If you have seasonal affective disorder (SAD), you will usually develop symptoms of depression during October through April when there is less daylight. Symptoms of SAD include:

• Difficulty concentrating;
• Low energy and fatigue;
• Reduced interest in daily activities,
  especially social activities;
• Moodiness (depressed, sad, or unusually quiet)
• Increased appetite;
• Cravings for complex carbohydrates,
  such as pasta and bread;
• Weight gain;
• Increased sleep;
• Loss of interest in sex;
• Irritability.

People with SAD may either have symptoms of major depression or minor depression. Those with minor depression are considered to have subsyndromal SAD.

These tapered white root vegetables are often overlooked by cooks who don't know how to prepare them. Members of the carrot family, parsnips are native to Eurasia, writes Harold McGee in his book, On Food and Cooking, and were first cultivated in the Middle Ages.

Important staples in Greek and Roman eating before potatoes arrived from the New World, starchy parsnips converts their starches to sugar as cold weather sets in, resulting in sweet winter roots with nutty and spicy dimensions.

Roast parsnips with carrots and other root vegetables for a hearty side dish or simmer with potatoes and puree into soup. Parsnips also work well when grated with potatoes, bound with egg, and pan-fried into parsnip-potato cakes.