5.01
The holidays have come and gone, and we have the wonder and opportunity of a new year ahead. Hopefully you finished 2017 grateful for how far you have come, and all you accomplished in your wellness lifestyle. I know I'm very thankful for the journey, and the blessing of another healthy year completed, and a year of adventures ahead.
If you're starting out hoping to lose some weight, or just get things back 'under control' since the holiday feasting, there is some hope with an old approach that's getting new attention. Maybe it's time to give fasting a try.
Fasting is not very popular in some modern circles, but it has been with the human race since the dawn of time. Long recognized as the right way to recenter our thinking, fasting is simple and very worthwhile. From a faith standpoint, fasting combined with prayer is the best way to seek God's direction and check our own motives.
More recent research shows that fasting has really healthy results for folks who are in relatively good health to begin with. Check out this list of 20 benefits of fasting from the Global Healing Center in Houston, TX - Benefits of Fasting
The best way to get started with some intermittent fasting is to ‘skip’ some meals. Maybe you have something small and simple for lunch and supper and forgo breakfast a few days a week. I know a very accomplished leader at a local College who only eats two meals a day, and has followed that guidance for over a decade. And he's healthy and full of energy and vitality.
The point of intermittent fasting is to give our bodies a chance to clean up, regenerate and take a break from the abundance of empty calories so prevalent in our culture. It is a commitment, like other aspects of a wellness lifestyle- do what is healthful for your body. We are over fed and under nourished as a society, and intermittent fasting is a step in the right direction.
So as we settle into the new year, think about intermittent fasting as a way to gain control of your weight and food choices, and get your wellness off to a great start in 2018.
By the Way
Check out this short video from PBS Digital Studios about the basic and benefits of fasting.
Should You Eat Everyday?
4.34
There are notable holiday foods that make memories, are healthy, and are worth sharing with others. One of my favorites is pomegranates. Available mainly between September and January (in North America), pomegranates make a wonderful, healthful addition to holiday meals.
Pomegranates are an ancient fruit which has been cultivated since Biblical times, and originally hails from the Middle East and Mediterranean. There are numerous worthwhile benefits from the sweet and tart juice, along with the edible seeds. You'll find the whole fruit, and juices, available in your grocery store. When shopping for pomegranate juice, be sure to get the 100% juice, as other 'cocktail' juices contain numerous fruit juices (like pear and apple) and often have sugar as well.
The incredible health benefits of pomegranates makes them a welcomed part of a wellness lifestyle. If apples, grapes and bananas have gotten a bit boring, try throwing in a pomegranate. I like this detailed article from Dr. Josh Axe, describing the top 7 benefits of pomegranates and their juice:
Dr. Axe on pomegranates
You'll note benefits like fighting cancer, lowering blood pressure, reducing join pain & arthritis, heart health and increasing testosterone. Quite a lot of benefits from one simple fruit.
The fruit has a unique configuration of seeds within the heavy rind, with each seed surrounded by a juicy aril. The arils and seeds are all edible, and packed with goodness. Pomegranates are known for beneficial values of vitamin K, vitamin C, folate, potassium and more. They pack a lot of nutritional punch.
So give pomegranates a try this holiday season. You may find a new favorite fruit for your power pantry, and your body will thank you for the health and wellness it offers.
By the Way
Cleaning a whole pomegranate isn't the easiest task. The juicy arils and seeds are encapsulated in the meaty rind of the fruit, and it takes a bit of patience and persistence to get it opened and cleaned. But the flavor and benefits are worth the effort. And be careful, because the juice will stain clothes and cutting boards, etc.
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?
4.32
It's the holiday season! One of my favorite times of the year... and a challenging time to eat in a healthful way and make nutrient-dense choices. And because I have a sweet tooth, I'm especially challenged by holiday sweets.
I've shared about a sweet-cheat before in Power Pantry, and I want to reinforce this great substitute for the sugary empty calories we consume at the holidays. Enter the humble date. These fruity, substantial and satisfyingly sweet treats are born of the date palm, and harken back thousands of years to middle-eastern roots.
Dates are still grown in those same middle-eastern countries where they have always been, and they also come from places in the US like California and Florida. These sugary-sweet morsels live up to their history and are worth every bite. The larger, more tender medjool date is especially tasty, with a smoother texture than its common cousin, the Deglet Nour date.
With a creamy texture and great flavor, medjool dates can almost pass for a candy-like caramel. And with a little creativity, dates can be made into tasty pastes and syrups that are a wonderful replacement for honey, maple syrup and agave nectar.
Currently, I'm reconnecting with dates for my mid-run energy boost. I've been honing my running regimen and I don't do energy gels (which are full of corn-everything.) But dates? They are naturally sugary, full of useful glucose and sucrose carbs for mid-run.
Dates also have valuable antioxidants, and nutrients like potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. That is a much better roster than any energy gel.
So consider stocking some dates in your pantry this holiday season, and keep an eye out for where you can include these wonderful, ancient sweeteners in your holiday cooking. Your body will thank you for caring so much, and you may just find a new favorite recipe.
By the Way
Check out what Dr. Josh Axe says about dates and the value they bring to sweetening our diet:
Dr. Axe on Medjool Dates
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.
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.
4.29
It's hard to qualify any production candy as 'healthy', but with Halloween and the holidays coming up, I thought I'd post about what may be healthier. And this depends on your perspective. I look for sweets with no corn syrup (high fructose or otherwise), no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, and limited soy ingredients. That's a really high bar to set for most candy.
Here is a great article from Business Insider (www.businessinsider.com) with an exhaustive, ranked list of popular candies and how they stand up to 'healthy' scrutiny:
Healthiest Halloween Candy
Note that basically *none* of these candies listed would qualify as healthy when reviewed with my criteria... this article basically looked at calories, fat content and protein per serving.
You'll see popular favorites on the list like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Candy Corn, Twizzlers and at the top of the list, Smarties. It is mostly the fat content that makes many of these less healthy than their counterparts - and peanuts and peanut butter are a common culprit adding fat content.
I like the simplest candies, like old-fashioned butter toffee and caramels. When you can find these with no corn syrup and sans all the artificial junk, they can be a great treat. And a standard satisfier around our house (and in our pantry) is dark chocolate. High in antioxidants and with a little kick from caffeine, dark chocolate has a rich, sophisticated flavor that is really satisfying (to me).
The biggest thing to remember with candy consumption is portion control. Don't let your sweet tooth get the better of you! If you're buying Halloween candy, get the 'fun' sizes and mini packets to keep the kiddos from pigging out on any one thing. Any of the candies reviewed in the above article would be okay in moderation... the key is keeping the candy cravings under control.
Have fun this Halloween, and you can even consider offering popcorn or graham cracker cookie treats for the costumed hoards. Most of all remember to keep candy consumption to a minimum.
By the Way
Some months ago I found this tremendous website for 'healthy' candy. Again, I would qualify that as no corn syrup (high fructose or otherwise), no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, and as simple and organic as possible. Check out the Natural Candy Store, www.naturalcandystore.com. I get this awesome all natural bubble gum from Tree Hugger through them... isn't the internet great?
