Welcome to the Mind Your Body Show this is culinary nutritionist Trudy Stone and I’m so grateful for you tuning into today. So look I didn’t even realize that the clocks rolled back the other day until I sat down behind my computer and wondered why the time on my laptop was off. Having the extra hour that day was great and I actually got quite a bit done that day like cleaning my bathroom and doing laundry but then I noticed that it was dark earlier – a lot earlier and then I suddenly realized that I wanted that extra hour back so that I could get more sun! When this episode gets released it will be about a week or so after the time change. So how have you been feeling? Are you one of the 20 million people who dreads the fall? While many people like me love the changing leaves and cooler days to wrap up in chunky sweaters, for people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), fall feels like the start of a long dreary season. Here’s a look at what we’ll discuss in this episode:

• [3:52] Each year, people who suffer from SAD often have a predictable set of symptoms. They have a hard time getting to sleep, difficulty waking up in the morning, low energy, increased appetite especially for sweets and salty food. They also experience weight gain, poor concentration, brain fog, tendency to isolate, low mood, etc.
• [4:32] It’s disruptive because it happens every year and lasts for a long time.
• [4:45] SAD is linked to lack of light.
• [5:23] It’s believed that Vitamin D deficiency as well as the lack of sunlight combined to produce disruptions in a part of your brain called hypothalamus.
• [6:58] Experiment with bright light therapy.
• [8:54] Try negative ion therapy.
• [10:26] It’s been shown to help 75% of people with SAD.
• [11:10] Forest bathing is simply spending time amongst trees. Time spent amongst trees leads to lower cortisol levels, reduces pulse rate, and lowers blood pressure.
• [11:52] Eat and supplement with serotonin in mind.
• [13:57] Just because it’s cold and the days are short, it doesn’t mean that it’s not sunny especially in the middle of the day.
• [15:23] There’s something magical about being grounded on the earth and in a playful frame of mind. It feeds your soul and nourishes your mind.

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• Join the Shed & Shred bootcamp
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