Although research has confirmed that too much stress can cause the pounds to pile on, this does not help those of us who are under constant pressure! It is also not comforting to hear that it is more difficult to shed these unwanted pounds. Stressed from constant demands, the body reacts with shifts in hormone that turns into annoying changes in metabolism.
Luckily, there are ways to fight this annoying double whammy. The following tips can help combat the cravings and slow the overload of the stress hormone from flowing throughout your body uninvited.
Head stress cravings off at the pass.
The fight or flight mode that is brought on by stress can send you straight towards calorie dense foods. Health experts in a recent Woman’s World issue gave a few interesting ways to stop stress cravings. A little skeptical of the simplistic ideas, I decided to put some of them to the test.
Sip chamomile tea. The naturally soothing properties of this dried flower can ease stress and anxiety. Science says, the sedating properties can be traced to the high levels of theanine, an amino acid that relaxes the alpha brain waves. Unfortunately, people in my family are extremely allergic to chamomile, so purchasing a box might send the wrong message, so I opted to just take their word for it.
Score: Skipped this, no grade, but I suggest giving it a try.
Go for the cocoa cure. Okay, I can do this one. This may sound counter-productive, but in fact they say indulging in a small amount of dark chocolate is a great way to lower your stress and turn off your appetite. The reason for this lies in the rich supply of flavonol antioxidants. I remember my grandmother stashing a bar of dark chocolate in the medicine cabinet; now I see she was ahead of her time. I don’t know if this will have any effect on my weight, but it is a nice treat and I have to say, it does kill any lingering cravings.
Score: A
Chew gum. I gave this up a few years ago, but went ahead and gave it a shot for the sake of my little experiment. Besides, the article surprisingly reports that chewing can rev your metabolism up to 20%. Chomping on a piece of sugar free gum in the midst of a stressful day, I just noticed that the rhythmic nature of chewing was a bit calming and I wasn’t inclined to grab a bag of pretzels. I still don’t like the look of people chewing gum, so will keep to chewing gum in the privacy of my own office.
Score: B-
Zzzzzzzz. Catnaps are recommended. A study in the European Journal of Endocrinology says that a lack of sleep sends stress hormones soaring. I didn’t need a medical journal to tell me this, a working mom or four, I know how stressful sleep deficiency can be. Squeezing in a twenty minute nap every few days was not the impossible task I imagined it to be. I gave up lengthy emails and Facebook, and grabbed a pillow instead.
Score: A+
Decaffeinate. I have a personalized, made to order, sweatshirt that says, “Highly Caffeinated” on the back. Black coffee, strong and hot is counted not by the cup, but by the pot. It is so much a part of me I was actually a little embarrassed about buying a decaf beans. This may be the majority of my stress- weight problem. They article states that a combination of even mild stress and caffeine sends the cortisol levels soaring up to 25% and this heightened state lasts for up to three hours. I gradually traded out my cups of strong Joe for it’s weaker cousin and did not miss it terribly, so will keep this up.
Score: B ( probably deserves an A, but this was messing with my favorites.)
Take a walk. My dog gave me this wise tip when she arrived. The furry ball of energy is accustomed to our daily walks/runs and I agree wholeheartedly with this suggestion. If only I could just hit the trails whenever stress was beating down on my head. Being outside works on the brain’s production of mood lifting neurotransmitters according to Elissa Epel, Ph.D. Twenty minutes daily is proven to lower levels of stress and cut anxiety by 40%.
Score: for those who are adding this for the first time an A+, personally there was little to change.
Overall, the stress score was good for five out of six. Every little thing helps when the world feels like it is crashing in, chocolate, naps, walks and gum. I have to add that anything that makes you feel like carefree five year old sounds great to me!
Resources:
Personal experiences
Woman’s World, April 2011
Mayo Clinic
More by Sylvie Branch:
Aging and Aglets
Green tea superfood smoothie recipe
Build a better brain