Better ways: How to be happy

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Champagne is good for you.

Those of us who take our health seriously know that red wine and good chocolate in moderation are good for the heart and vascular health. . Now it appears that Champagne and Cava are even better than red wine in terms of polyphenols and other stuff which seem to lower the risk of heart disease.
Champagne can be good for your heart, a new British study reveals.

"Drinking around two glasses of Champagne can have beneficial effects on the way blood vessels function," similar to the benefits of red wine, reported Dr. Jeremy Spencer of the University of Reading in the current British Journal of Nutrition.

Sparkling wine increases nitric oxide, which controls blood pressure, the study said. The polyphenols from the red and white grapes get absorbed into the system and "appear to slow down the natural removal of nitric oxide in the blood." That, in turn, "may help to decrease both blood pressure and the likelihood of blood clots forming."

Spencer admitted more research is needed to figure out the "long term effects of daily Champagne consumption."

In the meantime, though, he said, the "potential to reduce the risks of suffering from cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke is very exciting news."

The current study was done with scientists in France. Spencer's earlier study, in 2007 with an Italian university in Monserrato, found Champagne might protect neuron cells against brain injuries from stroke and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. That study also reported the levels of polyphenols in Champagne varied greatly from "variety, vintage and a wide range of environmental fact
Source The Observer 13th December 2009

Monday, November 30, 2009

8 steps to a Happier Life

These suggestions by University of California psychologist Sonya Lyubomirsky are based on research by her and others and featured in a Time Magazine 2005 special on Happiness.

1. Count your blessings
2. Practice acts of kindness
3. Savour life's joys
4. Thank a mentor
5. Learn to forgive
6. Invest time and energy in friends and family
7. Take care of your body
8. Learn to control stress and find ways to deal with hardship

Painting by Patrick Viale with the artist's permission.

What makes us happy - BBC Article

What makes us happy?

According to psychologist Professor Ed Diener there is no one key to happiness but a set of ingredients that are vital.

For added happiness, look for meaning in your life

First, family and friends are crucial - the wider and deeper the relationships with those around you the better.

It is even suggested that friendship can ward off germs. Our brains control many of the mechanisms in our bodies which are responsible for disease.

Just as stress can trigger ill health, it is thought that friendship and happiness can have a protective effect.

According to happiness research, friendship has a much bigger effect on average on happiness than a typical person's income itself.

One economist, Professor Oswald at Warwick University, has a formula to work out how much extra cash we would need to make up for not having friends.

The answer is £50,000.

Marriage also seems to be very important. According to research the effect of marriage adds an average seven years to the life of a man and something like four for a woman.

The second vital ingredient is having meaning in life, a belief in something bigger than yourself - from religion, spirituality or a philosophy of life.

The third element is having goals embedded in your long term values that you're working for, but also that you find enjoyable.

Psychologists argue that we need to find fulfilment through having goals that are interesting to work on and which use our strengths and abilities.

Unhappiness

However, there are also many things we experience in life that can produce lasting unhappiness.

Professor Ed Diener identifies two key events which can have lasting effects.

After the loss of a spouse it can take several years to regain the previous level of well-being.

The loss of a job can affect a person for years even they are back to work.

So if you are born grumpy are you always going to be grumpy?

The question of whether we can actually use our knowledge of what makes us happy to lift our levels of happiness permanently is hotly debated by psychologists.

According to the positive psychologist Professor Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania it is possible to lift our biological set range of happiness, at least to some extent if we work at it.

"The best you can do with positive emotion is you can get people to live at the top of their set range.

"So I think you've got about 10 to 15% leverage but you can't take a grouch and make him giggle all the time."

The first episode of The Happiness Formula was shown on BBC Two at 1900 BST on Wednesday.

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