Week 8 Ikaria, Greece - Daily Sparkle & Meal Planning

Ceriusly1
Ceriusly1 Posts: 6,295 Member
Week 8 Ikaria, Greece - Daily Sparkle & Meal Planning

🌎️Challenge #8 Saturday, February 25 - Friday, March 3🌎️

✈️DESTINATION - Ikaria, Greece 6,000 Miles - Daily Sparkle & Meal Planning

The challenge begins on Saturday morning. Exercise & Daily Sparkle & Meal Planning done before SATURDAY DOES NOT COUNT!!!!

Welcome aboard Aegean Airlines. At our last stop let's review the secrets of healthy living from the Greeks and others who enjoy healthy longevity.

9 Healthy Lifestyle Habits

Regular physical activity - move naturally
The feeling of a sense of purpose in life
Sleep well and have less stress
A moderate caloric intake - Hara Hachi Bu - 80% Rule
A mostly plant-based diet
Moderate alcohol intake
Some faith-based community
Strong family ties
Social circles that support healthy behaviors

Ikarians have a lifestyle that includes these 9 principles of The Blue Zone study. The 8,500 inhabitants all lead a traditional way of life in the rugged verdant landscapes, that support a healthy self-sufficient lifestyle and diet. After years of obscurity, they developed their own extremely low-stress balanced lifestyle and live at their own pace. It’s easy to get enough rest and relaxation if no one else wakes up early and the village goes dead during afternoon nap time. If a shop owner happens too late, enjoys daytime activities, and then opens her store at 5 PM so be it. Their mentality is it's their life, their store, and their choice, so everyday activities can unfold during the night. Christos Rachon is a village where shops open around midnight and close at dawn.

The people are known to be industrious, hospitable, energetic, playful, and humorous people. They have always been self-sufficient people, mainly shepherds, farmers, fishermen, shop owners, and craftsmen. They never 'retire'. They farm their own land growing their own seasonal organic fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, olives, and potatoes. The young learn early how to carry on their heritage. Theirs is the cheapest, most accessible food that is also the most healthful.
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Ikarian Fun Facts:

In Raches villagers don't have or need policing
They host traditional dancing festivals from May - October, about 2-4 events a week
Ikarians walk 20 hills on a normal day

Race - You must exercise to earn air miles to get your team to the destination.
1 minute of exercise = 1 air mile. DAILY MAXIMUM 120 exercise minutes/air miles.

📝Living the Good Life - Daily Sparkle (move naturally) & Meal Planning

You don’t have to choose between having a clean house and getting some exercise. This week let's increase our daily natural movements by 10 minutes a day doing household chores. Maybe this is 10 more minutes of cleaning/movement than you usually would.

Doing household chores is a recognized form of exercise “exer-cleaning” (exercise cleaning). To get more exercise-like benefits from cleaning, you can exaggerate your motions and pick up the pace (cleaning quickly is more of a workout). To be more intentional - for example while folding clothes add in leg lifts or squats.

Before you start housework, turn on some lively music that gets you amped up and ready to rock (your mop). Playing music during housework will make the job more enjoyable and encourage more beneficial movements. When doing chores, remember to keep your abs tight and knees flexed to take the strain off your back.

To add more vigor - Vacuum briskly non-stop for 10 minutes (switching arms as you go). Or, do lunges while vacuuming (keep toes pointed straight ahead, and don't bend your knees further than 90 degrees).

Picking up: Instead of bending over, do a squat with each item you pick up. Remember to use your legs, not your back. If you pick up 20 toys, you’ve done 20 reps. You can also do squats while unloading the dishwasher.

Household Chores - move naturally

Walk to the store
Clean the car
Gardening
Bath the dog
Cook
Wash and put away the dishes
Wipe down counters, scrub the sink
Put away belongings
Do the laundry
Fold and put away clean clothes
Iron
Vacuum, sweep, dust
Scrub the floor, dance around with that mop
Clean the sink, toilet, bathtub, and shower stall
Make the bed
Tidy up
Take out trash
Clean window
Pick up toys
Paint/decorate
Etc.

Housework shouldn't be your only form of exercise, but every little bit of activity helps. It’s the ultimate multitasking win: A cleaner house and a healthier you.

✔️To score points this week

1. Daily Sparkle (move naturally) 1 point/minute, maximum 10 minutes = 10 points. 10 minutes a day doing household chores. Daily MAXIMUM 10 points. Yes, you can add these 10 minutes to your exercise minutes.
2. Meal Planning - For each meal (not snacks) you planned the night before and ate as planned, you earn 3 points, to a daily maximum of 9 points. If you skip a meal no points for that meal.

Summary

Record all exercise minutes. It's 6,000 Exercise Minutes/Air miles. DAILY MAXIMUM 120 exercise minutes/miles.

1) Sparkle 10 minutes = 10 points. Daily MAXIMUM 10 points.

2) Meal Planning - For each meal (not snacks) you planned the night before and ate as planned, you earn 3 points, to a daily maximum of 9 points. If you skip a meal no points for that meal.

We will record this on one thread. (example)

My Exercise: 30
My Sparke: 10
My Meal Planning: 10

****Remember if for any reason your health does not allow you to participate in a challenge please do not attempt it. Always follow your doctor's orders.