Does Stress Affect Food Cravings

Yeah right!!! In this crazy busy world? Yep! You can do it. Here’s a few simple tricks to reduce your stress and therefore your cravings.

1. Yoga
2. Meditation
3. Develop a gratitude practice
4. Breathing Exercises
5. Laugh more
6. Hug/hold hands more

Do those last two tips have you stumped? Studies have shown that laughter really is the best medicine, and while it certainly can’t cure you, it can surely help in lots of ways.

The short term benefits of laughter are that it stimulates many of your organs, activates and relieves your stress response and soothes tension. I mean really, who can be mad when you’re laughing?
Long term benefits of laughing can be improvement of your immune system, pain relief, increase in your personal satisfaction and can also improve your mood.

As for hugging? According to Dr Mercola, even just 20 seconds of hugging followed by 10 minutes of hand holding will increase your levels of oxytocin (the “love hormone”) and lowers stress. Let’s hear it for hugs!!!

“We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance.
We need 12 hugs a day for growth.” ~ Virginia Satir

How’s that for a cool tip to healthier snacking?
W5-P5