Kaizen with Krystal

PLASTIC = OMNIPRESENT  Plastic oozes and seeps into every aspect of our lives. Without us even knowing, plastic has evolved into an omnipotent force. For the sake of convenience, plastic brazenly takes the prize. Single-use plastics find forever homes nestled in our backyards, parks, and beaches. Plastic-bottled beverages quench our thirst; ignore the chemicals ingested with every sip. What is the price we pay for convenience? Truly?  Our personal health and the world’s well-being.  Plastic contains chemicals that interferes with our bodies’ ability to regulate hormones.   Bisphenol A, dioxins, and phthalates are some common endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in ordinary, household plastics. Studies show exposure to certain phthalates (found in food packaging and children’s toys) are linked to higher instances of ADHD-related behaviors. These chemicals leach their way into our digestive systems and increase the risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, inflammation, etc.

the sun hits differently with clear sinuses Have you ever had a bad sinus infection? I'm talking can't sleep, can't breathe, reach for the hankies, over the pain, sinus infection. ( Sorry, I couldn't help myself .) This was probably the worst one I’ve ever gotten. Four-hour sleep and sore gums from mouth breathing. My heart and chest felt weak day after day.  I avoided taking OTC medications and was (naively?) waiting for it to cure itself.  After three weeks of suffering - loudly I might add - I did what I always do when I have a problem I don’t know how to solve. To the interweb! THE FLAMIN' HOT TRUTH Turns out, the foods you eat can affect the wellbeing of your sinuses. Oh really Krystal?  I knew this on some level, but I didn't want to accept it.  Facing the truth meant accepting that hot cheetos, ice cream, and fried foods did terrible things to me. Things like hormonal cysts along my jawline, upset stomach, and burning poop the day after.  Becaus

a collection of my bags Call me Bag Lady! In a world of bizarre superpowers, that would be mine. Supermarket, retail store, or the farmer’s market, the millisecond you think, “Oh boy! I wish I had a bag!” FLASH ! I'd be at your side with an array of bags. When the cashier asks if you'd like to purchase plastic bags, ZING! I got you. What size? Reaching for the disposable produce bags (mine and the world’s nemesis)? WHOOSH! Right there with some reusable, cotton produce bags, like ECOBAGS !  Can you tell I’m passionate about the habit of reusable bags? ECOBAGS on the right WE EAT HOW MUCH PLASTIC PER WEEK? The plastic industry has taken advantage of the pandemic and stigmatized reusable products. In March 2020, PLASTICS claimed, “plastic bags are safer because germs live on reusable bags and other substances,” however, studies later revealed that the coronavirus lived longer on plastics, than it does on cardboard and copper. ( source1 ) In an effort to save

What do your choices say about your values? Taking the kaizen approach, you can make tiny adjustments to re-align your life. Whether it’s more time with your loved ones and/or pets, more creative activities, or more plants, you get to decide how to spend your time. This portal opening moment, as Rha Goddess calls the pandemic, is (was?) the moment we are forced to confront our daily lives. We’ve become so focused on output and results that we’ve completely forgotten about the input. As I reflected back on my daily living, I learned that many of my daily activities didn’t align with my values. Values, things that guide our decision-making in our personal and professional life, can change over time. For many of us, this pandemic altered life as we knew it. Pre-COVID, hard work equated to endless hours of producing results for our bosses and/or clients. We thought these outputs led to a meaningful life. It’s no wonder at the end of the day, so many of us were left feeling dra

Hey you! Nice to see you here. I'm sharing a thing that I've been doing since I started WFH. Short. Casual. Stretch session. Dare I say...a kaizen approach to yoga to tackle modern-day aches? Making time to stretch before and after I work has been working out for me. My hips, my neck, my WRISTS!!! Man, I had no idea my wrists could ache so much from typing, but here we are. I'll post videos on YouTube and here whenever I can, but I want to encourage you to make time to stretch on your own! We can definitely practice together, but I promise if you cultivate this habit, you will surely notice the difference. Tell your partner, tell your kids, tell your mom, tell your wife! Start small and do a few minutes here and there. When you feel ready or want more challenge, increase the duration. Bit by bit. Little by little. That's the kaizen way! May you be happy, healthy, and at ease. ~ Krys

postcards can stoke the fire within us. "muse-ception"  I love postcards. Everything about them. The act of browsing the displays at a stationery store. Anticipating that moment of stepping into a museum gift shop: the quiet thrill of a museum within a museum. muse-ception.   Eyes, mind, and heart savoring every letter, shape, and color, Neatly framed within a 4x6: organized chaos. Scrutinizing the best one for the intended recipients: sometimes friend, sometimes family, mostly me.   Postcards are remnants of a slower time: snail mail. handwritten. hand delivered. They shorten the distance between family And deepen connections among friends.   A postcard, a journey, a destination, a story: I miss you. I love you. I wish you were here. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Space                                   and life is finite.   Postcards have a way of evoking a sense of special-ness: special to make, look at, give, receive.