Ever Changing Seasons, Evolving Diet

As the fall starts to approach we look forward to the cooler nights and the crisp mornings as the aspen colors begin to change, but like all things, there are ups and downs to changing seasons. As the days get shorter so does our exposure to sunlight; and with that, a potential decrease in serotonin. We might notice an increase in our sleep. We also might notice our activity decrease slightly. As your activity changes, so can your mindset. Remember it’s all about eating to live, not living to eat. Look at the shift in seasons as an opportunity to check in with yourself and see what your goals are for the upcoming months. How are you feeling? What changes could you make in yourself to reach your goals? Turn your focus to resting and recovering and think about quality food rather than quantity. This might be a good time to “cleanse” your system after a long, busy summer. In other words, your caloric intake may be less as your activity changes. To adjust with that you might want to incorporate some of the following…

– Drink tea in between meals

– To combat a decrease in serotonin, 5HTP, omega 3s, or B vitamins might be of help

– Cook more; pick up a new cookbook or magazine to refresh your ideas

– As your time exercising decreases, try to get back to eating real food instead of sports bars or gels

– Utilize the health club to engage in different activities; yoga, Pilates, spinning indoors, or weight training as building more lean muscle will yield a higher metabolic rate

– Get a massage to help restore your body and eliminate toxins

– Choose root vegetables instead of breads, tortillas or processed carbs

– Sugar cravings can result from less serotonin, so make sure you are cooking your whole grains instead of choosing high sugar bars or snack packs that are less optimal energy sources

– Incorporate good fats in moderation to offer satiety

– Include protein in each meal to provide optimal amino acid and energy balance

– If there is a tough time of day for you during the cooler months, find something you love to do during that time instead of using food for comfort

– Change with the season, and eat foods that are plentiful…