Valentine’s Day is here and can bring upon a lot a mixed emotions. Over here at Health-Ade we see it as another day to love your gut and that means, loving YOU. When we take time for ourselves to enjoy the little things in life, it’s adding major points to our overall wellbeing. Today we’re taking time to enjoy our rose-laded Bubbly Rose Kombucha. There’s nothing like sending a probiotic Valentine straight to your gut!

Here’s a little 5 step guide to happily loving yourself on this love-filled day!

1. Get Thankful: Look around you, you’ve got all of that! When we see the glass half-empty (of kombucha) it’s easy to feel like we have “less than” and in turn we end up feeling “less than” about ourselves. The reality is that we all have things to be grateful for and when we recognize what we do have in life, we’re instantly happier! Each morning take a few moments to find 5-10 things that you’re grateful for. You’ll be surprised of how long the list becomes!
2. Find Nature: Gather your friends or head out solo but please...get outside! You can head to the beach to allow the water to balance you or head into the mountains for a hike. While you’re out there hiking and wondering why you’re feeling so darn good, note that it’s because exercise releases “happy chemicals” in your brain called endorphins. *happiness tip: laughter is an even faster way to get those endorphins flowing! 
3. Read or Journal: Or both! We jam pack our days with so many happenings and it’s easy to say that we don’t have enough time to read or journal. Because we’re focusing today on making time for the little things in life, try allotting 45 minutes (this could be before bed or first thing in the morning!) to catching up on that book you’ve been trying to finish and adding to your journal. *tip: You can join forces on step #1 and step #2 by journaling the 5-10 things that you’re grateful for.  
4. Cook:  Cooking can be super cathartic and that’s one reason why so many folks decide to take it on as a hobby. Even if it’s your first go at it, don’t be shy! Practice makes perfect. After all, we had to practice making our Health-Ade Kombucha until it was ehemm...perfect. Another upside to cooking is knowing what exactly you’re putting into your body. We're able to focus on nourishing our bodies with REAL food. Cooking is also a great way to bring friends together. Did someone say... dinner party!?
5. Give Back: Now that you are recognizing all that you’re grateful for, what better way to pay it forward than giving back to your community. There are some helpful apps that you can download in order to find volunteer opportunities in your area. Not only are you helping others but you’re also adding more points to your insta-happiness meter by releasing more of those “happy chemicals” in your brain. Serotonin is released in the brain when we feel significant or useful so giving back to our community will surely get us feeling useful...and happy!

Today's blog is written by our very own Daina Trout, MS, MPH

Daina is not just our Co-Founder, she is also a nutritionist that has spent her adult life dedicated to finding and sharing health and wellness through food. With 2 masters' degrees in nutritional biochemistry and public health, Daina has called upon her education often while leading the way at Health-Ade - from how we make every batch of kombucha, to how we talk about gut health to consumers, to even how healthy our employee workplace is! She even writes a few blogs here and there. Happy reading! :)