Comments on Cranky Fitness: It's not right that it's not light

I'm in the midst of this, and trying to cope with ...

2007-12-22T08:04:00.000-05:00

I'm in the midst of this, and trying to cope with diabetes doesn't help at all. However, recent blood tests detected a Vitamin D deficiency, and my doctor thinks this may be a factor. She has prescribed a supplement, and I am hoping this helps. The best cure I have found so far is March.

Unfortunately, i'm quite sensitive to the lack of ...

2007-12-22T03:30:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, i'm quite sensitive to the lack of light and all that stuff, but I've also noticed that it's been a little less hard on me this year; I don't know if it has to do with the fact that I eat way more fruits and veggies than before, or that I exercise regularly now, or both, maybe. At least it's a breather.

The part about eating protein at breakfast and lunch works well for me, in any case. I seem to have instinctively fallen into such a pattern in the past three months or so. Actually, I can't eat ye olde bowl of cereals only in the morning anymore, like I used to do when I was younger: I need to at least add dairy/cottage cheese/stuff like that to eat to be able to hold good during the morning. And when I eat rice/pasta/stuff like that, it's indeed mostly in the evenings now.

I have SAD and have found that this light is the b...

2007-12-20T13:05:00.000-05:00

I have SAD and have found that this light is the best by far! http://www.alaskanorthernlights.com
I've had a few in my time but nothing really works as well as the above mentioned one. It's a bit pricey but SO worth it. I use it every morinng all year round and I even have one at work. I've had this one since 2002 and only had to replace the bulbs once, and that is with daily use for more than just 20 minutes. Yes I'm that bad and I live in San Francisco, CA.
Vitamin C also helps a lot. I take EmergencE packets at 1000mg a pop and sometimes I need 2 a day. Helps keep the immunity up too. Also, with the light, you need to have it within 2 feet of you for it to do it's job.

It's amazing how many people have to deal with thi...

2007-12-20T10:22:00.000-05:00

It's amazing how many people have to deal with this each year. I'm glad that I'm not alone -- wait, that doesn't sound right, I'm not glad that other people have to suffer -- anyway, yes, the light therapy helps a lot.
Sweet tart, interesting though about balancing the meals. Myself, I find it quite easy to include fats with carbohydrates. A little *cough* lot *cough* butter on the pasta makes it all the nicer.

And the sunrise alarm clocks are the best! (Free plug)

I've suffered from SAD for years (in Seattle) and ...

2007-12-19T15:02:00.000-05:00

I've suffered from SAD for years (in Seattle) and what I've found that really helps is a light box (the real deal - pay the money to get a really bright one), Vitamin D, and regular exercise. If you live in an area that has short days and gray skies, you're probably Vitamin D deficient which can also lead to SAD symptoms.

I'm not sure about the advice to eat carbs without protein though. Tryptophan is a serotonin precursor and it's an amino acid (protein). I've read and found it to be true for me, that carbs by themselves lead to serotonin highs and then subsequent lows which exacerbate SAD and lead to horrible carb cravings. Better to balance your carbs with fat and protein for a more stable serotonin balance.

I turn on every light in the house. It's cheaper ...

2007-12-19T08:20:00.000-05:00

I turn on every light in the house. It's cheaper than therapy.

my husband has ALWAYS suffered (and thus, we ALL s...

2007-12-19T01:07:00.000-05:00

my husband has ALWAYS suffered (and thus, we ALL suffer) and we bought him "the crazy light"... but now we call it the "happy" light because it WORKS... Call me crazy, but we put it on high behind the computer and turn it on when we sit down. Everyone gets a good 1/2 hour a day and I believe that even I feel better..even shall I say it? okay... less crabby... ouch.

I went to boarding school in a very northern place...

2007-12-18T22:33:00.000-05:00

I went to boarding school in a very northern place during part of high school. When I first got there I thought it was really neat how everyone had several lamps and Christmas lights strung all around their dorm rooms. Then November hit. We'd go to school at 8 in the dark and come home around 4 and it would be dark. Up went the Christmas lights.

WHen I went to college I'd go tanning in the winter. Not really for the tan, I just always felt a little perkier after I went. (only about once a month)
Now, I'd never set foot into a tanning salon anymore, but something about all that light just helped.

I'm a HUGE fan of sun and light ... we haven't see...

2007-12-18T17:34:00.000-05:00

I'm a HUGE fan of sun and light ... we haven't seen too much here lately :(

Crabby! Be one with the darkness! Trust the night!...

2007-12-18T17:25:00.000-05:00

Crabby!
Be one with the darkness! Trust the night! It's all good :-)
Dr. J

I completely get S.A.D. this time of year, and I h...

2007-12-18T16:18:00.000-05:00

I completely get S.A.D. this time of year, and I have tried and will vouch for full spectrum light bulbs. You don't need the expensive machine, just go to the Home Depot and buy the $5 light bulb (yes more expensive than normal, but its worth it) The whole point of them is to be more like the sun, and they totally work! Even if the effect is psychosomatic, I don't care, they make me NOT want to curl in a ball in my pajamas eating brownies until spring.

I get this. I try to go out and do something. Th...

2007-12-18T16:06:00.000-05:00

I get this. I try to go out and do something. That seems to work for me.

Dang those light machines are expensive!

what a perfect post for today- I'm tired and hungr...

2007-12-18T15:04:00.000-05:00

what a perfect post for today- I'm tired and hungry and couldn't figure out why...duh, blame the weather LOL!! It finally got colder here in GA and the temp mixed with the darkness makes me want to just lay in bed AND eat pasta. Hmmm...guess I don't have an excuse anymore. Ignorance really is bliss : )

I hate that the days get shorter...It seriously ma...

2007-12-18T13:42:00.000-05:00

I hate that the days get shorter...It seriously makes me want to sleep ALL DAY...The boyfriend and I comment on the 4pm darkness daily. There is nothing like trying to fight Beaverton traffic in the rain AND the dark...UGH...I suggest keeping happy things around you, music, clothes, people and yes food/drink...Merry Christmas to all!

And by the way, I grew up in Salem, OR - it IS tot...

2007-12-18T13:38:00.000-05:00

And by the way, I grew up in Salem, OR - it IS totally depressing when, at 9am and the sun is supposed to be out but instead the sky is completely clouded over so you never really get any sun, then the light that does manage to creep out is gone by 4pm....it's not much better up here in Portland now, and we wonder why our electricity bills rise to the hundreds of dollars in the winter???
GinaBobina

This is the PERFECT excuse for creamy mac & cheese...

2007-12-18T13:36:00.000-05:00

This is the PERFECT excuse for creamy mac & cheese!! Thank you!!

GinaBobina
*a confirmed carbaholic*

My best friend suffers from SAD real bad. She jus...

2007-12-18T13:32:00.000-05:00

My best friend suffers from SAD real bad. She just sleeps and sleeps and is just very depressed. What did she do to deal with it? Moved to Trinidad!!

Maybe I suffer from SAD year round, yeah that's the reason why I constantly crave carbs!

I was JUST talking to a friend of mine about this ...

2007-12-18T13:01:00.000-05:00

I was JUST talking to a friend of mine about this - how I wish I were a bear and could hibernate all winter. Just want to curl up with a book and my cat and lounge on the sofa all day. Nice to know it's not just me!

Get up in the dark to go to work in an office cubi...

2007-12-18T12:21:00.000-05:00

Get up in the dark to go to work in an office cubicle far away from the windows and come home in the dark. No wonder I am not job seeking as hard as I should be!
Thanks for the tips about carbs, I know someone who will benefit from them. I don't personally suffer from SAD, but have seen its affects on people.

thanks for the suggestion to eat high carb just at...

2007-12-18T12:02:00.000-05:00

thanks for the suggestion to eat high carb just at night. I've been HUNGRY ever since it got really cold, so this may really help me out. Hello big bowl of noodle soup...

JavaChick, I really appreciate my sun-rise clock. ...

2007-12-18T10:56:00.001-05:00

JavaChick, I really appreciate my sun-rise clock. Not only does it help at this time of the year, but it is soooo much nicer, in any season, to be woken by light rather than by some cranky jangling noise.

I've really noticed the carb cravings too but woul...

2007-12-18T10:56:00.000-05:00

I've really noticed the carb cravings too but would rather not give in to them. I do anyway, and it's even more depressing to blimp up over the winter.

Excellent! An excuse to eat pasta!Exercise does he...

2007-12-18T10:42:00.000-05:00

Excellent! An excuse to eat pasta!

Exercise does help, but I have one of those Sun Rise alarm clocks and that has made a huge difference to me. My body definitely resists waking up in the dark and I used to feel groggy and sluggish...well, most of the day really...but the SunRise clock seems to ease me into waking up. Winter will never be my favorite season, but that bit of light in the morning certainly makes it more bearable.

Crabby, I looked this up on a website once... it s...

2007-12-18T10:34:00.000-05:00

Crabby, I looked this up on a website once... it said if you haven't experienced any symptoms of SAD by the time you're 55, you are not likely to encounter it. Better stick to the Southern states for the next 20 years to be on the safe side. (Southern Mass, anyway ;)

Exercise is good for almost any ailment! And I prefer jogging in the dark anyway (on a well-lit path). It's just I'd rather it didn't get dark until after I get home.

Bag Lady, it's 7:30 here now, still no sign of daylight (probably would see some sign of light if the weather weren't so stormy). Sunrise after 9 sounds harsh.

And Bunnygirl, my sympathies to your half-brother. Working the night shift must be even worse for the body's internal clock.

Geo, that's a pain: you suffer from second-hand SAD!

My hubs does get moody in the winter (and me by pr...

2007-12-18T10:09:00.000-05:00

My hubs does get moody in the winter (and me by proximity :) ). He's found regular workouts help a lot...and going for walks whenever we can and just being outside helps too. I'd not heard the carb thing before...but it sense...I've noticed a craving for carby stuff lately. I just figured it was the whole "Quick! It's cold - hibernate! Eat more starch!" thing I get in the winter.
I alwasyslike the light and sunlight and miss it...I can't wait for the days to get longer again...