It’s hard to stress how important avoiding stress is when it comes to changing a lifetime of bad eating habits. Modern life can be one challenge after another. It is the attitude we adopt in the face of these challenges that can make all the difference. That difference can mean getting those perfect abs you’ve always wanted, it can be getting a promotion at work, or it can simply mean hitting the gym, working and a date all in one day. It’s hard to express how important stress reduction can be to the quality of your life, not just in the short term, but in the long term as well.

Scientists consistently link stress to illness, and it appears that stress can have a snowball effect on our health. The theory goes something like this; Stress is a contributing factor to insomnia, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders. These conditions, if allowed to worsen, can in turn lead to chronic fatigue syndrome, hormonal imbalances (especially in women), stroke, heart disease, and sexual dysfunction. Some studies also illustrate that stress can lead to patients having a weakened immune system, which in turn results in contracting more colds and infections.

Pretty nasty stuff. On the nutrition front, stress can severely affect your good intentions. You’ve probably experienced this before, even if you didn’t realize it at the time. For example, the student who rejects that review for the exam until the previous week. Or, the office worker who has the boss on his back for that overdue report. Sounds familiar? Then comes the panic, comes the stress, so much to do in so little time. The response of our body? Increases the production of adrenaline. The consequence of this is that our fat cells throughout the body release fatty acids into the bloodstream. The purpose of this is to provide us with an immediate source of energy. However, it doesn’t take as much energy to sit at a desk and read the same document over and over again (even if you throw it across the room multiple times in frustration). Our physical reaction to this is to produce cortisol. Cortisol transports unused fatty acids and decides to dump most of them around our midsection. He’s not our best friend in the ripped abs game. It also contributes to visceral fat, the fat deposits that surround our major organs. Visceral fat is dangerous, studies illustrate that it is highly active and can pump poisons into the bloodstream. It also restricts the production of endorphins that can improve our mood.

In the immediate future, stress means that we take the ‘easy’ food choice However, at least we perceive it as the easy option. For the example above, it could be the student ordering Dominoes Pizza, or the office worker picking up a takeout on the way home from a hard day at work. However, all we are doing is creating a ‘boom and bust’ scenario. When we eat these foods, the simple sugars will rush into our bloodstream – instant satisfaction. We all know what comes next. Tea Crash. Two hours later, you’re tired, bloated, and unable to concentrate. You probably feel guilty too. Ought! But all is not lost, it’s just important to realize how far a little preparation and the right attitude can go.

We have all had experiences like the above. Even those of us with defined midsections. The secret is to have the food ready to heat in the fridge. This means cooking healthy dishes for the week ahead. Alternatively, if stress triggers those cravings for takeout or chocolate, and you don’t have nutritious meals ready to heat, just start cooking a healthy plate. This can be difficult, but if you overcome the cravings, you’ll feel satisfied. and good to yourself for having that nutritious dinner that takes you one step closer to your fitness goals.

The lesson is this: proper stress management will help us make better decisions. Whether it be in our nutrition, in our work, or in our broader lives. When we’re stressed, we often go back to doing what we’ve always done. So that may be poor nutrition, getting too drunk, or turning in that hasty, flawed report to your boss. At first glance, it’s easy to see how time management can help us avoid stress. But what other stress cures are out there to keep your nutrition (and waistline) on track?

• No more for me thanks! Alcohol is one of the best substances you can use to dehydrate your body. The body’s reaction to this is to release a lot of cortisol (remember the stress hormone that deposits fat around the waist), control this by limiting your alcohol intake. That doesn’t mean you can’t go out on a night out once in a while, but make them few and far between, and drink responsibly. Also, asking for water between alcoholic drinks will help.
• Chart your progress. Studies have shown that people can manage stress more effectively if they believe they are making progress. Implement this in all sections of your life. Plan and log your nutrition for the week (you’re much less likely to go off track this way). Graph your workouts and record them. If it’s work-related stress, sit down and study what aspects of your job are the source of your problems. Then record the progress you are making in de-stressing these situations.
• Complement your peace of mind. Studies have shown the benefits of vitamin C when it comes to stress. You can get this from your nutritional intake or if you want you can also supplement it. 1000 mg per day is enough to potentially help manage stress. It is best to spread this intake into smaller increments throughout the day.
• Find your happy place. Spend your time with friends who have a positive outlook. Avoid people who make you angry, depressed, or argumentative unnecessarily. It’s important to realize that some things are out of our control, don’t try to control the uncontrollable. Instead, it is much healthier for your mind and body to focus on what you can control. This is closely related to charting your progress.
• Avoid surfing the Internet late at night. Sleep specialists seem to publish new studies on the optimal amount of sleep per night on a weekly basis. Most people agree that about eight hours a night is enough. I have worked with trainers who recommend up to ten hours a night for recovery purposes for their athletes. The take-home message is to make sure you get enough to you. Listen to your body. Don’t rely on caffeine to get you through the day.
• Rephrase the situation. While it may sound like ‘new age’ crap to some, the process of reframing problems can be a powerful tool in coping with stressful challenges. Try to see problems from a positive perspective. As JFK said; “When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is made up of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity.”
• And if I really needed to tell you: Avoid smoking. Withdrawing from friends, family, and healthy activities. Use of drugs to relax. physical violence. Game. Delay.

Implementing the above techniques for dealing with stress can keep you on track with your nutrition. If you still consider eating healthy, nutritious food a chore, rather than something that can improve your health, appearance, athletic performance, and sex appeal, visit the Food4Abs website. It provides easy-to-master nutrition principles, motivational secrets to successful nutrition for a lifetime, the lowdown on popular supplements, and beautiful recipes you’ll prefer to any takeout. We call it smart nutrition for smart people.