Some Simple Suggestions and Natural Remedies to deal with the Holiday Blues Part 2--Dr. Rama

See Part One Also.

The holidays are a great time but can also be quite complex navigating through.

Here are some more suggestions that may help.  Always consult your MD, pharmacist, and/or therapist before using these suggestions.  No diagnosis or treatment is being rendered here; these are just suggestions that need to be thought about by an individual who is experiencing holiday blues or related issues.

1.  Watch your diet.  It is easy to overeat for obvious reasons.  Pace yourself--and try to avoid late night alcohol and heavy meals.--These can affect your sleep and your mood, particularly as one tries to balance a busy work schedule with social obligations.  Don't underestimate the body's need for balance at this time.

2.  Invest in a sunlamp designed for mood issues or even an incandescent light with a dimmer and timer.  One can benefit by gradually increasing its light as the early morning hours arrive to ensure some light upon awakening on the body. 

3.  Keep the bowels moving!  Okay, a little gross to discuss during the holidays, however, constipation from overindulging and eating can be problem.  Take some fiber preparations, acidophillus/bifidus capsules or liquids as well as fermented, effervescent drinks such as Japanese Kombucha Tea--available at Whole Foods Market--The release of billions and billions of "good bacteria" in the gut--replace yeasts, some anaerobes and other bacteria that can interfere with the balance of the gut flora, particularly when one is eating a lot of sweets and baked goods during the holidays.

4.  Drink 4-8 oz of H20 during the day at least several times.  In the afternoon we can feel fatigued and depressed because we are dehydrated from busy work schedules and the stress of the holidays.

5.  Rotate your exercise.  Focus by alternating upper body or lower body or running/walking each day--assuming that one is even active at working out.  Doing too much creates fatigue the next day, particularly when we are often taxed during the evening hours for socials after work that normally we may not be used to in such numbers.

6.  A little mid morning and late afternoon protein and carbohydrate can help reduce fatigue and mood issues--often skipped when we are running around and distracted.

Next time we will discuss some natural herbs and substances that can help with some aspects of mood

Dr. Rama
in Dallas Texas

http://www.drama.com/