Why stress causes us to feel too much

Stress, hormonal fluctuations and the effect of very sweet foods that we cough when we have bad times lead to a phenomenon well known by us all: excess eating. A lot of studies have linked weight-gain to stress, and one in four Americans think it has a stress level of 8, on a scale of 1 to 10. In the short term, stress inhibits appetite, because in difficult times, the hypothalamus produces CRH, a hormone involved in the body's stress response, which is responsible for decreasing appetite. The brain also sends messages to the adrenal glands to epinephrine (also known as adrenaline). Epinephrine helps trigger the body's fighting response, which temporarily pauses the appetite. But if the stress persists, the situation changes radically.

Overdoses release another hormone, called cortisol, which increases appetite. Once the stress episode is over, the level of cortisol should decrease, but if the stressful situation persists, it remains at a high level, one of the consequences being the increased appetite. Why we choose sweets and fatty foods in stressful times Stress seems to affect our food preferences. Numerous studies have found that physical or emotional stress leads to eating larger amounts than usual foods rich in sugar and fat. an increased level of cortisol combined with an increased level of insulin seems to be responsible for these culinary preferences.

Other researchers believe that glanders, or the hormone of hunger, whose concentration increases before and after meals, would have an important role to play in this process. Once ingested foods rich in sugar and fat, it seems that they have an inhibiting effect on activity in the part of the brain that produces and processes the stress and the emotions related to it. In addition, the exaggerated appetite for unhealthy food is not the only problem of people affected by stress, they sleep less and have a lower quality of sleep. Stressed people make less movement and drink more alcohol to combat the effects of stress, hence increasing the number of pounds. Women and men react differently to stress Some studies have found that women and men react differently to stress but in the sense that women choose excess food and men drink or smoke.

In addition, studies have found that obesity is related to stress-based eating only in women, not men. Another significant detail discovered by researchers was that this particularly affects those who are already overweight and significant weight gain is more likely to occur in the presence of a higher level of insulin. How much cortisol produces a body in response to stress is another factor taken into account in the stress-fatty equation. A British study has shown that people with a stress response with high cortisol levels are more likely to prefer compulsive eating out of stressful periods as opposed to those with low cortisol levels. How to control stress If you know that stressful times affect your weight, the first step is to throw away all kinds of unhealthy food you have from the refrigerator because they are basically an invisible invitation.

Keep only fruits, vegetables, lean meat and low-fat dairy products. Other things that you can do and that can prove effective are: Sport - intense exercise increases cortisol in the short term, but moderate intensity seems to reduce it. So choose long walks or training not very demanding and the results will not be delayed. Meditation - Numerous studies have found that meditation plays an essential role in reducing stress. Make yourself a habit of staying for a few minutes and empty your mind of all thoughts by focusing on the breathing pace.

Social support - family and friends can play a key role in reducing stress, so do not hesitate to interact with people when you are going through stressful periods. Photo: pixabay. .