LOSING DAYLIGHT LOSING DAYLIGHT LOSING DAYLIGHT
A Comprehensive Guide to Wellness During The Darker Days
THIS ZINE IS INSPIRED BY THE CO L D H
A
FA C T
R
THE DAYS ARE GETTING DARKER
HERE YOU WILL FIND A PATCHWORK OF STRATEGIES FOR ADJUSTING TO THE DEPTHS OF AUTUMN AND WINTER. THEY ARE THE WORDS AND BEST PRACTICES FROM FRIENDS HOW EVERY DAY FOLK STAY WARM AND HEALTHY AT A TIME WHEN THE SUN KEEPS ITS DISTANCE. WE RECOGNIZE THAT OUR LIVES AND OFTENTIMES OUR MOODS, FOLLOW THE PATTERN OF THE SEASONS WITH PREPARATION AND FORESIGHT, WE CAN FIND BEAUTY AND MUCH TO CELEBRATE EVEN IN THE MONTHS THAT ARE “BARREN”.
D
MY NOVEMBER GUEST
ROBERT FROST
My sorrow, when she’s here with me, Thinks these dark days of autumn rain Are beautiful as days can be; She loves the bare, the withered tree...”
STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING ROBERT FROST “Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow...”
Physical Activity in Winter THIS PIECE OF THE PUZZLE CAN BE HARD TO OBTAIN ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS LITTLE MOTIVATION TO GET UP AND MOVE AROUND. BUT EXERCISE IS KNOWN TO INCREASE ENDORPHIN PRODUCTION. A FEW MINUTES OF STRUGGLE MAY BE WORTH THE LONG TERM PAY OFF. HERE ARE SOME SIMPLE WAYS TO WORK EXERCISE INTO YOUR ROUTINE.
YOGA GET BENDY WITH THE BENDING OF THE DAY
FREE WEIGHT LIFTING TAKE THAT SHIT OUTSIDE OR IN YOUR HOME. YOU. ALSO, DON’T NEED ANY EQUIPMENT
GYM MEMBERSHIP TAKE THAT SHIT TO THE EQUIPMENT IF THAT’LL DO INSTEAD. GYMS ARE HONESTLY PRETTY AFFORDABLE IF YOU GO WITH A BASIC MEMBERSHIP..
A WINTER WALK TAKE TIME TO BUNDLE UP AND PRETEND THE WORLD YOU KNOW ISN’T HUMILIATINGLY COLD CONSTANTLY.
A How And Why Of Winter Hiking by Samuel Love WINTER HAS BECOME MY PREFERRED SEASON FOR HIKING, PARTICULARLY LONGER DISTANCE HIKING - IN THE RANGE OF 8-16 MILES. I'VE ENJOYED WINTER HIKING SINCE I WAS A TEENAGER. AN ELEVATED VIEW OF FROZEN WETLANDS FROM ATOP A VALPARAISO MORAINE FOLLOWED BY A DESCENT INTO THOSE FROZEN WETLANDS STARTED THE ATTRACTION. IN RECENT YEARS I'VE FORMALIZED MY APPROACH SOMEWHAT MAKING LONGER HIKES, REVISITING SPECIFIC PLACES OVER TIME, AND STREAMLINING THE RECOURCES I CARRY WITH ME. THE OTHER SEASONS HAVE THEIR CHARM, AND TO WITNESS CHANGES IN THE LANDSCAPE OVER TIME IS REASON ENOUGH TO HIKE THE MOST OF EVERY BIT OF DAYLIGHT AND GET EVEN CLOSER TO PARTS OF NATURE THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO REACH DURING THE MUGGY AND BUGGY MONTHS. WINTER BRINGS A SET OF UNIQUE CHALLENGES BUT WITH THE RIGHT GEAR, PLANNING, AND MINDSET THE CHALLENGES ARE NO PROBLEM, ULTRA- SPECIAL-
IZED, COSTLY GEAR OR EXTENSIVE CONDITIONING AREN'T NECESSARY BUT A FEW KEY ITEMS MAKE ONGER HIKES SAFER AND MORE COMFORTABLE. THE KEY IS TO PROTECT YOUR SKIN AND INSULATE YOUR FEET AND CORE FROM COLD, WETNESS, AND WIND. I WEAR WOOL OR SYNTHETIC BLEND SOCKS AND INSULATED WATERPROOF BOOTS. COTTON HOLDS MOISTURE AND INSULATES POORLY - THO I'VE FOUND THAT THIN, LOOSE HOSPITAL SCRUBS UNDER LOOSE-FITTING JEANS OR OVERALLS KEEP MY LOWER SECTION PLENTY WARM. I ALSO CARRY A PACK OF HAND OR FOOT WARMERS, AN EXTRA SET OF DRY SOCKS, AND BANDAGES FOR BLISTERS. TO KEEP MY CORE WARM I WEAR A LONG-SLEEVE SYN -THETIC BLEND WICKING SHIRT (TO TRAP BODY HEAT), A REGULAR HOODIE, AND THEN MY TRUSTY BOMBER JACKET. "ARM SOCKS" ARE MY SECRET WEAPON AGAINST WIND. YEARS AGO I BOUGHT AN EXPENSIVE PAIR OF DRESS SOCKS ONLY TO HAVE THEM DEVELOP A HOLE AFTER A SINGLE WEAR. THEY HAD A COOL BLACK AND MAGENTA STRIPE SO I CUT OPEN THE ENDS AND WORE THEM ON MY WRISTS TO STOP THE BREEZE FROM BLOWING UP MY SLEEVES AND REDUCING MY CORE TEMPERATURE. PROPERLY LAYERED I'M COMFORTABLE DOWN TO 20 DEGREES. THIRTY DEGREES IS DOWNRIGHT BALMY. SEVEN MINUTES OF BRISK HIKING GETS ME SO WARM THAT THE HAT AND GLOVES COME OFF. AND I'M SOMEONE WHO IS THIN, HAS POOR CIRCULATION, AND IS
USUALLY COLD IN THE HOUSE! LONG WINTER HIKES REQUIRE A BIT MORE ATTENTION TO PLANNING AND CONDITIONS. BUT THE REWARDS ARE WORTH IT. I'VE COME TO BETTER APPRECIATE WINTER'S MANY ASPECTS: THE DRAMATIC SUNSETS, THE ODD 50 DEGREE DAY IN JANUARY, OR A LIGHT SNOWFALL IN THE WOODS. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I FEEL LIKE I MADE THE MOST OF A DAY BY BEING OUTDOORS AND PRESENT FOR 3-6 HOURS OF DAYLIGHT. AND AS THE LONGER DARKNESS SETS IN EARLY I'M TOO TIRED TO CARE.
ON DIGESTION WITH THE SUN
PAGE 11, “COOKING FOR WINTER WELLNESS” BY BRITTANY WOOD NICKERSON
OUR DIGESTION FUNCTIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SUN. OUR CAPACITY TO DIGEST INCREASES AS THE SUN GETS STRONGER, PEAKS AT MIDDAY WHEN THE SUN IS HIGH AND BRIGH IN THE SKY AND THEN BEGINS TO WANE SLOWLY UNTIL DUSK WHEN OUR METABOLISM SLOWS WAY DOWN. WHEN I FIRST LEANRED THIS I WAS A BIT SKEPTICAL. HOW DOES MY DIGESTION KNOW WHAT THE SUN IS DOING? BUT I STARTED TO PAY ATTENTION TO MY BODY. I BEGAN TO PAY ATTENTION TO HOW IT FELT TO EAT AND DIGEST DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOODS AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY. IT TURNS OUT THAT IT TAKES A LOF OF ENERGY TO DIGEST. I BEGAN TO NOTICE THAT IF I ATE DINNER TOO LATE, I WOULDNT SLEEP AS
WELL AND I WOULD WAKE UP FEELING MORE TIRED AND GROGGY IN THE MORNING, AS IF I HAD OVER INDULGED IN A FEW TOO MANY GLASSES OF WINE. IT ALL STARTED TO MAKE SENSE: IF IT TAKES ENERGY TO DIGEST AND OUR BODY’S ENERGY MIRRORS THE ENERGY AND INTENSITY OF THE SUN, THEN OF COURSE I WOULD HAVE MORE ENERGY TO DIGEST MY FOOD AT MIDDAY WHEN I WAS MOST AWAKE AND ENERGIZED. WHEN I WOULD ALLOW MY SYSTEM TO SLOW DOWN AT NIGHT BY NOT EATING A LOT OF HEAVY, HARD TO DIGEST FOOD THEN MY DIGESTION COULD ESSENTIALLY STOP BY THE TIME I WENT TO BED, FREEING UP ENERGY TO NOURISH AND HEAL MY ENTIE BODYWHILE I SLEPT. I WOULD SLEEP BETTER AND FEEL MORE RESTED IN THE MORNING.
Losing Daylight
A Comprehensive Guide to Wellness During The Darker Days
by brie olivares & ben may