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UTAH STORIES MAGAZINE

6 Utah Stories Contributors 12 In A World of Chaos, People Want Silence & Simplicity Toning down the rhetoric

14 Spoonfuls of Sugar

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VOLUME 11 ISSUE 43

18 Raw Milk Churns Controversy How safe is it?

22 Gluten Sensitivities Worse living through chemistry

26 Keeping Your Pets Healthy and Happy Puppy love

Utah’s cookie wars

SPOTLIGHT 30 Ogden

36 Sugar House

Benefits of a Cold Plunge

32 Park City

Getting Fit in Sugar House

40 Food

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PUBLISHER/EDITOR Richard Markosian Golda Hukic-Markosian

Matt Pyne

PUBLISHER’S ASST. Connie Lewis

DIGITAL PUBLISHER & MARKETING & EVENTS Golda Hukic-Markosian

SALES & ACCOUNTS Golda Hukic-Markosian Tamara Mullen

DISTRIBUTION Connie Lewis

Alegra Zuchowicz

4 | utahstories.com

SOCIAL MEDIA Alegra Zuchowicz COPY EDITOR David Jensen GRAPHIC DESIGN Anna Lythgoe Fletcher Marchant Susan Maxfield

PHOTOGRAPHERS Dung Hoang John Taylor

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Erin Dixon Laurel Dudley Taylor Hartman Heather L. King Connie Lewis Cathy McKitrick

WRITERS Brandi Christoffersen

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ILLUSTRATORS Chris Bodily

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BEHIND THE STORIES Alegra Zuchowicz

Alegra Zuchowicz is the Accounts and Social Media Manager at Utah Stories. Although her job involves much more than writing stories, she has a traditional Journalism background. Attending California Polytechnic State University, she graduated in Journalism in 2022, concentrating in Public Relations with a minor in Dance.

Her passion for Journalism began at sixteen years old. At Cal Poly, she wrote for Mustang News in the art section as well as writing for the Santa Barbara Independent. She also interned at the Santa Barbara Adventure Company where she helped with social media.

In her free time, Alegra loves to dance, go to pilates classes, and spend time with her boyfriend and their two cats, Jack and Zara. She is new to Utah and loves exploring our amazing mountains.

Her passion for Journalism stems from her belief that you can make a difference through words and telling stories, and she is excited to bring that passion into her writing at Utah Stories.

Matthew Pyne

Matt’s passion for journalism began at an early age when he started covering Baltimore Orioles baseball and Baltimore Ravens football for various online blogs.

Post graduation, Matthew worked for USA Today in Pennsylvania, and was immersed in the ins and outs of print and online journalism.

In his free time, Matthew enjoys sports, playing the guitar, and especially filmmaking. Matthew is an aspiring filmmaker, which is rivaled only by his love of storytelling for Utah Stories.

Tamara S. Mullen

After living among the avocado orchards in California and the emerald green forests of Oregon, Tamara returned home to the majestic mountains of Utah. Growing up with the Utah Symphony, she dreamed of becoming a concert pianist. While Chopin and Bach brought her much joy, her only claim to fame was winning her school’s music competition when she was six. She couldn’t have imagined that a few years after earning an MBA from UCLA, she would serve as director of marketing for a renowned symphony orchestra, which inspired her to create The Sound in the Woods — an award-winning story about a young boy’s journey toward becoming a violin maker.

Tamara then founded a business to handsell her book to indie book and specialty shops and libraries to benefit our communities.

Her experiences have provided a foundation to help Utah Stories grow and prosper through building enduring marketing partnerships and helping to launch a new magazine.

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Turning off the noise,

tuning into reality Navigating the media in 2024: younger viewers grow weary of cable news hysteria, propaganda, and the rise of podcasters

By Richard Markosian

T

urning on cable TV is like watching a Gladiatorial battle in a pit of vipers, with accusations that the opposition is “destroying democracy!” Or “staging an insurrection!” Or “trying to destroy our institutions!”

What if these fights are manufactured just to get our attention? What if these constant attacks and national narratives are just a distraction or a smoke screen taking our brain power away from important matters? What if the elites on the left and the right are essen-

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tially the same, and the titans of corporations and the government are in cahoots and are the ones really controlling things?

This is what some of the most popular podcasters I sometimes listen to are saying.

What if this constant battle of left vs. right — liberals vs. conservatives — isn’t really a battle but a charade? While I’m not certain this is true because indeed the Conservatives and Liberals do in fact have different values and priorities, sometimes these priorities and values seem to get muddled in the vitriol of

PHOTO BY GOLDA HUKIC-MARKOSIAN

the fight.

While I certainly think there are major differences between the left and the right, it doesn’t feel like these differences are hammered out through thoughtful and meaningful debates. It no longer feels like the goal of either party is to provide the best possible policies or decisions for the American public, but rather, to stand firmly against whatever the opposition is in favor of.

It also doesn’t feel as if the networks are interested in finding the truth and facilitating public discourse. When presidential candidate and commentator, Dr. Cornel West, was on the Utah Stories podcast, he said, “something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” West calls the parties a “duopoly”. Both parties, he believes, are essentially controlled by giant corporate powers, and I now agree with him.

It is largely the corporate interests who are actually controlling the agenda in Washington.

The networks operating in their respective echo chambers engage in faux public discourse because that’s what attracts their base of support. Because, let’s face it, most people are closed-minded. Most people don’t want to hear both sides of a debate. Most viewers, especially those in their sixties, are more interested in confirming their own biases than having their long-standing opinions challenged.

The race to gain eyeballs through narratives of ongoing, non-stop, constant hysteria, is a formula that is finally wearing thin on the American public. Younger viewers especially, are tuning out of cable TV and tuning into streaming content. Cable TV is losing viewers and paying subscribers rapidly.

According to Nielsen Ratings, broadcast and cable TV now make up less than half of the viewers of programs.

The average age of Fox and CNN viewers is now 68-years-old. It’s mostly geriatrics who find their opinion-driven “news” interesting. The vast majority of news consumers now get their content from streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and YouTube podcasters. This is good in that perhaps more citizens will learn the truth rather than just the corporate-sponsored media narratives. But there is also a negative because how can we maintain any semblance of a

“national conversation” if everyone is watching their own pundit or influencer who may be less interested in actual facts and more concerned about pushing a personal agenda?

Wouldn’t it be a better use of our attention to watch what is happening on a local level than to believe that watching Sean Hannity continue to play clips of Joe Biden stumbling down steps is a good use of our time?

Why not recognize that we have more in common with our neighbors and each other than we realize? I’ve always found that when I sit down and speak face-to-face with nearly anybody who I might initially disagree with, I almost always find that I have more things in common with them than not.

Last summer, on a five-day river rafting trip down the Green River, I met a man who operated a travel agency that mostly helped tourists and former Cubans go back and visit Cuba. It turned out he was a pro-Fidel Castro Communist. I suppose it’s the reporter in me that was fascinated by him. I’m always interested in learning why people think the way they do.

I wanted to understand how and why Bob thought Castro’s brand of communism was the answer to peace and prosperity, despite the obvious fact that it has failed everywhere it has been implemented (including Cuba).

While I never did understand Bob’s political point of view, what I could see is that Bob deeply cared about people. He and his wife Sue and their grandchildren were nice, caring people. I genuinely enjoyed their company. So a libertarian and a socialist can get along on a river trip.

Maybe our political leaders should go down the Yampa or through Desolation Canyon and debate the most pressing issues before they determine that the other side is “destroying democracy” and has evil intentions. Simple acts in life, such as floating a river, going on a walk or a hike, or riding a bike, are the reasons why so many people are moving to Utah. Why not embrace this? Why don’t we all engage more with the physical world around us in 2024?

Engaging with people face-to-face is far superior to debating online trolls. My call is to turn off the noise and tune into the actual physical world around us. It’s a pretty nice place.

utahstories.com | 13

Spoonfuls t sugar MAY THE BEST COOKIE WIN

By Erin Dixon

14 | utahstories.com

C

an you copyright something you cook? Can you trademark a recipe? If you sell an amazing chocolate cake with 15 ingredients, are you the only one who can make it and sell it with those exact 15 things?

While there are copyright laws for music, and songs that sound similar (See David Bowie and “Under Pressure” versus Vanilla Ice and “Ice Ice Baby”), and electronics (See Edison versus Westinghouse for the lightbulb), there are very few protections for making and selling food or printing recipes.

In May 2022, Crumbl cookies sued for “damages” caused by Dirty Dough and Crave Cookie Co’s. use of marketing materials that were too similar, rotating menus, and recipes. One part of the accusation is that a Crumbl employee stole recipes and founded Dirty Dough using their exact ingredients.

Dirty Dough fought back, filing a claim that Crumbl had caused them financial difficulties because of the lawsuit.

The battle has continued through 2023, and while Crumbl and Crave reached agreements, Dirty Dough is still working out the kinks.

How much control can a person or company have over recipes and food production?

The US Copyright Office says, “...[T]he Office cannot register recipes consisting of a set of ingredients and a process for preparing a dish. In contrast, a recipe that creatively explains or depicts how or why to perform a particular activity may be copyrightable. A registration for a recipe may cover the written description or explanation of a process that appears in the work, as well as any photographs or illustrations that are owned by the applicant. However, the registration will not cover the list of ingredients that appear

in each recipe, the underlying process for making the dish, or the resulting dish itself. The registration will also not cover the activities described in the work that are procedures, processes, or methods of operation, which are not subject to copyright protection.”

Different cookie shops have special offerings to help them stand out from the competition. Dirty Dough offers Gossners flavored milks, like strawberry, orange cream and root beer. Crumbl has their own pH balanced water, and even a card game called Cover your Cookies. Crave offers loaded sodas, while Batch offers cinnamon rolls and special holiday pies and dinner rolls.

Reegan Young, Co-owner of Batch Baked Goods in Riverton, talked about the heavy competition surrounding her shop. “Everytime I see more sugar places pop up, I think, ‘Oh no, they don’t know what they’re getting into’,” Young said.

“There’s a lot of competition — donut, cookie and dessert places in general.

The Utah economy just can’t handle it.

In the Riverton area, it’s very saturated.

You’ve got Crumbl on every corner, Chip, Crave, Dirty Dough, Wanna Cinn as well. It’s too saturated.”

Batch Baked Goods insists their employees commit to keeping the recipes secret. “My employees know the recipes like the back of their hand,” Young said.

“They do sign an agreement that they can’t take the recipes anywhere else. They will be sued.”

Why are cookies and desserts so popular in Utah? The planet Earth is covered with people with a sweet tooth, from Middle Eastern baklava, mochi in Japan, and malva pudding in South Africa, to name just a few. But Utah seems to be overflowing with cookies.

ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS BODILY

This is a tricky lawsuit I’m glad not to be involved in. I have never tasted any of them. But it would be fun to throw a big party with taste testing, to buy from and support them all.

utahstories.com | 15

16 | utahstories.com

but that all the shops deserve their own shot at success.

Nicole Simmons in Salt Lake City said, “I prefer Crave to Crumbl. Never been to Dirty Dough since there’s not one around me. But really, they all win. The public are the stupid ones, paying $5+ for a .50 cent cookie!

Amy Hepworth Green in Sandy said, “This is a tricky lawsuit I’m glad not to be involved in. I have never tasted any of them. But it would be fun to throw a big party with taste testing, to buy from and support them all.”

Emma McNeal in Clinton said, “I’ve eaten Dirty Dough and it literally was dough, barely baked. Crumble has a few that I like. Swig has the only cookie I buy regularly (maybe twice a year when we have a fundraiser from school). All of them are expensive in my opinion.”

In Utah, No matter what your sweet tooth demands, there are plenty of ways to satisfy it.

PHOTO BY JIMMY DEAN | UNSPLASH

Just a quick map search shows more than a dozen cookie bakeries, many with several locations. RubySnap Fresh Cookies, Crave, Chip Cookies, Crumbl Cookies, Local Cookie Co., Batched Baked Goods, Twisted Sugar, Sweet Kate’s Cookies, and Suss Cookies. Swig and Thirst deserves to be on the cookie list because of the popularity of their sugar cookies to pair with one of their designer drinks.

We can hypothesize that cookies are popular in Utah as an alternative indulgence to alcohol and smoking. Utah residents are among the lowest alcohol consumers and smokers in the United States, and are obsessed with not just cookies, but cupcakes from Sprinkles and Cravings, sodas from Fizz, donuts from Banbury Cross and Dunford, and ice cream from Normal, Cold Stone, and Founding Flavors.

Cookies from the local shops cost anywhere from $3.98 to $5.25 per cookie.

Many residents think these prices are high,

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Raw milk churns controversy Will new legislation help the few utah farmers who still sell it?

By Laurel Dudley

Shayn and Kristen Bowler, owners of Utah Natural Meat.

18 | utahstories.com

PHOTOS BY DUNG HOANG

F

or weeks at Utah Natural Meat, raw milk gushed into the dirt. Normally, the raw, unpasteurized milk from the last dairy farm in Salt Lake County would be bottled and sold to customers so eager to buy it that they’d line up an hour before the store opened. Customers continued to ask for it, owner Shayn Bowler said, but he had to tell them no. His state permit to sell raw milk had been suspended.

Three weeks passed, until mid-October, when the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food notified Bowler that they found campylobacter in his milk. The bacterium had sickened 12 people, one of whom was hospitalized, according to the Salt Lake County Health Department.

“Obviously,” said Bowler, a fifthgeneration farmer, “if there is something unsafe about it, we want to address that immediately.”

But working with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Bowler said, was a cumbersome process that nearly put him out of business.

Some of his customers, who tout raw milk’s nutritional benefits, were so frustrated by what they said was the department’s lack of transparency that they complained to their state representative. State Rep. Cheryl Acton (R-Salt Lake County) now plans to introduce legislation that would make the permit suspension process clearer for not only farmers, but the public as well.

Striking the right balance, she says, is key.

“We need to find a way to provide safety as much as we can while also allowing businesses to provide this product that is in high demand.”

The legislation, Acton says, would establish a protocol and timeline to follow when an outbreak occurs, as well as ensure that farmers have immediate access to the full test results, something Bowler said was hard to get.

By law, the Department of Agriculture and Food is responsible for tracing an outbreak to its source. But because campylobacter is so rare, regulatory services division director Travis Waller said, and because the testing kits needed to detect it are so expensive, they’re not kept in stock. That meant two weeks passed before the state’s lab could test

for it.

“We are reevaluating these lab policies so we don’t have these issues in the future,” Waller wrote in an email. The department controls its budget, Waller said, but testing and other requirements for raw milk have been written into state code.

Raw milk laws differ by state. In Utah, the legislature legalized it in 2007 with the proviso that it may be sold only at the farm where it is produced or at a store owned by the producer. Today, Utah has 10 permitted suppliers. To buy raw milk, customers must sign a waiver acknowledging the risks.

From January 2019 through November 2023, raw milk products in Utah were linked to illnesses in 130 people, representing about 2% of all reported foodborne illnesses, and 15 hospitalizations, according to preliminary data from Utah Department of Health & Human Services. University of Utah public health Prof. Scott Benson, a physician specializing in infectious diseases, says the actual number of cases is likely much higher.

“For every single illness, we speculate that there are probably somewhere on the order of 50 to 100 individuals who didn’t seek care because they just powered through it.”

Despite the risks, most states have legalized raw milk, including Iowa last July.

But the US Food and Drug Administration still bans the interstate sale of raw milk.

Kristin Whitaker, a board-certified nutrition therapist who lives in West Jordan, is so confident of the benefits that for six years she milked her own goats. She believes raw milk gives her children an “immune edge.” Now, she buys it from Utah Natural Meat, and she often recommends it to her clients.

Benson attributes the surge in interest in raw milk to people looking for less processed foods, which he said is “generally a good thing.” But some processing, such as pasteurization, he said, “is necessary for safe and healthy food. It’s not that a single glass of raw milk is going to do you in, but some people — infants, people over 65, pregnant women and individuals with immune-compromising conditions — are at significant risk for hospitalization and death.”

Pasteurization — heating raw milk

utahstories.com | 19

The Bowlers have a herd of around 73 Jersey cows that produce around 1000 gallons of raw milk every week.

— kills disease-causing microorganisms.

Benson estimates that the process diminishes milk’s vitamin and mineral content by less than 5%. “The change in nutritional value is minuscule,” he said, and far outweighs the risks. Bacteria, including campylobacter, E. Coli and salmonella, can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea that can become life threatening.

“The potential consequences are so severe that the public health side of me says, you know, we probably shouldn’t sell raw milk.”

Whitaker disagrees. Pasteurization, she says, zaps the nutrients.

Bowler, who runs the farm with his wife, Kristen, grew up drinking raw milk from his grandfather’s dairy. Their four kids drink it, too. “I believe raw milk is a healthy product when done right,” Bowler said.

Bowler spent nearly $300,000 in 2016 to build a milking facility that complied with state requirements to sell raw milk to the public. He gradually increased his herd of Jersey cows from 15 to 73 to meet what he says was growing demand. But even producing around 1,000 gallons of raw milk every week, Bowler said, they almost always sold out.

The permit suspension forced him to rethink his business. When the Department of Agriculture didn’t offer any guidance,

20 | utahstories.com

Bowler turned to the Weston A. Price Foundation, a national raw milk advocacy group who offered to pay for private testing and connected him to their attorney. He said it felt as if the Department of Agriculture “seemed satisfied to just have us out of the market.” Uncertain when his permit would be reinstated, and with employees to pay and cows to milk, Bowler sold more than half his herd to keep financially afloat.

Following three consecutive tests that showed no sign of bacteria (the legal requirement), and after more than eight weeks, Bowler’s permit was reinstated in November. Nearly 550 people signed up to get raw milk, although 300 had to be waitlisted.

The permit suspension left Bowler “trepidatious,” he said, but not about selling raw milk. He worries that the Department of Agriculture can shut him down indefinitely at any time.

His customers, he said, “have been nothing but wonderful,” calling to check in, offering to help, and emailing stories about how raw milk has improved their health.

“That’s probably the reason that I would still consider doing raw milk out of respect and loyalty to my customers,” he said.

“There certainly are better ways of making an income.”

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is the war on gluten justified?

is there a link between GLYPHOSATE USAGE AND GLUTEN INTOLERANCE?

By Cathy McKitrick

22 | utahstories.com

into rotation.

A product called 2-4-D was the only weed killer he used years ago, Barry said, but he remembers the days when crops were routinely sprayed from the air.

Glyphosate concerns

In 1973, Monsanto began marketing its powerful glyphosate-containing herbicide Roundup — notably the most widely used herbicide in the US. But decades later, the International Agency for Research on Cancer named glyphosate as a probable carcinogen.

Multiple class-action lawsuits against the company led Monsanto to unload its longtime best seller on Bayer in 2018.

But glyphosate continues to surface in similar products after Monsanto’s patent expired in 2000. Monsanto and other companies also produce genetically modified seeds that can withstand glyphosate. Some suspect that genetically modified foods could be responsible for the spike in gluten intolerance across the US, but no conclusive studies have been conducted to definitively establish that link.

Leslie Peterson, a naturopathic physician

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOB BARRY

A

side from a stint in the military in Vietnam, 77-year-old Bob Barry, recently named Farmer of the Year by the County Conservation Board, spent most of his adult life farming along the Utah-Colorado border.

In recent decades, many of Barry’s 6,000 acres produced organic winter wheat, a crop that has grown in popularity due to increased gluten sensitivity across the U.S. Barry’s wheat is marketed by Utah- and California-based Central Milling.

“For the most part we’ve never used chemicals,” Barry said recently by phone. “If you keep your land clean from all weeds, noxious and otherwise, then you have less issues.”

But that task is easier said than done, Barry noted, especially with irrigated land where weeds enter through the water supply.

But the Monticello area does not require irrigation, and Barry can rely on snowmelt and rainfall to provide enough moisture.

Still, the fight between weeds and crops never ends.

“Farmers fight weeds, that’s what we do … you can’t raise weeds and a crop at the same time,” Barry said. So, at times, they spot spray weeds and then farm around that area for three years before putting it back

Organic winter wheat being harvested on Bob Barry’s farm along the Utah-Colorado border.

who runs the Full Circle Care Clinic in Murray, has witnessed this increase in the women she’s treated over the past decade.

Peterson noted that glyphosate — the most widely used herbicide in the US — is an antibiotic that works by breaking down the cell walls of bacteria.

“I see a lot of bacterial imbalance (in the gut) — overgrowth of bad things and undergrowth of good things,” Peterson said, noting that disruption of the gastrointestinal tract has been linked to obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

In her naturopathic practice, Peterson uses blood tests that can measure environmental toxin levels (including glyphosate) in a patient’s body.

“And 100 percent of people have environmental toxins in their bodies,” Peterson said, noting that 60 to 70 percent of her patients feel better after eliminating gluten from their diets.

Cross-breeding vs.

Genetically Modified

Margaret Krause, an assistant professor in Utah State University’s Department

of Plants, Soils and Climate, cross-breeds winter wheat as part of her job.

That work helps produce stronger seeds and crops for the Monticello area where irrigation water isn’t used.

Krause believes there’s a significant difference between cross-breeding and genetic modification.

“I think it’s a big misconception that the public has,” she said.

Her work deals with facilitating sexual reproduction between two different types of wheat, each having its own long suit.

Wheat pollinates itself, Krause explained, so she and her team don magnifiers to remove one plant’s ability to produce pollen.

Then the pollen produced by the other breed of wheat does the job instead. But the total process of establishing a new breed can span a dozen years.

“We have to wait until the end of the season when the plants have matured and then we can harvest seed off that and plant that again,” Krause said. “Technically, those are the children — but we have to grow it for several years before it’s genetically fixed.”

Krause distinguishes what she does from genetic modification, which involves biotechnologically inserting a gene from one species to another.

“That’s not what our program is focused on,” Krause said.

Questions remain

Both Krause and Barry agree that more studies are needed to establish the link between genetically modified foods and glyphosate to gluten intolerance and other serious diseases.

“The scientific community has not reached a consensus on why more [gluten intolerance] is cropping up,” Krause said.

“It’s probably a combination of different factors.”

And Barry is hesitant to vilify Roundup, even though he doesn’t use it himself.

“Roundup created some problems but I think it also solved some problems,” Barry said. “There’s been some overuse of it and farmers got dependent on it. When they did, some weeds got resistant … and they had to go to something else or a stronger dose.”

utahstories.com | 23

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keeping your pets healthyvhappy LOCAL EXPERTS GIVE ADVICE

By Connie Lewis 26 | utahstories.com

H

Going to the Vet

Dr. Deborah Hadlock, VMD, has served as a cardiology consultant and as the on-trail vet at the Iditarod, taking care of sled dogs for six years. She is also certified in acupuncture, Tui-na, Chinese herbal medicine, chiropractic therapy, and more.

Needless to say, if someone is looking for an alternative to traditional, Western veterinary care, they can find it with Dr. Debbie.

“I have a lot more tools in my tool box than mainstream practitioners. I got tired of using steroids and antibiotics without any other answers. Many of my clients come to me after they’ve exhausted their options with traditional vets,” she said.

She sees a lot of people that come to her “prepped” with internet searches they have done. One such client wanted to remain

utahstories.com | 27

PHOTOS BY RICHARD MARKOSIAN & JAMIE STREET|UNSPLASH

ealthy living is not just for humans.

People are increasingly turning to alternatives to ensure the health and long life of their pets.

Alexis Butler, along with her daughter Alyssa Butler, are the owners of The Dog’s Meow in Millcreek and Draper. For the past 27 years, Alexis has catered to people looking for healthy diet alternatives for their pets.

She sees people who frequent her store, “feeding less processed food and more raw, clean food. It is closer to their ancestral diet of eating raw meat off a carcass in the wild.”

She explained that dogs also used to graze on grass and got carbohydrates from the gut of dead animals, so the raw food she sells is a combination of raw meat and vegetables, either raw, frozen, or dehydrated.

Although others shy away from pet stores like hers, thinking it will be more expensive, she says that if you look at the price per feeding of raw vs. processed, there is not too much of a gap.

A good diet can also be preventive and save money in the long run, preventing expensive veterinary bills by keeping pets healthy.

Butler says her store was the first of its kind in the state; a health food or Whole Foods type of store for pets. Most of her health conscious customers admit their dogs eat better than they do.

anonymous. older dogs. “What is good for one dog is not After losing a dog to cancer, this dog necessarily good for another dog,” she owner adopted another puppy, said. which ended up having With puppies, it is good idiopathic epilepsy. “For to take into account that those who wonder about because they are not fully the word idiopathic, grown and their growth it simply means that plates haven’t closed, doctors could not find that it’s easy to overdo out the cause for the an exercise regime. It disease in question,” is good to take it slow.

Dr. Debbie explained.

“Sometimes common The concerned owner sense goes out the took the puppy for all window. Your fourScampers, the golden retriever, loves running sorts of exams and nothing month-old puppy should in the snow. was found. After spending not be going on a five-mile several thousand dollars, she run.” was right back at the starting point, It is also good to get puppies but with peace of mind that her puppy did checked prior to starting exercise to screen not have cancer. out musculoskeletal and heart problems.

One of the vets she saw told her that the The same holds true for older dogs who are frequency of seizures will increase with time, starting to slow down. Periodic checkups to and that Joey would have to go on some sort screen for joint problems and other issues of seizure prevention medication such as can keep a pet active and healthy well into phenobarbital, without a guarantee that the their later years. medicine would prevent seizures 100%.

Through personal research, Joey’s mom learned that food allergies can contribute to Dr. Debbie has advice for first time seizures and was able to pinpoint foods that owners: “Make sure you are getting your would trigger a seizure. She put Joey on dog from a reputable breeder. a semi-keto diet (raw meat and Don’t just go on KSL and buy cooked veggies), eliminating the first pup you see. Look high glycemic foods, for a seller who will let and in consultation you take the pup for with Dr. Debbie, also an exam, and if an added supplements issue is found, let and CBD oil, being you return it. Learn careful to find a about diet, learn pure and safe one. about vaccines.

Dr. Debbie “I recommend added, “With core-vaccines for epilepsy, we talk Parvo, distemper, about diet and and rabies, and environmental toxins administer non-core first. It is not always Despite having epilepsy, vaccines only as needed. possible to go completely Joey enjoys his life Rabies is a requirement by to the fullest. holistic and sometimes state law. Learn about training. requires a combination with I favor positive reinforcement.” traditional medicines. Sometimes you Keeping a pet healthy and active can can’t control the seizures with just diet and bring years of love and enjoyment. They give environmental factors.” so much to us, it is the least we can do for Also a proponent of healthy exercise, Dr. Debbie offers caution for young puppies and them.

First Time Pet Owners

28 | utahstories.com

OGDEN

low on energy? it’s hard to fall asleep when you’re freezing to death!

’ll try almost anything natural to beat the afternoon slump. Seven days a week at around 3:00pm, like clockwork, my eyes grow tired and my body starts to slow down.

It could be the two large French press coffees I make for myself in the morning, but I’ll try my taper-off another day.

A friend shared his take with me on how he beats the slump.

“Cold water. If you do dips regularly, it will change your energy,” he told me at brunch one morning.

All over TikTok and Instagram, influencers are filling their bathtubs with ice and jumping in. But does this practice really have health benefits? Will it keep my face from hitting the keyboard every afternoon as the emails keep rolling in?

It turns out the jury is still on ice about bathing indoors, but there are some real benefits that come with jumping into cold water, especially if you do it in a natural environment. According to a Finnish study on the effects of swimming in the ocean in the winter, over time, taking cold plunges can alter happiness and energy levels.

“Participants who take part in winter sea bathing feel a heightened sense of understanding their health versus those who don’t,” the study said, saying participants also “saw small reductions in negative mood, a heightened sense of well-being and increases in positive mood.”

One major point the study made was that

30 | utahstories.com

For some, winter is the perfect time for a dip.

just one cold plunge may not change your outlook. Instead, participants started seeing results after four weeks of continuously diving into the cold at least four times during the week. In another study, more than 50 German adults saw a reduction in inflammation and stress while cold plunging, but they too, did it multiple times per week.

After reading these studies and doing some more research, I decided to try some plunges to see how it felt. Standing at the edge of Pineview Reservoir, the crisp water lapped at my toes, and the air was even crisper.

The mountain air is cold at night, but the water still feels warm — warmer than the 50-60 degrees recommended by cold plunge experts. Still, I jump in and instantly lose my breath. My muscles tighten, then loosen, as I get used to the water. I don’t think it’s cold

IMAGE CREDIT: KASPARS GRINVALDS | SHUTTERSTOCK

I

By Taylor Hartman

enough.

While studies are still being conducted on plunges specifically, there is a large body of evidence showing that mindful moments in nature are also very good for you. Chris Newton is a certified forest bather and owner of River of Light Forest Bathing. He teaches courses at Red Butte Garden.

“Spending time in nature as a wellness practice is an effective way to manage depression and stress and build a healthy life balance,” Newton said. “When people are connected to nature, the benefits are not confined to humans, but work for the health and well-being of the entire biosphere.”

In search of colder temps, I headed to Snowbasin Resort, looking for a river or spring to dip into. (When you venture out, be sure to not disturb any natural environments or watersheds).

I came across a stream near the trail I was walking on, and found a part that was deep enough to submerge my body in. The water here is cold. Really cold. Obviously, the snow and runoff is keeping things chilly at higher elevations.

I slowly immersed myself into the icy water, instantly losing my breath again, this time much longer than before. After a few minutes, a family of hikers walked by. One of the younger members noticed me and looked confused.

“What are you doing in the water?” the kid yelled.

“Cold plunging. It’s supposed to give you more energy,” I replied.

“I bet it does!” the kid said. “You won’t fall asleep ‘cuz you’re shivering so hard!”

Sounds logical to me!

utahstories.com | 31

PA R K C I T Y

Park City’s Main Street will welcome the Sundance Film Festival from January 18th, 2024 through January 28th, 2024.

E SUNDANCE TAKEOVER I

By Brandi Christoffersen

n 2017, when A Long Strange Trip - The Story of the Grateful Dead, had a private performance at The Spur Bar & Grill, the production process was immense. For weeks prior to the event, details like food and bar menus were being tweaked. In addition, the documentary’s organizers worked with city planners to arrange for special permits, including any temporary overhead or wraparound signage that was required. Additionally, as the musical show was strictly for A-List entertainers, event security needed to be heightened.

According to Courtney Johanson, managing partner of four of Park City’s most popular dining destinations, there were five levels

32 | utahstories.com

of security, including The Spur’s own private service. “Many of the fans had purchased The Spur’s t-shirts in advance, and then tried to get into the location by impersonating our wait staff. They would try to sneak in through the kitchen and the delivery doors.

It was crazy.”

After working on Main Street since 1996, Johanson is a veritable savant at navigating the intricacies of the country’s largest cinema celebration — the Sundance Film Festival.

“Each year is just an incredible, fun, and intense time. I often go for 48 hours straight without sleeping,” Johanson exclaimed.

Her fête education began as a hostess at the young age of 14. With many firm words,

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE SUNDANCE INSTITUTE

how a park city restaurant owner prepares for the sundance film festival

impatient huffs, and “Don’t you know who I am’s?” being directed her way, the teenager quickly learned how to manage the expectations of spectators, fans, handlers, and talent.

Fast forward to today, with her four locations on Main Street — 350 Main, The Spur Bar & Grill, The Star Bar, and Big Dipper Park City — Johanson handles much more than just seating. In fact, preparations for the Sundance Film Festival begin long before its opening day in January.

Her work started in July when “big groups”— like production companies, talent agencies, and sponsors— began negotiating times, spaces, and concepts.

“The main emphasis is on the first weekend of the festival. They all plan out their parties and social events well in advance. For example, for many years we have worked with WME talent agency, and they will often rent out a space for 2 to 3 days to entertain their special talent, agents, and guests.”

August and September are used to finalize menus, permits, requests, etc. Then in December, once the film’s lineup is announced, preparations for premier dinners, press jun-

kets, and VIP parties begin. “When a company wants to use our space for an event, there are many steps and considerations that need to be taken to make it work,” Johanson stated.

As fervid as a VIP screening can be, when companies rent a space for more than 24 hours, the day-of preparations are even more intense. It all begins at 1am, when Johanson supervises the dismantling and removal of the location’s interior decor, including furniture, artwork, lighting etc.

At 2am, the event decor is delivered and set-up. At 8am, the restaurant staff arrives for their extended shift, and Johnson grabs a quick shut eye, before the real excitement begins.

10am is “launch time” when brunch is served until mid-afternoon. At 4pm, dinner service begins and runs until 9pm, when the decor is quickly changed into a nightclub scene and food and drinks are served until 1am.

Johanson and her staff get a few hours of sleep and start over again the next day.

“Sundance is a 10-day adrenaline rush,

utahstories.com | 33

and you do what you have to do to get through it. All of my team carry a survival bag — protein bar, energy drinks, toiletry bag, extra set of clothes — to their shift. You just never know what will happen. By the time you’ve completed your after-close cleanup, you may have only a few hours before your next shift.

Staffers that don’t live in Old Town will often crash on a co-workers couch.”

Johanson acknowledges that the pace and intensity during Sundance can be exhausting, but she expects this year to be a little less stressful. The organizers have changed up the schedule a bit, with all the premiers and big events taking place over the first weekend. After that, many of the showings and panels will be available online, which will allow the

town to slow down for the final few days.

“It means shorter events and less large bookings, which will be a nice change of pace. However, I still expect this year will bring many wonderful experiences and amazing people through our doors.”

On that note, we wondered, out of the hundreds of celebrities she has met over the years, which ones stand out to her?

“Honestly, most of the stars and entertainers are wonderful people and delightful to work with. However, I do have a few favorites. The first being the late and great Robin Williams. He was dining at 350 Main when I was a hostess. I was around 19 at the time, and a patron was being particularly hard on me. Mr. Williams came over to me and told me to ignore that awful person and that I was doing a fantastic job. His compassion and empathy were so genuine, he made me feel amazing.

Another person that is so authentic and down-to-earth is Matt Damon. He remembers me year after year and always asks how I am doing. And lastly, I have to say that John Legend is one of the absolute sweetest, kindest people I have ever known.”

This year, Johanson doesn’t know which celebrities will stop by for an entree or cocktail at her four locations, but whoever does, you can be sure that her seasoned staff will be well prepared and ready for them, and for another fabulous festival.

In 2024, the Sundance Film Festival will run from January 18th through the 28th.

Tickets, passes, and packages are available at festival.sundance.org/tickets, and include discount rates for Utah residents.

Park City’s Egyptian Theatre is just one of the venues that hosts the Sundance films.

34 | utahstories.com

Open Every Day, 10am-5pm 528 Main Street Park City, UT 84060 Parkcityhistory.org Or call 435-649-7457 for more information

From mining to skiing, discover more of this town’s unique history at the Park City Museum.

RESTAURANT REVIEWS, FOODIE EVENTS, AND RECIPES! BE IN THE KNOW. SUBSCRIBE TO UTAH BITES

SUGAR HOUSE

getting fit $ sugar house

boxing: it’s not just for guys anymore

PHOTOS BY JOH TAYLOR

A

By Cathy McKitrick

handful of unique fitness centers managed to survive COVID 19 shutdowns and continue to thrive in this eclectic and evolving Salt Lake City community.

One of those businesses, Boxing is For Girls (BIFG), aims to deliver much more than the conventional workout programs found elsewhere.

Eliza James settled down in Sugar House in 2005 and launched BIFG a year later.

Through individual and group training sessions, James said she’s been able to help clients — both men and women — tap their strengths to overcome barriers and reach their goals.

“I’m the first female in Utah with the boxing brand,” James said in a recent interview.

While COVID did deliver a significant blow to BIFG during its temporary shut down in 2020, James said that particular experience taught her to breathe and to be patient.

“I lost 75% of a business I had been building up for 16 years,” James said. “I kept the core group training outside and we are slowly building it back up. I am so grateful.”

A devotee of the martial arts, James de-

36 | utahstories.com

Eliza James, owner of Boxing is For Girls in Sugar House, works out with one of her clients.

utahstories.com | 37

Boxing is For Girls is a local, independent gym located in Sugar House at 1983 S. 1100 E.

scribed the higher consciousness she believes that brand of boxing can bring: “It’s using your body along with your consciousness, your spirit, to empower yourself so you can get aligned with nature and provide something nice to the world.”

While she specializes in personal training, James said she also loves her unconventional group sessions where people feed off each other’s energy.

“We laugh a lot, dance a lot, cry a lot and sweat a lot,” James said. “It’s pretty cleansing and empowering … I know it seems like just a boxing studio, but it’s not. It’s so much more than that.”

Capitalizing on character

James described the workspace she hewed out in one of Sugar House’s original buildings at 1983 S 1100 East.

“Its flair is classic boxing with an industrial feel, but also very urban. I brought graffiti artists off the streets. I have abstract paintings,” James said. ”It’s a special place for a lot of people to change and grow into their personal power and then take it out to the community and the world at large.”

Her clientele runs the gamut, James said, from gifted teens seeking a cool space, to athletes and artists hoping to reach new heights. “[Teens] come in and hit stuff, they get to

38 | utahstories.com

say things, to be themselves,” James said.

“Then I have people who need to get their bodies back, or just want to have fun or raise their consciousness by learning more about their inner world by using their physical bodies.”

Among her clients are Jerusha Hess, who helped create Napoleon Dynamite, and Nate Orchard, a Highland High grad who played football for the University of Utah and was then drafted by the NFL. Others include a female Olympic climber and a woman working on a documentary about the Great Salt Lake.

But despite the name, BIFG has sometimes trained more men than women.

“You’ve got to play with the guys. That’s half the world,” James said. “At one time, I had 68 percent male clientele.”

Fitness is BIG Business

Since 2013, the fitness industry grew by 64 percent, and 2022 revenues reached $5.6 trillion, according to a recent Global Wellness Institute report.

Health data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention underscore the need for exercise: In 2020, only 47 percent of US adults aged 18 and up got enough aerobic exercise, and only 24 percent engaged in enough weight training.

202

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FOOD & DRINK

Tantalizing tacos at fÁcil taqueria unleashing culinary creativity on a tortilla

By Heather L. King

M

ost things about Fácil Taqueria are as unexpected as their digital presence declares them to be: “Your nontraditional neighborhood taqueria”.

As guests step through the doors at Fácil Taqueria, it’s easy to immediately

40 | utahstories.com

recognize that their goal is to redefine the taco landscape of Salt Lake. A brief scan of the menu highlights traditional Mexican offerings you might expect to find, like pork carnitas and chicken tinga, but also a fusion of unexpected ingredients — Nashville

Chicken Tinga taco with red chile spice rub, radish and pepper salad, lime crema, mojo verde, pepitas.

The married couple started the endeavor as a food truck and have now celebrated 2+ years of brick and mortar success. Olsen, who has fine dining chef roots, leads the culinary team, while Herrera is the cocktail and frontof-house mastermind.

They live and die by their mantra: “Enthused about smoke, spirits and local farms”, and it’s reflected in every sip and bite.

An Evolution in Dining

Catering to Customers

hot chicken tacos and a glazed pork belly burrito, for example — that showcase their innovative approach to dining.

Located in an unassuming strip mall in Olympus Cove just below I-215, Fácil is owned by Spencer Herrera and Dallas Olsen.

In Spanish, facil means easy, and it shows in every experience at the restaurant.

Counter-style ordering and self-service water and seating lend to the relaxed vibe, yet the carefully nuanced food and cocktails receive all the attention and skill of many of Salt Lake’s higher-end establishments.

Take for example, the freshly-fried house chips, generously sprinkled with salt and served with their Dealer’s Choice salsa duo.

These aren’t to simply fill you up, they are

utahstories.com | 41

PHOTOS BY GOLDA HUKIC-MARKOSIAN

The restaurant actively seeks out local farmers and producers, supporting Utah’s diverse food purveyors. Olsen sources the mushrooms for the earthy Local Mushrooms tacos bathed in an ancho and orange glaze from Intermountain Mushroom. Produce of every sort comes from Frog Bench Farms to make its way into not only the salsas but front and center in entrees too. The roasted Squash & Poblano taco celebrates these vegetables with a hearty almond and ancho chile salsa and flourish of Cotija cheese.

Beyond the delectable tacos, Fácil Taqueria’s ambiance adds another layer to the dining experience. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the open dining room with natural light, giving foodies ample opportunity to capture their lively salads, agave and mezcal cocktails in all their beauty. The open kitchen allows patrons to witness the culinary magic happening behind the scenes, enhancing the overall sensory journey in casual style.

A full bar offers up memorable margaritas, ranch water and tequila sours, but also thoughtful twists on familiar cocktails like the Mezcal Mule and Oaxacan 75.

Local mushrooms taco with oyster mushrooms, queso fresco, fermented cabbage, ancho and orange glaze.

for crunchy, addictive enjoyment, before, during and after your meal.

Not to miss the birria trend (they are a taqueria after all), Fácil offers the smoked prime rib birria tacos braised with chipotle and cerveza and served with a smoked consommé for dipping.

To enjoy these or anything on their menu, customers can call in for pick up orders or wait with anticipation for the doors to open Tuesday through Saturday at noon. There are no Fácil’s house and Black margaritas. reservations, so your order and resulting seat is first-come, firstserved.

For those looking to savor the culinary creations of Fácil on a more flexible schedule, they now offer catering.

“We eat at Fácil often and asked them if they’d cater a party on our patio last summer,” explains food enthusiast and regular customer Paula Colman, who

42 | utahstories.com

ordered a buffet of four kinds of tacos and salad with plenty of chips and salsa. “Not only was the food exceptional, but they provided the entire setup (from portable chafing dishes to adorable labeled containers for all the fixings), saving us a ton of time and effort. It was hands-down the best catering experience we’ve had in Salt Lake.”

If you just can’t get enough of Fácil, they also sell their house hot sauce, tajin and michelada mix and shrimp garlic oil separately.

Committed to pushing the boundaries of traditional flavors with a focus on locally sourced ingredients, Fácil Taqueria has not only elevated the humble taco but has also set a new standard for the intersection of flavor and freshness.

For those looking to embark on a gastronomic adventure while supporting local, Fácil is a standout destination for taco lovers seeking a delicious yet approachable dining experience.

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