Home and Health

Happiness is an attitude. It is the glow that brings cheer to your face. Unfortunately, it is not store bought. Happiness actually begins from the inside and encompasses everything you do.

Being happy has many fringe benefits, apart from the obvious. If you are happy, you have greater chances of attracting more happiness, achieving your goals and becoming more successful.

So, what makes people happy? That is a question worth considering. You see, different people feel happiness in different circumstances. Some people need small things to feel happy while others may feel like they need a million dollars in their savings account before they can begin to find a reason to smile.

Having said that, there are certain tried and tested secrets that can light the magic of happiness in your heart.

Cheer someone else: Nothing can bring you more happiness than extending a helping hand. When compassion enters the mind, selfish interests fly out. Treat others with respect and in a generous manner. When you give something to a person who needs it, your own sense of happiness increases ten fold. Don’t ask me why. Just try it.

Feel grateful: This is one of the best ways to be happy. Most of us are in the habit of looking up – we look at people who are richer than us, more attractive, more successful and so on. For a change, try looking down – at those who are less fortunate. This may seem sadistic, but when you look at those who are less fortunate, you suddenly realize how lucky you are. A good dose of healthy gratitude at the beginning of every day can leave you feeling happy throughout the day.

Live the moment: Most of us are so frustrated about the changes we did not make in the past and so anxious about what the future will bring that we forget about the present. Focus on what is happening to you right now – your dinner, this article or a conversation you are having.

Listen to music: We all live stress-filled lives packed with too many activities, all vying to take center stage. Is it any wonder that we are coiled tight like springs? A little bit of the right kind of music is all you need to de-stress and feel lighthearted once again. According to many scientific studies, music affects a part of the brain that can lower heart rates, induce feelings of peace and produce happiness.

Take some well needed rest: We are slowly becoming a planet of sleep deprived people. Lack of rest can make you itchy and cranky. Make it a point to get a good night’s rest. It can do wonders to your happiness quotient.

Live in good health: Say goodbye to fat-soaked, carbohydrate-rich food. Start eating healthy. Do some exercise. Meditate. Take care of your body and mind. When you take care of yourself, you will be suffused with a sense of well being and happiness.

These are just some of the ways in which you can invite happiness into your life. There may be many factors in your life that is beyond your control. Even so, there are still a lot of things that you can change. In the end, it is your attitude that matters. It is in your hands to decide whether you want to be happy or not.


Meaning of Happiness - At Happier.com, our mission is to make people happy. We provide you with tips from experts which will help you to find happiness in life. Visit us now for more information.

One of the biggest mistakes many parents make when preparing their student for college is neglecting to actually teach them about how (and how not) to spend their money.

Since many college students are not financially independent they can produce quite a financial burden on their parents. And since the young adults do not feel the repercussions for themselves, that behavior can continue until they are completely financially independent. In this article, we'll go over why teaching kids about money is a crucial part of preparing them for college, as well as some popular ways to do this.

The recent financial crisis that has swept across the country has destroyed a lot of jobs and made higher learning a veritable requirement for proper financial independence. Since going to college gives students a much better shot at eventually getting out on their own (and being successful at it), getting your kid ready for college not only academically but also financially is more important than ever. There are a number of ways to reinforce proper spending habits, but the most obvious is to do so by example. Spending your money in responsible, mature ways and then explaining the reasoning behind that spending is a great way to teach kids about money as a tool, rather than something to be thrown away on immediate desires.

Unfortunately, college preparation courses in high schools do not teach students how to resist the pressures of college life, more responsibly divide up their resources, and spend their money in healthy, mature ways. High schools are notorious for not offering practical financial education
courses which would help today's youth be prepared for the banking system, credit and debit cards, loans, and long-term investments.

There are a few programs that may help your child be prepared for the financial challenges that await them in the 'real world'. Financial literacy programs, or money camps, are popular with parents that understand the importance of teaching kids about money. Responsible parents can enroll their child in afterschool programs that have financial literacy courses, or even go to financial educational websites themselves to learn how to more properly prepare their student for financial independence.

Teaching kids about money has become a huge part of getting them ready for the real world, especially with the reputation college students carry for being dirt poor. Making your student more financially responsible while also reducing the monetary burden they place on you is a win-win situation.


More information regarding how to more properly get your kids ready for independence, be it at college or simply on their own in the real world, can be found at the National Youth Financial Educators site http://www.nyfec.org/ .

It's been said we are what we eat, and that sentiment definitely holds true when it comes to our skin. It's our body's biggest organ, and it deserves all the nutritional TLC we can give it. So take a look at what you've been feeding yourself, and therefore feeding your skin. One the most important components of skin health is vitamin A, and probably one of the best sources of it is low-fat dairy products. It could be said the health of our skin depends on vitamin A. Low-fat yogurt is not only high in vitamin A, but also acidophilus, the "live" bacteria that is good for intestinal health. Turns out, it may also have an impact on the skin, since it aids in digestion. Other good sources of vitamin A include cod liver oil, sweet potatoes, carrots, leafy vegetables, and fortified breakfast cereals.

It's important to also make sure you're eating foods rich in antioxidants, such as blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and plums. The benefits of these foods for healthy skin are plentiful. The antioxidants and other phytochemicals in these fruits can protect the skin cells, so there is less chance for damage. This in turn guards against premature aging, and keeps skin looking younger longer. Other fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants include artichokes, black, red, and pinto beans, prunes, and pecans. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are essential to your skin. Include salmon, walnuts, canola oil, and flax seed. EFAs keep cell membranes healthy, and allow nutrients to pass through. We also need healthy oils, which contain more than essential fatty acids. Eating good-quality oils helps keep skin lubricated and keeps it looking and feeling healthier overall. Look for oils that are cold pressed, such as olive or extra virgin oil. We only need about two tablespoons a day of healthy oils, so use wisely.

Selenium plays an important role in the health of skin cells. Turn to foods like Whole-wheat bread, muffins, and cereals; turkey, tuna and brazil nuts for this important nutrient. Recent studies show that if selenium levels are high, even skin damaged by the sun may only suffer minimal, if any, damage.

Choosing the whole grain versions of complex carbohydrates can have a significant effect on insulin levels. Processed and refined sugars can cause inflammation that may ultimately be linked to skin break outs.

Green tea has anti-inflammatory properties, and it protects the membrane of the cell. It may even help prevent or reduce skin cancer risks. Water plays such an important role in your overall health, and it has a profound effect on your skin's health as well. Well-hydrated skin is healthy and young-looking. It also helps move the toxins out of your system so they have less chance to do damage.


To read about grapefruit tree and grapefruit oil, visit the Grapefruit Facts site.

While onion's health promoting abilities have long been recognized, it's only recently that their considerable curative abilities have been conclusively demonstrated and thus their elevation to Superfood status.

Onions are a major source of two phytonutrients that play a significant role in health promotion: flavonoids and the mixture of over fifty sulfur-containing compounds. The two flavonoid subgroups found in onions are the anthocyanins that impart a red/purple colour to some varieties, and the flavanols such as quercetin and its derivatives that are responsible for the yellow flesh and brown skins of many varieties of onions. The flavonols are concentrated in the skin of most onions where they contribute to the colour of the vegetable.

We now know that the health promoting compounds in onion, like those in garlic, are separated by cell walls. Slicing an onion ruptures these walls and releases the compounds which then combine to form a powerful new compound: thiopropanal sulfoxide. In addition to mitigating various diseases, this substance also gives cut onions their pungent aroma and their ability to make us cry.

To get the most health benefits from onions, let them sit for five to ten minutes after cutting and before cooking. Heat will deactivate the thiopropanal sulfoxide and you want to give it time to fully develop and concentrate before heating.

While chopping onions may make you cry, their considerable cardiovascular benefits should bring a smile beneath your tears. Like garlic, onion consumption has been shown to lower high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. Onions, along with tea, apples and broccoli --the richest dietary sources of flavonoids- have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease by 20% in a recent meta-analysis that reviewed the dietary patterns and health of over 100,000 individuals.

From a health promotion standpoint, the most pungent onions pack the biggest wallop. In one test of the flavonoid content of onions, shallots had six times the amount found in Vidalia onions, the onion with the lowest phenolic content. Shallots also had the most antioxidant activity. Western Yellow onions had the most flavonoids - 11 times the amount found in Western White, the type with the lowest flavonoids content. All types of onions are good additions to your diet but try to choose the stronger tasting ones when appropriate to your recipe.

Regular consumption of onions has also been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer. It's believed that the flavonoid quercetin in onions is the protective factor as it's been shown to stop the growth of tumours in animals, and to protect colon cells from the negative effects of some cancer-promoting substances. There's also evidence that onions may lower the risk of cancer of the brain, oesophagus, lung and stomach.


Want to find out about cabbage plant and cabbage facts? Get tips from the Fruits And Vegetables website.