Better Holiday Sweetener

4.32

It's the holiday season! One of my favorite times of the year... and a challenging time to eat in a healthful way and make nutrient-dense choices. And because I have a sweet tooth, I'm especially challenged by holiday sweets.

I've shared about a sweet-cheat before in Power Pantry, and I want to reinforce this great substitute for the sugary empty calories we consume at the holidays. Enter the humble date. These fruity, substantial and satisfyingly sweet treats are born of the date palm, and harken back thousands of years to middle-eastern roots.

Dates are still grown in those same middle-eastern countries where they have always been, and they also come from places in the US like California and Florida. These sugary-sweet morsels live up to their history and are worth every bite. The larger, more tender medjool date is especially tasty, with a smoother texture than its common cousin, the Deglet Nour date.

With a creamy texture and great flavor, medjool dates can almost pass for a candy-like caramel. And with a little creativity, dates can be made into tasty pastes and syrups that are a wonderful replacement for honey, maple syrup and agave nectar. 

Currently, I'm reconnecting with dates for my mid-run energy boost. I've been honing my running regimen and I don't do energy gels (which are full of corn-everything.) But dates? They are naturally sugary, full of useful glucose and sucrose carbs for mid-run.

Dates also have valuable antioxidants, and nutrients like potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. That is a much better roster than any energy gel.

So consider stocking some dates in your pantry this holiday season, and keep an eye out for where you can include these wonderful, ancient sweeteners in your holiday cooking. Your body will thank you for caring so much, and you may just find a new favorite recipe.

By the Way

Check out what Dr. Josh Axe says about dates and the value they bring to sweetening our diet:
Dr. Axe on Medjool Dates

Cheat Wisely

4.31

The holiday season is upon us! Thanksgiving is this week, and our kitchens and diets will be bombarded with all the food bounty we can tolerate. And with all that food comes a lot of choices.

Years ago, pastor Andy Stanley wrote a book called, "Choosing to Cheat," with the premise that every day brings us choices that will add value to those around us, or take value away. The point in choosing to cheat, is to cheat work in favor of our spouse and family. Cheat a good opportunity for the best choice. Cheat the thing we want to do for the thing we know we need to do - the choice which will have lasting value in our lives.

The same goes for our wellness lifestyle. This week, and in the weeks ahead, there will be innumerable temptations of delicious sweets and savory dinners. There will be processed favorites (mushroom soup on the green bean casserole, and eggnog (did you ever check the nutritional label on eggnog?)) and homemade standards (the twice-baked sweet potatoes with honey and marshmallows). And the choices will abound.

Is it a problem to enjoy the holiday delicacies? No, not at all, but we need to cheat wisely. Don't throw all caution to the wind, and end up in a carbohydrate coma or artificial-preservative-shock. If your body is accustomed to whole foods, and nutrient dense eating, lean toward those choices whenever possible.

If you're traveling for the holiday, offer to take along a dish which reflects your wellness values. Go simple, like our grandparents used to cook. It doesn't need to be full of tofu and seaweed (my grandparents wouldn't have even known those were edible), just something simple, healthful and delicious.

So enjoy all that this holiday season brings. Savory the down time, the visits with family and friends, the wonderful meals, and the reminders of how blessed we are to live in a nation with all of this abundance.

By the Way

As the years add up in a wellness lifestyle, you'll find recipes which reflect your healthful values, and are just great food. Things like homemade cranberry sauce to go with the turkey. Simple, easy to make biscuits, with only 3 ingredients. I have a shortbread recipe that I'm looking forward to making again. ...And the list grows year by year.

Make Your Best Choice - Now!

4.30

In 2018 I'll turn 50. I'm going to make kind of a big deal about it, because of how thankful I am to hit the half-century mark. My dad passed away at 48 years old, after a 6 month battle with lung cancer, so he never got to see 50...

It's not that my father was all that unhealthy, but knowing I have the same genes, I'm very aware of the risks, and very thankful for the journey that's gotten me to today. Is that some of my motivation behind Power Pantry, and a wellness lifestyle and doing Spartan Races? You bet it is...

About 7 years ago, I learned that there is a fundamental choice we all make, between healthy lifestyle choices, and unhealthy lifestyle choices. And over the ensuing years, I've leaned hard into a wellness lifestyle.

I don't know how many years I have, but I plan to live them to the fullest and absolutely make the most of my days. We all have the same opportunities for healthful choices, and it starts with recognizing the fundamental role that food plays in our well being. Food truly is medicine - and poor food choices are certainly a detriment to our health.

So if you are new to a Power Pantry, start today to read labels and choose real food. Cut out the processed food-like products, and refined, empty calories. Moderate your portions. Lose some weight. Create an exercise program you can truly live with, and get moving. You'll be glad you did and you'll likely add years to your life.

By the Way

There is research from the last 6 to 8 years that is looking into 'healthspan' instead of just lifespan. The point being, if we live into our late 70's with chronic disease and failing health, is that a worthwhile wellness goal? What if we can extend our health into those later years, and nearing our end, spend a minimal amount of time in decline and poor health. That seems like a much better goal.