Reducing Anxiety and Get Outside More to Improve your Life

Holistic Habits by Cheryl A. Mothes, Ph.D. Natural Health Nutrition Counselor

Content is a daily radio script from my KHIS radio spot - tune in at 6:15 (CST) every morning to Justin and Meredith’s morning show on 89.9 FM. 

Sarah Wilson is an expert on dealing with anxiety and she shares that having a morning routine is very effective in reducing anxiety, carving out time to meditate and exercise, and setting up your day.  She shares that a condition like anxiety can be seen as carrying a shallow bowl of water. You must keep it stable - meaning no late nights, eating healthy, no wild behavior - to keep this bowl of water steady so it doesn’t slosh around because it usually sloshes all over your loved ones and when that happens you must really work hard to fill the bowl back up again.  Mental health management can be achieved with actions that help you live longer and live stronger! 

We've been building a shopping list for transitioning to a healthier life - 80% of our health, energy, and longevity are related to what we eat!  Ramp up the seeds and never buy roasted or salted - hemp, sunflower, pumpkin, chia, and flax are the best.  We should eat them every day.  Spices like cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, and cloves - hang out in the spice section and add them to all your hot dishes, grains, and smoothies.  Lastly, liquid aminos, balsamic vinegar, and salsa are great options for sprinkling on foods and salads - or Google "Vegan Salad Dressings" to find great ones on this Transition Tuesday.

 We’ve spent several days talking about anxiety and the work Sarah Wilson has done to help others with reducing it and coping best.  Suffering from it herself, she shifted to look at anxiety as a beautiful thing that can be put to good use. Throughout history, incredible leaders, poets, and scientists have had anxiety.  Anxiety and excitement trigger very similar responses in the brain. She asks herself, "Am I anxious or am I excited?" and just answering that question is freeing, making the choice to see it as excitement and not a disorder.   Lastly, she shares that meditation is not fun— it’s tedious and hard work, but for her, it was a game-changer.  Have a wonderful Wednesday by learning to meditate to reduce your anxiety! 

In a greener environment, people report fewer symptoms of illness, and have a better perception of general AND mental health––by a lot!  It could mean less air pollution as well, and air pollution is no joke - it is the fifth leading cause of death, killing almost five million people a year. Natural settings may simply promote health-enhancing behavior rather than having specific and direct benefits for health.  Whatever the reasons, we are healthier being outside, walking, riding bikes, and forest bathing! 

Fix-it Friday means delicious Lentil Sloppy Joes! 

In a Dutch oven cook chopped onion and bell pepper in water for 5 minutes or until the onion is tender.  Stir in chili powder, vegetable broth, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, brown lentils, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and vegan Worcestershire sauce.   Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Serve the lentil mixture on buns, add red onion and sliced chili peppers, and additional mustard as desired. 

Ingredients: 

1 cup chopped onion.

¾ cup chopped red bell pepper

3 1/3 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth

1 T chili powder

1 14.5-ounce can of fire-roasted, diced tomatoes, not drained.

1 ½ cups dry brown lentils, rinsed and drained.

2 T pure maple syrup or date syrup

2 T reduced-sodium soy sauce.

2 T Dijon mustard

1 tsp rice vinegar

1 tsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce

Whole grain hamburger buns or Ezekiel Bread slices toasted if desired.

Sliced red onion, sliced fresh chili peppers. 

And a blast from the Past! 

We know that gut health is the foundation for better digestion, increased metabolism, decreased inflammation, and risk of chronic diseases.  But how can we make it better?  This week we'll focus on some simple tips.  Understand that gut health means overall health, meaning it's SUPER important in building your health and reversing the damage that has already been done.  The first tip is, yes like we always say, eat more whole grains, nuts, veggies, beans, and fruits.  And remember the more variety, the better it is for our gut microbiome.  Shoot for 30 different foods every week and go to mondaycampaigns.org for great recipes!  

Though it's so basic, gut health is crucial to our well-being.  Interestingly, Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, believed that all disease begins in the gut.  So, we've known this for a long time!  To decrease inflammation and the risk of disease, we're focusing this week on simple ways to improve your gut microbiome. Brushing and flossing your teeth frequently helps our gut!  Yes, bacteria in our mouths get to our stomachs and cause problems with the balance of gut microbes.  Brush after each meal and floss every day to boost your ability to prevent disease.  Have a terrific Tuesday everyone! 

All week we are talking about the VERY important link to long-term health - the health of our gut microbiome.  Healthy gut, healthy life, meaning it's critical to our overall wealth of health!  In addition to eating 30 different whole grains, nuts, veggies, fruits, and beans each week, eating fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and tempeh will increase the good bacteria in our gut.  If you're not familiar with tempeh, it's fermented soybeans that can be crumbled up on salads or added to any hot dish.  All these foods can be found locally, so power up your plantified plates with fermented foods and have a wonderful Wednesday! 

Here are some additional tips for boosting the health of our very important gut microbiomes:  consume dark chocolate, red grapes, almonds, onions, blueberries, broccoli, and green teas.  The powerful compounds in these foods improve gut health overall.  Look for the 80% or higher cocoa content for dark chocolate, as you'll get too much sugar with the lower concentrations.  Stock up your health on the shelf with these foods to live longer and live stronger!

 Our last tips for boosting the super important health of our gut microbiomes are to help our good gut bacteria fight the bad bacteria by adding spices such as turmeric, ginger, garlic, and cinnamon to our foods and by limiting artificial sweeteners.  Our gut is truly where all the magic happens to build the foundation of our health, prevent disease, and reverse diseases - you can start improving it today!  Have a fantastic Friday everyone and if you haven't already signed up for Nutritionfacts.org, do so today to get more of these great tips!