Category Archives: Habit Building

Blogging for good health!, Exercise, Habit Building, Holiday Celebrations, Recipes, Stress Reduction, Titles Worth Reading

DELICIOUS BEAN SALAD – YES, PLEASE!

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An old classic reimagined!

Somewhere on social media, Jackie Kennedy’s classic, “Four Ingredient Casserole,” came across my view.

You know – cooked egg noodles, butter, sour cream, and cottage cheese, plus a fifth ingredient of chopped chives – stir, put in casserole, sprinkle with salt/pepper and dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve to family … or heads of State.

Well, just seeing that made me think about a favorite from my own past – the most excellent three bean salad!

Super easy to prepare from ingredients usually on hand, and a great side dish to a wide variety of foods.

Of course, I tweaked a thing or two – even back then – and added a couple ingredients that really put this old classic in another category – judging from the comments of the attendees at a recent Octoberfest in our neighborhood.

Back in the day, an old friend of mine suggested using French-cut green beans. It’s amazing how that one thing changes the presentation.

Then, the yellow wax beans add their own little something – I’ve never seen them used outside of a bean salad, have you?

The requisite red kidney beans are there along with the white cannellini beans, celery, and red onion.

For additional color, and to compliment the French style green beans, a grated carrot (using the large grater) is perfect.

Round out the color and flavor palate by taking those extra steps to steam and cut kernels off two cobs of corn is the “piece de resistance!”

Sheree has prepared a downloadable recipe for you to follow below.

Four Bean Salad by foodtalk4you.com.docxDownload

I hope you will enjoy preparing this as much as I do. There’s a new dinner gathering at a friend’s house this weekend. I know what I am bringing!


In health –

Deidre

Thanks to whoever purchased thirty-five copies of Toolkit for Caregivers on Amazon a couple days ago! Clearly, they are doing something very intentional with the tips, guided practice, and advice that I share with family caregivers.

In my journey as a care partner for my husband, I found the emotional roller coaster the most difficult element. This book is well-written and structured for quick hits about what you are dealing with at any moment. Excellent support. Expecially if you are feeling bad about some of your “low” emotions – read this to understand that it’s normal and discover new approaches for self-care.

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

ACHEEW!! THERE IS HELP FOR ALLERGY SEASON!

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Sneeze!

My friend and personal horticultural guru, Anelle Ammons, posted a picture of goldenrod in its full-bloom-glory recently and I shot back, “That’s why I’m sneezing!”

She quickly corrected me saying, “Negative! Goldenrod is spread by pollinators attached to the backs of bees and other flying insects. However, it gets a bad rap because, at the same time, our buddy ragweed is blooming. Ragweed, however, is wind pollinated; which means the pollen is all in the air and getting into your sinuses. Many people see the goldenrod and blame it, but it’s really ragweed season!”

The small green ragweed flowers look harmless next to the luxurious yellow blooming branches of goldenrod.

Sorry Goldenrod. I stand – and sneeze – corrected.

And, YOU, Ragweed … Aaaaaachhhew!

Over forty years here in North Carolina and I can’t remember ever suffering from significant fall allergies.

Of course, I have been on a two-month Allegra/Zyrtec holiday and have apparently been swimming in air born ragweed pollen unprotected. Egads!

You see, I all but live outside in the cooler, drier fall days.

Our morning coffee and biscotti are savored while watching the bird feeder by the firepit.

Breakfast? Outdoors.

Lunch? On the front porch.

Dinner? Back porch.

Even at night, we just recently hosted an outdoor party – ending up sitting around the fire pit roasting gluten free S’mores.

So, that sore, stiff neck was not from sleeping wrong with all the extra pillows propping me up to discourage reflux. Those were lymph nodes raging war against the intruders!

That torn up feeling at the back of my throat was not the latest victim of some offending acidic food causing a pepsin reflux reaction. That was part of a myriad of ragweed allergy symptoms.

Checking out the Cleveland Clinic’s site, here. I was checking all of the boxes.

Plus – my requisite body tenderness and muscle aches – those come with everything for me. No fever, though.

So, one precaution that’s frequently mentioned – if you need to go outdoors – shower and change clothes immediately afterwards. Right.

Nasal lavage with my trusty Neti Pot, adding Flonase as I returned to Allegra, taking Tylenol as needed, resting, staying hydrated, limiting outdoor time, and—perhaps most importantly—trying to maintain a positive attitude have collectively been my approach.

But – it’s still hard not to pout even when I know it’s better for me to remain inside.

Maybe the predicted rainfall will drop the pollen count for a bit, and we can go back outdoors!

Weeee!

In health –

Deidre … Achew!

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

Who’s invited?

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Having a special gathering at your house?

Ah, party planning! Love it!

So, who do you invite?

My favorite kind of meet-up is the impromptu kind. Sometimes, I’ll put out a text to a small group of friends saying, “Hey, y’all! I just put on a big pot of soup in the crock pot. There will be cornbread to go with it. Who can join us here at 5:30 tonight?”

How do you craft your guest list? Family? Immediate neighbors? Close by friends? Folks with children the same age as yours?

There are so many considerations.

Who are you going to allow into your space, to share time with, and to relax with?

What gets me is that so many people invite total strangers, people opposed to their values, along with problems, emergencies, and tragedies into the sweet innocence of their brand-new mornings each day.

Think of putting the most precious, delicate, newborn into a full volume movie theatre showing an action movie within minutes of the baby’s waking up from a night’s slumber. No time to blink, smile, stretch, or explore.

All of the lights, vibrating walls, and changing scenes demand a response.

This is what we do when we grab our phones to see what’s happening in the world – sometimes before our feet have even hit the floor – as we invite the entire world into our private space before we have even figured out what’s happening in our own.

Before we are fully awake and oriented to our own unique realm, our minds are occupied by others’ priorities, troubles, angst, opinions, and demands.

What’s wrong with this picture? It certainly has become routine with many, but that doesn’t mean it’s even remotely normal – or, better stated, healthy.

That precious time when we awaken and just start to emerge from rest is a unique window of time to settle into ourselves. That time of mental clarity before we get bogged down in the world’s distractions is best for concentrating on what is important to us.

Jumping into screentime demands reactions, responses, judgments, and too easily sets us on a path of being reactionary all day rather than being intentional.

We are left with less time working on our own priorities when our free time is spent on matters that have contributed nothing toward our life goals. Ultimately, our mental ‘juices’ have been spent on that which we have no control.

My concern is that when we endlessly scroll out of fear of missing out on the latest. What we are truly missing out on is our own lives.

I feel that pull … to check my phone. It’s real. It’s there.

I have overcome that temptation first thing in the morning, at least. It’s usually mid- to late morning before I ever look at that screen.

The rest of the day … it’s a struggle.

Every time I check my phone – right there, usually a distraction from what I was doing for my own life – the pause lengthens to something much longer.

Mostly, it’s a mildly entertaining distraction. Distraction from what?

My life.


Maybe we need to be a little more selective about who—and what—we invite into our day.


Pondering about life and health –

Deidre

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

The Weatherman

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Every once in a while, we come across a book that moves us.

Never did I imagine, a memoir written by a young meteorologist in Eastern North Carolina would make me want to shout about it from the proverbial rooftops – but I am.

This book caught my eye because I used to live in his broadcast area; I love hearing about weather, and I needed some inspiration!

As a former classroom teacher, I would want every employee in the educational system to read this book – along with every student.

And every parent.

And … every human.

Why?

Because you will develop an understanding that will give birth to compassion.

Because there will be inspiration that will give birth to fortitude that will result in accomplishments.

Because there will be good news on so many levels!

It’s a thin book – just 3/8 of an inch thick – but its message goes on for miles.

The Weather Inside, A Memoir of Storms, Survival, and Self-Discovery, written by Russell Je’Juan James, is the book that I would want everyone to read – especially as we start this new academic year.

The author, now a meteorologist who stands in front of cameras and intense lighting to deliver critical weather information to his audience that depends upon his forecasts – especially in hurricane prone Eastern North Carolina – was diagnosed with autism that was so severe he could not talk in complete sentences for years.

Written straight from the heart, Russell James’s ingeniously laid out story line and honest account of what he was thinking, feeling, and experiencing during those silent years and beyond is astounding.

His struggle and overwhelm were real. Some of that struggle and overwhelm will continue daily for his entire life. How he arrived at his coping techniques is clearly explained; along with how he incorporates them into his daily schedule.

The appendix to his book offers specific resources for autistic adults, parents of autistic children, and a detailed guide for mental health exercises for autistic adults.

Even if we are not directly linked to autism – we live, work, and go to school with autistic individuals who are somewhere on that diverse Autism Spectrum.

Be prepared to live with greater understanding and compassion after reading his account.

Be prepared to be amazed by this man who is finishing his PhD, while regularly reporting the weather and coping every moment with his autism – invisible to his audience – but made visible by his open account.

In health –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Exercise, Habit Building, Titles Worth Reading

Resetting My Last Nerve!

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“What’s with all of these resets, Deidre?”

Last week it was a lymphatic system reset – what’s next?

First, let me ask you, are you doing the quick lymphatic reset?

It has helped us to start a delightful new habit at our house with 15-20 minutes of weight-bearing exercise – and the lymphatic reset right after our glass of (now alkaline) copper water and before our cup of coffee.

Normal everyday life always requires resets, right?

We’re a day older, and the body is constantly changing; we are responding to new situations; we learn better ways, or we have to figure out new ways to pivot. Resets abound.

So, here’s another tool for our Toolkits for Health: two resets for the vagus nerve.

The Autonomic Nervous System controls many of our automatic body functions and is divided into two main branches: the Sympathetic Nervous System (fight or flight) and the Parasympathetic Nervous System (rest and digest).

The vagus nerve—our “Great Wandering Nerve”—is the longest of the cranial nerves. It leaves the skull, travels through the neck and continues throughout the body, connecting with organs – including the heart and gut. It plays a major role in activating the parasympathetic, rest-and-digest response.

It is easy to see the frantic, stress-filled fight or flight responses ever-present in our lives. Our heads are spinning with often anxious thoughts, worries, and activities.

Hardly a healthful setup for regaining our composure.

How can we calm down in a way that will help us greet the challenges before us?

How to get our vagus nerve humming along in ‘chill out’ mode?

By humming!

Reset number 1: Weather you use a yoga “ohm,” or you hum a tune, by breathing in through the nose and humming closed-lipped, you are stimulating your vagus nerve!

Place your fingertips at the base of your throat/neck. Hum. Feel those vibrations?

Keeping your lips closed, open your mouth as you hum.

Move your fingers around your face and nose, feeling the vibrations as you change how you hum.

You can even feel the vibrations of humming in your chest.

Try humming for two to three minutes while you wash your face in cold water each morning – another great vagus nerve stimulant – and continue while you get dressed, for example.

Anytime, anywhere – an easy tool at our aide.

For more information and a video go here:

Reset number 2: try this delightful set of three head movements that created an immediate positive result for me by Dr. Jon Saunders:

Because we hold so much tension and stress in our head and neck areas, these easy movements can open up the vagus nerve’s calming influence right where we need it the most.

Used together or separately, I found the effect of all three produced an almost magical release in the physical tension I had been dealing with for two weeks in my head and neck. Definitely, something I will be repeating!

Next week, we will change topics as I share a jewel of a story about accepting, over-coming, adapting, and not listening to negative voices. A must read for families, educators, and for all humans who care.

In health –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Stress Reduction

Sea Turtle Wisdom

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Sometimes we find ourselves feeling like we’re in a race – following a straight line from point A to point B. I recently read of a person who noticed the speed by which sea turtles cover great distances in the ocean.

In an effort to duplicate their speed, this person tried to follow a sea turtle; all the while, striving to consistently paddle through the waves. Sometimes he made great progress; and at others, he was exhausting himself by straining with each stroke he made to fight the power of the waves.

Interestingly, the sea turtle kept pulling away from him. How was this possible?

Did the sea turtle have superpowers?

Upon closer study, the sea turtle was actively swimming only part of the time!

Putting its paddling strokes to good use when the tide was with him, and it just went along for the ride when the waves pulled against him – thus, maximizing his efforts moving forward by harnessing the power of the waves – and saving his strength, rejuvenating himself when the waves went against him.

This image and its meaning have given me pause and have greatly influenced my summer activities and the expectations I have placed upon myself.

I am emphasizing small rituals throughout my day that allow me to float with the backward pull of events, so I can mindfully reenergize with simple stillness or with taking a walk at the same time each day, while absorbing the nature around me.

Whatever chaos may be moving through your external life, use the wisdom of the sea turtle who has learned to match the ebb and flow of the waves, with its own cycles of actively paddling and floating.

Whether you linger over your morning cup or pause to look and listen at nature when you step out the door, embrace these moments for the empowerment they give you before returning to your strivings.


In health –

Deidre

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

One Decision

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The universe seems to be sending me messages … no, not aliens whispering in my ear.

But seemingly, random bits of wisdom, points of view, and observations are coming together in my experience that are pointing to a single idea.

One question, one answer … the rest is all follow-through.

I mentioned about our commitment of drinking a large glass of water first thing each morning. The habit was enhanced by a gift of a beautiful copper water bottle. Each night, one of us fills up the copper water bottle with filtered water. Each morning, one of us pours it into two glasses and we drink it.

We don’t ask ourselves if we want to fill up the water bottle each night. That decision was made the first time we did it.

Why debate about it each night? Making decisions takes energy and will, and the pull of inertia will ultimately win over to inaction.

One question: are we going to do this every night and morning?

One answer: Yes.

The burden of deciding is taken away; everything else is follow-through.

Daily life is replete with making decisions. Why add to the load by re-deciding?

In our efforts to create new habits or to forge new paths, positive outcomes are made so much easier if we are not redebating the initial decision before each follow-through.

Whether you want to drink more water, not eat gluten, learn something new, or start a morning practice, make one decision.

Following through in health –

Deidre

After saving countless reels about simple water coloring techniques and ideas, I have made the single decision to put these ideas into practice each day – otherwise, I’m just a collector of nifty ideas. Here’s the space where my dabbling is taking place! Balancing life/work is being made real through follow-through.

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

How’s Your Brain Health?

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While speaking at a caregiver presentation recently in partnership with a local company providing respite care, I learned that a growing percentage of their clients were suffering from Alzheimer’s.

As a result, they are committed to getting every one of their caregiving employees certified in Alzheimer’s care. A very laudable response to a growing concern nationwide.

At foodtalk4you, we have been addressing the topic of inflammation – from an anti-inflammatory diet to discussions about how to lead an anti-inflammatory life – because inflammation has been shown to be the first domino to fall in just about every disease and condition.

Sugar is pro-inflammatory, we know this, but how does that translate to everyday life and a motivation to consume less?

Consider recent studies from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, demonstrating the link of high sugar consumption and high-blood glucose levels with the development of Alzheimer’s.

Yikes!

Many factors are contributing to the upswing of people with Alzheimer’s – the aging population, better methods of diagnosing, and lifestyle choices – but the spread of western fast food and pre-packaged foods – all high in obvious and in hidden sugars – have spread around the world.

The growing understanding of the relationship between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease is shedding light on practical prevention strategies. Eating fewer sugary and highly-processed, carbohydrate-rich foods, staying physically active, and exercising regularly may help reduce risk.

Meanwhile, researchers are investigating therapies that target cellular damage associated with elevated blood glucose, offering hope for more effective treatments in the future.

With an eye toward keeping your brain as healthy as possible, imagine the benefits of preventing high-blood glucose from becoming a long-term concern. What small changes might you make today?

And what if we helped our children and grandchildren develop healthier habits from the start by offering fewer sugar-laden foods and more nutrient-dense choices?

I read a message recently that went something like this: We manage thousands of concerns every day until our health is threatened. Then our health becomes our only concern.

Good health is a gift worth appreciating and protecting.

The perfect moment to make positive changes rarely arrives. Small steps taken today can add up over time, helping us improve our health and preserve it for the years ahead.

Leaving my computer to head for an indoor track to get some exercise out of this heat! Stay safe and drink plenty of fluids.

In health –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Recipes

Kitchari – Oh, So Good For You!

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The spellings of Kitchari and the recipes are varied, but the purpose remains the same.

Kitchari is a traditional Ayurvedic dish made with a mixture of yellow moong dal (split mung beans), Basmati rice, and spices – all created for the purpose of a gentle reset and cleansing of imbalances within the body.

People reminisce about their mothers making this dish for them – especially when they were not feeling well or were still recovering from being sick. Kitchari became comfort food for them – not unlike the beloved bowl of chicken soup.

This one-pot meal is gentle on the tummy and can assist in any kind of needed reset – after long travels, in times of mental or physical stress, at the change of seasons, or during or after illness.

There is always the option of adding 2 cups of vegetables, and I often serve this with a side of easy-to-digest protein such as grilled chicken.

Combining elements from The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook by Kate O’Donnell, Banyon Botanicals, Real and Vibrant, and urbanfarmie.com, I settled on my own version. The complete downloadable recipe will follow.

Kitchari is pretty straight forward and hassle-free, but before starting the Kitchari, it is important to get the spices prepared for both the cooking phase and the tempering phase.

Ayurvedic recipes are often prepared using whole seeds of cumin, coriander, and fennel that are either dry roasted, cooled, and ground fresh or lightly cooked in ghee until they become fragrant and start to pop. Powdered turmeric is also an essential.

These spices are a traditional blend that enhances and balances digestion.

The rice and split mung beans will cook in water with the spice blend, and near the end of the cooking time, a tempering of spices will be added. Prepare the spice blend in advance and have the tempering spices set up and ready to be warmed in the ghee for the finish.

Mung beans and the split moong dal beans were new to me, but they have now earned a permanent place in my pantry. They are rich in protein, essential amino acids, antioxidants, fiber, and important nutrients that may help support healthy blood pressure, lower LDL cholesterol, and reduce heart disease risk.

Because mung beans are high in resistant starch, fiber, and protein, they also help slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream, making them an excellent choice for supporting stable blood sugar levels.

Find out more about the benefits of mung beans here.

There are choices to consider before preparing Kitchari:

First the rice. For tender tummies, white basmati would be the choice, but I chose brown basmati today because we wanted the added fiber and slightly nutty taste.

Your second choice is the proportion between the rice and the (split yellow) moong dal. 1:1, 1/2 cup rice to 1 cup mung beans, or 1 cup rice to 1/2 cup mung means. My first version relied upon more rice; today’s version was equal parts of each – which we liked because it felt less starchy.

Some recipes advise rinsing the rice/mung bean mixture well before cooking, while others also advise soaking for 30 minutes after rinsing to shorten cooking time and increase tenderness. Today, I rinsed the dry grains using a fine mesh strainer and then let them soak by putting the strainer over a bowl of fresh water while I prepped the vegetables.

To learn more about the pros and cons of rinsing rice, check out this.

I wanted to add the optional 2 cups of veggies using what I had on hand: leek, carrot, and celery. Nothing dramatic. I put all of these in the pot at the beginning. If you have leafy or more tender additions, those can be put in after the initial 20 minutes of cooking.

Many eat Kitchari on a regular basis, and others will eat this for lunch and dinner for several days as a part of a digestive reset.

As you get familiar with the basic recipe, changing ratios, rebalancing spice blends, and offering a variety of colorful vegetables with different textures will make this a fun go-to flavorful, yet gentle, comfort food that will balance out your system.

In health –

Deidre

Download the delicious Kitchari recipe below!

Kitchari – foodtalk4you.comDownload

Dear readers: I am exploring the Substack platform as a means of sharing this foodtalk4you content and to offer additional regular posts helpful to family caregivers. Many people are following multiple authors on Substack already, and I wanted to make information more accessible to those folks who prefer reading on that platform. Check me out on Substack here.

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

The Last Thing You Want

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Have you noticed that the cure for what ails you is often the last thing you feel like doing?

Doing that thing requires an initial push – using energies you don’t feel like giving.

I was reminded recently of how a still deeply grieving widower friend was having difficulty even participating in occasional Facebook posts. He was too numb, and understandably, missing his wife so deeply.

How I remember feeling like that after my husband died.

While still redefining who and what my purpose was – since I was no longer his caregiver – I was, literally, stepping into a new chapter of my life – yet untitled, save ‘new widow’ – and I found venturing out into the community was the last thing I wanted to do.

Yet, every day, with the enthusiasm of a robot, I did the very thing I didn’t want to do.

Get up. Put my shoes on. Drive somewhere. Get out of the car. Walk.

Dive into the moment. Study the grass, look at the leaves. Notice the people around me. Share the best version of a smile. I could.

Without judgement or analysis, look around to observe the life around me.

At first, the natural tendency was to interject memories of my loved one into the present scene – oh, how I missed him … we used to do this together …

Eventually, my thinking moved to how I was interacting with the present moment.

Those were my bare feet in the dewy grass. The sun was shining on my face. The breeze was blowing my hair. I was surrounded by life, and I had to participate because I was alive!

Similarly, when I’m feeling tired, sometimes the best thing to do is get up and walk around the block.

Sure, the well-timed short nap can revive, but often when working my way back from low energy, the best thing to do for me, is the last thing I want to do.

Move.

By getting the blood flowing stronger throughout the body, muscles have the oxygen they need, and every other organ can be fed to function better.

In medicine, we talk about ‘stasis.’ Stasis is a period of inactivity or stagnation in the normal flow of bodily fluids.

When not flowing properly, blood will clot.

When we don’t stir or move about, our muscles and joints will not move well.

When periods of even needed isolation are protracted, we may lose our way to form or maintain connection.

Just a little reminder – when you are feeling low, sometimes the best thing to do is the last thing you want to do.

Move about and reach out!

In health –

Deidre

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