A Good Brew

6.24

Years ago I was a coff-alholic - I consumed significant quantities of coffee daily, with little regard for how much I was actually drinking. Then at some point, maybe about 15 years ago, I realized that the rush of caffeine was less energizing and more stressful than what I wanted to live with. I bailed out and felt much better over time. One problem is that I really enjoy a good, hot mug of fresh, black coffee.

Since adjusting my coffee consumption, I've ebbed and flowed between decaf (it can really be a poor stand-in for regular coffee) and no coffee at all. Recently, I've found a better middle ground of a cup or two a day, several days a week. Not nearly the highs and lows of caffeine I experienced years ago.

So is coffee good for you or bad for you? The answer is really a bit of both. Much depends on how it is prepared (high-quality water and fresh ground, appropriately roasted beans) and how much we consume. There are great anti-oxidants in fresh brewed coffee, and numerous, everyday health benefits.

Check out this article from Dr. Josh Axe on the top 8 Health Benefits of Coffee. Coffee is great for heart health, liver health, and controlling things like asthma and Type 2 diabetes. Beyond those, coffee increases energy and mental concentration, fights depression and improves athletic performance.

The key to benefiting from coffee consumption, like so many things, is moderation. Thankfully, I've landed at that place of moderation myself, after all these years, and I think I'm at a sustainable place. If you're a coff-aholic, like I was years ago, consider cutting back to a few cups of coffee a day. If you're not a coffee drinker, no need to start, but maybe you'll develop a taste for the aromatic, tasty brew that has revved up societies for centuries.

By the Way

Be aware of numerous coffee look-alikes, that aren't the real thing. A lot of high-volume coffee vending comes from reconstituted coffee concentrate that may contain stabilizers, preservatives and 'natural flavors' to extend shelf life and yield a good-tasting end product. It's not the real thing, even if they've mimicked good tasting coffee.

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.

Fresh is Best

4.19

Have you taken a good look at your pantry and fridge lately? Are they stocked with all that's good for your body or have less-than-healthful choices made their way in? One way to get into a power pantry groove is to shop local for farm-fresh foods.

We live in Lancaster County, PA. This area overflows with local, farm-fresh produce during the growing season. The eastern part of Lancaster County is even know as the 'Garden Spot'... one of the most fertile and productive non-irrigated farming locations in the country (and some would say the world.)

When stocking a power pantry, the goal is simple, nutrient dense, and unprocessed. Shopping at a local roadside stand would likely achieve all three. Look for fresh fruits (peaches and watermelon are at their peak for us in PA...) fresh veggies of every kind, and now you are likely to find great local meat offerings (free range chickens, grass-fed beef and more.)

If you're not sure where to find local farm-fresh offerings, just ask around. There's a good chance you'll find friends, co-workers and family who have favorite roadside resources for great local shopping. Another simple opportunity is to take a drive - try some back roads you've never been on. Slow down and connect locally, and you're sure to be rewarded with some farm markets and roadside stands.

Make it a point to rev up your pantry with fresh, ultra-local produce today. You'll enjoy the changing of selections as the seasons change, and connect better with your community, all at the same time. 

By the Way

There are over 37 great roadside stand in Lancaster County, PA, alone... check out this link for a great local web site listing.

You can also try this local farm market site with listing all around the country and around the world.

Powerful Pantry for the Holidays

3.33

The holiday season is officially upon us, and it is a great time to review our pantry and see what has found its way there in recent months. The food-abundance of the holidays brings great opportunities for feasting and celebration, and it doesn't need to derail our wellness choices.

Have you stood at your pantry or fridge recently to see if there are artificial flavors and colors and preservatives lurking there? We can often stray from healthful choices to something that is simpler, quicker or promoted with better marketing, and those choices can bring all kinds of unhealthy distractions. A power pantry is marked by simple, nutrient-dense, healthful foods. Ingredient lists on healthy foods have few ingredients, and they are ones you can pronounce.

Finding any strange breakfast cereals or canned soups? How about dressings or gravies or desserts? And snacks can be some of the worst offenders. Any MSG or BHT or food coloring? While no one of those will kill us if we eat it, our bodies thank us when we pass them by for healthier real-food picks.

Right now Thanksgiving leftovers are still in full swing around our home. Great dishes and sides, and even some additional recipes of gravy and stuffing to complement the remaining turkey. But it's a great reminder of the blessings we have and gratitude we should feel for the abundance all around us, and we were able to keep our choices simple, healthful and real.

Soon enough it will be Christmas baking time. But fear-not; even Christmas baking can be done quite healthfully with simple, tasty ingredients to celebrate the season. Before we get there though, have a second look at your pantry and fridge and see if there are some healthful substitutions you can make.

By the Way

I think it 's interesting that the longer we live with wellness choices, the more our recipes reflect things our grandparents and even ancestors likely cooked and enjoyed. Simple, whole foods, seasonally available, and fresh. Sounds like great ingredients for stocking a power pantry!

Simple Wellness - Get Real

3.4

The Power of the Pantry

Fourth post in a Simple Wellness series...

If we're committed to a wellness journey, we've set a vision for our health, and started down the road to resetting our food choices, then we've got to work on our pantries. What lurks in a majority of American pantries is scary. There are not a lot of 'real' foods, even though a lot of what we stock may be edible. Real foods are unprocessed, nutrient-dense, and as fresh as possible.

Have you stood and stared at your pantry or fridge lately? Seen anything edible that just isn't food? We have a few things... some salty snacks, starchy sides and sugary breakfast cereals, but we stock mostly real foods, and reap the benefits of eating them.

Real, nutrient-dense foods afford us the healthiest bang for our calorie buck. We benefit from fiber, minerals, micronutrients and phytochemicals in fresh foods. Think veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds, and whole grains. Dr. Joel Fuhrman likes to describe 'GBOMBS' as his quick label to remember 'Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries and Seeds.' If we've reset our food choices, these five categories are absolute winners to give our bodies the healthy nutrition they crave.

A great way to integrate real foods is to purge our pantries of the most processed offenders, and begin including as many real foods as possible. Then we can set simple goals in our meal planning and food preparation to have more and more of our meals feature real foods (and only real foods). Let's say we eat about 20 meals a week (7 days times 3 meals a day...) If we had one real-food meal a day, that would yield about 30% of our meals being health, and 70% being regular choices. 


As weeks and months go, it can be simple to grow that ratio to 50/50, then 60/40 (so now we're closer to 2 meals a day being real food) all the way to 80/20. An 80/20 goal for real-food to standard food is valuable. At that level our cells are being nourished and we even have the opportunity to reverse some disease patterns and symptoms.

Here are some real-food meal suggestions: Breakfast can be a smoothie with greens, chia seeds and fresh fruit, or a hearty oatmeal or muesli with dried fruits and healthy nuts. Lunch could include a big salad with a small portion of fish or beans. Supper can feature a healthier meat like broiled chicken breast or salmon, with steamed veggies and a baked sweet potato.

And here and there, a regular old burger-and-fries, or pancakes-and-bacon meal is okay. Not to binge on comfort food, and blow your wellness accomplishments, but just to scratch that itch of wanting something from your 'old' pantry.

So find a great, healthful cookbook (Dr. Fuhrman publishes the 'Eat to Live Cookbook', and it's a good one) or a great book of smoothie recipes, and launch into your new, real, healthful choices. 

By the Way

A critical step on a journey to a healthful 80/20 diet is the selection of snacks. Here again, ditch the packaged snacks, like crackers and candy bars, and go for the simplest real foods you can find. A piece of fresh fruit is great, or dried fruits and nuts work well too. Take your time nibbling, though, and be careful with portions, because fruit has a lot of natural sugar, and nuts pack a lot of fats that can have you bulked up on calories in no time. 

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

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

In Season!

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It's peach season! Summer is quickly slipping away, and soon it will be apple picking time, but for now, be sure to enjoy some fresh, juicy peaches from a local farm.

The Pennsylvania peach harvest peak is July, August and September, so now is the time to pick up a few pounds or a few baskets of fresh peaches. You'll be glad to know peaches are available in 23 states... Here are a few stats from the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, just for fun:

As of 2012, peaches are commercially produced in 23 states. The top four states in peach production are California, South Carolina, Georgia and New Jersey. California is a significant producer of both fresh and processed peaches, while South Carolina and Georgia mainly produce fresh peaches.  (NASS 2013)
In 2012 California continued to be the dominant peach-producing state, accounting for nearly 74 percent of peach production and supplying nearly 51 percent of the fresh peach crop and more than 97 percent of processing peaches... 

So while Georgia has a great reputation as the Peach State, it is really California which should get all the peach-glory for their exorbitant production rates.

Don't let summer pass you by without enjoying all of what the fruit harvest has to offer. Fresh, local fruits and veggies are a key asset to a power pantry, so be sure to find a great farmer's market soon to enhance you shopping choices.

By the Way

Peaches come in numerous varieties, with the most common distinctions being yellow-flesh and white-flesh peaches... and keep an eye on those pits when you're biting in. The cling stones are the messier ones (because the peach doesn't separate from the pit); the free stone peaches come right off and are much easier to clean, cook with and eat as is. Enjoy!

Use Your Melon

2.55
It's the peak of summer, and the ideal time to enjoy the quintessential summer fruit: watermelon! The growing seasons of various states in the US give good overlap of watermelon availability, so you should be finding, fresh, sweet, juicy watermelon at your local market from July through September (and parts of California and Texas have their growing peaks in May and June).

Check out these fun facts on watermelon from the Watermelon Board (yes, there is one of those - see www.watermelon.org):

• The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt.
• Watermelon is 92% water.
• Watermelon's official name is Citrullus Lanatus of the botanical family Curcurbitaceae. It is cousins to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.
• By weight, watermelon is the most-consumed melon in the U.S., followed by cantaloupe and honeydew.
• Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
• The first cookbook published in the U.S. in 1776 contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles.
• Updated! According to Guinness World Records, the world's heaviest watermelon was grown by Lloyd Bright of Arkadelphia, Arkansas in 2005, weighing in at 268.8 lbs (121.93 kg). Lloyd grew and weighed in for the Annual Hope, Arkansas Big Watermelon Contest on September 3, 2005.
• The United States currently ranks 5th in worldwide production of watermelon. Many states grow watermelons with Florida, Texas, California, Georgia and Arizona consistently leading the country in production.

The great thing about our global, integrated economy is that you can easily get fresh watermelon year long, from places like Brazil, Costa Rico, and the Dominican Republic covering the winter months.

So, if you haven't yet indulged in this staple of summer fare, grab a watermelon this week and enjoy.

By the Way

If you want some convincing that watermelon is a worthwhile addition to a power pantry nutritionally, check out these articles on the various health benefits of watermelon:

Dr. Joel Furhman on 3 Benefits of watermelon (from a recent email blast)
Dr. Joseph Mercola on 6 Things You Didn't Know About Watermelon

Get Fresh!

2.40
It's fresh produce season, and time to enjoy all the great veggies and fruits available from your local farms. A power pantry lifestyle has a whole-foods, plant-based diet at its core, and filling your pantry and fridge with fresh produce is the right step in that direction.

A friend emailed me about a CSA his cousin operates. CSA stands for 'community supported agriculture', and it is a great and growing model of connecting citizen consumers with local farmers and produce growers. I did a post on farmer's markets and CSA's last year to shine some light on this tremendous resource for fresh foods. If you haven't engaged in stopping at a roadside stand, farmer's market or CSA for fresh produce, this is the time to do it.

How is the spread of fresh-to-cooked foods at your dining room table? Many integrative / holistic nutritionists agree that over half of our diet should be raw fruits and veggies. That is the best resource for phytonutrients and valuable antioxidants our bodies need to fight sickness and build healthy bones and tissues. Fresh foods are the path to those nutrients, and a farmer's market or CSA will help you along that path.

So revel in the pending summer weather and the rainbow of fruits and veggies available from local farms. We're just at the beginning of growing and harvesting season - get out there and enjoy it!

By the Way

Yesterday was the 'full strawberry moon', identified as such by early Algonquin Indian tribes because June features abundant strawberries. The strawberry season is really short, though, with only about 3 weeks of opportunity between the last week of May and the first two weeks of June. Don't miss it!

You can check out the Pick Your Own website to find your state harvest calendar and note when crops will be starting to ripen, and when the peak is for harvest.

No Compromises

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Leading a wellness lifestyle and stocking a power pantry can get lonely. I know sometimes you may feel like you're the only one in your family, or at work, or in your neighborhood, who cares about what they eat or how physically active they are. Where I live in the northeast wellness isn't a given, and there are only pockets of folks who take on the extra responsibility to live in a healthful way. I get to experience that loneliness all the time...

It was on this backdrop that I read today that Panera Bread is going clean. As a national franchise with over 1,700 stores and 25,000 employees, they have a lot of market clout they can put behind initiatives. And they are choosing a path of 'No Compromises'. What do they mean by this? They are cleaning up their ingredients to remove all artificial preservatives, colors, sweeteners and flavors. Wow! 

Click HERE to link to the original web page

That sounds like a great power pantry conviction and destination, to remove high fructose corn syrup, sucralose and all its cousins (aspartame, etc.), all dyes and artificial flavors as well. 

And what they, and we, are left with is whole foods, and fresher foods, and the whol-er and fresher, the better.

So it's great to know that wellness choices are catching on, even in corporate segments like fast-casual dining (which is what Panera is). As these trends grow and become more commonplace, my hope is that more and more people will recognize the value and nutrient density of fresh, whole foods with out all of the additives.

Maybe today is your day to take a page from the likes of Panera, and start to purge your pantry of fake foods, and those that have artificial colors and sweeteners and flavors, and restock with local, fresh, healthier ingredients.

By the Way

The announcement of Panera removing all these artificial ingredients from their foods is actually about a year old. They have a big project ahead of them to get this message solidified and implemented, and they are right in the midst of their plan.We'll see how sales do in years hence... I suspect they'll be just fine...

To check out their "No No" list, click here.

A 2015 Hot List

2.6
Good choices and sustainable actions take time to be proven... actually time is the only thing which shows them to be good or sustainable. I think one day we'll look back on this modern era and wonder how large segments of population slid into the unhealthy and unsustainable choices so prevalent today. On the flip side, there is value in getting back to basics...back to simple. Basic and simple can be healthful when good choices are consistently lived out day after day.

So I was encouraged when I saw the results of the 2015 Culinary Forecast published by the National Restaurant Association. This year the NRA canvassed almost 1,300 professional chefs on what the hot trends will be on US restaurant menus. The results are shared in their What's Hot in 2015 list, which came out in December. There is a ton of great food trend information published in the list, and it gives perspective on what these experts expect to see in their establishments this year.

Here are the top 20 trends published in this years' results:

1. Locally sourced meats and seafood
2. Locally grown produce
3. Environmental sustainability
4. Healthful kids’ meals
5. Natural ingredients/minimally processed food
6. New cuts of meat
7. Hyper-local sourcing
8. Sustainable seafood
9. Food waste reduction/management
10. Farm/estate branded items
11. Non-wheat noodles/pasta
12. Gluten-free cuisine
13. Ancient grains
14. Whole grain items in kids’ meals
15. Non-traditional fish
16. Ethnic-inspired breakfast items
17. Nutrition
18. House-made/artisan ice cream
19. Fruit/vegetable kids’ side items
20. Artisan cheeses

Refreshingly, all of these expected trends lean hard toward nutritionally and environmentally sustainable practices. There are little to no processed foods represented, as well as almost a total lack of packed, preserved foods. Of course, these are restaurants, presumably serving fresh-cooked favorites and new creations alike, so we'd expect them to focus on fresh, local whole-food ingredients as much as possible.

One very notable addition to the list for 2015 is #5 - Natural Ingredients / Minimally Processed Food. I think this is remarkable in two ways: first that it broke the top ten, and second that it speaks to a whole-food focus. For not having made the list before this year, I think this shouts loudly that the experts are aware of the natural, unprocessed food trend.

Check out the web page for the 2015 Culinary Forecast by clicking here. It's a great read...especially some of the sub-statistics and call-outs for how things are trending. With all these great trends coming to our restaurants, it will give us a break from our power pantry and cooking at home. And there's a good chance we'll be inspired with something healthful we'll want to cook ourselves.

By the Way

Page 4 of the report shares broader analysis of what's trending by calling out New Top Trends, Perennial Favorites, Yesterday's News, and Steady in Top 20 Food Trends (since 2009). I like the 'Steady' category, because these nine trends have been consistent for 6 years now, with Nutrition and Locally Sourced Items among them. Here's the list:

Locally sourced itemsHealthful kids’ mealsEnvironmental sustainabilityGluten-free cuisineSustainable seafoodNutritionNew cuts of meatNon-traditional fi shFruit/vegetable sides in kids’ meals

The Magic Bullet

2.4
I got the coolest health-nut gift for Christmas... a NutriBulletPRO 900 (by Magic Bullet). OohRah! This is the ultimate blending machine, where nutrition is concerned. 

When it comes to getting the most of the whole fruits and vegetables we eat, there are two schools of thought for making it into juice. Overall, it is agreed that breaking down the cell structure of the food extracts and releases more of the nutrients (like antioxidants, vitamins and minerals) making these absorb-able and nutritionally available. The difference is in whether you 'juice' or 'blend'. When you juice, you extract almost all of nutrient-rich juice and leave the pulp behind (the skins, fiber, seed hulls, etc.) If you blend, you completely pulverize the whole food, breaking down the juice, fiber, skins, seeds, etc., into a slushy, whole-food drink of whatever you're blending. I'm definitely a blender, not a juicer.

The concept for blending whole fruits and veggies is simple: fill the NutriBullet cup half way with greens (spinach, collard greens, kale, romaine, etc.) top off with any kind of fruit (could be frozen, to lend a cold, slushy consistency to your drink), add filtered water and blend for about 15-30 seconds. That's all it takes.

For an extra boost, you can add things like chia or flax seeds, almonds, walnuts, maca powder (more on that in a future post) and cacao powder. Any of these will give your drink a nutritional blast of vitamins, antioxidants, healthy fats and more.

At this point we've made numerous morning drinks in the NutriBullet, as well as a great dairy-free chocolate pudding, a rich, spicy chocolate / chia pudding, and an interesting take on vanilla pudding (using chia seeds). It makes an incredible banana 'ice cream' (just blend frozen bananas, scoop and eat - awesome... especially when topped with the chocolate pudding...)


So if you want to get more from your whole fruits and veggies, and get your daily supply of greens in a convenient way, consider blending (or juicing) to give your health a great boost.

By the Way

One of the best things about the NutriBullet is how easy it is to clean up. Because the blender 'pitcher' is actually the drink cup, you just turn the cup upside down to blend (the blades are mounted in a sealable lid) and once blended, turn right-side-up and enjoy. Very cool.

There are other great drink blender options as well, like the NutriNinja... but I'm psyched about my NutriBullet...

The Whole Story

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Living out a wellness lifestyle takes a lot of conviction; it's not easy to launch into new thinking and different ways of living life. I recognize that my journey has not taken shape over months or even years... I'm now up to decades. It's been years for my wife, Jennifer's, journey as well. Yet we've always stayed curious and tried to look beneath the surface of what seemed okay to find out what really worked for us. The truth is, we've sought out, and thankfully found, good resources to move us a little further along in our journey.

Stocking a power pantry is a lot like that. A little step at a time, a change here and trying a little something else there, and before you know it you're living a healthier, more vibrant life, and you almost forget how you got there. Five years ago we had no idea what quinoa was, and had never tasted hummus. Now quinoa (pronounced keen' - wah) is a staple in our pantry, and we're always making a new hummus or guacamole flavor for snacking. What we need most is the conviction to keep going, to try and see the whole story, and gather resources to support our progress.

The great thing is how much our health has improved, in significant ways down to relief from the most simple distractions. Now we revel in healthier skin, only a rare headache, no joint pain, plenty of energy for climbing stairs and doing chores, and the confidence that comes from pursuing and achieving a worthwhile goal. We're constantly looking for new, valuable wellness information to support our power pantry, 

So it was great news when we learned this past week that Whole Foods Market will be building a store in Lancaster, PA. What an opportunity for us to have access to a wider array of healthy and organic food choices, as well as handy resources for buying conscientiously. That's some strong power pantry support... Whole Foods has good website resources, and great selection to support healthy food choices. Have a look at these pages on their web site. I'm sure you'll find information and guidance to help you work on your story.
Whole Foods Market - "Healthy Eating"
"Simple Changes for Lifelong health"

By the Way

You can check out the news release from the local paper, concerning Whole Foods selection of Lancaster and their proposed 2016 opening:
Whole Foods Market coming to Lancaster

Great Greens

1.53
I was visiting with a good friend the other day, and he wanted to show me his raised garden where he and his wife grow kale and spinach. The kale looked wonderful, and they are working on a second crop of spinach, which may even make it into the winter months, or winter-over until spring. They love to pick fresh kale in the mornings for smoothies...what a great idea. The two greens they are growing are fundamental to the short list of most beneficial leafy veggies we could stock in our power pantries.

What is that list of great greens that can be a part of a wellness lifestyle? Which exactly are the best for our salads and to dress up side dishes and sandwiches? Here is a quick list, in no particular order because each of these nutrient-dense greens has unique nutritional value:

• Romaine - great source of calcium, potassium, fiber and vitamin C; one of the most nutritious greens, per calorie (ie, very nutrient dense)
• Spinach - high in iron and calcium and a variety of vitamins
• Kale - a true superfood, kale has vitamins A, C, K, and B6, as well as lots of fiber, calcium, magnesium and antioxidants
• Collard greens - high in calcium, and great source of vitamins K, C & A
• Swiss Chard - good source of vitamins A & C, as well as fiber and iron

Most of these are available at your local grocery store's produce section, and maybe you'll even find more interesting greens to try out. The thing to know about these is that they are each unique. Some are mild and even a bit sweet, some are bitter or strong-tasting. You'll note all kinds of texture differences, and as you look up recipes, you can find a number of these greens are great when cooked. Some, like spinach, are even healthier when cooked.

So here's to trying a new twist on the old head of iceberg lettuce that usually graces our produce drawer in the fridge. We made the switch and now often shop at a farm market with great deals on romaine and fresh spinach, and I love kale for my lunch salads. Give these a try and open up a new world of great greens.

By the Way

You may want to seek out and try a few other unique greens like arugula, dandelion (yes the leaves of the much maligned yellow-flowered weed... ), turnip greens, bok choy, mustard greens, red and green leaf lettuce, and more. For some great reading on greens, simple google "healthiest greens" and read the first 5 or 6 articles that show up.

It's Harvest Time!

Tobacco, next to a corn field...

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In Lancaster County, PA, I like to track the summer by the ebb and flow of agriculture (it's almost impossible not to...) We have thousands of acres of corn, soybeans, alfalfa, tobacco, watermelons, pumpkins, and every other scrumptious northeastern crop you can think of. And now it's time for all that to come in, if it hasn't been enjoyed already. Just a couple of days ago the large production farms started to harvest their corn - it's a now-you-see-it, now-you-don't event. What was hundreds of acres of corn in the morning will be stubble by evening.




All that harvest brings with it the opportunity for great bounty in our pantries. I've written before about getting out to market for fresh produce and what the local farmers are growing in your area. Now that fall is on the doorstep, there will be even more opportunity to benefit and stock up before winter. You may even get motivated to freeze or can some favorite fruits or vegetables. Lots of folks around here preserve their produce to enjoy over the next 3-6 months... beans, corn, beets, berries, tomatoes, peaches, you name it.

Early in the summer I bought some apples at the local grocery store and happened to look at the little UPC sticker on one of them. The apples were from New Zealand. I was a bit stunned and had to chuckle to my self. Really? New Zealand? How on earth do we get 'fresh' apples all the way across the globe so I can enjoy a juicy apple in Lititz when it came from the other side of the world? Frankly, I don't need to know the logistics, but it reinforces my conviction to shop and buy locally whenever I can.

So take one last crack at filling your power pantry with some of nature's local produce, before fall and winter set in. Maybe you will enjoy some seasonal fruits and veggies while they're fresh and available, and possibly even put some away for the coming months. I think when we grow closer to the land and interact with it more intentionally, it not only keeps us grounded to our food supply and the necessity of good agriculture, but our pantry and healthy eating choices benefit, too.

By the Way

We love fresh fruit around our home. Early summer is berry time, and then watermelon, and eventually peaches (which are just about 'done'), pears and apples. The early apple harvest, which started several weeks ago, brings in some unique ones like Lodi and Rambo apples. Just this past week I got some local Gala apples... boy are they good. And in the coming weeks there will be a dozen or more kinds of wonderful, sweet, crunchy, juicy apples to enjoy as part of our pantry. I can't wait...

Market-Fresh

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It's market time! Now is the season to get out and not only buy some fresh produce and baked goods, but to enjoy local camaraderie, see old friends and meet new ones. There is a strong and growing 'buy local' trend in the US, which is a great thing. Many restaurants are looking at farm-to-table sourcing for their menus, and promoting and cooking around the seasonal nature of the local harvest. Local farm markets may just be the key to revving up your power pantry as well.

If you've never visited a local farmer's market, I'd encourage you to give it a try. Chances are if there isn't one in the town where you live, there's one within a half hour drive. Like anything else we start paying attention to, once you're aware of shopping and eating more locally, you find there is more opportunity at your fingertips than you suspected.

We live in Lancaster County, PA, and farm stands and markets are a viable year-round opportunity. I pass a berry farm, an Amish stand and a good and growing roadside farm store on my 5 mile commute to work, all of which have great seasonal offerings. There are three other roadside stands within a few miles of us that do brisk business three or four seasons out of the year. Point is, we have no excuse for not shopping and attempting to eat in a healthy way; all we need to do is engage in the opportunity right in front of us.


Organized farmers' markets are another offering for local fare. These are often open one or two days a week with a dozen to sometimes dozens of stands with everything from baked goods, jar goods, and produce to fresh flowers, home made crafts and even fresh seafood. Our local farmer's market in Lititz has a great vendor who drives to Maine regularly to purchase and bring back fresh seafood - it's quite a hit. Check out the Lititz Farmer's Market here.


Looking for an official farmer's market in your area? Try out this web site by LocalHarvest. It's a tremendous resource for general information, hours, locations, etc. for farm markets all over the country. And make it a point to find a market, or farm stand or roadside stand, near you and buy some fresh food to stock up your power pantry.

By the Way

There's another 'advanced' opportunity when it comes to buying local, seasonal produce and farm-fresh food: the CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and like farm markets everywhere, it is trending steadily in popularity nationwide. (Learn more from this page on LocalHarvest.) At a CSA, you pay for a 'share' (or half share) for the growing season, and reap a weekly bundle of whatever fresh produce is being harvested that week.

A calendar is often published indicating what to expect from the harvest at which parts of the season. There will be greens and berries and root veggies, peppers, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, zucchini, peas, watermelons... the list go on and on. All you do is stop by on your designated day of the week, and that week's share is waiting for you. It's another opportunity to connect with your local community and often yields rich experiences not only with your local farmer, but with your surrounding community as well. And what you'll realize is that you're not the only one building a power pantry.