But What Did the Long Winter Do To You?

Are you feeling fat, lazy, and on the verge of total hibernation? If so you have most likely developed a case of the Winter Blues. Also referred to as SAD (seasonal affective Disorder), the Winter Bluesreoccurs every year as the weather gets colder and the days become shorter.

 According to CNN, about 15 percent of the U.S. population suffer from symptoms of SAD which is defined as a situational mood disorder brought on by diminishing daylight in the fall and winter months.

 High doses of vitamin D and fish oil during these embittered winter months have proven to be a very effective natural remedy for SAD, leading most doctors to believe that two of the body’s central neurotransmitters—melatonin and serotonin— depend in large part on adequate vitamin D synthesis. Vitamin D levels are inversely related to those of melatonin, a mood-regulating hormone. If you have not stored adequate Vitamin D, by being out in the morning sun in the summer months, you could be a candidate for SAD condition. Melatonin helps temper your circadian rhythms, darkness triggering melatonin secretion by the pineal gland within your brain, helping to promote a healthy night’s sleep. Melatonin influences insomnia, mood swings, and even food cravings, which explains why you may want to binge on chocolate for comfort!

With serotonin, it’s the reverse — serotonin production increases when a person is exposed to sunlight, hence it’s likely that a person will have lower levels of serotonin during the winter months when the days are shorter. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression, whereas higher levels of serotonin help to combat depression.

Nutrition is one of the best ways to fight the Winter Blues. We are what we eat. By eating healthy and cutting out all the C-R-A-P (an acronym for caffeine, refined food, alcohol, and processed food) from our diets we can empower and fortify ourselves against losing the fight to bad eating habits which wreak havoc in our bodies and minds.

What we eat and drink has a profound effect on our wellness influencing everything from brain chemistry to sleep. Along with exercise, attending to your diet is one of the most immediately effective changes you can make in your life. A balanced and healthy diet is crucial to good health. It helps to combat stress while fortifying both the mind and body. 

Good-Mood Foods

Our brain communicates electrical impulses bypassing neurochemicals from one cell to the next. These neurochemicals are created by the brain from the food and drink we consume, meaning that what we eat and drink has a direct bearing on our state of mind. This process is otherwise known as the Good-Mood Food connection. By basing your diet around Good-Mood Foods, including fresh vegetables and fruits; whole grains; legumes, nuts, and seeds; low-mercury seafood (wild-caught if possible); and lean, unprocessed, and preferably free-range poultry and turkey, you are not only fortifying yourself against SAD but, moreover, giving yourself the key to greater longevity. 

Our Second Brain

The “Second Brain” is located in the gut lining of the small intestine where 90% to 95% of the serotonin receptors are found. In eating “Good-Mood Foods” we aid the production of serotonin needed in our body, as well as help, protect against many colonic related diseases and inflammatory conditions that cause pain such as constipation, leaky gut, and colitis, to name just a few.

Through eating “Good-Mood foods”, keeping hydrated, getting as much vitamin D as possible, connecting with friends and family, and the healthy exercise you can fend off SAD and start spring with a new beat in your step!