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Aimee's Soapbox!
March 2004: “The Simply Fit Lifestyle Program”
Ready for a road trip?!
Hello, Groovy Readers. For the next few months, we are going on a road trip. OK, it's not really an
actual road trip. More an internal road trip. A self inventory. You are going to cruise all the
highways and byways of your physical, mental, and emotional self. And this is one trip where you are
trying to unload your baggage rather than pack itl
This is the Simply Fit Lifestyle Program. It is a 16-week overhaul of your current lifestyle in which
you try new things, learn what works and what doesn't, and hopefully adopt new habits which contribute
to a healthier and more productive lifestyle (hence the name....). If you have been reading the first
two Soapbox articles, you may have noticed the theme of review, reflect, and redo. So now it's time
to put it all into action. In the next four Soapbox's I will be presenting my four-month plan for a
lifestyle renovation. There are worksheets and guides and new ideas to ponder. As with most things in
life, you can get out of it whatever you put into it.
So, if you are ready, hop into the driver's seat, put the top down, throw it into first, and get going!
WEEK ONE AND TWO: Understanding the Mind-Body-Spirit Connection
WHAT
The holistic approach has been receiving a great deal of attention lately. This concept, however, is
not new; it has existed for thousands of years in most Eastern cultures. The basic premise is that
every living thing is a unified whole of mind and body and spirit, and that the whole can be seen in
any one of the parts. In order to achieve balance in life, and thus enjoy health and happiness, you
need all parts of you to be sound. To think that the lack of fulfillment you might have in your job
has nothing to do with your recent backaches is to fool yourself. An imbalance in one area will
eventually affect the others.
HOW
While introspection and self-analysis can be helpful, it is often difficult to be objective about
yourself. Therefore, you may want to look into some of the following resources:
READ: Check out books on areas that are new to you, such as Ayurvedic medicine or Yoga.
TALK: Interview alternative healthcare practitioners about their philosophies and services.
SURF: Go online and learn about Pilates, NLP, and Reiki. Most websites have cool links too.
YOUR MISSION
Choose one of the areas (mind, body, spirit) you'd like to learn about. Then read a book or article
or website about that area. Learn one fact about that area. Apply that fact to your life in some
way for each day of the next two weeks:
AREA I CHOSE:
RESOURCE:
FACT I LEARNED:
HOW I APPLIED IT:
WEEKS THREE AND FOUR: Drink Up!
WHAT
A general rule of thumb for daily liquid intake is to drink the same number of ounces as half your
weight (e.g. for a 100 lb. person, drink 50 ounces of water). However, if you are active, feeling
sick, or in a stressful situation, you will need more. Any non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic beverage
will count toward your daily requirement. (Caffeine and alcohol are diuretics and therefore do not
count.) So if you do not enjoy plain water, you may subsitute juice, lemonade, etc.
Proper hydration is necessary to maintain cellular function, to eliminate waste and toxins from the
body, and to keep the skin and other organs healthy. Also, you may experience bloating, headache,
muscle cramping, and, yes, even water retention if you are dehydrated. Since your body is mostly
water, you need to drink enough to keep it running efficiently.
HOW
The best way to drink more is to keep your beverage of choice accessible.
WATER BOTTLE: Have one at work, one in the car, one at home.
COOLER/FILTER: You are more likely to drink water that tastes good.
ROUTINE: Make it a habit to have one glass every time you wake up, eat, watch TV, etc. Associate
the act of drinking wtih each of these things.
YOUR MISSION
Determine your ounces needed (half your weight in pounds = your daily ounces). Remember that
caffeinated drinks, sodas, and alcoholic beverages do not count. Record your daily intake for two
weeks. Notice how you feel on fully hydrated days compared to under-hydrated days, especially during
workouts
Coming up...
It usually takes two weeks or so to establish a new habit, which is why I have spaced each of these
"homework assignments" two weeks apart. Enjoy practicing your new habits this month without judging
your "success" or "failure." Remember that those are merely part of the learning process! In the next
article, we will be tackling "Posture" and "Junk Food." Till then.... keep on learning!
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