This past weekend the temperature dropped like an infield fly ball at Turner Field. I mean that it got really cold, really quickly. Thus, I chose to turn on the heat in my home for the first time since the spring. This wouldn’t be of much consequence had I not come across a passage in a Men’s Health article about the Paleo Diet and body temperature.
“ … brought to mind a 2006 study in the International Journal of Obesity, which listed a series of reasons why our population may have gained so much weight in the past 30 years. Among them: In 1923, the "thermal standard for winter comfort" in U.S. homes was a brisk 64°F. By 1986, the average thermostat was set to a balmy 76. It's natural for us to "upregulate" our metabolism in winter to keep warm while downshifting in summer, when heat slows our appetite. Living in a climate-controlled world can mess with that balance, potentially leading to weight gain over time.”
The result is that I have now reprogrammed my thermostat to drop to 64°F at night and rise to only 67°F in the morning. Should be interesting to see if I get any sleep or die of hypothermia.
