By Elizabeth Harper By Elizabeth Harper | May 20, 2021 | People, Feature,
Health is the new wealth as more people focus on what matters most. We polled Palm Beach’s top experts for an inside look at how they stay in top form.
As a personal trainer, lifestyle coach and founder of PlantedPosh, Alexandria Johnson takes a customized, holistic approach to wellness.
"I want PlantedPosh to become a well-known name when it comes to healthy living,” says founder Alexandria Johnson. “That’s why I created PlantedPosh to cover healthy diets, fitness and everyday wellness strategies.”
From childhood to her time on the Ohio State track and field team, health and fitness have been integral to Alexandria Johnson’s routine. After completing her law degree, though, she had an epiphany. “I realized helping others went much further than the courtroom,” says Johnson, who now resides in Palm Beach. “My love for healthy living and coaching others led me to become a healthy lifestyle coach.” Cue the launch of her website, PlantedPosh, which was created as a passion project for wellness tips and healthy recipes and soon transformed into so much more. “I never expected it to become a symbol and name that many know me by,” she recalls. “PlantedPosh really became an image in the community during the COVID shutdown.”
Johnson embraced her new role as a personal trainer and wellness coach with gusto. She’s even become a real estate adviser with NestSeekers in order to push her clients’ health goals to the next level. After all, wellness starts in the home. “Health is the most important part of our lives that we can control,” Johnson says. “With some guidance, anyone can attain a healthy lifestyle that fits their unique character.”
Under her tutelage, clients pursue a life in the image of functional wellness strategies and practical health goals. Says Johnson, “Many clients come to me for personal training or healthy diet and cooking advice. Others come to me for strategies to balance their hectic schedules and put a priority on their health.”
When not advising loyal patrons, Johnson focuses on her own well-being. “I’m a very spiritual person,” she says, “and wellness to me encompasses a trifecta: physical, mental and spiritual health. Only with all three do I feel truly well.” plantedposh.com
Johnson's wellness favorites:
1. “If you’re starting a healthy lifestyle and don’t know where to begin, grab a journal and start writing about your life—what you’re happy and not happy with, and what you want your life to look like. My journal has helped me ditch negative people, embrace opportunities and to stop getting in my own way.” The Five Minute Journal, intelligentchange.com
2. “Whether you have a gym membership, play sports or just go on walks, being active helps increase endorphins and blood flow, leading to a healthier mind and body.” On Cloudflow racing shoe, on-running.com
3. “A blender is a great way to make quick meals like smoothies, protein shakes and soups, so that you can stay full while on the go”
4. “Water is so important for the entire body. Drinking about 3 to 4 liters a day is a great way to get enough in." HydroMATE water bottle, hydromateusa.com
Drawing from the serenity of the deep blue sea, Danielle and Guillaume Belliard created La Femme de la Mer as an antidote to the stress modern life puts on our skin.
“Living well means enjoying the pleasures in life without labeling our choices,” says Danielle Belliard, “practicing disciplines but also having light-hearted fun, finding the balance between a good bottle of wine and a workout regime, and living consciously and making the best of each moment.”
Inspired by her love of the ocean, the tenets of yoga and a trip to the lavender fields in the South of France, Jupiter-raised Danielle Belliard, along with her husband, Guillaume, dreamed of a collection of essential oils and all-natural body mists that celebrated aromatherapy. After much experimentation blending unique infusions and capturing the essence of fragrances sourced from nature, West Palm Beach-based La Femme de la Mer was brought to light.
“Our modern society has created daily challenges that threaten the health of the mind and body. We are constantly on the go and stimulated by technology from the moment we open our eyes in the morning,” says Belliard. “The intention behind the brand is to reconnect you with your inner nature and to offer you moments—moments throughout the day, moments that become special memories or an escape through your senses.” The goal of La Femme de la Mer’s products is to facilitate- a deep, meaningful connection to your innermost being. And through offerings such as the Island Collection, which transports wearers to days of carefree island living; the Survival Kit, a must-have for those seeking all-natural bug repellents; and soon-to-come fragrance Nu, with outdoorsy notes of sandalwood and musk, that balance can be found.
“When you are living with balance in your life, you are living with peace and harmony every day. It comes in physical, emotional and spiritual form, and it’s not easy,” she says. “For me, having a balanced life means creating time for the things I have to do as well as the things I like to do. Self-care practices are also very important—whether it’s a walk on the beach, spa time at home (a hot bath or a minifacial) or a few minutes of restorative yoga with myself to renew and recharge.” lafemmedelamer.com
The Belliards' wellness favorites:
1. “The Essential Oil Survival Kit is an all-day survival kit to boost your energy, calm your mood, revive mental clarity and give you serenity”
2. Of the Island Collection, she calls out the Palm Beach body mist, noting it can be used “to feel good and create a miniescape through your senses anytime you need a break with the dreamy scent of coconut and exotic guava fruit.”
The Town of Palm Beach’s recreation director, Mark Bresnahan, is championing physical activity for locals.
Mark Bresnahan, recreation director for the Town of Palm Beach, is deeply passionate about fitness and is on a mission to make Palm Beach the healthiest town in America.
It’s only natural that, as the Town of Palm Beach’s recreation director, Mark Bresnahan would have a history interlaced with fitness, wellness and healthy living. After stints in college athletics at Harvard University and Florida State University, Bresnahan settled in Palm Beach, first at Palm Beach Atlantic University and now with the Town of Palm Beach, where his unofficial role is “director of helping people live happier, healthier and longer lives,” he says. “It is my mission to directly impact all those in the community, first focusing on myself, those closest to me, then working my way out into the community, impacting as many lives as possible.”
To accomplish such lofty ambitions, Bresnahan begins each day with a power move: his infamous green smoothie “packed with spinach, ginger, cucumber, carrots, celery, turmeric, blueberries and bananas, among other nutrient-packed ingredients,” he boasts. He also places a premium on physical health and fitness—something present not only in his personal but also his professional life.
In his time with the Town of Palm Beach, Bresnahan has installed high-end body composition analyzer the InBody 570 at the Mandel Recreation Center, which, he notes, “is one of the most impactful pieces of equipment,” and planned the inaugural Marching through March Step Challenge to encourage locals to be active each day. Says Bresnahan, “I hope to see more town residents making health changes, especially during these unprecedented times we live in where health and well-being are a priority to combat so many illnesses. … My main goal is to make the Town of Palm Beach the healthiest town in America.” palmbeachrecreation.com
Bresnahan's wellness favorites:
1. “Paddleboard on the ocean in the calm waters of the early morning hours, or better yet get geared up with night lights for a cool evening paddling down the Intracoastal.” Surftech Aleka paddleboard, surftech.com
2. “Get the InBody scan at the Mandel Recreation Center. Being in the dark on your health is never a good thing, and this scan is the start of your new journey in health.”
3. “Cool off and play pickleball indoors at the Mandel Recreation Center.”
4. “Experience the healing power of nature with a stroll through Pan’s Garden.” palmbeachpreservation.org
Photography by: Photos by Charles Lake/edition by Alexandria Johnson; by Jeanne Belliard; by Jennifer Petrovitch