Health And Fitness

from Athens Now 7-3-2020

Jerry's Journal

Health and Fitness Parents Of Athletes, This One Is For You

by Nick Thomas, owner of Prime Performance Training, and Certified Sports Nutritionist

Parenting is hard in today’s society for many reasons, but especially in the athletic world. There is a level of competition and expectation from a very young age which we have to try our best to guide our children through with as much grace and bal ance as possible. We need to foster their passions and talents while remembering they are young and should be having fun, all while we teach them to have the drive and self-motivation which gives them a competitive edge. Keep in mind that there comes a time when pushing is needed, and there is also a time to let them give in, knowing enough is enough. I don’t have all the answers, by any means, not to men tion each child is completely different; but I want to share just a few simple things that can be done at home which can make a big difference. The most important thing for your child’s performance is proper nutrition. Now, nutri tion is important for us all, but especially children and adolescents as their bodies are growing, developing and learning every day. How ever, it intensifies when you throw in a very active ath letic lifestyle. Your athlete’s performance is dependent upon the fuel their body re ceives through proper nutrition. They can have the best trainers, coaches, and equipment in the world, but if they are not putting the right foods at the right times in their body, it will NEVER fully benefit them. Kids are kids; they want junk food, I know, but start to teach them by example. Cook healthy family dinners and pack them nutritious lunches. When they ask for a snack, make it beneficial to what they are about to do, especially if they are headed to practice or a game. Keep the junk to a minimum. Yes, they deserve the fun stuff filled with sugar on occa sion, but make it a treat; don’t make it easily acces sible in the house -- especially with the increasing amount of time we are home now; they will choose it ev ery time.

Make green vegetables and spinach something they eat daily, give them good healthy fats, and fill them with lean proteins and a bal ance of simple and complex carbohydrates. Most of all, pull the carbonated bever - ages OUT completely. Make bottles of water and/or water bottles something that are easy to grab and drink all day every day. Sports drinks are okay in the height of ac tivity but water, water, and more water all other times. And once again, I say, cut out the refined sugar! Each child is different, and depending on their personal goals, sport, and training level, their nutritional re quirements to perform at their best will vary. No mat ter the age of our children, we want them to be suc cessful, but most of all we want them healthy and safe. Proper nutrition and training techniques are vital to achieving all of this. Make sure the guidance your athlete is receiving on and off the field and/or court is well educated and consistent. For more information re garding a personalized sports nutrition plan for your athlete contact me at Prime Performance Training. primeperformancetrain ing105@gmail.com

Cover Story Village Interiors And Specialty Gifts Expands To A New Location Near Historic Belle Mina

by Ali Elizabeth Turner

continued from page 1

ded to work part-time at the new store, and headed off to Atlanta to market. They went in search of boutique items, such as signage to decorate a la keside home. Susan took her friends as well as her daughter-in-law Michelle on the expedition. Shortly after, Village Interiors & Specialty Gifts was born. Since then, Susan and Mi chelle have worked together, now for 14 years, and thoroughly enjoy running the store. “When you en joy what you do, work becomes play,” Michelle said. That being said, they have decided to expand and open an additional lo cation at 5750 Mooresville Road just off of I-565. It is between the historic towns of Belle Mina and Mooresville. As Susan and I chatted, she asked me a thought-provoking question: “What keeps small town independently owned brick-and-mortar stories relevant in today’s market?” Her answer: “A fun, happy place to shop; a place that features inno vative displays, decorating trends, ‘Wow!-factor’ win dows, and an interesting selection of products. All of them combine to create a satisfying shopping expe

rience.” At Village Interiors, the re are seven saleswomen who are lovingly referred to as “the Village girls.” They are always ready and willing to help any cus tomer that has a specific shopping need for nearly any occasion. The Village girls seem to instinctive ly know how to tell if the person who just walked in is someone who needs and wants help if they are just browsing. They do teach their staff how to refine and improve their skills, but “the gift” has to already be part of their DNA. The Village girls will take their time to help you find exact ly what you are looking for. They will make sure that you also leave with a great looking gift bag in tow. Michelle made me smile as she talked about the smell of their store. “It’s not so mething in a bottle; it’s the blending of the smell of se veral candle lines that make it so welcoming. We call it, ‘the Village smell.’ The ot her day we walked into the new store and realized that it now had ‘the smell,’” she said. Michelle added that even though there is a lot of online shopping going on these days, and she does a lot of it herself, still the re is nothing like being able to “walk in, to touch it, hold it, see it, imagine it in a room or as a gift, and have someone there in a store to help you.” Susan let me in on her process when it comes to finding the best items for her clientele. “I travel a lot and make a point of vi siting stores that are like ours. If I can, I get to know the owner and say, ‘Look, I am from out of town, and I am not here to take your business. Would you tell me what is working for you?’” Susan has also networked with several ot her shop owners, and keeps up with the trade periodi cals. The results speak for themselves. Some of the featured lines at Village Interiors include: Ronaldo Designer Jewelry, Hobo and Col. Littleton, Tyler, Voluspa and Swan Creek Candles, Sugarboo, Uttermost, Breezesta, Pee pers, and Pura Vida. There is also lake and river art, as well as home décor, costume jewelry, bouti que clothing, and fun accessories. These serve to make shopping at Village a pleasurable and affordable experience. Whether you need a small hostess gift, the perfect wedding gift, or just a goody for your wife in the hopes of earning some much needed “husband points,” Village Interiors has “got you co vered.” Before Michelle left to get to her next appointment, she told me the goal of Village Interiors and Specialty Gifts: “We want to make shopping an experience, and not a hassle.” Come let her show you exactly what she means and stop by either the Rogersville store or the new Storage Port store in Belle Mina today.