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The holiday season is officially upon us, and it is a great time to review our pantry and see what has found its way there in recent months. The food-abundance of the holidays brings great opportunities for feasting and celebration, and it doesn't need to derail our wellness choices.
Have you stood at your pantry or fridge recently to see if there are artificial flavors and colors and preservatives lurking there? We can often stray from healthful choices to something that is simpler, quicker or promoted with better marketing, and those choices can bring all kinds of unhealthy distractions. A power pantry is marked by simple, nutrient-dense, healthful foods. Ingredient lists on healthy foods have few ingredients, and they are ones you can pronounce.
Finding any strange breakfast cereals or canned soups? How about dressings or gravies or desserts? And snacks can be some of the worst offenders. Any MSG or BHT or food coloring? While no one of those will kill us if we eat it, our bodies thank us when we pass them by for healthier real-food picks.
Right now Thanksgiving leftovers are still in full swing around our home. Great dishes and sides, and even some additional recipes of gravy and stuffing to complement the remaining turkey. But it's a great reminder of the blessings we have and gratitude we should feel for the abundance all around us, and we were able to keep our choices simple, healthful and real.
Soon enough it will be Christmas baking time. But fear-not; even Christmas baking can be done quite healthfully with simple, tasty ingredients to celebrate the season. Before we get there though, have a second look at your pantry and fridge and see if there are some healthful substitutions you can make.
By the Way
I think it 's interesting that the longer we live with wellness choices, the more our recipes reflect things our grandparents and even ancestors likely cooked and enjoyed. Simple, whole foods, seasonally available, and fresh. Sounds like great ingredients for stocking a power pantry!
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The US has always been a unique nation. And one of our 'firsts' is setting aside a day every year to be grateful. Gratitude is a core competency for living with wholeness and connection and wellness. Without gratitude, we're left with entitlement thinking and inaccurate perspectives on loss and abundance.
Dr. Robert Emmons is the world's leading expert on gratitude. He's devoted his career to seeking out the crucial essentials of thankfulness and appreciation, and has drawn innumerable conclusions on why living with thanksgiving is life-giving.
I appreciate a key distinction that Dr. Emmons makes between feeling grateful and being grateful. We can't will ourselves to feel a certain way... our feelings follow from how circumstances align with our expectations. But being grateful is a choice; it may not be the easiest choice in the moment, but it is simply our choice, nonetheless.
Check out a great article on Gratitude from Dr. Emmons here. And for some quick thoughts on thankfulness, check out this infographic from the John Templeton Foundation.
So this Thanksgiving holiday, connect more deeply with those in your life, based on an attitude of gratitude. Genuinely count your blessings. Enjoy and appreciate the relationships you have in your life. Realize all you have from the simplest pleasures to the overflowing abundance right in front of you. And as you reflect, commit to taking your gratitude with you into the year to come.
By the Way
For some great perspectives on Thanksgiving, its history and numerous proclamations, check out this page from the Pilgrim Hall Museum (www.pilgrimhallmuseum.org)
Pilgrim Hall Museum on Thanksgiving
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About six years ago I started focusing on healthy choices, both in what I ate and my level of activity. The years have gone by fast, a lot has changed and continues to change, and I like to think I've created some good, healthful habits that will sustain me for decades to come. One of those habits I enjoy is running - it's become a renewable adventure that I look forward to as the seasons and years go by.
I started running in 2012 when our older son ran cross-country in middle school. I went to a few 'open' practices in the summer, learned some basics from my son, and began the glorious struggle that is running. It feels like such a natural part of my life now, that I'm surprised it's only been four years.
What's great about a fitness habit is that it can be as full of adventure as you want. There are always new venues, new stretches, new workout buddies, as well as mastering the fundamentals of whatever your choice of exercise may be. To me, that freshness will keep things interesting for many years, and all I have to do is keep an open mind and willingness to change things up.
I've been challenged and privileged to do a lot of business travel in the last 6 or so years, all around the country. Being away for business comes with downtime that I like to fill with a good run or workout. I've had great runs in Las Vegas (right on the strip), Dallas, Atlantic City (on the boardwalk), Tubac, AZ (near the border with Mexico), Boston, Seattle, National Harbor (outside of Washington DC), and most recently in Indianapolis.
I have a fairly high sense of adventure, so I'm not put off by running in an unfamiliar city - I actually like wending my way through a busy metro area, learning about the downtown as I go. And most of the time, I'm joining plenty of other locals and visitors who are doing the same thing, out for a early morning or late evening run, because they are focused on their health.
How about you? Do you enjoy a good workout, or walk or bike ride or hike so much that you are drawn to the next adventure to do it? A consistent level of physical activity will yield a lifetime of health benefits, and the best time to begin is today. Get up and get moving and soon enough you too will have a fun and regenerative habit to add to your wellness.
By the Way
A great way to solidify your workout routine is to have a fitness buddy. Even if you can't find the right time to run or hike or workout together, just sharing the stories, accomplishments and challenges of your physical activity will help to keep you both sharp, engaged and growing in your wellness.
Have you stood at your pantry or fridge recently to see if there are artificial flavors and colors and preservatives lurking there? We can often stray from healthful choices to something that is simpler, quicker or promoted with better marketing, and those choices can bring all kinds of unhealthy distractions. A power pantry is marked by simple, nutrient-dense, healthful foods. Ingredient lists on healthy foods have few ingredients, and they are ones you can pronounce.
