Probably the least desirable aspects of winter are the chilly, short days and the excessive indoorness of it all. My theory is that the longer people live in the Wood River Valley, the more susceptible they are to winter-onset seasonal affective disorder, otherwise known as SAD, a type of depression triggered by the seasons. Sun Valleyites are so used to brilliant sun that if there is even two days of gray, people walk around slightly depressed wondering what's happened to their glorious life.
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, SAD affects an estimated half a million people every winter between September and April.
Of course, this syndrome is more common in women and northerners, where winters are longer and, particularly on the West Coast, grayer. Among the symptoms are changes in appetite, cravings for sweets or starches, weight gain, fatigue, tendency to oversleep, difficulty in concentrating, irritability and anxiety, loss of libido, avoidance of social situations and increased sensitivity.
The best ways to deal with SAD is get sunlight, exercise, oxygen and keep plants around. Plants not only reduce indoor pollutants but also convert energy from the sun to transform carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen. Plants, as it turns out, are our best air purifiers.
Some of the best plants to have indoors that will survive our dry, cold winters are dragon tree, chrysanthemums, peace lilies, ivy, ficus, philodendrons, aloe vera, ferns and bamboo.
You can also benefit from growing bulbs, which put one in mind of spring and therefore of warmer days ahead. Another easy-to-care-for indoor plant is an African violet, which will bloom nicely all year.
So keep the green nearby for your health and happiness.
Dana DuGan: ddugan@mtexpress.com
