Seasonal Affective Disorder: It's Really SAD

So, what is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and what does it have to do with vegans? SAD is a form of depression that occurs in many people during the autumn and winter months from the lack of sunlight. A lighter version of the disorder is simply dubbed ‘The Winter Blues’.

The symptoms include tiredness, weight gain, difficulty getting out of bed and a craving for sweets. Is a vegan more or less likely to be affected by SAD? No. In fact, with a more nutritional diet and a more active lifestyle, vegans would tend to be affected less. However, if one is affected, the symptoms might lead one to believe that something is wrong with the diet itself.

Being lethargic, having a hard time getting out of bed in the morning, wanting to sleep early at night and having cravings of any kind would at times suggest that there is a lack of nutrition in the system and/or an imbalanced diet. This could lead someone to come to the conclusion that just maybe the missing key to the puzzle is meat.

Stick to your guns. This could be no further from the truth. SAD has really nothing to do with diet and all to do with the amount of sunlight and how it affects the chemicals in the brain. The best thing to do with the winter blues is keep up your great vegan diet and get outside as much as possible.

Artificial therapy is based on using light treatment. A light box can be had for $250 - $500 that can simulate much needed sunlight. Interestingly enough, studies have shown that light might not need to enter through the retina to be effective. In one study, the light was isolated to the back of the knee which is the dark side of the moon that is the human body, and positive results were attained.

St. Johns wort has been suggested as an herbal remedy but is still in the research stage. One of the problems with the herb is that it increases sensitivity to light so would counteract the benefits someone is receiving from a light box.

What does it all mean? There is a logical reason why you feel crappy in December and January. You are not alone when you have to forcibly drag yourself out of bed each and every morning during the winter months regardless of how much sleep you’ve had. And, my favourite... it is normal to want to skip that run or workout when it’s dark at five in the afternoon and the temperature is hovering around -10.

Just remember, February follows January and March follows February and spring and summer always, always, always come around each and every year.

Here are some other posts you may enjoy:

Importance of Zinc in the Diet and Other Updates
Coconut in Your Diet
The Many Benefits of Hot Peppers

2009-10 NHL Prediction Update - Halftime

The NHL has reached the halfway point of the season and it’s time for an update on my predictions made before the beginning of the season. At the quarter, I had 10 teams in their correct positions. I’ve picked up two on that as the season falls into place. Once the Olympic break is over, the rest of the pieces should fall in line.

12 out of 30 teams is pretty darn close to 50%. I believe at the three quarters point, I will be at 50% and by the season finale, I will be at 67%. In today’s NHL, there is hardly any room between first and last. Things can change overnight and those teams that were flying high can falter and the bottom feeders can pick up steam like a runaway locomotive.

Here’s how the picture looks, so far. The teams are listed in their current position with my predicted position in brackets.

Atlantic Division

1. New Jersey Devils (3)
2. Pittsburgh Penguins (2)
3. New York Rangers (5)
4. New York Islanders (4)
5. Philadelphia Flyers (1)

The Flyers have shown signs of getting out of the funk they’ve been in and are only mere points from third place. The Devils are running away with it right now but once Marty Brodeur gets tired out from playing for Canada in the Olympics, they should drop back down to Earth. Rangers suck! Not sure how they’re doing it.

Southeast Division

1. Washington Capitals (1)
2. Atlanta Thrashers (5)
3. Tampa Bay Lightning (3)
4. Florida Panthers (4)
5. Carolina Hurricanes (2)

Washington will have to completely collapse to lose their position in first. The Hurricanes seem to be a lost cause. With the other three basically in a dead heat, Tampa and Florida just have to slip ahead of Atlanta to make me look good.

Northeast Division

1. Buffalo Sabres (4)
2. Boston Bruins (2)
3. Ottawa Senators (3)
4. Montreal Canadiens (1)
5. Toronto Maple Leafs (5)

Buffalo just might be for real. Montreal just can’t get it together, as usual. When will I ever learn to not have faith in anything out of Montreal? Toronto has no hope of leaving the basement, which is good. Ottawa just needs to stay the course.

Central Division

1. Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2. Nashville Predators (5)
3. Detroit Red Wings (4)
4. St. Louis Blues (3)
5. Columbus Blue Jackets (2)

Chicago has 10 points on the Preds which should be somewhat insurmountable considering the talent the team has. Nashville is a team full of misfits that couldn’t make it anywhere else. The lack of spotlight might be just what’s making that team click. Columbus is such a huge disappointment for me again this season.

Pacific Division

1. San Jose Sharks (2)
2. Phoenix Coyotes (5)
3. Los Angeles Kings (3)
4. Dallas Stars (4)
5. Anaheim Ducks (1)

It appears that Wayne Gretzky is not the hockey coach, GM and owner that his incredible playing ability would make him. Once Wayne was railroaded out of the desert, the team started playing hockey. 3 out of 5 is pretty good and I might just have to settle for that since the Ducks moving from 5th to 1st might shake up the division so bad that they’d be the only team in the right position in the end.

Northwest Division

1. Calgary Flames (1)
2. Colorado Avalanche (5)
3. Vancouver Canucks (2)
4. Minnesota Wild (4)
5. Edmonton Oilers (3)

Add Edmonton to Columbus and Montreal as the biggest losers of the season. All three are so darn good at hiding behind excuses when they disappoint season after season. Colorado, Calgary and Vancouver are separated by a total of two points – this one can be won by anyone.

That’s it for Pro hockey for a month or two. Back to being a vegan athlete. As with last January, I’m struggling with constant tiredness, difficulty getting out of bed and a tad bit of obsession with the sweets. It turns out these are prime symptoms of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Next post, I’m going to dwell into the research I’ve been doing on the topic and what can be done to get rid of it.

In the meantime, here are some of my previous posts on hockey that you might want to check out:

My NHL Predictions For 2009-10

Ten Commandments Of Shinny Hockey

2009-10 NHL Prediction Update

Bravo Georges Laraque!

Fruitarians, Canadian Communists and the Biggest Loser

A little bit of an odds and ends post, here. First off, I’ve found something a little more extreme than even a raw-foodist (which, I am not). The Fruitarians are people that only eat fruit and nuts and only raw. Obviously, no meat either but no vegetables or roots, neither. Those fruits that we sometimes consider to be vegetables, like tomatoes and cukes are included in their diet.

Bravo, if they feel this is the diet and lifestyle for them. I think it would work. I think the nutrition would be there. Living in a cold weather climate, I just don’t think it would be the diet for me. I need cooked food on a cold winter’s night. I don’t think this makes me weak – it’s just the way I am.

However, I get a sense that the Fruitarians are a little militant towards the rest of us savage vegans. They feel that eating vegetables is a form of killing because you kill the plant to harvest it and need to re-plant from seed to see the next harvest. Whereas, a fruit tree just keeps on giving – despite the fact that it is their ‘unborn fetus’ that’s being eaten. In some parts, this is also considered murder...

Next...

Because of the communist government of Ontario/Canada, I am no longer able to drink my green tea from an open mug while in the workplace. I must have a covered cup at all times just in case a flying drop of automotive chemical comes flying from the garage and into the parts department and drops right in my mug and then I drink it and die. As you can tell, the company I work for was audited by the Ministry of Labour this week.

I must also drag out the steel toe shoes – tolerable. They will be removing the vending machines that are located in the garage area. Apparently, despite the fact that all products in the machines are sealed and the machines themselves are sealed, there is still a possibility that the products could become contaminated – possibly by cancer-causing brake dust that could infiltrate the tightly secured machine. Brake dust that we’re breathing in every minute of the day anyway.

I understand the government’s intentions and for the most part they are good intentions. However, I don’t know if a world where we all live to be 120 years old is that great if we have so many regulations that we can’t truly live. Besides, is a government that makes most of its money through selling alcohol, tobacco and gambling products back to its own people, really that concerned with health and safety??

Every day, Fidel and Cuba look more and more like the ideal society. Don’t back down, Cuba.

And then...

I was sort of duped into signing up for a ‘Biggest Loser’ contest at work. I thought it was a one-time shot over a short period of time. That would have been perfect for me as I’ve got a few X-mas pounds I need to shed in addition to the extra 10 or so pounds I’d like to get rid of before the running season is full swing.

Turns out, it’s $20 per month to enter over the next 6 months with only one grand prize winner in the end. There are a few other participants with a lot more available potential than myself. However, there aren’t many with an equal diet and will power. It turns out to be $1200 if everyone keeps playing. Man, I could use $1200! I’d definitely be going to visit Fidel in Cuba on that kind of coin – that’s $1199.99 more than I make writing this blog...

Coming up very soon is my halfway NHL prediction report. I don’t think I’m doing that great but I haven’t really been following the standings much. The NHL is just about to go into a hiatus as the Winter Olympics begin. On that note, I’d like to piss off my fellow countrymen by saying that it will be Russia – Sweden – Canada getting the gold, silver and bronze in Men’s Ice Hockey. Sorry Canada, you’ve picked a questionable team and will not win. However, the women will win gold...

Check out these previous posts:

The Nine Benefits Of Green Tea
Kensington Market – The Vegan Mecca
Bravo, Georges Laraque!

Easy Hot Lunch For Vegans On The Go

Want a quick, healthy and hot lunch? Try this one on for size. I'll almost guarantee you'll love it. It's called Toasted Fried Guac Sandwich. The ingredients are readily available at your local grocer, if not already hanging out in your fridge. All you need is a no-stick frying pan and you're all set.

Ingredients

• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 celery stick, diced
• 2-3 heaping TBSP of diced onion (preferably red onion)
• 3 mushrooms, chopped
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced
• bread, toasted
• 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• mustard (optional)

Your avocado should have skin that's going brown and is a little soft to the touch. However, we're not making a raw guacamole, so it can be a little less ripe. As long as it's easy to remove the pit and scoop the flesh from the skin, we're all set.

In a small mixing bowl, dice up the avocado flesh as small as you can. Dice up the tomato, celery, onion and add to the mix as well as the chopped mushroom. Using a good garlic mincer, crush the clove on top of the rest of the mix. No need to mix everything together - the frying process will take care of that.

Put your frying pan on medium heat. When it has heated up sufficiently, add the olive oil then the vegetable mix. Even with a non-stick pan and olive oil, the avocado will have a tendency to stick to the pan. Be sure to mix often to reduce the sticking.

In the meantime, prepare your toast. There is enough in the pan to make two very thick sandwiches or four thinner ones.

When the mix starts to show signs of charring and the avocado is mushy, the cooking is done. Spoon the mix onto the toast. I add mustard but you can add (or not add) any condiment you want. I'm sure a nice hummus would make a great spread for the sandwich.

This would make a great filling for a pita pocket or wrap. In fact, try it as filler next time you have vegan taco night.

2010 Running Race Schedule

The dreaded holiday season is over and it’s time to get down to business and make 2010 the best damn year ever. I’ve been really taking it easy physically for the past 6 weeks. Daily exercise just didn’t happen over the two weeks in Panama because it was just too damn hot – plus recovering from the initial 44 hour day and all the stress that came with it took longer than I would have ever thought (maybe I am getting old...).

Despite the brutally cold temperatures outside (-15 celcius during the day, not counting the windchill) which are low enough to warrant a cold weather alert in Toronto, I must begin my running training for the upcoming season. I’m completely off the pavement this year. I’m planning on entering all 8 Ontario Trail Series races as well as 4 of 5 of the 5 Peaks Trail series. There is one conflict where there are two races on the same day. I may change plans and go in all 5 of the 5 Peaks races and 7 of 8 of the Ontario Trail Series.

I’m also planning to apply to the lottery for entry into the 2010 New York City Marathon. It occurs on November 7, 2010 and is quite expensive, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime runner’s opportunity. It’s rare to get in on the first try but on the 4th try, you’re guaranteed. Might as well start now and plan on being in the 2014 race.

There is still an outside chance that I will go in the Round The Bay 30k in Hamilton, Ontario at the end of March. It’ll depend on my conditioning. The first race of the Ontario Trail Series is just a couple weeks after...

Here’s the planned sched as it stands now (all races fall on a Saturday):

April 17 – Seaton Trail 26k in Pickering – OTS
April 24 – Dundas Valley – distance tbd – 5 Peaks
May 1 – Pick Your Poison 25k in Orillia – OTS
May 29 – Sulphur Springs 25k in Dundas – OTS
June 12 – Durham Regional Forest 12.3k – 5 Peaks
July 3 – Creemore Vertical Challenge 25k – OTS
July 10 – Rattlesnake Point 12.7k – 5 Peaks
August 7 – Dirty Girls 30k in Mansfield – OTS
August 21 – Terra Cotta Conservation Area – distance tbd – 5 Peaks
OR
August 21 – Iroquoia Trail Test 32k in Kilbride – OTS
September 11 – Haliburton Forest 25k in West Guilford – OTS
October 9 – Albion Hills Conservation Area 21k – 5 Peaks
October 16 – Vulture Bait 25k in London – OTS