Life turmoil takes toll on diet, exercise

NEW YORK — Breakfast is diet Pepsi and two packets of M&Ms. For lunch, macaroons and white chocolates filled with marzipan from the farmers market near Wall Street.

After learning her job would be cut this summer, Kelly Daly started reaching more frequently for the soothing effects of sugar.

"It's a stress reliever, especially now that a bunch of us are going to be laid-off," says the 49-year-old Daly, whose job reviewing medical insurance records in Manhattan's financial district is being cut after 11 years.

As the credit and housing crises rattle the nation, pressures over bigger workloads, job security, higher food prices and shrinking nest eggs are upending diets and fueling unhealthy habits across the country.

Stressed workers often reach for calorie-rich foods, skip the gym after a taxing day, or forgo meals because of heavy workloads. Or they indulge in other bad-for-you behavior, such as smoking, drinking or staying out late.

But it is in times of duress, experts say, that minding your health is perhaps more critical than ever.

Eating right and getting exercise may seem burdensome and even frivolous under such circumstances, but it actually gives people a greater sense of control and calm, says registered dietitian Heather Bauer, author of "The Wall Street Diet."

"It's one less thing to stress you out," Bauer says. "If you're out of a job or in a financial slump, it can give you a sense of inspiration as well."

Stress can take more serious, physical tolls. People under great stress release hormones and nerve chemicals that weaken the immune system, rendering them more susceptible to illness, says Dr. Esther Sternberg, who studies the effects of stress at the National Institute of Mental Health.

Taking a brisk, 10-minute walk can do wonders for clearing the head, says Marlene Clark, a dietitian with Cedar Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Laying off the caffeine — coffee, tea, soda or even chocolate — could also help calm nerves, she says.