Seeking Joyful Simplicity

Your best life after 40 - living with purpose and vibrant health. Empowering you with a holistic approach: nourishing foods, herbal remedies, and self-care to reduce overwhelm, manage your weight, and enjoy vibrant health in your 40's, 50's, and beyond.

Health and Wellness

Autumn Gold Tea Blend – Make Your Own Nourishing Herbal Infusion

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The herbs in this tea blend are nourishing and warming. Perfect for supporting our immune systems as we transition to the new season. This DIY fall tea blend contains the anti-inflammatory turmeric, providing health benefits and a delightful golden glow as embrace the brisk fall season. Make your own nourishing herbal infused tea and stay healthy this fall and winter.

Food and nutrition is the foundation of good health.  Herbalists always start with nourishing herbal infusions, and I drink one nearly every day. The herb combinations I use change with the seasons, and with the arrival of fall weather, I am choosing warming and immune-boosting herbs. Here are the herbs for my autumn gold tea blend and some of their benefits.

The herbs in this tea blend are nourishing and warming. Perfect for supporting our immune systems as we transition to the new season. This DIY fall tea blend contains the anti-inflammatory turmeric, providing health benefits and a delightful golden glow as embrace the brisk fall season. Make your own nourishing herbal infused tea and stay healthy this fall and winter.

*This post contains affiliate links to herbal producers I use and trust. If you purchase by clicking on these links, I may receive a small compensation, at no additional cost to you. I participate in the Amazon Services Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Thank you for supporting Seeking Joyful Simplicity.

DIY Fall Tea Blend – The Herbs

Nettle (Urtica dioica)

Nettle packs a lot of nutrition and forms the base of this nourishing tea blend. Nettle leaves are high in minerals including iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. Also high in vitamin A, vitamin K and many trace minerals, nettle is used both as food and medicine. Nettle is wonderfully nourishing and helps support healthy hair (you can read more about how nutrition and diet impacts your hair HERE.)

Spearmint (Mentha spicata)

Spearmint adds flavor, supports the digestive system and lungs, has antimicrobial properties, and increases circulation.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Lemon balm is a lovely aromatic herb with many health benefits. Studies show lemon balm has strong antiviral and antibacterial properties, offering protection from colds and flu. Lemon balm helps increase alertness, relieves anxiety, and adds a delicate lemon flavor to the blend.

Rose Hips (Rosa spp.)

Rose hips are the fruit of the rose, containing the seed. They contain more vitamin C than oranges and are believed to stimulate white blood cells, an important part of the immune response.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

There is a lot of research confirming the health benefits of turmeric, including: antibacterial and antiviral properties, powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties, and more. Studies show turmeric to be more effective than many common prescription medications.

In addition to its amazing health benefits, turmeric adds a lovely autumn gold to our tea blend, and because it stimulates the circulation, is a warming herb.

Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

Mild and sweet, the flavor of dried licorice root is nothing like the licorice candy. Licorice root is underappreciated for its well-documented and powerful medicinal properties, including: adaptogen, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and expectorant.

*Licorice root can cause adverse side effects and interfere with some prescription medications. It is recommended to limit the use of licorice root to small amounts for short periods to avoid side effects. (Do not use licorice root daily for more than four weeks duration).

Assembling Your Tea

Purchasing dried herbs in bulk is the most economical way to work with herbal remedies (when you can’t grow your own.) These dried herbs can be used individually, or combined for tea blends, and you can use them to make herbal tinctures, oils, honeys, and vinegars. I recommend Frontier and Starwest Botanical brands. You can order both of these brands online through Amazon.

Herbal Infused Tea Blend

This tonic tea blend is a beautiful autumn gold and offers nourishing and warming herbs to keep you warm and healthy.

“Parts” can be whatever measurement you prefer – teaspoon, tablespoon, ounces, or grams. I made 1/2 quart of dried tea mix with this recipe using Tablespoons as my measurement. I then use 1 tablespoon of tea combined with 8-ounces of water for tea making.

Ingredients:

4 parts Nettle
3 parts Spearmint  leaf
3 parts Lemon Balm
1 part Rose Hips
1 part dried Turmeric
1/2 part dried Licorice Root

Directions:

To make your tea blend, combine the dried herbs in a glass mason jar with a lid and store. To brew, add 1 tablespoon of tea blend and steep with 8 ounces of water for 10 minutes.

This would make a lovely homemade gift to share with friends and family.

If you have any questions, let me know!
~ Michelle

For more on staying healthy using food as medicine:

These 4 Simple Foods Fight Cold and Flu – Sage, Ginger, Garlic and Honey

Health Benefits of Turmeric

4 Herbal Remedies for Stress – Finding Relief from Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

Aging Gracefully or Letting Ourselves Go – What Does Aging Gracefully Really Mean?

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Women aging gracefully - with courage, joy, and authenticity. We can love our bodies, care for ourselves, support each other, enjoy our strengths, and be proud of who we are becoming. 

Women Aging Gracefully

I spent my early twenties preoccupied with the shape and size of my body. During my thirties, I was busy with raising children and finding balance between family and career. And despite the inevitable changes that come with 3 pregnancies and aging, by my early forties I had reached a happy acceptance of my body.

But already that “happy acceptance” is changing. The woman staring back at me from the mirror and photos is not someone I recognize. My mind and spirit are still young, but my body is aging. How strange to feel so disconnected from the physical changes and the body I inhabit!

Will it always be this way, my mind feeling one way, while my body takes on a new shape? And now I wonder, what does aging gracefully mean?

Defining Grace

Grace is often defined as: Smoothness and elegance of movement. Dignity. Refinement and style.

So then, if we are to age gracefully, are we to slide into old age with dignity, refinement and style? Perhaps.

But what about those of us who still carry a youthful mind and free spirit, and the words “dignity, refinement, and style” feel stuffy and confining? Hiking muddy trails, acting silly, and getting sweaty in the garden don’t seem particularly “dignified”, but certainly are part of my image of aging gracefully.

The older women I find most inspiring are those who continue to act with joyful vigor and aren’t afraid to define for themselves what aging gracefully means.

If you Google “women aging gracefully”, almost all of what you find is related to physical appearance and fashion. The youthful looking older woman is held up as our role model, as well as the fashionable older woman.

Is our appearance all that defines us as women? Where are the role models for aging women that emphasize the deeper values of personal integrity, strength of character, authenticity, self-awareness, and simple confidence? 

Loving Our Body

Can we learn to love our older bodies despite the effects of aging?

I am striving to embrace my body and honor it for how it has served me. I remind myself of how this body has given me three beautiful children, and carried me well through my 48 years on this earth. It has handled the abuse I have given it and yet continues on.

I want to care for my body – with good food, vigorous exercise, and fresh air. But there is a fine line between caring for our bodies and the battle we so often wage against ourselves.

Does my expanding waist line and wider hips mean I am not trying hard enough, or is it an inevitable result of aging and shifting hormones? Shall I exercise harder, be stricter with my nutrition, and watch my weight?

Should I accept things as they are and learn to “age gracefully“? Or does accepting these changes mean I am simply letting myself go?

Do I cling to the previous version of me, or do I embrace my new self with all the outer and inner changes that come with getting older?

Living with Authenticity

For women, we may struggle between taking care of ourselves – and becoming overly preoccupied and dissatisfied with the changes that come with getting older. Sagging boobs, weight gains and a changing body shape, hair loss (and hair in new places!), wrinkles, loose skin, age spots – there is a billion-dollar market ready to help us fix what’s wrong with us.

Ultimately, I believe to look good, we need to feel good. Feeling good requires us to take care of ourselves. No magic lotions or creams can fix poor habits of nutrition and physical activity. For us to enjoy our aging bodies, we must make self-care a priority.

We have a difficult relationship with ourselves – there is the conflict between want we should be doing, and what we are doing. Too often we become unhappy with the shape of our bodies, we lack motivation, and we fear becoming fat, dull, old women.

Can we accept our changing bodies with unconditional love, despite the negative messages our culture sends? I believe we can.

I believe that no matter what, we can carry ourselves with confidence, and dare I say, grace. We can embrace the changes that come with aging, and make them our own. We can love our bodies, care for ourselves, support each other, enjoy our strengths, and be proud of who we are becoming.

And most importantly – we can choose to live with authenticity.

Let's redefine what aging gracefully means. Does my expanding waist line and wider hips mean I am not trying hard enough, or is it an inevitable result of aging and shifting hormones? Shall I exercise harder, be stricter with my nutrition, and watch my weight? Should I accept things as they are and learn to “age gracefully“? Or does accepting these changes mean I am simply letting myself go? Do I cling to the previous version of me, or do I embrace my new self with all the outer and inner changes that come with getting older? How do you define aging gracefully?

I believe we must each define for ourselves what Aging Gracefully means, and there is no one-size-fits-all definition.

My approach to aging gracefully includes:

  • Finding a healthy balance between striving to be my best and accepting the reality of living in an older body
  • Choosing not to focus on my limitations, but instead to appreciate my strengths
  • Instead of striving for weight loss, I am staying fit
  • Instead of dieting, I am focusing on nourishing foods
  • I will not forget the value of good sleep
  • I am finding healthy ways to manage my stress
  • I am embracing my age, not hiding it
  • I am living with authenticity – with courage and joy in the woman I am today

There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age. ~ Sophia Loren

My question for you is this – How Do YOU Define Aging Gracefully? How will you take care of your changing body? Will you offer yourself compassion and acceptance?

With much affection,
~Michelle

You might also enjoy this article by Suzanne Braun Levine – Learning to Appreciate the Body You Have

Calm the Heck Down – Motherwort Herb Benefits

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Benefits of Motherwort

Motherwort herb is a lovely plant with a long history of use in supporting women’s health. The benefits of motherwort include effects on the circulatory, digestive, and nervous systems. Motherwort herb is a wonderful way to calm frazzled nerves and emotions.

Motherwort Herb – Offering Unconditional Love

When was the last time you were held in an embrace of unconditional love? These special embraces are usually only shared in times of tragedy. Perhaps we are living in tragic times, and solid, loving embraces could be used as a preventative medicine?

Often you will hear experienced herbalists speaking of the plants as though they are individuals with distinct personalities. Whether you believe in the spiritual nature of the plants or not, understanding the benefits the plants have to offer can become more meaningful when we consider them as complicated and sophisticated, rather than in the simplistic, “this herb for that symptom” viewpoint.

Motherwort is one of those herbs with a distinct “personality”, and like us, she can be contradictory in her ways. She has silky soft leaves, delicate, but prickly flowers. And she offers unconditional support, especially during emotional times of stress.

 

The benefits of motherwort include both physical and emotional support. The physical benefits of motherwort include effects on the circulatory, digestive, and nervous systems. Motherwort herb also provides emotional support, both subtle and strong, depending on your needs.

 

Motherwort Uses – The Tension and Anxiety-Relieving Herb

When I first began learning about herbal remedies, I frequently found myself skeptical of the long lists of benefits one plant could supposedly offer. However, I now have a better understanding of how this works, and motherwort is a good example of a plant that offers many benefits.

Motherwort has a long tradition of use in easing tension, anxiety, and as a supportive herb for women.

Studies indicate motherwort may be beneficial in reducing depression and those who use motherwort report a greater sense of calm and well-being. Motherwort is supportive to the nervous system during times of acute stress or emotional upheaval, and provides a soothing and calming effect (much like the sensation of being held in unconditional love by a loving mother, sister, or friend.)

Motherwort has a bitter flavor and this acts to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system which puts the brakes on the flight-or-fight stress response. Motherwort’s bitter properties allow us to rest. (You can learn more about bitter herbs and their benefits – The Benefits of Bitters and How to Make a Bitter Tincture)

Motherwort Uses – Women’s Medicine

The common name “Motherwort” goes back to the tradition of using motherwort for aiding mothers and women.

Motherwort herb calms and soothes the nerves for overworked mothers who could use a little mothering themselves,” ~ Deborah Frances

Used as women’s medicine, the benefits of motherwort include:

  • Motherwort is used by experienced herbalists and midwives in preparation for birth and after-care.
  • Motherwort is an emmenagogue, which is a fancy way of saying an herb has a stimulating effect on the uterus and can bring on menses. This is useful for women with stagnation, delayed, or scanty menses, and cramping during menstruation or between periods.
  • Helps with PMS symptoms – used to ease tension, headaches, and anger.
  • Relieving hot flashes – Motherwort is a member of the mint family and has a strong cooling effect on the body.

Motherwort for the Heart

The scientific name for Motherwort is Leonurus cardiaca which translates to: Leonurus – Lion’s tail, and Cardiaca – heart.

Western medicine views the heart as a muscular valve, but we are all familiar with the emotional and spiritual qualities of the heart. We talk about feeling “heart-broken”, and we can either put “our heart and soul” into something, or “lose heart”.

Motherwort works on both the physical heart and the emotional heart.

Leonurine, an alkaloid in motherwort, acts as a mild vasodilator and anti-spasmodic, both of which can help reduce blood pressure, especially when high blood pressure is a primary symptom of tension, anxiety, and stress.

In addition to these physical properties, studies indicate motherwort may be beneficial in reducing depression, and those who use motherwort often notice a greater sense of calm and well-being.

Herbalist Rosalee de la Foret says this about motherwort:

Motherwort’s actions beautifully show us the connection between the physical and spiritual heart. It is often used when there is a rapid, fluttering, or pounding heartbeat (palpitations) associated with anxiety or nervousness. Through this, we can see that it acts on the physical heart by decreasing palpitations and mild hypertension while also acting on the spiritual heart to soothe and calm anxiety. An additional benefit of motherwort is that it is calming without being overly sedating.

 

The benefits of motherwort include both physical and emotional support. The physical benefits of motherwort include effects on the circulatory, digestive, and nervous systems. Motherwort herb also provides emotional support, both subtle and strong, depending on your needs.

The content on this site may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. SeekingJoyfulSimplicity.com is a participant in the Amazon Services Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Thank you for you for supporting Seeking Joyful Simplicity. ~ Michelle

How to Use Motherwort

Although you could make a tea with motherwort, it is quite bitter, and most people prefer using it in tincture form. Motherwort can be used as needed to soothe tension and anxiety, or taken daily for a more therapeutic benefit. Using a tincture, one dropperful 1- 4 times daily is a frequently recommended dose. I recommend Herb Pharm Certified Organic Motherwort Extract for Endocrine System Support – 1 Ounce bottle.

Contraindications:

Motherwort can stimulate the uterus and should not be used during pregnancy (except by a highly experienced herbalist or midwife.)

If you have heavy menstrual bleeding, motherwort is probably not a good herb for you to use.

The safety of motherwort when breast-feeding is unknown.

Please Note: the information provided here is not intended to replace professional medical advice and care. It is simply my perspective for you to consider as you make good choices for you and your family’s health. The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and maintaining health. Herbs, however, can trigger side effects and can interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, you should take herbs with care. The information provided has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not meant to diagnose any disease, nor is it intended to treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Seek the support and care of a physician and/or complementary care practitioner you trust, and above all, listen to and trust in yourself. Be well!

Resources:Depression and Leonurine
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29016795

Motherwort Physiology
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23042598

 

Feeling Anxious, Wired, and Tired? Benefits of Passionflower – Reduce Anxiety and Sleep Better Naturally

These 4 Simple Foods Fight Cold and Flu – Sage, Ginger, Garlic and Honey

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Marketing and commercialization by the pharmaceutical and health food industries tries to convince us that taking responsibility for our health is difficult. We are encouraged to buy expensive products and to rely on the “experts” to guide us in our choices.

Treating our colds and flu at home doesn’t require complicated recipes or difficult to obtain and expensive ingredients. We can use simple foods for cold and flu. Combing raw honey with garlic, ginger, and sage makes an effective and great-tasting medicine for the entire family.

Treating our colds and flu at home doesn’t require complicated recipes or difficult to obtain and expensive ingredients. We can use simple foods for cold and flu. Combing raw honey with garlic, ginger, and sage makes an effective and great-tasting medicine for the entire family.

The content on this site may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. SeekingJoyfulSimplicity.com is a participant in the Amazon Services Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Thank you for you for supporting Seeking Joyful Simplicity. ~ Michelle

Traditional Foods as Medicine

When you feel yourself with the beginning of a cold, there are some simple things you can do without turning to  store-bought medicines or remedies. Many of our common kitchen ingredients have been used for thousands of years as both food and medicine.

In our modern world of medicine today, the pharmaceutical industry continues to churn out “new” and “improved” medicines for us to buy, and bombard us with advertising, and the FDA regularly recalls drugs discovered to cause harm.

But we can rely on simple foods that connect us to the earth and our ancestors. We can use the remedies that have been available through the generations. Research is confirming these foods as powerfully effective in supporting our immune systems and keeping us healthy.

Four Simple Foods for Cold and Flu

  1. Raw Honey
  2. Sage
  3. Fresh Ginger
  4. Fresh Garlic

There are so many foods that support our health, but I chose these four because:

  • They are have a long history of use as medicine
  • Are easy to obtain
  • Have extensive research confirming they are incredibly effective
  • They taste great!

These four foods are effective medicine when used alone, but work even better together. Synergistically, these foods fight colds and flu by:

  • Destroying the bacteria and viruses that make us sick
  • Stimulating our immune system (such as increasing white blood cells)
  • Preventing viruses from reproducing, essentially stopping a cold or flu in its tracks

Sometimes when we use food as medicine, we need more than we can comfortably consume. Medicinal honey is a great way to enjoy the nourishing and healing properties of plant medicines, and honey is an excellent way to pull and concentrate the medicinal properties in the plants. Using good quality local honey, we can enjoy the medicine of the plants and the medicine of the honey.

Treating our colds and flu at home doesn’t require complicated recipes or difficult to obtain and expensive ingredients. We can use simple foods for cold and flu. Combing raw honey with garlic, ginger, and sage makes an effective and great-tasting medicine for the entire family.

Benefits of Raw Honey

The World Health Organization (WHO) lists honey as a demulcent, which means it is a substance that soothes dry, irritated membranes. Honey is effective for soothing coughs and sore throats, and it has antimicrobial properties (nature’s way of preserving the honey for the bees!) These antimicrobial properties help us fight the cold and flu viruses.

Honey is an excellent way to extract and preserve the medicinal properties of the plants. And the great taste helps us take the medicine we need.

But beware, most “honey” sold in grocery stores is highly processed, meaning the honey is heated to such a high temperature that all the medicinal qualities are destroyed. In addition to this heating process, the “honey” is diluted with water, corn syrup, and often found to be contaminated with chemicals and heavy metals.

Sadly, most of the large national honey distributors import honey from countries with poor quality standards, and the FDA is unable (or perhaps unwilling) to test more than a very small percentage of the honey industry. *If this disturbs you, and you want to learn more, this is an excellent resource.

Your best choice is to buy organic honey from a trusted source, or better yet, buy local raw honey. Raw honey does cost more, but when making medicine for ourselves and our families, using raw honey is essential.

Raw honey can be used to make some truly indulgent infused honeys. Consider indulging yourself with rose honey, lavender honey, mint honey, and more! Check out my herbal honey recipes – Herbal Infused Honeys .

Benefits of Sage

Treating our colds and flu at home doesn’t require complicated recipes or difficult to obtain and expensive ingredients. We can use simple foods for cold and flu. Combing raw honey with garlic, ginger, and sage makes an effective and great-tasting medicine for the entire family.

 

Sage is a plant used as food and many kinds of medicine for thousands of years. For colds and flu, sage kills the virus and bacteria responsible for our respiratory infections, relieves our cough and sore throats, and because sage has astringent properties, it’s excellent for treating drippy sinus. Sage can be used alone as a tea, or as a gargle to sooth a sore throat.

Avoid medicinal amounts if you are breast-feeding (slows lactation).

Benefits of Ginger

 

Ginger is an incredibly versatile food and medicine that has been used for thousands of years. Traditional uses and current science agree that ginger has potent antibacterial and antiviral properties. Ginger also has strong anti-inflammatory properties and several large studies have shown that ginger is as effective at treating aches and pains as Ibuprofen. And by increasing circulation, ginger has a warming effect; perfect for the cold seasons.

Benefits of Garlic

Treating our colds and flu at home doesn’t require complicated recipes or difficult to obtain and expensive ingredients. We can use simple foods for cold and flu. Combing raw honey with garlic, ginger, and sage makes an effective and great-tasting medicine for the entire family.

For over 5,000 years garlic has been used as food and medicine. Garlic stimulates the immune system, helps thin mucous, and acts as an expectorant. Like ginger, garlic has anti-inflammatory compounds that help relieve the discomforts of cold and flu.

The Cooking Detective has a well-researched article on the 39 Health Benefits of Garlic. 

Avoid medicinal amounts if you’re on blood thinners or antibiotics.

Easy Steps to Making a Medicinal Honey

Click here for your easy-to-print PDF: Cold and Flu Recipe

Supplies:

Instructions: 

  1. Fill a clean, dry jar 1/3 to 1/2 full with loosely chopped sage, ginger, and garlic.
  2. Cover ingredients with honey, stirring lightly to remove air bubbles.
  3. Add more honey as needed to completely cover the herbs.
  4. Cover and allow to infuse. The longer you leave it, the stronger the flavor. You can use within a few days, but I like to give mine a week before straining into a clean jar.

You don’t have to strain the honey, but I prefer to strain mine for a smooth honey and take it by the spoonful.

Dosing:

During acute illness:

  • Adults – 1 teaspoon every 2 hours up to 10 doses daily
  • Children over 1 year – 1/2 teaspoon every 2 hours up to 5 doses daily.

Summary

When I think about making medicine at home for myself and my family, I want to keep it simple and accessible. I have used these simple plant medicines, and I see how well they work. Unlike the store-bought cold medicines which simply suppress our cold and flu symptoms, the plant medicines work deep, supporting and strengthening our body’s immune system.

I’m excited to share this simple traditional medicine with you. I encourage you to give it a try, and let me know how it works for you! And don’t forget to share this with others.

Do you have a traditional remedy for colds and flu? Maybe something shared in your family?

~ Michelle

Here are some more of my favorite homemade remedies:

Honey-Vinegar Cough Medicine

Easy Fermented Garlic and 5 Recipes

 

 

Please Note: the information provided here is not intended to replace professional medical advice and care. It is simply my perspective for you to consider as you make good choices for you and your family’s health. Seek the support and care of a physician and/or complementary care practitioner you trust, and above all, listen to and trust in yourself. Be well!

How Your Diet Impacts Your Hair

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How Your Diet Impacts Your Hair 

Hair shedding can result from a variety of causes, including hormonal changes and high levels of stress. While you should speak to a physician to determine the exact cause, there’s a chance that your diet and hair loss are connected. Consuming too many inflammatory foods and too few nutrients to support healthy hair can contribute to hair loss. 

How Your Diet Impacts Your Hair Loss

If you suddenly experience more hair loss than usual, take a moment to think about the foods you eat. Just as a poor diet can impact your skin and body, it can also greatly impact the health of your hair. 

How your diet impacts your hair - 3 strategies for supporting healthy hair.

If you suspect that your diet and hair loss may be related, don’t worry. Although you can’t control all factors that may cause hair thinning or loss (i.e. genetics and aging), there are a few simple changes you can make to your diet and lifestyle to improve the health of your tresses. To help, here are three ways you can promote your hair health: 

Diet and Hair Loss – Avoid Foods That Exacerbate Hair Thinning 

For the sake of your locks, it’s best to avoid foods that worsen the health of your hair. Use moderation when consuming foods that are high in added sugar, fats, or that have a high glycemic-index, as these can stunt hair growth or cause your hair to thin. Whenever possible, try to limit your consumption of the following: 

  • Starchy pastas and breads 
  • Processed snack foods, frozen dinners, and highly processed foods 
  • Foods high in added sugars including sodas and sugary cereals 
  • Carbonated and alcoholic beverages
  • Some fats and oils – especially hydrogenated (or trans) fats

You probably already know these foods aren’t great for your overall health, and your hair is just another reason to limit their consumption. This doesn’t mean you have to nix these foods altogether, but it does mean you should try to eat them in moderation. 

Diet and Hair Loss – Indulge In Foods That Promote Hair Growth 

Now that we’ve discussed what foods to avoid, let’s talk about what you should include in your diet. Your hair requires nutrients such as biotin, protein, zinc, vitamin C, and B- vitamins, to remain healthy. A deficiency can negatively impact the health of your hair, which is why it’s important to ensure you indulge in foods that promote hair growth such as: 

● Protein: Dairy products, poultry, eggs, and legumes 

● Biotin: Eggs, salmon, cauliflower, and avocados 

● Zinc: Beef, spinach, asparagus, and mushrooms 

● Vitamin C: Kale, kiwi, broccoli, and oranges 

● B-vitamins: Whole grains, almonds, bananas, and red meat 

When it comes to your diet, it’s also important to strike a balance. For instance, following a strict low-calorie diet can lead to consuming too few nutrients, and too few calories can negatively impact scalp health, causing your hair to shed or become brittle. Ensuring a balanced diet is one of the best ways to promote healthy hair growth, especially if a poor diet is the culprit. 

Diet and Hair Loss – Treat Your Hair With Care 

Your hair needs proper nutrients to grow and remain healthy, whether through your diet or lifestyle habits. A few ingredients that promote stronger, healthier hair include biotin, argan oil, and amino acids, which are often found in the foods you eat. However, you can also get many of these ingredients through the products you use. For example, using hair care products formulated to promote hair growth can help ensure your scalp and hair get an extra boost of nourishment. 

If you experience hair loss due to nutritional-based issues, a daily multi-nutrient supplement may be an easy addition to your healthy lifestyle. You should always aim to maintain a nutrient-rich diet, however, supplements may be a great addition if you’re not getting enough of certain vitamins. 

If you’re looking for a more natural solution, you don’t have to travel far as some of the best ingredients for your hair can be found right in your kitchen. You can nourish your hair and scalp with a homemade herbal rinse formulated with herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, and calendula. These herbs have natural healing properties that work to promote scalp health and hair growth. 

While there is no one size fits all when it comes to maintaining the health of your hair, a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle may help you ensure optimal hair and overall health. 

As always, let me know in the comments if you have any questions!

Autumn Gold Tea Blend – Make Your Own Nourishing Herbal Infusion

A Better Way to Start Your Day – How to Start Your Day with a Positive Attitude

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 How do you start your day? 

Are you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, feeling excited and optimistic?
Or do you drag yourself from bed with weariness and dread?

Despite our personal challenges, we can choose how we start our days.

I say “choose”, because we can be intentional in how we begin each day. Although I have children and a job with long hours and a long commute, I can choose to get up early or later, rush or take my time, make time for exercise or lie in bed, eat a good breakfast or hurry out the door. 

After a while it becomes a habit. And like anything else, we can either have good habits or bad habits. And how we start our mornings can have a huge impact on the rest of our day.

A Better Way to Start Your Day – How to Start Your Day with a Positive Attitude

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~ Aristotle 

You can, with some thought and planning, reset your habits for waking up each day.

But it’s not just what we do in the mornings, it’s the thoughts and emotions we experience that will produce profound changes in our day. Especially when life is challenging, changing what we choose to think about as we get started each day can help us find more optimism and resilience.

 

Are your first thoughts of the day consumed with worry, stress, complaining, or other negative emotions? Try these simple ways to start your day with a positive attitude

 

Changing your morning mindset – Starting your day with more positive emotions and energy

Even before you get out of bed, start with noticing your thoughts – are they positive or negative? Are your first thoughts of the day consumed with worry, stress, complaining, or other negative emotions?

Start getting into the habit of asking yourself these questions when you wake up:

  • What can I be excited about today? (If you are unable to find excitement, how about something to feel grateful for?)
  • What, or who might cause me stress today? How can I respond in a positive way, from my higher self? (Visualize yourself responding to stress in a calm, positive way)
  • Who can I surprise today with a thank you or a moment of appreciation?
  • What emotions do I want to feel today? (Joyful, focused, carefree, determined, compassionate, happy, peaceful…)

Instead of jumping out of bed the second the alarm goes off (and turning to the outside world), or hitting snooze 5 times so that you have no time for yourself in the morning, build in some quiet time before starting your day.

Even if you don’t have a lot of time or energy, there are a few simple things you can use to create a positive morning routine. Just 5 minutes of one or more of these activities can change your entire day.

To create a more positive morning routine, try some of these:

  • Light stretching (even in bed!)
  • Yoga
  • Meditation
  • Journalling
  • Affirmations

It’s amazing how changing just the first few minutes can impact your whole day.

My challenge for you – Pay attention to how you start your day – your thoughts and your actions. Can you make it better? Make your plan to change and Get Started!

I would love to hear from you – What is your favorite way to start the day? 

With affection,~ Michelle

Start Your Day with Joy – Morning Affirmations

Join the Seeking Joyful Simplicity Community and receive 20 morning affirmations to help you start your day with joy.
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