A few years ago, my friend, Aisha, told me about this great magazine: Body + Soul (since renamed to Whole Living). It has great recipes and articles about health (both mental and physical) and she had a free issue sent to my house. I was hooked immediately!
The magazine offers great healthy recipes, varying by season, that include calorie counts and other nutritional information. There are tips and reminders to take time for yourself and they even give suggestions on what you can do or how you can do it. They offer recipes for home remedies using herbs and things you may already have around the house, instructions for yoga poses to help with certain aches, pains, or stressors in your life, etc.
One of my favorite things is when they publish their Challenge of the Day – and better yet – their 21-Day Challenges for the New Year. These challenges often come with recipes and exercises to help you plan ahead and stick with it.
A friend recently reminded me how possible it is to find inspiration and actually act upon it. I found inspiration in the December issue of Whole Living and here are some of the details of the plan that I intend to take on next week:
Whole Living Action Plan: 21-Day Challenge
Week 1
- Detox!
- Only fruits and veggies
- No dairy or processed foods
Week 2
- Experiment with more nutrient-rich whole foods
- Add protein back into diet
Week 3
- Reintroduce gluten-free grains and eggs
Things to Skip:
- Processed foods or beverages
- Added sugar
- Dairy
- Gluten
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
I am even planning on incorporating as many as their “7 Secrets to a Successful Cleanse” as I can into my plan.
- I have already set my goals for what I want to achieve.
- I have informed key people in my day-to-day life about the changes I want to make, including people in my online social networks for added support.
- I have not invited a friend to join me, however, because I’m not so sure anyone would like to partake in such a strict plan.
- Luckily, I have always watched my intake of water, and I’m confident that I can keep myself hydrated. (The magazine recommends EIGHT 8-ounce glasses a day!)
- This part will be challenging, but I’m going to put major effort into spacing out my meals instead of nibbling all day so I can even out my metabolism.
- For the week before my ‘detox’ begins, I have been practicing keeping a food journal to ease into it next week. Here’s the one I ordered:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0963796836/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details
And yes, you can opt to do this in an app on your phone or online, but I find it more satisfying to write things down in a notebook.
- I will do my best to stick to the menu of recipes laid out for each week without jumping ahead.
I plan to update the blog as the weeks progress, including which areas I have been successful in or where I’ve experienced failure.
Cheers!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Fresh Start
2011 has been a year full of challenges, losses, changes, and opportunities for growth. Many tears were shed, but, fortunately, laughter and love still found a way into my life.
Though I don’t want to dwell on the details of the sadness from the year, I will say that having experienced it with the support of my friends and family has given me the strength to come out the other side inspired to make positive changes in my life.
One of the major changes that took place this year was a move that took me from Cincinnati, my home of two years, to eastern Ohio, where much of my family lives and where I spent every summer growing up. My local support network changed from my Notre Dame-AmeriCorps group to several members of both sides of my family.
After being unemployed since the end of my two-year stint with AmeriCorps in July, a new job and regular schedule was very welcome this month. Feeling more secure in my career path over the past few weeks has allowed me to think more about what I want in terms of personal goals.
One of my personal goals involves a couple levels of self-improvement.
The first level is mental. I’ve already started working towards this goal by testing my willpower when it comes to healthier choices. For instance, I decided on November 27th, 2011 that I would no longer consume alcohol. I have made it through a full month and I feel much better physically, not to mention the satisfying feeling of my success in ‘sticking with it’.
The next is on the physical level. I’ve had arthritis for as long as I can remember and I’m pretty sure my metabolism has been slowing down steadily over the past several years. The past few months of lacking a regular schedule has hurt me in the ‘eating well department’. I’ve decided to take control and make some lifestyle changes regarding my diet and exercise.
My diet. I know the basics about what’s good for me and what’s not, but sticking with it is the difficult part and usually requires a degree of planning ahead when it comes to meals. I have a recipe box of some healthful meals that I’ll try from time to time, but I’m calling on my favorite magazine for help. Whole Living magazine is all about physical and mental health and happens to have a “Clean Eating Action Plan – 21-Day Challenge” that I plan on utilizing.
My exercise. I love to walk. I love how I feel after practicing yoga. I need to lose a few pounds of extra body fat. I would like to increase muscle mass. There you have it. My exercise goal is to do an hour of yoga 2-4 times per week, and walk 3 miles 1-2 times per week. I will feel better with all the stretching and strengthening, not to mention being able to brag about my long walks. :)
Another goal is to spend more time with the people I care about.
If 2011 has taught me anything, it’s that time with loved ones is precious and shouldn’t be taken for granted. I’m still working on the details, but living next door to Gramma and Grampa will prove beneficial to my reaching my goal. :)
I am hoping that blogging about my goals and progress will ensure my accountability to my readers (friends and family) and to myself.
Here’s to starting 2012 on the right foot and keeping up with new goals!
Though I don’t want to dwell on the details of the sadness from the year, I will say that having experienced it with the support of my friends and family has given me the strength to come out the other side inspired to make positive changes in my life.
One of the major changes that took place this year was a move that took me from Cincinnati, my home of two years, to eastern Ohio, where much of my family lives and where I spent every summer growing up. My local support network changed from my Notre Dame-AmeriCorps group to several members of both sides of my family.
After being unemployed since the end of my two-year stint with AmeriCorps in July, a new job and regular schedule was very welcome this month. Feeling more secure in my career path over the past few weeks has allowed me to think more about what I want in terms of personal goals.
One of my personal goals involves a couple levels of self-improvement.
The first level is mental. I’ve already started working towards this goal by testing my willpower when it comes to healthier choices. For instance, I decided on November 27th, 2011 that I would no longer consume alcohol. I have made it through a full month and I feel much better physically, not to mention the satisfying feeling of my success in ‘sticking with it’.
The next is on the physical level. I’ve had arthritis for as long as I can remember and I’m pretty sure my metabolism has been slowing down steadily over the past several years. The past few months of lacking a regular schedule has hurt me in the ‘eating well department’. I’ve decided to take control and make some lifestyle changes regarding my diet and exercise.
My diet. I know the basics about what’s good for me and what’s not, but sticking with it is the difficult part and usually requires a degree of planning ahead when it comes to meals. I have a recipe box of some healthful meals that I’ll try from time to time, but I’m calling on my favorite magazine for help. Whole Living magazine is all about physical and mental health and happens to have a “Clean Eating Action Plan – 21-Day Challenge” that I plan on utilizing.
My exercise. I love to walk. I love how I feel after practicing yoga. I need to lose a few pounds of extra body fat. I would like to increase muscle mass. There you have it. My exercise goal is to do an hour of yoga 2-4 times per week, and walk 3 miles 1-2 times per week. I will feel better with all the stretching and strengthening, not to mention being able to brag about my long walks. :)
Another goal is to spend more time with the people I care about.
If 2011 has taught me anything, it’s that time with loved ones is precious and shouldn’t be taken for granted. I’m still working on the details, but living next door to Gramma and Grampa will prove beneficial to my reaching my goal. :)
I am hoping that blogging about my goals and progress will ensure my accountability to my readers (friends and family) and to myself.
Here’s to starting 2012 on the right foot and keeping up with new goals!
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