Black Hills Living Well Magazine Summer/Fall 2015

2 Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015 | www.BHLivingWell.com

Letter from the Publisher Volume 3 • Issue 2 Published by:

132 W. Hudson Street Spearfish, SD 57783 www.chickencreek.net 605.722.7028 Dee Sleep | Owner & Publisher dee.sleep@chickencreek.net Staff: Sammie Kephart | Ad Sales Coordinator & Assistant Editor Erika Young | Contributor Jess Richter | Ad Design Assistant

& Contributor Black Hills Living Well is published annually by Chicken Creek Communications, LLC and is distributed through UPSP Every Door Direct Mail services and its advertisers.

For advertising information, questions or comments, contact Chicken Creek Communications at 605.722.7028 or dee.sleep@chickencreek.net. © Copyright 2015 Chicken Creek Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.

Every effort was made to ensure accuracy with regret for any errors. Please inform Chicken Creek Communications, LLC of corrections for upcoming and web editions of the magazine.

Visit Black Hills Living Well online at:

www.BHLivingWell.com

Dear Reader, Thank you for picking up the latest issue of the Black Hills Living Well magazine! I hope that within these pages you will find information that you can use to improve your life. I know I did!

As article ideas for this issue were coming to life, I was particularly intrigued by the unique setting at Akela Spa. And after treating myself to their services this past winter, I came to truly appreciate the opportunity Akela Spa provides for improving how I look and feel while at the same time, taking time to relax and rejuvenate.

Dee Sleep, Publisher I was also anxious to read about Vertigo and how to treat it as I’ve had a significant bout with dizziness myself.

I have experienced occasional benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, which means that for me, vertigo is triggered by a sudden movement of my head. The first time it struck a few years back, I had just laid down to read bedtime stories to my youngest daughter. I have had fairly quick relief after visiting my chiropractor and a physical therapist, and I have also had success with the home-maneuver option created by a Colorado doctor and detailed on page 7.

I haven’t had the chance to try Erika’s recipe and instructions for canning yet, but I did get a sample of her strawberry jam. It was delicious!

We rely heavily on our advertisers for the future of this magazine. If you enjoyed this issue, please tell us and our advertisers! Visit us online anytime at www.bhlivingwell.com and on Facebook. Thanks for reading!

Dee Sleep, Publisher

Make Your Business Heard!

01. Graphic Design 04. Writing 02. Marketing 05. Consulting 03. Publication 06. Website Design

Our Business is Growing Your Business!

Dee Sleep

132 W. Hudson | Spearfish, SD 605.722.7028 | 605.641.2590 www.chickencreek.net www.BHLivingWell.com | Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015

3

2015 Black Hills Events June

July

September

2

2-4 96th Annual Black Hills Roundup Rodeo, Belle Fourche 10 Art Night Downtown, Rapid City 11 Bellamy Brothers, Deadwood Mountain Grand 11 BAM (Bikes, Art, Music) Festival, Sturgis 17-18 Corvette Classic, Spearfish 17-19 Festival in the Park, Spearfish 21-25 Days of ‘76, Deadwood

4-6 Flavor Days, Spearfish 11 Don Williams, Deadwood Mountain Grand 12 Rodney Carrington, Deadwood Mountain Grand 12 Wine Express Into the West, 1880 Train, Hill City 17-20 Mickelson Trail Trek, Custer 18-19 Deadwood Jam 25-27 Custer State Park 50th Annual Buffalo Roundup & Arts Festival 26 Great Downtown Pumpkin Fest, Rapid City

13th Annual Art Show and Auction, Rapid City 5 Roots & Boots, Deadwood Mountain Grand 6-7 Crazy Horse Volksmarch 7 Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon, Half-Marathon, 5K 12 Art Night Downtown, Rapid City 13 Art & Wine Festival, Rapid City 19-21 Crazy Horse Stampede Rodeo & Gift From Mother Earth Celebration 19-20 Wild Bill Days, Deadwood 26-27 Black Hills Bluegrass Festival, Elkview Campground 27 Rapid Run & Roll 5K, Rapid City For more information or to add an event to the calendar, visit www.bhlivingwell.com.

August 3-9 75th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally 14 Art Night Downtown, RC 14-23 70th Annual Central States Fair, Rapid City 15 Culture Shock: Young Artists Festival, Rapid City 20-23 Kool Deadwood Nights Aug. 29 - Sept. 4

Black Hills Bicycle Tour, RC

4 Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015 | www.BHLivingWell.com

October 2-3 Oktoberfest, Deadwood 3 Bierborse Beer Festival, Rapid City 4 Run Crazy Horse: Marathon & Half Marathon 31 Scare in the Square, Rapid City 31 Deadweird, Deadwood

TABLE OF CONTENTS

6

8

10

12

18

24

3

Letter from the Publisher

16

Grateful Patient no Longer Needs Back Surgery

4

2015 Black Hills Events Calendar

17

Kids’ Fun Fair

6

Recognizing and Treating Vertigo

By Casey Berndt, MSPT and ATC, Regional Rehabilitation Inst.

18

Dreams Becoming Reality

19

Healthiest South Dakota Town Competition

21

Sidewalk Safety and Healthy Living

22

Spearfish Food Festival

23

Summer Phone Apps

24

Preserving Food with Canning

26

Vehicle Summer Safety

8

Destressing with Spa Services

10

Easing into Senior Living

12

Gardening with Age

By Jenny Oliver, MOTR/L Occupational Therapist, Regional Health

13

Rapid City Chiropractor Makes a Move

28

What are You Eating, How is it Grown?

15

Wellness and Success in the Workplace

30

Summer Nights Downtown

www.BHLivingWell.com | Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015

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Are you SPINNING out of control?

As a child, you may have thought it was fun to spin in circles and make yourself dizzy and purposely stumble around the room out of control laughing and giggling!

However, now that you’re an adult the same type of movement might create a feeling of spinning that never ends.

Even though you stand idle afterwards, the world continues to spin around you, possibly with such severity that it knocks you to the floor. The same rides that you went on at the county fair as a kid might suddenly make you sick now.

It turns out that as we age, changes occur to our vestibular system that may cause us to “spin out of control”.

Currently, there are 8-10 million primary care visits per year related to vertigo or dizziness. It is the primary reason for people age 65 and over to visit the MD. It is a fact that 45% of the population will complain at least once in their lifetime about dizziness.

Vertigo usually results from a sudden or temporary change in the activity of the balance structures in your inner ear (vestibular system) or in the balance structures’ connections into the brain. These connections sense movement and changes in your head position. Sitting up or moving around may make it worse. Sometimes vertigo is severe enough to cause nausea, vomiting and balance problems.

But, the good news about vertigo is that it generally won’t last long. Within a couple of weeks, the body usually adapts to whatever is causing your dizziness.

Causes of Vertigo

There are several causes of vertigo that may include: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). BPPV causes intense, brief episodes of vertigo immediately following a change in the position of your head, often when you turn over in bed or sit up in the morning. BPPV is the most common cause of vertigo.

Inflammation in the inner ear. Signs and symptoms of inflammation of your inner ear include the sudden onset of intense, constant vertigo that may persist for several days, along with nausea, vomiting and trouble with balance.

Meniere’s disease. This disease involves the excessive buildup of fluid in your inner ear. It’s characterized by sudden episodes of vertigo lasting as long as several hours, accompanied by fluctuating hearing loss, ringing in the ear and a feeling of fullness in the affected ear.

Other causes include vestibular migraine, acoustic neuroma, and more rarely, vertigo can be a symptom of a

Vertigo usually results from a sudden or temporary change in the activity of the balance structures in your inner ear (vestibular system) or in the balance structures’ connections into the brain. more serious neurological problem such as a stroke, brain hemorrhage or multiple sclerosis.

Treatments for Vertigo

Treatments to the above conditions include: BPPV. Treatment of BPPV involves a simple procedure in which your doctor or physical therapist maneuvers the position of your head. This procedure is usually effective after one or two treatments.

Inner ear conditions. Balance retraining exercises (vestibular rehabilitation) are used to treat acute vestibular neuronitis or labyrinthitis. These are exercises you learn from a physical therapist and then do at home. To provide immediate relief of nausea and dizziness, your doctor may prescribe medications such as meclizine and Valium or may recommend Dramamine, which is available over-the-counter.

Meniere’s disease. Treatment of Meniere’s disease involves reducing your body’s retention of fluids through diuretic use and often dietary changes, such as a low-salt diet.

If you feel as though you may be suffering from any of the above conditions, please talk to your doctor and get a referral for PT treatments. We’ll do everything we can to ensure that you get the necessary treatment to get you back on your feet!

Carey Berndt with an MSPT and ATC with Regional Rehabilitation Institute in Rapid City.

6 Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015 | www.BHLivingWell.com

Half-somersault offers home remedy Suffer from chronic vertigo? After experiencing an episode of vertigo herself, Carol Foster, MD, of the University of Colorado, Denver’s School of Medicine, devised this simple, effective half-somersault motion to help prevent recurring bouts of dizziness.

Follow these simple steps, waiting after each movement until the spinning stops or count to 30: 1. Start on your knees, tilt your head back and look up at the ceiling and wait.

2. Place head in a somersault position with your chin tucked under and wait.

3. Turn your head to face the elbow on the side of the ear that is triggering the vertigo. This is the side where you feel the most dizzy when you lie on it. And wait.

4. Keep head turned and raise it quickly to back level and wait.

5. Raise head upright, sitting straight up with your back on your feet again, keeping your head turned and wait.

Repeat as needed in 15-minute intervals.

Watch a video of the maneuver at: youtu.be/mQR6b7CAiqk or download a handout at s.sharecare.com/newsletter/OHG/Half_ somersault_v4.pdf Dark curved arrows show head movements.

Lighter arrows show direction to face.

www.BHLivingWell.com | Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015

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Destress

) f l e s r u o Y t a (Tre Akela Spa offers international flare with local essence for residents, too!

Nestled in a valley of green grass and surrounded by the Black Hills, a quaint pine-board building houses Akela Spa – one of the area’s newest attractions just one mile east of Deadwood. Akela Spa offers a plethora of relaxing and rejuvenating services such as massages, facials, and body treatments.

“Akela is the only day spa in our region, and we invite and welcome the local clientele to check us out,” said Spa Director, Michele Loobey-Gertsch. “Typically, where gaming is a major economic engine, spas are a common amenity; however, this has not been the case in our region. Akela Spa is anything but average, and we hope area residents will come tour and experience what it means to have a day spa in their own backyard.”

Kim and Ernie Rupp, owners of Executive Lodging, were instrumental in the creation of Akela Spa. They along with five other investors collaborated to make the project a reality in December 2013. Loobey-Gertsch manages the day-to-day operations, and recognizes that her professional team is foundational to the success they have enjoyed.

Every aspect of Akela Spa was carefully orchestrated under the guidance of internationally known spa designers Christi Cano of Innovative Spa Productions and Sam Marguiles of Atmosphere Spa Design. From the subdued lighting to the cork floors, all aspects of the spa were designed to provide a comfortable, relaxing atmosphere.

“I believe they captured the essence of the area – warm and inviting,” Loobey-Gertsch said of the designers. “The name of the spa is derived from the Lakota words – Abla Kela – meaning ‘calm.’ We are fortunate to have received a warm reception and support from the hotels in the region.

The tourists frequently seek out a spa, and enjoy the services and quality offered by Akela.”

No Detail Overlooked

The products used at Akela Spa are second-to-none with no detail overlooked, and they help lend a local flare to the spa’s offerings. Akela Hante, the signature massage, uses fragrant native cedar oil blended with Douglas fir, all indigenous to South Dakota.

“Many of our products are organic, vegan, and created to provide clients with a natural healthy experience,” Loobey-Gertsch said. “The massage oils are USDA organic certified which is wonderful for our clients and staff who use the oils in services.”

Guests begin their experience passing by a bubbling fountain before entering locker rooms with private secure lockers. Inside, they trade street wear for plush robes,

Guests trade street wear for plush robes and comfortable slip-on sandals before being called for their spa service. comfortable slip-on sandals, and since Akela is “technology free,” they leave behind phones and other devices.

“We recognize technology devices are part of daily living, but these can hinder a person’s ability to leave stress behind,” Loobey-Gertsch emphasized.

From the locker rooms, guests enter and wait in a cozy comfortable “Relaxation Lounge” until their therapist escorts them to their service.

Akela offers a variety of massages including the Lavender Sage Muscle Relief and Abla Kela Calming Massage.

Some of the body treatments are the Chai Spice and Vanilla Body scrub and wrap, and the Turquoise Sage Body scrub.

8 Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015 | www.BHLivingWell.com

The spa offers facials, skin peel dermal infusion, and nail services that include Slow Beauty Signature pedicures and manicures. For special occasions such as a wedding, salon services include styling hair, waxing and makeup. The lunch menu includes salads from a premier local restaurant. During lunch or while sitting in the Garden, guests can sip a glass of Schade or Belle Joli’ premium South Dakota wine.

Relax in Outside Garden

The outdoor relaxation area called the Akela Garden is magnificent!

With a fire pit in the middle, two hot tubs, and a dry sauna housed in a tipi, the garden is the perfect setting to relax and embrace the beauty of the surrounding mountains. Garden guests are able to partake in nature’s beauty in the comfort of a hot tub, no matter the weather, or step into the infrared sauna and steam room.

“We recognize our clients lead very busy lives, and we all need a place to de-stress,” Loobey-Gertsch said.

Knowing this, she explained that in addition to traditional 60+ minute services, Akela now offers 30-minute treatments. This has been a fabulous addition for guests who want to enjoy a mini-spa day but still make it home in time for their family dinner or business meeting. It has also been beneficial when hosting groups.

Akela Spa is not only a beautiful place to visit but it is truly a place where serenity is indigenous.

The atmosphere of the spa is soothing, tranquil and relaxing. Services range from facials to massages, from manicures and pedicures to the Akela Garden hot tubs and sauna.

www.BHLivingWell.com | Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015

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Local Expert Shares Suggestions to Ease

Senior Living Transition

By Jess Richter Few decisions in life are harder than the decision of whether or not to put Mom or Dad in a nursing home.

This isn’t something that anyone can tell you how to do, and there are a lot of options for various assisted living facilities. There are also thousands of articles on the Internet written by as many authors – but those authors aren’t who’s working with your family.

Jeremy Schultes has been working in long-term care for sixteen years.

Eleven of those years have been with the Dorsett Home in Spearfish, SD. The Dorsett Home functions both as a long-term care center and a temporary physical rehab facility for elderly people recovering from surgery.

Traits that may perhaps be uncommon in most facilities and that Schultes has are patience and genuine Growing older does not have to mean being alone. An immeasurable benefit care for residents. He takes the time to to living in a senior home is the opportunity to continue growing with others around you. make sure everyones needs are taken care of and also walks around to visit with residents and catch up on how everyone is doing. themselves isolated. Even something as simple as sharing Getting to know people and having strong relationships meals with a group is comforting to most people. Jeremy with everyone at the Dorsett Home is one of Schultes’ has seen a lot of people blossom just from being around favorite aspects of his job. “I really enjoy working with more people throughout the day than they would have people, and we work with families, staff and the residents. alone at home. Being retired does not have to mean beWe really get to know people well,” he explained. ing alone. An immeasurable nursing home benefit is the opportunity to continue growing with others around you.

Understanding Assisted Living Doing activities in which they have the chance to learn new Even with friendly experienced staff and knowledgeable skills in a place with people of similar ages and situations, medical personnel, people unfamiliar with assisted living residents can have a healthy social environment. may still be wary.

“They get to know the staff and other residents,” Jer“I think there’s just a fear. There’s just a fear of what it emy said. “We have a lot of folks that come for rehab, and means to live in a nursing home, because it is costly. There’s we try to get them home. And some folks, they get very a fear because you’re losing that independence of being in comfortable and don’t want to go home, because they built your own home,” he explained. such good relationships with the staff and other residents Schultes understands the difficulties people have that live here.” getting comfortable with nursing home life. It’s hard to be willing to give up the independence that many take for Making an Easy Transition granted. However, the only independence you lose is the The staff at the Dorsett Home works to help new resiindependence of your own home. One thing about older dents feel welcome, but Schultes appreciates when families people living alone at home is that they oftentimes find

10 Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015 | www.BHLivingWell.com

“Personal touches such as photographs or a favorite chair have a significant impact on how quickly the resident adjusts and feels at home.”

– Jeremy Schultes

David M. Dorsett Healthcare Community

help with the transition, as well. “It can be hard for people to adjust,” Shultes continued. “I think the thought of adjusting to assisted living or a nursing home is that there is just a fear of what that means for someone or of loosing that independence. Once a resident is here and the family helps get them situated and is coming to see them, a lot of the stresses of trying to remain at home go away,” he said.

“Personal touches such as photographs or a favorite chair have a significant impact on how quickly the resident adjusts and feels at home,” he said.

“Our residents have a limited space, but when families use that space to make it personalized for the resident, when they bring in moms favorite chair or desk, family photos, decorations from home, it just really makes their space warm and inviting,” said Schultes.

Even after the adjustment period, it’s still important for families to be as involved as they can be in their loved one’s life. Schultes helps provide opportunities for this at the Dorsett home with summer barbeques and holiday dinners as well as other special events to help families stay connected. Families are also welcome to sign out their relative for a few hours to spend time with them away from the home.

Since Spearfish is a small community, new Dorsett Home residents often discover that they already know people living there. After the adjustment period, people find it an easy place to be because of the knowledgeable, friendly staff and company of other residents. In some cases, people who come in just for rehab decide not to go home because of the relationships they have built with others in the Dorsett home. With care from an experienced staff, the enrichment of new friendships, and love from family, assisted living can be a positive experience for those ready for it.

Visits from family help alleviate the stress of moving to a senior living home.

Choosing the Right Home n Drop in to the care center at any time, and ask if staff has time for a tour. n Get a feel for the culture. Is staff friendly? Are residents happy? n Is the facility clean? n Is staff taking time to visit with the residents they see? n Pay attention to how staff addresses the residents. If he/ she knows people by name, it’s a very good sign.

– Source: Jeremy Schultes www.BHLivingWell.com | Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015

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Gardening with Age Tips from an Occupational Therapist

water that is not only time Gardening is an activity consuming but tiring. or “occupation” that many Break up the task. individuals enjoy across Not all gardening has to be their lifespan, as it is a done in one sitting. Take a means to enjoying the outdoors and growing beautiful break every 15 minutes and and nutritious plants, fruits, consider working on differand vegetables. Not only is ent parts of the garden to gardening enjoyable, but prevent muscle fatigue from it has been linked to many prolonged stooping. health benefits such as Be kind to your back increased nutritional intake, and avoid excessive bendstress relief, and improved ing, lifting, and twisting. sleep and well-being. GarUse equipment designed dening is also considered to help you in transferring as a form of cardiovascular Gardening is enjoyable and has been linked to many health items like a wheelbarrow exercise. According to the or two wheeled garden cart. benefits such as increased nutritional intake, stress relief, National Institute of Health, Break up large bags of soil, and improved sleep and well-being. gardening for 30-45 minutes mulch, and fertilizer into is considered a moderate to smaller loads so that they are intense level of exercise. It is for these reasons that many easier to haul and pick up. health care professionals choose to support their clients’ Consider using a raised garden bed. This will allow involvement in this occupation. you to plant and weed your garden with less pain, as it While there are numerous benefits to engaging in decreases the need to bend or get on your hands and knees. gardening, many individuals come to a point in life where If kneeling is necessary to complete your gardening duties, gardening becomes rather challenging. This may be due to you may want to consider using a kneeler to cushion your a physical disability or simply the natural process of aging. workspace. Try to keep your body straight by keeping one Arthritis aches and pains, as well as limited range of motion knee up to help reduce muscle strain. due to aging joints may limit a person’s ability to engage in Consider the maintenance of the items you plant. gardening in the traditional fashion. This is where the role Certain plants or vegetables require less upkeep than othof occupational therapy comes into play. ers. If you know you are not going to have much free time, Occupational therapy is a profession that assists or are having more aches than usual, selecting low mainteindividuals in partaking in various “occupations” that are nance items may be beneficial. meaningful. Occupational therapists are skilled at modifyDevelop a workstation. Having all of your tools and ing and adapting activities to best meet their clients’ needs. supplies within a centralized location can help eliminate unFor instance, an occupational therapist may recommend necessary trips and conserve energy. This can also be a place to their client who is having back pain to utilize a raised where you are able to sit and complete your gardening duties. garden bed, limit the amount of heavy lifting, and avoid Lastly, remember to stretch. As stated previously, reaching overhead and twisting. For a client who is having gardening is considered a form of exercise and challenges difficulty manipulating gardening tools, an occupational muscles all over your body. Making stretching a part of your therapist may recommend using equipment with built up gardening routine can make a difference in next day aches handles or selecting tools with springs and/or ratchet feaand pains. tures to accommodate for weak grip strength.

For more information about ways to modify or adapt Below is a list of general tips to assist gardeners in gardening, contact an occupational therapist. continuing to participate in this meaningful occupation, as well as to provide guidance on preventing aches and pains Jenny Oliver is a MOTR/L Occupational Therapist at Regional Health in Rapid City. Other sources for this article included the related to gardening so to maximize ones longevity.

Consider the location of the garden. Having close ac- National Institute of Health and the American Occupational cess to a water supply will eliminate unnecessary hauling of Therapy Association.

12 Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015 | www.BHLivingWell.com

Rapid City’s Lecy Family Chiropractic joins forces with HealthSource of the Black Hills HealthSource of the Black Hills is Lecy is proud to introduce HealthSource’s cutting edge healthcare system proud to announce that Lecy Family to Rapid City. In addition to the exChiropractic of Rapid City is joining emplary chiropractic care Lecy Family the HealthSource team.

Chiropractic’s offered for 36 years, the Dr. Robin Lecy is an experienced Lecy team now offers HealthSource’s and esteemed chiropractor who has advanced rehabilitation program. The practiced in his hometown of Rapid combination of the two allows patients City for 36 years. to heal faster and to stay healthy longer Lecy graduated from Rapid City than one or the other by itself.

Central High School. He went on to Lecy’s clinic is further empowered college at South Dakota State Univerby its alignment with HealthSource sity, where he received a bachelor’s through access to the national healthdegree in biology. Lecy graduated from care group’s network of chiropractors, Northwestern College of Chiropractic physical therapists, and exercise physin Minneapolis Minnesota in 1979 with iologists working together nationwide a doctorate in chiropractic. to keep each clinic abreast of advanceDr. Robin Lecy Lecy chose to move back to Rapid ments in the world of health care.

“This is something really cool coming to Rapid City, City after graduation, deciding it was the perfect place to something it hasn’t experienced before,” said Dr. Mike Henraise a family and start his private practice.

In 1992, South Dakota Governor Bill Janklow appointed dricks of HealthSource Watertown.

Lecy’s love for his hometown shows in his legacy of serLecy to serve on the South Dakota Board of Chiropractic vice and volunteerism. The veteran chiropractor is a longExaminers. Lecy served on the board for 11 years, five of time member of several local civic and community organithem as its president. zations, including the Rapid City Chamber of Commerce.

In 2007, the South Dakota Chiropractor’s Association He participated in Leadership Rapid City in 1992 and has named Lecy Chiropractor of the Year. served as president of the Rapid City Morning Optimist Lecy also spent six years as a director on the prestiClub as well as the Harney Little League organization. gious National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, the board Lecy enjoys his role as “grandpa” for three adorable responsible for reviewing all chiropractors seeking Board granddaughters, and he spends much of his spare time “enCertification in the nation. joying lake life” at Angostura Lake outside of Hot Springs.

“He’s a national leader in the chiropractic field,” Health“I told Dr. Robin he can’t retire until he’s 95,” McIntosh Source of the Black Hills’ Dr. Bob McIntosh said of Lecy. joked. “But he doesn’t want to; helping people get healthy is “That’s one solid guy to be able to work with.” his passion.”

McIntosh said Lecy was his mentor over the past five years while he was establishing and expanding his HealthSource clinics in the region. McIntosh is excited to return the favor by bringing the national support of the HealthSource family to Lecy Family Chiropractic, at 325 Omaha St., Suite 5 in Rapid City’s Tuscany Square. www.BHLivingWell.com | Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015

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Do You HealthSource?

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Chiropractic care for back pain is more effective and costs only half as much as standard medical care.

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Now open in Rapid City!

Dr. Robin Lecy

Spearfish 605-722-2225

138 E. Hudson Rapid City 605-718-5329

325 Omaha St., Ste. 5 www.healthsourcechiro.com 14 Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015 | www.BHLivingWell.com

Workplace wellness, efficiency, and success go hand in hand Black Hills HealthSource offers workplace wellness program to local businesses It may be obvious that health and wellness impact every aspect of an individual’s life, but not many people realize just how much individual wellness can affect business operations.

It’s widely accepted that any team is only as good as its weakest team member. A business with unhealthy, unbalanced employees is an unhealthy, unbalanced business.

Crissy Sieber, chiropractic assistant and community wellness coordinator with HealthSource Spearfish and Healthsource Rapid City, is spearheading an effort to help local businesses incubate a culture of wellness in the workplace through an international 90-day initiative called the Wellness Champions program.

“The idea is to change the mindset in the workplace and turn it toward wellness, physically, nutritionally, and mentally,” Sieber said.

The program utilizes regularly scheduled community “power talks.” These power talks are roughly 10-minute group discussions with employers and their staff on topics like stress management, nutrition, exercise, and how to incorporate wellness into the workplace with various healthy routines that contribute to general wellness.

The program is available to any interested businesses or organizations.

“Having healthy employees empowers businesses and corporations,” Sieber said. “It also helps businesses save money on their insurance premiums. If you have healthy employees, you don’t have premiums as high as companies with unhealthy employees. Also, those employees are working, they’re not taking off because they’re sick. … It helps the whole productivity of your staff.”

Sieber and Dr. Bob McIntosh, owner-operator of the Spearfish and Rapid City HealthSource clinics, are currently the only trained Wellness Champions in South Dakota.

For more information on the Wellness Champions program in South Dakota call Crissy Sieber at (605) 717-0583 or e-mail her at blackhills@wellnesschampions.org.

Crissy Sieber, chiropractic assistant and community wellness coordinator, left, and Dr. Bob McIntosh, right, chiropractor and owner-operator of the Spearfish and Rapid City HealthSource clinics, pose with three-time Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball Misty May-Treanor at a recent Wellness Champions conference.

“The idea is to change the mindset in the workplace and turn it toward wellness, physically, nutritionally, and mentally.”

– Crissy Sieber

chiropractic assistant and community wellness coordinator Spearfish & Rapid City HealthSource clinics

www.BHLivingWell.com | Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015

15

HealthSource Patient of the Month Mary Lou Stewart suffered from constant, debilitating pain which she was told would require back surgery to eliminate.

HealthSource helped her eradicate the pain without surgery and gave her a new lease on life.

When people think about life changing events they usually think of something positive, like a post-college backpacking trip to Europe, finding and marrying “the one,” or having kids.

Unfortunately, Mary Lou Stewart’s life changing event was anything but positive last year. The 59-year-old Moorcroft, Wyoming resident sustained an injury that left her with constant back pain so severe that she could no longer work, could no longer sleep through the night, and could no longer walk without the assistance of a cane.

Her doctors prescribed her a daily dose of pain medication and informed her that she’d probably live the rest of her life in pain. There was a possibility that invasive back surgery might take care of Stewart’s pain, they said, but there was no guarantee.

Facing a depressingly difficult choice, Stewart decided to look into other potential treatments before committing to either the proverbial rock or the hard place.

Stewart’s first appointment at the Spearfish HealthSource clinic was on January 21, 2015. She remembers the exact date because on that day she and the staff at HealthSource Spearfish planted the seed that bloomed

Facing an expensive back surgery that may relieve her of the constant back pain that kept her from working, walking without a cane, and sleeping through the night, Mary Lou Stewart decided to try some less invasive treatments first. After four months of treatment at HealthSource Spearfish, Stewart lives pain-free and no longer has to have back surgery. into her new pain-free life. On that day, Stewart began a regimen of chiropractic care and rehabilitation exercise and enrolled in the NuWeight weight loss program.

Her letter, pictured top right, reads: How has my life changed since I walked through your doors?

“When she came in she used a cane and got hardly any exercise. She was on pain meds for her back, and now, as of her last visit, she’s not on any more pain meds and she’s lost 34 pounds. She rides six miles every day on a stationary bike,” said HealthSource Spearfish Testing and Laboratory Tech Merissa Moore.

n I no longer have to walk with a cane.

The best part: Stewart no longer needs back surgery.

“She wrote us a letter of thanks, and in it she says, ‘I have my life back’,” said Crissy Sieber, chiropractic assistant and community wellness coordinator at HealthSource Spearfish and Rapid City. “That says it all.”

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n I didn’t have to have back surgery as was to be scheduled.

n I am pain free in my back. n I am no longer on pain medication. n I can sleep six hours a night. n I can exercise and ride my bike without pain. n I have lost 26 pounds so far on NuWeight. n I was able to return to work. n I am training to walk a 5k in July. n I have my life back!

All because I walked through your doors January 21, 2015!

– Mary Lou V. Stewart

HealthSource teams up with Spearfish Rec Center for Kids’ Fun Fair July 15 HealthSource and the Spearfish Rec Center are combining forces to hold a fun-filled children’s health fair on Wednesday, July 15, in conjunction with Children’s Health Month in July.

The Kids’ Fun Fair will be held from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Spearfish Rec Center. The event will feature a number of diverse health-related activity stations put together by local health-related businesses. There will be games, health screenings, and an obstacle course designed to assess each child’s level of fitness.

Chris Harwood, community activities coordinator for the city of Spearfish, said when kids arrive at the event, they’ll receive a passport. When a child completes an objective at a booth or activity station, they’ll get a stamp in their passport. When the passport is full and they’ve visited every station, they’ll receive a waterpark day pass.

Harwood said a fitness assessment gleaned from the obstacle course would also be placed in the passport.

Those interested in comparing their fitness from one year to the next should save their passport to bring with them at next year’s event when they’ll receive a new assessment.

The Kids’ Fun Fair is a free event open to the public.

Local businesses interested in securing booth space or parents looking for more information may contact Chris Harwood at (605) 722-1430 or chris.harwood@ cityofspearfish.com. www.BHLivingWell.com | Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015

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Don’t settle for dreams deferred Spearfish life coach realizes dream of helping others achieve theirs.

Late last year, after several months of extensive self-directed study, Johner constructed her own life-coaching program. She began working with individuals, groups, and businesses around the Black Hills in When we’re kids, we January. know exactly what our “The program is about grown-up lives will be like. purpose, passion, and clarity, The 10-year-old aspiring and is focused on getting astronaut is destined to look people to start living in upon a blue marble earth in their personal life and their wonder through the winprofessional life. It’s about dows of the International getting people to live outSpace Station at age 35. side the box and follow their As kids, our dreams can hearts,” she explained. “This only come true. But things is broken down into four change for most of us as components: Body, Being, we enter the “real world” of Balance, and Business. Being adulthood; it usually hapis your inner stance, it’s your pens so slowly that we don’t Spearfish real estate agent and life coach Dorcie Johner denotice it until one day we tails the tenets of her Purpose, Passion, and Clarity personal spiritual side, it’s who you are inside. Body is taking stop, look around, and realgrowth program before a large group at a recent seminar. care of your body on a health ize we’re not where we once and wellness level.

Balance is your relationships, the people so confidently thought we’d be as grown-ups. The Techaround you and how you interact with them. And Business nicolor dreams of childhood gradually faded beneath the is either your career, your passion, or your hobby. The idea encroaching shadows of real world responsibility. At some point, we were convinced we had to push aside our halcyon is to have a healthy mind, a healthy being, and to take care of your body. Without taking care of those things, it’s hard dreams for plebian nine-to-fives in order to pay the bills, to to take care of anything else.” keep food on the table, to keep our heads above water, and Johner’s recently developed 90-day coaching program to stay alive. We’re taught to “live for the weekend,” and we caught the attention of Dr. Bob McIntosh, owner-operator meekly adopt this maxim without stopping to ponder what of the HealthSource Chiropractic clinics in Spearfish and that makes of us during the rest of the week.

Rapid City. McIntosh said he believes Johner’s program Helping Others Realign With Their Dreams adds a very important “think well” component to his It doesn’t have to be this way. Dorcie Johner realized team’s “live well” motto. this last year, and now the Spearfish real estate agent and Shortly after meeting with Johner and discussing her mother of four is striding confidently in the direction of her curriculum, McIntosh enrolled his staff in her program. dreams – interestingly enough, her dream is helping others He and Johner are currently working together to offer the realign with theirs.

Think Well program to his patients as part of his team’s total “My idea was to be a better person, to give and serve the wellness initiative. world more, and to help people in any way I could,” Johner Johner acknowledges that what keeps many people said of her initial look into life coaching. “What I started from chasing their dreams is fear: fear of failure, fear of suchearing from people was that they had dreams and passions cess (yes, that’s a thing), fear of change, etc.. She says a lot but they were living in fear; they were not acting on them of people believe it’s too late to chase their dreams, it’s too because they were afraid of what people might think.” much extra work, or they don’t have the time. But that’s just

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“The idea is to have a healthy mind, a healthy being, and to take care of your body. Without taking care of those things, it’s hard to take care of anything else.”

– Dorcie Johner

not the case. Johner built her program around the old cliché that a little goes a long way.

“It’s breaking it down into small steps. When you’re doing these small steps you’ll actually see huge progress,” she said.

“Let’s say you’re choosing a 90-day goal, let’s say it’s to run a half marathon. So then we work into it backwards — what daily habits will work you toward that?

We break it in to one or two daily habits. For some peoSpearfish Life Coach ple, that might be running three to five miles, for others it might be 10 to 15 minutes of cardio every day.”

Even Small Steps Bring Big Results

Johner said even smaller positive steps than what a new exercise regimen would require can yield big results.

“For myself, I pray, write in a gratitude journal, and I try to do something good an hour a day everyday. The impact of that is huge,” she said. “I think we’ve been taught that you can’t have it all, but you can. It just takes creating daily habits that push your limits and expand your life instead of settling for sedation or a day-to-day routine.”

For more information on Johner’s services contact her at (605) 645-1234 or livingyourbestlifeever@gmail.com.

HealthSource Announces Healthiest Town In South Dakota competition Have you ever wondered which town in South Dakota has the largest number of active, health-conscious residents? The Black Hills HealthSource team has, and they decided it was high time to find out.

This summer, residents of Spearfish, Rapid City, Watertown, Brookings, and Sioux Falls will find out which of these communities is the healthiest. The competition is based on the results of 10-minute health assessment questionnaires that will be distributed and collected via e-mail by local HealthSource offices in each town.

Collection of completed questionnaires ends at midnight on Monday, Aug. 3. The data will be reviewed and the winning town will be announced at the end of August.

“Whoever wins this will have huge bragging rights,” said Dr. Bob McIntosh of Black Hills HealthSource. “It

will attract people to the town as a destination for active, healthy living.”

Spearfish residents who wish to participate in the competition may do so by visiting HealthSource Spearfish at 138 E. Hudson St. or calling the office at (605) 610-1733 and asking for a questionnaire. Rapid City residents who wish to participate can do the same by visiting HealthSource Rapid City at 325 Omaha St., Suite 5 or calling the office at (605) 718-5329.

Residents don’t have to be HealthSource patients to participate.

All participants will receive a report detailing the results of their health via email and may discuss them with a doctor as a complementary health screening if requested and completed before Aug. 3. The contest begins June 1.

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Meet Our Doctors: Dr. Kari Bennett’s passion is learning about her patients’ health goals and helping them meet them.

Dr. Kari earned her Doctorate of Chiropractic Science from Northwestern Health Sciences University of Bloomington, Minnesota in 2004.

Dr. Kari started her career in Kearney, Nebraska as a chiropractic assistant. After Dr. Kari Bennett graduating from Northwestern Health Sciences University, she practiced for four years in an integrated clinic with an emphasis on children and sports therapy in the Minneapolis area.

For the last 10 years, she’s had the pleasure of working in clinics that couple chiropractic adjustments with rehabilitation exercises. Adjustments work to relieve pain fast, while rehabilitation strengthens and stabilizes the spine to keep the pain from coming back.

Dr. Kari has been in the Spearfish area since June 2013.

She loves riding her motorcycle around the Hills and participating in local events with her kids. She strives to grow personally and professionally and is an active member in her local Mothers of Preschoolers chapter and the Spearfish Women in Networking group.

We can help with: n Neck pain/stiffness n Carpal Tunnel Syndrome n Sports medicine n Arthritis n Migraines n Scoliosis n Lower back pain

Dr. Robert (Bob) L. McIntosh is an innovative clinician that helps his patients achieve their health goals swiftly and helps them maintain wellness for years to come. He has a passion for finding ways for his patients to improve their health, move well, and be pain free so they can save massive amounts of money on healthcare.

Dr. Robert In fact, a two-year study (Bob) L. McIntosh published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics in 2010 that analyzed data from 85,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield beneficiaries in Tennessee found that patients who sought low back pain relief through a doctor of chiropractic saved an average of 40 percent on related healthcare costs in comparison to those who initiated care through a medical doctor (M.D.).

Dr. Bob is certified with the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners in Chiropractic, Physiotherapy, and Rehabilitation. He’s a Wyoming native and loves calling Spearfish home.

Dr. Bob received his undergraduate degree in biology from Black Hills State University, in Spearfish. He previously attended a tech school where he completed a diesel mechanics program. Little did he know he’d end up a spine mechanic in a few short years. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from BHSU he attended Western States Chiropracn Disc degeneration tic College (now University of Western States) in Portland, n Leg pain Oregon. During his time there, Dr. Bob was named Western n Sciatica States Chiropractic College’s Occupational Safety Program n Fibromyalgia Developer. Part of his duty in this role was introducing n Nutrition and implementing back safety programs at Portland area n Balance and Vertigo businesses.

Dr. Bob and his staff are direct and compassionate in n Muscle tension care of their patients. Dr. Bob enjoys working daily to expand the reach of his quality healthcare services across the region, all while wearing a bright smile.

Dr. Bob is happily married with two daughters. He has an active and healthy family and he dreams of someday rebuilding the bright red AMC Javelin AMX his father gave Rapid City 605-718-5329 him years ago.

Spearfish 605-722-2225

138 E. Hudson 325 Omaha St., Ste. 5 www.healthsourcechiro.com

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Wellness coalition works to promote healthy living throughout hills Live Well Black Hills is a health and wellness coalition in the Black Hills that is committed to make our communities healthier. The coalition works to promote five focus areas of Breath Well, Feel Well, Work Well, Move Well, and Eat Well by doing promotion, policy, and program work. Members of the coalition are comprised of non-profits, elected officials, and community members that have a passion for health and wellness.

In February, The Big Squeeze, blood pressure awareness and screening event, was held throughout the Black Hills where almost 10,000 people were screened. The event was in conjunction with National Heart Month and with the goal of educating people on the risks and signs of high blood pressure.

In May, Live Well Black Hills worked to promote bike safety and the use of helmets. In Rapid City, water bottles were given out to commuters who were wearing helmets on the bike path during National Bike to Work Day. The coalition is also working along with the Don’t Thump Your Melon campaign to give out free helmets and bike safety brochures.

Throughout the rest of the year, Live Well Black Hills is supporting initiatives that communities in our area are working on such as farmer’s markets, tobacco-free parks,

and transportation plans.

Currently, the group is working hard to educate the public about the importance of the walkability of communities.

This includes educating lawmakers, developers, and homebuilders of the importance of installing sidewalks when developing and building new areas in a community. It is common practice for developers and homebuilders to petition the city council to not require them to build sidewalks.

Without sidewalks, it negatively affects the walkability of a neighborhood and community. Healthy living is becoming a priority for homebuyers and many will pay more for a home that has good walkability.

To get more involved or to find out more about Live Well Black Hills, meetings are held the 2nd Friday of every month at YFS Community Room, which is located at 120 E. Adams St. at 9 am. For information regarding Live Well Black Hills or if you have interest in joining the committee, please contact Sara Hornick at sara@rcymca.org or 605-718-9622.

Live Well Black Hills is working to educate the public about the importance of the walkability of communities.

www.BHLivingWell.com | Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015

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Spearfish food festival will usher summer out with a burst of ‘Flavor’ The flavorful aromas wafting in the early September air will alert your sense of smell first, hints of savory cuisines and tasty treats making your mouth water in anticipation. You’ll then overhear “you have to try this” or “this tastes so good” all while the music makes you want to dance your way through the crowd of smiling faces. Your eyes will then discover the tantalizing arrays of fresh samples and colorful drinks right before your taste buds finally sing in delight after your first scrumptious bite. That’s what Flavor Days is all about.

Created by Ginger Gray Entertainment, LLC, Flavor Days is a three-day festival taking place just outside of Spearfish on Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 4-6, 2015. Event goers will indulge in everything from barbeque and pizza to smoothies, ice cream, wine, and craft beer just in time for the end to summer celebrations across the Black Hills. It’s also a terrific opportunity for diverse restaurant owners, highly-skilled chefs, master brewers, and bakers to showcase some of the best items they have to offer.

“Let’s enjoy the end of summer with a lot of tasty entertainment,” Event Organizer, Hailima Yates said. “I

grew up around some amazing cooks in my family, so delicious food has always been something I’ve loved and like to share with people.”

As with Black Hills Music Festival, Ginger Gray has selected Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort as the venue for Flavor Days after first walking the property in early 2014. The resort typically plays host to the throngs of tourists visiting South Dakota throughout the summer, but for these three days, the entire north side of the property will be exploding in flavor as food lovers indulge in some of the best food and drinks in the area.

Food and drinks will not be the only options during the weekend, however. Festival goers will also have the chance to take a walk around Merchant Alley where various trinkets, keepsakes, artwork, and clothing items will be on full display and for sale. Flavor Days will also feature live entertainment comprised of exciting cooking competitions, music from local and regional bands throughout the day, and plenty of fun activities for kids of all ages to enjoy as well.

“I believe this will be a great opportunity to bring the surrounding communities together for three days

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of fun and excitement,” Elkhorn Ridge Assistant Manager, DJ Bahmuller said.

“This event has something for all ages.

Everyone can come to eat, drink, shop, play and be entertained while enjoying the beautiful Black Hills. I’m really excited for this.”

Ginger Gray will stay true to their mission of building community through entertainment while also giving back to organizations that provide much needed help in our area. For that reason, Feeding South Dakota has been named the benefiting sponsor this year.

Hunger is becoming a bigger issue around the world, in our country, and in our own state every day. According to the Feeding South Dakota website, one out of every eight individuals in the state is food insecure. The percentage is significantly higher for children under the age of 18 – one in every five children is at risk of going hungry. In their attempt to help, Feeding South Dakota serves all 66 counties in South Dakota providing food for an estimated 190,000 people every year.

Visit www.flavordays.com regarding vendor applications and more event information or contact Hailima Yates at 605-645-1880 or gingergrayent.llc@gmail.com.

5 Apps to Download this Summer Mobile technology has allowed us easy access to things no matter where we are. From entertainment options to productivity, our lives can be enhanced by the wealth of relatively inexpensive mobile apps available for all types of devices. Following are some our staff has reviewed:

Skyguide While you’re downloading TocaLab for the kids, check out skyguide for you. Made by FifthStarLabs, the app is geared towards anyone interested in learning more about astronomy or just looking to get a good view of the night sky.

Easy to use, all you have to do is hold your phone up to the part of the sky you want to see more clearly, and skyguide aligns itself to its surroundings. The app works without GPS or data, and also includes constellation mythology and hundreds of illustrated, cross-linked articles. $1.99 in the Apple store.

Transmit iOS

Last Message Save time and end-of-battery life with Last Message. The app monitors battery life and sends out a message to others that your phone is about to die. Choose the friends and family you want notified and the app will send a text about your phone predicament so you don’t have to. Great for parents and teens! $1.99, GooglePlay.

TocaLab Keep the kids busy with educational science games. Bright, interactive software helps kids learn the periodic table and what the elements do, as well as conduct chemistry experiments with all of the fun and none of the hazards.

Geared towards elementary age kids. $0.99, Apple Store and GooglePlay.

– Compiled By Jess Richter

Transmit has existed for iMac for years and is finally available for iOS 8. The full-featured file manager now lets you share documents, photos, videos, audio and more from your iPhone. If you’re also an iMac user, you can open, edit, and save files on your phone or computer, and have it save the changes to both. Sounds like the flash drive is on its way out. $9.99, Apple Store.

Workboard This productivity-based app makes sharing and keeping track of work easier and…kind of fun.

Ideal for workplaces that have a team set-up, Workboard is a space to share tasks, get feedback, and post goals for managers and team members. To-do lists can be posted and checked off throughout the day and managers can give feedback and performance reviews instantly. Automated status reports mean one less thing on a manager’s to-do list and are available for employees to review according to their schedules.

Free, Apple Store and GooglePlay. www.BHLivingWell.com | Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015

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Canning: my

Spring could possibly be one of my favorite times of the year. The weather is becoming warmer, flowers begin to bloom and the best part of all; produce is starting to drop in price! When I see a great sale of fresh fruits or vegetables that my friends and family can’t get enough of, I buy at least 10 pounds and find the most irresistible recipes to can. The art of creating something so spectacular to ones palette that leaves them begging for more is a canners euphoria. Just this March I found an amazing deal on strawberries and knew I had to make strawberry jam.

work. Not only do you want quality jars, but you want to make sure your ingredients are high quality. The last thing you want is to try your jam only to find an odd taste that you weren’t expecting by using a non quality brand of Pectin. My ultimate go-to is Ball® RealFruit™ Low or No-Sugar Needed Pectin. I know that my recipes will taste amazing when using it. I hope that you find yourself having a great time making this jam.

I know I did.

My all time favorite brand to use when canning is Ball brand Home Canning Products. The best part about using Ball brand Jars and supplies is that you are assured quality and when it comes to canning, quality is key. The worst thing you can have happen is you go to take your jars out of the water bath only to find that the glass has broken and spilled out all of your hard

• 3-2/3 cups crushed strawberries (about four 1-lb containers)

Strawberry Jam Supplies

• 3 Tbsp Ball® RealFruit™ Low or No-Sugar Needed Pectin • 1/2 tsp butter or margarine

• Up to 1 cup granulated sugar, sugar substitute, or honey • 4 Ball® (8 oz) half pint jars Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Jam & Jelly Maker

Directions 1. Place as many Ball® Half Pint (8-oz.) Jelly Jars in a large hot water bath canner (or pot) that will fit (repeat until all have bathed). Cover with water and bring to a simmer.

2. Simmer center lids in separate saucepan full of water.

3. WASH strawberries. Remove stems and hulls and smash strawberries using a potato masher.

4. SPRINKLE pectin evenly over bottom of the Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Jam & Jelly Maker. Add crushed strawberries evenly over pectin. Add butter/ margarine to help reduce foaming (this is important, please learn from my errors and don’t skip this).

Remove stems and hulls and smash strawberries using a potato masher.

5. PRESS jam button – the cook time will automatically default to 21 minutes. Press enter.

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creative outlet 6. Add sugar gradually once you hear four short beeps, about 4 minutes after starting. Place the Glass Lid on the Pot.

7. The Ball® FreshTECH Automatic Jam & Jelly Maker will continue to automatically stir your ingredients while it cooks. The jam maker will beep again at the end of the process signaling jam cooking is complete. Press cancel, unplug the appliance and immediately remove Glass Lid. 8. REMOVE Stirrer using a pot holder. Skim foam, if necessary, from top of jam.

9. LADLE hot jam into hot jars, one at a time, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe any jam from the rims of the jars. Place lids on the jars and Twist on the bands until fingertip tight.

10. PLACE filled jars in the canning rack inside a large pot of water or canner, ensuring jars are covered by 1-2 inches of water. Bring to steady boil.

11. PROCESS jars in boiling water for 10 minutes.

12. REMOVE jars from water and cool. Listen for a loud ‘popping’ noise (to a canner this is the best sound you can hear, its sound of a sealed can). In 24 hours, if you haven’t heard them all pop, press the center of the lid to see if it has sealed, if not, rebath.

This strawberry jam tastes equally good on toast as it does poured over a bowl of vanilla ice cream. Canning fruits and vegetables preserves them and allows for easy storage, so they can be enjoyed later.

I hope you have as much fun as I do making jam, and if you have any great recipes to share, feel free to email me at erika.young@chickencreek.net.

Erika Young is a mother, wife and designer with a passion for everything canning. She loves learning new recipes and trying out new ideas. She encourages readers to submit their favorite recipes and will make her best attempts at trying them out.

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Tony Kemp takes pride in the high touch customer service his team at Super Auto & Service offers in a high demands world.

Superior Auto & Service makes sure your vehicle is summer safe with a 30-point safety inspection.

Tips for a Healthy Vehicle

By Jess Richter With some of the lowest gas prices the area has seen in years, this summer might just be the one to take that big road trip. Whether your adventure is hundreds of miles away or right here in the hills, it’s important that your vehicle is in optimum working condition.

Local mechanic Tony Kemp has a few tips for keeping you on the road. Make an appointment with a reputable mechanic for the following general maintenance: n Change the oil. “Do oil changes in a timely manner, at no more than 5,000 miles,” advised Kemp. n Check the brakes. n Conduct a safety inspection, including a 30-point safety inspection to gage roadworthiness. n Rotate the tires. “Your tires should be rotated regularly – every other oil change,” explained Kemp. n Measure the tire tread. If you have some spare change, you can easily do this at home using the “penny test” and the “quarter test.” See inset on page 27 for instructions on how to perform these tests.

Kemp recommends “a minimum of 7/32 (of tire tread) if you’re going on any long distance trips because if you get in to heavy moisture or roads, you won’t create a hydroplaning or slipping situation.” n Check over belts and hoses. n Ensure that coolant levels are correct and the air conditioner is charged. n Make sure no coolant or oil leaks are present.

“Your tires should be rotated regularly – every other oil change.”

– Tony Kemp

owner and operator of Superior Auto & Service

“For an overall longer life from any vehicle, make sure brakes are operating properly, alignment is in check, that any undercarriage equipment doesn’t have problems (shocks, tire rods, etc) and fluid levels are always kept at proper operating levels,” said Kemp. Regular maintenance all year round is an important part of keeping your vehicle safe and running – and ready for adventure.

Finding the right mechanic is not always easy. When looking for a trustworthy mechanic, Kemp says to go to someone who genuinely listens, and shows high interest in getting the job done right.

Superior Auto & Service, located on Colorado Boulevard in Spearfish, has been serving drivers in the Black Hills for 14 years. A native to the Black Hills, Kemp has been with Superior Auto & Service since his brother first opened the business in 2001.

“We are very, very adamant about treating people like people. We treat people with respect,” stated Kemp.

“I think it’s very important to bring your vehicle to a shop that isn’t trying to gain work; a place that makes the customer number one. Making sure that if you’re hauling children, that safety is the utmost thing and that you’re not going to be stranded alongside the road potentially dealing with strange people.”

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Checking tire tread with pocket change

Use a penny or a quarter to determine if your tires have the absolute minimum tread allowed on tires of 2/32 of an inch.

Quarter Test – Place the quarter upside down, facing you, in the tire tread. If the tread extends into Washington’s head, there is more than 4/32 of an inch of tread remaining. Some 2/32 of an inch is the absolute minimum tread allowed on tires.

Penny Test – Place the penny the same way as the quarter in the quarter test. If no part of Lincoln’s head is covered, your tires only have 2/32 of tread left, which according to South Dakota state law is when a tire is legally worn out and tire replacement is required. Not replacing the tires presents increased safety risks during rain and snow conditions and is punishable by law. Driving with less than 2/32 of tread is a Class 2 misdemeanor.

www.BHLivingWell.com | Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015

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It’s not what you think

Educating consumers about conventional, genetically-engineered and organic crops Food can be a pretty controversial topic in today’s society. The word itself can stir different emotions among us all. The production of food is also something that many of us have less of an understanding of now than when our grandparents were being raised.

Part of that has come from the need to produce high enough yields to feed our ever growing population. The processing of food along with how our crops and livestock are being raised is somewhat of an unknown and certainly the hard facts among the general population are an unknown. With the unknown comes fear. There should not be a feeling of fear or unknowingness when we walk through our grocery store aisles deciding on which box of cereal to purchase, the “natural” ones, the “organic” ones, or the ones our parents used to buy. We should be informed enough to decide what the risks or benefits of each kind brings to our diets as well as not be misled by marketing language.

Toxins depend on dose

Another word that is being tossed around quite a bit is “toxic.” This word sounds dangerous and thus facilitates feelings of fear or at least something of negativity. Toxicity is the degree to which a substance can damage an organism. This is the definition from Wikipedia. Toxicity or rather the study

Corn would not be here today or in the form we have it today if it weren’t for the humans that bred it year after year to increase kernel production. of toxicity, toxicology, has many facets that need to be understood before labeling something officially toxic.

Toxins are all dose dependent, as well as dependent on the organism that is being affected. For example, water can lead to a toxic effect called water intoxication when taken in too high a dose.

A high dose of water in an adult human male is going to be a different final amount to cause intoxication than in a small child. In other words, the dose makes the poison. This is the case for anything we put in or on our bodies.

Let’s move back to the topic of food and biotechnology. What is biotechnology? According to Wikipedia biotechnology is the use of living systems and organisms to develop or make products, or “any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use”.

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Many agricultural plants that we grow in fields today fit the broad definition of “utilizing a biological system to make products”. Corn would not be here today or in the form we have it today if it weren’t for the humans that bred it year after year to increase kernel production.

Corn started from a wild grass called teosinte. Teosinte had only about 5 to 12 kernels, each sealed tightly in a stony casing scattered on each plant but were nothing like the kernels on the ear of corn today. The teosinte kernel can survive the digestive tracks of birds and grazing mammals, enabling the seed to be easily dispersed.

Corn requires humans

Corn or Maize has 500 or more kernels, each of which is attached to the central axis of the ear or cob. The kernels are naked without adequate protection from predation and are easily digested by any animal that consumes them. Since the kernels are firmly attached to the cob and the ear does not disarticulate, a maize ear left on the plant will eventually fall to ground with its full suite of kernels. When hundreds of maize kernels germinate the next season so close to one another, the emerging plants are unable to obtain adequate light and soil to grow and reproduce. Thus, maize is completely dependent on humans for its survival.

Maize was domesticated about 6,000 years ago. As one can see, this process of breeding desired traits together to achieve a plant with the desired traits can be a long arduous process. Biotechnology has allowed us to bring in certain desired traits that are desirable for growers of the crop.

A biotech crop typically takes about 10 years before it is something that is approved and used by farmers. There are many regulations and tests the plant must pass before it can be released. In order to introduce a genetically modified crop in to the food supply, they have to be proven to be nutritionally indistinguishable from their nonGMO counterparts.

GMOs for diabetics

There are a fair number of biased movies and plenty of reading material that focus on the “dangers” of GMO’s.

This technology is not all bad though.

Did you know that the first GMO approved by the FDA in the United States was Humulin? If you are diabetic I am sure you know what Humulin is. If not, Humulin is insulin produced by genetically engineered E. coli bacteria.

Prior to Humulin, the production of insulin was relied upon by pigs…..yep!

Let’s now address the topic of organic food and conventionally raised food. Much of the population is under the assumption that pesticides are only something conventional farmers use.

They are also under the assumption that pesticides do not touch their organic produce. Each of these are false.

Organic farming still uses pesticides and fungicides to prevent the destruction of their crops. So what makes it organic you might ask?

A “USDA Organic” or “Certified Organic” seal on your food means the item must have an ingredients list and the contents should be 95% or more certified organic, meaning free of synthetic additives like pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and dyes, and must not be processed using industrial solvents, irradiation, or genetic engineering, according to the USDA. The remaining 5% may only be foods or processed

The first GMO approved by the FDA in the United States was Humulin, which is insulin produced by genetically engineered E. coli bacteria. Prior to Humulin, the production of insulin was done by pigs. with additives on an approved list.

Notice the word synthetic. What makes organic farming different is not the use of pesticides, it’s the origin of the pesticides used. Organic pesticides are those that are derived from natural sources and processed lightly if at all before use. This is different than the current pesticides used by conventional agriculture, which are generally synthetic. It has been assumed for years that pesticides that occur naturally are somehow better for us and the environment than those that have been created by man. As more research is done into their toxicity, however, this simply isn’t true, either. Many natural pesticides have been found to have potential – or serious – health risks.

Be leery of marketing

To conclude, it is clear that biotechnology has brought improvements to our daily lives and consumers should be leery of marketing campaigns and jargon used to lure them to buy organic or otherwise. Each product used should be evaluated on a case by case basis and one might find themselves with a healthy mix of conventionally raised or synthetic products and organic products in their home. One may also consider the origin of where the food was grown ... but that’s a topic for another discussion.

Leslie Apa has a bachelor’s of science degree in plant biotechnology and a master’s of science degree in biological risk assessment from Montana State University at Bozeman.

Get the Facts The use of genetically modified (GM) ingredients is not only safe for people and our planet, but also has a number of important benefits.

GMOs Are Safe

Many of the most influential regulatory agencies and organizations that study the safety of the food supply, including the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization, have found genetically modified food ingredients are safe and there are no negative health effects associated with their use.

GMOs Are Not New

GM technology has been around for the past 20 years, and today, 70-80% of the foods we eat in the United States, both at home and away from home, contain genetically modified ingredients.

Keeping Food Affordable

Ingredients grown using GM technology require fewer pesticides, less water and keep production costs down. In fact, GM technology helps reduce the price of crops used for food, such as corn, soybeans and sugar beets by as much as 15-30%.

Protecting Environment

GM technology allows farmers to use fewer chemicals. It also helps them utilize more environmentally friendly planting techniques that cut down on soil erosion, greenhouse gas emissions and water use.

World’s Hungry

One in eight people among the world’s growing population of seven billion do not have enough to eat.

Safe and effective methods of food production, like crops produced through GM technology, can help us feed the hungry and malnourished in developing nations.

Source: The Grocery Manufacturers Association project online at www.factsaboutgmos.org

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Summer Fun Downtown June 25 Dustin Evans and Good Times July 2 Crash Wagon July 9 David Gerald Band July 16 52nd Street/Captain Fantastic July 23 Mustang Sally July 30 Dogs Without Sweaters Aug 6 The Kentucky HeadHunters Aug 13 Free Fallin Aug 20 Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts Aug 27 Midnight Sun Sept 3 Judd Hoos Sept 10 Girls Guns and Glory

Spearfish Downtown Friday Nights 6-9pm June 12 Chancey Williams & The Younger Brothers June 19 32 Below June 26 SGT Rock July 3 The Broken Spokes July 10 The Suspects July17 Corvette Show & Shine: Walt Keys & Unfinished Business July 24 The Outer Vibe

July 31 Brulé Aug 7 Brian Grilli Aug 14 Judd Hoos Aug 21 The Lonely Ranger with Kenny Putnam Aug 28 The Bottle Tops Sept 4 Blue Street

Rapid City Main Street Square - Thursdays 6-9pm June 11 NashVegas All Stars June 18 Glenn Miller Orchestra

Belle Fourche Hometown Nights - Thursdays 6-9pm June 11 Chancey Williams & The Younger Brothers June 18 TBA June 25 SGT Rock July 9 The Abbey Road Band July 16 HWY 85 July 23 The Broken Spokes July 30 Cimarron Aug 6 Ruckus Aug 13 Brandon Jones & Thirsty Fish Aug 20 CrashWagon

Advertisers Index Akela Spa of Deadwood................................................... 2 Base Camp..................................................................... 31 Bay Leaf Café................................................................... 2 Black Hills Milk Tasty Super Foods.................................. 7 Black Hills Rally Rentals................................................... 5 Black Hills Vacation Homes.............................................. 5 Chicken Creek Communications....................................... 3 Dana Dental Arts.............................................................. 4 David M. Dorsett Home.................................................. 11 Dorcie Johner – ReMax.................................................... 5 EcoWorks......................................................................... 7 Flavor Days.................................................................... 22 Good Earth Natural Foods.............................................. 31 HealthSource Chiropractic & Progressive Rehab........... 14 Howell Ranch Powderville Pork....................................... 7

Jade Palace China Buffet................................................ 31 Jeff the Handyman Can.................................................... 2 Leone’s Creamery.......................................................... 31 Level Wine Bar............................................................... 31 Live Well Black Hills....................................................... 21 Loyal Blocks................................................................... 23 Mack’s Auto Body............................................................ 2 Nehl Dental...................................................................... 9 NuWeight....................................................................... 19 Pink 629......................................................................... 31 Regional Health................................................ Back Cover Spearfish Community Coalition...................................... 27 Spearfish Rec & Aquatic Center..................................... 25 Superior Auto Service.................................................... 27 Yoli the Better Body Company – Sammie Kephart............ 7

30 Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015 | www.BHLivingWell.com

www.BHLivingWell.com | Black Hills Living Well Summer/Fall 2015

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