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Greetings, Buddies:
I have posted this before but it seems to still be appropriate as WINTER drags on in the upper Midwest. It was SIX degrees yesterday! And there is a lot of snow hanging around! I want SPRING!
I started reading about carb cravings, serotonin levels, and light.
Basically, as the days shorten and we have less sunlight, we produce less serotonin (the neurotransmitter that impacts mood).
As a result, we begin to crave carbs, or as some people call it, "comfort foods." (It really does seem to happen in Fall and Winter for many of us, doesn't it?)
Science can show that carbs increase serotonin levels while spiking the insulin - so people temporarily believe they "feel better" until the inevitable sugar crash happens and the craving cycle is repeated over and over.
And, that is why carbs can be addictive to some people and they call it "emotional eating." The overeating of carbs can often be an effort to "feel better."
A more effective solution? Get more sunlight! Take a brisk walk outdoors, sit by a window as often as possible, or buy a lightbox - the type used for seasonal depression.
Diet Calendar Entries for 20 March 2013:
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1096 kcal
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Fat: 39.07g | Prot: 95.71g | Carb: 89.84g.
Breakfast: water, Butter, Splenda, Egg White, Quaker original Instant Oatmeal, 2% Fat Milk, Coffee (Brewed From Grounds). Lunch: water, cocoa almonds 100 calorie pack, Bumble Bee prime Fillet Tuna. Dinner: Chicken Breast Meat and Skin (Broilers or Fryers, Roasted, Cooked), Butter, Sweet Potato (Without Salt, Baked In Skin, Cooked). more...
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2502 kcal
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Activities & Exercise:
Desk Work - 6 hours and 30 minutes, Sitting - 8 hours, Sleeping - 9 hours, Driving - 30 minutes. more...
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