Are you SAD and hungry?: How seasonal affective disorder affects your appetite and what to do about it

Does your mood shift with the seasons? If so, you’re not alone. Our bodies’ internal clock affects sleep, metabolism and mood and is primarily regulated by sunlight. During the winter the hours of sunlight per day are much lower and can have a vast effect on how we function and feel, sometimes causing a condition called seasonal affective disorder.

What is seasonal affective disorder?
Listed as a major depressive disorder, SAD is categorized as a depressive episode that is related to a change in seasons, with most people experiencing changes in mood during the fall and winter months.

Symptoms of winter SAD often include low energy, oversleeping, difficulty concentrating, appetite changes and weight gain.

Women are 3x more likely to experience SAD than men, and the condition seems to be more common in the Northern Hemisphere.

How SAD affects your appetite
One of the symptoms of SAD is cravings for carbohydrate-heavy foods. You may think this is because hearty ‘stick-to-your-ribs’ comfort food keeps us warm in cooler weather, but researchers suspect it’s actually due to altered levels of the feel-good hormone seratonin in your brain.

Reduced levels of sunlight can lead to a drop in seratonin (a brain chemical that affects mood), which can trigger seasonal depression. Foods high in carbohydrates increase seratonin levels, which explains why you tend to crave them during the winter when sunlight exposure is decreased. Basically, your body is searching for a source of seratonin and carbs provide it with its fix.

The good news is that there are other nutrients that also boost seratonin levels in the brain, and you don’t just have to turn to a steady stream of doughnuts to feel the effects.

How to eat to boost seratonin levels:

1. Choose complex carbohydrates: Whole grains that are higher in fibre will provide your body with the seratonin boost it’s craving with less of an impact on your health and blood sugar levels than refined grains or sugar-y packaged snacks. You’ll get a slow and steady release of both seratonin and sugar in your blood stream, helping you avoid big swings in mood and energy levels.
   Include: Whole wheat breads, pasta, crackers, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, bran

2. Pair lean protein with a complex carbohydrate source: The amino acid tryptophan, found mainly in meat and poultry, is converted to seratonin in the body. Protein alone is not very effective at increasing seratonin levels because there are many amino acids competing to enter the brain at once. Pairing protein with a carbohydrate will boost absorption of tryptophan helping you produce more seratonin (and also makes for a well-rounded meal).
   Try: Tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread, chicken or tofu with brown rice, Greek yoghurt and oats or whole-grain cereal

3. Eat foods rich in Vitamin B6: Vitamin B6 is involved in the manufacturing of seratonin and a deficiency can affect mood and cravings. Vitamin B6 is mainly found in animal products, so if you follow a predominately vegan or plant-based diet, supplementation is an alternative way to increase intake.

   Include: Chicken, fish, pork, eggs, bananas

4. Include Omega-3s: Omega-3 fatty acids increase seratonin levels. Omega-3s are found mostly in fatty fish, as well as some nuts and seeds. Try to include omega-3 containing foods regularly, and aim to eat fatty fish 2x/week. If you don’t eat fish you may want to consider an omega-3 supplement.

   Include: Salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, sardines, walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, fortified foods (some brands of eggs, yoghurt and milk)

How eating helps you wake up:
Like light, eating is a cue to your body that it should be awake, and is an environmental factor that you can control. Try to have a morning meal to prompt your body that it’s go time, and stop eating 2-3 hours before bed to signal to your body that it’s time to wind down.

SAD is a spectrum, so although you may not be experiencing severe shifts in mood, you can still feel low-energy during the fall and winter moths. Apart from eating well, getting sufficient light exposure, especially when you start your day, is the best way to support your body’s internal clock. A first-line treatment for SAD is a happy lamp that mimics sunlight and can be affective at improving mood and feelings of wakefullness in those experiencing symptoms.

Pulling the covers over your head each morning will lead to you getting less light, making symptoms worse. Trying to stick to a regular routine, including getting up and moving in the morning, turning on lights and opening curtains to avoid this pattern. If you’ve been feeling really low, it’s always a good idea to check in with your doctor who can help to determine if you’re experiencing SAD or have another condition, such as a nutrient deficiency or hormone imbalance.