A Boulder Approach

You don’t need to live in the mountains to go rock-climbing. If you have the urge to climb to new heights, while pushing your body to its limit, then places like Vertical Reality and Altitude Gym are for you. They offer the traditional, harness and rope, rock-climbing experience, but they also offer something different. It’s called bouldering, and it is quickly taking the world by storm.

Bouldering is climbing at its purest. There are no harnesses or ropes, just a climber and the wall (and a little bit of chalk). The climber must reach the top while only using one colour of handles. That is what makes bouldering unique, it’s a test of physical and mental strength. Often times the climber must be strategic in their approach, or they will waste a lot of energy. They are usually multiple different paths a climber can take to get to the top, but it all boils down to their control and creativity.

Bouldering requires a combination of endurance, power, balance and most importantly core strength. The only thing the climber is fighting against is their own body weight and gravity. Seems easy enough? Well it certainly can be challenging. I learned early on the importance of strong grip.

The first time I went I crashed on the mats more times than I can remember. I would make it about halfway up, then plummet down below. To make things worse, I was surrounded by monkeys. Everywhere I looked people were swinging from rock to rock effortlessly. I saw a woman hanging from one arm and casually conversing with her friends down below.

So, I came back the next week and climbed a little higher. And I did the same the week after that. The best thing about bouldering is the progression you see. There are markings on the wall, so setting goals is easy, but achieving them takes a little more dedication.

Winter shouldn’t be an excuse to not exercise any more. All you need is a little chalk and an open-mind. The feeling you get when you finally hoist yourself on top of the wall is indescribable. Go see for yourself.

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Matthew is an Ottawa-based writer with a passion for football that was conceived in 2009, when the New Orleans Saints defied all odds and won their first Super Bowl Championship. He longs to visit Northern Europe to see the aurora borealis. Until then, he reads graphic novels, plays Super Smash Bros., and attempts to stay fit. 

The surprising benefits in your own kitchen

You are what you eat—literally. The food we consume provides us with many things, some beneficial, and others harmful. In general, food provides us with calories, which increases energy. But there are many things that people don’t realize about the food they eat, including the surprising health benefits of many common kitchen staples. 

5 Common foods and their amazing benefits

Cinnamon

Not only is cinnamon a delicious and versatile spice used in many recipes and on it’s own, but it is also a powerful source of antioxidants. One ounce of cinnamon contains manganese, calcium, iron, vitamin K, copper and magnesium. Cinnamon also provides anti-inflammatory effects, which can decrease the risk of heart disease, cancer and brain function decline. 

Pineapple

Pineapple contains a large amount of beta-carotene, a nutrient that can help prevent the development of asthma. It is also a great source of vitamin C, which is one of the most essential vitamins for maintaining good health. Vitamin C helps prevent the formation of free radicals that can cause cancer. It can also increase overall skin health, including skin that has suffered damage from the sun, reduces wrinkles, and aids in the formation of collagen—the skins best friend. 

Spinach

Ever think of becoming vegan or vegetarian? Spinach is one of the best plant sources containing calcium and iron. It contains antioxidants that aid in the management of diabetes by lowering glucose levels and increasing insulin sensitivity. Spinach greatly improves bone health by providing significant doses of vitamin K, which improves the absorption of calcium, and helps reduce the excretion of calcium through urination. 

Peaches

Peaches contain a large quantity of potassium, a nutrient that is essential in the maintenance of heart health. The consumption of fruits in general, including peaches, can decrease the risk and slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration. Not only are peaches very beneficial, but they also make a very convenient and delicious on-the-go snack. 

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are an overall “superfood” in the sense that they provide just about all the benefits as the above mentioned foods. Not only do tomatoes aid with skin health, heart health, diabetes and healthy blood pressure, but they also contain a plethora of cancer-fighting antioxidants. In particular, they provide 80 percent of dietary lycopene, a plant compound that has been linked with the prevention of one type of prostate cancer. 

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Alicia Feizo has always loved literature and the endless possibilities of using words as creative expression. Her passions include poetry, magic realism and living an authentic life. 

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Laughter is no joke

Laughing feels good; no one can deny this, except perhaps the occasional accompanying muscle cramp caused by laughing for long periods of time. Laughing releases endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good drug. This is likely why good humour is so sought after, and why stand-up comedy is one of the only careers you don’t need to become officially certified in. 

Laughter improves your mental well-being

Laughing is one of the quickest and most effective ways to diffuse anxiety. You could even say it is the opposite of being in an anxious state. Laughter dilutes the seriousness of our worries, and creates a more calm space for us to then tackle our challenges from a centred state of mind. Stress is one of the biggest drainages of both mental and physical energy, and can actually shorten your lifespan if left unchecked. The good news is that laughter can in fact increase your lifespan by increasing energy and lifting your mood. If your mental health is in good shape, then you are likely to manage your physical health in a more conscious way. 

Laughter improves your physical health

Not only does laughter release endorphins, but a long, whole-hearted laugh can decrease muscle tension, which can leave your muscles relaxed for up to forty-five minutes. There is a great deal of truth behind the expression, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Laughter can, in fact, boost your immune system, increasing immune cells and antibodies which keep you physically fit to ward off disease and infection. Laughter also lowers blood pressure (in a good sense) which reduces the risk of stroke and heart attacks. It can even provide you with a moderate work out: laughing burns nearly the same amount of calories per hour as walking at moderate pace. 

Not only is laughter extremely beneficial to your own mental and physical well-being, but it can also be used as a tool for human connection. When you laugh with someone, there is no need for words—there is a deeper connection in that moment that supersedes the need to fill the silence. Laughter can also decrease tension between people, allowing them to be more open to forgiveness rather than judgement.The most common element that comedians share in their skits is the truth behind their jokes. People often laugh at jokes that they can connect and identify with. Being able to laugh at the absurdity of life is what makes it a joy to be alive. 

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Alicia Feizo has always loved literature and the endless possibilities of using words as creative expression. Her passions include poetry, magic realism and living an authentic life. 

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5 Natural Remedies to Fight Sickness

      Too many times, folklore medicine has gone ignored or has been undermined by continuously advancing healthcare. If we’re sick or in pain, we immediately turn to our doctor for the latest cough medicine and pills, the best thing that will get rid of our cold and flus as soon as possible. But we frequently forget that when we become sick, our bodies need the strength to fight off the virus, but if we’re missing the nutrients our bodies need, the healing process will take longer.

         There are many natural remedies you can purchase at your very own grocery store or market, and can cost as little as 5$. Stop spending 20 -30$ on flavoured cough medicine and hard to swallow pills, with the false promise of ‘fast-relief’ from all symptoms. Try these 5, natural at-home remedies for common cold and flu symptoms that will have you feeling 10 times better than any poorly advertised medicine will!

Ginger Root

         Ginger has been known for centuries as a natural medicine for many different symptoms, and has now been scientifically proven to have curative properties. A few pieces or slices of cut up raw ginger root in boiled water or tea can help soothe a sore throat or cough, and research suggests it can help fight off nausea.

Garlic

         Garlic has been said to actually help prevent you from getting sick, warding off harmful bacteria and viruses if you add garlic supplements to your everyday diet. When sick, it can help fight off multiple symptoms of cold and flu if added to your food or meal, helping clear sinuses.

Vitamin C

         You can’t get any more natural than vitamin C, but believe it or not, we lack it pretty heavily. We get vitamin C from the sun, it is the biggest source on the planet, but thanks to advancing technology recent younger generations are spending less time outside. Luckily, there are many other ways we can still get the large amount of vitamin C our immune systems need when dealing with diseases and viruses. Fruits such as limes, lemons, oranges, and grapefruits are great examples of other sources; add a bit of lemon or lime to hot tea, with honey and ginger root with help clear up both your throat and sinuses, helping with any sore throats or sinus infections.

Honey

         Honey is another great natural remedy for a sore throat and cough, especially for children and at night. A few drops of honey, added with a bit of lemon, in boiled water or tea is an effective suppressant. Researchers have suggested that giving a child around 10 grams of honey at bedtime can help reduce the severity of cough symptoms; who’s to say that doesn’t work for children at heart as well! (Never give honey to a child younger than 1 year old)

Epsom Salts

         This is a popular ingredient used in a lot of new bath and shower products such as bath bombs, bubble bars and many other natural soaps. If you add a couple handfuls of Epsom salts to a lukewarm bath and soak in it for at least 5 minutes, the natural salts in the water will help soothe and relax your muscles, taking away a few of the aches and pains our bodies develop from colds and flu’s. The steam from the warm water mixed with the salts will also help clear sinuses and stuffy noses.

Those are just a few of the many natural remedies our wonderful mother Earth has to offer us. Can you think of anymore? What other remedies do you know? Share them below!

Here are a couple links to some more ideas of natural home remedies to cure and prevent sickness and get back to feeling healthy and happy.

https://wellnessmama.com/1499/natural-remedies-for-illness/

https://www.positivehealthwellness.com/pain-relief/8-effective-natural-remedies-prevent-cold/

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I have had a passion for literature since the day Dr. Seuss started to make sense. Healthy living is just one of the many other strong passions I have, and combining two great passions is living what I believe is a fulfilled life. Walk through my arranged blogs on the joy and knowledge of healthy living!

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A Beginner's Guide to the 3 Styles of Working Out

The gym is no longer an excuse not to workout. The best part about working out is it isn’t simply a physical pass-time, it also offers countless mental benefits. Working out teaches discipline, determination and perseverance (to name a few) and is continuously rewarding to those who put in the effort. Paired with the versatility of the human body, there are endless different ways to exercise and get the specific results you want.

I know working out can seem overwhelming, especially at the gym, but it doesn't have to. Working out needs to be enjoyable in order to get results. Which is why finding the right exercises is important. Aerobic, strength and flexibility training are three great ways to find exercises that are right for you.

Aerobic

Aerobic, or cardio, exercises focus on improving your breathing and heart rate. By doing cardio, you keep your circulatory system healthy and strengthen your endurance. Building your endurance and improving your blood flow will lead to overall better fitness – which is why cardio is an essential part of any work out plan. Aerobic exercises help train your entire body, inside and out, and help improve both strength and flexibility. The best thing about cardio is it's the easiest to do. Biking, swimming, jogging and even walking are aerobic exercises. Anything that gets your heart rate going can be cardio, just remember to keep it fun.

Strength

Strength training is all about building muscle size and obviously, strength. As a personal favourite, strength training is all about progression. Reaching the goals you've set for yourself is an increasingly satisfying feeling. Whether it be full body, or isolated muscle groups, there are many different ways to do strength exercises. Lifting weights is the most common way because free-weights train both strength and balance. But fret not those of you who don't like the gym or have no access to free-weights, there are other ways. Resistance training is growing in popularity, as it causes less stress to ligaments. As well as body-weight exercises, which are a true test of strength.

Flexibility

Flexibility training is on often overlooked aspect of exercise. It focuses on stretching and loosening your muscles. Stretching is so important because it keeps muscles healthy by maintaining their range of motion. If you're doing any sort of cardio or strength training, stretching will help you perform better as well as help you recover faster. There's a reason professional athletes do yoga; it's revitalizing and it works. Whether it be hot, power, or restorative, there is a kind of yoga meant for everyone.

Remember, don't limit yourself to one type of training. You can mix and match any exercise to tailor your work out exactly the way you want. Here are some great workout routines for beginners (no gym required) :

https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/the-no-gym-no-excuses-workout   

https://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/yoga/poses/beginner-yoga-poses/?page=2

Going to the gym and working out do not have to be synonymous anymore.

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Matthew is an Ottawa-based writer with a passion for football that was conceived in 2009, when the New Orleans Saints defied all odds and won their first Super Bowl Championship. He longs to visit Northern Europe to see the aurora borealis. Until then, he reads graphic novels, plays Super Smash Bros., and attempts to stay fit. 

Make it or break it: A guide to breaking bad habits with good ones

It’s Monday morning and your alarm is going off. And then the second. You go through your morning routine, checking off each necessary evil as you look forward to being back in your bed. But the days are long, and five back-to-back days is a stretch. You look forward to the little things that can feel like salvation—a break from the chaos in your everyday grind.

For some, it’s a cigarette, or a bag of Miss Vickies Salt n’ Vinegar chips. For others, it might be a casual gossip session between classes. These habits become so natural, they almost seem necessary in order to maintain structure. When these habits become collective among social circles, they may be even more difficult to break. It almost feels as though without the habit, something would be missing. 

There are many tactics that can be used to break bad habits, but here I will focus on a strategy for long-term success. As difficult as it is to kick one, adopting healthier, more productive habits can be just as difficult. Therefore, introducing a new, positive habit in place of the previous, harmful habit is one way to counteract the learned behaviour, while simultaneously feeling good about moving forward. This should also help erase the feeling that something is missing from your daily routine.

Once a habit is formed, we begin to make associations, whether subconscious or knowingly, that revolve around the habit. In the case of smoking, oftentimes if someone has a coffee while they smoke, they may feel the impulse to have a cigarette any time they go for a coffee. A possible way to redirect their attention when the impulse arrises could be to instead read a book, or review things that need to be accomplished that week. 

Other common factors that can be challenging when trying to break a habit is when a person finds themselves in particular states of uneasiness. This might be tied to particular people or situations in their life. Obviously you can’t always avoid particular people or places; the point of breaking this habit is so you can live a successful and fulfilling life without unnecessary struggle. An immediate, short-term tactic when in the prescience of someone that sets you off is to focus on your breathing. As trivial as it may sound, if you’re aware of your breathing during the interaction, it may help keep you rooted in the moment, deterring your thoughts and feelings from being carried away. 

If you aren’t quite sure of when you are most tempted to fall back into old patterns, or you find you can’t make new ones stick, it might be worth seeking help. In many cases, simply knowing why you’ve formed this habit in the first place can help stop it from taking over your life. Don’t suffer if you don’t have to—make a change.

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Author Bio

Alicia Feizo has always loved literature and the endless possibilities of using words as creative expression. Her passions include poetry, magic realism and living an authentic life. 

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5 Simple Tips to get Motivated – and Keep it!

Finding the motivation to reach your goals in life is probably just as tough as actually reaching them. It’s the first step you need to take to bring you closer to your destination. Here are 5 simple tips to help you find motivation to eat healthy and get the body you deserve!

1. Look up different workouts and routines that are your level and make your own workout plan. When I first started my journey to fitness and healthy living, I went to many different sites, like Pinterest and Tumblr, to try and find easy, step-by-step workout routines that fit my level of fitness and physique. Once I found the perfect workouts for me, I made a workout plan, sometimes dividing the different routines that workout specific areas of the body, and assigned them all a day. For example, Monday would be leg day; workouts that help my legs and thighs. Tuesday would be arm day; workouts that help my shoulders and arms, etc.

2. Keep a journal or log of all your workouts and document your current weight at the end of every week to keep track of your progress. One of the biggest enemies of motivation, is deception. Our minds have a way of playing tricks on us and making us think things that aren’t true. This kind of thinking has led people to believe they are much more out of shape than they are, and develop an eating disorder. One of the best ways to beat that, is to keep track of everything you do, and all the progress you make. At the end of every week, it is good to keep track of what your current weight is, and compare it to the week before. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but you can still see the small changes and improvements you’re making to your body, and get a physical sense of how amazing you’re doing!

3. Set achievable weekly and monthly goals, like a weight goal, lift goal, etc. This is another great way to physically see your improvement each week. If you have decided to do 25 squats for every leg day, set a goal for the end of the month to have bumped that up to 35. If you lift 20 lbs, make a goal for the end of the month or week to hit 30 lbs.

4. Count your calories and keep track of your meals to make sure you are consuming the required number of calories and other nutrients every day, to help keep your overall health and body in perfect balance with your new active lifestyle. This helps you see the positive changes you are making to your health, and get you excited for what you’re going to look and feel like when you do hit that goal.

5. Write down how you feel after every workout, regardless of what it is or how long it was. When you wake up on those cold, lazy Sunday mornings and don’t have the motivation to get up and go for a run, or do your routine workout, you can pull out the pages where you wrote how amazing it might have felt after doing even a half hour cardio workout, and compare it to how you feel right then. Is it worth it to skip out? Will you regret it? 

What other ways do you try and get motivated? Let me know in the comments below!

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I have had a passion for literature since the day Dr. Seuss started to make sense. Healthy living is just one of the many other strong passions I have, and combining two great passions is living what I believe is a fulfilled life. Walk through my arranged blogs on the joy and knowledge of healthy living!

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Yoga to Try

Close your eyes and breathe in. That last load of laundry can wait. Your boss can’t get you here. All your stress and anxiety isn’t allowed. For once, nothing is important. The only priority is clearing your mind.

Open your eyes and breathe out. See your body fold in new ways; experience the foreign stretches. Stand up and feel it - the energy. Not some coffee-induced, bound-to-crash-soon-energy, but some authentic, slept-like-a-baby-energy.

How? Yoga.

It's always difficult to nurture our mental and physical health simultaneously; one always seems to get the upper hand. Towards the end of high school, I was the most "fit" I had ever been. I worked out often and was in good shape. Looking in the mirror, I was happy with my body, but I wasn't happy. It took me a while to realize that I was repressing my problems and never taking the time to address anything.

It wasn't until a friend of mine showed me yoga, an exercise that encompassed both the serenity of meditation and the fulfillment of exercise, that I started to actually like the person within my body. That's not to say that yoga is some majestic discipline that will rid us of suffering, but it certainly has many restorative qualities. There is no way to express how much mediation, and not medication, can help anxiety. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, the breathing exercises from yoga compose me far better than any anti-depressant ever has.

In Hinduism, Yoga is the process of reversing the regular flow of energy, through breathing and meditation, to join an individual's spirit with the Universal Spirit, so one may perceive things with their mind, rather than their unreliable senses. It is a practice well over 5000 years-old. Although Yoga is an immensely rich discipline, asanas (postures or poses) and Pranayama (breathing control) are the aspects Western Yoga highlights most. 

There is a reason that 5000 years later, across the world, people still practice yoga; it works. Nothing relaxes and stimulates the human body simultaneously like yoga - not to mention it builds strength and increases flexibility.  Whether it be the fast pace and high-intensity of power yoga, the sweat and determination of hot yoga, or the helpful props in restorative yoga, there is certainly a type of yoga for everyone.  

To top things off, Ottawa has a growing yoga community with many studios. During the summer, on Wednesdays parliament hill is converted into a giant dojo and they offer a free yoga class. My personal favourite free yoga is Free Full Moon Yoga at Lansdowne Park. Everyone gathers on the great lawn under the moonlight, definitely a bizarre sight.

Plus with YouTube and other sites, there are endless videos to get you started... It's just a matter of rolling out the mat. 

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Matthew is an Ottawa-based writer with a passion for football that was conceived in 2009, when the New Orleans Saints defied all odds and won their first Super Bowl Championship. He longs to visit Northern Europe to see the aurora borealis. Until then, he reads graphic novels, plays Super Smash Bros., and attempts to stay fit. 

It's Just a Fad: The Truth About Detox Dieting

The media is always shoving new ways to lose weight down our throats — quick fixes and diets that are sure to ‘purify’ our bodies and make us the healthiest version of ourselves.

However, they leave out one little detail; none of these diets are going to help you be healthy or thin in the long run. Sure, they may work for a few days or even weeks — but the minute you stop the diet and start eating normally again, you gain all the weight back. You can’t stay on a ‘quick fix’ diet forever, they’re not sustainable.

Detoxing is essentially ridding your body of any toxins or other unhealthy substances it may have. There are many people who believe that detox dieting is the key to weight loss and healthy living. There are juice and soup cleanses, water fasts, special teas, and even baths that claim to detox your body and help you shed five to 30  pounds in a week. And they will! You will lose all that weight! You’ll also be exhausted, malnourished, and suffering from either severe constipation or severe diarrhea. The creators of these diets also forget to add that the minute you stop your ‘cleanse’ and go back to eating real food, all the weight you managed to lose will come back — and then some.  

The truth is, you already detox and flush toxins out of your body naturally. That’s what your liver and kidneys are for! The kidneys remove waste and regulate the amount of fluid in the body, while the liver filters blood and detoxifies chemicals. There is no need for any fancy “detox diet”. By drinking about two litres of water a day and eating a balanced, healthy diet, you will allow your body to detox naturally. By doing these fasts and “detox diets”, you are doing more harm to your body than good. There is also the fact that fasting and dieting can be extremely addictive, and those predisposed to eating disorders may come to develop an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia.

Don’t feel discouraged, though! There is still hope for you to lose the weight you want to without any kind of quick-fix or fad diet. It will take longer, and you will have to put in a lot of effort, but you will be the healthiest version of yourself —and still get to eat all your favourite foods!

In my next post, I will be detailing how to lose weight with the best science-backed method; using your BMR and TDEE alongside specific diet adjustments. I will explain the methods and how they work, alongside a general timeline of when you can expect to lose weight.

Have you ever tried a juice cleanse or “detox-diet”? Let me know your experience in the comments below!

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When she’s not curled up with a book or furiously scribbling out poetry, Nicky can be found caught in debate, unafraid to use her sharp tongue and even sharper wit. As a second year Professional Writing student, she takes to debating in written form, debunking myths and ensuring that her point is heard.

Living A Balanced Life

If you look up ‘How to Live a Balanced Life’, you won’t get the exact key to your answer. However, you will often find a Google search will give you plenty of tips and quotes on what a balanced life is. That is pretty much all you are going to get. I wouldn’t trust those Mama Gizelle Fortune Teller websites, they just want your money.

Why is it you only find tips and tricks? Because there is no one right answer to what a balanced life is or how to live it. Everyone experiences their life differently and has a unique path to true happiness and success. Some see their success and true happiness as being wealthy, others seek spiritual fulfillment as true happiness; only you can decide what a balanced life is.

 There are also multiple different tips that can lead you towards your path - especially for those in difficult times or struggling through life’s many obstacles. Everyone needs a little push in the right direction or enlightenment that leads to research. Here are a few words to live by, when seeking a balanced life: always remember that your body is your temple, and only you have complete control over its properties, inside and out; mind, body and spirit. It’s important to always care and love yourself; don’t be afraid to put your needs before others.

Having to let go of the past if given an opportunity to move closer to your goal or dream doesn’t always have to be a negative choice. Every day we are faced with options and challenges that leave us unsure or lost. To achieve success and happiness, you must have faith in yourself and your abilities to take a risk in life. It is natural and understanding to also rid yourself of a toxic person or situation, to fill your environment with a positive atmosphere.

Taking a step back in your current life situations, and assessing what your next move is, can help you create a plan to reach your preferred destinations in either your career or personal life. But rarely it is also said to ‘expect the unexpected’, something many people have feared, going back to having faith in yourself, to take a risk, unsure of the consequences. We often forget to consider if we are so unsure of what is going to happen, whether we plan for the worst, or hope for the best, why put such a large effort into ensuring everything goes according to plan?

To be honest, the answer to living a balanced life is about accepting the choices and challenges life may throw at you, taking them in stride, and putting your best foot forward to reach your path to true happiness. Always remember your body is your temple; your mental, spiritual and physical health come first.

With that in mind, what can you say is the definition of your true happiness? Your path to a balanced life? Fame? Money? Dogs? Comment below!

Welcome to Active Voice!

Active Voice is a blog created by four Professional Writing students who have an active interest in healthy living. We each come from diverse backgrounds and want to lend our voice to communicate how to live a healthier life in every way. We will cover everything from mental and physical well-being, to spirituality and relationships. We hope that you enjoy reading Active Voice as much as we love creating it!

If you had a say, what would you like to see us cover on Active Voice?