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3 of the Best Ways to Avoid the Winter Blues
It’s the season of crisp air, warm beverages, and dazzling light displays. For many people, it’s the most wonderful time of year. For others, it’s the beginning of a period of prolonged sadness and lethargy. The winter season seems to be filled with unrelenting stress, unrealistic expectations, and unforeseen pressures that can cause mood and sleep issues. Unaddressed, these factors have the power to steal your joy, sabotage your health, and trigger unproductive behaviors…which can ruin your holiday. Winter Blues There are several reasons why the winter months can negatively affect a person’s thoughts and feelings. Due to the shorter days, colder weather, and scarcity of sunshine, many people stay inside where it’s warm and hunker down for the winter. This can trigger the winter blues, which affects about 14% of American adults.¹ Spending more time indoors, due to work or seasonal conditions, can create physiological changes in the brain. These can have a significant impact on attitude and outlook. They also can lead to the onset of low mood. Signs of Low Mood Though they might not even realize it, many people struggle with low mood. Whether initiated by the demands of work, relationship challenges, or excessive stress, anxious or depressive thoughts can come on without warning. Low mood can contribute to adverse physical consequences and can also lead to possible psychological concerns. Low mood may include: Negative or guilty thoughts Mental fogginess Purposefully avoiding social interaction Overeating and emotional eating Periods of low appetite Difficulty with concentration and memory Since many people dismiss these issues as just feeling down, they may not get the help they need, which can result in serious mental or emotional difficulties. To avoid the devastating effects of low mood, implement these 3 strategies to help keep your spirits bright this winter season. 3 of the Best Ways to Brighten Your Mood & Avoid the Winter Blues Take Sunshine Vitamins The body needs sunlight to make vitamin D, which is sometimes called the “sunshine vitamin.” Getting necessary amounts of vitamin D can be particularly challenging during the winter season when there are fewer hours of sunlight and the sunlight itself is less intense. The lower your vitamin D levels, the more likely you’ll be to feel blue rather than happy. Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with higher incidences of anxiousness and mood issues. The current U.S. Daily Value recommendation is 400 IU, but experts agree this is well below the physiological needs of most individuals and suggest 2,000-10,000 IU daily. Good Mood Foods Since your brain uses more than 20% of your body’s total energy, it requires high-quality food with specific vitamins and nutrients to use as fuel throughout the day. What you eat can greatly affect your brain’s overall performance. Making healthier choices in your diet will not only help control your waistline, it can also help lift your mood and provide a long-lasting increase in energy and focus. Add these mood-boosting foods to your next grocery list. Supplemental Light Source Daily exposure to appropriate levels (even just 10 to 30 minutes a day) of direct sunlight can boost vitamin D3 levels, which can help improve your mood. If getting enough natural light proves to be a challenge, consider investing in a therapy lamp for your home or work desk. Known for their effectiveness in helping to alleviate low mood, therapy lamps even can help with mood problems that aren’t related to the seasons. Clinical research shows they also can improve mental focus (especially for those with attention challenges), and sometimes overall energy and well-being as they improve the body’s sleep patterns. If you’re looking for a safe and natural way to boost your energy and mood, BrainMD proudly recommends the Bright Minds Therapy Lamp. Bright Minds Therapy Lamp Light is essential for life and has a direct effect on how the brain and body function. The Bright Minds Therapy Lamp creates a suitable replacement for natural sunlight.* This is especially crucial during the winter months when fewer hours of sunlight can negatively affect mood. Known for their effectiveness in helping to alleviate winter blues or seasonal affective disorder (SAD),² light therapy lamps have also been shown in research to help with focus, mood, energy, and to promote healthier sleep.* The Bright Minds Therapy Lamp is ideal for home or office use as a supplemental light source.* There are many potential benefits to using an indoor lightbox, including: Boosted energy* Sharpened focus* Enhanced mood* Improved sleep quality* Verified safe and efficient indoor light source* Bright Minds Therapy Lamp Benefits The Bright Minds Therapy Lamp is a full spectrum LED light that’s sleek and ultra-safe.* It offers up to 10000 LUX brightness and includes 2 light modes: White and Blue. With so many features and potential health benefits coming from such a small, portable device, the Bright Minds Therapy Lamp can help bring more joy and energy to your life.* What others are saying about Bright Minds Therapy Lamp: “Love this lamp! I enjoy the many settings of time, type of light, and intensity. I have used it almost daily for a month and feel such a difference.” – Marni “This lamp helped elevate my mood while stuck indoors.” – Lilly Note: We’ve taken every precaution in producing this safe and effective indoor lightbox. If you experience eye strain or have an existing eye condition, please consult your physician before using this lamp.* At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing high-quality supplements and devices to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about Bright Minds Therapy Lamp and our full list of products, 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: Targum, S. D., & Rosenthal, N. (2008). Seasonal affective disorder. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 5(5), 31–33. https://doi.org/10.1007/springer.19727250 Melrose, S. (2015). Seasonal affective disorder: An overview of assessment and treatment approaches. Depression Research and Treatment, 2015, Article 178564. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/178564
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10 Foods & Beverages to Warm You Up This Winter
Q: What keeps you warm but doesn’t involve turning up the thermostat, starting a fire, or putting on a coat? (No, this isn’t a riddle.) A: Warming foods. It’s true. Some foods can make you feel warmer. The following 10 foods, spices, and beverages have properties that can stoke your metabolism and help increase blood flow to warm your body while also delighting your senses and taste buds. 10 Delicious Foods & Beverages to Keep Warm This Winter 1. Garlic Garlic is well-known for its warming properties, as are its close relatives – onion, shallot, leek, and chives. Research shows that garlic enhances thermogenesis (the body’s process of metabolizing a substance or nutrient to produce heat). Enjoy garlic and onion together as the perfect additions to any winter soup and stew. 2. Root Vegetables Root vegetables (such as beets, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and yams) can make a perfect side dish for winter meals. Made of complex carbohydrates, which are high in fiber, they digest more slowly, which generates heat in the body. It’s no accident that many traditional holiday meals include whole, sliced, or mashed vegetables…they help keep us warm! 3. Ginger Whether you enjoy ginger in tea or a savory stir-fry, it will deliver heat. Ginger has vasodilating properties, meaning it relaxes blood vessels, which helps to increase blood flow causing a warming effect throughout the body. A 2018 study found that ginger increased body temperature in women just ten minutes after consuming a ginger tea and that it kept women warm for longer than other hot beverages. Ginger tea is also soothing for the tummy. 4. Cayenne Spicy foods are often eaten in warm climates as they promote sweating, which cools you down. But this versatile spice also can warm you up. Cayenne contains a phytochemical called capsaicin, which helps turn up the heat in your body. Capsaicin digests slowly and increases gastric blood flow, which benefits your gut and warms your body. Jalapeños and ultra-spicy habaneros also contain capsaicin. Add a warming “kick” to a winter meal with any of these hot spices. 5. Meat Proteins are harder to digest than carbs or fats, and an intensely protein-rich meal can help warm you up. A study found that meat-based protein requires more energy to break down than plant-sourced protein, such as soy. Meats are also rich in minerals such as iron and B vitamins, which can help warm you if you’re iron deficient. Winter is the perfect time to make a savory beef stew or a chicken casserole dish. 6. Black Beans If you aren’t a meat-eater, enjoy a plant-based protein, like black beans, to produce warmth. A half-cup of these beans contains nearly eight grams of protein and lots of fiber to help keep you full. Black beans also have loads of nutrients, some of which enhance blood flow. A study that looked at thermogenesis with protein-rich and fat-rich meals found that protein will keep you three times warmer than a fat. Make a delicious black bean soup on a cold day to stoke your inner heat. Add some cayenne or other hot peppers for a warming boost. 7. Coffee Turn on your body heat with a morning cup of Joe. It’s actually the caffeine in coffee that activates thermogenesis, warming you up (so don’t drink decaf). If you prefer black or green tea, you’ll still warm up as they contain some caffeine. 8. Oats Whole grains such as oats are high in bran and fiber, which are slow to break down. The slow digestion releases warming energy and prevents spikes in blood sugar that can heat you up before quickly cooling you down. Other whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa, millet, barley, and buckwheat, also break down slowly and deliver similar warming effects. Make yourself a delicious hot cereal with nuts and dried fruit for a thoroughly warming breakfast. Enjoy it with a caffeinated, warm beverage for an extra boost of heat. 9. Cinnamon Cinnamon is the spice of winter. There’s a reason for that. It has thermogenic properties that can raise your body temperature in cold weather. As an added bonus, cinnamon may help boost memory, learning, and mood, as well as help support healthy blood sugar levels. You can warm your body and boost your mood and brain function at the same time. Enjoy it in beverages (hot apple cider anyone?) or on your morning oats. 10. Bananas It may seem unlikely that a tropical fruit can warm you up, but banana’s B vitamins and magnesium can help do the trick. These nutrients support thyroid and adrenal gland health, which help regulate body temperature in cold weather. Enjoy a banana on a winter’s day with a nut butter, which adds complexity to create further warmth in the body. While these foods may warm you up from the inside this winter, don’t forget to put on your coat! At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest purity nutrients 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.
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