Cold weather, along with the rising cases of COVID_19, the combination has been deadly for the past three months. Although the spread of vaccines is all in gear and has been transported to different countries, it is still a matter of concern until everyone in the populace receives it.
Winters are more about staying inside and coping up in our beds in front of heaters and warm blankets. With less time outside and staying indoors, our system, eating habits, and everyday routine also affect our system. One of the sources mentions that the winter months affect our craving and how frequently we are hungry, mostly for food high in calories.
The winters have been exceptional this year since a disease as deadly as COVID_19 provoked many changes in us, beginning from the food we used to consume, the lifestyle we used to follow till being more conscious-self. People have inclined more towards stress-eating because too much time is spent indoors, and the anxiety doesn’t budge from its position.
So, since we are all piling ourselves with foods due to cravings we cannot resist, we do not want anything more than a good cup of hot chocolate and everything cheesy and spicy to lower down the shiver, but that doesn’t mean all these cravings and habits are doing any good to you.
The theory of winter months making you crave more food
Many research pieces point to a single fact that lower exposure to sunlight and being indoors could tremendously affect the mood. Again it goes like, your mood depends on the food you crave most of the time.
Experts did not leave behind another of their idea, saying that humans do think like animals too, where they believe that fattening up during the wintertime would gear them up for battling with chilly weather. Hence, a report states that a group of people consumed “an average of 86 more calories per day involving saturated fat during wintertime than the spring season.
Due to less exposure to sunlight, there are chances of lowering serotonin levels in our body, which is an essential mood booster. It affects the hunger and mood hormone balance in our system. Hence, certain people crave food with more carbohydrates since it could boost serotonin levels and reduce the swings of seasonal depression.
Researchers have said that winter evenings appear earlier than during summertime. As the surroundings become darker, people prefer stacking up on evening snacks or food to keep them energized or in a cheerful mood.
For over a year, the on-going pandemic led everyone inside their homes for online classes, learning, working from home, and binge-watching to kill time and distract themselves. Meanwhile, all these tasks were sided with many snacks with a fair amount of calories and loaded most of the time.
Mental Health has been an issue since the beginning of the pandemic due to increased anxiety, fear over disease, and other things. Hence, doctors have said that binge eating has more to do with your mental state and situation than your physical condition. So even if you are planning on stacking your side-table or couch with loads of hot chocolate, cake, and all the hot stuff to eat, that is undoubtedly not a wise thing to do.
Eating consistently that too only carbs could show signs of diseases later in life. Instead, it is wiser to go for hot beverages like tea or warm water than the consistent hot chocolate or caffeine consumption. To help enhance your mood and cravings during wintertime, physically hot things would appeal more to your body, and old beverages would be the last thing on your mind.
So, What can you have to lighten your mood during the fall season?
Indeed you prefer foods during winter to fulfill you, but your health is also a matter of concern. To stay warm and prevent seasonal mood disorders, you can go for nutritious and friendly foods such as soup made up of veggies. The intake of citrus fruits is also a good idea, where all of this helps supplement the nutrients and vitamins that sunlight does for you during the summertime or in other seasons.
Your comfort food could also be healthy food depending on how accurately and wisely you can choose for your health. You can make your high-calorie food into a nutritious one and switch your regular pasta with a whole-grain pasta adding the right amount of vegetables and healthy dressing. You may go for dark chocolate rather than the regular one.
It is just about how we choose, and things can work out for you just fine with satisfying your hunger or cravings at the same time.
