Balanced Bartender
Stay healthy, Bar Meisters
Amie Ward The Healthtender
Hello and Happy May, My Friends!
Thank you for stopping by our May Balanced Bartender Pep Talk. May is a super important time because it’s Mental Health Awareness Month. During this month, health organizations join forces to provide education, raise awareness, and fight to end the stigma associated with mental illness. No one should ever feel alone in their mental health journey, including our peers in hospitality. At its core, mental health includes our psychological well-being, the balance of our emotions and our actions, and the harmony between all three. It is how we think, feel, and act and is essential to our health and wellness. It should be considered as essential to our daily lives as dental hygiene. Think of it as flossing for your brain! Scroll Down For More!
New Cocktail Alert!
- Scroll Down to Indulge in Amie's Snacks & Sips.
- Join Amie for a Zoom Class & this Month's IG Challenge!
It can be tough to navigate mental health when just starting out, and it may seem impossible to access without health insurance.
But there are incredible resources available to the general public and, more specifically, the bar and restaurant industry. Groups like HEARD, Restaurants After Hours, I Got Your Back, Chefs with Issues, and Ben’s Friends are highly inclusive organizations started by hospitality professionals offering free peer-led support group meetings, access to discounted virtual health (telemedicine), and a wealth of additional mental health, sobriety, and addiction resources. If you are looking for general information, The National Alliance for Mental Illness is an excellent place to start. NAMI, as it is commonly referred to, has extensive materials on the signs, symptoms, and prevalence of mental health conditions. If you or someone you know is in crisis, the Lifeline is a 24/7 accessible phone line (1-800-273-8255—English; 1-888-628-9454—Español).
At home, daily movement and mindful eating practices provide us with the regular mental health maintenance we deserve. 21 minutes of low-intensity exercise boosts our mental acuity, cognitive function, self-esteem, and the production of neurotransmitters like endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers, serotonin makes us feel happy, and BDNF stimulates the production of new brain cells. There are certain nutrients that promote brain functioning as well. Proper hydration enhances our concentration. Vitamin D, produced by the body with exposure to sunlight, keeps serotonin and dopamine flowing. Probiotics and good gut health also stimulate serotonin production. Phytochemicals from plant-based diets, and Omega-3 fatty acids from plant oils and fish, protect brain cells from injury. And these are just a few examples. Our brains are the most powerful organ in our bodies, and to maximize their potential, we must ensure our mental health is at the epicenter of considerations surrounding our lifestyle management.
Stay balanced, my friends!
Amie Ward, The Healthtender
It can be tough to navigate mental health when just starting out, and it may seem impossible to access without health insurance.
But there are incredible resources available to the general public and, more specifically, the bar and restaurant industry. Groups like HEARD, Restaurants After Hours, I Got Your Back, Chefs with Issues, and Ben’s Friends are highly inclusive organizations started by hospitality professionals offering free peer-led support group meetings, access to discounted virtual health (telemedicine), and a wealth of additional mental health, sobriety, and addiction resources. If you are looking for general information, The National Alliance for Mental Illness is an excellent place to start. NAMI, as it is commonly referred to, has extensive materials on the signs, symptoms, and prevalence of mental health conditions. If you or someone you know is in crisis, the Lifeline is a 24/7 accessible phone line (1-800-273-8255—English; 1-888-628-9454—Español).
At home, daily movement and mindful eating practices provide us with the regular mental health maintenance we deserve. 21 minutes of low-intensity exercise boosts our mental acuity, cognitive function, self-esteem, and the production of neurotransmitters like endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers, serotonin makes us feel happy, and BDNF stimulates the production of new brain cells. There are certain nutrients that promote brain functioning as well. Proper hydration enhances our concentration. Vitamin D, produced by the body with exposure to sunlight, keeps serotonin and dopamine flowing. Probiotics and good gut health also stimulate serotonin production. Phytochemicals from plant-based diets, and Omega-3 fatty acids from plant oils and fish, protect brain cells from injury. And these are just a few examples. Our brains are the most powerful organ in our bodies, and to maximize their potential, we must ensure our mental health is at the epicenter of considerations surrounding our lifestyle management.
Stay balanced, my friends!
Amie Ward, The Healthtender
Thanks for Tuning In friends!
Jägermeister and The Healthtender are back with another movement challenge this month, and we are sitting in our feels in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. Complete a 30-second Wall Sit, take a time-lapse video or sweaty selfie, tag @thehealthtender, and use the hashtag #jmbehindtheshot. Head on over to my Instagram, @thehealthtender, for more details.
Have a balanced day!
- NAMI: https://www.nami.org/home
- Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
- Restaurants After Hours: https://restaurantafterhours.org/home
- HEARD: https://www.iheardyou.org/
- I Got Your Back: https://igotyourback.info/
- Chefs with Issues:https://www.facebook.com/groups/chefswithissues
- Ben’s Friends: https://www.bensfriendshope.com/
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and Jägermeister has no affiliation with any of the above-mentioned groups.

Recipe
- 1.5 parts Jägermeister Cold Brew
- .25 part Dry Orange Curaçao
- .75 part Dragon Fruit Berliner-Weisse Syrup
- .50 part Lemon Juice
Method: Shake, strain, and serve on the rocks
The Deer & Beer is one of the simple and delicious luxuries in life, and beer is far more versatile than a lot of people think. I am a huge fan of turning beers in the syrup, as each style can contribute really intricate notes to your cocktails. For the Enter the Dragon, I used a Berliner-Weisse because I adore the tart and bready notes the beer has to offer, and it amplifies any fruit you may want to use in conjunction. In this case, I used a Dragon Fruit, which I recently received in my reclaimed produce box. The fruit is light and subtle with pear, banana, and kiwi notes. And not going to lie, this combo matched pretty spectacularly with the Jägermeister Cold Brew.
Berliner-Weisse Beer Syrup
- 2 cups of your favorite Berliner-Weisse
- 1 cup coconut sugar (cane or raw is fine too, just go for something unbleached)
- The inner flesh of 1 Dragon Fruit, blended or mashed
Method: Bring the ingredients together over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Heat until the syrup is reduced to half. You are welcome to adjust the amount of sugar up if you like something a bit sweeter.

Amie Ward is a Veteran Bartender,
Exercise physiologist and has been outspoken on her fellow service industry members' health and wellness. When she is not pulling trucks and training for Strongwoman competitions, you can find Amie appreciating the finer things in life like Jägermeister.
Let's Get Balanced & Join My Zoom Classes Here
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- Room: 443 336 2417
- Password: 112233

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