New Jersey/New Year
Health and Happiness from the Garden State!
Though the calendar page turned over a week ago, it seems all of January has been set aside for goal-setting and resolutions. There’s no shortage of advice for better health (stay hydrated, floss daily, opt for doctor-recommended amounts of sleep). Keeping with all the wellness aspirations, here’s a bit of New Jersey-themed motivation.
Does it get any better than Natalie Grabow, the triathlete from New Jersey who completed a history-making run in the Ironman World Championships last year?
At the age of 80, Ms. Grabow became the first ever woman in that age group to complete the Ironman Kona, crossing the finish line with a time of 16 hours, 45 minutes and 26 seconds. The course, that demands a 2.4-mile ocean swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run, allows competitors 17 hours to finish at the world championship.
A native of Mountain Lakes, Ms. Grabow noted there were no girls’ sports when she attended high school, so she became a cheerleader. It was in her later years that she began triathlon training, beginning with swim lessons at age 59.
“It’s important to find something you enjoy, your passion, and to stay active with it,” she said. “It gives [me] something to think about and to do when I get up in the morning. That excites me.” — Natalie Grabow, The Daily Record
She’s received tons of well-deserved media attention and is a shining light of motivation for the new year and beyond.
Along with exercise, there’s always a little voice that comes out after January 1st, reminding us to “eat healthy/eat well.” A great place to start is the website, Edible Jersey.
Not only recipes, this site is multi-faceted, with full sections on eating local, food banks, and clean waterways. There’s also more off-the-beaten-path topics — farming in the garden state (“Faces of our Farmers”), NJ history (“The Bluffs of Bay Head”), things to do (“Coastal Beach Towns in the Off Season”), and cooking as heritage (“In my Grandmother’s Kitchen – Merchantville”). Edible Jersey is a great source for recipes, of course, and food writing from a host of contributors, including Substack creatives, Hank Zona and Valerie Stivers.
It will inspire you to eat well. It will give you endless topics to think about and engage with.
Happy 2026!!!
Melanie, thanks for the mention!
I love this! My new novel, Zigzag Girl, is set in Atlantic City and the Pine Barrens!