Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand April / May 2017: Health & Wellness Issue | Page 5

Editor's letter
W
hen we first made an issue dedicated to health
and wellness two years ago, the health trend was
established but still fairly new. In 2017, it seems that
healthy living has become a mainstream lifestyle — much more
than just a fading fad or an excuse to load Instagram with yoga
selfies. That’s the hope, anyway.
On the cover of this year’s health and wellness issue, we have
Anita Bye, a Thai-Norwegian expat and aspiring doctor who may
be young but is actually more of an old soul. We can learn from her
how it is that she manages to juggle a busy schedule, without sac-
rificing her balanced way of life.
Though we suspect that all things food and fitness are here
to stay, reaching optimal health is still a continual process. In our
often overly-busy lives, we tend to run into a few health speed
bumps, one of the biggest of which is a lack of good sleep. How
can we keep up the pace at work or on the treadmill, if we are too
tired to think or move?
Knowing that many of our readers find themselves too busy
with their families, work and travel to get the sleep they need, we
have included several articles on feeling rested, from sleep hacks
to insight on common causes of fatigue.
Other topics with the aim of energizing include shopping for
Asia’s superfoods and busting fitness myths. There’s also an in-
spirational piece called “Mind Games,” which focuses on breaking
down the negative thought patterns preventing us from reaching
our fitness milestones — because developing a positive mentality
helps us feel energized, too.
When we are young and healthy, negative thinking might be
amongst our main mind concerns. But, as we age, some of us may
develop dementia, or will know someone who does. Some expats
already have parents or grandparents struggling with this disease
back home, creating a difficult situation as they work to find ways
to take care of their loved ones from abroad.
In the article called “Long-Distance Care,” we’ve included emo-
tionally intelligent and practical ways you can help a loved one
with dementia, even if you’re living far away. You can read, as well,
one expat man’s touching account of his father, who struggled
with Alzheimer’s in his last days.
As always, I hope you’ll find in Wanderlust stories that up-
lift, inspire, and make you pause to think about life for a min-
ute. Because, even if health is important, it’s just as crucial to be
thoughtful and wise.
Thanks for reading. Enjoy!
Shannon
WWW.WANDERLUSTMAG.COMWANDERLUST 5