This section is intended to be more personal….  my heart to yours.” From My Experience” is the title I have settled upon, it is taken from a book by the same the name written by the acclaimed author, Louis Bromfield, one of my favorite writers.  In his book Bromfield “goes back” to Ohio where he was raised to relive all the cherished memories of his childhood growing up on a farm. In the years that followed the now infamous Malabar Farm would become Bromfield’s passion as he would practice the many nuances of organic agriculture, bringing prominence to Malabar Farm and a greater awareness of agriculturalist as the “noblest” of all professions, caring for the earth and in turn caring for one’s soul. Bromfield had no illusions, going back anywhere is impossible, he said, so much had changed over the years, mostly me. I had many fond memories on the farm, as a boy, I wanted so much to come home and experience those all over again. However, much too my delight, what I discovered was not a cherished past, but something even better, here are his words, “I did not find at all what I was seeking, I found something much better …. a whole new life, and a useful purposeful life, one in which I have been able to make a contribution in the science of agriculture and the hearts of mankind, that we cherish the earth and reverence the life she gives to us.”

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges I have with “A Healthier You,” is to take a lifetime of experience and make it both personal and applicable to the health challenges we face today. Ask anyone who faces any of the maladies that besiege our population young and old and they will tell you health is the most precious of gifts, that we so carelessly take for granted. Our health care system treats the sick and diseased but does very little to promote health and wellness, that in fact is your job. Individual accountability, the arduous task of educating and motivating ourselves to achieve something that is very much subjective in terms of comparative results.  However realistic and attainable your wellnesses goals, “a whole new life” won’t be realized without a certain passion and enthusiasm that drives you to discover who you are, what you’re made of and how to change. While some of the fundamental principles for wellness are straight forward, others are not. The ability to navigate the convergence of information and misinformation, the conflicting product offerings, and the trial and error that besets our gains is demanding on so many levels, heaven for bid we include an exercise regime that requires a certain measure of discipline and daily commitment. Passion fuels us in so many tangible ways, and enthusiasm is contagious, especially for the one that matters most, you. I have been researching this subject for over four decades, but what seems to me only a short time. I love to learn and I love to teach even more. What I hope to do with the words that I scribe, is not to recount my sorted history and to profess what I know, but to inspire you to learn. Because it is from “your experience” that you will grow and change.