3 hidden stressors you might be bringing to the table

We all intuitively know that living in a state of stress can negatively impact both our physical and mental health. That being said, telling a stressed person to relax is the same as telling an anxious person to calm down. EASIER SAID THAN DONE!

Yet if you have goals around weight loss, improving your digestion, or increasing your energy, your stress might be very well be one of your roadblocks. And it might not be stress in the traditional sense of the word. When your body is in a state of stress, what most of us know as FIGHT, FLIGHT or FREEZE, a switch in your brain is turned off. In turn, digestion, including assimilation of nutrients, calorie burning capacity, and ability to burn fat are halted. And the release of hormones such as cortisol and insulin occurs, as well as increased levels of inflammation.

Here are 3 stressors that you might not even be aware you are bringing to the table:

1 - Eating quickly

We are all guilty of it. Instead of planning our day around lunch, we find a couple of minutes to squeeze it in and likely while we are distracted with scrolling, working, or watching television. Scarfing down everything on our plate in record time will put our bodies into the state of stress described above.

An action step you can try immediately would be to choose one meal and give yourself 5 extra minutes to eat it. Put your utensils down between bites. This will give your body a chance to get into a more relaxed state, which is more ideal for digestion.

2 - Food deprivation

If you have ever followed any type of diet, you have likely eliminated various foods and/or food groups. Or skipped meals, thinking that if you only eat from 2pm onward, you can reduce your calorie consumption for the day. Again, this exercise will prove futile every time. When your body finally gets fed, it will feel so stressed as it doesn’t know when the next meal will be coming. And it will hold on to whatever you feed it, possibly causing unwanted symptoms such bloating, gas, or weight gain.

My tip around this is to avoid skipping meals. Our bodies ability to burn calories follows the sun and peaks midday. Which is why you are better off eating larger amounts earlier in the day and not piling all your food into the late afternoon and evening. Feeding your body regularly throughout the day also allows it to feel more relaxed, instead of stressed about when the next meal might come.

3 - Body shame

How many times have you stared down at your stomach as you are eating feeling yucky about how big it looks to you and almost feeling ashamed for continuing to consume food? And spending every meal and snack time consumed by wanting to change how you look. Simply thinking these thoughts while you are eating can also put your body into a state of stress, which we have determined is not ideal.

Take a few minutes to journal about some of these thoughts to get them out of your head onto paper. Then try to spend some time noting what you appreciate about how your body SERVES you. At your next meal, focus on these more empowering thoughts instead of the negative ones.

There are several other stressors that might be showing up when you eat. My overarching advice is to sit down to every meal as relaxed as possible. Take 3 deep cleansing breaths before you eat and put on some relaxing music. Try it out and I would love to hear how it goes for you.