How Does Stress Impact My Appetite?
Written by Isabel Vasquez RD, LDN
You know those times when you’re in back to back meetings and don’t feel hungry until the workday ends?
What about when you’re feeling super anxious about a presentation you’re about to give and don’t have any appetite?
If any of that resonates with you, you’re not alone. There are plenty of stressors in our day to day lives and they can all impact our eating habits.
In this blog post, we’ll explore how stress impacts appetite and share some strategies for managing stress.
How Stress Impacts the Body
Stress impacts all bodily systems including the musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, and reproductive systems.
For example, stress causes your muscles to tense up, sometimes leading to headaches, migraines, or back pain.
Plus, hormones like adrenaline and cortisol get released when you’re stressed, causing your heart rate to increase and blood pressure to rise.
The constant release of cortisol can cause chronic inflammation, which is linked with health issues like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and kidney disease, per StatPearls.
Keep in mind that evolutionarily, stress occurred in response to a threat like a lion coming for our lives. The cascade of effects was intended to help us fight or flee in response to said threat. It was meant to be a short term response that eased when the threat went away.
Today, our bodies are often responding to chronic stressors, like an overflowing email inbox, and not a lion. So the stress response is constant and may contribute to poor health outcomes.
How Stress Impacts Appetite
We’ve talked about how stress impacts the body overall, but how does it specifically impact appetite?
Well, when we’re stressed, our adrenal glands release epinephrine (aka adrenaline)—a hormone that causes appetite suppression.
This makes sense when we put it in context. When we’re about to fight or flee from a lion, eating is not a priority! So, when you’re acutely stressed, it makes sense that you might not have an appetite.
For easily accessible energy, our bodies move glucose from temporary storage in our liver and muscles into the bloodstream. This gives us the immediate energy we need to flee or fight the predator!
If the stress persists, our bodies release the hormone cortisol which increases appetite, per a 2018 study (CW: weight-stigmatizing language).
Our bodies need to replenish the energy they used up during the initial heightened stress response. So, chronic stress can cause chronic elevated cortisol levels which could increase appetite and cravings.
Noticing Physical Signs of Stress
When it comes to taking care of our bodies, it’s important to note how these stress responses are present for us.
We typically aren’t even aware when epinephrine or cortisol are secreted because the body does this automatically. Yet, you may notice signs of stress, like a reduction or spike in appetite.
Developing a deep connection with your body helps you to notice signs of stress. Some other physical signs of stress you may notice, per StatPearls, are:
Digestive upset
Muscle tension
Racing heart
Fast-paced breathing
Altered appetite
Noticing these signs takes mindfulness and interoception—noticing what’s going on inside of your body.
This practice of tuning in and noticing our bodies' cues is a part of our approach to nutrition here at Your Latina Nutrition, which is rooted in intuitive eating.
We help our clients notice and honor their bodies' needs. One of those needs may very well be slowing down and managing stress.
Tips for Managing Stress
It can be really challenging to break out of a chronic stress cycle and have the parasympathetic nervous system—responsible for the “rest and digest” response—kick in.
That being said, here are some ways to manage stress:
Notice how stress uniquely affects your body and mind
Take deep breaths when you notice stress building up
Work with a psychotherapist
Engage in enjoyable physical activity
Meditate or do gentle yoga
Create a sleep routine to help you get adequate sleep
Take time to do something you love (even if it’s just 10 minutes)
Build a social network
Final Thoughts
Stress is a normal part of life, but we don’t always realize how it affects us physically. One way it can affect us physically is by altering our appetite and eating habits.
To build a healthier relationship with stress, notice how it manifests in your body and engage in stress-relieving activities whenever possible.
For education on how to ADD nutrition to your favorite Latine cultural dishes, make peace with food, and focus on your health without dieting, join our nutrition library for just $27/month.
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