Inlander Health and Home 2/5/2018

FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018

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FAT-TIRE BIKES 10 KIDS UNDER PRESSURE 40 FLAVORS OF AFRICA 34

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RELAXATION It’s closer than you think.

E S C A P E TO C O E U R D ’A L E N E C A S I N O Rejuvenate in the beauty and serenity of our premier resort.

Relax and unwind in our luxurious hotel. Pamper yourself at our world-class spa. Play a round of golf on our championship course. Enjoy the hottest casino games around. Plus, indulge in fine cuisine at our award-winning restaurants. The perfect getaway awaits a Coeur d’Alene Casino!

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Worley, Idaho | 25 miles south of Coeur d’Alene FEB - MAR 2018

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Inside

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018

ON THE COVER: Young Kwak Photo

Etc.

Health

PG. 8

BOOK: MINIMIZING CLUTTER • THINGS TO DO CAN’T-MISS PODCAST

Home

PG. 20

FAT-TIRE BIKES • HOSPITAL MERGER HYPERTENSION

Food

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KIDS UNDER PRESSURE • PROBIOTICS GERMAN PARENTING

People

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TRAVELING THE WORLD ON TWO WHEELS

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FLAVORS OF AFRICA • AMAZING GADGET LOCAL CHAI • INLANDER RESTAURANT WEEK

DOWNTOWN LIVING NEW YEAR, NEW PAINT

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PG. 10

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FROM THE EDITOR SPOKANE • EASTERN WASHINGTON • NORTH IDAHO also at inlander.com/healthandhome

Stay connected Email Health & Home Editor Anne McGregor at annem@inlander.com.

The conversation continues on the Inlander Facebook page, and stay in touch with us at Inlander.com/Health&Home.

DON HAMILTON PHOTOS

Home Is Where The Health Is

BY ANNE McGREGOR

W

elcome to Inlander Health & Home! We’re so excited to share this new publication, which has evolved out of InHealth. If you’ve read InHealth for the last decade-plus, you’ll notice many of our well-loved features remain, but in a fresh, new design. You’ll also find an entirely new section devoted solely to homes. We’ve listened to reader feedback and have heard that our Inlander family of publications should address something that affects us every day — where we live. How do we create spaces that help us enjoy companionship, allow us room to be creative and send us out recharged and ready to take on the world? In this issue, Blythe Thimsen takes a look at the resurgence of living in our city’s core. Find out why so many are now drawn to being right in the middle of it all.

Meanwhile, our Health section will be familiar to InHealth readers. In this issue, Inlander reporter and year-round cyclist, Daniel Walters, checks out fat-tire bikes. In Food, Carrie Scozzaro learns about Ethiopian cuisine and shares two recipes from Spokane’s Queen of Sheba restaurant. And in Family, E.J. Iannelli looks into how we can help our kids succeed under pressure. From sports tryouts to music recitals to high-stakes testing, he asks experts for ways to help kids overcome performance anxiety.

We hope you enjoy Inlander Health & Home!

1227 W. Summit Parkway, Spokane, Wash. 99201 PHONE: 509-325-0634

EDITOR Anne McGregor

annem@inlander.com

MANAGING EDITOR Jacob H. Fries ART DIRECTOR Ali Blackwood EVENTS EDITOR Chey Scott CONTRIBUTORS Sheri Boggs, Don Hamilton, Jonathan Hill, E.J. Iannelli, Young Kwak, Robert Maurer, Dan Nailen, Mitch Ryals, Carrie Scozzaro, Blythe Thimsen, Matt Thompson, John R. White, Daniel Walters, Samantha Wohlfeil PRODUCTION MANAGER Wayne Hunt ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Kristi Gotzian DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Kristina Elverum ADVERTISING SALES Autumn Adrian, Mary Bookey, Jeanne Inman, Susan Mendenhall, Claire Price, Carolyn Padgham-Walker, Wanda Tashoff, Emily Walden EVENTS & PROMOTIONS Emily Guidinger Hunt SALES COORDINATION Andrea Tobar, Sarah Wellenbrock

CONTRIBUTORS

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Tom Stover, Derrick King, Jessie Hynes DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Justin Hynes BUSINESS MANAGER Dee Ann Cook CREDIT MANAGER Kristin Wagner PUBLISHER Ted S. McGregor Jr. GENERAL MANAGER Jeremy McGregor

BLYTHE THIMSEN is the former editor of Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living and the author of Spokane’s Stories: 28 Stories of the People, Places and Events That Have Shaped Spokane. Regarding her cover story, “Home, Urban Home” (page 20), she notes: “It’s interesting to see Spokane come to life with people living in places that once would never have been considered desirable for your home. Now, they’re coveted.”

ALI BLACKWOOD is a graphic designer by day, artist and painting instructor by night. She’s worked at the Inlander for six years, and she’s thrilled to be art director for the new Inlander Health & Home magazine.

“It’s exciting to be a part of the launch. I’ve had fun incorporating the fresh, new Home content, while still keeping that Inlander flavor people have come to expect from us.”

Health & Home is published every other month and is available free at more than 500 locations across the Inland Northwest. One copy free per reader. Subscriptions are available at $2.50 per issue: call x213. Reaching Us: Editorial: x261; Circulation: x226; Advertising: x215. COPYRIGHT All contents copyrighted © Inland Publications, Inc. 2018. Health & Home is locally owned and has been published since 2004.

SUPPLEMENT TO THE INLANDER

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Health& Home

Meet a WSU Spokane Researcher Dr. Chaytor wants to know whether aging and changes in thinking skills affect how older adults with type 1 diabetes manage their disease.

The answers could lead to new devices and treatments to help them stay healthy and independent longer.

Learn more at spokane.wsu.edu

Naomi Chaytor, PhD #SpokaneCougs

Neuropsychologist | Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018

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CLEAN-UP ON AISLE YOU!

Prioritizing and Purging

I

f you’re like me, you read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo, with the best of intentions. But if you’re like me, it also still takes you 20 minutes to find your keys in the morning, your sock drawer is a snake pit and the last time you saw your copy of Life-Changing Magic it was buried under a stack of bills.

But never fear, NEW MINIMALISM: DECLUTTERING AND DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABLE, INTENTIONAL LIVING is here, and it picks up, in a practical, real-world way, where Life-Changing Magic leaves off. With backgrounds in psychology and interior design, Cary Telander Fortin and Kyle Louise Quilici assert that “your external space reflects your internal state.” Using four “archetypes” — Connected, Practical, Energetic and Frugal — they explain the relationship each type of person has with her things, where they are likely to be stuck and instructions for staging major purges.

Where New Minimalism really shines, however, is in offering an intelligent third alternative to rampant consumerism or complete austerity. Readers are encouraged to think about what they want from their living spaces, to take the time to discard responsibly, and to prioritize quality over quantity. Ultimately New Minimalism serves as a guide to finding a balance that is “‘just right,’ where your home and things support your pursuit of your best life — nothing more, nothing less.”

— SHERI BOGGS Sheri Boggs is a librarian with the Spokane County Library District.

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Culinary Color

BY CHEY SCOTT The Rainbow Diet Attend a reading and conversation with “rainbow diet” nutritionist, health expert and author Deanna Minich, who shares the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of eating colorful whole foods and natural supplements. Attendees will learn how to make their plates a colorful and healthy palette that can help achieve optimal health. Friday, March 23 from 7-8:30 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks. com (838-0206)

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS Yoga on the Ice It’s not as slippery as it sounds, but you should definitely bundle up for this session, hosted at Spokane’s new ice ribbon in Riverfront Park. Bring your own mat for this free session led by instructors from YogaJoy Spokane.

Class is followed by hot beverages (check the event page on Facebook for cancellation updates due to inclement weather). Tuesdays, from 5:30-6:30 pm, through Feb. 27. Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard.

Mardi Bras Got a drawer full of bras that don’t fit, or that you don’t wear anymore but are still in fairly good condition? Donate them to help local women in need during this event, hosted by and benefiting Volunteers of America and Transitions’ programs aiding homeless and impoverished local women. Other donations include new underwear and feminine hygiene products, as well as STA bus passes. Tuesday, Feb. 13 from 5-8 pm. The Observatory, 15 S. Howard. help4women.org/mardibras

PHONE FUN

Your Own Action Adventure The Rainbow Diet author Deanna Minich

DEANNA MINICH PHOTO

Vegetable Gardening Get help planning your garden at this session with local experts from the WSU Spokane County extension. Learn about the region’s planting schedules and how to grow from seeds or starts. $12; register online or by mail. Sat, March 3 from 12:30-3 pm.

WSU Spokane County Extension, 222 N. Havana St. extension. wsu.edu/spokane/events

Northwest Pet Expo This new one-day event for pet lovers of all ages features booths from local and national pet industry vendors and organizations, including retailers, nonprofit rescue groups and more. The expo also includes free kids activities and samples, plus adoptable pets on site from local shelters and rescues. (Please do not bring your pet.) Saturday, March 24 from 10 am-6 pm.$10/adults; $6/ kids. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana.

W

ith its amazingly evocative sound design, THE WALK, a new podcast by bestselling author Naomi Alderman, artfully places you, the listener, in the middle of the action. In fact, the actors are talking to you. “We know something is going to happen today,” a mysterious woman who seems to join you in a coffee shop says quietly. “We just don’t know what. We’re hoping we can get you out of here on time. Walk with me,” she directs. Before long, you’re off on a do-or-die mission with your handler Charlie Frazer giving directions in your ear, “We’re going to get through this, Walker. I haven’t lost an agent yet.”

The Walk’s second-person narrative is unique, so you’ll want to keep listening to learn your fate. Even better, use the podcast as an incentive to get out and take a real walk, combining exercise with edge-of-yourseat entertainment.

— ANNE McGREGOR

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Big Wheels Fat-tire bikes are opening whole new landscapes — and seasons — for cyclists STORY BY DANIEL WALTERS | PHOTOS BY YOUNG KWAK

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T

he Columbia Plateau route runs 150 miles from Pasco all the way up to the Fish Lake trail in Spokane. It’s relatively flat and free of car traffic, as it runs on an old abandoned railroad track. But wooden railroad ties and the rocks packed between the rails would seem to make riding a bike on the route impossible. Bike tires would just spin or sink between the rocks.

At least, they would on a normal bike.

But Ryan Griffith, teen/outdoor recreation program supervisor for Spokane’s Parks and Recreation department, isn’t riding a normal bike. He’s on a Specialized Fatboy bike with massive 4.6 inch-wide tires, big enough to climb over obstacles and wide enough to not sink into the ballast.

“It’s almost like a snowshoe for your bike,” ...continued on next page

Greg Britton (left) with a Specialized Fatboy and Trent Armstrong with a Salsa Mukluk at the 7 Mile area of Riverside State Park.

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Fat tires can be nearly five inches wide, allowing riders to cross soft or rugged terrain.

“BIG WHEELS,” CONTINUED... says Griffith.

He and two of his friends recently packed their gear on three fat-tire bikes and set off across the tracks on a two-and-half day backpacking journey.

The rise of fat-tire biking has opened up entirely new landscapes — like gravel, sand

“It was such a radically new thing that nobody was used to,” Bike Hub manager Mic Woodruff says. “A couple of years ago at the Interbike convention, it seemed like every booth had something to do with fat bikes.”

Riding one, he says, feels like riding a “monster truck.” He recalls riding on a

It’s almost like a snowshoe for your bike.

— Ryan Griffith, Spokane Parks and Rec and snow — to cycling fanatics. Even for longtime cyclists, fat-tire biking presents a new sort of thrill, a new kind of adventure.

“It’s like when you’re a kid — you’ve got a big wheel when you’re starting, and now you’re riding your bike,” Griffith says.

“Once you do it, you’re hooked.”

A

t the Bike Hub location just west of Downtown Spokane, the staff saw the fat bike craze hit firsthand back in 2012. And major bike manufacturers weren’t prepared “We couldn’t get anything,” says the Bike Hub’s John Abernathy. “We had a huge demand, and all the people who were making fat bikes were sold out.”

Even he couldn’t get a bike back then.

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street, coming up to pedestrians who were walking on the sidewalk.

“I scared the crap out of them, more than a few people,” Woodruff says. “Because the noise that these things make — aaaar-raaar — kinda sounds like a monster’s comin’ at ya.”

In particular, fat bikes have gained the reputation of being able to be used in snowy terrain.

Ruts in the snow have a way of jerking a bike widely in the wrong direction, sending you tumbling to the ground.

But with fat tires, says Greg Britton, general manager for Wheel Sport, you can run the air pressure a lot lower. That not only smooths out the bumps in the terrain — eliminating the need for fancy suspen-

sion — by putting more of the surface area on the snow, but it can also give you more traction.

You’ve got more control, he says, and stability. You can ride on uneven terrain.

Install fat bike studded tires — pricey though they are — and you have yourself the ultimate winter cycling hack, able to climb over both uneven packed snow and manage decently on ice.

Still, the term “snow bike” will make a lot of fat-tire bikers cringe. Aficionados know that they can perform just as effectively in sand or off-road conditions.

“I would consistently see 10 to 20 percent of people on fat bikes in summer weather,” Britton says. “It’s a Swiss Army knife. It can do everything.”

That’s one secret to fat bikes’ popularity.

Maddie Speare, a 15-year-old mountain bike and cyclocross racer, says she first rode a fat-tire bike back in seventh grade.

She loved it. The big wheels made her feel taller. She found she could pull off controlled drifts in the snow. She glided over big bumps that once made for uncomfortable jolts.

“It was crazy. It’s so bouncy — you go over everything,” Speare says. “You go over a log and just jump up on it.”

Her dad got her a Surly Pugsley fat-tire bike, she says, and it made the rest of her mountain biking team jealous.

“They’re all bike nerds,” Speare says.

“They’re all, ‘Oh my god, I want one, can I try it?’” ...continued on next page

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FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018

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LOCAL • ORGANIC HANDCRAFTED

“BIG WHEELS,” CONTINUED...

Fat-Tire Rides COLUMBIA PLATEAU TRAIL Ride along railroad tracks 150 miles from the Fish Lake Trail near Spokane; runs all the way to Pasco.

CAMP SEKANI Prime location off of Upriver Drive, next to the Spokane River, offers miles of mountain bike trails and a large bike skills park.

DWIGHT MERKEL COMPLEX As part of a Spokane Parks pilot program, Dwight Merkel offers a groomed fat-tire bike track. Find the trailhead at 5701 N. Assembly in Spokane.

SOAP • DEODORANT BATH BOMBS

35 W. Main, Spokane • Mon-Sat 10-5:30 (509) 464-7677 • kizurispokane.com

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RIVERSIDE STATE PARK With more than 70 miles of trails open to mountain bikers, there are multiple entrance points to this 14,000 acre gem — the largest state park in Washington. Remember to get a Discover Pass for parking.

F

or all the thrill of the fat-tire bike, riding one is not necessarily easy. Big tires aren’t quite as nimble as skinny ones. Fat bikes, by their very nature, are heavy. Trying to pedal a bike like that up a steep hill is exhausting — especially if you’re trying to pedal through snow.

“People find out how damn hard they are to ride in the snow,” Woodruff says, “no matter what size your tires are.”

The snowshoeing metaphor, after all, works both ways.

“Snowshoeing is really hard work. It’s harder than walking,” Abernathy says.

“You’re going to get there. You’re not going to get there fast. But you can get anywhere you want.”

Though the national demand for fat-tire bikes has lessened, for some in Spokane, enthusiasm hasn’t dimmed. Quite the opposite.

“Right, now we’re in the infancy of it,” Britton predicts.

In particular, he sees the trend of “bikepacking” taking off. The wider tires not only let you climb over bumpier terrain, the stable base lets you pile on heavy gear without destabilizing your bike. A fat-tire bike lets you go farther on a backpacking trip and carry more.

Trobaugh-Lotrario, a pediatric oncologist at Sacred Heart Medical Center, started biking to work. Most of the year, she’ll ride her regular bike.

“When there’s ice, I change over to the mountain bike,” Trobaugh-Lotrario says. “When there’s more than inch of snow, I ride my fat bike.”

During the really snowy days, she says, her rides to work take on an a meditative quality.

“It’s really quiet and peaceful,” Trobaugh-Lotrario says, “It’s almost like you can hear the snow falling.”

On one snowy commute, she remembers pausing while climbing up a steep hill, and spotting a a beautiful northern flicker perched on a nearby pole. If she had been stuck in her car, like during previous winters, she thought to herself, she never would have seen that.

QUALITY HEALTHCARE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD All the services you need under one roof Off on a winter’s ride in the hills around Riverside State Park.

In January, Wheel Sport and Bike Hub held a Winter Bike Showcase at the Iron Goat brewery.

“We’re trying to get more people to think about riding in the winter,” Britton says.

One way local enthusiasts are trying to do that? Grooming.

Just as with cross-country skiing, some types of snow are horrible for any type of bike. The widest bike tires in the world can’t handle particularly deep powder.

Wheel Sport, the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance and the Spokane Parks and Recreation department have plans to groom certain areas like Antoine Peak, Riverside State Park and Palisades Park. This season, Spokane Parks and Rec has groomed trails at the Dwight Merkel Sports Complex and at Indian Canyon Golf Course; both require that you ride only on marked trails.

“We bought a groomer that puts a 24-inch-wide track down,” Britton says.

“It’s called the Trail Tamer.”

Groomed snow is firmer and smoother allowing fat tires to glide by without any problem.

F

or some cyclists, however, conditions are never a reason to not bike.

Four-and-a-half years ago, Angela

509.444.8200 | chas.org

Medical | Dental | Pharmacy | Pregnancy Care | Pediatrics | Behavioral Health FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018

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P

Dr. Gerald Early

Medical residents will start training in Pullman in 2020.

PULLMAN REGIONAL HOSPITAL PHOTOS

Practicing on the Palouse

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

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ullman Regional Hospital is aiming to train medical residents in rural family medicine via the Spokane Teaching Health Center, which is a partnership among Washington State University, Providence and the Empire Health Foundation.

Under the partnership, residents will spend their first year in Spokane, and then their second and third years in Pullman, with the first two residents starting full-time training on the Palouse by mid-2020. When all the spots are full, the critical access hospital will have a total of four residents, with two in their second year and two in their third.

“One of the things that becomes critically important for relatively rural communities is maintaining providers,” says Dr. Gerald Early, chief medical innovation officer for Pullman Regional.

“Being part of a residency program with a rural training track allows young physicians in the process of completing their training to get a taste for what it’s like to live in a small community. A number of them will say, ‘Hey, this works for me.’”

The Spokane Teaching Health Center has had a similar partnership with Colville since 1986, and almost 85 percent of the doctors who have trained through that program stayed in rural medicine in the immediate area, creating somewhat of a “pipeline” of rural doctors that the Pullman program will aim to replicate.

The Pullman program is part of a larger increase in medical residencies planned in partnership with Holy Family Hospital in Spokane and is currently awaiting accreditation so it can start accepting residents by mid-2019.

NEW NUMBERS

Hypertension Rising I saw something on the news that said that with a change in blood pressure guidelines, about half of all Americans now have high blood pressure. At my visit a year ago, my doctor told me that I had borderline high pressure but she did not give me any medication. Should I be taking something?

Y

es, the guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology did change the parameters for what is considered high blood pressure. Previously about one out of three Americans were estimated to have high blood pressure; with the change, now almost half of Americans are considered hypertensive. While this sounds like a big jump, most of those who were not previously considered to be hypertensive but are now will not require medication. The new cutoff for high blood pressure is now 130/80 while the old one was 140/90. Many people who are between 130/80 and 140/90 will be treated with lifestyle changes such as salt restriction, weight loss, limited alcohol intake and others.

On the other hand, medication is suggested for some who fall

into the 130/80 to 140/90 group.

These people include those who have known blood vessel disease of the heart, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease and those who, for multiple reasons, are at high risk for blood vessel disease of the heart (this risk can be calculated by your doctor). Most individuals with blood pressures above 140/90 will likely benefit from medication. However, the decision to treat or not to treat high blood pressure with medication in an individual can be very complicated and is best made in consultation with your primary care provider. If you’re in that range, it’s probably a good time to set up a follow-up visit with your doc.

— JOHN R. WHITE John R. White is Chair of the Department of Pharmacotherapy in the College of Pharmacy at WSU-Spokane and the author of two books.

MEMORABLE HAPPENS HERE.

From intimate gatherings to corporate meetings, the Spokane Convention Center provides unique spaces, dedicated event management and unparalleled service.

Book your next event with us today!

spokanecenter.com FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018

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O Boosting BIG DREAMS

the Boys and Girls Clubs

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n any given day, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Spokane County serve as many as 700 local youth, the majority of whom come from disadvantaged circumstances at home and who rely on the club’s services for stability.

Community members and businesses can help these kids stay on track and realize their true potential by supporting the club at its largest fundraising event of the year, the DOORS TO DREAMS GALA. Money raised helps enable the Boys and Girls Club to offer yearly membership to local kids for only $20, even though its programs cost close to $500 per child.

The event at the Davenport Grand Hotel features a plated dinner and inspirational stories from kids whom the programs benefitted, as well as silent and

live auction packages.

Programs at the clubs’ two Spokane locations include after-school activities and enrichment, as well as a deeply discounted, 10-week summer day camp program. Both programs offer nutritious meals, mentorship in education and character building, as well as opportunities for physical exercise, and even access to school supplies, for 6- to 18-year-olds. Last year’s Doors to Dreams gala raised a record of more than $355,000, and the club hopes to meet or even break that record this year.

— CHEY SCOTT 16th Annual Doors to Dreams Gala • Fri, Feb. 23, at 5:30 pm • $1,000/table of 8; other sponsorship opportunities available • Davenport Grand Hotel • 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • bgcspokanecounty.org • 489-0741

Merger Could Create Nation’s Largest System

Now offering Regenexx, the worlds most advanced stem cell and blood platelet procedures for treating orthopedic injuries, arthritis and other degenerative conditions.

BY MITCH RYALS

A

Spokane-area medical group is in talks with St. Louis-based Ascension Health about a potential merger, according to a Wall Street Journal report from December, citing people familiar with the discussions. Providence St. Joseph Health and Ascension have been talking for months, according to the WSJ. Discussions have included a potential merger — which would create the largest owner of hospitals in the United States — in addition to other arrangements. Representatives for Ascension and Providence declined to comment on the potential deal.

If the two nonprofit hospital systems joined forces, the result would bring 191 hospitals in 27 states under a single operator, with annual revenue of $44.8 billion, according to results from the most recent fiscal year. HCA Healthcare Inc. is currently the largest operator with 177 hospitals and $41.5 billion in revenue in 2016.

Providence St. Joseph, based in Renton, Washington, operates 50 hospitals and 829 clinics in seven states, including Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital and Holy Family Hospital in Spokane, as well as Mt. Carmel Hospital in Colville and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chewelah.

Ascension is the largest nonprofit health system in the U.S., according to its website, and the largest Catholic health system in the world. The system includes 141 hospitals in 22 states and the District of Columbia.

Thank YOU Spokane!

Buying Or Selling A Home, We LOVE Being YOUR Realtors!

Steve Cain BROKER

(509) 290-0327 scain@windermere.com

Shelly Monahan-Cain BROKER

(509) 290-3229 shelly@windermere.com

Physiatry: • Jamie Lewis, BC PM&R, Pain Medicine • Howard Grattan, BC PM&R, Pain Medicine Anesthesiology: • Ghassan Nemri, BC Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine Psychology: • Patricia Fernandez, PsyD • Megan Russell, PsyD Physical Therapy: • David Springer, PT Nurse Practitioners: • Xiang “Shawn” Jing, ARNP, MSN • Susan Steadman, ARNP, MSN • Megan Wildes, DNP, FNP-BC • Dayna Turner, ARNP Physician Assistant: • Johanna Golke, PA Research Center: Engaged in research aimed to increase the scope of treatment options readily available to those suffering from chronic pain.

Services: • Regenerative Medicine • Rehabilitation • Interventional Pain Management • Psychological Pain Management • Pharmacological Pain Management • EMG/NCS Testing • Both traditional and emerging treatment options

Two Certified AAAASF Procedure Centers

South Location: 2607 S. Southeast Blvd, BLDG A, Ste. 100 North Location: 5901 N. Lidgerwood St., Ste. 218 Phone: 509.464.6208 | Fax: 888.316.1928

northwestspineandpain.com FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018

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Laurie and James Allen’s new home in Kendall Yards offers lots of light and quick access to all that downtown Spokane has to offer.

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URBAN Truths A vibrant downtown lifestyle is luring residents back to Spokane’s city center STORY BY BLYTHE THIMSEN | PHOTOS BY YOUNG KWAK

“A

chicken in every pot and a car in every garage!” Used in the 1928 presidential campaign, and attributed to President Herbert Hoover, the idea of a car in every garage planted a seed that took root. Over the years, along with it came the idea of the spacious house with a yard, the white picket fence and the happy, quiet life in suburban America. ...continued on next page FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018

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“URBAN TRUTHS,” CONTINUED...

Fast forward to 2018, and nowadays trading in that house/yard combo for something geared toward urban living is gaining appeal.

Spokane currently boasts a 92 percent occupancy rate for all housing units, according to a recent survey, meaning finding housing is a challenge. Now some people are looking beyond traditional dwellings.

“We’ve both always been intrigued with downtown living,” says Laurie Allen, who along with her new husband James and dog Coco are settling into an urban lifestyle.

A

fter selling urban condos as a local realtor specializing in urban living, Laurie Ross Allen and her husband, James, were won over by the trend, and the newlyweds recently moved into a downtown loft in Kendall Yards.

“For nearly 20 years, I lived on the South Hill in a traditional suburban development,” says Laurie.

“Prior to being in Spokane, I lived in the West Seattle area and worked downtown. James lived and worked in downtown Seattle, too, so we’ve both always been intrigued with downtown living.”

Fellow downtowner Tim Westerhaus, the director of choirs and vocal studies at Gonzaga University, recently made the commitment to urban living when he bought a condo in the First and Washington building.

The Allens and Westerhaus realize urban living in Spokane is less about cramped apartments and compressed masses of humanity, and more about creative spaces that offer new opportunities to enjoy the city.

“The panoramic view is what really got us,” says Laurie, “from the mist coming up off of the river in the morning, to spectacular sunsets at night. The purposeful design of large windowed walls really capture the views west to downtown and south to river, and the tall ceilings and open living concept is proving to be great for us for entertaining.”

While the Allens’ loft has a sleek modern feel, Westerhaus’ is quite different. “I like the inspiring blend of historic with modern architecture; the original red bricks connect me with Spokane’s past and modern ...continued on page 26

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FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018

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“URBAN TRUTHS,” CONTINUED...

Tim Westerhaus enjoys observing the busy streetscape from his soundproofed, third-floor condo on First Avenue.

W

“URBAN TRUTHS,” CONTINUED...

the winter months, and I get a clear view of some beautiful buildings on one side and trains on the other.”

For Westerhaus, living downtown actually expanded his opportunities to be outdoors. “I enjoy an active and artistic lifestyle where I live,” he NUMBER OF says. “I’m able to catch a morning run on the Centennial Trail, walk DOWNTOWN to yoga, or bike to the YMCA. I HOUSING UNITS prefer to bike commute whenever ADDED IN 2017 weather permits, and it is often faster than driving from where I live because I don’t have to search for number of windows allow ample light in, parking.” which is important for energy, especially in design,” he says. “The floors are made of bamboo, and in addition to the visual appeal, it’s important to me that bamboo has a positive environmental impact. The large

522

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Health& Home

hile cities like Portland and Seattle are flush with urban living options, Spokane is slowly catching up.

“I can tell by the increased interest in my downtown condo listings and the amount of buyers seeking an urban lifestyle, that we’re finally ready to embrace it,” says Laurie. “A city thrives when people live in it. We’re a little behind other cities, but Spokane is finally warming up to urban living.”

As Spokane continues to embrace urban living, the livability of the area is catching up.

“Some aspects of urban living in Spokane are set up well,” says Westerhaus, noting that both Main Market and My Fresh Basket are within walking distance.

He says coffee shops and dining options are expanding, as are the hours those businesses are open, so there are options for after-work socializing, but he sees room for improvement. “Increasing bike lanes and creating safe crossings along the Spokane ...continued on next page

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018

27

“URBAN TRUTHS,” CONTINUED...

River will support bike safety and increase bike commuting, which is favorable for urban living,” he says. “We lag significantly behind Portland and Seattle in downtown bike infrastructure.”

Both Westerhaus and the Allens have experienced more manageable commutes since moving downtown, which translates to better health.

“There’s definitely less driving,,” says Laurie, “and we’ve had fun getting to know our neighbors and are impressed by the number of people exercising and dog

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walking, even with the chilly weather. The Centennial Trail provides easy walking access.”

“I like being able to walk to local businesses for everyday needs,” adds Westerhaus. “I spend far more time out with friends in the downtown area now that I live central to the city; I am more apt to go out and be social. I take greater advantage of the city’s cultural offerings — art walks — and social settings. In addition, I’m walking distance from the STA hub station, so I take the bus more frequently.

“One of the things I lamented when I moved from Boston to Spokane was having to get a car to navigate; living downtown brings me closer to being able to live without a car,” he continues. “Living downtown has positively transformed my experience of living in Spokane: I am more active in the community, I connect more with others, and I feel like I am a greater part of an innovating community.”

Gone are the dreams of a car in every garage; now the dream may be a condo in every downtown building.

Gonzaga’s choir director by day, Tim Westerhaus has even installed a grand piano in his new condo.

After years of wrangling, the Ridpath is back on track.

Want to Move Downtown?

Developers are racing to offer more downtown living options, according to Lars Gilberts, CEO of the University District, located just east of downtown. “The thing… that I’m hearing the most talk about,” he says, “is bringing residential downtown.”

THE RIDPATH In 2017, after nearly a decade of legal disputes, Spokane developer Ron Wells was able to finally start construction to transform the historic hotel into a new Ridpath apartment complex.

THE M This mixed-use complex in the former Macy’s building owned by the Cowles Company will include more than 100 apartment units. In April 2017, more than a half-dozen new apartments in the company’s Chronicle building also came on the market.

THE FALLS Developer Larry Stone wants to turn the old YWCA property into hundreds of swanky apartments, hotel rooms and condos in a two-tower building with ultra-easy access to the redeveloped Riverfront Park.

KENDALL YARDS In addition to projects to the west of downtown, developer Greenstone is preparing to construct another 120 new apartments in a multi-use complex near their new My Fresh Basket grocery store off Monroe Street.

— DANIEL WALTERS

2.1%

DOWNTOWN SPOKANE VACANCY RATE IN 2017

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018

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Curious About Color?

Paint is the fastest way to create a fresh look, but choosing just the right hue can be tricky

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

E

ach year, players in the paint industry forecast annual color trends.

After 2017’s pretty, but safe, Greenery (15-0343), Pantone, the color-matching standard for the design industry, chose a stunning Ultra Violet (color 18-3838) for its 2018 pick.

Benjamin Moore’s 2018 color is a hot, spicy red, appropriately called Caliente and described as a “lush carpet rolled out for a grand arrival.”

Sherwin-Williams’ 2018 pick is called Oceanside. It’s a “green meets blue tone…. that offers a sense of the familiar with a hint of the unknown.” For 2018, Sherwin Williams also features a suite of new palettes: Sincerity (“sand, complex grays and hazy botanicals”), Unity (“memorable pops of peacock color”) and Connectivity (“hightech palette… pixelated in orange, violets, digital greens and high-def yellow”).

“Most trends include a neutral background and bold colors that are layered in as accents in the room,” says Heidi La Bolle of Sherwin-Williams. But what’s neutral is

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changing: “We’ve seen a large shift from beiges to grays,” she adds.

But all grays are not created equal, and when it comes time to choose a paint, things can get complicated. That’s partly due to our somewhat unstable perception of colors: While the pigments in a paint obviously don’t change, how we perceive

Quick Rolling “Trim is very tedious, and that’s probably the worst part of painting,” says Brent Kaufman of Coeur d’Alene-based TK’s Painting. His team likes to maximize their more satisfying wall-painting time by using an 18-inch wide roller — they like Purdy and Wooster brands. These big rollers — twice the width of a standard roller — are equally effective spreading fresh paint or back-rolling after a sprayer.

— CARRIE SCOZZARO

them can vary considerably, depending on surrounding colors and the light source in a room.

“North-facing windows let in light that is predominately green and blue,” which will intensify those colors in a room, says Spokane interior designer and owner of Nook Interiors, Bridgit Wilson. “South-facing windows let in warm light all day long, so any color looks good in them.”

Wilson recommends thoroughly testing your paint choice before committing to a whole wallful. She suggests ordering largeformat paint samples, or painting very large pieces of white paper with your prospective color. Place them on any wall you expect to paint. An alternative is applying three coats of paint to test spots on the walls. Observe the color for a while to make sure you like it under various conditions — daylight, incandescent light, on sunny days and on cloudy days.

Avoid the common mistake of a boring palette created by matching the wall color to everything else — trim, furniture and flooring — in a room. Instead, consider drumming up at least a little drama. “Try contrasting the warm tones in a home with a white, gray or a darker bold color,” says Labolle.

Pops of color that are easy to add, says Labolle, “include a bold front door, painted

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furniture or kitchen cabinetry, colorful powder rooms.”

If you’re Pantone feeling bold, consider, “dark and cozy master suites.”

Benjamin Moore Wilson concurs.

“What I’m seeing now is the use of grey as a Sherwin-Williams ground color, and then combining bold colors with it to add interest,” she says. Gray, which can be warmer or cooler depending on the particular paint color you choose, goes with everything. “The sky’s the limit as far as adding that pop of color with your grays.”

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Together we’re doing great things For more than 130 years, Spokane and the surrounding communities have counted on Providence not only for world-class medical care, but to answer the call for help from our less fortunate neighbors.

In 2017, Providence Health Care Foundation committed to distributing a record $10 million back to Providence hospitals in Spokane and Stevens counties.

Thanks to the generous support of our donors, we’ve funded lifesaving technology, cutting-edge research, facility upgrades and aid to the poor and vulnerable.

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Your gifts in action Thanks to you: Hospitalized children can keep up with their studies and maintain a sense of normalcy through the Andrew Rypien School program.

New imaging software allows physicians to more quickly assess and treat stroke victims.

A patient on the heart transplant list was provided with housing close to Sacred Heart.

Patients at St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute are learning how to drive again through the use of a high-tech driving simulator.

A new orthopedic fracture table at Providence Mount Carmel Hospital enables Stevens County residents to undergo surgery close to home rather than transferring to Spokane.

Providence Holy Family Hospital has a newly remodeled Intensive Care Unit.

Certified technicians conducted hundreds of free car seat safety checks, ensuring children are protected while on the road.

Learn how you can help! phc.org/giving or 509-474-4917

$4.6 million toward equipment

$675,000 toward patient care, including transportation, hotels, gas, utilities, at-home care and prescriptions

$2.2 million toward capital construction

Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital is preparing to launch a pediatric residency program.

St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute remodeled its Stroke Unit.

DominiCare provided 14,000 hours of care to the elderly and frail in Stevens County.

$2 million for patient programs

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital Providence Holy Family Hospital Providence Mount Carmel Hospital Providence St. Joseph’s Hospital St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018

33

Chef Almaz Ainu’s restaurant is faithful to Ethiopian traditions, with messob tables (above) and injera bread made from teff (below). YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS

Flavors of Africa Queen of Sheba’s Almaz Ainu loves to spread the news about Ethiopian food and culture

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

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F

ood is love in Almaz Ainu’s world, and it’s all meant to be shared. “The most rewarding thing about this business is the social aspect in interacting with the customers that come in,” says Ainu, who started Spokane’s Queen of Sheba Ethiopian restaurant in 2010. “I’m a people-person and love talking with people and teaching them about my culture and food.”

Located inside the Flour Mill, Queen of Sheba features the traditional Ethiopian foods Ainu grew up with. “It’s part of our culture for all girls to learn to cook, so my mom taught me,” says Ainu, who met her husband when both served as Christian missionaries in Kenya. Ainu taught preschool in Washington and California for 17 years. After a 2007 trip to Africa with her husband and two children, Ainu returned ...continued on next page

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A Little Goes a Long Way MANDALA CHAI COMPANY founder Aleczondra Evans is equally excited about the taste and health benefits of her chai concentrate. Both the sweeter original and spicy formulas include cardamom, ginger, star anise and cinnamon, says Evans, noting that the combination of spices and tea may help reduce inflammation, boost metabolism and energy, and aid in digestion.

“I could go on and on. It’s an allaround amazing tea!” she says.

In addition, Mandala Chai is tripleconcentrated. A 16-ounce bottle ($10), for example, yields about six servings based on 3-ounces chai to 6-ounces liquid. A 32-ounce and gallon-sized bottle are also available.

— CARRIE SCOZZARO Find Mandala Chai at The Rocket Market, My Fresh Basket, Ladder Coffee & Toast, Batch Bakeshop, Spokane Real Food Buyer’s Co-Op and numerous local coffee shops.

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FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018

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“FLAVORS OF AFRICA,” CONTINUED... with her own mission: to open a restaurant.

As one might expect outside Western cuisine, meat features less prominently in Ethiopian cuisine than vegetables, which are showcased amongst spices like cardamom, ginger and turmeric. Berbere is an Ethiopian and Eritrean spice blend — a word from which we get

The best of mankind is a farmer.

— Ethiopian proverb

barbary, as in Barbary Coast — that varies depending on the maker and application, sort of like Indian curries. One berbere essential is red chilies, which lend a beautiful scarlet-orange color and heat to Ainu’s spicy stews: yesiga we’t (beef), yebeg kay we’t (lamb), doro we’t (chicken) and the vegetarian yemeshir kik we’t.

“We cook with a lot of vegetables, herbs, spices and legumes on a daily basis, so our diet is very healthy.”

Queen of Sheba’s menu is a perfect partner for the Palouse region. Pullman, for example, hosts an annual National Lentil Festival, celebrating the fact that nearly

20 percent of the nation’s lentils are grown nearby.

Ainu’s azifa is a salad with brown lentils, while yaterkik alicha (see recipe) is a simple, hearty dish of yellow split peas. Pulse crops — peas, lentils, chickpeas — also known as grain legumes are nutritional powerhouses, high in protein, fiber, potassium, zinc and other minerals.

Essential to Ethiopian cooking and to the Queen of Sheba restaurant is a communal environment, represented in the restaurant’s two seating options: chairand-table set with silverware, and casual floor seating around a central table.

Wherever diners choose to sit, Queen of Sheba serves a flavorful flatbread called injera, traditionally made from a sourdough-version of iron-rich teff, an ancient grain that sustained people in the Fertile Crescent. Traditionally, injera is used in place of silverware: you scoop or enfold small bites of food from a communal dish (although utensils are also provided, and Queen of Sheba’s servers ask guests if they wish their food to be served communally or on individual plates).

“I feel a sense of pride when I cook Ethiopian food and like to keep it authentic to the way it’s cooked in Ethiopia,” says Ainu, who hopes to offer cooking classes in the near future. “I also love introducing people to the cuisine of Ethiopia since it’s so different from what they may normally have on a day-to-day basis.”

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Health& Home

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

TRY IT FOR YOURSELF

Fasolia

Yaterkik Alicha

Made up of string beans and carrots, fasolia is considered a stew in Ethiopian cooking. This can either be a one-dish entrée, or a lovely side dish, full of flavor and color, as well as plenty of nutrients and antioxidants.

Translated as “yellow split peas,” turmeric gives this vegan dish an even brighter color, while the herbs and spices lend a subtle, yet memorable flavor. Traditionally served with injera, Ethiopia’s equivalent to flatbread. For an easy dinner, try this with tortillas or over rice.

INGREDIENTS ¼ cup vegetable oil 1 yellow onion, julienned 1 pound string beans, ends chopped, halved ½ pound carrots, julienned 2 tablespoons freshly pureed ginger 2 tablespoons freshly pureed garlic Salt and pepper to taste 1 large Anaheim or jalapeno pepper, sliced • In a large wok or skillet, sauté onions in oil until cooked soft.

• Add carrots and sauté for about 5 minutes.

• Add string beans and sauté for 10 minutes.

• Add garlic, ginger, salt and pepper and green peppers and cook for another 5 minutes.

INGREDIENTS 2 cups yellow split peas 4 ½ cups water 2 cups finely chopped yellow onions ½ cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoon freshly pureed ginger 1 tablespoon pureed garlic 1 tablespoon powdered turmeric ½ tsp cumin 1 tsp salt (or to taste) ½ tsp white pepper 1 large Anaheim or jalapeno pepper, sliced

• Rinse yellow split peas in cold water and boil in 4 cups water until soft. Drain and set aside.

• In a saucepan, cook onions in oil until onions are opaque.

• Add turmeric, stirring gently.

• Add about ½ cup water and let simmer for about 15 minutes.

• Add cooked peas to onions and stir to prevent sticking, then simmer another 15 minutes.

• Add garlic, ginger, cumin, salt and white pepper.

Simmer another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mixture should be the consistency of oatmeal and tender. Add liquid if too thick. Top with pepper rings.

— RECIPES SHARED BY QUEEN OF SHEBA’S ALMAZ AINU

HANDY GADGET

Mirepoix Made Easy How many recipes start with one onion, finely chopped? Plenty. Add a few other ingredients to that onion to create the foundation for countless recipes in many culinary traditions — carrots and celery for a mirepoix, bell peppers and celery for the Cajun “holy Trinity.” If your knife skills are short of blazing, consider investing in a “poor man’s Cuisinart” — the pull-powered processor. Five to six pulls renders a coarse chop, while about a dozen pulls yields finely chopped single ingredients or a medley. Consider it the perfect food prep pal for your trendy pressure cooker. Small choppers with plastic bowls check in at about $20, while a larger glass dishwasher-safe bowl chopper rings up at $40.

— ANNE McGREGOR Find choppers, like this Chef’n brand, at The Kitchen Engine in Spokane’s Flour Mill.

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Benscoter’s focus on lost apples is no small feat given the fruit’s sheer diversity.

Of the estimated 17,000 varieties that formerly grew in North America, it’s estimated as many as 13,000 have vanished, and with them a bit of history.

From his dogged research into catalogs and shipping records, plus a lot of shoe leather exploring orchards throughout Eastern Washington, Benscoter has helped reshape our understanding of how apples influenced Spokane — especially throughout the Spokane River valley spreading east from the city’s core toward the Idaho Panhandle — which held court as Washington state’s “apple capital” for a generation or so.

Aged remnants of many of those commercial and private apple orchards dot the Inland Northwest’s landscape, both in rural and urban areas. And until recently, many of these forgotten fruit-bearers’ bounties had gone mostly unused, if but for foraging insects and animals.

“There are thousands of residential

The Conley family found Red Delicious trees growing on their new property in Athol, Idaho, so they planted more trees and now operate Athol Orchards. NIKKI CONLEY PHOTO

Mystery Apples Tasty benefits, to enjoy and share, may be in store for those who nurture old-growth apple trees

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

N

ikki Conley thought the Red Delicious apples growing on scraggly trees in the front yard of her Athol, Idaho, home would be mealy and tasteless like most store-bought fruit she’d known.

She was wrong.

“It reminded me of what they used to taste like when we were kids,” says Conley, whose family relocated in 2016 to land east of North Idaho’s Silverwood Theme Park, a stretch dotted with homesteads where the prairie gives way to national forestland.

This new home, paired with that delicious bite into an old-growth apple, became the genesis of Athol Orchards, founded last year.

The family has planted 50 new apple trees, choosing each tree for its distinctive traits, like high juice content, good eating quality or longer storage capability.

Conley’s newfound interest in her

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orchard’s output and the regional history of apple growing led her to Dave Benscoter, sometimes referred to as the “apple detective” for his research-based identification techniques and his prior career in law enforcement.

After helping a Chattaroy, Washington, neighbor with her trees, Benscoter became intrigued with determining the apple’s specific variety, joining an exclusive group of people who hunt “lost” apples.

“The Spokane Valley consisted of hundreds of small orchards that banded together for purposes of marketing and selling,” explains Benscoter, who’s garnered national headlines for his discovery of a lost apple growing on the Palouse’s Steptoe Butte.

“By the 1920s,” he adds, “there were over a million apple trees in the Spokane Valley.”

Good Grafts The Spokane Edible Tree Project is partnering with the Inland Northwest Food Network and Episcopal Church of the Resurrection to host a class on apple tree grafting. The session also seeks to share apple scionwood, wood cut from an original tree being propagated, from the rare varieties in the church’s orchard to help preserve and even resurrect apples that could otherwise be lost. Saturday, March 24 from 11 am-1 pm. Free. Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, 15318 E. 8th Ave., Spokane Valley (509-209-2890) apple trees in Spokane County, and many of those apples aren’t being used,” says Nicki Thompson, who is the Harvest Against Hunger AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer with the local nonprofit Spokane Edible Tree Project.

“A lot of people have inherited fruit trees upon moving to a new home, and don’t quite know what to do with them.

Many trees end up neglected,” adds Thompson. “We’d like to raise awareness and provide tree owners with resources to learn about tree care.”

Have a tree you’d like to register?

Contact the Spokane Edible Tree Project at 509-209-2890 or spokaneedibletreeproject@gmail.com

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Seafood paella will be on the Inlander Restaurant Week menu at The Barrel.

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Restaurant Week Is Back The “10 most delicious days of the year” are back and, once again, bigger than ever. For the sixth inception of INLANDER RESTAURANT WEEK, a total of 107 restaurants spread across the Inland Northwest have created mouth-watering, three-course menus especially for the highly anticipated annual event.

Seasoned diners know about Restaurant Week’s fixed price (or prix fixe) threecourse menus, offered for $21 or $31 per person. But for the uninitiated (welcome, newbies!), this price includes your choice of one of several options for each course.

Some eateries take a more traditional route with a soup or salad, followed by an entrée and dessert, while others mix things up and include cocktails or draft beer in place of a course, or appetizers to share with the whole table.

“Restaurant Week gives people who wouldn’t normally come visit your restaurant a reason to come and dine at your restaurant,” says Luna’s executive chef, Joseph Morris. “It’s also a platform to showcase what your restaurant is all about.”

— CHEY SCOTT Inlander Restaurant Week • Thu, Feb. 22 to Sat, March 3 • More than 100 restaurants across Spokane and Coeur d’Alene • Menus at InlanderRestaurantWeek.com

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FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018

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JONATHAN HILL ILLUSTRATION

Under Pressure From test-taking to sports tryouts to musical recitals, competitive activities can wreak havoc on a kid’s confidence

BY E.J. IANNELLI

A

h, to be a kid again. No worries, no cares. It’s just a happy-go-lucky existence free of bills, appointments, long-term planning and serious responsibilities.

The memories can by idyllic, but studies show that kids today are often under more pressure than their parents ever were.

From their parents. From their teachers.

From coaches, instructors and peers. Some take it all in stride, but they tend to be the exceptions. Many more naturally falter from time to time. Just like adults, they fall victim to performance anxiety.

“It’s an age-old issue that really has been around forever,” says Wendy Bleeker, director of the School Counseling/Social Behavioral Health Programs at Whitworth University. “But with high-stakes testing

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and higher requirements and expectations, I’m hearing from counsellors that performance anxiety has increased.”

In humans, regardless of their age, performance anxiety is a natural response to any scenario in which skills are being showcased or assessed in some way, whether it be appearing in a musical, running a race, taking an exam or playing the violin. Some psychologists and evolutionary biologists have theorized that it comes from a deepseated fear of being ostracized from our chosen social group — a fear that can perhaps be traced back to some primitive point in time when pack hunting offered our only chance of survival.

However, as Bleeker notes, that natural response seems to be evoked in children more and more these days.

“Where does that come from? It’s increased stress at school and within our society. Twenty years ago, kids would go out and play. Nowadays kids are doing more structured sports and are engaged in more out-of-school activities,” she says, adding that the cultural and individual bases for performance anxiety extend far beyond that.

For example, when children and teens are made to feel — not always without reason — as though everything counts toward some future goal, such as university placement, scholarships and career opportunities, or that every moment is being recorded for public consumption and posterity, it can compound the pressure of a five-minute piano recital or a recreational soccer match.

Chris Moore, a student services coordinator at Spokane Public Schools, says that social media can be a factor too — even indirectly.

“When you post on Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram, you can post and purport to be whomever you desire to be.

Kids, with their developing mindset, are not able to see what’s reality and what’s idealism or perfectionism. They see Mom ...continued on next page

PILLOW POWER

Shut-Eye Strategies As the new year unfolds, many of us have resolved to eat better and exercise more. All for the good. But we may be neglecting what could be the most important health habit of them all: GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP. While no one knows why every animal on the planet sleeps, we do know the myriad health benefits it provides — and the dangers associated with poor sleep.

Inadequate sleep suppresses leptin, a hormone that tells the brain we are full and keeps us from craving all the wrong foods. Sleep is when the brain consolidates memories and releases painful emotions. Four or five nights of poor sleep and you become pre-diabetic!

How do you know if you are getting enough sleep? Seven or eight hours is ideal for most people, but the general rule is, are you waking up with enough energy? There are general recommendations for helping your body to sleep.

1

Eat three meals a day. If dinner is your biggest meal, your body is receiving most of its fuel supply at the exact wrong time of day, taxing the heart and interfering with deeper stages of sleep. Avoid alcohol or allow two hours before bedtime for each drink.

2

Slow down an hour before bedtime by doing something relaxing and quieting such as knitting, reading for pleasure, or TV that is mindless (like an episode of Friends).

3

No caffeine of any kind after lunch.

Caffeine can stay in the body for up to eight hours.

4

Avoid computers, iPads, Kindles, etc for at least two hours before bedtime. The light from these devices fools the brain into thinking it’s still daytime!

Sleep matters. As Warren Buffett said, “When forced to choose, I will not trade even a night’s sleep for the chance of extra profit.”

— ROBERT MAURER

GOLD STAR SPONSOR:

Robert Maurer is a Spokane psychologist, consultant and author of One Small Step Can Change Your Life.

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018

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“UNDER PRESSURE,” CONTINUED... and Dad playing into what their friends are posting.” In turn, they can feel compelled to live up to the public image their parents are curating.

BEATING THE BUTTERFLIES

With all those complex external forces acting upon today’s children and teenagers, how can they learn not to let performance anxiety get the better of them?

“As educators, as community members, as parents,” says Moore, “we need to give our kids skills and strategies to build their toolbox to try to mitigate the effects of anxiety and the impact it has on our kids.

Kids are not going to learn it on their own.”

in Russia and worked as a vocal coach in Beijing. Together with her husband Xu Duo, she now runs a Spokane-based violin and piano studio.

To work through more serious cases of the butterflies, Tsai suggests that her piano students try the quick mental trick of acting like they’re in an ordinary piano lesson or blocking out the audience by pretending it isn’t there. If that doesn’t work, particularly for her younger or more self-conscious students, she encourages them to just give it their best shot.

“Usually I tell them, ‘You’ve prepared so much for this moment, why don’t you just try?’ Sometimes I will take them aside and repeat what they have to focus on, on

You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.

— Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical School The first step toward equipping kids with that toolbox lies in identifying the signs.

“You’re going to see anxiety differently,” Bleeker says. “For some kids, they’re going to give up. Some kids are going shut down. Some kids express their anxiety in frustration and anger. It’s a wide variety of behaviors that are as unique as the kids.”

Common symptoms include difficulty breathing, sudden tantrums or an inability to focus.

“Some kids have very cold fingers.

Some talk very loudly, exaggerate their laughing. A few kids will just tell me, ‘I’m not going to do the performance,’” says Tsai Feng, a Chinese émigré who studied at the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory

the music. I don’t want them to focus on the nervousness; I want them to focus on the performance.”

Most of the recommended exercises for transcending performance anxiety consist of just that — transferring the focus from the possibility of “choking” to the act itself.

As a result, they’re not all that dissimilar to meditation and mindfulness practices.

“Mindfulness is, simply put, paying attention in a particular way at a particular moment of time,” Moore says. “Jon KabatZinn has brought mindfulness and mindful practice to the forefront in this country, and there is empirical research that [it] decreases anxiety. It forces kids to get out of their head and bring their focus to the present.”

She says one of the most effective

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on-the-spot calming methods is “4, 5, 6” breathing exercises: Breathing in through the nose for a count of four, holding it to a count of five, and then a slow, controlled oral exhalation for a count of six.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

Yet the most effective way to alleviate momentary pressure is to begin long before the event itself. Moore recommends regular journaling as a way to relieve stress, as it enables kids to articulate their concerns and emotions over weeks and even months.

She also encourages adults to find ways to increase face-to-face communication with their children and reduce the fast-paced agitations of screen time.

Tsai and Bleeker are advocates for “practice, practice, practice,” in Bleeker’s words, as the best preparation for a performance is mastery of the material. That often requires some investment from parents to help children review and reinforce whatever is being learned in school, on the playing field or in the rehearsal space.

On the big day, the crucial thing to avoid is urging the child or teenager to simply get over their nerves. That can exacerbate the situation by making the anxiety into another obstacle to be overcome. Instead, the best course of action is to restore perspective by reassuring them that any slip-ups and imperfections aren’t the end of the world.

“It’s about having a conversation with your children that this is just a small part of who you are,” says Bleeker. “You are so much more than this one activity, so much more than someone who takes a test.

They have to know that it’s okay to make mistakes. If we didn’t make mistakes, we wouldn’t learn. That’s the process of growing.”

“We can have high expectations for our kids,” adds Moore, “but we need to mirror that with high levels of support.”

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Gut Instincts Are probiotics aimed at improving gut health worth the cash?

BY DR. MATT THOMPSON

I

n case you’re not familiar with probiotics, they’re essentially live bacteria that are thought to promote a healthy gut and bestow various other benefits, including skin, urogenital and even mental health.

As is typical in our culture, any idea that has some promise spawns new products attempting to capitalize on it. This, in turn, creates a large influx of anecdotal “evidence” that can end up clouding understanding of what is actually beneficial and what is just a fad.

Here’s where current research stands: 4 There is good evidence that probiotics can reduce diarrhea due to virus, certain bacteria and antibiotic therapy; 4 There have been some small studies, albeit with significant methodological flaws, that have shown positive results when probiotics are used for fussy babies thought to have “colic.” Higher-quality follow-up studies have returned differing results — ranging from no difference compared to placebo, to beneficial for exclusively breastfed babies with colic.

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When parents ask me if they should give probiotics to their children, I try to stick to the evidence. It’s important to note here, though, that one issue with probiotics is a lack of consistency in what the products actually contain. The variability is particularly notable as it relates to the quantity of microbes in the given product. In the original studies that showed beneficial results, doses of five billion “colony forming units” were used. Many products contain only a million, or even fewer, CFUs, so read the labels carefully.

4 For children having diarrhea from a virus or due to antibiotic therapy, I recommend a one- to two-week course of 5 billion CFU a day, usually split into twice-a-day dosing.

4 If parents are trying to improve symptoms of colic, I suggest they give the child a trial over a few weeks of 5 billion CFU a day, then stop and see what they think about the intervention. If the probiotics seem beneficial, keep it up for a month or two, with the understanding that most

babies have resolution of colic within a few months of onset.

4 At this time, I do not recommend using probiotics on the off-chance they might help preventatively. Until more evidence is produced that supports the safety and benefits of probiotic supplements given daily to infants and children, I recommend parents save their money and put it toward the college fund.

Fortunately, as long as parents don’t keep their homes too clean, good old-fashioned dust and dirt, the original probiotics, will provide a daily dose of good bugs for kids. Additionally, parents can expose children to beneficial microbes daily by feeding infants breast milk and/or formula containing probiotics, and providing children with yogurt, cottage cheese, kimchi, sourdough bread, pickles and dark chocolate — almost as effective as, but much tastier than dust and dirt. Bon Appetit!

Matt Thompson is a pediatrician at Spokane’s Kids Clinic.

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The German Way to Parent It’s time for freedom-loving Americans to re-examine just how much control we’re imposing on our kids. At least that’s how Moscow, Idaho, resident Sara Zaske sees it in her new book, ACHTUNG BABY: AN AMERICAN MOM ON THE ART OF RAISING SELF-RELIANT CHILDREN. During her family’s six years living in northern Germany, Zaske observed how her new neighbors cultivated freedom and self-determination for their children, practically from the time they’re born.

Attachment parenting is discouraged.

Young children socialize with their peers, away from hovering parents. Learning to relate to adults outside the family is essential. Parents can choose among a wide variety of public schools, but they have to choose: Homeschooling is illegal.

Zaske has to overcome her own hesitations, and being a good journalist, she researches the risks and benefits of various German education and parenting practices.

As her findings confirm the benefits of German ways, she begins to relax, and she realizes her children are developing a startling level of self-confidence and independence. And in turn she worries about American practices. “We’ve created a culture of control,” she writes. “In the name of safety and academic achievement, we have stripped kids of fundamental rights and freedoms: the freedom to move, to be alone for even a few minutes, to take risks, to play, to think for themselves — and it’s not just parents who are doing this. It’s culture-wide.”

— ANNE McGREGOR

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“You find courage,” says Sally Vantress-Lodato.

“I called it ‘earned courage.’” YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS

Still Rolling Sally Vantress-Lodato revisits her round-the-world bike ride of 30 years ago — a trip that never really ended

BY DAN NAILEN

J

ust over 30 years ago, in January 1988, Sally Vantress-Lodato pushed down on the pedal of her bicycle nicknamed “Buddy” for the first time. The resistance the novice cyclist felt from Buddy was “startling,” but the diminutive then-30year-old pedaled through the pain, learning how to balance the touring packs of gear strapped to the bike while quickly discerning that automobiles in New Zealand drove on the opposite side of the road than they did in her California hometown.

Those clumsy first rotations of her tires were the start of an adventure that took Vantress-Lodato across more than 21,000 miles aboard Buddy, spanning Australia

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and Asia, Europe and North America over the course of 18 months. She arrived at home in the Bay Area on July 29, 1989, and published a book about her adventure a year later.

But looking back now as a happy Spokane mother, wife and long-time professional in outdoor recreation, VantressLodato believes that her trip never really ended, even if Buddy isn’t part of the ride anymore. She sees everything she’s done in the 30 years since her ride as part of that experience of first pushing the pedal down.

“I’ve learned it’s all connected,” Vantress-Lodato says. “I don’t think there’s one thing that’s not connected. I think of it

this way: One thing leads you to another thing, which leads you to another thing.

It starts somewhere and never ends if you don’t allow it to end. I don’t think our journeys should ever end, as far as our experiences and what we’re searching for in life.”

N

ow having just-turned 60 and recently retired from more than two decades managing Spokane’s REI store, Vantress-Lodato is far from “settling down.” She serves on the Spokane Park Board and the Riverside State Park Foundation, works as a public speaker and recently completed an update of the book about her bike ride, GET THE BOOK Seeing Myself You can buy Seeing Myself Seeing The Seeing The World at Auntie’s, or World. The at sallyvantresslodato.com. new version adds hard-earned perspective she’s gained in the years since the trip — perspective she says it was difficult to have when she first got home from her 18 months abroad, or while on the journey.

“When I came home, I was like, ‘Do I

understand what I did?’” Vantress-Lodato says. “I didn’t have time to think about that on the trip. I did a little bit, but when you’re in survival mode, your mind has to be on that. It can’t go somewhere else where it’s not real, or not about survival.

“I came back from my bike ride and I was really lost and confused and thought I’d have answers. I had no answers. I had more questions than I had answers. I got lonely and depressed because my life was so different, and everyone else’s life had moved on.”

Returning to her story from 30 years ago allowed her to consider her motivations for embarking on a seemingly insane trip. The day-to-day details are the same, of course, and offer remarkable glimpses into a range of cultures and people encountered along her path. The intervening years, though, have helped her appreciate the passion and drive that pushed her to keep Buddy moving forward all those years ago.

“When I was 30, I wrote this book,” Vantress-Lodato says. “I was not a writer. I laugh about how you get into things you’re not really qualified to do. I wasn’t qualified to ride around the world on a bicycle. I wasn’t qualified to write a book. Nor was I

think, ‘I’ve arrived. I’m done. I’ll always never be afraid.’ Those are the kinds of things I think about 30 years later.”

I

A fully loaded Buddy the Bike in New Zealand, 1988.

COURTESY OF SALLY VANTRESS-LODATO

qualified to become a public speaker… We create those limitations for ourselves. We limit our ability to do things because we think we can’t do it.

“Sometimes it’s about blind faith. I wouldn’t say I had courage, or that I have it today. But you find courage. I called it ‘earned courage.’ And you keep earning it, and earning it. You don’t deal with fear and

t would be easy to think of her revisiting and rewriting of Seeing Myself Seeing The World as “coming full circle,” a poetic end to this particular adventure. But the journey she took on Buddy still calls to her, often through other people who have been inspired by her story and want to talk to her about their own trials. The questions people ask of her drove Vantress-Lodato to explore her own strengths and what she had to offer others. She’s constantly learning from those around her, and teaching them as well, and the knowledge she gains and disseminates fuels her ability to work in a variety of fields as surely as snacks along her ride fueled her ever forward for 21,000 miles.

“I want to surround myself with energy and people and life experiences where the combination of all those matters and is meaningful and is helping others and serving others,” Vantress-Lodato says of what’s next for her. “Serving something greater than ourselves, that’s been my exploration the last year.”

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Now’s the time to embrace what you’ve always wanted to try and experience. Whether it’s painting, Tai-chi, woodworking, continuing education or dance, you’ll find all that and more at Rockwood South Hill. We invite you to visit us and learn what other residents have already found about the gracious and active community of Rockwood South Hill, Spokane’s non-profit community of choice since 1960.

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