How can you lose weight when stress is overwhelming? Good question. Following a balanced diet during particularly challenging moments, both mentally and physically, is not always easy. Moreover, it can actually help improve your mood.
The production of high levels of stress hormones like cortisol can affect both your sense of hunger, increasing your craving for food, and a series of factors that influence appetite, especially sleep. This triggers a vicious cycle that leads to overeating and increased irritability and nervousness.
The first thing to do when trying to lose weight while stressed is to focus on putting together balanced menus, complete with all the essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, which help promote a good feeling of fullness—without sacrificing taste. It’s important to prioritize foods that support both mood and weight management.
Here’s What to Eat to Lose Weight When You’re Stressed
Almonds
A handful of almonds, added to breakfast or eaten as a snack, can increase the presence of tryptophan in your diet. This essential amino acid is needed for serotonin synthesis, a hormone that also influences hunger.
Additionally, almonds are packed with essential fatty acids and minerals, including magnesium, which are valuable for combating bloating and bad moods, as well as other nutrients beneficial for the nervous system.
Kiwi
Kiwi is an ideal fruit for fighting stress while staying in shape.
It’s low in calories, rich in water, and provides many nutrients that boost your diet, such as vitamin C, one of the best dietary sources, and magnesium, which helps reduce cortisol levels (the stress hormone).
It also provides polyphenols that support liver function and fiber, which aids regular bowel movements.
Arugula
Arugula enriches your diet with prebiotic fibers that support the balance of the gut microbiota. This microbiota plays a key role in producing the “feel-good” hormone serotonin, which counteracts stress hormones, as well as in producing short-chain fatty acids with anti-inflammatory effects.
The fibers in arugula also slow the absorption of sugars and fats, making meals more filling.
These benefits are complemented by the presence of calcium, a mineral important for emotional health, as well as ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and carotenoids, which have excellent antioxidant properties.
Eggs
Often demonized at the table, eggs are an extraordinary source of high-quality proteins, essential for building and maintaining lean mass.
Egg consumption also provides minerals like zinc and iodine, which are important for fighting stress, as well as choline, a precursor to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that contributes to a good mood.
Chickpeas
Chickpeas provide B vitamins, especially B1, B2, B3, B5, and B9.
They also contain complex carbohydrates, essential amino acids, and B vitamins, which help increase the production of anti-stress hormones.
Coffee on an Empty Stomach Increases Stress
7 Foods that Lower Cortisol (the Stress Hormone)
This article first appeared on Grazia.it – Author: Angela Altomare
