Avoiding "Depression & Weight Gain" Season...

Now that we are 10 days into December & those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are quickly approaching Winter Solstice (the shortest day of the year) - you might be feeling the effects of less light on your sleep, digestion, metabolism and mood.

Today I want to teach you how to use light (and darkness) strategically to support your body this time of year, and to help you avoid "depression season".

Keep reading for the full article!  ​

New here? Check out my $7 Cortisol Course the $5 Seasonal Eating Course or Get Lesson one from my Hydration Mastery Course for 99 cents​

Understanding Winter Light & Navigating the cold:

Why Getting Outside This Winter Matters (and How to Make It Easy)

Let’s be honest—stepping outside on cold, dreary days can feel like a challenge. But here’s the good news: short, strategic bursts of outdoor light exposure can work wonders for your metabolism, mood, and sleep. My goal today is to show you how to make the most of winter light for your health. (click here to watch a reel I made today on Instagram to demonstrate!)​

The Two Key Aspects of Light

1. The Right Frequencies: Your body thrives on a balance of blue light (important for wakefulness) and UV light paired with red & infrared light, which counteract the potential stress of blue light and provide regenerative benefits.
2. Enough Brightness (Lux): Light brightness, measured in lux, plays a significant role in hormonal health. Outdoor light—even on cloudy days—provides far greater lux levels than indoor lighting, supporting your circadian rhythm and metabolism.

Why Natural Light Beats Artificial Light Boxes

No light box on the market can fully replicate the frequencies of natural light. While some light boxes offer up to 10,000 lux, they deliver high amounts unfiltered blue light, which can spike cortisol at the wrong times. Over time, this can disrupt your natural cortisol rhythms, hormone balance and negatively impact your sleep and mood.

The Good News

Natural light—complete with balanced frequencies and healthy brightness levels—is available year-round, even on cloudy or rainy days. And the best part? You don’t need to spend hours freezing outside to get the benefits. Just a few strategic minutes of outdoor light exposure each day can make a big difference for your body.

Sunrise & UVA are crucial for your circadian health (why you can't replicate these in a light box)

Disrupted circadian rhythms are rampant in the winter, and on those cold mornings, it's easy to stay inside of a cozy home - but a clear link exists between disruptions of the circadian system and mood disorders (see study) (see study).​

Sunrise turns on the HPA & HPG axes, and during morning UVA light - aromatic amino acids in your eyes capture photons of light that transform tryptophan into serotonin (which becomes that night's melatonin) and tyrosine into dopamine & beta endorphin (which essentially gives you a "runner's high feeling & is part of what helps you feel better in sunlight).

There are also crucial neuropeptides and neurohormones such as alpha-MSH - synthesized in morning UVA that help regulate your appetite & metabolism.

Keep reading for "how long".....

How long to stay outside for the benefits?

Honestly - the longer the better, but 30 seconds or a minute is better than nothing at all! I always say - don't let perfect be the enemy of good!

The best thing you can do is bundle up & take a walk (without sunglasses) - around UVA rise, but you can also get benefits by opening a car window or sunroof, poking your head out of a window - or opening a window (no glass).

​This video (The Do's and Don'ts of Fall/Winter - will give you more strategies around breakfast & blue blockers) & The December Chill has an entire module around winter nutrition.

Lux & your metabolism: A few months ago I recorded this video on Youtube which dives into this topic further, and explores some of the studies referenced above in the graphic.

Studies are not the "be all end all" - but they do give us a give reference if we are trying to parcel up our time in the mornings, and figure out when we might have time to take a walk, take a "light break" if we work in an office - or crack open a window.

One thing I do want to note about these studies: In the top 3 studies (all used light boxes) - some participants reported headache and or nausea when using the light boxes.

As you can see from the graph above, if you stay indoors - or go to a grocery store or office, the lux in those buildings might feel bright (due to higher kelvin), but it's not enough to give you those metabolic benefits (and these environments are also devoid of red & infrared light - which are crucial for your metabolism.

Even on a cloudy/rainy day - there is an abundance of red & infrared light available AND adequate lux for your metabolism & brain to get what they need to operate efficiently.

​This study shows how staying in a dim environment (indoors) - leads to depression & This study shows how just 2,500 lux in the morning is enough to stave off seasonal depression.

Moral of the story - small doses add up! Don't let perfect be the enemy of good, and know that even 30 second bursts of popping your head outside can make a big difference.

Now let's talk about the evening environment....

Not only are blue blockers essential, but you also want to make sure your night environment is dim enough (which means - even if you have a bunch of circadian friendly bulbs on - ensure they are dim enough).

If you use a red light panel for illumination (as I often do) - don't do a treatment on your body - keep it on the floor at least 6-10 feet away from you & consider turning on the infrared only setting.

To get a general understanding of lux in your environment - the lux meter on the MyCircadianApp is there to help you understand how to optimize your mornings & evenings to stave off winter depression and keep your metabolism healthy!

If you have any issues using the meter in the app, make sure your camera lens is clean with no obstructions & you are pointing it towards the light you are taking in through your eyes (preferably at your eye level for most accurate results).

Light is dynamic & always shifting/changing due to shadows, reflections & movement. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good with any of this, and use the chart earlier in this email to understand how different environments might be impacting your health.

Eating seasonally: Warm, cooked nourishing broths, stews & cellar stable produce will support your gut, and getting adequate bioavailable protein will support your mood, mental health & metabolism.

As mentioned above - we have an entire day on Winter Nourishment & Seasonal eating in December Chill (day 3).

Working on becoming metabolically flexible can also be helpful so that you are able to push your dinner a bit earlier & support more cellular repair, turnover & melatonin production.

Winter is "melatonin season", and most people are unaware that melatonin docks at the vitamin D receptor, and taking vitamin D supplements might not be the answer to ultimately preserving our health in the winter. (see my latest podcast on this)​

Utilizing red light therapy can also be helpful (click here for my favorite panel & use code SARAHK), and has been shown to be helpful in depression & weight loss.

Grounding: Check out this article I wrote on winter grounding: click here​

Be ok with getting a little cold - Don't overdo it - but understand that even ambient cold air has metabolic benefits & can actually help you fight off seasonal depression.

Stay hydrated - click here for my article on winter hydration ​

When it comes to moisturizing my skin - I am a HUGE fan of Sun & Moo, and you can use my code SARAHK to save on their amazing lotions.

Ok - that's a lot of information to get you started, and I hope you found it useful! I have lots more fun content planned to support you this winter - so stay tuned!

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In Health 🌞,

Sarah

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PS - This newsletter is not medical advice nor a substitute for 1:1 care with a trusted practitioner!