Did you know that stress eating is done to combat various forms of anxiety and tension? This means, whenever a person feels stressed, trapped or is in a situation, which is difficult to escape, a lot of people find solace in food. Hence, they start eating irrespective of them feeling hungry or not! Stress eating may seem to be a usual syndrome, but it can have various effects on physical as well as mental health. Due to prolonged stress, the body starts secreting a hormone called cortisol, which increases appetite. In this case, people especially eat more fatty or sweet food. To understand the situation, there are specific questions that you must ask yourself:
- Are you eating a lot more than normal under stress?
- Are you eating even if you are not hungry?
- How much food do you eat in moments of stress? Do you eat to feel good? Does food make you feel like a friend, or do you feel safe eating it?
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If the answer to all this is yes, then understand that you are a victim of stress eating. Hence these tips can help in controlling stress eating in many ways:
Walk to Deviate
Do you feel the need for eating something immediately without actually needing it? This means you need to do something to deviate your mind from the food craving. Hence, start walking or even go for a run to not worry about food cravings. Running or walking helps in controlling food cravings to a great extent. This happens due to the release of endorphins, which is a stress reducer. Hence, a walk for only 15 minutes can help control cravings.
Look For An Alternative
Eating does not reduce stress but can undoubtedly create new stress. So, in most cases, when you are stressed, you know that you need to get rid of the extra energy trapped in your body. So, do not sabotage your weight scales but look for a distraction from foods. Look for options that you can do instead of eating at that very time. This can, in a way, help you reduce the chances of stress eating in every possible manner. For this, scroll through pictures, look for DIY activity.
Believe In Healthy Snacking
Even if you feel the urge of eating in stress, try not to go for high-fatty, fried or sugary food items. Opt for healthy snacks only like walnuts, almonds and things like apple slices, carrots, celery sticks, etc. All sorts of snacking cannot make you gain weight, but careful snacking can also make you healthier. Hence, add some proteins to your snack, get your hands on healthy nut mixes. Even, did you know almonds make for a great snack?
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Never Skip Meals
Skipping meals is one of the unhealthiest habits ever. This also leads to the habit of extra binding, thinking that it could replace a meal. But, extra snacking after skipping meals are unhealthier and can lead to excessive weight gain. Even if you are not hungry, skipping a meal gives you a feeling that you could be hungry. Try to text when you think you need to snack, call a friend to deviate your mind and always make a schedule of your meal plans and stick to it.
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