Best cure for the post-holiday blues: the green room. Photo: Ryan Chachi Craig
Why is the post-holiday cleanse so hard? By this time, you’ve maybe noticed you’re sitting a little deeper in the water on your board, or your wetsuit is a bit more difficult to slip into, and you’ve decided to cut the cookies and nog and jump onto the new year’s resolution bandwagon. No matter how motivated or determined you may be January 1st, it always seems like after a couple weeks (or in my case, a couple days) into the health kick, the real struggle begins. Dinner without desert seems dismal, and returning to carrots and celery for a snack versus munching on holiday treats just doesn’t satisfy your cravings. It seems like the struggle will never end.
Know you are not alone, and in fact, these cravings are natural and to be expected. Studies have shown that following weeks of a diet high in fat, returning to a leaner diet can cause symptoms much like drug withdrawal. This shift in diet can cause symptoms of anxiety and depression due to fundamental changes in the release of brain compounds, like dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for happiness. Unfortunately, this all means that the post-holiday blues are very real and also very difficult to bounce back from.
Certain dietary measures can make the transition to a healthier diet easier and less stressful on the body. Registered dietician and author Ashley Koff offers several tips on Prevention.com to get your diet back on track. She includes tips such as upgrading the quality of your meals to include a balanced mix of carbs, proteins, and fats to keep energy up throughout the day as well as taking magnesium supplements before bed to help the body cope with stress. Diet based approaches tackle the problem at the source, making the transition less brutal on the body.
However, another more fun approach to beating the post-holiday blues involves tackling the problem from a different angle. Go surfing. Get out in the sunshine and move your body. Regular exercise has been recognized as a great way to reduce stress, ward off anxiety and depression, and increase energy levels by triggering the release of endorphins in the brain. Furthermore, sunlight has been known to increase levels of the natural antidepressant serotonin in the brain, boosting mood and minimizing fatigue.
While food may be the problem, it doesn’t have to be the only solution to overcoming the January struggle. Make the extra effort to get in the water, get moving, and get in the sunshine, and you’ll be over the hump before you know it. After all, we all know surfing is the best medicine.
Note: this is not intended to be medical advice. Please seek professional help in the treatment of serious depression or anxiety.
