Seasonal Weight Gain in the Fall

The AHA! Team — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 08:13:49 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – SAD doesn’t just stand for the standard American diet. There’s a condition known as seasonal affective disorder that is characterized by increased appetite and cravings, as well as greater sleepiness and lethargy, that begins in autumn when light exposure starts to dwindle. This now appears to represent the far end of a normal spectrum of human behavior. We appear to eat more as the days get shorter. There is a “marked seasonal rhythm” to calorie intake with greater meal size, eating rate, hunger, and overall calorie intake in the fall. In preparation for winter, some animals hibernate, doubling their fat stores with autumnal abundance to deal with the subsequent scarcity of winter. Genes have been identified in humans that are similar to hibernation genes, which may help explain why we exhibit some of the same behaviors, and the autumn effect isn’t subtle. As you can see in the graph below and at 1:06 in my video Friday Favorites: Why People Gain Weight in the Fall, researchers calculated a 222-calorie difference between how many calories we consume in the fall versus the spring. This isn’t just because it’s colder, either, since we eat more in the fall than in the winter. It appears we’re just genetically programmed to prep for the deprivation of winter that no longer comes. It’s remarkable that, in this day and age of modern lighting and heating, our bodies would still pick up enough environmental cues of the changing seasons to have such a major influence on our eating patterns. Unsurprisingly, bright light therapy is used to treat seasonal affective disorder, nearly tripling the likelihood of remission, compared to placebo. Though it’s never been tested directly, it can’t hurt to take the dog out for some extra morning and daytime walks in the fall to try to fend off some of the coming holiday season weight gain. Bright light therapy is used to treat seasonal affective disorder People blame the holidays for overeating, but it may be that “rather than the holidays causing heightened intake, the seasonal heightening of intake in the fall may have caused the scheduling of holidays at that time.” Regardless, as you can see below and at 2:15 in my video, other “specific recommendations for the prevention of obesity and metabolic syndrome by improving the circadian system health,” based on varying degrees of evidence, include: sleeping during the night and being active during the day; sleeping enough—at least seven or eight hours a night; early to bed, early to rise; and short naps are fine. (Contrary to popular belief, daytime napping does not appear to adversely impact sleep at night.) Also recommended: avoiding bright light exposure at night; sleeping in total darkness when possible; making breakfast or lunch your biggest meal of the day; not eating or exercising right before bed; and completely avoiding eating at night. This was the last video in my chronobiology series. If you missed any of the others, check out the related posts below. Key Takeaways Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is characterized by increased appetite, cravings, sleepiness, and lethargy, starting in autumn with reduced light exposure. This aligns with a seasonal rhythm in human behavior, showing greater calorie intake, meal size, eating rate, and hunger in the fall. Human genes similar to those in animals preparing for hibernation have been identified, suggesting a genetic predisposition to seasonal eating behaviors. The body may be genetically programmed to store more fat in preparation for potential winter scarcity. Research indicates a 222-calorie difference in caloric intake between fall and spring, with increased consumption in the fall. This phenomenon cannot be solely attributed to colder temperatures, as eating in the fall exceeds eating in the winter. Despite modern lighting and heating, environmental cues still influence seasonal eating patterns. Bright light therapy, which addresses SAD, may help mitigate some of the increased calorie intake during fall. Recommendations for preventing obesity and metabolic syndrome include maintaining a healthy circadian system by sleeping during the night, being active during the day, ensuring sufficient sleep (seven to eight hours), adopting an early bedtime and waking time, taking short naps if needed, avoiding bright light exposure at night, sleeping in darkness, making breakfast or lunch the main meal, refraining from eating or exercising right before bedtime, and avoiding nighttime eating. To read the original article click here.

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Turkey Chili with Adzuki Beans Recipe

AHA Publisher — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 08:00:42 +0000

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DMN, CNS – Fall weather calls for chili making, and this white turkey chili recipe with adzuki beans will hit the spot. With not one, but two kinds of turkey, and a hint of smokiness from paprika, you’ll want to enjoy a piping hot bowl by a bonfire. This is a Texas-style chili: heavier on the meat. So invite the meat-lovers in your life, and show them that eating healthy doesn’t have to mean giving up their favorite food! Key Healthy Ingredients Is turkey chili good for a diet? If you use the right ingredients like this turkey chili recipe calls for, it’s a resounding yes! This turkey chili recipe features adzuki beans, the red bean traditionally used in Asian cuisine. Adzuki beans are a part of the healing diet because they contain lots of iron (about 25 percent of your recommended daily intake in this recipe), magnesium, potassium, zinc and folic acid. If you’ve ever experienced an iron deficiency, you know that getting enough of this essential mineral can up your energy, help you sleep better and help you maintain a positive mood. Those are all good things when the days are getting shorter. Did you also know that eating iron-rich animal sources of food along with plant-based foods can help your body absorb the iron even better? So chili, with its combination of meat and beans, is an iron powerhouse. What kind of meat is best for chili? You can use the traditional ground beef (so long as it’s grass-fed) or chicken, but turkey is the meat of choice for this recipe because it offers lean protein as well as iron and healthy fat. You want to look for organic, pasture-raised turkey to be sure you’re getting the most nutritious protein food. You’ll get the benefits of improved mood, more energy and stronger muscles. The bottom line: If you’re craving chili this season, listen to your body! It might be telling you to eat the perfect food for what it needs. How to Make Turkey Chili How do you make turkey chili from scratch? This turkey chili recipe makes it easy, whether you want to use a stock pot or are looking for a turkey chili slow cooker recipe. We’ll start by soaking the adzuki beans overnight in water and whey or apple cider vinegar. This breaks down antinutrients that prevent your body from absorbing the good stuff, and it preserves the good nutrients since it means you don’t have to cook the beans as long in the chili. After a good soak, drain and rinse the beans. Now comes the fun part: layering the flavors of the turkey chili. You’ll start by boiling the beans in some low-sodium broth and salt (starting with low-sodium broth or salt-free homemade chicken bone broth and adding salt as needed means you can control the sodium level better). Once those have simmered for a while, add the pulled smoked turkey, diced tomatoes (with the juice) and spices. While that’s simmering, grab a skillet and sauté the ground turkey and red onions in butter or coconut oil — flavor layer number two! When the ground turkey has lost most of its pinkness, add the green peppers and garlic. Continue cooking until the turkey is browned and cooked through. Add the ground turkey and vegetables to the chili and let it simmer for 15–20 minutes. You want the flavors to marry and the consistency to slightly thicken. You can taste it at this point and see if it needs salt or more spice. Add chili powder if you’d like more spice. This is a good time to get your toppings ready, which will make this stew really shine. Try avocado, goat milk yogurt, salsa or green onions — or all of them! Once the turkey chili is ready, ladle it into bowls, top it to your liking and enjoy. If you have any leftovers (which I highly doubt you will if you’re serving four to five people), refrigerate it, and the flavor will be even better over the next few days. If you want more of a set-it-and-forget-it recipe, you can make this a slow cooker turkey chili recipe as well. Simply add the ingredients into your slow cooker, let it stew for a few hours (or even more) and — viola! — you have slow cooker turkey chili. Similar Recipes Looking for other healthy chili recipe variations? Try these recipes: Buffalo Chili Recipe Slow Cooker Bison Chili Recipe Paleo Chili Recipe — With or Without Meat! White Chicken Chili Recipe Turkey Chili with Adzuki Beans Recipe Author: Dr. Josh Axe Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 70 min Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes Yield: 4–5 1x Diet: Gluten Free DESCRIPTION Turkey chili with adzuki beans is packed with protein and iron and sure to warm you on a chilly night. Try this healthy turkey chili recipe! INGREDIENTS 1 cup dry adzuki beans 4 cups filtered water ¼ cup whey from yogurt or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 4 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth ¾ teaspoon sea salt ½ pound smoked turkey, pulled 32 ounces diced canned tomatoes, sugar & BPA free 1 tablespoon chili powder 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1 teaspoon cumin 1 pound ground turkey 1 tablespoon grass-fed butter or coconut oil 1 large red onion, diced 2 green peppers, diced 3 medium garlic cloves, pressed or minced INSTRUCTIONS Soak adzuki beans overnight in the filtered water with the whey or vinegar. Drain and rinse after soaking. In a large pot or dutch oven, combine the beans with the broth and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the pulled smoked turkey, tomatoes, chili powder, smoked paprika and cumin to the beans. Stir to incorporate and continue to simmer while completing the next step. In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the ground turkey and onion in butter or coconut oil. When the turkey is half done, add the green peppers and garlic. Continue to sauté until the turkey is browned. Add the ground turkey and vegetables to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes, until the chili is slightly thickened. Taste for seasoning and add salt for flavor or chili powder for more spice. Enjoy with avocado, goat’s milk yogurt, salsa or green onions. Flavor will improve over the next few days. NOTES You can save some energy and make this recipe in a slow cooker, though it’ll take longer overall. Feel free to adjust this recipe using a meat of your choice, or try a vegetarian version with some added beans or a plant-based protein of your choosing. Cook time does not include soaking the beans overnight. NUTRITION Serving Size: 1 bowl Calories: 900 Sugar: 7.3g Sodium: 731mg Fat: 65.5g Saturated Fat: 18.7g Unsaturated Fat: 46.8g Trans Fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 40g Fiber: 10.2g Protein: 40.2g Cholesterol: 144mg To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Axe click here.

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Seasonal Weight Gain in the Fall

Turkey Chili with Adzuki Beans Recipe