Express News Service
Sun is life. Those who do not get enough of it, suffer from a range of health issues. With winter setting in north India, we will get less of the sun now with shorter and colder days. This could lead to a common health condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
What can you do to beat the winter blues? If you are fortunate enough to get even little sunshine, make good use of it. Try and wake up to the sunrise and allow your body to soak in its blissful energy that has mood-lifting benefits. In the field of integrative and lifestyle medicine, we prescribe sun therapy in varying degrees to all our patients. Better mood, more energy, and sounder sleep are some of the improvements observed by patients.
While it is true that the sun’s UV rays can be harmful if exposure is long, mindful exposure aids healing. You can do suryanamaskar every morning or just sit facing the sun for 10 minutes, gradually building the threshold to 15 or 20 minutes.
Besides increasing your Vitamin D3 levels (which again plays a role in mood-regulation), the sun’s infrared rays help lower inflammation and produce cellular melatonin, which is one of the most powerful antioxidants. Remember to get this sun in the early morning hours or before it sets. You should avoid it when the sun is at its peak.
What if there is no sun for days or weeks? SAD lamps and infrared lamps can be used. This is because our body uses light and dark as important cues to start and stop important functions like sleeping, waking and so on.
All of it is regulated by our body’s internal body clock, and if it’s not working properly due to a lack of sunlight, it can affect our energy levels, ability to sleep, and mood.
This is where light therapy come in. SAD lamps or light boxes deliver light of therapeutic intensity and mimic sunlight. Another alternative is to use infrared bulbs and lamps.
They deliver light that matches the infrared wavelength of the light spectrum, which stimulates the release of intracellular melatonin, a hormone that helps the regular sleep-wake cycle, and is a powerful antioxidant that nourishes our body.
Exposure to these lamps can also help reduce pain, swelling and inflammation, which is of great help for individuals with arthritis. Infrared typically targets the mitochondria of our cells and stimulates the generation of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the source of energy for use and storage at the cellular level. More ATP means more energy, which is typically a major shortcoming in winter.
Exposing oneself for 30 minutes to a few hours a day can help stimulate a change in the levels of chemicals and hormones within the body that affects mood. With that said, one needs to be careful in case of a skin condition, cuts, abrasions or wounds. In such cases, it’s best to avoid any kind of exposure.
The other way of seeking light in the absence of sunlight is candles and campfires, not as a substitute, but as a means to fight the blues of cold, dark winter days. The wavelengths of both sources of light are primarily composed of long-wavelength, infrared light.
They not only calm a frazzled mind but also regulate mood, energy and sleep cycles. Make sure the candles are non-toxic as you do not want to breathe in chemicals. While nothing can replace the sun, there is one other thing you can do to make yourself feel cheerful.
Go bright and bold, using the power of colour therapy to lift your spirits. Nothing dramatic, but just adding a pop of colour through a painting, some flowers or curtains in your décor can lift your mood.
There would be no life or organism alive without the sun and when its access is limited, it gives us a chance to be grateful for what it provides to all of us for free.
Coutinho practises in the field of Holistic Nutrition – Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine, Founder of Luke Coutinho Holistic Healing Systems
