Health
Holiday gatherings can lead to stress eating: Try these 5 tips to control it
Spending the holidays around family and friends can stir up a lot of emotions.
And when festivities also incorporate lots of indulgent foods, it can be challenging to control emotional eating.
While the holidays are portrayed as a joyous season, it may not be the case for some, noted Dr. Brian Licuanan, a board-certified clinical psychologist in California.
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“For a lot of people out there, this … part of the year is very emotionally distressing,,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“They could have had a past loss, or maybe they had a fallout in a marriage … maybe they’re navigating a medical condition.”
People tend to cope with stress through “comfort eating,” a psychologist said. (iStock)
Holidays can be a time of loneliness for those without family, Licuanan noted, as well as a “tumultuous” period for people who struggle with substance abuse.
“Comfort eating” is one way that people tend to cope with stress, he said.
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“When stress levels increase, we [look] to soothe that,” he said.
“During the holiday season, when food is in abundance, it makes it a little bit more difficult.”
The holidays can heighten stress levels, isolation and depression for some, an expert cautioned. (iStock)
5 ways to curb emotional eating
Serena Poon, a certified celebrity nutritionist and longevity wellness expert in California, offered the following ways to rein in emotional eating during the holidays.
1. Acknowledge emotions and practice mindfulness
Recognizing the root causes of emotional cravings and practicing mindful habits can help with temptations, according to Poon.
“Suppressing emotions can lead to physical manifestations, as emotions are how our body communicates with us,” she told Fox News Digital during an interview.
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“Studies have shown that chronic stress can increase levels of cortisol, which not only amplifies cravings for sugary or comfort foods, but also impacts hormonal balance, gut health and even immunity,” Poon added.
The expert suggested trying a grounding exercise, like yoga or breath work, during times of stress.
Staying “emotionally resilient” can help support mental and physical health longevity, according to a wellness expert. (iStock)
Overindulging now and then doesn’t equate to failure, according to Poon.
“Practice self-compassion and focus on resetting at your next meal,” she advised.
“After a large holiday dinner, drink water, take a walk and plan a balanced breakfast with protein and fiber to reset your body and mindset.”
2. Set clear intentions
Being decisive about how to act at a gathering, whether socializing or eating, can help curb emotional impulses.
“For example, focus on having meaningful conversations or savoring one favorite dessert rather than sampling everything,” Poon suggested. “Setting intentions creates mindfulness and empowers decision-making.”
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For example, “If mashed potatoes are your weakness, decide beforehand that you’ll enjoy one serving guilt-free while prioritizing vegetables and protein on your plate,” she went on.
“This approach encourages mindful indulgence and reduces guilt.”
Experts encourage people to reach first for high-protein and high-fiber options at the dinner table. (iStock)
3. Stay hydrated and slow down
Dehydration can often be mistaken for hunger, according to Poon, who recommends drinking water throughout the day to help curb “unnecessary cravings.”
“Begin your holiday dinner with a salad or vegetable soup before indulging in heavier dishes,” she suggested. “Pair it with a glass of water or herbal tea.”
As dehydration can often be mistaken for hunger, experts recommend drinking water throughout the day to help curb cravings. (iStock)
Poon also suggested pausing and taking three slow, deep breaths when cravings strike.
“If you feel drawn to the dessert table out of habit, pause and breathe deeply for a moment to assess whether it’s hunger or stress that’s motivating you,” she advised.
“Put your fork down between bites, chew thoroughly, and focus on the flavors and textures of your food.”
“This simple act activates the parasympathetic nervous system, calming stress and allowing for more intentional food choices.”
Getting into the habit of eating slowly and mindfully allows the body to register fullness as you enjoy your food, Poon added.
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“Put your fork down between bites, chew thoroughly, and focus on the flavors and textures of your food,” she advised.
“This not only enhances your experience, but also helps to regulate appetite.”
4. Introduce non-food celebrations or healthy alternatives
The holidays don’t have to revolve around just food, Poon noted.
Instead, she encouraged exploring non-food rewards and activities like decorating, playing games, volunteering or spending quality time with loved ones.
Creating lower-calorie dishes for the holidays will lead to less guilt, experts suggest. (iStock)
Poon also suggested bringing healthier versions of traditional holiday dishes, like mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes or low-sugar sweets.
“Swapping traditional recipes for healthier options can help balance indulgence with nutrition,” she said.
5. Prioritize sleep and self-care
Sleep deprivation can increase the hunger hormone (ghrelin) and decrease leptin, the satiety hormone, which can make cravings harder to resist, Poon mentioned.
“Aim for quality, restorative sleep,” she suggested. “Poor sleep has been linked to increased caloric intake and cravings for high-fat, high-sugar foods.”
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“By cultivating a mindful approach to eating, integrating gratitude and self-care, and addressing the root causes of emotional cravings, you can enjoy the holiday season with balance and joy.”
Emotional eating is not about perfection, the expert said, but about “creating a sustainable, compassionate relationship with your body and emotions.”
Licuanan encouraged Americans to take this time to “reconnect with people.”
“Get back to those relationships and connections that you really value,” he said.
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A new report by the American Heart Association (AHA) included some troubling predictions for the future of women’s health.
The forecast, published in the journal Circulation on Wednesday, projected increases in various comorbidities in American females by 2050.
More than 59% of women were predicted to have high blood pressure, up from less than 49% currently.
The review also projected that more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% today, and more than 61% will have obesity, compared to 44% currently.
As a result of these risk factors, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7%.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7% by 2050. (iStock)
Not all trends were negative, as unhealthy cholesterol prevalence is expected to drop to about 22% from more than 42% today, the report stated.
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Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods in Minnesota, commented on these “jarring findings.”
“The fact that on our current trajectory, cardiometabolic disease is projected to explode in women within one generation should be a huge wake-up call,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“Hypertension, diabetes, obesity — these are all major risk factors for heart disease, and we are already seeing what those risks are driving. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, eclipsing all other causes of death, including breast cancer.”
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and around the world. (iStock)
Klodas warned that heart disease starts early, progresses “stealthily,” and can present “out of the blue in devastating ways.”
The AHA published another study on Thursday revealing one million hospitalizations, showing that heart attack deaths are climbing among adults below the age of 55.
The more alarming finding, according to Klodas, is that young women were found more likely to die after their first heart attack than men of the same age.
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“This is all especially tragic since heart disease is almost entirely preventable,” she said. “The earlier you start, the better.”
Children can show early evidence of plaque deposition in their arteries, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes if “undertaken early enough and aggressively enough,” according to the expert.
Moving more is one part of protecting a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)
Klodas suggested that rising heart conditions are associated with traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
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Doctors are also seeing higher rates of preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as gestational diabetes. Klodas noted that these are sex-specific risk factors that don’t typically contribute to complications until after menopause.
The best way to protect a healthy heart is to “do the basics,” Klodas recommended, including the following lifestyle habits.
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Klodas especially emphasized making improvements to diet, as the food people eat affects “every single risk factor that the AHA’s report highlights.”
“High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, excess weight – these are all conditions that are driven in part or in whole by food,” she said. “We eat multiple times every single day, which means what we eat has profound cumulative effects over time.”
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health.”
The doctor also recommends changing out a few snacks per day for healthier choices, which has been proven to “yield medication-level cholesterol reductions” in a month.
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“Keep up that small change and, over the course of a year, you could also lose 20 pounds and reduce your sodium intake enough to avoid blood pressure-lowering medications,” Klodas added.
“Women should not view the AHA report as inevitable. We have power over our health destinies. We just need to use it.”
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Nearsightedness (myopia) is skyrocketing globally, with nearly half of the world’s population expected to be myopic by 2050, according to the World Health Organization.
Heavy use of smartphones and other devices is associated with an 80% higher risk of myopia when combined with excessive computer use, but a new study suggests that dim indoor lighting could also be a factor.
For years, scientists have been puzzled by the different ways myopia is triggered. In lab settings, it can be induced by blurring vision or using different lenses. Conversely, it can be slowed by something as simple as spending time outdoors, research suggests.
Nearsightedness occurs when the eyeball grows too long from front to back, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA). This physical elongation causes light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it, making distant objects appear blurry.
The study suggests that myopia isn’t caused by the digital devices themselves, but by the low-light environments where they are typically used. (iStock)
Researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry identified a potential specific trigger for this growth. When someone looks at a phone or a book up close, the pupil naturally constricts.
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“In bright outdoor light, the pupil constricts to protect the eye while still allowing ample light to reach the retina,” Urusha Maharjan, a SUNY Optometry doctoral student who conducted the study, said in a press release.
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“When people focus on close objects indoors, such as phones, tablets or books, the pupil can also constrict — not because of brightness, but to sharpen the image,” she went on. “In dim lighting, this combination may significantly reduce retinal illumination.”
High-intensity natural light prevents myopia because it provides enough retinal stimulation to override the “stop growing” signal, even when pupils are constricted. (iStock)
The hypothesis suggests that when the retina is deprived of light during extended close-up work, it sends a signal for the eye to grow.
In a dim environment, the narrowed pupil allows so little light through that the retinal activity isn’t strong enough to signal the eye to stop growing, the researchers found.
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In contrast, being outdoors provides light levels much brighter than indoors. This ensures that even when the pupil narrows to focus on a nearby object, the retina still receives a strong signal, maintaining healthy eye development.
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The team noted some limitations of the study, including the small subject group and the inability to directly measure internal lens changes, as the bright backgrounds used to mimic the outdoors made pupils too small for standard equipment.
Researchers believe that increasing indoor brightness during close-up work could be a simple, testable way to slow the global nearsightedness epidemic. (iStock)
“This is not a final answer,” Jose-Manuel Alonso, MD, PhD, SUNY distinguished professor and senior author of the study, said in the release.
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“But the study offers a testable hypothesis that reframes how visual habits, lighting and eye focusing interact.”
The study was published in the journal Cell Reports.
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