Good things happen when we are prepared to be good. We can either prepare for good or bad occurrences but not both. For example, let’s say you were invited to dinner and you really want to go but you have other plans. That is good because you’re prepared and your mind is on something else. You don’t procrastinate and that is a great quality. Now, what if you were in the same situation except that you knew you had a few hours free and you made plans to spend those few hours at home studying?
Is your brain on what you’ve got to do, not on what you want to do? You’ve got to be good at managing time and focus on your alternatives. A good example of this quality of being prepared or an example of good feeling or happiness is when you find that a dish is rather messy to prepare. Instead of putting it off until another day and doubting its greatness, you simply clean up the mess and get started on another dish.
Another quality trait we all have, whether we realise it or not, is our ability to smell. The smells around us and the air around us both affect our brains. A new study found that older adults who smell strongly but do not consume any nuts were actually less alert and had poorer mental function than others who did eat the nuts. The link between smell and brain function is an example of the food-related benefits of nuts but it also shows how the diet affects other parts of the body and our overall health. It might therefore help us to reduce our risk of Alzheimer’s disease or depression.
Other nuts are good for us because they contain some very important nutrients such as antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that neutralise free radicals, molecules that have incomplete or faulty electron shells, that damage cell structure and DNA. One of the most interesting ways to think about antioxidants is to look at the protective proteins that are part of our immune system and our bodies overall health.
When we talk about the benefits of eating a healthy diet we often refer to fruits and vegetables. Amongst fruits and vegetables there are specific ones that we definitely need more of than others. Goji berries, for example, have very high levels of antioxidants. Almonds and pine nuts are also very rich in antioxidants. However, among vegetables, peas are probably the best source of dietary antioxidants and they can be easily added to your diet without having to eat excessive amounts of other foods. You can find dietary supplements that contain choline as well.
Avocados are another good choice. Avocados contain omega 3 fatty acids that are actually beneficial to your heart health. The levels of these fatty acids decrease when a person becomes obese. There has also been some evidence that eating avocados on a regular basis helps to control cholesterol. That is because avocado contains medium chain triglycerides (MCT) that actually help to decrease the amount of fat that is absorbed by the body.