After a bit of a hiatus—with plenty of time to stock up on new resources!—here’s my latest blog post, which continues some earlier reflections on leading a happy, well-balanced life. What are the secret “ingredients”?

Over these past months, I’ve picked up a really interesting book by Patrick Holford, The Feel-Good Factor: Ten Proven Ways to Boost Your Mood & Motivate Yourself, which looks at the connection between what we eat and how we feel overall throughout our body. Essentially, his premise is that what we think changes how we feel—and what we think is based on several ongoing biochemical changes that relate directly to what we ingest as nourishment each day.

As humans, we seek happiness and fulfillment, and Holford (through his Brain Bio Centre in England, as well as his own professional studies and background) has found that link in the mind-body connection via key nutrients. He notes: “Science is discovering that the digestive system is like a ‘second brain’ producing neurotransmitters (like serotonin), hormones, and immune-transmitters (called cytokines) that literally cross-talk with the brain.”

It's a very interesting concept and a totally good read for anyone in search of a
whole-food/supplement approach to wellness as part of a lifestyle.

So here’s a peek into his top 10 mood-boosting secrets:

• Banish the sugar blues—eliminate sugars from your diet.
• Balance your hormones.
• Have the “guts” to be happy—supplement with good probiotics.
• Take your omega-3 fatty acids.
• Restore your brain’s natural balance with amino acids.
• Get a good night’s sleep.
• Take your uplifting B vitamins.
• Take Vitamin D and get your exercise (preferably outdoors in these
  summer months)!
• Consider St. John’s wort as a “happiness herb.”
• Accept and move through your moods as just feelings that pass.

Ten easy tips! Maybe you can start with two to three of the above and see how it works for you...

Wishing you happiness and good health!