Happy Clean New Year!

Hi all.  Yes, it’s been a long time since I’ve thought of anything worth posting, but with the new year upon us, it seemed like time.

I’ve never been conventional.  I don’t make resolutions on January 1st each year. I save those for my birthday.  But this year I want to take the opportunity to get back to where I should  be.  Back to ME by eating clean, hiking and de-stressing.  Now I know that sounds rather selfish, but it really isn’t.  Caring enough about myself to eat right, exercise, go to my beloved yoga classes and generally be aware of my life is not selfish; it’s they way life should be.  Last year I not only peaked Mount Washington, but more importantly, I lowered my sugar so I’m not longer pre-diabetic, extending time with my family by many years. Eating Clean not only helps my cholesterol levels, it teaches my children what to eat when (all too soon) they are off and cooking for themselves.

I’ve always been in awe of my girlfriend, Wendy, and the incredible meals she makes for her husband Tom despite the long hours she works.  Each one is not only mouth-watering, but a reminder that good food lets people know you love them.  And there’s no doubt that’s what she creates with every meal.  Love.  I think somewhere along the line eating (and feeding) became a matter of convenience and not a matter of nourishing your family with healthy, real food.  Thankfully not everyone lost the importance!!  But for most families it became more important to sit around the table as a family than it was to cook a good meal. You could eat KFC as long as you ate it around the table together. Hmmm.  Our family doesn’t sit at the table, but we always eat together.  We don’t wait to be around the table to discuss our day or check in on each other either.  We’re not perfect by any means, but I think we’re doing pretty well.

Last weekend I picked up the Eat Clean Cookbooks by Tosca Reno (after reading two of her Eat Clean books on my kindle) and found a ton of simple, quick recipes to try.  Did I need to buy the books? No, there are hundreds of recipes on the web.  But I’m glad I did.  Everyone knows I love books 🙂  There is something fantastic about being reminded that healthy, good foods and exercise are all you need to be healthy (without having to get connected to do it).  It’s simple, it’s something that we all know, but it’s the last thing we do when we want to lose weight and get healthy.  Instead we turn to quick fix gimmicks that are destined to let us down.  Instead of brown rice and beans with a large ration of fruits and vegetables, we drink special shakes, pop pills and eliminate one food group or another.  Funny how we forget how simple it really is.  If someone promised you a longer life, a smaller waistline, better outlook on life and unlimited energy, you’d probably jump on it. Think about the “5 hour energy” drink or the other energy drinks people guzzle by the gallon.  So why do so many people still resist the simple choice of a banana over a protein bar?  Or an apple with nut butter over a bag of chips?  When did time become more important than health?  And can we reclaim our health one meal at a time?  I sure hope so!

While I’ve gotten off track the past few months, I’m back with a vengeance!  I’ve set healthy goals and spent the last four hours in the kitchen preparing for the upcoming week.  I know it sounds like a lot of time, but I enjoy it so I don’t mind. Besides, if I wasn’t doing that I’d probably just be watching TV. There’s something to be said for spending 4 hours creating food to keep you healthy.  It makes you excited about eating right!  Right now though, I’m focused.  I have 17 recipes to make for the week (I’ve gotten to 9 today).  While I was chopping, dicing, mixing and creating, I’ll be  honest–I wondered how long it would last.  How long will I dedicate 2-4 hours each weekend to cooking and preparing for the week to come?  I’m not sure.  Like anything worth having, it will take patience and I will probably skip a week here an there (and curse myself come Wednesday when I have nothing to eat).  So, to spend time preparing for the week is one of my goals for the coming year.

My two biggest obstacles with eating healthy are eating slowly and eating often.  I’m terrible, especially on the weekends.  I don’t eat anything until well after noon.  I eat much too quickly at all my meals.  These are small goals, two small steps towards my ultimate goal of being healthy. No more insulin jumps due to a confused pancreas.  No more gulping down my meals so quickly I don’t even get a chance to enjoy the flavors.  After spending so much time creating the food, it’s a shame to not truly enjoy it.

My goal for 2012:   Be the best person I can be!

Some steps towards that goal:

Backpack with the family overnight and peak at least two 4000 footers.

Return to yoga so I can get my focus back–and be able to touch my toes without pain again!

Finish the Wilmot Black Fly 5k with a better time than last year (it’s in May and it won’t be too hard to beat! I sucked last year…much like the black flies)

Run the trails behind my house each morning

Be an inspiration to others

I don’t plan on preaching in this blog.  I plan on sharing my favorite recipes, ideas, struggles and anything else along the way.  You don’t have to read them, but if you are interested in nourishing your body and soul, I’d love to have you around for the journey!