Connections to Health - Are you suffering with the winter blues?

THE ISHTA HOLISTIC HEALTH CENTRE

CONNECTIONS to HEALTH

Are you suffering with the winter blues?

Sounds like it should be the title to a song but it is the old fashioned way of saying do you suffer to some degree with Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD? According to the organization MIND around 90% of us in the UK are affected to some degree by the lack of light during the darker months, with around a third having some symptoms of SAD, apparently, affecting four times more women than men.
What are the common symptoms of SAD?

Nine out of ten of us may eat and sleep more in the winter, but for those with Seasonal Affective Disorder the changes in mood and behaviour are more severe and happen regularly each winter following a seasonal pattern. The symptoms in the UK can begin from September/November time and go on until March/May.
The actual symptoms are many and varied and include:

fatigue/lethargy
feeling under the weather
sleep disturbances
depression
mood changes
anxiety
irritability, especially in young children
lack of concentration
overeating, bulimia
loss of libido
menstrual problems

What happens to give us SAD?

It appears to be to do with how much light is getting to the brain. When light hits the back of the eye (retina) messages are sent to the part of the brain that deals with sleep, appetite, temperature, mood and activity. With SAD there seems to be a disruption to the bodies internal clock leading to various biochemical abnormalities and associated symptoms. One of the hormones that regulates sleep, melatonin, can have it's pattern of production disturbed in people suffering with SAD, and instead of the levels decreasing from dawn, which leads to wakefulness, their levels have been found to be still high at midday, resulting in any of the above symptoms.
Some suggestions for helping yourself

Let the early morning sunshine in, open the curtains and spend time in the sunniest room, particularly in the morning.
Eat foods containing the amino acid tryptophan- turkey, milk, seeds, tryptophan has been to shown to help mood.
Elimination of caffeine and alcohol.
Have a broad whole food diet.
Help to regulate blood sugar levels by eating foods high in chromium- grapes, clams, whole grain cereals, brewers yeast.
Stress management, such as breathing exercises.
Walking or aerobic exercise outoutdoors in the early morning hours.
Spending 30 minutes each day in the fresh air (in the sunlight if the weather permits).
Light therapy, one of the most effective treatments for SAD appears to be regular (usually daily) exposure to a specially designed light box, one that provides enough intensity of light to positively affect SAD symptoms. There are lots available, especially on the internet, research which would be best for you.
Last but not least you could move to a sunnier climate!

If you are experiencing the above symptoms, see your doctor for a check up, to ensure there isn't another reason for this. If you have been diagnosed with SAD, maybe try the above. If they don't work, seek help from someone who has experience of working with people with SAD.
Alternatively try a form of holistic health. The are several therapists at the Centre who have experience in this area.