As I write this, the weather is cold and gloomy. A steady rain is falling. Don’t even get me started on the fact that it gets dark here at 4:30 p.m., now.  I just want to hunker down and nap on the couch with my blanket and my pets.  What about you?  Do you find yourself struggling as the days are shorter and you are exposed to less and less sunlight?

It is not unusual to experience some changes in energy levels as we get into wintertime. However if you find that your symptoms are pronounced and you are having trouble functioning, you might be suffering from seasonal mood imbalances.

One plausible cause for mood imbalance is a decrease in serotonin, a neurotransmitter (aka “brain chemical”) that is responsible for the overall sensation of well-being, as well as modulation of the sleep-wake cycle.

Yet another cause can be a Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is not really a vitamin at all but a group of steroid-like substances that we can make from cholesterol if we have adequate exposure to sunlight. In the winter time, we often don’t get enough exposure to UVBs from sunlight in such a way that we have the opportunity to make enough Vitamin D. A lack of Vitamin D3 can therefore lead to depressive symptoms, as well as compromise our ability to absorb critical minerals like zinc, magnesium, calcium, iron, and phosphate.

At B Renewed Wellness Center, we can offer safe methods to help you conquer the blahs and blues. One natural method for achieving balance is by using Infrared Heat/Light.  Sessions in our Spa Room allow you to relax on our Far-Infrared (FIR) heating pad, while also under the HTE Infrared Dome.  Research has shown that infrared light is effective in increasing production of serotonin, that feel-good brain chemical we discussed earlier.

We also encourage you to have your Vitamin D levels tested and learn more about the documented benefits of Vitamin D supplementation.  If you know your levels are low and are suffering from the winter blues, then please contact a holistic wellness professional. We utilize an  easy to take, liquid Vitamin D3 for our clients’ supplementation needs.

In addition, please keep in mind that if you eat fish and eggs, you can get some of the vitamin D that you need from clean, wild caught fatty fishes like salmon, and mackerel, and the yolks of eggs from pastured chickens that haven’t consumed genetically modified feed. However, with severe Vitamin D deficiencies, food may not be enough to bring your levels up to balance your body.

Are you impacted by seasonal mood imbalances? If so, what have you found that helps?