Are you one of the half a million Americans each year that suffer from the winter blues? More than just feeling a little down, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is now an accepted clinical condition brought on by a lack of natural daylight and vitamin D, which affects more women than men.
In the U.S. an estimated 4-6% of the population are seriously affected when the weather turns grey, cloudy and cold. The Cleveland Clinic estimates the figure could be as high as 20% of the population. The condition affects mostly women in their 20s, 30s and 40s but can affect men and adolescents too. Scientists are unsure why some people suffer from winter blues and others are unaffected by it. One theory is that some people have a biological disposition to it or that certain triggers need to be present. Symptoms of SAD include feeling down, losing interest in activities, insomnia and sinking into depression.
Depression not only hurts, it debilitates and kills many people day after day, year after year. Depression is not a myth or something we should tell those suffering with to ‘get over.’ In fact, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH,) major depression is the leading cause of disability in the United States for people between fifteen and forty-four years of age.
About 10 years ago, a woman I know visited her family practitioner who noted that she was struggling with depression. There were a lot of tough things going on in her life and it was a rocky period.
Food is not just something that tastes good. What we eat and ingest really is our fuel for life. Food can also alter brain chemistry and physiology. Every system in the body is inter-related. The following 7 dietary choices can help combat depression.
The World Health Organization has identified depression as the #1 cause of disability in America and the third leading cause of disability in Europe. Diet and it’s relation to depression is just beginning to become a topic of research, but it’s a topic that many people have been aware of for years.
