What’s happening while the Thanksgiving meal is in the oven? Does your family participate in a Turkey Trot? Is everyone watching a football game? Perhaps family members are linked together only by uncomfortable silences.

Bring that party together by printing out our first-ever wordsearch puzzle! Using key terms from many of this year’s posts, we’ve made a wordsearch puzzle just for you. Share what you’ve learned about these key terms with your family and friends as an icebreaker or conversation starter about healthful living.

Let’s take a look at these terms:

Foodtalk – Our term here at foodtalk4you for the helpful exchange of information – we strive to feed the body, mind, and spirit.

Gluten-free – Choosing food that doesn’t contain the gluten which is found in wheat, barley, and rye flour. Gluten is pro-inflammatory for many people. Just leave gluten behind for 30 days to see how you feel. Chances are you will have a happier belly with smoothly functioning digestive processes, clearer thinking, and an increased sense of well-being. Learn more HERE.

Mindful – Tuning into the present moment within yourself, others, and your surroundings. It’s being aware and responsible for your choices. Learn about mindful eating HERE.

Breathe – We explored the need to breathe using our noses and not our mouths HERE as a first basic step to total body health and welfare. Patterns of breathing (box breathing and 4-7-8 breathing for example) can help us not only de-stress but aide in falling asleep. Catch some ZZZs HERE.

Zentangle – Fun, relaxing art form reminiscent of doodling that uses fewer supplies than adult coloring. Catch the fun HERE.

Crema – Recipes were shared featuring the least thick of the trifecta of sauces selected. Find your crema HERE.

Crème fraiche – The perfect blending of heavy cream and buttermilk that is perfect for stroganoff or whipped up over fresh fruit. Grab your recipe HERE.

Honeycrisp – These apples are the perfect addition to spruce up fall salads with visual appeal, crunch, and flavor. Click on the recipe HERE.

Crockpot – In the cooler seasons, crockpots are the perfect appliance for outstanding savory flavors with minimum effort. Find a yummy recipe HERE.

Plan ahead – Moving our plans from a thought or wish to reality is a frequent topic here at foodtalk4you. Success comes in taking the tiny steps every day that will nudge us toward our goals. Review this topic HERE.

Synchronicity – Stepping back from an up-close view of your circumstances to get more of a “30,000-foot view” often reveals patterns and improbable series of events that help us to appreciate the beautiful synchronicity of our lives. Good and bad experiences become part of the beautiful mosaic of our past, present, and future. Get the good vibes HERE.

Thought distortions – These kinds of thoughts threaten to not only blow circumstances out of proportion, but also undo our sense of balance and even our self-esteem. Did you cave to the temptation of a rich dessert? Your response may try to punish yourself by introducing thoughts of having failed your weight loss efforts forever. Did your new friend skip a day or two of responding to your texts? Your thought distortions may lead you – erroneously – into thinking you’ve been dumped, and you are no good at relationships. Take a breath and a moment to analyze the validity of your thoughts.

Ethylene gas – Many fruits emit this gas to facilitate the ripening process. It’s useful when you put ripening fruit in a brown paper bag so all the ethylene gas can be captured and used to speed the process. By wrapping the stem end of a bunch of bananas, the process can be slowed down. Also, one fruit’s ethylene gas can ripen a different fruit in its vicinity. Review the science HERE.

Manifesting – Takes hoping and imagining about our plans to the next level by creating a positivity within ourselves that attracts the outcomes we desire. Create your positive outcomes by reading THIS.  

Limiting beliefs – These thoughts are often born of early childhood experiences that we have internalized as facts and truths about ourselves. Peeling back the layers of our limiting beliefs helps to not only understand their origin but is also the first step in releasing those beliefs for our betterment in the present time.

Release – Letting go of hate, disappointment, grief, and limiting beliefs is a must-do before we can proceed with present joy and growth. Many resources have been shared to assist in this process.

Potassium – A critical mineral that we need for proper body function. We shared many common body issues linked to low potassium along with a resource list of foods high in this mineral HERE.

BDNF – Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor is a protein found in the brain that helps to ward off brain cell death and promotes the growth and development of new brain cells along with their thousands of connections to other nerve cells. Review this post HERE. 

Journaling – Whether it’s jotting down three ideas, experiences, or blessings at the end of the day or writing paragraphs, journaling will help each of us gain that “30,000-foot view” of our lives. Putting feelings into words transfers the process from one brain area to another, allowing for rational thought to help us figure things out. 

So, while the holiday meal’s fragrance fills the air at your house, print out our foodtalk4you puzzle, and start the conversation rolling as you discuss the terms and find them. They can be found going across, up, down, and diagonally.

Always thankful for our readers!

In health-

Deidre

• #RAISEcaregiving (ACL’s official tag for RAISE activities)
• #CaregivingInCrisis (CAN’s 2020 observance)
• #NFCMonth (Annual observance hashtag)
• #FamilyCaregiver (A larger conversation on family caregiving) 
• #Caregivers (Broadest conversation around caregiving)