02/11/2025
WELCOME NOVEMBER: Happy or S.A.D.??
I love this time of year! I love all the themes of food, gatherings, gratitude, thankfulness, and watching the season shift dramatically as the earth grows colder and more dramatic into December.
I felt inspired to write: "With open hearts, we are nourished by the season." I've spent the past few years thinking a lot about what nourishment actually means.
I learned that I really need lots of sunlight, or my body doesn't do well in the winter. Some people struggle with Winter Blues, or even with "S.A.D.," also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Now, I'm not a doctor so I can't fully explain SAD, but it's often described as a seasonal depression that can set in if our body isn't getting enough sunlight. Apparently 5%-10% of people struggle with this annually. Up to 60% of people feel what they call the "winter blues."
During the darker months of the year, there's literally less sunlight in the sky, affecting how our body produces important feel-good hormones like serotonin, melatonin, dopamine, and more. We all have different levels of need, but without adequate production by our bodies, life starts to feel hard.
In past years I used to notice that my mood was harder to maintain in the winter. I'd try to address this in the middle of winter, going outside for more light, but that's not quite how it works. We usually need more light, weeks before we're feeling it.
Nowadays, my home has full-spectrum lightbulbs, and I tend to turn on a lot of lights when I'm home on cloudy days, and in the late fall and winter.
I take vitamin D regularly at the behest of my doctor, and I've noticed that it has had a big impact on my well being.
The biggest impact though, has been regular daily walks (okay, I'm not THAT regular, but I'm getting there), and a focus on as many healthy seasonal vegetables as possible. Why?
Physical activity is another way to stimulate the production of those hormones.
Also, when we're dehydrated or lacking in basic nutrients, everything in our system goes a little haywire. So the quality of food becomes important.
I read a blog by an ayurvedic practitioner who talked about how we can see the level of imbalance or deficiency at the start of every changing season, because a body that's out of balance will have a hard time with light and weather shifts. Illness manifests as a result.
I thought this was fascinating. It really drove home for me that the best way to have an AMAZING end of year is to begin NOW, with thoughtful foods rather than empty sugars, and with an autumn recommitment to healthy habits and slow living.
These are my thoughts as we head into November. I hope you're doing well, friends, and I've love to hear what's been brewing for you!
