#14: Johanna Hatlem
"You gotta believe in the human capacity for transformation or life just gets super boring."
Johanna is a wonderful writer and student pursuing a degree in French translation. I had the pleasure of editing two of her stories for Expat. You can read more of her non-health recommendations here.
At a glanceā¦
Location: Michigan
Big 3: Aquarius/Virgo/Taurus
What does health, or being healthy, mean to you?
Being outdoors, eating whole food, sweat, cleanliness, high metabolic efficiency, alignment, being non-neurotic, flushed skin, smiling, shiny hair and massages.
How would you describe your current lifestyle?Ā
I am working a lot, and what I do in my time not working is carefully chosen. Usually working out, spending time with friends or shopping. I am using my summer break from school to kick long-standing habits like phone and sugar addiction.
How do you start and end your days?Ā
Start with black coffee and water, maybe fruit, maybe following a workout vid. Make my bed, shower, wash and moisturize face, put on lots of lipliner and some concealer. End with showering, combing out hair and FaceTiming a friend.
When do you feel the most at home in your body?
When I am at the beach on a hot day and I can feel the water evaporating off my skin and can smell my own wet hair.
Do you believe in the concept of self-healing, or that one can heal oneself?
Yes. As mentioned, I am healing myself from long-standing bad habits that made me feel unhealthy and overall spiritually unwell, like being addicted to my phone and sugar. I'm not sure what changed, I also finally learned to drive ... ā āŖ U gotta believe in the human capacity for transformation or life just gets super boring.
Was there a specific moment in life that made you more conscious of your health?
Probably getting really bad acne in high school and just realizing most everything to do with health comes down to diet.
Where do you look to for information and guidance?
The Cindy Crawford Shape Your Body workout tape, [Yukio] Mishima books, this movie from 1982 called Personal Best, Bruce Weber Abercrombie ads, Zendaya in a tropical print thong in Challengers, dancers, this girl on YouTube, Jasmine Mcdonaldā¦ Iāve also literally taken advice from Health Gossip before.
Fuck, marry, kill: three health trends of your choice.
Fuck: occasional fasting, marry: returning to cowās milk products, kill: anything that isnāt intuitive, like those carnivore diets.
What are your grocery staples? What meals do you find yourself returning to?
Green apples, oranges, sour cream, pickles, miso paste, blueberries, sourdough bread, fancy jam, spearmint tea, dill, and strawberries, if in season. The meals I return to cooking are simple, warm animal protein, vegetables and sometimes rice. That, or a nice broth soup (usually vegetable), beef stew, or beef curry.
What do you think is the most pressing health issue of our time?
Listening to health "authorities" over the signals of your own body. Also alcohol and drug over-consumption, including pharmaceuticalsā¦ too much to say, honestly.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Don't go in the sauna so much!!!!
What advice would you give to the person reading this?
Think about your health a little less.
