We all know it:your to-do list is shockingly long and then your boss comes up with a few more tasks. Or is that even possible for a while. Preferably today. Of course, but in response to the wave of stress that follows, we often (unconsciously) reach for food.
This article is contributed by Anita from JasperAlblas.nl. Also read her previous article:3 habits that you don't realize are costing you years of your life.
Not just any food, but junk food and unhealthy snacks. Like that chocolate bar with salt and caramel, or that bag of chips in your purse that you promised to leave closed. This is stress eating and indeed, it kind of sucks.
Why are we doing this to ourselves? When you're stressed, your body is flooded with the hormone cortisol. Cortisol makes you crave carbohydrates, sugar and fatty foods. When you eat this, you get a pleasant feeling for a moment and you have the idea that your stress is reduced. But that's exactly what it is:just for a moment. A block of that delicious chocolate provides a feel-good effect of only three minutes. No wonder you constantly long for more (just as long until that bar has disappeared like snow in the sun).
Fortunately, there are ways to train your brain and calm yourself without having to eat. These are the 5 ways to avoid eating when you're stressed.
1. Breathe through your left nostril (really!)
It may sound a bit strange, but research has shown that closing your right nostril and breathing only through your left, or alternating between the two, activates a certain part of your nervous system and thus increases your heart rate and blood pressure. lowers. This ensures that you relax more easily and react less impulsively. So it's not for nothing that we have two nostrils.
2. Take a deep breath Breathing deeply and letting your abdomen fill with air stimulates the vagus nerve. The nerve… eh? The vagus nerve is a nerve that runs from your abdomen to your brain and has an immediate calming effect. Deep breathing also ensures that your brain gets more oxygen. More oxygen ensures better decision-making, also with regard to the food you eat.
3. Eat an orange
Of course you try to unlearn your brain from looking for food when you are under pressure. However, some foods actually deal with stress and are therefore good to eat. Peeling a citrus fruit, such as an orange, can be a meditative moment. You are aware of what you are doing at that moment and it takes you out of your overcrowded and busy head. In addition, the scent has been shown to be calming. Even more advantages:they are easy to carry and quick to eat; ideal when you're busy.
4. Hack your lunch
Are you right-handed? Then, instead of mindlessly gulping down your lunch while checking your mail, try eating your lunch with your left hand. You are not used to this, so you have to concentrate more and you are more aware of what you eat. This ensures that you are also inclined to eat thirty percent less than normal. And did you know that when you eat from a red plate it also helps to eat a little slower?
5. Progress, not perfection
When we're stressed it's so easy to think, "Oh well, I've already started that chocolate bar, why not the last four blocks too?" Then try repeating the mantra "progress, not perfection." . It helps to realize that every step you take can be a step forward, even if you just "failed" when you started that chocolate bar. You can learn from mistakes.
More tips about losing weight and healthy nutrition can be found on the Jasper Alblas website>>
Text:Anita Mulderij | Image:Shutterstock
