If living your best life was a test, I would not get all passing grades for 2010. Some things I vowed to do this time last year, I didn’t. I didn’t give myself time in the studio to paint and play. I didn’t work out daily. Yet I did do better in other areas, like shorter work hours and taking more vacation days. But 2011 is a fresh start and I feel immensely blessed to have a new year to get it right.

This past year I observed my three brothers and their spouses make the decision to get it right, in terms of taking charge of their health.
Each couple independently decided to begin by participating in an intensive 10- week program of proper nutrition and weight management. They reported that they progressively felt better and more energized. In the process, they dropped pounds and inches, lowered their cholesterol levels and improved their blood pressure numbers. The bonus is how empowered they feel for making these healthy lifestyle changes.

For 30 years, renowned medical doctor Dean Ornish has led pioneering clinical research that proves making such simple changes in the way we eat and live can radically transform our health. Recently, Medicare agreed to provide coverage for his program for reversing heart disease; it is the first time that Medicare has covered a program of comprehensive lifestyle changes. Let’s hope that other insurance companies start to see the wisdom of this.

In this month’s special Health & Wellness issue, you’ll find plenty of ways to take control of your own health and well-being, as well as boost that of your kids  and pets. Find out why the food we eat has a direct impact on our pain levels.

I have to wonder why, in this land of opportunity and independence, so many people feel trapped in painful habits, debts, relationships and jobs? In many ways, our entire country has become stuck. Anneli Rufus, the author of Stuck: Why We Can’t (or Won’t) Move On, remarks, “The hardest thing is admitting that our own choices got us here and keep us here.” Her insights help us get unstuck.

I’m pleased to say that this month, Natural Awakenings celebrates 17 years of publishing. Our job continues to be to inspire, educate and empower you to make good choices that enable you to live your best life. That is our best reward. A special thanks goes to our loyal advertisers that make this free monthly publication possible and provide the resources and support you need to move forward
into each new year. Thanks, too, to our loyal readers, for holding the vision of a world that works for all.

Here’s to what’s possible in the new year ahead!

Sharon Bruckman, Publisher