A Time Out

5.22

No matter what the season, there is value in calming our mind and being still. Now that the holidays are here, it is certainly a great time to practice some mindfulness in the midst of the festivities. Mindfulness and meditation have existed since ancient times, and with modern science to back up the value and add to the techniques, there is no time like the present to get started.

Have you heard of neuroplasticity? This rather recent field of study is proving the positive effects of mindfulness and meditation. Fundamentally, it is finding a quiet time to rest our minds and disconnect from whatever may be mentally pressing on us. More than just a time of prayer or a time of quiet, it is detaching from the present to experience something pure and simple and different from our normal day (like the sound of our breathing.)

The ways that can lead to worthwhile meditation and mindfulness are numerous. With apps and websites galore, we have all kinds of resources at our disposal. The key is to start, even if starting small, to make quieting our minds part of our wellness lifestyle.

The benefits of meditation? Reduction of cortisol, stress and inflammatory triggers in our metabolism to yield peace, calm, clearer thinking, and more resolved self-control. And who wouldn't benefit from all of these over the holidays? (and all year long for that matter.)

Check out this great article from Dr. Josh Axe's website with substantial content on what meditation and mindfulness is, and a simple (beginner's) approach to guided meditation:
The 5-Step Approach to Guided Meditation

The pace of western culture isn't getting any slower, so we won't see relief from the busyness anytime soon. Find some time to explore mindfulness and meditation a bit further, and consider adding to your wellness lifestyle. Your body, mind and spirit will likely thank you.

By the Way

Watch for great apps to support meditation and mindfulness if you want a simple way to start. One is Headspace, available on Apple iOS and Android. Founded by Andy Puddicombe and Rich Pierson, Headspace is a tool for bringing successful meditation into our daily lives and backing up the lifestyle value with science.

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.

Pantry Purge

5.17

Michael Pollan has a great quote that I've shared before in Power Pantry:
"Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

In the US (and other cultures which are unfortunately following our standard American diet) we are over fed, and under-nourished. Following Pollan's guidance is a tremendous start to correcting that.

Check out this review of Pollan's 7 Rules for Eating, posted on WebMD:

7 Rules for Eating


Note that food refers to 'REAL food' - not the lab-designed food-like substances sold from the shelves of convenience stores and groceries nationwide. Coke products are NOT food... potato chips are not food... even breakfast cereals, frankly, fall far short of being food.

One perspective I appreciate from Pollan is that if your grandmother wouldn't recognize it as food, don't eat it. Wow would that eliminate a lot from our pantries.

How is your pantry looking? Have you done a comprehensive review lately? Feeling a bit run down and achy? Start with what you're putting into your body... follow Pollan's 7 Rules faithfully. Seek out REAL food. Then whatever you find in your pantry which has any flavoring (natural or artificial), coloring, preservatives of any kind, or any kind of sweeteners which are overly processed (dates=good; sorbitol, aspartame and even erythritol=bad) throw out.

The result? You'll have the opportunity to drop weight, sleep better, enjoy your calories, and even knit better as a family. The biggest benefit of all is that our bodies will thank us when we purge the faux foods and commit to buying and eating real food. Happy shopping!

By the Way

Become an expert at reading labels. Look for a minimal number of ingredients (think Lara Bars, not Nutrigrain bars...). Get the family involved and cooking together, then sit and savor today's culinary creations. Truly learn to appreciate and savor the smells and tastes and textures of what you eat, and you'll be on your way to wellness.

A Bit Irresponsible and Stupid

2.35
Sunday nights are awesome at our house. We have a evening of family time to simply enjoy each others' company and be a bit irresponsible. Don't get me wrong, the other six-and-a-half plus days of the week we're quite responsible... we keep our commitments and schedules and do our best to meet all expectations. But Sunday nights are different.

Years ago, in an interview, I heard Bono mention something about taking long vacations with his wife and kids, and giving themselves permission to be ridiculous. I can imagine the life of a mega-star like Bono is not typically his own; there are so many people to please and contracts to uphold, any time you block out personally is precious. So I understand why, as a guy with strong faith and a good value set, Bono would want to break away with his family.

But 'ridiculous'? That didn't really resonate with me until, in our own family, we set Sunday nights as a time to put aside responsibilities and expectations and just knock around. Now I look forward to Sunday nights with great anticipation just because it's fun.

After all our diligence at work and school and activities, and the exercising and healthy eating and volunteering, we fill a couple of hours with 'snacky supper' and internet videos. I posted last year about our tapas-style supper that we've refined over the years - check it out here. These days snacky supper is all healthy foods with lots of fruits and veggies and hummus and such. And the entertainment is the best part:

• Mental Floss - on YouTube (they have a tremendous channel you can subscribe to with loads of fun and enriching content)
• Dude Perfect - on YouTube (these five college roommates are just cool and zany and fun, and they draw huge numbers with their trick shot and 'stereotype' videos... good stuff.)
• Michael Jr. - if you haven't seen some of his dry, street-smart, family-friendly humor, you need to look him up
• Tim Hawkins - on YouTube (a Christian comedian with a crazy edge)
• And when all else fails, we watch 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' on Netflix, Hulu or the Food Network

Every time we let our hair down like this we enjoy some laughs, or stretch our thinking, or gain some perspective while hanging out together. And when everything is cleaned up and we go to bed, we're ready to bear down and be responsible again come Monday morning. Maybe you want to consider some time to be a bit irresponsible while hanging out with family or friends or someone you love - it can be a great shared experience, and get you ready to launch into whatever requires you to be responsible.

By the Way

While my memory of Bono's comments may have been close, Bono is actually quoted as having said:
"The right to be irresponsible and stupid is something I hold very dear. And luckily it is something I do well."

A Touching Interaction

1.68
I often say that there is more to a power pantry lifestyle than whole food choices and healthy eating habits. There are also human interactions which benefit our body chemistry, temperament and stress level; we need to tune into these regularly and be sure not to overlook simple solutions. One great opportunity to invite good feelings and health into our day is simply to engage in a good long hug.

Research shows that lingering, physical, non-sexual touch has great health benefits. The main value comes from the release of oxytocin, the "love hormone", as well as dopamine and seratonin, all of which bring us feelings of elation, well-being and fulfillment. And the best news? Hugs are free.

If you look into the ideal length for a valuable hug, you'll find anything from six to 20 seconds, with 10 seconds being a great guideline. A six second full-body hug is a long time. This lingering kind of embrace (and this is a real, full-body hug, not the polite cheek-to-cheek kind where nothing else touches) establishes an emotional connection between those participating, and both will benefit.

Check out some of these resources, addressing this concept of lingering physical touch and the benefits we get from it.

Dr. Joseph Mercola: Fun Facts about Hugging
From the Huffington Post: How to Be Happier...
Here is a Prezi slide show by Molly Pyle: The Six Second Hug (with a great Soulpancake video embedded in it...)

Maybe a cuddle break would add to your power pantry wellness today. Give it a try, and I bet you'll feel better in no time at all.

By the Way

Having a pet is another opportunity to gain calming and enriching physical touch. It has long been known that stroking a pet and/or having a pet around the house brings numerous health benefits. Things like lowering blood pressure, encouraging exercise, releasing more of that feel-good hormone, seratonin, even lowering the risk of heart disease all come from pet ownership. Check out more pet benefits in this slide show from WebMD...

Fresh Air

1.54
There is much more to a wellness lifestyle than having a power pantry. While whole food choices are fundamental to health and longevity, there are other basic wellness choices to maximize our well being. One of those basics is getting some much needed fresh air, and working on our breathing. Good oxygen supply to our brain, heart and muscles is critical to wellness, and we can improve on these with some simple tips.

Do you get cooped up in an office for much of the work day, or find yourself at home, closed up with air conditioners or heater running all day long? We weren't meant to live 24/7 in these spaces we've created, sealed off from the out-of-doors. Planning simple outside activities like a morning walk, or stargazing, is a great way to break the monotony of indoor living.

Fresh air literally clears our minds and helps us reset from the stress caused by closed-in spaces. There are some great suggestions for experiencing time outside at www.greenhour.org, and check out this article from Prevention promoting the concept here.

Something else that is highly beneficial is a cleansing, deep breath. For millennia it's been recognized as a calming, centering activity for our mind and body. I think we all know this, but because we need to be intentional about it, very few people benefit from taking deep breaths. Eastern religious traditions lean on breathing to bring calm, health and even transcending the moment. Whether or not we take it that far, deep breathing is a valuable asset to any wellness lifestyle to dissipate stress, helping us find peace and patience in the moment.

Dr. Andrew Weil is an avid proponent of deep, calming breathing; he has a review of three breathing exercises here. A great exercise is a "4-7-8" breathing technique: breath in through your nose for 4 counts, hold it for seven counts, and breath out through your mouth for eight counts. Repeat 5-10+ times. You'll get great oxygen supply to your brain and muscles, and can even get to a kind of settled euphoria.

So get out for a walk, take some time to stargaze, and throw in a few cleansing breaths whenever you think of it. You'll recognize the calming, healthful benefits right away, and the strains of the day will diminish as you invest in your wellness lifestyle.

By the Way

Another great breathing exercise is breath counting, where you concentrate on the current breath you are taking, and count up from one to two to three, etc., up to ten or more. While this has merit on it's own, I like to concentrate on something other than a number.

When I starting doing breath counting a couple years ago, I remembered that there are nine 'fruits of the spirit' (the Apostle Paul wrote about these in his letter to the Galatians - in the New Testament). They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. So those are my centering thoughts when I do breath counting... and it's great that it ends with self-control...

In the Moment

1.45
I often say that there's more to a power pantry than just whole, healthy foods. Life deals us curves and valleys that we have to maneuver through, and all that effort will definitely sap us of strength and peace of mind. But inner strength, focus and peace of mind are vital ingredients to living a wellness lifestyle, and fundamental to a power pantry, so how do we find them?

To reset my attitude and recenter on what's important, I often try to 'see with new eyes'. What is right in front of us that we should really value and regard much more highly than we do? Maybe it's something we've valued in the past, but it's become commonplace and just doesn't have that zing for us any more. Challenging ourselves to see the romance in everyday things can be a great way to reset our perspective. All we need to do is remind ourselves to savor and linger and appreciate.


What about a beautiful sunrise, the rustling of leaves in a breeze, a foal and its mother in a pasture? Or how about an icy drink on a hot day, the smell of flowers as you walk by, the crunchy sweetness of fresh grapes, holding hands with a loved one? Even the peace and tranquil lostness we can find by sitting in total silence for a while. All these things can bring a great blessing in the moment, and help us find a much needed wellness reset.



I live in Lancaster County, PA, and we have more than our share of gorgeous farms, historic buildings, and well-tended landscapes, that frame wonderful sunrises and sunsets. But to me, those are the easy blessings. What about taking a gratitude and appreciation break every day, just in the middle of nowhere? What have we been blessed with that really carries us through our days and weeks and months? Again, seeing common parts of our lives with new eyes can offer a valuable reset for today.

And maybe we generate enough peace of mind and good will in our own lives that we have some to share with those around us. With the turmoil of war and disease and economic frustration, it's obvious that the world can use more peace, and peace of mind.

So where can you see with new eyes, savor a blessing in the moment, and maybe lift your mood and someone else's?

By the Way

I read a great book about 10 years ago called Experiencing God, which offers tremendous guidance. One thing the author, Henry Blackaby, says is, "Don't just do something, stand there!" I love that little twist on an old admonition, encouraging us to linger, slow down and call a pause in the action. Surely there is plenty of time to get everything done that needs attention, and maybe what's needed right now is some time to regain perspective.

Time Out

1.27
Sometimes I just want to be a kid again (or at least have the boundaries and expectations of a kid...) In our family we span from a toddler, to a tweener, to two teenagers and they are all well-behaved. With all our kiddos, we held to the idea of appropriate obedience or you would get a time-out to think about your choices until you agreed to align them with our expectations. The time out would always equal one minute of time for each year of age (so a one year old gets one minute, a two year old gets two minutes, etc.)

I had this odd longing today for an adult time-out... what if I could just take a 46 minutes time-out? Not a nap, and not that I was in the dog house or anything, just a chance to breath deeply and mentally check out somewhere. Maybe it would be a specifically quiet or sunny place, but definitely peaceful and alone. Ahhhhh... 



Especially with today being Father's Day, there was just something about this idea that kept getting at me. And then I 'woke up.' I totally understand that in this season of middle age, with four active and engaged kiddos, Jen and I get to go and do every day, and it doesn't necessarily offer the latitude for us do what we would like. I've heard it said, "Some days I do what I want to do... most days I do what I have to do..." That's my life, and I don't resent it at all. I know there will be other seasons in the future with other adventures and margin and me-time that don't exist today.

Back to my adult time-out. I really like this idea of checking out, mentally, on purpose. I have regular prayer time throughout the week which is sort of like a time-out. Most weekdays I make about 10 to 20 minutes for quiet prayer, and then throughout the day, often while driving for work or commuting home, I make some gratitude-time to note all the things I have to be thankful for. 

Down time gives us margin, margin brings us at least some peace, and peace offers us the chance for wellness, healing and growth. Where might you find some downtime today and give yourself a time-out to reboot?

By the Way

A great thing to linger on in an adult time-out is what I call the "middle of a decade". Think back five years. Where were you, and what was happening? What were your expectations of life back then? What challenges have you overcome since then, and what triumphs can you lay claim to in the last five years?

Then reflect ahead five years. What might life look like? How old will you and your immediate family be? What might the flow of a year look like then (vacations, holidays, community service.) What about professionally? Will you have found yourself less enthused with success and maybe more focused on significance?

By 2019 a lot will happen for me. Two of our kids will be graduated from high school by then. I'll be be over 50? (and cancelling all those crazy AARP mailings and offers.) I love the challenge of middle-of-a-decade thinking. I think it gives a valuable dose of reality to help focus on what really matters.

Feelin' Groovy

1.21
This past week I was on a 5 day business trip to Las Vegas (hence missing a couple of Power Pantry posts…) It was a whirlwind travel and conference excursion which peaked with a 19 hour day last Sunday (7am to midnight) as we participated with 33,000 other conventioneers. Our investment of time and effort turned out to be quite successful, and we are really pleased with the results of the whole trip.

Before we left I had already settled on the theme and content for this post, born out of the 1966 tune from Simon & Garfunkel. I was a kid in the 70’s and 80’s and one of my favorite albums growing up was the ‘Concert in Central Park’ by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel (1982). What a classic.

The 59^th Street Bridge Song has always been one of those happy, jaunty tunes to re-center me on keeping it simple: “Slow down, you move too fast… you got to make the mornin’ last, just kickin’ down the cobblestones, lookin’ for fun and feelin’ groovy…” Ahhh… I feel more relaxed already.

One of our ‘after hours’ receptions in Las Vegas was at “The Bank”, a nightclub at The Bellagio – what an experience. It encompassed everything a stereotypical stays-in-Vegas night club experience could include (though we didn't participate in any of them). No further details need to be shared here…

Needless to say, we lasted about 30 minutes at The Bank and excused ourselves to return to the (insane) sanity of the Bellagio casino floor. One of my coworkers, who hails from Williamsport, joked that it would take him a week sitting in the woods of northern PA to detox from the whole nightclub thing.

Pursuing a lifestyle of wellness has a lot to do with our food choices and what’s in our pantry, and it also has a lot to do with the experiences we surround ourselves with. Are our lives more like the blur of a Las Vegas nightclub, or the serenity of the PA woods? I live in Lancaster County and love it. There’s a lot that Lancaster County isn’t, but I’m regularly taken by the romance of the bucolic and pastoral surroundings, and I know our family's life is better because of it.

So what can you do this Memorial Day weekend to slow down, find a little romance in the moment and feel groovy for a while? The opportunity is right in front of each of us… there for the taking. We have to be looking for some peace and peace of mind though, if we ever hope to find it.

By the Way

I have Simon & Garfunkel's 'Concert in Central Park' on LP (those are large vinyl records which play at 33 1/3 RPMs on a turntable... they are now basically antiques). It was the special edition, two record set. The concert was actually a benefit event held in September of 1981, with the proceeds going to Central Park, which had fallen into disrepair. The crowd for the concert was reported at over a half million, so it was quite a success.

The 59th Street Bridge Song is a feel-good kind of song. Paul Simon, being from New York City, wrote it because of a walk across the 59th Street Bridge after an especially down time in his life, which he was coming out of. The song marked his turning a corner to a happier season - good lesson there...

The Magic Number

1.20
Trying to control your weight, or know someone who is? Have I got a secret for you.... this is a simple, practical way to feel more satisfied by the food you eat while at the same time eating less.

I came across this guidance a few years ago while doing a wellness program at work. It made sense to me right away, and I've made the concept a regular part of my meals since. Here's the trick: slow down... specifically, the magic number is 20 minutes. Let me explain.

There is a clinically recognized delay between when we chew and swallow food, and when our stomach and mind feel satiated or satisfied that we've eaten enough. The delay is just about 20 minutes. Unfortunately, that can leave us eating and eating in those first 10 plus minutes with no relief of our hunger, only to get past the 20 minutes, after we've significantly indulged in our meal, and realize we're stuffed well beyond capacity or need.

How can we apply this timing? The key is to put a simple plan in place with each meal to space out our eating so we eat just the portions and calories we need in the 20 minute time frame. That way when we get to 20 minutes and feel satiated, we've consumed only the calories and portions that we need at that meal.

One corollary to this is to plan for seconds, or eat in courses. For instance, if you're planning to have a 500 calorie breakfast of oatmeal with nuts, some yogurt, and a piece of fruit, simply linger over the oatmeal the first ten minutes, and then have the yogurt and fruit in the second ten minutes. It takes some discipline and getting used to, but it really is effective at controlling calorie intake and amount of food eaten.



At suppertime, planning for seconds works well. Serve a first plate of intentionally smaller portions. Take your time. Remember the tip I shared a few posts ago about putting down your fork between bites. (And do it every time! This one is a huge contributor to success in lingering). Have some good conversation with your meal... in short, slow down. Then ten minutes or so into the meal, you can serve a second small portion, again taking your time, and land at 20 minutes with completing your meal and feeling satisfied with what you ate.

So give it a try... slow down, turn off the TV and put away the smartphone while eating. Linger, and stretch out your meals to the 20 minute time frame and see how truly satisfied you can feel on less food, just by taking your time.

By the Way

I've come to learn the great value there is in savoring the food we are blessed with, and lingering over every meal, sometimes over every bite. I try to enjoy the smells and textures much more than I ever used to. And I'm more intentional about conversation over a meal - we eat about 4 to 5 meals together as a family every week. That's quality time, and a great time to linger. Just simple dialog about events of the day and plans for tomorrow can make the meal more enjoyable and the experience of lingering valuable.

I think there is a lost art in eating well - not just in the types and quality of food from a power pantry, but in how we eat it. Commit to slowing down and you can eat less, enjoy it more, and likely control your weight in the process.