Autumn is arriving on the northern hemisphere next week. Besides falling leaves and different weather our bodies are changing as well. The environmental changes are obvious, but our physical changes are much more subtile. So how doe our bodies change during shifting seasons?
Dry skin due to chemical changes
You might notice that you start searching for that lip balm or start to use moisturizer more often. This is due to the fact that our skin is reacting to the changing season. A decrease in temperature and humidity is forcing the skin to work harder to maintain hydration. Our skin thrives in consistent conditions. This means that during the shifting seasons the chemical balance in our skin is changing causing dryness and in some cases acne.
Exercise and metabolism
Another change is the fact that we start noticing a difference in our weight. Humans, like other mammals, store fat in their bodies during winter months. This is due to the fact that humans build an insulin resistance during late summer and early fall. This causes the liver to produce more fat so we can store this in our tissue and prepare ourselves for winter. The best way to combat this is, surprise surprise, exercise and a healthy diet.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as winterblues or winter depression. This is a disorder that emerges when days get shorter and we start losing daylight during Fall and Winter. Symptoms related to winter depression are similar to those of a “regular” depression but literals disappear like snow before the sun when Spring arrives. We will adres this disorder in a future article and will tell you how to prevent and/or treat SAD.
Take care of your heart and body
The body has response mechanisms set in place to ease the shock of seasonal change. Serious health issues might emerge during winter. Researchers found that there are more hearth attacks during Winter than any other season. Causes of this are a weakened immune system and a higher blood pressure. Take care of your body during winter!
Source: https://www.premiermedicalhv.com
