Archive for the ‘happiness’ Category

Do you ever find yourself unhappy, dwelling on the fact that you don’t own a Bentley or a house on Lake Como?  It’s natural to feel mildly envious of others’ good fortunes, but it’s important to keep that envy in check.

One of the secrets to happiness is to remind yourself of what you do have.  You may not jet off to Brazil every year for Carnival, but that annual camping trip you go on with friends or family is just as wonderful in its way.  And one thing we can all be thankful for is good health.

Encourage your body to be as healthy as it can be by eating well, exercising as much as possible, cutting down on stress, and allowing yourself to enjoy a little R & R when warranted.

At Solanova, we have many ways to help you ensure continued good health.  Take a look at our health concern articles, with subjects ranging from back pain to heart health, and everything in between.  And our highly absorbable, quality vitamins and nutritional supplements will help keep your health humming.

So the next time you feel a little jealous that you don’t have that 3- karat diamond ring or house in the Hamptons, put it in perspective.  You have your friends, family and hopefully very good health to be thankful for-and therefore already possess the best things in life.  Enjoy these last weeks of summer!

Even if you’ve already trekked all over the globe this summer and used up more than your share of vacation time (and money), there’s still one trip left that’s worth taking: A vacation from pain.

Yep.  Mr. Pain comes to visit you all too often these days, with his twinges, aches, and chronic soreness, making you really wish your address were unlisted.  You’ve tried all the NSAID’s (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and other pain relievers and they either made you feel groggy, upset your stomach, or had potentially dangerous side effects.  The situation seemed hopeless.  Mr. Pain took off his hat and coat, and settled into your favorite armchair, making himself quite at home.

But wait.  It doesn’t have to be this way. Imagine being able to live your life on a permanent vacation from chronic pain?  And here’s the best part!  There is an all-natural pain reliever available that is gentle on the stomach, very effective and has virtually no side effects.

This powerful, chronic pain reliever is called Nexrutine® Extra. It contains an all-natural, proprietary formula derived from the bark of the Phellodendron Amurense (Cork tree) that has been used as a valuable pain reliever by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners for thousands of years.  It is solely a natural Cox-2 inhibitor, obstructing the enzyme that causes inflammation, but preserving the important Cox-1 enzyme that protects the lining of the stomach.

With a steady supply of Nexrutine® Extra, you can finally say goodbye to chronic pain forever!   So tell Mr. Pain to don his hat, show him the door and wave goodbye.  Thanks to Nexrutine® Extra, you have beautiful pain-free places to go. Enjoy your trip!

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While all of your jet-setting friends are traveling to the Caribbean, Rome, or another enviable destination, you may feel forlorn at having to sit at home and watch the proverbial paint dry.  But instead, perhaps this is an opportunity-an inexpensive one-to celebrate a stress-free “staycation”.

If you have some time to burn, but not a lot of money with which to burn it, take advantage of the familiar.  And no, that does not mean catching up on the laundry, dishes, garage clean-up etc.  Instead, give yourself permission to eschew everyday life stresses and indulge in vacation-like decadence.

Eat take-out from your favorite Chinese restaurant.  Read trashy magazines and watch silly movies that are fun, but not heavy.  Give your brain a break.  Hang out with friends or family, and whip up something cold and sweet in the blender.  Sit on your porch or out in your backyard.  Take a leisurely stroll through a park-not necessarily for exercise-just do it because it’s a lovely day.  Pack a picnic and take it somewhere pretty, like a local beach, pond, or lake.

Be a tourist in your own town.  Is there a museum you’ve always wanted to check out?  A bar or coffee shop you’ve always meant to try?  A deliciously touristy destination you’ve been meaning to see? (I’m talking about you Alcatraz Island, Mt. Rushmore, Brooklyn Bridge, St. Louis Arch et al)  These places aren’t any less cool just because they’re in our backyards and easily accessible.  So join the local tourist ranks and enjoy a stress-free, inexpensive “staycation”.

As they say, “When in Rome…” Do as the locals do.  Bon Voyage!

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Are you feeling deprived?  Working hard, running around all day long, trying to exercise and take care of yourself (and everyone else) to the point of absolute exhaustion?  And when you finally have a moment’s peace, you decide that you deserve a treat-something chocolately and gooey no doubt-because you’ve worked so hard and sacrificed for so long.

Maybe that’s not such a good idea.

If you truly are trying to live a healthy and active life, rewarding yourself (and your family) with sweet, fatty, and sugary treats is good for no one.  Aside from the obvious glut of fat and sugar, you are setting a dangerous precedent: food equals reward.

Some people choose food as a reward because it’s cheap.  But I would argue that’s not entirely true.  Healthcare costs are rising, and what about the new wardrobe you’d have to buy after you gain ten pounds from consuming all of the treats you “deserve”?

There is a better way.

Reward yourself and loved ones with a new CD or DVD, a beautiful candle, tickets to a sports event or concert, a pound of gourmet coffee, or even with a massage or pedicure.  Especially if you have kids (or grandkids), this will establish that rewards don’t have to be sugar/fat/food related.

And hey. You could even buy yourself or a loved one some favorite nutritional supplements and give the ultimate reward: Good health!

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To discover a healthier you and find all of your favorite nutritional supplements, visit our homepage.

If you’re anything like me, your day may go like this:  Get up early (acute torture for we non-morning persons), check email, make coffee/breakfast/lunch/kid’s breakfasts etc. Jump in your car with seconds to spare, fight your way through ungodly traffic to get to work, school, or both, squeeze in errands in between meetings, stay late, commute home, try to get to the gym for 40 minutes, come back home, cook dinner, clean up the dishes, throw a load of laundry haphazardly into the machine, and read to the kids and/or pass out in front of the TV.  Get up the next day and start the whole chaotic process again.

This strikes me as no way to live.

So last week I took one day and experimented; I only did the things I absolutely HAD to do.  I did get up, made coffee and went to work, fighting the commute and arriving (basically) on time.  But I forced myself to eat a sandwich somewhere other than my desk, and eschewed all non-essential errands.  I found that I had time to take a walk in a nearby park, allowing myself to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, if only for my lunch hour.  When I got back to my desk, instead of feeling harried and frenzied, I felt centered and somewhat relaxed.  I continued with this idea throughout the day.  I drove home, changed into casual clothes and took the dog for a walk around the neighborhood.  I did not go to the gym.  With that extra hour, I spent some quality time with my pooch and actually had a chance to talk to a couple of neighbors who were also out and about.  When the rest of the family came home, we all cooked together and turned our collective noses up at the laundry piling high in the utility room.  It felt great.

The point is this: give yourself permission to kick around the dust bunnies.  It’s very noble to try to do it all day after day after day, but it doesn’t make for a particularly happy or enriched life.  So let yourself have a day or two off from the gym, the cooking, the laundry, and anything else non-essential.  You will feel more relaxed, centered and ultimately more productive.  And if all else fails, send the laundry out once a month.  Let someone else do your dirty work.  After all, you have a life!

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We’ve all seen the magazine covers or talk shows featuring lithe starlets who quip that the only exercise they ever need to sculpt their perfect bodies is yoga.  At first I was incredulous, but then again-I hadn’t taken a yoga class in years until recently.  I have since rediscovered yoga.  Yoga is a challenging practice and wonderful for the body, mind, and spirit.  Anyone who has held a “Revolved Half Moon Pose” for any length of time will understand what I mean.  Among myriad physical benefits, research has also concluded that yoga practice can help mitigate stress and anxiety and can be just as beneficial to our health as good old fashion relaxation.

In a randomized comparative trial involving 131 subjects experiencing mild to moderate stress, participating in hatha yoga for one hour, once a week, for 10 weeks, was found to be as effective as relaxation in terms of reducing stress and anxiety. Subjects were randomized to either receive 10 weekly one-hour sessions of yoga or relaxation. Various questionnaires were used to assess the outcomes. After the 10 weeks, yoga was found to be as effective as relaxation in reducing stress, anxiety, and improving health status on several aspects outlined on the Short Form-36. Yoga was found to be more effective than relaxation at improving mental health. After a six-week follow-up period, while subjects in the relaxation group were found to have higher scores in terms of vitality, social function, and mental health, subjects in both groups were found to have similar levels of stress and anxiety. Furthermore, no significant differences between the groups were found for five aspects of health status outlined on the SF-36. The results of this study suggest that the practice of yoga may be considered as an alternative to relaxation for reducing stress and anxiety. Additional research is warranted.

So grab your yoga mat and sign up for a series of classes.  Yoga can help soothe the stress in your life and just may help you fit into your favorite skinny jeans too!

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For natural stress reduction, try our anti-stress supplement Relora®. Read more about stress reduction and best practices for a calmer lifestyle in our health article archives.

Reference: http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/36431, “A randomised comparative trial of yoga and relaxation to reduce stress and anxiety,” Smith C, Hancock H, et al, Complement Ther Med, 2007; 15(2): 77-83. (Address: Caroline Smith, Centre for Allied Health Evidence, School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia. E-mail: caroline.smith@acnhw.com.au ).

Depression can sneak up on even the happiest among us.  But some groups seem to be more susceptible than others.  A recent study involving a group of older Japanese men and women who live in communities discovered that drinking green tea several times a day can significantly decrease incidence of depression in the group.  Green tea is also heavy on antioxidant properties and light on caffeine and is thought to be very good for overall health.  And now it can add “natural anti-depressant” to its roster of good attributes.

Of course choosing to live a healthy lifestyle can also make you happy, just as experiencing health problems can precipitate depression in many people.  Exercise can help release endorphins into your body, causing feelings of wellbeing and calm.  And seeking out feel good foods can also contribute to feeling happy (and healthy too).  Foods like wild salmon (rich in omega-3’s and vitamin D), lowfat or nonfat milk, (high in vitamin D and B12), blueberries and strawberries (high in antioxidants/great source of vitamin C) can all help fight free radicals that can cause cell damage and in turn compromise health.

Ideally we’d all eat healthy, vitamin and antioxidant rich food every day of our lives.  We’d train for marathons regularly, bicycle to and from work, and enjoy the requisite eight hours of sleep a night.  But most of us don’t live in this kind of world.  So do the best you can.  Take a walk after dinner.  Eat organically whenever possible.  And take your vitamins and supplements that help to fill in the nutritional gaps from your less-than-ideal-lifestyle.

And at the end of a particularly stressful or bad day, unwrap a little bit of dark chocolate (full of antioxidants), make yourself a cup of green tea, and end your day on a happy note.

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Learn health tips including how to achieve better cardiovascular health.  Read our health articles here.  We also carry natural stress relief solutions.

Reference: http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/38595, “Green tea consumption is associated with depressive symptoms in the elderly,” Niu K, Hozawa A, et al, Am J Clin Nutr, 2009 Oct 14; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Division of Biomedical Engineering for Health and Welfare, Tohoku University Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Sendai, Japan).

Do you love cruciferous vegetables?  Are you only truly satisfied when you have a heaping plate of broccoli or bok choy in front of you?  Do you dream of a field full of cauliflower?  Apparently you’re not alone.  It seems that vegetarians may have a leg up on the rest of us as far as overall health.

A recent study conducted on adolescents suggests that those who ate a vegetarian diet were far more likely than non-vegetarians to meet the Healthy People 2010 dietary objectives. They tended to eat less overall fat and saturated fats and, not surprisingly, consumed far more servings of vegetables and fruits compared with their carnivorous counterparts.  The adolescent vegetarians were also less likely to eat fast foods and to indulge in sodas and fruit drinks.

So what does this mean for the rest of us?  Even if you aren’t a vegetarian (or a teenager), you can still adopt some of these healthy habits.  Aim for 3 to 4 servings of vegetables a day.  It’s not as hard as it sounds.  Have a side salad with that sandwich at lunch, and at dinnertime, fill your plate three-quarters full with a variety of veggies, i.e. carrots, salad, squash, peas, asparagus, green beans, or whatever strikes your fancy.  Fill the other quarter of the plate with your protein source.  You will be surprised at how easy it is to embrace good eating patterns as long as you stick to a variety.  Aside from the health benefits, you should also discover a smaller waistline.

Grab a fistful of radishes and that sauté pan.  You are on your way to a healthier you.  And who knows? You might end up liking veggies as much as chocolate.  Okay-maybe almost as much!

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Reference: http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/30680, “Adolescent Vegetarians: How Well Do Their Dietary Patterns Meet the Healthy People 2010 Objectives?” Perry CL, McGuire MT, et al, Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, May 2002;156:431-437.

We spend the majority of our lives enduring other people telling us what to do.  Teachers, bosses, and parents have filled our lives with no-no’s, admonishments, and well-meaning advice.  But here’s a radical idea-just do what you want.  If you want a chocolate bar, have one.  If you want to take a nap, go ahead.  If you feel like skipping down the street…you get the idea.

Something occurred to me after many sweaty hours at the gym, rifling through health magazines and reading countless advice columns.  Maybe obsessively counting calories and other deprivations work for some people, but they certainly don’t work for me.  In fact, it seems to have the opposite effect.  When I tell myself I can’t have something, I want it all the more.

Such is the human condition.

So I’m trying a different approach.  If one afternoon all I can think about is eating a hamburger with fries, I actually allow myself to go and get one.  Two things are accomplished.  Once I give into my craving, I am thereby sated.   Instead of eating everything else in its place and then still wanting the burger, I just have what my body wants and in the end I am convinced that I consume fewer calories overall.  After I’ve indulged in the “treat”, I don’t feel deprived and therefore will eat healthier over the next few days (or weeks in some cases).

I am absolutely not advocating a burger-large fries-pitcher-of-beer-a-day existence.  But I think cutting ourselves some slack once in a while is mentally healthy and can go a long way.  At the very least it can help us to manage our stress.  Because deep down, we all know what the healthy choices are.

Remember, eat as healthy as possible, get plenty of exercise, and catch up on as much sleep as time permits.  It’s your healthy life.  Now go enjoy it!

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To learn more daily health tips, please read our health archives.  Some of our favorites supplements that can boost your immune system, improve sleep patterns, and can promote heart health are found on our products page.

“The sugar rush.”  Sometimes nothing else will do.  When I’m face to face with a box of candy, or a malted milk, I am truly powerless to resist.  And with a certain chocolate-centric holiday just around the corner, I have to tread lightly, or else I will fall into a different category, “the sugar coma.”

All joking aside, sugar is delicious and wonderful to enjoy, especially on holidays and birthdays.  But it is also full of empty calories.  For example, the average soda these days contains up to 10 teaspoons of sugar.  10!  Even though I’m a sugar fanatic, I can’t bring myself to drink much soda anymore.  And that’s a great thing.  Instead I substitute milk, mineral water with a little lime, or even a small glass of wine and I save myself 100’s of calories a day.

Diabetes is on the rise.  It’s sad but true.  Some hypothesize that everything we eat nowadays is laden with sugar, and perhaps these ideas are not far off.  Be sure to check your food labels for hidden sugars, even in items like crackers, soups, and tomato sauces.  Awareness can make the difference in your health and also in your waistline.

Reward yourself properly.  As a society, we tend to reward a promotion, good grades, or any other success or special occasion with a big meal and lots of treats.  Choose wisely.  Now I love cake as much as the next person, but maybe it’s a better (and certainly healthier) idea to splurge on a massage, a night at the theater, or even a new outfit.  You will ultimately feel better, weigh less, and perhaps even spend a little quality time appreciating something you wouldn’t normally do.

Keep up the exercise, and work in lots of vegetables and fruits into your diet.  Take vitamins and supplements like Calcium, CoQ10, and Omega-3.  Get a proper night’s sleep as much as possible, and then, if all else fails, have that chocolate chip cookie with extra walnuts.  But just a couple.  Wash them down with a nice, cold glass of nonfat milk.  You’ve earned it!

Happy Valentine’s Day