Stress is something that we all deal with. And we all have our own ways of dealing with it. One of the most common ways that people deal with stress, especially chronic stress, is eating. When we are stressed, our bodies release a stress hormone called cortisol, as well as the hunger hormone, ghrelin.

Ghrelin stimulates the release of dopamine in the brain, which tells the body that it wants to eat. Cortisol is what triggers our cravings for foods that are salty, sweet, and fried. In other words, when you are feeling stressed, you suddenly have a strong appetite and an intense desire for foods that give you a burst of energy and pleasure.

Enchiridion  36 states As the proposition, "Either it is day or it is night," is extremely proper for a disjunctive argument, but quite improper in a conjunctive one, so, at a feast, to choose the largest share is very suitable to the bodily appetite, but utterly inconsistent with the social spirit of an entertainment. When you eat with another, then, remember not only the value of those things which are set before you to the body, but the value of that behavior which ought to be observed towards the person who gives the entertainment.

What this means is that we have to work through inner conflicts. There are many contradictions in life and stress is a reflection of this. We cannot have things both ways in life and we cannot be passive about what is good for the soul and the body.

We cannot look at things with a narrow point of view and expect the best of a situation. Things do not go our way. This does not help with living a better life or a life of harmony. We need to deal with issues directly. Habits can develop where we try to avoid this like eating to feed stress is one of them.