Springbrook Prairie, Where I Found My Way Back to Health
June 2024
The Loop on The Prairie That Helped Me Heal
Within four years of moving from the Netherlands to Naperville, IL, I had abandoned my bicycle for the convenience of a car and swapped healthy cooking habits for the ease of ready-made oven meals. This convenience, however, came at a cost. My physician warned me about my high cholesterol and sugar levels. My BMI was no longer in the healthy range. Still, I ignored everything until December 2011, when I hit rock bottom with a panic attack; I could not even walk a quarter-mile anymore at age 50!
So, on Springbrook Prairies’ walking route, I started in January 2012, gradually increasing my walking distance a little further each time, until I could complete the 5.5-mile loop. I skipped the ready-to-go meals and returned to eating only nutritious foods. My body responded well, and I returned to a healthy weight, with normal sugar and cholesterol levels. With those markers on par again, I started running on the prairie for the first time. Five years later, I ran my first marathon!
Twelve years later, I’ve consistently maintained a healthy weight, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, so today, I completed the loop without any problems. It felt good to be back again. I was even more enchanted by the preserve’s beauty, with its abundance of wildflowers in bloom. This place will always hold a special place in my heart; it saved me!
