A Healthy You: How to Beat Your Winter Blues
By Cindy Gates
Are You Feeling Blue?
Seasonal affective disorder (also called SAD) is a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year. If you're like most people with seasonal affective disorder, your symptoms start in the fall and may continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody.Treatment for seasonal affective disorder includes light therapy (phototherapy), psychotherapy and medications. Don't brush off that yearly feeling as simply a case of the "winter blues" or a seasonal funk that you have to tough out on your own. Take steps to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the year.
Make your environment sunnier and brighter. Open blinds and sit closer to bright windows while at home or in the office.
Get outside. Take a long walk, eat lunch at a nearby park, or simply sit on a bench and soak up the sun. Even on cold or cloudy days, outdoor light can help — especially if you spend some time outside within two hours of getting up in the morning.
Exercise regularly. Physical exercise helps relieve stress and anxiety, both of which can increase seasonal affective disorder symptoms. Being more fit can make you feel better about yourself, too, which can lift your mood.
Eat a healthy diet. Eating a diet rich with fruits, vegetables and whole grains and limiting your sugar intake will not only help your mood but also your immune system.
Mind-body therapies that may help relieve depression symptoms
- Acupuncture
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Guided imagery
- Massage therapy
Supplements and herbs that maybe helpful
Vitamin D: taking a vitamin D supplement may help with depression, immune system, osteoporosis, cancer and heart disease. I encourage everyone to get their Vitamin D level tested so you know how much to take.Fish Oil: may also help with depression, heart and joint pain. Make sure to refrigerate fish oil pills and to take with foods to help prevent “fish burps”.A Healthy You is a regular column about nutrition, healthy living and cancer care. It is written by Cindy Gates, RD and LD and the Cancer Center’s Oncology dietitian, herbalist and Certified Wellness Coach.