Struggle with seasonal depression? Try this...

[YoungPadawan]

Ahh, winter. Don't you just love it?

The gray, gloomy skies, and the half inch-thick ice that you have to scrape off your windshield in the morning. If you're anything like me, wintertime makes it hard to get out of bed in the morning, and overall, makes you just plain depressed.

I've been feeling that for the past few years and I decided to do a little research on it. Apparently, seasonal depression is partly caused by the change of light which affects the amount of vitamin D3 levels we receive.

This might be common sense to some, but even with regular exercise everyday, I still felt depressed. So, I decided to pick up some vitamin D3 capsules from my pharmacy...

And holy crap, I felt better.

If you struggle with seasonal depression, try vitamin D3 capsules. It will set you back around 9 bucks, but if it works for you, you'll feel a hell of a lot better.

 

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[TTG SS]

I have been using Vitamin D 5000iu for around 3-4 months now. It is into winter here in NY but we haven't seen much sun in a few months. I would say I do feel better for sure. It is one of the few supplements that are actually worthwhile IMO.

 

[JordanK]

I live in Ireland so we don't get much sunshine year round but in winter it is especially bad and I do find it difficult to get up in the mornings. I am now going to try out these Vitamins even though I have never taken any supplements before!

 

[YoungPadawan]

I live in Ireland so we don't get much sunshine year round but in winter it is especially bad and I do find it difficult to get up in the mornings. I am now going to try out these Vitamins even though I have never taken any supplements before!

Yeah, totally try it out. I've never taken supplements before this, but I've found it to be helpful.

 

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[The_One]

For me it is the other way around. There is 70% of summer and 30% winter and I am of eastern europe originally who has issue acclimatizing.

 

[Greg R]

Yeah, totally try it out. I've never taken supplements before this, but I've found it to be helpful.

I can vouch for that. I started taking D3 a few weeks ago and I feel more energized and generally in a better mood.

 

[Nicoknowsbest]

I used to fight with this a lot.

On top of that, my biggest problem was: being tired all day, no matter what.

After living with this for years and accepting it as part of being "alive", I gradually changed and tweaked things.

What helped me get over it during the past months:

Diet
I recently changed my diet 100% and so far have been experiencing great results. I was a huge meat eater - up to 2,2 lbs per day. I went fully vegan a couple of weeks back and experience more energy, more mental alertness and overall a more positive state.

Work
I quit my job in summer and unleashing the chains had a huge effect on me. When there is work (and currently, there is a lot) I am excited to wake up to, the weather doesn't play a role.

Exercise
Often said, exercising regularly is one of the biggest contributors to overall well-being.

Quality of sleep
I am a very sensitive sleeper. Until recently, I slept without curtains to be able to wake up quicker (due to the light). I couldn't fall asleep and if I managed, I woke up regularly and interrupted my sleep phases. I sometimes went one or two nights just resting in bed, eyes closed, but not asleep. I installed curtains and sleep much better now while I need less sleep to recover. My brain doesn't switch off easily, so I made it a habit of reading a couple of entertaining pages of a non-business book. Best sleeping pill ever.

All in all, everybody is different. With a couple of tweaks, you can improve things dramatically. You just have to be willing to try and experiment a bit.

 

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[InspireHD]

For the last 9 days (other than today -- for special reasons) I have been following the Whole 30 diet. My diet has consisted of bananas, strawberries, almonds/brazil nuts/cashews/hazelnuts/pecans, salads - lettuce/spinach/pickles/tomatoes with olive oil and rice vinegar dressing/avocados, broccoli, green beans, other vegetables, eggs, salmon, Halo oranges (amaaazing!).

I've completely eliminated dairy, grains, artificial (bad) sugars, soy, chicken, steak, and other meats. All majorly processed foods. Basically, anything not recommended. It's super important to look at ingredient lists as I found that the one brand of tuna that I bought has soy in it. Other brands don't have soy.

Before bed, I'll eat 2 or more Halo oranges (did I say how amazing those little spheres of awesome are?).

I've been sleeping much more deeply and comfortably. I used to wake up feeling stiff as a board in my knees and ankles. I no longer get that feeling. I no longer have the wild mood swings and energy levels.

Tim Ferriss recommended taking 5mg of Lithium Orotate so I have been experimenting with that. I just looked at my multi-vitamin and found it has Vitamin D2, but not D3. I'm going to pick up some D3 and add that in as well.

This thread is about seasonal depression, but anyone wanting to change up their diet, I highly recommend looking into the Whole30 shopping list. I narrowed down my meals to a few things just to make it easier, but there are a lot of options to choose from.

 

[MidwestLandlord]

Vitamin D Council | Why does the Vitamin D Council recommend 5,000 IU/day?

^^^ Shows, with studies, why 5,000 IU of Vit D3 is recommended. This is a far cry from the 600 IU RDA in the US and the 400 IU (10 mcg) in the UK.

http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/10.1210/jc.2004-0360

^^^ Shows why we should take Vit D3 and not Vit D2. If you go to a doc and they test for Vit D deficiency, you will get prescribed D2. Don't fall for it.

Vitamin D Council | Does vitamin D affect testosterone levels?

^^^ Suggests, but does not prove, that Vit D can help with testosterone levels. T levels are sort of important for us dudes.

Under doctor supervision, I actually take 10,000 IU of Vit D3 per day, excluding weekends. So 50,000 IU per week. You CAN overdose on Vit D, so more is not better. I get my kidney's checked along with my D levels. But, I was actually deficient.

Also, if you take Vit D3 with a fatty food, it will absorb better. I take mine with eggs every morning. This simple change caused a big positive change in my Vit D blood levels, helping me to absorb it better with less risk to my kidneys from them having to filter out the excess.

 

[Singh]

Natural sources of D3 include Beef liver, cheese, egg yolks, Oily Fish and Ghee (Clarified Butter). But I totally agree that most people especially here in the UK are low on vitamin D3, it is also worthwhile getting your levels tested before and after a 2-3 months of supplements to ensure you are not overdosing

 

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