A few simple changes.

Recently I picked up One Simple Change by Healthy Green Kitchen blogger Winnie Abramson. Her blog focuses on a fusion of home cooking, holistic nutrition and green living - her recent book has a similar focus. One Simple Change compiles fifty changes that you can easily incorporate into your life to help you have a more healthy, holistic and green life.

I picked out my top ten "simple changes," with the idea that I would incorporate those changes into my (or our in some cases) life. At first I was thinking this would be my new "challenge" so-to-speak, to help me on my never-ending journey to lead a more healthy life. My original thought was that I would make a change a week for the next ten weeks. Then I realized that smack-dab in the middle of those ten weeks is a once-in-a-lifetime two and a half week trip, during which I will not worry about what I eat, drink, how much sleep I get, or any of those concerns. Instead - I will be focused on being in the moment, which is actually chapter 38. Although her tips deal more with everyday life and interactions - I think being in the moment is the number one most important thing on a once-in-a-lifetime trip. So perhaps I will add that as my eleventh "simple change" - one that is specific to that moment in my life.

So here are the other changes that really jumped out at me. Some I have already started down the path, others I will really have to think through how to accomplish, and at least one will truly be a challenge for me.

1. Limit wheat consumption - and when possible focus on sprouted and heirloom wheats (einkorn). (Chapter 12: Be Wary of Wheat).
2. Drink a bottle of water first thing in the morning. (Chapter 03: Drink Water First Thing)
3. Get sunshine (Chapter 07: Get a Little Sunshine) & fresh air (Chapter 36: Get Fresh Air Every Day). For me this equates with going for a 10-15 minute walk at lunchtime.
4. Clean out the pantry - get rid of unhealthy or old food. Focus on organizing healthy, whole, nutritious foods (Chapter 09: Revamp Your Pantry).
5. Limit (white) sugar (although an occasional treat is fine, stop eating the sweets that come through the office, and return to one piece of really good dark chocolate at the end of the day. (Chapter 14: Steer Clear of White Sugar & Chapter 29: Be Choosy About Chocolate).
6. Eat local. Grassfed. Free Range. Grass-fed meat is healthier and more nutritious, not to mention environmentally better. Eat animals that are raised eating what they are meant to be eating. This goes hand in hand with buying local, particularly meat - know the farm, or at least know the guy (the butcher) who knows the farm the animals were raised and processed on (Chapter 24: Reconsider Meat & Chapter 42: Get Closer to Your Food).
7. Get house plants for inside the house. I've been wanting more indoor plants, and it helps the air quality in the house (Related to Chapter 36: Get Fresh Air Every Day)
8. This one will be a bit difficult, a struggle really for us to find the best way to incorporate more of these changes in our lives. To reduce our carbon footprint - she recommends buying a more efficient car, bringing your own bags to the store, and using a reusable water bottle. We already do all that - what else can we do? I would like us to start composting again. Buy in bulk (cuts down on packaging). Reduce paper towel usage. Buy cleaning products with less chemicals (or make our own). (Chapter 39: Leave a Smaller Footprint & Chapter 40: Be Eco-Friendly at Home).
9. Stop counting calories, obsessing over the scale, and allowing every slip-up to feel like I have failed. This one will be the most challenging of all the changes (Chapter 1: Stop Dieting).
10. Eat real food - this corresponds nicely with something else I am already trying to do, and with what I recently read in Michael Pollan's book, In Defense of Food: "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants." (Chapter 2: Eat Real Food).
11. and....11...be In the Moment (Chapter 37: Be in the Moment).

I would really recommend this book as another really quick read, similar to Michael Pollan's  Food Rules - a way to outline a few small things you can change that, in the long run, would make a really big difference. 

These are not in the order I will necessarily tackle them in. I already started with number 2 this week - and have been drinking an entire bottle of water while getting ready, BEFORE I have my coffee. But this is the list. Many of these will also get incorporated slowly in multiple ways. For example, tonight I am making tumeric chicken with apple confit and salad. This will also cover #1, 6 & 10. But I am going to try to focus on one change per week - this week that is getting into the habit of drinking water every morning when I wake up. 

There are some other things I want to add to my list that weren't from this book. So as an aside:

1. I want to continue to develop my hobbies and creative outlets: this blog, photography, cooking, gardening. It is important to have things that I am interested in outside of work.
2. I want to continue to push myself harder at my workouts, particularly CrossFit - I can only get stronger.
3. Simultaneously I want to learn to listen to my body and not mentally beat myself up - just because I scheduled a workout, does not meean I failed if I feel I need rest, or get stuck at work late.
4. Finally - I need to lose weight. The scale is the highest it has ever been. And while I don't want to focus on a number, that is disheartening. And it is where almost all of my desire to make changes, no matter how simple they are, comes from. 

And, in spirit of #1 on my own list. As I mentioned, I made a new recipe tonight! Tumeric Chicken with Apple Shallot Confit and salad, based on this recipe, but altered some.

Tumeric is supposed to have great anti-inflammatory effects, as well as antioxidants that are thought to help relieve arthritis symptoms. It has also proven useful with digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome. It has long served as an herbal remedy and is one powerful little spice.

I marinaded my chicken overnight, and used boneless thighs (because that is what I could get that was free-range, pasture raised, organic, etc.). I also added some cayenne to my marinade for spice. I browned each side of the chicken in a grill pan, then put the pan in a 375 degree oven to finish cooking. 

The apple shallot confit followed the recipe. Then I made a basic salad with some vinegar and garlic infused olive oil for the dressing.

Simple, quick, real food.