Why do I crave sweets when I am stressed?
Why do I crave sugary foods and gain weight when I am stressed? Charity
Dear Charity,
When we get stressed, our bodies produce stress hormones to help us cope with the challenging situation we are facing. One of these hormones is called cortisol and is produced by the adrenal gland, a small organ just above the kidney.
Cortisol helps to give us the stamina to endure hard times. However, the body was not designed to have to endure stress for long. If stress persists, the amount of cortisol in the body rises significantly.
One of the effects of cortisol is that it reduces the impact of insulin, the blood sugar controlling hormone. This affects blood sugar metabolism and can lead to abnormal blood sugar drops that make you crave sugar to compensate for the fall. But, the body in an effort to ensure it maintains adequate blood sugar levels, produces more and more insulin to counter the effect of cortisol.
Insulin has two other effects on the body. First, it increases the desire for food, making you eat more and like we have just seen, not any food but sugary food. Second, insulin is an anabolic hormone, meaning that by nature, it stimulates growth.
In addition, keep in mind that cortisol is a steroid, which makes people increase fat storage around the belly, neck and face. That is why sometimes weight gain is more than you expect. So, stress leads to increased cortisol that can make you crave sugary foods and gain weight, especially around the belly.
That said, sugar has a feel good effect on the brain and so sometimes eating sugary foods is just a way many people use to cope with stress or low mood. It is, therefore, important to manage stress if you want to eat better and maintain a healthy weight. Three of my favourite tips are deep breathing, gratitude and forgiveness. These help to reduce tension in the body, improve mood and reduce cortisol levels.
