Sweet, Salty, and Stressed-out

Why do so many of us look for stress relief at the bottom of a bowl of ice cream or a bag of chips? Likely everyone has had greater sugar and salt cravings when they are overwhelmed and exhausted. Although this may be a sign of stress eating and not a healthy solution, this is totally normal, and research has shown us why…

When you’re stressed, your adrenal glands release a hormone called cortisol. Studies have shown that this hormone can actually bind to and activate your taste buds associated with sweet, salty, and bitter tastes, thereby increasing your cravings. Furthermore, receptors in your gut and pancreas are also activated by cortisol leading to changes in blood sugar and appetite levels.

Thus, your ice cream and chip cravings when you are stressed are physiologically justified. However, these unhealthy cravings can increase your risk of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. So what should we do? Cut out the stress.

Less stress and better food choices

Fight those junk food cravings by better managing your stress. Here are some ways to tackle one of the root causes of your unhealthy eating habits:

1. Listen to hypnosis audios. Just 20 minutes of this proven technology can effectively reduce your stress and enhance your ability to manage it, as well as compensate for your sleep debt and improve your sleep quality.
2. Sleep. A good night’s rest is vital for managing stress and giving your body the chance for proper restoration.
3. Fun. Take a break, have some fun, and laugh. This will reduce stress and increase your parasympathetic (“rest-and-digest”) state as well as giving you a dose of endorphins!

Whatever your approach or combination of calming habits, it’s critical to manage stress and its sign for both short and long-term health. So now you that understand one origin of food cravings, do something relaxing right now to break that vicious cycle of stress eating.