Ahhhh.... Holiday Success

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Christmas 2015 has come and gone. Here at Power Pantry we hope you found refreshment and relaxation in the season, and enjoyed the peace and confidence which comes from knowing God sent His Son to save us. For us, we celebrate Christ's birth... Emmanuel: God with us. And we were reminded this Christmas holiday that the story of Christmas is not really the chance for us to pursue God as much as it is that God pursues us. He truly desires to be with us.

Hoping your holiday celebrations so far have been enriching and bountiful, relaxing and fun. Around our house we have been working on a Christmas jigsaw puzzle, playing board games (have you played Wits & Wagers? It's a hoot for all ages!), and two of us got to a football game. We agreed that at times we felt pampered, we were rejuvenated, and we are most definitely blessed. And we're wishing the same for you and yours.

The new year is just around the corner, and it is a prime time to recognize that stocking a power pantry can change everything for our wellness lifestyle. Have you experienced the stress of a poorly-stocked pantry this holiday season? We did a little bit. Here and there we ran out of something we wish we had on hand (avocados just don't keep very long!) but overall, our food choices were healthful and nutritious.

For the new year, Power Pantry is going to offer some simple guidelines to lifestyle wellness, from vision and fundamentals to specific how-tos. So tune in, share with others, and always feel free to leave a comment or ask a question.

Abundant blessings to you and yours. Happy New Year from Power Pantry!!

By the Way

Need something different to ring in the new year? Maybe try a new way to celebrate? We're forgoing our typical round-robin of snacks and dips and goodies, and ordering Chinese... maybe even some quality sushi... we'll see. Maybe this is a good year to forgo the beef sticks and cheese logs and go for the hummus and guacamole. 

Beat Holiday Stress!

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What would holidays be without added stress? While the coming days and recent weeks should be a time rich with healthy relationships, joy, and gratitude, we may find ourselves overcome by frustration from unmet expectations and poor planning. Add to that the rich, sugary foods typical of this time of year, and we have a recipe for emotional upheaval.

Where do we begin to reduce and then eliminate the stress building blocks? We start with our diet, of course. We are what we eat. When we eat junk, we turn our bodies into junk; when we eat healthful, nutritious foods, our bodies reward us with health and well-being. And that definitely equates to less stress and gives us the opportunity for some of that joy and gratitude.

The greatest stress-producing foods are things like:

• Caffeinated drinks (tea, coffee, energy drinks, numerous soft drinks)
• Sugar
• Gluten (studies have shown that gluten (from wheat, barley, rye, etc.) negatively impacts mood by blocking production of serotonin.)
• Processed and refined foods (like white rice, fast food, pastas; anything with artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, flavor enhancers (like MSG), trans fats and other synthetic ingredients)
• Alcohol
• High-fat foods

Some great stress-avoiders in the food category are ones like these (which I found in a great article on Dr. Joseph Mercola's website):
Green leafy vegetables
Turkey
Fermented foods
Wild-caught salmon
Blueberries
Pistachios
Dark Chocolate (yes, chocolate!)
Vitamin D from a great dose of sunshine (not a food, but vitamin D helps with serotonin production)
Seeds (for magnesium)
Avocado

Other beneficial foods: Oats, Green tea, Walnuts, Cashews, Chamomile tea, and Blueberries

All of these foods sound like great additions to a power pantry. Just in time for the holidays, you could stock up on these stress-fighters and look up some new recipes to try. And maybe this is the perfect time to overcome the typical stress and burn-out by trying healthful foods our bodies will love.

By the Way

If you're visiting others for the holiday and concerned there will only be unhealthy food, snack and dessert choices, then consider taking a healthful dish to share with everyone (like hummus or guacamole instead of french onion dip or ranch dressing to go with the veggie tray and chips).

Also, need a sure-fire way to bring the stress level way down? Work on deep, calming, peaceful breathing. Concentrate on the peace you are seeking this holiday and focus your attention on slow, steady, rhythmic inhaling and exhaling. You'll feel better in no time!

Health for the Holidays!

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Admit it... this year you want the holidays to be different (where your health is concerned). If you're like me, you have countless memories of holiday seasons of indulgence and overindulgence that you paid for dearly, months into the new year. I know it's possible for this year to be different, and we can do it without starving ourselves or even 'dieting'.

Sounds impossible? No, it's not, really. All we need is a plan, some conviction, and a pantry stocked with healthy, nutrient-dense options. This week Dr. Joel Fuhrman posted a great guide to holiday eating in an email blast, and I want to share it here:

Celebrate the Holidays Healthfully

This article offers great content for how to get our eating habits on a healthful track, and yet not go hungry in the process. Things we've talked about in the Power Pantry blog before: pursue greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries and seeds; have a health-buddy for accountability; take healthful dishes with you to family gatherings, etc.

Make this holiday season different in a healthy way. Start by stocking your pantry (and fridge) with healthful, nutrient-dense options that your body will love, and set a course for a healthy, happy holiday and new year.

By the Way

Don't miss the comment from Dr. Fuhrman on 'holiday heart' - the time at the ER when doctors see the most strokes and heart attacks from holiday indulgences.

A Great Reflection

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As the year draws to a close, it's a great time to look back on where we've come from, and to think ahead to where we're going. New Year's resolutions aside, a little self-searching goes a long way in considering our todays and tomorrows.

I've shared before in Power Pantry that I often consider life 'in the middle of a decade'. Where was I five years ago? Hmmm... 2010... our oldest son was 12 and Jen and I had been married 15 years, and that was the year we had our fourth child. I was travelling a lot for work, and even in the midst of the recession we were very blessed. I weighed about 35 pounds more than I do now, and I hadn't yet read "Eat to Live" (from Dr. Joel Fuhrman). Life was a lot different just five years ago.

Since then we've recognized the value of whole foods and nutritional density, and the detriments of wheat gluten, dairy and numerous other common foods in the American diet. I started running in 2011 sometime, with a very slow and painful introduction.

In five years we've seen two of our kids grow into awesome, trustworthy young adults, another enter middle school, and our youngest start kindergarden. Jen has been 'cured' of her arthritis from simple nutritional improvements, and I've trimmed down to a scrappy 158 pounds and have a maturing running habit and wellness lifestyle... cool.

What about five years from now? I doubt I'll run a full marathon, but I do intend to try some of the Spartan Races, and maybe even their Trifecta (three progressively harder races completed in one year.) We have some cool trips planned as a family (before our older kids fly the coop) and I'm sure there will be some great nutritional additions and unhealthy subtractions from our wellness lifestyle. (Somewhere in there we're supposed to get a local Whole Foods Market...that will be very cool.)

How about you? Sitting here in 2015 and reflecting on where you've come from and where you may be going, what do you come up with? A step in the right direction can change everything, and set a positive course for years and decades to come. As the long winter nights and holiday breaks afford some extra time (hey, no grass to cut!! At least in our northern latitudes...) find quiet time for reflecting, and a little goal setting. 

By the Way

Our family likes to do jigsaw puzzles every so often. We got out the puzzle table and a fall-themed puzzle at Thanksgiving, which we're completing bit by bit. One of the great leadership reminders I get from doing puzzles is to keep the box handy. The lid of the puzzle box is the most important part - that's where the vision comes from. If we didn't have the picture of the finished puzzle, we'd have no vision to understand the value of our efforts. While reflecting from the middle of a decade, keep that in mind that there is a bigger vision at stake for all of us. What does your future look like?

Blessed to be a Blessing

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With the violence in CA, I'm kind of at a loss for words. I think it's a good time to hug a loved one a little longer, contemplate the blessings of life more closely, and be truly grateful for all the ways we are blessed. Being a positive force today might make all the difference in the world.

By the Way

I got this quote from a friend today, so I'll close with this:

"We are healed to help others, blessed to be a blessing, served to serve, not just sit around and wait for heaven."

Let It Go

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20 years ago I made a choice that changed my life forever. A wellness lifestyle is about much more than food and exercise habits, and if you've followed Power Pantry for any length of time, you've gotten that impression. And sometimes a simple choice sets our lives on a drastically different course.

It was in 1995 that I began to understand forgiveness, because that was the year I crossed the line of faith and started to follow Jesus. I was a holiday christian growing up, and understood guilt and shame really well through my religious experiences. What I didn't understand was grace... and mercy... and forgiveness.

Over the last 20 years I've been growing and learning and maturing (I hope) in my understanding of all Jesus did for me by giving his life on the cross. And the foundation of that understanding is forgiveness. It still humbles and fascinates me how much God loves us, and the wellness that comes from that love and the adventurous living He calls us into.

Today I saw a simple reminder that really impacted me... it was a snippet of God's truth in a sidebar article in a magazine, talking about the value of forgiveness. There are volumes of scientific, psychological and sociological research which point to the value of forgiveness and freedom it brings.

I needed that reminder today - a simple reminder to let it go. All of it. Every bit of it. Any trial or offense or wrong or missed expectation has in it the seed of bitterness and resentment which turns to acid and poison when left to grow. But the good news is that offering and accepting forgiveness, of ourselves and others, provides an incredible and healing release. When we choose to offer forgiveness and let it go, we benefit, and everyone we touch can benefit as well.

Maybe there is a sticking point in your wellness journey that is deeper than nutritional choices, and more obscure than getting more exercise. Maybe it's time to look around at what may be grinding you up inside, gather your courage, take a deep breath. and let it go. If you'd ever want to talk about forgiveness, and my journey or yours, feel free to reach out through the Power Pantry home page, and we'll connect.

By the Way

When we experience forgiveness issues with ourselves and others, the damage wrought is really on us, not the person or circumstance we get so bitterly focused on. It's been said that harboring unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. When we choose to let it go, we remove the poison and journey closer to wholeness and wellness.

Gratitude at Thanksgiving!

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Thanksgiving is such a unique holiday and celebration, and when our nation began to recognize gratitude as a national event, no other nation had anything like it. Since 1621, the US has been regularly expressing gratitude, and I think we're all better for it.

And thankfulness is a good foundation for a power pantry and a wellness lifestyle. Gratitude has so many benefits, we would be foolish to not exercise gratitude daily, and if we don't yet, we should start immediately.

Check out this great web site and page from www.happierhuman.com noting dozens of benefits of gratitude (and citing much of the research to back it up):
The 31 Benefits of Gratitude You Didn't Know About

All the way around (Health, Personality, Emotional, Social, Career) gratitude revs up our lives and sets us on course to be a better person. Make 2015 the year you start a gratitude journal, or at least a gratitude habit. And enjoy a blessed Thanksgiving holiday!

By the Way

I saw a great vegetarian turkey the other day...

Well, sort of...
:o)

Cucurbita Pepo Time!

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Never heard of a Cucurbita pepo? I hadn't either until recently (Wikipedia is a great thing). Cucurbita pepo is the genus and species for the common pumpkin, and there's no better time for pumpkins than the fall harvest and Thanksgiving. And pumpkins make a great addition to a power pantry as source of vitamins C and A, lutein and beta carotene.

Pumpkins are a variety of squash, thought to have originated in North America, possibly in Mexico, over 6000 years ago. Now, pumpkins are a common cultivar in the United States and Canada, as well as all around the world. With 33 common varieties grown in America there is every size and shape available for decoration, texture and of course, cooking.

As a winter squash, they are planted in warm weather (July in the US) and mature just in time for late fall enjoyment. The name comes from Greek and French roots (pepon and pompon) which morphed into pumpion and then pumpkin. Quite the linguistic trail...

We enjoy raw pumpkin seeds in our pantry, which are a good source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, selenium and niacin. They are a great, nutrient-dense addition to salads, granolas and snack mixes.

For our Thanksgiving menu, I'm thinking of including a dairy-free pumpkin pudding... looking forward to trying a new recipe.

So dig into a seasonal favorite this month and next, and roast or steam or puree' some fresh pumpkin. Enjoy the smells and tastes of the harvest, and benefit from the great nutrition pumpkins offer.

By the Way

In the last 10 years, white pumpkins have grown in popularity. The 'Ghost', 'Baby Boo' and 'Lumina' are just a few. While everything inside these varieties is pretty much like any other pumpkin, the skins lack the beta carotene color found in common orange pumpkins.

Seasonal Sprouts

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I think Brussels sprouts get a bad rap... so many people think they don't like this great fall vegetable, without even giving them a chance. Have you cooked some Brussels sprouts this fall? (And note, they aren't Brussel sprouts, they're Brussels sprouts...)

Brussels sprouts have been cultivated for centuries, and trace their modern roots back to the 1500's in Belgium. These little members of the cabbage family (Brassicas) are high in vitamin C and K, and are a great source of fiber. The most valuable nutrient in Brussels sprouts is sulforaphane, a phytochemical being researched for its anticancer properties.

In a year's time, 32,000 tons of Brussels sprouts are grown and harvested in the US, most of which are frozen for retail sale. California and Washington state grow almost all the Brussels sprouts in US production. Of course here in Lancaster County, PA we have wonderful, local roadside stands selling Brussels sprouts right now, as fall temperatures are ideal for growing and harvesting.

Give Brussels sprouts a try for the first time, or the first time of the season. Steaming, stir frying and roasting are the best ways to cook these little wonders to keep as much nutrition as possible, and enjoying them raw is the best of all.

By the Way

If you can't get over basic hang-ups about Brussels sprouts because of childhood memories of having to clean your plate, check out these tremendous recipes from www.realsimple.com , featuring sumptuous add-ins like grapes, pecans, apricots and, of course, bacon.

11 Easy Recipes for Brussels Sprouts

Every Kitchen Needs One

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Fall is a wonderful time of enjoying the bounty of the 'harvest' and all the ways we're blessed in our country. And when we combine all that variety with wonderful ways to cook it, fall gets even better. Around our kitchen, Jen does a great job mixing things up with recipes, and one thing that's great for fall and winter are the dishes she makes in the crock pot.

While the crock pot can be a simple way to make all kinds of meals, there is something comforting about the smells and anticipation of a meal roasted in the slow cooker. The November issue of Prevention magazine had an article with nine crock pot recipes as suggested ways to benefit from the warmth and convenience of slow cooking. Seeing that article gave me some inspiration to post how every kitchen needs a slow cooker.

It's possible to make almost anything at the low and slow temperatures of the crock pot: breads, casseroles, lasagna, roasts, fruit and berry crisps and even interesting dishes like home-made yogurt and candied, roasted nuts. The opportunities are almost limitless, and the convenience of less hassle and clean-up, along with the great smells which fill up the kitchen and whole house, make crock pot cooking worth while.

When picking a crock pot, size it appropriate to how many mouths you have to feed. You'll find them from about 2 quarts to 6 plus quarts, which is big enough to feed a large family, or make a great meal with lots of leftovers. It's important to follow recipe guidelines on how much liquid goes into the pot so you don't end up with a scorched mess, and programmable features will help by reducing heat from high to low or even off.

So dig out your old crock pot, or invest in a new one, and enjoy this great addition to a power pantry for getting the most out of your time in the kitchen and the benefits of fall bounty.

By the Way

Jen has made apple butter in our crock pot on numerous occassions, and it is wonderful. Give it a try sometime. The slow cooker is the perfect way to simmer the apples and let them cook down to the tasty, spicy-sweet condiment. And around our house, you know it's great when it passes the teenager test, which Jen's does, with flying colors.

An Easy Fitness Addition

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I have a business friend who is an 'expert' at jumping rope. He's quite fit, exercises regularly, is always tuned into the next adventure, and for decades, he's made jumping rope his go-to activity. Did you know jumping rope is an exceptional form of cardiovascular and aerobic activity, and a great addition to a power pantry lifestyle?

According to the Jump Rope Institute (yes, there is one of those...) jumping rope for 10 minutes (at a rate of 2 jumps per second) has the same benefit as:

• 30 minutes of jogging
• 2 sets of tennis singles
• 30 minutes of racquet and handball playing
• 720 yards of swimming 
• 18 holes of golf

Jumping rope improves hand-eye coordination, strengthens ankles and bones, and creates better left-brain / right-brain connections in our thinking. All this from a simple activity that most of us learned in grade school.

Check out this great training montage from Rocky 4 (which, of course, starts with Rocky jumping rope...). In it, we see Rocky training in a barn and the great outdoors, while challenger Ivan Drago uses the most sophisticated gym equipment (and steroids) available. This whole depiction is right up my alley as I believe very strongly in simple, affordable, 'natural' forms of exercise, which are great for our fitness, and basically available to everyone.

Rocky 4 Training Montage

So dig out that old jump rope from years or decades ago (or borrow one from your kids) and give it a try. You may feel uncoordinated, out of breath, and a bit dopey at first, but give it a chance, and before long you'll be able to build your minutes and your workout, for a great wellness benefit.

By the Way

Check out this "15 Minute Jump Rope Workout" from www.realsimple.com. Do it for time, or for number of jumps, but just do it...

Jump Rope Workout

Get to the Root

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One thing I've learned about a power pantry wellness lifestyle is that there is always something else to learn. Around every corner is a new adventure in information, if we're open to looking for it. And with the Internet at our fingertips we have every reason for our lives to be rich with good information.

I've been intrigued by root vegetables lately, likely because it is fall. I never paid a lot of attention to beets, turnips, parsnips and rutabagas. These are great vegetables and valuable sources of vitamins and nutrients. Fall is a wonderful time to roast some root vegetables and enjoy the tastes, textures and nutrition of the season.

Here are some thoughts on great root vegetables:

• Rutabagas,or yellow turnips, are thought to be a cross between a turnip and cabbage, and have been cultivated since the 1600's in Europe. They are a great source of vitamin C.
• Beets, or beetroot, are the taproot of the beet plant. High in folate and manganese, they are great cooked, raw or pickled. Some varieties have a high sugar content, like the sugar beet, and are cultivated for refined sugar production
• Parsnips are a root very much like a carrot, but actually sweeter. They are rich in fiber, minerals and vitamins, and are an especially good source of potassium. Be careful with the shoot and greens of parsnips, as the sap is toxic and causes a rash a lot like poison ivy.
• Turnips are part of the Brassica family, like rutabagas, but common turnips are the white variety. They are high in vitamin C, and the greens are commonly eaten as well, and are a good source of vitamin A, folate, vitamin C, vitamin K and calcium; greens are also high in lutein.

So give root vegetables a try with dinner one night soon. A simple roasting pan with coarsely cut up root vegetables and some diced turkey or chicken breast would make a great meal; a little salt and pepper, maybe a chopped onion or two and roast until the meat is cooked, and you can enjoy the tastes of the harvest season, and healthy, nutritional root vegetable as well.

By the Way

Carrots are a staple root vegetable which are common, nutritious and tasty, and are a great source of vitamin A and beta-carotene. Did you know that carrot come in a variety of colors? While orange carrots are found in the produce section the world over, there are also red, purple, pink and more.

Wealthy Beyond Money

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While we're on our journey, we can easily overlook how far we've come. A power pantry lifestyle brings great value, and when we're plugging along, we grow, sometimes by leaps and bounds, and sometimes slowly, but we're growing.

When we're honest, we can track and acknowledge our growth and realize all that really has improved. We're better now than we were in our recent past.

I had a great dialog with a business friend yesterday who shared a tremendous idea and quote with me:
"The best way to measure your wealth is to measure what you have when the money is all gone"

That's a wellness lifestyle. That's recognizing how much we have and how far we've come. Our lives are about so much more than money.

Take stock of all you have, and how far you've come. Find value and contentment right where you are.

By the Way

Gratitude is a key to a wellness lifestyle. Thankfulness and appreciation keep us engaged in our journey, likely keep us humple, and eventually make us wise.

Take a Hike

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It's funny to me how dog owners are well programmed to walk their dogs daily, as a healthy routine for Fido, and because it's the right thing to do as a pet owner. Yet, a majority of our US population don't get the recommended amount of physical activity (aerobic or strength training) suggested by the CDC. It's great that we're so good to our dogs (about 40% of dog owners walk their dogs regularly) and I'm not sure why we don't translate that better into our own lives.

I think it is a matter of inertia, or momentum. If our day is done and we're "at rest", we tend to stay at rest and skip any exercise. Or if our mornings are consumed with getting the day started, and kids off to school and getting our own work underway, then it's easy to let another day go by without getting our blood pumping.

My remedy? Do something! I was away for a few days at a conference and I had to challenge my boundaries some to get in a workout. We were at a retreat center in the woods, so there was no fitness gym, and no tall stair towers for running the stairs... there were a lot of trails, though.

What I settled on were numerous walks in the woods, before the day started, and at break times and even one hike in the dark. It was a good challenge, and I got through rain and wind and slippery, wet leaves just fine. I even had the chance to see 8 turkeys and one blue heron that I scared up from their nighttime roosts. Very cool...

There is always something we can find to get our pulse up and to put in a daily workout. All we need to do is do it. So try getting creative for new way(s) to break a sweat, and grab a friend to go with you. I'm sure you'll be glad you did.

By the Way

I had posted last year that full-body active exercise is necessary to get our lymph system going. Our lymph glands need physical movement to 'pump' the lymphatic fluids throughout our bodies, to grab toxins and return them to our liver and kidneys for elimination. Don't miss the value of this vital function... all we need to do is get moving.

Healthy Snacking

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It is great to have snacks handy for a pick-me-up between meals, or when feeling bogged down mid-afternoon. The tough thing is stocking healthy items, instead of sugary, fatty, empty calories.

Here are some awesome healthy snacks... these are prominent in our pantry, and maybe you would want to add some of these to your snacking routine:

• Raw almonds
• English walnuts
• Raw pumpkins seeds (aka, pepitas)
• Sunflower seeds (roasted or raw)
• Dried cranberries
• Dried tart cherries
• Raisins
• Dates (regular and Medjool)
• Banana chips
• Apricots
• Pop corn
• Popped sorghum
• Dark chocolate (the simpler the better)
• Carob chips

There are others, but these are prominent, ready snacks in our power pantry. Healthy snacking isn't the easiest thing to keep up with, but when we're intentional and creative, it goes a long way to stocking a healthy power pantry.

By the Way

Maybe you have favorite snack foods you'd like to share... if so, please leave a post in the comments section.

2015 Pantry Additions

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We're past the 3/4 mark in 2015, and I hope it's been a great year for your health, your wellness lifestyle, and the contents of your pantry.

I thought it would be good to do a quick check up on how our pantries are faring... have we made some improvements to what we're shopping for and stocking in our fridge and pantry? I've noted great additions to our pantry this year: healthier chips (sweet potato chips made simply with sunflower oil and sea salt), healthier cereals (a great sorghum-based cereal with a bit of cane juice and chia seed; another is just crisped rice with sea salt and a bit of cane sugar; puffed millet as well), homemade guacamole almost every week. Our fridge has a selection of almond milks (and limited cow's milk any more) and some great kinds of hummus, and all sort of fresh veggies.

If you could use a boost on some healthy pantry suggestions and additions, consider this top 10 list of healthy food, which originally came out as a 2015 healthy food trend watch list. This is courtesy of www.everydayhealth.com :
2015 Healthy Food Trends

This is a great list! There are some in the top 10 I need to try out, like teff, and beet greens, and nut-based vegan cheese (that sounds interesting). Something like rutabagas bring back childhood memories, and maybe it's time to try them again.

So take a fresh look at your pantry, and see where you can step it up. There are still 2 months in 2015, which gives us plenty of time to try some new, unique foods, and make a solid addition to our power pantry.

By the Way

Don't overlook how far you have come... have you been trying to live by power pantry concepts this year, and stock your pantry accordingly? Think back to what was in your pantry a year ago, or 5 years ago... I know we have some crazy, unhealthy stuff that was a regular part of our diet and eating. Our selections are now healthier, and nutrient-dense, and that's been great for wellness for our whole family.

A Core Exercise

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Need a fundamental exercise to work your upper body, core (abs and lower back) as well as hips and thighs? And an exercise which will totally kick your butt if you take it seriously? Try doing some burpees. This exercise offers a foundation of both strength training for upper body and core, and generates significant aerobic effort as well.

Burpees have been a staple in the military, and in athletic programs at all levels, since before WWII. The exercise was originally developed in the 1930's by American physiologist Royal H. Burpee, as part of his PhD coursework. Burpees began as a simple and fast way to assess overall physical capability, and have been tormenting sports teams and athletes ever since.

To do a burpee, start by standing with your arms at your sides, do a full squat and put your palms on the floor, shoulder width apart, jump your legs back behind you (putting you into a pushup, or plank, position), then jump your legs right back into the squat position, and extend your legs to stand back up, ending where you started.

Go ahead and give it a try. If you're new to these and can grind out three burpees, I guarantee you will use muscles you haven't used in a long time, or maybe have never used. Crank out 10 burpees and you'll probably need to stop and catch your breath.

Living a wellness lifestyle should continually open new vistas which lead to new challenges, opportunities and growth. I had never heard of a burpee five years ago, and I'm just getting into the groove where I challenge myself to plow through five to 10 at a time, maybe more. Surprisingly, they do get easier the more you do...

By the Way

While I still think it's a big deal to do 20 burpees at a time, and I need a good recovery break afterward, I was really shocked to learn that the world record of burpees performed in 24 hours was set by Cameron Dorn in 2014... he did 10,105 burpees in 24 hours... whew!

To read all about Burpees, check out the Wikipedia article here:
Burpees.

How to Get There

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There is great value in questioning. Questioning the way things are, why they are that way, and definitely asking where circumstance could be if things were different. Have we sincerely questioned ourselves lately? I'm not great at it, but I do make it a point to keep my horizons open by questioning myself.

Here are a few questions that I think give great direction and focus in life. Maybe these resonate with where you are on your wellness journey:

• What can I do? (Instead of beating ourselves up for what isn't happening, and where we've given up or dropped the ball...)
• How can I help? (Journeying together with others is a great way for us to grow, and to stay in the game ourselves; tuning in to where others are and how you may be a resource enriches our own journey as much as the person we may end up helping)
• Where am I headed? (While it's good to find contentment right where we are, there is also significant value in asking where we're going... what will things look like a year from now? How about five years from now?
• Why am I stuck? (We all get stuck at some point... and where we've gotten stuck may feel like a tar pit that we'll never escape. But that's often a mental exaggeration, and the truth is once we pick ourselves up and get moving again, a path opens up to us.)

The reality is that the way forward is simple...it's right in front of us if we'll just engage. The best way to engage our minds in any process is to ask great questions. Give it a try by starting with some of the questions above. Maybe you'll reap the benefits of good questions like I have.

By the Way

Possibly the best question of all is this:

• What do I notice? (The best progress in a power pantry lifestyle can come from this question. When we honestly ask ourselves what is different, especially after some change or catalyst has taken hold (like we're in the midst of a detox cleanse and we experience physical improvements), we can evaluate what things are beneficial, and which drag us into poor health and even suffering.)

Best of the Season!

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I'm a fan of fall. What a great time to experience the slow, gentle let-down from summer that gets us into winter. From tremendous fall colors in the fields and trees, to crisp temperatures overnight that lead to the first frost. Eventually we turn the clocks back and try to relax into the holidays.

With all that fall has to offer, one of my favorite things about it is apple season. I know apples are available from all over the world now, any time of year, but I still think of fall as apple-picking time.

Do you have a favorite apple? Mine are Macintosh. Long before there were hundreds of apple varieties world-wide, there were the apples you would get from your own trees, or the farm down the road, and you were lucky to have a dozen or so apple varieties to choose from.

It turns out our family is celebrating an appreciation of apples this week. Prices in our area are down to about $0.79/pound most places, and the selection is great. So today, Jen was making apple butter, bringing the wonderful fall smells of clove and cinnamon into our kitchen, along with the sweet tartness of the cooking apples.

And with that cooking in the background, one of our kids asked for stewed apples for breakfast. Easy enough, so I cut up a half-dozen or so apples and cooked them down for a half hour or so... mmmmm... no sugar needed. Maybe just a little cinnamon.

Don't miss apple time. Wherever you find yourself, get to a farm stand, or a great produce aisle you can trust, and see what interesting apples you can purchase and enjoy. It's a wonderful part of fall, and power pantry choices.

By the Way

While there are nearly 100 varieties of apples grown in the US, there are only 15 which make up almost 90% of the market. The US Apple Association has great information on these varieties, and a lot more: Most Popular US Apples
And there is much more to be learned about apples. Check out this list from Wikipedia on apple varieties from all over the world: Apple Cultivars

Gritty. Resilient. Passionate.

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A wellness lifestyle requires a commitment to go against the grain. Maybe it's family history, or peer pressure, or just the drag of age, poor eating and lethargy that keeps us from the commitment we need. And maybe all it takes is a spark to ignite the flame already inside us. Enter the Spartan Races. I posted last year about mud runs, and how the Spartan Races are a top quality obstacle race nation-wide, and now world-wide. Well... I think the Spartan Race has made it onto my list.

I've been thinking about signing up for a 3 mile ("Sprint") Spartan Race for months, and I live under the conviction that anything worth doing, is worth doing with others. So I emailed my brother today to float the idea of training for a summer 2016 Spartan Race in eastern PA, and lo and behold, we've got an event to prepare for.

Not only is he into the idea, it looks like my sister-in-law, niece, nephew, and some of their family friends may be joining in to build a team with us. How cool is that?! I'm already excited, and it's a full 9 months away!

Spartan races are classy for what they are (an obstacle course mud run). You test your mental and physical limits. You hone your tenacity and perseverance. And ultimately, you find out what you're really made of. Spartan races are gritty and transformative. A lot like a power pantry lifestyle.

So it's game on for July 2016 Spartan Race in Palmerton, PA. Not sure who all will be there from our clan, but we'll be there. How about you? What is your gritty, resilient, passionate goal? Maybe it's food choices, or getting out for a walk each day, or training for your first 5k. Whatever goal is in front of you, don't wait another day. Make a call to look for a buddy. Write down steps to get you from here to there. Start doing something positive with your wellness today. Commit. You know you can do it - it's just a decision away.

By the Way

There is an incredible amount of inspiration available on the www.Spartan.com website. Check out the videos section to get a real taste of what these obstacle races require of you. And there are Nutrition and Training tabs as well, so you can focus your effort for great results.

Whether you plan to dive into Spartan training or not, the Spartan.com website has tremendous materials for your wellness journey.

Know Your Oats

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I love having some tried and true, versatile power pantry items on hand. I think of pantry staples like raw almonds, apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, raw honey, brown rice, and oats. Yes, humble, stick-to-your-ribs, great-for-breakfast oats. Maybe oats are worth a closer look.

If you've never thought much about the available kinds of oats, here are some basics. The oats we buy at a grocery store are usually available in four types: groats, steel cut oats, rolled oats (or 'old-fashioned' oats), and quick, or instant, oats. Check out what Wikipedia and the Whole Grain Council have to say about oats...

Groats are simply the whole oat kernel with the hull removed. The head of grain hasn't been cut or pressed or rolled. Steel cut oats, the healthiest of the processed oats, are simply cut into two to three pieces by processing blades, but that's all- no other mechanical manipulation is done. Because of this, steel cut oats retain much of the oat bran, which is lost in more mechanical processing used with other oats.

To get rolled oats, the groat is steamed to make it more tender, and then it is rolled in a coarse roller, and finally toasted a bit to stabilize it. Rolled oats will cook more quickly, and make more of a porridge consistency. Quick oats will cook the quickest of all because they are rolled more finely than old-fashioned oats. Quick oats yield an even creamier texture because of the finer processing.

Which is the best? As always, the one processed the least will give you the greatest benefit, so that's probably the steel cut variety. Don't get me wrong, all oats are a healthy choice, it's just that steel cut oats would retain the most nutritional content because they aren't steamed or toasted.

So give oats another look. I enjoy a great bowl of oatmeal or muesli (uncooked or only slightly cooked oats) most days of the week, and I like throwing in a variety of good additions like raisins, dates, walnuts, raw almonds, chia seeds, ground flax, or even berries. Oats are a great way to start the day because of their low glycemic index and high fiber content which will keep you feeling full longer into your day.

By the Way

Oats are seen as a healthy addition to our nutritional choices for a couple of reasons. Besides being a great source of thiamine, iron and dietary fiber, oats are the only source of avenanthramides, an antioxidant which helps protect the circulatory system from arteriosclerosis.

2:17:43.2

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Whew... 2 hours 17 minutes 43 seconds... that was my 2nd half marathon time, from the race I ran yesterday, a good two and half minutes better than my first half-marathon. Cool.

No injuries, no blisters, and I again met my humble goal of not walking any of the course. The weather was just right with a little sun and no wind, and over a thousand runners between a 5k, 10k, and the half. It was an excellent investment of a Saturday morning (plus the couple of months I spent preparing for the run.)

I'm feeling a bit of a let down, though, now that I don't have a current goal to work on. My older daughter wants to do more running with me, and maybe it's time we get a couple of 5ks on the calendar. She actually joined me yesterday for about a half mile of the half-marathon (I was lucky to have a fan club cheering me on... the running course passes about 150 yards from our house, so my family camped out for part of the morning watching for me to go by.)

All told, it was a great running event. I beat my previous time, and came through with no injuries, yet again. Another goal accomplished, and time for setting some new ones. Maybe you have a wellness goal you've been thinking about. If you do, don't wait another day - get something on the calendar, break down your steps and progress needed, and get to work. I guarantee you'll be glad you did.

By the Way

Themed runs and fun runs are exploding in popularity in recent years. And at just over 3 miles, a 5k is very doable for the running novice (or these can be very attractive to the competitive runner working on their timing.)

Check out this page from Running USA, showing the growth in running event finishers from 1990 to 2013.
Running stats and demographics from Running USA

And guys, while we were about even in numbers with the women five years ago, the female finishers have way outpaced the men. It's time to get in the game!

2 Hours of Insane Courage

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Three days from now I'll be running my 2nd half-marathon. I think I've prepared well, and run plenty, so I should be physically ready. Maybe a little bit of carbing up Thursday and Friday, and that should do it.

As everyone who has tackled a wellness lifestyle knows, the physical victories are only part of the game. The bigger challenge is usually the mental connection we need to make with why we are choosing to do what we're doing: "do I need to do this? Now? Really?" Overcoming the mental hurdles can be huge.

While I've never seen the whole movie, I remember a quote from "We Bought a Zoo":
"Sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage, just literally 20 seconds of just embarrassing bravery, and I promise you something great will come of it." Think about it. All our mental gymnastics that convince us it won't work, or that we need to back down, or that it's time to quit... all those can likely be overcome by 20 seconds of insane courage.

For the half-marathon, I'll need a lot more than 20 seconds. It will take more like 2 hours of insane courage (and then some) to keep convincing myself I can finish well. My goal? Beat my previous half-marathon time, and come in at around 2 hours and 15 minutes.... We'll see.

So what do you have pending where you need more courage than is normal? If something has you feeling out-of-your-league, or just plain overwhelmed, maybe all you need to do is muster a burst (or stream) of courage, and forge ahead. For me, we'll see what the race holds, and I know I'll be focused on finishing strong.

By the Way

You can check out the clip from "We Bought a Zoo" here:
20 Seconds of Courage clip

Take Nothing With You

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It's 5 days until my 2nd half marathon... that means it's go time, baby. I started training last month with some shorter and longer runs and built up to the 10+ mile run I did last weekend. Then this past week I really fell off the wagon where my nutrition was concerned (cake?? I actually had cake... with buttercream icing...) I noticed a few irritating (and preventable) consequences; if I had just gone without, none of them would have happened.

One telltale from my poor eating was a strange sluggishness Friday night, a total demotivation. I remember that feeling from years ago before my body was detoxed and tuned up; I was surprised how pronounced it was going into the weekend. Problem was, I planned to go out for a medium distance run on Saturday morning. I needed to get my head in the game.

What all of this affirmed is that keeping our bodies tuned up makes a difference. Now, since eating clean this weekend, I feel great again. And I was able to plow through a six mile run yesterday and just over three today. Add yard work and playing with the kids to that, and I'd say it's been a great weekend, despite the poor eating last week.

I'm very convicted of the need to shed extra baggage, especially going into something like a half marathon. I don't want to take last weeks' poor food with me, or any unnecessary pounds, just like I wouldn't run a race with a bunch of books in a bag over my shoulder in case I got bored. I couldn't afford to put up with the weight, and I can certainly do without a book to read while I'm engaged in a race.

So this week I'll be focused on the essentials: what do I really need for next Saturday in order to be prepared? If I don't need it, I'm ditching it, and that goes for nutritional choices, mental perspectives, and my clothing and accessories for the race. Do you have extra baggage that you're carrying? Would you be better off without it? If you're not sure, have you tried to reduce and then get rid of the baggage to see what the result feels like? There's no time like the present.

By the Way

It takes about 24 to 72 hours for our bodies to naturally digest and metabolize food. Toxins are filtered by our liver and kidneys and gotten rid of with a day or two, and possibly up to about a week is needed to get rid of everything our bodies would identify as foreign.

Old You vs. New You

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A power pantry journey is a lifestyle. A wellness lifestyle. And that means progress, of some kind, is to be expected. Wherever we find ourselves, we have to decide that 'here' is no longer acceptable, and we need to get moving to somewhere better... to 'there'. Making the commitment and investment for that journey takes heart and perseverance, and by making the significant investment it requires, it will become a lifestyle.

Today I was on a 'long' run, thinking of these very things. 18 years ago I topped out around 220 pounds. I suppose I was livin' large in my late 20's, but really I was a mess. Now I tip the scales a good 60 pounds less than that, and have all these great wellness goals that I want to pursue. I'm signed up for my second half marathon, with less than two weeks to go. Hence the reason for the long run today.

What I realized is what a joke it would have been for my 'old' self to try and keep up with the 'new' me. Almost 20 years later, I'm healthier, happier and full of energy to tackle significant goals. Even 3-4 years ago, I couldn't have run fraction of the 10+ miles I ran today. I remember a small incline in the road that had me nauseous and almost throwing up a few years ago on a fairly light jog. Now I'm tackling significant hills with tenacity, and haven't gotten the heaves in a long time.

We're all on this kind of journey. Wherever you are, you are bound to make some wellness progress when you simply put your mind to it. Think of where you are now, and where you are headed, and how the old you would fair compared to the new you... Maybe it's just that the new you tackles the buffet line with healthy conviction and confidence without falling off the calorie and junk food wagon, where the old you was as big a mess as your plate.

Set some new goals and be bold enough to broaden your perspective on where "there" is. It will likely change and move (in a positive way) taking you further down the road on your journey. And chances are the new you beats the old you, hands down.

By the Way

If you train for any running races, there is a simple build-up guide you can use in your weeks prior to the race, to put you in great shape for the big day. The point is always to exert yourself, and recover... Push hard to a new level, then back down and heal up. For a half marathon or full marathon, your big run should be a couple of weeks ahead of race day, and your distance can represent about 80% of your final miles (so about 10 miles when preparing for a 13.1 mile half-marathon, and about 20 miles in preparation for a full marathon.)

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