Q.  When I’m stressed out I have very little appetite and it’s hard for me to eat— is this normal?

A.  During stress our bodies shift into a survival mode, through a chemical response.   It’s the primal  fight or flight response to survive, which helps our bodies to release energy to fight an enemy or flee from danger. 

While the stress response was important to our survival in the past, today our stress is more psychological in nature, whether it's fighting traffic or chasing a deadline.   But  psychological stress still triggers the chemical  cascade that primes us  for quick physical action, which can result in suppressing our appetite.  Here's why:

      • Digestion slows down (digesting food is not a priority when trying to outrun  an enemy).  This is because the blood supply is diverted to muscles to maxi- mize speed and strength.  Consequently hunger is not experienced.

      •Stored body fuels (fat and carbohydrate) are called to action and are ready at a  moment’s notice so that you have the energy to fight or take flight from  danger.  These elevated energy reserves can also blunt the desire to eat. 

 While it’s normal to have little desire to eat during stressful times, keep in mind that not eating or fasting can be a stress on the body.  Here are a couple of eating tips:

      •Eat small frequent meals or snacks

      •Try foods that seem to require less effort to eat (this is different for everyone),  but can include: soups, yogurt, juice.

     •Try to go no longer than five hours without eating.

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Copyright © 2008-2010 by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD  Published at http://www.EvelynTribole.com

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