Mental Skills Research Paper: the Vicious Cycle of Unhealthy Diet, Stress, and Eating Behaviors
Introduction
Although stress is an everyday occurrence in life, most people take for granted and underestimate the degree to which we are able to influence the level of stress we experience. When we think of the word "stress," we usually associate it with something external that causes us to feel stressed. In various research sources, adults reveal work as a leading cause of stress (Peterson & Wilson, 2004), whereas teenagers revealed that school as one of their biggest sources of stress (Wilburn & Smith, 2005). Being in graduate school I actually relate more with the teenagers and would certainly rate school high on the list of the various things that cause me stress, along with: money, my relationship with my partner, my appearance, my weight, my health, and many other aspects. Interestingly, both groups identified "too many things to do, and not enough time in the day" as a significant contributor to the stress in their lives. When there is not enough time in the day, the things we take for grantedlike our diets and eating habits, in terms of what and when we eatoften suffer as a result. As someone in recovery from an eating disorder this is very true for me and I definitely fall into the vicious cycle of not taking care of my body leading to further stress which leads to less self care and more stress.
The truth is that diet and stress are very closely related. The food we eat affects the way our bodies function; the way our bodies function affects our tendencies to perceive events and situations as stressful. The purpose of this paper is to examine and report on specific areas where diet and stress are connected, and then discuss how diet affects the body and, in turn, levels of stress. A report on the related literature will assist in highlighting the diet-stress connection, the connection between food and brain chemistry, what exactly stress does to our bodies, the foods that prevent and induce stress, as well as stress in relation to unhealthy food
Although stress is an everyday occurrence in life, most people take for granted and underestimate the degree to which we are able to influence the level of stress we experience. When we think of the word "stress," we usually associate it with something external that causes us to feel stressed. In various research sources, adults reveal work as a leading cause of stress (Peterson & Wilson, 2004), whereas teenagers revealed that school as one of their biggest sources of stress (Wilburn & Smith, 2005). Being in graduate school I actually relate more with the teenagers and would certainly rate school high on the list of the various things that cause me stress, along with: money, my relationship with my partner, my appearance, my weight, my health, and many other aspects. Interestingly, both groups identified "too many things to do, and not enough time in the day" as a significant contributor to the stress in their lives. When there is not enough time in the day, the things we take for grantedlike our diets and eating habits, in terms of what and when we eatoften suffer as a result. As someone in recovery from an eating disorder this is very true for me and I definitely fall into the vicious cycle of not taking care of my body leading to further stress which leads to less self care and more stress.
The truth is that diet and stress are very closely related. The food we eat affects the way our bodies function; the way our bodies function affects our tendencies to perceive events and situations as stressful. The purpose of this paper is to examine and report on specific areas where diet and stress are connected, and then discuss how diet affects the body and, in turn, levels of stress. A report on the related literature will assist in highlighting the diet-stress connection, the connection between food and brain chemistry, what exactly stress does to our bodies, the foods that prevent and induce stress, as well as stress in relation to unhealthy food
References: Army Physical Fitness Research Institute. (2006). Diet and stress. Retrieved January 28, 2006, 2006 from www.carlisle.army.mil/apfri/index.htm Cartwright, M., Wardle, J., Steggles, N., Simon, A Comer, R. J. (Ed.). (2004). Abnormal psychology (Fifth ed.). New York, New York: Worth Publishers. Goodman, B. (2004). Low-carb moods. Psychology Today, 37(2), 24. Grediagin, A McEwen, B. S. (2005). Stressed or stressed out: What is the difference? Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience : JPN [NLM - MEDLINE], 30(5), 315. Oregon State University Student Health Services Peterson, M., & Wilson, J. F. (2004). Work stress in america. International Journal of Stress Management [PsycARTICLES], 11(2), 91. Scott, E Wilburn, V. R., & Smith, D. E. (2005). Stress, self-esteem, and suicidal ideation in late adolescents. Adolescence, 40(157), 33.