Living a Healthy Life: Turning Over a New Leaf

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Lao Tzu

I’m turning over a new leaf! 

Like many—especially us women in our fifties—I struggle with weight, diet, exercise, and finding a healthy balance between them all. Of late, these struggles have been more real. There are many days where my mind is in a fog. I feel sluggish. I do not sleep well, if at all, most nights. The middle-aged aches and pains are more pronounced. It’s just not a great feeling, and it’s becoming increasingly clear from a variety of channels that I need to make some changes.

It’s a well-known fact that as we age, it becomes even more important to take care of ourselves. Healthy eating is a key ingredient to better health. And it’s not just physical. Nutrition and diet affects how we feel, how nimble our mind is, and our overall sense of well-being. 

In previous blog posts, I’ve shared a lot of ideas and tips and tricks for eating well, exercising, reducing stress, and scheduling our days so that we can fit everything in. And now, it’s time for me to walk the talk and get healthier for my own sake. 

Starting in October, I’m going to share my journey of how I am incorporating a plant-based diet into my life.  Every week, I’m going to post an article as part of a new series called “Good Food Mood.”  I’ll chronicle the baby steps I am taking for a healthier me — what worked, what didn’t work, how I feel, and how these changes are affecting my “life explored.”

With the assistance of a nutritionist who completed her training at the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, I hope to make more changes gradually over time. This won’t be a destination I will reach overnight, though I feel there have been so many others who have carved the path before me to make the navigation a bit easier.

Those who know me well know it’s going to be a day-to-day struggle. I enjoy living my “life explored” with fun food and lively libations. My goal is to continue enjoying my food and drink; they just may look and taste a bit different. And I’m okay with that. In fact, I am a little excited to sample foods and techniques that maybe I haven’t tried before.

As I walk out this new lifestyle, I will share how we can still have variety and great taste in our meals with recipes perfect for individuals and families. And since I am trying them out myself, I promise I’ll only share the keepers!

Along the way, my work and play will undoubtedly look and feel a bit different too. Self-care will be even more important. I am hoping for more energy, better sleep, and an overall feeling of wellness. I hope you’ll travel along with me.