How to beat the winter blues this Christmas
(This article is sponsored by Pranin Organic.)
If Hallmark movies are to be believed, the holiday season is a time to spend with loved ones, attend parties, fall in love, exchange gifts, eat, drink, and be merry. But if you’re reading this and feeling more fear than cheer, you are not alone.
Suddenly, the invitations to social commitments that we accepted weeks ago are here, looming over us as we madly try to finish the proposal that we promised our boss back in October.
On top of our usual 24/7 lifestyle, the winter months can be overwhelming. At a time when the days are shortest and our to-do lists are longest, we are expected at the peak of our social prowess.
If we had a cent for every time someone told us we looked tired, we’d be rich, which, as it happens, would be extremely useful at this time of year. Our credit card bill is mounting by the day.
It’s exhausting. And yet, when it comes to nighttime, we find ourselves staring at the ceiling with a thousand things running through our heads. It’s not until we hear the harsh ring of our alarm the next morning that we’ve found our ability to sleep.
But we get up, wrap up, put our heads down, take a deep breath, and walk through the door. Again. It’s a vicious cycle.
So with all of this stress, we find ourselves reaching for coffee, sugar, and fast food. And that’s just to get through the working day. Then it’s straight to the after-party where we’re lurking around the kitchen so that we can be the first to get our hands on the canapés, which we’ll wash down with a glass of wine.
While we allow ourselves these indulgences in the hope it will make us feel better, we are actually making things worse.
According to Dr. David Wang, who has been practising naturopathic medicine for over 25 years, there is an epidemic of stress, fatigue, and inflammation. He describes this as the “Human Energy Crisis” and it’s a result of long-term nutritional deficiencies.
Dr. Wang tells us, “There are all these people whom I call ‘vertically ill’. They are not quite sick enough to be carted away horizontally to the ER department, but they are looking for answers. And many of these health issues can be reversed by good nutrition and by taking full advantage of the healing powers of nature through food.”
After graduating from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in 1992, Dr. Wang spent 17 years treating people suffering from chronic illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, digestive disorders, and autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases.
But when he saw the strange and often negative effects like nausea, vomiting, and headaches that came with traditional vitamin and mineral pills, he questioned the cause. His research into how these “nutrients” were made shocked him.
First of all, isolated vitamins do not exist in nature, so our bodies weren’t designed to use these isolates. In fact, we need a combination of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and, phytonutrients—all components of food—to best absorb nutrients.
Synthetic supplements can also contain a scary list of toxic ingredients, which are processed with chemicals and can cause horrible side effects.
Upon making these realizations, Dr. Wang immediately switched over to 100 percent whole-food nutrients and saw remarkable results. From there, Pranin Organic was born.
The philosophy behind Pranin Organic is rooted in a firm belief in the transformative power of pure, organic food to make the world a healthier, happier place. For that reason, Pranin Organic’s supplements are unique, expert blends of 100 percent organic fruits, vegetables, and superfoods.
Unlike other vitamins and supplements, Pranin Organic supplements use only organic, nontoxic ingredients that are nutrient-dense and better for the planet. You can also rest easy—literally—in knowing that they don’t contain pesticides, capsules, fillers, binders, or synthetically derived nutrients. And they are free from common allergens like dairy, soy, corn, nuts, and gluten.
At this time of year, it’s crucial that we’re giving our bodies the nutrients we need, especially when we realize that our adrenal glands and our hormones work in alignment with the planetary cycle, or more specifically, the sun. Physiologically, we should be awake when the sun comes up and then at the end of the day we should be trying to unplug and allow our bodies to relax.
Dr. Wang recommends going for a gentle walk, meditating, or doing yoga. And before you think you’re doing all that already, squeezing in a quick moment of “Namaste” between picking up the kids from soccer practice and after-work parties, is not enough. In fact, he recommends that between the hours of 6 and 9 p.m., we should be making a conscious effort to limit our screen time and indulge in some self-care instead.
Dr. Wang also suggests adding the Pranin Organic “Purefood trio” to your routine comprising of the Purefood A to Z, Purefood B and Purefood C supplements.
The Purefood A to Z supplement can be taken as a foundational nutrient that has all the essential vitamins and minerals. So if you’re taking one scoop of the Purefood A to Z in your daily smoothie, water, or juice, then you’re getting a good portion of the fruits and vegetables are that are needed to fight against the most common-onset diseases in North America.
Ultimately, Dr. Wang is passionate about what he does because he wants us to feel better.
“To me, the Pranin Organic approach is about education and it’s about using key, foundational vitamins and minerals that are absorbable, and that are going to give people the long-term sustainable energy that they’re looking for.”