Daily Mirror - 30.07.2019

mirror.co.uk TUESDAY 30.07.2019 DAILY MIRROR^29

DM1ST

30 WE NEED TO BE LESS BRITISH ABOUT BLADDER WEAKNESS

31 WOULD YOU GIVE AN EX YOUR KIDNEY?

32 DR MIRIAM STOPPARD

Be your best

GET IN TOUCH [email protected]. UK EDITED BY AMY PACKER

prising

sons

’re

ing

blue...

Wear outfits

associated

with

happiness

because of

the link

between

clothing and

mood state

Night lights

Whether it’s from the streetlights outside or

the dim glow of your TV, being exposed to

light while trying to sleep can have a negative

effect on the brain. This is because lights can

interfere with secretion of the hormone

melatonin, which helps let the body know it

is nighttime and time to sleep, an Ohio State

University study found.

BOOST YOUR MOOD: Invest in blackout

blinds if you have a street lamp outside your

bedroom window. Switch off all electrical

appliances and either turn your electrical

alarm clock away from you at night if it has a

light-up display, or change to an

old-fashioned one with no lights.

Not eating your

greens

Those who eat the least

fresh fruit and vegetables

are most likely to

become depressed,

according to a University

College London study.

The high levels of antioxi-

dants found in fresh

produce help prevent free

radical damage to

cells, including those in the brain.

BOOST YOUR MOOD: Find ways to sneak

extra fruit and veg into meals. Eating just one

extra portion of berries, greens or salad

boosts someone’s mental wellbeing by the

same amount as walking for an additional 10

minutes for seven days over

four weeks, say researchers.

And adding 10 additional

portions of fruit and vegetables

to your daily diet

has the same effect on our

emotional wellbeing as going

from unemployment into a job.

Your clothes

Professor Karen Pine, of the

University of Hertfordshire,

found that what we choose to

wear is heavily dependent upon

our emotional state. She found that when

women are feeling depressed, they are more

likely to wear jeans and a baggy top.

BOOST YOUR MOOD: Wear clothes you

associate with happiness, even if you’re

feeling low, because of the strong link

between clothing and mood state. Professor

Pine’s study found “happy” clothes that

make us feel good are well-cut, figure-

enhancing and made from bright and

beautiful fabrics. Ironically, studies show the

colour blue has a positive impact on mood,

lowering blood pressure and instilling calm.

Your cigarette habit

Smoking increases your depression risk by

41%, according to scientists who spent six

years monitoring 8,556 adults. Nicotine

sends the “elation” brain chemical dopa-

mine soaring, then plummeting,

leaving you feeling down.

BOOST YOUR MOOD: Quit

to revive your health,

mood – and finances!

People using

e-cigarettes to quit

smoking are about 95%

more likely to report

succeeding than those

trying without, according

to a large, UCL-led survey

of smokers in England.

women take the pill without

ority say it has an effect on their

ies, including a recent one from

agen of more than a million

etween hormonal contraception

of depression. Those using the

re likely to be diagnosed

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u have

y history of)

k to your GP

monal,

Too many coffee breaks

In the same way that sugary and fatty foods can leave you

on a rollercoaster of emotion, so too can coffee and high-

caffeine energy drinks, warns nutritionist Patrick Holford,

author of Feel Good Factor (Piatkus, £12.99). Consuming

caffeine sets off a stress response to your brain which then

stimulates the production of adrenaline, making you more

alert, he explains. “In the long term, however, too much

caffeine throughout the day causes constant adrenal over-

load,” he says. “As a consequence, an increasing number of

people are suffering from chronic anxiety, panic attacks,

low mood, insomnia and stress-related weight gain.”

BOOST YOUR MOOD: Cut back on caffeinated drinks

and eliminate them completely after 4pm. Try

non-stimulating herbal teas, such as chamomile.

Being indecisive

The term The Paradox of Choice was coined by Barry

Schwartz, an American psychologist and author, to

describe the anxiety that shoppers feel when

they are faced with too many choices. And

now that we have more choices available

to us than ever before, we are actually

suffering more with stress, anxiety,

depression, loneliness and a distinct

lack of happiness. 

BOOST YOUR MOOD: By all means

research expensive purchases, such as

cars and holidays. But when it comes to

everyday items, simply buy whatever’s

on offer or brands you know you like.

HOW TO

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