Positive Lyrics

You help me to discover me
I just want you to put trust in me
I kind of laugh when you cuss at me
The aftermath is you touching me
It's destiny to we connected girl
You and i we can affect the world
I'm tired of the fast lane
I want you to have my last name

Come Close
Common

The Moody Foodie--Feel-Good Foods

Comfort food. While some of us are comforted by the act of eating, much of the comfort may actually come from what we eat.

There are many neurotransmitters that are stimulated by food. Oxytocin, the love hormone, is the brain chemical that bonds lovers, as well as mother and child. Norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine, the "feel-good chemicals," are brain chemicals that affect our mood and how we handle stress and anxiety.

Foods that promote a variety of feel good brain chemicals (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, oxytocin) include:

- Protein rich foods: eggs. chicken, beans
- Apples, bananas, beets, watermelon
- Wheat germ

The Moody Foodie--Fill Up on Folate

You've heard the old saying...You are what you eat! At the very least, what we eat impacts how we feel. Low levels of folate have been linked to depression. In fact, a Harvard study showed that 38 percent of depressed women are deficient in folate.

According to the DSM-IV*, a medical reference commonly used by health care professionals to aid in diagnosis, a major depressive episode consists of many of the following symptoms, occurring nearly every day for at least two weeks.

Depressed mood most of the day; feeling sad or empty, tearful
Significant loss of interest or pleasure in activities that used to be enjoyable
Significant weight loss (when not dieting) or weight gain; decrease or increase in appetite
Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
Agitation; or slowing down of thoughts and reduction of physical movements
Fatigue or loss of energy
Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt
Poor concentration or having difficulty making decisions
Thinking about death or suicide


Folate Rich Foods
Foods that are naturally good sources of folate include many beans and vegetables and some fruits:

•Black-eyed peas
•Lentils
•Okra
•Kidney beans
•Great Northern beans
•Broccoli
•Iceberg lettuce
•Beets
•Lima beans
•Sunflower seeds
•Spinach
•Brussels sprouts
•Corn
•Asparagus
•Baked beans
•Green peas
•Baked potato
•Cabbage
•Avocados
•Peanuts
•Romaine lettuce
•Tomato Juice
•Orange juice
•Strawberries
•Oranges
•Eggs
•Bananas
You can read food labels to see how much folate your kids are getting from each of these foods.

Folate-Fortified Foods
In addition to the many vegetables, fruits and beans that are naturally good sources of folate, many foods are fortified with folic acid. Serving your kids folate-fortified foods is a good way to make sure they are getting enough folate in their diet:

•Malt-o-Meal cereal
•Fortified Breakfast cereal (Total, Product 19, Special K, Cheerios, Rice Krispies, Raisin Bran, Wheaties, Honey Nut Cheerios, etc.)
•Fortified soy milk
•Enriched pasta
•Enriched egg noodles
•Enriched bread, bagels and muffins
•Enriched white rice

So, remember to fill up on folate at your next meal. Ciao!

Culture v. Cultured

So often we hear of people attributing their ideas, habits, practices, and routines to their culture. Likewise, we often hear those who live a certain way being called cultured. What does this really mean?

Wikipedia states:
Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate")[1] is a term that has various meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions.[2] However, the word "culture" is most commonly used in three basic senses:

-Excellence of taste in the fine arts and humanities, also known as high culture
-An integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning
-The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group

When I look at these definitions, and take time to reflect on them, I think of the culture that I try to adopt and maintain. I want to live in a culture of positivity, tolerance, and love. I want to eat what I like, dress as I like, and worship as I choose. I also want the same for others. For me, there is beauty in diversity. I regularly rock a pair of jeans with espadrilles, paired with a colorful kurti and flowing hijab. My culture is multicultural. I see that we can pull from many directions to become beauty-full, we just need a positive attitude and balanced perspective.