Health Farm

-- Stressed? Most of us are. In a 2018 study by the Mental Health Foundation, 74% of U.K. adults said they’d felt so stressed they were unable to cope in the previous year.

They’re probably hungry, too, because stress hormone cortisol increases appetite. When your body is in a state of fight or flight it demands a good supply of instant energy.

Leafy greens won’t do the job. Your brain knows better, triggering a powerful lust for foods high in fat and sugar – the ideal energy source to fight off your enemies.

A mince and cheese pie delivers the perfect hit. You’ll feel much better once that’s gone down the hatch, thanks to the release of happy hormone dopamine, which takes the edge off all that cortisol. Comfort food, indeed.

Stress also affects where and how we store fat. People with high levels of cortisol are more likely to store fat around their middle, which is asking for trouble.

But overeating isn’t the only stress-related behaviour that stacks on the weight. Stressed people also lose sleep, exercise less, and drink more alcohol, all of which contribute to weight gain.

Avoid the stressful stimulus

Though that’s tough when it’s your boss. Otherwise, increase your happy hormones to counteract all that cortisol. Get your hit of dopamine from exercise, yoga, listening to music, sex, mediation, massage, or try a Wim Hof breathing class.