Where to Begin!?

…Has been an inner whirlwind, a question ruminating in my head far too long.

CHOOSING, HEALTH AND WELLNESS.

There are so many inspiring subjects and wonderful things to share and discuss. Deciding where to start as part of a cohesive, well-planned, initial article contribution was a notable task. After all, “this is going to live on the Internet forever, right?!”

Circumspectly, having recently settled new roots in this beloved place, and cherishing the relationships I have built, I truly hope to contribute thoughtfully and measurably back to this forum in return.

Initially, I was developing a storyline version of my journey here. Then, after hearing great news recently (from a new friend in the community), directly attributed to guidance and principles of wellness information that I had the honor of providing them, I decided to postpone the initial topic for a later conversation. This decision was further compounded by the loss of two close friends to stroke this week. Both were far too young. Both had been raised on the “diet from the 1960s to present,” or as I will succinctly label it right here, the “Mass production of Food-for-Profit.”

These recent outcomes, one victorious and the other somber, decisively shifted my “where to begin?” dilemma toward the vast subject of health and wellness. As a sincere passion of mine and one of the most important topics of our time, I can readily share years of knowledge gained throughout my life that will ultimately enrich and benefit everyone’s lives.

Furthermore, this is particularly relevant as it’s an increasingly popular topic these days. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., our Director at HHS, is currently making remarkable strides and noble changes, bringing data to the public forefront. 50 years later, we are finally realizing that a lot of disease is degenerative, caused by what we are exposed to and directly consuming.

This is especially exciting for me. For many decades, I was the outsider. Wandering a chasm of unhealthy choices to pick from. Healthy was very unpopular, and I was devoid of daily resources and options. My high school classmates, kidding with me about being a “health nut,” visited the local pizza and fast-food places at break, while I drove some 15 miles to the only health food store in town. Today, folks, especially the younger ones, are increasingly catching on that healthful food combined with a wellness lifestyle is foundational medicine. Building blocks for a thriving life. Our younger generation, who have witnessed the adverse effects of the aforementioned “mass production of food-only-for-profits” and “isolated treatments (as a result) syndrome” over decades, stand at a meaningful crossroads. Today, the agricultural industry is rapidly evolving, with an emerging movement towards integrative organic farming practices, and we have access to a wealth of information on wellness, more avenues for organic availability, and sustainable resources than I ever had.

I think we can all agree; we would truly give anything to be healthy when we’re not well, or when receiving a worrisome result from a recent doctor visit.

I often say that “each of us is given one body, required to carry us through a very long journey.” By all measures, this establishes our body (our life’s travel suit) as “the” most valuable earthly physical asset we possess. Investing in your body’s health and wellness will bring an abundant return on investment. Some people respond by saying…“but eating organic is expensive” or “it takes too much time to prepare healthy meals.” I counter that it truly takes substantially more time and is a lot more expensive to be sick. Our resilient, magnificently designed bodies, coupled with the creation and all it provides, are (oxymoronically) simplistically complicated. Both work symbiotically on our behalf, and all we need to do is participate.

Growing up, I was introduced early to eating clean, whole-garden-grown foods. I even went so far as to stop drinking all soda pop in my early teens. Yes, it’s true, and possible! I haven’t had an actual Coca-Cola in over 40 years!

I also specifically recall the day I realized that God designed our cells to replicate copies into each subsequent cell. Essentially, that our body can only produce our body. From that epiphany, I embarked on a lifelong internal “science study project” of sorts. I would diligently choose the healthiest option (available) for each meal to assist my cells in copying the healthiest versions that followed, continuing this day after day, year after year, and decade upon decade.

While my target was 100%, I realistically achieved 90/10% healthy/not-so-healthy percentile along the way; and of course, with life's ups and downs, it was never perfect, being faced with: limited choices while traveling; at events; holidays and sheer availability, for example. However, I always had my nonnegotiable reference point of items: no soda, ultra-processed foods, food coloring, and so on. Over the decades, I became more educated about personal and household products, as well as the differences between conventional and organic food options. I discovered new information, removed or replaced those items, and influenced many around me to invest in a health and wellness lifestyle.

In conclusion, consider this an introductory summary to a series to follow, where I will provide a variety of tools and information, including helpful tips, healthy, cost-effective recipes, and related stories to inspire our lives together around the vast and rewarding subject of health and wellness. I look forward to sharing my past and newfound information to support us all in building a thriving community.

None of us know when (or how) our final day will end here, but we can begin today by opening our minds and viewing food, integrative medicine, and our life practices with a fresh perspective. Motivating us to choose healthier and alternative paths, have more awareness, and embrace simpler food and positive lifestyle practices rooted in tradition and centuries of wisdom that will have a profound and evident impact on our daily lives—both now and in the future!

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