CHENNAI: In this rapidly changing world, people are often engrossed in their busy lives and have no time to concentrate on a healthy lifestyle. This often leads to mental and physical side effects such as stress, depression, anxiety, headaches, cardiac and respiratory issues, etc.
“Among the working class, the issue of stress eating has risen significantly in the past few years. People working during night shifts are more prone to it,” says Dr Umashakthy DM, a dietician at Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre. To battle this issue, she points out that eating supplementary nutritious foods can help avoid stress eating and its consequences.
Causes of stress eating
People who are going through negative emotions tend to consume foods without control as a coping mechanism.
High stress affects serotonin levels which could lead to cravings for food with high fat or sugar content.
High anxiety levels also lead to craving food.
Lack of physical activity triggers boredom which leads to unhealthy eating habits.
Side effects of stress eating
People tend to eat more than what they intend and lack portion control.
People tend to consume more amounts of food while watching television or using smartphones which further leads to the issue of obesity.
More prone to non-communicable diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, chronic respiratory diseases, and other cardiovascular diseases.
Supplementary nutritious food to eat when stressed
Healthy snacks such as apples, bananas, grapes, oranges, guavas, and nuts.
Fresh juices are rich in vitamins and iron.
Foods rich in antioxidants such as pumpkin seeds, green tea, chamomile tea, eggs, etc.
Popcorn and sweet corn without butter.
Tips to relieve stress without overeating
Control the portion intake.
Maintain a food diary to track how much you have eaten per day and follow the same pattern for a healthy lifestyle.
Practice breathing exercises, meditation, and yoga daily to manage stress.
Pay attention to weight and eat healthily accordingly.
Avoid eating food while watching television or being preoccupied with other work.
Avoid coffee and sweet items as they can worsen symptoms of anxiety.
Adhere to a strategy to maintain a healthy lifestyle with the right dietary habits and not relapse into poor food habits.
Reach out to a trained professional or medical practitioner if in need of aid.