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Keeping Pace with Chicago Tribune Reporter Julie Deardorff
Health isn't just Julie Deardorff's "beat" at the Chicago Tribune. It's her life. She bikes nearly 25 miles roundtrip for work regularly, sits on a exercise ball rather than an office chair at her desk and has been a vegetarian since 1985 - just to name a few examples. Like anyone who works in the field of their passion, Julie is good at it. Her blog, Julie's Health Club, receives 2,000 to 6,000 visits a day on average, and is one of the most popular health and fitness blogs in the city.
We caught up with her to find out where her passion for health comes from, how she keeps up with ever-changing health trends and how she maintains her own wellness while balancing work and family.
ON JOURNALISM
Why did you get into journalism?
I started keeping a journal in fourth grade after reading The Diary of Anne Frank and Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. I still journal today and have more than 50 notebooks. In seventh grade, I looked up the word "writer" for a project and found a description of a reporter. It sounded thrilling. And as a shy child, writing gave me a voice.
Why the particular focus on health?
I've always had a personal interest in health; I just happen to be lucky enough to write about what I love. Before covering health and fitness, I wrote about the environment and its connection to our health. I've also worked as a sportswriter, metro reporter and a national correspondent for the Chicago Tribune.
What's the most important story you've ever reported?
They're all important to the people you're writing about. The most humbling story I worked on involved Rev. Scott and Janet Willis, who lost their six youngest children in a horrific car crash in 1994 - the incident was related to the licenses-for-bribe scandal under former Gov. George Ryan. Five years after the accident, I visited them in their one-bedroom condo in Printers Row to write about how they were coping. I've covered tragic events - school shootings and shuttle crashes - but their story still haunts me on a regular basis.
What's the most unique experience you've had while reporting?
I flew with a bush pilot and camped in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for a story on the Bush Administration's environmental battlegrounds. The highlight was peering at a caribou's nose from inside my tent at 1 a.m. - in broad daylight. Later, on that same trip, I reported on logging in the Tongass National Forest.
What is the most surprising thing you learned while reporting?
I learn something from everyone I interview, which is why I love journalism. The most surprising thing I've learned is how many chemicals are in everyday use that have never been tested for safety.
What story did you write that received the most reaction from the public?
People seem to like when I write about my children, perhaps because they're experiencing the same things. Autism almost always generates emotional responses. A blog item I posted about an autistic child getting thrown off an airplane is still getting comments.
What do you feel is your role as a health journalist?
My role is to give people useful information so they can make informed decisions, something that's not easy these days. Food labels are deceptive and misleading, phamaceutical companies market products that many people don't need and the Internet can be full of health scares.
How do you keep updated on current trends in health care?
I read and listen to everything I possibly can, including newspapers, magazines, blogs, podcasts and Twitter feeds. I also rely on old-fashioned human interaction to keep me current.
How has social media impacted the way you report and write your stories?
I use Twitter and Facebook primarily to look for sources, story ideas and share links of my own work or things I wish I'd written. I also use it to see what people are talking about and interested in reading.
Some people predict that newspapers will fade out while citizen journalism and social media will take over as main outlets for news. What is your opinion of this?
These outlets are giving everyone a voice, which can be a good thing, but ultimately, we need fair, unbiased reporters who are paid to report both sides of a story and follow it for days, weeks or even years. There will always be a need to have someone generating original content rather than aggregating existing content, and the public will have to decide how much it values the watchdog role that traditional journalists have filled.
Where do you see the industry heading?
There's no question print journalism is undergoing a revolutionary change; I'm sure I'm going to have to explain to my children that newspapers were once delivered by human beings who went "door to door." But ultimately we're reporters because we love to learn, report and write and because we feel we can make a difference in someone's life. We'll end up going where that is valued.
ON HEALTH AND LIFE
What do you do to maintain your own health?
I work out nearly every day, whether it's riding my bike to work or running hard on the treadmill for 20 minutes. I avoid red meat and poultry, soda, artificial sweeteners and processed food. My staples are whole foods, fruits, vegetables, tea and dark chocolate. I advocate sleep, but don't get enough.
Have any of the stories you've written influenced you to change any of your health habits?
I try to limit my plastic use. I stopped drinking water out of plastic after reporting on the chemical bisphenol A, which is used to make shatterproof polycarbonate plastic. I don't microwave anything in plastic; instead I use glass.
Where does your interest in alternative and integrative medicine come from?
The body is interconnected, so the holistic or whole body approach to health has always made sense to me. Integrative medicine also places a greater emphasis on prevention. My own experience, meanwhile, has shown that conventional or Western medicine often needs a little help. So-called "alternative" treatments such as nutrition, massage and acupuncture can be great complements to healing.
How do you help influence a healthy lifestyle on your family?
My husband, a stay-at-home dad and carpenter, is the real healthy influence; when I reach for chocolate, he's peeling an orange. He's a creative, talented cook who makes all our meals and has completely transformed my eating habits. We both try to model healthy behavior for our kids. We never drive if we can walk or bike, we don't have junk food in the house and we rarely watch TV.
What health issue is nearest to your heart, and why?
Sleep deprivation affects nearly every function of the body and is one of the most overlooked health issues of our time. When we don't get enough it can cause obesity, memory loss, and affects our judgment and decision-making ability.
What do you foresee as the biggest health issues in 2009?
Obesity and sleeplessness (or insomnia) will continue to be a problem because they can't be resolved in the long term by prescription drugs. Instead, both conditions require lifestyle changes, which are much harder for people to implement.
FOR FUN
What's your favorite workout routine or exercise?
I love to run hard or take a spinning class and then do yoga, but I don't have that kind of time anymore so I mix it up. I bike to work when I can, swim on weekends and do yoga at night to help fight off insomnia. If I can't bike during the week, I run, either outside or on a treadmill. I used to love running with my husband but it's harder to do with the two kids.
The unhealthy food you can't resist?
Chocolate.
Your favorite part of working out?
Sweating. And how I feel when I'm done.
Quirky habits while writing or while working out?
While writing, I alternate sitting on an exercise ball and a chair. Sometimes I drop into a lunge while typing. When I'm stuck on something, I might do 10 push-ups. It might not solve my issue but I feel a little better.
How do you motivate yourself to work out?
I actually love working out, which is why it was so easy to train for an Ironman. I saw it as a great excuse to work out twice a day. It's also a habit. And I always feel better when I'm done.
What was more difficult: Delivering your 9.2 pound baby with no pain medications, or competing in two Ironman triathlons?
It's easier to train for an Ironman than childbirth. Plus, you can't just eat GU energy gel during labor to ease the pain. But while labor and delivery are more painful in the short term, my recovery was much faster. I was injured for a year after the second Ironman. But 10 minutes after giving birth to my second son, I was up and walking. Ultimately, being a mother is harder because it's relentless. But it's more rewarding than I could have ever imagined.
This article is brought to you courtesy of Well Magazine, Swedish Covenant Hospital's Health and Wellness Magazine for the Wise Woman.
Want more Well? Visit WellMagazine.org >
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