When the weather is snowy and cold, many of us will find it hard to get out of bed in the morning. During the day, some of us might even find ourselves low in energy and lacking motivation. Some might try to sleep earlier at night, but they might still feel tired the next day. Some might find themselves eating more and gaining weight. 
For people that have recently moved to Canada from a warmer climate, they may never experienced these symptoms before. Anyone can develop seasonal affective disorder, but it occurs more commonly in women living in regions where winter daylight hours are very short. It can also occur in people who have a close relative with seasonal affective disorder.
It is not clear exactly what causes seasonal affective disorder, but there are some scientific evidence showing that the lack of sunlight may affect certain hormones in our bodies that control our mood and our sleeping pattern.
If your symptoms persist beyond the winter season or if you are not sure if you have seasonal affective disorder, it is best to check with you family doctor to rule out other diagnosis. A common treatment for seasonal affective disorder is light therapy (or phototherapy), which consists of using a fluorescent lightbox by placing it on a table at a certain distance from you.
Some doctors may recommend using supplements such as Melatonin, to help restore your sleeping pattern, and Vitamin B complex, to help your body make more energy from the food that you eat. In some cases, doctors may prescribe antidepressants.
Early morning exercises may also help us feel less tired and more motivated to start our day.
And finally, going outside to catch the sunlight whenever the sun is shining, even on a cold day, will help too!
How do we get an energy boost from food and other natural sources? We asked Rowena Leung, a registered dietitian, to explain:
Vitamin D
Due to
the fact that we live in Canada, we don’t get enough sunshine per day. As a
result, most Canadians require a daily Vitamin D supplement to help maintain
sufficient levels. Even if your lifestyle includes a winter escape, it doesn’t
necessarily mean that you don’t need Vitamin D supplementation because of
sunblock, staying the shade, wearing hats, etc. It is always a good idea to get
1000 IU of Vitamin D in the summer time and 2000 IU in the winter time. If you
require a higher dosage, please get bloodwork done & seek the advice of a
physician before proceeding with a higher dose.
Magnesium
Best
food sources of magnesium include: legumes, nuts, seeds, fish & whole
grains. Of particular interest, black
eyed peas tend to be highest in magnesium from the legumes category
B-Vitamins
It is
best for humans to obtain b-vitamins through meat sources (E.g. fish, chicken,
beef, seafood) as it is best absorbed the human body. If you are a vegetarian,
do try nutritional yeast! If you are not a vegetarian and want to look for an
alternative to cheese, try nutritional yeast! It has a “cheese-like” flavor but
does not contain lactose and/or dairy components.
Omega-3
Not
only is omega-3 fats good for brain development, heart health and eye health
but omega-3 fats can also improve energy levels. Don’t forget to include at
least 2 servings of omega-3 rich fish per week. Omega-3 rich fish include:
trout, Arctic Char, salmon (wild pacific or atlantic), tuna (yellowfin or
skipjack), sardines (packed in water), mackerel & herring.
If you don’t like to normally eat omega-3 rich fish
options, try adding some dill! Dill is a lovely herb that pairs well with fish.
Try this quick marinade for salmon/tuna/trout. It’s
quick, delicious and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp light
soy sauce
1 Tbsp grapseed
oil
2 Tbsp maple
syrup
Method:
- Preheat oven @ 350oF.
- Mix all the ingredients together to serve as the marinade.
- Put the filet of fish in.
- Marinade for ~10-15 minutes.
- Put the marinated piece of fish on a baking tray which is lined with parchment paper
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Enjoy!
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