It's the middle of the afternoon. You've got 37 unread messages, a pile of paperwork, and your boss just asked for tomorrow's report today. What do you do? If you're like most people, you're likely to make a beeline for the kitchen and scarf down this morning's leftover donut to relieve the stress. There goes your diet.


Many of us are guilty of stress eating and we just don't know how to stop the vicious cycle of stress, eating, and guilt. In her new book, "Eat.Q.[1] ," psychologist and Huffington Post blogger Susan Albers[2] tackles the issue of how to stop stress and emotional eating.


"The majority of us deal with stress eating and emotional eating on a daily basis... workers today feel much more stress... when you feel burned out at work you're much more vulnerable to stress eating and weight gain. What we need to do is have strategies... to calm and soothe ourselves," Albers says.


Here are her top tips for those times when willpower alone just isn't enough:


Eat this, not that

mandarin orange


When you're itching for a sugar fix, try reaching for a mandarin orange. At around 50 calories, a mandarin orange[3] will not only satisfy your sweet tooth, it'll give you something to do. Albers says peeling the orange and smelling the citrusy scent creates a "meditative moment" to help calm you. The fruit is also rich in vitamin C, which your body needs to strengthen its immunity in times of stress.


Get cracking

eating pistachio


If you prefer the satisfaction of a crunchy treat, consider pistachios as a healthy alternative to salty, greasy chips. One of the lowest calorie nuts, pistachios are packed with healthy fats, fiber, and help regulate blood sugar[4] . This way, you won't experience the painful sugar spike and drop as you would with something sweet and fatty. Just make sure you buy them in the shell.


See red

red plate


Albers says red cues send a strong message to our brain. Stop. Try eating with a red plate or put a red sign on your fridge. If that's not enough to stop you from stress eating, it will at least make you more aware of your bad habit.


Lend yourself a hand, the wrong hand

hand eating


If you're right-handed, try eating with your left hand, and vice-versa. Using your non-dominant hand will slow you down and make you more mindful of your food -- a central part of any healthy eating plan. Albers says this is one of the easiest and most effective tricks.


Calm things down

drinking tea


When we're in a stressful situation, our levels of the stress hormone, cortisol[5] , rises, which can cause weight gain. The key is to reduce cortisol, Albers says. Have a glass of black tea, which has been shown to reduce cortisol[6] . Take a minute to do some deep breathing exercises. Unplug your phone or close out your email and stop multitasking for a moment. All of these will help get your cortisol levels back down to normal.


Above all, the key is mindfulness, Albers stresses. "Be aware if you're falling into the trap of soothing and comforting yourself with food, that is one of the issues that's leading to your weight gain. For many of my clients, if they can target eliminating stress eating, they can lose weight and feel better. It's a powerful thing for people to tackle," Albers says.



Earlier on HuffPost50:




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  • Taking A Bath


    Ahhh. Why does taking a warm bath instantly destress us? "[It] calms our physiology [and] relaxes the vessels," explains Dr. Ackrill of the American Institute of Stress and WellSpark, a leadership development firm.




  • Praying


    Praying can lead people to feel a connection with their spiritual health, writes Dr. Cynthia Ackrill.




  • Eating Chocolate


    "I have a love affair with chocolate, but unfortunately, sugar is not a help in stress," Dr. Ackrill shares with Huff/Post50. "We crave it -- we want dopamine and serotonin to feel better -- but it is not a help at all in the long run. Sugar actually is inflammatory (a version of a stressor)."




  • Snuggling With Puppies


    Got a dog (or two or three)? "Loving pets lowers blood pressure and increases immune responses, counteracting the negative effects of stress," Dr. Ackrill explains. But don't think your puppy<em> is</em>a stress cure-all, she explains. "Don't keep living a life that is filled with stress and stressful perspectives, then love on your dog -- make changes and love the dog!"




  • Listening To Music: Brahms Violin Concerto In D Major


    "Some music actually increases coherence of our heart rate -- a really healthy state," Dr. Ackrill writes. "And if you are actively listening you are less focused on the stress."




  • Getting A Hug


    Don't underestimate the power of human connection as a form of instant stress reduction. "We need more touch, [which is] sometimes a challenge as we age," Dr. Ackrill writes. "Massage even releases anti-stress chemicals."




  • Knitting


    The rhythmic movement and creative energy expelled during a knitting session can instantly reduce stress.




  • Listening To Audiobooks


    When you listen to an audiobook to destress, you're "usually [shifting] focus," Dr. Ackrill allows. "But if the stressor is still looming, this may only be procrastination. If it sparks creative thinking to deal with a stressor -- to expand thought patterns -- it may be helpful."




  • Walking The Dog


    When you walk the dog you're hitting three stress reducers in one activity: exercise, and being around animals and nature, according to Dr. Ackrill.




  • Drinking Water


    When we are stressed out, we tend to get dehydrated, Dr. Ackrill explained. Drinking water can be soothing and a way to help our bodys handle all the reactions that happen when we're stressed.




  • Listening To Music: Dave Matthews Band


    Readers told us they automatically destressed when they heard Dave Matthews' music. (For a two-for, watch <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXe8PFKsOIc">Dave Matthews Band's video for the single "Everyday,"</a> featuring lots of hugs.)




  • Eating Strawberry Ice Cream


    As with chocolate, this instant destressor can actually cause more harm than good in the long run. While we love that rush of feel-good hormones dopamine and serotonin, sugar causes inflammation, a type of internal stress.




  • Deep Breathing


    A number of Facebook fans said deep breathing instantly reduces their stress, and for good reason. "This is one of the oldest and cheapest forms of stress management known to mankind!" writes Dr. Ackrill. "Mindful breathing resets brain patterns, increases heart rate coherence, lowers blood pressure and many more effects." Yoga and meditation also made it on the list.




  • 'Seeing My Grandkid's Smiles'


    Experiencing the love of our families creates a connection that releases inflammation-fighting DHEA and other chemicals, explains Dr. Ackrill.




  • Crying


    Crying can release tension, but is not a proven stress reducer, Dr. Ackrill told Huff/Post50.




  • Dancing


    Dr. Ackrill calls dancing an "excellent" way to instantly reduce stress. "Movement releases stress reducing chemicals as well as chemicals that support brain growth. Exercise rivals antidepressants."