affirming the happy

In real life there is no "The End," just new beginning, after new beginning... after new beginning.

That is my mantra of the day/week/month/as long as it'll take me to get some sort of stability in my life. Thoughts? And then, if those 17 big little words don't work, I do happy things to comfort myself. Like, looking through old photographs. I could do that for hours even though I try to limit myself to 30 minutes. On a really dreary outlook day, I might even change my Facebook picture to one of them. Cute little me sure does make lost & lonely grown-up me feel a whole lot better.

But what happens when even that isn't enough? Well, in those rare occasions, I just go. I might go to my new favorite coffee shop in Tarrytown, or on a walk with my dogs through the woods, or better yet, a garden (I swear I'm an old soul sometimes), or, I might seek refuge in Pleasantville.

The new heaven on earth just (as in, January of 2010) opened there, Navaeh Cuisine. The café presents itself as "the soul of nutrition" serving "healthy global foods" and boasts the tagline "eat happy!" Yes, please. With a cherry on top. Oh and P.S. Naveah is actually heaven spelled backwards.

I went for the first time with my mom  last weekend . We were on our way for a mother-daughter mani-pedi, her treat (a.k.a. the best kind), when we realized that neither of us had eaten lunch yet. Note: I was very aware, I'm not one of those "crazy" people that forgets to eat :). Overwhelmed by their 100% peanut-free, organically-sourced, trans fat/hormones/artificial flavors-free menu of wraps, paninis, omelets, and soups, in addition to various muffins, cookies, and pastries, I opted for their a blend of three of their salads-of-the-day.

That you see right there is Neveah Cuisine's quinoa salad, lentil salad, and roasted vegetable salad. Mmm, mmm, good. And it tastes even better when you're eating it as another kind soul simultaneously massages your legs and feet. There is a reason that spas have their place in the healthy living sphere. I'm just saying.

I don't doubt that I'll go there again, bad mood or not, but in the mean time how about we clear up this eat happy concept? Last week, the LA Times did an article on The Food-Mood Connection. Here's a few highlights:

• Coffee improves energy and mental performance -- True
• Carbohydrate snacks make you feel calmer and happier -- False
• Sugar takes the edge of pain -- True (maybe)
• Chocolate brings good feelings -- False (almost)
• Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish help depression -- True

A few surprises, I'm sure. I could've sworn that chocolate brought about great feelings! Anyway, since apparently some of my nutrition beliefs have turned out to be myths, I think I'm going to depend on my happy things instead. I'll be sharing more as time goes on. Hope all is well, m'dears!