A Christmas Epiphany

We always spend Christmas Eve with my husband's family. And this year was no different. We got to enjoy a chaotic round of gift-opening with the 3 family dogs (always a huge treat!), a day filled with endless Christmas music (supplied by me, of course - I think I've got about 10 CDs now!), lots of full-on kisses from the drunken neighbors (don't ask), and a massive meal to boot.

But, among the holiday cheer and festive gift-giving, there's always a frustrating point to these family days. And that's hearing the stories about everyone's health problems, ineffective doctors visits, and worthless health/fitness advice. I always feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall when I speak to any family member about health, fitness, or nutrition.

Honestly...
I've come to realize that our parents' generation - the baby boomers - go to the doctor for everything. So, they never "get better" because the majority of doctors are here to help us with disease, trauma, and emergency situations - NOT GENERAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS!

Since these baby boomers always go to the doctor for anything ailing them... never to a fitness professional, a chiropractor, an acupuncturist, a nutritionist, or a physical therapist... they get pills, referrals to overworked health professionals, and crappy, generic advice on exercise/nutrition.

I'm tired of it!

I'm tired of the way the "system" works.

I'm tired of the way our older generations have come to completely trust the medical system as a cure-all for everything having to do with the human body.

I'm tired of saying over and over and over again to every unhealthy family member that- proper nutrition and regular exercise will help with almost every health problem imaginable. AND... that it takes a village to stay healthy (meaning, we often need help from many health/fitness professionals to remain balanced).

But I'm not too tired to stop trying.
No, sir.
This just motivates me even more to find ways to help as many souls out there as possible. Because people need help! They're suffering, and they're looking for answers, and they're running into brick walls repeatedly!

So, here's my challenge to you, my friends...

In 2009, I'm looking to find new ways to really spread my knowledge with as many people as I possibly can. Especially people who WANT help in the areas of exercise and nutrition. And since you're visiting my site - and you're obviously somewhat interested in fitness and healthy eating - I want YOU to spread the word about health too. I want YOU to be a messenger.

Because once you begin living a healthy lifestyle, through the guidelines of knowledgeable fitness professionals like myself; you can be a role model for others. Remember that. YOU can make a huge difference in others' lives.

So, let's all work to educate the baby boomers (and everybody else!) toward a greater understanding of what "healthy" truly means. It's not doctors and pills and the bare minimum of healthy choices. It's an all-encompassing overhaul of habits to make life more worthwhile.

Okay... we've got a big job ahead of us...
Good luck!

Oh - and Merry Christmas!!