Is stress consuming away at you?

Stress, emotions and how we’re treated by others all affect how we feel about food and drinks. It’s just part of being human. The first step is to acknowledge what we’re feeling and then take that next crucial step to nourish ourselves anyway as an act of resistance to stressors that we can’t control. We deserve to get nourishment. Food isn’t just calories, vitamins and minerals. It feeds our mind and spirit. This is a tough time for many people; here are a few things to know about stress and eating.

What influences food choices

Glucocorticoids are a class of hormones that have many functions in the body including helping the body respond in times of stress or danger. They affect metabolism of carbs, proteins and fats. They affect hunger and satiety and influence how we choose our portions. When stress becomes too much or chronic, these hormones are working behind the scenes to affect how much we eat. It’s all too common to skip meals/snacks or go for too long without eating when we’re stressed and busy. This creates temporary hormonal changes which can lead us to overeat later. It’s common when our blood sugar gets low to reach for a quick fix that might not be the best choice. It’s harder to know what portion is right for your body when you’re hangry. A nutrition deficit can make feelings of stress, depression or anxiety more pronounced.

Your feelings are valid.

These are real biological factors, so don’t heap guilt or blame on top of the stress you’re already under. Let’s stop criticizing ourselves (and others) about what and how much we are eating when we’re stressed. Food choices aren’t “bad” or “undisciplined”; the human body is sending perfectly natural messages as a response to internal and external triggers. The strategy is to make sure we’re eating something regularly through the day about every three hours or so. This regulates blood sugar and modifies the hormonal response in a positive way. Our food choices don’t have to be perfect. We just need to take small steps each day to make sure we’re not skipping meals and snacks.

What to do to feel better

Set yourself up for success by bringing fruit, energy bars, protein shakes and other easy snacks with you during your busy day. You know you’re going to be busy and stressed, so plan for that. Set a timer on your phone if needed. Have high fiber foods easily accessible like apples, clementines or bananas in between scheduled meals to regulate blood sugar and give you energy. Don’t just skip meals even if you think you’re too busy. At the very least, bring a protein drink with you to sip on when you can. Ideally, you’ll be able to sit down to a real meal with a protein, starch, vegetable and healthy fat, but if you can’t, don’t just eat nothing. Bring a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with you and eat it while walking to your next rehearsal. Even eating a couple of cookies is better than starving yourself in the long run because at least they give you some energy for a little while and keep your blood sugar from dropping too low. You’re better off enjoying those two cookies during the day rather than being famished later and then eating too many cookies. Don’t get hung up on perfection.

Be mindful about caffeine intake.

During times of stress, try not to over-consume caffeine. I say this with zero judgement because I know how it feels. It’s about balance and knowing your own tolerance levels. Caffeine isn’t all bad; it can assist in focus. However, too much caffeine will amplify stress and make you jittery and less adept at handling daily stress. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, and it increases levels of cortisol which is considered the stress hormone. That’s one of those glucocorticoids we mentioned earlier. Caffeine is an appetite suppressant. Leaning too hard on coffee or energy drinks to get you through the day is likely to lead to feeling hangry and ironically energy depleted. A cup of green tea could be a substitute for that highly caffeinated energy drink.

Alcohol increases the stress response.

Alcohol is a depressant. Its elevating effects on stress and anxiety are well documented. It absolutely reduces sleep duration and quality. It can affect athletic performance for up to 5 days after even just 1-2 beers. It has 7 calories per gram and affects hormones. For women, it can affect menstruation pain and duration. Limiting or avoiding alcohol in beer, wine and mixed drinks will undoubtedly improve your response to stress.

By Emily C. Harrison MS, RDN, LDN of Nutrition for Great Performances.

Emily Cook Harrison MS, RD, LD
Emily is a registered dietitian and holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nutrition from Georgia State University, USA. Her master’s thesis research was on elite level ballet dancers and nutrition and she has experience providing nutrition services for weight management, sports nutrition, disordered eating, disease prevention, and food allergies. Emily was a professional dancer for eleven years with the Atlanta Ballet and several other companies. She is a dance educator and the mother of two young children. She now runs the Centre for Dance Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles. She can be reached at emily@dancernutrition.com
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