Do you know that Stress and Nutrition are closely connected? A healthy diet is essential, along with other stress management Strategies.

1. Our Stress Hormones – Cortisol and DHEAS – Whenever we experience stress, our cortisol levels get affected. Initially, the cortisol hormone increases because of stressors that affect our appetite; appetite may increase in some people and can cause weight gain. This weight gain and obesity increase stress further as obesity increases inflammation. So, healthy dietary patterns are essential during stressful times.
2. Stress Comfort foods: When we are stressed, we start emotional eating, and we shift to high-carb, sugary foods or high-fat foods that may increase weight gain or increase inflammation, which will increase stress or emotional reactivity further.
3. Gut-brain axis: We all experience butterflies in our gut during stressful times. There is a bidirectional connection between the Gut and the brain. Your long-term stress impairs gut health and the gut microbiome. Eating processed and junk food will damage the gut microbiome and brain health. Eating a healthy diet rich in fiber and fermented food will improve gut microbiome and brain health.
4. Nutritional deficiencies: long term stress impairs digestion and reduces stomach acid production and digestive enzymes, which may decrease nutrient absorption. It will cause Nutritional deficiencies that will affect our brain health, So this is a vicious cycle. We need macronutrients and micronutrients for brain neurotransmitter synthesis. We need amino acids, vitamins and minerals for a healthier brain.
5. Emotional eating, Obesity and Brain Health – During Stressful times people tend to go for emotional eating, which is an unhealthy pattern of eating that includes junk food, sugary food and processed food. Emotional eating can lead to obesity, though there are many causes of obesity like genomics, toxicity etc. Obesity is closely related to brain health. Obesity is further related to type 2 diabetes, heart disease and Dementia (Alzheimer’s disease).

Emotional eating and obesity can lead to inflammation and oxidative stress that affects brain health and Cognition (thinking process). Holistic ways to manage stress, like yoga, spirituality, healthy and balanced diet, can help reduce emotional eating and prevent obesity.