S.A.D—seasonal affective disorder / “winter depression” is a REAL thing. Our bodies NEED vitamin D / sunshine to function properly. We weren’t created to go into an office in the dark and drive back home in the dark, day after day.
Unless you take strategic action, you are a product of your environment. Living in too much bitter cold darkness can easily lead to bitter, cold, and dark feelings and thoughts.
It’s one of the reasons I moved my family to Florida so that we can enjoy the sunshine on our skin almost every day of the year! Because just like plants, you need quality soil (gut health/immune system), lots of water (it’s literally the source of life/feeling good), and sunshine (natural vitamin D) to grow and blossom!
While you probably can’t just pack up your world and move to Florida, you can be intentional about your happiness this winter—no matter where you live!
True happiness is found when your body, mind, and soul are adequately fed and, therefore, able to function at optimal levels! You are designed to feel happy—you just need to give your body the right fuel.
Vitamin D = Drops Of Winter Happiness
Vitamin D is a crucial nutrient for your nervous and immune systems, but 75-90% of Americans are vitamin D deficient during the short winter days! YIKES.
Without vitamin D, they can’t do their jobs. This leads to you feeling depressed—your nervous system shutting down—and sickness. Your immune system isn’t able to fight off colds, flu, and respiratory illnesses such as Covid.
But the wintertime blues aren’t something you have to sing—YOU can bring notes of happiness to your days via dropping Acid-Kicking Vitamin D. Keep a bottle at work and home so you can give yourself some sunny happiness—all while fighting inflammation, lowering cholesterol, and building up your heart and bones!
Fresh Air = Fresh New Lens Of Happiness
You know those moments when you feel anxious and say, "I just need to get some fresh air?” It's a real thing. Stepping outside can help raise oxygen levels in your brain, which increases serotonin (a neurotransmitter that alters your mood).
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After living in the middle of New York City highrises, I can't encourage this enough—plan your day/week around getting sunlight on your body, even if it's only 4 minutes during your lunch break. It will genuinely make a difference in your happiness levels.
On your days off, get some outdoor activity around noon (or whenever the warmest/sunniest part of the day is for your area). Even better: go skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or walk your dog (or just you!) around a park.
Movement, sunshine (even if it’s 22 degrees outside), and clean air will do wonders for your happiness throughout the winter. Invite a friend or your spouse, put it on the calendar, and make it happen. Your body, mind, and soul (and everyone around you) will be forever grateful for the dose of happiness!
Remember this (write it out and put it on your mirror if you need to!): If you don’t make time for wellness—you will be forced to make time for physical and mental illness.
Happiness = A Healthy Body
When your body is down, and you just caught another cold—you aren’t going to be happy. Instead, you are stuck in bed (or maybe still having to tough it out working remotely), your brain is in a fog and body is aching, and holiday festivities are going on without you! Ahhggg.
Your body and mind do not live in silos. In fact, your gut (80% of your immune system lives in your gut) and brain are connected through millions of nerves, most importantly the Vagus Nerve. When your immune system is down—so is your brain and mental health.
One of the best ways to prevent illness and promote happiness is by kicking acid out of your body all winter long via the Acid-Kicking Starter Kit!
Here’s the roadmap to sickville: Too much acid → inflammation → weakened immune system → all sorts of illnesses.
The Acid-Kicking Starter Kit also makes for a great gift idea—because nothing is better than happy and healthy friends and family enjoying the holidays together!