My journey and the birth of a blog

I spent the first half of my life. Though I visit there every few years, it wasn’t until recently that I noticed that every other person has diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), or a combination. Then I realized why that is—the prevalent lifestyle and diet, of course, although research does indicate that there is a genetic tendency as well.

A common social activity in India is visiting and hosting friends, which happens often almost daily or several times a week. And to tell you the truth, I really miss that here in the U.S. The unhealthy part of it is that the hostess generally serves a sugar sweetened drink such as tea, coffee, or lemonade, along with cookies and/or other junk food. A new trend is that the guests themselves bring more unhealthy snacks for the hostess to add to her pantry of highly refined carb snacks. 

The above mentioned social practice is compounded by the fact that many urban Indians live sedentary lives. For many people, reasons for this include a lack of opportunities or resources for exercising, crowded cities that have few natural areas for going for walks, etc., and a hot climate for much of the year. Further, gyms are few and are quite expensive. India also lacks a culture of fitness—exercise is often seen as an indulgence. 

Having seen all these factors at play, I naturally became very concerned about my own health and that of my mother’s friends.
As a result, I decided to start a Facebook page to help guide them toward a more healthy lifestyle. Later, I met an old school friend, a university business professor, who encouraged me to start a blog instead of a Facebook page. 

The next step was creating a name for my blog, and in all honesty, that took several months to do. I am so grateful to those friends whose feedback regarding the content, name, and logo helped bring you the blog you’re reading at this moment.

In June, I was finally ready to launch my blog. It takes time to write new posts, because for most of them, I do a lot of research, whether it is through other websites, journal articles, or books. I desire to teach, help, encourage, and motivate all of you to strive to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I am on this journey myself. 

Speaking of my journey, here’s why I got into the field I chose in 2010.
I was very interested in becoming a dietician, but was advised not to consider that path since it would mean doing 2 years of chemistry. I hadn’t studied any math or science after 10th grade.
(Instead, I received my Masters in English Literature from India as well as a teaching certification.)
After I was dissuaded from dietetics, I shifted my focus to pursuing health promotion to work in employee wellness. Seeing the opportunities present in the town we lived in at the time, Boone, NC, I decided to pursue the clinical track of an exercise science masters degree. My practical work experience was in cardiopulmonary rehab and in employee wellness at the local hospital.