Not cool…
When a close friend first approached me with the topic of “Winter Blues” I disregarded it as a trendy title describing someone who isn’t so fond of cold weather and probably shouldn’t live in New York. When I found myself with a bout of it myself I reconsidered my definition. The truth is the formal definition doesn’t quite cover it; Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that occurs at a certain time of the year, usually in the winter. It’s really a combination of many different factors individual to each person affected. It’s actually not even limited to people living in cold weather! It makes sense if you think about it. Our Holiday calendar is laid out pretty unfairly regardless of religious affiliation. Yes the start of the year is technically January but anyone who’s ever attended kindergarten (which is pretty much all of us) understands that the real start of the year is September. A time for new beginnings, new clothes, new schools, new friends, a totally empty canvas to be painted through the year with memories, adventures, and new experiences…. Well for a few weeks really until the holidays start up. We’ve got the smaller religious days, then Halloween (love it!!!), quickly followed by Thanksgiving (oh boy here’s where it starts), which now overlaps with the start of the “Official Holiday Season”; Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, plus the pre-holiday/ holiday/ post-holiday sales, and just when you think you can’t take anymore madness HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
And then there’s nothing…..
The cold truth
This Nothing is what’s popularly known as “Winter Blues”
So we’ve got a nice long break till spring and with that deafening silence comes the regrets of things we may not have achieved the year prior; Weight loss, exercise, diets, family time etc. and although January 1st brings new hope and new resolution to complete these fantastically renewed endeavors, let’s face it, it’s bloody cold outside and even colder at 6 a.m. when you actually have time to work out, and family walks in the park aren’t so much fun when the threat of cold and flu season is still lingering around the baby, seriously is it still dark at 7:45, and oh yeah a hundred other reasons why I’m totally uninspired to do any of the things I said I’d do last year let alone to the new list.
Chill out girl
So it turns out the “Winter Blues” are not only real but there’s a real cure for them. It starts with some mandatory “me-time”. We’re moms for goodness sakes, if we can adapt to feeding a baby every 3hrs, or night time potty training, Picky little eaters, visits from the in-laws… Need I go on?
Now, what can you get from a few more hour of darkness? Time, and that’s just what you need to take charge of your life. You can start seeing results from The Abdominal Connections 6 Step Program in as few as 2 weeks. Make your own exercise schedule on your own terms, in your own home, use as many of the 6 Steps as you can, the more you do the faster your progress.
Take charge of your diet. The Abdominal Connections Manual includes lists of vitamins and minerals that are known to accelerate healthy tissue repair and speed up cell production. It also includes healthy tips and recipes to increase energy, and balance nutritious meals for the whole family. Find out which foods can help heal your Diastasis. Experiment with your meals. Being inside leaves time for you cook and eat at home. Write out some healthy recipes you’ve been meaning to try, maybe go vegetarian for a week?
Get ready for the new you. Web shopping is better than window shopping ever was. Take a glance at the new styles for spring and let them inspire you to take back your body. Check out new haircuts for the new season, and play with some new makeup tricks. When you emerge from this winter cocoon you are going to be fit, healthy and fabulous. Turn these chilly months into super productive awesome months that are all about you. When’s the last time you had time to do that?
It’s 40 degrees outside and I’ve got a Vitamix with my name on it. Winter Green Soup anyone?
Winter Green Soup (Vitamix)
Ingredients:
- 1 leek, trimmed, halved, sliced
- 1 stalk celery, 2 ounces (56 g), rough chop
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups (720 ml) vegetable broth
- 1 cup (240 ml) diced tomatoes, canned
- 2 cups (134 g) chopped kale
- 9 ounces (256 g) zucchini, halved, sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 ounces (85 g) fresh baby spinach
- 1/4 cup (15 g) Italian parsley or basil
- 1 1/2 – 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Chopped tomato and fresh basil for garnish
DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan sauté leeks, celery, and garlic in oil over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir in broth, tomatoes, kale, zucchini, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered, 5 minutes, stirring once. Remove from heat and let cool 30 minutes. Place half of the mixture into the Vitamix container and secure lid. Select Variable 1. Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High. Blend for 30 to 40 seconds. Pour into saucepan.
Repeat with remaining soup. After blending, remove lid and add in fresh spinach, parsley and vinegar. Secure lid. Select Variable 6. Use the On/Off switch to quickly pulse 5 times. Pour into saucepan containing other blended soup. Heat over medium-high heat for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped tomatoes and basil.