On Friday we (my classmates and I) had a nutritionist come to speak to us about food. Her name is Whitney Froehlich and she and her husband Neil are the voices behind the website http://www.groundednutrition.com. For an  hour Whitney spoke to us about living a Holistic Lifestyle. Wikipedia defines Holism as:  the idea that natural systems (physical, biological, chemical, social, economic, mental, linguistic, etc.) and their properties, should be viewed as wholes, not as collections of parts. In other words, you want to be living your life in as balanced a way as possible. This is exactly what Stephen Covey talks about in “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” I realize that we haven’t reached habit 7 yet (sharpen the saw), but I’m going to jump forward for a moment.

Habit 7, Sharpening the 7, is about strengthening all 4 dimensions of who you are, so that you can lead a balanced and happy life. These 4 dimensions are:

1. Physical  (exercise, nutrition, stress management)

2. Spiritual (Study, and meditation)

3. Mental (Reading, visualizing, planning, writing)

4. Emotional (Service, empathy, synergy)

“This is the singly most powerful investment we can ever make in life – investment in ourselves, in the only instrument we have with which to deal with life and to contribute. We are the instruments of our own performance, and to be effective, we need to recognize the importance of taking time regularly to sharpen the saw in all four ways.:

– Stephen Covey

Over the last week I’ve really been focusing on my physical health. Whitney provided some excellent advice regarding diet. She recommends that you begin each day with a raw breakfast (ideally a home-made fruit smoothie),  and for lunch have a meal that is half raw and half cooked. She said for dinner you could be a bit more creative. Ultimately, she pushed, when it comes to our food we should try to be eating foods in as close to their purest form as possible. Try not to eat anything that has 30 ingredients in it, especially if most of the ingredients you can’t identify.

So, on Sunday I went to an organic market by my house and picked up an assortment of veggies and fruit to put in my smoothies and quinoa salads for the week.

I purchased cranberries, tomatoes, kiwi, red peppers, bananas, strawberries, apples, a red onion, a pomegranate, avocados, and half a melon.

My last two smoothies have consisted of strawberries, bananas, spinach, melon, and almond milk. This is a very different breakfast from the oatmeal that I normally enjoy, and I’m really enjoying this lighter feeling breakfast. The fruit digests quickly and easily, and fills me with energy so that I’m all ready for my day.

When shopping for your own fruits and vegetables, consider the clean 15 and the dirty dozen. Buying organic can be expensive, but if you want to avoid eating chemicals with your otherwise healthy treats, there are 15 vegetables and fruits to choose from. Click on the above hyperlink for a list.

Well, I’ve got some homework and cleaning to get finished before bed. I hope this was helpful, and perhaps even ignited a fire of motivation to change up your lifestyle. I challenge you to try eating a raw breakfast everyday this week, and tell me how you feel. I’ve already noticed a huge difference. Fill me in.