Healthy Living - (Expo and Beer)

Who wouldn't want to walk through a life-size colon, huh? If you were at the Healthy Living Expo here at the convention center (which is a block away), you could have had your big chance! With hundreds of booths, activities, and seminar talks happening, it was definitely the place to be. I love getting all of the free screenings done; Chris, of course, struggles with the sensationalism of it all. Chiropractors that can show you your spine on a computer screen and convince you they can cure any ailment; Cure-all vitamin companies who promise your best life ever if you only take their product; (and the fact that every other booth was sponsored by the competing hospital here in town didn't endear him to much of it either).

The real reason why I wanted to go though was the keynote speaker: Ali Vincent, the first (and so far only) female to win NBC's Biggest Loser. The show frustrates me with all of the drama and silly games, but the workouts, the weight changes, and the life transformations move me to tears almost every time I watch it! I remember so clearly watching that season finale and watching her win as she lost 112 pounds (some 47% of her total body weight) by the final weigh-in. How amazing is that!

As I was waiting to get a seat after the previous speaker finished up, I realized she was standing right next to me talking to the guys at the sound table. I asked if she would mind if I took her picture, and her (very energetic) response was, "Only if you're going to be in it with me!" Ummm...ok....At this point, Chris had left because he was working the Special Olympics games that day, so she suggested I just do one of those shoot-it-yourself pictures. It was like we were best friends. Thankfully someone offered to take it for us - (but as you can tell from the picture, I was a little out of sorts.)

Her message is completely inspiring - and realistic - and funny. Instead of trying to summarize here, you can check out an interview that captures some of what she said that day. She also has great blog where she's been posting some video - which is where I learned that she climbed Camelback Mountain the same day I climbed Dreamy Draw! No Way - (They're right by each other)!

Another one of the speakers was Brad Hoover of the Carolina Panthers, which obviously meant a lot more to native Panthers fans - such as this one. Whoa! To see that at a football game is one thing; to see that at a health expo where people are jammed in between row after row of exhibit booths is another. It totally cracked me up!

So after a day of learning about healthy living - including healthy colons of course! - Chris was ready to give his liver something to do. Every February, Foothills releases their award-winning Imperial Stout called Sexual Chocolate (scroll down the page if you follow this link). I am not a fan of dark beers, but this one is like something you've never had. With ingredients like chocolate, espresso, and molasses, it is DARK, and the alcohol content is 9.75% (so they aren't even allowed to sell it in a pint sized glass.) I think this might be the only beer they actually bottle the whole year - and people line up for hours before the official release just to purchase the limit of 4. Check out this beer expert's blog on his experience: Review

Healthy living is definitely the way to go! It was great being surrounded by something I'm passionate about (fitness, not colons necessarily), meeting Ali Vincent, and even having a little of a chocolate-y, coffee-y beer. Yep - it's confirmed: Life is good!