axis (comprised of the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands) becomes activated. It signals your body to release the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, as well as the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. These substances produce the fight-or-flight response that prepares your body to deal with a stressful event. This complex response affects your body in many ways. One way is the manner in which you crave food and store energy.
You may have noticed that your desire for sugary, fatty, and salty foods skyrockets when you are under a lot of pressure. That’s because your body tries to restore the balance of your hormones and neurotransmitters quickly and naturally. When the stress continues and your body is unable to return to its natural equilibrium, your body sends signals to your brain that it needs to find a way to restore balance. Often you do this by seeking foods that will regulate your neurotransmitters and stress hormones and temporarily boost your energy.
When you can calm down, you lessen the physiological and chemical stress reactions that are taking place. For this reason, how you cope with stress has a direct impact on your body. Your job is to quiet your mind and calm the physical response you have to stress. Soothing your body can help you return to equilibrium naturally after being flooded with stress hormones and, in turn, help regulate your appetite.
21. pampering your senses
Ahhh. This is the sound that escapes from my lips the moment I take a sip of hot tea. It stops me from emotional eating because I actually enjoy drinking it. I crave the warmth spreading throughout my body as I slowly sip. I try to let go of my worries and follow the sensation as my body warms up, just as if I were sitting next to a cozy fireplace.
—Carmela
There really isn’t any mystery about why some foods are so soothing. The scent of freshly baked cinnamon rolls smells like heaven to your nose. A bowl of hot beef stew warms up your body on a cold day. A dish of creamy ice cream can cool your tongue while it stimulates your taste buds for sweetness. People often seek the comfort of food because it is one way of pleasing their senses. Fortunately, there are a lot of healthy, noncaloric ways to improve your awareness of your sensations—that is, to improve the quality of what you see, hear, touch, taste, and smell.
~self-soothing technique~
Slipping into Soothing Sensations
When you are looking for comfort, try calming one or more of your senses. You’ll be amazed at how well this lessens the need to emotionally eat.
Light therapy. Sunlight or bright full-spectrum light on your skin can significantly improve your mood. It’s one of the main forms of treatment for seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is a mild form of depression some people experience during the winter months when there is little sunlight (Golden et al. 2005). Sunlight helps reset your internal clock and increases your serotonin levels. When you feel you need comfort, sit by a window in indirect sunlight or go outdoors for thirty minutes—but don’t forget to use sunscreen and sunglasses. If there’s very little sunlight in the wintertime where you live or if you can’t get outdoors, investigate buying a therapy light. These are bright lights you can use indoors that have the same healing effect as sunlight does.
Sip hot or cold tea. If there’s a pattern to your stress eating, you may want to schedule teatime for yourself at some point in the day when you might be prone to eat for emotional reasons. Tea is chemically complex. It has many different ingredients that affect neurotransmitters and other mood-regulating chemicals. Black tea has been shown to lower cortisol, a stress hormone (Steptoe et al. 2006). Chamomile is one type of herbal tea well-known for its soothing and calming properties.
Apply a warm or cold washcloth. To calm your body, put a damp washcloth over your eyes, feet, or forehead. Choose a warm or cool cloth depending on
You may have noticed that your desire for sugary, fatty, and salty foods skyrockets when you are under a lot of pressure. That’s because your body tries to restore the balance of your hormones and neurotransmitters quickly and naturally. When the stress continues and your body is unable to return to its natural equilibrium, your body sends signals to your brain that it needs to find a way to restore balance. Often you do this by seeking foods that will regulate your neurotransmitters and stress hormones and temporarily boost your energy.
When you can calm down, you lessen the physiological and chemical stress reactions that are taking place. For this reason, how you cope with stress has a direct impact on your body. Your job is to quiet your mind and calm the physical response you have to stress. Soothing your body can help you return to equilibrium naturally after being flooded with stress hormones and, in turn, help regulate your appetite.
21. pampering your senses
Ahhh. This is the sound that escapes from my lips the moment I take a sip of hot tea. It stops me from emotional eating because I actually enjoy drinking it. I crave the warmth spreading throughout my body as I slowly sip. I try to let go of my worries and follow the sensation as my body warms up, just as if I were sitting next to a cozy fireplace.
—Carmela
There really isn’t any mystery about why some foods are so soothing. The scent of freshly baked cinnamon rolls smells like heaven to your nose. A bowl of hot beef stew warms up your body on a cold day. A dish of creamy ice cream can cool your tongue while it stimulates your taste buds for sweetness. People often seek the comfort of food because it is one way of pleasing their senses. Fortunately, there are a lot of healthy, noncaloric ways to improve your awareness of your sensations—that is, to improve the quality of what you see, hear, touch, taste, and smell.
~self-soothing technique~
Slipping into Soothing Sensations
When you are looking for comfort, try calming one or more of your senses. You’ll be amazed at how well this lessens the need to emotionally eat.
Light therapy. Sunlight or bright full-spectrum light on your skin can significantly improve your mood. It’s one of the main forms of treatment for seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is a mild form of depression some people experience during the winter months when there is little sunlight (Golden et al. 2005). Sunlight helps reset your internal clock and increases your serotonin levels. When you feel you need comfort, sit by a window in indirect sunlight or go outdoors for thirty minutes—but don’t forget to use sunscreen and sunglasses. If there’s very little sunlight in the wintertime where you live or if you can’t get outdoors, investigate buying a therapy light. These are bright lights you can use indoors that have the same healing effect as sunlight does.
Sip hot or cold tea. If there’s a pattern to your stress eating, you may want to schedule teatime for yourself at some point in the day when you might be prone to eat for emotional reasons. Tea is chemically complex. It has many different ingredients that affect neurotransmitters and other mood-regulating chemicals. Black tea has been shown to lower cortisol, a stress hormone (Steptoe et al. 2006). Chamomile is one type of herbal tea well-known for its soothing and calming properties.
Apply a warm or cold washcloth. To calm your body, put a damp washcloth over your eyes, feet, or forehead. Choose a warm or cool cloth depending on
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