Beating the Winter Blues... and Winter Weight!

We’ve all been there… a deeply cold winter afternoon, our feet propped up with a bowl of popcorn, comfy socks, and Netflix on deck. It’s so very easy to be idle when the weather outside is miserable. This kind of behavior is particularly common if you live somewhere with short sunlight hours in the winter. Or… if you’re me and just HATE being in the cold. I hide indoors WAY too much.

Why do we have such low energy levels in the winter, and what should we do about it?

Well, living in the dark, with an early sunset and less direct exposure to bright sunlight can actually reduce our levels of serotonin, an important mood and appetite hormone. When our bodies detect the dip in this critical hormone it signals cravings for refined carbs and calorie-dense foods.

This kind of signal is a common way our body tries to tell us that it’s having trouble maintaining its balance. You see, the body doesn’t always understand WHY its environment has changed, it just knows that something is different and it sends out the craving signal as a way of alerting us to the imbalance and suggesting ONE way of finding its balance again. 

It’s important as we practice Open Eating to honor the signals we receive but to apply our own wisdom to the signal, sometimes we need to see behind the signal to the WHY that prompted it. After all, craving M&Ms doesn’t always mean we SHOULD eat M&Ms.

In this case, when winter weather and seasonal short days kick in it can cause our serotonin… our “happy” brain chemicals, to dip. There are a lot of ways we can help to offset this issue, holiday chocolates are just ONE of the options!

Some other ideas:

• Take winter walks in the middle of the day. It might take some extra planning and bundling but try and maximize the available sunshine.
• Plan nutrient-packed meals with whole grains and whole fruits and vegetables.
• Buy a rowing machine or get a gym membership to keep your activity levels up in the winter months. Better yet- get some free weights or do simple calisthenics!
• Boost Vitamin D intake, through mushrooms, fish, or other foods fortified with Vitamin D.
• Stay social! Healthy social interactions can help to balance our serotonin (especially for you extroverts out there), remember that Open Eating easily incorporates lifestyle choices beyond the calories and nutrients we consume.

As we face the long cold winter months, it can be easy to overlook hydration. Cold weather doesn’t trigger thirst in the same way that warm weather does. In addition, the darkness suppresses energy levels, prompting an increased consumption of caffeine, especially through warm drinks like coffee or tea. Caffeine is a diuretic, which can make it more difficult to stay adequately hydrated in the winter months. Some warning signs that your hydration might be out of whack are dry skin and constipation. These are pretty clear signals from the body that you need to cut back the caffeine and boost your consumption of the wonder nutrient

What are some of your ways to boost your mood during the long winter months?