The Optimist Living
Table for one, please. Five reasons to go out and eat alone
Eating dinner together with family or friends is one of the great pleasures in life. It's a time to relax, connect with others, share stories, catch up on the day. But a recent analysis by restaurant reservations website OpenTable shows that an increasing number of diners are reserving tables for Read More...
From white rice to brown, red or black rice: Why make the switch?
Rice feeds over half the world population. But there's rice and there's rice. White rice, although the most popular, but it has lower levels of health-promoting nutrients. The bran is the outer layer of the rice kernel. It contains nutrients like protein, fat, and dietary fiber as well as Read More...
4 ways to let go of anger
Anger is a normal emotion that happens in all of us. However, it’s the way you handle your anger that makes a difference on your physical and mental health. Holding in your anger can lead to a build-up of stress and can affect the heart, so sometimes it’s best to let it go. However that is Read More...
Laughter is the best medicine, so bring more of it into your life
Sometimes, a good laugh is all it takes to make your day better. Laughing reduces stress, boosts immunity and even tones your abdominal muscles. And so Deepak Chopra says the healthiest response to life is laughter. Adding more laughter into your daily life may seem like a challenge, but it's Read More...
What stepping out of your comfort zone can do for you
Regularly seeking fresh experiences can make you more creative and emotionally resilient than remaining stuck in routine. However, stepping out of your comfort zone is easier said than done. After all, leaving the comfort zone can be, well, uncomfortable. To help you get started, here are some Read More...
Cook dinner together and eleven other tips for raising healthy kids
Looking for a little parenting inspiration? Raising your kids to be healthy and happy for life is one of the most challenging tasks there is. Here are twelve tips from experts, to help kids kids practice eating healthy. Some of the tips might come as a surprise. For example, what would you do if Read More...
Get outdoors and into nature, it boosts your immune system
Have you ever wondered why being surrounded by nature feels so good? Research has long found spending time outdoors in gardens, forests and other nature is linked to strong mental and physical health, and now a researcher from the University of Illinois has found out why that is. In our daily Read More...
Boost your mental well-being by doing, wait for it, the dishes
When you're washing your dishes, you could be washing away your worries, too. A study, published in the journal Mindfulness, found that engaging in mindful dishwashing (focusing on the scent of the soap, the feel of the dishes, the warmth of the water) can trigger a positive state of mind. In fact, Read More...
How to get our inner child out while we're at work
Play is the last thing that comes to mind for adults working in a world full of overflowing inboxes and endless responsibilities, but more and more research is finding that play has business benefits and can help improve the mental health of workers. When we play as kids, we imagine scenarios and Read More...
Best to eat veggies and fruits, and leave the antioxidant supplements
Eating the recommended 5-9 servings of vegetables and fruits each day may not be an easy thing to do, so wouldn’t it be easier and more efficient to get your antioxidants in the form of a pill? It may seem logical, but antioxidant pills might actually do more harm than good for your health. Read More...