Don't Worry, Be Happy: 10 Happy Foods for the Season

Tis the season of change... and with change can come fatigue and depression. Yes, even  perfect LLadies out there can suffer like the rest.

Utilizing food and supplements that aide in keeping you emotionally and physically energized are key this season. Here's a list of 10 foods you should be stocking up on as the weather gets cool (at least here in the Northern Hemisphere) because happy LLadies shine through even the darkest skies...

1. Omega 3 Fatty Acids - take supplements
2. Zinc - can be found in foods such as pumpkin seeds & wheat germ
3. Vitamin B-3 (niacin) - try dried beans and/or supplements
4. Water
5. Vitamin E - sunflower seeds, vegetable oil, turnip greens, peanut butter
6. Calcium - you don't have to only drink milk or eat cheese - calcium can be found in broccoli, tofu and kale
7. Folic Acid - load up on sweet potatoes, almonds, orange juice (fortified) and whole grain breads
8. Stevia - a natural sweetener and alternative to Splenda, mega popular, find it at Whole Foods.
9. Vitamin C - broccoli, oranges, papaya and get this - potatoes!
10. Iron - supplements, beans, peas and nuts

For more details please visit:

http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/10-happy-foods-fight-depression-fatigue-naturally-136750.html

Exercise Will Not Make You Lose Weight, Seriously!?

Bad news my friends, it seems like more and more scientific evidence shows that exercise won't make you lose weight. Yup. It's a sad state of affairs when you realize those hours of spinning (painful on the tush) and pole dancing (do I look like a slut in these lucite stilettos?) classes are not going to do sh*t.

Okay, being a little dramatic here. Exercise is certainly good for your health on many levels, helping you to look and feel good. But if you're interested in dropping some weight it turns out that DIET is a key ingredient to weight loss and "intense workout in the gym is actually less effective than gentle exercise in terms of weight loss". Eating a diet with an abundance of fruits and veggies, pumping up your whole grain game, cutting out sugar and just eating LESS will help increase weight loss.

Read more about what UK scientists have found: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/sep/19/exercise-dieting-public-health

Happier Hour.

Image by Lora Femme

Summer is around the corner!! Happy hour can be a little more happier when you go low-cal.

Calorie Reducing Tips (via University of Rochester)

• Try alternating alcoholic drinks with low calorie non-alcoholic drinks or water.
• Ask for low calorie / diet mixers where possible.
• Make your wine into a spritzer (a longer drink), or your lager into a shandy - both have fewer calories.
• Substitute your "alcopop" for a shot of spirit and a low calorie mixer - about a quarter of the calories!
• Plan your alcohol into your daily calorie quota so you can enjoy a glass or two. If you know you will be drinking during the weekend, try to save some calories each day in advance, so you can eat normally before you go out.
• Don't be tempted to skip meals to allow for drinks, as alcohol won't satisfy your hunger. In fact, alcohol lowers blood sugar levels (it prevents sugar that is normally stored in the liver, as glycogen, from breaking down). A drop in blood sugar levels sends signals to the brain you are hungry. With alcohol in your system, willpower can go out of the window and the snack attacks kick in. Eating a proper meal before you go out will line your stomach and slow the rate at which alcohol absorbs into your bloodstream, keeping you in control of how much you eat and drink.

You Can Dance if You Want To..

image via: fish_bear / Flickr

Let's Dance! Dancing is a great way to "relieve the pressure" but it also burns off a good amount of calories. Some stats:

Dancing - Per 15 Min
Weight: 115 lbs / 66 Calories Burned
Weight: 140 lbs / 80 Calories Burned

For a more detailed weight/calories burned table, check out diet bites.