Stress

By Elina Falck, on September 22 in Stress. 

Jonathan* was an executive in a fast paced business, he had two pre-teen children, a wife struggling with depression, and elderly parents depending on him.

Despite the heavy load of daily expectations, he felt he should also be accomplished in sports, keep abreast of world news and politics, and be a great cook. 

He prided himself in being better than the rest, the one who would always come out on top. 

He didn’t notice the large amounts of caffeine he was consuming to keep himself going, the alcohol and medication he needed to fall asleep at night, the increasing irritability and the frequent bouts of road rage.

It wasn’t until his wife left him that his world started to crumble.

By Elina Falck on September 20th, 2017 in Stress. 

• Do you crave chocolate at the end of a long day?
• Does an argument with your spouse make you reach for the potato chips?
• If you have made a major mistake, do you stuff yourself with sweet things?
• If you’ve experienced a loss, like the end of a relationship, do you search the fridge for “comfort food”?

Eating in response to emotional stressors is called, not surprisingly, stress eating.  

If you reach for food at moments of difficulty, you are not alone. You are also not some kind of out-of-control glutton.

Instead, you are responding to a biological cue.  Your body is telling you it is running out of stress chemicals, and needs to be replenished.

Let me explain.