Walking Journeys…..

Sun and moon divide the sky,
Fragrance blooms on pear wood bones.
Earth awakens with a sigh.
Wanderer revels on the path alone.
Deng Ming~Dao

Many of you know that in the month of May I followed the Whole30 plan to find out if there was a food group that was an inflammation trigger for me and to perhaps shed a few pounds as well.
It was HARD because the list of what you couldn't eat was much larger than the list of what you could eat, but I felt a huge sense of accomplishment when I finished it and took off 18 pounds in the process.

As I added in each food group, none of them really bothered me very much other than what I suspected could be a trigger for me.  White flour products, which I tend to avoid knowing how they make me feel anyways.
Another thing I jump started again was my walking program.  With the frigid winter behind us, I was happy to tie on the sneakers and head out in the mornings again and so far for the most part I do get out 4 mornings a week and walk anywhere from 2-4 miles.  It makes me smile because I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to do this again with the back pain that I know will always be a part of my life, but right now for the most part it is a quiet part of my life thankfully.

I am so fortunate to live in such a beautiful place that my daily walk is never a chore, especially on those days when the sun is shinning and the humidity is low.  I look forward to seeing the walking companions along the way, such as the cows above, the field where the Percherons graze and the little chicken hens that frequently greet me.
It is an quiet countryside that I enjoy walking alone on.  It gives me time to think about things that might be troubling me, to celebrate what might be making me happy at the time, or to just be still and take in the beauty that surrounds me.
…it always makes me think of my most favorite song….."What a Wonderful World".

Since May, I have taken off 27 pounds and my blood pressure is at the point where I don't think I will need the meds any longer, but best of all, I feel so much better.
I highly recommend the Whole30 program, not so much for losing weight, but learning about the food that we eat.  I have learned so much over the last few months and I think I am making much better choices now.  I give myself the weekends to cheat a little, but only a little.
It's been a learning journey. 🙂