Seasonal Depression and Mental Wellness

I was quite pleased when I heard a higher up in our local hospital administration tell me that they are shifting the focus of attention from mental illness to mental wellness - isn't it incredible what a difference one word can make. A positive connotation versus a negative one. So with that in mind I want to briefly share some information about something that I too struggle with, seasonal depression. And having mentioned it in a recent post and in passing a few times in the past week or so, I have had a lot of feedback and questions.

I have always been one to really enjoy the winter months. I love to play in the snow, sledding, skidooing, cross country ski and even just walking, but the past few years I have started to notice a cycle of lows that I attribute to a mild seasonal depression. It started to become more of an issue for me a few years back after competing in a figure competition. The winter seemed long and the weight piled back on very quickly. I blamed my fatigue, lack of motivation and craving of high and often refined carbohydrates on the "post competition rebound". Although I am sure it was a contributing factor, I became very aware of my "blues" and being the person that I am, started to pay attention to my body and what it was telling me. It happened again the following year and then again last year.

I have done a lot of reading on and off about a variety of mental health issues and it has always been a topic of interest to me as many of my family members have struggled with a variety of these issues. I remember being VERY concerned during both of my pregnancies about post-partum depression and with the familial history was almost certain that I would be afflicted! Luckily, I was not. Mood swings, hormonal craziness, definately, but I was blessed to not have any more serious issues than that (I can only imagine how it would have been on top of the 2 colicky kids!?!?).

There is a boat-load of great information posted on the Canadian Mental Health Association Website and I would encourage anyone to check it out here... - as well as all the other great information that they provide. But here is my little summary from the site.

The weather, there is no doubt, can have a profound effect on our moods - well we are all aware of that. We feel so much better when we see the sun shine that's for sure! But for many people, the shorter fall and winter days bring about a change in the body resulting in a seasonal winter depression. This depression can vary in severity from a very mild "winter blues" to quite severe where it can interfer with normally daily functioning and worse.

They note on the site there is also a form of summer blues although less common; but I can tell you from experience, living in a place with as much fog as we get here, it might be more common than previosuly thought.


What Causes SAD?
Although there is no defined cause per se, there is strong eveidence of a link between the amount of daylight and the variations that we see throughout the seasons. We evolved to be more active in the daylight hours yet our society today has other plans. We do not get to hibernate through the winters although I am sure many of us would love to! We live in an industrialized society where we work, shop and play at all hours of the days and night - our bodies and it's rhythms are messed up! I can honestly buy into this theory, it makes perfect sense to me. There is also evidence that certain brain chemicals are affected in situations where SAD is present.

What are the symptoms?
Like many other forms of mental health issues, SAD can be difficult to distinguish from other illnesses. When you look at a list of symptoms it is easy to see how there is a lot of crossover between various forms of depression and other medical conditions. The most commonly recognized symtoms include:

- change in appetite, in particular a craving for sweet or starchy foods
- weight gain
- decreased energy
- fatigue
- tendency to oversleep
- difficulty concentrating
- irritability
- avoidance of social situations
- feelings of anxiety and despair

Who has SAD?
Well anyone is at risk but there is a higher rate in women then men and it is also noted that people in northern atmospheres are more susceptible due to the shorter days. Although it can happen in childhood and teenage years it is more common above the age of 20.

Treatment Options
If you have SEVERE depression of suicidal thoughts then you must seek professional help immediately!

But for those with milder cases then there are a variety of options available for treatment...although it is still recommended that you consult with your physician.

- It is suggested that you spend as much time outside, in the daylight, as possible. Sit near windows and add extra lighting when you can.
- Exercise has been proven over and over agian to be a mood lifter and stress reliever, stimulates the release of endorphins (those feel good chemicals in the brain). There is NO debate on this one! And if you can exercise outside...even better!
- A winter vacation to a warm sunny place is always a great choice if that is feasible.
- Photo (light) therapy is probably one of the most common treatments; using a special UV light which you expose yourself to for 20-30 mins a day (we have a happy light and we love it!)
- although very briefly mentioned on the Canadian Mental Health SAD page, I feel that nutrition plays a MAJOR role in this as well. Eating a carefully balanced nutritious diet is essential. Ensuring that the body is receiving all of its vitamins and minerals so it can function at its optimum level is very important. With cases of depression it is often found that the B vitamins are of paricular importance. A diet high in refined and/or starchy carbohydrates and low in fruits and vegetables will often add to the fatigue that accompanies the blues.
- after consulting with your physician, medication might be an option for you as well.

There is my summary of points from the CMHA site as well as a few of my own thoughts thrown in for good measure. There is a lot of information out there about this and it is actually more common than you might realize.

My advice? Find your triggers and create a plan to counteract them! My plan goes something like this:

Nutrition: Eating 5-6 balanced meals, containing 2 servings of complex starchy carbs on training days and one on non-training days. Good fats, lean protein and lots of fruits and veggies. Drink your water!

Workout: training every other day with active rests on the off days - just basically moving everyday of the week combining strength training and cardio.

Sleep: following a consistent sleep pattern throughout the entire week - no sleeping in on weekends - I function much better when I get up early and go to bed early. Set the body up with a consistent routine.

Mindset: don't forget the gratitude list! Writing 5 things a day that I am grateful for keeps things in perspective for me and keeps me thinking in a positive direction. It is so easy to let the negative energy of others and some situations zap us of our own energy and motivation. And also, for me, focusing on helping others reach their goals keeps me focused on my own. Being a good role model is important to me and a value that I hold very dear.

We have no control over the weather or the seasons or our familial predispositions to certain health conditions, but we have control over if we exercise or not or what we put in our mouths to eat. We can control our thoughts and many aspects of our environments. So I will spend this winter focusing on what I CAN control and not wasting time and negative energy on what I can not.

We are lifting the veil on mental health and illness and making it more understood and hopefully less taboo. I suffer from seasonal depression and I do everything in my power to take care of myself until spring comes again.....do you?

Health and Happiness,
Lesley

My common sense real food philosophy

Because I LOVE to eat!!!!

Yes I eat and I eat a lot! I love food, all kinds of food but lucky for me, at a very early age, I had a taste for a variety of good and healthy foods. I vaguely remember getting dried apricots as a "treat" on trips to the grocery store and I was blessed with many a beautiful salad in my lunch can during primary and elementary school, thanks to my mother. I still remember the pill bottle full of french dressing.

Now don't get me wrong....I also have a deep love for ice cream and gummy candy and there was a time in my life that it consumed me far more than my love for fruits and vegetables. But I got back on track and have read just about everything I can get my hands on when it comes to food. I have sized up (not tried, but evaluated) just about every big diet that has come out in the past few years and in the end, for me, it all comes back to a few simple points....eat real food, in small portions, every few hours, and drink your water!

Eat real food. Yes, real food. Like I have said before, if it flew, swam, or ran you are good to go. But don't batter and fry it in mounds of butter and/or oil. Stick with baking, broiling and grilling. Use oils like olive oil and experiment with seasonings, spice it up with spices, not with chemicals. Really taste what you are eating! And....if it grew in the ground or on a tree, eat it up!

Read labels. If you are eating something out of a box or a bag, just take a look at what actually goes in what you are eating. Can you pronounce it? Is sugar of high fructose corn syrup one of the first 3-5 ingredients... are there more than 3-5 ingredients? Look, if something can last for weeks or even months on your counter or in your fridge, how good can that be for your body?

Eat real food, as close to natural as possible! If humans were involved in processing it, adding anything to it or turning it into something else, move on and try something else. That's pretty simple I think.

My next point is about portions and it is closely related to the following one so I will combine them. Eat small portions and eat every few hours. If you are eating every few hours do you think you will truly be hungry for that HUGE 10-inch plate full of food? Seriously, use some basic common sense with this one...yes, most people in the fitness industry advocate eating every 2-3 hours, BUT you also have to learn to pay attention to your body. You don't have ot stuff in meal #6 for the day if you genuinely are not hungry! Just because it is on your meal plan, (which I know you are planning your meals by now) doesn't mean that you have to force it down. And with that said, if you have to force it down because you are too full, then you probably ate too much at your last meal/snack.

If you are drinking 8-10 cups of water a day, loading your plate up with fruits and veggies and choosing good quality lean proteins then there won't be much room for anything else except a few other compex, starchy carbs (think brown rice, quinoa, oats, etc...) and even those will naturally become smaller portions because you just won't be able to stuff it all in (and feel good afterwards).

Remember: it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that it is full. ....Aim to eat your veggies first, then your protein, then your starches and drink that water! Take your time, eat slow, pay attention to what you are doing (hard to do if you are caught up in the news or in Grey's Anatomy - that's another post) and let your brain register what your body is telling it.

Basically eat REAL food, focus on plants and keep the portions small enough that you will want "another little something" in a couple of hours - and then be prepared for that a couple of hours later by having healthy, real food nearby.

Vegetables, fruit, nuts, light cheese, yogurt, eggs (hard boiled are portable and easy to eat), heck even carry around a few ounces of left over chicken around if you have to - don't get caught unprepared, the food industry is just waiting to catch you and boy are they ready!

Massage Therapy and Stress: Part I

Massage Therapy and Stress: Part I

“I am so stressed out!” How often have you heard or uttered these words? My guess is far too often to count! So often I am asked why I chose massage as my career and to be honest “stress” is the answer. So what is this mysterious “stress” that we talk about so often and why would this obscure word affect my choice of profession?

Stress is a word that we throw around almost daily but do we really understand what stress is? How it affects us? How we can recognize it in our lives and how we can manage it effectively? In part one of this three part article I will discuss some of these very things.

Most times when we use the word stress it carries a negative connotation but to start off I must explain that not all stress is bad! What we perceive as stress can also push us forward, to meet a deadline for example. But for the purposes of this article I will be talking about the negative stress; that which causes us unwanted pressure in our lives and then as a result of that pressure, has many physical, mental and emotional effects as well.

What is stress and where does it come from? For my purpose I found this definition fits best…..
“Stress is what you experience when you believe that you can not cope effectively with a situation.”

I love this definition because it has one basic element that most of us need to understand, and once we do understand it, it will have a profound impact on how we deal with everything in life. It is our “belief that we can not cope” …..If it is our belief, then that means that we have control, yet in most cases we feel just the opposite.

Our beliefs create our thoughts, and our thoughts create our feelings, and our feelings create our actions. If these thoughts, feelings and actions come from a belief that we can not cope it will cause us a create deal of stress! Our thoughts and feelings also cause a physical reaction that result in the release of chemicals in the body that affects all of our body’s systems. For example, the sympathetic nervous system reacts with the fight or flight response resulting in the circulation of hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.

Why is stress such a buzz word? Are there more stressful things in our life than there used to be? Well in fact, yes there are. And the ironic part is that much of it is supposed to make our lives easier. Here is a short list of common stressors:
• Major Life Events: death, divorce/separation, job loss, marriage, bankruptcy, serious illness, moving, birth of children…this is a familiar list to many of us
• Workplace: cutbacks, increased workloads, pay freezes or cuts, unemployment, office politics, job insecurity.
• Finances: no surprise here, costs increase steadily yet our income often does not reflect the rising cost of living.
• Home/Family life: Most families now have both spouses/parents working this does not change the fact that the house still needs attending to as do any children, extended family members and pets in the home
• Community Involvement: Most people have some other commitments outside of work and the home, church groups, PTA, other community groups, sport teams, etc, all competing for our limited time
• Technology: Once upon a time, work stayed at work. There are times that we all long for the good ole days with no laptops, cell phones and blackberries.

The above list is far from being exhaustive; there are many more things that can cause us to feel out of control or anxious. But how these seemingly smaller, everyday things add up to create this feeling of stress is what is of great concern. Our reaction to each of these events of situations causes a physical reaction in the body, and over time these can add up. As a result we can often end up with some of these common complaints:


• Fatigue, lethargy
• Racing pulse, shallow breathing, heart palpitations
• Muscle tension and aches
• Tremors, shakiness
• Heartburn, indigestion, nervousness, constipation, diarrhea
• Dry mouth
• Excessive sweating, cold hands or feet
• Rashes, hives
• Nail biting
• Lowered libido
• Overeating or loss of appetite
• Sleep disturbances
• Anger, irritability, sadness, moodiness
• Worry, anxiety or panic
• Loss of sense of humor


This list is long as well and there is much more I could include, but I am sure you get the idea. Many of the above signs and symptoms could also be signs of more serious medical conditions and should always be evaluated by your healthcare professional. But you can also see that if you do happen to be diagnosed with a medical condition, that stress can also aggravate it. It becomes a vicious circle and can often make management of these health conditions more difficult if ones level of stress is not controlled.


In the second part of this blog I will look at Massage Therapy in particular and its affects on stress and anxiety as well as a variety of other conditions which can be affected by stress.

Massage Therapy and Stress: Part II

Massage Therapy and Stress: Part II

In today’s society the focus seems to be more on healing disease and illness rather than prevention, however there is a movement of change. More people than ever are starting to take responsibility for their own health and are turning to once considered “alternative” therapies for healing and preventative care. Massage Therapy is one of those key treatment options.

Massage therapy once had its place strictly in the spa environment, then as a profession we spent years educating people on the physical effects and benefits of massage on a number of very common health issues. People have been seeking massage for treatments of injuries sustained in motor vehicle and workplace accidents as well as arthritis, headaches, fibromyalgia, heel spurs, pregnancy, digestive problems, frozen shoulder, muscle spasms, strains and sprains and postural concerns among countless others.

In our attempts to emphasize the positive physical and therapeutic affects of massage we now often tend to over look the additional mental and emotional benefits, many of which also have a physical effect. You see, we can not separate our emotional and our physical and even our spiritual bodies. Our bodies are a complex creation in which one system and its many components, including its chemical changes, affect all other areas of our body and its components. We can not isolate our back from our feet or our head from our neck and shoulders or our ulcers from our level of perceived emotional stress. We are so deeply connected and all of our systems intertwined. This sense of connection is something that I so often see missing in our attempts to “heal” our infirmities.

In our hurried society, stress and anxiety has been linked with many various health conditions. Regardless of how well one believes that they can handle stress you can assured of one thing…..Stress will ALWAYS manifest itself physically, sooner or later, in one way or another.

Headaches, ulcers, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, fertility difficulties and constipation are all common conditions that are often associated with increased stress levels, as either a major cause or an aggravating factor.

Massage is not only effective in reducing stress levels but also increasing circulation and decreasing inflammation which is very important on conditions such as arthritis, muscle spasm, tendonitis, strains and sprains and during pregnancy.

Reduction of fibrous adhesions and stretching of connective tissue is also important for frozen shoulder and plantar fasciitis.

Massage calms the nervous system, lowers blood pressure, slows respiration, strengthens the immune system, strengthens the muscular system, promotes sleep and stimulates the release of endorphins, which are chemicals that modify pain perception and help create a general feeling of wellness. Massage helps to relieve tight, tired and aching muscles, improve muscle tone and increase flexibility and range of motion which is key for management of Arthritis and maintaining and improving posture.

Massage can play a large role in the management of stress and anxiety and therefore can both directly and indirectly affect one’s physical health.

SAHM's, Sweats and Ponytail Syndrome

I have been truly blessed to have the opportunity to be a stay at home mom (SAHM) and be with my children for the first few years of their lives. It is an honour to get to spend my days with them and teach and shape and mould them into the little people that they are becoming, but....there is a darker side to staying at home that many moms don't like to talk about.

Come on, you all know what I am talking about....the sweats, the ponytails and ball caps, the spit up on your shoulder that never seems to come out in the laundry....no wait, it did come out, that's a new stain!

It all boils down to putting all others above ourselves - but isn't that what we are supposed to do?!?! NO!!!

My favorite saying to tell my massage clients, especially those who are caregivers has always been "You can't give from a dry well!" Explaining to them that they were no good to anyone else if they didn't take time for themselves. A statement which I firmly believe with all of my heart! So slap the biggest hypocrit sign on my forehead that you can find!!!

I LET IT HAPPEN! I LET MYSELF GO!

It wasn't a conscious decision, it just happens. Baby is napping so you catch up on housework and laundry or you nap yourself. Baby is just gonna spit up on you anyway so why bother to put on good clothes? Why do your hair? It's only gonna get pulled on and tangled with baby food! Who's looking at you? You don't go anywhere anyway right?

A trip to get groceries is a HUGE event! I get to put on my jeans?!?!? No wait, they don't fit! ARGH! Back to the ever stretching waistband of my trusty friend the sweatpants!

The problem is.....baby grows up to be a toddler. Yes they are still as messy but it isn't directed at you nearly as much as it used to be. Then comes preschool and kindergarten and they are pretty independent little folks! Unfortunately no one copied your pontail and sweats on that email. You fell into a rut right? I sure did. I just didn't bother anymore. It wasn't worth the effort.

But as many SAHM's will tell you, this feeling grows and grows until you reach the point that it starts to affect your self esteem. You start to feel sloppy and lazy (even though you don't stop all day long). You don't care of you eat that bowl of ice cream, you won't feel it, the pants grow with you. And workout? Who has the energy got that? I know. It happened to me. I got down, I got depressed. (I now recognize that I even suffer from seasonal "blues". Being aware of such a thing makes me even more conscious to make the effort, to not lose myself in those baggy clothes anymore.)

How did I move past this? It wasn't rocket science just simply a promise. I promised to make some effort everyday, no matter how small to take care of myself; because only then can I take care of my family. For me, this means getting a workout in most days of the week; planning my meals (making them healthy and balanced); doing my hair and getting dressed in REAL clothes (even if it is just a pair of jeans and t-shirt) *Find a pair of jeans that fit you well, regardless of the size and ROCK THEM!!!.

You know, in reality, it doesn't take that much more energy and the payoff of feeling like a normal person again is so worth the effort! I might not leave my house to go to work a 9-5 job but I still take the time to put some energy into myself so I can take that energy and use it to give back to my family and friends.

The old saying "if momma ain't happy, no one's happy" is oh so true! So why not make yourself a promise to make momma happy! I promise you it'll be worth your time!

Health and Happiness,

Lesley