A nutritionist warns that the stress of choices can lead to unwanted – and unhealthy – snacking

The upcoming presidential election may lead to a lot of unwanted — and sometimes unhealthy — snacking.

Emotional eating can be a product of stressful times, including political events, sporting events and other events, according to various studies.

Recent research published in the journal Nutrients has shown that emotional eating is considered “a risk factor for frequent weight gain.”

Studies suggest a link between emotional eating and health conditions such as obesity, stress, anxiety and depression.

Identifying the best ways to deal with negative emotions can help prevent harmful consequences, the researchers concluded.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Los Angeles-based registered dietitian Ilana Muhlstein says she often sees emotional eating among her clients during times of stress.

Having worked with private clients in three presidential elections, Muhlstein said “there’s always a lot of activity” before and after the election.

He said: “People are watching interviews and watching commentary on the sofa, eating their bags of chips or cookies quickly, and it’s a very destructive behaviour.

Even during “nail-biting sports games,” people feel inclined to eat junk food “to feel in control,” Muhlstein said.

“When we have these turbulent times where it’s a state of not knowing … that feeling of limbo can feel uncomfortable, people tend to confuse it with hunger,” he noted.

Emotional eating and weight loss

As a nutritionist, Muhlstein said emotional eating is one of the biggest issues she encounters with her clients who are struggling with their weight.

“Until we figure out emotional eating, it’s very hard to lose weight and even harder to keep it off,” she said.

Emotional eating is more prevalent in American culture than in other countries, according to Muhlstein, as many food companies have “pushed us into our …

Indulging in junk food and sweets during happy occasions, such as birthdays and other celebrations, does not have the same long-term negative impact as overeating in bad situations.

“We want to eat cookies or cakes to enhance the experience,” he said.

“If you have a slice [of cake] along with a healthy diet, you can still lose weight that week – and still feel good about your body. “

“If you’ve been divorced, or divorced, or had a falling out with a best friend, or you’re watching the news and you’re feeling stressed, and you’re sitting there munching on a cookie, by the way unhappy — so you can give yourself this temporary emotional relief and hit of dopamine — I find that’s what creates a long-term, unhealthy relationship with food,” Muhlstein said.

Potential for addiction

Emotional eaters tend to eat foods high in sugar and other fattening substances, Muhlstein said, which can have addictive properties.

A part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens will “fire up” and release dopamine when eating processed foods with high levels of sugar, salt, fat and other artificial flavors, the expert warned.

He said: “We see in many studies that there is a relationship between eating processed foods and these happy chemicals in our bodies.”

“When we eat fiber-free cookies…

Guilt can exacerbate emotional eating, Muhlstein added, as many people “punish themselves” after eating unhealthy foods.

Studies have shown that people who feel guilty about overeating have higher levels of emotional eating and are more likely to continue to binge eat.

How to stop emotional eating

Muhlstein encouraged people to “lose shame or guilt” and try to have a positive outlook on eating habits.

He said: “If you keep saying to yourself, ‘I’m a stress eater, I’m a stress eater, I’m a stress eater,’ then the next time you’re stressed emotional, you will go to dinner,” he said. Fox News Digital.

“If you say to yourself, ‘I’m too stressed, I need to go,’ or ‘When I’m stressed, I like to write or do good practices like meditation or yoga,’ you’ll slowly start to engage. best ways to manage stress.”

An easy way to prevent emotional eating is to avoid high-sugar, high-fat, processed foods outside of the home.

“You want to set up your environment for success,” Muhlstein advises. That way, when you’re stressed, you don’t have fast food to motivate you.”

Muhlstein also recommended using effective ways to cope with high levels of stress, such as exercise, deep breathing and drinking plenty of water.