For someone, autumn could be the season of the most beautiful colors of the year, the months of rebirth and good intentions but the days get shorter and the hours of light decrease and, for someone, this period means only autumn and sadness.
Its a little known disorder but it has all the characteristics that can make it a pathology: it is SAD; seasonal affective disorder or Winter blues (winter sadness) which, upon the arrival of autumn, triggers situations of malaise such as insomnia, fatigue, depression and states of sadness.
Who Suffers From Winter Blues?
It doesn't affect everyone but its better not to underestimate some signs
As happens with so many ailments related to moods; seasonal affective disorder also affects, in particular, people who often find themselves fragile in the face of many situations.
They are the people who lose heart quickly with that reduced ability to look on the bright side of events and know how to keep up with changes.
perennial fatigue, craving for carbohydrates; especially sweets, headaches, insomnia: all symptoms do not neglect!
With the arrival of autumn we see a reduction in the hours of light.
This change brings with it a number of effects that are often indicative of winter blues.
Feeling irritable and wanting to cry, tiredness, lack of concentration, drowsiness, a strong desire for carbohydrates and sugars and a tendency to gain weight; these are the symptoms that suggest seasonal depression.
Seeing the days shorter and shorter affects the hypothalamus and, therefore, the production of melatonin and seretonin.
While the first gets up bringing with it exhaustion and sleepiness; seretonin is lowered favoring negative emotional states.
Sunlight: the most powerful natural medicine
Enjoying the sunlight remains the most efficient remedy for tackling seasonal sadness.
The practice of exploiting the sunlight, to intervene on many discomforts, has very ancient origins.
The sun has always represented life, energy, the positive.
The sun influences our daily life: it regulates circadian rhythms, the sleep-wake cycle, our mood...
The ancient Greeks and Egyptians used the sun to heal the skin while the Romans used to expose themselves to the sun and to the open air to absorb all its benefits.
Heliotherapy becomes, over time, the therapeutic science that is based on exposure to the sun's rays and a valid means of treating ailments of various kinds.
Fighting SAD with diet and physical activity
A balanced diet rich in macronutrients turns out to be a valid help in dealing with fatigue and ailments related to the change of season.
Natural energizers: foods against fatigue
There are foods that are able to restore tone and mood.
These are the foods that fight fatigue and are called energizers.
Composed of active ingredients with precise properties; they are capable of returning positive and active moods.
Some of these foods are energizing because they directly affect the central and peripheral nervous system.
Nerve foods and their alkaloids that act as tonics and give strength to the body
Coffee, tea and chocolate a well-known triad capable of directly intervening on the nervous system.
From the activation of adrenaline to the dilation of blood vessels; are foods and drinks with the most marked invigorating and energizing properties.
Sunflower seeds, bananas and spinach; excellent foods for their magnesium.
And again; fruits and vegetables, in particular, the green leaf one rich in tryptophan.
Green light, moreover, to apples, pears, grapes, squash and zucchini, walnuts and almonds, to obtain potassium, phosphorus and vitamins A, C and E which fight fatigue both on a muscular and psychological level and are valid allies for the immune system.
Endorphins: the substances of well-being produced naturally
A respectable place to deal with the negative moods linked to the change of season is due to physical activity that allows the release of endorphins and gives immediate well-being to the whole organism.
Any type of physical activity can be useful for regaining positivity and the right energy.
Taking walks in the open air is also useful to enjoy the sunlight and benefit from all its positive aspects.
We fight the winter blues by dedicating ourselves to ourselves and treasuring what nature makes available to us by reminding us to also give importance to rest and hours of sleep.
Because a rested body is, after all, a body already in balance and positive!
