INPUT ARTICLE: Article: No matter how hungry you are at the end of your fast, you have to fight the urge to stuff yourself at your first opportunity. When you fast, your body adjusts to make up for the lack of food by slowing down the production of enzymes that help digestion. If you gorge immediately after a fast, your body will be overwhelmed by food it can't process, leading to stomach cramping, nausea, and vomiting. As you draw closer to the end of your fast, you should put together a plan for how to ease yourself back into a regular diet. Obviously, if you've been on a juice fast, drinking more juice isn't really "breaking" your fast. But if you've been allowing only water during your fast, juice and fruits, which have high water content, are the best way to ease your body back into a normal diet. Your stomach will have shrunk in size during your fast, so you may even find that juice and fruit can satisfy your hunger at first. Rather than sitting down to a lavish feast to celebrate the end of the fast, eat snacks or small meals throughout the day. Stop eating whenever your hunger is satisfied overeating before your body is ready to handle it can lead to digestive problems. It's best to stick to foods that have a high water content at first: Soups and broths Vegetables Raw fruits Yogurt Chewing your food well serves two purposes when you're breaking a fast. First, it prevents you from wolfing down your meals. It takes your brain about 20 minutes to process the information it's getting from the stomach and realize that your stomach is full. Eating too quickly leads to overeating, which is dangerous after a fast. The second benefit of thorough chewing is that it breaks the food up into smaller bits that will be easier for your body to digest. Chew each bite of food about 15 times. Drink one glass of water before your meal and one glass during your meal to slow down the pace of your meal. Take a small sip between every bite of food. Probiotics are "good bacteria" that are found naturally in the mouth, intestines, and vagina. They help your body digest food efficiently, which is something you need help with after a fast. Eat foods that have live cultures of lactobacillus; common sources are yogurts, sauerkraut, and miso. You can also take probiotic supplements in capsule, tablet, or powder form to help your body digest food better. No matter what you read about the best way to break a fast, your body will let you know what it's ready for. If, after transitioning from fruits to vegetables, your stomach starts cramping or you feel like throwing up, don't push yourself! Go back to eating fruits and drinking juices for another meal, or even another day. Let your body progress at its own pace. Eventually, you can work back up to harder-to-digest foods and larger meals without feeling any negative side effects.

SUMMARY: Have a plan for breaking your fast. Drink juice and eat fruit to come off a water fast. Ease into very small meals. Chew food thoroughly. Introduce probiotics into your system. Listen to your body.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: An easy way to look and act happy is smiling. But did you know that smiling can actually boost your mood? Smiling can induce feelings of happiness just as happiness can cause a smile. Try smiling with your whole face, not just your lips. Feel your cheeks and eyes change when engaging a large smile. This kind of smile is associated with positive emotions. If you're feeling upset or grumpy, combat those feelings with a smile. Try to connect with the sensations of smiling and begin to feel happiness. Getting through an uncomfortable situation while looking or feeling unfazed is a skill, and much can be attributed to confidence. If you have a presentation and feel fearful, tap into your innate confidence, even if public speaking is enough to make you run and hide. Tell yourself you can do it. Chances are if you exude confidence (even if it's forced or unnatural at first), people will believe you are competent. Speak loudly and clearly and act as if you are fully confident in your abilities. The opposite is true, too. If you go into a presentation feeling fearful, lots of things can give away your fear, such as shaky voice, lack of eye contact, acting flustered, etc. If you're closed off, looking down, or crossing your arms/legs, people may assume you are unapproachable. People with proper posture report higher levels of positive mood and self-esteem than slouchers. Changing your body language can help your mind believe that you are confident. Practice puffing your shoulders out (as a way to appear/feel bigger) or putting your hands on your hips. Practice doing triumphant poses, such as pumping your fist in the air before a nerve-racking situation. Relaxation can help calm any anxiety you may be feeling and can help you feel more at ease. If you are feeling tense, restless, or unhappy, try some relaxation techniques to help you feel more balanced. This can be especially helpful before a big presentation or something that makes you feel anxious. Slow your breathing and start counting your breaths, 4 seconds inhale, then 4 seconds exhale. Once this feels easy, extend to 6-second intervals, observing your breath moving in and out of your body. Use muscle relaxation to soften tense muscles. You can do progressive muscle relaxation, which focuses on different parts of your body at a time, releasing any tension you feel. Start with your toes, then work on muscle groups through your legs, hips, stomach, chest, arms, shoulders, and neck.

SUMMARY:
Smile. Fake competence. Adjust your body language. Relax.