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How to Overcome Emotional & Stress Eating

Emotional & Stress Eating: Causes & Solutions

August 22, 2022

The modern world as we know it can be quite tolling on our mental health. And this can lead to all sorts of mental health issues like stress and anxiety. However, the issues don\’t stop there since mental health issues can lead to further health issues because of things like stress eating. If you are hearing about stress eating or emotional eating for the first time, then you are definitely at the right place! We will be going through all the important details regarding emotional eating and learning everything about it. More importantly, you can learn about the symptoms of stress eating and how you can overcome emotional eating with simple lifestyle changes. What is Stress Eating or Emotional Eating? When people turn to food to pacify themselves in a state of emotional imbalance, we call it emotional eating. Emotional eating is associated with mindless eating without being actually hungry. Although, if you’re an emotional eater, you might think you’re hungry when you’re stressed out. But, there is a difference between feeling hungry because of stress and being physically hungry. Actual Hunger vs Emotional Hunger To better understand emotional eating, let\’s learn about the differences between actual hunger and emotional hunger which leads to emotional or stress eating: Emotional hunger feels more like a sudden craving, whereas physical hunger comes gradually. If you are emotional eating, you will end up binge eating without minding the food quantities. For example, you may eat a whole bag of chips or a whole tub of ice cream without realizing how much you are eating. Emotional hunger comes after an emotional trigger and physical hunger generally takes place around your usual meal timings. While emotional hunger will be satisfied after eating a lot of food or feeling mentally better, physical hunger will be satisfied by eating just as per your usual appetite. Emotional hunger makes you turn to your favorite comfort food only and you will be eating particular food items. On the other hand, you will be open to more options if you are feeling physical hunger. Even if you end up eating a lot of food due to physical hunger, you won\’t feel guilty afterward. On the other hand, emotional hunger will definitely make you feel bad about binge eating. Whenever you are physically hungry, you will feel the effects of it in your stomach due to a growling sensation or something similar. However, emotional hunger is all in your mind and it is more of a thought than a feeling in your stomach. Symptoms of Stress Eating While there are various scenarios that can lead up to stress eating, the overall symptoms or reasons leading to emotional eating will be usually similar. Even if you recently had lunch or dinner, you may end up getting stressed due to work, studies, personal issues, or any other thing going on in your life. And if any of these factors make you crave eating snacks, then it is definitely a symptom of stress eating. While it is fairly normal to face such an experience once in a while, depending on food to overcome mental stress and agitation on a regular basis is definitely a matter of concern. Stress Eating is More Dangerous than you Think Now that you know more about emotional & stress eating, let\’s learn more about the dangers and effects of emotional eating: Weight Gain Relying on food to temporarily improve your mental health will make you eat much more food than required. Hence, it can result in serious weight gain issues over time. Lifestyle Diseases Since stress eating generally makes you eat comfort food including junk food and processed food items, it can lead to various lifestyle diseases like diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart problems, and much more. Economical Effects Apart from its effects on your physical health, eating a lot of food due to stress and anxiety can also have economical effects since you may end up spending a lot on food that you generally wouldn\’t eat. Mental Toll Even though you are opting for stress eating to overcome mental stress, emotional eating itself will also lead to a mental toll. If you are stress-eating on a regular basis, you will eventually start feeling guilty for the same which can make you further stressed about your health. Why do People Turn to Stress Eating? There can be multiple possible reasons leading to emotional eating including financial stress, relationship stress, work-related stress, and so on. Stressing out creates a sense of emotional vacuum in the mind. Because of this, people turn to stress eating as a way to overcome the stress in their daily lives. Eating food will make you feel psychologically full, thereby creating an illusion of filling any emotional void. These cravings are mostly for comfort food and fast food items that act as a dopamine hit and make you feel better. This is obviously a temporary relief because the hunger is for emotional fullness, not physical. And as discussed earlier, this dopamine hit comes at the cost of all kinds of health effects. Identifying Emotional Triggers Leading to Stress Eating: If you are struggling with emotional eating, then there are definitely some emotional triggers that make you do so. And if you want to overcome stress eating or emotional eating, identifying these triggers is highly important. Some common emotional triggers leading to stress eating include: Daily Life Stress As mentioned earlier, stress from various events in your daily life is one of the biggest emotional triggers of stress eating. Behavioral Habits For some, eating habits can be carried from their childhood to their adulthood. This simply means that if your parents rewarded you with food while feeling low, then you may build up a habit of the same. Social Gatherings While hanging out with friends is definitely great to reduce stress, people tend to hang out at restaurants and cafes. Hence, you may end up binge eating or stress eating in the name of a

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Thyroid: All You Need to Know

May 17, 2022

Do you realize how commonly you hear about someone suffering from thyroid? Despite being so common, you might be quite confused that what exactly is the thyroid? It is essentially a gland present in the human body which performs various vital functions in the body. You might be surprised to know that in India alone, around 42 million people suffer from thyroid-related diseases. And in the United States, the estimates say that this number is around 20 million. In fact, a lot of people aren’t even aware if they are suffering from any thyroid disorder. But today, you are in luck because we will help you in learning everything about thyroid. You can learn about this gland, its functions, thyroid-related diseases, lifestyle improvements to make, and much more! What is the Thyroid Gland? The thyroid is a gland situated in the front of your neck. It is a small butterfly-shaped gland that helps in performing various vital functions in the body. This gland is part of the endocrine system, and similar to other glands, it helps in creating different hormones for the body. These hormones act like messengers in your body that carry signals to the different parts of the body to regulate various bodily functions. Since these functions are highly essential for the body, there are over 50 hormones in the human body. As for the thyroid gland, it produces three hormones: Tetraiodothyronine hormone which is also known as the thyroxine or the T4 hormone Triiodothyronine hormone which is also known as the T3 hormone Calcitonin hormone What are its Functions? In an overview, the thyroid gland has an effect on different body functions like breathing, heart rate, metabolism, mood, weight, and others. The three hormones it produces execute different tasks that help the gland maintain the body in a healthy state. The T4 and T3 hormones improve your metabolism and make it faster by increasing the basal metabolic rate (BMR) of your body. This generally happens thanks to the help of iodine which increases the efficiency of all your body cells. In infants and children, the thyroid helps develop and grow the brain and other important tissues dependent on this gland. Even during pregnancy, it also helps in the development of the baby’s brain and the nervous system. Talking about the Calcitonin hormone, it lowers the calcium levels in your blood without affecting your bones. Calcitonin does the same by inhibiting the function of osteoclasts which are cells that break down your bones. In other words, Calcitonin prevents the breakdown of your bones and stops calcium from being released in your bloodstream which gets produced during the breakdown of your bones. Calcitonin also lowers the amount of calcium that gets reabsorbed by your kidneys and released into the bloodstream which effectively lowers the calcium levels in your blood. The thyroid gland also communicates closely with the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland releases the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) to control the number of thyroid hormones secreted. This maintains a healthy balance of hormones as it prevents overproduction or underproduction of hormones. Iodine and Thyroid Iodine is a trace element which means that it is required by the body only in minute amounts. It plays a highly crucial part in the functions that the thyroid gland performs. As the two main hormones, T3 and T4 are made in this gland using Iodine. Iodine in the body is absorbed by this gland and the synthesis of the hormones begins which are then released into the bloodstream. Although, the human body is not capable of producing this mineral on its own. Therefore, it is important to have a proper intake of iodine through the food you eat. If your body lacks iodine, your body won’t make enough hormones. An average adult is recommended to take 150 mcg of iodine daily and the need increases for women who are pregnant or nursing. There are a variety of iodine sources present in food items like eggs, dairy, seaweed, cod, iodized salt, etc. Thyroid related Diseases An imbalance in thyroid hormones can affect a number of processes in your body. This can lead to various diseases like the ones we will be looking at below: Goiter The Goiter is a condition where the thyroid gland becomes enlarged or a cell of this gland grows more than its normal size which creates lumps. You can face Goiter due to both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism or even when the gland is working just fine. Symptoms of Goiter Swelling of the neck area Pain in the neck area Difficulty in swallowing Coughing Hoarseness in your voice Although, if you are facing issues with your thyroid, you may face more than just the symptoms of Goiter. You can even have the symptoms of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism at the same time. Causes of Goiter Iodine Deficiency: When your body is deficient in iodine, the thyroid gland produces fewer hormones. Due to this, the pituitary gland sends a signal of producing more hormones. This leads to the enlargement of the thyroid gland in order to complete the request made by the pituitary gland. Hashimoto’s Disease: It is an autoimmune disorder that attacks its own cells. This results in reduced production of the thyroid hormone, which leads the pituitary gland to send a signal to produce more hormones, increasing the gland\’s size, and causing goiter. Grave’s Disease: This is another autoimmune condition where the immune system produces a protein called Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI). This protein then makes the gland produce more hormones along with the TSH and increase in size leading to goiter. Thyroiditis: Inflammation caused in the thyroid gland can lead to goiter as in the initial stages it leads to hypothyroidism and later to hyperthyroidism. Thyroid Nodules: The thyroid gland can sometimes develop some nodules which can lead to enlargement in this gland. Hypothyroidism Hypothyroidism is a condition that occurs when your thyroid gland is not producing enough of the hormones required for body functions. The symptoms of hypothyroidism

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How to Improve Gut Health?

May 10, 2022

You might have heard about gut health a lot lately. Do you know if your gut is healthy? Your gut is an important part of your body. Keeping your gut healthy will help your body to stay healthier overall and lead a better and quality life. Thus, we are here to help you learn more about the gut, gut functions, poor gut health symptoms, and most importantly, the ways to improve gut health. Keep reading to discover all about your gut! What is the Gut & its Function? The Gut is also commonly known as the digestive system or the Gastrointestinal Tract, that is the GI tract. It is mainly responsible for digestion of the food you eat, absorption of nutrients, and excretion of waste as required by the body. It is a long tube-like structure present in the body starting from the mouth and ending at the rectum. Your gut consists of a vast variety of bacteria along with a few viruses, parasites, and fungi present mostly in the intestine. They collectively make up the microbiome inside your gut. The microbiome is essential to your body as it helps in the development of the immune system and the synthesis of some vitamins. In fact, your whole body has trillions of bacterias present which help in performing various important functions in your body. If you have a healthy gut and microbiome, it can even help in warding off serious diseases like diabetes, obesity, cancer, depression, etc. A healthy gut maintains a delicate yet proper balance of both good as well as bad bacteria. Both of these types of bacteria are important where an imbalance can lead to health issues of all sorts Importance of Gut Health To understand the role that your gut plays in your overall health, it is important to look at the effects it has on various parts of the body. Below we will discuss how your gut affects some significant functions going on in your body. Unhealthy Gut and Effects on the Body Heart Diseases and Gut Health The bacteria that are present in your gut are responsible for all sorts of functions. Every person has a different environment in the microbiome with different compositions of bacteria. This can depend on the type of food that you eat and your genetics. Hence, research has found that your gut health can help in identifying the risk of heart attacks or strokes. These heart diseases happen due to the formation of a compound called TMAO or Trimethylamine N-oxide. Your gut bacteria form TMAO from food items like eggs and red meat. And elevated levels of TMAO can result in hardening of the arteries causing heart attacks and strokes. Therefore, a healthy microbiome is highly beneficial for your heart health. Kidney Health and Gut Health TMAO can also cause chronic kidney diseases which can further change the composition of your gut microbiome. This can lead to the overgrowth of bad bacteria resulting in the breaking of the intestinal walls. If your intestinal walls break, the bacteria can go out of the intestinal area which is known as a leaky gut causing more inflammation in the kidneys. Thus, to keep your kidneys healthy and functioning well, it is highly important to have a healthy gut. Skin and Gut Health If you have a leaky gut, then it can even lead to inflammations in your skin as well. These inflammations can lead to different skin problems like acne vulgaris and psoriasis. In other words, having a healthy gut is vital if you want healthy and glowing skin. Immune System and Gut Health The microbiome plays a highly crucial role in the functioning of your immune system. The bacteria of your microbiome prevent any external toxins to invade the body. More importantly, having a healthy gut ensures that the bad bacteria in your gut don\’t attack your own body cells which effectively assists the immune system. In other words, poor gut health can lead to a rise in autoimmune conditions in the body. Gut Health and the Brain Your gut and the brain are interrelated to each other as well. Both your gut and brain are interconnected to each other where your gut health will affect how your brain functions and vice versa. The gut is directly connected to the brain through millions of nerves. In fact, your gut even produces several chemicals like serotonin and dopamine which affect the functioning of your brain. Due to the presence of a large number of nerves and neurotransmitter chemicals in your gut, which is similar to the central nervous system, the gut is also known as the second brain. A third connection between the gut and the brain is through the immune system of your body. When the gut is in an unhealthy state it increases inflammation in the body because of a leaky gut. This can lead to a few brain disorders like Parkinson\’s, Alzheimer\’s, autism, etc. Gut Health and Mental Health In recent times, people have started focusing on their mental health which has brought a lot of major mental health issues into the limelight. And as we are talking about the gut-brain connection, it is important to go through the effects of gut health on your mental health as well. The inflammation from the gut can lead to disruptions in the chemicals released to the brain. This can lead to mental illnesses such as stress, anxiety, and depression. And this in turn affects the gut by creating issues in digestion like feeling gassy and uneasy in the stomach while being stressed. While research is still being done about this gut health and mental health connection, there are still a few ways to overcome issues like this. You can consider practicing meditation or any other form of relaxation technique as a healthy mind leads to a healthy body and a healthy gut. How to Check your Gut Health? Since you now know the importance of gut health, you might also want

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What is Hidden Hunger & How to Overcome?

May 5, 2022

It’s difficult to imagine what could go wrong even when you are eating and exercising right. One common issue that people face despite eating right is \”hidden hunger.\” And if you have never heard about it in the past, you might be wondering what is hidden hunger? In short, even when you are taking care of the number of calories you are consuming, it is still possible to miss out on consuming adequate nutrients for your body. In this article, we will explore more about hidden hunger and the various measures that can be taken in order to avoid it. What is Hidden Hunger? Hidden hunger occurs when your body is deficient in certain micronutrients even after getting appropriate calorie-rich food. While you may be eating enough calories throughout the day, you might not be getting all the micronutrients that you need. These deficiencies can lead to serious health problems if you don\’t work on hidden hunger. Hidden hunger is known as hidden because it doesn’t actually make you hungry. In fact, you might not even notice nutrition deficiency for some time. But, the long-term effects of a lack of micronutrients can create serious health issues and cause irreversible effects on your health. Role of Micronutrients The human body works by an amalgamation of complex processes and it needs a variety of nutrients to sustain its proper functioning. Nutrients majorly consist of two parts known as macronutrients and micronutrients. We will focus on the importance of micronutrients here in this article. Micronutrients consist of vitamins and minerals. Most of these nutrients are present in the food you eat since your body requires them only in smaller quantities. Therefore, it is highly important to consume nutrition-rich food in order to get all the essential micronutrients. Functions of Different Micronutrients There are a lot of micronutrients that your body needs from time to time to perform the necessary bodily functions. While all of them are equally important, some nutrient deficiencies are very rare in the common population. Hence, we will look at the most common and significant micronutrients and their functions to understand their importance in the body. Vitamin A: Helps in good vision, growth, cell division, and reproduction. Sources of food include eggs, cheese, spinach, broccoli, fish, etc. Vitamin D: Helps in proper absorption of calcium, providing immunity from certain diseases, and health of bones and teeth. Sources of food include oily fish, egg yolks, fortified foods, mushrooms, etc. However, only food sources are not enough to get adequate Vitamin D for the body. Sunlight is the best source for getting enough sunlight, so try to get outdoors often and simultaneously make sure to not overexpose yourself to the harmful UV rays of the sun. Calcium: Helps in maintaining healthy bones, blood clotting, and regulating muscle contractions and nerve processes. Sources of food include green leafy vegetables, chia seeds, yogurt, lentils, beans, etc. Iodine: Helps in regulating the function of the thyroid hormone, and brain development during pregnancy. Sources of food include seaweed, iodized salt, dairy, eggs, tuna, etc Zinc: Helps in cell division, growth, healing of wounds, and other nerve functions. Sources of food include legumes, shellfish, seeds like hemp, flax, pumpkin, whole grains, etc. Iron: Helps in creating hemoglobin, regulating hormones, and providing oxygen to different parts of the body. Sources of food include beans, lentils, fortified cereals, spinach, nuts, etc. Why is Hidden Hunger a Serious Issue? Around 2 billion people worldwide are affected by micronutrient deficiency and the majority are children. And yet, most people are not making any efforts towards improving micronutrient deficiency. In fact, hidden hunger not only affects the malnourished but even the obese. As you can guess by now, hidden hunger isn’t noticeable in a short period of time which makes it an even bigger issue. Instead, you may get to know about hidden hunger only when it leads to serious health conditions that can have adverse effects and might even lead to death in some cases. One thing to keep in mind is that overdosage of some micronutrients can also be hazardous to one\’s health. Symptoms of Hidden Hunger Although there are times when a deficiency may go unnoticed, there can be instances where people experience some symptoms related to a certain micronutrient deficiency. We have already discussed some of the common deficiencies that people tend to face. And here, we will look at the symptoms which can indicate which nutrients you should be focusing on: Symptoms of Vitamin A Deficiency Night blindness, stunted growth, skin irritation, frequent infections, fertility issues, and hair loss. Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency Increased risk of heart diseases, fatigue or tiredness, low immunity, bones and back pain, and bone loss. Symptoms of Calcium Deficiency Low bone density, muscle ache, and fatigue. Symptoms of Iodine Deficiency Hypothyroidism, goiter, cognitive problems, and heart-related issues. Symptoms of Zinc Deficiency Low immunity, loss of appetite, hair loss, diarrhea, and decrease in sense of taste and smell. Symptoms of Iron Deficiency Pale skin, cold hands and feet, weakness or dizziness, brittle nails, chest pain, and shortness of breath. These are just some of the symptoms that people face when they are facing micronutrient deficiencies. Make sure to consult your doctor before coming to any conclusion about your health. Causes of Hidden Hunger The above symptoms can lead to dangerous results over a longer period of time if not taken care of. Hence, it is important to know causes of hidden hunger and make amends to improve quality of life. Below you will find the common causes that lead to the deficiency of micronutrients and hidden hunger: Poor Diet: A diet is considered poor when it lacks food sources of essential nutrients required for the body. You might get certain micronutrient deficiencies if your diet primarily consists of staple food like rice, maize, wheat, etc. Inadequate Absorption of Nutrients: Even if you are consuming the proper dosage of the essential nutrients it is possible that your body is not absorbing them adequately.

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Why Most Diets Fail?

April 19, 2022

Thinking about getting on a diet? Does it make you scared to imagine what all you will have to quit eating to get your dream body? If yes, then you got the concept of dieting wrong. So today, it’s time you get familiar with actual dieting. Diet is a term derived from the Greek word \”diaita\” which basically means the way of life or the way of living. Hence, a diet was not just a pattern of eating to lose weight as we are familiar with it nowadays. Instead, it is the type of lifestyle a person has, which includes their eating habits and lifestyle habits. There are numerous diets around the world, some are more popular than others, but still, they fail to accomplish their purpose most of the time. You must have tried at least one of them to lose weight but got disappointed with the progress you were making as they were not sustainable. Thus, in this article, we will look at the possible reasons why the trending and fad diets nowadays don’t really work and why most diets fail. More importantly, you will even learn about the best ways to maintain your health and achieve your fitness goals. Trending and Fad Diets To know why diets don\’t work, let\’s analyze some of the trending and fad diets nowadays and weigh the advantages and disadvantages to get a better understanding of where the approach goes wrong. While there are all sorts of diets that you can go for, following are some of the most popular trending and fad diets: Paleo Diet This diet mimics our ancestors who were hunters and gatherers and was prevalent around 10,000 years ago. Mainly a paleo diet means having whole foods, fruits, meat, nuts, seeds, etc. while avoiding any processed food items, dairy, legumes, and grains. Although, this is a controversial diet as most people consider current agriculturally produced food to be comparatively unhealthier since modern agriculture is not considered as good as the one during the caveman era. Advantages Helpful with type 2 diabetes. Reduces inflammation and digestive stress. Helps with weight loss. Disadvantages A very restrictive diet with limited food options. It is sometimes possible to overeat. This diet primarily requires a person to consume meat which is impossible for vegetarians. The absence of grains and other food groups can lead to the loss of certain vitamins and minerals. Keto Diet The Keto diet is one of the most popular currently trending diets because of the relatively faster results that come with it initially. Keto is a low carbohydrate high-fat diet. But as carbs are also important for the body, not getting enough of them will put your body in a metabolic state called ketosis. In this state, your body doesn’t have enough carbs for energy requirements and instead uses fat for energy. A standard keto diet has 70% fat, 25% protein, and 5% carbs. Advantages Reduces appetite which helps in being consistent with dieting. Speeds up metabolism. Helps in weight loss when in a calorie deficit. Great for type 2 diabetes. Helps in reducing the risk of Alzheimer\’s disease. Improves symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Disadvantages Very restrictive Can get expensive May lead to loss of muscle mass Not enough energy to workout Almost impossible for Indians as legumes and rice are our staple food Can cause issues with your lipid profile Unsustainable in the long run Low in fiber During the initial weeks, you may experience Keto flu which has symptoms like digestive discomfort, headaches, nausea, and lack of energy. Intermittent Fasting An intermittent fasting diet is among the most trending ones and almost every other person has given it a shot. Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that includes consuming two meals a day and fasting for 12-16 hours every day. Well, it works by putting you in a calorie deficit by excluding one whole meal from your diet. Even though some do pretty well with intermittent fasting, it is not for everyone. Advantages As it involves fasting for a time period, it is not very restrictive in calories and food items Helps in reducing inflammation It may help in boosting metabolism It may or may not be helpful with type 2 diabetes Can improve heart conditions Helps in weight loss Disadvantages Increases cravings During the initial stages, you can feel headaches, bloating, nausea, etc. In women especially who suffer from PCOS long hours of fasting can worsen insulin resistance Unsustainable in the long run Disturbed sleep 800-1000 Calorie Diet Such a type of diet is used very rarely and under the supervision of a specialized doctor as it has potential risks involved. Here basically, you will be consuming very low-calorie food items aimed at rapid weight loss. Hence, such a diet is used only in the cases of adults who are obese and those who are at a medical risk because of their weight. You should not get on such a diet without consulting a doctor as an average adult male needs 2000 Kcal and a female needs 1600 Kcal a day even with a sedentary lifestyle. Advantages Can help in reducing weight rapidly to manage morbid obesity Can help with diabetes, cholesterol Disadvantages Too low calories can slow down metabolism Unsustainable for longer periods This can lead to low energy and fatigue Can lead to hair fall, muscle loss, dull skin, and amenorrhea. High Protein Diet A high protein diet includes higher protein and mostly low carbohydrates. It’s considered a safe option for a shorter period of time. Here, you would be consuming more protein than required. And you will have to avoid highly processed food items and focus on choosing healthy protein sources from plants and animals. Advantages Reduces hunger cravings Can boost metabolism Helps in weight loss Helps in increasing muscle mass Disadvantages Limiting carbs too much can lead to deficiency in some nutrients Can affect kidneys by creating harmful metabolic waste Can increase ammonia and uric acid levels in the blood. Unsustainable

Why Most Diets Fail? Read More »

Emotional & Stress Eating: Causes & Solutions

Thyroid: All You Need to Know

How to Improve Gut Health?

What is Hidden Hunger & How to Overcome?

Why Most Diets Fail?

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