What’s not on the label
DAILY EXPRESS: your health
When foods are touted as ‘sugar free’, ‘reduced salt’, ‘wholegrain’ or ‘light’ does it mean they are good for us? ANASTASIA STEPHENS and RACHEL BAIRD find out … click here to read

Amazing power of positive thinking
DAILY EXPRESS: your health
Your mind has a remarkable connection with your body, which you can use to boost your health, says hypnotherapist and founder of the Vitality Centre, ANASTASIA STEPHENS
click here to read

What feelings do to the body
DAILY EXPRESS: your health
Laughing at a funny film can boost blood flow to your heart as effectively as taking exercise. So how do other emotional experiences affect your health? Anastasia Stephens, holistic health expert, reports click here to read

What’s not on the label

DAILY EXPRESS: your health

When foods are touted as ‘sugar free’, ‘reduced salt’, ‘wholegrain’ or ‘light’ does it mean they are good for us? ANASTASIA STEPHENS and RACHEL BAIRD find out …

When you are at the shops deciding what food to buy, do you take any notice of health claims on products? Among the boasts are ‘low fat,’ ‘sugar-free,’ ‘antioxidant rich,’ ‘free from preservatives and colourings,’ and ‘vitamin enriched.’

Unfortunately, although such claims are likely to be true they don’t necessarily mean that the products are any good for you. In fact, it seems the products that are highlighted actually have a lot to hide. It is almost as if it is hoped we will overlook all the bad things about a product because such a lot of noise has been made about one of its good qualities.

If you really want to make sure you buy healthy food, it’s important to study the ingredients and the nutritional information – normally in small type on the back or side of the product. Think about how it compares with the official Food Standards Agency’s definitions of what counts as high or low in fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar.

You could also consider whether the ingredients sound natural. If they don’t you could be buying a lot of preservatives, flavourings, colourings and cheap bulking agents.

Here, we review selected examples of foods that aren’t as healthy as they would first appear.

‘CHOLESTEROL FREE COOKING OIL’
The Product: Crisp n Dry Vegetable Oil; Again & Again’s Frying Oil

The label says: Boasts of being ‘cholesterol free.’ On Again & Again’s frying oil, the words ‘No Cholesterol’ are pasted in large type across the bottle as a major selling point. It also sells itself by claiming to be rich in Omega 3 fatty acids.

Why it’s misleading: Plant oils don’t contain cholesterol – no oil you find on supermarket shelves, or in nature, will contain it. This has probably been put this on the label because of people’s belief that cholesterol in your food is considered ‘bad,’ so a food without it, is ‘good.’ However, as Patrick Holford, leading nutritionist and author of Food is Better Medicine than Drugs (Piatkus £16.99), points out, it's a big myth that cholesterol in food raises cholesterol levels in the blood.

‘Studies have found that cholesterol eaten in food doesn’t affect cholesterol levels in your body,’ he says. ‘However, other dietary factors do create the type of ‘bad’ cholesterol that contributes to heart disease. Such factors include frying with refined cooking oils such as these.’ The Omega 3 fatty acids won’t be healthy because by the time they’ve been stored in a clear bottle and heated, they will have degenerated to form free-radicals which do more harm than good. Overall, the healthy implications these cooking oils make are meaningless – they’re more likely to raise levels of bad cholesterol.

‘GET A SLIMMER WAIST …’
The Product: Kellogg’s Special K

The label says: Kellogg’s Special K claims to be 99pc fat free and challenges consumers to ‘Get a slimmer waist for summer.’

Why it’s misleading: Like many other low fat products, the 99pc fat free claim is true, but it leads people to believe this cereal will help with weight loss. The pack challenges consumers to take the Special K challenge in which you eat their cereal for breakfast followed by two normal meals at lunch and dinner for several weeks. If your BMI is over 25, they suggest you’ll loose weight. However, nutritionists now agree that foods low in fat and high in sugar and refined carbohydrate are the ideal recipe for weight-gain. ‘This cereal is 17% sugar,’ says Patrick Holford. ‘Since eating too much sugar and refined carbohydrates makes fat, this certainly isn’t the best food to loose weight on. It has a high Glycemic Load (14) which means the sugar enters your blood fast, leading not just to weight gain but to blood-sugar imbalances.’

A simple breakfast of oat flakes, would be far better. ‘Oats have a GL of 2, meaning the energy from the oats will enter your blood seven times more slowly,’ says Holford. ‘You’ll get sustained energy, be less likely to snack, and more likely to loose weight. They’re also seven times as nutritious.’

‘ADDED VITAMINS’
The product: Nesquick Chocolate Flavour Toasted Rice and Corn Cereal by Nestle

The label says: Boasts of being ‘fortified with 8 vitamins and iron and has ‘added calcium.’

Why its misleading: This is just one of many products that claims to contain added vitamins but is packed with refined sugar. Other products such as the sugar-rich Kellogg’s Rice Crispies boast of containing 25% the RDA of B-Vitamins and 17% the RDA of Iron. The Nesquick cereal contains 37.7g of sugar per 100g which is almost four times higher than the amount classed as ‘a lot’ by the Food Standards Agency,’ points out Patricia Tweed of Which, who have been campaigning for food labeling standards.

Patrick Holford explains that vitamins are usually added to foods that have lost most of their nutrients through refining and processing – so they’re not an ‘extra bonus’ as people might be lead to believe. Also, RDAs are the absolute minimum you need, so a claim to provide a quarter of the RDA is not something to shout about. In fact, unhealthy levels of refined sugar in both these products are likely to cancel out any nutritional benefit.

‘RICH IN OMEGA 3s’
The Product: St Ivel Advance Semi-Skimmed Milk with Omega-3s

The label says: ‘Omega 3’s may enhance learning and concentration’

Why its misleading: It’s just one of a new breed of products such as butters and yogurts attempting to sell themselves on the health benefits of Omega 3s. The labeling implies at drinking this milk could improve your mental capacity. ‘While you can’t dispute the claim, you’d need to drink ten pints of this milk to get the same amount of omega 3s found in a 100g serving of salmon,’ says Patrick Holford. ‘And that’s not so clever.’

‘EASY WAY TO KEEP YOUR HEART HEALTHY’
The Product: Cheerios

The label says: ‘May be an easy way to keep your heart healthy.’

Why it’s misleading: The healthy heart claim is based on the fact that Cheerios contain wholegrains and fibre, both of which contribute to good cardiovascular health. ‘The problem is they’re relatively high in salt which is linked to high blood pressure,’ says Patricia Tweed of Which.

One 100g bowl would contain 1.5g of salt, which is a half of the recommended daily 3g maximum for a child aged four to six. For anyone aged 11 and over, the limit is 6g. Another high-salt option that claims to be a ‘healthier option!’ are McVites Go Ahead! Sour Cream & Herbs Flavour Crispy Rice Crackers – these contain 1g of salt per 50g. Not a great snack for those trying to keep salt levels to under 6g a day.

LITE!
The Product: Philadelphia Light, Walkers Lites! Pringles Lights

The label says: Light

Why it’s misleading: There is currently no official definition of what light actually means. According to food labeling regulations, ‘low fat’ can be any product with a fat content of up to 41pc. Philadelphia Light contains 11% fat. Walkers Lites! Which advertise as containing 33pc less fat, actually contain 22pc fat. And Pringles lights contain 22pc fat per 100g. ‘These products may appear to people as being lighter than they actually are,’ says Mary Shelley, dietician based in central London. ‘When it comes to weight loss, you to two things. Limit fat to around 25pc of your dietary intake. Then get whatever fats you do eat from a wholefood source, say from fish, avocado, or coconut oils. These will contain nutrients that balance your metabolism, unlike refined oils in these products which are likely to make weight loss harder.’

‘NATURALLY RICH IN ANTIOXIDANTS’
The Product: Tetley Teabags

The Label: Claims to be ‘naturally rich in antioxidants’ and adds ‘did you know it has no fat and counts towards your daily fluid intake.

Why its misleading: Research has shown that tea does contain antioxidants and so has some real health benefits. However it also contains high quantities of caffeine, which if you’re a heavy tea drinker – five cups or more per day – can increase the risk of heart disease. In fact, in an eight-year study of 40-58 year-olds at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, doctors discovered that hose who drank the most tea had the highest incidence of heart disease. Tetley claims that tea contributes to fluid intake. Of course it does, but caffeine promotes urine flow and fluid loss. Tea is also high in tannins, which reduce the absorption of important vitamins and minerals from food. As for the ‘fat free’ claim, tea contains no fat anyway.

‘PURE JUICE CRANBERRY’
The Product: Ocean Spray Pure Juice Cranberry with grape and apple

The Label: The name implies it’s mainly cranberry juice. Actually it contains more grape and apple.

Why its misleading: This drink makes no actual health claims. However many women buy cranberry drinks to help combat cystitis. However when you look at the ingredients, it contains 50pc grape, 28pc apple and only 22pc cranberry. ‘This drink is a double-edged sword,’ says Patrick Holford. ‘Yes, cranberry juice can be helpful for cystitis. But sugar can make it worse. Grape juice provides a very 'fast' sugar, worse than white sugar. With only 22 per cent cranberry and 50 percent grape juice this could make matters worse not better.’

SALT, FAT, SUGAR: WHAT THE LABELS MEAN
TRAFFIC LIGHTS. This system, adopted by Sainsbury’s, Asda and Waitrose, gives an at-a-glance colour guide of whether a product contains high, medium or low levels of key ingredients. A red ‘high’ light would show for a 100g of food containing 42.2g sugar; an amber ‘moderate’ light would show if it contained 2g salt, and a green ‘low’ light would show if it contained 7.7g fat. It gives a fair indication of the nutrients that customers might want to limit for heart health, blood pressure or weight gain, without them having to undertake any complex calculation.

GUIDELINE DAILY AMOUNTS
Adopted by Tesco, Kellogg's, Pepsico, Kraft and Nestle, and promoted as their contribution to cutting obesity, GDA’s are maximum daily amounts of salt, sugar or fat. The product label lists the level - in grams per serving/portion - of each of these nutrients. It then identifies what percentage of an individual's GDA this would amount to. But the GDA’s ‘maximum levels’ are higher than those recommended by the Food Standards Agency. On average, consumers could consume almost 1/3 more before reaching the 'safety limit' as compared to FSA guidelines. For example, Tesco is offering a Fresh Cream Banana Split which claims the sugar content is 38per cent of an adult's maximum daily recommended consumption. Critics argue the sugar content should be listed as 58per cent, if judged against official guidelines. For more info about what the new rules will mean, go to www.which.co.uk/food. Also go to the Food Standards Agency website, www.eatwell.gov.uk/trafficlights

Amazing power of positive thinking

DAILY EXPRESS: your health

Your mind has a remarkable connection with your body, which you can use to boost your health, says hypnotherapist and founder of the Vitality Centre, ANASTASIA STEPHENS

MIND over matter really works. In the latest evidence of this old idea, patients with a positive attitude have been found to recover from surgery more quickly than those who worry. So powerful was the effect of mind on the body that scientists at Yale University School of Medicine even suggested that surgeons might use patients’ mood and attitude to forecast how long they would need to recover.

In another experiment, researchers at Massachussetts General Hospital found that just imagining fewer PMT symptoms cut levels of premenstural pain by half. It also reduced the severity of mood swings.

Such creative visualisation, as well as positive and hopeful attitudes, can have a profound effect on our bodies and health. By contrast, people under stress have been found to be more susceptible to colds and flu, and to have more severe symptoms when they fall ill. Those who suffer from depression, for example, are more likely to have heart disease.

Dr Dan Kalincevic, medical hypnotherapist and GP at London’s Eden Centre says: ‘People are often depressed because they ‘see’ their lives as hopeless and going nowhere – this very thought changes brain patterns and cuts levels of feel-good brain chemicals.’

Seeing and feeling yourself as happy and positive, or succeeding at sport sets up a new pattern in the brain – and you are more likely to experience that very effect. Remember, the technique is most powerful when you are relaxed and the image is vivid. So don’t just think of a picture, imagine emotions, smells, tastes and textures too.

PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE: Creative visualisation was the secret German athletes used for an extra edge, helping them dominate the Olympic Games throughout the 40’s and 50’s. Now widely used by professional athletes, it’s what gave Johnny Wilkinson the fine-tuning and confidence to win the Rugby World Cup. ‘If you visualize being stronger, running faster or winning, you are priming your nervous system to do just that,’ says Dr Aimee Kimball, director of mental training in sports medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. ‘Studies have found the method can enhance physical performance significantly, sometimes by 20pc or more.’

WHAT TO DO: Visualise your forthcoming race or match. See yourself win with ease, confidence and coordination in as much detail as possible. Feel the appropriate emotions as you play and win and get a sense that you really ‘know’ you can do it.

MOOD & SELF ESTEEM: Visualisation can help depression caused by all sorts of factors. In a study at the University of South Florida guided visualization significantly improved symptoms of anxiety, depression and fatigue in patients with chronic bronchitis and emphysema. According to a study in the Journal of Holistic Nursing, the method alleviated depression and improved self-esteem in women suffering from post-natal depression.

WHAT TO DO: Imagine yourself in a calm beautiful place, smiling. You are surrounded by friends who are praising you for your qualities. Imagine your self-belief growing. Looking around, feel yourself as joyful, knowing ‘you can do it,’ regardless of your current situation.

TISSUE GROWTH: Showing the impact of mind over matter, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, demonstrated that women could ‘imagine’ their breasts bigger. 35 women attended hypnosis sessions in which they were asked to visualize images of their breasts pulsating with warm water flowing over them, helping them to grow. After 12-weeks, 84pc of the women’s breasts had grown by an average of 1.3 inches. A stunning 46pc of them needed a larger bra size.

WHAT TO DO: This shows how effectively you could use the mind for tissue re-growth of all sorts – especially to help healing. If you are bruised or injured vividly imagine the area emersed in a healing white light. In this light, see your tissue becoming ‘vitalised’ and growing back until the area is fully healed. Repeat twice or three times a day.

HEADACHES: In a study at University College in London, migraine sufferers reported a decrease in the intensity of their headaches after being trained in guided imagery, even though electronic monitoring devices showed no change in migraine activity.

WHAT TO DO: Breathing deeply, imagine your headache wash away as a stream of cool blue light or fluid runs through your head, dispersing the pain and calming the whole area down.

PMS: Imagery can help alter menstrual cycles and relieve symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston found that 12 of 15 women who used imagery for three months lengthened their menstrual cycles by an average of nearly four days and slashed their perceived levels of premenstrual distress in half. They also reported fewer mood swings.

WHAT TO DO: For PMS symptoms focus on the area around your womb – imagine any bloating, tension, heaviness or pain dispersing in a watery, mist. Imaging the area emmersed in a cooling light – of whatever colour first springs to mind.

IMMUNITY: Imagining your immune system is strong is all you need to do to increase levels of Natural Killer Cells – molecules that kill viruses and cancer-cells – according to Danish researchers. In another study, cancer patients, using daily imagery for a year, increased the numbers of a range of immune cells, helping their bodies to combat cancer.

WHAT TO DO: Find an image for a strong immune system that you most closely relate to – such as a red light pulsing to the area that needs attention, an army or fighting cells destroying an invader. Feel your body as stronger and healthier as your immune system ‘wins.’ See yourself as victorious, with any problem shrinking and fading away.

BREASTFEEDING: A study in a neonatal intensive care unit in Holland found women produced more than twice as much milk when they imagined milk flowing from their breasts and the baby’s warm skin against theirs.

WHAT TO DO: As in the study, imagine your milk flowing freely through your nipples to your baby’s mouth. There is as much milk as you need. Vividly imagine its warmth and smell and how the milk feels in your breast.

MIND BOOSTING THERAPIES

Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP). This combines relaxation techniques, guided visualisation and positive language. The basic theory of NLP is that the brain is like a sophisticated computer and your can overwrite programs that no longer work, such as bad habits and negative behaviour.

Hypnotherapy. Induces a relaxed state in which the subconscious mind is more open to positive and healing messages. Positive visualizations are used to counteract unpleasant thoughts and feelings. Addictions and stress-related problems respond well.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). A form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the importance of how we feel in relation to what we do. The idea is that thoughts mediate between external events and our emotions or feelings. CBT teaches people to recognize when external evens are distorting their emotions, so they can change their reactions for the better. Good for treating neuroses and depression.

Meditation. Now an accepted mainstream technique for creating relaxation and positive states of mind. During meditation, awareness is often directed to sounds, words, images or to the breath to create a tranquil state of clarity.

Affirmations. Positive thinking affirmations work by repetition, constantly hitting the subconscious with powerful reshaping messages such as, ‘I can do it, I can do it,’ or ‘I am strong, calm and optimistic. I will achieve my goals today.’

What feelings do to the body

DAILY EXPRESS: your health

Laughing at a funny film can boost blood flow to your heart as effectively as taking exercise. So how do other emotional experiences affect your health? Anastasia Stephens, holistic health expert, reports

With anger creating a bursting sensation in our chest, and stress leaving us feeling ‘wired,’ most of us know too well how emotions can affect our bodies. But did you know that an argument can slow the body’s ability to heal by a day, and that a love affair can trigger chemicals that restore the nervous system? Science is uncovering fascinating links between emotions and our health. Research programs are even underway to help us benefit from the ‘medicinal’ benefits of positive feelings. So how do different emotional states affect our health and how can we make the most of them?

A HEATED ARGUMENT … A half-hour argument with your lover can slow your body’s ability to heal by at least a day. And the bad news is, in couples who regularly argue, that healing time is doubled again. Researchers at Ohio State University discovered this by testing married couples with a suction device that created tiny blisters on their arm. When couples were then asked to talk about an area of disagreement that provoked strong emotions, the wounds took around 40pc longer to heal. This response, says researchers was caused by a surge in cytokines - immune-molecules that trigger inflammation. Chronic high levels of these are linked to arthritis, diabetes, heart-disease and cancer.

UNDER CONSTANT PRESSURE … The effect of constant pressure – a form of chronic stress – is well studied. Robert Sapolsky, professor of Biological Sciences at Stanford University and an authority on stress, puts it like this: ‘In fight-or-flight, your body turns off all the long-term building and repair projects,’ he says. ‘Constant high levels of cortisol take your body's eye off the ball, memory and accuracy are both impaired. Patrols for invaders aren't sent out, you tire more easily, you can become depressed and reproduction gets downgraded.’ Exposed to chronic stress for years, high blood levels of glucose and fatty acids increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. A recent study at University College London found it raised cholesterol levels, another factor that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

HIDING YOUR IRRITATION … It’s hard to know what’s best – venting anger or holding it in, as both have negative effects. A long-term study in Michigan looked at reactions to authority figures who yelled at subjects for something they had not done. Women who suppressed their anger in confrontations with their spouses had twice the risk of dying from conditions such as heart attack, stroke or cancer. Angry outbursts last only a few minutes, but can cause massive surges in adrenaline, blood pressure and heart rate, raising heart attack and stroke risk by up to five times in people over 50. Subtle forms of anger including impatience, irritability and grouchiness damage health too – these states are associated with anxiety, low mood and a higher infection risk due to depressed immunity.

BREAKING DOWN IN TEARS … When you cry, you really do cry out negative emotion. In a recent study, Dr William Frey, US biochemist and tear researcher, compared the tears of women who cried for emotional reasons with those who cried on exposure to onions. Emotional tears were found to contain high levels of hormones and neurotransmitters associated with stress. They also led to lower blood pressure, pulse rate and more synchronized brain-wave patterns. Dr Frey concluded that the purpose of emotional crying is to remove stress chemicals. He says the continued presence of these substances - which happens when you hold tears in - would keep you in a needless state of tension. Your body would then be prone to the negative effects of anxiety, including weakened immunity, impaired memory and poor digestion.

RACKED WITH JEALOUSY … Of the human emotions, jealousy is one of the most powerful and painful – and the most difficult to control. While men typically become jealous when they suspect sexual competition, women’s jealousy is triggered by the suspicion of emotional betrayal. ‘Jealousy is a complex emotional mix of fear, stress and anger,’ says Dr Jane Flemming, London-based GP. ‘These three states trigger the fight-or-flight response, usually in quite an intense way. It means that someone in the grip of jealousy, will suffer the equivalent effect of someone under severe stress – raised blood pressure, heart-rate and adrenalin levels, weakened immunity, anxiety and probably insomnia. As with heated arguments, I wouldn’t be surprised if jealousy slowed the healing time for wounds by several days.’

A FIT OF UNCONTROLLABLE LAUGHTER … It's no secret that laughter lifts your spirits, but it improves your body's physical state as well. Scientists at the University of California have discovered that laughter relaxes tense muscles, reduces production of stress-causing hormones, lowers blood pressure, and helps increase oxygen absorption in the blood. Cardiologists at the University of Maryland Medical Center found laughing can actually reduce the risk of heart attack by curbing unwanted stress, which can destroy the protective lining of blood vessels. A good giggle also helps you burn calories since it's possible to move 400 muscles of the body when laughing. Some researchers estimate that laughing 100 times offers an aerobic workout equivalent to 10 minutes on a rowing machine or 15 minutes on an exercise bike.

FALLING IN LOVE … Researchers at the University of Pavia, in Italy, have found that ‘falling in love’ raises levels of Nerve Growth Factor for about a year – this hormone-like substance helps restore the nervous system and improves memory by triggering the growth of new brain cells. It’s also associated with the feeling of being loved-up and contented, inducing a calming effect on the body and mind. Unfortunately, researchers found levels dropped after about a year - a point at which feelings of romantic love fell away and stable love, or reality hit in.

HAVING A CUDDLE ON THE SOFA … According to Dr Hyla Cass, Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA in the US, it is oxytocin, the ‘bonding hormone,’ that makes a couple want to touch and cuddle. This in turn triggers the release of DHEA, an anti-aging, anti-stress hormone which triggers cellular restoration in the body. Other forms of touch, including massage, have also been found to help the body heal and repair. Dr Mehmet Ox at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York, is using massage regularly on patients who’ve had an open heart surgery and heart transplants. This is because results show healing time and complications are greatly reduced.

A WARM FEELING OF GRATITUDE … Feeling thankful for you’ve got, whether it be a relationship, an achievement, or simply being alive is all it takes to boost immunity, lower blood pressure and speed healing throughout the body. Dr Rollin McCraty of the Institute of HeartMath in the US who is studying the link between emotions and physical health has found that like love, gratitude and contentment, trigger oxytocin. ‘This is a bonding hormone secreted by the heart whenever you feel open and connected,’ says Dr McCraty. ‘It switches off stress by causing the nervous system to relax. Oxygenation to tissues increases significantly as does healing. Looking at ECGs, we’ve found that gratitude also associated more harmonious electric activity around the heart and brain, states in which these organs can operate more effectively.’

DOWN IN THE DUMPS … Depression, pessimism and apathy are all associated with low levels of serotonin and dopamine, feel-good neurotransmitters in the brain. ‘Serotonin plays a role in regulating pain-perception and could be the reason why 45pc of patients with depression suffer aches and pains,’ says Dr Jane Flemming. ‘Low-mood is also linked to poor sleep, fatigue and sexual dysfunction. As serotonin is linked to feelings of desire, this too may be linked to low-levels of brain-chemicals.’

MOOD MEDICINE: TRANSFORMING YOUR EMOTIONAL STATES

ANASTASIA STEPHENS SAYS: Your priority needs to be stopping negative emotions in their tracks – the longer you let them affect you, the longer you’ll suffer psychologically and physically. The last thing most people want to do is to ‘let go’ of their anger or jealousy. It is vital to understand, the person most negatively affected is yourself. Secondly you need to realise that what underlies most negative emotion is fear and feeling out of control.

If you catch yourself in an escalating argument or are feeling stressed, walk away and find a quiet spot. Take 1- to 15 deep breaths into your abdomen. Aim to centre yourself with the reassurance that all is well, and in control. This can cut heartbeat and blood pressure almost immediately. Then, you need to work out how to minimise your exposure to stress - if you’re having an argument, walk back into the room for a discussion. If that isn’t possible, leave. If you’re stressing yourself with tight-deadlines, knock five items off your to-do list. Abdominal breathing is a vital part of emotional transformation – breathe deeply for a few minutes and you instantaneously relax and let go of worries.

Visualizing positive emotional states can ‘induce’ them in the body, along with their beneficial effects on health. The mind cannot differentiate between an imagined state and a real ‘external’ state. So, if you vividly imagine a positive state, you experience the benefits as if they are real.

Visualize yourself laughing, joyful and full of energy, while imagining the feeling itself - the more vivid you make it, the more effective it will be. You can also repeat simple, positive phrases to yourself such as: I feel happier and more carefree day by day. Repeating this kind of phrase can literally lift your spirits, your energy levels and your health.




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