Winter Got You Feeling Down?

We’ve had an early start to winter this year. In fact, it kinda feels like we skipped Fall altogether and headed straight for winter back in October.

The colder and darker days can be harder for some people than others and it’s usually because of something called Seasonal Affective Disorder or S.A.D. It’s generally starts around now in the late Fall/early winter and peaks between the end of Christmas and New Years  and the beginning of spring.

If you struggle with winter depression, this time of year is not always filled with joy and fun winter activities.  Instead, you probably feel like hiding under the covers until spring arrives in a few months.

So what is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Everyone has the blues now and then.  But SAD is a depressive state that occurs seasonally, year after year, usually in the fall and winter.  If you suffer from SAD, you may feel perfectly normal during the spring and summer months, but starting around October or November, symptoms begin showing up.

Because this type of depression come and goes with the seasons, you may wonder if it is all in your head.  It isn’t. 

This is a real condition and can have a devastating impact on your life. Researchers still don’t know the exact cause of SAD, but there are some factors that seem to be involved, and they involve the decreased amount of sunlight that fall and winter bring. 

• Melatonin:  Melatonin is a hormone that impacts mood and sleep.  As the seasons change, your melatonin levels can fluctuate and may cause feelings of depression.
• Serotonin:  When the amount of sunlight drops, so can your serotonin levels.  Since this chemical helps you have feelings of well-being and happiness, not having enough of it can cause your mood to drop.
• Internal clock:  Some scientists think that decreased sunlight disrupts your normal rhythms of wakefulness and sleepiness.  The result is sad and depressed feelings. 

What are the Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?

SAD will often manifest itself as feelings of sadness or depression.  You may feel as though you can’t get enough sleep—struggling to get out of the bed in the morning, feeling drowsy during the day and going to bed earlier than you usually do.
​​​

Your energy and concentration may also run low, and this can affect your productivity at work and at home.  Of course, not having the energy to ‘get things done,’ only leads to frustration and more feelings of depression. 

You may also notice weight gain. Typically, SAD sufferers will crave foods high in carbohydrates and can gain between 9 and 30 pounds each year.

Now for the Good News.

If you think that you may be one of the millions of people who are affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder, you will be happy to know that you have many treatment options available. 

Try experimenting with different treatments until you find one or a combination that works for you. Some natural treatments include:
​

1. Light therapy:  Up to 85% of winter depression sufferers are helped by simply sitting under a therapy light.  The bright light stabilizes the out-of-balance chemicals in your body, helping you to feel less depressed and more like yourself. ​
2. Vitamin D3: Vitamin D is frequently referred to as “The Sunshine Vitamin” because your body produces it when exposed to sunlight.  In fact, just 20-30 minutes of sunlight will produce 10,000 – 50,000 IUs of Vitamin D.  Why is this important?  Vitamin D is actually a hormone that has important roles in supporting a healthy heart, cellular replication, immune system, mood & mental health, muscles, blood sugar levels, and so much more. Recent studies also show that taking vitamin D reduces the risk of respiratory infections. That’s critical during winter because we don’t get nearly the amount of vitamin D from sunlight as we do in the summer.
3. Exercise is a powerful player in the fight against SAD.  When you exercise, your body releases “feel good” chemicals called endorphins.  These chemicals cause you to feel happy, confident and bring about a sense of well-being.  

You are not alone if you are beginning to feel depressed with the shortened days that we are experiencing.  

Experiment with some of the natural treatment options and especially start exercising.  Before you know it, the days will begin lengthening out again!

If you haven’t been taking Vitamin D throughout the winter months, I highly suggest purchasing a good quality brand and start taking it.

And, if you want it quickly and easily shipped right to your door, click on the link below.

By clicking on the link below, you will have access to a wide variety of high-quality “practitioner-grade” supplements through my account at Fullscript (with specialty pricing because you’re a part of my healthy community!).

To make it as simple for you as possible, I’ve created a list of my personal favourites under my “Dispensary,” so you don’t have to waste your time trying to figure out which supplements and brands are good quality. Any questions, simply email me HERE.

​

Until next time,

May Anne 
​