Blog Dis
Winter, winter go away...
2025-02-18
Only persons living in countries that have seasons, such as Canada and its four seasons, can truly attest to the brutality of the January and February months, and the blahs that come along with these months, when our exposure to the glorious Sun is still in limited mode during the day. I, too, am afflicted at times with the blahs but I find they hit me strongest in February.
Yuck. About two weeks back, I called in sick for two days because I felt slightly feverish, and tired, and this sick feeling began in the morning, like a tornado swooping in with a hard, barking cough. So the best advice, which everyone should follow, if you're feeling punkish - stay home puh-lease! Don't feel compelled to come into work to spread your germs to everyone, when you're more than likely able to work from home. This, of course, doesn't apply to our wonderful people who work in the service industry, and whose jobs require that their body is physically present to carry out their role.
Sick days in January or February are often the perfect kind of days for feeling sick. In Ottawa, and during the winter months, the sun will intermittently peer out from behind cloud cover, even on a dreary and grey day, such as is the case typically in winter months. I talk a lot about winter, perhaps too much, but this period is both loved and reviled by many. I love it for the crisp bite in the air, and if I'm able to go skating on the canal, which I've been able to do so far at least six times. I also used to ski the slopes in Ottawa, Quebec, sometimes out West, and I've even skied the Junfrau mountain in Switzerland, though the high altitudes left me with a blinding headache the entire time, until I came down from the mountain. But when I'm sick, I'm uninspired to do much, not to write, or to clean, or to cook. I muster up the energy to take a hot bath, to chew on ginger chews, and I'll make it a point of changing my bedsheets and toothbrush. These are my tried and true methods to overcome illness.
Vitamin D, my friends! This supplement in January and February is key but you should also take it every day during the summer too, though it smaller doses. Biologist friends have pointed out to me that every cell in your body has a Vitamin D receptor, which proves how important it is in your daily routine of eating food. We don't always eat a balanced meal, and we surely are not consistent when it comes to supplements. Supplements can be expensive and I've some friends who only take their supplements every other day to save on money, and never on weekends, so your body gets some fortification but not an overdose of supplementation.
Truly, you'll notice that your mood will brighten by making Vitamin D a part of your daily routine. Not everyone spends one hour every day outside in the sun without SPF protection or not wearing protective head gear, such as a wide-brimmed hat, so taking a supplement like Vitamin D is worthwhile, and a bottle of this vitamin, minimum 1,000 international units per gel cap, per day, isn't as expensive as you might think. Choose a good quality brand, rather than what's cheapest.
And so, to those who suffer from Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD) which is nothing to laugh about, turn on that bright illuminating light and stick your head under the lamp to bring some manufactured sunlight into your noggin. Or, do what I do and eat chocolate. Come the first week of March, I'll be dropping off my bike at the shop for a tune-up, well in advance of the end March rush, in time for cycling season. Some years past, Spring had arrived very early, and I was able to cycle in early March, notwithstanding the path that was under water from spring run-off. Regrettably, as I grit my teeth, the Farmer's Almanac is predicting we'll have a very late start to Spring with some wintery conditions, and possibly a snowstorm in early April. Ugh! I remember one mid-March, Ottawa was hit with 52 centimeters of snow. And this past weekend, we were hit with 40 centimeters of snow, and prior to this weekend, just last Thursday we had 30 centimeters minimum of snow. That's enough for now snow!
Winter, winter go away, come again another day... or better make that next year.
Eventually the snow recedes. Eventually you'll stow away your winter coat, boots, gloves, toque and scarf and you'll take out and re-arrange your closet, pulling all your summer wear closer to where you can readily access it. I love seasonal changes. I love winter, spring, and fall but come the summer I'm itching to hop onto my bike and hit the cycle paths, leaving winter behind in the thundersnow whirlwinds.
Hang in there, baby! Only the rest of February and March to go! If I can do it, you can do it.
Yuck. About two weeks back, I called in sick for two days because I felt slightly feverish, and tired, and this sick feeling began in the morning, like a tornado swooping in with a hard, barking cough. So the best advice, which everyone should follow, if you're feeling punkish - stay home puh-lease! Don't feel compelled to come into work to spread your germs to everyone, when you're more than likely able to work from home. This, of course, doesn't apply to our wonderful people who work in the service industry, and whose jobs require that their body is physically present to carry out their role.
Sick days in January or February are often the perfect kind of days for feeling sick. In Ottawa, and during the winter months, the sun will intermittently peer out from behind cloud cover, even on a dreary and grey day, such as is the case typically in winter months. I talk a lot about winter, perhaps too much, but this period is both loved and reviled by many. I love it for the crisp bite in the air, and if I'm able to go skating on the canal, which I've been able to do so far at least six times. I also used to ski the slopes in Ottawa, Quebec, sometimes out West, and I've even skied the Junfrau mountain in Switzerland, though the high altitudes left me with a blinding headache the entire time, until I came down from the mountain. But when I'm sick, I'm uninspired to do much, not to write, or to clean, or to cook. I muster up the energy to take a hot bath, to chew on ginger chews, and I'll make it a point of changing my bedsheets and toothbrush. These are my tried and true methods to overcome illness.
Vitamin D, my friends! This supplement in January and February is key but you should also take it every day during the summer too, though it smaller doses. Biologist friends have pointed out to me that every cell in your body has a Vitamin D receptor, which proves how important it is in your daily routine of eating food. We don't always eat a balanced meal, and we surely are not consistent when it comes to supplements. Supplements can be expensive and I've some friends who only take their supplements every other day to save on money, and never on weekends, so your body gets some fortification but not an overdose of supplementation.
Truly, you'll notice that your mood will brighten by making Vitamin D a part of your daily routine. Not everyone spends one hour every day outside in the sun without SPF protection or not wearing protective head gear, such as a wide-brimmed hat, so taking a supplement like Vitamin D is worthwhile, and a bottle of this vitamin, minimum 1,000 international units per gel cap, per day, isn't as expensive as you might think. Choose a good quality brand, rather than what's cheapest.
And so, to those who suffer from Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD) which is nothing to laugh about, turn on that bright illuminating light and stick your head under the lamp to bring some manufactured sunlight into your noggin. Or, do what I do and eat chocolate. Come the first week of March, I'll be dropping off my bike at the shop for a tune-up, well in advance of the end March rush, in time for cycling season. Some years past, Spring had arrived very early, and I was able to cycle in early March, notwithstanding the path that was under water from spring run-off. Regrettably, as I grit my teeth, the Farmer's Almanac is predicting we'll have a very late start to Spring with some wintery conditions, and possibly a snowstorm in early April. Ugh! I remember one mid-March, Ottawa was hit with 52 centimeters of snow. And this past weekend, we were hit with 40 centimeters of snow, and prior to this weekend, just last Thursday we had 30 centimeters minimum of snow. That's enough for now snow!
Winter, winter go away, come again another day... or better make that next year.
Eventually the snow recedes. Eventually you'll stow away your winter coat, boots, gloves, toque and scarf and you'll take out and re-arrange your closet, pulling all your summer wear closer to where you can readily access it. I love seasonal changes. I love winter, spring, and fall but come the summer I'm itching to hop onto my bike and hit the cycle paths, leaving winter behind in the thundersnow whirlwinds.
Hang in there, baby! Only the rest of February and March to go! If I can do it, you can do it.
