AVOIDING WINTER DEPRESSION AND WEIGHT GAIN

<p>ROADMAP - https://www.sarahkleinerwellness.com/winter-roadmap</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Feeling tired, moody, and craving carbs every winter? Your biology is working against you — and willpower alone won&#39;t fix it.</p><p><br></p><p>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.</p><p><br></p><p>Here&#39;s what I cover:</p><p><br></p><p>→ Why most people go into winter already depleted (low vitamin D, low iron, broken sleep) — and why that matters more than you think</p><p><br></p><p>→ 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</p><p><br></p><p>→ The truth about light boxes: the blue light problem, flicker, and nervous system dysregulation — plus the one I actually recommend</p><p><br></p><p>→ 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</p><p><br></p><p>→ 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&#39;re depleted</p><p><br></p><p>→ Why willpower always loses to biology — and why the answer isn&#39;t restricting harder, but pulling safety signals back in</p><p><br></p><p>If you&#39;ve ever felt like a runaway train from Thanksgiving through January, this is your blueprint to break the cycle.</p><p><br></p><p></p><p>⏱️ CHAPTERS:</p><p>0:00 — Why You Feel Like Crap Every Winter</p><p>1:18 — Are You Depleted Going Into Winter?</p><p>2:49 — Foundation #1: Light Signals</p><p>6:02 — Getting 10,000 Lux (Even on Cloudy Days)</p><p>8:59 — Why Less Light = More Sugar Cravings</p><p>9:45 — Light Boxes: Blue Light &amp; Flicker Problems</p><p>11:56 — Why Your Appetite Gets Wrecked in Winter</p><p>13:02 — Why Calorie Deficit Alone Fails in Winter</p><p>14:13 — Morning Light: Non-Negotiables</p><p>14:54 — Evening Light Protocol (10 Lux Before Bed)</p><p>16:08 — Bedroom Light &amp; Weight Gain Connection</p><p>17:08 — Foundation #2: Food Signals</p><p>17:54 — Over-Fasting &amp; Iron Depletion (Hepcidin)</p><p>18:59 — Your Nervous System Ne