Food Balance Your Body Type Archives - Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Dry January The Healthy Tea Way

Dry January is catchy these days as people (…maybe you?) want to be better to their health and bodies than before because living longer optimally is available.

…And I have an offer below 👇 (that’s FREE) to help this cause, and if that’s where you are!

Drinking healthy is smart and good for weight loss as metabolism and the body changes over decades.

…And no matter what age you are, we’re living in tech exciting times.

That surely (if nothing else yet) keeps us curious to what’s next and on our toes! 🩰

Curiosity and wonder is what this life journey is all about. 💭

And to enjoy life fully, being healthy changes everything about daily life.

It’s the daily little steps that make all the difference. 🐾

And this article is all about how you can optimize your life with healthy tea (and other anti-inflammatory drinks) you can celebrate the ride with through dry January if that’s what you’re doing or aspiring to.

Your healthy drink habit intentions and efforts could be the one action step change that changes the trajectory of your future. No judgment wherever you are, just a mild fact.

…You can avoid surprising health diagnoses and gain healthy outcomes with the one life you and I get by your daily drink habits.

And off the bat, ruling out excessive drinking is good for your body.

…Not just cocktails, but also regular mocktails 🧉filled with sugar. That often comes in a pretty and shiny can.

And for starters, I’m a Sugar Queen.

I know all about the substance as I was the kid who delighted in spoonfuls of sugar out of the sugar jar and always had candy, cookies, cakes… you name it.

If you had a sweet emergency, you could always count on me to have something sweet-on-hand to calm your nerves. 😁

And today I still enjoy the sweet bakes with low-sugar so I can feed my craving that’s not a sugar addiction.

Sugar drinks is where you can score lots of points. I had my own lessons learned experiences. That’s how I started my mornings for a few years where cola felt good.

These days, I can’t tell you the last time I picked up a soda pop because I broke the bad habit.

When you get to that point, your body helps you too and you no longer have a sweet soda craving (addiction).

But getting there can be gradual.

And a good place to start is replacing bad drink habits with simple and low-sugar drinks that are good for your health, like healthy smoothies.

There are also plenty of delicious natural drinks that have a great taste out-of-the-box that don’t need much thought to make or zhugh to create…

Teas are at the top of list.

With a little added water (that is the drink of life), you’re off to the races, avoiding some headaches and overeating.

Water is life and naturally the drink for all life, like camels that can’t get enough of the flowing crystal liquid 🐪

And water in tea as flavoring is a great way to add variety drinks to your day!

The healthy tea benefits outweigh the concerns for stained teeth and any other tea-related disadvantages.

…I’ve been drinking black tea and all different color 🌈 and types of teas my entire adult life, and my teeth are still white.

Plus, we live in an era of whitener options to get them pearly.

And tea is much better for your teeth than sugar.

One super tea is green tea (more on this below 👇).

And if you’re not a green tea 🍵 flavor fan (like most Vata first people that prefer sweet), there are options, like: fruity herbal tea and adding cinnamon spice.

There is so much drink-from-the-rainbow variety! 🌈

And last time I checked the stores, there were whole aisle shelves filled with teas, so you’re in good company to support a dry January cause that can be year-round.

Packaged tea from grocery stores often come with 20 bags and for under $20 you can buy lots of tea variety.

But before you head to the stores, check your teas at home.

When you’re ready, head to your tea stash to survey what your current options are. And maybe think of how you can add to the deficit.

In your kitchen shelves, as part of organization, you can pull out all your tea bags and loose teas (whether they’re in bags or not).

Sniff how fresh they are.

And see what your (Ayurvedic) preferences are as your nose knows!

That’s what I like to do also with spices during the holidays.

…This sniffing idea caught on with me from childhood slumber parties I went to.

Sleepovers were a popular thing to do.

And one New Year’s childhood sleepover (…back then, they were all dry 😊), we stormed my friend’s kitchen (aka parent’s cabinets) and pulled out all the spices and set them on the table… and from there we did a fun blind sniff test on one another.

That started my cinnamon curiosity. 💕

…And that cinnamon stick memory sticks with me as decades later I’m into the Ayurvedic spice. 😊

Just like that, I grew from sugar to cinnamon girl! 🧒🏻 🦸🏻‍♀️

And today you can do the same fun experience with your tea and spices at home.

…In the malls I went to (another popular past-time), there were Teavana stores (that Starbucks currently owns) where they kept loose teas and they would let you sniff the loose tea wafts.

The employees waved the tin tops so you can make your own tea pairing blends.

And you could bring back the canisters to refill. I miss those days when I fell in love with mate tea and chai undertones that are BOTH even more popular today!

That’s inspiration for making your own home tea blends that can be made from spices, and vice versa.

…And with teas in front of you, you can mix-and-match and have a dry January party every day. 🎉

You can even double-up with 2 tea bag flavors to light your tea fancy.

…And this is how you can fit your green tea in that goes well with peach and other fruity flavors.

Leaving the teas out so they’re visible brings tea possibilities.

Detox, black, green, herbal, white, and red (rooibos) teas… bring it on! This is my sample stash that changes as often as the seasons…

When you sniff teas, the tea smell strength tells the tea story… of how it will taste brewed. And also how healthy it will be.

The healthy profile is in the fresh, so that’s one reason why freshness and expiration dates do matter.

On Green Tea

Green tea is one of the most healthy tea types, and matcha tea is one potent green tea type that is high in tea caffeine if that’s important to you. 🍵

Teas have anti-inflammatory healthy profiles. Like L-theanine in green teas and catechin (polyphenols) in white and black teas.

Usually polyphenols are rainbow 🌈 colors, but black is void of colors and white has all the colors.

Like fine wines, green teas have grades and ceremonial grade is high-quality and going to be the most favorable for a sweet tooth.

Premium grade is close, but comes from a second harvest so will be a more like a traditional green tea that’s bitter and culinary grade.

And green tea is great for a tea ritual.

Dry January won’t seem as dry with your tea practice that is cozy warming 🕯️and complement yoga time on your mat. 🧘🏻‍♀️

Muti-tasking both is healthy.

And as for beginner tea tools:

Buy or bring out a tea pot that will make your party enjoyment easier.

Growing up, tea pots with jasmine tea are familiar to me because that’s when I saw them served with fortune cookies at Chinese restaurants my family occasionally went to.

And in trying this at home, keep in mind a tea pot is not a tea kettle. 🫖

Word to the wise: read the instructions that came in the box.

And if it’s a hand-me down pot or doesn’t come with any instruction (…sound familiar?), proceed with caution as many ceramic or clay pots are not boiling water heat-safe… so they could blow a lid.

Leave the tea pot on the serving table and pour the hot water from the stove tea kettle into the table tea pot.

And if you are drinking green tea, let any boiling water cool down first to steaming hot (but not boiling hot).

⛔️ Boiled water burns green tea leaves and that’s how you get a more bitter taste that isn’t favorable (that will make a non-green tea fan even less of a fan!).

To sweeten, you can also add honey and a great healthy flavor pairing is lemon.

Lemon and green tea are anti-inflammatory activating-powerful as a pairing. ⚡️

And when you lean into fun flavors like pucker-up lemon 🍋, dry January will no longer be as dry anymore… and also when you immerse yourself in teas that are easy to find.

Like, a Chai Latte where you fall in love with tea as your new go-to comfort when you’re feeling bored with water.

Or try a ginger tea and you’ve got a delicious drink that’ll give you something to hang your hat on (and not a hangover). Pair with lime, orange, or lemon that are all winter citrus fruits with a zippy vibe.

📣 NEW: For more inspiration, if you would like more daily healthy tea and drink ideas, grab my FREE digital/printable 7-Day healthy smoothie recipe guide.

👉 And if you want super easy and healthy blender recipe ideas, check out my NEW Magic Bullet recipes.

Bran Waffle with Lemon

Bran waffle in your diet is good inspo for healthy and happy eating. It’s a great year-round breakfast or brunch idea.

To brighten the brown waffle color, lemons add sunny yellow and pucker-up tartness. And actually lemons are winter fruits that we celebrate more in summer! 🍋

You would never know that these waffles have bran and lemon in them!

But bran topping or blended in bran is loaded with fiber, and a handful of all bran may be the fiber you need (without all the sugar).

Bran is a whole food and grain which means that the bran, germ, and endosperm stay intact.

In common terms, that means that extra vitamins and fiber are included and not just the starchy carb middle layer found in many ordinary grains.

Bran is also a low glycemic index food that good for anti-inflammatory.

So it’s a good start, and when you mix bran in your waffle batter, you don’t have soggy bran like in cereal. 🥣

Bran also makes for a good foundation for other flavors like citrusy lemon that comes through.

The burst of sour sweetness wakes up!

And when you add another flavor dimension like anise seed or spice, you have one tasty waffle that’s also good for your stomach gut.

You can make pancakes with these ingredients, and if you like crunch and the idea of not waiting for your stove to heat up, you can make fresh waffles.

All you need are a few extra waffle ingredients and a waffle iron.

In case you’re debating whether to get one, I did the same. I wondered if it would be another tool that would take up valuable kitchen space.

And I’m proud to say it was a great investment because waffle irons are not expensive compared to other plug-in kitchen tools. 🔌

Mine gets used regularly, and yours would too!

They also take up little space standing upright like a book 📕 that I discovered when I read the paper instructions it came with.

…I would’ve never thought of that because I’ve only seen them in motion use either sitting on a table or at a self-serve hotel breakfast bar.

And that’s the story of how the waffle idea caught on with me (…and maybe for you too?). 🧇🧇🧇

…Oh, and the best part is if you don’t feel like cooking or waiting for your stove to wake up from cold sleep, a waffle iron is a fast-heating, convenient tool.

It’s as fast heating up as a curling iron for your hair that most of us grew up with.

…Once upon a time, I had a wavy iron. I’m glad that trend died and didn’t resurrect!

…And that no waffle iron hair took its place. 😊

Let’s keep the waffles for the kitchen.

And since they’re so easy to whip up in one bowl in 5-minutes, you can free-zer up your freezer space.

Just think, this weekend or today, a happy breakfast or brunch is served in minutes! 💭 And with a bran waffle stack idea, you have a healthy breakfast that could be a daily one.

The possibility of sweet pairing flavors is endless with easy and sweet one-bowl made waffles.

Like, you can amp up your waffle fries with healthy, savory potatoes with a french fry crunch 🍟. For other one-bowl easy waffles, check out my brunch waffles and recipes.

Bran Waffle with Lemon

Servings 3 waffles

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup all-bran cereal
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp healthy oil
1 tbsp anise seeds
1 tsp cardamom (optional)
1/2 lemon

Instructions

Combine water to flour and add bran. Let the bran soften (or you can grind in advance).
Squeeze in lemon and add seeds. If you do not have anise seeds, you can substitute with poppy or chia seeds that will be also be a delight.
Cook waffles until golden brown (usually 3-5 minutes on medium setting on heated waffle iron).

Gut Health For a Happier Life

Gut health is something that rules our happy life. This article is about reminders and what you can do about keeping the gut happy.

…And fermented foods is one way that makes for your healthier and happier life! 😊

Easy steps to make sourdough for gut health. 👣

Like, baking sourdough is one way to take healthy measures to get a happy gut. And a great new year initiative. 🎉

For one, making sourdough is an immersive experience to learn about what fermented foods are.

In the process, you see how easily bacteria in the air (that we often avoid) is created and grows, and these become baked-in prebiotic foods to support our healthy gut bacteria.

I learned about these sides researching and writing articles for health and wellness publications… and going through the baking experience myself like so many during the pandemic.

Sourdough was a trend and maybe still is with you. 🥖

…If you’ve never tried making sourdough, it’s much easier to make (and regular bread too) than it sounds.

Actually… it’s sooo easy in steps, that it fits on the small square infographic image above that I created. ⬆️

…And that’s just one way to promote gut health.

A healthy gut is a happy life connection.

…Where remember, over 90% of the happy hormones (serotonin) is made in the gut.

So if you have a less-than-balanced gut, then the happy moods can subtly run off… but often can be mood restored with TLC (self-care) and Ayurvedic restoration if it’s not caused by a health issue.

…If you don’t know why you have a sudden chip on your shoulder or are more emotionally lately, gut health could be one reason.

So it’s good to ask yourself: what have I been eating lately? And what in my life and lifestyle could have brought this temporary mood on?

The mind-body connection is as real as the happy gut health connection.

And if it’s lifestyle or mood-related, you can get your healthy and happy gut back on with some tweaks…

Eating more fiber from mostly veggies and fruits for morning starters is a good move! 🥕🥦

The fiber ones that are non-digestible are prebiotic. There’s a subset of plant-based foods or produce out there that qualify. 🍏 🍌

Prebiotic foods such as asparagus are abundant in spring. And garlic and onions peak… (see these ones peeking out here 🧅).

Along with probiotic healthy bacteria (like that found in Greek yogurt), prebiotic foods will encourage more good bacteria.

And so, mixing your banana (prebiotic) and Greek yogurt (probiotic) is a good idea. And when you add nuts or seeds and whole fruits, that makes a gut smile even more.

Starting your morning habits after a tall glass of water or ginger water sets you and your body on the right foot.

You can prevent leaky gut, dysbiosis, SIBO, and IBS caused by food habits.

Encouraging good gut bacteria growth in the body is similar to supporting positive, loving thoughts in the mind where you want to crowd out the negative, bad ones.

✋ Avoid Reminders:

Antibiotics destroy the gut microbiome and changing gut health flora. Take antibiotics when absolutely necessary.

Such as, most people wouldn’t take antibiotics for a common cold virus (as it wouldn’t help and is not necessary).

But it’s common to take antibiotics prescribed by a doctor as precaution for a growing bacterial infection. And supplementing with probiotics (including yogurt) help to support the gut damage.

If you think of a healthy gut like a well-run garden (vs. an unbalanced jungle that can turn into weeds ), then you have a good mental picture of healthy balance vs. dysbiosis (gut imbalance).

…And you’re the gardener. 🧑‍🌾

Avoid the skin on foods that are non-organic.

Skin has nutrients but a lot of the modern healthy foods we eat today are sprayed with toxins in the process that negate the benefits and damage the gut.

So eating skin on certified organic foods or ones you personally plant and care for is the only real way to be safer in protecting your gut microbiome.

Stress is a killer. Our bodies naturally clean and detox during sleep, but stress puts wear and tear on our body’s natural defenses and adds a strain on its healthy housekeeping.

Avoiding stress at all costs is the best way.

With stressful seasons and situations that you experience, take daily deep breaths.

It’s amazing how the world looks different after a few deep breathing exercises like: Ujjayi, Lion’s Breath, or 4-7-8.

My favorite way is getting on my yoga mat to let the world and stress melt away. 🧘🏻‍♀️

It’s cathartic.

You can also take relaxing nature walks and experience tears of joy through Ayurvedic living.

The story of your stress is displayed in your gut, starting from cravings and what you eat… down to how food is digested and how it determines your bathroom life relative to other days and seasons.

The moods you think you’re feeling may not be the one your body is actually experiencing.

Remember, you are not your body or mind, but they are part of you.

You can tell signs by what you’re drawn or repelled to in foods, scents, and activities. That’s one way Ayurveda is useful to daily, modern life so you can make changes.

And that’s why I was hooked after I learned about the science …as we’re not prisoners to our situations and moods that are served up… we’re empowered to restore to our healthy and happy, best life and season.

…And we’re better off for it in daily joyful living and living healthy longer.

You can restore your moods and gut in one-fell swoop effort with your healthy moves when you know what to do (and then do it).

Mood foods are a good way to start and most fall in the anti-inflammatory food diet categories that’s catching on.

Anti-inflammatory foods are the ones I focus on, as I found on my healthy living journey that they matter most.

They help to restore gut balance and bigger picture… they’re known to prevent certain common chronic diseases like heart diseases, Diabetes, cognitive decline, and certain cancers.

You can find anti-inflammatory profiles in many beverages, spices, and colorful polyphenol-filled rainbow foods when you look around. 🌈

…Like this butterfly blue tea drink filled with quercetin and other antioxidants that I made from bags of tea I purchased.

Keeping a daily happy gut with anti-inflammatory plant-based foods and creative healthy beverages, you live comfortably, have more energy, and get to fulfill more each day.

…Now that’s something to look forward to! ✨

One gut health pairing idea: a pear granola crumble (substitutable with apple) that’s tasty happy pair-enhanced with cinnamon. Use Ceylon cinnamon for additional anti-inflammatory benefits. 🧡 😋

Pear Granola Crumble

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

dry oats
pear
honey
cinnamon to liking
light EVOO

Instructions

Add your layer of oats. And drizzle honey ontop and a drizzle of light olive oil so you get the toasty granola effect.
Add your cut pear slices. Add cinnamon as a divine flavor pairing.
Add another layer of oats and more cinnamon to liking.
Bake until toasted.
For healthy Vata balancing, add orange slices or zest and additional Ceylon cinnamon.

Hot Chocolate for Moods

Hot chocolate is something that everyone one loves, especially during cold sweater weather ❄️ And it’s the liquid chocolate taste that is timeless.

It needs no improvement.

…And what if certain flavors could change or restore your mood to a better one this season? …Even better, yes?

And if you’re feeling heated, your body will like the hot cocoa recipe below.

Even if you can’t drink coffee for reasons, cocoa is usually a good alternative… and raw cacao is anti-inflammatory.

Healthy Tip: Avoid the dutch processed and sweetened cocoa that often comes in packets.

Then you can add your own few marshmallows or fun zhugh at the end where you control the sugar and smile. 😊

These great ingredient tips (below) will activate those better moods.

(And that’s one aspect of Ayurveda that helps you to a healthy self.)

The first ingredient is red chili flakes that’s great if you are feeling cold that’s common for the winter season… or if you’re feeling extra Kapha or Vata, that naturally lean toward cold.

That’s why Kapha moods are typical for winter season when we want to be cozy and hibernate.

Adding a few fiery chili flakes (instead of snowflakes ❄️) will bring out the heat punch in this cocoa. The color is good too for awakening.

You can substitute with cayenne pepper for even more heat.

Tip: Don’t let the camouflage brownish cayenne color fool you… cayenne heat will sneak up on you so don’t add too much at first before taste testing.

And then if you’re feeling hot (and not cold), as in angry or irritated by triggers, then you’re going to want to add a cooling spice or herb like mint. Or no spice at all.

You can still have hot chocolate because it’s cold outside and you’re chilly in your bones. You can feel hot and cold.

A cooling spice will soothe the skin heated-effects that are based on your Pitta mind-body moods.

In those cases, a little cold and hot will be comforting to you in the winter.

Doing these body healthy moves, helps to restore your temporary imbalance or the mood season you’re in… that as pointed out, could be different than the weather outside.

A peppermint chocolate would be good for the heated (see recipe below). I even made mine in my favorite mug (Starbucks!)

Or if your heated season is dialed up way high, a frozen cold cocoa beverage may be called for that you can dream about jumping in!

Hot Chocolate with Peppermint

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1 tsp Cacao (raw cocoa powder) per 6 ounce water
1/8 tsp salt (Himalayan sea salt if you like)
5 drops of peppermint extract

Instructions

Heat water and pour over cacao powder. Add peppermint extract and salt.

Mango Smoothie Benefits

Mango in a smoothie is one way to start your healthy morning. Learn about the fruit benefits and get ideas for your smoothie.

You’ll learn all about the mango healthy sides here…

First of all, the stone fruit has a good amount of fiber, so it’s a great morning starter to rev up the gut engines… plus the bright taste and sunny color is going to leave you happy. 🌅

You may not have a choice about what side of the bed you woke up on… but you do have a say in turning that wake-up frown, upside down to prepare you for your better day! 🥭

And saying yes to the fruit means adding vitamins and minerals that you may not have without.

For starters, mangos are loaded with Vitamin C that’s a smart morning staple. It’s the vitamin that has stayed constant in health benefits over the centuries. The “C” could stand for “cure” as it has been. And is a great immunity booster.

Plus, it’s water soluble so you can’t take too much.

The fruit is also a good source of Vitamin A good for eyesight and dry eyes if that’s you.

Mangos are inexpensive and found year-round in the U.S so there’s nothing stopping you.

You can get a fresh juice in seconds for less than you would pay for a soda loaded with sugars.

And if you think a mango is loaded with sugar… you’re right. It’s like a pineapple in that way. And mango has more sugar than low-sugar cookies.

…But the 20 or more vitamin and mineral benefits offset the sugar sides as shown in a 12-week study.

The findings include that despite the high sugar amount in a mango, the blood sugar in study participants tested lower as a deemed low-glycemic index food.

That’s what actually counts more than the printed sugar count on a cookie package.

And that news can be a game changer for pre-diabetes, preventing or even managing Diabetes if that’s a concern.

It also is named an anti-inflammatory food… that we like! And is good for everyone to protect against chronic inflammation and diseases.

Because of the polyphenol and fiber counts, eating a mango does good to help offset the gut-inflammatory aspects.

And in my own tests, my skin doesn’t crawl when I eat them… and is probably adding a rainbow glow and erasing lines. 😊

Which btw, you can probably guess what rainbow polyphenols are living in a mango based on its Goldenrod bright orange (paper) color. There was a Vitamin A hint above.

Found in carrots too, mangos have beta-carotene. They also have quercetin (found in apples and onions) as part of the great mango tango.

…And maybe that makes you dance inside a ‘lil 💃🏻 or look at a mango more positively than before.

Or even consider mango as a smoothie starter.

Add a banana and water or milk, and you’ve got a solid mango smoothie!

But you don’t have to stop there…

You can add all the healthy ingredients that help your gut, detox, and provide vitamins and antioxidants on top of mango!

You can pucker up with lemon that’s a winter citrus. It has a summer fruit reputation despite its year-round availability.

And for a third taste dimension, add ginger and turmeric that would make a super mango smoothie, that’s an anti-inflammatory powerhouse.

If you’re food dreaming of a mango drink 🥭, then you may also love mango lassi spiced just right or a mango juice vs. orange juice. Or a tropical green smoothie or morning mango parfait for probiotic gut-health bonus.

The healthy variety of tastes is unlimited!

Mango Parfait

A morning mango parfait is an easy way to bring a smile to your mornings and weekends.

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

mango, pureed
Greek yogurt
blueberries or blackberries (optional)

Instructions

Layer yogurt bottom and add mango puree. Add a layer of contrasting berries if you like. Enjoy!