wellbeingtv
With the help of local health-related businesses and professionals, Lexington native Debra Koerner aims to showcase the healthy side of Kentucky in her upcoming PBS series, Journey Into WellBeing.
Journey Into WellBeing will launch its pilot hour-long episode in the Bluegrass State as Koerner, the executive producer and host, embarks on a 50-state health tour over the course of several years.
“The first show will be very special,” Koerner said, adding that all of the remaining shows will only be a half-hour in length and focus on natural health solutions. “It kind of outlines my personal story, where I’m at in my health and wellness — and now, ‘OK here I am in Kentucky, so I’m going to trek off and see what Kentucky has to offer.’”
Since moving from Kentucky to Florida, Koerner said she was pleasantly surprised at what the state had to offer in the way of health-related businesses.
“We are much more than horses, hillbilly hoedowns and hot browns,” said Koerner, who, in addition to owning iMassage Inc., is the executive director of Destination Spa Group and author of Success from the Start. “I learned a lot about Kentucky. When I lived in Lexington, there was part of me that was always not wanting to say I was from Kentucky because of the general stereotypes.”
But now, she added, there are so many neat movements happening in the health and fitness arena.
“People will be surprised that Kentucky is not what they think it is,” Koerner said, noting the huge amount of organic farms, new health-related businesses, the food-to-fork movement and all of the good things happening in Lexington, including new businesses such as the Weekly Juicery and the growth of farmers markets. She added that she has seen a big increase in massage therapy, acupuncturists, holistic doctors and new medical clinics.
“I almost felt like an opening was happening to natural health and wellness,” she said.
Because of all of the positive health movements happening in the state, Koerner said Kentucky was a natural fit for a place to launch her new show. Journey Into WellBeing begins with an overall health assessment, and then she will explore ways to fix her issues using experts from around Kentucky and from the other states in the following shows.
For example, Koerner visited Bobby Benjamin, executive chef at La Coop in Louisville, to learn how to redo traditional recipes in a healthier fashion.
“Bobby did a fabulous healthier version of the hot brown,” she raved. “He took whole grain bread and toasted it. Then he took smoked pulled turkey, so it was falling apart, it was so tender. And then, instead of a whole layer of cheesy gravy sauce, he did a small amount that used a lot less butter and then added in sautéed spinach and mushrooms and diced tomatoes. I think it was better than the original.”
The Kentucky pilot show will also feature Koerner’s initial health assessment and tips on beginning a health journey from Dr. Lena D. Edwards at Balance Health & Wellness Center in Lexington. Koerner visits Frontier Nursing University in Eastern Kentucky, J&M Strength and Conditioning in Lexington and Foxhollow Farm in Crestwood. She also consults with Eric Stephenson at iMassage. The show will cover topics ranging from organic farming to strength training.
The show’s producers also are Lexington based. Debra Locker of Locker PR serves as coordinating producer, and Jason Parmer of Dapper (a local advertising agency) is the director of videography.
Parmer said being a part of the show has allowed him to hire some local help, including some Asbury University graduates and interns.
“My company has done projects of a lot of scopes, but this is definitely our biggest documentary to date,” Parmer said. “It is a conversation starter for Dapper and is getting us a lot of exposure in the documentary field. This documentary also has us dreaming up what's next. We definitely would like to produce additional PBS documentaries down the road.”
He said he thinks the show is completely unique.
“Health and health care are things that are paramount concerns to almost everyone in our country, and tackling it from a natural perspective is great,” he said. “Typical shows of this topic can become stale or overly medical, but Debra’s humor and personality are what make this show so interesting. From a visual perspective, we’ve gotten to capture some gorgeous footage from beautiful Kentucky in the fall.”
The segment will be finished and delivered to KET in mid-December, and it will begin to air nationwide in February if all goes as planned. Koerner is hoping the show will begin to attract some donors as it airs.
She also hopes it will encourage people to change their lifestyles. A former corporate worker, she said her health had taken a huge turn for the worse because of a grueling schedule and poor habits. Calling herself “a pudgy insomniac on the brink of a health crisis,” she realized it was time to make a change, and she will be taking the journey along with her viewers.
After doing her initial health assessment for the pilot episode, Koerner admits she was overwhelmed by her medical results and has a lot of work to do.