A Rockland Winter

A Rockland Winter

Winter is coming and the cold chill is coming with it.  But, I have to say that the weather these last couple of days has been a lot more “Spring– Like” than a Rockland Winter Chill.  The freezing cold and early darkness can be a challenge to keep one’s energy, especially in a very busy holiday season.

As you can see, even though we all know that the winter chill is coming its way in soon time, the month of January (for Rockland County) does look very much manageable in my opinion.

I have to say that lately I have been feeling quite down.  As a freelance writer and entrepreneur, I cannot rely on a steady income since I do not have a steady job like everyone else. Therefore, finance and money can be a burden and causes much stress.  As we all know, STRESS can be detrimental to one’s health.

When we are stressed, our body starts to become immunocompromised and become more easily prone to colds and viruses.  A common problems for plenty of people is a disorder called the SAD or (seasonal affective disorder).  I have learned that millions of  people suffer from the disorder here in the US.

A big factor for this disorder is the lack of sunlight which results in less serotonin, the mood enhancing chemical responsible for controlling hunger and feelings of well being. When serotonin levels are low people often experience feelings of depression, change in appetite, shift in sleep patterns, irritability and so on.

Well I guess this can be the fact that I was looking for…

I tried to look for other ways to boost my serotonin levels, and help keep my energy levels up.

I found that exercising was a great way to keep my mood elevated, and it seem to always work all the time.   I also find that eating a balanced diet helped a whole lot. You want to make sure that you avoid raising blood sugar levels constantly (causing a spike in insulin in the body) because this will have you crashing throughout the day.

Foods that I try to to avoid are: white flour, white sugar, processed foods, coffee, etc. 

I try to eat:  whole foods, whole grains, fruits and veggies which all promote serotonin levels.

How about you, how do you beat the winter blues ? I would love to hear from you…