Munching Away to Happiness (1)

Conventional wisdom mentioned that what we eat effects on our thoughts and feelings. Modern day research has also shown that there exists a relationship between a person’s diet and his mood. The food we consume can influence the chemical composition within the brain and affect our mood.

Food can affect the production and release of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are messengers which allow neurons to communicate information amongst themselves. Some food substances contain amino acids which are precursors to neurotransmitters. Fats consumed in the diet can directly affect the brain cell membrane structure and substance.

Serotonin which is a monoamine neurotransmitter is also known as the 'feel-good hormone', and is involved in the regulation of mood and sleep. It is made in our body from an amino acid called tryptophan. In healthy people with high trait irritability, tryptophan has been shown to increase agreeableness, decrease quarrelsomeness and improve mood.

Orally taken serotonin does not enter the brain. However the precursor tryptophan and its metabolite 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) can enter the brain. Increase in consumption of tryptophan can lead to increase in brain serotonin. By eating a balanced diet of which includes foods that contain tryptophan, the levels of serotonin can be increased.

Foods containing tryptophan include:

Vegetables - spinach, cabbage, watercress

Pulses - lentils, chick peas (hummus)

Nuts - almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, peanuts,soy nuts

Seeds - poppy, pumpkin, sesame seeds

Legumes - kidney, soya, lima beans

Lean meat - skinless chicken, skinless turkey

Dairy - plain yoghurt, milk, eggs, cheddar, gruyere, swiss, cottage cheeses

Fruits - bananas, pineapple, plums, dates, figs, prunes

Wholegrains - porridge oats, brown rice

Of course there is a catch. Conversion of dietary tryptophan to serotonin is affected by other factors. Other competing amino acids present in the protein may hinder its transport to the brain. Carbohydrates may increase tryptophan’s availability, because the insulin released by them puts the competing amino acids to a different use. Thus eating small amounts of brown rice, wholemeal bread, porridge oats along with the protein food is useful. Further, different enzymes, minerals and vitamins are required to convert tryptophan to serotonin.

Other methods to increase serotonin include:

1. Exposure to sunlight (bright light)
2. Exercise

Reference:

Young SN. How to increase serotonin in the human brain without drugs. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2007;32:394-9. [PDF]

Happiness in Relationships

The primary trait to look for in a partner is strength of character.

I thought about it and I find it very apt. Good character values are not only uplifting and inspiring but also come in useful during times of interpersonal conflict.

In an article, author Karen Salmansohn says that to find sustainable happiness in love, one must prioritize finding a person who:

1. Values growing as a person.

2. Understands that a relationship serves the double function of ‘den of pleasure’ (fun, companionship, etc which keep the passion thriving) and ‘laboratory for growth’ (to inspire, nurture and motivate each other to achieve eudaimonia).

Self Image and Individual Happiness

A significant factor which influences our happiness levels is our ‘self-image’. If you sit back and think about yourself, how do you perceive yourself as in general? Do you see yourself as a serious person, as a grim person, a no-nonsense person, a melancholic person or a happy person? Our perceived self-image makes us seek and enact accordingly. A person who has a melancholic image will find reasons to burden himself with heavy thoughts even under happy circumstances. A person who has an image about himself which communicates humour or happiness will find reasons to smile even at the dullest occasion.

An American cosmetic surgeon Maxwell Maltz noted that after corrective plastic surgery some patients experienced an immediate increase in self-esteem. However, in some cases the patients continued to feel inadequate. He then recognized that reconstruction of the physical image would not help, if there was no reconstruction of the ‘non-physical face of personality’ or ‘self-image’. He developed Psycho-Cybernetics, a system of ideas through which, one could improve one's self-image and, in turn, lead a more successful and fulfilling life. The book Psycho-Cybernetics includes several techniques and is considered a classic personal development book.

The self-image in general and that related to happiness is imbibed at various moments subconsciously and soon we start identifying that image as ourselves (‘this is me’). The fact is that this is how we have come to consider ourselves as, slowly over a period of time. The self-image can be changed through deliberate intent.

The initial step would be to relax and then create an image of yourself as happy and joyful. Imagine how you would behave, act and feel if you had the new image. Associate words like happy, joyful, cheerful, jolly, blissful, humourous, mischievious etc with this image. This may need to be practiced frequently, particularly when you recognize that you are exhibiting the previous unhappy behaviour. Several experts mention that a behaviour practiced over twenty one days becomes a habit. Each time while practicing add more details (like speech modality, appearance).

It would be very useful to align this image with the individual definition of happiness.

Individual Happiness

It is essential that individuals are clear about their definition of happiness. In the absence of a clear definition there is all probability of a person being swayed by each propounded concept targeted towards him.

Though there are various concepts of happiness, I find the concepts of hedonia and eudaimonia to include a lot of aspects and easier to comprehend.

Hedonism: The doctrine that pleasure is the sole or chief good in life. A hedonist strives to maximize the net pleasure (pleasure minus pain).

Hedonism has been expressed in many forms and expressions have ranged from a narrow focus on bodily pleasures to a broad focus on appetites and self-interests. Hedonism is broadly said to include pleasures of both the mind and body.

Eudaimonia: Eudaimonia has been defined as the subjective experiences associated with doing what is worth doing and having what is worth having.

The adjective eudaimon is a compound word comprised of ‘eu’ meaning “well” and ‘daimon’ (daemon), which refers to a sort of guardian spirit. Eudaimonia could literally translate to “the state of having a good indwelling spirit, a good genius”.

As per the Aristotelian definition, people achieve eudaimonia by developing their ultimate potential and bringing this excellence and virtue to action.

According to positive psychologists, eudaimonia occurs when people’s life activities are most congruent with deeply held values and are holistically or fully engaged.

In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle mentions three prominent kinds of lifestyles (1) the life of pleasure, (2) the life of practical activity (politics), and (3) the philosophical (contemplative) life.

Within the definitions of a pleasant life, good (engaged) life and meaningful life, I find the concept of the ‘meaningful life’ appealing. A meaningful life consists of using characteristic strengths in the service of something you believe is larger than yourself. I would add to it the perspective of developing the strengths to the level of excellence. This would be an acceptable definition. Well, just to be a bit greedy I would maybe sprinkle in some hedonistic moments.

Personal Energy

Personal energy has been mentioned to have four dimensions: Physical energy, Emotional energy, Mental energy and Spiritual energy. For a greater sense of well being these aspects of energy can be expanded and regularly renewed by intentionally practiced and precisely scheduled behaviours.

The personal energy audit below helps to identify the state of our energy management skills.

Body
__ I don’t regularly get at least seven to eight hours of sleep, and I often wake up feeling tired.
__ I frequently skip breakfast, or I settle for something that isn’t nutritious.
__ I don’t work out enough (meaning cardiovascular training at least three times a week and strength training at least once a week).
__ I don’t take regular breaks during the day to truly renew and recharge, or I often eat lunch at my desk, if I eat it at all.

Emotions
__ I frequently find myself feeling irritable, impatient, or anxious at work, especially when work is demanding.
__ I don’t have enough time with my family and loved ones, and when I’m with them, I’m not always really with them.
__ I have too little time for the activities that I most deeply enjoy.
__ I don’t stop frequently enough to express my appreciation to others or to savor my accomplishments and blessings.

Mind
__ I have difficulty focusing on one thing at a time, and I am easily distracted during the day, especially by e-mail.
__ I spend much of my day reacting to immediate crises and demands rather than focusing on activities with longer-term value and high
leverage.
__ I don’t take enough time for reflection, strategizing, and creative thinking.
__ I work in the evenings or on weekends, and I almost never take an e-mail–free vacation.

Spirit
__ I don’t spend enough time at work doing what I do best and enjoy most.
__ There are significant gaps between what I say is most important to me in my life and how I actually allocate my time and energy.
__ My decisions at work are more often influenced by external demands than by a strong, clear sense of my own purpose.
__ I don’t invest enough time and energy in making a positive difference to others or to the world.

How is your overall energy?
Total number of statements checked: __
Guide to scores
0–3: Excellent energy management skills; 4–6: Reasonable energy management skills; 7–10: Significant energy management deficits; 11–16: A full-fledged energy management crisis

What do you need to work on?
Number of checks in each category:
Body __; Mind __; Emotions __; Spirit __;
Guide to category scores
0: Excellent energy management skills; 1: Strong energy management skills; 2: Significant deficits; 3: Poor energy management skills; 4: A full-fledged energy crisis

Reference:

Schwartz T, McCarthy C. Manage your energy, not your time. Harvard Business Review. October, 2007. [Full text]

Energy Quiz

Lack of energy is one of the reasons for lack of joie de vivre. There is a previous post with a questionnaire which helps to identify if one is stressed. The following quiz helps to identify energy drains. Most of us know what should be done, yet few do it. The quiz is an indicator.

Questions 1 and 2 are indicators towards sleep and rest; 3 to 7 deal with diet; 8 with exercise; 9 and 10 with lifestyle.

1. Do you usually sleep for at least seven and a half to eight hours each night?
2. Do you rarely wake during the night?
3. Do you eat three well-balanced meals a day at regular intervals?
4. Do you always eat breakfast?
5. Do you eat at least two portions of protein food everyday (meat, fish, eggs, dairy, pulses) as well as two portions of wholegrain carbohydrates (bread, pasta or porridge)?
6. Do you eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day?
7. Do you drink at least one and a half litres of fluid a day, not counting very strong coffee, alcohol or energy drinks and keep your alcohol levels within recommended levels?
8. Are you active, on the go for at least an hour or more a day?
9. Do you feel content and happy with your lot?
10. Do you feel that you have a good work-life balance?

A ‘no’ answer to a question indicates a requirement of attention to that particular aspect.

Thoughts and Reality

Masaru Emoto is a Japanese researcher and author. Dr. Masaru Emoto’s water crystal experiments consist of exposing water to different words, pictures, or music, and then freezing and examining the response in the form of aesthetics of the resulting crystals with microscopic photography.

It is claimed that depending on the different focused intentions, water appears to ‘change its expression’ and images of the water crystals are beautiful (in one study beautiful crystals were defined as symmetric, aesthetically pleasing shapes) or unsightly depending upon whether the words or thoughts were positive or negative.

The children’s version of the book ‘The Message from Water’ is available on the net. It is available in different languages.

Commentators have criticized the research for insufficient experimental controls, and for lack of sharing of sufficient details of the approach. In other experiments scientists have not been able to either accept or reject the findings.

At least there is proof that thoughts and feelings affect physical reality and it would be preferable to maintain an environment of positive thoughts, words and actions.