By Lisa Pezzolla
This weekend, at 2 a.m. on Nov. 6, we move our clocks back one hour, bringing an end to Daylight Savings for this year.
Daylight Savings time was instituted in the U.S during World War 1 in order to save energy for war production between April and October.
This past weekend, although we had sunlight longer in the day, electricity was out for many as a result of the unusual snowstorm which hit hard and suddenly. I hope this isn’t an indication of what’s in store for us this winter. Get generators, candles, flashlights and camping lanterns ready in case a power outage hits you. Don’t leave candles unattended!
I personally hate the long drawn-out winter months. Yes, it is sunny in the morning but we spend most of the day working indoors, and kids – who, studies show, are getting increasingly obese – stay cooped up in school.
After-school activities could help lower obesity by giving kids time after school to enjoy the outdoors.
During these cold winter months, we find ourselves sluggish and begin hibernating. With so many of us lacking in vitamin D, I will begin taking a supplement and try to beat it. Symptoms of this deficiency are depression, chronic fatigue, diabetes, heart disease. After all, vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin. We need sunshine and it doesn’t cost us a penny. We just need the sunlight and the capacity to enjoy the outdoors.
Wouldn’t it make sense for all of us to increase our outdoor activities and enjoy sunlight during the winter months and get our intake of vitamin D?
We’d get energized and our depression would drop.
