FOODSTUFFS THAT KEEP YOU YOUNG

Spinach contains the pigment lutein, present in the retina, which helps maintain the health of the eye.

Tomatoes contain the anti-oxidant lycopene, which can protect the skin from UV damage from the sun.

Purple or red berries - such as blueberries, raspberries and strawberries - are full of anthocyanins which can help protect against diabetes, heart disease and cancer, and help maintain strong arteries.

Oily fish, such as fresh water salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines, and also flax seeds and linseeds, are the main source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can delay the ageing process of the skin.

Water: drinking more aids digestion and elimination; drinking too little can harm the complexion.

...AND SOME THAT AGE YOU

Carbonated drinks - along with tea, coffee, sugar, red meat and alcohol - can push the body's balance towards the acidic, meaning that alkaline minerals (such as calcium) are removed from bone stores to balance it, weakening the bones. Restricting them may help you keep stronger bones.

Nightshade vegetables - potatoes, tomatoes, chillies, aubergine and peppers - while often healthy in other respects, contain a chemical that studies suggest can activate pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. Avoiding these foods may help reduce it.

Refined carbohydrates - such as white bread, white rice, sugary cereals, pasta and noodles - contribute to the development of type II diabetes, which accelerates the ageing process and, if not controlled, can lead to a wide range of other health problems.

As Britain's spending on cosmetic surgery soars, Fiona MacDonald Smith suggests it's time that we chopped and changed our diet instead

The latest anti-ageing food? Pigs' trotters. That's right, you heard it here first. In New York, the most talked-about new opening of the past couple of months has been a Japanese restaurant called Hakata Tonton, where 33 out of the 39 dishes contain pigs' feet.

 

The reason for this, according to its owner, Himi Okajima, is that they are rich in collagen, the protein responsible for skin and muscle tone, more recognisable to beauty addicts in the form of face creams and fillers.

"Collagen helps your body retain moisture," says Okajima, who has introduced a chain of restaurants specialising in collagen cuisine in Japan. "Your hair and skin will look better, but it's not just for looking beautiful now. If you begin eating collagen in your thirties, you will look younger in your forties."

Maybe this sounds a little improbable ("It's news to me," sniffs Lisa Miles of the British Nutrition Foundation. "I've certainly never heard of eating collagen") but Okajima believes he is on to something. Figures published last month show that British spending on cosmetic surgery is the highest in Europe, hitting nearly £500 million in 2006, four times more than in 2001.

Isn't there a cheaper solution? Couldn't eating the right foods, in the right way, be a simpler, and ultimately more long-term way to stay looking and feeling younger? "You are what you eat," says nutritional therapist Ian Marber, aka The Food Doctor.

"You can't turn the clock back but you can slow things down. Every cell replicates from RNA and DNA. In order to keep the DNA in good condition, you want to protect cells from harmful free radicals. And for this you need to eat fruit and vegetables, which contain vital anti-oxidants like vitamins A, C, E and zinc.

"It doesn't have to be expensive," he adds. "I know people go on about so-called 'superfoods' which have a greater concentration of anti-oxidants, but two apples a day will give you plenty of vitamins and fibre. You just need to ensure a varied diet."

"The key is to remember we're omnivorous," agrees nutritionist Christian Lee, who is the national trainer for the Dr Nicholas Perricone cosmetics and nutrition empire. "Have you ever noticed how women age more rapidly than men?

That's because they don't eat enough protein. The days you don't eat protein are the days you age. The body can't store protein, but it needs it for cellular production and function.

"At each meal you should be able to hold up three fingers and say 'I've got a good source of protein (lean fish or poultry, nuts, seeds or tofu); an essential fatty acid (Omega 3 or 6, so that's coldwater oily fish, flaxseeds, linseeds) and a low glycaemic carbohydrate (fruit, vegetables, and wholegrains like quinoa, buckwheat and oatmeal)'. If you can say that, you're on the right road."

Perricone, a dermatologist, became America's most famous anti-ageing specialist with his "Three-Day Nutritional Face Lift", which extolled the virtues of eating wild Alaskan salmon twice a day, claiming its essential fatty acids would banish puffiness and tighten the skin. Uma Thurman, Heidi Klum and J-Lo are all fans.

In his new book Ageless Face, Ageless Mind, which has yet to reach the UK, Dr Perricone's team assert that up to 40 per cent of wrinkles are caused by dietary sugar.

"When you eat high glycaemic carbohydrates like bread, cakes and pasta, they turn into sugar in the blood so fast that the pancreas can't respond with enough insulin and the blood becomes saturated with sugar," argues Christian Lee. "The sugar needs to go somewhere so it attaches itself to the cell membranes.

When it does this to collagen molecules in the skin, it causes the collagen to become stiff and immobile and that's the birth of the wrinkle. The bad news is that it doesn't end there - the sugar then pumps out free radicals, causing a double whammy of damage.

The good news is you can prevent it - either by cutting out sugar or by taking a supplement of alpha lipoic acid, which is 400 times stronger than vitamin C and E combined."

So ditch the sugar, but don't forget the pigs' trotters.

 

The atmosphere is becoming more humid in a pattern consistent with man-made climate change, researchers have found.

Their study, reported in the journal Nature, confirms the global increase in humidity found in previous studies.

They say that the pattern of humidity increases in various parts of the world resembles that projected by computer models of man-made global warming.

Water vapour is a greenhouse gas, and it is thought that having more of it in the air could amplify temperature rise.

Data came from weather stations, ships and buoys, painting a global picture.

The scientists compared the global and regional trends with the projections of a computer model developed by the Hadley Centre, which estimates the relative influences of natural cycles and increased concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

Human-induced changes, they calculate, have been the bigger factor behind the global humidity increase seen since 1975.

"This confirmation that humidity and temperature are increasing as expected has important implications for future human health and comfort," observed the Hadley Centre's Peter Thorne, one of the research team.

It could also have important implications for extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones and rainstorms.

Some of the scientific team were involved in another study, reported in July, which showed that human-induced climate change was behind trends of increasing and decreasing rainfall noted in various parts of the world.

 

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/7038278.stm

Published: 2007/10/10 17:34:54 GMT

 

 

 

Having trouble getting out of bed? Wish you could put your head down on your desk for some shut-eye after lunch? You're certainly not alone ‑- "energy" is at the top of the list of frequently used search words at iVillage.com. In this roundtable discussion, four experts from four distinct disciplines share their views on why Americans are suffering an energy crisis, and what we can do to relax, rejuvenate and renew.

In your experience, what is the number-one cause of fatigue?

Joan Borysenko, PhD, Psychologist: People are so busy they don't sleep enough. We are an incredibly sleep deprived nation. And we're losing out on sleep because we shortchange ourselves to give to others. Then we end up exhausted and trying to do for others from a depleted place.

Elizabeth Somer, MS, RD, Registered Dietician: Several things contribute to fatigue, but the first thing is eating erratically. By that I mean skipping meals, especially breakfast, and taking in too much sugar and caffeine. When you skip breakfast, you are much more likely to battle physical and mental fatigue during the day. If you grab a doughnut, a Pop Tart or a cup of coffee, you feel good temporarily, but then your energy takes a nosedive. I have also learned that people who are tired all the time are often just dehydrated. The first symptom of dehydration is fatigue.

 

Kenneth Cohen, Qigong Scholar and Teacher: A lack of downtime. Society today believes that people need to be constantly productive. Our bodies are in overdrive. Our stress response has become chronic. Our ancestors would have brief periods of nervous-system overdrive when they encountered danger. Today, the stresses never seem to disappear. The residual effects of stress ‑- low energy, nonrestorative sleep, libido that's too high or too low and anxiety disorders ‑- are epidemic in the U.S.

Mark Hyman, MD, Holistic Doctor: People don't realize that food and energy are connected. I recommend people look carefully at how they nourish themselves on a physical and a spiritual level. Caffeine, sugar, alcohol, trans fats and processed foods are all energy depleting. Sugar particularly depletes your energy because it raises insulin levels, and blood sugar goes up and down, causing fluctuation of energy. It creates insulin resistance, a big problem that affects conservatively 50 to 100 million Americans. The symptoms are feeling hungry all the time, craving carbs or sweets, gaining weight around the middle and experiencing hypoglycemic symptoms ‑- shaking when you haven't eaten for a while and irritability. It can lead to panic attacks, cognitive problems, memory deficit, risk of heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's.

 

Are the causes different for women?

Joan Borysenko: For women, the biggest cause of fatigue is the inability to stay no. When we say yes to ourselves we feel guilty because we're going to have to say no to someone else. Out of compassion, we tend to give ourselves away to everybody else. You have to really learn to discern when you need to say no, because if you give any more of yourself away, you're going to start losing energy, losing focus and making yourself crazy. Women need to understand clearly the difference between compassion and codependence. You can't solve other people's life problems by continuing to give to them. If they can't stand on their own two feet, your picking up the pieces for them is going to disempower them. That distinction is not pre-wired. It has to be learned.

Elizabeth Somer: Women tend to battle sugar cravings more than men. Women are also more tuned in to their bodies' feelings and energy levels. Men can eat junk ‑- they just don't realize it's affecting them as much. Men also eat more so they are less likely to have deficiencies.

 

Depending on what study you read, anywhere from 20 to 80 percent of women in their menstrual years are iron deficient. They may not be anemic, but they're tired, they can't think, they're not sleeping well and they're more susceptible to colds. They reach for coffee but what they need is iron.

Kenneth Cohen: Just by virtue of their biology, women have always been more attuned to slower and more natural cycles, so I think women are even more adversely affected by the pace of life today.

Mark Hyman: Women tend to have more carb problems, more thyroid problems and tend to be more sensitive to adrenal stresses. It's partly biological, but partly psychological. Women are more sensitive to their bodies, and when something's not working they tend to pay attention, whereas men will ignore symptoms until they're almost dead.

What simple things do you recommend for getting your energy back?

Joan Borysenko: From a spiritual point of view, we have to do more of what makes us feel connected and less of what makes us feel disconnected. My prescription is being out in nature. It's why I live on top of a mountain. We can't all live in a gorgeous place, but we can bring nature inside. Being close to natural beauty, even if it's a vase of flowers, has a way of restoring our energy.

 

You also have to be clear with your boundaries. What you hear on my answering machine is that you may hear back from me and you may not, it could take months and please don't take it personally. You have to tell people the truth about your life and let them deal with that accordingly.

Elizabeth Somer: Start eating breakfast, even if you're not hungry. You should be hungry in the morning ‑- it's been 8 to 12 hours since you ate. Eat every four or five hours throughout the day. Bring food with you so you don't end up at the vending machine. Combine quality carbs with a little bit of protein at every meal ‑- whole grain cereal with milk for breakfast, a bowl of vegetable soup and half a turkey sandwich at lunch, salmon, brown rice and a vegetable for dinner. Drink your water earlier in the day rather than later so you're not up all night running to the bathroom. Make sure that you get several sources of iron rich foods throughout the day, such as lean red meat, chicken, fish, cooked beans and peas. Satisfy your sweet tooth with fruit and other real foods ‑- for example, a dried, pitted prune with an almond inside tastes like a sweet, chewy candy bar. Quit drinking coffee after about one in the afternoon, because it may be interfering with your sleep, making you tired before you even get started. And try a solid, moderate-dose multivitamin and mineral supplement to fill the gaps on those days when you don't eat perfectly.

 

Kenneth Cohen: We can't control some things, like the pace of our life and the needs of our job, but we can change our reaction to them. I teach people how to relax. It sounds like a cliché, but it's not simple. In Chinese medicine there's a concept called "sinking and relaxing" that I teach my patients. When you are sitting at work or standing in line at the movies, imagine all tension in your body is flowing downstream like water on a hillside. Imagine the tension in your face and neck sinking down and out through the feet. Then focus on the tension in the shoulders, back, organs, hips, buttocks and thighs until you reach the feet.

Something else we can do to change our response to stress and make us feel more in control is to slow down our breathing. The average resting respiratory rate in the United States is 17 breaths per minute. The optimal rate of resting respiration is about seven breaths per minute. The best way to slow down the breath is with something called belly breathing. When you inhale, let the diaphragm drop and the belly move out as the air flows in. Allow it to happen very gently ‑ it's not something to force. When we let the belly expand, it may not look as good as our flat-belly-obsessed society would like, but our breathing is much deeper and slower. When our breathing slows, our pace slows, our stress hormones drop, and we eventually become more intuitive, creative and aware.

 

Mark Hyman: Change your diet. Cut out sugar, alcohol, caffeine and trans fats. Eat protein in the morning to reduce cravings for carbs later in the day. Eat more fiber, more omega-three fats, more whole foods and stop eating three hours before bed. You can see huge changes really quickly in terms of energy and weight loss. It's often dramatic.

Regular exercise is critical ‑- even just taking a walk ‑- and so is sleep. I can't tell you how many people who come to see me tell me they're tired. When I ask them how much they sleep, they say six hours. Take a good multivitamin to get over being nutritionally stressed. And finally, find ways to deal with stress, such as yoga, meditation or other mind-body therapies.

But the most important thing for people to realize is they need to listen to their body, even when they don't like what it is saying. When you're tired, pay attention and do whatever you need to feel better. We have a biological need for periods of rest and restoration. I encourage people not to see it as a lack of productivity but as essential to their productivity.

 

What do you do when your own energy is flagging?

Joan Borysenko: I go for a walk outside. If it's in the middle of a busy workday, you will often find me taking a five-minute break, doing laps up and down my driveway. I also drink a bunch of water.

Elizabeth Somer: I eat regularly. There is also a type of fatigue I feel that's a bone-draining fatigue. When I feel that way I know I'm dehydrated. I drink three or four glasses of water and wait an hour.

Kenneth Cohen: I do tai chi. It doesn't take a lot of energy to do, but it gives you a lot of energy back. I also like to go out into nature. If my energy gets low, just being outside in natural sunlight is wonderful for restoring energy. I also listen to music that I feel is uplifting. I'm a Mozart fanatic.

Mark Hyman: I have a secret treatment I give myself that's phenomenally effective. I take a steam shower, very hot, for 10 minutes. Then I fill the tub with really cold water and sit in the tub. It brings me right back to where I was first thing in the morning. The process takes 15 minutes and I get about three or four hours of energy from it.

If you drag yourself out of bed in the morning, can't function without gallons of coffee and run out of gas every afternoon, then an energy-boosting food plan is right for you. Instead of relying on caffeine or a trip to the candy machine for a fleeting burst of artificial energy, choose healthy foods to rev up your engine. Here's how the Energy Booster Diet will keep you energized all day long:

• The right combination of carbohydrates, protein and fat eaten at regular intervals will help keep energy levels high. This diet includes balanced meals designed to boost your energy throughout the day.

• Eating healthy snacks will help keep your blood-sugar levels even so that you don't have energy "highs" and "lows." This meal plan includes tasty food suggestions to eat every three to four hours to keep your energy level from falling.

• Not drinking enough liquids can cause you to feel fatigued due to dehydration. That's why this diet includes fruit juices and skim milk with every meal choice, rather than ultra-sugary sodas or sweetened beverages that can cause energy lows.

• Eating fried or fatty foods can make you feel sluggish. This food plan emphasizes natural, unprocessed foods like fruits and vegetables that won't slow you down.

 

BREAKFAST
option one
plain fat-free yogurt with low-fat granola and mixed fresh berries
1/2 cup orange juice

option two
2-egg omelet made with low-fat cheese, chopped veggies and low-fat ham or turkey
1 slice whole-grain toast topped with fruit spread
1/2 cup grapefruit juice

option three
Shredded wheat cereal with skim milk and a banana
1 slice whole-wheat toast with peanut butter
1/2 cup tomato juice

LUNCH
option one
hearty veggie lentil soup
1 slice whole-wheat bread topped with low-fat cream cheese
1/2 grapefruit
1 cup skim milk

option two
turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread
1 cup dark greens such as kale or spinach with low-fat dressing
1 medium tangerine
1 cup skim milk

option three
grilled chicken sandwich on whole-grain bread
1/2 cup sliced tomatoes
1 large orange
1 cup skim milk

DINNER
option one
3 ounces fillet of sole
1 baked potato topped with low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt
1/2 cup steamed broccoli
sliced peaches
1 cup skim milk

option two
3 ounces grilled flank steak
1/2 cup vegetable pasta salad
1/2 cup steamed spinach
sliced pears
1 cup skim milk

option three
3 ounces chicken and rice bake
1 cup tossed dark greens with low-fat dressing
2 small plums
1 cup skim milk

SNACKS: Eat one of these snacks mid-morning, mid-afternoon and in the evening if you're still hungry and active. Remember to eat every three to four hours throughout the day to keep energy levels high.

• 1/2 cup dried fruit mixed with 1/4 cup nuts
• apple with peanut butter
• banana with peanut butter
• orange slices and one ounce of low-fat cheese
• 1 cup Fiber One cereal with skim milk
• 1/2 turkey or ham sandwich on whole-grain bread
• 1/2 cup chickpeas, chopped tomatoes and cucumbers with 2 tablespoons low-fat Italian dressing
• 1/2 whole-grain English muffin with 1 ounce melted cheese
• 1/2 whole-grain bagel with 2 tablespoons hummus
• 1 boiled egg with 1 slice whole wheat bread
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese with 1/4 cup pineapple
• 1 cup plain yogurt with 1/4 cup low-fat granola
• 1/2 cup water-packed tuna with 6 low-fat Triscuits

Healthy Dos and Don'ts:

Do:
• Drink plenty of water -- at least 64 ounces -- throughout the day
• Take a daily multivitamin supplement
• Choose whole, unrefined grain products as often as possible
• Limit alcohol to no more than one drink per day at the most
• Eat a piece of fruit if you're craving something sweet
• Try one long-lasting butterscotch hard candy when all else fails and sugar cravings can't be denied

Don't:
• Skip meals or snacks
• Eat fried foods and other foods high in fat (French fries, onion rings, fried fish, etc.)
• Eat potato chips
• Eat gravy and sauces
• Drink beer, wine, alcohol, soda or sweetened beverages (Snapple, Fruitopia, etc.)
• Consume added sugar (in coffee, tea, cereal, etc.)
• Eat white bread and crackers

 

How happy are you? Lots of people—economists, sociologists, politicians, scientists, and advertisers, among others—wish they had some way to measure happiness, both public and private. Is it true that money won’t buy happiness? Are executives happier than their employees, or is it the other way around? Does happiness go with good health?

The National Institute on Aging has funded a project that tried to devise a “National Well-Being Account,” which would supplement the GNP, the great statistical machine that counts up goods and services. A group of researchers, whose findings have just been published in Science, came up with a tool called the DRM, or Day Reconstruction Method. They simply asked people to reconstruct in detail what they had done the previous day. The subjects were 909 working women in Texas with varying ethnic backgrounds, an average age of 38, and average household in-come of $54,700. (They had some reason to feel positive—they had jobs, and they weren’t poor, though not rich either.) The researchers did not ask the women general questions—how happy they were, whether they loved their children or their jobs, or whether they were reaching their goals—just what they had done the previous day and how they had felt while doing it.

 

What made them happy, hour by hour? At the top of the list were interactions with friends, relatives, and spouses (or significant others). Interactions with their kids came in fourth, and being with the boss was way down on the list. The activities that made them happiest included sex, relaxing with friends, watching TV, and praying or meditating. Cooking and housekeeping scored low, but not at the bottom. What could ruin their day? Poor sleep was a big culprit. And having to commute to work alone.

The researchers concluded that big measurements of health and wealth don’t tell the whole story about how happy people are. Indeed, Americans may be battling something known as the “hedonic treadmill.” That’s a phenomenon observed in the developed world, and it means, roughly, that the more you have, the more you want, and that even a huge increase in income may not increase life satisfaction. Indeed, in the study of the Texas women, those at the high end of the income scale were not notably different, in well-being quotients, from those at the low end.

 

If there’s a lesson here for anybody but social scientists, it may be that rather than concentrating on the big picture (“Am I healthy, wealthy, successful, good-looking?”), it may be helpful to look at yesterday, all by itself. Reconstruct what you did and how you felt about it. Try to analyze what you enjoyed. And didn’t. You may discover that little things (such as not sleeping well, having a hard commute, or not liking your boss) may adversely affect your happiness more than you thought. And perhaps you can do something about one or more of these problems. Or you may discover that even if you have huge problems, you can still achieve happiness on a daily basis.

How to become a goddess of happiness

 

Have you ever wondered what your purpose in life is ‑- why you're really here? What if I told you the real purpose of your life is to enjoy it? Therefore your destiny is simply to have a happy life. I know that sounds like a fairy tale, and unless you're a Disney princess, it seems impossible, but if you watch any TV these days, you know anything is possible with the right makeover. A happiness makeover, however, is a little different than the extreme TV makeovers because it involves not only the physical but the emotional and spiritual parts of you as well. Physical well-being is anything that improves the physical: your body, your surroundings. It's what you can see. Emotional well-being is anything that makes you feel good inside. And spiritual well-being is anything that connects you with your true self ‑- your inner goddess. Here are three easy ways to improve these areas of your life so that you can get well on your way to achieving a happier new you:

1. Respect your body and your environment
   The environment you live and work within ‑- your home, your car, your office, your backyard ‑- is a reflection of you. Fill these places with things you love to look at, like art or flowers; things you love to use, such as a CD player or colored markers; or things you love to be reminded of, like pictures of loved ones. At the same time, keep these places spacious and neat so that positive energy can always flow around and to you. This is one of the basic principles of feng shui. Besides that, you'll just feel more in control and clear-headed without so much clutter to distract you.
   
   You must also remember to take care of your body. Honor it with nutritious food and exercise. Make exercise an integral part of your everyday life. This doesn't have to be a regimented program. It could be as simple as running up the stairs in your house instead of walking or gardening or playing with your kids outside. Think of exercise as a little extra movement you incorporate into your daily schedule. If you have time for a regular class, make sure to pick something you love to do. If you need motivation, team up with a friend, partner or personal trainer.
2. Nurture your feelings
   Your feelings are part of who you are and you must acknowledge and feed them. This means not burying your negative emotions in an attempt to be happy. They'll only stir more deeply and longer if you don't accept them. You need to see them in order to release them. This also means doing things that make you feel good, inside and out. Maybe it's spending time with people you love, dancing, talking over your problems with a friend or even eating your favorite chocolate ice cream. Sometimes you need to do something totally indulgent to feel good, and that's perfectly okay once in a while. Give yourself permission to indulge in whatever it is that makes you happy. You must believe that you're worth it, whether it's time, money or calories. Do it completely guilt-free, knowing that the benefits of nurturing your innermost passions will make you a happier, giving and loving person.
3. Connect with your inner goddess
   We've all heard the phrase "women's intuition," but what is it really and how can that make you happier? Intuition is that little voice inside of you that tells you things like "take that job," "stay away from that guy" or "go this way." It can save you time, or in some cases, save your life ‑- either of which should make you happier. Intuition gives you information without your having to think about it. It allows you to just "know." Unfortunately, in our modern society, we don't learn how to develop our intuition, and we lose it like a muscle in atrophy.
   
   There are a number of ways to connect with your inner goddess ‑- the easiest being some kind of meditative practice. Meditation could be different for everyone. Not all of us like to sit cross-legged on the floor while burning incense and chanting. Meditation can be as simple as taking a walk through the park, inhaling and exhaling deeply or listening to soothing music. It's anything that helps quiet your mind, opening a space for you to connect with your inner voice.

Focusing on and nurturing all three parts of yourself ‑- the physical, emotional and spiritual ‑- will make you look and feel much healthier and happier. So go ahead and break open that box of chocolate truffles. Just remember to take a nice long walk afterward.

 

The secret to staying calm in traffic, not swearing at the copier and being nicer to your assistant could be on your breakfast plate. Fix these eating errors and feel better all day.

1.                   Your toast lacks B vitamins.

Most bread lacks adequate levels of the B vitamins you need (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid) to build serotonin, the neurotransmitter that keeps you calm and happy.

Bitch-proof your breakfast: Your breakfast should deliver 10 percent of the daily value of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid, says dietitian Lisa Dorfman, R.D., a food and mood expert. The amounts of these B vitamins vary by brand, so look carefully at labels. Some breads containing nuts are higher in Bs, as are some that list "whole grain" in the ingredients. If your bread doesn't supply enough Bs, chase your toast with fortified orange juice or switch to fortified cereal ‑- many provide at least 25 percent of these B vitamins.

2. You rely on "low-fat" foods.

Typical low-fat muffins and pastries contain corn and safflower oils. They also often contain unhealthy trans fats. The problem? The wrong type of fat can leave you sluggish and grumpy.

Bitch-proof your breakfast: Some research suggests that people with low levels of the right type of fat ‑- omega-3 fatty acids ‑- are more short-tempered, says Wendy Kohatsu, M.D., assistant professor at Oregon Health Sciences University. Omega-3 fatty acids help form the membranes of your nerve cells, allowing them to function better. Find good fats in walnuts or flaxseed, which you can stir into your cereal or yogurt.

3. You eat fruit by itself.

Fruit has valuable fiber and numerous nutrients, but it leaves you short on magnesium, a nutrient that can ease the symptoms of depression ‑- which include having a super-short fuse.

Bitch-proof your breakfast: Add almonds, soy milk or cereals such as Whole Grain Total, which are all rich in magnesium.

4. You love pancakes and pastries.

"When you're eating only refined carbohydrates such as these, your blood-sugar levels can drop below normal 90 minutes later, making you feel irritable and edgy," says Dr. Kohatsu.

Bitch-proof your breakfast: Add protein, which makes you feel less sluggish and gives your brain the energy to handle daily stress. Think peanut butter, almond butter, eggs, yogurt or cereal with added protein. Sustain that energy by having at least 5 grams of fiber each morning, too. On average, a serving of peanut butter delivers 2 grams of fiber, so you'll want to supplement with an apple or a banana (about 3 grams each).

5. You skip your coffee.

Drinking less than your usual daily dose of caffeine can leave you cranky.

Bitch-proof your breakfast: If you're trying to trim your intake, drink only 10 percent less caffeine a day. Note: This doesn't mean more coffee is better! Drinking more than your usual amount can make you jumpy and nasty, too.

 

Eat your way to a tranquil and productive day with these easy food swaps from Miami-based food and mood expert Lisa Dorfman, R.D.

Instead of: A ready-to-eat breakfast cereal bar
Try: A half-cup of trail mix with peanuts, walnuts and dried cranberries or raisins
Why: Most breakfast bars are high in sugar and low in fiber. Trail mix lets you avoid the post-sugar crash that leaves you energyless and irritable.

Instead of: Fruit-flavored yogurt
Try: Plain, low-fat yogurt with fresh fruit and flaxseed or walnuts
Why: Some yogurts contain huge amounts of sugar (Dannon Blueberry Fruit on the Bottom has 25 grams). Aim for less than 10 grams and add walnuts or flaxseed for mood-stabilizing omega-3s.

Instead of: Kids' cereals ‑- even ones made with whole grains
Try: Cereal containing B vitamins, fiber and protein, such as Total Protein or Fiber One
Why: Numerous kids' cereals have gotten "whole grain" makeovers, but it barely changes their nutritional profiles. The ideal cereal has 5 or fewer grams of sugar and more than 5 grams of fiber.

Instead of: A doughnut
Try: High-fiber, low-sugar waffles (such as Van's Organic) with almond butter
Why: Waffles plus almond butter gives you a total package of omega-3s, fiber, protein and B vitamins.

 

 

 

 

In the English language, we have just one word to describe the different types of love. The ancient Greeks were a bit smarter in this respect; they used different words to describe the love for a spouse, a sibling, a parent or a friend.