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?

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.

Move Forward

6.19

This past week a business friend of mine lost his battle to cancer. I'm bummed out. He was a great guy, and at 58 years old, you couldn't see it coming. He was diagnosed about 9 months ago, and the cancer aggressively overtook his body. Who knows why, and why now.

What I do know is that Scott is secure for his eternity. As a Christ follower, he long ago committed to following Christ, and with that was assured of forgiveness and salvation. So today, Scott is enjoying the benefits of a simple decision; he's in heaven, and his eternity is secure.

For the rest of us, there can be feelings of being left behind. There's loneliness and questioning, and then even anger and anxiety. What if we have a latent disease that suddenly presents itself and overtakes life as we know it? Could we be an illness and nine months from our end?

Maybe...maybe not. We walk the journey a day at a time, and hopefully make great choices that help us maximize our current reality, and thrive in the midst of all we have. For me, I feel very blessed to be a Christ follower as well, and my eternity is secure in Him. So the rest of this life should simply be purpose and investing in now, right?

I'm so thankful for the wellness journey I'm on. I look forward to bringing others along, and together we will hopefully grow our capacity for movement, healthful eating, community and intentionally encouraging relationships. Who knows what tomorrow or 6 months from now, or 2 years from now will bring. But for now we can move forward confidently, and enjoy the wellness and great relationships that come with that intention.

So go get 'em. You know what you need to do. Put aside the junk food and refined grains (and maybe all grains.) Fill your pantry and fridge with whole, simple foods that your body will thrive with. See your family doctor for a check up, create a healthful routine of regular physical movement, and work additional vitamin D into your diet. It's simple. We just need to do it.

By the Way

A wellness lifestyle doesn't guarantee us longevity. Maybe it just makes a great day today; we can live in the moment and appreciate the blessing of it. And maybe we'll be blessed with another day, and another. And putting them all together, we may gain the blessing of years of health. Or maybe not. But it won't keep me from living out a healthy day today.

Vicarious Tribes

6.17

We have incredible volumes of information available to us, and can benefit far beyond what was possible just a few years ago. For years, I have gleaned professional and worthwhile guidance from YouTube, Google searches, and the Internet in general. This part of my wellness journey has afforded me numerous vicarious tribes that I feel really connected to, even though they are virtual.

I've mentioned these in Power Pantry before, but here is a list of some of these tribes, and the guidance I seek from them:
Pantry choices and fitness:
Dr. Josh Axe - Dr. Axe-Food is Medicine
Mark Sission - Mark's Daily Apple & Primal Blueprint
Spartan Race - US Spartan website
Darebee 

Fitness and sustainable health:
Crossfit

You can also find great guidance at the YMCA, a local Rec center and various fitness clubs (like running clubs, biking clubs and hiking clubs.) The point is to tune in, and realize that the information each of these sources presents is always improving. So visit your vicarious tribes often - find their blogs, podcasts and articles, and glean the best of what's new.

Every journey is best lived out with others, and the hope is that our vicarious tribes turn into real-life tribes we can journey with. Take someone along today, and grow and learn together for accountability and improved results.

By the Way

I visited with one of my tribes yesterday, at the Spartan Super in Palmerton, PA. It was a great day to tackle the 8.1 mile course, up and down the ski slopes of the resort. We logged 29 obstacles, and I pretty much crushed it, only doing penalty burpees on 2 obstacles. Lots of grip strength and core obstacles to challenge racer's endurance and resilience throughout the course. It was an awesome day.

Eating Dirt

6.10

AROO! Last Saturday, April 27th, I completed my first (maybe my only) Spartan Ultra. It was 14 hours of grueling trail running on the ski slopes of Mtn. Creek Resort in northern NJ, and I loved every minute of it. (An 'Ultra', in the endurance running world, is any race longer than a standard marathon's 26 miles...)

The race was 30 miles (my Garmin logged 32) with over 60 obstacles, and 10,500'+ of elevation gain. We ran, climbed, slogged through mud and cold water, ran more, climbed more, lifted, dragged and ran and climbed some more. All the while I know I was eating some dirt too... It was truly an experience of a lifetime.

[One power pantry item to note is the value of 'eating dirt'. I've been aware of this vital connection to the earth for many years, but haven't written about it yet. There is a whole body of research on the value of soil-based organisms, and being sure to include these in our regular diet. For some great reading on this, check out Dr. Josh Axe's article on 'Eating Dirt' here. He even has a book out which covers the topic in detail.]

But back to the Ultra:
Interestingly, I got to race with two well-know You Tubers, Mack and Damer of OCRKings, who posted a video of the NJ Ultra obstacles. Mack and Damer are accomplished OCR (obstacle course race) participants who travel all around the US, and enjoy the thrill of obstacle course racing as much as I do. Check out their post from this past week: Spartan Ultra - NJ, all obstacles. You'll see I didn't make their video...

Note that Mack and Damer didn't finish (!) - so they only went through the obstacles one time, and logged about 17 miles. They decided it was too cold, and tapped-out just past the half-way mark at about 7 hours. Granted there is about a 30-50% DNF (did not finish) rate on Spartan Ultra's, and there were numerous racers brought down off the mountain for exposure and hypothermia...

I trained faithfully for over six months for this race, but I realize my success comes from more than the training; my wellness lifestyle (with some Spartan guidance) gives me what I need to complete something like a Spartan Ultra. So it isn't about six months of focus, it's about a daily dedication to wellness.

Your bucket list surely has some great things on it as well, and hopefully 2019 is your year to check one or more of them off. Commit today to focus on those goals, develop the physical skills and necessary disciplines to succeed at it, and go get 'em.

By the Way

This race is likely a bucket-list item that I'll not soon repeat. I don't think I'm done running ultra trail distances, but the Spartan Ultra presents the opportunity to beat up your body, a lot. I got away with no broken bones, but I'm still healing from many abrasions and a nasty bone bruise on my right shin. It's all part of the race, and I welcomed every minute of it.

Pay Up

6.8

Whatever things we place a high value on become the most influential things in our lives. Do we truly value our wellness? Do we realize the investment it takes to maintain a healthy pantry, and a level of physical wellness in our bodies?

I'm a fan of the Spartan Race and CrossFit, and appreciate the valuable teachings that come from their programs. One elite CrossFit athlete, a former Navy Seal, has a very insightful view on our health: "we rent our wellness, we don't own it... every day we have to 'pay the man'."

The point to regularly paying up, is to realize that we can invest in great wellness approaches and garner the health those lead to, or we can pay the medical community to keep us alive (although not truly living.) Either way, it is our work to pay up.

If we follow a wellness lifestyle the payment is several hours of physical activity a week. It is shopping in a discerning way to eat whole foods instead of processed foods. It is taking others along with us on our wellness journey, and collectively committing "to live until we die."

The payment is up to us. We can start simple and lose weight, or have a five-mile-a-week walking goal, or cut out all the sugary drinks and sodas. Once we see the value of genuine wellness goals, maybe we get the bug to go further and improve more. Do we run a 10k? Do we join a CrossFit box or schedule a Spartan Race? Do we commit to a Mediterranean diet?

Let's go all in to make our investment in wellness every day, paying the rent on genuine health and wellness. We'll have a better chance of living fully throughout our whole life.

By the Way

Last weekend was the peak of my training for my Spartan Ultra (coming up late April). I did a 28 mile workout run, peppering in burpees, rowing, monkeybars and rope climbs for a great 6 hour investment. And the payoff is, having paid the rent, I'm feeling ready for the Ultra and I'm literally healthier than I've ever been.

Discipline Equals Freedom

6.1

2019 is here! Woo Hoo! Maybe you have a lot you're looking forward to, or maybe 2019 seems like it will flow just like 2018. Either way, some focus will help us make the most of the coming months.

I recently came across a perspective that is wise counsel, and worth following: Discipline equals freedom. This insight, with a book by the same title, is from Jocko Willink, former Navy SEAL commander and trainer. Jocko is a leadership expert, and served our nation diligently for years through the SEALs. Leadership concepts that Jocko repeats are worth listening to...

Discipline is not fun; that's why it's called discipline. Think about the individual who has achieved financial freedom. They first needed to apply some form of financial discipline. You don't stumble into financial freedom, even if you inherit resource or come "from money". How ever you arrive at financial freedom, it is some form of discipline that gets you there.

Or consider the business person who wants to be their own boss. Being successful as a business owner is not easy, and it definitely takes discipline. A dedicated season of learning and applying business leadership concepts would certainly pay off with some form of professional freedom. It is discipline which gets you there.

How about our wellness journey? No doubt, wellness discipline equals wellness freedom. If you've read Power Pantry for any amount of time, you know that our lifestyle choices have the most significant impact on our health and wellness. Simple disciplines in our choices equal freedom in our health.

So where can we exercise some discipline in our wellness journey in 2019? Did we leave some things undone in 2018? Then start there. That daily or weekly schedule of taking a walk, or getting to the gym for a swim, or actually training for that first 5k. If our lack of discipline kept us stuck last year, that's okay; it's a new year and new chance to live into some disciplines that will get us the results we want.

If you haven't already, go ahead and start the list of 2019 disciplines that will lead you to the freedom you are seeking.

By the Way

Little disciplines add up. Jocko Willink knows this, as does Navy Admiral William H McRaven. Admiral McRaven has an oft-repeated quote supporting the high value of small, daily accomplishments:
"If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed."

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.

Max Your Workouts

5.06

If you are investing in your wellness lifestyle, in your pantry and your level of activity, you will certainly benefit. I've been investing in my pantry choices for about 8 years, and every year I move the needle in a positive direction.


And my physical fitness keeps improving as well. Just being intentional about wellness will make a huge difference, if we'll simply do the work. Something I pay a bit of attention to is my VO2 max. This is a technical, physiological measure of our body's ability to absorb and use oxygen (measured in ml/kg/min.)

The better your aerobic health, the higher your VO2 max will be. Think of it as the efficiency of your circulation system 'plumbing'. Check out this article from Runner's World for a good explanation:
Runner's World on VO2 max

I've had a FitBit Blaze for a couple years, and it does a fairly good job of approximating things like VO2 max (using heart rate and stamina stats within long periods of exertion). My VO2 max? 54-58, which for an old guy like me is in the excellent (some even say 'superior') category. It simply means I can sustain a long, intense workout without 'hitting the wall'.

What does this really tell us? There are objective results from your wellness journey. Some days you may feel like you're doing all this work and not getting very far. But if you can track some simple parameters (like VO2 max) you're likely to learn that there is good coming from investing in your wellness.

So keep at it. Get to the gym, or out on the road. Stock up on some great food. Challenge the way you've always looked at your diet and your exercise - step it up this week. Register for a great race or workout which will really challenge you. And soon enough, you'll make progress that you couldn't have imagined when you began.

By the Way

There are great charts on VO2 max available online. Check these out and see where you are, and then work on a means to measure and track your own VO2 max (like a fitness tracker with a heart rate monitor).
Why I Exercise - charts

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.

Someone You Haven't Met

4.33

When we launch into something new, we should expect some things to change. And hopefully we would yield positive change.

About 7 years ago, I took a meaningful leap into a wellness program, and at the time I tried a Mediterranean diet. For the first time, I decided to consistently invest in my health and wellness by learning all I could about the best simple, natural, sustainable wellness changes I could make.

I'm realizing how much has changed in 7 years. Not just the weight that I've lost, or the physical strength and endurance I've developed, but also my attitude toward food, physical activity and wellness.

If my 2010 self could greet and talk with me now, 2010-Steve would be meeting someone he hadn't met before. Not that I have changed beliefs or convictions in a wholesale way, but I like to think I have improved. I now have objective wellness measurements which continue to improve like skin health, my weight, my overall attitude, not to mention exercise endurance, percent body fat and functional muscle strength.

While I didn't have a specific vision for 2017-Steve, I am certainly thankful for how far I have come. I find myself at a good place, and look forward to continued growth, learning and changes, and the improved health that goes with it.

How about you? Who are you becoming? What convictions are you living out in your wellness? Do you have goals for better sleep, more meditation and prayer, eating real food and eliminating faux foods? How about exercising three times a week, expanding functional movement and strength, and observing how foods affect daily health?

Start today. Take a stand for your future-you. In just a few years, you may grow into someone your 2017-self hasn't met yet.

By the Way

It is the end of 2017, and it is the right time to set goals for 2018. What are you stretching to do next year? What great things will you pursue in family relationships, and community interaction, besides the great things you can strive for in your wellness?

Cheat Wisely

4.31

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

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

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

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

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

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

By the Way

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

Make Your Best Choice - Now!

4.30

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

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

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

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

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

By the Way

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

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.

Better at Being Healthy

4.17

Americans are getting better at being healthy, at least we hope they are. Several years ago we had unfortunate reports of children who would live less years than their parents, mostly because of obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

Now with fitness trackers being one of the most solid fitness trends of our lifetime, and the constant access to helpful wellness information, maybe the US is turning a wellness corner. All that data helps to convict us of our need for regular physical activity and hopefully remind us of healthful food and eating choices.

Recently, FitBit published their list of 2017 Healthiest Cities in the US. It's a really interesting list! The upper-Mid West wins hands down, if you can believe it. California doesn't even get an honorable mention, and Colorado only got a couple (for overall fitness and 'active' minutes... in Boulder.) 

Check out the article here. 

How is your fitness tracking? Are you getting out on a rail trail, or training for a competitive run? Or maybe you're just getting to the gym regularly to hit a spin class or the rowing machine. Whatever you choose to do, get physically active and stay active! Consider wearing a fitness tracker and see if it might make you better at being healthy.

By the Way

The FitBit data tracking (which is anonymous review of over 10 million FitBit user's data) looked at these top five wellness lifestyle attributes for naming the Fittest city:

• Duration of sleep per night
• Daily Reminders to Move goals met
• Daily steps
• Daily active minutes
• Resting heart rate

Your Best Year Ever

4.1

It's a new year! Welcome to 2017, and all it holds for wellness and our pursuit of health. I've been making some interesting edits to my diet over the last 6-8 weeks, and took the holidays to reset and renew (so I haven't posted in a while.)

Maybe you agree with the power pantry philosophy (that if it's in our pantry we'll eat it...so if we want to improve our health, we should start by improving our pantries and what we eat). If you do, then you'll quickly realize that everything comes down to choices. Choices of what kinds of carbs and proteins we'll eat. Lots of dairy or limited dairy? Plenty of whole grain wheat breads, or gluten-free? Choices, choices, choices...

And the longer we work at our pantry and food choices, the more we realize that what works for some people does not work for all. While friends and workout buddies can be healthy on particular foods, those same foods can genuinely mess us up. What gives?

The truth is that all foods are not created equally, and just as no two people are alike, our nutritional needs and tolerances are just as varied. What might keep me fueled and revved up for a hard workout, might make others limp, headachy and unable to get through the day.

Individual food sensitivities and intolerances are real. Just because something is edible, doesn't mean your body will appreciate it. I've found numerous foods which cause me distress, and can turn on and off the distress simply by indulging in those foods or avoiding them. Simple... but not easy.

As we launch into 2017, if you find yourself with nagging challenges in your health, consider finding a naturopathic or holistic doctor who can speak to issues of food sensitivities and how possible food intolerances might be affecting your health. Taking that journey might make 2017 your best year ever.

By the Way

Pursuing wellness through significant food edits is not wifty mumbo-jumbo. There are whole areas of nutritional science devoted to understanding how nutrition varies between the metabolisms of different people, and how much of that comes down to genetic make up (known as nutrigenomics...). Tests for personal genetics and intestinal health of gut bacteria are also growing as options for optimizing our nutritional choices.

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!

A Good Nights' Sleep

3.14

For years I've set modest goals in a number of areas in life, and one of those involves sleep. I'm sort of a night-owl and early-bird combined, so I stay up kind of late and get up kind of early, consistently. I've learned that 6 hours a night isn't enough shut-eye for me, and 7 hours in bed finds me staring at the ceiling. The result is that about 6 1/2 hours a night has been my goal.

Problem is, I rarely achieve it. Regardless of setting and genuinely pursuing the goal of 6 1/2 hours of sleep a night, I would regularly stay up too late, knowing I had to get up at 5am or so. And about 3pm the next day I would crater.

So, when I recently got a new Fitbit device which tracks sleep, I thought this is my chance to take my humble sleep goal more seriously. Long story short is that it's working! I think it's kind of goofy that I couldn't control my late-night behavior enough to get a good nights' sleep before the tracker, but since I have a goal set with little reminders and dashboard popups, I'm getting more sleep.

Now, instead putting a documentary on Netflix (which I fall asleep in the middle of anyway) or grinding through my gmail account to keep things cleaned up, I just go to bed. By 10pm, the kids are mostly in bed (our oldest teens have a tendency to do homework late into the night), I'm not into Facebook, so that's not keeping me up, and anything else can wait.

The result? I log about 6 hours and 20 minutes to 6 hours and 40 minutes of sleep a night, I wake more rested, and I do significantly better the next afternoon - no thick, sleepy feeling after lunch or in the middle of afternoon meetings. I'm also certain I'm thinking more clearly and more creatively with a better nights' sleep. Go figure.

We all know the value of a good nights' sleep. All we have to do is do it. If you tend to short your nightly slumber, maybe it's time to be more proactive about it so your wellness can benefit too.

By the Way

Studies consistently show that young adults through the elderly need about 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Of course, individual needs vary, but to function ideally day after day, that's the right amount. Check out this great article and video from the National Sleep Foundation on their recommendations for a good nights' sleep at any age. 

You Have What it Takes

3.12

Last weekend we celebrated Easter, and Easter is all about second chances. It's so much more than bunnies and spring... it's truly about changes which lead to new life. Paul, an early follower of Jesus, understood the need for second chances. His early years were punctuated with what we now call 'crimes against humanity'. And yet, Jesus captured Paul's attention and turned him around to be one of the most influential followers, preachers and writers of the Christian faith. Paul definitely knew the need for second chances.

In a letter to the early Philippian church, Paul said that through Jesus he had everything he needed to overcome the trials, and revel in the blessings, of everyday life. Paul said, "...I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." (Phil 4:13). Paul could boldly claim, 'I have what it takes' because of the second chances Jesus had given him.

I know I need second chances. I've been a Christ follower for over 20 years, and I'm still humbled by the forgiveness and redo's I have through Jesus. In Jesus, I have what it takes.

How about you? Maybe you need a redo, or a second chance... Just from a wellness perspective, we may need a reminder that we have what it takes. We can overcome:

• the buffet of rich, enticing foods which totally wreck our healthful, nutritional choices
• the internet and computer, to push our chair back and get us on our feet for some worthwhile activity
• the loneliness of walking our wellness journey alone, by finding a cooking or workout buddy
• the habits, distractions and poor guidance we grew up with, in exchange for wise, healthful choices which add life and energy to our days and years to our life
• the little voice that trys to tell us, 'start tomorrow', when we know there's no time like today

We may not be ready to accept the truth that we can do all things through Jesus, but we can certainly thrive in the wellness convictions of those around us and who have gone before us. From that confidence alone, we have what it takes.

By the Way

Start today making "I have what it takes" part of your wellness language. Those five simple words can revolutionize your choices, perseverance, stamina and fortitude, taking you to your next wellness step with conviction and boldness. You have what it takes.

Simple Wellness - It's Time

3.10
No More Excuses
Tenth and final post in a Simple Wellness series

Since the beginning of 2016 I've been posting about Simple Wellness concepts and approaches. None of this content is new to Power Pantry, and it all bears repeating. We looked at a lot of great lifestyle wellness ideas:

• Having a good mental picture of where we're headed with our wellness
• Detoxing our bodies of standard western foods to lose cravings which derail us
• The real value of nutrient-dense foods, and how it changes our lives
• How goal-setting, accountability and managing temptation are vital to wellness
• Modifying mindless eating habits to manage calorie intact and help us enjoy our food
• Pursuing our wellness vision with others to assure we'll go far
• The high impact of regular exercise and general body movement on our wellness
• And why reducing stress is of such great value in our wellness journey

I can only hope that you connected with some of this content. I know these concepts and actions have become fundamental to how I approach my wellness. Am I living out each one every day? Probably not, but as we come back and come back and come back to what we know will bring us to health, we can truly make these approaches part of our lifestyle.

If you've found any of this series particularly valuable, then please share it with a friend. And for your own journey, I hope you will dig in and engage in intentional healthful improvements - it's time... no more excuses. Take time to look closely at your goal-setting and eating and exercise and stress-management, and hopefully as we all think through the wellness value of these actions, we'll be compelled to pass the knowledge along.

Thanks for being along the Power Pantry journey. Next week we'll look at some fitbit advances and content that are great resources for our wellness.

By the Way

As a preview to some fitbit content, I'll share that through worldwide physical activity research, fitbit has been able to establish the number one physical activity practiced in all the countries they've studied. Are any of us surprised that it's walking? That's it: just walking - simple and doable the world over.

And remember the 10,000 steps-a-day goal for any walking and running you may do. That level of daily exertion was originally proposed and subscribed to in Japan. Now it is accepted the world over as a simple, achievable, daily goal.