Over the summer, we discovered one of our best real food finds to date: we successfully joined a local CSA. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become one of our primary resources in our real food transformation – so much so that it is hard for me to remember what it was like without it. I would guess that CSAs are not available everywhere that we’ve lived; and I am equally sure that this is the case for many Almost Fit readers. However, my one bit of advice on this subject is simple:

Find one if you can, and treat them with great respect.

In this series on CSAs on Almost Fit, I’ll describe our experience with our CSA, how it has benefited us from multiple perspectives, how to find a CSA near you, and some ideas on what to do with the produce you receive.

You may have noticed that the second half of that statement, “find one if you can, and treat them with great respect“ is kind of an odd thing to say. Beyond the obvious human decency aspect, there is a vital reason why I’ve brought it to the forefront. But you’ll have to wait to find out. 

But wait – I may be getting ahead of myself. Maybe this question should be answered first… Read the rest of this entry »

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Welcome to Almost Fit. Almost Fit focuses on improving your health by doing one thing: Eating Real Food in Moderation. No low carb hacks or low fat substitutions – just savoring real, whole foods.

I am not alone in saying that fall is my favorite season. I enjoy the summer heat, winter chill, and spring rains, but when I can see my breath when I step outside in the evening, or when the crown of our maple trees starts to show signs of preparing to fall and form swirl patterns on the sidewalk, or when the distant sounds of migratory geese break the silence of falling dew, I know that I am in my element.

This year is unusual; for me, it is my first fall season that I am consciously focusing on a new way of eating. Although I’ve been improving my habits over the last few years, this year in particular I’m focused on eating well, and eating moderately. Real Food in Moderation is not just the slogan of this site; as my friends and family know, it is something I’ve put solidly into practice, and presents some interesting challenges. Read the rest of this entry »

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Welcome to Almost Fit. Almost Fit focuses on improving your health by eating real food in moderation. If you enjoy this post, please consider subscribing. It’s free, as always. Thanks.

As of today, I am standing on the verge of a new weight loss accomplishment: my lowest point in 3 years. I am literally teetering on the edge of a personal milestone – a big one, toward which I’ve been working for a while now. Today I want desperately to cross that threshold, break through this plateau, and set the weight loss ball solidly rolling downhill again. I feel as though I’ve been pushing the weight loss rock uphill for the past few months in anticipation of this moment, and today, it is finally here.

So how do I create the momentum to make it happen?

The concept of momentum fascinates me. For such a powerful force, momentum requires such a little spark to get started. My first big memory of experiencing the power of momentum was when I was 5 years old living in the Seattle area during the golden age of the Seattle Supersonics.

At the final game of the 1978-79 NBA championship series, from the moment we set foot in the gigantic Kingdome the overwhelming sensation of energy permeated every atom in the space, and not just because of the notorious echo. As the game progressed and the Sonics’ momentum built, I very clearly remember it feeling similar to standing directly in front of a loudspeaker at a rock concert – it is a very physical experience, and a powerful influencer.

The Sonics’ momentum ultimately worked in their favor; they won the game and the title. The exuberance of the crowd was overwhelming.

In fact, the momentum that had built was so contagious that it felt as though you could fly if you simply had the will to do it.

We all harness momentum in various ways, but sometimes it’s difficult to really latch onto it when we need it most. Great athletes and musicians can do it on demand. The beauty is, momentum only needs a small spark to get you going, and all of us have the power to light that fire.

So how do you kick off the spark of momentum? Read the rest of this entry »

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Editor’s note: Welcome to Almost Fit. This post is this week’s Friday Fit recipe. The idea is to try “real food” recipes that can be prepared on the weekend. If you enjoy this article, please consider subscribing. Thanks.

With fall finally here, in many parts of the country it’s time to start pawning off garden-grown squash as fast as is humanly possible. Growing up in a squash-friendly growing zone, it was not uncommon to open our front door in the morning and find a paper bag full of homeless squash having been randomly delivered by a mysterious, mythical creature under cover of darkness.

These days, while we rarely have a visit from the Great Pumpkin or his lesser-known comrade, the Squash Fairy, we do seem to have an awful lot of squash growing, and have to act fast.

So other than carving faces in them or dropping bags of them off in the middle of the night on  neighborhood porches, what do you do with all that squash?

Read the rest of this entry »

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