Winter. From the sky something is gray, under the feet of "porridge" of the same color, the sun does not appear ... At this time, you do not want anything, what can we say about keeping ourselves in good shape ... The only route that you are able to overpower , - from the sofa to the refrigerator and back, it's clear that they are running pounds. You are convinced: all this is from laziness, but in fact the seasonal depression is to blame.
There are days when we are unreasonably sad, sad at heart, and it's good to be like us from a burned-out light bulb at such a time. Only light bulbs do not gain weight from a bad mood, and we - without ceremony: this is one of the main signs of seasonal depression. In the cold season, it affects 40% of our compatriots, and women are 4 times more likely than men. Because of a bad mood, not only the emotional background, but also the level of metabolism is reduced, so fat does not burn, but is deposited at the waist.
So it turns out that one should not struggle with excess weight as such, but with the cause of its appearance - depression. The trouble is that in most cases it occurs in a hidden (subclinical) form and is not perceived by man as a problem.
More light!
The reason for the seasonal depression is long winter days, with a characteristic lack of sufficient vitamins and a lack of sunlight, supplemented by inclement weather. With a weak amount of light, our brain can not generate the necessary amount of the meatonin hormone, which increases the emotional state of the body and the level of metabolism.
The lack of sun and lack of snow, which is increasingly observed in recent years in the metropolitan region, causes depression even in mentally resistant people. But worst of all, in such meteorological conditions, metabolic processes slow down beyond measure: not by 5%, as is usually the case in the cold season, but by 10-15%. Can you imagine how such "exchange inhibition" is reflected in the figure?
For residents of the United States and Europe to deal with excess weight in the cold and dark seasons help special salons of light therapy (phototherapy). For those who prefer to heal at home, scientists have created special headphones with a bright light bulb, as well as less bulky luminous visors and baseball caps. You do not have one? To reduce weight with the help of light, any source of it, down to a candle, suits. But it's better to use halogen lamps: they give light that is as close to the sun as possible in the spectral sense. They are used in phototherapy salons. To arrange a session of home phototherapy, it's enough to spend one or two hours a day in bright light, doing any business-preparing dinner, putting things in order, reading. You can also pedal the exercise bike! The mood will improve already on the third or fifth day, and by the end of the second week you will lose a minimum of a half a kilo. Further more!
The main conditions for seasonal depression are sadness without a cause, a depressed state, increased irritability, a constant feeling of fatigue, reduced efficiency, and frequent impulses to stuff something in your mouth, with all the bad consequences for the figure, which also do not improve mood. True, only those who have a tendency to fullness get fat from grief. In lean victims of depression, the appetite can disappear completely, so that not at all superfluous kilograms begin to melt, making from an already thin person even greater thin. Therefore, nourishing reeds need enhanced nutrition. And it is not recommended to sit on a low-calorie diet with puffed-up pyschki. A small amount of carbohydrates and constant limitations do not add optimism. Given not the most rosy seasonal moods, do not limit yourself to small pleasurable pleasures. When you really want, forget about the calories: eat a cake or a little popcorn. A total of 150-200 g of carbohydrate food is enough to restore a smooth disposition of the spirit. Just do not do it all the time, it's a means of emergency psychological help!
To the very point
To lift the mood and lose weight will help also Chinese acupressure. It is performed by the massaging movements of the fingertip. Points are easy to find in natural grooves, when pressed on them, there is discomfort, and sometimes even a slight soreness.
Pair the dots on the head, knead simultaneously, on the hands and feet - alternately.
- Lin-ten ("Frontal arch") - just above the bridge of the nose between the eyebrows (where Indian women draw a dot).
- Shin-ten ("Soul storehouse") - in the middle of the forehead, one tsun (the width of the thumb) is higher than the hair growth line.
- Tu-ve ("Pure Mind") - on tsun above the angle, under which the border of hair growth moves from the forehead to the temple.
- Tao-yan ("Moon") - under the thumb pad, whose tip is horizontally pressed to the outer corner of the eye.
- Ba-hu ("High Unity") - in the center of the crown.
- Shin-min ("The Gate of God" or "Spiritual Monastery") - the place of connection of the hand with the forearm from the little finger.
- Tin-lin ("Harmony of the spirit") - two tsunya above the point Shin-min.
- He-gu ("Merging streams" or "Closed valley") - roughly in the middle of the muscular hillock, which is formed if the thumb is squeezed to the palm of your hand.
- Tsu-sen ("Solar energy") - under the upper phalange of the ring finger, if you sit down, put your hand on the bent knee, and then spread your fingers slightly.
Even a little physical activity is better than nothing. It increases mood and at the expense of it starts process of weight reduction.
Women who gained weight due to seasonal depression, American scientists included in the Program of regular moderate physical exertion of the University of Pennsylvania (USA). They were offered three to five times a week to walk for 20-30 minutes no later than two hours before bedtime. It would seem that the load is not high: for half an hour you can not burn many calories! However, within a month 90% of the participants of the program lost a kilogram and more, and most importantly, they got rid of seasonal depression. Doctors associate the beneficial effect of such walks on the figure with an increase in emotional tone, leading to increased metabolism.
Could not get out on the street? Light the aroma lamp with essential oils that improve mood and stimulate metabolism. These include, for example, orange, basil, verbena, levsei, cloves, ginger, hyssop, cinnamon, incense, lemon, mandarin, melissa, myrtle, juniper, nutmeg, nerogi, rose, thuja, thyme and sage. Choose those that you like, and spend two hours with them aromatherapy.
Triple joy
Many herbs have properties of plant neurostimulants. And they stimulate not only those areas of the brain that are responsible for the mood, but others, whose duty it is to maintain metabolism.
Ginseng Siberian normalizes the level of sugar in the blood, causes the body to burn fat, increases vital energy. A similar effect is possessed by: licorice root, zamaniha, aralia, lefthia safflower, eucomma vulgaris, magnolia vine, rhodiola rosea, echinacea purpurea. Buy one of these herbs in the pharmacy and take them for 10-14 days, after which break off for a week and move on to another. Just do not overdo it! Natural neurostimutants fully justify their name, having a strong stimulating effect: they can not be taken before bed and in a state of acute anxiety, as well as hypertension.
St. John's wort is a natural antidepressant. The active substance (hypericin) increases the production of anti-stress mediators - serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine, reduces the level of the stress hormone cortisol. But it is he who makes the body multiply fat deposits! "Grass of Joy" relieves mild depression as well as medications. Noticeable results for mood and waist will appear about six weeks after the beginning of the reception. But keep in mind: St. John's wort can not be used simultaneously with antidepressants.
Hops are common. Herbal remedies based on it are very popular among German women and English women, who are concerned about bad mood and overweight. Hops cones (especially in combination with valerian) have a mild soothing and lymphatic drainage effect.