NEWSTART Update

Katherine at Yellow Rose Arbor suggested that I "share some of your progress with us!" and asked, "How are you feeling now?"

Well, I am feeling much stronger. The stroke (even though it was not a severe stroke) left me weakened and frail. It affected me both physically and emotionally. I found that the daily walks in the sunshine on the Half Mile Loop road strengthened my legs and my whole body. I started out dragging my affected left leg and foot, but little by little, was able to walk more naturally.
The Half Mile Loop had a lot of slopes, up and down, so it was reasonably taxing. We were also taken to other trails such as the Flume Trail, which ran beside a waterway. Here is one shot I took on this tree-shaded trail:


Each person was assigned to one of three medical doctors who monitored our health and made changes as necessary. I was taken off my cholesterol medicine and one of my blood pressure medications. My diabetic medicine was reduced to once daily since I stopped having supper. The whole food breakfasts and lunches were satisfying enough so we were not hungry in between meals and did not miss supper. Since being home, I have continued skipping supper as I work to have substantial breakfast and lunch meals.

Wednesday lunch and Saturday breakfast was held in the Cooking School Kitchen and consisted mainly of whole food dishes we prepared ourselves in cooking class:

The rest of the meals were in the NEWSTART Dining Room in the Cafeteria building

Hydrotherapy and massage sessions helped my muscles relax and helped me toward
an overall sense of well being.

Perhaps you are wondering, "What does NEWSTART mean?" Well, here is a brief explanation of the acronym:

Nutrition
Exercise
Water
Sunlight
Temperance
Air
Rest
Trust in Divine power

A much fuller explanation is found here online: http://www.newstart.com/what_is.php

Here is my NEWSTART water bottle. We were each given one upon arrival and kept it filled from the water cooler in the Lodge lobby. We were to drink 6-8 glasses or more daily, beginning with two glasses upon awakening. We were also encouraged to eat lots of fruit and vegetables – especially leafy green vegetables.

In the 18 days I lost about 4 pounds and one inch off my waist, though the first week I actually gained one pound due to trying out too much food from the cafeteria menu! But with portion control, I was able to turn that around. We were advised not to to take in more calories than we were expending in our daily activities.

Visiting Empire Gold Mine State Park

The area of northern California where I was (see last post) had been a gold mining region. So one of the excursions we had as part of the NEWSTART program was a visit Empire Mine State Historic Park. The site includes a museum and Visitor’s Center with a scale model of the mine’s below the surface workings, a gift shop, mine shafts, the owner’s mansion, called "The Cottage," the mine superintendent’s house, a club house and beautiful grounds. For this post, I’ll focus on the beautiful outdoor views that I photographed while there on July 4, 2010.

Here is a view of the fountain across the lawn in front of the mansion

Two stately planted urns frame the approach up to The Cottage:

The Cottage, home of the owner of the Empire Gold Mine, William Bourn, Jr.

Façade of The Cottage

Roses in front of the mansion

Side view of the front of The Cottage Floral beauty in white at the side of the mansion

Light fixture on a side porch at the mansion

Another light fixture in front of the ornate front entrance

Stately Italian cypress across the lawn

Formal sunken garden on the grounds

Towering Ponderosa pines

Textured bark of a Ponderosa pine

Closer look at the bark of a Ponderosa
Yellow flowering ground cover. (Sorry, I did not get the name of this plant)

This post is linked to the following blog events:

My World Tuesday, hosted by Klaus.

Outdoor Wednesday hosted at Susan’s blog, A Southern Daydreamer

Getting a New Start On A Healthy Lifestyle

I’ve just returned from a stay at Weimar Center for Health and Education. I was a guest for the 18-day NEWSTART Lifestyle Program. I felt this would help me get on a healthy diet and exercise program, since I was diagnosed with diabetes the day aftter my stroke in April. The program promises to:
Reverse Diabetes
Restore Hearts
Relieve Arthritis
Renew Immune Systems
Shed Pounds
Lower Cholesterol
Increase Energy
Enhance Vital Capacity

We had private rooms with bath, (and fresh towels and bath mat daily) hydrotherapy and massage, health lectures, cooking school, walking along trails, getting to know the other guests, many of whom became wonderful friends. We encouraged each other, and celebrated when anyone lost pounds, lowered cholesterol, lowered blood sugar, etc. Our delicious meals were made from "whole foods eaten whole." We were happy to take home a thick recipe pack prepared by the cafeteria staff, the Newstart Cookbook, and other recipe handouts.

The Weimar campus is in northern California and I enjoyed the beauty of the setting – towering trees, shrubs, and flowers. It is truly a haven with the stately Ponderosa pines and other tree varieties, many types of shrubs, and bright flower beds.

The first mosaic below shows:
The flagpole (2d photo) stands in a circle where guests walked round and round. There were also twelve miles of walking trails.
The Gazebo was site of early morning Stretcherizes. This was followed with a walk around the Half Mile Loop.

The second mosaic shows
Sections of the Half Mile Loop Road

The final mosaic includes:
Magnolia tree in front of Weimar Inn
Sequoia tree
Daylilies on right front

Today’s post is linked to Mosaic Monday hosted by Mary at Little Red House. Go there for links to other shared mosaics.