I’m really into health these days.

Ok, so I’ve always, sort of, kind of, really been into health. At 22, I was driven: gym three times a week, average of two alcoholic drinks per month, no dating — essentially, strict with myself in everything from study time to diet. I just was doing nearly everything wrong — eating low-fat meals, running on a treadmill, subsisting mostly on carbohydrates. Sounds super fun, right?

Now, having read neutral research on the topic and done some experiments, I have discovered that my body desperately needs good fats; that a rich variety of movement in natural environments makes me happy as well as healthy; and that too many carbs spike my insulin and wreak havoc on my blood sugar. I’ve progressed from “dieting” and “exercising” to actually enjoying the way I do things and the way I eat. Restriction is out, nourishment is in. Result: At 34, I feel (and let’s be honest, also look) exponentially better than I did at 22.

I’m also lucky enough to live in an outdoor mecca where nearly all the social events are active or actively revolve around eating good food, preferably fresh from the garden. I’m realizing that place, and community, are both huge parts of health.

So perhaps it is fitting that this issue on health care introduces a new column, Community Lives, covering nonprofit endeavors in our industry in general and mentoring programs in this issue specifically. As author Jeannette Stewart points out, mentoring programs help create robust, healthy professionals. By extension, learning from the mistakes and successes of others in the industry can be helpful — particularly when it’s done with the spirit of collaboration, with the idea that cooperation, even among rivals, helps further the health and evolution of us all.

Added to this, it’s just more fun to enjoy the company of your peers and swap ideas than it is to push yourself in solitude. So, as always, enjoy these tales and tips from the front lines of the health care localization industry — and remember that this enjoyment is good for you.