Regular readers know I am doing 50 healthy things this year in honor of my 50th birthday. Here’s number 50 – delivering on a promise.
One year ago today, I made a public declaration that I would do 50 healthy things in honor of my 50th birthday year. I had never made such a bold New Year’s resolution, and I certainly had never put one out for the world to see.
It was an interesting journey. I started the year with enthusiasm and fervor. Second quarter was slow and steady. In third quarter, I hit a bit of a lull, which forced me to race to the finish line in fourth quarter like my life depended on it. Thus, you’ve seen a plethora of posts over the past couple of weeks.
But I did it! I made it! Sound the New Year’s noisemakers please!
I really wasn’t sure how it would play out. I said in my first post, “My vision is that some of these things will be small and personal, while others may be larger and more organized. I would love your ideas, input and participation.”
And that’s exactly what’s happened. It’s been a mishmash of personal anecdotes mixed with highlights of some great brands that promote healthy living. Here’s a recap of the whole #healthy50 list:
- Electric Car – I bought a zippy little Nissan Leaf, and I still love it. I haven’t gotten gas in a year. What a time saver.
- Walking meetings – we’re on a quest to eradicate the dangers of sitting at Kuhn & Wittenborn.
- New shoes – The pros at Gary Gribble’s Running Sports helped me find the perfect fit to keep me going all year.
- Drinking Water – I still drink half my body weight in ounces each day.
- Kicking Sugar to the Curb – I completely eliminated sugar for three-fourths of the year. I’ll admit I’ve fallen down over the holidays, but I plan to get back on track.
- Breathing – My friend, Toby Kuhn, introduced me to a great breathing app to help with stress reduction. Dr. Andrew Weil has some great tips too.
- My Fitness Pal – I still think it’s a great tracker for accountability in diet and exercise.
- Fitbit – My goal is at least 5,000 steps each day, but I try to get closer to 10,000. My Fitbit keeps me accountable.
- 5 Fruits and Veggies/Day – It’s a “rule” for me and easier than one might thing if you focus.
- New perspectives – I had the opportunity to gain new perspectives about agriculture and life from a lecture by Vandana Shiva at Kansas City’s Unity Temple.
- Celebrate milestones – I celebrated my 25th anniversary at Kuhn & Wittenborn.
- Kombucha – I started brewing my own version of this ancient elixir at home. I’ll be honest – as the year went on, I got a little nervous about the safety of home brewing conditions. It was a great experiment, but….
- Sleep – I’m still trying my best to get 7-8 hours per night.
- Powerhouse greens – I’m still eating a LOT of greens in different ways – including the choco green smoothie I highlighted in this post.
- PiYo – I still go every Saturday morning, and I had fun introducing my teacher, Becky Feller, to my colleagues at Kuhn & Wittenborn.
- Road trip – I feel like one of the best things Randy and I have done as parents is to lock our kids in the car with us every summer. We’ve made great memories, and this year was no exception.
- Getting back to your roots – I had a great time connecting with extended family at my cousin, Troy’s wedding.
- Eat more pie – My favorite new brand I discovered this year is Pie Lab in Greensboro, AL.
- Expand your fitness horizons – Architecture and design students from Auburn University have a created an awesome model for community fitness at a park in Greensboro.
- Calm amidst the chaos – We had a wild summer, but Randy and I managed to find a little peace right in the middle of Atlanta at the Chatahootchee National Recreation Area.
- Play a team sport – We spend a lot of time watching our son’s baseball team. Karl Carswell and his gang at KC Barnstormers are the best in the business.
- Eat some weeds – My weekly CSA from Gibbs Road Farm and Cultivate Kansas City did a great job of introducing me to new produce this year – including purslane, often eschewed as a weed.
- Surprise – My family taught me to embrace the unexpected with an incredible birthday celebration.
- ACV – The advantages of Bragg’s apple cider vinegar are too numerous to mention.
- Campout – Spending the night with the members of Shawnee Mission Northwest Student Council made me optimistic about the future.
- Coconut Oil – This is my new wonder product. I use it for everything.
- Chicken man – With the importance of local, sustainably raised meat reaching new heights, I feel fortunate to know Mike and Dee Martin from 4D Acres.
- Bone Broth – I never thought I’d be boiling bones to make a healing soup, but turning 50 leads to weird things I guess.
- Bring your lunch – It saves money and calories. Our clients at GEHA had some great ideas. To see the videos we produced for them, click here.
- Try a new fruit or veggie – Just when I thought I knew them all, my colleague, Erin Carlson, introduced me to the watermelon radish.
- Mammogram – You have to do it, and really, it’s not so bad.
- Coffee – I can’t start my day without it, and I don’t feel one bit guilty about it. A new brand I discovered that gives back to soldiers, Green Beans Coffee, makes it even better.
- Catching up with old friends – Reconnecting with friends from college at the recently reopened JJ’s Restaurant was good for my soul.
- DIY cleaner – A mix of coconut oil and baking soda had my kitchen cabinets gleaming without the use of toxic chemicals.
- BOSU – According to the BOSU website, it’s the perfect tool for “active aging.” I guess that’s me.
- Sunchokes – This is another new food I learned to love this year.
- Healthy appetizers – Like most of us, I struggled to keep up healthy eating during the holiday season, but I found a few good alternatives.
- Healthy gifts – Likewise, the options for fitness-related gifts seemed to grow this year.
- Essential oils – I’ve developed a recent obsession with Young Living oils. They have all kinds excellent uses.
- Healthy holiday decorations – Brands like Sur La Table and others jumped on the healthy bandwagon with home décor.
- Dark chocolate – For most of the year, it’s the one indulgence I allowed myself. My favorite brand is Chocolove.
- Family traditions – My kids reminded me how important traditions are in strengthening healthy bonds between generations.
- Probiotics – I’m very interested in the role of “gut health” in overall health. I take a probiotic supplement every day.
- Jillian Michaels – When I can’t get to the gym, I work out at home with America’s toughest trainer.
- Sharing cookies at the dog park – Randy and his new friend, Ben, inspired me to be open to “strangers.”
- Tea – Shang Tea is one of my favorite healthy brands, and the health benefits of tea are numerous.
- Play by the rules – After weeks of holiday feasting, I felt the need to get back on track with some healthy living “rules.”
- Fish oil – It’s hard to get enough Omega-3s in your diet without supplements. I looked at several options.
- Pegan diet – Dr. Mark Hyman convinced me that combining the best of Paleo and Vegan diets to become a “Pegan” is a good idea. Read this excellent article.
- Delivering on a promise – In the end, I think this is really what it’s all about: finishing what we start and fulfilling commitments. It’s easy to say we’re going to do something, but to actually do it is more of challenge. However, that’s what the best people and the best brands do. They deliver on their promises. They execute plans. There may be some twists and turns along the way, but in the end, there’s a lot of satisfaction in completing what we start.
I have had a lot of fun this year with my #healthy50 list. Many great people and great brands played a role, and I am eternally grateful for your encouragement and participation.
I’m not making such a bold resolution this year, but I am committed to maintaining an interest in healthy brands and healthy lifestyles. I look forward to seeing what unfolds in 2015, and I wish you all health and happiness.