With shorter days and fewer hours of sunlight available in autumn and winter, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) rears its unpleasant head in up to 20 percent of the American population. Characterized by moodiness, depression, cravings for simple carbohydrates, weight gain, fatigue and melancholy, the condition can range from simple "wintertime blues" to full blown incapacitation. The affliction tends to be more prominent in young people and women.
Defeating seasonal malaise
Several natural remedies are helpful in alleviating SAD. Short of traveling south every winter for a hearty dose of sunshine, the following methods offer practical solutions for curbing this distressing syndrome.
