8 Weeks To Optimum Health: Week One Concluded

"The eight-week program consists of small steps that build on each other until, by the time you complete it, you have laid the foundation for healthy living. You can then decide how much of the program you want to maintain on a permanent basis. It's all about changing behavior. You are probably not addicted to drugs, but you may have other habits that are keeping you from experiencing optimum health." -Andrew Weil,  author of 8 Weeks To Optimum Health

WEEK ONE: CONCLUDED (of Andrew Weil's Eight-Week program)

Congratulations! You have completed week one.

I apologize for the delay and inconsistency. Every Sunday, from here on out, I will post weekly summaries (for the following week) of challenges/project/exercises until we have completed the 8 week program.

Projects:
-throw out all oils other than olive oil

NOTES:
Simple task.
I have always known that olive oil is the best to use.
Olive oil, of course, is the most expensive of all oils. However, if you are avoiding using large amounts of oil, price won't really be issue because you are not buying it in abundance. 
My mother uses vegetable oil... I grew up using vegetable oil...I cook with vegetable oil.  
Vegetable oil, in comparison, seems to be a step down from olive oil, yet, a step up from the rest.

-get rid of any margarine, solid vegetable shortenings, and products made with them
Umm yea, this was hard, at first thought.
Turned out to be pretty simple.
I was just conditioned to eat butter with my pancakes... not necessary.

-throw out any artificial sweeteners, any products w/ artificial coloring
I never drank diet soda or used artificial sweeteners.
Now, the artificial coloring challenge?? ... I was shocked at a lot of things once I became conscious of reading labels.
A lot... A lot of food is made with artificial coloring. Had to avoid a lot of my old favorites trying to apply this rule.

-start reading food labels! Do not buy products whose labels list more chemicals than recognizable ingredients.
Forward consciousness at its finest !!
READ LABELS !!!! What in the HELL are they putting in our food???????

Diet: 
-Have fresh broccoli twice this week.
This was easy. Broccoli is one of my favorite foods.

-Eat salmon at least once this week.
Another simple task for me. I became a pescatarian in July of 2012. Fish is all I eat.


Supplements:
Start taking vitamin C. 1,000-2,000 milligrams with breakfast, dinner, and at bedtime.
I had been taking vitamin C. I wasn't taking the recommended dosage and I wasn't taking it daily.
I did not know humans have lost the ability to make vitamin C and need it every day from a dietary source.

Exercise:
Try to walk ten minutes a day five days this week.

Simple. I walk/jog two miles everyday to the beach.

Mental/Spiritual:





Think about your own experiences of healing. Make a list of illnesses or injuries or problems you have recovered from in the past two years. Note down anything you did to speed the healing process.

*The mental/spiritual challenges are by far my favorite part of the eight-week program.

Illnesses:
Heartbreak: Nothing but patience & positivity
Breast Cyst/Tumor: A change in diet... specifically caffeine.

Begin to practice observing your breathing for five minutes every day.
This changed my life. I can't begin to explain how. Observing your breathing is therapeutic...its nothing short of meditation.

Buy some flowers to keep in your home, where you can enjoy them.
I did one better.... I picked some flowers. :)

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*Week one went extremely well for me. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I had already been practicing a lot of the week one recommendations/projects/challenges in my day to day life.

See ya next week !

Maryam-Z