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Category: Prevention

Pollen Count Today Near Me and Spring Allergies Hope

Pollen count today near me is a report you want to take a look at if you are spring or year-round allergy prone these days. And I share tips in this article on how to manage allergies better with our constantly changing earth and where we have hope.

healthy pasture-raised organic eggs and the pollen count are related on our planet.
Pasture-raised, organic eggs are one of the healthy foods.

Because our beloved planet needs a restore, Amen!

If you’re like many of us, you’re feeling the effects. It’s not just seasonal allergies anymore… it’s year round allergy effects. And if you’re wondering if your new strange, non-serious, unexplainable body symptoms are related, they probably are. 🌎

They are for me too… I never had allergies before and then started feeling the effects in spring and fall from the pollen count today near me. And that gradually became winter and summer also.

DC had its highest pollen count today near me report in February that’s before the spring fever time. And why the Tidal Basin Cherry Blossoms that I grew up around bloomed earlier this year from previous years. 🌸 I remember one year where there were few blooms and I saw one tree near me.

We keep topping new records.

And this affects quality of life. You learn this quickly by observing the patterns. Like I noticed when it reaches over 70 degrees, my skin became thirsty and needs moisturizing self-care love.

By being aware, I can do something preventative.

And you can do the same with your symptoms.

There’s hope.

At one point, the rumor was that allergy effects last for 7 years.

…And in belief and hope in relief, I can attest in my case, that’s about right.

From 2015 to 2023 I felt the effects bad where I would go from my normal feeling self (no pollen allergy effects)… to whoosh my thinking mind was congested and felt like it was hit with a wind storm.

Which btw, gusty wind is not a Vata’s friend as it can knock us out of balance (especially as we already carry wind sameness properties).

Those seasons affected me in my daily activites where I couldn’t just sit outside that I used to love to do (and most of us do).

Because if I did, the next day I would pay the price, feeling out of it in a brain fog way. And I didn’t want to take a blocking histamine pill every day. I felt the blockage as… I couldn’t sneeze at all.

And as bodies adapt, these days I sneeze a lot and have a new appreciation for the self-cleansing interruption.

Likely, you or someone in your household feels the allergy effects in some way. Sometimes it’s our four-legged family members. 🐾

Below are a few survival tips to make the ride a little better until your body adjusts or you find a new way.

 …And as we wait for our world to discover new ways to restore our natural world, and change how we handle our modern world like: food agriculture, transportation, and manufacturing.

These are major areas that affect the climate crisis connected to allergies. And places that used to be disconnected from these effects, like California, are now feeling the dust.

Even though there are more trees (that primarily contribute to the green spring pollen dust), being near the mountain air feels better.

And better than in a busy city or beach that this body can attest to… or densely populated with mass transportation pollution.

Observingly, places with less people like Norway and the Adirondacks had less pollen effects.

You’d have to test out on your body… just in case you are considering relocating, those are some life-giving things to consider.

One thing you can do in the States is research what the pollen levels are and which ones bother your systems.

Tip #1: Look at the pollen count today near me reports.

So many people I’ve talked to don’t even know that this snapshot report exists.

How I use the report is: I put in my zip code and I see which days are lowest pollen count in the week that is available on the pollen phone app. The daily report can also be found on the site.

Then looking at the week, I immediately know low count days are predicted rainy days. So it’s not accurate as weather prediction is never 100% accurate (and sometimes off).

So, what you can glean from this information is that each pollen season impacted has roughly the same type, quality, and quantity of pollen every day until the pollen season shifts.

If the count is over, say 10 that’s high on any given day, then you know what to do preventatively for that season (or use the tips below to help you).

And you can take a look at what the culprits are such as elm, juniper, and maple trees these days in certain areas and what I see on my report.

Tip #2: Invest in and turn the air purifier on high. This helps significantly for spaces you spend a lot of time in like your bedroom or where you sleep, and in an office space where you work.

If you work around others, you’ll be the envy of your office mates as they get to feel the clean air effects too around you. 💨

Be sure to use HEPA filters that catch small particles like the green ones circulating around (and mold that’s more prevalent in the autumn).

I’ve had an air purifier beside me since around 2000 when it was discovered that an office I worked in had mold behind the walls. The air purifier invested in was a life saver, and I’ve never lived without one since. You appreciate close-up your healthy breathing daily in those instances.

Changing the filters and vacuuming often on schedule make a difference too in the quality of filtering you’re getting.

Tip #3: Do a weeky nasal cleanse with a neti pot, warm water, and sea salt mixture. If you battle with sinus infections often or seasonally, this is a preventative game changer.

Remember, you can’t change the air in this bubble life we live in, but you can change your effects.

That’s one thing we all knew early on in life: air quality affects quality of life.

New Generation Hope for Our Health

And we also picked up: what we knew in the past isn’t going to take us to our future. Or today’s mantra,“What got us here, won’t get us there.”

And while we’re cleaning out our sinuses, we can breathe in some good, hopeful vibes for our planet future with the kids of today, Gen Z.

Born with an innate earthly duty and social media, they may want to have a life mission to impact a fragile world that needs environmental repair. And that’s something we can be optimistically hopeful for. 🎉

…Maybe that’s your kiddos or you that’s saying “school me, please!” so something can be done about the environmental world chaos. In the meanwhile, we can bring back “act local, think global.” And that includes the foods we eat. Like eggs. Not these lawn Easter eggs. But edible eggs.

Because healthy eggs we eat are low histamine (anti-allergy) super foods loaded with vitamins that many of us can rally around, whether school or adult-age. You can make 2-minute easy poached eggs daily or celebrate eggs on occasion.

And if you get tired of eggs, maybe you can make your inspired waffles with this recipe that has a healthy twist (plus an egg 😉).

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easy waffles with healthier ingredients in minutes.
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Easy Waffles In Minutes (Healthy Tips)

Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup milk per waffle
  • 1 egg per waffle
  • 1/2 cup combined flour (use more almond flour and some AP flour for healthier waffle batter)
  • 1 tsp oil (can reduce oil of choice and use light EVOO for healthier version)
  • Greek yogurt
  • Berries (optional)

Instructions

  • Add milk of choice to bowl or Pyrex measuring glass for easy measurement and one-”bowl” mixing.
  • Add egg, flour of choice (combine almond flour and ap flour for healthy), oil.
  • Pour in waffle iron maker and cook until golden-medium brown and is easy to remove in one piece with a fork.
  • Let cool and dollop with Greek yogurt and fresh berrries.

Simple Pitta Season Reminders

Pitta season is usually when heat starts up in the summer, but sometimes that can be sooner. We’re reminded of our planet. And we can celebrate with cooling foods like pineapple, cumin, and yogurts. A Hawaiian pizza with pineapple below.

Celebrating a brownie with pineapple, cherry, and Greek yogurt funfetti never gets old! 🎉

Heat, heat, heat. And more heat. That’s what Pitta season is about. Along with the bloom and celebration comes heat that is deceivingly dangerous. The solution: cool moisture. And I have some reminder hydrating tips below.

You may not be a Pitta, but Pitta season is a scorcher. Jumping in a cooling pool will give you a few minutes of relief but won’t help you from leathering up or collecting sun-kissed freckles… that I probably don’t need to remind you, catch up with you in sunspots and wrinkles when you get to the mirror.

So in that vain, prevention is always the best and easiest method.

Especially when you’re on vacation, you may forget how much moisturizing love the skin really needs. Your best bet is to moisturize throughout the day when you get a break. And if you get heat rashes or inflammation.

And if you’re like me and tend to forget the SPF before heading out, do it first thing and bring it with you. We can’t get away with SPF 0 or 2 like we once did, especially if you want to look good at mid-life. Try 50 (or 52 😉).

And when you’re back home, revive your skin by washing off the layer of SPF skin protection not needed indoors. Steam is going to restore you and your skin back. And your critical-minutes after shower routine minutes will set the tone.

The right moisturizing lotion after showering helps to embalm the moisture. There’s no one-size fits all for products (and that’s probably one of the reasons why there are so many options available). And once you find your formula or brand that works for you, stick with that. 

And, use a spritzing facial spray. I like rosewater (good for Pitta moods). If you don’t like the scent, you can choose a mint cooling spray. That sets you on your merry way to start the second half of your day.

Mint btw, is also good for keeping away some flying insects that can really kick up the Pitta annoyed emotions.

Also, Witch Hazel has become a favorite oldie but goodie astringent that draws oil out that irritates (Pitta) heated and dry skin.

And if you like floral scents like jasmine, lavender, or rose, go with that which also helps the body cool or calm from a mind-body perspective. It’s also a good reminder to: stop and smell the flowers.

Or magnolias in my case (known for symbolizing joy, love, and purity):

Look at this moisture-rich magnolia flower 💮

When you’re out, you also want to use an SPF lip balm. The higher SPF, the better.

At home, I use Burt’s Bees brand when no SPF is needed. And a lip scrub, and then dab a little honey on the lips that moisturizes and keeps lips supple… trust me I’m all about the lip management with full lips. 🫦

I learned early on that lips don’t tan. 😅

And honey also has been used for centuries for skin inflammation as well as dehydration.

As you age, you notice the drier spots. The good news is your moisture-love efforts, accumulate.

Same with drinking water. If you use an aluminum bottle over glass, that can be super cooling. And keep plenty of juicy fruits around as sweet snacks, such as healthy tropical fruits: pineapple, kiwi, and peeled-off skin grapes.
All these keep you from Pitta season dehydrating or getting easy-fix thirsty headaches… we don’t need to complicate the simple. 💧
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Hawaiian Pizza

When I worked in a pizza shop as a teenager, I loved how the sweet pineapple and ham paired.
Course dinner, lunch
Cuisine American, hawaiian
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

  • Pineapple chunks
  • Flat ham slices
  • tomato or barbecue (optional)
  • cheese

Instructions

  • Bake your pizza crust for about 20 minutes at 350°F.
  • Add cheese and sauce.
  • Add ham and pineapple toppings.

Here’s Why Your Healthy Smile Matters

 

Homemade cold brew with plant-based milks for a healthy coffee smile 🦷

When you have a healthy smile, you gain confidence. I didn’t realize how much of an effect it has on a person until the first time I got my teeth whitened.

The next day others around me scratched their heads noticing something different about the way I looked, but couldn’t pinpoint what changed. That’s what healthy looking teeth can do, AND then you want to keep it up!

Looking back, one thing I’m grateful for is I have stayed relatively consistent looking over the years. For me, I KNOW how you look on the outside is not as important as the inside.

But what’s on the outside often reflects what’s going on inside… similar to the mind-body connection, in its bi-directional healthy signaling that radiates in and through our Beings.

And in my being and doing life’s journey, I’ve done a lot of blogging on blogs (like this one)… typing enough published words to cover the country if miles were measured in words 😉

One interesting place I blogged at was at a dentist’s office. It was meant to be. Personally, I would rather visit a dentist over the hospital any day, but that’s diff’rent for each person.

And in those health research days sitting in an office just a few feet away from dental chairs, I was constantly reminded that preventative dental care is how to keep your teeth healthy plus save a ton of money. And especially if going to the dentist does not bring up good memories or at least a neutral feeling.

Plus, when we pay the dental bills, we know that any reparative dental work can be off-the-charts, breaking any smart budget planning. Dipping into rainy-day funds can be harder than a consistent daily maintenance alternative.

…And an encouraging reminder like this can be a new wake-up call to healthy teeth habits again.

Especially if any have slid off the radar or you picked up a new food or beverage habit that you didn’t think twice about… where even a healthy addition like apple cider vinegar for food-as-medicine does daily damage to teeth enamel… esp. if teeth care is second fiddle in our healthy body thoughts.

Being mindful of a healthy smile makes you feel good. When I was at the dentist working and as an inquisitive patient, I learned that healthy choppers go hand-in-hand with healthy nutrition. It’s not just about avoiding cavities that I learned as a child.

Today we know there’s a teeth-gut connection. Foods impact us from the moment they enter our mouths. Like our bones, our porcelain teeth thrive off calcium and Vit-D.

It’s smart to keep a lot of healthy foods containing minerals and probiotics like teeth superfood, Greek yogurt.

Here are some other examples 😊

Wild salmon rich in Omega-3s, Vitamin D, and fiber-rich anti-inflammatory asparagus and anti-bacterial onion (alliums) are good for our health, gut, and teeth.

Anti-inflammatory foods are good for teeth and your healthy smile. They stave off bacteria that can bleed into gums.

And gum infections are body inflammations similar to other chronic inflammations that can lead to chronic diseases. That’s why flossing daily can add years to your life, and is probably more impactful than even adding weekly calcium/Vitamin-D-rich longevity beans and lentils. 🫘

And, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is good for our body and applies to our teeth because apples help clean teeth, especially when a toothbrush isn’t convenient. Apple pectin is an anti-bacterial fiber that helps flush out toxins starting in the mouth.

And so if it’s a “bad” food that’s not helping your body out, it’s probably hurting your teeth too. Sugar is a perfect example.

In my younger days, I was a bad example being a kid loving the candy shop.  You get a grace period before your baby teeth fall out. But then good habits save you no matter what age. And this is for most of us.

…I mean, couldn’t Halloween just be a fun costume day without the candy?

Anyway…

We have a say in the matter and a chance to change those ways as we grow up.

Even as a Vata, I grew up knowing I had a natural sweet tooth. And I realized not all of us do. It’s definitely a choice though, and when you change your ways and your reasons WHY you change, you can get back to the healthy ways that nature intended.

As someone who bakes weekly today, cutting out all sweets could be robbing joy and celebration good for mind health. So the sweet spot for me and maybe others like me, is sweet moderation and mostly sweet natural sources.

…As with everything else healthy and happy in life, it always comes back to the balance. ⚖️

Consider a ball attached to an elastic string that you wrap around a finger that comes back every time enjoyably and effortlessly. That’s the optimal balance effect.

…Compare that to a yo-yo ball that takes practice to master… or else it just leaves a trail of string that takes work to wrap back into the yo-yo.

Finding your right ball and rhythm and letting healthy balance be easy and fun is a life game-changer. 🧶

So you can get it done by building easy habits and habit stacking.

Because once you get the hang of it, you’ll want to continue doing the better way… until something better comes along.

And in awareness, you have a chance to think twice about going back to old ways.

We especially want a healthy inside to reflect on the outside so we stay sensitive to changes in us and outside of us.

Our healthy bodies are good at signaling to us. But when something gets off-balance, it’s to our benefit and our healthy job to stay aware using good judgment. Even when our cues or how we feel is off.

Often our hormones can drive the bus in our behaviors, but we don’t have to accept that as the only way or the new normal. No way!

…Just like we don’t have to accept anything but a healthy smile, no matter what our genes provided. Taking care of your teeth is something to smile about. 😃

Lazy Yoga Accessories Mood Boost

Yoga accessories are a must for good yoga form, comfort, and help with balance for your Vata, Kapha, and Pitta. So is a recipe for hot water pastry and adding your balancing good foods below.

yoga accessories like a bolster, a block, and a blanket are classic. The yogi tea adds to pampered yoga wellness.
Yoga accessories like a bolster, a block or two, and a blanket are classic. The yogi tea adds to pampered yoga wellness. 🫖

Using yoga accessories or props on a lazy day can really help boost your mood.

And a peaceful mood is one you want to stay in daily whether you’re feeling busy and active before the holidays or lazier after Christmas has come and gone.
You may teeter back and forth. And eating well is one ingredient that can help restore balance.
Like this well-spiced open-faced savory pastry I made half with spinach, chickpeas, oni0ns, and a punchy five-spice blend (cinnamon, fennel, star anise, cloves, peppercorns) to balance Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. And the other half is a balanced mix of carrots, potatoes, scallions, and tarragon. Maybe this inspires you and puts you in a better mood? 
Hot water pastry with veggies. Recipe below. ⬇️
And speaking of mood balancing…
When I used to visit malls on the weekend as a downtime pastime, after a while I’d get bored… the look-forward to anticipation feelings turned to drained and uninspired energy. I couldn’t wait to exit…
Then there usually was a line to get out of the parking lot and into traffic, especially during the holidays. Sound familiar?
We didn’t have online Black Friday shopping so it was a sheer annual mayhem event.
Since those days, our world has evolved and so have we. And these days I steer away from malls like the Black Plague.
…But whether you do or not, you know the feeling of too much of a good thing becomes numbing to the mind-body.

That can be how you feel about some adventures and projects you’d rather stay away from even if they started out okay. You can avoid some, but others require you and your endurance, like certain work tasks and travel stress.

Those growing tired moods can sink in and take a while to lift, especially if they’re our regular routines in life.

…like sweeping kitchen crumbs for the 10th time or chores you hate doing. And if we ignore them and feel lazier than usual, that can turn into a Kapha imbalance.

Or if we feel irritated and uninspired…. then not making a change can lead to burnout. It doesn’t usually happen overnight but it can happen one day if you reach your snapping point. That’s more of a Pitta imbalance.

With both types of imbalances, lazy yoga poses can help you get your active balance and peaceful mood back.

(Corpse pose is a great one to relax your body and calm your mind.)

I know when I find time to just be still, sitting in silence, that’s when I feel the most peace. Maybe that’s how you feel?

The reason is centering allows you to focus on the calmness of this moment and the body can stop working so hard.

And by focusing on the silent moments, and not focusing on the busy activities like shopping or even watching Netflix (that can be good when you need a ‘lil downtime break), the quietness helps your mind to relax and to feel good again.

And in the silence, if you find your mind is racing, that’s a sign of an anxious Vata mind.

Sometimes we feel that way and to feel balanced, in my life journey, I found that getting a peaceful mind is easier when you tune into the right source for at least 8 waking hours a day and make it your habit in life.

Our lives are constructed in 24 hours of which 8 is good for sleeping, 8 for working, and 8 for doing everything else.

So during that everything-else time slot, that’s when it’s good to build in time to recharge, working on passions, and focusing mostly on less external influences (and maybe disconnecting from the world for minutes at a time).

And it’s good to find time to take breaks during work and about a  weekend day’s worth off to rest. Not everyone can take all of Sunday off.

And I find staying in that rhythm is how you can stay balanced, happy, and in a peaceful mood year-round so you can show up in life as your best.

That type of lifestyle years ago would have been laughed at or not taken seriously by my business and corporate worker companions. But now they are reconsidering too as wellness is part of the discussions.

Our world is changing for better health and wellness, thank goodness!

Because having consistency and wellness routines in your lifestyle and mind helps prevent life burnout or waking up one day unhappy or depressed.

Feeling those ways can take more time to backtrack and restore, and they usually have an aftermath of sorts. It’s better all around to take time out daily to restore and prevent.

And if you like the idea of preventatively restoring daily, then one small way is with lazy yoga moves. That’s what I call it anyway. Those are perfect on the days when it’s hard to move quickly, you had a rough night before, or it’s dreary weather outside.

On those days, you know intense exercise is out of the question.  But you can use that more tiring day for your lazy exercise day that still helps to invigorate your body and restore your mind.

We know that exercise is good for cognitive and physical fitness. So to stay in the game (of active life even when you’re not feeling it), you can use yoga props to help you engage and maybe even get off the couch if that’s what you find yourself doing and want to change that (…and your heavy Kapha mind may want to resist).

And those days would be a good time to do core work. When you have yoga accessories, doing ab work is not as challenging once you get moving… and maybe along with the right entertainment in the background.

So, here are a few yoga accessories and ideas that you can try and maybe build into a new habit:

Yoga Accessories:

A yoga block (or two), or a Yoga Wheel

Blocks are great especially in Bridge pose where you can turn the block vertically so that the longest side helps raise your back up to build a bridge higher than you can go without a block. This can really help you feel better instantly.

The evovled yoga wheel yoga accessories work in similar ways in a Bridge pose. I’m a bit old school as I prefer the block that raises up a new building structure without moving on you… and maybe a bit burned out from 90s fitness and turn-of-the-century gadgets and props that never got used more than a few times. 😉

Straps

Straps are great for keeping you focused on the guiding strap lines and that support your legs to various angles in the air when you’re laying flat back. These are great for helping you with flexibility that becomes more important as you grow wiser (and older too).

Bolster Yoga Pillow

Bolsters are pretty practical pillows to have around. And if you don’t have one, sometimes you can get creative and find lumbar pillows that some couches come with. And you can use other pillows and cushioned furniture pieces to be very effective.

I actually use an IKEA cushioned cube that I can rest my calves on when I’m laying back on my mat, and then do easy-ab roll-up work. And still, get all the benefits.

And then I can turn around and use the cube as a table or an ottoman. Now that’s usefulness! (No more ab roller devices and machines that take up additional space!)

Breathe device apps

I like the Apple Watch where you can feel the inhale and exhale vibrations of the Breathe app. It’s great for getting centered and intentional on your breath.

Another great prop (that you can add to your yoga accessories):

Wall

Legs Up the Wall pose is a great resting pose. You scoot and seat yourself as close to a wall as possible, and then lay back. Your legs are straight up against the wall. That should feel really good as you release tension from your legs.

You can rest your arms straight out and turn your head from side to side and be intentional to see different perspectives.

This can feel really good on lazy yoga days. The point is to never give up on yourself in any season of life!

Be the tortoise in Aesop’s fable. 🐢

You can be just one good move or pose away from getting you back into a good swing and crossing the finish line.

And people are back in yoga classes. …maybe that’s you or just what you need to keep your calm through the holiday and into the new year. Btw, are you counting down the days?

In addition to building a better Bridge yoga pose, I have my baking calendar on my mind. I’m coming up with building a better Yule log swiss roll this year from peppermint inspiration. 🍥

For savory hot water pastry, you can be inspired by this recipe.

Print Recipe

Print

Easy Hot Water Pastry

Course Breakfast, lunch
Cuisine American
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

  • flour of choice (whole wheat and plain flour work well)
  • hot-warm water, room temperature
  • 1 tbsp of butter (for larger batches and healthy, use a little more butter about a pat of butter per serving)
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Mix flour, water, and salt. Add pat of butter to melt. Work into a dough.
  • Shape into a shell or desired shape.
  • Bake until golden brown color.
  • Add cooked toppings desired (e.g. cheese, cooked veggies), and pop back into the oven for a few minutes.

Hypochondria: Health Prevention vs. Health Anxiety

hypochondria

Especially if you’re predominantly a natural Vata body-mind, you’re likely sensitive to changing daily weather, body, and health conditions (and can have hypochondria or health worry tendencies).

To a sturdy, unaffected Kapha or a strong, enduring Pitta, your Vata body health thoughts could be seen somewhere between hypochondria thinking and healthy prevention.

We all have traces of each body type in us (air/space, water/fire, and earth/water in more eastern world dosha term descriptions), and at any time, any of us can get off-balance for a day, a season, or longer.

If you’re experiencing any natural body type imbalances these can start off as minor body annoyances, but that can gradually aggravate your quality of life as they grow and the season goes on–so it’s better to nip them in the bud and make the healthier lifestyle changes/choices now or asap.

Today I wanted to share how you can handle and next steps for any of your less-than feel-good (unhealthy) body symptoms (that we all will run into at some point in our lives).

If you’re a super sensitive person, seek healthy prevention ways, live a healthy, balanced lifestyle balance, or are even a slight germophobe, then you may have hypochondria tendencies that can be good and bad, and I wanted to delve deeper into how you can play up the good sides and get rid of the bad tendencies as a healthy lifestyle choice you make…

In some countries outside the U.S., like our sister countries, Italy and France, hypochondria ways of thinking are known to permeate the culture. So a French Vata person is more likely to be adaptive to healthy preventative ways and body health self-awareness. They can also get inside their minds a little too much, e.g. taking more than they need or before symptoms arise.

So let’s look at both sides.

The Good In Hypochondria

If you consider yourself a hypochondriac (or know of someone who is), you can help detect and prevent health issues with solid facts and knowledge, as you probably like to Google and research health symptoms and solutions, and read health articles to become aware of the latest trends and outbreaks.

You can replace old health beliefs with better ones as they evolve, a concept that’s never-ending.

You can be more in-tune with your body so that when you do have a health concern that needs to be addressed, you know which specialists to see over general help, as you’re been a researcher and live in and feel parts of your body.

You can also share helpful, health information with other people to bring awareness to better health ideas, such as OTC medicine knowledge and alternative medicine solution paths that you learn.

The Not-So-Good In Hypochondria

But then there’s the other side…

You can go down the wrong diagnosis rabbit-hole believing that something is causing your health issue that’s not based on all the facts.

You can falsely imagine your health scenarios worsening that cause anxious-worry energy, that further hurt your health or symptoms in our human bi-directional mind-body connections.

You can also become less productive and stressed as you believe yourself as a sick person or feeling less than 100%. Some of these thoughts can lead to chronic ailments or symptoms that last longer than a week.

So, the balance between healthy and unhealthy hypochondria thinking is doing and attempting the right things that don’t over or under-react to the symptoms you’re experiencing.

Observing your body, and gathering data from the opinions of others around you can be a good, first step sounding board. And of course, talking to a medical professional when it’s necessary.

Some people tend to go to the doctor for everything and anything, and then there are others who won’t tend to go unless they’re seriously ill and you have to convince them to go to the hospital. In general, you want to be somewhere in between these two extremes.

When you talk to friends and co-workers first, they will likely share their learned health journey experiences. They may advise seeing a doctor and that could be the next healthy step, but before that, here’s how you can handle almost any change in daily, health situation that comes up without a known cause and before you have a diagnosis.

And, before you consider seeing a doctor or reach for your medicine cabinet to treat symptoms with no known cause, you can ask yourself objectively:

On a scale of 1-10 — how severe (feelings, pain, and appearance) are your symptoms relative to your normal daily health?

Continue reading “Hypochondria: Health Prevention vs. Health Anxiety”