Stress management can be an important part of overall health and well being, but it also plays an important part in weight management.  A study published in the American journal Epidemiology followed over 10,000 individuals for a 19-year period.  Researches found that there is “a direct relationship between work stress and risk of general obesity (body mass index greater than 30) and central obesity (waist circumference greater than 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women) and this was largely independent of other factors.” ¹

Stress can often lead to weight gain because it can change eating patterns.  In fact, 2 out of 3 people say that they eat more when they are stressed.  For some, they reach for high-fat or high-sugar “comfort foods” to calm them down.  For those following an overly restrictive diet, it is almost inevitable to reach for food in response to a stressful situation.  This is because it takes a lot of concentration to stay on a very low calorie diet since your body has natural mechanisms to prevent it from starving it’s self.   According to research done on mice, stress may also release hormones that act as an appetite stimulant, especially for carbohydrate-rich foods.^1,2

Not only can stress lead to eating at inappropriate times, but it also may change the way we store fat.  The Journal of Natural Medicine published a study that was done on mice, and researchers found that over a two-week period chronic stress did not have much of an effect on weight.  They also found that during this same time period a high-fat, high-sugar diet did not have much of an effect on weight.  However, when chronic stress and a high-fat, high-sugar diets were paired together during the same time period there was a notable increase in abdominal fat.  Over a three-month period on a high-fat, high-sugar diet, mice under stress gained 3 times more weight than there non-stressed counterparts.¹

Hormonal changes with stress may be to blame for increased fat storage in the abdominal region, particularly Neuropeptide Y and Cortisol.  While a short-term rise in these hormones probably will not have a major effect on weight, it is likely that they could contribute to weight gain over time. ³

Given this information, it might be tempting to take some of the herbal products that claim to reduce levels of these hormones.  For example, there are products that claim to reduce cortisol levels to promote “rapid weight loss”.  However, this is not the answer because there is no evidence from reputable studies to support these claims.  In fact, there has been legal action taken against marketers of two herbal supplements who have agreed to stop making such claims, but the products remain on the market. ³

So, what can you do to prevent stress related weight gain?   

The first step to avoiding stress related weight gain is to learn how to minimize stress.  This can be done by avoiding stressful situations when possible (i.e. avoiding the person who causes stress, leaving early for work to avoid rush hour, avoiding stores at crowded times).  Unfortunately, we are not able to avoid all stressful situations.  Therefore, we must learn how to alter some stressful situations and learn how to deal with stress more appropriately.  Here are some tips:

• Alter Stressful Situations:
  • Get a better perspective on the situation. Ask yourself, “Will the situation you are dealing with make a difference in a year from now or even a week from now?” Let’s face it; some of the things that cause stress in our lives really aren’t that important when you look at the big picture.
  • Be realistic when planning your schedule. There is only so much time in a day, so don’t overbook your self. Allot an appropriate amount of time for each task.
  • Break overwhelming tasks down into smaller, more manageable tasks.
  • Delegate tasks when possible.
  • Create a calming environment. Minimize clutter by throwing out junk and unnecessary items. Turn off the television or other background noises that are raising stress levels. Instead, put on some soothing music and light a candle to create a more calming environment.

• Learn how to deal with stress appropriately
  • Exercise. Weather it’s going for a walk or doing yoga, exercise is one of the best stress relievers.
  • Meditate or try a relaxation tape.
  • Call a friend or a family member to talk.
  • Try deep breathing exercises.
  • Write in a journal
  • Join a support group.

Most importantly, recognize that eating has never solved any emotional issue…instead, it only makes it worse.  Food is not the answer, so try other stress management techniques to find out what works best for you. 

References:

1.) Dean Ornish. Lighten Up. www.newsweek.com/id/40438/output/print

2.) Harrison Wein. Stress: Obesity Link Found. http://www.nih.gov/news/research_matters/july2007/07092007stress.htm

3.) American Institute for Cancer Research. Can Stress Cause Weight Gain? http://www.aicr.org/site/News2?JServSessionIdr011=nxrxhrlhk2.app7a&abbr=pr_&page=NewsArticle&id=8591

One way to keep a healthy diet new and exciting is to continue to try new foods and new recipes.  Websites like eatingwell.com can make it easy to find healthy recipes to meet your personal needs.  You can do a basic search if you are just looking for a main ingredient (i.e. poultry, pasta, seafood, soy), or can do a more advanced search which takes into account health considerations.  This can be very helpful, if you have dietary restrictions and are watching calories, sodium or saturated fat.  It also has recipes that are diabetes appropriate, heart healthy recipes and ones that are high in certain nutrients like calcium or potassium.  This website can also help you find kid-friendly meals, make-ahead meals and meals for vegetarians.  An added bonus is that it contains the nutrition facts for each meal, which can help you to know exactly what you’re getting.  Hope you enjoy!  

A Vegetarian diet is one which excludes all animal products.  However, there are several variations of vegetarian diets.  For example, some vegetarians include dairy products, others include eggs and some include both.  With dietary restrictions like this, it can make eating out challenging.  Below are some tips for choosing vegetarian meals in a restaurant.

• Choose restaurants that offer more vegetarian Choices
  • i.e.- Asian, Middle Eastern and Indian restaurants often have many options
  • http://www.happycow.net/ , http://www.vegdining.com/ and other websites can help you find a vegetarian restaurant in your area
• Talk to the staff at a restaurant
  • Ask what vegetarian meals they offer
  • Ask how things are prepared and what ingredients are used
  • Don’t be afraid to special order
  • Chef’s may be able to create a meal for you
• Create your own meal
  • They may have several vegetarian side dishes or appetizers that you can use to create a meal. Some examples:
    • Minestrone soup, salad and breadsticks
    • Baked potato with peppers, onions and steamed broccoli
    • You can ask for larger portions of side dishes to help create a meal (i.e. instead of a fruit cup, ask for a fruit platter with an English muffin)

The following can give you some ideas for vegetarian meals for specific cuisines:

• Italian Restaurants
  • Pasta Dishes with Marinara Sauce
  • Pizza (plain or with veggie topping)
    • If you do not include cheese, try a tomato pie
  • Vegetable Lasagna
  • Grilled Vegetable Hoagie
  • Minestrone Soup, Salads and Vegetable Sides
  • Breadsticks with Marinara Dipping Sauce
• Mexican Restaurants
  • Bean Burritos or Bean Soft Shell Taco
  • Vegetable Fajitas
  • Rice and Beans
  • Refried Beans
  • Guacamole and Salsa are Vegetarian Sides
• Fast Food Restaurants/ American Restaurants
  • Veggie Burgers
  • Portabella Mushroom Sandwiches
  • Fruit Platters or Side Dishes
  • Baked Potato with Steamed Veggies or Salsa
  • Salads
  • Fruit Smoothie
  • Bagel, English Muffin or Toast with Peanut Butter and/or jelly
  • PB&J Sandwich
  • Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sandwich
  • Vegetable Soups / Bean Soups/ Lentil Soup
  • Vegetarian Chili
• Asian Restaurants (These restaurants usually offer many vegetarian choices)
  • Vegetable Stir-fries or those made with Tofu
  • Many noodle dishes do not include meat
  • Curry dishes made with Tofu
  • Miso Soup, Seaweed Salad, Salad

According to a new study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, food journals can be a powerful tool that can be used to aid in weight loss.  In fact, the study found “participants who kept food records almost daily for six months lost twice as much weight as those who did not”.

Food records can be helpful for multiple reasons.  Probably one of the most important things is that they increase awareness and can help people to recognize eating patterns.  Perhaps it is the afternoon candy bar or the late night snack that puts you over their daily limit.  Maybe after keeping food records, you realize that didn’t eat a vegetable for a few days.  No matter what your pitfalls are, food records can help you identify areas where changes can be made.

Food records don’t lie.  It is easy to forget about the handful of M&Ms that you grabbed mid morning, but if you write it down it helps you remember.  This makes you more accountable.  Weight management is all about calories in vs. calories out, food records can help you to know if you are achieving that balance.

It doesn’t matter how you keep records, as long as you jot down everything you eat.  It could be a food diary, a piece of scrap paper or logging foods on the computer.  There are many websites that allow you to track your intakes on-line for free (i.e. http://www.sparkpeople.com/ and http://www.mypyramid.gov/).  For successful weight management…don’t just think it, ink it!

For more information about the study, take a look at the following link:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080708/hl_nm/diet_diary_dc

Do you have an ethnic cuisine that you love?  Perhaps Chinese takeout is your weakness, or maybe you love spicy Mexican food.  No matter what your preference is, it can be difficult to make good choices when eating.  This can be especially true when you are not familiar with a specific type of cuisine.  For example, is Saganaki or Yalanji Yaprak a better choice??  If it’s all Greek to you, you may want to take a look at Sparkpeople’s “Dining Strategies for Specific Cuisines“.

This website allows you to click on a specific type of cuisine to get information about the best and worst choices on the menus.  Knowing which words indicate high-fat dishes and those that indicate more figure-friendly dishes can be half the battle when eating out.  For more information, click on the following link: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=548

If you are parent with an overweight teenager, it can be difficult to know how to help them achieve a healthy weight.  While it is important to help guide teenagers and teach them about the importance of proper nutrition, putting pressure on them to diet may cause more harm than good.  According to a study published in the journal Pediatrics, “parents who encouraged their teenagers to diet increased the likelihood that their teen would be overweight 5 years later”.

So does that mean that you should not address the issue of weight with your teenager?  No, it is important to teach teens how to make good food choices to maintain/achieve a healthy weight, and there is no one better to do that than their parents.  However, encouraging healthy eating habits instead of diets may produce better results.  After all, diets don’t work for adults, so why would they work for teenagers?

Some areas to encourage more healthful behaviors are the following:

• Increasing fruits and vegetables
• Decreasing sodas and sugary snacks
• Having more family meals
• Eating less food/meals in front of the television.
• Switching from high-fat dairy products and meats to low-fat products
• Making healthy choices when eating outside the home
• Increasing physical activity

Be a role model for your children.  Actions speak louder than words, and the healthy eating habits can only benefit the entire family.    

Reference: C. Marino. Parents Likely to Pressure Overweight Teens to Diet.  FitBits Monthly Research Review.  June 15, 2008.