7 Naturopathic Secrets to Beating Seasonal Affective Disorder

Let’s talk about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This is most prevalent during the time of year when it gets darker earlier and stays darker longer in the morning- Think late fall and winter months.

As the Sun is not as bright, you’re not getting the natural vitamin D that we get from the sunlight. That natural vitamin D helps a part of our brain called the hypothalamus and the hypothalamus is where we secrete two really important hormones. One is melatonin and melatonin is really important in helping to regulate energy. If we’re not producing the melatonin, we feel fatigued, we feel lethargy, we feel like a loss of interest in things. The other hormone is serotonin and serotonin regulates mood and appetite. You might get weight gain, you have appetite changes, you feel depressed, you feel mood swings, if this hormone is not regulated properly.

Let’s talk about the seven natural things that we can do to combat seasonal affective disorder. The first is vitamin D. I have mixed feelings on taking vitamin D as a supplement. I have quite a few women specifically that are having thyroid issues and what I have found is if you have an imbalance in your tissue minerals, it actually antagonizes the thyroid. Vitamin D happens to be one of those things that antagonize the thyroid specifically if you have a high calcium to magnesium ratio, a high calcium to potassium ratio, or a high calcium to phosphorus ratio. I caution you to think about using vitamin D as a supplementation. A better option is to increase food sources high in Vitamin D.

The problem with the natural sunlight is that you’re not getting enough during the winter months. You have to go outside before noon when the Sun is at it’s highest and you can get the full effect. You sit outside, face the Sun and close your eyes for twenty to thirty minutes. The other way to accomplish this is to sit in front of a window with great sun exposure and pull back the blinds. Get as much natural sunlight as you possibly can.

A lightbox helps to improve your mood and your circadian rhythms. Twenty to thirty minutes is fantastic. You can do more often if you want, but at least 20 to 30 minutes a day, preferably first thing in the morning.

Here is what I recommend:

A dawn simulator mimics the sunrise. Instead of an alarm clock, it gradually gets lighter and lighter when you wake up in the morning. If you have this dawn simulator, it kind of brightens the room with natural sunlight the way that the Sun rising would normally do when we have spring and summertime.

Get the heart pumping and get the adrenaline flowing. That also helps with mood, depression, anxiety. You definitely want to get out and exercise.

Try to plan a vacation for the winter. Even if it is for a weekend, it is something to look forward to during this time. It really helps to lighten your load and studies have shown that it lingers for a couple of weeks.

There are plenty of studies linked to helping increase serotonin and neurotransmitters by simply inhaling essential oils. Specifically, the citrus oils are the ones that enhance mood.

Here is the link to purchase the Black pepper essential oil that I like: https://bit.ly/2k1Sj0p

Here is the link to purchase the Grapefruit essential oil that I like: https://bit.ly/2lG580B

Here is the link to purchase the Jasmine and lemon essential oil that I like: https://bit.ly/2lGkJNG

Here is the link to purchase the Rosemary essential oil that I like: https://bit.ly/2lB1Vzw

However, if you are on an antidepressant, specifically an SSRI, consult your doctor before you do these essential oils or you need to see a naturopathic physician who is versed in essential oils because it’s doing the same effect and you. My suggestion is to put the oils in a diffuser for 20 to 30 minutes. You can do this two to three times a day and that should be sufficient.

Thanks so much for joining me. I hope this has been helpful. Please go to my website at drsammnd.com and follow me on all social handles at DrSammND.