Wellness360 January/February 2017

January/February 2017 • Volume 1 • Issue 5

FEBRUARY IS NATIONAL HEART MONTH!

BE SWEET

to your heart! local outdoor workout spots

(That aren't the gym!)

How well do you know your heart? take our quiz to find out!

mindful eating: Learning to listen to your body

Keep warm!

Workout wear

for winter

DISCOVER LOCAL WINERIES! PG. 22 | JAN/FEB 2017 1 wellness360 wellness360magazine.com

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PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nicole Irving ART DIRECTOR Allison Raber ASSOCIATE DEPUTY EDITOR Colleen McTiernan GRAPHIC DESIGNER Claire Stortz marketing assistant Delia Albert PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Alison Walker Vice president of sales Shane Irving ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE April Tisher executive assistant Sayeh Farah ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Ashleigh Braun Contributing PHOTOGRAPHERS Sincerely Gone Photography Contributing Writers Ethan Bauer, Claire Carlton, Shelby Davidson, Edwin Exaus, Selena Garrison, Nicole Germany, Nicole Irving, Michael Masoomi, MD, Colleen McTiernan, Danielle Pastula, Olivia Pitkethly, Chris Pregony, Ted Spiker, Taryn Tacher, April Tisher

Mailing address

headquarters address

5745 SW 75th Street 101 SW 140th Terrace Unit 286 Suite C Gainesville, FL 32608 Jonesville, FL 32669 Gainesville Office: p. 352.505.5821 Tallahassee Office: p. 850.254.9704 Fax: 877.857.5140

wellness360magazine.com wellness360@irvingpublications.com Wellness360 is a registered trademark property of Irving Publications, LLC. All rights reserved.

Wellness360 is published by Irving Publications, LLC. © 2016 Irving Publications, LLC reserves the right to edit and/or reject any advertising. Irving Publications, LLC is not responsible for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers. Nothing that appears in Wellness360 Magazine may be reproduced in any way, without written permission. Opinions expressed by Wellness360 Magazine writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s opinion. Wellness360 Magazine will consider all never before published outside editorial submissions. Irving Publications, LLC reserves the right to edit and/ or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates.

The information found in Wellness360 Magazine does not constitute individualized medical advice. You must NOT rely on the information in this magazine as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional health care provider. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your doctor or other professional health care provider. If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information in this publication. Wellness 360 Magazine assumes no responsibility for any circumstances arising out of the use, misuse, interpretation or application of any information supplied within the magazine. Always consult with your doctor for appropriate examinations, treatment, testing and care recommendations. Do not rely on information on in this magazine as a tool for self-diagnosis. You exercise your own judgment when using or purchasing any product highlighted in Wellness360 Magazine. Wellness 360 Magazine assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in this publication or other documents that are referenced by or linked to this publication.

wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

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Editor's Note

a year of possibilities It is here…

2017 — a year that I have been dreading for the last 10 years.

Why you ask? Well, in approximately 21 days, I will be turning 40. Those closest to me know how much this has been weighing on me. I have written about it, talked about it, cried about it, and no matter how much I have NOT wanted to say, “Hi, my name is Nicole, and I am 40,” the time is almost here.

So, why have I dreaded this age? You know, I don’t really have a good explanation other than it is just something that has always made me uneasy. Could it be that this means that I am now defined as “old”? That wrinkles and gray hair are inevitable (even though they already paid me a visit years ago)? That shopping at places like Forever 21 or the teen section of Macy’s will be frowned upon (something I stopped doing years ago anyway)? Or is it the reality that 40 years of my life are already finished?

As I sit here and write this letter, I’m realizing that it is the latter. I am sad that 40 years are gone. In a blink of an eye, they have passed by, never to come back. Don’t get me wrong, the past 40 years have been full of amazing things, but the fact remains that they are now in the past.

My father always said, “The youth is wasted on the young,” meaning that as youths, we never realize how good things are until they’re over. The last 40 years of my life have been a huge blessing, but they passed so quickly that I am not sure I relished in them as much as I could have.

So, it has dawned on me that now I have the next 40 years of my life to make sure I relish in all that it has to offer — to be present and active. To get up each morning and say “Today is going to be a great day,” no matter if I am 39 or 40! Age really is just a number; it doesn’t define who you are or what you can or cannot do. The years are gone. I can’t get them back. But I do have more years ahead of me, so I am going to make them the best ever!

So, for all those turning 40 or 104, I hope that this year of your life is full of amazing things that bring you happiness and fulfillment!

Happy 2017!

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Nicole Irving, Publisher, EIC Nicole@irvingpublications.com

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

FEATURES

22 Beyond Napa

22

Take a closer look at four local wineries.

34 John Steyer: The All-American Farmer

42 Squeezing More Health Into Your Diet

34

Discover the health benefits of citrus fruits that you can grow in your own yard!

CONNECT WITH US

\\\\

FARMER JOHN PHOTO BY DELIA ALBERT. WINERY PHOTO BY ALLISON RABER.

Learn how the Florida farm industry has changed over the past 50 years from someone who’s experienced it all.

CHECK US OUT ON INSTAGRAM!

ON THE COVER

Our cover photo features delicious dark chocolate hearts, just in time for Valentine’s Day! Beyond being a tasty treat for your sweetheart, dark chocolate is also good for your health. Read more on page 12.

Photo by Allison Raber.

wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

DEPARTMENTS // HEALTH

// SPOTLIGHT360

8 Should It Be That Color?

56 Meet Karen Allman

Decoding Your Urine 10 Quiz: Are You Heart Smart?

12 Not All Chocolate is Created Equal

// COMMUNITY 59 Calendar

// FITNESS 14 16 18 20

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Just Roll With It Ted Talks: New Year, New You Do You Even Lift, Bro? Local Spots to Work Out (That Aren't the Gym!)

// NUTRITION 26 Raw or Cooked? How to Get the

Most Nutrition From Your Produce 28 A Simple Guide to Mindful Eating 30 Ravishing Radishes 32 A Better Way to Measure

RADISH PHOTO BY DELIA ALBERT. SPOTLIGHT360 PHOTO BY SINCERELY GONE PHOTOGRAPHY.

// LIFESTYLE 38 Showcase Your Travels 40 Stop and Smell the Roses

// STYLE + GEAR 46 Cold Weather Workout Gear

// ASK THE EXPERT 48 Ask the Cardiologist

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// FINANCE 50 Identiity Theft: Protect Yourself

// MIND MATTERS 52 Beating the Commuter Blues 54 Maintaining Healthy Relationships

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Health

Should It Be That Color?

Decoding Your Urine

BY APRIL TISHER

Most of us don’t really look at the color of our urine unless we suspect a problem. Urine, or “pee,” is described as the liquid waste made by the kidneys as they filter toxins from your blood. It is made up mostly of water, but it also contains salt and chemicals such as urea, which aids in nitrogen excretion, and uric acid. You should pay attention to your urine as it is an indicator for what is going on inside your body.

So what should you look for before you flush?

Normal urine should be a pale, straw yellow to light gold in color. This can vary depending on how much water you drink, the foods or medications you are taking and illnesses.

Dr. Greg Bailey, MD and urogynecologist from the Women’s Pelvic Health Center in Gainesville explained that people are always told to drink, drink, drink so they don't get dehydrated.

“Many patients complain of frequency of urination but proudly tell me they're drinking 8–10 glasses of water a day. The best way to tell if you are dehydrated is to look at your urine. If it's clear you are overhydrating, if it's gold you're dehydrated and if it's yellow it's perfect.”

On rare occasions, overhydration can cause hyponatremia, which affects the body's sodum levels.

Any very dark or brown urine is a sign of major dehydration or potential liver problems. If fever, pain or vomiting accompanies any abnormal urine, you should seek medical advice right away.

Seeing pink or reddish colors can indicate the presence of blood in your urine, but not always.

There are certain foods (like beets and even blackberries) that can create this hue as well.

Phenazopyridine, a common medication used for urinary tract infections, will turn urine a red-orange color. So before becoming alarmed about color, consider what you have ingested. However, blood in your urine could be an indicator of kidney or prostate problems so don’t just ignore it.

Some people may see a blue or green color to their urine, which is usually due to dyes used in foods or medications.

“Of course there are other supplements and vitamins that might change your urine's color. The classic is vitamin B2 (riboflavin), which is a common ingredient

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in multivitamins. It can turn your urine bright yellow and almost fluorescent,” said Dr. Bailey.

Susan Barefoot, RN at Women’s Pelvic Health, said that if you suspect something is unusual with your urine, the best thing you can do is to see your doctor and give a urine sample for testing. “Sometimes a seemingly abnormal looking sample will turn out to be clean and vice versa with a normal looking one.” A lab test will check for color, clarity (clear is good, cloudy is not) as well as the presence of bacteria and the chemical composition of your urine.

Clear: Overhydrated

Light yellow: Normal

Dark/Brown: Severely dehydrated/potential liver problems

Pink/Red: Could be due to blood in urine, presence of beets and blackberries in diet or certain medications

Blue/Green: Due to food/ medication dyes You can learn a lot by looking at your urine, but you can learn a lot more by talking with your doctor. The above information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always talk with your doctor about any questions you may have regarding any medical condition.

ODOR AND FREQUENCY ARE ALSO IMPORTANT! Unless you are eating asparagus a lot, your urine shouldn’t have a strong odor.

Dehydration will cause an ammonialike smell, and if you notice other odors, it can indicate a problem such as a UTI, bladder infection, diabetes or even a metabolic disorder.

As Dr. Bailey said, frequency is directly related to how much and how frequently you are getting fluids.

On average, most people have to go up to eight times a day.

Caffeine, alcohol and pregnancy can all cause more frequent urination. If you find yourself having to go more often, especially if you cannot go after having the urge or you cannot empty or control your bladder, you may have a health problem such as overactive bladder or interstitial cystitis and you should contact your doctor.

wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

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Health

1

QUIZ

Are You Heart Smart? 5

About ho day do w many time es you r heart s in a a. 50,0 beat?

00 time s p e r day b. 600, 000 tim e s per da c. 100, y 000 tim e s p e r day d. 2,00 0,000 t imes p er day

BY COLLEEN MCTIERNAN

You may think you’re well versed in matters of the heart, but how much do you really know about this all-important organ? Take our quiz and find out!

How many valves does your heart have? a. 4 b. 2 c. 5 d. 7

as the whale h e lu h does b e Th ow muc H . t r a e largest h ? it weigh pounds a. 1,500 ounds b. 150 p s 0 pound c. 15,00 unds d. 15 po

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wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

In the Unite d States, 1 in ____ deaths per year are du e to heart disea se. a. 13

b. 4

c. 19

d. 22

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e American hy heart, th hich of lt ea h a in To mainta mmends w ciation reco Heart Asso exercise regimens? g week. the followin ctivity 3x a f aerobic a o s te u in m a. 20 7x a week. bic activity o er a f o s eek. b. 15 minute ivity 2x a w aerobic act f o s te u in a week c. 45 m activity 5x ic b o er a f o tes d. 30 minu

10

9

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do the body f o t r a p To what pump blood? heart NOT ngers a. The fi rain b. The b orneas c. The c idneys d. The k

How la

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a golf

s been Higher education ha k of heart linked to a lower ris failure. a. True b. False

3

attack of heart s m o t p The sym me for men and sa are the women. a. True b. False

4

ANSWER KEY - FOLD PAGE OVER TO HIDE ANSWERS WHILE TAKING QUIZ.

Sitting for prolonged periods of time (like at work) has been linked to heart disease. a. True

b. False

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Which o the AH f the follow in A twice recommen g does a week d eatin g due its omega high -3 fatt y acid conten a. Asp t? aragus b. Fish

c. Chic k

en

d. Quin

8

ie of You can d a. True

Women’s hea than men’s rts beat faster hearts, on average. a. True

b. False

a broken

heart.

b. False

oes of blood d s n o ll a g y How man ay? mp each d u p rt a e h the allons a. 2,000 g ons b. 200 gall ons c. 700 gall allons d. 1,700 g

3. B; While men often feel chest pain and pain in the left arm, women may feel unusual fatigue, shortness of breath and neck, jaw or back pain, according to Cleveland Clinic.

5. A; The thumping sound your heart makes as it beats is actually the sound of these four valves opening and closing, according to Cleveland Clinic.

6. D; Regular exercise is the most important factor toward maintaining a healthy heart.

7. B; Salmon, trout and herring are all very high in omega-3 fatty acids, according to the AHA. 8. A; True! Check out Dr. Massoomi’s answer on page 48.

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the How soon after conception do t? bea to rt first heart cells sta a. 2 weeks b. 8 weeks c. 12 weeks d. 4 weeks

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2. B; Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

4. A; If you have a sedentary job, consider taking walking meetings or using a standing desk to reduce your risk.

oa

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1. C; According to Mercola.com, at 100,00 beats per day, the human heart will beat 2.5 billion times given an average lifespan.

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When was the first human heart transplant?

a. August 4, 1993

b. May 5, 1957

c. December 3, 1967

d. February 23, 1948

9. A; As the blue whale is the largest animal on Earth, it makes sense that it has the largest heart!

10. B; Children’s hearts are about the size of their fist.

11. A; According to Mercola.com, the average man’s heart beats 70 times per minute, while the average woman’s beats 78 times per minute!

12. D; A normal fetal heartbeat is much faster than an adult’s, ranging from 110 to 150 beats per minute.

13. C; Although the corneas receive no blood, the heart does pump blood to almost all the rest of the body’s 75 trillion cells.

14. A; A study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology suggested that people who had received higher education were more likely to seek and have access to medical care.

15. A; According to Mercola.com, the amount of blood pumped in an average lifespan would be equal to leaving a kitchen faucet running for 45 years.

16. C; According to History.com Lewis Washkansky was the first person to receive a heart transplant. The transplant was considered a success, but he died 18 days later after developing double pneumonia.

Health Flavanols, the antioxidants found in dark chocolate, actually dilate blood vessels, which in turn explain the lower blood pressure. In addition, according to CNN.com, researchers uncovered in another 2015 study that, “chocolate consumption was associated with a 21 percent lower risk of stroke, 29 percent lower risk of developing heart disease and 45 percent lower risk of dying of heart disease.”

CHOCOLATE CAN BE BRAIN FOOD, TOO

Not All Chocolate Is Created Equal

BY SHELBY DAVIDSON

Indulgence. That’s what comes to mind when I think of chocolate.

Growing up, my grandpa used to eat one piece of dark chocolate every day at lunch. He always told me that scientists said it’s good for your heart, but only in moderation. I never understood the latter part of his argument.

Although heart health has always been the focus of dark chocolate, now there is also evidence that occasionally indulging in this treat can improve brain function as well. Flavanols not only improve blood pressure within the heart, but also help prevent memory decline. With age comes natural memory loss, but according to PBS.org, “when healthy people between the ages of 50 and 69 drank a mixture high in cocoa flavanols for three months, they performed about 25 percent better on a memory test compared to a control group of participants.” Unfortunately, chocolate is only linked to helping age-related memory loss and not that which is a result of Alzheimer’s.

The question still remains. How beneficial is this treat to your health, and if it is such a valuable part of a balanced diet, why can’t we consume it more?

DARK CHOCOLATE IS THE BEST CHOCOLATE For those of us with a major sweet tooth, it may be hard to stay away from milk chocolate or white chocolate because they aren’t as bitter in taste as dark chocolate.

However, according to CNN.com, there are plant nutrients found in cocoa beans called flavonoids that contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power. Dark chocolate has more flavonoids than milk does, and white chocolate isn’t even in the picture because it doesn’t contain chocolate solids.

Instead it is a blend of cocoa butter, milk solids, milk fat and sugar.

The antioxidants found in dark chocolate “are believed to help the body's cells resist damage caused by free radicals that are formed by normal bodily processes, such as breathing, and from environmental

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wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

contaminants, like cigarette smoke,” according to ClevelandClinic.org. Think of chocolate as a line of defense against the bad guys, but as always, use it wisely and modestly.

LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE, HAPPIER HEART One of the most common benefits of dark chocolate that we hear about, as I was told by my grandpa, is that dark chocolate magically helps the heart. According to CNN.com, this is actually true, but only if the chocolate is eaten in moderation and accompanied by healthy habits like diet and exercise. Scientists in Melbourne, Australia, performed a study involving 850 participants who had various intakes of chocolate with high levels of cocoa (more antioxidants), and found that those who ate dark chocolate had lower blood pressure readings.

The Dark Side Of Dark Chocolate The world always has to balance itself out, so naturally a delicious tasting dessert with many benefits also has its downsides. In moderation, dark chocolate is a positive addition to your diet, but too much of it can actually lead to weight gain. Chocolate is typically high in fat, calories and sugar, so CNN.com suggests cooking with natural cocoa powder and choosing chocolate bars that have a greater percentage of cocoa.

Say no to that slice of cake or the white chocolate candy bar, and instead try occasionally incorporating a little bit of dark chocolate in your dessert routine.

Your body will thank you later.

North Florida Regional Healthcare is pleased to announce the addition of Charles T. Klodell, MD to its team of exceptional and accomplished cardiothoracic surgeons.

“Our goal is to help each patient not only live longer, but live better.�

Charles T. Klodell, MD My overarching passion and goal is to provide each patient with the best possible care. Care that I am proud to have helped deliver and especially care that I would be pleased to have any family member receive. It is my pledge that each patient will receive an individualized plan including a focused strategy for patient comfort, all while safely performing their procedure in the least invasive way possible. We must increase not only the quantity of life, but also the quality. Our goal is to help each patient not only live longer, but live better.

Florida Heart & Lung Institute 6440 Newberry Road, Suite 102 Gainesville, Florida 32605 (352) 333-5610 FLHeartAndLung.com

Fitness

Just Roll With It

BY CHRISTOPHER PREGONY, BS, CSCS

What is the deal with foam rolling? I like to think of it as your own personal massage therapist.

Of course it doesn’t do what a human can, but it can provide a bit of maintenance since most of us can’t afford a massage every day.

We will have to understand a bit of anatomy to understand why mashing on your muscles can be beneficial.

The main component of our bodies that we need to understand for foam rolling is the fascia. Think of fascia as the sac that holds your muscles. It is made up of densely packed collagen fibers that create a pocket for your muscles. Think of your body as a bunch of muscles surrounded by a membrane that make it like one big muscle with different sections. That is why tight hamstrings can lead to a tight back.

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wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

One of the most common and most painful areas to foam roll is the iliotibial band, better known as the IT band. It runs down the middle part of the outside of the upper leg.

Tightness can lead to the dreaded iliotibial syndrome, which is extremely painful.

Clients ask me all the time for an IT band stretch. Sadly there is no direct stretch for the IT band. The only true way to work on it is through myofascial release. By lying on your side and using a foam roller, you can really target this area. I can’t think of a more painful yet productive use for the foam roller.

I typically recommend that my clients use the foam roller after they have warmed up as well as when they finish a workout. Using it before helps to bring blood flow to the muscles and get them ready for action. Foam rolling post workout can help smooth out some of the adhesions and micro tears that were sustained during the workout and help with recovery.

Self-myofascial release isn’t just limited to foam rollers. Something as simple as a lacrosse ball can work wonders. Another product that I like to use is the Thera Cane.

This bad boy is shaped like a candy cane and can reach around to your back and work out some of those knots that your spouse can never seem to get.

Be sure to always nurture and cherish your body — it is the only one we have.

Maintaining a well-oiled machine is a daily endeavor. Thankfully we have more tools than ever to help us along our journey.

$39.99, Tptherapy.com

» 2. Merrithew Foam

Roller Deluxe $27.29, Merrithew.com

» 3. Compact RumbleRoller $44.99, Dick’s Sporting Goods/ Dickssportinggoods.com

» 4. Thera Cane

$30, Relaxtheback.com

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2

3

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PRODUCT PHOTOS COURTESY OF MANUFACTURER.

Every time we wake up in the morning our muscles are wrapped up in a fuzz-like substance (a mix of collagen fibers, areolar tissue and fat cells). This layer of fuzz is typically thinned as we move and stretch.

However, this fuzz can compound over time and cause stiffness. Foam rolling can break apart this fuzz and allow your muscles to move more freely. In a nutshell, any form of myofascial release (a fancy word for massage) creates a call to action by your body to help heal the area that is in pain. By mashing on a place that hurts, it creates more blood flow to that area, helping with the healing process.

Myofascial release helps to break apart muscle fibers and adhesions that may be restricting some of the blood flow to that muscle.

FIND THE RIGHT ROLLER FOR YOU

» 1. GRID Foam Roller

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wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

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Fitness

Ted Talks:

The Humorous Side of Health

New Year, New You

BY Ted Spiker

The season of resolutions usually brings about mantras of motivation and fistpounding declarations that this year — THIS YEAR! — will be the one in which we [stop smoking/lose 25 pounds/give up bacon-cheese fries]. For good reason, too. Coming off a month-long gorging of the pies, we see the new year as an opportunity to make changes for the better. Instead of announcing one overall resolution, this year I’m going to try something different by instituting a few changes that will hopefully improve my health, fitness and overall wellness.

1 I resolve to spend more time with my standing desk in the “up” position and less time with my butt in the “we’re happy right where we are” position.

2 I resolve to stop serving butter with an

ice-cream scoop.

3 I resolve to never again — to protect my fellow mankind — forget to pack my towel in my gym bag.

I resolve to make sure I do three things every weekday morning: Drink a big glass of water, get in a good workout (even if it’s short) and cut coffee intake from 44 ounces to 42.

5

6 I resolve to stop putting eggnog in my coffee.

7 I resolve to eat more avocados without using chips as the primary vehicle of choice.

8 I resolve to make appointments for

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I resolve to never participate in a cleanse, unless it involves a fungus.

annual screenings for my skin and eyes, even if I have no freaking clue which looks clearer — 1 or 2, 2 or 1, 1 or 2.

Ted Spiker (@ProfSpiker) is the chair of the University of Florida department of journalism, as well as a health and fitness writer. He is the author of DOWN SIZE, a book about the science and soul of weight loss and dieting.

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wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

9 I resolve to stretch a few times every week, even if it’s for a few minutes and even if my body is as flexible as a fence post.

10 I resolve to try one fitness class I have never tried before. (Note: I reserve the right to withdraw the resolution if you think for one minute I’m doing a fitness dance class. Even though I once won $20 and a six-pack of iced tea at an Electric Slide contest at a bowling alley in the mid-‘90s.)

11 I resolve to run more races and not just for the post-event bagels.

12 I resolve to have more resolve when it comes to at-work doughnuts, second helpings and panko-encrusted anything.

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I resolve that next year a list like this will not be necessary.

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wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

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Fitness GYM ETIQUETTE 101

Do You Even Lift, Bro?

BY SHELBY DAVIDSON

I recently went to the gym to get in a solid arm workout. It wasn’t too crowded, and everyone seemed to be following the unspoken rules of the fitness mecca, until I went to use the pullup machine and found a man breaking a very simple guideline. With his knees lounging on the leg rest, glasses on his face and an invisible coffee mug in hand, he was reading the newspaper while using the machine as a sort of lounge chair.

I had to rub my eyes a few times to make sure this nonsense was actually happening.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a perfect example of what not to do at the gym. With the holidays in the rear-view mirror and the new year in full effect, it’s only expected that every gym will continue to flood with resolutionists and gym rats alike who lack gym etiquette, similar to the newspaper man.

Whether you are a newbie on the machines or a seasoned fitness veteran, everyone should know the basic guidelines that keep the gym under control. Save the loud grunts and cocktail-hour conversations for later, and instead follow these simple rules to protect yourself from embarrassment.

» Use the gym as a beauty shop. Whether you’re in the

»

Clean up after yourself. If I had a dollar for every time I found an unattended squat rack with weights still intact, or a cardio machine with a puddle of sweat on every inch of the metal, I would be rich. According to Bodybuilding.com, it is expected and respectful to clean your sweat and rerack any weights. “If you're 'strong enough' to load the bar, you're 'strong enough' to unload it.” Clean up your weights, rerack them and bring a towel to wipe off any equipment you use.

Do's Don'ts

» Show up to train. Don’t be that person who goes to the

gym just to say you went. Fuel up before you hit the weights with a protein bar, wear proper gym attire that isn’t too flashy and don’t be overly fragranced. If you aren’t ready to be laser focused and improve yourself, you’re in the wrong place.

» Maintain personal space. With heavy machinery, juiced-up meatheads

and crowded spaces, invading someone’s space is not only annoying, but it’s also dangerous. If there are five treadmills next to someone, don’t get on the one right next to them, and be mindful of those doing exercises that require more room.

» Follow a reasonable regimen. There is nothing more concerning than

watching someone in the gym who has no solid workout plan lift way more than they should and with poor form. Go into the gym knowing what muscles you want to build, be cautious of your limits with the weights and don’t fool around.

» Keep your music to yourself. Use earbuds and keep the tunes at a

reasonable volume. No one wants to hear you blasting Katy Perry in your headphones from 10 feet away. On top of that, according to MensHealth.com, playing music too loud puts you at risk for missing warning calls or safety procedures. Keep the music low enough to protect yourself and respect those around you.

locker room or in front of the mirrors in the weight room, the gym is not the place to get pretty. Use mirrors as an opportunity to correct your form or motivate yourself.

» Disturb others when they are mid-workout. Anyone

can assume how difficult it is to breathe, think and speak while pushing a lot of heavy weight. Considering this, do not tap people on the shoulder when they are mid-pump and definitely don’t get in the way of their vision. Staring is equally disrespectful. Maintaining concentration in a workout is key to improving yourself, so don’t ruin that for someone else.

» Treat gym time as social hour. I’ll never forget the man in the gym

reading the newspaper because I was baffled by the fact that he thought the gym was a Starbucks. Activities like reading, talking on the phone or even chatting to your gym partner can always wait for the right time, which is after the gym. It’s a huge distraction and a waste to hog unused machines.

» Make obnoxious noises. The loud grunts, screams and sex noises

are so unnecessary in the gym. A little heavy breathing and some exhales that result in a little noise are fine, but going over the top to show off and impress people does nothing but annoy your fellow gym rats. Stop overdoing it — the excess noise is embarrassing.

» Offer unsolicited advice. Although it is important to be both a

student and a teacher when learning new exercises or correcting form, according to BodyBuilding.com it is equally as vital to recognize who you should be giving advice to. If there is a personal trainer or body builder in the gym, you probably shouldn’t try to correct them. On the other hand, help someone who seems to be struggling, and always be willing to spot if you know how.

Whether you have been working out in gyms for decades or you are just getting your feet wet in the fitness world, follow these guidelines as a way of respecting those around you and becoming a successful gym rat.

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Fitness Southeast Gainesville

La Chua Trail (Hiking)

4801 Camp Ranch road, Gainesville, FL 32641

For opportunities to witness nature, no other trail comes close. You can see alligators in their natural habitat along with wild horses and the occasional hog. The trail is about 1.5 miles to an observation deck, so round trip is about 3 miles. It is great for families and visitors to Gainesville, but it is not good for pets!

3300 SE 15th St., Gainesville, FL

This 16-mile paved trail runs from southeast Gainesville at Boulware Springs Park to the town of Hawthorne. Each mile is marked on this paved and well-maintained path. It is relatively flat and provides a beautiful ride or run.

Northwest Gainesville

Devils Millhopper (Hiking/Stairs)

4732 Millhopper road, Gainesville, FL 32653

Local Spots to Work Out (That Aren't the Gym!)

BY CHRISTOPHER PREGONY BS, CSCS

Did you know that sunshine can stimulate your body to release the feel-good hormone serotonin? For many of us, our jobs require us to be inside all day, and it is amazing what a little fresh air can do for our moods. With the weather changing from obscenely hot to just moderately hot, now is the time to get outdoors. One thing I love about Gainesville is how many options there are for outside activities. Just because Florida is flat doesn’t mean you can’t find some killer hiking and biking to satiate your wilderness spirit.

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Located off of Millhopper road, this geological wonder is a must see. The sinkhole has been visited since the 1880s.

Stairs wind down about 120 feet to the bottom of the sink. Small streams and lush vegetation lead the way down this iconic landmark. It is great for exercising as well as leisure, depending on how you attack the stairs.

Loblolly/Westside Park (Hiking/Trail Biking)

3315 NW Fifth Ave., Gainesville, FL 32607

Loblolly is located just south of Eighth Avenue and runs adjacent to Westside Park.

This fun network of trails runs right along Hogtown Creek and offers dirt trails as well as wooden bridges. Right nearby behind Westside Park (east) is another network of trails that are a lot of fun to run, bike or just explore.

DEVILS MILLHOPPER PHOTO COURTESY OF FLORIDA DEPT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. HAWTHORNE TRAIL PHOTO COURTESY OF FLORIDA PARK SERVICE. ALFRED. A RING PARK PHOTO BY GRACE HOWELL.

Hawthorne Trail (Road Biking/Running)

San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park– Alachua Trailhead (Trail Biking/Trail Running/Hiking)

13201 Progress Blvd, Alachua, FL 32615

This is another must if you are in the area. This one is just outside of town near Alachua, but it is most definitely worth the drive. This state park has about 7,000 acres and is made up of a series of loops that can go as short as 3 miles or as long as 30. The maintenance of the trails is impeccable. There is a $4 entrance fee that is well worth it. The trails take you through a multitude of diversity of North Florida’s forest and the elevation change is quite impressive.

Alfred A. Ring Park (Hiking/Running)

1801 NW 23rd Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32605

Ring Park, which is located off of Glen Spring road, is a great one for the whole family. It is made up of a short series of trails that are well kept run along Hogtown Creek. There is also a small playground located a short walk from the parking area as well as a nice observation deck overlooking the creek.

West (Central) Gainesville

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (Cross Training)

157 Gale Lemerand drive, Gainesville, FL 32611

Can’t seem to find a mountain to climb here in Gainesville? Well look no further than the Swamp. Ben Hill Griffin stadium is not only home to our beloved Gator football team, but also to exercise enthusiasts who want to be outside. It can be one of the most challenging workouts you can do in town. You can walk the bleachers, run the stairs, spring the spirals or jog the zig zags.

Not much of a runner or biker?

• Dwight H. Hunter (Northeast) pool is open year- round for lap swimming.

• For a fun spin on hiking, try geocaching in O’Leno State Park.

• Get your canoe or kayak out and paddle along the 26 miles of the Santa Fe River’s designated paddling trail. wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

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Beyond Napa: Exploring the Wineries of North Central Florida

BY COLLEEN MCTIERNAN | BLUEFIELD ESTATE PHOTOS BY SINCERELY GONE PHOTOGRAPHY

When you think of wine country, what images come to mind? I think of rolling hills adorned with picturesque vineyards, and usually I think of these stunning landscapes as being reserved solely for Italy and California. But the world of wine is so much bigger than that.

And though we may lack the hills, Florida is actually home to 24 independently owned Certified Florida Farm Wineries. Although we couldn’t make it to all 24, we did pay a visit to four wineries all within about an hour’s drive — Bluefield Estate Winery, Tangled Oaks Vineyard, Royal Manor Meadery and Winery, and Island Grove Wine Company.

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CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: Jennifer Ferguson of Bluefield Estate Winery; a wine list and tasting card from Bluefield; a few of the award-winning wines at Tangled Oaks Winery.

Bluefield Estate Winery

22 NE CR 234, Gainesville, FL 32641 Bluefieldestatewinery.com • $5 to taste four wines, or $8 to taste eight • Certain varieties available at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Lucky’s Market and Ward’s Supermarket

Bradley and Jennifer Ferguson started their winemaking journey making 5-gallon batches with the leftover blueberries from Bradley’s grandfather’s blueberry farm for fun.

“We filled up a whole room in our house with wine at one point,” said Jennifer. So they decided to make a business of it and opened the winery in May 2011.

They started off with just three wines (Dry, Semi-Sweet and Sweet Blueberry) and have since expanded to 11. Five of their wines are made with fruit grown on their property, their three blueberry wines and two muscadine grape wines — Windsor Red and Windsor White. The other six are fruit fusion wines made with more popular grape varietals, like Merlot and Chardonnay, and fruit juices, including peach and blackberry.

Between Jennifer, Bradley and one other employee, they hand bottle and cork 5,000–7,000 bottles per year.

“It’s handmade with love,” said Jennifer.

Jennifer recommends enjoying Bluefield’s sweeter wines with fruits and cheeses, and suggests drinking (or even cooking with!) the Semi-Sweet Blueberry with pork and venison. And if you’re looking for a true treat, she recommends mixing their Peachy Perfection with a sparkling wine and frozen peaches for a twist on the traditional bellini.

In the past, Bluefield has hosted bridal showers and corporate tasting events, but Jennifer hopes to one day open a wedding venue on the property and host festivals.

If you’re less interested in wine and more interested in blueberries and grapes, Bluefield opens up for you-pick during harvest season, which is usually the first week of June for their blueberries and the end of August for the muscadine grapes.

What are Muscadine Grapes?

Muscadine grapes are native to Florida, and are therefore the grape of choice for many Florida winemakers. However, while these grapes have a bold flavor, they are much different from the grapes we see at the grocery store.

Muscadines have a very tough skin, which can make them difficult to eat, but there are table varieties.

Tangled Oaks Vineyard 1317 SR 100, Grandin, FL 32138 Tangledoaksvineyard.com

• Free wine tasting • Certain varieties available in select stores

Eleven years ago, Dave and Ricky DaCasto were looking for something new to do.

Dave had made wine for himself for many years, and so the two decided to open Tangled Oaks Vineyard. Their son Dave Jr. and his wife Laura helped from Texas before deciding to make the winery a true family business and moving to Florida.

Although they do not grow all of their grapes on the winery property, the DaCastos use all Florida grapes in their winemaking.

“We primarily make muscadine wine,” said Dave Sr. “and with that we supplement it with some fruit, like blueberry.”

And sticking with local grape producers has worked out well for the family. They’re able to wait to pull in their grapes at the optimum time, unlike other larger wineries.

“You can walk down the vineyards and you can just smell when the grapes are ready to go,” said Laura.

Their most popular wines are also the two varieties that they started with — Noble Red and Carlos, red and white muscadine wines, respectively. However, they also make Blueberry wine, Sangria Azul (a blueberry sangria) and two port-type wines, to name a few. The ports (Red River Oak and River Oak Blueberry) are wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

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What is mead?

Not just for the heroes of old, mead is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented honey. With evidence of mead fermentation in China that dates back to 7,000 BC, mead may be the oldest alcoholic beverage still consumed today.

LEFT: Joe Pasco of Royal Manor Meadery and Winery.

FAR LEFT: A dragon helps hold wine glasses above bottles of Cu Dubh Mead.

when those people that go to all these shows and drink mead come to you and tell you that you make the best, that’s a huge compliment.”

He has a wide variety of meads, including a blackberry mead and a spiced mead made with cinnamon, Madagascar vanilla bean and cloves. Meads tend to air on the sweet side, so while they’re not your typical dinner wines, Pasco said they make for good “hanging out with friends” wines.

Mead is certainly not easy to make, but Pasco seems to have a knack for it, with his first blueberry mead winning gold in the Indy International Wine Competition, the biggest in the country.

“The muscadines are a staple for the southeast,” said Pasco, “but it’s really unique to have something that makes you stand out from the crowd, and I think we’ve done a pretty good job of that.”

Island Grove Wine Company

aged for well over a year in barrels and mixed with brandy to achieve just the right flavor.

21848 SE CR 325, Island Grove, FL 32640 Islandgrovewinecompany.com

“You have to experiment to see what you prefer,” said Laura. “It comes down to finding a wine that you like.”

Every six months to a year, the family tries to create a new wine to introduce at one of their two annual festivals, which draw hundreds of guests. With free tastings and wine slushies available, it’s not hard to see why these festivals draw a crowd!

Royal Manor Meadery and Winery

22 Royal Ave., Interlachen, FL 32148 Royalmanorwinery.com • $5 to taste, but can be refunded toward a bottle of wine or mead • Certain varieties available in local ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Lucky’s Market and other privately owned stores from Miami to Pensacola

Joe Pasco started making wine with muscadine grapes for his wife about 10

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• Free wine tasting for up to six wines • Sold in over 400 stores including select Publixes, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits and Total Wines.

years ago. After hearing good feedback, he decided to enter his first four wines into a Florida wine competition, where they won two golds and two silvers.

“The next year we won seven, then the next year we won 10 and now we’re up to 70 in international competitions,” said Pasco.

Pasco now makes 34 different wines, some of which are actually mead wines, which are made of fermented honey instead of grapes. Aside from distributing to local markets and ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Pasco also sells his meads at renaissance fairs across the state.

“I have the people that do shows all around the country telling me I make the best mead in the country bar none,” said Pasco. “I don’t know what’s out there, but

After years of seeing extra blueberries go to waste at the end of each harvest season, Island Grove Ag Products (one of Florida’s major blueberry suppliers) decided that they wanted to find a way to utilize the leftover fruit. By 2010, they had decided on winemaking.

“We looked at a couple other things,” said Sarah Aschliman, general manager. “You can always freeze it, you can use it for baked goods, you can juice it, make food items like salsa, jams and jellies, but we decided to do wine instead.”

They started off with just two blueberry wines, Kinda Dry and Sorta Sweet. Now they have expanded to include more fruit wines, including a Crisp Green Apple, Sunshine State Berry Sangria and even a blueberry ice wine.

Unlike the other wineries, Island Grove has a tasting house separate from their winery

ABOVE: A few of Island Grove's most popular wines. The old Florida cracker house in the background is the same house featured on Island Grove's label.

Certified Florida Farm Wineries within 90 Minutes of Gainesville Bluefield Estate Winery,

and fields. Aside from offering tasting of their own wines, they also offer tastings of many of the other products they sell, including jams, locally made salsas, honeys, dressings, olive oils and marinades.

“It’s really a true tasting house,” said Aschliman.

And although the wine may be what brings you to the Island Grove Tasting House, it’s the décor that will certainly attract your eye.

Aschliman and her husband Chris designed the building and their attention to detail is impeccable. The wood on their bar is from Micanopy, the wood-looking floors are

actually hand-painted concrete and the two of them made the cork sailfish above the fireplace.

The winery also hosts events on their property. Most recently they held a Sangria 5K Dash at their annual Fall Festival.

And fans of the winery can look forward to even more events at Island Grove’s new facility in Kissimmee, which will be opening this spring.

“We’re building it as a destination winery, brewery, agritourism model of a company,” said Aschliman. “It will be a full area for you to spend the day and enjoy.”

Our Favorite Wines Peachy Perfection

from Bluefield Estate Winery

Cu Dubh Mead

from Royal Manor Meadery and Winery

| STAFF PICKS

Noble Red

from Tangled Oaks Vineyard

Sunshine State Berry Sangria

Gainesville

Dakotah Winery & Vineyards, Chiefland Island Grove Wine Company, Hawthorne

Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards, Clermont Log Cabin Farm, Vineyard & Winery, Satsuma Royal Manor Meadery and Winery, Interlachen San Sebastian Winery, St. Augustine

Tangled Oaks Vineyard, Grandin

from Island Grove Wine Company

wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

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Nutrition

Raw or Cooked?

How to Get the Most Nutrition From Your Produce

BY CLAIRE CARLTON, MS, RD, LD/N

We often hear that fruits and vegetables in their raw form are nutritionally superior to cooked produce. But how much truth is behind this claim? The answer is that it varies among different types of vegetables and fruits. In some vegetables and fruits cooking increases nutrition, while in others we see a decline in antioxidant and/or vitamin levels. The chemistry of food and its components can be quite complex, but we can use the basics listed below to optimize nutrient intake.

Certain nutrients will increase with cooking while others will decrease.

When people ask this question, I always counter with, “How do you prefer them?” I’d rather someone eat cooked broccoli rather than no broccoli at all. Most Americans do not get the recommended five to nine servings (recommendation depends on age and gender) of fruits and vegetables daily to contribute to a well-rounded diet. My simple answer is to eat them using preparation methods that help you enjoy the taste, texture and flavor so that you continue to incorporate nutrient-dense plant foods into your diet. Aim to fill half your plate with fruit and vegetables at each meal to reach the recommended number of servings. When it comes to the raw versus cooked debate, the bottom line is to fit fruits and vegetables into your eating regimen any way you can!

Carrots

These orange-hued roots are high in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that serves as a precursor to vitamin A, which plays a role in vision. Cooking carrots increases carotenoids, so try steaming or boiling them. Roasted carrots have less beta-carotene, but the caramelization and sweet flavor created during the process might please your taste buds more than boiled.

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Bell Peppers Citrus fruits often steal the show when it comes to immune boosting vitamin C, but peppers contain three times the amount found in oranges! Red and yellow peppers contain more vitamin C than green. Vitamin C can be destroyed with cooking, so munch on slices of bell pepper as a snack and dunk them in hummus for some extra fiber and protein.

Peppers also make great toppings for salads, tacos or stuffed in sandwiches.

Spinach Enjoy this dark leafy green raw in salads, smoothies or stuffed in a sandwich.

Spinach is a great source of vitamin B9 (folate), which can be significantly reduced when heated or cooked. This nutrient is especially important for women of childbearing age to prevent neural tube defects in children.

Folate is found in abundance in many other leafy greens such as kale, collard greens and romaine lettuce.

Green smoothies anyone?!

Mushrooms

Tomatoes

These fungi are more nutritious when cooked.

Mushrooms have thick cell walls and the process of heating helps to release their vitamins and minerals. Some research has shown that raw mushrooms contain small amounts of toxins, which can be destroyed through cooking. Choose a variety of mushrooms such as shiitake, enoki and oyster mushrooms. The compounds within these fungi are being studied for their medicinal properties in regards to cholesterol, immunity and more. When it comes to cooking, choose any method you like — grilled, sauteed or roasted.

This red fruit is high in vitamin C, which can be destroyed in cooking. On the other hand, lycopene, the main antioxidant found in tomatoes and other red- and pink-hued produce is increased when tomatoes are cooked. Good sources for lycopene include homemade stewed tomatoes, marinara sauce and tomato paste. While ketchup technically has a high lycopene content, it is also high in added sugar (4 grams of sugar per one tablespoon of ketchup), so be careful with serving size as it can add up!

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Nutrition

A Simple Guide to Mindful Eating

by CLAIRE CARLTON, MS, RD, LD/N

Happy New Year! January brings a lot of well-intentioned goal setting for all areas of life. I especially love that the New Year can represent a clean slate and pave the way for healthy habits. It can be tempting to fall into the trap of starting yet another fad diet, detox or cleanse, but I’m hoping to introduce you to a new approach. Out are the days of counting every calorie. Instead, welcome a new attitude toward food by tuning in to your body and listening to its internal wisdom!

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Mindfulness is a practice that involves paying attention to both emotional and physical states as well as the environment around you. When applied to eating, mindfulness can be an effective method of managing chronic disease and promoting weight loss or management. The application of mindfulness to eating emphasizes the non-judgment of food choices; there’s no need to label foods as “good” or “bad.” In other words, we are not attaching morals to our food choices. This approach can also be referred to as intuitive eating.

To practice mindful or intuitive eating, it is important to consider the internal and external cues that influence what, when and how much we eat. Think about a strict fad diet and the rules associated with adhering to it.

In this example, the cues are external; we rely on the rules of the diet to tell us what foods we are allowed to eat, which ones are off limits and what times of day eating is permitted. Even if we are starving at 9 p.m., we don’t eat because these external rules have already dictated our choice. There’s no freedom at all with this approach!

Alternatively, think about listening to your body and making food decisions based on those cues. Our bodies are incredibly smart, but if we continuously ignore internal signals, it becomes difficult to tune in to them. Try eating when you begin to feel hungry (you may feel your stomach is empty or you might be having increased thoughts about food), and pay attention throughout the meal so you are able to recognize when fullness sets in. Notice the texture, flavor and temperature of the food as you chew it. This method is truly internal, as we rely on how our body and mind feel.

Mindful eating allows for more flexibility, freedom and enjoyment of our foods.

When we eat in this way, our bodies often surprise us; we feel a true desire for nutritious foods that make our bodies feel good and function at their best.

We seek variety and consume a diverse spectrum of nutrients. On a diet, there is always going to be the hidden threat of deprivation. This fear that we will never have another cookie, doughnut or piece of pizza increases desire for the very foods we rule off limits! Ultimately these strict diets backfire and we are back where we started in the diet. It’s a cycle of binge eating, guilt and shame. However, when we consciously choose to eat dessert, we don’t feel as if we have “cheated.” This is because with mindful eating, YOU are in control. When adhering to a diet, you lack this control, which is why we so often find ourselves “falling off the wagon.”

If you want to implement these principles into your life, it is important to separate yourself from the messages that bombard us through society and the media. These messages place an unrealistic image and pressure on women and men to achieve the “ideal” shape and size. We are all different, and the diet that works for one person might be a complete disaster for another. The faster you recognize that diets fail, the easier intuitive eating will be. Once we outsmart the diets, it is empowering

to have confidence in our bodies to know exactly what they need to be healthy.

Mindful or intuitive eating is a wonderful tool to help foster a healthier relationship with food and our bodies. So often I meet with people who berate themselves because of their food choices. There is so much stress, shame and guilt surrounding eating. Mindfulness can help us break away from these harsh attitudes.

There is no wrong way to practice mindful eating. Focus on an increased awareness and a consistent recognition of thoughts that come up throughout the process. Take a step back when you hear distorted thoughts and try

reframing them. An example might be when you hear that voice in the back of your head saying, “If I eat this brownie, I will get fat.”

Instead of believing the automatic thought, think about some alternatives such as, “If I eat this brownie, I will feel satisfied and my craving will be gone,” or “This is a special recipe and I might enjoy eating this while I have coffee with my friend.” When we begin to remove the rules and really tune in to what our bodies are telling us, we often find our way to a naturally healthy weight that is easy to maintain with relaxed, nutritious and fun eating along with conscious movement and exercise.

Use the hunger scale below to assist you in eating more mindfully. Try to begin eating at a 3 or 4 and stop eating at a 7 or 8. Avoid waiting until you reach a 2 or 0 on the scale, as it can lead to overeating when you finally eat.

0

Empty. Beyond hungry, you may feel dizzy or lightheaded. No energy.

1

Irritable and cranky with very little energy. Extreme hunger.

2

Stomach might be growling. Urge to eat is strong.

3

You start to think about food. Stomach feels empty.

4

Sense of space in stomach. You know you may need food soon.

5

Neutral.

6

Sense of food in stomach.

7

Subtle fullness. Feeling satisfied. You might take a few more bites because it tastes good.

8

Full. Satisfied

9

Extremely full. Belly might ache. May feel bloated and slightly uncomfortable. Tired.

10

Painfully full. Feels like Thanksgiving dinner. Don’t want to move.

Adapted from the UT Tyler Hunger and Fullness Scale

wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

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Nutrition

Ravishing Radishes

by COLLEEN MCTIERNAN | photo by delia albert

Radishes aren’t a terribly popular vegetable — they’re not often featured in main dish recipes, and their spicy flavor makes some people prefer to skip them as a side. Common in salads and not much else, these veggies are often pushed to the wayside in favor of greens like broccoli, asparagus and green beans. On top of lending a much-needed pop of color to your dinner plate, radishes have a lot to offer in terms of health benefits. So, next time you’re browsing the produce section of your favorite grocery store or exploring the local farmers markets, consider picking up some radishes.

Radishes are chockfull of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K, B vitamins, folate, potassium and calcium, among many others. They are also very high in vitamin C. According to Livestrong.com, just half a cup of radishes amounts to 14 percent of our daily recommended vitamin C intake. As both an immune system booster and an antioxidant, it’s important to make sure you’re eating a good amount of vitamin C-dense foods.

If you’re looking to increase your fiber intake, radishes are a great option to add to your diet.

According to Livestrong.com, that same half cup of radishes also contains 1 gram of fiber, which is 4 percent of our daily recommended intake.

Fiber can help maintain healthy bowel movements, lower cholesterol levels and lower your risk of diabetes, according to Mayo Clinic, so feel free to pile your plate high with radishes!

Although the typical image that comes to mind when you talk about radishes is a small, red root vegetable, they actually come in a range of colors (red, purple, pink, white, green and black) and sizes. However, they all contain roughly the same nutrient content. Aside from spicing up salads, try incorporating radishes into soups and other side dishes for a new way to incorporate these underappreciated veggies into you diet.

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Nutrition 1.

A Better Way to Measure

by COLLEEN MCTIERNAN

8.

Whether you’re looking to perfect your baking skills or monitor your caloric intake, food scales truly are the new kitchen staple. If you’re an avid baker, weighing your flour can give you a more accurate measurement, so you don’t have to worry about too much flour drying out your sweet treats. And if you’re looking to take charge of your portion sizes, a scale can help in that endeavor, too! There are many different types of kitchen scales, so take care when choosing yours to find the perfect blend of utility and style.

2.

3.

7.

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Amidst the hustle and bustle and surrounded by a sea of leafy greens, John Steyer sits in his usual spot at the Union Street Farmer’s Market. It's the same spot he has been sitting in for the past 50 years.

BY ETHAN BAUER | PHOTOS BY DELIA ALBERT

Everyone at the market and around Bo Diddley plaza, where the market is held every Wednesday from 4–7 p.m., knows him. Right next to him is Pete, a fellow vendor who compliments his fantastic soil, which John has been farming for 50 years.

Nearby at the library, librarians know his name and call it out as soon as he walks in.

And at Faith Vietnamese Cuisine, a nearby restaurant, the owners know both his name and his order, even bringing him specialized utensils when he arrives. But to them, he’s not John Steyer.

He’s Farmer John.

“Everybody notices me,” he said.

The fact that the community knows him isn’t the only sign he’s been there for a long time, though. The 80-year-old’s skin is wrinkled and bronzed thanks to a life-long beating from the sun. Jagged white hairs dot his grizzled chin. And sitting right in his usual spot in the southwest corner of the market, he takes small, almost careful, bites of a sandwich.

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wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

Meanwhile, Krishna music blares in the background along with the intermingled voices of those at the market. In the middle of the bustle is Farmer John, a natural storyteller who loves to talk about his past.

He speaks passionately about his roots in farming, his professional life away from the fields and how, given the choice, he picked hiskey farm over career advancement, going off west on tangents whenever he remembers some new, interesting thing. But he also talks about how he’s seen local farming evolve — for better or worse — over the years.

One of Farmer John’s earliest memories involves gardening.

“I remember when I was digging my garden one time when I was real little,” he said, “so I had to choke way up on the shovel to hold it.”

As one of five siblings in a family that lived outside of Cleveland, Ohio, he also

remembers competing to sell crops — among them squash, cucumbers, corn and tomatoes — to the neighbors when they’d honk their horns outside his home. Him and his siblings would race outside with baskets to try to be the first to sell something.

But for his family back then, farming was only recreational. And as a kid who loved both gardening and playing in the woods, he wanted it to be more.

“I was waiting all my life to live on my own farm,” he said.

He got that chance in 1959 when he moved to Florida, ultimately settling in Starke on a 20-acre property. There, he sold plants and crops — from squash to flowers to various greens — to local flea markets and grocery stores. And over the years, the way he’s sold his product has fluctuated.

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When he first started, he remembers that most farmers were growing a whole bunch of very specific crops. You could go to a farmers market, he said, and find many farmers selling one or two vegetables.

Farmer John didn’t want to be like that.

After being inspired by Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, whose mission, according to Farmer John, was to create a store that had something for everyone, he diversified the types of plants he sold. He said that himself aside, that’s been the trend as of late.

“The guy that’s selling fish,” he said, referring to another vendor, “he’s got a bunch of greens on his table.”

The most significant change he’s noticed on the selling side, though, is the near disappearance of locally grown produce in stores and restaurants. For example, he said he used to sell to a Winn-Dixie supermarket about seven miles from his home. But as the corporation evolved, it started buying exclusively from much largerscale farms.

As a result, he said the only way he can still sell to Winn-Dixie and other large chain grocery stores is to ship his produce somewhere — in the case of Winn Dixie, to Jacksonville — from where it then gets distributed. However, he said having to sit in the warehouse damages the quality of the product.

“The quality of the vegetables people buy nowadays,” he said, “are very, very less than they used to be.”

That isn’t just limited to supermarkets, though. Farmer John also expressed concern over the quality of produce in restaurants, though he seemed more understanding in that area. For example, he said he could understand why a chef would want to buy lettuce of a uniform size, shape and color from a larger farm as opposed to something he’d grown.

“It wouldn’t fit in his mode of preparing,” he said of a chef having to use imperfect produce from local farmers.

Still, he advocated for the health benefits of buying local produce — either by supermarkets, restaurants or people themselves — and expressed regret that it doesn’t happen as much anymore.

“There’s hardly anybody left in Gainesville doing local stuff,” he said.

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Like every question posed to Farmer John, the question of how his farm, Little Bit Nursery, got its name leads to a story.

Years ago (so many that he has no idea when exactly it happened), he mentored a young girl who he said was depressed. She was the daughter of some of his friends, and she helped Farmer John on his farm.

Her nickname was Little Bit, so Farmer John named the nursery after her. The name has stuck ever since.

But while the name has remained constant, over the years, Farmer John’s farming practices have changed.

Back when he started, he said he would go to a now-nonexistent store and pick up a bag of parathion dust, a potent insecticide.

He would then spray it all over his crops to kill off unwanted bugs.

That same dust is now banned in 12 countries, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, with the United States imposing strict regulations to avoid exposure of the dust to workers in 1992.

“I’d walk through it and I’d be covered with it,” Farmer John said. “Nobody said anything about it. Everybody in the whole community was doing the same thing.”

Similar regulations took effect on other pesticides. Nowadays, Farmer John said he uses concoctions of natural bacteria, hydrogen peroxide and other less hazardous substances.

Aside from the shift in how he sells his product, that’s the other big change he’s noticed in his 50+ years of working the land: The implementations of more regulations.

“There was not many at all,” he said of when he started.

Regardless of regulations, though, Farmer John is content to adapt to new practices whenever necessary as long as he can keep tending to the fields.

“He likes plants more than people,” said Melanie Engle, a UF student who helps Farmer John at the Union Street Farmer’s Market. “Definitely.”

Farmer John has lived on his 20 acres of land long enough to see an entire forest grow, literally.

Years ago, part of his land was cow pasture.

But he got rid of the cows and stopped

Clockwise from top: Farmer John's booth at the Union Street Farmers Market has greens for sale for $1 a bundle; Raw turmeric for sale; Farmer John shows off his "Grandaddy" Daikon radish. worrying about the land, which was then overtaken by weeds for several years.

“It was so thick with weeds you couldn’t walk through it,” he said.

Suddenly he said those weeds were overtaken by wild blackberry bushes, which were then overtaken by myrtle bushes, which were then overtaken by pine trees, thus restoring the cow pasture to what it once was. And it only took about 15 years.

“People say, ‘Plant trees, plant trees!’” he said. “Just don’t mow, and the trees will come.”

With the re-forested area of his 20 acres restored to its former self, Farmer John said he only uses about two acres to grow his crops — leafy greens like collards, broccoli and cabbage in the winter and tropical plants like turmeric in the summer

— which he then sells at the Union Street Farmers Market as well as the Alachua County Farmers Market and Ward’s Supermarket, where he’s been selling plants and crops for longer than he can remember.

Watching the forest re-grow reminded Farmer John to listen to nature, he said, which is exactly what he’s been doing for all his years of farming. Despite changes in the way he sells his products as well as increased regulations prohibiting certain substances from aiding his plants’ growth, that facet of his work has remained the same.

And it’s what motivates him to keep hauling his harvest out to farmers markets every week, no matter the weather.

“You should have a job,” he said, “where you do something you enjoy doing.” wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

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Lifestyle

SHOWCASE YOUR

TRAVELS

BY COLLEEN MCTIERNAN

Turn your love of travel into a home décor statement. Each of these travel maps allows you to pinpoint just where around the world you have been, so you can reminisce about past travels and plan future adventures!

1. Mini Cork Globe $45, uncommongoods.com Keep track of your travels in 3D with this interactive cork globe.

4. Standard Scratch Map $26, uncommongoods.com Scratch off the places you’ve visited to reveal vibrant colors underneath.

2. Wooden Pallet USA Map $50, Etsy.com/shop/Arithmestitch Stain or paint every state you visit on this unique pallet map.

5. Rustic Wood Push Pin Travel Map $99, Etsy.com/shop/Grindstonedesign Put a rustic spin on the traditional travel map with this wooden world map.

3. Cork Board US Map $89.99, Target.com Is it your goal to visit all 50 states?

Use the multicolor flags to mark where you’ve been so far!

6. National Parks Explorer Map $55, uncommongoods.com Use the numbered tree stickers to mark which of the 59 National Parks you’ve already visited.

1

5

4

2

3

PRODUCT PHOTOS COURTESY OF MANUFACTURER.

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wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

39

Lifestyle GROWING YOUR GARDEN

Stop and Smell the Roses by nicole germany

The rose is said to symbolize many things. Some believe the flower is destined to bring balance and new beginnings into one’s life, while others associate them as a romantic gesture of love — but, no matter what the meaning, there’s no better sight than a rose garden in full bloom.

Planting roses in Florida may seem like a daunting task because of the constant heat and sandy, non-nutritious soil, but choosing just the right type and understanding exactly how to care for them will get you beautiful blooms almost year-round.

When selecting just the right type of roses to add to your garden in the Florida climate, be sure to take the following into account.

As their name suggests, high-maintenance roses require lots of upkeep, including frequent grooming, fertilizing, watering and pest management. Modern roses like hybrid tea, grandiflora, floribunda and polyantha roses all fall into the high-maintenance category.

On the other hand, low-maintenance roses require minimal care and attention. In this category are old garden roses and shrub roses.

Differences between modern roses and old garden roses can include everything from difference in size, flower fragrance and amount of blossoms. For instance, old roses almost all have a fragrance, while modern roses may not give off quite as strong of a scent.

Make sure to buy roses grown in Florida.

This is important because rose bushes that are field grown in climates very different from ours oftentimes do not live long because of the change in climate.

Plant roses in an area with rich, but welldrained soil.

Old roses (a species of roses that have been around since before 1869) thrive well on their own, meaning they are disease resistant and rebloom throughout the season.

ROSE VARIETIES THAT DO WELL IN NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA Madame Lombard Cecile Brunner

Cramoisi Superieur

Papa Gontier

Thousand Beauties

Old Blush

Crepuscule

Maggie

Champney’s Pink Cluster

Swamp Rose (Florida's native rose!)

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CLIMBING VARIETIES

wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

Cydney Wade, owner of Rose Petals Nursery, offered a few tips to keep your roses in tip-top shape.

■■ Scope out a place in your

yard that will offer full sun (6–8 hours preferably).

■■ Watering is necessary to

establish your rose, but after the roses have taken hold, hydration is only needed in dryer conditions.

■■ When planting your roses,

dig the holes twice as big as the pot, and amend the hole with compost.

■■ Backfill the hole and top

with compost and mulch to about 3 inches thick (mulch helps to retain moisture).

HEALTHY ROSES,

HAPPY GARDENER

icon Designed by Freepik

Pruning, although not mandatory on old roses, is the process of removing anything that looks dead, injured or diseased. You should always cut at a 45-degree angle.

Grooming depends a lot on the type of rose you decide on, but mostly refers to trimming off any faded flowers and removing leafy shoots that begin to grow from the rootstock.

Cutting roses should be done with a sharp knife or pruning shears. When making the cut, start from an angle and work your way up the stem to where it meets a new leaf line. Then simply snip!

What color rose

should I choose?

Red Universal sign of true love and romance.

Yellow Perfect for lifting one's spirit and showing happiness and joy.

White Purist of colors, white roses represent innocence, purity and charm.

Pink A sweet gesture for a first date that carries true admiration and gentleness.

Orange Perfect way to offer enthusiasm and gratitude.

Lavender Just the right way to reveal your openness for infinite possibilities.

wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

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SEASON FOR CITRUS

Squeezing More Health Into Your Diet

BY DANIELLE PASTULA

When you think of the health benefits of citrus, your first thought is probably drinking a big glass of Florida orange juice to help combat colds and boost your immune system.

After all, that is orange juice’s biggest marketing claim to fame, but there are plenty of other benefits, some long-term, that come from orange juice as well as other citrus varieties like grapefruit, tangelos and tangerines.

What are some of the other perks you’ll get by squeezing more citrus into your diet?

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1

Fiber

If you’re looking to add more fiber to your diet, citrus fruits are a great go-to with an average of 3–4 grams of fiber per piece of fruit, with 60–70 percent of that fiber being soluble fiber.

Some benefits of soluble fiber include lowering cholesterol and preventing spikes in blood sugar. The insoluble fiber helps with normalizing and maintaining bowel health and regularity, and all of these benefits combined help with achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

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2

Flavonoids

From the ruby red flesh of a grapefruit to the bright orange peel of a tangerine, the warm colors of your favorite citrus come from the presence of flavonoids.

Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants that have been shown to have a wealth of antiinflammatory and immune system benefits that help prevent and counteract a variety of diseases including cardiovascular disease and autoimmune diseases.

Also, according to research reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, having a diet that consists of a higher intake of fruits and vegetables consisting of vitamin C is associated with reduced stroke risk due to the presence of flavonoids.

In the study, researchers found that women who ate higher amounts of citrus had a 19 percent lower risk of blood clotrelated stroke than women who consumed the least amounts.

3

Vitamin C

Despite being the most well-known health benefit of citrus, what you may not know is that vitamin C does a lot more for the body than just boosting the immune system.

According to the National Institutes of Health, vitamin C helps the body make collagen, which is needed for the body to generate skin, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels as well as repair and maintain cartilage, bones and teeth.

Vitamin C also helps with lowering the body’s blood pressure as well as the production of neurotransmitters, like norepinephrine, which is critical for proper brain function.

TIPS & TRICKS

Growing Your Own Citrus Tree 44

wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

Fresh from Florida

One of the other biggest perks of citrus? Some of the freshest varieties are grown right in our own backyard! Here are a few of Florida’s most popular varieties.

Grapefruit

Florida only has a few grapefruit varieties, including White, Flame and Ruby Red, but they’ve all got a bright flavor with plenty of juice, making them good for eating or juicing.

In season: Although available year-round, the best grapefruit is picked between November and June.

Tangerines

Florida’s tangerine varieties include Fallglo, Dancy, Honey, Robinson and Sunburst. All these varieties are good for eating with flavors that range from mild and sweet (Fallglo and Honey) to rich and deep (Dancy, Robinson and Sunburst).

In season: Technically tangerines are in season from October through April, but November through January is when you’ll get the juiciest and sweetest tangerines.

Tangelos

A tangerine-grapefruit hybrid, Florida’s tangelo varieties include the Orlando and Minneola. For people who typically don’t care for the sometimes bitter taste of grapefruit, tangelos are a mildly sweet and juicy alternative.

In season: Tangelos are in season from November to February with Orlando tangelos being the best from November to January and Minneolas being the ripest from late December to early February.

Oranges

Ambersweet, Hamlin, Navel, Red Navel, Temple, Valencia and Pineapple Oranges have features to suit every taste. Hamlin and Valencia are great for juicing, Temple oranges are often regarded as the best for eating, and Ambersweet and Red Navels have some of the highest fiber content.

In season: With all the orange varieties out there, there’s pretty much always an orange that’s in season, that is, except for during the summertime. June through August is the one time of year oranges aren’t considered “in season.”

■■ Immediately after taking the

seeds from your citrus fruit, wash them in lukewarm water. Seeds need to be kept moist for proper germination.

■■ To get your sprouts started, soak

the seeds in water overnight, plant them a half-inch deep in a cup filled with sterile potting soil and cover with a plastic bag. Let the

covered cup sit in a warm, sunny spot for a few weeks until you cultivate seedlings.

■■ Once you’ve grown larger

seedlings with two to three sets of leaves, you can plant the seedlings in the ground. Be sure to find a planting spot that’s sunny and has moist soil for the best results.

■■ Citrus trees grown from seed

are a lengthy time investment; it can take up to 15 years to get your first harvest! If you’re looking for a shorter time span to enjoy your homegrown citrus fruit, you can buy a small citrus tree and transplant it into the ground, which will usually bear fruit in three to four years.

wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

45

Style + Gear

Cold Weather Workout Gear

LL Bean SmartWool Cuffed Beanie $28, Llbean.com

by EDWIN EXAUS

A stiff breeze shouldn’t be an excuse for skipping out on a morning exercise. Investing in a set of warmer workout clothes is not only beneficial for your body, but also your performance. When properly dressed, you feel more comfortable and are able to perform at the top of your game. Florida may not receive snow, but there are a few months that require a bit of layering. So try bundling up with a thicker pair of tights, insulated vest and long sleeve thermal to keep your body temperature in check. Here are some of our favorite winter weather accessories and clothing exclusively for those chilly months.

North Face Women’s Cable Ear Gear $28, Thenorthface.com

Fila Half Zip Pullover $75, Fila.com

Nike Power Speed Flash $175, Nike.com

C9 Champion Convergence Top

C9 Champion Cold Weather Tight $24.99, Target.com

$34.99, Target.com

Brooks, Women's LSD Thermal Running Vest $110, Brooksrunning.com

C9 Champion Run Short $19.99, Target.com

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wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

PRODUCT PHOTOS COURTESY OF MANUFACTURER.

LAYER THESE SHORTS OVER A PAIR OF WARM TIGHTS

ORGANIZE WITH

Style.

YOUR HOME. YOUR STYLE. YOUR CUSTOM CLOSET! (352) 318-0818 AMANDA@ADIVINECLOSET.COM ADIVINECLOSET.COM VISIT ME ON HOUZZ.COM

Amanda Carreon, Owner of A Divine Closet

VISIT ME ON FACEBOOK

wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

47

Ask the Expert

Ask the Cardiologist

BY MICHAEL MASSOOMI, MD

Dr. Massoomi is an assistant professor of medicine within the division of cardiology at UF. His clinical interests include coronary artery disease, nutrition, preventive medicine and general health and well-being.

When it comes to simple dietary advice, I think Michael Pollan said it best in his book “Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual.”

Here are some of my favorites from his book along with some of my own advice!

1. Eat mostly plants, especially leaves, and eat your colors.

2.

Limit your snacks to unprocessed plant foods.

3.

Avoid foods with sugar or sweeteners as one of the first three ingredients.

Can you really die of a broken heart?

Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.

My sister got a cold and it caused heart damage. How is this possible?

Eat more like the French. Or the Japanese. Or the Italians. Or the Greeks.

Most common colds are caused by viruses, and it turns out that in rare instances some viruses can affect the heart, as well. We call this viral myocarditis and it can lead to heart failure in some cases. Make sure to wash your hands frequently to minimize the spread of germs!

Why does your left arm hurt when you’re having a heart attack?

The symptoms of a heart attack can be vague and are variable from person to person, especially in patients with diabetes or older age. One of the most common symptoms is chest discomfort, usually described as a tightness. Other symptoms include neck pain, left arm pain, right arm pain and shoulder pain. This phenomenon of pain that can occur at a different location than its actual source is known as referred pain. There are many theories as to why this

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4.

There is a condition called “broken heart syndrome,” also known as Takatsubo cardiomyopathy or stress-induced cardiomyopathy. The heart function is affected in a way that results in part of the heart not pumping effectively while the rest of the heart contracts forcefully, resembling the shape of a Japanese octopus trap, or Takatsubo. This condition may be caused by physical or mental/emotional stress and it can occur in patients with no heart disease. We see this more in women than in men, and it can look like a heart attack based on symptoms and even lab tests. Severe cases can result in profound heart failure, which, if left untreated, could be fatal in rare cases. This condition is usually diagnosed when a patient presents with signs and symptoms of a heart attack/heart failure and heart catheterization shows no blockage in the heart arteries. The good news is that most people make a good recovery with a low incidence of recurrence. I have seen patients present with this condition after a heated argument or after the death of a loved one. So, yes, emotional heart break can lead to a real heart break!

wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

5.

Eat sweet foods as you find them in nature.

6.

The whiter the bread, the sooner you’ll be dead.

7.

Shop in the periphery of the supermarket and stay out of the middle.

8.

9. Don’t buy food where you buy gas.

10. Real food goes bad. If it can hold in the pantry for weeks, it’s probably not good for you.

11. Drink more water.

12. Eat less! Stop eating before you feel full. Use smaller plates.

Don’t think in terms of a heart healthy diet, diabetic diet or weight loss diet. Focus on being healthy and the rest will come with it! And don’t forget to exercise! And sleep!

occurs and it is related to the complex network of nerves that feed this area of the body resulting in overlap and crossing of signals that can confuse the brain as to where exactly the pain is originating.

I have high cholesterol. What does that mean for my heart?

Elevated cholesterol is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but, interestingly, over half of all first heart attacks occur in patients that have normal cholesterol levels. With the exception of cases with very high cholesterol levels, we have been moving away from simply treating cholesterol levels. Instead we focus on overall risk, which is affected by many other factors including age, gender, high blood pressure, diabetes and race, in addition to cholesterol levels. If your doctor identifies you as being at anelevated risk for cardiovascular disease, he or she may decide to treat you with a “statin” class cholesterol medication, even if your cholesterol levels are not elevated. We have learned that treating overall risk is probably better than simply focusing on a single cholesterol number. And, of course, a healthy diet and physical activity also helps to reduce cardiovascular risk.

How are diet and heart disease linked, and what should I eat to maintain a healthy heart?

Well, this is the million-dollar question! While there is no quick answer, I do think we’ve come a long way in understanding nutrition and heart disease over the past few decades. Let’s keep it simple, since complicated dietary advice usually doesn’t work!

The media has a drastic impact on our diets, and unfortunately it’s not always for the better. Sugar free may mean high fat or artificial sweeteners, and fat free can mean high sugar. And if you’re trying

SUGAR FREE MAY MEAN HIGH FAT OR ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS, AND FAT FREE CAN MEAN HIGH SUGAR. to read nutritional labels, pay close attention to serving sizes. Don’t focus too much on certain nutrients, instead focus on healthy foods. For example, don’t avoid avocados because they are “high in fat.” Instead recognize that an avocado is a healthy food.

Sometimes it feels like my heart skips a beat, or beats harder from one beat to the next. Is this normal?

The sensation of a skipped or forceful beat is known as a palpitation. Sometimes this occurs as a result of an abnormality in the heart rhythm, and sometimes it can occur in the absence of rhythm abnormalities, related to anxiety, excitement or stress. A rare occurring skipped beat can be common in many people and usually does not indicate a serious problem. Symptoms are most concerning when they are prolonged and/or accompanied by chest discomfort, lightheadedness or passing out. The best way to tell if there is an abnormality in the heart rhythm is to have an electrical recording of the heart, known as an ECG, during an episode. We also have various monitors that can be worn at home or work on a day to day basis to capture episodes as they occur.

wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

49

Finance

[

attached to ATMs or gas pumps that reads the magnetic strip on your card to steal your credit/debit card information. Phishing involves thieves pretending to be financial institutions, other companies or a person in need and sending you spam emails or pop-up messages to get you to reveal personal information.

ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION, THERE ARE FOUR MAIN WAYS TO KEEP YOUR INFORMATION SECURE. 1. Know with whom you share your information.

Make sure you really know who is getting your personal or financial information, and don’t give this kind of information out over the phone, through the mail or over the internet unless you initiated the contact or are sure of with whom you are dealing.

Identity Theft: Protect Yourself

BY SELENA GARRISON

“Your card has been declined.”

Those are words you never want to hear, especially when you know there should be sufficient funds in your account to cover the transaction. When you pull up your banking app and see a number of fraudulent charges leading to your overdrawn balance, your heart just sinks into your stomach.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, “Identity theft happens when someone uses your Social Security number or other personal information to open new accounts, make purchases or get a tax refund.” It might be an isolated case where information is stolen for just one credit card, or it might be a more in-depth case where someone has used your identity extensively for things like a mortgage, a car loan or even a collection of government benefits. Regardless of the circumstances,

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wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

identity theft is a violation of your privacy that leaves you vulnerable to many potential problems.

In today’s world, it is highly likely that you or someone you know has been a victim at some point. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, identity theft has been the No. 1 consumer complaint for 15 straight years and has affected at least 332,646 Americans in 2014 alone. A quick shout-out to my friends on social media brought in more than 20 stories of identity theft in less than an hour.

One of those 20 who responded was Jessica.

She found out that her identity had been stolen during a trip to the emergency room when her social security number led to someone else’s name printing out on her ID band. She pulled her credit report when she got out of the hospital, only to discover that a thief had completely stolen her identity — credit cards, utilities, cellphone service, medical bills, all of it. A nightmare of police reports, paperwork, phone calls and constantly having to prove her own identity ensued. Jessica was a very young adult when her identity was stolen, and years later, she and her family are still dealing with the repercussions.

Identities are stolen using both low-tech methods like purse snatching or dumpster diving and high-tech techniques like skimming, phishing and employment scams. Skimming involves the use of a special storage device

2. Store and dispose of your information securely, especially your Social Security number. Lock your financial documents and records in a safe place at home, and keep your wallet or purse in a secure place at work. Limit what you carry with you when you are out to only the identification, credit and debit cards you need, and leave your social security card at home. Shred any documents that contain personal information and are no longer needed. Before you get rid of a computer, wipe the hard drive and get rid of all the personal information it stores. Before you dispose of a mobile device, make sure to delete your personal information permanently and save or transfer necessary information to a new device.

3. Ask questions before deciding to share your personal information. Keep your Social Security number secure and ask questions before deciding to share it. If your (or your child’s) SSN is requested, ask why it is needed, how it will be used, how they will protect it and what happens if you don’t share it.

4. Maintain appropriate security on your computers and other electronic devices. Use security software including anti-virus, anti-spyware and a firewall. Don’t open files, click on links, or download programs sent via email by strangers. Before you send personal information over your laptop or smartphone on a public wireless network, make sure your information will be protected. Keep financial information on your laptop only when necessary. Don’t use an automatic login feature that saves your username and password, and always log off when you’re finished. That way, if your laptop is stolen, it will be harder for a thief to get at your personal information.

IF YOUR INFORMATION HAS ALREADY BEEN USED FRAUDULENTLY, YOU SHOULD: 1. Lockdown the problem account. Contact the financial institution, dispute the charges and ask to lock or close the account.

2. Check your other credit card and bank statements for unauthorized charges. If you find unknown charges, call the financial institutions to alert them of the problem and request the account be locked or closed.

3. Review your credit reports for unauthorized accounts. Use Annualcreditreport.com (the official government authorized credit report website) to pull copies of all three credit bureau reports and look for any accounts you don’t recognize.

4. File a report with the Federal Trade Commission. If the extent of your identity theft issue goes beyond credit card fraud in which only one account was compromised, you should file a report with the Federal Trade Commission via their website at FTCComplaintAssistant.gov or via phone at 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338).

5. File a police report. It is important to create a paper trail to show you are proactively addressing the problem. The local police may not be able to do anything if your identity was stolen by criminals online and overseas, but your report could help them track down someone who is stealing information locally.

6. Place a fraud alert on your credit reports. Follow up with the credit bureaus and request a fraud alert be placed on your account. Initially, a fraud alert will last 90 days, and it notifies any institution that pulls your credit report to the fact your identity may be compromised.

7. Open new credit card and financial accounts. Talk to your financial institutions to determine the best way to avoid further damages.

Generally, this includes closing and reopening accounts.

The process of recovering from severe cases of identity theft can be long and tedious, but it is possible to move on with life and keep yourself safe in the future.

wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

51

Mind Matters

Beating the Commuter Blues

BY TARYN TACHER

Morning commutes leaving you stressed? After being jolted awake by those dreaded alarm clock beeps and struggling to get out of bed and ready for the day, you’re likely already feeling the pressure before you even walk out of the door.

Whether you are a morning person or not, the start of your day is hectic, and the last thing you need is a traffic-filled commute to work — but it is seemingly unavoidable. With so many people on similar work schedules, it is next to impossible to have an easy drive.

According to the US Census Bureau, the average commute time to work in the United States is 25.4 minutes. Here are some ways to make the trip less stressful.

Set your alarm clock 10 minutes earlier so you do not feel as rushed. Whether you end up leaving your house earlier or spending those extra minutes on a task you usually speed through, you will be surprised what having 10 extra minutes can do to your stress levels.

Listen to soothing music on your drive to calm your heightened nerves. You may even want to try downloading a podcast or audio book to keep your mind off of the time.

Sit up straight and move your seat closer to the steering wheel to help avoid back pain. You can even place a small pillow between your lower back and the seat for extra support. If your muscles are relaxed, your mind will be more at ease, too.

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Try carpooling with a co-worker who lives nearby or a neighbor whose office is close to yours. Less cars on the road means less traffic — yet 76.4 percent of Americans drive to work alone, according to a 2013 survey report from the U.S. Census Bureau. Driving with a co-worker or neighbor also gives you someone to talk to on your commute, which may make the time seem to pass a little faster.

Download a traffic app, like Waze, on your phone to help you find the most direct and least congested roads.

On the other hand, you may want to look for the most scenic route. Even if it’s not the most direct way to get to work, the beauty of nature may help to make your commute more pleasant.

If you are still frustrated by your morning drive, take comfort in knowing that Gainesville has significantly shorter commute times than the majority of the country with an average of 13.9 minutes. Because the city is home to the University of Florida, students, faculty and staff travel to and from campus at various times throughout the day. This means the flow of traffic spans a wider range of time, unlike most places that have peak rush hours.

The truth is that as much you pace your time in the morning, you may still endure an aggravating commute. And when that happens, the best thing to do is sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.

ROAD RAGE The morning rush can cause excessive anger, which can lead to aggression — and being heated while driving proves very dangerous. Road rage accounts for 66 percent of traffic fatalities. Use your turn signal when switching lanes, motion to drivers to thank them for letting you pass in front of them and be mindful of the fact that everyone has a destination they’re trying to reach. Figuring out what calms you can help you curb your frustration and ensure a safer commute for you and for others around you.

DID YOU RECENTLY

ACCOMPLISH A GOAL OR HIT A MILESTONE

?

Send us your photos of your accomplishments. From graduations to 5Ks, we want to celebrate you!

Send photos to Colleen@irvingpublications.com wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

53

Mind Matters

Maintaining Healthy Relationships

BY OLIVIA K PITKETHLY, MA, LMHC

The Gottmans’ suggestions can extend beyond couples and into friendships and family relationships, too. Be careful not to let life’s responsibilities get in the way of your friendships. It’s easy to let social media play a major role, but nothing beats inperson interaction. No matter the distance between you and your friends, make it a point to schedule a face-to-face at least once every couple of months. If it’s not always doable, sending a funny card in the mail or a thoughtful text will maintain the bond you have with your closest friends.

The same goes for family relationships. When you have your own family — spouse and kids — it’s easy to get wrapped up in their activities. It’s important, though, to stay in touch with extended family. Remind yourself of your roots and teach your kids where they came from. Older relatives, siblings and cousins can provide wonderful memories for all of you. Visit during spring break or summer vacation, send holiday cards and schedule a video chat.

Between careers, education, children and other family responsibilities, your relationship can easily get overlooked and you may not even realize it’s happening. Relationship experts Drs. John and Julie Gottman have spent decades studying couples and their relationship patterns and have found three components for a healthy relationship: expressing interest, being gentle in conflict and repairing negative interactions.

Avoid creating emotional distance with your partner by expressing interest: take a few uninterrupted minutes at the start and end of each day to touch base. And who says your dating days are over when you get married? Date your spouse! Make it a point to go to your favorite restaurant or schedule a weekend getaway for just the two of you.

If finances or time are an issue, surprise your love with a note or a special treat to let them know you are thinking of them.

Jessica Stewart and her husband David have been married for 14 years. They recently moved to Florida to care for an elderly grandparent, which has expectedly been a significant adjustment. Jessica said that respect and communication are essential to maintaining a healthy marriage.

“Honesty is important too, even when it may not be what the other person wants to hear,”

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she said. “We allow each other space to be grumpy, even though I want to talk things through immediately and he needs time to process. We couldn’t be more different, but we make it work!”

No relationship is without conflict. The Gottmans advised being gentle with each other during disagreements by avoiding the blame game, using “I feel” statements and expressing your needs. And if your conflict has escalated before you can use a gentle approach, make sure you do your part to repair it. Take responsibility for the conflict, even if it’s just a small part. You may not solve every problem you have and that’s OK. Remember to approach the problem as a team, not as opponents. The Gottmans said the ability for couples to repair their negative interactions is directly related to the strength of their friendship.

Although it’s not outlined in the Gottmans’ three tips, having time apart is healthy for relationships, too. Having your own individual interests and friends allows you to maintain your independence and fulfills your personal growth. It also gives you something different to contribute to your relationship.

You can talk to your partner about your newest hobby or the fun time you had with your friends.

If you find yourself in conflict with family or friends, take the Gottmans’ advice to repair the relationship. Own up to your contribution to the conflict and let the other person know how important your relationship is to you. Most disagreements aren’t worth losing a relationship over.

Know when to say goodbye If you find yourself questioning if your relationship is unhealthy, here are some signs to look for: Abuse: One of you is verbally, physically or sexually abusive Codependence: When one or both parties is excessively emotionally dependent in the relationship.

One-sided: When one of you is putting all the effort into a relationship.

If you find your own physical and emotional health is deteriorating as a result of a relationship, it’s time to decide to let go.

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Spotlight 360

Still Going Strong at

70

PHOTOS BY SINCERELY GONE PHOTOGRAPHY

At 70 years old, you may think that intense exercise is out of the question. But for Karen Allman, exercise is part of her daily routine to prep for the triathlons she’s been competing in for 12 years. From swimming 1,500 meters in frigid waters to biking through the Panhandle, Allman is still going strong!

How do you live a 360life?

First, I spent my career working as an RN, so I have seen firsthand the importance of living healthy.

Shortly before I retired (about 10 years ago now) I was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease. PKD is a genetic disease where cysts develop over time and impinge on kidney function. I had 42 percent kidney function at diagnosis. PKD has a 50 percent chance of being passed on to a person's children. Two of my three children have been tested for PKD — one has PKD and one does not.

Wellness is an everyday affair. Diet, hydration, blood pressure control, training smartly and keeping a strong core are all important. Rest/recovery days are just as important as workout days. I find competing in triathlons and races helps keep me mindful of living healthy every day. My kidney function has dropped down to 32 percent over the last year, so I find I need more rest and recovery. I have also started using the Galloway running/walking method.

We run/walk intervals. Following this system and focusing on overall health, I can do a long run with better endurance at my age.

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What is your wellness mantra?

My mantra is to live every day to the fullest and appreciate what you have. I learned this from working with my oncology patients for so many years.

How long have you been active/ competing?

I have been running since 2001 and competing in triathlons since 2004.

How did you get started?

I started running in 2001 after watching the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. Everybody looked so happy and accomplished after running 26.2 miles. I came home and did the Jingle Bell 5K run by the Brain Institute on the UF campus. I had so much fun I haven't stopped since. A couple of years later a couple of physical therapists at work said I should do a triathlon with them. I didn't own a bike or know how to swim using proper form. I bought an entry-level bike and started to learn how to swim with the help of my coach, Karyn Austin (she’s the best).

Today, I am still going strong. What I like about triathlons is they incorporate so many things you have to prepare for. I believe that keeps you healthy and more injury free. I was also able to complete the Marine Corps Marathon in 2004.

qualified me for the World Championships in Chicago in 2015.

Everything that went well in Nationals went wrong in this one. A storm the night before made for choppy, freezing water — even with my wetsuit on, I froze. The bike ride went from bright sunlight to the dark tunnels of the overpasses with sharp turns. It was a great experience and an honor to compete with the top athletes from all over the world.

These were Olympic distances — swim 1,500 meters, bike 24.8 miles and run 6.2 miles.

Do you have races/ competition/events that you would like to complete on your bucket list?

I already accomplished the National and World Championships. With my kidney function declining, I'm going to stick with the sprints and half marathons for fun and health.

What are you training for right now?

I am training for Senior Games, State to qualify for Nationals, which will be held in Birmingham, Alabama in June. I also am training for a half marathon in Ocala in January. I already qualified for the triathlon for Nationals. I am competing in cycling in Clearwater for cycling time trials and the 20K road race. You have to finish in the top

Wellness is an everyday affair ... rest/recovery days are just as important as workout days.

Can you tell us about your favorite competition?

My favorite competition was the USA Triathlon National Championships in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2014. You have to qualify at the state level to participate. It was one of my best swims. Every part went well and I felt great after. Maybe I should have even pushed myself a little more. This

four of your age group at the local level and then the state level in order to go to the national competition.

What is your daily workout routine?

My training depends on what I am training for. I swim, bike, run and do core training at least twice a week. Sometimes I do a

brick workout — run/swim, run/core, bike/ run on one day. It is just as important to have rest/recovery days. I usually do three weeks of longer training and the fourth week is an easier workout.

What is the most important lesson competing and being active has taught you?

Train hard and proper and the race will be easy. You also feel better and have a better quality of life. I would like to mention that not everyone likes competition. Any activity you enjoy, just do it. Try to make it a lifestyle. Many people just walk 5Ks. There are many programs in Gainesville to help with disabilities or painful arthritis to keep you functioning.

What is your go-to diet?

Since I have kidney disease I am on a low-salt, low-protein diet and drink 2–3 liters of water a day. I was fortunate to be on a clinical trial at Emory University for six years. My clinical coordinator was also a triathlete. They helped me with my diet and highly encouraged all my exercise.

With the Florida heat, I especially have to watch my hydration and electrolytes with hard training. I like Accelerade as my exercise supplement. It is a 1:4 protein to carbohydrate ratio, which helps with my low protein diet and electrolyte replacement.

How would you encourage others to start living a 360life?

I think any level of physical activity is important for you to not only stay healthy, but also to have a good quality of life. It's amazing how you feel so much better after you exercise. I know a lot of people with arthritis that have difficulty with activity and pain. There are so many programs available in Gainesville with mobility exercises. This also helps to prevent falls in the elderly. A lot of the 5Ks encourage walkers as well as runners. I know that when I do triathlons I get so much encouragement from younger athletes. They see my age boldly printed on the back of my leg during the race and encourage me on as they pass me. I have many come and say to me afterward that they want to do it at my age.

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What is your favorite book?

“The Underground Railroad”

by Colson Whitehead.

Fiction, but based on historical fact.

What is your favorite restaurant?

Kudos to Blue Highway in Micanopy for being my goto restaurant. I recently took my two grandchildren there for a birthday lunch. I had the beet salad and three slices of pizza. I came home and my blood pressure was on the low side of normal.

I have a hard time going to restaurants because of the high sodium content.

I'm usually lucky to have one slice of pizza without meeting my whole day’s limit of sodium.

How do you like to wind down from a busy week?

I like to read, especially mysteries, and watch movies.

Anything else you'd like to share?

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Karen and friends Melinda Koken, Jean West and Joyce Bono in front of a dug out canoe at Ochlockonee River State Park.

I just did a five-day bike tour with three other senior ladies. We loaded up our bikes with all our gear in panniers, which meant we were carrying 25–30 extra pounds. We had tenting equipment, clothes, everything we would need. We rode 45–48 miles every day to a different campground in the Panhandle. Everyone was so nice to us everywhere we stopped. The camp host at one campground had us over for venison chili for breakfast as we took off for our next campground. No flat tires to report, just one night of cold when the temperature dropped down to 40 F. We started our trip at Ochlockonee River State Park, and then moved on to St. George Island State Park. Our next stop was St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, then Dead Lakes and our final campground was Torreya State Park.

wellness360 | JAN/FEB 2017

GROUP PHOTO COURTESY OF KAREN ALLMAN.

Last question! What is one thing you wouldn’t compete without?

Water.

Community Saturday, January 1 New Year Run Orlando 9 a.m.

Moss Park Orlando, FL Epicsportsmarketing.com

Saturday, January 7 Healthy Start 5K Run

8 a.m.

The Jacksonville Landing Jacksonville, FL 1stplacesports.com

Wednesday, January 4 – Sunday, January 8 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Walt Disney World Resort Rundisney.com

Saturday, January 14 Best Damn Race Jacksonville 7 a.m.

Metropolitan Park Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville.bestdamnrace.com

Saturday, January 14 Third Annual Pirate 5K & Family Fun Run 8 a.m.

Palencia Club St. Augustine, FL Thepirate5k.com

Sunday, January 15 The Ocala Marathon 7 a.m.

Paddock Mall Ocalamarathon.com

Saturday, January 21 The Rock Color Blaster 5K Run/Walk 9 a.m.

The Rock Trails 10731 Newberry road Localraces.com

Sunday, January 22 Lakeridge Winery Half Marathon, 10K & 5K 7:30 a.m.

Lakeridge Winery and Vineyards Clermont, FL Sommersports.com

Saturday, January 28 Newnan’s Lake 15K

8:30 a.m.

Earl P. Powers Park Boat Ramp Runsignup.com

Saturday, January 28 The Wolfson’s Children’s Challenge 55K Marathon, 55K Marathon Relay, 30K Run and Fun Run

Saturday, January 28 – Sunday January 29 & Friday, February 3 – Sunday, February 5 Hoggetowne Medieval Faire Saturdays & Sundays: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Friday: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Alachua County Fairgrounds Hoggetownefaire.com

February National Heart Month Wednesday, February 1 National Dark Chocolate Day

Saturday, February 18 Quack Attack on Poverty 5K 8 a.m.

Harbor Park at Lake Baldwin Orlando, FL Quackattack.org

Saturday, February 18 The Flavor Run 5K 10 a.m.

Bill Frederick Park Orlando, FL Flavorrun.com

Saturday, February 4 Chariots of Fur Beach Run & Festival 10 a.m.

Seawalk Pavilion Jacksonville Beach, FL Saintfrancisanimalhospital.org

Saturday, February 11 Florida Museum Froggy 5K 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

UF Cultural Plaza Flmnh.ufl.edu

Saturday, February 11 Warrior Dash 8 a.m.

Revolution Off Road Clermont, FL Warriordash.com

Sunday, February 12 Suwannee Sweetheart Ride

CALENDAR

8 a.m.

Suwannee Bicycle Association Headquarters White Springs, FL Suwanneebike.org

Tuesday, February 14 Valentine's Day Saturday, February 18 13th Annual Orlando Xtreme Half Marathon & 5K 7:30 a.m.

Magnolia Park Apopka, FL Epicsportsmarketing.com

Saturday, February 18 Terrain Race

8 a.m.

Wildwood Off Road Park Wildwood, FL Terrainracing.com

Saturday, February 18 Wrigley Ride

8 a.m.

Sykes and Cooper Farms Elkton, FL Raceroster.com

Sunday, February 19 Tour Latino 7:30 a.m.

Waterfront Park Clermont, FL Raceroster.com

Sunday, February 19 Blueberry Horseshoe 5K 8 a.m.

Lambholm South Reddick, FL Blueberryhorseshoe.com

Thursday, February 23 – Sunday, February 26 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend

Walt Disney World Resort Rundisney.com

Saturday, February 25 Northeast Florida Scottish Games and Festival Clay County Fairgrounds Green Cove Springs, FL Neflgames.com

Saturday, February 25 – Sunday, February 26 Five Points of Life Race Weekend

Race start: Parking lot of the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Fivepointsoflife.com

7 a.m.

The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL Wolfsonchildrenschallenge.com

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