For many people around the world, the upcoming Christmas holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year or the most depressing one according to whoever is analysing the holiday season.

The doctors and other medical experts tell us that excessive stress is often contagious with the added financial strain of travel, costs of buying presents, food or entertainment.

They say that it is no coincidence that the holidays are the sickest time of the year. People make poor food choices, diminished physical activity levels. Excessive levels of stress can be linked to the physical and emotional symptoms of depression.

Highly processed food items are commonly loaded with carbohydrates that are a leading cause of nutritional imbalances.

Nutritional imbalances create deficiencies that may interfere with proper brain function and hormone balance that causes poor concentration, feelings of guilt, lack of energy and other symptoms of depression.

Sweet deserts and refined carbohydrates cause sharp fluctuation in blood sugar levels. This rapid fluctuation is known to cause irritability, forgetfulness and digestive problems.

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