Stress, Your Body’s Response To Challenges

We have all experienced stress at some point in our lives. It is a common part of life, but it’s important to manage it effectively to maintain your well-being. Stress refers to your body’s response to challenges it may face. Stressors, factors leading to stress, can include everything from work to school to physical activity to family life to relationships to major life events or changes. Stress can be physical, emotional or mental. Have you felt stressed at some point in your life? Can you recognize when you are feeling stressed or are you left wondering why you are feeling this way? When faced with stressful situations, people have to find ways to cope with different stress levels. Coping mechanisms may be different for everyone, but one thing people tend to turn to when faced with stress is food. Food offers a momentary escape or an immediate pleasure in the midst of an unpleasant state. This makes food an attractive option for a quick fix to alleviate stress, but for some people, when the eating stops, it adds more stress because now they are stressing out about what they were eating and it makes them feel even worse.

Let’s talk about the types of stress we can experience. It can be acute or chronic, both of which can affect your diet. During times of mild stress, people are often tempted to eat more than usual. Acute stress refers to stress we experience for a brief moment. Some examples of acute stress are preparing for a big exam or running late to an interview or presenting a presentation to your class. Chronic stress refers to stress that is experienced continuously over an extended period of time, month after month. This can take a major toll on our health and it can create a pro-inflammatory state which causes a variety of chronic diseases such as obesity. Both of these types of stress can increase your drive to eat highly palatable foods even if you are not hungry. Have you ever heard people say that they have lost so much weight because they are so stressed? Well, this can be true. During times of extreme stress, like a major life altering or traumatic event, people may have less of a desire to eat. The degree to which stress is perceived will make a difference in eating behaviors. Stress can affect our behaviors around food, driving what and how much we eat. It can also create the perfect scenario for fat storage and promote an obesogenic state. Everyone handles stress differently so don’t compare yourself to others. Learn how dealing with stress works best for you and try to maintain a healthy balance. Also, a small amount of stress can be beneficial at times. It may help increase focus and help tap into the motivation you need to get difficult tasks complete.

Have you ever noticed the types of food you crave when you are under a lot of stress? You are much more likely to seek out comforting foods or snacks (like rich pasta dishes, cake, cookies, and ice cream) then broccoli or spinach. These foods are considered hyper-palatable-high calorie, high fat, and high sugar foods that are hard to say no to, especially during stressful times. High sugar foods provide us with a quick source of energy that the body needs when it’s stressed and preparing for “fight or flight.” These foods lead to the release of dopamine, the feel good hormone, and as long as the stress remains, you will keep seeking out these foods. It becomes a vicious cycle and then the pounds continue to add on. Stress is a main contributor of obesity, which can lead to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. So put down those cookies and become aware of your stressors!

Find ways to cope with it and break the destructive cycle of stress! Just as the sympathetic nervous system turns on the “fight or flight response,” the parasympathetic nervous system turns it off. The parasympathetic nervous system helps the body conserve energy and rest. To be able to go from “fight or flight” to “rest and digest” is critical for your well-being. If the stressors isn’t addressed, the desire for these foods may strengthen and the risk for obesity may increase. Determine the specific factors that are causing you stress. It could be work related, personal relationships, or financial issues. Go back to the root cause. Understanding the root cause can help you address it more effectively. Stress management may naturally help support a more nutritious diet and will not drive you to seek out those high-calorie or high-sugar foods. It will help you balance the hormones related to appetite and weight regulation. You will make better dietary choices. Incorporate mindfulness practices like meditation, yoga, breath work, body scanning, and loving kindness exercises. These techniques can help calm your mind and relax your body, reducing stress and its impact on your body. It can also effectively help mitigate stress’s impact on your diet. Organize you work and living space to be clutter-free and implement a peaceful environment. Plan your schedule using a daily planner. Prioritize your tasks, set realistic goals, and focus on one thing at a time. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Delegate tasks whenever it’s possible if you’re feeling overwhelmed. You don’t have to do it ALL. Reach out to friends, family, or a support network for help and guidance. Talking about your stressors can provide emotional relief and a different perspective on how to handle them. Practice self-care. When is the last time you did something for yourself? Make time for activities that bring you joy and relaxation. Sometimes we just need to adjust our mindset. Develop a positive mindset by challenging negative thoughts and practicing gratitude. Focus on the things you can control instead of the things you can’t control. Accept that things are not always in your control. Another way to manage your stress is to set boundaries. Learn to say no when it’s necessary. Try not to take on too much; overcommitting yourself can lead to increased stress levels.

Unfortunately, we live in a fast paced society and so avoiding stress completely is not an option. We all have stress but we cannot allow our everyday worries to turn into chronic stress. This will disrupt the natural balance required for optimal health and it could speed up the aging process, and increase the body’s susceptibility to illness. I can attest to this. I allowed chronic stress to increase my body’s susceptibility to illness. I truly believe, if I was more aware of my stress from a younger age and knew how to manage it, I may have prevented a lot of my autoimmune diseases. From what I’ve been told, autoimmune diseases can be brought on by stress. Practice these strategies I’ve mentioned above to reduce the stress in your life. Learn from my mistakes. Embrace all the goodness in your life and put the negative aside. Understand or find your own motivations and desires to stay centered, stable, and clear-headed. You can only control what you can control. The rest is up to Him. I will leave you with this one last thought by Lao Tzu. “At the center of your being, you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.”