Episode 251- Winter Wellness: Embracing the Dark, Melatonin, Vitamin D, and Ketogenic Living for True Circadian Health with Carrie Bennett

This week on Optimal Metabolism, Shana sits down with one of her greatest mentors in circadian and quantum biology, Carrie Bennett, to uncover the surprising science behind winter wellness. Together, they explore why embracing the dark may be the key to restoring your melatonin rhythm, healing adrenal fatigue, and boosting mitochondrial health this season.

You’ll learn how our biology shifts during winter, why being more ketogenic and aligned with shorter days supports metabolic healing, and whether we really need to supplement with vitamin D—or if nature already built the answer into the circadian rhythm itself.

If you’ve been feeling sluggish, anxious, or out of sync this winter, this episode will help you reconnect to the light and dark rhythms God designed for your energy, hormones, and overall wellness.

What You’ll Learn

✨ How embracing darkness boosts melatonin and repairs circadian rhythm ✨ Why longer nights are not a problem to fix—but a healing signal for the body ✨ The link between mitochondrial water, light exposure, and adrenal recovery ✨ Why going more ketogenic in winter can enhance energy and fat-burning ✨ The truth about vitamin D supplementation during darker months ✨ How meal timing and grounding restore cortisol and hormonal balance ✨ Carrie’s top practical steps to live in sync with natural light cycles

Links & Resources

🔗 Learn more about Carrie Bennett: CarrieBWellness.com 🌞 Follow Carrie on Instagram: @carriebwellness

💛 Explore Shana’s foundational courses:

Cortisol Calm — Naturally balance cortisol, melatonin, and leptin through circadian strategies.

Low Insulin Academy — Reverse insulin resistance and metabolic chaos at the root cause.

💌 Join the free email community for weekly wellness insights: shanahussinwellness.com