Your favorite thing about winter...BESIDES skiing?

[climbingbetty]

And on a related note, there's this article:
https://www.fastcompany.com/3052970...he-norwegian-secret-to-enjoying-a-long-winter

I like that article. I tell people who hate winter that they need a winter sport. Something that gets them outside, preferably, that's the secret to enjoying winter.

As for SAD, I've seen some studies that suggest lower Vitamin D levels might be too blame. From checking my patient's Vitamin D levels regularly, I would concur. I have many folks start supplementing or increasing their dose around this time of year and throughout the winter.

 

[segacs]

As for SAD, I've seen some studies that suggest lower Vitamin D levels might be too blame. From checking my patient's Vitamin D levels regularly, I would concur. I have many folks start supplementing or increasing their dose around this time of year and throughout the winter.

I've seen those studies, too. The problem with supplements is that they tend to not be very well absorbed, and they need to be taken together with calcium to be absorbed well into the body. Drinking a glass of milk fortified with Vitamin D is probably more helpful than taking a supplement pill, but I've also spoken to doctors who say that a reasonable amount of Vitamin D is maybe the only supplement with scientific evidence to support it. So yeah, if that helps, then maybe.

Personally, I make it a habit to get outdoors every day for a walk at lunchtime, rain or shine, sleet or snowstorm, minus 30 or whatever. Just getting some daylight is such a big help, especially this time of year when I end up getting to work in the dark and getting home in the dark. I also moved my desk to sit by a window, which helps a lot.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

And on a related note, there's this article:
https://www.fastcompany.com/3052970...he-norwegian-secret-to-enjoying-a-long-winter

Great article. I am going to share on facebook. I have many friends who hate winter and wine about it. Summer is my bad time and this past summer was when I learned to survive it by embracing it and finding sh!t to do so it wasn't so unbearable for me. It was actually kind of sad this fall when we put the summer patio stuff away. I think if people who hate winter embraced this article their lives would be better.

 

[climbingbetty]

I've seen those studies, too. The problem with supplements is that they tend to not be very well absorbed, and they need to be taken together with calcium to be absorbed well into the body. Drinking a glass of milk fortified with Vitamin D is probably more helpful than taking a supplement pill, but I've also spoken to doctors who say that a reasonable amount of Vitamin D is maybe the only supplement with scientific evidence to support it. So yeah, if that helps, then maybe..

I give Vitamin D sublingually. And actually, Vitamin D doesn't necessarily need Calcium to be absorbed, but calcium does need Vitamin D for absorption. (Ditto for magnesium). Poor absorption usually indicates poor digestion, so I'm always working to make sure that a patient is digesting optimally. For instance, you need sufficient stomach acid to absorb calcium. This is why one of the scariest long-term side effects of proton-pump-inhibitors (acid blocking drugs of the stomach) is increased risk of femur fractures. You also need Vitamin K2, another fat soluble vitamin, to make sure that the calcium ends up in the bones and not arterial walls. So, going back to Vitamin D absorption, is it not being absorbed because of vitamin D itself or because its a fat-soluable vitamin and the person is on a low-fat diet? Or maybe they've had a cholecystectomy and fat absorption is impaired due to reduced bile secretion?

Point is, most of the time, there's a problem in the digestive system leading to poor nutrient absorption, not a problem with the nutrient or supplement itself.

Of course, then you might run into the other problem that most nutrient come in complexes... and giving single nutrients in isolation may lead to unintended issues, like Vitamin E....

but I digress.

 

[segacs]

Thanks for the info, @climbingbetty . That makes sense.

Just back from a nice walk in the sunshine. Hope that helps my mood.