Comfort food without the calories
At this time of year, it's tempting to reach for comfort foods, to draw the sofa closer to the TV and conserve energy by doing as little as physically possible. However, there are ways to indulge in the comfort foods you crave without ruining your waistline
If you feel sluggish and crave stodgy food now, there's a good chance that you will have gained weight by the spring. Months of heavy food and inactivity will inevitably take its toll on your figure.
However, during the winter months our bodies seem to crave stodgy food. There's nothing more appealing than shepherd's pie, piping hot stews and casseroles and heavy puddings smothered in custard at this time of year. Salad seems very unappealing at this time of year.
Why do our eating habits change?
There are several reasons why we overindulge when it's cold and dark. Nowadays most people live in centrally heated houses but for our ancestors, the onset of the cold weather was a signal to start laying down an extra layer of fat. We no longer need to take on extra calories to combat the cold, but it is possible that we're still programmed in some way to do so.
Perhaps more important when it comes to overeating in winter is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This is a type of depression that occurs in northern climates where daylight hours are short in winter. It's thought to be caused by lack of exposure to sunlight and affects around half a million people in the UK each year. The symptoms include depression, lethargy, changes in sleeping and eating patterns, an increased appetite and weight gain.
Beating depression and weight gain
Recent evidence has linked exposure to bright light with the increased production of a substance called serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, that is, it carries signals in the brain that promote feelings of relaxation and happiness. Lack of serotonin is known to be a cause of depression and increased appetite. A lack of serotonin is particularly linked to cravings for sweet and starchy carbohydrate foods which are symptoms often seen in individuals who suffer from SAD.
The treatment for SAD is light therapy. From a nutritional point of view, symptoms can be alleviated by getting plenty of exercise (particularly outdoors and in the daylight), avoiding foods that are high in sugar and fat, eating complex carbohydrates such as wholegrain cereals, oats, wholemeal bread, brown rice and pasta, pulse vegetables and jacket potatoes. One natural way of increasing serotonin in the brain is to take the amino acid tryptophan, from which serotonin is formed in the body. It's found in high amounts in protein-rich foods such as fish, meat, dairy products, eggs, nuts and wheat germ. Foods that contain pre-formed serotonin and help the uptake of tryptophan are bananas, walnuts and pineapples.
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