This video explains why our bodies tend to gain weight and crave carbs in the fall, linking it to ancient survival mechanisms. Dr. Deb Ford provides a five-step plan for a "metabolic reset" to help viewers prepare for the holidays feeling healthy and balanced. The plan includes focusing on sleep, smart exercise, eating seasonal foods mindfully, managing stress, and gently detoxing the body.
Key Takeaways
1
Our metabolism naturally shifts in the fall due to shorter daylight, increased melatonin, changes in cortisol, and a dip in thyroid output, all preparing the body for winter.
2
Fall carb cravings are an ancient survival mechanism, as autumn was historically harvest time, prompting our ancestors to store fat and increase serotonin for leaner winter months.
3
Prioritizing 8 hours of quality sleep is crucial for metabolic reset, as it improves insulin sensitivity and allows mitochondria to repair.
4
Engage in smart daily movement like walking, hiking, or strength training, aiming for activities that energize rather than exhaust to preserve muscle and lower blood sugar.
5
Eat properly by honoring seasonal produce (like pumpkins and sweet potatoes) with mindful portions and pairings, focusing on colorful non-starchy plants, lean protein, and healthy fats.
6
Calm stress by practicing saying no, taking mini-sabbaticals, and deep breathing, as cortisol from stress can sabotage metabolism by raising blood sugar and storing fat.
7
Support your liver with a gentle detox, as it's the master detox organ and metabolic switch, and can remarkably regenerate to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce fat within weeks.
8
Consider functional testing before the holidays to personalize your metabolic reset, checking levels like fasting glucose, insulin, thyroid panel, and vitamin D.
9
View caring for your body as stewardship and an honor, practicing gratitude daily to foster peace, balance, and healing.
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0:00
Hello my friends. This is Dr. Deb Ford,
0:03
dietician and doctor of clinical
0:05
nutrition with today's nutrition. And I
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have to say this is one of my favorite
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times of year. The air is kind of crisp.
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The nights are great. The sunset glows
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just a little bit earlier. Nature seems
0:18
to just whisper slow down. Fall is kind
0:22
of a sacred pause between the rush of
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summer and kind of the frenzy of the
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holidays. Perfect time to reset your
0:32
metabolism.
0:33
Slow down. Take care of yourself. The
0:36
yard doesn't need as much attention as
0:38
it did. Can I say thank heaven? And now
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you can take time and focus inward to
0:45
recharging your health. So, if you've
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been feeling a little sluggish lately,
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craving all those pumpkin spice things
0:53
that are being advertised, and maybe
0:55
you're noticing the scale creeping up a
0:57
little bit, even though your diet
0:58
doesn't seem to have changed, don't
1:00
panic. You're not broken. You're human.
1:03
And believe it or not, there is a deep
1:05
biological reason your body is acting
1:08
this way every autumn. Today, we're
1:11
going to explore why our metabolism kind
1:14
of shifts in the fall. how that ancient
1:17
wiring can sabotage your modern goals
1:21
and what you can do starting this week
1:24
to reboot your system so you can glide
1:27
through the holidays feeling light and
1:29
strong and balanced. So, grab your
1:32
organic mushroom coffee, oolong tea, or
1:36
your green smoothie, and let's begin
1:38
your autumn reset. First, what's really
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going on in the fall? As daylight
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shortens, your body kind of gets the
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signal loud and clear that winter is
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coming. Prepare. Melatonin production.
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It rises a little bit earlier in the
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evening due to the darkness. Cortisol
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pattern shift. Thyroid output tends to
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dip just a little bit. And your internal
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ancient thermostat is preparing for
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longer nights and cooler days. And then
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come those carb cravings for comfort
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foods. The breads, the pastas, the
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sweets. We all feel it. But here is the
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fascinating truth. The anthropological
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reason for all those fall cravings. For
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thousands, maybe millions of years, food
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availability depended on the seasons.
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Autumn was harvest time. With all the
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high starch and high sugar items
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ripening, you've got the apples, the
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potatoes, the grains that are ready to
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be ground. And you know, all the root
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vegetables are abundant. Nature loaded
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the table with carbohydrates in the fall
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for a reason. Those starchy foods
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trigger higher insulin levels, so the
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body will store a little extra layer of
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fat, insulation, and fuel for those lean
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winter months ahead. Higher carb intake
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also raises serotonin, helping our
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ancestors stay calm, sleep longer, and
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better through the long, dark nights. In
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other words, the desire for comfort food
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in October is kind of an ancient
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survival coding. The difference is that
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our ancestors had scarcity after the
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harvest. Their high carb season was
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followed by months of fasting and
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hunting and cold weather that burned
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through all those extra reserves they
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might have put on. Today, food never
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stops coming. We keep indulging in those
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harvest foods all winter long without
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the natural reset. You've got all the
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Halloween candy followed by Thanksgiving
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followed by Christmas followed by
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Easter. You know, that's why modern
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metabolism gets sluggish this time of
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year. You don't get the natural reset.
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So the solution is not shame, it's
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strategy. When we understand this
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biological tendency, we can honor it.
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Working with our design instead of
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against it, knowing that food is
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abundant all winter long, we know we
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don't have to store up. So, we're going
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to give you some keys to help that
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autumn metabolic reset. We're going to
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walk through five simple but powerful
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steps to reboot your metabolism this
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fall. You know, we're going to go back
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to my heavenly steps where you
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hibernate, you exercise, you avoid
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aggravations, you got to have a good
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viewpoint, you got to eat properly, and
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you got to avoid those toxins. So, in in
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hibernating,
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the whole circadian rhythm
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changes. First step is to embrace those
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earlier nights. As daylight fades
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sooner, the body really does crave rest.
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Don't fight it. Aim to be in bed a
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little bit earlier and wake with the
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morning light if you can. If you're like
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me and you naturally want to get up
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before the birds, don't fight it, but be
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sure you're getting to bed early enough
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to get at least 8 hours of quality
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sleep. Quality sleep is not laziness. It
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is your metabolic reset button. We've
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talked about it. When you sleep,
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melatonin rises, cortisol falls, insulin
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sensitivity improves, especially if you
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do that 12 hours plus fasting, and that
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way your mitochondria can actually
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repair themselves. Making your bedroom a
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sanctuary is really important, too.
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dark, cool, quiet, like a cave, and
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screenfree for at least an hour before
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bed. You might need a little magnesium
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glycinade or a cup of chamomile tea will
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help you wind down. Valyan root or my
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heavenly sleep formula if you really
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need help. Journaling three things
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you're grateful for is also really good
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because gratitude naturally lowers
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cortisol.
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And remember, fat burning happens while
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you sleep. You will wake up lighter
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every morning. Next thing, of course, we
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have to move smart daily. You don't have
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to be frantic about it. Autumn is just a
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great time for walking, for raking
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leaves, for hiking, for strength
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training outdoors in the fresh crisp
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air, and oh, that special sunshine. The
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goal is really movement that energizes,
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not exhausts. in Achi, Italy. I love it.
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They're just active people. You don't
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have to worry about going to the gym.
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You just naturally are active all day
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long. And don't overtrain, especially
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when you're under stress. You know, we
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spike cortisol. We stall metabolism.
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Instead,
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think training, not draining. Maybe do
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resistance work two or three times a
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week to preserve that muscle. Because
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muscle is not only your metabolic
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engine, but it is your organ of
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longevity. After meals, perfect time to
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take a 10-minute stroll to help bring
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down that blood sugar. Those big muscles
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in the hips and thighs, lower body, they
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are just sugar sponges. So, perfect time
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to be walking. Gentle consistency beats
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heroic effort every time. So, if you
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move your body with joy, like gardening
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and dancing. Oh, a pickle ball. A lot of
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my friends love that pickle ball, you're
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going to move your chemistry in the
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right direction. Something I've been
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experimenting with these days is a great
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product, a new one called Perfect Amos.
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I'm using it to boost my lean muscle
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mass, but it's also great for boosting
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performance and recovery. Five tablets
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is the equivalent of 29 gram of protein
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of whey or soy, 15 g of meat, or 10 gram
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of protein from eggs. All without
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breaking your fasting window. You know,
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great company with the seal of good
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manufacturing practices, which is really
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important in this day and age when
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you've got so many companies just
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popping up out of nowhere. and I love
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it. It's located in the town where my
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chiropractor son lives. You know, I'm
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going to have to stop by there next time
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I go for a visit. Now, we want to eat
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properly, honoring the season without
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overdoing it. Now, my favorite topic,
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food. This is where we need to merge
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ancient wisdom with modern science.
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Nature gives us vibrant fall produce.
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Pumpkins and squash and sweet potatoes
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and Brussels sprouts and apples and
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pears. They're beautiful and they're
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nourishing. They're loaded with
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antioxidants.
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The trick here is portion and pairing.
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My green keto approach keeps
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carbohydrates around 10 g per meal for
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those trying to manage insulin and
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weight issues. Shortterm, we really need
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to watch that while emphasizing lots of
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colorful, non-starchy plants, clean
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protein, healthy fats. If you're already
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at the perfect weight, bravo. Pair those
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roasted root vegetables with salmon or
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chicken and a drizzle of that great
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Italian olive oil. Add fiber from
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greens, maybe a little flax seed to
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lower the glucose release.
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Skip the sugary coffee drinks for
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breakfast and opt for maybe the heavenly
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cleanse. That shake that you can blend
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with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and a
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little bit of water or almond milk.
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Wonderful tasting and blood sugar
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friendly. When carb cravings hit,
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remember your ancestors and smile and
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say, "I hear you, biology, but food is
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not scarce anymore." Then you get to
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choose wisely. Next, we want to avoid
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aggravations. Calming that cortisol,
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calming the cravings. Stress, I have to
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say, is the biggest metabolic sabotur.
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Every time you feel anxious or rushed or
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resentful, your body hears danger and
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releases cortisol to prepare for battle.
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That single hormone raises blood sugar,
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stores fat, and if you're in hormone
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hell, it's stealing your progesterone. I
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bet you fall tends to be the
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amplification of stress. You might have
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busier schedules. You know, you've got
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all the sports and all the afterchool
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activities, shorter days, and then we're
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starting to think about the holidays.
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So, this is a moment we need to learn to
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protect our peace. Maybe practice saying
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no. As hard as it is, you got to say no
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sometimes. And let somebody else pick up
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the slack. And you might be doing them a
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favor. They can learn a lot. So, take
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daily mini sbaticals. Maybe step outside
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for a few deep breaths of Chris Bear.
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Bring it in. Pray a bit. Stretch. and
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maybe even sit quietly with a warm mug.
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Your nervous system resets in seconds
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when you choose calm. As I often remind
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my clients, your body will not burn fat
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in survival mode. The calmer you are,
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the better your metabolism is going to
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work. Now, we have to kind of switch and
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look at the toxins and maybe encourage a
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gentle detox. After maybe some summer
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indulgences, the barbecues, the chemical
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sunscreens, maybe a few cocktails, your
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liver deserves some love. That's where
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the master detox organ and your
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metabolic switch is located, your liver.
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When the liver is sluggish, hormones and
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insulin do not communicate properly.
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Fall is a perfect time for a gentle
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cleanse, and it supports the phase 1,
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two, and three detox with my heavenly
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detox and cleanse kits. If you need a
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really good start, a word about fatty
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liver that is epidemic these days. You
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want to reverse it fast, do the heavenly
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cleanse. If there are no
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signs of liver fibrosis yet and there's
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just simple fatty infiltration, the good
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news is the liver can regenerate
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remarkably quickly. It is one of the
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most resilient organs in the body.
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Here's what the research and clinical
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experience shows. Within 2 to 3 weeks,
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liver enzymes can normalize, insulin
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sensitivity improve, and fat exports
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from the liver. You may even start to
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notice reduced bloating, improved
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energy, and clearer thinking. At about
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week six and 8, ultrasound is going to
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show significant reduction in liver fat.
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Up to 30 to 50% reversal. Triglycerides
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and fasting levels are going to drop
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dramatically at this stage. And by weeks
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12 to 16, we're talking three to four
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months. Many people achieve complete
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normalization of fatty liver if they've
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eliminated the sugars, the alcohol, the
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starches, and the seed oils. Especially
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if they have done a green keto or low
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carb whole food plan rich in
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antioxidants and fiber, the liver
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regenerates. Healthy new tissues come
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within and the metabolic stressors are
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removed.
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Also, you know, you've got fermented
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vegetables and bone broth and fiber and
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probiotics keeps the digestion smooth
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and inflammation low. A happy gut equals
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happy metabolism and just a happy day.
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So, you may want to think also
14:43
functional testing data, get it before
14:45
the holidays, before things get out of
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control. If you really want to
14:49
personalize your reset, testing is the
14:51
most powerful thing you can do. I
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recommend a fall check-in. Fasting
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glucose, fasting insulin, thyroid panel,
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vitamin D, C reactive protein for
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inflammation. You may want to consider
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the comprehensive
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over 100 point function health panel
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that I can give you access to. Knowing
15:12
your numbers gives you control, lets you
15:16
know exactly what you need to focus on.
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It's far easier to prevent than it is to
15:22
undo it all come January. And I love the
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saying, test, don't guess. You can be
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wasting a heck of a lot of money trying
15:32
to fix one thing that's not broken while
15:35
something else that is broken gets
15:38
ignored. We also want to think the
15:40
rhythm of the seasons. I love that
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nature mirrors the spiritual truth that
15:46
life has its seasons. Autumn invites us
15:49
to release what is no longer serving us.
15:53
Just like trees let go of their leaves,
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it's not a loss. It really is just
15:58
preparation for new growth. Health
16:00
follows the same rhythm. When we rest,
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we nourish, we simplify,
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we create space for renewal.
16:10
Caring for your body is not vanity. It
16:13
is stewardship. It is honoring the
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remarkable gift of creation God
16:18
designed. So take a moment each evening,
16:23
thank your body for serving you
16:24
faithfully and promise to continue to
16:27
nourish it better and better. That
16:30
simple shift in mindset brings peace,
16:33
which brings balance, which brings
16:36
healing.
16:38
So, tying it all together, you got to
16:40
sleep, you got to move, you got to eat
16:42
properly, got to detox, avoiding
16:45
aggravation, avoiding toxins, keeping
16:48
your liver happy, and your gut healthy
16:52
for smooth communication in your body.
16:55
layering in faith and gratitude, you've
16:57
got the perfect metabolic storm in the
17:01
most beautiful way. So, you might want
17:03
to pick something this week to work on.
17:06
You know, pick pick any of these. It'll
17:08
be your assignment. Maybe you're going
17:09
to focus on a better evening routine.
17:13
Maybe you're going to start taking a
17:14
walk after your dinner meal. Or maybe
17:17
you're just gonna quit having that
17:19
sugary latte at the drive up and go for
17:22
a green tea. Boil some water. Get your
17:25
own green tea. You probably save
17:26
yourself $ five dollar a day. Another
17:29
thing, journaling. Three things before
17:31
you go to bed. These tiny steps can
17:35
create momentum.
17:38
Momentum becomes consistency. And
17:42
consistency becomes transformation.
17:45
Little hinges that swing that big door.
17:49
If you need a little structure, if you
17:50
need accountability,
17:52
join my weight loss for life and
17:54
longevity program. You'll get the
17:56
heavenly framework. You'll get meal
17:58
plans. You'll get recipes. You get
17:59
optional lab testing. And we'll
18:02
personalize your path and give you all
18:04
the accountability and support you need.
18:07
You can email me at debfor.com.
18:10
Set up a time. Let's chat and see if it
18:13
is right for you. So, in closing, my
18:16
friends, autumn is nature's invitation
18:19
to slow down, reset, and prepare. The
18:24
world may be rushing towards the
18:25
holidays, but you can choose another
18:28
rhythm, the rhythm of balance and grace,
18:32
of focus. Remember, those carb cravings
18:36
are ancient biology. Your body is simply
18:40
doing what it was designed to do, trying
18:42
to keep you safe. But now with the
18:45
understanding and wisdom seeing the
18:47
bigger picture, you can guide that
18:50
design towards thriving,
18:52
not just surviving. Let this season be
18:56
your harvest of health. Sleep deeply,
18:59
eat mindfully, move joyfully, and rest
19:03
in gratitude. Because when you live
19:06
heavenly, when you honor the divine
19:08
rhythms of your body, you don't just
19:10
lose weight, you gain life and vitality,
19:14
potentially adding decades of quality
19:18
life to your lifespan. Until next time,
19:21
this is Dr. Deb Ford reminding you to
19:24
live heavenly, love yourself through
19:27
every season, and remember, health is a
19:30
harvest that you plant Daily.
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Preholiday Weight Loss
Deb Ford DCN RDN
13 views
Oct 19, 2025
19:34
Time to take account of your health. Summer travel and yard work is winding down and the frenzy of the holiday season hasn't started. Do you need to pay attention to something nagging before it becomes a condition. I encourage you to do it now.