February 2022 The Women's Issue

FEBRUARY 2022 | VOL. 16 • ISSUE 2 | POVHOUMA.COM

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The Women’s Issue

CONTENTS | FEBRUARY 2022 •

VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2

table of

Page 12

Page 18

12 CHATEAU CHIC

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

18 20

CAN’T STOP, WON’T STOP

Christy Jaccuzzo prioritizes her health and fitness with friendly competition.

Page 24

24

FINDING THE BLESSINGS

Nicki Boudreaux faces the challenges of multiple sclerosis every day, but refuses to let it define her.

PLANTING SEEDS AND FEEDING MASSES

Trixy Boudreaux named Outstanding Citizen for tirelessly serving the community in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.

EXTRAS

ON THE COVER

NOTE 06 PUBLISHER’S Stronger

08

WORD, YA HEARD TOME noun

INTERVUE

A large or scholarly book.

Say What?

28 WE SUPPORT A

HEALTHIER FUTURE

WORD ON THE STREET

Love Your Heart and Keep it Healthier

The tome was far heavier than she expected, made of something much different than cardboard and paper.

THE SCOPE 30 UNDER Devil in the Details

32

RENDEZVOUS

34

LOOK TWICE

The professor pulled a dusty old tome from the bookshelf.

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE |

MARY DOWNER DITCH • ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

STRONGER

“A strong woman knows she has strength enough for the journey, but a woman of strength knows it is in the journey where she will become strong.”

We started the tradition of bringing you the Women’s Issue five years ago in 2018. In each edition, we shared with you wonderful stories of women in our community who have made a difference in the world around them. Over the years, it has been such a difficult, yet wonderful issue to put together. Each year, without intent, our stories pull together and somehow always seem to lend themselves to a certain theme.

Lafourche Parish’s Outstanding Citizen of the Year Trixy Boudreaux showed true strength in her faith after Hurricane Ida devastated our communities. Trixy pushed to help provide food and necessities to the people of Lafourche Parish. Learn more about the efforts that earned her such a prestigious award on page 20.

Sometimes finding your strength is a journey from within. Nicki Boudreaux, a mother of two and assistant professor of public relations at Nicholls State University, lives a life with multiple sclerosis. But Nicki refuses to be defined by this diagnosis. Her strength comes from her family and her friends, who support on her journey. Learn more about how Nicki faces her challenges every day, starting on page 24.

This year, as we began putting this issue together, and starting reading each person’s journey, we realized there was yet another word that seemed to link these ladies to one another: Strength.

What does it mean to be a strong woman? So many possibilities come to mind when I ponder that question.

Are we talking about being physically strong? Mentally strong? Or are strong women a truly wonderful, unique combination of both?

We first introduce you to Crossfit competitor Christy Jaccuzzo. Christy started Crossfit before becoming a wife and mother, but really dug into it after giving birth to her oldest child. Several regional competitions later, Christy is in the best shape of her life now, in her 30s, two children later. Learn how she prioritizes her lifestyle to stay healthy and strong on page 18.

After reading about the different ways each of these women showcases her strength, I felt better prepared to share what being a strong woman means to me. A strong woman faces challenges, stands up for herself and refuses to stay silent. A strong woman knows when to push and when to walk away. A strong woman is not afraid of failure, but expects it and learns from it. She knows she doesn’t have all the answers, and welcomes the help of others. She showcases compassion and kindness, and doesn’t view those traits as weaknesses. And she continually strives to become stronger through her challenges every day. POV

February 2022 6 povhouma.com

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INTERVUE |

SAY WHAT?

What’s your favorite Mardi Gras tradition and why?

MICHAEL PAUL Watching parades with family and friends. Spending time at the parades with family and friends has been a tradition throughout my lifetime. Watching the children get excited when they hear the sirens from the beginning of the parades. The smiles on their faces when they catch some throws. The food, stories, music and family fun are things I always grew up enjoying.

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BRIAN One of my favorite Mardi Gras traditions is Hyacinthians Sunday. I get to combine two of my favorite things: family and photos. Many of my cousins come to the parade, and I get to take photos that people compliment year round. I don’t know what it is about pictures on Mardi Gras floats, but people love them!

NIKKI There are so many amazing traditions that come with riding in a Krewe, such as tableaux and bus rides, but my favorite Mardi Gras tradition would be hosting my family from Mississippi for the Terreanians parade for our annual Sunday Fun-day. We dress in our favorite Mardi Gras attire and masks to revel in the festivities.

JOHN I have always loved Mardi Gras and all the traditions it holds. Being a part of a krewe brings the carnival season full circle. I love celebrating the start of the season on Twelfth Night, culminating in our tableau and parade. I have been riding with the Krewe of Hercules since 2005, and love the camaraderie among the krewe and the men on our float. This year, I am also riding in the Krewe of Houmas. I am looking forward to being able to open Mardi Gras parade season with Hercules and close it out with Houmas.

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February 2022 8 povhouma.com

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HOME + LIVING

CHATEAU CHIC | 12 Laissez les bons temps rouler!

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HOME + LIVING |

CHATEAU CHIC

LAISSEZ LES BONS TEMPS ROULER!

BY MARY DITCH | PHOTOS BY MISTY LEIGH MCELROY

1 While her love of decorating is evident for holidays such as “Ro-Day Builders built the home in 2013 and Mr. Sammy and Christmas and Easter, Gwen Levron has Mardi Gras in her Mrs. Elaine Rotolo were great to work with,” shared Gwen.

“We love our back porch and yard. We love the outdoors and blood and goes all out for this special Louisiana holiday. after a long day at work, we love to come home and sit on the Gwen, with the help of her husband Audie, decorate the living back porch, relax, watch the birds, and unwind.” room, dining room, foyer and kitchen in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, and gold. Green represents faith, Gwen’s stunning collection of jesters is showcased throughout purple represents justice, and gold symbolizes power. The the living room, on built-in shelves on either side of the couple loves to entertain, and has hosted many Mardi Gras fireplace. A pair of masks flank each side of the dramatic parties and events in their home and lovely backyard. mantle, where the hand-painted porcelain-faced dolls sit nestled in the garland, glitter and glam. The collection has Located in Rienzi Plantation Subdivision in Thibodaux, the grown over the years, as Gwen looks for their comical faces in four bedroom, two and a half bath home boasts a beautifully shops and boutiques both locally and in New Orleans. landscaped yard, two car carport, and covered back porch, perfect for entertaining. The home has lovely woodwork, This year, the home features three trees, each decorated with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and high festive memories. The main tree in the living room is converted ceilings with triple crown moldings. to a Mardi Gras tree right after Christmas, and features jesters February 2022 12 povhouma.com

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and other ornaments. The pencil tree in the foyer is covered in gold crowns, and is referred to as “The Royal Tree”. Another pencil tree in the dining room is decorated in glitter garland and highlighted with a purple spotlight.

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Decorating for Mardi Gras is extra special for the Levrons this year, as two new flags take their place in the home. Gwen and Audie have been members of the Krewe of Cleophas in Thibodaux for 38 years. This year, Gwen will reign as Queen Clothilde 2022 alongside her son, Dr. Benjamin Levron as King Cleophas 2022. POV

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FOOD + FUN

CAN’T STOP, WON’T STOP | 18

Christy Jaccuzzo prioritizes her health and fitness with friendly competition.

PLANTING SEEDS AND FEEDING MASSES | 20 Trixy Boudreaux named Outstanding Citizen for tirelessly serving the community in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.

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STORY BY HEIDI GUIDRY

PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER

ELLENDER

Tyler Knott Gregson said it best when he said, “It is in herself she will find the strength, the strength she needs.” Women are powerful, beautiful, courageous, and resilient, and Christy Vargas Jaccuzzo has embraced these traits as she’s challenged herself for a over a decade.

She started her fitness journey ten years ago with Crossfit Houma, looking for something different. She got married and eventually became pregnant with her daughter. During maternity leave, she decided that she wanted a different workout program. After having her daughter via C-section, she was cleared to work out after 12 weeks, and she made the switch to Crossfit Homebrew. She set her goals, started moving forward, and prioritized a healthy lifestyle.

Christy started competing locally when her daughter was a baby. She didn’t think about going out of state for competitions until after she had her second child, a boy, in 2018. She set a goal and wanted to push her body to see what it was capable of after coming back from having a second child, and being in her thirties. “Coming back and wanting to see how far my body could go, I pushed into the competition world,” she said. After meeting friends through mutual friends at her gym, the ladies created a team and went on to compete in the Emerald Coast Throwdown, a fitness competition in Florida.

“Emerald Coast wound up being one of the best competitions any of us has done.

The energy there, and the whole dynamic were amazing,” Christy explained. The competition team consisted of herself, Kylie Dufrene, Taylor Pickard, and Whitney Champagne. When one of the original team members got injured, Taylor was asked to join in. The women worked well together and Christy said it was like they have all known each other forever. “We ended up taking first place in our division and winning the whole thing for that specific competition,” Christy said.

Believing in the Crossfit lifestyle of fitness and nutrition Christy adds that Crossfit also has a family dynamic.

Crossfit promotes the magic of movement and different workouts every day. The workout can be modified to each person and level. According to Crossfit’s website, Crossfit is a lifestyle characterized by safe, February 2022 18 povhouma.com

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Crossfit can be used to accomplish any goal, from improved health to weight loss to better performance. The program works for everyone — people who are just starting and people who have trained for years.

Christy encourages anyone that wants to become a better athlete or version of themselves to just start somewhere.

She explains that Crossfit has so many different levels that you can begin where you need to. “That’s what’s so good about Crossfit is that it meets you where you’re at and it’s up to you how far you want to take it,” she said. How hard you want to push yourself is your only limit.

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“It’s never too late to begin your own fitness journeyit’s just that: A JOURNEY” While embracing the Crossfit competition scene, Christy says that community that it brings means the most to her. “It’s not just the camaraderie, it’s the family dynamic that it brings to the community and competitions. Whether it’s an individual workout or fun competitions within the gym, it brings us together,” she explains.

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Christy added, “It’s never too late to begin your own fitness journey- it’s just that: a journey. If I can be in the ‘prime’ of my fitness married, two kids later, a full-time job, and in my mid 30’s, then you can start too. We all have to prioritize our life to fit our journey. What matters to you?

My health and fitness matter to me- with a little friendly competition to go along with it!” POV

February 2022 19 povhouma.com

PLANTING and Feeding SEEDS Masses STORY BY HEIDI GUIDRY For those who know Trixy Boudreaux, receiving the Outstanding Citizen Award at a recent Lafourche Parish Council meeting was not a surprise. However, Trixy was shocked and humbled by the recognition, and immediately recognized the team of people behind her for making her achievements possible. “I have been so touched by it, and it has been such a great journey for me,” she said.

As Hurricane Ida passed over the boot, Trixy and her family were trying to get information from social media, as they had evacuated to Texas. She recalls telling her husband that they had to something to bring valuable information to one place. “I felt in my heart that God was telling me, this is when you need to come in,” she said.

She created Down the Bayou Recovery Facebook group to disseminate credible information in one place, and alleviate the chaos that was circling in social media platforms. “When things come to a crunch, that’s when I kick into gear,” she said, “I can put something together in a short amount of time.” This trait, along with many others, is what became a leading factor in her success to help the community get back on their feet following one of the worst storms the area has seen.

Like many, Trixy’s home had damage.

Upon returning home, she recalls looking at her husband and saying, “This place will never be the same.” She felt the calling to help her community even more, “God planted a seed,” she said, “I didn’t contact Father Greg and I knew I wanted to do something for Sacred Heart. A couple of days later, Father Greg passes down my street and rolls his window down, and I said, Father Greg, I really need to talk to you.” They chatted and she told him she needed to do something for the community and wanted to do it through Sacred Heart, the church she attends in Cut Off. The church had a supply drive the Thursday following the storm but didn’t have a lot of help. Trixy coordinated a drive that Saturday where Catholic Charities was involved, and it was at that point Trixy became a point of contact. To show that it was in God’s plan, while everyone else was having phone service problems, she never lost service. And that was just the beginning.

it was fuel and ice. She reached out to a few people and it just so happened that a friend’s brother in Lake Charles had a fuel truck to help out. Despite her offering to pay for the fuel, he denied it and covered the cost bringing 1,000 gallons of fuel to the church for free distribution. They also distributed ice with the help of another generous donor. “I just feel like God put me into a position to help our community and I feel like my purpose in life is to serve others,” she said.

They started with collecting and distributing supplies but it grew into bigger things such as meals. At one point, they were distributing almost 4,000 meals a day, and that lasted for at least a month. They began to ask people what they needed most, and at the time,

“Now that I’m home and my house is being gutted, and I have carpenters here, and I’m trying to get everything done, I feel like there’s not enough time in the day, but I never felt that then,” she said. Trixy admits that God carried her through it the entire way. When the

February 2022 20 povhouma.com

From start to finish, Trixy extimates, through Sacred Heart, they gave out a million dollars worth of food and supplies to the community thanks to donors, individuals in the community, and church groups that came to help.

Trixy remembers, “It was amazing!

If we ran out of food from one group cooking, someone else would show up.”

She admits that God was there, because people would show up to meet needs right when they needed it.

HAPPY

“I just feel like God put me into a position to help our community and I feel like my purpose in life is to serve others,” volunteers felt they needed rest, it would be on a day where the weather wasn’t cooperative with the mission.

She voiced that they all felt unseen at one point in the process, but somehow by word of mouth, the word got out.

They had groups from Illinois, New York, Texas, Mississippi, and all over the nation that came to donate supplies and to cook for the masses. Not only did she meet people from all over the country, but she also met friends that became family from right here in the community who still reach out to check on her. “If there’s anything positive that came from Ida it’s the friendships that we made,” she said. A mission that started with a planted seed, turned into a classic feed the masses with one loaf of bread story.

“I’m just one person,” Trixy said, “I had a team of wonderful people behind me and helped out so much.” She said the people were always ready to help, and although the list is a long one to show gratitude, she especially wants to thank Father Greg and Father Joey for showing support through the whole process, and a special thanks to the Sacred Heart family along with all of the various volunteers.

“I just want to thank everybody, Father Greg and Joey, for the church for allowing us to do the mission through them, and the donors that made all of our efforts possible,” she tearfully concluded. POV

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MIND + BODY

FINDING THE BLESSINGS | 24

Nicki Boudreaux faces the challenges of multiple sclerosis every day, but refuses to let it define her.

WE SUPPORT A HEALTHIER FUTURE | 28 Love Your Heart and Keep it Healthier

February 2022 22 povhouma.com

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STORY BY KEELY DIEBOLD PHOTOS BY MISTY LEIGH MCELROY

accompanied by a sensation that water was running down her leg.

Nicki Boudreaux describes herself as many things: a wife, mother, lover of Christ, family person, teacher, and journalist.

In 2009, Nicki sought answers from a friend who was a pain specialist, and MRIs showed that the young mother had signs of MS. Neurologists determined that results were “inconclusive,” however.

The mother of two and assistant professor of public relations at Nicholls State University also lives a life with multiple sclerosis (MS), but that is only a piece of her story, not what defines it.

“In the beginning, that’s all you think about.

You start to think that that’s how you identify yourself. I became Nicki Boudreaux, the person with MS for a while, and it totally consumed my every thought. Now, that’s not the first, or the second, or even the third thing I think of when I think about myself, but it takes time,” Nicki says.

The following year, her neurologist sent her to an MS specialist for additional tests.

Around that time, Nicki began experiencing double vision on top of her other symptoms.

After what totaled nearly a year and four months of seeking an official diagnosis, a subsequent round of testing in June of 2010 confirmed that Nicki had MS. Although she

“That’s the headspace I was in at the time, so when I fell, and then all of a sudden all this stuff started kind of snowballing after, of course I got off of the PTC. I shelved the PhD plans. I was really just trying to make it through the day and then come home and take care of my family,” Nicki says. “I was in that ‘I can do everything’ mode. I can be Mom. I can be careerwoman. I can be academic. I can be volunteer…and then this literally put on the brakes.”

Nicki’s journey with MS began in 2001, shortly after the birth of her first daughter Adele. The new mother says she began to experience a period of headaches, pain, extreme fatigue, muscle spasms and numbness on the right side of her neck and shoulder. After initial tests, her symptoms were attributed to the stresses and anxieties of being a new mother.

“I was carrying her from the parking lot to Church, and my right leg just gave out, and we fell,” Nicki says. “Of course…I started having those weird pains in my neck and my shoulder and the numbness, tingling and headaches, just like I had a few years prior.”

She attributed the symptoms to the fall at first, she says. The pain soon became more than she could handle, though, and she describes the physical feeling as the two halves of her body not belonging together,

Nicki’s daughters were both younger than nine years old during that time, and she possessed a full-time teaching job in the mass communication department at Nicholls. She served as president of the parent teacher organization at St. Joseph’s Elementary School, all while applying for PhD programs that would potentially require her to commute back and forth from Mississippi to attend the University of Southern Mississippi.

She says she felt like “Chicken Little”, calling out that the sky was falling. Except in this case, the sky seemed like it actually was.

MS is a disease of the brain and spinal cord in which the immune system attacks the nerves’ protective outer layer, known as the myelin sheath. This leads to lesions that expose nerves, which causes an interference with communication along the nerve track, leading to a range of symptoms that vary from person to person.

Nicki gave birth to her second daughter, Corinne, in 2005. Two-and-a-half years later, Nicki experienced another incident that, unbeknownst to her at the time, signaled early signs of her diagnosis.

she felt both the anxiety of dealing with a physical illness, as well as the hurt over having to put her life plans on hold. At the time of the initial incident in 2009 where she fell, she already had her hands full with life as a mother and educator.

Nicki credits her faith and family as being the forces that have helped her to navigate life with MS.

believes it sounds strange to say, Nicki says she felt relieved to hear her official diagnosis after years of inconclusive testing and falling short of meeting the diagnostic criteria for the disease.

“I would come home from work, and I would lay down on the couch, and I couldn’t get up for hours. The fatigue was crushing,” Nicki says. “When you go that long trying to figure out what’s wrong, knowing something is wrong, you start to think, ‘Well, is this in my head? Is this real? They can’t figure out what’s going on with me.’”

In the early days of her diagnosis, Nicki says

February 2022 25 povhouma.com

A lifelong devout Catholic, Nicki says that the early days of her diagnosis led her to experience the first time in her life where truly understood what it felt like to need God. She developed a devotion to Mary the Blessed Mother, prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet often and frequented Adoration. Her prayer life, she says, is what carried her through her darkest moments.

“Looking back, life had been easy. I was blessed with a great family, a great marriage, healthy kids, a great career,” Nicki says, “so while I always felt that I was a very spiritual person, a very religious person, and prayer was a big part of my life forever…I never really needed God in that way, like I did when

“The people in my life, the relationships with them, the relationship with God, the fact that I made my career at Nicholls...It kind of shows you that while the path was sometimes rocky, it was good. Ultimately, it was good.”

Nicki says she has had to learn to do what is best for her without worrying about how it Nicki also says she has been blessed looks to other people - for example, carrying with a “50/50 type of marriage” to her a cane with her to walk around Nicholls’ husband Tony, who has shared in family campus or utilizing a motorized scooter at responsibilities with her.

Disney World.

“I never felt the pressure [that] I’m the “I’ve had to learn when my body is telling one who has to do all the cooking and me I need to rest. I’ve had to learn when to the grocery shopping and shuttling kids say no. I’m not good at saying no,” Nicki places. He always did an equal amount of says. that, so I was very fortunate in that I had a Several years ago, actress Selma Blair partnership in this,” Nicki says. opened up about her personal MS diagnosis, For Nicki, navigating the past 11 years of going on to walk the Oscars red carpet and her life with MS has been both a physical make public appearances with a cane in and mental learning process that involved hand. overcoming misconceptions of the disease.

Nicki praises Blair, as well as MS public She says she was afraid when first learning figures and bloggers, for normalizing the of her diagnosis, as she was not educated idea that using a mobility device to aid on what MS entailed. The biggest piece was with a disability does not make a person understanding that the form of MS she has “less than.” She says that Blair’s public is relapsing and remitting MS (RRMS), in appearances with her cane have helped which she goes through periods where her to end the stigma that a woman can’t disease flares up and heightens symptoms, still be beautiful and empowered with a mixed in with periods where it is “inactive” cane. Before then, Nicki says she would and returns to a baseline. avoid going places out of fear that anyone In Nicki’s case she shows symptoms on would see her with her cane, despite a daily basis, and those symptoms are encouragement from friends and family to exponentially worsened when the disease is go out in public. in an “active” state.

A few years ago, Adele was a maid for the this all happened.”

“I guess the first time it was mentioned to me, the only thing that I thought I knew about MS was that people with MS were in wheelchairs,” Nicki says. “I learned a lot in those early years…Here I was in my early thirties, and I was thinking, I don’t want to live the rest of my life with this pain, and I don’t want to end up wheelchair bound.”

Another challenge that Nicki found herself facing was growing comfortable with using an assistive device and not caring what others thought of her if they saw her with one.

“Adele reminded me about Selma Blair, and she said, ‘Mama, you need to use that cane.

We’re going to bling it out, and we’re going to make it match your dress, and you’re going to use it, and nobody is going to think anything about it,’ and she was right,’” Nicki says. “It took a lot of people lifting me up to get to there, but it was a very empowering moment.”

Today, Nicki says her day-to-day symptoms include double vision and a secondary movement disorder called hemidystonia that affects the way her muscles operate on the right side of her body and causes muscle tension and spasms.

She also frequently experiences tingling on her right side, though she says she often doesn’t notice this symptom is occurring.

She also experiences a level of fatigue at almost all times, for which she takes medication.

Sometimes, she experiences flare-ups during periods of heightened stress or exhaustion, overheating, or illness. It is during these periods that symptoms include increased fatigue and muscle spasticity, as well as internal vibrations.

True relapses lend for weakness, tremors, difficulty moving or lifting her right leg, and Krewe of Christopher in Thibodaux. In the weakness in her core. weeks leading up to the parade’s tableau, While there is no cure for MS, there are Nicki was struggling with her symptoms. countless treatments available, known as A few days before the ball, she realized disease modifying therapies, that reduce she would have to use a mobility device. the rate of relapses.

Words of encouragement from Adele and When it comes to health and facing a the support of the other maids’ mothers, medical diagnosis, Nicki has words of advice though, led Nicki to attend the tableau – drawn from her own experience. The first, cane in hand. she says, is recognizing the importance of Though she usually hides her cane when being one’s own advocate. she takes photos, Nicki says she even left it “If you know something is wrong, don’t in pictures for the first time ever. stop until you get answers…You know. You

February 2022 26 povhouma.com

know in your gut that something is wrong,” Nicki says.

She also stressed the importance of continuing to live out one’s purpose, even with an illness. For her, that purpose was continuing to work and asking for the accommodations needed to allow for that to happen.

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The final piece of advice is accepting help and asking for help, something Nicki says she struggled with during the earliest days of her MS journey. She describes herself as a “doer” who found it hard at first to say yes when friends and family offered help.

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“Somebody told me once that when you accept someone’s help, you are actually blessing them by giving them the opportunity to serve you, and so I try to remind myself of that,” Nicki says.

Despite the challenges that MS presents, Nicki remains a proud mother and educator, describing her work as her “passion.” She says that administrators at Nicholls have done everything they could to keep her teaching, and students have rallied around her, writing her notes and finding other ways to put a smile on her face.

TRACTOR

“I had a group of students that went to Walgreens and bought a cane and decorated it in the most hideous fashion you could imagine,” Nicki laughs. “But they did it just because they wanted me to know that they were there for me.”

She also says that her MS diagnosis has helped her to realize how valued she is by her family and friends, particularly through the “little things” they have done to show support and encouragement throughout her 11-year journey. She likens her experience to a song that debuted around the time she was diagnosed and carried her through the beginning of her experience, namely “Blessings” by Laura Story: What if your blessings come through raindrops?

What if Your healing comes through tears?

What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

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“The people in my life, the relationships with them, the relationship with God, the fact that I made my career at Nicholls,” Nicki says. “It kind of shows you that while the path was sometimes rocky, it was good. Ultimately, it was good.” POV February 2022 27 povhouma.com

WE SUPPORT A HEALTHIER FUTURE |

BY THIBODAUX REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM

LOVE YOUR HEART AND KEEP IT HEALTHIER According to the American Heart Association, one of the leading causes of death in Louisiana is cardiovascular disease. Genetics, along with lifestyle choices such as dietary habits and lack of exercise, impact heart health.

Genetics may be the primary cause of heart disease, but smoking is the second leading factor. If you smoke, consider enrolling in Quit Smoking for Life cessation program. Call (985) 449-4686 for more information.

While you can’t control genetics, you can make lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of heart disease.

With February recognized as American Heart Month, now is the ideal time to change those habits and behaviors for a healthier you.

Eat Well, Feel Well Plaque buildup in the walls of arteries that supply blood to the heart causes coronary heart disease.

Lowering cholesterol helps relieve stress on the heart.

Start by following dietary patterns that favor fresh over processed and plant over meat-based foods.

The American Heart Association recommends a diet that includes: • Variety of fruits and vegetables • Whole grains • Healthy proteins such as lean meats, fish and seafood, legumes and nuts • Low-fat or non-fat dairy • Non-tropical oils such as olive, canola, sunflower, peanut or safflower • Minimally processed foods • Minimal sugar

• Foods prepared with little or no salt • Limited alcohol intake Several of these recommendations include superfoods popular in the Mediterranean diet. Consider including these in your daily diet: • Nuts—A study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted among people ages 55 to 80 with a high risk for heart disease showed those who consumed more than three oneounce servings of nuts a week had a 39 percent lower mortality risk.

• Olive oil—Monosaturated fats in olive oils, particularly virgin and extra virgin, help keep the heart healthy. Since it is calorie dense, only add a tablespoon of oil to salad dressings and sauces to prevent weight gain.

• Whole grains—High fiber in whole grains such as brown rice, couscous, quinoa, bran, popcorn and oatmeal can lower cholesterol production.

• Fruits—Filled with immune-supporting, antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties such as vitamin C, potassium and phytochemicals, what’s not to like about fruits? Berries are uniquely beneficial to heart health.

• Legumes—Low in fat and high in protein, folate, iron, potassium and magnesium, beans and other legumes are found to help reduce the cardiovascular risks.

• Green tea—A spot of green tea may help turn back time and lower risks for heart disease.

Research shows a link between green tea consumption and longer telomeres—which are found at the end of chromosomes and shorten as you age.

• Spices—Too much sodium in your diet can

contribute to high blood pressure, which makes your heart work harder. Replace salt with onions, garlic, herbs and spices such as cinnamon, ginger and turmeric.

Keep On Moving Having a regular fitness routine gives you more energy and helps to improve your mental and physical health. By midlife, muscle mass and bone density start declining, your metabolism slows, and it becomes easier to put on weight especially around the abdomen. That impacts your heart.

Your mother’s advice to “get up, go outside and play” still rings true. Fresh air and movement are good for your mind, body and soul.

Research from the Mayo Clinic shows that 150 minutes of moderate activity a week is a good goal to maintain. For maximum results, combine highintensity activities like running, playing tennis or swimming with slower-paced movement such as walking.

Walking at a brisk pace daily—as little as 30 minutes—can benefit your heart, brain and muscles.

Whether it’s walking, running, hiking, yoga, gardening or kayaking, the most important thing is find something that you enjoy doing and keep moving.

Named one of the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals in the country for delivering quality, efficient and costeffective heart and vascular care Thibodaux Regional Health System offers a heart and vascular care program to help patients keep their hearts healthier.

Along with advanced technology and expertise, Thibodaux Regional Heart & Vascular Center provides education, prevention and rehabilitation programs to help patients adjust their lifestyles and improve overall health and wellness.

Take care of your heart, and in the event you need us, your heart is in the right place at Thibodaux Regional. For more information contact Thibodaux Regional Wellness Education Center, 985.493.4765.

Delivering the Best Heart Care To Our Region

February 2022 28 povhouma.com

FUN FACTS Pope Gelasius I first declared Valentine’s Day as an official holiday in 496 A.D., in hopes to expel the pagan rituals of Lupercalia, the pope combined it with St. Valentine’s Day.

On February 14, 1400, King Charles VI of France established La cour amoureuse, also known as the High Court of Love.

During the event, women met to deal with divorces, infidelity, and domestic violence.

La cour amoureuse is credited to be the first Valentine’s Day celebration.

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Greeting cards are the most popular way to share your love on Valentine’s Day. According to Hallmark, approximately 145 million cards are exchanged every year.

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Diamond retailer James Allen conducted a study in 2017 and found that 43 percent of millennials displayed their love to accept a proposal or to propose on Valentine’s Day.

Although Valentine’s Day is known to many as the day of love, it wasn’t considered a romantic holiday until the late 14th century when Geoffrey Chaucer published “The Parliament of Fowls”, a romantic and soft poem.

Roses are the most popular flowers to give on Valentine’s Day, as their buds are symbolic for strong romantic feelings.

*According to www.womansday.com.

February 2022 29 povhouma.com

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DEVIL IN THE

DETAILS When someone says “Tasmania,” I’ll bet that the vast majority of people in PoV country, as well as maybe the rest of the U.S. and the world, think of Bugs Bunny’s nemesis from Looney Tunes cartoons—the Tasmanian Devil. However, I would never bet on this with the people of Australia, who know that Tasmania is a real thing.

Tasmania is a fairly large and largely wilderness island off the southeastern coast of that continent. And not only is Tasmania real but so are the little, furry, pouched, fighting, biting, and spitting Tasmanian Devils found there.

But Tasmania is becoming famous for something else this year. It’s called the “Black Box.” It’s roughly the size of a large school bus, boasting thick, indestructible steel walls topped with solar panels.

Inside, there’s a bunch of storage—both energy storage in the form of batteries and data storage in the form of hard drives and microchips. Sitting atop a vast granite plain and surrounded by ancient mountains, the Black Box looks like an updated design of the monolith for the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. But in this case, it might be 3001: An Earth Odyssey.

And why would someone go through the task of building such a large, remote, ultra-high tech, and no doubt expensive thing in the middle of wilderness?

The Black Box of Tasmania is meant to capture and store scientific data, conversations, artefacts, headlines, tweets, news stories, and other forms of communication related to what humankind has done to create—and to either succeed or fail in reversing—climate change on Earth. And those steel walls are meant to withstand and outlast wildfire, drought, heat waves, storms, floods, wars, and this generation of humans. The hope is that someone, perhaps in a century from now in the aftermath of a climate catastrophe, will discover the Box and understand what happened to Earth and learn how to recover the planet. Anticipating this, an instruction booklet will be included inside.

No, this is not the plot of some futuristic, dystopian, post-apocalypse novel, and neither is it the first idea for a global repository of stuff that humanity might need following a catastrophe. During World War II, Russian botanist Nikolai Vavilov, having seen the wars and revolutions of the early 20th century, collected seeds from plants all over the world to replenish the world’s food supply in the event of military catastrophe. His seed repository survived the 28-month siege of Leningrad by Nazi Germany. Unfortunately, because he based his work on scientific principles rather than the Communist Party line, he was arrested in 1941. He died in prison two years later, knowing his Leningrad repository had survived but not, unfortunately, that his efforts served as models for seed banks now located in countries around the world, including the U.S. At the same time that Vavilov was collecting the world’s seeds, a sculptor

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named Gutzon Borglum also had an idea for a great repository. With big chisels and bits of dynamite, Borglum reworked a granite mountainside in the Black Hills of South Dakota to create Mount Rushmore. But in addition to the wellknown heads of the four Presidents, Borglum excavated a large chamber on a ledge behind Lincoln’s head. The 75-foot deep, 35-foot tall chamber was intended to serve as a repository of American artefacts, including historical documents like the Declaration of Independence. High up in the mountain, these items would be safely preserved for future generations, would resist war and environmental catastrophe, and would even serve as a welcome center in case interplanetary visitors stopped by. Borglum died before the chamber’s completion, and it was never completed according to plan, but today inscriptions can be found inside the chamber noting Borglum’s original ideas.

Humankind seems to like repositories.

Just think of libraries or even your computer’s hard drive. We like to store and preserve stuff. It’s as if we anticipate the inevitability of wars and destruction and catastrophes or even simple losses that threaten to render our histories forgotten—or, just as bad, rewritten by others. “History is written by those who have hung heroes” I heard in a movie once. Maybe makers of repositories saw the same movie.

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But what tale will be told from Tasmania in this, the age of misinformation? How will future generations and survivors of climate catastrophes find needles of truth in the haystack of tweets and fake news and political rhetoric? Hopefully, builders of the Black Box will include film footage of little, furry, and pouched Tasmanian Devils fighting, biting, and spitting in the wild alongside episodes of Looney Tunes. Maybe then, whoever discovers the box in the future can tell which things are real. POV

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Head on over to The Times Houma Thibodaux to get parade schedules, routes and the local scoop on carnival time at www.houmatimes.com/mardigras-2022

United Way Souper Bowl

February 5, 11 a.m.

Library Drive, Houma Over 30 cooking teams will compete for the coveted titles of “Fan Favorite” and “Best of the Best”. Proceeds benefit the United Way and go to funding long term recovery in the Bayou Region.

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February 12, Cast Iron Crawl from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Cast Iron Cookoff from 12 p.m.- 4 p.m.

Downtown Houma Courthouse Square Presented by Houma Rotary the Cast Iron Crawl, is a fun downtown activity that will take you to your favorite places in downtown Houma and end at the Houma Cast Iron Cookoff where you can sample more than 30 delicious dishes, enjoy live music, and much more! All proceeds benefit many local service projects of the Rotary Club of Houma which include education, leadership, and veteran projects in our community.​For more information visit https://houmarotary.org/castiron/

Acadian Elementary’s 9th Annual Mudbug 5K

February 12, 8:30 a.m.- 10:30 a.m.

1020 Saadi St This is the 9th annual 5K Walk/Run to benefit Acadian Elementary School. This fast, fun course begins at the school and loops into the neighborhoods that the school services. Participants will receive a t-shirt, age group awards, and be eligible for door prizes. If you have any questions about this race visit www. runsignup.com

Friends of the Terrebonne Parish Animal Shelter 5K-9 Run/ Walk

March 5, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Library Drive, Houma This 6th annual event will raise money for the Terrebonne Parish Animal Shelter.

For more information or to register visit www.runsignup.com

Craftin’ Cajuns Indoor Craft Show & Marketplace March 5, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Houma Terrebonne Civic Center Craftin’ Cajuns is a seasonal craft show and marketplace featuring over 200 vendor booths with a large variety of handmade items, specialty products, and boutique styles. For more information visit www.houmaciviccenter.com/ craftshow/ POV

February 2022 32 povhouma.com

FUN FACTS

The Krewe of Rex was first credited with introducing the official Mardi Gras colors green, purple, and gold in 1872.

“Laissez les bon temps rouler” translates directly to “Let the good times roll” in Cajun French, and is one of the most popular sayings during carnival season.

Krewes toss an estimated 25 million pounds of plastic beads from floats during the carnival season.

The wearing of a mask is illegal in New Orleans, except during Mardi Gras season. Additionally, celebrants must remove their mask by 6 p.m. on Fat Tuesday.

The most popular king cake flavors are vanilla and cinnamon.

During each carnival season, an estimated 500,000 king cakes are sold.

*According to https://parade.com

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LOOK TWICE |

WIN A $50

COURTESY OF SYNERGY BANK

GIFT CARD

Find the six differences in this photo from our feature on page 12. Email your answers to us at looktwice@povhouma.com or drop it in the mail: Rushing Media, P.O. Box 5013, Houma, LA, 70361.

A winner will be picked by random drawing February 17.

The winner will receive a $50 Visa® gift card courtesy of Synergy Bank.

Participants must be 18 years or older.

Congratulations to George Chauvin for winning last month’s contest.

February 2022 34 povhouma.com

ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S CONTEST 1. Added light fixture 2. Changed color of vase 3. Removed decoration above refrigerator 4. Changed color of flowers 5. Removed knob on drawer 6. Removed knob on door

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