A Year Of Mindful Living Class Syllabus

 

“Conscientiously grown whole unrefined plant foods are to be revered; They are the most powerful disease-modifying tools available to the medical practitioner.” Ron Weiss, M.D

 

A Year of Mindful Living includes core Education Classes, monthly Support Sessions, and Real Life Experience Classes:

 

 

Part 1: Education Classes -12 two hour classes at the farm covering various aspects of healthy eating and mindful living. Every class will have one food item prepared and tasted by the participants.

 

Education Class 1 - The Pleasure Trap: This class offers unique insights into the factors that make people vulnerable to dietary and lifestyle excesses and presents ways to restore the natural biological processes of the body, mind and spirit. You will understand the nature of the trap most of us fall prey to unconsciously, and how to liberate ourselves from the trap to create a life that is supported, not hindered, by our health.

 

Education Class 2 - Fats: Good versus Bad:  This class offers an introduction to fats and explains the science, myths and controversies surrounding this essential macronutrient. Learn about the fats that enhance our health, as well as those that damage it.

 

Education Class 3 - Practicing to Succeed: This class gives many tips on how to stay on track with your health goals. You will learn how to plan, prioritize, and develop habits and practices to achieve success for your health.

 

Education Class 4 - Health:- Prevention versus Maintenance: This session explains how plant-based foods contribute to healing and health, how we remain connected to our childhood diets, and why disease prevention will always outshine disease treatment. Learn about the long-term benefits of a whole plant-based food diet and how it can help prevent many major diseases. 

 

Education Class 5 - Special Occasions: Vacations, Family Events, and Parties: This class offers an in-depth discussion of planning, packing, and entertaining without compromising your health goals. Learn to manage expected and unexpected situations when you are not in your normal routine to keep health on track. Bonus: Increase your health per dollar spent by learning more effective ways to save money and invest in a healthy you.

 

Education Class 6 - Common Myths about Nutrition: This class will focus on Protein, Calcium and Calories. It will dispel the many common myths that we have learned that cause us to make less than optimal dietary choices.

 

Education Class 7- The Causes of Lifestyle Chronic Disease: This class offers an in depth-understanding of the most common diseases that disrupt many lives. You will also learn how healthy lifestyle changes can work to reverse many common diseases.

 

Education Class 8 - Methods of Cooking and Storing:  This class covers basic cooking methods as well as the methods that retain and allow the most nutrients in your meals. You will also learn the benefits of a number of kitchen machines and gadgets tthat simplify your’ cooking experience. While there are no shortcuts to health, learn how the right tools can enhance efficiency, convenience, and taste.

 

Education Class 9 - The Importance of Exercise: This class features the importance of movement and fun activities for your overall well-being and health. Understand how exercise contributes to health in ways far beyond the obvious.

 

Education Class 10 - The Importance of Mental Health: This class discusses some of the causes of stress and discomfort and offers an introduction to mindfulness meditation. Our thoughts create our feelings, and our feelings drive our actions. You will be introduced to ways to channel your thoughts and feelingsin a positive way.

 

Education Class 11 - The Role of Supplements: This class will answer important questions such as “Where do nutrients come from” and “Which ones do we need and why?” At times, we may need to “supplement" our whole food, Plant-based diet.  Learn why, when, and how.

 

Education Class 12 - Connecting the Health of Humans, Plants and the World Around Us: This session explains the relationship between our health and that of our planet, positioning participants as a steward of both. 

 

Part 2: Support Sessions:·12 support group conference-call sessions – attend from the comfort of your own home.

 

Once per month, a group teleconference is offered. Participants talk about experiences and challenges in a welcoming environment. A variety of methods are offered to help individuals continue their journey in a way that meets their health goals. Relevant nutritional media points and success stories will be offered along with guest speakers and tips for making good choices.

 

 

Part 3: Real-life Application:

 

Real-life Application 1- Grocery Tour: Your grocery store is the heart of your health, and learning to maneuver your cart toward health-advancing food is the message. This tour will illuminate the hidden, must-have ingredients to create the foods you love at home. Participants will explore a taste of foods they never knew about. Gain insight into what to steer clear of, and how to scrutinize nutritional / ingredient labels.

 

Real-life Application 2- Let’s Toss Class: Yes, it’s all about the salad. Participants will learn how to craft fresh, easy and nutrient-packed meals, and will get to experience how they can be tasty, too. Suddenly you will look at salads completely differently and actually look forward to making this an integral part of your lifestyle.

 

Real-life Application 3- Eating Out: This experience will allow participants to enjoy a restaurant meal with like-minded people with similar health goals. More importantly you will learn how to make healthful choices while maintaining your social / professional travel needs.

 

Real-life Application 4- Cooking for the Farmers: This experience allows participants to apply in practice all the principles presented in ‘A Year of Mindful Living.’ This shared and tasty 3 part ‘exam’ is a popular event for participants and an opportunity to cook at the farm.

 

NOTES: This proposal is based on our experience in developing a one-year program. Our goal is to continue to strive, evolve, promote and share the best in evidence-based therapeutic health and culinary programs with an ever-growing group of people. We strive to give control of health back to the individual through supportive, engaging, hands-on educational sessions. All classes (with the exception of Cooking for the Farmers) will provide handouts, recipes and home work.

 

 

The beauty of ‘A Year of Mindful Living’ is its sophisticated simplicity and universality. Success on a whole plant, unrefined food regime as purported by Dr. Weiss has nothing to do with one's economic status, nationality, education, social standing, professional training, or career choice.  It has nothing to do with past childhood memories or experiences.  And it has nothing to do with religious backgrounds or affiliations.  A key component to success is one’s mindset; what you understand and believe to be true, and then the way in which you act upon that truth.  You no longer accept the belief system of the status quo - the moderation myth from physicians, counselors, influential leaders, friends, co-workers, or relatives; you no longer accept the notion that eating for health is extreme, selfish, expensive or impossible.  Instead, you understand the cause of disease.  You no longer feel sorry for yourself, or allow others to feel sorry for you for choosing whole plant foods to combat disease.  And thus, as your mind changes, your body will transform and become free as well.

                                                                                  -  Adapted from Emily Boiler and modified to suit ‘A Year of Mindful Living: