No one can live a long and healthy life without the will to go on; sometimes mood swings can make us feel that life is too much for us.
A bad mood not only gives you a gloomy outlook, it also lowers your immune function, leading the way to illness. Here are some suggestions to lift your mood, your spirit, and your health.
1. A Laughing Matter
"Laugh Therapy," pioneered by Norman Cousins, has turned out to have real substance. Research has discovered that laughter and joy boost immune functions, especially the production of the natural killer cells that help defend the body from illness and cancer.
Laughter also increases the release of endorphins - compounds that give you a sense of well-being - in your brain. Without a doubt, joyful people live longer and healthier lives. So read your favorite comics, watch your favorite comedies, and laugh it up!
2. Hands-On Healing
Human touch increases the production of endorphins, growth hormone, and DHEA, all of which lengthen your life span and lower the negative impact of stress. Studies have found that patients who are regularly touched recover faster than those who are not touched. So give someone a hug and feel both of your moods improve.
3. Boost Your "Youth Hormones"
You don't need pills to flood your body with a rejuvenating flood of growth hormones. Research has found that doing squats and leg presses will greatly increase your natural production of the "youth hormone". Increased growth hormone translates to an elevated mood, among other physical benefits. Keep it up with weight training, knee bends, push-ups, and rowing.
4. Take a Bracing Breath
Breathing correctly is important for dispelling the toxins and wastes from your body; in fact, it is estimated that we expel only about 30 percent of toxins in our bodies through the bowels and bladder-the rest is all respiratory. Breathing is also a great way to clear your mind, boost your energy, and improve your mood. Practice deep, slow, rhythmic, breathing daily with mind-body disciplines such as tai chi, yoga, qigong, self hypnosis and meditation.
5. Smell the Joy
Research has shown that smell has a definite impact on our bodies and minds. When you stimulate the olfactory nerves inside your nose, you activate the limbic system of your brain, which is associated with moods and memory. This concept is instrumental to aromatherapy, a natural health tradition that makes use of the healing powers of plants with strong scents.
Aromatherapy recommends treating depression with jasmine, eucalyptus for exhilaration, and grapefruit to increase alertness and joy. Just put a dab of the essential oils from these plants on your temples, back of your neck, or acupressure points. Another option? Boil the herb in water and inhale the steam through your nose.
6. Feel Fine with Flowers
There is a reason that flowers are the traditional get-well gesture. Colorful flowers have a powerful influence on moods; they can uplift a patient's mood and even combat stress. One study found that during a five-minute typing assignment, people sitting next to a flowering bouquet were more relaxed than those who sat near foliage-only plants.
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person
Look at the small picture. Concentrate on just losing 5 pounds at a time. When you lose the first 5, celebrate, then decide if it’s reasonable to lose another 5, and so on. Focusing on a big number can be overwhelming; in bite-size chunks, it will seem more manageable.Sack sabotaging thoughts. “It’s OK to eat this because I’m celebrating.” “I don’t have time to work out.” Sound familiar? These kind of thoughts can derail your best efforts. When you catch yourself making self-defeating excuses, shoot them down by saying, “If I want to be healthier, thinner, and more energetic, I have to follow my diet-and-exercise plan.”
Ditch that all-or-nothing mentality. Instead of scrapping your program when things get hectic, “Look over your upcoming week and plan how to fit everything in. And remember, five minutes of exercise is better than none.
Plan for curveballs. You’ll be stuck at work late one day and won’t have time to sear fresh fish and steam veggies. “Keep a stash of healthy convenience food so you can grab a protein bar or heat up a low-calorie frozen dinner for busy times.
Five Waist-Slimming Foods for Your Grocery Cart
Rethink: GrapesReach for: Raspberries
Grapes are a staple in our house, and I often grab them by the handful, figuring I’m choosing a virtuous snack. While grapes are heart-healthy, I could be getting more nutritional (and hunger-stopping) bang with an equally sweet fruit. Grapes are very low in fiber and vitamins.
But raspberries are a great source of soluble fiber, which helps reduce bad cholesterol and makes you feel full faster—great news for your waistline. Plus, they’re high in antioxidants. When they’re out of season (read: pricey), buy frozen organic raspberries. Thaw them, and they’re perfect for popping in your mouth.
Rethink: Vanilla soy milkReach for: Skim milk
My wife turned me on to vanilla soy milk a few years ago, not because she is lactose-intolerant but because it’s divine with cereal. Little did I know, it’s mostly sugar.
Vanilla soy milk is more like a dessert than a substitute for milk or a good source of soy. If you’re not lactose-intolerant choose skim milk, which has a lot of calcium but no fat or sugar. (Even plain soy milk has a little more calories and fat than skim milk.)
If you just can’t break the vanilla-soy-milk habit, Slayton adds, use a little in your coffee rather than in a big bowl of cereal or a smoothie.
Rethink: Vitamin-fortified water
Reach for: Flavored seltzer
I’m not a huge fan of vitamin-fortified water. Vitamin-fortified waters get my award for fooling the most educated consumers. One bottle has more calories and sugar than a can of cola! And the vitamins are negligible, compared with the amount of sugar you’re getting. Replace it with flavored seltzer (zero calories) or a no-cal flavored water (like Hint) that contains no artificial sweeteners or added sugar.
Rethink: Ground turkey
Reach for: Extra-lean ground sirloin
Surprised, right? So was I. Ground turkey has become my go-to good-for-you alternative in meatloaf, meatballs, and burgers. But unless the label reads “lean ground turkey” or “turkey breast,” you’re actually getting a mix of white meat, dark meat, and even some skin, which all add up to 325 calories and 20 grams of fat for a 5-ounce serving.
Compare that to 95 percent lean ground beef, which has 240 calories and 10 grams of fat. Lean beef also supplies a good helping of iron—almost five times more than turkey.
Rethink: Banana chips
Reach for: Dried apricots
Talk about a food that only sounds healthy! I’d assumed that banana chips were virtually guilt-free. But then I found out that most of them are deep-fried, with 220 calories and 15 grams of fat per half-cup—yikes! The same amount of dried apricots, on the other hand, has about 150 calories and less than 1 gram of fat (plus loads of vitamin A). Buy organic and you’ll also avoid sulphites, which can trigger migraines and even disrupt sleep.
How to Make the Perfect Shopping List
Shop unscripted, and not only will you buy the same tired ingredients every week but your money will fly away—and your impulse control will, too. Try my pointers for making a convenient, life-lengthening list. 
Make a meal plan
Pick out a few recipes, and you have an instant ingredient list that will rein in impulse buys.
Draw up a master list
Compiling your grocery receipts for four weeks will give you a master list that helps you avoid buying stuff you already have. Keep it on the fridge and mark down what you bought when.
Don’t shop hungry
You’ll eat your way through the store!
Organize aisle by aisle
This time-saver will keep you from zigzagging back and forth in the store.
Write down a rainbow
Choose different colors of fruits and vegetables to guarantee variety.
Stick to the list
Without a list, you’ll fork over 30% more on impulse items.
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