I got out to my favorite park recently and thought about all my videos about the beneficial effects of nature on health.
And I thought, maybe people are getting bored with me talking about how nature is great for supporting mood, cognition, immune function, and so on.
And then I thought, what about my per/menopause friends? Because, at least in theory, getting out in nature should help reduce hot flashes.
Here’s the logic: (more…)
Yes, I’m a book geek. It’s how I was raised.
So it’s no surprise that when it comes to gift suggestions for the holidays (or any time of year), books are a go-to recommendation.
I think they’re especially apt gifts during the December holiday season.
Why?
First, reading is a great inward activity during an inward time of year. The weather outside is sometimes frightful, and cozying up with a book can be delightful.
Also, if you choose the right books, they can be a great counterbalance to the unhealthy traditions that are so hard to avoid at this time of year.
For both of those reasons, consider these three book recommendations for the reader, the eater and the nature-needer on your list.
How do you stay sane during Cascadia’s dark, wet winters?
When I first moved here, I got some great advice that I completely ignored. It was logical, sure, but it went against deeply ingrained biases. When I finally started heeding it, though, everything about our 9-month rainy season changed for me.
But let me backtrack for a minute. (more…)
Working in the Pacific Northwest, I see a lot of patients who have issues with seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
Most people understand SAD as a depression response to the short, dark days of winter. And indeed, that is the most common form.
But summer SAD is also truly a thing: hot days, unrelenting brightness that makes you think you have to be cheery and energetic, wildfire smoke in certain parts of the country — all of these contribute to seasonal depression in the summer.
Seasonal affective disorder, whenever it hits, has some common characteristics: depression is key, but also over- or undersleeping, anxiety and others. And some of the herbal and, if necessary, pharmacological prescriptions can help both types.
One simple treatment that works well for most types of depression is especially suited to summer SAD: getting into cold water.
Cold water helps beat depression.
Alchymist climbing rose in front of the clinic.
It’s full-bloom time here in the City of Roses. Which means I’m munching on flowers.
Did you know that rose petals are edible? Some taste better than others, and all are somewhat astringent. But the best ones carry both the rose fragrance and flavor. (Try them! Just make sure the plants aren’t sprayed with pesticides.) (more…)
I talk about vitamin D a lot. It’s useful for healthy bones, healthy immunity, healthy levels of inflammation, healthy mood. In the past decade it’s gotten a lot of press.
But in the same way whole foods are a better source of nutrients than a multivitamin, there are things the sun can do that a supplement cannot. When it comes to health, Nature almost always does it better. And it turns out that sun is more than a vitamin. (more…)
It’s two days before Thanksgiving and even though my plans are pretty mellow, I’m starting to feel the stress creeping into my body. This morning it woke me up, feeling like tendrils of tension wrapping around my throat and heart.
My still-half-sleeping brain began noodling on the question of what to do about it. And I thought, if Nature is the best medicine, what about committing to spending time out in it each day until the holiday craziness is safely past?
And then I thought, wouldn’t this be easier, more joyful and more effective if a bunch of us did it together?
And so I bring you my very first Vitamin N (nature) Challenge, which you can join on Facebook here.
Each day between now and January 2 I’m committing to a minimum of 7 intentional minutes with Nature as a way to tame my holiday stress.
Will you join me?
The rules: Since this is about reducing stress, the goal is to keep it simple and manageable. Say hi to an urban street tree for a few minutes. Put yourself into an amazing vista. Tickle whatever’s alive in your garden. Walk along a creek, river or beach. Get to wilderness, if doing so won’t increase your stress. And if you live in a deeply rural setting? Just take that 7 minutes a day to be in and appreciate some aspect of your landscape.
It all counts if you do it purposefully — as a commitment to connecting to nature, ideally outdoors, to reduce your holiday (or other) stress.
I’ll be taking and posting pictures of my daily Nature time to the Facebook group because 1) it’s fun and 2) it will hopefully inspire you. Please share your own pictures, stories and questions!
So here’s to a smooth slide through the upcoming season. Thank you for getting into Nature with me.
PS. Want to learn about my other challenges, classes and healthcare offerings? Sign up for my newsletter here.
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