From: Nancy Desjardins
We all know how emotional we get sometimes, and we all know that sometimes our emotions can wreak havoc on our body - our stomachs get upset, our hands shake, we experience headaches, and more. It doesn't matter how we react to stress; with anger, fear, anxiety, frustration or hostility, stress is a major obstacle to our efforts to eat well.
Many of us rely on comfort foods to make us feel better when we're stressed. We go out for a pizza or ice cream, raid the pantry for cookies or puddings, or even bake (and eat) a cake to distract us from worry and woes. However, did you know that stress combined with such eating habits could be an extremely dangerous situation, one that if allowed to continue over time can lead to heart disease, diabetes and strokes caused by clogged arteries?
Stress causes our digestive system to temporarily shut down. That means that half-digested foods in our stomach accumulate toxins while the body waits to continue digesting after the stress has passed. These additional toxins may be stored as fat if they're not digested efficiently. Those extra acids accumulating in your stomach cause more than just an inconvenience of an upset stomach - they can lead to weight gain and clogged arteries.
Many of us react to stress by reaching for sweet stuff - it doesn't matter if it's that candy bar stashed in our desk at work, the bag of cookies in our pantry at home, or whether we venture out to our favorite bakery to indulge in sweet rolls or pastry - those sugars are bad for more than our teeth! Sure, it's hard to change years-old habits, but if you're concerned about your health, these changes need to be recognized and addressed sooner rather than later.
Stress combined with poor diets can result in mental and physical health issues such as depression, weight gain, chemical imbalances in the body that eventually lead to illnesses and disease processes that shorten your life span, interrupt quality of life and make you plain miserable. Is that donut worth that? Isn't there some other way you can assuage your emotions besides reaching for sugar?
Yes! It just takes a little time and patience to change habits, and to find substitutes for the poor food choices we've made in the past. Instead of reaching for sweets when you're upset, think about why you're upset. Did someone say something that made you angry, or hurt your feelings?
Ask yourself why you resort to certain foods in these situations. Do you really want that piece of cake, or is it just a habit that you've convinced yourself will make you feel better? Actually, chances are that you'll feel worse after indulging, not only because of guilt, but because sugars have a way of altering the chemical balance in the body, making bad feelings and emotions feel even worse than before.
Learn how to deal with stress more effectively. Take charge of your own reactions and emotions. Ask yourself if the argument you just had or the manner in which your boss just spoke to you will matter in ten years. Chances are, the answer is no. So don't sweat the small stuff, as they say. Shrug it off and move on. Don't punish yourself for what others say to you or how they make you feel.
YOU are important and smart and worth every effort you put into making yourself strong and healthy. Search for the positive in every negative. Look for a proactive way to deal with emotional, mental and physical stress that your body and peace of mind will thank you for.
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I like to eat food. So I do not take care about Stress food. But now I am fetching lot of problem in my stomach.So I read your blog with carefully. You did good job for me.
Posted by: Glowing Skin | June 30, 2011 at 08:47 AM