If you could only do ONE THING to vastly improve your health, what would it be?

Watch this video and see:

I’d love to hear your comments!

Happy Walking (more so now, than ever!)

Darlene

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Fall has got to be my favourite month – cool and crisp, bright colours, a wonderful scent of dying leaves in the air. Love it, I really do.

A couple of weeks ago at the “SoundsAround” liquidation sale my husband was able to pick up a simple (thank goodness) Panasonic Lumix DMC-F2K point and shoot camera for me. I’ve been wanting a simple camera for a long time. Photography used to be a hobby of mine, but it got too expensive with film and printing costs, and the fact that it was bulky (an old Canon EOS SLR) meant that I had to take pictures “on purpose” instead of just being able to “capture the moment”. Tom is more of a serious photographer, and he has inspired me to “see” the world just a little differently. I’ve often wanted to capture something, but haven’t had the means.

So, now that the fall colours are out, I took a lovely long (5k) stroll down towards a park in the area, snapping pictures all the way. Here are some of the highlights (yeah, I know the exposure isn’t always the best – working on it…)

Bowness Valley from Nose Hill, looking Towards Cougar Ridge

A small branch of the Bow River running through the wilderness park

Stormy skies on the way home - love Calgary skies.

Ahhhh – nothing like a great walk!

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I’m reading this book by Kevin Trudeau (yeah, I know, somewhat controversial…) called “Natural Cures ” and while I don’t agree with everything I’ve read so far, I do agree wholeheartedly with him here:

“When you go for a walk, not only are you getting the benefits of the exercise of the slow rhythmic movement, your lymph system is getting toxins out of your body, the body is moving and flowing beautifully, the energy is flowing through the meridians, and you are grounding your feet on the earth, allowing for the earth’s magnetic energy to flow through your body, energizing your cells.  You are also actually looking out and externalizing through your eyes at far away distances, which increases the electromagnetic energy in your body and makes the body more alkaline and less susceptible to disease.  It also has a profound effect on your state of mind and happiness factor. The lack of walking causes the body’s elimination channels to become slow and sluggish.”

Ok, so put on your shoes, and go for a walk.  You’ll be SO glad you did!

Happy Walking!

Darlene

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Who is Darlene Hull? Click here: www.darlenehull.com to find out!

I’m not that fussed about extending my life only to spend more years in a total care facility unable to control any of my bodily functions. Living longer for the sake of living longer holds no attraction for me.

HOWEVER! Living longer so I can take even more advantage of what this marvelous world has to offer, and to better live out the life God has called me to live – that’s a totally different thing. I’d love to be 120 years old (the age God determined for mankind) with all my wits about me, still active, living with a great sense of humour, and a childlike delight in every new day. THAT kind of longevity appeals to me.

Living life the way we live it in general is a fast track to the first option. Chemicals in our food and water, surrounding ourselves with toxins, eating junk, sitting all day at a desk or computer (ahem) and spending greater and greater amounts of time isolated instead of interacting in community is going to lead us to cancer, weakness, mental illness, and depression.

So today let me show you a great clip I saw on Yahoo this morning about the book “Blue Zones”. Click here to watch (and don’t forget to take note of how walking plays a large role in that healthy lifestyle!)

Wanna read the book? Get it here:

Here’s to a LOOOONG and healthy life!

Darlene

I’ve been overweight the whole of my adult life. Never hugely obese, but always struggling with that extra 30-40 pounds that need to come off! Even at the height of marathon training, walking 70+ kilometers a week didn’t change that fact.

I’ve done the yo-yo thing, the “change your lifestyle” thing, and even created something that worked quite well for the PraiseWalker system, but each time, I fall off the bandwagon and gain all the weight back.

I was chatting with a friend this week, and she told me about a program that we are now trying together. It seems pretty cool as it uses weight-loss as a form of meditation – kinda like the “PraiseWalker” idea for dieting. Cooool.

Here’s the amazing part: It’s free. It’s online. You don’t change WHAT you eat at first, just how, when, and why, so no complicated food things to start with. You understand what it is that makes you overeat, or where your weight problems come from, AND God plays the biggest role in the whole thing.

In addition to that, you get a personal mentor (still for free) to walk you through, and this is someone who has successfully gone through the program and is volunteering their time to help you see the same success.

I mean, HOW COOL IS THAT?!!

So, if you want to join me, go to: “The Lord’s Table“, a free membership, print out the eating plan (use #1 for best results) and put my e-mail in to be one of your accountability partners, and let’s get this area dealt with once and for all!

Darlene

PS – still looking for sponsors for my walk on the 5th of June – can you help? Just click the badge below and you’ll go right to my page

Here’s another “Amazing Walker” story – truly inspirational (I say just after I chickened out for my walk because it’s raining . . .)

First, a confession: I stole this word for word from the “WoW Power Walking” blog, dated Wednesday, June 10.

Johnny Rowe Marathon Walker

Been walking much lately? How about 3,200 kilometres? Today’s Globe and Mail obituary described the life of famed Canadian walker Johnny Rowe who averaged this distance every year for 27 years and who died on May 28. According to the Globe and Mail, Rowe described marathon walking as “a chance to accomplish something without mechnical aid”. I suspect he would have scoffed at those of us chained to our GPS devices.

Also, according to the obituary, Rowe considered marathon walking “a time to do a lot of deep thinking.” Now, I might not go so far as to describe my thought as deep, but I can say that on my personal walks, I frequently find myself enjoying a meditative state during which stream of consciousness ideas clarify issues that have been weighing on me or, better yet, I imagine ideas for fun things to do (side plank dips with band resistance anyone?). At the very least, there is a positive “filing and prioritizing” process that happens in my brain that makes me happier.

In any case, the description of Rowe is inspiring and many of you reading this will find common ground with a pioneer marathon walker.

Read more about him here

Now, put on your shoes and go for a walk (well, once it finishes raining, if you’re a wimp like me!)

Darlene

We’ve lived in our neighborhood for about 12 years now. Soon after we moved in we noticed an older oriental gentleman walking in the area. My guess is that he has an artificial leg – or at best, a leg that is mostly lame. The amazing thing is, this man walks everywhere.

We’ve often seen him miles away from home, with a backpack slung over one shoulder, baseball cap on his head, limping along. He always has a big smile, and is happy for conversation, though his English is very poor.

I’m sure walking is not an easy thing for this man. We live in an area that has exceptional bus service, but this man chooses to walk. I’m sure he walks several hours a day.
I let the thought of this man inspire me on those days when I just don’t feel like getting out of my chair and doing my required distance for the day.

If he can do it, so can I! (and, by the way, so can you!)

Happy Walking!

Darlene

Ok, this is too cool to miss, so I’m sneaking in another extra post this week!

Take a virtual walk through Europe in the month of December! Go to 10,000 steps and register for an “Active Lifestyle” membership (it’s free) and then select the “Join an I-Challenge” link from the left hand menu, scroll to the bottom for December’s goals.

I’m still at the beginning of my walking program (following my own advice in the Primer) so I chose the shortest choice, the “Germany and Austria” one.

Come join me, and become a walking partner!

Darlene