Bhinneka News Online: Best breakfast for a mood boost and more energy

Friday, May 19, 2023

CNBC Make It Life helps you lead a healthier, richer and more fulfilling lifestyle.
By Renee Onque

The best breakfast foods for boosting mood and energy

There's a reason why they call breakfast the most important meal. Some food choices can deplete you and affect your mood and energy levels before you even get going.

Though "there is no one-size-fits-all [breakfast]," says Maya Feller, a registered dietitian, certain foods can increase your chances of having a productive day.

To improve your mood, aim for foods high in fiber like berries and oats. For an energy boost, cook up meals with a combination of heart-healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates like wheat bread and sweet potatoes.

Here are three quick and easy breakfast choices to boost your mood and energy that Feller recommends:

Breakfast salad with spinach, topped with an egg
Whole-grain, low-sugar cereal with a side of fruit
Waffles with nut butter and fruit

"Those breakfast options are balanced," Feller says. "They're giving you really wonderful nutrients. You're getting high-quality protein [and] a plethora of vitamins and minerals."

How To Talk To People: The No. 1 phrase used in successful relationships

Renowned psychologists John and Julie Gottman have been happily married for 35 years and have studied more than 40,000 couples.

Across the board, they've learned that even though each partnership is unique, couples tend to want to be acknowledged, appreciated and seen by their partners.

To foster this in relationships, successful pairs use this simple phrase: "thank you."

Shifting to an appreciation mindset looks like noting the positive things your partner has done for you, and thanking them, especially for the minor things. Be very specific about why the small gesture is big to you.

For example, you may want to say: "Thank you for making the coffee every morning. I love waking up to the smell of it and the sounds of you in the kitchen."

"In our most intimate relationships, we can forget how important saying 'thank you' really is," the Gottmans say.

This 28-year-old lives in a 'dumpster house' for just $62 a month

Faced with high rent prices in south London, Harrison Marshall came up with a unique solution: turning a dumpster into a home. Marshall spent around $5,000 to build the tiny house and pays only $62 a month to rent the lot where he resides. "I've turned my living situation into an art piece," he says. "It shines light on the absurdity of London's housing crisis in a way that makes people smile and think."

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Speed Read: Rejection is actually good for your brain—here's why

As often as we experience rejection, being turned down for a job or by someone you're interested in romantically can still sting and feel personal.

It's important to remember that everyone gets rejected "over and over again in big and small ways," says Mark Leary, a former psychology professor at Duke University who studies social relationships.

Instead of viewing the shame you feel about being rejected as a bad thing, consider it a sign that your brain is working exactly how it should be, says Leary.

The feeling of rejection teaches your mind how to interpret negative feelings and determine if they're an actual threat to your health, he adds.

"The reason it continues to hurt is the same reason why we continue to experience pain when we step on a sharp object," Leary says. "Negative emotions are a warning that something there might be damaging to your well-being."

"The fact that you feel bad about rejection means you are a normal human being," he says.