Obesity Discussion Forums

[Dustin]

That can help supress stress or anxiety?


- Dustin

[Dustin]

Sounds like a strange question, I know. But anything at all?

Obviously, staying a way from foods or beverages containing caffeine will help.

[Obesity Discussion]

My answer would be sweet and fatty foods in extreme moderation, i.e. something that you enjoy eating. Also consider eating something that brings up happy memories....i.e. if you always ate peanut butter sandwiches for lunch with your dad on Saturdays, then maybe doing so would bring up some good memories

Here's a great study that discusses anxiety eating....

Sweet Relief: Comfort food calms, with weighty effect
Kate Ramsayer

The sweet and fatty foods that people often turn to in times of stress might in fact relieve anxiety. That's the good news in an innovative biological theory of people's responses to stress. The bad news is that for those with chronic stress, extra servings of comfort food come with potentially dangerous baggage—extra fat around the abdomen.

Chronic stress, such as financial worries, is less well understood than are intermittent bouts of acute stress. For example, scientists know that when a cat is suddenly attacked by a dog or a person prepares to give a speech, the adrenal gland pumps up production of stress hormones, including those known as glucocorticoids. When present at high-enough concentrations, glucocorticoids provide feedback to the stress-response system, eventually shutting it down.

However, it's unclear how the stress response is controlled in animals that are anxious for days at a time. In an upcoming Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, physiologist Mary F. Dallman of the University of California, San Francisco and her colleagues aim to close that knowledge gap.

Drawing on their rat studies and experiments done by others, the scientists propose that glucocorticoids work differently in the long term than they do in the short term. When chronically present in the brain and body, the hormones maintain the stress response instead of shutting it down. At the same time, they drive animals to seek out pleasurable foods and direct the added calories to accumulate as abdominal fat.

However, there is a brake on the process, at least in animal experiments. That extra fat eventually checks the glucocorticoids' alarmist effects and tells the brain to take it easy again.

Results from several experiments with rats support this view, the scientists say. In one of them, Dallman and her colleagues simulated chronic stress by increasing the brain concentration of a rodent version of the glucocorticoid called cortisol. As cortisol concentration rose, the rats responded by drinking increasingly more sugar water, eating increasingly more lard, and gaining abdominal girth.

In another experiment, the researchers found that rats with extra padding produce less-than-average concentrations of a brain chemical that triggers early molecular events underlying the stress response.

"If you put on some extra weight, there seems to be some sort of signal that says things are better," says Norman C. Pecoraro of UC-San Francisco, a coauthor of the paper. While Dallman and her coworkers don't know what signal the abdominal fat sends, they suspect it's involved with the regulation of metabolism.

The model "puts a new and more meaningful slant on what we mean when we talk about 'comfort foods,'" says Bruce S. McEwen of Rockefeller University in New York. "These may actually calm down an important brain system linked to anxiety."

In a fast-paced society where food is easy to get, glucocorticoid action probably causes chronically stressed people to take in extra calories and to gain weight, says McEwen.

"People are somehow stressed, and they are self-medicating because food is available," adds Pecoraro.

"We also eat sugar and fat because they are good tasting and cheap," notes Adam Drewnowski of the University of Washington in Seattle. The stress response isn't the only brain pathway that controls consumption of sweet and high-fat foods, he adds.

Whatever accounts for the urge to eat a big helping of macaroni and cheese, it's best not to indulge every day. The abdominal weight gain that Dallman and her colleagues have linked to glucocorticoid action increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

[Dustin]

Hm, that is really interesting.

Maybe I'll try the 'ol chunky peanut butter (reduced fat type, of course) with some celery. I ate that all the time when I was a kid (heh, back when I could eat whatever I want).

Thanks!


- Dustin

[Obesity Discussion]

Now, in addition to that, there are some healthy stress relieving foods:

Asparagus
This green veggie is high in folic acid, which can help stabilize your mood. "When you're stressed, your body releases hormones that affect your mood," says Geise. "Eating certain vitamins and minerals like folic acid and B vitamins can help keep your mood steady because they're needed to make serotonin, which is a chemical that directly affects mood in a positive way."

Recommended Serving Size: 7 spears, 1/2 inch thick, cooked, 25 calories


Beef
Even though beef often gets a bad rap, it's a great dinner option for a stressed-out family. Beef contains high levels of zinc, iron, and B vitamins, which are also known to help stabilize your mood. "People think they should stay away from beef, but it's very nutrient rich, even compared to chicken," says Geise. Ask your grocery store butcher for a lean cut if you're concerned about fat content.

Recommended Serving Size: Scant 1 cup of raw lean ground chunk, 137 calories Scant 1 cup of regular ground beef, 310 calories


Milk
Milk is high in antioxidants and vitamins B2 and B12, as well as protein and calcium. Have a bowl of whole-grain cereal and low-fat milk in the morning to start your day with a stress-fighting breakfast.

Recommended Serving Size: Whole cow's milk, scant 1/2 cup, 66 calories Two percent cow's milk, scant 1/2 cup, 46 calories


Cottage Cheese and Fruit
Cottage cheese is high in protein and calcium. "Foods with high protein content that aren't loaded with sugar won't cause a spike in blood sugar and will keep you satiated for a longer time," says Geise. Try mixing the cottage cheese with a fruit that is high in vitamin C like oranges. Vitamin C plays a role in fighting stress because it's an antioxidant that fights the free radicals that get released when you're stressed. These free radicals have been shown to cause cancer.

Recommended Serving Size: Creamed cottage cheese, scant 1/2 cup, 79 calories One percent fat cottage cheese, scant 1/2 cup, 72 calories 1 orange, 60 calories


Almonds
Are you ever looking for something you can really dig your teeth into when you're stressed? Try crunching on almonds to get some aggression out. A good source of Vitamin B2 and E, as well as magnesium and zinc, almonds are high in fat, but most of the fat is unsaturated. Like vitamin C, vitamin E has been shown to fight the free radicals associated with stress, and in particular, those free radicals that cause heart disease.

Recommended Serving Size: Shelled almonds, 1/3 cup, 306 calories


Blueberries
Very rich in antioxidants, blueberries offer a high-fiber, low-calorie fruit option that is also rich in stress-fighting vitamin C. Try them with cottage cheese or as a snack on their own.

Recommended Serving Size: Blueberries, 2/3 cup, 30 calories


Tuna
A great lunch option, tuna is high in stress-fighting vitamins B6 and B12. Tuna is also a good low-fat protein source. "Don't load tuna down with fat by using a lot of mayonnaise," cautions Geise. "Choose a light mayo instead."

Recommended Serving Size: Tuna canned in brine, 3.5 ounces drained, 99 calories Tuna canned in oil, 3.5 ounces, drained, 189 calories


Cornflakes or Crispy Rice Cereal
Although they aren't low in sugar, cornflakes and crispy rice cereal are fortified with B vitamins and folic acid to help reduce stress. Have them for breakfast with milk. Geise also recommends having them dry as an afternoon snack.

Recommended Serving Size: Cornflakes, 1 cup, 108 calories Crispy rice cereal, 2 cups, 111 calories

[Dustin]

Thanks for the info!


- Dustin

[Obesity Discussion]

No problem Dustin..... and if you're looking for energy....

The secret to staying energized is eating snacks and smaller, more frequent meals, according to Sharon Saka, a registered dietitian (RD) of Suffern, New York. You're simply refueling, keeping your energy levels constant, and regulating your blood sugar levels. Even better, eating the right combination of foods fuels your body all day and gives you that much needed boost -- especially for that late afternoon slump time. Since we're always on the run, we tend to rely on convenient, portable snack foods, like candy bars. But Saka suggests we ditch those high-fat, high-sugar snacks in favor of these healthier and rejuvenating options.






Dried Apricots and Almonds
This combination provides you with almost 50 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin A, 20 percent of the iron you need, plus protein and dietary fiber. Both foods are low in cholesterol and sodium, and apricots are a great source of potassium, which is important in regulating your body's fluid balance. The vitamin A in apricots contributes to healthy vision, bone growth, and reproduction, and helps fight infection.


Recommended Serving Size:
4 dried apricots, about 67 calories. 1 oz. of almonds, about 164 calories, is also high in fiber and will provide you with almost as much protein as 1 oz. of meat.


Raisins and Yogurt
Raisins alone are a healthy, low-fat, low-cholesterol, and low-sodium snack with significant amounts of potassium, phosphorus, copper, and iron. Mixed with low-fat yogurt, you also get riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin B12, as well as 20 to 40 percent of your RDA for calcium. We need calcium for strong bones and teeth, but it's also important for normal functioning of the heart and other muscles.

Along with regulating fluid balance, potassium helps maintain the electrical stability of the cells of your heart and nervous system and is important for cell and muscle growth. Vitamin B12 plays a role in red blood cell formation, nerve function, and metabolizing protein and fat.


Recommended Serving Size:
1.5 oz. raisins, 129 calories. 6 oz. yogurt, about 160 calories.


Fresh Peach
Any fresh fruit, especially with skins or seeds like peaches, apples, pears, oranges, and strawberries, is a great source of vitamins and fiber. In the summer you can choose a peach and get plenty of dietary fiber, niacin (vitamin B3), potassium, beta carotene and vitamin A, plus 20 percent of the RDA of Vitamin C. Niacin is important for providing energy for cell tissue growth.


Recommended Serving Size:
1 large peach, about 60 calories.