Winter Sugar Blues
By Julia Kalish
Every year, I notice that at this time of
year we tend to eat more sugar. My clients
all talk about it - the holiday parties, the
well-meaning corporate gifts of cookies and
chocolates, the holiday meal desserts.
It’s not just the November/December
holidays, either. Do you know what I’m
talking about? Your sugar feast actually
begins at the end of October, as the weather
gets colder, the days get shorter, and
you fill your goodie bag with Halloween
treats. Then you have Thanksgiving pies,
Christmas cookies, and New Year’s drinks.
The sugar intake continues with Valentine’s
Day chocolates, and extends all the way
to Easter baskets full of chocolate bunnies
and jelly beans. Then the weather gets
warmer, the trees and flowers come into
bloom, the sun shines a little longer,
the clocks spring forward, and sugar plays
a lesser role into your life until the
next October rolls around and you begin
all over again.
Your sugar festivities coincide with
winter, which is the "yin" time of year.
"Yin" refers to passivity, quiet, rest,
and introspection. You see winter’s yin
all around you as many animals go into
hibernation, the flowers close up shop,
and the trees turn brown and dry. All
of nature gets quiet and rests, except
for us! We humans are anything but yin
as we run around doing our holiday errands,
traveling, and finishing our current year
projects. We behave completely counter
to what nature is suggesting we do at
this time of year, which is to be yin
and rest. Instead, we act complete "yang:"
active, assertive, extraverted, and talkative.
And we eat sugar. Sugar is a "yin" food.
Yin foods elevate levels of serotonin
in your brain, resulting in feelings of
well being and happiness. Sugar is the
most yin of all foods.
So is it a complete coincidence that
your sweet tooth kicks in just as we head
into this yin time of year?
No, of course not. It’s actually your
body being very smart, as usual. Your
sugar cravings are your body’s way of
saying "wait, slow down!" So as nature
tells you to be yin and you continue to
act yang, your body will begin craving
sugar in an effort to force you to be
more yin. See, it’s all about being in
sync with the earth’s natural rhythm.
The more you stray from it (which we do
with our electric lights, heating, and
social calendars), the more your body
will try to compensate. In this case,
your body is craving more sugar (yin)
in an effort to balance out our yang behavior.
So keep this in mind as we head further
into Sugar Season. I invite you to consider
what you can do to slow down, take it
easy, and act more yin as nature intends
us to do. Maybe that means getting to
bed earlier so that you can sleep more,
postponing a home improvement project,
or saying "no" to the eighth holiday party
invitation you’ve received. Honor your
body by getting plenty of rest, good nutrition,
relaxation, and sleep, thereby decreasing
your need to consume yin foods. Your body
will thank you for it, and chances are
you will crave less sugar as well!
The information in this article is not
intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or
prevent any disease.
Julia Kalish is a Certified Nutritionist
and Health Coach in Sterling, VA. She
enjoys working with women who are ready
to look and feel their best! To contact
Julia, email her at julia@innervoicenutrition.com,
or visit her website at http://www.innervoicenutrition.com.
The content of this article may be used
without special permission; provided it
is used for nonprofit purposes and full
attribution and contact information for
Julia Kalish is given. For other purposes,
contact Julia Kalish at julia@innervoicenutrition.com.
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