Rabih Dagher

The weather in Canada is starting to get cold, and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - also known as “winter depression” or “winter blues” - is at the doorsteps. As I have brought to you last Winter a simple solution to combat SAD, I now introduce a new solution: the happy glasses.

Developed in 2006 at the Liege University physics department in Belgium, the glasses are designed to stop the production of sleep hormone melatonin by shining light rays into the retina.

Check them out in the video below:

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When it comes to electronic music, every city has its own unique style, resident DJs, or clubs, but Montreal offers a different experience that transcends all this. Last weekend, I have assisted to Igloofest, a rave held in open air during the very peak of the Canadian Winter! With the temperature outside as low as -20 degrees Celsius, it cannot but be a lifetime experience.

Co-produced by Quais du Vieux-Port and Piknic Électronik (the organizers of the weekly Summer rave at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal), comes the special event Igloofest. It spans over three weekends, where DJs from Canada and around the world such as James Holden come heat up the crowd during the coldest period of the year. The style of music ranges from Funk, Deep House, to Minimal.

Check out the exciting video below from the 2009 Igloofest:

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Most, if not all Canadians apply moisturizers to their skin in Winter to keep them from drying out. But the Dermatologist Dr. Harvey Lui gives out some tips to efficiently keep out your skin from irritation, drying out, and all the skin related symptoms of Winter.

Some of those tips are: applying the moisturizers right after a hot shower, using mild and basic soaps, avoiding exposure to too much hot water and heat.

More in this video from CTV:

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Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as “winter depression” or “winter blues”, affects one in 10 people. I always believed that the brain neurotransmitters responsible for this are affected by weather conditions, but studies suggest that they are affected by latitude.

All Canadians know that Winter is harsh in Canada, but we can now fortunately prevent a Winter depression. Light therapy can be a quick and simple solution. Two thirds of people with the SAD condition, sitting in front of a light device or light box, for thirty minutes every morning really alleviates most of their symptoms. The good thing is that results can come quickly, usually four to seven days.

Watch Dr. Rhonda Low from CTV explaining this solution:

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