December Wrap Up

December was a very busy month.  I started going back to work.  A bunch of physical therapy appointments for my hand plus a scare my co-worker created thinking I might have osteomyelitis in my finger because it was still very red and swollen on top of the fact that I was experiencing erratic temperature fluctuations.  Had a follow up with a different surgeon, this time an actual hand-surgeon instead of the foot-surgeon who did the surgery on my hand -don't ask.  Then come the holidays!

As for my goal this month, I do believe I was able to significantly increase my water intake.  Due to my dogs schedule of wanting to go out well before my alarm goes off, I have been drinking a glass at that time which allows my body to process the water and be ready for breakfast 45-60 minutes later.  With the additional round (21 days worth) of extra-strength antibiotics the hand-surgeon put me on, I think that water consumption would have been about the only thing worth concentrating on this month.  While the antibiotics are killing my internal flora and my hair, my skin looks great as it has been well hydrated even in the cold northern climate.

Off to drink more water!

Have a happy New Year! Be Safe! Continue to check back for next month's challenge!

December's Challenge: Water Water Every Where and I need to drink

Okay; so the actual quote goes like this:

 

Day after day, day after day,

We stuck, nor breath nor motion;

As idle as a painted ship

Upon a painted ocean.

Water, water, every where,

And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water, every where,

Nor any drop to drink.

 

As I am still recuperating from my surgery, my finger very stiff and still rather painful with a surprising 3 week leave of absence and some agonizing typing one handed; clearly my November Challenge was a sad bust. For December, as I have noticed that my intake of water has been rather lax on my homebound stay, I have decided that I should really attempt to see if I can intake the required and recommended amount of water that they say is needed on a daily basis. Unlike the ancient Mariner in Coleridges poem I am not stuck on an idle boat with only hundreds of thousands of gallons of salt water that would ultimately kill me if I attempted fate, I will have access to beautiful filtered fresh water. Oh the implications of that....

A quick Google search for "benefits of drinking water" turns up thousands of hits with anywhere from 6 to hundreds of benefits and even warnings about drinking too much. Some true things to remember about water:

Benefits:

1) Since the human body consists anywhere from 60-70% water, staying hydrated is essential to the proper maintenance of our bodily systems. Bodily fluids are required for proper digestion, absorption of nutrients, circulation, creation of saliva, and the regulation of body temperature.

2) Great for weight loss - water helps with body temperature regulation and muscle fatigue great for exercise, proper hydration can allow you to exercise longer and recover quicker. Hydration keeps your joints lubricated diminishing the likelihood of cramps and sprains. Increased metabolism through the use of proper hydration keeps your body regular with digestion and bowel movements.

3) Clearly water is good for all of your internal systems, how about the largest organ - your skin? Water once again proves a boon in that proper hydration keeps your skin flexible and thus looking young.

Warnings:

1) Drinking too much water is a hazard to your health. There are many scientific studies that show the recommended amount of 8 ten ounce glasses of water is needed on a daily basis is not based on fact. That notion does not take into account many different variables such as gender, environment, and activity level just to name a few. Drinking too much fluid in fact can lead to hyponatremia and when fluid intake reaches disastrous levels fluid toxicity and death occur.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=strange-but-true-drinking-too-much-water-can-kill

2) Bottled contaminants. That's all I have to say about bottled water. With the numerous and strange sounding chemicals that make up the plastic bottles of some famous Water brands it is amazing more people aren't sick. I will leave you a link to read further of your own accord if you feel so inclined: http://www.water-drinking.com/index.shtml

 

3) Tap or filtered? The largest issue with tap water is due to the process of decontamination before the water reaches your home. Most tap water goes through a chlorination process. While Chlorine is great for pools it is bad for our bodies. Filtration is another fluid subject (pun intended). From simple store bought mass produced filters that can sit in your fridge or attach to your faucet all the way to the hefty price tag of Zero water or alkaline water the choices are too many and too convoluted to go into depth in this short blip about my monthly challenge. All I will say is research before you decide how you want to drink your water.

Not all fluids need to come from water in order to hydrate your body.  Fluids from foods such as water dense fruits and vegetables can provide much of the body's requirements to remain hydrated.  So pay attention to your body, are you thirsty?  Is your urine dark in color or have a strong odor?  Do you suffer from headaches?  You just may be thirsty. 

 

Drink/eat your fluids to your Health!

Unexpected Set Back

I have sad news for this months challenge, I had an emergency hand surgery over the weekend, which means I am down to one working hand for probably the rest of the month. Naturally that makes writing 50,000 words in 30 days rather difficult.  I think while I am on medical leave from work and this months challenge I will do a repeat of one of my summer challenges.

I hear the treadmill calling!

I am blessed with quick healing. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Progress Widget!

November's Challenge: NaNoWriMo

If you are unfamiliar with this bizarre sounding word you are probably wondering what NaNoWriMo means.  Beyond being fun to say, it is an acronym for National Novel Writing Month; which is November.  An internet based writing project, it was established in 1999, with the idea of giving writers and dabblers an area in which they can challenge themselves, get advice, encouragement, and just have fun attempting to pound out 50,000 words in 30 days; in other words to write a very bare-bones basic novel.

I encourage anyone feeling inspired to partake of the challenge.

To sign up and get credit for your efforts create an account with the officials: http://nanowrimo.org/en/dashboard

I also recommend using an offsite page to do your writing to help you keep count of your words without bogging down a word document and to collect other fun and interesting data: 

http://750words.com/

Here are some tips from the experts @ nanowrimo.org

Tips to Get You from 0 to 50K

Before you head off to train those typing fingers, we wanted to offer a few bits of advice. You’ll find many great tips in the forums, and we’ll be sending pep talks directly to your NaNoMail (your on-site inbox) during November. But for now, here’s a quick overview of the three-and-a-half things we wish we had known for our first NaNoWriMo:

1) Its okay to not know what you’re doing. Really. You've read a lot of novels, so you’re completely up to the challenge of writing one. If you feel more comfortable outlining your story ahead of time, do it! But it’s also fine to just wing it. Write every day, and a book-worthy story will appear, even if you’re not sure what that story might be right now.

2) Do not edit as you go. Editing is for December and beyond. Think of November as an experiment in pure output. Even if it’s hard at first, leave ugly prose and poorly written passages on the page to be cleaned up later. Your inner editor will be very grumpy about this, but your inner editor is a nit-picky jerk who foolishly believes that it is possible to write a brilliant first draft if you write it slowly enough. It isn't. Every book you've ever loved started out as a beautifully flawed first draft. In November, embrace imperfection and see where it takes you.

3) Tell everyone you know that you’re writing a novel in November. This will pay big dividends in Week Two, when the only thing keeping you from quitting is the fear of looking pathetic in front of all the people who've had to hear about your novel for the past month. Seriously. Email them now about your awesome new book. The looming specter of personal humiliation is a very reliable muse.

3.5) There will be times you’ll want to quit during November. This is okay. Everyone who wins NaNoWriMo wanted to quit at some point in November. Stick it out. See it through. Week Two can be hard. Week Three is much better. Week Four will make you want to yodel.
And we’re talking the good kind of yodeling here.

October Recap

Out of all of the challenges I have undertaken, I feel that this one has had the largest impact on my life.  The positive changes that have occurred are hard to ignore and have become a very welcome change, one that I will continue to pursue from here on out.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Week 3: Receiving Blessings from the Universe

I have to say that I have really enjoyed this month's challenge.  There are of course some keys to positive thinking, one of which is being fully aware of your thoughts and feelings at all times.  Negativity seems to be innate in the human psyche in that we tend to see the bad things in life, career, financial situation, health, etc.  Changing those thoughts into positive ones takes real dedication and awareness.  Something as simple and as fleeting as wishing you looked like him, or had her job can swing a negative thought toward your own appearance or career without you being aware.
While I may not be the most consistent when it comes to following the assignments I give myself, I am doing a very good job of becoming aware of my negative thoughts and turning them around by thinking about something just as positive in my life.  To date, the Universe has certainly given me some good rewards for my hard work.  I found a check that had been accidentally stashed away and I won a $1 off a lottery ticket.  While it may not amount to much, it is still money that I was previously unaware was waiting to come to me, and with my positive thinking I was able to allow it to come my way.  Positive thinking has allowed me to be more motivated in accomplish tasks around my house that I have in the past put off, and now because they are complete I get to enjoy them -but I won't chide myself for not completing them earlier, I'm just happy they are done and I have more time to spend with my family because of it.

If you decide to try positive thinking for a month, do not become discouraged if you don't win the lottery, or lose a ton of weight, or sudden get offered your dream job; it could be that there are obstacles unknown to you that need to be removed before your desires can truly become your own reality.  Take note of even the smallest positive changes in your life and stop long enough to be grateful for them.  There's truth in the saying "stop and smell the roses" sometimes it is the little things in life that can make the biggest positive changes.

Thank you!  Have a Blessed day!  May the Universe grant you your deepest wishes!

week 2: Momentum is Key

You must be wondering -how does one come up with 10 different things to be thankful for each and every day?  Really it is rather simple, not easy by any means -but simple, and there are plenty of things to be thankful for and yes I do repeat the very important ones.  Gratitude doesn't have to be only about the big things in life such as your job, the house you live in, or your relationships; it can be about the little things like the air you breathe, the food you eat, the fact that you made it home safe on a particularly stressful day.  Be thankful for the sunshine, for your fellow human-being, the birds, the bees, the trees, and the rain.  If you can see it, smell it, touch it, or taste it be thankful for your senses.  Finding things to be thankful of is not the hard part.  The hard part is not losing momentum, to keep the positive ball rolling in the right direction; stopping to smell the roses is nice, but when you have a task to accomplish (such as being thankful for 300 things in 30 days) you don't want to stop to long to admire the fragrance.

1. I am thankful for my internet, because it allows me to share my thoughts and ideas with many people. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
2. I am thankful for my computer, because it stores all of my works and is part of my many connections to the world.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
3. I am thankful for the music that uplifts my soul, because it helps me to come up with things to be thankful for.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
4. I am thankful for Rhonda Byrne for sharing all the wonderful Secrets that have been passed down from great minds, because their teachings allow me to become a better person.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
5. I am thankful for my education, because it has given me a foundation upon which my understanding grows.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
6. I am thankful for my teachers, because they come from some of the most unlikely places and have the most wonderful lessons to teach.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
7. I am thankful for the higher power (how ever it is called), because I was blessed to live in this time and in this place to experience the good times and the bad and to learn from those experiences.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
8. I am thankful for the technology that continues to advance, because its advancement may one day truly benefit mankind.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
9. I am thankful for language, because through language I can express my deepest feelings, desires, hopes, and dreams.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
10. I am thankful for my friends and family, because they are supportive of my endeavors and celebrate my accomplishments.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Lesson 2

Find a rock, something that you can easily hold in the palm of your hand.  It can be smooth, or rough, sparkly or dull -it's appearance does not matter as long as you feel as though you can have a connection with it.  At the end of every day pick up your rock and think of one thing -the best thing- that happened during your day and be thankful for that one thing.  Whether it was the fact that you actually had a lunch at work, didn't lose your car keys, or received that promotion.  Hold it tightly and with all your heart be thankful.  Place that rock at your bedside where you will be able to see it every morning when you wake and be able to hold it before you sleep.  This will be your Gratitude Rock.  Showing gratitude for daily events keeps your spirits lifted and (the idea is) will continue to bring better events into your life.

Change your thoughts and you can change your life.  What are you thankful for today?

Positivity Track!

October must be Positive Awareness month along with all the other national insert-your-cause-here awareness!  Maybe it has to do with the change in weather from bright, warm, sunny days to the cooler and sometimes downright crisp transition into winter.  Spirits, I guess, must be on a down ward spin as we prepare ourselves for an emotional hibernation.  What ever the cause or reason for magazines to put in blurbs of how-tos or full on articles about positive thinking it coincides perfectly with my challenge for this month.

In my one and only magazine subscription, Prevention Magazine, there is a one page blurb "4 Moves to Feel Happier."  In a nutshell here are the points (and really there are 5):

1. Dress for success with a "happy" wardrobe -choose colors you associate with being happy, upbeat, and positive.
2. Improve gratitude with a thank you -write to someone who has supported you in some way that really impacted your life, letting them know that their actions really mattered.
3. Elicit the help of strangers to improve enthusiasm -surrounding yourself with an energetic crowd (i.e. a sporting event) can help you push through motivational blocks later on.
4. Improve optimism with an open door -We all remember the lost opportunity, try and remember those opportunities gained by losing that one.
5. Curiosity is the road to knowledge -ever wonder about something?  Dig deeper to find out more and then share with friends and family.

Bolster your mood today!  Try one a day for a week or all of them every day, see how you can change your attitude -not just about the upcoming winter hibernation, but about life, about yourself, and those that you love.  Most of all have fun.  Make a leaf pile to jump in.  Build a fort in the living room (even if you don't have children).  Bake some homemade goodies (from scratch) to bring back those warm childhood memories -and, it makes the house smell nice.

Resource:

Trespicio, Terri (Nov 2012). 4 Moves to Feel Happier.  Prevention, vol 64 (no. 11). pg 30.

Week 1 -10 Things to be Grateful For

I have to admit that within the first three days I was already feeling the changes, even if those changes were just in my own point of view of the world.  Any change for the better, more positive, is always good.  I'll give you the first lesson here, which is done at the start of every day.  While each day has a theme the first lesson is repeated and can be how ever you want as long as you follow these simple directions:

Think of 10 things you are thankful for

What are your reasons for being thankful?

Say thank you 3 times

Feel your gratitude deep within you

Here's mine for today to give you an example:

1. I am truly blessed to have my son, because he is the love of my life.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
2. I am so happy and grateful for my health, because it allows me to be in this beautiful world.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
3. I am truly grateful for my friends, because they bring joy to my life.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
4. With all my heart thank you for my home, because it shelters those that I love.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
5. I am grateful for the trees, because they clean the air and provide oxygen to breathe.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
6. I am truly blessed to have my job, because it allows me to help others.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
7. I am so happy and grateful for my car, because it provides me with a safe and quick way to travel.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
8. I am truly grateful for my pets, because they love me unconditionally.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
9. With all my heart thank you for the good organic food that is available, because pure food keeps my body, mind, and spirit healthy and happy.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.
10. I am grateful to my readers, because they come back to me even when my life gets too busy to write. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Article: Thoughts Control our World

A very interesting article -just a bit more on why we need to be careful on what we think not just about ourselves but on other's and the world.  Gratitude even about the little things can make a dramatic change in how we think.


http://docakilah.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/your-thoughts-create-your-world-patrol-your-mind/

Full of Gratitude

Have you ever read Rhonda Byrne's "The Secret"?  If not, she has recently published a third book. The Secret was followed by The Power, and now to round out the trilogy she has published The Magic. If these titles seem unfamiliar, I highly recommend finding and reading them.  While borrowing them from your local library is awesome, these I would say should be purchased.  Read and re-read, take notes in the margins, underline passages that speak to your soul.

If you have read any one of these books you will know that the underlying theme is one of Gratitude. To be thankful is possibly the most important thing any one of us can be; and not just at Thanks Giving. Gratitude is something that needs to be expressed every day and for everything. Gratitude can change your life and only in the best way possible. It's hard to be grateful for the negative things in life after all. In her newest book, not only does she expound upon the importance of Gratitude, but she has daily lessons to teach you how to bring more Gratitude and the positive changes it creates into your life.

For the month of October, I will be attempting to work my way through all of her lessons.  I have already started posting quotes on my main blog and on Facebook and Twitter found under Health is Spiritual.

I have a lot of wonderful things to be grateful for; an will be expressing that Gratitude publicly, verbally, and personally for the next 30 days. Join me and find your greatness with Gratitude!

www.healthisspiritual.blogspot.com for quotes and other displays of gratitude.

Zumba Check-in

I know! It has been over a week since I introduced this months challenge.  Zumba is a ton of fun and boy does it cause the sweat to run.  The hardest part after a long day at work is waiting to eat dinner till after I press play; doing a Zumba workout on a full stomach highly NOT recommended.   The only benefit to this intense heat/sweat producing dance workout is that the weather here in the Upper Midwest has taken a turn for the cooler -a little earlier than usual but I'm not going to complain just yet.

August -Zumba Anyone?!

Zumba!  It was seen on the last season of "Biggest Loser," discussed on CNN as a way to get children motivated into being more active i.e. Exercise Can Be FUN!  So what is Zumba?  Well, it is a Latin inspired dance-fitness program.  Unlike other group fitness or group dance-fitness crazes Zumba is a different kind of Hot Colombian import that combines the cha-cha with funky Latin beats created by the celebrity fitness trainer Alberto "Beto" Perez.

So why am I talking about Zumba?  Well, I decided that this will be my August Challenge.  20-30 minutes of Zumba daily using my Wii Zumba fitness "game."  

Let the Latin Rhythms Begin!

For more information about Zumba please go to www.healthisspiritual.blogspot.com for a complete look.

My Week of Vacation

I know it has been a while since I have written; but as I warned in my last post, I was on vacation with family.  I am so glad that I made it easier on myself and allowed for slips as the very first meal I was served was penne-pasta.  I didn't take much, but I could tell almost immediately how it made me feel.  While I overloaded on the very fresh tomato sauce and the side salad that consisted mainly of iceberg (a lettuce that is considered a dirty word in my household) I just felt sluggish from the highly processes white pasta.  The rest of the week went a little better as far as meal choices.  Eating out made things really simple where I could ask for wheat and dairy to be removed and load up on the vegetables and protein.

Now that I am home again and finally made it the grocery store to restock my supply of Whole30 diet approved foods, I'm already starting to feel lighter.  I guess I never really noticed how "heavy" wheat products made me feel.  I know I promised myself and all of you that I would supplement my 1 week off with another 2 weeks on, but I have a feeling that this might become a more permanent part of my diet, with the exception that I will be adding in legumes (love me some legumes).

Polling For new ideas

For those of you who follow along I am taking a poll for my August challenge on Facebook.  Look me up and cast your vote or add your own.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Health-is-Spiritual/153755798060524

Missing Yogurt

The one thing that I really have truly missed on this month's challenge is yogurt.  Whole fat Greek yogurt.  There is nothing so satisfying.  To trick myself a bit I decided to make a Whole30 version. I know the diet explicitly states don't make allowable versions of off-limit foods, but I had to try.

My non-yogurt-yogurt
2 tablespoons raw walnuts
4 ounces Almond milk
1 scoop of an allowable protein drink mix
Blend together and pour over fruit.

Absolutely wonderful!  I would have taken a picture, but I ate it all before the thought even crossed my mind.

Week 2

I realized something today; where in the first week and a half eating a high protein breakfast left me feeling hungry within an hour, my body has adjusted to the change so that now that nutrient balance is actually sustainable almost to lunch time.  This week has been interesting with the bout of insomnia and it being employee appreciation week at work (I cheated -I had 1/2 a bagel -and yes it tasted good).  Now the insomnia is over -thanks in part to the demonstration guinea-pig role I played for an acupuncturist- but I am exhausted before the day is even through.  Today especially I just wanted to put my head down on the desk and snooze.  Trying to focus on the computer?  That was an almost impossible task; yet I managed to somehow make it home in once piece and write my blog for this week.  As far as any physical changes that may have or are currently occurring with this change in diet, I can't say that I've really noticed anything thus far.  Starting Saturday I will be on vacation with family -I have debated how to handle vacation, family, and the Whole30.  The only truly successful solution that I can think of is to put the diet on hold for those 8 days and tack on an extra week in August to make up for it, so in reality it will end up being more than 30 days.  I'm not saying that I'm going to go on an 8 day binge and eat all the bread and potatoes that I have not been able to eat, I will still attempt to stick closely to the guidelines, I'm just not going to make meal time difficult for myself or for my family.

Chia Seeds! Power packed into a little Package

As this image below shows, this is one of the reasons I eat Chia seeds.  They have a slight nutty flavor, but otherwise like rice or couscous they tend to take on the flavor of whatever they are mixed with.  This is the base of my Chia pudding.  To make Chia Pudding take an amount of Chia seeds and soak in double that amount of water.  Let soak for 10 minutes, stir to break up any clumps and let sit for another 10 or until all the water is gone -this is called Chia gel and can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.  All that's left is to mix in whatever you want, berries, almond milk, regular milk, some seasonings like cinnamon and or vanilla.  All that's left is to enjoy!

Reference:

YummyMummyKitchen (2012). Chia Seeds. [Image] found on 12 July 2012 @

http://www.yummymummykitchen.com/2012/06/bikini-ready-tropical-chia-smoothie.html

Week 1

I didn't think that I would see too many differences between my normal diet and the Whole30 diet.  I have to admit that according to my fitbit (which can record sleep habits) I have not been waking at 1am which has been a normal occurrence for probably the last year or so.  Better sleep is a definite plus, although the past two nights I've just seemed to have too much energy to really go to sleep; must be all that good organic food.  

Chia/Sunflower Pudding

On two separate nights, both following a swim, I woke with leg cramps in my calf muscles not quite as severe as a Charlie horse but still rather painful.  Because of the amount of fresh vitamins and minerals I have been receiving through this diet they can't be caused by a deficiency, except maybe potassium since I haven't had any banana's for over a week and though sweet potatoes and yams I believe are OK to have I just haven't had any.  I plan on going for another swim this afternoon, so I will be sure to stretch my calves afterward and see if the issue occurs again tonight.

sunflowers paste and soaking

I am still having hunger issues, but now carry mixed nuts (minus peanuts) with me to work.  Over the weekend I soaked some raw sunflower seeds to make my own sunflower version of Tahini.  That combined with chia gel, some fresh fruit with seasonings, and a little almond milk make a great any time dessert like snack.  I think I might try spreading the sunflower paste into some celery sticks to make a version of ants on a log.  Yum!  

Well here’s to the start of week 2!

Creative Ideas in Cooking

While looking through my cookbooks for ways to create meals within the guidelines I came across my Raw Food UnCook-Cookbook: "The Raw Gourmet" by Nomi Shannon.  While some recipes call for the grains on the DO NOT HAVE list, there are more than enough recipes to hopefully stave off food boredom.  Add some grilled chicken breast or a nice fish filet and I will have some power packed meals. 


 I also looked on line and found this other beauty: "Raw Energy" by Stephanie Tourles, filled with quick and easy snacks that will make for easy on hand food items for when those hunger strikes take over with a vengeance.  Since I don't own this one, I've requested it from my local library -I'm hoping it arrives soon!

Dealing With Hunger

I'm not even done with the first week and already I'm finding it hard to eat enough to quench my hunger.  I've never been a really big fan of bread or bread products, but my typical simple breakfast of a small 1 cup bowl of cereal was always enough to keep me satisfied till lunch.  I'm missing my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cheese.  Potatoes and corn -again, like bread, not a main stay on my traditional menu so not a big deal there.
I will of course confess that hunger and boredom won out twice over the last four days.  Boredom on the 4th of July because it was too hot to cook or do anything else for that matter -but I will say I did an outstanding job drinking my allotment of water (something I have always struggled with).  Then there was yesterday (Friday).  The end of a long hot and humid week, I was desperately craving a pick-me up.  A dark chocolate mocha in the morning was just enough to suffice, but when I over cooked my filet of cod in the microwave at lunch and the power went out an hour later forcing the temperatures to rise within the office, I suddenly found someone handing me a 4 ounce sized Root Beer Float and rather than be good, I just smiled and sucked it down.
So much for the start of my first week.  This is only an experiment after all and once again I cannot hold myself up to be a perfect human specimen -with that in mind I will just try harder to work around my two failings: boredom and hunger.

July's Challenge: Elimination

July's Challenge is based off a 30 day elimination diet plan that has had great success and rave reviews. The Whole 30 diet allows you to reboot your body’s natural systems through the elimination of common allergen triggers such as dairy and wheat (grains) plus others. If you answer yes to any of the following questions this might be something to try: 

•  Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent? 
•  Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury? 
•  Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try? 
•  Do you have some sort of condition (like skin issues, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies or fertility issues) that medication hasn't helped?
• Do you suffer from chronic headaches or migraines?

Through the process of removing foods that are causing your body to react and attack we can allow our body to process and rebuild sometimes eliminating the unexplained symptoms that have plagued us and that our health care provider just cannot seem to cure.

What gets eliminated in this diet?  A lot!

• All added sugars
• All grains
• Dairy
• Alcohol
• Legumes -even peanuts
• Processed Additives
• White Potatoes

What stays in this diet? Even more!

• Pure Proteins -nitrate free pork is a must
• Vegetables -green beans and peas are allowed
• Nuts and Seeds -peanuts excluded as they are really a legume
• Limited daily intake of fruits

The Last Step

The last step of course is setting out to do this, 100%, no cheating or make-shifting foods into healthy versions of junk alternatives, checking labels for hidden sugars and unwanted additives, and of course having fun.

If you would like to learn more you can visit the Whole30 website or read this book:

http://whole9life.com/2012/01/whole-30-v2012/

June's Final Numbers

Well my first 30 days of experiment are over.  My total number of steps almost reached 600,000 with total miles equaling close to 240.  I lost around 5 pounds, a nice bonus to the experiment, and increased my lean muscle mass.  I feel great and have been sleeping better.  While I certainly enjoyed the daily walking regimen  -which I will continue- I'm not going to make it mandatory.   A few days out of each week where I strive to reach that lofty goal is just fine.  As you can see by the log, it became increasingly more difficult to maintain 20,000 daily steps.  Of course it does not help that I left the pedometer on the charger for an entire evening while I shuffled along on the treadmill, but the point was not about trying to break records or forcing myself to walk even when I didn't feel like I could, the idea was to just try something different, to do the best I could, and to just have fun.

Now on to the next 30 days!

Week 3

I am almost done with my first set of 30 days.  I will post a final commentary on how I did; but to catch up with week 3 -it was a very hard week for me.  My legs hurt, my son was leaving to go out of town for 10 weeks, and overall I really just didn't have the urge or the want to make sure I hit my 20,000 step mark.  To say that this lofty goal is easy well it's not.  My third week was pitiful.  Having life get in the way even for just one or two day's really deterred the momentum that I had built the first two weeks.  This of course can certainly be counted as one of those life lessons that just because things didn't go the way I wanted or had planned for the entirety of the month, did not mean that I had to give up or throw in the towel for good.  Once the drama had tapered I got right back on that 20,000 step goal and plowed it out and will for the next few more days.

Week 2

Here I am another week down.  I've had to find clever ways to get my steps in every day.  I've started parking at the top of the parking ramp forcing myself to walk down 4 flights of stairs to get to the office and of course back up those same 4 flights at the end of the day.  Walking the dog every day, which she absolutely loves, turning some music on and dancing with my son just be fun and crazy, and some time consuming things like folding each item in the laundry basket and walking them one at a time to be put away.  This of course is on top of nightly walks and jogs on the treadmill.  

There are many creative ways to make sure that we can all get in our daily steps, even if you aren't trying to reach the lofty goal of 20,000 steps every day -just making sure you make it to 10,000 can make a big change.  Some fun ways to get those extra weekly miles can be as simple as taking a walk in a local park.  Grabbing a camera and taking pictures of things that inspire you or things that you feel are just plain beautiful.  If nature's not your thing and you really don't feel that you "get along" with the great out doors, there are plenty of shopping malls that have indoor walking clubs -just don't buy everything you see.

Well - maybe some more inspiration next time- I have to finish my steps for today!  Keep Walking!

Finishing Week 1

One week ago today I embarked on my first 30 day experiment.  To walk 20,000 steps per day; and let me tell you -it’s a lot harder than you think.  The photo is off my fitbit tracker website.  I added the red lines in the hopes of making it easier to see; the vertical line being my start date June 1st.  Some of the physical benefits I have noticed just within the first week include: added visible definition to my thigh muscles a loss of 2 pounds and a loss of 1 inch from my thighs and 5 inches from my waist (which I did not know there was that much to lose).  Note I didn't take my first set of measurements until June 3 so I was already into my experiment.  Some of the down sides to all this extra walking, well my feet hurt even in good walking shoes -a hike around the lake with the dog on Tuesday night was definitely noted.  I've also been experience interruptions in my sleep -waking at 1 or 2 in the morning.  I would not have thought that more movement would have equated to the need for less sleep, but I'm not tired throughout the day despite the early rise (almost 4 hours before the alarm).

Here's to another week.  May my feet get stronger!

Day 2

Just to warn you, I will not bore you with a day by day account of how I am accomplishing my generous amount of steps.  But just a note about day 1: I worked a double shift, and while I can typically rack up 8,000-10,000 steps in a normal work shift I must have had a rather easy day.  When I arrived home @ 10:30pm I had only managed to accumulate just over 11,000.  Rather than hopping on the treadmill to pound out the last of my steps, I decided to treat my poor dog that had spent the entire day inside to a late night walk.  Besides the fact that it was an absolutely gorgeous night it took me almost the remaining time till midnight to complete the last of my steps.  Whereby I crawled into bed rather tired a few minutes past the witching hour.  Day 1 certainly seems a clue that I will need to pay more attention to my steps throughout the day as I will undoubtedly not survive the next 29 days if I'm finishing up just a few hours before I need to hit the snooze button.

Day 1

So here I am attempting something new for the next 30 days.  I thought I would start out simple.  I have this pedometer by Fitbit.com that electronically tracks my steps, miles, rests, and sleeping habits.  I have been good at getting close to 10,000 steps a day so for the next 30 days I will attempt to double this number to 20,000 steps.  So what this means is that even if at the end of my day, I'm not quite there, I will have to get myself on to the treadmill till I have achieved this goal before I can go to bed.  Wish me Luck!

The Premise