July marks the mid-point of the year. Perhaps it’s a good time to reflect on accomplishments in the first half and plan for the second half—either to stay on track or get back on track.

July is also time to celebrate freedom in the U.S. Despite some unresolved issues, this country is still the best place in the world to find life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And the Gulf Coast is the best of the best!

I am celebrating a new pursuit I started two years ago as publisher of Natural Awakenings Gulf Coast. When I was introduced to this wonderful periodical, I was not looking to be a magazine publisher. I had just transitioned from training endurance triathletes to coaching men and women to improve their healthspan to be closer to their lifespan. Lifespan is the total number of years we live, whereas healthspan is how many of those years we remain healthy and free from disease.

As a Certified Health & Wellness Coach and the Publisher of a regional health & wellness magazine, my top personal goal is for my healthspan to equal my lifespan, but it takes work. In the same way, it took a lot of work to complete an Ironman Triathlon. But, at the time, I was training Ironman athletes and I wanted to better serve them by going through all the necessary discipline, conditioning and sacrifice that I was asking of them. Talk the talk, walk the walk.

In 2013, I completed Ironman Florida in 13+ hours. I swam 2.4, cycled 112 and ran 26.2 miles: 140.6 total! Now, going into the 7th decade of life and my 3rd career, I want to continue to walk the walk and do so with the help of holistic practices and practitioners right here in the pages of Natural Awakenings. My husband and I eat whole, organic foods, limit sugar, exercise 180 minutes (or more) weekly, strength train, sleep eight (or more) hours per night, take part in daily spiritual practices and have fun. Today my blood pressure was 116 over 76. Not bad.

We can stay committed to maintaining a healthspan to equal our lifespan by first living life with intent and purpose. Second, continuing to learn about the body, its limitlessness and its best fuel. Third, finding the best experts to teach us about all of that along with new things like bio-technology and other amazing methodologies to care for ourselves that are constantly being invented, discovered or rediscovered. If this interests you, be sure to go back and read the June article with Dr. Mark Hyman on “Living Healthy to 100 and Beyond.”

Why do we want to live ‘Healthy to 100’? I do it because I want to be around in 10, 20, 30 years to get down on the floor, swim in the pool, go to the park, to play with my grandchildren. I want to watch them grow and prosper. I love those little nuggets of joy!

May God bless you and keep you,