Things Happy People Have in Common

While I focus mostly on nutrition and related issues, attitude and outlook are also important building blocks of a happy life and a wellness lifestyle.

Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychologist at the University of California Riverside studies happiness as a "positive psychology", focusing on what gives people a sense of well being rather than on dysfunction. She has identified five things that people who score highly on tests designed to measure their satisfaction and happiness with their life situation.

1. Happy people devote significant amounts of time and effort to family and friends. They prioritize relationships.

2. They practice gratitude, making a deliberate and conscious effort to focus on what is going well in their lives rather than what isn't.

3. They practice optimism, and have more positive and compelling expectations for what their future holds than less happy people.

4. They are physically active people. They get out of the house, they participate in events and sports, and they keep moving.

5. They savor the pleasures of the moment rather than dwelling in the past or worrying about the future.


Another conclusion of Lyubomirsky's research is that our circumstances account for only about 10% of our satisfaction and happiness, while over 40% can be attributed to our outlook and attitude.

I don't know if all these things make a difference or not. But while some of them may cost a bit of time, none cost you much in the way of money.

If you'd like a measure of your own happiness, you can take the Authentic Happiness Inventory questionnaire from the University of Pennsylvania. Its completely free but you will have to register. The results might surprise you.

Five Menu Items to Avoid

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit watchdog and consumer advocacy group that advocates for safer and healthier foods, has just released its 2018 Extreme Eating Awards. Since eating out is such a nutritional minefield, between misleading menus, gigantic portions and limited nutritional information, I though I would share their five "winners".
You've been warned.

1. Worst Way to Start Your Day Award

Restaurant: The Cheesecake Factory

Item: Breakfast Burrito

Main Offenses: 2,730 calories, 3 1/2 days worth of saturated fat and 2 days supply of sodium.

Comparison: Equivalent to 7 McDonnalds Sausage McMuffins.


2. Worst Special Effects Award

Restaurant: Yard House

Item: Vampire Taco Combo

Main Offenses: 2,040 calories, 1 1/2 days worth of saturated fat and 1 2/3 days supply of sodium.

Comparison: Equivalent to eating 9 Taco Bell Beef Tacos plus 3 cans of Budweiser.


3. Worst Cinematic Snack

Restaurant: AMC Theaters

Item: Bavarian Legend Soft Pretzel

Main Offenses: 1,920 calories, 1/2 day worth of saturated fat (a relative bargain so far, but wait for it!) and 4 days supply of sodium.

Comparison: Equivalent to eating 6 Auntie Annie's Original Soft Pretzels.


4. Least Creative Mashup

Restaurant: Chili's

Item: Honey-Chipotle Crispers & Waffels.

Main Offenses: 2,510 calories, 2 days worth of saturated fat, 2 days supply of sodium and a special bonus, 2 days worth of added sugar.

Comparison: Equivalent to eating 5 Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts smothered in 30 McDonalds Chicken McNuggets with 5 packages of BBQ sauce.


5. Worst Adapted Pizza

Restaurant: The Cheesecake Factory

Item: Chicken Parmesan Pizza Style Chicken

Main Offenses: 1,870 calories, a 3 day supply of saturated fat and 2 1/2 days worth of sodium.

Comparison: Four pieces of Popeye's Fried Chicken plus 4 bisquits.


With 1,800 - 2,000 calories being roughly what a healthy human being needs per day, it is no wonder nearly 40% of Americans are obese with items like these being sold every day. And these totals do not count your sugary beverage or desert.