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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Keeping Your Marbles: Staying Sane in Winter Weather

It begins when Daylight Savings ends. You emerge from work and it’s black as midnight. That rat-like part of your primordial brain urges you to find shelter in a small, nest-like place. The predators are close and abundant. You must gorge yourself, and stay still and quiet in a safe slumber.

Welcome to winter, folks! Sure, we all might be excited for the first festive snow fall, but in another month or two, things can get tough. Here are a few thoughts about surviving the dark hours. Most of us, especially the Seattleites, know the way to stay sane even when we’re in the double digits of days without a sunbreak. But the point is, if you slip down the slope and start feeling blue,  or straight up loony, there’s a chance you’ll forget every smart thing you knew.

So be proactive. Start good habits now. And in the thick of it refer back to this list. Just a few simple tricks can help you turn your mood back around.

1) Exercise whether you want to or not
2) Avoid the excesses—carbs, sugar and alcohol
3) Take your cod liver oil
4) Socialize
5) Get sun (artificial or the real mcCoy)
6) Repeat steps 1-5 relentlessly

1) Exercise whether you want to or not: We all know the power of endorphins. A good workout at the gym will change your day. You’re feeling stir-crazy, grumpy or even depressed? A good sweat and rapid heart rate can change all that. So why don’t you do it?

It’s cold. It’s dark. I usually run outdoors and the weather won’t permit. I don’t feel like it.

Blah blah blah, and bullshit. Do it anyway.


If you can’t exercise outdoors and don’t belong to the gym, then I recommend exercise videos. There are great yoga series by Gaiam. Or maybe you’ve wanted to learn belly dance. Hula. Pilates. If you can find some old school Jane Fonda or Richard Simmons, all the better. Make an ass of yourself and sweat. Invite a friend. Make it a pact.


2) Avoid the excesses—carbs, sugar and alcohol:  Yes, Mac and Cheese is comfort food perfection. A good 12 year old scotch is happiness in a bottle. And indeed, chocolate is the food of the gods. I agree. But ingest with moderation. We are in the zone of holiday parties, and overindulgence. Enjoy your life! And enjoy the morning after as well.

If you’re going to a party and planning to drink, make sure you have a good meal beforehand. Drink lots of water throughout the night. Drink lots of water and take aspirin before bed. And try out this little remedy called Hangover Remedy from Source Naturals. These are the same people who make the Wellness Formulas (they know what they’re doing).

This is the time is year we crave carbs and sweets. So go ahead, but with restraint. I buy Chocolove 70% Dark Chocolate instead of milk because it has less sugar but still hits the sweet-spot. Knowing that I’ll be staying in and watching more movies, I decided this year to trade in my usual massive bowl of microwave popcorn for a smaller bowl of air-popped popcorn. The popper costs you about $20 (Presto Popper) and saves you a hella lot of calories. Instead of butter try flax oil and then maybe try some brewers yeast. (No really, just try it). I’m tellin’ ya. It’s good. And healthy.

Also, remember to eat your fruit and veggies. Washington apples—especially the Honeycrisp— are fantastic this year. Squash and root vegetables are in abundance. I think the best way to get your veggies is to make a huge pot of soup for the week. Martha Stewart­—bless her heart—has a ton of great recipes. I recently found this one that is delicious: Butternut Squash Puree

And check out my friend’s blog on good eating and other things: Food.Soil.Thread


3) Take your cod liver oil: Our grandma’s were right. Cod liver oil really is good for us. Well, as long as it’s fresh and purified. The omega’s in fish oil are critical for good brain function and in the winter time, can be a key antidote to depression. Do your own research on dosages. I take a lot this time of year.
Here’s my favorite brand: Nordic Naturals

If you’re vegetarian you especially need these important oils. Flax oil will get you part of the way there. Make sure you’re taking a blend of borage and flax. There’s also a source of omega’s from red algae: Udo's DHA Oil Blend. Check out these omega 3 supplements: Quality Omega 3 Supplements

Vitamin D: Again, just take it. No excuses. We folks in the Northwest are seriously depleted. They used to caution us against taking too much Vitamin D, but the recommendation has changed. Researcher Michael F. Holick, M.D. recommends up to 1000 IU a day (Vitamin D: The Underrated Essential) I suggest you do a bit of research. Read more about Vitamin D.

Also, it's important to stay in all around good shape and ward off the colds and flues that plague the season. For an all-around great immune booster this time of year, try Sources Naturals Wellness Formula. They recommend 2 daily for maintenance or 3 every 3 hours during "imbalance" (i.e. you're feeling under the weather.)

NOTE: Don’t buy your vitamins from Costco or Walgreens. They are crap. They have fillers and binders that make them un-digestable. Also, some of these synthetic forms of vitamins in the multi-vitamins, for instance, are not well absorbed. My advice is to go to your local PCC Natural Markets or Whole Foods and ask for help. These folks are knowledgable and can get something good in your hands without breaking the bank.


4) Socialize: Don’t stay in your rat hole. And for god’s sake don’t binge on Reality TV. Get out. Invite people over. Make sure the events are not all centered around excessive eating and drinking. Here are a few ideas:



5) Get sun (artificial or the real mcCoy): SADD lights are worth the investment. But they only works when you sit under them. Check out this great website: Sadlights.net

Of course nothing beats the real thing. You can get great deals on flights to Mexico, with a hotel package included. Go ahead, use those last two nickels you have and get your bum to the beach. It's worth it. CheapAir.com


6) Repeat steps 1-5 relentlessly: Do everything above with ruthless dedication. For those of us that are “just not ourselves” during the winter months, we have to be diligent. I like to call it radical self-care. It’s an everyday practice.

NOTE: For those of you that suffer from depression, here are a few more thoughts. Though depression make be a part of your life, it doesn’t mean you have to perpetually suffer it.

It just means you have to work harder, be more proactive and pay more attention than the average joe. That’s ok. Accept it.

Refer to the list above. Make a list of your own, now, while you feel good. When you feel blue, you forget what it feels like to feel any other way. So reference your list often.

If you regularly suffer from depression, find a counselor. If you have one already, go and see them!

Having depression doesn’t mean that you have to experience the symptoms. It just means you have to practice radical self care. Here are a last tidbits:
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