Recently in Happiness Category

Ever spent time with a cranky child - or adult - after they've eaten too much candy? If you have, you definitely know how food can affect a person's mood.

Though we often crave sweets and comfort foods when we're feeling down, the truth is that sugar usually makes things worse. Spikes and crashes in blood glucose levels leave us feeling irritable, anxious, and tired just a few short hours after we indulge. And now, new research suggests that unhealthy eating habits may even diminish your mental acuity and decision-making abilities.

The benefits of cutting down on refined sugar are well-documented. But what if there were foods that could actually boost your psychological well-being over the long term? According to a recent study from the University of Warwick and Dartmouth College, the answer is surprisingly simple: you need look no farther than the produce section at your grocery store or farmers' market.

Researchers analyzed the eating habits of about 80,000 people and found that the more fruits and vegetables people ate, the happier they were. Controlling for other variables (such as the remainder of subjects' diets and a range of demographic, economic, and social factors), researchers found that emotional health rose with fruit and vegetable consumption in a dose-response pattern, meaning each additional portion of fruits and vegetables contributed to an increase in life satisfaction.

The sweet spot, so to speak, was about seven servings a day: and what does that mean? Basically some fruit or vegetable with every meal or snack, or as a beverage (and that means in a whole or cooked form, not just flavored to mimic the taste of a real fruit or vegetable).

Even more surprising in the research was how huge the improvements were: eating more fruits and vegetables corresponded with an increase in .25 to .33 life-satisfaction points. If that sounds small to you, here's some perspective: being unemployed produced a loss of .9 life-satisfaction points. In other words, eating lots of fruits and vegetables affects your mental health and well-being one-third as much as losing your job!

It's still unclear exactly how this works, and in scientific terms correlation definitely doesn't necessarily imply causation. But the mental and physical benefits of eating fruits and vegetables are so overwhelmingly conclusive that this study should only act as further encouragement to fuel up on produce throughout the day. Your body and your brain will definitely thank you!


Information courtesy of The Institute for Integrative Nutrition

"Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence" - Aristotle

Happiness is elusive for some, natural for others. But it is the primary goal of all humans and animals.

A recent article in Men's Health magazine suggests that where you live is an indication of how happy you are. Honolulu, Hawaii, as it turns out, is where the happiest people live. For those of us who struggle through the long winters here in the Northeast, this isn't surprising news. But if a tropical area with oceans and beaches is the key to happiness, how did Boston, Manchester, and Fargo end up with high happiness grades?

St. Petersburg, Florida, was named the saddest city. Detroit, Memphis, Tampa, Louisville, and Miami all received an "F" as well. According to Men's Health, Florida is a pretty depressing place to live, so sunshine certainly isn't a factor in the happiness score.

Cities were graded on a few different metrics including suicide rates, unemployment rates, and the percentage of households taking antidepressants. The magazine also factored in the "number of people who report feeling the blues all or most of the time."

While external conditions like your environment and a job can impact how happy or sad you are, finally it's your response to your conditions and feelings of connection to others in your relationships that are the real sources of happiness. Include a regular exercise routine, a spiritual practice, and a healthy and nutritious diet, and you have a grade A+ for a happy mind. People who lead a healthy lifestyle are happier.

With positive lifestyle changes, anyone can achieve the happiness they are looking for. Try these five tips to turn that frown upside down:

• Find work you love or a way to love the work you have.
• Have healthy relationships that support you.
• Exercise regularly.
• Eat more whole organic foods.
• Develop a spiritual practice.

Whether you live in the happiest or saddest city, these methods for increasing your primary food will definitely help you to be happier and healthier in 2012!