Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Positive Attitude is Everything

Positive attitude (aka optimism) has always been the better way to make good things happen in life. But so often, easier said than done.

Like when dropping a box of spaghetti where you can look at it as an extra chore… or spending a few minutes playing a fun game of pick-up sticks.

But it’s easier to magnify our natural responses, complaining, and being with the realities of life.

Where you maybe mutter something that doesn’t help the situation.

It’s an automatic response…

But automatic responses can be changed like past phases (and phrases you used) going through life.

They were place holders until you found a better way for your snap! uh-oh situations.

…Where those and anything in life could change your mood in an instant.

And when you run into those sudden moments, you can practice your better ways.

Use those as prompts to change your auto-reactions to situations.

That helps to shape your positive attitude.

And enrich what you want to grow in your life, like your opportunities and relationships…

Which btw, have you ever noticed that leaders and successful people are positive and motivational?

It helps them and then others are attracted to them.

But like all of us, they’re not always happy… but a positive attitude also helps them to reach deeper within for answers. And rise above what could drag them down.

That can go either way.

And it’s not the situation they get that’s the downfall… it’s their attitude that can make or break what happens next.

It’s the positive attitude that carries them through and over the hump.

Their positive beliefs turn into good reality.

And in turn, they become what they believe when they look in a mirror.

And if what you believe is positive, growing, and happy then, that’s where you’ll go-al. 🎯

So finding the positive out of negative situations is still the answer to success, but getting there isn’t always easy.

One good way to grow that area is you can choose to find the comedy in life-in-play situations and laugh more… with a positive attitude (that’s not cynical).

Then by laughing, you’re spreading joy that’s positively contagious.

…I’m serious.

It helps to gain a reality check.

…Is it really that bad?

It’s usually not as bad as the moment of impact.

And having a positive attitude to survive the moment is everything.

Because most situations move on and become a memory.

And I know myself what it’s like to have to change the attitude side and run 180 degrees in the opposite direction from my initial thought reactions.

…Because cynical and sarcastic was the realistic culture I grew up in. And was probably what you grew up in if you lived on watching television sitcoms before the turn of the century.

Realistic was pessimistic.

And the word attitude used alone meant you copped an attitude where more words added could cause trouble.

People didn’t know they had an attitude until it was brought to their attention.

That zeitgeist wasn’t set up yet for mindset shifts, daily enlightenment, meditation, and quiet time that today are times to look forward to… and maybe even get a little excited about! 🎉

Today, thankfully attitude is reframed into more positive attitudes.

People are much more conscious and will forwardly say, my attitude is: __________.

An easy way to test your own attitude (and practice) is to see how you view the daily weather.

In climate change days, most of us are often tested as the weather can re-route our day’s activities and how productive we are.

If the daily weather is not so favorable and you have to change your plans you were looking forward to, how do you view that?

…Does it make you sad, disappointed, or discouraged? Or do you see it as a way to step into possibly better plans?

If you adopt the latter, then you become less stuck in your ways… more nimble, and open to what life could bring in your favor at any moment.

Flipping the script is how you rewrite the thoughts in the situational moments.

…And thrive in your day.

And one day at a time becomes your life.

So changing to positive attitudes in your life helps you for the rest of your life. …Making responses automatic and letting those healthy ways penetrate deep down in your core.

…Where you bypass negative emotions and bridge straight toward the positive and loving thoughts and feelings.

I know this because that’s what I practiced in life situations to be the better version of myself. 🙋🏻‍♀️

This week, when the power unexpectedly went out for a few hours because of a hurricane storm that came up the coast, I discovered a new coffee shop. And from that small re-route, I may have a new potential partner to work with.

And another example this week was I had a ticketed event and found out that it wasn’t what I thought it would be.

So I ended up re-routing myself to a store where I met new friends.

👉 But the main lesson here is that before I let any of those two sour situations affect me, my attitude was automatically re-routed to a good place. My auto-thought now is: there’s a good reason for this… and I don’t know yet what that is, but the day will play out and I will figure it out.

And that’s because of the practice I had been doing leading up those events.

So now that I did that practice, I also believe that good things are rigged for my favor.

If you too believe that for your life, and that your re-routes are to help you, then you can bypass frustration feelings and look for more good in your day.

And in return, your energy radiates as attractive to the world. 🎉

So if this sounds good to you and you’d like to grow more of a positive attitude (to be the better version of yourself), this is one attitude habit you can practice daily…

Anytime you catch yourself complaining or have a complaining thought, try to catch that right away.

It might take a few tries in the beginning like any new habit and natural way, but (by being self-aware) eventually you’ll be able to change that.

👉 What’s tricky is that most of us are self-aware about our attitudes in the places we’re already aware of… but the ones we’re not (e.g. ego blind), those are the ones we want to change for out better lives.

We’re blind to what we don’t see.

So those areas take more effort to discover.

But if you practice in the small daily stuff like your weather re-route attitudes and hearing yourself complain-talk, then they become visible.

They become your natural way one situation at a time. And you can change your overall attitude.

And with a positive attitude, you get to focus on bigger, brighter, and better things!

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Cinnamon Donut (Baked) – Low-Sugar

Donut baked with low-sugar cinnamon and honey is a way to love the original fried dough dessert that tastes amazing. 🍩 And these are made with healthy flour and ingredients. Recipe below.

The hole is credited to a sea captain on the waters in 1847.

Holed-donuts even look a bit like life preservers 🛟… and his story (and history) goes like this: the captain wanted more even cooking all around, so he punched a hole in the middle.

Then years later, donuts became “oily cakes” from the earliest donut shop recorded on land in the U.S.

And today, you can avoid oil and water (in cooking) by easy baking low-sugar donuts.

And you get more of an even bake like I did, using your special pans.

I used my Nordic Ware for this baking project that would hold up to any heated baking wars inside the oven. 😊

When you mix in whole wheat flour, you’re getting more fiber and protein than all-purpose flour. It’s a small tweak you can make in your cakey dough recipes.

The dough-batter will be a little darker in color.

I grew up on whole wheat sandwiches so it was an easy substitute for me.

You can see it holds up well in the pan of whole and hole donuts. With holes too, you get double the w(hole), plus more.

And sometimes a low-sugar healthy sweet cinnamon donut hole bite is all you need to fulfill the sweet tooth inside the pie hole (mouth).

When I worked with food event planning in Lebanese restaurants, one of the more popular desserts was Awamat (donut holes).

So this is where it can get confusing… is the hole the space in the middle of the donut or the donut round hole? 😁

In my party planning days 🥳, it was the round holes.

Those were often the choice for birthday parties or special dinner events that could be built up into a Croquembouche display (like a Christmas pine cone tree 🌲).

Holes in the middle can’t do that as they’re just air.

So the solid holes was something special and new to me. 🍩

Another new change I learned: donuts aren’t just for breakfast anymore like they used to be.

And the decked out party cinnamon donut holes I worked with were made with honey instead, and zhughed with saffron that gave a tangy tasting top.

…Plus a pretty interesting look with the stringy red strands.

In reminiscing about those special event donut days, this is my low-sugar healthy whole wheat version of the donut that you can decorate for any sweet occasion. You can make these anytime.

And add a melted chocolate glaze to the top, add rose tea buds, or a low-sugar chocolate frosting.

You can also try a coconut donut with a chocolate glaze.

Celebrate! And Mabrouk as we’d say… that means Congratulations! 🎉

Healthy Whole Wheat Cinnamon Donut - Low-Sugar

When you want a sweet bite, these fill the hole with a low-sugar, healthy baked snack.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, lebanese

Servings 4

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup milk of choice
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
1 tbsp light extra virgin olive oil
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp cinnamon spice
additional cinnamon for zhughing (optional)

Instructions

Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients until fully combined.
Roll 8 balls with hands and add to baking sheet pan (or make 2 donut rings and 4-5 1" balls).
Bake on 350°F/180°C for about 20 minutes. Don't overbake. Tips: With whole wheat flour, you'll tend to think that it may not be baked through so time is more reliable. About a few minutes or 5 minutes before finished, you can also flip the donut bottom to top of the pan, and see that the bottoms are slightly darker and finish your bake more evenly. Or for the donut holes, have fun rolling them around!
For a simple glaze, save your egg white and add a splash or water. Glaze donuts about 5 minutes before end of bake. You can also add a melted chocolate, light honey, or maple syrup glaze after the donut pan is cooled. Or simply zhugh with a dusting of cinnamon.

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Gratitude Practice of Not Wasting Anything

Gratitude is a word we all know.

Gratitude for cotton candy pink flowers that are reminders of life as a gift. — Cotton candy flowers can spark gratitude as reminders in what we have.

I have gratitude for pretty in pink cotton candy color flowers, reminding me that it’s a summer season of life.

The flowers are a gift from nature and the people who planted the bush. Both are gifts in this life…

And life works in our favor when we treat life as a gift.

…When we say “thank you” and are grateful when we’re given something like a present, compliment, or other kind words and gestures.

…And when we feel gratitude in what we have and what’s around us that we get to taste, touch, see, smell, and do.

My first memorable grips with what gratitude meant in words was in a book I saw and picked up that was different than others around in the bookstores at the time.

In Sarah Ban Breathnach’s Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy, she wrote, “how could I expect more from the Universe when I didn’t appreciate what I already had?”

That was curious wisdom and encouragement for me. It helped make me wonder and evolve to become that person who could gain those deeper inner perspectives.

The 365 days of inspiring words in the book had new meaning and concepts I had never heard of before.

Back then, I didn’t know what a gratitude practice was.

Those were pre-New Age law of attraction days.

That today is Old Age stuff 😊

And we know what’s old often becomes new again.

…Like a gratitude practice.

These days, it’s common for many of us as our culture has evolved.

Back then, I only aspired to those simple abundant life practices, so that was something I worked toward without knowing it would become so.

That’s how life is rigged in our favor… setting us up before we even know what we want in the future.

Which btw, no past experiences you have are wasted in your life. They are there for a reason.

…And for some reason, I picked up the book again over 20 years later.

And in this life influencing book, the entry on January 21 reads: “Today, be willing to believe that a companion Spirit is leading you every step of the way, and knows the next step.”

…Back then, I had no idea what those words meant when the book sat boldly on my night stand in 1996 (a year after it was first published).

But my soul felt good reading over those words.

And today I know exactly what those words mean.

Today I have gratitude that my Spirit is aligned with those words.

And that’s one special way of how this life can be so awesome… when you discover that-secret-something that’s so profoundly deep and bigger than yourself and everything else in life you’ve known so far.

How can you not celebrate?

…When a discovery is bigger than yourself..

And this inner discovery was bigger than myself.

It was life changing.

And I needed a life change and a kick in the pants from the Universe to make some changes.

Journaling helped unravel me along with many self-help books on my journey.

Those were my life teachers.

…What books helped shape your ways?

Plus, the Simple Abundance book mentioned gratitude journaling.

And the book also mentioned abundance concepts (besides being part of the title of the book).

That was the first time I ever remember the concept introduced to me.

Because I didn’t grow up thinking of abundance.

But I aspired to abundance… dreaming about what that could be like someday! 💭

Dreams become reality when you let the bigger Universe work in your life and inside you.

…And you then purposefully stretch your mind muscles enough to go there.

That’s how I slowly let open space in and reframed abundance from a previous crowded, limited and victim mindset.

And within the new space, I invited more gratitude in.

Like with a simple way to show gratitude that anyone can do with the concept of not wasting… where you’re grateful for daily abundance in everyday things such as food abundance (that happens to be my passion place 🍽️).

So imagine all the vegetables growing and coming out of a summer garden. Or if you don’t have one 🙋🏻‍♀️, what’s available to you at abundant (indoor garden) grocery stores you shop in.

Either way, you have the option to save or waste food that’s not consumed.

And if you save, then you’re preserving food for another time or purposefully not wasting food.

In some ways, that can sound like a scarcity mindset (that builds up a limiting mindset), where there’s not more coming in or not enough.

…But the difference in message comes from inserting in Gratitude.

I’m grateful for this food.

…AND believing there’s plenty to go around.

And I’m thankful I’ve got unlimited access to new and different foods daily.

Then you’re allowing abundance in food to flow freely in your mind and life.

(Btw, you can do this for anything and everything to help yourself grow).

Where you’re taking belief into action, showing gratitude by not wasting.

Then you’re fully aligned with words matching actions.

Re-purposing and celebrating are ways to show gratitude and abundance.

…Oh, and when you think and live like that, you can be pretty darn sure that you’ll have plenty more coming your way! 💕

Gratitude is such a simple and powerful daily exercise for building up an abundant mindset… and to manifest your bigger dreams. 💭💭

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Lagom Balance in Work, Life, and Relationships

Lagom is a Swedish concept I can live behind. It’s about balance and moderation. That’s what my healthy and happy blog embraces… and this was me soaking that up a few years back in Sweden!

Sweden’s Tradsgardforeingen – stopping to appreciate the flowers. 🌺

I find balance exists in pushing yourself but enjoying too (and often!), where eating a sweet bite but not the whole cake is healthy.

Good health is happiness and a healthy body. And balance helps your health.

It exists in the boundaries you create for yourself.

And if relationship boundaries are something you want to improve, be sure to read my empowering tips below👇

Boundary setting is a disciplined balance area that I’m proud of in my life today, but wasn’t something I practiced early on when I wasn’t clear about what boundaries were crossed.

Back in my 20s I didn’t have work-life balance that spilled over into my personal life. I worked 50-60 office hours a week in my catering sales manager job in a hotel that was my office…

Hotels like hospitals never close. They’re probably the most hospitable places in the world because anyone can enter the space 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

And that’s what my job hours often felt like with 5 exhausting, 10-hour minimum weekday workdays. Plus, after hour and weekend events (from event parties I planned during the week)… and ontop of that, rotating overnight hotel manager on duty shifts. I was sleep deprived.

…You’d think it would be great to dine and stay in a luxury hotel brand free of charge, but when you’re ON (and working), you get a different perspective of the 4-walls you’re in. Freedom feels like it’s on the other side of the parking lot smelling roses outside, or just doing home laundry.

Those working young adult year stripes I earned taught me that having work-life balance was more important than climbing the ladder to the top that had its imperfections.

So years later, I started over in 9-5 office management roles where I then lived and breathed balance. On the other side, I couldn’t help but gladly think: so this is how my college business major friends live.

…And appreciated that I could actually see them occasionally.

I was loving what 40 hours of work feels like. I had energy again. And free time that wasn’t spent resting in bed.

Then on, I vowed never to sacrifice work life-balance ever again.

And I’ve lived up to that intent and mission ever since.

That aligns with my health values and belief that life is too short to not smell the roses. 🌹

Like the ones I saw this past weekend:

Because you won’t get your time back is my mantra.

And I want to encourage you too to live a life of balance despite what others say about how it doesn’t exist (or some variation of that).

It’s the way to an optimal, healthy life.

Balance already exists in nature.

Where creatures in nature work to survive.

And that can be entertainment to watch…

It’s fun to watch wild squirrels doing their daily comedy acts and calming to see bees buzzing around in flowers.

And it survives on the concept of moderation.

Moderation is a Lagom lifestyle (Swedish origin) of not too much or too little.

That exists in healthy self-discipline (or self-control) ways.

If you deny yourself what you want, then that can hurt longterm and backfire for the initial intent or goal.

Or if you indulge without imposing any rules or guidelines, then that hurts even more as it adds to unhealthy points and you can also feel bad.

And maintaining consistency is in the middle.

Consistency is showing up regularly in the same way to make impact.

But not to be confused with staying comfortable that’s mediocre.

Consistency reaches for higher goals than being comfortable.

And consistency is stability if that’s a better word.

Small (consistent) acts add up. A little each day gets it done. And is the least painful way. You can do it hard or easy. It’s up to you.

Setting a goal or deadline lets you measure so you can more easily see where you are…

If you need to push more or do less (Lagom).

You embrace Lagom when you push: take some risks and reframe sacrifice (e.g. you get to do vs. suffering).

The action taking and the way you think help your balance and to re-calibrate closer to equilibrium. ⚖️

And if we don’t get off our seesaw balance a little, we can be blinded from our balanced perspective.

The secret is to not get too far away from the seesaw balance. And that comes from practice.

Balance is a life art.

And this is a winning game you can play with yourself daily to live out balance (as nature intended) and feel accomplished.

Lagom balance is easier on your own, until (new) work and relationships enter.

Relationship Boundary Rules

I find that when I’m 100% consistent with my boundaries, then I’m 💯 crystal clear when I’m tested in relationships.

And all of us are tested from time to time.

This happens with others who are in the business of crossing boundaries (that’s usually not intentional as we’re all different).

I’m sure you can relate in your world.

…Where your emotions are tested like an anxiety wave moment that passes.

Sometimes it’s a communication way expressed by another or it’s an ask that you don’t want to partake in but feel obligated.

These are good times to exercise boundaries, and nicely express your “no.”

If it’s communication boundaries crossed, I make sure I let work relationships know how to communicate with me and at what times.

If I worked in a crisis or emergency room setting where it’s timely situations or life or death, that would be different. In my past world, that was weddings.

But for standard office matters where the paper work is there tomorrow, I don’t make rule exceptions. And especially with those I interact with regularly. Because if you let things slide once, you’ll be doing it again. That’s rule #1.

I stick to this for meeting boundaries for others who have to reschedule. If they are rescheduling, they work with my availability. That’s Rule #2. Because they won’t respect your time if you don’t respect your time.

And today you can practice these rules with casual (non-work relationship) people you text message with so you get in a good habit.

Consider it’s so easy to send messages these days in microseconds. You can do this faster than you tie your shoe.

And on the receiving end, your time and calm emotional space can easily be invaded with a thoughtless or misunderstood message at your hip.

Remember before we had texting communication ways, we had mailed letters, phone calls, and email.

Those were delayed ways that you didn’t have to sort through right away.

We still have those ways available.

And you can wisely use them with people who don’t have text-iquette… who didn’t get the memo message.

You know who I’m talking about in your life! 😊

And ya know what I mean…. they keep texting you before you’ve even responded once, taking away from your Lagom calm head space as your phone is pinging off the hook.

You can re-write your rules if a sender starts growing needy and communicates too much and too often that isn’t aligned with your life.

Simply write back… “I’ll write back when I’m available (or at ___)” so it’s crystal clear you drew the line in the sand, aka boundaries. No emojis needed.

Believe me their feelings aren’t hurt as they move on to communicate with someone else since you’re not available.

And if they didn’t get your message, then you know that you did the right thing with your first reply… so you can simply answer in silence the second or next time.

And if it’s a work-someone crossing boundaries, let them know how to (newly) communicate with you. Give them two other methods like setting up a phone call or email. Some people need reminders and you have to train them a few times before it sinks in.

They will get it when you stick to replying in only those ways.

And as reward, you get a Lagom life. Remember, you won’t get your time back. It’s never too late to rewrite your balanced life.

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Radish Salad – For Healthy Living and Weight Loss

Radish salad is one that isn’t often a first choice for most. Because fresh radishes are bitter, pepper-spicy.

But the salad recipe below is more sweet than bitter notes.

This salad is radi(sh)-cally DIFFERENT.

And radishes are super healthy and I have a way to lessen the bitter. It’s a good way to replace or eat a variety of healthy foods besides tomatoes. Especially for less acidic meals.

You can even replace tomatoes and cherry tomatoes in your salad for radishes in a radish salad.

You may even fall in love (with this no-tomato salad again). Radishes are a year-round produce staple that often gets overlooked and not over picked in stores.

And it’s a good substitute for tomato because some people can’t eat tomatoes despite their bright attractiveness and summery abundance.

Because tomatoes are acidic. Even though they’re healthy lycopene food.

And radishes have a different profile (or personality if food were people).

Radishes prepared the way I describe below look a bit like yellow potatoes (also abundant), but have no starchy calories, so that’s another good reason to ra-dish.

This radish salad recipe is a new way but a traditional salad in that there’s no cooking meal prep involved… gotta love that!

A salad is great in the hot or summer months when you want to eat lighter and meet weight loss goals.

Red radishes are available and abundant year round in most stores.

They’re usually packaged next to their baby carrot root veggie friends… and cost about the same affordable pennies each as price.

Plus the packaged ones have been de-stemmed so they’re ready to eat after you rinse them off.

But unlike the carrot, the radish is part of the Brassica family that Cousin broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, and cauliflower are all in.

There are many interesting types of radishes with names just as curious, like Watermelon, Cherry Belle, Daikon, Easter, and French Breakfast radishes.

But keeping it simple and wallet-friendly, you can use red radishes for your radish salad.

And to make the radishes soft and less bitter, there are 2 ways that I’ll share here…

The first way is: instead of cutting or thinly slicing up in round radish coins fresh from raw radishes, wash off your radishes like you would, put them back in the plastic bag and tie up the top or in a freezer safe plastic bag with a ziplock for at least 2 days.

Don’t bother to dry them off (…even easier!).

The moisture helps them mush a little.

The radishes will transform and change color.

Where instead of the vibrant magenta-ish reddish purple pink color, you get a white-washed pale faded magenta color with a slightly burnt light brown hue around looking more like a yellow potato.

Did I do my paint color description justice?

When you’re a few days away from working with the radish in your salad and meals, you can take the bag out of the freezer and place in the fridge in a noticeable place you won’t forget about (but you can intentionally temporarily forget).

If you add to you fridge mid-week, they’ll be ready for your weekend salad.

There is some exercise of time and patience here… but if you leave the radishes as an afterthought, then it’s just time…

…So just fuh-gettabout it!

And then when you’re ready to use your radishes for your weekend dish, they will be soft and squishy… and if you squeezed one like a cherry tomato, it would squirt juice across the room like a water gun

Except it’s more like watery juice than tomato juice.

So that’s the first way.

The second way takes less time.

You’d freeze your radish like the first step in the first way already mentioned.

But then after they have formed icicles after a day or longer, bring the bag out to room temperature and place the bag in a bowl.

There will be a lot of juice coming out that you can use for a gazpacho or some other juicy food bowl dish.

After a day and overnight at room temps, they will get soft. But the color will be more like the faded pink-purplish colors in case that matters for your dish.

…Like these that are ready to be cut and used for your radish salad.

Tips for radishes from frozen:

Cut the squishy radishes with a serated knife (with jagged edges). Pierce into each radish first, in order to let out the radish water and air that has accumulated like a pressure cooker… except they won’t explode on their own.

[Btw, if you use a butter knife, the radish will just roll around like a inflatable beach ball.]

With prepared radishes from frozen, you should notice easily the less bitter pungent smell (than that of raw radishes).

…Ya never thought you could have so much fun with produce, did ya?

And then you can cut up the radish bits to the sizes you like and place them in your salad.

They also go well with pasta salads or an Italian bean salad with radicchio.

…And btw… radishes and radicchio are not related. That would be ridiculo! Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

But they pair well on a salad plate together.

…And wow-za, you have one bright plate that’s calling. The contrast against a bed of spinach or Iceberg lettuce is inspiring… and if you add Romaine lettuce, that would be a salad melange party.

Anding sweet diced pimento peppers, chopped red bell peppers, and corn also dazzle up the dish.

If you’re sensitive to cheese dairy, but you still want to add, you may find buffalo mozzarella is better since it’s cheese made from buffalo milk or halloumi made from sheep and/or goat milk.

Also, radishes goes well with microgreens and microgreen salads.

Radish Salad - No Raw Bitter Taste

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

salad mix bag
3 large radishes, frozen in freezer and then brought to fridge/room temperature to soften. Add more if you prefer
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
1 tbsp chopped bell peppers or sweet pimento peppers
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

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