So I've been on a journey lately. Not the kind that involves an airplane, TSA lines, or over stuffed suitcases... but rather, a journey of ideas and education, which can be, in its own way,  just as exciting as a travel adventure! Since starting my half-marathon training, I've had a growing interest in improving my overall health. Exploring more about what that means, I eventually discovered Michael Pollan's book, "In Defense of Food." I just finished reading it and am surprised by how much I actually enjoyed it. I mean, I love to read.... but for some reason, his book was extremely compelling. It just seems to... make sense. His main point being that we need to quit eating processed 'food like substances' and instead, eat more real, actual food (old skool style, before it all began appearing in boxes....).

At first, this seemed like an overwhelming challenge. It means having to.... you know, cook. (Not just take things out of a box and toss them in the microwave.) This freaked me out for two reasons: 1) I don't know anything about cooking 2) my schedule is crazy, how am I supposed to make time to do something I'm so terrible at?

Well.... I got over it.

I realized that if I can't make time for my health now (and forever), I'd be in big trouble later. Who was I kidding!?

So, I've been cooking up a storm and so far... I haven't blown the place up! :) We've been enjoying whole-grain breads including pumpernickel and dark rye (and as soon as my new cook-book gets here, we'll be baking our own whole-grain artisan breads! Yummo!)

I've familiarized myself with Open Harvest where I can buy unrefined grains like quinoa and locally produced treasures like honey (in refillable containers!).

Buckwheat pancakes with pure, 100% real maple syrup have begun making a regular appearance on our kitchen table on the weekends. We kicked all artificial sweeteners and refined sugars to the curb (when was the last time you tasted real maple syrup? Incredible!).

I finished the last few chapters of "In Defense of Food" under the shade of our apple tree on a recent sunny day. :)

While soaking up the sun (and the book) I spotted this little guy. Isn't he cute? I bet the view is pretty great from up there!

One of the things that I've realized is.... the only way to really know what you're eating is to educate yourself. So, if you want to learn more about eating better and how it can affect your health, I can't say enough about the book. For the whole family, I also recommend checking out Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, an incredible series with the goal of improving the way we eat. The season finale just wrapped with a total of 6 episodes. Each one broken down into four 10-minute clips available on YouTube.

Learn. Eat. Enjoy & be healthy!