A Key Tip to Stop Stressful Eating Now
Whether it’s your job, your relationship or what to wear to your high school reunion, stress can wreak havoc on even the most mindful of healthy eaters. So what do you do when the stress monster rears its ugly head? If you’re like the majority of people, you reach for that pint of Ben & Jerry’s and all your health gains and weight loss comes to a screeching halt.
But before you do reach for that Chunky Monkey, take note of a study that gives us more understanding of why when we are stressed we reach for the wrong kinds of foods.
The study conducted by researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center placed mice in stressful situations – by putting male mice in a cage with more dominant aggressive mice that bullied them. This study showed that during this stressful situation, the bullied mice had higher levels of Grehlin – the hormone that makes you hungry (when your stomach growls, that’s ghrelin) and eat they did, particularly fatty foods.
So how can you use this information? To help you during stressful times, look into whipping up a whey protein shake or an egg omelet. Both whey and eggs have been shown in clinical studies to lower ghrelin levels.
By the whey .. ;) Whey protein is an excellent protein choice in helping to curb appetite, increase muscle mass and promote fat loss. Whey protein is digested and absorbed faster than other proteins and has a high leucine content. Leucine activates protein synthesis to increase muscle mass – muscle is an important key in your fat loss efforts. Incorporating this tip the next time you are stressed by adding whey or eggs to your meal will help to put the brakes on hunger and cravings and help you stay on track with your health goals.
To your health,
~Lori
© 2013 DLS HealthWorks, Inc.
Lori Shemek, PhD is the best-selling author of Fire-Up Your Fat Burn!