Here are this weekend's reading diversions for your enjoyment and enlightenment. This week's choice story, 'It's Hip to be Happy,' really brought forward a couple of thoughts about how happiness manifests itself in us. There is a strong argument about emotional relativity, that happiness is in direct proportion to the profoundness of emotional struggles, and the manner in which we choose to deal with those. The key seems to rest on being able to reframe the struggles in order to revalue them as 'worthwhile,' or as some sort of cost or investment in ourselves, a part of our emotional experience.
The iconic McFerrin song, Don't Worry, Be Happy, really takes us to that point in the future where we say to ourselves, "Wow, I can't believe what I had to go through to get here."
This week's selection is particularly large, a buffet of articles, something for everyone. Enjoy!
It's Hip to Be Happy - Gaiam Life
“The ‘happiest’ people I know can express anger, regret, disappointment, rage, fury and disgust with vigor,” Lafair says. “The key is not to dwell there. Happiness has more to do with how long and how deeply we stay mired in these emotions.” Her advice? Reframe unhappy situations and address real issues.
But did you know that smiling also triggers activity in your brain? Yep, there's a serious mind-body connection there, in your left frontal cortex to be exact, which is—not surprisingly—the area of your brain that registers happiness.
CDC: Adults Eating Less Fruit, Not Enough Veggies
Most Americans still don't eat vegetables often enough, and fruit consumption is actually dropping a little, according to a new government report released Thursday.
Tom Matlack: It's Not Just Don Draper: Real Men Who Cry
Many of us grow up being told--by our dads, our older brothers, our coaches--that we shouldn't cry, and that if we do we certainly shouldn't admit to it. That's bullshit, obviously, and the sooner we get that idea out of our heads, the better off we'll be--and the better men we'll be.
EatingWell: 10 Natural Superfoods You Can Eat Every Day
I have a love/hate relationship with “superfoods.” What I love about them is that they’re multi-taskers—brimming with various disease-fighting nutrients, usually without providing too many calories, and delivered in a delicious form (think: blueberries).
TODAYMoms - Mothers and daughters: Privilege and privacy
My relationship with my mother revolved around household chores and academic success. Personal problems landed in my diary or with my peers.
The Benefits of Exercise; Preventative Health - Oprah.com
Remember that there's one consistent finding in health research: Exercise helps you live longer and better. Five new studies confirm what experts keep telling us: Every little bit of effort counts.
Make healthy lunches kids will want to eat
Instead of bread, shake it up a bit; try rice cakes with almond butter; Melba toast with cheese; bagel with flavoured cream cheese or muffins with apple butter. And, she says, try to involve the child in selecting something from different food groups; not only will it teach them about balanced eating, but improve odds they'll eat their lunches.
Judith Johnson: Opening a Dialogue About Death and Dying
Don't wait until you are dying to talk about death and dying. Invite conversation on this topic with the goal of making it more normal to talk about such things.
Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D.: Lessons From Life's Final Moments
This denial of death is one of the main culprits for not recognizing how precious life really is. When we avoid what we're uncomfortable with, we close ourselves off to something very important.
Nation & World | In study, B vitamins slowed rate of brain shrinkage | Seattle Times Newspaper
Vitamins B6 and B12, and folic acid, lower the levels of an amino acid called homocysteine that is linked to brain-cell damage similar to that seen in Alzheimer's. Those with the highest levels of homocysteine in their blood showed the most benefit, according to the study published Thursday in PLoS One, a publication of the Public Library of Science, a nonprofit in San Francisco.
Good Form: A wall exercise to stretch shoulders, chest and legs - latimes.com
For a great stretch in your shoulders, chest and legs, practice this exercise at a wall. Start by doing just the first variation, with both feet on the floor.
Testosterone may drive aggressive takeovers: Study
Younger men with presumably higher testosterone would reject low offers, even if the rejection meant losing any chance of an offer, the researchers said.
Tired? Not interested in sex? Mister, you might be in andropause
Normally, this happens between the ages of 45 and 50. And the dramatic drop in hormones can trigger all sorts of physical and psychological changes.
Mark Hyman, MD: Do Statins Cause Diabetes and Heart Disease?
What I found fascinating was that the patients who lowered their cholesterol with statins had higher levels of insulin, while those who lowered their cholesterol through diet had lower insulin levels. Why is that important? Because elevated insulin levels are the first step on the road to diabetes--they make you gain weight around the middle, cause high blood pressure, increase inflammation, and promote stickiness of the blood. Each of these conditions, in turn, contributes to heart attacks and heart disease.
Kari Henley: Which Possessions Would You Take If You Only Had 15 Minutes?
Lisa joked on the lighter side: "My purse that has everything in the world and then some in it!! Could live out of it for a while!"
Dr. Michael J. Breus: Will Super Mario Keep Your Child From Slumberland?
"How about 20 more minutes and then I will get ready? Or better yet can you bring my PJ's and toothbrush in here?"
Are You Aware Of Ovarian Cancer?
Though ovarian cancer affects over 21,000 women each year, many people are unaware of the severity of the disease, partially because it's still seen as a taboo subject in our culture.
LIVESTRONG.COM: Best Snacks for Weight Loss
When it comes to weight loss, some snacks are better than others. Avoid candy, sweets and heavily processed foods, and choose snacks that will complement your quest to lose weight and benefit your overall health.
Christina Pirello: 10 Ways Apples Benefit Your Health
As the air turns cool and autumn leaves blow our minds with their beauty, we turn our thoughts to all things fall ... apples, crisp and juicy, fill the bins of both farm markets and supermarkets alike. This symbol of fall weather is so much more than the herald of the cold weather to come.
If you want little shoots of green peeking up through the snow in the spring, you’ll want to choose and plant your bulbs now.
Nutritional Comparison of Carrots and Celery
Celery brags lower calories and a bit of protein and fiber, and it's a great peanut butter scooper. Carrots, on the other hand, are still low in calories and fat-free but have higher carb, fiber, and sugar counts
If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, then a banana a day may keep the leg cramps away. When people hear the word potassium, they often think immediately of bananas
Debbie Robins: CEOs: Here's One 4-Letter Word You Need to Start Using
Yet in our quest to conquer the business world, we too often disassociate ourselves from love, one of the most important aspects of who we are. We live by the credo "the business of business is business." Guess that's why 75 percent of all Americans say they're unhappy with their jobs. Consequently, they take their upset home to (and out on) their spouse, life partners, children, family members, friends, neighbors, pets, vendors, and the cable TV repair person.
7 Ways To Kick The Plastic Habit: Tips And Tricks For Living Plastic Free (PHOTOS)
Plastic also never goes away, it is merely down-cycled or degrades, and a lot of it ends up in the ocean. So if you want to start making a dent in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, read on for tips and tricks on living an (almost) plastic-free lifestyle.
Bruxism (Teeth Grinding or Clenching)
When you look in on your sleeping child, you want to hear the sounds of sweet dreams: easy breathing and perhaps an occasional sigh. But some parents hear the harsher sounds of gnashing and grinding teeth, called bruxism, which is common in kids.
So are you spending enough quality time between the sheets asleep? See how many of the signs below describe you. Then decide if a sleep deficit is holding you back.
Brian Harke Ed.D.: Parents: Lost in the College Transition
While researching and working with new college student transition, I have noticed that the transition can often be more difficult on parents than students. This makes sense when you consider that for the past 18 years you have been there to support your son/daughter through struggles with life, schoolwork, dating, the prom, etc. Through good times and bad, most parents have been close by to share in their student's lives.
Gretchen Rubin: 7 Ways to Avoid Procrastinating (PHOTOS)
Going to the gym. Practicing a new skill when you have no skill. Giving bad news. Dealing with tech support. We all have to make ourselves do things that we just don't want to do. Here are some tricks I've learned that help me power through the procrastination.
Male Menopause: Fact or Fiction? by MedicineNet.com
The concept behind the concept of male menopause is that the decline in testosterone levels that occurs as men age may produce a characteristic and potentially treatable set of symptoms. Male menopause is also commonly referred to as low-T, andropause, or its medical name, late-onset hypogonadism.
New moms, dads show increased depression risk
For both parents, the risk was highest during the first year of their child's life, the study found.
