“YOU (INSERT VERB) LIKE A GIRL!”

in order to be beautiful, they must be feminine and “pretty.” If you are doing something “like a girl,” that means you must be doing it daintily.

Recently, there have been campaigns to shift the paradigm of “beauty” away from the air-brushed, photoshopped illusion that media has convinced everyone is “true beauty.”

But, why? What in our society has molded us to think that doing anything like a female is bad?

For instance, what’s wrong with running like a girl? American Olympic medalist Florence Griffith-Joyner ran the 100-meter dash in 10.49 seconds, setting the world record in 1988. Running like her seems like a major compliment, in my humble opinion.

Bottom line is: In today’s society, women and girls are socialized to believe that

For example, the #LikeAGirl campaign by Always sparked national dialogue when it aired the “Do it Like a Girl” ad during the 2015 Superbowl. It showed how people of varying genders and ages react to the phrase “like a girl.”

Research by the company shows girls’ self-esteem plummets during puberty.

Personally, I can remember at age 10 I prided myself on running faster than all the boys. I didn’t care what anyone said and never gave “being a girl” a second thought.

Now, at 29, I fi nd myself checking the mirror constantly; worrying about imper-

The word “beauty” means something different to everyone; whether it’s a familiar celebrity face, the sun setting over the ocean or the love shown between family members, beauty comes in all forms. And, as the old adage says, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

So, here are what some of your friends and neighbors in Lake County had to say about the term “true beauty” and what it means to them: f t ions and flaws. It isn’t out of vanity, b t instead anxiety that something is t of place — be it my hair, makeup or herwise. I even avoid certain types of h rsh lighting that don’t complement my k n tone

Recent research by Dove shows that, d ly, I’m not alone; only 4 percent of men worldwide consider themselves beautiful fect but out ot h har sk i R sad wom b

In an effort to get through to women that they are beautiful, many revered super models are shedding their makeup and touched-up images to take a stand against unrealistic examples of beauty. For example, 49-year-old American model Cindy Crawford leaves her makeup at home on a regular basis to set an example for her teenage daughter. The two recently posted a selfie to Instagram without makeup—and looked absolutely flawless.

Celebrities and big companies aren’t the only ones with the power to make waves. The defi nition of beauty should not be written by company executives or advertisement agencies; it is written by you.

While you may not need to read a status about what your best friend ate for breakfast, you can’t help but smile at the selfie she posted along with it.

“True beauty is knowing who you are, loving yourself for who you are and accepting those around you for who they are, regardless of race, gender, age or sexual orientation.”

— GEORGETTE BECKVERMIT, MOUNT DORA

She hasn’t put on any makeup yet and her hair is tied up in a sloppy ponytail. She’s laughing and holding up a box of waffles to show the camera. Without thinking twice, you click the like button, watching the number change from nine to 10. She’s still eating those waffles when she sees the notification and appreciates your simple show of support.

The perfection-obsessed maze becomes a little easier to navigate when interactions like this are at our fi ngertips.

Emily Cary, a Sumter County native, said she “would find it hard to believe that someone feels bad about themselves after others speak kindly of a photo.” She frequents popular social media sites regularly and makes a point to only comment on a photo if she feels like that person will notice and feel good about her comment.

Everywhere you look at any given moment, you can witness women pulling out their phones to take representation into their own hands—a college graduate grinning as she snaps a picture with her back to the crowd, a teenage girl in a dressing room excited about her new outfit, a grandmother learning how to take her fi rst selfie. These pictures of real people fi ll up our social media platforms.

We aren’t just seeing impossibly thin, ultra-feminine girls. Instead, we are seeing happy, confident people of all shapes, sizes and colors.

“Social media represents everybody, of all types, and no one has to feel different or alone,” said Mona de Torres, an Asian-American who grew up in Lake County.

De Torres said she understands how damaging the media can be. She explained that she found it endlessly frustrating to always see people who looked nothing like her portrayed by the media.

“The media seems to dictate what is beautiful and what is not,” she said. “From experience, I know a very subtle and effective way to convince a young person that they are not beautiful is to not represent them.”

The distinction between social and mass media is an important one, Cary and de Torres agree.

While mass media constantly tries to sell us new-and-improved beauty products, social media allows individuality to flourish and has the power to influence people on a much more personal level than other media platforms.

“Social media hits closer to home, literally,” de Torres explained. “It’s a tool for everyday people.”

The power to change mass media standards is in your hands. Like, comment and share. Keep taking selfies; take representation into your own hands.

“True the best in people and have an accepting spirit. The most beautiful women I know are women who are kind, generous, loving women — women full of grace. You can’t help but see their inner beauty as well as their outward beauty.”

JOANNA

“True beauty is people who have compassion for animals.”

— JOY HILL,

“True beauty is made manifest in an open mind’s ability to peel back the societal and cultural veneers of prejudice, preconception and pretension to begin to appreciate the incomprehensible order and chaos creating our brief experience of reality—an impossibly small glimpse of an ultimately absurd and infinite universe.”

— JOSEPH ROSIN, MOUNT DORA

Most people w fret over the pros owning and operat yms. After all, you to keep both employee clients happy and also sure each gym maintains secure and clean environmen

However, it’s a labor of lo Michael Brashear openly em

Michael, who opened his fi gym in 2007 near Lake Squa Mall, is now the proud owne

Anytime Fitness locations tha Lake and Sumter counties

People oftentimes approac and ask how that’s possible.

The answer is simple: Mik maintains an undying passio helping people achieve healt lifestyles. For him, seeing pe make great strides in their o health easily outweighs the b of operating multiple gyms

As the saying goes, when something you love you neve a day in your life.

“I wake up happy everyday to go to work and just go out there and do the things that need to be done,” he said nonchalantly.

The 36-year-old Fruitland Park resident is a certified nutritionist and fitness trainer. However, he also demonstrates exceptional business savvy. Much thought, planning and research have gone into each of his Anytime Fitness locations. You’ll never catch him making major business decisions on a whim.

“In business you cannot just jump into things without knowing what you’re getting yourself into,” he said. “Before opening any new location, I’ve sat back, carefully observed and planned years in advance.”

The result of his business acumen is that thousands of residents throughout Lake and Sumter counties have a place to work out in a gym atmosphere that is motivating yet unintimidating. As the company name suggests, Anytime Fitness is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Clients are given a key to access the facility anytime in the day or night. This is especially beneficial for shift workers such as policemen, firefighters, nurses and doctors.

That key gives clients access to all 2,400 Anytime Fitness locations throughout the world.

“Once people get in the habit of living a healthy lifestyle, they want to continue working out even if they’re on vacation, business trips or visiting family,” Michael said. “That’s definitely one of the big advantages of being an Anytime Fitness member. As a matter of fact, one of my clients drove an RV to Wyoming and took pictures of the Anytime Fitness gym there. They were excited about showing me the pictures when they returned.”

Even if clients desire to workout in the wee morning hours, they can feel safe and secure knowing each gym has multiple security cameras that are monitored. And access to the gym is granted only with a security-access key.

“If any members fall or suffer a heart attack, someone can press the security button which will bring the police and fire department here immediately,” Mike said. “Having high-tech security makes the Anytime Fitness franchise that much stronger.”

Mike also goes above and beyond to ensure his gym is clean and that maintenance is performed on all equipment each month. If any piece of equipment does break, he orders necessary parts promptly.

In addition, clients can utilize personal trainers to set up a customized workout or exercise program. They can also choose to exercise without the assistance of a trainer using state-of-the-art Life Fitness equipment, which Mike refers to as “the Mercedes of the equipment world.”

Those are just some of the benefits of being an Anytime Fitness member. But the biggest benefit— and what fuels Mike’s passion as an owner and personal trainer—is drastically improving the health of members.

“To me, it’s not about how much weight you’ve lost or how much muscle mass you’ve gained. I’ve seen people lose lots of weight only to put it back on. The biggest thing for me is teaching clients about living a healthier lifestyle and seeing them stick with that lifestyle. It makes people more confident, more successful in their career and even helps them manage finances better. The benefits of living a healthy lifestyle are endless.”

Members know Mike’s passion is genuine. He even hosts member appreciation events where he gives away prizes such as grills and television sets.

“If it wasn’t for my faithful members, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I count my blessings each and every day.”

Leesburg | 352.742.2008

Bushnell | 352.569.1015

Summerfield | 352.307.0700

Mount Dora | 352.308.8126

Lady Lake | 352.633.0868

Wildwood |

Q: What causes Spider Veins?

A: Spider veins (also called telangiectasias) are small superficial blood vessels in the skin. They get their name because their appearance is similar to that of a spider web and are often warning signs of venous disease.

Many factors contribute to the developement and reoccurance of leg spider veins including:

• heredity

• hormones

• pregnancy

Q:

How does traveling increase the risk of DVT?

A: Often, travel circumstances entail inactivity in a confined space for long periods of time. This can increase the risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). This risk increases if one is dehydrated, wears confining clothing, has varicose veins or swelling, is being treated for cancer or has had a previous clot.

Q:

What can I do about the ugly bulging varicose veins?

A: The term “VARICOSE VEIN” refers to veins that are enlarged with leaky valves. People usually think of them as the big, bulging, rope-like veins seen in legs. Many women, and even men, suffer from varicose veins causing irritation, pain and progressive skin changes around the ankles.

• weight gain

• prolonged standing or sitting

Spider veins commonly appear in the inner and outer thighs, calves, back of the knees and the ankle area.

The Vascular Vein Centers’ unique injection sclerotherapy can potentially eliminate the appearance of spider veins by closing down the surface spider veins and the underlying feeder veins.

Travel tips for healthy traveling legs:

• Stay hydrated - drink water; avoid alcohol

• Pump your calf - move your legs & stretch often

• Wear medical grade compression socks or stockings

• Wear flat shoes and loose-fitting clothes

• Elevate your legs at every opportunity

Varicose Veins are treated with:

• Laser therapy - a minimally invasive procedure performed on an outpatient basis.

• Chemical ablation - an in-office procedure using a foamed sclerosant injected into the curvy, tortuous veins. These procedures can be performed without scars and with little down time. Treatments for varicose veins are covered by most insurances.