I’m getting my mojo back, yippee! I actually had enough energy this weekend to do all the usual groceries runs, soccer deliveries, child activity deliveries, teenager hosting sessions and had enough left to clean out my cupboards.

Whoohoo I’m sure you’re saying. And yet I’m thrilled that I had energy left over to clean my cupboards because I haven’t had any energy left over at the end of the day for over a year. And it wasn’t just any cupboard clearing, nope. It had everything to do with my Nourish project.

Basically, following the general rules of Michael Pollan, I pulled out everything from my cupboards and fridge that had ingredients my grandmother wouldn’t recognize, had GM ingredients in them and/or were high in sugar (like pancake syrup). I’d already separated most things but hadn’t completely followed through and either composted or recycled many items. I’m also going to be the new favourite of our local food bank.

What’s left actually fits in my one long pantry cupboard and I finally have room to bring up my breadmaker and electric skillet from the storage room downstairs. Although I will miss getting my exercise running those up and down every 3 days or so. Maybe it’s finally time for that Zumba class!

Nourish: provide with the food or other substances necessary for growth, health, and good condition

I’m embarking on a new strategy that I’ll call The Nourish Project. The subject of this project is me.

Why create a project? Really, it’s not like I have a lot of extra time in my life but that’s actually the point. Here I am, a 43 year old founder of a company that I created to help other people yet I’m not really helping myself. I spend my day creating new foods, educating customers, speaking to groups of people about eating healthfully within the constraints of a special diet yet I admit, I’m really unhealthy.

Here’s the list of what I’ve become: overweight, tired, wife, mother of 2 teenage girls, entrepreneur, Rotarian (and former president), mentor to 3 younger entrepreneurs, Parent Advisory Council member, Snacks coordinator for soccer, etc., etc. I’m sure that many of you can come up with a similar list.

But here’s the problem; how can I look you in the eye and tell you to take care of yourself when I’m not even close to doing it for myself? I truly believe that good quality food costs more money and that we should have the right to know if there are genetically modified ingredients in our foods. Yet, I was grabbing what was quick and easy at the grocery store and spending less time reading labels beyond food allergens. I’ve always had a full freezer of items that I’d cooked (I’ve never been one to have things like fish sticks in my freezer) but my freezer was shockingly empty of all of those good meals. I was also riding the “sugar train”; ups and downs always seemingly solved by more chocolate or sugary tea.

So I began reading and listening to others and trying to pay attention to what I actually needed rather than what I thought I should do. I’ve come up with some rules about how I’m going to run the project, many of which I have to credit Michael Pollan after I reread (and actually finally absorbed) “In Defense of Food”.

1. Engage Family (this was surprisingly easy)
2. Choose food that will nourish all senses
3. Choose good quality food so that I eat less of it
4. Eat more plants
5. No shoulding on myself. Just one day at a time.
6. Stop watching tv
7. Listen to music
8. Sing again
9. Move my body in the way I want to, not what I think I’m supposed to do

That’s pretty much it. Seems simple, right? Not so much if you take a look at what we emptied out of our fridge and cupboards. And what am I going to do without my weekly dose of The Amazing Race and The Good Wife when I’ve also decreed watching episodes online off limits? What happens when I get off of the treadmill and take a zoomba class and dance like no one’s watching (do these classes come with blindfolds)? I used to sing all the time if just in the shower but I haven’t done that in forever to the relief of my neighbor’s dogs.

And maybe, just maybe, it’s time to put myself first. It’s time to Nourish: Body, Mind and Soul. I’ll keep you up to date on how it’s going but feel free to join in and share your own Nourish Project.