Stress and food cravings

In today’s fast-paced world, stress has become an almost constant companion for many of us. Dr Marissa Kelaher says that one area we may notice the effects is how stress impacts our relationship with food.

Stress is a crucial survival mechanism, that triggers a “fight or flight” response when we encounter stressors, whether physical, mental, or emotional. It’s kept the human race alive, but in our modern world we are constantly surrounded by low grade stress, meaning many of us end up living our lives in fight or flight mode - which can influence our eating behaviours in some surprising ways.

Food cravings

One of the most noticeable effects of stress is that it can cause intense food cravings. These cravings are often for high-calorie foods, rich in sugar, fat, and salt such as chocolate, chips, or ice cream.

But why does this happen? Research suggests that cortisol (our stress hormone) triggers off cravings as part of a survival response. These foods provide a quick source of energy needed for our fight or flight response, so our brain drives us to seek them out. When we’re running away from a lion this is a good thing - but when we’re dealing with stress every day, it’s not so good!

Emotional eating

Many of us also turn to food as a way to cope with stress and end up “stress eating” or “emotional eating.” When our brain is stressed it starts to look for ways to feel better - and the dopamine (feel good) hormone released when we eat comfort foods is one of the quickest fixes. Stress also suppresses our prefrontal cortex (the part of our brain that makes rational decisions), making it harder to choose healthy foods.

Unfortunately, this can lead to a vicious cycle with stress triggering
emotional eating, and emotional eating leading to guilt and further stress.

Altered appetite

Beyond cravings and emotional eating, stress can also alter our overall appetite. Some of us get a decrease in appetite when we’re stressed, while others get hungrier. Stress alters the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in our brain which influences our appetite regulation. Stress also messes with the signals that tell us when we’re full, making it hard to know when and how much to eat. Emerging research suggests that stress may alter our gut microbiome too, with these changes in our gut bacteria affecting appetite and food preferences, potentially driving cravings for certain foods. So when we’re under stress, how can we manage cravings, and maintain a healthy relationship with food?

Mindful eating

Mindfulness can be a powerful tool to reduce stress and make us more aware of our eating habits and triggers. This helps us make conscious choices about what and when we eat.

Stress management

Stress-reduction techniques such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, or exercise are great to help reduce the effects of chronic stress on our body and mind, and turn down our stress response.

Balanced diet

Try to eat a well-balanced diet of nutrient-rich foods, and ensure your meals include healthy protein, whole grains, and fresh fruit and veges. This helps keep our blood sugar levels and energy stable, which in turn reduces food cravings.

Seek support

If you’re struggling with emotional eating and feel you need help, counsellors and psychologists can work with you to develop other ways to cope with stress and break the cycle.

Stress and food cravings can have a huge impact on our day-to-day life, but by becoming aware of this connection, we can take the first steps towards understanding ourselves, and gaining back control of our eating habits. Be kind to yourself, start to notice the patterns that are happening in your life, and above all, show yourself rather than criticism - so you can begin your journey to a healthier relationship with food.

Dr Marissa Kelaher is a GP and lifestyle medicine doctor. She runs health courses and offers one-on-one consults at yourlifestylemedics.com.