Is Anxiety Affecting Your Nutrition?

Anxiety and nutrition may not be something that you think are linked but there is a direct relationship between the two. Whether you are struggling with anxiety in general or increased anxiety around food, understanding the connection can help you practice skills to reduce your anxiety and ensure that you are getting the nutrition that you need to thrive.

Fight or Flight Response

Let’s dive into some of the science behind anxiety. Imagine yourself walking down a dark ally and all of a sudden, a huge barking dog comes running towards you with teeth bared. Immediately you might notice some of the following physical changes driven by your sympathetic nervous system:

Heart rate increases to move oxygen to major muscle groups
Blood pressure increases
Pale or flushed skin as blood flow is being redirected
Blunt pain response compromised
Pupils dilate to take in more light
Senses are heightened
Glucose released in the bloodstream to provide energy to react

The anxiety/stress response is a beneficial function. It protects you from threats but is only designed for short bursts (like the dog running at you) when there is a real emergency. However, when you find yourself in a chronically anxious state it can poorly affect your nutrition. You likely won’t feel hunger cues and your stomach may feel uneasy so food doesn’t sound appealing. This leads to eating less and missing out on essential nutrients or eating in odd patterns that cause you to under and overeat.

What’s happening in your gut?

In general, activation of the sympathetic nervous system in a stressed state causes blood to be diverted away from the GI tract, inhibits gastrointestinal secretion and motor activity, and contracts gastrointestinal sphincters and blood vessels.

In short, your body isn’t prioritizing digestion in a stressed state. It’s moving blood and hormones to parts of your body needed to flee or fight the threat.

fight-or-flight-and-rest-and-digest-to-reduce-anxiety — Fight or flight is the state your body is in when stressed or anxious no matter the cause. The rest and digest state is when your body is in a relaxed state and ready to prioritize digestion and nutrient utilization.

When we think about some of the phrases we use to describe how we feel when we are anxious or stressed it’s no wonder there is a direct connection between anxiety and nutrition; these phrases describe what physical sensations we are feeling in our stomach. I’m sure you’ve heard or used the terms:

Butterflies in your stomach
Kick to the gut
Stomach in knots
My stomach just dropped when I heard the bad news
Or you’ve probably experienced the feeling of food just sitting in your stomach when you’ve been anxious.

Body hack for reduced anxiety

Addressing anxiety may take a few methods like seeking counseling or medication. Both of which I am in favor of when necessary, but there are also some other things you can do to help. This ‘body hack’ of sorts involves consciously activating the parasympathetic nervous system which is also known as the ‘rest and digest’ system.

The simplest way to turn that system on is taking deep belly breaths. This tells your body that there isn’t a threat present and allows it to relax.

For those that are experiencing heightened anxiety around food practice this technique away from food first. It’s a skill and just like with any skill you have to practice it before it becomes automatic and useful.

Take 5 to 10 deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Notice how you feel both before and after. Soon start taking this technique in with you to the kitchen or dining room. Even grounding yourself by physically placing your feet on the ground can provide a relaxing effect. Other practices to start incorporating in your day to day to help reduce anxiety include practicing mindfulness, relaxed movement, or spending time in nature. Basic self-care nutrition can help as well.

activating-rest-and-digest-to-reduce-anxiety — *Doing just one or all of the above can help reduce some anxiety and activate the rest and digest system.*

Beyond the physical feelings

Examining what sensations you are feeling and doing some introspective thinking beyond the simple hack of deep breathing is also important because the anxiety is often driven by emotions. For many people with an eating disorder or a disordered relationship with food anxiety often comes at mealtimes. This is when increased thoughts of potential weight gain or feelings of fullness kick in. This can cause emotions like fear, disgust, anger, distress, etc.

The good news is that emotions come and go. Being an observer of these passing emotions without getting tangled in them allows you the space to decide how to engage in them. For example, if mealtimes lead you to feeling like there is a pit or ball in your stomach and the thought of eating seems impossible sit back and take a few breaths first. This overrides that instinctual reaction anxiety causes. Next, observe what feelings and emotions are coming up for you. Is it fear that this food will cause weight gain? Or is it some other emotion or some other stressor from the day causing general anxiety?

Identifying the reason behind the anxiety is key as it helps us better understand ourselves. My advice for anyone struggling with anxiety-driven out of fear of food or body image is seeking professional help to better understand nutrition and work towards food freedom.