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.