HealthyLife May 2013 by Times Union Magazines

body. mind. spirit. may 2013

Weight It’s Just a Number

Vitamins vs. Food YOGA

and your

spirit

Debunking

HYPNOSIS

✽ PLUS • good gossip? • tips for easy travel • beating bloat • childless by choice and MORE!

working out with

baby in tow

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Learning with a Difference

www.healthylifect.com Publisher Michelle McAbee Editorial Janet Reynolds, Group Executive Editor Rebecca Haynes, Editor Brianna Snyder, Associate Editor Design Krista Hicks Benson, Design Director Tony Pallone, NY Division Design Director Colleen Ingerto, Emily Jahn, NY Division Designers Contributing Writers Beth Cooney, Cathleen F. Crowley, Laurie Lynn Fisher, Sandra Diamond Fox, Valerie Foster, Jayne Keedle, Carin Lane, Wendy Page, Cari Scribner, Emma Tennant, Linda Tuccio-Koonz, Melinda McGarty Webb

The Prospect School at Wooster was established in 2011 to serve students from ages 7–14 with learning disabilities that can be remediated through intensive instruction and speciﬁc curriculum. Examples of the types of learning disabilities that fall within The Prospect School’s purview include disorders of written language, reading and math disorders, expressive and/or receptive language disorders, executive function weaknesses, and Attention Deﬁcit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

You are invited to our Open Houses Wednesday, May 1 at 9:30 am Wednesday, June 5 at 9:30 am

Circulation John Truitt, Circulation Director Business Ray Koupal, Chief Financial Officer If you’d like to receive free home delivery of HealthyLife magazine, sign up online at www.healthylifect.com or call (203) 330-6435. For advertising information, call (203) 964-2435. Reach the editorial office at (203) 731-3360. HealthyLife is published by HEARST Media Services, 333 Main St., Danbury, CT 06810 The entire contents of this magazine are copyright 2013 by HEARST Media Services. No portion may be reproduced in any means without written permission of the publisher. HEARST Media Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hearst Corporation.

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As Seen On TV, Dr. Oz, Rachael Ray, Real Housewives, and in “Woman’s World” Magazine. Dreamed about by weight challenged individuals the Zerona & Yolo Curve are FDA cleared for laser-assisted weight and fat loss! WHAT IS IT AND HOW DOES IT WORKS? It is a cold laser light, applied directly to the skin, which causes the fat to be released (triglycerides, glycerol and water), which is the same thing that happens when you exercise, on the hormones causes the fat cells to release fats when you exercise. The water, glycerol, and free fatty acids leave the cell and your fat cell shrinks. THIS IS SAFE It is just a cold laser light, no cutting or invasive procedures. The same process that exercise causes the fat cells to do, happens from the laser. Its as safe as a ﬂashlight. THE LIPO-LASER CAN HELP YOU: • Reduce Fat • Reduce Stretch Marks • Skin Shrinkage • Lose Inches • Spot Reduction • Eliminate Cellulite • Chin ‘Tucks’ with chin fat • Eliminate Mufﬁn Tops

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may ’13

24 body

mind

24 Mommy Fitness

69 Childless by Choice

30 Warm Up and Cool Down

72 Summertime and the Travelin’ is Easy

Stroller Strides gets moms moving, with baby in tow 2 steps every workout should include

36 Gut Feeling

Are gluten-free diets beneficial when they’re not a necessity?

40 Welcome to the Food Neighborhood And an online cooking community

44 Pop ’em or Eat ’em?

Are supplements as nutritionally beneficial as real food?

50 That Time of the Month

What’s normal — and what’s not

54 Scaling Back

Do you weigh yourself too much?

58 Tired of Clumsy Mistakes?

How to become less of a klutz

62 Beating Bloat

Tips to keep that uncomfortable feeling at bay

Many factors weigh into the decision NOT to have kids

If you follow these tips

77 You’re Getting Very Sleepy

Debunking hypnosis myths — and exploring its benefits

81 Buyer Beware*

*Potential pitfalls in the online shopping world

spirit 88 Nurturing Your Spirit

Why yoga can help

91 Good Gossip

When talking about someone else is actually helpful

What every parent should know:

44 88 May 1st | 11:00 am - 12:00pm

Medical Baby Basics, Childhood Diseases and When to Call the Doctor Jay D’Orso, M.D. and Jennifer Rubin, M.D. are extensively trained and board certiﬁed in pediatrics and Internal medicine. They care for infants, children and adults at Western CT Medical Group in Ridgeﬁeld.

every issue

JunE 5th | 11:00 am - 12:00pm

10 contributors’ page

Raising the Emotionally Balanced Child

12 what’s on the web

14 editor’s note 16 news and views 20 fit and fab 34 did you know? 57 your body: an owner’s manual The Liver

67 ask emma Cover credits: Clothing/ accessories provided by Kohl’s, Norwalk. Hair and makeup by Greg & Tony, A Ouidad Salon, Westport. Cover and inside model photographs taken at the Maritime Aquarium, Norwalk. Photo by Krista Hicks Benson.

Lisa Kuller, LCSW Clinical Director of the Ridgeﬁeld youth Service Bureau and is the consultant for the Ridgeﬁeld Elementary schools.

RVNA Board Room 90 East Ridge Ridgﬁeld, CT Reservations are suggested as space is limited. Please call RVna at 203. 438.5555 to reserve your space or for more information.

Is Sex Necessary?

87 my word essay

Weighty Matters

94 cover model Q&A Up Close with Corrinn Gutierrez

Funded by: Barker Welfare Foundation, Branchville Fresh air Fund and york Children’s Foundation

90 East Ridge, Ridgeﬁeld, CT | 203.438.5555 203.938.3300 | ridgeﬁeldvna.org Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter

talk back

The story behind the story from our contributors Exercise Basics

A Weighty Debate Beth Cooney  While reporting on our relationship to our scale, I did a little experiment: I got off of mine to see what would happen. I gained two pounds! I seem to be one of those people who research suggests maintain a modicum of control over their diet and fitness by having a daily date with the scale. But I also believe many of the experts I interviewed, who suggest scale weight is only one part of the fitness equation. Find Beth’s story on page 54.

Mommy Fitness Melinda McGarty Webb  I so wish I had participated in a class like Stroller Strides after the births of my children. I hated leaving my daughters in daycare at the gym, which made me shy away from the whole experience. These people have found a perfect solution: break a sweat, strengthen those muscles that have been weakened by pregnancy and childbirth, get support from other moms, and keep your little one right within arm’s reach. Perfect. To read Melinda’s story, turn to page 24.

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No Kids, And Content

“[Being childless] is a different kind of lifestyle that offers more freedom to just get up and go that, for me at least, has undeniable appeal.” Jayne Keedle  It wasn’t until I did this story that I realized how many of my friends are also childless by choice. It makes sense though, given where we meet — walking our dogs, at local taverns, at concerts, or taking classes. Jayne’s story is on page 69.

Beating Bloat Sandra Diamond Fox  From speaking with the experts about bloat, I actually learned that I have it! I learned everyone’s tolerance for bloat varies greatly, so I never thought I had a problem. I’m starting to follow some of the tips from my article to help avoid experiencing the symptoms of this condition. To learn more about bloat, read Sandra’s story on page 62.

Pina: At the doc’s office

feel. I don’t need to know

Melissa: Good old H2O is the best! I infuse mine with fresh mint and lemon. Absolutely delicious!

Dawne: Never. It’s not

the number.

Corri: water

Andrea: Rarely

Patrick: Mio!!!!!

Patricia: Never! My jeans tell me how I am doing! lol Donna: Twice a day

healthylife

Laurie Lynn Fisher  Sailors used to eat citrus fruit so they wouldn’t get scurvy from vitamin C deficiency while they were on long sea voyages. Researching this article made me more conscientious about getting nutrients from a balanced, varied diet. When it comes to supplements, you really can have too much of a good thing. Elizabeth’s story is on page 44.

 How often do you weigh yourself? Three times a day? Once a month? Once a week? Never?

but how good I feel.

Supplements vs. Food

We asked, you answered!

about how much I weigh

@healthylifect

Valerie Foster  Shame on me! Before reporting the article on the importance of warming up and cooling down I hit the gym daily, never giving a thought to doing either. So now I take five minutes before I start exercising to warm up, and when I finish, do five minutes of gentle stretching. It’s added 10 minutes a day to my exercise routine but I feel so much better when I leave the gym. See page 30 for Val’s story.

only and I turn my head and tell them to just write it down in my file. I can tell by the way my clothes

Anne Marie: Once a day

 How do you make sure stay hydrated? Do you just drink

water? Or are you a Crystal Light lover?

Linda: water, herbal tea or kool aid mixed with nutra sweet Bichi: Mojito flavor Crystal Light...the best!

(closer)

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on the web

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➺

Behind the Scenes We photographed HealthyLife’s May cover at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, where our model, Corrinn Gutierrez, occasionally had to wait for the day’s visitors to finish exploring. At right, Tony Sirico of Greg & Tony salon in Westport, puts the finishing touches on her hair. Check out our behind-thescenes story online.

HEALTHYLIFE

BLOGS Marathon Mom Follow local mom of four, Sandra Diamond Fox, as she goes through an 18-week training plan for her firstever marathon.

TRAVEL ➺ TIPS Check out additional travel trips on our website — like how to find a checkpointfriendly laptop bag, finding luggage that will help prevent theft, and locks that are TSA-accepted.

Freelance writer and good-health enthusiast Beth Cooney scans the web to bring you the latest info and tips for healthy living.

Window Shopping Look for green home goods found around Fairfield County by writer Melinda McGarty Webb.

YOUR ➺ BODY — A PRIMER

Want to know more about your liver? Read our story on page 57 and go online to learn even more!

healthylife

EXTRA ➺ RECIPE! Want to make Sausage and Kale Dinner Tart from The Food52 Cookbook, Vol. 2, Seasonal Recipes From Our Kitchen to Yours by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs and the Food 52 Communities? It’s on our website.

Photos: Model with child, Krista Hicks Benson, Model at the Salon, Rebecca Haynes, Suitcase, Ryan McVay/GettyImages; Dinner Tart, Courtesy William Morrow; Sneakers, © Blasbike/Dreamstime.com.

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editor’s note

Our love/hate relationship with the scale

ow often do you weigh yourself? And more importantly, how obsessed are you with that number? Of course, our weight matters — most importantly where our overall health is concerned. Carry too much and health risks like type 2 diabetes and heart disease increase; carry too little and you’re more likely to have issues with fertility, anemia or your immune system. But sometimes our fixation with that number on the scale is obsessive. Does it really matter if our weight fluctuates by a few pounds? Or what the actual number is as long as we’re in good general health? That’s the issue tackled this month by writer Beth Cooney on page 54. Plus, we think you’ll also enjoy reading the interesting perspective on weight offered in the My Word essay on page 87. Whether you’re a person who likes to weigh herself every day or are on

the opposite end of the spectrum, the bottom line is figuring out what works for you. Speaking of what works, have you taken a look at HealthyLife online? Our new flipbook allows you to peruse the pages of the magazine, literally, from your computer, tablet or smartphone, wherever you have Internet access. Just visit healthylifect.com and click on the link at the top right of the home page. We also want to send out thanks to all of you who took our first official readership survey online last month. We’ll be letting you know what everybody had to say. Of course, we still want to hear from you whenever you have a comment or concern about HealthyLife. Do that by e-mailing me at rhaynes@hearstmediact.com or calling (203) 731-3360. And please join us on Facebook, where readers like you are responding

to questions and stories and helping us create a great dialogue. But most of all, thanks for reading!

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news and views

— compiled by beth cooney

is for Deficient

VITAMIN D, otherwise known as the sunshine drug, has been getting copious amounts of good-for-you buzz lately because it seems critical for everything from bone health to alleviating heart disease, dementia and mood disorders. But since this essential vitamin is naturally derived from exposure to sunlight, many people take supplements to get their daily dose. Research published recently online in JAMA Internal Medicine found that many over-the counter supplements don’t contain the amount of D claimed on their labels. Researchers affiliated with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore., tested 55 different kinds of vitamin D supplements sold by 12 different manufacturers, and found that over-the-counter vitamins sometimes contained too much, or too little, of the supplement. Since it’s hard to get sick on too much D, researchers say they are most concerned about people popping vitamins with deficient amounts. If you have questions about whether you are taking a sufficient dose of D — and have been urged to take supplements by your doctor — followup blood tests can determine whether you need to switch brands or up your dose. Another recommendation: Look for brands tested by the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention, which sets standards for supplements. source: tinyurl.com/hl13vitamins

Acupuncture for Allergies? THE ANCIENT PRACTICE

of medical acupuncture has been touted as an effective therapy for problems ranging from infertility to the side effects of cancer treatment. So researchers were curious about what it could do for people struggling with sneezing and wheezing associated with common seasonal allergies. According to a new study recently reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine, this so-called

healthylife

alternative was incredibly effective when offered to 442 people suffering with severe grass and pollen allergies. The test subjects, who were studied in Germany by researchers affiliated with Charite-University Medical Center in Berlin, were able to use less antihistamine and felt much better when they underwent a course of weekly acupuncture for eight weeks. source: tinyurl.com/hl13 acupuncture

Domestic

Arthritis Threats

IF YOU WANT TO reduce your risk of developing arthritis with age, you may want to purge your home of common household goods, such as non-stick pans and takeout food containers. In research described as groundbreaking, scientists have linked a connection between chemical compounds known as PFCs and the development of osteoarthritis in women. Exposure to PFCs is said to be nearly universal, as they are contained in textile stain protectors, grease-proofers, non-stick pans, carpets and even rain gear. A new study suggests that women who are exposed to high amounts of PFCs over the course of their lifetime run a greater risk of developing osteoarthritis as they age. Interestingly, the same phenomenon was not true for men examined in a comprehensive study conducted by researchers at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Science. The scientists, who recently reported their findings in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, say while they haven’t determined the exact nature of the relationship between PFCs and female arthritis cases, they do have one suspect trigger: hormones. They theorize that toxins in the chemicals stimulate hormones to cause a systemic reaction that contributes to arthritis. source: http://tinyurl.com/hl13arthritis

The

Booze-Cancer Connection

MANY WOMEN LIKE TO UNWIND after a stress-

ful day with a glass or two of wine or kick back on girls’ night with a couple of cocktails. But startling new research puts alcohol consumption in sobering new terms: An estimated 1 in 30 cancer deaths in America is “directly attributable” to alcohol consumption according to research recently reported in the American

Journal of Public Health. The researchers noted alcohol consumption put women at especially high risk of breast cancer. And perhaps more disturbingly, alcohol consumption did not have to be out of control for the researchers to establish a cause-and-effect relationship. The researchers associated a daily consumption of as little as 1.5 drinks a day with the increased

cancer risk. The takeaway: Despite many prior studies that have established a correlation between moderate drinking with positive health benefits, such as improved heart health, there are still plenty of reasons to limit your social drinking to an occasional cocktail or two and not make it a daily habit. source: tinyurl.com/ hl13cancer

Photos: Vitamin D, © Twoellis/Dreamstime.com; All others GettyImages, Frying pan, Stockbyte; Wine glasses, Nicholas Eveleigh Dog, Li Kim Goh.

Animal Instincts EVER THINK your beloved pet pooch seems to know exactly when to misbehave? Well, a hilarious new study out of England suggests that dogs seem to act up — doing things like sneaking forbidden pet treats — when they intuitively know their owners can’t see them. Turns out these not-so-stupid pet tricks tend to be committed when it’s lights-out. Researchers affiliated with the University of Portsmouth studied 84 dogs and their owners in a simulated environment where they changed lighting conditions. They put out a tempting snack and had their owners tell the dogs not to touch it. That worked in full light, but many of the dogs went for the goodies when the room was dark and researchers said the owners couldn’t see what their pets were doing. Besides being amusing, the animal behaviorists noted their findings also shed light on higher-level animal intelligence, suggesting not all dog behavior is based on training and conditioning, but also an astute assessment of their surroundings (and what they can get away with). The research was reported recently in the journal Animal Cognition. source: tinyurl.com/hl13dogs continued on page 18

healthylifect.com

news and views continued from page 17

The Adolescent Key to

Marital Bliss WANT YOUR KIDS to grow up to be loving, committed, happy partners? One new study suggests that everything they need to know about being a good spouse begins as early as seventh grade. Well, perhaps the foundation is formed even sooner than that, but new research reported recently by the Association for Psychological Science suggests that children who are thriving in positive home environments as adolescents ultimately have Everything you the most satisfying, stable marriages. Even more intriguing were the findneed to know about ings by researchers at Michigan State marriage begins in University that suggest that these hapseventh grade. pily-ever-after outcomes extended to the marital partner of the well-adjusted spouse. The study involved checking in 17 years later with a group of married adults first assessed as seventh-graders. The study found that the adults who had been exposed to positive relationship skills in their home as young teens — relating qualities such as warmth, listening and appropriate assertiveness — reported the most satisfaction in their marriages. “Perhaps one of the most striking results from this work was that the quality of one marital partner’s family climate during adolescence was associated with marital outcomes for the other partner,” the researchers noted in a press release. source: tinyurl.com/ hl13relationships

Food Safety Watch List WHAT’S THE RISKIEST FOOD to keep in your kitchen? Well, it’s an unappetizingly loaded question, but at the top of a comprehensive list compiled recently by the Centers for Disease Control, are those otherwise good-for-you leafy greens. It seems vitamin- and fiberrich greens such as spinach and kale are responsible for more food-borne illnesses than any other foodstuff. Also high on the list were meats and poultry, dairy, nuts and fruit. But before you toss that salad take healthy note: while greens ranked high on the list of foodstuffs linked to illnesses, it was poultry that was linked to the highest number of deaths, according to the research reported recently in the journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases. Tips from the CDC for avoiding food-borne illnesses include copious hand-washing after using the restroom, especially while handling these foods, as well as diligent rinsing of foods, including bagged greens. source: tinyurl.com/hl13riskfoods

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Pace those WORKOUTS

Photos: GettyImages; Family, moodboard; Lettuce, Davies and Starr; Tired runner, Brooke Slezak; Woman with marks on face, uwe umstÃtter.

WANT TO GET THE MOST of your exercise rou-

While it seems contrary to much of what we’ve gleaned from research about exercise tine? The best way may be to over the years, researchers schedule a few deliberate rest had an interesting take on days and not be so deterwhat factors may have mined to make rigorskewed their results ous exercise a daily in favor of a cohort habit. that spent just a A provocaThat day of little less time tive new study rest from pumping up conducted by exercise their hearts and researchers at may help muscles. the University make you While they of Alabama at acknowledged Birmingham more fit! more research is found that when necessary, they sugwomen between gested the group that the ages of 60 and 72 worked out a little less often worked out intensely (for least might not be as fatigued as the an hour) six days a week they more committed-to-exercise weren’t necessarily any fitter group because they stayed (and sometimes less fit!) than more active in their daily lives, participants who matched doing good-for-you things their pace and stamina just such as walking with their four days a week. (By conneighbors, climbing stairs and trast, a group that worked doing more active household out just two days a week was chores. deemed less fit than both groups.) source: tinyurl.com/hl13fitness

Plastic Surgery and Botox Boom AS THE ECONOMY IMPROVED in 2012, the eyelids and faces of millions of Americans got a lift, too. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that the number of eyelid surgeries and facelifts they performed in 2012 was up from the previous year. So, too, were more minimally invasive non-surgical procedures, such as chemical peels, fillers and Botox injections. Experts suggest some of the increase is in direct correlation to an uptick in the economy. “For the third consecutive year, the overall growth in cosmetic sur-

gery continues to be driven by a significant rise in minimally invasive procedures, while surgical procedures remain relatively stable,” says ASPS President Dr. Gregory Evans in a society news release. Botox topped the list of the nonsurgical procedures performed by plastic surgeons at a staggering 6.1 million treatments, an increase of eight percent from 2011. Interestingly, the society reports that surgeons experienced a slight decrease in the number of breast augmentation and nose reduction or rhinoplasty procedures they performed on women in 2012. No expla-

nation was offered for the decline. source: tinyurl.com/hl13surgery

healthylifect.com

fit and fab

▲ Going Natural These might be minimalist shoes, but Under Armour just calls their UA Micro G Toxic Six running shoes for women “natural.” I call them hot! These shoes are top-notch with innovative side laces and a 4D Foam footbed for comfort, marbleized rubber soles for traction and MPZ panels to keep things sturdy. The shoes are so stylish and light that you’ll find yourself wanting to run a few extra miles. $99.99. Available at Dick’s Sporting Goods and other shoe retailers, or visit underarmour.com.

▶ Workout Upgrade Put away those thermal undergarments! These twoin-one mesh shorts from Nike feature a soft, stretchy interior and a supportive, full-coverage exterior so you don’t have to worry if you’ve been laying off the squats. Nike’s Dri-FIT material will wick away the sweat while the waistband keeps everything in place. $40. Last year’s sports bra also needs an upgrade, I’m guessing, so give the matching Pro Core Stacked Elastic one a try. $50. Available at Dick’s Sporting Goods and other sporting goods retailers, or visit www.nike.com.

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▶ Online Help

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You can follow Carin on twitter @tiredorinspired and Pinterest at pinterest.com/carinlane. Have a new product you’d like to share? E-mail Carin at clane@timesunion.com.

Diet and exercise are obvious; motivation is key. MyFitnessPal can give you the motivation and the tools you need to reach your health and fitness goals, whatever they may be. The site tracks your food, offers mobile apps to help when you’re onthe-go and provides a personalized profile to help you become the best you can be. The plans are flexible so you choose the diet and exercise you prefer, and let your “pal” figure out the rest. Free; no membership or sign on fees. Visit myfitnesspal.com.

◀ Superfood Cocktail

▲ Exercising with Style Box stores like Old Navy have jumped on the fitness trend and now produce quality gear like this jacket. The Northeast weather is unpredictable and this jacket is light to wear or tie around your waist if the sky looks a little iffy. Made with polyester and spandex, this jacket fits snug top-to-bottom; they advise buying a size up. The high neck is great for cool morning runs, the mesh side pockets keep air flowing and the cuff thumb holes help keep the sleeves in place. You’re going to want one in every color. $34.94. Available at Old Navy stores, or visit oldnavy.com.

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If your fitness and diet plan dropped off during the winter months, this nutritional superfood cocktail — made with over 70 whole-food ingredients — can help get you to optimal health quickly. Mix the powder with water and Athletic Greens promises their drink will increase absorption of nutrients, boost your body’s alkalinity and improve your digestive health and performance. This product is gluten-free and contains no GMOs, wheat, dairy, corn or eggs, peanuts, yeast or other allergens. I tested it for 7 days and it was a great morning pick-me-up after my workout. It tasted great, unlike some other protein and green powders I’ve tried. Price depends on quantity ordered. Visit athleticgreens.com.

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After touring Lockwood Lodge Assisted Living, ”

Mom decided for herself that it was the place for her.” Viola is actually a “second generation” resident of Masonicare at Newtown. Her mother lived there many years ago, and Viola was very happy with the care she received. Now Viola’s family feels the same comfort knowing that she’s chosen to live in the Assisted Living community at Lockwood Lodge. Her son, Ken, says that “After visiting Mom just a few times, my sister and I knew that it was the right decision. She quickly became acclimated, participating in the activities and programs offered. And she always comments on how much she enjoys the food. We’ve found the staff to be very caring and attentive, and it’s quite apparent they take a genuine interest in the comfort and well-being of the residents. It’s very comforting to all of us.” To see if Masonicare’s Assisted Living is right for you or your loved one, call us at 203-364-3179 for more information or a personal tour. Be sure to ask about our special memory care program, The Hearth.

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Eating foods rich in ➺ probiotics, such as yogurt,

Photo: © Fotosmurf02/Dreamstime.com.

high-quality dark chocolate, miso and tempeh, will help repopulate the digestive tract with “good” bacteria to keep the intestines running smoothly.

body Mommy Fitness 24 Gluten Free Diets 36

Warm Up and Cool Down 30

An Online Cooking Community 40

Real Foods Vs. Supplements 44 Your Liver 57

Did You Know? 34

The Time of the Month 50

Become Less Klutzy 58

Beating Bloat 62

Scaling Back 54

Amy Doyle, of Bethel, second from left, a Stroller Strides instructor says, “[The class] really motivates you to get out of the house and gives you a burst of energy — even on nights when you’re not sleeping.”

Mommy

Fitness stroller strides gets moms moving, with baby in tow by melinda mcgarty webb

S Shanae Briggs of Stamford, pictured with sons, Kydin and Riley, loved the Stroller Strides classes she took so much that she bought a Fit4Mom franchise in lower Fairfield County.

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hanae Briggs was a new mother — home alone all winter, with no family close by, craving adult interaction and finding it difficult to transition from working full time to being a stay-at-home mother. She also was not thrilled that her elastic-waist maternity pants were still fitting a little too well seven months after giving birth. But then the Stamford resident heard about Stroller Strides, a fitness program

that’s part of the Fit4Mom franchise. It allows mothers to work out with their babies. No gym memberships. No babysitters required. Instead, participants power walk through parks and on city streets in the warm weather — or in indoor spaces in the winter months — pushing their strollers, stopping at designated areas to perform strength and body toning exercises and entertaining their babies in the process. The classes

your fitness are taught by nationally certified instruccises are the same sometimes, they’re not tors and focus on improving cardiovascuin the same order.” Each instructor has her lar endurance, strength and flexibility. own specialties and interests and tailors Briggs was hooked from her first class. the class accordingly. Some focus more “There were moms with babies of evon strength training exercises, some on ery age, in any kind of stroller imaginyoga, some on dance, so the variety keeps able. They were talking, socializing, singthings lively, the women say. ing songs to baby, and Workouts last most importantly they one hour. A fiveStroller Strides is a were sweating — exerminute warmcising without putting up is followed way to mix baby into daycare or by 45 minutes attempting to follow a of power walkand DVD with an infant on ing and exerthe floor,” she says. “It cise stations, was refreshing. I was outside, interacting and the last 10 minutes is devoted to abs with other adults who were in the exact and stretching. Sometimes, they weave situation I was ... and I was working on my children’s songs into the routine. At other still very self-conscious post-baby body.” times, upbeat music blasts from an instrucBriggs, who has since purchased the Fittor’s portable radio, and the women do 4Mom franchise in lower Fairfield County, dance-inspired moves. Punches and kicks says the exercises are specially designed are thrown into the mix, as well as tradito strengthen muscles weakened during tional moves such as crunches, leg lifts pregnancy and affected by the demands and high-knee running. In fact, the routine of motherhood — and done in a way that and schedule really depend on which inaccommodates bodies still flooded with structor is teaching that day. post-pregnancy hormones. Her classes Hertzberg was looking for a way to get take place in Darien, Greenwich, Norwalk back in shape after the birth of now-14and Stamford. There’s another franchise in week-old Elena, her first child. She learned Fairfield County, owned by Heather Wagabout the class from a friend on Facebook, ner of New Milford, that offers outdoor and has been attending at least three times Stroller Strides classes in Danbury, Bethel a week since. Babies as young as six weeks and Ridgefield from May through the end are welcome; Elena was eight weeks when of October, and inside at the Danbury Fair Hertzberg started the program. Mall in the colder weather. “I like it because I bring her with me. If I “Not every class is the same, which I rego to a gym, I have to leave her in daycare. ally like,” says Kimberly Hertzberg of DanHere, sometimes she sleeps,” she says, bury, who was attending a recent class at pointing to her little one fast asleep in her the Danbury Fair Mall. “Even if the exerstroller. “Other times, she just hangs out.

Photos: Top, page 24, Heather Kelly Photography; bottom, page 24, JoDee Yost Photograpy; Page 25 Courtesy of Fit4Mom.

exercise play group.

Having your child with you and incorporating them into your exercise routine can help motivate moms to exercise regularly.

For a different

flavor...

Here are some of the Fit4Mom fitness offerings. STROLLER BARRE:

Elements from pilates, yoga, ballet and barre method classes woven into the Stroller Strides class format. Instead of doing big movements like squats, military presses, bicep curls, though, they use the bar of the stroller to balance as participants focus on much smaller, concentrated movements and hold them. These isometric contractions force women to focus on their alignment and challenges their muscles. Additional focus is placed on posture, core, glutes and legs, while still getting in cardio training and time with baby. BODY BACK: For moms

with children of any age. It includes a meal plan, high-intensity interval training workouts, assessments, online support, and at-home DVDs. It’s done without babies present and offered at 5:30 a.m. No classes are offered in the summer, but they’re scheduled to resume in the fall. As the staff says, “Whether you’ve just had a baby or had a baby 20 years ago, mama wants her body back!” (bodybackwork out.com) 5K TRAINING: Offered in September and October, this program takes nonrunners from walking to being able to complete a 5K in just eight weeks.

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your fitness Caren Elenowitz gets a welcome distraction while doing legs lifts from her daughter Abbey, 1, as she crawls with 9-month-old Colin Delmoro.

Plus, everyone’s really friendly. W e ’ r e all pretty much at the same level — just moms looking to get back into shape and have fun with our babies.” Now that spring has officially sprung, though, that fun has moved from the confines of the mall to the open spaces of Meckauer Park in Bethel, Kenosia Park in Danbury, and Main Street in Ridgefield. Participants use the terrain of each space to their advantage. The women march up the hills of downtown Ridgefield, and capitalize on the resistance created by the sand volleyball court at Meckauer Park. “Participation picks up a little in the spring — people like to be outside,” says Wagner, owner of the northern Fairfield County Fit4Mom ranchise. “Toddlers, in particular, like it a little better when class is outside. Plus, they get to play on the playground afterward.” Wagner, who had participated in the class with some friends for a few years beginning when her youngest son was nine months old (her boys are now 9 and 5), took over the franchise in April of 2010. “The opportunity was right,” she says. “I wasn’t ready to go back to

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work, so this was perfect. We already had a nice following at that point.” That year, Entrepreneur Magazine ranked the business among its fastestgrowing franchises. The company offers classes in more than 1,200 locations in the United States and Puerto Rico. The program is designed for exercisers of any level. Instructors offer three different ways many exercises can be performed — high-, medium- and lowimpact. Depending upon how fit each mom is, they can choose the intensity level that best suits them. If they have to stop, or if their baby starts crying, participants are encouraged to pause and rejoin the class when they can. “There’s a lot of flexibility. If people need to be with their babies, then they stop and take care of them,” says Wagner. “After all, that’s our first job.” Stopping her stroller in front of a set

of stairs during a recent session Wagner shouts, “OK, three sets of stairs, then 10 jacks — and do that three times!” The women pull their strollers into a line and race off. As their moms run up and down the stairs, some of the babies appear a little anxious and begin to cry. But the class’s two instructors step right in and tend to the little ones — popping fallen pacifiers back into waiting mouths, singing, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” and pushing two strollers at once. “We’ll do anything to engage the babies. That way, Mom gets a good workout and is able to enjoy herself,” says Wagner. “Plus it’s like a way to mix exercise and play group. We all talk and offer support. Women will call each other in the morning and ask, ‘Are you going to class? Come on. Go! We’ll have coffee after.’ It works out great.” Briggs says her groups offer a similar camaraderie. In fact, she met her best “mom friends” through the process. Her two little boys have grown up attending Stroller Strides, and she’s now Strollers become pregnant with baby number exercise equipment three. at Meckauer Park Kerry Papa of Bethel, who in Bethel. attends the Danbury class with her 9-month-old daughter, Caroline, says the social component is a real plus. “It’s nice to meet some of the other moms. A bunch of us go out and get coffee and hang out after class. It’s like a mini-play-

Photos: Top, Cyrus McCrimmon/GettyImages; Bottom, Heather Kelly Photography.

If participants have to stop, or if their baby starts crying, they are encouraged to pause and rejoin the class when they can.

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Amy Branon-Sturdevant, a Stroller Strides instructor, lifts her son, Cullan, after a workout in Bethel.

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group,” she says. “It’s a good class for me. As a nursing mom, I didn’t want to leave my baby at home, plus I get a great workout. It’s hard!” There is very little strolling in Stroller Strides. The women move at a relatively quick pace, using their strollers as resistance. Any sturdy stroller will suffice. It needn’t be a pricey jogging stroller. As anyone who has taken a baby or toddler for a walk will attest, pushing a stroller is inherently more taxing than just walking by yourself — especially if you’re pushing 4-yearold twins, like instructor Amy Doyle of Bethel does. Doyle has been teaching the class for about two years, and her twins, Molly and Emma, now are old hands at the process. They’ve been attending the class since they were around 6 weeks old. (Plus, mom knows to bring drinks, snacks, crayons, and even stickers — this isn’t her first rodeo, after all.) When she first began participating, she also brought one of her older sons, who was 4 years old at the time, along with the then-infant twins. “I never thought that I could do it with twins and a 4-year-old in tow,” she recalls. “But it really motivates you

to get out of the house and gives you a burst of energy — even on nights when you’re not sleeping.” Amy starts her classes with a question of the day while the group warms up. Everyone has to answer and introduce themselves and their child. Then in between walking, she fits in cardio bursts and muscle group work in 30-second intervals. Often, she’ll start with arms — bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, uppercut punches, and more — all basic moves that are easy to follow and perform. Once the stairs have been conquered and the babies pacified, Wagner calls out enthusiastically to the group, “Grab a drink, grab your babies, and off to the next station we go!” And they were again on the move. Prices vary by franchise, but range from $15 for a single class and $65 for a monthly membership in Northern Fairfield County, to $20 for a single and $75 for a monthly membership in Lower Fairfield County. Both also offer trial classes, a block of 10 classes, and twice-weekly memberships. Class times and locations are available at www.fit4mom.com.

Photos: Heather Kelly Photography.

Instructors offer three different ways many exercises can be performed. Depending upon how fit each mom is, they can choose the intensity level that best suits them.

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working out

AND

Warm up cool down 2 steps every workout should include

by valerie foster | photos by krista hicks benson

E 1.

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xercise regularly? If you do, terrific. But before you pat yourself on the back, ask yourself a question: Do I make time to warm up and cool down? According to our experts, if you don’t make time for both, you are an accident waiting to happen. “Think about a rubber band,” suggests Michelle Velardi Collings, owner of Studio V Fitness in Shelton. “If you put it in the freezer, take it out and pull on it, it’s likely to break. Same for your ligaments, tendons and muscles — and remember your heart is a muscle. It’s crucial to warm up everything and get your blood flowing throughout your body before you start exercising.” Personal trainer Melissa Swain-O’Neill of Stamford says that all too often, even her most dedicated clients balk at warming up and cooling down. “They think they are wasting time,” she says. “And for people who don’t work with trainers, the chance of them warming up and cooling down

is slight. People say they are just too busy and only have time for intense exercise. Warmups enable the core training sessions to be more effective. When done effectively, your workouts will improve.” As for cooldowns, Elysa Jacobs Cruse, manager of corporate health for Pitney Bowes, says we just have to make the time. “Gradually decreasing your intensity helps the body use byproducts of exercise, like lactic acid (which causes muscle pain and fatigue), so less of it pools in the muscles,” she says. “Depending on the intensity of your exercise, you may not be able to completely prevent muscle soreness by cooling down, but it certainly helps. It also can prevent dizzi-

ness that can occur when you stop intense exercise and your blood and oxygen pools in your lower body.” Collings loves her analogies, and for cooldowns, looks to our cars. “You’re driving 50 miles per hour and all of a sudden the car in front of you slams on the breaks. So do you. You smell rubber burning, not to mention what the stop did to your brake pads. When you are exercising, your heart is pumping and your heart rate is up. Without cooling down you are abruptly stopping, causing extra wear and tear on your heart.” She says that although cooldowns are important yearround, cold weather makes them even more essential. “Every class I teach, there is always someone who leaves when I begin the cooldown exercises. That person has no idea that her heart is shocked because it had no time to slow down.” Add cold weather to this scenario, and the heart gets a second shock. Need more convincing? You have less chance of being injured. Dynamic stretching, “People who have never been injured consists of active movements don’t understand why we need to take and is done before exercise precautions like warming up and cooling to get the body ready for the down,” adds Swain-O’Neill. “You get injured, workout. Here are two good you stop exercising, you feel sorry for yourdynamic stretches. self, and you might even start eating. When you’re feeling better, you have to crawl out of the hole you’ve been in. Often, it also 1. High Knee Skips means extra pounds. Sometimes it takes (pictured at far left) months to get back to where you are.”

✽

The WARM UP phase

Jump straight up either in place or while moving forward, with the knee high. Relax the upper body while driving the opposite arm upwards to increase height. Alternate each leg.

Cathy Kost of Newtown, a marathon runner and Ironman triathlete, demonstrates the stretches.

Straight-Leg Marches 2.

March with straight legs, either in place or moving forward, to help loosen the hamstring and glutes.

THE HOW-TO We’ve all seen someone jump on a treadmill, grab an ankle, stretch it up, release, and repeat on the other leg. Maybe a neck roll or two and he’s good to go, hitting an intense stride in seconds flat. “That did nothing but set the person up for possible injury,” says Collings. “That is not a warmup.” So what should we do? Let’s tackle warmups first. All three of our experts, Collings, Swain-O’Neill and Cruse, agree that the warmup should mimic the intensive workout that follows. And all three agree that no matter what the exercise, a warmup

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working out

is mandatory. “Ideally, the movements in your warmup are specifically targeted for the exercises you are doing,” says Cruse. “By doing lower-intensity versions of the exercise you will be doing in your workout, you prepare your body for the higherintensity exercises, create muscle memory, and decrease risk of injury. Current research shows that a dynamic warmup, where you move your muscles through a range of motion (as opposed to static stretching where you hold stretches) such as shoulder rolls, calf raises, knee lifts and high marches helps warm your muscles and gets your joints and muscles ready for more intense exercise.” Cruse suggests that if you are going on a run, warming up with calf raises, high knees, arm pumps and walking will help you prepare. If tennis is your game, do some lateral side-to-side movements. Collings says for days when you focus on aerobics, hop on the machine you plan to use and start exercising — utilizing the talk test throughout the workout. For example, if you are on a treadmill, elliptical, bike or rower, for the first five minutes of your workout you should be able to talk with no effort. Then, start increasing your speed, incline and/or resistance until you get to the point where you can speak a sentence at a time, but need to take breaths in between. “If you can’t speak at all, you know you are working too hard.” For weight-training days, Swain-O’Neill likes to change things up. For example, if you are concentrating on the upper body, you can start your routine with arm circles or light jabs back and forth, working the muscles lightly for five minutes. If your gym has an upper-body exerciser, make use of it. It’s actually a bike machine for the arms, and in most gyms, is hardly ever used. For lower-body weight days, five minutes on an aerobic machine, at a slow pace, is a perfect warmup. “Just be creative, and think about the muscles you will be exercising,” she adds. Cooldowns, the important third step in every exercise routine, are actually a two-part process. It’s back to the aerobic machine for five minutes, decreasing your speed incrementally until you can talk with no effort. And now, when your muscles are completely warm and your blood is flowing freely throughout your body, is the time to stretch. “When you do static stretching at the end of your workout, focus on the main groups you have used in your workout,” says Cruse. “Make your cooldown as purposeful as your main workout.” HL

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✽

The COOL DOWN phase Static stretches

are done after the workout when your muscles are completely warm.

Collings suggests a few basic stretches, each held for at least 15 seconds, with 30 seconds being optimal. Do these after every exercise, and Collings promises you will stretch all major muscle groups.

Quadriceps stretch 1.

Balance on left leg. Grab the right ankle with your right hand. Hold. Repeat on other leg.

Hamstring stretch 2.

Put all weight on the right leg. Bring left leg forward, with toes pointing up and heel resting on the floor. Sit back on your right leg. Your right knee will bend. Picture yourself sitting in a chair with your left leg held out in front of you. Hold. Repeat on other leg.

And Don’t Ignore Nutrition Calf/upper-body stretch 3.

Bring left leg forward, right leg to the back, right foot way behind the hip. Feet are both pointing straight ahead. Stretch right heel toward the floor. Clasp hands in front of you, with palms facing out, and bring arms up as high as you can go. Hold. Repeat with opposite leg.

Photo: Oatmeal, Wendy Carlson.

Triceps

Place left hand on left shoulder. With right hand, grab the left elbow. Start pushing the left elbow to the ceiling. The left hand will begin sliding down your back. Hold. Repeat on the other side.

As a registered dietician, Elysa Jacobs Cruse says that proper nutrition and exercise go hand in hand — equally as important as warming up and cooling down. “To get the most out of your workout, you need fuel,” she says. In addition, bring along your water bottle, hydrating yourself both during and after your workout. If you start your day working out, a mini breakfast such as yogurt, banana or oatmeal made with water provides the perfect amount of fuel to get you through your exercise routine without a possible blood sugar crash. After the workout, Cruse suggests you eat breakfast part 2, consisting of healthy high-fiber carbohydrates, protein and a little fat. For a meal-on-the-go, try whole-wheat toast with peanut or almond butter. And more water! If you exercise later in the day, make sure you have a healthy snack an hour or two before you exercise, similar to the mini breakfast you would have eaten in the morning. Sports drinks are only needed for longer workouts. Instead, reach for your water bottle. She says that eating a healthy meal post-workout is terrific, but if you exercise really late in the day, at least have a healthy snack, a combination of carbs and protein like hummus on a whole wheat pita, with a juicy orange for dessert.

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fast facts

did you know?

compiled by brianna snyder

25 There are about 20,000 different types of fish in the sea.

For every extra pound of weight you carry, three pounds of pressure is put on your knee joints when you walk, and 10 pounds when you run. So, if your BMI is 25 or more, you may be compromising the health of your knees.

source: tinyurl.com/hl13fish

source: tinyurl.com/hl13knees

294 billion There are more than 294 billion e-mails sent and received daily.

About 15 percent of your body weight comes from your skin.

source: tinyurl.com/hl13email

source: tinyurl.com/ hl13skin

3.5

Research shows that brothers and sisters between 3 and 7 years old engage in conflict an average of 3.5 times an hour. Younger kids fight even more, about every 10 minutes. source: tinyurl.com/hl13siblings

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Photos/Illustrations: GettyImages; Fish, Russell Tate; Runner, Cindy Singleton; Woman, Pascal Broze; Siblings, KidStock; Email, ÂŠ Juliengrondin/Dreamstime.com.

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your diet

gut

feeling

are gluten-free diets beneficial when they’re not a necessity? by laurie lynn fischer

“G

luten is glue,” says Jeff Konchalski, owner of Nature’s Temptations, a holistic market in Ridgefield. He makes his point by telling HealthyLife that his grandfather hung wallpaper with a paste made from flour — which contains gluten — and water. So why all the buzz around gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and cross-contaminated oats? “I’ve seen a lot of people turn their lives around by staying gluten-free,” says Konchalski, who adds that some of his customers have claimed issues with asthma, insomnia, bloating, gas and diarrhea all vanished after they swore off gluten. Of course, people with a diagnosed gluten intolerance need to avoid it for their health. But what about the rest of us? Ten years ago, gluten wasn’t even a household term. Now, gluten-free is a popular buzzword. Stores have gluten-free aisles. Restaurants serve gluten-free entrees. Lots of people are giving it up, thinking it’s a healthier way to eat or that it will help them lose weight — even people with no gluten intolerance or a diagnosis of celiac disease, a hereditary autoimmune response to gluten. Are they right? “There are people who are going too far with it,” says Peter Leventhal, owner of the Wilton Organic Gourmet

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your diet Inc., who holds a master’s degree in clinical nutrition. “We “When you’re using a grain like rice or millet, it doesn’t pig out on gluten. We eat it in everything. It’s not a natural stick together,” he says. “They have to use something so the evolutionary food, because farming for grains isn’t as old product doesn’t crumble and fall apart. A lot of the glutenas eating meat and foraging for fruits, nuts, seeds, tubers free stuff can have too much egg or sugar in it because they and wild grains.” His advice: You need consistency and something don’t have to eat no gluten, just to hold the moisture.” less. If you’re going to quit gluten, The Sweet Spot in New Milford it’s best not to rely too much on offers gluten-free soups, sandprocessed foods, he says. “When wiches and desserts. Some cusyou look at a gluten-free diet, it’s tomers have gone gluten-free pushing people back to a regular “just for fun,” says barista Cheldiet,” he says. “It’s fruits, vegetasea Mirkhani, while others have bles, rice, salad, fish and chicken been tested for gluten intolertwo or three times a week and ance or celiac disease. red meat once a week. A gluten“We do have quite a few peofree diet doesn’t have to be so ple who just like it or do it bedifficult. It doesn’t have to be excause it’s healthier, supposedly,” pensive. It doesn’t have to be craMirkhani says. “Probably around zy. You don’t have to have bread, 40 percent of our gluten-free cookies, muffins and waffles evFairfield Registered Dietitian customers are that way. I was ery day. What about yogurt and gluten-free for three years. I have cut-up fruit?” Nancy Murphy calls gluten-free some a wheat allergy, though. I gained Fairfield Registered Dietitian a lot of weight after I went off it.” Nancy Murphy calls gluten-free “There are some people eating “the new fad diet.” It’s “more than gluten-free who do not need to,” a little bit controversial,” she says. says Debra Groppuso, owner of “People are using it improperly,” Glukey’s Gluten-Free Bakery in says Murphy, a certified diabetes Milford. “Is it a trend? Is it a fad? educator with a master’s in cliniFor some people, maybe. People cal nutrition. “It’s not the healthiare choosing to do so for what est diet in the world. It’s a very I’m hearing are a couple of differextreme, serious diet to have to ent reasons. Some are following put someone on. It shouldn’t be a Paleo Diet through gym memtaken lightly.” berships. Others have gotten off Giving up gluten could cause gluten to give it a try because anemia, osteoporosis, constipathey have physical symptoms tion, and calcium and vitamin that their physician couldn’t figD deficiencies, she says. “Many ure out, such as arthritis or derthings associated with glutenmatitis. When they’ve done that, free products are not good, bethey’ve felt better, and, therefore, they have continued it. cause there are so many things taken out of them,” she says. Are you feeling better because you cut the gluten out or Why, then, do some people feel better after going glutenbecause you’re eating better and exercising more? It could free? Maybe they were eating too much white bread, crackvery well be because they’re cutting out things that are uners and snacks before, and now they’re losing weight, eating healthy, such as Doritos and Toll House cookies.” less processed food, reading labels for ingredients and takFountain of Youth Whole Foods in Westport is 95 pering better care of themselves, Murphy says. cent gluten-free. Owner John Moretti follows a gluten-free “Don’t ignore the traditional medical route,” she advises. regimen, even though he hasn’t been diagnosed with gluten “You have to do it scientifically.” sensitivity. Consult a doctor for a blood test and/or biopsy before “I just do it because it makes me feel better,” says Moretti. cutting out gluten, so there will be something to detect if “Gluten for me will put on extra weight, but I don’t have any there’s a problem, she recommends. People with a genetic major issues with it. I think we overdo it. We’re not eating predisposition or family history of autoimmune diseases, anything raw anymore or fermented, which create bacteria such as thyroid conditions, Type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid that help you digest.” arthritis, should be checked, she says. And just because the label says gluten-free doesn’t mean Francine Blinten is a certified clinical nutritionist and certiit’s good for you, Moretti cautions. Gluten-free baked goods fied nutrition specialist with a master’s in bio-nutrition. “A are made with substitutes such as rice flour, corn flour, quilot of gluten-free packaged foods are not really healthy at noa or garbanzo bean flour, he explains. all,” she says. “Junk is still junk.” HL

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Photos: Woman in wheat field: © iStockphoto.com/Andreas Reh.; Gluten Free Pizza, Krista Hicks Benson; Gluten Free products, © iStockphoto.com/jamesbenet.

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cookbook

Welcome to the

Food

Neighborhood and an online cooking community by janet reynolds | photos courtesy william morrow

et’s face it. The Web is home to about a gazillion food blogs. Finding the best ones — i.e. those that will help you not make the same six recipes week in and week out — could be a full-time job. Enter Food52.com, an online site dedicated to one basic idea: finding and sharing the best recipes from home cooks. Edited by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, the best of Food52 is now available in one handy cookbook, The Food52 Cookbook, Volume 2.

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The Food52 Cookbook, Vol. 2, Seasonal Recipes From Our Kitchen to Yours by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs and the Food 52 Communities, William Morrow, 296 pages, $30

For the recipe, Sausage and Kale Dinner Tart, pictured at left, from The Food 52 Cookbook, visit healthylifect.com.

It includes 104 recipes from a year in the online life of Food52 (the extra 23 recipes are wildcard winners chosen by Hesser and Stubbs because they’re among their favorite recipes). Divided into seasons, the recipes are a result of a year of contests — cooks entering their recipe for the best gravy, the best recipe with citrus and olives, the best chicken wings, etc. Each recipe includes a brief bio of the winning chef — amusebouche (they use their Web usernames), for instance, is a student in Boston whose first love is baking — as well as why the authors love the recipe. The recipe concludes with a comment from the online community about this particular recipe as well as tips and techniques for having the best success. The result is foolproof recipes — chosen by reader votes and obviously trying the recipes — complemented with mouth-watering photos. Hesser, an award-winning book author and editor for the New York Times, says the theme-a-week for this cookbook was designed to help home cooks get out of their culinary rut. “It really kind of gets home cooks’ creative juices flowing,” she says. “It lets them riff on what they already make and show off their talents rather than going to the recipe box and sending in their favorite recipes.” Food52 is also meant to give home cooks their due. In an era of food networks and the celebritization of professional cooks, the authors want to create a place for the rest of us. “We knew there were a ton of cooks out there with talent and who were underserved online in terms of having a place to share their ideas and be celebrated,” Hesser says. “Working on a book project together was a way to focus everyone together. It also includes people who love food and cookbooks and have great conviction about what makes a great recipe and what’s interesting and give them a place to also be heard. “Our whole ethos is to help people eat better and live better and involve them in the process,” she adds. “We consider ourselves a collaborative community, a constructive community.” Although Hesser and Stubbs (a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in London and an experienced food writer) are obviously seasoned cooks, Hesser says they had some surprising moments while putting together this book. “One is that home cooks are more innovative than they get credit for and much more practical than chefs who write recipes,” she says, noting that the pros operate in a team format while home cooks work alone, “so they have to be

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cookbook: recipe clever in how they use their time.” Another surprise was the winning recipes themselves. “The recipes that win are not elaborate fantasy dishes,” Hesser says. “It’s often what you’d cook on a weeknight but with a twist.” So what trends can we expect to see coming from these creative home cooks? More experimenting with greens and grains, says Hesser. “They’re interested in healthy eating but starting to feel more comfortable exploring the world

Roasted Butterflied Chicken with Cardamom and Yogurt serves 2-4 ingredients Seeds from 6 cardamom pods 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 2 teaspoons sea salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander 1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin 3 garlic gloves 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 3-4 pound chicken, butterflied fresh cilantro leaves for garnish method Grind the cardamom seeds and peppercorns to a fine powder in a mortar and pestle or a spice/coffee grinder. Stir in the salt, coriander and cumin; then add the garlic and smash it. Add the olive oil and work everything together to form a paste. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the yogurt, ginger and lemon juice. Place the chicken in a large bowl or baking dish. Rub about half the yogurt mixture between the skin and the meat over the breasts and thighs. Then smear the remaining yogurt all over the chicken, front and back. Refrigerate at least 3 hours, and up to 24 hours. Thirty minutes before roasting, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place the chicken breast-side up in a cast iron skillet or baking pan. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees. Let the chicken rest 15 minutes before carving. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

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of rices and grains, such as faro and wheatberries. [With] all these different flavors and textures, you can really play around a lot.” Home cooks looking for something creative to whip up on a Wednesday are not the only ones benefitting from Food52. “I cook a wider range of things,” says Hesser. “Like home cooks I get attached to a few things, and when I’m feeling lazy I cling to them. This has pushed me to experiment more.” HL

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savvy supplements

Pop ’em or

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Eat ’em

are supplements as nutritionally beneficial as real food? by laurie lynn fischer

hey huddled on my kitchen table like bowling pins: Vitamins C, D and E, calcium, zinc and more. Although I took them with meals, I was downing so many supplements the combination was sometimes nauseating. Then I started paying more attention to the meals themselves. “Before we even had supplements, people were eating food and eating well,” says Francine Blinten, a certified clinical nutritionist in Old Greenwich. “If you’re living on fast food and you take your multivitamin as a back-up, are you any healthier? People think of vitamins as a sort of insurance — that, ‘If I’m not getting what I need, at least I’m getting this pill; then I’ll be covered.’ With multivitamins, you’re getting a lot in one pill. Some of those nutrients compete with others; some work in concert. When you eat well, you’re getting many nutrients, you’re getting them as they work together and you’re not getting nauseous. Multivitamin formulas are often abundant in the vitamins most readily found in the diet and lower in minerals that are harder to obtain and absorb.” Registered Dietitian Michele MacDonnell says no evidence suggests that the body absorbs nutrients better from supplements. “On the contrary, it absorbs them better from food,” says MacDonnell, who is clinical nutrition manager at New Milford Hospital. “There are a lot of properties in foods that you can’t get from a supplement.” Plant-based foods are great sources of fiber, antioxidants, and beneficial phytonutrients, says MacDonnell. “Phytochemicals protect our bodies from heart disease, diabetes and cancer,” she explains. “You won’t find that in a supplement the way you will in foods. Eat all the colors of the rainbow. Each color gives our bodies different nutrients. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains give us fiber, they help fill us up and they’re healthy for the heart and digestive tract. They’re also very nutrient-dense. They give us a lot of vitamins and

minerals, but fewer calories, so we tend to stay at a healthier weight, which can help prevent certain types of cancer growth.” There are exceptions where it’s hard to get certain nutrients from food alone. It’s customarily recommended for women of childbearing age, for instance, to take folic acid and for pregnant or breastfeeding women to take prenatal vitamins, MacDonnell says. Vegetarians and senior citizens may need extra vitamin B12, she says. “If someone’s vegetarian or vegan, I will recommend a good multimineral,” says Blinten. “Where we live, it’s very hard to get enough vitamin D.” Low vitamin D can hamper immunity, MacDonnell says. Because our skin synthesizes it when exposed to sunlight, Northeasterners, especially those with darker skin, should eat vitamin D-fortified foods or take supplements, she says. Vitamins and minerals can be harmful, especially in megadoses, warns MacDonnell. If you’re going to take a supplement, select a balanced multivitamin with no more than 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance of nutrients, she suggests. Deficiency and excess are both unhealthy, Blinten says. “Folic acid and B12 help cells divide,” she says. “That’s why pregnant and lactating women need more. When you’re past childbearing age, you don’t need rapid cell growth. Cancer is abnormal cell growth. Foods such as bread and pasta are fortified with folic acid and other B vitamins. It can add up to way more than the body needs.”

f you’re interested in supplementation, it’s best to consult a doctor or registered dietitian and do your own research. For a good guide to a well-balanced diet, go to the USDA website ChooseMyPlate.gov, MacDonnell suggests. Other credible online resources are usp.org and eatright.org.

Get our Top 10 choices for a power lunch on page 46

healthylifect.com

savvy supplements continued from page 45

Power Lunch Get the most bang for your bite. While it’s important to eat a broad variety of foods in moderation, here are 10 choices that pack the most nutritional punch.

1. Almonds – They’re bursting with protein. Sprinkle them over green beans or mix them into curried chicken salad. 2. Salmon – This fish is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which can help lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation. Bake or broil it without the skin or go Japanese and have sashimi. 3. Steel-cut oats – When people say oatmeal sticks to your ribs, they’re not far off. Abounding in soluble fiber, oats form a gluey gel in your digestive tract that grabs cholesterol and clears it from your body. These healthy carbohydrates can curb your appetite. Prepare oatmeal with fruit or cinnamon or make your own fiber bars. 4. Quinoa – Great for vegetarians, this protein-rich grain contains

2 eight essential amino acids. Eat it hot or cold. Lemon accents its nutty flavor. 5. Broccoli – It helps lower cholesterol and detoxify the body. This high-fiber, cruciferous vegetable is rich in vitamins A and K. Consume it raw, steamed or sautéed. 6. Tomatoes – They contain lycopene, which has been shown to help ward off cancer. They’re also a strong antioxidant. Put them in salad, soup or sauce or slice them onto your sandwich. 7. Lentils – These legumes contain ample protein and iron. Serve them in soup or whip up some dal, a traditional Indian dish. 8. Sunflower seeds – Baseball players chew them instead of tobacco. They’re a good plantbased protein, a healthy fat

source and an excellent source of fiber. Sprinkle them over salad or mix with raisins for a snack. 9. Avocado – It’s a good source of fiber, potassium, vitamins and unsaturated fat. Make guacamole or chop it into salad. 10. Blueberries – You know when metal rusts? The same sort of thing happens in our bodies through a process called oxidation. Blueberries are full of anti-oxidants, phytochemicals and flavenoids, which can combat this process. These high-fiber fruits contain vitamins and minerals that help keep the immune system strong. Blueberries also help prevent some forms of cancer and contain lutein, which is important for healthy vision. Make fruit salad or add them to yogurt.

Sources: Sonya Hauser, Ph.D.; certified clinical nutritionist Francine Blinten; nutritionist Christine Caponera; and registered dietitians Madeline Glick, Michele MacDonnell and Sandra Varno.

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Food illustrations by Emily Jahn.

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female health

That

Time of the

Month

what’s normal — and what’s not by cathleen f. crowley

See your doctor about your period if: • Your period suddenly stops for more than 90 days. • Your periods become very irregular after having had regular, monthly cycles. • Your period occurs more often than every 21 days or less often than every 35 days.

during your period. • You are bleeding more heavily than usual or using more than one pad or tampon every one to two hours. • You suddenly get a fever and feel sick after using tampons.

• You are bleeding for more than seven days.

• You bleed after menopause.

• You bleed between periods.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health

• You have severe pain

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last 3 to 5 days, but anywhere from 2 to 7 days is normal. Between 9 and 14 percent of women of childbearing age have irregular menstrual cycles or excessively heavy menstrual bleeding, according to the NIH. How do you know when something is wrong? Gynecologists say talk to a doctor about anything that deviates from your normal cycle or anything that concerns you. Here are some of the common problems that send women to the doctor. MY PERIOD IS HEAVY It looks much worse, but experts say women lose only 2 to 3 tablespoons of blood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Women with heavy flow may lose twice as much blood and may develop anemia. “It’s very difficult for a woman to judge how much blood she is losing during a period,” Laser says. A technique that helps is tracking how many tampons or pads you use. Generally speaking, soaking through a tampon or pad every hour for two to three hours in a row is considered excessive. For some women, the bleeding is so heavy they stay home or bring a change of clothes to work. “What we generally accept as an abnormal level of bleeding is bleeding that is distressing or inconvenient in some way that interferes with a woman’s lifestyle,” says Dr. John M. Garofalo, director of minimally invasive gynecology at Norwalk Hospital. “There may be different degrees of bleeding that a person is willing to put up with.” Excessive bleeding can be a sign of sexually transmitted infections and ovulatory disorders and can be a risk factor of endometrial cancer. Bright red blood that soaks through

Photo: Jeffrey Coolidge/GettyImages.

ormal is hard to define when it comes to your period. Some women bleed long and heavy. Others breeze through each cycle. “Everyone is different but there is an official normal range and there are very specific criteria,” says Dr. Mark Laser, a gynecologist with Women’s Health Care in Trumbull. Menstruation is the regular shedding of the uterine lining. Every month a woman’s body prepares for pregnancy. If no pregnancy occurs, the uterus casts off its lining and the blood and tissue are expelled. Periods usually start around age 12 and continue to menopause around age 50. On average, a woman’s period occurs every 28 days, but normal cycles range from 24 to 34 days, according to the National Institutes of Health. Most periods

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MY PERIOD IS IRREGULAR Timing is everything. “As a physician, warning signs for us are more related to the timing of menses rather than the amount,” Laser says. Cycles that are shorter than three weeks or longer than six weeks are worth talking to a doctor about, especially if you’ve previously been as regular as the lunar cycle. Spotting and mid-cycle bleeding also can be signs of a problem. Hormonal changes, excessive exercise, stress, and of course, pregnancy, can cause changes in a woman’s cycle. Gynecologists recommend keeping a calendar of when you period starts and how long it lasts if you have concerns. There’s an app for that, too. Period Tracker Lite is free and gets great reviews. “It can be hard to remember when your last period was and even harder to remember when it was three months before,” Garofalo says. MY PERIOD HURTS Some pain is normal during a period, but severe pain is not. Pain is more common among teenagers and young women

Photo: © iStockphoto.com/ sjlocke.

pads quickly and runs down the legs indicates hemorrhaging and requires immediate attention. Usually, heavy bleeding is not caused by an underlying problem, however; it’s just how your body works. The good news is that treatments exist that can help control it. “You shouldn’t live with it if it is bothering you,” Garofalo says.

during the early years of menstruation. Pain that develops later in a woman’s life may be related to something more serious like endometriosis, infection or fibroids. Talk to your doctor. WHAT ARE THOSE CHUNKS? Blood clots are completely normal during a period. They occur when blood flows slower and has time to coagulate before being expelled. A sudden appearance of a large number or size of clots is worth mentioning to a doctor, but otherwise, they are nothing to worry about. “Clots are a very common thing for women to call con-

Stages of menopause Perimenopause: This is the time leading up to a woman’s last period. Periods can stop and then start again, so you are in perimenopause until a year has passed since you’ve had a period. During perimenopause a woman will have changes in her levels of estrogen and progesterone, two female hormones made in the ovaries. These changes may lead to symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, pounding heart, skin flushing, sleeping problems, and periods that occur less often. Other symptoms include mood

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swings, vaginal dryness, trouble focusing, headaches, less sex drive, joint aches and less hair on the head and — ironically — more on the face. There is no way to tell in advance how long it will take you to go through the menopausal transition, but it generally takes two to eight years. Menopause: This is the time in a woman’s life when her period stops. It usually occurs naturally, most often after age 45. Menopause happens because a woman’s ovary stops producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

A woman has reached menopause when she has not had a period for one year. Changes and symptoms can start several years earlier. Postmenopause: The period after menopause when female hormones no longer go up and down the way they used to during the menstruation cycle. They will stay at very low levels. Postmenopausal women cannot get pregnant. Source: National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health

cerned over,” Laser says. “It’s not a sign of a problem. It’s the blood doing what it’s supposed to do.” OH, IT’S JUST PERIMENOPAUSE After age 40, a woman’s menstrual cycle becomes less regular as her hormones shift and start to shut down reproduction. This process, called perimenopause, can last two to eight years until periods stop entirely. “There is a very common misconception that it is normal in perimenopause to have abnormal bleeding, but it really isn’t,” Garofalo says.

Between and percent of women of childbearing age have irregular menstrual cycles or excessively heavy menstrual bleeding, according to the NIH.

Garofalo tells his patients that it is normal to have lighter and lighter periods that are farther and farther apart. “Anything else should be investigated,” he says. That includes mid-cycle bleeding, repeated bouts of heavy bleeding or periods that come less than 24 days after the last. I’M BLEEDING AFTER MENOPAUSE A woman is officially in menopause one year after her last period. “The only normal amount of bleeding after menopause is none,” Laser says. Most bleeding is benign, but it can be a sign of uterine cancer. Get it checked out, Laser says. WHAT’S NEXT? Talk to your doctor about your concerns about your period. “Most are nothing to worry about. Most are easy to explain and easy to treat,” Garofalo says. “Some of them are significant.” In 2011, the International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians released a classification system that places abnormal bleeding into nine basic categories. Previously, the nomenclature was confusing and inconsistent, Garofalo says. The new system helps doctors diagnose and treat abnormal bleeding. Your gynecologist may order tests such as a pelvic ultrasound, endometrial biopsy, hysteroscopy (a scope to view the uterine cavity) or a sonohysterogram (another type of ultrasound). Women today have many options for dealing with abnormal bleeding from birth control pills, IUDs, medications that staunch the flow on heavy days or minor surgery. “A lot of people think if I go to my gynecologist and complain about having abnormal bleeding, he or she is going to tell me I need a hysterectomy,” Garofalo says. “That’s not really the case.” The vast majority of problems are not serious, Laser says, “but it’s always worth talking to your doctor.” HL

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Scaling

Back do you weigh yourself too much?

The Basics

by beth cooney

If you choose to weigh yourself, try to follow these rules:  Always use the same scale.  Weigh yourself in the morning, after going to the bathroom and before eating or drinking.

ach morning I slip the digital scale out from its slightly dusty perch under the bathroom vanity, step on and stare down at the red numbers on the monitor. My morning weigh-in is an almost daily ritual that can border on the ever-so-slightly neurotic. I won’t have so much as a sip of coffee before I disrobe for the big reveal. But neurosis aside, weighing-in ritualistically seems to have kept my weight in check. When the number makes me grimace, I clean up my act, skipping afternoon lattes or making my fitness walks a bit longer. I like to believe my habit has kept my body from, well, tipping the scales. Or has it? Linda Gottlieb, a Milford-based personal trainer who often works with middle-age women, wants to know more. Does my wedding dress still fit? (NO!) How about the jeans I wore three or four years ago? Um, would most pairs count? And what about my overall health profile, wonders Dr. Joseph Feuerstein, director of integrative medicine at Stamford Hospital. How are my cholesterol levels, blood sugars, blood pressure and muscle-to-fat ratio? “Those are the things that mean more to me than what I see on the scale,” he says. “Fitness is about more than one number,”

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says Gottlieb, who is part of a growing community of health-minded folks who would prefer their clients toss their scales right along with their junk food and sedentary lifestyles. The only time Gottlieb gets on the scale is at her doctor’s office. And even then, she proclaims, “I can usually tell them what it’s going to say. I know because of the way my pants fit and how I look in the mirror.” So how often should you weigh yourself? “Never,” Gottlieb says, emphatically. And she’s not alone in that belief. Increasingly, there’s a consensus that scale weight is just one small variable in a much larger picture of health and fitness. This school of thought reflects growing concern that women rely on the scale to assess “how they’re doing” health and fitness wise — to their detriment. “There are a lot of women out there who I call ‘skinny fat,’” notes Gottlieb, who says because of slowing metabolic rates and changes in body composition a woman can weigh exactly what she did in high school, but be fatter because she’s actually sporting less lean muscle. “So if the scale says 120 pounds and that’s what you weighed when you got married, it doesn’t mean you can still slip into the wedding dress, especially if you are now carrying a spare tire of fat around

 Never weigh yourself multiple times in one day.  Better to skip the scale the morning after an extremely indulgent meal or banquet or weekend. Give yourself at least 48 hours — maybe longer — to assess the true damage.  Consider a highquality home scale that also measures body fat composition to keep the emphasis on your muscle-to-fat ratio.  Don’t assume because you weigh the same as you did five years ago your body composition is the same. Metabolism changes with age, making it harder to maintain essential lean muscle.

the middle.” scale was a form of psychological torjar and the next day, the scale doesn’t Cindy Neumann, a mom of two from ture. “It leads them to micro-managing inch up. Then you can believe you got Fairfield, agrees. She gave up her scale their days,” he says. “For some of those away with something, but two or three after she embarked on a serious weightpatients, it’s not even healthy to look days later you may see the cookies and training program and found the numat the scale. I may weigh them once a ice cream creep up on you.” bers climbing while her pants got looser month, but it’s really just one tool I use Samele explains getting Weight and looser. Even though Watchers members she understood that musto commit to a weekly ...because of slowing metabolic rates and cle weighs more than fat, weigh-in gives dieters a the increasing numbers changes in body composition, a woman can weigh more realistic perspective made her sweat more on the kind of progress exactly what she did in high school, but be much fatter than her workouts. “I had they are making toward a because she’s actually sporting less lean muscle. to get off the scale,” says goal. “And if their weight Neumann, “I never felt — is up or down, it’s easier or looked — better in my to look back and reflect life, yet I had gained six pounds. I was to see if they are making progress on on what someone has been doing to having a total freak-out.” their goals.” get the result they did,” she explains. She hasn’t weighed herself in five But the scale can offer some insight “That week gives you a better picture years, relying instead on a pair of skinny into the progress of dieters who have of what’s really going on.” The most jeans to be her body barometer. “If they specific goals. Weight Watchers, for accurate take on your weight with this fit, it’s all good,” she says. example, encourages members trying system tends to involve weighing yourBut there’s no clear-cut consensus to shed pounds to weigh themselves self on the same day, time and wearing on this weighty matter. For every antiweekly. Anything more than that, the same clothes. scale expert, countless other diet and says Cathy Samele, a Weight WatchWhether you opt to weigh yourself medical experts see some value in the ers leader and spokesperson based in daily, weekly, monthly or never, Feuerscale. Torrington, and a dieter can develop a stein says it’s important to think of the Feuerstein puts himself somewhere false sense of success or failure. Samele numbers on the scale as part of a bigin the middle of the debate. “There is says she’s worked with people who’ve ger picture. “Fat is an inflammatory no right answer,” he says. “A lot of it is sometimes weighed themselves to excondition that makes people sick,” he very individual and personal.” He notes, tremes “as much as three times a day.” says. “You don’t die because you’re for example, that some clinical research That kind of preoccupation with the fat; you die of the diseases that fat can suggests for a certain subset of womscale can be dangerous, she explains, cause, like diabetes.” en, weighing themselves daily helps “because weight fluctuates so much He weighs in with this final piece of them continue to be compliant with a during the day.” advice on whether you diet and maintain weight loss. For this Daily weighing has its pitfalls, too. should step on the group of women, he notes, “the scale is Samele says it can give people trying scale and how ofreally a friend, not a foe.” to shed some pounds a false sense of ten: “Know yourFor a firstConversely, Feuerstein has worked security and offers this example: “Say self — that’s the person with patients for whom stepping on the you dip into the ice cream or the cookie answer.” HL account of

the battle of the scale, see page 87.

Photo: © iStockphoto.com/Andrew Blyth.

Weighing In … The Pros and Cons DAILY

Cons: It can be

Pros: Best for

psychologically and physically disastrous for anyone who is neurotically weightobsessed or prone to eating disorders.

women who are reasonably comfortable with their current scale weight and want to maintain it. Some research has shown this daily check-in can be “highly motivating” for a subset of women trying to maintain weight loss.

ONCE A WEEK Pros: A weekly weighin can be helpful to anyone devoted to a diet and exercise regimen who wants

to track the results of their efforts. For some, it’s a better barometer of success or setbacks because so many variables can affect weight within a 24-hour period. Ultimately, it tends to give a more accurate picture of your results.

Some experts suggest using a tape measure to assess your waist and hip circumference can be an even better tool for evaluating whether you’re meeting your goals.

Cons: Not beneficial

camp believe the best way to measure up is by focusing

if it’s your only barometer of fitness.

NEVER Pros: Experts in this

on different health statistics, such as your muscle-to-fat ratio, cholesterol and blood sugar levels and even the fit of your favorite pair of skinny jeans.

Cons: Pounds can creep up if you’re not scrupulously honest about what you see in the mirror or the way your jeans fit.

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Your Liver

— a primer compiled by linda tuccio-koonz

our liver, an organ about the size of a football that’s flat on one side, sits under your rib cage on liver your right side. The largest organ in your abdomen (it weighs 3-4 pounds), its main job is to filter toxins from the blood coming from the digestive tract before passing it to the rest of the body. Without your liver, you wouldn’t be able to digest food, absorb nutrients or rid your body of toxic substances. In other words, you can’t live without it!

Photo/Illustration: Woman, Fuse/GettyImages; © Nguyet M Le/Dreamstime.com.



The liver helps with digestion by making enzymes and bile, and also makes proteins important for blood clotting.

The more toxins, such as alcohol, that go into your body the more poisons the liver has to filter — and buildup of toxins in the liver can damage the organ itself.

disease (a disorder that causes fatty substances to accumulate), or hemochromatosis (a condition in which iron accumulates in the liver).



Cirrhosis, or scarring, is caused by disease (such as hepatitis or cystic fibrosis), as well as chronic alcohol abuse. When the liver is injured it tries to repair itself and forms scar tissue in the process. Cirrhosis often has no symptoms until liver damage is extensive. Signs may include fatigue, bleeding and bruising easily, itchy skin, jaundice, fluid accumulation in the abdomen, loss of appetite, nausea, leg swelling, and weight loss.



An enlarged liver — hepatomegaly — is a sign of an underlying problem such as hepatitis, cancer, fluid-filled pockets called liver cysts, Gaucher’s

To keep your liver healthy: lead an active life, drink alcohol in moderation (if at all), eat a well-balanced diet, limit contact with chemicals, use aerosol cleaners and insecticides only in well-ventilated areas, maintain a healthy weight and don’t smoke. Having more than two drinks of alcohol every day for many years increases the risk of liver cancer. Other risk factors include obesity and diabetes.



Symptoms of liver cancer may include pain in the upper abdomen on the right side, a lump or heavy feeling in the upper abdomen, bloating, loss of appetite and feeling full, weakness or feeling very tired, nausea and vomiting, jaundice and fever.

For additional information on the liver go to www.healthylifect.com

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Tired of

Clumsy Mistakes? 58

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The Glenholme School how to become less of a klutz by wendy page

o your friends remove their breakables when you visit? Are you constantly spilling something? Do you trip over air? Being a klutz every now and then is normal; accidents happen. But if you are a bull in a china shop much of the time, combating your clumsiness is fixable — with a little perseverance and help. First and foremost, visit your doctor. An underlying condition may be causing your lack of grace, sometimes referred to as ataxia (an issue with balance and coordination). The problem can be as simple as dehydration, which can cause dizziness; impaired vision, which makes it more difficult to navigate your way; an inner ear infection, which directly affects balance; or an issue with the medications you take. You may also be sleep deprived, or your body may be lacking necessary minerals. A disease such as arthritis, where your body’s aches make it more difficult to use your limbs gracefully, or a larger illness such as Parkinson’s Disease or multiple sclerosis, might also be the culprits. Once medical explanations have been eliminated from the equation, it’s time to find solutions to your klutziness and the key, experts say, is to incorporate mind, body and spiritual exercises into your day to — literally — balance yourself.

Photo: James Woodson/GettyImages.

BODY “After the age or 35, we start to lose our balance,” says Dominic Novak, owner of Peak Physique of Greenwich. “Every decade after, it tends to become more difficult. Muscle groups get weaker and weaker. Bone density and core muscles will be so important with regard to decaying muscle. Isolate specific areas so they’re keened in and better in all facets of your body.” Certified Well Coach Scott Coldwell, owner of Phoenix Therapeutic Massage and Personal Training in Danbury, agrees. “You need to work on core strength, flexibility and balance,” he explains. “Working on the first two will give you balance.” Christopher Capogna, physical therapist at Star Sports Therapy & Rehabilitation in Milford, believes that we first need to have good core mobility and strength in order to have better mobility of our extremities, such as hands and feet, key spots for fumbling. “If your core is not strong, you’re going to have trouble balancing in general,” Capogna says. “A strong, healthy abdominal area is only going to promote balance. The more upright your posture, the better.” The yoga “tree” pose — standing with one foot against the opposite shin — is just one example of an exercise that can improve balance. (See sidebar for other simple

The Glenholme School combines a traditional boarding school experience and a therapeutic atmosphere complemented by a positive motivational program, devoted to young people who struggle with Asperger’s, depression, anxiety, and various learning differences. The school offers challenging extracurricular courses to instruct students to achieve competence, socially and academically. With an education based in strong character values, the graduates of Glenholme matriculate to colleges and universities and go on to meaningful careers. Enrollment is open for Glenholme’s middle school and high school, and post-secondary and summer programs. Contact the Glenholme Admissions Office Phone: (860) 868-7377 • Fax: (860) 868-7413 admissions@theglenholmeschool.org 81 Sabbaday Lane, Washington, CT 06793 www.theglenholmeschool.org Devereux Connecticut

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your confidence balance exercises.) Taking care of your body in general and being aware in particular of how your body feels each day also will help stave off klutzy behavior. Pay attention to your stress level, watch your nutrition, and tailor a workout toward areas in which you’re deficient, such as poor posture. Sleep deprivation also can lead to clumsiness. It’s also important to be well-hydrated, as dehydration is a large cause of falls because it causes instability in your system.

challenges your mind, such as Sudoku or knitting, can also help you be more acute. Pay attention to your surroundings and focus on the task at hand, the experts note. Doing this will make unexpected trips and falls less likely, as well as help lower your stress and anxiety, which also contribute to klutziness.

SPIRIT While it’s sometimes difficult to wrap your head around spirituality in the midst of your busy-ness, that’s precisely why you need it — to center yourself. Coldwell suggests meditating every day by going mentally to a place where you find peace. “Picture someplace that you love and sit quietly for 5-10 minutes,” he says. “Slowly try to get that to 20 minutes. Do this at the same time every day, maybe after lunch when your body wants some quiet time. Breathe deeply with your belly, which sends a message to your brain that you’re at rest. It allows you to tank down.” This process of slowing down can be effective any time, even in a moment of duress. “When you’re in a panic situation,” Coldwell says, “you can close your eyes and picture that place, and it will help you calm down and regroup a minute.” Anything that can bring you peace and serenity will aid greatly with your composure. HL

Photo: © iStockphoto.com; rollover.

MIND It’s no secret that women are natural multi-taskers. The more you have on your plates, however, the more stressed you feel, the more you’re pulled in different directions, and the more your mind doesn’t focus. And that means your coordination suffers. “We need to have a well mind in order to get a well body,” says Coldwell. Clumsiness can be a direct result of moving too quickly because you’re juggling too much so he advises slowing down, de-stressing, and working to keep your mental acuity high. “A site like Lumosity.com is great for anybody maturing, to keep mental acuity to stave off depression, which can make you lose detail and be more foggy-brained,” Coldwell says. “Mental acuity keeps you in the present.” Any activity that

Exercises to improve your BALANCE and strengthen your CORE



Stand in a hallway at home or at the office so you can reach your arms out to a wall, if necessary. Create a balance beam effect where you can walk a straight line, with your eyes open or closed. Follow a line on the floor, or simply put one foot in front of the other.



Practice standing on one leg. “Close your eyes so you take away your visual input and rely on your muscles, honing in on that sense of balance,” Capogna says. “Challenge yourself more by standing on something soft, like a pillow that’s folded over. This has a balance component and strengthening, as well.”



Sit in a chair with arms (controls your movement,

and acts as a support). Extend your right leg, flex your foot, point your foot, rotate your ankle in one direction five times, then other direction five times This simple leg exercise works to get water out of the ankles (especially if you sit all day). “Do this three times for each leg,” Coldwell says. “It helps to pump the fluid out of the leg, and when you get up, you’re going to be more balanced.”



Exercise using a stability ball, whether it’s doing squats against a wall (which also helps with lower back strength) or sitting on one at work to keep your core activated. Also try a bosu ball or a wobble board to do squats and knee bends. The disk forces you to strengthen your core and thus improve your balance.

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your body

Beating

oat

tips to keep that uncomfortable feeling at bay by sandra diamond fox

everal times a month, Danbury resident Audrey Rubin says she feels bloated, with a distended belly and painful gas. “My clothes fit tight. … Even my shoes and rings get snug.” According to Dr. Gena Cobrin, a board-certified gastroenterologist at Gastroenterology Associates of Fairfield County in Fairfield (the group also has locations in Bridgeport and Monroe), bloating is a sensation of abdominal fullness. It can also come with distension — a protruding belly. “Half my patients complain of bloating,” Cobrin says, adding it can be caused by an increased production of air in the intestine. “You can swallow too much air when you eat very quickly, talk while eating, chew gum, have carbonated drinks and smoke.” To get to the bottom of bloat, Dr. Darlene Negbenebor, a board-certified gastroenterologist at Shoreline Medical in Stamford, recommends making an appointment with someone in her specialty. “In my first visit with patients, I go through a complete dietary history with them,” she says. “Then I give them an exam that involves listening to their heart, lungs and feeling their organs and abdomen for abnormalities.” Bloat has many causes, one of which is constipation. To treat this, Negbenebor recommends a high-fiber diet. “We do a trial. The goal is 25 grams of fiber per day, which is the recommendation for the amount of fiber one needs to promote good bowel function, per the American Gastroenterological Association,” Negbenebor says. She also recommends medications such as Linzess and Amitiza, which are prescription-only. And for short-term use she prescribes laxatives, which can be purchased over the counter. Another cause of bloating is lactose intolerance, when the body can’t easily digest lactose, a type of natural sugar found in milk and dairy products. To see how well you tolerate

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lactose, Negbenebor recommends eating small amounts of breath mints. “Taking just one of these won’t make much of dairy products over a two-week period to see how your body a difference in terms of your bloating,” she says, “but many handles it. people tend to take a bunch at a time.” Dana O’Rourke of Danbury was diagnosed with lactose inAlso, lots of foods that can contribute to bloating are actolerance in 1999. “If a restaurant sneaks something into my tually healthy for you. These include lactose products, such food that I am not aware of — butter, for example — I get as milk or dairy items, and fructose, found in dried fruits, gassy and usually have diarrhea. I take a form of lactaid for according to Cobrin. Then there’s cabbage, broccoli, beans this,” O’Rourke says. and Brussels sprouts. Cobrin says that while she hates telling Irritable-bowel syndrome also can cause bloat. “When her patients to avoid eating healthy foods such as these, she a person has IBS, the function of their GI tract is off,” must in order to help them prevent bloat. Negbenebor says. “They may feel disOver-the-counter treatments for comfort or pain from stool and air in bloating include Gas-X and Beano. There are many possible their colon.” To help track what kinds of foods To treat IBS, limit fiber from your cause bloat, Negbenebor recomcauses of including mends keeping a food diary. “I sugdiet. Many fruits and vegetables will exasperate IBS symptoms, she gest recording everything you eat in explains. it for one week. This way, if you get Rubin was diagnosed with IBS in bloat you can look at the diary and college after years of stomach dis[see] if there’s a pattern,” she explains. tress. “Pizza, processed food, chips, “You can see what foods seem to trigsalty foods, and cheese all cause me to bloat. I had a colonosger bloating.” copy and was put on medications to slow the spasms. Water Since sensitivity to bloating can vary greatly from person pills have helped, as well as reducing salt. I’m doing much to person, the time it takes after you eat something that can better now. I eat better, drink less booze, exercise a bit, and cause bloat to actually getting bloat can vary greatly as well. try to not hold so much stress in, since stress exacerbates this “It can take anywhere from fairly instantaneously to several as well,” she says. hours after you eat to feel the symptoms of bloat,” Cobrin Celiac disease also can produce symptoms of bloat. An says. inflammatory condition caused by your body’s reaction to “Although most of the time bloating is benign, don’t always wheat or gluten, celiac disease is diagnosed by a blood test assume this is the case,” she says. Bloating can be a sign of a and an endoscopy with biopsies of the small intestine, acserious condition when it’s accompanied by a change in bowcording to Cobrin. It’s treated with a strict gluten-free diet. el habits, severe diarrhea or constipation, blood in the stool, Those with celiac disease should avoid foods containing barweight loss or fever. If you’re bloated for no apparent reason, ley, rye and wheat. Cobrin explains some people might not Cobrin recommends making an appointment with your gynehave celiac disease but still suffer from bloat symptoms due cologist, who will check your ovaries for ovarian cancer. to difficulty absorbing wheat or gluten. “In addition, everyone over the age of 50 should have a You can also become bloated when you’re ill. “Everything colonoscopy, which is a routine screening test,” Cobrin says. moves along the GI tract at a certain pace, so if you have al“As you age, your [risk] of colon cancer increase[s]. This test terations in this mobility — such as a stomach flu — this can will check for polyps, which can grow into cancer.” cause bloating,” Cobrin says. “There is no way to avoid getting bloat because everyone Gassy and fatty foods should be avoided when you have has a different tolerance for its symptoms,” Negbenebor bloat. Fat slows down the process of digestion and the longer says. “While some don’t even acknowledge any symptoms, the food sits in the intestine, the longer it takes to ferment. others may be very uncomfortable.” This can create gas, explains Cobrin. O’Rourke says she’s pretty good about keeping her bloat “You should also avoid sugar alcohols, which are a type of under control. “I take the lactaid like Tic Tacs whenever I reduced-calorie sweetener often used in products that say go out. Once the bloating starts, nothing works, so it is best ‘sugar-free’ or ‘no sugar added,’” Cobrin says. “Sorbitol is one for me to cut it off before it starts,” she says. “I just hope of the more commonly used sugar alcohols.” my friends still want to hang out with me when they find out I Sorbitol can be found in many types of gum, candies and am gassy!” HL

Illustration: © Hypermania37/Dreamstime.com.

bloat, lactose intolerance, IBS, and constipation.

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Is Sex Necessary? I

Photo: © iStockphoto.com; Lise Gagne.

by emma tennant

have a patient I’ll call Mark. He’s been coming for about five years. He is single, in his 30s, fastidious, a bit depressed. He is very funny. “Umm, I thought this was supposed to be about me, isn’t it?” he’ll say if I digress for a moment into my own reflections. “I don’t pay to listen to your problems.” We laugh. We also play this little game. He doesn’t say anything — at all — about sexual desire, or romantic love, of any kind. He never talks about longing for a woman or a man. And since he never brings it up, I don’t ask. We know we are doing this. This is our version of romance within the bonds of therapy. I want something from him. He knows I want it, but withholds it from me. He is depriving me of the satisfaction. Then there is Constance. Constance has about nine dogs. She is a medical doctor, performing at the highest levels. She also happens to be a virgin. But Constance, unlike Mark, does talk about romantic longing. She looks online for the perfect man. “It’s like homework,” she says, miserable. “It’s so much work. I just want someone to come along and make it simple.” Every now and then Constance does go out with someone she meets online, but she unconsciously dooms the date from the start. She literally schedules them for 4:30 in the afternoon, somewhere bright and crowded, between shifts at the hospital. “So, what was he like,” I’ll ask after one of these dates. “The same. I don’t remember. They’re all the same,” she’ll say.

hat we have here are two people who would simply prefer not to — I mean, they just don’t want, in their hearts, to get sucked into the maelstrom of sex and relationship. I suspect Mark has fantasies he doesn’t want me to know about, and that’s certainly his right. If he doesn’t want to bring sex and intimacy into his life, isn’t that OK? Constance has dreams of being swept away by a knight on a horse to a magic land where everything will be better, But the mess involved — the literal mess: fluids, the touching, the body-on-body dimension — repels her. Dating is work, and

I suspect that if she didn’t feel social pressure to “date” and “marry” and be “normal” she would drop it immediately and get another dog. And I want to say that this is all right. Sex isn’t for everyone. But somehow that doesn’t quite work out well for people, because there is something about the sex drive that seems to insist upon finding an expression. As you are probably aware, the wonder of the Internet was driven in part by the need for greater bandwidth to feed the insatiable desire for more, better, faster pornography. Recently, a study of preferred porn search words by geography was published. You can find it for yourself — let’s just say, Kentucky and Romania, what is going on there? Not everyone has the same level of drive or enjoys sex that much. But the denial of the sexual impulse altogether does seem to create unpleasant side effects. Some, for instance, become immersed in pornography and online chat rooms to the exclusion of human encounters. The real danger is the split in the ego — where one half of the person can’t integrate the sexual self and splits it off. That’s where you get perversions of various kinds — the molestation of children, voyeurism, and so on. The impulse finds an outlet without the governance of reason, because sex is “bad” and therefore can’t be part of the integrated self. It needs to happen in a dark, secret place. But that’s not what troubles me today. When I look at Mark and Constance, I see people who have not acquired a certain ease in their bodies. They aren’t at home in themselves. They are — and feel — cut off from the essential human experience, which is to be a bodied, incarnate, messy, fluid emanating, sexual creature. To have this aspect of our nature met and accepted by another person is a very deep need. For a moment, we are OK — interpenetrated — with another person and it confirms us as being part of the human family, alive for a moment, aware of our finitude. That’s why sex is necessary. Sex, even bad sex, has a way of throwing us into the river of the living. HL

E-mail your questions to askemma@healthylifect.com and check out her blog at www.healthylifect.com.

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your family

Childless By CHOICE many factors weigh into the decision NOT to have kids by jayne keedle

lot of little girls grow up assuming that they will, at some point, get married and have children. I was not one of them. I was quite determined never to marry and, though I surprised myself by actually doing it — not once but twice — when it came to having kids, I remained on the fence. I’d always had a rather fatalistic approach. If it happened, it happened — but I took active precautions to make sure it didn’t and vowed never to take extreme measures to try to conceive. I just never felt I needed to have a child of my own to make my life complete. Having spent most of my teenage years babysitting, I was under no illusions as to just how labor-intensive, all-consuming and exhausting it can be to raise a child. And though I imagine the rewards are far greater if the child is one’s own, I knew I wanted to travel the world and have a career far more than I wanted to have a baby. So that’s what I did. And when I finally did meet a man I could imagine having a child with, he came with one daughter (who I adore) and a vasectomy. If my mother was disappointed that I would give her no grandchildren, she never said so, although her joy at the birth of my brother’s two children did give me a few pangs of guilt. Still, if I had it to do over again, I wouldn’t do it any differently — and the people I know who are also childless by choice feel the same way. A GROWING TREND We tend to assume that people who don’t have children are the exception rather than the norm, but the fact is that about 80 percent of all households in the United States don’t include children

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your family

According to the 2010 Census, in the Bridgeport-StamfordNorwalk metropolitan area:

25.7

The percent of households made up of married couples with children.

26.7

The percent of households made up of married couples without children.

86,972

The number of married couples in 2000 who had children living with them in the household.

84,652

The number of married couples in 2010 who had children in the household. That’s a negative 2.7 percent change in the number of married couples living with kids.

92,828

The number of married couples in 2000 who reported having no children in the household.

87,929

The number of married couples in 2010 who reported having no children in the household. That was a negative 5.3 percentage change. The average household population remained about the same, however, (2.67 in 2000; 2.72 in 2010).

according to Census data. That same data also shows that in 2003, about 20 percent of American women ended their childbearing years without giving birth, compared to 10 percent in 1976. Indeed, birthrates are falling in just about every demographic and, in 2010, hit their lowest rate ever for U.S. women in the 20-24 age group, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. These days, financial considerations are often cited as a factor in a couple’s decision regarding when or whether to have children, but it’s not just the current state of the economy that’s driving this trend. Attitudes are also changing. In 2007, a Pew Research Center survey found that just 41 percent of Americans said children are “very important” to a successful marriage, down from 65 percent in 1990. WHY WOMEN CHOOSE NOT TO CONCEIVE Laura Scott, a California life coach and author of Two is Enough: A Couple’s Guide to Living Childless by Choice (2009), did extensive research to find out what motivated people to remain childless. Her Childless by Choice survey of 171 people (71 percent women, 29 percent men) conducted from 2004 to 2006 found that individuals without children fell into four categories: early articulators, postponers, acquiescers and undecideds. The top six reasons they gave for not having children were as follows: 1. I love our life, our relationship, as it is, and having a child won’t enhance it. 2. I value freedom and independence. 3. I do not want to take on the responsibility of raising a child. 4. I have no desire to have a child, no maternal/paternal instinct. 5. I want to accomplish/experience things in life that would be difficult to do if I was a parent. 6. I want to focus my time and energy on my own interests, needs or goals. ASSUMPTIONS AND STEREOTYPES Women who opt not to have children are frequently labeled “selfish,” as if the world will somehow suffer because we’re depriving it of our offspring. Childfree couples are so frequently asked why they don’t have children that forums on websites such as DINKS (Double Income No Kids) and Childless By Choice, fill up fast with suggested answers. (“I hate kids,” is wryly noted as the best way to shut down all inquisitors). “Some (people) are really militant — one woman referred to children as ‘sprogs’ — and I’m not into that,” says Lea Tomaszewski, 43, who belongs to the No Kidding Meet-up group in Danbury. “We get criticized and maligned a lot, but if my friends need a babysitter, I’m there.” Being single and childfree, Tomaszewski has to contend with even more assumptions, particularly when she goes

By The Numbers

C F ORTHOPEDICS Childfree couples are so frequently asked why they don’t have children that forums on websites fill up fast with suggested answers. on dates. “The couples are the ones people either really vilify or celebrate, but it’s not easy being a 40-something woman, childfree. You’re labeled. ‘Are you a lesbian or are you this sad case because you can’t have children?’” she says. “You go out with a person and you can see the wheels turning, the guy is assuming your biological clock is ticking. You feel like you need to have a disclaimer: ‘I don’t have any kids and I’m cool with that.’” “I never had the cookie-cutter life picked out for myself, where I was going to be married and have 2.5 kids. You know when you’re a kid, some little girls, that’s the be-all and end-all,” Tomaszewski says. “That was never in my life plan.” THE PRESSURE TO PROCREATE Women today have many more choices than their mothers ever did, yet those who opt out of motherhood still say they feel the pressure to procreate or find that people assume they will change their minds about wanting children when they get older. “Motherhood is so highly connected with adult femininity in the United States that many women feel that they need to be mothers,” says University of Nebraska-Lincoln sociologist Julia McQuillan, whose study of 1,200 childless American women was published in October 2012, in The Journal of Marriage and Family. Jessica Kaplan, a marriage and family therapist based in Norwalk, agrees. “There’s still a little bit of a social stigma out there for women who choose to have no children,” she says. “I think there’s still societal pressure for a married couple, especially in a social-economic status where they can financially support children.” Growing up, Kaplan recalls knowing just one couple among her parents’ friends who didn’t have children. “He was a history teacher, his wife a neurologist, and they were childless by choice. They were very committed to their careers and loved to travel. It was the right choice for them,” she says. What was rare a few decades ago, however, is becoming increasingly common today. Perhaps one of the more significant findings in McQuillan’s study was that, among the women surveyed who were childless by choice, “there are women who have low or no distress about not being mothers, even if their friends and family want them to have children,” McQuillan says, adding, “Rather than assume that women without children are missing something, society should benefit from valuing a variety of paths for adult women to have satisfying lives.” HL

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vacation prep

Summertime… e h t nd a ’ n i l e v a r T y s a E s i

if you follow these tips by melinda mcgarty webb

raveling can be stressful for anyone. Delayed flights. Overbooking. Crowds. Weather. Traffic. The list goes on. Add to that all the post-9/11 security measures, and traveling is an entirely different ball game than it used to be. Still, some constants can make the process easier. Smart packing, preparation and paying attention still go a long way — even in this age of pat-downs, travel-sized liquids and bag fees. Being prepared starts with knowing what to bring and how to pack it efficiently. If you’re flying, familiarize yourself with Transportation Security Administration regulations as well as those specific to your airline. It’s also wise to consider the length of your trip, the kinds of activities, whether you’re flying first class or coach, and whether you’ll be traveling domestically — which generally allows slightly larger carry-ons — or internationally. “If you’re flying American Airlines from here to France, you’ll be allowed a larger bag than if you’re flying from France to Italy,” explains Edgar Garcia, manager of Innovation Luggage & Travelware in Greenwich. “From France to Italy, the plane will be smaller and you’ll need to bring a smaller carry-on.” Just how big can that carry-on be? “On most flights, airlines allow a carry-on that is 22 inches long, 14 inches wide and 9 inches high — or 45 linear inches,” Garcia says. Those numbers include wheels and handles. So if you’re not willing to take a bag that’s collapsible and wheel-free,

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you need to take that into account. Most luggage companies factor wheels and handles into their listed dimensions, but just make sure. It also can’t hurt to check your airline’s carry-on requirements. Jet Blue, for example, allows a slightly bigger bag on its larger planes, Garcia says. According to its website, Jet Blue passengers on its Airbus A320 can bring a carry-on sized 26 inches long, 18 inches wide and 12 inches high. On many airlines, carry-on size varies according to where you’re sitting, with first class often allotted a little more room. “Then, once you know what size you’re allowed, it’s all about maximizing space,” says Garcia. “Some people put their laptop in the front pocket of their carry-on so they have more space in their personal bag.” Remember, airlines allow a carry-on in the overhead bin and a bag beneath your seat. And that’s enough for Heather Katz of Brookfield. As managing principal of Cleary Benefits Group in Danbury, a benefit planning and management firm, she travels twice a month, and says she has packing down to a science. “When I travel for business, I try to pack everything in a carry-on,” she says. “We try to never check anything. It’s mostly just a timing issue — we have such a tight timeframe, we don’t want to spend time waiting in baggage claim. I’ve found that three days is what I can do with a carry-on. Anything past three days, and I need to check. “I’m really good about knowing what I can fit,” she con tinues. “Sometimes I’ll pack business pants that I can wear

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with these

There are many products available to help you make the most of your suitcase space. Here are three:



At right is Eagle Creek’s Pack-It Folder 18. It holds between eight and 12 shirts, pants or jackets and is 18 inches by 12 inches, which will easily fit in a carry-on.

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Packing cubes, like these from Eagle Creek, compress contents to maximize space. Some have soft mesh exteriors that allow TSA agents to see their contents. They’re great for T-shirts, pajamas and liquids. In fact, some are lined to contain a potential spill.



Compression sacks can save up to 80 percent of packing volume. Place the items inside the bag, zip it closed, and roll — the air escapes through one-way valves.

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ther things Katz has learned from her years on the road? Bring snacks, call the hotel to confirm whether it has hairdryers and irons, and make sure all liquids you’re carrying on — even your face cream — are travel-sized. TSA dictates travelers carry liquids, aerosols and gels in containers 3.4 ounces or less, all consolidated into a one-quart zip-top clear plastic bag. Just remember “31-1.” (see graphic at right) Three-ounce containers; one plastic bag; one per traveler. That way, security can x-ray them separately from the rest of your carry-on luggage. Large quantities must be checked. Medications, baby formula and food, and breast milk are exempt but must be declared for inspection. Some people also like to keep their travel documents handy. “I suggest having a boarding pouch, so you’re not digging through your purse or tote bag for your tickets or passport,” Garcia says. “Some go right over your chest, and then your jacket or sweater goes right over them. It’s perfect.” Keeping things handy and neat inside your bags has become big business. There are a variety of packing cubes, tubes, folders and sacks on the market. Packing cubes are small fabric bags, generally rectangular in shape, that fit inside your luggage. They compress contents to maximize space, and keep your belongings organized and stationary within the bag. Folders are generally larger, and intended for bigger garments. Tubes are ideal for socks and underwear. “Folders are best for button-down shirts and pants,” explains Garcia. “You fold everything inside, and it keeps it in place.” Tight, uniform folding can help minimize unused space and reduce wrinkles. While many people fold their clothes, there are other ways to pack. Some say rolling garments minimizes wrinkles and maximizes space. Others prefer the bundlewrapping method, where clothes are wrapped one after the other around a core object, such as a small sack of undergarments. If you need to pack bulky items, or if you simply can’t narrow down your choices, compression bags allow

Photos: Woman with suitcase, ©iStockphoto.com/Visiofutura; Packing Folder and Cubes, Courtesy of Eagle Creek; Compression sack, Krista Hicks Benson.

Avoid this

twice in a row, or I think about whether I can just wear my work clothes to dinner. With the limited space, you really have to try to pack similar colors, too. That way, you can just bring one pair of shoes that match everything.” She tries to coordinate every accessory — right down to the earrings. But even Katz admits that traveling for vacation can be a different story, and she generally needs more clothing options — and checks luggage. “When you’re traveling on vacation, sometimes you might not know where you’ll be going. Are you going to get dressed up, or stay casual? Is it going to get chilly? You don’t have to worry about that as much when you travel for business. It’s pretty consistent.”

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travelers to compress garments and save space. They’re perfect for big jackets and sweaters. If you’re looking for luggage sturdier than fabric, German manuIf you’re unsure facturer Rimowa offers durable about any TSA options. “Some of Rimowa’s colregulations, that lection, like the Salsa Multiwheel, agency’s website is made of polycarbonate, which is is comprehensive the same material as bullet-proof and written in simple language. glass,” explains Garcia. “But it’s also Just go to tsa.gov. lighter weight and flexible, which means you can fit more into it. It’s For more travel tips on four wheels, so you can just walk go to our website at with it next to you, instead of pullhealthylifect.com ing it behind you and putting that strain on your shoulders.” The options are virtually limitless when it comes to luggage. Airport rules, however, are generally the same no matter where you go. “The rules for security in traveling are the same at every airport,” says Katz. “You have to take off your coats and sweatshirts. You have to take off your belts and shoes. You have to empty your pockets. But I consistently see people arguing with the people from TSA. They’re just doing their jobs. Follow the rules, move through as quickly as you can, and pay attention. Have a sense of humor and relax about the whole process. Whether you’re traveling for work or pleasure, you have to do it. Everyone’s in the same boat.” Katz recalls flying from Miami to New York’s JFK last Sept. 11. Security is particularly tight on that date, and she was wearing her hair in a bun. “The people in Miami said, ‘We’re really sorry to have to do this, but we have to inspect your bun.’ He had to put on latex gloves and look through my hair. He was so apologetic, but I said, ‘This is awesome. I am so impressed that you’re doing this,’” she says. “They said people generally get very angry, but I totally understand. I think we need to always remember why they’re doing this. I get it, and I appreciate it.” HL

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your mind

You’re Getting Very

Sleepy… debunking hypnosis myths — and exploring its benefits by valerie foster

ou’ll never convince Christine Hansen and Christine Bachmann that hypnosis is entertainment. For them, it’s the real deal. Hansen, of Trumbull, had yo-yo dieted so much over the last few decades that she had just about given up on weight loss. But one day she caught a segment of The Dr. Oz Show on virtual lap-band hypnosis and was intrigued. The next day she picked up a supermarket freebie magazine and saw Stamford hypnotherapist Diane Bahr-Groth’s ad for this type of hypnosis, which has you imagine a virtual lap band encircling your upper stomach, creating a golf-ballsize tummy pouch that naturally decreases the amount of food you’ll eat. “Normally, I take time and think about something before I decide to spend money, but I thought this was too much of a coincidence so I called and made an appointment,” Hansen says. That was last September. By Christmas, she had shed 30 pounds. “After the first session, I felt like a great weight had been lifted off my shoulders. The change was dramatic. I lost all cravings. I only wanted to eat healthy, nutritious food. I learned how to eat using mindful techniques. The program not only helped me control my appetite, it helped my sense of well being.” Three years ago Bachmann, of Danbury, smoked, was 70 pounds overweight and drank three liters of soda a day. A friend had quit smoking after two sessions with Stephanie Dalfonzo of Danbury Hypnosis, so she decided to give it a try. “I knew I had to get rid of the cigarettes before I could tackle my weight,” she says. “After the first session I was done smoking. Done. I don’t understand how it works and I really don’t care. It gave me the power to make the changes in my life that I had to make to stay alive. My dad died when

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your mind

How to find a

hypnotist

Before you seek out a hypnotist, the American Association of Hypnotherapists advises you ask the following questions:  May I see your disclosure

statement?

Hypnotherapists are required by law to have you read and sign a full statement of their legal status, theory, training and experience. If they don’t have one, don’t stay.

 Where did you learn hyp-

notherapy, and how long did you study?

The best training involves hundreds of hours of classroom time and months of supervised internship. Don’t settle for less.  Is this like stage

hypnosis?

The answer should be “no.” The premise of stage hypnosis is that the hypnotist can con-

he was 46. I was headed in that direction.” Next, she began to tackle her weight. “I wasn’t replacing food for not smoking. There was no void to fill,” she says. Her pounds began to drop off. She is now a vegan and takes no medication, including her once-daily blood pressure pill. “I want to share my success with everyone I know,” she says. In fact, after two years of not smoking she was finally able to convince her brother and sister-in-law to go to Dalfonzo. “It’s been a year since either of them has smoked.” WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? The term hypnotism was coined in 1841 by Scottish surgeon James Braid. But Clark Leonard Hull is credited with beginning the modern study of hypnosis in the 1920s at Yale University. Unlike his predecessors, Hull found that hypnosis has no connection with sleep. Today, people seek the help of a hypnotherapist for various reasons: smoking, weight loss, elimination of phobias and fears, pain control, stress reduction, motivation, success in business and sports performance. “Hypnosis is a focused state of awareness,” says Dalfonzo. “I liken hypnosis to a GPS. I help the client devise a map, with a starting point and end destination. Everyone has the personal power to make changes. My clients allow me to guide them. But just like a GPS, I don’t grab the steering wheel. I give the client suggestions. It does not mean I have control over them.” Hypnotherapy is serious stuff. It’s not the entertainment hypnosis, with people clucking like a chicken in front of an audience. The hypnotherapists HealthyLife spoke with also cautioned against mass hypnosis sessions, with hundreds of people crowded into an auditorium. They put that in the category of entertainment. “Therapeutic hypnosis is different, one-

healthylife

trol your mind. In real hypnosis, you are always in control, even in trance. The illusion that you can be made to do something silly because someone else is controlling your mind is just that — an illusion.  What can hypnotherapy

cure?

The answer is simple: nothing. Cures are performed by licensed medical professionals. A hypnotist who promises

a “cure” might be practicing outside professional bounds. These last questions ask yourself after meeting the hypnotherapist:  H ow do you feel about this person? D o you feel confident in their candor and integrity? A re you comfortable?  I s there trust and rapport between you?

on-one, and specialized for every client,” says Lisa Loustaunau of Core Energetics & MindBody Wellness in Norwalk. “My clients never do anything they don’t want to do. They also know that they can come out of the hypnotic state at any time.” Bahr-Groth of Mind-Body Transformation says that we all go into states of hypnosis daily, but don’t recognize them as such. For example, have you ever driven for miles, arrived at your destination, and couldn’t remember the trip? Or sat on a beach with your eyes closed, listening to the sounds of the ocean and the people around you but you just don’t care about anything except the peace you are experiencing? Welcome to the world of hypnosis, in which your conscious mind has been taken over by your subconscious. And it is deep within the subconscious that we all possess the tools we need to overcome whatever is troubling us.

WHAT IS IT LIKE? Your first session takes anywhere from 90 minutes to three hours, depending on the hypnotherapist. Hypnosis is not inexpensive: each session can run anywhere from $150 to $200. “It was worth every penny I spent,” says Hansen. “I never thought I would stop obsessing about my weight and food. My obsession is gone. How can I put a price on that?” The client fills out a detailed questionnaire that the hypnotherapist uses to learn all about you, and the issue(s) that brought you there. In addition to hypnosis, all incorporate other modalities into the process. Bahr-Groth uses Thought Field Therapy, Dalfonzo Emotional Freedom Techniques, both tapping sequences that clients can use whenever they feel stress, fear or negative feelings or emotions breaking through. Loustaunau uses several modalities under the umbrella called “Core Energetics.” Hansen and Bachmann say that their hypnosis sessions were the most relaxed they had felt in years. “I was at peace and very present during the sessions, very aware of myself and my thoughts,” Bachmann says. “When it was over, I had so much energy and felt so positive and full of hope,” Hansen adds. Hansen was given a hypnosis CD to listen to daily while undergoing her series of five sessions with Bahr-Groth. “It was nice to listen to right before I went to bed. It made me sleep better,” says Hansen. At the end of her treatment, she was given a personal CD, which reinforces her commitment to eat small portions of healthy food, to eat slowly, to chew each bite of food thoroughly and to eat at a table. “It makes me feel more positive. I believe in myself. I feel good about myself. The process caused a chain reaction within me that brought about many great changes,” Hansen says. And whenever needed, she also has a TFT CD that she can use to tap away any negative thoughts. Bachmann did not receive a CD. Instead, when she needs some encouragement, she performs her tapping sequence, exactly what she needs to break negative emotions. “I knew I wanted to give up smoking, but I knew I couldn’t do it by myself,” she says. “Stephanie talked to me about why I wanted to quit, why I don’t want to smoke. She was able to drill those reasons home to me. She was able to convince me of what I was already thinking.” Dalfonzo also gave her a little stone to rub that helps her deal with stress. “We all have stress in our lives, and often that stress brings on bad habits,” adds Bachmann. “Stephanie gave me the tools to learn how to deal with all my stress. I am forever thankful.” HL

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smart shopping

Buyer

Beware

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potential pitfalls in the online shopping world



by cari scribner

o one denies the allure of online shopping. The convenience of trolling for goodies from your couch, the special deals, the anticipation of receiving a package — all of it just a few mouse clicks away! What’s not to like? But the fun can easily fade if your purchases aren’t up to standards you expected, or if you’ve fallen into other online spending traps, and you get a serious case of buyer’s regret. One of the first steps in smart online shopping is to understand the many ways the sites draw us in and get our attention. Snazzy photos, fun, interactive sites and promises of future special offers are common. All these and more can make it easy to lose track of what

we’ve spent until the dreaded credit card bill arrives in the mail. To avoid buyer’s regret, financial experts advise online shoppers to always adhere to the caveat “buyer beware.” Gerri MacMonagle, a certified financial planner in Fairfield, urges women to carefully track all online purchases and monitor exactly how much they’re spending. “Make it part of your overall cash flow,” MacMonagle says. “People tend to know what comes in, but they don’t know what goes out. Stick to your budget.” If using a credit card, make sure you have the money available to pay it off promptly. “If you’re not going to pay off the credit card at the end of the month, that purchase you made is no bargain,”

Did You Know? The Better

Business Bureau compiles a list of safe, secure and approved places to visit online. Businesses displaying the Accredited Business Seal online have been determined to comply with the BBB Code of Business Practices, including its online standard. Currently, nearly 200,000 websites display the BBB Accredited Business Seal. To check a specific online site for accreditation, log onto bbb. org/online/consumer and type in name of business and the state in which they do business.

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smart shopping

5 Ways to Shop Online Wisely 1. Read product reviews to research the best buy for what you need. 2. Read user reviews for shopping sites before ordering. 3. Use one credit card exclusively for online purchases, set a low maximum credit amount and pay off in full when you receive your monthly statement. 4. Only buy from reputable sites with clear buyer protection plans. 5. Keep a copy of your order number and receipt, and note which credit card you used. When you receive your credit card statement, review it to make sure that the charge placed on your card is correct and that there are no extra fees or charges. SOURCE: ConsumerReports.org

MacMonagle says. “Think of every transaction as cash; would you hand over cash for this purchase? Can you afford it? What you do today will come back tomorrow.” Be aware as well that shopping is a two-way street. You want the product, but sellers want to glean as much information about you as possible. Consider all the info they require during the checkout process, including your e-mail address, which is used to send you a barrage of updates on future deals but also often sold to third-party sellers that will also inundate you with e-mail offers. One way to pare down the amount of personal information you share with the seller is to check out as a guest, a process that’s generally faster and may not require you to input your e-mail. The perils of drunk-dialing old boyfriends, ex-husbands or just about anyone you’ve pledged to never call again are well known, but there’s a new risk in town: drunk shopping. After a couple glasses of wine, that fuzzy pillow that pulls out into a sleeping bag, purse with reversible patterns, or houseplant that waters itself can look appealing. If you find yourself regularly pairing imbibing with on-

line shopping, or becoming a habitual online shopper, it may be time to take a look at why this activity is so enticing, and what need it could possibly be fulfilling. “If you’re bored and have nothing to do at the moment, or are feeling needy, empty or depressed, online shopping can be a picker-upper,” says Anna Badini, Ph.D., a therapist and clinical social worker with a private practice in Stamford. “If you’re not happy with the way you look, or if you feel you need to keep up with other women, you may spend too much time shopping.” As with any other behavior that’s tough to control, online shopping can be enticing to the point where it’s habitual and hard to shake. “It can become an addiction if it makes you feel better, and you do it over again and again,” Badini says. She suggests breaking the cycle by looking at what’s missing in your life — and that doesn’t mean a $300 leather pocketbook or $450 set of cookware. “Become introspective,” Badini says. “Identify what you’re feeling when you have the urge to shop. Some women feel empty in their relationships and want to fill that space up. They may need to make connections with other people. That’s what really needs to be addressed.” As with everything, the key is moderation. After all, online shopping does have a potential upside: saving time and money. “A lot of busy working moms shop online and utilize multiple sites while still sticking to a budget,” says Jean Leonard, owner of Jean Leonard Wealth Management in Newtown. Leonard recommends using PayPal, a secure site that allows you to spend only what’s in your account, so you’re never buying on credit. Leonard, who has three children, says she shops online to do price comparisons, and takes advantage of low prices on some items. “I like to see items before I buy them, especially clothing,” Leonard says. “But when it comes to other items, like kid’s toys or books, online shopping can be a smart way to go.” Just be sure to read the fine print, especially when it comes to return policies. Similar to contracts, a company’s return policy may be several clicks away from the merchandise pages, requiring you to actively search for it. While major stores like L.L. Bean and Lands’ End offer generous, long-term return policies, don’t assume every online retailer will do the same. Always check the return policy before buying. Remember, too, that great deals are calculated before shipping is added on, a cost that may make that deal less than a steal. If that’s the case, exercise your right to “X” out of the site and shop elsewhere. HL

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Weighty Matters by janet reynolds

or years I was ruled by a small rectangular piece of equipment. Although not human, it had as much control over my psyche as an overbearing parent or teacher. Its feedback literally determined whether or not I began my day with a smile or a frown. I’m referring to my scale. I don’t remember exactly when I began weighing myself daily, but my first moment of scale torture began in elementary school. Each year, we traipsed down to the nurse’s office as a class to get our height and weight recorded. I was a chubby child — Janet the Planet was the taunting nickname of choice by some — and I dreaded the announcement that it was height and weight time as much as going to the dentist. I can still feel the pit in my stomach as I recall walking down to the office, wishing that the Earth would somehow swallow me up before we arrived. As we stood in line, it was all I could do not to run as the nurse announced each child’s height and weight so the teacher could record it. Fifth grade was a particularly noteworthy — read awful — year. I was literally the tallest girl in the entire school. I was also the only girl in my class to cross the 100-pound mark. Now you would think that being so tall — I was 5’ 2”as I recall — would make it OK to weigh 102 pounds. It didn’t, a fact that was only exacerbated by the “helpful” school nurse deciding the best approach was to whisper my weight rather than announce it. She wasn’t quiet enough not to be heard, of course, just quiet enough to feed the children primed to proclaim it loud and clear on the playground. The litany of commentary surrounding my body continued as I grew older. The aunt whose first comment when she saw me would be — as if somehow my weight had made me deaf — “When is Janet going to lose some weight?” The boyfriend at music camp who said — and I believed him! — “You’re so pretty, but you’d be so much prettier if you just lost 10 pounds.” (Which I then did with him “helping” me by telling me what I could or couldn’t eat at a particular meal.)

t wasn’t until I was out of college, though, that I began weighing myself. Every. Single. Day. I don’t remember why I started. I just know I couldn’t stop. I also know that a change of one pound either way was

enough to set the tone for the day. One pound up and I wouldn’t eat until dinner. One pound down was a red letter day. That day, I would eat two meals instead of one. (Breakfast was just not on my food radar for decades.) I did take some scale breaks, usually when I was gaining weight beyond that pound or two, because really how much did I want to know about that? Then, after a period of time when my self-loathing reached its apex, I would brave the scale again and realize it was time for desperate measures. No more two meals a day for me. No sir, it was time to eat one and certainly nothing that resembled a carbohydrate or sugar. I would lose the required 20-15-10 pounds and life would be somewhat stable for a while — until the whole cycle started again. I’m not sure exactly when I started a more rational approach to my weight; as with many major life changes, it began small and eventually added up. I started exercising and realized I could eat more if I exercised. I had children and didn’t want to pass on poor body image and eating habits. I did a lot of interior work and started to like myself more. I got older and, yes, wiser. And so two years ago, about a year after what I consider to be my last diet ever, I decided I would never weigh myself again. It’s not that I don’t care about my health; indeed I am healthier today than ever before, eating well and exercising regularly. I’m also interested in staying close to my current size. But instead of tying my worth to an arbitrary set of digits, I now measure my size by how my clothes fit and I am more conscious of how I actually eat. Today, after years of counting calories, I finally know the real math: I’m more than just a number. HL

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inner peace

Nurturing Your

SPIRIT Y

oga is so much more than stretching. It’s about deep breathing. And relaxing. And going inward, possibly discovering yourself in the process. What’s more, yoga’s benefits don’t abandon you when you leave class. Instead, they stay with you through the rest of the day. According to the Mayo Clinic, yoga can: H elp reduce stress. A number of studies have shown that yoga can help reduce stress and anxiety as well as enhance your mood and overall sense of well-being.  I mprove fitness. Practicing yoga can lead to improved balance, flexibility, range of motion and strength, making you less likely to injure yourself in other physical pursuits or daily activities. M anage chronic conditions.

healthylife

why yoga can help by valerie foster

Yoga can help reduce risk factors for heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, pain, anxiety and insomnia. None of this comes as a surprise to Janis Bowersox, who sold her Fairfield studio, Yoga4Everybody, two years ago and is now working at Kripalu in West Stockbridge, Mass., a mecca for yoga enthusiasts. “I cannot imagine a day without yoga,” she says. “There is a ripple effect to the practice. People leave class calmer, more present. They go home and they don’t snap at their children or their spouse. They take better care of themselves. They are just kinder and more aware. They smile at people. They say hello. They listen. Just imagine what would happen in the world if everyone practiced yoga.” Bowersox’s thoughts were echoed over and over by the practitioners

who spoke to HealthyLife. Although each came to yoga for a different reason, all say it has proved to be lifechanging. For Mitchel Bleier, it was his diagnosis at age 18 of hepatitis A that led him to yoga. “I was dissatisfied with the medical options and started to look at ways to strengthen my immune system and body,” he says. His journey took him around the world, visiting and studying with yogis. Today, he teaches at the studio his wife, Tracy, owns in Norwalk, Sarawati’s Joint. He says, “For me, yoga is the same as living life. It is in everything I do, every choice I make, every interaction I have. It is the relationship I make with myself and the world around me.” In 2000, Suzanne Gaynor was a single mom, working in the financial services industry, who took a sab-

Illustation: Eastnine Inc./GettyImages; Photo: Andrew Olney/GettyImages.

✽ batical and her first yoga class. Today, she is a yoga teacher, Chinese herbalist and acupuncturist, practicing at the studio she owns, Blackbird Yoga and Healing Arts Center in Georgetown. “One of the primary yoga philosophies is helping to calm the fluctuations of the mind,” she says. “It’s not about learning the poses to perfection. It’s about teaching your body to be calm and quiet. This is hard to understand and hard to accomplish. I tend to be an overactive thinker so it was hard for me to learn how to sit in meditation. But I learned the techniques that helped me slow down and be calm, and now I teach my students how to achieve stillness.” Then there’s Carol Shwidock, owner of Harmony Yoga in Stamford, who began practicing after 9/11. She credits yoga with giving her the strength to get through the last few years. Her husband, Brad, was diagnosed in 1989 with a devastating liver disease. Six years ago he had a liver transplant, which failed in 2011. Then Carol gave him 60 percent of her liver. Brad, who died this past November, spent the last three months of his life in and out of the hospital. “Without my practice, I could not have been the best caregiver, wife, friend and mother,” she says. “He was my soulmate, my love for 30 years. Yoga helped me breathe through it all.”

t’s the breath that yoga practitioners say starts the mind/body connection. “The breath brings you into the present,” Shwidock says. “Presence is what it is all about, within yourself. You are alive and grateful. And you are connected to the divine inside you, connecting to something greater.” How many of us really pay attention to our breath? It is always there — when we wake up in the morning until we go to sleep at night — and throughout the night. In most cases, our breath is shal-

low. In yoga, it is deep. In class, you can hear yourself deep breathing, and if you stop deep breathing, you will hear your neighbor’s breath — which makes you aware that you need to breathe more deeply. Bleier says that breath — called pranayama in yoga — is an essential part of the practice. Senior Kripalu teacher Shobhan Richard Faulds says, “Unless practiced with sensitivity to the breath, yoga postures fall far short of their potential to foster healing and growth.” It is so important that many yoga studios offer workshops in breathing techniques. It is the breathing that makes you attune to your body, often bringing spirituality into the practice. Bowersox says that for some, the spiritual aspect of yoga can be annoying, but if they stick to it, over time, what you hear in class seeps into the cracks. “You begin to notice that you are kinder to yourself,” she says. “You

✽

begin to notice you are not judging yourself or others. You begin to understand that we really are all one.” All practitioners caution against confusing “spiritual” with “religious.” “For some people, yoga is their church, where they go to feel connected to a higher power,” Bowersox says. “For others, it is the sense of community they share with the other people in the room and how it connects them to their feelings. That is what makes yoga so special: It is different for everyone, and each time you practice, you might get something different from that experience.” Bleier agrees. “I think the success of yoga is that people can practice and get a feeling that is almost like being in church. They listen to the words of their teachers. But there is a physical component as well, which makes them feel totally engaged.” It’s the mind/body connection in perfect harmony. HL

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when talking about someone else is actually helpful by valerie foster

s there any person who’s never gossiped? If you can make that claim, that makes you Mother Theresa, although since most of us probably never met her, can we be sure even she never in her life talked about another person? A study published last year in The Journal of Personality titled “The Virtues of Gossip” got us thinking about it. Virtues? Really? What the study revealed is that gossip actually can protect some people if it concerns bad behavior on the part of someone else. They call this form of gossip “prosocial,” which the study’s author, Robb Willer of UC Berkeley defined to CBS news as having “the function of warning others about untrustworthy or dishonest people.” Danbury clinical psychologist Dr. Nancy Millian agrees. “Gossip gets a bad rap,” she says. “While it can

be destructive when it is knowingly false or the intent is to hurt others, gossip can provide a way for people to learn about the social norms of the people we deal with. We might learn what is socially acceptable to do, or not to do, based on what others are saying about someone else’s behavior.” Millian lists other positives:  It can be a way for people to connect with others.  Since we are social animals, we bond together by sharing information. Gossip can make us feel less isolated and part of a group, particularly important for adolescents since establishing and maintaining friendships are a vital part of their growth and development. “Everyone talks about someone else,” says Norwalk family therapist Anne Whyte. “People magazine. TV

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social interaction

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Why we gossip

news. It’s all about what people are saying about someone else.” She uses the following as her benchmark to determine if talking about someone is gossip or not: You are talking about another person, and a third person walks into the room. If you stop talking, you are gossiping. If you continue with the story, then you are sharing information. Trumbull therapist Tara Beal-Gomes categorizes gossip as relational aggression. “In its simplest form, gossip is something you do to destroy or interfere with another,” she says, adding that gossiping starts as early as nursery school. What she finds interesting is that once the purview of girls, young boys are now spreading rumors and talking about other boys. With children, sometimes it can prove helpful, for example, if a child is trying to warn another about a bully, another form of Willer’s prosocial gossip. Kids get plugged into technology younger and younger — third-graders with smartphones are texting — and many of those texts are about someone else. “It’s hard to get kids to understand that once something is on the Internet, it is always there, even if they hit delete,” Beal-Gomes says. Whyte says that bullying is actually one of the first forms of gossip. “I always tell kids that if they wouldn’t say something to a person’s face, don’t type it, don’t speak it, don’t share it,” says Whyte. “It really is that simple.” You also have to be aware that what you think is not gossip can be gossip for someone else. Beal-Gomes gives an example of a neighbor telling you they are moving. Although you might think this is something you can share, your neighbor might not feel the same way because they don’t want anyone to know yet; perhaps they haven’t told their kids, or they want to tell everyone else themselves. “When the ‘For Sale’ sign goes up on the front lawn, then you can talk about it,” she adds.”If you tell someone before then, you could lose your neighbor’s trust.” And then there’s gossip’s fine line. Whyte talks about a person finding out that someone was recently divorced. If you pass on that information acting superior, that’s gossip. What’s not gossip is when you pass on that information in a caring tone, showing you are truly concerned about the person and not trying to do harm. HL

Trumbull therapist Tara Beal-Gomes says that in many cases, gossiping makes a person feel like a gatekeeper of information, which gives them power. Whyte says it makes people feel elevated, better than the person they are talking about. “When you boil it down, we only know who we are in comparison to other people,” says Anne Whyte, Norwalk family therapist. “We are always comparing ourselves to others. Once, those comparisons were only to the people you knew, your neighbors next door or in your town. Now, we have the Internet, and our reference point is the world. And that leads to [more] gossiping and bullying, which makes us feel better about ourselves.” The earlier you start educating children about the downsides of gossip, the better off those children will be. “If you can make a child really understand that gossip can hurt feelings,” Beal-Gomes says, “this is the first step.”

Leading a Gossip-Free Life Our experts offer more thoughts on how to lead a gossip-free life.  If you hear gossip, let it stop with you. Do not repeat it.  If you are really brave, tell the gossiper that you are not spreading that information, even if it is true. And ask them to stop talking about this person to you.  Don’t hang around with gossips because people might think you gossip too.  Become known as the person who tells nothing, unless you are given permission to do so. If a person tells you something, ask if you can tell others.  If you are the subject of gossip, try to discover who started the rumor and confront that person. If it’s false, tell the person you have no idea where the information came from and then say: “It’s not true. I will thank you to stop this ridiculous rumor.”  If the rumor is true, say: “I heard you are

saying I am (fill in the blank). Whether it is true or not is not important. It is none of your business and you should not be talking about me behind my back.” Then walk away.  If you spread a rumor and someone confronts you, apologize. Just know that might not be enough to mend the relationship.  Always think that whatever you are saying will be repeated. That alone should keep you from talking about others.  If you start talking about someone and have said that person’s name a few times, consider the tone of the conversation. Ask yourself: Am I gossiping? If so, stop the story.  And finally, remember your mother’s words: “If you can’t say something nice about someone else, don’t say anything at all.”

healthylifect.com

cover model

up close with...

Corrinn Gutierrez B by rebecca haynes | photo by krista hicks benson

eing fit — mind, body and spirit — requires knowing yourself well enough to roll with the changes. That’s the belief of Corrinn Gutierrez, 37, wife, mom, certified personal trainer, nutrition specialist and yoga instructor who also happens to be HealthyLife’s May cover model. “Like everything, your fitness has ebbs and flows and there are points when it seems to slow or one thing works and something else doesn’t,” she says. “Sometimes something changes and you have to readjust. It’s not static. People sometimes think that once you find a diet or a particular exercise that works then that’s it, you’re good. But it just doesn’t work like that.” The birth of her son more than three and a half years ago was just such a change for her — as was starting her own business, How 2 Fitness, based out of her family’s Norwalk home. It challenged a lot of my fears,” she says, adding that’s always a good thing. What does being fit mean for you? My mantra for my clients has always been “Feel strong, live healthy and strive for balance.” That’s really my definition of fitness and what I’ve always tried to do. People need to focus more intuitively on how they can live a little bit healthier without as much effort as they think or constant chatter in their minds… Bring it back to basics. Has fitness always been an important aspect of your life? Yes, definitely. It started with playing sports in school… And I’m a skier [snow and water]. My brother started to body build when he was in his 20s. I’m five years younger, so of course I followed him and all of his friends to the gym! I took up weight training on the side so that by the time I went to college I felt really comfortable going into the weight gym… Now I also like to hike with friends, or jog on the weekend or try to find a class I enjoy. How careful are you about what you eat? I think careful is the wrong word. I think you have to branch out and find different things that you like and also understand that you can’t always have everything you want… Certainly I watch what I eat, but I

healthylife

really look toward the energetic properties of food. How they make me feel and how I can feel the best based on what I chose to eat… It’s hard to say no to ourselves, especially when it comes to food. But you have to practice that once in awhile; say no to yourself and be OK with it, and not feel deprived. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I definitely go to hot yoga. And I try my hand at a little bit of cooking when I can. I’m not a very good cook, but I’m a simple cook. My husband definitely likes quality, good food and he’s made me have to marry eating healthy with liking to eat… We actually just became part of a cooperative farming group from Wilton. So every Thursday I’m going to be doing a little backyard farming and learning at Millstone Farms. I love spending time outdoors! Clothing and accessories provided by Kohl’s, 500 Connecticut Ave., Norwalk; (203) 838-8996. Hair and makeup provided by Greg & Tony, A Ouidad Salon, 231 Post Road West, Westport; (203) 226-6839; gregandtonysalon.com; Tony Sirico, cut and style; Lorraine Rosen and Marivel Huerta, color; Clarissa Biasuz, makeup. Cover and inside model photographs taken at the Maritime Aquarium, 10 N. Water St., Norwalk; (203) 852-0700; maritimeaquarium.org. Read more from Corrinn’s interview at healthylifect.com

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