Vitamin D: Is it bumming you out?

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*Content warning*     

It’s about this time of year you may find yourself in bed more, canceling plans, letting your sink fill with dishes, maybe you form a mountain of dirty clothes in your room tall enough to ski down, or, if you’re like me, you create a permanent indent in the couch from sitting all day re-watching the Marvel movies in timeline order. Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking time for yourself and resting when your body needs it, however if any of these patterns are out of the norm for you and you find yourself in a rut during the winter months, there may be a bit more to it. 


During the winter many people experience changes in their mood that some may refer to as seasonal depression, others know it as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Symptoms include feelings of sadness, feeling anxious or worried, irritability, loss of interest in everyday activities, weight loss or gain, low self-esteem, and fatigue. If you feel you may fit these, consider talking to your doctor, but in the meantime, what can you do to help yourself now?


            

Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with people diagnosed with SAD, which makes sense considering SAD is triggered at specific times of year and the winter is a time when many people see their vitamin D levels drop due to lack of sufficient sunlight exposure. Just like plants use sunlight to grow, we use sunlight to produce some of the vitamin D we need, but lucky for us we are also able to increase vitamin D through consuming certain foods. Examples of foods that can increase your vitamin D intake include: 

  • Salmon
  • Tuna
  • Eggs
  • Vitamin D fortified milk, cereal, orange juice, or yogurt

In addition to adding some of the foods above to your diet, also consider increasing your fruit and vegetable intake to fuel your body with the vitamins and minerals it deserves. If none of those food choices work for you, consider talking with a registered dietitian or your primary care doctor about finding a vitamin D supplement that works for you. Along with nutrition, here are a few other tactics to fighting off symptoms of SAD:

  • Spend time outside when weather permits
  • Share the feelings you have with a trusted friend, family member, or counselor 
  • Enjoy joyful movement- this can look like cleaning a room in your house, stretching, taking a martial arts class, or even dancing around the house to your favorite song

When you feel in a rut, it may feel hard to make any of these changes, but if you feel yourself relating to any of the feeling above, remember you are not alone and there are many people struggling with the same thoughts. Challenge yourself to take on one change at a time and check out the link below for additional resources on SAD and further support. 

 -PR

Resources:

https://www.publichealthdegrees.org/resources/79-resources-managing-seasonal-affective-disorder/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651

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