Spring Cleaning!

2.25
It's spring, and Easter, and a great time to evaluate our circumstances with some new perspective. Just like a warm sunny day peels away the quiet slowness of winter, a fresh outlook on our wellness lifestyle can bring insight and conviction.


Have you taken a good look at your pantry lately? I just spent a few minutes reviewing our pantry (literally, I stood there looking over everything in it) to see if I could find any nasties. The worst I could find (thankfully) was a snack bag with MSG as an ingredient (this was a give-away I received at a 5 mile run yesterday (isn't there some nutritional conflict in that?), and a couple things with maltodextrin (a starchy additive used as a binder in a lot of prepared foods and snacks.)) It wasn't always that way, though...

When I was in college, and then into my 20's and 30's, it was no big deal to have a couple boxes of Little Debbie's cakes and snacks around. Those would be joined by a bunch of that plastic-y imitation cheese food, either as chip dip or EZ Cheese, and a ton of snacks, drinks, desserts and prepared foods with high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and MSG. We can be thankful that most of us tolerate those non-food 'foods' into our 20's or beyond. The fact is, though, most of our bodies don't tolerate these well when we're in our 40's, and if we do, we shouldn't.

Our power pantry purge has taken years to hone and focus, and now includes discernment involving gluten free, and whole grains / ancient grains, as well as natural sweeteners like raw honey and agave nectar in lieu of sugar and corn syrup. The results, though, have been fascinating and fabulous... we'll never go back.

How's your pantry this spring? Any room for more oats, millet and flax seed, and less Cocoa Crispies and pop tarts? Could you work in some brown rice and quinoa, instead of white rolls and pasta? How about savoring the wonderful, natural essence of fresh veggies and fruits instead of flavor-enhanced snacks and dressings? I know the commitment it takes to tackle and eliminate the faux foods, and I also know our lives depend on it.

Here's to choosing well on the journey to a cleaner power pantry.

By the Way

Prevention's website has a great page with blog posts and content on eating clean:
Prevention.com - Eat Clean
Give it a try and see if some suggestions resonate with you. Maybe your pantry and you will both benefit.