We love to rationalize our own behaviour as being OK in moderation. Eating well 80 per cent of the time doesn't balance out with getting that Big Mac at the drive through to reward yourself for eating organic salad all week. It's no longer about 80/20 and moderation. It becomes about making decisions that honour ourselves, our family, our community and our environment.

Generation Y may get giddy about the latest nerdy gadgets and viral cat videos, but it turns out Canada's oldest population also has something to smil...

There is one inalienable truth about happiness. Grumpy old men, and women, are not grumpy whatsoever -- contrary to popular myth. In fact, this truth remains the most contrarian of all research on happiness, and, to the best of my knowledge, is still the most evidence-based.

Stefan Sagmeister is bringing his happy to Toronto. I had the opportunity to attend the opening night gala of his exhibition "The Happy Show" in early January. Here, a brief look into how I interpreted the exhibit, and the top six things I learned about all things cheerful, sunny, and full of delight.

When I was 20, I lived with my parents and didn't even have a driver's license. I've come a long way since then. I've travelled to 20 countries. And I'm still pursuing my dream of becoming a writer. Here are my life lessons from surviving my twenties.

By Elizabeth Shimer Bowers; Medically reviewed by Farrokh Sohrabi, MD You’ve got your life’s essentials tucked into your tote, but do you h...

The other day, over a lunch-time pint, someone asked me to name the number-one thing I absolutely need to be happy. Now that's a heavy question. What's the one thing I need to be happy? Above all else, I need to be myself. It's simple logic. How can you be happy if you're not being yourself?

I have been in a perpetual state of anxiety about the future. When I get those jeans, nab that boyfriend, lose those 10 pounds, learn that dance move, I will be happy. I have always had this sinking feeling that I was waiting for something to make my life perfect. But my life IS perfect. I have a life after all, and every single second is beautiful and precious and needs to be acknowledged and given great attention.

So, I'm facing down my 40th birthday. It's two weeks away and, surprisingly, my mid-life crisis is holding off. For now. I am not enjoying the lines appearing around my eyes or the various sagging and loosening bits and pieces that will remain nameless. Clearly, I have to get OK with aging. Here are my top tips for aging well.

I completed my master's degree in applied positive psychology, which is the scientific study of psychological well-being, happiness and human flourishing. While things like practicing gratitude and performing random acts of kindness were more obvious paths to happiness, there were some very surprising things I learned that transformed the way I thought and lived my life.

I started practicing gratitude and, though it makes the cynic cringe to say it, doing so has genuinely had a positive effect on my attitude. I'm not saying it's a cure all, but taking a moment to smile about the good instead of brooding over the bad can't really hurt in the grand scheme of things, can it? To that end, here's what's been doing the trick for me this month.

Make no mistake; divorce is upper case Emotional. Even though almost 40 per cent of marriages end in divorce, I felt little comfort from a statistic. As I reflect back, there were a number of positive things I did that helped me work through this transformation; strategies that helped me to get where I am today -- these are the five things that helped me find the smarter, happier, healthier me.

It is so simple, in our day-to-day lives, to completely forget to feel the one thing we're all supposed to be striving for -- happiness. Whether it...

In spite of our marital problems, I try not to bash my husband. But after two consecutive long weekends of boozing, golfing and fishing, and coming home at 4:30 a.m. reeking of sausages and whores, I think he's fair game. You see, I found some pretty incriminating photos on his camera.

Why are some people happy while others seem miserable? This isn't an easy answer since there are many factors that determine our happiness, but the good news is that anyone can train themselves for happiness by consciously choosing it. And when you're happier, it has a positive effect on your health and well-being. Here are six habits to foster everyday happiness:

Mediterranean food includes an abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and legumes. By contrast, the western diet is typically heavy on animal foods, processed carbohydrates and sugar, but devoid of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Speed and efficiency are not at the core of Mediterranean cooking. But here in North America, it is.

I'm sometimes known as the Queen of Quinoa for my healthy eating habits. So you can imagine the shock on a patient's face when I bumped into them at Costco's snack bar where I was face deep in the most delicious beef hot dog, bun oozing with Heinz ketchup, French's mustard and Bick's green relish. Oh, and I was also inhaling a side of fries.

Twenty-three years ago, I was young, in love, a new bride -- and eight months later, a widow. My new husband died by suicide. It completely caught me off guard. I was definitely still in the "honeymoon" stage and oblivious to any pain he quite clearly must have been experiencing.