The Vaccine that Causes Cancer

If you take any fruit and injected it with aluminum, phenol, acetone, thimerosal (mercury) and billions of bacteria and viruses…WOULD YOU EAT IT? If you answered NO…how can they justify INJECTING it into a muscle, which gets into your blood and circulates around the body…exposing all major organs and tissues to everything in the vaccine? Then, why do we inject our kids with a vaccine?  

In the early 1900s an astute Indiana physician, Dr. W.B. Clarke, stated “Cancer was practically unknown until compulsory vaccination with cowpox vaccine began to be introduced. I have had to deal with two hundred cases of cancer, and I never saw a case of cancer in an unvaccinated person.”

Formaldehyde in vaccines has been linked to several types of cancers, including Leukemia. Formaldehyde has been used in the Anthrax vaccine, DT, DTaP, Hib, HPV, Hep A, Hep B, Influenza, Meningitis, Polio, and more. This is classified as a known carcinogen. Both the Environmental Protection Agency and the International Agency for Research on Cancer admit this is so.

Vaccine makers don’t test vaccines for their potential to cause cancer.They are very clear about it. Every single vaccine package insert says it. Here’s what Merck says about its MMR vaccine:

M-M-R II has not been evaluated for carcinogenic or mutagenic potential, or potential to impair fertility.

Various toxic elements within vaccines such as the SV40 virus, formaldehyde (formalin), mercury (thimerosal) and aluminum can become time bombs remaining dormant in the body for years until they suddenly activate, causing life threatening diseases. 

Vaccines are enormously profitable for drug companies and recent legislation in the U.S. has exempted lawsuits against pharmaceutical firms in the event of adverse reactions to vaccines which are very common. In 1975 Germany stopped requiring pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination. Today less than 10 % of German children are vaccinated against pertussis. The number of cases of pertussis has steadily decreased even though far fewer children are receiving pertussis vaccine. 

In the March 4, 1977 issue of Science Jonas and Darrell Salk warn, “Live virus vaccines against influenza or poliomyelitis may in each instance produce the disease it intended to prevent. The live virus against measles and mumps may produce such side effects as encephalitis (brain damage).

10 Reasons You’re Always So Tired

Spend a few minutes glancing around any office or subway car, and you’ll see yawn after yawn, maybe even a few folks nodding off. With an average per person coffee consumption of 2.1 cups every day, according to a Zagat survey, it’s safe to say most Americans feel pretty tired. Plopping down in a chair for the rest of the day certainly won’t do much to help to alleviate the problem and many workers may find themselves feeling irritable and a lot less productive.

The damage can extend beyond the workplace, too. In 2012, a team of French researchers conducted a study examining the factors most commonly associated with serious car accidents. The team found sleepiness behind the wheel to be nearly as dangerous as driving drunk. When you consider some people operate heavy machinery regularly while on the job, the results are rather sobering.

If you count yourself among the many perpetually tired adults, it’s time to start figuring out where things are going wrong. It could be as simple as not hitting the hay soon enough, but something less expected could also be at play. Check out this list of 10 culprits so you can stop stifling yawns and start feeling more awake.

1. Sleeping in
Once Friday hits, most people are ecstatic at the thought of sleeping long past their weekday waking hour. Though snoozing until noon might sound like the ultimate luxury, you could be doing a lot more harm than good. According to Men’s Health, sleeping in throws off your body’s internal clock since it alters the amount of time you’re exposed to daylight as well as your regular eating habits. If you can’t completely fend off the urge, keep it to an additional 90 minutes at the absolute max.

What about catching up on sleep? Sorry, but there’s really no truth to this concept. For starters, you’d have to sleep a ton of extra hours in two days to equate to what you lost during the week. Even if you feel slightly less tired, it’s still not that beneficial. A 2013 study found workers who slept in for two days following a week of sleep deprivation felt less fatigued but didn’t experience an increase in performance.

2. Improper amount of exercise
If you think you’re too tired to work out, think again. Plenty of research shows regularly making the time for a sweat session can help you feel a lot more alert during the day. This 2008 study from the University of Georgia is a good example. The team found those who started incorporating exercise into their day enjoyed reduced fatigue compared to those who remained sedentary.

Setting your alarm a bit earlier in the day is a good route for most adults, but a work schedule that already has you out of bed in the early hours still isn’t a reason to skip out. The old excuse that exercising later in the day will disrupt your sleep that night doesn’t have much support. According to CNN, as long as you give yourself a few hours between your workout and the time your head touches your pillow, you’ll be just fine.

On the flip side, folks who hit the gym a little bit too hard can also suffer from fatigue. Athletes who are constantly training for competitions can easily become victims of overtraining, a condition where the body has been worked to exhaustion. Once someone hits this point, they’re performance suffers and they tend to feel moody and extremely exhausted.

3. Too many screens
Most adults are plugged into some sort of electronic device all day, right up the point when they hop in bed. Exposing yourself to the light from your phone, computer, TV, or tablet so late in the day can have a huge impact on the amount and quality of sleep you get. A 2014 study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital found participants who used light-emitting eReaders an hour before bed took longer to fall asleep, experienced reduced quality in sleep, and felt more fatigued the next morning. The researchers believe the light that comes from these devices disrupts circadian rhythm, our body’s natural clock that helps tell us when it’s time to sleep. Instead of surfing the web, try reading a book or magazine before bed.

4. Poor diet
Three cups of black coffee does not constitute breakfast, yet many don’t have much more than that. This habit of skipping the day’s first meal can slow you down pretty significantly. Amy Goodson, RD at Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medicine, told Time eating breakfast refuels your body from the long break between meals and gets your metabolism going. Your best bet is to go for complex carbohydrates and protein, to keep you satisfied and maintain a stable supply of energy. Go for foods like eggs with whole wheat toast or oatmeal with Greek yogurt.

The article also noted the importance of getting good nutrition for the rest of the day. Sugary snacks and simple carbs will cause your blood sugar to spike. While this gives you an immediate hit of energy, you’ll soon feel even more exhausted than before your snack. Once again, protein and complex carbohydrates are your best friends to stay alert during the day.

5. Dehydration
Though the old advice of drinking eight glasses of water a day is sort of overkill, most people don’t sip enough of the clear stuff throughout the day. If you’re not guzzling at least a few glasses, dehydration could be the reason you feel so sluggish. Nutritional therapist Hayley Pedrick told The Telegraph, “As little as a 5 to 8% loss of water can lead to fatigue.” When you don’t have an adequate amount of water in your system, your blood volume drops. This means it takes longer for oxygen and other nutrients to circulate through your body, leaving you feeling wiped out.

6. Inadequate amount of sleep
Not getting enough sleep is probably the most obvious, but no less important, reason many of us feel so exhausted all the time. Though everyone is a little bit different, experts usually recommend aiming for seven to nine hours of shut eye every night, yet many people don’t come close. Missing out on those precious hours every night can make you feel foggy, but that’s the least of your worries. According to WebMD, sleep deprivation can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and an early death.

Many look to coffee and other caffeinated beverages to fight fatigue, but that strategy doesn’t do much good. Michael Breus, a sleep specialist and author of The Sleep Doctor’s Diet Plan, told Entrepreneur that coffee can’t replace sleep because, “your body doesn’t heal; your memory doesn’t get better.” Additionally, too much of the brewed beverage later in the day can make it more difficult to fall asleep, making the problem even worse. That doesn’t mean you can’t get a little bit of a jolt from some java, just don’t try to use it an alternative to a full night’s rest.

7. Iron deficiency When you don’t have an adequate supply of iron in your system, you can’t produce enough hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that helps transport oxygen throughout your body. This condition, called anemia, can make you feel winded and generally exhausted. It’s even worse when you try to work out.

Low iron levels plague women much more commonly than men thanks to their menstrual cycles, but that doesn’t mean guys are immune. According to Livestrong, men often run into trouble when their diet doesn’t offer enough of the nutrient through foods like meat, poultry, and eggs. This means vegetarians and vegans are more susceptible.

8. Low testosterone
As men get older, their bodies naturally start to produce less testosterone. Most of us think of this hormone as it relates to muscle growth and sex drive, but it plays a role in your overall energy level as well. According to Healthline, men with low testosterone often feel fatigued despite getting plenty of sleep. And if you think this is only a problem for older men, think again. According to Everyday Health, there are a number of reasons young men can find their testosterone levels lacking, and they’re all treatable. If you feel like you might be suffering from an insufficient supply of this hormone, you’ll need to do some blood tests at your doctor’s office.

9. Sleep disorders
Even folks who devote enough time to sleeping each night can find themselves feeling bleary-eyed in the morning either because they can’t fall asleep or because it’s not restful sleep. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 40 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders, and even more have occasional troubles getting enough shut eye.

Disorders include everything from snoring to narcolepsy, but sleep apnea and insomnia are two of the most common. According to the Minnesota Sleep Institute, sleep apnea occurs when the muscles around your airway relax too much and block off the airway. This cuts off the supply of oxygen to your brain and forces you to wake up in order to start breathing again. Over the course of an entire night, you’ll miss out on a lot of quality sleep. As for insomnia, it’s a lot less clear cut. Any number of reasons can lead to the inability to fall and stay asleep, but it always leaves you feeling wiped out. If you’re staring at ceiling every night, it might be time to schedule an appointment with your doctor.

10. Too much alcohol
Most guys who enjoy a few beers or glasses of wine know about the snooze-inducing effect of alcohol. Though booze makes you feel sleepy, it also prevents you from getting the true rest your body needs. A 2013 review published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research found alcohol consumption helped individuals reach a deep sleep early on, but led to disruptions in the rapid eye movement (REM) stage, the most restful phase of sleep, later in the night. It’s fine if you enjoy a drink or two, but don’t use the booze as a strategy for getting a better night’s rest.

7 Warning Signs That You’re Unhealthy

If you’re living a generally unhealthy lifestyle, you’re probably clued-in. Most of us are aware that we shouldn’t be shoveling garbage down our throats at every opportunity, reaching for sodas, completely ignoring our bodies’ primal urges for exercise — but we do it anyway. And we somehow are able to shut down the nagging voice in the back of our minds that tell us to knock it off and get ourselves into shape.

The message may come from our conscience, or even a doctor; we’ll still pretend that everything is OK. Even if those around us — friends, family, or co-workers — can clearly see that we’re hurting ourselves.

“Unhealthy” is an incredibly vague term, and can really refer to a lot of things. If you’re overweight, you may be considered unhealthy. The same may be true if you’re underweight or simply have a poor diet. But what the word “unhealthy” is truly striking at is that there are some serious concerns to our overall physical and mental integrity. Concerns that need to be addressed, otherwise we may see our lives end years before they should. Or, if we are able to survive, our quality of life could drop significantly.

So, the question becomes how to tell if you’re unhealthy. Again, you probably already know — and the people around you do as well. There are a number of ways that it manifests itself, too — ways that people can tell you’re unhealthy, just by looking or talking to you. Or, in the case that you’re somehow unaware that your choices are harming your health, these manifestations could be a clue — they may present an eye-opening revelation that it’s time for change. Big change.

Here are seven tell-tale signs that you’re unhealthy, and that it’s time to do something about it.

1. Bad skin
The quality of your skin is a sure-fire way to get a reading on your overall level of health. Of course, some people struggle with skin issues like acne and are otherwise perfectly fine — but skin quality can clue you in to some bigger problems. A poor diet can really impact your skin quality, and if you’re noticing blemishes like stretch marks? That should tell you that something is wrong.

2. Sleep issues
Can’t seem to fall asleep at night? That can be an indication that some aspects of your life need adjusting. Whether it be that you’re eating the wrong foods, ingesting too much caffeine late in the day, or not expelling enough energy during the day, not being able to sleep presents an issue — which cascades into further issues.

3. Bathroom problems
Yep, we’re getting down and dirty. Take note of the color of your urine, and even how frequently you’re going No. 2 — those could both provide important insight into the state of your overall health. Since you’re going to ask, your urine should be a pale yellow color — and hopefully odorless. As for your bowel movement frequency, there’s a wide range. But if you’re going regularly, you’re probably fine. And don’t ignore the grimy details during your investigation.

4. Lip balm reliance
If your lips are constantly chapped, and you find that you can’t live without lip balm, that’s your body’s way of telling you that something’s wrong. Specifically, your lip condition is an indicator of your vitamin levels. If your lips are chapped, you may be vitamin strapped — so diversify your diet, and get the nutrients you need.

5. Bad finger and toe nails
If the condition of your lips wasn’t a solid enough indicator, your finger and toe nails can also give you a heads-up if you’re unhealthy. You’re going to want to be on the lookout for ridges, discoloration, and bumps — all of which should be red flags. Your nails can tell you a lot about your overall state of health, so if something is strange, don’t ignore it.

6. Body temperature fluctuation
Icy feet and hands aren’t normal. Yes, there could be environmental factors at play, but if you’re consistently finding that your extremities are ice cold, it can be a sign of cardiovascular problems. Specifically, cold hands or feet might mean that you’re having circulation issues, and that your body isn’t getting blood where it needs to go. If this is a chronic issue, have it checked out.

7. A cloudy mind
It’s becoming quite clear that our cognitive ability and brain health are closely tied to our physical condition. That means that obesity and elevated levels of body fat can have a significant impact on our ability to think and reason. It’s kind of scary, but also a very promising area of research. So, if you can’t formulate a potent thought, it may be a sign that it’s time to drop some weight.

5 Things That Can Help Improve Memory

After a long day at the office, you need to grocery shop, but you can’t remember what items you’re missing from the fridge. You need to call your doctor, but as soon as you pick up the phone, her name slips your mind. Eventually the information comes to you in an “aha!” moment, but it would be a lot easier if there were a way to improve memory instead of waiting for such a moment of realization.

You may think that memory gaps are bound to increase as you get older, but there are actually ways to strengthen your memory as you age. According to Real Simple, neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to develop neurons and build connections to improve your memory. No matter your age, you have the ability to learn new tasks and strengthen your memory, as your brain is able to form new pathways that assist you with learning new information and remembering it for longer periods of time.

Like a muscle, you have to work out your brain and provide it with proper nutrition in order for it to fully function. Here are five tips to improve memory, which will keep you sharp for years to come.

1. Sleep

One of the most effective ways to strengthen memory is to improve the quality and duration of your sleep. According to Health.com, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that losing three or four hours of sleep in a single night can be deeply detrimental to your memory. It is believed that it can take eight hours of sleep for your brain to turn new memories into long-term memories; without this sleep, you may not be able to remember details at work that could help you perform at your next meeting or with your next report.

If you get a full eight hours of sleep one night and skip a full night’s rest the next night, beware: One night of good sleep may not make up for the second night’s deficit.

Aim to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night. If you can’t attain that amount, then consider taking time out of your busy schedule for a nap. Tech Times states that a 45-minute power nap can help your brain move newer information into long-term storage.

2. Eat the right food 

To help keep your memory as sharp as possible, pay attention to the food you’re consuming as well as the food you should consider adding to your diet. Mercola.com says that fresh vegetables and healthy fats are absolutely necessary for brain health, and you should keep refined sugars and grain carbohydrates to a minimum.

Increasing your omega-3 fatty acid intake by consuming more fish, like salmon and fresh tuna, will maintain healthy brain function. But you should work to eliminate foods high in omega-6 fatty acid, such as processed vegetable oils, corn oil, and margarine. If you find that you’re having trouble removing oils from your diet, aim to use olive oil as your primary cooking oil, or better yet, reach for coconut oil — it’s a healthy fat that can actually help prevent neurological disease.

Additionally, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, and walnuts all contain brain-healthy antioxidants that may even help stimulate the production of new brain cells. Curry is another great food for brain health. Turmeric, the main spice in curry, contains an anti-inflammatory antioxidant that has been shown to boost memory.

3. Exercise on a regular basis 

Though your main motivation for working out may be toned muscles, you may not realize that physical exercise is excellent for increasing your brain’s memory-holding abilities. Mayo Clinic states that physical exercise keeps your brain sharp because of the increased blood flow through your body. When you exercise, your brain releases norepinephrine, a chemical that strongly influences your memory.

To reap the physical and mental benefits of exercise, most healthy adults should get around 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week or 75 minutes of more intense aerobic activity per week.

Another added benefit of exercise is its stress-relieving properties, which can do wonders for the brain. Regular activity is known to aid in managing stress, which can bring about a clearer mind. Even if you can’t fit in a full-blown hour of gym time, a 10- to 20-minute brisk walk each day is enough to help clear your head and improve memory.

4. Work out your brain 

Playing games designed to challenge the brain can help you retain memories. By the time you’ve reached adulthood, your brain is familiar with your day-to-day tasks. While you may run into difficult assignments at work that stray from your typical workload, overall, your brain guides you through your daily routine with minimal effort. According to Help Guide, the best way to “work out” your brain is to break from your typical routine and try a new task that you may not be very good at.

Have you ever tried a crossword puzzle in the local paper? Or, better yet, have you gone on a guided tour of your local art museum or taken a class on something you’re interested in? From small tasks like Sudoku puzzles and crosswords to more stimulating activities like learning something completely new, these are great ways to turn off auto-pilot and challenge your brain.

When looking for brain-boosting tasks, look for experiences that demand your full and undivided attention. If you don’t have much time, try activities that only require 15 to 30 minutes each day, such as cooking a new recipe or learning how to play a new instrument. Eventually, these new tasks will become second nature to you, so switch them up when they become too easy. It’s not difficult to work out your brain so long as the activity is a genuine challenge and offers some kind of reward once it is accomplished.

5. Hang out with your friends  your brain health, hanging out with your friends may be just as helpful as spending your day studying in the library. Time states one of the best ways to increase memory is to stay socially active and contribute to conversations in groups. Dr. Karen Li, head of Concordia University’s laboratory for adult development and cognitive aging, said in the story that following conversations and then adding your thoughts and relating your experiences requires a rather proficient mind.

Socializing is also great for de-stressing, which can aid in memory strength. As social creatures, humans need other people to interact with, and talking to your friends can instantly improve your mood and keep you in a healthy mental state. In a recent study, the Harvard School of Public Health concluded that people with active social lives had the slowest rate of mental decline. Relationships stimulate the brain, so it’s important to catch up with your friends and family frequently — it may even be the best way to support your mental and emotional health, and ultimately, your memory.

Is Biting Your Nails Really So Bad?

As a child, did you ever get berated for biting your nails? It is a habit many of us have had to overcome at one point or another in our lives. But, apart from the aesthetic consequences of steadily nibbling and gnawing away at your fingertips, is biting your nails really as hygienically harmful as we’ve been told? In short, no.

While biting your nails certainly doesn’t evoke an image of unwavering confidence, it is not going to harm your health. In fact, it may even strengthen it. A recent study publishedin Pediatrics showed that children who bit their nails or sucked their thumbs developed less allergies and had stronger immune systems than children who didn’t shove fingers into their own mouths. The study specifically suggested that children who stuck their hands in their mouths had a lower risk of developing atrophy, asthma and hay fever.

How can this be? Isn’t the world a dirty, dangerous place? Well, yes, but it is nothing to be quaking in your boots about. A little dirt is actually good for you. Exposure to a wider variety of microbes earlier on in life has long been hypothesized to reduce the risk of developing allergies later in life. Known as the ‘hygiene hypothesis’, it has been theorized that the lack of exposure to microorganisms in early childhood actually works to suppress the development of a strong and healthy immune system. Essentially, it is similar to the concept that a lot of poison will kill you, but a little poison makes you stronger.

What other ‘dirty’ things naturally boost your immune system? Well, having a furry pal certainly helps. Children who grew up on farms or around a lot of animals generally have stronger immune systems in both childhood and later life than those who grew up in more sterile households.

Also, people who spend more time in nature, subjecting themselves to the natural diversity of microbes that exist in the wild world, have stronger immunity than those who spend most of their time indoors. They also experience lower rates of depression, obesity and cancers. To put it simply, spend time in nature with natural things and your immune system gets a health-boosting workout.

Does this mean you should start biting your nails? Certainly not. But, it is nothing to stress about if you or your child does. Embrace a little untidiness and dirt in your life, and your body will benefit.

Genes Found That Come Alive After Death

A recent study that looked at the genes of zebrafish and mice after death found that hundreds of their genes became active postmortem. The study does not suggest the living dead may soon walk among us, but it does shed new light on potential ways to help human health.

Surprising Study Results

Researchers at the University of Washington evaluated over 1000 genes of recently deceased mice and zebrafish. They tracked changes in the genes for 4 days in the fish and 2 days in the mice.

Instead of shutting down, as would be expected, the researchers found that hundreds of the genes actually increased their activity within the first 24 hours after death. Most genes gradually decreased activity after that, but some of the zebrafish genes in particular remained active 4 days following death.

Many of these postmortem genes are related to stress responses in the body, such as promoting inflammation, activating the immune system and counteracting stress. This seems somewhat logical as the body has recently expired and could be undergoing a final stress reaction.

But other unexpected genes also became active. The most surprising were genes that assist embryonic development. These genes typically turn off after birth as they are no longer needed. The researchers believe this postmortem reawakening could be because the cellular conditions in a newly dead corpse are similar to those in embryos.

Genes that promote cancer also became more active posthumously. This could help explain why people who receive organ transplants double their risk of developing cancer.

Potential Benefits for Human Health

Zebrafish share 70 percent of the genetic code of humans. They’re often used for genetic research because it’s fairly easy to link what happens on a zebrafish genome to the equivalent activity on a human genome.

The next step for the researchers will be to see how these active postmortem genes match up to humans and how it can benefit our health.

The researchers suggest that our bodies may have evolved this way to allow for possiblehealing or resuscitation after severe injury. For instance, the upregulated inflammation response genes after death will signal that there’s been an injury to the still alive cells in the body.

By looking more closely at the activated cancer genes, there is the potential to find better ways of transplanting organs and tissues without increasing the recipient’s cancer risk. It may also be possible to find a way to stop or reverse the activation of those genes in order to heal cancer in a living person.

In a follow-up study, the researchers showed another use for the upregulated genes can be to accurately predict the time of a person’s death. This could help in the investigation of suspicious deaths or murders. Current forensic science relies on evidence that’s not related to a deceased body, such as when the person was last seen or when they made their last cell phone call. Being able to pinpoint the time of death would benefit investigations.

This research may not be able to answer any of our larger questions about what awaits us after death, but it has the potential to enhance our lives while we’re still here.

5 foods that may make you feel happier now — and even better later

Some foods taste so good while we're eating them, but can leave us feeling blah, bloated and feeling guilty just moments after we've brushed away the crumbs. But other foods are scientifically shown to lift our spirits. Here are five foods that will make you feel good right away!

1. Raw walnuts and cashews 

An ounce of walnuts has four grams of protein (which fills you up and helps keep blood-sugar levels steady) and two grams of fiber (also helps fill you up), according to New York nutritionist Elisa Zied, registered dietitian and author of "Younger Next Week."

 They're also a good source of magnesium and phosophorus: Having low levels of magnesium has beenlinked to increased risk of depression, while high levels of magnesium have been linked to reduced symptoms of depression.

Walnuts also contain cell-protecting antioxidants and are low in carbohydrates, which means they won't cause a spike in blood sugar and insulin. "Insulin spikes are a reason people's moods crap out, particularly in late afternoon," said Dr. Drew Ramsey, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons and co-author of "The Happiness Diet."

Suggested serving: One handful

 2. Kale 

One cup of kale is an an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K and magnesium, and a good source of fiber, said Zied. Kale is also high in copper, a trace mineral that works to support many vital functions.

"[Kale] is one of the healthiest foods on the planet," said Ramsay.

Suggested serving: For salads, shoot for one to two cups of raw kale. For juicing, about the same. For kale chips, homemade is best and shoot for five to 10 chips.

3. Oysters 

"Oysters are incredibly low in calories and decrease inflammation," says New York nutritionist Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D. and author of "Read It before You Eat It."

Taub-Dix says oysters are heart-healthy and contribute to that great feeling after eating because they improve overall circulation. Oysters are also very high in essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids. And, of course, they've long been considered an aphrodisiac.

"Oysters are always on the menu around Valentine's Day," says Taub-Dix.

 Oysters are also a great source of zinc — an undervalued mineral, said Ramsey — and vitamin B12. Zinc has a role in helping our bodies fight off stress and is essential to the part of the brain that regulates mood and memory.

Ramsey calls oysters the "perfect brain food."

 4. Coffee 

Coffee is practically a magic bean when it comes to mood lifting: The caffeine in coffee can boost mental focus and alertness and athletic performance. Coffee consumption may also protect against Type 2 diabetes and decrease the risk of depression. But the less you consume, the better it works.

 Ramsey recommends avoiding very sugary coffee drinks, which cause bloating.

Suggested serving: Coffee has about 150 mg of caffeine per cup. Limit consumption to about 300 mg caffeine per day and consume it once a day, at the time you want to be most alert, TODAY nutrition editor Madelyn Fernstrom said.

 5. Dark chocolate 

"Dark chocolate is one of the biggest mood boosters," said Ramsey. Dark chocolate not only provides immediate eating pleasure, but it has a high percentage of cacao, which has more antioxidant power than many other foods.