Relax & Reclaim

This is a follow-up to our budget series which covers both grocery shopping and cooking. In case you missed it, check it out here first , then here , and then here  ( make sure you come right back! ). Okay, so now that you're up to date, here's the meal plan that matches your diet preference! Cheap 7‑Day Vegan Meal Plan This plan is built entirely from staple foods like: beans, lentils, oats, rice/quinoa, tofu/tempeh, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions, frozen veg, bananas/apples, peanut butter, canned goods, nutritional yeast! A couple of notes are due before we hop in: - This plan is proportioned  for 1 adult and easy to scale (double everything for 2 ).   - Batch-cook once or twice and reuse ingredients to save time and money.   - Prep tips: cook a big pot of lentils/beans, a batch of rice, and roast a sheet pan of mixed veggies on Day 1. Freeze any extras. Got it? Now let's put it all together! Day 1 (Prep day) Breakfast : Overnight oa...

Tuna salad is considered to be a staple food for warmer weather.  Real simple stuff.  Tuna, mayo vegetables, mix, chill and serve.  Not too complicated.  Well, this recipe is also very simple and just as delicious! 😋  This salad is perfect for a lunch and a great way to add lots of colorful vegetables to your meals.  You'll really impress your family on your next picnic with this dish. It tastes absolutely amazing when you take time to make it. Let's get into it! Ingredients Two large cans of tuna in spring water drained One-half cup of quinoa One-half teaspoon of vegetable stock One cup of cubed and cooked butternut squash Three-quarters cup of peeled sweet potato  One-half large cucumber One half cup of baby spinach One half cup of thawed frozen peas One quarter cup of kidney beans One quarter cup of low-fat feta cheese One half cup of your favorite mayo ( amount depends on your personal preference for taste and texture) A few sprigs of ...

Dragon breath can be a real monster. 🐉  Almost half of the staff here at Relax and Reclaim were all in on writing this article in Old English (i.e. "ye", "thou", "forsooth", etc.) It got voted down. 👎 Maybe next time....🤔 Anyway, picture a dragon swooping down over a quiet village, breathing thick, sulfurous smoke that clears out entire crowds in seconds. Now imagine doing that exact same thing every time you lean in to whisper a secret or say hello at a dinner party. Bad breath—or halitosis —is one of the ultimate interpersonal dealbreakers. It’s a socially limiting ailment that quietly stifles romantic lives, kills job interview confidence, and forces people to keep an anxious distance. Most people assume bad breath is just a sign of someone being lazy with their toothbrush. But the truth is far more frustrating: millions of people who scrub their teeth daily are still battling the beast . That’s because bad breath isn't just abou...

We’ve all been there: You’re driving down the highway, music up, feeling great, when suddenly a tiny orange light flickers on the dashboard.  Do you pull over immediately?  Of course not.  You ignore it for three weeks and hope it just “goes away.” ​Believe It Or Not : Your body does the exact same thing. ​That random eye twitch? The sudden breakout on your jawline? The fact that you’re “zombie-level” tired after ten hours of sleep?  Those aren't just quirks of getting older—they’re your internal dashboard flashing a warning. check engine light ​Most of us are running on "low fuel" without even realizing it. We blame stress, the weather, or a bad pillow, when the reality is usually much simpler: You’re missing a key ingredient. ​After sitting on this research for five years ( yes, really—good things take time! ), I’ve narrowed down the six most common nutritional gaps that are likely messing with your vibe.  Let’s decode the signals your body is sending...

🎵 Money's Too Tight To Mention 🎵                - Simply Red Ain't that an appropriate song for today's economy? Low cost is great, but free is always better.... A reader named PJ sent us the following regarding our "Budget" series: " Too bad nobody's figured out how to lose weight on a dime (hint, hint!)... " We got your back, PJ! ICYMI : Here's the links to the previous articles on budget buying -- the first article & the second article . Affordable Ways To Lose Weight  Weight loss plans have a nasty habit of turning into weight loss subscriptions.  Coaching apps, boutique gym memberships, powders in tubs the size of paint cans — the wellness industry would love for you to believe that fat loss requires a monthly invoice. It doesn't.  The mechanics of losing weight and keeping it off haven't changed: move more, eat with intention, and stay consistent longer than your willpower wants you to.  None o...

You don’t need to read every wellness book on the market to improve your health. In fact, most of us are simply looking for clear, practical guidance on things like eating better, managing stress, sleeping well, and staying active as we get older. Over time here at Relax and Reclaim , We’ve been reading and reviewing a number of books that explore these topics from different angles.  Some focus on nutrition. Others tackle stress, mindfulness, exercise, or healthy aging. This page gathers those recommendations into one place. If you’re looking for a wellness book to add to your reading list, you might just find your next favorite here. Stress Relief & Mindfulness Books that focus on calming the mind, managing stress, and building emotional resilience. Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle – Mini Review The Mindful Way Through Stress – Mini Review Wherever You Go, There You Are – Mini Review The Power of Now – Mini Review Chatter – Mini Review Nutriti...

Do you work remotely from home? We've asked this question before.... To answer that question for The Blog Squad : " Yes, we do ." And more personally, I do.. Anyway, somewhere around year three of remote and hybrid work becoming a permanent fixture instead of a pandemic footnote , a question started showing up in my inbox on repeat: " how do I stay in shape and stop eating everything in my kitchen when my kitchen is also my office? " Fair question.  Your commute used to be the one guaranteed chunk of movement in your day, and now it's a hallway. Your break room snacks used to be stale office donuts you could reasonably ignore; now they're your own pantry, fully stocked, fully judgment-free, fully available at 10 a.m. Good news: you can absolutely stay healthy working from home. It just takes a little more intention. It just takes a little more intention than it did when a building full of coworkers and a boss who could see your screen ...

Let’s talk about something that affects millions of people. Hair loss. Maybe you’ve noticed more hair in the shower drain lately. Maybe your hairline’s doing that slow retreat thing. Or maybe you’re just researching because you want to stay ahead of the game. Whatever brought you here—you’re in the right place. Here’s the truth most articles skip: Hair loss is rarely just about hair. It’s about biology. It’s about stress. It’s about hormones. And yes—nutrition plays a role. A meaningful one. But nutrition doesn’t work alone. It works as part of a bigger picture. Let’s zoom out before we zoom in. Hair Loss Is Multifactorial (And That Matters) Hair loss has multiple causes—genetics, hormonal shifts, stress, aging, medical conditions. Nutrition doesn’t override those factors. But it supports the systems that keep hair follicles functioning as well as they can. Think of it like this: You can’t force a plant to grow—but you can improve the soil. That’s where nutrition comes in. ...

We're going to have to get a rant article series started here soon... First of all, we appreciate all the feedback you guys give us  regarding our content. It really helps. Speaking of rants, we got one recently from a reader named Ashok, who sent us the following: " Thanks for the shopping budget ideas but is it possible to do that when you are not eating meats or any animal products? I can't tell because you never covered it. Surely you must be aware that you have people that read your columns that are not meat eaters or did you forget about us??? " Thank you for the reminder, Ashok. How To Choose Vegan Foods On A Budget  Do grocery store prices make you fearful? Maybe not, but we can show you how to face the monster of higher food prices like a brave knight! Buying vegan food on a budget boils down to three smart moves: plan meals, swap pricey animal products for affordable plant alternatives, and buy in bulk or frozen. You can eat plant-only wi...

We’ve been sold a massive lie about movement. The cultural narrative insists that if you aren't sweating through your third organic cotton t-shirt, gasping for air like a fish out of water, and crawling out of the gym on all fours, you didn't actually work out.  We treat exercise like a high-stakes corporate merger—aggressive, painful, and utterly exhausting. But biology doesn't care about our obsession with suffering. Biology cares about efficiency. When it comes to movement, your body operates on two entirely different currency systems: Aerobic and Anaerobic . The Anaerobic State This is the frantic, high-intensity zone. It runs on sugar (glycogen). It's fast, it's expensive, and it burns out quickly. The Aerobic State  This is the cruise control zone. It means "with oxygen." Its primary fuel source isn't sugar; it's fat. Here is the plot twist: to tap into your body’s most abundant energy reserve (fat), you don’t need to be mor...

You ever have an idea that you knew you'd likely forget about and then you wind up forgetting about it anyway and ultimately regret that you didn't jot it down? Yeah, we've all had that happen before, right? Well fortunately, we didn't completely do that with our popular series on Fibermaxxing. Here's links to the original series ( in case you missed it ) Parts 1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 . And if you really like seeds and podcasts, check us out here! The only thing we did forget to do (because we didn't check ALL our notes 🥴) was to post it with the rest of the series. Sorry folks! 😔 * This article isn’t meant to strongly support or dissuade your decision. As always, we’re simply presenting what modern research says — and reminding you that you and your physician should decide what’s best for your personal health .* seeds and nuts So, you’re ready to join the Fibermaxxing movement, but you’re worried about the "tax" (you know... the bloating and...