Beating the Winter Blahs

Winter in Montana lasts a looooong time. Too long for my blood, I personally hate the heavy layers of clothing and my feet yearn for sandals and my toesies to wiggle free. We tend to stay inside more and become more sedentary. We eat more and usually eat the foods that make us feel good, and make us pack on the pounds. The variety of fresh fruits and vegetables that we can get in the summer are not easy to come by in the winter months. The days are longer and it is cold. AND, I am possibly preaching to the choir, thanks for letting me vent.

Before I go further, I want to tell you readers out there: I am not a doctor. If you feel like you have depression or are not sure, please see your healthcare provider or a trained counselor. Please do not ignore symptoms of depression. Seek help.

There is a short quiz at the end of this blog, with thanks to Reliant Behavioral Health, State of Montana’s Employee Assistance Program provider. Take a few minutes and take the quiz.

Are you struggling with winter blahs? Read on for ways to combat the winter blahs and avoid packing on the pounds.

There is a recurring theme in these blogs, exercise and a healthy diet, so, don’t be surprised here. I am giving personal testimony here, exercise in the winter does help with mental attitude. I have been my own guinea pig and not always intentionally.

Exercising: I feel tired and lethargic when I don’t exercise. I sit all day at work, if I don’t take my walking breaks at work and don’t get to walk the dogs cause the hubby took them then I have lost about 60 minutes of walking. I will try to get on my exercise bike or at least lift hand weights while watching the idiot box. I notice my mood is gloomy too. When I get some exercise done, no matter what kind, I have more energy, I sleep better, and my mood is more upbeat. How do you feel when you move vs. not moving?

Healthy diet: As you probably know by now, you are what you eat. Are you getting fresh fruits and vegetables? Can’t find the fresh stuff you like? Look in the freezer section. Berries, melon are good, whip them up in some yogurt. Frozen veggies are always good to keep in stock. Eating low fat foods? Getting complex carbs and avoiding “white food”-refined sugar, white breads, white rice. Drink water and avoid sugary beverages. Avoid consumption of alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant. This time of year we tend to eat comfort foods which may taste good while being ingested but then you have that nosedive and feel yucky. “Mindless Eating” by Brian Wansink, PhD has some interesting information about comfort foods and why we like them and how we associate certain foods with making us feel good. If you have a sibling, ask him or her what their comfort food is and why, I bet it differs from your own.

Try to get some sunshine. I know in Montana we have such short days and often times, we may be working, you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark and, if you are stuck in a cubicle like I am, there is no natural light. I am surrounded by fluorescent lighting, I shouldn’t complain, at least I have that, but I have to get up and leave my desk to see daylight. If my manager is reading this, hint, hint-a window. 30 minutes a day of natural light is recommended.

Get creative, do you like to paint, dance, do needle work, make model airplanes? Work jig-saw puzzles? It is a great way to relax and have some fun. If you and your family enjoy games-cards, board games, computer games, take some time to enjoy the togetherness and fun and laughter. Watch a funny movie. OK, if your family puts the “fun” in dysfunction, try a solitary activity, like reading a good book. Go to the gym and workout or swim. Volunteer to walk dogs at your local animal shelter.

Go outside and have a snowball fight. Go sledding. Is there a local group teaching snowshoeing? Check with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks for people leading groups, there is one in Helena that does full moon walks thru the woods.

If you are able to plan some fun activities that help you get out of winter for a while, do so. Are you able to get a massage, go to a spa, enjoy soaking in some hot springs. Learn to say no to those “unwanted” requests or invitations. Or, say yes, get out and enjoy socializing, whatever you prefer. Give yourself the permission to follow your heart’s desire. Maybe a short nap is in order. Stick to a healthful routine, low-fat diet, physical activity.

This time of year I get quite crabby and sick of cold and snow. And with that, I bid you Aloha. I am off to Hawaii for some much needed time away from winter. Watch for a new posting on March 9.

Enjoy a cup of hot cocoa and some homemade biscotti, put your feet up, curl up with a good book or someone who just read one:

Hot Cocoa
Number of Servings: 1

2 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp hot water
1 C Vanilla Soy Milk

Directions

Combine sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg and hot water in a sauce pan. Stir until smooth and bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue to boil and stir for 2 minutes. Slowly add in soy milk and heat. Do not boil the milk.Makes 1 1-cup serving
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user QUINNGINN.
Nutrition Per Serving
· Calories: 127.0
· Total Fat: 5.5 g
· Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
· Sodium: 136.0 mg
· Total Carbs: 23.8 g
· Dietary Fiber: 5.2 g
· Protein: 12.1 g

Enjoy some biscotti with your hot cocoa. My husband loves these, and, they are easy to make

Cranberry Almond Biscotti
Ingredients

2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon almond or vanilla extract
1 6-ounce package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Dried Cranberries, any flavor
3/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together eggs, egg whites and almond or vanilla extract in a separate mixing bowl. Add to dry ingredients, mixing just until moist, using an electric mixer on medium speed or by hand. Add dried cranberries and almonds; mix thoroughly.

On a floured surface, divide batter in half and pat each half into a log approximately 14-inches long and 1 1/2-inches wide. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Cut biscotti into 1/2-inch slices. Stand upright on cookie sheet and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Let cool and store in a loosely covered container.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.
PER SERVING (1 cookie): Cal 100
Fat Cal. 15
Total Fat 2grams
Chol. 14mg
Sodium 38mg
Pot. 35mg
Carb. 9grams
Protein 2grams


Take the Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Quiz

Although many of us may feel "blue" when the day is cloudy or after a week of rain, people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) have more difficulty coping with the dull, gray days of winter.

To improve your knowledge of SAD, take this true-false quiz.
1. People with seasonal affective disorder feel sad only during the winter. True False
2. Women and teens are more likely to develop SAD than others. True False
3. SAD can be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms mimic those of other illnesses.
True False
4. The hormone estrogen may play a role in SAD. True False
5. The farther north a person with SAD lives, the more severe his or her depression seems to be. True False
6. A good way to combat winter SAD is to get outdoors every day. True False
7. For more severe cases of SAD, a doctor or therapist may prescribe "light therapy. True False

The answers
1. False. People with SAD experience mild to moderate depression during a particular season of the year. Most people with SAD are depressed during the fall and winter months. For others, SAD occurs during the spring and summer.
2. True. Although SAD can affect anyone, women (most commonly women in their 20's and 30's) and adolescents seem to be more susceptible. Older adults are less likely to develop it. SAD sufferers also tend to have a family member with mental illness, such as depression or alcohol abuse.
3. True. The symptoms of SAD can be confused with symptoms of other illnesses, including hypothyroidism and viral infections such as mononucleosis.
4. False. Varying levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin are believed to play a role in SAD. The sleep hormone melatonin, which has been linked to depression, also may play a role. The body makes more melatonin in the dark. So, the shorter, grayer days of winter boost levels of melatonin.
5. True. There is a general connection between more northern latitudes and prevalence of SAD, but this is true only to a point. It's not automatically true that SAD is going to be more severe and common as you keep going further and further north. Overcast days also make a person with SAD feel worse.
6. True. Getting regular, outdoor exercise helps. You can also rearrange your furniture indoors during the fall and winter to take advantage of as much sunlight through windows as possible.
7. True. Light therapy involves the use of a full-spectrum fluorescent light for a certain amount of time, usually in the morning. Antidepressants also may be prescribed. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises health care providers, patients, families and caregivers of adults and children that they should closely monitor all patients beginning therapy with antidepressants and when doses are either increased or decreased, for worsening depression and suicidal thinking. The FDA also advises that these patients be observed for certain behaviors associated with these drugs, such as anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, impulsivity, severe restlessness, hypomania and mania, and that physicians be particularly vigilant in patients who may have bipolar disorder. The FDA issued a warning in September 2004 that antidepressants not only cause some children and teenagers to become suicidal but that most have also failed to cure their depression. Children and teens who take antidepressants are twice as likely as those given placebos to become suicidal. Still, the overall risk for suicide is low. If 100 patients are given the drugs, two or three more will become suicidal than would have had they been given placebos.

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