Starving or Stress?

Controlling Stress Eating

Stress stimulates the appetite. During a study in which individuals were given a task that took a lot of brainpower, the participants ate up to 250 more calories at a buffet afterward, than the participants who had relaxed.

Stress not only stokes the hunger fire, but it also ignites swings in glucose (sugar) levels. When glucose decreases, bodies may react by craving fuel in order to restore the glucose levels it is used to.

Rather than giving into these hunger urges, the best way to decrease stress levels and minimize sugar fluctuation is to exercise regularly. Next time you feel ravenous after a stressful situation, squeeze in a work out or at the very least take a walk. Try alternative means to control your stress levels, whether it be gazing at a picture of you on your favorite vacation, keeping easy listening on your mp3 player, counting to ten, or focusing on your breathing. Attempt these alternative solutions to dealing with stress and see if your cravings subside.