Stress Less and Lose Weight

How do you tend to cope when you’re feeling on edge? Talk to a friend? Go to the gym? Eat? A lot of us choose the third option. And when you emotionally eat, it isn’t likely you’re chowing down on fruit salad. Emotional eating is often linked to overconsumption of carbohydrate-dense foods, sweets and empty calories. Stress eating often occurs in restrained eaters or those who are dieting. A recent study examined whether individuals would have more success with weight loss while participating in a stress management program.

High levels of stress have been shown to be associated with higher body mass index (BMI) and larger waist circumference. A team of researchers sought to determine whether stress management coupled with dietary intervention would promote greater weight loss than dietary intervention alone. Low calorie diet restrictions often initially result in weight loss, but without stress management and behavior change techniques results are often unsustainable. The researchers divided 34 obese, middle-aged women into two groups. The intervention group was instructed to consume a low calorie, balanced diet during the 8-week study, while also participating in a stress management program. The control group solely consumed the low calorie, balanced diet with no help in stress management or behavior change. The participants undergoing stress management were exposed to muscle relaxation techniques, breathing exercises and journal writing.

Prior to the study, researchers assessed the women’s weight, as well as their typical eating behaviors, attitudes towards food and perceived stress levels. Results showed that at the end of the study, the participants in the stress management group lost an average of four times as much weight as the participants in the control group.

Bottom Line: While it is impossible to completely get rid of stress, undergoing a quality stress management program can facilitate behavior change and help you develop lifelong healthy habits and a positive relationship with food. This study reiterates the fact that dietary restraint alone is often not successful or sustainable. To assist with your weight loss goals, try surrounding yourself with other people who have similar goals and can offer support. Focus on positive lifestyle habits that can reduce stress such as sleeping seven to nine hours each night, meditating, unplugging from electronics at least one hour before bed, attending a yoga class a few times per week and keeping a stress journal.

Source 

Visit Wellness Workdays for more information about our worksite wellness programs

Marathon Television Viewing Affects Eating Habits

Marathon viewing has become a favorite way to watch television. Marathon viewing or binge watching is the practice of watching television shows for a long time span, usually between two to six episodes in one sitting. Spending countless hours in front of the television may seem like a great way to relax and unwind, but research shows that binge watching is not healthy for our waistlines. This new trend isn’t just changing how we watch television, it is also affecting how we eat.

Lilian Cheung, director of health promotion and communication at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, states, “There’s convincing evidence in adults that the more television they watch, the more likely they are to gain weight or become overweight or obese." It is not just the number of sedentary hours associated with binge watching that is the concern. Poor dietary choices related to frequent exposure to unhealthy food and beverage advertisements, more opportunities to engage in mindless eating, and interference with adequate sleep also negatively impact health.

A recent study published in the International Journal of Communication and Health surveyed 591 undergraduate students on their television viewing, eating and drinking habits. Consistent with past research results, the researchers found that the more participants watched television, the more they engaged in unhealthy eating. Television provides a distraction, while eating and mindless eating may lead to overeating due to missed satiety cues.

While overall viewing time significantly impacts eating behaviors, the genre of the television show may also influence how much we eat. Researchers observed that participants watching action content ate twice as much compared to participants watching a talk show. Participants watching sad content ate 55 percent more than those watching upbeat content. Researchers suggest that people consume more when watching action shows because they are keeping up with the pace of the content. The stress-response and subsequent emotional eating may also play a role in the increased food consumption related to action-packed or sad shows.

Bottom Line: You do not need to give up snacks altogether when watching television, but it is important to be aware of how marathon viewing may lead to binge eating. Practicing mindful eating is important to better control food intake; eating without distraction allows for greater awareness of hunger and satiety cues. If you do want to munch during extended viewing, put out healthier options such as fruit slices, sliced veggies and hummus, or popcorn. Make sure to get up and stretch your legs between shows; a simple circuit of exercises such as jumping jacks, push-ups and squats will get your heart rate up.

Source

Visit Wellness Workdays for more information about our worksite wellness programs

Comfort Foods: Short-Term Boost, Long-Term Trouble

"Comfort foods" that contain a high amount of fat and sugar may temporarily stimulate the reward center of the brain, but what effect do they have on long-term mental health? Researchers sought to determine associations between diet and the hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for mood regulation.

In the first human study of diet and hippocampal volume, researchers found a significant association between diet quality and the size of the left hippocampal region of the brain in older adults. This longitudinal study, which analyzed the diet quality of 255 participants, collected data once at a baseline time point, and again four years later. Information was gathered through MRI brain studies, food records and questionnaires collected at the two time points.

For this study, a healthy diet was defined as including more fresh vegetables, salad, fruit and grilled fish, while a Western diet included more roast meat, sausages, hamburgers, steak, chips and soft drinks. After a thorough statistical analysis, results showed that left hippocampal volume was significantly smaller in those consuming less nutritious foods and also in those consuming greater amounts of unhealthy foods.

This supports previous data suggesting that, while unhealthy comfort foods may make you feel better in the short term, these foods may actually be associated with an increased risk for depression and impaired cognitive ability in the long term.

The Bottom Line:  When feeling sad or stressed, think twice before reaching for a quick fix through foods high in sugar and fat. Instead, consider engaging in a stress-busting activity such as exercising, reading, calling a friend or listening to music. Additionally, fuel up with fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates for lasting energy. 

Source

Visit Wellness Workdays for more information about our worksite wellness programs.