If your mood feels lower, cravings feel stronger, sleep feels off, or your energy has dipped during the winter months, you’re not imagining it—and it’s not a lack of willpower. In this episode of PCOS Unfiltered, we explore how seasonal changes like shorter daylight hours and colder weather directly impact your hormones, circadian rhythm, appetite signals, and stress response—especially if you’re navigating PCOS or insulin resistance. You’ll learn how reduced sunlight affects serotonin and melatonin, why winter can increase cravings and stress reactivity, and how simple, supportive shifts in movement, light exposure, meal timing, and nourishment can help your body feel more balanced during this season. This conversation is about working with your body instead of fighting it, honoring what winter asks of you hormonally, and creating realistic, sustainable habits that support healing all year long.
(0:00 - 0:33) If you have noticed changes, especially in your mood, your hunger, sleep, energy, this time of year, you're not imagining it, your body is simply responding to real seasonal and hormonal shifts that happen this time of year. And then serotonin, which is a feel-good hormone, decreases actually due to less light exposure. So that shift can affect your mood, your sleep cycle, hunger, energy levels, so so many things.
(0:34 - 1:42) But there's evidence that the body's feeding and stress hormones vary according to the season. So winter may predispose us to increased stress, reactivity, and changes in hunger and satiety signals. More cravings, altered energy, and shifts in sleep patterns are biologically rooted, not just a lack of willpower, but movement is one of the strongest hormonal regulators that we have. So even if you can just do five to 10 minutes of something, you will probably notice a difference. And that's maybe five to 10 minutes a day. Again, cravings in winter can be real, and they can also be partly hormonal. With reduced sunlight, serotonin can dip, as I mentioned, and that can lead to carbohydrate and comfort food cravings. And so this is biology. Welcome to PCOS Unfiltered, nourish, heal, thrive, the place where real talk meets real healing.
(1:42 - 3:02) I'm your host, Lindsie, a health and nutrition coach, mindful eating advocate, and fellow health warrior. Each week, we're diving deep into the truth about PCOS, from nutrition and mindful habits to emotional healing and everything in between, all without the filters, the fads, or the shame. If you're ready to ditch the diets, listen to your body, and finally thrive, you're in the right place. Now, as a reminder, the content shared on PCOS Unfiltered is for informational and educational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are not intended to serve as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your diet, exercise or treatment plan. The information shared is based on personal experience and expert interviews and is not a substitute for professional medical guidance. Today, we are talking about how the season itself can affect your hormones. So it just so happened that I had this episode planned when there's a good part of the US that is getting hit with some really super cold weather right now, snow, all that fun stuff.
(3:02 - 4:04) Um, so yeah, so especially during the winter, um, I just felt like this needed to be talked about because days are short, the weather's cold, and sometimes it just feels hard to get moving. So if you have noticed, uh, changes, especially in your mood, your hunger, sleep, uh, energy, this time of year, you're not imagining it. Your body is simply responding to real seasonal and hormonal shifts that happen this time of year. So in this episode, we're going to be exploring what is happening, why it matters and practical ways to move and eat this season to support your hormones, shorter daylight and colder weather can shift more than your motivation. They literally change your body's internal rhythms. So again, that's probably why you're really feeling this, um, your circadian rhythm, that internal clock, which, uh, is driven by light and dark.
(4:04 - 8:22) And also kind of talked about this a little bit recently. Um, well, a lot, we talked about sleep with, uh, Kate, I had on a few episodes ago. Um, we of course dove into more with sleep, but we did kind of touch on this with your circadian rhythm and when days are shorter melatonin, which, uh, as probably a lot of, you know, is that sleep hormone it's produced earlier in the day. And then serotonin, which is a feel good hormone decreases actually due to less light exposure. So that shift can affect your mood, your sleep cycle, um, hunger, energy levels. Uh, so, so many things. Um, and those seasonal changes also influence hormones, other hormones like cortisol, uh, which is the stress hormone leptin, which is the one that tells you you're feeling full and then growing, which is the one that's telling you you're hungry. Um, so it's affecting all those things, stress, appetite, fullness, you know, throughout the year, but there's evidence that the body's feeding and stress hormones vary according to the season. So winter may predispose us to increase stress reactivity and changes in hunger and satiety signals. So if you feel like you're, you know, constantly hungry this time of year, when it's cold and there's, there's less daylight, that could be a factor there. What does that mean for you? More cravings, altered energy and shifts in sleep patterns are biologically rooted, not just a lack of willpower movement. Uh, let's get into movement because yes, it does. It gets hard to get outside. Uh, unfortunately this time of year, partially because of the less daylight. So, you know, maybe if you get in a good routine during the spring, summer, maybe early fall, and you can get out a little bit later for like a nice little evening walk, but you obviously can't do that because it's darker now. Um, movement can become hard. And when the weather's gray, icy, um, it is easy to just become more sedentary, but movement is one of the strongest hormonal regulators that we have. So here's how to approach it. Gentle daily movement. Um, this, I mean, I get asked about exercise and what's the best exercises and truly it comes down to the one that you will do. Um, you know, whatever supports you and your nervous system. I wouldn't want you to, I wouldn't want to tell you to do strength training. If you're just not really into, into that, if you enjoy more of a walk or doing yoga, then do that instead. And so this applies here. Um, even with the time of year and yes, your options may not be as plentiful as other times of year, but you know, think of some, um, outdoor workouts that you could possibly do. Uh, if the time feels right, you know, uh, we're just a simple walk outside. Of course, if the temperature is warm enough, um, but otherwise indoors, you've got yoga, Pilates, just mobility work, stretching, uh, foam rolling even has its benefits. And if you do have a treadmill or an indoor stepper or access to a gym that has that, of course, um, you know, just brisk indoor walks are great. Um, dance breaks, even just moving your body, come up with some household circuits and you don't have to have all this equipment to do that stuff. You can do body exercises. You can use, um, everyday household items to, to make a circuit, um, anything to just raise the heart rate a little bit, but also just to move your body. Why is this important? It's because movement helps regulate cortisol. Again, that's that stress hormone and that supports glucose metabolism, which I've talked a lot about with insulin resistance and everything in the past, of course, improving insulin sensitivity.
(8:23 - 14:20) Um, and it can boost those feel good hormones and endorphins and all of that can counteract the winter sluggishness. So even if you can just do five to 10 minutes of something, you will probably notice a difference. And that's maybe five to 10 minutes a day. Maybe you're not perfect. The first week you do it, maybe, you know, you do it five days that week. And then maybe the next week you try to do six days for that week, but just a little bit each day. And I think you'll notice a difference. Um, the other thing is going back to that light exposure and activity. So aiming to move outside around midday. So if you have the option to go outside for your lunch break for a little bit of a walk, then I would encourage you to do so. Um, not when it's too cold, of course, use your judgment on that. Um, but just getting some light in the middle of the day, even if the sun isn't shining brightly, it can still help you feel better and it reinforces your circadian rhythm. And that helps kind of calibrate the hormone release throughout the day. So if outdoor daylight is not available, consider a light therapy lamp first thing in the morning, of course, natural light would be best for sure. There are some things out there that you could consider that would help like mimic natural sunlight also to help you then reset your internal clock. The other thing is here, don't overdo it. Um, and I tell this to a lot of my clients as well, um, especially around the holidays, but you know, everyone wants to hit the first of the year hard and, you know, do all the things and they're setting resolutions and all of that, but it might be more about just being consistent and kind of maintaining and not, not going further into the hole. So it's not really about crushing any PRS. Um, it's just really more about consistent doable activity that supports your energy, your recovery, your sleep. Um, so maybe balance some of the higher intensity workouts with restorative movement, especially if stress feels elevated this time of year, which can also be common. So you, you know, you might need to change it up a little bit and just kind of, like I said, be consistent with it though. Um, and make it doable, but not, not trying to set any records, you know, during this time of year. So let's talk about eating with purpose in winter, not restriction, um, but just strategic nourishment that works with how your body is signaling for the season. So meal timing and your internal clock, um, there's emerging evidence that when you eat matters just as much as what you eat, especially again, this time of year, especially for hormones that are tied to your circadian rhythm. So aligning meals with active daytime hours, which could mean earlier breakfasts and dinners, um, can support better blood sugar regulation and, uh, ultimately metabolic health and may improve sleep, sleep quality and overall hormonal balance. So a tip here is to finish dinner at least two to three hours before bedtime to allow digestion to wind down and to support nighttime melatonin increases naturally. So, um, I would, I would try to make it, you know, during the last hour of daylight. So kind of can depend on where you are, but maybe you're on that five to 6 PM timeframe. Um, you know, maybe 7 PM at the latest, and then still giving yourself, it might be kind of, sun might be really going down by then, but, uh, give you a couple hours then probably before you go to bed. Um, now let's talk about the food specifically for this time of year that can support your mood and your hormones. Um, again, cravings in winter can be real and they can also be partly hormonal, um, with reduced sunlight, serotonin can dip, as I mentioned, and that can to carbohydrate and comfort food cravings. Um, this is biology, unfortunately. So it's why I also can't stress enough that you need to be doing the work even throughout the year, because I would definitely feel this a lot more when I was having my own health issues. Um, and now I've learned how to actually kind of eat, you know, for this time of year, even though I'm in Florida and we aren't in solid cold weather, um, all the time, but there's still just a change. There's, there's not, it's not necessarily about the cold. It's about, yes, the sunlight, the reducing sunlight. Um, and so this, this is, is biology. Um, so here's how to support your hormones from the inside out. Aim for protein, fiber, and healthy fats. I mean, I've talked about this. I've done an episode about breakfast, um, and talked about this. Uh, I've done an episode about adding in versus, uh, just removing foods. So same applies here. This is going to help balance your blood sugar and just keep those appetite hormones steady. So example would be eggs, sautéed greens, uh, salmon, quinoa, some roasted winter veggies, lentil soup, and flavor those with nice, you know, fresh herbs. Um, great this time of year. The one thing you'll notice is, um, there aren't many fruits this time of year that are naturally growing. Yes, we can go to the grocery store and get, you know, all kinds of fruits anytime of year.
(14:20 - 14:44) But if you really think about how to eat according to the season, you might want to think about reducing, um, the number of fruits you're consuming as well. So focusing, especially on, like I said, the protein, fiber, healthy fats, you know, some of those good veggies that are great this time of year. Um, then you also have the serotonin supporting nutrients.
(14:44 - 15:47) So some foods help support serotonin production, especially those with tryptophan, B vitamins, and complex carbs. So thinking turkey, eggs, beans, nuts, and seeds, uh, or something like maybe sweet potatoes, squash and whole grains. Um, yes. We think about comfort foods, I think this time of year. So I know for me personally, I, uh, I love my crock pot this time of year and I make some good, like hearty crock pot meals too. So, you know, stews more like stews. Yes. Soups are still great. Warm grain bowls. Um, they're not just cozy. They provide a lot of satiety and balanced fuel from the inside out. So these might include root vegetables, legumes, like, you know, beans. Um, so chilies are obviously another really good one. Uh, and then warming spices like turmeric, ginger, and other broth based meals to provide some protein as well. Uh, you know, in addition to whatever protein you might be adding.
(15:47 - 16:16) Um, the other thing here, some other little tweaks to help with hormonal balance might be prioritizing sleep. Uh, so shorter days, increase melatonin. Yes. Honor that by aiming for consistent sleep and wait times. Uh, so yes, try going to bed a little bit earlier, but also maybe think about just being more consistent with it all. Um, even, you know, over anything.
(16:17 - 19:32) And then maybe developing a morning sunlight ritual. So even if it's just 10 minutes, 10 to 15 minutes morning light exposure that can help you, uh, set your circadian rhythm for the day. The other thing here is stress management because as the days are darker and kind of depending on the time of year, um, or I mean the time of the winter, whether that means, you know, if it's holiday time or back to school time, um, there can still be a lot going on. And so just think about how to manage your stress, you know, it's the beginning of the year for your job and you might have a lot going on, you know, new goals to meet. So maybe focusing on some mindfulness, some meditation, some simple breath work, even just a relaxing bath, um, can help, help control cortisol levels and support the nervous system to keep everything in balance. So your body can feel better. It can heal. It can feel safe and do what it needs to do. So as I wrap up, um, a few takeaways here, um, think of this as your winter hormone checklist, uh, kind of summarizing. So get some movement daily, even if it's just gentle, like I mentioned five to 10 minutes, maybe, uh, just some stretches, some foam rolling. Yes. You could do, if you, if you have a gym membership or a treadmill at your, at your house, something like that, some easy walking, um, or try to get outside, especially midday. Um, but just some movement daily is key here. Support your circadian rhythm with daylight exposure. So like we mentioned first thing in the morning, if you can, but if not even prime time in the middle of the day, eat with timing and balance to support metabolic health. Um, so being consistent with those times, maybe eating an earlier breakfast and also an earlier dinner choosing nutrient dense, uh, comforting foods that stabilize mood and blood sugar. So focusing on prioritizing protein fiber and veggies at every single meal. But if that is something that seems way far out for you, then start small, I would say, start with breakfast, um, and try to make one little change there to prioritize, you know, those foods and then advance it from there. Um, because each little bit will help. And then again, prioritizing consistent sleep and stress management. So breathwork meditation, um, maybe even just getting a massage, um, a bath, something that you can do for yourself, even if it's just taking five minutes to step away from all the craziness, uh, maybe of the home of work, whatever's going on for you and listening to your favorite podcast or reading a book for five minutes or a magazine or something, um, that can all help with stress as well. So I do hope that you enjoyed this episode. Um, I hope that you can relate. And, uh, I think it was super important to talk about this for this time of year.
(19:34 - 19:58) Thanks for tuning in to another episode of PCOS unfiltered. If today's episode spoke to you, be sure to subscribe. So you don't miss a thing. And if you loved it, a quick review would mean the world to me. Remember healing is a journey, not a destination, and you deserve to feel empowered every step of the way until next time, nourish your body, heal your heart and thrive like the boss you are.