Turning a Corner

4.6

This past week I saw a news post about doctors prescribing food for ailments, instead of pharmaceuticals. I was a bit stunned and obviously curious, so I followed the link and sure enough, there are docs on the west coast who are taking seriously the admonition that food is medicine (and medicine can be our food.)

There was even an article posted Thursday in USAToday which had the same theme. The discouraging news is that so few doctors are educated in the value of nutrient-dense whole foods, and the interaction of food with metabolism and illness.

But there is hope: check out this annual symposium held in Oregon which focuses on the innate value of food in achieving and maintaining optimal health. This valuable conference is an outreach of the Food As Medicine Institute. The institute began in 2010 from a Portland area initiative to end childhood obesity. It was heavily supported by Bob and Charlee Moore of Bob's Red Mill, and the Institute went on to grow from those roots.

So that tells me there is hope for healthful power pantry choices to become more and more common, and for whole segments of our overfed, undernourished society to understand the inherent value of what they put in their mouths. Maybe we are turning a corner as a nation.

By the Way

If you have been a Power Pantry subscriber for a while and you are discerning about what is in your pantry and on your plate, then you are far ahead of the wellness and nutrition curve. The folks at the Food as Medicine Institute have a tremendous vision, worthy of power pantry thinking: to see "...communities that are free of chronic disease and nourished through healthy whole foods."

Still 90/10

4.5

We're surprisingly in the second month of 2017... time flies. How's your power pantry, and what's the quality and condition of the food making it to your table?

I've made some really interesting edits to our pantry in the last several months, and have been really blessed because of it. I'm always learning more about how foods affect our metabolism and digestive health, and how the whole package of wellness rises and falls on what we put in our mouths.

What I've  been learning is that numerous fruits and veggies can be irritants to my gut, and I'm actually much healthier without them. And once those 'primary' irritants are out of the picture, things like gluten and simple dairy don't bother me (at all). I would not have suspected this 3-4 years ago when I found gluten and dairy to be a real pantry problem.

Even with these edits, the fundamentals still stand. If you dig around our fridge and pantry you'll find whole foods, simple ingredients and healthful selections. My goal is still to get 90% of my calories from simple, whole foods (even if these include more dairy and gluten) and 10% can be from less healthful choices.

No artificial colors or preservatives or sweeteners. No highly processed anything. And lots more orgainic selections in our pantry as the market offers affordable healthier choices. We even enjoy ice cream (Turkey Hill makes great all-natural ice creams...) 

How's your pantry? And how about the majority of calories you consume? Are your choices healthful and nutrient-dense? Are you feeding your body with intentionality? It all begins with our pantries and fridges - when we get that right, everything else falls into place. Commit to at least an 80/20 split for healthful pantry selections.

By the Way

I'm still marveling at how well my running and workouts are going even though I've added foods back to my diet which I had previously banned. It reminds me to always be open-minded. My running endurance is great, my joints and muscles are pain free and recovery time is on par. And I'm feeling better in general with these recent improvements... These are the benefits of a wellness lifestyle and staying curious.

Get Back Up

4.4

Have you taken some worthwhile steps on your wellness journey this year? Or maybe you set out with great intentions and hit an early road block. Life happens, no matter what terrific plans we have, and if life has derailed your forward momentum, get back up.


The greatest gift we can give ourselves when it comes to our wellness, and the health of those around us, is perseverance. When we commit to never giving up, no matter what might befall us, then the battle is half won. The rest of our success is gained by finding our momentum and moving on.

In my 6+ year wellness journey I've had all sorts of things set me back. Things not being as I thought they were, or as I thought they should be; my own lack of self-control or motivation; injuries; new wellness information which opened totally different possibilities... Any of these things could significantly help or hurt my journey - my commitment is to take everything as it comes, and I assume that I have what it takes to thrive despite the circumstances.

If you have a wellness goal in front of you, there is no doubt you will encounter challenges in pursuit of it. Count on obstacles, and commit that growing beyond the obstacles makes you stronger and adds a depth and richness to the journey that you wouldn't have had without it. Real life is not linear, even though our plans often are.

So when you get that sprain, or succumb to the temptation of foods not worthy of your power pantry, or your workout buddy abandons you, buck up and press on. And get up again and again and again. Each step, whether forward or backward, is part of the richness of your story, and valuable for your journey.

By the Way

Some of our issues can be between our own ears. We don't give ourselves enough credit for how far we've actually come, and when we're tripped up by something, we bail. Give yourself a pep talk, and another, and another - do it seven times. They say that 80% of sales are made after the 5th contact; so sell yourself on your great plans at least that many times. There is magic and blessing in that kind of grit and tenacity. Don't stay down...don't give up. You have what it takes.