Change the Message

5.02

How's your wellness journey? And your pantry? And your workouts? Are you progressing at the level you hoped you would at this point? While you consider these questions, I'm sure there is a wellness message which plays in the back of your mind - your reason "why". Is it a positive message, or a negative one?

I came across a great wellness and workout podcast the other day where the crux of their message is that too many wellness initiatives are motivated negatively - we can't stand _____ (our weight, how we look, our waistline) and 'hate' our bodies into a wellness program.

These podcasters would push back and say the opposite. We need to understand how precious our health, and our physical bodies are, and love our bodies into wellness. The experience of these trainers is that when a negative 'I-hate-my-body' message is employed, about 20% of participants would make worthwhile, lasting nutrition and exercise changes to improve their health. 

When the message was changed to acknowledge the special gift that physical health is, and that our nutrition and activity choices have the greatest impact on improving our wellness, the success rate is much higher, and the journey so much more fulfilling.

So, how's your "why"? When you lace up your sneakers for a run, or pay that installment for the gym membership, or do just few more burpees, is it because you know, way down deep, that you love your body enough to care for it in a special way? Or are you frustrated with those extra pounds, and can't stand to spot yourself in a mirror, and will do whatever you can to not be 'that person' any more?

Choose wisely, and come to a place where you can love your body, and appreciate the incredible value of good health. You may revolutionize your wellness journey with this one, simple improvement.

By the Way

I resonate very strongly with the affirming message of loving our bodies. I suffered a lot as a kid with a variety of ailments and injuries, and quickly gained an appreciation for a thoughtful, intentional approach to my wellness. And I realized as a young adult, how precious good health is, and that our diet and exercise can secure it for us.

Two Months Left!

4.28

I get lots of fitness-related emails, posts and content on a weekly basis. This week Tony Horton was encouraging readers to double down on their 2017 goals and still accomplish what they set out to do this past January. I agree.

There are two months left to brush aside the excuses, the busyness and distractions and get something done for our health. Maybe it is cleaning up your pantry and finally pitching all the foods with artificial preservatives, flavors, colors and sweeteners. Or maybe it is taking your pedometer seriously for the next two months and logging some serious miles.

How about getting to the gym and actually working out? You're paying for the membership - that's supposed to be the hard part... but I think getting out the door trekking to the gym is really where the serious are separated from the bystander.

Maybe it's time to commit to a body weight workout regimen. There are innumerable and worthwhile resources out there like these:
www.darebee.com
www.spartan.com

So give it a whirl. Dig deep. Don't fizzle for the next two months... conquer! And when 2018 gets here, you'll be healthier and confident as we tackle a brand new year.

By the Way

As I often say, don't go it alone! Find a fitness buddy, or at least an online partner, or virtual coach. Create accountability around consistent effort, enjoying the journey and the fellowship that comes from working together on something worthwhile. You can do it!

Question Everything

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We live in a world full of information and mis-information. If there is one things I've learned in my six-year wellness journey, it is to question everything. Assume nothing and don't trust common sense and accepted wisdom. For all the volumes of health information available to us, very little of it empowers us as individuals to discern what is best for our wellness and longevity.

For me it started years ago with 'Eat to Live' by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, which opened up all kinds of wellness and nutritional concepts which continue to inform me to this day. Then there was "The Science of Natural Healing," from The Great Courses, which further opened my view of what happens in our bodies nutritionally, and how simple (counter-cultural) choices will greatly improve our health and life.

If I hadn't been willing to open up my thinking and question what defines real food, I'd still be eating Pop Tarts and ice cream every day. I know I can turn the migraines, muscle and joint pains, and digestive issues on and off based on my nutritional choices.

Instead, I accepted the challenge of looking differently, even radically, at my pantry and wellness. Changing my thinking has changed my life. Through lots of questioning, I now know how sensitive my metabolism is to corn, nightshade vegetables, dairy and wheat. I know I can turn on health issues by having high-glycemic foods, and also that I can live pain-free and full-of-energy by eating clean. How cool is that?!

So, how's your journey and your pantry? Have you tried reading labels and questioning common knowledge about what constitutes food, and what is really healthful for our bodies? If you haven't, maybe today is your day. What can seem radical and health-nutty can quickly become a life-changing step in the right direction. Then it just takes another step and another... and a bit more reading and bit more curiosity and a bit more questioning. Soon enough, you will likely gain momentum on your own course toward wellness.

By the Way

One other wellness conviction that is very compelling to me is that there is no money in healthy people... follow the money, and you soon realize our government and society has a vested interest in peddling disease and failing health. I know that sounds super-cynical (and I'm not a conspiracy theorist) but if you follow the money it is evident that health and wellness don't help create jobs and commerce and make cash flow in our western world. For me, I'd rather be counter-cultural and healthy :o)

Simple Wellness - Beyond Mindless

3.6
Portion Distortion & "Mindless Eating"
Sixth post in a Simple Wellness series

We're well into 2016... how are your power pantry choices going? I took some time off with the big blizzard last week, and caught up on some goals. If you're still working on new and improved wellness goals for the year, maybe you're processing that as well. We've been looking at fundamental issues which can make or break our wellness, especially elements related to food.

This post deals with the physical aspects surrounding what we eat, and ultimately how much, how long, and how many calories we eat. I've been fascinated by research from a brilliant and winsome PhD, Dr. Brian Wansink, that you need to review. Wansink and his colleagues at Cornell have spent the last 15+ years doing ground-breaking research on eating behavior.

Here are some tidbits:

• The size of our plates matters a lot - the bigger the plate (bowl, spoon, fork) the more we eat. Use smaller plates and utensils and we'll eat less volume and less calories.
• The size of our portions matters - dishing out a single serving of each food offered helps us get full (satiated) with less calories; if it's on the plate, we eat it and get the same 'feeling' but we've consumed additional calories
• The proximity of food and snacks matters - leaving serving dishes in the kitchen makes us eat less (ie, don't put the pot of food and casserole dishes on the table); keep healthy foods within sight and arms reach in the pantry and fridge; keep fatty, sugary, salty snacks in closed containers and out of sight to reduce how much of them we eat (and the calories which go with them)

Wansink has a ground-breaking book, Mindless Eating, that thoroughly covers this territory. Check out his Mindless Eating website , and especially review the 'Toolbox' and 'What Can I Do' tabs.

It is fascinating to me that eating in a mindful way, literally just being aware of plates and portions and proximity, can make all the difference in our eating habits. Read Dr. Wansink's materials on the Mindless Eating website, and maybe you'll get some inspiration for power pantry improvements you can start this week.

By the Way

For even more inspiration, check out Dr. Wansink's new book, Slim by Design. This content is fully endorsed by Power Pantry! Click the 'Dieting is Exhausting' banner at the top and take the short quizzes to score your home, office, school, etc, on how friendly these spaces are for being slim. Another significant opportunity is a live coaching opportunity to take Dr. Wansink's Slim by Design course, available right on your phone.

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. 

Gratitude at Thanksgiving!

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Thanksgiving is such a unique holiday and celebration, and when our nation began to recognize gratitude as a national event, no other nation had anything like it. Since 1621, the US has been regularly expressing gratitude, and I think we're all better for it.

And thankfulness is a good foundation for a power pantry and a wellness lifestyle. Gratitude has so many benefits, we would be foolish to not exercise gratitude daily, and if we don't yet, we should start immediately.

Check out this great web site and page from www.happierhuman.com noting dozens of benefits of gratitude (and citing much of the research to back it up):
The 31 Benefits of Gratitude You Didn't Know About

All the way around (Health, Personality, Emotional, Social, Career) gratitude revs up our lives and sets us on course to be a better person. Make 2015 the year you start a gratitude journal, or at least a gratitude habit. And enjoy a blessed Thanksgiving holiday!

By the Way

I saw a great vegetarian turkey the other day...

Well, sort of...
:o)

Take a Hike

2.74
It's funny to me how dog owners are well programmed to walk their dogs daily, as a healthy routine for Fido, and because it's the right thing to do as a pet owner. Yet, a majority of our US population don't get the recommended amount of physical activity (aerobic or strength training) suggested by the CDC. It's great that we're so good to our dogs (about 40% of dog owners walk their dogs regularly) and I'm not sure why we don't translate that better into our own lives.

I think it is a matter of inertia, or momentum. If our day is done and we're "at rest", we tend to stay at rest and skip any exercise. Or if our mornings are consumed with getting the day started, and kids off to school and getting our own work underway, then it's easy to let another day go by without getting our blood pumping.

My remedy? Do something! I was away for a few days at a conference and I had to challenge my boundaries some to get in a workout. We were at a retreat center in the woods, so there was no fitness gym, and no tall stair towers for running the stairs... there were a lot of trails, though.

What I settled on were numerous walks in the woods, before the day started, and at break times and even one hike in the dark. It was a good challenge, and I got through rain and wind and slippery, wet leaves just fine. I even had the chance to see 8 turkeys and one blue heron that I scared up from their nighttime roosts. Very cool...

There is always something we can find to get our pulse up and to put in a daily workout. All we need to do is do it. So try getting creative for new way(s) to break a sweat, and grab a friend to go with you. I'm sure you'll be glad you did.

By the Way

I had posted last year that full-body active exercise is necessary to get our lymph system going. Our lymph glands need physical movement to 'pump' the lymphatic fluids throughout our bodies, to grab toxins and return them to our liver and kidneys for elimination. Don't miss the value of this vital function... all we need to do is get moving.

Healthy Snacking

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It is great to have snacks handy for a pick-me-up between meals, or when feeling bogged down mid-afternoon. The tough thing is stocking healthy items, instead of sugary, fatty, empty calories.

Here are some awesome healthy snacks... these are prominent in our pantry, and maybe you would want to add some of these to your snacking routine:

• Raw almonds
• English walnuts
• Raw pumpkins seeds (aka, pepitas)
• Sunflower seeds (roasted or raw)
• Dried cranberries
• Dried tart cherries
• Raisins
• Dates (regular and Medjool)
• Banana chips
• Apricots
• Pop corn
• Popped sorghum
• Dark chocolate (the simpler the better)
• Carob chips

There are others, but these are prominent, ready snacks in our power pantry. Healthy snacking isn't the easiest thing to keep up with, but when we're intentional and creative, it goes a long way to stocking a healthy power pantry.

By the Way

Maybe you have favorite snack foods you'd like to share... if so, please leave a post in the comments section.

Relief for Aching Muscles

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If you're seriously engaging your power pantry goals, especially the ones involving physical activity, there's a good chance you're going to end up with muscle fatigue. I've been aware of the exercise after-burn for years: about a day-and-a-half after a strenuous workout, whether it is a long run, or waxing the truck, or a few dozen flights of stairs, I know I'm going to be sore.

Why? Technically, there's a depletion of primary nutrients and minerals, like potassium, magnesium, and sodium, and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, . (There's a whole, confusing world of research on lactic acid, lactate, and the 'lactate threshold' which I'm not going to get into here...that alone is exhausting...) 

To function normally, our muscles need healthy supply of nutrients like these, and of course the best resources to supply these are nutrient dense foods (like veggies). And there's another great source of healthful nutrients that I have to mention: apple cider vinegar (ACV). I love that this simple, humble kitchen staple has so many valuable constituents, and I'd argue it confounds the most precisely formulated vitamins and supplements around.

Check out this page from WebMD on ACV and the impressive list of its nutrients and uses.
ACV on WebMD

Some of the great things ACV give us are acetic acid (helping replenish the acetylcholine), citric acid and malic acid, B vitamins, and even potassium and magnesium. No wonder it is great for muscle fatigue and recovery. Move over Gatorade!

So if you're exerting yourself and know the pain is on the way, consider mixing in several tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with your salad, and speed your recovery. Your muscles will thank you.

By the Way

Often it is hard to believe that simple solutions like ACV for muscle fatigue could possibly work, but it really does. I've put a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water the day after strenuous exercise, and I'm amazed at how it keeps the cramping and fatigue way.

For more interesting reading, simply google the benefits of apple cider vinegar, and read up.

If you appreciate Power Pantry posts, please leave a comment, 'like' this post, and take 30 seconds to subscribe. It's great to have you on board!

Making Great Choices

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Choices, choices, choices... if you've been tuned into Power Pantry for a while, you realize that our health is in our hands, and mostly, it is controlled by our power to choose wisely. I was reminded of the power of my choices this past week on a short vacation, and while we really enjoyed great food on the road, we also exercised appropriate restraint and made good food choices in general.

The array of items in our pantries is obviously influenced by where we do our shopping, and that was very apparent when Jen did a 'big' shopping trip after vacation. The trekking included our favorite roadside stand, a bigger chain-related grocery store, and a smaller 'family owned' grocery store (which has a great meat counter). That's a lot of effort, but the resulting pantry stock is just what we need.

Good choices can take that kind of effort and attention to detail, although sometimes having the right store nearby brings a quicker solution. While searching for a good dessert recipe yesterday, I landed on one from the Whole Foods website, and I remembered that Whole Foods is headed to Lancaster, PA. We still have a while to wait, though; they don't expect to be open until fall of 2017. Whole Foods is a tremendous shopping resource for healthy choices, all in one place...I'm really looking forward to their Lancaster location.

If you haven't taken advantage of Whole Foods, be sure to give their website a try. Maybe you have a Whole Foods near you, and can shop there, but either way, their site has great content, like awesome, healthy, unique recipes (even for rice pudding, which we made and enjoyed last night.) Check out Whole Foods here: Whole Foods website.

Here's to great choices, and the resources which support them. Whether it is the grilled salmon on the romaine salad while on vacation, or the commitment to trek to various grocery stores and farm stands for the healthiest selections, great choices are worth it.

By the Way

If you live in the Lancaster, PA area, you can benefit from a local whole foods grocery store called Rhubarb's Market. They have a good selection of healthy and organic foods. Check them out when you have a chance: Rhubarb's web site and contact information.

Dig In

2.52
I shared a post a couple of weeks ago about always preparing... preparing for the next big opportunity, or maybe the next big challenge. And I wanted to follow up with some further encouragement to engage powerfully in whatever it is that is on your radar.

Summer is half over, if you're measuring from Memorial Day to Labor Day... hard to believe it is going by so fast! Life can be like that: a blur of days melding to weeks, flowing to months, and feeling like there is little to show for it. Living a power pantry lifestyle lends itself to accomplishing something, because, well, you are. You may be detoxing, or eating clean, or losing weight or training for the next big run, or swim or ride.

Whatever good lifestyle choices are keeping you busy this summer, there is no doubt you will have something to show for it come September. Maybe you'll be pain free, or have the energy and stamina you had in your 20's, or maybe you'll be ready for a big race (as I hopefully will be). The fact is, the only way we'll get things right in September is if we will make great choices and actions now.

So after you've taken some time to read a good book on the beach, or hike a new trail in the woods, or paddle lazily around a lake, dig in, and make more strides toward the goals you have ahead of you. Summer is slipping by quickly, and we want to make to most of every day...go live each day to the fullest!

By the Way

A friend shared a great quote with me the other day that makes me think of digging in. It's sometimes called the 'Smoke Jumper's Creed":
"Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can do what others can't."

Pass the Berries

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With summer here it can be tough to make consistent power pantry choices. Picnic food, ice cream treats and cold soft drinks may be a huge temptation to leave wellness choices behind... 

But for every tempting distraction from a wellness lifestyle, I think there's a silver lining which waits for us to notice and choose well. So what is a summer food silver lining? Berries! We just finished strawberry season in PA and the blueberries are quick on the heels, offering sweet, healthy distractions from standard summer fare.

Have you had some fresh blueberries recently? Even if you don't live close to NJ (the blueberry capital of the North East), I'm certain you'll find fresh blueberries at the farmer's market and grocery store in the days and weeks to come. As a matter of fact, 98% of US blueberries come from just 10 states. Check out the Blueberry Council for great facts, recipes and history on this nutrient-packed healthy choice.

Believe it or not, blueberries have only been cultivated for farm-to-table production and enjoyment for 100 years, and with the tremendous phytochemicals and antioxidants available in blueberries, it's great that they are now a staple. Berries offer a long list of benefits through their nutritional density. All we need to do is make them a regular part of our diet.

Check out this great article from Dr. Joel Fuhrman about all the benefits from berries:
The Benefits of Berries, Cherries and Pomegranates 
According to the information in the article, after making berries a part of your diet, you'll be sleeping better, recovering from exercise more quickly, and keeping heart disease at bay. That's quite a list of healthful results from simply enjoying berries

So stop at the roadside stand, or swing by the produce section, and stock up on some sweet, low calorie, nutritious blueberries to enjoy a little slice of summer today.

By the Way

Don't forget to shop for berries in the frozen foods aisle, if you can't find the fresh ones. Frozen berries may be cheaper and more consistent from a ripeness, sweetness and size standpoint, than fresh ones. Either way, enjoy!

Make Healthy the New Norm

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Have you heard of the 431 Project? I hadn't either until a few months ago. It is one of those passionate movements unfolding before our eyes, and for me, I really want to see them succeed.

The 431 Project was started by Spartan Races Founder and CEO Joe DeSena, with the goal of impacting today's kids, teens and young adults toward healthy living. To do this we have to get them off the couch, engaged in regular physical activity, and eating healthy, nutritious foods. That's a tall order given that obesity among children is about 17%, and has been for over 10 years.

But the organizers of the 431 Project are up to the challenge, after all, they have the grit of the Spartan Races behind their efforts. If you're familiar with the Spartan Races (see my post from last year) you know that they eat challenges for a snack between morning muesli and a 15 mile run through the mud...

Check out what the 431 Project is doing here: www.The431Project.com, and think about a student or young adult you may be able to influence toward healthy living. Is there a niece or nephew, or a neighbor, or maybe one of your own children, who needs to move toward healthier lifestyle choices? The very best time to begin making healthy choices is today, and if we can help even one person move toward those good wellness choices, then all of our effort is worthwhile.

By the Way

There are numerous ways to bring the 431 Project to your community, for the benefit of youth and young adults. Check out this document available from the 431 Project website, and see if one of the activities may fit in your community: Healthy Initiatives.

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."

Be the Difference

2.38
It's the unofficial start of summer 2015, with the Memorial Day weekend here. Planning any picnics or cookouts with friends or family? Good chance...

A start-of-summer gathering could include all kinds of summer standards like burgers and dogs, macaroni salad and any number of desserts which may be less-than-healthy. If you're stocking a power pantry at home, maybe you're facing the opportunity to extend some of your healthy choosing to those you'll see this holiday. This might be a chance to not be pushy or obnoxious about your wellness lifestyle, but to share something completely normal which is also a healthy choice.

Could you take a veggie tray, or fresh fruit salad? Or offer to bring some skinless chicken breasts for the grill? Or maybe something creative like a quinoa salad with peppers, onions and olives to reside alongside the potato salad? How about some hummus and rice crackers instead of a ring bologna and cheese tray? Or a great dessert option like a big bowl of washed and plucked grapes?

Jen and I are 5 years into our wellness lifestyle, and while we've only been serious for about 3 years, we're in the habit of encouraging healthy choices and sharing those with others when we can. Maybe this is a good time for you to share a healthy dish at a picnic or family gathering. It doesn't have to be anything unique or uber-good-for-you... it can be something simple and tasty which just happens to be healthy too. Take this holiday opportunity to be the difference that you're committed to in your own life.

By the Way

Even something simple like plain potato or corn chips can be a healthier choice. Don't get me wrong, these don't stand up to a nice spinach salad or grilled veggie kabobs, but for a salty snack that isn't specifically unhealthy, its an option. Steer clear of the crazy flavors which bring along hydrogenated oils, strange preservatives and MSG... those aren't a power pantry choice.

A Thriving Grocery Store

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If you've been working on stocking your power pantry, I may have a great resource for you to try out: Thrive Market. Every so often a new, great idea shows up, and we need to decide how it would work to our benefit. I think Thrive Market is like that...

Imagine an online store where you can purchase healthful essentials (of food, personal care, home goods and kids' stuff) which is socially and environmentally conscious - that's Thrive Market. It is a membership club where for $59.95 a year you can get discounted access to over 4,000 products, shipped to your home for free (when you spend more than $49.). And you can focus on food available as vegan, non-GMO, organic, kosher, gluten-free, and more.

Check out their Values page here: Thrive Market values

Click through the 'About Thrive' link at the top of any of the web pages at www.thrivemarket.com, and you'll learn How It Works, and you'll be able to click through on their Values and Mission and more. You have to love the Thrive Market mission:

OUR MISSION IS 

TO MAKE HEALTHY LIVING EASY AND 

AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYONE.

Good stuff...

Have a look at their offerings. If your pantry is leaning toward healthier choices, then you'll likely recognize a lot of the categories, manufacturers and products on the Thrive Market website. I think this is the future of shopping and healthy eating. (You'll note that almost all of the offerings on the Thrive Market website are prepared and packaged foods. While fresh is best (and fresh / local is best of all) there are really great products being offered by Thrive Market. Take a few minutes and review what they're doing, and think about how you could make some great power pantry purchases through Thrive Market.

By the Way

Another great attribute of Thrive Market is their 'happiness guarantee':

At Thrive Market, we take great pride in making sure you’re a happy customer for life! We want to make sure every part of your Thrive experience is an incredible one. We’ve hand-picked all the products we sell and stand behind every item, 100%, and want you to love them wholeheartedly, too.

If you have any questions about the merchandise on the site, or are in any way unsatisfied with your shopping experience, please contact us. One of our dedicated team members will do whatever it takes to make sure you are completely satisfied and delighted with your order!

Sounds like they really do want happy customers for life...

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.

Inside and Outside

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There's much more to a power pantry and wellness lifestyle than healthy food choices. There's community, a good harmony of relationships and recreation, and an ample amount of physical activity. I like including time outside in that physical activity, and not just sitting in a hammock reading the paper, but actively doing yard work and such.

Today, while knocking around with three of my kids in the yard, we picked up a couple of gardening tools and did some weeding and trimming. Engaging some dirt reminded me of the great benefits of being out in the sun, and that digging in the dirt is actually healthy for our bodies. In our over-sanitized, clean-crazed world, there is actually good evidence that exposure to everyday bacteria (in the soil and air, etc.) is beneficial to our immunity, disposition and overall health.

This really pushes against all we've been taught in modern times, that bacteria brings illness and should be avoided at least, and disinfected at best. The truth is, there's great research on soil bacteria which improves our mood and disposition. And the natural bug responsible is called Mycobacterium Vaccae. Research on mice in the last decade has shown that this bacteria interacts with neurons in our brain to produce serotonin, a beneficial chemical for our prefrontal cortex, where mood regulation happens. Exposure to the bacteria also resulted in greater learning and mental retention. Sounds like a great result from simply getting some dirt under our fingernails...

Beyond that, we benefit from fresh air and sunshine when we're outside - both of which can help elevate our mood. Ahhh... I feel better just thinking about it. Regular sun exposure helps to regulate our levels of vital vitamin D (see a previous post on vitamin D here). We may even accomplish something worthwhile to boot (you should see our planting beds, now that we got them weeded and trimmed up a bit.)

Make it a point to get out and engage the world around you today. Take a walk over your lunch break, or at least open your car windows or sunroof and let the outside in. I know, bugs and smells and dust may invite themselves to the party, but so what. You'll be working on your immunity and a good attitude, and that worth getting your hair messed up and tolerating some bugs.

By the Way

Here's more evidence that time around our natural surroundings can yield better health benefits. Consider the results of a 2011 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine which reported that children who grow up on active farms suffer less asthma symptoms - 30% to 50% less. This happens because consistent exposure to possible irritants results in improved immunity. Further evidence that being around nature's dirt (including bacteria, fungi and dust and soil) brings us multiple benefits.

It's Your Turn

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I like Tony Horton, creator of P90X and P90 workouts, and host of a really cool YouTube Channel. See my previous post on Tony here - I appreciate what he does because it is simple, reproducible and stands as a lifestyle wellness resource.

Not only does Tony offer valuable workout guidance to bring health and longevity to our daily routine, he's a kindred spirit when it comes to healthy eating. Below are a couple videos from the Tony Horton YouTube Channel. The first one is about eating more and losing weight. You may say, is that possible? The answer is a resounding yes (in my own experience, I eat a lot of great food and snacks, every day, and maintain at my target weight just under 160 pounds, and I'm 6'+ tall...):

The second video gives six fundamentals for healthy eating. Again, these are spot-on, focused on eating real, nutrient dense, fiber-rich foods, and staying hydrated:

And a great encouragement is at the end of the second video, to pass on the content. Tony likes to say, "it's your turn," meaning he wants us to engage... take a next step in our own journey, and then pay it forward by passing along wellness guidance we are living out.

Maybe there are a few simple wellness things you've made a part of life, like adding ancient grains or reducing or eliminating gluten and dairy. Maybe you're walking regularly or bought an activity tracker to keep an eye on your daily and weekly activity. If you've done these kinds of things and benefited from it, then it's your turn... time to hand good guidance off to someone important to you and encourage them in their journey. A neighbor, co-worker, relative... shoot them this blog post or send them to a YouTube channel like Tony's. You'll feel good about being a resource, and it just may change someone's health and life.

By the Way

I like that Tony is a 90/10 or 80/20 eater (click here for a previous post on this idea). What I mean by that is he gets a strong majority of calories from healthy, nutrient-dense foods (the 80%-90%) and limits unhealthy and 'comfort' foods (keeping these at 10% - 20%). This allows an occasional treat, and the empty calories and fleeting 'pleasure' that goes with it, but reaffirms the guiding commitment to healthful choices.

Spring Cleaning!

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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.