The healthiest meal to jumpstart your day is also the easiest one to prepare. A bowl of your favorite oatmeal (with favorite fruits and milk) provides just the right amount of nutrients your body needs to ensure a steady boost of energy throughout the day. What does this fiber-rich fare guarantee?

OATS AS ANTIOXIDANT

Oats are rich in selenium, which works with vitamin E in decreasing symptoms of asthma and in reducing the risk of heart disease and colon cancer.

TAKES CARE OF YOUR HEART

Oatmeal’s high-fiber content removes the cholesterol from the digestive system, which could otherwise end up in the bloodstream and increase the risk of heart disease.

BOOSTS IMMUNITY

The beta-glucans in oats have been known to fight off disease-causing bacteria and viruses.

PROMOTES WEIGHT LOSS

The soluble fiber in oatmeal slows down digestion, which makes you feel a sense of fullness long after breakfast.

REGULATES BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS

Oats stabilize your blood sugar levels, and keep them in control throughout the day. Support this with a steady serving of nourishing fiber-rich foods during your meal breaks.

Take these quick escapes to channel you happy self.

1. LET YOUR MIND DO THE WALKING. Drive to the nearest bookstore and read a chapter or two of your favorite novel or any work of fiction that interests you. Allow the author to take you to a place, an ear, or a situation that is much bigger or crazier that your current reality. You could also hit the travel section and allow Lonely Planet to transport you to a destination that could have been your real escape if you had more time on your hands.

2. CALL A FRIEND. Dial the number of one of your zaniest friends and indulge in some laughing trip. Who knows, he/she might also be in need of a quick break. According to a study at Harvard Medical and University of California in San Diego, every happy friend you have increase your own chance of being happy by 9 per cent.

3. SING YOUR HEART OUT. It would be nice to have a Happy Fix playlist on your MP3 player, so you’ll have something to drown stressful thoughts with when you most need it. You may even lock yourself in your car or go to an empty room so you can sing along in full volume, with feeling. And if you feel like dancing, get on you feet and start grooving to the beat.

4. GET SOME RETAIL THERAPY, WITHOUT HAVING TO SPEND FOR IT. Hit the nearest mall and experiment with different looks. The more varied and distinct it is from your your usual get-up, the better. Internalize each look and try to imagine yourself actually donning it in real life.

5. GET PHYSICAL. Exercise activities happy hormones, so put on those running shoes and take a quick run around the block. You’re killing time and living healthy at the same time.

Ayurveda is part of the ancient Indian scriptures known as the Vedas. Originally, the Vedas were conveyed through oral tradition but were later written down in Sanskrit on palm leaves. The word Ayurveda is composed of two Sanskrit terms:  Ayus meaning life, and veda meaning knowledge or science. Literally, Ayurveda means science of life. Ayurveda is, therefore, a way of life aimed at maintaining good health and attaining longevity.

Seven Tips for better health and beauty:

• Develop healthy eating habits. Eat what you’re supposed to and not just what you like to eat, but eat natural food. Do not starve yourself and always eat at a set schedule.
• Get your vitamins from natural sources. Vegetables and fruits are good sources. Small shrimps, curry leaf, mustard seeds are rich in calcium; carrots and squash are rich in Vitamin A; calamansi, oranges, and lemons provide vitamin C.
• Eat naturally to prevent diseases. Avoid junk food, chemical ingredients in food, processed foods, fat-laden meals. Eat fish from the sea and avoid those that are cultures with hormones and antibiotics.
• Do regular physical examination of the breasts.
• Natural is best for beauty. There are natural lotions, shampoos, oils and other beauty products available.
• Purify the blood. Ayurvedic preparations like the Ayurveda tea can do this.
• Exercise regularly.
• Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of strengthening the body’s immune system to fight infections. When you get sick, remember that many diseases can be corrected through natural means. For health as well as for beauty, natural is always best.

Aside from health benefits, there are a number of reasons to go vegetarian:

RELIGIOUS: Some religions, particularly those in the East (Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc) teach that life should be valued and not intentionally destroyed for unnecessary human satisfaction.

ETHICAL: Many consider the production, slaughtering, and consumption of meat or animal products as unethical.

ENVIRONMENTAL: Environmental vegetarians believe that the state of meat processing at present and in the future is environmentally unsustainable.

PSYCHOLOGICAL: Many vegetarians find meat and meat products aesthetically unappetizing (simply read: meat ain’t pretty).

FOOD SAFETY: Many are scared of contracting diseases from eating meat and poultry such as Bird Flu and Foot and Mouth Disease.

SOCIAL: A vegetarian household, friend, or partner at times turns a person into one, too.

♦ If you’re a jealous type ♦

• Honestly ask yourself (and your friends) if there is a real cause for jealousy, or if you’re simply projecting your own issues into the relationship. If you are, then you may be creating your own story that may not actually be factual.

• Are you whole as a person? If you are coming from a broken relationship, then give yourself time to heal so that you will have more to give to the relationship.

• Take care of yourself. If you’re the jealous type, then most probably your whole world may revolve around this special someone. Be good to yourself. And if there really is cause for jealousy, do you really want to be in a relationship that causes this much heartache? A good pillar of any relationship is mutual trust.

♦ For Jealous partner ♦

• Be honest with yourself. Does your partner have cause for jealousy? You may deny to death of any flirting going on, but your partner may sense this even though you don’t admit it, even to yourself. Remember, people are smarter than you think.

• Try mutual empathy. Even before you start defending yourself, try to see where your partner is coming from. Each one has an ideal perspective of what a committed relationship should look and feel like.

• Thank them for their concern. Remember, jealousy is a sign of love, although, as is mentioned, too much of it can damage the relationship.