Beat the Holiday Blues

alcohol anxiety ashwagandha blood glucose carbohydrates depression dopamine gut microbiome herbal supplements holiday blues holidays insulin resistance leaky gut mental disorders mental health mental illnesses prebiotics probiotics rhodiola seasonal affective disorder serotonin st. john's wort supplements Dec 02, 2023

Catchy jingles played on repeat. Smiling people in commercials. Festive decorations everywhere. Magazine-worthy dinner spreads. These hallmarks evoke the joy associated with the holiday season.

Unfortunately though, not everyone feels happy during the holidays. In fact, 64 percent of people experience the holiday blues, based on a survey by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).¹ Let’s explore several aspects of these complex emotions as we answer:

What are the holiday blues?
What causes the holiday blues?
How are the holiday blues different from ongoing mental illness?
How can you use diet to beat the holiday blues?

For starters, here’s a formal definition of the “holiday blues.”

What are the holiday blues?

According to the NAMI, the holiday blues are “feelings of anxiety or depression during the holidays that can be associated with extra stress, unrealistic expectations, or even memories that accompany the season.”¹ After all, there’s so much to do during the four- to six-week holiday period, from putting up decorations to cooking and last-minute shopping. What’s more, having family and friends around and watching their interactions, can strangely highlight the changes (or lack of them) in people’s lives.²

“The blues” refers to sad feelings. But people with the holiday blues can also feel worried or disappointed. They can be frustrated, irritable, or fatigued too.^3,4

What causes the holiday blues?

The holiday blues can be due to separation from family, relationship problems, or personal grief. Health issues, current events, and economic concerns also play a role. The negative feelings stemming from these circumstances can then be easily worsened by stressors unique to the holiday season.²

Often, people miss their family members who live far away and can’t be with them for the holidays. The season can also make people remember their ex-partners or their loved ones who have passed on. Without their family or friends around, it’s impossible for some people to celebrate the holidays the way they used to.¹

On the other hand, the holidays may mean gathering and spending time with difficult family members. This situation can be stressful and prevent people from enjoying the season.³

In addition, people can miss their youth or health during the holidays. Back when they were still young and strong, they might have attended all sorts of holiday events or traveled a lot. But they can’t enjoy these activities anymore now that they’re old, sick, or injured.

Conflicts or disasters in the country and overseas can dampen people’s celebratory mood as well. So can unemployment, inflation, and other economy-related issues.²

It doesn’t help that the holidays tend to bring about or worsen money problems. This happens because many people feel pressured to spend on presents and possibly get into debt as a result.^1,4

On top of these factors, the holiday season itself can be hard to keep up with. Many people want (or feel obligated) to host holiday parties, and at the same time attend those of their relatives, friends, and colleagues. Not to be forgotten are the trips people make to multiple stores for holiday shopping — and the large crowds they have to push their way through. These demanding activities are stressful enough on their own, and the extra time spent on them can make it hard to get enough restful sleep during the season.^1,2

Lastly, holiday celebrations often revolve around food and alcohol. But eating large amounts of unhealthy food can leave people feeling ill. Similarly, drinking too much alcohol can heighten feelings of depression.^1,5

How are the holiday blues different from ongoing mental illness?

Typically, the holiday blues are temporary and go away at the end of the season. Also, they’re less serious than ongoing mental illnesses like depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD).^1,4

Depression involves feelings of extreme sadness or despair for two weeks or more. Depressed people tend to feel hopeless about their situation. Their condition interferes with their daily activities, such as eating, sleeping, and work.³

As for SAD, it’s now known as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) with a Seasonal Pattern. Its symptoms include too much or too little sleep, weight gain or loss, and very low energy. These symptoms must be experienced during the winter months for at least two years before a formal diagnosis of SAD can be made.¹

How can you use diet to beat the holiday blues?

What you eat affects how you feel during the holidays (and throughout the year). To fight the holiday blues in particular, eat and drink in moderation. It’s also a good idea to include foods and supplements that fight depression and anxiety in your diet.

If you’re attending more than one event on a single day, pace yourself. It may help to eat a healthy meal at home before going out. This way, you won’t feel hungry and end up eating too much at the events.

Watch out especially for highly processed, high-carb foods. Your body digests them quickly, so eating them makes your blood sugar level spike. Such foods then require your pancreas to produce more insulin. Doing this too often can eventually lead to insulin resistance. A diet rich in sugars supports the overgrowth of fungal species like Candida in your gut as well. Both insulin resistance and Candida overgrowth contribute to depression.^6,7,8

Plus, high insulin brings about unsafe levels of brain glucose. In response, the brain activates the release of cortisol, an insulin-opposing hormone. Cortisol promotes anxiety and irritability, and also contributes to poor quality of sleep.⁷

Another thing you can limit is your alcohol intake. Too much alcohol can promote a “leaky gut” by disrupting the balance of microbes in your intestine. Drinking alcohol can trigger the release of cytokines too. These proteins don’t just damage your liver. They also reach your brain and have a negative effect on your mood, behavior, and mental function.⁹

Speaking of gut health, prebiotics and probiotics allow helpful microbe species, such as Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillus, to thrive in your gut. Prebiotics are fiber-rich foods that serve as food for your gut microbes. Meanwhile, probiotic foods and supplements contain live strains of beneficial bacteria and/or yeast. Studies have shown that a relative abundance of these good microorganisms in your gastrointestinal tract help fight depression.^10,11

A diet that enhances the production of chemicals called serotonin and dopamine can help with depression too. Protein-rich foods, such as eggs, chicken, turkey, and nuts, boost both chemicals.^12,13

As for supplements, Vitamins B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), B9 (folic acid or l-methylfolate), and B12 (methylcobalamin) can aid the body in making serotonin and dopamine.^14,15,16 Herbal supplements with antidepressant effects are St. John’s wort, ginseng, ginkgo biloba, cowhage, and oregano.^{17,18,19,20,21} On the other hand, ashwagandha and rhodiola can help reduce anxiety.^22,23

Conclusion

It’s normal for people around you not to feel as cheery as expected this holiday season. And if you yourself are having a case of the holiday blues, that’s OK too. The holidays can indeed be stressful, so if you need help, make sure you ask for it.

Plus, focus on things you can control like your diet. Eat more anti-depression and anti-anxiety foods while limiting your intake of unhealthy carbs and alcohol.

If you find these tips easier to read than to follow, don’t sweat it! The Healthy Happy Holidays Workshop is here to help you succeed. Click here to learn more.

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