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Does Winter Make You SAD?

June 21, 2016 By Chevron Island Physio

Winter makes me sad! I feel less motivated, more fatigued and sometimes it even makes me angry – why are you so cold! Where is the sun?!

There are many people that are affected by the seasons and in fact it even has a name – Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that is related to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. More often than not the symptoms start towards the end of Autumn and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Occasionally SAD can occur in Spring and early Summer.

Symptoms specific to winter-onset SAD, sometimes called winter depression, may include:

  • Irritability
  • Tiredness or low energy
  • Problems getting along with other people
  • Hypersensitivity to rejection
  • Heavy feeling in the arms or legs
  • Oversleeping
  • Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
  • Weight gain

The specific causes of SAD remains unknown there are a few factors that can be linked to it:

  • Your biological clock (circadian rhythm). The reduced level of sunlight in Winter may disrupt your body’s internal clock and lead to feelings of depression.
  • Serotonin levels. Reduced sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin that may trigger depression.
  • Melatonin levels. The change in season can disrupt the balance of the body’s level of melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood.

When to see a doctor

It’s normal to have some days when you feel down. But if you feel down for days at a time and you can’t get motivated to do activities you normally enjoy, see your doctor. This is especially important if your sleep patterns and appetite have changed or if you feel hopeless, think about suicide, or turn to alcohol for comfort or relaxation.

Other things you can do to increase your mood and the wrath of SAD:

  • Make your environment sunnier and brighter. Open blinds, sit closer to the windows or trim tress that allow more sunlight into the home or office. Try to get outside on your break when the sun is out (take a walk, eat your lunch in the park). Even on cold or cloudy days, outdoor light can help.
  • Exercise regularly. Exercise and other types of physical activity help relieve stress and anxiety, both of which can increase SAD symptoms. Feeling fit and healthy can also increase your confidence which in turn can lift your mood J
  • Include some Mind-body therapy into your daily or weekly schedule. This might include Yoga, Meditation, Massage therapy or acupuncture.

HOW CAN WHAT YOU EAT HELP WITH SAD?

As mentioned above some of the causes that may be linked to SADs includes decreased serotonin and melatonin levels. So let’s eat foods that can help to naturally increase these levels!

How can we increase Serotonin levels?

Serotonin is synthesized from the amino acid tryptophan. The relationship between tryptophan and serotonin is part of what’s commonly considered the food-mood connection.

Serotonin isn’t found in foods, but tryptophan is. Foods high in protein, iron, riboflavin, and vitamin B6 all tend to contain large amounts of the amino acid. Unfortunately, though, boosting your serotonin levels isn’t as simple as eating a high tryptophan diet.

The tryptophan you find in food has to compete with other amino acids to be absorbed into the brain, so it’s unlikely to have much of an effect on your serotonin levels. However, eating foods high in tryptophan in conjunction with a healthy serving of carbohydrates CAN effect your serotonin levels. There’s a reason we crave ‘comfort’ foods such as potatoes, shepherd’s pies, pastas etc. in winter – When you eat carbohydrates, more insulin is released into your system. Insulin promotes the absorption of amino acids into the heart, muscles, and organs. The tryptophan left behind now makes up a larger portion of the blood’s amino acid “pool,” meaning that it is more likely it will be absorbed through the brain barrier.

The foods listed below contain high amounts of tryptophan. Your best chance at achieving a serotonin boost is to eat them often, with a serving of healthy carbohydrates, like rice, oatmeal, or whole-grain bread.

  • Eggs – eggs on toast for breakfast, curried egg sandwiches for lunch, frittata with brown rice added.
  • Cheese – snack on cheese and rice crackers, add cheese to a wholegrain wrap at lunchtime
  • Pineapple – a little harder to combine with carbohydrates but could add to a shake with oats added or make pineapple muffins for a snack – yum!
  • Nuts and seeds – make nut based wholegrain or oatmeal cookies or muffins, almond butter on toast for breakfast.
  • Turkey – turkey and vegetables stir fry on rice, turkey wraps or sandwiches.

How do we increase our Melatonin levels?

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland. Not only does it help with SAD but it also controls your circadian (sleeping and waking) cycles and is responsible for regulating other hormones as well. It plays a role in regulating female reproductive hormones including menstruation and menopause.

Foods that can naturally boost your Melatonin levels include:

  • Pineapples
  • Bananas
  • Oranges
  • Oats
  • Sweet corn
  • Rice
  • Tomatoes
  • Barley

Omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-e fatty acids may play a part in treating depression. These healthy fats are found in cold-water fish, flaxseed, flax oil, walnuts and some other foods.

So if you have a case of the winter blues there are a few things you can do to try to alleviate the symptoms and increase your mood.

What do you do to brighten your mood in winter?

 

Kasey Boorman

(Nutritionist)

Kasey is available for Nutrition Consultations Monday to Friday. P 5504 7000

 

References:

Mayo Clinic, 2014.

Natural Society, 2016.

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: happy food, melatonin, nutirtion, nutrition and mood, nutrition chevron island, nutrition chevron island physio, nutrition gold coast, seratonin

Garlic Lemon Chicken with Smashed Peas

March 1, 2016 By Chevron Island Physio

lemon chicken

Garlic Lemon Chicken with Smashed Peas

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 500g chicken breast, cut into chunks (or small pieces if preferred)
  • 1 tsp butter or olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed with the back of a knife
  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp cracked pepper
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • salt to season
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • ½ head broccoli, cut into florets
  • 8 spears asparagus cut into thirds
  • 1 zucchini, sliced
  • Lemon wedges to serve

Directions:

  1. Season chicken with salt.
  2. Melt the butter in a large frying pan on medium heat. Brown the chicken on both sides and remove from pan (transfer to a plate).
  3. Add the chopped onion, minced and crushed garlic, paprika, chilli flakes and pepper to the butter/oil left in the pan, occasionally stirring until garlic cooked through. Season with salt to taste and add in the thyme.
  4. Pour in the stock, coconut cream and lemon juice and bring to a slow simmer. Return the chicken back in to the pan; cover with lid and allow to simmer gently in the sauce for a further 10 minutes, or until cooked through. At this point start preparing your Smashed Peas (see below for instructions).
  5. Add vegetables and cook for a further 5 minutes.
  6. Serve with lemon wedges.

Smashed Peas

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 400g frozen peas
  • 1 tbsp. water
  • 1 tsp butter
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Place peas, pinch of salt and water in medium sized saucepan over medium to high heat
  2. Cook, stirring until peas are soft.
  3. Drain peas and return to pan.

Add butter and lemon juice and mash peas until desired consistency (I like it a little chunky). Alternatively use a food processor to mash instead of doing it manually.

  1. Add oil slowly as mashing to get creamier consistency.
  2. Season with Salt and pepper.

Serve Garlic Lemon Chicken on top of bed of smashed peas.
Did you know we have a Nutritionist? Kasey can help you with weight loss, general healthy eating, IBS, Children’s nutrition and more!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: healthy recipes gold coast, nutrition chevron island, nutrition gold coast, weight loss gold coast

Calcium

May 1, 2015 By Chevron Island Physio

calcium2
Calcium is required for the normal development and maintenance of the skeleton as well as for the proper functioning of neuromuscular and cardiac function. It is stored in the teeth and bones where it provides structure and strength. Low intakes of calcium have been associated with a condition of low bone density called osteoporosis which is quite common in western cultures and which often results in bone fracture. It is one of the major causes of morbidity amongst older Australians and New Zealanders, particularly postmenopausal women.

How much do i need?
RDA (recommended dietary allowance) 800 – 1400mg
Therapeutic Dose 1000 – 2000mg

Food Sources of Calcium

Good dietary sources of calcium include milk and milk products – milk, yoghurt, cheese and buttermilk. One cup of milk, a 200 g tub of yoghurt provides around 300 mg calcium. Calcium-fortified milks can provide larger amounts of calcium in a smaller volume of milk – ranging from 280 mg to 400 mg per 200 ml milk.
Dairy is a great source of dairy however it is not the only source. People are often hesitant to reduce their dairy intake as they are worried they will not get enough calcium. There are however many other sources of calcium which include:
– leafy green vegetables – broccoli, collards (cabbage family), bok choy, Chinese cabbage and spinach. One cup of cooked spinach contains 100 mg, although only five per cent of this may be absorbed. This is due to the high concentration of oxalate, a compound in spinach that reduces calcium absorption. By contrast, one cup of cooked broccoli contains about 45 mg of calcium, but the absorption from broccoli is much higher at around 50–60 per cent.
– fish – sardines and salmon (with bones). Half a cup of canned salmon contains 402 mg of calcium
– nuts and seeds – brazil nuts, almonds and sesame seed paste (tahini). Fifteen almonds contain about 40 mg of calcium.
– calcium-fortified foods – including breakfast cereals, fruit juices and bread. One cup of calcium-fortified breakfast cereal (40 g) contains up to 200 mg of calcium. ½ cup of calcium-fortified orange juice (100 ml) contains up to 80 mg of calcium, and two slices of bread (30 g) provides 200 mg of calcium.
– egg yolk – 1 egg yolk contains approximately 22mg of calcium with the white adding 2.3mg.
– sea vegetables – kelp in particular contains 168mg of calcium per 100 gram

Functions facilitated…
Blood clotting, bone and tooth formation, cell membrane permeability, and maintenance of electrolyte balance, muscle contraction, nerve transmission, regulation of cell division and hormone secretion.

Calcium inhibitors…
– Coffee, soft drinks, and diuretics
– Refined sugar or too much of any sweetener
– Alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes and other intoxicants
– Too little or too much exercise
– Excess salt
– The Solanum genus of vegetables – tomatoes in particular, but also potatoes, eggplant and capsicum. These all contain the calcium inhibitor solanine. Just don’t combine these foods at one time with a high calcium source, if calcium is the desired nutrient

Recommendations for increasing calcium absorption…
– Get sufficient vitamin D from sunshine. The ideal daily sunshine exposure to ensure adequate vitamin D for proper calcium absorption is 20% of the skin of the body exposed for 30 minutes at sea level, morning or afternoon
– Eat calcium-, magnesium-, chlorophyll-, and mineral-rich foods, such as legumes, leafy greens (including cereal grasses and/or micro algae) and seaweeds. Avoid calcium inhibitors.
– Exercise regularly and moderately to halt calcium loss and increase bone mass. Particularly weight bearing exercise
– Calcium supplements can be helpful. For maximum assimilation include plenty of green vegetables in the diet. These supplements are to best taken with very high mineral foods or in conjunction with mineral supplements and should contain at least calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, selenium, iodine, chromium, manganese, boron and trace minerals. In particular make sure that the form of calcium is optimal – Calcium (chelate 100% absorbed, hydroxyapatite most, citrate good, carbonate low absorption)
– Pre-soak grains and legumes before cooking to neutralise their phytic acid content, which otherwise binds the zinc, magnesium, calcium and other minerals in these foods
– Use oxalic acid foods sparingly – rhubarb, cranberries, plums, spinach, chard and beet greens – as they also bind calcium. Cooking these foods reduces binding effect
– If dairy is used, the fermented kinds digest most easily – yoghurt, cottage cheese, buttermilk, kefir. Goat’s and sheep’s milk products are preferable. Avoid skim milk; it is devoid of fat and enzymes necessary for proper calcium absorption.
– Increase silicon rich foods – unrefined vegetables, all lettuce, parsnips, buckwheat, millet, oats, brown rice, dandelion greens, strawberries, celery, cucumber (richest in the peel) apricots and carrots.

If you require further information or a specific food plan contact Kasey on 5504 7000 to schedule a Nutrition Consultation.

Filed Under: Announcements, Nutrition Tagged With: calcium chevron island physio, calcium gold coast, diet gold coast, nutrient absorpriton gold coast, nutrition, nutrition chevron island, nutrition gold coast, weight loss gold coast

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