Hi Rachel, and all,

I uncovered another worthwhile site, very up to date, and full of juicy tidbits if you take the time to read through it Here's the link - http://www.sltbr.org/

The Society for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms is a not-for-profit international organization dedicated to fostering research, professional development and clinical applications in the fields of light therapy and biological rhythm disorders including: seasonal affective disorder (SAD), jet lag, shift work, sleep disorders, eating disorders, nonseasonal depression, bipolar disorder, premenstrual syndrome, and others. They study and use treatments including: light therapy, chronotherapy, melatonin, serotonergic medications, and others.

There is currently a study underway at Columbia University, using not only standard bright light therapy, but also dawn simulators and negative ionizers. I have a HEPA air cleaner, and keep the ionizer on all day. Hmmmm, this is interesting. They are looking not just at SAD, but also at eating disorders as well.

Much of what I am reading there seems to refute the female predisposition, as you noted too. I agree with you, for depression and other illnesses in general, women are just more likely to report and/or seek help than men are. I still like the migration theory though. St. Lucia, here I come!!

I've started keeping a closer watch on what and when I eat also, and how I feel after. Thanks for the suggestion.

My weight-loss has pretty much stalled out; I'm going to try eliminating ALL dairy foods for now, including the whey protein shake mix, and my intuition is saying I should bump up my carbs a bit by adding a few more veggies - I'm currently only eating about 10 carbs a day. And I confess I'm only getting in 4 glasses of water.

I'll keep you posted,
Doreen