If you’ve read my previous posts, you know I’ve learned quite a bit at We Care Spa. One of the things that made such sense was their 7 step program to living a healthy lifestyle.

It’s so great and so raw.

NO it’s not a diet and it’s not an exercise program. It’s a simple program that I believe is very attainable if we pay attention to not only what we put into our bodies, but our behaviors when it comes to food and stress!

This 7 step program is based on the acknowledgment that we live in a toxic environment. The air we breathe, water we drink and food we eat has almost all been tainted with chemicals. SO it’s in our best interest to stay away from as many chemicals and toxic products as possible.

Everything in moderation guys. I know we can’t get away from ALL of it. But these seven steps make it easier to try:

1. Avoidance of anything artificial- this means we need to stay away from foods and products that contain chemicals which could harm our bodies. Anything from processed foods to skin care products, dishwasher and laundry detergent and more.
2. Fast one day per week- I’ve heard the analogy of our body being like an engine used a lot and it makes total sense. The more you use a car, the more frequently you need tuneups, right? Well, our body is much the same. Allowing our bodies one day a week to rest, drinking only lemon water and herbal teas, will help give the body rest and time to catch up. Digestion is one of the hardest, most time consuming things our body does so doesn’t it deserve a rest?
3. Follow the rules of good digestion: these include chewing our food, allowing space of at least 3 hours between our meals and relaxing before and after our meals.
4. Kitchen Organization- ahh, my favorite! You guys know how I love organization! Clean out that pantry, dive into those food labels and throw away anything with chemicals such as bleached water or corn syrup and other chemicals. Create a meal plan for each week and stick to it by cooking your meals ahead of time! Shop based on your meal plan and do your pre-washing and chopping of fruits and veggies on a Sunday or Monday. I do it and it works so well! We all work hard between our families and jobs- who has time to dirty and clean the kitchen each day? I DON’T for sure! Grabbing a healthy meal, pre made is way healthier than throwing some microwavable mac and cheese on your plate!
5. Remember to breathe- practice slow, deep breathing when you can. Maybe you try when you’re driving in the car or first waking up in the morning? Breathing helps us create more alkalinity in the body. It changes our nervous system and shifts our hormones and neurotransmitters to reduce cortisol levels. LESS STRESS and LESS CORTISOL go hand in hand!
6. Find time to relax- in today’s society, we perceive relaxation as a want and not a need, when quite frankly, it’s the opposite! Relaxation is something our body NEEDS. It’s like the air we breathe and water we drink. If we don’t find the time to relax, we can experience mega BURNOUTS from work and family. If we can find a tiny part of our day to relax in, we can manage our stress. Relaxation could be as easy as watching the sun or moon rise, taking a walk or sitting alone basking in our thoughts for two to five minutes. If we don’t learn to control our stress, it can destroy our bodies from the inside out.
7. Trust- we need to be able to have trust, to be able to relax and have the awareness that we DO NOT have control over everything that goes on in our lives. In other words, we need to learn to let go. We have this ginormous universe that we are not in control of. As a species, we are not all knowing nor all powerful. Learning to let go requires us to realize that there’s no such thing as perfection in our lives. That in fact, it is necessary for us to experience both good and bad emotions and to move through these emotions as part of our process of what it means to be a human being.

Does anyone else find these seven steps helpful? How are you guys doing on your “letting go?” Does anybody really take the time to relax? How do we as a society admit that we need to learn to relax and not get so caught up in material things? I could go on and on blogging about these seven steps and about how I need to work on them ALL!

Let me know your thoughts and what you want to see next!

xx Shanna