The need for Vitamin D

So this being my first winter back here in the great white north or Canada, I have noticed a phenomenon my body going through this winter ... the thirst for Vitamin D.

During the winter months up here people tend to stay indoors during long stretches of inclement weather. There skin never gets very much time to soak up the much needed vitamin D that the suns rays provide to us. This coupled with a shorter day and colder weather start to play havoc on a persons mood.

Some of the symptoms this weather effect is having on me are the following. I find that I do not have as much energy when I get to the gym in the morning. I notice a discernible decline in how quickly my body wakes up from slumber, and general lack of drive to become active in early morning hours. I even notice a slight "depression" surrounding obtaining goals that revolve around athletics.

I noticed these things and made a correlation as yesterday was the first sunny and relatively warm day in some time. I got outside and noticed by the end of the day feeling recharged, feeling driven, and even noticed this affect carrying over into this morning. Could it be that the winter "blahs" had taken me captive without me knowing?

Do others out there that have now moved away from cold climates like Canada notice the effects when you return home? Have you had experiences like this of your own? The most pressing and important part of these questions is HOW do you cope with it, or make changes in your life to compensate and combat this phenomenon. I am not willing to let this affect my life any longer !