"Battling Seasonal Affective Disorder with a Fit Lifestyle" by Laurie Towers

This article originally appeared in the TOPRICIN newsletter Oct 2010

"Dont let the sun go down on me...

Battling Seasonal Affective Disorder with a Fit Lifestyle"

By Laurie Towers

  As we cover our barbeques, and kiss them goodnight until the thaw of Spring, we bid adieu to the wafting aroma of a Coppertone summer complete with its outdoor activities and endless sunshine. Ah...the sunshine.  It can suddenly and surprisingly become very difficult to say goodbye to that in particular.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) also know as "winter depression" is a mood disorder in which people who usually present no depressive symptoms throughout the year, may start to exhibit certain features during the winter months. These mood variations re believed to be related to the reduction of light during this period., when our access to sunlight has been reduced by a substantial amount.  Symptoms may present as classic withdrawal dysphoria tendencies and pattern oversleeping/overeating from moderate to profound . In the latter case, medical interception and treatment would be warranted, but in the more moderate extremes, what are things we can do to deflect a bit of this from our daily proceedings.

Doctors regularly include exercise as standard protocol in managing depression. While exercise alone is not the panacea, it does promote many features that help promote healthy coping strategies, in addition to endorphin release.

When you exercise , your body releases these chemicals that will readily interact with receptors of your brain to reduce your body's perception of pain. They also have some sedation features as they also can trigger a euphoric feeling similar to that of morphine. A good example of this would be what we have come to label "runners high" where after the high exertion and endurance of running, many people have enjoyed that wonderful wash of a very heightened positive feeling.

Although when in the midst of a depressive state or episode it is often very hard to motivate yourself towards anything beyond sitting helplessly in it. Setting reasonable and simple goals will be an easier thing than overwhelming yourself with trying to tackle an entire new lifestyle in one setting. Keep in mind, that it doesn't take much exercise to lift your mood, so a simple walk around the block a couple of times a day to get things started, would serve you nicely. There is always room to augment the amount frequency and duration in the future but getting the ball rolling with some consistency is all you need to kick it off. Enlisting a friend is a wonderful idea as we are by nature, social creatures and do better with a support system and interaction. It also makes a commit deeper to the activity as we have a responsibility to the person accompanying us to be present for it.

As we become part of a consistent routine we will notice certain benefits suddenly presenting themselves.

_ Increase in energy

_Increase in self esteem

_Overall feeling of better health , which cant help but elevate your mood

_ Better sleeping pattern ( which is often interrupted when you become depressed)

Not to be discounted as a prominent factor in our moods and how better we can manage them, is our nutritional intake.

The colder seasons tend to endorse our cravings for carbohydrates and for a good amount of the population, it is a natural gravitation. Study's have shown that follow an extremely low carb diet will also run the risk of feeling depressed because certain chemicals in the brain that promote a feeling of well being (serotonin and tryptophan ) are triggered by carbohydrate rich food. Although the jury is still out on truly how carbohydrates affect mood and a melancholy, there are some general  guidelines put in place. 

Keep in mind that refined carbohydrates, sugars and sugary foods, will provide that instant gratification of an immediate high. What you need to know is that it is very short lived and once the "buzz" is gone, you are once again looking for food to make you feel better. There has been enough data established to support and enlist the help of complex carbohydrates to furnish you with a more realistic and lasting effect on the brain and your mood. Complex carbohydrates are readily available sources and can be found in.....

-Whole grains

-Cereals and breads

-Pastas, fruits and vegetables

Another prime mover in mood altering nutrients are the B vitamin family. Studies in Europe have shown for years that any deficiency in this area is directly linked to depression of varying levels. Other minerals that play a key role in mood stabilization are calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc. Some great sources of the above are....

Calcium: Dairy products, fish, soybeans, tofu, and kale

 Iron:   Red meats, clams, garbanzo beans, tomato juice and raisins

Magnesium: Wheat germ, leafy green vegetables, seafood, nuts and dairy products.

 Zinc:  Wheat bran, wheat germ, seafood, poultry, meat

Bottom line in all this is that both food and exercise play prominent roles in keeping our emotional and mental balance throughout our lives, but at certain points the difference can be much more noticeable and resonate deeper. When all is said and done, there is no better investment than a scrutinizing and considerate eye, when approaching all that you put into your body, and what you put your body through.

Grandma was right...you are what you eat.