AVOIDING WINTER DEPRESSION AND WEIGHT GAIN
ROADMAP - https://www.sarahkleinerwellness.com/winter-roadmap
Feeling tired, moody, and craving carbs every winter? Your biology is working against you — and willpower alone won't fix it.
In this video, I break down the two foundational signals your body needs in winter: LIGHT and FOOD. Get these right and you can avoid seasonal depression, stop the winter weight gain spiral, and actually feel energized all season long.
Here's what I cover:
→ Why most people go into winter already depleted (low vitamin D, low iron, broken sleep) — and why that matters more than you think
→ Foundation #1 — LIGHT: How to get 10,000 lux of morning light (even on cloudy days), why your indoor light is basically useless, and how UV light drives your serotonin and dopamine
→ The truth about light boxes: the blue light problem, flicker, and nervous system dysregulation — plus the one I actually recommend
→ Your evening light protocol: 10 lux or below 2–3 hours before bed, why your bedroom needs to be at zero lux, and how light exposure while sleeping is linked to obesity and insulin resistance
→ Foundation #2 — FOOD: Why skipping meals and over-fasting wrecks your iron levels (hepcidin explained), why you need protein, fat, and carbs across three meals, and why calorie deficit alone fails when you're depleted
→ Why willpower always loses to biology — and why the answer isn't restricting harder, but pulling safety signals back in
If you've ever felt like a runaway train from Thanksgiving through January, this is your blueprint to break the cycle.
⏱️ CHAPTERS:
0:00 — Why You Feel Like Crap Every Winter
1:18 — Are You Depleted Going Into Winter?
2:49 — Foundation #1: Light Signals
6:02 — Getting 10,000 Lux (Even on Cloudy Days)
8:59 — Why Less Light = More Sugar Cravings
9:45 — Light Boxes: Blue Light & Flicker Problems
11:56 — Why Your Appetite Gets Wrecked in Winter
13:02 — Why Calorie Deficit Alone Fails in Winter
14:13 — Morning Light: Non-Negotiables
14:54 — Evening Light Protocol (10 Lux Before Bed)
16:08 — Bedroom Light & Weight Gain Connection
17:08 — Foundation #2: Food Signals
17:54 — Over-Fasting & Iron Depletion (Hepcidin)
18:59 — Your Nervous System Needs Light First
19:43 — Why Willpower Loses to Biology
20:29 — You Can Be Overweight & Undernourished
21:38 — Restricting Harder Isn't the Answer
22:29 — What Actually Works: Pull Safety Signals Back In
22:49 — Breaking the Annual Winter Pattern
23:41 — Wrap Up & Next Steps
#WinterDepression #SeasonalAffectiveDisorder #WinterWeightGain #LightTherapy #CircadianRhythm #WinterWellness
More episodes from "The Evolving Wellness Podcast with Sarah Kleiner Wellness"
Don't miss an episode of “The Evolving Wellness Podcast with Sarah Kleiner Wellness” and subscribe to it in the GetPodcast app.
