In stressful times, food can become a safe haven. Sweet food and delicious dishes may be devoured. But then your body slows down and you put on weight.
ALL BATHED IN CORTISOL ~ Are you feeling. under too much pressure? Adrenals – glands located above your kidneys – then start producing more cortisol than usual. This stress resistance hormone prompts your metabolism to switch to storage mode. Storing has serious consequences on your weight, especially water and salt as well as all sugars – those tasting sweet and those hiding in starch as in bread or cereals. Cortisol stores everything, “just in case” the situation could get worse, which is ve ry common in these pandemic times.
WEIGHT, WATER AND ESPECIALLY PAUNCH ~ Too much sweet food, beer, sugared coffee and energy drinks to fight boredom from self-isolation, fatigue or teleworking constraints… Then your body shape quickly starts to change: Your stomach gets bigger, you are getting out of shape and your health is endangered with increased cardiovascular risk. In “cortisol mode”, all the sugar (carbohydrates) on your plate gets lodged around your waist and strong water retention sets in, swelling the legs and bags under the eyes, contributing to stubborn cellulitis.
ANTI-STRESS DIET ~ “Less sugar, less salt, less fat and more oxygen.” As you can understand, if you are under too much stress, even if you do not necessarily eat more, you are not burning anything! For you to get back to normal weight after this period of repeated excess, you have to first aim at salt and hidden sugars and of course restrict dietary fat.
CHOICE AND TIMING FOR SUGAR ~ When you are under pressure, your body requires more energy. You need sugar even more. But not all sugars have the. same impact. Avoid all industrial food: sweet food and cakes, chocolate bars, pizzas, quiches, bokits and hamburgers, cold cuts, chips or cheese. And remember that liquid sugars such as juice or soda, wine or cocktails get absorbed faster and turn directly into love handles. Get back to drinking water, now!
Choose “healthy” starchy, filling foods such as sweet potatoes, ground provisions, pulses or rice, but have them with green vegetables and fruits rich in fiber to limit their
absorption. If you are really craving a treat, you can have one of course, ideally at the end of a meal or as a snack with a fruit.
BETTER BREATHING ~ To quiet adrenals, all you need are long, deep breaths. Your parasympathetic nervous system gets activated, calm starts to reach your cells. Gentle sports activity, yoga or guided mediation are another option for oxygenation and the releasing of more endorphins. A colorful plate and a nice posture will help you keep a lighter body and heart … smile again!
CONTACT
Dr Marie-Antoinette Séjean
Nutritionnist
Psychosomatician
Président of Nutricréole association
drsejean@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/nutricreole
http://www.nutricreole.org
