Lent for the self-improvement win

 

Lent comes for lengthening. If you are self-improving this season, healthy eating, prayer, learning and improving relationships and enjoying nature are hot topics. Here’s a collection of some items and reads that have come my way and I’m sharing all these self-improvement tips right now:

 

How You Roll – I really got excited about my Oceanfoam roller when someone saw it on my desk and got excited about it. I’m new to these rippled cylinders you put behind your back for muscle relief. Little ones can go in your chair or between your back and a wall while bigger ones can help your legs stretch out with a floor roll. The cool thing, besides experiencing they really make you feel good, is that this line is made from algae, and they are beautiful. Of all the color options I chose a black and white that looks like a marble column. And yes, I said algae. The creator wanted them to look so good you wouldn’t need to hide them away. Mine are handy and a little artistic. My back feels great. Get the Oceanfoam story at: www.oceanfoam.com

 

ActivatedYou – Raspberry Lemonade powder, mixed into fizzy water, has been my afternoon “cocktail” on the patio. This pink drink is giving me “support for a happy gut and calm mind, by ActivatedYou. I may not be using this as intended, as an afternoon refreshment, but the restful sleep and digestion support it is designed for has been rewarding. Nighttime Complete is the name. I guess this is a case where it’s 5 o’clock somewhere. It’s simply a delicious supplement, but in a fancy glass, it sure seems like an indulgence. I’ve had good luck with other products from this line: Slim + Balance, Total Bio Reset and Essential Skin Food. www.activatedyou.com

 

Small Batch Therapy Dough – Restless hands? Need to focus? Did you ever try deep breathing and mushing up a wad of lemony dough to relax? Or maybe you would make impressions of your jewelry in lavender or peppermint. Analu Therapy Dough is thinking of you. Made in small batches in Raleigh, North Carolina, the therapy dough is packaged in wheat straw bio-plastic made from the byproduct of edible grains of wheat. Well I felt relaxed even reading the unopened package. Then the aromas were released and go figure, this stuff works! Look for it here.

 

The Right Questions - What would it take feel more relaxed when you get home from work? Maybe your spouse would have picked up a few items around the house and have some of dinner prep going. Maybe you ask each other the right “scaling” questions to level up all sorts of life experiences. Maybe you never realized how just a few changes could improve your love language. Ziba Graham Jr. helps you get to the right questions in the book “Fix Your Marriage Without Counseling: A Practical Method Men Will Appreciate.” So, there you have it, the ZG Method in a quick read that could have you spend less time fussing and more time culinary thrill seeking with each other.

 

Manage That Pour - What if your “lover” tied up your free days, damaged your health and destroyed your confidence? Imagine putting a face to a “lover” that is alcohol and you’re better off without that jerk. Authors of “Tipsy: A Woman’s Self-Guided Method for Managing Alcohol” walk readers through stages of grief at this loss, including anger and acceptance. Take their relationship quiz and starting managing your self-love, energy and vitality.

“The Monarch Butterfly Migration” – Get a glimpse of a pretty butterfly this spring? Did you think about how far they came, their tagging, food and rest, milkweed supply and how avocados and cartels may have come into play? There’s a National Geographic cover girl who was came back onto the grid for a while and some strong personalities at play in this book. We’ve even got a blue jay barfing. What’s not to love in this butterfly adventure book by Monika Maeckle, who shares all this insect drama with a Texas flair.f

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who strives to be better every day. If you have good advice, please share! darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Taco Salad or Frito Pie?

 

As fall is in the air, we start craving. Aromas of funnel cake waft through the air at festivals and corn pudding is sounding good. My sister’s visit back home to Texas got her thinking of Frito Pie. My first was at my grade-school carnival and I was impressed to get that cheese- and onion-topped chili served in a slit-open chip bag. It is a “Texas thing.”

          Taco Salad is just as appealing and even better when enjoyed outside. This one requires a platter so you have room for guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

          What’s your favorite of the two? I’ll bet there are plenty of memories associated with each. But, don’t worry. You don’t actually have to choose just one. Memories may not have calories, but they sure induce cravings.        

When You “Heart” Curry – My sister’s circle eats curry like we do gumbo…. All the time. So she never wants to have it when we’re together.

                  Mike’s Organic Curry Love comes in a packet of Red Thai Curry Sauce with a serving suggestion image of a bowl of sauce with a dollop of rice, mushrooms, fresh herbs and a lime peeking out. I made some for a friend who raved about it. Galangal is the new word I learned from playing with the Massaman Curry Paste version. While ginger is spicy but sweet, this root is peppery and earthy with hints of mustard. Shallots, lemongrass and dried red chili make this small-batch blend from Thailand an armchair travel experience. www.mikesorganicfoods.com

                   Activated You – A neighbor’s child recently walked over with an elderberry plant for me and then bam, I try Activated You Immune Complete. Zink, elderberry and Vitamin C in Peach Berry flavor gets pumped into your mouth for a daily immune support complex. It seems like every season is one to get a little health boost. This is a flavorful little “extra.” If vacations, celebrations and other aspects of “the good life” lead to indulgences and feeling “icky,” I’m still enjoying benefits of Morning Complete, a powder mixing up the best green superfoods blend I’ve ever indulged. Using flavored tea as the liquid is my trick. Essential Skin Food has French Maritime Pine Bark Extract. Advanced Restorative Probiotic capsules offer “30 Unique Strains” and help get one back on track. Remember to use regularly and keep up good habits. Then the occasional Taco Salad or Frito Pie will work with you. Happy fall, y’all. It's coming. I know it is. www.activatedyou.com

                        Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie inspired by bold flavors. Share your stories at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Looks vs. Taste

 

Looks aren’t everything. Taste is right up there.

I played and created an egg-stuffed avocado in the air fryer that looked pretty darned good, but the flavor and texture needed a little something. It was an air fryer trick that I’m sharing to show you should always be willing to try new things and… hot sauce doesn’t necessarily fix EVERYTHING, as I previously assumed. My take-away was that I often end up with dishes that taste way better than they look. I actually prefer that to making a pretty plate that doesn’t taste like much. Readers, do you have similar examples?

 

How’s your morning? Got sugar support? Pre and Pro biotics? Kale and spinach that doesn’t scare you? I do and it’s making Activated You Morning Complete do what their site says it should. I feel good about it.

It all started with a white Yeti cup that was gifted to someone until I just casually mentioned I’d always wanted one and then it was gifted to me. All I’d said was that I imagined whatever you drank in such a pure, cool cup would most likely be good for you. Enter Morning Complete samples with green superfoods in Citrus Melody. It’s billed as 8 unique wellness-support blends in one drink. And it’s a cool sip in my new white cup that was gifted, nearly immediately lost, then found again. See? The cup-to-healthy drink pairing is right for me. It even has “adaptogen” to alleviate stress. Gut health, smoother digestion and a metabolic blend for relief from gas, bloating, etc. are cool. And I love that aloe vera is part of the gang in this drink. www.activatedyou.com

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who would love to hear what you’ve been eating. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Pumpkin Spice season approaches…

The yearly Culinary Thrill Seeking Pumpkin Updates begin with a mud mask. Then get a peek at plant-filled products, with a little style thrown in. Thanks readers, for indulging me here, but remember to keep indulging yourselves.  

There’s “food” in my beauty routine: Food, maybe not, but most of these have edibles thrown in. Don’t eat things mentioned here. Zionhealth’s Pumpkin Mud Mask with French Red Clay and turmeric curcumin opens the season for me. www.zionhealth.com gets you to good-smelling nourishment for use 2-3 times a week, when the pumpkin isn’t in your coffee.

OSD – Don’t eat the OSD Beauty Coconut Body Scrub… it smells so good and feels so silky you’ll be tempted. A woven exfoliating cloth makes your experience nearly “too good,” but you can handle it. You deserve it. A blueberry scub is also in the line of new vegan products from OSD, meaning Only Skin Deep. www.osdbeauty.com

Luxaderme New York – Acai berry, sea kelp, safflower, camellia japonica… pick from plant or pick where you want to nourish and restore. Sheet masks, gloves and booties for your challenged spots get deep care with a luxury feel. Natural art work puts you in the botanical mood as you relax with these treatments. They are plastic negative in that they remove two ounces of plastic from the environment for every ounce used. Very cool. www.luxaderme.com

Listen – FactorFive is for those serious about their skin care and a video at www.factorfiveskin.com fills you in on how our skin can be trained to “listen” for what it needs.

Dr. Nigma – If you believe healthy skin starts in your gut, Dr. N. could have your back, and science for your skin in the form of a resurface/hydrating cleanser. Supplements and other products are made in Switzerland. I’m resurfaced for sure and feel pretty good about it. www.healthydoc.com

Activate Yourself – And here’s something manufactured in the U.S.A.  ActivatedYou has aminos, green and citrus stuff to make your morning, day and body better. I’m trying Essential Skin Food, with 6 plant-based skin nourishing compounds. A capsule a day can support “plumpness” and encourage healthy cell-turnover. With collogen support, it’s any easy   way to feel and look better. I’m trying it, and I do. To both. www.activatedyou.com

It Works – Plantifique uses peach, avocado and strawberry to improve your feet. The less I say about this foot peel mask the better. Looks gross, feels great. I’m not alone. Read the reviews. This is trending. www.plantifique.com

Other fancy things:

And when you dine out get festive with a billowy dress that protects from the sun’s rays from Constant Sol, the softest vegan leather bag from Urban Originals and Famolare sandals for walking on waves. The Constant Sol people are using fabrics from Japan and Italy to style sun protection into dresses and cover ups that look great on models and real people. Maybe you haven’t been thinking of your skin, but we know more about protecting ourselves now. The Solana dress is pretty perfect for a day at the beach and I’ll let you see the photo my sister tried to sneak of me in the Desert Taupe color as the satiny dress billows in the wind. Urban Originals asks shoppers to choose kindness as they shop for just so many styles of vegan leather bags, backpacks, etc. Each and every one is cool and I feel I’m rocking an East West black bag that goes from crossbody to shoulder. It’s just big enough to fill with coupons and paperwork to look fashionable on errand day. It’s the Famolare shoes that are knocking me out. Remember the wavy soles from the ‘70s? They’re sooooo back and for every nostalgic fan there’s a new-to-the-shoe lover digging those wedgies and sandals. Summer Daze is flatter wavy-soled look made with a low-carbon footprint. You can get “high” like you used to with the big waves.

Get the look from www.constantsol.com; www.uobags.com; www.famolare.com

Minty Fresh – Therapeutic Grade Peppermint is the first ingredient listed in Migrastil Migraine Stick, a roll-on to pop in your purse. Spearmint, lavender and coconut oil also roll out to sooth the wearer. These area already my go-to scents and the roll could not be more convenient. I go for the temples and neck. www.migrainestick.com

Stop the Stink with Purggo. A hemp case holding bamboo charcoal will absorb odors a whole year with a main ingredient you could eat but I’m good with slicing open the sleek hemp casing to use those sustainable charcoal bits in my garden. That’s also in the video. It looks like a fancy pillow but you attach it to the back of your headrest. It’s fancy and it has been a working conversation piece in my car.

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who believes a little greenery can boost everything. Share your plant cuttings and eat your greens. darraghcastillo@icloud.com