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Avoiding Holiday Depression

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I’m sure you’re like the rest of us running around taking care of the final details of your upcoming holiday gatherings. Whether it’s the food, the shopping, or the travel (or all of the above), this is the season of stress when it should be, as the song says, “the most wonderful time of the year”.
What stresses you out? Identifying the causes and either mitigating them or avoiding them are the keys to a happy holiday season.
Perhaps you have set some high expectations and have painted a perfect picture in your mind of the perfect meal, the perfect family gathering, the best gifts under the tree, but then the reality of the day sets in. Unmet expectations are the biggest cause of any conflict in life, but the holidays can tend to make them seem that much worse — especially for those with depression.
Break Tradition
As families grow and people move, the traditions you once held dearly may change. Just because they are different, doesn’t mean that they are wrong or bad. Being flexible and willing to compromise will make the season brighter. Holiday are more than what or where you eat, or how many gifts are under the tree. Learn to cherish the time together and overlook the less important details.
Plan Ahead
Taking time for yourself is important to keeping your mood in check over the holidays. Yes, there’s shopping and baking, and cooking and cleaning. But, in between those things, it’s okay to take a nap, go for a run, or curl up and read a book.
Avoid Conflict
Perhaps there’s a sore subject that seems to come up every year, or a new conflict in the family that may rear its ugly head. A good way to avoid the conflict is to prepare an exit strategy.  Simply saying, “let’s talk about it another time” or now isn’t the time”, may help call attention to the setting in hopes that they will respect your response.Then leaving the room and offering help in the kitchen, or going to play with the kids is a good way to escape.
Give Back
Helping those who are less fortunate is another way to overcome depression over the holidays. Being grateful for what you do have and not focusing on what you don’t have will help change your perspective. Volunteering at a soup kitchen, adopting a grandparent, or packing a box for Operation Christmas Child will help lift your spirits.
Organize a gift exchange with family and friends, or bake some goodies for your neighbors is a fun way to bring joy to others. This will reduce cost and reduce your stress at the same time!
Avoid Binge Drinking or Eating
Drinking a glass of red wine is a good way to wind down after a long, stressful day, but drinking in excess can be a problem. Drinking alcohol to deal with holiday stress and depression will certainly not help, and will only intensify your emotions and make you feel even worse.  LImiting your alcohol intake to one or two drinks a day is a good rule of thumb. Do yourself a favor and leave a holiday party early if you don’t think you can stick to your limit.
Binge eating can have the same effect. You may want three slices of pecan pie, but trying sticking to one. You’ll satisfy your sweet tooth, and you won’t wind up with a stomach ache or the guilt associated with overeating.
Learn to Grieve
If you are mourning a loved one, talking about your feelings and not keeping them bottled up will help reduce your stress. Reaching out to support groups or friends who may have the same experience will help, too. It’s not uncommon to feel anger at the person for leaving you alone or feeling guilty for enjoying yourself during the holidays. It’s part of the healing process.
Workout
Exercise should be a priority over the holidays, not something to stop and then start again after the new year. Taking a brisk walk for 35 minutes five days a week, or 60 minutes three time a week, will help improve your mood and burn off those extra calories you are consuming.
Get Some Sleep
Studies have shown there is a link between sleep loss and depression, so it’s important to try and stick to your same sleep schedule during the holidays. Be careful about cutting back on sleep to get everything done. And, avoid big meals and physical activity within a few hours of bedtime.
Get Some Sunshine
Tired? Irritable? Feeling down? It may not be the stress of the holiday, but rather the lack of sunlight. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can be treated by taking long walks during daylight hours or exposure to a light box for about 30 minutes a day. If you think you may be suffering from SAD, talk to your doctor about possible treatment options.
Get Help
If you do suffer from depression, please ask for help. Whether it’s a support group, a good friend, or a medical professional and a prescription for an anti-depressant, getting help is the first step to identifying and dealing with depression.
 

What’s the biggest thing to avoid during the holidays? (No, it’s not your family)

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It’s sugar.
The average American consumes 19.5 teaspoons of sugar per day. Stop and think about that for a minute. That’s sugar you put in coffee and tea, and the sugars in pasta, granola bars and yogurt. That’s an extra 285 calories per day that health experts say is way too much. In a year, that means you’re consuming about 66 pounds of added sugar every year.
According to the American Heart Association, women should consume no more than 6 teaspoons (100 calories) daily and men should get a max of 9 teaspoons (150 calories).
Those of greater risk of sugar overdose are children and teens. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting total intake of discretionary calories, including added sugars and fats, to 5% – 15% per day. However, children and adolescents in America get about 16% of their total caloric intake from added sugars alone.
Children and teens are particularly at risk. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting total intake of discretionary calories, including both added sugars and fats, to 5% –15% per day. Yet children and adolescents in America obtain about 16% of their total caloric intake from added sugars alone.
According to an article published by SugarScience™, “Using brain-scanning technology, scientists at the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse were among the first to show that sugar causes changes in people’s’ brains similar to those in people addicted to drugs such as cocaine and alcohol. These changes are linked to a heightened craving for more sugar. This important evidence has set off a flood of research on the potentially addictive properties of sugar.”
When reading labels watch out for any of these names in the first few ingredients or those products that have more than 4 total grams of sugar:

  • Agave nectar
  • Brown rice syrup
  • High-fructose corn syrup
  • Dextrose
  • Evaporated cane juice
  • Glucose
  • Lactose
  • Malt syrup
  • Molasses
  • Sucrose

How do we overcome the cravings of sugar?
Protein: Eating protein is one way to curb those sugar cravings. High-protein foods digest more slowly than those high in sugars, and they keep you feeling full for longer. Foods rich in protein include lean chicken, low-fat yogurt, eggs, nuts, and beans.
Fiber: Fiber also helps keep you full, plus it gives you more energy than sugar. High-fiber foods don’t raise your blood sugar, so there’s no hungry ‘crash’ afterwards. Choose foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Quick tip: slice up yellow and red peppers, or carrots and celery for a snacks to munch on during the day and avoid the vending machine. Spreading some peanut butter on an apple is also a sweet treat that is rich in protein and fiber. Avoid fruit cups since those can be filled with extra sugar in the syrup.
Spices: Adding natural sweeteners like coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom will sweeten your foods and reduce cravings.
Multivitamins: Nutrient deficiencies can make cravings worse. Taking a good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement, vitamin D3, vitamin B3 and magnesium can help improve the ability to control blood sugar.
Sleep: When you are tired, your body uses sugar for energy to counteract the exhaustion. So, getting enough sleep will help regulate the sugars you crave.
Exercise: Believe it or not, the more you exercise the better you feel and want to live a healthier lifestyle. Walking, running, bike riding and swimming are great ways to get in shape. Start out slowly by exercising for 20 minutes  a few days a week, then work up to longer workouts five times a week.
Water: Sometimes when we think we are hungry, we are really just thirsty. Drinking water can promote weight loss, flushes out toxins, increases our energy and relieves fatigue.
Here’s to a happy and HEALTHY New Year!

Be a Good Neighbor over the Holidays

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It’s a busy time of year as we are out shopping for last minute gifts, preparing our homes for guests by cooking, cleaning and decorating. But, do you ever stop to think about your elderly friends neighbors who may not have family nearby? This time of year can be especially lonely for many seniors. They have fond memories of their bustling household of Christmases past; and as their children have grown up and familiar neighbors have moved away,  Christmas present can be a depressing time.
If you are looking for a way to have an even more fulfilling holiday perhaps take some time to visit an elderly neighbor or even an assisted living facility to bring some cheer. Here are some tips to bring some cheer to those who are lonely.

  1. Sit and listen to them. They could be mourning the loss of a loved one and need someone to share stories of good times they had with family and friends. This is how we keep memories alive. We talk about the past and the good times we’ve had. Just listening will help the health and well-being of the elderly.
  2. Volunteer to help them send Christmas cards. This will help them make connections with life-long friends, which will—in turn—bring the recipient holiday cheer.
  3. If your parent or friend is in an assisted living facility or nursing home, check with the local kindergarten or day care centers to see if they can bring children to visit the elders. The freshness of the small children’s presence can help lighten a day for an elder in physical or emotional pain.
  4. If your elders’ are in a facility, help the facility find programs featuring children. If possible, take the elders out to school programs, especially if they feature grandchildren.
  5. Check with local youth groups and youth choirs and see if they can arrange for carolers to come and sing at an assisted living facility.
  6. Help them decorate. Whether they live alone or at a facility, you can do this in stages so they have something to look forward to every week or two.
  7. Bring traditional baked goods or treats regularly for your elders and their friends to share.
  8. Host a small party in a nursing home. You can check with the facility and see if a small room is a available and host a Christmas or New Year’s party for your elder and their friends. Perhaps get some of your friends and children to help in this act of kindness.
  9. Volunteer to buy gifts for them to give to their friends family members. They may not be able to go shopping on their own which is another reminder of their lack of independence. By buying gifts and letting them help wrap them, will help lift their spirits.
  10. Any amount of time you can spend with them is the most important thing you can do. Pull out old photo albums or watch home videos with them for a walk down memory lane.

Perhaps taking the time to check-in and visit with an elderly neighbor will be the best medicine you can give to them and to yourself.
 

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