What to Eat to Fight Off Winter Depression

The foods you eat can affect your mood, and in the winter, many people need foods to boost their mood. Winter is a time of year when many people battle depression, but eating right can help take the edge of the sadness of the season. Here are some ideas and suggestions.

Nuts and Seeds

Some people feel like they should avoid nuts and seeds due to their high calorie and fat content. But the high fat content is what makes nuts and seeds so good for fighting depression. These crunchy little foods contain important mood-boosting fatty acids. Heat can harm these healthful fats, though, so health experts recommend eating nuts and seeds raw if possible. A handful or two a day makes good sense in fighting off winter depression. Some nuts and seeds to try include:

* Almonds
* Hazelnuts (Filberts)
* Pepitas (Pumpkin seeds)
* Sunflower seeds

Poultry

Lean turkey and chicken contain mood-soothing amino acids called L-tryptophan and L-tyrosine. These amino acids help your brain produce serotonin, the “feel good” brain chemical. Serotonin is often low in people with winter depression. If possible, choose poultry from the whole chicken or turkey rather than deli meats or processed meat slices.

Seafood

In addition to supplying essential, healthy fatty acids, some seafood also supplies zinc and Vitamin B12. All three of these nutrients – essential fatty acids, zinc, and B12 – play important roles in mood regulation. Salmon is a good source of B12 and fatty acids; crab, oysters and clams are good sources of B12 and zinc.

Legumes

An important nutrient called folate has a significant effect on certain key neurotransmitters. Some beans and legumes supply this vital nutrient, such as:

* Lentils
* Pinto beans
* Garbanzos
* Black beans

Greens

During the winter, greens like kale and winter cabbage are in season. So are collards and some other greens. If you can’t find them fresh, you can try eating the frozen versions. Many greens are rich in folate, iron, and calcium, which are minerals often lacking in depressed people. Some of the most nutritious greens in this regard are:

* Collard greens
* Turnip greens
* Spinach
* Kale

Yogurt

In case there weren’t enough reasons to eat this healthful food, here comes another one! Yogurt, like some of the seafood noted above, contains zinc. This mineral has been shown to help fight anxiety which is often a component of depression. Health experts agree that you should avoid sugary yogurt with lots of additives. The best thing is to eat plain yogurt with a little fresh fruit or raw honey.

Whole Grains

Sometimes, winter means craving sugar and unhealthy carbs. That’s probably your body’s way of telling you it does need carbs – but the healthy type. Whole grains are considered essential in fighting off depression. For one thing, they contain important mood-boosting B vitamins; for another, they help prevent blood sugar spikes and subsequent crashes. So try to incorporate these whole grains into your diet, replacing the unhealthy, “white” ones:

* Whole wheat
* Quinoa
* Brown rice
* Millet

Top Tips – Start Saving on Heating Bills This Winter

With many people feeling the chill not only of the weather but of the recession, it’s become very popular (and necessary) to find ways to save on utility bills. Your heating system can be a real budget breaker when the weather gets really cold, but there are some things you can do to help keep your heating bills from breaking the bank. Here are some tips.

Alternative Heating Sources

It pays to look into alternative means of heating your home, or the room(s) you’re in. Pellet stoves, kerosene heaters, wood stoves, and various types of space heaters all help to augment your hard-working central heating unit. See if you can use one or more of these alternatives in the rooms you use most, keeping the vents closed in the rooms you’re not using.

Change the Filter

Really. This is one of the most basic and simple things you can do for your heating system, but it’s also one of the most important. You should change the filter in your furnace at least every 60 days, or even once a month. This keeps the unit running smoothly and efficiently. A dirty filter can result in anything from high electric bills (due to the extra effort the unit has to make to get air through the dirty filter) to a broken-down system.

Turn It Down

When you’re not in the house, make sure you turn down the heat before you leave. Also, turn it down at night. You can use a space heater in the areas where you’re sleeping if you need to.

Another option is to get a timer for your thermostat. It’s a simple job to install it, and timers can be bought at most home improvement retailers.

Shut Vents

If you’re not using a room, shut the heating vent in that room. That way, you won’t be paying to heat rooms you’re not using. If you don’t have the kind of vents you can shut, you can purchase vent covers at home improvement stores.

Check Doors and Windows

Part of saving money on heating bills is making sure your heat isn’t escaping. Windows and doors can have leaks you don’t really notice until it gets cold. Weather stripping is inexpensive and easy to install, and can save a lot of money on heating bills.

Use Residual Heat

In the kitchen, when you’re finished baking something in the oven, leave the oven door open a few inches and let the heat escape into the room.

It’s What You’re Wearing – or Not

If you are hanging around in a t-shirt and shorts and constantly cranking up the heat to feel like summer, you are wasting a lot of heat. Dress for the season – wear several layers and a sweater, and thick wool socks. Warm house slippers can help, too.

Smart Ways of Fighting Off Flu and Cold

When cold and flu season comes around, it’s hard not to feel that getting one or both is inevitable. After all, doesn’t everyone get sick during the winter? Not necessarily – there are certain things you can do to help minimize your risk of contracting colds and flu this season. Here are some smart ways to fight off these unwelcome sicknesses.

Nip It in the Bud

If you feel a cold or flu coming on – maybe it’s a tickle in your throat, or a certain feeling in your chest – then it’s a good idea to act fast. One option is over-the-counter homeopathic cold and flu remedies, which are said to be highly effective if you use them at the first sign of a cold or flu.

Other options are listed below, and they are all said to be more effective if implemented right away, before the illness settles in. This means it’s a good idea to keep your treatment(s) of choice on hand, before symptoms set in.

A Good Multi-Vitamin and Mineral Supplement

During the winter months, health experts theorize that our susceptibility to colds and flu increases in part due to lack of key vitamins. Vitamins C and D (particularly D3, say experts) tend to be low in the winter season, with its lack of fresh produce and sunlight. So it’s a good idea to get started taking a quality supplement at the beginning of cold and flu season so your body is ready when you get exposed to germs.

Sleep

Lest you think you don’t have time to get a good night’s sleep, consider the amount of work time lost if you get sick. You could be out of commission for weeks! Instead, try to get at least eight hours of sleep a night, preferably starting before midnight (sources say you get a healthier eight hours if they begin before midnight).

Wash Hands

Really. This one is important. Hand sanitizer is good to keep on hand (literally) in case you don’t have access to soap and water, but nothing beats thorough washing with anti-bacterial soap and warm water. The general consensus is, work up a lather on your hands for a full 20 seconds before rinsing.

Eat Well

Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you have to eat junk food instead of fresh produce. There are all kinds of interesting, healthful foods you can eat in the winter that can boost your immunity and keep you healthy: greens (like kale and collards), winter squash, whole grains, sweet potatoes, cabbage, onions, garlic, pomegranates, and so forth.

Healthful meats like fish and lean turkey are generally available year-round, and Vitamin C-rich citrus fruits are often available in grocery stores during the winter. And don’t forget frozen fruits and veggies.

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