South Africa is in the grip of winter and most areas of the country are experiencing freezing temperatures. This inclement weather has prompted dietician Dr Ingrid van Heerden to have a look at what we eat in winter and how this can affect our weight and health.
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Inevitable weight gain?
Do you always gain weight in winter? Most people will answer, “Yes” to this question. It is a common feature that human beings tend to pile on the kgs during winter, and then spend most of spring and summer trying to lose this accumulated fat. What causes this phenomenon?
We are not quite sure why people gain weight over winter, but there are various potential causes:
a) Genetic predisposition
Our genes may still be programmed to eat richer, fattier foods and to consume more alcohol when the ambient temperature drops sharply. During the thousands of years of evolution, humans have only relatively recently learnt how to control the temperature of their surroundings. So for our ancestors who lived in drafty caves during the last Ice Age, it was imperative that they should lay down a substantial supply of fat in their bodies to keep them warm, and serve as a source of fuel in the lean times when hunting and gathering came to a standstill. We may well have inherited those genes and feel the need to eat fats and rich foods in greater quantities in winter, even if we live in warm homes and have all kinds of ways of keeping cold at bay with thick clothing and heating.
b) Serotonin levels
The interaction of various chemicals in the brain can influence appetite and what we eat. Serotonin is one such chemical which not only has an effect on food intake, but also controls our moods. Many people feel depressed in winter, a reaction that may be triggered by the shorter hours of daylight. Our bodies react to depression by producing more serotonin and one of the ways of boosting serotonin production is to eat more carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates on their own, particularly unsifted and unprocessed carbohydrates, have a relatively low energy content, and will not make you gain weight. Unfortunately many carbohydrate foods, such as chips, cakes, pies, pastries and chocolate also have a high fat content, so if you eat large quantities of these foods because you feel the urge to stock up on carbohydrates you will probably gain weight. The solution is to make sure that you are eating sufficient carbohydrates with a high-fibre content to boost your serotonin levels and combat depression, without all the added fat.
c) Decrease in activity
Let’s face it, it’s not as much fun to exercise in winter, as in summer. Most people want to stay indoors if it is cold and raining. This decrease in physical activity is probably the single most important reason why people gain weight over winter.
So how can we avoid becoming slothful hibernators? The first step is to realise that you are probably much less active than in summer and do something about the situation. If you can’t face going for walks in the cold or rain, join a gym, or an exercise class for the winter months. Yes, I know that some gyms won’t let you join for less than a year, but if you search a bit you will find a variety of activities that allow you to join for shorter periods. For example dancing classes, Pilates, yoga and other types of exercise often make provision for shorter periods of membership.
Winter is also an ideal time to do home workouts. You can buy instruction tapes at bookstores and certain chain stores, or ask Fitness Doc for advice on how to keep active at home. Then there is always the possibility of going for brisk walks when the sun is shining. After 10 minutes you will feel as warm as toast and glowing with health. So get active this winter to prevent yourself from expanding in all directions and getting gloomy so that you gorge yourself on fatty foods.
Top winter foods
Winter in the modern world is no longer a season of deprivation, but of plenty. Just think of all the delicious fruits that are available in South Africa at this time of year. Oranges, grapefruit, naartjies, strawberries, pawpaw, kiwi fruit, and guavas are all brimming with protective nutrients such as vitamin C and bioflavonoids to ward off winter colds and ‘flu, and they have a low kilojoule content. Try eating one of these fruits at each meal to fill you up and boost your immune system.
Winter is also the best time to eat hearty soups which can be nutritious without increasing your energy intake and making you gain weight. The simplest soups can be made with a variety of vegetables that are cooked with beef or chicken stock. Use stock cubes which are low in energy content, or if you make your own stock from chicken or beef, let it cool in the fridge and remove the fat that solidifies on top of the stock.
Use fat-free milk to make cream of vegetable soups and add fat-free yoghurt instead of cream. Serve vegetable soups with crusty wholewheat bread for a delicious, wholesome non-fattening meal that will keep you warm and full for hours. Try having soup for one of your main meals every day in winter and you won’t gain weight.
So if you feel that your weight is getting out of hand this winter, make a concerted effort to do some form of exercise every day, eat foods that are satisfying, but not fattening, such as fruit and soups, and you will not gain those 5 to 7 kg you usually pile on before summer.
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