209 Healthy Living Winter 2015

WINTER 2015

EXERCISING With Your Best Friend

TIPS ON RUNNING WITH YOUR DOG

WALKING

BILLBOARDS Trainer’s goal is for clients’ bodies to advertise his skills

CLIMB

A WALL

A crazy fun way to improve endurance

COMPLACENCY

DON’T LET IT STOP YOU FROM BEING HEALTHY

CONTENTS

Winter 2015 Manteca Bulletin Ripon Bulletin • Escalon Times Oakdale Leader • Riverbank News Turlock Journal • Ceres Courier

PUBLISHER Hank Vander Veen

ADVERTISING DIREC TOR Chuck Higgs • 209.249.3505

DISTRIBUTION Drew Savage • 209.249.3525

EDITORS Dennis Wyatt

FITNESS

5

He shapes walking billboards

10

Dreaming of a $1 million body?

12

Go climb a wall

13

Exercising with your best friend

18

Dodging workouts?

Kristina Hacker Jeff Benziger Marg Jackson

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In Manteca call 209.249.3500

In Ripon call 209.249.3500

In Lathrop call 209.249.3500

In Tracy call 209.249.3500

In Stockton call 209.249.3500

HEALTH

7

Real problem is complacency

9

How to keep resolutions

14

Winter skin care

16

Stress & food cravings

17

Heimlich Heroes

22

Teen hearing loss on rise

209 Healthy Living is published 6 times a year Comments: dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com ©Copyright 2014. 209 Healthy Living All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher of 209 Healthy Living is strictly prohibited. The opinions expressed in 209 Healthy Living are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of 209 Healthy Living managament or owner. 209 Healthy Living assumes no responsibility and makes no recommendation for claims made by advertisers and shall not be liable for any damages incurred.

SENIORS

20

90 plus & still going strong

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209HEALTHYLIVING

TRAINER

HIME ROMERO/209 Healthy Living

Manteca trainer Antonio Hernandez works with client Angelica Sanchez.

He shapes walking billboards 2 0 9 Health y Li vi ng

W

hen Steve Zakarai took ownership of CalFit Manteca, he wanted to maximize the club’s potential while preserving the member-always-first approach.

So as new equipment was brought in and old walls were torn down, Zakarai was careful not to lose the integrity of his business in the dust and rumble.

“I enjoy seeing people get healthy. I enjoy seeing people get off their medication. But people can come in here and get in shape in the first month or two,” he said.

“Mentally, we’re here for them, too. That’s a big thing that we do here. That’s something most clubs don’t have.”

YEAR OF YOU: COMPETING GYMS

By JAMES BU R NS

YEAR Of YOU

CalFit Manteca u WHERE: 441 North Main Street in Manteca u CONTACT: Telephone: 209.239.2429; Facebook: www.facebook.com/calfitmanteca; Email: calfitmanteca@gmail.com

Over the next 12 months, that promise of total wellness will be put to the test as CalFit Manteca goes head-to-head with CORE Athletic Performance in the second season of the Year of You. The fitness challenge began in January 2013 with a single participant: Susie McCreath, a working mother of four looking to rediscover the athlete she once was. McCreath, now a principal at French

CORE Athletic Performance u WHERE: 1199 Vanderbilt Circle in Manteca u CONTACT: Telephone: 209.923.2058 u WEB: www.veacorefitness.com

Camp Elementary, was a standout volleyball player at San Jose State, where she still ranks among the program’s all-time leaders.

In the first season, McCreath was sponsored by CORE Athletic Performance. She was given a free, all-inclusive membership, as well as a nutritional plan. continued on Page 6

WINTER2015

5

TRAINER TRAINER continued from Page 5

In exchange, she was asked to narrate her journey, documenting the highs and lows, her measurements and results, and all the moments in between.

Her daily diary appeared in the Manteca Bulletin and on the Year of You Facebook page.

Now it’s a competition.

CalFit Manteca and CORE will each be assigned a participant selected in concert with the Manteca Bulletin. The rules and conditions remain the same with one enticing caveat – the client won’t be judged on their performance alone. In Year 2 of this fitness challenge, the methods and results will be scrutinized and compared.

CalFit Manteca Fitness Manager Antonio Hernandez welcomed the opportunity to jump in the ring with CORE and its owner/trainer Robert Iniguez, a fitness professional he respects.

Hernandez said the competition gives the locally-owned

gyms a chance to keep the area’s top athletes in town, while leveling the playing field with the big-box gyms.

“I was pretty excited when Steven asked me to do this. I really wanted to do it,” said Hernandez, who will be charged with designing and implementing the gym’s Year of You program. “If we can promote our gyms and our businesses and show we have good trainers amongst us – certified trainers, trainers with degrees – we can show people that we have it all right here in town.”

Hernandez is certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine and believes in functional fitness; exercises that build muscle tissue and keep a client in the fat-burning zone.

“To be honest, I’m one of those trainers whose biggest motto is ‘You’re a billboard for me.’ We want you to have success because it makes us look good,” Hernandez said. “If in one month you’re not hitting

your goals, we’ll re-evaluate.

Your body is my business. If you’re doing great, I’m doing great. If you’re not, I’m not. I’m going to give you 110 percent, if you give me 110 percent.”

CalFit Manteca is new to the Year of You, but the facility itself is long in the tooth when it comes to the Central Valley health and fitness scene.

The gym, under various other names, has been located in the shopping center at the corner of Alameda Avenue and Main Street for the last 16 years.

Zakarai has been with the company for 11 of those years.

He hired Hernandez because the two share the same passion for people.

“He’s got a lot of knowledge.

He’s friendly and he makes people comfortable. He’ll click with you,” Zakarai said. “People skills, knowledge, experience – he’s got all of that.”

It’s in his genes.

The 26-year-old hails from Lathrop, where his family has

been an advocate for the city’s youth for years. His father, Jaime Hernandez, founded and coaches the Lathrop Junior Spartans (formerly the Titans).

He’s also a correctional officer with the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department.

Antonio Hernandez has coached with his father since he was 15. He’s also served as president of the Lathrop Youth Advisory Board. He said he spurned a career in the family business – law enforcement – so that he could continue to help others.

“My dad was a big influence.

He was into the community and I wanted to follow in his footsteps,” Hernandez said. “I wanted to make a big change, if I could, and have an impact on our teens.”

He has the same intention for his Year of You client, whoever it is.

“If I can make just a little impact on someone’s life it’ll bring a smile to my face,” he said.

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209HEALTHYLIVING

HEALTH&FITNESS

Photos contributed

TOP PHOTO: Dennis Wyatt atop Corkscrew Peak in Death Valley, elevation 5,804 feet, in November at age 58. BOTTOM PHOTO: Dennis Wyatt at a family gathering 29 years ago.

Real problem is complacency Wellness & fitness hinges on one thing, and one thing only: You

By D EN NI S WY ATT 209 Health y Liv in g

I

can’t lose weight.

I can’t improve my health.

I can’t get fit.

I told that to myself as well 30 years ago.

Then I realized the problem was attitude.

I never had a problem doing anything else I wanted to do, including virtually eating anything I wanted.

As I neared my 29th birthday, I decided that the only thing

keeping me at 320 pounds, wearing 44-inch pants, and sucking in more air than an Electrolux vacuum cleaner after climbing just one flight of stairs was me.

It wasn’t work. It wasn’t community projects. It wasn’t my family. It wasn’t my income. It wasn’t my DNA. On the pages of this magazine and elsewhere you are going to read how dietitians and personal trainers have all the answers.

They don’t. continued on Page 8

WINTER2015

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HEALTH&FITNESS WYATT The only person that has the answer is you and you alone.

With all due respect, dietitians and personal trainers are knowledgeable but no matter how much they get to know you, you will always know much more about yourself.

Twice I lost more than 70 pounds. First it was going down from 260 to 190 pounds between the seventh and eighth grade and again when I went from 320 pounds at age 29 down to 190 by my 30th birthday.

In each case I cherry picked what I had read and heard about diet and exercise without really understanding what makes me different than other people. And no one knows that but you. All it takes is being honest with yourself. It doesn’t require a trip to the shrink.

We all lie to ourselves.

How many times have you glanced in a mirror thinking you could lose a few pounds and then saw someone walking down the street carrying a beer gut and think to yourself I’m in better shape than he is so I guess I’m really not all that bad off.

The same goes with exercise and food.

With exercise it’s convincing yourself you can’t do it due to being a klutz or because you get winded and ache the first time you try something new. You do that because you are comparing yourself with others and not yourself.

The same thing is true about food. I can never change because I won’t like the taste or I can’t show restraint.

After dropping to 190 pounds at age 30, I went through a couple of periods where I pushed the scales again at 220 pounds.

For the past eight years, though, I have flat-lined right around 165 pounds.

I did it by admitting several things to myself.

Just like a recovering alcoholic, I am a recovering fat person: By that I mean I have issues with eating — plain and simple.

I like the fact I can do things

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209HEALTHYLIVING

QUESTIONS?

continued from Page 7

u I’m no expert, but I do know the trials and tribulations of being embarrassed starting an exercise program, trying to find clothes that fit (how come the extra large stuff is always on the bottom shelf and the stuff for the skinny guys at chest level?), and wondering how on earth I can live without eating two giant-sized bags of plain M&Ms every day. If you have a question about exercise, eating or mindset send an email to dwyatt@mantecabulletin. com and I’ll answer the best that I can.

I never dreamed of 29 years ago when I made my second serious commitment to lose weight.

I never dreamed I’d bicycle 100 miles a day let alone cross Sierra passes or rack back-toback-to-back years of 10,000 miles. I never thought I’d exercise with anyone else let alone in group exercise classes. l loathed jogging. And going off to hike 13,000-foot peaks or wander through isolated desert canyons was something I never wanted to do let alone give any thought to it.

Now I’m thinking seriously about buying snowshoes.

HIME ROMERO/209 file photo

Dennis Wyatt works out in a TRX class.

reverse or improve upon.

There is little doubt I’m in better shape today than when I was a teen. And even though I’ve been bicycling, jogging and doing aerobic classes almost non-stop for the past 29 years I have more stamina today than I did last year as well as 29 years ago.

And — a real shocker for me — I have muscle definition.

(Well, OK, not everywhere but I might finally decide to start work on getting at least that one-pack.)

J

ust like a recovering alcoholic, I am a recovering fat person: By that I mean I have issues with eating — plain and simple.

None of this is inspired by a bucket list. Instead, as I keep finding out new things about myself from the perspective of overall fitness and health I start considering things that were never on my radar.

If there is one thing I’ve learned in the past 29 years, it is this: There are very few things involving your health, wellness and fitness that you can’t either

I’m no Greg Lemond, Jack LaLanne, or Arnold Schwarzenegger. That doesn’t bother me. I’m Dennis Wyatt. But I can be the healthiest and fittest Dennis Wyatt possible.

What I stuff in my mouth has changed as well. What you eat does impact your health, your attitude and what you look like.

And often what you consume can eliminate pain and other

health issues. I have been consuming two to three bottles each week of the lazy man’s version of juicing — V8 Fusion — for eight years. About six years ago I noticed I no longer had bursitis or arthritic pain. And my gout attacks in the left knee that started when I was 28 and flared up almost yearly haven’t been an issue since 2006. I honestly didn’t know that drinking plenty of fruit juice helps cleanse crystal build-ups in your joint.

The decision I made to try V8 Fusion was based on a desire to find ways to keep improving the two most important things I have going for me — my mind and body.

Going from soda to diet soda to sports drinks to fruit juice and flavored water didn’t happen overnight. It was part of an ongoing process to find out what worked for me.

That is the bottom line.

It has to be what works for you.

I spent the first half of my life having people never hesitating to comment about how fat I looked as if that somehow would inspire me to lose weight. continued on Page 9

FITNESS

HIME ROMERO/209 Healthy Living

CORE Athletic Performance owner and trainer Robert Iniguez.

DREAM OF $1M BODY?

You need to scratch the minimum-wage work ethic

I

n the last year, CORE Athletic Performance owner and trainer Robert Iniguez has prepped athletes for football’s grandest stages.

Former Ripon High standout Jake McCreath played in the first-ever College Football Playoff as a reserve tight end with the Oregon Ducks.

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209HEALTHYLIVING

Anthony Woodard began the NFL season in training camp with the Jacksonville Jaquars before an injury derailed the defensive end’s dreams.

Both are members at CORE Athletic Performance, the training haven created by Iniguez, also a former football and track hopeful. The facility has become a landing strip for

YEAR Of YOU

the area’s most ambitious athletes, from soccer players to sprinters, hoopers to football players.

There, Iniguez blends a unique training style with traditional iron, speed turf and tires to give his members a gym experience he craved as a youth growing up in Los Banos. His members run the gamut of working moms and

dads to the elites.

“I didn’t have anything like this available,” said Iniguez, who began CORE with parking lot bootcamps. “What was out there was extremely expensive. This is my way of paying forward. Had I had this opportunity, there’s no telling where I would have been.”

That’s not to say Iniguez isn’t happy with how his life has unfolded. He’s become a continued on Page 11

DREAM continued from Page 10

sought-after trainer, fountain for nutritional advice and a central figure in the Manteca Bulletin’s Year of You fitness challenge.

In Year 1, Iniguez worked with Susie McCreath, Jake’s mother and a principal at French Camp Elementary. He honed Susie’s workout plan and provided her with a flexible diet. While McCreath has struggled to juggle work, family and her fitness, the former collegiate volleyball player has lost inches and pounds.

In the second season, Iniguez will match his gym, training methods and ability to connect with his clients against another locally owned gym. CalFit Manteca joins the mix.

The following is a transcript of a recent conversation with Iniguez, who outlines his inspiration, his biggest influence and lessons learned from the inaugural Year of You: uestion: Is there a motto you live by, or words you share often with your members? nswer: “You can’t have a million-dollar dream with a minimum-wage work ethic.

You can wish for things, but you won’t get them if you’re not willing to work.” : As a trainer, what keeps you going? : “It sounds cliché, but I enjoy being around people and helping people live a better lifestyle so that they can actually enjoy the things in their life. They shouldn’t miss out on the things they should be enjoying. That’s one of our biggest things: Let’s enjoy it.” : When it comes to the athletes, what separates CORE from the rest of the gyms/boxes? : “We focus on their grades, too. Our (young) athletes have to bring me progress reports. I try to push them toward a more positive future. I want progress. At the end of the day, no mat-

Q

A Q A

Q

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FITNESS ter what, you can be a baller but without grades you’re not going anywhere. You can be No. 1 in the nation, but if you (don’t have the grades), you’re wasting your talent.

Too many times, you see athletes who have incredible talent and it’s wasted because they don’t care or there’s no one there to guide them.” : Are you looking forward to a second season of Year of You? : “I love competition. I thrive under competition.

When someone challenges me, those are the things that I live for. It keeps me motivated. When we first opened the facility, people didn’t think I’d open on time. They said I should extend my opening date, but I made it happen.” : What was your biggest challenge in the first season of Year of You? : “Staying in contact with the participant was harder than I thought it would be. Even though I’m busy training athletes and running classes, I need to make sure I’m putting myself out there and making that effort to set aside 10 minutes to catch her before she leaves. I thought I’d be better at that, so that’s my focus.” : Who has had the biggest influence on your career? : “When I was young and starting in college, my speed coach was (Modesto Junior College instructor and track coach) Demitrius Snaer.

He really helped me out. I was a college student, living on my own and wanted to speed train. I wanted to work with the best. I told him, ‘I can’t pay you much but I want to train.’ He said come and work hard. ‘Don’t pay me; just don’t BS me.’ That had a huge impact on me.”

Q A

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CORE Athletic Performance is located at 1199 Vanderbilt Circle in Manteca. For more information on its classes and membership levels, call 209.824.5951.

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WINTER2015

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FITNESS

By J AS ON CAMPBELL 2 0 9 H e a lt h y L i vi ng

T

he scenes that flash across the screen are bright, beautiful and breathtaking.

And immensely scary.

Here hangs a kid – all of 150 pounds – with chalked up hands and spindly fingers hanging off of a vertical wall with nothing but blue behind him.

It’s the face of El Capitan, and he’s free climbing – scaling the world’s largest granite monolith, all 2,900 feet of it, without any climbing ropes or safety catches.

Think you’re up for the challenge?

Maybe you want to start with something a little bit simpler first.

Alex Honnold – the Sacramento-born climber that became a world sensation when 60 Minutes did a segment on his solo ascent of the world famous climbing route in Yosemite Valley – actually started climbing at an indoor gym when he was only 11-years-old.

And places, much like the one he started at, offer not only an opportunity for exploration but physical exercise as well.

Modesto resident James Legargis said he started climbing three years ago at the urging of a friend who knew he loved the outdoors and thought it would be a good way to keep in shape to maintain his upper body strength and promote endurance.

The experience, he said, has been unlike anything he’s ever done – producing not only physical benefits but mental ones as well.

“I think that the instinct to climb things come naturally to some people and when you learn that there are actually benefits to doing it, it becomes kind of like an addiction,” he said. “It takes upper body strength to pull and stabilize and lower body strength to push, but I think the thing that is overlooked is the mental aspect – you have to figure out on the fly sometimes the best route or the best way and you have to focus on what you’re going to do.

“When you’re mind is focused on just that one thing, the next move you’re going to make, everything else kind of goes away and you’re able to appreciate what it is that you’re actually doing. All of those other things just aren’t there anymore.”

Indoor climbing gyms, like Modesto’s Stonehenge, offer amateur and professional climbers a chance to hone their skills in a controlled environment – learning from a community of climbers the best way to move forward and improve your skills while building a network of like-minded souls to enjoy your newfound passion with.

Here are a few places you can check out if the mood for climbing suddenly strikes you.

STONEHENGE (Modesto) There are a lot of things in Downtown Modesto, but there’s also this massive indoor climbing gym that features a plethora of fun, technical routes for climbers of all experience levels. Whether it’s your first time facing a wall that wasn’t connected to a roof or just a day that you don’t feel like driving up to the Sierra, Stonehenge offers it all – including instructional classes on both climbing and belaying. Bouldering – climbing rocks without the need for rope restraints – is also offered. 500 9th Street. 209.521.3644. www.climbstonehenge.com.

CLASS 5 FITNESS (Sonora) Even though you’re already halfway up to some of the best and most respected climbing spots in the world doesn’t mean you don’t need the indoor training first.

This local Sonora gym offers the classes and equipment that will help get you ready for your first real foray into the wild, which for some climbers takes years.

20860 Mechanical Drive, Sonora. 209.532.5556.

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Go b m cli l l a aw

PETS

Exercising with your best friend

By V I N C E REM BULAT 2 0 9 Health Li vi ng

C

hris Valverde is an avid runner.

But so is his dog Norman.

Most mornings and afternoons, weather and work schedule permitting, Valverde will take his 2-year-old Siberian Husky out on the Calaveras River Bike Path in Stockton. Together, they’ll log about two miles.

“Norman knows in the morning when it’s time to go,” said Valverde, who indicated that the schedule here is usually the wee hours of 4 to 6 o’clock.

Norman wears a body harness instead of a neck collar during these runs. This not only keeps the dog safe but allows for his owner to control him while keeping him away from dangerous situations.

“Norman’s tags are updated and legible,” Valverde added. “By having him on a short leash, this helps me to keep him close to me.”

Every day, the two can be seen running through Brookside Road, going through the part of the levee overlooking the Delta.

He adopted the dog from his brother’s friend in Missouri.

As far as training him on the runs, Valverde had the dog conditioned to run daily within a month. “Norman is my third husky to run alongside with me,” he said.

The dog is so used to running that on the off days, he’s been known to howl, whine, rummage through the trash and even terrorize the house, according to Valverde, who is often in training whether it’s for a full marathon, half marathon or triathlon.

He also offered the following tips on running with a pet: u Do bring a doggy bag in case your dog leaves a mess. u Do not let the dog relieve himself on other people’s yard. u Depending on the run and temperatures, you should have a folding water bowl handy. u Do not let the dog pull you.

This is the same advice served up by the experts. They also suggest that your dog get a check up with the veterinarian for a once-over. Some dogs may have problems with respiratory, overheating or joint-related issues.

Not all breeds are good at long distance running. They recommend you know the breed of your dog before trying to make him or her your running partner.

For Valverde, he’s already established a

Photo contributed

Chris Valverde takes his dog, Norman, a 2-year-old Siberian Husky, out for his regular morning run along Brookside Road in Stockton.

routine with his dog. Consistency, like any workout program, makes for a big part of it.

In addition, he makes sure that Norman runs on pavement but only in moderation.

Such surfaces may contain broken glass, pebbles and other objects hazardous to a dog’s paw.

Besides the Calaveras River Bike Path, Valverde enjoys taking his four-legged running companion further up the road to Shima Tract.

This is an agricultural loop that hugs part of the Delta popular with both runners and pet owners in the Stockton area.

Located west of Interstate 5 at the end of Hammer Lane (see: mapmyrun.com), Valverde will still keep his dog nearby while running the Shima Tract.

“Normally, I will leave Norman leashed,” he said. “Some dogs are unleashed – but that’s depending on how well they are trained.”

WINTER2015

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HEALTH

WINTER SKIN CARE

Keep your skin glowing by staying active as it gets colder & wetter

F

or some, chillier weather can decrease the likelihood of sticking to a consistent workout routine.

Luckily, there are plenty of small changes one can make to ensure that staying active during short winter days and long nights remains a priority. Not only does exercise benefit physical and mental well-being, but it also has a positive effect on the look and feel of skin.

Celebrity fitness trainer Kacy Duke’s motto for staying active is “movement is a privilege.” She firmly believes that colder weather is no excuse to press pause on one’s workout routine. As part of the Simple Skincare Advisory Board — a group of experts who help women care for their skin from the inside out — Duke is wellversed in the positive impact that physical fitness can have on one’s complexion. As the weather turns, she shares her tips for how anyone can stay active and ultimately keep skin glowing throughout the winter months.

••• Make it a habit Duke advises clients to get into the habit 14

209HEALTHYLIVING

of working out before the dead of winter arrives. “It can be a challenge to start a fitness routine in freezing temperatures — especially if you haven’t started taking small steps beforehand,” she says. “Push yourself by setting unrealistic goals that you think you may not be able to achieve — in other words think big to win big, so even if you fall a little short, you’re still ahead of the game and on your way to locking in a healthy exercise habit.”

••• Lean on friends Switch out happy hour drinks for fitness outings with friends so that being active becomes a social activity. Plan to run a 5 kilometer race with a friend or schedule a weekly spin class together so that all parties are held accountable. “I recently created my ‘Girlfriend Training Sessions’ and ‘Bromance Workout Sessions’ so that girls and guys can work with me in a small, semi-private group setting and bond over a great workout and healthy sweat rather than calorie-packed cocktails,” says Duke.

Fitness won’t feel like a chore once it’s enjoyed in a social setting.

••• Remember the skin-loving benefits Exercise increases blood flow and helps flush cellular debris out of the system. Plus, exercise tones muscles and reduces stress, all of which contributes to an improved overall appearance. At the end of any movement session, make facial cleansing a can’t-miss step to remove sweat and remaining traces of makeup. Try products that have no dyes, artificial perfumes or harsh chemicals that can upset skin, such as the Simple Skincare Facial Wipes that refresh with one step (no rinsing required) and are ideal for packing in gym bags. As sleeping in makeup can increase likelihood of skin sensitivity, irritation and dullness, follow Duke’s advice: “Washing one’s face post-workout and before bed ensures what I like to call a ‘No Makeup Wakeup’ - so you can start the day with naturally healthy-looking skin.”

For more holistic facial skincare tips from myself, and other Simple Advisory Board members, visit www.simpleskincare.com.

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HEALTH

STRESS & FOOD CRAVINGS

D

o you reach for comfort foods or junk food when you’re stressed? You know you shouldn’t, but you probably feel you need something to help you during that intense period. With a few tips from culinary experts, you can cut the cravings and find healthy ways to manage nutrition during stressful times.

“In moments of stress, people tend to reach for foods they know, sometimes even favorite foods from childhood. It is certainly not a time when we choose to experiment,” says Chef Odette Smith-Ransome, chef instructor at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh.

If traveling, you may often search for a familiar restaurant or fast food place. It’s easier to reach for food that you know because it provides a level of comfort to balance out the uncomfortable moments of stress, Smith-Ransome says.

Chef Christine Neugebauer of The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Philadelphia, advises that when traveling, pack your own beverages. By doing this, you can choose water, green tea and non-sugary juices. She also warns against hotels’ continental breakfasts. Be careful what you choose, because a small meal like yogurt or an orange may be all you need. Choosing a smaller plate will also prevent you from filling up on extra calories.

It all comes down to food choices where stress and food are concerned. When stressed, you are more likely to make a quick, bad choice. “Make sure when you shop you buy healthier foods. So when you need something, that is what you are going to eat,” says Neugebauer.

“The vicious cycle of guilt regarding our eating habits steps in and worsens the current stress situation,” Smith-Ransome says. “Add guilt to the situation, 16

209HEALTHYLIVING

and the stress levels increase – compounding the problem.”

Smith-Ransome warns that when stressed, one should stay away from caffeine and sugar.

It’s easy to grab an energy drink or a candy bar because they’re accessible and in every convenience and drug store in America. Once the rush is gone from sugary, caffeine-packed foods, you’re facing a crash unless you continue to eat and drink to keep your body in the high. Continuing to eat and drink these products will compound the situation even more because you then become sleep-deprived, which raises the levels of anxiety and slows

you down.

The best way to attack bad eating choices during a moment of stress is to maintain your body and mind at equilibrium.

Before an important interview, presentation or exam, try eating whole foods and complete meals, and forget about the bag of cookies. While these satiate the appetite at the moment, it certainly won’t keep your blood-sugar levels stable, making it difficult to cope with your initial problem: high stress.

Neugebauer recommends packing a snack or eating a healthy meal that will last, and small meals throughout the day keep you from getting hungry.

It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to communicate with your mind that you are full.

Neugebauer emphasizes the importance of drinking water when gauging your hunger level. She says, “sometimes you think you’re hungry and you’re not. If you drink some water, then you may not be hungry anymore.” By making informed, careful food choices during times of stress, you can help ensure what you eat doesn’t add extra calories, fat and poor nutrition to your worries.

For more information about The Art Institutes, visit artinstitutes.edu.

SAFETY

HEIMLICH HEROES Central Valley Medical

A

ll ages can learn how to save a life.

Three siblings sit in their kitchen enjoying a bedtime snack of sliced oranges.

One of them accidently takes too big a bite and suddenly his face is red and he can’t breathe. A routine activity has turned into a choking emergency. Without a second thought, an older sibling wraps his arms around his brother and performs the Heimlich maneuver.

The orange slice is dislodged.

Oxygen is restored. They all can sleep soundly.

“It happened too fast for me to be nervous,” Louis Fritz of Walton, Kentucky, says of his heroic act.

Thankfully, Fritz was able to recognize the signs of choking and perform the Heimlich maneuver with confidence - saving his younger brother’s life.

Choking is the fifth leading cause of accidental death in the United States. Over the years, the Heimlich maneuver has saved an estimated 50,000 U.S. lives, and thousands more worldwide.

Although most people don’t consider themselves heroic, one organization is passionately working to teach people that anyone can be a Heimlich hero.

A Deaconess Associations, Inc. initiative, Heimlich Heroes is a free interactive program designed for children ages seven and up.

By the end of their basic one hour training, students are taught how to recognize the signs of choking, minimize or eliminate the risk of choking and properly perform the Heimlich maneuver.

It’s impactful Over 4,000 people across 22 states have been trained or have registered with Heimlich Heroes for training free of charge.

“Our goal is to train as many young people as possible,” says Terri Huntington, program manager, “Children are curious and excited that they have the potential to save a life.”

It’s interactive The Heimlich Heroes training kit includes an instructional video, learning materials for students based on their ages and the Heidi or Hank training doll. These

42-inch dolls feature an internal diaphragm, lungs and a windpipe.

The dolls’ plastic mouths expel a peanut-sized foam cushion when the maneuver is performed correctly.

Practicing the maneuver on a doll helps children learn the approximate amount of pressure they need to exert and it builds confidence in performing it. When faced with a choking emergency, trained children are then ready to spring into action and save a life.

“The kids are so much more conscious about choking hazards and took the training a lot more seriously than I even expected them to,” Jessie S., a school nurse who administered the training in Texas. “It was so easy to put together and we had no problems at all. We really look forward to doing it again next year.”

Although the basic training session only lasts an hour, extended lessons that align with the Common Core curriculum are available for school use.

It’s important Fritz learned about the Heimlich maneuver from reading a hospital poster a few years prior.

Other children are learning about it from parents and guardians, movies (like Mrs. Doubtfire) and Scouting organizations.

“I had never actually practiced the Heimlich maneuver before I had to use it on my brother,” reflects Fritz, “I think it’s important for all kids to be trained because you never know when you might need to save someone from choking.”

Heimlich Heroes is specifically designed to help children, teachers, sitters, parents and other youth leaders become equipped to handle a choking emergency and prevent needless deaths. “Training is simple, free and easily accessible.

Investing even just 45 minutes can mean the difference between life and death,” explains Huntington, “Anyone can be a Heimlich Hero.”

To access free training materials and learn how to bring Heimlich Heroes to your school or organization, visit www.heimlichheroes. com/anyone.

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FITNESS

HIME ROMERO/209 Healthy Living

Susie McCreath continues her workouts at CORE Athletic Performance in Manteca.

Dodging workouts? Guilty as charged EDITOR’S NOTE: Susan McCreath was selected to participate in the Year of You, a fitness challenge hosted by The Manteca Bulletin and CORE Athletic Performance.

McCreath is kept a weekly journal, highlighting the strides and struggles of her fitness journey. These are a few of her final thoughts and feelings shared with you.

Day 306 There was an article in the newspaper today written by Robert the trainer at CORE. It was called “Insight of a Personal Trainer.” Wow, I feel a good and bad all at once.

Let’s go through his insights.

1. Check your attitude: I feel as if I have always been positive inside the gym. 2. Quit Comparing: I compare myself all the time to others inside my own head, but I never express those comparisons out loud! 3. The ABC’s: I listen to his ABCs, I understand his ABCs, I don’t complain about his ABCs, it’s just that I don’t always do ABC for lack

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of discipline or drive. 4.

Where did the time go: GUILTY! I need to make time for the gym. Paperwork can wait, but it sure makes your next day at work go a whole lot smoother. 5.

Bueller? Bueller?: GUILTY. I have a full membership that I am not taking advantage of.

However, I am not complaining about my results. I have received what I have put in. 6.

Homework: GUILTY. I am not always doing what I should be every day. Why can’t I be one of those people that are addicted to exercise? 7. Trust the Plan: I’ve never told a trainer that I did not like an exercise. A particular exercise might cause me knee pain, but other options are always provided. 8. The Skinny on Heavy Lifting: I’m not afraid of lifting heavy, I’m always just more cautious or unsure of how much I can lift. 9.

Be Patient: This journey has

SUSAN McCREATH

taught me all I need to know about patience.

10: Time is Money: I am so appreciative of all the time Robert and his staff have spent with me. 11.

Zip It: I so agree with this.

I dislike talking when I am working out and it is actually distracting to me when others around me are just chatting wildly while doing their workouts. 12. Trust the Plan, Part II: GUILTY, sigh!

Day 307 The squats didn’t feel too bad during the workout tonight, but I know I’m not going to be saying that tomorrow. Did something tonight that I have never done before.

We ran through speed ladders.

I’m thinking those weren’t around back when I played volleyball because the first time I remember seeing them was just a few years ago. It was actually fun doing the different steps through them

as it kind of distracted you from the fact that you were running which helps me out tremendously. I also pretended that I was my son Jake (a football player at the University of Oregon) running through them. When he was working out at CORE he used to run/ sprint through them. In my mind, tonight I was just as fast and quick as him! In reality though I’m sure I looked like a 45-plus- year-old woman playing a slow motion game of hopscotch.

Day 309 Heading up to Oregon after work tonight. I haven’t been up there in a couple weeks, so looking forward to seeing my son and going to the football game. Not looking forward to eating my meals out.

Day 311 Before heading home we watched the Oregon vs. USC volleyball game; two very good volleyball teams with continued on Page 19

FITNESS YEAR OF YOU continued from Page 18

some amazing players. However, it was quite interesting to see the different body shapes and sizes that were on the court. They were not all skinny, or particularly looked in shape. They all looked healthy though even if some were carrying some extra pounds. This helped to reinforce that even top notch athletes are not fat free.

Day 319 December 1st....where has this year gone? It is time to hunker down and make the most of this last month. My eating was right on target today which makes me feel really good about myself. I also worked out tonight which makes me feel even better about myself. I was also proud of the fact that not only did I workout tonight but so did my husband and my two daughters. It feels good when everyone is doing the right thing.

Day 323 Dear people in charge at Levi Stadium: You do not have any healthy food choices available at your snack bars!!

They do however have the biggest pretzels, bags of popcorn, hot dogs, nachos and whatever else kind of crap food I have seen in a long time! They even has escalators for your convenience.

With all this food and no way to burn it off because of the escalators you would think the stadium seats would be a little bit wider for all the beer guzzlers! My suggestion.....either sell healthier food or widen the seats!

Day 324 Christmas shopping season has begun and that means lots of strolling around the mall. Talk about a place to people watch! A while ago I had made an observation that people who eat while they are driving are usually not eating something healthy. The same

observation was made in the mall. People that are walking while they are eating are not munching down on an apple or a salad....rather, they are either drinking a soda or a Frappuccino while munching on something greasy or fried.

Day 325 Forty days left in the year. Is it too late to lose 20 pounds?

I am such a procrastinator in real life, but always pull things off and never miss deadlines.

The pressure is definitely there, let’s just hope the pressure doesn’t make me want to eat and eat and eat.

Day 326 I’m feeling pretty good about myself today as I worked out twice today. First off at work I covered some PE classes for two different grade levels and each grade level was doing Wii Just Dance. I was actually starting to work up a sweat as I tried to keep up with the dance moves. Then I went to the bootcamp class where I also tried to keep up with the different moves as well. Tonight, Robert had a deck of card and we took turns picking card to determine how many reps we would do of a particular exercise. Whenever he would call out burpees everyone was hoping for a low number … and since when does an ace count as 14?

Day 328 I was a crappy boss this morning. I wanted to provide breakfast for my staff, but did not preplan accordingly. So in my morning rush I picked up every bad thing you could think of at the store that was packaged fresh from the grocery store bakery: scones, muffins, biscotti, doughnuts, coffee cake.....you name it I bought it! A few teachers commented that they were surprised that I brought this food for them, but that did not stop anyone from eating the goodies. It’s a stressful time of

year and, well, most of us turn to food.

Day 329 The Great Storm of 2014.

It wasn’t so great, but I probably walked more today at work than I usually do. I made several laps around the school throughout the day checking to make sure that all was well on campus. It was one of the hectic, fast-paced days where you just come home mentally and physically exhausted and are in bed by 8. I think the majority of teachers, administrators, and school staff can relate to that feeling today.

Day 330 I decided to start my morning off right and go to the Kindergarten playground before school started and do some exercises/calisthenics with them. I keep telling myself that if I can find moments during the day to take advantage of exercising than I need to find

them. Plus, exercising with Kindergartners is just plain fun. They love it and hopefully it starts their morning off on the right foot as well.

Day 332 Sitting here on Sunday night wondering how all of these weeks are just flying by so quickly. I am looking at my calendar and it is starting to jam up with meetings and holiday commitments. I’m realizing that the next few weeks are going to be gone in a flash.

It is more important than ever during these times of stress and craziness that I remember why I started this journey and remind myself of that every time somebody brings the holiday food to work or home.

To see Susan McCreath’s final measurements and diary entries, visit the Year of You Facebook page at www.facebook.com/theyearofyouchallenge.

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WINTER2015

19

SENIORS

GLENN KAHL/209 Healthy Living

Ole and Lorraine Tokheim of Manteca.

90 plus & still going strong

By GL EN N K AHL

20 9 Health y Liv ing

There is a rich love connection between Ole and Lorraine Tokheim.

He is 97 and she is 94. They made their home in Manteca years ago.

Church friends have long shown an undying admiration for the couple, saying they are

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209HEALTHYLIVING

always together, joined at the hips wherever they go. She was the “Welcome Wagon” lady in the community over 50 years ago.

Ole said he has done nothing special over the years to maintain health such as special attention to what he has eaten during his near 100 years. His wife Lorraine quipped that she has tried to get him to eat

what was healthy for him, but he quickly countered saying he continues to eat whatever looks good — a health conscious diet has been out of the question for him.

“I have always eaten what I wanted,” he said. “It’s just meat and potatoes!”

His bride of over 65 years has had her own medical problems that she admits should

have taken her life long ago.

Lorraine had been stricken with cancer of the lining of the pancreas that led to serious rebuilding surgeries that doctors told her would take her pancreas — leaving only the tip of the organ which also later failed. Being on a mandated diet by her doctors since continued on Page 21

SENIORS continued from Page 20

then has limited her choice of foods.

She recalled her justified fear that she would not live through the surgery adding that she was unbelievably calm when she was wheeled into the operating room. Lorraine said she labored over the decision of whether to go through with the pancreas surgery that would surely have a negative result or just face the end of her days in her present condition.

“I couldn’t make a decision — I was in favor of the surgery and then I was against it. I decided to turn it over to God and make it His decision,” she said. “When I awoke after the operation the doctor just said: ‘You’ve got to fight, fight, fight!’”

And fight she did after going through what she described as a complete restructuring of the cancerous area that included a number of ducts being rebuilt by the surgeons. It was horrible but she recovered and at 94 is having to deal with her diabetes and its need for insulin.

They have been married for 68 years, clearly remembering the ceremony on March 12, 1946.

Ole grew up in Minnesota and Loraine in Cheyenne, Wyo. The youngest in his family, his parents moved from Minnesota to North Dakota in his youth. Born in North Dakota he has long been referred to as the “prairie chicken” in the family.

Ole and Lorraine met at a home of joint family friends in Washington in 1943 when he was stationed at the Mount Rainer Ordnance Depot. They began to date before he was shipped out to Joplin, Mo. and then to Europe.

Ole served all over Europe from France to Belgium and Germany. Being assigned mostly to Supply, he was at Omaha Beach, Battle of the Bulge and the Forward Depot

A

s for their health history, she noted that they didn’t drink and they didn’t smoke — just worked and walked a lot. at Normandy. He separated from the Army in November of 1945 and they were wed some six months later.

As for their health history, she noted that they didn’t drink and they didn’t smoke — just worked and walked a lot. Puzzled by their parents’ longevity, Ole said his family members lived to be from 50 to 100 years old with no relative connection. Lorraine linked a possible reason for their long lives was that they consistently walked for exercise.

She began her daily walks as a young girl on the family farm where her job was to bring in their herd of cows.

The family dog often followed by her side, unless he decided not to go then he would hide in the barn. That’s where her rock and rare stone hobby began as she picked up the “pretty rocks” and arrowheads along the way, having to walk some two miles to drive cows home for milking.

The couple had walked together for an average of three miles a day. After years their walks had decreased to two miles a day, Lorraine recalled and finally down to one. Now they walk around the retirement center — indoor and outdoor — and then go to their son’s physical therapy office at the corner of Cottage and Yosemite avenues three times each week for additional exercise on his workout equipment.

“He drinks half and half and I finally got him down to whole milk,” she said.

Ole interjected, “I eat all the wrong things and I just keep it going.”

She made a lot of casseroles during their years together.

He has always like dark meat and he prefers light meat in a turkey.

“When I was a kid, I had to bring the cows in from the pasture some two miles away.

My dog would always go with me — hiding when he didn’t want to go. I found arrowheads and rocks on my way,” she said. “My mom always said the house wouldn’t blow away in a storm because I had it loaded down with my rocks.”

It became a life-long hobby and she still has many of her rock and jade collection in their apartment at the Brookdale retirement home on Union Road in Manteca across from the city Golf Course.

Ole retired from carpentry work in 1972 and contracted a form of skin cancer on his scalp. Repeated trips to Stanford University Hospital over

the last 25 years has kept the disease in check and away from metastasizing.

Prior to first meeting Ole, Lorraine was working her way through college and working at the County Health Department in Tacoma, Wash. where she made mimeograph copies of original documents.

Both Ole and Lorraine have birthdays associated with world events. Hers is July 20, 1920 associated with the first man walking on the moon — month and day. Ole’s is Dec. 7, 1917 the same month and day as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Although both are in their 90s they continue to spread warmth and good cheers with everyone they meet.

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TOKHEIM

WINTER2015

HEALTH

TEEN HEARING WOES ESCALATE Your teen’s loud music could be permanently damaging their hearing

Pause for a moment and picture someone who is hard of hearing. Did a teenager come to mind? Probably not. However, the results of a recent study paint a troubling picture of today’s hearing-impaired person — and it might just be the portrait of a teen.

Nearly half (46 percent) of teens reported ringing, roaring, buzzing or pain in their ears following dangerous listening behaviors, such as listening to loud music, according to a survey commissioned by Siemens Hearing Instruments, of 500 U.S. teenagers ages 13-19. Perhaps more startling was that one in six teens admitted having these symptoms (which can all be considered potential warning signs of hearing loss) often or all the time.

Common activities put teens’ hearing at risk So what are teens doing that is so dangerous to their ears? The survey identified the following risky behaviors: u Listening to loud music with earphones/ earbuds u Using a lawn mower or other loud power tools without ear protection u Playing with gas-powered toys (model airplanes, cars, or boats) u Playing with caps, cap guns, or fireworks u Attending loud concerts u Playing in a band u Riding motorcycles, snowmobiles, gokarts, etc. u Shooting firearms 22

209HEALTHYLIVING

Of these, more than eight out of 10 teenagers surveyed cited “listening to loud music” as something they did all the time. Nearly nine in 10 teens admitted engaging in at least one of the above activities regularly — with listening to very loud music with earphones or earbuds the main culprit.

“Over the past decade, the popularity of earbuds combined with loud music has rapidly become the biggest cause of teens developing early noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL),” says Dr. Donna Grant, audiologist at Siemens Hearing Instruments. “Although some manufacturers allow users to set a maximum volume on their devices, the reality is that portable music players are unregulated in the U.S., so teens are free to blast their eardrums all day long.”

••• What parents can do to protect their teens’ hearing NIHL can be sudden, for example a loud explosion, but it usually occurs over time and is cumulative. To reduce the risk of developing early onset of NIHL, Grant recommends the following: ••• Prevention Set maximum volume limits on portable music players to 60-70 percent capacity and no more than 80 dB. If you’re not sure how to do it, ask a store representative where you

purchased it or contact the manufacturer.

Teens should limit their listening sessions to no more than one hour at a time, especially with earbuds. Also, talk with your teens about safe listening practices and the reality of hearing loss.

••• Protection Teens should wear appropriate hearing protection for whatever high-risk hearing situation they come across. Students who play in a band either at school or home can benefit from Siemens custom hearing protection made specifically for musicians. More than just earplugs, they are custom-molded for a perfect fit and are equipped with technology that dampens the volume without distorting it.

••• Be proactive Teens are influenced by their peers encourage them to warn their friends if the music is too loud. As a rule, if they can hear their neighbor’s music over the earphones, it’s too loud. When going to a concert or other loud event, suggest they sit in the middle of the room to reduce the noise exposure. It’s also a good idea to visit a hearing care professional to get a baseline hearing evaluation. Visit https://us.hearing.siemens. com to find the online Siemens Hearing Care Professional Locator.

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