History credits George Crum with creating the first potato chip in 1853 while working as a chef in an upstate New York restaurant. A dining patron, the story goes, repeatedly demanded a thinner french fry, so George obliged by slicing ridiculously thin potatoes. The customer loved the crispy and crunchy fried potatoes and soon they were a local favorite. It wasn't until the 1920s, however, did Herman Lay (using the recently invented mechanical potato peeler) establish a national market for potato chips. George Crum had no idea that his discovery would become the best-selling snack chip in America, nor could he have imagined that potato chips would one day be cited as a health risk.

The question Dubliners face each afternoon is not what will quench their thirst this evening but which pub will serve up their next pint of Guinness. Beer has been a staple food (yes, food), for Europeans for thousands of years. Want a taste of antiquity? On your next visit to Whole Foods, look for a cold Weihenstephaner, considered the world's oldest brew dating back to 1040. With more and more doctors extolling the health benefits of red wine, you may wonder: Does beer have any health benefits? If so, are some beers healthier than others? Read on to learn what natural food stores have to offer in the beer cooler.

We're all aware how challenging it is to find the time to eat slowly in our fast-paced world. Practicing "conscious eating" is growing in popularity for many reasons including the evidence that it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, improving overall digestion. There are other positive benefits, some of which come from feeling more connected and having more gratitude for our food.

In the Happiness Journal, author Jeffrey Magner includes conscious eating as one of the possible ways for us to become happier in our everyday lives. He writes: When it's time to eat, turn off the television. Pull off the road and park your car. Stop talking. Whatever you are doing, take a moment prior to your first bite of food and appreciate what you have to eat. Give thanks for your food. Close your eyes and give thanks for whatever or to whomever you are grateful.

This book offers a remarkably simple idea for how to cultivate more happiness in life: Develop a daily practice of the things that matter - particularly the small things - and do them. Jeffrey Magner makes the process much easier with his beautiful journal, the guidance on how to create a daily practice, and plenty of pages for keeping track.

I've been tracking my daily practice for a few months now and I am learning what it takes for me to have truly exceptional days. Hot of the press, the Happiness Journal is available exclusively through Huckleberry Mountain Press.