Hungry?

recently some friends and i were commenting on how we feel hungry all the time! and not, it seems, hungry for more apples or carrots but more for brownies or mashed potatoes. maybe you've been feeling this way, too. so what's going on?
     it is not our imagination, we do tend to eat more in the winter-200 more calories a day on average- with most adults gaining 1-2 pounds over the winter. that wouldn't be so bad if the weight were lost in the spring but many times it just adds up with many 50 year olds being 30 pounds heavier that they were in high school-not a good thing.
     there is debate on why this happens but it is probably a combination of factors. if you think about evolution we needed extra calories to get us through the winter when food might be scarce. the colder temperatures in winter (unless you head down south) drop our body temps which signals our brains to tell us to warm up and one of the fastest ways to do this is to consume carbs and sugars that "heat up" the body quickly. this in turn can create that spike in insulin that just makes us crave even more calories. carbs and sugars are not in  the comfort foods category for no reason. we feel better after eating them as they make our serotonin levels rise. another factor is that many of us exercise less in the winter causing our serotonin levels to drop. i think we can see what is happening here.
     it's also harder what with less sunlight, holiday parties, snow, and/or family expectations to not give in to all the stresses and food treats that are more common this time of year. but be aware-try to keep up with exercise and if you are feeling hungry or moody try having a snack containing fiber and some protein rather than just empty calories-as comforting as they might be. you might think so but remember that the third cookie or second piece of pie will not taste any better or make you much happier than the first!