You can Beat the Winter Blues

Each year millions of people suffer with Seasonal Affective Disorder, Holiday Blues and depression. By following these 5 steps you can avoid Winter blues.

1) Eat a Balanced Diet
Research has indicated that diet can play an important role in alleviating depression. The most basic principle in preventing depression and mood swings, is to eat a balanced diet that contains foods from all the different food groups - fruit and vegetables, unprocessed grains and cereals, lean meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products, legumes and nuts, poly- or monounsaturated margarine and oils.

If you are on a low-carbohydrate diet then the chances are good that you are not getting enough B vitamins. The vitamins that make up the B complex influence practically every metabolic process in the human body and there are indications that a B complex deficiency can exacerbate depression.

Researchers have, for example, found that elderly people who eat only refined starches (for a variety of reasons, such as difficulty with chewing), develop vitamin B deficiencies and are prone to depression. When elderly subjects were given vitamin B supplements, their mental performance improved and they were less likely to suffer from depression.

2) Essential fatty acids
Researchers have found that people who have an omega-3 deficiency are more prone to depression than those who consumed adequate quantities (usually in the form of fish). Foods are rich in omega-3:

• all types of fish and seafood, but particularly fatty fish such as salmon, and snoek
• fish oils (tuna, cod liver and salmon oils)
• plant oils (flaxseed, canola, walnut, soy oils)
• foods fortified with omega-3 (eggs, milk and bread - check in your supermarket)
• Salmon oil supplements

3) Cut out stimulants
Certain stimulants such as caffeine give you a quick lift, but in the long run they can harm your nervous system. So while most people can have their three or four cups of coffee a day, if you suffer from depression it may be a good idea to cut out coffee, caffeine-containing beverages (colas and those new energy drinks that are spiked with caffeine) and diet pills that contain caffeine.

4) Exercise to beat the winter blues
The moment winter arrives, many people who are relatively active during the summer months, suddenly stop all their activity and huddle indoors all day. This is a surefire way of getting depressed. When we exercise we make chemicals called endorphins in our bodies that boost our moods and combat depression.

Yes, it is colder and darker, but if you do some planning and make a concerted effort, then you can still exercise in the winter. Put on a jacket and a muffler and go for a brisk walk. Use your indoor exercise equipment, treadmill, and exercise ball. Use the radio to energize you and get moving with housework or simply dancing in the family room. Do a workout using an exercise video. With just 20 minutes of exercise a day you can make a huge difference in your mental state.

5) Get 20 minutes of sunshine every day

Once again research has shown that getting enough sun during the winter months can play an enormous role in balancing your moods. Even if it is a cloudy day you can get enough sunshine by sitting in front of a picture window and read a good book. Get outside as often as possible. Be creative and you will see a dramatic difference.

If you combine a balanced diet with regular exercise throughout the year, you will beat those winter blues. Often the solutions to good health and mental wellness are so simple, that we tend to overlook them, but you can take charge of your depression this winter if you make a few changes to your diet and increase your level of physical activity.