No Peers In Psychiatric Hospitals: What Gives

The intent of this article is to draw attention to a certain aspect of mental health care provided by psychiatric hospitals that is grossly lacking. This area is specific to the staffing of these hospitals. I have been to 4 different psychiatric hospitals and in that time I did not meet with one peer specialist. In fact until December of 2011 I did not know what one was.

A peer specialist is someone who has recovered from a mental illness and supports others in their recovery. I have had the chance to work with 2 peer specialists at Meadowview Recovery Residence where I currently live. They have both been tremendously helpful to me. Each of them has played a crucial role in my recovery.

The role of the peer specialist in a psychiatric hospital should be perceived as no less essential than that of a nurse or doctor. It is an injustice that peers those who can offer hope and understanding to patients are not being utilized in hospitals across the country. I have spoken to knowledgeable people about this issue and have been told that there are states that have peers working in their psychiatric hospitals. They are unfortunately the vast minority.

I believe that this lack of care taken by those who staff these hospitals has drastically and adversely affected my journey to recovery. The concept adopted by hospitals is ignorant and it needs to be addressed. Please write to your state representatives, congressman and local nami chapter to voice your opinion on this matter.

Stigma of Mental Illness

There is a great deal of stigma surrounding mental illness in modern society. There are many people who hold beliefs about those dealing with mental illness that are misconceived. They include the belief that mentally ill people are often violent offenders. The media sensationalizes cases in which mentally ill people are violent. This media sensationalization includes movies and news stories. There are far fewer stories of people who have successfully recovered from mental illness. This bias in the media promotes a bias in how mental illness is perceived.

The effects of stigma go beyond discrimination. There is also such a thing as self stigma. Self stigma is when a person who holds misconceptions about themselves. This is often times true of people dealing with mental illness. Often times people who are dealing with mental illness do not seek treatment because they feel as if their problem does not warrant treatment. Self stigma is often times damaging to a person's self esteem. There are ways to combat self stigma. They include positive self talk, engaging with peers and getting involved with the mental health cause. 

Training Periodization

Two or three years ago I read a book on bicycle training. This book was put out by bicycling magazine; it featured material on overtraining and training periodization. In cycling professionals will spend 6 hours a day on their bikes so overtraining is a serious issue. Overtraining is training to such an extent that it hinders your performance it can sometimes be career threatening. Training periodization helps to alleviate the stress of training.

In the bicycle training book it recommended doing 3 week periods of intense training. This intense training involved a lot of intervals (short high speed periods of riding.) The three week periods would then be broken up by a less structured and less intense week of training. Training in this way an athlete can reach his/her optimum performance level without being under undue stress.

Today I implement what I learned from that book to my routine. I do know I am not at risk for overtraining. I workout about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours a day 6 days a week during my heaviest periods of training. I still believe that training periodization helps me feel better and allows me to not be too consumed about exercise. I do not stick by the 3 week period training sessions. Instead I will do heavy training until I start to feel bogged down by my routine. I then do a week or two of maintenance. This week or two is nice to have every so often. These one to two week periods of maintenance are usually 5 or 6 weeks apart. If you are a dedicated fitness enthusiast try to give yourself a break every so often. It's not only o.k. but I will help you in the long run.

Surfing and Moving to California

I moved out to California when I was 20. I had job lined up working as a ski instructor. I left home for the move in the spring and drove west. I remember the drive out, I specifically remember being terribly bored in Kansas and unnerved in Nevada. I took a back road through Nevada that was more direct. I have never seen such a desolate and lonely landscape.

The town I moved to was Mammoth Lakes. It is at the northern most part of southern California. I arrived in town in the night time and immediately drove to the mountain. Mammoth Mountain is a dormant volcano and is immense. I spent the night in a hotel. The next day I got myself into employee housing.

There was a dorm not too far down the mountain road for employees. It was affordable and ready for me to move in. The room I got had two bunk beds with two roommates to share the space with. One of them I got to be good friends with, his name was Matt. I worked at the mountain for the remainder of the spring skiing season. Mammoth has a very long ski season.

Matt found an apartment in town with a reasonable price. He invited me to move into the apartment with him. I gladly took the offer. I spent that summer in Mammoth; I worked two jobs bussing tables. I started reading a fair amount that summer as well. I made good use of the public library.

During that summer Matt and I were able to make time for a couple vacations. One of them was to Vermont where I grew up. I invited Matt to come with me and we timed the trip to coincide with the Vermont Reggae Festival. Matt got to see Vermont for the first time. He grew up in southern California.

The other vacation was shorter than the one to Vermont but it has its significance in my life. It was the first time I ever surfed. Matt took me down to Baja Mexico. We stopped in San Diego to pick up a friend of his whose name I don't remember. This was where I surfed for the first time. I had no idea what I was doing and struggled to get back to the beach. The waves were a little too big for someone as inexperienced as me to ride. The waves in Baja were even bigger.

In Baja we went to a place called Camp 38. It was a camp site up on a bluff with a trail that went down to a beach. It had an open air café and someone who sold jewelry, fireworks and pot out front. I had my first fish tacos at the café and bought a small amount of weed. I also went surfing down at the beach. I remember getting up on the board and riding the wave. I was too high up on the wave or something and the tip of my board got submerged in the water. I was tossed into the ocean head first. I swam to the surface and scrambled to get on the board before another wave crashed down on me. I paddled the rest of the way into the beach

The summer past and the girls that Matt and I rented the apartment from came back to town. Matt went back home and I stayed hopeful that I would find another place to live. I found a place just in the nick of time. I stayed there for a while but left and do not remember why. I was then homeless. I had two jobs and plenty of money for a reasonably priced apartment but was having trouble finding the right one. I spent that time living in a storage unit. It was winter and snow was on the ground but I was doing alright. I found an apartment before too long but was arrested shortly after moving in. I did 30 days in jail and moved back to VT when I was released.

Public Journal: The Direction of Breathe

In the time since I published my first article on the 2nd of July the subject matter of my blog has slowly shifted towards a focus on my personal experience with recovery. The first article I published was an article on superfoods. I did research to write this article. All my articles were researched at first.

I began telling my story in my writing. I have covered much of my dealings with schizophrenia at this point. I do have a number of articles waiting to be published. These articles will be researched and relevant to mental health and recovery. I am sure that I will always be able to tell more stories about my mental health. However I am going to begin slowly stripping away the inhibitions I have around the subject matter of my blog. Breathe will continue to shift more and more in the direction of being a public journal.

This shift is in part to continue writing. I have grown to enjoy the writing process and find putting my personal story out there to the world helps me realize that people do care and that I am not alone. It is therapeutic for me to write but without an audience it would have less significance. I want to continue writing but I do not want to write just for the sake of writing. I will have to find out how to walk that line between self indulgence and deeply personal writing.

I will take my time exploring how far I can stray away from the subject of recovery. This will be done one article at a time. Intermittently I will publish fact based articles that are relevant to mental health, exercise and nutrition. I will not forget the vision I had for a blog when I began to tackle this project. I will write stories that are completely off the subject of mental health and recovery. My hope is that in sharing my story will show people that I am not just someone who has a mental illness. I am human I have made mistakes with or without having a mental illness. I also hope that you my readers continue to visit Breathe to read my articles.

Intimacy and Me

In my life I have had very few relationships with women. In my adolescence I had no idea of what to do when I received attention from girls. I can remember many instances in which I was given positive signals from a girl and I dropped the ball. I did have some success with women as a teenager even still.

I lost my virginity when I was 16. I was with a girl in the back of my grey Subaru station wagon. It was a one night stand with an attractive black girl. I parked the car by the water front in Burlington that night. When we were finished I dropped her back off down town.

My first intimate relationship with a girl was when I was 17. She was a beautiful blond. She and I met on-line through a social networking device called ICQ. She was 16 at the time and lived about 40 miles away in a town named Vergennes. This would be one of the very few intimate relationships I would ever have.

I remember being a young adolescent and having such high hopes that I would turn into a ladies man over time. I tried hard. I did not know what women wanted and still don't I guess. I was turned down by women again and again. This was very damaging to my ego.

In my adolescence I began thinking I was to skinny to get girls. In my minds eye existed an image of the type of guy girls wanted. I did not match that image. As my self esteem diminished I lost hope in finding love and intimacy. I turned away to things that satiated my desire to belong.

As a result of turning away things only got worse. I started going long periods of time without any sexual interactions with females. Periods of a year at a time were not uncommon. Slowly I sank further and further back from being the bright eyed outgoing person I was earlier in life.

In the summer of 2002 I was living on my own and for a short time had a girlfriend that I was intimate with. The sex didn't last. I was prematurely ejaculating and leaving her unsatisfied. This would be the last girlfriend I have had in my life. A couple of years ago I was living in Miami. I paid a prostitute for sex. This is the only sexual encounter I have since 2002.

It was in the summer of 2002 now 10 years ago that schizophrenia took hold in my life. I do not believe that it was when I first began experiencing symptoms. I do know that the debilitating effects of this illness became apparent in my life at that time.

My symptoms of schizophrenia lead me to be even more withdrawn than before. I lost hope of having a fulfilling sex life and stopped pursuing women all together. The grip of paranoia also contributed to my anti-social behavior. The end result was that schizophrenia compounded the effects of my lack of self esteem and visa versa. The lack of hope I have experienced has had me consider suicide more than once.

Here I am in 2012 and I wonder if any girls will ever like me. I am embarrassed about my sexual past and feel I could never be truly open about my past experience with women. Will I then ever have a women like me for who I am? I have questioned whether or not they will. Much of time I question whether or not I will be able to ever live a fulfilling life regardless of how I deal with and recover from my mental illness.

My Future In Recovery

This is the third part of my three part essay covering the pre-diagnosis, post diagnosis to present and future phases of my recovery. This third part will be about the future of my recovery experience. I will share my hopes that I have for my future as well as goals that I expect to achieve. It will look both at the distant future and more immediate future.

One of my short term goals is to leave the group home in which I currently reside. I will make a move towards independence by getting an apartment. Actually I am looking at renting a room in a house. The house where I will be living is in Brattleboro where I currently live. I will be sharing the house with 8 other people. I will have my own locked refrigerator and locked shelves. There will also be a residential manager for support. It is an affordable step for me to take.

I have certain things I will like to do in my recovery. One of these is to become more educated on mental health and recovery. I will go to support groups to learn more about my illness and recovery. I will also read other peoples stories of recovery from other blogs and books. I will hope to share much of what I learn with others. Schizophrenia played a dominant role in the writing of my life story. I believe that now I can make the most of what I have been given by sharing what I have experienced with others.

I believe I can be successful in my recovery. I also believe that my experiences with mental illness give me a powerful voice. This voice will help provide meaning and fulfillment in my life. I find sharing my story to be rewarding. One day I hope to be able to share this story with a larger audience than I am currently. My dream is to one speak publicly about my recovery experience. I will diligently work towards making this dream a reality, one day at a time.

Post Diagnosis Until Now: My Story of Recovery

This article is the second part of my three part essay summarizing my experiences with Schizophrenia. It will cover the span of time from my diagnosis until now. My diagnosis came immediately after a suicide attempt. I have since then journeyed towards recovery along a windy road.

I was diagnosed with schizophrenia in September of 2007 at the Fletcher Allen Hospital in Burlington, VT. It wasn't long after my diagnosis that I was allowed to leave the hospital to go to an out patient program. I was medicated at this time but schizophrenia still had a major grip on me. I was still suicidal. I was going to commit suicide while in the out patient program by jumping off a cliff. Fortunately, I tried doing this at night and could not find my way to the cliff in the dark. I did not stay in the outpatient program for very long. I moved down to Castleton, VT to live in a private group home where I could receive treatment.

I lived in Castleton for 2 1/2 years. I did well in that program. I made friends and was very active. It was in Castleton that I learned how to play chess. I also did my first century ride while I was there. I did this in addition to doing the work program that was offered. The work program at 47 Main St. in Castleton consisted of some chores like cleaning and cooking. It also offered a significant amount of carpentry. The director of 47 Main St. had a large plot of land and the residents of the program built a sugar house on it.

I was in denial about my mental illness for the duration of my stay at 47 Main St. I tried telling both the psychiatrist and my peers of my military service. I never served but believed I had been a general since the age of 14. I was fairly ambiguous about my service, not mentioning that I had been a general. I had never mentioned anything about the belief that I had been in the military to anyone ever before. The things I expressed about my service were met with some resistance by my peers. They questioned me about things I said and expressed that they didn't believe me. I believe that this was a stepping stone to my eventual realization that I was delusional.

I still believed that I had experiences in life that were quite extraordinary. I thought that I was quite famous and although I wasn't a household name, the people in the world that did know of me regarded those that didn't as being ignorant. This made it quite easy for me to write off anyone that didn't accept the things I told them about myself. While in Castleton however I did some reality testing. I researched things that pertained to my "delusions" on the internet. I specifically remember looking up on my computer the name of a martial arts grand master. I believed that this man had taught me martial arts. I found out that he was not even alive in my lifetime.

Although for the most part I was much better while I was at 47 Main St. than I had been; I had moments in which I wasn't at my best. One time I seriously considered suicide. Another time I went to the hospital. This hospitalization came after a month of not sleeping well. My stress levels were heightened and fed my paranoia. I checked into the hospital and was checked out before very long. Nothing was really accomplished while I was there. I remember in the final meeting with the doctor, case manager and director of 47 Main St. that the doctors did not understand anything I tried to communicate to them while I was there. It was very frustrating.

I left the hospital and went back to 47 Main St. and before long, graduated from the program. The director at 47 Main St. told me that in order to graduate from his program I had to get occupational training. I chose to go to a bike mechanic school out in Colorado Springs. The program there was three weeks long and I came back to Vermont with new skills and knowledge. I considered continuing living in Castleton and opening my own bike shop. The owner of the building I was in told me that they intended to tear down the garage I wanted to have my shop in. I abruptly left the Castleton area to go back to my parent's home.

In the spring of 2010 I began working at two bike shops. One of them was a non-profit in Burlington and the other was owned by a friend of the family. I was a volunteer at the non-profit but I got paid at the other shop, although not very much. Nevertheless I was developing my skills as a bike mechanic. I would eventually work at a shop down in Miami, Florida. I will get to that later.

All seemed well at first when I came back home from Castleton. My symptoms of schizophrenia were manageable and I was for the most part happy. I began slipping however. That summer I again had a period of time in which I didn't sleep. This lasted for about a month just like the first time and again I went to the hospital. My symptoms peaked and were unmanageable. I was once again discharged from the hospital without much being accomplished. They didn't even re-evaluate the medications I was taking.

In late autumn I moved to Miami, where there was an opening at a bike shop. I had a horrible time in Miami. I was spending way too much money all the time. I ate out often- at times 3 meals a day. I also got my $1300 bicycle stolen. My stay in Miami didn't last long. I was not performing as well as my boss would have liked. It was a fast paced work environment and I had trouble keeping up. I think that this could be attributed in part to the fact that I was not taking meds, sometime for three days at a time. Feeling defeated, I moved back home to Vermont in the first part of that winter.

I did not have much going on that would help me function my best that winter. I wasn't seeing a psychiatrist and I wasn't going to groups. I was beginning to unravel. Towards the end of the winter I went back to Colorado Springs to learn how to service bicycle suspension systems. I did not get on the plane to go back home from Colorado because I was having an episode. I called home and with the support of my family I got on a plane the next day.

When I got back to Vermont from Colorado I went to 47 Main St. to try to get back to being my best. I stayed at 47 Main St. until the bike shop I worked at opened up. This was about a month. The time in Castleton helped but I still had major problems that were not addressed. That summer I had a major crisis that landed me in jail.

On June 27th of 2011, I was arrested and put in jail. I would stay in jail until I was found by a court to not be competent to stand trial. I was then shipped to the Vermont State Hospital. I would only stay there until tropical storm Irene came and flooded us out. I was evacuated and brought to the Brattleboro Retreat in southern Vermont.

I stayed at the Brattleboro Retreat from August 28th to December 9th. In that time my doctor had me take a written evaluation. In doing this he was able to better diagnose me as having paranoid schizophrenia. Prior to that, I was labeled as having undifferentiated schizophrenia. My meds were also changed. I started back on Zyprexa instead of Abilify. Unfortunately I also gained 40 pounds while I was in the Brattleboro Retreat. I left the retreat overweight for the first time in my life.

I left the retreat in the last part of 2011 to come Meadowview Recovery Residence where I currently reside. Since coming to Meadowview I have made a lot of progress. I lost a significant amount of weight and I quit smoking. My physical health is the best it has been in a long time. I have educated myself on schizophrenia and have finally accepted that I experience symptoms of this disease. I am no longer delusional. I have started volunteering as a peer recovery specialist. This may be a career path for me in the future. I have also started to take an interest in writing. Meadowview has given me treatment for my illness, support and hope. I am going to be leaving Meadowview before very long. I feel more prepared than ever for maintaining my health and wellbeing.

Pre-Diagnosis Experience

The following article is the first part of a three part essay. The three parts will be of 1 my pre-diagnosis period of dealing with schizophrenia, 2 post diagnosis to present period of dealing with schizophrenia and 3 now and into the future period of dealing with schizophrenia. This first installment is a depressing story. I was diagnosed just after having attempted suicide. As a result the suicide attempt is the last bit of this first article. The second and third essays should offer more hope for those dealing with similar issues as I have had.

It's hard to say exactly when I first started experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia. This is because there is an overlap between delusional thoughts I have had and the on-set of my illness. I believed for a long time that I had been a Marine Corps general from the age of 14. The symptoms of my illness likely had not set until a little later in life.

In my adolescence I was troubled. I showed very little interest in school Although my peers and teachers regarded me as intelligent, I got failing grades. I was not academically eligible to play lacrosse my freshman year. I got arrested for the first time when I was 17.

In the summer of 1997 I went on a crime spree. I shop lifted all the time and even did burgalaries of cottages. I think this may have been my first experiences with schizophrenia. I was in my mind trying to emulate Adolf and Napoleon by being a delinquent. I thought "going in the direction of being worse" by going on a crime spree was the best way to get an education that there was. I believed that it was how Adolf and Napoleon got educated. I thought I was on my way to being a powerful general like the two of them.

I continued to go downhill academically. I hit a low point after being suspended my junior year. I chose not to go back to school for a couple months after the suspension was lifted. When I went back I did not attend classes. Instead I met with a tutor in the library. I completed my junior year this way.

There was a new school program introduced my senior year in high school. It was put in place to help those at risk for dropping out. I was allowed to get my diploma in this program. It was called the OZ program. There were two ladies that helped me out when I was in the OZ program, Joann and Debbie. I enjoyed them very much and had a great experience my senior year. I was allowed to get school credit by doing a work study as a ski instructor.

As a child and young adult my passion in life was, without a doubt, skiing. I had my sights set on making a career out of skiing. I began teaching skiing on weekends when I was 17. I quickly moved up to working full time at the mountain the next year (doing the work study for school). I was dedicated to being a great ski instructor. I always got great feedback from my students, and my peers respected me.  I continued teaching skiing until the symptoms of schizophrenia became to consuming for me to keep teaching.

In 2002 I started being paranoid and as a result reclusive. I began reading a lot. I read mostly military history, military strategy and martial arts philosophy. In that time I am sure I was quite delusional. I believed that I was a great war hero. I was studying strategy and military to reinforce worldly learning I gained.

Oddly enough, I have fond memories of this time in my life. I was living on my own in Johnson, VT. I caught rainbow trout on a fly rod often times that summer. I got fired from the bus boy position I had at a restaurant in town. I stayed in Johnson after getting fired until I ran out of money at the end of the summer. I had my driver's license suspended and as a result I did not get another job. I enjoyed making good friends and having good times that summer.

That next winter I moved out to Aspen, CO. I found a really cheap apartment the night I arrived in Aspen. I continued to spend most of my time studying. I chose not to seek out employment teaching skiing because I thought people would harm me if I did get a job. Once again not working, I stayed in Aspen until I ran out of money. I did not make a single friend while I was in Aspen. I was totally consumed by my illness.

I went back to live with my parents after leaving Aspen. I lived there, consumed by my illness, until I finally acted on my feelings that people were going to harm me. I got myself put in jail by assaulting a police officer. I spent 4 months in a jail in St. Johnsbury, VT. I was released in the spring of 2007.

I was released to a program for men just being released from corrections. Its purpose was to help former inmates to transition into the community. I got kicked out before very long and went back to my parents place. My paranoia was as intense as ever and I felt I had to take action to keep my self from being harmed. I attempted suicide. I failed in my attempt and was brought to the hospital. I was finally diagnosed and treated for schizophrenia.

Thanks to My Readers

I have now published 50 articles for Breathe. This project of creating a recovery blog started less than 3 months ago. I have learned a lot in that time. I have learned about mental illness, recovery, exercise and nutrition from doing research for many of the articles. I still have learned even more about myself.

Writing the articles for my blog has taught me how valuable my life experiences are to who I am. I have learned that being the person that I am, people care to see what I have written. As a result of the success of Breathe I believe in myself more. This has been a great experience for which I would like to thank my readers, without all of you it would just be words on paper.

Support Systems: Who to Go to for Help

It is important to have a strong support system if you are in recovery. Your support system should include peers, family and mental health professionals. It is not enough to just have the supports there- you must be diligent about making use of them. There is no issue too small to share with someone who cares about you.

It is hard for many people to share with others how they feel. I have in the past kept a great deal of my feelings to myself. In part, I didn't think anyone would understand what I was going through. I also felt as if I should be able to handle my circumstances on my own. I have learned the hard way that not sharing my issues with others is a detriment to my wellbeing and livelihood.

I think to make use of those who support you, accepting that you have a mental illness comes first. If you are still in denial about your illness you will likely not recognize warning signs of a possible relapse. You will also want to be cognizant of the warning signs to look out for. Get down on paper things you anticipate experiencing if you begin to slip.

Practice getting support when you are doing well. When you are not doing well it will be easier to seek support if it is common for you to seek support from others. Make getting support from those who you are close to a ritual. Speak to others about anything: good or bad, big or small. Get comfortable with expressing to people the things that are troubling you or bringing you joy.

Ideally, as part of your support system you would go to groups. You will get to speak with others that will understand your issues. You will also be there for them; which has its own therapeutic value. Share your feelings and difficulties as well as your triumphs at these groups. Try to become friends with the other attendees to add to your system of support. They can be helpful to you and you to them just as much.

The Beauty of Nature

The natural world is amazingly beautiful. I believe most people would say that they greatly enjoy being in nature. The beauty of nature goes beyond sights and sounds; it is also in the hardship and struggle that encircles all that it gives life. The way each part of the natural world not only survives but contributes to the balance of the ecosystem is truly wonderful. If you take time to observe and appreciate nature you will leave with a renewed sense of self worth.

I believe having love and appreciation of all living things will come back to you. It is not necessarily going to come back in some sort of cosmic way, it can be much simpler. If you value other things that are living you will find value in your own life experience. The more appreciation you show for the natural world the more inclined you will be to accept who you are with all your flaws.

I recommend making a concerted effort to appreciate nature and the living things that inhabit the natural world. I believe that effort made in this way will be returned. You may want to try to release insects instead of squashing them. You could also make it a point to spend more time in the wilderness. You could even choose to be a vegetarian. These are steps you can take towards loving and accepting who you are, for the right reasons.

No Regrets: Today or Tomorrow

I don't regret wasting time in my life; I only wish I had no regrets. I say this to illustrate a point, which is to not waste time regretting mistakes you have made in the past or time spent being irresponsible. I can speak from experience in saying that this is not an easy thing to do. I have spent a lot of time regretting the lack of responsibility I demonstrated when I was young. I was not happy with who I had become as of yet.

I feel differently now. I no longer feel like the mistakes of my past are a detriment to who I am today. I am happy with who I am. I know that it is because I am happy with who I am that I don't regret past mistakes so much. I can live with these mistakes, with time spent being irresponsible. I do still have regret but I don't spend time dwelling on the fact.

Getting to this place of being happy with myself is an important step in my life. It is one that has taken a long time for me to take. Some of the things I did in my adolescence and twenties have cost me dearly. I was irresponsible and lived my life recklessly. In time I have come to accept things such as past heavy marijuana use and getting arrested as being valuable life experiences. Growing takes time and in these times mistakes will be made. The correct course of action is to accept that you are human and to choose to like who you are. It is this way you will be able to move on.

The Freshmen 15

How to Avoid the Freshman 15 in College
I have decided to start including articles in my blog that I have not written myself. This is so the original intent of having an exercise and nutrition focus around recovery is not lost. I stay in great shape but only can write so much on the subject. The following article has been written by someone I got into contact with via the internet. It is the first article to be published on my blog that I have not written myself.

College is going to challenge you a great deal. Between a busy class schedule, stress to rank high in specific areas in your education and trying to keep up with the busy college social life, you are in for a rough trip. In a few years, you’ll look back at it as some of the best years of your life, but there are a few things that freshmen need to try to avoid to take full advantage of college. First off, keep healthy. The Freshmen 15 is a term that many college goers fear more than grades themselves, and there are plenty of reasons for this. So what is the Freshmen 15? Simply put, it is a term that many students use to explain the weight gain that new students experience as they start college.
Now that you know, it is time to start avoiding that weight gain. Keeping yourself healthy will do wonders for your chances at success through your entire college career. To start, be careful about the dorm food. Most of it is a giant pile of unhealthy. See if vegetarian or healthier meals are offered and try to hit those up more often than burgers, fries and pizza.
Between classes, you will probably stop off at the food court or cafeteria. Always go for the healthiest choice there. If you can find a salad bar, try to take advantage of that with some light dressing. Have your fries in their natural form; a baked potato. Be sparing with the amount of deserts you consume.
Most of that stuff is the obvious “healthy way of eating” knowledge you already have. The trick is understanding why it is so important now. There are very few classes that will have you up on your feet and moving around. Most studying will require some quiet time in a chair and intense focus. You are going to be sitting more through college than you ever have through your life. Even with the walk from one class to the other all the way across campus, you aren’t getting the exercise that you need. Sitting is not good for weight loss, obviously, so take advantage of any free time to get up and moving.
Your college probably has a number of sports teams you could try to join, but even if that isn’t possible, look for clubs that are formed around some of the more popular college sports these days. Get out and play soccer, or Frisbee golf, or for the brave, try to find a rugby club. All of these activities can be done on your time and will help shave off the calories from that moment of weakness when you chose pizza over salad. You’re in college and you should live it up, eat like crap and enjoy your youth. Just make sure that these choices aren’t going to backfire and make your later years expensive and painful for your body. Keep focused on your health and your studies will be significantly easier over the next few years

The Mental Health System: My Point of View

In my years of dealing with schizophrenia I have been misdiagnosed, hospitalized, lived in group homes and attempted suicide. In this article I would like to report the experiences I have had in the mental health system. I will give mention to the places I have been, people I have met and the treatment I received.

I started seeing doctors about psychiatric issues at the age of 17. I had been in trouble with the law and was mandated to see Dr. Donnelly. I was counseled by Dr. Donnelly for a while but not diagnosed or given medication. I was misdiagnosed not too much later as having ADHD. This diagnosis was made by my primary care physician. I took Ritalin for a while for the supposed ADHD. I eventually stopped taking the medication on my own accord.

I went to the Howard Center at one point, although I only vaguely remember it. I was misdiagnosed again this time with having Aspergers. I dismissed this diagnosis and did not give it a second thought. I continued to struggle with the symptoms of schizophrenia that would take over in my life at the age of 22. I lost all ability to function normally. I was not diagnosed, however, until I was 27 years of age. This diagnosis came immediately after a suicide attempt. I was given this diagnosis at the Fletcher Allen Hospital in Burlington, VT, near where I grew up.

I was transferred out of the hospital to a sort-of respite home. I was still suicidal but made no serious attempt, although I did consider it. I was only in the respite home for maybe a week before I moved to Castleton, VT where there was a group home called 47 Main. 47 Main was in a beautiful a mansion in a rural Vermont town. The owner and director of 47 Main was Willem Leenman. The program at 47 Main was what they called a work program. We did carpentry and gardening much of the time. 47 Main provided a great environment in which to recover.

Unfortunately, 47 Main also had its flaws. In the work program there were no discussion groups. I think discussion groups are important in recovery because the participants learn in these groups what they are dealing with in recovery. There was also no therapist at 47 Main; I only saw a psychiatrist. Lastly, there were no peers working at 47 Main. I have found the presence of peer specialists to be tremendously helpful now that I have had the chance to work with some.

When I was at 47 Main I had a period of time, (approximately a month long), in which I did not sleep well. The added stress was too much for me to handle and I checked myself into the Rutland Regional Hospital. While I was there I told the staff of my beliefs that I had been an extremely important person. They never really asked me to explain any further how I got to be this person of great importance. When it came time for my discharge, the doctor and case manager met with Willem and me. The doctor and case manager tried to summarize what they thought I had to communicate with them but did so vaguely and inaccurately. It seemed like they were trying to sweep the symptoms of my illness under the rug. I have had similar experiences with other doctors as well. The psychiatrist that visited 47 Main was very ambiguous when responding to my question "what is schizophrenia?"

I have now had two more hospitalizations since going to Rutland. I had not once had any doctor try to explain to me what schizophrenia was, or the types of symptoms I might be experiencing. For a long time I did not even know what recovery was, let alone that I was in recovery. It seems like the common practice in the mental health field is to just medicate the patients and discharge them when you feel they are not a danger to themselves or others around them. It does not seem like anyone would care to take the time to treat the person as such, instead of treating the illness.

School of Hard Knocks

In my life I have been knocked down many times. I have been homeless, incarcerated and diagnose with a serious mental illness. I have been pushed to the very edge of what I can take. I have even attempted suicide and thought at times I could do no better than rot in jail the rest of my life. My journey to recovery has been a long and windy one and is far from over. My life will not suddenly become easy, but I wouldn't want it to. That is a part of life that you understand it is challenging. You choose to prevail over great obstacles.

Struggles are a sign that the winds of change are blowing. Pain is impermanent, it passes. As we experience pain and as we struggle we grow. We learn from these experiences. It takes time but the lessons we learn and struggles we move on from eventually become sufficient to move on to greener pastures. It is my personal belief that we don't move on to these greener pastures until we believe we can.

I believe that often times as it is in my experience that when we take steps to go down the rocky road of trial and tribulations we do so due to a lack of self-esteem. I never believed I could ever achieve the things I knew in my heart I wanted. I thought that I had what it took to do great things but didn't believe it was my place in the world to make it happen. I thought I was a nobody. Thinking negatively causes you to act negatively. A lack of self-esteem causes you to live with a disregard for your future. Many people "self-destruct" because they don't believe in themselves.

It is this way however that a person graduates from the school of hard knocks. Graduation from the school of hard knocks means you now know you can move on to greener pastures. It is to say that in the process of having been knocked down so many times that you gained confidence from it. You now feel that from your struggles you are able to rise even higher.

Breakfast: The Most Important Meal of the Day

Breakfast is really the most important meal of the day. In fact skipping breakfast is arguably the biggest nutritional mistake you can make. It is also a very common mistake. Many people skip breakfast some because they don't feel they have time and many others to cut calories. Making breakfast a priority will benefit your energy levels throughout the day and can actually assist weight loss.

One study of 3000 dieters that had lost 30 pounds or more showed that 78% of them ate breakfast everyday. When you don't eat breakfast you will most likely get cravings for junk food in the late morning. Skipping breakfast can also leave you feeling lethargic and hinder your workouts.

Starting your day off with a high energy breakfast is simple. You will want to eat a meal rich in carbohydrates (an excellent source of energy) with a little protein. This may include a banana with toast and peanut butter or cereal with strawberries and skim milk. My typical breakfast is a bowl of cereal with two pieces of fruit.

Many of you are to busy to sit down and have a large breakfast. You exercise early in the morning and go to work immediately after. My suggestion to you is to have some fruit on your way out the door and to bring something with you to eat later in the morning. You could bring along things like trail mix or instant oatmeal. Anything you can to keep from raiding the vending machine.

Try to make eating breakfast a priority. If you can get up earlier in the morning to get a good start to your day, do so. Eat a breakfast high in carbohydrates from fruits and whole grains. Doing this will increase your energy throughout the day and lead to a healthier lifestyle.

Going the Extra Mile

In a peer facilitated recovery group I attended yesterday a friend said something brilliant. I at least think it's brilliant. This friend was co-facilitating the group. She is in recovery from bi-polar disorder. She is also as it happens to be the editor for my blog

The discussion in the group was on willfulness and willingness. The topic of going the extra mile came up and my friend said that she always tries to go the extra mile. She then stated this "If I screwed up on the first mile, I can make it up on the next mile."

I went out on a walk and got a cup of coffee this morning, as I commonly do. Towards the final 10 to 12 minutes of this walk I thought about what my friend had said yesterday. I thought of how it applies to me on a personal level. In my life I have made plenty of mistakes. I have deeply hurt those who love me most. It is now that I have the opportunity to go that extra mile. I can go beyond what is expected of me and in the process partially right the wrongs in my life.

Chess and Recovery

I have always been interested in strategy.  I have read countless books on the topic of strategy. Included in these books are military history, military strategy, warrior philosophy and chess books. All together I have read somewhere around 50 books to better understand strategy.

I started studying chess at the age of 28. I spent at least an hour a day learning how to play chess for over a year. Studying chess is not done exclusively by reading books. You must study tactics. In other words, you practice things like 3 and 4 move checkmates a lot. Studying chess helped improve my analytical mind tremendously. I am much better about processing and accumulating information for the purposes of making good decisions.

In my experience, to be good at chess you should attempt to excel at two things; the first of these two things is to seek and gain small advantages. The smallest advantages are the most readily conceded by your opponent. The very best players seek advantages that a lesser player would overlook. The lesser player's eye is not as well trained to see the board in the same light as masters and grandmasters do. The other thing you must excel at in chess is turn small advantages into large ones over time.

Many times in playing a game of chess I have seen small oversights in judgment lead to major shifts in the outcome of the game. These shifts can take place in as little as 3 or 4 moves. In these types of situations, what has happened is that an imbalance in the game has been achieved.  A position that would have been considered even quickly becomes one in which a particular player has a decisive advantage.

In recovery there are many small steps you can take to better manage your illness. Steps like taking your meds and getting support from close friends and family. The better you understand your own personal experience with your illness the better you can understand which steps are appropriate for you to take. In time these efforts will accumulate to become a part of major accomplishment in your journey to recovery.

Late Morning Bike Ride

In the late morning today I went out on a bike ride. I hadn't ridden my bike much this past summer. I forgot how much I enjoy it and how great of exercise it is; I think I down play how good of exercise biking is because of how long of bike rides I once did. The weather today was perfect for riding, sunny and cool. I got to enjoy the freedom of having the mobility that comes with being on a bike. As opposed to running or walking the distances or ground you can cover is much less limited on a bike.

This ride could not have come at a better time. I was getting bored with my routine and slacking a little as a result. The time spent on my bike adds great variety and enjoyment to my regimen. Just getting out and exercising got me motivated again to do more exercise including more running and kettlebell training. I will continue to go out on bike rides for the remainder of the autumn season.

Carpe Diem

I would now like to publish a follow up article to the previous goals article. The goals article was intended to help readers be proactive in how the move forward in recovery. However there is more to recovery and life than pushing through to a brighter more promising future.

I am a very task oriented person myself. I deal well with what is tangible. I am known to be very disciplined. However it is important to take your time in recovery, not forgetting that today is a gift. In trying to reach for a better tomorrow we can often times over look the opportunities presented that make today so wonderful.

The purpose of this article is to provide balance to my previous article on reaching goals. In this article similarly to the last I am asking you to put on paper 15 things you can do to enjoy each day. Just as in the goals article I will provide my own list to help give you some ideas.

 

1. Drink a cup of coffee

 

2. Go for a walk

 

3. Play a game of chess

 

4. Go fishing

 

5. Read a book

 

6. Write something that I don't intend to publish

 

7. Spend some time in nature

 

8. Take a nap

 

9. Take a warm shower

 

10. Listen to music

 

11. Meditate

 

12. Play video games

 

13. Watch T.V.

 

14. Drink a cup of tea

 

15. Enjoy conversation with a friend

Goals: A Process of Steps

One of the most challenging things in dealing with a mental illness is to go beyond managing your symptoms. In order to fully recover from schizophrenia I feel like I must live a productive life. I have goals that I set for myself to work towards a more productive life. Some of these goals are short term goals and others are longer term goals.

This morning I was doing a writing exercise in which I had to explain a goal I had. I had to explain why it was important to me and how I intended to reach this goal. I feel that doing this exercise did two things for me. First it got me more in touch with what I aspire to. It also got me thinking of how I thought I could accomplish this goal. The goal I have is to speak publicly about my experience with mental illness and recovery.

I went for a walk after doing the exercise and brought my journal. I stopped to get a cup of coffee and sat down to list the things I can do to one day speak publicly about my recovery process. If you feel inclined to do as I did; make a list of things you can do to reach your goal. I think your list should include 15 different steps you can take. I will include in this article my list to help you.

 

1. Write at least one e-mail everyday to promote my blog and myself

 

2. Write articles for my blog for as long as is needed to get the opportunity to speak publicly

 

3. Work as a peer specialist

 

4. Read about recovery

 

5. Involve others or organize

 

6. Get published in a magazine or newspaper

 

7. Pass out business cards

 

8. Ask someone who speaks publicly for advice

 

9. Be persistent

 

10. Get my own youtube channel

 

11. Utilize twitter

 

12. Volunteer

 

13. Go to conferences

 

14. Network

 

15. Ask organizers of specific events if they would consider having me speak

The Responsibility of Living

The most valuable lesson I have learned in the past year has been that the good life is a responsibility, instead of a privilege. In years past I did not feel this way. The years in which my symptoms of schizophrenia were at their worst I spent a lot of time wallowing in my misery. I felt that the world had been unfair to me. I thought I deserved more from life than what I was given. I did not see, however, that this behavior not only hurt my self, but also those who cared about me. I think that we owe it to those closest to us to make the best effort at living a good life that we can.

It took time for me to come around and feel that I needed to do something about my situation. I believe it all started when the desire to do something in the world became greater than the effects of paranoia I experienced from my schizophrenia. I started making small steps everyday towards making a better life for myself. The journey to recovery is a long and windy one. I now think that the struggles and dramatic low points I have experienced due to my illness have brought me to a certain place in which I feel empowered. I now have greater and more positive things to share with the world than I ever would have if I had not become mentally ill.

5 Minute Plank

I was issued a challenge via an on-line fitness newsletter I receive. It was to do an exercise of my choice for 30 days straight. The reason for doing this was to develop a positive habit. The writer of the newsletter explained that it takes about a month of diligent effort to develop a habit. Since then I have heard it is about 20 days to form a habit.

I am at day 16 as of right now and the progress I have seen is remarkable. I have at my best done 100 sit-ups. I started off doing less than 50. I naturally have increased the amount of time that I can do planks. If you don't know what a plank is it is another core strengthening exercise where you keep your abdomen suspended off the ground. You do this in a horizontal position similar to a push-up but wrest on your elbows and forearms. Now I have gotten off the subject.

The point of this article is to never give up. I stated that intended to reach a goal of doing a 5 minute plank several months ago to a friend of mine. I had just done my first 3 minute plank and thought I could do more. I worked at it for a while but got discouraged after a couple of times in which I failed to do even 3 minutes again. I gave up. Since doing this challenge my core strength has increased and I actually did a 4 minute and 35 second plank. My confidence in my ability to reach 5 minutes is renewed. I did not get to my goal how I intended to and there were times in which I didn't think I could. I have learned a valuable lesson from this experience.

Blog Sustainability

It has been over two months since I wrote the first article for Breathe. I have now written 35 articles. It has been a great experience; I have learned and grown in the process. I have tried to keep the blog informative and a reflection of who I am. I hope that it comes through in the writing. However I have reached a point where I believed the end to be in sight. I have mostly tapped into what I know about recovering from a mental illness and healthy living.

I do not want to give up writing for the blog. This morning I wrote in my journal as I do every morning immediately after my second cup of coffee. Shortly after I finished my journal entry I realized that what I wrote would make for a great rough draft to a blog article. Upon realizing this it dawned upon me that I can shift my attention in my blog from informative to autobiographical. I will now use some of my better journal entries for blog articles. I will this way be able to share my story of recovery. While the earlier articles that I wrote for my blog will provide a back drop for my personal story.

In addition to making the blog more autobiographical I will start having guest writers. This will provide more perspectives on the recovery process. I will also continue to write articles that are informative. I am not abandoning the original style of the blog. It is instead evolving to be more sustainable. My goals for the blog are mostly to help and inspire people who struggle with mental illness. I also want my voice to be heard. I want to create a body of work that will be in the public eye. I want to make a significant contribution to society.

Hills and Intervals: Training for Speed

There are two aspects of exercise I want to attempt to turn my readers onto. They are intervals and hills. Each of these is great for developing speed and increasing endurance. Intervals are periods of intense exercise interspersed with active recovery periods. You may do intervals running or biking to build better speed. It is my understanding that to run a fast mile you should do 200 meter intervals, sprinting 200 meters and then slowly jogging until you feel you could do another 200 meter sprint. You should also spend time running or cycling hills.

There are many ways in which you can use hills to best get yourself in shape. You could go on a moderately paced hike to the top of a mountain or go jogging and seek out a hilly route to follow. There are also a number of hill specific exercises you can do on hills including sprints, lunges and backwards running up hills. There is a video on youtube entirely devoted to hill training. If you would like to look it up you will be able to find it under Bloom to Fit.

There are two types of intervals you can do: aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic intervals are longer but less intense than anaerobic intervals. The 200 meter sprint intervals I previously mentioned are anaerobic intervals. Anaerobic intervals are especially good for developing your top speed- or sprinting- for either cycling or running. Aerobic intervals last for about 10 minutes and are great for increasing your lung capacity. The goal with doing intervals is to slowly decrease your rest periods and this way increase your speed. It takes discipline and motivation to do interval training but it is essential for optimum performance.

Illness and Incarceration

There are many reasons to be concerned with how mental illness is being treated in modern society. One of these is the prevalence of those dealing with mental health issues in jail or prison. The population of those with mental illnesses in jails and prisons has grown since the deinstitutionalization movement in the 60's and 70's. In this time, the concept of integrating those with illnesses into society was at the forefront of mental health care. As this occurred, the number of beds available in state hospitals began to drop. In the last 50 years the number of state hospital beds has fallen from 600,000 to 40,000.

Jails and prisons are now administering the majority of mental health treatment in America. Rikers Island is the largest provider of mental health services in the country, housing approximately 3000 people with illnesses. It is estimated that mentally ill inmates on average are incarcerated 8 times longer. The expense to keep mentally ill inmates incarcerated is 7 times that of non-ill inmates. Mentally ill inmates are housed in disciplinary units approximately 6 1/2 times as much as their non-ill counterparts.

I was able to interview a jail superintendent for this article. I asked him pertinent questions related to the treatment of mental illness in jail, its effectiveness and the decriminalization of mental illness. In speaking to him I was able to gain some insight into the subject I would not be able to get from doing research on-line.

I think it is important to understand the experience of others dealing with mental illness for my own personal recovery. I think this article will also be informative for those who are closely related to someone with an illness and to those that are just interested readers.

In the interview I did with the jail superintendent, he gave me a number of reasons why we see so many people with illnesses being incarcerated. 32% of his inmates are mentally ill. He specifically mentioned that he sees people who are undiagnosed or uneducated about their illness. Often times they will be experiencing financial difficulties and do not know how to keep their medication regimen going. He told me a story of a young lady who had no income, and her family had severed their ties with her. Her landlord warned her that if she didn't leave her apartment he would call the police, as she was not paying her rent. She had nowhere to turn and did not want to be left on the streets. She was eventually charged with criminal trespass and put in jail.                     

The superintendent also let me know that he did not feel that proper mental health treatment was as accessible as it should be in the community. There are stricter criteria for being admitted to hospital- much more so than a jail. Also, the option of putting a person in jail rather than bringing them to a hospital where they can be admitted is an "easy" choice for police officers. We would not want to see someone go to jail that could be admitted to a hospital to receive proper care. However, the superintendent told me he has seen people who were diagnosed in jail and given proper medication. In some instances like that he says that he has received phone calls from former inmates who said that the treatment they received in jail dramatically improved their lives.

Illness and Homelessness

There is a major homelessness problem amongst the mentally ill. I myself have been homeless. Although I had two jobs I was having trouble for a little while when I was 20 finding a reasonably priced apartment. I was living in a resort town at the time. At that time in my life I was a ski instructor. In the time that I was between apartments I stayed in a storage unit. It was winter but my sleeping bag and wool hat kept me fairly warm.

Mental illness is one of the very top causes of homelessness. Studies show that 30% of homeless people suffer from severe mental illnesses. Often time's people dealing with symptoms of mental illness become estranged from their support systems and have difficulty in the work place. I have had experiences like this myself. I have had trouble at times both keeping jobs and finding jobs. It seems as though people with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are especially vulnerable to homelessness.

One study shows that 27% to 36% of patients discharged from state hospitals in MA and OH were homeless within 6 months. Unfortunately out patient services cost a lot of money and are not made available to many people with illnesses. Another study shows that 60% of the chronically homeless suffer from severe mental illness. It is an unfortunate set of circumstances that people dealing with mental illness face.

There are many improvements that could be made within the system to help alleviate some of these issues. In my experience I have seen that hospitals could be staffed with people that know more about the problems their patients face. They could also attempt to educate their patients about their illnesses more. I would have benefited from these types of accommodations myself. One example of this is that in my experience I have not seen one peer recovery specialist on staff at a hospital. Treatment must continue after leaving the hospital aswell.

Struggles and Schizophrenia

I am someone who is dealing with schizophrenia. It is in remission now but I have had many struggles with this illness in my lifetime. It's hard to say exactly when I started experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia. I was diagnosed at the age of 27, after a suicide attempt. It is more likely that I first became ill in my teens.

I had my first encounter with the law when I was 17. I was driving under the influence of alcohol. I ran a red light at an intersection and was pursued by a police officer. I ran red lights on a regular basis at that time in my life. I had stolen goods in my car. I had stolen stereo equipment from a person's apartment earlier that night. The police officer who pursued me eventually detained and charged me. I was charged that night and awaited to be seen in court that weekend in jail.

I was lucky, the charges I faced were consolidated and as it was my first time in the court system I was given the opportunity to go through court diversion. Court diversion is for young people facing their first criminal charges. If you do what you are asked to do in court diversion you will eventually have no charges on your record. I had to do some community service and take a course for drunk drivers. Unfortunately I hardly learned my lesson.

I had future encounters with the law. I have spent some time in jail. One time in particular I was plagued by paranoia. I thought in order to be safe I would have to go to jail. I assaulted a police officer and did 4 months for it. I got out of jail and still believed that people would harm me if I didn't do something about it. This led to my suicide attempt at the age of 27 I mentioned earlier. I went to the hospital after my attempt was and diagnosed with schizophrenia. I left the hospital not feeling any better.

I went from the hospital to a group home. This group home provided an environment in which my feelings of paranoia subsided. I appeared to all parties but myself to be doing well. I knew that the symptoms of my illness were just below the surface. I have said in another article in this blog that delusion makes you feel as if you are alone. The consequences of this feeling of being alone in my case were that I did not share of my paranoid beliefs. I felt that only I could understand my own circumstances. I left the group home after having been there for 2 1/2 years, still delusional but not quite as paranoid. Eventually the paranoia caught up to me again I felt I was not safe. I again got myself put in jail.

I can now look back on all of this and feel as if it has made me into a stronger individual to have struggled this much. I regret things I have done. I have also managed to overcome my illness. I now know that no one is going to harm me. I do not suffer from delusion and I hope that I can help others that have had are struggling similarly to how I did.  I feel that life has been unfair to me but at the same time I would not wish to have an easy life. I have always revered those who had major struggles and were able to make great contributions to our society. It is my belief that I can come out of my struggles better than I was when they laid ahead of me. I will attempt to use my experiences to make a greater contribution to society than I would be capable of otherwise.

Fiber: A Healthy Choice

Fiber is currently a dietary buzz word. Fiber is carbohydrates that can not be digested. It is very important to eat a diet rich in fiber. You should be eating foods rich in fiber more than you probably think. In fact males under the age of 50 should be consuming 38 grams of fiber a day. Women from the same age group need a little less fiber. Their daily recommended fiber intake is 25 grams. Still when you consider that a "fiber rich" may have as little as 3 grams in a serving 25 to 38 grams is quite a bit. Luckily many different foods contain fiber. Such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.

There are a number of health benefits to fiber. One being that it can assist in weight loss. It is considered to be a more satiating food than what many others are so you will feel full from eating a fiber rich food. It also takes a little longer to chew which will help you not over eat. Fiber rich foods also are often times low in calorie, an added bonus. A high in fiber diet will also protect against heart disease and diabetes.

There are two types of fiber soluble and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber helps with regularity while the soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol and glucose levels. Sources of insoluble fiber are whole wheat flour and bran, nuts and many vegetables. Sources of soluble fiber are oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots and barley.

The average person takes in about 15 grams of fiber a day. Less than the minimum recommended intake this is 20 grams. If you are interested in increasing your fiber consumption I offer here a few tips on how to do this better. First increase your fiber consumption slowly over time. Increasing your fiber intake too quickly could cause gas, bloating and/or diarrhea. Also you should drink a lot of water with your fiber rich diet. Adding things like seeds to your salads and vegetables like carrots as a snack can be helpful. You will want to replace your breads, cereals, rice and pastas with ones that are whole grain.

Circuit Training

Circuit training is a series of exercises repeated in rapid succession. It is intended to keep your heart rate up to burn a lot of calories. It can be a great time saver as it combines cardio with resistance training. If you choose to do some circuit training you should choose lighter weights to do more repetitions, at least 15 repetitions per exercise. It is important that you include exercises that will get your heart pumping. I find that whole body exercises in which I use my legs are best for this. You may select one or two whole body exercises with the rest maintaining your heart rate but not necessarily accelerating it too much. This is because the work out should be maintained for at least 20 minutes, so pace yourself.

You do not need weights to do circuit training. It is possible and good practice to do circuits of body weight exercises. I do most of my circuit training with kettlebells. I have a 25 lb. and two 15 lb. kettlebells. There are a lot of exercises you can do with kettlebells which makes them well suited for circuit training. As you could imagine you would not attempt to do 20 minutes of bench presses or bicep curls. The variety of exercises and muscle groups you train during your workout can effect how well you keep your heart rate up while you are training.

 

Here are some example circuits you could try.

 

15 push-ups followed by 50 jumping jacks, 60 second plank, and 50 jumping jacks then repeat the circuit starting with push-ups

 

Or

 

30 push-ups, 10 pull-ups and 60 seconds of jumping rope then repeat

 

Or

 

25 sit-ups, 20 push-ups and 60 second plank then repeat

 

Or

 

20 lunges, 10 half burpees, 30 second wall sit and 50 jumping jacks then repeat

 

You may adjust the number of reps in the workouts listed above to better suit your needs. There are of course many bodyweight exercises that you can do that I have not listed and that would be great for circuit training. Try to incorporate circuit training into your routine at least once a week. I would say that you could ideally do circuit training 3 times a week. You will get leaner, stronger and be faster before you know it.

Contemplative Practices: Not Just Meditation

Contemplative practices such as meditation promote a pure state of consciousness. Meditation is a single type of contemplative practice. It is commonly used for developing calmness and focus. The contemplative practices include journaling, yoga and prayer. The purpose of contemplative practices should be to develop awareness. In the development of awareness you can also realize an interconnectedness of all life as well as an appreciation for all that is living.

You may easily do at least one contemplative practice on a daily basis, I personally journal every day. I also have recently started taking a yoga class and meditate occasionally. I believe most importantly to your personal contemplative practices is that it is meaningful to you. If you find peace in gentle movement you might want to try Tai Chi, if stillness is most relaxing to you than meditation could be of some use and prayer might help those that want to develop a relationship with god.

In my journaling I believe I develop my awareness through communicating that which is weighing heavily on my mind and what is in my heart. I write each day and notice patterns and improvements in the subject matter of what I write. When I first started writing in my journal a lot of what I wrote was about my workouts. I now go deeper into my feelings. It is this way that over time a contemplative practice will make you more aware of yourself and your surroundings.

Take time out of each day for your personal contemplative practices and you will grow into a stronger and more insightful individual. Your practices will relieve stress and promote an overall sense of well being. Over time contemplative practices will bring different aspects of a person's character into focus. Your heart and mind will be unified in focused attention.