“I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming, but I'm not happy. I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel… I like getting presents and sending Christmas cards and decorating trees and all that, but I'm still not happy. I always end up feeling depressed." —Charlie Brown in, "A Charlie Brown Christmas."
While it's commonly referred to as "the most wonderful time of the year," the holiday season is, for many people, not so great.
The holidays are meant to be sources of joy, right? But do you end up feeling more like the Grinch? Are you accused of being a Scrooge?
Use these 5 tools to rediscover the joy of the holidays!
1. Practice Gratitude
Did you know that practicing gratitude causes real changes in your brain that enhance brain function and make you feel better?
When you bring your attention to the things you are grateful for in your life, your brain actually works better. Research has demonstrated that people who express gratitude on a regular basis are healthier, more optimistic, make more progress toward their goals, have a greater sense of well-being, and are more helpful to others.
Here is an exercise: every day, write out at least five things for which you are grateful. The act of writing helps to solidify them in your brain. Then experience the joy that gratitude can bring.
2. Give Yourself A Break
Experts say that the holidays can make people feel out of control—at the mercy of tradition or expectations. But you DO have a say. The key is to take some control over the holidays, instead of letting them control you. Say “no” to events and activities that aren't important to you.
Be conscious about what you do, how you spend your time and energy. Don’t unthinkingly do things the same way just because that’s how you’ve always done them. If what you’re doing isn’t making you happy and is causing holiday stress, it’s time to do something different.
3. Be Honest With Yourself
Figure out what REALLY brings you peace and joy – not what you think you should love or what you think should bring you joy. If you truly enjoy sending holiday cards, go for it! If you’re not much of a partygoer, saying no to the fifth one this week means saying yes to more time to do the things that really bring you happiness.
4. Volunteer
The holidays are usually a time when everyone is focused on their families and friends. However, it's also a wonderful time to focus on giving to others in need. Research shows that volunteering not only alleviates stress but also increases health and happiness. Helping others is a fantastic way to help yourself. It can bring you a lot of joy to know you’re making a difference!
Shovel an elderly neighbor’s driveway, donate clothes to a battered women’s shelter, work a few shifts at the local food bank, sponsor a wild animal through wildlife rescue, or donate a few gifts to a charity for children and families.
5. Be Mindful Of Your Language
Be mindful and conscious of how you talk to yourself and others and watch how your mood improves! Thoughts can make your mind and body feel good or they can make you feel bad.
You can train your thoughts to be positive and hopeful or you can just allow them to be negative and upset you. You can choose to think good thoughts and feel good, or you can choose to think bad thoughts and feel lousy. That’s right, it’s up to you.
Research has shown that it’s impossible to be fearful and appreciative at the same time, so the next time you find yourself in a negative tirade to yourself or someone else, take a breath, shift your thoughts to what you are grateful for and the people you appreciate in your life and let your body and mind feel the peace and joy of the holiday season.
Vitamin D, which is technically a hormone rather than a vitamin, is a crucial nutrient. Unfortunately, many Americans – even those who eat a good diet – are deficient in vitamin D.¹
Though definitions of vitamin D deficiency can vary, experts agree that it has nearly reached epidemic status. Analysis of the ongoing national survey data from the US Centers for Disease Control indicates that a majority of Americans may not be getting sufficient vitamin D.
One way to get a natural vitamin D boost is from exposure to sunlight. But since we're wearing more sunscreen while outside and spending more time inside, our levels of vitamin D have fallen in recent decades. Why does that matter? Some research has linked vitamin D deficiency to serious, long-term health issues.²
Those who think of vitamin D only as the “sunshine vitamin” may fail to fully understand the significant ways vitamin D affects their brain, body and overall health.³
Let's take a closer look at how vitamin D works in key areas of the brain and body, as well as how to increase levels of this essential vitamin...naturally!
Here Are 9 Vital Functions of Vitamin D
Immunity
Vitamin D receptors are found all over the body, including the immune cells. Research has clearly shown that vitamin D deficiency is part of the seasonal nature of cold and flu outbreaks⁴ – less sunlight means less vitamin D, which can lead to lower immunity and more illness.
Bones
It’s well-documented that vitamin D is essential for the proper absorption of calcium, and it’s been shown to greatly reduce fracture risk in two ways. First, it helps with the formation of stronger bones; second, vitamin D helps improve balance and prevent falls by enhancing muscle contraction.⁵
Muscles
One of the byproducts of vitamin D’s breakdown, called 1,25(OH)2D, enters muscle cells and affects the nucleus. Once there, the vitamin D metabolite enhances the cell’s contraction ability. Since muscles work by contraction and relaxation, a muscle’s ability to contract is essential to its strength and response to outside forces. As such, vitamin D helps make muscles stronger in a very direct way.
Lungs
As many studies indicate, vitamin D plays a role in keeping our lungs healthy due to vitamin D possessing a range of anti-inflammatory properties – with greater concentrations of vitamin D resulting in greater lung health benefits.⁶
Heart
Research has demonstrated an inverse relationship between vitamin D levels in the blood and high blood pressure (HBP or hypertension). In other words, the lower the vitamin D, the higher the blood pressure. The excess strain and resulting damage from high blood pressure can cause the coronary arteries serving the heart to slowly narrow and harden, greatly increasing the risk of a heart attack.
Kidneys
Because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, it helps to regulate kidney function and plays a very beneficial role in treating serious kidney issues.⁷
Mood
When it comes to being happy, the scientific evidence is clear. The lower your vitamin D levels, the more likely you are to feel blue rather than happy. Vitamin D deficiency has long been associated with higher incidences of low mood. Interestingly, in a 2014 study, the positive effect of vitamin D3 on mood was comparable to the effects of the anti-depressants.⁸
Weight Loss
When you don’t have enough vitamin D, you can feel hungry all the time, no matter how much you eat. That's because low levels of vitamin D can interfere with the effectiveness of leptin, the appetite hormone that tells you when you're full. When vitamin D is replenished and back to normal levels, leptin’s actions are restored, thus creating feelings of satiety and aiding in weight loss.
Cognitive Function
In the past few years, many studies have linked shortage of vitamin D with cognitive issues in older men and women. Research has demonstrated that vitamin D has a variety of neuroprotective roles, including helping to rid the brain of beta-amyloid, an abnormal protein that is believed to be a major cause of severe memory issues.⁹ Other studies have shown that seniors with very low levels of vitamin D are at an increased risk of serious, long-term memory issues.
Recommended Daily Vitamin D
In the US, the current recommended daily dose of vitamin D is 600 IU. However, most experts agree that this is well below the physiological needs of most individuals. Some experts have suggested that all adults should take at least 2000 IU of vitamin D daily, but for many people, this daily dose doesn’t raise their vitamin D levels into a healthy range.
What Can Help?
BrainMD offers two high-quality, ultra-pure vitamin D formulas:
Vitamin D3 5000
Vitamin D3 5000 delivers 5,000 IU of your body’s preferred form (cholecalciferol) in one high-potency capsule—supporting brain function, emotional well-being, immune strength, and bone health.*
Vitamin D3 + K2
This powerful combination of vitamin D3 (as cholecalciferol) and vitamin K2 (as MK-7) helps strengthen bones, promote cardiovascular health, fight oxidative stress, support the immune system, preserve cognitive function and more.*
Let the Sunshine (Vitamin) In!
These powerful vitamins work hard to promote strong bones, support cognitive functioning, and maintain a healthy circulatory system.*
Try Vitamin D3 5000 and Vitamin D3 + K2 today!*
At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
References:
1. Cui, A., Xiao, P., Ma, Y., Fan, Z., Zhou, F., Zheng, J., & Zhang, L. (2022). Prevalence, trend, and predictor analyses of vitamin D deficiency in the US population, 2001–2018. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, 965376. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.965376
2. Holick, M. F., & Chen, T. C. (2008). Vitamin D deficiency: A worldwide problem with health consequences. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 87(4), 1080S–1086S. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/87.4.1080S
3. Aranow, C. (2011). Vitamin D and the immune system. Journal of Investigative Medicine, 59(6), 881–886. https://doi.org/10.231/JIM.0b013e31821b8755
4. Cannell, J. J., Vieth, R., Umhau, J. C., Holick, M. F., Grant, W. B., Madronich, S., Garland, C. F., & Giovannucci, E. (2006). Epidemic influenza and vitamin D. Epidemiology and Infection, 134(6), 1129–1140. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268806007175
5. Bischoff-Ferrari, H. A., Dawson-Hughes, B., Willett, W. C., Staehelin, H. B., Bazemore, M. G., Zee, R. Y., & Wong, J. B. (2004). Effect of vitamin D on falls: A meta-analysis. JAMA, 291(16), 1999–2006. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.291.16.1999
6. Hughes, D. A., & Norton, R. (2009). Vitamin D and respiratory health. Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 158(1), 20–25. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2249.2009.04001.x
7. Williams, S., Malatesta, K., & Norris, K. (2009). Vitamin D and chronic kidney disease. Ethnicity & Disease, 19(4 Suppl 5), S5–8–S5–11.
8. Spedding, S. (2014). Vitamin D and depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing studies with and without biological flaws. Nutrients, 6(4), 1501–1518. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu6041501
9. Banerjee, A., Khemka, V. K., Ganguly, A., Roy, D., Ganguly, U., & Chakrabarti, S. (2015). Vitamin D and Alzheimer’s disease: Neurocognition to therapeutics. International Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 2015, 192747. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/192747
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