Create a new you: whether it's with little steps or giant leaps, all of us can adopt healthy habits and feel our best - What's on My Mind

Natural Health, August, 2002 by Rachel Streit

ONE OF OUR RESEARCH interns recently underwent a transformation.

His name is Rich Gravelin and he worked with us earlier this year because he was leaving a career in sales and preparing for one in magazine editing. But it's not the job change that was remarkable. It was what happened to his mind and body during the 3 1/2 months he worked in our office.

As a research intern, Rich spent hours every day researching articles and interviewing health experts. He knew--even before he started working with us--that a good diet and exercise are the foundation of good health, but he hadn't always put that knowledge into practice. However, over the first few weeks, the health information he was pulling together for articles became harder to ignore in his personal life.

He started with one small step. He made soup. He followed a recipe for Southwestern-style tomato soup from "Slim Down with Soup," an article that appeared in our January/February issue. The soup is packed with healthy ingredients like garlic, carrots, chickpeas, and corn. Rich really enjoyed it. He thought, "If it's good for me and I like it, why aren't I eating more of it?" So he started eating healthy meals regularly.

He lost a few pounds, which inspired him to start exercising regularly. That helped him tone up, lose a little more weight, and feel even better. By the end of his internship in April, Rich had lost 17 pounds and gained more energy. (I recently chatted with him and he's lost II more and has a goal of losing another 14.)

Rich isn't the only one who's made a recent transformation. In this issue you'll read the story of three readers with ambitious health goals who volunteered to undergo a Natural Health makeover. After three months of the intensive care of a holistic health practitioner, all three of them have made strides toward a better, healthier life. (To read their stories, see "3 Readers, 3 Months, 3 Transformations," page 62.)

To be honest, none of these remarkable transformations surprise me. After working on this magazine for more than seven years, these stories have a familiar ring. Natural medicine can transform anyone. No matter what your level of commitment is, whether you want to make small changes based on things you read in the magazine of you want to take it to another level and partner with a natural health care practitioner, you too can transform your life.

Wishing you good health,

RACHEL STREIT
Editor in Chief

WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND?

I would love to hear what you're thinking about these days. Email me at RachaelStreit@weiderpub.com or send a letter to me at Natural Health, 70 Lincoln Street, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02111.