Greetings from newbie publisher Michelle Smith. I am blessed to have an abundance of experiences living as a Southeastern gal to prepare me for my next adventure as the Natural Awakenings Gulf Coast publisher. Born and raised in Memphis, I moved to Baton Rouge, where I earned a degree at LSU in journalism with a focus in advertising and marketing.  I later re-routed to Atlanta, Georgia as a single mother and spent many years in the corporate world before settling down in 2002 in Fairhope with my husband for the last 20 years.

I have met so many wonderful athletes, business owners, artists, shop owners, dog walkers and everything in-between in this small-town utopia. As a matter of fact, I was privileged to explore Fairhope through the lens of a triathlete—swimmer, cyclist, and runner. Learning the lay of the land, I ran many miles around downtown, biked all over Baldwin county, and swam quite a bit in Mobile Bay along the Fairhope beaches, with a bunch of other crazy people who joined me just for the fun of it. And so I became a certified USA Triathlon coach promoting triathlon, as well as triathlete performance and heart health all around the Gulf coast.

Though retired as a triathlon coach, my newest career path as a magazine publisher and functional medicine certified health coach allows me to help people walk through change when change is hard. When you make a conscious choice to live a healthier lifestyle but cannot quite focus on your best food choices or get motivated to start an exercise plan, a coach is your guide, your collaborator, your champion. We meet you where you are and build from there. Functional medicine looks at the whole body, focusing on lifestyle to determine root causes for any given issue. Bringing your health to its optimal level requires addressing everything from nutrition, movement, stress transformation, sleep and relationships.

 Our July feature article is “Food As Medicine,” and I’m excited for you to read about why it is so important to make wise choices when it comes to everyday eating. II have experienced firsthand the transformational effects of healthier food choices. After spending more than a year preparing for my son’s wedding in 2020 and my 60th birthday in 2021, I wanted to be at my best physically, mentally and spiritually. I follow a whole food, clean-eating approach, with limited intake of processed foods, sugar and alcohol. I include regular exercise and lean heavily on my faith in God to stay focused.  Not only did I lose more than 20 pounds, I also lowered my cholesterol and have way more energy, so now I truly have a healthy body, a focused mind and a joyful heart!

It thrills me to bring Natural Awakenings readers all the significant news about healthy living and a healthy planet. I hope you will join me on this journey to optimal health and wellness through intentional living. A good life is a purposeful life, it doesn’t happen by chance!

God Bless you and keep you until we meet,

 

Michelle Smith, Publisher