle leads to serotonin depletion, which will affect mood and increase your appetite and cravings. Under stress, yet another hormone called Neuropeptide Y becomes elevated and increases appetite.

These changes to your brain chemistry move into the body with the influence of cortisol. It is well documented that individuals with ongoing, chronic stress have elevated cortisol levels. See last month’s article for more on the damaging effects of cortisol. From a weight perspective, cortisol is very efficient at storing any excess calories that you take in as abdominal fat. This belly fat increases your health risks but also alters the levels of other hormones leading to increased appetite and creating an ongoing cycle of cravings, imbalance and weight gain.

The last factor to consider is memory. When your brain is stressed, it looks for something pleasurable, which for many of you might be eating. If you succumb to the desire and eat a chocolate chip cookie(s) a neuropathway in the brain is formed which links eating a chocolate chip cookie to pleasure and release from stress (even though it is very fleeting). The next time you feel stressed or anxious, that memory will be triggered causing your body to crave the cookie. Every time you eat the cookie in response to the stress, the stronger that connection becomes. When the neuropathway become strengthened, eating the cookie often is an automatic response. If this way of self-soothing is used often, a self perpetuating cycle of cravings, increased weight and increased risk for health concerns is created.

Breaking the cycle:
A key component to keeping the cravings at bay is to find ways to keep the brain in balance. The following is a list of some activities that help to keep you in balance:

• Exercise
• Connecting with others
• Taking time to restore and doing things your enjoy
• Meditation, prayer, deep breathing
• Sensual activities
• Eating meals and snacks that provide fibre, lean protein and healthy fats
• Limiting your intake of white, refined, high sugar, high fat foods

For more information on this you can read the 3-Day Solution Plan by Laurel Mellin or contact Robin Anderson 780.497.1616.