Give yourself the gift of happiness this holiday season. Yes, the winter season is upon up and many people suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), those wintertime blues. It could be brought on the change in the quality and quantity of our sunlight. A light therapy box maybe helpful. Check them out by googling light therapy box for SAD. Some people find them helpful. The prices are not excessive.
May I suggest another way we inadvertently may increase our SAD. The holidays bring the opportunity to eat lots of added processed sugar. Limiting the amount of added sugars you eat may protect your mood and health. Added sugars down regulators (turns down) the happiness receptors in your brain. Your stomach is not happy with added sugars either, and your gut is your second brain. They speak to each other. Could you consider ways to celebrate with fruit salads? Easy! Cube a couple organic apples, slice a couple of stalks of organic celery, toss in a few chopped walnuts (I prefer not to toast so that the walnut oil is protected from damage), and dress with 2-3 tablespoonfuls of organic sour cream or unsweetened Greek, or goat yogurt. You will have a healthful salad to share at a holiday gathering. You open the possibility to yourself and others in how to incorporate healthy foods in any setting.
May I also suggest you also give yourself the gift of some optimum nutrition each day. Include at least one salad of mixed organic greens. They can be dressed with a light drizzle of organic cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil and top with a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of vinegar. (Please no bottled salad dressing. Read the labels and away from the added sugars and preservatives.) Keep it simple. Additionally, give yourself the added benefits a cup or two of raw colorful vegetables. This would help your body support you with happiness and health. You probably already know you cant be your healthiest without happiness. They go hand in hand. The science supports that.
So you dont like the cold weather? There is a reason to be grateful for the chill in the air. You may want to consider what cryotherapy can do for your health. While you may not be cold enough to experience cryotherapy, it has been shown to help with weight loss. The reason this may be effective is the decrease in inflammation. There is also the belief that your white fat cells (we would like fewer of these) makes more mitochondria (the power houses of the cell) to get warm. This now brown fat burns more energy and may help us lose weight easier.
I would welcome the opportunity to speak to church groups, schools, families or individuals about health topics. Integrative nutrition addresses how lifestyles as well as food choices affect our health.
Donna K Kelly, RPh, INHC
donna@donnakkelly.com
816-830-1645
Find my story of how I healed myself without medications at donnakkelly.com
