Letter from Publisher
Welcome to a new year and a new decade, both of which offer opportunities, as well as challenges, in our pursuit of healthy living. As we ring in a new year, we often wonder where the time has gone and how we became another year older. Some people feel the effects of time through aches and pains, while others feel better and are spryer in their middle-aged years than when they were younger. One of our features this month, “Living Long & Well,” shares accounts of people who adapted healthy, age-defying habits, such as eating a plant-based diet and incorporating aerobic exercise into their routine, that helped stop the clock on aging.
Wishing you a new year full of opportunities,
Gabriella Buchnik, Publisher
This month’s Healing Ways looks at how systematic inflammation, not just wear-and-tear repetitious movement, can be the culprit of painful arthritis. Factors like leaky gut syndrome and inadequate nutrition can kick inflammation into overdrive, causing painful conditions. While we’re on the topic of gut health, “Gut Check” explores the best foods to boost the immune system—and what foods to avoid. The piece also includes tasty, nutritious recipes like Creamy Turmeric Cauliflower Soup, ideal on a cold Wisconsin January day, which provides a satisfying dose of anti-inflammatory turmeric.
A new year also brings resolutions, one of the most common being weight loss. Yet when it comes to working out, sometimes less is more. “When Workouts Don’t Work” looks at why overdoing it at the gym can do more harm than good and does not always produce the results we are seeking. Fitness experts also share their tips to achieve a more productive, low-stress workout.
Each new year symbolizes a new chapter and a time to start afresh, with lofty goals and ambitions, but according to Psychology Today, approximately 80 percent of resolutions fail by mid-February. I prefer the term “goals” over “resolutions”, and keeping goals realistic and recognizing that it’s okay to stumble along our paths can help make our dreams become reality. Mistakes can be beneficial, teaching us what to do—and more importantly, what not to do—next time. A dear, elderly friend once told me, “Nobody knows everything, but we all learn from each other—if we’re smart enough.” Let’s all learn and grow together as we reach for our goals in 2020.
Wishing you a new year full of opportunities,
Gabriella Buchnik, Publisher
