i'm no expert, but i know what i know from my own experiences.
and yet, when i confirm it in my life, i'm always surprized.
our family has been in a funk lately. not depression, but definately qualifying for the blues. we've had some additional stressors present. we've not been eating well. we've not been exercising regularly.
of course, those things are "sick-lical". we have no energy because we're not sleeping well because we've got the blues...and on and on and on...
but, yesterday i forced myself to work in the garden (which is theraputic as well as beneficial). i was sweating like, as a friend once said, a whore in church. and just when i thought i was done, i pushed myself for 15 minutes more.
that led to another branch of the project that i wanted to finish before i stopped. all in all, i spent about 75 minutes of (what felt like) hard labor.
my hands hurt and could hardly hold the bar of soap to wash myself.
but this morning, i woke up before the alarm (which is annoying), but felt so refreshed that i got up and hour early. that gave me time to start my day appropriately. i drank coffee, but wasn't reliant on it. this was a good, healthy feeling.
my hands no longer ache, but they feel strengthened--which will be extrememly helpful as i take on a 13-minutes liszt piece.

my bottom line is this: make healthy choice. as much as things can snowball out of control, they can likewise spiral into natural, God-infused and inspired euphoria. you don't need a drug to feel like this.

Lord, keep me making good choices for Your sake, not mine. if it were up to me, life would be worthless. but You give value and meaning and purpose. help me not disappoint You.