Editor’s Note

In December, I turned 50 years old. As an introverted, bookish and sometimes awkward child, tween, teen, young adult and well into my adulthood, I somehow knew my fifties would be when I finally felt at home with myself — and, thankfully, my younger selves were correct. The person I am on the inside has finally meshed with my physical shell and it’s at once serene and liberating. There are of course countless elements that contribute to a sense of ease as any age, and in this issue, we’ll address a few of the ones we can control (for the most part) that fall under the general theme of wellness.

For me, wellness translates to prioritizing those “unsexy” basic needs, such as healthful eating, hydration, sleep, yoga and meditation practices, cardio-based movement, alone time, stress management, spirituality and caring for my living space. After those needs are met, it’s about making sure to also create time for the important relationships in my life and for my community.

When the essentials are addressed, everything else falls into place with less efforting on my part. It’s so easy for any one of those categories to get out of whack however, which is where annual resets, like setting New Year’s resolutions, come in handy. It has of course become popular to poke fun at or holes in the efficacy of resolutions as we enter into the first few days, weeks or months of a new year, but for many of us, it feels like a natural time for a fresh start or to reconsider our goals and priorities. If the flip of the calendar doesn’t resonate, any time of year is a good time. Which is why I love that our “Health Issue” arrives in February. By now, it’s possible that either habit fatigue has set in with January intentions and inspiration is in order or, the new year came and went in a whirlwind and only now are some of us thinking about what’s next, if anything.

Getting started can be as simple as adding a few healthful meals each week, creating a new or different movement routine or cultivating a short, daily meditation practice. To make it easier, we’ve consulted with a host of experts throughout Acadiana for their advice.

While there’s lots of wellness material in these pages, there’s also a lot that has nothing to do with the topic, so if you are all set in your daily habits and routines, keep reading. Meanwhile, here’s to a healthful 2023. As a newly-minted 50-year-old, I’ve learned that most of the time, we’ve got this, but even when don’t, we can at least gain some new insights along the way.

Cheers!

Melanie Warner Spencer
Managing Editor
Melanie@AcadianaProfile.com

Awards

International and Regional Magazine Association

2021
Gold Art Direction of a Single Story
Silver Covid Related Story
Silver Food Feature
Bronze Overall Art Direction
2020
Gold Overall Art Direction
Silver Art and Culture Feature
Silver Recreation Feature
Bronze Food Feature
Bronze Profiles
Bronze Art Direction of a Single Story
2019
Winner Magazine of the Year
Gold Overall Art Direction
Gold Art Direction Single Story
Gold Photo Series
Silver Photographer of the Year
2018
Gold Overall Art Direction
Gold Magazine Photographer
Gold Art Direction of a Single Story
Gold Food Feature
Gold Department
Silver Magazine Writer of the Year
Silver Hed & Dek
Silver Photo Series
2017
Gold Overall Art Direction
Gold Magazine Photographer of the Year
Gold Art Direction of a Single Story
Gold Food Feature
Silver Cover
2016
Gold Overall Art Direction
Gold Magazine Photographer of the Year
Gold Art Direction of a Single Story
Silver Photo Series