Author: Missy Woodruff

missy woodruff

Hello, I’m Missy Woodruff! I have an English degree from Tufts U. in Boston, and have worked as a middle school teacher for 15 years.

I also enjoy blogging in my free time. I especially like writing about wellness, as it’s something that I’m very interested in for the health of myself and my family.

Why do I care so much about wellness?

When I was 19 years old I could afford to not think about wellness too much. Actually, 20 years then you didn’t even hear the term “wellness” even used much. That was back when “diet” was not yet a dirty four-letter word, and people still smoked in bars. Today there’s a much better understanding of what wellness is, and that our weight is simply one facet of the larger picture.

Wellness is about our lifestyle, staying active, being “present,” and having purpose. Wellness has an equal or greater psychological component to the physical one.

You know, I recently watched a TED talk that used the term, “salutogenesis” which is a good way to approach our health. Actually, that term is incredibly important, but unfortunately so obscure that it doesn’t even come up on my spell-check! (Unfortunately, “Kardashian” is recognized!)

What that means is that our society has it backwards when it comes to health and wellness. See, we are more interested in “pathogenesis,” which focuses on the factors that cause disease instead of focusing on factors that promote well-being.

Essentially, we spend a lot of time and energy developing medicines to treat illnesses rather than promoting a lifestyle which encourages wellness. In other words, put down your phone and go take a walk with a friend; then, you might not need that anti-anxiety pill!

Anyway, here’s the TED talk that I mentioned. It all kind of starts when a Scottish doctor, Sir Harry Burns, observes that people in the poorer part of the city spend more time recovering in the hospital than the more affluent parts. It’s a fascinating perspective of what he believe wellness is:

Oh, did I mention that I’m over 40?

Yes, a lot has changed since dieting was in, and probably the biggest change since then is that I now have three kids!

That has really changed my perspective on everything, including my diet and lifestyle. Realizing the importance of both physical and mental wellness, I try to provide my family with healthy food, exercise, and fresh air (travel!) whenever possible.

While my focus on wellness started with reading food labels for the presence of high-fructose corn syrup, I’ve since researched it extensively. I enjoy writing articles on Mighty Diets so that I can share my findings and tips with you!

While I have tried diets like Weight Watchers, Noom, and Nutrisystem, I’m definitely not your doctor. That’s who you should consult before starting any weight loss program!

You can also find my writing on sites like Domino, RedTri.com, Today.com, and TheOdysseyOnline.com.

Questions? Drop me a line as a comment below or at mwoodruf99@gmail.com