The transition from one season to another can bring with it a series of fluctuations in the general state of the body, manifested by depression, lack of concentration, and decreased appetite.
Spring is coming, I reckon. Or is it?
The cold season has just begun and the thought of winter holidays, Santas of all kinds and family celebrations are on the mind
– you’re already counting the days until you have to buy and decorate the Christmas tree and choose presents for your loved ones. Unless you count yourself among those who live a permanent Christmas, or who want to avoid the hustle and bustle of the shops and do their shopping early.
In this festive context, with many days off on the horizon, you may not want to use the word “thrift”. And yet, it’s wise to keep a balance so that “life after December” is at least as good as “life before December”.
The Romanian has a saying “Make your winter a cart and your summer a sledge” and he’s right!
We may forget sometimes, but sudden changes in our surrounding landscape come with a series of changes in our general state of health, which we don’t really know how to categorise and we start to think of all sorts of illnesses.
Organismul humans, trained, shaped and moulded over the millennia, have the capacity to adapt quite well to the transition from hot to cold, but they suffer when they have to make the reverse transition from cold to hot and start to feel the pain.
This transition from cold to hot happens as we enter the spring season, a season that Charles Dickens described in a very … practical way. According to the famous writer, “Spring is that time of the year when it is summer in the sun and winter in the shade”, a very evocative description of what we feel, perhaps without realising it in reality.
Our bodies, in their efforts to adapt to new external conditions, make an extra physical and mental effort, which has to be “financed” from the existing vitamin and mineral budget.
Against this background, unpleasant feelings of fatigue begin to set in, with the impression that, whatever you try to do, although you are pressing on the accelerator, you are not moving in the desired direction.
And to complete the picture, the lack of appetite cuts off the very source of revitalisation of the body, namely a diet rich in nutrients.
This situation, painted in less than pleasant colours, was called ‘asthenia’ by the ancient Greeks, from the word ‘stenos’ meaning strength and the negation particle ‘a-‘, which declares the lack of it, so in a rough translation, we can say that Plato’s compatriots described this state of general apathy in words as ‘listlessness’.
When vitality wanes, its place is taken by less pleasant states, both for ourselves and those around us, such as irritability, a tendency to get angry for no reason, or even inexplicable sadness.
It seems we’re not the most popular characters in the world when our batteries are almost empty! Then maybe we should do something about it beforehand, because the good news is that we can prevent this unpleasant state.
What do I do about fatigue?
Even if the fatigue will pass by itself after a few weeks, when your body is finally adjusting to the new season, there are ways to speed up this transition process and prevent most of the symptoms.
To get through the critical moment of seasonal change, you mainly need vitamins A, C, D, E and the B complex.
When you consider that vitamin A deficiency is contributed to by alcohol consumption, and as a number of reasons to drink wine, beer, champagne or other alcoholic beverages are just around the corner, it’s no wonder you’ll come out of winter in need of a vitamin boost.
To prevent asthenia, a very effective method is a balanced diet, coupled with a variety of supplements for better results.
owever, don’t forget that secretion of serotonin, popularly known as the ‘happy hormone’, helps to change unpleasant moods and supports physical and mental revitalisation, but complex nutritional supplementation is also needed.
The easiest way to get rid of asthenia is through your diet. Your diet should include foods rich in vitamins C and E, magnesium, iron and calcium; so as many raw fruits and vegetables, various types of nuts, fish and seafood, and an optimal amount of dairy products as possible.
Foods rich in B-rich foods are also recommended to combat asthenia, as they eliminate feelings of fatigue, energising the body. Bananas, vegetables and wholegrain cereals are rich in B-complex vitamins. Vegetables, even raw, are essential, and now, even if out of season, fruit and veg are available all year round.
In addition, arginine intake is of real benefit as it improves energy production and utilisation in the body and can speed up recovery from fatigue.
Make sure you eat a balanced diet and don’t forget to add exercise, hydration and, of course, sleep to your daily routine.