Chilton County Wellness by The Clanton Advertiser

CHILTON COUNTY

Passion

for

Fitness

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Table of contents primal instinct

New Clanton gym offers CrossFit training

chilton nutrition

New director hired for Chilton County Schools

dealing with grief

Chilton Baptist Association offers resource

tanning regulation

Proposed bill would limit minorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tanning

home sweet home

Senior Connection moving into new facility

healthy meals Rachel Rachels is the new nutrition director for Chilton County Schools.

ON THE COVER: Paul Mielke opened Primal Instinct Performance, a gym that offers CrossFit training.

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The slogan for Primal Instinct Performance, “Train Like an Animal,” demonstrates the intense approach visitors can expect.

New gym offers CrossFit training, experienced coaching Story by stephen dawkins | photos by jon goering

aul Mielke says fitness is his passion, and when you meet him, it’s clear he’s being honest.

Stop by Mielke’s gym, Primal Instinct Performance, and he’ll stop working out-or practicing mixed martial arts moves or shooting hoops

Train Like

Animal

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Coach Paul Mielke is CrossFit and USA Weightlifting certified.

‘My 62-year-old mother comes in twice a week. She does the same workout as me; it’s just scaled. I’ve trained everyone from grandmas to NFL athletes.’ –Paul Mielke, owner of Primal Instinct Performance outside in the parking lot—long enough to tell you about his passion. A native of Montgomery, Mielke played football at Huntingdon College and then served as a graduate assistant at Faulkner University in the strength and conditioning program. One day, Mielke went to a CrossFit gym and decided he wanted to open up a location where anyone could come get in shape. So, Mielke quit his job as a GA and saved up money while working as a bouncer and for a beer distribution company. He originally opened a gym in Hoover but realized he needed a different location. Eventually, he discovered the spot for Primal Instinct, located inside the same building as Clanton’s New Life Community Church, at 1622 Seventh St. N. Suite 136. CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program with the aim of improving muscular strength, cardio-respiratory endurance and flexibility, using a changing mix of aerobic exercise, gymnastics and Olympic weight lifting. Mielke said his is the only CrossFit gym in Chilton County. The gym opened around the beginning of the year, and a grand opening is planned for March. Gym members will cook out and provide food for those who stop by. Visitors will also have the chance to participate in a free CrossFit “Workout of Dr. Douglas C. Clark Dr. Jason K. Dickerson

Dr. Seth Williams

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Workouts at Primal Instinct Performance utilize free weights instead of machines, and sessions focus on mobility as well as strength. the Day.” “It’ll be a good time,” Mielke said. “We’ll all work out together, and we’ll have some fellowship, too.” Mielke said he’d like to grow the gym’s membership to 40 people. More than that and he wouldn’t be able to give members the one-on-one attention he said is so valuable. “Everybody will come in and feel like they got coaching,” he said. Mielke also has a youth program planned. It would be limited to eight spots. And there is a women-only class at 7 p.m. each night except Wednesdays. Memberships are available for that, also. He said there are about 20 members so far. “It’s exactly what I wanted it to be,” he said. The most significant benefit to membership, Mielke said, is his expertise and accessibility. “I’m CrossFit L1 and USA Weightlifting Certified, and I’m always in the middle of getting another [certification],” he said. “I’m accessible. We’re going to talk about what to eat, what to do when you’re having pain in certain areas. “We’re not a normal gym. You won’t see any machines in here—it’s all free weights. We’re not just getting stronger; we’re also improving our mobility.” Memberships are $75 a month, and $65 for a youth membership. Mielke said the price includes unlimited access to the gym. The first workout is free for a prospective member. Mielke said no one should be intimidated by CrossFit or working out at the gym. “My 62-year-old mother comes in twice a week,” he said. “She does the same workout as me; it’s just scaled. I’ve trained everyone from grandmas to NFL athletes.” Training with like-minded people helps provide motivation, Mielke said. “We know it sucks; we just embrace the suck together,” he said. For more information about Primal Instinct Performance, call Mielke at (205) 245-5817. Also, follow the gym on Facebook, Instagram (@PrimalPerformanceGym) and Twitter (@Paul_ Mielke). n

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Have A Health Question? Dial-A-Nurse 205-939-7878 Toll Free 800-331-6777 Whether you have a health question, need a physician, or want to register for a health class, St. Vincent’s Dial-A-Nurse is just a phone call away. Dial-A-Nurse, a free ministry of St. Vincent’s Health System, is staffed by registered nurses who can direct you to the answer you need.

St. Vincent’s At Your Finger Tips! Download our free app for iPhone or Andorid.

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Teaching healthy habits

Child Nutrition Program Director Rachel Rachels funnels her creativity with food into her job as she plans breakfast and lunch menus for schools in the county.

New Child Nutrition Program director familiar with food Story by emily beckett

ooking has always been one of Rachel Rachels’ favorite things to do. Like her mother and grandmothers, Rachels is creative and comfortable in a kitchen, surrounded by ordinary food waiting to be molded into extraordinary dishes. “I grew up always cooking,” Rachels said. “My first memory of cooking is sitting on the counter and making dumplings with my greatgrandmother. I was maybe 2 or 3 years old.” So, it comes as no sur-

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prise her new position with the Chilton County School System involves working with food on a daily basis. Rachels started as the new Child Nutrition Program director Feb. 1. As CNP director, she will work with lunchroom managers in the school system’s 11 lunchrooms to map out monthly menus for students that balance good taste with healthy choices while adhering to United States Department of Agriculture guidelines. Rachels came from Thorsby

High School, where she taught Family and Consumer Sciences for eight years. Rachels owns and operates a catering business, Southern Sweets, with her mother on the side. “I grew up learning a lot from my mother,” Rachels said. “I made my own cake on my 16th birthday. When I was in college, I worked as a cake decorator at Bruno’s. I’ve never really had a class, I just picked it up.” Rachels said while working at Bruno’s, she learned how the presentation of food could impact customers’ perception of that food – how it tastes based on how it looks. The better the presentation, the more appealing food was to customers deciding whether to purchase and eat it. “I use that philosophy a lot in this [job] because kids are kind of our customers,” Rachels said. “We want kids to eat in the lunchroom. I’m trying to kind of reinvent the lunchroom, and I’m working on menus to make them more appealing to kids.” Rachels offered an example of substituting a ham sandwich with pork roast. Along with substitutions, she has tweaked the way some entrées are assembled based on students’ feedback. Instead of changing the recipe for chicken fajitas, for instance, Rachels has changed the way they are made in order to prevent the vegetables from getting too soggy. She also hopes to introduce salad bars and breakfast carts in school cafeterias. “It’s easy to forget breakfast, but carts would offer a graband-go [breakfast],” she said. “Hopefully, it will encourage kids to eat breakfast. Hungry children don’t care about learning because they’re hungry.” Rachels said another idea is to give students an entrée choice sometimes. “I feel like if we can offer a choice, kids are more apt to eat,”

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‘Our children are our future. If we don’t teach them now, they’re never going to be good eaters. Give them an opportunity to try something new that they might not otherwise have.’ –Rachel Rachels, Chilton County Schools Child Nutrition Program director Rachels said. “My hope is to really give them the opportunity to have an opinion about what they get to eat and cultivate their long-term skills to distinguish between healthy and non-healthy options.” Rachels said menus for each month are created several weeks beforehand. Order guides list foods the school system may purchase, and USDA provides recommended nutrient standards per meal for different grades, including numbers of calories, proteins, calcium, iron, vitamins, total fat, sodium and carbohydrates. In county schools, about 2,600 students eat breakfast each day, and about 5,500 students eat lunch. On average, about 60 percent of the student body at each school eats in the lunchroom on a typical day, Rachels said. Rachels said she would like to see that percentage increase with more students eating and enjoying the foods offered in their school lunchrooms. “Our children are our future,” Rachels said. “If we don’t teach them now, they’re never going to be good eaters. Give them an opportunity to try something new that they might not otherwise have.” n

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Time of need Grief support available through Chilton Baptist Association Story by emily etheredge

rief comes in many different ways and can affect individuals of all ages. Whether it is the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, a relationship ending in divorce or a break-up or health issues, grief happens anywhere. Although grief support groups are hard to find in Chilton County, Rhett McKenzie offers counseling services through Chilton

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Baptist Association, in cooperation with the Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes and Family Ministries and Pathways Professional Counseling. “We don’t have a grief support group, but we do offer services to those who are dealing with grief,” McKenzie said. “I did a seminar about two years ago on grief in Chilton County and had several people attend. Whenever

we talk about grief it can cover a multitude of things.” McKenzie said grief is defined as dealing with the emotional hurt that comes from loss. “That could mean a loss of health or dealing with health issues, the loss of a job, loss of motivation, sleeping a lot or your diet has changed,” McKenzie said. “Other signs could be not having a desire to do much of anything.”

McKenzie said there are five stages of grief which include denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. “The one thing I try to remind people is the five stages are not chronological,” McKenzie said. “You may go from stage 1 to stage 4 and maybe back to stage 2, but it is not chronological.” McKenzie said he likes to use the analogy with those dealing with grief that it

comes in waves. “Sometimes our anger is a lot more powerful and stronger,” McKenzie said. “Grief comes in waves, and some waves are a lot bigger and taller. I usually try to get people to understand that if it comes and goes in waves, and we are standing on the beach and can see those waves coming then we can prepare for them. Some of the waves could include things like anniversaries or dates on the calendar that can often be big triggers.” McKenzie said birthdays or holidays or special dates with loved ones often lead to depression and anger, but preparing for those times can help in the grieving process. “A lot of people tend to not deal with grief properly,” McKenzie said. “It is good to take small steps whether it be getting involved in out-ofthe-house activities, making sure you have a proper diet of enough sleep and exercise or finding different places you can pour your emotional energy into.” McKenzie said individuals are dealing with grief everywhere and wherever there are people, there is grief. “Most often you see grief associated with the loss of a

loved one, but the downturn in the economy also caused a lot of individuals to deal with financial losses and losses of jobs,” McKenzie said. “I have seen that in Chilton County, which is one of the reasons I am here.” McKenzie said one of the policies for his counseling service is that no one is turned away because of financial reasons. “We have clients who don’t pay anything,” McKenzie said. “We work with them for as long as they need the help. Finances are not a deterrent.” Although grief is a common emotion found in individuals everywhere, grief support groups are not readily available in Chilton County. “I’m not sure how big of a market there is but I would imagine there would be several people who would be willing to get involved,” McKenzie said. “Support groups are great because it allows people who are in the same situation to interact with one another. You can learn from others how they got through something and take those experiences and help one another.” For more information, contact (205) 945-0037 or RMcKenzie@abchome.org. n

‘It is good to take small steps whether it be getting involved in out-of-the-house activities, making sure you have a proper diet of enough sleep and exercise or finding different places you can pour your emotional energy into.’ –Rhett McKenzie, Chilton Baptist Association

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no tan

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Proposed bill would restrict minors from using tanning beds

Story by emily etheredge labama minors wanting to tan in a tanning salon may soon face new regulations. The Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill

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‘I have always made the parents sign a consent form for their children who are 17 and younger because I am a parent myself and I would want to know where my daughters are tanning.’ –Alice Burton, Bahama Drama Tanning and Spa Feb. 11 to regulate tanning facilities and place restrictions on minors using the ultraviolet tanning beds. House Bill 254 sponsored by Rep. Ron Johnson, R-Sylacauga, states that 16and 17-year-olds would need written consent from a parent or legal guardian before tanning, 15-year-olds would need written permission and a parent present during the

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tanning session and anyone 14 and under would be prohibited from using the tanning beds (though they could receive spray tans). The bill also says no one would be allowed to use a tanning device without protective eyewear, and the consent form to be signed by parents or legal guardians would contain a warning about the dangers of UV radiation.

Bahama Drama Tanning and Spa owner Alice Burton has operated her tanning salon for 14 years and worries the new regulations will negatively affect her business. “I am the only tanning salon in Chilton County,” Burton said. “I think this is just an effort to ban tanning salons altogether.” Burton said 30 percent of

her customers are minors who frequently tan. “I have a lot of customers who are minors, and they come and tan every single day,” Burton said. “The majority of those customers are teenage girls, but I would say 5 percent of them are teenage guys as well.” Although Burton is against the bill, she has required parental consent from any-

one coming to tan at her salon under the age of 17. “I have always made the parents sign a consent form for their children who are 17 and younger because I am a parent myself and I would want to know where my daughters are tanning,” Burton said. “Most of the parents who have kids who come and tan here know this, and they are OK with me requiring them to sign a consent form.” Latasha Rooks works at Bahama Drama and has a 12-year-old daughter who likes to tan but supports requiring parents to sign a consent form. “I think it is good for them to have to sign something,” Rooks said. “I always want to know where my daughter is tanning, and I will only allow her to tan her legs so if I had to sign a consent form I would know where she is tanning and what she is doing.” Burton said tanning among teenage girls is popular and many visit the tanning salon year round. “I think a common misconception with a lot of people is that tanning beds are bad for you,” Burton said. “If you go to a salon where it is unsupervised and you can tan for however long you want to, then yes, that is bad. Anyone visiting my salon though has a certain amount of time they can tan and they are supervised which is a lot better than going and sitting outside

where you are baking under the sun for hours.” Burton said she questions how the bill will be helpful, as the regulations could force some teenagers to tan outdoors. “If they can’t come and tan in a salon then they will find a way to tan and it won’t be supervised,” Burton said. “The bill will also create more undercover agents who will be sent out to check and see if minors are being allowed to tan in salons.” According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website cdc.gov, indoor tanning exposes users to both UV-A and UV-B rays, which can damage the skin and lead to cancer. The site says, “using a tanning bed is particularly dangerous for younger users; people who begin tanning younger than age 35 have a 59 percent higher risk of melanoma. Using tanning beds also increases the risk of wrinkles and eye damage, and changes skin texture.” Burton said all of her customers are only allowed to tan at her salon once a day. “We try to educate our customers and especially the parents of teenage girls because we understand the importance of them knowing what is going on,” Burton said. House Bill 254 will now move to the Senate for consideration. n

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Chilton County Senior Connection member Frances Moatts (left) and director Vanessa McKinney stand next to the reception desk in the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new facility.

a place to call

HOME

SHELBYDENTALCENTER

Senior Connection prepares to move into new home Story by emily beckett | Photos by jon goering

or more than 20 years, members of Chilton County Senior Connection have maintained a dream they would eventually have a meeting place they could call their own. Now, they are on the home stretch of fulfilling that dream. Renovations to Senior Connection’s new 12,000-square-foot facility in the Park Plaza shopping center in Clanton are almost finished, and members have already begun moving tables and chairs in.

“We’re just so thankful for this building,” Senior Connection Director Vanessa McKinney said. “We just have a lot more to offer and room to grow.” Senior Connection is a local group for adults age 55 and older offering personal enrichment programs, recreational activities and health and wellness events, including weekly exercise classes. It was formed about 22 years ago, and McKinney has led the group for nearly 20 years. “It’s been my lifeline, too,”

she said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Formerly housed in Chilton Medical Center, Senior Connection moved to the Clanton Recreation Center in 2011 after the hospital cut ties with the group because of funding deficiencies. Although the center has met the group’s basic needs, McKinney and Senior Connection members are ready to have a facility in which they can spread out, enjoy a wider variety of activities and not have to worry about clearing out for

other groups to use the space. Senior Connection currently has nearly 70 active members and 150 total members. Exercise classes are held Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings and include arthritis classes taught by McKinney and Frances Moatts, along with line dancing and Zumba taught by Judy Headley. The group meets on Tuesdays, too. “It’s not all work and exercise,” Moatts said. In addition to exercising, members play card games

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The facility features more than 9,000 square feet, which Senior Connection will utilize for exercise classes, entertainment programs, an indoor walking track and more.

together, hold potluck meals to celebrate each other’s birthdays and take day trips to other cities and states. McKinney said she plans to open the new facility for more hours each day and more days each week since the group won’t have to share the building with anyone else. “When we get here, I hope to be open five days a week,” McKinney said. “We hope to have education a lot more often.” The group’s ‘education’ consists of monthly programs during

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‘We’re just so thankful for this building. We just have a lot more to offer and room to grow.’ –Vanessa McKinney, Chilton County Senior Connection which a guest speaker gives a presentation on topics such as health, politics or local events. The new facility, which McKinney described as a “senior sportsplex,” will feature an indoor walking track, stage, café area, seating area with a TV, reception desk, bookkeeping office, director’s office and an area with exercise machines. McKinney said a man who heard about Senior Connection’s moving plans donated 14 pieces of Nautilus exercise equipment from his health center that is closing, and he offered to teach members how to use it. “He was going to sell it but thought, ‘Why not give it to a good cause?’” McKinney said. “I think that’s going to be an asset for years to come for the wellness of seniors.” The group has also received monetary and material help from local leaders, residents and businesses along the way. The city of Clanton has allowed Senior Connection to use the Clanton Recreation Center and approved for it to move into its new facility, which is part of property owned by the city.

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Workers put the finishing touches on the interior of the facility, located in the Fred’s shopping center in Clanton. Businesses have donated building materials like paint and sheetrock, and donations have steadily flowed in the last few months. Senior Connection held its first health fair and 5K run and walk in January to raise money for the project. “Everybody’s just come through so great,” McKinney said. “We’ve been blessed for sure. God’s just put in place everything that’s needed to happen.” n

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