Changing with the Seasons: Cold & Dark

Autumn: BULK UP

Just as the squirrels forage for nuts, hoard their gatherings and bulk up for the cold months, so should we!  Do not suppress the urge to take out your warm sweaters from storage, and go shopping or thrifting to prepare your wardrobe for the cold seasons ahead.  This is also the time to stock up your kitchen with hearty and warming foods, like root vegetables, dairy, oats, red meat, squash, broth, fatty fish, whole grains, brown rice, eggs, and legumes.  It's time to meal prep roasted squash, baked potatoes and beef stew.  These complex carbohydrates, protein and high fiber foods take longer to digest, which will raise your body temperature and keep you warm.  

The innate compulsion to have a sufficient layer of body fat for the cold months is nothing to be ashamed of; it goes deeper than the cultural notions of "bulk season" or "putting on some holiday weight."  The body requires a certain level of adipose tissue to maintain the hormones (the chemicals that tell our organs how to carry out their processes) necessary for thermoregulation.  In a study conducted on indigenous peoples in circumpolar regions, it was concluded that their ability to thrive in this climate was primarily contributed to adapting excess adipose tissue.  The amount of adipose tissue in the body directly correlates to levels of leptin hormone—a hormone necessary for thermoregulation, conserving energy, converting food into energy, weight control and feelings of satiation.  For these reasons, it is important to keep a healthy amount of body fat for the cold seasons or else regulating metabolic functions will be difficult.

A beautiful principle of changing with the seasons is checking your local market for what produce is in season, and trusting that the trends of the soil will provide what your body needs during the earth's changes.  For example, butternut squash and apples are a potent source of vitamin C and potassium to boost your immunity and the radiance of your skin during a time when the changing weather compromise your immune and integumentary systems.  Also stock up on warming spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, turmeric, cardamom and ginger.  These spices are also anti-inflammatory agents and will improve immune functions!  Spice up your roasts and soups with warming ingredients, such as oregano, thyme and garlic.  

It is promoted in many cultures to crave warm, cinnamon dusted baked goods when it's cold outside.  However, the cold weather causes an increase in blood sugar levels and excessive consumption of carbs and sugar is not advised!  Stick with those complex carbohydrates, proteins and fiber that will help you maintain a healthy body weight, while regulating metabolic functions during the cold seasons to come.

WINTER: HIBERNATE

As mammals living on earth, our circadian rhythm (sleep cycle) is linked with the sun.  Hunter and gatherer societies and agricultural communities rise with the sunrise and their work ends when the sun sets.  In most areas nowadays electricity gives us the illusion that society should remain up and running with the same rhythm year-round.  However, for many reasons this is why you may feel the urge to rest more throughout the darker winter days, and that is not a bad thing...it's only natural!  Lack of sunlight, cold temperatures, dietary shifts to heavier foods, and the immune system fending off seasonal colds and flus all contribute to excess fatigue.  Do not feel guilty about extending your sleep schedule a reasonable and consistent amount during the cold and dark months to receive the rest and recuperation that your body is asking for.

The tradition to "deck the halls" with Christmas lights may serve as more than just a pleasing aesthetic...these lights may help us regulate our bodies and emotions more than we know.  Since light is necessary for regulating our hormones, shorter exposure to light can signal the body to enter into a lethargic state, almost as if in hibernation.  Bear's melatonin levels (the sleep regulating hormone) increase 750% as they hibernate in the winter, and human levels increase 80%.  Optic exposure to light signals the pineal gland in the brain to stop producing melatonin.  80% of melatonin is supposed to be produced in the dark during the night to generate drowsiness.  Therefore, if the sun rises late and sets early, and melatonin is still pulsing through your blood and cerebrospinal fluid for most of the day, it is difficult to feel alert in the morning and stay awake at night.

Less sunlight on your skin also means less synthesis of vitamin D, which can cause fatigue.  In general, cold weather increases your metabolism, because your body is working overtime to maintain a homeostatic core temperature.  Your brain is also sending out different hormones to instruct your organs to function differently according to the seasonal shift--such as an increase in the previously mentioned thermoregulating hormone, leptin.  An increase in metabolism and shift in hormone production does not only require more food, but more sleep.  For some people struggling with severe seasonal fatigue, it may be beneficial to supplement with a vitamin D and B complex in the colder and darker seasons if they have a deficiency that is not easily fulfilled with increased exposure to sunlight and dietary changes.

It is important to acknowledge that a decrease in sunlight can lead to a decrease in serotonin—the feel-good hormone, leading to seasonal affective disorder (SAD).  This is yet another reason to "deck your halls," increase your exposure to sunlight, stay active, and maintain a healthy diet that avoids blood sugar fluctuations.  A glucose spike causes the pancreas to release insulin to decrease the blood glucose levels, which can then drastically drop the blood glucose levels back down.  These dramatic ups and downs of the blood glucose level can manifest as mood swings!  The brain requires a steady supply of glucose to stay balanced.  Avoid consuming excessive amounts of simple carbohydrates, alcohol and caffeine which can all cause spikes in glucose levels.  Once again, rely heavily on complex carbohydrates, proteins and fiber, which slow down the absorption of sugar.  

Another helpful supplement during the cold months can be omega-3.  Omega 3 will not only help with circulation during cold weather that causes blood vessels to constrict, but will dampen inflammation of the body.  Inflammation does not only compromise the immune system, but also majorly contributes to mood swings and depression.  Natural sources of omega 3 include flax, walnuts, hemp, chia, edamame, seaweed, algae, lamb and fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines).  Overall, be sure to bulk up and rest up during the cold months to ensure that you have sufficient sleep, light, exercise, and nourishment to keep your metabolic functions and mood stabilized during the cold and dark seasons.

*DISCLAIMER: Any and all dietary and supplement recommendations are generalized suggestions, and should not be implemented without first consulting a health professional, since each body has its unique requirements and reactions!