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The other day, I was brunching with a girlfriend when we were discussing her parents. She mentioned to me that her mom’s happy juice was a mimosa. Come to think of it, I’m sure it’s everyone’s happy juice (after about three, I’m certainly smiling and hugging everyone in sight). Then there is the price to pay for that fun the next day – the hangover.

I couldn’t help but raise the question “What is our own happy juice, and can we sustain it continuously?”

We have heard time and time again that happiness is from the inside out, and as cheesy as it sounds, it’s true. Once we take care of our inner health, good feelings ooze outward and affect all aspects of our life.

Since changing my diet (primarily juicing on a regular basis), I began to notice that my attitude, patience, and energy improved. By drinking raw veggies, my body received essential enzymes, minerals, and vitamins it so desperately lacked.

Replenishing our bodies with vital nutrition directly from the source balances all aspects of our self, bringing us closer to our inner awesomeness and, you guessed it, happiness. When we can all eat and live close to the source of nature, we begin to realize that this planet offers us its pure perfection to enjoy. Nature is in complete harmony and provides a vast amount of resources. Yes, a frozen pizza, Cheez-Its, and Toaster Strudels are cheap, convenient, and tasty. But they will do nothing toward making you the best you can be.

Bumps along the Way
Let’s be real – life happens. Maybe you get in a fight with your mother, friend, or significant other. Perhaps your deadlines at work are mounting on you like a pile of bricks. These poopsicles can really put a damper on your happy juice. But you’re in luck; because the best part about inner happiness is that it helps you handle life’s bumps from a more accepting point-of-view. And isn’t that the answer to all problems, accepting?

Finding your happy juice takes discipline and patience. Getting the right cocktail of food, activities, and love requires taking the time to get organized and learn what works for you. By simply changing your diet, you will discover this whole new side – you may even start levitating.

Whip Up a Happy Cocktail

1. Eat well: Avoid packaged, processed foods and eat close to the earth through in-season veggies and fruits from local farms.

2. Juice more: Juicing is like having a glass of pure energy and vitamins, making you feel more balanced and energized through out the day.

3. Wake up early every day: This simple task helps regulate your inner rhythm, so you’ll have an easier time waking up and thus feel more energized. Successful people wake up early because their focus and productivity improve.

4. Live minimally: Attaining lots of material possessions does not make you more successful but actually makes you less happy. Lots of “things” create clutter and suck the energy right out of you. Free your space of material possessions, and your mind will free up too, making room for happiness.

5. Meditate: Sitting in silence and quieting the mind helps enhance focus and promote inner peace, which, research shows, creates chemical changes in your brain to make you happier.

6. Exercise: Physical activity gets the endorphins, the feel-good chemicals released in your brain, flowing to help combat stress and fight off depression.

7. Tell someone “I love you”: Having close relationships gives us a sense of belonging and community, which has been proven to be at the core of our DNA.

8. Make time to do more of what you love: Be selfish – it’s okay. When you take time to do something you enjoy, it adds meaning to your life, and others will benefit from you.