{"id":439,"date":"2021-11-15T00:21:47","date_gmt":"2021-11-15T00:21:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carolinatotalwellness.com\/blog\/?p=439"},"modified":"2022-11-28T17:26:39","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T17:26:39","slug":"5-strategies-for-stress-eating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carolinatotalwellness.com\/blog\/index.php\/2021\/11\/15\/5-strategies-for-stress-eating\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Strategies For Stress Eating"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Stress eating occurs when we eat in response to a stress signal instead of a hunger signal.  It is reaching for food to calm our nerves, soothe our sadness, chase away boredom or buffer against other emotions we are uncomfortable with.
 
When we stress eat we are usually reaching for sugary and\/or salty foods.  It\u2019s often food we eat with our hands.  Hand to mouth eating frequently occurs without much awareness or mindfulness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 
Tips to Help Decrease Stress Eating:<\/strong>
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1) Being Body Aware \u2013 This means getting in touch with your body.\u00a0 Get back into your body, get grounded, get centered.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Are you truly hungry?\u00a0 Pay attention to what sensations are going on in your body.\u00a0 Has your heart rate increased? \u00a0Do you have butterflies in your stomach?\u00a0 Are you feeling fragmented and disassociated in your body?\u00a0 Feeling out of sync between body and mind?
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You can bring yourself back to center by concentrating on your breath.\u00a0 Put one hand on your chest and one on your belly and breathe in deeply.\u00a0 Is the breath going to the upper chest area or the belly?\u00a0 You want the breath to go into the low belly.\u00a0 By doing this you engage the parasympathetic system (aka rest and digest) and reduce the sympathetic system (aka fight or flight).
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2) Exercise your emotional muscle \u2013 Emotions are energy in motion.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be afraid to show your emotions.\u00a0 We need to let emotions flow and we need to express them.\u00a0 When we don\u2019t do this we \u201ceat our emotions\u201d with food.\u00a0 Emotional eaters tend to eat foods that are nutrient poor (junk food) instead of nutrient rich (veggies, fruits, healthy fats, lean proteins).
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Keep a check on your feelings.\u00a0 One way to do this is to check in with family and friends.\u00a0 Be real about your emotions as this allows others to feel comfortable to open up with you as well.\u00a0 Journaling is also a great tool for expressing your emotions.\u00a0
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3) Developing alternatives \u2013 Rather than engaging in stress eating come up with alternatives.\u00a0 Make a list of 5 things that you can do instead of eat when you are not really hungry but are craving food due to emotions.\u00a0 Some ideas: \u00a0call a friend, physical movement, journaling, nap, read a good book, organize a drawer in your kitchen or bathroom.
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4) Having healthy foods available \u2013 If you can\u2019t fight the urge to eat, make the best choices with the cravings you have.\u00a0 Ideas:\u00a0 avocado for someone who craves fat, fruit for someone that craves sugar, cacao powder in water for someone who craves chocolate, olives for someone who craves salt.\u00a0
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5) Fueling your body with real food – Be sure you are getting lots of nutrients so you are not vulnerable to the effects of stress.\u00a0 Food modulates our mood and if we stick with whole unprocessed foods our mood will be better and we won\u2019t feel as stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Your Partner In Health!
Sara Yadlowsky, FMHC
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Stress eating occurs when we eat in response to a stress signal instead of a hunger signal.  It is reaching for food to calm our nerves, soothe our sadness, chase away boredom or buffer against other emotions we are uncomfortable with. When we stress eat we are usually reaching for sugary and\/or salty foods.  It\u2019s often … <\/p>\n

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