I "eat" the war: how to deal with overeating due to stress

Why does the problem of overeating arise in war conditions? The constant desire to eat due to stress is not an eating disorder, but a variant of the norm.

Distress and its manifestations

The state in which the war has forced us all to plunge is what scientists call distress, an extremely intense stress that exceeds the basic adaptive capacity of a person and requires more time and effort to adjust. There are three phases of distress.

The first lasts five to seven days after the traumatic event (think of the first week of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine). At this time, the body concentrates all its forces on one task - to survive, so all other feelings (hunger, thirst, desire to sleep, libido) seem to be "turned off".

The second phase begins after the brain adapts to new conditions (this property of our psyche allows us to maintain common sense). The person has either moved to a safe place, or does not react so sharply to danger, is “used” to it. The stress hormone (cortisol) is gradually reduced, but the body needs to reduce it to the usual dose. Dopamine helps in this, a quick source of which (and during the war - the only one) is food. Therefore, people constantly feel hungry.

If you are safe but feel symptoms of the first phase, such as apathy, insomnia, slow thinking, this indicates the third phase of distress, and this is a reason to seek help from a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.

In phase I, distress is accompanied by a sharp increase in the concentration of hormones: cortisol and prolactin. Phase II is characterized by a tendency to normalize hormone levels, and phase III, which is important to prevent, is characterized by a tendency for them to collapse.

How to stop overeating?

So the desire to eat because of stress is understandable. The body thus compensates for stress, which is increasing every day. This is due to the activity of the endocrine system and our psyche. When the level of happiness hormones drops under stress, the body makes every effort to restore positive emotions. More often, positive emotions are associated with delicious food. For example, eating chocolate increases the level of endorphins and the brain rebuilds the following chain: "In order to feel happiness, you need to eat something sweet." Gradually, this leads to overeating.

In order to keep your endocrine system normal, take care of the beauty of the body and mental health (prevent phase III), experts advise taking measures that will help you live with grief, and not turn it into a chronic state.

So how do you stop overeating? We recommend that you follow the following tips.

First of all, it is important to accept the fact that the body needs help. Remember that the feeling of constant hunger signals adaptation to the situation, this is a temporary measure. In phase II, you should not forbid yourself to eat, so as not to lead to an eating disorder. It is necessary to establish a mode of life and nutrition.

We remind you that nutritionists recommend forming a three- or four-time meal regimen and balancing nutrients in your diet. Each person daily needs a large portion of fiber contained in vegetables and herbs, complex carbohydrates (whole star bread, cereals), protein (meat, fish).

If you are used to "snacking", do it right. Why do we eat fast food? Because there is not enough time to prepare a full lunch or dinner. In this case, replace ordinary snacks with more healthy products: bread, fresh or dried fruit, etc. Chewing gum helps: in the process of chewing, cortisol decreases, and calories are not gained.

Second, find other sources of dopamine (the happy hormone) and find ways for yourself to reduce stress. Here, sports, yoga, drawing, chatting with friends can come to the rescue.

Also, pay attention to your water regime. Typically, the rate of fluid intake is noted at the level of 30 ml of water per 1 kg of human weight. Experts note that it is possible to confuse the feeling of hunger and thirst. Therefore, the more liquid you consume, the lower the risk of overeating.

Be healthy and keep in good physical shape! We still have to restore the country :)