Battling SAD- Seasonal Affective Disorder

By Barbara Hay ~

Winter typically presents challenges to both our physical and emotional health. Seasonal Affective Disorder from the short days, dealing with difficult relationships, financial stress, inclement weather, or a host of other issues, it can be a tough time.

I’m not an authority on this subject, but I have observed a number of things that can help keep you physically and emotionally healthy during this time.

There’s less daylight and your skin is almost totally covered with clothing such that your natural vitamin D production is almost nil. Those short days also lend themselves to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which can not only depress your immune system, but also affect you emotionally.

Your home and workplace is shut up, so you have a lack of fresh air and a greater exposure to disease-causing microorganisms. That closed environment also makes it easier for you to get infections from those around you.

Colder temperatures are also just more stressful on your body, requiring greater adaptation to stay healthy. So what can you do:

1. Be sure to take at least 2000 i.u.’s of Vitamin D-3 daily — you may need more, especially if you live in a non-sunny climate. Check with your health care provider before adding more than that. Sunlight is the primary source for this essential nutrient. Between sunscreen use and modern lifestyles that keep us indoors during the sunniest parts of the day, most of us don’t get the sun exposure we need to produce required amounts of vitamin D. According to research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, three-quarters of U.S. adults and teens are vitamin D deficient!

2. Get some fresh air in your home, even if that’s just opening some windows for a few minutes or leaving a window cracked in your bedroom at night.

3. If you are particularly bothered by the short days, consider getting one of the specially designed full-spectrum lights and expose yourself to it in the early morning and late afternoon.

4. Take other immune system stimulating supplements. In  in addition to Vitamin D, I take Activate Immune Complex. It’s a combination of scientifically formulated nutrients, extracts and vitamins ( Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc, Echinacea, Astragalus and Aronia in an exclusive combination that’s been shown in scientific studies to help support the body’s own defense mechanism—the immune system.*

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

https://hayseedscreative.com/

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