5 Things That’ll Make You Happy From Around the Web

Sometimes all it takes is a change in mindset — no matter how small — to turn a crappy day into a good one. To help you shift into a happier gear, we’ve rounded up five things from around the web that inspire and delight us, and we hope they’ll do the same for you. We share our favorite happiness-boosters each week, so be sure to check back — and share your own in the comments below!

1. This love poem by a man with OCD

You don't need to struggle with OCD in order to relate to Neil Hilborn's honest, heart-wrenching spoken word, which recounts the rise and fall of his own love story.

2. These pictures from the Golden Retriever Festival in Scotland

A record 222 Goldens came out to make new friends, enjoy the sunshine, and celebrate themselves.

3. This newfangled pavement that eats smog for breakfast (And lunch. And dinner.)

Scientists in the Netherlands have discovered that it's possible to cut air pollution in half simply by changing the surface we walk on. This air-purifying pavement converts pollutants into less-harmful chemicals thanks to titanium oxide — which can yield big health payoffs for both city-dwellers and the environment.

4. This picture of what is supposedly the world's oldest wombat

Judging by the picture, Patrick may also vie for the title of "world's largest".

5. This, Alfred Hitchcock’s definition of happiness

The secret, he says, lies not in destruction, but in acts of creation.

What's making you happy this week? Share in the comments below!

Provided by dopiks e-Marketing Team

20 Bad Habits That Could Hurt Your Relationship

Relationship

Romance isn’t just about a box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day. A satisfying relationship can also make people feel happy and healthy [1]. But keep in mind that successful relationships aren't just about rainbows and butterflies — a healthy partnership requires communication, respect, and plenty of good habits from both people. So when dating that special someone, avoid stalking their ex on Facebook, keeping feelings bottled up, and splitting the double cheeseburger every night [2] [3]. These (and 17 other) bad habits could make a great relationship take a turn for the worse.

Save the Spark — Your Action Plan

1. Trying to improve him/her. News flash: There’s no such thing as a perfect person, so don’t expect unrealistic changes. Reminding him or her to make the bed is one thing, but trying to radically change shyness or anxiety is another — and could be ignoring the underlying causes for those issues in the first place.
2. Finding faults with the fam. The ’rents may be harder to handle than your significant other. But even if there’s some clashing of heads, don’t focus on the family’s faults. Getting criticism from family members can make people feel depressed and hostile — which means some tense holiday dinners . Besides, the situation can’t be worse than what Gaylord went through.
3. Engaging in constant PDA. Getting it on in public can not only make bystanders uncomfortable, it may also compensate for a lack of real communication. Stick to hand-holding and quick kisses, and save the rest for the bedroom (or the cell phone?).
4. Fighting in public. As if PDA weren’t bad enough. Arguing in public can embarrass the couple and make everyone around feel awkward, too. Talk it out in private, please.
5. Avoiding fighting. Love isn’t all good, all the time. Disagreements are bound to happen, and arguments can be a healthy part of a relationship. Never having conflict may make compromise impossible. Just don’t make fighting an all-day affair.
6. Not talking it out. If something is wrong, the other person probably can’t read your mind. When a problem comes up, speak up at the right time. One study suggests young couples are less stressed when they talk out their issues than when they keep their feelings bottled up. And don’t forget to say, “I love you.” Expressing emotions — positive and negative — can benefit that bond [5].
7. Forgetting to forgive. People make mistakes, and holding on to grudges may not only hurt a relationship — it could also cause unwanted stress and anxiety. Sympathy may be easier to give if we realize it will benefit our health [6].
8. Timing discussions badly. Conversations about important issues, like relationship expectations and financial blunders, all have their time and place. Don’t bring up serious topics when someone’s stressed, like at the end of the workday or right before hosting a party. Set up a time to talk when both people are relaxed.
9. Keeping score. Sure, relationships should be about give and take, but don’t keep track of every little detail (For example: I paid for the last six dinners, and you only paid for five!). It can cause unnecessary tension.
10. Being melodramatic. No relationship is perfect. So don’t create unnecessary drama in every scenario. If a mate forgets to take out the garbage, there’s no need for a scene. Take a few breaths and address the problem calmly.
11. Spying. When two people want to make it work, trust is key [7]. Have confidence in your mate and respect their privacy: Don’t snoop through texts, emails, or bedroom drawers. (Definitely don’t use this!)
12. Allowing jealousy to take over. Doubting your partner may be a symptom of a larger problem: relationship insecurity. And women who feel insecure in their relationships may be at greater risk for health issues like a weakened immune system [8]. Some advice for reducing envy, at least temporarily? Stay off Facebook and other social networking sites [3].
13. Letting go. Sometimes when partners feel too secure with each other, they end up putting on a few pounds, possibly because they’re less physically active [10] [11]. Try being a power couple to stay both happy and healthy.
14. Constantly comparing. Forget the ex and stop comparing a current partner with a person from the past. This could lead to unrealistic expectations.
15. Doing everything together. Everyone needs some alone time (yep, even hopelessly devoted couples). Solitude may even enhance relationships, making time together more valuable.
16. Lying. Little white lies can add up and ruin a relationship that should be built on honesty. There is wiggle room, of course: “Sweetie, that homemade dinner tasted great…”
17. Not being honest with yourself. Don’t just be honest with a companion. Stay real about what you need in order to stay satisfied. Is a long distance relationship really worth the work? Is it okay that they’re working all the time?
18. Lacking self-confidence. Not feeling confident in a relationship can really do some damage: Low self-esteem is sometimes linked to low sex drive, which could make things less heated in the bedroom. Getting active, setting goals, and even smiling can improve self-confidence. But don’t forget that an unhealthy relationship can actually cause low-self esteem, so steer clear of someone who makes you feel less than great.
19. Forgetting why you’re in it. Remember to ask yourself why you two are dating, and what you want out of it. Does a partner want to put a ring on it while you want to remain casual? Being with someone for the wrong reasons is one slippery slope!
20. Taking him or her for granted. Always remember why you love that special someone. Showing gratitude and paying attention to that good person by your side will only make the relationship stronger .
Have you made any of these mistakes in a relationship? Tell us in the comments below!

Provided by dopiks e-Marketing Team

Destructively Fit Is Unmasking Exercise Disorders at the Gym

To get the most out of a workout routine, we all need encouragement. But sometimes what sounds like support (“Keep going! Push harder!”) may risk promoting unhealthy, addictive relationships with exercise. Researchers estimate as much as three percent of gym-goers use fitness in ways that risk doing more harm than good to their health [1]. What’s more, many fitness professionals fail to pick up on signs that a gym-goer’s routine is getting out of hand or contributing to an existing disorder.
One organization has dedicated itself to teaching coaches and trainers the warning signs or exercise and eating disorders. Launched in 2012, Destructively Fit is an ACE and NASM-certified three hour training course designed by eating disorder specialist Jodi Rubin. Concerned that many gym employees lacked awareness about the subject, Rubin is working to bridge the gap between the fields of fitness and mental health. Her organization aims to help fitness professionals identify when a gym-goer’s fitness routine is bordering on a problem.
We sat down with Rubin to talk about the risks of continued overexertion — osteoporosis, kidney failure, and cardiovascular damage, to name a few — and what we can all do to combat the stigma of exercise disorders.
What inspired you to create Destructively Fit?
I was already working with trainers and fitness professionals on behalf of my psychotherapy patients, advising them on the unique needs and issues in working with clients who were overcoming eating and exercise disorders. I’m also interested in fitness myself, and, like most people who go to gyms, I noticed people overdoing it at the facilities I went to. I started wondering what gyms were doing about this obvious problem. I started questioning the ethical and legal guidelines — only to find there were none pertaining to eating disorders within the fitness industry.
[After] speaking with as many people in the fitness industry as I could, it became clear that the topic of eating disorders felt like a taboo subject — people assumed they shouldn’t bring it up because they were never taught to address it.
When you join a gym, you’re asked about your health history — cardiovascular problems, past injuries, current medications, etc. But you’re rarely asked whether you’ve ever had an issue with food or exercise, even though we know the devastating health consequences of having an eating disorder. So I designed a program to train fitness professionals to understand what eating disorders are, signs and symptoms, and how to address these issues within their scope of practice.
In your program, you stress the importance of avoiding the phrase “exercise addiction.” Why?
These are true disorders, not addictions. Excessive exercise is usually part of an eating disorder — it’s an imbalance, a misuse of behavior, an unhealthy relationship with one’s body — and it needs to be treated as such. The abstinence models that work for, say, drug or alcohol addictions, don’t necessarily apply to treating eating disorders. Additionally, there’s no abstinence model for exercise disorders. Not exercising at all is just as unhealthy as exercising too much.
What are the tell-tale signs (or symptoms) that a client or gym-goer is using exercise in an unhealthy manner?
Not all of them are obvious. Most people struggling with exercise aren’t emaciated, and you can’t tell just by looking at them. More noticeable red flags include exercising multiple times a day, exercising to the point of exhaustion, preoccupation with exercise or severe distress when you can’t exercise. Another sign: exercising in spite of illness or injury — I’ve seen men and women literally running in casts. And then there’s the less tangible connection between exercise and self-esteem: It becomes increasingly hinged on the number of miles you run, or the number of calories you burn, rather than who you are as a person, outside the gym.
What do you think causes people to use exercise in an unhealthy manner?
It comes down to a collision of biological, psychological, familial, and social factors. [These] combine to create a vulnerability to developing an eating disorder and the unhealthy behaviors, like overuse of exercise, that go along with it. A big part of it is low self-esteem and the attachment of self-esteem to exercise. We all walk around the same cities, live in the same world, are faced with the same advertisements and cultural pressures. But not everyone develops an eating disorder. There needs to be an emotional vulnerability in order to use exercise or food destructively against oneself.
Do you think the fitness industry encourages unhealthy body image, exercise, and eating behaviors?
This is a tricky one, because I don’t think everyone in the fitness industry encourages unhealthy behaviors. However, there is a huge amount of focus on weight and body composition ideals that don’t take into account individual bodies — it seems to be the running assumption that everyone who works out wants to lose weight and get ripped. The marketing cues gyms and fitness campaigns use can be really motivating for some people but very destructive for others. Fitspo also strongly resembles thin-spo, which supports the idea of achieving an unrealistic and dangerous ideal of thinness.
What's the best way for a personal trainer or fitness instructor to approach a client they suspect has a problem?
There’s really no singular, or best, way to approach someone. There’s a reason my course is three hours! Each person’s problematic use of exercise and confrontation is an incredibly sensitive issue. In general, approaching someone from a place of honesty, openness, lack of judgment, and support is a good start, but it takes more than this. Sometimes a person isn’t ready to be approached. Each case comes with its own nuances. Hence the need for a training program to help fitness industry professionals sensitively approach clients with attention to the nuances of that client’s problem.

Provided by Dopiks e-Marketing Team

Would You Eat Your Neighbors’ Leftovers? Try Shareyourmeal

Are leftovers the next Facebook? It could happen if Shareyourmeal, a leftover-exchange social media site that aims to reduce food waste and bring neighbors together, keeps growing. Read on for more information about this innovative (yet old-school) idea for connecting and cooking in the modern age.

What’s the Deal?

In March 2012, Dutch couple Marieke Hart and Jan Thij Bakker smelled something delicious coming from their next-door neighbor’s grill. Intrigued and hungry, they grabbed a few Euros and plates and rang the doorbell. To their pleasant surprise, the neighbor (who Hart and Bakker had never met despite living next door for three years) traded them some delicious eats for their moolah, and a friendly relationship was born.
After experiencing the community-building power of food firsthand, Hart and Bakker wanted to share their findings with the world. So they developed Shareyourmeal, a website designed to connect hungry folks all over the Netherlands with their leftover-laden neighbors. Right now, the site is hugely popular in Amsterdam, where thousands of participants have exchanged tens of thousands of meals. Hart and Bakker are planning a major Shareyourmeal push in New York City and San Francisco, but it’s already spreading grassroots-style throughout the country with at least a few meal sharers in each major city.
So how does it work? Let’s say someone made too much macaroni last night. The leftover-laden cook registers his or her dish on the site, including details such as ingredients, number of portions, price per portion, and time and date the cook will be available for someone to pick up the meal. Registered eaters (aka “foodies”) get regular e-mails listing the meals available in their area. If a particular curry or veggie dish strikes someone’s fancy, they click “order,” which sends an email to the cook. If the arrangement works for the cook, they confirm the pick-up date via email and provide additional instructions (BYO thermos, etc.) and contact information. When it’s time for the actual exchange, the foodie brings the agreed-upon price in cash, the appropriate containers, and of course, compliments to the chef! To keep everyone safe, healthy, and satisfied, the website has established a specific protocol and a few rules for sharing leftovers (i.e., no scraps of rice and beans or questionable chicken allowed).

Why it Matters

Food is way more than sustenance — it represents community, friendship, learning, and social connectivity. Hart and Bakker started Shareyourmeal because they experienced firsthand how something as simple as sharing a meal brought them closer to their neighbors. These days, especially in big cities, most people don’t know the people on the other side of the fence (or apartment building, as the case may be). We already know that eating with friends helps people stay healthy and socially connected. Shareyourmeal seems like a multitasking solution to many food-related issues: It reduces food waste by sharing leftovers with others, helps foster community relationships by introducing neighbors to one another, and introduces people to new, potentially healthy recipes by expanding social networks.
Plus, the biz has helped loosen taboos on sharing food, inspiring similar endeavors around the world. For example, Dan Newman and Bryan Summersett recently founded LeftoverSwap, an app that helps overzealous chefs share their extra food with friends and neighbors. The iPhone app is scheduled for release at the end of August.

Provided by Dopiks e-Marketing Team

Google Your Food: Nutritional Information Now in Search

We know from experience finding accurate nutritional information is tougher than it seems — largely because there’s no central source of information. Thankfully, tech behemoth Google is working to put an end to the nutritional guessing game. Earlier today, Google revealed its new nutritional information search function, which makes it simple to look up the calories, protein, carbs, and other nutrients in nearly any food or dish.

What’s the Deal?

Didn’t anyone ever tell those engineers not to play with their food? Maybe not, but we won’t complain when the results are so awesome. Google tech wizards have added nutritional data to the Knowledge Graph, a feature of Google Search that enables users to get information instantly. It’s simple: You enter a question about the nutritional content of a food or drink (for example: “How many calories are in a banana?” or “How much sugar is in a cupcake?”) and hit search. The answer will show up in a box at the top of the results, with the option to change the serving size for even more accurate information. Below Google’s result, the standard search results page appears with links to other sources and websites if you’d like a second opinion. The Knowledge Graph data includes full nutritional information: Calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat, as well as vitamins and minerals like sodium and potassium.   

Why It Matters

Anything that makes healthy choices even easier gets a gold star in our book. The Google search function works via desktop and in the Google Search app for iOs and Android, so nutritional information is always at the user’s fingertips. It also works with Voice Search, another feature that makes the Google app even more user-friendly. Plus, it’s possible to customize units of measurement for individual habits — some people measure certain foods or drinks by volume, while others count number of slices or glasses.

Is it Legit?

Yep. Google gets the nutritional information from the United States Department of Agriculture, so it’s pretty legit. Right now, there are approximately 1,000 foods and drinks in the database, including some alcoholic beverages. Google is committed to adding new foods every day (although they’re not sure exactly how many they'll be able to add in the near future), but right now the database does have some legitimate limitations: It doesn’t list specific brand-name foods like a Big Mac or a KIND bar, and 1,000 items is pretty minimal.

It’s worth pointing out that other nutritional information sites like MyFitnessPal and Self provide users with nutritional data for hundreds of thousands of items. Google does include some distinctions, like Chardonnay versus Pinot Grigio and California avocados versus the Floridian variety, but not nearly as many as popular food-tracking websites. But therein lies the distinction: Google’s growing array of nutritional information is not supposed to replace fitness trackers. It’s meant to be a tool to help people make healthier choices via speedy data so they can compare food items (and pick the smartest option) quickly.

Do you think Google’s nutritional information search function will make it easier to plan healthy meals? Share your opinion in the comments below or tweet the author

Provided by Dopiks e-Marketing Team