Autumn is upon us, and as temperatures dip both physiology and habit begin to influence our eating patterns. Just as you should prepare and “winterize” your home and your vehicle, thoughtful attention and planning is necessary to keep one on track in sustaining a healthy nutrition regimen.
"Studies indicate that we do tend to eat more during the winter months, with the average person gaining at least 1 to 2 pounds -- and those who are already overweight likely to gain a lot more," says author, Rallie McAllister, MD. Both a heartier winter appetite and “mindless eating” contribute to this weight gain. Having a winning eating strategy to control weight gain and have a healthy and satisfying nutrition plan starts with a proper focus.
Its hard to ignore our body’s natural craving for high-calorie, high-carbohydrate comfort foods to warm our body temperature as outside temeratures drop. Its our self-preservation mode that triggers appetite and the usual craving for carbohydrate-rich foods, the sugars and starches that provide the instant "heat" boost our body is longing for. Our personal choices are heavily influenced by our culture. Most often our winter eating experience includes a history of childhood meals filled with rich, heavy meals, loaded with meat , starch, and gravy and or soups ladden with fat. The reality is that eating any food will boost metabolism and help body temperature to rise, so meeting our physiologic needs without harmful unnecessary weight gain is a choice!
Every successfully achieved goal starts with a well crafted plan. Start now and set yourself up for success. State your objective for this winter, weight loss or control, determine your caloric needs for the day and set an eating plan to consume the appropriate number of calories daily. Preplan your meals, space your eating times to help avoid hunger spikes. Choose healthy in between meal snacks. Eat a high-protein, high-fiber snack between meals -- like some peanut butter on a whole wheat cracker, or low-fat cheese on a slice of wheat bread. Healthy snacking will fuel your body's heat mechanism, helping keep you warmer. Maintaining normal body temperatures can help reduce one’s cravings for carbs.
Modify favorite recipes to make them healthier. Substitute low fat or non fat cheese and dairy for full fat varieties in your pasta dishes, potatoes, pizzas and soups. You can do this in your home made dishes and or find many pre-prepared offerings in the frozen food section of your favorite grocery store. If they aren’t there, speak to the store manager and request that they bring your choice in.
Watch out for hidden calories in beverages. Colder temperatures bring thoughts of hot chocolate, cider, and flavored coffee and tea options just to name a few. Simple alterations depending on your personal taste preference can make huge caloric differences. Two approaches to consider are reducing either the quatities of milk/ cream and sugar / sweetened flavorings to be added or using nonfat”creamers” and or artificial sweeteners.
Some helpful resources:365 Days of Healthy Eating from the American Dietetic Association
by Roberta Larson Duyff, MS, RD, FADA, CFCS. Wiley, 2004. Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think by Brian Wansink, PhD. Bantam Books, 2006. Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think
by Brian Wansink, PhD. Bantam Books, 2006.

Eat well and be healthy!!