Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Uncertainty Turned To Joy + Shakshuka Recipe

Uncertainty can be made certain when you cook dishes you can’t mess up like shakshuka that always tastes great.

A food dish like Shakshuka helps with uncertainty because you're certain it will turn out no matter what it looks like. — Start your day with a healthy morning breakfast like this Shakshuka egg-tomato dish 🍳 And balancing Ayurvedic spices that you can use to help restore your imbalance. Recipe below. ⬇️

Most of life is uncertain. Some days we have some certainty over planned future events and in yesterday’s events.

But we have uncertainty about tomorrow and sometimes what will happen today.

And uncertainty can come with all sorts of flavors and emotions.

Some uncertain days are filled with excitement, so those are double bonus… and are often few and far between over routine days. But that gives us a buffer so we feel the good effects compared to the previous nothing-special happening days.

And on uneventful days, it’s good to be grateful for our own contentment good.

That will get rattled up eventually with the sudden news that changes the direction of our day and possible season.

The way to best handle every situation is to find your joy. And if there is none that a sad or stressful situation can bring, then shed the cleansing tears and find peace. No matter what.

…Because the situation will happen regardless of your misery or staying calm and happy. So why not lean into the healthy positive expressing feelings that your body will reward you for?

Plus, you make more sound decisions that way.

A decision can be as simple as whether to react or not react. Because whatever our actions are, especially when others are involved, there are consequences.

And my best advice for you in uncertainty is if you don’t know what to do, don’t do anything you could regret until you know what to do.

Then bringing this to your awareness, an answer follows at some point. It’s not an automatic response like a knowing that comes with practice and habits and then builds confidence the next time.

Trained professionals know what to do in their specialties, and you know what to do in yours, but not necessarily in theirs.

And when you take an action or make a reaction from a place of peace of wanting to give, then you know you’ve done your best.

So often we take action because someone else has projected the situation onto us and put the burden on our shoulders. It’s our modern protective job (since we’re not running from tigers) to evaluate objectively.

And not always jump on what is asked if the hoops are the wrong ones where we don’t set boundaries. And we end up resentful or bitter about what could have been handled differently.

Give yourself first the chance to think:

What are the facts?

What do you know about the entire situation that may have a history?

And if we can sleep on the idea over a night or two, then we see how we feel after we think or pray about the idea in peace and meditation which can be starkly different than the knee-jerk reaction. Time and rest allow for wisdom to enter instead of our worry-fear actions.

…Which BTW, this is a great life skill habit to learn and practice.

We’ve all had examples and some practice over the past few years. Our worlds were shaken by the disruptions of the global crises we all experienced on our planet from climate to pandemic.

This led to the greatest uncertainty that may end up being the most in our lifetime.

The toughest unique situations we each had to individually go through may still feel like open wounds. And those are maybe ones we don’t want to think about since we just went through them and are still processing.

BUT, the healthiest thing we can do is to not delay and think about the effects on us this year. We each had trauma of sorts and we want to prevent post-trauma effects that our mind-bodies will cling onto.

The trauma could have been the change in jobs, relationships, losses, lifestyle habits, and where you live, or all of the above. Or that you’re still in those situations. And the bottom line is: there was and is uncertainty.

And on top, there could be fresh wounds mounding on top of older ones.

All of that is part of the adult life. And when you’re super tested during difficult times to take on additional stressors, you can choose to feel like throwing in the towel… or you can look at the upside!

Your tough trials, situations, and setbacks get you ready for what’s on the other side. 🌈

So in the mud, find the hope vision. That could be as simple as recalling the thoughts that when you’re down, there’s nowhere to go but up.

And when you’re feeling Kapha tired, you plow through anyway… not because you feel like doing the work or task, but because you know you’ll feel better after you do. And you’re looking for that victorious after-burn feeling! 😎

It always gets better… and that’s not cliche if you’ve already lived to mid-life.

In the down, you become the resilient person that is needed to appreciate the pot of gold if you fight for your own victory that’s inevitable in your beliefs and if you don’t give up.

So today and every day, find a ray of hope and glimmer. ✨Borrow from nature that hums and runs 24-7 without pause on any part of the globe.

Where I was the year before the pandemic started, was working in close-knit quarters. I was at large-scale annual events where as many as 100,000 global members were invited. And I traveled internationally more frequently than non-existently.

Working in my local offices, I recall appreciating the time I had working remote for years prior in my early 30s. That also made adapting to 2020 life easier.

…Similarly, leaning into your positives in your situations can be your saving grace. Recalling your past that helped you in the tough times and today can make you feel that all will be well. And it will!

…It’s that same knowing from experience, that if you have a bad day, the next ones will be great.

Focus on those optimistic thoughts and look forward to your next steps.

Find your blessings amid uncertainty. Staying in joy is going to help you not lose precious years of productivity.

Maybe look at life as a learning opportunity?

Each year comes with different situations and dreams. And you want to keep your head high and ride the cloud through the stormy and silver linings as though every opportunity is a joy to learn something.

And when you look down, you notice that the ground below you offers a chance to jump on a new landed opportunity and experience.

Make this year a triumph in how you see life and learning… and maybe someone you know needed to hear this that you can pass this on to, especially since we just passed Mental Health Awareness month that’s now part of our every month.

You’re never alone. And life is on your side. 🎉

Shakshuka

You can restore your Vata, Pitta, and Kapha balance with Shakshuka

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American, lebanese

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

eggs
tomato sauce
coriander or cumin (cooling)- Pitta restoring
red pepper (heating) - Kapha restoring
oregano and tarragon - Vata restoring
olive oil

Instructions

Add your tomato sauce and EVOO and leave 3 dips to add your eggs. Cook until sauce is thickened about 10 minutes. Add the spices you want using your nose as to which you want to add. Your preferences will change because your nose knows to balance your Ayurvedic dosha that needs balancing related to your moods (e.g. tired, anger, anxious).
Bake dish at 350°F/180° C with spices about another 10 minutes.
Add spinach that will wilt.

Share this

Upper Gut Acidic Heartburn Symptoms

Upper gut is not something we daily talk about but we can feel if we have heartburn.

Temporary upper gut issues can often be helped with alkalizing foods like swiss chard here and other veggies. — Looks like rhubarb but it’s actually swiss chard… a super healthy spring veggie from a farmer’s market where you get in-season, fresh, organic produce 🥬

We tend to oversimplify body symptoms of the gut when we’re trying to fix the upper gut. Some upper gut symptoms are easily fixable within a few days of diet changes, and that’s what this blog post article is about.

The lower gut has different symptoms and needs…

Such as bloating symptoms that are usually a discomfort-pain in the lower gut or abdomen.

Similar to a headache, bloating can have many causes including diet with disagreeable foods or food sensitivities, chronic inflammation, and diseases.

Eating less food while increasing more fiber, can help for simple bloating stomach fixes.

An even simpler fix is if you aren’t drinking enough water… and as soon as you fill up, you start feeling better.

For upper gut diet-related cause issues, you can change your symptoms from your eating habits in a few days. Some people call this an elimination diet.

…And moving toward more alkalizing foods may be what you need to do (and eat more of) to restore balance in the gut.

One type of upper gut issue already mentioned is heartburn that’s usually coming from a Pitta imbalance and a relatively easy-fix.

Many hard-charging personalities have this symptom often. And that can be exacerbated by stress and the wrong foods. If acid is coming back up the esophagus, then that’s referred to as GERD.

So then, changing diet is a good habit, challenge, and a healthier fix over popping daily antacid pills that look like candy.

Below I’ll give you some better food diet ideas.

But just to be more clear on this (as parts of the body can get confusing)…

Basically, if you have a dull or discomfort in the upper abdominal area where your esophagus meets your stomach, or you burp often, then heartburn-gas symptoms is more likely what you’re dealing with.

Gas gets trapped anywhere in the stomach that comes from air that we intake when we eat foods. And many foods we eat are acidic and stimulate stomach acid.

And…

Two things that are commonly missed in our daily diets:

❌ Often, we’re eating the wrong foods for our situations. We’re eating too many acidic foods that make the heartburn worse. We hear that a food is healthy and we order that when we need to shift gears to alkaline foods such as more veggies (plant-forward).

❌We’ve eaten and because certain food don’t agree with us, we may misdiagnose the feelings as a food allergy or sensitivity when it’s not the food itself… it’s the combination order we are eating the foods.

Our bodies look at digested food differently than we do with our eyes. If we set a reminder to think “our eyes are bigger than our stomachs” (as the saying goes), then we can do ourselves a favor.

Our bodies process what lands in our stomachs mixed with everything still unprocessed (looking a lot like a dump truck if we could see inside).

And, you may be surprised to know that many super healthy, anti-inflammatory foods are acidic making heartburn worse.😳

But let’s be clear… for daily health, energy, and our longevity efforts, we want to eat a diverse selection of anti-inflammatory foods. They are hands-down the best especially if we’re smart about our eating combinations.

But if you’re experiencing the effects of a high acidic stomach, you want to pause or reduce some of those specific foods until your symptoms disappear. For example: EVOO, grains, starches, and most animal proteins. It’s a balancing game (as is most everything good in Life 😊).

Finding the alkalizing balancing foods that are going to keep your stomach more neutral but filled with nutrients, is the perfect balance.

In acidic situations, choose from a smaller food list, like plenty of vegetables and proteins, such as eggs, tofu, chicken breast, and seeds. Try to eat the same things for meals. Remember, it’s only for a few days or until your symptoms go away.

The BRAT diet (bread, rice, apples, toast) was what we used to eat when we had a sour stomach but we can do better than that in macro nutrition with veggies, lean, and plant-based proteins.

And if you want a soft protein alternative to eggs or tofu, try:

Cottage cheese with peaches or Greek yogurt with berries (but not common grocery store pasteurized cheese or milks, or nut-milk alternatives).

Bananas also make good cushions in the stomach, and they are both prebiotic and probiotic. Another superfood carb is apples that are still the Queen fruit all around.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence they’re abundant year-round and there so many varieties blooming every season.

Then with avocado as the King fruit (my name for 🥑), you could add to your protein meals as the fat. It doesn’t always have to be healthy EVOO which is actually an acidic no-no, but great any other time.

And instead of 2 cups of coffee a day, switch one cup to green tea. And maybe an herbal tea later in the day when you aren’t seeking caffeine. Cold brew coffee is also less acidic than regular warm coffee brews.

If you’re a Vata, and you get an acidic Pitta stomach often, changing your “food as medicine” diet to less sweet alternatives can be one of the habit challenges. But definitely doable if you have your mind set on making positive changes.

Just remember, most fruits are okay for sweets, so that’s the saving grace. And it’s better to end on that sweet note.

Because also how you start your food day will matter. Like many, I used to start my breakfast with cereal or sweetened oatmeal. Over time, I replaced those less filling options with a vegetable-protein-fat macro-full meal.

…That may sound like a heavier mid-day lunch or dinner (as it did to me once-upon-a-time), but that combo is a better healthy start and will help with your lose weight goals and energy levels as your body is pleased with your healthy considerations… and will reward you with feeling better.

And when you’re not facing any upper gut acidic issues, if you want to add other healthy bread, starches, or desserts, that’s your choice. But, better to add those later in your meals and day than at the start.

…In my working with catering events for about 10 years, I got used to the idea of 3-4 course dinner meals with appetizers called hors d’oeuvres. But that’s a bit heavy for everyday eating. Would you agree?

One of the simplest platters we served was Crudite. It was a plate of raw veggies such as carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, and colorful bell peppers.

And this can be part of the lighter home dinner fare. Instead of a creamy, ranch-type dressing to accompany, you can eat veggies plain or add a Greek yogurt with a dash of Worcestershire sauce (for a healthy sour cream copycat) or vinegar that’s going to help your gut. Or spices like coriander and fennel.

And if you want to kick it up a notch, when your upper gut is back to its norm, you can make a stuffed bell pepper with very little prep needed as a plant-based full meal…

Cook your whole grains like quinoa or wild rice, and then stuff at the bottom, layering with legumes, veggies, and your fave herbs like fresh cilantro or parsley.

In one of the Blue Zones with the oldest living people, they have a dish called “three sisters” (corn, squash, and beans). You could do that…

And also enjoy with a lime soaked-yellow corn tortilla (or sprouted toast) if you want to stay on the longevity-healthy theme.🤸‍♀️

Stuffed bell peppers is a great way to stuff with proteins, whole grains, and more veggies!

Avocado Green Smoothie

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1 ripe avocado
plant-based milk (almond, cashew, oat, coconut)

Instructions

Blend and enjoy!

Share this

Kapha Tiredness – How to Restore

Kapha tiredness is an accurate way to describe seasons when you’re feeling lazy and sleepy.

Morning coffee and walk for Kapha tiredness energy. — A morning coffee and walk in the park can be a good way to wake up tired Kapha energy.

These are some common life situations that make us tired…

✔️Taking care of everyone and their demands

✔️Getting up early for routine work

✔️Staying up late to get more done

✔️Allergy congestion and headaches

✔️Burden from a stressful or emotional situation

✔️Colder seasons

These all put our bodies on overdrive where more rest is needed. And if we’re not giving that to our bodies, then we’re outta balance. Our tired Ayurvedic Kapha runs the show (when Vata and Pitta are still in the background).

We all have Kapha tiredness traits in us and some of us are born Kapha dominant.

In those tired Kapha heavy seasons, whether we sleep 5 hours or 9 hours, we’re tired (and maybe walking around like human zombies).

Because overall we’re not getting enough sleep. And Kapha metabolism may slow down.

These are a few easy, but effective habits to help your body push through (and not cut corners when you’re called for more):

…Having cold brew coffee ready to go while the fresh warm coffee is brewing makes life easier. ☕️ There are many healthy caffeine sources for energy other than coffee.

I didn’t start drinking coffee until I was over 35. Other caffeine sources can be black tea, green tea, and matcha tea.

And there are many other healthy energy sources besides beverages such as:

…Have savory leftovers to tie us over for an energy-giving meal. 🌯. Energy foods include prebiotic pickle juice that’s fermented, eggs with B-vitamins, and pasta.

…Do jumping jacks or running in place to get your heart beat up and blood flowing for instant brain energy.

You could add a spice kick like cloves or cinnamon, or punchy flavors like lime, onion, or cilantro to your meals.

I remember myths (we used to refer to as rumors) that you can’t catch up on sleep. But actually, you can!

And if your body gets a dose, your Kapha tiredness can grow. That’s a sign that you’re depleted.

And if you’re never tired, that can also be a waving flag to pay attention to…

Because this life is meant to have work burdens and unpredictability for our best life of meaning.

Short-term stressors give us growth and can wake us up temporaily. But if we’ve been tired over a season, then for our good we need to do something about it to prevent burnout.

One thing we can try first is to gain more appreciation for what we have so we change our perspective and outlook.

We can also try new things. Failing at many things means we’re trying, and trying is leading us to purpose.

Without purpose, that can lead us to more stuck tiredness and weariness.

If you’ve ever watched the animals in the wild either live or on film footage, every moment is a form of work for them. They sleep out of necessity, but they are always on guard if not hunting.

…Or just surviving the natural that’s getting harder with climate change.

Finding shade in hot temps and shelter in cold seasons is a challenge.

They live nomadic lives that are very different than the house cats and dogs around us, that still have those primitive instincts but to a much lesser degree.

Today’s household pets are kinda like us modern peeps compared to our hunter-gatherer ancestors. 🐯

And what we can learn from wild animals is that: they do it anyway.

They are motivated to stay alive and keep their young alive. They do it tired and for survival.

Laziness would be a luxury.

And in our daily human modern lives, it’s complex because we aren’t often faced with li-gers to deal with.

But our minds are and make it complex. Beneath our rational mind, if the ego intercepts at any moment, then we’re driven down a lesser path.

And for those who don’t even know that they’re being intercepted daily is the biggest danger of all. Those are the male lions of today and the pride in us.

Usually, it’s muddled in modern fear. In those moments for any of us, we all have a choice to either live in denial (stands for “Don’t Even kNow I Am Lying”)… or flip the switch back to healthy thinking.

I’ve written many articles and posts on healthy thinking. And that comes from learning from my own suffering from unhealthy thinking and ego attacks.

Similarly, anyone unaware that they’re under daily attack is the most dangerous to themselves and others especially without a plan

In my case, I moved away from the prideful environment I lived in and gained awareness. It was the same area that had tiring demands and a faster-paced life.

So, if you’re tired or busy, you’re more likely to be unaware.

Changing your environment (work, moving, etc.) could also be your remedy and just what you need too for Kapha tiredness.

When you’re younger you don’t have those choices, but now you do.

Like, when I was a child, they commonly used smelling salt to keep us on our toes and from fainting in body-shocking situations. It worked. As we got older and went through more experiences, our body systems learned to adapt better.

Getting more experiences keeps us growing and helps us from growing tired and the Kapha tiredness in you.

To grow less tired, find something that you can use your gift and talents with. At home, that could be dancing, singing, yoga, or gardening.

Or working on a project like muddling coffee beans or dips, decorating, or painting. It doesn’t have to require much, just change your tired feelings.

And from there, when you’re wrapped up in the moment, then you can think of other wake-up opportunities. Because when you’re alive, that impacts everything you do in the season.

So I have a quick question for you…

Do you remember the last time you were excited about possibilities? You know that feeling where you felt lit up and endorphins awakened your senses.

You probably had strong desires to pursue and stay up late because of the hope in possibilities.

…And if that was too long ago to remember, then you especially want to get going with something new…

Because one day, your biological age will catch up to you. And you’ll realize you aren’t the same age or person you were in your younger adult years (and even a decade ago).

And that could lead to thoughts of regret if you didn’t pursue all that you wanted in those unrepeatable years.

The way to ensure that doesn’t happen is to make every day count.

I know when I worked in the “rat race” that was not how I felt. I did a job, went home, and then did the same work the next day. I was lucky I didn’t spend my time all in one place so I could grow quicker and have more stressor experiences.

Those times and experiences helped me to get to today, the only time that matters.

Tomorrow is the next most important.

And this is for everyone. Your experiences do the same for you (looking different in each of us)!

And especially if you feel stuck, one thing you can do almost immediately is volunteer or try a new activity.

Volunteer experiences were introduced to us as teenagers.

Everywhere on this planet there’s help needed… I was a volunteer candy striper in a local hospital.

And while I was not cut out for the work, I learned to be dedicated and give back my time.

We always have something we can offer even when we don’t have the gifts and talents.

And it’s always a learning opportunity that stimulates our minds as we’re growing and excited about new possibilities. This helps our Kapha tiredness and breaking out of a slump.

Most volunteer general tasks are easy enough to do that even most young teenagers can do. For adults, it can be a welcomed break to do something easy and can open up more doors.

The most valuable is when you do it for a cause or purpose outside of you, then you’re growing and making an impact that awakens our souls.

It’s healthy to think of volunteering not as work, but an opportunity to serve. It’s providing more than what we’re giving. But we won’t know what that “more” is until we raise our hand to participate. ✋

These days you can find volunteer opportunities online or in-person and this can be what sets you apart from the rest. And you gain gratitude for your good fortunes.

You always see friendly volunteer faces that are glad to see you. And that happiness is infectious. You’ll also develop more positive skills and learn sides of yourself that you didn’t know before.

…And that can help you get out of any tired season. 🤗

Share this

When Dental Worry Is Healthy For You

Onions are good for teeth as they’re antibacterial and spinach has teeth remineralizing properties, so chomping on a few leaves is a good thing! 🥬

Have you ever thought about the worse that could happen in a situation like dental worry, but it didn’t end up so bad?… Or end up at all?

…And that’s usually because your worry prevented a bad outcome. Some worry is healthy… it’s built into our DNA human-ness.

But in society, we tend to demonize all worry when it can help us to magnify an area we should focus more on, and then put the thoughts to rest.

Worry is healthy when it prevents growing problems. And worry is healthy when it helps us come up with better solutions.

When it falls healthy short and is outta balance, is when the scales need to tip back to peace and calm.

Don’t let your worry take over your Vata mind and from living life… because long-term stress is an inflammation cause in the mind-body connection that shows up in or on the body as a warning.

When you’re conscious knowing what you’re doing and thinking, you activate your subconscious to help you out in the back of your mind.

…EVEN when you can’t connect the dots.

Your subconscious mind is like your passenger seat helper who’s providing directions even when you’re focused on what’s in front of you.

…So, when I didn’t get to the dentist because of the pandemic and several moves later, I thought I would have a bad report.

A month before I could get into the busy dentist’s office, I did everything to keep my teeth and healthy smile at their maintained best… flossing with multiple flosser types, brushing, rinsing, and even scraping. And if you have teeth and dental worry about your teeth, then you may floss more often.

These days, it’s so much more easy… we have much better dental supplies from convenience stores than we did as kids… or imagine what they did back in the Stone Ages?

And those memories and dental worry kept me magnifying on healthy habits leading up to the Big D-Day…

At that dentist chair moment, time stood still and I was pleasantly surprised with the assessment. I had nothing to dental worry about.

It was a compliment when I heard the word “good” from my new dentist, and was even asked about how I take care of my teeth.

She asked me what I did. And my response was, “I do everything!”

I shared my routine and healthy daily teeth habits that make up for the food and coffee acid, and sugar buildup. Really the best tip is to brush more often softly or with an electric toothbrush. 🪥

…There’s nothing new under the sun. ☀️

But I also told the dentist about teeth healthy foods I ate to fortify the good and diminish the bad. We add back healthy for a more neutral effect.

So often we forget that foods act as secondary toothbrushes when we can’t get to our toothbrush.

You don’t need to dental worry if you brush after eating sugary foods.

And with acidic sources… you can soften the blow. For ACV, use an eyedropper or a straw where you drop the liquid to the back of your throat.

And certain foods are teeth helpers that have Vitamin D, calcium, and other minerals that re-mineralize natural teeth enamel.

That’s double bonus points for bones and teeth. 🎯

Stronger teeth enamel helps prevent common inflammation or an infection spreading inflammation.

Because inflammation or worsened infections in the mouth can cause problems just like inflammation in other parts of the body.

To counteract, they say that flossing can add 4 years and so can eating beans. (They these days are healthy social media sources that’s common knowledge). But at worst, you won’t lose 4 years, so it’s worth the effort gamble. 😉

And if you’re wanting to be more anti-inflammatory and hang onto any wisdom teeth, check out this anti-inflammatory food guide for your easy grocery shopping essentials.

Share this

Healthy Habits Today Matter Big-Time for Tomorrow

Healthy habits matter today big time for results tomorrow. And we can get a good dose of influence from the Blue Zones (discovered by Dan Buettner), where their habits feel like worlds apart from our modern, Western world.

But we can adopt their healthy ways. And I share a few of mine below along my journey including a healthy potato habit I have. 🥔

As for healthy habits, I’ve been eating whole-wheat bread and foods since I was young. I don’t think I ever had a slice of white sandwich bread. It was wheat, rye, or pumpernickel… but never white.

Whole wheat cherry glace pancakes with frozen Greek yogurt for Sunday brunch! 🥞

I’m so glad I didn’t let those past years of dissatisfied field trip bag lunches hold me back. Those and other healthy habits are happy keepers.

Below you’ll learn about some Sunday brunch inspo that came from healthy habits and endings too.

And what you create as eating healthy habits today becomes your tomorrow’s habits. And can be part of happy memories.

Some of them stick around from when you were younger, and still work. They need no replacement.

When I was younger, working smart was en vogue. Why?… je ne sais quoi.

…Maybe we were trying to learn how to cut corners? But working hard never went outta-style. Work was (and is) what made the world go round but talking about grunt work especially would be like going rogue.

And today, in a sharing society, we learned that there are no shortcuts. The good stuff is in the work and comes from the working hard process. So glad we kept the healthy habits. 🌱

And even the tough work proved useful for growth and experience.

Especially when we’re young, we need all the experience we can get…

In those years, I walked everywhere. I had no wheels. I walked to the bus, to the dentist, to school, on the paper route, and to my friends’ houses.

And when my high school friend got a new set of wheels, a brand spanking new red Cabriolet convertible for her 16th birthday, she offered to pick me up in the mornings to take me to school. It surprised me when I turned down that exciting offer.

My young mind told me that I shouldn’t count on that routine. Our young intellects were at work even when we weren’t fully conscious. 😉

And in a higher gear, I knew I made the right choice.

At that moment I solidified the habit of counting on myself… and not taking shortcuts that breed laziness.

No lazy (Kapha) mind is a better mantra…

And a good way to break out of that mold is to exercise even when we don’t feel like doing it. You always feel better after the burn.

An easier way is to step outside. Because there you don’t feel the sting. You don’t count calories burned. Your wristband does it automatically for you.

And you breathe in new air and let your senses do the rest.

And when you naturally go up and down steps, you’re doing exercise without having to convince your brain to work. It’s automatic to your mind and legs.

Simply, if you want to get to where you’re going, you need to take steps… or even better, the stairs. Fair, right?

Too often we automatically think of exercise as cardio and keeping up our heart rates. That’s just one type.

And the kind that makes a difference will be the exercises and moves you do.

Another habit area is consistently showing up.

Your presence becomes known. And you’re seen as someone who’s accountable and takes the time to be available. We all like to know people like this.

It’s a form of welcomed dependability.

And there are ways we all can be consistent whether it’s online or in-person. And where we can be part of our community.

For some years, I was part of organizing a regular brunch group. It fit what I was doing. I was helping others plan their hosted events, so why not host my own? It was volunteer mixed with fun healthy habits.

What made the group special was that we (I had a co-lead with me) opened the event to everyone. There were always newcomers to the group and the DC metro area. And the restaurant of choice had to set up several tables.

It was fun to try out new local restaurants including swanky Michelin Blue Duck Tavern places, historic National Press Room restaurants, and mod-deco fare ones on the Potomac River. Many celebrated Cherry Blossoms 🌸 like this one (speaking of en vogue):

And we met restaurateurs like this distinguished chef who put foodie restaurants on the maps in the 90s before Jose Andres.

Restaurant lunch time for brunch isn’t usually busy like dinner so that was a good fit for all. And being plugged in that way became part of healthy habits that season.

And during those years, as a theme, I was also inviting my own bunch to the restaurants where I ran the group events.

Similarly, if you take a look at your healthy habits, you’ll notice some repeats. Your regular habits that stick become what sticks out in your life tomorrow and years later.

Taking inventory of your healthy habits will help show you the gaps so you can have a fulfilling life.

You can consider:

Where are you spending most of your time?

What do you wish you were doing more of?

Are you plugged into your local community in some way?

How are you helping the world?

Just some food for thought as you go about your week.

For anti-inflammatory food shopping inspo, check out this 200 anti-inflammatory food grocery guide/list. 🛒

And these spuds could be part of your healthy habit start.

Healthy Loaded Baked Potato Skins

This used to be one of my favorite lunch meals when they had a loaded potato fixins' bar at my work. The skins are often tossed out and are loaded with fiber and vitamins that can be cooked, baked and enjoyed in our daily meal healthy habits!

Course Side Dish, vegetables

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

Russet potatoes (or favorite potatoes)
Greek yogurt
Herbs (chives, thyme, and/or tarragon recommended)
Alliums (scallions or minced onions)
olive oil (optional)

Instructions

Cook your potatoes until soft on the stove.
Cut each potato in half and face down halves on baking sheet drizzled with a little EVOO if you like.
Bake on 350°F until browning occurs.
Let potato cool sligthtly and then add your healthy Greek yogurt topping and herbs to garnish and enjoy!

Share this