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December 4, 2016

Being Happy Can Improve Your Health

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Tom Merton

"Whatever your pathway to happiness, make sure to take time to cultivate it."

Health is everywhere. It's on social media, it's on our televisions, there are entire cookbooks dedicated to being __gluten free or raw or paleo or whatever method you choose to be healthy. Of course, with our improved diet and the latest fitness program, we expect that we will become the best version of ourselves all of a sudden.

Good health is absolutely correlated with happiness. In studies of obesity and happiness in developed countries, the healthier someone's weight, the happier they are. Interestingly, in less affluent societies, bigger bodies can be happier, probably as a reflection of easier access to food and leisure activities that increase weight. This makes a lot of sense. Ill-health is a stressor in our lives and a real burden. So if being unhealthy can ruin your mood, can being happier make you healthier?

Does happiness make you healthy?

One thing we can say with certainty is that unhappiness brings physical health issues. On the slightly more extreme end of the spectrum, people who have depression or anxiety are known to have more physical ill health than those without it. People with depression experience fluctuations in their weight, have a poorer diet and have a higher risk of heart disease.

People who don't have full-blown depression are still at risk. According to major health studies such as the UK Million Women Study, unhappiness is associated with engaging in behaviours that are bad for one's health, such as smoking, eating too much and not exercising. So with unhappiness convincingly leading to ill health, is the converse true?

When it comes to heart attacks, anger or unhappiness has been made to be the bad guy. There is some evidence to say that when we don't feel so chipper, the risk of heart attack goes up. Being happy appears to protect your heart.

While not strictly happiness, volunteering to help others also seems to increase both health and happiness. The 'power of positive thinking' is something that is thrown about frequently, with claims that being happy helps you live longer, fight cancer and ward off serious disease. Being happy may also help you live longer, but this finding is sometimes conflicted depending on the study of happiness being looked at.

The difficulty in proving any of this is that we can't necessarily say for sure that it's happiness that creates all of these positive benefits when there are a lot of other things going on that may impact health. However, people who are happy are likely to make better decisions and participate in behaviours that are much more conducive to health because they have a degree of self-belief and openness. They also don't have a chronic activation of their 'fight or flight' mechanism, designed to gear the body towards a major stressor. Over the long term, the hormones and brain patterns in the 'fight or flight' response directly cause your body systems to gear towards a slightly ill-health-prone state.

None of this is to say that if you are unhappy, momentarily or longer, that it is necessarily causing ill health. Likewise, if someone struggles with a serious disease such as cancer, placing much importance on the benefits of positive thinking may actually make them feel guilty or like failures if they don't recover.

So while we cannot absolutely say that health is created by happiness, we can say that being unhappy is likely to make you unhealthy. Therefore, cultivating happiness is one thing in your armoury that can be used to optimise you health.

How do we achieve happiness (and then healthiness)?

First of all, turning into a Stepford wife is not the solution. We are talking about a way to feel genuinely good about yourself, cultivate stress management and social supports. Faking it until you make it has a place sometimes, but over the long term, your brain needs to feel good about things.

To cultivate happiness, it's important to be sociable, develop friendships, exercise and meditate. Making time for leisure activities or practicing a religion can bring a deep sense of satisfaction. The power of developing emotional intelligence or practicing gratitude tends to improve your mood and your outlook on life. Finally, developing a sense of enjoyment from all of life's experiences, big and small, is associated with happiness, especially as we get older and the extraordinary events of our youth aren't as available as they once were.

Whatever your pathway to happiness, make sure to take time to cultivate it. The modern world is especially hard on our minds with constant exposure to experiences that induce depression, hopelessness, fear or anxiety. While it might be easy to sell the benefits of working hard for a beautiful body, working towards a beautiful mind will probably help you be both healthy and happy.

MORE: Blog Happiness Headstart Health Life Refresh Wellbeing

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December 2, 2016

Why Cereal Asks To Be Stored In A Cool, Dry Place

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What does it all mean?

They're the food labelling instructions we don't always pay attention to: 'store in a cool, dry place', 'consume with three days of opening' and even 'keep refrigerated' (we're looking at you, soy sauce).

Food labels are so packed with advice, allergen information, ingredients and star ratings that NSW Food Authority chief executive Lisa Szabo said it could be overwhelming.

They've created an information portal that helps you separate important information from the chaff.

"We recognise that with so much information out there it can be difficult to find it and understand it," Szabo said.

"One of our roles as the NSW Food Authority is to educate people by providing information to enable them to make informed choices and this initiative achieves that."

Here's what you can expect on your label, and what information you can request from market sellers.

Date marks:

A 'use-by' date indicates when the food must be eaten by, or thrown away.

A 'best before' date means the food is still safe to eat after the date, but you should check it's not damaged or deteriorated.

Allergens:

There has to be a warning if a food contains one of the nine most common food allergens: eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts and gluten. This warning must be present regardless of the amount, which is why you often see the term 'may contain traces of nuts'.

Labels also have to list sulphites if they contain 10 mg/kg or more.

Country of origin:

Just because you can see the little kangaroo symbol doesn't mean it's 100 percent Australian. Here are some examples of food labels showing different levels of imported ingredients.

Safety:

If a packet tells you to consume within three days of opening, it's because it's unsafe to keep it longer. Likewise cereal asks it be stored in a cool, dry place because otherwise it can speed up the used-by date.

You'll also find 'directions for use' on labels that tell you to cook foods like eggs or bamboo shoots thoroughly before eating. That's to eliminate the chances of catching something horrible like salmonella.

This means that if make your own mayonnaise with raw egg, or eat uncooked bamboo shoots, the onus is on you.

Market food:

If you buy your food from fresh markets and delis, you probably don't get any labelling advice at all. If asked, your market seller needs to tell you the following information:

Any ingredients that are allergens;

Directions for storing and/or preparing the food if these are required to ensure its safe use;

The country of origin of the food;

The nutrient content, if a nutrition claim is made on packaged food;

Well aren't you thriving with your healthy market food?

If a nutrition claim is made, its nutrient content (as required on packaged food);

The percentage of fat, if a claim about fat is made;

The proportion of the characterising ingredient in a mixed food (eg. the proportion of 'strawberry' in 'Strawberry flavoured yoghurt');

Whether the food contains a genetically modified ingredient or is irradiated;

The proportion of offal in a meat mix; and

Whether a meat product is fermented, like salami.

Standard drinks:

When checking alcohol content, you can either go by the number of standard drinks or the percentage of alcohol. Ideally, you check both.

Find out more about food labelling here.

MORE: Allergens Cook Food Labels Fresh Food Life Market Seafood

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November 30, 2016

5 'Unhealthy' Foods Which Are Actually Good For You

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gruizza

Just eat the watermelon.

With so many fad diets and social media health 'experts' out there, the messages about diet and nutrition can become very skewed.

On a daily basis you read (and hear people say) that 'this fruit is bad for you' or that 'carbs are the devil'.

Not only is this offensive to these delicious foods, but it's also incorrect.

"There are so many misconceptions about what healthy eating really is. Our notion of healthy eating is getting lost in a mound of quinoa flakes, __gluten free raw paleo bars and activated almond milk," nutritionist Fiona Tuck told The Huffington Post Australia.

Chloe McLeod, accredited practising dietitian and sports dietitian, agrees, saying that conflicting advice about food and nutrition is incredibly confusing for the public.

"It's not helping our population as a whole to become healthier -- there's so many mixed messages that people might not even bother. That's really disappointing when you hear those sorts of things from clients," McLeod told HuffPost Australia.

Avoid diet fads and only take nutrition advice from a fully qualified expert. Many bloggers, diet book authors and influencers are not qualified experts.

"I totally agree," nutritionist Pip Reed added. "It's a very confusing world out there and we add to this confusion by following these fads and unqualified health 'experts' who are more likely just regurgitating information that is inaccurate, non-evidence based, non-researched and possibly even dangerous for people to follow. Sadly there is no one-size-fits-all approach to health."

"If they had just been given a single message around healthy eating it would make it a lot easier," McLeod said.

So, what is the most important, helpful message about eating well?

"Eating a diet that is based on nutrient rich wholefoods, high in plant foods, low in processed foods and free from toxic chemicals is a good guide to follow and gives our bodies the necessary nutrients we need for health and longevity," Tuck said.

"Avoid diet fads and only take nutrition advice from a fully qualified expert. Many bloggers, diet book authors and influencers are not qualified experts."

"Listen to your body and, if you're in doubt, see a dietitian," McLeod said.

Here are five 'bad' foods that are actually good for you.

1. Bananas

Good ol' bananas have copped a lot of flak recently for their fructose content. Good news -- they're nothing to be afraid of.

"Bananas are one of my favourite fruits to recommend. The reason being they are a great mix of carbohydrate and electrolytes, so particularly for physically active people, they're a great choice," McLeod said.

"A small banana only contains around 100 calories, so from a snack perspective for weight management it's perfect. Plus, they're rich in fibre so they will keep you satisfied.

"Anecdotally, I've also found bananas useful for managing afternoon sweet cravings. It's healthy, it's giving you nutrients, but it still has that sweetness people are often looking for."

That's right, you can still find bananas apeeling. Geddit?

2. Fruit in general

It's not just the banana which has caused chaos in the online health world. Again, fruit is perfectly healthy for you, as long as it's in the whole form.

"Fruit has copped a bit of a bad reputation of late due to its sugar content," Reed told HuffPost Australia.

"We have to remember that fruit consists of natural sugars, antioxidants and, most importantly, fibre which slows the digestion of the sugars entering the bloodstream, as well as feeding the healthy bacteria in your gut. Eat it in moderation and reap the health benefits."

"With fruit in general, yes, fruit has fructose (we all know that, we're all well aware of that). However, in its whole form, fruit is a really great option," McLeod said.

Aim for two serves of fruit in the day, potentially three, as a whole fruit -- rather than as a juice or in a processed form.

"If you're eating huge quantities of it or many fruit juices, of course it becomes less healthy. A glass of orange juice, for example, has around 4-6 oranges' worth of sugar but it doesn't have the fibre, so it's going to be higher in fructose."

3. Carbs

For the last time, carbs are NOT unhealthy.

"Carbohydrates have the ability to send people into a state of panic of late due to their association with weight gain or stagnant weight loss," Reed said.

"But we have to realise that there are different types of carbs. Refined ones, which include your pasta, white breads, biscuits, cakes, lollies and sugars, will cause your blood sugar levels to spike rapidly followed by an energy crash, while simultaneously reaping havoc on your insulin production and body's ability to process insulin."

Then there's natural and unrefined carbs, including fruit, vegetables, legumes and whole grains, which provide a steady energy release and ideal food for the brain.

"Choose your carbs wisely and you'll be doing your health a huge favour," Reed said.

Just make sure it's the good kind of carbs.

4. Fat

If you're someone who avoids nuts and avocado because you read somewhere that they make you fat, don't fret. Fat doesn't not make you fat.

"We are living in a fat fearing society, but eating fat doesn't necessarily mean you'll get fat," Reed said.

"In fact, healthy fats such as those found in fish, flaxseeds, nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil and coconut flour will actually reduce inflammation, increase your body's ability to break down insulin, increase satiety so you feel full more quickly and for longer, and increase nutrient absorption."

Of course, not all fats are created equal. Animal products and some processed foods, especially fried fast food, are generally high in saturated fats, which have been linked to increased blood cholesterol levels.

Yes, you can still eat your favourite nuts whilst standing in front of the fan.

5. Legumes (including hummus)

Perhaps it's the 'beans, beans the magical fruit, the more you eat, the more you toot' rhyme, but along the way, people really started hating beans for no apparent reason.

"That just comes down to not preparing them properly. Beans contain a compound called lectin and when the legumes have been prepared well, the amount of lectin in the food actually reduces to a point where it's not a problem anymore. There's nothing to worry about," McLeod explained.

"I don't like the term 'superfood', however if I had to give it to something it would be to that group of foods, purely because they're so great at managing inflammation, weight, appetite, blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and promoting gut health."

Reed agreed, saying the health benefits are far too great to miss out on.

"Beans are a fantastic source of fibre, protein and unrefined carbs which will keep you full and feed your digestive system with quality prebiotics," Reed explained.

"Being a carbohydrate-containing food can scare people off, but eaten in moderation improves all aspect of health and helps prevent chronic disease."

While some people cannot tolerate legumes due to allergies or IBS, McLeod said most people can tolerate some legumes to a degree.

"If you look at people who have been vegetarian long term, usually they tolerate them better. That tells us that it's about the gut being used to having to digest those types of food, and also maybe it hasn't been prepared properly previously," McLeod said.

To prepare legumes properly, follow these simple tips.

"If you're using dry legumes, rinse them first and soak them, usually overnight. Red lentils don't need much soaking, whereas chickpeas will need to be soaked overnight," McLeod said.

"With canned legumes, you just need to drain and wash them really well before you use them as they've already been soaked and cooked."

There you have it, folks. Rest easy knowing you can safely eat that one banana with your breakfast.

"No food is bad unless you eat too much of it, then any food can potentially become bad for us," Tuck told HuffPost Australia.

"Variety is so important. Avoiding certain foods such as whole grains (carbs), legumes, nuts and fruits can put us at risk of nutritional deficiencies."

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Justin Trudeau halts Northern Gateway, approves Kinder Morgan expansion, Line 3

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau approved two major oil pipeline expansions Tuesday, including the deeply controversial Trans Mountain line through suburban Vancouver, while maintaining his government remains on course to meet its international climate commitments.

The announcement ends the new Liberal government’s year-long high wire act seeking to balance environmental stewardship and expansion of Canada’s resource economy.

“We are under no illusions that the decision we made today will be bitterly disputed by a number of people across the country who would rather we had made another decision,” Trudeau – flanked by a number of his senior cabinet ministers – told a news conference in Ottawa.

“We took this decision today because we believe it is in the best interests of Canada and Canadians.”

The Liberals have been setting the stage for pipeline approvals for months, highlighting environmental policy moves like a national carbon price while making the case that the jobs, economic boost and government revenues from fossil fuel exports are critical to the transformation to a low-carbon future.

‘I am disappointed’: Rona Ambrose reacts to Trudeau’s pipeline announcements