Five Years In

4.10

Living a wellness lifestyle, and maintaining a power pantry, is about setting goals, finding healthful boundaries you can live within and then persevering. How's your journey going?

Last weekend I bought my second pair of running shoes (ever). I decided after about five years of running I would do well to have a second pair. I have three weeks total to break them in before the Garden Spot Village Marathon and Half-Marathon. Should work out just right.

What's interesting is how my running habit has changed in the five years I've been pursuing it. I'm in the midst of my training for the April 8th half-marathon at GSV, and did my long run yesterday. At 10.8 miles, it really didn't phase me. I felt like I had another five miles or more in me.

No blisters (I now know the value of real running socks (synthetic) and doubling them up (instead of thick cotton socks)). And I'm in good shape with my recovery 36 hours later. That's a long way from where I was five years ago when I first started running.

And I learned a valuable tidbit about running sneakers which I had never tried. If you run, are you aware of the extra 'lace lock' holes on your running shoes? Those are the two holes closest to your ankle. I wasn't aware of what these were for, nor had I ever used them until two days ago. Turns out, it is a great addition to my running technique and foot health.

The lace locks are meant to cinch the top of the shoe snugly around your heel and top of your foot, allowing the laced area over your toes and arch to be tight, but not overly so. I did my long run with my laced 'locked' on my new sneakers and it felt great. No blisters and no hot spots.

What are you five years into on your wellness journey? Are you still learning? Have you tried something worthwhile and found that it worked out great? Or if it didn't, are you taking another run at it? A power pantry lifestyle is full of twists and turns, trial and error, and in the end, there's improvement. Here's to next steps.

By the Way

I looked up my running times from recent years and realized that I consistently trimmed time off of a yearly 5 mile run (the Sauder Egg Run in Lititz, PA where we live) and the GSV Half-Marathon. How cool is it that I have set a PR each year? No pressure, but we'll see how this year goes. Last year I was at a 9:28/mile for the five mile run and 10:14/mile for the half-marathon. Not bad for a middle-aged novice like me...

Ha, ha, ha.... Happiness!

4.9

A few weeks ago I learned of a fundamental perspective on the richness of life. Have you heard of the 'U Curve of Happiness'? I was a bit taken back, but overall not surprised, with this simple bit of wisdom about what many in Western cultures experience.

The U Curve describes how individuals see contentment and overall happiness at different stages of life. From the teen years through the mid-to-late 40's things are, unfortunately, on a downhill slide, bottoming out by about 50 years old. What looked like great promises of youth turn out to be dashed hopes of middle age.

But not to worry. If we hang in there for just another decade or so, we'll find ourselves regaining and even surpassing the joy and contentment of our younger years, albeit now with more wisdom and understanding of how to enjoy it.

This research began in the late 90's and early 2000's, and has grown into and extensive body of knowledge worldwide. And what is interesting is how similar the life-experiences are across numerous cultures and countries. While the exact bottom of the happiness curve, and exact contentment levels over the decades, may differ, the shape of the curve from teen years through 70 years + is the same.

Check out this article from The Economist about The U-bend of Life. It gives a good overview of the concept, and even digs into some specifics of the research. What is clear is that in developed Western cultures, there is great hope for happiness in latter years.

So if you're on the early end of the spectrum (in your 20's or 30's) hang in there... it gets better...eventually. And if you're like me (late 40's) hang in there as well, because you're on the doorstep of the happiest years of your life!

By the Way

This happiness research isn't only relevant for us humans, but also for our primate cousins (apes, and chimpanzees, etc.). They exhibit the same youthful contentment, followed by a sharp decline of 'happiness' into midlife, and then a strong and steady increase of happiness through old age.

Aggravating Foods

4.8

A power pantry lifestyle requires an open mind, and a wellness journey will eventually bring you to realities which challenge your thinking. A few weeks ago I posted about continuing a 90/10 emphasis on whole, nutrient-dense foods, even though I have changed some fundamentals. I have been aware of several foods which really aggravate my gut and make me feel less than healthy.

A friend reached out wondering what exactly those foods may be, so I figured a post was appropriate to give some context. I realized years ago that numerous proteins and fundamental building blocks of some foods can be quite irritating (like alkaloids and phenols). And sensitivities to these foods don't generate allergic reactions, but can seriously impact your wellness.

For me, I've identified a list of irritants that I now dodge in our pantry:

• Corn
• Nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, all pepper (hot and sweet, etc.), eggplant, goji berries, and white potatoes are the primary ones)
• Raw onions and garlic (some cooked ones are just fine)

Beyond these, there are actually some 'healthful' foods which are significant irritants to me:

• Almonds
• Dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, etc.)
• Most berries
• Honey
• Coconut

I can tolerate small quantities of these, but large amounts prove less than beneficial. So how do these impact me? Shortness of breath, generally gloomy moods and unexplained bad attitudes, and skin breakouts are the major effects. Are any of these life-altering, where they can't be tolerated? No, not really. But life is much more awesome without them...

So, continue to "question everything." Be willing to apply some critical thinking and intentional trial-and-error to your power pantry journey, if your physical and mental health isn't stellar. There are particularly aggravating foods out there, and maybe it's something you ate.

By the Way

There is a whole body of study on these kinds of food sensitivities. Australia and parts of Europe are way ahead of the US (my cynical side affirms that there's no money in healthy people, and we have a huge medical industry in America that thrives on unhealthy people, so problems are better prolonged than solved... but that's a post for another day.) Dr. Benjamin Feingold recognized the correlation between hyperactive children and their diets and the Association created around his work has made incredible strides in helping families manage food sensitivities in their children. Also, check out the Food Intolerance Network (www.fedup.com.au) for an incredible and extensive resource on food sensitivities.

Gym or No Gym

4.7

Years ago Jen and I had a membership to a gym. That was when we lived in Houston, had no kids, and it was easy to block out time to get in a workout. Times have changed (a lot!) but we just made a commitment for a family membership at our local rec center.

I have to say we're all pretty excited about it. We have a tremendous rec center in Lititz, and the family membership is affordable and offers a lot to do with the basic membership. There's a competition-sized pool, kid's pool, tons of cardio and strength equipment and every kind of additional programming you can imagine for toning or bulking up or just getting fit.

We had our first workout this morning, and it was great. Some treadmill, some elliptical, along with lots of body-weight exercises. And we're mapping out our evenings trying to find the days we can get there after work as a family.

I'm still happy with www.Darebee.com and body-weight training at home, but having a gym membership is going to be great for Jen and the kids. There are spin classes, all sorts of exercise equipment and most of all programming. If you sign up for it, and put it on the calendar, then you do it. I'm one who easily starts my day with a good workout in our basement, but we're not all wired like that.

How are your workouts this year? Your workout can simply be parking in the back corner of the lot at work and making the walking trek to the door, twice every day. Find the stairs and skip the elevator. Don't troll for the closest parking space at the supermarket or the mall - there again, park in the back. Carry your small order of groceries in a basket instead of pushing a cart - it's great for your shoulders and arms.

You can get all the exercise you need with a bit of creativity and determination. Gym or no gym.

By the Way

Always be ready to take on a new challenge with your workouts. Could you do more reps, or find a different exercise? (I was introduced to 'windshield wipers' today...never did those before, but I can't wait to make them a regular part of my ab and core workouts). There's no doubt your strength and endurance can benefit from some creative exercise, especially if you're training for a particular run or event.