TIPS FOR FEELING HAPPY & HEALTHY ☺️

January 2, 2022

JANUARY INTENTIONS:

THE MATCHA CHALLENGE + TIPS FOR DIVING INTO 2022 FEELING HEALTHY & HAPPY

Happy January tea lovers! We are officially past the holiday season and eager to dive into the new year with positive intentions. This January we are doing a Matcha Challenge at OBTC, which is pretty simple...

During January we are committed to drinking matcha everyday - that's it!

And we challenge you to join us!

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Why?

Because matcha is incredible for you! It boosts digestion and metabolism, supports brain health, reduces risk of disease, and is just an overall superfood worth incorporating into your routine. But health is pretty dynamic... so we have some other ideas for you to jumpstart a healthy and happy 2022.

Snuggle up, make a hot cup matcha and check out our tips for upping your health game this January.

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GUT HEALTH IS EVERYTHING.

If you've ever "gone with your gut" or felt butterflies in your stomach, you are actually getting signals from your gut's brain. That's right, you have two brains! Well, sort of. Hidden in the depths of your digestive system, lies two thin layers of more than 100 million nerve cells. Scientists call this second brain the ENS or enteric nervous system. For many years, we all thought that things like anxiety and depression contributed to common gut problems like constipation, bloating, IBS... you name it! But actually it's the other way around. An unhealthy digestive system can trigger other problems like fatigue, depression, and anxiety. Here are three ways to care for your gut and keep your brain happy:

Try fermented foods. Fermented foods contain bacteria that may help support a healthy digestive system! Try enjoying at least one fermented food per day like yogurt, fermented pickled vegetables, sauerkraut, miso, or kombucha.
A balanced diet is key. A balanced diet is rich in protein, vegetables, and fiber. Along with eating plenty of vegetables, drinking a cup of bone broth per day is excellent for your system. Bone broth contains collagen and gelatin, which are rich in amino acids and are critical for reducing inflammation and healing the microbiome.
Take a daily probiotic and enjoy probiotic rich foods and beverages. Probiotics are live bacteria that help your digestive system run smoothly. Consuming probiotics can also maintain your blood sugar levels, reduce fatigue, boost energy levels, freshen your breath, support healthy weight management, and help with nutrient absorption. This is one of the many reasons we love Pu Erh tea; it contains probiotics! Speaking of probiotics...

Prebiotics Feed Probiotics

Enjoying foods rich in prebiotics will nourish the growth of healthy gut bacteria. Many foods have prebiotics, like onions, garlic, beans, berries, and bananas, but our favorite prebiotic rich food is raw and unfiltered honey! ☺️

GET GOOD SLEEP & BE HAPPIER AND LESS STRESSED

Sleep is a vital function that allows your body and mind to recharge, and is fundamental for our success at life-aka, our happiness and well-being. Getting adequate sleep can help us physically heal, recover from illness, deal with stress, solve problems, improve brain longevity and boost motor skills. We might we think we grow out of our dependence on sleep, but just like babies and children, we need it!

Here's what you can try:

Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature. The best sleeping temperature for most adults is between 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit.
Your body’s internal clock follows a specific sleep-wake cycle. Going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time each morning (even on the weekends), will keep your circadian rhythm in balance.
Get into a routine. Take a warm shower, meditate, read a book, and drink some herbal tea before sleeping. Put your electronics away at least an hour before bedtime so your brain and body can recover from the day and start the internal process of winding down.

MOVE YOUR BODY! EVEN JUST 30 MINUTES A DAY WILL HELP.

Exercise is the best kept secret in preventative medicine. Regular exercise provides protection against diseases and lengthens your life span. Just moving 30 minutes a day can decrease your chances of diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, and even memory loss as you age. Here's some strategies to incorporating more exercise into your routine:

Recruit an exercise buddy. We are social creatures, so having a buddy with similar exercise goals can help us stay motivated. Find a friend to play tennis with twice a week, start a weekly hiking or trash clean-up group or ask a buddy if they would like to carpool to the gym. We become more like the people we surround ourselves with, so surround yourself with healthy and happy people who inspire you to grow!
Choose to move. Park farther, take the stairs, work up a sweat while cleaning, and pick up hobbies that require you to move naturally (like gardening or dancing).
Incorporate movement into your workday. Opt for walking meetings, invest in a standing desk, and set reminders in your phone to take 5 minute yoga breaks throughout your day. Especially if most of your day is spent at a desk, be sure to schedule movement into your routine!