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Category: Inflammations

Dyshidrotic Eczema + Turmeric Tofu Scramble

Dyshidrotic eczema is often tied to allergies whether outdoor or food-related is individual to each body.

Pair a turmeric tofu scramble (recipe below) for anti-inflammatory eating and moisturizing watermelon drink.

The outward showing and what makes it different from other types of eczema is that it often appears as clear blisters on hands and soles of feet (…an odd place). So it’s a little easier to spot.

A dyshidrotic eczema reaction is individual and it’s an overreaction in the body, as are other types of eczema.

Cod fish is rich in Vitamin D good for dyshidrotic eczema.
Adding cod fish to your diet with Vitamin-D helps dyshidrotic eczema.

Dyshidrotic eczema can spread but not because of your spreading it in a contagious way. It can feel that way. But, if it does spread on its own, it’s an internal body reaction. So you can cross that worry off your list.

Like most eczema types, it has dry and irritated skin as general symptoms.

Irritation in the mind and body and in the mind-body connection is a form of high Pitta.

Knowing this helps because then you can focus on doing anti-Pitta moves like an anti-Pitta diet.

I learned this in the summer of 2021 when I ended up in the hospital emergency room for a dyshidrotic eczema diagnosis.

I had a heat blister that quickly turned into a foot infection a week later where my foot swelled to greenish, purple colors. Not the Northern Lights aurora borealis effect you want on your body. 😕

During my visit, the doctor confirmed my dyshidrotic eczema symptoms… and what I already knew and had researched on my own in 2020 when I first experienced the condition.

Dyshidrotic eczema that I’ve learned to partner with is still a sign of inflammation. And while acute, it’s not that cute ☺️. And the symptoms can be preventable.

Climate Changes As a Dyshidrotic Eczema Cause

With sensitive and thirsty summer skin that many of us have felt, the fiery and itchy summer effects of global warming are only intensifying.

Our bodies rely on this livable earth. But in perspective, 10 degrees hotter is still doable compared to the 800-degree temps on Mercury. 🌎

Mother Earth is the Queen. 👑

And besides heat, dyshidrotic eczema flare-ups can come from hypersensitivity to climate changes and climbing hotter weather.

This requires deeper skin care and moisturizing as preventative measures for dry skin. While heat and climate change can be one eczema cause, there are many eczema types and triggers.

Some other triggers can be food or other allergies.

Today in fall, it’s cooler and gratefully we did see an in-between this year with some colorful fiery leaves 🍁

Low-Sugar Planning Helps Eczema

Anything at any time like air, can make the dyshidrotic eczema situation worse no matter the cause. And being smart, not eating too much sugar is one area that is controllable for any of us.

It’s smart to start at breakfast so you haven’t spent all your sugar early in the day. Eating more plant-based and organic foods help offset undesired triggers and effects.

Offsetting sugar at every meal is a good strategy to avoid the skin crawling effect, if you’ve ever experienced that feeling. It’s going to make your life easier.

I know how hard that can be if you’re a sweet tooth because I thought that would be impossible for me to give up some sugar. But that’s how you lower sugar cravings.  And I know it is possible to do as I’m living proof! 🧡

Funny I love baking, right? 👩‍🍳 

But actually, you can better control how much sugar and sweetness is added when you do your own baking, cooking, and meal prep.

That’s why I can still enjoy low-sugar summer desserts. I bake with anti-inflammatory sensitivity and that’s why I started creating my own anti-inflammatory recipes.

And you can do your own creations in your home in a healthy way where you don’t give up the love of sugar. Moderation and substitution are your friends.

I found most recipes out there call for so much sugar (that once upon a time I wouldn’t have blinked an eye too 😜).  But when you make your own dishes and bakes, you’re more selective and cautious.

And what I learned was that I craved sugar less after eating less sugar. So that became my way.

And I focused on the positives. In my world, it’s about diverse eating from the rainbow 🌈 with food varieties that are doing the body good. The rainbow are rich polyphenols that help our guts.

That btw, is one good reason you would consider eating a variety of healthy foods.

And in that way, I ruled out that any one food was a likely cause for dyshidrotic eczema. Sugar I could see was an overall offender, but all sugars aren’t created equal.

Fruits are a good example. Fruits have sugar (fructose) but they have so much fiber and vitamin benefits that offset the negative. You wouldn’t want to cut fruit out, but have them in moderation.

You could also choose lower sugar ones like berries and even better, an avocado fruit. 🥑 Or a green banana that will lower glycemic so better for the anti-inflammatory effects.

Food Allergies, Ayurveda, and Eczema

I’m sensitive to other people’s food allergies having worked closely in catering foods and party planning management for a decade. Many of us have food sensitivities that’s on a spectrum of allergies, and different than Celiac Disease (that’s a disease).

Finding our happy gut is something that each of us get to explore and keep learning about as our bodies change.

Food balancing our preferences and food sensitivities is the best tip I can give to avoid tipping the scales for inflammation, dyshidrotic eczema, and other types of eczema… PLUS still enjoy foods.

Part of that is not giving up on any one healthy food unless they’re a known offender. Using moderation or balance as a guide is much more satisfying and doable.

When you operate with restoring balance year-round as a goal, then you notice when something is “off” even if it’s just ever-so-slightly so you can remedy before it’s too late or the scales have tipped to symptoms.

Something as simple as the scents and aromas you’re drawn to is an Ayurvedic clue as to what’s going on. Testing spice and food aromas are a couple of fun Ayurvedic ways we can all use to test our bodies this season.

You can learn more about restoring your body’s Ayurvedic imbalance.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods And Dyshidrotic Eczema

Coupled with an Ayurvedic balanced food approach, adding more sustainable anti-inflammatory foods and less gluten-foods help prevent dyshidrotic eczema.

And to help offset this, leaning more into a whole, plant-based diet that’s Ayurvedic and anti-inflammatory gives us all an edge, as we do good for our body AND for the planet.

Some anti-inflammatory foods are high in cobalt and nickel that’s found all over the earth and in some of the healthiest plant-based foods such as cocoa, nuts, and even leafy greens.

Dark chocolate is anti-inflammatory and can be good to go back to in moderation after eczema inflammation symptoms go away.

So what’s the best plan? Still eating a variety of planet healthy foods is still the best bet unless you have a known allergy.

It’s also good to stay thankful for our bodies for doing all that it does every day of the year under the hood.

Keep on keepin’ on! 🎉

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Turmeric Tofu Scramble

Course lunch
Cuisine American
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

  • Tofu
  • water or olive oil
  • turmeric spice and black pepper

Instructions

  • Cut tofu into small pieces or dices. For soft tofu: cook in a pot with water on medium heat for about 15 minutes.
  • For crispier tofu: in a skillet, add a drizzle of olive oil to the skillet. Cook the same as soft tofu without water. Flip tofu about every 5 minutes.
  • Use a masher or fork to crumble cooked tofu.
  • Add turmeric spice and black pepper to enhance the curcumin effect.
  • Add your favorite vegetables such as cooked kale.

 

Anti-Inflammatory Food Ideas With Fun Trivia Questions

Anti-inflammatory food ideas are delicious and good for health prevention. Finding the right healthy pairings, spices, and flavors bring make the rainbow variety out. 🌈 Learn more about anti inflammatory foods in this article.

Anti inflammatory food ideas in carrot, red onion, kiwi, blueberry colorful polyphenol food artwork. 

One of my favorite happy and healthy topics is probably no surprise to you, it’s food… and coming up with food ideas to eat. And for a low-sugar but sweet treat with anti-inflammatory benefits, see the Chai Cookies below. 🥠

And I’ve probably talked about anti-inflammatory food ideas even more times, and this anti-inflammatory food guide for grocery shopping and easy meal planning ideas.

…And so to spice up your healthy food knowledge, here are 5 Trivia Questions for you.

The answers are at the bottom… but I have a hunch that you may know the answer to one or more of them, and will definitely by the time you finish reading to the end. 😉

…So here we go with the 5 questions!

What is the difference between an herb and a spice?

Which 4 vitamins are fat-soluble?

Where is gluten found in wheat?

Besides wheat, what are 1-2 starchy CROP foods we could eat? (Hint: Grown and raised in big fields)

AND…

What food category does pumpkin fall in?

I had to add that last tricky trivia question in there because pumpkin is all the rage in taste these days. It seems earlier and earlier each year.

I’m still pouring coconut flavors into my beverages as it’s too hot for pumping pumpkin for me just yet… and maybe you too where you are?

In all healthy fairness though, pumpkin puree we often add to our dishes and bakes, is a nutrient-dense anti-inflammatory food loaded with fiber prebiotics good for gut health.

The downside: it has a high/fair GI rating so it can raise blood sugar spikes but still good for an anti inflammatory meal plan idea.

And so, you’ve probably heard of nutrient-dense foods at the core of anti inflammatory food which means they’re packed with nutrients compared to calories. And they have few ingredients. Often they’re whole foods like fruits.

They’re preventative protectors to help fight inflammation that’s recurring, ongoing, or chronic inflammation. Inflammatory properties often have at least one of these symptoms: redness or irritation, heat, swelling, or pain.

Those are earlier signs that can lead to certain chronic diseases such as heart disease, Diabetes 2,  certain cancers, and cognitive decline diseases. So one way to handle is to reduce inflammation occurrences with a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating.

And you’ve probably heard of polyphenols that are nutrients in plants and the orange color in pumpkin gives away its healthy advantage rich in beta carotene that’s converted into Vitamin A in the body as needed, so you can think of them as one and the same 🎃

Polyphenols protect the plant, but we get the benefit as an antioxidant (to help protect against disease) in vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, nuts, tofu, and our plant-based diet. These are also good for weight loss meal plans.

There are 13 essential vitamins our bodies can’t make on their own. We get them through food or supplements. They’re critical for key functions like immunity, metabolism, and digestion that help us lose weight and maintain healthy weight.

These are essential nutrients on the anti inflammatory diet and anti inflammatory food ideaas for your food plans.

Vitamins A, C, E

These 3 essential vitamins fight inflammation or swelling. These are important antioxidants that fight cell-free radicals, to help protect against cancer. And you already know one way (eat more 100% pumpkins!).

Since Vitamins A and E are fat-soluble, it’s good to pair healthy fat in your body with them. Like sweet potatoes with walnuts or a drizzle of olive oil that’s common in a mediterranean diet… or how about a healthy bake like carrot coconut oil cake? 😋 That’s one of my anti inflammatory recipes.

Foods like avocados and almonds are rich in Vitamin E and (monounsaturated) healthy fats, so that’s why you probably see these superfoods in the healthy news headlines everywhere you turn.

Vitamin C is easy to find in fruits, but it’s water soluble (I think of it like going down a water slide out of your body). And so, you can take more and that’s why I take a daily supplement, in addition to eating from the rainbow Vit C foods.

Vitamins B

Daily, we need our B vitamins. All 8 are essential like those listed in a B-complex vitamin, and they work in synergy with each other.

Vitamins A, E, D, K are also essential and are the fat-soluble vitamins. Sometimes you naturally take advantage of this. Like when you use EVOO to cook your salmon.

But being more intentional, you can find other opportunities like:

Carrots with hummus made with EVOO.

Spinach with walnuts.

Or an avocado green smoothie with a plant-based milk.

And, here are some of my fave good anti-inflammatory food ideas:

One morning snack I enjoy is celery with almond butter that has protein and fiber. Or natural peanut butter paired with a Granny Smith apple, sliced up bananas, or in good old-fashioned PBJ (or favorite seeded jam) toast.

Another good starter is watermelon with EVOO and mint. If you have a headache, the first thing I do is drink water that’s always good for hydrating your system. And mint is good for the aches.

In fruits and veggies, the different polyphenol-phytochemical pigments are healthy antioxidants. Here are some food examples and how you can eat from the rainbow 🌈:

Red

Red Apples – If you like crisp, Fuji or Gala varieties are easy to find. Or a traditional Red Delicious that’s a softer apple and tends to bruise easier.

Tomatoes – if you find a tomato medley, they all have differing degrees of sweetness, like a green tomato is less sweet. Yellow tomatoes are less acidic and taste sweeter than a red cherry tomato. And a plum tomato usually found in an Italian dish has a deep red or red-orange color different than a slightly sour grape tomato for a Greek salad.

Both overall, tomatoes and avocados aren’t as sweet compared to other fruits. They’re botanical fruits, but we think of them as veggies in our dishes. They actually come from the flowers of plants.

Squashes are considered fruits, and pumpkin popular in September and October is considered a squash. So a pumpkin is a fruit (and that answers that trivia question).

Orange

Carrots – are underrated I think. A bag of carrots is always good to have on hand and are usually abundant year-round. You can eat them as snacks, or cook them slightly soft for better nutritional benefits.

Or you can julienne them or puree them for your carrot cake and breads. If carrots get too dry left out, you can simply add them to a bowl of water to revive them. They’re a lot like us even though their roots are different! 🥕

Oranges – are seasonal even though we see them sometimes year-round. They’re more abundant in the cold winter months like November – January in the U.S.

But, nothing is guaranteed for any food, and you may have found oranges harder to find as there has been a crop shortage, as of 2021. You can find mandarin oranges or small clementines more easily. They’re less acidic and easier to peel if you want to find their good sides.

Yellow

One of the most practical fruits we have around is a banana. Green bananas have a lower GI (glycemic index) than ripe bananas. That makes sense as they’re not as sweet. I like to eat green bananas and use the ripe ones for baking or a smoothie. If you shop around, you’ll know where to get the greenest ones in your town.

Green 

Avocado – already mentioned as a superfood, besides on toast, you can make a smoothie or a mousse dessert. You can add on top of any salad. And since they don’t last long after you cut into them, you can easily make an easy guacamole dip. 🥑

Spinach – spinach is a powerful vitamin-rich food and Popeye learned this when got his strength guzzling spinach down.

But for us ordinary characters, we can get bored with the bland spinach taste in a salad. So, I have many anti-inflammatory food ideas:

One idea is to wilt with a little liquid and heat, and then add to your plate slightly cooked to keep the nutrients intact. You’ll find you can add a lot more spinach once it’s tamed down with water and heat

It’s the difference between when your hair is just blown out shiny straight, compared to a wild frizzy humid hair day. 😄

And… when you have a big bag of spinach that can last a couple of weeks in the fridge, but by then is not as fresh… here are some FRESH spinach ideas:

Smoothie: Spinach, pineapple, Granny Smith apple, and nut or plant-based milk. The tart and sweet complements the green smoothie goodness. Add your powders and seeds all day! And you can substitute with kale.

Spinach con queso dip

On medium stove heat, you can wilt the spinach with warming milk, and then add cheese to melt, while stirring. And you can sprinkle baked kale chips on top for extra anti-inflammatory food ideas.

Tortilla with melted cheese spinach (Quesadila)

Bake tortilla. I like low and slow (200°F for an hour) so they don’t burn, and then add shredded or cut-up cheese that’ll be quick to melt in the oven. Add your fresh microgreens or herbs on top AFTER you bake.

I like to add allium-healthy flavors like red or green onions. And tri-color bell peppers for a mouth fiesta 🎉. And a bean spread (with EVOO smashed   pinto or cannellini beans).

That is a super anti-inflammatory food idea and you may have heard that beans are the vitamins that Blue Zone Centenarians take. 🫘

Maybe spinach ain’t so bland after all!?

And one food that hasn’t been mentioned yet is fatty fish oils found in fish. Good healthy eating ones are small fish like sardines or wild fish like wild salmon. They would be good to add to any meal planns.

Blue

Blueberries – bake well into morning bars, balls, or scones.

blueberry muffin bites.

Blueberries also great for smoothies, and jams. And if you’re not a fan or allergic, you could do the other common berries like strawberries or raspberries, or the newer popular berries like elderberries or red lingonberries. I think it’s interesting that we haven’t even come close to identifying all the berries around the world!

Purple/Black

Black beans – I like to bake black bean brownies or energy balls that makes these longevity bakes. You can add espresso on top of the cocoa to give some deeper flavors. Or you can make a cool beans soup. 😋

…Now that’s thinking like a Centenarian! These are worth adding to your anti-inflammatory food ideas.

black bean high cocoa energy bites are good anti-inflammatory food ideas.

Red Onions – On the outside, they’re s dark purple hue and inside they’re white. They are pretty and healthy.

Onions, carrots, blueberries, and kiwi are examples of superfoods and anti-inflammatory food ideas.

Onion rings – And you can easily make healthy baked onion rings. Cut rings (parallel to the top of the onion like the latitudinal equator lines if you could imagine it like a globe). Then dip into a whisked egg, then flour, and then Panko bread crumbs. And then bake. So easy and impressive for a snack!

White/Brown

Mushrooms – these are fascinating as they have so many benefits to the earth and our immunity. The earth needs us and we need the food on the earth.

And adaptogens like mushrooms help with our stress and anxiety. And they have become a whole new taste revolution. Umami – oh, mommy!

Cauliflower – they are a good source of Vitamin C and low in calories for healthy weight loss. You can bake them into your pizza crust or eat my favorite ways, as Crudite. That’s raw on a veggie plate we always had when I worked in hotel catering.

mushroom porridge or oatmeal are fantastic anti-inflammatory food ideas

Breakfast Mushroom Oats Porridge

What’s not to love? 

For plant based breakfasts, there are many anti-inflammatory food ideas worth keeping:

Breakfast Quinoa – as a pseudo grain and naturally gluten-free, this is my go-to cereal. Quinoa takes a little bit of cooking time like rice, but you can batch cook in advance so it’s cool and ready for the next few mornings.

Lunch/Dinner Quinoa – It’s also versatile for your savory lunch meals and dinner salads. My favorite combo is chickpeas and quinoa with a coarser Celtic sea salt.

Warm Oats – this is definitely a morning staple. I like to eat warm with fresh fruit but that’s about Vata-me… and what about you? 

Cold Oats – You can also do Overnight Oats and just pull your cup or glass out of the fridge in the morning. Add your chia seeds, berries, yogurt, and bananas for a Pitta perfect parfait. 😊

Almonds – these are great snacks. And unlike a chip, it’s good to eat more than one. They have the healthy fat, but also vitamins, minerals, and protein.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil or EVOO

Besides cooking, EVOO is good for baking, dips, and on toast for some other anti-inflammatory food ideas.

Spelt and sprouted grains come from whole grains and have high levels of vitamins and minerals. They’re easier to digest with a lower GI (but not to be confused with gluten-free!). You can get GF versions, but those are wholesome wheat grains.

And that’s a good idea and thought to leave it on! I hope this helps you on your food healthy lifestyle!

…Oh, and here are the answer to the 5 TRIVIA questions above (that I copied here):

What is the difference between an herb and a spice?

Which 4 vitamins are fat-soluble?

Where is gluten found in wheat?

Besides wheat, what are some other starchy crop healthy foods we could eat?

What food category is pumpkin in?

Trivia Question Answers:

1.An herb comes from the leaves of plants, and spices from the other parts (flowers, fruits, seeds, roots).

2.Vitamins D,E,A,K

3.Gluten is found in the starchy endosperm in the middle layer of the wheat cereal grain. The seed is deep inside and the bran is the outside of the grain.

4.Corn, rice, and millet are a few. Millet is more popular for humans to eat outside the U.S. but you can find it if you look around.

5.Pumpkin is a squash, and squashes are fruit. So, a pumpkin is technically a fruit. You may never look at pumpkins the same, and at Thanksgiving when you think you need a fruit pie on the table.

And that’s a wrap!

For healthy recipes you can check out this one especially if you have a sweet tooth and want to avoid the inflammatory sugar.

Print Recipe

chai cookie.
Print

Low-Sugar Easy Chai Cookies

These delicious and simple-to-make chai bombs are loaded with antioxidants.
Course desserts
Cuisine American, Indian
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp all spice (cloves)
  • 1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon (add more with preference
  • 1 tsp chai tea bag, grinds
  • 1 tbsp molasses (or honey)
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil, solid form
  • 1/3 cup coconut flour
  • 1 tsp cardamom

Instructions

  • The secret to these delicious cookies is to mix the ingredient dough and refrigerate for several days so the flavors have a chance to penetrate. Then scoop into balls and bake as you would cookies.

10 Moisturize Tips for Eczema Skin and Self-Care

Moisturize if your skin is dry may be what’s needed for you in these climate changing times. And if you’re experiencing eczema skin or other dryness signs, you’ll want to drench yourself and let these tips soak in like I did when I first discovered an eczema flair-up due to global warming…

self-care moisturize tips.

And if that’s you, you’ve come to the right place for moisturize tips…

With global warming and climate change (plus global cooling)  on the reality fast rise, the outdoor dry air is becoming drier, and this plays extra havoc on our affected bodies and down to the hypodermis and skin cells level.

In awareness, you can proactively moisturize (more), make healthy changes (10 tips below to check off), and not be blind-sided by your body’s need to adjust naturally.

You may find yourself needing more products as I did… and I ended up in the hospital emergency room because of a dry foot. Can you imagine!?

Cerave became my favorite daily moisturizer needed for the outside and water for the inside. But I found I needed more than moisturizers, products with hyaluronic acid for skin care, and soothing parched skin that became eczema developments from heat rashes. It was like a sun burn.

Drinking more water and eating 90% water fruits like melons wasn’t enough, but it was a start.

And a watermelon sorbet helps as hydrating and cooling that can help restore your body temperature.

But if you feel like you’re drinking water like a camel and keep moisturizing like it’s already winter (and you’re still dry), there’s nothing wrong with you…

Climate change can affect sensitive skin with symptoms you may never have had before.

For me, I had good skin and there was no need to moisturize certain body parts regularly up until a few years ago.

One good daily check is your home thermostat.

Another is your body thermostat. This will feel different despite our 98°F/36°C human bodies. If you’re Pitta imbalanced, your natural heat will be increased and get really bad like it did for me one season where I needed body balance intervention.

One of the first places to transition is testing the shower water temperatures you’re using based on outdoor temperatures and your body (balanced or imbalanced). If it’s hot out or you feel hot, get used to the cooler water temperatures will do your body good.

You can start on cool and end on cool water temps if you’re high in Pitta or it’s summer.

Scalding hot will always be harsh on the skin even if you’re leaning into Vata and Kapha preferences that like the nourishing and comforting heat. And yes… feeling more anxiety or clingy in any way are related.

For Vata and Kaphas, you may already be on the cool side, so a little warmer to start and end is good. You can use Ayurvedic small changes to help change your previous habits.

That’s one way of how knowing what your Ayurvedic body imbalances are now can help, and you can restore them without intervention. Adjusting your shower temperatures is one small way.

So, one takeaway (or reminder) is don’t stick with the same shower temperature year-round. Adjust to your body balance temperatures.

Self-care and prioritizing our prized bodies above our stuff keep us running optimally through the seasons.

And just like you change out your clothes from summer to autumn and winter, you want to change your routines and habits for your changing body.

Our skin, as our largest organ, acts as a barrier to our internal body organs we can’t see. We often take for granted when all is running smoothly. Your skin is constantly changing, and renewing and a great place to start.

Retinol (that I learned as the stronger Retin-A from youth) can help that process along if it doesn’t irritate your skin.

10 Moisturize Self-Care Tips:

FOR SKIN AND SPECIFIC BODY PARTS

At the bare minimum, take care of the entry points on your body.

1) Eyes: Your eyes aren’t just the window to your soul, they are the gateway to how you see the world. And if you have dry eyes, that’s one fuzzy world!

Adding eye drops helps (and especially if you’re on your digital devices more than ever). Blue light blocking UVB glasses are necessary as you never know when you’ll be walking in the strong sun and don’t want to end up with cataracts or eye diseases that’s a reality for aging people. I learned that from my mom.

As a society, we can seem to care more about what fashionable pair of specs we’re wearing and forget about our precious eyes.

Needing to moisturize our eyes when we wake up lets us know we’ve slept that swimming fish don’t need (not even the smart Dr. Seuss Goldfish ones 😉). That could be a habit stack for us along with nasal saline drops (another main entrance into the body). The Neti pot is a nasal cleansing habit I do weekly and when kept up with is effective to prevent nasty sinus infections.

2) Lips: Daily real self-care things can seem small (and sometimes inconvenient or annoying) but you’re naturally given your refined parts like tender soft lips so you can chew with your mouth closed (unlike an ape that happily spits out food in its company).

At home, I like to bring in outdoor local wonderment by using organic honey, a household-must in more ways than one.

One way you may not have thought about is using honey to moisturize dry lips. It’s better than Vaseline because it’s edible. Glossy raw honey works better than a honey lip balm, especially if you’re about to eat or drink.

…Plus you get a ‘lil sweet taste in that’s always a plus for a sweet tooth 😉

Honey lips stay supple because the natural humectant locks in the moisture. And even helps for little salty cuts on the sides of your lips in between the top and bottom lip, if that happens to you like it does for me.

Honey is also antibacterial. The B.C. Egyptians are credited for discovering honey as a secret medicinal ingredient. They lived like the Kardashians and Queen bees.

Honey back then meant luxury. I wonder if the Queen Bee would’ve adapted to today’s changing climate.

We still know that nature provides the best sources and resources where natural solutions can be the best answers to our problems.

…And this is why our natural bodies intuitively know what we need (and that I’m super passionate about in Ayurveda). Our bodies are connection points to our mind and spirit that make us above other mammals.

For honey, depending on your need, you can find a local raw honey source in your area or you use a good standby like Manuka honey (native to Australia/New Zealand) that has become the gold standard and is pricier.

If you buy processed honey fillers, those aren’t the same. The sugar honey bear shows his age as he crystallizes. and is not one you want to add to your medicinal cabinet, as cute and wallet-friendly as a honey celebrity that he is. 🍯

3) Whole-body moisturize (before and) after showering for prevention.

If your skin feels raisin dry, steaming in the warm shower helps. If right after exiting the shower, you moisturize right away, you can seal in the moisture on certain dry parts with a product like Vaseline lotion that has petrolatum (it’s like adding a protective wax or protective coat). The rose pink Vaseline is good for heated Pitta moments.

And then add your favorite lotion if you’re still feeling dry skin. That’s a good habit to get into.

We all have different skin so I mention a few good ingredients here that you can see what works for you…

In the evening, you can mix it up with shea butter, coconut or avocado oil, or Ceramide 3 lotions. You may even want to moisturize mid-day if you are super dry. I use different unscented or fragrance-free moisturizers that don’t have harmful phthalates. Those are the ingredients that are bad like BPA plastics where you don’t see immediate effects to health.

I also keep natural, great citrusy scented hand creams close by. Mixing it up (biodiversity) helps your body to adapt better to changing body and climate situations in the your environment.

When in doubt or confused of what to select… don’t let all the hoopla of different ingredients overwhelm you, but focus on 3 main things… moisturize, moisturize, and moisturize!

But if more severe and you need to soothe itchy skin inflammations, look for ingredients like aloe, colloidal oatmeal, vitamins C and E, and healthy oils (coconut, carrot seed, olive oils… if you can eat it, then you know it’s skin-safe and good food moisturizing ideas). Don’t forget honey… it’s sticky good!

For dryness around your scalp, try an oil like coconut oil and moisturizers. Try to leave in after your shower (or let soak in before you shower). We’re so quick to get cleaned off from the greasiness, but that’s sheer bathing luxury for your skin.

4) Salve and sesame oil: for dryness on and around nails and cuticles. You want to let your nails breathe (if you usually have them polished or wear artificial nails). Cooler weather is a good time to let your nails go au naturel for in between breathing days.

That also gives you a break from year-round time consuming and costly nail maintenance… that can be a huge breath of fresh air!

moisturize
This is a moist salve (good for dry cuticles) and dry lips, essential oil spray for pillow or yoga mats, and moist lip balm almost as good as honey… PLUS a nice quote!

5) Shea Butter: For rough sandpaper hands or feet, an emollient-softening lotion with shea butter can feel rich and good.

Hands and feet tend to be the first places that can get very dry so take extra mani-pedi self-care measures.

Keep lotion by your computer, desk, and body so you can use throughout the day as needed or when you remember.

If you have dry skin, you can never moisturize enough!

The worst that will happen if you over-moisturize is you get butter fingers and something slips from your hand, but you’ll never get called into the Principal’s office for moisturizing too much!

I have what I cal Vata lotion in every room… basically that’s a variety of lotion potions to choose from for dry emergencies and convenience.

6) Aloe: Is another great skin quencher and is not fussy or sticky. It’s clear color (not the Kermit frog green color you may have seen with dyes that sells better).

Pure aloe is water to your skin. I never used to use aloe regularly. I only used it to quickly heal skin burns from the kitchen. But now it’s a great non-greasy moistener for in-between moisturizing with lotions. It’s like a sip of water to your skin, that is better than nothing when your skin is parched… it’s like drinking water on your skin, and it can tie-you over until you get a full moisturizer on.

FOOD AND DRINKS

7) Water and Coconut water: Is super hydrating from the natural Super Fruit. VitaCoco water is hydrolyzing, and can help if you’re not sugar-sensitive.

If you are, there’s nothing purer than plain water.

Natural water like Voss and Fiji water are treats but skipping the cases of grocery plastic bottle filtered waters (stripped of minerals) are good ideas.

A replaceable Brita pitcher and filter or home water filter system from your fridge can work better for most daily water and is a better reusable water system.

8) Substituting ingredients: Preventing inflammation caused by dryness helps to maintain a healthy balance in your body.

You can subtly do this with small replacements like fruit sugar over refined sugar, and a healthy fats list like EVOO, avocado, or coconut oil over poly fats (e.g. margarine, butter, vegetable oil, hydrogenated oils… and the stuff I grew up consuming… you too?).

9) Seasonal foods: Lean into what’s seasonally “in” by shopping at the local farmers markets or in the abundant bins in grocery stores. You can often tell when there’s an abundance because the organic choice is also abundant.

You can see a variety of abundance from a distance in its bright colors and up close with unique PLU small stickers.

When I did party planning in Mediterranean cuisine restaurants, the menus were always seasonal, based on the available foods priced reasonably. So you wouldn’t see watermelon-inspired recipes in the winter and pumpkin or pomegranate dishes in the spring.

10) Spices: are a great way to balance food seasonality and keep your food and dishes interesting year-round with reliable seasonings.

Isn’t spice the variety of life!? …in my world, anyway, it is (and hopefully in yours!). Oregano was one of my first favorites which goes well with red sauces and Italian dishes.

Then as spices evolved in the Western world, turmeric became a star. Plus, it’s anti-inflammatory and good to eat for dry, irritated skin (could be Vata and Pitta imbalance at the same time in changing weather).

Don’t let the turmeric drying and astringent texture to your tongue fool you into believing it’s drying you out. It’s body healing (and where you can get a glimpse of balancing wholeness through food).

Until next time, take good self care! …And if you want to learn how to restore annoying imbalances (dry-related or something else), you can take my body balance quiz.

Or if you’re wanting a moist and healthy divine treat, you’ll love this easy and healthy chocolate banana cake bread recipe.  🍫🍌🍞

Inflammatory Eczema Allergy Foods

Inflammatory eczema allergy foods is something I became deeply aware of when I experienced adult eczema in a nightmarish way during the world pandemic.

Backing up some, I was familiar with the common allergy foods as I planned parties and food menus working with thousands of groups with food allergies and gluten sensitivities.

But heightening my own sensitivities to food allergies showing up as adult eczema for the first time took the cake. It was a 3 month saga I’d love to forget.

Gluten didn’t help as a common offender in food and white flours so I’ll mention more on that below.

White flour is a common inflammatory eczema allergy food source.
White flour is a common source of gluten food allergies and inflammation.

…Another food category was sweets!

That’s probably no surprise as too much sugar can make your skin crawl and no research has sanely suggested that sugar is good for you (other than your taste buds 😋).

But that’s hard news to swallow when you’re a sweet tooth (and a Vata body like me).

…And if sugar-tipped over the edge, then eczema can be the outcome where rashes mysteriously appear around the body.

They stay until the body is calm. It’s not like a mosquito bite where the poison and bite effects fade after a few days.

But I’m happy to say that even though I love baking (and do it weekly), I’ve learned how to bake healthy and keep eczema at bay. And yes the bakes are delicious (otherwise why bother?).

Firstly, I’m a foodie…

And when I started in catering management for upscale hotel chains, there were only vegetarian food categories other than the menu everyone else ate from.

Then common requests grew like “hold the onions” and “hold the garlic.”

At some point, I saw peanut and nut allergies crop up.

When I dug deeper into creating menus for food allergy group requests, we found that guests who had some peanut allergies could sometimes eat tree nuts like pine nuts.

With awareness, we never had a problem with food allergy association groups.

Shellfish can be another tricky area, but gratefully I didn’t work much with those foods.

An affected person who has even a trace of the shellfish can experience a life threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis shock.

We always had Benadryl in the First Aid kit nearby for general allergy reactions.

And by the time I was planning party events for busy American restaurants serving authentic Mediterranean cuisine, food awareness had grown even further.

Celiac Disease grew. It’s an allergy disease that can cause severe allergic reactions because gluten triggers the immune system.

And I can attest that gluten in moderation is better even for eczema skin allergy symptoms.

Your body gives different health conditions signs as warning. But a warning is a warning.

It can’t give a sour face. ☹️ Only you and I can do that. But it can give a health condition as a sign.

And the source can be the same ingredient culprits.

And so as we evolved in the world, allergies and preferences became the general norm.

Restaurant servers greeted you at your table asking, “does anyone have any allergies?”

A century ago that would’ve never been asked as you ate what you could and anti-inflammatory eczema allergy foods didn’t exist.

Anti-Inflammatory Eczema Allergy Foods 

In my trial-and-error food tasting experiences, I learned eczema was dramatically reduced with low daily refined sugar intake and cutting out most processed flours.

Those foods created inflammation that showed up as skin inflammation.

So learning healthy food substitution to sugar and flour was the healthier way.

And there is plenty of healthy alternatives in our abundant earth and sourcing grocery stores.

Anti-inflammatory eczema allergy foods include vegetables, whole fruits, lean healthy proteins, healthy fats and whole grains.

All grains are not created equal. How they are prepared and the details of their ingredient profiles change the effect.

A frequently asked question is: what foods are high in gluten?

The answer: whole grains are healthy. They’re also guilty. 

Wheat, barley, and rye are the sources.

Being smart about healthier low-glycemic index starchy carbs and nutrient-dense foods pays off.

Also corn, oats, and quinoa (pseudo-grain) meals are good ideas since they are gluten-free so they bypass some decision fatigue.

Corn is the largest agricultural crop produced in the United States.

So there are still many options for gluten allergies.

Oh, and we also should consider…

Our different bodies where we react differently.

…What spikes the blood sugar of one person is different for another.

Getting to know your body with individual foods and enjoying in moderation is a good idea for all, and each of us living in our bodies.

Plus, lowering processed gluten foods for everyone is a good idea in general, considering all the environmental factors and chemicals (plastics, pesticides, and phthalates) we have no control over in the current state of food manufacturing processes.

For foods, adding more organic plant-based 🌱 in nature when possible, and not plant-based in factories 🏭 helps your entire body system run better.

Every little bit of our effort counts…

Adding more healthy variety, and nutrient-dense plant-forward foods is a double win scoring points for our bodies and our earth. 🎉

It can be as easy as exchanging pasta made from flour once in a while for spaghetti squash. See easy spaghetti squash recipe below. 🍴🍝

A spaghetti squash dish is a good gluten-allergy substitute.
Spaghetti squash looks like spaghetti but doesn’t have gluten.

 

Focusing on anti-inflammatory foods and including Mediterranean Diet foods that overlap in your meals, helps.

According to the American Heart Association, The Mediterranean Diet is known to be the healthiest diet overall for preventative cardiovascular health and brain health today.

https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/mediterranean-diet

Overlapping with anti-inflammatory eczema allergy foods, focusing on healthy foods is as important as minimizing the bad food buckets, such as:

Processed, white sugar foods

Fried foods and unhealthy fats (such as high processed meats)

Eliminating these excesses from your diet can help reduce and potentially prevent life-shortening diseases and precursor chronic body inflammations from occurring.

These are lifestyle choices we get to make.

Replacing emptier calorie and excessively sweet snacks to healthier whole fruit and nut snacks, high quality dairy, and lean proteins help curb hunger in between meals.

Some foods may be classified as healthy, but are still just as bad. I used to fill up on nutritional bars as filler snacks… but the problem is often they’re loaded with sugar.

I realized I would have been better off with a Snickers.

So I quit the bars habit along with sodas for breakfast.

…Maybe you can relate with your food habits?

I replaced sodas for black coffee and unsweetened teas that are more enjoyable as a caffeine morning practice.

I now do and recommend a cold brew coffee method if you have a sensitive stomach or acid causes issues. ☕️

Changing your habits like a regular sweet one for a plant-based breakfast is doable. I’m living proof. 😊

And I take a page from my catering days where Crudite was a platter offered at almost every event.

That’s basically raw veggies like cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, and asparagus.

Those are good sources of fiber that your body needs to better absorb foods.

We often forget about the fiber as we’ve been primed to think of the macros (protein, carbs, and fat).

So fiber is my prime start of the day… and maybe yours (now)?

The Inflammation Free Diet for Food Allergies

The book I had been using as a guidebook for preparing meals, The Inflammation-Free Diet, re-entered my memory after my pandemic eczema inflammation episode.

I realized that there was a connection bridged between spiking sugar inflammation and foods and that made me even more on purpose for consuming anti-inflammatory eczema allergy foods.

In making healthy food choices, moderation and choosing to balance good back-to-earth foods seems to be the better ageless answer to healthily feed our bodies.

Getting anti-inflammatory food ideas for meals waved in front of us doesn’t hurt either! 😉

Using your natural Ayurvedic healthy body to sway to your advantage helps too.

You could discover your body likes more astringent or bitter foods.

This is common in Kapha body types so lean in on this healthy advantage.

And you can find food like garlic or onions aren’t favorable to your body. But that doesn’t mean you have an allergy.

It could just mean eat less.

Managing Eczema Food Allergy Inflammation

If you experience chronic body or skin inflammations in your life, find out what food allergens could be a trigger for your body. Food triggers change as you age.

Try adding more anti-inflammatory eczema allergy foods like vegetables, fruits, and low-glycemic index grains, and see if those make a difference.

Many people are allergic to nightshade foods because of alkaloids in plants.

As a kid, I would get an allergic reaction when I ate eggplants. A rash would move up my back quickly.

But as life moved, this was no longer an allergy trigger.

So don’t assume what was a food allergy trigger before is still your predicament.

Test in small quantities.

Because we want to keep a variety of healthy foods and food categories in our diet as diversity helps the gut and body.

Plus, foods are enjoyable so we don’t want to rob ourselves.

To better manage food allergies, you can read food label ingredients and gain knowledge and awareness.

Another thing you can do is order a medical food allergy-specific prick test at an allergist’s office.

Also do a self-diagnose check-in on your stress in life.

Stress can come from past, present, or future-related thoughts and situations. Past trauma that you may know about, and future uncertainty can confusingly show up in an inflammation body life.

The symptoms on and in your body tell a story in the mind-body connection.

To help restore balance no matter what the source cause, you can take the 2-minute body balance quiz.

And, enjoy this gluten-free spaghetti squash recipe. One medium-size quash will yield about as much as a pasta box you would buy at the store.

It’s a smart and healthy plant-based way to stretch a grocery dollar.

spaghetti squash dish.
Print

Spaghetti Squash (Gluten-Free)

I discovered spaghetti squash as a meal when vegetarians were the main special food needs categories for groups I planned catered meals for. Food allergies didn't exist in the zeitgeist back then.
Course dinner, lunch
Cuisine American
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Equipment

  • Bread knife or safer sawing knife.
  • Spoon

Ingredients

  • spaghetti squash gourd
  • extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Score the gourd lengthwise. do not try to cut the hard gourd raw 
  • Bake your spaghetti squash for about 20 minutes at 350°F or so. Then softened, you can cut where you scored. Tip: for the ends (like on pumpkins, take the firmly planted inside squash knife and twist to the right at the top and then at the bottom of the squash and that should do the trick break it open fully into two halves)
  • Face the two halves down on a baking sheet. You can add a ‘lil EVOO if you like.
  • Bake for 50 minutes or until you can scoop out strands easily with a spoon. You can test with a fork if you like. About half way through, when you see browning, flip the halves so they're facing up, and add a 'lil more EVOO drizzle.
  • Optional: keep the healthy seeds and enjoy them as snacks! Roast them along when you're baking the squash.

 

Balance Your Body Type (Inspired by a Deepak Chopra Program)

Balance your body type – Based on your score, you can find better health, balance, and passion-purpose work

A rainbow eucalyptus tree is a good metaphor symbol for our unique bodies where you can help to balance your body type for your best life today.

In 2008, I went through Deepak Chopra’s Perfect Health Program in Carlsbad, California that cost me more than any vacation I can remember. My reward has been a life changer, as I’ve used some of the life skills every day and still to this day, over a decade later (and you can use to help balance your body type).

I believe everyone can use this helpful information for their whole life in several ways, including better health to slow aging, whole balance, and finding passionate work.

How I Discovered the Program

I was personally struggling with remaining angry emotions from a stressful, uninspiring management position I had just left.

Some roles aren’t the right fit, and there was one in particular I held after a line of unsatisfying work that mildly put was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

You could be good at your job and hate your job, which is how I felt, so I left that position (but my story had a good ending as a new role was created for me at the same company).

Hating the one position I held, led me to strong irritated feelings and heat throughout my body. I felt moody, out of sorts, and off (my usual) balance. I hadn’t started the position feeling that way.

I had small fleeting flare-ups with internal anger throughout my adulthood, but never this strong and for so long, that I could clearly isolate myself from one work situation and place.

This is how I came to delve deeper into learning about the mind-body connection (that has since grown in national awareness).

I had to do something pretty immediately, as my daily quality of life was affected. I knew I needed to find a permanent solution to help me deal with my stress-related and unhealthy burnt-out feelings.

I also knew I needed to attend something deep and experiential to have a change and lasting impact. I was looking for a hands-on solution that provided skills I could use throughout life, for preventative reasons.

I had already been following Deepak Chopra’s teachings through books and audio.

While researching, I discovered his Perfect Health Program that is based on Ayurveda (life science), an ancient 5,000-year-old scientific method of determining health and wellness through the mind, body, and spirit connection. In essence, the healing power of mind over body.

The concept of the mind-body connection is, if you have baggage (in your mind) that you’re holding onto from the past, that can translate to disease and disorder.

Cardiologist Dr. Dean Ornish in the Lifestyle Heart Trial proved that 48 advanced heart patients could reduce fatty plaque deposits blocking coronary arteries with their healthy lifestyle changes (exercise, yoga, meditation, and specific diet).

Ayurveda and The Perfect Health Program would take Ornish’s breakthrough study and apply principles to any disorder.

Deepak Chopra had been reporting Perfect Health approach successes for over a decade before his book Perfect Health (The Complete Mind Body Guide) was published. Many thousands of others had gone through the same Perfect Health Program I attended.

Perfect Health Teachings

For my situation, to help get me back to a calm equilibrium, I performed yoga and silent meditation for the first time through the Perfect Heath Program. But the most valuable information I learned was about the mind-body connection concept (and how my previous approach to balancing life, preventing disease, and other health issues, was more about external activities than internal wholeness).

To begin to learn about your current mind-body status and balance your body type, it’s critical to know there are three Ayurvedic body types (called Doshas). They are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Most people dominate with one Dosha (but we as humans all have traces of all three Doshas).

I’m a pure Vata determined by body frame, weight, eyes, complexion, hair, joints, sleep pattern, body temperature, feelings under stress, and temperament.

The human mind and body communicate and sends signals to each other that result in your (human) action, characteristics, emotions, and health problem tendencies related to the Doshas.

For mind-body, you can have a single, double, or triple (all 3) dosha(s).

Vata types typically act in indecision, bounce back and forth working on multiple activities, are extremely forgetful, feel anxious and worried, and have mood swings. Health issues can range from stomach, insomnia, and anxiety issues.

Pitta types can act hard-charging, or get easily stressed, angry or irritated. Health issues can range from severe heart attacks to mild heartburn.

Kapha types typically act easygoing, calm, and can be resistant to change. Health issues can range from depression to sinus or chest congestion.

Before attending the program I read Deepak Chopra’s Perfect Health (The Complete Mind Body Guide) that the Program was based on. I realized that I naturally have a Vata Body and Pitta-Vata Mind combination.

Enter The Deepak Chopra Perfect Health Program Solution

At the Chopra Center, I took a self-scored test and discovered my Pitta Mind/Body imbalance was off the charts, that needed correcting and counterbalancing (also called “pacifying a dosha”). That discovery came as no surprise based on my symptoms.

That explained why I could jump on the littlest thing, and why I could feel actual heat emanating from my body. These symptoms led me to desperately seek help.

There I also attended classes, health consultations, detox cleansing, and received Dosha-specific massages. I also tried group meditation and yoga for the first time. Yoga was just catching on the brink of mass appeal popularity.

A few participants in the same classes I attended had developed Fibromyalgia, a musculoskeletal pain disorder. This condition led them to seek help. I realized those with a disorder also could benefit from a mind-body connection solution.

These folks I met happened to also naturally have a Vata Dosha type and received warm blankets during their massage that sounded so nice to me, as it was chilly weather outside. Their imbalance was more Vata-focused.

I had a different imbalance (Pitta). To calm the fiery heat condition I had, the outside patio doors were opened for me in the middle of the cool winter, while I was laying down on the massage table.

That’s what my imbalanced Pitta body needed and felt good with, despite my brain saying I wanted warm comfy blankets like my new Vata friends had.

Similarly, a hot steam shower sounded good but would have made my imbalance worse.

From the program I learned, I could help restore balance again with some of the following healthy changes and additions to my life. I started these things right away:

Sounds: Turning off loud sounds, and deliberately listening to light and calming sounds like classical or relaxing music. Silent meditation (restful awareness) would have been good except I had lists running through my brain that I didn’t know how to silence as an inexperienced meditation beginner.

A typical balanced Pitta mind has a get things done attitude. I already learned I had a partial Pitta mind, so having a Pitta imbalance was adversely affecting my mind.

Smells and Foods: Adding foods to eat that were sweet, bitter, and astringent (and drinking relaxing chamomile tea which is not usually one I like). I gravitated to rose-scented candles. When they burned sandalwood incense in the Wellness Center’s bathroom, I was drawn to that scent that calmed me, while that same scent repelled others who needed other scents to pacify their other specific imbalances.

I could barely smell orange scents that a balanced Vata Dosha type, normally would gravitate towards. The same principle applies to and explains why certain perfumes and colognes smell better sometimes than other times.

I took a variety of natural herbs specific to the program and for my specific situation that helped with restoring balance and heat in my body (to lower my internal thermostat).

Exercise and Activities: Jumping in a pool in the middle of winter would have been great for me. As would ice skating and other wintery cooling sports. Hatha yoga became part of my weekly balance regimen (usually good for anyone, anytime).

I made these relatively easy, daily lifestyle adjustments after I came back from the program. I noticed my heated body and feelings of strong irritation started to disappear gradually.

Here’s a process you can take to learn more about how to live healthy for your mind-body:

Balance Your Body Type

Step 1: Take the Body Balance Quiz

You’ll learn (for free) what your primary Dosha body imbalance (Vata, Pitta, or Kapha) is in this snapshot moment based on your situations, stressors, or season that can be different than your natural body Dosha tendencies.  You’ll also get suggestions you can print out on how you can begin to counteract and restore your imbalances back to balance.

The information is so revealing and can be life-changing (as it was for me). It’s also fun as you get to learn new lifestyle enhancements and tweaks that will benefit you and your health your entire life (and wish you knew sooner).

You commonly can have a different mind imbalance (than body imbalance). And you can be “tied” in the highest mind imbalance score, which means you have 1–2 mind imbalances (it’s rare to be tied in all 3). The same applies to body imbalances (e.g. balance your body type). Don’t let that intimidate you.

Just focus on the ones that are the highest scores. The idea is to lower those. For example, I had a score for Pitta Mind, so that was one I needed to work on.

Remember there’s a direct mind-body connection and correlation, so both are important.

Your imbalances will naturally differ at various times in your life. That’s why learning the skill of how to get balanced is helpful for various seasons in your life, and especially when you’re feeling something is “off.”

Getting back to balance allows you to:

    • Let your authentic body-mind nature shine through.
    • Live the positive aspects of your authentic body-mind nature.
    • Downplay the (seasonal) aspects of your body-mind nature holding you back.

Step 2: How to Apply This For Your Life (Balance Your Body Type)

After you know the primary Dosha imbalances you have, then for starters, make the following lifestyle modifications. You should overall feel good about your taste, smell, sound, and activity modifications.

Many people have a Pitta imbalance (like I had) since many people have stressful jobs. These are a few changes you can make for each imbalance.

Pitta: If you’re irritated/angered, listen to classical and light music, smell scents like sandalwoods, and do yoga.

Perform cooling activities. If your Pitta imbalance is strong, being cool/cold in the winter will still appeal to you (defying logical tendencies).

Vata: If you’re anxious/worried, then listen to music without regular beats.

Have an orange-scented candle near you and perform a varied motion activity like Tai Chi.

Kapha: If you’re feeling tired/lazy, then listen to heavy music and loud sounds like classic rock-n-roll.

Smell scents that wake you up like evergreen firs. Perform heavy workouts or exercises.

Deep yoga breathing exercises can really help also especially if your stress is in your chest.

Hopefully, you understand the process and some starting ideas on how to begin to counteract (pacify) your imbalances.

By discovering your imbalances, you can help prevent undesired daily moods, negative emotions, and health issues later down the road. You can feel peace when you balance your body type.

The sickness you should seek to avoid is the one that you are most prone to, and that is indicated by your prakruti.

Step 3: How To Take Your Newfound Knowledge And Find Your Passion Work

You can also apply this information above to discover your passion and purpose work (and by default, the work that would drain you and not be a good fit).

Inspired by how else I could use this valuable information, I creatively discovered this on my own.

I got out of positions doing unenjoyable hum-drum work using my skills and experiences that I was not passionate about. At these unfulfilling work choices, I questioned the impact I was making.

So one day I started creative(ly) writing. I did an experiment with this specific season where I was doing fulfilling writing work.

While writing regularly naturally feels like passionate work and I feel relaxed, I had a high Kapha Mind with a slight Pitta Body imbalance.

Kapha is not usually a strong imbalance for me. Having a lesser imbalance (lower score) would have been the best result, but having a Kapha imbalance was better for me than the other Dosha imbalances.

My typical body disposition (Prakruti) is Vata, and my mind is usually Pitta-Vata. When I was most stressed and went to the Perfect Health Program, I had a Pitta Mind and Body imbalance.

Any type of work that could make me feel anxious/worried (Vata tendencies) or angered/irritated (Pitta tendencies), would be the most stressful and worst combination for me.

Hypothetically, if my score had indicated a Vata imbalance during this time that I pursued fulfilling writing work, then I would likely have been severely or doubly anxious, forgetful, indecisive, etc. It could have resulted in some kind of dysfunction or deepening health issues later down the road.

As in most cases, there were lifestyle factors not accounted for (like what I was doing during the hours I wasn’t working in the 168 hours per week). For the most part, I did not have high stressors in my life.

I also took this similar inspired body balance quiz in the winter season, which is typically a heightened imbalance for Kapha, as it’s commonly associated with cold season and resisting (hibernation) tendencies.

Taking those additional factors into account, writing was not hurting my overall balance. I further confirm it was helping my overall feelings (of satisfaction) when I write.

Similarly, you can find or come close to discovering your sweet spot passion work by figuring out if your imbalance is acceptable. If you’re stressed and have a high Pitta imbalance that could be a tell-tale sign that you may not be doing activities that are good for you.

Before this knowledge, I had been looking at finding a balanced life, completely differently. Previously I sought work-life balance, working flexible hours. That’s part of the balance, but that doesn’t include the type of work you do, and loving what you do during those 40+ hours.

Now I look at balance as doing passionate work that enhances life. Then having a fulfilled life outside of work, to have them blend together. That seems to be the trend as many companies are trying to make the workplace more like the home. For example, casual dress at the workplace.

To optimize what I’m doing, using the Kapha Mind imbalance I have as an example, I do the following to help myself out…

Exercise and Activities for Kapha Mind/Pitta Body:

Sounds: Listening to loud music can get me going (Kapha mind). The opposite, calmer sounds like classical music (piano or jazz) are good for Pitta. Sound vibrations are primarily first picked up by the brain, but then permeate into the body cells (mind-body connection).

Exercise: Cardio work out. Since my Pitta body imbalance is low, the Kapha mind is the pacifying remedy I need to seek most. So rather than cooling down exercises, I seek high activity.

I discovered an easier, non-scientific (intuitive) way to learn your imbalances after you know what to look for.

Scanning Your Body Method (For Your Best Health, Life, and Work) – Balance Your Body Type

Besides scoring, you confirm any Dosha imbalances with how do you feel? And what is your body telling you? Since I want to do cardio work (and I feel good performing) and I don’t want to jump in a pool, I confirm naturally (through thoughts and feelings) that my Kapha imbalance is higher.

After practice, you can become an experienced Dosha/imbalance detecting pro or Dosha Expert, knowing which imbalance you have as it becomes your natural way.

You learn what your body and mind need by being attuned and internally sensitive to your mind and body needs by your actions and reactions…

Are you anxious or worried over everything and anything (Vata)? Are you irritated or anger easily (Pitta)? Are you accumulating things or lazy (Kapha)?

These are giveaways and natural health signs. You can see signs throughout your day to day if you know what to look for.

Third Benefit For Seeking Balance

The information you’ll discover about yourself can be used to balance your body type, and find your healthiest and highest and best use purpose work. All of this can help you from aging.

There’s another third benefit I discovered in finding your balance.

You can get deeply creative. When you’re in your happiest pure joy, then you can get in the flow. And get in your mind to exceed capabilities beyond your ordinary.

Through the Perfect Health Program, I realized that balance and stress reduction includes meditation (to become aware of the present moment). Getting rest awareness during this time helps with clarity when you’re in the real world. This can also be achieved through intentions in yoga.

What I Learned To Balance Your Body Type:

#1. Overall Health and Balance Starts in Your Mind to Balance Your Body Type

Good health is preventative and not just from what I eat or intake (vitamins, herbs, etc.). Mindfulness is important for reducing stress which reduces aging. I’m able to find peaceful moments more often, where my mind is calm, and content on good and bad situations, recognizing that’s part of the journey.

I’m able to be in the moment in activities like creative writing and yoga.

Finding my best work can reduce the negative sides of my natural Dosha tendencies, where I could be anxious, worried, irritated, or moody.

I learned that my Fibromyalgia classmates had formed this disorder because of past emotional hurts that needed healing (starting out in the mind).

I was able to let go of childhood wounds that were holding me back. I had to be mindful and distance myself from myself as a child. I was able to imagine a younger me (from a photo image I had) and comfort her, telling her everything is okay now and forgiving my parents. That took the weight off my shoulders. I was able to heal and restore my mind and body.

That brought me back to internal balance (for authentic whole balance). This came from more than just participating in various external activities (that I previously thought was the solution).

# 2. Balancing My Natural (Vata) Dosha Restores Me:

I can take anxious and worried energy and exchange for peace in yoga and meditation intention.

I can make the right choices easier. Since Vata is my primary Dosha, it’s easy for me to be naturally indecisive. But I can refer to the knowledge I learned when I’m out food shopping, buying a candle, or music. Before I go to the store, I’m purposeful about what I’m looking for to help balance me. This saves time from making decisions and reduces trial-and-error.

I have fun confirming what I know about my current body imbalance, sniffing candles and spices. I don’t make too many mistakes of buying or trying the wrong thing and then having remorse. I can answer the question: What does my body need?

# 3. Finding Contentment and Peace As A Better Way of Living (Over Anger)

From learning about how to reduce my imbalances and centering (in yoga or mindfulness), I can better keep myself feeling peaceful and calm. That’s the ideal way to be. I’m not fluctuating, up-and-down, and dependent on my life circumstances to bring me happiness. I’m not making decisions based on moods.

I’ve learned to be content and never again feeling like I’m riding an emotional roller coaster despite life’s twists and turns. In my opinion, that’s the best part of what I learned from my experience.

I hope you can discover and get a glimpse in your mind or life, to anything that may be holding you back, so you can be emotionally free, present, and restore balance. Then, discover your passion work and creativity.

Want to learn more? Get your personalized mind-body calm recipe to balance your body type.