Foods to Help You Feel Better

6 Tips for Foods and Beverages That Help You Feel Good

1. Seek out foods rich in vitamin B12 and folic acid (folate).
What’s special about chili made with kidney beans and lean beef? Or a light chicken Caesar salad made with skinless chicken breast and romaine lettuce? Or grilled salmon with a side of broccoli?

All these dishes feature one food that is rich in folic acid (folate) and another that is rich in vitamin B12. These two vitamins appear to help prevent disorders of the central nervous system, mood disorders, and dementias, says Edward Reynolds, MD, at the Institute of Epileptology, King’s College, London.

The link between higher food intakes of folate and a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms crosses cultures, too. A recent study confirmed this association in Japanese men.
Folic acid is usually found in beans and greens. Vitamin B12 is found in meats, fish, poultry, and dairy.

Other dishes that feature B-12 and folic acid-rich foods include:
- A burrito or enchilada made with black beans plus beef, chicken, or pork
- A spinach salad topped with crab or salmon
- An egg white or egg substitute omelet filled with sauteed spinach and reduced-fat cheese

2. Enjoy fruits and vegetables in a big way.
Fruits and vegetables are packed with key nutrients and antioxidant phytochemicals, which directly contribute to your health and health-related quality of life.
In a one study, eating two more servings of fruits and vegetables a day was associated with an 11% higher likelihood of good functional health. People who ate the highest amount of fruits and vegetables felt better about their health.

3. Eat selenium-rich foods every day.

Selenium is a mineral that acts like an antioxidant in the body. What do antioxidants have to do with feeling better and minimizing bad moods? Research suggests that the presence of oxidative stress in the brain is associated with some cases of mild to moderate depression in the elderly population.

One study evaluated the depression scores of elderly people whose daily diet was either supplemented with 200 micrograms of selenium a day or a placebo. Although more research is needed to confirm the findings, the group taking selenium had higher amounts of selenium circulating in their blood and significant decreases in their depression symptoms.

Try to get at least the recommended daily allowance for selenium: 55 micrograms a day for men and women.

Whole grains are an excellent source of selenium. By eating several servings a day of whole grains such as oatmeal, whole-grain bread, and brown rice, you can easily get 70 micrograms of selenium. Other foods rich in selenium include:
- Beans and legumes
- Lean meat (lean pork or beef, skinless chicken or turkey)
- Low-fat dairy foods
- Nuts and seeds (especially Brazil nuts)
- Seafood (oysters, clams, crab, sardines, and fish)

4. Eat fish several times a week.
Several recent studies have suggested that men and women have a lower risk of having symptoms of depression if they eat a lot of fish, particularly fatty fish like salmon, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3s from fish seem to have positive effects on clinically defined mood swings such as postpartum depression, says Jay Whelan, PhD, head of the department of nutrition at the University of Tennessee.

Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include:
- Herring
- Rainbow trout
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Tuna

5. Get a daily dose of vitamin D.
Does a little time in the sun seem to make you feel better? The sun’s rays allow our bodies to synthesize and regulate vitamin D.

Four recent studies showed an association between low serum levels of vitamin D and higher incidences of four mood disorders: PMS, seasonal affective disorder, nonspecified mood disorder, and major depressive disorder.

Researcher Pamela K. Murphy, PhD, at the Medical University of South Carolina says people can help manage their moods by getting at least 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D a day.
That’s significantly more than the RDA for vitamin D, which is 200 IU for adults under 50, 400 IU for ages 51 to 70, and 600 IU for people over 70.

Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D. So she recommends we get vitamin D from a variety of sources: short periods of sun exposure, vitamin D supplements, and foods.
Vitamin D can be found in:
- Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel
- Beef liver
- Cheese
- Egg yolks

But our primary source of dietary vitamin D is fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals, breads, juices, and milk.

6. Treat Yourself to 1 oz of Chocolate
“Small amounts of dark chocolate can be a physical upper,” says Becker at Johns Hopkins. “Dark chocolate has an effect on the levels of brain endorphins,” those feel-good chemicals that our bodies produce. Not only that, but dark chocolate also seems to have a heart-healthy anti-clogging effect in our blood vessels.

In one study from the Netherlands, Dutch men who ate 1/3 of a chocolate bar each day had lower levels of blood pressure and lower rates of heart disease. The chocolate also boosted their general sense of well-being.


How Foods and Beverages May Make You Feel Bad
Just as some foods can help you feel better, others can make you feel down. Here are ways to reduce the harmful effects of three foods that can drag you down.

1. Reduce foods high in saturated fat.
Saturated fat is well known for its role in promoting heart disease and some types of cancer. Now researchers suspect saturated fat also play a role in depression.
The link was found in a study called the Coronary Health Improvement Project, which followed 348 people between the 24 and 81. A decrease in saturated fat over a six-week period was associated with a decrease in depression.

2. Limit alcohol carefully.
That “feel-good” drink, alcohol, is actually a depressant. In small doses, alcohol can produce a temporary feeling of euphoria. But the truth is that alcohol is a chemical depressant to the human brain and affects all nerve cells.

Depending on the amount of alcohol consumed, people can go quickly from feeling relaxed to experiencing exaggerated emotions and impaired coordination.
It’s no coincidence that depressive disorders often co-occur with substance abuse, and one of the main forms of substance abuse in this country is alcohol.

3. Don’t go crazy with caffeine.
Caffeine can increase irritability a couple of ways. If the caffeine you consume later in the day disrupts your nighttime sleeping, you are likely to be cranky and exhausted until you get a good night’s rest.

Caffeine can also bring on a burst or two of energy, often ending with a spiral into fatigue.
Some people are more sensitive than others to the troublesome effects of caffeine. If you are sensitive to caffeine, decrease the amount of coffee, tea, and sodas you drink to see if this helps uplift your mood and energy level, particularly in the latter part of the day.

Baby Sex Prediction

Q: Does eating certain foods help to conceive a boy or a girl?

MAYBE. Studies have shown that eating a diet high in potassium and sodium – foods like bananas, spicy and salty foods and red meat – may increase your chances of conceiving a boy. On the other hand, eating calcium and magnesium-rich foods like milk, cheese, fish, rice and nuts can result in the birth of a girl. This diet method is controversial though and it’s not clear why, or if, it works. Experts agree that it’s better to have a balanced diet with a wide range of nutrients when trying for a baby.

Q: If you have two boy or two girls, are you more likely to have another on in the next pregnancy?

YES. Statistics suggest that you are 75% more likely to conceive another boy or girl if you already have two of the same sex with your partner. Although sex selection is random, it’s possible that some men simply produce better quality X (female) or Y (male) sperm. So, if you’re on your way to creating your own football team, we’re afraid there might not be much you can do about it!

Basically, the sex of your baby is like tossing a coin – heads for a boy, tails for a girl. Having said that you do have a slightly higher chance of having a boy – 51 per cent of babies born in the UK are male. Your partner’s sperm will decide the gender of your baby: your eggs contain just a female, (X) chromosome, but a man’s sperm contains either an X or a Y chromosome. Whichever one reaches the egg first and fertilises it will determine the sex of your unborn baby.

Girl sperm are larger, live longer and swim slowly. Boy sperm swim faster, so have a better chance of reaching your egg first if it’s waiting to be fertilised. If the sperm has to wait for an egg to be released, the boy sperm dies off before the girl sperm so there’s likely to be more girl sperm waiting to fertilise the egg. So can you choose? Not really! But you could try having sex as close a possible to ovulation (when the egg is released) to conceive a boy, or just before ovulation to conceive a girl.

My Obsessions this Season

Let me introduce to you the totes which I LOVE to have this season. :) Don't you just wish you have them all... hahah... These are the bags which have caught my eyes! :) All are very elegant and chic.

Here, are the descriptions from top to bottom:

- Louis Vuitton Monogram Vernis Sunset Boulevard Evening Handbag (USD 840), colour: red

- Louis Vuitton Monogram Vernis Roxbury Drive (USD 1,030), colour: red

- Louis Vuitton Monogram Vernis Brentwood Tote (USD 1,580), colour: cream

- Chanel Classic 2.55 Quilted Black Evening Handbag (USD 2,995), colour: black

- Chanel Classic 2.55 Quilted Camel Evening Handbag (USD 2,995), colour: tan

A Glorious Purpose from God

Today I stumbled across a very interesting blog on Christianity. Here are some of the notes from Jess (the blog's owner):

As Christians, God has built suffering into our lives for good and godly and GLORIOUS purposes:

- Suffering teaches us to how to endure with hope.
- Suffering with Christ is a witness that we really are children of God.
- However heavy the suffering is, the weight of it can remind us of just how much more glorious the coming days will be.
- Suffering reveals our shared humanity and gives us the opportunity to act as the body of Christ.
- Going through times of suffering teaches us how God comforts us, so that we can comfort others with that same God-given comfort.
- It is a gift to not only be able to believe in Christ, but to suffer for Him.
- Suffering gives us new eyes to see that so many things we value are really as rubbish in comparison with knowing Christ.
- Suffering is part of God's boot camp and trains us to be stronger.
- Times of suffering give us reference points of God's faithfulness to prepare us for future suffering, and remind us to look with joy towards His future eternal faithfulness.
- Suffering drives us to prayer.
- Everyone suffers, whether for foolish things or good things. If it's God's will that you suffer, it's better that it be for doing good.
- Suffering reminds us that we aren't in control, and that we can rejoice in Christ-- the bearer of the Name Above All Names.
- Suffering unites us with hurting Christians around the world and can quicken our minds and hearts to pray for them.

The Word makes it clear that as humans, we will suffer, and even more so, as Christians, we will suffer. Though it's painful, unpleasant, and often leaves us sore and shocked, we should not run from the suffering God has placed in our lives. I can tell you, from our experiences-- with unexplained sickness, miscarriages, and facing unexpected life changes, which is still nothing compared to the suffering of so many-- that suffering does indeed teach endurance.

It is valuable for one's character. It absolutely can deepen faith in Christ. It gives us a oneness with other hurting people. Suffering moves us to prayer. It teaches us more about how to comfort and love others who are hurting. It gives a deeply needed perspective in our highly-controlled, highly-comfortable lives.

Please hear me-- I'm not saying we should seek to suffer. Nor that we should never seek to change a situation if there is pain or discomfort. But what I am saying is that when your marriage relationship is discouraging, or when there is no fruit on the vine of your life, or when you've been publicly humiliated, or when sickness has taken hold, or when a relationship gets extremely uncomfortable, or when you suffer deep loss, or when there seems to be nothing left, or when it would just be easier to leave and find a new church, or when everything looks bleak, or when you lose your job, or when you have overdrawn your account, CHRIST IS THERE. HE knows suffering. HE bore suffering. He will walk with you and teach you unspeakable things in some of the lowest moments if you'll let Him.

Don't be tempted to sanitize suffering out of your life... pray. Look for what He will do. Be patient. Don't run from it-- endure! Read of His sufferings. Dare to hope. Cling to Christ!

Gender Selection

None of these methods are proven to be 100% effective; in fact most are folklore. But it can’t hurt to try!

If you're hoping for a boy...
Shettles Method:
• Have intercourse (with deeper penetration) right around ovulation.
• Go for a female orgasm.

Folklore includes:
• Consume salty food and red meat.
• Have intercourse around a quarter moon.
• Men should keep down the heat and avoid hot tubs and tight clothes.

If you're hoping for a girl...
Shettles Method:
• Have intercourse 2-3 days prior to ovulation, and again two days after ovulation (with shallow penetration).
• Hold off on a female orgasm.

Folklore includes:
• Consume sweets and calcium-rich foods.
• Have intercourse around a full moon.

Food for Thought
It is thought that minerals in your diet affect the metabolism and environment of the egg and therefore make it more attractive to sperm of one particular sex. If you want a boy, eat plenty of potassium-rich foods such as meat, bananas, apricots, and celery. If you want a girl, lots of magnesium-rich foods such as nuts, soya beans, and leafy green vegetables should do the trick.

While some couples swear by gender selection methods, others say that there is no certain way to choose the sex of your baby. No matter which theory you believe, there is one definite: you and your partner will have fun trying out the various methods!

Study results from http://www.ivf1.com/diet-gender-selection/
The only significant finding was that a woman's diet before conception seemed to be associated with the gender of the baby born. Specifically, women who ate a greater amount of food were more likely to have a male baby. Food intake was measured by total number of calories consumed. Women who were in the highest third for calories consumed were 1.5 times more likely to have a boy compared to women who were in the lowest third.

Researchers then sought to determine whether a specific food or nutrient was influential in determining the gender of the baby. The interesting result was that breakfast cereal was strongly associated with infant sex. Women producing male infants ate more breakfast cereal on average than women who produced female infants. Women who ate at least one bowl of breakfast cereal daily were 1.87 times more likely to have a boy compared to women who ate one or less bowls of cereal per week.

These results could not be due to an overall skewing in the sex ratio since overall about 1/2 the babies were boys and 1/2 were girls. Furthermore, the age of the mother was not linked with the likelihood of having a boy or girl. The weight of the mother also did not predict the gender of the baby.

Shopping with Mum

Last weekend, I brought my mum to grocery shopping with me. It has been ages since we went shopping together as mother-and-daughter :) We enjoyed the shopping very much. One of the reasons being mum managed to find the clothes that she wants. Then, we brought her for sushi for lunch. She enjoyed her salmon sashimi with rice, I choose ramen and hubby choose sushi... all kinds of sushi. Although it was a moderate afternoon but we had spent some quality time together as a family. :)

The day before my mum visit, me and hubby went for movie. We watched Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian which is plain boring... thumbs down for this!!! :( Initially we wanted to watch The Ghosts of Girlfriends past by Matthew McConaughey but it was postponed to end of July... :( so we hv no choice. The movie was worst than Star Trek... OMG!!! can't believe that I slept even at the begining of the movie... this shows how dull and boring is this movie! Those who read my blog, pls dont watch it in the cinema... u will fall asleep like me. haha...

Folic Acid Offers More Protection than Thought

Baby-protecting folic acid is getting renewed attention: Not only does it fight spina bifida and some related abnormalities, new research shows it also may prevent premature birth and heart defects.

Now pregnancy specialists are asking if it's time for the government to boost the amount being added to certain foods to help ensure mothers-to-be get enough. But for older adults, there may be a down side to the nutrient: Extra-high levels late in life just might pose a cancer risk.

"Folate is assuming the role of a chameleon, if you will," says Dr. Joel Mason of Tufts University's nutrition research center, who is researching that possible risk.

Folic acid is an artificial version of folate, a B vitamin found in leafy green vegetables, citrus fruit and dried beans. Everyone needs regular folate because it's important for healthy cell growth yet the body doesn't store up enough of it.

And pregnant women need extra, even before they may know they've conceived. Enough folate in pregnancy's earliest days can prevent devastating birth defects of the spine and brain called neural tube defects, including spina bifida. Those defects have dropped by about a third since the U.S. mandated fortifying certain breads, cereals and pastas with folic acid in January 1998.

Two major studies in the past month suggest the vitamin may be even more protective.
First, Texas researchers analyzed nearly 35,000 pregnancies and found that women who reported taking folic acid supplements for at least a year before becoming pregnant cut in half their risk of having a premature baby. Their risk of having very early preemies, the babies least likely to survive, dropped even more.

Then Canadian researchers analyzed 1.3 million births in Quebec since 1990 to look for heart defects, the most common type of birth defect. They found the rate of serious heart defects has dropped 6 percent a year since Canada began its own food fortification in December 1998.

It's hard to get enough folate for pregnancy through an average diet. So health authorities have long advised that all women of childbearing age take a daily vitamin containing 400 micrograms of folic acid — even if they're not trying to conceive, since half of pregnancies are unplanned. Last month, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force went a little further, recommending that women take a daily supplement with 400 micrograms to 800 micrograms of folic acid daily.

But because only about a third of non-pregnant women take precautionary folic acid supplements, fortifying foods made with enriched flour ensures everyone gets a modest amount.

"We've seen in the U.S. and Canada dramatic changes in neural tube defects just with fortification. The question now is would a little more fortification, or even twice as much fortification, impact that bottom line, as well as those other potential benefits," says Dr. Alan Fleischman, medical director of the March of Dimes.

His group will call together pregnancy and folate specialists this summer to debate that. Also under way are deliberations by the European Union and Britain on whether to begin fortification there.

Complicating that issue is the question about cancer risk when older people — women well beyond childbearing, and men — take lots of folic acid.

Here's the quandary: Some research shows people who don't eat enough folate have a higher risk of colon and certain other cancers. On the other hand, animal studies show too much folic acid, the pill version, can spur some cancers. There's scant human evidence.

But when researchers studied people prone to precancerous colon polyps, those who took high-dose folic acid — 1,000 micrograms a day — for three years had more new polyps than people given a dummy pill. And in March, researchers tracked 640 men from that earlier study and found that 10 years later, the folic acid users were more likely to have developed prostate cancer.

Why? While enough folate usually is protective, if people's bodies already harbor some precancerous or cancerous cells, too much may feed their growth, said Tufts' Mason. Older people are more likely to be brewing colon or prostate cancer.

Fortified foods alone wouldn't be enough to harm, stresses Fleischman: "I don't think it's going to end up being a generational argument."

But Mason worries that some people can rack up the dose with today's multiple sources: A multivitamin with 400 micrograms; some fortified cereals bring another 400 a bowl; many older people take special B-vitamin tablets with 400 more; another 200 or so from breads; more in vitamin-infused bottled water and energy bars.

Don't misunderstand: Everyone should eat enough leafy greens and citrus — good folate from food is important at all ages. But until the issue's settled, Mason says older adults "really ought to think twice about whether you should take a vitamin supplement that contains folic acid."
___
EDITOR's NOTE — Lauran Neergaard covers health and medical issues for The Associated Press in Washington.

The Right Brain vs Left Brain

The Right Brain vs Left Brain test ... do you see the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise? If clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa. Most of us would see the dancer turning anti-clockwise though you can try to focus and change the direction; see if you can do it.

Go to here to see - http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22535838-5012895,00.html

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
- uses logic
- detail oriented
- facts rule
- words and language
- present and past
- math and science
- can comprehend
- knowing
- acknowledges
- order/pattern
- perception
- knows object name
- reality based
- forms strategies
- practical
- safe


RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
- uses feeling
- "big picture"
- oriented
- imagination rules
- symbols and images
- present and future
- philosophy & religion
- can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
- believes
- appreciates
- spatial perception
- knows object function
- fantasy based
- presents possibilities
- impetuous
- risk taking

I also done this test and got the result below:

How strong is your relationship?
You're relationship is fairly strong, but you're still working on making things solid.Make sure you're both treating each other with kindness and respect, even when things aren't going well.Your relationship isn't in danger, but it could be if a crisis hits. You need more strength to get through the bad times.Remember what attracted you to each other, and try to bring some of that fire back. It's not too late!

Lucky or Tragic?

I never like history especially the history of the country I've been living for the past 30 years! It was not only boring, it was worthless to even know what's happening at that time coz all those to me was just plain dump (& nonsense as well)! What's more we have to study it since secondary school. However, what facinated me was the British history which was so rich in cultural and religion... same as the China history.

One of the movie which shows about the British history was the movie called The Other Boleyn Girls (2008). The movie is about the King Henry VIII. When Catherine of Aragon fails to produce a male heir to the English throne, the Duke of Norfolk and his brother in law Thomas Boleyn scheme to install the latter's elder daughter Anne in the court of Henry VIII as the king's mistress and potential mother of his son, thereby furthering their own political ambitions.

Their plan backfires when Henry, injured in a hunting accident indirectly precipitated by Anne, is nursed by her sister Mary and becomes smitten with her. With great reluctance, the recently married Mary and her husband William Carey agree to accept positions in the court, knowing full well what will be expected of her. Separated from her spouse, who is sent away on an assignment by the king, Mary finds herself falling in love with Henry.

Rebellious Anne secretly marries betrothed nobleman Henry Percy and confides in her brother George, who tells Mary about the elopement. Concerned that Anne will ruin her reputation by marrying a nobleman without the King's consent, she alerts her father and uncle of the union. They confront Anne, who argues that the marriage has been consummated and what is done before God cannot be undone, and she is exiled to France in disgrace.

The Boleyn family's fortunes seem to be secured when Mary becomes pregnant. When she nearly suffers a miscarriage, she is confined to bed for the remainder of her pregnancy, and Norfolk recalls Anne to England to keep Henry's attention from wandering to another rival, particularly Jane Seymour. Anne successfully embarks on a campaign to seduce Henry, revealing herself to be more sophisticated and accomplished than she was prior to her exile. By withholding her sexual favors, she ensures the king's continued interest, finally making him promise never to bed his wife or speak to her sister in exchange for her giving him hope of eventually possessing her. Anne exacts this promise just after Mary gives birth to the much-anticipated son, making Mary's triumph hollow.

The ambitious Anne encourages Henry to break from the Roman Catholic Church when Pope Clement VII refuses to annul his marriage to Catherine. Henry succumbs to Anne's demands, declares himself the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and divorces his wife. The scandal of Anne's brief, secret marriage to Henry Percy threatens her forthcoming marriage to the king until Mary, out of loyalty to her family, returns to court and lies on Anne's behalf, assuring Henry her union with Percy never was consummated. Anne weds Henry and becomes Queen of England. The sisters reach a reconciliation and Mary stays by Anne's side at court.

Despite the birth of a healthy daughter, Elizabeth, Henry is unhappy with Anne's failure to deliver a son and legitimate male heir to the throne. After she miscarries their second child, a now desperate Anne asks her brother George to try to impregnate her. Although he ultimately refuses to grant her request, his neglected wife Jane witnesses enough of their encounter to become suspicious. Her testimony leads to the arrest, trial, and execution of both George and Anne. Mary returns to court to plead for her sister's life, but Henry refuses to intercede. He warns Mary never to come to court again, because her family's disgrace could result in danger to her as well. Mary fulfills her last promise to Anne and takes care of her infant daughter.