Using Diet and Nutrition to Cure Your S.A.D Syndrome

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a health problem that affects millions of people all over the world. It affects the wellness and wellbeing of the sufferer in the form of fatigue, depression, weight gain and a number of other distressing symptoms. It is caused by the lack of light in the winter time, and is most common in countries where winter days are short and have a lack of daylight. Seasonal Affective Disorder is often shortened to SAD, and medical professionals are slowly becoming more and more aware of the syndrome and the problems that it can cause.

 

There are a number of commonly used therapies for SAD, including light therapy and vitamin therapy, but more and more physicians are becoming aware of the benefit of adequate diet and nutrition. Some studies are now showing that carbohydrates could play a part in SAD. Many people gain weight as they crave carbohydrates during their SAD episodes, and if they were to eliminate them altogether, it would help with the symptoms. Complex carbohydrates can still be enjoyed, but simple carbohydrates such as crisps, sugary snacks and white bread should all be avoided as much as possible.

 

Low protein diets can also help with SAD in some circumstances, and cutting out caffeine is always of enormous benefit to your health.

 

There are also foods that have been shown to improve the symptoms of SAD. For example, foods that contain an amino acid called tryptophan can be of benefit. This is because this particular amino acid is used in the body to help you manufacture the ‘feel good’ hormone, and it is present in foods such as eggs, fish, turkey, bananas and avocados. Adding some of these foods to your diet could help to improve the symptoms of SAD.

Categories: affective disorder, amino acid, benefit, carbohydrates, depression, diet, foods, nbsp, sad, seasonal affective, Symptoms

The Bedroom Blues: Why Some People Feel Sad After Sex

For many women, the time after sexual intercourse where they are cuddly and emotionally intimate with their partner is vital for their wellness and wellbeing. It can be a time of intense bonding and sharing, while both partners are basking in the happy post-coital glow.

 

For some, unfortunately, there is no such afterglow. One in three women actually experience something called the ‘post-coital blues’ at some point in their lives, according to new research that has emerged from Australia.

 

Known colloquially as the ‘bedroom blues’, around ten percent of the over 200 women surveyed as part of the research said that they always or frequently felt sad after having sex.

 

Under normal circumstances, after sexual activity, men and women tend to experience sensations of physical and psychological relaxation, as well as a general sensation of wellbeing. Unfortunately, those who experience the bedroom blues feel that they are tearful, anxious, melancholy, restless or irritable after having sexual intercourse with their partner.

 

The researchers who carried out the study and who revealed these findings have noted that the cause of this type of post-coital melancholy was as yet unknown.

 

One woman who took part in the study noted that she was experiencing feelings of sadness or melancholy after having sex, but said that she could not understand a reason for these feelings, as she felt emotions such as love and affection towards her partner and enjoyed intercourse.

 

The researchers did note that women who have suffered from any form of sexual abuse in the past can experience feelings of guilt or shame after sexual encounters in later life. The research only found a mild correlation between these two things, though, meaning that most women who had post-sex depression were not reacting to problems from their past.

 

This suggests that there may be other factors at play, such as a biological predisposition, and further research will now be required to see if a woman’s personality type could contribute to her developing bedroom blues.

Categories: blues, sad, Sex

Could Light Therapy Improve Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Does winter leave you feeling low and lacking in energy? Do you feel your health starting to slip as soon as the nights draw in? If this is the case, your wellness and wellbeing may be affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which is now a well-recognised condition.

 

It is thought to be caused by the human body’s reaction to a lack of sunlight that occurs in certain countries in winter. It affects nearly half a million people each winter in the United States alone and is usually only seen between September and April, with symptoms peaking in the darkest months of December, January and February.

 

The good news is that there is now a lot of help available to sufferers of SAD. There is some evidence that seems to show that the further someone lives from the equator, the higher their chances are of developing the condition.

 

The good news is that the condition is now so well known that a range of treatments are being developed. Some with the disorder are low in vitamin D, for example, so treatment can include a high dose of the vitamin, and can also involve light therapy.

 

This disorder can occur in anyone of any age, but it usually starts when someone is between the ages of 18 and 30, even if they don’t recognise it at the time.

 

Physical activity can help to elevate the mood and reduce the fatigue, but light therapy is one of the primary options available for treating the problem. This usually comes in the form of a therapeutic light box which emits a specially designed light. This is placed close to the sufferer for around 30 to 60 minutes every day. It can also be done through light visors, which the patient wears on their head over their eyes, if they don’t have time to sit in front of a light box.

 

Natural light is the most effective, however, and research has shown that going for an hour’s walk in winter light can be as effective as nearly three hours of artificial light.

Categories: Light, sad, therapy

Is It Depression Or Are You Just Sad?

Depression is rather over-diagnosed as a condition today. That’s not to say it isn’t damaging or dangerous, as it is. What I’m saying is that a lot of doctors and health professionals are more than happy to diagnose depression with minimal information to back it up. Any psychological condition will be treated as depression and everyone just gets the same generic treatment. You can understand it in terms of seeing as many patients as possible but for individual patient wellbeing that’s frightening.

As a condition, depression can be every bit as dangerous as anything else. It affects every single part of your life and unlike most physical conditions it can go totally unnoticed for years, leading to all sorts of complications. Though a lot of the diagnoses of depression are likely unfounded this doesn’t mean the disease is in any way unreal. It’s very real and requires the care, medical attention and support which all other chronic conditions of this severity require.

The difference is that most of us will go through depressing phases of our lives. Life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows for anyone after all. Going through a bad spell is by no means the same as being depressed however. It’s important to remember this as people claiming that they are depressed when they’re just sad has led to depression being seen as less serious than it actually is.

If you think you’ve got depression then make sure you see your doctor as soon as you physically can. When you’re given the option of treatment always pick counselling over drugs, at least at first. If you’ve tried everything else then fair enough but the drugs play with your brain chemistry and shouldn’t be taken lightly. They can change who you are and tend to stop having any effect at all once you stop taking them whereas therapy can help you deal with depression for life.

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Is It Depression Or Are You Just Sad?

Categories: depression, drugs, sad