The days are getting shorter and cooler and many people are starting to feel a little less energetic and cheerful at this time of year. This article looks at how drinking hydrogen-rich water can positively affect seasonal affective disorder. Although the cooler weather is a chance to relax indoors around a warm fire, the shorter daylight hours can affect some people with a condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. SAD is a depressive disorder that is directly related to the loss of sunlight in the fall and winter months. The symptoms can look just like depression: difficulty getting out of bed, overeating, and lack of energy can all be connected to it. There could also be a decrease in activity, trouble keeping focused, and irritability.

Get a lamp

Since SAD was identified as a disorder, many research studies were conducted to find treatments. One of the best solutions was to trick the brain into thinking it is still receiving ample doses of sunlight by using phototherapy devices like dawn simulators - lamps that turn on as the sun comes up providing exposure to its strong bulbs for 30 minutes each morning. Light therapy boxes for SAD treatment are also known as light boxes, bright light therapy boxes and phototherapy boxes. Light therapy treatments involve 20 to 60 minutes of daily exposure to cool-white florescent light and there are many products on the market for this purpose.

Get outside

You can combine two treatments for SAD by getting outside whenever it’s sunny and getting some exercise. Natural light boosts levels of serotonin, a mood-regulating chemical that helps brain cells communicate. Heart-pumping exercise reduces symptoms of depression in general and also benefits people with SAD. So get outside for a brisk walk on a sunny day and watch your mood improve.

Take a vacation

Save your holiday days and plan your vacation time for the winter rather than summer. Escaping to a warmer sunny climate for a week or two can definitely boost your mood and expose you to some much-needed rays.

Boost your Vitamin D

A growing body of evidence shows that vitamin D plays a crucial role in disease prevention and maintaining optimal health. Since we get most of our vitamin D from the sun, it makes sense that in the darker months we need to get it from other sources. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is responsible for the feelings of well being, relaxation and calmness. The brain produces more serotonin when the body is exposed to the sun. To boost your vitamin D include foods such as milk, egg yolk, fish such as sardines, eel, mackerel, herring, and organ meats and/or take vitamin D supplements daily.

Watch those cravings

Diet can definitely play a part in increasing or decreasing your seasonal affective disorder symptoms. Eating a high carb or high sugar diet may be what your brain is craving but that will only make you feel more tired and sluggish. Eat a healthy diet rich in vegetables and increase your intake of Omega-3 fatty acids by eating oily, fatty fish (mackerel, herring, salmon, sardines, anchovies) flaxseed, hemp, canola and walnut oils.

Drink H2 water

In a recent study with hydrogen-rich or H2 water administration for 4 weeks in adult volunteers it was found that it resulted in improved mood, anxiety and autonomic nerve function, suggesting that drinking H2 water may offer an effective method to reinforce quality of life and health. These findings suggest drinking H2 water may be effective for controlling negative emotions by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation of the central nervous system. Increasing evidence suggests that oxidative stress and inflammation in neurons are involved in the pathological manifestations of many neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, and drinking H2 water can help alleviate the symptoms of these disorders. Drinking H2 water is an important and easy way to boost your mental health, especially in the winter months. Getting H2 water into your daily routine has never been easier. You can choose from a number of different water ionizers that create H2 water at home or on the go. You can also supplement with H2 tablets that turn regular tap water into an H2 infused drink. We are the H2 water experts. Give us a call at 1-877-770-5247 or check us out online at: www.waterionizer.org