September 2012 issue of NATURE COAST HEALTHY LIVING by Akers Media Group

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CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 2012

FEATURES

Rock Star or Rock Solid? Is being debt free really within everyone’s reach? “Yes,” according to Christian financial guru Dave Ramsey. And, he has the energy and enthusiasm to make a believer out of everyone in the audience at his rock-concert-like live events. Ramsey’s unique down-home “been-there, done-that” style gets the audience to buy into his ideas… and into the fact that financial freedom is just a stone’s throw away. Written by Betsy $toutmorill Photos by Fred Lopez and The Lampo Group

ON THE COVER

direction: Jamie Ezra Mark photoshop: Josh Clark design: Steven J. Codraro

www.naturecoasthealthyliving.com

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CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 2012

IN EVERY ISSUE Publisher’s Corner

Health Matters

Healthy Business

Medical Mysteries

S’motherhood

Heart of the Community

36 Healthy Mind 33

Only skin deep

Should parents force children to play sports?

So — you want a beach body? Part 2

Work out that beach bum

The diagnosis

Changing direction

Cardio and calories: Which machine is best for me?

End emotional eating in three steps

37 Healthy Spirit 45

Healthy Body

Mencouragement: Fathers: Become facinated with fitness

Childlike curiosity

Find that place

Dealing with chronic illness

Healthy Finance 51

Savings on name brands

Let the storm blow

Here WHen YOU neeD CITrUS.

Proud to show our medals! Services ranked among the best in the nation.

C SURG E DIA RY

CAR

2012

HIGH3 EST RAYTED S TA

• Heart & Vascular Center

• Same Day Surgery

• Orthopedic Services

• Wound Care and Hyperbaric

• Emergency Department

• Two Walk-in Clinics

• Diagnostic Imaging

• General Surgery

• Obstetric Services

• Home Health Agency

• Pediatric Unit

• Women’s Services

• Rehabilitation Services

• Philanthropy Department

T R Q U ALI

by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons for 2011

Listed Among Nation’s Top Two Hospitals lowest readmission rates in nation for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia.

Scan this code with your smartphone QR reader

Get the free mobile app at

http:/ / gettag.mobi 502 W. Highland Blvd. Inverness, FL 34452 | 352-726-1551 | citrusmh.com

PUBLISHER’S CORNER

Wendell Husebo publisher wendell@naturecoasthealthyliving.com Lanny Husebo president lanny@naturecoasthealthyliving.com

Making sense of dollars

Lynn Van Meter marketing representative lynn@naturecoasthealthyliving.com

Michele Salvadeo marketing representative michele@naturecoasthealthyliving.com

Tanya Hinebaugh accounting tanya@naturecoasthealthyliving.com

AKERS MANAGEMENT GROUP

All through my educational years, I was homeschooled. My mom, being the fantastic mom she is, hand-selected my curricula. My senior year in high school I had to take economics, so Mom chose a combination of tools, one being an indepth curriculum written by Dave Ramsey. Most of you have probably heard of Dave Ramsey — the guy with all of the healthy financial advice. Well, Dave taught me about insurance, spending, stocks and bonds, savings and loans, owning and renting, and everything else in between. I grew to be enthusiastic about his instruction, because I learned so much useful information. It was the beginning of my current passion for economics. Today, I am pleased to announce that Dave Ramsey is the subject of our feature article and he answered some pressing economic questions for us in his inimitable downhome style. Money is involved in almost every aspect of life… that it why it is so important to understand the principles of economics and personal finance. It is imperative to understand the role money plays in the big picture, so you can apply that knowledge in simple and practical ways. You can then take that knowledge with you when you visit our local bankers and financial planners when making larger decisions. Now that’s wise. The Bible says that the borrower is slave to the lender. When I was younger and owed my little sister a favor, I was her slave. I couldn’t do anything without considering that “I owed her one” until my obligation to her was fulfilled. That is debt. That is the way it is in the real world. If you are the borrower, your steps are directed by the lender. Essentially, you are not financially free. Can’t this analogy be applied locally, nationally and even globally?

Debt snowballs and has a negative effect on any economy and any individual’s personal finances. Debt is a piece of the puzzle we must solve in order to live a truly healthy life. Nationwide, 46 percent of all Americans carry a credit card balance from month to month, approximately two-thirds of all college students graduate with $25,000 in student loan debt, and about 70 percent of all car purchases in the United States involve an auto loan. Realizing this, I am very concerned about our local economy and each one of our reader’s personal financial health. If these numbers hold true for our area — we have some homework to do. Recognizing the problem is the first step in redirecting not only our futures, but our children’s and grandchildren’s futures. There is always hope, and understanding the basics is not as difficult as one might think. If we start simply and simply start with the basics, and then do the basics well — the impact on our communities will be tremendous. This month, Healthy Living offers relevant, challenging information that will encourage you to impact your community. Living a responsible financial lifestyle is easily within your reach. Set goals and commit to a plan of financial success. I can hardly wait!

www.naturecoasthealthyliving.com

Kendra Akers vice president kendra@akersmediagroup.com Jim Gibson executive editor jim@akersmediagroup.com

Jamie Ezra Mark creative + content director jamie@akersmediagroup.com

Tiffany Roach managing editor tiffany@akersmediagroup.com

Steven J Codraro art director steve@akersmediagroup.com

James Combs staff writer james@akersmediagroup.com

Josh Clark senior graphic designer josh@akersmediagroup.com

Betsy Stoutmorrill copy editor betsy@akersmediagroup.com

Anthony Casto graphic designer anthony@akersmediagroup.com

contributing writers

Susan Albers, Psy.D. Sean Cort Greg Frescoln Jenn Lee Kerry Macias Tanya Senseney Jean Sumner Ellen Wilcox Jeff Wittman

Tina Morrison administrative assistant tina@akersmediagroup.com

Cierra Chappell production manager cierra@akersmediagroup.com Fred Lopez chief photographer fred@akersmediagroup.com contributing photographers Crystal Ashe Chris Neilsen

Heather Tootle office manager heather@akersmediagroup.com

Stay healthy my friends,

Wendell Husebo + publisher

Comments or questions for our publisher? Please email wendell@naturecoasthealthyliving.com Our goal is to provide you with the best quality publication, so your feedback is vital.

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Doug Akers president doug@akersmediagroup.com

Phone: 352.430.4004 | Fax: 352.787.5510 P.O. Box 491320 | Leesburg, FL 34749 www.naturecoasthealthyliving.com All contents are copyright © 2012 by Amazing Media Group, LLC. Any reproduction or use of content without written persmission is strictly prohibited under penalty of law. The contents of the Nature Coast Healthy Living Magazine are for informational purposes only. The information is not intended to be an alternative to professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualiﬁed health provider before starting a new diet or exercise program.

CONTRIBUTORS

Susan Albers, Psy.D.

Tanya Senseney

Dr. Susan Albers is a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, an author and a married mother of two young children. She obtained her masters and doctorate degree from the University of Denver and completed her APA internship at the University of Notre Dame. Visit her Web site at www.eatingmindfully.com.

Tanya Senseney has over 14 years of experience saving money through couponing. She teaches others how to reduce their monthly grocery costs and also give back to the community. Her passion is helping others fulfill their needs. In addition to her workshops, Tanya is a syndicated columnist and radio talk show personality. Visit www.DivineDealDiva.com for more information.

Sean Cort Sean is an ordained minister, motivational speaker and author. He is an award-winning veteran with over 25 years of major-market radio, television, advertising, and marketing experience. His life-changing self-help book is titled The Power of Perspective. Sean and his wife Deborah have three children: Chanel, Christian, and Aaron.

Greg Frescoln

Jean Sumner is President of World Wellness Education and has pursued an interest in wellness her entire life. She was diagnosed with cancer in May 2009, leaving Jean with an insatiable thirst to learn more about health and wellness. This diagnosis led to the founding of World Wellness Education, a company whose mission is to “Teach the world about wellness—one story at a time.”

Ellen Wilcox

Greg Frescoln has been the administrator at First Academy of Leesburg since 1993. A native of Iowa, Greg graduated from Iowa State University in 1985 with degrees in history and international studies. He graduated from the University of Florida in 1990 with a master’s degree in education and in 2000 graduated with a specialist degree in K–12 education.

Ellen B. Wilcox is a graduate estate planning consultant. Educated at Gettysburg College, the University of Maryland, Paris, France, and Arizona State University, Ms. Wilcox brings more than 33 years of experience to her clients. She is president and CEO of Wilcox Wealth Management, a full service financial advisory company in Lady Lake, Fla. Ms. Wilcox may be reached at 352.259.1547.

Jenn Lee

Jeff Wittman

Jenn Lee is a national speaker, small business advisor, media correspondent, and life coach. She has a regular spot on Orlando’s FOX Morning show, is a regular guest on BLOG talk radio shows, and has been featured in Redbook, CBS MoneyWatch, Entrepreneur and Success magazines. Jenn was recognized as A Woman to Watch by Orlando Women’s Magazine. Visit www.coachjennlee.com.

Kerry Macias Kerry Macias is a wife and mother of two children as well as a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor with more than 20 years in the health and fitness industry. Kerry is passionate about exercise and believes staying healthy isn’t just about looking good — it’s about feeling good. A self-proclaimed fitness enthusiast, Kerry also participates in triathlons, duathlons, and half-marathons, and was a former bodybuilding and figure competitor. Kerry can be contacted at 352.281.1524 or KerryMacias@yahoo. com. Visit her at www.bootcampchic.com.

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Jean Sumner

www.naturecoasthealthyliving.com

Jeff Wittman is a licensed nutritionist, nutrition counselor and instructor. Jeff is a member of the Florida Board of Medicine Dietetic and Nutrition Practice Council and host of the popular radio show, The Nutrition Show. He is the owner of Lake Nutrition Center, which has locations in Leesburg and Lady Lake.

I was a Marine stationed in Korea in the ‘50s and I received a serious spinal injury. After being discharged, I worked in construction for most of my life but continued to have back pain. Doctors diagnosed it as herniated discs and I sought relief through chiropractic. Only after visiting Dr. Kim Etheredge at Etheredge Chiropractic and undergoing decompression therapy did I have any relief at all. Dr. Etheredge referred me to the wonderful doctors and physician’s assistants, who have become my saviors. Their use of daily pool therapy and patches instead of oral pain medication have been instrumental in relieving my back pain. They have truly been a godsend to me and I am finally able to enjoy life once again.” — Lloyd Schreiner

Why suffer needlessly? COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES: Our goal is to improve your quality of life. We understand that for some patients the answer to their pain problems may come through what is considered to be complementary or alternative therapies. We offer access to therapies such as acupuncture and hypnosis, which have been proven effective in the treatment of pain in government-approved studies, and we also offer chiropractic, aroma therapy, deep muscle massage, chelation, and biofeedback. Valid scientific studies have shown that traditional Western methods of pain treatment are enhanced with the use of Eastern and non-traditional modalities. We will take the time and make the effort to find the most effective treatment for you. Whether you choose traditional pain management techniques or valid, scientifically proven alternative therapies, the pain clinic has the right treatment for you.

COMPREHENSIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT®

305 S Line Ave. Inverness, FL 34452

352.344.4791

Robert Ulseth, M.D.

Roger Spencer, M.D.

Scan the QR code to see Drs. Spencer and Ulseth’s video profiles.

Agda O. Hart, PA-C

NATURE COAST

ADVISORY BOARD GEORGE G. ANGELIADIS, ESQ. is a graduate of South Texas College of Law, and has been an attorney in Hernando County since 1996. He is a partner with The Hogan Law Firm, and practices in the areas of local government law, civil litigation, criminal defense, construction litigation, and personal injury. Angeliadis was previously appointed by the governor to serve on the Fifth Circuit Judicial Nominating Committee and donates his time to many local boards and organizations. Visit www.hoganlawfirm.com for more information

LANNY HUSEBO is president and CEO of Husebo Advertising and Public Relations. Founded in 1962, the company is celebrating its 50th year in business. Lanny specializes in marketing and building medical practices through the use of traditional and social media. He is married with six children and four grandchildren. His son, Wendell, has joined the family business with a focus on Internet marketing.

ANNE BLACK is the community relations coordinator for HPH Hospice in Citrus County. She has 30 years experience as a health educator and community relations expert. Anne and her husband, Jerry, moved to Citrus County from St. Petersburg in 1989. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Inverness and Florida Public Relations Association. She is also on the board of the Senior Foundation of Citrus County and is chairman of the School Health Advisory Committee.

NATALIE LEIBENSPERGER, D.O., FACOOG is board-certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is a Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Her practice, “My Gynecologist,” is located on County Line Road in Spring Hill. In addition to the treatment of women’s health issues and obstetrics, Dr. Leibensperger is an advocate for the diagnosis and treatment of urinary incontinence through medication or minimally invasive surgeries. mygyn.net.

BONNIE CLARK is currently Associate Provost on the

KATIE LUCAS, public information officer for Nature

Spring Hill campus of Pasco-Hernando Community College (PHCC). Prior to her appointment to the Spring Hill campus in November 2009, Bonnie held positions at PHCC as Dean of Arts and Sciences, Associate Dean, and Assistant Dean of Student Development. She has a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Gannon University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mercyhurst College. She is currently completing her doctoral studies at University of South Florida.

Coast EMS, has lived in Citrus County more than 21 years. She is an active member in the community working with several business and charitable organizations. Her background includes marketing, sales, public relations and graphic design, and she has worked in radio, television and newspaper. Her duties at Nature Coast include working with the other county emergency responders, dispersing public information, community outreach and speaking engagements.

PATRICIA CROWLEY, IOM has been a resident of Hernando County for 23 years. With more than 30 years experience in sales and business management, she joined the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce in the spring of 2000 and was promoted to president/ CEO in 2004. Patricia serves on the Oak Hill HospitalBoard of Directors, the Suncoast Trail Advisory Group, the Career Central Workforce Transition Committee, and is president elect of the Kiwanis Club of Brooksville.

KATIE MEHL is the public relations coordinator for Citrus

MICHAEL D. HEARD is a partner of the Silverthorn

Country Club, LLC; president of the Florida Blueberry Festival, Inc.; director/ president of the Brooksville Vision Foundation; and the City of Brooksville Assistant Ambassador of Commerce and Employment. Prior to moving to Brooksville in 2001, Michael owned and operated the Island Print Company in Sanibel Island and Jerry Heard Enterprises, Inc., an industrial product importing company. She also represented Gilligan O’Malley Sleepwear, Inc., in New York as a national account manager.

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Memorial Health System. She holds both a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Master of Arts (MA) in mass communication from the University of Central Florida. She is a member of the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) and is acting president-elect for the Nature Coast Chapter of FPRA.

MARY JO PAIGE is part of the marketing team at Oak Hill Hospital and has more than 20 years experience in the advertising agency business working for Young and Rubicam, Bozell Worldwide and ultimately becoming a principal in Ellis and Paige Advertising in Tampa. She has a Master of Science Degree in Advertising from the University of Illinois and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She is a graduate of Leadership Hernando and Leadership Tampa Bay.

DENNIS WILFONG founded Innovative Technology, Inc. He received the 1988 Business of the Year Award, the 1989 Free Enterprise Award, the 1992 Businessperson of the Year Award, the 1996 Environmental Safety Award, the 1996 Business of the Year Award from the Hernando County Chamber of Commerce and the 1996 Governor’s Award. Dr. Wilfong has assisted the development of business locally and has chaired the Business Development section of the Hernando County Summit. He serves on various advisory boards for the county.

JOANIE POCHIS is a registered nurse at Seven Rivers

LYNN VAN METER is the owner and CEO of Fiddlehead Marketing Advertising Public Relations, located in Spring Hill. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree and a bachelor’s in public relations. In addition to meeting the needs of her clients, Lynn is actively involved in several non-profit groups, which include the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce, and serves on the board of directors for the Florida Blueberry Festival and the Life Center.

SAM SHRIEVES is the marketing president of

VINCE VANNI has devoted more than 35 years to creatively marketing a variety of products, programs and organizations. He has a reputation for creativity, efficiency, and above all, effectiveness. He enjoys a lucrative practice and is consultant to some of this area’s leading businesses, medical practices and public officials. In 2005, Vince was the recipient of the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award and Chamber Service Award.

JENNIFER SIEM is the Adult Member Services and Wellness Director for the Hernando Branch of the YMCA of the Suncoast. Jennifer is a wife and mother of three teenagers as well as a certified personal trainer, cycling instructor, and group fitness instructor. Motivating others to lead healthier lives is the fuel that drives her passion for health and wellness.

JOSH WOOTEN, a Florida native, has called Citrus

Regional Medical Center and a longtime resident of Citrus County. Joanie has more than 11 years experience in healthcare and currently serves as a member of the Quality/ Risk Services team and manages the Employee Health, Worker’s Compensation and Infection Prevention programs at Seven Rivers Regional Medical Center. As a resident of the Nature Coast community, her enthusiasm and commitment is to promote excellence in healthcare for Citrus County.

Capital City Bank for Hernando/Pasco. He started his banking career in Hernando County in 1978. Sam attended Pasco-Hernando Community College, graduated from the University of Florida School of Banking in 1986 and from the Graduate School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University in 1991. He serves on the Greater Hernando Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Hernando County, Oak Hill Hospital Community Advisory Council, and the Hernando County Education Foundation.

County home for more than 25 years. He became president/ CEO of the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce in March 2009. He served as county commissioner from 2000–04 and was a founder of Keep Citrus Beautiful. He served on the Citrus Memorial Health System Advisory Board and the Citrus County Stakeholder’s Advisory Group. As Chamber president, he is actively involved with the Citrus County Economic Development Council on a daily basis.

NATURE COAST Our board is made up of a unique cross-section of business professionals who offer an exclusive blend of diverse viewpoints. Their distinct perspectives allow us to attain a clear picture of how to best serve the residents of Citrus and Hernando counties. Their input helps us create the best magazine possible — a custom fit — just for you and your health needs.

www.naturecoasthealthyliving.com

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HEALTH MATTERS

Ambassador Leaders

HAIL TO THE (NEW) CHIEF Another Ambassador class graduated from Oak Hill Hospital in May. The program is designed to promote a global understanding of hospital operations and enhances teamwork and cooperation across all internal departments. Modeled after the Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Hernando program, the Ambassador class meets once a month for the entire day, and the program takes six months to complete. During class time, participants visit various departments and receive an overview presented by the department director that consists of departmental goals and outcomes, financial information, strengths, and challenges.

NOTHING BUT THE BEST

Ken Wicker was appointed as chief executive officer of Brooksville Regional Hospital in May. Wicker has more than 17 years of progressive experience in healthcare leadership roles. “I am honored to be joining the dedicated team of associates and medical staff at Brooksville Regional Hospital and am impressed with the high quality of care and compassion they deliver,” says Wicker, who earned his master’s degrees in business administration and health sciences from the University of Florida. “I look forward to working collaboratively with our physicians to continue outstanding patient care, as well as continuing the expansion of services and technology that Brooksville Regional Hospital offers to our community.” Wicker has earned board certification from the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the nation’s leading professional society for healthcare leaders.

For a fourth consecutive year, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Best Places to Work in the country in the field of Information Technology (IT). HCA, which is the parent company for Oak Hill Hospital, Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, and Medical Center of Trinity, moved up to No. 25 from last year’s No. 32. “Being on Computerworld’s Best Places to Work list is recognition of HCA’s efforts to develop and deploy technology to support a dynamic, patients-first culture that makes the company a great place to work not only for our IT professionals, but for all our approximately 199,000 employees,” said Marty Paslick, HCA’s senior vice president and chief information officer. “We are honored that we have been named to this prestigious list for a fourth year in a row.”

A touch of patriotism Taking healthcare to heart Citrus Memorial Health System’s Heart and Vascular Center received a 3-star rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. This is the highest rating that can be achieved, and only 14 percent of more than 1,000 hospitals nationally received the rating. The rating system is based on four domains: low mortality rates, proper medication usage around the time of surgery, low number of complications from surgery, and high-quality surgical care. “This rating reflects the commitment of our cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon, Dr. Peter Yung Kim, and the large number of supporting specialists in cardiac care to providing the highest level of excellence in surgical care for patients at Citrus Memorial Health System,” says CEO Ryan Beaty. “The team should be commended for continually delivering high-quality care that Citrus County residents can be proud of.”

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Rose Martin, a former associate of Seven Rivers Regional Medical Center, is passionate about honoring the men and women who protect our freedom. Each year, in the week before Memorial Day, she places up to 500 American flags at local businesses and residences. Seven Rivers Regional was honored to be a designated business for the placement of 150 flags. Hospital associates, physicians, and volunteers are humbled and grateful for the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who serve this country. Placing flags around the hospital’s campus is a beautiful way to symbolize their thoughts. “Rose’s personal story of immigration and pride in the opportunities and liberties available in the United States are touching,” says Joyce Brancato, chief executive officer. “We remember and recognize those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and we support those who continue to put themselves in harm’s way in the name of freedom.”

YOUR HEALTH IS OUR REASON TO BE Arturo Castro, M.D., F.A.C.E. BOARD-CERTIFIED IN ENDOCRINOLOGY

CLINIC OF WEST FLORIDA DIABETES AND ENDOCRINOLOGY CENTER 12130 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville | 352.799.7614 | MyEndocrineClinic.com Aetna • Blue Cross/Blue Shield • AvMed • Humana • Tricare • United Healthcare • Universal Healthcare • Wellcare • Freedom • Medicare • Medicaid

Productions Commercials Presentations Documentaries Video Brochures Internet Video

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HEALTHY BUSINESS

Our community’s health IRONY FOLLOWS ILLNESS. We are often most attentive to preventive medicine and health when we are suffering from the discomfort of sickness or the tragedy of disease. This rule of thumb holds true when it comes to economic living as well — our own and that of our community. Perhaps nobody covers personal economics better than Dave Ramsey, so we will turn our attention here to the economic health of our community. The impact of the Great Recession of the last decade seems to linger like a cold we just can’t shake. Reports of reduced unemployment rates are mired by criticism that the mathematics used to calculate the monthly percentages fail to count those who have just stopped looking for jobs. In other words, too many of our neighbors are jobless. It takes more than a single statistic to tell the story, and there’s no doubt that economic stories can be as dry and unintelligible as they come. Yet economics need not be so mired in technical terms that we turn a deaf ear to the warning signs or good news that may come. Just like understanding physical health conditions, we quickly learn that in order to improve our community’s economic health, it takes learning new terminology and even some theory as to how things work. Let’s start then with connecting two statistics and a mild dose of theory to shed light on things. The Beatles told us in song what the sages shared for centuries: “Money can’t buy you love (and other intangible and meaningful things in life).” Yet, wealth undoubtedly gives us all an opportunity to pursue a standard of living of our own choosing. Two data points that track community wealth are per capita income and average annual wage. The difference between the two is what they count. Per capita income tallies the sum of income received from all sources, including earnings, rental income, dividend or interest investments, and government transfer receipts. Average annual wage is a measure of the average annual paycheck from employment.

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Hernando County’s per capita income is $32,600; Citrus County’s per capita income is $36,400. Hernando County’s average annual wage is $29,400; Citrus County’s average annual wage is $32,100. I prefer to think about per capita income as a measure of a community’s current overall wealth and average annual wage as an indicator of a community’s wealth potential. In terms applicable to your body’s health, think of one as how high your good cholesterol score (HDL) is now and the other as the potential for improvement made possible by eating the right foods. In financial terms, it is clear that combining increased average annual wages with Dave Ramsey’s recommendations to reduce expenses enables us to invest and generate even more financial benefit. Improving our condition, however, is easier prescribed than accomplished. Why not just increase the minimum wage or require employers to pay their employees more? Answering questions like these requires exploring the complex world of economic dynamics. We’ll take on the concept of “unintended consequences” and “value creation” in the coming months as we dive deeper into our community’s economic health. For the future of Florida,

Dale A. Brill, Ph.D.

President, Florida Chamber Foundation

HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT A

way to call for help if you can’t get to the phone? Coming Soon… Nature Coast EMS ON CALL Medical Alert System

Katie Lucas, Public Information Officer

katie.lucas@naturecoastems.org

352.249.4730

www.naturecoastems.org

Emergency Medical Services

“Serving with Excellence and Compassion”

Five-Star Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility Specializing in Short Term Rehabilitation

ur highly skilled nursing staff provides quality care 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Each resident is carefully evaluated by our highly-trained clinical staff, so we may develop a plan of care that is uniquely tailored to meet each individual’s therapy needs.

Come and visit us today, Osprey Point… the premier nursing and rehabilitation facility of Sumter County.

Our goal is to make daily living enjoyable while receiving services such as: • Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and respiratory care

• Outpatient rehabilitation program

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• 24-hour secured entry • Emergency call system • Chapel area • Dayroom lounge area for family visits or socialization

Osprey Point Nursing Center

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www.naturecoasthealthyliving.com

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MEDICAL MYSTERIES

Do women’s menstrual periods synchronize? The only mammals to undergo menopause are elephants, humpback whales, and human females. SOURCE: www.facts.randomhistory.com.

ACCORDING TO SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, this idea began to circulate in 1971 when University of Chicago undergraduate Martha McClintock published a paper in Nature about her research project that studied 135 women living in an all-female dormitory. Hence the “McClintock effect” was born when she reported that the periods of women who were close friends did get closer together — but just by about two days — when she compared data collected in September and in April. Other studies have been conducted in both animals and people, but so far no overwhelming or even statistically significant research verifies McClintock’s theory. According to researcher Leonard Weller of the Bar-Ilan University in Israel, “The answer is not clear. At one time before we started doing our research it was sort of a truism. But if it exists it is certainly not ubiquitous (universal).” According to the Scientific American article, Weller and his son, Aron, have done research on a wide variety of women in multiple settings, including college dorm roommates, athletes, lesbian couples, mothers, sisters, friends, and even office colleagues. One researcher, Jeffrey Schank of the University of California, even tried a research model with rodents that manipulated two pheromones that cause ovulation to move forward or backward to try to force synchronicity in the rodents, but it did not work. He also studied 186 female Chinese students… still no evidence of synchronization, only some overlapping of periods. The problem is that there is such a wide variety in what is considered normal menstrual or ovulation cycles that it is hard to determine which changes are random and which are driven by proximity or other factors. McClintock continues to research this topic but has changed her focus to match Schank’s from the length of the menstrual cycle to the time of ovulation. She has collected some evidence in later studies that suggest women in close contact do have altered ovulation cycles when exposed to the odors of other women — including perspiration odor or the smell of breast milk. “But given what I know about the causes of menstrual synchrony means I expect it to be rare,” McClintock says. “So the fact that it is rare doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.” So, the research goes on without definitive proof either way. According to Scientific American, for now, this medical mystery will stay “more college-town myth than dorm room reality.” Source: Scientific America http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=do-women-who-livetogether-menstruate-together&print=true

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PHOTO © SHUTTERSTOCK

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S’MOTHERHOOD

Lucky rabbit’s feet

WRITTEN BY TIFFANY ROACH

BY DEFINITION, I am not a superstitious person. I don’t bat an eye when walking under ladders and opening an umbrella indoors is forbidden only because I do not want my walls or corneas scratched. When I see a black cat cross my path, I am really just hoping it is not returning from a trip to my kids’ sandbox. I would say that my lack of superstition stems from a powerful combination of belief in a God who orchestrates all things and a personality that lies on the more practical end of the spectrum. (Although, my husband may debate the latter statement by pointing out the sheer number of shoes I own, continue to buy, and yet never wear.) I credit it to my lack of superstition when, on June 6, 2006, I was oblivious to the unordinary date –– 06-06-06 –– and laughed off my doctor’s quip at what a strange day he was having. I was there for a routine visit to check the status of our growing fetus when he con-

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fides in me. “It’s strange,” he says as he applies the goop to my belly to start the sonogram. “… I suppose it is the date being 06-06-06 and all…” he continues moving the wand over my belly, “… but I just gave a woman the news she is having triplets.” “Oh, wow,” is all I say, thinking only for a minute about that woman and the news she has just received and how her life was about to be totally changed by three babies. With the self-absorption only a pregnant woman can have, I quickly directed my attention from the woman down the hall and to the screen, with thoughts only of how my own little peanut was doing. And then I began to feel a sense that the room had become very quiet. “Is everything okay?” I manage to squeak out, suddenly wishing my husband were with me and not away on a trip for the next two weeks. “Well,” says the doctor as he clears

his throat and glances at the nurse whose eyes were now the size of saucers, “there is a heart beat here. And well, over on this side, there is another sack with a heart beat.” “Twins?” I ask immediately, “Twins would be okay.” I say this as I try to get my mind around twins. But I don’t ever finish getting used to the idea because the doctor cuts me off and at this point I learned firsthand how unnerving it is to have your doctor turn pale. “I-I- well, um…” at this point he was running his hand over his face and I thought to myself that medical school really needs to include classes on how to teach doctors not to turn pale or rub their hands over their faces. “There are actually two heart beats in that one sack,” he says as he confirms a third pulsating black spot on the screen. The nurse let out a sound similar to a yelp.

accommodates four car seats) from the airport after a night away celebrating our nine years of marriage. We now have beautiful, healthy triplets and a darling “bonus” baby to boot. I glance at the clock as my cellphone rings and see that it reads 9 p.m. Are you with me? 09-09-09, nine years of marriage, nine o’clock at night, my phone rings, and it is my mom who has been keeping the children for us. “What?” I gasp and my husband looks at me with concern as he begins to accelerate. “Nine? Babies?” is all that my terrified and now thoroughly confused husband hears. After gathering all the information from my mom, I learn that our two bunnies, which have been cohabitating for the last six months, have either immaculately conceived, or they were not both female bunnies after all. And there were nine baby bunnies. My mom was giddy with excitement over the arrival of the tiny little bunnies.

My practical side began to feel familiar waves of panic as I voiced my concerns to my mom: Where would they sleep? Where would we put them all? What in the world would we do with nine baby bunnies? “Oh, honey. You do realize you are reacting exactly like you did when you found out you were having triplets, right?” She had a point. “And look at how that turned out.” Right, Mom. Thanks. I have no reasonable explanation for why my household is seemingly incapable of reproducing in conventional numbers. For that matter, it is beyond me as to why everything seems to happen in multiples of three. But I will say this; it is almost enough to make this nonsuperstitious mom count her 36 lucky rabbits’ feet.

PHOTO © SHUTTERSTOCK

And after that I remember only bits and fragments with triplets and very unusual identical and a fraternal. There were congratulations and I do clearly remember hearing the doctor tell the nurse at the front desk that he would be taking the rest of the day off. A couple of hours later, when I started breathing again, I very pragmatically decided that leaving the news of triplets on my husband’s voicemail might not be the best way to fill him in on the changes in our family planning. After all, he could be driving. And when I told my mother the news of triplets and she asked why I was hysterical, I could only wail that we would need a bigger car. I was very practically absorbing and analyzing the needs of our growing family. Well, fast-forward three years to September 9, 2009. This time the significance of the date was not lost on me as my husband and I are driving home (in our family vehicle that very practically

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WRITTEN BY BETSY STOUTMORRILL PHOTOS BY FRED LOPEZ AND THE LAMPO GROUP

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The crowd streamed toward the doors from all directions. Three huge tour buses hesitated at the curb while excited people spilled out onto the sidewalk. Was it a rock concert? A traveling Broadway show?

Tom and Paula Elam came all the way from Kingsville, Md. to include Dave Ramsey in their Florida vacation plans with friends Debbie and Daryl Meliken of Jacksonville. “We have achieved financial freedom and I want my wife to get onboard in case something happens to me. I want her to

t-shirts and zinging yellow frisbees out over the crowd. Lights were flashing, music crashing, the huge screen flipped from multiple camera shots as the crowd jumped to their feet hoping to catch a prize or a glimpse of Dave Ramsey. When Ramsey dashed across to center stage, the room erupted in cheers and

“We want to get out of debt and stay out of debt.”

— Terri and John Lulofs

know what to do to stay debt-free,” says Tom. Debbie says, “We want to know what Tom’s so excited about.” Just getting through the product-laden lobby and ushered onto the ground floor was like being swept up in a tornado of excitement and energy. “This is going to be like a rock concert” says Tom. He was more correct than he knew. Inside the “warm-up act” was tossing hundreds of Financial Peace University

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screams just as if the contestants from American Idol or the Miami Heat had taken the stage. All this for Dave Ramsey? Trudy and Steve Arvesen shouted like a well-practiced radio advertisement: “We want to be debt free!” Judy explains why she and everyone in the crowd goes wild over Ramsey’s common-sense approach to financial freedom. “He inspires us because he helps people with an average income to become debt free. That’s so wonderful, especially with the

economy the way it is right now.” The crowd stayed with Ramsey and his co-presenters for five full hours of entertainment, financial advice, and encouragement. It’s easy to see why he is so popular, and so successful at marketing himself as the guru of money with his own story of digging his way back from financial ruin as a young husband and father. He entertains and barrages the crowd with “Ramseyisms” like “Managing personal finances is 80 percent behavior.” or “You have the answer — live on less than you make!” or “Money won’t make you happy; it makes you more of what you already are.” He weaves common sense advice into the stories of his own life, which appeals to that “average income person” that Judy Arvesen referred to before. He tells the story of asking his father for some money to go to the nearby convenience store for a candy bar and a drink, and his father’s quick response, “You don’t need money, son. You need a job.” It’s stories like this that keep people glued to the radio listening to his talk show, buying his books and CDs, signing up for the 12-week financial freedom course, or sitting for five hours inside a huge arena on a beautiful spring day in Florida.

2011 average 2-person household credit card debt: $6,672. www.useconomy.about.com

The excitement was evident on the faces of old, young, couples with children in tow, groups of retired citizens, packs of UCF students, and even some individuals approaching person after person hoping to score a last-minute ticket. While some were rushing to get a front-row seat, some strolled and chatted, and others lounged in the grass finishing off their sandwiches from the deli across the street. So who is this well-known rock star whose popularity crosses all generational lines? Dave Ramsey, the founder of Financial Peace University, that’s who!

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“He’s a man who has a lot of wisdom. I’ve learned a lot from him and I want to hear more.” — Vic Lutz

Dave Ramsey’s

Q&A from Dave What led you to become interested in ﬁnance? I have always been able to make money. Even as a kid, I was mowing lawns and had a landscaping business. I went into real estate as soon as I was old enough. My parents were in real estate so the entrepreneur bloodlines run deep.

Money: “The mint makes it first, it is up to you to make it last.” Evan Esar, www.wisebread.com

Describe your own ﬁrst-hand experience managing your personal ﬁnances? More than 20 years ago, my wife, Sharon, and I went broke. We lost everything due to my stupidity in handling money — or not handling it — as the case may be. Hitting bottom and hitting it hard was the worst thing that ever happened to me. We started with nothing, but by the time I was 26-years-old, we held real estate worth over $4 million. I was good at real estate, but I was better at borrowing money. Even though I had become a millionaire, I had built a house of cards. The short version of the story is that we went through financial hell and lost everything over a three-year period of time. We were sued, foreclosed on, and finally, with a brand new baby and a toddler, we were bankrupt. Scared doesn’t begin to cover it. Crushed comes close, but we held on to each other and decided we needed a change. From that moment on, we swore we would never borrow money again. It took years to dig out and pay back our debts and I never want to go back to that place again.

Is there anything a family living paycheckto-paycheck can do now to stabilize their ﬁnancial situation? Be intentional with your money. You have to have a plan for your money or you’ll spend your time wondering where it went. Do a budget. Sit down with your spouse, your family, and list out all your bills. Agree on how to spend it. Most people are living paycheck-to-paycheck because they have debt. We encourage people to get on board with the “Baby Steps.”

How insecure is Social Security? It’s not enough to live on and there are no guarantees. Pay off your debts and start saving now, wherever you are, so that you can retire with dignity. Let any Social Security payments be the gravy in your plan.

What’s the one piece of advice about the economy that you wish you could tell every U.S. citizen? If you agree that you are responsible for your household and don’t rely on the government to fix your situation, you’ll end up making yourself and your household recession-proof. It’s up to individuals to clean up their own messes.

Are we headed for a double recession? I can’t say and I wouldn’t worry about it. The only thing families can do is take care of their own households and get their finances in order so they can ride out whatever the economy does.

baby steps to being debt-free.

Baby Step 1:

Get $1000 in the bank. Do this by selling stuff and scraping together all the money you can. This is your beginner emergency fund.

Baby Step 2: Cut up the credit cards and start the “Debt Snowball” method. List all of your debts smallest to largest according to their balances. Pay all you can on the smallest debt, when that’s paid off, roll that money over to the next largest debt. You keep doing this until you pay off everything except the house.

Baby Step 3: Finish off that emergency fund and beef it up to three to six months of expenses.

Baby Step 4: Invest 15 percent gross income toward retirement.

Baby Step 5: Put some money away for the kids’ college.

Baby Step 6: Work at paying off the house.

Baby Step 7: Build more wealth and give! It’s the most fun you’ll have with money.

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HEALTHY MIND Only Skin Deep WRITTEN BY SEAN CORT

PHOTO © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

IT’S AMAZING HOW MUCH STOCK we are willing to put into our personal appearances regardless of cost. According to a new study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, last year Americans spent more that $15 billion for almost 12 million procedures. This figure is up from 8.5 million procedures in 2001. They predict that by 2015, the current number of procedures will quadruple to more than 55 million. This means an estimated 17 percent of all Americans will be undergoing some type of cosmetic procedure, which will be 1 in 5 people. For those of us who don’t want to drop an easy $1,250 for wrinkle removing injections, or even $50 for wrinkle cream, we can now use a simple computer program to change the way we look in our photos. We can remove dark circles from under our eyes, cover up blemishes, and get a complete nip and tuck without the risks and painful recovery of plastic surgery. Then we can upload that picture to an online dating

site so we can increase our chances of attracting another aesthetically pleasing candidate. A poignant question is whether we are willing to put the same time and effort into changing our inward blemishes and character makeup for the better, so we can keep the person we physically attract. The answer for most will be a resounding “No, it takes too much work and if you cannot deal with the real me, there’s more where you came from.” If we do want that person to stay, then we must grapple with the question: Are we willing to work through and possibly change those internal blemishes for this new person or situation in order to keep him or her enamored with us? Unlike plastic surgery, which is a cover up of something you are already predisposed to be, making the character changes we need to become a better person is not a cover up at all. It is actually an investment that will never depreciate.

“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” – Frank Outlaw

There’s a song where a child says, “Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings, see what God hath done!” Many times our issues seem bigger because we’ve lost thankfulness. Write down your blessings and you’ll see the list is longer than your “needs” list. Be thankful!

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HEALTHY MIND

Should Parents Force Children to Play Sports When It’s Not the Child’s Desire to Engage in Such Activities?

WRITTEN BY GREG FRESCOLN

IF CHILDREN ARE AMBIVALENT about football, soccer, or other sports — and may or may not have an aptitude for sports — encourage them to participate with the understanding that they will not have to continue in the future if they do not enjoy it. Once children get involved in an activity, many find the competition, camaraderie, and exercise to be quite invigorating. Other children may enjoy individualized activities such as karate, golf, or tennis. City and county parks and recreation departments have a wide variety of child-friendly activities that occur at different times throughout the year. 34 |

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In most communities there are enough municipalities in a geographic area that some activity should appeal to a child. Some children may prefer culture and the arts to organized athletics. The variety of options in the arts is staggering. Children may attend workshops or join organizations that have after-school or summer programs. These include orchestras, writing workshops, art studios, theater programs, library book clubs, and vocal ensembles. The list is almost endless. The key is knowing your child and identifying activities he or she enjoys.

Some children avoid participation because they would rather sit at home and play video games or just watch television. If a child does not want to participate in any kind of activity for any of the reasons listed, a parent may need to tie the continuance of the homebound activities to participation in outside activities. The goal is not to eliminate the things a child views as fun, but to create a balanced human being. Do not use the argument that video games are useless. More and more surgeons are playing them to increase their eye-hand coordination!

HEALTHY MIND

PHOTO © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

How Can You Get Your Child to Participate Willingly? 1.

If married, decide with your spouse which activities you feel are important for your child‘s participation.

Sit down with your child and identify the activities that he or she likes. See if your lists mesh.

Remember to monitor your tone of voice, your decibel level, and your anger. These discussions can often be frustrating, but you are the adult. Saying, “I’ve identified this list of activities for you. We are going to participate in one of them this year. Which one do you think you would like the most or are there others that you know about?” is different from saying, “You’re not going to keep lying around the house like a slug. You’re going to start playing _____!”

When you get the child enrolled in the activity, be encouraging. Tell your child you are seeing progress. Show up for performances or games. If you do not support them, children often feel that you just wanted them to do something to get them out of your hair. If the song they are playing has improved, vocalize it. If you notice they are getting stronger or more skilled, say so!

Evaluate at the end of the season or experience to judge whether the child enjoyed the activity and wants to continue or desires a different experience.

Being involved and communicating about activities can lead to great conversations, can result in true learning regardless of the type of activity, and can draw parents and children into a closer relationship.

“When you get the child enrolled in the activity, be encouraging. Tell your child you are seeing progress. Show up for performances or games.” www.naturecoasthealthyliving.com

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HEALTHY MIND

The Diagnosis WRITTEN BY JEAN SUMNER

more you find out, the more depressed you get. There doesn’t seem to be anything positive about this situation. Where do you go from here? What do you do next? A million questions run through your head. Depending on your personality type, you may start searching for solutions. You may bury your head in the sand and hope this will go away. You may become depressed. Or you may take matters into your own hands, using your knowledge of life to fight for your life! Then there is the question — how much information do you want to share about your diagnosis? Do you share with people outside your family? Do you share with your co-workers? Will they be supportive, or will this information affect how you are perceived at work. As you continue moving forward, you may start to look at other things in your life — like stress. You may decide to make some changes in how you handle your job or family. And you may start to look at what you have accomplished in your life or what you still want to accomplish — what is important. This time can be a great opportunity for reflection, because you really have no idea how the disease is going to affect you. You don’t have to let the diagnosis of cancer control you. Let it be a wakeup call for you to take control of your own life. Don’t be a victim, be a victor — live your life to the fullest.

“You don’t have to let the diagnosis of cancer control you, let it be a wake-up call for you to take control of your own life. Don’t be a victim, be a victor — live your life to the fullest.” 36 |

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PHOTO © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

THE DAY THAT WILL REMAIN etched in your mind forever — one of those times you will remember explicitly what happened, when it happened, and how it happened — the day you are diagnosed with the dreaded word, “Cancer!” First, disbelief floods your mind, then you enter the “why me?” stage. Your head reels with newfound information. You seem to be so healthy — how can this be? The doctor continues to talk to you, but you cannot hear what he or she is saying. The doctor goes on and on about how to treat this cancer — dreaded words like chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and bone marrow transplants may be mentioned — or worse yet, the doctor may say it is incurable! Your body and mind are numb and you hear only part of what is being said. He tells you what will happen next. Fortunately for you, you are given a piece of paper with your next appointment, so when your head clears you have a chance of making the appointment, but you are in shock. Like others before you, you leave the doctors office and head home to announce to the people who love you that you have the “C” word — cancer. You start with those nearest you and it seems to affect your loved ones even more than it affected you. Now the questions start. Questions you just can’t answer. So you quickly get on the computer to find those answers. Now you are really numb, the

HEALTHY MIND

Changing direction WRITTEN BY JENN LEE

MANY TIMES IN OUR LIVES big changes happen causing us to feel a little out of whack! These changes can derail us from following the “life plan” we have set for ourselves. Some of these changes include divorce, loss of a job, an unexpected health crisis, or even our children leaving home. What can we do to make it safely through these turbulent life changes when everything seems to be spinning out of control? It oftentimes leaves us feeling as though we are trying to maneuver a canoe in a choppy river without a paddle. It can feel frustrating and impossible! One thing you can do is realign

yourself and your life plan. The very definition of realign is to “align anew or better.” It is time to slow down and get a new perspective on what you are doing and where you are going in life. Instead of viewing these life changes as setbacks, make the decision to embrace the change and redirect your course. Look at these changes as new beginnings, as opposed to dead ends. You most likely have experienced many changes or “redirections” in your life already, which at the time seemed impossible to overcome or recover. I challenge you to think about a time in the past, where your life suddenly changed, without warning. How did

you feel when it happened? Could you see the new path right away? How about when you were able to get back on course or even change the course — didn’t it make you feel empowered? Many times… that is when we learn our most valuable lessons. Everyone will experience these types of changes in life. It’s inevitable. But, knowing that you have the ability to redirect your course and set a new path is powerful. Make a promise to yourself to realign to the times — and enjoy the ride!

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ExpEriEncEd physicia

Lyndon Garcia, M.D., Anil Bhatia, M.D., Roger Lee, M.D., Nathan Devabose, M.D., Carmen Nan, M.D., Hubert Garcia, M.D., Brian Roebuck, M.D., Carmen Mohai, M.D., Robert Ebert, M.D.

The Good Shepard Medical Clinic is providing quality specialized care right here, close to home. These experienced physicians have long been a part of the The Good Shepherd Medical Clinic is providing quality spe community, treating you as here, close to home. These experienced physicians have lon neighbors and friends ﬁrst, community, treating you as neighbors and friends first, and and as patients second. The Good Shepherd Medical Clinic is providing quality specialized care right

A long history of A ExpEriEncEd physicians.

short drive awa

A short drive away.

here, close to home. These experienced physicians have long been a part of the For more information about Lyndon Garcia, M.D., Anil Bhatia, M.D., Roger Lee, M.D., Nathanfirst, Devabose, Carmen Nan, M.D.,information community, treating you as neighbors and friends andM.D., asFor patients second. more about our outstanding our outstanding physicians, Hubert Garcia, M.D., Brian Roebuck, M.D., Carmen Mohai, M.D., Robert Ebert, M.D. For more information about our outstanding physicians, call 352-797-4600.

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A short drive away. 8425 Northcliffe Boulevard | SpriNg hill, floridacare 34606 The Good Shepherd Medical Clinic is providing quality specialized right here, close to home. These experienced physicians have long been a part of the 8425 community, treating you as neighbors and friends first, and Northcliffe as patients second.

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HEALTHY BODY

So — you want a beach body? Part 2 WRITTEN BY JEFF WITTMAN, LICENSED NUTRITIONIST

LOOKING GREAT IN YOUR BATHING SUIT STARTS months before you head to the beach, lake, or pool. Get rid of that feeling of dread when you know you are going to be exposing your body with that brand new suit. Get serious about your health and about looking good! Get serious about the foods you eat! Where do you start? It is as simple as keeping a food journal. Write down everything you eat for one week. Now take a look at the types and amount of food you are eating. Are you eating junk food? Are you eating late at night? Are you drinking soft drinks? Give healthy foods a plus and unhealthy foods a

minus. At the end of a week add up how many you have of each. If you have more minuses than pluses, then you need to make some changes. Start with a healthy, balanced diet with good fats, ample fiber, protein, and complex carbohydrates. Be sure and drink plenty of fresh, clean water and only eat normal portions, not boxsized portions. Remember you gained weight over time and it will take time to lose it. It will help you if you see each bite, each meal, as a plus or minus in your life and try to eat as many positive, healthy foods as possible.

PHOTO © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

MAKE THESE POSITIVE CHANGES IN YOUR EATING HABITS AND DIET STARTING TOMORROW: 1. Make breakfast count — it is the most important meal of the day. 2. When you eat out, order the child’s plate, or if you get a regular meal, only eat half of it and take the rest home for another meal later. 3. No eating your evening meal after 7p.m. 4. No snacking at night, only keep healthy foods at home. 5. It is okay to leave food on your plate — when you are full — stop eating! 6. Don’t skip meals — you will end up eating more.

7. Snack foods should be carbohydrates and protein together, such as peanut butter/celery sticks, cheese/crackers, or fruit/nuts. 8. Follow a meal plan. Have your meals planned and prepared ahead of time. 9. Follow the “90 Percent Rule.” Ninety percent of your diet should be “good, healthy” food and 10 percent could be “it’s your birthday” food. 10. Check in next month and read more tips on proper eating and looking good.

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HEALTHY BODY

BeachBum Work out that

WRITTEN BY KERRY MACIAS

Does having the warm sun on your skin, sand between your toes, and waves crashing on the shore sound good to you? Chances are you are among the 80 percent of Floridians who spend at least a portion of their summer digging in the sand, playing in the surf, or just soaking up some rays. However, you do not have to neglect your workout while you are there. The beach is the perfect backdrop for a great workout and does not require much equipment or time.

WARM UP Almost everybody enjoys a nice stroll on the beach, but with a little more effort you can pick up the pace and really get the heart rate going. To increase intensity, walk in knee-deep water for added resistance — just be careful of the local inhabitants in the water — or try a walk in the softer beach sand. Walking in deep sand increases the difficulty level because your legs have to push off an unstable surface, in turn recruiting more muscles in the entire core. THE WORKOUT PLAN: Jump squats are a great form of plyometrics — a type of exercise that uses quick, explosive movements that increase the heart rate quickly and strengthen the entire leg and core. Start with the feet shoulder-width apart and arms by the sides. Lower the hips into a low squat position then explode upward, swinging your arms up simultaneously for added momentum. Land softly and return to the low squat position and repeat again. Trainers tip: Plyometrics are not for everybody. If you have physical limitations that would not allow you to do high impact exercises, you can do this exercise as a low squat with a sweeping arm movement, which is very effective as well. You can also do this exercise in waistdeep water in the ocean or pool for added resistance without the impact. Try doing as many as you can for 30 seconds. If you want an extra challenge do eight 20-second sets with 10-second rest intervals between each set.

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HEALTHY BODY

SINGLE LEG HAMSTRINGS: You will want to head to the packed sand for this exercise, which can be done with or without weights. The exercise is demonstrated with a fourpound medicine ball; however, two water bottles can also be used as weights. Start with your body weight centered on one leg, reach forward about four inches in front of your foot keeping your top leg straight and lifted. Keep your stomach muscles pulled in tight. Ensure a tight line is maintained as you lift your chest up and lower the leg down. This is a great exercise to stretch and strengthen the hamstring muscles on the backs of the thighs, as well as the hips and glutes. Complete 12–15 on one leg and repeat on the other side. Be sure to inhale on the way down and exhale on the way up. SEATED CORE TWIST: This is one of my favorite abdominal exercises for the beach because it can be done while sitting in a lawn chair. Sit up nice and tall through the spine with your knees bent, feet down, and hands in front. Rotate your upper body to the left so that your hands come to the left hip then return to center and then rotate to the right hip. Be sure to keep the lower body still and straight while twisting and your chest and sternum up so you do not curve into the low back. This exercise can be done with a dumbbell, medicine ball, or without any equipment at all. Complete two to three sets of 12–20 repetitions.

FLYING PLANK: This is a challenging core exercise felt in the entire body. Start in a high pushup position — either on the toes or in tabletop position — and extend your left arm straight out so it is next to the ear while lifting the right leg straight back. Hold for two to four seconds and switch sides. Maintain a flat back throughout the movement making sure your belly button is pulled in toward the spine. Repeat 12–20 reps in two to three sets. So pack your water bottle, beach towel, and sunscreen, and head to the beach for your next workout! www.naturecoasthealthyliving.com

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HEALTHY BODY

and calories: CARDIO Which machine is the best for me? When it comes to getting a great cardio workout and burning calories, you want to get the maximum benefit from the least amount of exercise time. When you are trying to squeeze a meaningful workout into your lunch break or before you head home to cook dinner for the

WRITTEN BY RENEE PAVLIK

family, you want to get the most out of the limited time you have. So which machine do you pick? The elliptical looks great, so does that stair stepper and that treadmill. What about that stationary bike?

The answer really can be simple. When it comes to cardio, you be the judge… measure your heart rate on each machine to determine which one is most efficient for you. The standard formula to find your target heart rate for the best cardio efficiency is 220 minus your age in years multiplied by .75 and .85. If you are 40-year-old, you should aim for a target heart rate between 135 and 153 beats per minute (220 – 40 = 180: 180 x .75 = 135: 180 x .85 = 153)

Bonus Cardio:

Park your car as far away from your destination as possible. Studies link exercise with a lower risk of heart disease.

Some people find that certain machines bring them up to their target heart rate quicker than others and some find that certain machines fatigue them quicker while maintaining the same heart rate, so you need to be the one to judge which type of machine is best suited for you and your body. And remember — add a little spice to your workout — try different machines on different days for variety. When it comes to calories burned, the researchers at Fatburn.com have taken care of all the numbers for us.

Here’s the skinny on burning calories: Calories burned in one hour of vigorous activity (150 pound person)

PHOTO © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Cycling ............................... 752 Elliptical .............................. 752 Stair stepper ........................ 745 Treadmill a) No incline at 4.5 mph ...... 358 b) No incline at 8.6 mph ... 1,002

It should be noted that cycling, stair stepper and treadmill machines primarily work the lower body and the elliptical gives a more total body workout. Also note that many trainers advise carefully choosing the proper footwear for your workout to avoid joint injury (running can be hard on the hips, knees, ankles and feet if not done properly).

Armed with the information provided, head to your local gym and ﬁnd out which machine is just right for you! 42 |

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HEALTHY BODY

End Emotional Eating in Three Steps WRITTEN BY DR. SUSAN ALBERS, PsyD

DO YOU CRAVE CHOCOLATE ON A BAD DAY or soothe your sorrows with ice cream? We all eat emotionally now and then. In the long-term, emotional eating can lead to significant weight gain. Thankfully, you can break the habit. Rewire your brain to stop turning to food for comfort. STEP ONE: Be aware. Much of emotional eating is so automatic that it happens below your awareness. Before you try to change emotional eating, keep a journal. Take note of where and when you stress eat. The office? Late at night? When alone? Are there any patterns you notice? STEP TWO: Replace. If you take out stress eating, you have to put something healthy and meaningful in its place. Make a concrete list of all the healthy things you do naturally that give you a quick pick-me-up during a tough day. Here are some ideas from 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food. FOR ANXIOUS EATERS: If you snack when you are worried, distraction can help. Find an activity that redirects your attention away from food, moves you out of the vicinity of food, and keeps your hands busy so you cannot graze

on food. These activities include things like knitting, swimming, golfing, or gardening. FOR STRESS EATERS: If you are a stress eater, naturally calm your body. Use your fingers to gently massage under your hairline. Or, take a tennis ball, place it under your foot, and roll it around. Soothing your body can reduce cortisol levels (your stress hormones), which can reduce food cravings. FOR NERVOUS EATERS: If you snack when you are nervous, breathing exercises are helpful. Instead of focusing on your mind instructing you to eat food now, you draw your attention to a very different dialogue. One example goes like this. “I am drawing my attention to my chest as I watch it go up and down with each breath. I will count to three as I draw this breath in.” Just reviewing the instructions has now disengaged your mind from food for a few moments. STEP THREE: Practice! There are many alternative ways to calm yourself without calories. Try out the techniques above when you aren’t craving food so you get them down pat before you really need them!

“We all eat emotionally now and then. In the long term, emotional eating can lead to significant weight gain. Thankfully, you can break the habit. Rewire your brain to stop turning to food for comfort.” www.naturecoasthealthyliving.com

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Mencouragement:

HEALTHY SPIRIT Fathers:

Become fascinated with fitness WRITTEN BY NATHAN HAWKINS

DAD ARRIVES HOME from work, sits in the recliner, props up his feet, and drinks a few beers. He has worked hard and feels he is entitled to a little rest and relaxation. On the weekends, much of his time is spent in the same recliner watching his favorite collegiate and professional teams. Dad’s inactive lifestyle begins rubbing off on his children. They spend most of their time playing video games or watching television rather than engaging in sports or other activities that promote good health. Thus, they are well on their way to leading an unhealthy lifestyle. When it comes to a family’s health, fathers need to lead by example. After all, a child’s motivation is only going to be spawned by the motivation he or she is taught. Children love their fathers and try to emulate them. If they see their fathers being inactive, then they assume it is an appropriate lifestyle. Why not take your family on bike rides or nature walks? It would benefit your family both mentally and physically. Your children will marvel at sights they are not accustomed to seeing, and it will allow for family bonding. What else can fathers do to encourage children to be more active? Buy a basketball goal and teach your children shooting fundamentals. Or take your kids to a park and throw a football or kick a soccer ball with them. Do not watch sports; go outside with your kids and play them. Doing these simple things will likely encourage children to

participate in sports, which in the long run is much more beneficial for them than killing a bad guy on a video game. Remember this, fathers: a healthy person leads to a healthy heart, and healthy hearts lead to healthy families. It’s not enough to only be a protector

and provider, you need to dig deeper and be a role model for good fitness. Even if you are 45 and have not exercised in 10 years, you are never too old to start. Likewise, children are never too young to begin watching their weight and watching their diet. www.naturecoasthealthyliving.com

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HEALTHY SPIRIT

childlike curiosity WRITTEN BY SEAN CORT

IT WAS PABLO PICASSO who said “Youth has no age.” Do you remember how big life and the world around you seemed when you were a child? Wonder and merriment came from almost everything new that you learned. As infants we stared off into space in amazement at ambiguous shapes, colors, sounds and all the numerous findings that our sensory receptors collect every minute of our day. There is something captivating and remarkably soothing when we watch an infant play with her fingers and toes for the first time. It’s as if we are placed in a trance as we observe the child’s reaction as though we don’t know what to expect next. There is something cathartic about the innocence of childlike curiosity; being able to pursue new knowledge and experiences without the filters and prejudices accumulated as we grow older. The Buddhists have a wonderful philosophy in the saying “simple wisdom for complex lives.” Children help us to see our lives as being much simpler than we make it out to be. If you grew up in a cold climate, you may remember, you would jump for joy in hopes of the possibility of school being closed for a snow day. Then you would press your face against the window and wonder how all that snow keeps falling and falling without running out. As adults, snow simply means a mess and the responsibility of having to clean it up. For years neurologists have been saying that maintaining childlike curiosity will keep your brain young and functioning at a higher level for longer. Dr. Maoshing Ni is an anti-aging expert, doctor of Chinese medicine and the author of the best-selling book, “Secrets of Longevity.” Merging the ancient wisdom of Eastern medicine with the modern advances of Western medicine, Dr. Mao has spent years studying centenarians in China and combing through archives of Taoist longevity classics. He is also a Tai Chi master. Dr. Mao says that simply deciding to memorize a new telephone number every day from your cell phone’s contact list trains your brain to remember faster. Choosing to experiment — the way a child would — by using your non-dominant hand to brush your teeth, brush your hair or hold a fork causes new neuro-pathways to form in your brain, thus forcing your brain to adapt and compensate to change more readily. Another brain boosting exercise that stems from simple curiosity would be changing your dressing routine. If you put on your socks first, try doing that last. If you put on your makeup after styling your hair, try the other way around. Another wonderful thing about children is the questions they ask. A child can ask 16 follow-up questions to one simple question about “how do fish breathe?” Our frustration as parents and adults begins to mount because we have simply lost the interest in learning

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about things that have nothing at all to do with us on a regular basis. What would happen to our world if we decide to Google the question about fish and their ability to breathe under water? Then what would happen if we find out about the difference between salt water and fresh water fish? Then what would happen if we then researched the difference between fish in the arctic and fish in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean seas? Oh, let’s also consider “why is it that the gills of a shark aren’t covered?” Desiring to learn with the same degree of innocence and passion of a child simply says that I don’t want to stop growing. There is an axiom that says the moment you stop desiring to learn, you slowly begin to die. The curiosity of a child allows her to see the possibilities in everyone and everything. A child’s curiosity doesn’t allow a closed door to keep her from turning the knob to see what other possibilities can exist beyond what she can see. As life and its experiences begin to form the scales of cynicism over our eyes, we fail to taste the sweet nectar of promises. What happens if we push the envelope beyond the line that is drawn by fear; the fear of what others may think and say about us if we don’t do what everyone else does? The curiosity of a child is fearless and pursues truth regardless of the outcome. The best military strategists and great thinkers of our time are simply the best people to work with because they always press beyond the first answer to the first question. These people push us to our limit to see what comes out of us if we are squeezed hard enough. Maintaining childlike curiosity is like always squeezing life to see what comes of it. Squeezing life does two things; it improves your grip and your strength. Our curiosity is the only thing in our life without an expiration date.

There is something captivating and remarkably soothing when we watch an infant play with her fingers and toes for the first time. It’s as if we are placed in a trance as we observe the child’s reaction as though we don’t know what to expect next.

HEALTHY SPIRIT

WRITTEN BY SEAN CORT

A VERY WISE MAN once told me “It is better to be where you are celebrated than where you are tolerated.” Everyone needs to feel appreciation for the good he or she does and stands for. When times are tough, we also need a place of solace to go when we need to regroup. Sometimes that place is a quiet room or an activity that brings us great fulfillment or reward. Other times it may be an unconditionally loving environment with those who matter most. Regardless of your choice of release or recharge — good mind, body, and spiritual health requires you have both as part of your life. Many therapists and so called life coaches call this balance. Now, the interesting thing about balance is that it doesn’t come to us, we must find it. Unlike tribulation and bad news, balance doesn’t find us; we must pursue it unceasingly. Jesus had such a place, it was called Gethsemane and the unconditionally loving individuals were not His family, but His friends whom He chose.

Sometimes that place of celebration is an unfamiliar physical place that bears familiar spiritual relevance. God may be telling you to leave your old place that once celebrated you in infancy but now only tolerates you in adulthood. It is the same premise as a fetus in its mother’s womb. When it is time for the fully grown fetus to emerge as a baby from its place of nurturing, that place must now reject its product of life as if it is a foreign body. That baby no longer feels welcomed. If it remains — it will die. You see, God may make you uncomfortable with where you are in order to guide you to where you need to be. When your environment begins to reject you, then it is time to celebrate your departure to a new and divinely appointed place to grow. Continue to strive for an environment that celebrates your arrival, existence, and development. Bear in mind that sometimes that place may even be a state of mind.

“You see, God may make you uncomfortable with where you are in order to guide you to where you need to be. When your environment begins to reject you, then it is time to celebrate your departure to a new and divinely appointed place to grow.” www.naturecoasthealthyliving.com

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HEALTHY SPIRIT

Dealing with the emotional, physical and mental effects of

chronic illness WRITTEN BY SHARON WHITE-FINDLEY, MD, DO, JD

RESILIENCE IS A TERM USED to describe a family’s ability to cope when facing chronic illness by a member. Positive coping mechanisms affecting a family’s resilience are optimism, flexible thinking and extroversion (the ability to reach out to family, community and social support networks). I tell patients that optimism is the least expensive coping mechanism available to them and their families when faced with a challenge. As you go through life, brother Whatever be your goal Keep your eye on the doughnut And not on the hole I recall first reading this quote on my father’s coffee cup at an early age. When I was eight years old my family was blessed with the birth of my younger sister, Gloria Ann, who was born with Down’s syndrome. Before her birth the saying was just words to me; after her birth it became our whole family’s philosophy for dealing with the many obstacles posed by her chronic condition. The Cleveland Clinic defines chronic illness as a condition that lasts for a long time and usually cannot be cured completely. Examples of chronic illnesses include diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, kidney disease, HIV/ AIDS, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. Chronic illnesses can either begin as a medical problem that is congenital (present at birth) or it can be acquired after birth either as a child or an adult. Many of these conditions can be improved through diet, exercise, and healthy living in addition to medication. How parents react to the chronic illness of their child can have a huge impact on how well the child fares. Failure to appropriately deal with the emotional stress of a child’s chronic illness

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can strain marriages. Different emotional responses to a child’s chronic illness include anger, fear, and denial. Much like going thru the stages of grief, both parents need to finally land on acceptance to move forward. They also need to understand the speed each arrives at acceptance will be unique. Parents who communicate their feelings will increase the cohesiveness of both the marriage and the family unit. It is important that the parents have strong communication skills to set goals together. When dealing with adults with chronic illness, the patient needs to self-monitor the emotional impact of the illness on himself and his loved ones. According to the Cleveland Clinic’s Health information website up to a third of patients with chronic illness become depressed as a result of the illness. It’s important that the patient let the doctor know how the physical illness is affecting his emotions. Decisions about the use of medication and counseling are best made with the assistance of a physician who knows the patient well. Accomplishing the goals the family sets will require a strong team. The potential support available outside of the family can vary greatly. For example, until recently Lake County did not have a local chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to serve as an adjunct resource for information and support for families of children with insulin-dependent juvenile diabetics (JD). On October 20, 2011 a handful of local, active parents of insulin-dependent JD patients came together to form a local chapter. This is a great example of citizens coming together to create a knowledge-sharing resource, as well as a support system for their chronically ill children and themselves. The Internet can also be a great tool for

finding reputable resources for information and support. Below, I’ve created my top ten recommendations for chronic illness management. I hope the recommendations will help you and your family with the day-to-day challenges of managing chronic illness: 1. Learn about the disease from a reputable, current source. 2. Identify the doctor who will be primarily responsible for the treatment. Fragmentation of health care can cause miscommunication and a failure of one provider to take the lead. 3. Set goals for treatment that are reasonable and attainable.

HEALTHY SPIRIT

How parents react to the chronic illness of their child can have a huge impact on how well the child fares.

4. Understand equally the medications and the lifestyle modifications that are prescribed as treatment. Understand the purpose of medications and the potential side effects. Recognize the impact of lifestyle modifications on the patient and the family. 5. Communicate to family the goals of treatment and importance of lifestyle modification. Initiate the first steps towards lifestyle modification and keep a log of progress toward goals. 6. Recognizing and rewarding success for small steps will encourage continued progress.

7. Enlist help from family and friends when needed, such as starting a low-fat diet for the whole family, recruiting an exercise buddy, or accepting help with rides to appointments. Share the load. 8. Monitor the impact of illness at work; adjust your schedule or workload to accommodate your body’s needs. Don’t assume your boss knows what you need. If necessary, utilize the Family Medical Leave Act.

10. Monitor the impact on family and communicate, communicate, communicate! When dealing with the myriad challenges and complexities of chronic illness, though, it can be hard to “keep your eye on the goal.” I always advise patients that with proper monitoring, preventive steps and education, any challenges can be managed in a holistic fashion for patients and caregivers alike.

9. Monitor the emotional and spiritual impact of the physical illness and seek support and/or therapy as needed.

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HEALTHY FINANCE

Saving on name brands The fashion industry is the second largest user of water in the world. SOURCE: http://ecofriendlyfashion.blogspot.com/p/fashion-industry-facts.html

WRITTEN BY TANYA SENSENEY

HOW MANY TIMES have you heard “Mom, I need new shoes!” or “Dad, I need to go to the mall for a new dress!”? Maybe you need a new outfit for a work or family event. Shopping at the mall can be very costly if you do not know how to navigate the sales. I am a mom of three; my oldest is 14 and my middle child is 10 and a diva for fashion. They love the name brands like Aéropostale, American Eagle, Old Navy, and Hollister. Our budget does not allow for a spur-of-the-moment shopping trip to one of these stores; instead a plan of attack is needed. SALE AND CLEARANCE: Shop only the sale and clearance items. When a new fashion line arrives in stores, it will go on sale within three to four weeks. If you find that an item you previously purchased is now less, then check the store policy and see if a manager will refund the difference. Many stores will. My family knows we always start at the clearance racks first. Buying name brand clothes from the clearance rack saves money on what you need, so you can have what you want. ONLINE SHOPPING: Shopping online can save you dollars also. Every other week or so, one of the name brand stores listed above has a sale online. Over the summer

I was able to order my teenager six shirts and a hoodie from Aéropostale for under $70 by shopping their $8 t-shirt sale online. If I had purchased the same t-shirts and hoodie in the store it would have cost over $200. Granted he cannot wear the hoodie now, but in the fall he will because I bought the next size up while it was on clearance. Many stores will offer free shipping on orders over $50. SHOP WITH COUPONS: Before you head to your favorite store, check their website for coupons. Many can be downloaded to your smartphone also. By taking this extra step you could save yourself hundreds of dollars on name-brand clothing, shoes, jewelry, and more! One of my favorite sites for store coupons is MyRetailHelper.com. Also check out my site, www.DivineSavings.com, for more retail therapy diva style! STORE LOYALTY CARDS: Check with your favorite stores for a loyalty rewards program (not a credit card). Sign up to start earning points and rewards on the items you are already buying as another great way to save.

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HEALTHY FINANCE

Let the

storm blow! WRITTEN BY ELLEN B WILCOX

THE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE SEASON IS NOW IN FULL SWING, and it is important to review your personal and household insurance needs. Having held an insurance license for more than thirty years, I can say without reservation that researching and comparing insurance products is both a formidable and a seemingly endless task. It is somewhat akin to comparing apples or, better yet, wines! That is to say, there is something for everyone, and there are as many palates to please as there are palates willing to partake. Insurance companies fall into two very broad general categories: mutual companies and stock companies. Mutual companies are owned by their policy holders, and share profits with their policy holders. This form of ownership often translates to lower cost and better service while still remaining profitable. Stock companies are owned by their shareholders whether or not the shareholders are also policy holders, and those shareholders are rewarded through dividends and the growing share price of the company stock. Homeowners insurance is a must for anyone with a mortgage. The mortgage lender will require proof of it before funding the mortgage. Generally speaking, the amount of coverage required is tied to the dollar amount of the mortgage itself. Many homeowners choose to go beyond the minimum required amount and purchase enough coverage to equal replacement value of the dwelling. Additional coverage may be obtained for personal property within the dwelling, (think of losing your computer, furniture, clothing, etc.), loss of use of the dwelling, (think of time spent in a local motel while repairs are made to your home), personal liability, (think of your neighborâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s car being damaged 52 |

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by a piece of your roof during a severe storm, or your dinner guest slipping on your wet doorstep), and medical payments to others (think of that guest who sprained an ankle when he slipped). All of these and more are additional considerations. Of course, the more coverage desired, the higher the premium. The goal is to have adequate, but not superfluous, coverage. It is always less expensive to be selfinsured in as many areas as possible. Just be sure the potential loss is something that both your emotions and your bank account can handle.

Be sure to inquire about discounts that are often available for a new home, building code upgrades, fire and theft protection devices, proximity to nearest fire station, type of roof, and/or location of dwelling. The addition of coverage for both flood and hurricane typically is purchased as an add-on and can dramatically increase the annual premium. Be aware that Florida requires a surcharge on all hurricane insurance, and there is a substantial deductible as well. Flood coverage is often provided by a totally separate carrier. (Mine is!)

HEALTHY FINANCE

“Many homeowners choose to go beyond the minimum required amount and purchase enough coverage to equal replacement value of the dwelling.”

Getting cost quotes from more than one insurer is often the best way to begin the insurance shopping process. By talking with more than one insurer, the buyer is exposed to different representatives each of whom may bring different questions and suggestions to the homeowner, as well as different premium costs. One can also easily translate much of the above information to renter’s insurance. My own experience is that few renters opt for any type of personal insurance or personal liability insurance, preferring instead to rely on the coverage in place by the owner of the dwelling, apartment, or condominium unit. If you are a renter, take stock of your personal belongings and the likelihood of loss. Then factor in the financial feasibility of covering that loss on your own. A question that often comes up with regard to personal property has to do with items considered to be of exceptional value. This might include antiques, art, collectables, jewelry, silver, china, crystal, etc. Most insurers offer coverage for these items in the form of a policy rider, or separate add-on. Be aware that the cost for such riders is generally high. Use a sharp pencil when evaluating the cost of insuring furniture loosely thought of as antique, when it may have little real value to anyone outside

the immediate family. (no offense here, my dear readers, but in truth, few of us are actually harboring museum quality pieces of exceptional worth on the open market.) By the same token, it may well be worth insuring items of escalating intrinsic value such as art purchased from an artist whose work is suddenly becoming quite sought after. The same is true for exceptional items of jewelry, or autos not driven, but in pristine or beautifully restored condition. If a boat is owned and stored at a residence, additional insurance may need to be considered and acquired. Most homeowner’s insurance does not automatically include marine vehicles. Any information on insurance must always factor in the claims paying ability and claims service reputation of the insurer. Opting for the lowest premium without regard to how future claims will be handled is short sighted and may be more costly in the long term. As with all decisions, the best solution is the one that is right for you. Choose an insurer of sound reputation and unquestionable integrity to help evaluate your situation and offer a fitting solution. Your financial advisor is a great resource to begin evaluating your insurance issues and searching for a viable solution that meets your personal needs.

Ellen B Wilcox is a Registered Principal with, and offers securities through, LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Ms. Wilcox is President and CEO of Wilcox Wealth Management, which is not affiliated with LPL. She may be reached at Ellen@ellenwilcox.com or www.ellenwilcox.com. The opinions expressed in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investment(s) may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing. All performance data reference is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. There is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will enhance overall returns or outperform a non-diversified portfolio. Diversification does not ensure against market risk. Stock investing involves risk including loss of principal. International investing involves special risks such as currency fluctuation and political instability and may not be suitable for all investors. www.naturecoasthealthyliving.com

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A SERVICE OF THE INSTITUTE OF CARDIOVASCULAR EXCELLENCE

LISTEN TO YOUR LEGS They might be telling you something you need to hear about your heart.

A SERVICE OF THE INSTITUTE OF CARDIOVASCULAR EXCELLENCE

ARE YOUR LEGS TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING? PAD – Peripheral Arterial Disease – is a condition characterized by restricted blood flow to the arms and legs, though it manifests most often in the lower extremities. A diagnosis of PAD means the blood vessels carry vital oxygen and nourish the muscles and structures of the leg have been damaged in some way, usually through a build-up of plaque in the arteries (atherosclerosis). Pain, nature’s elegantly efficient alert system, tells us when something is wrong somewhere in the body. It speaks volumes to us when it occurs in our legs. The signs may be subtle at first – a persistent numbness or tingling in the foot or toes. Later, we might begin to notice a painful throbbing in the calves or thighs if we sit for too long. Sometimes when we exercise, go for a walk or climb some stairs a recurring sharp stab tries to tell us something is just not right.

The good news? Pain has alerted us to a problem we can now begin to address. The bad news? Only 20 percent of persons with PAD will ever feel that persistent or intermittent pain (called intermittent claudication). There are several reasons. Some may simply have a high pain tolerance and just “push through the pain.” Others may have damaged nerves, most often from diabetes, that make it impossible to feel any pain. Still others may live a lifestyle that never stresses the legs enough to ever cause pain in the first place. For all those people who experience no pain, their legs may still be talking to them, but in different ways. Legs that constantly feel “heavy” or weak could be showing symptoms of PAD. Feet or toes that are constantly cold or numb are exhibiting classic signs of PAD. Difficulty walking or balancing and sores that take a long time to heal are also symptoms. PAD has progressed to a more advanced stage when there are actual changes to the skin that become visible. Discoloration is a primary warning sign. Constant

redness, feet or toes that turn a dusky blue or even black are warnings that cannot be ignored. Skin ulcers that refuse to heal are another. What do you do if you suspect your legs or feet are trying to tell you something? Let the experienced medical technicians and certified physicians at ICE translate for you. A few simple tests, most of them painless and non-invasive, can help determine right away how healthy the blood vessels in your extremities really are. Our doctors will assess your contributing lifestyle factors – smoking is the number one risk factor for PAD. We’ll begin by testing blood pressure, cholesterol levels and glucose for diabetes. Comparative pulse and blood pressure checks on different areas of the body help point up variations in blood flow. An ankle-brachial index test (ABI) will indicate how narrow your arteries are and assess the flow of blood through them. A Doppler ultrasound may be prescribed as an alternative to an API. If warranted, more sophisticated tests may be

EileenGOULD FROM WILDWOOD, FL

“I know I might sound like a teenage movie fan or something, but Dr. Qamar is one of the few doctors I’ve met who has the attitude that the patient really counts. He knows just the right words to

used such as a Magnetic Resonance Angiogram (MRA) or Computerized Tomography (CT) Angiography. If the presence of PAD is confirmed, Dr. Asad Qamar and his team of medical experts at ICE can begin treating the condition to head off any further damage and start the healing process. Angioplasty, catheterization and stents put in place to widen arteries and increase blood flow are just some of the procedures Dr. Qamar may call upon to help reverse the effects of PAD. Beyond merely diagnosing PAD, the tests you undergo at ICE may ultimately have an even greater impact on your overall health and welfare. If the presence of PAD is confirmed, it is often the first warning sign your body gives you that you have an increased risk of coronary artery disease, stroke or heart attack. Are your legs trying to tell you something your whole body needs to know? Listen to them and let ICE be your first step on a journey to a much healthier, more enjoyable and longer life.

say to make a patient feel everything’s going to be all right. He treats me like an intelligent woman and I appreciate that. “I know things are changing in my body – I’m 88 years old! Some days are good. Some are bad. But that comes with the journey. I’m old enough, I’ve lived a good life but I’d still like to know a little more about what’s in store for me around the bend.”

Q+A ON PAD

with Dr. Felix Esarey and Dr. Johnny Wu of Tri-County Podiatry. How common is PAD among the patients you see? Dr. Wu: I’d say a good 30 percent of the patients we see have symptoms of Peripheral Arterial Disease. Dr. Esarey: Especially among our diabetic patients. The higher levels of blood sugars leads to calcifying vessels and higher plaque formation. What are the symptoms you see? Dr. Esarey: Patients come in complaining about cramps and “tightness in their legs.” We conduct a basic exam and look for color changes, coldness, pulse irregularities. Dr. Wu: It varies. We see numbness, weakness, cramping. Overall, people describe their legs and feet as feeling “heavy.” They can’t do what they used to be able to do without being tired. Or having pain. We’re trained to look at feet for systemic problems. That’s what we do. Are incidences of PAD getting worse? Dr. Esarey: I would say yes. Obesity is on the rise. Diabetes is on the rise. Dr. Wu: And smokers just aren’t quitting. Smoking is one of the major contributors to PAD I still see doctors who smoke. Nurses who smoke. It’s crazy. How do you treat PAD? Dr. Esarey: Catheterization. You need to get in there and clean out the arteries. Sometimes stents are used. If those aren’t possible, a

bypass may be necessary— like on the heart but for arteries in the leg. Dr. Wu: Whatever we need to do to get blood flowing again. Soft deposits we can use angioplasty. Calcified deposits usually need to be drilled out. When is it time to call in a cardiologist? Dr. Esarey: If we diagnose it, we refer our patients out to get treated. There’s no waiting for complications. We like to avoid complications. Dr. Wu: We look at family histories, lifestyles and the results from a basic exam. If we think there’s something going on under the skin we refer them. Why is ICE so important to this community? Dr. Esarey: They understand PAD completely. We can get our patients in there quick. We’re trying to save people’s legs here. It’s not just toes. Early identification is crucial. Dr. Wu: Exactly. Time is of the essence with PAD and Dr. Qamar is so knowledgeable. ICE has state-of-the-art equipment and Dr. Qamar is very thorough. He looks over our patients’ cardio systems from top to bottom.

and you’ll get gangrene and amputation. The best outcome? Someplace like ICE opens up your blood vessels, opens up circulation and gets you walking more. You may battle PAD the rest of your life but you are not doomed by it. Dr. Wu: Too often, by the time we get to make our diagnosis the disease has progressed too far. When that’s the case, unfortunately the prognosis is not great. Proper follow-up and maintenance are critical for a good outcome. If you could say one thing to people about the health of their legs and feet what would it be? Dr. Esarey: Don’t take them for granted. If they hurt – get them checked out. It’s much easier to take care of things early than to wait and try fixing them later. Dr. Wu: Don’t ignore your feet. It’s not normal to hurt. Do not delay or procrastinate. If you think something’s wrong check it out. As Dr. Esarey says, earlier rather than later. Denial is not a river in Egypt.

What’s the prognosis for someone diagnosed with PAD? Dr. Esarey: The worst scenario? Leave it untreated

A SERVICE OF THE INSTITUTE OF CARDIOVASCULAR EXCELLENCE

JudithBELAIR

FROM LADY LAKE, FL

“I went in for a broken big toe and a bunion on my other foot. I play golf twice a week and I run on a treadmill. So I needed help. “Dr. Esarey examined me and said he couldn’t operate because I didn’t have enough blood flow in my legs. He sent me to Dr. Qamar who did X-rays and MRIs. He found right where the blockages were, cleared them out and put in some stents.

“The whole experience was a good one. Between Dr. Esarey and Dr. Qamar I know I have two of the best doctors around. I’m going to have my operations now on my toe and bunion. I can’t wait to be pain free after all this. There aren’t words for me to express really. I’m very lucky.”

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HEART OF THE COMMUNITY

Good times PHOTOS BY CRYSTAL ASHE

06/28/12

The Citrus County Continuity of Care Mixer was held at The Grove in downtown Inverness. Visitors enjoyed a night of drinks and fun. They also had an opportunity to network with business leaders and professionals from throughout the county. Food, music, and raffle drawings were also part of the event. 01 02 03 04 05 06

Crystal Ashe and Toni Temple Monica Trebing, Toni Temple, and Debbie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Leary Crystal Ashe, Kathy Phillips, and Crystal Petrucci Amy Holiday, Krystal Deleonard, Julie Lawrence, and Christine Erick Lindsey Arthur, Shance Button, and Jason Button Hazel Tan, Tom Corcoran, and Jennifer Duca

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Surgical

Care

Hometown Service with University Quality

stablished in 1970, Inverness Surgical Association (ISA) is the largest multispecialty surgical group in the area. ISA is home to six experienced and compassionate surgeons, a professional staff, multiple examination rooms, facilities for minor outpatient care, and offices within walking distance to Citrus Memorial Hospital. As part of the not-for-profit Citrus Memorial Health System (CMHS), ISA’s patients have access to all CMHS facilities and services. The surgeons at ISA are qualified to diagnose and treat a wide variety of conditions, from skin cancer removal to general surgery and vascular surgery. Each doctor is board-certified and brings a particular expertise to the table.

Declan Hegarty, M.D., FACS

Dr. Hegarty joined ISA in June 2010. In addition to general surgery, he specializes in minimally invasive laparoscopic hernia repair surgery. Compared to the conventional or “open” hernia repair surgery, this treatment gives patients a quicker recovery, less postoperative pain, and an earlier return to normal activities.

Farhaad Golkar, M.D.

In addition to general surgery, Dr. Golkar focuses on surgical care for pancreatic cancer, biliary disease, liver disease, and minimally invasive/ laparoscopic surgery for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD, or acid reflux). Typically, GERD is first treated with lifestyle changes, followed by drug therapy. Patients who do not respond to these treatments can often find relief through minimally invasive/laparoscopic surgery.

Torr Carmain, M.D.

Dr. Carmain’s areas of medical expertise include advanced laparoscopy for ventral hernia and colectomy, breast surgery including sentinel lymph node and stereotactic biopsy, upper and lower endoscopy, ultrasound guided venous access, and colonoscopy.

403 W Highland Blvd, Inverness, FL 34452 352-726-3646 info@cmhinvernesssurgical.com

Quehuong Pham, M.D., FACS

As a champion for women’s health, Dr. Pham believes that a person’s diet and lifestyle have a significant impact on their health. Her areas of medical expertise include advanced laparoscopy for ventral hernia and colectomy, breast surgery including sentinel lymph node, and stereotactic biopsy.

Michael Brown, D.O.

Dr. Brown is known across the country for his work in vascular surgery. Prior to joining ISA in 2008, he was an attending surgeon at the University of Florida’s Shands Hospital and the Malcolm Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gainesville. His particular areas of interest include the management of aortic aneurysms, carotid artery disease, and minimally invasive treatment of lower extremity vascular disease.

Marc Fernandez, M.D., FACS

Dr. Marc Fernandez joined ISA 16 years ago and is Chief of Surgery at Citrus Memorial Hospital. An accomplished surgeon, Dr. Fernandez presents at multiple professional conferences and provides educational presentations to area residents.

ISA’s surgeons are here to help you regain your health—no matter what concern you may be facing. With a strong commitment to quality of care, compassion, and treating each patient with dignity and respect, ISA is available to provide you with the surgical care you need—when you need it most. Pictured left to right: Declan Hegarty, M.D., FACS; Quehuong Pham, M.D., FACS Marc Fernandez, M.D., FACS; Michael Brown, D.O. Farhaad Golkar, M.D.; Torr Carmain, M.D.

Inverness Surgical ASSOCIATION

A Citrus Memorial Health System Facility

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Party time PHOTOS BY CHRIS NEILSEN

07/14/12

Those who attended the splash-down party and country jam at Fat Daddyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bar and Grill in Homosassa had a wonderful time. They enjoyed two Nashville bands as well as a hot bikini contest, games, and giveaways. In addition, special prices were offered on barbecue and beer. 01 02 03 04 05 06

Kevin Leach, Chris Neilsen, Jim Hatahway, Vicki Moore, and Ray Bass Back: Joe Estrada, Jade White, Matt Avery, Joey Hardy, Derrick Steve Front: Ryan Downs, and Jody Boles Cody Ferguson, Dale Tarpening, Marcella Mosher, Darren McCroy, and Ryan Mosher Tammie Shepherd and Ed Lee Paul Sheldrick, Bill Wagner, and Clentis Brown Richard Denmark and Marlene Hayes

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Date: 5/02/2011 Time: 7:49M Shutter Speed: 1/60 Exposure Program: Manual F-Stop: f/8 ISO: 50 Focal Length: 18mm Location: Doubtful Sound, New Zealand

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