Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/255292
Diversions 36 | Overdrive | February 2014 Most people have experienced a feel- ing of gloom when there's no visible sunshine and snow covers the ground. Even old diesel engines have trouble starting when it's cold outside. However, when those feelings of depression persist, it could be a sign of seasonal affective disorder. It's a type of depression that occurs usually in winter, though it can occur in the spring or early summer. Symptoms include feeling moody, grumpy or anxious; a loss of interest in normal activities; weight gain; and daytime drowsiness. Some studies link SAD to a lack of sunlight exposure and vitamin D3 de- ficiency. Your body is able to produce D3 when skin is exposed to ultraviolet (UVB) radiation, causing a reaction that converts these rays to dihydroxyvi- tamin D – the form of vitamin D your body can use. It's estimated that we should get more than 90 percent of our vitamin D from casual daily sun exposure. Some studies have found that five to 30 minutes of exposure to your unpro- tected face, arms, legs or back between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. two to three times a week is enough for your body to produce all the D3 it needs. SAD is more common in people who live in areas where winter days are short or there are big seasonal changes in the amount of daylight. Others with a high incidence are women, people with a close relative di- agnosed with the condition and people between the ages of 15 and 55. Treatment for SAD ranges from light-box therapy to prescribed anti-depressants. Many people believe that a healthy diet suffices for vita- min D, but some studies say getting adequate levels of vitamin D through eating requires two daily servings of fatty fish such as salmon or mackerel. Each SAD case is unique and should be diagnosed by a medical professional, but prevention is always the best medicine. Get out in the sun at least a couple of times a week, and maintain a healthy diet. — Wendy Parker Sunlight can combat prolonged winter blues In order to make the most of the beneficial effects of sunlight on the body's natural Vitamin D production, drivers need to get out of the cab because UVB rays don't penetrate glass. Todd Dills Jones Motor Group-leased owner-operator Mike Curle, Overdrive Trucker of the Year in 2004, gets good exposure to sunlight because he does daily walks of about a mile. Scan the QR to view a video interview with Curle, or search "Mike Curle" on OverdriveOnline.com. "From Miles Around," a new trucking song by former Aus- tralian driver Caede Ridgway, came about as a result of his time behind the wheel. The 29-year-old resident of Port Macquarie on Australia's East Coast worked as a car mechanic before getting Aus- tralia's equivalent to the CDL. "I learned to drive in a 1978 Volvo N10 with a 13-speed Roadranger gearbox," he says. "I quickly learned how much old trucks with excessive steering play like to wander from left to right on the road, even when driving under 50 mph – or as we say in Australia, 80 kmph." Ridgway says he drove a Freightliner FL112 "tipper truck" hauling "wet concrete back and forth from a batch plant to a road paver." He writes songs and makes vid- eos in his spare time. Search "Caede Ridgway" on Overdri- veOnline.com to find his "From Miles Around" video. Trucking tune from Down Under Among the highway scenes used in Caede Ridgway's "From Miles Around" video is this one capturing a black bear and a tanker truck. Diversions_0114.indd 36 1/28/14 11:03 PM