Simply writing down our thoughts is a practice that can be beneficial for our health. One of the best wellness tools is a journal. Journaling has been said to be mindfulness in motion. It can reduce stress. This can be especially true when expressing gratitude in your journal. It keeps the good things in life in the forefront. A 2018 research review demonstrated journaling to fewer stress-related doctor visits, lower blood pressure, improved mood and greater well-being. Journaling can be a dumping ground for negativity. It’s a great way to express and process our emotions. Journaling helps us get to know ourselves on a deeper level. Putting our feelings on paper often gives us clarity and direction.
Over the next several weeks, I will be including a journal prompt or two in my weekly newsletters. Give it a try. See what comes up for you. This can be done by putting pen to paper or by typing into a blank page on your computer. There are even journaling apps!
Here’s a few journal prompts to get you started:
Describe yourself through the eyes of someone who loves you.
What is one of your talents (hidden or otherwise) that makes you, you?
When you are 80 years old, what do you think will matter most to you? What can you do now to expand that?
What color represents you?
You don’t need any fancy tools to start journaling…grab a blank sheet of paper and a pen. It can be that simple.
The 6 Daily 3's
Julieanna Hever, “The Plant-Based Dietician” created this easy method to ensure the best health promotion for those living a whole food plant based lifestyle. This system makes it easy to remember to get all the components of healthful living on a consistent basis. Here are her 6 daily 3's:
3 Servings of cruciferous and leafy green vegetables - one serving is 1 cup raw or ½ cup cooked and include broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, cabbage, bok choy, sea vegetables and watercress.
3 servings of other colorful vegetables - one serving equals ½ cup, include veggies from the entire color spectrum - white-cauliflower, red-beets, orange-carrots, yellow-corn, to blue/purple-eggplants, etc).
3 servings of fruit - one serving is one medium whole fruit or 1 cup chopped.
3 servings of nuts or seeds - one serving is one tablespoon of seeds or ½ ounce or 15 grams of nuts.
3 servings of legumes - one serving is ½ cup of any bean, hummus, lentils, peas and soy foods.
3 servings of exercise - 1 serving equals 20 minutes of any activity from light walking, stretching and stair-climbing to high intensity fitness like weight lifting, jogging or sports.
There you have it…six ways to boost your health in an easy to remember system that may work well for you. Give it a try to reduce your risk of chronic illness and to optimize your overall well-being.
www.theplantbaseddietician.com
Cold temperature can be good for your health
Colder temperatures may help reduce allergies and inflammation and research has shown that it can help you think more clearly and perform daily tasks better.
Recipe of the Week
Prep time - 10 minutes Cook time - 50 minutes Serves - 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or crushed
1 ½ cups red bell pepper, seeded, robs removed, roughly chopped
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water, divided
1 ½ tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon Chipolte powder
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 cups red lentils, rinsed
1 (28 oz) can fire-roasted or plain crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can no salt-added chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon (or lime) juice and zest
¼ cup fresh cilantro (or Italian Parsley), chopped as garnish
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
In a large, heated soup pot, saute onion for 5 minutes , stirring regularly. Add some liquid as needed to avoid burning. When onions are browned and translucent, add garlic and stir for an additional minute. Add bell pepper and ½ cup vegetable broth over medium-high heat, until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, chipotle powder, and red pepper flakes (if using), and cook for another minute or so.
Add lentils, crushed tomatoes, remaining 3 ½ cups vegetable broth or water and chickpeas. Partially cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are soft, approximately 30 minutes.
Stir in lemon juice, and zest, and sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Recipe from theplantbaseddietician.com
FatMan's Favorfites
Fast and easy whole food plant based recipes by Tim and Heather Kaufman. Tim and Heather share their stories and their favorite recipes that helped them lose 290 lbs together!
Listen to my Health Tip Tuesday video on Facebook on Tuesdays around 10:30am to hear my book review!
“Eat plants and move your body, all ya gotta do is a little more than ya did yesterday."
-Tim Kaufman
Important Disclaimer
The content in this newsletter is intended for educational/informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace the advice of your health care professional.
