Your Wellness Plan: Strategies to Avoid Stress Eating

Stress can wreak havoc on our bodies. We know this logically, but we also likely know this experientially. After all, most of us have gone through stressful periods in our lives. We’ve noticed how it feels in our bodies. We’ve experienced its impact on our mental health.

Divorce is a huge catalyst for stress. And while we can’t eliminate the stress, we can do things to counter its effects. 

One of the most common things I observe with people who are undergoing periods of stress is that they often develop unhealthy eating habits. 

I want to be clear: This does not reflect a lack of willpower or control. It’s a completely normal response to various hormones in our bodies going haywire. 

That said, I think it’s important to be aware of how your body reacts to stress, and to have the tools to help you course-correct when you find yourself falling into unhealthy patterns.

Stress and appetite

When we think of stress and appetite, we often think of stress eating. This is definitely a thing, and we’ll dig into it in a bit. But our initial reaction to stress is actually not to eat. 

When stress first settles into our bodies, it triggers the adrenal gland to produce the hormone epinephrine (a.k.a. adrenaline). Epinephrine is actually an appetite suppressant, as it’s involved in our body’s fight-or-flight response. This means we don’t feel hungry, even if our bodies are burning energy, which can lead to short-term weight loss. 

Now, you might be thinking, "What’s so bad about that?" But letting our hormones dictate our eating habits — especially when we’re not in a genuine fight-or-flight scenario — will likely backfire in the long run.

Why?

Because when stress persists, our adrenal glands begin to release another hormone called cortisol — and cortisol actually increases appetite. Not only that, stress may even affect food preferences, making foods higher in fat, sugar, or both more enticing. 

The good news? The following strategies are proven to help you stay one step ahead of your hormones.

Strategies to combat stress eating

1. Practice mindfulness and meditation

The best thing you can do to combat stress or comfort eating is to listen to your body. If you already have a mindfulness and meditation practice, now is the time to double down. If you have the capacity to...