BETTER EACH DAY365 Expert Tips for a Healthier, Happier You

BY JESSICA CASSITY

AS A HEALTH REPORTER FOR national publications including the New York Times, Prevention, and Health, I’ve spent most of my career asking hundreds of specialists about how to live better. And the scientists, yogis, psychologists, and other authorities whom I’ve consulted have always responded to my requests the same way: enthusiastically. They are eager to share their findings and observations, and hopeful that their work will find life outside of obscure peer-review journals and reach the general population, who can benefit most from their research. But once I get them talking, these experts often dole out too many kernels of wisdom to fit into a single article. So a few years ago, I found myself collecting notebooks full of these small but life-changing facts and incorpo-rating them into my daily routine—slowly changing my eating habits, discovering the joys of cooking, deepening my yoga practice, and learning the best ways to unwind, one small step at a time. As my habits, outlook,

and priorities began to shift, I realized that this information could change many more lives than just my own. With that in mind, I began working on Better Each Day.

The setup of this book is simple: each page covers one small change you can make in the pursuit of happiness, health, wisdom, and longevity. The tips cover a vast range of topics, from weight loss and anxiety reduction to how to be a better friend or why you should unplug from technology every now and then. All of the ideas are one-size-fits-all—that is, anyone can use them—but if you’re like me, some will surely resonate with you more than others. Each of the 365 pages offers a fresh tidbit, so if a particular idea doesn’t work for you or isn’t what you’re looking for at that moment, feel free to skip over it and keep reading. If you’re looking for guidance on a particular topic, you can use the index to help you find relevant tips. There are no checklists or guidelines to follow. This collection of

Introduction

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HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU uttered the phrase, “I’ll be happy when . . . ”? Whether it’s getting a new job, finding the perfect partner, or losing a few more pounds, most of us are convinced that if we could just change one or two things in our lives, we could get our happiness back on track. Yet researchers have found that the most powerful influencer of our happiness is not what happens to us but how we choose to live our lives. According to the Sustainable Happiness Model, put out by Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, and author of The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want, only 10 percent of your happiness is due to circumstance—the

life events you have little or no control over, like your birthplace. Fifty percent is tied to genetics, which means that number is fixed. But that leaves a whopping 40 percent of your satisfaction dependent on intentional activity—the way you choose to use your time—which can include meditating, exercis-ing, traveling, or whatever brings you the most joy. Prepare a list of the things that make you feel good. Refer to this list to remind your-self what activities to engage in when times are tough. Whether it’s cooking, volun-teering, or working toward a physical goal, these are the things that can increase your mood infinitely, no matter what curveballs life throws at you.

Be the master of your own happiness001

Drink up to drop pounds

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DRINK MORE WATER, LOSE MORE weight. This sounds too good to be true, but shedding pounds may really be this simple, according to a recent study from Virginia Tech. When people were asked to drink two eight-ounce glasses of water before meals for twelve weeks, they dropped an average of five pounds more than people who didn’t add any extra water to their diets. The people who drank the extra H

²O ate an average of

seventy-five to ninety fewer calories at each meal, so scientists suspect that the surplus water makes people feel full faster. The extra liquid may also result in the consumption of fewer sugary beverages, which is another way water could help you lose weight.

216 Stop migraines with more sleep

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IF YOU SUFFER FROM MIGRAINE headaches, you’ve probably tried every alleged remedy out there, from medication to meditation. But, according to Paul L. Durham, PhD, director of the Center for Biomedical and Life Sciences at Missouri State University, simply getting enough sleep may be the best means of prevention.

Our bodies produce inflammatory mol-ecules when it’s time to rise and shine, says Durham. That’s why you may find you get warmer when it’s near waking time—your body is literally heating up its engines for a new day. For migraine sufferers, sleep deprivation can cause these inflammatory molecules to over-respond, prompting a migraine attack. Get enough sleep and your body’s responses will even out, giving your head more of a chance to stay pain-free.

322 Whole foods keep you healthy

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WHAT SHOULD YOU CONSUME to ward off a cold? A tall glass of OJ might be the first thing that comes to mind, thanks to its high vitamin C content. But you’d be better off eating the entire orange, says Gregory G. Freund, MD, head of pathol-ogy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s College of Medicine. The white part of an orange peel and other fruit skins—parts that are commonly discarded when a fruit is turned into juice—are rich in pectin, a type of soluble fiber. In his work, Freund has linked soluble fiber with improved immunity—the more you eat, the less susceptible you’ll be to illness. Increasing your fiber intake sounds easy enough. But fiber comes in both soluble and insoluble forms, and only the soluble

sort has been linked to improved immunity. “Soluble means it likes to be in a wetter environment,” says Freund, like fruits, veg-etables, and beans. So, while insoluble fiber—such as that found in high-fiber foods like packaged cereals—helps with digestion and other aspects of health, it won’t necessarily boost immunity. Citrus fruits, apples, and strawberries con-tain high levels of soluble fiber, and so do vegetables like broccoli, peas, potatoes, and carrots. And, these foods all contain other nutrients that have been linked to immu-nity, such as vitamins A, C, and E, to name a few. Many packaged foods do not separate fiber content by soluble and insoluble fiber, so if in doubt, consult a nutrition guide.