Beat the last of the winter blues with tips from Dr. Rhéaume

The final months of winter can be difficult. Days are still short, the weather is still bleak and the light of spring at the end of the tunnel seems all too far away.

Employing a few healthy habits can help make the final winter push more bearable. Dr. Kate Rhéaume gave her best tips for the February blues on The Sam Laprade Show with guest host Derick Fage.

Start your day right

Setting the tone for the day can be as easy as a cup of warm lemon water, even before your daily cup of joe.

Rhéaume said kicking off your digestive system with the citric acid and sour flavour lets your body know the day is starting.

“It stimulates the flow of bile and that kind of revs up your digestion,” said Rhéaume. “And that's one thing … that plays a role in setting your circadian rhythm.”

Once your system is up and running, fuelling your body in the morning with good protein rich foods is the next step.

Carbohydrate and sugar rich foods like bagels, muffins and breakfast cereals will give you that mid-morning and mid-afternoon crash. 

“You want to focus on protein, fat and fibre at every meal, but breakfast is especially important,” said Rhéaume. Eggs and full-fat Greek yogurt are good options to give you longer-lasting energy through the day.

Get your daily dose of sunlight

With darker days and the sun further away from us, getting vitamin D is particularly important.

“Vitamin D is a nutrient found in really small amounts in some foods like egg yolks, certain types of fish and fortified dairy foods,” said Rhéaume. “But really, most Canadians do benefit from a vitamin D supplement.”

Most grocery stores and health food stores carry the supplement, and is one of the least expensive available, often costing just pennies per dose, according to Rhéaume.

Bring the drug of joy into your life

Endorphins are our bodies own happiness drug. All we have to do to spark that joy is move a little more.

Twenty to 30 minutes of exercise daily is ideal, and it doesn't have to be intense or all at once.

“Anything you can do to get moving. If the weather isn't great take advantage of indoor movement, even just walking up and down the stairs,” said Rhéaume.

“New studies show that so called 'exercise snacks', literally five minute increments of some kind of physical movements, do a lot of good.”

Visit the doctor. Don't worry, you'll be fine…

Though maybe not the most enjoyable way to boost your mood, getting an annual check up and some blood work could reveal why you are feeling fatigued or a little down.

“Lots of people haven't seen their doctor in a few years,” said Rhéaume. “So if you're really feeling tired and you haven't had a checkup in a while, get that checked over first, and then we can get into some tips to manage the February blahs.”

Listen to the full interview with Dr. Kate Rhéaume on The Sam Laprade Show below.