For many of us, stress is a major trigger for overeating and overeating causes more stress. Stress and the hormones it releases drive us to overeat and to gravitate towards empty calorie foods that stimulate our brains’ pleasure centers. Here are some proven steps you can take to reduce stress and lower the risk of overeating and it's related health issues.

Food is either a source of internal stress or a stress reliever. But when we're stressed out, most people turn to things like sugar, caffeine and alcohol which just increases stress. Luckily we can break this cycle by giving our bodies what they need to better handle stress, and by removing food or beverage stressors from our diet. Sound easier said than done? Read on.