The days are shorter, and the skies are darker, and possibly this is not your favorite season. Perhaps if you told the truth, you’d like to skip the next months altogether. Well, one option is for you to curl up in a ball like my calico cat, Ruby (pictured below :). Or, you could try something completely different this year and take a proactive approach to your winter blues.
I am going to assume that you voted for a different approach, so I will share some of my latest learnings. It turns out that a microdose (1-3 drops of a D1 extract) of specific Gemmotherapy extracts each morning can offer prevention and reduction of your symptoms. Those extracts are actually tonics for the brain. The tonifying action supports the production and protection of important neurotransmitters that improve your moods, such as serotonin and dopamine.
The first extract I would suggest to my clients experiencing depressive symptoms at any time, but particularly those that are limited to the winter season, would be Silver Birch Seeds. The Gemmotherapy extract produced from the seed of the Silver Birch tree supports the healthy function of the Central Nervous System, specifically the brain. The other extract that should be considered as an alternative if Silver Birch Seed did not produce the desired effects, or in addition, is Sea Buckthorn. The Gemmotherapy extract made from the bud of the Sea Buckthorn shrub is another tonic that also supports the healthy function of the Central Nervous System, protecting the main neurotransmitters for the parasympathetic state and harmonizing circadian rhythms. The actions of Silver Birch Seed and Sea Buckthorn on the Central Nervous System can improve brain functions, maintaining memory and improving mood (SECONDARY ACTION: As a powerful antioxidant, Sea Buckthorn protects the brain from degeneration. There is no contraindication for taking this extract long term).
When looking at Gemmotherapy extracts, there are two qualities that help us classify their actions: a tonfiying or tonic-like action, or a harmonizing action. Tonics build strength and improve performance and efficiency in the organ, much like a personal trainer or coach might do for an athlete. Harmonizers, on the other hand, bring balance to the action of the organ, perhaps slowing or balancing its actions. Harmonizers adjust to what is needed. Some extracts are both tonifying and harmonizing. They might have a tonifying effect on one organ or system and a harmonizing effect on another.
Now, in addition to taking an extract or two each morning, there are two other important activities to add to your self-care plan for winter. The first is to get yourself outdoors in the sunshine every single day and move. And when the sun doesn’t shine, get yourself out in the fresh air anyway and move in whatever way works for your body. Perhaps for you, that would be walking at a brisk pace, jogging or riding a bike. It’s the fresh air, sunshine and trees that are as helpful as the moving, so going to the gym just isn’t going to give you the same lift.
And then, take care of your diet. Take care of yourself with every bite you eat. Eat to boost your mood rather than bring it down. There is clear evidence that what goes in your mouth directly affects your brain and mood, so make a wise choice. Here’s a list of accessible resources from Dr. Michael Greger. And if it’s recipes you need, you have come to the right place. I’m delighted to share my favorite plant-based options, all personally tested and approved.
Interested in learning more about specific Gemmotherapy extracts and their actions? Join me in January for my exciting new series, Gemmo Study. If you want to learn my system to restore your immunity using Gemmotherapy extracts, please consider enrolling in Foundations of Gemmotherapy, also beginning in January.
