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For some, the return to work, to school, to the routine has been meet with optimism and enthusiasm.
For others, the opposite is true. If you are feeling ...
tired, unmotivated, depressed, irritable, or overwhelmed, then you may be dealing with post holiday blues.
Know that you are not alone, and more importantly, know that there is something you can do about it.
The 3 simple tips I have outlined below will help you feel energized, optimistic, and healthy!!
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TIP #1: Dose with Vitamin D
From depression to colds & flu prevention to Crohn's to hypertension to cancer to osteoporosis to PCOS to MS, the importance of vitamin D is irrefutable.
However, what is less well known is the importance of having your vitamin D levels tested, interpreting the test results, and determining supplement dosage, if necessary.
After 9 years of practice, one thing that I can say for certain is that the fast majority of Montrealers are vitamin D deficient.
Speak with your MD or ND about measuring your 25(OH)vitamin D3 blood level, and see for yourself. Be sure to obtain the result yourself, and to not assume that you are within the normal values established by the laboratory. You want our vitamin D3 blood level to be above 100 nmol/L.
If your reading is below 100 nmol/L, then you will need to supplement sufficiently in order to reach the 100 mark. Establishing supplement dosage and appropriate follow-up blood tests are to be discussed on an individual basis with your MD or ND.
Keep in mind that most studies confirming the use of vitamin D as a preventative agent in breast and colorectal cancer is applicable for vitamin D3 blood levels at a minimum of 120-130 nmol/L, which is almost double the lower end of the normal range defined by most private and public labs in Montreal.
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TIP #2: Avoiding the Up's & Down's
In our culture, it is customary to use different substances to influence our general state of being. Whether it be coffee, sugar, or alcohol, we reap their immediate benefits while ignoring their not-too-distant consequences.
The main consequence relevant to this discussion is that these substances contribute to a yo-yo effect, where our energy and mood go up and down and up and down.
We want to avoid this yo-yo effect, and focus on keeping our mood and energy stable. Here are some tips on how to cultivate this stability by reducing coffee, sugar, and alcohol.
1. Many of us use coffee to get going in the morning, and then again to keep us going in the afternoon. Keep in mind that the post coffee crash often brings you lower than where you started from. This crash can make concentration and focus difficult, along with a wave of fatigue, and possibly depression and irritability as well.
- Limit coffee intake to a maximum of 1 cup daily
- Avoid having your coffee on waking, before breakfast
2. Sugar addictions, carb cravings, chocaholic, ... however you want to describe it, it all comes down to the same ... we looooovvvveee sugar. It comforts us, makes us feel good, and gives us pep. But the subsequent sugar imbalances are detrimental to our energy, our mood, our concentration and focus, and to our waistline.
- Focus on protein rich meals and snacks, especially breakfast (click here for ideas)
- Cut white flour and white sugar from your diet, while incorporating whole grains, honey and maple syrup
3. Many of us reach for a glass of wine or a cocktail at the end of the day to help us unwind. Although relaxing in the moment, alcohol interferes with our quality of sleep, and it is a depressant.
- Limit to 3-4 servings per week
- Replace with tea made from relaxing herbs, such as melissa, hops, valerian, ...
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TIP #3: You Just Have To Move
The rule is:
- 150 minutes of cardio exercise weekly, with each session lasting at least 30 consecutive minutes.
This can take the form of 30 min brisk walk on the treadmill or outside 5x weekly, or 50 min spinning class 2x weekly + 50 min swim, or 50 min zumba aerobics DVD at home 3x weekly.
Keep in mind that there are 10,080 minutes in 1 week. I am asking for 150 of those minutes to be spent exercising.
You don`t need me to remind you that exercise improves sleep, mood, energy, food cravings, and concentration.
You can find the time; just make it happen:)
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I wish you and your families the very best in health and happiness for 2014.
Be well, Paola.
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Paola DeCicco, BSc,ND | 514.783.1387 |
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