How to Stress Less to Weigh Less with Dr. Robyn Tiger
How does stress affect our weight?
This episode explains precisely that question, exploring the intricate ways in which stress influences our eating behaviors and overall well-being. Joining us is Dr. Robyn Tiger, a distinguished physician specializing in diagnostic radiology and lifestyle medicine. Through her practice, Stress Free MD, Dr. Tiger seamlessly integrates her expertise in medicine, yoga, therapy, meditation, and life coaching to provide holistic care.
We discuss the intricate relationship between stress and health, offering insights into how addressing stress can lead to remarkable improvements in well-being and weight management.
Understanding and Recognizing Stress
When stress takes hold, you may notice that you're not feeling like your best self. Your behaviors may change in ways that aren't typical for you. For instance, you might find yourself eating more than usual or choosing unhealthy foods. Sleep patterns can also be disrupted, leading to poor rest or insomnia. Social interactions might suffer as well—you may avoid people or, when you do engage, find yourself saying or doing things you later regret. Feedback from others might indicate you're not as pleasant to be around, signaling a shift in your demeanor.
People often turn to various coping mechanisms to manage stress, some of which can become problematic. These "escapes" might include alcohol, recreational drugs, cigarettes, or overindulgence in activities like eating, exercising, shopping, or using social media. Even hobbies that are typically considered healthy, such as gardening, reading, or crafting, can be overdone. For example, a person might over-garden to avoid their feelings, or another might read romance novels until the early hours of the morning, leading to exhaustion and other issues.
Physical symptoms are another way stress manifests. You might experience migraines, muscle tension (where everything hurts and you feel stiff), digestive issues, palpitations, sweating, or feeling unusually hot. Stress can also lead to emotional symptoms such as depression, low self-esteem, and poor decision-making.
Stress can also be noticed in eating habits. Many people turn to food for comfort, resulting in overeating or unhealthy food choices. Alcohol is another common escape, with some patients drinking daily to cope. The pervasive use of phones and social media is another stress-related behavior. Excessive scrolling can expose you to distressing news or unrealistic portrayals of others' lives, amplifying your stress. Shopping is a less obvious coping mechanism but equally significant. While it may not always be discussed in a clinical setting, over time, it's clear that many patients use shopping as a way to manage their stress.
It's important to recognize that even activities generally seen as healthy, like exercise or reading, can become detrimental when overdone. If exercise starts to take up all your time, leading to injuries, or if reading late into the night disrupts your sleep, these activities cease to be beneficial. The key is moderation.
Recognizing stress and understanding its impact on your behaviors and physical health is the first step toward managing it effectively. By identifying these patterns and exploring their underlying causes, you can find healthier ways to cope and improve your overall well-being.
Why We Struggle to Eat Healthier Foods When Stressed
When stress hits, it's common for our brains to crave comfort, and for many, that comfort often comes in the form of unhealthy foods. This occurs because stress triggers certain hormonal responses in the body that can increase appetite and cravings, especially for foods high in sugar, fat, and salt. These foods can provide a temporary sense of relief or distraction from the stressors we're facing. It's like the brain's way of seeking solace in something familiar and pleasurable during times of distress.
Also, when you're stressed, your brain doesn't differentiate between a real emergency and a stressful thought. Whether you're facing an actual danger or just feeling overwhelmed by a situation, your brain responds in the same way. It triggers a "fight or flight" response, preparing your body to deal with an immediate threat.
In a true emergency, such as escaping from a wild animal, your body needs quick energy. This immediate fuel comes from sugars and fats, which provide the rapid energy boost required to respond to the threat. Consequently, when you're stressed, your brain sends signals that make you crave these energy-dense foods, even though there's no physical danger present.
Think back to times of high stress, like studying for exams in college, you probably didn't snack on kale. Instead, you likely reached for sugary and fatty foods to satisfy those cravings driven by your brain's emergency response.
Recognizing that your cravings for unhealthy foods are your brain's way of seeking immediate energy can help you take steps to address the root cause of your stress. Without resolving the underlying stress, it can be challenging to make healthier food choices consistently. Even if you manage to resist the cravings temporarily, the same pattern will repeat the next time stress arises.
The Far-Reaching Impact of Stress on Our Health
Stress is a major contributor to some of the most common chronic diseases in the world. Here are some significant ways stress affects our health:
1. Hypertension (High Blood Pressure): Chronic stress can lead to consistently high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
2. Type 2 Diabetes: Stress can contribute to insulin resistance and elevated blood sugar levels, leading to the development of type 2 diabetes.
3. Heart Attacks and Strokes: The prolonged presence of stress hormones can damage blood vessels and the heart, increasing the likelihood of cardiovascular events.
4. Cancer Progression: While stress might not directly cause cancer, it can accelerate the growth and spread of cancerous cells in the body.
5. Dementia: Chronic stress is linked to an increased risk of dementia and other cognitive impairments.
6. Premature Telomere Shortening: Telomeres are the protective ends of chromosomes that play a key role in cellular aging. Stress accelerates the shortening of telomeres, leading to earlier onset of age-related diseases and potentially shortening the lifespan.
These effects highlight how chronic stress can significantly reduce the quality and length of your life. It's not just about dealing with the immediate, uncomfortable symptoms; it's about addressing the root causes of stress to prevent these severe health outcomes.
Managing stress through healthy coping mechanisms, such as regular exercise, mindfulness practices, adequate sleep, and seeking professional help when needed, can help mitigate these risks and lead to a healthier, longer life.
Addressing Stress and Its Impact on Health
Now that we’ve talked about why it’s important to recognize stress, let’s figure out how to pinpoint its root causes and some ways to ease it.
The first step in reducing stress is identifying its root cause. Imagine a cartoon where a sink is overflowing, and people are endlessly mopping up the water without turning off the faucet. We need to find what's causing the stress and address it directly, rather than just dealing with the symptoms. Often, stress stems from thoughts about work, relationships, or world events. It's important to dig deeper and understand what's truly triggering these stress responses.
Many people feel stuck in stressful situations they believe they can't change, especially when it comes to work. Work is a common stressor, and while it may seem unchangeable, our perception and reaction to it can be adjusted. Stress is often fueled by our thoughts, and with about 60,000 thoughts per day—many of them repetitive and unkind—it's easy to see how they can shape our emotions and behaviors.
To effectively manage stress, we need to balance our body's physical reactions first. When you're experiencing stress, it's difficult to think clearly because of the physical symptoms—like palpitations, sweating, and muscle tension. Therefore, I recommend starting with the body. This approach, known as the "bottom-up" method, focuses on calming the body's stress response through techniques that balance the autonomic nervous system. When the body feels calmer, it creates mental space to address the thoughts driving the stress.
We can't always change stressful situations, but we can work on ourselves. Techniques like mindfulness, deep breathing exercises, and regular physical activity can help balance the body's stress response. Once the body is calmer, we can then use a "top-down" approach to address the thoughts causing stress. By changing our thoughts and perceptions, we can alter the emotions and reactions they trigger.
It's also important to recognize that changing jobs or situations won't necessarily reduce stress if we don't address our internal responses. Many people believe the grass is greener on the other side, but without doing the personal work to manage stress, we often carry our problems with us. Learning to feel calm in the chaos is essential. This means developing strategies to maintain inner peace, even in stressful environments.
Practical Steps to Reduce Stress and Improve Health
Once you figure out what's causing your stress, here are some things you can do to lower your stress levels:
1.Focus on Your Diet
What you eat plays a significant role in how you feel. It's often said that "food creates mood," and research supports this idea. Foods high in added sugars, saturated fats, trans fats, and artificial chemicals can worsen anxiety, stress, and depression. Ironically, these are the foods we tend to crave when we're stressed.
On the other hand, a diet rich in whole plants—fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds—can have a calming effect. These foods help you feel grounded, confident, and generally positive. Recognizing the impact of your diet on your emotions can help you make healthier choices that support better mental health.
2. Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is essential for managing stress. It's not something to be reserved for weekends or vacations. Lack of sleep can make you feel more stressed and anxious, creating a vicious cycle where stress also disrupts your sleep. Prioritizing good sleep hygiene every day can significantly reduce stress levels. This means creating a consistent sleep schedule, optimizing your sleep environment, and practicing relaxation techniques before bed.
Learn from Blue Zones
One of the best-kept secrets from blue zones (regions where people commonly live to be 100) is that human connection is vital for reducing stress. There's substantial evidence that social connections help keep stress levels down. Unfortunately, there's an epidemic of isolation and loneliness in many parts of the world. Imaging studies, such as functional MRIs, show that the same brain regions activated by feelings of loneliness and isolation are also involved in experiencing chronic pain.
Building and maintaining social connections can be as important as any other health practice. Whether it's spending time with family and friends, joining clubs or groups with shared interests, or engaging in community activities, making an effort to connect with others can have profound benefits for your stress levels and overall health.
Incorporate social interactions into your daily life. It might feel indulgent to join a book club, attend an exercise class, or meet a friend for coffee, but these activities are crucial for your health. Social connections should be part of your health routine, just like diet and exercise.
Communities play a significant role in our well-being. Research on 'blue zones' shows that a sense of community is a key factor in their longevity. In these areas, multi-generational families live together and take care of each other, creating a strong support system. This kind of environment helps reduce stress and promotes a sense of belonging and purpose, contributing to their long, healthy lives.
Comprehensive Lifestyle Components
At the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, where Dr. Tiger serves as the lead faculty member and stress management expert for the board review, she shares that they focus on six key components: stress management, healthful nutrition, sleep, exercise, social connection, and avoiding risky substances.
There's an unofficial seventh component:
Nature: Getting out in nature isn't just about enjoying the great outdoors – it's like hitting the reset button for your mind and body. Whether it's a stroll in the park, a hike in the hills, or just chilling by a stream, nature time can dial down stress, dial up good vibes, and even give your immune system a boost.
Studies show that even a short dose of nature can work wonders, boosting creativity, sharpening focus, and giving your mood a lift. So, whether it's squeezing in some green time during your lunch break or making weekends all about the great outdoors, adding a little nature to your routine is a surefire way to keep your wellness game strong.
Understanding the complex interplay between stress and our health is crucial for fostering well-being. From recognizing the physical and emotional symptoms of stress to addressing its root causes, incorporating holistic lifestyle practices such as adequate sleep, nutritious eating, regular exercise, and meaningful social connections offers a comprehensive approach to managing stress and promoting resilience. By integrating these practices with conventional medical treatments, we can embark on a journey toward greater vitality and overall wellness. It's through this holistic perspective that we can cultivate a life filled with balance, purpose, and fulfillment.
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