Pain and pleasure are two of the most powerful motivators. If you are considering changing your behaviour, it is critical that you understand why you are acting the way you do. Overeating and stress have a close relationship. The pleasure centre of your brain is activated when you eat good food. When you begin eating, the central part of your brain lights up and releases chemicals that help you feel good. It is more common when you consume foods with a high sugar or fat content. This implies that you will do anything to avoid suffering rather than suffer in silence and eating good food that makes you happy is one way to get rid of all the pain and depression. Your mood can also be dependent on your gut health. Three basic steps to avoid stress eating Make sure that you keep the following things in mind in order to avoid stress eating: Create awareness in yourself A typical day for someone who eats normally would consist of three main meal courses and a few snacks in between. This may differ for a shift worker, so it is critical that people who work shifts need proper nutrition. When it comes to choosing, however, some people may prefer more healthy options. It is critical that the foods you choose to eat belong to different food groups. Your diet should include a healthy balance of carbohydrates and proteins, as well as fats and sugars on occasion. Overeating until you feel you …

Making health a priority for those who work in shifts can be difficult. It is critical to understand the science behind how and when our bodies use different foods. This knowledge can help us make better decisions and prevent late-night shifts from negatively impacting our health. Our bodies are accustomed to a certain routine, and if you begin working outside of the typical nine to five schedule, your body will become confused. Working at night contradicts our circadian rhythm, which serves as our body clock. Typically, there are different processes that occur in the morning and processes that occur at night. Your circadian rhythm ensures that your body uses energy wisely, and if it does not, it may begin to affect other organs as well. During the night, digestion slows down. This is why the body does not break down food or any other component as well at night as it does during the day. Also, our bodies burn less energy at night, so anything you eat after 9pm will be far more than your body can handle. If you do this for an extended period of time, you may increase your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and weight gain. Anyone who works shifts understands how difficult it is to maintain a healthy diet. On the other hand, there may be some factors beyond your control. Workers eat most of the time to combat fatigue and stay awake. Shift workers may find themselves stress eating and turning to …

The pandemic has undoubtedly had an impact on our mental health. Not only have we been influenced by the major upheaval, but so have a large number of other people. There has been a lot of research done over the years on the chemistry of food and how it can affect your mental health. In fact, when it comes to the prevention and treatment of mental illnesses, diet is a non-negotiable factor. Hippocrates, an ancient Greek physician, stated that all disease begins in the gut. Almost 3000 years later, scientists have discovered that the gut and the microbes that live in it are essential for cognitive function and brain health. If you're wondering what a healthy gut is, you should eat foods that produce microbes that have a positive effect on your mood and help manage stress eating. The following are some of the things that will help you find answers to all of your questions. The bacteria in your gut There are both good and bad bacteria in your gut. In fact, there are a number of fungi and viruses in there as well. All of these are referred to as the gut microbiota. Several factors, including environmental and genetic factors, may influence the composition of microbes in your gut. These factors are usually difficult to manage and cannot be changed. However, everything you eat has a direct relationship to the existence of various microbes in your body. Improving your gut health There are several things that you can …

Supermarkets are slightly scary places at the moment as Australia prepares for the unknown. Will we be quarantined? Will we be stuck at home? Do we want to brave the supermarket as this pandemic escalates? Temporary product shortages abound as we panic-buy life’s essentials and although there’s no need to hoard, it makes sense to try to minimize trips to the supermarket and stock up a little. So we may have to be a bit adaptable and flexible with our food choices. At the same time we need to be trying to keep our bodies and immune systems healthy, so healthy eating is important. Here’s the Apple-A-Day Dietetics guide to pantry staples to grab if you can: Legumes – a lot of people are onto this already, but legumes are a versatile vegetable that provide protein, low GI carbohydrates, plenty of fibre and are a good source of iron. Tinned or dried are both good options, though dried will take longer to cook. These could be made into a curry eg dahl, thrown through a pasta dish or salad, made into burgers or used to extend meat dishes, among many other options.Canned fish – Excellent protein source and a good source of immune boosting omega 3 fats. Buy bigger tins for better value. Can be mixed through pasta, made into rissoles, used as a sandwich filling or just eaten straight!Nuts and nut butters – Nuts and nut butters provide healthy fats and protein and store really well. Seeds like chia …

I'm a bit obsessed with gut bacteria at the moment. I've been brewing kombucha, fermenting kimchi... I even bought a yoghurt maker! New research keeps popping up linking the gut microbiome to everything from metabolic syndrome to depression risk. So here's a little run-down on gut bacteria: The gut microbiota and microbiome explained: Our gut is home to trillions of bacteria, viruses and other microbes referred to as the gut microbiota, while the genetic material inside these cells are what we call the gut microbiome. The entire microbiota in our gastrointestinal tract weighs between 0.5 to 2 kilograms. One-third of our gut microbiota is common to most people, while two-thirds are specific to each one of us. This makes our gut microbiome as unique as our fingerprints. The gut microbiome is not a static thing. It changes throughout life after first colonising the gut shortly after birth and continuing to gather new members from the environment throughout life. Variation is highest during childhood, and it gradually decreases with age. Illness, antibiotic use, fever, stress, injury and dietary changes all affect the blend of microbes that make up the microbiome. Gut bacteria research: There are really exciting new discoveries being published and further research underway, including: -  Weight loss - Overweight and healthy weight twins were found to have significant differences in gut microbiota, with less diversity found in within the overweight twin. When their gut bacteria were transplanted into mice, those with the overweight bacterial transplant gained weight, while those with the healthy weight bacteria didn't. - …