5 steps I am taking right now to avoid the winter "slump"

metabolism seasonal shifts winter Nov 06, 2024

As we head into this new season - there are a few simple things you can do to optimize your metabolism, mood, sleep & prevent weight gain; and I am going to give you my top 5 easy tips!

Preparing for & Supporting Metabolic shifts:

As a whole - our society is set up to disconnect us from seasonal shifts. From convenience - packaged foods that are available year round, the availability of tropical fruits in the middle of winter at most grocery stores - to our brightly lit & heated homes, offices & schools (allowing us to stay up well into the night with the same light temperature (kelvin) that is available in the middle of summer outside at noon).

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my cozy warm home on a cold winter's day, but in winters past (the ones where I would experience seasonal depression & weight gain)......the only sunlight I saw was walking from my house to my car, and the only cold I experienced was walking from my heated home to my heated car.

I also used to do smoothie detoxes & cleanses every winter to "cut down on inflammation" - and stay up late snacking on dried fruit and watching TV - wondering why I felt so bad.

What's wrong with all of these things?

They go against how our bodies are inherently supposed to shift seasonally & discourage endogenous melatonin production (which is KEY for health in the winter).

Before I talk about my 5 tips for optimizing your metabolism in the winter - I have to share this hilarious (well it's funny to me) image that ChatGPT came up with when I had it analyze my instagram page & told it to draw a cartoon of me teaching about light...

Hilarious *and very strange* - but leads me to #1

1. Optimize Melatonin Production:

This actually starts in the morning by viewing sunrise *even a couple minutes will help* and UVA light.

In UVA light - aromatic amino acids in your eyes capture photons of light and synthesize tryptophan - which is transformed into serotonin - and then turned into that night's pineal melatonin.

Getting sunlight on your skin during the day (every little bit helps) is also crucial for subcellular melatonin production - which cleans up damage in the mitochondria as the day goes on (leaving a little less work for the pineal melatonin at night).

You can also use a red light therapy panel to supplement your red & near infrared light (use code sarah20 for a discount on my favorite panel). Just remember - you still need far infrared, blue light & UV from natural sunlight for optimal metabolism and sleep benefits.

Lastly - you need to block blue/green light (click here for my free blue blockers guide) 4 hours before bed, keep your lux (brightness) at 10 and below the 3 hours before bed & your sleep environment at 1 lux and below for optimal melatonin production.

(click here to get the free MyCircadian App mini course to teach you more about lux - sunrise, UVA light & how to understand/optimize your light envrionment)

2. Start shifting your eating to a seasonally appropriate diet

Remember - this should be adjusted according to where you currently live as food is another form of light and information for your body. Live in Costa Rica? Then if you are leptin sensitive - have the mango.

However - for much of the Northern Hemisphere - Tropical smoothie cleanses, juice detoxes & lots of simple sugar fruits are confusing signal to your mitochondria (we have UV light sensors on step one of the electron transport chain in the mitochondria - where carbohydrates enter).

Switch to more soups, broths, stews & utilize cellar stable produce for your carbohydrate sources. Click here for my $5 seasonal food course to learn more.

I still give my kids some fruit (especially my toddler), but we have switched to pomegranates, apples & citrus fruit at the moment.

3. Start pushing dinner a little earlier & bedtime a little earlier

In the winter we really want to take advantage of the darkness & the scarcity & allow the body to rest and repair.

If your body is used to eating multiple times a day, snacking often & snacking before bed - this will take some time, patience & practice to get your body in a place where you can eat an earlier dinner and take advantage of some fasting during the winter.

I always say: Teach your body to eat 12 times a day & it will adapt, and teach your body to eat 2-3 times a day and it will adapt.

Ideally you want your last meal 3-4 hours away from bedtime so that you can maximize human growth hormone, lowered body temperature, melatonin production/autophagy & apoptosis (the things all the fasting gurus go on about).

Again - this takes some time of training your body to be healthy enough to do this. Check out my Metabolic Flexibility Webinar for more help with this (included in my 21 Day Leptin Program)

4. Get a little cold

Don't be afraid to bundle up and go for a walk during the winter, and starting now while the temperatures are milder, is going to be a very helpful way to support your body in adapting to the colder weather.

When your body gets cold (especially the back of the neck and the collarbone) - you activate brown adipose tissue.

Brown adipose tissue is a unique, heat-producing fat that burns calories to keep your body warm, particularly in cold conditions. It’s different from regular fat because it contributes to energy expenditure rather than energy storage, making it beneficial for metabolism and overall health.

Remember - it doesn't have to be all or nothing! Small bursts are better than nothing & there's no need to overdo it to get the benefits.

5. Extra supports & hydration

Hydration needs also change in the winter: click here to read my full article on hydration in the winter if you need it.

I have noticed that my skin has been a bit more dry lately & have really had to up my hydration game & use a little more of my favorite tallow cream (code SarahK for a discount).

I have also had some of my community members ask about sauna & red light therapy in the winter, and I think they are fantastic tools (and a really nice treat on a cold day).

We have the Sunlighten Amplify 3 sauna, and have really enjoyed it for the last 2 years (especially in the winter) as a lovely source of infrared light & a great way to encourage detox/sweating.

I definitely use my red light panel more in the winter. Click here for a video my parter Carrie & I made about red light therapy in the winter.

If you missed it, I also made this free video - Do's and Don'ts of Shifting your routines for winter