Is the Cold Weather Making You Hungrier?
Is the Cold Weather Making You Hungrier?
It seems like as soon as the leaves change color and the temperatures drop, my appetite/hunger is on the rise. So, I decided to research this phenomenon and see if it was just me or if there was something to this. What I discovered: when the weather outside is frightful … the food is so delightful! If that's the tune that runs through your head from November through March, you're not alone. As temperatures dip, experts say, our winter appetites can spin out of control.
It's cold, days are shorter, and nights are longer. This year in particular has been stressful on even the strongest of folks and the holidays haven’t even begun yet. Maybe you have a case of the seasonal blues. Whatever the reason, experts say, when winter hits, cravings for comfort foods increase. And unfortunately, few of us find comfort in salads or fruits and vegetables.
While some suggest those winter cravings are a throwback to the days when folks needed extra layers of body fat to survive the winter, most experts say the answer lies in modern physiology. "Simply put, when outdoor temperatures drop, your body temperature drops, and that's what sets up the longing for foods that will warm you quickly," says Kristin McAllister, a nutrition expert with the Diabetes Centers of America. In short, she says, feeling cold triggers a self-preservation mode that sends the body a message to heat up fast. And that message is often played out as a craving for carbohydrate-rich foods - the sugars and starches that provide the instant "heat" boost your body is longing for. When we give in to those cravings for sugary, starchy foods, blood sugar spikes and then falls, setting up a cycle that keeps the appetite in motion. "We get hungrier quicker, so we reach for more high-carbohydrate 'fillers,' and the vicious cycle is on," says McAllister.
While for some it's falling temperatures that sets appetites in motion, for others, it's the decrease in sunlight. "Up to 6% of the population suffers from SAD - a type of depression caused by a lack of exposure to light," says McAllister. SAD stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder and it occurs the same time each year as the days are shorter, but it goes away as the days get longer in spring and summer. Besides shorter days and a decrease of light in the winter, other causes include problems with the body's biological clock or in levels of the brain chemical, serotonin. "People who are affected with SAD have lower blood levels of serotonin," she says. "Not surprisingly, those carbohydrate-rich foods give us a serotonin rush, so for many people, winter food cravings are a way of self-medicating.”
At the same time, winter can cut into physical activity. Not only do shorter days and colder weather reduce our outdoor time, but in many locations, snow and ice make our normal fitness activities impossible. Since exercise helps increase serotonin levels, McAllister says the lack of activity is a double whammy: "If we're not exercising, our appetite increases, and ultimately that means we're eating more and moving less - and that's a disaster plan for weight gain.”
Despite all these appetite-boosting factors, experts say you CAN take control. With a little bit of planning, you can keep your life and your appetite in perfect harmony all year long. Here is some suggestion:
1. Have a Healthy Snack.
Eat a high-protein, high-fiber snack between meals. Healthy snacking will fuel your body's heat mechanism, helping keep you warmer. The warmer we remain in cold weather, the less we crave carbs.
2. Make a Winter Activity Plan.
Put pen to paper and list all the things you did in spring and summer, then write a corresponding list of winter activities you could do. Not only does exercise burn calories, it also affects brain chemicals linked to appetite, so it can help control how much you eat.
3. Get a Daily Dose of Light.
If you think your food cravings may be related to shorter days, try to spend at least some time outdoors in sunlight every day. If that's not possible, talk to your doctor about light therapy - a way of increasing serotonin levels through exposure to artificial light.
4. Keep a Lid on Seasonal Goodies.
Halloween candy, pies, cakes and Christmas cookies just to name a few. Don’t be afraid to toss out the leftovers in this group.
And remember, you’re not alone in this battle. Like I now say on a daily basis, stay diligent and stay healthy. Do not beat yourself up or overthink it. Especially since the year is still 2020.
Kim Duke is a certified personal trainer and owner of Core Performance Fitness and Training located at 55 Bristol Lane, Ellicottville, NY. Kim resides in Ellicottville where she raised her two sons, Zach and Nik. For more information about her studio visit her Facebook page or www.coreperformancefitness.com. Reach Kim at kduke65@gmail.com.
