Less Light, More Cravings?

Less Light, More Cravings?

Anyone else feeling a little more snacky lately? You’ve eaten. You’re full. But you still want something. Or maybe you’re hungrier all day, and the meals that held you through summer aren’t quite doing it anymore.

Your energy has dropped, and the couch and a bowl of popcorn are looking like a pretty solid plan. Before you decide you need to get yourself under control, look outside. A lot has changed.

We notice the seasons everywhere except in ourselves

We watch the trees lose their leaves, the garden finish growing and the animals prepare for winter. Everything around us is responding to the changing season. Yet somehow, we expect our own energy, appetite and sleep to carry on exactly as they did in July. Why would we be the exception?

Here in Saskatchewan, we can wake in the dark, spend most of the daylight hours inside and come home in the dark. Then we turn on the lights and keep going until bedtime. Our schedules may stay the same, but the natural light around us has changed considerably.

Light does more than help us see. It helps set our body clock, which guides daily changes in sleep, hormones, appetite and digestion. That’s why it belongs in a conversation about cravings.

What does that have to do with wanting toast?

Appetite doesn’t happen on its own, separate from everything else going on in your life. How you sleep, what you eat, when you eat, your stress and your daily routine are all part of the picture.

You might notice your appetite changing along with your mood and energy as the days get shorter. A little less get-up-and-go, a little more wanting to curl up with something comforting. These things don’t happen randomly. There’s a reason we need to look beyond what’s on our plate.

Think about what happens as the days get shorter. We spend less time outside, so we get considerably less bright natural light. Maybe the evening walk gets dropped and we’re on the couch like it’s our job. Food becomes something to do, something to look forward to, or a way to keep ourselves going when we’re tired.

Throw a few rough nights into the mix, and the snacks start looking even better. Too little sleep can increase appetite and make sweet, calorie-rich foods harder to resist. Our bodies are smart. When we’re tired, something that offers quick energy and feels good can be pretty appealing.

Carbohydrates offer readily available fuel, and eating something we enjoy brings a little pleasure too. That craving isn’t random—but it doesn’t always mean we need more food. Sometimes we need more sleep, a proper meal earlier in the day, or a chance to finally put our feet up and chill out. There’s more to look at here than willpower.

Your hormones keep time

Cortisol, insulin and melatonin all work with your body’s daily rhythm, and each plays a part in how you feel through the day.

Cortisol helps get you going. It normally rises toward morning, helping you wake up and making fuel available. Despite its reputation as a stress hormone, cortisol has an important everyday job. We need that healthy daily rhythm.

Insulin helps your body use and store fuel. After you eat, it helps move sugar from your blood into your cells. But your body’s response to a meal changes with the time of day. Generally, it handles blood sugar better earlier in your biological day than late in the evening.

Melatonin signals nighttime. It rises as your body moves toward sleep, and it also affects how you handle blood sugar. Research has found that having carbohydrates when melatonin is high can mean less insulin is released and blood sugar rises more.

See how it starts to fit together? We often get through the morning on coffee, grab something small at lunch and save most of our food for supper. Then we snack through the evening. It’s a common routine, and a useful place to make a change.

Eat more of your food earlier

Before trying to stop eating at night, ask yourself whether you’re eating enough during the day. Going a few hours without food is normal. Regularly eating less than your body needs is a different story.

Over time, your body can start conserving energy, turning down things like reproductive hormone activity and levels of active thyroid hormone. Recovery can suffer, and prolonged underfuelling can affect bone health too. We’re so used to being told to eat less that we can forget there are consequences to not eating enough.

Give yourself enough to work with instead of expecting coffee and determination to carry you through the day.

Did breakfast satisfy you? Did you actually stop for lunch? Or did you spend the afternoon trying to ignore your hunger? Give breakfast and lunch enough attention that you aren’t arriving at supper ready to eat everything in sight.

Start with a substantial breakfast that includes protein and some fat, rather than expecting coffee to carry you until noon. Give yourself enough food to feel satisfied and see whether that helps with the midmorning hunt for something sweet. Eggs, fish, meat or another protein you enjoy, along with vegetables, fats and carbohydrate foods that work for you, can all have a place.

Then make lunch a proper meal—maybe even your biggest—during the brightest part of the day. As melatonin rises closer to bedtime, your body may release less insulin in response to food. Give yourself that substantial meal earlier, instead of saving it for when you’re about ready to put your pajamas on.

I love soups, stews and roast dinners at this time of year. I typically make extra on purpose so I have leftovers for breakfasts and lunches. And let’s release the idea that meat doesn’t belong at breakfast. Leftover roast beef, chicken or a bowl of hearty soup can be breakfast. You don’t need to make something different just because it’s morning. Having a proper meal ready to warm up makes feeding yourself well so much easier.

Aim to eat supper earlier, closer to sunset when that works for your life. Here in Saskatchewan, that can get pretty early, so use it as a nudge toward an earlier meal rather than another rule to stress over. Even moving supper earlier and leaving a few hours before bed is somewhere to start.

Full, but still looking?

This is the part I’ve been noticing myself. Sometimes I’m comfortably full after supper, but I still want something sweet. Other times, I really am hungrier. It helps to know which one is happening.

If you’re hungry, you may need more food. But if you’re satisfied and still searching the cupboards, pause for a moment. Are you tired? Bored? Looking for a little comfort? Is this the first chance you’ve had to sit down all day?

Maybe what would help you feel good is a cup of tea and a good book. A warm, candlelit bath. Soft music, cozy socks and a blanket. A cuddle with your partner or your dog. A phone call with someone who makes you laugh.

Food can be lovely and comforting. So can those things. Give yourself something to look forward to at the end of the day. A little warmth, pleasure and time to yourself might be exactly what you’ve been wanting.

Keep the next steps simple

Make some room for daylight. Get outside in the morning once it’s light, take a walk at lunch or step out between appointments. Work with the daylight you have.

Eat satisfying meals earlier in the day. See whether a better breakfast or a proper lunch changes how you feel by evening. Then give yourself time to wind down. Lower the lights as bedtime gets closer, put the phone away and do something that feels good.

Natural bright light during the day, low light in the evenings, a dark room for sleeping and regular sleep times give your body a clear signal about when to get going and when to wind down.

Try one change for a few days and pay attention. How is your energy? Are you as hungry at night? Are you sleeping any differently?

We put so much effort into expecting the same thing from ourselves all year. But the world around us changes, and it makes sense to adjust with it. Adaptation is the point.

Want more simple ways to work with the season? My Guided by Nature: Fall/Winter guide can help you find your next step.

Explore the Fall/Winter guide >