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| THE CASUAL GARDENER, Shawna Coronado Improve Depression and Stress Levels = = = = = = = = = Dear Casual Gardener, I hate this time of year! It’s below zero, cold and dark. I miss my daily walks, and certainly miss my time outdoors in the garden. I sometimes get depressed and find that I can’t keep up with the pace anymore. Is this because of the cold weather? Signed, Depressed And In The Dark = = = = = = = = = Dear Depressed, You are not alone. When the thermometer hits negative thirty, there’s not a whole lot of activities you can enjoy outside. The reason you might be depressed is because your body is not producing the same level of serotonin that it does in the Spring and Summer. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), is a type of depression that occurs during the winter months. Milder forms of SAD are known as the "winter blues" and can be quite common during the colder winter months when there is less daylight exposure for the average human. An estimated 10% to 20% of Americans may experience some form of SAD or winter blues. SAD is more prevalent in the higher latitudes than in the lower latitudes that receive more sun. Some people who work in offices with little access to natural light may experience SAD all year. In doing further research, I’ve found that people who are very over-loaded and stressed in their lives also have SAD-like symptoms year round. A strong theory right now contends that people with SAD have an imbalance in serotonin levels. Serotonin is a chemical found in your brain that is believed to play an important role as a neurotransmitter. It helps regulate emotions and mood, aggression, body temperature, sleep, vomiting, sexuality, and appetite, among other things. More important, it helps you feel like a million bucks on a beautiful spring day in the garden. During the cold, winter months, our brain receives lower serotonin levels in its chemical messaging process due to the lack of daylight. This makes depression more prevalent and it also slows our ability to cope with daily stressors. Increasing serotonin levels, whether you have a significant lack of serotonin or not, is a great way to help improve your mood. It is felt that we feel a rush of positive energy due to increased serotonin levels. Dr. David Edelberg, M.D., confirms this in his book, The Triple Whammy Cure. The book, although applicable to most everyone, focuses on women’s health. Dr. Edelberg states that serotonin is a neurotransmitter in your brain which provides strong resistance against stress. The more serotonin you have, the better you are able to tolerate all types of stress. He also says that women have less serotonin than men do, which makes them more susceptible to stress, SAD depression in general. Daylight exposure is the number one drug-free way our bodies create additional serotonin according to Dr. Edelberg. He also suggests that exercise, diet, and laughter can stimulate increased levels of serotonin. Let me remind you – laughter is free. Dr. Edelberg also says people who volunteer to help others regularly have much higher levels of serotonin. Helping others actually increases your feel-good brain chemicals; and, therefore, helps you. Random acts of kindness can be most rewarding – your brain feeds you a gift in return for the kindness. The phrase, “you get as good as you give,” takes on a whole new meaning when you consider Dr. Edelberg’s statement. Remember to think positive. If you can’t get outside, perhaps you can order plant catalogs and start planning your garden for the Spring. Now is the perfect time to look at the interior of your home and find ways to be more environmentally friendly and “green”. Have friends and family come and help you establish an eco-plan for your home – it will cheer you up to share time with others. Join the community park district health club for a few months and go exercise with your friends regularly. Also, a lot of people try to diet during January and February to lose those unwanted holiday pounds. It’s been proven that diets don’t work very well and some diets deprive our bodies of needed nutrients. Concentrate on eating several smaller, healthier, meals instead of eating less over-all. Your brain needs energy to produce those helpful neurotransmitters. Improve your mood by increasing serotonin levels! Oh yes – THINK SPRING! Please send your gardening questions for Shawna Coronado, The Casual Gardener to dearshawna@thecasualgardener.com or The Casual Gardener, P.O. Box 358, Warrenville, IL 60555. www.thecasualgardener.com |
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