Seasonal Affective Disorder aka SAD

[suzanne sanders]

There are many people struggling with SAD this time of year.   If you are one of those people, please read the information below and put into action.  

Action will help heal you and Non-action will hold you into your dark space, keep the monkeys on your back and the demons yelling in your ear.     

Only you can take those steps to make it better. 

One of the most important things to help with SAD is Food.   Yes, it is food, and I can hear you saying, "Really can you stop saying that".   "What else can I do"? . I am tired of you telling me to eat better..Isn't there something I can take?  A pill?  What herb will help with that?  What limit my coffee intake?  You want me to eat what?  

It seems my place in the world is a Nag and/or a Mother Crone..  Well I need to live up to my name, so here I go.

The Nag in me sees it all around her.   Most people are not eating enough nutrient dense foods, not eating enough healthy calories and they are skipping one of the most important meals of the day, breakfast.    Please before you say I eat enough, please be honest with yourself and journal your food intake for two weeks.  Then you can see what is going on with your food intake.  It is the year 2017, I have been looking at peoples food journals for 15 plus years and I have only come across one person who was truly working on eating enough food and enough nutrient dense food.   Just eat the breakfast and stop complaining that you are not a breakfast person.  As long as you put a negative out there you will never change that terrible old habit.  

Slow down the coffee consumption and eat your breakfast before you first cup of jolt..  Stop saying I can't function without my first cup of coffee.   I can hear you saying "I am not a morning person"  The nag in me says " Then learn"  You learned how to not be a morning person, isn't it time to become a morning person? How are you suppose to change a habit if you are making a habit out of complaining to just support your bad habit.  

Eat more nutrient dense green vegetables throughout the day and better yet, eat organic ones.  Yes, this means try eating cooked greens for breakfast or a nice salad.  Stop saying I can't eat that so early in the morning.  Again, negative talk shuts down a positive change. 

How is your protein intake?  Are you starting your day with carbs and coffee?     If you are starting your day with high carbs with no protein then your setting yourself up for a big drop in your energy.  Even mood swings, depression, anxiety.     

Increase your consumption of wild caught cold water fish.  Don't like fish then get a supplement.  You don't know how to cook?  Then learn.  Don't have time to cook?  Then make time.  

There are many wonderful recipes, you can do to increase your food intake with nutrient dense foods.

I can hear the picky eaters (side note I was very picky at one time), and the people who are not eating enough say this, "I take supplements to keep me healthy"  Well if you are not eating enough food and not enough nutrient dense food, there is only so much a supplement can do.   Your body needs substance.  It needs to chew, it needs fiber and it needs real food.. 

Next, how much time do you spend outside in the winter?  You need to go outside and spend time walking in the rain, in cold wind, in the snow and on a sunny day that is 30 degrees or lower.  We recently had a beautiful snow day.   How many snowmen did you make?  How many miles did you walk?  GET OUTSIDE.   

I would say take a vitamin D supplement but I feel you need to have your vitamin D levels checked, by a doctor who truly understands what a healthy level is.    Suppose you are super low and you are not taking enough vitamin D?  If you are not taking the correct dosage then you are not going to feel a change.  

I would also suggest a Magnesium supplement. 

One hour of play every day.  Screen time does not include playtime.  Give me some examples of play in the comments section below please.  Lets share some ideas :)  

Find clubs, groups, and communities to get involved in.  The more community you surround yourself with the happier your heart will be.    

Volunteer.  Believe it or not, you and I were not born into this world to be self-absorbed.  

The Nag in me says get more sleep, laugh more and stop staring at your screens so much.  How in the heck do you expect to feel better if you are putting so much time into staring at artificial light ?  How is your body suppose to bring up your serotonin levels and have happy healthy cells.

This one is a touchy one.... But, here I go.  Don't hold onto depression or even health issues just to get attention...  This is a serous issue that could eventually shorten your life.  

Here is some more ideas to help with SAD: 

http://www.naturallivingideas.com/seasonal-affective-disorder-remed...

http://www.natural-alternative-therapies.com/beating-the-winter-blues/

Fresh Fish: Never eat Farmed Fish

http://barnaclebillsseafoodmarket.com/#fresh

It really is that simple it is the excuses that people make that make it hard to change.  Making excuses is great if you don't want change.   

Know this, there is always light at the end of the tunnel 

Folks this is Self Defense...

And it is one of the hardest parts of your life, which is taking care of Self.

My motto is this:

Stop Complaining and Start Playing  

Take Action

Then there will be satisfaction