Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Cheers to A Healthy Life - We Have A Winner!

Healthy Life Contest - And the winner is...
Angie Hakanson

Thanks to all of you who sent in your entries. They were so varied and wonderful; I loved reading them all. 

The winning entry by Angie Hakanson was chosen because it touches on both exercise and nutrition, and the desire and ability to celebrate life. Not only is it physical, but it is spiritual. It encompasses everything that it means to live a healthy life, in my opinion. The runner-up entry by Green Diva Jenifer O'Neill was a close second, and the list provides readers with a great outline for good health. In addition, I've posted a few notable ones I thought you should read. I love Mimi Kirk's entry for her commitment to raw living (and, by the way, she is stunning at 71 - google her; she looks about 40); and Laura Farago's for her ability to meet cancer head-on, beat it, and make a conscious choice to be as healthy as possible. And last but not least, is a great quote by Francine Marcello, one that encompasses the true purpose for maintaining good health. Thanks to all who submitted entries. They were wonderful to read.

The winner will receive our Lotus Blossom Inspiration t-shirt, and the first runner up will receive a Nomad Adventure Journal (courtesy of Nomad Adventure Journals).

THE WINNER!
Angie Hakanson, Carlsbad, CA:
To be fit means I will be able to touch my toes when I am 90 years old. It means the healthy food I eat is translated to pure energy and my body will reward me with glowing skin and bountiful energy. Being fit means I am the parent creating memories while playing lacrosse with my son in the park. It is the peace I feel when I practice yoga and the runner’s high I receive while running on the beach with my best friend. Being fit is not so much about physical results for me but more about where I want to be as I get older. I only have this one body and I cannot exchange it for a new one if this one breaks down. When I focus on those goals, staying fit is not a chore but something I look forward to every time I make the commitment to do it. It is the best gift I could give myself and my family.

FIRST RUNNER-UP
Jenifer O'Neill, 48 – Wife and mother  of James 8 and Benjamin 2.5, Boonton Township, NJ
(She listed what makes a healthy life to her. We reformatted it for this blog.) I get some kind of exercise every day, but at least three times a week.  Strenuous is best, but I’ll take anything – a bike ride, stroller walk, a hike. I practice yoga, even if for 10-15 minutes at home on the mat, but better in a group class, and best if it’s Power Yoga. I get outside every day. I work in a garden. I take my vitamins, tonics and nourishing herbs – like Nettles and Oatstraw. I get a good night’s sleep.  I get a nap if I need it. I limit my sugar intake. I eat whole grainscomplex carbohydrates, good quality protein like organic and/or grass-fed meats or organic legumes, fruits and vegetables (organic when possible).  I drink enough water. Exfoliate – face and body once a week.  I take care of my family. I spend time with my children.  I get time alone. I get time alone with my husband.  I spend time with or talk to my friends. I take in some kind of culture – music, art, theatre. I see my chiropractor regularly. I see my health care practitioners regularly. I get a massage. I laugh. I cook. I work.


NOTABLES

Mimi Kirk, California:
I'll be 71 in sept. I feel healthy being a raw vegan and not taking animals lives in order to feed myself. Raw and living food allows me to tread lightly on the planet. I believe in giving and receiving love, being kind and caring and this all makes me feel healthy and happy. I love being an inspiration to people and especially women showing younger women that you can feel and look good at any age. I've just been crowned by PETA as the "sexiest vegetarian over 50" so at 71 I'm proud of this honor. I'm very active and feel like 20 yrs old. I'm very positive about life. We need to love ourselves enough to take care of ourselves...

Laura Farago, Stockton, CA:
What makes me feel healthy is actively doing what's right for my body each day, which includes eating right and exercising where I am working up a good sweat with my heart rate up for at least a half hour a day! Yes I do think wellness is attained through good nutrition and exercise and have attached a list of health tips I've found beneficial to obtain optimal health!  
Here is my story: At only 21, I was diagnosed with a rare type of bone cancer, in my femur bone, after graduating from UCSD back in 2000. At the time, I was not seriously doing everything I could in the area of prevention. I stared exercising some and eating better, but the damage was done and the tumor board suggested I start daily chemotherapy and radiation right away. Due to the aggressive side effects, exercising and eating were no longer possible for me, so I had to be hospitalized and live on the oncology floor as they injected me with poisons with other sick people much older than I was. I had always been aware that fruits and vegetables were good food choices; however, I just never seemed to get enough of them in my diet simply because I hated the way they tasted. I even attempted juicing because a nutritionist had suggested that I juice for better health. Juicing on a regular basis did not last long for me. To be honest, I found juicing was expensive, messy and time consuming! When a friend and doctor introduced me to Juice Plus+ and told me it was 17 fruits and vegetables in a capsule or chewable form, I started my research and investigation, as did my friends and family members. Shortly after, we all added Juice Plus+ to our diets right away. I realized that cancer, and all diseases for that matter, are influenced by diet; I was determined not to let my medical problem repeat itself. I began reading medical literature on the connection between diet and health. My family and I consumed volumes about nutrition and subscribed to every nutritional journal we could find. I learned that my life essentially depended upon eating the right foods and taking the right supplements, so that is what I did.

Francine Marcello, Boonton, NJ
"Your life is an occasion, so rise to it." 

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