Elements For A Healthier Life Magazine Issue 12 | April/May/June 2017 | Page 10

Welcome to the anniversary issue of Elements For A Healthier Life Magazine. It’s truly been a dream come true for me.

I want to express my gratitude to those who sent their condolences and held my family in their prayers during the most difficult period of my life - the death of my first born son on April 10th. All the well-wishes took a lot of the pressure off of my need to publish the April and May issues. I am a bit of a perfectionist and was (at first) very hard on myself for “dropping the ball” on my obligations.

Obligations can be set to the side guilt free. Truly a challenge for this gal. I listened to the advice of my peers and family and set aside my need to be productive. I gave myself the permission to grieve. And I am.

Publishing a periodical has been a dream of mine since I was eight or nine years old. With a burst of inspiration and divine guidance, I created the first issue in twelve days. I am blessed with an amazing support team that has helped me every step of the way. When the growing pains slowed me down, they held me up and offered me the support I needed to somehow pull up my big girl panties and forge ahead.

As we all know, everything is always in motion and evolving. One example is the result of what happened when the In The Kitchen section combined with my health coach training sparked inspiration and the concept of UnBox Your Kitchen was developed. I have mentioned UnBox Your Kitchen in more recent issues. To expand on this concept, I am building a community, the aim of which is to encourage people who are ready to make sustainable life changes to prepare their meals from scratch versus grabbing a box of whatever (with all it's unpronounceable ingredients) off the grocery store shelves. I know from personal experience the impact of eating a healthy diet, rich in whole foods, and that one person’s food of choice can be another person’s poison.

It feels good to be getting back into the rhythm of working. Inspiration abounds and I have a renewed vitality.

Join me as I wander down memory lane for a jaunt and explore what’s next in this anniversary issue of Elements For A Healthier Life Magazine