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Aimee's Soapbox!
June 2004: “The Simply Fit Lifestyle Program”
The Journey, not the Destination. . .
Take your hands off the figurative wheel for just a moment and give yourself a big hand. You did it!
Here you are, nearing the end of this particular journey, and you are still with me! Yay! Now, of course,
you know that it's really the journey and not the destination, and you actually still have to complete this month,
but hey, it's always groovy to give yourself props for how far you've come already.
And so, onward and upward! Here are this month's topics:
WEEKS THIRTEEN AND FOURTEEN: To Supplement or not to Supplement?
WHAT
There are a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements on the market today. An analysis
of them would require more space than there is here. Now, I know that this is a touchy subject, and everyone
will have an opinion. To be perfectly honest, you will probably be able to find all kinds of research to support
whatever stance you take on supplements. But, since this column is clearly about my opinion, I will share with you
MY beliefs on the topic. At the very least, it will give you a different perspective and maybe something new to think
about and research on your own.
First, you should be aware that there are USP (United States Pharmacopoeia) supplements and whole-food
supplements. As the names would suggest, the USP supplements are pharmaceutically synthesized items (that is,
they are created in a lab from non-food sources and are molecularly similar to the vitamins found in food), and the
whole-food supplements are created from actual food sources. Second, you should be aware that USP supplements are often
not as bio-available as whole-food vitamins. For example, in third-party studies of the absorbability of various calcium
supplements, the top-scoring USP calcium was only 10% absorbed. Whole-food calciums, on the other hand, are
absorbed 90% by the body.
HOW
Read labels! Do research! As you can probably guess, I am in favor of whole-food supplements. My favorite brand is
New Chapter (www.new-chapter.com). I would suggest going on-line and checking things out for yourself. I would also try
whole-food supplements and see the difference for yourself. For one thing, not to get too graphic, but you will notice
that your urine does not turn bright orange after taking whole-food supplements. This is a good thing.
YOUR MISSION
Duh. Try adding whole-food vitamins to your daily routine.
I would recommend a multi-vitmain/multi-mineral at the very least. I would strongly recommend adding
an Omega-3 supplement as well (fish oil or flax oil). Omega-3 are sadly deficient in the American diet and are
critical for brain health, heart health, and joint health. It is especially helpful for those with ADD.
For those with additional needs (pregnant, overweight, dieting, highly competitive, etc.) you might want to think
about additional supplements, based on your specific situation.
WEEKS FIFTEEN AND SIXTEEN: Mental Balance, Spiritual Health
WHAT
Mental balance means a beneficial, healthy way of thinking and being. It means staying in the now rather
than dwelling on the past or looking into the future (which are really only illusions if you think abou it).
It means looking at the obstacles in your path as challenges and opportunities, instead of problems. It means
enjoying the journey without fixating on the destination. It means being aware of your emotions ad feelings without
becoming them. Mental balance means spiritual health.
HOW
To achieve mental balance will require a wholesale change in the way you approach life. You will need to
turn negative, detrimental thought patterns into positive beneficial ones--and truly believe them, not just give them
lip service! The best way to do this is to have unconditional love for everyone, including yourself. You have
already begun to do this by becoming physically fit, breaking bad habits, and learning to relax. In addition, changing your
attitude toward your emotions is extremely helpful. (That is, understanding that you HAVE emotions but you don't have to
BECOME your emotions. Becoming a victim to your emotions and living out the drama you created is highly damaging--and very
annoying to your friends and family.)
YOUR MISSION
Find work you love, widen your social network, express yourself through art. OK, just kidding. Although those
things will work, we only have two weeks here. So your mission this week is to simplify and gain perspective.
Just as you occasionally need to clean out your closets and keep only those things you actually need, now you need
to clear your mind. By keeping only beneficial thought patterns, you can gain a new perspective of yourself and others.
(I have personally found Ericksonian Hypnosis and Neurolinguistic Programming to be extremely helpful in changing
negative thought patterns. A web search should give you lots of information and direct you to certified practitioners.)
a) Negative thought pattern I need to throw out:
b) Positive thought pattern I need to keep:
c) A challenge I am currently facing:
d) How I viewed the above with the negative thought pattern:
e) How I now view the above with the positive thought pattern:
Coming up...
Well, you've all certainly done a great deal of work! Brilliant! So maybe the next column will be a bit of
fluff and mindless entertainment.... oh, who am I kidding? Stay tuned!
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