Heartiness Approach Begins Anew

Life is about continuing on, never quitting and starting anew. Discouragement be hanged. Seven years ago last month we began the "get healthy" journey. It worked extremely well for three years. Then we found ourselves living where others fed us what they ate, our time was filled with too much of life and our habits did not get lived to the extent of the prior three years. Although during these seven years we have never gone completely backwards, we have found ourselves with enlarged mid-drifts and weight gain. Especially this last year when we have been managing an Independent Living community, We have struggled to eat the correct foods in the correct amounts, cooked in the correct oils and other ingredients. We knew when we took this job that eating would be a problem. We have not gained what some of our residents have gained because we don't eat a roll at every meal, We don't eat the pasta and all the potato dishes and we don't eat all the desserts. We now have cut out all but perhaps one dessert a week and it has to be worth it. All that said, we have found ourselves depressed, overworked and overeating. SO....We begin again, but not just for ourselves but for all seniors who want to enjoy life and food and still eat correctly. Follow us on our journey to get healthy again. 

The Heartiness Approach is being revitalized to be an active blog and an active website. We hope to flood it with information so others can learn what we know and so we can live what we know. We follow many organizations, books and blogs, but we pick and choose and must have evidenced-based research to back up anything we live or teach. Many of you know that Rhenda was getting her Master's in Holistic Nutrition. She had to reevaluate her priorities and stop the program because of time constraints in her life. She is still using her information and books and research to put together a sound well-documented program for her, for us, and for you. 

Heartiness Approach incorporates four sections.
1. Whole Foods
2. Exercise & Fitness
3. Homesteading
4. Stress Management

Holistic Nutrition Study of Whole Food and Refined Foods

I am doing a study with eight participates in five different states for my Master's Program in Holistic Nutrition.  Whole foods are full of wonderful vitamins, minerals and nutrients that our bodies require and love. Refined foods have so many of the nutrients removed with multiple additives. Each participate will be asked to remove refined foods from their diet for a period of two weeks. This is a public blog although the following is not huge yet. Use the comment section to report your progress, support others, share your obstacles, ask questions and write whatever is on your mind.

I will add recipes, additional information, and notes of encouragement along the way. 

Most of all enjoy the flavor, color and taste of eating whole foods. Share what you are learning and enjoying about it. 

   

Self Talk.......Stress

Stress is most likely the biggest catalyst I have for weight gain, nausea, illness, and eating concerns. It seems that no matter how much I talk to myself, there are times when I feel myself slip and can almost physically watch it happen. I know when I am at a low point and the emotional stress becomes physical. Why is that I cannot make my mind respond when I say, "Snap out of this". I am a happy person. I am known for my smile, my caring for others, my compassion and empathy. I love to put others first and I love to interact with them. Caring for the needs of others is the driving force in my life. Others tell me that "the caring" sometimes hurts me because I care too much. How do you treat someone, "Christ-like" too much?

Emotional health preempts diet, activity, and sleep. It trumps any other activity I am doing no matter how much I use "self-talk" to help me stay in control. Writing is perhaps the best thing I can do. Talking is great therapy for me, but when I talk I am talking to someone and if they don't really want to hear what I am saying, then I come away empty and unfulfilled, feeling less important with additional emotions. I have conquered the diet concerns regarding what and how to eat. I sleep well most of the time. But I can't turn my head or heart off.

Conquering emotional stress in a positive way is perhaps the most important objective I have in my personal life.