We have a ‘thing’ going on in my BNV Facebook Group called “Walking Wednesdays” that has become amazingly popular. But I still see an occasional Facebook post asking what it’s all about, so I thought I’d write this Blog Post to explain it.
For those of you who may not have heard, I had a stroke in February of this year. I chronicled my story in a series of blog posts that you can find here…
- Part 1 – How My Plant-Based Diet Saved My Life
- Part 2 – After The Stroke
- Part 3 – Self Care
Basically, when I came home from the hospital, they had put me on a blood pressure prescription, as well as baby aspirin, a statin, and a blood thinner. And for someone who does not like to take prescription drugs – I was NOT a happy camper.
So my number one goal after the hospital was to get OFF all those meds as soon as possible. In fact, I still have a hospital info sheet that said I would be on Plavix (the antiplatelet / blood thinner) for LIFE.
Thanks, but no thanks.
So after my scheduled McDougall 10 Day, Live-In Program got canceled (thanks Covid19) I decided to take matters into my own hands.
And I did that changing 2 little things…
Diet and Exercise
As I mentioned here in this article…. How I Cured My Hypertension in 30 Days, I started by tweaking my diet a little. I basically cut out ALL of the extra fat in my diet.
For awhile, I quit the all of the following:
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Peanut Butter
- Tahini
- Cashew Sauces
- Tofu
- Tempeh
- Avocado
That was the only change I made to my diet and before long, my blood pressure was back to normal, I had lost 18 lbs, and I was completely off ALL of my meds.
The other lifestyle change I made was to start walking.
It didn’t matter so much to me how many steps I got, just so long as I walked 30 minutes….ever single day.
Not only was I getting some much-needed exercise, but I also was immersing myself in the nature around me, which is a natural stress reliever. How can you possibly be stressed surrounded by beautiful birdsong, gorgeous flowers, and the beautiful natural landscape we have here in Western Oregon.
It not only helped release stress, but I was also soaking up all that natural Vitamin D. Which just so happens to help your immune system fight off viruses – like COVID19.
Then, mainly for accountability, I started taking pics with my phone and posting them to my Facebook Group.
Before I knew it – other people were inspired to do it too – and Walking Wednesdays was born.
Walking Wednesdays
So here are the rules for Walking Wednesdays if you decide to join us.
- Every Wednesday – take a little walk. Shoot for 30 minutes, but any amount is better than nothing.
- If you see something interesting, or pretty – take a picture of it.
- If you’re not already a member – join my free BNV Facebook Group. Be sure and answer the 2 vetting questions or my admins won’t let you in – they’re pretty strict that way 😉
- Then post your pics for all of us to see and enjoy.
That’s it! That’s Walking Wednesdays!
If you’d like a way to keep track of your progress, I really recommend using an app to monitor your walks. I believe both Samsung Galaxy and Apple iPhones have a free app you can download to count your steps.
If you’re the techie type and REALLY into keeping track of your fitness, I just bought a MyZone MZ-3 heart rate monitor that you wear around your chest that talks to your phone. Fancy yes – but not necessary to do the Walking Wednesdays. I bought it because I plan on getting back into my DDP Yoga too.
Here is my Amazon Affiliate Link and you know the drill – I do earn from qualified purchases but at no extra cost to you….
It will keep track of your heart rate, weight, and a lot of other info that fitness buffs are into tracking. A lot of people who go to the gym wear them to let them know how long they are ‘in the zone’.
Again, not necessary, but some might find it useful.
I hope that explains Walking Wednesdays and I really hope you join us. Think of it as an accountability club to give you that little nudge you might need to go out and get some exercise.
Because I know you know this already, but the real secret of losing weight, lowering you blood pressure, fighting off disease, whatever – all boils down to those 2 little words –
Diet and exercise.
Eating a good clean plant-based diet and moving your body a little bit every day…… well let this former stroke victim tell you…
It works wonders.
See you in the group.
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