Our Plan in action!
If you are under the supervision of a doctor, consult your doctor with the details of our plan to see if there are any issues with your individual medical needs
The Honor System is providing a detailed plan to help the community set their plan in action! Our plan is based on general knowledge with personal accounts included. The meal plan is the way that most "health authorities" recommend planning your meals. (We are our own health authorities! Learn to trust yourself and that you truly do know what is best for you and your family. You may have just been ignoring the reality.) The activity suggestions are researched and confirmed methods to keep your body healthy and the excess pounds off. The grocery shopping lists will be based on the recipes. But Our Plan only includes things that we do! All sections of Our Plan have been tried and tested and successful.
To make honoring ourselves a lifestyle, we must make it a regular part of our day, our week. When confronted with something that does not support our self value, we must naturally realize that we just do not participate in that. It is not a big deal. That just isn't something we do, or eat, or drink. We do not have to count numbers, or eat bland, SAD (Standard American Diet) foods. We can truly enjoy living healthy!
Depending on where we are in our process we may need to "detox" before enjoying the effects of a healthy lifestyle. Many "health authorities" claim that you need to do some actual detox program to cleanse your body of toxins before filling it with healthy nutrients. Though this just is not true. Our bodies may have been being poisoned for years. A week on an all liquid or smoothie diet will not reverse that. (This take a couple of years living a healthy lifestyle.)
During our "detox" period, we may notice many cravings, even symptoms of withdrawals from certain chemical processes our body has become accustomed to like sugar, corn syrup, sodium and even flavors and dyes. It usually take 2-3 weeks for these feelings to subside on a physical level. After that it is most likely mental. This may be the bigger hurdle to jump. This is where the re-learning really begins. This is when we have to focus our mental energy on making the most healthy decisions that are available to us.
We are not claiming that we will be cured of all aliments. But our health, weight, energy levels, stress levels and even our sleep will be vastly improved.
Our bodies deserve the BEST fuel that is available to them. Would we put octane level 87 in a brand new Bentley automobile? Think of your body as the Bentley. Your food choices as gasoline. We must create new habits so that we naturally chose the highest octane of energy for our bodies: whole, natural foods and clean water.
What are whole foods? Whole foods are foods that have not been processed. They are in their natural state, before we personally cook them. Whole organic foods are foods that have not been processed and have not been treated with pesticides, herbicides, hormones or any other chemicals to improve their growth, self life or anything else. Organic foods are the BEST options for us and our families ALWAYS! Though organics may not always be available to you for a number of reasons. So we will focus on whole food options. To repeat, organics are the BEST option ALWAYS. All recipes, shopping lists and meal plans can be optimized if organics are used.
We must also be very aware of GMOs (genetically modified organisms). There isn't a whole lot of research on how GMOs affect our bodies. You will have to make up your own mind on these products. The only whole food product that is currently on the market and is GMO is the Hawaiian papaya. The majority of GMO products are found in processed foods that are not organic. You can be assured that there are no GMO ingredients in products that are certified organic. Check this site out to learn more about genetically modified organisms http://organic.lovetoknow.com/Which_Foods_Have_GMOs
Processed foods are foods that are bagged, canned, (most) frozen, jarred, plastic seal wrapped, shrink wrapped, boxed, etc. The main focus of most of these foods is convenience and shelf life. What is more convenient than grabbing an apple? Or a glass of water? Or snacking on a handful of carrots? There is no packaging to open or throw away and liter our over used, at capacity landfills. There is no heating. No preparing. Convenience at its finest. Through billion dollar marketing plans, we are made to believe that overly processed apple juice with sugar and flavors added, is going to to give us the same nutritional boost, in less time. It just is not true. There is a place for minimally processed apple juice with no additives in a healthy lifestyle, in moderation, but it will never replace the whole apple, in its natural state. Processed foods should be almost eliminated from our healthy lives. There are a few that we can benefit from, that can make life easier and that are minimally processed and organic with little to no additives. Recognizing this is simple when effort is given and the habit is formed.
Clean, pH balanced water shares the same level of importance in our healthy lifestyles as do whole foods. The pH of water, and all foods, is very important in optimal nutrient absorption. There are countless water filtration systems on the market that turn regular tap water into pH balanced water. When we are able to make this investment, it is highly recommended. Even if we cannot, we must still drink large amounts of water daily. The amount depends on our weight and activity level, but most people should strive for 3/4 - 1 gallon of water a day. (The specific calculation is to drink 6 ounces of water per pound. An example for 150lbs : 150 X 0.6 = 90 ounces, or about 3/4 a gallon of water. If you have trouble drinking water and want to make sure that you are consuming enough daily, use this. But keep in mind that water tastes bad to people who are dehydrated. So drink up no matter how much you weigh.) If we are heavier or extremely active, especially outdoors, we should increase as needed. Remember, if we are feeling thirsty, we are already dehydrating. Drink water primarily. Whole fruit juices, either juiced at home, or purchased with no minimal additives (usually will have a preservative like citric acid) can be consumed with moderation. Caffeinated drinks, "energy" drinks, colored, flavored water, soda and fruit juices with multiple additives and added sugar are not a part of our healthy lifestyle.
Eating a majority of whole foods is the major change that most of us need to focus on. But what type of whole foods do we need to consume for optimal health? The best gauge for this is to choose the most colorful foods. We call it the Rainbow Diet! (Though it isn't a diet at all. We will never submit our honorable selves to any diet again!) Every time we eat we must chose the most colorful options available. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple! Whites and beige's should be eaten in moderation. Colorful foods are high in antioxidants, flavonoids, essential vitamins and nutrients with appropriate calorie and water levels. They represents life and health. Eat an abundance of brightly colored foods every time you eat.
If we chose to eat meat we need to know a few very important things. Most of the degenerative diseases that are running rampant in our society are caused by our lifestyles; poor diet, low activity level, high stress levels and weak community bonds. A big part of our poor diet is an over consumption of animal products, especially meat. We must re-learn that meat does not make dinner a whole meal and that we can get the protein we need to thrive from many sources. Proteins are the building block of life and all living, or recently living, organisms have protein. Vegetables, grains, legumes (beans) and fruits included. We only need to eat a variety of foods, including a moderate amount of meat, if you chose, to maximize our healthy lifestyle. Knowing where your meat has come from and how the animal lived is crucial. Only eat the meats of animals that lived healthy lifestyles themselves. No antibiotics, no corn feed, no hormones, no steroids. Chose grass fed (cows are made to eat grass not corn! If it doesn't say grass fed beef, it isn't and it was fed corn and other products) and organic meats. Buy your meats directly from the butcher in your local grocery store or directly from a private butcher. If you buy pre-packaged meats buy them from stores that promote healthy living. Be aware of your choices.
Along with food we also need to make conscious choices about how we spend our free time. Children, work, school, social responsibilities all eat up the hours of our days. Many weeks pass so quickly we hardly remember the day we are in. Over booking our lives can be unhealthy. Not enough sleep and high stress levels wreak havoc on our immune systems, promote inflammation throughout our bodies and actually encourage weight gain. We need down time. We need 7-8 hours of sleep EVERY night. We need a productive way to release our stress. We must re-learn to give ourselves at least ONE hour a day for this.
Yoga, pilates and basic stretching helps us relax, unwind and sleep better. Stretching relieves stress and helps blood circulation. It will also help prepare us for more vigorous activity, like cardio and weight training.
Adequate cardiovascular activity needs to last for at least 45 minutes, unless otherwise directed by our doctors. We need to give ourselves this time. Running, jogging, walking, power walking, swimming, jumping rope, using the elliptical machine, cardio DVD's like Insanity and PX90, cardio classes like Zumba and spin cycle classes are all examples of cardio exercise options. The main thing we want to focus on is giving ourselves 45 minutes of cardio activity which will cause us to work up a good sweat and increase our heart rate. If we are currently unhealthy or carrying excess weight, we need to start out slow. But we must make sure we push ourselves and work up a good sweat. If we feel pain or discomfort, we must stop immediately and consult our doctors. (If you are unhealthy, dealing with any heart or lung diseases, have asthma, diabetic, have kidney or liver disease or arthritis you must speak with your doctor before you begin any workout routine. The Mayo Clinic also recommends that you speak with your doctor if you have
And if two or more of the following apply:
Be healthy! Honor yourself! Love yourself! Make conscious choices and share your knowledge!
If you are under the supervision of a doctor, consult your doctor with the details of our plan to see if there are any issues with your individual medical needs
The Honor System is providing a detailed plan to help the community set their plan in action! Our plan is based on general knowledge with personal accounts included. The meal plan is the way that most "health authorities" recommend planning your meals. (We are our own health authorities! Learn to trust yourself and that you truly do know what is best for you and your family. You may have just been ignoring the reality.) The activity suggestions are researched and confirmed methods to keep your body healthy and the excess pounds off. The grocery shopping lists will be based on the recipes. But Our Plan only includes things that we do! All sections of Our Plan have been tried and tested and successful.
To make honoring ourselves a lifestyle, we must make it a regular part of our day, our week. When confronted with something that does not support our self value, we must naturally realize that we just do not participate in that. It is not a big deal. That just isn't something we do, or eat, or drink. We do not have to count numbers, or eat bland, SAD (Standard American Diet) foods. We can truly enjoy living healthy!
Depending on where we are in our process we may need to "detox" before enjoying the effects of a healthy lifestyle. Many "health authorities" claim that you need to do some actual detox program to cleanse your body of toxins before filling it with healthy nutrients. Though this just is not true. Our bodies may have been being poisoned for years. A week on an all liquid or smoothie diet will not reverse that. (This take a couple of years living a healthy lifestyle.)
During our "detox" period, we may notice many cravings, even symptoms of withdrawals from certain chemical processes our body has become accustomed to like sugar, corn syrup, sodium and even flavors and dyes. It usually take 2-3 weeks for these feelings to subside on a physical level. After that it is most likely mental. This may be the bigger hurdle to jump. This is where the re-learning really begins. This is when we have to focus our mental energy on making the most healthy decisions that are available to us.
We are not claiming that we will be cured of all aliments. But our health, weight, energy levels, stress levels and even our sleep will be vastly improved.
Our bodies deserve the BEST fuel that is available to them. Would we put octane level 87 in a brand new Bentley automobile? Think of your body as the Bentley. Your food choices as gasoline. We must create new habits so that we naturally chose the highest octane of energy for our bodies: whole, natural foods and clean water.
What are whole foods? Whole foods are foods that have not been processed. They are in their natural state, before we personally cook them. Whole organic foods are foods that have not been processed and have not been treated with pesticides, herbicides, hormones or any other chemicals to improve their growth, self life or anything else. Organic foods are the BEST options for us and our families ALWAYS! Though organics may not always be available to you for a number of reasons. So we will focus on whole food options. To repeat, organics are the BEST option ALWAYS. All recipes, shopping lists and meal plans can be optimized if organics are used.
We must also be very aware of GMOs (genetically modified organisms). There isn't a whole lot of research on how GMOs affect our bodies. You will have to make up your own mind on these products. The only whole food product that is currently on the market and is GMO is the Hawaiian papaya. The majority of GMO products are found in processed foods that are not organic. You can be assured that there are no GMO ingredients in products that are certified organic. Check this site out to learn more about genetically modified organisms http://organic.lovetoknow.com/Which_Foods_Have_GMOs
Processed foods are foods that are bagged, canned, (most) frozen, jarred, plastic seal wrapped, shrink wrapped, boxed, etc. The main focus of most of these foods is convenience and shelf life. What is more convenient than grabbing an apple? Or a glass of water? Or snacking on a handful of carrots? There is no packaging to open or throw away and liter our over used, at capacity landfills. There is no heating. No preparing. Convenience at its finest. Through billion dollar marketing plans, we are made to believe that overly processed apple juice with sugar and flavors added, is going to to give us the same nutritional boost, in less time. It just is not true. There is a place for minimally processed apple juice with no additives in a healthy lifestyle, in moderation, but it will never replace the whole apple, in its natural state. Processed foods should be almost eliminated from our healthy lives. There are a few that we can benefit from, that can make life easier and that are minimally processed and organic with little to no additives. Recognizing this is simple when effort is given and the habit is formed.
Clean, pH balanced water shares the same level of importance in our healthy lifestyles as do whole foods. The pH of water, and all foods, is very important in optimal nutrient absorption. There are countless water filtration systems on the market that turn regular tap water into pH balanced water. When we are able to make this investment, it is highly recommended. Even if we cannot, we must still drink large amounts of water daily. The amount depends on our weight and activity level, but most people should strive for 3/4 - 1 gallon of water a day. (The specific calculation is to drink 6 ounces of water per pound. An example for 150lbs : 150 X 0.6 = 90 ounces, or about 3/4 a gallon of water. If you have trouble drinking water and want to make sure that you are consuming enough daily, use this. But keep in mind that water tastes bad to people who are dehydrated. So drink up no matter how much you weigh.) If we are heavier or extremely active, especially outdoors, we should increase as needed. Remember, if we are feeling thirsty, we are already dehydrating. Drink water primarily. Whole fruit juices, either juiced at home, or purchased with no minimal additives (usually will have a preservative like citric acid) can be consumed with moderation. Caffeinated drinks, "energy" drinks, colored, flavored water, soda and fruit juices with multiple additives and added sugar are not a part of our healthy lifestyle.
Eating a majority of whole foods is the major change that most of us need to focus on. But what type of whole foods do we need to consume for optimal health? The best gauge for this is to choose the most colorful foods. We call it the Rainbow Diet! (Though it isn't a diet at all. We will never submit our honorable selves to any diet again!) Every time we eat we must chose the most colorful options available. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple! Whites and beige's should be eaten in moderation. Colorful foods are high in antioxidants, flavonoids, essential vitamins and nutrients with appropriate calorie and water levels. They represents life and health. Eat an abundance of brightly colored foods every time you eat.
If we chose to eat meat we need to know a few very important things. Most of the degenerative diseases that are running rampant in our society are caused by our lifestyles; poor diet, low activity level, high stress levels and weak community bonds. A big part of our poor diet is an over consumption of animal products, especially meat. We must re-learn that meat does not make dinner a whole meal and that we can get the protein we need to thrive from many sources. Proteins are the building block of life and all living, or recently living, organisms have protein. Vegetables, grains, legumes (beans) and fruits included. We only need to eat a variety of foods, including a moderate amount of meat, if you chose, to maximize our healthy lifestyle. Knowing where your meat has come from and how the animal lived is crucial. Only eat the meats of animals that lived healthy lifestyles themselves. No antibiotics, no corn feed, no hormones, no steroids. Chose grass fed (cows are made to eat grass not corn! If it doesn't say grass fed beef, it isn't and it was fed corn and other products) and organic meats. Buy your meats directly from the butcher in your local grocery store or directly from a private butcher. If you buy pre-packaged meats buy them from stores that promote healthy living. Be aware of your choices.
Along with food we also need to make conscious choices about how we spend our free time. Children, work, school, social responsibilities all eat up the hours of our days. Many weeks pass so quickly we hardly remember the day we are in. Over booking our lives can be unhealthy. Not enough sleep and high stress levels wreak havoc on our immune systems, promote inflammation throughout our bodies and actually encourage weight gain. We need down time. We need 7-8 hours of sleep EVERY night. We need a productive way to release our stress. We must re-learn to give ourselves at least ONE hour a day for this.
Yoga, pilates and basic stretching helps us relax, unwind and sleep better. Stretching relieves stress and helps blood circulation. It will also help prepare us for more vigorous activity, like cardio and weight training.
Adequate cardiovascular activity needs to last for at least 45 minutes, unless otherwise directed by our doctors. We need to give ourselves this time. Running, jogging, walking, power walking, swimming, jumping rope, using the elliptical machine, cardio DVD's like Insanity and PX90, cardio classes like Zumba and spin cycle classes are all examples of cardio exercise options. The main thing we want to focus on is giving ourselves 45 minutes of cardio activity which will cause us to work up a good sweat and increase our heart rate. If we are currently unhealthy or carrying excess weight, we need to start out slow. But we must make sure we push ourselves and work up a good sweat. If we feel pain or discomfort, we must stop immediately and consult our doctors. (If you are unhealthy, dealing with any heart or lung diseases, have asthma, diabetic, have kidney or liver disease or arthritis you must speak with your doctor before you begin any workout routine. The Mayo Clinic also recommends that you speak with your doctor if you have
- Pain or discomfort in your chest, neck, jaw or arms during physical activity
- Dizziness or loss of consciousness
- Shortness of breath with mild exertion or at rest, or when lying down or going to bed
- Ankle swelling, especially at night
- A heart murmur or a rapid or pronounced heartbeat
- Muscle pain when walking upstairs or up a hill that goes away when you rest
And if two or more of the following apply:
- You're a man older than age 45 or a woman older than age 55.
- You have a family history of heart disease before age 55.
- You smoke or you quit smoking in the past six months.
- You haven't exercised for three months or more.
- You're overweight or obese.
- You have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
- You have impaired glucose tolerance, also called prediabetes
Be healthy! Honor yourself! Love yourself! Make conscious choices and share your knowledge!
If you are under the supervision of a doctor, consult your doctor with the details of our plan to see if there are any issues with your individual medical needs