Habits Archives - Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Dyshidrotic Eczema – Printable Anti-Inflammatory Food List

Dyshidrotic eczema is a specific type of eczema marked by inflamed skin marks caused by dry skin triggers. It’s related to general atopic eczema and like a sunburn with dry skin and blisters. And these days have been more dry so it can happen more often.

But there’s more causal facts to the condition behind the hood than just dryness, where self-care is just part of the solution.

And if this is something you or others you care about face in life for weeks or seasons, then knowing how to shorten flareups (or better yet prevent them altogether) is the best happy daily life answer.

For starters, you can do something empowered about it with food-as-medicine!

…Where eat-from-the-rainbow foods are real skin medicine and cures in a bowl. 🥣

Healthy food is something I believe in wholeheartedly. And if I were to leave here tomorrow, I would not regret eating healthy foods at all, as I make them delicious (it’s in my former catering-self blood!).

For dyshidrotic eczema, a starting anti-inflammatory food list like this specific one can be turned into a tasty menu!

This healthy good grocery food list is one you can print out for your grocery shopping. …And on this site, I always share what healthy flavors I pair and recipes so you can make them daily for your bowls and plates… and I mean daily, where the easy-to-source healthy foods do the heavy lifting as flavor and texture ingredients.

And where eczema symptoms are made better eating these anti-inflammatory foods (and worsened with unhealthy foods).

In the dyshidrotic eczema case, clear blisters are clear signs to this type of eczema caused often by environmental and/or genetic factors.

…Plus, a natural earth metal you’ll learn more about below. 👇

While flareups are temporary, an anti-inflammatory diet helps restore the inflammatory skin symptoms sooner, as long as you don’t itch-n-scratch.

And you do baby yourself in self-care and moisturize skin often like you would prioritize changing a diaper.

And as you gain experiences and grow, eczema of any sort gets easier along with your reflexes to help restore to normal.

I know this deeply as I entered this unknown with my first few eczema lessons. They looked slightly different, but had the same common skin inflammation at the core.

And since those early years, I’ve learned so much and about which food-as-medicines, help or hurt. I’m a talking and walking test case under the microscope.

And as life is changing so fast these days, I’m constantly adapting to and refining my options to the evolving ingredients that end up in processed grocery foods. And so should you!

And while sorting through which foods are good (in this ever-changing food landscape), may be overwhelming, the silver lining is you get to build a good relationship with anti-inflammatory healthy foods that you might not otherwise have put in your cart.

You get to healthy eliminate and re-evaluate.

You wise up to what certain healthy foods that are good… but that you don’t want to eat too much of…

…Like go-to plant-based foods that are healthy in general, but (downer alert) come with natural negative plant baggage.

And more on that below, so you can focus on the positive foods!

Variety and moderation is still the best general answer.

Being more food and ingredient selective is also a healthy opportunity to detox, lose weight, and eat more fiber.

Wild salmon, lean chicken, white rice, sweet potatoes, turmeric, bananas, berries, probiotic Greek yogurt, honey, and bell peppers are examples of my good food-as-medicine, any day, year-round, any time and any condition.

These were good footprints in my childhood, and they are good now… and you too will find clues from your tracks as to what good foods are good for you now.

Some good foods can be surprising, like bell peppers was for me. Ring the bell please! 🫑 And oolong tea daily works, and is even better for a few reasons than green tea (…which btw, they come from the same plant source that looks like an ordinary bush with green leaves).

And those good foods and beverages become effective partners for healing the body and skin. They’re friendly, edible medicine.

And your custom list should give you grocery food confidence, knowing you buy the right stuff.

Confident positive thoughts put your mind at ease and help lower stress in the body (through the mind-body connection) that can play a big part in whether you have eczema flareups, not, or never.

Besides lowering stress and foods, what also helps is lowering sugar.

Low-sugar recipes are enjoyable (not compromising in taste) and using healthy food alternatives.

And less sugary tastes help lower your body’s sugar addictions and daily cravings.

I went from an addicted sweet tooth to not needing daily sugar… and definitely not 1/2 cup of sugar or more in dessert recipes.

And you can too if that’s your mission as sugar does your body no favors.

But you already knew that… because that’s healthy eating wisdom for all peeps.

And something you’re probably not aware of for dyshidrotic eczema flareups, the biggest trigger factor of them all is high nickel foods.

That’s something few people talk about, so I’ll give you what you need to know here…

Nickel is a naturally occurring metal found in soil and plants, as a micronutrient. And it’s in the water and everywhere on earth, so being surrounded, it’s easy to start an allergic storm.

…And that’s why you hear some people are allergic to wearing certain gold or silver jewelry. It’s because of the nickel metal mixed in, that’s the job of the alchemist (great book by the way!).

…And maybe why it’s a good thing we don’t carry coins around as much today in our climate erupting era.

And worse than metal to touch is ingesting nickel foods that are all around.

Some surprising nickel foods are healthy anti-inflammatory foods like plant-based cocoa, chocolate, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains.

And as healthy food confusing as this can sound, memorizing a list of general anti-inflammatory foods won’t be good for dyshidrotic eczema symptoms in general.

Better to use a known food list like the one above, at least as a start.

The good news is there’s a large food variety you get to choose from (and for dyshidrotic eczema inflammation).

If you have a skin flareup, skip those food offenders until you’re in the clear.

And don’t be afraid to test some healthy foods that can be “maybe” foods for your body.

Like eggs for some types of eczema?

I believe it would be tragic to give up a healthy food you love that you didn’t need to.

And while you’re having a skin flareup…

If you enjoy the food, don’t feel skin irritation, and nothing lights up, then take that as a good sign.🚦Put that on your grocery food list.

…Like based on research first, I found iffy eggs, grapefruit, and corn tortilla are all good with me. And wasabi too… wasabi! I’m lucky because I’m not naturally allergic to any foods under ordinary circumstances.

And if I didn’t at least try when tested (because I was scared, which is not my M.O.), I’d be missing out. And I’m a Joy of Missing Out type. And that’s healthy!

But Baker-me also played smart safe away from all flours for a temporary elimination diet, and felt better about it because most flours (whole wheat and gluten-free) are high in nickel. It’s not the gluten that’s the potential trigger for me, it’s the nickel!

…And that may be for you too?

So it’s a good idea (and a gift?) to be able to see (as in test and try) what your body below your neck thinks about the food you eat.

And then you won’t be wondering (scared?) and stuck in habits eating the same boring foods all your life.

Variety is the spice of life! And the way to how you can love the taste of healthy foods. Plus spices.

Our ancestors tested foods-as-medicine centuries ago, long before we came along and they saved them from their small, temporary ailments.

They didn’t have the same variety, environment, and processed gluten and dairy like we do today.

Those triggering factors vary in degrees between people and eczema types. We all have different skin.

But superfoods are good for most skins.

…Like broccoli, organic berries, apples, avocado, wild salmon, potatoes, and minimally processed foods like quinoa and white rice.

Idea: You can make white rice balls and serve with low-histamine foods like lean chicken, bell peppers, and root vegetables that you can add to a plate or a tasty turmeric soup bowl.

And if you’re craving sweets, try an applesauce fruit roll, a lemon strawberry trifle parfait, or no-flour Pavlova fruit dessert.

These are great example of celebrating healthy food tastes while telling inflammatory symptoms to take a hike!

And for beverages besides water, maybe try a freshly squeezed guava or watermelon juice. I also like to add fruit to my coffee like watermelon to my coffee. And to enjoy fruits in my daily brunch meals that include: orange coffee and oven bruleed grapefruit as part of my tested jam.

Dirty Soda – Blueberry Tea Healthy

Dirty soda is made healthy with tea. What about a blueberry green tea like this one that that has strawberry and rhubarb flavors infused? Oh… and coconut cream (healthy fat) that dirties this beverage. This could be an elevated virgin drink you pour in a celebrational glass.

The pretty white is coconut cream that’s a healthy fat (MCT). If you’ve heard of MCTs, they help convert fat into energy and support metabolism.

They’re a natural energy boost that help you wean off energy drinks and old habits you no longer need… from cramming hard or finishing projects that tested you!

A cream soda is a good way to infuse new healthier habits, and one I dreamed up from a not-so-healthy, sugary cream soda can past.

But with a splish dash of coconut (milk) and a splash of fizzy seltzer water, or gut healthy prebiotic or probiotic soda, is going to be better for you than regular sodas.

The difference between prebiotic or probiotic sodas, is feeding the good bacteria gut fiber (prebiotic) or adding more good bacteria (probiotic).

Both are good for you and your gut where most your happiness is.

…And a better healthy low-sugar habit. That’s good if you’re learning the ropes to calm your sugar cravings which btw helps overall healthy and weight.

And a good switch off artificial sweetened diet and regular sugary sodas if that’s your daily rhythm… I did that in my 20s when regular and diet can sodas were the rage (and still are today!).

They were complimentary in the office I worked in and gave me the daily energy push I needed.

…so I couldn’t say no (I thought).

And the healthy alternative was water. Still is.

But water as the drink of life lacks taste.

(Not to mention, it’s a tad boring compared to tea-fruit’s juice-soda variety. Where whole fruit is naturally an anti-inflammatory choice, and you can choose an anti-inflammatory tea).

So I gradually switched from breakfast can sodas to coffee for morning. And then tea in the afternoon.

Those were quiet options back then (without coffee shops everywhere other than diners and convenience stores).

Coffee wasn’t yet touted as healthy like it is today, and where easy home making coffee cold brew is my jam.

But over the years, coffee and tea helped me gradually wean off diet sodas.

…And if you want to be healthier too, a modern dirty soda is how you can make a micro-switch habit to add in more healthy drinking ingredients to your overall daily consumption habits, where the body keeps score.

These are the ingredients I used for my blueberry healthy dirty soda tastes:

…Oh, and like a healthy smoothie you make, you can’t go wrong with your mixology skills.

Like, you can’t add too much or too little. Because naturally, you’ll adjust the liquids because your taste buds (or someone else’s taste buds) will tell you so.

And if the fruity foods and beverages you add in appeal to you, they will be great in a mixed soda mocktail like this virgin dirty soda.

Whether you choose strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, cherry, or lemon flavors as your favorite now… or a vanilla tea instead of a blueberry twist one. Either way, is up to you! And it’s more than just a soda.

…And with drink in hand, you can let it help put a smile on your face to commemorate this season of your life. Or use tropical fruit flavors in season to remind you of a swoonworthy summer holiday place to get out of wanderlust feelings that can strike at any moment of the day.

…Like a lower calorie Virgin Pina Colada (without heavy cream) can.

And if you’re wondering if you should strain the healthy fat from the cream soda, my two cents is don’t bother, as that’s what makes this drink “dirty” and fun.

Some like to make a bigger head (foam), that you can do with a frother tool like you would use for making home cappuccino foam.

And if you’d rather have your soda less cloudy, or more clear and clean, then you can add no-fat milk to your soda tea juice. It’s a good way to get Vitamin D and minerals into your day. And green tea has L-theanine that’s healthy good especially for longer term focus.

And a great way to get your wildly superfruit berries in!

Dirty soda with blueberry tea, strawberry soda, and coconut cream.

Dirty Soda - Tea Drink

Course beverage

Cuisine American

Total Time 5

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

4 Tbsp blueberry tea
1 tsp blueberry juice
2 Tbsp seltzer water or Trader Joe's soda
1 tsp coconut cream, liquid portion
berries for garnish

Instructions

Pour ingredients into a drinking glass. Optional: shake ingredients in a blender if you like. To make an extra foamy top, warm milk of choice and then use a frother tool to agitate and thicken.

Sunrise Alarm Clock For Your Circadian Rhythm Health

Sunrise alarm clock is a natural body alarm that can help reset your circadian rhythm. Your best bet is to find a bedroom that has an eastern facing window with natural sunlight coming in. It’s that simple. 🌅

But not always easy, as your room may not be located in that ideal spot. And to change that could mean having to move rooms or move houses entirely.

I’m not suggesting that you do, and I have a few recommendations below if you can’t get the bedroom sunrise view today.

Especially when colder weather rolls around and you don’t feel like getting up early. And a little morning glow could help… both outside and inside you!

Then with warmer weather when the clocks spring forward, it gets a little easier with a March pep in your step from more natural Vitamin D sunshine. That helps us become more daily active in our outdoor activities, gardening, or exercising

And getting outside more is a good start to get a healthy dose of absorbable Vitamin-D (the happy sunshine pill). 💊

Because happiness affects your energy (mood and having more energy) and vice versa.

This can help with getting more quality sleep.

…Where your sleep shouldn’t be completely season and weather dependent. It can be reset with your 24-hour internal clock (circadian rhythm).

And if circadian rhythm is affecting your happiness, then this is one of the first few changes you should aim to make.

Start with your local surroundings. Where do you spend most your time in the day? At night?

Earlier on in my years, I liked to sleep in and stay up late like a night owl. I used to be such a sleepy head. It took me a long time to wake up.🦉

These days, I think I’ve gotten in a better sleeping-waking up cycle because of natural circadian rhythm (another cycle) resets.

That (re)set comes from natural sunrise sunlight.

And is dependent on my bedroom situations (more than months or seasons).

…Where non-east facing bedroom windows encourage sleeping-in later.

I know this from my own experiences waking up in 5 different sunlight exposure environments within a recent 7-year time span. That was a good, eye-opening test.

…Where, in each bedroom, the windows had horizontal window blinds, but different window sizes. And some had more than one window.

But the biggest factor was the different sunlight exposures based on compass directions: north, south, east, or west.

I still find that tool fascinating. It used to be a separate device you could carry around like a compact mirror, and now it’s on some of our devices 🧭

It works whether there’s a window or not.

And the first place I was in had a windowless bedroom in the middle of the apartment. The bedroom had a pocket sliding door and outside that door is where some light naturally flowed in. I slept like a baby, but the dark light never promoted early mornings.

I always had a blaring alarm to wake me up then, and I never felt well-slept. I would have never considered counting on myself to get up or my natural body alarm clock to wake me up.

Waking up at sunrise would’ve been nearly impossible, and many hours away from the time I actually got up. That’s when I started drinking cups of coffee regularly for the first time in my adult life.

In the second place I moved to, the bedroom had northwestern exposure and more than one window. So it was neutral morning bright and I woke up at my then-regular 8 am or so time, in-time to arrive for a 9-5 job that was within a 5-minute commute.

Then in the third bedroom place, it was northeastern exposure and there was a very big square window like the kind you find in hotels. It was so bright in the morning with mirroring windows across the way, that I quickly added dark blue drapes. Because sleeping past sunrise would have been difficult without an eye mask or sunglasses. 🕶️

Those were tough remote working years in that city view, and I had no reason to get up at sunrise as my window was concrete view blocked.

Then in the fourth bedroom situation, the regular-sized window was full-on western exposure with the most beautiful purple and orange sunsets. It was a daily show. But no sunrise view anywhere I could see in any room.

…So there I found myself slipping into a pattern of sleeping-in later and later, as I went to sleep later and later.

And that brings me to today, where my bedroom is directly facing the east. The complete opposite to the previous situation where I always felt tired, even though I loved the sunsets and staying up late.

The flip was intentional. My last moves were not so intentional as I was not as choosy and didn’t realize the affects of sunlight and the circadian rhythm-sleep connection until I lived out my real life scenarios.

Today I naturally wake up to my body’s alarm clock thanks to my circadian rhythm reset.

With big window paned doors on the sunrise side and some shielding trees, I can fully look out at the morning sun. He-llo00 sunshine!

In this natural sunrise alarm clock lifestyle, I have the blinds slightly cracked open and they wake me up naturally. I don’t need an artificial alarm clock to wake me up.

I naturally wake up at sunrise but don’t get up until the 7 o’clock hour every day.

…That’s not sunrise alarm clock time, but much earlier than when I used to get up. And if I wanted to catch an eventful sunrise glow, I could and am well-rested. 🌄

Today is much more healthy, getting 7-8 quality hours of sleep per night. It’s no longer a guilt sentence to get adequate sleep. It’s a healthy move vs. being lazy.

It’s the opposite than when I started adult life.

We’re wiser now as sleep = longevity.

And if you’re not getting enough sleep, like less than 7 hours a night, you’re hurting your health that can show up in many ways.

…It’s not just about moods and cranky irritability. Less sleep can also add to weight gain and aging faster.

For young people, their brains are still developing, so they especially need more sleep. And adults can get more quality sleep with a few habits…

First thing, get sun in your eyes in the AM. This habit over days and weeks will help reset your natural circadian rhythm in your body.

Look at early morning light through a window when you take sips of your warm beverage. And wake up the same time every day no matter what time you go to sleep.

And if you’re like me that likes to look at devices or watch shows late at night, wear good blue blocking glasses. There are different quality glasses, so it pays to do some research as you only get one set of eyes.

…It’s a good habit to wear blocking glasses even for your smaller phones. It will make a big difference to your eyes and sleep health.

And lastly, if you don’t have eastern facing light in your bedroom, you can purchase and set blue lights or a sunrise alarm clock to turn on in the morning.

When I was younger, we had timers that would turn the regular artificial lights on when we were away.

The early bird still catches the warm. And you can get more done, exercise (that could be a new concept!) or read a little more of your book if you wake up a few minutes (or hours) earlier.

You may even surprise yourself as you inch your way closer to waking up at sunrise as your new alarm clock.

Natural Sunrise Alarm Clock Habits

How to reset your circadian rhythm and wake up earlier or catch sunrise naturally.

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Instructions

Face your bed beside eastern exposure windows.
Wake up same time daily.
Look out at the sun in the early AM with bare eyes.
Wear blue blocking glasses at night looking at devices.
Get outside more during the day for healthy sunshine-making Vitamin D (that helps regulate melatonin production).

December Alignment Check

December is a unique month swirling with emotions for most. Wherever you are, you’re likely in transition and figuring out what step to take as solstice short days and long nights approach affecting our alignment.

It’s always good to check in. Even if you’re busy this last month of the year wrapped around holiday season 🎁 and joyful celebrations to anchor the weight of uncertainty.

With natural and calendar happenings, you also have personal goals and projects to finish up this year.

And sometimes there are raw emotions mixed in.

It’s a sadder time as the current year is ending and we’re often reminded over losses we had.

But we can pick ourselves up when we choose to remind ourselves of our overshadowed wins and happy (positive) times.

And for everyone, there’s anticipation of a looming new year that plays in life’s mix.

Will our future plans pan out? What should we be planning for?

And then there are the monkey wrenches thrown in. Why no one told us this in life to get ahead of adulthood is a mystery.

But you can turn your misses into your comeback story.

Because your misses can be your greatest finds when you’re aware and aligned.

So that’s why alignment checks are so valuable.

You can align to your best-self intentions to make up for all those lost years.

And that’s a way to come out victorious before next year’s end.

And in between, intentionally finding future hope to lean on and joy along your daily journey.

We all need that. Because your situation is on this planet, which automatically means you’re facing some challenges or giant in your life.

And because busy December stirs up anxious moments it’s good to stay in check with yourself (mind, body, and spirit).

Even if you’re calm and steady, others around you are triggered and act erratic or are weirdly mooded around the holidays. 🤪

That’s been my experience.

…And I’m sure yours too.

But you can keep on keepin‘ on and overcome the daily stings with in-your-face daily happy and wild impromptu surprises to erase triggered moments.

…Like this out-in-the-wild calm meeting I had with this Quarter Horse on my past weekend journey.

…Where we special bonded over an apple I happened to have on me. He gladly finished it, core and all.

We shared a few peaceful moments in the sun. 🍎

But even as calm as this meeting was, it’s not like the relaxation that the body experiences when taking a shower in Default Mode Activation (that’s a real coined term).

How do I know I wasn’t totally relaxed?

…Because I couldn’t think of questions to ask in the moment that I later thought of on my journey. Ideas didn’t pop in. Same effect you get when you’re put on the spot to answer a trivia question or your favorite whatever.

There’s a small shutdown.

And that’s how we can unintentionally turn away our creativity spark.

It’s important to weigh in so that doesn’t become the new norm.

We’re not human robots but we have automatic reaction features built-in with birth. But we can exercise our rights to self-correct and restore.

And that helps us go, grow, and evolve.

As does witnessing the life around us that can surprise us. Like this unexpected violet cluster bloom amid the purple foliage…

By using the wonders around you as curiosity you have and small signs of growth in your life, you can get more calm. And get inspired!

Getting outside your head makes you appreciate that not everything is meant to stick around in life. And that’s more than okay.

Life (and you) keep growing.

Changes are good and normal.

And growth happens in its given time (and not when we always expect).

Like this example of wild winter growth where I saw no sunflowers bloom from my seeds this past summer.

And buzzing around town and markets, you can see signs wherever you are east or west, and north or south.

Like I’m seeing winter watermelons where I’m at. And just like that, Christmas in July is now July in Christmas in the northern hemisphere. 🍉🎄

These are all small signs that anything is possible.

Where you don’t need to be able to know it’s out there to be a possibility.

Because the Universe above sees it all.

And responds to our thoughtful prayers that stirs us up and the energy around us.

Wherever you are, you are purpose… and you are useable energy.

And you can sense and pick up on the living energy around you.

…If not in your home, take a walk, look up, and all around and to see energy happening.

Like pine cones falling.

Nature and trees are a good symbol of hope and life energy to rely on when the world is full of chaos.

And exercise is still one of the best ways to get new energy and clear your head from life turmoil.

Or a creative outlet project that ignites your untapped potential.

Your healthy mind doesn’t care what you work on to change tunes and get the happy vibes back.

It just wants you to get out of your current thoughts dragging you down.

And if you do something challenging or tough today, you can then appreciate what you did later or tomorrow.

That’s why you smile when you see your past photos.

Or when you think about the job where you were miserable, but are no longer there. You made it!

So strange… if you really think about this life.

Especially since now when you’re doing the painful activity is where there’s gain.

But the gratification feelings are often delayed from the grind.

Where we usually want instant gratification.

…So we’re misaligned.

Until we connect-the-dots, and use our delayed gratification ways that are a given, to our benefit.

Then we have the opportunity to appreciate the tougher times and get more patient about our current situations. And plow through.

And on the other side, we’re happy we went through our pains to get to where we are.

And with enough practice, even partner with (and empathize) with “no pain, no gain.”

That’s done more healthy with balancing some FUN downtime.

…So your candle doesn’t burn out.

And these are a few December fun ideas you can do:

Bring out your RED and white sparkly glitter garb. Be the one to break out the bright Christmas socks and sweaters.

It’s the one time of year where you’ll see a swarm of red Ho-Ho-Ho worn by everyone from the Rock-ettes to red cap wearing sports fans.

Let the red cheer remind you of fire passion you can ignite in you.

Make handmade craft decorations with your own cookie cutters.

Bake gingerbread cookies with chai spices and adding a pep in your step.

Play Christmas therapy songs to help change sad or anxious moods.

Hold and sip warm hygge-cozy beverages to get in the holiday spirit.

Around town, notice the Christmas trees 🌲, pretty wreaths, sparkly ornaments ✨,and colored lights strung that are just in time to brighten up nature’s bare tree season.

Humans make up for nature’s dormant transition. And show up and sometimes out…

It’s a good time to be hyper-kind and for-giving… and put aside differences… staying thankful for the peace, joy, and love we all want.

…And to reflect on what we did earlier in the year that was life changing. But we temporarily forgot about in the current hoopla… maybe a move, change in job, vacation, or goal made. Or all of the above!

We forget the smaller happy times and inching along micro strides we made. Writing it all down before year end, or putting together a small scrapbook could be a good way to stay optimistic and align with your best self and next steps for tomorrow. 👣

Beet Herbal Smoothie – Fasting For Gut Detox

Beet herbal smoothie is a delicious one that is soothing. Rose petals are edible flowers that you may have seen dried for herbal tea.

And this is a good way to open up your gut after fasting…

Fasting (temporarily) is a way to do gut detox (…more on this below). And then appreciate preferred foods like a rose smoothie… with beet or strawberries, or both that’s berry-hard-to-beat. 🫜🍓

Fasting is a practice that I’m proud of.

…I no longer freak out when I haven’t eaten. I look at not eating differently than my younger self would have.

I now know it’s healthy detox.

So now it’s my choice to fast occasionally.

And fasting is a form of empowerment.

(…And it can be for you too if you choose).

It’s a smart move.

Because living today, we are exposed to so many daily toxins like microplastics, bacteria, and pesticides.

And they end up in our gut and food.

That wreaks havoc on our gut health and how we daily feel.

So an easy way to at-home detox is to simply fast: to not eat temporarily and occasionally.

Fasting is countercultural to western world upbringings where we eat, eat, eat. And snack, snack, snack.

…Which never gives our bodies a break.

But fasting once a week or even once a month does a world of good for the body.

If you choose a day to stop eating at a certain time like 4 pm (like I do) and then resume back at 9 am the next day in time for breakfast (to break the fast), you’ll have turned your body into a healthy cleaning machine.

And it’s really not that difficult from a discipline perspective since you’re sleeping (and not eating anyway) for most the time.

It’s more about breaking old habits and mindsets.

You probably (surprisingly!) won’t even be hungry in the AM… and could even go to the afternoon or 24 hours if you had a reason.

Those additional hours of fasting reaps even more healthy body benefits.

But I find that a 16-17 hour fast is the sweet spot, doing wonders, and doesn’t disrupt my life.

Around that 17th hour mark (that’s more or less for some people), the body switches energy sources from glucose (blood sugar) to fat.

You may have heard of this process (ketosis) from the Keto Diet. But fasting is not about a Diet (with a capital “d”). Because in fasting, you’re simply not eating, temporarily.

Then when you start eating again, it’s about resuming regular eating… hopefully with healthy foods like in an anti-inflammatory food diet.

…Where the type of healthy food matters most (when eating)… much more than counting fat and protein calories, and avoiding high carbs that can cause a yo-yo diet effect.

You lose weight from not eating at all temporarily (when fasting) and not because you’re eating less carbs and calories.

And while fasting is helpful for losing weight, I don’t fast to lose weight… I do it for the healthy benefits.

It’s good for anyone.

Even thinner people (aka Vatas) like me can use a beet herbal smoothie like this. 🥀

…It’s like doing some cardio is good for anyone with a beating heart.

And fasting is part of a healthy lifestyle.

…And one that’s changed my life.

I no longer freak out when I haven’t eaten for some hours on a day I choose to fast.

I look at not eating totally different than I was taught growing up.

And if I have low blood sugar during the day when I’m not fasting, but because I don’t have anything in my stomach or I forgot to pack a snack, I know I’ll be fine.

…Because I know I do the same thing when I purposefully fast.

I’m not eating in both cases.

But the body doesn’t know if I’m choosing to be hungry for fasting healthy reasons or if I forgot to pack a snack.

But my calmed mind does. And I do.

As long as my mind and I know, that’s all that matters. And my body is happy with me.

I’m letting it do its full reset and cleaning job, uninterrupted.

Then the next morning, my body rewards me.

I wake up feeling refreshed… like I’d slept for days.

That’s when I’m humbly reminded of how it feels to have energy without needing cups of coffee to get going!

Without missing a beat, I’m also never more excited to taste a beet smoothie 🫜and start my day, besides this rose and beet herbal smoothie.

And I know I’m not the only one. 😊 Roses are a lovely start. I learned about edible flowers from my catering days. They are also pretty on a food table or pressed as art. 🏵️

Herbal Rose Smoothie

Rose is a soothing herbal element and rose petals are edible and can be added to a smoothie.

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Equipment

Magic bullet or similar blender

Ingredients

2-3 oz beets, cooked (or whole strawberries)
1/2 tsp rosewater, splash
4 oz water
1-2 rose tea, dried and crushed (for zhugh)

Instructions

Blend cooked beets and rosewater. A splash is strong. You can find rosewater in international grocery markets.
Zhugh with rose petals that are used for tea.