Elisabeth about dealing with long dark winter days

Elisabeth Strifeldt, brand manager and co-founder of Aarja Health, gives below tips on how to manage winter's dark hours in the best possible way. She herself has Sami roots and lives in the absolute northernmost parts of Norway, where daylight is not seen during certain parts of the year. Thank you Elisabeth for sharing, we say at Aarja Magasin!

Although I grew up in Finnmark, where the sun does not shine for two months a year, the time of darkness is not easier for me. When I was younger and didn't have the knowledge I have now, it felt like you just walked around like a zombie most of the time. The sleeping routines were just another mess since you couldn't sleep until late at night and then hardly get up in the morning. In the afternoon I could take long afternoon naps, which disturbed the night's sleep even more. Low energy and constant tiredness is how I remember it.

Fortunately, the dark time is easier now that I follow my dark time routines to the letter. When we don't get daylight or sun, not as much melatonin is produced - the hormone that makes us fall asleep. Therefore, you are awake longer and your sleep rhythm is disrupted.

In a study with people suffering from sleep problems, researchers saw a 160% increase in melatonin levels at night after being exposed to just half an hour of bright light from a daylight lamp daily.

DAYLIGHT

Therefore number one - I always make sure to be outside in daylight, or the purple daylight that is during the day. If that doesn't work, I've invested in a daylight lamp that I use for half an hour every day. It means that I actually feel tired at normal times and have no problem falling asleep. I feel a big difference when I don't use it, or don't have time to go out in the morning.

TRAINING

At first I didn't think I could jog outside in the winter, or it was something I wasn't looking forward to until I tried it. Winter has now become my favorite time of year to jog! This is because the fresh, cold air is extra invigorating and clean, and you feel so fresh for a long time afterwards. In addition, exercise leads to better sleep. Now I prefer to eat lunch while I work, and use my lunch to go for a short run while it is still daylight. At the weekend, when you have a little more time, ski trips are our favorite winter activity! Cool for both young and old.

VITAMIN D3

It is nothing new that vitamin D levels drop in winter due to too little sun on the body. Too little vitamin D in the body can make you lose energy and feel tired and depressed! Usually, 10 minutes of sun on the body is enough for us to get our daily dose of vitamin D. But when we don't have that option, we should take extra supplements of the sun vitamin. That's why I always make sure to take our chewable Vitamin D3 with lovely cranberry flavor - my favourite!

In addition, I can now and then take 12 minutes in the solarium, so that you get sun all over your body and it can form its own vitamin D. Although I know that tanning beds can be harmful in large quantities, I choose to believe that a little sun does more good than harm, if you keep it to a minimum.

OPTIMUM

I simply don't know what I would do without our OptiMSM. I am convinced that it is she who gives me that purple extra pep, so that I don't lose my energy during the afternoon and can keep up with my four-year-old son. So many people give feedback that they now do not need to take their usual afternoon rest and feel that they have more energy after starting regularly with our OptiMSM. In addition, it keeps my otherwise restless stomach in check and I can tolerate all kinds of food again! Simply a fantastic multi-product! Also good for hair, skin and nails.

DIET

Surely there are more people who feel that they get a bigger sweet tooth when it's dark? The simple explanation is that when the atmospheric temperature drops, our body tries to increase its own temperature in order to survive the cold. In this process, all our nutrients are used, especially the most energizing ones; fats and carbohydrates.

Therefore, our bodies want sweets and fried, preferably spicy food, to keep us warm. Such foods help to maintain the fat tissue just under the skin, which acts as insulation against the cold. I try as often as I can to make fruit smoothies and carrot juice in the morning. This gives me very healthy carbohydrates and nutrition which helps to curb my sweet tooth during the day and evening. In addition, I make sure to get in a lot of protein at all meals. This stabilizes blood sugar and can curb cravings for sweets.

VITAMIN TEST

About every three months I use our vitamin meter that we have in our shop. There I can monitor my vitamin, mineral, omega-3 and collagen levels, among other things, which comes in handy if you want to make the most of the dark times.

Hugs from Elisabeth