Golden Crescent Healthy Living Magazine

GCHL

GOLDEN CRESCENT HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE

Inside: Krav Maga - Born Of Necessity 10 Steps To A Healthier Life Natural Cold Care Exercising Dogs In Extreme Weather How To Choose An Assisted Living Facility

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Table Of Contents

Index Of Advertisers Dr. Kevin Richardson, Richardson Spine, Page 3 Victoria NP Clinic, Page 4 Memorial Medical Center, Page 5 American Karate Institute, Page 8 Disabled Veterans of America, Page 8 Gulf Coast Rehabilitation, PC, Page 8 Pregnancy Help Center, Page 8 Smile Experts, Page 8 VCA Victoria Animal Hospital, Page 9 Port Lavaca Clinic Associates, Page 10 Uniform Outlet, Page 10 Gulf Bend Center, Page 11 Dr. Nhi Le, My VitalityMD, Page 11 Port Lavaca Nursing & Rehabilitation, Page 12

Focus On: Krav Maga - The Martial Art Of Israel PAGES 6 & 7: PAGE 4: 10 Steps To A Healthier Life PAGES 8: Getting Over A Cold Naturally PAGE 9: How To Exercise & Play With Your Dog In Extreme Weather Conditions PAGE 11: Choosing An Assisted Living Facility

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ROSS STAPP

Editor and Publisher Staff Writers: DD Turner Jared Van Epps Creative Services DD Turner Director: Advertising: Christy Aguilar Mandy Benedick Cover Photo: Metro Services Visit us online at www.portlavacawave.com or email us at rstapp@plwave.com.

PORT LAVACA WAVE 107 E. Austin Street Port Lavaca, TX 77979 361-552-9788 PortLavacaWave.com Golden Crescent Healthy Living Magazine is published semi-annually. Additional copies are available by contacting the Port Lavaca Wave. For advertising information, call 361-552-9788.

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Path To A Healthier Life This time of year there is plenty of advice on how to keep healthy and which products will solve all your health issues. It is difficult to know where to start and more importantly how to keep these routines going. It is easy to get excited and plan elaborate routines that quickly get pushed aside due to the demands of our work and family schedules. So what things really are important and how to incorporate them into your routine

so they stay in your routine? Let’s start with a little motivation.

According to Chris Kresser and his research, 85% of chronic disease is based on lifestyle factors and not genetics. That puts our health into our own hands.

Here are some guidelines based on a nutrient dense whole foods diet that are relatively inexpensive and easy to follow.

STEP 1: Eat More Vegetables. Keep a journal for a day or two and see how many fresh vegetables are on your list. If there aren’t many, work toward including more especially dark leafy greens. Including some raw vegetables every day is extra important as those foods have more enzymes in them and help keep your body healthy. Some of the healthiest vegetables to include are the greens, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, colorful peppers, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic and beets. If eating greens isn’t your favorite, try this delicious soup recipe to get some of those greens into your routine. It is simple and easy. You need one potato, chicken broth, all-natural sausage and greens. Simply brown your sausage, add in one diced potato and a quart of chicken broth. Bring to a boil and add fresh greens of your choice; spinach or kale are nice additions. Let it cook until the greens and potatoes are tender. Enjoy a quick and healthy meal.

STEP 2: Eat pre and probiotic foods. These will keep your gut healthy and are one

of the best things you can do for your health. Your gut needs good bacteria to keep the bad away. We need to eat foods rich in probiotics to do this. We are talking things like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented pickles, kefir, kvaas and a host of other amazing ferments. These probiotic-rich foods can be found in most local grocery stores and others can be made very affordably at home. These healthy bacteria need to be fed to keep their colonies strong and healthy. That is where prebiotic fiber foods like onion, garlic, artichoke and plantains come in to help. Including plenty of these foods in your normal recipes will feed the goodness you put in through your ferments and yogurts. A delicious affordable and easy to cook food is plantains. They are the banana looking fruits in the produce department. When green, they taste more like a potato and the riper they get, they taste more like a banana. Either way they are delicious. Take a green plantain and slice it and fry it in coconut oil. About halfway through the cooking process, take it out of the skillet and smash and salt it with sea salt. Put it back in the skillet until crispy. You now have a tostone.

It is delicious! Think healthy French fry.

STEP 3: Get rid of processed foods…period.

STEP 4: Eat more healthy fats. Healthy fats are so important for getting rid of inflam-

mation, balancing blood sugar and the list goes on. An added bonus is they make our food taste great. Ditch the vegetable oil, shortening, canola oil and any other hydrogenated oil. Don’t worry there are plenty of healthy alternatives that are available in the grocery stores here. Buy instead virgin olive oil, real butter, unrefined coconut oil, palm shortening, real lard, duck fat and many other options all listed as non-hydrogenated. A nice way to drink some healthy fats in a delicious anti-inflammatory drink is golden milk.

Use a full fat milk of choice, cows milk, almond milk, coconut milk, goat milk, etc. and add some spices to it for a relaxing healthy beverage. Here are the ingredients to add to about a cup and a half of warm or cold milk: 1 ½ tsp. turmeric, pinch of ground pepper, ½ tsp. cinnamon and 2 tsp. of honey. This also helps with sleep as turmeric reduces inflammation and anxiety.

STEP 5: Drink your water. Aim to drink ½ of your body weight in ounces of good

quality clean water per day. That means if you weigh 150 pounds, aim for 75 ounces of water. You shouldn’t exceed 100 ounces of water daily. Be sure to add in more if you also drink diuretic beverages like coffee and tea. Give your water a boost with trace mineral drops for added nutrients. These little bottles are full of needed minerals and vitamins and really don’t change the taste of the water. It only takes a drop or two. Also, make herbal teas if you get bored with plain water. Some delicious options are hibiscus, peppermint, and chamomile.

STEP 6:Limit your eating hours. If you can keep the hours you eat to a 12 – 14 hour

window, it will allow your body to detox and give your digestive system a little rest. There is a lot of information out there now about this topic – intermittent fasting. Do some research and find a flow that fits your schedule. Research shows this is very beneficial to your overall health.

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Sherrie Brown Nutritional Therapy Practitioner

STEP 7:Try some herbs to support your body. Herbs are woven into our ancestral

history and have been used for centuries. Some of the most common and well used are the following: turmeric (anti-inflammatory, anxiety reducing), ashwagandha (stress relieving), chamomile (digestion, sleep) and basil (anti-microbial and gas relieving). You can make a tea with any of these or you can add them to your food. A simple delicious meal with turmeric is add it to your roasted chicken. Simply sprinkle turmeric with salt, pepper and garlic over your chicken and a head of cut up cauliflower, all in the same pan and roast as usual. It is amazing and simple.

STEP 8:Exercise. Schedule in exercise just like you would cooking dinner for your

family. This is the hardest one for me as I tend to get my schedule so full. My goal is to start with a small goal that is reasonable for me to handle and achieve that goal daily.

What works for one person doesn’t work for another. Find the one that can bring you some joy. It is more about habit than duration at the beginning. Put those tennis shoes or weights where you can’t ignore them and reward yourself for small progress. It’s all in the benefit we receive.

STEP 9: Reduce stress. Whatever that is for you, do it! Reducing stress is critical

to overall health. Research shows that these activities can help to reduce stress. Find

Story Continued On Page 10

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BORN OF N

n November of 1947 nine countries went to war with the newly re-established country of Israel.

Within two years this tiny nation defeated all of them. Israel has had several similar wars afterwards and each time pressing back their enemies with a tenacious resolve. War and aggression is a reality for Israel. Every citizen of Israel is expected to serve in the military and can be called for duty anytime in their lives after active duty. The vast physical differences such as age and gender that make up Israel’s military offered a unique combat training challenge that training instructors had to solve.

I

In 1948 the State of Israel appointed Imi Lichtenfeld Head of Physical Fitness and Krav Maga of the IDF. Krav Maga is Hebrew for “Contact Combat”. Imi’s background with hand to hand combat began in the the Jewish Quarter of Bratislava, Czechoslovakia against the fascist groups in the mid to late 30s. He was an accomplished boxer and wrestler, winning national championships in each discipline.

He organized other boxers and wrestlers of the time into a group of defenders

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for his Jewish neighborhood.

He found that sport fighting was not practical for the brutal reality of aggressive attacks so he re-evaluated his fighting techniques and so the principles of Krav Maga were born.

system of Krav Maga certainly played an instrumental role with the victories Israel had over its’ enemies and the re-establishment of its Statehood. The system was developed to rapidly train soldiers with effective and practical hand to hand combat skills regardless of their size, age or gender.

Ron Reger

Owner Midcoast Strength

As the result of the tensions that were mounting in his native country do to Nazi fascist extremism, he moved his family to Mandatory Palestine. In 1944 he began training fighters in this new system he developed called Krav Maga. He trained them in edge weapon defenses and defensive tactics for other situations soldiers would be faced with during hand to hand combat. During this period, he trained several elite units of the Haganah which later would develop into the special units of the Israeli Defensive Forces. Imi and his

Is Krav Maga suitable for civilian self-defense training? Absolutely! Like other martial arts based self-defense disciplines, Krav Maga teaches that it is best to avoid or walk away from a physical threat, but if that’s not possible, then the use of any means to secure safety is a must. Upon Imi’s retirement he started offering training classes to civilians and founded the Wingate Institute in Netanya, Israel.

There are distinctions between Krav Maga and other martial arts systems, the primary being that there are no competitions for practitioners and there are no katas or forms to learn. Krav Maga techniques are a unique blend of skills taken from other fighting systems. Skills that cover ground fighting, stand-up and

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Krav Maga is a unique blend of styles suitable for officers & civilians

NECESSITY various defenses against armed and unarmed attacks. The borrowed techniques are filtered through a set of principles that are the foundational constructs of the Krav Maga Self Defense System.

First, the technique must eliminate the attack threat, and there must be an immediate or near immediate counter strike.

Secondly, the technique should rely on gross motor skills that are instinctual, and finally the technique must allow for assured incapacitation and elimination of the threat. Primary targets for strikes will always involve soft tissue areas. Eye gouges, throat strikes, kicks to the groin, slaps to the ears and punches to the nose. If an attacker decides to hurt you, shouldn’t you hurt them back but with emphasis?

Krav Maga classes are designed and organized in a way that training is as realistic as it can safely be. A student will participate in reaction drills, fatigue drills and multi-attacker drills. Skill ranking is not easily given in the Krav Maga system. It may take a student a year before they are given their first skills test and ranking. I have been a part of Krav Maga

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since early 2000. I have participated as an instructor in self-defense seminars and I can say confidently with just a few techniques taught to a class of 200-300 participants that it gave them enough of a fighting chance to address an aggressive assault. By the time a student is ready to test, they will have a solid foundation to build on. The Krav Maga motto is “So One May Walk In Peace.”

With the rise of violence in our community, being ready and capable of defending oneself should be an important goal and one to work on diligently. You hear of the abductions and attempted abductions every day. Ask yourself this, what if someone came up behind you and picked you up in a bear hug and threw you in the back of a van? Early in my martial arts career I held a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do. It was the hard questions I asked myself about the effectiveness of the system I was training in with providing real self-defense protection. Could I actually survive a violent knife attack or at least have a fighting chance? No. If someone put a gun to my back and told me to give me the keys to my car that my kids

were in, could I defend skillfully in that situation? No. Unfortunately, violence is increasingly becoming a way of life for us just as it is for the citizens of Israel. If you are a conceal handgun permit holder the threats are no less real for you either, especially in a close quarter attack when the attacker is a mere few feet from you.

Creating enough space to draw your weapon safely is key to your survival and it will involve striking with your hands, feet, elbows or knees.

Krav Maga emphasizes physical conditioning as well so it’s a win win if you are looking to get in shape as well. I started Midcoast Strength as an afterthought for fitness training that I needed in order to be effective in Krav Maga. A physical confrontation statistically lasts for 2-3 minutes. Stamina is a key component for survival and its development is part of the Krav Maga curriculum.

Midcoast Strength offers a one-hour Krav Maga Self-Defense classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30pm. Come try a class and see what it is all about. It might just save your life one day.

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Getting Over the Cold or Flu with Nutrition and Herbs Sherrie Brown Nutritional Therapy Practitioner

It is that time of year when colds and the flu are abundant. Hopefully you have managed to dodge them both, but if you haven’t here are some foods and herbs that really do support your body as you are recovering and some home remedies that can be found in your cupboard.

The story that grandma’s chicken soup will help you get well is very true. The broth and vegetables along with the chicken do give you important nutrients to help you kick the cold or flu. The soup hydrates you while providing needed electrolytes but there is much more science going on there. The amino acids in the chicken are a natural decongestant. Foods that can cause congestion and are best to avoid during this time are dairy, chocolate and processed foods.

Next up are some foods that are anti-inflammatory to make you feel better. Those foods would include healthy fats. A favorite is some delicious homemade bone broth.

No worries if you don’t have time to make this powerhouse food. The grocery stores are now carrying it on their shelves. Perhaps, add some ginger to it for even more inflammation relief. Another tasty way to enjoy broth is to add some curry and coconut milk to a mug and sip. Not only the healthy fats in the broth and the coconut help you feel better, but also the steam from the warm beverage helps to alleviate congestion.

Avocados are another delicious healthy fat food to enjoy while you are not feeling well.

It is full of nutrition and easy snack when you don’t feel like cooking.

Speaking of hot steamy foods to help with congestion, try a cup of hot tea. The steam and tannins in black tea have a wide variety of benefits. These tannins are wonderful antioxidants and they also have antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. Spicy foods also help you heal. Try adding some cayenne pepper to your tea or food to help with congestion. A nice combination for tea is ginger and turmeric which you can find in stores. It doubles up with steam benefits and anti-inflammatory goodness. The final tea to help you feel better is sage. Yes, the sage spice you have in your spice rack. Just add a teaspoon to a cup of hot water and brew yourself a cup. When brewing tea, don’t loose all the goodness found in the steam. Put a saucer on top of your cup and let it steep for a full twenty minutes. It will alleviate sore throat pain. You may also gargle with it for even more help. Be sure to add a spoonful of raw honey to your teas for even more antibacterial support.

AMERICAN

Continued on Page 10

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Hydration is super important when you are healing. A nice addition to the teas and broths is pomegranate juice. It is full of antioxidants and antiviral properties. This is easily found in the grocery store and can be added to another great fruit for helping you get well, the banana to make a nice smoothie with some coconut water. All three of these foods are great for supporting your body during an illness.

A final simple way to alleviate congestion is with an herbal or essential oil steam. They are super simple and very effective at getting to all those nasal passages. Be careful as the water and steam are hot and you don’t want to burn your skin. Some essential oils that are great for congestion and sinus infections are tea tree, eucalyptus, peppermint and oregano. Some easy herbs to use are eucalyptus, thyme, rosemary, chamomile, lavender, spearmint, and peppermint. A steam inhalation is easy to do. Boil some water and pour in a medium size bowl. Add three to seven drops of one of the oils or add a handful of herbs to your water. Lower your head to a safe distance, 5- 10 inches above the bowl, and cover

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Extreme weather can be harmful to dogs. But there’s still ways to exercise pooches in periods of inclement weather.

Dogs & Extreme Weather Exercise

METRO - Exercise is important for every member of a family, including the family dog. According to SPCA Florida, regular exercise is just as important for dogs as it is for their owners.

Many dog owners find ways to incorporate their dogs into their own exercise routines in order to ensure their four-legged friends get enough physical activity each day. For example, dogs might come along on jogs around the neighborhood or join their owners on walks in the park. But what about those times when the weather is extreme?

Snowstorms and heat waves might compromise dog owners’ efforts to get their pooches daily exercise. But there are many ways that dog owners can work around extreme weather to ensure Fido gets enough physical activity to stay healthy.

• Alter the time of your dog’s daily exercise routine. In conditions that are extremely hot, dog owners can change their routines so dogs get out and get some exercise during the times of day when the weather is temperate. Early morning and evening or even nighttime exercise sessions afford chances time to run around outdoors without doing so under the blazing summer sun. If walking dogs after sundown, dress them in reflective materials so they’re visible to oncoming motorists.

• Dress dogs for the cold. Dogs can be bundled up just like their owners bundle up in gloves and layers when spending time outside in cold weather. Salt and chemical de-icing solutions can injure dogs, burning and drying out their paws, so make sure their paws are covered before taking them outside in icy, snowy conditions.

Dogs may need a few practice runs wearing booties indoors before they’re comfortable enough to wear them outside without trying to remove them. In addition, Petfinder recommends keeping dogs’ bodies warm by dressing them in doggy jackets or vests.

• Reduce the length of time spent outdoors. Cutting back on the time dogs spend outdoors in extreme weather is another way to protect them from the elements. Shorter, more frequent trips can ensure dogs get enough daily exercise while limiting their exposure to extreme weather. If dogs are accustomed to 30 minutes of running around in the backyard in the afternoon, break that down to three 10-minute sessions instead, spacing out each sessions so dogs have time to recuperate.

• Exercise indoors if necessary. Avoid exercising dogs outdoors in especially extreme conditions. Rather than exposing dogs to extreme weather, make a game out of running up and down staircases or play fetch in a hallway to help dogs burn off their energy and get some exercise.

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In addition to the traditional services you’d expect from a a veterinary hospital, we offer pets and pet parents even more.

Whether it’s orthopedics, ultrasound, or breeding services, we just about have it all. And we provide onsite grooming and boarding so you can count on us to meet all you pet’s needs.

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Path To A Healthier Life

Serving Victoria’s Nurses For More Than 20 Years!

From Page 4

one that resonates with you: exercise (lower’s your body’s stress hormones), supplements(Omega-3 fatty acids, lemon balm, ashwagandha, valerian, kava kava), essential oils (lavender, rose, vetiver, bergamot, orange), journaling, meditation, spend time with friends and family, find community activities that connect you to a larger group, laugh, learn to say no, yoga, cuddling, be present in the moment (no worrying about the future or past), music, creating, deep breathing and spending time with a pet. Find regular time to do the things you enjoy. It is not selfish. It is as important as eating healthy and drinking all your water.

STEP 10: Sleep better. Here are some ways sleep deprivation affects your body. It

can cause memory issues, trouble thinking or concentrating, mood changes, weakens your immune system, increases blood pressure, causes weight gain, puts you at risk for diabetes and heart disease to name a few. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep. If you struggle being able to sleep here are a few simple things, try keeping a sleep schedule, adding exercise to your routine, eliminate device time in the evenings and keep the room a little cooler than normal. For many people this is a serious issue and there are more in-depth strategies for those issues.

Maintaining routines is a struggle. Try to keep it simple and manageable. Keep track of your journey either on paper or through an app and see your successes! I am a checklist person and by setting an alarm on my phone daily to see if I can check off everything on my list is a motivator for me. Choose a few things on the list and start there. Small changes can add up to big results when they are consistent.

Getting Over the Cold With Nutrition & Herbs

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From Page 4

your head and the bowl with a towel. Simply breathe in the goodness from the steam.

You may alternate deep breathing through the nose and mouth for optimal healing.

These simple ingredients can help support your body when you are ill and following the doctor’s orders. They are simple and very nourishing for your body. Food and herbs have a long tradition in healing and staying well. Some of the most simple healing herbs and foods are found in our pantries as they have been proven to be helpful for generations. As Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

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Finding the right assisted living facility for your loved one

METRO - As people age, often their living arrangements need to be adjusted. Needs evolve as children move out or other situations arise. One of the scenarios that may come to pass as a person ages is the need for more specialized help that isn’t possible at home.

When failing physical or mental health affects one’s ability to be independent and live safety at home, moving into an assisted living facility may be the next step. The National Center for Assisted Living indicates assisted living offers the little bit of help some people need when they can no longer manage living alone. Typically these facilities provide assistance with bathing or dressing, medication management and other care, while also catering to people who may not require the around-the-clock medical care most often associated with nursing homes.

Vetting is an important component of finding assisted living facilities. Family caregivers need to educate themselves about services, costs and other resources.

AARP says assisted living facilities provide residents with a range of services that can include supervision, meals, housekeeping, laundry, and personal care. Residents usually have their own apartments or private rooms. Because they are mostly regulated at state level, there is a lot of variety among these facilities. That means family caregivers need to assess their needs and desires in a facility to find the one that fits. Assisted living facilities offer a home-like environment, and the amenities available vary based on cost.

Paying for assisted living differs from paying for nursing homes. Largely governmentsubsidized health programs like Medicare and Medicaid pay for nursing home care.

Those who would be best serviced by assisted living may find they may not qualify for government support, nor may the facilities accept anything other than private payment or long-term care insurance to cover room and board.

Other considerations in assisted living facilities are size, specialties, atmosphere, location, and the ability to transition to higher forms of care. Assisted living may fill a void, but it’s often not a permanent situation, and eventually certain residents may have to move on to skilled care facilities.

Potential residents and their families should visit various assisted living facilities to get a feel for what they are like. Speak with the staff and residents, request a meal and get a sense of the environment. Apart from cost, how the home feels is one of the most important factors in shopping around for this type of residence.

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