Driven to snack: don't fight the hand-to-mouth urge. Instead, outwit your stressed-out body chemistry by eating the right things - Healthy Appetites - Excerpt

Natural Health, Feb, 2004 by Elizabeth Somer, Jeanette Williams

Each of us experiences in different ways, but we all know exactly what a friend means when she says, "I'm stressed out!" In addition to the trademark right shoulders, irritability and clenched jaw, day-in and day-out stress wreaks havoc on our eating habits, wears down our immune systems, leading to colds and disease, and even turns hormones and nerve chemicals topsy-turvy, contributing to weight gain, memory loss and depression.

Tension and sleep problems are also intertwined. A lack of sleep and a lack of adequate nutrients raise your levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which then perpetuates all the deleterious effects of stress on the body.

We eat poorest when we're upset, which is also when our nutritional needs are highest. We turn to hamburgers, sausage pizza, french fries, candy bars and other foods high in fat, sugar and calories. But it's not just the overeating that causes weight gain. Cortisol encourages the body to accumulate fat, especially around the middle, where it does the most harm, increasing the risks for heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

the worst stress is chronic

A single bout of stress--say you were to swerve to avoid a collision on the highway--causes your cortisol level to rise instantly, but then it soon returns to normal. Cortisol, the "in case of emergency" hormone, is meant to help the body respond appropriately to these occasional short-lived alarms. Chronic stress, however, is an unnatural state for the body, and when it's sustained or frequently repeated, cortisol levels become jammed in high gear.

Cortisol initially blunts appetite but also triggers a hike in insulin levels, which increases appetite and fat storage. After a stressful experience, cortisol helps the body replenish calories, storing them in the abdomen's fat cells for future use. It also causes a drop in the brain chemical serotonin, leading to depression, irritability and cravings.

When exposed to chronic stress, the body is literally bathed in a flood of cortisol, leading to higher insulin levels and an around-the-clock appetite, typically for sweets and fatty foods. Chronic stress also unleashes an army of free radicals that damages body and brain cells. You literally stew in your own juices.

nutritional meltdown

Stress increases requirements for nutrients such as the B vitamins, antioxidants like vitamins C and E, calcium, iron, magnesium, selenium and zinc. A diet low in any or all of these nutrients only escalates stress induced damage to the body. For example, a low supply of vitamin C further raises cortisol levels, aggravating the stress response. In contrast, diets loaded with vitamin C reduce cortisol levels.

A similar scenario plays out with magnesium. Stress flushes the mineral out of the body, which magnifies the stress reaction. Magnesium is important for maintaining normal sleeping patterns, which helps the body deal with stress. So if you want to cope better, sleep better, and stay lean and healthy, then eat well prior to during stressful periods.

eat to cope

Eating right when you're under chronic pressure isn't complicated, but you have to plan ahead. To break the cycle:

cut out caffeine. A cup of coffee or tea is tempting when you're stressed or sleep-deprived, but the effect can linger in the system for up to 15 hours, amping up the stress response and keeping you awake at night.

limit or avoid alcohol. An occasional glass of wine is relaxing, but drink too much and you'll sleep less soundly and awake more tired.

eat a light supper. Big dinners make you drowsy, but they also interfere with a good night's sleep. Instead, eat your biggest meal by midafternoon and plan a light evening meal of about 500 calories. Include some pasta, brown rice, baked sweet potato or other complex carbohydrate with chicken, extra-lean meat or fish at dinner to help curb middle-of-the-night snack attacks.

mild foods are best. Dishes seasoned with garlic, chilies, cayenne or other spices can cause nagging heartburn or indigestion; while the flavor enhancer MSG (monosodium glutamate) may cause vivid dreaming and restless sleep in some people.

drink water. When tense, many people experience dry mouth, palpitations and sweating, all caused by imbalances in the nervous system that are aggravated by dehydration. Drink the equivalent of at least eight glasses of water a day.

just say "no" to sugar. Sweets send your blood sugar on a roller-coaster ride. You might enjoy the initial high, but not the deep tiredness and anxiety that follow.

focus on fiber. Fiber-rich beans, fruits, vegetables and whole grains keep you regular at a time when you otherwise might suffer from digestive upset and constipation. (Introduce them into your diet slowly to avoid gas buildup.)

eat regularly. Skip meals and you only accentuate the depression, anxiety and fatigue brought on by daily hassles or lack of sleep.

mind your vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with antioxidants to offset cortisol's harmful effects on the body and brain. Include at least two servings at every meal and one serving with every snack.