Igniting a New Culture of Health Education

The vast Smokey Mountain landscape looks like a painted picture outside the coffee shop window. With this view as a backdrop, I can’t help but feel a certain sense of clarity. As I sip my go-to Americano and watch the waves of thick haze drift over the mountain tops, it only feels natural to start my blog here. Because beneath the gorgeous scenery of Gatlinburg, there is a shocking reality of a city that is facing  a health crisis.

Just outside of Gatlinburg, Tennessee is the outdoor enthusiast's dream. Overrun with gorgeous hiking trails, cascading waterfalls, trickling streams and lush mountain tops that climb high into the clouds above, it's a utopia for physical and emotional health. But after a week of hiking, city dwelling & outdoor exploration I became increasingly aware of a very contrasting cultural phenomenon: Gatlinburg is city void of health. It is dominated by commercial food chains and fast food restaurants. Ice cream shops, country kitchens and pancake houses stretch as far as the eye can see. These foods nourish an array of health ailments and diseases including obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, chronic fatigue, eczema, brain fog, anxiety, depression, low immune function and many more.

After a week here I've become acutely aware of a bigger issue: a lack of crucial, basic health education has been blatantly overlooked, or even worse - unavailable. And this issue isn't isolated to Gatlinburg, it's an epidemic that I see widespread across the United States.

I firmly believe that the heart of this current health epidemic is deeply rooted in education. My mission with this blog is to democratize health education. It should be accessible to everyone as an integral part of our society and culture. But until then, we must take our health into our own hands and  become our own health advocates. We must fight the food industries’ propaganda that is purposely putting profit over consumer health. It’s crucial we think for ourselves and push through the fog of deception. That is why this blog is here. I’m here to be your guiding light.

Simple Mindful Living is your guide to simplified health, regardless of your educational background or demographic. Here you’ll find things like Healthy Living 101, Mindset Mondays, recipes and a plethora of resources to get you on track. I’m going to teach you how to think critically, ask the unpopular questions, and regain your health. I can’t wait to go on this journey with you! It's all starting now, welcome to your new healthy life!