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
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.