My Wellness Story

Gina Rau Contributed by Gina Rau

Posted in Food for Thought, Wellness Marketing

After six years in the food industry, developing marketing and ad strategy for fast food giants, something incredibly small changed my entire perspective on food. My 7 pound baby boy. Before he came along, I hadn’t given much thought to where my food came from, what it all meant, and what might not be good for me. I was sensible about not over-indulging and meeting most of my nutrient requirements (maybe over the course of a week), but didn’t even know much about organics.

Until it all changed. It was time to make decisions about feeding my son and I wasn’t sure where to turn. For the first time ever, I thought about pesticides in food – pesticides that damage or potentially kill things not incredibly smaller than my own small child.

That’s when I started looking at food through a different lens, probably not that unique or different from other new parents. We all want what’s best for our children, right? But should it be so much work? Back then, I had to really hunt down information that is readily available everywhere you now. Organics and natural foods weren’t sold at mainstream grocery stores so we made our own baby food, and later cooked, steamed and chopped up our own toddler foods.

Today I’m thankful to have two wonderful children who love almost all fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods. I’ll never know how much of an influence all of our efforts were but I’d like to believe that “nurture” goes farther than “nature”.

My wellness story centers on my children. I want to provide the very best I can for them so that they’re prepared for a long, healthy life. I also want to eat healthy and take good care of myself, and my husband so that we’re around to share and enjoy the special milestones ahead in their lives.

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Get fit Portland on their PDXfm radio show about my wellness story.  We talked about a variety of topics like healthy school lunch ideas, how my kids eat a rainbow every week, and the excitement when we see “mommy’s computer” (a Fresh Ideas Center kiosk) at the grocery store. If you have a few minutes, check it out.

Then share your wellness story.

Using New Media

As Michael Sansolo pointed out in Unseen Competitors, the way we receive and seek out information is changing each day. How we consumed media,  researched new products, or sought solutions, just last year, involves news sources and technology this year.
One thing that hasn’t changed: consumers want information. They want information on the solutions you offer [...]

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Unseen Competitors

There are things we all know that we know, except sometimes we don’t.
Here’s a simple question: what’s the number one source for news in the US? Chances are you said NBC or maybe Fox News. And you’d be right if the question was limited to broadcast or cable news. But [...]

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“Both Sides Now…and Quickly!”

A terrible fight broke out on the Washington subway system recently. It happened at 11 p.m., spilling out onto two different stops and involving, according to police, 70 people. When I first heard the story I did the same thing you probably did: felt disgust. Then I felt [...]

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Healthnotes Newswire Opinion: The Importance of Savvy Supplement Use

By The Aisle7 Editorial Team
Healthnotes Newswire (August 12, 2010)—In the August 2010 issue of Consumer Reports they write about what they see as potential dangers in the supplement industry and specifically of certain products (the so-called “Dirty Dozen”). However, their focus on potential risks ignores the value of supplements and discounts much [...]

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Thursday Morning Eye-Opener: Lessons from movies

If you have any doubts about the impact of a manager, make time to see Toy Story 3. It’s hard to recall another movie that so clearly delivered a story about how an embittered, mean-spirited boss can turn a workplace into a nightmare.
Based on ticket revenue, the odds are that many [...]

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When I eat better food, I have a better mood.

I live in Portland, Oregon—a place where the seasons of the city can dictate my mood. Portland is notorious for wet rainy weather in the winter when my mood takes a nose dive. In the summer, when the sun is shining and I spend as much time as I possibly can outside, my [...]

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“Better” Supermarkets by Mark Bittman

Some of our recap posts from the 2010 FMI (Food Marketing Institute) event talked about shopper expectations, creating a sensory-rich experience, and how Dorothy Lane Markets was going about doing so. There was much discussion at the event on the in-store experience and what today’s shoppers have come to expect, from many different perspectives including [...]

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Hitting the Right Notes

In a world of value, where bigger, larger and more seem always to work, is it possible that less can be better? I think we recently got an easy and powerful lesson in just that concept, not to mention how more can sometimes be too much.
Think back for to the recently completed World Cup soccer [...]

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Playing To Win The Game

Something strange happened a few nights ago in the Dodgers/Giants baseball game. In the final inning, with the game on the line, a Dodgers coach – Don Mattingly – went to the pitching mound to discuss strategy. As the discussion ended he started walking away, took a few steps, turned [...]

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