It’s that time of year again 🎃

So, have you noticed?

It’s that time of year again?

Pumpkin spice everything! 🎃

Actually, I really do like pumpkin pie spice – it’s one of my favorite spice blends. Pumpkin pie spice usually consists of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspices, and cloves – all those comforting flavors that remind us of fall and holiday baking.

If you’re lucky enough to have an Indian market near you then you can buy these spices as whole seeds for a great price. Grind whole spices in a coffee grinder and you’ll experience their flavors much more intensely.

Did you know that cloves, one of the prominent spices in pumpkin pie spice, has antioxidant superpowers? Some antioxidant superfoods can be hard to find or are out of your food budget, but cloves are one of the best bang for your buck antioxidants.

Cloves, one of the prominent spices in pumpkin pie spice, has antioxidant superpowers.

Cloves have an exceptionally strong flavor so try adding just a small pinch to anything you’d normally put cinnamon or ginger on. I like to sprinkle ground cloves on toast with peanut butter, banana, and cinnamon.

Chai tea is a fantastic way to pack in a bunch of high-impact common spices, including cloves, all at once. I like to make a batch in my instant pot and enjoy it hot or cold throughout the week.

To make instant pot chai tea add 8 cups of water, 30 allspice berries, 20 green cardamom pods, 12 whole cloves, 8-10 cinnamon sticks, and about a 3 inch piece of fresh ginger (diced) to your instant pot and set it for 5 minutes at high pressure. Let pressure release naturally. Add 8 black tea bags and steep 4 – 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, strain, and add 1 tablespoon of vanilla. Keep in fridge for up to 10 days. You can add sweetener - I like it unsweetened. To serve, mix tea with equal parts of plant milk (soy and almond milk work well) and enjoy hot or over ice. Delicious!

Enjoy Chai tea over ice with almond milk!

Use your freshly ground spices to make flavorful spice mixes. Make pumpkin pie spice mix with 3 Tablespoons of cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of ginger, 2 teaspoons of nutmeg, 2 teaspoons of allspice, 2 teaspoons of ground cloves, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper (optional but good). Try it out in the recipe below.

Pumpkin Spice Steel Cut Oats

Pumpkin Spice Steel Cut Oats, made with your spice mix, are a delicious way to start your day. Your instant pot makes it easy to prepare.

Make it

Your challenge this week is to enjoy the flavors of fall spices.
What fall spices are your favorite? How do you enjoy them?

Post in the comments below and let me know.

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Need help developing a plan

to improve your wellness?

Want accountability? Let’s chat.

Click here to schedule a time, send me an email at Michelle@sarandwellness.com, or call me at 865.268.5312

What fruit have you enjoyed today?

What fruit have you enjoyed today?

It’s no secret that antioxidants are incredibly beneficial to good health. Studies show that the antioxidants in food can help prevent cancer, reverse or slow aging, enhance your immune system, increase your energy and improve heart, eye, and other organ health.

One of the easiest ways to increase antioxidants in your diet is to eat more fruit. Fruits are high in antioxidants and packed with vitamins - given all we know about the benefits of eating fruit, it amazes me that people just don’t eat enough fruit. Eating more fruit is such an easy step to better health. Experts recommend a minimum of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily but say getting 7-10 servings is best. How are you doing?

One way to get more fruit in your diet is to try something new. A friend of ours pointed out a fruit we have growing right here in our own backyard.

What we thought was an interesting weed turned into a pleasant surprise – a plant that produces ground cherries. What?!

Ground cherries (also known as cape gooseberries) are a unique fruit with a papery husk. Apparently, when the cherries are ripe they fall to the ground and you can just unwrap the fruits and eat them raw. Eat them when they’re golden - unripe, green cherries might give you some gastronomic distress.

They taste slightly sweet, like cherry tomatoes mixed with mango and pineapple and can be used in both sweet or savory dishes.

I’ve experimented with adding them to a salad (very good) and adding them to my morning oatmeal (really good).

Your challenge this week is to enjoy fruit every day this week.

🍉🍇 I’d love to know what new fruits you try. 🍑🍒

Post in the comments below and let me know.

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Need help developing a plan

to improve your wellness?

Want accountability? Let’s chat.

Click here to schedule a time, send me an email at Michelle@sarandwellness.com, or call me at 865.268.5312

Miracle Drug??

Did you know that August is National Wellness Month?

Ever have one of those days that you feel soooo busy? But you still stick to your routine – you get out of bed and do your Sunday morning yoga (you gotta get your zen on right?), go to church, take your dog for a walk on the greenway, eat lunch, process 20+ pounds of tomatoes from the garden, and do some batch cooking & meal prep to prepare for the week ahead.

Do you feel like you can’t fit fitness into your day? 30% of Americans admit to getting no exercise while 60% get very little movement.

Our ancestors were active – they walked, ran, hunted, farmed, cut wood, ground grain, and more. Your body is built for regular movement. You function better and live a longer, healthier life when you make time for movement.

Think of exercise as a “miracle drug.” It’s worth the effort to do 30 - 60 minutes of exercise daily. Aerobic exercise will keep your cardiovascular system in shape while weight bearing exercise is essential for strong, healthy.

What can regular exercise do for you?

• Build muscle to burn more calories

• Decrease insulin resistance

• Help reduce cholesterol

• Detox your body (through sweat)

• Release endorphins to help reduce stress

• Increase blood flow to keep your brain alert

• Elevate your immune function

• Keep you regular

• Improve your sleep

• Strengthen your cardiovascular system

• Strengthen your bones

Sounds like a “miracle drug” for sure.

Exercise can be structured or it can be “play” time. Remember the fun you had as a kid? Jumping rope, biking, playing Marco Polo in the pool? Find something that works for you and schedule it into your day. Your future self will thank you.

Your challenge this week is to to make exercise a part of your day every day.

What will you do to get your daily movement?

Post in the comments below and let me know.

Be sure to hit the LIKE button 😊

Need help developing a plan

to improve your wellness?

Want accountability? Let’s chat.

Click here to schedule a time, send me an email at Michelle@sarandwellness.com, or call me at 865.268.5312

Stress Less

Did you know that August is National Wellness Month?

Are you stressed out by your job, too many bills to pay or deadlines? Do you care for a child with autism or a parent with dementia? Worried about Covid 19 and masks and vaccines? So many things can create ongoing chronic stress in our lives today

But did you know that stress can affect you physically?

Stress can cause headaches, stomach aches, back pain, depression, anxiety, weaken your immune system, and increase your risk of chronic disease.

Long, sustained periods of stress can increase inflammation in your brain which can lead to depression. When you are depressed your immune system is also depressed.

You can’t always change the things that cause you stress but you can change how you react to stress. There are things you can do to rewire your brain to have more positive responses to everyday stressors. Learning stress relief techniques and practicing them daily can have a powerful, positive impact in your life.

Here are some techniques that you can practice every day to change how you react to stress:

Be grateful. Everyday write down three things, no matter how big or small, that you are grateful for. When you feel stressed look at your notes to remind yourself what brings you joy.

Breathing Techniques. When you’re stressed your breath tends to be rapid and shallow. Practice techniques that help you guide the rhythm and depth of your breath – this will restore calm and balance to the nervous system, increase oxygen circulation in the blood, and help to lower your heart rate and blood pressure.

Meditate. Meditation allows you to stay centered while observing your thoughts as they come and go. Even just a few minutes each day of focusing on your breath and repeating a mantra has a powerful impact on your overall health.

Guided Imagery. Your body responds to stress that is real (like a lion chasing you) and stress that is perceived (being stuck in traffic) the same way. You will also respond to positive mental images in the same way. Invoke a positive image to induce a positive mental state. Create a “happy place” and visit it every day 😊

Exercise Regularly. Your body can fight stress better when you are fit. Think about how to add in extra movement throughout your day – take a walk around the block, take the stairs, park in the back of the lot.

Sleep Well. Your body needs time to recover from stressful events. See last week’s newsletter for tips on sleeping well.

Eat Real Food. Stress can cause emotional eating and create hard-to-resist cravings for unhealthy food. Eating plant-based, whole-foods gives your body the nutrients it needs to help maintain a healthy mental balance.

Take the time to learn a couple of these stress management techniques. The combination of a healthy diet, regular exercise, and sleeping well with stress reduction is a powerful way to stop and undo a wide variety of chronic diseases.

Your challenge this week is to learn a stress management technique and make a part of your daily routine.

Which technique appeals most to you?

How do you plan on working it into your daily routine?

Post in the comments below and let me know.

Be sure to hit the LIKE button 😊

Need help developing a plan

to improve your wellness?

Want accountability? Let’s chat.

Click here to schedule a time, send me an email at Michelle@sarandwellness.com, or call me at 865.268.5312

Sleep Well

Did you know that August is National Wellness Month?

Sleep, one of the four pillars of health, has a huge impact on your health.

Are you sleeping well?

Do you feel cut off from the world when your phone battery runs out? Some people feel a great deal of anxiety when their phone dies so it’s no surprise that we’re pretty good at making sure our phone battery is recharged on a regular basis.

What about you?

Do you take the time to make sure your “battery” is recharged sufficiently?

In 2014, the CDC called sleep deprivation a public health epidemic. Sleep is a necessary biological function for almost every living organism. Getting enough sleep is not a luxury – it is crucial for good health Lack of restorative sleep can lead to decreased immunity, poor mood (depression), lack of focus & attention, decreased coordination, diabetes, stroke, headaches, and weight gain.

Here are some tips to help you get a good night’s sleep:

1. Eat no later than three hours before bed – when your GI system is working to digest food, you don’t sleep as deeply. Eating prior to bedtime also impedes the body’s overnight detoxification process. Instead of noshing on those high fat or high sugar foods before bed plan a healthy breakfast to nourish you when you wake up.

2. No TV in the bedroom (& other electronic devices turned off) – The blue light from your TV, computer, smart phone, and other electronics can mess up your natural rhythm – your body may think it is daylight and not nighttime. Many people find it helpful to shut off electronics an hour before bed to give your brain time to calm and relax.

3. Avoid alcohol – it might help you get to sleep but results in poor quality sleep disrupts your sleep cycles.

4. Avoid caffeine after noon – it makes sleep worse. Even if you think caffeine doesn’t affect your sleep, you’ll be surprised at how much deeper your sleep can be. Herbal teas don’t have caffeine and are ok.

5. Avoid exercising right before sleep – Outdoor exercise early in the day helps to wake you up and walking after dinner at dusk helps you prepare for sleep. But don’t give up the intensive exercises, just schedule them earlier in the day or at least three hours before bedtime.

6. Practice the regular rhythms of sleep – go to bed and wake up at the same time each day - Even on the weekends! Keeping regular hour helps your brain know when to rest and when to be awake.

7. Sound proof and light proof your bedroom – Both sound and light can wake you up and disrupt your sleep. White noise machines and blackout curtains can help with noise and light concerns.

8. Check for sleep disorders – sleep disorders, like sleep apnea, can cause a lack of restorative sleep. Ask your doctor to test you if you suspect a sleep disorder.

A good night’s sleep can restore both your body and your mind. Seven hours of restful sleep seems to be the sweet spot. Try these tips to help you get your best sleep. Keep doing them until they become a habit. Be sure to notice any changes in how you feel.

Your challenge this week is to be intentional about getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night.

What works best for you to get your 6 to 8 hours each night?

Which areas do you feel you need to work on?

Post in the comments below and let me know.

Be sure to hit the LIKE button 😊

Need help developing a plan

to improve your wellness?

Want accountability? Let’s chat.

Click here to schedule a time, send me an email at Michelle@sarandwellness.com, or call me at 865.268.5312