Stress affecting healthy choices

Stress is taking a toll on Australians, with the findings of recent research showing almost nine in 10 (88 per cent) of people are seeing major impacts to their overall health and wellbeing.

Despite people being clued in on the healthy habits that help alleviate stress, the research commissioned by global nutrition and food tracking app MyFitnessPal showed healthy routines of exercise, sleep, and good nutrition suffered the most at times of high stress.

“Aussies are stressed out – and it’s taking a toll on their ability to make healthy choices,” Australian sleep expert Olivia Arezzolo said.

“A lack of sleep can exacerbate stress, which can lead to poor nutrition choices and overall fatigue. Each element is intertwined, creating a vicious cycle that can impact overall wellbeing.

“Keeping track of your nutrition and exercise habits can really help in these moments of stress, and make you feel less overwhelmed o rmore in control of your wellbeing.”

When asked what routines were important to follow when stressed, physical exercise (58 per cent), sleep (51 per cent), and increasing nutrient-rich foods such as fruit (42 per cent) came out on top for Australian respondents.

However, despite their best intentions, a good night’s sleep (60 per cent ) was found to be the routine most affected for stressed-out Australians.

It doesn’t stop there, as more than half admitted their diet (52 per cent) was negatively affected, while a third (33 per cent) said exercise routines suffered. As a result, more than a third (38 per cent) even reported illnesses such as headaches or sickness.

“While Aussies are knowledgeable when itcomes to healthy habits, it can be difficult putting this into practice,” MyFitnessPal chief marketing officer Katie Keil said.

“AtMyFitnessPal, we want to help Australians by providing them with the tools andinformation they need to support them in moments that matter.

“Our recently launched ‘Sleep’ in-app integration allows users to track their sleep, nutrition, and fitness in the one location so that they can get a holistic view of their wellness and see how the quantity and quality of what they eat impacts their overall health.”

The “Sleep” app integration has been created to help users more easily keep track of how their food choices affect their sleep, giving them insights into their “wellness trifecta” in one place.