How Does Winter Bring an Increased Appetite?
Researchers aren’t knowledgeable as to why the cold winter months seems to promote a greater appetite and craving for carbs, but they have a few nice thoughts on the matter. As humans, we may be more similar to animals than we initially assume, but that also may just be another reason to justify our pig-out attitude toward those holiday goodies. Ira Ockene, of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, tells us that we are driven by things implanted in our minds long ago. Seasons influence our health, and the cold specifically increases our desire to store up for the colder months. While this gives a good excuse for eating more of your preferred pie and deliciousness at Thanksgiving and Christmas, don’t just make for the pantry quite yet. Another view of this increased desire for food during the chilly months, according to Marcia Pelchat of Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philidelphia, is the strong links we have among memories and particular foods. “The stronger the link becomes,” Pelchat states, between food and the sweet holiday memories, “the more likely you are to indulge in the food.” The solution to this is, again, the solution to almost every health question: Moderation. You don’t need to totally rid yourself of your preferred foods, or suppress the memories tied with them, but you do need to limit your intake. It’s okay to taste it, but don’t devour the whole cake!
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