I didn’t really know what to expect when I embarked on this 177-day journey. I had no idea if I would even finish it. But something inside me kept writing. Even on nights when I got home late, had a few glasses of wine (those of you ‘lucky’ early birds saw my wine-induced typos), I remained dedicated to the journey; to the stories I wanted to share. There were a lot of stories…

Let’s see: I lost my dog, I painted my office (and have now painted another one); I went on trips both in the sky and by car; I celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, and engagements with friends. I was humbled, I was a ‘loser’, I went out to eat; I got ‘high,’ I said NO, I let go; I danced, I anticipated, I waited. I talked about my mom, my dad, my brother, my friends, and my “family,” both here and in Heaven. I squabbled on and on about my dog, I was moved by the metaphors of my cats; I was wrong, I was inspired…I was changed. I feel like I just started this writing journey, and yet at the same time, I feel like I have been preparing for this project my whole life…it’s just finally in print.

My goal when envisioning this journey was that I would be forced to change my eyewear; to put on a new pair of lenses in which to see the world; to view my surroundings with a set of expansive eyes; to be awake to the energy around me. More importantly, I wanted to share my vision of health…my view of well-being that is numberless, timeless, and at times, effortless. Sometimes, a perspective change is the most healthFUL metamorphosis we can go through. Oftentimes, it’s all we’ve got to work with.

I have not worn my ‘corrective lenses’ throughout this entire journey. There have been days when my perspective was foggy…and I anticipate those days indefinitely. But what has changed is that I am acutely aware of the health I facilitate or negate from myself. I quite consciously make the choices to create and sustain health in my life…and I am aware when I am not taking care of myself or caring for the humans and the world around me.

My journey does not end here…neither should yours. Just because my project will not be inundating your email Inbox on a daily basis does not mean that your health inquiries should cease. You have been following along not because of my humbling stories, my quirky anecdotes, or my soapbox confessions, but because you too are curious. You, like me, are searching for meaning in this lifetime. So whatever the reason may be for your searching, remember that this life goes fast…just like these 177 days did. We cannot sit back and repeat the same patterns over and over again. It is time for a new perspective, a new vision of health, and a new story. Open your eyes to the health that surrounds you. Look for it in the moments, not the monumental, “Wows” in life. Health may come in the fireworks of this upcoming holiday…but more often, it comes wrapped in the tradition of the festivities. So the next time you are gazing up at the sky during a fireworks show, take a look around and see who’s beside you. As the fireworks light up the sky, remember that the people next to you help light up your world. –Until the next journey, Jaime

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Sa-ti-e-ty (n): “The condition of being full or gratified beyond the point of satisfaction.”

I very purposefully titled this last, 177th, post with the word, “Satiety,” because today, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratefulness. I woke up, went through my day, and continue to feel, “gratified beyond the point of satisfaction.” And because of this amazing sense of abundance, I discovered the Unexpected Health in…brothers.

I say brothers because I only have one sibling, and that is my brother, whose birthday happens to fall on this very last day of my 177-day health journey (although my start date was completely random, I find it no coincidence that when I counted the days on the calendar, my journey concluded on my only sibling’s birthday!). I find the sibling connection to be quite fascinating. My brother and I are not twins (although people used to think we were). We do not spend all of our free time together, do not have the same interests, and do not always enjoy the same activities (he hunts animals; I seem to collect them!). In fact, there were times in our lives when my mom probably would have said that we had all sorts of unhealthy encounters. I always wanted to be around my brother…from the time I was a little girl, I loved my big bro. I couldn’t hang out with him enough. He didn’t seem to share the same sibling enthusiasm! But as we have grown “in,” our connection has grown strong; obviously healthy for both of us. But the Unexpected Health in brothers is that for me, having a sibling  gives me a piece of artwork of which to create my own “partner masterpiece”…and realizing the reflective power of your own brother is healthy.

Being the young (!) 31-year-old that I am, I have been asked more than once why I am still single. People say, “No husband yet?,” to which my answer is always some long, drawn out litany of why I am patiently waiting for my perfect match…which is true. But I’m going to let you in on a little secret: I am waiting for that special someone I feel even remotely measures up to my brother…and my dad. They have set the “man bar” very high, and I will have nothing less. I am in no way saying that those who choose to marry younger than I have settled or that their man bar was lower than mine. I simply adore the type of people my brother (and father) are, and I want those qualities in my own hubby.

Siblings are  also the only connections we have to our family once our parents are gone. No one knows the stories, the memories, and the life you lived except for your brother or sister. My brother and I can call each other and with just a few words of prompting, can recall the same memory, the same funny story, even the same location (we did it just yesterday!). No one else has that incredibly healthFUL ability to remember life like the person who has shared it with you since the day you were born.

My brother and I are different and that is okay. I may not agree with everything he does, and he absolutely does not agree with all that I do. But no matter what, we are connected for life. We cannot detach from our oneness as brother and sister. Even when we choose to embark on journeys (like my last 177 days), we are constantly sharing one story; the story of our lives as siblings.

Even if my brother makes me angry, I would not experience this kind of health–this feeling of satiety–if he were not sharing this lifetime with me. And when I finally meet someone who I think is a good fit for my life, I will be measuring him up right alongside my one and only brother. So the next time you feel resentment for your siblings or wonder how on Earth you could be related, remember that the person who shares the same gene pool is a “lifer.” My brother has been with me since the day I was born. On this day, the day HE was born, I am grateful for his presence in my life. He is one of the greatest health benefits I have ever experienced. -Until tomorrow, Jaime

STAY TUNED FOR TOMORROW’S 177 DAYS OF UNEXPECTED HEALTH WRAP-UP!

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As I sit back and think about the past 176 days, I cannot help but feel a little bittersweet about this project nearing its end. For the past 6 months, I have scheduled my day, my outings, and my plans, around my commitment to post an Unexpected Health insight…every day! As you can imagine, there were days that this was easy: the words just flowed through me. Other days, when I might have had a full day of activities, or even a weekend of travel, posting this health blog was a little more difficult. In fact, there were days when I just downright didn’t want to type my name, let alone any sort of anecdote about health or life. But as the finality of this project approaches,  I am overly aware of the Unexpected Health in…endings.

Endings are not always associated with Disney’s version of blissful happiness. We do not always experience ecstatic joy when something ends: a relationship, a time period, a career. In fact, there is a lot of sadness that is associated with endings. Think about the last day of a long-anticipated vacation; I am pretty sure that I am not leaping for joy when I am packing my bags to return home to responsibility and requirements. But today, I realized that the Unexpected Health in endings is that there is actually no ending to anything in life…and realizing that every ‘ending’ is merely a pause before the start of something new is encouraging…and healthy!

Life is not a compilation of periods at the end of a sentence. Instead, it is a book of colons, semicolons, dashes, and exclamation points! Whenever something ‘ends,’ we are given a clean slate; an opportunity to start a whole new journey. When finality arrives, we should prepare ourselves because something else is coming soon…something to build on our previous experiences, our past relationships, and our most recently finished work. What I have found is that as this project comes to a close, other doors are Unexpectedly flying open.

When we do not hold on so tightly to our fear of the unknown, endings suddenly become less scary. We start to see the connections between the start of something and the completion of another. I talked a long time ago about the Unexpected Health in circles (see Day 26). Life truly is cyclical. So the next time you feel an ending drawing near, remember that what may be finished from one perspective–from one vantage point–could be the beginning of a whole new adventure. -Until tomorrow, Jaime

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I am a very tactile kind of learner. I have to feel my way through life both physically and metaphorically. I am sensitive to textures, picky about fabric (strictly from a comfort standpoint), and basically just love to touch people, animals and objects that are in front of me. Well today, I discovered a deep appreciation for a texture I often dislike. In fact, I realized that there is an abundance of Unexpected Health to be felt…in sandpaper.

I used to hate sandpaper. Whenever I had to sand anything down (walls, wood), I would get chills from the noise the paper would make against whatever needed sanding. It was almost as unnerving of a sound as nails on a chalkboard. However, sandpaper does possess some healthy qualities: sandpaper smooths out rough surfaces, creating comfort and ease of use. Sanding further defines an object, making depth and meaning out of shapeless blocks. And using a bit of sandpaper can prepare a wall for a fresh coat of paint, which is healthFUL in and of itself (see Day 24 for a refresher). But the Unexpected Health in sandpaper is that when we are ‘scratched’ by the roughness of life, we have the opportunity to experience life…and feeling the health from the hurt is healthy.

Let me explain: I have fooled my readers a bit tonight. Yes, I have been in the presence of sandpaper more often this year than any other (evidently painting has become my new hobby). But tonight, as I grabbed my laptop, opened it up, and began to think about my day, searching for the less-than-obvious health, I was greeted with the sweetest pain I had felt in a while…my crazy cat, Bentley. She walked up, meowed in my face, and licked the top of my hand with her very sandpaperish tongue, before resigning to her favorite area of my bed to sleep (again, why her favorite spot is on MY pillow is beyond me!). I have to admit, her rough little tongue caught me off guard. I was lost in the details of my Wednesday when I felt that sandpaper kiss come my way. I was thinking about my conversations, my destinations, and my obligations, when suddenly, I was jilted back to reality. Ah, health is right here, right now. Bentley and her sandpaper tongue immediately reminded me that we don’t have to go out searching for health; it’s in front of our faces, all the time. The best part is that if we forget, life has a funny little way of sometimes ‘painfully’ jogging our memory.

We tend to think that sharp edges, rough textures, and not-so-smooth objects are ‘bad.’ We, as tactile consumers, are often drawn toward the smooth, the silky, the sleek. It is easy to forget that sometimes, the ‘rough spots’, the, “nails on a chalkboard” moments, and the sandpaper feelings cause us to grow the most. Life is not always silky smooth and sugary sweet; and that’s okay. Because no matter how rough the time may be, no matter how harsh the object may be experienced, it will not last forever. So the next time you come across some ‘roughness’ in your life, remember that it is all a part of your journey. We grow from the ‘satin’ and the ‘sandpaper’ times. But trust me, if you get the opportunity to experience a sandpaper cat kiss, take it! You will understand a little bit more just how painfully sweet this life really is. -Until tomorrow, Jaime

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I am going to my first baseball game of the season tonight. Yes, it is rather sad that I live 35 minutes from one of the most beautiful parks in the country (home to the SF Giants) and have yet to see a ball game. But tonight, everything changes. I will scour my wardrobe for anything orange and black, am borrowing a friend’s Giants hat, and will pretend like I know all of the players as I chant their names when they are up to bat. And today, as I prepare myself to be surrounded by diehard Giants followers, I discovered the Unexpected Health in…sports fans!

There is something surreal–and healthy–about professional ball games. They always seem to bring me back to my younger years. I loved the sounds of the screaming fans, the noise the ball made when it connected with the bat, even the vendors yelling out their featured goods for sale; “Peanuts, get your peanuts.” Loved that! But filling the stadium of any ball game is the most Unexpectedly HealthFUL aspect of all because that’s where the fans are…and seeing passion, commitment, and dedication by the thousands (and tens of thousands) is healthy.

Sports fans are a passionate bunch. Dedicated World Cup watchers wake up at 5am to see a game; diehard football fans will paint their faces, their bodies, even their cars to show their allegiance to a team; and rambunctious hockey fans will bang their hands against the plexi-glass when the opposition is in their ‘space.’

It’s amazing to watch people so passionately dedicated to a cause. I love to see grown adults get as excited as kids when something, someone, or some event ignites a wild enthusiasm inside them. Wouldn’t it be great if this uninhibited appreciation of sports was as popular–as appreciated–as striving to live our life’s greatest purpose? How great would it be if people stood up for the health of themselves and our world with the enthusiasm of those doing “The Wave” at a baseball game?

It’s easy to throw passion into sports; to be so heavily invested in the betterment of a sports team; to be overly concerned with player injuries; to talk ad nauseum about the livelihoods of professional athletes. But why does it seem so hard to be concerned about our own health? Why do we default to talking about the health and the lives of total strangers (like pro athletes) instead of having those self-health conversations? Of course, there is nothing wrong with being a sports enthusiast; in fact, I happen to think having passion–no matter what the cause–is healthy. But I would love to see that passion, that commitment, and that dedication that we pour into our sports teams trickle down toward our own playing field. The game of life is happening every moment, and I don’t know about you, but I want Row 1, Section 1 seats for it. -Until tomorrow, Jaime

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Do you ever have days when you look at the clock and wonder where the time went? I imagine that all of us have experienced this kind of day at some point in our lives (or every week). Today, as my day was filled with various commitments, obligations, and opportunities where I drove from one educational sit-down to another, I discovered the Unexpected Health in…meetings.

Today was a productive Monday. I met some interesting people, learned about fascinating products, and was enticed by new opportunities. Of course, as I have mentioned before, Mondays are full of health benefits (see Day 12). But when you add some mind-expanding meetings to an already health-promising Monday, you have a formula for healing.

But meetings can be associated with some ill feelings: meetings tend to be long and can feel like a waste of time when participants stay too long on one subject. Meetings can be a reenactment of the school days “bullying” system of getting one’s way. And a meeting can be so focused on the protocol that quality, inspiration, and innovation can be lost. But the Unexpected Health in a face-to-face is that meetings provide an outlet for sharing health at a more intimate level…and having a forum for health enhancement is healthy.

Maybe I am a bit bias about meetings. I definitely attend health-focused meetings in general. But I have found that any meeting about any topic has the potential to have health on the agenda. Take for example today’s meeting about hair color product: this was not necessarily a ‘health’ meeting (beauty, yes, but not specifically health). But what I found was that after the color wheel conversations, the buy-in product promotions and the horror stories shared about turning client’s hair into Bozo the Clown colors, was that our health became an unofficial meeting discussion. We talked about what made us happy (dogs became the center of that discussion!), what made us sad, and what sort of health activities made us feel alive.

We have this amazing opportunity to create platforms for health conversations in just about anything we do. It is not necessary to be in the narrowly-defined “health field” in order to have ‘meaningful meetings.’ As I have stated before, we are all in the health business because we are all human beings living and thriving (or trying to) on this planet. And the more we realize the health business we are in, the greater the opportunity to infuse health into everything we are a part of…we just have to recognize the health we are a part of in our lives (if you need help in this area, please refer back to the last 172 days…I’m sure you will find something!). So the next time you head to another meeting, think about how health can be ‘added’ to the agenda. Because in years to come, it will not matter what the quarterly budget was, what the employee handbook says, or what the monthly special will be…the only meetings that will matter in the future are those we have with ourselves NOW. These are the meetings that ask us the questions about how we are living and loving in this world. The extent to which we do these things well is the depth of health we can and will experience. So make your meetings matter… -Until tomorrow, Jaime

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My body typically runs a little cool. What that translates to is a never-ending struggle for a comfortable temperature in the car for both me and my passenger (I am a fan of heaters), the need to always bring a sweater (which I rarely do!), and a must-pack item in the winter: slippers. But now, the weather is warm; actually, today it is HOT. And as I painted the walls of my new upstairs office, I discovered the Unexpected Health in…sweating!

It is interesting how my body temperature can fluctuate so drastically. When it is cold, I am particularly cold. When it is hot, I sweat like an NBA player. But sweating has all sorts of health benefits: working up a good sweat means we are doing some sort of activity. Sweating eliminates toxins through our skin, maintaining the most healthFUL inner landscape of our bodies. And having sweat beads trickle down our faces means that our bodies are able to healthfully return to homeostasis. But the Unexpected Health in sweating is that when you are dripping with that salty liquid, you are are participating in life…and being reminded of your existence and participation on this planet is healthy.

I sweat a lot this weekend. I sweat during yesterday’s run and I sweat today while painting in the heat of the day. As much as I feel like a dirty mess when I am sweating, there is this gratifying feeling of happiness–of health–that I experience. Being able to sweat means I am able to physically move my body…a luxury that not everyone has. I can work hard and play hard, and having that opportunity allows me to contribute my gifts, my ability to work, even my sweat, for a greater purpose.

Those of us lucky enough to have full use of our bodies and our minds need to remember that we have these gifts not just for our own benefit, but for the benefit of all. I may have worked hard–and sweat–for my own betterment this weekend, but in doing so, I was reminded that I have been blessed with mobility. Remember that the simple things we take for granted are not experienced by all. So share your talents; give away the gift of a little time. If you have the opportunity to sweat for a greater good, do it! You will not only be creating expansion within your own internal landscape…you will be creating beauty–and health–around you. -Until tomorrow, Jaime

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I spent some time en route today. I started the morning with a long run. My tired self was happy to be done with that extra long route. Then I proceeded to be en route to another location; this time, by car. I drove the easy 25 minute drive to an area in Berkeley I have never been before (and absolutely love!), parked my car, fed my meter, and walked to the most quaint little cafe to have a lunch meeting with a friend. Lunch ended and I made my way back to the car. As I returned, I noticed a little white piece of paper flapping on my windshield. It was at that moment (okay, maybe more like 5 minutes later…I needed the first 4 minutes to whine) that I discovered the Unexpected Health in…parking tickets.

Yep, we can actually come to appreciate that little piece of slick paper, surrounded by an easy-to-mail-in-with-your-payment envelope (thank you city officials for giving me a FREE envelope to send my $40 parking ticket…bit of sarcasm there!). But seriously, after the double-check to make sure the parking people had the right time, the, “Why me’s?” and choice curse words offered to those obsessively punctual ‘Meter Maids,” I have found that a bit of health can be experienced with tickets; Unexpectedly. You see, although being the recipient of a ticket can be full of unhealthy feelings, the Unexpected Health in a parking ticket is that tickets force us to contribute to communities…and being a part of a community by any means possible is healthy.

Did I want to contribute $40 to the City of Berkeley today? Not necessarily. In fact, I could have thought of a million other ways I would have liked to spend those double $20s. But do I want cities like Berkeley to thrive; to continue growing, expanding, and providing more opportunities for its dwellers and beyond? Absolutely! And furthermore, I was in Berkeley for a meeting to discuss how I can further develop my own aspirations, dreams, and visions. Double bonus!

Life has a funny way of allowing us to ‘give back’ sometimes. Sometimes we give back by feeding someone else’s meter so they don’t get a ticket (remember Day 85?). Other times, we give back by force; say, with parking tickets. But no matter how we give back to our communities, we will undoubtedly experience health. Today I might have given more financially than I wanted, but I received the gift of collaboration tenfold. So the next time you are forced to ‘give back,’ try considering the gift you may be contributing. Yes, a 2 minute-longer lunch might have cost you a ticket, but I am willing to bet that more often than not, the conversation and the connection is worth the money…and then some. -Until tomorrow, Jaime

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I love to travel. I might even say I was born with a wild curiosity for adventure. I love exploring new places, seeing new sights, and taking in unfamiliar scenery. I live for that stuff! It expands my mind and my heart, giving me a larger lens of which to see the world and a greater capacity to experience the bigger picture. But traveling requires money. Now of course, you can spend thousands on an elaborate trip or can skimp by on campsites and packed food, but either way, you must have a little dinero to leave your zip code. So today, as I thought about my future adventures, I discovered the Unexpected Health in…credit cards.

Now hold on just a second…I am in NO way suggesting that credit card debt is the way to go. In fact, there is quite a dis-ease of overspending and excess that has become an epidemic in this country. There is absolutely no health in living beyond your means, spending more than you have, or living a life on “plastic” (aka credit cards!). But the Unexpected Health in credit cards is that since these credit card companies have endless spending ‘perks’, if you are going to have a plastic card, at least benefit from the offers…and taking “lemons and making lemonade” out of any situation is healthy.

Let me explain: we all have credit cards. We all don’t live off of credit and we definitely don’t all live beyond our means…but we all have at least one MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover card that lingers in our wallets. These companies have helped get us Americans in a lot of trouble with no-interest charges, high spending limits, and easy pay-as-you-go plans…you pay what you can, and your total amount GOes way up because of interest rates! But we could also thank these credit card corporations as well; they have given us at least a little payback for our spending. It’s called…miles!

Credit card miles are fantastic…and to me, anything fantastic HAS to be healthy! Today I looked over my travel plans for the summer and fall and two of my plane trips were paid with miles. Yes, I had to spend money to rack up these miles, but I would have spent the money anyway. Now, because of my Chase mileage account, I am flying high in the friendly skies for zero dollars.

It is unrealistic to cut our credit cards and pay our way through life in cash (unless you have a spending problem…then a cash-only lifestyle may be your best option). Sometimes we just need a little wiggle room with our money distribution. So credit cards, as harmful as they CAN be, offer a wonderful way to both spend as needed and save as wanted. As we spend, we save. As I have spent money last year and this year, I have been saving my miles. Now, as I have weddings, training, and other travel to do, I can do so without ‘breaking the bank.’ So the next time you pull out your credit card, make sure you are getting some return on your investment. If you don’t have a credit card with some sort of payback plan (miles, dividends, cash, whatever), get on the Internet, research the best give-back program out there, and transfer your card! In tough economic times, if you are going to spend money, at least have your money working for you. It is the most healthFUL way to make use of your spending. -Until tomorrow, Suze Orman…I mean, Jaime

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Middles get a a lot of attention. Let’s see, there are like a 100 different belly-fat-burning supplements, exercise DVDs, and tummy-slimming clothing to help get rid of our ‘middle sections’. Middle children have been the topic of childhood development research; there has even been questions about the middle of sweets (like, what the heck IS in the center of an Oreo?). But today, as I looked at the calendar and realized that we are right in the middle of the year, I discovered the Unexpected Health wedged…in the middle.

There are loads of healthFUL opportunities at the beginning and at the end of any given year. We have New Year’s resolutions to plan, start, and then usually fail by February (hey, I’ve worked in the fitness industry, it’s true!). At the end of the year, most of us enjoy holiday time with family, friends, and time off from work. But the middle of the year is another time of year to experience abundant health…and realizing you can create health at any time on your calendar is healthy.

We shouldn’t need a holiday or a time of year to practice healthy behavior. We can set goals and achieve monumental milestones on any day, during any month. In fact, the middle of the year is a perfect time for a little health. Why not make some Middle Year’s resolutions? Without the hype and pressure of starting the year with a laundry list of To-Do’s, Must-Change, and Need-to-Lose requirements, the middle of the year allows us to be mindful of areas we want to expand in our lives, without Oprah telling us to do so. Nobody is going to ask you what your Middle Year’s resolutions are going to be because most are still stuck on the fact that they ‘fell off the wagon’ of their own New Year’s goals.

There are always going to be times when we feel like failures. It is unrealistic to expect that there will never be areas in our lives that we feel we could have done better, worked harder, and fought longer. But let’s keep ‘failure’ out of health goals. I believe that we cannot ‘fail’ at health. We may make less-than-healthFUL choices in our lives, but that does not mean that we are failures or even that our health is failing. However, goals like New Year’s resolutions do not come free of hype and unrealistic expectations. So forget about that. Try setting some goals right now; right smack in the middle of the year. We need to create MORE opportunities for experiencing health…no matter what time of year. As we try and tighten up our physical ‘middles,’ let’s loosen up on our rigidity of time when setting health goals. Let’s meet in the middle. -Until tomorrow, Jaime

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