The Leader • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 1B
Plogging picking up followers By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com New Oak Forest resident and Keller Williams Realtor Daniela Antelo found out about plogging over dinner with a friend recently. As she discovered, it’s jogging while you pick up trash. Plogging, which comes from the Swedish phrase “plocka upp,� or pick up, started in Sweden in 2016 and has since spread to other countries. O Magazine even featured the practice in its April 2019 issue. Aside from helping the environment, plogging encourages participants to employ a greater range of motion than they would if they simply jogged. Antelo joined her friend on a plogging trip and got hooked. “I couldn’t believe how much trash we got from the drains in the street,� Antelo said. “Anything that goes in the drains ends up in Galveston Bay.� It got Antelo to thinking. As she says, “If you have an idea, do it.� She has put forth a plogging challenge on her business website encouraging neighbors to make their next walk or run more meaningful by plogging. Following the challenge rules – tagging Antelo on Instagram @ YourHoustonBroker with the hashtag #ploggingchallenge-
DIRECTORY Chiropractic Care
NORTHWEST CHIROPRACTIC George G. Junkin, D.C. D.A.C.B.N. Nutritionist 11500 NW Frwy - Suite 201 Houston, Texas 77092 Tel: 713-686-0828 www.drjunkin.com
Ophthalmology
Contributed photo Pictured is a group of ploggers, who jog while picking up trash. The practice is gaining popularity among area residents.
houston and a picture of the person holding up a trash bag – enters the participant into a drawing to win four movie tickets. Last Saturday, there was a community plogging event with refreshments and raffle prizes at the Stevens Elementary SPARK Park at 1910 Lamonte Ln. “I’d been looking for a way to engage the community,� Antelo said. Plogging tips
Fitness app Lifesum says a half-hour of plogging will burn 288 calories on average – compared to 235 calories from regular jogging. And EcoWatch reports that plastic production during the last decade outnumbers the amount produced during the entire last century. Enough plastic is discarded every year to circle the Earth four times. If either of these statistics makes you want to give plogging a try, here are some
tips from cologyrunner.com/ plogging/ to get you started. -- Bring a bag: BioBags are suggested for a biodegradable option. A paper bag would be sturdier. -- Be prepared to get dirty: Avoid bio-hazardous materials, like needles. Just concentrate on the mounds of plastic. Gloves are a good idea as is hand sanitizer. -- Wear good shoes: You’ll be going off the beaten path, no doubt. Leave the earbuds out so you’ll be more aware.
-- Mix up routes: If you clear a commonly tread path, start another. You can use MapMyRun or something similar to identify a new route. -- Don’t limit yourself to running: Picking up trash is a good idea anytime. Recruit your kids. -- Promote plogging: That’s just what Antelo is doing in the hope it catches on.
She’ll also continue to try to manage her own symptoms. Mostowitz said she has a collection of physicians who treat a wide range of symptoms, and she typically makes multiple doctor visits per week. She said she often takes naps, even pulling over to nap in the car if she feels overly fatigued while driving. She has to carefully plan activities and factor in that she likely will become exhausted after a short time. Along with weekend outings to go country western dancing, she also enjoys having meals with friends, visiting the library, going to movies and shopping at the Goodwill store in the Heights. “You learn how to cope with a new symptomology and find a new normal,� she said. “You fight the thing.� For more information on chronic fatigue syndrome, visit meaction.net, solvecfs. org, pandoraorg.net or cdc. gov/me-cfs/.
By Adam Zuvanich
azuvanich@theleadernews.com
Jane Mostowitz
fatigue syndrome, with the majority having gone undiagnosed. The report also find that the disease costs the U.S. economy between $17-$24 billion annually in medical bills and lost incomes. It is similar to fibromyalgia, and Mostowitz said she is among many people who suffer from both. She also said chronic fatigue syndrome often is met with skepticism, because sufferers to do not display noticeable signs of a physical illness. “It is real, it is a disease, and we need some help,� Mostowitz said. More than a decade ago, Mostowitz said she held meetings with as many as 50 fellow chronic fatigue syndrome patients. But par-
ticipation dwindled to zero in recent years, so she now has a Facebook page dedicated to combatting the disease and helping those who suffer from it. She said nationwide funding and participation for chronic fatigue syndrome research is better than ever but still pales in comparison to other medical conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and multiple sclerosis. But there is an upcoming opportunity that Mostowitz hopes will draw the attention of budding medical professionals in the Houston area. The Bateman Horne Center in Utah is accepting applications for the #MEAction Blue Ribbon Fellowship, a clinical clerkship opportu-
ME/CFS Facts According to a 2015 report by the Institute of Medicine: • An estimated 836,000 to 2.5 million Americans suffer from ME/ CFS. • About 90 percent of people with ME/CFS have not been diagnosed. • MME/CFS costs the U.S. economy about $17-$24 billion annually in medical bills and lost incomes.
nity for fourth-year medical students as well as internal medicine and family practice residents. Those selected will spend one month in the fall evaluating and caring for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and related illnesses, along with participating in clinical research. The deadline to apply is Aug. 15. Details can be found at www.meaction.net. Mostowitz said she hopes research leads to a diagnostic test for chronic fatigue syndrome. “I’d love to see a cure or a vaccine,� she said. In the meantime, Mostowitz will continue advocating for sufferers of chronic fatigue syndrome and trying to spread the word about it.
Dora CantĂş, M.D.
713.864.8652 1740 W. 27th St. Suite 180 Houston, TX 77008 www.opiavisioncenter.com
Obstetrics / Gynecology
DR. STEPHANIE FULTON Stephanie Fulton, M.D.
Heights resident fighting for solutions to syndrome Jane Mostowitz loves to go country western dancing, even if it knocks her out for a week. The 67-year-old Sunset Heights resident said she has long suffered from chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, which is a long-term illness that affects multiple body systems and is characterized by extreme fatigue that can’t be attributed to another underlying medical condition. It can cause muscle and joint pain as well as headaches and also can affect cognitive ability and concentration. Mostowitz said she has had the disease since she was a child and coped with every symptom associated with it, having once been bedridden for about two years. She used to have her own paralegal business but had to give that up years ago. Still, Mostowitz tries to spend up to two hours each week cutting it up at a dancehall. Among her favorite spots is Westwind Club on Guhn Road. “I work really, really hard to try to have a normal semblance of a life,� she said. Mostowitz has worked just as tirelessly to try to increase awareness for chronic fatigue syndrome and advocate for medical research that can help diagnose, treat and, ultimately, eradicate the disease. For more than 10 years, she has been the president of the Houston CFIDS Association. According to an Institute of Medicine report published in 2015, as many as 2.5 million Americans were estimated to suffer from chronic
Preferred Health
1740 W. 27 St. Suite 301 Houston, TX 77008 713-880-2727 www.fultonobgyn.com
Major Hospitals
Memorial Hermann Greater Heights 1635 North Loop West Houston, Texas 77008 Tel: 713-867-2000 memorialhermann.org Physician Referral 713.222.CARE
St. Joseph Medical Center in The Heights 1917 Ashland Street Houston, Texas 77008 Tel: 713-757-1000 Physician Referral 713-757-7575
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