If you slice the United States in half horizontally, as if our country were a cantaloupe, then you can assume anyone who lives in the upper half is at higher risk for seasonal affective disorder or SAD. This “winter depression” is caused by lack of exposure to daylight and marked by feelings of low energy, anxiety and diminished joy.
While we all know that lightbox therapy and noontime walks are recommended, there are also effective strategies for your eating plan and which dietary supplements to take. One recommendation on the food side is to make sure your meals include lean proteins and even healthy fats to offset the increased SAD cravings for carbohydrates. A great dinner to eat once or twice a week would be a portion of wild salmon (you can broil it rubbed with olive oil, then sprinkled with tamari, lime juice and a couple smidges of sea salt), brown rice and some dark leafy greens. The salmon is a brain and mood booster, while brown rice is a whole grain with B6 and B12 vitamins, both key to emotional health. The leafy greens bring you folic acid for further mental balance.
