Stress eating during the holidays is a common challenge driven by anxiety and the desire for comfort. It often leads to frequent grazing and increased calorie intake, especially from sugary foods that provide a temporary dopamine boost. Understanding this behavior can help individuals approach holiday gatherings with a healthier mindset and strategies to curb overindulgence.

Simple tips like swapping sugary snacks for healthier alternatives, staying hydrated, and engaging in non-food-related activities like walking or decorating can make a big difference. Limiting indulgence to just a day or two and managing leftovers effectively can also help maintain balance throughout the festive season without sacrificing enjoyment.

Highlights of the Podcast

00:17 – What is Stress Eating?

01:40 – Tips to Manage Stress Eating

03:11 – Distractions and Hydration

04:05 – Managing Leftovers Post-Holiday Meals

KLIF 570 NEWS Host [00:00:00] Clayton and Sybil, and we’re talking about stress eating during the holidays. And healthy living expert Dr. Matt Chalmers joins us on the phone line this morning. Doctor, thanks for coming on the show.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:00:09] Absolutely. Thanks for having me.

KLIF 570 NEWS Host [00:00:10] So seasonal stress eating, that is a real thing, right? People are eating, ordering the holidays because of stress.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:00:17] Absolutely. The vast majority of the time you have.

KLIF 570 NEWS Host [00:00:22] So what does that look like then? I mean, does that just mean that people are just, you know, constantly chowing down or does it come in doses? It means more portions. What does it look like? Is it different for everyone?

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:00:32] It’s a little different for everybody, but it’s kind of all of those things. What we consider the most is we’re just continually grazing throughout the day where it’s all a handful of this and a handful of that. And before the end of the day, you’ve eaten twice as much as you normally would.

Host 2 [00:00:45] What are some of the causes that make people can do this comfort eating?

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:00:52] Anxiety is the biggest one. So one of the ways that we try to calm anxiety is with a little bit of kick a dopamine. And so every time you get some of that, that sugary comfort food to kind of kick you back out and you’re like, okay, these are scary, but I’ll be okay. And so that’s kind of what precipitates it.

KLIF 570 NEWS Host [00:01:07] So is there a pass on Thanksgiving as far as stress eating is concerned, or is it never recommended?

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:01:13] The thing is, is that we certainly we want to start pushing back against that. So kind of give yourself a little bit of grace and understand that the best memories from your your family holidays are the ones that are a little quirky. So take a little pressure off of yourself, allow those things to happen. And as that stress comes off, you’re going to eat a little bit less.

Host 2 [00:01:30] And what are some good tips that people like, especially me? My hand has raised that we can incorporate so that we’re curbing some of this stress eating during the holidays?

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:01:40] Yes. Let’s just say it’s a protection grace that the other side is that you’re not going to get rid of all of it. And so let’s try to swap some stuff out. So if you’re eating berries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or, you know, if you want to have it with whipped cream, those are fantastic little snacks to do because it’s not going to raise your relationship function too much. Now there’s time to grow our chocolate, but it’s just certain candies. So we’ll start looking at more of the kiddo stuff that has a lot less sugar in it. You know, it’s not going to be something that you can eat all of it, but at least we’re taking the sugars out. So that’s one of things we can start looking for as far as, you know, little chocolate candy. Yes.

Host 2 [00:02:14] So maybe cooking recipes with like low sodium or fat free alternatives using some sort of a healthier dietary needs. Right.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:02:24] Yeah. So great things we try to do with the biggest things we’re looking for as far as gaining fat is going to be your sugars because a lot of times you’re like, I don’t eat the fat because it makes me fat. That’s not actually how it happens. The sugar creates an insulin rush. The influence stores everything as fat.

KLIF 570 NEWS Host [00:02:41] Dr. Matt Chalmers is with us this morning. Healthy living expert. We’re talking about comfort or stress, eating, whatever you want to call it. You know, something that I thought was interesting here as we talk about ways to introduce other things on Thanksgiving than food. Now, I know that the holiday surrounds food and nobody’s trying to take that away, but it was an interesting tip to do other things away from the food table or from the dinner table, maybe just to distract. What have you heard about that is people had success doing that. Maybe it be an activity decorating, whatever, or just away from the food.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:03:11] Yeah, that’s a fantastic thing to do. So, you know, one of the things if you can go out and take a walk, if you can play basketball or football or baseball, just do something active with again, with your family. Is it a game that will bring out your memory function so that that makes it very nice or it also that activity will keep things. You know, you’re you’re using up that energy instead of adding it into the body.

Host 2 [00:03:31] And I’ve heard not just when it comes to stress eating, but when you’re trying to watch your weight in general, drink water first, kind of stay hydrated. Is there truth to that?

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:03:41] Absolutely. There’s a lot of time for people to eat, but they’re actually hungry. Their body is saying, hey, I need you to put something inside of me and you have to keep everyone going and do it all. Just eat or drink some water that’ll satiate you tremendously and keep you hydrated, which is going to help your health all the way through.

KLIF 570 NEWS Host [00:03:57] The other angle, this is leftovers. Do you discourage people from taking home the leftovers if they’re kind of stressed?

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:04:05] How much of this this carries on the meal for several days? Yeah. Now, here’s the thing. If you’re going to have a really just crazy eat everything you see Thursday, that’s fine. It’s not really going to hurt you if you carry that on to the next day. That’s not that bad either. But the problem is that when we continue this from basically Halloween all the way through the first week in January.

Host 2 [00:04:25] Yeah, so true. And when you’re hosting, you end up if nobody takes the leftovers or they forget, you end up eating that for, like you just said, days and days and days and the problem continues.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:04:36] Exactly.

KLIF 570 NEWS Host [00:04:38] Dr. Matt Chalmers, healthy living expert, thank you so much for jumping on. We appreciate it.

Dr. Matt Chalmers [00:04:42] Any time.

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Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only. Before taking any action based on this information you should first consult with your physician or health care provider. This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions regarding a medical condition, your health, or wellness