HEALTH & BEAUTY
From Issue #14
Feeling Sad?
Blame it on the Weather: Seasonal Depression
by Suryatapa Bhattacharya
So, you’ve gained a few pounds because you can’t satisfy your hunger for rich, dark
chocolate, and you find yourself getting teary-eyed more often than usual, not to
mention you feel like you need a crane to drag you out of bed in the morning. How
SAD. That is, you could be a victim of SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Researchers have found that SAD, also known as seasonal
depression, occurs in countries where days shorten and
sunlight decreases. Studies suggest that the lack of sunlight
and longer nights causes a hormonal imbalance that
results in a shift in our internal biological clocks, leaving
us to feel “out of step” with our daily schedules.
Adolescents, children and women are most susceptible
to this seasonal onset of depression that manifests
itself through several symptoms, which include
increased depression during the winter months,
increased cravings for junk food, weight gain, inability
to concentrate, crying spells, social withdrawal, body
aches and pains, lack of energy and excessive sleeping.
The intensity of SAD differs from person to person;
while some can manage to make it through winter, others
feel quite burdened. If you suspect you have SAD,
watch for a pattern and compare symptoms to behaviour
from the previous winter as well as that of the summer.
Consult a doctor immediately if you think you
might have SAD, but take into consideration other factors
that may be responsible for feeling blue like a
recent break-up, family conflict or academic pressures.
SAD is usually treated with light therapy, a nutritious
diet and exercise. Light therapy or Phototherapy
increases the amount of light hours in a person’s day. A
sufferer is usually exposed to bright lights for about 30
minutes a day, under which they must stay awake (but
not stare at the lights). Special bulbs and lighting products
are available in the market. It is also recommended
that you sit in a brightly lit room with light coloured
walls that allow the light to be reflected well.
Natural
herbal remedies like St. John’s wort, which has been
used to counter depression, are also becoming popular
for the treatment of SAD, but remain scientifically unproven. Regulating your diet with low
fat, high protein foods is another way of minimizing the
effects of SAD.
Best of all, getting regular, outdoor exercise
during the day helps take care of the lack of sunlight.
Even if you’re not indulging in heavy physical
activity, make sure you walk outdoors or workout in a
brightly lit room.
Fortify Yourself:
Fight winter with all your energy; keep out the
sniffles, and other aches and pains that
accompany those exceptionally long winter nights.
Cozy up with some vitamins and antioxidants. Let
the vitamins boost your immunity, while the
antioxidants take care of harmful free radicals that
your body produces as a result of the immune
system fighting infections.
Invest in Vitamin A: Even though fruits and
veggies like carrots, yams, cantaloupes and
spinach may not excite your palate, eat them
anyway since the beta-carotene will help your skin,
which is the first line of defence against bacteria
and viruses, to absorb the sunlight. A glass of milk
a day also helps.
The Vitamin C Defence: Fond of citrus fruits,
strawberries, red peppers or kiwi? All of them also
work against the onset of a cold. A daily dose of a
1500 mg vitamin C tablet will also do the trick. A
glass of orange juice in the morning will not only
boost your immune system but it will give you that
extra surge of energy that you’ll need to trudge
through the snow banks.
The Garlic Factor: Research suggests that garlic
helps cut down on your chances of catching a
nasty cold. It’s also good for the heart but your
breath might need some refreshing.
Veggie and Meat Eaters Unite: As one of the
body’s prime infection fighters, your white blood
cells could always use some help, but especially in
the winter months. Lean red meat such as beef is
a good start, or try oysters if you’re really
adventurous as they contain lots of zinc and iron
that is necessary for the healthy production of
white blood cells. For the vegetarians out there,
make sure you take double portions of cooked
chickpeas, veggie soy burgers, and wheat germ
whenever you can.
Yummy Bacteria: Believe it or not, there is such
a thing as good bacteria, and it keeps you healthy.
Found mostly in yogurt, streptococcus
thermophilus and lactobacillus bulgaricus activate
disease-fighting cells and also work well with
people who are lactose intolerant. Look for yogurt
products that enlist live bacterial cultures.
However, avoid frozen yogurt products as the
process of freezing kills the bacteria.
