Re: SAD, Vit D, wheat, dairy

[Guest guest]

Hi a,

Thanks for sharing this info - very similar to my own experiences -

I also find a long walk or bicycle road (appropriately dressed of

course) is extremely helpful for avoiding the downs of winter.

As far as hot cocoa, there is an almond milk that's chocolate

flavored, so that can be heated up. There's also a potato based

powder that my boys love (Vance's Dari Free). I personally just take

about 1/5 of a bar of a good dark chocolate and add boiling water -

I love it! You can add honey or stevia as a sweetener. Which brings

up that sugar (or processed carbs) is(are) really, really a big

contributor to depression - the up feels great, but when that sugar

rush dies down - quite dramatically for some - the depression comes

back.

B.

>

> I suffered from self diagnosed SAD for too many years to count -

like from before there was even a name for it.  Anyway a friend got

a book about Vit D and was convinced it would help the auto immune

as well as my winter only infections.  I began 3000 IU Vit D AM and

bedtime over a year ago.  No SAD last winter and so far none this

winter.  Also not one cold and nary an infection.  I also take 5HTP

at bedtime to raise serotinin levels and find I can get really

grumpy when I miss a few nights even though I feel I am sleeping

OK.  I just sleep sounder and dream a lot more when I take the

5HTP.  My doc said that unless I dreamed and remembered the dream on

waking that I needed more serotonin.  Her answer was a prescription

and mine was a nutrient.  Eight years later the 5HTP still works for

both the depressive thoughts surrounding the limitations of the

disease symptoms and the Vit D helps lower some of the symptoms so I

get a WIN-WIN on that

> one.  Before the Vit D I had tried exposure to the lights and the

outside thingy, but was eventually told that I needed more skin

exposure to the light and was too cold (and hypothyroid ) to dress

like everyone else with arms and legs exposed.  Would love to hear

how others have coped and what has helped the winter grumpies aka

SAD.

>  

> Was ready to sign off when I remembered that I used to increase

dairy consumption in winter - even the hot choc packets have dairy. 

I would make toast and dip into cold milk...then found out I was

gluten sensitive and stopped that practice.  Later I realized I was

also dairy sensitive and stopped the gluten intake so that helped

also.  I have a friend who adds cocoa to his coffee and tea in

winter and has a marked negative change in his cognitive abilities

as a result, yet retains his gentle contentment.  When I have

confronted him, he says   " But I'm cold and it tastes so GOOD " .  I

finally asked him yesterday if losing his mind was worth the taste

of chocolate.  He had to really think a while on that one. 

>  

> Thanks for listening and I hope to hear of specific helps others

have experienced. 

>  

> a

>