I can’t recall the last time I was this excited about what lies ahead—new plans, projects and improvements I look forward to seeing take shape. I think that’s what makes a new year special, the privilege to begin anew not weighed down by past woulda shoulda coulda’s.

This year marks the starting line for a new race I’ve spent the last several months preparing for. Now I’m on the mark, set up and ready. Now I’m in a delicious “go” mode. To begin, I’m confident and eager to be more consistent in both eating healthier and exercising, which means among other things, avoiding heavy meals at night and practicing yoga again.

I’ve also finally hit the green light to spend more quality time alone with God and with family and friends. In 2017, I aim to attend more nurturing events to which I am invited and do some inviting of my own.

Business-wise, following a deliberate unfolding strategy, I’m now in a position to have additional help with the magazine so we can more fully realize Natural Awakenings of Dallas Metroplex’s goal of being the green, healthy and sustainable living authority for our wider community. As part of this, our team is planning to convene timely healthy living events. Yes, this sounds a lot like New Year’s resolutions, but they’re all already underway, so I know they’re doable; which is why I’m so excited.

The biggie for me is considering how best to act on my social responsibility as a citizen of this remarkable country to make it a better place for us all be, which points me to the state of healthcare in America. In June 2010, Dr. Andrew Weill graced our cover with an inside story, “Integrative Medicine: Envisioning the Future of Healthcare.” I am more convinced than ever that this is the way to move forward, given our family’s experience, including that of my 84-year-old mother.

Last year, after seven months of discomfort prompting numerous doctors’ visits, tests and costly trips to the emergency room and hospital, she finally felt relief through chiropractic treatment. Most revealing was the fact that the chiropractor’s diagnosis matched the gastroenterologist’s, but he had a helpful answer at a fraction of the price. In this month’s issue, Meredith Montgomery presents an overview of affordable healthcare insurance options that cover complementary therapies and integrative medicine. It’s eye-opening.

We dare not start the new year without acknowledging the near-universal bugbear of weight loss that shows up in so many New Year’s resolutions. Lisa Marshall brings a refreshingly hopeful take on the topic, examining some surprising and hidden causes of obesity, complemented by help from local wellness clinic Renewed Vitality.

As always, we hope you will find information in these pages that encourage you to be your best self and seek to make a happy difference in our world.

To a year of peace and progress,

Bernice Butler, Publisher