367: Transforming Lives Through Plant-Based Inspiration: Michael Hardy's Journey and Children's Book

Maya Acosta  00:00

So welcome back to another episode, my friends, I'm bringing you a bonus episode every Friday for the month of August and September. These are on location interviews that I did while I was at the National Health Association Conference in June. And so I'm introducing you every Friday to a new guests a new individual that I got to interview at the NHL conference. So I hope that you enjoy these conversations are very short. I filmed them on location, I didn't use a mic. I was just inspired to see why people went to the conference and what they were getting out of it. And I hope that you enjoy. This is the healthy lifestyle solutions podcast, and I'm your host Maya Acosta. If you're willing to go with me, together, we can discover how simple lifestyle choices can help improve our quality of life, and increase our longevity in a good way. Let's get started. We're at the National Health Association's annual conference, please let us introduce yourself to my audience. What brought you to the conference? Yes, my

Michael Hardy  01:07

name is Michael Hardy. I am a lifelong resident of Cleveland, Ohio, minus a few years of living overseas in Taiwan and South Korea, where I work as an educator as a teacher, teacher, trainer, director of a school. And I found out about this conference while attending a Veg Fest some years ago. And I've been to a few conferences. This is my third conference. And I enjoy coming here because I get to learn a lot about nutrition and get to interact with a lot of plant based individuals. And it's a great learning experience.

Maya Acosta  01:44

It really is awesome. Let's hear your story. What inspired you to explore whole food plant based diet, which is also a lifestyle, and how has it impacted your overall health and well being,

Michael Hardy  01:58

if you will, I became PLANT BASE while living overseas. I had a lot of friends who were vegetarians and vegans, I was always health conscious. And before leaving Taiwan to come back and live in the US, I would want a health retreat. And on this health retreat, I learned about food, and what it does to the body, and how to become healthier. So I actually became healthier during this point. And actually came back to the US and shared a lot of the knowledge that I had. When I was going through this retreat. I noticed what it was doing to my body and how I was feeling better and had more energy, I just want other people to have this energy as well. And that's why I became a plant based and learn more about what I could do to help others. And that's what I've been doing ever since.

Maya Acosta  02:54

Okay, so you are a former educator. And now you have this knowledge of living a whole food plant based lifestyle, please tell us how you decided to become a children's book author.

Michael Hardy  03:06

Well, actually, I still work in education. But I'm actually Sabinus I do other things and work on some projects. But I became a children's book author, as I he master certified health coach, and I work with clients, I help them with their health plans, the doctors will sometimes give them some eating tips that they need to follow some changes that need to happen. And then what I do is I I help them achieve these goals. So as I'm helping people to achieve goals, sometimes questions come up about what else they can do and how they can help their families. So I wound up producing a book two helping clients, grandchildren become healthier, but really, instead help other people help families become healthier. Because I think when families work together, they can achieve some great things. And that's one of the reasons why I wrote this book that I had on my lap.

Maya Acosta  04:11

Wonderful. Please show us the book and the title and tell us you know, I understand as a former school teacher that children can be reached through storytelling. And this sounds like this is a story of a child named Willie. What is his experience and how did you decide on the name? Okay,

Michael Hardy  04:29

well, basically Willie, I'd signed on to the name because my father's name is Willie. And he taught me about health and wellness and encourage all my brothers and sisters to to eat healthy and to exercise and to and to live well. So I decided that it had to be Willie because you know he was the patriarch of the family and along with my mom, they made sure that we ate healthy and we have fruits and vegetables available and noticeable in the house, the fruit was on the table, the vegetables were there at each meal. And we were very, very health conscious. So I felt that Willie had to be the main character. And this character in the book has some health challenges. But because of these health challenges, he he's forced to, to look at things in a different way. So he adopts some healthier methods, learn some things about health and meet some interesting people along the way, which help transform his life and his world. And this, this is what the book does is it encourages people to have some inner reflection, and do some things to help change their world. So basic thing was nutrition, and lifestyle changes,

Maya Acosta  05:50

some and looks like an inspirational story that I think maybe you will benefit from where can people find your book,

Michael Hardy  05:57

will very soon it will be available on Amazon, and some platforms along those lines. Also, I can be messaged directly, and we can mail copies to people. There will also be available on some of some of the bookstores, the local bookstores, in the area in the Cleveland Ohio area. But this will be available as soon throughout the country through through Amazon and some other platforms. That's something we're working on, as we speak right now.

Maya Acosta  06:31

Oh, right. Well, congratulations. Very exciting. Would you like to share any social media links with my listeners in case? Like, do you have an Instagram page for your book,

Michael Hardy  06:41

directly I have the website is healthier living you.us You can connect with me, there also my personal email M that will hardy@gmail.com will connect you to some to some links. My Instagram is official underscore, Michael underscore Hardy is my Instagram. And if you put if you connect with me through my email, then they'll get you to every place you need to go. And also the website, the website will get you there as well.

Maya Acosta  07:19

Thank you so much. And do you have any final words for my listeners,

Michael Hardy  07:22

and I'm just saying that, you know, the information, the knowledge is there at our at our fingertips. And I think if we go out and seek this knowledge is there for everyone. And I think really with with families and the families can work together to become healthier even to encourage our loved ones to just add more plants to their diet. that would that would be very, very beneficial. We have to get to our kids early and get them on the right track. And I think if we do this, you can see some phenomenal results. We can bring down blood pressure rates, cholesterol levels, and we can all live healthier and happier lives, as many of the family has done over the years. And I think this is possible for everyone now, you know now more than ever, that's fine.

Maya Acosta  08:14

Thank you so much for the great work that you're doing and for creating this book so that you can reach the children at a young age, so they don't have to suffer when they get older.

Michael Hardy  08:23

Thank you very much for having me, and I look forward to communicating with you and everyone else. In the future. You've been listening

Maya Acosta  08:30

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