Marion Healthy Living April 2017

WHEN YOUR HEALTH OR THE HEALTH OF A FAMILY MEMBER MATTERS MOST, THE PROFESSIONALS AT CARDIOVASCULAR INSTITUTE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA ARE HERE TO HELP.

Full Range of Cardiology Services Consultations | Electrophysiology | Nuclear Stress Tests | PET Stress Tests | Echocardiography | Vascular Ultrasounds & Procedures | PT-INR Clinic | Holter and Event Monitor Clinic | TEEs | Cardiac Catheterization | Peripheral Interventions | Pacemaker Clinic and MUCH MORE!

Most insurances accepted. We are ICANL and AAAHC accredited. All of our physicians have hospital privileges in Marion County. Full EHR Capabilities and In House Billing.

WWW.CVICFL.COM

WE GET TO THE heart OF THE MATTER

Shafeeq Ahmed, MD

Ramil Goel, MD

Siva Gummadi, MD, FACC

Vijaya Koka, MD, FACC

Jayanth Koneru, MD

Hima Mikkilineni, MD, FACC

Jigar Patel, MD

Srisha Rao, MD, FACC

Prem Singh, MD, FACC, FSCAI

Paul Urban, MD, FACC, FSCAI

U KNEE QUE

Mako™ partial knee replacement is the only truly patient-specific procedure, planned from a 3-D model of your knee and performed with proven, highly accurate Mako™ robotic-arm assisted surgery.

Compared with manual Oxford® procedures, Mako™ partial knee replacement offers:

• Less post-op pain from Day 1 up to 8 weeks 1

• Increased knee functionality at 3 months post-op1

• 9 times lower failure rate at 2 years2

Mako™ partial knee replacement is available at Ocala Regional Medical Center.

Just like fingerprints, no two knees are the same. You deserve a knee procedure customized just for you.

1. Blyth MJ, Smith J, Jones B, MacLean AD III, Anthony I, Rowe P. Does robotic surgical assistance improve the accuracy of implant placement in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty? AAOS 2013 Annual Meeting, March 19-23, 2013, Chicago, IL. 2. Roche MW, Coon T, Pearle AD, Dounchis J. Two year survivorship

vary. There are risks associated with any knee surgical procedure, including Mako™ partial knee replacement. Your doctor

explain these risks and help determine if Mako™ partial knee replacement is right for you.

The Ocala Health Family

Advanced Imaging Centers

8150 SW State Rd 200, Ocala

2300 SE 17th St, Suites 302 & 800, Ocala OcalaHealthAIC.com

Family Care Specialists

2415 SE 17th Street, Ocala

1800 SE 17th Street, Bldg 100, Ocala

2300 SE 17th Street, Suite 402, Ocala

1111 NE 25th Ave, Suite 302, Ocala

10696 SE US Hwy 441, Belleview

4850 SE 110th Street, Belleview

8150 SW SR 200, Unit 400, Ocala OcalaHealthFCS.com

Ocala Health Heart & Lung Surgery

1500 SE Magnolia Ext, Suite 203, Ocala OcalaHealthHeartandLung.com

Ocala Health Neurosurgical Group

1725 SE 28th Loop, Suites 101 & 103, Ocala

1500 SE Magnolia Ext, Suite 204, Ocala OcalaHealthNeurosurgicalGroup.com

Wound and Hyperbaric Center

3300 SW 34th Ave, Suite 104, Ocala

Senior Wellness Community Center 9850 SW 84th Court, Suite 500, Ocala

Ocala Regional Medical Center 1431 SW 1st Ave, Ocala

West Marion Community Hospital 4600 SW 46th Court, Ocala

Summerfield ER 14193 S US Hwy 441, Summerfield

Health: Our family caring for yours.

We work every day to provide the safest, most advanced, patient-focused care you’ve ever experienced. Our team is ready to care for you and your family with our two hospitals, three emergency departments, seven primary care practices, three imaging centers, two surgical practices, a wound center, and a center for senior wellness. As Marion County continues to grow, Ocala Health expands to better serve the healthcare needs of our community. Whether it’s adding to our existing facilities or adding new locations and services, we’re committed to the care and improvement of human life.

HEALTHY beat

› PAGE 7

TRENDS | NEWS | PEOPLE

By Cealia Athanason, Brett Ballantini, Laurel Gillum and Melissa Peterson

› 8 What to do this month.

› 10 Get your ride on.

› 12 Saving Camp Kiwanis.

› 16 A bit about business.

HEALTHY dose

› PAGE 17

INSIGHT | ADVICE | SOLUTIONS

By Karin Fabry-Cushenbery, Laurel Gillum and Bonnie Kretchik

› 18 Give it up for the team.

› 20 A word for the guys.

ON THE COVER:

live longer with earth fare

› PAGE 14

America’s first all-natural and organic grocery store comes to Ocala. the secret’s in the sauce › PAGE 24

Several innovative recipes and backstories dot Ocala’s roster of homegrown sauces and spreads. › By Brett Ballantini

flavor fever › PAGE 30

Who says healthy has to be boring? These recipes are filled with natural, nutritious ingredients, and they’re all so tasty you’ll be reaching for seconds.

emergency response › PAGE 34

A closer look at the first of first responders. ›  By Cynthia McFarland

HEALTHY body

› PAGE 39

NUTRITION | FITNESS | BEAUTY By Angelique Anacleto and Brett Ballantini

› 40 Weight-training wellness.

› 42 Mouthing off.

HEALTHY vibe

› PAGE 45

MIND | SPIRIT | FINANCE

By Laurel Gillum

› 46 Get your green on.

› 48 Off-the-wall art.

Friday, May 5th

7 PM ◆ HILTON OCALA

EXCITING CASINO GAMES

• Featuring Texas Hold ’Em, Roulette, Craps, Blackjack & Slot-Style Games!

• Use your winnings to bid on fabulous prizes!

COMPLIMENTARY COCKTAIL HOUR — 7PM TO 8PM

— Sponsored By Tito's Handmade Vodka —

C ontact Nicole Pulcini Mason at 352.387.3474 to learn more about the event, or to become a sponsor.

Proceeds Benefit:

Enjoy a fun-filled evening of cool casino action benefiting abused and neglected children in our community!

T ickets are regularly priced at $99 each. Buy your tickets at KCIcasino.eventbrite.com and get 25% off! (Use discount code HEALTHYLIVING ).

SPECIAL ROOM RATES!

Stay at Hilton Ocala for $119 during this event!

— Call 352.854.1400 and mention Casino Royale —

Enjoy classic Vegas-style musical entertainment

.

SPONSORED BY:

Kids Central, Inc. is the nonprofi t lead agency selected by the State of Florida to coordinate child welfare services in Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion, and Sumter Counties. The proceeds of this event will benefi t Kids Central, Inc.

PUBLISHER

Kathy Johnson kathy@healthylivingmagazines.com

OFFICE/PRODUCTION MANAGER

Cynthia Brown art@healthylivingmagazines.com

EDITORIAL

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Karin Fabry-Cushenbery karin@healthylivingmagazines.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Melissa Peterson melissa@healthylivingmagazines.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR & SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST

Cealia Athanason cealia@ocalastyle.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Angelique Anacleto

Brett Ballantini

Jim Gibson

Laurel Gillum

JoAnn Guidry

Bonnie Kretchik

Cynthia McFarland

Katie McPherson

Sean Trapani

ART art@healthylivingmagazines.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Jessi Miller

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Kristy Taylor

PHOTOGRAPHERS

John Jernigan

Sheila Hartley fotolia.com

SALES DIRECTOR OF SALES

Dean Johnson deanjohnson@healthylivingmagazines.com

SALES MANAGER

Sharon Morgan

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Dawn Anderson

Liza Fritz

Skip Linderman

Peggy Sue Munday

Cecilia Sarco

Lori Tani

Tammy Walters

DISTRIBUTION

Dave Adams

Debra McQueen

Rick Shaw

berry fun fest

The 2017 Annual Florida Blueberry Festival in Brooksville is almost here. Stop by and experience the festivities, but be sure to bring your appetite. You’ll enjoy fresh Florida blueberries, blueberry pies and tasty festival fare. Quench your thirst and have a glass of blueberry wine at the Island Grove Wine Café. From art exhibits to an array of talented musical and entertainment acts, this day trip is more than worth your while.

APR 22-23

Want to go? › FLORIDA BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL › Saturday, April 22, 10am-8pm & Sunday, April 23, 10am-5pm › 201 Howell Avenue, Brooksville › floridablueberryfestival.org

day by day

Fun events, helpful tips and monthly to-do’s for April

6th Annual Race Against Child Abuse

5K @ Marion Technical Institute

HITS Triathlon Series (through Apr. 2) @ Carney Island Park

Clean

Have a meatless

Jog for 10 minutes

PALM SUNDAY

2nd Annual Ninja Survival Course @ the University of St. Augustine

PASSOVER BEGINS Clean out and organize ktichen pantry

Line Dancing @ the Forest Community Center at Sandhill Park

6-9pm

Core Workout

Family game night: Checkers

Jog for 20 minutes

EASTER SUNDAY

PASSOVER ENDS

Pull weeds and add some new annuals

Core Workout

Chair Yoga @ Blissful Life Corporation (Every Wednesday at 10:30am)

GOOD FRIDAY

Marion Ballet Theatre’s Beauty and the Beast premieres at Ocala Civic Theatre

5th Annual Corporate Run for the Springs 5K @ the McPherson Complex

LHS/LSA 5K Paint Run @ Lecanto High School

Run the Squares Spanish Springs in The Villages

Rabbit Run 5K @ the Northwest Recreation Complex

Jog for 30 minutes

Florida Blueberry Festival, Brooksville

Deep clean grout, and clean out drains

Core Workout

Visit Ocala Downtown Market (Every Saturday 9a-2p and Wednesdays, 3-7p)

BeYOU! Walk/Run for Children’s Mental Health in downtown Ocala

Family movie night: Leap! premieres in theaters

Plant a tree for Arbor Day

Leesburg Bikefest (through Sunday)

Earthfest at Arbor Day in the Great Outdoors @ Tuscawilla Park

5K/10K trail-running event @ the Landbridge Trailhead in Ocala

Pitch a tent for a backyard campout and have s’mores

Jog for 40 minutes

Core Workout

12 oz water, milk or yogurt

2 scoops chocolate flavored protein powder

1 banana

1 cup of spinach

2 tbsp of natural peanut butter

1 tbsp dark cocoa powder

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth.

Embracing Discovery Like Never Before

3D Mammography™ exams uncover what standard mammography can’t, especially among women with dense breast tissue. The experience is on par with regular mammography, but the superior detail can be life-saving. RAO offers 3D mammography™ technology as part of our complete roster of women’s imaging services, along with radiologists who subspecialize in women’s health imaging.

Best of all, you can make an appointment for a routine screening 3D mammography™ exam without a doctor’s referral.

Our Board Certified radiologists specialize in breast imaging and are honored to support women’s health in our community. They evaluate each and every mammogram in-house to ensure superior accuracy and care.

from left to right: Ryan K. Tompkins, MD, Amanda Aulls, MD, Medical Director and Lance P. Trigg, MD

a big ride

Ocala is a bustling place, but when it came time three years ago to locate someone who had experience in the disparate areas of competitive bike racing and fine art, the list might have been a bit short.

Whether the list was as short as just one name we may never know, because the Marion Cultural Alliance (MCA) quickly found the perfect person to direct its first annual Ride for the Arts: former competitive cyclist and current fine artist Mary Verrandeaux.

“They approached me to coordinate everything, knowing I was both a cyclist and an artist,” she says. “And because I had hands in both pots, I said, ‘I can do this.’”

Before Verrandeaux blossomed into an artist of distinction (She was the o cial artist of Horse Shows in the Sun and last year launched her Artletic Apparel line.), she was a competitive cyclist. In 1984, only a pre-trial crash that fractured her skull prevented her from a possible spot on the U.S. Olympic team, and a year later, she was selected for the U.S. team for the 1985 Women’s Tour de France. She founded Verrandeaux Visual Communications in 1985 and grew it into a million-dollar business before selling it to devote herself to art full time.

Verrandeaux bubbles with enthusiasm describing the growth of the Ride for the Arts. And its third year comes with the biggest changes yet.

“This is the first year we’re doing a Gran Fondo [loosely translated from Italian as “big ride”],” she says. “Italy is the mothership of cycling, and the Gran Fondo opens us to a

whole new set of participants.”

The Gran Fondo begins on April 22 at 8am at the Brick City Center for the Arts and includes three races. The short, 15-mile race is the Piccolo, a beginner’s race on flat terrain. The Medio race runs 38 miles, turning o just as the riders enter the more challenging hills. And finally, the Gran Fondo runs 78 miles, through long stretches of horse country, challenging even the best riders.

“Cycling has gotten very trendy in the past few years, and these types

The MCA’s third annual cycling race has expanded into a noteworthy, destination event.

› By Brett Ballantini › Photography by Tammy Portrait Artist

of events are very popular,” Verrandeaux says. “The ride allows us to showcase our community. Our entire course in Ocala is just stunning.”

Along with the expansion of the race into a Gran Fondo comes the event’s inaugural cash prizes. A total of $2,000 will be doled out to the top 10 finishers in the men’s and women’s divisions, along with medals. First-place finishers will also earn a prestigious winner’s jersey.

After the races, which finish back at the Brick City Center, the MCA hosts a lunch and o ers massages to participants, among other frivolity. It’s also there that participants can bring home a unique souvenir of their race: fine art.

Yes, another unique aspect of the Ride for the Arts is its plein (open) air painting

exhibition, where artists line the course and paint as the race progresses. At the end, the art is available for sale.

“This year, we’re expanding, so we have even more artists,” Verrandeaux says. “A lot of cyclists come from far away, and they want something to remember their ride by. We get to introduce a lot of cyclists to the amazing artists in Ocala.”

And those Ocala artists are hooked, too.

“It was such a pleasure to see the bikers sailing by as we were on location painting and sharing that experience in such a di erent way,” says Linda Eades Blackburn, one of last year’s plein air painters. “It really drives home the fact that there are many ways to enjoy being outside and feel the joy of being surrounded by the great beauty our scenery provides.”

“It was such a pleasure to see the bikers sailing by as we were on location painting and sharing that experience in such a different way. It really drives home the fact that there are many ways to enjoy being outside and feel the joy of being surrounded by the great beauty our scenery provides.”

—LINDA EADES BLACKBURN

Verrandeaux reports that this year’s Gran Fondo is on track to race at least 500 cyclists, more than a threefold jump from last year. It’s safe to say that the event, which has contributed nearly $10,000 to the MCA endowment (which gives grants to various cultural organizations, like the ballet) in its first two years, should match that in 2017 alone.

“We’re way ahead of last year in terms of entries, with a huge number of sponsors,” Verrandeaux says. And the race is no longer a one-woman show. After spending the first two years as an unpaid volunteer making all the major decisions, Verrandeaux now has an outstanding committee working with her.

“There’s no way you can do a Gran Fondo by yourself,” Verrandeaux smiles. “We’re

so excited. We hope to build momentum each year, and that’s just what’s happening.”

Verrandeaux says her goal was always to grow the race to 2,500 riders—“and then I’ll be done.”

If the Ride for the Arts keeps growing by leaps and bounds, Verrandeaux will have to pedal harder than she ever has to escape the pleas she’ll leave behind.

Want to ride? › THE MARION CULTURE ALLIANCE’S RIDE FOR THE ARTS › April 22 at the Brick City Center for the Arts (23 SW Broadway St., Ocala) › Entry fee for the Gran Fondo (78 miles) is $110, the Medio (38 miles) $45 and the Piccolo (15 miles) $35 › rideforthearts.com or (352) 369-1500 or info@mcaocala.com

for the kids

An upcoming golf tournament honors a former Kiwanis Club supporter by keeping kids in mind.

› By Cealia Athanason

Every year, school lets out and the weather heats up for another steamy Florida summer. And hundreds of kids from local schools pile onto buses and head out to Mill Dam Lake for five days of outdoor fun at Camp Kiwanis. Days are spent swimming, canoeing, playing field games, doing arts and crafts and practicing archery. At night, the kids enjoy skits, relay races, battle ball and even a special dance.

“[Camp Kiwanis] covers basic things like civility, playing and having fun together,” says Diana Williams, former president of the Kiwanis Club of Ocala and 26-year member. “It provides an opportunity for the less fortunate ones to have a great experience and be exposed to excellent mentors.”

Each year, the Kiwanis Club of Ocala hosts a few fundraisers for camp scholarships. This year, Ocala and Lake Weir’s Kiwanis Clubs got together to host The George Albright, Jr. Memorial Save Camp Kiwanis Golf Tournament, coming up on April 14. Besides golf, lunch will be provided, and there will be live and silent auctions, prizes and awards. The goal is to raise $30,000 for camp scholarships and maintenance of camp facilities. This golf tournament honors George Albright, Jr., who was a Kiwanis Club member

and Camp Kiwanis supporter before passing away last year.

Camp Kiwanis is a residential camp with four five-day overnight sessions throughout the month of June for children ages 7 through 13. The camp has been around since 1948, as a cooperative e ort by the Marion County Public School System and the Kiwanis Club of Ocala. Up to 104 students can attend camp during each session. The camp is well-sta ed, maintaining a threeto-one and up to five-to-one camper-to-sta ratio.

Approximately 20 percent of campers receive scholarships from the Kiwanis Club of Ocala each year, and the Marion County School Board selects those scholarship students. At Camp Kiwanis, the counselors focus on bringing the kids together, and to illustrate that, Diana describes the camp dance at the social night each year. At that event, a video will play showing photos from the week, and the kids will

Days are spent swimming, canoeing, playing field games, doing arts and crafts and practicing archery. At night, the kids enjoy skits, relay races, battle ball and even a special dance.

stand arm-in-arm swaying to the music.

“For most of the kids, this is the first dance they’ve ever had,” she says. “It’s such an innocent experience for them but also something they’ll never forget.”

› April 14 at 11am at Del Webb Eagle Ridge Golf Club › Call (352) 307-1668 for more information.

Melissa Singleton, PA-C

Dr. Ashley Cauthen

Dr. Christina Mitchell

Live Longer with Earth Fare

America’s first all-natural and organic grocery store comes to Ocala.

If you’ve driven past the Shady Oaks Shopping Center lately, you may have noticed construction and a “Coming Soon” sign for Earth Fare— the newest grocery store to arrive in Ocala, opening on April 19.

Asheville, NC-based Earth Fare has been leading a mission to bring healthy food to everyone for over 40 years.

“For us, it’s very simple,” said Earth Fare President and CEO Frank Scorpiniti. “Healthy food improves lives, and our entire team is passionate about providing communities with better access to healthier, a ordable food.”

The Ocala store marks the fifth store in Florida and the second location in Central Florida after opening their Gainesville store in 2015.

70% of the produce department is Certified Organic, which is more than any other supermarket in the industry.

A Food Philosophy is Born

It’s easy to question the authenticity of terms like “healthy” and “natural” these days, but Earth Fare is the real thing.

The roots of their Food Philosophy started more than 40 years ago in a tiny storefront in Asheville. The modest shop o ered a simple selection of bulk foods and wellness items. It was the town’s first natural food store, and it had an ambitious mission: Let people take control of their health with real food.

Earth Fare grew from a storefront into a full supermarket at a time when convenience and cheap food ruled and artificial ingredients were on the rise in the food industry. The need to better define “real food” became apparent.

In 1993, Earth Fare rose to the challenge and began to define its Food Philosophy, starting with the ban of hydrogenated oils. The boldness of the Food Philosophy worked—it turned out that people didn’t want to eat fake ingredients. Over the years, the company’s philosophy

evolved to include: high fructose corn syrup, artificial fats and trans-fats, added hormones, artificial sweeteners, bleached or bromated flour, antibiotics, artificial preservatives and artificial colors and flavors.

“We are very proud of how unique our Food Philosophy is,” said Earth Fare’s Chief Merchandising O cer Justin Jackson. “If you applied the same list of banned ingredients at a conventional grocery store, the shelves would be nearly empty.”

Although no one has accepted at the time of publishing, the company recently o ered to help competitors come clean by sharing their comprehensive “Boot List” of dirty ingredients.

“Healthy food improves lives, and our entire team is passionate about providing communities with better access to healthier, a ordable food.”

› Frank Scorpiniti, CEO

The Boot List

Shopping at most grocery stores these days isn’t as simple as picking up your favorite items. With so many hard-topronounce, artificial ingredients on the labels, it’s easy to walk away confused.

At Earth Fare, they read the labels so you don’t have to. This list of banned items regulates its Food Philosophy and has grown to include over 100 ingredients, which you can find at earthfare.com/BootList.

Here’s a look at what’s banned at Earth Fare

A Healthy Assortment

With so many banned ingredients out of the way, Earth Fare has plenty of room for healthy food. Front and center of the store is the produce department, naturally. According to the company, 70 percent of the produce department is Certified Organic, which is more than any other supermarket in the industry. A commitment to organic and non-GMO is evident throughout the store. In fact, all 500+ private brand food products are made with only non-GMO ingredients.

The store boasts over 4,000 additional non-GMO items storewide, with over 1,000 gluten-free products,

Learn More

and a wide assortment to meet other dietary needs as well. The meat and seafood department carries an impressive array of grass-fed meat and 100 percent sustainably sourced seafood. In fact, if they don’t have the catch you’re looking for, they fulfill custom orders within 48 hours.

Just shy of 30,000 square feet (a big jump from their first humble 1,200 square foot storefront), the Ocala Earth Fare also includes a full service Heirloom Organic Café, featuring all organic juices, smoothies and co ee. If grab and go is more your speed, an extensive prepared

“If you applied the same list of banned ingredients at a conventional grocery store, the shelves would be nearly empty.”

› Justin Jackson, CMO

foods department awaits, with an organic salad bar, fresh hot bar, and ready-to-go packaged meals. (Insider Tip: The store o ers $5 Whole Roasted Chickens every Monday!) Last but not least is the bakery with a gorgeous array of fresh-baked goods, including traditional French macarons, a 98 cent organic baguette and several artisan bread options.

Best of all, Earth Fare o ers this wide array of healthy food at an a ordable price, with even more savings available through their Healthy Rewards loyalty program and a Weekly Email Flyer.

“The Ocala community deserves a place where they can shop for their families confidently, knowing that their carts are full of only the healthiest, tastiest foods at a price they can a ord, and we are thrilled to provide that confidence,” said Frank Scorpiniti.

Visit Ocala’s first Earth Fare, opening April 19. Open 7am-10pm daily. Shady Oaks Shopping Center, 2405 SW 27th Avenue #101, Ocala. earthfare.com

ADDED HORMONES ANTIBIOTICS ARTIFICIAL FATS AND TRANS-FATS HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS ARTIFICIAL PRESERVATIVES BLEACHED OR BROMATED FLOUR ARTIFICIAL COLORS AND FLAVORS

well done!

Seven Rivers Regional Medical Center has named Chester Wheeler as the 2016 Employee of the Year. This award is the highest honor bestowed on a hospital employee each year. Chester Wheeler was chosen from among 455 for the honor. Employees are nominated for the award by their hospital peers based on their commitment to patient care, professionalism and contributions on the job. Wheeler has worked for Seven Rivers Regional since June 2014, first as a registered nurse in the telemetry unit and then transitioning to ICU.

a critical certification

Dr. Amanda Aulls, a boardcertified radiologist with Radiology Associates of Ocala (RAO) and the medical director of RAO’s Women’s Imaging Center, has earned a Certificate of Added Qualification in neuroradiology from the American Board of Radiology (ABR). ABR certification identifies a superior level of education, performance and professional acumen both patients and referring physicians can consider when seeking a neuroradiologist.

“Discoveries and technologies change constantly, and I’m dedicated to staying in pace with everyone,” says Dr. Aulls. “It’s something I do to provide exceptional service to patients and the many referring physicians who trust me with their patients’ diagnostic care.”

A NEEDED ADDITION

Ocala Health leadership recently released details on a multifaceted expansion project at Ocala Regional Medical Center, which will add nearly 35,000 square feet of new space and renovate 50,000 square feet of existing space. These projects represent an increase in capacity of approximately 15 percent (34 more inpatient beds). Since 2012, Ocala Health has made investments totaling more than $236 million, which represent the addition of 32 emergency department beds, 124 inpatient beds, and 437 jobs for our community. These expansions, along with the recent addition of a freestanding emergency department in Summerfield, exemplify Ocala Health’s commitment to adding new services and more access points for residents and visitors of Marion County.

always fresh

Earth Fare, the authentic specialty organic and natural foods grocery store, recently announced that Ocala shoppers will soon have access to the cleanest and healthiest assortment of food available. Earth Fare invites the community to join them for a grand opening celebration on April 19 as they open their newest location, located at 2405 SW 27th Street in Ocala. This will be the 40th Earth Fare location nationwide and the fifth in Florida. The celebration kicks o just before 7am with a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by an entire day filled with fun for the entire family, including exciting contests and giveaways, free samples, product demonstrations, live music and more. The festivities will continue throughout opening week. Beyond groceries, the 28,000-squarefoot store will also feature Earth Fare’s Heirloom Organic Café and Juice Bar. Shoppers will also find organic choices at the salad bar, hot foods bar, pizza station, sandwich counter and in conveniently packaged meals-on-the-go.

heart month honored

February 1 marked the first day of American Heart Month, and Citrus Memorial Hospital planned some great events to educate and empower community members to take their health to heart. February 3 was Wear Red Day, a day focused on the importance of women’s heart health and the signs and symptoms of a heart attack—which can be very di erent for women. As part of Citrus Memorial’s Wear Red Day celebration, a photo shoot with hospital sta and community leaders was planned at the historic courthouse in downtown Inverness to show they are united in caring for the hearts of Citrus County.

secret organ

Evidently, we don’t know ourselves as well as we thought we did. Have you ever heard of your mesentery? Neither had we. The mesentery is a newly classified organ that connects the intestine to the abdomen. A new study by Dr. J. Calvin Co ey, foundation chair of surgery at the University of Limerick, describes the secret organ as “hidden from plain view” and “only visible when exposed in a certain way.” The mesentery maintains the position of the intestine so that it’s connected with the abdominal wall without being in direct contact. Without it your intestine would collapse. Talk about a hefty responsibility!

losing to win

One area restaurant sta is shaping up, participating in their own weight loss challenge.

By Bonnie Kretchik

The battle of the bulge a ects millions across the globe. Whether it’s those few extra pounds that refuse to budge or a lifelong weight problem seemingly spiraling out of control, most people know what it’s like to be bogged down by extra weight. Yet, although millions have a love-hate relationship with their bathroom scales, most fight their flab alone.

“It beats you up on the inside,” says Becky Johns, who has worked at Mojo Grill & Catering for over six years. “I’ve tried to lose weight in the past but never succeeded; it was so frustrating.” Becky knew she wasn’t alone in her battle, though, and when Rondo Fernandez, owner of Mojo Grill, approached the sta about taking part in a weight loss challenge, she jumped on board.

“We had over 20 employees sign on. It has been an incredible experience,” says Becky. The overwhelming sta response inspired Rondo to host a mini challenge inside of the larger Shape Up Ocala weight loss challenge.

“It can be hard in big companies to keep a team atmosphere, but this has really boosted our company’s morale,” says Becky. She explains that Rondo paid the entry fee into the Shape Up Ocala challenge for any employee willing to step on the scale for the first weigh-in in January.

“The weight-loss challenges have taken o over the last three years,” says Tyla Kennedy, owner of Shape up Ocala. What started

as a New Year’s challenge with 12 participants three years ago has grown into a city-wide competition with 117 individuals signing on to exercise and share diet tips and recipes—all in an e ort to improve their health. The challenges are six weeks long with two weeks o in between. Tyla explains the six-weeks-on and two-weekso schedule helps people ease into the lifestyle change a bit easier than other systems.

“Two weeks o allows people to go back to their old habits and realize how bad they start feeling again. Most people sign on for two challenges before they fully adapt to the changes and can maintain their motivation to stay committed to a healthy lifestyle,” says

Tyla. The challenge participants all receive a coach as well as access to free workouts and nutritional counseling. Along with the Shape Up Ocala Facebook page, the Mojo Grill group also logs on to their own personal Facebook page to keep each other motivated.

“It has really changed all of our lives,” says Becky. She explains that many of the sta members started running, with 15 taking part in the January Sneakers & S’mores run. While the challenge prizes are definitely motivation, the way Becky and her fellow participants feel about themselves is the true reward.

Her words of wisdom for those fighting their own weighty issues: “It’s not always easy, but just embrace the challenge and believe you can do it.”

a family affair

“I weighed more in January than I did the day I gave birth to my daughter three years ago,” recalls Courtney Danetz. Both she and her husband work in the restaurant business, and over the years, the weight just crept up on both of them.

“Being around delicious food all of the time just breaks you. It’s too convenient not to give in to temptation when it’s staring you in the face pretty much all hours of the day,” she says, noting both her and her husband’s prior failed attempts to diet together. “We’d stick with it for two weeks and just give up,” she says. Courtney admits that even with the help of a personal trainer, the two just couldn’t find their dieting groove.

“When Rondo o ered to pay for our entry into the challenge, we thought maybe this would be the time we would actually stick with it,” she says. And stick with it they did. She describes the challenge as “life-changing,” adding that she and her husband dropped 15 and 20 pounds respectively in the first four weeks.

“We cook at home now, and aside from losing weight and improving our energy, we are saving so much money by not eating out all the time,” she says.

Her words of wisdom: “Find what drives you, and just do it. Stop making excuses, and make the time to be healthy.”

THE COACH WITH THE MOST

she found her stride

Alexis Brown has been tending bar at Mojo Grill for close to four years. At 33 years old, Alexis is no stranger to yo-yo dieting.

“I’d start a diet and then lose my inspiration and stop, and that’s pretty much how it’s been for the past three years,” she says.

When Rondo approached the restaurant sta about taking part in a team challenge, she hoped the camaraderie would be the inspiration she would need to stay on track.

“I honestly didn’t think I’d get nearly as much out of it

No one can say Jennifer Schissler doesn’t understand a thing or two about weight loss. A coach in the challenge, Jennifer relates 100 percent to her clients’ struggles.

“My journey began three years and 186 pounds ago,” she says. Jennifer joined a nutrition club and quickly went from a size 24/26 to a 20/22. Although she was dropping inches, the number on the scale was slow to reflect her body’s transformation.

“I was frustrated and wanted to give up because I put so much value on that number,” she says, noting many of her clients experience similar frustrations. But Jennifer didn’t give up, and the pounds soon started coming o .

“I lost 130 pounds the first year and 50 the second year, I’m now down 186 pounds from where I started,” she says. And although her accomplishment is truly tremendous, she isn’t done yet. “I have about 50 more pounds to go,” she explains.

As someone who has been on both sides, Jennifer believes her story isn’t unique and that the same results can be obtained by others.

as I did,” she says. Until just a few short months ago, Alexis would hardly have considered herself a runner, let alone think she would sign up for a 5K. Yet that’s exactly what she did with a number of other Mojo Grill participants this past January.

“I was so impressed that I did it,” she says excitedly. She now has more 5Ks on her radar in the upcoming months as well as a personal goal of completing a 5-mile run.

Her words of wisdom: “It takes time, but it is so worth it in the end, so just keep going,” she says.

“It’s awesome to lose the weight, but the lifestyle change is what is

truly remarkable,” she says. Jennifer strives to teach the participants to improve their relationship with food and make sustainable changes they can live with.

“Life without pizza is not sustainable for me, so I had to learn to enjoy it but not live on it every day,” she says. Teaching this approach to others has helped her take hundreds of pounds o di erent people over the past few years.

Her words of wisdom: “Find something that pulls you along. It’s hard and you’ll want to stop, but find what keeps you going and you will succeed.”

touching ontesticular cancer

The average age of diagnosis for a patient with testicular cancer is 33. Typically a younger man’s disease, the American Cancer Society predicts that testicular cancer will be responsible for roughly 400 deaths in 2017. That’s 400 too many.

April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, and although not a common cancer (approximately one in every 263 males will develop it), it can metastasize and is deadly if left untreated. So here’s what you need to know.

Germ cell tumors are the most common form of testicular cancer, making up more than 90 percent of all diagnoses.

Seminoma germ cell tumors originate in sperm-producing germ cells in the testicles and are very treatable. They tend to a ect men between the ages of 30 and 50. Nonseminoma tumors, on the other hand, often occur in younger men and even teens. These tumors usually show characteristics similar to that of embryonic tissues. Stromal tumors account for more cancers in children

than adults and arise in the hormone-producing areas of the testes. The two main types are Leydig and Sertoli. Depending on the type and stage, surgical removal, chemotherapy and radiation are the typical modes of treatment for testicular cancers.

Some risk factors associated with testicular cancers include an undescended testicle, a family history of the disease, being HIV positive, a past occurrence of the disease,

what to look for

Although the following initial symptoms don’t automatically mean cancer, they should warrant a call to your doctor.

› A lump or swelling in the testicles, usually not painful

› Breast growth or soreness due to increased production of HCG

› Early puberty in boys (boys typically begin puberty between ages 9 and 14)

5 years later…

Testicular cancer 5-year survival rates:

› Localized (cancer only in the testicle) 99%

› Regional (cancer spread to nearby lymph nodes or tissue) 96%

› Distant (cancer spread to organs or lymph nodes away from the original tumor) 73%

have a slightly elevated risk. Something that is not associated with a higher risk is a previous injury or trauma to the testicles.

Kayla Reidle Bariatric Surgery Patient

When it’s time for surgery, you can count on the team at Ocala Regional Medical Center and West Marion Community Hospital. Whether you have your surgery same-day or inpatient, our team is ready to care for you before, during and after. We want you to have the best surgical experience possible, so we make sure we’re providing a safe environment and guide you and your family through the process with care. With minimally invasive surgeries available, patients experience better results and quicker recovery. Some of our surgeries are also available with robotic-assisted technology.

surgical experience possible, so we make sure we’re providing a safe environment and guide available with robotic-assisted technology.

Minimally Invasive Surgery at Ocala Health

Bariatric

A Place To Call Home

Tenants of The Estates at Hawthorne Village of Ocala find a new home and way of life.

Carefree Independence

Sitting on his patio, Richard Ostrowski points to where the sunlight streams in. He’s surrounded by beautiful flowers in almost every color, displayed in pretty pots.

“I sit here most days after lunch,” the 90 year old smiles.

Richard decorated his patio with the help of a friend. They measured, cut and lay a faux lawn carpet over the patio’s floor, giving the appearance of a garden setting. Now, Richard enjoys a handmade oasis at his home of three years.

Richard is a man who takes his lovable sense of humor with him wherever he goes. He heard about The Estates at Hawthorne Village of Ocala from his neighbor who had given him a brochure. He was tired of keeping up his own home and yard and decided to look into it.

“The idea is that it’s as represented,” Richard says. “They do a lot of things for the people; it is a great community here.”

Richard loves going to events, gatherings and outings with the other tenants, too. His favorite outing is the weekly shopping excursion on Thursday mornings. Tenants of The Estates gather at 9:30am and take the Hawthorne Village van together to various locations. He has a copy of the Life Enrichment calendar of events and happenings at The Estates, and he loves participating in many of them.

“We dance together, and I tell jokes,” he says.

For Richard, life is simple at The Estates. Everything is taken care of, and he enjoys the company of tenants and sta .

Community With Personality

Dolores Abner proudly talks about her beautiful family, displayed in a gallery of photos on her living room wall. She has three daughters and six grandchildren.

It wasn’t until her primary doctor recommended Hawthorne Village of Ocala to her that she considered moving to an independent living retirement community. In October 2015, Dolores moved to The Estates.

“Oh, it’s wonderful,” she says. “The people here are so nice, kind and helpful.”

Dolores was a volunteer at Munroe Regional Medical Center for 21 years. She started out in the nursery, moved to answering phones and worked in the cardiovascular intensive care unit. She loves helping people, and her role at the hospital allowed her to do just that.

Now, Dolores is always speaking kind words or lending a helping hand. At 88 years old, she utilizes the gym membership included in her monthly rent at The Estates, AJ’s Fitness Center, every day for 20 to 25 minutes, and she always sees other tenants she knows. She encourages them and enjoys the friendly conversations.

Dolores Abner

Richard Ostrowski

“I recommend this place to everyone,” she says. “It’s a personable place and my home now.”

Dolores has a word search workbook open on her table. She enjoys completing those, going on the weekly shopping outings, dining with fellow tenants in the beautiful dining room and walking and sitting outside in the sun. But, what Dolores truly loves is the people at The Estates.

The Little Things

After one week living at The Estates, Jean Barnes felt it was home. Four years ago, her daughter, Karen, found Hawthorne Village of Ocala for Jean.

“I walked in and loved it,” Jean says.

Jean is 94 years old but looks much younger. She has three children, six grandchildren and 12 greatgrandchildren. Her walls are full of paintings created by her late husband and daughter, Karen. Besides the chair and desk she brought from her prior home, Jean and Karen enjoyed shopping to purchase new furniture and décor to make Jean’s apartment home uniquely hers.

“I really enjoy my apartment,” Jean says. She loves spending time enjoying the beautiful Florida weather on her screen-enclosed patio as well.

Jean loves to read, play games and spend time with her friend and neighbor, Lucy. Jean and Karen spend each Tuesday afternoon shopping, but Jean also loves going on the weekly shopping outings with other tenants at The Estates.

At one point, Jean underwent physical therapy with the therapists on sta in the outpatient Bounce Back Rehab program. Though she didn’t like that she needed therapy, she was thankful for the skilled therapists. In addition to having health care available when she needed it, she has enjoyed the transportation service that is provided to tenants.

“I’m very appreciative of the accommodations of the bus and the bus driver, Gloria,” Jean says. “She’s so helpful.”

Jean recalls good times at many of The Estates’ Life Enrichment social events, emphasizing how much fun she has had with other tenants and neighbors as well as sta members.

All-Inclusive, Worry-Free Living

Hawthorne Village of Ocala, is a not-for-profit, full-service retirement community, conveniently located near Paddock Mall, major health care providers and a variety of cultural and historical venues. The Estates of Hawthorne Village o ers exquisite apartment homes for the independent retiree, who seeks an active lifestyle with an all-inclusive monthly rent. Worry-free and maintenance-free living awaits you at The Estates, as weekly housekeeping and linen service, two restaurant-style meals per day, transportation to medical appointments and scheduled Life Enrichment activities are just a sampling of what is available to the tenants.

Assisted living accommodations are available at The Inn at Hawthorne Village of Ocala. The Inn is a lovely, home-like setting for those individuals who need assistance with daily self-care in a supportive and attractive environment.

As part of a full-service retirement community, Hawthorne Village of Ocala provides a full spectrum of care to meet all of your health care needs, including state-of-the-art inpatient and outpatient Bounce Back Rehab and skilled nursing. All of this, on one beautifully manicured, and easily accessible campus.

Jean Barnes

Several innovative ecipes and backstories dot Ocala’s oster of homegrown auces and preads.

BY BRETT BALLANTINI

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN JERNIGAN

ot a day goes by without consuming some sort of sauce, be it a spread on a sandwich or a dip for a snack. Several of the most delicious spreads to touch your lips are made right here in Ocala. Here’s a glimpse at some of the producers of Ocala’s most popular spreads.

455 Sauce: The BarbaCuban Revs It Up!

Before Live with Kelly and Michael, before becoming the BarbaCuban, Jose Juarez was just a dude with an addiction.

To grilling.

And his unlimited devotion to the pit now has placed him among the biggest surprises in the culinary world.

“I always did a bourbon barbecue sauce I’d smoke for eight hours—it was my special-occasion sauce,” Juarez says. “I never wanted to sell it, because the barbecue market is so saturated.”

But Juarez’s wife, Kelly, knew there was something more for Jose to contribute than just a one-o hobby sauce—especially for a guy who was grilling all the time. So she pushed him to enter 2015’s America’s New Grill Star contest hosted by Live with Kelly and Michael

“So I entered a combined Cuban sandwich and hamburger that I called the Cuban Missile [pulled pork, sweet ham, ground rib-eye steak, Swiss cheese and grilled pickles],” Juarez says. “I used to put

mayo and mustard on it, but I knew I needed something unique to put me over the top.”

Enter the 455 Sauce.

“I started playing around to find the perfect sauce, and after three days, I had it,” Juarez says. “And once I came up with it, I wanted to use an automotive theme to name it.”

Juarez loves his 1971 Pontiac GTO convertible and its 455 engine, so with four parts mojo sauce, five parts mustard and five parts mayo, the revved-up name fit. (The label on the sauce is pulled right from the air cleaner as depicted in his GTO manual.)

The mojo was the magic.

“There’s nothing in the market like the 455 sauce,” Juarez says. “The sauce had to work with a Cuban sandwich, and mustard and mayo are already staples of a Cuban.

The mojo—it’s a complex sauce, with lots of ingredients—gives it a twist.”

It’s actually a little more complicated than adding the Mojo Marinade, which now sells alongside the 455 Sauce. “The Mojo Marinade gives it a kick, but the second secret is the ghost pepper,” Juarez says. “I’ve been messing with ghost peppers for a few years now. They have a reputation for being scary-hot, but when

used correctly, they don’t kill the flavor of the food. They’re called ghost peppers because the heat eventually goes away without overwhelming the food.”

So, you can guess how this story proceeds: Juarez, the “BarbaCuban,” became America’s New Grill Star, and sales have taken o for the 455 Sauce. Although Juarez didn’t start producing his bottled sauce until last October, he sold 1,700 bottles in his first four months, with 95 percent of the sales coming from Marion County.

“Next is my 455-HO (high output) sauce. So many people wanted a supercharged version of the 455, [so] we’re doing it,” Juarez says. “Eventually, we’ll add a mild version of the 455 as well.

“And I’ve got another sauce I’ve been playing with—but it’s a secret sauce for now. It’s scheduled to launch in November.”

After a whirlwind year or so, what continues to bubble to the surface for the gregarious BarbaCuban is pride.

“The cool thing is, I’ve got 1,000 followers on my Facebook site now,” Juarez says. “I already had a day job with my marketing company [Victory Solutions]. Cooking was a hobby, and it turned into something big.”

Buy it › Jose Juarez’s 455 Sauce is available online at 455Sauce.com and is in Ocala stores, including Ocala Fresh Produce, Your Heart’s Desire, Florida Grub Hub, the Olive Obsession and Marley Mae Market & Paperie.

“The mojo—it’s a complex sauce, with lots of ingredients—gives it a twist.”

A Long Time Coming

Derrell Croft was still in North Carolina when he toyed with a few old family recipes and started producing barbecue sauce that tingled the tongue. Those tongues took to wagging—and requesting and demanding—and soon all of Derrell’s gift-giving came in pint-sized jars full of the good stu .

Years later, a friend told him it was about time he stopped giving and started selling. After a move to Dunnellon and wowing the owner of Prima Foods in Ocala with his flavors in 2000, Croft Farm House BBQ Sauce was born.

“We’d sell our kitchen-made sauces at flea markets, but people wanted it more and more,” Croft laughs. “It was hard to keep up.”

Eventually, Croft built a stable of sauces: Original, Hot, Bourbon, Mustard and Wing Ding. The first three sauces are all tomatobased, and the Mustard is fashioned for South Carolina-style barbecue. Per Croft, his Mustard is great with chicken, and a half-Mustard half-olive oil mix is a great salad dressing; Bourbon is good for steak

and meatloaf; Hot is perfect for shrimp and oyster dips; and Original “is good on everything.”

All five sauces mix about 20 ingredients together, often including tomato, mustard, celery and molasses.

“There may be a few secrets in each jar I’m not going to tell you about,” Croft smiles.

Sales have been consistent over the past couple of decades, including a predictable bump in October, when Croft burns though 20-30 cases a day (250-350 bottles) at the McIntosh 1890s Festival. (Original and Mustard are his biggest sellers.)

The stable may be growing soon, as Croft is tinkering with a North Carolina vinegar sauce. “I’m about halfway there,” he promises.

Buy it › Croft Farm House BBQ Sauces cost $4 per bottle and are found in around 20 local stores, including Discount Quality Meats in Ocala. To order call (352) 445-4567 or visit CroftFarmHouse.com.

Golden Harvest

Spring is usually a very busy time for a beekeeper, moving houses out to the orange groves so thousands of tiny, buzzing workers can crank up their yearly honey production.

And what might be called a real-life enactment of the 1997 drama Ulee’s Gold plays out in Crystal River, home of Bee Happy Aviary.

Bee Happy’s heartbeat, William Mashburn, finally is less a bee mover and more a honey bottler, however.

“It got too hard for me. Moving the bees, bottling the honey and delivering was too much,” says Mashburn, who turns 72 this year. “It’s hard to keep on top of everything, so I had to make some choices.”

Increased spraying in the groves has made a beekeeper’s job ever more arduous.

“It’s a whole lot more work than it used to be,” says Mashburn. “The [chemical]

spraying causes a lot of problems. We used to put the bees in a grove and just leave ’em. But now, you’ve got to really stay on top of the spraying.”

Another huge factor in honey production is the weather.

“You’ve got a Tupelo honey shortage these days,” he says. “The past few years, the Panhandle has had bad weather, so there’s hardly been any Tupelo production.”

As Mashburn says, he’s been “messing” with bees ever since he got out of the service and “really got into” beekeeping in 1992. His Bee Happy online products include raw orange blossom and wildflower honeys, cream and crystallized honey, and a variety of hot sauces.

Honey is well established as a miracle substance, whether ingested or used topically. Its antioxidant qualities make honey a valuable beauty aid, dental aid, first aid and medicine.

Even more popular is honey’s role as a sweetener. It isn’t an empty calorie like corn syrup, thus becoming a “health sweetener” for co ees, teas and water.

Mashburn has two favorite ways to take his honey: in beverages, like iced tea, or spread over a simple biscuit.

Mashburn’s other sauces (including Swamp Sauce and Mustard Sauce, with Datil peppers from St. Augustine) have one key ingredient: honey. How’d he make that jump?

“Winn-Dixie stopped making the barbecue sauce we liked, so we had to make up our own,” Mashburn laughs.

His wife, Shirley, has always run the paperwork side of the business, while William was in the field. But in a wrinkle reminiscent of Ulee, there’s a new addition to the Bee Happy family: granddaughter Savannah Barnes, who has started working full-time at Bee Happy.

“She’s just 20, and she’s working hard,” Mashburn says with pride. “The business will be hers, if she wants it.”

Buy it › Bee Happy Honey is in three Rural King stores in the area, among other shops and stands. Mashburn also sells all of his products, in various sizes, at beehappyhoney.net or by calling (352) 795-5578 or emailing sales@beehappyhoney.net.

The Hot Pepper Kings Of Marion County

It’s not easy to write a story about a hot sauce that hasn’t even been bottled yet. But Captain Caliente doesn’t come from the usual sources.

That’s because Captain Caliente is borne of peppers grown in a most unusual way: aquaponics.

David Howard—known as “Mr. PC” on the farm—runs EasyPonix, which produces hot peppers for sale, as well as other produce, in his aquaponic beds in Citra.

Howard’s pepper farm runs on fertilizer and recirculating water and produces gorgeous peppers, including Douglah, Scorpion and Habanero varieties that are among the hottest in the world. Howard claims his bounty makes EasyPonix “the hot pepper kings of Marion County.”

“In many cases, aquaponics is the only way forward for agriculture in America,” Howard says. “The water conservation alone is why, but it’s also pesticide and fungicide free.”

In an agricultural world where farmers are driven to e ciency and greater yields every season, it’s no surprise that the race to breed the hottest peppers and concoct the fieriest sauce is the norm. Howard looks at his mission di erently.

“I love to cook, so I find ways to incorporate these hot peppers into dishes in such a way as to dull the heat enough to get to the flavor,” he says. “The variety of hot peppers these days is extraordinary. I’ve been experimenting and cooking for the past decade, and I’ve compiled a specific list of peppers for my hot sauce to create a unique flavor.

“The true value of what I produce is in using it as a seasoning for the average person, who may never taste anything like this otherwise, because many people are simply afraid to try something super hot, let alone cook with it.”

Yes, that’s right, just a few drops of hot sauce in a batch of chili or a stir fry adds enough spice to flavor an entire dish.

And there’s a bigger bonus.

“Capsaicin from fresh chili peppers is one of the healthiest things you can ingest,” says Howard. “The health benefits [including digestive and cardiovascular health benefits, as well as cancer prevention] are crazy cool.”

Howard’s sauces consist of fresh veggies and dashes of honey and garlic, marinating in apple cider vinegar. Each

batch yields a hot pepper vinegar to bottle once the sauce is finished soaking.

EasyPonix is in the process of adding additional grow beds to expand its pepper sales and produce its initial run of Captain Caliente, available later this year.

“The hot pepper business is one of the fastest-growing in the country right now,” Howard says. “More and more people are getting hooked. People love them.”

Right now, EasyPonix may be just a little ol’ pepper-producing farm north of Ocala, but its self-sustenance and innovation points to bigger things to come.

Buy it › Order fresh peppers, check in on the status of Captain Caliente or inquire about an aquaponic setup of your own at easyponix.com or by calling (352) 789-6093.

There are working farms all over Florida, but what about one on the outskirts of Ocala, populated by… goats?

At Windmill Acres Farm and Goat Dairy, that’s just what you get. Alan and Yvonne Hart started their journey eight years ago, with a goat bought as a family pet.

“We really enjoyed the animals,” Alan Hart says. “Yvonne is lactose intolerant, so we added a pair of milking goats, and pretty quickly we ended up with more goat milk than we could use.”

From there, a farm sprung.

Windmill Acres is not a petting zoo by any stretch, but a working farm centered on and catering to the goats (who, it so happens, are pampered enough to get their own indoor milking bar!). And although it’s rare for visitors to physically interact with the goats, the feisty animals outdo your favorite aquarium or bird watching with their sheer antics.

In addition to a large variety of goat milkbased dairy products, Yvonne produces her own line of jarred jams and jellies, with a huge variety constantly in stock: Strawberry Fig, Mixed Berry, Strawberry Jalapeno, Apple Butter, Cinnamon Pear, Citrus Trio, Hot Red Pepper, Strawberry and Strawberry Kiwi. Most flavors are available without sugar.

“We keep the standard, favorite flavors in stock, with some varieties [Strawberry Fig or Peach, for example] from season to season.”

A few years into founding Windmill, Alan Hart was nominated by Florida A&M University for the Florida Innovative Famer Award, which he won for the innovative methods the farm employed to reduce its carbon footprint and protect natural resources, among other things.

A love of goats has grown Windmill into a burgeoning family farm, one that’s making life happy and healthy for every customer who steps onto the grounds.

Buy it › Join Windmill Acres Farm for its Mother’s Day tea on May 6 and for monthly gatherings throughout the year. The farm operates its store at 13323 SE 114th St. Rd. in Ocklawaha Tuesday through Friday from 10am-5pm and Saturday from 10am-4pm. Products are also sold at the Ocala Downtown Market. All items (including your own pet goat!) are also on sale at windmilldairies.com.

The G.O.A.T.

FlavorFever

Who says healthy has to be boring? The following recipes are filled with natural, nutritious ingredients, and they’re all so tasty you’ll be reaching for seconds! Are you feeling hungry yet? Grab a pen and a notebook and start writing down some ingredients. You’ve got some shopping to do.

Pan Roasted Maple Dijon Chicken with Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 chicken thighs

4 chicken drumsticks

3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt

1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

16 Brussels sprouts (about 8 ounces), bottom trimmed, outer leaves removed and halved

2 cups diced (1⁄2 inch) butternut squash

1 1⁄2 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

In sauté pan large enough to hold chicken in single layer, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. › Season chicken with salt and pepper. › Add chicken to pan, skin side down, and sauté about 4-5 minutes per side, or until chicken is browned. › Remove chicken from pan, and reserve. › In same pan, add butter. Allow butter to melt over medium heat. › Add sprouts and squash to pan, and sauté, tossing occasionally, until outsides are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. › Remove from pan and hold separately from chicken.

› Turn heat to high, and add stock, syrup and mustard. › Stir, and bring to boil, stirring to scrape up brown bits on bottom of pan. › Add chicken back to pan, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. › Cook over mediumlow heat 20-25 minutes, or until chicken registers 170°F with instant-read thermometer. › Add vegetables back to pan, cover again and cook another 8-10 minutes until vegetables are tender. › Move chicken and vegetables to serving platter, placing vegetables around chicken. › Turn heat to high, and boil sauce until it is reduced and slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

› Spoon sauce over chicken, and serve.

To find more main dish ideas for entertaining, visit eatchicken.com.

Quinoa Chicken Vegetable Salad

1 can (14.5-ounce) chicken broth

1 cup quinoa

1 can (14-ounce) diced tomatoes, drained

1 can (10-ounce) chicken breast, drained and flaked

1 can (8-ounce) cut green beans, drained

1 can (8.75-ounce) corn, drained

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper

In medium saucepan over high heat, heat chicken broth and quinoa to boiling. › Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. › Set aside to cool. › In large bowl, combine cooled quinoa, diced tomatoes, chicken breast, green beans, corn, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and pepper; toss to mix well.

Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Recipe created by Kelsey Nixon

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 ounces chopped pancetta (about 1/2 cup)

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

1⁄2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

2 cans (15-ounce) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (14.5-ounce) diced fire-roasted tomatoes

3 cans (14.5-ounce) chicken broth

1 1⁄2 cups ditalini pasta (short tubular pasta)

1⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Pea and Corn Risotto

4 cups canned low sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 cup Arborio rice

1 can (11-ounce) no salt added whole-kernel corn, drained

1 can (8.5-ounce) low sodium peas, drained

1⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon butter salt and ground black pepper, to taste

In 2-quart saucepan over high heat, heat chicken broth to simmering; keep warm. › Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, in hot olive oil, cook onion until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally. › Add rice, and cook for 2 minutes until coated with oil. › Gradually add chicken broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until absorbed, stirring frequently. › Continue adding remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring occasionally, cooking rice until al dente, about 25 minutes. › Stir in corn, peas, Parmesan cheese and butter to heat through. › Add salt and pepper to taste. › Serve immediately.

In large heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. › Brown pancetta bits just until they start to crisp before adding onion, garlic and thyme.

› Season with salt and pepper, and sauté until fragrant and golden brown. › Add canned beans, tomatoes and chicken broth. › Bring soup to rapid boil before adding pasta. › Reduce to simmer, and cook soup covered, stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. › Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving. › Garnish with Parmesan cheese, and serve with crusty bread. › Note: You can substitute bacon for pancetta, if desired.

Almond Cherry Tres Leches Cake

Recipe created by Kelsey Nixon

Cake:

1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

5 large eggs

1⁄2 teaspoon almond extract

1 can (14.5-ounce) pitted cherries, thoroughly drained

Tres leches mixture:

1⁄4 cup heavy cream

1 can (12-ounce) evaporated milk

1 can (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milk

Icing:

1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream, chilled

4 tablespoons powdered sugar

1⁄4 teaspoon almond extract

1⁄4 cup chopped almonds, toasted

For cake, preheat oven to 350°F. › Grease and flour 9-by13-inch cake pan. › Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt into large mixing bowl. › Cream butter, sugar and eggs with electric mixer on high until yolks turn pale yellow. › Mix in almond extract. › Slowly incorporate dry ingredients into wet ingredients until fully combined— avoid over-mixing. › Pour into prepared pan, evenly spreading batter out. › Bake until cake has cooked through, 30 minutes. › Cool slightly; then pierce surface of cake with fork several times. › Combine heavy cream, evaporated milk and condensed milk in small bowl or pitcher. › Drizzle milk mixture over top, and allow cake to sit and absorb milk mixture. › For icing, whip together heavy cream, sugar and almond extract. › Spread evenly over top of soaked cake. › Top with toasted almonds. › Refrigerate at least two hours or until ready to serve.

For more information about the canning process, delicious recipes and to learn how you can get cooking with canned foods, visit CansGetYouCooking.com.

Party Perfect Potatoes

2-4 medium Wisconsin russet or gold potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1⁄4 teaspoon pepper

1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt

Heat grill or oven to 400°F. › Thinly slice potatoes lengthwise to 1/4-inch thick, discarding ends. › Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. › Place on grill or prepared baking sheet in single layer. › Cook 10 minutes on each side. › Add toppings.

Topping Ideas

Bruschetta: In bowl, mix together 2 medium tomatoes diced, 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil, and spoon on top of potatoes.

Baked potato: In bowl, mix together 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped and spoon on top of potatoes. Garnish with 1 tablespoon chives.

Mediterranean: In bowl, mix together 1 container (6 ounces) feta cheese; 1 can (2 1/4 ounces) sliced olives, drained; 1 medium tomato, diced; and salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon on top of potatoes. Creamy Greek yogurt with lemon and herbs: In bowl, mix together 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill; juice from 1/2 lemon; salt and pepper, to taste; and spoon on top of potatoes. Garnish with dill sprigs.

Find more potato recipes at eatwisconsinpotatoes.com.

Veggie Sammies with Peanut Butter Satay Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Ben M., San Francisco, California

4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons water

4 teaspoons hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons sriracha

2 French baguette rolls (6 inches each)

1⁄2 cup sliced cucumber

1⁄2 cup white onion

1⁄2 cup red bell pepper

1⁄2 cup purple cabbage

1⁄2 cup fresh cilantro

In small bowl, combine peanut butter, lime juice, water, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and sriracha

› Mix well. › Spread sauce on both sides of bread, and then layer with cucumber, onion and bell pepper. › Top with cabbage and cilantro leaves

Find more creative ways to enjoy peanut butter with these winning recipes from Southern Peanut Growers’ annual PB My Way recipe contest, and explore additional dishes that celebrate this versatile ingredient at peanutbutterlovers.com.

Panzanella Salad

Recipe courtesy of The TomKat Studio blog on behalf of Stou er’s

1 whole wheat baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons red wine

vinegar

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1 hothouse cucumber, diced

3 assorted bell peppers, diced

1⁄2 red onion, diced

10 sprigs basil leaves, julienned

Heat oven to 350°F. › On baking sheet, spread bread in single layer and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. › Bake 20 minutes, or until golden brown. › Remove and set aside. › In bowl, whisk together

garlic, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper with remaining olive oil to make vinaigrette. › In large bowl, toss ingredients together, making sure to coat all ingredients with vinaigrette. › Serve immediately.

Garlic Roasted Asparagus with Tomatoes and Balsamic

Recipe courtesy of The TomKat Studio blog on behalf of Stou er’s

2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed

1 pint cherry tomatoes

4 garlic cloves, minced salt, to taste

black pepper, to taste reduced balsamic vinegar

Heat oven to 375°F. › On baking sheet, toss together all ingredients, except balsamic vinegar. › Roast 15 minutes, or until asparagus is tender. › Transfer asparagus and tomatoes to platter. › Drizzle with reduced balsamic vinegar to taste, and serve.

Find more simple, delicious and well-balanced meal ideas to share with your family at nestleusa.com/nutrition/balance.

Mediterranean Chicken Pitas

1 can (10-ounce) chicken breast, drained and flaked

1⁄2 cup finely chopped cucumber

1⁄2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1 can (4.5-ounce) chopped green chilies, drained

1⁄4 cup Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill

2 whole wheat pitas

4 lettuce leaves

In large bowl, combine chicken, cucumber, red bell pepper, green chilies, yogurt and dill. › Toss to mix well. › Cut each pita in half horizontally; carefully open each pita half. › Fill each with two lettuce leaves and half of chicken mixture.

BY CYNTHIA MCFARLAND

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE FIRST OF FIRST RESPONDERS

All across America, we take for granted that simply dialing those three numbers will immediately connect us to help. But it wasn’t

Almost 50 years ago, Haleyville, Alabama, was the first city to implement a 911 system. This occurred in 1968 in response to President Lyndon Johnson’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice, which advised police departments to set up a number for the

More cities followed that precedent over the next several years until the emergency system became what it is today: modern call centers called Public Safety Answering Points or PSAPs, which are sta ed 24/7, 365 days a year and able to dispatch first responders immediately, no matter

Given that April is 911 Education Month and that April 9-15, 2017 is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, we thought it fitting to find out what goes on behind the scenes when a citizen dials 911. We spoke with representatives from Marion County Public Safety and Citrus County Sheri ’s O ce Public Safety Answering Point to learn more.

CHALLENGING ROLE

Public safety telecommunicator: such an innocuous title for one

of the most mentally and emotionally challenging jobs anyone could sign on for. Simply showing up for work is a virtual guarantee of stress.

People don’t tend to think, “I want to be a 911 call taker when I grow up.” It takes unique individuals to fill the role and man the positions day in and day out. They are literally the first of first responders, because without their e orts the police o cers, sheri deputies, firefighters and emergency personnel wouldn’t know to come to the rescue.

Any time someone dials 911, the call is answered by a public safety telecommunicator (PST) in the communications center. Their job is to rapidly gather pertinent information, entering it into the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system so that emergency dispatchers can send the correct fi rst responders to the scene.

(In case you wondered, call centers also have a backup plan in case computers go down. There are carbon copy forms and laminated boards with grease pencils for inputting information the old-fashioned way—by hand!)

Depending on the communications center, dispatchers may be working from the same location. Even as responders are en route, the PST continues speaking with the caller, telling them what to do next. In case of a medical emergency, for example, the PST gives detailed instructions for CPR or how to stop bleeding, etc., until help arrives.

“Nobody calls 911 when they’re having a good day,” says Chris Evan, deputy director of emergency operations in Citrus County, who oversees the 911 center there. “They may be calling because someone has been shot, or they came home and found a loved one has committed suicide, or an infant is not breathing because they fell into

the pool. Callers may be cursing or yelling, and in some cases, they are intoxicated.

“This is a very stressful job, and it takes a certain person to do it. It sounds odd, but this is the ultimate customer service occupation,” Evan notes.

The best PSTs are able to multitask, prioritize and have the ability to compartmentalize.

“We hire for attitude and train for skill. We want them to be motivated and have a positive attitude. They need to be able to take control but also be compassionate. They must work as an individual but also as a team. They must have computer skills, and although they don’t have to be an expert, they must be able to maneuver a Windows operating system,” Evan adds.

The job application alone can be intimidating because of its length. Once an applicant passes the interview, they must also pass a lie detector test, psychological exam, background and medical checks, as well as a final exam. New hires complete a training program that involves nearly 400 hours, most of which takes place in the classroom, although there is some ride-along time with first responders to see what it’s like at an actual scene.

With initial training complete, the employee receives their PST certification from the state. But even at this point, when they are allowed to start answering calls, it’s usually about 300 more hours before they are on their own.

“They first answer non-emergency calls before moving to emergency calls,” says Evan, noting that his PSTs currently range in age from 21 to 61. “They have one year after they’re released from training to get certified on the radio dispatch. Our goal is to train everybody for every position. It’s not always achievable, but we move to train in all areas because we need them to be able to do both call taking and radio dispatch.”

Working in the communications center, everyone works 12-hour shifts. In a perfect world, they have every other weekend o , but their world is far from perfect. Overtime is common, and there are also “on call” days.

With those hours and the rigorous training involved, you’d think these positions would be high paying, but they actually start at about $27,500 per year, although the benefits are great.

Imagine having a job where almost everything you say is on the record when you’re clocked in. Because every 911 call is recorded, there is a great deal of scrutiny, and

Evan notes that calls are routinely reviewed to be sure procedure is followed.

“We’re very aggressive with quality assurance,” he says. “The No. 1 thing is customer service.”

“I wasn’t looking for this job, but now I want to stay with it and make it my career,” says Hannah Carpenter, 30, who has worked for Marion County Public Safety since 2012, first as a PST and then as a dispatcher.

“When I came home from the Marine Corps, I knew I could handle high stress,

“It sounds odd, but this is the ultimate customer service occupation.”

Marion County Public Safety

so when a friend told me about a job opening in the 911 call center, I applied,” says Frank Roberts, 39, communications supervisor with Citrus County Sheri ’s O ce. Roberts started out as a PST in 2001 and became a supervisor in 2008.

COMMON MISCONCEPTION

Location is the most critical information obtained in any 911 call.

“If we don’t know where you are, we can’t help you,” says Roberts. “One or two minutes can make the di erence between life and death.”

The caller’s street address automatically shows on the computer screen if they’re calling from a land line phone. However, if they’re calling from a cell phone, only the nearest cross streets are identified.

“It’s a big misunderstanding to think if you call from a cell phone we know where you are. We can see coordinates and a roundabout area, but it’s not like calling from a land line where we know exactly where you are. That’s why we ask the person to repeat the address,” Roberts explains.

“People get annoyed when we ask them to verify their address, but the most important thing is getting the address right,” says

Carpenter. “When we’re asking questions, we’re not doing it to delay anything; we just need to get the information.”

FULL MOON CRAZINESS

A shift in the emergency communications center can be like organized chaos, but if there’s one thing PSTs appreciate about their job, it’s that they never know what to expect.

“I don’t know that there’s ever been a study done on this, but I would say it’s 100 percent true that we get more crazy, o -thewall calls during the full moon,” Roberts says with a smile.

Roberts adds that one of the first 911 calls he took when he started on the job was on Thanksgiving. A female caller wanted to know how long it took to cook a turkey.

“For her, this was an emergency,” says Roberts.

Alcohol definitely figures into the job— when it comes to some callers, that is.

“We will have intoxicated people call in who make no sense at all,” Evan says. “One

person called in to say she’d bought a sex toy and it wasn’t working. She wanted a deputy to come take the item back and exchange it.”

“You wouldn’t believe the things people call about,” says Carpenter. “One person called about a UFO. Another woman told me she thought her neighbor was giving her Chihuahua bags of shrimp. I wasn’t sure what we were supposed to do for her. We always want to remain professional, but sometimes you have to mute a call so you don’t o end the caller by laughing.”

TOUGH CALLS

There are days when PSTs are riding high, knowing they’ve literally helped save a life. Like the time Carpenter helped a woman caller deliver her own baby and heard the newborn’s first cries in the background.

“You have days when you really know you’re making a di erence. You help deliver a baby or catch the bad guys,” says Carpenter. “Other days are bad. There have been times I’ve had to take a break, go outside and just cry,” says Carpenter.

“It’s definitely stressful and takes a toll on a person; you have to have a heart for it,” she adds. “A few bad calls coming close together have been enough to make some call takers turn in their two-week notice.”

Talking to a person who is suicidal and has a gun to their head clearly ranks as one of the toughest calls. Especially when, despite

“You have days when you really know you’re making a difference. You help deliver a baby or catch the bad guys. Other days are bad. There have been times I’ve had to take a break, go outside and just cry.”

Citrus County Sheriff ’s Office Public Safety Answering Point

all the PST does—and the fact that help has been dispatched and is on the way—the call ends with a gunshot.

PSTs add that calls involving a child are usually the worst of the worst and can haunt them.

HELP FOR THE HELPERS

Studies have found that PSTs can experience signifi cant emotional distress directly related to handling emergency calls. This repeated exposure may put them at risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“Some calls can be very dramatic. If a call taker is having di culty, the supervisor may send them home for the day,” says Evan. “We also have the Employee Assistance Program, where they can get three visits to a mental health professional at no cost to help them deal with the issues.”

“Call takers hear some pretty raw emotion on the phone and are drawn into what’s happening even though they’re not there,” says Joe LaCognata, one of four chaplains with Marion County Fire Rescue. “When fi rst responders get on the scene, they’re able to get to work, but the call takers aren’t there, so they’re in a more challenging position because often they don’t know how the case is resolved.”

Roberts agrees that lack of closure is one of the hardest parts of the job.

“You hear the trauma and violence, but you’re not part of the hands-on fi x after the call,” he says. “You have to manage your emotions in the moment but also deal with stress in a healthy manner afterward. You can’t just keep it all inside.”

LaCognata’s job is to work with fi rst responders and those in the communications center for stress management and crisis management intervention. A former EMT and volunteer fi refi ghter, LaCognata knows personally the challenges faced by fi rst responders. After he got into ministry two decades ago and later became an ordained minister at Church of the Springs in Ocala, he became a chaplain for fi rst responders.

“We had two Central Florida fi refi ghters take their own lives in the past year because they were overwhelmed by their jobs,” says LaCognata somberly. “We have

to do more to help our people deal with the stu they see. The old mentality was, ‘Suck it up, Buttercup.’ Now we know this doesn’t work, and we’re much more aggressive in talking about stress. Now we say, ‘It’s OK to not be OK.’ It’s very normal.”

LaCognata teaches classes in critical incident stress management (CISM). Chaplains like LaCognata make themselves available to PSTs who need to talk through their emotions after a particularly traumatic call.

“Our goal is to be aware of the stress call takers and fi rst responders are under, to provide support, a good pair of listening ears, give them the tools of coping strategies and, if needed, refer them to mental health professionals,” he explains.

“There is a cost to caring,” says LaCognata. “The call takers care about the people, and they’re dealing with people in real life.”

“911 operators aren’t usually mentioned in the same sentence as deputies, EMS personnel or fi refi ghters, but the vicarious stress these operators go through is just as much as any other fi rst responder,” adds Roberts.

“This type of job takes a toll on the individual and their families and takes years o your life. They make the same sacrifi ces as other fi rst responders and should be considered in the same breath.”

Don’t hang up until the 911 operator says you can.

Don’t let kids play with old cell phones; they can still dial 911 and operators must process every call—even “mistake” calls—which takes time away from legitimate emergency calls.

the nonresponders

Let’s be real. Running is not one of our favorite pastimes. For exercising to be worth our while, we need to see results. Research has shown, however, that many people who begin a new exercise program see little to no health improvement. These people are known as “nonresponders” and make up less than 10 percent of those who exercise. If you fall into this bracket, should you give up? Not at all! The di erence you see in your results versus others’ is most likely a genetic trait. Although you may be resistant to one type of training, you’re probably not resistant to them all. Try out a few of these workout ideas to get you started and keep it up until you find something that works for you.

› Aerobic step classes

› CrossFit

› Kickboxing

› Weight training

› Cardio dance

need for speed?

Weight training will improve your health no matter what, but slow or fast reps yield di erent results.

No o ense to Charles Atlas, but the science behind weight training has advanced by leaps and bounds since the days of sand being kicked in the faces of 98-pound weaklings.

Today, one particular debate pits the merits of slow repetitions against fast reps.

First, let’s define a full repetition. A full rep is both the positive and negative muscle movement. So a full rep of a bench press, for example, means pushing the weight out almost fully from your chest (positive movement) and then lowering the weight back down to your chest (negative movement).

Both slow and fast repetitions have benefits, but yield di erent results. Slow reps better stimulate muscle growth, while fast reps can give you more overall strength.

slow reps

A slow repetition should take 10 seconds to complete: four seconds of positive movement, two seconds of pause to slow momentum, spur muscle resistance and minimize injury, and four seconds of negative movement.

By lifting slowly, you are stimulating blood flow to muscles, as well as prolonging muscle tension. As a result, slow reps grow and build muscles (“bulk”).

fast reps

Lifting weights “fast” is not an excuse to encourage injury by “throwing” weights around. It’s important to maintain proper form and control of the weight even if lifting more rapidly. With fast reps, cut lift times down significantly: one second of positive movement, pause a fraction to slow the momentum of the weight and one second of negative movement.

Fast reps minimize muscle tension and thus don’t “bulk up” muscles. Instead, fast reps will give muscles greater definition and can produce greater overall power and strength.

negative rep training

Rehabilitating, senior or novice weightlifters are encouraged to perform negative reps only. Such training necessitates a trainer to spot the weightlifter. The trainer/spotter helps the weightlifter perform the positive movement of the lift and then lets the weightlifter finish the rep by handling the negative movement on his or her own. Negative rep training can be considered resistance training, because the weightlifter is focused fully on resisting the weight of the barbell.

Although positive reps take much more energy and potentially invite injury, negative reps are easier to control, and therefore are a better fit for an older adult, someone recovering from injury or a beginner.

grin and wear it

Protect your pearlies, and preen that pout for a revved-up smile.

By Angelique Anacleto

First impressions begin with a great smile. Of course, ordering up a healthy, attractive grin calls for, you guessed it, consistent twice-daily gentle tooth brushing and flossing while nixing dark, acidic foods, beverages and smoking. With your mouth functioning as a grinding work engine, these prominent pointers can help keep it fit and gleaming.

happy app

Brush DJ (brushdj.com) is a free iTunes and Google Play app that plays music for two minutes to encourage brushing. It also reminds when to brush, floss and visit your dentist.

noticeably white

For bona fide tooth bleaching, Dr. Tina Chandra of Chandra Smile Designs in Ocala, advises patients to trust dental professionals to deliver safe, quick and long-term results compared with minimal brightening outcomes from DIY over-thecounter systems.

“Your teeth are the only ones you’ll have, so it’s best they’re carefully monitored by a dentist,” says Chandra. “Professional bleaching gels contain a higher concentration of peroxide than over-the-counter formulas. And when applied safely, they yield a more e ective result.”

After assessing your enamel’s strength, dentists can propose take-home bleaching kits ($400-$600)

INSIGHT FOR SORE MOUTHS. Nearly nine in 10 diseases can cause symptoms in your mouth. And through routine observation, dentists are often at the forefront of detecting underlying physical conditions. Cold sores and jaw pain can often be signs of stress; a lingering sore could be a flag for oral cancer; aching or bleeding gums could point to diabetes; and loose teeth, osteoporosis.

or o ce treatments ($650). The home version requires 30 minutes per day over seven to 10 days, while o ce treatments use a high intensity laser light and entail four 20-minute sessions. Both systems lighten five to eight shades for a youngerlooking smile.

diet soda no-no

Don’t growl at this messenger, but as noted in a 2015 Australian study, even without sugar, diet soda erodes teeth. Artificial sweetener acid, citric acid and phosphoric acid all wear down enamel, leading to soft teeth where cavities form in surface pits or grooves. At most, curb soda contact by consuming one per day, drink quickly rather than sipping and use a straw. Better yet, refresh with cucumber-infused water.

say cheese

Remineralize and strengthen tooth enamel by chomping cheese, which contains casein, whey protein and calcium. Additionally, vitamin D-rich foods—like milk, egg yolks and fish— assist your body in absorbing that calcium.

saliva = good

Think of your mouth as a flowing stream. After meals, pop some gum with Xylitol to encourage saliva and remove food particles, as well as constant water chugging to swish away bacteria.

lip syncing

Eye cream plays double duty smoothing lip lines. Like eyes, lips lack sebaceous glands to stay supple. While K-Beauty obsesses over lip masks galore, this dermatologist hack similarly utilizes anti-aging ingredients like retinol, alpha hydroxy acid, coenzyme Q10 or kinetin to saturate wrinkles overnight.

simply pretty

If goopy lip kits and unicorn tears aren’t your thing, WINKY LUX Glow Concept Flower Balm ($14, Belk) swipes on the perfect make-under antidote that uniquely adjusts its pink tone to your skin’s pH and encapsulates a tiny chrysanthemum.

gift of a smile

Because smiles are contagious, contemplate a “pay-it-forward” donation to Operation Smile (operationsmile.org), which performs surgeries on individuals with cleft lip and palate issues.

The Nature Coast’s LOCAL radio stations!

More music & less talk.

We know why our audience listens to our stations…because they LOVE THE MUSIC! So we avoid DJ chatter and deliver the greatest Top 40 and classic hits of all time, along with important information like news, sports and weather. As a result, our listeners listen longer!

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Classic Hits

Classic Hits

SEND US YOUR SELFIE!

Want to be featured in Ocala Style this summer? Then send your best, most unique selfies (No duck lips, please!) to comments@ocalastyle.com, subject line: selfie, by May 1. We’ll pick our favorites for an upcoming feature.

get your green on

With several alternative-fuel cars available, which one is right for you?

The movement toward “green” cars, like with so many other technologies, is real, permanent and ever-evolving. But as with any distinct, diverging technology, it isn’t always easy to know what direction to branch out in.

Let’s establish one thing first: The least Earth-conscious move to make would be simply dumping your still-healthy, goodrunning, gas-powered car in favor of a “greener” one. Rule No. 1 of green driving: Keep your current car as long as you can, with regular maintenance. Nothing can beat the full use of a car that has already been built!

But if you’re shopping for a new vehicle and want to be up to date on the options out there, we’ve got you covered.

hybrids

Hybrid vehicles, which alternate between electric power and gasoline, are the oldest form of “green” vehicle technology, if you ignore the fact that there were more electric vehicles than gasoline-powered ones in the early 1900s. Because the gasoline motor and other driving elements of the car charge the electric battery during a drive, there is no need to “plug” a hybrid in for charging. The e ciencies of a hybrid mean that, in theory, there is no di erence between highway and city driving. The Toyota Prius, for example, rates around 50mpg in all driving circumstances. Although it’s tempting to think

of hybrids as “old” technology, engineers at VW and elsewhere are throttling up the e ciency of hybrids. VW’s goal is to reach 235mpg, which means a drive from Los Angeles to New York would take just one tank of gas.

MOST POPULAR HYBRIDS: Toyota dominates the hybrid

2016 Toyota Prius

market, responsible for around two-thirds of all sales across their Prius, Camry, Rav4 and other models. The only other manufacturer that has a model with more than 5 percent of the market is Ford, with its Fusion and C-Max models, accounting for a combined 14 percent.

electrics

Stealing market share from hybrids are electric vehicles, which don’t use any gasoline at all. Although hybrid sales peaked in 2013, garnering more than three percent of all auto sales, electric cars have continued to climb in popularity; combined sales of hybrids and electric cars hover around 3 percent of the total sales market.

Electric cars are essentially identical to gasoline-fueled cars, with the same speeds, acceleration, safety and performance. The di erence is that rather than stopping at a gas station to fill up, drivers stop at a charging station or charge their vehicles in the garage overnight.

One clear disadvantage is driving range, which due to battery size and/ or e ciency, generally spans from 75 to 90 miles per charge.

Tesla is extending electric range faster than any other manufacturer, with its Model S running more than 200-250 miles per charge, and its upcoming Model 3 battery promising 215 miles per charge.

Another disadvantage to going electric is the dearth of charging stations— after all, some days, you might need to drive more than 100 miles. However, there are eight charging stations in Ocala right now, and that number will go up, not down.

MOST POPULAR ELECTRICS : Tesla captures 30 percent of the market with the Model S and Model X and could expand on that when their economy Model 3 is released at the end of the year. The Chevy Volt and Spark EV account for 18 percent of sales, while Ford (Fusion Energi, C-Max Energi and Focus Electric) provides 16 percent. Another option is BMW’s line of plug-in hybrids, which combine a gasoline or diesel engine with an electric motor and a rechargeable battery allowing them to be plugged in and recharged from an outlet. The Nissan LEAF, an all-electric family car that has a 75-mile typical driving range, is another option.

hydrogen

Toyota is noticeably absent on the electric car sales charts, and that’s because the company considers zero-emission hydrogen cars as the future. Company Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada, considered the father of hybrid cars, notes that it isn’t the

car technology that is holding hydrogens back (Toyota is already selling a hydrogen car, the Mirai.), but an infrastructure that encourages hydrogen vehicles—namely, fueling stations. There currently are just a dozen fueling stations in the United States, 10 of them in California.

Another drawback is that while hydrogen vehicles have no emissions, methane is needed to create its hydrogen fuel, resulting in a vehicle that has a similar carbon footprint as hybrids and electrics.

neighborhood electric vehicles (nevs)

If you own a golf cart you use to tool around the neighborhood or make a quick stop to the store, congratulations! You are on the cutting edge, as NEVs are the fastestgrowing segment of green rides.

biodiesel

Biodiesel is a fuel (made up fully or partially of plant or cooking products like soybean or vegetable oil) rather than a category of vehicles, but it is one of the quickest ways for you to go green. If you own a vehicle that takes diesel gas, you can immediately switch to biodiesel fuels with no modifications whatsoever to your car—in fact, due to its superior lubricating properties, biodiesel will actually extend the life of your engine. You can even add biodiesel to existing diesel gas in your tank, with no ill e ects.

Availability of biodiesel can be tricky, but DriveBiodiesel.net outlines the fueling options for Florida drivers.

2017 Chevy Cruze

Tesla Model X

2017 Nissan LEAF

the color of funny

Humor adds another layer of stress relief and self-expression to the adult coloring book trend.

In the past few years, the adult coloring book genre has gained steam as more enthusiasts discover how shading in beautiful designs can yield a surprisingly engaging time-out from the daily fray. Coloring kudos echo across the internet, from a Mayo Clinic psychologist and a hospice chaplain grieving her infant son, to Instagram and Facebook coloring groups, some of whose members self-harm or battle depression.

Amy Bucciarelli, a boardcertified art therapist and lecturer for the University of Florida’s Center for Arts in Medicine, asserts the American Art Therapy Association’s (AATA) view of coloring books is generally beneficial.

“The trend to make coloring books popular for adults is in and of itself very positive,” she says. “The benefits can include selfsoothing, a sense of personal accomplishment, mindfulness and relaxation.”

And from what we’ve discovered, a dose of wit doesn’t hurt either.

“Humor can be a characteristic

that helps us cope through di cult times and increases personal resiliency,” adds Bucciarelli. However, she cautions that coloring books are supplements to relieving stress and not a cure-all for emotional or mental health issues that require in-depth professional attention.

Yet should everyday troubles grip too tightly, coloring’s mindful meditation mixes well with humor, allowing us to hit pause and practice the joyful art of being silly. If flowers and swirling designs just aren’t your thing, check this out.

comedy corner: for mature audiences

*Titles not endorsed by the AATA

Tired of mandalas? Today’s adult coloring book market continues to push outward with hilarious, irreverent memes of life’s awkward moments, many of which are juxtaposed against stunning flourishes. Explore the studio space with these subversive, o -kilter titles and other amusing extras.

SNARK

#MomLife or #DadLife, by Papeterie Bleu Unicorns Are Jerks or Dinosaurs With Jobs, by Theo Nicole Laurenz

BODILY NOISES

Farting Animals Coloring Book, by Victor Oj

“COLORFUL” LANGUAGE

Decorative cusses surrounded by animals, patterns, swirls, mandalas, flowers and leaves. Various bleep-worthy titles by Rainbow Coloring Swear Word Coloring Book, by Alex Stallman

RANDY ANTICS

The Llama Sutra, by Honey Badger: libidinous animals on flagrant display Hot Dudes Coloring Book, by D.C. Taylor

VICES

Color Me Drunk, by Potter Style: includes cut-out beer goggles as you try to color within the lines with inebriated pals.

artsy apps

Color Therapy, free app, iTunes: includes a musical playlist while you color

Colorfy, free app, iTunes and Google Play

Pigment, free app, iTunes: allows subtle shading using pencils to paints

mycolormebook.com: turns your uploaded photos into coloring pages

Megan

Forrest

Carrol Dillon-Smith Administrator/Owner