Can Stress turn you into a Potato?

Yes, it can!

Overeating and not-exercising enough are no longer the only causative factors behind weight gain. These days a lot of us are going through difficult times. Our lives are becoming more and more troublesome and stress has become a new constant now. About one-third of people around the world reported feeling stressed, worried, and/or angry in 2019. As per the latest Indian data by Rakuten Insight about 51% of female and 30% of male respondents felt more stressed or anxious during the past 12 months (May 2022).

WHO defines stress as a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation. It’s a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives. But living in a continuously stressful environment can result in a heavy toll on your body.

Most people under stress see food as a quick-fix pill. The attractive food colours and fragrances entice their senses and divert the mind away from pain. This in turn makes us eat more, obviously leading to weight gain. Amazingly, there’s another small proportion of people who lose their appetite during stressful conditions. You can catch them eating only teeny tiny morsels of food and wonder what are they surviving on. But does that favour weight loss? Not necessarily! In a stressful condition, our body secretes adrenaline (the fight or flight hormone) which triggers the metabolism of fat reserves to release energy and suppress appetite. But once you are past that stressful condition, cortisol hormone is released which increases your appetite to ensure replacement of the used-up energy. With the levels of cortisol high in our body, fat storage starts increasing, resulting in even more weight gain.

So if you’re stressed because of crazy demands at work, relationship blues or any deep-rooted issues, your body will produce cortisol. You just can’t help with it! And over-production of cortisol could deteriorate your kidney function. But why reach that level? Let’s see what we can do about it:

·??????Focus on your breath: Taking deep breaths in stressful conditions can do wonders in calming your mind.

·??????Burn it off: Indulging in any physical activity like exercising, going for a run, walking, yoga, swimming, dancing etc. can help release feel-good natural brain chemicals that can enhance your sense of well-being.

·??????Go within yourself: Daily meditation can produce a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind.

·??????Enjoy me-time: Out of your busy schedule, give yourself at least one hour of ‘me-time’. You can indulge in your favourite hobby like reading a book, spending time with nature etc.

·??????Jingle it out: Listening to slow instrumental music, sacred chants, flowing water sounds etc. can have a very soothing effect on your tired brain.

·??????Eat it up: Include foods like almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, and chia seeds in your daily diet. Several herbs like Ashwagandha, Turmeric and Chamomile are also incredibly helpful.

·??????Gulp it up: Make sure that you are drinking at least 2-3 litres of water every day. This would help in flushing out the stress-related toxins generated in your body.