Four Tips for a Brighter Blue Monday
January can be a difficult month for many with gloomy weather, holiday bills and broken New Year’s resolutions.
Karlene Karst, nutritionist and founder of Sea-licious, joined CTV Morning Live with four tips to combat the winter blues.
CURB THE CANDY
When feeling down it can be easy to turn to comfort foods, chocolate and candy. Sugar is often craved when feeling stressed. However, the inevitable sugar crash does more harm than good in the long run.
Karst recommends incorporating more Omega-3 fatty acids into a balanced diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats, which reduce inflammation and boost the feel good brain chemical serotonin.
Karst recommended Sea-licious, which is an Omega-3 supplement with no fishy aftertaste.
KEEP CLUTTER-FREE
Our emotional state can often be reflected in our environment. Cleaning and organizing can help reduce stress and depression. It improves productivity and can even help with sleep.
EMBRACE THE OUTDOORS
The weather may be unpredictable during the winter months, but it is important to dress for the conditions and get outdoors. Karst shared that walking in nature can be a powerful antidepressant.
For even further benefits, Karst recommends doing workouts outdoors. Movement causes the body to release endorphins, which trigger a positive feeling in the body.
LIGHTEN UP
The days may be short in the winter months, but it is important to get as much natural light as possible.
Karst shared that it is particularly beneficial between 6 and 8 a.m. as it encourages natural serotonin production.
Increasing natural light in the home can be as easy as opening the curtains and rolling up the shades.
Karst also recommended the use of a light box for about 30 minutes to two hours per day to help with the lack of sunlight.
Check out the full video from CTV Morning Live for more tips to beat the winter blues.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
B.C.'s short-term rental regulations include $10K daily penalties for Airbnb, other platforms
Short-term rental platforms that violate B.C.'s pending regulations can face administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day, officials announced Thursday.
Closing arguments heard in trial for Sask. dad accused of abducting daughter
Closing arguments were heard Thursday morning in the case of Michael Gordon Jackson, the Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter in 2021 to keep her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.