The cold dark days of the winter can leave many of us with a case of the winter blues. Some people are more vulnerable to a mild type of clinical depression brought on by a decrease in exposure to sunlight as we move through autumn and winter called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. About 25% of people are affected and four times more women than men suffer from the winter blues (and its more severe counterpart, Seasonal Affective Disorder).

What happens physiologically?

The winter blues are thought to be caused by changes in melatonin and serotonin levels, which can affect mood, hunger and sleep. Sufferers experience changes in their mood, energy level and ability to concentrate. Sound familiar? While not as severe as long-term depression, the winter blues can indeed affect the way we think, react and deal with everyday challenges.

Symptoms to watch out for:

• Increased in fatigue that comes on with the season change
• Difficulty waking up in the mornings as the days get shorter
• Difficulty concentrating and thinking creatively in comparison to the summer months
• Incorrectly blaming oneself for things that go wrong
• Difficulty performing tasks that normally seem to be easy / enjoyable
• Increased craving for carbohydrate-rich food particularly chocolate and candy

Naturopathic therapies will help tremendously to treat the Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. As a naturopath, I have found that some combinations of herbs and acupuncture seem to wonders for treating SAD, along with some naturopathic / natural supplements.

Naturopathic Tips to beat the blues

1. Shine a Little Light into Your Life – Not just the smiling faces of your children, but literally more exposure to light, especially in the morning. Try a morning walk or sit by a large window to read the paper.

2. Run About – This does not include running errands! Aerobic exercise, which increases serotonin levels, has proven to help combat the winter blues. (One hour doing aerobic exercise outside (even with a cloudy sky overhead) has the same benefits as 2.5 hours of light treatment indoors. Take that walk, have a snowball fight, or schedule a day of skating, skiing, or sledding.

3. Eat the Right Carbohydrates – Craving sugar these days? Carbohydrate is effective in increasing serotonin levels—so your body knows what it’s doing. Try eating larger portions of complex carbohydrates, like whole grain pastas and brown rice, and healthy simple carbohydrates like fruit and stay away from unhealthy snacks that will cause momentary satisfaction, but ultimately decrease energy due the sudden spike in blood sugar levels.

4. Regulate your sleepy time – Oversleeping and fluctuations in your sleep-wake schedule can increase your levels of melatonin (bad). Try to set a regular bedtime and wake up at the same time each day, making sure you get the sleep you need. Try to get at least seven to eight hours a night.

5. Break Up Your Routine –Do something you wouldn’t normally do. Try an indoor rock climbing gym, treat your self- go for a manicure. Go out on a date with your husband and let the in-laws baby sit. Spend some time with your pets, they will love it and while you are at it, PLEASE DON’T SMOKE AROUND THEM!

6. Share your feelings – Don’t keep your frustrations bottled up. Confide in a trusted friend or family member. Often just talking about what’s bothering you can be a big relief. Your confidant may be able to offer a realistic perspective on what you’re going through. If you find that hard to do, how about a personal note book where you write (unburden) all your feelings good or bad.

7. Cut back on caffeine – If you’re having trouble sleeping, and limit your alcohol intake. Excessive consumption contributes to depression. Try some ginseng or Yerba Mate tea instead, it will not only give you an energy boost, but also help you get through the day without those sluggish dips after lunch.

8. Turn on the “light” – Light therapy lamps provide low intensity light therapy for sleep and mood disorders including Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD or Winter Depression) and they seem to work great. It is thought that light therapy works by lengthening the perceived day length, restoring the body clock to a summer mode. Properly timed light therapy influences neural pathways in the brain that use serotonin as their primary neurotransmitter. There are plenty available on the market, so be careful when purchasing one. Try a few of these tips and you should feel better around May, if you are not feeling better once the warmth of the sun arrives, you might want to go and talk to your naturopathic doctor about it.

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.