7 Surprising Effects Fall Weather Can Have on Your Body

Are you as excited about Fall as we are? With the fresh crisp air, the beautiful colors and all the pumpkin-spice coffee you could possible drink what’s not to love? Did you know that the change in seasons can also do incredible things for your health?  Here’s why the Fall season is the best time to improve both your mental and physical health. Autumn Health Perk #1: Your Sleep Will Grow Deeper In the autumn, sunrise comes later, and sunset comes earlier every single day.  The dip in available sunlight triggers different adjustments in our bodies’ circadian rhythms, which will reset to make you sleepy earlier.  It’s also been proven that lower temperatures help us sleep better, so just crack your window on a cool fall night for the best sleep ever. Autumn Health Perk #2: Fall Colors Promote Mental Health When you’re feeling “down,” there’s no faster way to pick up your mood than to step outside.  Not only does a hit of Vitamin D do incredible things for our serotonin levels, but there’s something innately soothing about being in the fresh air and looking at nature.  In autumn, when the landscape is especially beautiful and colorful, the sight of bright leaves will dramatically and immediately boost your happiness and mental health. Go for a hike in the mountains, walk in the park, get outside and go Forest Bathing: https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/thrive-together/live-well/forest-bathing-try Autumn Health Perk #3: Seasonal Spices Improve Overall Wellness You can’t have autumn comfort food without plenty of ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Fortunately, all three of these spices are delicious, and they improve your whole-body health. Nutmeg has germ-killing properties, ginger improves the circulation, and cinnamon is linked to lower inflammation levels! Try adding some to your coffee or tea. Autumn Health Perk #4: Say Goodbye to Brain Fog “Brain fog” is a general term for malaise and fuzzy-headed feelings that affects all of us from time to time. In the summer, it’s easy to feel brain-fogged from the heat, but the crisp clear air of fall does wonders for clearing the cobwebs.  It might be a bit of placebo effect, but lots of people find that the cold fall air helps break up the fog and get their brains going again! Autumn Health Perk #5: You’ll Get Out More We normally associate getting outside with the summer, but just think — how many summer days do you spend in the A/C, trying to avoid the stifling heat?  In the autumn, you might not be hitting the beach, but you’re much more likely to go hiking or walking, play a round of golf, or engage in a game of touch-football with friends. All of that built-in exercise is more appealing because of the lovely weather, and it can improve your metabolism and your overall health. Autumn Health Perk #6: It Brings Us Together On a cold night, with the frost just gathering on the glass, is there anything better than snuggling up under a blanket with a loved one and watching a movie?  Whether you’re cozying up to your partner, your kids, your pets — or some combination of the three — there’s nothing more comforting than a fall night in.  Plus, all of that physical contact boosts our oxytocin levels, and makes us bond more closely with the people we’re hibernating with! Autumn Health Perk #7: There’s Lots To Look Forward To We all love Thanksgiving, Halloween, and shopping for holiday presents in the fall, but there’s one thing we love even more: anticipating all of those activities.  It’s true that humans derive more pleasure from anticipating a fun activity than they do from actually doing it. Fall is great for this because you have so much to plan and look forward to, which makes us happy and boosts our serotonin levels for the most contented season of them all! ABOUT EMP180° – EMP180° offers personalized nutrition and weight loss programs designed to help individuals and entire families permanently change their health. Our highly trained nutrition coaches work with clients to help them transform their eating habits, achieve and maintain a target weight. We then provide life-long support, critical to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and optimal health long-term. For more information, please visit https://www.emp180weightloss.com.