WHEN emotions push us to eat, it isn’t fruit and vegetables we turn to, but high-calorie foods.
Stress eating might help you in the moment, but it leads to weight gain.
Hormones linked with stress can cause fat build-up on the back and stomach in women.
“When you stress, your body releases cortisol,” says registered nutritional therapist Lucia Stansbie.
“Chronic stress leads to prolonged elevation of cortisol levels, which can slow down metabolism.”
Worrying can increase levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, which drives appetite, while also dampening leptin – a hormone that tells the brain you are full.
Then there’s dopamine, which is released when we eat food we crave when feeling tense.
But the good news is that it is possible to stop stress eating – here’s how.
Ensuring you get enough nutrients helps your body to work optimally and stops it from craving certain foods.
“Support your mood by ensuring adequate vitamin D levels and consuming a varied diet with enough fibre – 30g per day according to NHS recommendations,” says Lucia.
“Fibre feeds the ‘good’ gut bacteria.”
Digestive health is linked to mental health, and it’s thought that taking care of it supports feel-good hormones.
It may also aid sleep, which is ideal, as studies show sleep deprivation can lead to stress and cause you to eat more calories each day.
When you’re stress eating, you’ll grab whatever is available, so making sure healthy food is on hand is key.
“Stress may reduce your motivation to cook, so having leftovers in the fridge means you may be less likely to eat something more convenient, such as ready-meals or takeaways,” says nutritionist Rob Hobson.
“Stock your cupboards and fridge with healthy snacks, such as dips, fruits, vegetables and healthy snack bars.
Chop the fruit and veggies – ready-prepared foods are always easier to access when you are under stress.”
Store prepared food in the fridge, so you’re never without a healthy snack to hand.
To reduce the chances of you grazing on easily accessible food, follow the rule of only eating at a table with cutlery.
Chloe Thomas, online PT and women’s health and mindset coach, says this encourages you to consume mindfully and to be aware of “emotional eating triggers”.
“Make sure there are no distractions, so no phone, TV or music,” she says.
“Eat your food slowly and chew it properly.
“Pay attention to the act of eating and try to recognise your hunger and fullness cues.”
Next time you find yourself reaching for the stress snacks, Chloe suggests setting a timer for 10 minutes.
“Leave the kitchen and go and sit down,” she says.
“Work out whether you are physically hungry or emotionally hungry.
“If it’s the latter, this means the food will not satisfy you, and it could actually lead to you feeling worse.”
Ensuring your main meals are keeping you satiated is a great way to reduce snacking.
Rob says it’s important to base your meals around protein and fibre.
“Together, these can help to slow down the release of glucose from food, offering more sustained energy levels and feelings of fullness,” he says.
Breakfast could be protein-rich Greek yoghurt with high-fibre oats and fruit, while lunch could be a green salad with fibre-rich potatoes and chicken, and dinner could be chilli con carne with brown rice.
There’s a good reason why journalling has become so popular.
“Journalling what is going on in our head is a great way to manage our emotions,” explains Chloe.
“Sometimes, we can feel so overwhelmed that we just turn to food for relief. But dumping our thoughts on paper could help us feel less overwhelmed.”
You can even choose to keep a note on your phone, which you can type into whenever you are tense.
Next time you’re craving a snack, turn to the note and write about how you’re feeling, rather than reaching for the biscuits.
The Health Survey for England 2021 estimates that 25.9% of adults in England are obese and a further 37.9% are overweight but not obese.
Obesity is usually defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above. BMI between 25 and 30 is classified as ‘overweight’.
The survey, published in December 2022, found that men are more likely than women to be overweight or obese (68.6% of men, 59.0% of women).
People aged 45-74 are most likely to be overweight or obese.
It’s easy to get home after work and slob out on the sofa, grazing on sweets and chocolate after dinner to forget about the events of the day.
“Instead, try going out for a walk,” says Rob.
“Evening time is when most people tend to snack more, so getting outdoors after dinner is a good way to avoid stress snacking, while physical activity also helps to reduce levels of stress.”
You could even get active in the advert breaks of your favourite show with a series of squats, press-ups, sit-ups and lunges.
Noting when you eat and how you feel at the time in a diary can pinpoint when you’re stress eating.
“This can help you to identify what triggers you to eat and may help you address the causes of your stress, so you can find coping strategies,” says Rob.
You could also track your sleep and appetite levels, too.
It would take a lot of willpower to go cold turkey on your favourite snacks.
“Rather than cutting out stress-triggered foods completely, try to manage portion sizes instead,” says Rob.
“Buy small, individual packs of these foods or decant larger packs into small bags.
“This can be a good stepping stone to reducing the amount of these foods you eat.”
