Beating the winter blues
BONNERS FERRY — As winter plods along, the days have gotten short and cold, which affects plants, animals and humans. With the cold season, many people around the world get the winter blues, some more than others.
“There is some evidence that people with a higher tolerance to cold tend to be less depressed than those who are more susceptible to cold,” said Charles Raison, MD, of Emory University’s Mind-Body Program and an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at its medical school, from WebMD.com.
There are a few charistic ways for one to tell that they have the winter blues, those being low energy levels, craving carbohydrates, low motivation, increased sleeping habits, and irritability.
Seasonal Affective Disorder, aptly abbreviated (SAD), is the clinical term for the winter blues, and there are ways to battle the depressive state.
“Many people may not be diagnosed with SAD specifically, but are affected by the winter blues due to the lack of sunlight and physiological changes in our body that come with this lacking light,” quoted Dr. Norman Rosenthal, who was the first to describe the condition as seasonal affective disorder in 1984.
“Since then, the understanding and categorizing of this mental health issue has been changed. It is now found in the DSM IV and DSM V as a specifier for certain people who have depression, “with seasonal pattern”. Also known as seasonal adjustment disorder, the condition affects approximately 10 percent of people in non-tropical climates with about 20 percent of people reporting a milder form of the condition. These shifts in mood are sometimes mild and sometimes severe,” quoted Treva Rawlings, owner of Rawlings Community Counseling since 2011 of the findings from Rosenthal’s studies.
“With SAD, the lack of sunlight causes the brain to work overtime producing melatonin, the hormone that regulates your body clock and sleep patterns and a hormone that has been linked to depression,” according to WebMD.com. “That’s why all things considered, the farther north from the equator you live, the greater the risk you’ll have some degree of winter depression.”
“Getting natural sunlight in Bonners Ferry during the winter can be a challenge especially when every part of your body is covered in protection from the cold,” said Rawlings. With the increased time in the dark during the winter season, an important key to battling the blues is to keep a regular sleep schedule. Oversleeping causes not only increased health risks, but increases depression, and during winter months, someone that sleeps too much may miss the small window of daylight that is essential to physical and mental health.
Sunlight is extremely beneficial to the body. It provides us with natural ultraviolet light, which gives us the beneficial Vitamin D. Vitamin D increases the immune system, bone health, has anti-cancer and anti brain aging benefits, and just as it can be harmful to the skin, it is also equally beneficial in many ways to the body. With the decreased amount of sunlight during the winter days, it is important to catch some rays, even when it is cold out.
“I have learned that people living in northern climates tend towards vitamin D deficiency and most people would benefit from taking a vitamin D Supplement daily,” said Rawlings. “This vitamin D deficiency contributes to a lethargic emotional and physical feeling.”
With this information, Rawlings also advised people to consult their doctors before beginning any supplements.
There are UV lights also called ‘happy lights’ that people can place in their environment, which provide ultraviolet light that mimics outdoor light in a compact and safe manner.
“Happy lights can be easily incorporated into a morning or work day routine,” said Rawlings.
Having indoor plants that utilize a UV light is also beneficial as the light and the oxygen created by the plants helps keep the environment healthy. A plus to having indoor plants is fresh herbs and produce throughout the year, which encourages healthy eating habits.
Going for a walk during the day is beneficial in so many ways, both for physical and mental health during all times of the year, but especially during the winter months. Those that are dog owners will find that a daily walk with their furry friend will benefit both pet and human, as exercise and sunlight are equally as beneficial to the fur babies as they are to their parents.
“We go from having beautiful and active summers to dark, long, and cold winters. Come dark, 4:30 p.m., our body starts saying, ‘is it bedtime yet?’ It is easy to fall into a pattern of eat, sleep, and work then putting off physical activity for days off or months,” said Rawlings. “Maintaining regular physical activity is an essential part of beating the winter blues. This will aid in moving anxiety and stress toxins out of our body that tend to make us feel lethargic or down and bring in brain neurotransmitters that boost our mood and bring more energy. ”
During the winter months, many people crave sugar and carbohydrates which can cause the mood to drop due to their ineffective digestion. Keep a healthy diet with complex carbs, which take longer to digest and increase the serotonin levels in the brain. A few examples of complex carbs are spinach, yams, broccoli, beans, zucchini, and lentils, among many others. Having a healthy and hot meal on a cold day is always mood lifting.
Those that crave sweets may want to stick with chocolate, especially during the winter, but always in moderation. The higher the cocoa content, the less sugar is present in the candy, and the health benefits skyrocket. A few benefits are its ability to lower cholesterol, prevent cognitive decline, provide a lower risk to diabetes and heart disease, and consuming chocolate may help improve moods and make people feel calmer, warmer, and more content.
“Create motivation to get moving by using a buddy system and finding an indoor our outdoor hobby during the winter months that keeps you moving such as walking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, backcountry or down hill skiing, using a treadmill or elliptical machine, doing yoga, joining an exercise class, getting a personal trainer, or getting a gym membership,” advised Rawlings.
Making a lunch or coffee date with a friend, or picking up a new hobby, is not merely beneficial to the mind and spirit, but it encourages activity, which keeps the mind and body busy, and depression away.
With the abundance of things one can do to boost their mood, the main thing to do to battle the winter blues is to stay active and eat healthy, so take a walk with a friend instead of curling up and watching TV, and pick up a new hobby to keep your mind and body active during the short days.
As Boundary County endures the cold, dreary, winter months, we will have eyes on springtime in merely five months time- give or take. When residents see the first peeks of purple Crocus flowers and yellow Daffodils, and hear the seasonal birds sing their cheerful songs celebrating the life of spring, the winter doldrums will be a thing of the past yet again, and eyes will brighten in anticipation of the coming warm months and all they bring with them.
Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Half gallon of half and half
Half a block of Velveeta cheese
Half block of mozzarella cheese (about 6 oz)
1 cup milk
Half of a Walla Walla sweet onion
3 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
2 bags frozen chopped broccoli (may sub fresh- add as much as you wish)
Directions:
Fry onion and garlic in butter until caramelized
Add broccoli
Add half and half and milk or water, heat to boiling
Add cheese and salt and pepper, stir until melted
Simmer on low about 20 minutes
Turn off and let cool, serve in bread bowl or with rolls
If using fresh broccoli, cook until broccoli is tender. The amount of broccoli is up to you and this recipe may also have cooked and diced chicken added to it. The soup may be served in a bread bowl, which is prepared by cutting of the top of the loaf and cleaning out some of the soft inside to make room for the soup. Serve excess pieces on the side.
— Tanna Yeoumans