Category Archives: Habit Building

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Stress Reduction

Release – Fill – Give

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One of our most popular recent posts was Strings from September 10, 2024. I’m glad it struck a chord for so many readers.

After the discussion about pulling our invisible string to lift our chests, straighten our backs, and hold our heads erect, came the video about Amy Cuddy’s TED talk.

I summarized her thoughts by concluding that, “If you want to give energy, you must be an open vessel to receive it.”

In this season of giving, we recognize that many of us face the challenge of offering our time and energy to others throughout the year, not just during the holidays. Whether we’re teaching, working in healthcare, or caring for loved ones, we know that taking time to recharge is essential to sustaining our ability to continue giving.

Stepping away for some self-care is a non-negotiable for our survival – “can’t pour from an empty vessel” – and all of that.

But what if our vessel is full of stuff?

Meaning, emotions we are holding onto – clogging our head and heart space.

A recent Facebook post from Peace, Love, and Smiles so beautifully stated: “Feelings are just visitors. Let them come and go.”

A key principle in my next book, Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions, is that emotions are not us. We experience them, they pass, and then we experience something else.

But some people start to identify with their emotions, letting them rule the day – day after day.

So, someone who experiences resentment, for example, becomes a resentful person.

Releasing these emotions is the first step to freeing ourselves from their hold on us so we can fill up and recharge, allowing us to be our best—for ourselves and others.

The message, then, is to take a moment to assess what emotion is taking center stage and dominating your very essence.

I start my conferences and workshops with an exercise in doing a release, by recommending the audience hold something in their hand to represent the emotion they want to release.

Then, bringing that symbolic object to their chest, they close their eyes, and after a few deep slow breaths, they ask themselves a question when they inhale on the next breath, saying:

“Would you, could you, be able to release this emotion for just a while? Set it aside for just a spell?”

On the exhale, they honestly answer.

If they can say yes to setting that emotion aside for even a little while – or forever – then they open their eyes, watching as they pull their hand away from their chest, and observe themselves setting that object/emotion down.

Doing this release can create an instantaneous sensation of being lighter and freer.

Those who are not yet ready to release, even briefly, their overriding emotions will benefit by further self-exploration of why they are holding on, why they perceive holding on is a benefit, or why they think they deserve to feel that way. Such a discussion may need the practiced listening ear of a counselor.

After a release, we are open to filling our batteries so we are ready to give again.

In the season of giving, remember to ‘release’ before trying to ‘fill,’ so that you can ‘give.’

In health –

Deidre

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Blogging for good health!, Exercise, Habit Building, Recipes

Experiencing Self-Aversion? We Can Help!

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Do you have a sense of body dissatisfaction?

The causes are as numerous as the stars. Some of us may not be as trim as we might want, while others of us get in shape only to lose it.

First, your shape is YOUR shape – not someone else’s. No one should measure their own health or appearance in relation to society, Tik-Toc, or any other medium.

But being mindful about how I was feeling in my own skin, I knew I didn’t like the feel.

Plus, there was that whole thing about the nimrod who took over my body. I let poor thinking pull me into trying to ‘fit in’ to a norm that was NOT ME – that’s never a good idea.

After five days of being gluten and sugar free, the pain in my hip from the self-induced inflammation was finally gone. Whew! That’s something I do not want to feel again.  

So, my seminal moment of clarity, motivation, and desire for change came as a trifecta:

1. Not liking the feeling of waistline lumpiness

2. Knowing I had caused inflammation in my body.

3. Reading a book recommended by a friend, who was experimenting with his own body redesign.

About that book. The Amazon sales page showed that the author and I had similar points of view on diet, exercise, and approach to change and sustainability.

When I opened Timothy Ferriss’s The 4-hour Body, I was intrigued. This thick publication will take some time to read; but I was confident enough to implement his familiar concepts after just page 85.

Cleaning up one’s entire way of eating is, excuse the pun, biting off too much to chew, and virtually guarantee’s failure due to the overwhelm.

Tim and I agree that if you adjust just one meal – breakfast – great results can follow that will encourage more extended modifications.

Here’s an easy punch list using our combined ideas:

  1. Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning to get hydration started.
  2. Eat within one hour of getting up to kickstart metabolism, normalize blood sugar and insulin levels, help stress hormones naturally decline, assist with weight loss, and help maintain muscle. If you skip breakfast, failure is guaranteed for a body redesign.

3. Aim for high protein and no added carbs of the white variety: potatoes, breads, grains, or sugar. No fruit or fruit juice (a sugar bomb). Tim’s goal is 30 grams of protein at breakfast which is achieved by using 1 whole egg, egg whites, and legumes (esp. lentils or black beans).

4. Add vegetables: spinach – especially for its attributes for improving muscle performance and glucose metabolism; any cruciferous vegetable (broccoli family and cauliflower), or my favorite – okra. Onions and mushrooms add variety and flavor.

Lentils are a staple in my breakfast scramble and are a more user-friendly legume in terms of flatulence/gas repercussions.

Start by cooking or reheating the green veggies in your sauté pan. Lentils can be added to this mixture or sprinkled on top after serving. Add the eggs to the mix, cook, and serve. I like to add whatever’s on hand: a few sliced cherry tomatoes, avocado, arugula, and top with a dollop of salsa or a balsamic vinaigrette.

Like Mikey once said, “Try it, you’ll like it!”

Try it for six days, return to your normal meal for the seventh as a reset, then repeat. As always, check with your healthcare provider before changing your diet or exercise routines.

Coupled with a bit more exercise, I’m headed in the right direction – for me.

How about you?

In health –

Deidre

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Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Recipes, This -n- That

Covid Comfort Food

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Can we utter, “comfort food” and “healthful,” in the same breath?

Well, not if comfort food means cans of sweetened condensed milk or oceans of gravy on mounds of biscuits.

However, as fall in the northern hemisphere brings on images of pots of soups and – for me – yet another iteration on gluten-free muffin mix – then yes, there are tons of healthful benefits to be had in comfort food.

When I had enough energy to throw some ingredients into a soup pot while recovering from Covid, there were anti-inflammatories and healing elements galore. I ramped up a recipe gleaned from Facebook that reminded me of ones I had used before.

TURMERIC CHICKEN SOUP RECIPEDownload

Thanks to my friend, Rox, I had all the ingredients after she picked up my online order from the local grocery store!

Not only did I use the bag of peas, but I threw in a bag of frozen, mixed vegetables as well.

Having some leftover cornbread on hand, I placed a square of it in the center of the bowl and ladled the steaming soup on top.

Even with our diminished sense of taste, this was very yummy.

On to my never-ending quest for the perfect no-hassle, gluten-free muffin mix enhancement.

This could be the ONE!

Using my favorite mix – King Arthur Brand Gluten-Free Muffin Mix – I filled the 1 1/2 cup add-in option to include:

            1 banana – mashed

            1/2 cup ground flax seed

            1 cup gluten-free oatmeal – maybe 1/2 cup more

            Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

*And my six muffins also contained chopped prunes – yum!

My sweetheart refuses to entertain prunes in any disguise, so his six were without.

These extra ingredients resulted in 12 generous muffins, plus a small 3” x 3” muffin cake.

What a joy it is to simply heat up a moist, fiber-filled muffin for breakfast and some healing soup for lunch or dinner when you need to take it easy, feel comforted, and still know you are getting some healing nutrition on board.

In health –

Deidre

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Blogging for good health!, Exercise, Habit Building, Stress Reduction

Intentional Self Balance

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I got off that round tuit!

It was like a scene from several years ago when I decided to do something that would hold me accountable for balancing my food intake and my energy output with regular exercise and portion control.

Yes, it’s one thing to write about health and wellness, and another thing to not let life circumstances derail my solid intentions.

We so easily lose course, especially if we allow ourselves to become codependent on someone or something.

Are your friends not available for your buddy walks around the neighborhood? While that should not keep us from regular walking, often we let it.

Is it difficult to get to exercise classes? Is that a reason to stop working out?

So I, “did a thing.”

Like signing up for that Noom membership after seeing another ad for it – something that worked wonders for me – I saw a chair yoga ad on Facebook that made me want to see more. After learning the details, I took the plunge for a 12-week special offer for just $25.

Right then, I did my first session. A small, easy commitment that took all of 16 minutes to do.

Check.

Another session this morning – this time with light weights sprinkled in.

Check.

What’s that feeling of accomplishment?

I know all this stuff, but it’s the intentionality and accountability of it all that makes this work!

Small commitment. Every day. Works for any goal we have in mind.

Being able to put my palms flat on the floor means nothing if I don’t do it. Chair yoga used to be a joke in my mind, but when I am doing nothing organized, chair yoga is working.

Bigger things will come, but intentionally doing something each day beats doing nothing every time.

When ‘getting around to it’ never happens, turning to an intentional approach will get you there.

In health – intentionally –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Namaste

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A wonderful thing happened while plowing through accumulated emails at the start of my writing workday.

Chris Kresser’s Friday newsletter held a gem for me that I can’t wait to share with you. Chris is deeply involved in functional medicine, and it’s always a delight to learn from him.

Today, he shared a link to Tara Brach’s guiding her YouTube viewers through a 19-minute meditation that eased me into a higher realm of calm than I had experienced for a long time.

This calmer state is helping me handle the slowdowns and uncertainties I spoke of last week, while still gracefully moving forward with what I can control.

It’s been a long time since I last attended a yoga class that would allow me to extend the deep sense of calm I gained today — all the way through to my very muscles – but following along with her video put an inner calm within reach, right in my home office.

If self-compassion is something you are seeking to bolster, Tara leads another shorter, guided meditation called, The RAIN of Self Compassion that may assist you. 

She concludes that video with a quote from Bapuji, an Indian master who said:

“My beloved child, break your heart no longer. Each time you judge yourself, you break your own heart. You stop feeding on the love which is the wellspring of your vitality. The time has come – your time to live, to celebrate, and see the goodness that you are. Let no one, no thing, no idea, or ideal obstruct you. If one comes, even in the name of truth, forgive it for its unknowing. Do not fight – let go and breathe into the goodness that you are.”

It’s short and sweet today in hopes that you will take a few minutes to lift and love yourself by following one or both guided meditations.

As always, if you found today’s post of value to you, share the goodness with others using the options under the MORE button below.

In health –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Stress Reduction, Titles Worth Reading

Delay is Not Denial

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Patience, grasshopper!

By the time you read this, it’s quite possible I will have an exact publishing date for the third edition of my Toolkit for Caregivers!

I only wish the date this instant.

This has been, what … over a year in the making – maybe longer? Don’t remind me.

Personal slowdowns, coupled with glacially slow turnaround times with those helping me have challenged my desires for, “do it right now”! Slowdowns have been my personal gadfly – needling and buzzing around me – a constant reminder there is a timing and a rhythm beyond my control.

But you know what?

Those slowdowns have helped me produce a better product for readers with offerings of more helpful materials to access – all to reach and support family caregivers everywhere.

The book launch is coinciding with a redesigned sales page on Amazon and a brand-new business website I haven’t even seen yet. So many moving parts, but all for a good cause.

This leads to a life lesson I want to share with you, plus a request for you to consider.

Life lesson:

Delay is not denial. Ofttimes, the circumstances improve because of the delay.

Case in point, I was encouraged to not replace my car right away, to take my time and consider all the options. With a bit of a pouting attitude – because I wanted a particular car right now! I waited and looked at other options and got opinions from others.

When I got a text alert yesterday that the car dealership was offering a tremendous incentive to buyers that would help make my (delayed) purchase so much better, I thanked my lucky stars I had not purchased it a month ago.

When faced with delays, I remind myself there’s still something to learn, do, or prepare for.

Request for you:

The publishers and I are moving the new edition of Toolkit for Caregivers into the already existing slot of its current edition, so the reviews will not be lost. But – new reviews and sales are crucial to put Toolkit for Caregivers in view of potential readers.

This is how you can help. Whether you have purchased the previous edition or not, the eBook will be on a $.99 special for a few days during the launch. You can help by doing one or all of these:

1) Get it for $.99.

2) Leave a star review.

3) Leave a brief, honest, written review.

I will be posting links and more information for you here next week. There will be a one-page synopsis available to you, if you do not have time to read the book right away.

The eBook will have a full-color interior; and the paperback will, initially, be available with a black and white interior.

My dream edition with a full-color interior will be forthcoming. It’s a complicated process, but it will happen.

Patience, grasshopper.

In health and with deep appreciation for your support,

Deidre

PS: Every week, requests for Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions reach me. Rest assured; I am working on getting that manuscript to the editors as soon as possible.

Blogging for good health!, Exercise, Habit Building, Stress Reduction

Still Grateful and Breathing

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Remember my previous post about various breathing techniques, including Box Breathing and Emptying Breath?

Last week while scrolling through an author platform, I discovered an interesting book that called to me like sirens out of the deep. Written by a neonatologist, Edgar Reynoso Vanderhorst, MD, this book was about a holistic approach to health that included breathing techniques, and even tied into last week’s gratitude post featuring David Steindl-Rast.

In Wellness: Optimizing Yourself,  Dr. Vanderhorst mirrors Steindl-Rast in seeing the link of regular personal habits of gratitude to creating a more compassionate world.

How does this all tie together?

As I have written here before, positive thinking not only changes the hormonal chemistry of our bodies, but also influences the very structure and receptivity of our cells to positivity.

To paraphrase Steindl-Rast, gratitude comes from a place of satisfaction and a feeling of ‘enough’ rather than from a reminders of scarcity. Being grateful extends to better social connections that include respect and wanting the best for others.

Putting these together, we can see that transforming our own peace naturally leads to uplifting our interactions and concerns for others.

Dr. Vanderhorst has graciously agreed to share his thoughts with us on one aspect of wellness to combat the pull to our increasing stress response to today’s world.

His message to foodtalk4you readers:

“By incorporating simple breath practices, we can stabilize our minds, cultivate calmness and access our innate ability to choose how we respond to the world.

Physiology tells us, activating our parasympathetic nervous system reduces heart rate, oxygen consumption, and cortisol levels – a state described as calmness, which is what happens when we meditate.

Achieving this state can be simple. I developed a technique for myself that I implement daily to increase my awareness of the present moment that helps me navigate daily chaos in a more controlled way. I call this technique, “The Vanhorst Technique,” (meditation technique), which consists of simply taking a deep 4-second inhale, holding for 2 seconds, followed by a slow 6-second exhale, and holding for 2 seconds, repeating this cycle five times and working up to 10 minutes.

I usually practice this technique in the morning while lying in bed or when I’m in an emergency that requires my focused attention.”

Just yesterday, we witnessed horrible images of violence taking place at a political rally in America. Clearly, we need to have calming techniques ready to always use.

We can light only one candle to give light to a dark world, dear readers, and that’s our own.

Calming down with a breathing technique and staying in the moment to find what we are grateful for – even in an unpleasant situation – can help brighten our inner candle and set us up for a mindset that creates a listening ear, a reasoning mind, and helps us appreciate differences in the people around us.

In health – Deidre

Let me know in the comments below how you use breathing and reminders of gratitude to reframe your inner self.

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Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Which Came First, The Chicken or The Egg?

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Continuing Education requirements were beckoning me to ramp up my learning for the biennial renewal of my nursing license.

I am taking a deeper dive into topics I already like, (ex.: probiotics), and am gleaning some new information from other areas of interest.

The course about the frequency of depression among people with diabetes promised to offer something that could be of great value to foodtalk4you readers.

Did you know depression is the leading cause of disability in the world?

I learned that people with diabetes are 1.5 times more likely to also have depression. And yet, depression is only treated in about a third of those with diabetes.

Also, mothers in one study who had gestational diabetes, (diabetes symptoms showing only in pregnancy), had a twofold increase in post-partum depression than those without diabetes.

Back to the original question, which came first? Is there a link between depression and diabetes?

Well, we can’t answer that one today, BUT we can be on the lookout for signs of depression when diabetes is on board.

Why would that be important other than general quality of life?

The daily management of diabetes through self-care is jeopardized when depression is also present. Living a life with depression and diabetes is reflected in poorer outcomes, complications, and earlier death.

Can you see this added diagnosis in yourself, in a friend, or loved one?

A condition called diabetes distress is the emotional response to living with diabetes when the following are experienced:

  1. less than optimal self-management of diabetes
  2. elevated A1-C levels (blood level reflecting long-term blood glucose levels)
  3. more frequent episodes of severe, low blood sugar
  4. decreased quality of life

Those with diabetes and depression might experience:

  1. anxiety and guilt about their inability to self-manage their condition,
  2. fears about long-term effects,
  3. constant concerns about food and eating – all the while knowing daily ups and downs of blood glucose levels can generate feelings of fatigue and anxiety anyway.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a decline in successfully managing their diabetes and their quality of life is being affected, the health care provider should be alerted to the possibility of depression.

The good news is, there are so many therapies that can address depression. Some may be as simple as connecting with others socially, to prescriptions that will ease the symptoms and not aggravate diabetes.

Addressing what may be a hidden depression for someone with diabetes, could be a double blessing for them because their diabetes can be better controlled when their depression is controlled.

That’s a win-win.

It’s easy to share this post using the options under the MORE button below. Thanks for reading.

In health –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, This -n- That

Fingers and Toes!

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There is the childhood song, “Head, shoulders, knees, and toes,” that gets the little ones moving around while they point to body parts, but this post is not that.

Today, we’re looking at fingernails and, mostly, toenails.

I thought my research – based on a hot tip from a loved one who is having success with a home remedy – would be straightforward.

Whew! Two hours later, and I’m just now crawling out of the rabbit hole!

The Latin word part, onych, refers to toenails and fingernails.

Throw on a variety of letters afterwards and you get: slitting nails with ridges (onychorrhexis), nail lifting with fungus (onychomycosis), nail lifting without a fungal infection (onycholysis) … you get the picture.

After a year of using over-the-counter and prescription treatments for my unhappy big toenails, improvements seem to have plateaued.

Upon learning that a home remedy seemed to be yielding better results for someone, I thought there was nothing to lose in trying it.

Enter Tea Tree oil – also known as Melaleuca oil – derived from an Australian tree.

Did applying this oil to my nails after filing and buffing their surface really make a difference?

Well, yes.

There’s enough improvement that I will continue the twice daily application of Tea Tree oil to see if I can finally turn the corner toward healthy toenails.

My dive into all things “onycho” has revealed detailed advice about step-by-step nail care, how many people think Tea Tree oil should be diluted by another oil to enhance absorption and to ward off irritation, and that additional ingredients (including 10% undecylenic acid) creates the perfect balance.

The dilution of 10% undecylenic acid seems to be only available through that one company selling it HERE. Everyone else uses 25%. Hmmm.

I will be upping my toe hygiene game, however, just in case there is a fungal infection present with my nail lifting problems.

Sanitation of all nail trimming, filing, and buffing implements is key. Don’t forget foot soaking areas, care surfaces, and towels, and wear gloves!

When keeping the nail as short as possible without discomfort, and gently filing and buffing the nail surface to thin and smooth the surface, care must be taken to thoroughly clean equipment each time – even between one toe and the next. Nail trimming, filing, and buffing are not done daily, but the application of the Tea Tree oil is done morning and night.

Here are some other hints for happy, healing toes:

After careful daily cleaning, make sure the toes are thoroughly dry – using a hair dryer is recommended.

After the application of the Tea Tree oil (or the expensive 10% mixture), allow nails to dry completely before putting on socks and shoes or going to bed.

Make sure to wear open-toed shoes or roomy, well-fitting shoes along with moisture-wicking socks to prevent moisture build up. Use clean socks daily and rotate shoes to allow for proper drying.

Nail lifting can be the result of foot injury – how well I remember walking too far in the wrong shoes!

There’s no guarantee this is going to result in total improvement for me or you. I just wanted to share some anecdotal evidence that it might be helpful.

So far, there have been no bad reactions to the full-strength Tea Tree oil, and things are looking better. As an experiment, I’m trying this approach with the splitting fingernails as well!

Just wanted to share – which you can do as well, using the options under the MORE button below.

In health –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Heal Thyself

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How often do we read about some high-profile guru dispensing advice about … just about anything … who fails to follow their own suggestions and burns out in flames?

While I am not a high-profile guru to be sure, I do self-checks to verify that I am modeling my beliefs in balance, harmony, and all the aspects of self-care expressed here at foodtalk4you.

Lately, there have been too many spinning plates, and I have felt like a circus juggler trying to keep all those plates balanced on their poles.

Most of the, seemingly, high-priority projects have been of my own creation: writing and speaking deadlines, book relaunch deadlines, Garden Club, and other neighborhood obligations. Car problems just plopped into my lap, uninvited to boot.

Then there are the personal, family, and dear friend concerns and events that are most important of all.

I paused the other day when given another choice to maintain an obligation over the summer or to step back.

This was a seminal moment, and with a great sense of power for my self-care, I said, “No.”

So it is, dear readers, I am keeping my message this week brief.

My thirteen-month-old grandson naps upstairs, while we enjoy an amazing and rare, full-family visit for two weeks.

I am choosing family above all this week.

There are pressing issues and deadlines that will gradually be tackled in these next two weeks; but I think it a worthy, albeit short, message to share with you the need for life balance is critical.

Are you on a precipice? Do you feel yourself nearing a ‘splat?’

Our undone projects would probably go on if we dropped dead. Why do we need to die to take a break?

Maybe we cannot take an extended leave, but a mental health day/morning/hour to reset can do us all a world of good.

Next week, I hope to share some very exciting news! Until then, breathe and choose what is the most important of all for you.

In health –

Deidre