This is the time of year when we spend much time in darkness here in the northern hemisphere and yearn for the longer days of summer. The season presents us with physical as well as mental and emotional challenges: how to get our bodies’ needs for Vitamin D met and how to avoid Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)/ Winter Depression.

Why do we need Vitamin D?
It’s been known for some time that Vitamin D is needed in order for the body to absorb calcium and phosphorous, promoting bone and teeth growth and facilitating normal immune system response. Another issue that plagues some of us, especially in the winter, is depression. There is new and continuing research into possible links between Vitamin D deficiency and depression. You might like to read about that here or here.

The best way to get enough Vitamin D and to avoid SAD is to get enough sunlight. Since we have just observed Winter Solstice, I think it is a great time to talk about the challenges that the season of shorter days and longer nights forces us to confront. It will be a while before the days are long enough – although they shall become increasingly longer for the next six months – for most of us to get our Vitamin D from sunlight. We probably need to turn our attention to getting enough Vitamin D from our diet, or taking a Vitamin D supplement. Also recommended is full spectrum light therapy. I began surrounding myself with full spectrum lighting a few winters ago with positive results.

As we’ve mentioned, during the winter months, depending on where you live, it can be tricky getting enough sunlight. The closer you live to the equator, the easier it is. The time of day matters in that the sun needs to be high in the sky. Your skin type matters as lighter skinned folks have an easier time converting sunlight to Vitamin D than darker skinned folks. (I tan easily but most would consider me to have a light complexion so I’m not sure which category I fall into!) And last but not least, the amount of skin you have exposed makes a difference in whether you absorb enough sunlight. There are other complicating factors, which you might want to read about here.

Not all of us can steal away from our desks at midday in midwinter. Nor do we want to expose our midriff – sometimes not even our hands and face – in order to get our sunlight needs met. Since that is the case, let’s remind ourselves of the foods that can help us get the Vitamin D we need. The Vitamin D Council does not believe that one can get enough Vitamin D from food but mentions the following as the food containing it: egg yolks, beef liver, fatty fish, fortified milk and orange juice, fortified breakfast cereals and infant formula. (Since for many reasons it is better not to eat processed grains such as those found in breakfast cereals, let’s forget about that one!) Fatty fish can include fresh or canned salmon, tuna, and sardines. There is also Vitamin D in certain mushrooms. There is always the ever-popular Cod Liver Oil. (Apparently, our great-grandparents knew what they were doing there!) Here is a helpful list of Vitamin D containing foods. As mentioned previously, one can also purchase full spectrum light bulbs and lamps to imitate sunlight.

For a final word on bypassing SAD this winter, I have asked for advice from my amazing friend Debbie Happy Cohen of GetFairyTales.com and SocietyofEmpoweredWomen.com. Her recommendation follows:

To beat winter blues, commit to a project that engages your senses and involves other people. A few years ago, I realized that what depresses me most in winter is the lack of bright colors, so I decided to create it!! On 11-11-11, I committed to my FB community to create a painting every day and to post it. The project was a huge success. My skill improved, I made new friends, and people even purchased my work! Most importantly, winter was easy-peasy.

To summarize, ward off winter related malaise and health gremlins by getting as much outdoor sunlight as possible, eating foods rich in Vitamin D, taking a Vitamin D supplement, experimenting with full spectrum lighting and, above all, engage your senses in a project that reproduces the sounds, smells or sights of summer and promotes human warmth.

WISHING YOU LIGHT AND LOVE IN 2016!