Swm march 2016 for issuu

COVER

March 2016

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Health & Wellness

March 2016

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March C O N T E N T S

Letter from the Editor.............................................................. 6

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Past SWM Events...................................................................... 7 Fashion Forward: Does Size Matter?..................................... 8 Special Section: Spring Collection...................................... 10

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Platter Chatter: Greenwood Bistro..................................... 14 Busy Woman’s Guide: How to Work from Home ............ 16 WISE Woman: Joan Sardino................................................ 19 Special Feature: Syracuse Reads......................................... 20

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Cover Story: Irum Tahir ........................................................ 25 In Her Own Words: Stefanie Heath-Higgins ..................... 32 Healthy Woman: The Art of the Unapology ..................... 36

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New in the ‘Cuse: Inksmen Tattoo Co................................ 38 For a Good Cause: My Lucky Tummy ................................ 40 SW Inspire: Reina Apraez..................................................... 42 SW Inspire: Sam Rudolph..................................................... 44

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SW Inspire: Cheryl Vitaletti................................................... 46 Upcoming Events.................................................................. 50

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LETTER from the Editor

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o help get us all through the long – albeit light – Syracuse winter, we bring you the health and wellness issue. Coming off last month’s Go Red magazine, we focused this edition more on the “wellness” of health and wellness. In February, we talked about more traditional clinical issues, like the importance of well-woman visits and a low-sodium diet. March brings a more holistic approach.

It’s my belief that true health requires a balance of the two.

Our cover woman is local chiropractor, business owner and motivational speaker Irum Tahir. Irum has done everything from founding the successful High Point Chiropractic Wellness to speaking at the White House in 2011 to delivering a TED Talk this past November. But the path was not always clear for Irum, nor was it easy. She combated illness, doubt and family tragedy to achieve all she has today.

One of this month’s Inspires takes us into the sector of public health with a profile on the Syracuse City School District’s health services supervisor Cheryl Vitaletti. She discusses two topics of which she’s particularly proud: the eight school-based health centers offering students and staff a dental professional, mental health counselor and nutritionist, and her dedicated staff of nurses.

For a Good Cause and a second Inspire address the topic of community health.

This month, we highlighted the community dinner series My Lucky Tummy. Twice a year, the organization works closely with local refugees and New Americans to create a fivecourse dinner of multinational foods, giving those people an opportunity to preserve their culture and share it with the Syracuse community.

The Inspire features Syracuse Real Food Co-op’s Reina Apraez. Reina is spearheading The Co-op Share program, a CSA-type program aimed at making sustainable produce available to all geographic areas and economic levels of Syracuse.

To me, physical health and psychological wellness come hand-in-hand. Color me hippie, but I do firmly believe in balance. I take my daily vitamins. For the most part, I eat a good variety of nutritious foods. I drink copious amounts of tea. If I start to feel sick or overwhelmed, I listen to my body. And I exercise, which in my opinion is of utmost importance to both my mental and physical health.

For me, hitting the gym at least five times a week keeps me going. Growing up, I was never a runner. I only ran if chased. However, when my younger brother started track in high school and I saw how rewarding it was for him, I gave it a try. At first, it was taxing.

The shin splints killed. I couldn’t get the breathing down right. I probably resembled a drunken antelope. But I’m not one to give up easily.

Now running is daily mental sanctuary that helps to keep me physically fit and mentally strong. Not to say that I look any less like that antelope and don’t occasionally want to say, “Forget it, I’m getting a cheeseburger,” but once I get going, those two or three miles are often the best part of my day.

So my advice this month is to find your balance – find your “run” – and let it guide you into spring.

Lorna P.S. – Returning for a minute to the idea of community: I would like to take a moment to remind everyone that the deadline to register to vote in the New York State primaries is Friday, March 25.

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OUR TEAM CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

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Editor

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Design

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Photography

Cindy Bell Hillary Bissell Alexis Emm Hillary Marie Photography Gerard H. Gaskin Steven J. Pallone Alice G. Patterson Chris Szulwach Jamie Young

Nicole Caldwell Ashley M. Casey Stefanie HeathHiggins Kate D. Mahoney Lorna Oppedisano Gabrielle Reagan Ann Marie Stonecypher Katie TastromFenton Lindsay Wickham

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Unlike any other publication in the Syracuse area, our feature articles address major topics that interest local women. Each issue includes articles on health, fashion, fitness, finance, home matters, dining, lifestyle and personal perspectives, as well as a spotlight on local Syracuse women. Ads are due on the 15th of the month prior to publication.

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PAST SWM Events

e celebrated our fifth anniversary on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at the Genesee Grande Hotel. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all those who attended the party. The turnout was spectacular. We could not possibly be where we are today without you.

Admission to the party was free with a donation to local nonprofit Sarah’s Guest House. We were blown away by the response. The final tally was: 8 containers of detergent, 4 containers of fabric softener, 4 containers of dish soap, 300 Ziploc storage bags, 250 garbage bags, 13 light bulbs, 6 boxes of tissues, 70 coffee pods, 82 rolls of paper towels, 58 rolls of toilet paper, 8 gift cards, 40 stamps, 16 food storage containers and $220. Wow! Lastly, we’d like to extend a special thank you to local photographer Alexis Emm for capturing moments and memories at our celebration.

To view more of her work, visit alexisemmphotograffi.com.

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FASHION FORWARD Does Size Matter?

By Ann Marie Stonecypher

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his just in: Size doesn’t matter.

We’ve all been there: you’re standing in the dressing room, staring at three of yourselves in three full-length mirrors, trying on that perfect something in “your size” and alas, it doesn’t fit. But it is your size. It’s the size you walked in wearing. You have a closet full of this size. Something nefarious is certainly afoot and it seems we may have to question everything, but first: Who is responsible for this numerical nonsense?

I hate to throw anyone under the limo, but clothing manufacturers have been playing fast and loose with these numbers since the conception of “sizes.” In the ’30s, the Sears Catalog equated a 32-inch bust to a size 14, but then whittled it down to a size 8 in the ’60s. That same person is a size 0 now.

Huh? The way clothing is manufactured also has a hand in this confusion. Did you ever try to buy one style in several colors, only to find that they didn’t all fit the same way? That is because inexpensively-made clothes are cut in large quantities at the same time, creating inconsistencies in each garment. Typically, the more expensive the garment, the more time and care was put into creating it.

It’s a Numbers Game

So why all the different types of sizes? There are letters and numbers, evens and odds.

The even numbers, usually ranging from sizes 0 to 20, designate misses sizes and are cut for a woman’s figure, meaning some curves.

Clothes with odd numbers, typically sizes 1 to 13, are junior sizes and are cut more narrowly through the bust and hips. Then there are specialty sizes like petite, tall, curvy and plus.

And wait, let’s not forget the mega-mystifying S-M-L-XL designation. These most often show up on knits or stretchy clothing, but the size range covered still varies from manufacturer to 8

manufacturer. One company may consider a small to be sizes 2 to 4, a medium sizes 6 to 8 and a large sizes 10 to 12, while another manufacturer starts at size 0, and then the numbers are all off.

Let’s not forget the greatest of all sizing injustices: bridal wear.

If any of you have purchased a wedding dress in the last century, you know there is an absurd algorithm employed to create these dress sizes. It breaks down to something along the lines of multiplying your real size by three and then subtracting two. I understand it actually has roots in sizing created during World War II. My suggestion is to file it with everything else from that era, and come up with a more realistic system that isn’t so startling to the newly betrothed.

You really need to try on clothes to find the perfect fit, and take a few sizes into the dressing room with you to save time and your sanity. And a tip on ordering from catalogs: always check the size chart for an accurate fit and make sure you know your bust, waist and hip measurements.

It’s not you, it’s them

I always talk about fit. It’s the one thing that can make an expensive item look like something out of Peg Bundy’s closet.

Don’t get hung up on the numbers; the manufacturers and designers seem to treat them with the kind of whimsy usually associated with naming ice cream flavors. It’s not you; it’s them. So buy what fits and makes you look fabulous.

The bottom line is no one can see the size but you, and what really matters is how the clothing makes you look and feel. So don’t let those dubious digits get you down. Much like your age, they are just a number.

Ann Marie Stonecypher is an award-winning business woman and the owner of AMS Models & Talent. She is also a stylist, inspirational speaker, two-time breast cancer survivor and freelance writer. She lives in the Syracuse area with her children Taylor and Steven, and her dog Cocoa. If you have any style questions or comments, email Ann Marie at info@amsmodels.com.

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SPECIAL SECTION Spring Collection

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PLATTER CHATTER Greenwood Bistro

ROBYN BOMBARD

GREENWOOD WINERY MARKETING MANAGER

Photography courtesy of Chris Szulwach

It’s wine country in the city — classic American with a bistro twist.”

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Health & Wellness

Greenwood Bistro: Not just a winery anymore

By Gabrielle Reagan

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revamped farmhouse with high ceilings, exposed brick and gothic chandeliers cradling Edison bulbs, the bistro at Greenwood Winery embodies an ideal marriage between city and country, only four miles from the heart of Syracuse.

“It’s wine country in the city – classic American with a bistro twist,” restaurant and marketing manager Robyn Bombard said.

Opened in September 2014, one year after Manlius entrepreneur Tom Greenwood opened the winery just next door, the 3,000-square foot bistro features two dining rooms, a full bar and a private room for large parties. Serving lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, the team at Greenwood’s bistro creates dishes from as many locally-sourced elements as they can.

“We use fresh, real local New York ingredients whenever possible,” bar manager Marci Vandeveer said. For fresh fare, try the bistro’s kabobs of marinated chicken and assorted garden vegetables, served on a bed of field greens.

Many of the bistro’s ingredients are harvested right outside its doors from the tiny farm plot adjacent to the tasting room.

The garden grows potatoes and garlic in the winter, and lettuce, scallions and herbs in the summer.

“As a team, we are focused on seasonal ingredients,” Robyn said.

“Our goal is to grow things ourselves.”

The 65-acre farm just down the street supplies the restaurant with chickens, ducks, berries and beef cattle, and the winery’s vineyard offers deep reds and crisp whites.

The bistro’s wine flights provide an option to sample up to four wines for less than $10. Try pairing a flight with a salad or soup, a charcuterie and cheese platter, a flatbread or maybe the wine country chicken, a dish of farm-raised chicken, pan-seared with pancetta and red grapes, and topped with New York State goat cheese and balsamic glaze.

The menu is slated to change four times a year, but Tom’s threecheese grilled cheese with bacon, tomato and homemade hot mustard on panini and bistro chicken cheddar soup with jalapeno are just two of many staples, the latter made entirely from scratch.

Open six days a week, the team at the bistro hopes their restaurant will serve as a go-to lunch spot for folks in the nearby office parks, neighborhoods and more than a dozen hotels within a three-mile radius.

Beside the bistro, Greenwood’s tasting room and market offer guests an opportunity to purchase Greenwood wine and merchandise, wine-related retail and other unique gifts and products, 90 percent of which are made in Central New York. A few options include maple syrup from Endicott, honey from just outside Morrisville, Saranac sodas and 1,000 Islands River Rat and Lively Run goat farm cheeses.

Greenwood’s bistro events include live music every Friday, dinner theatre and mixers. The spring schedule of events is set to include pop-up bar classes, pampered weekends of vendors, drink specials and a masseuse, and Vinyasa in the Vines, a weekly yoga class led inside Greenwood’s heated pavilion with a front-row view of the vines.

Whether you drop by for lunch or dinner with friends, one of the upcoming events or a tour of the tasting room, this Syracuse destination is truly a place where quality and access meet.

“We aren’t trying to be the best restaurant,” Robyn said.

“We are trying to be a favorite. A comfortable, casual place people count on.” SWM

Greenwood Winery & Bistro is located at 6475 Collamer Road in East Syracuse. The bistro side is open from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11:30 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

For more information, visit greenwoodwinery.com or call 299-4030.

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BUSY WOMAN’S GUIDE How to do Your Home Work

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Health & Wellness

How to do Your Home Work

By Nicole Caldwell

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orking from home conjures up images of kicking back in your robe, dogs lying across your feet, tapping away lazily at your computer as the money just piles up in your bank account.

I made the switch to working from home in 2009 when I ditched Manhattan’s cubicle culture in favor of running a farm in the Thousand Islands Region of New York. When I arrived in Redwood, taking a full-time desk job away from the farm wouldn’t allow me time to get my new business up and running. As a professional journalist, I had some clout in the industry so I started loading up on freelance gigs from home to make ends meet and to flex my writing muscles. Work came from all over the place and added up in differing increments, from blog posts written for “exposure” alone all the way up the ladder to high-paying articles for major magazines.

To ensure I had a steady income that would pay my bills like student loans, car payments, insurance, etc., I had to track my deadlines, income levels, research for each project, writing time… all while figuring out how to make my burgeoning farm successful.

I’ve learned a lot in the almost-seven years since. That education has allowed me to now have a great full-time writing job, which I do from home, while also giving me the flexibility I needed to be able to oversee my now-staffed farm.

Whether you’re freelancing and working multiple projects at once, or working one job full-time from the comfort of your own home, these tips apply to you.

1. Keep a calendar

I’m old-school and have a day planner that I use actual ink to fill in.

It goes everywhere with me; so even if I’m driving or traveling away from my computer, I can keep track of important meetings and deadlines, and have the full year ahead in front of me. I don’t have to go through my phone to find it – though I do have a virtual copy – everything is right there in front of me.

2. Come up with a schedule, and keep it

We’ve all got our routines, and people who work from home are no different. Sure, we may not have to get dressed in business casual attire before starting our day, but we do all need to figure out how we work best. If you work from home, you probably have a little more flexibility in this department. If you’re most creative at night, for example, you can work ahead for the next day; or if mornings are your most productive, you can be sure to hammer out the most difficult tasks before 10 a.m.

3. Take advantage of being at home

When you’re tied to a desk job, you often don’t get up and move your blood regularly. Too many people sit for hours and hours on end. But if you work from home, you can complete a project and then get up, walk outside, do a tiny task around the house and clear your head. These quick breaks can totally energize you for the next item on the schedule.

4. Ditch social media

Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter will eat your day up and you won’t be nearly as productive. Don’t allow social media to distract you from what you’re doing. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas or need a quick distraction, see #3.

5. Make sure your friends and family understand your schedule When you work from home, people around you have a tendency to take your schedule less seriously. If they know you’re at your house, they’re liable to stop in, call or otherwise distract you.

Make it very clear to them that just because you’re at home, doesn’t mean you’re not working. Don’t allow these distractions to hinder your productivity!

6. Have great communication with your points of contact

The biggest concern of employers is a remote employee not meeting deadlines or working continuously throughout the day. So ask questions when you have them, schedule regular check-ins, turn things in early and be on top of your game.

7. Demonstrate self-discipline… or get to the office

The most difficult part of working from home is proper management of time. There’s an absurdly high percentage of people who simply can’t self-manage. These people should not work from home. It’s a recipe for disaster. So either figure out a way to structure your day so you can complete the tasks at hand, or get out of the game.

8. Be good to yourself

Every time you complete some part of your day, reward yourself.

Spend 10 minutes meditating, doing yoga or taking a stroll.

Sometimes working from home means working far more hours than your co-workers. While that’s great for your portfolio, it will make you miserable. So know when to shut the computer off, convene with friends, binge-watch Netflix or spend some time in the garden.

A balanced, varied life is a happy one. SWM Nicole Caldwell is CEO and co-founder of Better Farm, a 65-acre sustainability campus, organic farm and artists’ colony serving as a blueprint for environmentally conscious living. She also works as a professional writer and editor; her work has been featured on Thrillist, Martha Stewart Living, Reader’s Digest, Mother Earth News and many others. Her first book, “Better: The Everyday Art of Sustainable Living,” came out last summer.

For more information, visit nicolecaldwellwrites.com. To learn more about Better Farm, visit betterfarm.org.

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WISE WOMAN Joan Sardino

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SPECIAL FEATURE Syracuse Reads Book Review

Harriet Brown’s “Body of Truth”

By Katie Tastrom-Fenton

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eing fat doesn’t necessarily mean being unhealthy. Though it may sound controversial, local author and Syracuse University professor Harriet Brown lays out a sound scientific basis for this idea in her work Body of Truth. In the work, Harriet makes an incredibly persuasive case for the idea that America’s obsession with weight and fear of being “fat” is much more unhealthy and dangerous than obesity itself.

She bases her arguments in Body of Truth on a few sources: her experiences teaching a body diversity class at SU; scientific studies; her daughter’s own struggles with anorexia, which she detailed in her previous book Brave Girl Eating; and being a woman in a society that demands compliance with body norms and teaches women to bond over hatred of their own bodies. Body of Truth looks at the different forces that shape the obsession with weight and separates fact from fiction when it comes to the science behind weight.

What may surprise readers new to this subject is that being overweight or even obese does not necessarily equate to being unhealthy. In fact, Harriet finds extensive scientific research supporting the idea that the lowest mortality rates are in those labeled overweight by the body mass index.

Furthermore, there is also ample evidence that dieting is futile at best, and often seems to actually lead to eventual weight gain.

I was really impressed with how well-written Body of Truth is, especially considering the complexity of the subject matter. Even though the book is full of scientific studies, it’s still an interesting page-turner; I could even see someone finishing it in one sitting. However, that might not be the best idea. There’s so much information packed in there that you’d need time for all the facts to sink in, especially if you’re new to the topic.

Body of Truth is for everyone affected by the media and diet industry advertising... in other words, all of us.

Syracuse Woman Magazine writer Katie Tastrom-Fenton recently sat down with local author and professor Harriet Brown to discuss Harriet’s new work.

SWM: Your book is full of scientific studies challenging the common ideas that being fat means being unhealthy and that people should always be trying to lose weight. Tell me more about this.

Harriet: It is taken for granted by our culture that the pursuit of thinness is healthy and that people should always be dieting.

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However, there are a lot of scientific studies that refute this idea.

Even some of the scientists I talked to whose studies found that being overweight can actually be protective for some people with some diseases still recommend weight loss. In fact, we know that long-term weight loss is almost never sustained and that weight cycling is dangerous to both physical and psychological health.

SWM: In your book, you mention that this topic can elicit surprisingly vitriolic comments from others. Have you received any kind of feedback like this?

Harriet: Yes, I have. I have had people send me horrible emails.

It’s really hard for people to question something they’ve had ingrained in them from birth. It is such a paradigm shift to move away from the idea that fat is always unhealthy that people tend to feel threatened. There is something about this issue that makes people especially inflamed since so many people are so invested in either maintaining their own thin privilege, or feel like they have put everything into their goal of losing weight and don’t want to believe that that may not be as healthy or fruitful as they thought.

SWM: You teach a class on body diversity at Syracuse University. What are some of the biggest takeaways you want students to get from that class?

Harriet: I want my students to be able to understand nuance, and that something that may be healthy for one person may not be healthy for another. I also want them to question the messages they get about weight and fat, and not take everything they hear as gospel. I want them to be able to look at media critically and understand that some people make a lot of money from diet culture.

SWM: Let’s talk about the word “fat.”

Harriet: “Fat” is such a loaded word in our culture. One of the things I do in my body diversity class is to get my students to get used to saying that word. Fat isn’t a bad word; it is a neutral descriptor. Everyone has fat on their bodies. It is the societal connotations about being fat that make it an insult, such as that fat people are lazy or not smart. Throughout the semester, I see my students become more comfortable with the word and the idea behind reclaiming it. Of course, we also talk about how many people may find it insulting if you call them fat, and to make sure to respect how people identify. SWM

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Local Cars. Local Dealers.

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Search for Cars in Your AREA. Buying a New or Used Car? 1,000’s to choose from!

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COVER STORY Irum Tahir

IRUM TAHIR

HIGH POINT CHIROPRACTIC WELLNESS

PRESIDENT AND CEO

Photography courtesy of Chris Szulwach

My parents have always emphasized that you need to help heal humanity.

You need to help change as many lives as you can.”

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COVER STORY Irum Tahir

Choose Your Own Adventure

Dr. Irum Tahir is living proof that you can change your destiny

By Ashley M. Casey

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alking into High Point Chiropractic Wellness is a lot like walking into a good friend’s home. Soft lighting warms the earthy tones of the revamped house on West Genesee Street, and natural elements abound, from the sleek hardwood floors to the various plants that adorn the waiting room. The cozy scent of cinnamon lingers as patients settle by the fireplace while waiting to be seen. “Life is a special occasion,” reads one of many inspirational sayings collaged on the walls.

It’s no coincidence that Dr. Irum Tahir’s waiting room feels a lot like your own living room. She’s thoughtfully chosen each component of her spacious office to put both patients and staff at ease.

“My mom is so loving. Whenever you come home, you’re loved. That’s how I want my patients to feel,” Irum said, her warm smile and sunny demeanor radiating a friendly energy.

In addition to her thriving practice, Irum’s list of accolades is always growing. In 2013, Empact100 and the Kauffman Foundation named High Point one of its top 100 businesses run by someone younger than 30; the Obama Administration invited Irum to speak at the White House in 2011; and she delivered a TED Talk in November. Vivacious and healthy, the ambitious chiropractor is also growing her brand as a business consultant and motivational speaker.

At a glance, it would seem the good doctor has it all, but it wasn’t always that way. Irum battled her way up from rock bottom — through illness, doubt and even the passing of her younger sister — to get where she is today.

“What are you going to do?”

Born in Kenya to parents of Pakistani descent, Irum has been a seasoned globetrotter from a young age. Her father, a physician who now works with holistic medicine in Irum’s practice, often had his wife and children in tow as he traveled the world for his job. Some of the people Irum’s father helped lived in extreme poverty.

“That made us a little more sensitive to people,” Irum recalled.

Her parents fulfilled their dream of moving to the United States, which they saw as a land of opportunity for their girls.

“I think that’s what America signified to a lot of people in the ’80s and ’90s,” Irum said.

The family moved to Brooklyn and later to Hammondsport, a small town in the Finger Lakes. Irum’s parents stressed the importance of education and encouraged their daughter to use her talents to make the world a better place.

“My parents have always emphasized that you need to help heal humanity. You need to help change as many lives as you can,” she said. “Growing up, my dad always said, ‘You’re very

special. You’re so unique. Now what are you going to do with that?’”

Irum’s dream was to become a doctor like her father, and she worked hard at Binghamton University to prepare for medical school.

“They had fostered me to go to medical school. I loved science.

I loved taking care of people,” she said, adding: “I learned a lot of how to be a doctor from my dad. The kind of care he gives is excellent.”

Growing up, Irum saw pharmaceutical company representatives hawking their wares to her father; as a young adult, she realized that the focus on medication was letting some patients fall through the cracks. When she took an internship with a chiropractor, she began to question the approach of traditional Western medicine.

“There’s definitely a place for medicines — obviously, we need it,” Irum conceded. “Unfortunately, a lot of chronic conditions fall by the wayside in Western medicine. I just don’t see a lot of development with [chronic care].”

At that internship, Irum saw the chiropractor heal his patients’ ailments with simple adjustments. It was a turning point for her. She decided not to go to medical school as her parents wanted, but to go to New York Chiropractic College.

Chiropractic came into her life at a time when she was unsure of her future path, she explained. She was drawn to the versatility in the field; some chiropractors tailor their practice to pregnant women, while others care for athletes or focus on the elderly.

“It seemed like there was so much opportunity to it,” Irum said.

She also delighted in the chiropractic philosophy that people already have the potential to heal within themselves.

“I really believe in the natural ability of the body to heal itself,” she said.

Irum’s journey was a difficult one. Her family, unfamiliar with the tenets of chiropractic, decried her decision to forgo medical school.

“It was very challenging. I felt like I had really disappointed my parents,” she recalled. “I knew they sacrificed everything for us, so knowing that I had disappointed them was crushing.”

In her first term at NYCC, Irum was buckling under the strain of her intense course load and a long-distance relationship.

She had few friends and her health declined.

“It was a time I definitely felt very alone,” Irum reminiscied.

“I didn’t have a good support system. There’s something to be said about a good support system.”

Once a straight-A student, Irum nearly failed out.

Her professors asked her: “Are you really sure you want to be here?” continued on page 28

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Photography courtesy of Chris Szulwach

COVER STORY Irum Tahir

Choose Your Own Adventure continued from page 26

A leap of faith

Peak potential

Despite the doubts that surrounded her, “something kept pulling me forward,” Irum said. She brought her grades up and made it through the three-year program at NYCC. Upon graduation, she rented office space from an established chiropractor in Syracuse.

Finally, things were looking up for Irum. Her practice flourished and she moved to an office in Onondaga Hill. As she built her business, she was a one-woman show.

“I was the billing specialist, the receptionist, sometimes the janitor,” she said.

She eventually brought an associate on, but with the practice growing exponentially, Irum once again took a hit.

“I was so burnt out, like a lot of women,” she said.

Then she was bitten by a worm on Onondaga Lake and developed mysterious symptoms. She ended up in the emergency room, unable to breathe or swallow. Exhausted and bedridden, Irum struggled to find out what ailed her.

“I know what it’s like to be in the medical system and not getting answers,” she said. “Nobody could help me. I had to help myself.”

Dissatisfied with the response she was getting from traditional medicine, and feeling like a prisoner in her own body, Irum turned to alternative measures once again. A regimen of chiropractic, massage and acupuncture put her on the path to healing. It was nearly a year before she felt like herself again, she said.

Irum’s illness wasn’t the only thing that plagued her. In February 2013, her 27-year-old sister Nadia died in a tragic accident.

Irum calls Nadia’s death “the most challenging thing” she’s ever experienced.

“I wasn’t myself. I was just numb,” she said. “I was in a bad place. I wanted to sit there, drinking tea and petting my cat.”

Despite the profound pain of losing her sister, Irum realized that just as chiropractic teaches that the body can heal itself, she had the power to bring her life back into focus.

“It really made me realize that life is precious,” she said.

“We get to decide to be happy, to be successful, to be at peace — or not.”

That fall, Irum was determined to find a new home for High Point, which continued to grow. She battled with her landlords, who wanted her to buy the office she was renting.

So she consulted a real estate agent, and together they combed through a collection of rental properties in strip malls and medical centers. Then a converted home on West Genesee Street caught Irum’s eye, with its oak trim and fireplaces. It needed renovations, but Irum fell in love.

“I wanted something that was like a home,” she said.

When her landlords refused to renew her lease, Irum decided to purchase the house. “It was taking such a huge leap of faith.

It was kind of crazy.”

According to Irum, a person becomes the “average” of the five people with whom they spend the most time, mirroring their values and their vices or their successes and their failures.

“If you don’t like the way your life looks, look at the people around you,” she said.

Irum has put that philosophy into practice at High Point, handpicking her fellow practitioners and the office staff.

When it comes to choosing new hires, the whole team works together, putting out the energy and values they want to attract in their new colleagues.

“The people you hire need to understand your mission and why you’re doing what you’re doing,” she said. “It’s your values.”

Each morning, the High Point family holds a team meeting and declares their intentions for the day. Irum is a fan of empowering “I am” statements.

“Whatever you say after it is true,” she explained.

She also consults her “Law of Attraction” cards to set the tone for what she needs to work on that day. Irum maintains a routine of meditation, regular exercise, hydration and twiceweekly chiropractic sessions to stay healthy.

“I just choose to be at peak potential,” she said. “Every time [you] do something positive for your body, it’s like putting money into a bank account. Bad things happen – you have to make a withdrawal. If you don’t have anything in that savings account, you’ll go into a negative [balance].”

Her empowered attitude extends to her patients, so they can learn to “take charge of their own health instead of letting their health crumble,” she explained.

“I always tell my patients, ‘I’m not healing you, you’re healing you,’” she said. “Chiropractic unlocks that.”

Irum wants people to “re-train” their brains out of the negative thought patterns that prevent them from taking chances and play on their insecurities. According to Irum, resources such as time, money and good health aren’t necessarily in short supply, but they are precious.

“Precious is ‘Oh, I have this and I get to do whatever I want with it,’” she said. “Life is not happening to you. You are creating your life.”

Weeding out these “limiting beliefs” will help people reach their full potential.

“We are in charge of our own reality,” Irum said. “It’s up to us to catch these thoughts.”

Irum’s goals are loftier than just healing the ailments of Central New Yorkers. She wants High Point to become a training center for budding chiropractors. Many NYCC students work with Irum, learning not only how to be a chiropractor, but how to be an entrepreneur. Someday, she’d like to open more branches of the practice, possibly in other states or even other countries. She also dreams of opening a retreat center in the Bahamas.

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Health & Wellness

Photography courtesy of Chris Szulwach

“I would want the platform to get bigger and express these beliefs with love and empowerment,” she said. “People need to know that they can change their destiny.”

Since she dreams of sharing her expertise on a grand scale, Irum is building the foundation of her career through speaking engagements, writing and professional development within the world of chiropractic. She sits on the board of the World Congress of Women Chiropractors and is district president of the Syracuse-area chapter of the New York Chiropractic Council.

“I want to inspire women who are entrepreneurs,” she said.

“Maybe they are struggling through the same things.”

High ambitions for High Point aside, Irum says when it comes to her own life, she keeps her busy schedule not balanced, but harmonious.

“Harmony is movement; balance is just stagnation,” she explained. “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.”

Despite her emphasis on growth, Irum says she’s working on being “emotionally aware.” She doesn’t want to spend her life constantly chasing after something.

“There’s so much to be said about being present,” she said.

“The gold is actually in the journey, not just the goal itself.” SWM

To learn more about Irum and High Point Chiropractic Wellness, visit highpointsyracuse.com or follow High Point on Facebook at facebook.com/highpointchiropracticwellness. To see Irum’s TED Talk, visit youtube.com/watch?v=Fom14XGMFHA. Hair and makeup courtesy Merzenet Mossotti from Matthews Salon Spa.

March 2016

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Bryant & Stratton College

& THEN YOU DISCOVERED HELPING OTHERS

By Maria Scalise

I

magine having a career in an industry that is currently experiencing significant growth, where your passion for helping others can make a positive difference in people’s lives every day. That industry is healthcare!

For 160 years, Bryant & Stratton College has been preparing students for career success. They offer a variety of programs for those who have discovered that the healthcare field is their true calling. Students have the opportunity to attend for 2 semesters (fulltime) and earn a Medical Office Assistant Diploma that enables them to work as medical receptionists and office assistants.

An Associate Degree in Medical Administrative Assistant and Medical Assisting which can be completed in two years or less.

Medical Assistants are multi-skilled health professionals specifically educated to work in ambulatory settings performing administrative or clinical duties.

The College was proud to introduce the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Associate Degree Program in May of 2015.

US News and World Report recently issued their “Best Of” jobs for 2016. The Occupational Therapy Assistant was ranked #1 under the category of “Best Health Care Support Jobs” as well as #25 under the “100 Best Jobs”. “The OTA program prepares students as entry-level practitioners, giving them the knowledge and skills necessary to enter into this demanding workforce and work with diverse populations, from babies in the neonatal intensive care unit to elderly adults” states, Dr. John Patro OTA Program Director.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment growth in healthcare will be quicker than the average for all jobs by 2024.

There are a lot of reasons Bryant & Stratton College is the right place to get your education. From the personal attention you receive from instructors that stay after class to make sure you are on the right track, to how we prepare you for a lifetime of success.

Classes are designed to fit your life. Take day, evening, or online classes so you can earn your education in a way that fits your life.

Some campuses even offer weekend classes.

The internship experience for campus-based students provides the real world experience and networking opportunities to jumpstart your career. OTA students complete a field work experience to help students learn to apply principles learned in the classroom to address actual client needs, similar to an internship.

Your career preparation goes far beyond just learning the skills employers want. Our Career Services Department is there to help guide you through preparing for interviews, polishing your resumé and finding the right job after graduation.

Bryant & Stratton College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA (267-284-5000). The MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the US Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Classes are forming now for their May Semester.

ADVERTORIAL

March 2016

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IN HER OWN WORDS Stefanie Heath-Higgins Photography courtesy of Hillary Bissell; Hilllary Marie Photography

STEFANIE HEATH-HIGGINS HUMANE SOCIETY Meat in the Middle: Going Plant-Based One Day A Week

By Stefanie Heath-Higgins

O

ne good way to boost your well-being – and the planet’s health – is to lay off the meat. During World War I, Americans cut out meat every Monday to conserve resources. You’ve probably heard about Meatless Monday. It’s a concept as simple as it sounds: one day a week, take a holiday from meat as a way to improve your health and that of the planet.

Today, we’re fighting a different kind of war, and Meatless Monday is still one of our best defenses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “more than one-third of U.S. adults are obese.” Meatless Monday was re-introduced as a public health concept in 2003 by a medical team at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. At The Humane Society of the United States, we’re bringing the benefits – like curbing obesity – of Meatless Monday to schools, health care institutions and universities across the country.

While there are many factors that contribute to obesity, consuming high levels of saturated fat is a problem for many.

It turns out that what’s good for our waistlines is good for our hearts, too. According to American Heart Association’s CEO, Nancy Brown, “The AHA recognizes the role of plant-based foods in a health dietary pattern, as evidenced by our recommendations that emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts.

Use Meatless Mondays as another opportunity to eat a wellbalanced diet.”

Aside from our health, the benefits of a Meatless Monday – or even a few meat-free days each week – extend to our planet’s

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health. In order for the animal agriculture industry to keep up with demand, natural resources are used at a rate that threatens our entire ecosystem. According to the Sierra Club, one of the world’s largest environmental protection organizations, “if Americans reduced meat consumption by just 20 percent, it would be as though we all switched from a sedan to a hybrid.”

Reducing the amount of meat we eat is good for animals, too.

The fewer animals we raise for food means less pressure on animal agriculture to raise them in cruel and insensitive ways. That’s one reason The Humane Society of the United States advocates the Three Rs: “reducing” or “replacing” consumption of animal products, and “refining” our diets by switching to products from sources that adhere to higher animal welfare standards.

Whatever reason may inspire you to take a “vacation from meat” once a week – whether it’s environmental concerns, health reasons or for the animals – I hope you’ll join me and institutions like Buffalo Public Schools, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center and Syracuse University, and give Meatless Monday a try.

Central New York is booming with creative chefs and restaurants that whip up incredibly delicious, nutritious and sustainable foods.

I invite you to check out one of my favorite local joints: Strong Hearts Cafe in Syracuse. They’re passionate about serving plantbased fare so good I can assure you that you’ll never miss the meat.

Check out this recipe from Strong Hearts Cafe or better yet, stop in to say hi to their crew. Hope to see you there!

SYRACUSEWOMANMAG.COM

Health & Wellness

Quinoa black bean recipe Courtesy of Strong Hearts Cafe co-owner Joel Capolongo Strong Hearts Cafe has two locations: 719 E. Genesee St., Syracuse and 720 University Ave., Syracuse

Makes 8-10 eight oz. servings 2 cups cooked quinoa 3 cups black beans, drained and rinsed 1/4 cup de-stemmed, chopped cilantro 3 cloves garlic, minced Juice of 2 limes 1/2 lb. corn 1 Tablespoon agave nectar 1/2 small red onion, diced 1 Teaspoon cumin Salt to taste Optional: 1/4 cup diced jalapenos Combine all ingredients very thoroughly in a large mixing bowl.

Serve chilled or eat right away if you can’t wait!

Tip: The ratio for cooking quinoa is for every cup of quinoa, you’ll want to use 2 cups of liquid. Instead of using water, use a low sodium vegetable soup broth.

Stefanie Heath-Higgins is the New York food policy coordinator for The Humane Society of the United States.

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HEALTHY WOMAN The Art of the Unapology

The Art of the Unapology

By Kate D. Mahoney

“A

my Schumer!” My friend scolded.

“What? Where?” I was confused. It was the middle of the night and we’d just arrived at the first of our hotels on the trip.

Since we left California only one day earlier, my friend had already called me out for several unwarranted apologies.

We had the rest of America ahead of us, and 20 years of friendship behind us, one in which we were always invited to hold the mirror up for one another. We came up with a plan for the remainder of this adventure.

When either one of us apologized for something that didn’t require a “sorry,” we would call on Schumer, the funny, fierce feminist.

The day before, we packed up and loaded everything into a 26-foot moving truck bound for Maryland. Within a mile of leaving the house, we learned that neither the chargers nor the radio worked. This was neither of our faults, yet we both said, “Sorry… AMY SCHUMER!” This game was way more fun than counting license plates or naming state capitals.

Like her or hate her, Schumer is currently one of the loudest voices reminding women they have every right to a certain amount of elegant arrogance and the art of what we termed the “unapology,” the act of retracting a self-inflicted apology.

Unapologetic arrogance has been historically accepted when executed by a man, but regardless of how far we’ve come, the act of being unremorseful as a woman is still challenged in 2016.

We shouldn’t behave with ego alone or be unwilling to see our own faults; we should harness our assertiveness and stand up for convictions.

After 13 hours in the cabin of the truck with tote bags wedged in all around us and multiple cups of coffee ingested, we also coined the term “unapoligize,” which could be swapped in or out as needed.

We rationed our phone use. It wasn’t the best idea to make calls on this trip, given that we were learning to navigate this behemoth vehicle road sign by road sign. With the United States as the backdrop, we filled our time with college memories, shared crushes, inside jokes and dozens of other topics. We practiced

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a point-counterpoint approach with our respective rants, wants, fears, future goals and seeming failures.

We were “unapologizing”

by Tennessee.

In West Virginia, we turned our phones back on to download music, a soundtrack of sorts from our college days. Why wouldn’t we want our theme songs to play as we rolled into the east coast, ready to take back our authentic selves?

Find yourself a mirror friend In many cases, women often take the roles of mother, sister, aunt, cousin, niece, wife, partner, in-law, out-law or friend, and within those roles are conditioned to make sacrifices. Helping or giving to others often translates into living our own life out of balance.

Why are so many of us willing to accept this as our norm?

This month, take stock. Who are the people in your life with whom you could go on your version of a road trip tomorrow?

Who has stood by you through all your transitions, embraced your flaws and celebrated your triumphs? Who accepts you as you are? Each of us needs someone to hold up the mirror for us when we are not strong enough to do it for ourselves.

Your voice should never be diminished at the expense of gratitude or service to others. Own the truth of what has been, is and will be. You matter. Accept your own unapology. SWM

Kate D. Mahoney is an international storyteller, actorvist and author who travels the globe sharing anecdotes from life as patient and caregiver.

Her book, “The Misfit Miracle Girl: Candid Reflections,” is coming soon.

Kate currently lives in Syracuse with her dog, Dolores Van Cartier. For more information, visit katedmahoney.com.

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March 2016

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NEW IN THE ‘CUSE Inksmen Tattoo Co.

Photography courtesy of Alice G. Patterson

INKSMEN TATTOO CO.

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Health & Wellness

The Art of Ink

By Lorna Oppedisano

L

ocal Inksmen Tattoo Co. artists and co-owners Marcus Osmun “The No. 1 thing we’ve heard from friends is that women and Jason Piraino only have one tattoo between the two of especially are intimidated to go into a shop, and we just want to them, and it’s nothing spectacular. Upon graduating from take that away,” Cindy said. “We want you to come in here. We want apprentice to professional, Jason’s first work with the gun was on you to sit at our huge wooden table and color and talk to us.” his own leg.

As the tattoo industry expands, it’s also evolving. Marcus explained “He said he wanted to be able to know what it felt like,” co-owner that all art forms eventually hit a time period that turns the field on and business manager Cindy Martens said. “And it’s funny. its head, and it emerges a different animal. He witnessed it in the He often says that obviously it’s his first one, so it’s not perfect. airbrush and custom paint industry. For the past 16 years, Marcus But he refuses to fix it because he wants it to be like that, as a painted motorcycles and street rods. Around 2002, more traditional reminder of that beginning step.” artists entered the field and revolutionized it. People who didn’t The trio opened the doors of Inksmen Tattoo Co. to the public evolve got left behind, Marcus said, and the same thing is last year in November. One of many tattoo shops in Central New happening in the tattoo industry.

York, Inksmen aims to attract female clients with its unique spa “You’re seeing a lot more people with very good technical aesthetic. The idea was born a few years ago when Cindy and Jason academic art skills coming into the scene, and that’s where it’s were living in Florida. moving,” he said.

Jason, an artist from day one, came to the conclusion that many As artists first and foremost, being part of this evolution means creative people do: it’s hard to make a steady income living the not only learning the history of tattooing, but also getting dream. He decided to try his hand at tattooing, and the couple comfortable with the myriad of styles. Good tattoo artists venture moved south. They eventually decided out of their comfort zones, the team said. to open their own shop in a community They approach each new style as a challenge, where they’d already established a network, and don’t limit themselves to the familiar.

Everybody is born an artist. their hometown of Brewerton. The duo “We want to show that tattooing can be reached out to their friend and fellow It’s just a matter of how much like fine art,” Cindy said. “You don’t have artist Marcus. to get a sticker or a caricature of a thing.

“I was in Texas at the time,” Marcus said. you’re brainwashed to not You can get a painting.”

“The timing was great. Things weren’t In the future, the team hopes to expand believe in yourself or to give going well for me down there. So it was operations. Having just recently opened something a shot. Every child their first location, there’s nothing immediate just a perfect situation.”

Marcus returned home first and began draws and paints and colors. in the works, but they’ve considered opening exploring Central New York for the ideal more locations in Syracuse, New York City The only difference is we space. The location in Brewerton was the and even out of state. right size for the right price. By the time “It’s more like a community of artists,” didn’t stop.”

Cindy and Jason came back, it was time Kaitlin said. “Besides the tattooing, we all to sign the lease. have different art forms outside of what we’re talking about. We all Then they taught themselves some basic construction skills, got pretty much work together, not just with tattooing, but as artists, a bit of help and built their shop. Inksmen now has a third tattoo as people.” artist, Stephen Pikarsky, and two apprentices, Kaitlin Renetta and The Inksmen crew hope that tattooing will fund their less Melanie Archambo. lucrative artistic endeavors, and like Kaitlin said, they work Unlike many other tattoo shops, each artist works in a private, together to support each other. Marcus said that he’s considered enclosed space. switching to a more stable career, but could never really give up art.

“As a woman, when I got my tattoos – granted it was in a “Everybody is born an artist. It’s just a matter of how much comfortable spot and luckily there weren’t a lot of people there that you’re brainwashed to not believe in yourself or to give something day – but it was right out in the open,” Kaitlin said. “I’m more a shot. Every child draws and paints and colors,” he said. “The only comfortable having my own little spot.” difference is we didn’t stop.” SWM The team at Inksmen aims to put everyone at ease, from someone getting work done for the first time to someone who’s Inksmen Tattoo Co. is located at 5771 Miller Road #2, Brewerton. The shop is covered. While the industry is growing and more women are open daily from noon to 7 p.m. For more information, visit inksmentattoo.com, call 668-5870 or email info@inksmentattoo.com. getting tattoos, there aren’t a slew of shops catering to that demographic, Marcus explained.

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FOR A GOOD CAUSE My Lucky Tummy

Photography courtesy of Gerard H. Gaskin

MY LUCKY TUMMY Making a World of Difference

By Gabrielle Reagan

O

ne snowy day in Syracuse, Adam Sudmann and his wife turned down Butternut Street, completely off course. Unwittingly, their misdirection changed the course of their lives entirely.

“I saw people crossing the street and it looked as though they had just arrived,” Adam said. He had heard rumors of resettlement activities in the area.

Inspired by what he saw that day and the multinational food courts he frequented abroad, Adam moved his family from Brooklyn to Syracuse in 2013. Within five days of arriving, he pulled off his first My Lucky Tummy dinner. Hosting close to 200 guests, the menu provided tastes of Burma, Eritrea, Iraq, Poland, Cuba and Bhutan cuisine.

Featuring 24 countries to date, My Lucky Tummy arranges fivecourse meals twice a year, working closely with local refugees and New Americans to create a unique and inspired menu.

“You can talk with someone from around the world, someone who prepared the tastiest thing they can for you,” Adam said. “It’s a unique experience, like you’re eating at someone’s home in a far away country.”

Coming together in one big kitchen, five amateur chefs work side by side, each preparing a beloved dish from their home country.

“In small cities you don’t always have access,” volunteer Sarah Pallo said. “But in one night, you get authentic home-cooked food from all over the world without ever leaving Syracuse.”

To make ends meet and a small profit, My Lucky Tummy charges $25 per ticket, a modest cost in exchange for five homemade foods crafted from top-notch ingredients.

“It’s not a charity event. It’s an opportunity to prove to these individuals there is a need for what they provide and an opportunity to be paid what they are worth,” Sarah said, adding that there’s real beauty in a connection through food.

Linking neighborhoods across Syracuse, My Lucky Tummy has an extraordinary impact on the chefs and communities involved.

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The dinners provide an income and platform for individuals with immense talent, and also a way to maintain identity and heritage in an unfamiliar environment.

With much of their talent hailing from countries on the front line of climate change, green practices are important to My Lucky Tummy. Ingredients are sourced locally and the organization leans heavily on the 20-plus international markets sprinkled throughout the Northside of Syracuse. They also work closely with OCCRA. A My Lucky Tummy dinner of 400 guests generates less than four bags of trash.

The future of My Lucky Tummy holds even more opportunity.

Partnering with Onondaga Community College, Adam is currently developing plans to open a workforce training and food innovation center on the Northside. The center is slated to operate as a full-scale restaurant aimed at training students.

“Cuisine will be based on who we meet in the community that can provide a national or regional cuisine otherwise unavailable in the Syracuse marketplace,” Adam said.

The restaurant training program and My Lucky Tummy events are open to all, especially those who have been blocked out of the workforce and need to get back into a living-wage position with opportunity for advancement.

My Lucky Tummy’s next dinner is planned for Saturday, April 2 at All Saints Church, Syracuse. The menu is slated to feature cuisine from Bhutan, Pakistan, Ghana, South Sudan and Cuba, with dessert inspired by Thailand. SWM For information on volunteering, catering or attending My Lucky Tummy events, visit myluckytummy.com or email sudadam@gmail.com. OCC’s Food Service Management Program has been funded under a 2.5M United States Department of Labor AACCCT Grant with the purpose of facilitating greater employment by improving workforce education. This program is an equal opportunity program; auxiliary aids are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. For information, visit http://bit.ly/occ-taaccct-iv.

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Health & Wellness

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March 2016

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INSPIRE Reina Apraez

REINA APRAEZ

Photography courtesy of Gerard H. Gaskin

Produce Lead Syracuse Real Food Co-op

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Health & Wellness

Local food’s place

By Lorna Oppedisano

T

he concept of place is something that fascinates and motivates Reina Apraez. As produce lead for the Syracuse Real Food Co-op, she’s responsible for sourcing local produce from regional farms. But if you ask Reina, she’ll explain that “place” is much more than just a geographic location.

“Place is very important to me,” she said, adding that she even TA-ed a college course called “You Are Here: Geneva 101” when she was in school. “We examined place from historical, environmental, political, socioeconomic and literary aspects.

And service learning as well, which is something that I’ve always found important. You should be active in your community.”

Growing up in Syracuse, Reina had always been interested in community and activism. During her time at William Smith College, she worked at a local slow food restaurant and learned the ins and outs of the burgeoning local food scene in Geneva.

When she moved back to Syracuse, she landed in a house across the street from the Syracuse Real Food Co-op, and the pieces began to fall into place. She began working for the shop in 2012, and became produce lead in August of 2014.

“Everything has clicked since I’ve been here,” she said.

Reina describes Syracuse as a “kind of DIY town,” a city made promising by its citizens. It’s an exciting time to live here, she said.

While growing up, she would constantly hear that people ages 25 to 35 years old were moving out of the area and not returning.

That’s changing now, she said, citing people who attend meetings, keep their ear to the ground and are actively working to build Syracuse.

“So there’s definitely ambition here and everyone’s trying to figure out how to place themselves the best in order to make the city one entire collected fruitful place,” she said.

In terms of the Syracuse Real Food Co-op’s position in that big picture, Reina hopes to expand its reach. During her four years with the co-op, she has come to know most people who walk into the store or work in nearby businesses. She said that while she loves the Westcott community, she realizes that there are more people who need the services of the co-op.

In order to reach more than just the two area zip codes, Reina is organizing a produce subscription program called The Co-op Share. Syracuse Real Food Co-op’s version of a communitysupported agriculture program, or CSA, the Share is planned to be a 32-week program, running from April 13 to Nov. 16 and offering nine to 12 varieties of sustainable, non-GMO or certified organic produce from local farms.

Reina explained that there are a few reasons why the co-op is excited about this program. The Co-op Share is designed to be accessible to anyone and to reach a broader audience than the shop’s typical clientele.

“It’s an easy way to get sustainable local produce and not have to necessarily question it or be intimidated by it,” she said.

Reina also plans to source produce from a variety of local farms, which translates into supporting more farmers than she could in the past. In the shop, Reina adheres to Good Organic Retailing

Practices, meaning that she cannot place any organic produce next to conventional produce. In the co-op’s small produce space, that limits what Reina can actually stock.

Syracuse Real Food Co-op’s grocery buyer Jen Eldridge further explained why buying from more local farms is crucial.

“I think it’s cool that it’s going to be assembled from a bunch of different local farms instead of just one,” she said. “So we’re helping those farms expand their reach.”

Jen continued on to explain that supporting local agriculture is not only good for the economy, but also for the environment, as the distance the food travels to the consumer is shorter.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the The Co-op Share is that it is the only CSA program in Syracuse that accepts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Reina explained that while all CSAs encourage the local economy, it’s hard for a person who lives paycheck-to-paycheck or relies on government aid to afford them. The co-op even plans to offer a discount to those who pay with SNAP. Each box is slated to offer enough produce to feed a family, Reina said, including not only the typical foods like hearty greens, lettuce and root vegetables, but also fruits and vegetables.

Weekly recipe suggestions are to be included as well.

“So it’s easy for someone who needs to pay with SNAP to be able to feed everyone that they need to feed in a week with this and not worry,” she said.

The co-op already offers delivery to 12 local zip codes, and Reina plans to extend that option to The Co-op Share. Each week, customers can use an app called “Rosie” to place their share order, along with their usual groceries, and have the goods delivered right to their home. The co-op hopes to become more accessible to the greater Syracuse area with this option. This circles back to the idea of expanding the Syracuse Real Food Co-op’s “place” in Syracuse.

“I have my sights on being able to be of service to as many communities as possible,” Reina said. SWM

The Co-op Share pricing information

Advance payment and subscription options: $720: for 32 weeks payment ($22.5 per box, 25% off retail value) $360: for 16 week payment ($22.5 per box, 25% off retail value) $300: 12 week ($25 per box, 17% off retail value) $208: 8 week option ($26 per box, 13% off retail value) $108: 4 week subscription ($27 per box, 10% off retail value) Less than two weeks in advance: $26 per box, using EBT/SNAP benefits $30 per box for other payment methods

For more information on the Syracuse Real Food Co-op, visit syracuserealfood.coop or call 472-1385.

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INSPIRE Sam Rudolph

SAM RUDOLPH

Photography courtesy of Steven J. Pallone

Owner House of S. Jaye

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Health & Wellness

Art for the Soul

By Lorna Oppedisano

S

am Randolph, founder of Syracuse’s newest collaborative art studio and vendor space House of S. Jaye, has always considered herself artistic, but has never thought of herself as an artist.

She has years of success with her “funky and eclectic” refurbished furniture under her belt. The art shows she’s organized at House of S. Jaye have received popular response. She splits her days between the company of her two children and that of artists, creating signs that line the walls of her venue. Yet she still doesn’t identify as an artist.

“Now I’m just painting my wood signs,” she said. “To me, that’s more about spreading inspiration than art.”

For Sam, House of S. Jaye is all about that vibe of inspiration.

The journey started about three years ago when Sam began to upscale recycled furniture from her home and sell it in a Skaneateles shop. Eventually, her work took an artistic turn, and Sam toyed with the idea of moving the operation to a studio. She searched for space throughout Syracuse and the surrounding areas, and stumbled across the spacious, checkered-floored, high-ceilinged room on Clinton Street.

“It just fell into my lap and I decided to take a leap of faith and go with it,” Sam said. “Once I actually stepped foot in here, I realized it was way more than just furniture.”

With the potential for a much bigger impact than simply her own studio space, Sam realized that she had an opportunity to affect art and small business in Syracuse. She shifted her focus to organizing art and vendor shows, and let the furniture work fall by the wayside.

With the help of her friend Elana Agrasto, House of S. Jaye’s events and marketing manager, Sam got to work organizing their opening.

After that successful gathering, the dynamic duo realized they needed to continue planning more events, Sam explained, adding that House of S. Jaye has a feel unique to other venues in the area.

“We have all these cool, young artists but they weren’t fitting in anywhere,” she said.

The space serves as a place for artists to collaborate, even during weekday “downtime.” Sam paints her signs. When she’s not doing work for her full-time job as director of events, marketing and

operations at Daniella’s Steakhouse, Elana does graphic design and website building. Their friend and local photographer Alexis Emm uses House of S. Jaye as her studio. “Arts and crafts” are always happening, Sam said with a laugh.

Since the puzzle pieces fell together less than a year ago, the venue is already gaining traction and popularity. They put out feelers for artists and vendors, but they actually receive a large number of inquiries, Elana explained.

“You can tell that there’s a definite need for it, because people come out of the woodwork and say, ‘I’m an artist’ or ‘So-and-so is an artist. You need to get in touch with this person,’” she continued.

“Symphoria is a prime example.”

Symphoria, Syracuse’s co-op symphony orchestra, recently performed a collaborative music and art show at House of S. Jaye as part of the orchestra’s Spark series. The event drew about 150 people.

“To us, they’re this huge organization,” Sam said, “and they’re telling us that there’s nothing like [House of S. Jaye] in Syracuse.”

House of S. Jaye has also partnered with local nonprofits, including ACR Health and the Food Bank of Central New York, as well as networking groups such as Femfessionals. Elana stressed that they aim to give back, and aren’t in this to make money.

“We hold art shows strictly to pay rent,” she said, adding that the team is looking into grants for the future.

Although Sam didn’t go into the situation looking to be her own boss, she’s a natural. People had always said she was born to have her own business, Sam said. To her, it’s all about integrity.

Whether she’s an artist, business owner or event organizer, she’ll do it with boldfaced honesty and follow her gut.

“This place burns a deep fire in me and my passion. I wanted it to be about art, and also about the soul. People come in here for an art show for the first time and they’re blown away,” Sam said.

“That’s what I love. I literally meditate in here and pour out the love.”

House of S. Jaye is located at 233 N. Clinton St. in downtown Syracuse.

For more information, visit houseofsjaye.com or facebook.com/houseofsjay.

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INSPIRE Cheryl Vitaletti

CHERYL VITALETTI

Photography courtesy of Steven J. Pallone

Supervisor of health services Syracuse City School District

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Health & Wellness

For the love of health

By Lorna Oppedisano

March 2016

SYRACUSEWOMANMAG.COM

Photography courtesy of Gerard H. Gaskin

C

heryl Vitaletti is leading an army. As supervisor of health “She understands the perspective of what it’s like to be a services for the Syracuse City School District, she leads 59 school nurse and the challenges and supports that we need,” people into service each day. Behind her march the 42 nurses, Doreen explained.

15 school health aids, an audiologist and a medical director, With the continual changes in the field of health, having enough keeping the 23,000 students and their instructors and staff ready resources to meet the needs of the nurses can be a challenge, to learn and teach.

Cheryl said. Along with the typical health concerns, there’s often “My job here is really so much about that. It’s not only about a language barrier for the 4,000 refugee students in the school health,” she said. “It’s supporting the mission of the district to system, which can make access to care an even tougher hurtle educate kids.” to cross.

The seedlings for Cheryl’s calling were planted when she was The district has also seen recent difficulty in recruiting nurses, a young girl. Although it wasn’t until years later that she decided partly because of the economy, Cheryl said. However, once people to be a nurse, she had an early role model: her grandmother. start their mission as a school nurse, she continued, they tend to When Cheryl visited her, she would bear witness to the impact fall in love with the position. the matriarch had in her community.

When new staff join the ranks, each person is set up with a Despite the early influence, Cheryl didn’t have any intention of mentor. The district also has a professional development program being a nurse when she started college. of which Cheryl is particularly proud.

She initially gravitated toward journalism.

The program offer nurses a variety After two years of study however, a trip My job here ... it’s not only about of classes – 10 in the fall semester, to the west coast put her on a new path.

10 in the winter, all of which health, it’s supporting the mission and By happenstance, she was part of a home Cheryl attends – to keep everyone delivery in Oregon that changed her life. of the district to educate kids.” current on medical changes and public “The look of the mother with the baby health concerns. was so impressive, and it hooked me,” One of the changes Cheryl’s most she said. proud of is the expansion of school Cheryl earned a degree and worked based health centers. Now located at in hospitals for almost 20 years, eight sites, the centers offer students and assisting with labor and delivery, staff a dental professional, mental health neonatal, antepartum and postpartum. counselor and nutritionist. The locations And then another chance encounter are determined by the need of the changed her direction. students and demographics of the area; Cheryl volunteered to coordinate a a lot of the schools selected so far teach community playground build at her a high percentage of refugee children. children’s school, Meachum Elementary.

Cheryl hopes to open more centers in the During the project, she saw the ins and future, and has Nottingham High School outs of the school nurse’s responsibilities in her sights as the next location. and realized that the woman was invaluable.

For any amount of success she’s achieved in her role, “Whatever came her way, she did with such a panache,” Cheryl credits her nurses as the driving force behind the district’s Cheryl explained. health services. While children have different teachers from one Now, with 20 of experience at the Syracuse City School District year to the next, chances are their school nurse will remain the under her belt – 15 of which she’s spent in a management role – same and provide the same security. A nurse’s office or health Cheryl is a valuable part of the district’s health care system. center can transform into a safe haven for children dealing with Her day-to-day includes overseeing not only student health, the effects of everything from neglect to trauma to violence. but also employee health. It’s “all day, every day, constant,” she said. “The nurses are unsung heroes in the district,” Cheryl said.

Doreen Cua-Bertrand, school nurse at the Institute of Tech at And the feeling is mutual. Doreen, the school nurse at ITC, Syracuse Central and 26-year veteran of the Syracuse City School explained that Cheryl thinks of the nurses as more than just District’s health services, has worked with Cheryl for the supervisor’s coworkers. They’re family. entire tenure. Having had prior work experience in other school “She cares about each one of us deeply and wants us to be districts, Doreen stressed how important Cheryl’s nursing the best that we can,” Doreen said. “She’s the glue that keeps us background is to her leadership position. together. Without her, we fall apart.”

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UPCOMING SWM Events Wednesday, March 2

Saturday, March 19

When: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

What: Program speaker Jenn Cline plans to discuss “The Art

of Marketing and Selling,” touching on topics of elevator

pitches and social media.

Cost: Member, $10; all access member, free; guest, $25;

sponsor, free Where: Genesee Grande Hotel, 1060 E. Genesee St., Syracuse Info: wboconnection.org

When: 4 p.m.

What: Fundraising event to include food, music, auctions and

raffles. Within the last year, Syracuse native Frankie Cutie

survived a brain tumor, stroke, pancreatitis, kidney and

liver failure. All proceeds from the event will offset

lifelong medical costs of Frankie’s recovery process.

Where: Mohegan Manor, 58 Oswego St., Baldwinsville Cost: $15 Info: fightforfrankie.eventbrite.com

Monthly WBOC Meeting

Saturday, March 5

The 11TH Annual Tipperary Hill Shamrock Run

When: 11 a.m.; Fun Run slated for 10 a.m.

What: Four-mile course through Tipperary Hill neighborhood

passes the “Green-On-Top” traffic light, parks, churches

and pubs. Participants and spectators are asked to bring

food donation of non-perishable canned or boxed food

or monetary donation to the Food Bank of CNY. Cost: Before March 1, $25; March 1 through March 4, $30;

race day, $40; Fun Run, $5 Where: Burnet Park, Syracuse Info: Visit tipphillrun.com or email tipphillassoc@aol.com Tuesday, March 8

WISE Event: What’s Your Impact?

When: 3 to 5 p.m.

What: Presentation by Jill Tietjan, CEO of the National

Women’s Hall of Fame. Open to the public.

Where: Grant Auditorium, Syracuse University Info: WISE Women’s Business Center, wisecenter.org Saturday, March 12

St. Patrick’s Day Parade Party

When: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

What: Parade viewing party from inside the Sky Armory to

include Irish-inspired a la carte menu, live music by

The Kilgore McTrouts and The Causeway Giants and

a cash bar.

Cost: $10; ages 8 and younger, free Where: Sky Armory, 351 S. Clinton St., Syracuse Info: Sky Armory, 473-0826 or skyarmory.com Saturday, March 12

Ovarian Cycle Syracuse

When: 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

What: Indoor cycling event aims to raise funds to support

ovarian cancer research. Register as an individual or team.

Cost: $50 per participant Where: Urban Life Athletics 4th floor,

1003 W. Fayette St., Syracuse Info: Hope for Heather, hopeforheather.org

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Fight for Frankie fundraiser

Saturday, March 19

Syracuse for St. Jude Gala

When: 6 to 10 p.m.

What: Fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

to include cocktails, dinner, silent auction, dancing

and live entertainment. Mark Bullis to be honored with

Dominic and Patricia Rossi Award. Special guest Notre

Dame football legend Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger to attend.

RSVP by Friday, March 11.

Cost: Before March 5, $75; on or after March 5, $85 Where: Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center,

800 S. State St., Syracuse Info: Email julia.sokolohorsky@stjude.org or

call (518) 453-6800.

Tuesday, March 22

22ND Annual White Ribbon Campaign Breakfast When: 7:30 a.m.

What: Aims to raise funds, education and awareness for Vera

House. White Ribbon Campaign runs through month

of March.

Cost: $25 Where: Holiday Inn, 441 Electronics Parkway, Liverpool Info: Vera House, verahouse.org Wednesday, March 30

Death Cafe

When: 6 to 7:30 p.m.

What: Pop-up event aims to provide an educational discussion

on death and dying. Open to everyone and free from

ideology. Sponsored by Hospice of Central New York

and Marcellus Free Library. Refreshments provided.

Cost: Free Where: Marcellus Free Library, 32 Maple St., Marcellus Info: Hospice of CNY, 634-1100 or hospicecny.org

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Burdick Lincoln

at Driver’s Village

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