Additions and Distractions

7.4

I skipped posting the last couple of weeks because of a wonderful addition to our family. A week after my post about a big goal of  running 1,000 miles in 2020, we got a puppy, turning our lives a bit upside down for a while. 

If you have a dog, or are a pet owner, you know they can change the course of everyday life. We get into our routines, and get used to one day being like the last, and tomorrow being like today. But with a new puppy, all bets are off.

Such are the additions and distractions we have in of life. What I realize is that it is best to embrace the new things and not resent or resist them. Like business gurus have said for years, if you're not growing, you're dying. The issue isn't really that we don't like change, it's that we don't like change when it is someone else's idea. 

Our little puppy has been a fun blessing already. Yes, we had numerous sleepless nights the first week, but we're already settling into a new routine, and he has quickly become part of the family. And yesterday and today I was able to get out for my regular workout and running, keeping my mileage close to being right on track.

We look forward to many years with our new friend, and I think he'll even be a good running buddy once he grows up a bit. Have you invited some interesting additions or distractions into your life lately? Find ones that add to your wellness journey, and see where they lead you.

By the Way

Little Leo is a mix between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Bichon Frise. He is as cute as an Ewok, has a great temperament and doesn't shed or bark. What more could you ask for in a new family friend?

Add Life to Our Years

7.1

I'm now in my 10th year of my wellness journey, and it's encouraging to see how the benefits and return on my investment are compounding. I'll probably run 5 Spartan races this year, and I'll complete my third Spartan trifecta (a combo of a short mid-range and long Spartan race, in the same calendar year.)

As our kids grow up and move on with their own lives, it's interesting to see them choosing sushi as a take-out food of choice, instead of the box of deep-fried stuff from the convenience store, or anything from a fast food place. And our older daughter is trying out being a vegetarian, just to see how it goes.

Around work, I end up having wellness conversations weekly. Some folks are starting their own wellness journey, and I'm honored and grateful that I might be able to speak into that. Others are refining a certain aspect of their physical activity, or following up on doctors orders to overcome a recently revealed health challenge.

I crossed paths with a good friend the other day who happens to be a runner and cyclist. He's turning 60, and looks like he's in his late 40's. To celebrate his big year, he's working through what he can give, what he can get, and where he can go. And his wellness pursuits will include an 'extreme' race or two (think 24 hour trail run, etc.) I appreciate friends like him who give me a vision of what's possible.

Yesterday, while it was snowy and slushy in PA, I did my Saturday morning sandbag run, and then went to our local climbing and obstacle course gym with two of my kids. We're thinking about a Spartan Stadion race for late spring, so now is the time to get training and develop our work outs for the next four months.

That's what a wellness journey looks like... It has some adventure, some friends, many unknowns, and pulls us to what's possible. How about your journey? Are you grasping a vision for your health that will stretch what's possible, grow your capacity and likely add years to your life and life to your years?

By the Way

Wherever you are in your journey, start there. Two business friends are starting a new phase of wellness to lose weight or find some more energy. Those goals send us back to the fundamentals of clean eating, great choices, and finding our own wellness groove. Then,  as we build our own wellness tribe around ourselves, we gain momentum, accomplish goals, and set new ones. At some point, we live into being our best selves, and taking others along with us.

Celebrate!

6.27

It's the first day of winter, Christmas is 3 days away, and the year is over next week. Hard to know where another year has gone. How was 2019 for you? Challenging? Rewarding? Predictable?

I welcomed winter with a 12 mile run this morning, and I can definitely say that 2019 has been challenging, rewarding, and appropriately unexpected. I completed my second Spartan Trifecta, including my first 50k, Spartan Ultra. Whew... What a year.

I am deeply thankful for the journey I'm on. Every day I try to take time to reflect on all the ways our family has been blessed, and I try to keep that gratitude present as the days and weeks fly by. And at some point it is important to celebrate all that we've prospered through.

I'm almost 10 years into my wellness journey, and there is no way I could have anticipated how far a wellness lifestyle would bring me. My Garmin tells me that I ran over 670 miles this year, and that in 2019 I set a PR in all 5 running distances that  Garmin tracks (5k through marathon and furthest distance.)

I feel younger and healthier than I can remember for literally decades. What a blessed journey. So, this week we'll celebrate Christmas, and the miracle of God coming to earth to live among us. And it will be a great time of feasting ( and fitness) and family. A great celebration to close out 2019.

How about you? I'm certain you have grown and thrived and overcome in numerous ways... Make note of all of them. Celebrate the achievements, and the times when you simply held steady -- When you reached a new high, and when you held your ground. 2020 is right around the corner, and there will be a whole new year to journey and grow through.

By the Way 

Remember that with all the parties and rich, sugary foods, you can be the one to take along the healthy snacks, entrees or desserts. Comfort foods are fun, but can easily be balanced with tasty, healthful choices. Your body, and your wellness journey, will be glad you did.

Bon Appetit!

6.26

To maintain great wellness, I've consistently ascribed to an 80/20 or 90/10 approach to meal planning and eating. Once we find our nutritional groove , and know what foods brings us health and healing, we should lean into those foods for the majority of our calories. It's okay if 10-20% of our calories originate outside our wellness goals...

Thanksgiving is the biggest celebration of food that we have every year. A time of family and community and feasting. But not a time to completely set aside our wellness convictions and goals. With that said I wanted to pass along a fun and engaging food resource that highlights tremendous foods, and I think it can help anyone enjoy this season of celebration and gratitude.

The resource is the Bon Appetit  channel on YouTube. One of our kids turned us onto Bon Appetit last year, and it has become a fun 'cooking show' distraction for us to watch together. This Channel is a sister to the Bon Appetit magazine and web site of the same name, and gives the viewer a behind the scenes look at the world-class staff and editors that make it all possible.

Note well, Bon Appetit isn't about foods that are particularly healthy or healing, but they are certainly about quality, taste and community. And their recent YouTube post are all about Making Perfect Thanksgiving...from turkey to sides to desserts, they have Thanksgiving covered.

So be sure to celebrate gratitude, providence, community, family and more this Thanksgiving. Maybe mix in a new dish that respects your wellness goals, while at the same time taking advantage of the abundance available to us. Bon Appetit!

By the Way

If you are looking for great holiday recipes that DO respect your wellness goals, go over to Dr. Josh Axe's content, or Mark Sisson's (Mark's Daily Apple). Tons of valuable content from these two sites!

The Joy of Gathering

6.25

Fall is here, summer is over, and it's time to settle in for the Holiday season. Hard to believe...

As we work on our wellness lifestyle, and our health, and express concern for those around us, we have the opportunity to do life together, and grow and appreciate the days we're given. That's really what a wellness lifestyle is all about. Have we engaged in today, in a significant way? Have we sought healthy foods, healthy movement, and healthy relationships?

With the holidays come all kinds of opportunities to gather over food. As the decades go by, I think a lot of folks think that the food is the important part of getting together. So many memories are built on cooking, feasting, and celebrating over and with food... But I think the real celebration is in the gathering, not the food.

Think of the best celebrations you have enjoyed. The weddings, the graduations, the birthday parties; the anniversaries, the wonderful holiday celebrations at Thanksgiving or Christmas or New Years. All involved food, yes, but they also involved wonderful opportunities to connect and reconnect, time to celebrate others, and to celebrate milestones.

If we think that celebrations are more about the food, as we age and our relationship circles grow smaller, we may lean on food at the catalyst to rekindle the great memories of the past. But if it was actually about the gathering (not the food) we may have a frustrating journey of misplaced expectations and unfulfilling celebrations.

So make sure you're finding a great circle of friends, relations or family to do life with this holiday season. Find joy in gathering to enhance your wellness journey.

By the Way

New circles of friends can come from unlikely sources. Don't miss opportunities to connect with folks in areas related to work, or a local gym or fitness club, or maybe a place of worship. And be wary of online gatherings to fill this need - while technology can keep us aware of the world around us, it is a poor substitute for actually meeting with other people, face to face. Keep your gatherings real.

It Works

6.11
Living a wellness lifestyle works. My journey started about 2010, and now, less than 10 years in, it has truly become a lifestyle that is repeatable and sustainable.

Yesterday my family and I enjoyed a wonderful Mother's Day visit with my mom, my wife and our daughters. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and just right for traveling, visiting and dinner out. We found a nice restaurant with great, freshly prepared dishes, all with a bit of a German flair.

Making healthful choices is important to me, and I consistently try to consume 90% of my nutrition from foods my body will appreciate. The other 10% can be whatever happens to be available, or an occasional 'cheat' meal, etc. Yesterday's dinner out had some of both - a great steak with sweet potato fries, and a berry cobbler with ice cream for dessert.

Others around the table had wonderful entrees of chicken or fish or salad, and all were healthful and nutritious. We're thankful for the few, if any, health issues we have in our family, and that for years our kids have seen us model healthy eating choices and are now able to repeat those kinds of healthful choices themselves.

And my overwhelming proof that a wellness lifestyle works, is the training and race journey I've been through lately with my Spartan Ultra. While fulfilling a fairly grueling training schedule, I was also focused on eating well and eating clean for about 5-6 months. By the time I got to mid-April, I was literally the healthiest I've ever been in my life. While I thought the fairly harsh training might strain muscles and ligaments, and sideline me from completing the race, that was far from reality. My body rewarded my clean eating with strength, stamina and endurance.

So here's to healthful choices and the benefits we reap. We have the opportunity to revolutionize our wellness journey through faithful healthy choices.

By the Way

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Your commitment and dedication may seem to go unnoticed, but please know that you are loved and appreciated!

Thrive This Holiday Season

5.21

Ready or not, the holidays are right around the corner. Living a wellness lifestyle, my goal is always to thrive through the holidays, not simply survive. There will be parties and dinners, feasting and football, and likely lots of cookies and cakes. So what's a health-conscious person to do? Here are some tips I've shared in the past, and are certainly worth repeating and living out again this year:

• Feasting at Thanksgiving and Christmas is okay, just be willing to offset these with appropriate 'fasting'. Eat clean and watch portion sizes before and after the big dinners. Remember calories-in-calories-out... if we aren't getting enough (or any) exercise over the holidays, we're going to pay for it in additional weight and all the ills that go along with backsliding from our wellness convictions.
• As you stock your pantry for the cooking and baking ahead, shop the perimeter of the local market. That's where we find the freshest and least-processed foods (think fresh produce, the meat counter, and fresh baked goods). The interior aisles of the market have all things processed, preserved, sealed, boxed, and far from fresh.
• When visiting, offer to bring a healthful dish. Make it flavorful and nutrient-dense, without being tree bark or the latest vegan craze. Think Brussels spouts, butternut squash, asparagus, wilted spinach or kale, green bean casserole made with fresh and organic ingredients, or a wonderful sweet potato bake sans the marshmallows and brown sugar (maybe honey to sweeten the deal, and a grain-free topping made from almond flour). I'm not big on sharing recipes, but a little online searching yields plenty (check out Dr. Josh Axe - https://draxe.com/holiday-recipes/)
• At the big dinner, take your time. Start with small portions, and stick to the more healthful sides that are offered. Plan for seconds by not loading up your plate on the first round. Take about 10-15 minutes to finish that first plate, and you'll start to feel satiated; then you can selectively (and sparingly) go for seconds to enjoy small portions of your favorites on the second round.
• At dinner, take your time, make conversation, and put your fork down between mouthfuls. Savor the experience and the time with family and friends. Don't shovel. This will lengthen the meal (or at least your own pace) and help limit how many calories you consume. The point is to enjoy the experience. Savor it. Linger.

Holiday celebrations should be a rich and relational time to be grateful, to reflect, and enjoy time with family and friends that we don't get all year long. We can do well if we set aside the slick, competitive consumerism that steals our time and attention, and focus on truly celebrating.

Make this holiday season a time to thrive, be thankful, and maybe even share what our wellness lifestyle has meant for us.

By the Way

I'm a proponent of remembering how far we've come. Take time this holiday season to reflect on what was happening in life five years ago. It can even be fun to go around the room with children or grandchildren to have them share what life was like five years ago. Then consider where life may take us in the next five years. Time passes so fast these days, we can easily miss the progress that is happening right in front of us. What better time than holiday vacation to recall the journey we're on and all that has brought us to today.

The Joy of Running...

4.24

...in Community.

I did my 5th half marathon yesterday, and it was a really great experience. We live in Lancaster County, PA, and I'm regularly reminded of what a special place it is. This race was one of those reminders.

The run was to benefit the local fire company in Bird-in-Hand, PA, a small town east of Lancaster, and right in the middle of Amish farms and tourist attractions. It is 3,000 runners and thousands of volunteers, spectators, supporters and locals, to yield a great event.

They do a lot to make the run special:

• Parts of the course go through an operating farm
• You get to see the Amish countryside close up and personal
• Amish and Mennonite families staff the water stations and cheer the runners on
• There is a free 'community picnic' after the race - everyone is invited for chicken bbq, hot dogs and sausage sandwiches, fixins and cake and ice cream
• There is one of most unique medals (a real horseshoe) for finishers - check out this article from 2014 in Runner's World magazine about the Coolest Medals...
• If you run the Garden Spot Village Marathon (or half marathon) you qualify for the one-of-kind Road Apple Award

The theme for the Bird-in-Hand half marathon is "The Joy of Running in Community". The founders, Jim and John Smucker from the Bird-inHand Family Restaurant, are from a seriously committed running family, and they know that running, and the culture surrounding it, can build great community. It certainly worked for me and my family yesterday. I had a tremendous run and together we enjoyed all the event had to offer. Look for a wellness commitment where you can find and build community - you'll be glad you did.

By the Way

The course is set on rolling hills of the local farm land, which for me is an easier run than where I train. The result? I had my best half marathon time ever at 2:09:14. Not stellar, but great for me, as I was 10 pounds heavier and 13 minutes slower at the GSV half marathon this spring. And, yes, I qualified for and received a Road Apple Award..

It's Summer - Change the Rules

3.23

Summer is almost over! Quick, what are all those fun things we wanted to do before Labor Day and school restarting?! We checked off one: our family just returned from an epic two-week+ vacation out West... it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to suspend the 'rules' and engage life in a completely different way for a while.

But a healthful lifestyle isn't conditional. After all, it's a lifestyle. I'm usually a "90/10" eater. 90% of my calories typically come from nutrient-dense, plant-based foods, and about 10% are some rare dairy or lean meats or something processed. On vacation though, it was probably more like 70/30. We enjoyed ribs in Wyoming and excellent smoky BBQ in Colorado, and also had trout, tremendous salmon dip, and several wonderful salads. Mmmm...

That's what vacation is all about. It's okay to change the rules for a while, as long as we know where our baseline is. Changing the rules is different than breaking the rules. And I've been a clean eater for so many years that I know I'll pay for straying from healthful choices. My body and metabolism react to poor food choices. But hey, I'm okay with that for a brief spell of summer.

Now that we're back in the swing of things I look forward to cleansing for a bit and then this fall, I'm planning on bringing more variety to my own healthful diet, and the overall food choices our family enjoys.

How about your summer? Hopefully it's been fun and relaxing and memorable. And if you feel like you fell off the wagon where your health and eating are concerned, it's simple enough to take a deep breath, contemplate your choices a bit, and get back to your wellness baseline.

By the Way

Part of my changing the rules was having ice cream twice on vacation (one was a fudge sundae) and it was fleetingly awesome. Because I wasn't running or working out, I didn't notice the dragging lethargy that usually hits me when I eat dairy. For healthy choices though, I also had a delicious dairy free treat at a frozen yogurt shop, and the organic plum sorbet at Moo's in Jackson Hole, WY. Tremendous!

Good for a Laugh

2.57
Jen and I unsubscribed from cable 1997... hard to believe that was 18 years ago. Nowadays we can thank the internet for access to anything, anytime; so who needs cable? And with the content available, there's a good chance to find some worth our time.

Some months ago I posted about Studio C and that it was fun and a bit goofy, and gave our family a good laugh. Well, we've added another laughable resource to our video selections in the form of "Good Mythical Morning" on YouTube. I'm surprised at the creativity that some of these folks bring to their content, and they certainly can build an audience (7.8 million subscribers for Good Mythical Morning, and counting).

GMM's audience is now worthy of advertising deals with Alka-Seltzer, McDonald's, Wendy's and Cadillac, to name a few. See their Wikipedia page, describing the two life-long friend, Rhett and Link, behind the silliness of Good Mythical Morning. They post a video every Monday through Friday morning, and have over a thousand videos on YouTube... plenty to keep you busy catching up.

For us, we enjoy gathering at the end of the night for some family TV time, and of course the kids may pull up a video or two during the day on their devices for a few laughs as well.

The chance to hang out as a family is very important to us, and it's important for a power pantry lifestyle. Whether you are married or not, or have kids or don't, it's vital to have community around you, be it friends or coworkers or immediate family. The common bonds you share and the chance to do life together keep you connected with the world, and grounded in the full experiences of life.

Give Rhett and Link a try sometime. Not all their stuff is a total hoot, and some of it is a bit PG13, but mostly you'll find two guys who have known each other over 30 years enjoying the chance to laugh together and make others laugh as well.

By the Way

Rhett and Link also have a second YouTube channel with further goofiness in the form of parody and original songs, skits and spoof commercials. Check it out here: Rhett & Link

Epic 40-Something Fail

2.54
Did you ever find yourself in the middle of something and realize it's not at all going as planned? I had that happen a couple of nights ago, and not only didn't it go as planned, it turned into an epic fail on my part.

The setting: playing capture the flag with my wife and four kids, in the dark (with flashlights). The grass was getting wet and slippery from dew. Teams had been picked, flags were set, and we were underway. About 10 minutes into the action, I made a bold run through the opposing territory, being chased by my wife. (Capture the flag is kind of like tag, with a jail and home base, and you need to find and capture the opponents flag and make it back to your side without being tug...)

What happened next was a blur of poor, 40-something, physical coordination. Running full-tilt and trying to avoid the front boundary of our field-of-play (which is defined by concrete curb along our street) I found my shoes slipping in the wet grass, becoming a tangle of feet and legs in "I'm-too-old-for-this-and-it-won't-end-well" fashion. I went headlong over the curb and out into the street (which is paved with a very fine, gravely oil-and-chip surface.)

After what my wife described as at least two or three rolls and somersaults I found myself on my back groaning, with sharp pains shooting through my hands and a few other places. The kids came running, and all gathered to see if they had gotten dad killed. The damage assessment yielded two gouged palms, and one knee, elbow and shoulder missing a good bit of skin.

They collected my flashlight and me and all helped me hobble into the house for a home-nursing patch job...the game was obviously over.

I was in a lot of pain, but kept chuckling at the scenario and my inept wipeout - lots of apologies were offered (from me for wrecking the game, and from the kids for almost getting me killed). A couple of days later I'm very much on the mend, and so glad we invest in family time the way we do. While it didn't go as planned, we have a great memory of the wild game of capture the flag that we shared.

A power pantry wellness lifestyle is like that -- taking on life's opportunities with some drive and passion, alongside people you really care about, and seeing where things go. It may not go as planned, and you may even end up with scars along the way, but you'll have rich experiences and great memories to show for it. Go find some experiences you can dig into with gusto this week, and see where you end up. For us, the kids say that next time we'll play in the daylight...

By the Way

I like a quote we keep on our kitchen cabinet... it frames exactly what our experience this week yielded:
"Go at life with abandon; give it all you've got. And life will give all it has to you."
Norman Vincent Peale

Vacation Time!

2.51
A power pantry wellness lifestyle has a lot of activity, a lot of meaningful relationships, time to laugh and unwind, and it also has a lot of great food. Since were at the peak of summer, and it is vacation time, I thought I'd throw out an encouragement about vacation... it's that part of the lifestyle where we're supposed to unwind...

To get us thinking in the right direction, it would be good to check in with Robby Novak, The Kid President. I've enjoy his YouTube video posts over the years, calling us up to engage life fully, and to be awesome. His latest one is just as good.

Check out his recent video on the goal of vacation, and what kids really want from getting away.
What Kids Really Want from Vacation

So make some time to laugh and unwind, and maybe even dig into some tremendous, nutritious, summertime recipes, while enjoying a vacation with family.

By the Way

Check out my post from last year on Robby's first big hit video... it's always worth watching again:

Remember to Be Awesome

Go Play Outside

2.39
Yesterday we had a blast getting out on a lake with our kayaks for the first time this season. It was everything we hoped our day would be - a chance to get out on the water enjoying the sun and wind and each others' company. Summer is here and will go by so fast it is vital to get out and engage it while we can, and following a wellness lifestyle requires that kind of determination.

While I could invest my free time with a motorcycle, golf or basketball or shooting sports, I choose to invest my free time with my family whenever possible. I think healthy relationships at home are vital to an engaged and fulfilling life... a power pantry life. Of course, this means I'm a lousy golfer, I don't have a cycle or even a scooter, and I have no posse looking for me to jump into a pick-up game of round ball.

For me, I'd rather know what my kids enjoy for sports and activities and go do those things. Jen and I even said at the end of the day yesterday that it will be fun one day to be empty-nesters and just grab the kayaks anytime we want to go find a lake...cool...

To me, it's not valuable to 'balance' work and family and wellness and recreation and education. I think it is valuable to integrate all of these things, creatively and relentlessly. What do I mean by integrating?: Looking for ways to harmonize what should be done, with what you value or highly regard. So, take up a hobby with your spouse or kids, or integrate work in your family life (could you start a family business?) It may be easy to share aspects of faith and wellness as a family, but how about integrating your relationships or wellness with lifelong learning?

Kayaking as a family may seem like a really simple thing to do, but to our family, it goes much deeper than that. There is intentionality for us at a much different level, choosing to integrate the things we want to do (summer-time recreation) within the relationships of those where we get the most value. Maybe you could give it a try this summer as well.

By the Way

Jennifer and I were first introduced to kayaking at a dinner date we had at Shank's Mare, a very homey but cool outfitter shop near York, PA (http://shanksmare.com/). That was about 10 years ago, and we've made flat-water paddling trips a regular summer activity since. Now we have multiple kayaks and enough gear for the whole family to enjoy a day out. And one thing I like best of all: Shank's Mare's slogan is "Go Play Outside."