Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Vegetable Soup – Low-Sodium Healthy

Vegetable soup is one of the healthiest and tastiest soups when done right. And low-sodium homemade healthy.

…That’s easier than doing it not-right, because you can’t really mess up this easy-to-make simple soup.

Especially when you use fresh veggies that stand on their own. You can find unusual varieties from your local farmers markets and grocery stores.

Variety is the spice of life and this bowl of spice has plenty. Recipe below.

This Ayurvedic balancing soul food soup recipe is all veggies and great for Vata (fall) season. 🥣

It has no tomatoes (that’s a fruit and maybe doesn’t belong that way?).

The healthy goodness ingredients are good for any diet you’re on (plant-based, anti-inflammatory, Mediterranean, all-of-the-above)… and even a balancing Ayurvedic one.

Plus, this no-tomato variety vegetable soup is even more exciting to look at than an ordinary tomato-based soup.

And then another plus on top of that… if acidity prevents you from eating tomatoes, then this umami soup base recipe will be a good substitute.

It’s like a change in autumn leaves color in a bowl. 🍁

So you can think of it like a no-tomato, heartburn-resistant minestrone soup full of welcomed warm comfort surprises.

That also includes no carrots or celery found in other common soups.

Save those good ingredients for homemade low sodium soups like immunity carrot ginger soup or a cream of celery. Or anti-inflammatory eat-from-the-rainbow soups.

…Believe me, I used to buy all my soups before I learned how easy it is to make my own healthy (soups).

…Sometimes it’s as much or little effort as heating up a canned soup, like the vegetable soup here.

It’s also fun to add in your own little of this… and a little of that.

You build a warm relationship with food in a healthy way.

…Oh, and wait ’til you hear what warming and cooling spices (below) are in this soup that’s great for transitions and weather changes.

I get excited over the simplest things, like spices that are year-round adds 🎉for me. And changing it up as Ayurvedic seasons change.

…That’s something I look forward to plus a bowl of soup in the fall that I like to make bottomless by adding new veggies like a growing soup garden.

But I slowly digress.

…And speeding it up – are you ready to make this comforting soup-ed up souper soup (sorry, couldn’t resist 😁) that can enjoyably last as long as you can before spoon scooping it up?

This fresh vegetable soup has a umami flavor with spices, so that the star ingredients are the veggies and the spices that support them.

Adding more plant-based veggies to a diet is always a good thing and when you can make it super tasty with simple flavors and spices like turmeric, pepper, thyme, and paprika. And even a little cayenne pepper heat.

…Depending on your season. And you!

Or add white pepper that’s not hot, but has an adult umami-forward flavor. And turmeric is perfect for a smoky touch in a warm bowl like this.

Spices are a great way to balance daily Ayurvedic moods and preferences that your body naturally gravitate towards. And as holiday spice accoutrements.

Spices can be the new low-sodium substitute (from salt).

And if spices were punctuations…

Cayenne pepper is the exclamation point ❗️of spices. Where a sprinkle of heat sneaks up on you at the end.

If you’re not ready for heat or are Kapha balanced, you can put a comma pause on it. 😁

And you can add dashes of cumin for Pitta if that’s still spilling over from summer heat in your body.

If you add cayenne and cumin equally, they’ll help to cancel each other out as heat in your body even though you’ll get the cayenne heat in taste.

And turmeric will change everything. It’s a great year round spice add, period.

Now you have a smoky and herby blend great for fall outdoor tastes.

I also love to add a little sumac (that’s found in za’atar). The dramatic purplish color blends in well and contrasts with the warm orange and yellows. It gives a little subtle tart taste.

You’ll know whether to add the spice if you give it an EASY sniff the spice test. If it smells good, it will BE good in your vegetable soup.

I’m never shy experimenting with spices and I use taste and sniff preferences as my Ayurvedic balance guide.

And with that, then I add the soup base.

Water is underrated (like, “it’s just water”) as an ingredient, but often the most important ingredient for soups.

Which btw, the no-cost pure ingredient solves a lot of cooking and baking dilemmas that other ingredients can’t.

You can make a vegetable broth with a little umami flavor that soy sauce adds.

You can also sub the sauce with Worcestershire sauce that has several subtle tastes for the taste buds.

And that’s it for the broth. The spices will also bring out the broth.

Now it’s time to meet the star veggies. 😊

Before cooked, look at the gold beet ⭐️, red beet 🫜, watermelon radish 🍉, and red cabbage. This could be a band.

And these colors can’t be BEET!

Then when cooked with okra in a vegetable soup, they become the burnt autumn leaf colors. Oh, and there’s a violet tucked amid the bowl from a purple bell pepper that snuck in there.

Anti-Inflammatory Vegetables For Soup:

Okra is an anti-inflammatory food that you often find in southern dishes and soups like gumbo. It is sometimes used as a thickening agent… so now you can look at its somewhat slimy personality as a plus.

It’s also filled with healthy antioxidant seed pods that add pearly contrast to a bowl.

An easy way to cook okra is to cut the long veggie into smaller pieces like you see in frozen bags (with the round flower shapes). Okra is actually related to the hibiscus flower. 🌺

It also belongs to the same family as cotton. And cacao too.

Beets – classic red beets are earthy that go well with umami flavors. Gold beets taste pure to me and you gotta love the warmish color glow. 🌅

Radishes – watermelon radishes are so pretty like ‘lil pieces of artwork in a soup bowl. They’re also less bitter than classic radishes.

Red cabbage is loaded with polyphenols from the purplish color. They have more of a bitter taste and is a hearty vegetable.

After you choose your veggies, add your longevity beans like pinto beans. Or kidney beans for a minestrone vibe… and then you’ve got one anti-inflammatory preventative health forward bowl.

It’s that simple for bringing in more plant-base in your soup bowl.

You can also make your own no-soggy za’atar cracker for your soup that’s 3 ingredients if you include water (that ya know I do).

And to make fluffy rice flawlessly from dry grains, it’s easy and you can walk away from the stove when you use the double boiler method.

Healthy Fall Vegetable Soup (Low Sodium)

Ingredients

okra, cut
watermelon radishes, sliced
beets, sliced
pinto beans (or kidney beans)
cooked rice (optional)
water
soy sauce
spices

Instructions

Cook veggies, spices, and liquids in a pot. Let simmer but don't overcook veggies.
Cook rice separately. Add if desired.
Pour in a bowl and enjoy.

Notes

Tip: Add your spices in the heating soup to enhance the flavors and unleash the spice healthy benefits.

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Easy Apple Tart Healthy Recipe

Apple tart can be a breakfast idea or dessert made from healthy baked wheat, oats, and honey. Oh, and wholesome apples are whole snacks for some… maybe you? Fuji apples here, but there are so many apple to choose from for your enjoyable tarts. 🍎

Below is an easy breakfast ingredient recipe for apple tart that’s low sugar and needs no proofing. And the proof is when you make them (…and in photos below 😊).

And if you decide to bake your apples at all…

Because a whole apple snack from an apple tree needs no improvement or addition… and if all you do is add peanut butter on them and eat them raw, they’re delish-elevated!

I esp. like the crunch and taste pairing of Granny Smith green apples with a natural peanut butter (like the kind you stir up with peanuts). 🥜

With a baked apple tart recipe, the sweeter crisp red apples are better for dessert snacking. As they soften in the oven, you can taste more of the sweet and tart.

…And for a pop of bright red on a plate.

Well… sometimes.

They do come out with baked fall colors. You’ll see below what I’m talking about. 🍁

Because red apples vary in color as you’ll see shades of red, yellow, white, and green if you pay closely attention. It’s like nature did a Bob Ross painting on each apple (and apple orchard if you like landscapes).

Like us peeps in nature, no two apples are exactly alike.

They say there are over 7,000 apple varieties and you know the ones that are abundant and growing in your surroundings. 🌳

Red apples dominate the fruit market scenes in the autumn. They match the fire engine red leaves on the U.S. east coast and make great healthy candy apples (instead of sugary caramel).

Healthy apples can be stuffed with healthy ingredients… like the sweet messy kind you can’t stuff in a bag 🎃, but you can stuff yourself with and enjoy the swirling mess in your mouth.

That’s one idea for today.

And with apple season upon us, you need no other reason to come up with new apple snack ideas, like an easy baked apple tart.

The steps are simple and easy…

Cut your whole apples in half and de-core them.

An easy way to do this is to take a paring knife and cut around the core, and as you get around to the other side of the track, you can almost pop the center out.

Save your apple seeds and plant them.

Then seedless, you can eat all the apple flesh parts without waste. Organic (pesticide-spraying free) apples are suggested if you eat the skin (that have a lot of healthy fiber).

Add peanut butter (that will ah! and ooh!-ze out when warmed and baked).

Then put your apple halves aside.

Make your pastry dough:

It’s an easy mix of ground oats and whole wheat. You can even add wheat bran and/or buckwheat for some more variety and healthy goodness, like I did. Mix in water.

Then add the honey and butter that’s a food pairing harmony, working so well together for taste and texture.

But if you want to use a healthy oil (instead of butter) you could do that.

And also your choice is to add cinnamon (and/or cardamom) spices with your apples.

Cinnamon adds that warm fall-ish cozy fireplace or fall hiking outdoor tasting vibe. Sweater weather is coming, but apple cinnamon baking is the active season beforehand.

For Vata (fall season) and us balancing moods, that’s comforting and clearing. It’s a great season to breathe intently and catch new breaths.

And getting back to the bake (and not to get too much in the weeds), cinnamon will help anxious energies. Cassia or traditional cinnamon spice you find easily in grocery stores is going to be sweet for adding to bakes before going in the oven. The other Ceylon cinnamon kind is more healthy and good to add to coffee and zhughing. But mix-and-match spices and kinds before, after, and during as you please.

You do you… and dousing some cinnamon spice of any kind is healthy. The plants even love some on their soil to prevent unintended growth. 😊

Cinnamon is one of those natural foods that have no pitfalls. and goes great in the fall.

And now you’re ready.

For this easy apple tart good for fall bake, you can put this short pastry crust together in a few short minutes.

The dough will have crumbly bits falling off (appropriate for the season), but will mostly stick together as a ball.

Divide the dough into three equal parts.

Flatten/roll out the dough with the palm of one hand is easier. See as easy promised, you don’t even need a rolling pin.

Shape the dough into an apple shape around each apple half if you like. Of make into a circle with your circle cutters.

Use some honey to glue your apple bottoms (halves) to your flattened pastry bases. Then when you’re happy with your apples…

Bake at 325°F for about 25 minutes. If you want to give your apples a drying baked apple look (see 🍎 baked photo above), you can leave them in the still-warm oven after you turn the oven off. That will soften the apples even more for that you can even add to an apple pie. 🥧 💭

Before the apples are fully softened, the pastry base will be golden brown. You can pull them out of the oven at that point or bake a ‘lil longer. The apples start out shiny smooth like this duo below.

Which btw, these apple tarts in-the-making look like they are in jail but believe me, they’re enjoying their warm cell and cozy base as they bake. 😁

Oh, and if you like this recipe, you’ll love these low-sugar dessert recipes… some even have apple ingredients.

And if you’re looking for Vata season sweet and salty snack idea, you can try a happy Rocky Road energy bar, a no-bake peanut butter cookie, and/or pair with an apple carrot smoothie.

Curious, what you like? Lemme know in the comments.

Baked Apple Tart Breakfast with Oatmeal and Peanut Butter

This is a great dessert snack idea with healthy oatmeal breakfast-inspired ingredients. Makes 3 apple tarts.

Course Breakfast

Servings 3 apple tarts

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole wheat flour (can combine with wheat bran or buckwheat)
2 Tbsp softened or melted butter
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
3 tsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp raw honey, plus more
4 Tbsp heated warm water (plus a little more as needed)
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon spice
1/2 tsp cardamom spice (optional)

Instructions

Grind your oats into fine pieces.
Cut your apples in half and hollow out center with seeds. Leave skin on (if using non-organic apples, you can de-skin apples also if you choose).
Add peanut butter to apple hollowed center. Set apples aside.
Make the pastry dough apple bases. In a bowl, add the flour and oats, butter, cinnamon, and then add water and honey, and cinnamon (if using). Fully combine with a spoon. You can use a little more water as needed to help the dough crumbly pieces stick together. The dough should stick together and have some crumbly bits.
Divide pastry dough into 3 equal balls. Flatten each with palm of hand and shape into circle or apple disc-base shapes that your apple halves will fit onto of.
When you're happy with your pastry discs, add a honey circle ring drizzle around to "glue" your apples to the pastry. The peanut butter will ooze out of the apples.
Bake at 325°F for about 25 minutes or until the pastry is lightly browned on the sides and bottom. You can leave in the oven after the temp is turned off for a softer baked apple tart.

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Easy Pecan Latte + How to Make Pecan Milk

Pecan latte is one that’s up the chic alley as pistachio lattes. You can use store-bought milks to make an easy coffee beverage or a smoothie that tastes like a German Chocolate Cake. But is healthy and easy to fall for!

For a latte, blending pecan milk with coconut milk will add to those pecan dessert tastes and give a more creamy experience with more flavor. But you can also sub or add with cashew or almond milk that are easy to find. 🛒

…And make your own easy homemade pecan milk.

Which btw, pecan milk is a great Magic Bullet recipe.

And this is how to make pecan milk in 3 easy steps:

Step 1: Soak your pecans overnight.

Step 2: Drain the pecans, add fresh water, blend, and add to your cloth strainer. Oh, and remember to save your pecans because you will use those in the pecan latte smoothie recipe (below).🧋

Tip: if you can’t find cheese cloths or muslin that are more fancy kitchen supplies (that can be tricky to find in a pinch), you can use mesh bags (like the kind you’d use for delicate laundry) and store a couple in your kitchen supplies. Since those mesh bags have bigger holes, you can double up so the pecan bits don’t fall through.

And now you’re ready for the final step…

Step 3: Over a bowl or glass, pour the fresh water-pecans chopped blend into the (mesh) cloth strainer. And squeeze tightly so all that good wholesome homemade pecan milk flows through.

Unlike cow’s milk, you’re milking a bag for milk. 🥛

So easy and you may amaze yourself it works. It actually has a milk white color (compared to the soaked pecan water in step 1 that’s beige-ish color).

The first pour you can call the first press. 😊

That’s going to be the thicker milk (that can be used for foam and/or part of your pecan latte drink).

I took a photo to show you the difference in the milk thickness from the first and second press if you decide to make more pecan milk.

You can see the difference in the thicker (1/4 cup pecan milk) and then the more watered down pecan milk in the additional 1/3 cup made from 4 whole pecans:

pecan milk first pour and second pour comparison. — Pecan milk: 4 pecans make 1/4 cup thick milk and addt’l 1/3 cup thin milk

Then to make the pecan milk foam (or coconut milk foam that goes well in coffee or the German Chocolate Cake latte smoothie 🧋).

You can make foam effectively on your home stove.

Add your fresh milk (fresh-off-the-press) to a stove pot and place over your stove burner on medium-high heat. I find that pecan milk works better when blended with an even thicker milk or alternative milk like a plain unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk.

With your milk, when you get small boils (never understood why they would call those fish eyes… eww! 🤪), then you can turn your stove off or pull the pot off the stove. You don’t want to burn your fresh milk.

Turn your frother tool on into your pot of warmed milk. You’ll see foam develop. I find if you move the tool up and down a little you get more even froth.

Tools: You can purchase a basic hand-held frother tool for a few dollars (or pennies per drink for all the drinks you will make!). They’re like magic 🪄

…Along with a magic bullet blender (or similar) that makes life easy for Magic Bullet drinks, dips, and smoothie recipes.

These are two easy tools that give you a bougie drink without much effort!

Tip: Don’t worry so much about the foam. For a latte drink it’s not as important as a feature like the foam on a cappuccino drink. Latte is more about the milk.

But if the foam is important to you, then store bought full-on coconut milk can be a better foaming source and more stable. I find it better than the “barista” labelled milks, but that depends on you and your tools.

However you make your foam, it will go down tasty! 😋

You can pour the remaining milk liquid parts into your dessert smoothie or coffee pecan latte drink.

Remember to reserve a little spoonful of foam until the very end like a barista does.

And now you’ve made an at-home barista drink, saving time and without having to walk out the door. Plus you save money (…remember the latte factor?). You’re the barista or drink maker.

…How cool, yes?

And from there with drink in hand, you can have a party! 🧋🧉

And of course a beverage like this will pair decadently with a sweet-ish chocolate-y dessert (…maybe for a Swedish Fika break).

When I worked in catering management, we often served decadent-oozing chocolate soufflé desserts at parties that were always a hit at special occasions and wedding dinners.

So I was inspired and made my gluten-free version of the individual chocolate cakes that are easy to make healthy and bake at home.

A dessert like this would go well with a coffee latte. Especially with flavored coffees with vanilla, coconut, or chocolate bits!

A latte can be served hot or cold (depending on the season and your Ayurvedic season happening in you).

Coffee is a healthy plant-based drink that you can make less acidic with an easy at-home cold brew coffee.

And if a pecan latte in coffee or smoothie form isn’t your thing for today, how about a tea party (for one, plus one, or more)? These days everyone loves teas. They’re healthy and comfortable.

You can make a light dessert tea with a pecan latte. This works well brewing a a light tea, like a holiday tea you can find in autumn weather that a sugar cookie would go great with.

The healthy and tasty pairing possibilities are endless. 🎉

Ready to make your easy pecan latte drink?

…Or try a decadent tasting (but healthy) German Chocolate Cake smoothie.

Both are sustainable plant-based healthy drinks that drink up all traces that it was there. You can use all the blended solid and liquid pecan parts. And poof… just like that, it’s magically gone! 😋

Healthy Pecan Latte German Chocolate Cake Smoothie

This 12 oz drink tastes like a German Chocolate Cake Smoothie with a latte foam and pecans.

Course beverage

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Equipment

frother tool
pot for stove
cheese cloth or muslin

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, cold
1/2 cup pecan milk
1 tsp cocoa powder, add more to taste
1-1/2 Tbsp coconut powder
1 Tbsp maple syrup
4 whole pecans for 1/4 cup thick pecan milk and smoothie "pecan butter.")
ground pecan bits, shredded coconut, cinnamon, and/or cocoa powder of zhughing
pecan milk foam

Instructions

To make the pecan milk (latte) with the pecans: soak pecans in water overnight. Discard the soaking water and blend the pecans with 1/4 cup fresh water). Pour and squeeze pecan milk through a strainer cloth (e.g. cheese cloth, muslin, or double wrapped mesh bag) over a bowl or glass. Save the blended pecans as the "pecan butter" for the smoothie.
Make the pecan milk foam: Add some of the fresh pecan milk made into a stove pot on medium high heat until small boils. Turn off stove and use frother tool to make foam from the warmed milk. Reserve foam for the top of drink.
Make the smoothie drink: Add all ingredients (except for the milk foam) to a blender and blend smoothly. Pour into a drinking glass.
Spoon foam that can be made from fresh pecan milk (or milk blend) to the top of the drink.
Zhugh with ground pecan bits, shredded coconut, cinnamon spice, and/or cocoa powder. Enjoy!

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Breathing In New Are Life Opportunities

You can start a new season with just your breathing. When you breathe in fresh oxygen, you reset. Your thoughts change with new O2 energy permeating inside you. And thoughts change feelings that bring new life.

That’s empowering… and all creatures are empowered to do what they were created to do. Like butterflies with the purpose to pollinate flowers. 💐

So it’s only natural for you and me to find out what we’re made for.

Taking a breathing reset and pause is where you can take in a moment of reflection. And that brings in new ideas.

Changing of the leaves fall season is such a great time to do this… if you’re a dominant Vata especially because this is YOUR season! 🍂

In an instant, you can change your mindset old ways with fresh ways…

You don’t need new circumstances to change on you for something new.

You create the change that naturally creates a change in you (of what you see, think, and feel).

And this snack-bite blog post is a quick reminder of how you can support and encourage your positive changes through your breathing habits.

…Especially if the season you’re in is tired (stale) or you’re transitioning and feeling uncertain.

Just 5 minutes a day of focused breathing can create positive changes for you.

(But more minutes is better).

And there’s no reason to say no as you only reap benefits. It’s like when you’re taking care of your teeth… is spending extra minutes ever a bad thing?… no. You never regret that.

And as you relax knowing you’re doing yourself a world of good, getting away from your busy schedule to breathe… you gain more benefits.

And less stress that means more ideas coming to and flowing through you.

On your yoga mat or wherever you’re seated, you can decide to let go of what isn’t working well this season with a few breaths.

Exhale out old ideas.

And breathe in new ideas and ways.

You can also do this laying down, standing, or a pose that’s comfortable to you. It’s function over form.

And you can choose from a variety of breathing techniques.

4-7-8, Ujjayi, and Lion’s Breath are 3 effective breathing resets.

4-7-8 is a balanced breathing way that you can do well while you’re standing or walking. It’s a good practice when you’re out enjoying nature and soaking in awareness.

Ujjayi is good for relaxing, clarity, and energy like a matcha drink.

And lion’s breath is good for forcefully expelling out anxiety or a bad mood. It’s an adult way of sticking out your tongue and telling the day and world who’s boss. 😊

Any of these breathing techniques can also carry you through your day so you can stop worrying.

…Because most everything will change around you anyway. It’s better to stay calm and not let situations get the better of you… as those too will pass.

Breathing in new oxygen and energy brings new flowing opportunities from the change of your perspectives. It’s even better than a warming cup of tea.

With energy, you get the oomph to sit optimally and taller. You stretch further and higher, and that spills over into your life where you do and try a few more things that can make all the difference in your life.

You end up giving yourself more space. And love. You go into places you didn’t go or imagine before. It’s like when you get new ideas or feedback from others, except you don’t have to rely on circumstances to fall in your favor. It’s a given.

And best of all, you can breathe intentionally and deeply in your body just where you are. Your body is the only equipment you don’t have to pay for. That you can never forget at home.

Oh, the places you’ll go… remember Dr. Seuss?

Those were the inspiring days when you had dreams and visions of how the future plans could go.

…And they still can go. All is possible.

As long as you’re breathing, anything and everything is possible.

And you have your life as proof.

Breathing deeply into your breathing space today, dreams come alive tomorrow when you enthusiastically believe again.

Today, all you need is to carve out that time. 5 minutes if that’s all you’ve got. And find a ritual that will help you get in your breathing mood. It can be as simple as music, a candle, or opening your front door.

And then let nature do the rest.

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Ragweed Allergies – 8 Ways to Calm

Ragweed allergies and dry symptoms are becoming more relevant with climate change. It’s not just autumn or fall anymore. And while it’s dry out in my neck of the woods, it’s also humid daily. I find dew on my window in the AM. And I’m seeing how this affects my new plant.

We are all part of one living ecosystem. And ragweed season affects our local environment, home, plants, and bodies.

While high humidity is breeding ground for mold toxins. And a dehumidifier would be helpful to smolder prevent.

Because being inattentive can create more chaos in the body than just ragweed allergens.

Fall season ragweed in the air causes watery, itchy and sinus-related symptoms. Ragweed allergies can be often confused for colds and flu, especially with COVID-19 that has similar and often strange symptoms.

They build up to exacerbate Vata, Pitta, and Kapha imbalances.

We’re all made of some amount of wind, fire, and earth in us that need tuning up restoring. If restoration is something you’re needing, you can take the body balance quiz for more awareness.

8 Healthy Ways to Calm Your Ragweed Allergies

1. Steam. Steam over stove with peppermint oil in a pot. Also, releasing a few drops of eucalyptus oil in the shower is good for clearing sinuses.

2. Neti pot. This is by far the best allergy invention yet! By cleaning out nasal passages with natural sea salt and (boiled or purified) water, you can prevent sinus infections. Do this every week at a minimum, but I like twice a week during allergy season (or year-round).

And a natural saline spray can help to clear out the sinuses. This is good for convenience, if you’re super stuffed up, and the neti pot scares you because you think it’ll reach your brain somehow.

Even though in truth, the nasal passage is on a different track, so the likelihood is slim.

But a natural saline spray is still a healthier way than taking daily medicine that accumulates.

And if you want to give the neti pot a try, this is what I do:

I take about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of natural sea salt and add ½ cup of boiled water. If you’re a beginner, you may want to start with 1/4 tsp salt and you can always add a little more based on the severity of your congestion. You can also buy pre-measured saline packets.

Let the hot water cool to warm or lukewarm. I usually set the timer for 20 minutes after boiling the water for 10 to 15 minutes.

Then you take your neti pot solution and pour it into one nostril, and then the other. Streams of water will come out the opposite nostril.

And you can instantly feel better like I have felt when allergies were getting the best of my energy.

If you’re taking a shower, it’s practical to perform the neti pot regimen there. But over a sink is fine too. Just be sure to have a towel nearby, as water can still run from your nose after you’re finished.

I usually look face down to the floor into a regular or paper towel (afterward), for several seconds just to get rid of any excess water that can be delayed in dripping.

Tip: I don’t do the neti pot regimen if I’m going to a yoga class that day because Downward Dog likes to be downward dripping nose dog if ya know what I mean! 🧘🏻‍♀️ And that’s awkward dawg! 🐶

For cleaning the neti pot: use a small amount of soap as you may not remove every soap trace. There’s also probably still traces of salt sitting at the bottom of your vessel if you use a clay one like I do. Plastic is easier but not as pretty.

Salt is a natural cleaner, so you can rinse with water thoroughly and using soap cleaned fingers or a clean toothpick to remove any lingering residue (as sponges can harbor bacteria).

The time and effort you spend on your entire neti pot regimen is worth it and a TOTAL life game changer especially if you are prone to sinus infections.

You also can rid of uncomfortable tension in the face from ragweed allergy congestion.

3.Apple cider vinegar. When I take ACV, I use an eyedropper in a vial/bottle and add mixed up water with apple cider vinegar that has the “the mother” (milky substance). This is the good stuff that you should invest in for your medicine is food cabinet.

When you apply, put it to the back of my throat to protect the teeth. ACV is acidic but (counterintuitively) good for a high acidic stomach, as it stops the stomach from producing more acid.

And sometimes in the mix of allergy season, there’s chest congestion. That’s when I will boil apple cider vinegar over the stove, and inhale the steam into my chest. This is a last resort as I don’t know about you, but I think the ACV fumes doesn’t agree for my Vata body.

But ya do what you gotta do!

I use the cheap (not organic) ACV for boiling, otherwise the good stuff is wasted.

Apple cider vinegar also helps heart burn feelings (that’s associated with acidity and often eating too much in the acidic foods categories). It’s one of Mother Nature’s gift. Maybe that’s why the super kind has the “mother.”

4.Drink green and peppermint tea. Ragweed often brings on symptoms and headaches that warm tea is good for.

Add raw honey for congestion.

Peppermint tea is good for headaches. Herbal teas are caffeine-free so they are good any time and at bedtime. They also calm stomach aches.

AND for the home, it’s a common bug deterrent.

5.Air purifier. A machine like this in your bedroom where you spend many hours, helps to clear the air some. When you’re laying down, chest congestion build ups easily.

Tip: make sure to get the HEPA level filter for allergens, molds, and spores (much smaller particles to capture than a filter for dust only) that are common during ragweed season.

6.Nettle or turmeric tea. Nettle tea doesn’t have a culinary use flavor, so you can add other tea that will add flavor. With turmeric tea, you can add black pepper that has a synergy effect with the curcumin compound that’s in turmeric.

Black pepper can help you sneeze. And that is our body’s natural mechanism to clear out some dust and pollen.

7.Menthol vitamin drops. If you have sinus pressure, menthol drops are good for the Kapha congestion symptoms and tiredness. Keeping them by your eye drops is a good reminder to take them.

Dry or irritated eyes are a common ragweed symptom.

8.Raw honey. If you find the right raw honey from local beehives, this can help a little or a lot to break up sinus and chest congestion.

It’s also an amazing moisturizer and does wonders for inflammations like itchiness. It’s an anti-bacterial.

…Maybe that helps to look at the sticky goodness and your local bees in a different way? 🐝🍯

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