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Feeling the Winter Blahs?: Three Ways to Combat Feeling Fat, Sluggish and Pale

Posted on: Thursday, 23 February 2006, 09:00 CST

By Michelle Theriault, The Bellingham Herald, Bellingham, Wash.

Feb. 23--T.S. Eliot may have called April "the cruelest month," but for waterlogged, sunshine-deprived Washingtonians, March is a close second. Winter is a time of hibernation, and many emerge, bleary-eyed into early spring feeling fat, sluggish and pale. Clients tell Bellingham nutritionist Tom Malterre that they "feel like they're swimming in molasses" this time of year: It's hard enough to get out of bed, much less get the best out of the day.If you feel like one of the slugs sliming around your garden, we've got expert advice on how to jumpstart yourself out of the late-winter blahs. LIGHT Bellingham doesn't get many days of sun between November and May, when many people spend most of their waking hours indoors. So some people turn to sun-in-a-box- but not the tanning bed kind. Lamps that simulate the missing rays (without the harmful ones that can cause skin cancer) can be purchased for about $200. Bryce Gibney of Polar Sun, which manufactures a line of "light boxes," says that 20 minutes per day with his special light lamp can ease the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, which include lethargy and depression. Polar Sun sells lots of lamps in sun-starved places like Alaska and the Yukon Territory. The lamps work by beaming broad-spectrum lights at the user, which simulate the positive effects of sunshine. Western Washington University's "Self Care Center" even has one for students to drop in and use between cloudy walks to class. What it is: Light lamp. Where you can get it: www.polar-sun.com. FOOD Malterre says that vitamin D, which is converted through the skin to its active form, is in short supply during winter. That deficiency can be the culprit of many blah feelings. "If we're not getting an intake of vitamin D, we'll feel blah," he says. He recommends rectifying the situation by eating wild Alaskan salmon and purified, distilled cod liver oil capsules. Other foods that banish the blahs include whole grains, which are "an incredible source of B vitamins and chromium, which are key components for the elevation of moods." Dark, green leafy vegetables - like kale and rainbow chard -sauteed with garlic and ginger are also helpful for sunlight- and activity-deprived bodies. And the gallon or so of coffee you consume daily to stay awake? It may be doing more harm than good, Malterre says.

"Coffee is in essence hyper stimulating you." A smarter choice - one with a bit of caffeine - would be green tea, which has antioxidants and amino acids associated with cancer prevention and general wellness. EXERCISE Any kind of exercise is better than staring at a computer or television screen. Experts say that a simple 30-minute walk is enough to get the blood flowing and lead your body out of hibernation. But for a real boost, try Bikram yoga, which is practiced in a room heated to more than 100 degrees. It'll limber up your body and simulate the moist heat of Dhaka, Bangladesh, in summertime.The 26 yoga postures, which are each repeated twice for maximum benefit, have the effect of jumpstarting nearly every system in a sluggish body, says FredCurrin, instructor and owner of Bellingham's Bikram Yoga studio. "You're raising your heart rate, increasing oxygen intake into lungs," says Currin. His studio sees an increase in new signups around this time of year. "People want to warm up their bones," he says. "For people who've been lethargic and sluggish - this is the antithesis of sluggish." What it is: Bikram Yoga. Find out more: www.bellinghambikram.com or 671-9642. Reach Michelle Theriault at michelle.theriault@bellinghamherald.com or 756-2803.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Bellingham Herald, Bellingham, Wash.

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Source: The Bellingham Herald, Wash.

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