Winter often comes with myriad health challenges and the effects of weeks of gray days are real.
Two experts offer tips on cold-weather wellness and how to best make it through a few more gray, wintry months.
For some, winter comes with a particular dose of biological adversity: seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD.
Arpit Aggarwal, a psychiatrist at the University of Missouri, explains what SAD is and how to combat its symptoms. He also provides tools and techniques to give your mental health a boost to conquer the last remnants of the dark season:
While the winter blues can deliver a serious blow to a person’s mood, there are ways to combat its effects. One solution is in what we eat.
Jennifer Bean, an associate professor of nutrition at the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, says one way is through food choices and including more Vitamin D in your diet.
This vitamin is linked with supporting good mental health. In the winter when sunlight is limited, so Vitamin D made from the sun is limited. Bean suggests eating foods that are high in Vitamin D make up the difference and combat insufficiency—something that affects approximately 41% of Americans, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.
To keep healthy during the wintertime, Bean suggests choosing a variety of foods to obtain nutrients often missed in American diets. Here are five foods to pick:
- Popcorn: As a whole grain, plain popcorn makes for a great snack. Explore some healthy dressings that traverse flavor profiles, including a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, olive oil, and black pepper or a drizzle of warm honey.
- Seasonal vegetables: During winter, root vegetables are readily available in grocery stores. Try out a hearty stew with a combination of colorful vegetables including carrots, onions, and potatoes.
- Fruits: Most fruits aren’t in season during winter, but a little-known fact is that there’s no nutritional difference between frozen and fresh fruits. Head over to the freezer and pick up a bag of frozen strawberries (or whatever you fancy) to enjoy.
- Milk: Drinking milk that is fortified with Vitamin D is another way to increase Vitamin D consumption. In addition to cow’s milk, other options include almond milk and soy milk, which both can be good sources of protein.
- Chocolate: Eating well also means treating yourself. Dark chocolate contains high levels of cacao and can help protect against disease.
Source: University of Missouri