© Copyright 2016 by: Dr. Michelle M. Kmiec

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission of the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief

quotations in a review.

Printed in the U.S.A.

Published By: The Triad of Life™ Inc.

The purpose of this workbook is to educate and entertain. By providing this information, we are not diagnosing, treating, or curing any type of disease or medical condition. The

author, contributors, and publisher do not guarantee that anyone following the techniques, suggestions, ideas and strategies will attain optimal health. The author and

publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to anyone with respect to any loss or damage caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly by the information

contained in this workbook.

Before beginning any natural, complimentary, or conventional treatment, you should seek the advice of a licensed healthcare professional. The Triad of Life™ Holistic Lifestyle Program assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of any material found in this

workbook.

Author: Dr. Michelle Kmiec Contributors: Susan Hartman & Elsa Cordero

Editor: Susan Hartman Image Credits: Dr. Michelle Kmiec & 123rf.com

Introduction: The Triad of Life™ Hello, I'mDr.MichelleKmiecFounderofOnline Holistic Health andThe Triad of Life’s™ HolisticLifestyleProgram.Firstoff, Iwould liketo congratulate youontakingthisfirststeptowardachievingoptimalhealth!Thisprogramwasdesignedtoshowyouhowlivingamoreholisticlifestylecanhelpyoutodiscoverthetruemeaningofhealthandrealizeagreatersenseofwell-being.Throughout the programwe aregoing to explore the threemajor componentsofhealthandtheimportanceofmaintainingbalanceinallthreeareassothatyouwillnotonlyfeelhealthy,butmoreimportantlyfeelalive!TherewasatimenotthatlongagothatIdidn'tknowthedifferencebetween“simplylivinglife”andfeelingalive,butthedistinctionbecamecleartomewhenmyhealthbecamecompromisedandIwasforcedtomakesomeseriouspersonaldecisionsandlifechanges.Fifteenyearsago,Iwasdiagnosedwithmultiplesclerosisandthisjuststoppedmeinmy tracks. Additionally, leading up to this diagnosis I had been experiencingparalyzinganxiety.Asyoucanimagine,IwasmorefrightenedthanIhadeverbeenandIdidnotknowwhattodo.However, the one thing I did know was that I was not going to be a slave topharmaceuticals.Had I chosen to go down the roadof traditionalmedicine,myprognosiswas notgood. Sadly, it was a path filled with darkness and one that offered little to nohope. Thiswasunacceptabletomeandthusbeganmyquestforaholisticmeansofhealing.Iwasdeterminednottoallowthisdiagnosistorulemylife. IknewtherehadtobeanunderlyingreasonwhymyhealthwasdeterioratingandIhadtogettothebottomofit,andquickly!So,Idecidedtochangeeverythinginmylife-afterallwhatdidIhavetolose?Butthenthebiggerquestionarose...WheredoIbegin?Well,itseemedtomethattoregainmyhealthIwouldneedtostartbyreflectingandtakinginventoryofhowIwaslivingmylife. ItseemedlogicalthatbydoingsoImightbeabletodeterminehowandwhyIlandedatthiscompromisedstateofhealth.AndthisisexactlywhereyouwillbeginwhenyouengageinStep4,yourfirstactionstep.

WhatIquicklydiscoveredwasthatIhadbeenlivinginaconstantstateofstress.Infact,IhadbeenlivingwithstressforsolongthatIhadadaptedtoit,asthoughthiswasanormalwayofliving.Thisofcourseisfarfromfeelingalive!Stressonitsownisnotnecessarilyabadthing.Forexample,the“stress”oftakinganexam,competinginasportingevent,makingapresentationatworkorperformingina recital can actually help improve focus, clarity, strength, and endurance. Thesetypesofstressfulsituationsareusuallytemporaryones.However,whatIamtalkingaboutisChronicStress.ChronicstressleadstoInflammationwhichispresentinallmajordiseaseconditionsincluding:

• CardiovascularDisease• Autoimmune• Cancer• Diabetes(Type1and2)

Inflammationisalsopresentinotherconditionssuchas:

• Insomnia• Fibromyalgia• IrritableBowelSyndrome(constipationordiarrhea)• ChronicFatigueSyndrome• Depression• Anxiety• RestlessLegSyndrome• SkinIssues(Rash,Redness,etc.)• Arthritis• MusclestiffnessandJointPain• ChronicAllergies(Especiallyallergiesthatgetworseeveryyear)

ChronicStress=ChronicInflammationChronicstressisoneoftheleadinghealthproblemsthatplaguemodernsociety,andtheresultofchronicstressisinflammation.Therearetwothingsthatbothmedicalpractitionersandholisticpractitionersagreeon:

Chronicstressandchronicinflammationaretwomajorcontributorstoanyillnessordisease,andintoday’sfast-pacedsociety,ittrulyisn’tabigsurprisethatthetwoarecloselyrelated.

Chronicstressistheresultofanimbalanceof1ormoreofthefollowing3componentsofhealthvitaltooverallwell-being:physical,nutritionalandemotional. Ifanyoftheseareasarechronicallystressed,thenchronicinflammationbecomesunavoidable,eventuallyresultingindisease.

Thus,learninghowtoreduceinflammationinthebodyisaprimaryfactorintheprevention of disease, and is vital to reversing a disease condition once it ispresent.TheHolisticLifestyleProgramisbasedontheconceptsofTheTriadofLife™. ButwhatexactlyisTheTriadofLife™?TheTriadofLife™isessentiallyanequilateraltrianglesymbolicofbalanceasitrelatestohealthandwell-being.Eachsideofthetrianglerepresentsoneofthemaincomponentsofhealth.

• Physical (Structural)• Nutritional (Chemical)• Emotional(Mental)

Let’sbrieflydiscusseachcomponent.Physical(Tangible)Manypeople lackthe benefit ofa well-roundedphysical fitness regime, whichincludesaerobic exercisealongwith strengtheningandstretchingactivities.Oftenthisleadstochronicstressininthebodyandwhenthisoccurstheresultischronicpainsyndromes,fatigue,moodswings,sleepdisordersandtheeventualbeliefthatthesesymptoms,alongwithadecreaseinflexibility,strengthandendurance,aretheresultsofaging.However,manyphysical/structuralissuesaresimplytheresultofimbalanceswithinthemusclescausedbyoveruse,injury,improperusageandoverexertion,allofwhich

can result in inflammation, and inflammation equals pain, which not only affectsbalance on the Physicalside ofthe Triad,but can alsodisturb balance on theNutritionalandEmotionalsides.Thoughthissidecanbedifficulttogetintobalance,itisalsotheeasiesttounderstand.ExamplesthatdirectlyresultinanimbalanceonthissideoftheTriadare:

• Sedentarylifestyle• Lackofexercise• Lackofwell-roundedexercise(meaningonlypartakinginanabolicexercise

(weightlifting)andnotanyaerobicexercise,orviceversa)• Muscledistressduetolackofstretching,resultinginmusclepain,and

eventuallyjointpainleadingtoarthritis.• Injury(fromfalls,accidents,etc.)• Injuryfromoveruseand/orrepetition

Nutritional(Tangible)Propernutritionisanimportantpartofahealthylifestylebutsadly,becauseofourfast-paceddailyroutines,theconvenienceofprocessedandfastfoodshasbecomeastapleintheStandardAmericanDiet.Now,occasionallyeatingprocessedandfastfoodsshouldnotbeacauseformajorconcernifallthreecomponentsofyourTriadareinbalance.Problemsarisewhenthesefoodsareconsumedonanearlydailybasis,becausemostprocessedandfastfoodscontainartificialfooddyesandotherharmfulchemicalsthatareknowntocauseharmtoyourhealth.Did you know that many of these artificial food dyes are banned in othercountriesduetotheconcernofillhealtheffects?There is also the issue of agricultural pesticide contamination, and this isparticularlysoinspecificfruitsandvegetablessuchasberriesandlettuces.Asthepesticideresidueslowlyaccumulatesinyourbodydaybyday,itcaneventuallycause,anddoescause,adversehealtheffectssuchasmoodswings,hyperactivity,allergiesandevencancer.Anotherconcernistheexcessiveamountofsugarsandartificialsweetenersthatarepresentinmanyfoods today.Whenyouconsume thesefoodsdaily theycancausesevere gastrointestinal issues, which is apparent by all the anti-diarrhea, anti-constipationandanti-heartburnmedicationsthatareavailableatanysupermarketordrugstore. Ifyouexperienceanyofthesesymptoms,especiallychronically,thisis

a red flag that your body is nutritionally stressed and in a state of chronicinflammation. Balance of the nutritional component of your Triad has now beenaffected, andbecause all threeof the componentsare related, this imbalancewilllikelyimpactyouremotionalcomponentaswellascontributetopainthatmaylimityouonthephysicalside.BalancingtheNutritionalComponentcanbeabittrickierthanbalancingthePhysicalComponent;especiallysincecountlessconceptsof“healthynutrition”canbefoundontheinternet.Thehardestconcept(morelikeanobstacle)comesdirectlyfromthemedical profession and its “standards” of nutrition via the famous RDI(RecommendedDailyIndex)–formerlyknownastheRDA(RecommendedDailyAllowance).ExamplesthatdirectlyresultinanimbalanceonthissideoftheTriadare:

• FastFood/Processedfood• Smoking• Excessconsumptionofalcohol• Pharmaceuticals(prescriptionandOTC)• Recreationaldrugs• Excesssugarconsumption;especiallyartificialsugar• Extremediets• Overexercise(greatexampleofonethatcanbepresentonatleast2sidesof

theTriad)• ALLDISEASESTATES

Emotional(Intangible)Thereasonwecategorizethiscomponentas“intangible”isthatunlikethePhysicalandNutritionalcomponentswhereyoucaneitherperformaspecificexerciseoreataspecificfood,bothofwhicharetangibleactions,theemotionalsiderevolvesaroundintangibleactionssuchasthinking,feelingandyouroverallbeliefsystem. Forthisreason,theEmotionalcomponentishandsdowntheeasiesttorecognize,butmostdifficulttochange.ThisisthesideoftheTriadthatdirectlyrelatestohowwethinkandprocessinformation,andtheemotionsthatarebroughtaboutbyourperceptions.ThisiswherewecanseehowtheplaceboeffectcanCUREdisease,andthenoceboeffectcanCAUSEdisease.

TheemotionalsideoftheTriadactuallydetermineswhetherapersoncanreverseadiseasestateornot.Thisisimportantbecauseitmeansthatwehavetheabilitytoinduceinflammationwithinourownbodiesifweareunabletoeffectivelymanagestress.Moreimportantly,

inflammationcanbebroughtonbyourownthoughts,andtheemotionsthatweattachtothem.

ExamplesthatdirectlyresultinanimbalanceonthissideoftheTriadare:

Minorchronicnegativethoughtpatterns

• Grief(lossofalovedone)• Endofarelationship(partners,friends,family)• Startofanewcareer(onlyifself-doubtandfeardominate)• Worryandfear(non-paralyzing)

Majorchronicnegativethoughtpatterns:

• Anyoftheaboveconditionsifyoucan’t“letgo”andmoveforwardinlife• Negativeattitudetowardslife(givingup)• Paralyzingself-doubt(fearofchanginganythinginyourlife)• Self-hatred(lackofself-acceptance)• Worryandfearthatparalyzesyou

Andthentherearethosetimeswhenwearefacedwithadangeroussituationandcountonourstressresponse(betterknownastheFightorFlightResponse)totakeoverandgiveusourbestchanceofsurvival.Inthesesituations,ourbodyreleasesthreeimportantchemicals:

• Adrenaline(alsoknownasepinephrineor“thefightorflight”hormone)• Norepinephrine• Cortisol

Thesechemicals(hormones)areproducedbytheadrenalglandsandarereleasedtheinstantyourbraingetstheStressAlarm–DANGER!

Physicalsigns:

• PoundingHeartbeat• FasterBreathing• Sweating• TenseMuscles• IncreasedBloodPressure• SurgeofEnergy!

And because the “fight or flight” response is vital for survival, other importantcomponentsofhealtharetemporarilyhalteduntilyouarephysicallysafe,or“feel”safe:

• Immunity• Digestion• Reproductive/sexual desire• Cellgrowth

So, it iseasy to see that ifyoumaintainthis stateof fightor flight, thecontinuousreleaseofthesehormoneswouldhavedetrimentaleffectsonyourhealth.ImbalanceofTheTriadofLife™HereiswhatapossibleimbalanceoftheTriadcouldlooklike...

Intheexampleabove,youcanseehowchronicemotionalstresscanresultinphysicalstress.TheTriadisnowdistortedwithlongextendedphysicalandemotionallinesbringing the equilateral triangle out of balance. The long extended lines indicatedistress,lackofbalance(oradistortion),inflammation,and/oreventualdisease.Visually,youcanseethatif1or2linesareextended,thentheremainingonemustnowbeshortened.Ashortenedlineindicatesdepletion;inthiscaseofnutrition.Oneexampleoftheabovescenariocouldlooksomethinglikethis:

Asedentaryjob(workinginanoffice,computerwork,etc.)andlackofexercisecanleadtophysicalstress(andinflammation)intheformof:

• Badposture• Lowbackpain• Shoulder tension/pain• Headaches*

Thiscanthenresultinchronicpainandfatiguethatstartsachainreactionleadingtonutritionalstress(internalchemicaldepletion):

• Insomnia• PainSyndromes• Headaches*

Resultingeventuallyinemotionalstress:

• Depression• Anxiety• ADHD• Headaches*

*NoticethataHeadacheisasymptomthatcanbecausedbyanimbalanceonanyofthethreesidesoftheTriad.If thisunhealthy cycle isnot interruptedandcorrected, theneachsideof thetriangle will continue to grow in a distorted manner moving farther away frombalanceuntilitnolongerresemblesanequilateraltriangle.

SpecialSituations:Itisimportanttonotethattherearecertainsituationsinwhichyoucouldhaveanequilateraltrianglebutstillbeoutofbalance.Thefollowingillustratesthistypeoffalseimpression:

Usingthe2extremesasanexample,youcanseethatifyouaremaintaininggood physical, nutritional, and emotional health, you are in balance, asillustratedbythe smallgreenequilateraltriangleontheleft.However,itisalsopossiblethatyoucouldhaveunhealthypracticesinallthreeareas andSTILLhaveanequilateraltriangle,asillustratedbythelargeredtriangleonthe right.Thisisthemostextremeexpressionofimbalance.So,toachieveoptimalTOTALhealth, theonlytruedepictionwouldbethatofthe smallgreenequilateraltriangle.Anotherwayoflookingatthiswouldbe-thesmaller theequilateraltriangle,thefewerhealthissues.Another interesting scenario is when you are doing everything rightphysically (aerobics, liftingweights, stretching, etc.) and doing everythingrightemotionally (thinkingpositive,practicingmeditation,keepingajournal,etc.),BUTyouaredoing everythingwrong nutritionally (habitually eatingfast and/or processed foods, consumingtoomuchsugar,overindulginginalcoholicbeverages,etc.).Yourbodycanhandlepoornutritionalchoicesforadayortwoaslongasyouquickly returntothehealthierhabitsnecessaryfornutritionalbalance.Ifthepoorchoicesareongoing,dramaticchangewilloccur,asillustratedintheimage belowwhichdepictsnotriangleatall.

Thechemicalchangesthatoccurwithinyourbodyfrompoornutritionwillsoonaffectother areas of your health such as mood, energy levels, immune system, andcardiovascularsystem.Thiswillthenautomaticallyleadtheothertwopreviouslybalancedsidestostatesofimbalance.

Totalbalancecannotbeachievedwhenonesideisoutofbalance.

Step 1: "T" Take the Assessment

Okay,nowthatyouarebitmorefamiliarwiththeconceptofTheTriadofLife™andthe3componentsthatcompriseit,IbetyouarewonderingwhatYOURTriadlookslike.Wehaveputtogetherathoroughassessmentthatwillgiveyouarealisticviewofthestateofyourhealthasitrelatestothe3components:Areyoureadytobegin? ClickHEREtotaketheassessment,andwhenyouhavefinished,IwillmeetyouatStepTwo.

Step 2: “H” Have an Open Mind and Be Honest with Yourself

Inorder todiscover thetruepotentialof holistichealthandhealing, youmustbehonestwithyourselfandhaveanopenmind.Holistic Health care is very different from conventional medicine. Thoughconventionalmedicinedoeshaveaplace inemergencycaresituations, itdoesnotpreventhealthissuesorrestoreaperson'struehealth.Insteadit treatssymptomswithpharmaceuticalsthatonlymaskhealthissuessoastogivetheillusionofhealth.Conventionalmedicinedoesn'taddresstherootcauseofhealthconditions.Ittakesawaythepersonalcontrolandresponsibilitythatweshouldallhaveoverourhealthbyleadingustobelievethatonlydrugscanpreventand/orslowdown,butnevercure,healthconditions.HolisticHealthcare,however,focusesonthewholeindividualasopposedtojustsymptoms anddisease. It considers thenutritional, physical and emotionalneedsthatareuniquetoeachperson,asallthreeofthesecomponentsareequallyimportantinpreventingortreatingdiseaseandmaintainingoptimalhealth.It'snotjustabout relievingpainandother symptomsassociatedwithdisease.Rather, it'sabouttakingresponsibilityforyourhealthandwell-beingthroughpropernutrition,movementandlifestylechoices,andmostimportantlymaintaininganoverallpositiveattitudetowardyourhealth.

Whenitcomestonutritionoursocietyasawholeconsumesanoverabundanceofprocessed foods containing artificial chemicals thatwe know have a negativeimpactonhealth.Thesefoodsareconsideredemptycaloriesbecausetheycontainlittle to no nutritional value. So basically, day after daywe continue to add theseempty calories to our already nutrientdeficientbodies.These processed foods also containartificialsugarsandchemicallyderivedfooddyesdespitestudiesprovingthemto cause hyperactivity,severe allergicreactionsandevencancer.Wetrytoincorporateseveralservingsoffruitsandvegetablesintoourdailymealplans. But unfortunately, this equals daily consumption ofpesticidesdespite theproof of their carcinogenic properties.Over time, as people continue to eat thesechemically laden vegetables and fruits, they are unknowingly creatingunderlyinghealth issueswhichonly continue to grow. Independent studies have shown thatsimplywashingtheproducedoesn’tremovethetoxicchemicals.ThereisabeliefthatGMO,orGeneticallyModifiedOrganisms,arebetterforyouthanwhatnatureintended.It’simportanttonotethatGMOsarenotthesamethingascrosspollinationwhichoccursspontaneously innature, thoughtherearesomewhowouldlikeforyoutobelievethis.Rather,GMOsarecombinationscreatedinalab with unknown consequence to organic beings. Yet despite extreme healthconcerns,GMOscontinuetobeclearedforhumanconsumptionuncheckedforanyoversight.Andlet’snotforgettheadditionofpesticidesthataresplicedintoseedsoffoodssuchascorn.HaveyouheardofRoundupReadycorn?Sowhyisitsodifficultforustomakechangesinourlifeevenwhenweknowthatthesechangeswillhaveapositiveimpactonallaspectsofourhealth?Wellforstarters,today’sworldrequireslessandlessphysicalmovement.Moreandmoreof our daily tasks can be done sitting in a chair or a car. Interestingly, thisinactivityislargelygenerationbased.Statistically,ifyou’reundertheageof20itisprimarilyduetoalackofdisciplineandaninactiveimaginationresultingfromlessplay in lieu of the instant gratificationderivedfromtechnology.Haveyounoticedthatchildrenrarelyplayoutsideanymore?

Thisisbecausetheyareobsessedwiththeirsmallscreensofillusionthatdisconnecttheirimpressionableyoungminds,andoftenleavethemwithalackofcompassionfrom the many popular games focusing on killing and the spilling of blood.Neighborhoodsnolongerringoutwiththelaughterandexcitedshoutsofchildrenastheyoncedidnotallthatmanyyearsago.Unfortunately,whatweareseeingintoday’sworldarechildrenwhoareexceedinglymorestressedout,andmanywhosufferfromanxietyanddepression,nottomentionADHD.Itusedtobethatwewouldsitintheclassroomandourgreatestdistractionwastheclockonthewallthatseemedtobemovingatasnail'spaceaswewaitedforthebelltoring.Sure,weworriedaboutpapersandexamsandwhatfriendsweshouldhangoutwithovertheweekend.Butwecertainlydidn’tlosesleepoverthesethings.Today kids are constantly faced with an overabundance of homework andextracurricularactivities,standardizedtestinginadditiontoclassspecifictests,peerpressure,cyberbullying,violenceandpressuresbroughtonbyoverlycompetitiveparents.Therearejusttoomanydemandsputontoday’syouthandsotheystarttoquestionthemselvesandwonderifwhattheyshouldbedoingis inlinewithwhattheyrealisticallycando.Barelymovingandinaconstantstateofstress,it’snowonderthatdiabetes,obesity,heartdisease,autoimmuneandcancerarenowmoreprevalentinchildrenundertheageof10thaneverbeforeinmodernhistory.Betweentheagesof20and35it’salittledifferent.Individualsinthisagegrouphavean “I know everything” mentality and feel that adverse health issues are yearsaway. Therefore, they are not overly concerned with healthy lifestyle practices.Basically,theirmindsetrevolvesaroundthe ideathatbecause theyarestillyoung,whattheydotodaywon’taffecttheirfuturehealth.This being said, many between the ages of 20 and 28 have been takingpharmaceuticalsformanyyearsforanumberofreasons.35to70yearsof age is consideredmiddle age, and it’s this populationwho arefeeling the repercussions of the world in which we live. Formany, a pollutedenvironment,poorfoodchoices,andalackofphysicalexercisehaveallcontributedtothemanifestationofpainsyndromes,chronicstressandeventualdisease.Butthebottomlineisthatnomatteranindividual’sage,realhealthcareisactuallyverysimple,andthisprogramtakesanononsense-nofluffapproach.It’stimetogettothebottomofwhywedon’tfeelwellandwhywecan’tmaintainhealthychoices.

Wedon’twantthecontrolofourlivestobeinthehandsofothersbecauserememberit’syourlife,youneedtoownit.Nowthatbringsupagoodquestion.Whyisitsodifficultforustomakechangesinourlives,evenwhenweknowthatthesechangeswillhaveapositiveimpactonourhealth?Infact,thiswasaquestionraisedbysomeresearchersnotthatlongago,andtheyfoundthat80%ofpeoplewhoknowtheyaredoingthingsthathaveanegativeimpactontheirhealthwillsadlycontinuetodosoanyway.Well,remembertheonly personwho canbring your lifeback into balance andyour health to itsoptimalstateisyou.Simplyput,ifyoudon’ttakecontrolofyourlife,outsideinfluenceswill.Inaworldthat has becomeso pollutedand synthetic it takes quitea bit ofwork to achieveoptimalhealth,andforthisreasonIwantyoutokeepinmindthe3D’s.

Desire–Youmustdesireachangeinyourlife.

Determination–Youmustbedeterminedandhavetheperseverancetoattainadesiredstateofhealth.

Discipline–You’regoingtoneedtobeconsistentandbuildupyourenduranceinorderforthistobealifestylechangethatwillpropelyouforwardandtowardalifetimeofoptimalhealth.

It’stimeforyoutobelieveinyourgoalsandit’stimeforyoutobelieveinyourself,becauseanythingispossibleandwiththismindsetanythingcanbeachieved.NowImustwarnyou,althoughyouwillfindsupportandcompassionwithinthisprogram,therearetwothings thatwillneverbesupported:negativitytoward yourselfanddefeatistattitudes.This isbecausenegativethoughtstowardyourselfandyourpotentialwillinessencecreatethegreatestobstacle—you!It’salsovitalthatyouunderstandtheThreeFundamentalConceptsthatsupportoptimalhealth:

Thebodymustmove.

Thebodymustbegivencleanorganicwholefoodsfreeofchemicals,oftenalongwithsupplementalnutrition,inordertoregenerate,healandthrive.

Thebodyalwaysrespondstoyourtruethoughtsandbeliefs,especiallythoseinyoursubconscious.Luckily,itiseasierthanyouthinktogetintouchwithyoursubconsciousmind,asyouwilllearnasyougothroughallthestepsandactivities.Thisisauniqueandrealisticprogramthat’sforeveryone!Overcomingadverse healthconditionscanbesimpleandachievable.Theonlyrequirementisthatyoutake thetimeandmaketheeffortrequiredto

implementalltheactivitiesinthisprogram andthenengage.Sonowyou’rereadyforStep3inwhichyouwilllearnalltheprogramdetailsandhowtonavigatethroughthesteps.

Step 3: “E” Engage in Taking Responsibility and Control of Your Health

OnlybyengagingandthoughtfullymovingthroughthestepsoftheHolisticLifestyleProgramcanyouelevateyourhealth. Throughouttheprogramyouwillbeexposedtonewapproaches to physicalfitness,nutritionandemotionalhealth.Youwillbegiven tasks and personal assignments to complete, alongwith activities thatwillchallengeyouonallthreesidesofTheTriadofLife™.Thegoalisforyoutofeelincompletecontrolofyourhealth!So,let’stalkabouthowthisprogramworksandbreakdownthestepsbeginningwithSteps1through3,whicharedesignedtoprepareyouforyourjourneywhichbeginswithStep4,thefirstofthe11“action”steps.It is highly recommended that in addition to reading this text you watch thecorrespondingStep3videoinordertoensurecompleteunderstandingofhowthisHolisticLifestyleProgramworks.SonowinStep3weanswerthequestion,whatcanyouexpectonyourjourneyasyouareguidedthroughSteps4through14ofthisprogram.

ThecompleteHolisticLifestyleProgramconsistsof:

• Nearly500pagesoftextcontainingup-to-dateholistichealthinformation• 99thoughtprovokingactivitiesdesignedtoimprovephysical,nutritionaland

emotionalhealth• 143downloadableaudiorecordings(nearly20hours)• 143personalvideosfromDr.MichelleKmiec• 20+shortentertainingvideos,exercisevideos,guidedmeditationaudioand

videos,bonusactivities,rewards,onlineinteractivesupportgroupsandmuchmore!

Questionsarehighlyencouragedasyoumovethroughthevarioustasksandactivitiesandforthisreasonwehavecomeupwithafewoptionsforgettingthemanswered.Thefirstisbygoingtotheforumandpostingyourquestions. Thisisagreatoptionasitislikelythatotherswillhavethesameorsimilarquestionssoyoumayfindthatyourquestionhasalreadybeenansweredinapriorpost. Ifnot,yourquestionswillbeansweredinatimelymanner.TheForum is additionallyawonderful place to interactwithotherswhoarealsoworkingtowardachievingoptimalhealth.Asyounavigatethroughthestepsoftheprogramweencourageyoutoshareyourexperiencesandevenoffer someofyourownthoughtsandideasonthevarioustopics,andofcourseofferencouragementandsupporttoothers!ToaccesstheForumsimplyclickontheForumtablocatedonthemainnavigation.

YouwillbetakentotheForumareaasseenbelow.

ThefirsttimeyouaccesstheForumyouwillneedtoregisterbycreatingaUsernameandPasswordinordertotakefulladvantageofallthefeatures.ThiscanbedonebyclickingontheGreenRegistrationbuttononthetoprighthandcornerofthepage.Ifyouneedadditionalhelp,notethattherearealsoinstructionsundertheLoginarea(markedasSteps1-3)tohelpguideyouthroughtheprocess.

Afteryouhaveregistered,clickontheBlueMyAccountbuttononthetoprighthandcornerofthepageandgototheUserControlPaneltoedityourprofile,changeyourpassword,oruploadapictureoravatar.Youwillthenbereadytoparticipateintheforum!

The second option is to submit your question via email by going to questions@holisticlifestyleprogam.com. Ifyouchoosetousethisoption,pleasebeaware that your question will be answered during the corresponding OnlineInteractiveLiveSupportGroup(yourprivacyrespectedofcourse)andrarelyasadirectemailresponse.Andthisbringsustoyour thirdoptionwhichisparticipatinginsomeorallof theOnline Interactive Live Support Groups that revolvearound the various topics

covered in the Steps and issues that youmay encounter during the courseof theprogram. DuringthesegroupsessionsIwillbetalkingliveandprovidingadditionalinformationforeachoftheSteps,aswellasansweringquestionspostedontheforum,receivedvia email, and asked byparticipantsduring theOnline Interactive LiveSupportGroupsessions. Thesegroupsessionsareclosedandlimitedtoprogrammembersonly.TheOnline Interactive Live Support Group schedulewill be announced in ourTriad of Life/Online Holistic Health Weekly Newsletter and posted on theForum. YoucanalsogototheMemberCalendarlocatedontheForumhomepageforup-to-dateschedules.

Youwill have to download in order to participate in ourOnlineInteractiveLiveSupportGroupsbutdon’tworry,itissupereasy.Youwillreceiveanemailinvitingyoutojointhegroupalongwithalink.Simplyclickthatlink,registerandyouarein!Nowlet’stalkaboutTheSteps!

YouhaveworkedyourwaythroughSteps1and2andhavenowlandedatStep3.Asyou completedeachof the first two activities youwere prompted to click theRedButtonverifyingthattheStephadbeenfinished.

Also,asyoucompletedSteps1and2youlikelynoticedthatayellowcheckmarkappearedatthebottomofthecorrespondingtile.Thecheckmarkindicatesthatthe

entireStephasbeencompletedandthatyouarenowfreetomoveontothenextStepwhichwillhaveagreen“openlock”symbolatthebottom.Forexample,onceyoucompletethisStep,youwillnoticeayellowcheckmarkontheStep3 tileandagreenopen lockontheStep4 tile indicating thatyounowhaveaccesstoStep4.AndspeakingofStep4,it’stimetotalkabouttheActionSteps!ThepurposeofSteps1-3istointroduceyoutotheprogramandprepareyouforthesubsequentsteps. Youhavebeenabletofreelymovethroughthesestepsatyourownpaceandwithnotimerestrictions.However,thiswillchangewithStep4,yourfirstactionstep. Thisisalsowherethefunstuffbegins!

Each of the action Steps (4-14) has its own theme and three associatedempowerment words that represent the focus of the step. Each of the themescorrespondtooneofthelettersthatmakeup“THETRIADOFLIFE.”Every step begins with an introductory video along with written and audiointroductions.Thoughtheaudiocloselyalignswiththewrittentranscript,thevideodoesnotandoffersdeeperinsight.Onceyouhavewatchedthevideoandhavereadthetextand/orlistenedtotheaudio,youarereadytomoveontotheactivities.Itishighlyencouragedthatinadditiontoreadingthetextyoulistentotheaudiobecausetheaudiowillhelpsetthe“tone”oftheactivity.Itisimportanttoalwayskeepinmindthatasyouareworkingthroughtheactivitiesyoucanalwaysgobacktotheinstructionsifyouareunsureofhowtoproceed.

AtthebottomofeachpagethatintroducesaStep,youwillnoticethreetriangles,oneforeachofthethreemajorcomponentsofhealth.

Eachcomponenthas3activities,andeachactivitycomeswithavideo,instructions(writtenandaudio),aworksheetandajournalpage.Tobegintheactivities,simplyclickononeoftheactivitytriangles.Ifyouchoose,youcanworkon theEmotional, Physical andNutritionalactivities at the same time.However,I stronglyrecommendthatyoudotheactivitieswithineach componentconsecutivelyaseachbuildsuponthenext.YouwillbegineachActivitybywatchingtheVideo. Nextyouwillreadand/orlistento theInstructionswhichincludeadiscussionof theconceptsbehindtheactivityalongwithguidanceandexamplestohelpyougetstarted.

WehavecreatedaWorksheetseparatefromtheinstructionsforyourconvenience.Thisallowsyoutocompletethewrittenportionoftheactivityeitheronlineorona

worksheet that you have downloaded and printed. If you choose the onlinesubmission option, you will be able to view the most recent versions of yourworksheetsatanytimeintheMyProgressareaofthewebsitebyclickingthebadgeassociatedwithaparticularStep.

YoucanrevisitallthreeWorksheetsforeachcomponentatanytime.

Some people love having everything they need online, whereas others prefer tohandwritetheirresponses.Bottomline,itisyourprogramandyourchoice!Ifyouchoose to complete theworksheets online, youwill alsobe able to print thembyclicking the Blue Print Worksheet button on the top right hand corner of thecompletedworksheet.

Onceagain,asyoumovethroughtheActivitiesandSteps,completedstepswillhaveayellowcheckmarkatthebottomofthetile,theactivestepsagreenunlockedsymbol,andinactivestepsaredlockedsymbol.

Thereisonemoresymbolthatwehavenotyetdiscussed.TheClockSymbol.UnlikeSteps1-3,Steps4-14carrya timerequirementof14daysmakingforatotalof51/2monthstocompletetheprogram. Thistimerequirementcomeswithgoodreason.Accordingtoanumberofresearchstudies,ittakes21daystobuildandincorporateanewhabit into one’s lifestyle.However a2012 studypublished in theEuropeanJournalofSocialPsychologysuggeststhatthenumberofdaysisfargreater.Thisstudycitesanaverageof66daystosuccessfullybreakabadhabitandconsciouslyformanewpositiveone.Thisbeingsaid,weunderstandthatcompliancewithnewormodifiedpositivehabitpatternscanbedifficult tomaintainwhen navigating throughhectic schedules intoday’sfast-pacedmindset.Formany,remaininginasinglestepfor21days,letalone66,seemsunrealistic.

Well,weaddressedthisproblemandcameupwithasolution.

Each step has been designed so that it builds upon the prior.This means thatmembersoftenunknowingly continueto incorporategoodhabitslearned inpriorstepswellbeyondthe14dayrequirementandthisensuressuccess!Finally,eachstependswithaJournalentry. Thisisanimportantadditionbecauseitoffersmorequestionstoponder,forcesyoutothinkabouteachactivityonanevendeeper level, andpossiblybringsunconscious thoughtsto the forefront.It’salso agreatplacetonoteanyquestionsthatmayhavecomeupforyouasyouwereengagingintheactivity.So,insummary:

• BegineachStepbywatchingtheintroductoryvideo.• Next,pickacomponentoftheTriadtobeginyouractivities.• Watchthevideofortheactivity

• Readandlistentotheaudio• Engageintheactivity• Recordyourresponsesintheworksheet• GotoyourJournalformorequestionstoponder.

• RefertotheForumforquestionsandsupport.• ParticipateinOnlineLiveInteractiveSupportGroupsasyouseefit(though

highlyencouraged).

TriadBuddyEverybodydoesbetterwiththesupportofabuddysowehighlyencourageyouto findaTriadBuddy!Thisissomeonewhoyoutrustandwhowilltravelwithyouonthisjourneytooptimalhealth.YourTriadBuddyshouldbeyourgreatestsupporterandfan,aswellassomeone whocanhelpyoustayontrack. You,ofcourse,willdothesameforthem!Youwill bothshareyour goals, short-term and long-term, and be accountable to each other, asthiswillincreaseyourrateofsuccess100fold!If your Triad Buddy lives close to you then perhaps you could share workouts,including a variety of group fitness classes. You could also have a great deal of funengaging in someof the nutritionalactivitiestogether. However, evenif youandyourTriadBuddyhavemanymilesbetweenyou,youcanstillshareyourexperiences, offersuggestions,andmostofallsupportoneanother!IfyoudonotknowofsomeonewhocouldbeasupportiveandactiveTriadBuddy, noproblem!ThroughourForumyoucan findaTriad Buddyperfect for you.And don’tforget, youcanalwayschoose toparticipate inourOnlineLive Interactive SupportGroupsandbea partof themanydiscussionsgearedtowardguidingand supportingyouasyouworkthroughtheprogramLifestylechangesarenoteasy,buttheyaresoworthit!AllofusatTheTriadofLife™areheretosupportyouandwewillbeyourgreatest fans!

So,areyoureadytobegin?Nowit’stimetoreclaimyourhealthandbeginenjoyingallthatlifehastoofferbymovingforwardtoyourfirstactionstep!Seeyouthere.