Beat the Winter Blues
Winter is the time of year where our energy is focused inwards, and most of us will tend to spend more time indoors. The days are dark and shorter. It is a time to rest, reflect, nourish our body and prepare ourselves for the more active seasons such as spring and summer.
Melbourne weather is often a hot topic of discussion. Many people love this time of year and feel energized. Many like being outdoors and don’t feel the cold as much. Others will retreat inside and due to lack of activity and sunshine, may feel sluggish and depressed. There is a tendency to reach for comfort foods, and heavier foods are often naturally consumed.
So, as lovely as winter is, it can also leave you feeling weighed down and stagnant and for some Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can become an issue. SAD is a form of depression where people experience depressive episodes at certain times of the year, and you guessed it; winter is a popular time to feel this way (Melrose 2015). A subdromal type of SAD is more commonly known as the ‘winter blues,’ which by this time of the year a lot of us experience. So here are five tips to help you survive those winter blues.
1) The foods we consume during winter should be nutritious and warming. Preparing soups, casseroles, curries, and broths using lots of warming herbs and spices will support circulation and the process of digestion. This will help ensure you are getting the most out of your food. My favorite herbs and spices to add this time of year are ginger, garlic, chili, cumin, cardamom, and cinnamon. Of course, there are many more, you just need to experiment.
2) Winter is the time to emphasize seasonal root vegetables such as carrots, parsnip, radish, turnips and steamed winter greens. These foods are both nourishing and help you conserve energy.
3) The addition of healthy fats such as olive oil, walnut oil, avocado and coconut oil help ward off dry skin. Winter is the time of year we tend to experience dry skin, eczema can often flare up, so ensure you add these healthy fats to your meals on a daily basis.
4) Make sure you get outside and when the sun is shining and soak it up! Measuring Vitamin D levels before winter, either through your GP or Naturopath/Nutritionist, will help assess whether your Vitamin D stores are optimal. Studies show, individuals with SAD and the ‘winter blues,’ have insufficient or deficient levels of Vitamin D (Melrose 2015). Therefore, if you are low in vitamin D, taking a good supplement at the appropriate dose before winter sets in, may help to prevent symptoms of depression (Melrose 2015).
5) There is an increase in tendency to reach for comfort foods when its cold, so ensure you eat a balanced diet and don't skip any meals. This will help support healthy blood sugar levels and reduce the incidence of reaching for the sweets and hot chips.
If you have concerns, to make an appointment, please call 1300 1REMED or 1300 177 633 alternatively you can book online at https://remed-natural-medicine-clinic.cliniko.com/bookings#service
20 minute complimentary naturopathic consultations are also offered, to see how we can assist you.
Remember...The wisdom lies within- J. Harper
References
Harper, J 1997, Body Wisdom, Chinese and Natural Medicine for Self Healing, Harper Collins Publishers, London
Melrose, S 2015, 'Seasonal Affective Disorder: An Overview of Assessment and Treatment Approaches', Depression Research and Treatment, PubMed, viewed 21 July 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4673349/
Pitchford, P 1993, Healing with Whole Foods; Oriental Traditions and Modern Nutrition, North Atlantic Books, California
Psychology Today 2018,'Seasonal Affective Disorder', viewed 21 July 2018, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder
