Vata season Archives - Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Recuperate Yourself To Life

Recuperate is something we’ve all done in life whether it’s from a difficult season, illness, or exhaustion.

…Recently I felt the effects of a move where I had to take a break to recuperate.

…And why you may have missed me during my short break.

Well, I’m glad I’m back.

And I feel good NOW.

But before and during my move, I was exhausted as moves are exhausting.

It felt like a hangover everyday!

Every muscle in my body was at work packing, planning, or moving something from one corner to another.

…Oh, and I have a tendency to love a basket, pair of socks, or a mug as much as my television or comfy pillows.

So, making decisions for moving my things took a lot of care, planning, and effort… that was well worth it when I found a place for them in my new home.

…Which btw,I know this move challenge and the need to recuperate feeling VERY well, as I’ve moved every couple of years and sometimes sooner.

I’m happy about that choice, so I can experience more and new places in this life.

And I wouldn’t be in my new happy place if I didn’t make those other moves.

That’s how you and I are similar.

Oh, and let’s be real, I know I won’t be doing this physical moving in my 70s and 80s… most of us won’t.

So losing a couple weeks while able is worth the time and effort.

The biggest tradeoff for me was giving up routines like blogging.

I had no creative ideas coming in and out as everything was focused on successfully moving.

…And that gave me a creative mind break.

So I’m glad I took that time off from my weekly posts. And I’m even more glad I came back (and hopefully you are too!). 😊

I mean, we’re not machines…

We’re not meant to keep doing something just because our ego pride tells us we have to be 100% all the time in whatever that pursuit is… or else we’re not good enough.

Who says?

Breaking self-imposed strongholds holding us back and keeping us stuck is satisfying, and telling the Imposter to take a hike is so gratifying!

And breaking have-to-do patterns is healthy!

If nothing else from the 2020 pandemic, that’s a lesson we all can embrace.

Amen? 😊

And taking recuperating breaks through life transitions is part of our life’s journey and daily joys.

Breaks allow us to let go and breathe in new energy and inspiration, grow, and discover what matters most to us!

In those ways, growth and discovery can be the best definition of success.

…Amen to that!

And that’s EXACTLY what the doctor ordered for me in my move!

…Plus indulging in a little coffee o’clock latte day break in my new town helped.

When I felt so completely out of it from exhaustion being on go-go-go physical moving action for over a week, I was nursed back to life through daily joys.

Because I was completely wiped out.

My discombobulation (…a word I almost never use 😎) happened mostly because of an unexpected last-minute broken elevator that changed my move plans.

Suddenly I found myself taking 52 steps for each up flight and 52 steps down flight (…but who’s counting anyway!? 😜). Plus all the stairs I was leaving behind.

Feeling the pain meant I was alive and determined!

…Oh, and my poor movers had to endure that for a day too.

They didn’t have the emotional mental toll I had. It’s not the same when you’re doing it for others and emotionally detached.

…But it can be physically as taxing as it was for me.

…All in all, I raked up thousands of moving steps that was probably more steps than I’ve taken in all the mountain hikes I’ve accrued… where 300 steps plus the mile up was the comme d’habitude (usual way).

I have my daily Apple points as my witness. ⌚️

The points overflowed… and I not only met the goal, I think I ran an extra marathon. 🎯

That kind of abundance can only be a blessing from above.

Because I now have more gratitude for what my body-mind can do. 💪

And that was training ground for spring mountain hikes.

…Btw, I’m wondering why isn’t there a race sport for climbing steps? ⛰️

The Summit CBS reality competition show (…did you see it?) comes closest to the physical challenge I felt.

But anyway and thankfully… physical was the deepest challenge felt as there were no weather hindering events, other than rescheduling from a storm… and there were no social obstacles to climb besides skipping social media.

I gave up most my routines besides work and my yoga mat (more on that below).

Because during the move and finding time to recuperate, I was lucky if I slept a few hours without interrupted sleep.

The mind-body knows when life is interrupted.

Calming the mind-body is how to get those routines and good feelings back.

And using routines to relax is how to recuperate faster.

RELAXING THE MIND-BODy

Unrest is often at the heart of why you can’t sleep… It’s NOT the lack of sleep hours, but the turmoil of change and stress happening inside your body.

So the sooner you can get to the routines, that helps the Vata (aka wind or change) in each of us and grounds the mind-body.

The body likes routine or predictability.

But the mind like a challenge to never be bored.

So during transitions like a move, let them duke it out 😊… as YOU the person grows and is healthier on the other side! 🫵

…Where sometimes you can’t see when the finger is pointing back atcha until you’re calm again.

And that’s what I went through to restore after the move and when the unpacking was finally over.

After I calmed my mind, I could use that to help recuperate my body where I still felt daily worn aches.

RECUPERATING THE BODY

And rolling out the yoga mat from Day One was a NO-BRAINER.

Every day my back, arms, and legs burned.

…And where it hurt the most was my hamstrings.

Fave poses: Sitting Forward Bend, Plow Pose, Bridge Pose.

I was also ravishingly hungry (that’s par for the course as a Vata body).

And during this transition time, I was burning so many move calories every day.

…I couldn’t eat enough.

And I delighted in childhood foods like ramen noodles. And mixed it with plant-based adult foods like pea shoots and kohlrabi.

In my travels, I found my grocery stores (Aldi, Lidl, Whole Foods, and Harris Teeter to name a few).

And I found a walk-to farmers market.

…I mean, I couldn’t lose all the exercise I had just gained. 😊

…So I did a little of this and a little of that to get back to normal.

That was my way to recuperate and ease into my new post-move life.

And every time I had an idea for what to hang on my new home walls or rearrange into another drawer, I was putting my mind at ease and unleashing new ideas.

I was stirring up my creative juices again.

…And making fresh smoothies was part of that mix.

And of course, routine baking my way back to feeling like a human again.

There’s nothing like sweets that tell you you’re home! 🏠

Wheat Crackers For Fall Vata Season

Wheat crackers are so easy to make and a nice fall backdrop to decorate a food table.🍁

It’s a perfect rustic add. And if you’re feeling the pinch of shinkflation, these crackers can certainly help your wallet.

…Or baking any of your own salty cracker snacks (as low-calorie carb choice meal accompaniments).

They’re an easy baking challenge. ⏲️

You game?

…And even easier when you’re already cranking up your oven.

I do this baking move while I’m prepping my 350°F bakes, that are mostly rising cakes and breads… and anything that’s needing dry heat.

To start, I turn the oven on a low 250°F or lower. That also works well on warm days where you can feel the heat in whatever season you’re experiencing. 🔥

And while the oven is warming up, is when I bake the crackers, tortillas, or toast depending on season or mood. It’s a good use of oven energy. ⚡️

And also baking effort… where prepping cracker paste for a sheet of crackers takes seconds.

All you need is an even flour-water mix, and then spread with a little balancing salt on a baking sheet.

That’s it.

…It doesn’t get easier than that for the basics.

But I have some useful tips below with ancient flours that can enhance your wheat crackers, and making-baking experience.

Plus there are so many flour varieties and cracker taste options to consider and get into for your happy wild-free self… maybe Wild Thing or Wheel Pose. Just sayin! 🎡

You can use any ground flour for cracker making which is a great way to clean out your pantry. You can ground your own gluten-free and seed versions. Grounds reminds me of coffee since I make my own cold brew daily. 💭

And like coffee, if you add anything else as ingredients besides your grounds, water, and flavor adds or seasonings to your cracker mix, then you’ve prepped another food… but not crackers.

K.I.S.S. (keep it super simple). 💋

…that means no oil or yeast as tempting as it can be.

The essence of crackers is dry, salty, and flat crunchy. That’s why it’s a good Vata season balancing snack.

Great for anyone in fall season or leaning into their Vata body.

For me, that’s a double score. 🧘🏻‍♀️…maybe you too?

…I didn’t make up these rules 😊

The ancient people were the inventors.

Flat breads still exist as precursors to our modern day crackers.

(See Ezekiel 4:9 in the Bible that mentions several grain flours for baking bread: “But as for you, take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet and spelt, put them in one vessel and make them into bread for yourself…”).

And fast forwarding to today, the flour is still the star ingredient for bread and crackers.

…So, choosing a healthy flour is a smart choice.

Making homemade crackers is a good opportunity to use your healthy gluten-free flours and whole flours like whole wheat.

Whole grains rule because they keeps the entire kernel that has all the nutrients like extra B-vitamins that refined grains do not have.

Refined grains are also deprived of fiber that’s not added back even if the grain is enriched.

Keeping it simple, remember the fine print “whole” as a top ingredient when you’re looking through the shelves deciding which is the healthy good choice, all things being equal.

Whole is also a good intention for all us healthy intentional peeps to eliminate holes in our diet.

Some of the whole goodness comes in gluten flours (yes, gluten!) that can be used to make wheat crackers.

Whole wheat grain flours have more fiber, so if you can eat gluten it’s good to keep some higher quality whole wheat in your diet.

And ancient wheats like Einkorn, spelt, and emmer are good choices.

Einkorn has less gluten than the other two so it makes for a great cracker that doesn’t need proofing.

The proof is in the cracker recipe below. 🧡

…You can add your flavor touches and textures like chia seeds or Everything Bagel spices for crunch and vitamins.

Btw, chia seeds are loaded with some B-vitamins, magnesium, calcium, iron, and other minerals.

Chia vary from poppy seeds even though they look like twins and are both carbs. 👯‍♀️

…And when I hear people say that they don’t eat carbs, that saddens me.

Carbs include veggies AND also healthy grains that don’t wanna be missed. Veggies are usually low calories in case those points are added up.

And next to protein, grains support the body in B-vitamins that we need a lot of to work together.

They also help to lose weight along with fiber. 🎉

So if healthy eating is one of your goals too (and a good one since you’re eating for the rest of your life), building good habits that keep your weight the same or consistent year-round makes sense.

A rainbow variety diet with food as medicine works. 🌈

Yo-yo diets that I grew up around don’t support that.

And eating food like rustic wheat crackers can fill the gaps.

Since fresh baked are not preserved (with preservatives) like the crackers you could buy in grocery stores, they will change texture over time and days.

It’s best to enjoy them the same or next day after baking (and that helps to get us to bake or cook more, if that’s another goal initiative you’re trying to make).

You can leave your baked crackers out for a few more days but they will likely become more dry.

So you could add a little olive oil or keep a moist towel over them.

You can also bag and seal them when they’re still warm out of the oven and that will create some heat-rising condensation in the bag that will help them stay hydrated… a little cracker TLC. 😀

…Wheat is plant-based afterall 🪴

And if they dry out, you can still save and revive them.

You can add a little water back and let them dry out for a few hours and then enjoy again. Then they’re as good as new again!

The wheat cracker taste factor will be the same because remember water is the next inherent star ingredient. ⭐️

How’s that for fall-ing in love with wheat crackers?

Wheat Crackers

Wheat crackers are so easy to make. You can make them and bake with your other bakes.

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

whole wheat flour and einkorn flour
seeds (flax, chia, or sunflower)
salt to taste
water

Instructions

Mix ingredients until you get a paste. Spoon out dough and make about 1/8" thin wit a knife. If you use more flour, you can alternatively roll out into a thin even paste. It will come out the same as a cracker.

5 Best Vata Season Tips to Love This Autumn

Almond Whoopie Pies

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

2 Egg whites
1/4 cup fine almond flour
Pandan
Pistachios (optional)
monkfruit sugar or white sugar
Greek yogurt (for filling)

Instructions

Whip up meringues with egg whites and add monkfruit sugar or sugar, almond flour, and Pandan.
Bake on 300°F for 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Tip: flip tops over to bottom if edges begin to brown and use top shelf of oven.
Let cool. Make top and bottom sandwiches with Greek yogurt and decorate with pistachios (optional).

transitioning into vata season with pandan yogurt cakey whoopie pies. — These healthy frog green Pandan Whoopie Pies are decadent sandwiched with Greek yogurt, white chocolate, almond flour and pistachios and in celebration of Cake Week of The Great British Baking Show. I’ve added a healthy (but tasty) vertical cake to my list of baking projects! 🍥 Proof that pandan has grown into the modern, Western baking world. 😊

And below, I have some tips on how you can evolve and make the most of your Vata season with autumn mind-body balance tips.

We know we’ve hit a naturally changing season when daylight savings time hits and we fall back in time (and then give back an hour in spring forward).

But before these time clock changes, our healthy bodies naturally start to transition into the upcoming season. And our daily preferences change much sooner. Mostly because the stores and media around us have started their promotions on the first weekend before the new season starts.

And when we are ready, we get ourselves ready for a new season…

We change up our home candles, spices, and teas. And we opt for warm drinks over cold drinks. We also like burnt, spicier shades of browns, reds, and oranges compared to the bright whites and colors of summer.

We subtly shift from light caramel lattes to pumpkin spices. And we feel it in the sea air in the last days of summer.

And for Vata bodies (maybe that’s your dominant dosha), the mind-body can feel most balanced during the Vata season. And for any of us we want to lean into this season. And there are easy changes to help our Vata balance.

Vata Season – Surroundings Change

We lean into Vata season with a change in home décor that can cost nothing like bringing in pine cones or adding a splash of color inspired by the changing of the trees and leaves outside.

I like to pull out different cornucopia color coffee table books or magazines (…remember those?) that have the colors I’m looking for.

So it doesn’t have to cost much of anything except bringing out your creativity and the resources around you. That can help you get closer to your inner child when in those days that’s how everyday was when you wanted to do more.

And maybe that includes rearranging books and decor on bookshelves, and creating new table centerpieces. Some people like to change up their bedroom or wall colors too.

And maybe you have a second getaway place you call home like a cabin retreat, that can be very nourishing as you move away from the summer beachy vibes.

You can look at your new surroundings and inspiration, and feel warm and cozy inside, like you get from a crackling lit fireplace, but it’s still too warm outside for that!

5 Vata Season Body Shifts

1. Warm

In Vata season, we start preferring the warm drinks, but not the hot ones. We prefer warm drinks to start the day, and that gives our soul a small boost to enter the day with optimism.

In the shower, we may feel very relaxed with the therapeutic water pitter patter comfort of warmer water drops, but your skin could still be screaming for cooler jet streams because it’s still hot outside (and you’re part Pitta!).

2.Dry

Vata bodies also shift into their natural dry, wind-like features. Maybe your lips, lizard dry feet, or another part of your body feels the transitioning effects. Even though you may have felt the dry effects during the heated summer that’s another cause.

And Vata season, all around us we see proof as nature is withering into the season.

3. Tastes and smells

And we have certain flavors that we go to that give us seasonal joy. A good reminder for us is when we already know our preferences in food, tea, drinks, and spices. Because we can reach for those with little extra decision effort and maybe they’re on hand already.

But for a Vata who prefers variety and the preferences change daily, cinnamon and ginger does not. And those are good to lean into during Vata season.

Also, orange scented candles as in orange fruits, but could be orange color too. There are so many options in candles these days that I have to specify. 😊 Because pure orange citrus calms the nerves and that helps with Vatas who are feeling naturally anxious in their body when triggered, unlike Pittas and Kaphas who don’t understand.

4. Colors

The changing fall leaves help to inspire fall colors. Out in California where I have family and friends, to me it never feels like fall because the lack of deciduous trees with shedding leaves.

And I always feel “off” like something inside is missing even if I’m only there for a short visit and seeing the lovely evergreen palm trees and coastal vibes.

And my body calls for the changing landscapes of parks and cooler temperature vineyards.

5. Activities

Fall is a great transitional period to start a physical routine again like hiking, pickleball, or YOGA. That’s my favorite.

I’m back in classes and I’m gonna share with you my lessons old and new in the coming few weeks! It’s an anniversary for me as I started going to Hatha yoga classes regularly in the Vata season after I had my Ayurvedic epiphany. 🧘🏻‍♀️

And even if you’ve just left the happy-go-lucky and vacation summer days, and headed back to busy fall, find time to get your alone time in yoga or meditation wherever suits you best.

That will help you ease into the season, and ground and round out the rest of the year. And gear up for holiday time and a new year that’s getting closer.

And finally…

Get An Vata Season Empowered Reset

The change in season gives us a reason to reset.

We don’t really need a reason because every day is a new start, but a new season like Vata season is a good reminder.

So we can a start new project, have new goals, and a way to remember the same season last year.

Our body cells don’t forget. I learned this experientially in a yoga class when years ago I took a break and my muscles remembered.

And you can consciously activate your brain cells by going down memory lane.

What were you doing this same time last year? I’m sure there are areas that were 180 degrees in another direction when you check.

Maybe you moved or something in your work or relationship changed. You’ve made great strides, so you should pat yourself on the back for all your soft and recognized accomplishments.

You empower yourself with healthy thoughts.

Photos, journal entries, and other personal external things can conjure up happy memories and thoughts that bring nostalgia and joy as you go through the transition of the season.

Make some new routines. Maybe some end-of-year goals. Now is a good time so you can make impact on this year’s progress. Just a thought. 💭