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Showing posts with the label mood

Interrupted Sleep? That's Worse Than No Sleep, Study Says

My husband drives me crazy with sleep issues. Our son (who does get sick a lot) gets sick because he doesn't sleep enough.  Sleep can heal your body of everything.  Oh, and before I forget, don't you dare wake him up unless the house is burning down (we won't mention the time the fire alarm went off in the middle of the night at the hotel we were staying in and he decided to go to the bathroom first). But that's another story. Now a new study has found that sleep interruptions are worse for our moods than overall sleep reduction, according to newswise.com. In other words, awakening several times throughout the night is more detrimental to people’s positive moods than getting the same shortened amount of sleep without interruption. Who hasn't been there?  You didn't get enough sleep and you're grumpy.  There's that.  But there's also the annoyance of being awakened or jerked from a sound sleep.  I no longer use an alarm clock for just th...

Want More Happiness in Life? Just Give Up

Who hasn't heard "where there's a will, there's a way"? Usually when someone wants you to do something you don't.   Save $100 every month from your paycheck (my husband).   Lose that 10 pounds.  Tell your partner you'll be home on time -- even though you never are (again, my husband). Now a study is saying there’s more than one way to gain a sense of control over your life, according to new research from Johns Hopkins University, as reported by newswise.com. The traditional view of a life in control is one in which an individual has taken actions to ensure success in both the near and long terms, says study author Erik G. Helzer, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School . This is “primary control” ― the attempt to win mastery by striving for goals and asserting one’s will upon circumstances. But, Helzer argues in a recently published paper, another method, “secondary control,” has been given short shrift in both the sc...

Happy Heart, Slender Waist?

It could be.  A  new study has found that happier thoughts lead to healthier food. Sound a little crazy?  Well, researchers have discovered that mood and food are connected, and if you want to lose weight, think a happy thought. How many of us have stepped on the scale, been mortified, then felt anger and hatred for our shape course through our bodies? It's hard to think happy thoughts when you're heavy, I admit.  But  “people use food to either maintain a good mood or regain a good mood, and if you’re already in a good mood, you tend to eat more healthfully than if you’re in a bad mood,” said study author Brian Wansink a professor in Cornell’s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, at newswise.com. Study authors note, "W hen people are in a good mood, things seem OK, and they can take a big-picture perspective. This kind of thinking allows people to focus on the more abstract aspects of food, including how healthy it is.” But is this really ...

Depressed? Go Bananas

It's called "eating for your mood " and doctors are finding that there are, indeed, certain foods that can improve your outlook on life. E xperts told CBS 2 that researchers "have identified specific foods that may be helpful in promoting feelings of well being and calm," the story reports. A study published in Nutrition Journal found a direct association between higher levels of nutrient intake and better mental health in 97 people, CBS 2 notes. According to CBS New York, tuna and mackerel (yuck) are two of the foods high in vitamins and essential fatty acids that can help you feel less depressed and anxious.  Webmd.com weighs in with, " Dietary changes can bring about changes in our brain structure (chemically and physiologically), which can lead to altered behavior." If you're not a fish person, don't get upset.  Bananas, olive oil, lean beef, and dates also may do the trick, along with brown rice, spinach and sunflower seeds....