Tri-Cities Healthy Living Magazine Feb'15

Have A

HAPPY Heart

The

SCIENCE Of Viruses

TRI-CITIES

POW

ER

FUL PAIRS

4

LOCAL COUPLES WHO HAVE MADE THEIR MARK

P l u s :

OFF THE BEATEN PATH One man's adventures on the Appalachian Trail

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features

Have A

ER

FUL PAIRS

4

He does so much, and so does she. How do they balance it all? We’ve spoken with couples around the Tri-Cities who manage to juggle hectic schedules and big priorities at work and in the community. Here are the stories behind four of these local power couples—and a bit of their wisdom on life, relationships and the balancing act of a well-lived life. BY DEBRA MCCOWN

BY LEIGH ANN LAUBE

SCIENCE Of Viruses

POW

the power of two p22

Local man David Sweitzer honors his grandfather and raises money for the Alzheimer’s Association’s Johnson City chapter by hiking the entire Appalachian Trail.

The

TRI-CITIES

ON THE COVER

an appalachian adventure p18

HAPPY Heart

| vol. 1 no. 6

a healthy heart is a happy heart p28

Never before in history have we Americans had as much information about our bodies. Yet, nationwide, we’re perhaps the least healthy we’ve ever been. Obesity affects more than one in four adults; nearly 30 percent. 23.9 million children are overweight or obese. 71 million adults have high LDL cholesterol. If these trends continue, the current group of American adults can expect to live shorter, sicker lives than their parents.

P l u s :

LOCAL COUPLES WHO HAVE MADE THEIR MARK

OFF THE BEATEN PATH One man's adventures on the Appalachian Trail

COVER PHOTO BY WWW.FRESHAIRPHOTO.COM

gone viral p32

You woke up with a scratchy throat, and then the next day, the sniffles started. Now you’re sneezing so much that you’re thinking of buying stock in a tissue company. Sounds like you, not your computer, have a virus. Likely the rhinovirus. But don’t panic. You’re not going to crash. It’s just the common cold.

BY JOANN GUIDRY

BY CYNTHIA MCFARLAND

FEBRUARY 2015

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departments

9

HE ALT H Y

beat

p14

TRENDS | NEWS | PEOPLE

BY LAUREL GILLUM, LEIGH ANN LAUBE & BROCK SENG

10

Crafting a healthy Kingsport.

12

Are you up for a challenge?

13

HE ALT H Y

p10

dose

p16

INSIGHT | ADVICE | SOLUTIONS

BY JOANN GUIDRY AND BROCK SENG

14

Cancer prevention tactics.

16

A gut guide.

39

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body

p40

NUTRITION | FITNESS | BEAUT Y

p42

BY LAUREL GILLUM, LESLEY JONES, K ATIE MCPHERSON & BROCK SENG

40

There’s an app for that.

41

Say no to BO.

42

A berry good time.

43

HE ALT H Y

balance

MIND | SPIRIT | FINANCE

BY ANDRE A DAVIS AND BROCK SENG

44

It’s tax time!

46

Color your world.

p44

bonjour.

p12

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Life is full of choices.

Choosing a health care provider is one of the most important decisions you will make.

MARK BAGGARLY mark@tchealthyliving.com EDITORIAL

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KARIN FABRY-CUSHENBERY managing editor

MELISSA PETERSON contributing writers

AMANDA FURRER JOANN GUIDRY LESLEY JONES BONNIE KRETCHIK LEIGH ANN LAUBE DEBRA MCCOWN CYNTHIA MCFARLAND CARLTON REESE associate editor

KATIE MCPHERSON editorial assistant

BROCK SENG

editorial interns

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Healthy Living Tri-Cities, February 2015. Published monthly by Healthy Living Media, LLC and distributed by The Caddy Group, Inc. 2332 Volunteer Parkway, Bristol, TN 37620. All contents copyright 2015 by Healthy Living Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. For back issues or advertising information, call (423) 794-8780. Return postage must accompany all unsolicited manuscripts and artwork if they are to be returned. Manuscripts are welcomed, but no responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited materials. “Promotional” and “Promotional Feature” denote a paid advertising feature. Publisher is not responsible for claims and content of advertisements.

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beat TRENDS | NEWS | PEOPLE

FEB

ki n co dne un ss ts

9-15

We all know we should be kind to others every day, right? We thought so.

However, if you’re looking for an extra special reason to do something above and beyond, February 9 through February 15 is National Random Acts of Kindness Week.

Make sure to get out there and do something nice for a neighbor, a friend, a family member or even a stranger.

NEED SUGGESTIONS? MOW A NEIGHBOR’S LAWN Nothing says neighborly love like mowing their tall grass so they don’t have to.

Source: randomactsofkindness.org

LET SOMEONE MERGE THEIR CAR Instead of speeding up to block them in, let someone merge in front of you. A friendly wave goes a long way.

LOAD A STRANGER’S GROCERIES Help someone at the store who has a lot to load into their car.

It’ll be nice and rewarding to see them not have to struggle, and they’re sure to appreciate the kind gesture.

FEBRUARY 2015

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beat good deeds

, t r o p s g n i k y h healt ennessee t y h t l a he B Y LE IG H A N

N L AU B E

H

igh obesity rates and a lack of physical activity continue to plague residents of Tennessee, and the state ranks close to the bottom in overall health, according to America’s Health Rankings, a report published annually by the United Health Foundation.

Tennessee ranks 47th in the United States for a high prevalence of obesity, with 33.7 percent of adults considered obese, and 49th for a high prevalence of physical inactivity, with 33.5 percent of adults inactive.

A new organization is doing its part to make positive changes when it comes to the health of those who call Sullivan County home. Healthy Kingsport’s mission is to create a culture of healthy living by promoting awareness, influencing policy and enhancing infrastructure. Its primary focus will be on increased physical activity, nutrition and a reduction in tobacco use.

“All the right people are at the table now—the hospitals, the workplaces, the chamber of commerce, the government, the school systems, the churches,” says Heather Cook, who was hired in November as Healthy Kingsport’s first executive director. “We’re starting with a really good foundation, and we’re working to grow. Everyone understands that we’ve got to do this together. This is a social, complex problem, and if we don’t solve it or at least start moving in the right direction, our children’s life spans are going to be shorter than ours. It’s come to a tipping point.”

Healthy Kingsport, Cook explains, is patterned after Healthier Tennessee, an initiative announced in August 2013

by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam to encourage Tennesseans

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tchealthyliving.com | FEBRUARY 2015

47th

49th

IN THE UNITED STATES FOR A HIGH PREVALENCE OF OBESITY

33.7% ADULTS OBESE

IN THE UNITED STATES FOR A HIGH PREVALENCE OF PHYSICAL INACTIVITY

33.5% ADULTS PHYSICALLY INACTIVE

WEIGHTS © HOMYDESIGN , FIT WOMAN © BORIS RYAPOSOV /SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

HE ALT H Y

to be more physically active, to eat nutritious foods in healthy portions and to stop using tobacco products.

Healthy Kingsport’s genesis actually came in 2009, when the Greater Kingsport Family YMCA was awarded a Pioneering Healthier Communities grant to reduce barriers for healthy behaviors. Pioneering Healthier Communities is a program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the YMCA’s Activate America that supports environmental changes that will facilitate healthy lifestyles. Activate America is the YMCA’s response to the nation’s health crisis—a collaborative approach to reducing behavior that leads to poor health outcomes. Through community involvement and partnerships, the program seeks to increase opportunity for physical activity and healthier food choices for all citizens.

After receiving the grant, a “dream team” was assembled with members of several local organizations, including Kingsport Tomorrow, United Way of Greater Kingsport, Greater Kingsport Family YMCA, Sullivan County School System, Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce, Eastman Chemical Company, Kingsport Parks and Recreation, Wellmont Health Systems, Kingsport City Schools, Kingsport Board of Mayor and Alderman, Indian Path Medical Center and Holston Medical Group.

“Individually and even organizations alone have learned they cannot

accomplish this on their own. It has to be a collective process where the entire community is on board for some real change to happen,” Cook says. “Policy changes are going to make the difference.”

“It has to be a collective process where the entire community is on board for some real change to happen.”

—HEATHER COOK The team attended an Activate America training seminar in Washington, D.C. in early 2010 and subsequently created their community action plan. Program goals include becoming appointed as a committee of the city of Kingsport, increasing accessibility to healthy foods, increasing use of active non-motorized transportation, engaging employers in workplace wellness programs, collaboration with community partners that are also focusing on active living and improved nutrition, and completing community needs assessments.

In the summer of 2011, the organization changed its name to Healthy Kingsport to create a more local affiliation. Healthy Kingsport was recognized by the City of Kingsport as a Wellness Infrastructure and Policy Committee. The organization’s vision is a community where healthy living is the norm.

“It’s not about forcing people to do anything,” Cook says. “If we can offer access to it, then promote it and have the awareness of why it is important to choose the healthy options, then we will be making progress. Year one is going to be awareness and letting people know, providing that access so they have the option to be healthy. It’s pretty obvious we’re unhealthy.”

Healthy Kingsport has a nutrition team, a physical activity team and a tobacco cessation team, and each team has goals for 2015. Healthy Kingsport also has a leadership team and advisory team.

Healthy Kingsport will be a pilot community for the state of Tennessee, Cook says, and more information about the organization will be announced in the near future.

Cook received her doctorate in educational leadership from East Tennessee State University and was the first graduate of the prestigious Roan Scholars Leadership Program. She also earned a BBA in marketing and an MBA from ETSU.

WANT MORE INFO? healthykingsport.org

FEBRUARY 2015

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beat the challenge

COUPLE © WAVEBREAKMEDIA; SPEECH BUBBLE © S_L; ICONS © TRETER / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

imparare una nuova lingua!

(TRANSLATION: LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE!) LANGUAGE!

Each month we create a new challenge for our readers to try to improve their health and wellness. This month we are challenging you to expand your horizons!

the issue:

WE LIVE IN A GLOBAL SOCIETY WHERE CULTURES MELD TOGETHER AND PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND NATIONALITIES MEET ON A DAILY BASIS—AT WORK, AT THE STORE, IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY SAY THE ABILIT Y TO SPEAK MORE THAN ONE LANGUAGE CAN ONLY IMPROVE YOUR JOB, SOCIAL AND INTELLECTUAL STANDINGS… SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? OH, AND THEN THERE’S THE EVER-APPEALING IDEA OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL. SURELY YOU’LL WANT TO KNOW HOW TO HAIL A CAB, ORDER FOOD OR ASK FOR A RESTROOM WHEN YOU’RE VISITING THAT FAR-OFF LOCALE, RIGHT? WELL, READ ON FOR SOME SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO GET STARTED WITH MASTERING A SECOND LANGUAGE.

bonjour.

it starts with a hello…

the challenge: YOU GUESSED IT, TO LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE!

MUSIC. Listen to some catchy music in the language you wish to learn.

Music is a great way to learn the intonation of a language and to train your facial muscles as you sing along to a new favorite tune!

TRAVEL. There are 196 countries in the world. Each country has a prominent language and a unique dialect. Listening to natives speak in their tongue is a surefire way to help you become fluent.

FIND A FRIEND. Surround yourself with friends who speak the language in which you are trying to learn. Chances are, you will start picking up on it right away. After all, nobody likes to feel left out.

Here’s a little something to get you started in your endeavor to learn how to speak all over again!

From Chinese to Turkish, this little onesyllable word is an international CHINESE: nín hăo / FRENCH: bonjour / SPANISH: hola / ITALIAN: ciao way to start a SWEDISH: hallå / GREEK: geia sas / TURKISH: merhaba conversation.

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tchealthyliving.com healthyliving.com | FEBRUARY 2015

READ A CLASSIC. Grab a copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in your new language or any one of your favorite books for that matter. Seeing something very familiar will help you guess the meaning of new words, being that you have already seen them before in your first language.

TAKE A CLASS. This one seemed like a no-brainer, but we had to include it. Find a class at a local college or continuing education center. Can’t locate one? Try a product like Rosetta Stone.

UM… Learn some filler words to use in between sentences (ehm, en fait, weet je, etc.).

This will buy convo time and help increase confidence.

Since your first language is often blanketed with terms such as like, uh and um… it’s only natural that your second language will have them as well.

BRAIN © ALBUND ; SIGN © PRIXEL CREATIVE / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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dose INSIGHT | ADVICE | SOLUTIONS

a network of genes

Source: hngn.com

One in every 68 children in America is diagnosed with autism each year, and the true cause has always been a mystery. Now, after years of research, a team of American scientists believe that a network of 119 proteins linked to autism genes are proof that autism occurs when there are disruptions in the circuits of the brain that connects the two hemispheres together. More research is being done, and every movement forward is another step toward a cure.

FEBRUARY 2015

| tchealthyliving.com

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cancer

prevention goes a long way

B

ehind only heart disease, cancer is the second-leading cause of death among Americans and the leading cause of death among adults aged 40-79. But there is some good news. According to the American Cancer Society, the latest statistics show that the death rate from cancer in the United States has fallen 22 percent from its peak in 1991. The reduction translates to more than 1.5 million cancer deaths that were avoided in the time span between 1991 and 2014. Projected numbers for 2015 estimate 1,658,370 new cancer cases and 589,430 cancer deaths in the United States.

Cancer experts attribute the cancer death reduction to better lifestyle prevention, early testing/detection and advanced treatment protocols.

So in honor of National Cancer Prevention Month, here’s a look at what you can do to help lessen your chances of becoming a cancer statistic.

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tchealthyliving.com | FEBRUARY 2015

lifestyle cancer prevention Don’t smoke: Smoking is the cause of more than 80 percent of all lung cancer cases. And keep in mind that one out of every four cancer deaths (27 percent) is due to lung cancer. Smoking also causes cancer of the throat, mouth and esophagus. Non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke are also at risk of lung cancer and other respiratory health issue, such as asthma.

Even third-hand smoke—the toxic residue on hair, clothes, carpets, furniture, curtains—can cause serious smoking-related health issues.

Don’t booze it up: Research shows that all types of alcohol consumption increase the risk of certain cancers, including those of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, colon and breasts. One theory is that alcohol can directly damage our DNA, increasing the risk of cancer. Combining drinking and smoking is especially harmful. Limit alcoholic drinks to two for men and one for women a day.

Watch your weight: Research has shown that carrying excess weight around our waists acts like a “hormone pump,” releasing estrogen into the bloodstream while raising other hormone levels as well. This is strongly linked to colon cancer, breast cancer (especially in postmenopausal women), pancreatic cancer and endometrial (uterus lining) cancer. Eat a mostly plant-based diet of veggies, fruits and whole grains. Avoid sugary drinks, and limit consumption of high-sugar, high-fat, lowfiber, processed foods. Limit consumption of red meats and avoid processed meats, including ham, bacon, salami, sausages and hot dogs. There is evidence that red and processed meats can lead to colorectal cancer.

Be safe in the sun: Limit exposure to harmful skin-cancer causing UV rays, especially during the hours of 10am-4pm. When out in the sun for an extended period of time, wear dark-colored clothing to reflect the sun’s rays. Use a broad spectrum, SPF 30 or higher sunscreen and wear a hat with a 2- to 3-inch brim.

Protect your eyes with sunglasses labeled “UV absorption up to 400nm” or “meets ANSI UV requirement.” Oh, and don’t forget to take plenty of shade breaks.

ACS LOGO © WIKIPEDIA, DR © RACORN ; FALOPIAN ©LEREMY ;ORGANS©ECCO ; COUPLE ©DEDYUKHIN DMITRY;SUN© ALBO003; WEIGHT ©SERGEY FURTAEV ;DRINKS ©ARCADY ;ANATOMY OUTLINES ©LOLE / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

dose

Sources: cancer.org, preventcancer.org, aicr.org

HE ALT H Y

american cancer society screening guidelines PROSTATE CANCER

BREAST CANCER 20 BREAST SELF-EXAM (BSE)

20s & 30s CLINICAL BREAST EXAM (CBE) EVERY 3 YEARS; ANNUALLY STARTING AT 40

40 ANNUAL MAMMOGRAMS

*Some women because of family history, genetic tendency or certain other factors should be screened with MRI in addition to mammograms; talk to your doctor.

CERVICAL CANCER 21-29 PAP TEST EVERY 3 YEARS; HPV TESTING SHOULD NOT BE USED IN THIS AGE GROUP UNLESS IT IS NEEDED AFTER AN ABNORMAL PAP TEST RESULT.

30-65 PAP TEST PLUS HPV TEST EVERY 5 YEARS

Over 65 WOMEN WHO HAVE HAD REGULAR CERVICAL CANCER TESTING WITH NORMAL RESULTS SHOULD NO LONGER BE TESTED; ONCE TESTING IS STOPPED, IT SHOULD NOT BE STARTED AGAIN.

*Women with a serious cervical pre-cancer history should continue to be tested for at least 20 years after diagnosis, even past 65. *Women who have had their uterus or cervix removed for reasons not related to cervical cancer and who have no pre-cancer/cervical cancer history should not be tested. *Women who have been vaccinated against HPV should still follow the screening recommendations for their age group.

COLORECTAL CANCER Beginning at 50, both men and women should follow one of these testing schedules: • FLEXIBLE SIGMOIDOSCOPY OR DOUBLE-CONTRAST BARIUM ENEMA OR CT COLONOGRAPHY (VIRTUAL COLONOSCOPY) EVERY 5 YEARS AND IF TEST IS POSITIVE FOR POLYPS, A COLONOSCOPY SHOULD BE DONE. • COLONOSCOPY EVERY 10 YEARS.

50: ACS recommends that starting at this age, men should discuss with their doctor the pros and cons of prostate cancer testing.

According to the ACS, research has not yet proven that the potential benefits of testing outweigh the harms of testing and treatment.

45: If African American or have a father/brother who had prostate cancer before age 65, men should talk to their doctor about testing. *If decision is made to be tested, men should have the PSA blood test with or without a rectal exam; frequency of testing will then depend on PSA level.

LUNG CANCER ACS only recommends lung cancer screening if you have a high risk for lung cancer due to cigarette smoking and meet the following criteria: • 55-74 YEARS OLD • IN FAIRLY GOOD OVERALL HEALTH. • HAVE AT LEAST A 30 PACK-YEAR SMOKING HISTORY AND ARE EITHER STILL SMOKING OR HAVE STOPPED SMOKING WITHIN THE LAST 15 YEARS. • TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT LUNG CANCER TESTING.

FEBRUARY 2015

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dose

take control of your “inner zoo”

O

ne hundred trillion. Nope, it’s not the national debt.

That mega-number is the population of microbes living it up in your digestive system. Most of you think about this inner zoo only when it pumps out too much gas at an embarrassing moment or sends you running to the bathroom with diarrhea. But these days, there’s a lot of important research going on about this inner world, and it’s revealing that these bacteria are essential for your good health.

EN, M.D., IZ O R L E A

BY MICH ME T OZ, M.D. & ME H

As Dr. Mike points out in his new book, This is YOUR Do-Over, changing your inner zoo or microbiome so it has a healthy mix of these little critters is a key step to reclaiming or maintaining your health. Then you can make sure potentially harmful bacteria in the mix don’t trigger problems such as autoimmune diseases, persistent infections (like C. diff.) and even heart woes.

So time for a gut check! Here’s how to start your gut-biome do-over today: Move it. Moving your body regularly helps support a more diverse mix of gut bacteria. In a recent study of 40 pro rugby stars, researchers from Ireland’s University College Cork found that the players’ intestinal biome contained

MANY YOGURTS CONTAIN HELPFUL PROBIOTICS. LOOK FOR THE WORDS “SPORE FORMS” OR “LIVE, ACTIVE CULTURES” ON THE LABEL.

a wider variety of bacteria than that of fairly sedentary men the same age and size. The rugby players also had Akkermansiaceae—a bacterium that’s been linked to lower risk for obesity. That’s another reason for a minimum 30-minute daily walk, seven days a week, shooting for your target of 10,000 steps every day.

Enjoy probiotic-rich foods. Yogurt, kefir (a fermented milk drink) and fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi and tempeh (a soy-based meat alternative) are good sources of beneficial bacteria. Many yogurts contain helpful probiotics.

Look for the words “spore forms” or “live, active cultures” on the label. (Spores are activated in your gut rather than killed by your stomach acid.) Probiotic-rich foods often deliver Lactobacillus gasseri, shown in two recent studies to discourage weight gain and help with weight loss. There’s also evidence that a daily serving of probiotic-enriched yogurt can cut your risk for antibiotic-related diarrhea by two-thirds.

Feed ‘em plenty of fiber. Two important beneficial bacteria—bifidobacteria and lactobacilli—love munching on a family of plant fibers called fructans, especially a type called inulin. It’s found in abundance in bananas, onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, artichokes, soybeans and 100 percent whole-wheat foods.

Eliminate red meat and processed meats. Gut bacteria release substances when they break down red or processed meats or egg yolks. The substances end up in your bloodstream, causing inflammation throughout your body, which increases your risk for clogged arteries, memory dysfunction and cancer. Red meat also may prompt bacteria to produce substances that interfere with the constant, healthy renewal of the inner lining of the intestines, increasing your risk for colon cancer.

Watch your portions. Overeating encourages the growth of a gut-bug strain called Firmicutes that could accelerate weight gain, say researchers from Washington University in St. Louis. Turns out Firmicutes break down foods with extreme efficiency, making more calories available to your body for use—and weight gain!

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of The Dr. Oz Show, and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into The Dr. Oz Show or visit sharecare.com. (c) 2013 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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HE ALT H Y

Source: goredforwomen.org/about-heart-disease/facts_about_heart_disease_in_women-sub-category/statistics-at-a-glance/

heart disease: know the facts

A

s we celebrate Heart Month and share our hearts with those we love, I would like to take a moment and reflect on just how important the women in our lives are to us.

Whether it’s a grandmother, mother, sister, wife, daughter or another special loved one, chances are they may not be fully aware of their risks for heart disease. Let’s review some information that you can take home to those you love, it just may be the best Valentine’s gift you can share.

Did you know that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women? It’s more deadly than all forms of cancer combined.

Even though breast cancer strikes fear in every woman’s heart and one in 31 women will die from this disease, heart disease will kill one in three women. Just think about the number of special women in your life and the potential for one-third of them to die from heart disease. Many people think of heart disease as a “man’s” disease; however, year after year, more women die of heart disease than men.

The women in our lives have spent many years lovingly caring for their family members, often putting other’s needs above their own. Whether taking care of our bumps, bruises, sniffles and colds or getting us to the doctor when they can’t make us feel better, they often ignore or delay seeking care for their own illnesses. I spend my days reminding women they can’t help their loved ones if they don’t take time to help themselves. Go home today and give that special woman a hug and tell her it is OK to take a minute and ask herself if she is experiencing any of the following symptoms of heart disease: • PAIN OR DISCOMFORT IN ONE OR BOTH ARMS, THE BACK, NECK, JAW OR STOMACH • SHORTNESS OF BREATH, WITH OR WITHOUT PAIN • COLD SWEATS, NAUSEA, LIGHTHEADEDNESS, PROFOUND FATIGUE • A NOTICEABLE CHANGE IN YOUR ABILITY TO EXERT YOURSELF

As you spend time with the women in your life, take a walk with them, encourage them to take time to care for themselves. Exercise does the body good and helps you recognize when there is a change in your ability to exert yourself. Encourage them and partner with them to develop healthy habits by eating better and not smoking and by making time for them to see their doctor. Risk factors for heart disease, like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, will not diagnose themselves and also require regular follow-up care with a doctor.

Remind your loved one that she is unique and her symptoms may vary. She may not have the feeling of “an elephant on the chest,” and she should talk to her doctor about her symptoms.

I hope these tips are helpful to you and you enjoy Heart Month by spending time with the special women in your life.

JOHN PATTERSON, MD MOUNTAIN STATES MEDICAL GROUP CARDIOLOGY-ABINGDON

MOUNTAIN STATES MEDICAL GROUP CARDIOLOGY 16000 JOHNSTON MEMORIAL DRIVE, SUITE 300 ABINGDON, VA (276) 258-3740 WWW.MYMSMG.NET

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

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By Leigh Ann Laube

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hen David Sweitzer was 13, he spent a week with his fraternal grandfather in Georgia. Although David is one of 16 grandchildren, that week it was just the two of them.

Visits to Georgia usually included grand adventures with fishing, bottle rockets and tree houses.

But David, a 2008 graduate of Tennessee High School, wanted to know more about his grandfather, so the two of them spent an evening sitting on the swing in the yard and talking about the life of Nathan Sweitzer.

They talked about Mr. Sweitzer’s childhood in Virginia, his six years in the United States Air Force, his time working in civil service, his marriage and his family.

“He volunteered it, once I asked. Other than that, it probably never would have

happened. That was the only time I think the two of us spent any amount of time together,” David recalls.

David grew up to graduate from Appalachian State University in 2012 with a degree in cellular/molecular biology. He moved back to Bristol after graduation to help care for his grandfather, who had moved in with his parents. Mr. Sweitzer had been showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease for more than a decade and got the diagnosis about a year ago.

“He came here to visit two years ago Christmas and ended up staying for about a year,” David explains.

Mr. Sweitzer needed a lot of supervision. He couldn’t remember his way around the house.

“He didn’t really recognize the grandchildren,” David’s mom, Cindi Sweitzer, says. “He had become very repetitious, especially in his recollection of his childhood.

He didn’t recognize himself in the mirror, didn’t recognize younger pictures of himself.”

David missed the Papa he had spent time with in Georgia. The two spent their time in Bristol the same every day—with David listening to the same stories over and over.

When Papa, who is 86, moved to Crossville in the fall of 2013 to live with another grown son, David started to wonder what he was going to do with his life. He considered graduate school but kept returning to a childhood dream: to hike the 2,180-mile Appalachian Trail (AT).

“The woods are a special place for me. It was something I had wanted to do for a long time,” he says.

“I had graduated and moved home to take care of my grandfather for awhile. It was time to get out of Bristol and do something for me.”

“I had graduated and moved home to take care of my grandfather for awhile. It was time to get out of Bristol and do something for me.”

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“I didn’t enjoy getting myself into trouble, but I loved getting out of it. It would be worth doing the entire thing exactly the same way just to relive those experiences.”

Cindi Sweitzer was excited for David, the third of her four children.

“I knew it was something he wanted to do. I wanted to encourage him,” she says.

David didn’t want to just walk the AT. He wanted to use the opportunity to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association’s Johnson City chapter. He set a goal of $15,000.

“It was fairly arbitrary, but I thought the higher the number, the more people would give generously,” he explains.

“It just seemed like a good idea. It seemed like a waste of five months if it wasn’t worth something.”

David recruited childhood friend Timothy Grunstra to walk with him. Grunstra’s goal was to raise money for cancer support services. The majority of their preparation was spent researching the trail.

“Trying to find the right mind set and gear were two of the largest challenges,” David says. “Unless you have enough time to hike eight hours a day, the physical conditioning is something most people acquire on the trail.”

In March 2014, the pair headed to Springer Mountain, Georgia, the southern terminus of the AT located in the Chattahoochee National Forest.

David had decided to walk the AT from south to north, starting on what he says is the easiest part of the trail and finishing in Mount Katahdin in Maine before the snow started to fall.

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Everyone who plans to walk the entire AT has to refine the contents of their packs to optimize a delicate balance of weight and function, David says.

“The primary items in my pack were a tent, sleeping bag and food. When it was really cold, though, I had to carry some extra clothes,” he says. “You have a fairly limited volume and weight that you can afford to carry, and you can’t afford to not carry enough food. So, every couple of days, when the trail crossed a road, I would have to hitchhike into town to find food. I had the opportunity to meet a lot of really interesting and genuine people [while] hitchhiking.”

David found it hard to consume the amounts of calories needed to continuously hike long distances.

“It really takes the wind out of you to be in a calorie deficit all the time, so to combat that I drank a lot of olive oil and ate a lot of peanut butter, Snickers bars and summer sausage. I tried to keep a diet that was really high in fat and protein.”

David and Timothy eventually split up, as David had expected they would.

They needed to have their own experiences. Each morning, over a cup of coffee, David would set a walking goal for the day. But he didn’t always stick with that plan.

“The beautiful part of it is that you can walk however far you feel like walking, and that’s subject to change over the course of the day. I got a huge sense of accomplishment from meeting or surpassing those goals and that helped

propel me through all kinds of weather and less than optimum circumstances,” he says.

Most of David’s walk was uneventful. There were times he was hungry, wet and cold, and he was slowed by norovirus, which he developed in Damascus in nearby Washington County, Virginia. His mom was able to meet him in the trail town.

Even through the unpleasant times, quitting was never an option, he says.

“I never wanted out of the hike—only sections of it and some lonely stints,” he says.

He would, however, be perfectly fine to never encounter another black fly.

“The black fly is my new least favorite thing in the world,” he explains. “I ate, drank and breathed black flies and developed a lifelong, bitter, loathing, vibrant animosity for them.”

Along the way, David also experienced the kindness of strangers—from the older man in New York who drove alongside him and handed him a bag of food to time spent with other thru-hikers. These experiences are among the memories he holds most dear.

“It would be futile to try and explain those memories, other than to say that they revolved around kindness. You can be genuinely kind to someone without raising alarm or making them question your motives, and people aren’t afraid to be kind to you. A lot of people were kind to me,” he says.

Though he traveled the AT among a loose group of thruhikers, he was mostly alone with his thoughts.

“I think just walking can foster a calm, content mind, and a calm, content mind fosters sleep, so when I wasn’t walking or eating, I was sleeping,” he explains.

Along the way, David was given the trail name Bagheera, after the black panther in Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book.

“I like to think it’s because of my staggering panther-like intelligence and power,” he says. “In reality though, I think it was just an untaken name that my friend liked.”

David reached Mount Katahdin, Maine’s highest mountain, in October 2014. He had raised most of his $15,000 goal before he even started the walk, and he met the goal just before he crossed into Maine.

David is home, working full time and again contemplating what’s next for his life. His mom sees a different son, one with more confidence, one who is self-sustaining and one with perseverance and insight.

He has been surprised at how many hikers he’s stayed in touch with, adding that he was really blessed to meet a lot of good people.

He has considered hiking the AT again but says he will probably work for awhile.

“I would give it a little time, but I would do it again.

Probably not for a cause, just to hike it,” he says. “The entire hike was a series of unexpected surprises, but in reality, anybody that has a mind to do it is more than capable of doing it. It’s a case of mind over matter, and if you don’t mind, the obstacles don’t matter.”

David said although he wouldn’t venture to instruct anybody on how to walk the AT, he would encourage them to do it.

“The things you want out of it and how you want to trek after them is really paramount to your success in the endeavor,” he says. “I didn’t enjoy getting myself into trouble, but I loved getting out of it. It would be worth doing the entire thing exactly the same way just to relive those experiences.”

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2

THE POWER OF

H

E DOES SO MUCH, AND SO DOES

SHE. HOW DO THEY BALANCE IT ALL?

We’ve spoken with couples around the Tri-Cities who manage to juggle hectic schedules and big priorities at work and in the community, and they all told us some of the same things: Planning is key, you have to be intentional about your time and when it comes to little things, it’s important to be understanding and keep an eye on the big picture.

Here are the stories behind four of these local power couples—and a bit of their wisdom on life, relationships and the balancing act of a well-lived life.

WRITTEN BY DEBRA MCCOWN • PHOTOS BY WWW.FRESHAIRPHOTO.COM

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A TALE OF TWO LOBBYISTS CARL & ELLIOTT

MOORE “He voted against my bill, but I got even,” Elliott Moore says of her husband, Carl. “He ended up marrying me.”

Now, she’s vice-president of community and government relations for Mountain States Health Alliance, and he’s primarily a consultant—each with a long list of accomplishments.

Carl Moore is perhaps most famously known for his role in the development of Bristol Motor Speedway. An entrepreneur who started out in the bowling alley business, he recalls drawing up plans for the track on a restaurant napkin with his business partner.

“Larry called me up—this must be 1960 or something,” Carl recalls. “He says: ‘In Charlotte there’s a race, and you’ve got to get over there because there were 50,000 people paying $20 a ticket to watch these cars go around in circles.’”

Once they saw the potential and met with NASCAR officials, they borrowed $600,000 and built the track. They built the Bristol Dragway four years later in 1964, the same year Carl ran for the state house of representatives.

His other business interests over the years have included hotel chains and apartment complexes; after serving four years as a representative and 12 years as a state senator, he retired as majority leader in 1988 and continued to work with the legislature as a lobbyist.

Elliott first found her way to Nashville after five years spent running the Northeast Tennessee branch of Catholic Charities, driven to public policy, she says, by barriers to services

H

E WAS A STATE SENATOR FROM EAST TENNESSEE, AND SHE WAS A YOUNG LOBBYIST WHEN THEY MET IN NASHVILLE; FROM THERE,

2

THE STORY READS LIKE A MOVIE SCRIPT.

He voted against my bill, but I got even. He ended up marrying me. the organization wanted to provide.

She represented a variety of interests in Nashville until the 1990s, when she became president and CEO of the Hospital Alliance of Tennessee; she later went to work for Mountain States.

Admittedly, she says, she and Carl were often on opposite sides of issues; after 28 years of marriage, she can look back with humor.

“You just keep certain things in perspective,” she says.

They still spend a lot of time in Nashville, but 16 years ago, they decided to come home to their farm in Bristol—a “work in progress” and the place where they reconnect.

“We do sit down together every night and have a formal dinner,” she says. “We can have a very simple meal but do it on china and cloth napkins, and we think we’re doing something really fancy.”

Over the years, they’ve both been active in community projects. Carl

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ADVERTISING HARD WORK Moore played an important role in the restoration of Bristol landmarks like the Paramount Theatre and the Bristol Train Station. He has also served on several education-related boards, including the Tennessee Board of Regents, which oversees the state’s colleges.

Elliott chaired the capital campaign for the YWCA building in Bristol and has served on the Tennessee Economic Council on Women. As a member of the Virginia Intermont College board, she’s proud of having helped to save the prestigious equestrian program when the college shut down.

With so many commitments, the Moores say their relationship is strengthened by making time for one another.

“You know, a lot of times in relationships it’s the little things that tend to create the most tension or stress in a marriage,” she says. “I think we realize that you just shouldn’t be concerned about the little things and you can sort of poke fun of the other, which is what I do and what he does… we just have a lot of fun.”

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TONY & TERESA

TREADWAY T

ALK ABOUT TURNING LEMONS INTO LEMONADE. WHEN TONY TREADWAY FOUNDED CREATIVE ENERGY IN 1991, IT WAS IN RESPONSE TO A NEGATIVE TURN OF EVENTS: WITH

MILITARY SPENDING CUTS THAT CAME WITH THE END OF THE

COLD WAR, THE COMPANY WHERE HE WORKED IN ERWIN WAS FACING SIGNIFICANT LAYOFFS.

2

From the outset, Creative Energy “At the time, I had five or six employees began marketing itself with a national who reported to me, and rather than focus; early clients included Pal’s Sudden see them being laid off, we brought Service, manufacturer Moody Dunbar them an idea of us spinning off as an and Piggly Wiggly. Now Creative Energy independent advertising agency and has about 25 employees and competes public relations firm,” he says. He didn’t with agencies in New York and Chicago. know when he hired another co-worker “We’ve just as office manager that consistently maintained she’d later become his We're friends, a focus on solid wife; he and Teresa work in a variety of married in 2003 after married and fields that range from dating for five years and co-workers public relations to working together for advertising, marketing more than 20. all at the [and] digital video,” same time.

Tony says. “We’re doing the complete communications spectrum, and we have clients internationally.”

Teresa, vicepresident of Creative Energy, acknowledges that not everyone could work all day with someone and then live with them, too—but for the Treadways, it works.

“We have a good time together. We’re friends, married and co-workers

all at the same time,” she says. “We don’t talk about home at work, and we don’t talk about work at home. And we laugh a lot.”

In the midst of a business they say is decidedly not for slackers, the Treadways also find time to work in the community.

Tony (who was a WJHL news anchor in the 1980s) served eight years on the Johnson City School Board.

During that time he championed a program to earmark a quarter-cent sales tax for new school construction, a program that’s raised tens of millions of dollars over the years. More recently, he helped to raise funds for a new athletic field house.

Teresa served seven years on the board of the Hands On! Regional Museum and continues to work with the museum on marketing and communications. She also devotes considerable time to teaching through Creative Energy’s internship program and is slated to serve as district governor for the American Advertising Federation, a professional organization that she’s long been involved with.

An Erwin native and the first person in his family to graduate from college, Tony describes Creative Energy as “an American Dream type story.”

“I never thought I’d be running a company. I never thought I’d be running a company with my wife in the company, so you never know what can happen. You’ve got to constantly focus on being productive and reaching for a dream,” he says.

“I’m doing things that I never thought I’d do. Now it’s a passion because I’m out to prove something, and that is that you can have a nationally recognized company in East Tennessee.”

THE POWER OF PETS JOE & LUCINDA

GRANDY 2 W HEN THEY WORKED

Joe and Lucinda Grandy met at Ferguson Enterprises, a distributor of products that range from plumbing, COULDN’T AGREE utility and industrial supplies to ON MUCH OF ANYTHING— heating and air equipment, lighting UNTIL A CAT AND A DOG CAME and appliances. And they’re not shy about sharing how that went.

INTO THEIR LIVES. “I hated him. We fought,” says Lucinda, who as operations manager butted heads with Joe over the nuts and bolts of the business. “Love is very akin to hate,” she adds, in an effort to explain their eventual marriage.

They were “an oil and water combination,” he says. But as they spent more time together, they began to see a more personal side—and then there was a kitten named Sunny.

“We had feral cats in the pipe yard, and the warehouse employees had been feeding them. And they brought this kitten in, and I said, ‘He’s never going to TOGETHER, THEY

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Joe continues to oversee Ferguson’s let us keep this kitten in here,’” Lucinda four Northeast Tennessee locations as says. “And the next thing I knew, Sunny general manager; in 38 years with the was residing here in the office.” company, he has grown and expanded Then came Harley, “a tiny the business and managed it through the chihuahua-shitsu-yorkie mix, a little housing decline. blonde diva”—and love was born.

“The diversity of “We just grew close,” our product mix is Lucinda says. “It didn’t the key to allowing alleviate the arguing in the At every us to continue to be office; we kept our relaturn there's successful as the housing tionship totally separate.” market changed,” he “I can remember something says. “Being able to when he looked over different, and be involved with utility at me and he said, ‘I infrastructure, industrial think I kinda love you,’” that's just expanding other she says. what keeps it and products in our mix, Now they live interesting. that has allowed us together with eight dogs to continue to have a and seven cats, along successful business.” with a steady supply of Lucinda retired from the company rescue pets. two years ago and has taken on the full“He never knows what he’s going time volunteer job of president of the to get if he goes out of town,” Lucinda Humane Society of Washington County, says. “I’m very fortunate; I don’t know Tennessee. As president, she has guid[that] there’s many men who would be willing to sleep with six dogs in the bed, ed the organization’s expansion to add a foster-adoption program for dogs and two of which are Siberian huskies.”

another for cats, saving the lives of hundreds of pets.

“The support from our community, it’s been phenomenal,” she says.

“Our growth just rocketed; it’s almost frightening how fast we’ve grown.”

Joe is a member of the Washington County Commission and chairs the Washington County, Tennessee, Economic Development Council.

He’s also served on the Johnson City Regional Planning Commission, the Johnson City Power Board, the Heritage Alliance, the Johnson City Symphony board and others.

With so much on both of their schedules, he says it’s important to be intentional about communication and carving out time for their relationship—and fun to tackle new challenges together.

“Life is an adventure; it’s never boring,” he says. “It’s a lot like the rest of the stuff we do… At every turn there’s something different, and that’s just what keeps it interesting. It’s a new challenge every day.”

HEARTS, LUNGS, AND LOVE ISRAEL & CARMINA

GARCIA 2 I F YOU’RE LOOKING FOR PROOF THAT IT’S POSSIBLE TO DO IT ALL, MEET

ISRAEL AND CARMINA GARCIA, A PAIR

OF DOCTORS WHO’VE FIGURED OUT HOW

TO PRIORITIZE FAMILY WHILE BALANCING TWO BUSY CAREERS.

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It does take careful planning, they say, and a whole lot of teamwork.

“Most days it’s really a circus act,” says Carmina, a pulmonologist. Her husband, Israel, is a cardiologist. They both work long hours seeing patients in their offices and at Johnson City Medical Center—and they both have to do their part as parents, too.

“It really is literally a partnership,” Carmina says. “One person can’t do everything. One cannot just fill in what’s left over of the work that has to be done; it’s really a 50/50 percent thing.”

They balance their schedule, says Israel, by making sure that one parent can always be at home with their kids. They have a son who is in high school and a daughter in middle school, so by now they’ve got it almost down to a science.

“I would like to think we’re successful practitioners as a cardiologist and pulmonologist, but we know where the priority

It really is literally a partnership, One person can't do everything.

is, which is family,” he says. “We have made sure one of us is staying home with the kids whenever the other one is on call. The kids, when they were small, always got bathed at night, and they always had their dinner on time, and they went to sleep always on time.”

Carmina says her day typically starts at 5am; she spends half the day seeing patients in her office and the other half in the hospital. At 3pm, she picks up the kids and takes them to their activities—violin, swimming, taekwondo. Israel gets the kids ready for school in the morning; since he goes to work later, he comes home later.

When they have time together, they spend it as a family.

Both born and educated in the Philippines, they met during their post-graduate internship in 1993.

“We were going to do internal medicine both in the same hospital, and we were pre-residents, and I realized I wanted to go to the United States, and after three months of pre-residency, I left,” Israel says. “After I left, she realized she couldn’t live without me.”

Carmina laughs. She stayed to finish her residency, she says, but then had to do the residency all over again when

they got married and she joined him in the United States.

“We got married twice; we made sure it took,” she jokes. “We had a big Catholic wedding in the Philippines, and then we had a Baptist wedding in California, where his family is.”

After 17 years of marriage, they say it’s important to recognize that not everything will work out perfectly but to remember their commitment through thick and thin—and to be understanding.

Although neither gets into the other’s professional business, Israel says, their shared understanding of the pressures of the medical profession help them to understand when one comes home late or exhausted.

“We’re not in the movies where everything is perfect,” he says. “There are ups and downs, but you have your commitment. Keeping up with the commitment and trusting each other, basically that’s what it is.”

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WAISTVEGGIE © SNORKS FACE; BRAIN © SPINETTA © NICK; FORKS KINNEY©; INTRO VESNA©CVOROVIC MARISH / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

the good news is…

that lifestyle

changes can radically affect heart health. In fact, medical experts report that four in five heart attacks are preventable.

And no, it’s not because of some remarkable new medication or diet supplement.

A Swedish study followed over 20,000 men from 1997

to 2009, focusing on five health measures that can be controlled. The researchers measured the benefits of: eating a healthy diet, drinking one (or fewer) alcoholic drinks per day, exercising regularly, having a

EACH FACTOR INCREMENTALLY LOWERED THE RISK OF CARDIAC DISEASE. MEN WHO ACHIEVED ALL OF THESE WERE A SHOCKING 79 PERCENT LESS LIKELY TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK THAN THOSE WHO ACCOMPLISHED NONE.

and

.

A similar analysis of U.S. women using data from the Women’s Health Initiative study looked at parameters that predicted the risk of heart failure. The follow-up study covered 11 years and looked at 1,826 cases. The results paralleled the Swedish men’s study and revealed that women who had a healthy diet, exercised regularly, maintained a good BMI (body mass index) and didn’t smoke had a 77 percent lower risk of heart failure.

The encouraging truth is that all of these contributing factors are things an individual can control in his or her life.

Unfortunately, we’ve become a lazy nation. Many Americans would rather have their doctor prescribe medication than go to the effort of changing their lifestyle.

Even making just two lifestyle changes—exercising 30 minutes five days a week and eating a heart healthy diet—can significantly improve heart health.

“By simply making these two lifestyle changes, one could lower risk of diabetes, hypertension, obesity and cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke,” notes Harper Stone, M.D., cardiologist at Jackson Heart Clinic in Jackson, Mississippi, and president of the American Heart Association’s Greater southeast Affiliate.

You can change your health for the better and lower your risk of heart disease. Why not get started this week?

think of food as fuel

Y

ou wouldn’t put diesel into your vehicle’s gas engine and expect it to run. You can’t expect your body to function well if you fuel it with poor nutritional choices, yet many of us do this routinely.

For starters, know how many calories you should consume on a daily basis. You can easily determine this at one of many online sites, such as calculator.net. The goal is to use up at least as many calories as you take in each day.

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Obviously you can get calories from all sorts of foods, but you should strive to get them from nutritious foods, using the following as a framework:

REGULAR EXERCISE LOWERS ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES (4-1/2 CUPS WHEN EATING 2,000 CALORIES PER DAY) WHOLE GRAINS BEANS AND LEGUMES NO-FAT AND LOW-FAT DAIRY PRODUCTS LEAN MEAT AND SKINLESS POULTRY, OILY FISH RICH IN OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS (SALMON, TROUT, HERRING) NUTS AND SEEDS Revamping your diet may seem daunting, but every little improvement counts. For example, research shows that those who eat a daily serving of fruits and veggies have a 4 percent lower risk of heart disease and a 5 percent lower risk of stroke.

While you’re watching what you should eat, pay attention to what you shouldn’t: Limit red meat, sugary foods and sweet beverages.

Read nutrition labels and limit your intake of saturated fat (no more than 5 to 6 percent of total calories), trans fat and sodium (no more than 2,400 milligrams daily).

If you drink, limit daily alcohol consumption to just one drink (women) or two drinks (men).

“Eating a heart-healthy diet low in fat and sodium can impact the disease processes of blood pressure and cholesterol in a positive way,” remarks Dr. Stone.

T

here’s no such thing as a “healthy” amount of tobacco use. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarettes contain at least 250 chemical components proven harmful to human health.

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GETes,MOVING! we know, you’re busy and joining a

Y

gym was NOT on your list of New Year’s resolutions. That’s OK. You don’t have to work out in a fitness center to see results.

The most important thing is to get moving and stay moving—no matter how you choose to do it.

Only a paltry 20.7 percent of American adults meet federal recommended guidelines for aerobic and strengthening activities. Thirty percent of American adults engage in no physical activity during their leisure hours.

Inactivity is higher among women than men and increases with age.

To better your overall cardiovascular health, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise (or a combination of both).

Aim for 30 minutes a day, five days a week. (Hint: It’s beneficial even if you have to break it down into segments of 10 to 15 minutes.) To help lower blood pressure or cholesterol, get 40 minutes of aerobic exercise of moderate to vigorous intensity three to four times a week.

Dr. Stone points out that regular exercise also lowers all-cause mortality.

don’t light up To name just a few, these include formaldehyde (used to preserve human and animal remains), arsenic (used as a wood preservative), cadmium (used to make batteries) and tar. Polonium-210 is another common component of cigarettes and is actually a radioactive element. Need more disturbing stats?

Studies show that a person who smokes 1 ½ packs a day gets the same amount of radiation as if they’d received over 300 X-rays in a year.

If you smoke or use tobacco, quit.

Talk to your doctor about programs or medication to ease the transition to becoming a non-smoker.

SNORKING © NADYA LUKIC ; RUNNER ©ANDRESR ; FOOD ICONS © CHEESEKERBS/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

H

igh blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the most crucial treatable risk factor for stroke. When was the last time you had your blood pressure checked?

Blood pressure and cholesterol levels both have great impact on heart health, yet many people ignore them until they are elderly, and at that point, there’s usually no way to turn things around.

We tend to think of the heart’s main activity as pumping blood, but twothirds of the cardiac cycle is actually spent in the relaxation/fill cycle, which is related to blood pressure. So, if you have a problem with this cycle,

BLOOD PRESSURE CATEGORY SYSTOLIC MM HG (UPPER #) DIASTOLIC MM HG (LOWER #)

know your numbers you have a high risk of heart failure, probably even higher than if the heart has problems with the pumping part of the cycle.

Blood pressure in an adult age 20 or older should normally be less than 120/80 mm Hg (less than 120 systolic and less than 80 diastolic). In which category do you fall? (See chart below.)

When it comes to cholesterol, adults should typically have their levels checked every four to six years.

Ideally, your HDL (good) cholesterol level should be high, while your LDL levels should be low. Your triglyceride number should also be low.

An optimal cholesterol score is less than 180 mg/dL.

NORMAL

PREHYPERTENSION

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE (HYPERTENSION) STAGE 1

LESS THAN 120

120 – 139

140 – 159

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE HYPERTENSIVE CRISIS (HYPERTENSION) STAGE 2 (EMERGENCY CARE NEEDED) 160 OR HIGHER

HIGHER THAN 180

AND

OR

OR

OR

OR

LESS THAN 80

80 – 89

90 – 99

100 OR HIGHER

HIGHER THAN 110

SNORE MUCH? ormal snoring can aggravate your partner,

N Chart source: American Heart Association

Doctors calculate total cholesterol score according to this equation: HDL + LDL + 20 percent of triglyceride level.

When caught early enough, blood pressure and cholesterol can often be lowered with lifestyle changes, which is why it’s important to know where you stand so you can make any necessary adjustments.

“Both exercise and diet can have a tremendous impact on improving blood pressure and cholesterol. Exercise has also been shown to [support a] modest reduction in blood pressure and have beneficial effects on glucose metabolism, as well as lower triglyceride levels and raise HDL levels,” notes Dr. Stone.

but one in five adults suffers to some degree from a more serious condition in which they repeatedly stop breathing while snoring. This condition, known as sleep apnea, can be more than just annoying.

“Sleep apnea is very prevalent in patients with cardiovascular disease,” notes Dr. Stone. “Unfortunately, sleep apnea is under-diagnosed and can lead to the development of heart rhythm disturbances, such as atrial fibrillation, hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, as well as an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and death.”

When someone has sleep apnea, they actually pause while breathing, only to wake themselves as they gasp for air. This may occur just a few times an hour or as many as 30 or more times. Not only does sleep apnea interrupt sleep, preventing proper rest, but it can also lead to abnormal function of the cells lining blood vessels and affect the nervous system.

Although sleep apnea is more common in men than women, it’s certainly not a male-only problem. It’s often

obesity-related, and in many cases, the problem goes away if the patient loses enough weight.

FOR PLENTY OF If you find yourself tired during HEART HEALTH the day, sleep apnea may be to RECOMMENDATIONS, blame. Talk to your doctor about TIPS, RECIPES diagnosis and treatment, which is AND MORE, VISIT known as “continuous positive airway HEART.ORG. pressure” (CPAP). You may need to use a CPAP device when sleeping to maintain air pressure in your breathing passages so you aren’t deprived of oxygen.

“The true prevalence of sleep apnea is unknown as most people with the disorder do not undergo a sleep study and remain undiagnosed,” says Dr. Stone. “Treatment of sleep apnea not only improves outcomes but also improves quality of life.”

LEARN MORE:

FEBRUARY 2015

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YOU WOKE UP WITH A SCRATCHY THROAT, AND THEN THE NEXT DAY, THE SNIFFLES STARTED.

Now you’re sneezing so much that you’re thinking of buying stock in a tissue company. You’re feeling a little achy, and then there’s that annoying hacking cough. Sounds like you, not your computer, have a virus. Likely the rhinovirus. But don’t panic. You’re not going to crash. It’s just the common cold. by • JOANN GUIDRY & KARIN FABRYCUSHENBERY

GONE

VIRAL. 32

tchealthyliving.com | FEBRUARY 2015

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that Americans suffer 1 billion colds annually! More than 200 viruses can cause the common cold, but the rhinovirus is usually the culprit, causing up to 40 percent of all colds. The cold season in the United States generally runs from September through May, and on average, adults get two to four colds a year, while children get six to eight a year. According to the CDC, an estimated 22 million school days are lost annually in the United States due to the common cold.

The good news is that while colds do make you miserable, they are a benign viral infection that doesn’t require medical treatment and that generally runs their course in about a week.

The rhinovirus is a member of more than 21 virus families that cause diseases in humans. Some of the more well-known viral diseases include influenza, norovirus, measles, chickenpox, mumps, HIV, smallpox and polio. And, of course, we all became hyper aware of the Ebola virus last year.

The two ways to treat viruses are vaccines and antivirals. Nope, antibiotics won’t work. Read on to become a little more virus savvy.

VIRUSES 101 In 1898, German scientists Friedrich Loeffler and Paul Frosch discovered evidence that the cause of foot-and-mouth disease in livestock was an infectious particle smaller than any known bacteria. Say hello to the first known virus.

Today, a virus is defined as a submicroscopic particle that can infect people, animals, plants and even bacteria.

Some microbiologists classify viruses as microorganisms, while others label them as microscopic infective agents. Although bacteria are single-celled microorganisms that thrive in many different environments, viruses require a living host, such as a human, to multiply.

When a virus enters your body, it invades your cells and

takes over its functions. The infected cell continues to reproduce more viral protein and genetic material instead of just its usual products. In other words, viruses are teeny tiny troublemakers.

But not all viruses are villains. Recently a team of San Diego University scientists have discovered some “friendly viruses.”

In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists reported that mucus contains bacteriophages. Turns out that bacteriophages are viruses that destroy harmful bacteria, and this discovery could lead to a new model of immunity therapy.

But back to the not-sofriendly viruses and how we become infected with them. Some viruses spread by simple human-to-human contact, from something as benign as a handshake or a kiss. Then there’s those dastardly airborne droplets caused by sneezing, coughing and even talking. Viruses

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can also spread via sexual contact, as well the flu virus. There are 60 different QUATas contaminated water or food. There’s also based disinfectants certified by the U.S. indirect transmission by a virus host, such as Environmental Protection Agency. When mosquito, tick or field mouse. shopping for a QUAT-based disinfectant, look And viruses are speed demons, spreadfor a long chemical name on the product label ing very quickly. A recent University of Arbeginning in “alkyl” or ending in “chloride.” izona study showed that viruses can spread through environments like office buildings in VACCINES TO mere hours. In the study, researchers placed THE RESCUE small samples of a virus harmless to people, but similar in size and shape to the human Leading the battle against viral infecnorovirus, in an office building. They placed tions are vaccines. We acquire some natural the samples on one or two surfaces, such protection, which is passed to us from our as a tabletop or doorknob. Throughout the mothers through the placenta, against disday, the researchers sampled surfaces such ease-causing germs before birth. But a few as coffee-pot and faucet handles and phone weeks after we’re born, that natural protection and computer equipment. dissipates and we become The first areas found convulnerable to many infectaminated were the coffee/ tions, some of them causkitchen areas. Here’s the ing life-threatening diseasTYPES OF scary part: Within only es. And here’s where vactwo to four hours, 40 to cines come to the rescue.

60 percent of the sampled Vaccines are made up surfaces in the building of a safe, very small amount were contaminated. of a weakened or killed viLIVE VIRUS: But there’s good rus. They are introduced to Used for diseases such as measles, mumps, news, too. In the second our bodies via an injection, rubella and chickenpox, this is a weakened part of the study, liquid, pill or powdered (or attenuated) form of the virus. office employees and form. This mild exposure cleaning staff were given teaches our immune sysKILLED (inactivated): disinfecting wipes to use tem to recognize and then The flu vaccine is an example, as it’s made once a day on commonly attack the infection if we from a protein or other small piece taken touched surfaces. The encounter it later in life. from a virus or bacteria. disinfectants, along with Vaccines help us have a proper hand hygiene, milder reaction to the infecTOXOID: reduced the virus spread tion and keep us from beUsed for such diseases as tetanus and by 80 to 90 percent. The coming seriously ill. Thanks diphtheria, these vaccines contain a toxin disinfectant wipes used to vaccines, diseases such or chemical made by the virus or bacteria. contained quaternary as meningitis, polio, tetaThis type of vaccine makes you immune to ammonium compounds. nus, diphtheria, whooping the harmful effects of the infection, instead These QUAT-based cough, measles and mumps of the infection itself. disinfectants are effective are far less common than against the norovirus and they used to be.

BIOSYNTHETIC:

VACCINES

This vaccine type contains man-made substances that are very similar to pieces of the virus or bacteria. An example is the Hib (Haemophilus influenza type B) conjugate vaccine.

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WORDS TO KNOW!

EPIDEMIC:

PANDEMIC:

Also called a seasonal outbreak, an epidemic is when the number of people who become infected with a disease rises well beyond what is expected within a country, region or city. In the case of influenza, epidemics are generally caused by subtypes of a virus that is already circulating among people.

Derived from the Greek word pandemos, meaning “pertaining to all people,” a pandemic is a worldwide viral outbreak. A pandemic is usually caused by a new virus strain or subtype that humans have no or little immunity against. Pandemics generally cause much higher numbers of deaths than epidemics.

THE MISERY OF FLU SEASON Unlike common cold symptoms, which come on gradually and are generally mild, the flu hits you like a sledgehammer. One day you’re fine, and the next you’re so exhausted you just want to sleep. Your head is pounding, every muscle in your body is aching and you’re burning up with a high fever. Yep, you’ve got the flu. And it’s going to be a rough few weeks.

For those with chronic health conditions such as asthma or a compromised immune system or for those who are older than 65 or younger than 2, the flu can lead to viral pneumonia.

In the most severe cases, hospitalization is required.

According to the CDC, 5 to 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu every year and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related complications. And there are anywhere from several hundred to several thousand fluassociated deaths a year.

In the United States, flu season typically starts in the

fall before peaking in January and February.

But there have been flu seasons that extended into May. Highly contagious, the flu is primarily transmitted by airborne droplets caused by sneezing, coughing and, yes, even talking.

People with the flu can spread it to others from up to six feet away. But you can also contract the flu by touching surfaces or objects contaminated by the flu virus and then touching your mouth, eyes and nose.

Flu symptoms generally begin one to four days after the virus enters the body. But then there’s this: A seemingly healthy adult may be able to infect other people beginning one day before symptoms even manifest and up to five to seven days after becoming sick. Children may pass on the virus for longer than seven days.

The No. 1 defense against getting the flu is getting an annual flu vaccination. The CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months and older. Most flu vaccines, formulated to protect against the most anticipated common strains during the upcoming

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35

season, are available in October. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for immunity to set in, so the earlier you get it, the sooner you’ll be protected before the onset of the flu season.

If you do get the flu and go to a doctor within 24 to 48 hours of symptoms onset, a prescribed antiviral may help. Antiviral drugs can lessen symptoms and shorten the duration of the flu by one or two days. They can also help prevent serious flu complications like pneumonia.

The two FDA-approved antivirals are Tamiflu (oseltamivir), which is prescribed as either a pill or liquid, and Relenza (zanamivir), which is an inhaled powder.

THE NASTY NOROVIRUS Thanks to media coverage of several

cruise ships having outbreaks, many of us have become aware of the norovirus. A very contagious virus, this nasty little thing causes gastroenteritis. When that happens, you have stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea and throw up—a lot. The norovirus is transmitted by an infected person, eating or drinking contaminated food or water and/or touching contaminated surfaces. It is also the most common cause of foodborne-disease outbreaks in the United States.

Especially serious in young children and older adults, the norovirus causes 19 to 21 million illnesses and 570 to 800 deaths a year in the United States. And you can have the norovirus illness many times in your life.

The best norovirus prevention is, you guessed it, proper and frequent hand washing to avoid contaminated food, water and surfaces.

There is no specific medicine to treat the norovirus. The most important thing is to drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Severe dehydration may lead to hospitalization and the use of intravenous fluids. Most people recover in one to three days.

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tchealthyliving.com | FEBRUARY 2015

MUTATION MATTERS We’re all aware by now that this year’s flu

vaccine proved to be less than successful. The reason? According to research scientists, the flu virus mutated (and it’s not the only virus that can do that!), leaving the vaccine unable to protect against the newly minted strain of the disease.

But how exactly do viruses mutate and change?

Well, the science can be a bit mind boggling.

A virus has to change in order to adapt to its host. It does this through two processes: antigenic drift and antigenic shift.

Antigenic drift occurs when the proteins covering the influenza virus (which act as antigens to trigger your body’s immune system) record a subtle change caused by the genes that originally encoded the proteins. The changes may be miniscule, but it’s enough to throw your body’s defenses out of whack. Your body works (through vaccines, exposure, etc.) to develop very specific defense mechanisms against very particular strands of the flu, and when there’s a small change to the proteins surrounding the flu, your body no longer knows it’s supposed to fight it off and instead welcomes it in.

Once you’re infected with the new strain, your body will begin to develop antibodies to protect against it in the future. The flu vaccine works much the same way, introducing new strains of the virus into your body to trigger the development of antibodies.

Antigenic shift on the other hand occurs when the changes taking place within the virus are sudden and major. Much more rare, antigenic shift occurs when two different strains of a virus infect the same cell simultaneously, basically mixing and matching parts of their genome (complete DNA) to create a whole new virus.

Because this virus is so new and immunity is incredibly low against it, pandemics and outbreaks are often common over large areas of land.

The moral of the story? Stay up to date on those vaccinations. A little protection is better than none at all!

SHIP © THE CRAFTY CLIP / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Sources: cdc.gov, nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus, medicalnewstoday.com, endmemo.com, flu.goc, livescience.com, mayoclinic.org, who.int

VIRUSES

TYPES OF

AND WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

TRANSMISSION

SYMPTOMS

INCUBATION PERIOD

IS THERE A VACCINE?

FLU /INFLUENZA TYPE A, B & C

Airborne droplets

Fever/chills, runny nose, cough, muscle aches, sore throat, fatigue, nausea/vomiting for some

1-4 days

Yes

COLD/RHINOVIRUS

Airborne droplets & contact

Runny nose, sore throat, cough, congestion, sneezing, low fever, mild aches/headache

1-3 days

No

CHICKENPOX

Airborne droplets & contact

Very itchy rash lasting 7-10 days; from red bumps to fluid-filled blisters to scabs; can lead to Shingles infection later in life

14-16 days

Yes

VIRUS

MEASLES

Airborne droplets & contact

High fever, sore eyes, conjunctivitis, small/ white spots in mouth, no appetite/energy and a dry cough

10-12 days

Yes (MMR protects against measles, mumps and rubella)

ENTEROVIRUS D68

Airborne/coughing, sneezing, etc.; then touching contaminated surface

Runny nose, coughing, fever, body aches; severe symptoms are wheezing and trouble breathing

3-10 days

No

RABIES

From animals to humans through bites/scratches

Early symptoms are fever and pain or an unexplained tingling, pricking or burning feeling at the wound site

Typically 1-3 months (but can be less than a week or more than a year)

Yes

HIV

Transmitted through blood, breast milk and sexual fluids

Early symptoms similar to the flu that come and go for a month or two.

Infections and other symptoms worsen as disease progresses.

2 weeks to 6 months for your body to begin making HIV antibodies

No

HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV)

Vaginal, anal or oral sex

Often symptomless; some strands of the virus can cause genital warts or lead to certain cancers

Usually 2-3 months, but can range 1-20 months.

Yes

HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUSES (TYPE 1 AND 2)

Type 1: Skin to skin contact, like kissing or other casual contact, Type 2: Sexually transmitted/oral secretions

Type 1: Cold sores/fever blisters on/around the mouth Type 2: Most asymptomatic; vesicles may appear on genitals, mouth or rectum; then break, creating painful ulcers

Averages 4 days

No

HEPATITIS (A, B, C, D, E)

A: Primarily fecal-oral, B: Person to person through bodily fluids, C: Most commonly through infected blood, D: Infected blood or blood products E: Contaminated drinking water (fecal/oral)

All hepatitis infections affect the liver; each has its own unique set of symptoms

EBOLA

Direct contact with blood or bodily fluids

Nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, red eyes, raised rash, stomach pain, severe weight loss, bleeding and bruising

A: Yes, B: A: 28 days, B: 1.5-6 Yes, C: No, months, C: 2 weeks D: (vaccination to 6 months, D: 1.5-6 against B will months, E: 3-8 weeks prevent it), E: No

2 to 21 days

No

Editor’s Note: It’s important to note that many viruses can lead to serious complications and further disease. The above list is just a sampling. If you are ill and aren’t sure of the cause, or if your illness is progressing instead of improving, it’s always best to seek medical attention.

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Family and

GENERAL DENTISTRY HEALTH MATTERS This time of year many people develop persistent bronchitis, which can cause prolonged coughing and difficult breathing.

A viral or bacterial infection, smoking or inhaling of toxic environmental pollutants or compromised immunity can result in inflammation and irritation of the membranes of the bronchi (airways in the lungs).

Consequently, excess mucous and swelling of lung tissues can block airways and obstruct breathing. Lung, Bronchial and Sinus Health is a supplement of natural ingredients that have a long history of use with respiratory conditions such as bronchitis.

Containing herbal expectorants such as horehound, wild cherry bark and mullein that alleviate inflammation and reduce mucous production, along with marshmallow root, which protects and soothes inflamed membranes, Lung, Bronchial and Sinus Health helps to relieve sinus and bronchial congestion, as well as residual coughing.

As always, we guarantee your satisfaction.

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Porcelain Crowns • Bridges • Veneers Dental Implants • Aesthetic White Fillings Dentures & Partials • Sleep Apnea Appliances

Patsy Meridith, CNC Certified Nutrition Consultant Owner of Natural Foods Market

423-610-1000 3211 Peoples St. Ste 74 Johnson City, TN NFMonline.com

MOST INSURANCES ACCEPTED MON-THUR 8AM-5PM, FRI 8AM-12PM

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HE ALT H Y

body NUTRITION | FITNESS | BEAUT Y

Milk is an everyday staple for many kids growing up, from the bowls of their cereal to the cartons in their lunches, but are they drinking too much?

New data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey reveals that 4 year olds who drank more than two servings (two cups) of milk per day were 16 percent more likely to be overweight.

When two servings gives you a balance of vitamin D and iron, any more may be too much. Talk to your child’s pediatrician to determine the amount that’s correct for them. Need an alternative to milk for your youngster?

Water is always best!

Source: foxnews.com

too much milk?

FEBRUARY 2015

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app...we mean apt to exercise S

ure, it’s the year 2015. But we’re pretty positive we’re in the clear when we tell you that you won’t likely be roaming the air in a flying car anytime soon, nor will you be greeted by a robotic maid when you return home. Nope, The Jetson’s still have us beat.

Although, there is one thing we do have the upper hand in— something even George Jetson had to live without. Apps.

If you have a smartphone or a tablet, then you probably have a handful of apps you already use on a regular basis. And as thousands of new apps are created each year (maybe more!) there’s some that are definitely worth checking out. We’re talking about the exercise and health apps.

Below are some of our favorite apps that will get you up and moving and on track.

rock my run

Finally you have your very own life soundtrack!

Highly tailored playlists select and sync the music that’s playing based on the tempo of your activity. Talk about stepping to the beat of the music. iPhone and Android. Free.

SMOOTHIE SELECTOR WITH ENDLESS SMOOTHIE RECIPES TO CHOOSE FROM, CHANCES ARE YOU’LL BE HOOKED FOR A WHILE. BASED ON GOALS SUCH AS MUSCLE BUILDING, WEIGHT LOSS, MEAL REPLACEMENT, BREAKFAST, HEALTH BOOST AND DESSERT, BE READY TO MEET YOUR GOALS SOONER THAN LATER! PLUS, THEY TASTE GOOD, TOO. IPHONE. $0.99.

gympact

Finally a job you’ll love! Earn cash for living healthy and get paid by people who don’t— really it’s a win-win situation. Put more simply, setting goals and meeting them will earn you money from those who have not met their set goals—and the same goes for when you don’t meet your goals— it’s time to pay up! iPhone and Android. Free.

SEVEN 7 MINUTES, 7 DAYS AND 7 MONTHS. BASED ON VARIOUS SCIENTIFIC STUDIES, THE SEVEN-MINUTE WORKOUT IS BASED ON THE THEORY THAT WORKING OUT PROVES TO BE THE MOST BENEFICIAL IN SHORT, REGULAR INTERVALS. IPHONE AND ANDROID. FREE.

sworkit

This app makes it nearly impossible to claim that you don’t exercise because you don’t have time to go to the gym. Sworkit is a personal trainer that will guide you through workout videos that you can do virtually anywhere, anytime. iPhone and Android. $1.99.

ARGUS WITH THIS APP YOUR IPHONE WILL DOUBLE AS A HEALTH AND FITNESS DEVICE AS IT MONITORS AND MANAGES YOUR ACTIVITIES, FOOD, WORKOUTS, SLEEP, HYDRATION, WEIGHT AND VITALS. TO HELP YOU REACH YOUR GOALS ARGUS WILL GIVE YOU BOTH FEEDBACK AND POINTS BASED ON HOW WELL YOU’RE PERFORMING. IPHONE. FREE.

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body

Sources: pinterest.com, acefitness.org, crossfit.com, garage-gyms.com

HE ALT H Y

Sources: ScratchMommy.com, Cancer.gov

DEODARANT© SCRATCHMOMMY.COM; BEESWAX © MADLEN; GIRL©VITA KHORZHEVSKA /SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

HE ALT H Y

body

ditch the stick:

diy deodorant F

rom the burning heat of summer to the cozy sweaters of winter, deodorant is an everyday essential. Lately, tons of do-ityourself deodorant recipes have been emerging as people decide to ditch the stick and go natural.

So why take the time to make your own? Antiperspirants have a couple of chemical compounds that are becoming a little concerning.

For example, aluminum-based compounds are used to form a barrier in the ducts of the underarm that block the flow of sweat from reaching the surface of the skin. Some research suggests that aluminum-based compounds cause estrogenlike effects when absorbed, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Parabens are used as preservers in some cosmetic products and also imitate the activity of estrogen in the body when absorbed. Because estrogen has the ability to promote the growth of breast cancer cells, some scientists have suggested that antiperspirants contribute to the development of breast cancer.

With do-it-yourself natural deodorant recipes, at least you know exactly what’s going into your odor blocker.

Blogger and founder of Scratch Mommy, Jessica Healey, formulated an easy DIY deodorant that can be customized with your favorite essential oils. Follow her recipe below for an all-natural alternative:

DIY deodorant You will need: 4

ounce jar or tin

30

grams coconut oil

20

grams shea butter

10

grams oil (almond, avocado, or any oil that is liquid at room temperature)

10

grams beeswax

15

grams arrowroot powder

15

grams diatomaceous earth (also known as DE), food grade

5

drops of vitamin E

20-25 drops of your choice of essential oils (optional) You will need a kitchen scale to measure ingredients and a double boiler. You can substitute a double boiler by placing a glass bowl over a pot of shallow water. Put both oils, shea butter and beeswax into the upper part of your double boiler or in the glass bowl. Melt on low heat over the bottom part of your double boiler or over a pot with shallow water until everything is melted. melted.Turn off heat, and let the mixture cool for a couple of minutes. Add arrowroot, DE, vitamin E and your choice of essential oils (such as lavender). Whisk vigorously to fully combine. Poor in tin or jar and allow it to set set.

NOT A DIYER? IT’S OK! YOU CAN BUY JESSICA’S HOMEMADE DEODORANT THROUGH HER ORGANIC SKINCARE STORE AT SCRATCHMOMMY.COM..

FEBRUARY 2015

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HE ALT H Y

body strawberry salsa

best in berries

Y

ou might not be able to grow your own fresh strawberries for a few months, but that doesn’t mean a quick trip to the store won’t yield plenty of plump berries this time of year. Here are a few recipes to get you dreamin’ of warmer weather.

You’ll need… ½ cup strawberries, washed, de-stemmed and diced ½

small onion, diced

½

tablespoon chopped herb of choice (try mint, parsley or cilantro) Juice of 2 small limes

Mix the strawberries, onion and lime juice together. Allow the mixture to soak for about 5 minutes to ensure all the flavors combine and the strawberries slightly macerate. Mix the herbs into the salsa. Chill until ready to serve; then enjoy. You could add some chopped jalapeños in the mix, but a teaspoon of sugar is recommended if that’s the case.

It would add a delicious kick!

Recipe and photo courtesy of Jessica Hylton, jessicainthekitchen.com.

simply sweet strawberry pie Chilled pie dough for one 9-inch pie 5

cups of quartered and hulled strawberries, divided

½

cup sugar

¼

cup cornstarch

1

tsp vanilla extract

¼

tsp almond extract

1

tbsp lemon juice

1⁄₈

tsp salt Whipped cream

PIECRUST

FILLING

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

Heat oven to 425°F. Place a baking sheet on a middle oven rack. Roll out pie dough to fit pie dish. Press dough down into dish so that it lines the bottom and sides.

Trim dough so that about 1/2 inch hangs over edge of dish. Crimp edges of dough around dish. Pierce bottom of the crust with a fork.

(This prevents air pockets or bubbles from forming while baking.) Place piecrust onto preheated baking sheet, and reduce oven temperature to 400°F. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until the crust is golden. Remove from oven, and cool.

Add 2 cups of strawberries to a small saucepan.

Mash strawberries until chunky. Add sugar, corn starch, vanilla extract, almond extract, lemon juice and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and glaze has thickened; 3 to 5 minutes. Cool completely.

Combine remaining 3 cups of strawberries with cooled strawberry glaze. Stir until strawberries are well coated. Spoon strawberry filling into cooled piecrust.

Refrigerate pie at least 2 hours before cutting to allow filling to set. Top with whipped cream.

All recipes and photos courtesy of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association. Used with permission. flastrawberry.com, strawberrysue.com

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HE ALT H Y

balance

Source: dailymail.co.uk

© CAMILO TORRES / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

MIND | SPIRIT | FINANCE

middle child success story

It’s a stereotype that middle children are often neglected and misunderstood, growing up lazy and lacking confidence from not being recognized. A recent study shows this is not reality as middle children are actually typically, more successful than their siblings. The disadvantages they may have received growing up became beneficial later in life, helping them grow independence and creativity. And get this, more than half of the U.S. presidents have been middle children. So, if you’re a middle child, stay positive… it’s only bright skies from here!

FEBRUARY 2015

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taxes T taking on your

ax season is officially here. Sure, it’s not something that’s all that fun to do. But, if you’re one of the fortunate ones who’s looking at a government refund, then that’s all the more reason to get those dreaded taxes done ASAP. If you’re one of the procrastinators (and let’s face it, many of us are!) and you have yet to file, here’s a list of some deductions you won’t want to miss. You just may lower your rate or increase your return.

who benefits most from tax benefits?

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• Health insurance premiums can be used as a deduction if the cost is about 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income.

• Sure, charitable gifts can be counted as a deduction, but did you know your out-of-pocket expenses for your charity or event can also qualify?

• Whether you just started college or have already graduated, you can use the lifetime learning credit to get back up to 20 percent of that first ten

Teachers receive an extra tax break of up to $250 for school supplies.

grand you used back in college.

• If you can document the reasons and the benefits for your business expenses, generally you can deduct them from your taxes.

• If your new job requires you to move more than 50 miles, you can deduct the cost of moving from your taxes. Don’t forget the cost of packing supplies, moving companies, gas and hotel stays.

• Miscellaneous expenses include the cost of having someone prepare your taxes for you, the cost of uniforms for work, job hunting fees within your same field and union dues.

Parents with children benefit when they can show and prove the cost for child care expenses.

WOMAN © STOKKETE; MAN © RYAN JORGENSEN - JORGO; ICONS © TRETER / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

plan ahead Preparing for taxes can be time consuming and often confusing. So many documents and so many rules and exemptions! Follow these tips to make everything go as smoothly as possible.

GET ORGANIZED WITH A CHECKLIST. KNOW WHAT DOCUMENTS YOU’LL BE RECEIVING AND MAKE A NOTE WHEN YOU GET THEM. DON’T FORGET TO KEEP ALL DOCUMENTS TOGETHER AND IN A SAFE PLACE. TRIPLE-CHECK YOUR WORK TO AVOID MISTAKES.

MAKE SURE TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF ANY TAX CREDITS YOU MAY HAVE SUCH AS HOME BUYER TAX CREDIT, STUDENT LOAN DEDUCTIONS, MORTGAGE INTEREST TAX DEDUCTIONS, JOB-RELATED MOVING EXPENSES OR SELF-EMPLOYED HEALTH INSURANCE. IN THE END, IT USUALLY MEANS MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKET.

should you diy or call in the cpa?

YOU COULD DO IT ON YOUR OWN IF: • You are a person that likes numbers and keeps track of all transactions and receipts.

• Your tax situation is unchanged or simple. For those people who only have one job, no dependents and no other investments, taxes can easily be done yourself. Even having a few kids is an easy deduction.

Sources: irs.com, huffingtonpost.com, usatoday.com, turbotax.intuit.com

• You don’t own property.

GIVE YOURSELF PLENTY OF TIME AND KNOW DEADLINES. IT’S BEST TO START EARLY. KNOW WHAT’S NEEDED: SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS OF ANYONE YOU ARE CLAIMING, W2 FORMS OF EVERYWHERE YOU’VE WORKED THAT YEAR, INVESTMENT INCOME INFORMATION, BUSINESS INCOME IF IT APPLIES, SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS IF THEY APPLY, UNEMPLOYMENT INCOME IF APPLICABLE, MISCELLANEOUS INCOME SUCH AS JURY DUTY OR LOTTERY WINNINGS IF THEY APPLY. THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.

IF YOU WANT YOUR TAX RETURN TO BE AUTOMATICALLY DEPOSITED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A CHECK BOOK HANDY OR KNOW YOUR ACCOUNT AND ROUTING NUMBER. WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, YOU CAN ALWAYS CALL IN THE PROFESSIONALS FOR BACK UP.

People caring for their parents or sending money to other family members can deduct the associated costs from their tax expenses. Costs associated with in-home care and nursing homes may qualify.

• You understand tax laws, tax jargon and can stay up to date with all the changing tax information.

IT’S BETTER TO HAVE SOMEONE DO IT FOR YOU IF: • You can’t get a handle of your money. If tracking the numbers and trying to understand everything seems impossible, hire someone to do your taxes for you. This could help save time and money in the long run by getting your taxes done right the first time.

• You started a new business. Having someone help you with your taxes can help deduct all those beginning costs and getting more money returned to your pockets.

• You have a lot of information to enter from investments, interest payments, pay-outs, etc, you may want to consult a pro to make sure nothing is overlooked.

For the self-employed out there, did you know you can deduct onehalf of your self-employment taxes? You can also deduct the health insurance premiums and contributions to Keogh, SEP and SIMPLE retirement plans from your gross income.

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live in a world of color L

ooking for ideas to brighten your home using color? Grab some paintbrushes and let your creativity run wild. Sherwin-Williams recently announced their color trends for 2015. The newly predicted trends consist of 40 optimistic colors divided into four sections: Chrysalis, Buoyant, Voyage and Unrestrained.

chrysalis For those who want their rooms to reflect a calm oasis, try selecting from the Chrysalis line. This palette, based off of the colors created by the land and sea, evokes a modern feel. They’re earthly tones like those of the rocks on the beach or the sky before a storm. Chrysalis consists of various shades of off blacks, chalky neutrals, such as tans and grays, and dusty blues.

buoyant Bring the fun of an outdoor adventure inside your home. The colors that make up the Buoyant line were gleaned from tropical prints, tiki-inspiration and exotic locations. Use these colors to maintain your good spirits and inspire an optimistic attitude. Buoyant shades consist of light and deep greens, violets, pops of coral and sandy browns.

If you’re looking for a little magic and mystery in your life, choose a color from the Voyage line.

Whether your imagination takes you on an outer space voyage or an undersea adventure, the colors in the Voyage line—undersea teal, bright green kelp, light watery blue and deep space purples—look like these outer limits.

unrestrained Want to be bold and try something completely new? The Unrestrained palette is full of ethnic-inspired colors and designs reminiscent of the Bohemian lifestyle. This line features saturated primary hues, including sunny yellow, lively turquoise and bright blue, as well as black and white, and each color can be used on its own for a pop of color or combined to create a vibrant, energetic space.

introducing…coral reef Each year, the Sherwin-Williams color experts research color influences from around the world to determine the annual color forecast and the Color of the Year, and this year they have chosen Coral Reef as the Color of the Year 2015.

Use this uplifting, vivacious hue with floral notes to liven up any space. Coral Reef is the perfect mix of pink, orange and red. Find out more about this color and many others at sherwin-williams.com.

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Source: sherwin-williams.com

voyage

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Pledge of Excellence

Last fall, the Johnson City Eye Clinic randomly surveyed 1,000 patients about their experience with us, and we were greatly humbled with the feedback. An overwhelming number—much higher than the national average, 99% of respondents—say they would happily recommend us to their family and friends. Thank you for your confidence in our services and the quality care that we strive to provide. Our ongoing pledge to you is to continue to improve upon Johnson City Eye Clinic’s Tradition of Excellence in Eye Care since 1942!

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Opiate addiction is a very dangerous and real epidemic in the United States.

Millions of people every year abuse illicit opioid drugs and prescription medications. According to the CDC, opiate overdoses have passed traffic accidents as the leading cause of death in the U.S. It is a serious medical condition that can be very damaging to a person’s mental, physical and emotional health; it damages families and may even cause death. If you are suffering from opiate addiction, you are not alone, and you can receive help by contacting the experienced and compassionate staff here at Watauga Recovery Center.

THE WATAUGA RECOVERY CENTER Intentional Recovery Education Program is our unique approach to assisting our patients in developing a strong, 4-level recovery foundation and teaching the life skills needed for relapse prevention.

“Addiction is a Disease, Let’s Treat it That Way.”

3114 Browns Mill Road Johnson City, TN, 37604 (423) 641-0432 www.wrchope.org

FEBRUARY 2015

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