Healthy Living January 2018

what

Offering the area’s most advanced care for CHEST PAIN

When it comes to your heart, only the best will do. Leesburg Regional Medical Center was recently recognized by the American College of Cardiology as an accredited Chest Pain Center with PCI (coronary angioplasty) and Resuscitation— its highest and best level of accreditation.

Our dedicated team of professionals have proven expertise in advanced cardiac care. What does this mean for you? You can trust our team to take your care to heart. Learn more about Leesburg Regional Medical Center’s cardiac services at LeesburgRegional.org.

TINY CELLS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.

Are stem cells a miracle? Not exactly. However, stem cells are a highly effective means of repairing damaged tissue. Stem cell therapy is a non-surgical procedure that gives the body the tools it needs to heal itself naturally. Stem cells repair damaged tissue and regenerate bone, ligaments, tendons, cartilage and muscle. Pain lessens and range of motion increases after a simple injection—without risk of infection.

Schedule a consult today to see if you are eligible for this cutting edge therapy.

Alfred J. Cook Jr. Orthopedic Surgeon

John T. Williams Jr. Orthopedic Surgeon

The nation’s largest dermatology practice has three locations in The Villages® community. We now accept UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage.

Dr. Michael Bond

Dr. Christine Moorhead

Scott Clark, PA-C

Nicole Hwa, PA-C

Anita Lockhart, Licensed Aesthetician

Dr.

Dr. Michael Wangia

Medical, Surgical and Skin-of-Color Dermatology Board Certified

Dermatology & Dermatopathology

After graduating with Honors from Howard University College of Medicine, Dr. Wangia attended University of Florida where he completed his dermatology residency serving as a chief resident. He also completed his dermatopathology fellowship training at UF where he served as an Assistant Professor of Dermatology. He was awarded “The Arnold P. Gold Humanism in Medicine Award”. Today, he is committed to providing compassionate, comprehensive and individualized dermatologic therapies.

FEATURES

20. What's up, doc?

This month, Healthy Living focuses on Meet two doctors who practice what they preach by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We’re also introducing several medical professionals with interesting hobbies. In addition, we’re taking an inside look at some of the latest happenings in the world of medicine, including oddities such as the potential

Story: Leigh Neely, James Combs, Theresa Campbell, Chris Gerbasi

32. More than meets the CSI.

For Dr. Wendy Lavezzi, her patients are always…well…dead. She talks about her fascinating career as a medical examiner.

Story: Leigh Neely

38. A prescription for success.

Dr. Richard Bosshardt, a local plastic surgeon, provides insight about the common characteristics all great doctors possess.

Story: Dr. Richard T. Bosshardt

41. Health Pros.

Finding the right doctor is essential to good health.

Dr. Jeffrey Glover of Glover Chiropractic

Fred Lopez

DEPARTMENTS

59.

60. Time to chicken out. A recipe for healthy chicken fajitas.

62. Sweet dreams. Foods to eat for a good night’s sleep.

64. Steps toward a healthier you. of running.

67.

68. Nourish your noggin. Eight ways to boost brainpower.

70. Talk your head off. Self-talk can increase happiness.

73.

74. From hurt to healing. A story about overcoming childhood trauma.

76. Creating healthy habits. Changing how you do things is possible.

79.

80. A re-balancing act. Get your

82. Common cents advice. Financial tips from guru Dave Ramsey.

COLUMNS

10. Publisher’s letter

11. At Your Service

12. Health matters

14. Healthy inspiration

16. Medical mysteries

90. Final impression

Photo:

A day in the life

We tend to put doctors on a pedestal, somewhat above our own mundane lives because they understand what’s happening with our bodies when there’s a health problem. They’re among the few professionals who might have to leave their spouse’s side during an important occasion to go take care of someone else’s spouse who’s in need.

Each year, Healthy Living likes to remind readers that doctors have lives outside those small examinations rooms with the metal tables and cabinets containing instruments that often make us cringe.

We’re happy to introduce you to an area doctor recognized by his peers for the amazing work he does with patients who have no insurance or no access to cancer specialists.

It was easier than we thought to find doctors who follow their own advice for good health. They know the value of exercise and eating right and are not among those who say, “do as I say not as I do.” With stressful schedules and long hours, many doctor have hobbies that help them refocus and relax so they are at their best when they’re with patients.

We also explored an area of the medical field that is often overlooked—the medical examiner’s office. This is the place where the mysteries are solved and families find answers when a loved one dies.

And perhaps best of all, we’ve got a local doctor who shares with us what he believes are the aspects of a good doctor and look at a growing trend of doctors joining multi-specialty groups to provide everything a patient needs under the umbrella of one practice.

In addition, you’ll find some interesting tidbits we’re calling “Medical Oddities. I think the title provides the explanation.

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HOT OFF THE PRESS!

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FOOD AND YOUR PROSTATE

Prostate cancer is one of those illnesses where the focus should be on prevention. Men whose family members have a history of prostate cancer are more likely to develop the disease, and African-American men are more likely to be diagnosed, while AsianAmerican and Latino men are less likely to develop prostate cancer. Diet, weight, and exercise affect the level of risk, according to studies by the World Cancer Research Fund International. THE FACTORS INCLUDE →

The prostate-protection diet includes nuts, broccoli, cayenne, green tea, pomegranates, and fish.

• Being overweight or obese.

• Developmental factors like being taller.

• Consuming beta-carotene has proved to have no effect on risk.

• Age matters—it generally affects men over 50.

• Men in the U.S., Europe, Australia, and the Caribbean are at highest risk.

• Eating a lot of red meat, high-fat dairy, and fewer vegetables and whole grains raises the risk.

YOU GOTTA HAVE HEART

It’s time for the annual Heart-2Heart Cardiovascular Symposium, scheduled for Feb. 22-23 at Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-theHills. Central Florida Health, the parent organization of Leesburg Regional Medical Center and The Villages Regional Hospital, is sponsoring the event. It is designed to update and educate cardiology nurses and other

medical professionals interested in managing cardiovascular disease. Attendees can receive up to 14 continuing education units for participating.

LRMC is known for having of cardiology on staff. Each of them will share experiences with advanced technology and the impact that has on cardiovascular therapies. They also will discuss the latest advancements and trends in treatment.

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR VITAL STATISTICS

The Florida Department of Health in Lake County recently announced that vital statistics services will be available every third Tuesday of the month from 9amnoon at the office in Leesburg, 2113 Griffin Road. You must bring a valid state-issued identification along with cash or a credit card to receive what you need.

Why would you need a copy of your birth certificate? To get a driver’s license, a Social Security card, a job, a passport, or to enroll in school. A death certificate is needed to inform Social Security, insurance companies, probate court, investigations, and for property transfers. To get these vital documents, you must pay $15 for a birth certificate, $12 for death certificates, and $10 for each additional copy of the documents. A vinyl protector is available for $5.

Same-day services will continue to be offered from 8am-4:30pm at Eustis (16140 U.S. Highway 441) and Clermont (875 Oakley Seaver Drive). Call 352.589.6424 or visit lake.floridahealth.gov/certificates/birth for more information.

LUNG CANCER SCREENING

In Florida, a yearly average of 11,943 residents are diagnosed with lung cancer, the American Lung Association states in a recent press release. Lung cancer screening is a lifesaving tool, because once symptoms appear, it may mean the cancer has spread and will be more difficult to treat.

“The toll lung cancer takes on our families, friends, and neighbors in Florida and across the nation is truly devastating,” Steven Riddle, executive director of the ALA in Florida, says in the release. “With the availability of lung cancer screening, we have the opportunity to find the disease earlier and save lives. However, to make this lifesaving opportunity a reality, we must do more to raise awareness of both lung cancer and screening.”

Here’s what you need to know:

• A low-dose CT scan is the only tool that reduces the lung cancer mortality rate for those at high risk.

• Screening is not recommended for everyone.

• See savedbythescan.org or ask your doctor to assess your risk.

MAKING ‘NIGHT, NIGHT’ SAFER

Research indicates the majority of infant deaths are accidental because the babies were sleeping in an unsafe environment. Leesburg Regional Medical Center has partnered with the Cribs for Kids National Infant Safe Sleep Initiative to take part in solving this problem. Much of the problem is bed sharing. LRMC will teach parents that sleeping alone, on his or her back, in a bare, safety-approved crib is best for any baby.

“Over 3,500 infants die each year due to sleep-related deaths,” says Stacy LucasAustin from the Maternal Child Health Department at LRMC. “Educating new parents is a critical tool in preventing such tragedies. Our partnership with Cribs for Kids exemplifies the dedication our staff has to even the newest members of this community.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends a firm mattress, tightfitting sheet, wearable blankets, a smokefree home, and breastfeeding. Never let baby sleep anywhere but in a crib, and remove everything but the baby from the crib at bedtime.

• Raise awareness. Despite the attention to lung cancer, awareness remains low among those with high risk.

• Screening is covered by most Medicare and most health-care plans.

‘‘

Over 3,500 infants die each year due to sleeprelated deaths.

—Stacy Lucas-Austin

‘Gratitude will get you through anything’

Mother of four focuses on living positively while battling breast cancer.

Story: Theresa Campbell

René Anderson’s radiologist husband didn’t have to say a word. His somber face was a clue about her mammogram results.

“I could see it all over his face,” she says. “He was the one who read it, and he had tears in his eyes.”

The wife of Dr. Jon Anderson and mother of four, who divides her time between homes in Leesburg and California, never expected to be among the American Cancer Society statistics of being one in eight women diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I was always healthy, ate right, exercised, and I don’t have family history of cancer,” she says. “It wasn’t one of those things that I thought about much.”

In October 2015, however, the then-49-year-old couldn’t stop thinking about the lump she felt on the side of her right breast.

After she was diagnosed with HER2-positive breast

cancer, which she learned is a more aggressive type of cancer that can metastasize into the brain and liver, René had an MRI to make sure the cancer wasn’t anywhere else in her body. The lump was removed along with some lymph nodes.

“At first, it seemed overwhelming,” she says of undergoing radiation therapy every Monday through Friday, followed on Wednesdays by chemotherapy of Herceptin, a drug to target HER2.

“When they tell you all that you have to do, it’s like, ‘Oh, my gosh,’ and it was a yearlong process,” she says. “But, once you start, it just becomes routine—a part of your life for that period of time.”

René taped uplifting messages on her IV stand to cope. She wanted her family life to be as normal as possible for her children, who are now 21, 15, 14, and 11.

“I still did everything that I needed to do, and I made

sure to look at everything positively. I did things that I felt were good for me and my body,” René says of holistic measures that didn’t interfere with her cancer treatments.

She drank green smoothies every morning. She took B6 and glutamine daily, and she added reishi mushroom extract to her water to boost her immune system.

René also pampered herself with massages, yoga, and meditation, and focused on the good things in her life, and she continues to take medication.

“A positive attitude is everything, and a heart filled with love and gratitude will get you through anything,” she says.

I could see it all over his face. He was the one who read it, and he had tears in his eyes.

—René Anderson

René Anderson

It’s a dieter’s dream: a food that burns more calories than it contains. Some people claim that the humble celery stalk meets that criteria. It’s called a negative-calorie food, one that requires more food energy to be digested than the food provides.

Celery once was used as a medicinal herb but today it’s found in kitchens worldwide. It may not be the tastiest food on the planet (detractors say it’s part of the plywood food family). Still, celery has a nice crunch to it and contains a minimal amount of calories (about six calories a stalk). Sadly, it doesn’t meet the criteria for a negativecalorie food.

It’s one of the most touted negativecalorie foods because much of its caloric content is bound up in cellulose, a fiber that humans can’t digest. However, it takes only a little more than one-half of a calorie’s worth of energy to digest that piece of celery.

Sources

Stalking a diet

Mentalfloss.com says, “the bottom line is that any kind of negative-calorie snacking, celery or otherwise, is purely wishful thinking. But celery stalks are still worth a chew: They're obviously better for your caloric balance sheet than, say, a candy bar or a Slim Jim. Just don’t expect them to be green, fibrous magic bullets for your diet.”

“While celery is a very low-calorie food, it likely doesn’t provide you with negative calories,” according to FitDay, an online diet journal.

“The Mayo Clinic suggests that while it’s theoretically possible for negative-calorie foods to exist, there are no reputable scientific studies that prove certain foods cause ‘negative calorie’ effects. In fact, protein is the macronutrient that causes your body to burn the most calories, according to a review published in 2008 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.”

“Myth or Fact: Celery Has Negative Calories,” by Erin Coleman, Fitday.

Most experts summarily reject the idea of a negative-calorie food. While a negative-calorie food is theoretically possible, “in actuality, there are no negative-calorie foods,” says Tim Garvey, chairman of the department of nutrition sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Or, as nutritionist Marion Nestle put it in a one-line email to the BBC: “Total myth. Nothing else to be said.”

Don’t throw away your celery, though. It’s a good source of fiber, vitamin K, vitamin A, potassium, and folate. People who eat fiber-rich diets generally have healthier weights and a decreased risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.

The problem is that man cannot live on celery alone and “it’s more of a gateway to cream cheese or peanut butter,” says nutritionist David Grotto, the author of “The Best Things You Can Eat.”

“Who, What, Why: Can foods have negative calories?” by Kate Dailey, BBC News Magazine, BBC News Services, March 15, 2013.

“Does Eating Celery Really Result in Negative Calories?” by Matt Soniak, Mental Floss, October 4, 2012.

Story: Fred Hilton

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Vaginal dryness putting

A Doc’s Life

Here’s your chance to take a look at life from a doctor’s point of view. Meet the area’s Physician of the Year. Learn about a new trend in multi-specialty practices and scratch your head at some medical oddities. Ever wonder if your doctor takes the advice he gives? And, what do local doctors do to relax? Healthy Living has all the answers.

Top doc

Oncologist receives praise for volunteerism and dedication to needy cancer patients served by We Care of Lake County.

hen Dr. Borys Mascarenhas was chosen as Physician of the Year, he credited his late father, also a surgeon, for instilling his passion to treat people in dire need of medical care.

“It really was a huge surprise. I was humbled to receive this award, and very humbled that I was chosen,” says Borys, who was recognized at the recent Starry Night Gala for decades of service to We Care of Lake County, a charitable organization that provides medical services to those who can’t afford insurance and do not

Dr. Wendy Lavezzi, president of both We Care of Lake County and the Lake-Sumter Medical Society, announced at the event that Borys has treated the most charitable breast cancer cases, specifically those who are diagnosed late and with advanced cancer and do not have access to adequate medical help. The oncologist’s We Care patients are among the 900-plus people he treats annually.

“I’ve been very grateful to this country for giving me the opportunity to build up a successful practice, so this is my way of

giving back, especially for people who have cancer. I really believe that nobody should not have adequate care because they can’t afford it,” says Borys, a native of India.

He’s pleased We Care patients receive free care and state-of-theart procedures, and notes Florida Hospital Waterman is a partner. He’s affiliated with the Tavares hospital, which helps with surgery, imaging, and radiation treatments.

Borys was inspired to become a physician by his father, the late Dr. Gerry Mascarenhas, a cardiothoracic surgeon who trained at the University of Kentucky and went back to India to start thoracic surgery.

“Even though he had a busy practice, he was very charitable in a lot of his work. In one instance I remember clearly, we were at Delhi airport, where I come from, and Mother Teresa was there. One of her nuns told her who he was and she came over to us and said, ‘Doctor, I just want to thank you for all the good work you’ve done for my people,’” Borys says. “That was truly inspirational.”

Borys recalls he was about 9 when he knew he wanted to follow his father’s footsteps. His dad was able to see him graduate from St. John’s Medical College in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, in 1990, but died by the time Borys graduated from his residency in surgery at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. Borys also completed his fellowship in oncology surgery from the University of Pittsburgh.

“My father lived his life in a way which inspired me,” Borys says. “He had a good personality and was extremely kind and compassionate to his patients and people in general. He didn’t do something for somebody to get anything back in return; a lot of his patients couldn’t pay him anything. He still treated them and treated them exactly the same he

would treat somebody who could pay him. In India, he had a lot of patients who lived in rural areas, and they couldn’t give him cash, but they would give him whatever they had— rice that they grew in their fields or vegetables, as their way to say thank you and to show appreciation.”

Borys encourages more physicians to get involved in We Care.

“I think we have a duty to give back to society, especially to the less fortunate,” he says.

Laura Channell, surgical coordinator, says she feels privileged to have worked with Borys for the past eight years.

“I have seen his compassion, and I have seen willingness to go out of his way to do things for people. He treats everyone like they were his family,” she says.

The oncologist advises women to get mammograms and to monitor their breast with self-exams to be aware of any changes.

“A woman knows her breast the best,” Borys says. “When something is not right, seek help.”

He and his wife, Shruti, a dentist, have been married for 24 years and are the parents of son Maarek, a student at the University of Southern California, and daughter Anya, a sophomore at Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando who aspires to become a surgeon like her father.

In his free time, Borys enjoys golf and is a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Yankees. If he could have dinner with anyone living or deceased, he says he would love to dine with the late Dr. Denton Cooley, an American heart and cardiothoracic surgeon famous for performing the first total artificial heart implant.

“My father watched him operate when he was in America,” Borys recalls, remembering his dad’s fascination. “He said it was like watching God.”

Story: Theresa Campbell

Photo: Fred Lopez

The cutting edge

(Tongue-in-cheek) medical news from top to bottom.

Story: Chris Gerbasi

CALLING DR. FRANKENSTEIN

News outlets reported Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero’s plan to perform the world’s first human head transplant in December (before press time). His plan, which attracted considerable skepticism, involved removing the head of a patient (presumably disabled) and attaching it to a recently deceased donor body, like harvesting organs but using an entire body.

The doctor says that if successful, his patient—same head, new body—would eventually be able to walk again. However, troubling unsubstantiated reports stated that friends often joke about the absentminded doctor, saying, “He’d lose his head if it wasn’t attached.”

BE AS SMART AS ALEX TREBEK

A proliferation of internet ads boast of “natural supplements” that will send your IQ sky high. The ads make claims like “scientifically proven,” “328 percent smarter in two weeks,” and “miraculous brain boosters.”

One manufacturer even claims “Jeopardy” contestants were kicked off the TV show because they consumed these supplements. The irony, of course, is that these products target consumers whose IQs may not allow them to discern “miracles” from marketing.

FROM THE PAST…

Fans of macabre medical oddities should map a trip to Philadelphia, where the Mütter Museum displays the remains of physicist Albert Einstein’s brain, a specimen from John Wilkes Booth’s vertebrae, the jaw tumor of President Grover Cleveland, and Soap Lady, a mummified woman whose

body is mysteriously encased in a soap-like substance. The common thread? Soap Lady dated all three men.

…TO THE FUTURE

Robots are entering the world of health care and assisting patients at hospitals and care homes by moving them in and out of wheelchairs, helping them to stand, and even drawing blood, according to medicalfuturist.com.

The site also details advances in augmented reality, such as a digital contact lens that manages diabetes by measuring blood glucose levels from tears, and a Microsoft HoloLens that projects digital information onto what we’re seeing, allowing interaction with holograms. And Google has hired computer scientist Ray Kurzweil to create the ultimate artificial intelligence-controlled brain, which would allow us to upload our minds to a computer and live on in digital form. Just don’t accidentally hit the delete button.

POOP-DE-DO!

The significance of some medical advances is in the eye of the beholder. Phoenix-based pharmaceutical wholesaler Alliance Labs proudly announced a new formula, DocuSol Kids, for parents who have always wanted to give their children an enema.

DocuSol produces an apparently rocketfueled bowel movement within 2-15 minutes. Is it an aid or a punishment? You decide.

A group effort

Story: Leigh Neely

Moving from a single-practice situation to a multi-specialty group is a growing trend in the United States. A study in 2014 by the Physicians Foundation found 53 percent of doctors said they were an employee of a medical group or hospital. These specialty groups generally have three goals in mind: minimizing hospital stays, providing continuity in patient care, and avoiding duplications of tests, procedures, or medications.

Brian Clemens, director of marketing and business development at Aegis Medical Group, says these groups came about during the Obama administration.

“Accountable care organizations, or ACOs, came out of the Affordable Care Act to help avoid duplication and billing

making sure there was no duplication

The idea behind ACOs is hospitals, doctors, and other health organizations band together to create a complete care package with a negotiated price, meeting all the patient’s needs. Aegis Medical Group is associated with Primary Care Alliance in Mount Dora, considered one of the fastest-growing ACOs in Florida.

“With baby boomers hitting retirement age, it is putting stress on the health-care system, and if you save Medicare and Medicaid as well as the system money, you’re helping to relieve the pressure on government programs,” Brian says.

Access to medication and treatment information through electronic medical records helps prevent mistakes when a medication dose is changed or

“It’s been said that data is the oil of this century, and so harnessing the power of health data in a way that is both efficient for the physician and improves patient care is an enormous and important challenge—one that should be led by physicians,” CEO James L. Madara said in a speech to the AMA.

Multiple groups in Central Florida share a similar philosophy. The partnership may include skilled nursing facilities, assisted-living facilities, and hospitalist groups to make things easier.

“We have primary care/family doctors, internal medicine doctors, cardiologists, pain medicine, endocrinology, infectious disease— multiple specialties under one roof so you avoid duplications,” Brian says.

“It’s about comprising the care of patients but not adding to the stress of the health-care system.”

Physicians, heal thyself

Two doctors at each end of the age spectrum reap the

Chris Gerbasi

Doctors try to always know what’s best for their patients, but they don’t always know what’s best for themselves. With demanding work schedules and little free time, they often let exercise and healthy eating fall by the wayside.

But many doctors understand they must set examples for their patients, and that staying active, fit, and healthy is a lifelong responsibility. For example, Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt realized he needed to change his lifestyle in his 30s, while Dr. Gabe Mirkin still is preaching about healthy living in his 80s. They make the extra effort to “practice what they preach.”

DR. JAMIN BRAHMBHATT, PUR CLINIC, CLERMONT

diet, which is essential for weight loss and a balanced life, he says.

and realized he needed to go on a “fi

So he sought a personal trainer and got serious about exercise. He lost 30 pounds, but he says exercise

As a busy physician with three children, as well as a schedule filled with travel and speaking engagements, Jamin says it would be easy to let exercise slide.

But he says he owes it to his kids to stick with it.

“I had to do it,” says Jamin, co-director of the PUR (Personalized Urology and

Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt

DR. GABE MIRKIN, THE VILLAGES

Gabe’s father died from diabetes and his brother and sister also are diabetics. Gabe, however, is rail thin at age 82, and he most assuredly credits his longevity to a lifetime of exercise. He ran marathons for many years before injuries took their toll in his mid-40s and he switched to bicycling.

He was a practicing physician for more than 50 years in Washington, D.C., and is best known as a sports medicine doctor and longtime radio host on health issues.

Now retired in The Villages, Gabe and his wife, Diana, pedal 150 miles a week on their custom-made tandem trike with the Florida Panthers Tandem Bike Club, despite Diana’s rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. Diana, 75, is a former city planner who quit her job to open a healthy cooking school in Washington, and the couple have coauthored several books on nutrition.

“I took up bicycling because there’s no impact,” Gabe says. “I can’t run across the street now, but I can cycle. I do interval workouts…and that’s really hard on your body, and I can do that now four times a week.”

Gabe still dispenses medical advice in a newsletter and by speaking to local groups. He delivers a blunt message: A diet including red meat, processed meat, sugar-added foods, sugar drinks, and fried foods increases the risk for cancer, heart attacks, diabetes, and obesity. Sugar is poison.

Fruits, vegetables, whole (not ground) grains, beans, seeds, and nuts are helpful.

Belly fat causes problems. If someone is storing fat in their belly, they are at risk for premature death.

If you want to lose weight, calorie counting doesn’t work; intermittent fasting works. Don’t eat anything after 6pm and drink only water until the next morning.

“When you see how successful it is, you start cleaning out your kitchen so you don’t get tempted,” Gabe says.

“If I had a house full of bagels, there’s no way in hell I’d weigh what I do. I don’t have any more willpower than anybody else does. I just know that I don’t have any willpower so I don’t expose myself (to temptation).”

Robotics) Clinic at South Lake Hospital in Clermont.

“I need to be a good father. Men tend to live five years less than their wives. I want to be around and spend those extra five years with them.”

While most health organizations recommend 30 minutes of exercise a day, five days a week, Jamin pushes a little longer with about three hours a week

of training at Orangetheory Fitness in Clermont.

He participates in a high-intensity class designed to burn as many calories as possible in one hour using the treadmill, rowing machine, and weights.

Jamin does much of his training before sunrise, then focuses on patients the rest of the day, and he’s become a more effective communicator.

“I want to be a better role model for my patients with weight issues, so they actually believe what I say when it comes out of my mouth,” he says.

Jamin also is co-founder, with business partner Dr. Sijo Parekattil, of Drive for Men’s Health, an annual event that celebrates five years in June. They travel around the country to raise health awareness and

“encourage as many men as we can to improve their lives,” Jamin says.

He also hopes to inspire fellow physicians to not be hypocrites when it comes to good health.

“You have to play the part,” Jamin says. “People look up to us.”

Dr. Gabe Mirkin and wife Diana

Hobbies: A prescription for relaxation and peace

James Combs

hile those in the medical field are driven workaholics who make many ces, they still understand the importance of maintaining a work-life balance. Here’s a look at what two doctors and one physician’s assistant

WATER VOLLEYBALL: IT

For Beverly Connolly, a physician’s assistant Leesburg, time away

an increasingly popular sport. after moving half years ago.

considerably. In fact, she advanced from basic to intermediate level and now plays designated hitter on her seven-person team.

“The sport is just like volleyball that’s played on a court,” she says. “The idea is to receive the ball and have a setter pass it to a hitter.”

Cold weather does not stop Beverly and other water volleyball fanatics from enjoying the sport.

“I have a long-sleeve wetsuit,” she says. “We really enjoy each other’s company. It’s always great to have people to laugh with yet challenge you at the same time.”

When she’s not playing water volleyball, Beverly enjoys kayaking Silver Springs, Rainbow Springs, and the manmade lakes in The Villages. She also spends time promoting the benefits of eating organic, pesticide-free food.

“Organic food is not well accepted by the medical world,” she says. “I think it’s important to look at a person’s diet before we just start throwing pills at them.”

TAKE A HIKE

the sport at Sea Breeze Regional But the games are still competitive, and Beverly has seen her talent spike

The towering, snow-capped Rocky Mountains pervade the landscape in Colorado. They’re a big draw for avid hiking enthusiasts such as Dr. Marja Mehr of The Main Street Dentists in Leesburg.

For her, it can be therapeutic to leave behind the busy world of operating a successful dental practice and travel to Telluride, a former silver

Beverly Connolly

mining town in southwestern Colorado known for its soaring alpine peaks and redrock canyons.

“It’s refreshing—like a spiritual experience for

“It’s a great tool for stress relief or just to clear my head,” says Jeffrey, who owns Glover Chiropractic Clinic in Leesburg.

He was bitten by the guitar bug as a freshman at Leesburg High School when he had to enroll in a mandatory fine arts class.

“I couldn’t sing or wasn’t into theater,” he says. “Fortunately, the school offered a course that taught guitar fundamentals. I joined the class and purchased my first guitar at a pawn shop. I got the credit without singing and embarrassing myself.”

While attending chiropractic school, he joined a band called End Range, which performed at house parties. He later bought his Fender acoustic guitar after opening his practice in 2012. rst started, I would be at the offi from 8am until 8pm,” he says. “I just needed

you can exercise outside without getting sweaty because the air is dry. It also cools down at night, and the sunsets are really breathtaking.”

So breathtaking, in fact, that Marja visits Telluride several times each year.

She and her husband, Jon, also a dentist at The Main Street Dentists, hike there during the summer. In the fall, she and several close friends make a “girls’ trip” when the leaves change colors, and then she returns during Christmas break for a snow-skiing trip with her three children.

“Telluride is located in a box canyon, so there’s a beautiful wall of mountains and trails,” she says. Another favorite pastime is traveling to Gainesville on fall Saturdays and tailgating before Florida Gators football games.

For her, tailgating is a true family affair involving parents, brothers, and cousins.

“A full day at the stadium can be exhausting, but it is also worth every minute to spend quality time with my family,” she says. “We always have such a great time.”

HE CAN PULL STRINGS

Dr. Jeffrey Glover does more than give spinal alignments at his bustling chiropractic offi

During lunch or after work, he sometimes picks up his Fender acoustic guitar and starts strumming away.

He’s quite the talent, playing everything from Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” to Hank Williams Jr.’s “Country State of Mind” to John Mellencamp’s “Hurts So Good.” He also performs at home for his wife, who enjoys acoustic songs.

He is also a frequent concertgoer, having attended live performances by Poison, Garth Brooks, and Hank Williams Jr. But his most memorable concert was seeing Australian hard

“They put on such an electric performance,” Jeffrey says.

hearing damage.”

Dr. Marja Mehr

Dr. Jeffrey Glover

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Prostate Problems?

As men mature, the prostate grows from a walnut-sized gland to sometimes as large as an orange. This growth causes outflow problems from the bladder in the passing of urine, resulting in symptoms from a slow stream, getting up at night to urinate, or even worse—the constant urge to urinate, even to the point that urination begins before they reach the bathroom. These inconvenient, and often embarrassing symptoms, can be resolved by proper treatment of the enlarged prostate.

Dr. James Young is a very successful urologist who has been practicing in Lake County since 1982. “The treatment of BPH (an enlarged prostate) has always been my focus, and that is the primary reason I moved to Florida when I finished my medical training as Chief Resident of Urology at the University of Arkansas. I looked at Florida as being the largest ‘prostate ranch’ in the United States, so I began my practice from scratch in Eustis in 1982.”

For many decades, the only treatment for BPH was a surgical procedure, the TURP, more commonly referred to by men as a “roto-rooter.” Dr. Young performed more 3,000 of these procedures, however they were very invasive, required anesthesia, hospitalization, and could have serious complications, including massive bleeding and at times, death. Then medications were approved that relieved symptoms but after a period of time, the medications lose their effectiveness or caused side effects, usually sexual in nature. There had to be a better way.

In the late 1990’s a new procedure, transurethral

needle ablation of the prostate (TUNA) was approved by the FDA. “I was never a fan of jumping on new technology quickly because, as we know, not everything delivers the results as promised,” says Dr. Young. However, after the procedure was used for five years, Dr. Young began doing TUNAs, later known as Prostiva RF therapy. This procedure was done in the office under local anesthesia with few complications. The procedure worked by inserting wires into the prostate, then low frequency radio waves were transmitted through the wires and heated prostate tissue to 115 degrees Celsius. This heat was transmitted in a conductive manner (radiate from the wires) but the heat dissipated rapidly as it traveled away from the wires. The heat was reduced by the formula of 1/r2 with r being the distance from the wires.

Basically, cores of prostate tissue surrounding the wires were destroyed. Dr. Young had tremendous success with Prostiva RF therapy and ultimately did almost 3,000 procedures. His success with Prostiva gave him the distinction of being placed on

Castle Connelly’s Top Docs list for five consecutive years.

However, more than five years ago, Dr. Young heard rumors of a new technology that was similar in some ways, but completely different in others. This new therapy was FDA approved in 2015 and was known as Rezum. “Even though I have a reputation for not jumping on new technology, I completely understood the science behind Rezum, so as soon as it was available to me, I switched to this procedure immediately.

The science driving this technology is fascinating. Using low frequency radio waves, water is transformed into steam and then nine seconds of steam is infiltrated into the prostate tissue, once again in the office under local anesthesia. The major difference is the heat is transferred in a convective, as opposed to conductive manner.

As Einstein said, “Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be changed.” So once the steam is infiltrated into the prostate, and returns to liquid, it releases all the energy that changed the water into steam. This is a tremendous amount of energy and destroys much

more prostate tissue than the conductive heat did conveyed by Prostiva. There is much less discomfort with Rezum and when patients leave the office (usually in under 30 minutes), they experience no pain what so ever.

Since June 2016, Dr. Young has performed just under 300 Rezum procedures, almost twice as many as any other urologist in the United States and many, many more than any other urologists in the state of Florida. “The results have been so amazing and the patients have been so happy that Healthgrades.com notified me that based on my recent reviews and clicks on my site, I am now ranked in the top 100th percentile of all urologists in the United States. While I am very proud of that, it is also very humbling. I personally think this is biggest leap forward in the treatment of BPH that I will see in my lifetime.”

JAMES W. YOUNG III, M.D. Board-certified Urologist

Practicing in Lake County since 1982 with extensive experience in evaluation and management of prostate problems.

COMPREHENSIVE CARE

If you are a first-time patient of Dr. Young, you will receive a detailed examination.

“When I see a new patient I perform physical examinations and properly evaluate the patient’s symptoms, thus diagnosing the underlying problem(s),” Dr. Young said. “Next, I describe to the patient what’s normal and then explain what is abnormal with him. Lastly, I teach him his treatment options. If I’ve done a good job of teaching, he will select the correct option for himself.”

While prescribing medications for enlarged prostate can be done by primary care physicians, only urologists are trained to thoroughly evaluate the bladder and prostate (including ruling out prostate cancer), as well as providing extremely effective minimally invasive, office-based therapies as alternatives to lifelong medical therapy.

With an office staff with nearly as much experience as

the doctor (many have worked with Dr. Young for 25 years), you don’t spend a great deal of time waiting to see him.

“We pride ourselves in being timely in seeing our patients. We respect our patients’ time as much as we do our own. Patients appreciate this; many of our patients tell me I have the best office staff on the planet. I consider that a huge compliment.”

So if you are waking up at night and have difficulty falling back asleep because you’re worried what may be wrong, then it is time to check in with Dr. Young and have him examine you.

“Many men accept frequent bladder urges as part of aging. And while it is part of the aging process, it’s not like death and taxes. There is something you can do about it.”

Picking the brain of a medical examiner

With encouragement from her parents, Wendy Lavezzi became a registered nurse after high school, but later she realized there was more she wanted to explore.

Story: Leigh Neely Photos: Fred Lopez

Dr. WendyLavezzi

As a child growing up in Coal City, Illinois, Wendy Lavezzi had dreams of being a movie star. She wanted to act, sing, and dance. “I was in all the school plays and very outgoing, the class clown,” she says.

However, her parents thought she’d do better as a nurse or teacher. She had three friends going to nursing school, which made it the most attractive option. She attended St. Joseph Hospital in Joliet, Illinois, and was a registered nurse for 15 years, the last seven as an intensive care nurse.

“That’s when I realized I’d like to know the rest and decided to go to medical school,” Wendy says. “I thought I would be an ER physician, a dermatologist, or a vascular surgeon.”

When she took a four-week rotation in pathology, however, she discovered the thrill of finding what’s under the microscope. She saw a colon and was fascinated. “This was something I had not seen as a nurse,” she says.

She asked the instructor what colon cancer looked like, and he said that lesson wouldn’t come until the following year. When she told him she wanted to see it now, he was surprised but accommodated her request since he was a colon cancer researcher.

“I thought it was beautiful, and he said, ‘You’re going to be a pathologist.’ He was pleased,” Wendy says, “because sometimes it’s hard to find who’s really serious about pathology and who just wants to see a dead body.”

That was the turning point for Wendy, and she set her path on forensic pathology. Through a friendly customer she saw every morning at Dunkin Donuts, she was introduced to the head of the morgue, who was happy to show her around. That afternoon she came back and watched her first autopsy performed by Dr. Barbara C. Wolf.

“She realized I was serious, and she knew my nursing background would help because I would know about the tubes and equipment,” Wendy says. “She became my mentor and began taking me to crime scenes.”

Wendy became board-certified in anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, and forensic pathology. She is an Eta Lambda graduate of Providence College in Rhode Island, an

Alpha Omega Alpha medical school graduate of the Albany Medical College, and she completed her residency at Albany Medical Center in New York.

Her training continued with a fellowship in forensic pathology at the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office in Chicago, and she remained there as deputy medical examiner until 2008, when she joined the District 5 Medical Examiner’s Office in Leesburg as the deputy chief medical examiner. Once again, she was working with her mentor, Barbara, who is district medical examiner.

Wendy also is the Lake-Sumter Medical Society’s president, a position she was hesitant to accept at first.

“I’m not a clinician, but I’ve been on the board for many years,” she says. “I decided to accept. It also makes me president of We Care, for which I’m proud to work with support and fundraising. This organization provides specialty care for uninsured adults. Surgeons, GI physicians, oncologists, and many others volunteer their services.”

Wendy says she feels very positive about the future of health care in America: “I believe our country is going in the right direction.”

As a medical examiner, she feels the biggest health issue is the opioid crisis. “It’s a very big problem with dramatic consequences in all five counties we serve.”

The District 5 Medical Examiner’s Office provides services for Lake, Sumter, Hernando, Citrus, and Marion counties.

“Gov. Scott dealt with the pill mills, but we all know drug addicts will find drugs wherever they can,” Wendy says. “Now the open market is coming from China and Mexico, and the heroin is tainted with fentanyl, which is 100 times more potent than morphine. Sometimes they use carfentil, and it’s 10,000 times more potent. Drug addicts are playing Russian roulette. They never know what’s in that bag they’re taking.”

She mentioned she would perform an autopsy that day on a 25-year-old who came in because of a drug overdose. “With older people, they’re addicted to pain pills, so age is not an issue.”

Wendy performs around 4,000 autopsies a year and relies heavily on families, local doctors, and the team of

investigators working with District 5 to determine cause of death.

There are eight investigators working with the department, some of them remotely to cover Hernando, Citrus, and Marion counties. Lake and Sumter counties’ investigators work in the offices on Pine Street in Leesburg with the medical examiners.

There are currently three examiners in District 5, but a search is on for a fourth.

One particular case from years ago sticks with Wendy. A 6-year-old boy from Lake County died suddenly, and his mother was determined to know exactly what happened.

“She called every day saying, ‘Please don’t make this undetermined. I have to know what happened.’ She provided information, and I worked closely with the child’s doctor, and we kept testing,” Wendy says. “Finally, I referred her to genetic testing, and we found it was a mutant gene that caused malignant hyperthermia.”

This is a rare condition normally caused by a severe reaction to certain medications used for anesthesia. This means anesthesiologists are always prepared with an antidote, but this was not the case. With malignant hyperthermia, the muscles become rigid, causing a raging fever up to 110 degrees F. This causes complications throughout the body and, if untreated, results in death. Working with the Malignant Hyperthermia Association, Wendy solved the mystery of the boy’s death.

Since the problem is genetic, the other three children in the family were tested, and

two of them also have the mutant gene. Now, they are always prepared, carrying cool packs and avoiding strenuous exercise that might overheat their bodies.

“The mother and I went around to all the area hospitals to warn them to have the antidote on hand in the event one of the children came into the emergency room,” Wendy says.

“It was one of my most rewarding cases. She and I are still friends.”

When she must deal with a homicide, she feels the medical examiner’s office always makes a difference, too. However, work like this has its dark side.

“It doesn’t give me any joy to send someone to prison,” Wendy says. “In my mind, it’s a no-win situation. The initial crime was a senseless act, and the results of that are not good.”

One of her favorite parts of the job is providing information to hospitals, doctors, and law enforcement through lectures.

“I really enjoy going around to hospitals and interacting with doctors and others,” she says. “I guess lecturing is where I use my ‘movie star’ skills.”

After work, she spends a lot of time with friends.

“I’m very social, and being a medical examiner has made me understand what’s important,” Wendy says. “People are what’s important in life. My life outside work centers around building relationships. I love going to museums and restaurants. What makes your life worth living is spending time together.”

It doesn’t give me any joy to send someone to prison,” Wendy says.

“In my mind, it’s a no-win situation. The initial crime was a senseless act, and the results of that are not good.

—Wendy Lavezzi

WHAT DOES "THERAPEUTICS" IN MEDICINE MEAN?

This week, I am deeply moved by the loss of one of my patients. This one, in particular, left an impression on all of my staff. His relentless endearing spirit, regardless of his pain and suffering, never ceased to amaze us. When his wife called with the news, we all felt like another member of our MIT family was lost. The solemnness passed throughout every department once again as we tried to continue about our day, offering hope and kindness to our other patients, who look to us for diagnoses, treatments, and a little "extra attention" that we often provide to help them overcome their

ailments. Although it is advised not to get attached, sometimes it is impossible not to, especially if they have spent years and numerous procedures with me. Getting acquainted with my patient helps ease their anxiety. Allowing them to talk and express themselves is often something they don't get a chance to do, as they are rushed from appointment to appointment. It is inevitable that a close relationship develops. What kind of doctor would I be if I couldn't provide a comforting voice and tender touch in addition to my medical expertise?

Not only do they get a lot from me, but each one unknowingly teaches me

a little something which I can apply towards my other patients. Listening is something of a dying art among physicians. Patients need to be heard.

To offer a patient therapeutic care usually involves keeping them comfortable by reducing and hopefully eliminating their pain. For those who are healthy but may be suffering from an injury or chronic pain, oftentimes there is permanent healing through injections or minor surgical repairs. But then there are those who are afflicted with a terminal illness. Although I feel privileged to assist in the management of my patients during these situations,

no matter how sick they have become overtime, we are never really prepared for the news of their passing. We all hope we can live forever, but realistically this isn't the case, and it is always a very sad day. The feeling of loss is not only for their families at home but for those of us who have tirelessly tried to ease their suffering. The tears, hugs, smiles, and laughter throughout their journey brings us close to them and their families, and so it is often a family member who calls or visits to tell us the unfortunate news, perhaps seeking the same support and comfort they received along the way as they accompanied their ailing companion.

My oncology patients come to me from many specialties. Pain may send them to an urgent care center, who sends them to me for imaging studies. A primary care doctor may order a CT or MRI because something hurts. Should a gynecologist order a mammogram and a suspicious lesion is found, as an interventional radiologist, I can perform a biopsy and send the specimen to a lab that will determine the cause. If the sample

is positive for cancer, the referring physician consults with me to determine who is the best oncologist to treat them. Very often, the patient returns to me, and I insert a port into their chest for chemotherapy or provide a PICC-line for an infusion they need for their treatments. They may return for numerous imaging tests and minor surgical procedures they will need along the way. I am overjoyed when a patient recovers and continues leading a healthy life, which is the case for many. For others, their journey is not so simple since they can develop fluid in their lungs, called pleural effusions, or they may develop fluid in their abdomen, called ascites. Using an ultrasound, I can drain lungs and abdomen in the comfort and privacy of my center. These procedures give my patients relief so their breathing will improve and they can continue to live a good quality of life during their treatment without feeling bound to their homes.

There are many advantages to choosing an outpatient center, rather than a hospital. It is small

and personable, and you will see the same doctor and staff who will develop a relationship with you, and oftentimes, your family members too. This is important because the same familiar doctor will recognize minor changes in your condition that a variety of different doctors may not. Outpatient centers rarely have contagious hospitalacquired diseases such as MRSA and pneumonia, (In our 4 1/2 years, we have had zero cases) so it is healthier for those who are immunocompromised, which is often the case for the very sick and weak. It's also comforting to return to the same center and people, knowing just what to expect! Simply to be treated in such an environment is therapeutic to the spirit and the senses, and this, in and of itself, is therapeutic, which can lead to better quality of life and faster healing. FOR MORE INFORMATION MEDICAL IMAGING & THERAPUTICS

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DR. MARK JACOBSON

How can you tell if your doctor is any good?

Story: Dr. Richard T. Bosshardt

I read of an interesting, non-scientific poll taken a few years back. People were asked what they thought about doctors in general. A surprising number gave negative answers. Doctors were too busy, were not responsive to their needs, were into it for the money, did not listen to them, and so on. They were then asked about their own doctor and almost without exception, all said their doctor was great. This got me thinking. What makes a great doctor? Below is my list of attributes of the best doctors.

THEY CARE.

Someone once said, tongue-in-cheek, “Sincerity is key. Once you can fake that, you’ve got it made.” All kidding aside, great doctors care about their patients and it shows. They go the extra mile, whether it is by letting patients know they are running late or taking the extra time at a visit if necessary. Caring doctors instill those attributes in their staff, who reflect that caring nature when dealing with patients. Most patients have a good sense of when a doctor is going through the motions or really cares.

THEY LISTEN.

Most medical conditions can be diagnosed simply by taking a good history. A doctor who continually interrupts or is distracted can miss cues that might lead to a correct diagnosis or proper course of treatment. Part of the art of medicine is learning to take a good history. In some cases, it means just listening to patients. In others, the doctor can help lead the patient by asking open-ended questions and then sitting back and letting the patient answer.

THEY ARE FOCUSED ON YOU DURING THE VISIT. The single biggest complaint I hear from patients is their doctor is typing on a computer throughout the visit. Part of this is the fault of electronic medical records, which require time-consuming entry of data into computers. There is a new category of health worker called the medical “scribe” whose job is to enter data on the computer while the doctor focuses on the patient. You deserve eye contact from your doctor and his or her full attention.

THEY TALK TO YOU IN PLAIN ENGLISH. Good communication is essential in the doctor-patient interaction. Many doctors tend to lapse into what I call “doctor speak” in which they explain things using medical terms that no lay person is likely to understand. If your doctor will not, or cannot, explain your diagnosis and treatment in terms you understand, you might want to find another doctor.

You will notice I have not included online reviews in the information below. Online reviews are useful but have significant shortcomings. They are anonymous, so anyone can claim anything without worrying about being held accountable. I have seen scathing reviews of doctors I know are very good. Some offices have their staff post glowing reviews as though they were patients. I view the internet like the wild, wild west; go ahead and visit it, but do so cautiously and know that it can be a dangerous place.

THEY ARE STABLE.

Every doctor is new in town at first. Over time, however, they become a fixture in the community. Some doctors do not seem to ever set down roots in a community, or they are all over the place with offices here, there, and everywhere. Stability usually means the doctor practices good medicine because reputations are made over long periods, not a few short years.

THEY TEND TO RUN ON TIME.

Yes, I know, better than most that a doctor’s schedule is subject to sudden changes—emergencies, patients who are more complicated than anticipated, and innumerable other causes of delay. However, there is no excuse for being chronically late. It means he or she is trying to cram too many patients into the working day, or simply doesn’t care that patients are made to wait. When the inevitable delays do occur, patients must be informed so they can decide whether to wait or reschedule.

THEY FOLLOW THEIR OWN ADVICE.

I almost omitted this one because it is going to upset a lot of doctors. Ideally, the doctor who tells you to lose weight should not be overweight or obese. The doctor who tells you to stop smoking should not reek of tobacco. On the other hand, just because a doctor does not follow their own advice, this does not mean the advice, or the doctor, is no good. Doctors are human, too. I feel, though, that it makes it easier for patients to comply and follow through if they see that their doctors practice what they preach.

THEY HAVE A GOOD REPUTATION IN THE COMMUNITY.

Word of mouth is one of the best sources of information about a doctor. People are pretty sharp. Over time, the good doctors become known and recommended by their patients. If you hear a lot of good things about a doctor, chances are they truly will be a good doctor.

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HEALTHPROS 2018

WARNING: Finding the right doctor is essential to good health. The 2018 Health Pros Guide is designed to help make that decision easier. Categorized by PRACTICE, PROCEDURE, and PROFILE, it’s an easy-to-use directory of the best health care providers in their field.

FRIENDLY AND CUSTOMIZED FITNESS TRAINING

Need better balance or more strength, energy and endurance?

Wallace Fitness is an established personal training studio in downtown Mount Dora where you can receive personalized training specific for your needs.

The studio features a pleasant, positive environment where trainers are specifically trained to work with clients with limitations.

Sy and Angela Carkhuff, 81, look forward to going to Wallace Fitness three times a week. They consider studio owners Lincoln and Sine Wallace and the other trainers as part of their family.

“I came here a wreck,” says Sy, who was bothered by back pains and the inability to dance or do the sports he loved. That has all changed. “Now I’m a masterpiece,” Sy says. “No kidding. I’ve been coming about two years, and I have lost 60 pounds. The body works well, the brain, and now the mind works well. Wallace Fitness is designed to help

anyone who wants to live a long and youthful life, and they have saved mine.”

Other clients credit the fitness studio for helping them become healthier to where they no longer need medications for diabetes, cholesterol or high blood pressure.

“When your doctor begins to ask your advice regarding fitness training, you know you’ve made the right choice,” says Darren G., who has been a client for six years.

Some clients previously had surgery and rehabilitation on their hips or shoulders, but feel they need more.

“We work with physical therapists on outreach programs, and we are like an extension,” Sine says. “A lot of people still need help, and we train our trainers to be more sensitive and knowledgeable about things that are not being taught anywhere else. Since this is a private studio and not a gym, we give one-onone attention. People say they are able to do the things they were not able to do

before, and that is what we love to hear, because we know that we are making a difference.”

It’s not too late to become fit, healthy, and to age gracefully. The studio’s oldest client is 93.

“Age doesn’t matter,” says Sine. “We see it many times with our clients that they are now stronger than they ever were before. We give free consultations because we want to see if we are the right answer for you.”

(L-R) MEGHAN TRITON, LINCOLN WALLACE, SINE WALLACE, JENNIFER CLAYTON, AND CHRIS JOSEPH

NO PAIN, LOTS TO GAIN

Davis Clinic of Chiropractic brings pain relief with no surgery, no medication.

The active residents of The Villages and surrounding areas love to golf, swim, cycle, run, and play pickleball, softball, and numerous other sports.

But many suffer chronic pain or neuropathy and have tried addictive medications, epidurals, and spinal injections, only to be told that surgery is their only option.

Davis Clinic of Chiropractic can help—without surgery and without medication.

The clinic specializes in injury care, nutrition, and rehabilitation, offering nonsurgical, drugfree treatments for the relief of neuropathy, back pain, knee pain, neck pain, and a variety of other health problems.

Chiropractic physician Dr. Jason Davis founded the clinic in 2006, and heads the practice along with fellow chiropractors Dr. William Garofolo, Dr. Lawrence Morris, Dr. Chris Hopkins and a staff of 25 employees. Together, they have successfully treated thousands of patients with chronic pain who got their lives back without surgery and without medication.

Dr. Davis concentrates in nonsurgical treatments including the DRS Protocol for neck and back pain conditions, the Drug-free Neuropathy Treatment Protocol for the relief of neuropathy pain, the Knee Pain Protocol for patients suffering with moderate or chronic knee pain, and BrainCore protocol to improve mental health.

In addition, Davis Clinic of Chiropractic offers some of the most effective nonsurgical and noninvasive treatments available for relief from:

• Numb feet or leg pain

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• Migraines

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• And more…

Davis Clinic of Chiropractic also hosts FREE weekly seminars to educate patients about their pain conditions, the treatments available, and what to expect with treatment. Visit the Davis Clinic of Chiropractic’s Facebook page to register for the seminars with a simple click. Visit the Davis Clinic of Chiropractic’s Facebook page to register for the FREE seminars with a simple click. Dates are posted thru out the year, so reserve a spot today!

Davis Clinic of Chiropractic is growing fast and adding more patients and more staff. Check out patients’ testimonials to the clinic on youtube.com. We are the Chiropractors proudly serving in The Villages community and surrounding areas. If you’re in pain, Davis Clinic of Chiropractic can ease your mind and heal your body.

L-R: Dr. Lawrence Morris, Dr. William Garofolo, Dr. Jason Davis

PRICELESS INFORMATION THAT’S REALLY FREE

There may be no free lunch, but there’s My Free Screening.

The statistics about death due to heart and vascular disease are stunning. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every four deaths is caused by heart disease—in men and women.

Unfortunately, if you show no symptoms, it’s possible Medicare and private insurance will not pay for the tests needed. That’s where My Free Screening comes in.

My Free Screening believes

diagnostic tests without the worry of large medical bills.

For example, Dr. Lew oversees the medical protocols by hand picking the screening facilities to ensure everything will be done in a safe and comfortable environment. In addition, only licensed technicians perform the tests and board-certified cardiologists and vascular surgeons evaluate reports.

Mr. Dusseau’s skills and

My Free Screening is FREE with no other obligation whatsoever. If you believe you need to be screened for heart or vascular disease, visit MyFreeScreening.com to learn more and make an appointment today.

you should not have to pay for medical screenings to keep you healthy. Period.

David Lew, MD, an interventional cardiologist in Leesburg, and Michael Dusseau, Fortune 500 entrepreneur, both have a passion for helping people.

This new offering combines Dr. Lew’s thirty years of medical expertise with Mr. Dusseau’s thirty years of business and technology knowledge. Collectively, they developed My Free Screening, a place where you can get basic

expertise add to the experience with a fully-automated, proprietary, patent-pending software platform that delivers a personalized screening report to you and your doctor automatically. If there are problems, a nurse contacts you to discuss results and encourage a follow up with your primary care physician.

“My Free Screening is very personal to me because I know it will save lives.” stated Mr. Dusseau. “My parents were

one of the first to utilize the program. Even though they thought they were in good health, My Free Screening detected a possible abnormality.”

This exciting program was recently launched in the Leesburg area and will be offered in The Villages in the coming months. Plans are already in place to open My Free Screening throughout Central Florida and then nationwide.

My Free Screening is about more than just getting tests done. The goal is educating the community on the dangers of heart and vascular disease. In addition, because the screening report is automatically sent to your primary care physician, they are already aware of your situation before your clinical visit. This allows you more face time between you and your primary care physician, which is so critical in today’s environment.

Most people will be eligible for a free screening by answering a few health questions. Once your eligibility is determined, six specialized tests are performed ranging from carotid and abdominal aortic aneurysm ultrasound, atrial fibrillation, and peripheral arterial disease.

PROCEDURE NAMED FOR LOCAL CARDIOLOGIST

A local interventional cardiologist is honored for creating an enhancement to a challenging procedure.

David C. Lew, MD, an interventional cardiologist and Chairman at Florida Heart & Vascular Multi Specialty Group, has accomplished a feat very few physicians can achieve—having a procedure named after him.

This distinction, called eponymous surgical procedures, was granted to Dr. Lew in November 2017. He presented his new technique to the TCT Cardiovascular Research Foundation’s conference in Denver, the largest, most widely recognized, and distinguished cardiovascular conference in the world. The procedure, forever to be known as the Lew-Schmidt technique, is an enhancement to the original Schmidt procedure.

Typically, an interventional cardiologist gains access to a leg vessel through a small puncture in the groin area. A catheter is inserted down the leg in the direction of the blood flow to reach the occlusion. However, when the vessel is branched like a “Y” and the blockage is on one side immediately below the split penetrating the obstruction is nearly impossible because the catheter always follows the path of least resistance—the uncongested side branch.

The original Schmidt procedure gained access to the leg artery

from the thigh, traveling up the leg against blood flow, finding the occlusion from the opposite direction. Very few interventional cardiologists even attempted this delicate and intricate technique. But what if the vessel you are using to access the blockage was previously fixed with a

Whereas the Schmidt procedure involves deploying the catheter in a healthy artery to reach the blockage, Dr. Lew perfected the technique to reach the occlusion through a previously stented vessel, and the new technique now is the Lew-Schmidt procedure.

“I am so honored to have a

but to know this technique will be used to save limbs and enhance the lives of people all over the world is truly humbling.”

Indeed, being the first do something is not new to Dr. Lew. As the founding medical director of LRMC’s Heart Institute, he was the first to bring interventional cardiology to Lake County more than 25 years ago; first in the nation to offer Stellarex®, a drug-coated balloon, in an outpatient lab enviroment; first in the region to utilize the TRYTON® Side Branch Stent; and also one of 12 accomplished cardiologists in the US to first perform successful cardiac angioplasty and stents in patients presenting with an acute heart attack to a hospital without open heart facilities as part of PAMI-No S.O.S trial in the mid 90’s.

10 locations throughout Leesburg and The Villages to serve you.

FLHeartCenter.com

352.460.1380

LIGHTEN UP AT BUCHANAN HEALTH CENTER

Dr. Tige Buchanan continues making adjustments—and we’re not talking about the kind where he uses his gentle hands to manipulate the spine.

His bustling medical practice, Buchanan Health Center, has recently introduced a medically supervised weightloss program to help patients shed unwanted pounds and look and feel their best.

to lose 15 pounds or more are given a diet plan and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) injections. HCG speeds up metabolism and breaks down the body’s stored fat. Those desiring to lose 15 pounds or less are given B-complex vitamins and receive Lipotropic injections, which enhance the body’s ability to burn fat. The third program entails using a LED laser light machine

medicine, rehabilitation, and massage therapy under one roof. Having all those services in one location increases efficiency, improves care, and saves patients time and money.

“Because we’re an integrated medical office, we take a team approach to make sure patients are getting the proper care they need to stay strong and healthy,” Dr. Buchanan says.

Buchanan Health Center also offers stem cell therapy to treat musculoskeletal problems in the hip, knee, and shoulder. The stem cell injections help repair and regenerate damaged tissue.

“It’s an excellent alternative to surgery,” he says.

“So many health problems are linked to obesity, including diabetes, heart disease, knee pain, hip pain, and back pain,” he says. “Over the years, we’ve had many patients requesting that we offer some type of weight-loss program. Because obesity in this country is so rampant, we felt this would be a wonderful time to begin a weight-loss program.”

Realizing that a one-size-fitsall program is ineffective, Dr. Buchanan offers three different programs. Patients wishing

to remove fat from specific areas of the body.

“We’re excited to offer three proven weight-loss programs that are supervised by medical professionals,” Dr. Buchanan says. “With the guidance of a physician, patients will have an opportunity to lose weight in a safe and effective manner.”

And for patients facing other health issues, they’ll have peace of mind knowing Buchanan Health Center is a one-stop shop offering primary care, chiropractic care, physical

Buchanan Health Center is located 9836 U.S. Highway 441, Leesburg. The office sees patients as early as 8:30 a.m. and stays open as late as 6 p.m. For more information or to request an appointment, call 352.787.8531.

Because we’re an integrated medical office, we take a team approach to make sure patients are getting the proper care they need to stay strong and healthy.

— DR. BUCHANAN

THE REVOLUTIONARY RAINDROP® PROCEDURE IS HERE!

Lake Eye delivers clear close-up vision to the first Raindrop® recipients in Lake County.

Over time, the lens of the eye loses moisture, making the lens less flexible and creating blurred close-up vision, a condition called presbyopia. Presbyopia occurs in everyone eventually, which is why reading glasses are so common among people 40 and older. For many people, the constant on-off relationship with reading glasses becomes an inconvenient annoyance –for others, it negatively impacts how they perform. “As a nurse, I have to walk and read at multiple distances at the same time – all the prescriptions, forms, charts, etc. created a constant on-off, on-off with my reading glasses,” says Lake County’s very first Raindrop® patient, 50-year-old Dana Gallo. “I tried bifocals but found them to be a challenge with my fast-paced job. Then I heard about Raindrop.”

The FDA-approved Raindrop® vision inlay is a tiny transparent implant about the size of a pinhead that is fitted just beneath the surface of the eye, delivering moisture and nutrients to the lens so it is more flexible and responsive. Composed of about 80% water, the Raindrop® gently reshapes the cornea so it can more easily transition between distances and help restore close-up vision. Lake Eye Board Certified ophthalmologist Dr. Scott Wehrly is the first eye surgeon in Lake County to perform the Raindrop® procedure, and he along with his colleagues, Dr. Scot Holman and Dr. Vinay Gutti, compose the first team in the region qualified to provide it. “This procedure is an amazing advance in the treatment of presbyopia,” says Dr. Wehrly. “This outpatient procedure takes only about 10 minutes and is indicated for people who have adequate distance vision and good overall eye health. For many, it can reduce or eliminate the need for reading glasses.”

Says patient Dana Gallo, “When I heard about the Raindrop procedure, I researched it thoroughly and thought it sounded perfect for me. I saw Dr. Wehrly and he said the overall health of my eyes and good distance vision made me an ideal candidate. I said, ‘Let’s do this!’ The procedure itself was quick. My eyes were photographed and there was some minor prep, and then Dr. Wehrly implanted the

Raindrop, which took less than 10 minutes. It was totally painless and I noticed improvement in my close-up vision immediately. The following day I was able to read all the lines on the eye chart. I had surgery on Wednesday and was back to work on Friday.

“As the days passed, my vision kept improving until I was able to reduce the font on my phone to the smallest size. I can read even tiny print now and have stopped using reading glasses altogether. Raindrop has been life-changing!”

Lake Eye not only served Lake County’s first Raindrop® patient, but also its second, Kelly Dennis. “I’m an anesthesia billing consultant, and all the coding and auditing requires that I do a lot of reading. Since I also engage in public speaking, I looked into ways to improve my close-up vision and none, including contact lenses, worked well for me. I researched the Raindrop and this procedure appealed to me, as it is implanted in only one eye, so my distance vision could remain intact. The fact that it’s 80% water and smaller than the eye of a needle made it seem safer than LASIK. And it is easily removed if I don’t like it – that was important to me.

“I met with Dr. Wehrly, who said I was a good candidate for the procedure. Within hours of getting the Raindrop, I could see my Fitbit and read text on my smartphone without glasses. My ability to see details now is just incredible!”

If you have good eye health and clear, uncorrected distance vision, talk to your Lake Eye doctor about whether the Raindrop® vision inlay might be right for you. It may put an end to your on-off relationship with glasses for good.

DANA AND DR. WEHRLY EXAM DANA WITH DR. WEHRLY KELLY DENNIS

SAVED BY THE CELL

Stem cell therapy is now being offered in The Villages

Because the U.S. has fallen behind in the promising field of stem cell research, some Americans—including professional athletes—have traveled abroad to Europe, China, and Russia to receive stem cell treatments.

Fortunately, patients in The Villages and surrounding area with orthopedic conditions can save money on an expensive plane ticket.

That’s because Advanced Orthopedic Institute is offering stem cell treatment for patients with damaged tendons or degenerative conditions that affect loss of cartilage in the hip, knee, shoulder, and ankle joints.

The in-office procedure requires a one-time injection.

“We’ve been offering stem cell therapy for about six months and have seen very good results,” says Dr. Alfred Cook. “This is a revolutionary way of treating people who suffer from osteoarthritis, tendonitis, and other tissue injuries. We are using the body’s own power of biologic repair.”

By doing so, Dr. Cook and Dr. John Williams, are helping patients heal naturally and avoiding traditional procedures such as steroid injections or joint replacement surgery.

“Stem cell therapy regenerates and repairs damaged tendons, ligaments, and cartilage,” Dr. Cook says. “It adds another treatment option in our office, especially for patients hoping to avoid surgery.”

Dr. Cook and Dr. Williams use stem cells derived from amniotic fluid. Amniotic stem cell therapy promotes new cartilage growth and stimulates tissue growth. Moreover, there is no threat of patient rejection.

“For patients who have undergone the procedure, we track them over time,” Dr. Cook says. “So far, the patients we’ve treated have experienced a decrease in pain and an increase in function.”

To see if you are a candidate, contact us for a consultation. ADVANCED

Alfred J. Cook Jr. Orthopedic Surgeon

John T. Williams Jr. Orthopedic Surgeon

LASER-LIKE FOCUS

Using the latest technology, Glover Chiropractic is a force to be reckoned with.

As a chiropractor, Dr. Jeffrey Glover treats much more than ailing necks and painful lower backs. Sure, that’s part of his business, but he has also been successful in treating neuropathy, a disease most people would assume is managed more often by neurologists or neurosurgeons.

Dr. Glover, who owns Glover Chiropractic Clinic in Leesburg, has seen firsthand how neuropathy can affect a patient’s emotional and physical wellbeing, as well as their overall quality of life. After all, they

endure sensations of burning, tingling, cramping, numbness, and pins and needles on a constant basis.

Rather than relying on surgery, medication, or injections — all of which come with risks — Dr. Glover utilizes a drug-free, nonsurgical approach to effectively treating neuropathy. He has the only chiropractic office in Leesburg equipped with the LiteCure Laser LCT-1000.

This state-of-the-art technology targets soft tissue with laser light and energizes damaged cells. As a result, the

body’s natural healing powers are activated and inflammation is reduced. This helps reduce pain considerably.

While treating nerve damage stemming from chemotherapy or radiation can be tricky, he has had success treating patients with compressed nerves or those with diabetic neuropathy. All neuropathy patients can be helped to a lesser or greater extent through an individualized treatment plan that includes regular chiropractic care and an improvement in diet.

“Our patients are enjoying excellent results,” he says. “We have an 85 to 90 percent success rate using the LiteCure Laser. Some patients have neuropathy so bad that they’ve gone 10 years without feeling the carpet underneath their feet. After several treatments, they are now getting their feeling back.”

The laser has also helps treat sports injuries, sprains, strains, arthritis, shoulder pain, knee pain, and other inflammatory conditions.

Chiropractic:

It’s in his bones

Dr. Glover’s desire to become a chiropractor began at age 9. After suffering from nocturnal headaches and undergoing numerous diagnostic tests, doctors could not determine the

underlying cause. He received an adjustment while accompanying his mother to a local chiropractor and the headaches disappeared.

“That chiropractor made a big impression on me,” he says. “I knew then that I wanted to be a chiropractor and help other people who could not find solutions to alleviate their pain.”

He pursued that dream and graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 2007. While he could have opened a practice anywhere in the country, he decided to return to his roots and open a practice in Leesburg, which undoubtedly has a special place in his heart.

“I was born and raised in Leesburg, so I’ve always felt a special bond here,” says Dr. Glover, who graduated from Leesburg High School in 1999

and Lake-Sumter State College in 2002. “The people here are special to me, and I always try to go above and beyond to give them the best care possible.”

That is precisely what he has been doing since opening his practice in November 2012. Glover Chiropractic offers the best of both worlds by blending state-of-the-art holistic healthcare with a hometown touch. He also offers very affordable services because, as he puts it, “money should never get in the way of care that someone needs.”

His compassionate approach is one reason why the majority of his business comes from patient referrals. “If you treat people right and help them feel better, they spread the word pretty quick,” he says.

“The people here are special to me, and I always try to go above and beyond to give them the best care possible.”

— DR. JEFFREY GLOVER

(L–R) Whitney Law, Elizabeth Sellers, Kendra Armbrecht, Dr. Jeffrey Glover, Jessica Rinne, Chelsea Giles, and Holly Sams

ABOUT DR. COVELLI

Christina Covelli, MD, is a board-certified gastroenterologist in Lake County. An Orlando area native, Dr. Covelli earned her medical degree at the University of Florida, followed by a gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, earning multiple awards for academic and clinical excellence.

SPECIALTIES

• GERD

• Peptic ulcer disease

• Inflammatory bowel disease

• Irritable bowel syndrome

• Diseases of the pancreas and liver

• Upper GI endoscopy (EGD)

• Management of gastrointestinal bleeding

• Colonoscopy

IT’S 2018: TIME FOR A GUT CHECK

Find relief from IBS in the New Year

If you just spent the holiday season over-indulging and dealing with the to-and-fro chaos of family, work and school obligations, you're not alone. Some of us, even when we tried to maintain good health habits during the busiest time of the year, are finding it difficult to recover from the familiar symptoms of eating too much, doing too much and resting too little. For many, all of that manifests as the cramping, bloating, excessive gas and alternating diarrhea and constipation of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

It's not the most pleasant subject to discuss, but IBS is a very common, highly treatable condition. The digestion and propulsion of nutrients and fluids through the gastrointestinal system (GI) is a very complicated and very well-organized process. The GI tract has its own intrinsic muscles and nerves that connect, like an electrical circuit, to the spinal cord and brain.

Neuromuscular events occurring in the GI tract are relayed to the brain through neural connections, and the response of the brain is also relayed back to the GI tract. As a result of this activity, motility and sensation in the bowel are generated. Any abnormality in this process results in a disordered propulsion of the intestinal contents, which generates the sensation of pain.

In multiple health surveys, IBS has been reported to significantly impact quality of life and is a leading cause of missed work days and disability in the United States. Women with IBS seem to have more symptoms during their menstrual periods, suggesting that reproductive hormones can increase IBS symptoms. The good news? A GI specialist can help determine the root cause of your bowel issues and, with medications and lifestyle modifications, provide real relief from your symptoms. What better way to start the new year?

BIG NEWS FROM DR. CREWS

Practice has a new name and an expanded team

Anew year is always a great time to make healthy changes! In that spirit, Dr. Steven A. Crews is excited to announce that Crews Family Practice is joining Florida Hospital Medical Group and will take the new name of Leesburg Family Practice as they expand to welcome an additional physician to the team.

About Leesburg Family Practice

For more than 17 years, Dr. Crews and his healthcare team have been committed to providing exceptional primary medical care for patients ages 14 and up in the Leesburg community. Dr. Crews was an officer in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, and is a board-certified family medicine physician with 35 years of experience with a background in osteopathic emergency medicine, including service as an emergency room physician at hospitals in Kentucky and Florida.

Welcome, Dr. Torres

Joining this long-established team is Dr. Lela Torres, an awardwinning clinician who earned her medical degree and completed her residency training at Wayne State University in Detroit. Subsequent to her residency, she was part of the clinical faculty at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Michigan.

In the new year, Leesburg Family Practice’s goal is to continue to provide high quality, comprehensive primary and preventive healthcare services for children, teens, adults and the elderly in the Leesburg area. From sick visits to well-woman exams, vaccinations to sports and employment physicals, the practice can accommodate your whole family’s basic healthcare needs.

Leesburg Family Practice

8135 Centralia Court, Suite 101 | Leesburg, FL 34748 P: 352.360.0654 | F: 352.360.0668

FHMedicalGroup.com

DR. STEVEN A. CREWS

DR. LELA TORRES

SOMEONE TO SMILE ABOUT

There’s no question that experience is an important factor everyone should consider when they’re choosing someone to provide a service. That’s especially true in the health care arena.

Knowledge, wisdom, efficiency, and thoroughness all come with experience and result in superior patient outcomes and care.

Such experience is found at Heritage Dental and Dentistry on the Square, which are owned by Dr. Kenneth Cohrn. With more than 35 years in the dental field, Dr. Cohrn has the knowledge and understanding to solve dental problems in a number of ways, depending on patients’ finances, wants, needs, and desired outcomes.

For instance, if a patient loses teeth, options include a partial denture, fixed bridge, or dental implant. Each having specific benefits and limitations.

“As a seasoned dentist, I’ve been exposed to a wide range of dental issues and can draw from a portfolio of knowledge to fix those problems,” says Dr. Cohrn, one of the founding members of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

“I have to be knowledgeable in all areas and listen what the patient is saying so I can help them make informed decisions. Decisions are custom tailored to the individual and their needs rather than using a cookie-cutter corporate approach.”

He’s also been in dentistry long enough to realize it’s a dynamic field where concepts and therapies are constantly changing. He embraces change and keeps abreast of new technologies and therapies. By doing so, he provides patients with peace of mind that they can rely on the highest standard of care.

“We are constantly investing in new technology and techniques,” he says. “I’m fortunate that my staff embraces these changes because dentistry is an ever-evolving field where you cannot ever stop learning.”

Speaking of his 10-person staff, Dr. Cohrn readily admits much of his success can be attributed to them. The smiles on patients are not only created through leading-edge techniques

and equipment but also by the hospitality and friendliness of the dental team.

One of them is Jennifer Tyler, who started at the practice in 1999 as a sterilization technician and has worked her way up to business manager of both practices.

“I love working here because our staff is like one big family,” she says. “I also enjoy getting to meet so many wonderful patients who come from all walks of life.”

GOODBYE, ACID REFLUX

We’ve all been there—and most certainly never want to go back.

That burning sensation in the heart, the difficulty swallowing, and the coughing and hoarseness.

These are several symptoms of acid reflux, a condition that occurs when acid from the stomach flows into the esophagus. Fortunately, most of us only experience an occasional bout with acid reflux. For others, though, acid reflux rears its ugly head several times a week.

Those with chronic acid reflux need to seek out treatment to prevent long-term complications, such as damage to the gastrointestinal tract, the development of Barrett’s Esophagus, a precancerous condition, and esophageal cancer.

Dr. Garth George of Advanced Gastroenterology and Surgery Associates has specialized experience in the management of acid reflux and the treatment of its complications.

“Some people have acid reflux worse than others,” he says. “Those people need to see a gastroenterologist so they can be checked for problems such as ulcers in the esophagus and narrowing of the esophagus. The disease also adversely affects their quality of life. Many cannot sleep, cannot enjoy meals, wake up choking or coughing, and have to miss work.”

For Dr. George, the first line of treatment is lifestyle modifications. That includes avoiding fatty foods and caffeine, using a wedge pillow in bed to incline the chest to 35 degrees and prevent acid from leaking out of the stomach, and not going to bed until three hours after a meal. If lifestyle modifications prove ineffective, he provides medical therapy such as proton pump inhibitors, which reduce the production of acid in the s tomach.

Patients with severe acid reflux may need a surgical procedure called Nisse Fundoplication, where the stomach is wrapped around the esophagus to prevent regurgitation of acid into the chest.

“It’s very rewarding when I can help give acid reflux patients a much happier life,” he says.

At Advanced Gastroenterology and Surgery Associates, Dr. George and his team provide a full spectrum of preventative care, diagnostics, and treatment for digestive health and gastrointestinal needs. Some of the conditions they treat include, but are not limited to, irritable bowel syndrome, gallbladder disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and liver disease.

“All the physicians have a very good relationship here,” says Dr. George, who is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. “We all share the same values, which are providing superior care to our patients and treating them in the most caring manner possible.”

ADVANCED GASTROENTEROLOGY &

SURGERY

ASSOCIATES

Leesburg | Lady Lake | Clermont 352.323.8868

agsaflorida.com

DAVID L. BOWERS, MD

UROLOGIST

Part of the Central Florida Health Medical Group, David L. Bowers, MD is a board-certified urologist and diplomate of the American Board of Urology. He specializes in the treatment of all aspects of general urology, including kidney stones, benign diseases of the prostate, urinary incontinence and impotence. Additionally, Dr. Bowers is trained to treat urinary tract cancers using both open and robotic surgical techniques. He also provides emergency services and inpatient care for The Villages® Regional Hospital.

Dr. Bowers earned his medical degree at the Sackler School of Medicine in Tel Aviv, Israel, and completed his internship at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York, and his residency at Columbia Presbyterian University Medical Center in New York City.

1501 U.S. Highway 441 N., Suite 1832 The Villages, FL 32159 352.751.8649

AJMAL ALI BAIG, MD

GENERAL SURGEON

Aboard-certified and fellowship trained general surgeon with Central Florida Health, Ajmal Baig, MD has formal training and specialization in minimally invasive and robotic surgery. Dr. Baig has the expertise to customize surgical care for patients according to their individual needs. He used basic principles of surgery and incorporates them with advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgery techniques to deliver outstanding results. He prefers the most advanced technique with the least invasive option possible.

Dr. Baig performs appendectomies, cancer surgery, gall bladder surgery, abdominal explorations, spleenic surgery, stomach surgery, and more. He treats digestive diseases, diverticulitis, hernias, skin and soft tissue lesions, pancreatic diseases, problems with the colon, sebaceous cysts, peritonitis, and small bowel tumors or obstruction.

601 E. Dixie Avenue, Suite 101 Leesburg, FL 34748 352.323.1160

A SUITE PLACE FOR independent living

In and around The Villages, a basic 400-square-foot apartment in a assisted living facility can start at $36,000 per year. Even those who have adequately planned for retirement may find this expense unbearable.

Fortunately, there is another option being offered by Hometown Builders, a local Certified General Contractor based in Wildwood.

Multigenerational is the term used to describe these specialized living spaces that can accommodate your mom or dad, your son or daughter who’s just getting started in life, or just old friends and neighbors from back home that love to visit any time of the year. Its living area that is close enough for you to check in on your loved one with ease but private enough where everyone enjoys their own space.

Lisa Malloy Designer Elisa Adams-Rae Certified General Contractor

Warrior workouts

Legendary Navy Seal Stewart Smith wrote “Warrior Workouts” to help those who want to go a little further in their fitness. With 100 workouts from calisthenics to cardio, “Warrior Workouts" is designed to get you in the best shape of your life. These workouts are designed to push the human body to the brink, meaning you dig deep and find strength you never knew you had. Books are available at all retail outlets and online.

Find Warrior Workouts at amazon.com

Easy fajita chicken recipe in a crockpot

→ DIFFICULTY: EASY | SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS

3-4 chicken breasts or 5-6 thighs (breasts are better in this recipe)

1 CUP ingredients or sugar or make your own)

2 TEASPOONS each of onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin—or more to taste

OPTIONAL if serving as a salad: lettuce or spinach, tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, salsa

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put chicken in slow cooker and sprinkle with spices.

2. Pour salsa over the chicken.

3. Cook on low for 7-8 hours (check after 5 hours as temp can vary a lot) until tender. Shred with forks before serving.

4. When done, let cool slightly and serve over salad with desired toppings or use alone.

Source: Wellness Mama

I received my initial training and certification as a wellness coach at Spencer Institute. I continued my training as a health coach at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition’s cutting-edge health coach training program. I studied more than 100 dietary theories, practical lifestyle management techniques, and innovative coaching methods with some of the world’s top health and wellness experts. My teachers included Dr. Andrew Weil, director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine; Dr. Deepak Chopra, leader in the field of mind-body medicine; Dr. David Katz, director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center; Dr. Walter Willet, chair of nutrition at Harvard University; Geenan Roth, best-selling author and expert on emotional eating; and other leading researchers and nutrition authorities.

At Total Nutrition and Therapeutics, I help you create a “sustainable” lifestyle change. Meeting you where you are in your journey and equipping you with practical tools to grow and learn new strategies; teaching you how to shop and plan meals; helping you create new ideas; and learning how to eat out are a few of the hands-on lessons you receive. I teach you how to live well for life!

‘‘

“My favorite thing to do is teach how to cook easy, healthy, budgetfriendly meals with minimal ingredients!”

—Jaime Alonso

When it comes to surgery, I want the best options available to me. The Robotic Surgery Program at Orlando Health South Lake Hospital includes surgeons trained in roboticassisted surgery. Robotic surgery may offer the advantages of:

• Improved surgical precision

• Less pain and scarring

• Less blood loss and risk of infection

• Shortened hospital stay

• Faster recovery

Having access to the most advanced surgical options close to home is why I choose Orlando Health South Lake Hospital.

I choose a team of talented surgeons skilled in robotics. I choose Orlando Health.

Four tips to eat your way to a great night’s sleep

Eating right provides the gateway to restful, satisfying sleep.

Story: Dr. Bill Miller

Who hasn’t had a restless night’s sleep? Everyone does on occasion, but for many, it is an increasingly frequent experience. The typical explanation is the unparalleled distractions of our modern lifestyle.

We email compulsively, text our friends at all hours, and binge-watch TV. Consequently, our sleep suffers. Studies during the past 60 years indicate the average amount of sleep Americans get has fallen by one to two hours per

night. Furthermore, the quality of that sleep has deteriorated. Some research even suggests these irregular sleep patterns have led to a “dream” deficit that takes its own toll over time.

The crux of the issue is there are significant health

problems associated with sleep disorders that go beyond feeling tired the next day. Chronic sleep deprivation is associated with higher incidences of heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, and cancer. Many of us realize this

and struggle to adjust. We experiment with changing caffeine or alcohol intake or, in desperation, some turn to sleeping pills.

Most of us know from experience there is a link between food intake and sleep patterns. Sleep can be difficult if we are too full or extremely hungry. Yet, busy lifestyle and the temptations of snack foods continuously get in the way. One thing is clear: a good evening meal with sensible portions improves the prospect of a restful night of sleep.

We have long known there are two fundamental states of sleep and each is regulated by a different part of the brain. Both are necessary for completely recuperative sleep. We have a sleep cycle, called our “circadian rhythm,” which is regulated by the brain and metabolic cues governed by liver cells. All of these signals work together

in a continuous feedback loop commonly called our “circadian clock.”

New information adds a significant factor to that mix. Our gut microbiome has a surprisingly crucial influence on our circadian sleep/wake cycle and sleep quality. Experiments confirm that when specific microbes in the gut are altered, our fundamental states of sleep are disrupted. This limits our ability to recover from stress and hinders necessary protection against neurological diseases such as dementia. To assist in that recovery process, we now understand that gut microbiome and our cells

form an active feedback loop and sleep patterns are part of it. This continuous feedback between our gut and brain significantly modulates our responses to stress. When that feedback is suboptimal, it begins a cycle leading toward metabolic health disorders such as diabetes. Our sleep-wake cycle is part of this loop. Impaired sleep disrupts our metabolism and contributes to inflammatory states and metabolic diseases, which can, in turn, further disrupt sleep. When our gut microbiome is off-balance, the capacity to achieve restorative sleep is profoundly affected.

When you plan to get a good night’s sleep, you need to think of it as putting your microbes to bed. Feeding them properly is your best chance for normal recuperative sleep amid our hectic modern lives.

ABOUT THE WRITER → Dr. Bill Miller is a physician in academic and private practice for more than 30 years. He is the author of “The Microcosm Within: Evolution and Extinction in the Hologenome.” For more information, visit themicrocosmwithin.com.

internal clocks, just as we do. We are at our optimal personal method of synchronizing and adjusting to each other. In effect, if you feed your microbes well, they will treat you right.

2 schedule and limit fat content. Both of these factors can improve sleep quality. There is an added help with weight management, which is also mediated by the gut microbiome.

3 Keep calories the same, but make your meals smaller and more frequent. Studies show this improves sleep quality and metabolic parameters such as blood glucose or serum lipid levels.

4 Try adding either prebiotics or probiotics to your diet. These offer your microbial partners the nutrients they need.

Six ways running gives you a better life

We all know running is supposed to be great for your body. Sure, the exercise burns calories, it strengthens cardiovascular health, and might help you live longer, and sometimes it just sounds like a virtuous thing to do. But what are some lesserof running?

Story: Dave Essinger

RUNNING RAISES YOUR METABOLISM. After any brisk workout, energy levels remain elevated. Some experts think a morning workout especially boosts the metabolism, but whenever the time is right for you, you can count on feeling a little more awake and focused after a short run.

RUNNING IS GREAT FOR BRAIN HEALTH. Recent research suggests distance running particularly increases release of brainderived neurotrophic factor. BDNF enhances neurogenesis, the process by which your brain generates new neurons. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the latest science shows your brain can and does create new cells—and running helps it do that.

RUNNING MAKES YOU BETTER AT RUNNING. Your body responds to repeated exercise by getting better at that exercise, with the effect that, the more you run, the easier it gets. Psychologically, we love achieving a difficult goal, whether it’s qualifying for the Boston Marathon or finishing your local 5K. Structured training delivers a reliable return, and how often in the rest of life can we expect that kind of guaranteed result?

BECAUSE IT’S HARD. Maybe it’s raining or it’s 90 degrees or there’s horizontal sleet. Or maybe you’re just simply not feeling like it, but if you lace up your shoes and go for that run anyway, and that’s the hardest part of your day, it’s got to make everything else feel a little bit easier! The hard days prove you can do it, which helps with any task or difficulty. Both stubbornness and patience are cultivated qualities.

GETTING OUTSIDE IS GOOD FOR YOU. Being in nature has measurable beneficial effects. According to contemporary Japanese preventive medicine, shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing”—spending mindful time in natural surroundings—lowers blood pressure and bolsters the immune system. Even in major metropolitan areas, there’s usually a park or trail nearby, and a dose of natural scenery can make any run or any day a little bit better.

RUNNERS ARE FUN PEOPLE. Look for local running clubs. Most are very open to beginners, and group runs can help with motivation and accountability. Also, running clubs are social groups—stick around after the run. Runner’s high is a real thing, at least if you ask a runner after his or her run. Here’s one time you can invariably expect a group of people all in a good mood, and your local running scene is one of the more positive communities to be found.

You can’t always win at life, just like you won’t win every race you may run. Every day, though, millions of people lace up and go for a run anyway, for the reasons listed above or for their own reasons. What are some of yours?

ABOUT THE WRITER → competitive ultramarathons. He likes the second part better. His new novel, “Running Out,” about an elite endurance athlete who survives a plane crash in remote northern Quebec, is available from Main Street Rag Publishing Co. See more at dave-essinger.com.

Brain food

Will Nitze is the founder of IQ Bar, a company dedicated to providing a healthy snack to help you overcome that 3pm slump. A Harvard graduate, Will is fascinated with the human brain and developed his snack as an alternative to sugary treats and caffeine drinks. Helping him were nutrition experts Dr. David Perlmutte and Dr. Mark Hyman. The result was IQ Bar, which was tested by the Healthy Living staff and declared delicious and helpful. Check them out at eatiqbar.com and see for yourself!

↑ Find the IQ Bar at eatiqbar.com

8 ways to boost your brainpower

Improving your brain’s memory, ability, and cognitive function is always a great thing. Your mind is a muscle like every other part of your body and needs to be exercised regularly to stay in shape.

Story: Patrick W. Dunne

Working out your brain by doing various exercises is helpful in the long run. You’ll have less stress and reduce the risk of depression, insomnia, and other mental illness. Elderly citizens especially need to work out their minds to stave off conditions like dementia.

1. MEDITATION

↑ This practice has existed for thousands of years and has been performed by many East Asian religions such as Buddhism. The effects of meditation cannot reduce stress and increase cognitive function. Furthermore, a study by the Department of Neurology at the University of California at Los Angeles tested 50 meditators against 50 non-meditators to compare brain scans over time. After eight weeks, the meditators’ brains kept the same mass while the non-mediators’ brains slowly withered.

2. SLEEP

↑ Getting a good night’s rest is always important. Adults need about seven hours of rest each night. Sleeping improves your brain by getting rid of the toxins and regenerating cells. It boosts memory, mood, cognitive functions, and productivity in general.

3. READ

← In the age of computers, internet, smartphones, television, video games, and social media, reading seems like a thing of the past. However, it’s not. Reading reduces stress, a major brain killer. Reading also improves analytical thinking and creativity. What you read makes a huge impact. For example, author Tom Corley documented in his book “Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals” that most successful people spend at least half an hour a day reading self-improvement books to advance their career.

4. DIET

→ Do you remember when your mom made you eat that gross broccoli before you got dessert? These acts of love mean you appreciate how great fruits and vegetables are for you. Diet affects mood, brain, and body. Eating fruits, vegetables, certain meats, and vitamins may mean you’re more energized, motivated, and positive.

If you’re reluctant to touch apples, blueberries, and other fruits, try making a smoothie. Simply pick a few different fruits, throw them in a blender, and drink your newly created masterpiece.

EXERCISE

↑ Working out with a good diet means a healthy lifestyle. It turns out circulates and stimulates the brain by providing the oxygen it needs to function.

5. SOCIALIZE

↑ Studies note that people with close relationships are 24 percent more likely to retain brain power later in life. Similarly, socio-economist Randall Bell found people who frequently dine with family are 41 percent more likely to be happy and 43 percent more apt to make at least $100,000 annually. Network, volunteer, or just call friends every once in a while. Humans have a fundamental need to connect with one another.

↓ Always include omega-3 fatty acids salmon and tuna, omega-3s make up material. These fatty acids are also found in your neurons, and people

Your body, unfortunately, doesn’t produce omega-3s naturally, so you other brain food to get it into your system. You can also buy omega-3 pills at local nutrition stores and take a tablet a day. Your brain will thank you.

GAMES

↑ Play games to stimulate your brain. Games like Sudoku and crossword puzzles help your brain.

One great game is called “Brain Age” for the Nintendo DS. This handy game has you perform all sorts of cognitive and memory exercises. It then gives you your “brain age,” which tells you how old your brain is. The lower your score,

CONCLUSION

You don’t need to learn rocket science or solve complex math equations to keep your brain going. A few simple daily tasks such as reading a book or going for a jog can greatly improve your cognitive power. It’s the small everyday choices that lead to bigger results.

8.

7. OMEGA-3S

6.

Happiness, memories, and self-talk

Happiness is not dependent on what’s happening around you; it comes from within.

Story: J L Thompson

Happiness depends on many things out of your control. Your work life, your love life, and even the fortunes of your favorite sports team affect your mood. None of these is under your control. Compared to such things, it may appear not to matter what you say to yourself inside your head, and it shouldn’t affect your happiness. However, what your internal voice says, or your self-talk, is a critical part of being a happy person.

SELF-TALK AND THE SUBCONSCIOUS

Whatever you say inside your head consistently, or with feeling, your subconscious mind always takes as truth. It doesn’t think rationally about it because that is not something the subconscious mind does. It just stores the thoughts in memory as facts. Because of this, the things you frequently and consistently think about often become true so you behave as if the things you say to yourself are true.

As Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, said, “Thought is action being rehearsed.”

CHANGING YOUR SELF-TALK

do better. And after all, nobody is perfect.” In time, the new thinking will become a habit.

As you start seeing results, increase efforts until it becomes habitual to change negative internal statements into positive ones. Talking to yourself internally in more positive ways will become a habit. Remember the Buddhist saying, “Everything we are is the result of everything we have ever thought.”

USING BETTER MEMORIES

Old feelings return to us whenever we remember past events. If somebody hurt or angered you, you probably replay it in your mind again and again. However, because the mind cannot distinguish between things that are imagined vividly and real experiences, this is accomplishing nothing but keeping wounds fresh and making them worse. Instead, when you are bothered by unpleasant memories, deliberately replace it with a happy memory. Once you have it, make the picture from

LET US MAKE YOUR SHOWER BEAUTIFUL AND SAFE.

Has your current shower seen better days? Have you been exploring the possibility of a shower replacement? If so, don’t put yourself through the hassle of hiring different tradesmen to complete such a project. The Floor Shoppe is your one-stop shop for your shower replacement. In fact, we can help you with everything from demolition, waterproofing, and ceramic tile installation to plumbing fixtures, grab bars, and frameless glass doors.

There’s even greater news! A typical job from start to finish can be completed in as little as five days. We pride ourselves on getting the job done right and on time no matter the size or configuration of your shower. Because we take a customer-oriented approach to all shower replacement projects, we feel it is important to listen to and address all your concerns and needs.

The Floor Shoppe has been the leader in quality flooring sales and installations for more than 35 years. We’ve also been working with The Villages new construction division for 25 years and recently completed our 10,000th home.

Please visit our inspirational showroom at 9815 U.S. Hwy. 301 in the Wildwood Oaks Business Center.

Quality and style in as little as five days.

Beat the stress

Studies show more than 70 percent of Americans are dealing with stress. Dr. Raj Gupta recommends these four tips to reduce that stress and feel better.

1. A brisk half-hour walk every day.

2. A chair-dip exercise to tone during computer work. Put two chairs facing each other three feet apart. Sit on the edge of one chair and grip the edge with your hands. Put your heels on the edge of the other chair, slide forward until elbows are 45-90 degrees and slowly push yourself back up.

3. Drink lots of water! Dehydration causes many stress-related problems.

4. Keep an attitude of gratitude. Be thankful for all you have and can do.

Dr. Gupta is a chiropractic physician and founder of the Soul Focus Wellness Center. Visit drrajgupta.com for more information.

The healing journey of a traumatized child

The subconscious often hides childhood trauma, but this woman found a way to reach it for healing.

Story: Monique Goulet

I grew up alongside five brothers, my mother, and an alcoholic father. When my father drank socially, his behavior was acceptable; however, he devolved into an aggressive and abusive parent after drinking too much. And with chronic use, he became an alcoholic. Unfortunately, my siblings, my mother, and I suffered the consequences of his addiction to alcohol by retaining negative thoughts and irrational beliefs and suppressing our emotions. The impact my past traumatic experiences had on my life wasn’t obvious to me until I married and had two children of my own.

Like early experiences with my father, my husband and I began having relationship problems related to our consumption of alcohol. We attended therapy sessions to learn more about habits and behaviors that lead to and facilitate alcoholism, and our therapist ultimately suggested my husband attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and that I attend Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA) group therapy. After just one meeting, my spouse denied his alcoholism, citing his thriving business and day-to-day functionality. Meanwhile, I continued to work with my ACOA group, where we discussed our

issues and learned positive thoughts, rational beliefs, and how to identify and express our emotions. We all supported each other in the healing process.

When our therapist invited us to attend a gestalt therapy group in Antigua, I readily accepted. While processing my grief over the deaths of multiple family members—one by hanging himself, another with poison, another in a car accident, another after years of abusing alcohol— the repressed memory of my mother’s attempt to drown me and my siblings surfaced. The group’s attending therapists met me with compassion and encouraged me to scream away my anger, holding me while I sobbed away my grief. As I shared the story of this trauma, feelings of fear, abandonment, anger, and depression resurfaced. I discovered the traumas I experienced throughout my life were the core issues preventing wellness of my body, mind, and spirit.

I never felt I belonged in my family, so I embarked on a spiritual journey to discover my authentic self. Throughout my life, one of

my greatest survival skills was my continual faith in my creator, whom I prayed to often. I participated in yoga, spiritual weekend workshops, and meditation, and I read more than 50 self-help books. My bible for healing became Louise Hay’s book, “You Can Heal Your Life,” which I continue to refer to whenever I need direction. During my healing process, I became a registered nurse, addiction counselor, certified holistic nurse, Reiki master, and shaman.

One day, while delivering an energy healing to one of my clients, a powerful surge of energy vibrated through my body. It scared me at first, but I learned to listen to my inner voice that told

me I had transcended my inner energy in connecting directly to my creator. This was what I was searching for in my life. Since then, I have been guided by my creator in everything I do.

At 68 years old, I noticed a healthy change in my body, mind, and spirit. I was encouraged to write a book about the trauma of my childhood life and the healing process I went through. Twelve cathartic years later, at age 80, I completed “Creating a Wholesome Human Being,” bringing the pain, joy, love, and loss I had experienced all my life full circle. Through my story, I hope to help others understand the emotional, physical, and spiritual impact of traumatic experiences and share how I healed and changed my own life for the better.

↑ Find Monique Goulet's book at amazon.com

ABOUT THE WRITER → Monique Goulet is a registered nurse specializing in addiction and mental health issues, a shaman healer, and a Reiki master. In her free time, Monique enjoys traveling, yoga, walking, swimming, To learn more, visit claudettebetty.com.

‘‘

I never felt I belonged in my family, so I embarked on a spiritual journey to discover my authentic self.

—Monique Goulet

steps to healthy habit creation

Making new changes in habits may not be easy, but it can be done.

Story: Bridget Webber

As people seek to improve their lives, they adopt new habits. Carrying out unfamiliar behavior, however, can be difficult because ingrained patterns already exist and get in the way. To change unwanted routines and replace them with healthier alternatives takes stamina. Habit creation will be less taxing, though, if you note the three following steps.

EASE

People often struggle to carry out desired behaviors when hampered by setbacks, so before you include a new habit in your routine, consider the obstacles in your path. For example, if you want to work out but you use a fitness center miles from home, you might not have the time or inclination to support your plan.

Can you see yourself carrying out the habit without encountering stumbling blocks?

Recognize potential barriers and clear the way. Select a gym close to where you live, or do whatever it takes to undertake habit creation with ease. Once no obstructions exist, sticking to your goal won’t be such a challenge.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Studies show people are likely to form healthy habits when they are accountable for their actions. If someone expects

you to persist with new behavior, and questions you when you don’t, you’ll be obliged to exert effort and succeed.

Tell people close to you about the practice you want to build and update them on your progress each week. If the urge to drop the new behavior arises, you will feel dutybound to persist rather than discontinue.

INCENTIVE

Most people perceive the long-term rewards stemming from new habits. If they wish to lose weight, they know eating low-fat foods will pay off. Still, the promise of a distant reward doesn’t always spur them on, and they need short-term benefits as incentives.

In the same way, you might enjoy rewarding yourself for carrying out your new habit in the first stages of development. Think about the best incentive to encourage you to forge ahead. A day out, country walk, or small luxury could work as a reward for sticking to plans.

The benefits to be gained from a healthy habit may seem too far out of reach to inspire you to succeed. However, aim to increase your motivation with treats as your practice develops, and you stand a good chance of meeting your goal. Also, ensure you’re accountable and that engaging in the desired behavior is easy. As a result, you’ll see your project through to a rewarding conclusion.

So much more than assisted living!

Worry wart

Top 10 major concerns of Americans for the next six months

1. The economy

2. Health

3. Job security

4. Work/life balance

5. Terrorism

6. Parents’ welfare and happiness

7. Children’s education

8. Increasing food prices

9. Political stability

10. Increasing utility bills

Your financial New Year’s resolution: Be mindful of every spending decision

You may know that meditation and mindfulness can help improve life in some ways—help with depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and much

are beginning to push a new application for the mindful thought process: spending habits.

Provided by: Constant Content

While there is no one way to define mindfulness, an accessible definition is to describe it as taking wayward, self-directed attention, and directing it in a conscious, intentional, and useful way.

To learn to spend mindfully, establish rules for how you will spend your money and begin consciously applying them to purchase decisions. It isn’t hard to learn to do this.

GO OVER YOUR SPENDING HABITS

The first thing you need to do is to perform an audit of all your spending to gain an understanding of the kind of spending you do now. You need to give your mind training wheels over the first month—spend with cash, rather than with plastic of any kind. Counting out those bills each time you buy something helps you become aware of the unpleasantness of having money leave your pocket. The feeling helps you learn to be conscious of every penny you spend, and makes you think about it.

In general, as you train yourself to be more mindful of your spending, it’s important you do everything you can to stay on course. Experts recommend certain techniques often used in cognitive-behavioral therapy in addiction rehab. It isn’t a long

oblique connection, either—spending does give your brain a shot of serotonin and often becomes addictive. It’s important to avoid shopping triggers. Remove all shopping apps from your phone, and don’t go anywhere near your favorite stores, even if it means taking a roundabout route to wherever you go. Don’t tempt yourself. Whenever possible, wait at least a week before making an elective purchase.

your retirement, a vacation, and so on.

Each month you manage to spend mindfully and save money, you can put it toward one of these goals, and write down the amount added in these notes. As you see those figures swell, you won’t be able to help but swell with pride as well.

influences parts of the brain that control habit, attention, and emotion. Meditation builds self-control in these areas.

HELP YOURSELF REMEMBER

It’s easy to start your mindfulness campaign with a bang, but forget all about it in a couple of days. Be sure you don’t do this; put up a prominent and attractive reminder on your refrigerator. It also helps to put up notes to remind you what what you’re saving for in the first place—a kid’s college fund,

It’s important to remember a change of habit is always glacial; the brain is designed to go slowly with change. It may take months for your mindful spending habit to become natural and painless. It will come, however. Even if it hurts today, even if it’s boring, all you need to do is stay with it.

SPEND ON THINGS THAT COUNT

INVEST IN REGULAR MINDFULNESS TRAINING

It doesn’t matter if you manage only five minutes of meditation a day. The deep, focused breathing done in meditation positively

Look through the things you’ve purchased during the past few months, and write down the ones you regretted later. Each time you plan to make a similar purchase in the future, think about how you felt with such a purchase the last time you made it. You also can try this exercise with every new purchase. Keep a diary of feelings you have when you make each purchase, and how those feelings change a day, a week, or a month afterward. The next time you want to buy clothes because you believe they’ll make you feel good, it’ll be hard for you to forget how these feelings never actually happened.

DAVE SAYS

Budgets are essential, but are warranties?

MARRIED OR SINGLE, BUDGETING IS THE KEY

Dear Dave, Do you have any tips for how single people can stay on track with

—Deb

Dear Deb,

The first thing I’d suggest is the same advice I give to married couples, and that is to spend less than you make, and live on a written, monthly budget. Sit down at the end of each month and write down—on paper—all your expenses and income for the upcoming month. Give every dollar a job, then spend everything on paper before the month begins. When you think about it, budgeting isn’t that difficult. All it takes is a little time and a few basic math skills. Some expenses,

like your mortgage payment or rent, will be the same. If you have a car payment, it should remain constant, as well. Things like utilities and groceries may fluctuate a little based on the time of year, but you can formulate pretty accurate estimates by looking at past months.

Another thing I would recommend is finding a mature, trustworthy friend or family member to act as an accountability partner. This person should also be good with money, and your relationship should be strong enough that they’re not afraid to

call you out if you start behaving irresponsibly with your cash.

Sit down, just the two of you, once a month and talk about your finances. You can even go over your income and budget line by line if it helps. The point in this scenario is to get support from someone who cares about you, and is willing to be there—and help hold you accountable—for the financial decisions you’re making.

—Dave

ABOUT THE

Dear Dave, What is your opinion of used car warranties?

—Anonymous

Dear Anonymous, I’m not a fan of extended warranties in general, and I especially dislike used car warranties. In my mind, they’re bad because they’re expensive and—on average—of little benefit to the buyer.

Did you know, in many cases, only about 12 percent of what you pay for used car warranties goes to cover the cost of repairs? That means around 88 percent goes toward profit, overhead, and commissions. In fact, some used car dealers make more money from the sale of extended warranties than they do on the sale of actual cars.

The best way to cover yourself is to buy smart and self-insure. Save up an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses, and stay away from stuff like used car warranties!

—Dave

WRITER → Dave Ramsey is CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored seven best-selling books, including "The Total Money Makeover." "The Dave Ramsey Show" is heard by more than 13 million listeners each week on 585 radio stations and multiple digital platforms. Follow Dave on the web at daveramsey.com and on Twitter at @DaveRamsey.

RAYMOND JAMES

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Understanding Venous Reflux Disease

Healthy leg veins contain valves that open and close to assist the return of blood back to the heart. Venous reflux disease develops when the valves that keep blood flowing out of the legs and back to the heart become damaged or diseased. As a result, vein valves will not close properly, leading to symptoms of:

Varicose veins // Leg heaviness and fatigue

Pain // Swollen limbs // Skin changes // Skin ulcers

Using ultrasound to scan your leg(s), your physician will determine if superficial venous reflux is present. Treatment is outpatient procedure performed in the office. Relief of symptoms within 2 days and the average patient usually resumes normal activities within a few days.

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REPETITIVE STRESS CONDITIONS: HAND AND UPPER EXTREMITY

By: Adrienne Driggers Riveros, MOTR/L

Every year, many people suffer from repetitive stress conditions and are unaware of the simple strategies that may help manage or alleviate their symptoms. This article will describe some of the most common repetitive stress conditions, explain the basic anatomy and give pointers on how to effectively manage these conditions.

What is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow refers to a condition near the outside of the elbow where the symptoms include pain,

The condition typically occurs when the forearm extensor muscles are used repetitively. Over time, this can cause small tears to develop in the tendon that attaches these muscles to the bone at the outside of the elbow. Some common activities with repetitive wrist motion that can cause tennis elbow include:

• Playing tennis

• Prolonged use of a screwdriver, hammer, pliers, wire strippers or other tools

• Painting

The most common treatment option is to stop or decrease the repetitive stress as much as possible. Icing

get better or worsens, a visit to the physician may be necessary. They may choose to administer an injection or may send you to therapy. Among other things, therapy may include a wrist support splint to limit the strain on the forearm muscles, education on a counterforce band or Tendon Trak (takes the load off of the irritated tissue), stretches andrange-of-motion exercises and/or Iontophoresis (medicated patches).

It is very important to note that, even after a person is feeling better, it is still necessary to ice and stretch for a length of time to prevent the condition from returning.

TIP: If you are a tennis player, make sure you have the right size racquet. A racquet that is too big can put unnecessary strain on your extensor muscles. Adjust your string tension to a lower level, as strings that are too tight can increase the amount of strain in the arm.

is CTS?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common nerve compression of the upper extremity. It is typically characterized by pain, tingling and

Among other things, it can be caused by:

• Repetitive stress (i.e. assembly line work)

• Swelling in the area of the carpal tunnel (i.e. pregnancy)

• Ganglion cyst

• Direct trauma to the carpal canal i.e. falling on an outstretched wrist; hitting wrenches with the heel of the hand)

• Prolonged hyperextended or wrist (i.e. sleeping with wrist(s) in awkward positions)

The carpal tunnel refers to a canal located at the base of the hand. It is bound on three sides by the carpal

bones. The transverse carpal ligament covers the canal and can be thought of as the “roof” of the carpal tunnel.

thumb pass through the carpal tunnel, in addition to the median nerve. The median nerve gives sensation to the thumb, index, middle and half of the

cyst, an injury to this area, etc., may cause pressure on the nerve. If this occurs, some common symptoms are numbness, tingling, pain and/ or muscle weakness. You may also

as this motor action is controlled by the median nerve.

Common treatments of CTS include decreasing repetitive stress, splinting with a wrist support at night, rangeof-motion/nerve gliding exercises, (NSAIDS), a cortisone injection administered by a physician and surgery for severe cases.

TIP: Many people in manual labor jobs tend to use the heel of their hand like a hammer. Instead of hitting wrenches, handles, boards, etc. with your hand, try to use a different tool in place of your hand.

From an acute onset of tennis elbow to a gradual onset Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, the functional impact of repetitive stress conditions can be debilitating. Please note that the information presented in this article is only a basic guideline. If you are having symptoms that do not subside with common treatments or the symptoms get worse, it may be necessary to consult your physician. Among other things, your physician

your needs.

Adrienne Riveros is a licensed Occupational Therapist. She earned her Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Florida. Although Adrienne went into hand therapy after graduation, she originally went to Occupational Therapy school in order to work with children with autism. She is an active member of The American Occupational Therapy Association and enjoys writing, painting, photography and horseback riding.

Better Movement. Better Moments.

Movement is meant to be pain free and moments have the power to shape our lives. Injury and pain can make it feel like your life has been put on pause. At The Orthopaedic Institute, our goal is to take exceptional care of you. From diagnosis to recovery, we can help you press play again. Our highly trained specialists understand that better movement leads to better moments.

New year, new resolutions

A foolproof way to achieve new year’s resolutions.

Story: James Combs

It’s a new year. That can only mean one thing: You’ve made lofty resolutions to transform into a better and healthier you. Thing is, once the dust has settled from the holidays and life is back to normal, you’ll likely have abandoned those resolutions by Feb. 1. Your goals are unattainable because you set the bar too high. Fortunately, a little tweaking of your 2017 resolutions is a foolproof way to achieve resounding success in 2018. By aiming lower, you can still meet your goals without the torture of eating fat-free cottage cheese or throwing away a new bottle of liquor.

QUIT LETTING LITTLE THINGS STRESS ME. DRINK STRONGER ALCOHOL. GET OUT OF DEBT LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS, EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO BORROW MONEY FROM A FRIEND TO DO SO. SPEND LESS TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA. SPEND LESS TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAN DONALD TRUMP. RUN A HALF-MARATHON. WATCH AN ALL-DAY TELEVISION MARATHON OF YOUR FAVORITE SITCOM.

DO SOMETHING FOR CHARITY. BUY YOURSELF A NEW TELEVISION SET. AFTER ALL, CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME.

LOSE WEIGHT. DONATE YOUR BATHROOM SCALE TO CHARITY .

START SPENDING MORE QUALITY TIME WITH FAMILY. SCROLL THROUGH THEIR FACEBOOK PAGES WHEN YOU HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO.

EAT HEALTHIER QUIT POLLUTING THE ENVIRONMENT BY THROWING BUTTERFINGER WRAPPERS OUT THE CAR WINDOW. GET MORE SLEEP. DRINK STRONGER ALCOHOL.

DO MORE TRAVELING READ ARTICLES ABOUT HAWAII’S GLEAMING WHITE-SAND BEACHES AND FORGET THE FACT THAT YOU’RE TOO POOR TO VISIT.

PURCHASE NICOTINE GUM TO STOP SMOKING CIGARETTES PURCHASE A MARIJUANA VAPORIZER TO STOP SMOKING CIGARETTES. GO TO THE GYM EVERY DAY FOR A GOOD WORKOUT. ATTEND ONE CATHOLIC MASS EACH MONTH. YOU’LL GET THE ULTIMATE WORKOUT FROM REPETITIOUS MOVEMENTS:STANDING, SITTING, KNEELING, BOWING YOUR HEAD, STANDING, SITTING, KNEELING… TRY SOMETHING ADVENTUROUS LIKE MOUNTAIN CLIMBING WATCH A DOCUMENTARY ON FAILED MOUNT EVEREST CLIMBING EXPEDITIONS.

HAVE A BABY. DRINK STRONGER ALCOHOL.

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Life sounds sweeter when your heart’s in the right place.

Expertise. Just one of the many reasons more Lake County residents trust Florida Hospital Waterman for their emergency care. Matched with equal doses of experience, compassion and concern, our team is committed to providing quality care to each and every patient. Home to Lake County’s only hospital in the region to earn an A-rating we’re ready to care for you and your family when you need it most. Learn more about our commitment to building a healthier Lake County at FHWatermanER.com