Supporting Your Body’s Changing Internal Environment with the Change of the Seasons

AS THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND US CHANGES WITH THE SEASONS, SO DO THE ENVIRONMENTS WITHIN US. OUTSIDE OF US, THE SUNLIGHT HOURS ARE SHORTER AND THE NIGHTS ARE LONGER. PLANTS GO DORMANT, CRITTERS ARE LESS ACTIVE, AND SOME ANIMALS GO INTO HIBERNATION. WITHIN US, OUR BLOOD PRESSURE AND CHOLESTEROL LEVELS RISE, OUR MICROBIOME CHANGES, BRAIN CHEMICALS SHIFT, AND OUR BODY’S NEEDS FOR FOOD, EXERCISE AND SLEEP ARE ALTERED, TOO.

THIS TIME OF YEAR, STRUGGLES WITH EMOTIONAL EATING are often amplified. Seventy-five percent of overeating is caused by emotional eating, and with the rise in depression and seasonal affective disorder during the darker winter months, it’s no wonder avoiding cravings for comfort foods is so difficult. Add to that all the carbohydrate-rich and sugar laden treats that are all around us during the holidays, and avoiding the overeating trap feels nearly impossible.

Serotonin is a “feel good” neurotransmitter connected with mood, drive, ambition, decision making, and the ability to experience pleasure. It’s the brain’s natural antidepressant and along with mood, it also helps to regulate sleep and appetite. Low levels can cause symptoms like depression, aggression, premenstrual syndrome, migraine headaches, constipation, diarrhea, insomnia, lack of concentration, slow reactions, and others.

Cravings for carbohydrates and sweets can be triggered by low levels of serotonin for several reasons. Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center found that serotonin is an important part of appetite regulation because it activates the nerves that curb appetite while simultaneously deactivating the nerves that increase appetite. When you’re feeling emotionally down and out due to low serotonin, eating carbs and sweets can provide the emotional boost your brain is searching for. These results are only temporary, though, and are usually followed by another dip in serotonin shortly after, leading to more cravings and an endless cycle of binging. Because of its role in regulating physical hunger cues and triggering emotional eating patterns, low serotonin levels are often linked with eating disorders.

Along with the reduced sunlight hours and dip in temperature during the fall and winter months, our levels of serotonin naturally decrease, too. Since it has such a significant impact on our mood and appetite regulation, it’s no wonder our ability to curb emotional eating becomes increasingly difficult at this time of year and winter weight gain seems inevitable. With just some small tweaks to our routines, though, we can encourage healthy levels of serotonin to stick around throughout the year.

Serotonin levels, like most of our other chemicals and hormones, fluctuate rhythmically on a 24-hour circadian cycle. The main method by which our internal clocks stay on schedule and maintain production of these chemicals at the right times of day are through sun exposure and sleep cycles. For this reason, it’s crucial to maintain consistent sleep patterns every night and get some sun exposure, even if it’s through a window, during the day.

Exercise affects the levels of serotonin in the brain, as well. During physical activity, electrical activity of serotonin in the brain increases, along with serotonin and dopamine (a neurotransmitter that impacts metabolism) levels in the blood. By getting outside and moving your body during daylight hours, your brain gets a boost in two ways; through sun exposure and exercise. Keep in mind that exercise doesn’t
have to be intense, though. During this time of year, when energy is naturally lower, choose activities that feel replenishing to you, rather than draining. The goal should be to increase circulation and oxygen to improve energy, not to work yourself into the ground and further deplete energy.

You may have heard of tryptophan, the amino acid that can act as a sedative in our bodies. It’s abundant in meat, and it’s been speculated that the tryptophan present in our Thanksgiving turkey is the reason we always want a nap after the feast. In reality, that exhaustion is most likely due to the large amount of food eaten, because the amount of tryptophan we get on our plate isn’t enough to knock us out. The excessive fat and carbohydrate intake from the sweet potatoes with marshmallows, mashed potatoes with gravy, and three slices of pie; however, it makes me tired just thinking about it! Tryptophan, however, is a precursor to serotonin and if you don’t get ample amounts in your diet, you won’t be able to produce adequate amounts of serotonin. To get enough in your diet, aim to get at least two servings of animal protein each day. Good nutritional sources of tryptophan include wild game, pork, avocado, eggs, duck, whey protein, turkey, pork, halibut, chicken, cinnamon, and unsweetened cocoa.

As you probably could have guessed, sleep, exercise and nutrition lay the foundation for building and maintaining healthy serotonin levels (and everything else your body needs, for that matters), but the following supplements can also be used to fill in some gaps:

VITAMIN-D

Helpful for boosting mood and sleep quality, a supplement can be especially beneficial during the winter months when we aren’t able to synthesize as much vitamin-D from the sun. Always have your levels checked before supplementing with D, and always take it with food or some form of fat for better absorption.

PROBIOTICS

A healthy gut microbiome is vital for maintaining balanced brain chemistry. A variety of fermented foods is the best way to maintain a balanced internal ecosystem, but supplementing with probiotics that contain acidophilus and bifidobacteria offer good support. Be sure to include plenty of fiber in your diet to keep that friendly bacteria alive in your gut!

MAGNESIUM GLYCINATE

Magnesium is another precursor that’s needed to create serotonin. Because it’s preset in dark chocolate, low serotonin levels can be a trigger for chocolate cravings. One ounce of dark chocolate only contains about 41mg of magnesium, though, so to get your levels up, a supplement may be a better choice. Choose magnesium glycinate for best absorption and a decreased likelihood of intestinal upset, which can be caused by other forms, like magnesium citrate.

OMEGA-3

Together with vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids control serotonin synthesis and action. Eating a few servings of fatty fish per week can help you get in adequate levels, but adding in a quality supplement can be helpful, too.

When we learn to adjust our own daily rhythms along with the changes of the seasons, the darker winter months can be a welcome time of rest, rejuvenation and rebuilding. A certain amount of weight gain can be healthy and natural during the colder rebuilding months of the year, but learning to adapt to our body’s changing needs right now can help us avoid the emotional eating trap that leads to the restart of the yo-yo dieting cycle in January.