28-Day Challenge – Week 2: Lay A Wholesome Foundation

While week 1 of the Whole Living 28-Day Challenge focused on paring down and purifying, week 2 is about creating a cleaner, healthier foundation which we’ve been working towards…that road to healthy! 

Meals

Since we removed common allergens from our diet last week, for week 2 we can start adding back certain food products, being sure to note how we feel during this change.  Look for symptoms such as headaches, stomach pain, bloating, congestion, and even trouble focusing or an increased heart rate.  Symptoms such as these would indicate a possible food allergy.  So add back foods, giving a day or two in between to notice symptoms:

Day 1 (Monday) – Add back small amounts of wheat

Day 4 (Thursday) – Add back dairy

Day 6 (Saturday) – Add back soy

Day 7 (Sunday) – Add back coffee!!!!  So happy about this one!

We can also add back eggs, peanuts and corn gradually.

Still avoid:  added sugar, processed food/beverages, alcohol, and fruit juices (though a splash in your water is fine if it helps get those 8 glasses down)

Exercise

In week 2, we are going to focus on core and arm strength.  The Whole Living site has some exercises to incorporate, including an arm toning routine  to do on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well as a core series to do on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday .  We will also transition from walking to jogging.  Again, if you already have a fitness regimen like Deena and I, continue what you’re doing, or even push to the next level.  I personally plan to work towards adding another mile to my run to get closer to the ½ marathon distance we’re running in a few months (gulp!). 

Self

We’re focusing more on de-stressing this week.  Work on clearing out the negativity (we started from the inside by clearing out the junk food) and bringing in the positive.  We will begin to learn how to meditate with a simple breathing exercise on Monday and continuing throughout the week with positive visualization and listening to relaxing music.  We will post details on each day’s challenge on our Facebook Page, as we did this past week.

We hope that week 1 left you feeling healthier and proud.  I know I took pride in the fact that I was able to stick to the plan as much as I did.  I had a few moments of weakness, but we are only human.  I definitely was healthier in my eating choices than I have been in a long time.  Week 2 will seem like a treat since we’ll be adding back some of the foods I had a tough time avoiding!  If you are joining us, good luck and let us know how it’s going!