Foods that make you happier

One of my long time friends (who shall remain nameless and I'll refer to her as "J") "hates" me because I weigh about the same I did when we went to high school . . . . . . and she doesn't. ("Hate" is a bit too strong but she's been known to say that to my face.)

I can't help it that I'm just not a glutton like one of my long time friends (who shall remain nameless).

I can't help it that I eat healthy and in moderation unlike "J".

i can't help that I eat to live, not live to eat like "J".

When I found this research I thought I might share it with you and "J".

The Chemistry of Joy

Our mood, our outlook and our energy levels are determined to a huge extent by the chemicals serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine and their relationship to one another.

We feel good when they are in balance. Beta endorphins also create a feeling of well-being, connectedness to others, and emotional stability. They even help us tolerate pain.

• If levels of norepinephrine and dopamine are low, people will slow down, sleep a lot, have trouble concentrating and find it hard to motivate themselves. They can have a "sluggish" depression.

• On the other hand, people with high levels of norepinephrine and dopamine, and possibly low levels of serotonin often feel angry, resentful and despairing. They can be critical and demanding. This would be an "agitated " depression.

• A third kind of depression can occur with low levels of serotonin, which results in people feeling fearful , worried and inadequate. This is an "anxious" depression.

Here is where the kitchen comes in:

• Sluggish Depression - Eating to INCREASE norepinephrine and dopamine: Eat high quality proteins throughout the day, lean beef, low-fat meats and fish.

• Agitated Depression - Eating to DECREASE norepinephrine and dopamine: eat the same as to increase serotonin but eat very small amounts of protein. A vegetarian diet would be good.

• Anxious Depression - Eating to INCREASE serotonin: Increase carbs, eat tryptophan, which is in nuts, dairy, and meats. Eat regularly throughout the day. Get some protein, but not a large amount.

SUGAR (also alcohol) elevates beta endorphins, which may be why people have sugar cravings. This elevation only lasts a short time, because the body metabolizes it quickly. This results in a "low" that follows the sugar "high", and you want more sugar! "J" you can avoid this by eating complex carbs and protein.)

Cholesterol helps the brain make the chemicals we need. So if you are depressed, eat some fat: Halibut, salmon, grains and nuts that have omega 3 and animal fat with omega 6 are both needed in balance.

* * * * *

And so my long time friend "J"

THIS is a brain healthy diet: Fats 30% Sugar 10% or less Caffeine drinks a day, 2 or fewer ( a cup of coffee is 6 oz) Complex carbs, whole grains, lean protein, fresh fruit and dark green, leafy vegetables - A lot!

Y

30 Seconds to Tame Anxiety

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6 Ways to Meditate for People Who Can't "meditate"

"Meditation gets you out of your thinking into the present moment by focusing your attention to your sense perceptions (sight, sound, touch, etc) with 100% focus."

Yay! Sure! 100%. When I meditate it's 50%-50% at best. My monkey mind swings from trees with great abandon, my thoughts rambling, rumbling and wildly roaming. AND 50%-50% is great unless you spend your life sitting on a mountain top and meditating . . .

Why meditate?

Meditation has been rigorously, scientifically studied and has shown to literally change the brain. A regular meditation practice helps significantly with depression and anxiety, meditation has been shown to help with anti-aging, fighting infections, contributing to a sense of control and combating feelings of loneliness.

Nearly anything can be turned into a meditative practice as long as you focus on leaving your "head" and experience the world through your senses. (Sorry - Television, video games and reading don’t count as meditation because they simply replace our own thoughts with more stimulating ones.)

When the stress, thinking of "doing nothing" for 20 minutes, negates benefits here's 6 alternative forms of meditation (I've tried five of them- and they work. You can guess which one I've ignored)

1. Take a Musical Bath Like a warm bath, sink into the melodies, soak in the harmonies, bath your body in the rhythms and Immerse yourself in sound. It is a powerful and enjoyable form of meditation. Get an album you’ve wanted to listen to for some time and listen to it… really listen, with no interruptions.

2. Dance When NO ONE Watches

Dancing is the natural progression from listening to music. Many of us have had the horrible feeling of dancing while being stuck in self-conscious over thinking and paranoid about how we look. Meditative dance is ignoring everything that is going on outside our own body and becoming one with the music. Flay your arms, sway your hips, roll your eyes - Let go of protecting your self image, have fun and even be silly.

3. Draw with your eyes

Drawing is less about talent and more about learning to see. Thinking actually can get in the way so that's why this exercise is meditative. (Don’t worry about what it's going to look like, it’s the meditative process that counts not the Museum of Modern Art.) Here's How: By drawing without looking you use your sight perception to get out of your head- what you THINK it should look like - and be in the moment.

1. Choose what to draw — a cup, your foot, a chair, it doesn't matter.

2. Set a timer for 10 or 20 minutes.

3. Arrange yourself so you can see the object you will be drawing without seeing the paper. Put your pencil through a paper plate so you can't see your paper.

4. Focus your eyes on some part of the object and coordinate your eye moving around the outline (contours) of the object with moving your pencil to record what your eyes observe.

5. Without looking at your hand, your paper or your pencil focus only on the shape of an object. Do not look down at the paper as you SLOWLY move the pencil, concentrating on the lines, and contours of the object as you let your pencil "flow" in time with your eyes.

6. Continue observing and recording until the timer rings

Just like any meditation practice, this exercise can be difficult at first but will become easier as you learn to shift your thinking from an analytical, labeling mode to one that is more intuitive, MEDITATIVE.

4. Yoga

Not only is yoga incredible for flexibility, balance and strength, it’s also one of the oldest forms of meditation. You combining various movements with coordinated breathing to help focus on your inner body. Watch yoga videos on YouYube, there’s hundreds to choose from – and practice them a few times a week. Don’t get caught up with all the bells and whistles, yoga is about feeling connected to the earth and your inner body. (The last time I checked your feet were already touching ground.)

5. Meditative Munching

Take advantage of one of the necessities of life - food - and the fact you do it every day . . . several times a day. Remember, the power of meditation comes with practicing full focus. When your mind strays return to taste, texture, temperature. Eating in front of the TV, in the car or standing over the sink only encourages the monkeys to leap around. Eat slowly, savor each bite - focus on the textures, flavors, aromas and the temperature. (And while you're chewing, feel grateful for each bite of nourishment.) 6. Restore with Chores

(We've gone from what I consider the most enjoyable - eating - to the least enjoyable) Chores can be meditative WHEN you focus solely on what your are doing. Your monkey mind will try and take over to keep you entertained and stimulated. Just as in all meditative practices keep refocusing your monkey mind on the task at hand: Washing dishes - focus on the temperature of water, seeing the pot become cleaner and cleaner; Mowing the lawn - examine the cutting patterns, inhale the aroma of cut grass; Making the bed - notice the feel, color, wrinkles of sheets, the tension of folds, your hand motion . . .

(Personally, I'd rather monkey around.) judy https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/6-alternative-forms-meditation-for-people-who-hate-doing-nothing.html