Howdy! I just finished reading Nine Perfect Strangers, by Liane Moriarty. If you haven't read the book nor seen the show of the same name, it's about a group of people having a transformative experience at an unorthodox health retreat. Apparently, people spend ludicrous amounts of money at such resorts, and it occurred to me that I could replicate a similar experience at home. If you are familiar with the plot, rest assured, my plan is far less dramatic than Masha's.
My poor husband, used to my antics, has agreed to take part in this retreat. We intend to focus on bettering our physical and mental health for a week. While there will be an emphasis on nutritious eating and exercise, I'm not going to be calorie counting. We still have work, so this won't be a true vacation.
My average diet is high in carbs, fat, and sugar. I don't even want to know my cholesterol. In an attempt to make amends to my poor body, this week I'll be eating fruits, vegetables, and nuts, while minimizing my meat and processed foods consumption. Likewise, I'll be taking a break from caffeine, or should that spur a headache, minimizing it. The plan is to eat/drink shakes at meal time, but only to snack in between if actually hungry, and even then, on fruit or nuts. I will not be drinking alcohol this week.
I stocked up on pre-made health shakes, fruit, berries, and nuts. We have a juicer in case we run out. The easiest way for me to eat healthy is through juicing. Fruit and vegetable textures aren't my favorite, hence the usual poor diet. I've also shoved a bunch of grapes and blueberries in the freezer. Frozen, their texture is altogether different, closer to a freezer-pop than fresh fruit. If you're a parent of a picky eater, I suggest giving freezing their fruit a shot. Covering missed nutritional bases, I'm still taking my usual multi-vitamin, plus mixing fiber & collagen powder into my shakes. A some point there will be steak because it's gonna spoil otherwise, but a little protein shouldn't hurt.
The other strict change I'll be abiding by is to stay off social media. Partially, because staying informed of the many ways the world is on fire, is exhausting, and partially, because I'm more creative when I'm bored. Back before I owned a smart phone, I was always reading or drawing or daydreaming. Sure, I paint for work and I daydream still, but not as often , and the latter, not as vividly as in my youth. There will be an exception Thursday during work hours. There is a new Twitter writing pitch event (#flippit) and I intend to participate.
With the exception of my Zumba game, for exercise, I'm keeping off video games too. Yes, Animal Crossing is great for self care, but cutting down on screen time as the added benefit of giving my eyes a break from blue light.
Here's the basic schedule I have in mind:
Weekdays:
5:00am: Wake up, have tea
5:30am: Zumba(Switch) and/or Yoga(with Adriene, she's a youtuber)
6:00am: shower, do face routine
7:00am: go for a walk
7:45am: have breakfast/shake
8:00am: work
12:00pm: have lunch/shake
12:30pm: work
5:00pm: free time
6:00pm: dinner/shake
7:00pm: spa time (skincare masks, or foot bath, or both, conclude with face routine)
7:30pm: free time
9:00pm: go to bed
Weekend:
5:00am: Wake up, have tea
5:30am: Zumba(Switch) and/or Yoga(with Adriene, she's a youtuber)
6:00am: shower, do face routine
7:00am: go for a walk
7:45am: have breakfast/shake
8:00am: free time
11:30am: meditate
12:00pm: have lunch/shake
12:30pm: free time
3:00pm: spa time (skincare masks, or foot bath, or both, conclude with face routine)
4:00pm: free time
6:00pm: have dinner/shake
6:30pm: go for a walk
7:30: free time
9:00pm: go to bed
I'm flexible and I highly doubt I'll stick to this schedule religiously, but it's a good base to work from. The hardest part probably won't be cutting out social media, but going to bed and waking up early. I'm a night owl, always have been, and if I have an internal clock, I assume it's broken. Still, I'll do my best. I intend to update next Monday with how the home-retreat went. At a minimum, I assume my skin will improve without all the salt and sugar I'm used to. Ideally, I'll find aspects of this week enjoyable and implement them more into my day-to-day.
I hope you found this idea and schedule helpful! I put out a new blog post every Monday. Toodles and thanks for stopping by!
#healthretreat #healthyliving #eatingbetter #newroutine #healthfirst #selfcare #livingbetter #betterliving #healthy #changeforthebetter #restandrelaxation