healthy living

According to a new report, candy sales are up. Sure, the economy is in the gutter and unemployment is rising, but people seem to be handling it with a veritable spoonful of sugar.

Since I’m on a nostalgic kick—last week I was reminiscing about the sometimes wacky foods I ate as a child—now I got to thinking about the health advice that my mom used to give me as a kid.

I never realized how much your diet as a kid influences your diet today, until I thought back to some of my favorite childhood snacks.

Sure, we’d probably all like to eat more organic—fewer pesticides is a good thing!—but when cost is an issue, where to you make the choices.

Because of the financial downturn, a lot of people are going through a rough patch right now. Even if you’re not directly affected, it’s troubling to think of all the people who are losing their jobs, their retirement money, etc. In my New York City neighborhood, several familiar little shops have closed, and I feel a little pang whenever I pass a deserted storefront that used to showcase baby clothes, or stationery, or bathing suits, or whatever.

So what can you do to cheer yourself up? One effective strategy: do a good deed for someone else. “Do good, feel good” – this really works! It’s as selfish as it is selfless; you’ll benefit as much as the person you’re helping.

A website that exists to showcase the most gag-worthy, over-the-top, fat- and calorie-laden foodstuffs has unexpected consequences on my appetite.

Sometimes it’s hard to have perspective on yourself.

My mother came to visit us in New York City when there were a lot of sales. I said something like, “I feel like I should go take advantage of the sales, and go shopping, but I don’t really feel like it.” (I don’t like to shop.)

When do you stay home sick? Are there certain symptoms that make taking one non-negotiable for you?

My happiness-project resolutions include Indulge in a modest splurge and “Eat better,” and I successfully combined these resolutions recently, with one of my favorite healthy recipes, for fruit smoothies. It’s filling, nutritious, and delicious: a cup of skim milk; a cup or so of frozen strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or peaches; several packets of artificial sweetener (I like things very sweet); lots of ice. Dump it all into a blender and blend.

I make a smoothie almost every day, but my blender was driving me crazy. It leaked, and it needed to be stopped and started constantly to keep blending.

It’s National Sleep Awareness week and whaddya know, I’ve got zzzz’s on my mind. From how much we should get, to the reasons we’re not getting enough, some surprising new poll results have just been released.