High acidic foods can wreak havoc on your daily gut-feeling life.
If you’re food shopping and trying to make choices for your grocery cart, adding a stomach-friendly GERD Ayurveda grocery list can enhance your eating life. Lowering stomach acidity and finding enhancing foods for balancing your body is fun, healthy, and sometimes what’s needed.
If you have a condition like high acid (or more severely GERD) in your stomach, whether you’re a Vata, Pitta, or Kapha (or have any of these imbalances), you’ll be interested in what you select for your refrigerator and pantry.
And, you’ve come to the right place for a list of safe foods to reduce GERD (or lower acidity) and increase balance (listed further below…)
Trees (even your favorite ones!) create pollen and can create fall allergies havoc, but you can naturally improve your allergy and sinus congestion life and prevent nasty sinus infections with tips below.
Fall allergies and sinus congestion can leave you confused. People wonder, “isn’t pollen relatively low in the fall?” This article is all about addressing this.
I have been a year-round allergy sufferer who only developed allergies about 5 years ago. Post-allergy life is a new normal. If you experience allergies, they don’t have to run (or ruin) your life.
You can also opt to take an allergy test from an allergist (where they can gently prick your arm or back) and find out if your situation is more complicated. I chose to do that and learned my symptoms were mostly external ones like watery eyes and annoying (but moderate) nasal congestion.
Allergy symptoms can last all day. Late afternoon and evenings can be worse than mornings (the opposite of spring grass allergies).
The gifts of imperfection are not found in holding onto perfection. I learned the hard way in and around the area I grew up in…
If the U.S. Capitol were a cake, it would have perfect lines, and these were the standards in the schools and household I grew up in.
If you change your perfection ways, you can discover the gifts of imperfection over perfection. You can achieve bigger and better things.
Perfection can create unwanted side effects like anxiety and self-pity (that you can overcome). If you’re an overachiever, you know how aiming for perfection can create performance anxiety.
Thankfully “progress over perfection” replaces “practice makes perfect” in our delicate world.
Because early on I wasn’t perfect in school. I attended the #1 highest ranking public high schools in America (in the DC suburbs) at the time, and that didn’t help my cause. Let’s say I ended up doing well, but that didn’t seem perfect or good enough at times especially when applying for top colleges.
At home, my dad was a high achiever, a hardworking Harvard architect who graduated at the top of his class, earned an impressive scholarship, and the whole nine yards. He had high ideals in life and I got the passed-on message about those ambitious expectations.
Perfection was a value and I was more like an Eton Mess than perfect.
You can make your own Eton Mess (steps on how to make below) to help you remind you that imperfection still creates a form of edible perfection that tastes great.
I didn’t always know what the expectations were but I knew I fell short, so I bagged the perfect model concept early on. The problem was I had nothing to replace with, like progress over perfection. Or fail forward means you’re trying.
But I kept going and so did you…
If you’ve carried perfectionist ideals along your journey, I know where you’re coming from. It’s not easy to shake off the past… with the good, bad and ugly.
And thing that did help me was knowing that no one on earth. There was only one and he’s no longer on earth.
So I decided that good meant keeping high standards and wanting to make achievements in life (and valuing the gifts of imperfection).
Naturally, you want to do your best but the wheels do fall off sometimes in our fallen world.
And when you become obsessive in the process of an outcome, that can be self-destructive and unhealthy.
Perfectionist behaviors can also negatively rub off on other people or into blame situations.
The ego or Imposter mind can be crafty and find coping ways to urgently nourish your soul and body if you let your mind run and ruin your life. Keeping your mind separate from you and your spirit can help your journey.
Re-defining and embracing imperfection is the healthier way to a happy life.
The Gifts of Imperfection at Work
Remind yourself that being imperfect is better. Maybe, that’s getting things done is better than none.
Remind yourself how you made imperfection work for you in the past. That people embraced your imperfect work.
…If you forgot to do something, as we all do, you’re no longer perfect so that helps you to rule out perfection as always. Our ego loves to use “always” and “never” when it’s usually more like “sometimes”, “often”, or “rarely.”
You may not even have missed out on this activity in any impactful way.
One of the best things you can do to let go is to fail at something and see that: 1) you survived, 2) you’re okay, and 3) something good came out of your scenario… maybe it was that you learned 1 and 2 and can repeat. Usually you can find a positive if you want to that helps your outlook and growth.
You can embrace: Good is good enough. When I embraced this mantra, it helped me to hit “send” and “publish.”
You get more done and are happier taking the stress and pressure off yourself. Because what will be, will be. So many factors are out of controls anyways.
Being imperfect sets you up to keep going, doing, and trying…. and eventually finding your purpose or destiny.
Catching and correcting written spelling and grammar mistakes is good but is different than making sure every word is perfect to your mind’s satisfaction. There’s a fine line between valuing your work and what you do, and obsessing over the quality because of what that would represent if you didn’t perform well in some way.
Your performance isn’t as important as those youu impact. That’s the lesson from the movie Burnt where Actor Bradley Cooper’s Type-A and chef character learns that letting go of his perfection for a calmer teamwork environment brings home the additional Michelin star success.
The supporting kitchen staff actors are empowered to do their jobs without feeling like they’re walking on eggshells in front of their boss.
You may have also learned this lesson as an employee working with others and working towards climbing the organization ladder.
And you may have found that those promoted weren’t necessarily the hardest workers who delivered flawless work. Some weren’t even as qualified as the person who should’ve gotten the promotional job, but they were trusted with their work given to them (as part of the gifts of imperfection).
Most importantly, they worked at building relationships and connections while others focused on producing the best work.
Building good rapport is a skill that’s valued and can be even more difficult than keeping the head down doing work. People want to work with those they know, like, and trust. So letting your guard down some and letting them know a personal side of you can help you win points.
It’s not just in what you say or how you say it. There’s an energy that you give off even when you’re sitting in front of your computer that you may not even know you’re giving off.
Everyone has a part they can play no matter what special personalities they display. Your non-judgment of others and focusing on their positives is what will create a good work environment for you…
Not necessarily being the person who does perfect work. Perfection is an illusion. What you do today, will be obsolete tomorrow or forgotten by most, years from now. Who you showed up as, and your progress contributions will be remembered.
So, what if you’re caught up in the perfectionist trap?
If you find yourself falling for perfectionist obsessive ways, being self-critical or beating yourself up, here are some smart steps to take:
Be perfect.
Whaaat? Yes, be perfect. It’s all in your mind. When you force yourself to NOT do something, you unintentionally end up doing that behavior. Because your subconscious brain doesn’t hear NOT.
It picks up that you are focusing energy towards that area. It’s not always helping you, and your eyeballs can even skip over the words “not,” as part of the process if you’re reading words on a page.
So you’re trying not to be perfect, can backfire. (I’ve deliberately highlighted the word “not” in several ways here to catch your attention).
Instead in self-awareness, catch yourself and realize that you don’t want to do that anymore. Because before you probably didn’t see it when you were acting that way, but now you’re aware.
So give yourself grace to take two steps forward and one step backward in growth.
In the beginning, it can be like an internal dance you’re trying to figure out. But you’ll get it because you’re trying to make it better than the old ways that didn’t work the way you hoped.
Your trying can shift over to your growing out of perfection instead of toward your output.
Imperfection takes less effort, and caring less sometimes is the answer if your mind is running the show.
Eventually the gifts of imperfection outweigh perfection with your desires and efforts.
But, there are exceptions and times when you do want to shine and be as perfect as possible. So you don’t want to lose all your perfection traits if that’s what comes naturally to you.
Like when you have a performance or presentation to give and want to wow the critics. Or you have a test or an interview to ace. The difference here is that these aren’t everyday occurrences and they’re solo acts you want to nail.
Back when I had school team presentations, several times I was disappointed when the group didn’t do the part they agreed to. Letting go of the idea that everyone was as dedicated, I learned later to do every piece of their part and mine, as though it were performed and turned in solely by me…
That was my backup plan.
If the team came through on their parts, then I would rely on them. And when they did, I realized that we had better information as I could chime in with additional insight in their areas and mine because the research was done.
I gave my best and that’s all I could do. And that’s the attitude to embrace for progress over perfection.
Stay Authentic
In make or break situations, stay authentic to your deeper, healthy self desires.
Let go of worries.
Striving for high standards is a better way of living.
Be happy with your imperfect message and letting your caring, human side come out.
You can come back and change your thoughts. You don’t have to nail every point flawlessly the first time. We think we never have a chance to do over.
That’s true only if you think it is. If you came across as serious before, you can come back as light-hearted or funny in a pivot around new audiences.
Be comfortable where you are and your confident energy will shine through. Keep showing up the way you want to be perceived.
You get to be who you want to be as human, not perfect (remembering the gifts of imperfection).
If you think these tips could help someone grow, please share with them.
And here’s how you can make your own Eton Mess dessert that could be a good metaphor to embracing your authentic creativity and imperfection inside you.
fruits (raspberries, blueberries, lychee, cantaloupe shown in photo)
Instructions
Shape meringue to liking on a baking sheet. Bake in oven on a low temperature around 250°F/120°C or less until marshmallowy soft but crisp. You'll be able to see when the edges are starting to toast.
Let the meringue cool and break off on your plate in a mess. Add and pile on fruits you would like to use to create a modern art dessert plate.
Vata body mind is a way to define a body and mind type. As a Vata, I know most of us are naturally thin and have worry tendencies.
Are you a Vata?
If so, this article post is all about you. And if you don’t know what a Vata is, you can discover more below.
You have several identities in this world. I’ll share a few of mine…
Some are fun. You know those personality tests you can take (to learn about yourself and your friends).
Well… in the self-taking Enneagram test, I’m most closely a 7. We’re the happy enthusiasts. …Hoo-ray!
Maybe that’s why I created this place for others to glean off of my happy aura 😊.
By the way, all the Enneagram types 1-9 are great (you’re still a complex individual and have potential traces of all the types). If you’re not familiar, Enneagrams are based on your general life motivations.
Any one enneagram type is not better than another, but I like to cheer mine on (and be happy for the happy type). As an Enneagram 7, we’re known to be the optimistic and positive people in this world.
This makes sense because I naturally gravitate without hesitation towards life’s pleasures enjoying beauty, fashion and gourmet foods.
…Which makes people that know me wonder, how I can be so deeply spiritual? I think of this combination as my superpower… being in this world, but not entirely of this world.
On the outside, like all of us, I’m just a person having a daily spiritual journey.
I found better answers inside from life’s challenges and life’s non-answers. In other words, in the silence.
I was actually born 90% Vata. “A who?”, you may ask if this is new to you.
That’s right, I identify as the Vata body-mind type in Ayurveda.
There are 3 types: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. We all possess traces in varying degrees of each of these types and any of us can get off balance (irritated, anxious, lethargic, etc.) from these types.
Today I’m just focusing on the Vata type…
As a Vata, most of us are naturally thin or slender. A Vata can eat and eat and eat, and gain little weight.
There are people you hate or envy because of this (not really… but you get my drift). On the flipside, Vatas have thin bones and usually a more sensitive body.
We can take a warm bath and still feel cold especially in the winter.
Each body type has special features.
Another for Vata is, we epitomize the saying, “cold hands, warm heart.”
Our skin and hair stay on the naturally dry side. We use deep moisturizers and conditioners. And adult eczema can arise that’s manageable.
Outside of appearances, the Vata body-mind type naturally holds onto worry and anxiety. An area that I did not care to hold onto so I learned to transform.
In pure Vata fashion, we naturally bounce from task to task (sometimes too much), as multi-taskers are our middle names. We also prefer variety as the spice of life.
We have or like more than one type of any product or food type.
Based on all these descriptions above, I’m 100% Vata.
You learn in life though, you adapt to situations and can balance or counterbalance any natural body type, especially with all the resources and great products we have in the world at our fingertips.
So why am I sharing all of this?…
Because I believe you have a choice to make changes in your life for the better.
I wanted to get up 10 times while writing this, but I forced myself to stay put. I also wanted to wonder what you would think reading this. I chose to not worry about anything that’s not helpful, and just be productive despite natural tendencies because I learned the better way.
But I still care about feelings and how I come across with thin skin, that I learned to toughen up over the years and through life’s situations.
There’s a part of me that still wants to be the reserved person who doesn’t want to share who she is, but I put myself out there anyway as I know I can help others.
I challenge myself to be fearless. Because I know that there’s no personal growth without bringing light to weaknesses, and places I’d rather suppress.
Then I see dynamic people in this world and I couldn’t even begin to do the things they do in their physical abilities and skills.
And I naturally want to believe they are happy.
But they’re not, inside. And despite all they have.
They weren’t wired that way. But I was.
They live on what they know and their comforts. That’s not better or worse, it just is.
They have a choice to change parts of their lives if they choose.
As we all have choices relative to our lives and opportunities.
As long as we support one another as humans, and don’t judge one another, we can learn from each other and grow.
And that can be the greater world we are becoming in collaboration efforts.
If you’re a Vata (or think you’re one from my description above), high five and a big hug to you. I get you.
We naturally have anxious tendencies that can show up in the form of overwhelming feelings, heart palpitations, or nervous butterflies in the stomach.
You don’t have to live that way, as a regular way of being based on your thoughts and situations you can’t control.
I know this from my own learned past experiences.
Without anxiety awareness, you’re putting on a band-aid to calm the symptoms.
Breathing deeply and drinking plenty of water are super important habits to help soothe anxiety.
If you think you have anxiety in your life, confirm with this quiz, and get quick restoring tips and ongoing healthy and happy life balancing tip advice.
You too can change what’s not fully working. (Let it be easy… why live another day not being or feeling like your whole self?).
We live in an evolving world that changes whether we want it to or not.
…And there are lots going on.
But, I believe each of us can get ahead of anxiety and learn to manage and prevent anxiety in a healthy way.
Each situation is a teacher and a chance to find a remedy.
The statistics show our depressed society is growing.
Most women in America and maybe the world, don’t currently do or take the time to learn how to live healthy and happy in life’s busyness, despite all the resources available.
And, that’s where I hope I can shed light with my positivity, encouraging vibes, and sharing self-transformation lessons to help in this cause.
I encourage (and challenge you) to be your change for your life’s happiness.
You can learn all about the Vata, Pitta, and Kapha in this in-depth balancing mind-body article which btw, as an example I’m dominant in Pitta mind (in addition to a Vata mind) to add fuel to the fire.
And very likely, you have more than one dominant mind type. That’s what makes each of us complex, unique, and alike in this life. It’s as simple and complicated as that. 😊
Home exercise program habits are a great way to get your exercise and healthy energy jolt in if you only have a few minutes.
And enjoying a blueberry bite can refreshing when you’re warmed up! Sherbet recipe below ⬇️ 🫐
Since the pandemic days, most of have tried or incorporated a video or home exercise routine. And for some this has stuck and is a regular plan over gyms or in-person fitness classes. And wherever you choose to exercise, your body will appreciate. You can check your minutes, stand, and move points. 🎯
A regular home exercise program is good for relieving anxiety and daily de-stressing if you need a motivator during low energy times. You don’t need equipment, just your body as weight.
You can even do simple exercises laying on your bed, a mat, or a floor. You don’t need equipment other than your body. That’s what yoga is.
You can do leg lifts and invisible bicycle movements while you’re watching shows. Those are low-intensity but they add up. And may keep you away from the couch potato moves that you’re trying to get away from.
Using just your body, you don’t have a clunky piece of equipment that’ll become a towel rack in months. Most of us have all done similar where we had a good exercise plan in mind and it didn’t pan out. Keeping things simple always pays off!
And implementing a simple home exercise program can be the change maker to your feeling happy, energetic, and successful today… in addition to being more fit.
Because if your mind is satisfied and feeling accomplished, then you feel happy. And feeling happy is all that matters over an activity you don’t enjoy and it feels like work. Amen!?
Getting oxygen circulating to your brain also is the energy boost you need to get things going! And in that positive direction, exercise can motivate you to eat healthier and lighter that helps your gut. For some people, exercise is a good activity to do while fasting especially in the first few hours where you reap several benefits.
Today we know that most of our happy hormones are made in our gut so we want to keep our gut happy and healthy. Plus, there’s a gut-brain connection in the body-mind connection that affects our daily moods, outlook, and attitudes. 🌱
With our world back together, let’s keep up our steps. 👣
Easy home exercise program ideas needing no equipment:
Cardio exercise and high intensity interval training (HIIT) get the heart rate up that is one life-giving activity every human can use. We also improve our breathing and ability to control our breath longer.
Exercise examples include:
Burpees push-up and jump-up combos are a great way to ease tension from staying in cramped quarters. You can burn off pent-up Pitta anger or Vata anxiety you hold in seconds.
Plus, exercise helps the Kapha wake up and all of us sleep better.
If you want to stay indoors or have outdoor allergies, running (in place), and doing jumping jacks works too.
Online classes with yoga, barre, and pilates can keep you engaged and in a routine if you need more focused stimulation.
Most of us have taken a class or two this way that you can even find for free on YouTube channels like the Well+Good channel I subscribe to where you can get a balanced workout.
Here are some other home exercise program moves you can create for relieving anxiety and overall good physical fitness health:
House stair master substitute. If you live under a roof with stairs, run up and down the stairs several times. Then when you come down the, slowly walk down backward (recommended if you have carpeted stairs only so as not to slip).
If you live in a condo or apartment, opt to take the stairs instead of the elevator. And if you live in a one-story home, you can do repetitive leg lifts.
You can switch the mindset of parking closest to your destination. Park far away and avoid the potential car dings, get the shaded parking spots, and also get your exercise points in.
You can also practice mindfulness and get present with your body and how it feels in each muscle movement.
As we age we start to feel joints more and we lose muscle. And that’s all the more reason to keep up the exercise!
Natural steps stretch your hamstrings and other muscle parts of your legs and buttocks. Your gluteus maximus has the largest muscle group in your body, so focusing on these muscles will provide a high reward for your efforts.
Jump rope (or jumping jacks). Take a piece of rope and add a small weight to the bottom. Then start jumping rope. Do repetitions of forward and backward jumps for variety.
This (and hula hoops… remember those?) is great for tiring kids out with lots of energy. Of you can bounce a stress ball against the wall and play catch for stretching arms naturally.
…Jumping jacks are also a great way to get your blood circulating from head to toe. These are great to do especially if you’ve been sitting for a long time, and your legs or feet have fallen asleep.
Daily sit-ups. Do daily repetitions. Your stomach supports your back that you need for just about every movement.
If you have a longer torso, a better situp would be half crunches where you don’t go back down to the floor fully. You will still get the stomach benefits. And try to hold the crunch longer to reap more muscle benefit.
A variations is you lay flat on your back, raise your legs straight up to the ceiling and then lift up your torso and try to reach your hands to your ankles. That’ll hurt good!
Rest, and then continue and do as many reps as you can.
Lift dumbell weights or use milk gallons filled with water that have handles.
But before you do that move, add in a warm up routine. Yoga works well for this before you lift weights when muscles can be cold, tight, or contracted. Never skip the warmup part even for a home exercise program that you’re in charge of..
And one exercise that you probably haven’t counted…
Cleaning and straightening the house stretches your muscles and is exercise. When you’re cleaning, you’re actually doing yoga. You have to bend, stretch and squat to reach every nook and cranny in the house. Your cleaning poses are working smaller muscles. When you look at it that way, cleaning isn’t a chore and can be relaxing. 😊
That is a good segue into yoga that has great physical and mental health benefits, such as helping you calm, reducing anxiety, stress, tension, and depression.
If you don’t have a yoga mat, you can use beach or old towels (aren’t you glad you kept those?).
Start with deep breathing. For calming, I’ve modified my own yoga breathing technique. I found that inhaling deeply through your nose and exhaling long breaths through your mouth (for full air release from lungs) are most satisfying for releasing tension.
You instantly feel lighter.
But you can also stick with traditional yoga breaths through the nose.
Performing these breathing exercises increase the flow of oxygen, releases tension, slows the mind, improves concentration, and calms emotions.
When you’re ready to start your poses, keep in mind you can do your own modifications. Yoga poses should feel good for you, like a good stretch. Poses should not hurt. Everyone’s bodies are different so adjust the variation of the pose to your body.
Use: in any yoga pose, you can hurt yourself to be mindful and careful.
Test the waters on each pose without trying the maximum stretch on your first few sessions. Like the effects from any exercise in an exercise home program, you won’t know how the pose affected your body until a day or two later.
You can have a flexible torso, but a stiff neck or back. Everyone has a different range of motion.
We all need daily stretching and cardio to stay limber, healthy, and fit. The goals in yoga are flexibility, balance, and strength.
The best way to learn yoga poses is to see the pose and hear the pointers on what you don’t want to do.
From your home, you can watch and listen to videos on each pose to see the proper body alignment and learn about the intended goal of the pose.
Yoga Exercises For Your Home Exercise Program
Standing poses:
Sun Salutation poses — good for morning heart openers. We have a tendency to cave our bodies inward and look down. Sun salutation help to open the body.
Mountain poses (commonly referred to as tadasana) — aligns the spine and restores balance to the body and mind.
Start mountain pose standing with hands in a position like the prayer emoji where you’re praying at your heart center
Then raise your arms up towards the ceiling.
Fold the entire torso down towards the floor, and let arms hang down (in forwarding bend pose). Hands can rest on feet or as far down on your calves as you can.
Forward bend poses — helps back, spine, and back of hamstrings
Standing or sitting poses: Do Cactus Arms throughout the day to open your shoulders. Good especially if you hunch over a lot, are straining on the computer, or work in a kitchen or factory standing for long periods of time.
Yoga Floor poses:
Cat/Cow (knees and hands-on floor) — good back and spine stretch. Tabletop is the neutral position in between Cat and Cow poses.
Downward dog (feet and hands flat on the floor) — releases tension in the shoulders, hamstrings
Chair with hands in the air (feet on the floor) — energizes the body, strengthens the entire leg muscles and lower back
Sitting poses:
Spinal twist — helps the spine to rid of stiffness
Hero — keeps your knees flexible
Front on mat poses:
Cobra — expands the rib cage, chest, and abdomen
Bow — strengthens the back, opens the chest, tones the thigh and buttocks
Half locust — helps buttocks, back of thighs, posture; improves circulation
You could do a Plank pose (great for arms like push-ups) and then lower down into a Cobra, Baby Cobra, or Sphinx pose as a (Vinyasa) flow.
If you’re new to yoga, many yoga poses have animal, nature, or object names. Their pose names inspire peace, beauty, and purpose. For more inspiration, check out these 100 yoga poses.
Yoga can help keep intention focused on staying healthy and provide calm, gentle exercises for anxiety and stress reduction.
And to reward yourself in all your hard work and to cool down, how about a low-fat blueberry sherbet.
