The key to happiness may lie in what you eat.
New research from the Universities of Kent and Reading in the UK has, for the first time, established that eating more fruits and vegetables, and exercising regularly can make you happier.
In a paper published in the ‘Journal of Happiness Studies’, researchers demonstrated that the consumption of fruits and vegetables (F&V) and performing exercise have a highly positive influence on life satisfaction.
“There has been a bigger shift in recent years for healthier lifestyle choices. To establish that eating more fruit and vegetables and exercising can increase happiness as well as offer health benefits is a major development,” said study co-author Uma Kambhampati from the University of Reading in a press release.
The researchers chose these two components (F&V and exercise) for delayed gratification as they are often seen as an investment for a healthier future and not as a means for immediate pleasure.
The paper’s primary thought was that “there has been a shift towards the use of cycles, walking etc., largely because of environmental concerns. However, little attention has been paid to the impact of these changes on individual wellbeing. In particular, should these changes be seen as giving up current pleasures and therefore reducing well-being or as giving us a greater sense of purpose and therefore making us feel more satisfied with our life?”
The research results revealed that the ability to delay gratification majorly influences lifestyle and one’s overall well-being.
Adelina Gschwandtner, the co-author from the University of Kent, UK, concludes the findings of this paper perfectly, “Behavioral nudges that help the planning self to reinforce long-term objectives are likely to be especially helpful in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If a better lifestyle not only makes us healthier but also happier, then it is a clear win-win situation.”
