Photo Credit: Paul Green
Winter is in full swing. The holidays have passed. Now comes the long haul of three months (or more) with freezing cold weather, less sunlight and more depressed feelings. But you don’t have to feel so blue this season! While many people try vitamin D therapy, there are many more ways to make yourself feel better this winter.
1. Get the right nutrients. The majority of your neurotransmitters, happy chemicals such as serotonin, are made in the gut. So, if your gut is stressed, your levels of serotonin will be low. Often times during this season we eat lots of leftover goodies from the holidays. But sugar and wheat can actually aggravate the digestive tract. When our digestive tract is disrupted, we don’t produce enough happy chemicals. (You can read more information on how to balance the gut naturally here). Without these neurotransmitters, you feel blue, anxious, depressed, fatigued and melancholy. Eating a good amount of healthy, nutrient-dense foods (healthy proteins and fats) will help alleviate your feelings of sadness and apathy.
Eating a good amount of healthy, nutrient-dense foods (healthy proteins and fats) will help alleviate your feelings of sadness and apathy.
2. Light therapy (such as salt lamps). In the Midwest we get very little sunlight in the winter. That’s part of the reason why we experience such an energy drop and are prone to feeling the winter blues. For my patients, I recommend using salt lamps at home. These lamps — which are only about $15 to $20 — help provide additional daylight-like light that you miss during the winter. They also release negative ions that can help your body both physically and emotionally. This is why so many of us feel better by the beach, large bodies of water or in nature. Large bodies of water are chock full of negative ions! So, add a simple salt lamp into your house during the winter season. It will help to recharge and balance your body and ease those winter blues.
3. Support your thyroid. What does the thyroid have to do with anything? The thyroid allows your body to naturally adjust to different environments when seasons change and demands change. It is estimated that millions of currently undiagnosed people in this country have low thyroid function. If you have a thyroid that’s struggling, you will also be prone to feeling depressed, especially when the body’s physical needs increase due to thermal stress. I typically muscle test my patients for a number of specific thyroid supplements which not only help their moods but also boost their immune system!
4. Use quality, whole food-based supplements. I’ve already touched on this but taking specific supplements can be key to supporting your body. We all think of the famous vitamin D, and that’s definitely in the mix. But did you know that there are other vitamins and nutrients your body may lack? Make sure that that supplements you are taking are whole-foods based supplements of high quality. Read my blog post on quality supplements to learn more.
Make sure that the supplements you are taking are whole-foods based supplements of high quality. Read my blog posts on quality supplements to learn more.
5. Move, exercise! Your body will produce endorphins (which are happy chemicals that help us to relieve stress and pain) when we move. Exercise also releases dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin which all will improve your moods, lower your inflammation, boost your immune system, help you sleep, help you to lose weight and the list goes on and on. Even a gentle walk a few times a week will go a long way.
6. Have fun! Sounds silly, right? But plan activities during these winter seasons that allow you to have some fun. Get out of the house, spend time with those people that you hold dear. Go out to dinner, or ice skate or watch movies. Do things that bring you joy. It will go a long way in improving your moods.
Go out to dinner, or ice skate or watch movies. Do things that bring you joy. It will go a long way in improving your moods!
There are many more ways to support moods than these listed. It’s best to talk to your health care provider, preferably one that can muscle test you for the specific nutrients that you need and address your health holistically. Make sure you’re being supported and helped for not only physical health, but mental/emotional health as well.
If you think you struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) — yes, it even sounds sad —or are prone to winter blues, click the link below to schedule your appointment and let me help you feel better this winter season!
If you are interested in further addressing this topic, please feel free to reach out and schedule an appointment. Dr. V is a Chiropractor and Functional Medicine Doctor in Elmhurst, Illinois who evaluates patients from the inside out, focusing on areas including hormone imbalance, digestive health, anxiety/depression, autoimmune disease, and many others.