Do you feel grumpier and hungrier in Winter?
Me too, so I thought I’d share with you the reasons why and six things you can do to stave off winter weight gain.
Before we had central heating and supermarkets, winter was quite a scary time for us humans, the Autumn harvest would dictate how much fuel you had for the colder months, so the urge to eat more at the first hint of cold weather could be your body’s biological response to a possible famine – much like a wild animal would put on body fat for hibernation.
Colder weather causes our body temperature to drop which means that we burn more calories! Don’t get excited though, it is a fairly minimal amount you’ll lose, and varies greatly from person to person.
Consuming food will cause the body temperature to increase and when our body temperature decreases, we often feel the urge to eat more, with the temptation being eating lots of high-sugar processed foods, which causes a spike in blood sugar levels, followed by a dip, which will leave you still cold, still hungry and cause weight gain.
Then on top of this, the production of the brain’s happy neurotransmitter Serotonin is linked to exposure to sunlight, so a lack of natural sunlight, can cause a low mood, which leads us to comfort eat on highly palatable foods.
And to make it even harder for us Brits, the festive season is in our Winter, and it’s a time to eat rich foods and overindulge (not like the Aussies, who slip healthy shrimps on the Barbie).
If relocating to a country with warmer climates isn’t an option for you (me neither) then here are some tips to help you get through Winter!
- Get outside during daylight hours and try to get some sun on your skin – make sure that you take a supplement with vitamin D as well.
- Exercise regularly – it will take your mind off feeling sad about Winter and boost your mood
- Fill up on wholesome foods – try making some nourishing homemade soups and stews that will fill you up (I love my slow cooker this time of year)
- Eat regularly so that you don’t get too many cravings for sugary foods
- Find other ways to boost your mood that don’t involve food, talk to a friend, go for a walk, or make a nice hot drink.
- Stay hydrated – just because it is not hot outside doesn’t mean that you don’t need more water – central heating can contribute to dehydration so drink up!
The saying goes that summer bodies were carved in the winter, so if you’d like to make some positive changes this winter, drop me an email or book a free discovery call.
Keep warm, love
Nicola
