3.2
Where Are You Going?
We're all headed somewhere. The big question is where. Even making 'no' decision about our direction is a significant decision about where we'll end up. And the destination may not be good.
I've shared before that my wellness vision aligns with Jack LaLanne and Tony Horton. Even though these men are generations apart, they share(d) a basic approach to wellness that includes simple, nutritional food choices and a physically active workout routine. They both revolutionized wellness by their influence.
Granted, I'm no Tony Horton, but if I can learn something from his great guidance, and it tugs me in his general direction month by month and year by year, I might just end up someplace awesome. Jack LaLanne lived to be 96 years old, and worked out right up to his last days. How awesome would that be to live into my 90's, truly living? If that happens, I'm only half way there!
You have some sort of wellness vision. Trap it and linger on it. Maybe it's to lose some weight, or achieve a walking or running goal. Maybe you want to climb a few flights of stairs without losing your breath. Or maybe it's to overcome an ailment like Type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol by improving what you eat. If you can see it in your mind, you can certainly achieve it.
On the journey, we may need to overcome some fears, and maybe they're significant. Fear we might fail, or lose our identity, or be hungry all the time, or that we'll lose our friends, or we'll get injured, or that we'll simply outgrow those close to us. The truth is some of these may happen, but what I've realized is that if I've lost a friend or two, I've gained 10 who resonate with my wellness lifestyle. And even if I get some sore muscles, I've eliminated a bad left knee, chronic lower back and shoulder pain, and migraines... eliminated in my late 40's... how cool is that? (And I've never gone hungry... I eat an awesome diet, and I eat a lot... very cool.)
So start where you are. Strike a big vision, and expect a lot of good to come of it. Capture a compelling picture in your mind and hold it there. Cut out some magazine pictures, or old pictures of yourself when you were healthier and happier. Put them on your mirror or fridge. Let the vision grow in plain sight, and see where it starts to take you.
By the Way
This quote from Marianne Williamson always helps give me permission to go big:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
3.1
Time for a Change
I regularly meet with folks who are looking to make a wellness change. It seems all desires to improve our health are borne from a level of discontent, and that's where we'll start Power Pantry for 2016. It's not time for resolutions, it's time for goals that lead us one step closer to real and lasting improvement, even change.
Wellness is a lifestyle and a life-philosophy, that's why we refer to Power Pantry as 'Lifestyle Wellness Resources'. Living a wellness lifestyle is not a diet, it is a healthful and active way of engaging life. We can overcome food cravings and a disconnected, sedentary lifestyle, even if they have plagued us for decades, and go on to live a healthy and active life.
For the next month or so Power Pantry is going to offer simple wellness how-tos, starting with the basics and hopefully giving you a point of entry for your own journey. Everyone starts their wellness journey where they: we bring our past, our expectations, our cravings, our fears of what life will be like 'without' certain foods... The peace of mind we want to find is available, and must be accomplished like any worthy goal - a step at a time.
If you have a nagging discontent about your health, start there. Use that mental churning as your drive to make a positive difference this year, and for many years to come. Live in the tension of where you are, compared to where you really want to be (and know you can be). We'll do our best to support your journey with simple guidance of good steps you can take.
Here are some topics we'll cover in the coming weeks:
- A wellness vision
- How to lose your cravings
- Why nutrient-dense foods are best
- Controlling portion-distortion
- Journeying together
- Wellness beyond food
- Get your body moving
- Sustaining the new you
We may offer other topics as well in this Guide to kick off 2016, so subscribe (on the blog page) or tune in weekly for some inspiration, and definitely share Power Pantry with others. Comment on posts and feel free to contact me directly with questions or thoughts. And prepare to love the journey, your food, and your health! We look forward to joining you, and having you join us.
By the Way
In the coming weeks we also want to offer some incredible media resources and the motivation they provide. Watch, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead." If you've seen it before, watch it again (it's being offered for Free for a limited time). It is a tremendous story of commitment to wellness and how a couple of guys started their own wellness revolution. Their story continues today...
2.87
Christmas 2015 has come and gone. Here at Power Pantry we hope you found refreshment and relaxation in the season, and enjoyed the peace and confidence which comes from knowing God sent His Son to save us. For us, we celebrate Christ's birth... Emmanuel: God with us. And we were reminded this Christmas holiday that the story of Christmas is not really the chance for us to pursue God as much as it is that God pursues us. He truly desires to be with us.
Hoping your holiday celebrations so far have been enriching and bountiful, relaxing and fun. Around our house we have been working on a Christmas jigsaw puzzle, playing board games (have you played Wits & Wagers? It's a hoot for all ages!), and two of us got to a football game. We agreed that at times we felt pampered, we were rejuvenated, and we are most definitely blessed. And we're wishing the same for you and yours.
The new year is just around the corner, and it is a prime time to recognize that stocking a power pantry can change everything for our wellness lifestyle. Have you experienced the stress of a poorly-stocked pantry this holiday season? We did a little bit. Here and there we ran out of something we wish we had on hand (avocados just don't keep very long!) but overall, our food choices were healthful and nutritious.
For the new year, Power Pantry is going to offer some simple guidelines to lifestyle wellness, from vision and fundamentals to specific how-tos. So tune in, share with others, and always feel free to leave a comment or ask a question.
Abundant blessings to you and yours. Happy New Year from Power Pantry!!
By the Way
Need something different to ring in the new year? Maybe try a new way to celebrate? We're forgoing our typical round-robin of snacks and dips and goodies, and ordering Chinese... maybe even some quality sushi... we'll see. Maybe this is a good year to forgo the beef sticks and cheese logs and go for the hummus and guacamole.
2.86
What would holidays be without added stress? While the coming days and recent weeks should be a time rich with healthy relationships, joy, and gratitude, we may find ourselves overcome by frustration from unmet expectations and poor planning. Add to that the rich, sugary foods typical of this time of year, and we have a recipe for emotional upheaval.
Where do we begin to reduce and then eliminate the stress building blocks? We start with our diet, of course. We are what we eat. When we eat junk, we turn our bodies into junk; when we eat healthful, nutritious foods, our bodies reward us with health and well-being. And that definitely equates to less stress and gives us the opportunity for some of that joy and gratitude.
The greatest stress-producing foods are things like:
- Caffeinated drinks (tea, coffee, energy drinks, numerous soft drinks)
- Sugar
- Gluten (studies have shown that gluten (from wheat, barley, rye, etc.) negatively impacts mood by blocking production of serotonin.)
- Processed and refined foods (like white rice, fast food, pastas; anything with artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, flavor enhancers (like MSG), trans fats and other synthetic ingredients)
- Alcohol
- High-fat foods
Some great stress-avoiders in the food category are ones like these (which I found in a great article on Dr. Joseph Mercola's website):
Green leafy vegetables
Turkey
Fermented foods
Wild-caught salmon
Blueberries
Pistachios
Dark Chocolate (yes, chocolate!)
Vitamin D from a great dose of sunshine (not a food, but vitamin D helps with serotonin production)
Seeds (for magnesium)
Avocado
Other beneficial foods: Oats, Green tea, Walnuts, Cashews, Chamomile tea, and Blueberries
All of these foods sound like great additions to a power pantry. Just in time for the holidays, you could stock up on these stress-fighters and look up some new recipes to try. And maybe this is the perfect time to overcome the typical stress and burn-out by trying healthful foods our bodies will love.
By the Way
If you're visiting others for the holiday and concerned there will only be unhealthy food, snack and dessert choices, then consider taking a healthful dish to share with everyone (like hummus or guacamole instead of french onion dip or ranch dressing to go with the veggie tray and chips).
Also, need a sure-fire way to bring the stress level way down? Work on deep, calming, peaceful breathing. Concentrate on the peace you are seeking this holiday and focus your attention on slow, steady, rhythmic inhaling and exhaling. You'll feel better in no time!
2.85
Admit it... this year you want the holidays to be different (where your health is concerned). If you're like me, you have countless memories of holiday seasons of indulgence and overindulgence that you paid for dearly, months into the new year. I know it's possible for this year to be different, and we can do it without starving ourselves or even 'dieting'.
Sounds impossible? No, it's not, really. All we need is a plan, some conviction, and a pantry stocked with healthy, nutrient-dense options. This week Dr. Joel Fuhrman posted a great guide to holiday eating in an email blast, and I want to share it here:
Celebrate the Holidays Healthfully
This article offers great content for how to get our eating habits on a healthful track, and yet not go hungry in the process. Things we've talked about in the Power Pantry blog before: pursue greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries and seeds; have a health-buddy for accountability; take healthful dishes with you to family gatherings, etc.
Make this holiday season different in a healthy way. Start by stocking your pantry (and fridge) with healthful, nutrient-dense options that your body will love, and set a course for a healthy, happy holiday and new year.
By the Way
Don't miss the comment from Dr. Fuhrman on 'holiday heart' - the time at the ER when doctors see the most strokes and heart attacks from holiday indulgences.
2.84
As the year draws to a close, it's a great time to look back on where we've come from, and to think ahead to where we're going. New Year's resolutions aside, a little self-searching goes a long way in considering our todays and tomorrows.
I've shared before in Power Pantry that I often consider life 'in the middle of a decade'. Where was I five years ago? Hmmm... 2010... our oldest son was 12 and Jen and I had been married 15 years, and that was the year we had our fourth child. I was travelling a lot for work, and even in the midst of the recession we were very blessed. I weighed about 35 pounds more than I do now, and I hadn't yet read "Eat to Live" (from Dr. Joel Fuhrman). Life was a lot different just five years ago.
Since then we've recognized the value of whole foods and nutritional density, and the detriments of wheat gluten, dairy and numerous other common foods in the American diet. I started running in 2011 sometime, with a very slow and painful introduction.
In five years we've seen two of our kids grow into awesome, trustworthy young adults, another enter middle school, and our youngest start kindergarden. Jen has been 'cured' of her arthritis from simple nutritional improvements, and I've trimmed down to a scrappy 158 pounds and have a maturing running habit and wellness lifestyle... cool.
What about five years from now? I doubt I'll run a full marathon, but I do intend to try some of the Spartan Races, and maybe even their Trifecta (three progressively harder races completed in one year.) We have some cool trips planned as a family (before our older kids fly the coop) and I'm sure there will be some great nutritional additions and unhealthy subtractions from our wellness lifestyle. (Somewhere in there we're supposed to get a local Whole Foods Market...that will be very cool.)
How about you? Sitting here in 2015 and reflecting on where you've come from and where you may be going, what do you come up with? A step in the right direction can change everything, and set a positive course for years and decades to come. As the long winter nights and holiday breaks afford some extra time (hey, no grass to cut!! At least in our northern latitudes...) find quiet time for reflecting, and a little goal setting.
By the Way
Our family likes to do jigsaw puzzles every so often. We got out the puzzle table and a fall-themed puzzle at Thanksgiving, which we're completing bit by bit. One of the great leadership reminders I get from doing puzzles is to keep the box handy. The lid of the puzzle box is the most important part - that's where the vision comes from. If we didn't have the picture of the finished puzzle, we'd have no vision to understand the value of our efforts. While reflecting from the middle of a decade, keep that in mind that there is a bigger vision at stake for all of us. What does your future look like?
2.83
With the violence in CA, I'm kind of at a loss for words. I think it's a good time to hug a loved one a little longer, contemplate the blessings of life more closely, and be truly grateful for all the ways we are blessed. Being a positive force today might make all the difference in the world.
By the Way
I got this quote from a friend today, so I'll close with this:
"We are healed to help others, blessed to be a blessing, served to serve, not just sit around and wait for heaven."
You have some sort of wellness vision. Trap it and linger on it. Maybe it's to lose some weight, or achieve a walking or running goal. Maybe you want to climb a few flights of stairs without losing your breath. Or maybe it's to overcome an ailment like Type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol by improving what you eat. If you can see it in your mind, you can certainly achieve it.
