Do your eating, moving, sleeping, and other lifestyle habits change each season like ours do?

Here are the areas that we focus on to not only avoid weight gain during the winter but also to maintain a robust immune system:

1. Light

2. Outdoors

3. Hydration

4. Sleep

5. Movement

6. Food

7. Purpose

These strategies we're about to share are actually applicable year-round, but they change with the seasons. We'll cover each area more in depth over the coming weeks.

Let's start this week with LIGHT:

As the light shifts in the winter to more darkness, we still make an effort to rise with the sun and get outside for at least a few minutes for optimal hormone production and circadian rhythm. 

Believe it or not, this will help you fall (and stay) asleep at night due to sufficient melatonin production. And here's why...

Your internal organs that produce hormones cannot "see", so they rely on signaling from your environment such as sunlight and meal timing to know what actions to take. 

Even if it's cloudy, rainy, or cold, it's still ideal to get outside at sunrise whenever possible, and ideally, multiple times a day.

At the same time, we limit artificial light exposure as much as possible but especially in the winter. This means no screens close to bedtime or upon rising. And red filters on all screens + blue blocking glasses.

This benefits two-fold: not only to help set your hormones properly and maintain your circadian rhythm but it also keeps your blood sugar regulated!

Studies now show that excess exposure to artificial light especially at night such as blue light from electronic devices and LED / fluorescent lights interfere with blood sugar regulation and can lead to pre-diabetes or diabetes. 

If you're stuck in an office desk job all day, here's what you can do about it:

Light strategies for office folks:

Still try to see the sunrise if at all possible in the morning, even if just for a few minutes.

If you're commuting at sunrise, crack open your window while driving if possible to get the full light spectrum signaling.

Take breaks whenever possible throughout your work day and get outside even if just a few minutes. 

If you can't get outside fully, try to get up every hour and walk to a window that allows light in. 

Sit by a window and keep it slightly open if possible.

If you want to stack your habits, combine a walk with your light exposure. More on why to come!

We know, it sounds so simple that something like light exposure can impact your hormones and health. But it absolutely does! 

We are finding more and more that some of our clients who suffer from stubborn weight gain and dis-ease in the body are approaching hormonal imbalances from the bottom up instead of the top down. 

There are several master hormones like cortisol, melatonin and leptin regulated by environmental cues that impact the entire rest of your body's hormonal production. 

So if you're suffering from imbalances in estrogen, testosterone, etc., you cannot overlook the management of your master hormones first, starting with proper light signaling.

If you're new to this topic and skeptical of the impact, try getting outside for the sunrise for a week and let us know if you notice a change in energy, sleep quality, and appetite regulation. 

Stay tuned for our next newsletter discussing how outdoor air exposure also impacts your health and weight management.

Shannon Morse & Lisa Kirby | Creators of Awaken Your Nutrition @thegreendoor.life  |  thegreendoorlife.com

P.S. pricing for our 1:1 coaching program, Awaken Your Nutrition, will increase in 2024 to reflect the incredible value and services added over the last few years. Lock in your spot now at current pricing by booking an application call before 12/31/23. 

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