Beat the winter blues

We’ve been blessed these past few weeks with some glorious late summer sunshine. But as the days become shorter and the invigorating rays of sunshine become only a distant memory, there are lots you can do to prepare your body to fight the winter blues.

With fewer sunlight hours during the autumn and winter months, your body produces less serotonin – a hormone, which can affect your mood, energy levels, sleep pattern and appetite.

According to the Seasonal Affected Disorder Association, about 20% of UK adults suffer mildly debilitating symptoms of seasonal affected disorder (SAD) or the ‘winter blues’. 

Symptoms may include:

• Low mood
• Lethargy – energy levels feel low and you find it difficult to motivate yourself to complete normal tasks
• Poor concentrate
• Anxiety
• Reduced immune system and vulnerability to infection
• Sleep problems
• Overeating – especially craving carbohydrate foods to lift mood
• Loss of libido

5 Things you can do to boost your mood and energy levels

Exercise

Regular exercise can naturally boost serotonin levels. Many people report improvements in mood and sleeping patterns following exercise. It is important to include some form of activity every day - you should be aiming for about 30 minutes a day.  Walk whenever you can. Include activities that will raise your heart rate and get you out of breath.

Yoga has many benefits on the body systems. Breathing techniques can promote relaxation and improve sleep patterns. As well as promoting strength and flexibility, performing yoga asansas (postures) massage the internal organs ensuring efficient digestion and hormone production. Check out the ‘Power of Pranayama’ blog to discover some simple breathing exercises.

Diet

A diet rich in carbohydrate foods will actually raise serotonin levels, but this is only a quick fix. When serotonin levels are low, your body will crave carbohydrate foods. These cravings are usually in the form of sugar or refined carbohydrates – white bread, pasta, rice, cakes and biscuits. This only leads to a cycle of craving, over-consumption and weight gain. A diet of good quality protein foods – nuts, fish, meat, beans and pulses with unrefined carbohydrate grains – whole grains cereals, oats, barley, quinoa, brown and wild rice and starchy vegetables is beneficial.

Include lots of brightly coloured and dark green vegetables to boost your anti oxidant vitamin levels.

Eat a variety of good fats – oily fish (salmon, mackerel, or tuna) nuts, seeds, sprouted seeds, wheatgrass, avocado, good quality meat, and brightly coloured fruits and vegetables. These foods provide essential fatty acids and antioxidant vitamins which will support a healthy immune system throughout the autumn and winter months. They will also provide Vitamin D, which can become deficient with lack of sunlight.

Check out the nutrition blogs ‘Autumnal veg to boost your serotonin levels’  and ‘sprouts’ ’ to try out something new. 

Include positive actions and activities in your life

Get outdoors as much as possible. Do things you enjoy to boost your mood. Be with people you love to spend time with.

Get enough sleep

Try to get 7-8 hours sleep per night. This will allow your body to rejuvenate and reenergise.

Bright light therapy

You may want to consider investing in a light therapy lamp or alarm clock. This type of treatment is thought to replace the sunlight you would get in summer. The action of this light on the eyes sends nerve signals to the brain in turn releasing chemicals, which can affect your mood.

5 minutes a day for a stronger back

Swimming 

For all the exercises it is important to set and maintain a neutral pelvis and spine throughout. When a neutral alignment has been set, engage transverse abdominis (deep corset muscle) and pelvic floor to to maintain the stability of the lump-pelvic region (lower back). This is the area where lower back issues are very common. The focus of this exercise is to strengthen the muscles around the torso when the spine and pelvis are in a safe, neutral position. 

The torso should maintain stable with limited rotation throughout these exercise. The oblique abdominal muscles (at the side of the waist) and multifidus (muscles along the spine) will maintain this stability. 

Inhale - neutral

Exhale - extend opposite arm and leg. If stability of the torso cannot be maintained, start with only moving the leg or the arm. 

                                               
Inhale - neutral

Focus on using the glutes and hamstrings to extend the leg.

Maintain shoulder stability throughout by maintaining length between the shoulders and the ears. 

Repeat 8-10 times

Leg Pull 

Inhale - prepare

Exhale - lift the hips while maintaining a neural pelvis and spine

Inhale - return.

Progress by moving the knees further behind the hips and lifting into a full plank position. 

Repeat 8-10 times

Shoulder bridge

Set a lying neutral position. Engage transverse abdominis and pelvic floor.  Maintain this neutral spine and pelvic position throughout the exercise. 

Inhale - prepare

Exhale - lift the hips

Inhale - return

Try not to rock the pelvis. It may help by placing the thumbs on the lower rib and index finger on the hip bone; try to keep this space the same throughout the movement.

Repeat 8-10 times

When torso stability can be maintained, introduce leg lifts.

Inhale - prepare

Exhale - lift one foot from the floor. Focus on maintaining a neutral spine and pelvis throughout. You will find that the glutes and hamstring on the supporting leg contracts more to maintain a strong neutral position. 

Repeat 8-10 times

Turn your world upside down

Inverted asanas can often seem difficult to accomplish, dangerous or just scary. If practiced safely and to the correct level for your ability and experience, inverted asanas can be rejuvenating and stimulating for the body and mind.

Inverted asanas reverse the action gravity has on blood flow. Blood flow to the brain is increased, improving general health and well being, concentration and self-confidence. Practicing inverted asanas also slows the heart and breathing rate, inducing a sense of calm. View the world from a different perspective and move out of your normal routine.

Inverted asanas fall into 3 categories:

Semi-inverted, where the torso and the head are horizontal and the feet are raised above the head.

Vipareetara Karani - This posture relaxes the whole body. Drain's blood from the legs, eases menstrual discomfort and achey legs. 

Start lying in foetus position with sitting bones close to the wall. Roll onto your back with feet and buttocks close to the wall. Allow the torso to relax into the floor and slowly open the legs as wide as comfortable. Palms of the hands facing the ceiling.  Relax with a slow relaxed breath. Hold for 5-10 long breaths. 

Semi-inverted, where the head is below the trunk

Adho Mukka Svanasana - As an inverted asana it increases blood flow to the brain and gives the heart a rest as well as lengthening hamstrings, calfs, shoulders and chest. 

Start in a kneeling position. Knees hip width apart. Fingers spread, middle finger pointing away from you. Push through the hands and lift sitting bones to the ceiling. Straighten the legs, but try to maintain length in the spine. If the hamstrings are tight, keep the knees bent. Hold for 5-10 long breaths. 

Fully inverted

Ardha Sarvangasana (half shoulder stand) - Prepares the body for a full shoulder stand. This posture increases blood flow to the brain giving the heart a rest. It relieves varicose veins and achey legs. It stimulates the thyroid gland and builds upper body strength. 

Start in a lying position. Push through your hands and bring your knees to chest. Try to do this by using the abdominal muscles to tilt and lift the pelvis. Roll through the lower back to lift from the floor. Move your hands to the lower back for support. Keep knees together and start to raise your legs. 

THE WEIGHT SHOULD ALWAYS BE RESTING ON THE SHOULDER BLADES NOT THE NECK. Bring elbow together and gradually move your hands closer to your shoulder blades. Relax the feet. Increase length of hold starting with 5-10 breath. Focus on the throat (Vishuddhi chakra) throughout. 

Sarvangasana - raise legs to a vertical position. Feet should be in line with the shoulders. 

As above, but fully extending position into full shoulder stand. 

People who suffer from the following conditions should not practice inverted asanas: heart condition, high blood pressure, back or neck injuries (especially disc problems), glaucoma or ear infection. Women should not practice inverted asanas if they are pregnant or during menstruation. It is always advisable to first practice inverted asanas under the supervision of an experienced teacher.

Raw and Living Food - Sprouts

Sprouts – not the little round green variety

Including raw and living foods in your diet is a simple and effective way of introducing high quality vitamins, minerals, essential fats and amino acids into your diet. Sprouted beans, grains and nuts are living foods, which are consumed at the transitional stage between seed and plant. As well as providing high quality nutrition into your diet, raw and living food can also:

• Help support a healthy immune system
• Cleanse and detoxify the body
• Aid digestive function
• Prevent bacterial growth
• Improve mental clarity

Including these foods in your diet is very simple because they can be grown at home.

Sprouting Tips

Organic seeds for sprouting should be used.

 

Soak the seeds

Soaking time varies, so soak for the required time as directed on the label.

Rinse and transfer to a sprouting jar or tier sprouter. These are both widely available or you could just use a wide neck jar covered with a piece of muslin.

I find that the seeds sprout better if they are in the dark. I start them off in a dark cupboard then transfer them to a bright window ledge after a few days.

Rinse the seeds 2-3 times per day.

In 5-7 days (depending on the seeds) you will have sprouts ready to eat.

Rinse them for a final time and transfer them to a sealable bag and store in the fridge. They will last for several days.

Try adding sprouts to salads, juices or just a garnish to any meal. They have a wonderful fresh taste, which enhances most meals.