The link between food and emotions

Seasonal changes can be a stressful time for some people, and food can then serve as an escape. There are different types of stress, including acute, short-term stress, and chronic stress, which persists over time. Both cause hormonal changes (e.g., adrenaline, cortisol) that can influence eating behavior.

Stress and Eating

The Nutrition Source, a nutrition reference based at the Department of Nutrition at the T. H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University, explains that stress can lead to behavioral changes that may impact eating habits:

1. Stress increases the body's need for energy and nutrients.
2. People suffering from chronic stress may crave comfort foods (e.g., highly processed foods, high in fat, sugar, and calories).
3. Stressed individuals may lack the time or motivation to prepare nutritious and balanced meals. They may also skip or forget some
4. Stress can disrupt sleep, leading to fatigue during the day. To cope with this fatigue, some people may turn to stimulants (e.g., caffeine, high-calorie snacks).
5. During acute stress, adrenaline decreases appetite.
6. During chronic stress, high cortisol levels can cause cravings, especially for foods high in fat, sugar, and calories, which can lead to weight gain. (See article: Does Stress Affect Your Weight Loss?)
7. Cortisol promotes fat accumulation around the belly, which is associated with insulin resistance and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes (See article: Type II Diabetes), cardiovascular diseases, and certain breast cancers.
8. Cortisol decreases leptin levels, a hormone that promotes satiety, and increases ghrelin levels, a hormone that stimulates appetite.

Some tips to manage stress without using food

1. Engage in physical activity

Exercise can help reduce stress by lowering blood pressure, muscle tension, and stress hormone levels. The World Health Organization recommends adults engage in at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week. (See article: Fighting Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Through Sport? )

2. Maintain good sleep hygiene

Poor quality sleep can be a stress factor. Indeed, some studies observe that lack of sleep increases cortisol levels. The National Sleep Foundation recommends healthy adults sleep between 7 and 9 hours per night. (See article: Sleep Better, Live Better: Tips for Quality Sleep)

3. Limit caffeine intake

Caffeine can increase stress and disrupt sleep. Health Canada recommends healthy adults not exceed 400 mg of caffeine per day, equivalent to about three cups of coffee. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should not exceed 300 mg of caffeine per day, equivalent to about two cups of coffee.

4. Practice relaxing activities

Relaxing activities such as yoga, meditation, or deep breathing can help reduce stress. (See articles: Anxious? Here Are Some Tips to Reduce Anxiety Levels and The Benefits of Yoga and Simple Poses)

5. Practice mindful eating

Stressed individuals may eat without truly being aware of what they consume. Mindful eating aims to counter this by encouraging individuals to engage all their senses to taste and appreciate food, to pay attention to their physical hunger and satiety signals and to choose foods that are both satisfying and nourishing for the body. This practice can help raise awareness of emotions that impact eating behavior and find other strategies besides food to manage these emotions. (See article: Intuitive Eating: What Does It Look Like in Winter?)

References

1. https://www.unlockfood.ca/fr/Articles/Alcool/Au-menu---une-bonne-sante-mentale.aspx
2. https://www.unlockfood.ca/fr/Articles/Foire-aux-questions/Sante-mentale-%E2%80%93-Foire-aux-questions.aspx#st
3. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/stress-and-health/
4. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/337003/9789240014862-fre.pdf
5. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need
6. https://www.thecenterformindfuleating.org/resources/Documents/principles_handout_1_22.pdf
7. Geiker, N., Astrup, A., Hjorth, M. F., Sjödin, A., Pijls, L., & Markus, C. R. (2018). Does stress influence sleep patterns, food intake, weight gain, abdominal obesity and weight loss interventions and vice versa?.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 19(1), 81– https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12603

Article written by:

Marie-Noël Marsan, written in 2022.