Fight the Winter Blues Part 2: Balancing Comfort Food Cravings

Ahhhh.....the effects of comfort foods. Why is it that we crave more comfort foods in the winter time? I think there is certainly a tempertature connection - comfort foods warm us up inside and make us feel nice and cozy. I get that. But there may be even more at play here. A lack of energy expenditure can cause some people to have episodes of insomnia. It is a fact that people that are inactive have a tendency to have disrupted sleep patterns. Comfort foods can help increase serotonin levels, which can assist helping people fall asleep. The next time you eat a big bowl of pasta, make note of how it makes you feel afterward. If you haven't been very active, most likely it will make you feel tired.

Webster tells us that comfort foods are "foods prepared in a traditional style having usually a nostalgic or sentimental appeal." Comfort foods also have a reputation of being high-calorie and high-fat, which can be a concern if eaten excessively. What is your favorite comfort food? My favorite comfort food by far is mashed potatoes. Potatoes in any form is and has always been a love of mine, but there is something about homeade smashed, buttery and salted potatoes. [Have you ever met a meat and potatoes dietitian?? If not...nice to meet you!!] Whatever your favorite, allow yourself those indulgences balanced with lower fat, lower calorie foods. The great thing to note is that many comfort foods are high nutritive quality. The Eating Well website provides several food recipes that can provide the comfort while not sacrificing on nutrients. I love their baked mac and cheese recipe with a layer of spinach in the middle. :) Look for comfort food recipes that provide the calorie content so you can get an idea of what you are eating, especially if you are trying to lose weight or lower your cholesterol. Even the healthy versions can still get up there in calories, but if you balance your eating patterns out with lower calorie foods, you can still enjoy them. Another great healthy comfort food recipe resource is Evelyn Tribole's Homestyle Cooking Cookbooks. Every dish I make out of her cookbooks are amazing!

My take home message to myself and everyone else as we round out the winter season is to enjoy some of your favorite comfort foods in moderation. Counteract excessive cravings with creative, winter time exercise and you are good to go!

Fight the Winter Blues Part I: Invigorate & Energize Naturally

Are you feeling the winter blues? You know, that sleepy, low movement, low energy, hibernation mode with excessive cravings for comfort foods? As a healthy lifestyle educator that promotes regular physical activity, I am feeling it myself and chance are, you are as well. If you are, don't be discouraged. Luckily, spring is just around the corner. Weather - good or bad - can set the tone of our moods if we let it. It's great when it's a positive effect such as the feeling a nice, sunny day has on us. But it can be quite challenging if you are living in area of the country that provides several dreary, cold and/or cloudy days back to back. The majority of the states throughout the country are experiencing this for short or long spurts. My favorite workouts have always been outdoors, although I do not prefer to workout in cold and wet weather. If you are like me, this can be a recipe for missing regular workouts.

On top of the weather challenge, most Americans have sedentary jobs. Even my job of improving the health of others requires many hours in front of a computer. This "screen time" - whether you work professionally from home or at the office - must be counteracted by purposeful physical activity in order to keep us fit and healthy.

For me, mornings and late afternoons are great opportunities for workouts at home. What time of day is best for you? Whether you have 5 minutes or an hour, there are many opportunities to get your heart rate up and energize. Push away that temptation to reach for caffeine and instead break the day up with a workout! If the weather is poor, consider doing your workouts indoors. I love doing Exercise TV workouts through my AT&T Uverse Free On Demand, but you can also download the workouts straight off their website. My favorite trainers are Jillian Michaels and Steve Maresca - check them out! Both of them use such great words of motivation throughout their workouts which helps in maximizing your time. Exercise TV have everything from yoga to pilates to target zone training. What is also great is that many of them do not require any equipment. And if you only have 5 or 10 minutes, no problem. They have a quick, pick-me-up workouts that will get your heart rate up and help in finishing the day off strong. Regular exercise and proper nutrition together are the keys to beating the winter time blues. Set the timers on your phones or computers to remind yourself to get UP and get moving every so often. You may have something else in place like a treadmill or a mini trampoline or even the Wii Fitness. If you are at a workplace, take a 10 minute break and walk the staircase or walk the corporate floor. Whatever it is, take time to move. Endorphins will be released and you will have a renewed outlook on the responsbilities that lie before you. Let's do life together, and stay strong in body, mind and spirit. In Part 2, we will discuss ways to balance our comfort food cravings. Stay tuned!