Stress Can Make You Gain Weight

Do you reach for that bag of potato chips or a handful of Oreos when you get stressed? Eating these kinds of foods may be worse for you than when you eat them when you are not stressed! Stress can even upset the way your body handles both healthy and unhealthy foods.

The Research on Stress and Diet

A new study from Ohio State University has revealed that stress affects the way your body processes food. A stressful day can actually lower your metabolism and increase your insulin. 

Reduce stress to lose weight

Researchers actually studied two groups of women. They were given basically the same large, high-fat, high-calorie breakfast. The only difference was that one group had a breakfast made with saturated animal fats, and the other group got a healthier breakfast made with unsaturated sunflower oil. The researchers then compared the two groups of women and how their bodies reacted under stress.
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The researchers found that the women who were not experiencing stress, and who had eaten the healthier breakfast, had better blood results. No surprise there! However, those who were under stress and had eaten the healthier breakfast had blood results that looked like they had eaten the unhealthy breakfast. The body simply cannot process food efficiently when you are stressed, especially high-fat, high-calorie foods.

Its even worse to eat junk food when you are stressed

How to Reduce Stress

Researchers concluded that reducing stress can have a huge impact on your health. It can help your body digest your food more efficiently and even help you lose weight. The best ways to reduce stress are:

• Get plenty of regular exercise
• Get plenty of rest and sleep
• Practice yoga and/or meditation
• Enjoying pleasurable activities such as reading or taking a warm bath

Yoga helps reduce stress

So when you are planning your meals with your health and/or weight loss in mind, remember that monitoring and reducing your stress levels can be as important as what you eat!