WELLBEING October 2007

BY JULIE ALPINE

Beat the winter blues with our top tips for staying perky

"My solution to the winter blues,” writes foodie Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, “is to make pancakes, as often as three or four times a week if necessary. Melt a packet of toffees in a little milk, slice a banana, and have hot and gooey toffee and banana pancakes. Then, if at all possible, have sex.”

Who can blame him? Everyone tends to feel a bit down when the clocks go back and the days get darker, particularly after a washout of a summer that has seen flooding, rather than a hosepipe ban, hit the headlines.

It’s easy to reach for sugary, carbohydrate-rich comfort food when you know you won’t be wearing your swimsuit for another six months. But for an estimated one in 20 people in the UK, the ‘winter blues’ have a more serious edge.

“Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a type of depression that affects people during the autumn and winter months,” explains Dr Chris Steele (who you might know from ITV’s This Morning). “It is attributed to a lack of daylight, which is why symptoms usually begin to appear between September and November, as the days are drawing in. The condition is more common in northern countries because the further you go from the equator, the shorter the days become.”

Telltale symptoms include sleep problems, overeating, feelings of lethargy, anxiety, social withdrawal, loss of libido and mood swings. Many sufferers also experience a weakened immune system, finding themselves more vulnerable to illnesses and infections.

And it’s not just those of us who have to catch the bus to work while it’s still dark that are hit: Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln were both sufferers, as is Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia, who developed the condition during an extended stay in London.

While it might be tempting to turn off the lights, crawl under the duvet and hibernate until April, there are some simple steps you can take to minimise the symptoms this winter. Below are seven tried-and-tested tips for beating the seasonal blues.

1|LET THERE BE LIGHT

Light therapy has proved effective in up to 85% of cases of SAD, with as little as 45 minutes a day in front of a specially designed light box supplying the brain with enough light to alleviate symptoms. For more information, visit the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association’s website, www.sada.org.uk

2|GOOD-MOOD FOOD

Toffee pancakes aside, foods to add to your diet are fish (which is rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids) or, for vegetarians, linseeds. Avocados, beans, bananas, wheat germ, porridge oats, brown rice and wholemeal pasta all help to increase serotonin, the brain chemical that makes us feel happy. For a serotonin-boosting snack healthier than Hugh’s, try wholemeal banana muffins.

3|GO GINGER

Ginger is a powerful circulatory stimulant that’s known to pep up the digestive system and warm the blood. Drink a ginger tea such as Hampstead Tea’s organic and Fairtrade Ginger Green (www.hampsteadtea.com), which combines comforting ginger with the antioxidant qualities of green tea. You can also make your own brew simply by steeping ginger in boiling water. Add cinnamon to taste.

4|FLOAT YOURSELF HAPPY

Float tank therapy – lying quietly in the dark for 60-90 minutes suspended in a warm solution of Epsom salt, about 10" deep and so dense that you float effortlessly – not only reduces blood pressure and heart rate and lowers the levels of stress-related chemicals in the body, but also has the restorative effects of four hours of sleep, making it good news for those whose sleep patterns are disrupted in the winter. Visit www.floatationtankassociation. net to find your nearest float tank centre.

5|FEELGOOD BEAUTY PRODUCTS

Go for bath and skincare products designed to make you think of sunshine. Lush’s Happy Pill Bath Ballistic (£2.50, www.lush.co.uk), created by the company’s founder, Mark Constantine, when he had a case of the blues, comes in a mood-boosting bright yellow and has a zesty grapefruit, mandarin and lemon fragrance. Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion (approx. £3.50 from chemists) will relieve dry skin, while its coconut scent brings back memories of beach holidays.

6|UP YOUR VITAMIN DINTAKE

Studies show that vitamin D can help combat SAD. Health writer Dr John Briffa says: “In addition to eating vitamin D-rich oily fish a couple of times a week, taking cod liver oil at a dose of one to two teaspoons per day will help provide the body with high enough levels of vitamin D to brighten your mood.” Or, get your vitamin D by seeking out some real sunshine. A winter sun getaway to break up the long British winter will give you a boost the lazy (and fun) way.

7|GET OUT MORE Exercise has well known antidepressant effects and any mood-enhancing results will be increased by being out in natural daylight. A brisk 20-minute walk, even on a relatively dull day, can help keep SAD symptoms at bay by giving your brain a blast of oxygen, boosting your circulation and stimulating your pituitary gland. Counting chimney tops is a simple trick that forces you to hold your head high as you walk, helping you to feel the maximum benefits of the fresh air.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 1st, 2007 at 12:00 am and is filed under Wellbeing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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