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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Pumpkin Bars Recipe

AHA Publisher — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 07:00:59 +0000

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CN – Pumpkin season is upon us, and what better way to get into the season than by making these delicious pumpkin bars? Pumpkins were first discovered and cultivated around 7,500 years ago in Central America and Mexico and were cherished for their versatility and longevity. Our ancestors cultivated the pumpkin for its thick flesh that was ideal for times of scarcity and later used the pumpkin seeds that are packed with nutritional benefits. The first pumpkin recipe published in America came from John Josselyn’s New-England’s Rarities Discovered with diced pumpkin cooked down all day with butter and spices. It wasn’t until the 1800s that pumpkin was made into sweet pumpkin dishes like pumpkin pie and the modern-day pumpkin bars and pumpkin dessert bars. Pumpkin bars are a delightful relative to pumpkin pie or pumpkin pie bars, and my pumpkin bars are easy to make with a simple gluten-free crust that doesn’t require messing with cold butter and wheat flour. As an added bonus, the filling ingredients only require a blender or mixer! These easy pumpkin bars are just like pumpkin cheesecake bars without any of the complications and will be a crowd pleaser for holiday gatherings and parties. Key Ingredients Want to make your pumpkin bars healthy? These pumpkin cream cheese bars are about as healthy as you can get with such a tasty dessert. I use organic pumpkin purée, which is loaded with beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is necessary to convert into vitamin A, which is important for vision, skin and brain function. Use any leftover pumpkin purée for a pumpkin spice latte or pumpkin pie oatmeal. Grass-fed cream cheese and mascarpone contain fat-soluble vitamins A, D and K2 and higher amounts of short-chain fatty acids, CLA and omega-3s, which contribute to heart health and help lower inflammation in the body. Instead of using refined cane sugar or corn syrup, I use maple syrup, which is a natural sweetener and has a lower glycemic impact on the body. It also contains more minerals and antioxidants than regular sugar. Free-range eggs provide omega fatty acids and help reduce heart disease. Cloves kill parasites, improve blood circulation and reduce gum disease, and those are just a few benefits that cloves provide to your body. Meanwhile, vanilla is a powerful antioxidant and natural antibiotic and adds depth and a warm flavor to your pumpkin bar recipe. How to Make Pumpkin Bars Start out by making the simple gluten-free pie crust and adding it to the bottom of a 9×13 or 8×8 baking dish. The crust will be thicker in an 8×8 dish. Bake the pie crust for about 15 minutes, and begin making your filling. Add your cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, ginger and cloves to a high-speed blender or food processor, and blend away. You want the filling batter to be smooth and creamy. Remove your crust from the oven and add in your pumpkin bar filling. Instead of pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, we just added the cream cheese to the bars. Place the whole dish into the oven, and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Top your pumpkin bars with coconut whipped cream, if desired. Pumpkin Bars Recipe Pumpkin bars are a delightful relative to pumpkin pie or pumpkin pie bars. Mine are easy to make with a simple gluten-free crust. INGREDIENTS Crust: Gluten-Free Pie Crust Filling: 16 ounces grass-fed cream cheese 8 ounces grass-fed mascarpone cheese ¾ cup pumpkin puree ½ cup maple syrup 3 eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon ginger ¼ teaspoon cloves Topping: Whipped coconut cream (optional) INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare crust and bake in a 9×13 or 8×8 baking dish for 15 minutes. (Note: Crust will be thicker in an 8×8 dish.) In a food processor, add in cream cheese, mascarpone, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Process ingredients until completely smooth. Remove crust from oven and fill with cream cheese mixture. Place the bars back in the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Top with whipped coconut cream, if desired. To read the original article click here.

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pumpkin season Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Seasonal Weight Gain in the Fall

Pumpkin Bars Recipe