Health & Well-Being
Wellness in a cup of tea By CHRISTY LYNN Tea culture has been at the core of many civilizations around the world for thousands of years, and is still the most popular beverage in the world — after water. But did you know that in addition to being tasty and warming on a cool winter day, teas have many health benefits such as calming the stomach, improving digestion, and focusing the mind? The naturally relaxing and settling qualities of tea have helped to revive and maintain its popularity in Eastern and Western cultures, but additional health benefits that researchers have more recently discovered within tea have also added to its popularity. According to research found by Eating Well magazine last year, drinking black tea regularly can help improve heart health by lowering triglycerides as well as reducing blood glucose levels, which eases the risk of type 2 diabetes. It also boosts antibodies, which fight off free radicals and arm your body against illness. Drinking oolong tea can reduce the chances of stroke and lower blood pressure, while passionflower tea can help you achieve a better night’s sleep. Green tea has long been touted for its health benefits, which include reducing your risk of cancer and diabetes. But while all of these health benefits have become additional incentives to brew a pot of tea, John Wetzel, owner of the Stone Leaf Teahouse in Middlebury, suggests that it is the culture and attitude of tea that’s most attractive. “(Tea culture) brings an aspect that’s been missing in our (See Tea, Page 3)
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A Special publication of The Addison Independent Thursday, February 14, 2013
PAGE 2 — Health & Well-Being
• Addison Independent, Thursday, February 14, 2013
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Health & Well-Being
• Addison Independent, Thursday, February 14, 2013 — PAGE 3
Tea
GREEN TEAS, LIKE this Bi Luo Chun from Taiwan, are particularly rich in antioxidants.
Independent photos/Trent Campbell
(Continued from Page 1) culture, which is sitting down and drinking tea. … It’s an excuse to sit, look around, look out the window, calm down,” Wetzel says. “It’s the opposite of our go-go-go, do-more society, and I think that’s what people crave.” Tea ceremonies, which originated in China but are shared in many countries around the world, are used to celebrate and honor guests, events, holidays and weddings, but have also existed as routine ways to
calm the mind and body in everyday life. At Stone Leaf, Wetzel has intentionally set up an environment “conducive to drinking tea.” From the calming music and soft lighting, to the warm and earthy colors on the walls, to the tea paraphernalia that decorates the shop, the culture of tea is celebrated. “There’s a subtleness in tea that is inherent and permeating in the environment,” Wetzel says, and his shop is designed to expose and
celebrate that subtlety with each element. Wetzel spends much of his time and energy studying tea and learning about the various styles, pouring and serving rituals, quality and taste variations, and storing preferences. He is inspired by the depth of variation in teas and the diversity found within a single plant. The fun part, he says, is matching a tea with a person and their particular mood. “We use the descriptions in (See Wetzel, Page 4)
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PAGE 4 — Health & Well-Being
• Addison Independent, Thursday, February 14, 2013
Get out!
A breath of fresh air can cure the winter blues
SAMANTHA ISENBERGER, CO-OWNER of Stone Leaf Teahouse in Middlebury, prepares green tea last week. Teas can improve heart health and digestion.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
Wetzel (Continued from Page 3) our menu as an early guide, and then we can match the tea as well as the serving and pouring ritual to that person.” “There is an art of tea service and preparation,” Wetzel said, “but the customer doesn’t have to think about that, that’s my study. I do it to suit my study of tea. It changes by
environment, people, tea type, and mood.” Flavors can and should change with location, time of day, water used, and many other factors of tea preparation, Wetzel suggests. But in the end, “As one of the greatest Japanese tea
masters said, ‘Pour hot water over tea leaves.’ That’s how to brew tea.” Perhaps the tea itself is the simple part, but the culture is profound and alluring in this hectic and busy life, and offers a healthy respite to a stressful routine.
By CHRISTY LYNN doesn’t involve pills. Experts at During the winter months, just the Mayo Clinic suggest that the looking out at the cold landscape best way to cure the winter blues is as close as many people want is to get outside, exercise regularly, to get to the great outdoors. Cold and try to make your environment temperatures and dark days can sunnier and brighter. be intimidating for the novice For those facing the sometimesoutdoorsman, keeping them intimidating prospect of going out indoors through the winter months. in the cold, Jesse Haller has some Many justify this advice about winter indoor season as their “We are lucky activities. “hibernation” or time to If you’re worried slow down and take a to live in an about going out alone — deep breath. But while it area with don’t to it, says Haller, can be cathartic at times, manager at Middlebury an immense this long dark season can Mountaineer and Green be a time for seasonal amount of Mountain Adventures. depression, loneliness resources to Go out with a group, and falling into poor choose from.” instead. health. “We are lucky to — Jesse Haller live in an area with According to U.S. Community Studies, an an immense amount estimated 9-10 percent of people of resources to choose from,” living in New England may be Haller said, referring to both struck by Seasonal Affective natural resources and human Disorder, or SAD, which is resources. “The Catamount Trail, commonly known as seasonal Moosalamoo wilderness, the Green depression or the winter blues. Mountains, Adirondacks, and even The good news? For many the White Mountains are all within of those who suffer from SAD, close proximity and are incredibly beating the blues is simple and (See Fresh air, Page 10)
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• Addison Independent, Thursday, February 14, 2013 — PAGE 5
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PAGE 6 — Health & Well-Being
• Addison Independent, Thursday, February 14, 2013
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Health & Well-Being
• Addison Independent, Thursday, February 14, 2013 — PAGE 7
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE PROFESSOR Molly Costanza-Robinson commutes to work every day from her home on South Street in Middlebury.
Independent photos/Trent Campbell
Biking (Continued from Page 2) Middlebury resident Rebekah Irwin, of her family’s dedication to biking. Middlebury residents have likely spotted Irwin and husband Blake Harrison, along with their daughters — five-year-old Ruby and eightyear-old Dahlia — cycling around town on a Yuba family bicycle. It’s a light, compact, larger-than-usual bike that can hold child seats and large grocery bags. “The bike adapts to whatever I’m doing,” said Irwin. She credits a business trip she took to Amsterdam with inspiring her family’s transition to bicycling. In Europe, Irwin noted, “everyone’s lives are oriented around getting places by foot or by bicycle.”
They chose to live in town in part to be able to live with only one car, which Harrison uses to get to work. For Irwin and the girls, the morning starts with a ride to Mary Hogan, after which Irwin cycles across the Cross Street bridge to get to work at Middlebury College, where she is head of Collections and Digital Initiatives. Midafternoon, Harrison returns with the car, gets on his own bike, and picks the girls up at school. Getting her family where they need to go in Middlebury is easy enough, Irwin said. “Middlebury was designed for walking and horses,” she said. “We should be able to exist without cars!” Indeed, many members of the community do. One is Molly Costanza-Robinson, an avid cyclist who has lived in “biking meccas” throughout the
country including Madison, Wis., and Tucson and Flagstaff, Ariz. She judges that Middlebury’s cycling population falls into niches depending on families or groups of friends, but she is working on building up a cycling community. For the past two summers, Costanza-Robinson, an environmental studies professor at the college, has organized a Wednesday Women’s Ride for the community. “There are a lot of people, especially women, I found, that were very intimidated by biking,” said Costanza-Robinson. “(They think that) you have to wear certain clothes, and you have to be super fit, and you have to be a racer on a road bike. I wanted to encourage people who didn’t fit that mold to hop on a bike and try it out! I think it’s a healthy thing to do, and it’s fun and it can be very social.” Costanza-Robinson commutes year-round herself.
“My colleagues used to look at what I was wearing and decide whether or not I’d ridden that day,” she recalled. “And very quickly, they realized that no matter what I was wearing I had still ridden.” Commuting on a bike, she said, is not difficult if you make a few adjustments. “Get your bike outfitted,” she advised. “And have a comfortable bike.” Fancy gear is not required — Costanza-Robinson commutes on a bike that her husband assembled for under $50. Her fancy bikes are tucked away during the winter months so they aren’t damaged by weather conditions and salted roads. Though biking instead of driving is a leap for most people, it is definitely doable with a few adjustments to a simple and comfortable bicycle. Costanza-Robinson suggests fenders, a bell, and lights for riding home in the dark. “It’s easier than most people think,” she said.
PAGE 8 — Health & Well-Being
• Addison Independent, Thursday, February 14, 2013
Todd P. Lefkoe, MD, Pattie Hayes, Front Office Assistant.
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Health & Well-Being
EARL HURLBURT, ABOVE right and below left, works with students at the Pencak Silat School in Middlebury. Silat is an ancient Indonesian and Malaysian martial art that teaches self defense and control.
Independent photos/Trent Campbell
Martial arts provides both physical & spiritual benefits By CHRISTY LYNN “There is so much in this art,” Hurlburt says. As the cold winds and snow drive some “It’s practical and it works.” people inside to work out during the winter The initial combat and self-defense is atmonths, the gym and the weight room are typ- tractive to some, but he says the series of lesical options for those who want sons learned through Silat is what to stay in shape and stave off the is keeping him practicing. “It is spiritual, Hurlburt, who grew up excelwinter blahs. But a small group of Addison physical, ling in team sports at Middlebury County denizens have found an al- emotional and Union High School and went on to ternative. They gather regularly to play football at Norwich Univerpractice an ancient form of martial practical. The sity, says that his Silat practice has art called Silat, which originated health benefits introduced a new level of physical in Indonesia and Malaysia and has exertion that he hadn’t known. are profound been used for hundreds of years in “I have never been pushed the for my general way I am pushed, or challenged the combat as well as celebration. “It is spiritual, physical, emo- well-being.” way this challenges,” he says. tional and practical,” says Addison The fighting style of Silat can be — Earl Hurlburt County native Earl Hurlburt, reexplained through points of leverflecting on some of the lessons he age, rather than brute strength. has learned since he began the practice three “Too much muscle,” corrects Mark Zizis, years ago. “The health benefits are profound the school manager at the Middlebury chapter for my general well-being.” of the Pencak Silat Inti Ombak school, during As with many forms of martial art, Silat is a practice with two novice students. balanced practice used to focus and control the “This is an easy man’s type of work,” he body, mind and spirit and can have many posi- continues. “You don’t want to get into a wrestive effects on general well-being. A large va- tling match. It takes too much energy and too riety of stances and harmonized “langkah,” or much time … be smooth, be fluid. Leverage.” steps, are the building blocks for this art that Zizis and Hurlburt work with students two teaches coordinated and intentional control of or more times a week, in a padded martial arts one’s body and their opponents’. arena called a dojo, located in the basement of Weapons are an important comthe municipal building in Middlebury. Zizis and ponent, as the practice can be de(See Martial arts, Page 10) scribed as a practical way to solve problems. Blades in Indonesian culture are common and therefore Silat practitioners learn how to defend with and against many varieties of knives, daggers, machetes and staffs. Hurlburt is one of the 16 or so Silat practitioners in Middlebury, and he has worked to build a school here and help to train new students.
• Addison Independent, Thursday, February 14, 2013 — PAGE 9
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PAGE 10 — Health & Well-Being
Fresh air
• Addison Independent, Thursday, February 14, 2013
(Continued from Page 4) rich outdoor environments.” And fans of outdoor activities are everywhere, Haller says, and most of them are more than happy to meet comrades. Activities within these diverse forests, mountains and rivers range from hiking and fishing to running, skiing and snowshoeing. Believe it or not, most of these activities can be enjoyed year-round. “With the current trends in our weather patterns, many people are enjoying running, hiking and fishing in the winter just as they do in the warmer months,” Haller says. So whatever your passion in the outdoors, there’s probably a club, group or guided tour that shares that with you. About the hesitancy that many individuals feel when considering a winter adventure outside, Haller suggests that it’s an inner voice that many people have to hear with a grain of salt. “There’s an automatic something in the DNA that says ‘It’s winter, stay inside by the wood stove,’” Haller admits. But once people begin to challenge that feeling and force themselves to get out, they’re hooked. “Once you get over the stigma of being outside in the winter, it’s addictive. There are a lot of endorphins that get pushed around inside and people realize how great that feels,” Haller says. Groups and companies such as Green Mountain Adventures offer customized wilderness trips that help orchestrate that first step outside into the wintery air. Using a group to help alleviate the fear of being underprepared or unskilled is a great first step, Haller suggests, and could help improve the public’s general health. According to the Vermont Department of Health, over half of the population in Vermont
MIDDLEBURY MOUNTAINEER OWNER Steven Atocha takes his family on regular winter tours at Rikert Nordic Center in Ripton. Nordic skiing is a great (and inexpensive) way to improve cardiovascular health as well as explore the outdoors.
is overweight or obese. Studies suggest that this number could be related to the extreme weather that discourages outdoor activity in many people. There is plenty of evidence to prove that exercise and fresh air helps you not only feel healthier and live longer, but stay happier through the dark winter. Maybe it’s time to invest in that pair of skis or snowshoes, or find a club to join. It just may help you bid farewell to those winter blues.
Martial arts (Continued from Page 9) Hurlburt have both been practicing the Pencak style of Silat since the Middlebury branch began three years ago and are both working on achieving higher mastery of the art themselves as well as their teaching practice. Hurlburt says they talk with students early in their practice about goals in their study of Silat and check in with them regularly about the most valuable lessons they’ve learned. “Everyone’s getting something a little different out of this practice,” Hurlburt says. “You get what you put in to it.” The lessons learned through the practice of Silat surprise some students and transform their goals, Hurlburt says. “A lot of students come in thinking ‘It’s cool, practical, something to solve my problem x,’” he says. “But then through the training it becomes more about what exactly you’re doing, how you’re holding and controlling, how you’re evading and a lot of students find a deeper respect for the art … they realize ‘Hey, I should be careful with this, this is powerful.’ “That’s pretty neat.”
Hurlburt and the other practitioners of Silat may each have their own reasons for pursuing the art, whether it is for self defense, exercise, stress management or the calming and meditative teachings, but one thing they all have in common is the desire to learn an art form that has a long and rich legacy, but is largely unknown in Vermont. Indeed, in class students break out into groups of two and practice coordinated stances and steps, tossing each other to the ground, rolling, laughing, congratulating each other and correcting each move. In many ways it looks like any other fitness class — but with added salutations of respect and lessons about combat and how to weigh your options in a fight. Oh, and there are knives. One female student at a class last week said she began just a few weeks ago after her brother convinced her to join the group. It challenges the mind and the body, but it’s fun too, she says. “I love it,” she says. “Most people have no idea that this exists and it’s such an amazing alternative to going to the gym to work out.”
MARK ZIZIS, MANAGER of the Pencak Silat school in Middlebury, works with a student last week in the basement of the Middlebury municipal building.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
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Health & Well-Being
• Addison Independent, Thursday, February 14, 2013 — PAGE 11
Comprehensive bone and joint care offered by a team of providers dedicated to keeping you active, healthy and pain free.
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PAGE 12 — Health & Well-Being
• Addison Independent, Thursday, February 14, 2013
The following providers are now accepting
New Patients
Please call to schedule an appointment with one of these providers:
Addison Family Medicine 388-6777
Tom Beauregard, PA
Michael Csaszar, MD
Deborah Huber, MD
Robin Frantz, APRN
Bristol Internal Medicine 453-7422
Gretchen Gaida Michaels, MD
Porter Internal Medicine 388-8805
Naomi Hodde, MD
Laura Wilkinson, APRN
Emily Glick, MD
Neshobe Family Medicine 247-3755
Maria Cabri, APRN
For more information about each of these providers, including their areas of practice and practice interests,
visit www.portermedical.org