Post #4

What concepts from this weeks reading do I want to integrate into my life? This becomes a challenge because I will have to increase the amount of food I eat. I don't eat much because I don't feel hungry. Seventy percent of the time I eat healthy foods, the goal now is to have even more healthy foods in my diet.

1. Exercise: This will probably the hardest thing to do. I've never been very athletic. I can start walking more, especially as the weather cools off, and I can take my dog. He will love that.

2. Drinking more water: Even though I have severely reduced the amount of soda I drink, I have not replaced it with the corresponding amount of water. I grew up drinking the tap water here in Phoenix, so bottled water tastes tinny to me and I don't drink it. I do drink a glass of water every morning. I will increase the amount of water I drink to three glasses of water a day and decrease the other drinks I used to substitute for soda. I will continue to bless the water before I drink it.

3. Fresh fruit: This is one that will require me to increase my intake of food in general. If I were to eat only when I was hungry, I would only eat every other day, which is not good. I do love fresh fruits, I am working towards eating more organic fruits. I will have more of a variety of fruits to choose from.

4. Vegetables: I don't eat canned vegetables, I will though incorporate more fresh vegetables. Frozen vegetables are the norm for dinner, or at least when dinner is made. I do have a vegetable/rice steamer that I could put into use more often.

5. Breathe: Remembering to breathe deeply. It is important to oxygenate the body. It is also a great way to relieve stress and clear the mind. It is also a way for the body to expel toxins.

6. Meditate: This is also just taking time to unwind, time to sit and contemplate my belly button. My sister sent me the Artists Way workbook, one of the first things that you do everyday is to write three pages in the morning of the random thoughts that are going through your head. After doing this for just a few days I noticed that I wasn't distracted by random thoughts, things that I needed to do, worry's or doubts. I have even come up with an idea for this years' NaNoWriMo (see the group I started on SWIHA Connections called Novel Writers Unite for more info), and I've even started writing the ideas down and the first charater profile. I do consider this a type of meditation.

7. Concentrated Tea: I need to make this again. I use teas and herbs that are for specific health concerns. I chose what would strengthen my kidneys, liver function, and lungs. I am the only one in the house that doesn't smoke, so I'm inhaling a lot of secondhand smoke even though I have my own smoke free room.

Some of these things I'm already doing, some I have to increase, some will be easier to do, and I will have to increase the amount of food I eat. I'm not worried about gaining weight because eating healthier foods doesn't mean an increase in calories that will be stored in my body as fat.