Beating the “Winter Blues”

Taking a cue from nature, the colder, rainy months of winter are a time for slowing down. Many people find themselves sleeping more or eating more as the days become short and the temperatures drop. This is good… as nature intended. Some people even develop “cabin fever” – becoming bored and restless and maybe even a little irritable from being indoors (especially during those extended rainy periods here in California).

For others, the changing seasons initiate a more serious reaction as the days grow short and the sun sleeps behind the clouds and hills.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Seasonal Affective Disorder (also known as SAD) can trigger feelings of depression, lethargy and social withdrawal. SAD is a seasonal condition with symptoms that get progressively worse during the same times every year… and then go away as the seasons change. For most people, SAD symptoms appear during the late fall or early winter and begin to subside as spring turns to summer. But some people, seasonal affective disorder appears in the spring or summer months. The Mayo Clinic outlines typical symptoms for winter or summer depression as the following:

Symptoms of Fall/Winter SAD

• Depression
  
• Hopelessness
  
• Anxiety
  
• Loss of energy
  
• Social withdrawal
  
• Oversleeping
  
• Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
  
• Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
  
• Weight gain
  
• Difficulty concentrating and processing information
  

Symptoms of Spring /Summer SAD

• Anxiety
  
• Insomnia
  
• Irritability
  
• Agitation
  
• Weight loss
  
• Poor appetite
  
• Increased sex drive
  

What You Can Do…

• Supplement with vitamin D. Current research has implicated vitamin D deficiency as a major factor in the pathology many types of cancer and a host of other illnesses including depression. New research indicates the government’s recommendation of 200 IU of Vitamin D a day is terribly inadequate. (The skin produces approximately 20,000 IU vitamin D in response 20–30 minutes summer sun exposure—100 times more than the US government's recommendation of 200 IU per day!) I recommend taking at least 2,000 units (IU) of vitamin D a day. If one regularly avoids midday sunlight exposure, supplement with at least 5,000 units (IU) of vitamin D daily during the winter months. After 3 months of supplementation, consider obtaining a 25-hydroxyvitamin D test and adjusting your dosage for adequate blood levels of vitamin D.
  
  
• Get regular exercise. Exercise causes an increase in mood-enhancing brain chemicals. Walking is a great way to get daily exercise (and sunlight exposure).
  
  
• Try light therapy. Sitting or working near a light therapy box has been shown to reduce SAD symptoms. Exposure to bright light from a light therapy box is thought to alter your circadian rhythms and suppress your body's natural release of melatonin. Together, these cause biochemical changes in your brain that help reduce or control symptoms of seasonal affective disorder and other conditions. Light therapy is also known as bright light therapy or phototherapy.
  
  
• Herbal extract of Rhodiola rosea. Rhodiola is a cooling adaptogen. Adaptogens are herbs that help the body adapt to stress, support its normal functions, and restore balance (homeostasis). Rhodiola has significant benefits for the nervous system and has been shown to enhance alertness, reduce fatique and improve memory and depressed mental states. Rhodiola reduces cortisol levels while increasing key brain chemicals involved in mood, such as serotonin and dopamine. Rhodiola can be taken in capsule form, as a tea, or as a tincture. To learn more about Rhodiola or purchase the fresh, full-spectrum organic extract, contact me at nrbotanicals@gmail.com or 415-488-1529.

Bibliography:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/
Winston, David and Steven Maimes. Adaptogens, Herbs for Strength, Stamina and Stress Relief. Healing Arts Press, 2007.