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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

So when we first talked about doing this wellness blog, I was super excited! But I quickly fell off the wagon. And instead of getting up and trying again, I just gave up. But recently I’ve accomplished some baby steps that I am very proud of. And although right now they don’t seem very monumental, if I keep at it, I will see positive change.

My baby steps:
•I walked in the HeartWalk a few Sundays. I only did the mile route, but I walked.
•I purchased omega-3 supplements and a multivitamin that have been faithfully taking every morning.
•I have been eating tilapia at least once a week for lunch or dinner.
•I have been replacing my usual favorite side dishes of rice or potatoes with sautéed or roasted veggies.
•I’ve been drinking more water.
•In my search for a new church home, I have visited two churches and plan to visit a third next Sunday.

MFP Solutions Lab logo

The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.