The internet and medical literature in general have a lot of complicated, misinformation about S.A.D.
The medical definition of SAD is: symptoms of depression which coincide with shorter days and less sunlight. In-turn this “affects” our biological internal clocks, or circadian rhythm, especially in women and younger children. Other symptoms may include a craving for sugary foods, and refined carbohydrates.
The root cause though is very simple. A lack of exposure to natural sunlight.
When you don’t get natural sunlight on your skin, you suffer from a nutritional deficiency, just as if you weren’t consuming vitamins or minerals.
It’s too bad the medical community just can’t call it what it is, a sunlight deficiency.
In order to reverse and prevent seasonal affective disorder, the only treatment necessary is to get more natural sunlight on your skin. Sunlight is the answer, and all one really needs to do is step outside and expose their skin to natural sunlight – without sunscreen – for a few minutes each day (10 to 15 is optimal), and their body and nature will take care of the rest.
But, if we all did this the pharmaceutical companies would not benefit. So, in the last 5 or so years prescriptions for antidepressants and hormone related disorders have skyrocketed to help S.A.D. sufferers.
If you make a point to get natural sunlight on your skin on a frequent basis – daily, when possible, a wide range of healthful benefits, including but not limited to: the ending of any state of depression, increased bone density and reversal of symptoms of osteoporosis, overall enhanced mood and brain function. So, reversing seasonal affective disorder is not only simple, it is also free.
For those living in darker areas, we suggest full-spectrum lighting boxes during the darker periods of time to help.
Prescription: 10-15 minutes of natural sunlight daily, without sunscreen (this is a whole other topic to discuss), exercise 30 minutes daily at least 5 days a week, and throw in eating more seasonal wholefoods.
Now go outside in the sunshine already!!!