It's officially fall....again. I know that I've already felt the urge to snuggle up on the couch with Netflix and hot tea (or wine and chocolate, hmmmm). Even though its still pretty sunny, I'm feeling the draw to go inward, skip the walks and just veg out.
Just because the days have gotten shorter and the weather is turning colder, doesn’t mean it’s time to give up on all your health goals. Now, maybe more than ever, you’re going to have to dig deep. But you deserve it! You don’t want to be one of THOSE people that have to “reboot” in Jan. And even if you do down-shift a bit, that’s OK. Something is better than nothing. Love yourself enough to keep it up!
The problem with this for me is that my mind needs activity to be happy - and to keep my body healthy. When I'm "relaxing" my thoughts tend to spiral downward leaving me sad and depressed. I'm writing this for you myself as much as its for you.
Here are some things you can do to combat this and it's awesome they’re all really easy.
Get your rest
Don’t hide inside.
Keep working out – even if you have to move it inside for winter, or change things up with a cold-weather activity.
Take time to hang with friends
Enjoy the changes… fall leaves, first snow, SWEATERS!!!
And if you are one of those folks that feels a bit under the weather when the season change (or if your kids are bringing home the crud from school)… try to help your immune system do it’s job by supporting it with natural recipes like:
o Fire Cider – plan ahead. Needs time to “brew.” First time making it this year.
o Elderberry Syrup, make this every year!
We like to watch all the sweet and sappy Holiday movies on the Hallmark Channel and the funny ones on TBS… like Elf!! Christmas Story has to be an all time fave!
You can also get a theme song. Doesn’t have to be a holiday one, but something that’s fun to sing… even if you can’t sing. Just turn it up and have yourself a little dance party. We wrote an article about your theme song. It's a fun read!
Another thing to remember is that your sense of smell is directly related to your memory center. So fire up your essential oil diffuser with a happy oil like Joy, Christmas Spirit, any of the citrus ones.
Or use any of the techniques we talked about in the phoodcast Episode 17 for using your essential oils without a diffuser. You could rub some Release on your heart and pressure points. Or use the Aroma Freedom Technique to release previous Holiday season baggage you might be holding on to.
We know it’s that time of year is coming when most of the US doesn’t see as much sun as we might need. And for many this means, you can feel a bit blue. In fact, there’s an actual disorder for this response to the shorter days and it’s called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, (how appropriate is that acronym?).
First, the bottom line is your brain is reacting to the lack of sun. So the easiest way to combat is get more sun. If you don't have real sun, you can get a lamp that mimics the effects of sunlight.
How is that different from a regular lightbulb or lamp, you ask? Light is measured in lumens, and the distance the light can travel is measured in lux. You don’t really need to know this stuff, other than for comparison… your average 100-watt lightbulb emits about 1 lux. Think about that in comparison to how far the light from the sun has to travel to reach Earth. Big difference, right? So, while turning on the light can help you get moving in the morning, it’s not going to shake off those dreary blues. The lamps I’m talking about emit at least 10,000 lux which signals your optic nerve that the sun is out. They’ve come down in price A LOT in recent years, and you can get a pretty good one for about $50-$75 dollars. Plus, unlike the sun, these lamps filter out the damaging UV light, so you don’t have to worry about premature aging.
Incidentally, these are also good for shift workers, people who encounter jet lag frequently and are even being used to treat some forms of dementia. The Mayo clinic has a great article on the dos and don’ts of Light Therapy and we recommend you read it before purchasing your lamp.
We just want you to know that there are other options to burying yourself head-first into a bag of Oreos or a tub of Ben & Jerry’s. Because that never solves anything. Sure, you might feel good in those first few seconds as the sugar, salt and fat hit your tongue, but you know you’ll beat yourself up for it later.
Ditch the emotional eating this Fall, Holiday season and pick one of the things we’ve talk about today, instead. You’ll thank us in January.
Notes:
Light Therapy/SAD Lamps*:
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Using a Therapy Lamp, Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/light-therapy/about/pac-20384604
Patti’s Theme song: https://www.phoodmoose.com/single-post/2018/09/12/what%E2%80%99s-your-theme-song
AFT: https://aromafreedom.com
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*These are affiliate links. If you follow an affiliate link and go on to purchase that product or service, we will be paid a small commission.
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