At one time or another, we have all experienced cabin fever. The past two winters have been worse with home isolation due to covid. Not everyone experiencing cabin fever will have the same symptoms, but many people report feeling intensely irritable or restless. Others commonly experienced effects are:
food cravings, eating for recreation,
changes in sleep patterns, low motivation,
napping, depression or sadness,
lack of understanding or lack of patience,
finding it hard to stay on task,
in other words – just feeling rotten.
According to Lisa Fritscher: “Cabin fever is a popular term for a relatively common reaction to being isolated or confined for an extended period of time. Cabin fever is not a specific diagnosis, but rather a constellation of symptoms that can occur under these circumstances.”
As featured on the website “very well mind” Cabin Fever Symptoms and Coping Skills By Lisa Fritscher, find the entire article on the internet at: https://www.verywellmind.com/cabin-fever-fear-of-isolation-2671734.
These feelings can significantly affect a person’s quality of life.”
Added to the problem of cabin fever is that in cold weather, the body burns more energy to stay warm, which often drives our hunger levels up.
Sometimes it feels like it would be great to be a bear and simply crawl in a cave and hibernate all winter. So what should you do to deal with cabin fever? Make sure you are maintaining regular eating patterns. Try to stay within your established fasting and eating windows. Get out of the house when possible, go shopping or go for a walk. Stay busy, not just watching TV but cleaning a neglected area, sorting through stored boxes, of try reading, or learning a new game. Study up on your favorite hobbies, call an old friend or write a letter or email to someone special. Even if you have not been in contact for a while, they will appreciate the chance to catch up.
When your eating window is open, try cooking a new dish or an old favorite, look for recipes that require some time and preparation, or look up new variations from other people’s online recipes. If it fails or is not as good as your version, that’s no problem, you tired, and that is all that matters. Remember, the best cooks are a product of their failures.
Review
* Dieting during the winter months can be difficult.
* Cabin fever and home isolation due to covid can complicate winter diets.
* Stay busy, go for a walk, work out, clean the house, sort through stored boxes, read, study up on your favorite hobby, or learn a new game.
* Eat homemade hot meals, even if it is just a good old soup and sandwich.
Food for Thought – Diet cola. When it comes to food, Americans are obsessed with diet this and diet that. This is good – it means we are trying to control our weight. The sad truth is that the artificial sweeteners in these products trigger a ghrelin release (ghrelin is the hunger hormone), and ghrelin can trigger intense hunger. For best results, stick to water, club soda, unsweetened coffee, or unsweetened tea.
Trouble Shooting – Too much of a good thing can be bad. Fasting is no exception; fasting day in and day out for weeks at a time is a formula for failure. Switch it up. Your body is a master at adjusting to routines and habits; when it does, it can get in the way of your dieting success. Break up your fasting routines with a day or two of relaxed eating. Remember to guard against binge eating but enjoy a day or two off each week.
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