It’s Monday already?! Why does time go by faster on the weekends?
Monday can mean only one thing, it’s time for a week in review. I will start by saying that this past week we had the flu making the rounds in our house. It ended with me getting sick on Friday. I finally felt human again on Sunday. Then last night I started to feel sick again. No fun! Playing nurse and being sick took a big chunk of time from the week, so I didn’t get to accomplish as many of my fitness goals as I’d like. That’s alright. Every day starts anew, so I’ll hit it hard this week.
Overall, this is what I’ve been working on.
THYROID REHAB CHOICE B, WEEK 1 – HEAVY METAL DETOX
Here’s the thing. I’ve been having all of these stomach and digestive issues, and feeling terrible. What I’m not sure is whether they’re from the flu, from the Heavy Metal Detox I’ve been doing, or a combination of both.
One thing to be aware of, if you’re going to do a heavy metal detox, is that you might notice some symptoms getting worse before they get better. Before you wind up feeling better and seeing improvements in your health, you might actually feel worse at first for a brief period of time.
This is a sign that your body is going through changes that might not feel very great, but ultimately they will leave you healthier once you get through them. Remember that your body heals itself, and in the process you might need to go through a transition phase that feels uncomfortable. Potential heavy metal detox symptoms can include:
- Bloating and gas.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Diarrhea or constipation.
- A skin rash.
- Changes in appetite.
- Low energy.
- Metallic or sour taste in the mouth.
Sounds a lot like the flu, right? Hopefully it passes quickly. If my issues are because of the Heavy Metal Detox, it’s all worth it.
MINDFULNESS PROGRAM WEEK 6
I wrapped up week six of the Mindfulness Program. I loved this week! The whole week was about compassion and kindness. The chapter in the book is titled “Friending Yourself.” When was the last time you talked to yourself kindly? Gave yourself permission to feel the way you’re feeling? To honestly wish for and work toward true healing deep down in your darkest places and worst scars? Yeah, me too. It was such a cathartic week that I’m probably going to do it again after week eight when I finish the program. Or just continue to do the meditations every day.
This week’s habit releaser was doing an act of kindness. I try to be pretty kind as a rule of living, but I did have an opportunity land in my lap. UPS delivered a package to our house that wasn’t for us. It looked to be something medical. Instead of calling UPS, even though I was sick, I looked up the address and dropped it off at the guy’s house myself. He seemed surprised that I would bother. In my mind I was just happy that my kids could see me doing something kind for someone. I try to parent by example, so that was a great opportunity for all of us.
SCIENCE OF WELL-BEING COURSE WEEKS 1-3
I went back and forth on whether or not I’d actually complete this course. It’s offered by Yale, and facilitated through Coursera.com. The first week of the class was the week we went on Spring Break vacation. I watched the introduction before we left and didn’t feel inspired.
Then over the weekend I took a second look. I’m glad I did! I finished the first three weeks, and feel like I’ve learned so much. The class is called the SCIENCE of well-being because the professor sites study after study for her assertions. And she makes quite a few of them. The gist being that we believe things like more money, having awesome stuff, and the perfect body will make us happier. Time and time she showed the science that proves that’s not true. Did you know after $75,000/year an increase in your income has no correlation to your measure of happiness?
I’m looking forward to learning more. She’s going to outline what we should be working toward to feel happier, dispelling more misinformation about happiness, and explaining how and why our brain tricks us into the fool’s errand of chasing the wrong dreams.
Something else we worked on was finding out what our strengths are. The strengths of our character – humility, curiosity, etc. Why is this important to know? Because 80% of our time and energy should be spent on our strengths. Using them, building them, and letting them lead us. I always thought my time should be spent getting better at the things I’m not great at. But by doing that I’ll only just be okay at things. If I shift my energy and focus onto my strengths I have the potential to be really great at something. And everything else can be worked with, delegated, or worked around.
21 DAY PLANK CHALLENGE
Despite feeling sick I did manage to start the 21-day Plank Challenge. You can learn more here…
https://vitallivinglife.wordpress.com/2018/04/14/21-day-plank-challenge/
I don’t think I’ll have a six-pack when I’m done. However, my abs are one of my least favorite parts of my body at the moment and I like the idea of keeping a laser focus on them. As a bonus, it starts slow and easy, so I can ease into it.
21 DAY FIT & FIERCE PROGRAM
Instead of rewriting my workout plan, I’ve decided to scrap the whole thing for the time being. Instead I enrolled in a 21-day Fit & Fierce Workout program. Twenty-one days is what it takes to make a habit out of something. Motivation is a great way to start something, but you need habits to make it last.
I like this particular program because I can do it as many times as I want. Some of the people in the reviews mentioned they just keep cycling the program over and over and love their results.
I’m hoping I learn more than just the workouts. I want to learn the structure, the flow, and the intent behind the program so that when I’m through and ready to get back to tailoring my own program I have more insight into what works.
Did I mention her warm-ups are all yoga flows? Hell yes!
HEALTH & FITNESS GOALS
- Get Gut Healthy Again, Get Over Flu/Heavy Metal Detox Symptoms
- Daily Workouts with the Fit & Fierce Program
- Daily Plank Challenges
- Daily Walks
- Continue Healthy Eating, Continuing to Draw Down the Amount of Animal Protein I’m Eating
THE OAR
We’ve always had a website. In the past it just redirected back to our Facebook page because that’s where 99% of our action was happening. However, Vital Living has grown our presence across different platforms – Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and our website. So we needed a central hub that didn’t require someone to be logged in to see, and didn’t have a stigmatism attached (sorry Facebook). So…
This past week we set up our webpage on WordPress.com. Now our website redirects to “The Oar – A Site by Vital Living.” We’re in the process of moving our articles, reviews and content over. Thank you for your patience and support during this time.
I’ve been asked, “Why call it ‘The Oar?’” My response is this. When you’re captaining your ship, how do you move it forward and steer? You use your oar. For me, The Oar represents the direction and purpose of my life. My intent and purpose is to help others realize and embrace a healthy life full of vitality. Everybody deserves to feel healthy and vital. The Oar will help us steer our ships in a gentle, kind, and holistic way.
I have to say, I LOVE our new site. I love the style and the layout. I also love how easy having one central place to post from makes my life.
If you enjoy the new site, and appreciate the energy and content we’re putting out there, please show your support and “follow” us. There’s a link at the bottom of the homepage you can click to do just that. Our articles and inspiration get delivered straight to your email inbox every time we post.
That’s it for this week. There were big downs but also big ups, and some proud moments. I’ll keep in touch again next week to let you know how everything is working out. Once I’m further into the workout program I’ll say more about it. I don’t like to review or post links until I’ve genuinely tried things out. I hope you can appreciate that.
Take some time this week to think about your strengths, and how to build on them. That’s where your success lies.
Vital Living Life 