Healthy Living October 2017

PAGING DOCTOR GOOGLE

Seeking accurate health information?

LAKE, WE’VE GOT YOUR NUMBER

A numerical snapshot of the county’s health

DEADLY PROTEIN

Testing for a fatal disorder

THE SKINNY ON

Tipping the scales toward a healthier weight

The BEST protection is EARLY detection.

Finding breast cancer early and getting state-of-the-art cancer treatment are the most important strategies to prevent deaths from breast cancer. Breast cancer that’s found early, when it’s small and has not spread, is easier to treat successfully. Getting regular screening tests is the most reliable way to find breast cancer early.

The American Cancer Society recommends that women between 40 and 44 have the option to start screening with a mammogram every year and women 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year.

www.LeesburgRegional.org

Local residents experiencing vein disease need not worry. The team at Cardiovascular Associates of Lake County possesses the necessary credentials, experience and background to provide top-notch, comprehensive care.

“We have a team of invasive cardiologists who are used to treating heart problems and peripheral artery disease,” says Dr. J. Henry Lesmes, a cardiologist in Lake County for 22 years. “Treating veins is a continuation of our skills we’ve developed in residency and throughout our careers.”

The team conducts a thorough medical history and performs ultrasound to rule out other problems, such as osteoarthritis or neuropathy. Conservative treatments like making lifestyle changes or wearing compression stockings are the first line of treatment.

If symptoms persist, the team at Cardiovascular Associates of Lake County can utilize an in-office procedure called radiofrequency ablation. During this non-surgical, outpatient procedure, a thin catheter is carefully inserted into the diseased vein. Then, radiofrequency energy is applied to help seal the vein.

As one of the oldest and most experienced private cardiology practices in Central Florida, at Cardiovascular Associates of Lake County, we are dedicated to bringing innovation in cardiovascular care to our patients.

Since 1992, we are your partners for life

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

Vaginal dryness putting

34 // WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION?

When it comes to our health, we have many unanswered questions. Are supplements safe? Who’s the best surgeon in the area? Is walking more beneficial than running? We explore many avenues to have these questions answered—our

October 2017

health care provider, our family and friends, advertisements, and even the internet. Find out the pros and cons to each of these sources.

38 // WHEN EATING PROTEIN BECOMES DEADLY

Fitness fanatics, crash-dieters may want to test for urea cycle disorder.

41 // PROMOTIONAL FEATURE: ASK THE EXPERT

Everyone is encouraged to go to the doctor with questions in order to come away fully knowledgeable about what’s wrong.

HEALTHY

HEALTHY

‘THOU

HOT OFF THE PRESS !

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Order a subscription of your favorite magazine to be delivered directly to your home for just $72. Each subscription includes 12 consecutive issues of Lake & Sumter Style, Village Style or Healthy Living. Choose 2 or more magazines for $85 per year. To order, call 352.787.4112 or mail us at: Subscriptions at Akers Media, P.O. Box 490088, Leesburg, FL 34749.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: If you are a seasonal resident or have moved, send your address change request to general@ akersmediagroup.com or mail us at: Subscriptions at Akers Media, P.O. Box 490088, Leesburg, FL 34749.

BACK ISSUES: Order a single issue by mail for $7, or 2 or more single issues for $9. To pick up a back issue from our office, please call 24 hours in advance.

DOUG AKERS / president doug@akersmediagroup.com

KENDRA AKERS / publisher/editor-in-chief kendra@akersmediagroup.com

JAMIE EZRA MARK / chief creative officer jamie@akersmediagroup.com

EDITORIAL // DESIGN // PHOTOGRAPHY

LEIGH NEELY managing editor leigh@akersmediagroup.com

JAMES COMBS staff writer james@akersmediagroup.com

THERESA CAMPBELL staff writer theresa@akersmediagroup.com

CHRIS GERBASI staff writer chris@akersmediagroup.com

FAT OR (PHAT) AMERICA

JASON FUGATE creative director jason@akersmediagroup.com

VOLKAN ULGEN art director volkan@akersmediagroup.com

JOSH CLARK senior designer josh@akersmediagroup.com

MICHAEL GAULIN production director michael@akersmediagroup.com

FRED LOPEZ chief photographer // fred@akersmediagroup.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

FRED HILTON, RICHARD T. BOSSHARDT M.D., JAIME ALONSO, JOY STEPHENSON-LAWS J.D., FRANZ GLIEDERER M.D. M.P.H., B.E. CONRAD, EVAN CROSBY, SERGE MAZERAND, WARREN DAVIES, NEWS AND EXPERTS

SALES // MARKETING

TIM MCRAE / vice president of sales tim@akersmediagroup.com

MIKE STEGALL advertising executive mike@akersmediagroup.com

TATIANNA GELIGA advertising executive tatianna@akersmediagroup.com

My son Matthew recently returned home after a yearlong tour in Australia. It was interesting to talk to him about the differences between our country and theirs. As we were talking while driving in the car, we noticed an overweight woman walking down the street. Matthew says out loud, “Welcome back to fat America.” Of course, that piqued my interest, so I asked him what he meant by that.

Matthew proceeded to explain to me that America is considered by other countries to be a “fat” country. I was astonished. Sure, I know that obesity has become an issue over the years, but I did not realize that it was isolated to America.

That made me start to wonder how Lake County stacks up among other areas, so I did a little research—which also led to us producing this month’s issue. It turns out that the number of obese Americans began rising steadily in the 1980s and ’90s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than one-third of all adults in the U.S. are overweight. That is a pretty scary statistic.

This month in Healthy Living, you will learn how to measure obesity, the health risks, and how to lose weight and maintain a healthy BMI, or body mass index. Also, you will see how this “fat” trend has contributed to the ever-increasing costs of medical care. The numbers are astonishing, and again, very scary.

It’s time for us to start paying attention to what we consume and when we consume it, and to find ways to get back to living healthy. With all the other scary diseases threatening us, we don’t need to add to the list, and we certainly don’t need to inflict these diseases on ourselves.

We need to be viewed by our neighbors as “phat” America (which means awesome) and not as “fat” America.

JACQUELYN SINGER advertising executive jacquelyn@akersmediagroup.com

CREE HOWARD sales executive assistant cree@akersmediagroup.com

ADMINISTRATION

DEB MATLOCK / office manager deb@akersmediagroup.com

AUBREY AKERS / advertising coordinator aubrey@akersmediagroup.com

DISTRIBUTION

SCOTT HEGG / distribution manager scott.hegg@akersmediagroup.com

DIGITAL SOCIAL MEDIA

GARRETT REARDON / digital specialist garrett@akersmediagroup.com

Until next month, Kendra Akers

34749 akersmediagroup.com

BE A VOLUNTEER!

Since 1963, volunteers have served at Leesburg Regional Medical Center (LRMC), providing more than 3 million hours of service. These special helpers, who are dedicated to serving in any way they can, have a crucial impact on patients and the entire hospital.

“Most volunteers say there is nothing better than knowing they have helped someone in need,” says Jennifer Woods, volunteer coordinator at LRMC. “It doesn’t matter if a volunteer commits to an hour or four hours; it makes a difference to the ones who are being helped.”

LRMC needs more volunteers to join its auxiliary now. Not only is this a great way for volunteers to meet new people and establish lasting friendships, they can also learn new skills. There is an immediate need for help at the front lobby information desks, in the gift shop, as a courtesy shuttle driver, in the emergency room, the thrift shop, as patient representatives, and more.

Volunteers should be friendly, personable, and at-ease interacting with the public. For additional information, stop by the West Lobby of LRMC at 600 E. Dixie Ave. in Leesburg or contact the volunteer coordinator at 352.323.5062 or email jwoods@centflhealth.org.

NEW PRESIDENT OF MEDICAL BOARD

Dr. Wendy Lavezzi is the new president of the Lake-Sumter Medical Society Board of Governors. A member of the board since 2009, she served as treasurer during much of that time. She is a forensic pathologist and works with the District 5 Medical Examiner’s Office as deputy chief medical examiner. District 5 includes Lake, Sumter, Marion, Citrus, and Hernando counties. Her primary focus with the medical society will be to increase membership, update the group’s website, offer continuing medical education online, and address physician burnout. The Lake-Sumter Medical Society comprises doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathic medicine located within the two counties and provides support and services for membership.

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

The “fat shaming” that doctors do when patients are in for a visit can be not only mentally harmful but also physically harmful, says a recent report from Science News. The American Psychological Association (APA) says such actions amount to medical discrimination based on a person’s size, and they take a toll on a person’s health and well-being. The APA encouraged medical professionals to be aware of avoiding recommending tests and blood work by thinking the patient’s problem is all fat. One study of autopsies found obese patients were more likely to have undiagnosed medical conditions or they may not have been administered an appropriate dose of a drug needed for better health.

ELECTRONIC HEALTH CARE

Adventist Health System, which includes Florida Hospital Waterman in Tavares, recently announced receiving “Health Care’s Most Wired Winner 2017.” Results were based on the Health Care’s Most Wired survey, conducted by Hospitals & Health Networks and the American Hospital Association’s Health Forum, according to a press release.

“The commitment our organization has made to leveraging IT solutions and innovation provides us with the technology resources needed to deliver exceptional care and quality to patients as we carry out the mission of extending the healing ministry of Christ in our community,” says Vicky Pyle, information services director for Florida Hospital Waterman.

According to the survey, Most Wired hospitals use smartphones, telehealth, and remote monitoring to help store health information and provide patients greater access to health care services. In addition, care is enhanced with information gained from data and analytics.

A HEATHY U-TURN

British author Tim Weiss lost 140 pounds in a year and has written a book to help others do the same. He weighed 300 pounds and literally awoke one day with the thought that he needed to change his life. In “I Lost 140 Pounds in a Year,” he shares everything he did on his amazing journey to better health. The single dad of two girls is considered a man of determination. He took that determination and made it work for him. His book offers tips, recipes, and hard truths about losing weight and keep it off.

THE GAIN FROM A BIG LOSS

Being overweight was always an issue for Caiti Smith until she found the right place for the help she needed.

WRITER: LEIGH NEELY PHOTO: FRED LOPEZ

When you meet Caiti Smith, you see a vibrant, healthy young woman with a glow about her. It’s obvious she loves life, loves the work she does, and has a deep-seated joy. However, it took Caiti a while to get to the place where she is now, and she readily shares her

“My whole life I battled my weight

Though she was active in high school, she was still overweight. Nothing seemed to make a difference in her size.

Finally, she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS. It’s an autoimmune disease that often starts slowly in early teens when

Symptoms become more noticeable after weight gain. They can include hair loss, acne and oily skin, insulin resistance, and fertility problems.

Once she was diagnosed, Caiti said she felt free to blame her weight on PCOS. Gradually, she gained another 60 pounds. “It was an excuse to let

In April 2016, after seeing a photo of herself, she decided it was time to

“I decided that wasn’t how I wanted

She began working out and eating somewhat healthier and lost 20

because her “healthy” choices weren’t all that healthy, and she thought she could burn calories with her workout to counteract their effect.

“Aubrey Akers and I are good friends, and she suggested I go see her mom at Total Nutrition & Therapeutics (TNT), nally got the help I

She began seeing Lori Esarey in December 2016 and since then, Caiti has lost 85 pounds and 10 percent

of her body fat. At the time, she was working in an insurance office while getting a bachelor’s degree in organizational management. In January, she joined the TNT team and it was life-changing for her.

“I think it changed my outlook on my self-image and how I see other people,” Caiti says. “My husband and I have always wanted children, and I wanted to be sure I was setting an example for them.”

Caiti says it’s God’s plan and God’s timing, so she can wait. Meanwhile, she’s helping other people every day because she knows what they’re experiencing as they make their own lifestyle changes.

ADVANCED ROBOTIC SURGERY FREE HERNIA SCREENING

The surgeons are joining with Orlando Health South Lake Hospital for free hernia screenings.

Monday, November 6th

National Training Center in Clermont at 5:30 PM.

If you feel you may have a hernia or not sure, this screening could benefit you.

RSVP to 352.241.7109 no later than Friday, November 3rd

Space is limited so make your appointment today.

Patient Benefits

Robotic – assisted surgery is minimally invasive surgery that allows our specially trained surgeons to use the da Vinci Surgical System to perform a wide range of delicate and complex procedures through a few small incisions. Benefits of robotic-assisted surgery vs. open surgery include:

• A shorter hospital stay

• Less blood loss

• Fewer complications

• Less need for narcotic pain medicine

• A faster recovery

• Smaller incisions associated with minimal scarring.

Our surgeons are all Board Certified. Dr. Johnson and Dr. Florin also serve as trainers and mentors to other physicians seeking to learn robotic surgery.

JASON BOARDMAN M.D., F.A.C.S.

JORGE FLORIN M.D., F.A.C.S.

CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON D.O.,F.A.C.O.S.

JOSEPH M. ARMOTRADING II M.D.,F.A.C.S

Medical Mysteries

WANT TO BE A ROCKET SCIENTIST? EAT FISH!

WRITER: FRED HILTON

You can’t figure out your income tax. You haven’t gotten the “Final Jeopardy” answer right in three months. And you have to get the 10-year-old kid next door to show you how to use your computer.

Obviously, the problem is that you have a serious shortage of smarts. But never fear, researchers have given us hope that there might be a simple—and tasty—way to get smarter. Just chow down on a nice piece of broiled salmon. Or enjoy a tuna fish sandwich. Or some nice baked cod. In fact, any kind of fish is supposed to help you get smarter—as long as you don’t fry it. Forget about those fish sticks.

The New York Times writes “researchers found that weekly consumption of baked or broiled fish—but not fried fish—was associated with larger gray matter volumes in areas of the brain responsible for memory and cognition.” The lead author of the study, Dr. Cyrus A. Raji, a radiology resident at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, says, “eating fish once a week—there was no additional benefit in eating more—and living a generally healthy lifestyle were enough.”

The Daily Mail cites research that shows people who eat a diet including fish have larger brain volumes. “Our study shows that people who ate a diet that included baked or broiled (grilled), but not fried, fish have larger brain volumes in regions associated with memory and cognition,” says Dr. James Becker, professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Fish may be a “brain food” because of the natural pigment in salmon, shrimp, and crab called astaxanthin, or ASX, which has been shown to boost memory and mental sharpness.

Researchers from Japan’s University of Tsukuba found that ASX is a strong antioxidant that improves both learning and memory. Lead researchers Hideaki Soya and Randeep Rakwal say ASX is a potent “brain food” that holds great promise as a food supplement.

Eat your fish and you might not have to ask that snotty little child for help with your computer.

But there’s even better news! My favorite invention of all time, the Bass-O-Matic, might now go into mass production and we all can enjoy a glass of bass.

If you aren’t a “Saturday Night Live” fan and familiar with the Bass-O-Matic, you need to find the skit on the internet. It’s worth your time.

Sources

“Fish as Brain Food,” by Nicholas Bakalar, New York Times, Aug. 20, 2014. https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/20/ fish-as-brain-food/

“New Study Shows That Fish Really Is Brain Food,” by Steven Salzberg, Forbes magazine, Feb. 8, 2016. https://www. forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2016/02/08/new-study-shows-that-fish-really-is-brain-food/#4f5806ed5ee9

“Fish: The Ultimate Brain Food?” Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, Dublin, Ireland. http://www.bordbia.ie/consumer/ aboutfood/nutrition/fish/pages/ultimatebrainfood.aspx

“Fish really IS brain food: Eating ANY type once a week is good for your memory,” by Sarah Griffiths, Daily Mail, Aug. 5, 2014. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2716923/Fish-really-brain-food-Eating-fillet-week-aids-futurebrain-health-regardless-omega-3-content.html

“New Clues to Why Fish is ‘Brain Food’,” by Nick Tate, Newsmax, Feb. 25, 2016. http://www.newsmax.com/Health/ Health-News/fish-compound-brain-food/2016/02/25/id/716131/

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

352.753.2812

Dr. Michael Bond

Dr. William Steffes

Dr. Christine Moorhead

Scott Clark, PA-C

Nicole Hwa, PA-C

Anita Lockhart, Licensed Aesthetician

Dr. Michael Bond

Dr. Michael Burton

Al Sy, PA-C

Introducing Michael E. Burton, MD Cosmetic Surgery of the Body, Breasts and Face

In the hands of a highly-skilled surgeon, the enhancement of the human form becomes part medicine, part art.

While training with world-renowned leaders in the field of Plastic Surgery, Dr. Burton also pursued a degree in fine arts, with advanced courses in figure drawing, painting, and sculpture.

As an international volunteer with Operation Smile, his skill and commitment to compassionate care led him to help children with cleft lip and palate deformities lead better lives.

Now, he’s bringing his skills to our offices in The Villages® to help you look as young as you feel.

Brownwood Paddock Square™

OBES THE GONY OF

ITY

The number of obese Americans began rising steadily in the 1980s and ’90s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Right now, the CDC says the number of obese adults is 97 million, more than one-third of all adults in the United States. In addition, nearly 13 million children are obese, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

Obesity is based on body mass index, or BMI, but the definitions for youth and adults are not comparable. Health risk is the cut point for adults, while with children and youth, it is statistical and based on a comparison of the reference population. Researchers estimated that 67.6 million Americans over the age of 25 in 2012 had a BMI of more than 30, which is considered obese. That’s more than the estimated 65.2 million

Obesity is an epidemic, and for the people who fight it, it’s a huge battle.

WRITER: LEIGH NEELY

with BMIs of 25 to 29.9 who were considered overweight.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uses these guidelines for body mass index, which relates weight to height:

• If BMI is less than 18.5, you are underweight

• If BMI is 18.5 to <25, your weight is normal

• If BMI is 25.0 to <30, you are overweight

• If BMI is 30.0 or higher, you are obese

Obesity has three classes: 30 to <35; 35 to <40; 40 and higher, extreme obesity.

However, you can go to smartbmicalculator.com and get more specific results. This BMI program looks at age, height, and sex, adjusting especially for older persons. For example, slight to moderate overweight is 40/70-49/70, which is between 40-49 points out of 70.

Florida is No. 20 among the fattest states in the country, according to Trust for America’s Health, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group working to save lives by protecting the health of communities as well as making disease prevention a national priority.

As of September 2016, adult obesity rates exceeded 35 percent in four states. Louisiana has the highest rate at 36.2 percent, and Colorado the lowest with 20.2 percent.

The medical cost for this problem is estimated to be as high as $147 billion. To break it down to individuals, people who are obese spend $1,429 more on medical bills than those who are in the normal weight range.

The AHA says recent studies show most obese individuals have less ability or willpower to turn away from food cues. They react differently to smells and visual stimuli.

Watching a food commercial or having someone else in the room eat something triggers hunger cues for these people.

It has also been proved that when people with these issues try to eat less, their body’s appetite actually increases and they’re less satisfied with what they have eaten.

Dining out is an issue, too. The increased variety of good-tasting food readily available in large portions, and decreased physical movement, means weight gain. Studies have also shown that sleep patterns

A 10-YEAR LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF DIABETES DEATHS IN LAKE COUNTY

“I know I’m overweight because I weigh more than 200 pounds. My goal is to be under 200 pounds. I use a Google fitness app to track my daily steps, and I shoot for a minimum of 8,000 steps each day. I also use another app that allows me to log my food throughout the day. At the end of each day, I go back and review what I’ve eaten.”

—Lori Calitri, Leesburg

affect weight, as does stress. Even the temperature in your home or workplace may affect your body.

Dr. Christopher Calapai, a boardcertified osteopathic physician in family and anti-aging medicine, believes people are bombarded with ways to lose weight.

“People are dealing with dieting information overload,” Dr. Calapai says. “It is hard to know what is sound weight loss advice and what is myth.”

An estimated 45 million Americans go on a diet every year and spend $33 billion on weight-loss products, according to Dr. Calapai. “Yet, nearly two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese.

With all that money expended, why are so many people unable to lose weight?”

He believes much of it comes from taking these diet myths as absolute truths, even though they don’t work as promised:

• You can eat whatever you want if you work out.

• Organic food is diet food.

• You can lose 10 pounds in two weeks.

• Cleanses and detoxes are a good way to jump-start a diet.

• You can’t eat after 8pm.

• You must keep your blood sugar topped up, and eat little and often to achieve that.

• Wait until you’re hungry to eat.

Most physicians and health professionals agree that a lifestyle change is more important than dieting. Making that lifestyle change may also include behavioral changes, and remember, nothing happens quickly.

The AHA recommends these steps to gain control of eating habits: Keep a daily food diary—write down everything you eat.

Eat high-fiber foods that are more filling to be more satisfied at the end of a meal.

Remove temptation foods from the fridge and pantry so there’s no chance of giving in.

Avoid high-carbohydrate foods. Work on stress management. Make getting enough sleep a priority.

Move—you can go the gym or you can dance, play a sport, take the stairs, park farther away, walk more often, and get a friend to join you for accountability and fun. Just move.

Debbie Sander, of The Villages, knows about the battle of obesity. At 5 feet 3 inches tall and 162 pounds, she was constantly trying a new fad diet or advertised program to lose weight.

“I tried every program under the sun,” Debbie says. “My husband Scott and I have been married for 12 years. One day he said, ‘If I see one more stupid diet…you know what

LAKE’S OVERALL HEALTH RATING OUT OF 67 COUNTIES

“I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in June 2017, but the good news is that I have lost 15 pounds in the past year. So I am satisfied with my weight. I stopped eating sugar and eat more vegetables than I ever did. I also do lots of walking at home and try to get between 8,000 and 10,000 steps each day.”

—Jim Maddox, Leesburg

Source: flhealthcharts.com

you’re supposed to do, Debbie.’ Of course, I knew what I was supposed to do, but doing it was another thing.”

When a friend of Debbie’s made an appointment with Dr. Christopher Kessler at the Legacy Clinic in the Villages, Debbie asked to go along. The clinic’s weight-loss program includes herbal supplements and nutritional counseling to maintain a healthier lifestyle.

“I had stopped exercising. Being in real estate, I was always busy and had unplanned things pop up, so I’d just grab something to eat when I could,” Debbie says. “When I started talking with Chris, he asked me if I knew Scott Sander.”

Debbie was startled that the doctor knew her husband and, at first, asked him to say nothing to Scott. In the end, however, she decided to tell Scott herself about her new diet.

“I immediately found this was different. You’re never hungry because you’re eating 1,200 calories a day,” Debbie says. “There’s not a lot of exercise. If I walk 20 to 30 minutes a day, I feel great.”

What was different was the support and help of Dr. Kessler.

“He said just because you have one bad meal doesn’t mean you have to have three bad meals, and I believed him,” Debbie says. “It’s a way of life for me now. Where I never wore

dresses because I didn’t like how I looked in them, I wear them all the time now. I went from 162 to 119 (pounds) and a size 2. Believe me, it’s different when you know someone is there for you every step of the way like Chris is.”

Now Debbie packs a lunch and extra food for her busy day. “If I get really hungry, I can have protein, and that makes a difference for me. I can also have celery and carrots and stuff like that, but knowing I can have protein made a difference,” Debbie says.

Obesity continues to dominate health stories in the news, but, like smoking, consuming too much alcohol, and other bad habits, there are ways to help yourself. You just have to find the one that works for you.

The desire to be in good shape is one reason to exercise, but a recent Reportlinker survey on sports practice and health got these results:

• 77 percent of Americans say being in good shape and looking good is very important to them

• 42 percent believe they are overweight

• 37 percent believe they are in good shape

• 56 percent are concerned they are not muscular enough

• 75 percent admit to comparing how they look to others

83.277.5

THE PERCENTAGE OF LAKE COUNTY RESIDENTS WITH ADEQUATE ACCESS TO LOCATIONS FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.

LAKE’S MOST UTILIZED HOSPITALS

“I

If you enjoy walking, there are many places in Lake County to enjoy it, and these spots also have outdoor wellness stations along the walking trails to add a little extra to your outing:

Palatlakaha Environmental and Agricultural Reserve (PEAR) Park

4800 University Ave.

Leesburg

Magnolia Trail

1195 W. Magnolia St.

Leesburg

North Lake Community Park

40730 Roger Giles Road

Umatilla

Lake Okahumpka Park

6085 E. State Road 44

Wildwood

There are also bike trails, scenic local preserves, and lots of places to enjoy swimming, whether it’s in a public pool or as part of a gym program.

Looking for a little extra encouragement? Go to getfitlake.com and check what’s available to help you in your journey to weight loss and better health. If you’d like to talk to someone personally, contact AC Gander at GetFitLake@aol.com for help.

Source: Well Florida Council

HOW TO GET KIDS TO EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

It’s back to school time, and kids seem as though they’re hungrier than ever! They want lunches packed to the brim with tasty fare and food on tap from the minute they get home. You want to keep them filled up with good things, but some eaters can be picky. How can you get them to eat more fruits and veggies? Here’s why it matters and a few ways to do it.

How Important Is It?

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion recommends children between the ages of 2 and 6 eat three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit. For older children and teens, they recommend four or five servings of veggies and three servings of fruit daily. That seems like a lot, but there are several benefits to getting the full amount. Here are the most compelling.

• Better nutrition – Fruits and vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients not found in other foods. Vitamin C boosts immunity, vitamin A improves eye health, and spinach provides iron.

• Lower risk of obesity – As the obesity epidemic is on the rise, nutrition in the early years becomes even more important. Fruits and vegetables are full of fiber, which makes kids feel full longer. They also contain fewer calories for their bulk.

• Better digestive health – High-fiber foods relieve constipation and help the digestive system work efficiently.

• Better academic performance – The Journal of School Health found kids with healthy diets did better on tests than other children did. Good nutrition helps kids learn.

Pack Healthy School Lunches

If you’re going to get in all those servings of fruits and vegetables, some of them will have to be in their school lunches. Packing lunch is a tricky thing. What kids eat doesn’t just depend on their tastes and your budget. What their peers think often impacts what they choose to eat.

“I’m happy with my weight because it’s something I’ve been working on for six years. I do CrossFit three times a week, and I stick to the Paleo diet. Simply put, I want to look and feel the best I can as I age.”

—Nicole Campbell, Fruitland Park

“I’m skinny, so naturally I feel good about my weight. I walk everywhere, and to be honest, I’d rather walk than be in a car. It burns calories and helps you mentally, as well. When I’m hanging out with friends and they’re eating pizza and chips, I eat a salad or a bowl of fruit. Maintaining a healthy weight is important.”

Wentling, Leesburg

Just because they eat celery sticks at home doesn’t mean they’ll do it when the cool kids see it and shake their heads. The good news is that eating healthy is experiencing a surge of popularity, even at the elementary level.

Kids love packaged chips and sugary snacks, but they also recognize healthy food takes time to prepare, and time is a luxury many family don’t have. Students admit to being impressed when classmates bring healthy food that is creatively prepared. Here’s how to pack fruits and vegetables your kids will actually eat.

Start with a cool container

A bento box or other container with sections keeps food separate. Pineapple chunks don’t make bread or pretzels soggy and fruit juice doesn’t get on things it shouldn’t. Boxes with sections let you pack them full of colorful choices, so when your child pops the lid it seems to overflow with goodness.

Encourage playing with their food

Most the things you pack will be finger foods. Encourage interaction when you prepare them. Put grapes in a snack sized zipper bag and use a wooden clothespin to pinch the bag into two sections. Decorate the clothespin so the whole thing looks like a butterfly.

Cut an apple into eighths and use a stick pretzel mast to turn them into boats.

Fill each section with variety

Put a handful of blueberries in one section and cherry tomatoes in another. Cut their sandwich into shapes with cookie cutters for a touch of playfulness.

Turn up the crunch

Kids love noise. You emphasize table manners at home, but in the cafeteria, they’re going to be silly. Use that to your advantage by challenging them to see which veggie crunches the loudest. Then send carrots, celery with light ranch, or apple wedges. Before long, their friends will want in on the crunch contest too.

Create colorful skewers

Don’t limit yourself to a sandwich for the main entrée. Use toothpicks to create colorful kebabs with sliced meat, cheese, cherry tomatoes, grapes, and bell peppers. Pack them on top of a lettuce leaf so the colors really pop.

Put it in a thermos

Send 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices in an insulated bottle. When the weather cools, use your slow cooker to turn protein and veggies into a savory stew that feels like a hug from home.

26%29% 23%25%

17%16%

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Healthy Snacks for All

You prioritize healthy eating, but not all kids have that option. Most schools have vending machines kids can access for extra food. Talk to your school about packing them full of healthy choices. Here are some options that work in vending machines.

Black bean or lentil chips

Packaged apple wedges with peanut butter

Almonds

All-natural fruit strips

Dried bananas

All-natural granola bars

—Chantal

Open your eyes to restored vision and confidence!

Over time, gravity can cause your eyelids to sag, get puffy or turn outward, creating vision problems and making your face look more tired and haggard than you feel. The good news is that you don’t have to suffer from disabling and disfiguring eyelid problems, thanks to a safe cosmetic surgery called blepharoplasty.

Board Certified Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Shelby Terpstra is highly experienced in cosmetic and reparative blepharoplasty, and has returned clear vision, a refreshed appearance and self-confidence to hundreds of patients. “Most report seeing, looking and feeling better than they have in years,” says Dr. Terpstra. “Blepharoplasty can be truly rejuvenating.” In some cases the surgery is covered by insurance, so call today to schedule an appointment and learn what blepharoplasty can do to improve your vision and your life.

Board-certified ophthalmologist: SHELBY L. TERPSTRA, DO

“The entire staff treat you tremendously! They are the epitome of professionalism. Before [eyelid surgery] I looked like my father and after, I look like a whole new person. I would recommend Dr. Terpstra to anyone.” — MIKE

FLASCH

OUTPATIENT TREATMENT FOR OSTEOPOROTIC PELVIC FRACTURES

By: Richard E. Kinard, M.D.

Pelvic fractures, also known as insufficiency fractures, are common osteoporotic fractures of the pelvis and are often overlooked or misdiagnosed. The most common of these pelvic fractures involves the sacrum, known as a sacral insufficiency fracture. Although other parts of the pelvis may suffer similar fractures, this article describes the symptoms, diagnosis, and available treatments for sacral insufficiency fractures.

The Problem

In a sacral insufficiency fracture, the bone is weakened, usually from osteoporosis, to the extent that it gives way with only body weight or minimal trauma. Sacral insufficiency fractures have existed as long as osteoporosis but have received less attention than back and hip fractures. In fact, this condition was only first described in literature in 1982.(1) One reason this diagnosis was not recognized is the nonspecific, but sometimes severe, symptoms. The symptoms overlap with that of other low back problems, such as disc herniation, facet arthritis, and compression fractures.For example: When an elderly patient presents to the emergency room, the first test usually ordered by an ER physician is an X-ray. When testing for a sacral insufficiency fracture, an X-ray will almost always be normal. Since the X-ray result is “negative,” the patient is often sent home or even kept in the hospital with continued pain and no diagnosis.

Another reason for recent recognition of sacral insufficiency fractures as a diagnosis is that sophisticated imaging studies such as MRIs, CTs, and bone scans were not introduced until the 1970s and 1980s. One of these three sophisticated imaging studies is needed to accurately make the diagnosis.

Diagnosis

Sacral insufficiency fractures are difficult to diagnose. When a previously active elderly patient, more commonly

a female, presents with severe new pain in one or both buttocks and is unable to move about, the patient should be considered to have a sacral insufficiency fracture until proven otherwise. Symptoms are often insidious with no known event. Other times, symptoms start after a minor fall on the buttocks, a misstep off a curb, or sitting down too hard. The pain may radiate to the groin or down the back of the leg.

An MRI is the best test to diagnose a sacral insufficiency fracture. Often, however, a routine lumbar MRI is ordered, which includes only a small upper portion of the sacrum. If a patient is not able to have an MRI, a CT is the second best test to diagnose the fracture. Even with a CT test, a sacral insufficiency fracture can be very subtle and often missed, unless there is a high index of suspicion by the radiologist. Another test to diagnose a sacral insufficiency fracture is the radionuclide bone scan. Radionuclide bone imaging is sensitive for these fractures but unfortunately does not show the actual fracture, just the abnormal bony activity or “hot spot.”

Conservative Treatment

Conservative treatment, which is usually started when the initial diagnosis is made, was the only treatment until 10 years ago. However, it is not without risk. Because this involves bed rest, partial weightbearing, and pain medication, there are risks of deep venous thrombosis (the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein), pulmonary embolism (blockage in one or more arteries of your lungs), decrease in muscle

strength, pneumonia, and depression. Pain medication can cause significant constipation in this patient population. Elderly patients lose 10 percent of their muscle mass for every week of bed rest. Mental depression can be significant if immobilization is prolonged in a previously independent person.

Enter Sacroplasty

Sacroplasty as a treatment for sacral insufficiency fractures was first described in 2002.(2) The procedure is an extension of vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty, which have gained acceptance as treatments for vertebral compression fractures. Injection of bone cement into a vertebral compression fracture originated in France in 1987,(3,4) but was not popularized until the 1990s in the United States.(5) Sacroplasty lagged behind in popularity for several reasons. One of these reasons is that sacral insufficiency fractures were less likely to be recognized and were thought to be shear fractures as opposed to compression fractures. A second reason is the technique of sacroplasty is more technically challenging due to the complex shape of the sacrum.

Sacroplasty is performed as an outpatient procedure with minimal to no sedation. Using local anesthesia, a needle is placed into the largest part of the sacrum called the sacral ala. This can be performed with fluoroscopic or CT guidance; both methods have advantages. Once the needle is in the proper location, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMAbonecement) is mixed and slowly injected into the fractured area. The cement hardens within an hour. The patient lies prone or supine for the hour after the procedure. Once the hour passes, the patient may ambulate, usually with much less pain than before the procedure. Complications, which are very unlikely, include the chance of bleeding or infection, like any other invasive procedure. There is also a very slight chance that the cement may leak out of the proper fractured area into

Sacral insufficiency fracture illustration

a vein or nerve canal. Post-procedure care is minimal. Driving on the day of the procedure is not allowed due to the possible use of sedatives. Normal activity with routine osteoporotic precautions can be resumed the next day. If there has been a delay of treatment or diagnosis

for more than a couple of weeks, or if the patient has been debilitated, physical therapy and/or rehabilitation may be needed to build strength and regain mobility.

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.

Richard E. Kinard

Diagnostic Radiology. Dr. Kinard practices in our Gainesville location.

IN GOOD HANDS

Insurance agent Esther de Pedro provides 30 years of experience and the personal touch.

The personal touch that insurance agent Esther de Pedro gives to her clients is reflected in the many office gifts she has received in return, and the phone calls she still receives from former customers who moved out of state years ago. And that personal touch sometimes includes taking calls at 2 in the morning.

“That’s what sets me apart from everyone else, because I don’t have an office without clients, so my clients know how to reach me,” she says. “I have a very good rapport with my clients.”

Esther, a bilingual Floridian of Spanish-Cuban descent, has owned Sun Country Insurance for more than 20 years and has 30 years of insurance experience

overall. Along with colleague Steven B. Richey, she offers home, auto, life, and business policies from carriers with Allstate products or carriers approved by Allstate.

“We take a lot of pride in making our clients feel at home and giving them the best value for their policy,” she says.

Esther also is experienced in riding out Florida hurricanes, from Andrew to Charley to Irma. She’s in frequent contact with her clients throughout the year, and especially during hurricane season. After a storm, obviously, is not the time to ask whether you have hurricane coverage.

“What I recommend is know your policy, but more importantly,

know your insurance agent and know that when you bought the insurance policy, they gave you the best products suited to your needs,” Esther advises. “Know your policy before you have the need of using it. Know what your policy does and what it won’t do.”

After a severe storm, take necessary precautions to prevent further damage, document any damage and costs with photos and receipts, and, lastly, be patient, she says.

“The insurance companies and the adjustors are working based on severity,” Esther says. “Everybody is important, but they do need to prioritize.”

When Irma blew through in September, she camped out in

her office for fi ve days because she lost power at home. The decision was another sign of her commitment to clients.

“I could’ve stayed at a hotel or I could’ve gone somewhere else,” Esther says. “But I thought if I’m not going to be in my own home, where do I need to be? Here. This is my second home.”

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION?

In this technological age, doctors remain the best source of medical advice.

WRITER: RICHARD T. BOSSHARDT, M.D., FACS

What should I eat? What supplements should I take? How much exercise should I get, and what type is best? What can I do to stay healthy? These are questions all of us ask. With respect to your health, the overarching question becomes: where do you get your health information?

Information comes to us from multiple sources: health care providers; personal contacts with friends, co-workers, and family; media advertising; and the internet in a flood that overwhelms the ability of even the most capable person to deal with it.

We live in an age where we talk about “true facts” versus “fake facts.” The first is redundant; the second is an oxymoron. If a fact is, indeed, a fact, then it must be true. To make intelligent, reasoned decisions in all areas of our lives, we must have good information. Let’s review some of those sources of health information and see how they stack up.

Health care providers

It seems the obvious source for medical information is your physician. All physicians receive the same comprehensive medical education in medical school and train for a minimum of three more years to become board-certified in a specialty.

The problem is physicians have no time for educating patients; they are focused on diagnosis and treatment of illnesses and chronic problems.

Medical education in the United States is traditionally very strong in diagnosis and treatment of illnesses and weak in prevention. This is changing, but pressure on physicians is greater than ever. It is estimated that physicians spend more than one-third of their time in practice on something other than direct patient care, such as entering data into computers. Today, a great deal of medical information is provided to patients by physician extenders and mid-level providers—medical assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician’s assistants. The information is reliable and, mostly, up-to-date. The limitation is primarily time and access—you simply can’t see your health care provider whenever you wish or for as long. People without health insurance have a difficult time seeing a provider, period.

Friends, family, co-workers

Unless they are trained health professionals, the people around you are in the same boat you are. Testimonials are all well and good, but your situation may be very different. As every physician knows, no treatment program works for everyone

equally. The source of your peers’ information may be unreliable, biased, or wrong. Medical advice from those around you must be taken with a dose of skepticism.

Advertisements

This includes any ad, anywhere. Don’t forget that the primary goal of all ads is to get you to purchase the product or service. Many ads imply, or state explicitly, their product is effective and, if you can ignore the speedy recitation of risks almost as an afterthought, safe. Ads often cite supportive “studies.” When reviewed, however, these are found to be flawed or clearly biased.

As a physician, I often have to un-educate patients regarding information I know to be untrue or not applicable to them. A modern version of an ad is the “infomercial,” an advertisement cleverly disguised as information.

They often look professional and slick to avoid the appearance of an ad, but they also offer a particular product or service. Even physicians can be duped by slick advertising from representatives of pharmaceutical companies. I learned to beware of any information coming from a source that wants to sell me something.

The internet

We have, at our fingertips, access to more knowledge in an instant than at any time in human history. The problem is much of the information we receive on the internet is biased, misleading, or flat-out wrong.

How can you know what to believe and what not to?

Many websites that present themselves as informative are really promoting a product or line of products or services,

all at a fee. When I do a Google search on a particular topic, I avoid sites that profit from their advice. This is especially true for websites promoting alternative medicine and dietary supplements, programs, and product lines to improve health. Some may be good, even great, but my skeptical nature wonders about the financial motivation behind the site.

I tend to stick with sites for nonprofit organizations dealing with medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis or diabetes, sites belonging to reputable universities, and government sites. A full listing of reputable sites is not possible, but some links are provided below.

Although such sites provide good information on just about anything, you still need the person who knows you best and in the best position to advise you—your doctor.

You can argue that doctors have a profit motive, too, and there is no question that a few physicians practice with financial gain foremost, no other medical professional takes an oath similar to physicians to practice with their patient’s best interests as the overriding priority.

Sites for reliable medical information: mayoclinic.org

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov webmd.com

emedicine.com medscape.com

Source: goodhousekeeping.com/health/a19109/14-trusted-health-sites/

Michael A. Freedman, DO

WHEN EATING PROTEIN BECOMES DEADLY

Fitness fanatics, crash-dieters may want to test for urea cycle disorder.

WRITER: JOY STEPHENSON-LAWS

Meegan Hefford was a 25-year-old bodybuilder competitor and mother of two. She seemed to be the perfect picture of health. As she prepared for an upcoming competition, Meegan visited the gym religiously and maintained a strict diet that included egg whites and protein supplements.

Meegan reportedly told her mother she had been feeling “weird” and tired. Her mother told her she should take it easy, but it was too late. Meegan was found unconscious in her apartment, and she was rushed to the hospital. She was declared brain dead and died two days later. The cause of death is believed to be urea cycle disorder.

What is urea cycle disorder?

In a nutshell, it is a genetic disorder that makes it difficult for a person to metabolize the waste products of protein.

According to the National Urea Cycle Disorders Foundation, the disorder is “caused by a mutation that results in a deficiency of one of the six enzymes in the urea cycle. These enzymes are responsible for removing ammonia from the bloodstream. The urea cycle involves a series of biochemical steps in which nitrogen, a waste product of protein metabolism, is removed from the blood and converted to a compound called urea in the blood. Normally, the urea is transferred into the urine and removed from the body. In urea cycle disorders, the nitrogen accumulates in the form of ammonia, a highly toxic substance, resulting in hyperammonemia (elevated blood ammonia).” Hyperammonemia may cause brain damage, coma and death.

The severity of urea cycle disorder varies and, as a result, may go undiagnosed in some cases. “Adults often go undiagnosed because they have mild urea cycle disorders which allow them to produce enough of the urea cycle enzymes to effectively remove ammonia until a stressor interferes with enzyme function, or causes massive amounts of ammonia to be produced. These adults may have subtle symptoms in their lifetime that go unrecognized or unheeded,” the foundation reports.

In Meegan’s unfortunate case, the stressor of excessive protein intake through diet and supplements is what likely caused her death.

“Seemingly normal adults with undiagnosed urea cycle disorders may present at emergency rooms with staggering, confusion, combativeness, and disorientation that is mistaken for alcohol or drug intoxication,” the foundation states.

Along with excessive protein intake, other stressors of urea cycle disorder include the following:

• Viruses.

• Excessive exercise or dieting.

• Surgery.

• Certain drugs, including valproic acid (used to treat seizures and bipolar disorder), prednisone (a steroid), and other corticosteroids.

How common is urea cycle disorder?

The estimated incidence of urea cycle disorders is about 1 in 10,000 people, and 1 in 8,500 births, according to the foundation. Newborns with severe mutations become “catastrophically ill” within 36 to 48 hours of birth.

“Because many cases of urea cycle disorders remain undiagnosed and/or infants born with the disorders die without a definitive diagnosis, the exact incidence of these cases is unknown and underestimated,” the foundation reports. “It is believed that up to 20 percent of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases may be attributed to an undiagnosed inborn error of metabolism such as urea cycle disorder.”

How can we be proactive?

Although there is no cure, a liver transplant corrects the disorder in most cases. But getting a transplant for a vital organ is easier said than done.

Whole genome sequencing is an option. Discovering you have defective genes is not a bad thing. You can use this information to be proactive about hyperammonemia and take steps to avoid the consequences.

Basic lab tests also may help diagnose urea cycle disorder. These tests measure substances, such as blood ammonia, plasma amino acids, and urine organic acids, that reflect how well the urea cycle is working.

If you are a fitness competitor or making drastic changes to your diet, it is especially important to incorporate the above testing, as well as nutritional testing, to know the levels of essential nutrients such as protein, vitamins, and minerals in your body.

To learn more about treatment options for urea cycle disorder, including supplements for removal of ammonia from the bloodstream, go to nucdf.org/ucd_treatment.htm.

In my opinion, the best way to be proactive about your health is to know what is going on with your body—no matter how good you look or feel.

An informed health care consumer is a healthy consumer. Always do appropriate research, and ask your doctor informed questions. Never be afraid or intimidated to ask any questions you may have.

Enjoy your healthy life.

About the writer

Joy Stephenson-Laws is the founder of Proactive Health Labs (phlabs.org), a national nonprofit health information company that provides education and tools needed to achieve optimal health. Her most recent book is “Minerals—The Forgotten Nutrient: Your Secret Weapon for Getting and Staying Healthy.”

EXPERT ASK THE HEALTH

Everyone is encouraged to go to the doctor with questions in order to come away fully knowledgeable about what’s wrong. Healthy Living has brought together a number of experts to answer questions about various health issues. Find your answers here from the dedicated health professional in our area.

UROGYNECOLOGY/ GYNECOLOGY

DR. UZOMA NWAUBANI

QWHAT IS GENITOURINARY SYNDROME OF MENOPAUSE

Women’s leakage problems and vaginal prolapse problems are related to menopause, and classed as the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), a new term to describe the umbrella of genital, sexual, and urinary symptoms that often results from the decrease in estrogen levels in menopause, says Dr. Uzona Nwaubani, a urogynecologist at the Female Continence and Pelvic Surgery Center in The Villages.

With moderate to severe genitourinary syndrome of menopause, a woman may experience genital symptoms of dryness, burning, and irritation; sexual symptoms of lack of lubrication, discomfort or pain, and impaired function; and urinary symptoms of urgency, urinary incontinence, and recurring urinary tract infections.

The decline in estrogen levels in menopause can affect a woman’s pelvic area, especially the ligaments, organs, nerves, muscles and blood vessels.

“They lose their elasticity and their strength because they were previously maintained by high levels of estrogen in the menstrual years. With time, they become relaxed,” she says, adding the relaxation can

result in a downward fall or drop of the organs through the opening of the vagina, which could include a dropped bladder, dropped uterus, dropped rectum or even the intestines dropped—all part of the pelvic relaxation known as a prolapse.

Women who have given birth have a greater likelihood of developing prolapses. The progressive loss of vaginal

support usually begins with the first pregnancy, culminating with menopausal estrogen deprivation as the underlying cause.

“Generally, you don’t see the problem caused by childbirth, but from the lack of estrogen when everything begins to go downward, south. It’s typically after menopause when the relaxation problems tend to show up a lot,” she says.

“Generally, by age 50 years, about 50 percent of patients might have symptoms of a prolapse, and at 70 years, 70 percent of patients will have a prolapse of some sort.”

Urinary problems, especially urinary incontinence also goes hand-in-hand with the pelvic relaxation, also brought on by menopause and the lack of estrogen weakening the bladder. The lining of the bladder also is known to become thin during this time.

She says some women experience vaginal dryness, which can result in painful intercourse, and there can be other symptoms of vaginal burning, itching, and a discoloration of blackness or redness around the vulva.

Many of the symptoms may be noticed by the patient or by

There are a variety of therapies available for patients, including non-hormonal treatments.

“The novel Vaginal and vulval laser therapy becomes a good non-hormonal treatment option for these patients,” she says, “and it helps get them back into sexual activity, if that has been

At the Female Continence and Pelvic Surgery Center, Dr. Nwaubani provides urogynecology services of female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery for the following:

• Incontinence Treatment

• Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) Treatment

• Hysterectomies

• Cosmetic Vaginal and Vulval Reconstructive Surgery

• Other problems associated with Urogynecology

• In-office Procedure

• Wrinkle reduction

• Sculpture

• Weight Management

from practicing across three continents in the last 18 years.

Many women are too embarrassed to talk about genital, sexual, or urinary problems they may be experiencing, yet Dr. Nwaubani believes it’s vital for women to share problems they may be having since menopause. Since she is a well-credentialed and experienced urogynecologist, she encourages women to take care of the very core of their femininity.

“It’s not just paramount to your health, it is an act of love,” she noted on her website.

the doctor when performing a pelvic exam or pap smear.

“These symptoms are all treatable,” says Dr. Nwaubani, who notes because of the lack of estrogen, a topical estrogen can be applied on the affected areas, including the lining of the vagina.

a problem because of pain from vaginal dryness.”

Many of the genitourinary syndrome of menopause symptoms can begin in the premenopausal years and heighten in post menopause, all attributed to declining estrogen.

She notes her philosophy is to treat her patients the way she would want her mother or sister to be treated. She is passionate about her work and has accumulated immense knowledge and techniques

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Call Female Continence & Pelvic Surgery Center at 352.633.0703 or stop by the office at 1050 Old Camp Road, Suite 206, The Villages. www.fecapsc.com

“Many women are too embarrassed to talk about genital, sexual, or urinary problems they may be experiencing”

GREGORY J. PANZO DR. JEFFREY D. BAUMANN

EYE CARE Q

Dr. Gregory J. Panzo: There’s absolutely no doubt that each of our accomplished and well-trained surgeons and specialists brings a unique expertise to the Mid Florida Eye Center network. From participating in national clinic research studies to advanced eye surgery techniques, we strive to bring the latest technology and surgical options to members of our community who need them most.

Although technological advancements play a major role in what we do at Mid Florida Eye Center each day, just being able to improve both the quality of vision and life for our patients supersedes that seemingly never-ending quest for the newest piece of innovative technology.

Dr. Jeffrey D. Baumann: We’re constantly reviewing and adding new technology and surgical options to our practice in order to provide the most advanced eye care available to Central Florida.

We have been praised for building the first eye surgery center in the Lake County area in 1992 and owning and operating two, state-of-the-art surgery centers with our four offices—including our newest 8,900+ square foot space in Wildwood adjacent to The Villages® Community—offering an unmatched level of complete eye care for our patients.

For me, the fact that we provide all major eye specialties, including three cataract surgeons, two glaucoma specialists, two retina specialists, an oculoplastic surgeon, and two corneal specialists under one roof is revolutionary. Our practice is the only one in Central Florida where all our ophthalmologists have completed advanced fellowship training. But I am most proud of our practice restoring vision to hundreds of thousands of patients over the years. Our vision is clearly to make yours better.

DR.

PRACTICING OPHTHALMOLOGY IN LAKE COUNTY FOR OVER 30 YEARS IS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT. WHAT ADVANCEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

WHAT IS AN INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGIST?

I am a Vascular and Interventional Radiologist. First I am a Radiologist, which is a medical doctor who is specialty trained to interpret MRI, CT , X-Ray and Ultrasound and other types of imaging so your doctor will know how to best provide treatment for you. I am also surgically trained to perform procedures inside the body using the guidance of those imaging machines to see inside you, so that you are not cut open and you do not have to endure lengthy healing times from large wounds and stitches. I use very fine needles, catheters and wires to repair damage and oftentimes even place devices inside your body to help you heal. I can provide therapeutic treatments in bones and vessels, as well as organs.

I went through both college and medical school, one year of surgery internship, four years of radiology residency training, and another year of Vascular and Interventional training. I am board certified in both Diagnostic, as well as Vascular and Interventional Radiology. I completed my Interventional training mentoring under one of the pioneers in the field, Mark Wholey, at the Pittsburgh Vascular Institute in Pittsbugh, PA.

Although Interventional Radiology, or IR, began to emerge and transition itself from a diagnostic ra-

diology specialty to a therapeutic one over 30 years ago, the concept is still quite new to some doctors and patients. This is because it has only recently taken a leap outside hospitals, where IRs originally focused their practice. In the 1950’s, IRs began opening blocked blood vessels by introducing catheters into the vascular system to repair damaged arteries, prior to which surgeons performed high risk open surgeries, often with poor outcomes. These Interventional techniques became so well established in hospitals (being performed only by Interventional Radiologists) that over the next few decades IRs continued to invent hundreds of additional procedures, rapidly proving that noninvasive techniques are safer, offering faster healing times, which provide better outcomes than traditional surgery. Some of the specialties which ridiculed IR initially, are now adopting and performing some of these procedures themselves.

When I am asked what I can do, my response often is “What Can’t I do for my patients?”, since hundreds of procedures have been invented by my specialty. Within my State-Certified Center, I only do what is safe outside a hospital, and only for those who are suitable candidates and most likely

to have a favorable outcome. Angioplasty, spine fracture repairs, port and picc-line placements, chest tubes, drainages of lungs and abdomens, biopsies, catheter placements, lumbar punctures and myelograms, uterine fibroid embolization, microwave and RF ablation of tumors, epidurals and joint injections for pain, pseudoaneurysm repair, sacral fracture repairs, hysterosalpingograms, IVC filter placement and removal, as well as diagnostic imaging such as MRI,MRA,CT,CTA, X-Ray and ultrasound are among the vast array of what we can do for you at Medical Imaging & Therapeutics, referred to as MIT, Center for Vascular and Interventional Radiology in Lady Lake.

MIT has been recognized for its excellence in patient satisfaction and outcomes, and chosen as a training center for teaching new IRs from the University of Florida School of Medicine.

HEALTH

DR. JEFFREY GLOVER ASK

CHIROPRACTIC CARE Q

HOW CAN CHIROPRACTIC CARE HELP YOU WITH NEUROPATHY?

According to Dr. Jeffrey Glover, chiropractic care is about taking care of the entire body. It benefits everyone because this care focuses on the central nervous system, which is affected by neuropathy. The American Diabetes Association estimates as many as half the people the with diabetes suffer some form of nerve damage, which is called diabetic neuropathy.

When neuropathy develops, patients generally complain of tingling in the feet or a feeling of pins and needles. There are those who also have burning, stabbing, and shooting pains. Feet feel sensitive and sometimes it hurt to have something as thin as a sheet

touch them. Add to that numbness and weakness, and neuropathy lowers the quality of life. It can create other problems like loss of balance and difficulty standing.

“Our whole-body approach means we understand the brain and the spinal chord are connected to every action in the body,” Dr. Glover says. “Sometimes adjustments help and make the nerves function better due to improved blood flow.”

Dr. Glover says his clinic also offers help by recommending vitamins that help nerves function better. “We know of supplements that will dilate blood vessels, making blood flow better. the lack of good blood flow can increase nerve pain

and numbness. As the veins in the legs and feet get smaller, it feels like the blood vessels are choking.”

The doctor goes on to say there are many alternative ways to treat neuropathy. “We always want to give our patients drug-free and nonsurgical alternatives.”

There are three primary causes of the neuropathy Glover Chiropractic Clinic treats—diabetic neuropathy, compression mononeuropathy such as carpal tunnel syndrome, and postchemo/radiation neuropathy, which he says is the most difficult to treat.

“We do many therapies in our office, including laser therapy that feels like a warm, soothing sensation, and it improves blood

flow,” Dr. Glover says. “With diabetes, blood vessels get smaller as sugar molecules spill over into the bloodstream, cutting off blood flow to the nerves.”

Early diagnosis is the key to treating neuropathy, and Dr. Glover feels his treatments are an effective, beneficial way to help restore patient health and better quality of life.

“That’s what’s important to me— knowing when my patients leave my office they feel better.

QWHAT ARE SOME OF THE THE NEW ORTHOPAEDIC TECHNOLOGIES AND PROCEDURES THAT YOU ARE PERFORMING THAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?

There are couple of exciting technologies that have really improved results for patients recently. The first is the use of ankle replacements for the treatment of severe ankle pain.

While not as common as knee replacements and hip replacements, ankle replacements are incredibly valuable for patients suffering from arthritis or severe trauma. In the past, doctors had one option to treat these issues: joint fusions, which reduced pain but restricted joint movement. Total ankle replacements, which preserve motion, are a viable solution for improving patient outcomes. I have been performing ankle replacements for several years in our community with excellent results. We are now able to perform custom ankle replacements. We use a CT scan of a patient’s joint to build a custom implant that is as unique as their fingerprint. This allows us to better mimic the anatomy of the patient’s original joint, leading to better long-term results.

The second exciting technology is the use of carbon fiber implants to treat fractures. This technology was first utilized in the aeronautical and automotive industries. Carbon fiber has

ORTHOPAEDIC CARE

CEDRIC J. TANKSON, M.D.

ASK THE HEALTH EXPERT

many advantages over standard titanium and stainless steel implants. It is lightweight and its mechanical properties more closely resemble those of bone. These unique characteristics promote faster healing after implantation. Most importantly, carbon fiber is radiolucent so it doesn’t obscure the bone in an x-ray, making it easier to see bone growth and allowing doctors to better assess the progress of a healing fracture. This technological advancement has led to earlier and

more aggressive rehabilitation of patients with improved outcomes.

People are living longer and living their best lives later. Technologies like custom joint replacements and carbon fiber implants allow us to truly restore function. A hip or ankle fracture is no longer the end of an active lifestyle.

I love Orthopaedic medicine because it is a process that continues to learn from its past, building on older technologies to improve results for patients every day. UNOVA truly embodies

that spirit of innovation, offering our patients a full spectrum of care and access to tomorrow’s technology, today.

Dr. Tankson is a foot and ankle specialist at UNOVA Orthopaedic Health Clinic in Lady Lake. He is the only surgeon in the area performing ankle replacements and using carbon fiber implants to treat fractures. If you have questions for Dr. Tankson or are interested in the other services offered by UNOVA, please visit www.UNOVAhealth.com.

THE HEALTH EXPERT

PAIN MANAGEMENT

BILL ROWLAND, CEO ASK

Q

WHAT’S THE QUICKEST WAY TO RELIEVE PAIN?

The quickest way is to restore the tissue back to normal condition with electromassage using AMT technology. AMT is an artificial intelligence microcurrent delivery system that normalizes tissue at a cellular level. Every cell holds a charge like a battery. AMT affects painful tissues by correcting their electrical currents, and normalizing cellular function to accelerate natural healing. Electro-massage is effective in treating everything from traumatic brain injuries to broken backs, torn muscles, shattered joints, ALS, and more, even if nothing else works.

Q IF AMT IS SO GOOD, HOW COME MANY PEOPLE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT BEFORE?

The technology is actually 43 years old. It’s been a secret weapon in the backrooms of Olympic and professional sports. Now, my focus as founder of EMed is to bring this technology to the general public and let people know it exists and is available. Imagine a full body electro-massage that leaves you feeling energized and pain-free.

Q IS AMT SAFE?

It’s absolutely safe because of the read, analyze, and respond capabilities. AMT’s computer reads the electrical potential of the tissue, analyzes it, and responds back to normalize the tissue, or put it in electrical homeostasis. This process is repeated over a 100 times per second.

Q WHAT ARE AMT’S BENEFITS?

Higher energy levels, less pain, better concentration, increased range of motion, increased blood flow, as well as increased collagen production in the skin and whole body.

Q HOW LONG DO AMT’S BENEFITS LAST?

The positive effects are cumulative with each session adding more energy and detoxifying the body at an accelerated rate. All disease is toxic response. When you remove the toxin, you remove the response. You accumulatively feel better and better with each session. The cells have more energy, you have more energy, strength, endurance, focus, concentration and improved memory.

Q ARE THERE SIDE EFFECTS?

AMT is safe but in rare cases, during the first or second treatment, some clients may experience flu-like symptoms, for a few minutes to a few hours. The treatment is detoxifying the body slightly faster than the body is used to. These symptoms quickly subside.

Q HOW DO CLIENTS PAY FOR AMT?

It’s an affordable and dramatically effective self-paid alternative to less effective or dangerous therapies. EMed offers FREE electro-wellness assessments and monthly memberships are available to help you look better, feel better and perform better. People should come in and experience an electro-massage. They are unlike any

relief therapy they’ve ever had before.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

EMed Energy Medical is at 17820 SE 109th Ave., Unit 106B, Spruce Creek Medical Center, Summerfield. For more information, contact EMed at 352.552-1889 or info@ energymedical.net, or visit energymedical.net.

pain

Bill Rowland is the founder of EMed Energy Medical, a health center and therapeutic spa in the field of advanced electric bioenergetic medicine. He’s a leading expert in the technology of acuscope myopulse therapy (AMT), a noninvasive, nonsurgical treatment that relieves pain and makes clients look better, feel better, and perform better by normalizing painful tissue at the cellular level with electric micro-pulses.

FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE RARELY EXERCISED, WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES THEY HAVE TO OVERCOME WHEN THEY FIRST JOIN A GYM?

They are intimidated. They walk in and see dozens of people using machines, and it makes new gym members feel like everybody knows what they’re doing except them. In addition, they see other gym members who are fit and tone, leaving them feeling self-conscious and out of place. Ultimately, new gym members might use the gym one or two times and never come back.

When new members come to my Anytime Fitness locations, we want them to feel relaxed. More

Qimportantly, we want them to feel comfortable enough to approach us with any questions or concerns they may have. Unfortunately, many are too afraid to ask for help or approach one of our trainers and coaches.

But here’s where we differ from other gyms. We coach new gym members from the very beginning. In fact, on the very day they join our gym, they receive guidance from a world-class trainer. They realize that we truly care, and that trust we build from the onset

is a big reason why we’ve had so many success stories. We’re definitely not a “good-luck” gym that sells you a membership and then provides absolutely no follow-up care.

Our new members have 24/7 access to use our gym and also contact our trainers. Through an app, we can send them a customized workout plan, as well as nutritional tips and motivational messages. We call this virtual coaching. We also provide new members with functional

movement screening, which is a valuable tool for us in determining what type of fitness program to put them in.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

ANYTIME FITNESS

Leesburg | 352.742.2008

Bushnell | 352.569.1015

Summerfield | 352.307.0700

Mount Dora | 352.308.8126

Lady Lake | 352.633.0868

Wildwood | 352.399.2977

Key West coming soon!

““A man’s health can be judged by which he takes two at a time: pills or stairs.”

—Joan Welsh

SUPER SIMPLE SALMON

INGREDIENTS

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

Jaime Alonso

Certified Health Coach

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, bestselling author and expert on emotional eating; and other leading researchers and nutrition authorities.

1/2 Lemon

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Place salmon on either aluminum foil or silicone mat on a baking sheet with edges

3. Drizzle salmon with olive oil, then season with salt, pepper, dill

4. Slice 2 pieces of lemon from your ½ lemon

5. Squeeze the juice from your remaining lemon on your 2 pieces of salmon

6. Place in the oven and bake until fish is fork tender

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 handson lessons you receive. I teach you how to live well for life!

DILL WITH YOUR SALMON

4 (4-6oz) Pieces of wild caught salmon

Salt and pepper

1 tbs. Olive oil

4 tsps. Dill

INCREASE WORKPLACE WELLNESS

WRITER: JOY STEPHENSON-LAWS

The recent killings in Orlando of five people by a disgruntled former employee is a tragic reminder that workplace violence remains a real and increasing threat to America’s workforce.

About 2 million workers are victims of workplace violence every year and this number is increasing, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Even more alarming is homicide being the fourth-leading cause of workplace deaths. In addition to the human toll, estimates put the economic cost of workplace violence at more than $55 billion.

In response, companies have instituted policies prohibiting any type of workplace violence, including inappropriate language, sexual harassment, and bullying, to stem this tide. While these measures have had a positive effect in reducing the levels of some workplace violence, it is clear from the statistics they don’t go far enough.

In my view as a health-care attorney, business owner, and specialist in proactive, preventive health care, these policies miss the mark by primarily aiming to control the symptoms of workplace violence rather than addressing the underlying issues that contribute to it.

The job-related physical and mental health issues that often trigger

TO

workplace violence are stress, anxiety, depression, and other emotional issues the worker brings to, and which may be exacerbated by, the workplace. Work-related stress can contribute to short temper, according to the American Psychological Association. Many resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as smoking or heavy drinking.

Recognizing the signs of stress— hostility toward coworkers, physical exhaustion, or taking more days off than usual—is a good first step to avoid workplace violence. So is offering formal employee assistance programs to help employees with stress management or emotional issues. But these programs are dependent on someone noticing a change in behavior or an employee asking for help.

These elements, and employee wellness programs in general, are usually ineffective over the long term in identifying and preventing possible health issues that could affect an employee’s emotional wellbeing. In fact, more than 90 percent of companies, and most government entities, offer some form of wellness programs for their employees.

But most of these initiatives, while well intentioned, fall short of producing long-term benefits. Instead, the initial groundswell of enthusiasm for the programs wanes after a while,

DECREASE WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

with both employers and employees left frustrated, discouraged, and wondering what went wrong.

Even worse, any physical and/ or emotional health benefits gained are quickly reversed and may even go into decline, leaving workers less healthy and more stressed than before.For employee wellness programs to have a lasting positive effect on employees, and a higher probability of success, they must include a personalized, ongoing educational component.

Most programs focus on short-term actions that produce quick results but do very little to create the attitude and behavioral changes that result in long-term benefits.

Only education not focused on immediate gratification or “quick hits,” can do this. It will provide employees important and relevant health information in a way they understand, that addresses personal needs, and is readily applied to daily life. A key element is helping employees know what is going on with their bodies is comprehensive testing.

This may include nutritional, stress level, genomics, and other key metrics. Armed with this information, companies help employees not only get healthier physically and emotionally, but also take proactive steps to stay healthy.

Companies can also lead by example. Junk food is often used as a stress reliever. Providing healthy alternatives in vending machines can affect this.

Encourage listening to the right kind of music. Research shows that relaxing music lowers stress and creates a calming environment. Encourage employees to stand, stretch, and walk during the day.

Enhanced wellness programs also need to offer employees tools needed to effectively and easily apply what is learned to their daily lives—nutritional supplements, lifestyle changes, and behavioral changes. They should be ongoing support to keep employees on track and motivated to continue their personalized programs.

These measures include periodic check-ins to monitor progress, adapting the personalized programs as necessary to help an employee achieve their goals, and online and offline support.

By better addressing the underlying causes of workplace violence through enhanced employee wellness programs, it may turn the tide and make workplaces safer. Will this require an investment? Of course, it will. Will it be worth it? Most definitely. It will save lives—maybe your own.

SMALL AMOUNTS BUT NECESSARY

Don’t overlook trace minerals.

WRITER: FRANZ GLIEDERER, MD, AND JOY STEPHENSON-LAWS, JD

Like vitamins, minerals are nutrients you receive from food to nourish your body. There are six types of nutrients your body cannot live without: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water. While each has its own role, none is more important than the other.

The primary role of minerals is to help your body carry out daily functions and processes in the most efficient and beneficial way. There literally is no bodily process, on either the cellular or systemic level, that operates at its best without the right amounts of minerals.

Minerals have a significant impact on blood pressure, weight management, cancer prevention, depression, pain, PMS, and digestion, to name a few categories.

Trace minerals are the metal ions needed by your body in very small. They are:

• Building blocks for hundreds of enzymes.

• Facilitators for biochemical reactions.

• Required for normal growth and development and neurological functions.

• Antioxidants.

• Supporting the blood system.

• Necessary for certain hormones.

• Required for normal gonadal development.

Here are the most important trace elements:

• Iron is an essential component of many proteins and enzymes and vital in the formation of red blood cells and lean muscle. Iron deficiencies occur worldwide. It is found in red meat, poultry, seafood, and dark leafy vegetables.

• Chromium helps with insulin functions and glucose metabolism. Normally, a well-balanced diet (fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, and grains) should fulfill daily dietary need.

• Copper is a component in many enzymes involved in such key functions as energy production, iron metabolism, healthy connective tissue, neurotransmission, and the making of hemoglobin. Copper is in meats, shellfish, nuts, and seeds, wheat bran cereals, and whole grain products.

• Zinc is necessary for normal growth and development in children, proper functioning of the immune system, many neurological functions, and reproduction.

Zinc-rich foods are oysters, beef, crab meat, dark-meat chicken and turkey, pork, yogurt, milk, cashews, chickpeas, almonds, peanuts, and cheese.

• Iodine is a well-known component of the thyroid hormone. Iodine deficiency has detrimental effects on the developing brain and causes mental impairment and retardation in children. About 120 countries fortify salt with iodine to counteract iodine deficiency. Seafood is an excellent source, along with dairy products, grains, eggs, and poultry, for dietary iodine.

• Manganese is an ingredient and facilitator in many enzymes that have antioxidant benefits for metabolic functions, bone development support, and wound healing. Rich sources of manganese include whole grains, nuts, leafy vegetables, and teas.

• Selenium is part of the amino acid selenocysteine, which occurs in 25 different seleno proteins. These proteins play critical roles in reproduction, thyroid hormone metabolism, DNA synthesis, and protection from oxidative damage and infection. Seafood and organ meats are the richest food sources of selenium.

Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) published by the National Institutes of Health:

• Chromium – 25 mcg for women and 35 mcg for men.

• Copper – 900 mcg for both men and women.

• Iodine – 150 mcg for both men and women.

• Iron – 18 mg for women and 8 mg for men.

• Manganese – 1.8 mg for women and 2.3 mg for men.

• Molybdenum – 45 mcg for both women and men.

• Selenium – 55 mcg for both women and men.

• Zinc – 8 mg for women and 11 mg for men.

How do you know if you have the right amount?

Many people believe they get the right amounts of minerals and other nutrients by “listening” to their bodies and eating the foods they crave. Most of the time, however, they may just feel a little off and have no idea why.

The best thing to do is to get comprehensive nutritional testing to see if your body has the right balance of trace minerals and other nutrients. If you do have an imbalance, address it with diet or supplementation.

Why you may not be getting enough trace minerals

• Poor diet: The top reason you may not be getting enough trace minerals.

• Where you live: Trace mineral amounts in soil and water are not the same in all parts of the world.

• Malabsorption and gastrointestinal diseases: If the gastrointestinal tract becomes inflamed, infected, or diseased, this interferes with absorption of minerals.

• Surgery: Surgical resection of bowel segments may cause a loss of uptake and carrier channel sites.

• Pregnancy: Trace mineral deficits frequently occur.

While it is rare to encounter severe trace mineral deficiency in the Western World, mild to moderate deficiencies are common and may lead to general symptoms such as fatigue, slow metabolism, decreased immune system, and mental capacities.

About the authors

Franz Gliederer, MD, MPH, is a doctor with Proactive Health Labs and a specialist in preventive medicine with a medical doctorate from the University of Vienna, Austria, and a master’s degree from the University of California Public Health School. He is a co-author with Joy Stephenson-Laws of “Minerals – The Forgotten Nutrient: Your Secret Weapon for Getting and Staying Healthy.”

Joy Stephenson-Laws, JD, is the founder of Proactive Health Labs (www.phlabs.org), a national nonprofit health information company in Santa Monica, California, providing education and tools to achieve optimal health.

“Negativity is the enemy of creativity.”

—David Lynch

CREATING A MINDFUL STRATEGY OF SELF-CARE

Tuning in to the four essential sections of our ‘orchestra’ can bring harmony. WRITER: SERGE MAZERAND

In a world of massive disruption and distraction, of obsessive connection to the internet and to our devices, ironically, we have come to lose the most important connection: the relationship with our essential self. In subtle and less subtle ways, this disconnection creates significant stress and anxiety that often lead to illness.

So, how do we reconnect?

The key is awareness. It is also called mindfulness, consciousness, vigilance, and, more simply, paying attention. However, it is far more than that; it is a way of being.

Awareness could be compared to an embedded antenna that allows us to effortlessly scan our inner and outer environment. Being a musician, I call it the art of listening to the subtle music that plays within.

In my new book, “7 Keys to Serenity: Creating Harmony Within”—a musical metaphor—awareness is the first key, one that plays in synergy with all others and allows us to

truly become the composers and conductors of our lives. The biggest challenge to awareness is that most of us live in “autopilot” mode, meaning that many of our thoughts, words, and actions are created by our subconscious mind. We think one thing and say something else.

We say one thing and, again, do something else entirely. Sound familiar? Thoughts, words, and actions create subtle energies which, when not aligned, generate dissonance and therefore inner conflict.

Awareness allows us to produce coherence and implement a convergent strategy of self-care throughout the four essential sections of our “orchestra”: the physical, the mental, the emotional, and the spiritual.

Self-care isn’t about being selfish or self-centered in a narcissistic way. It is about nurturing and empowering ourselves with self-love, self-respect, and self-esteem.

If we don’t love, respect, and care for ourselves, chances are we won’t be able to care for others either.

How does a strategy of self-care unfold in day-to-day life?

Physically, we become aware of the “information” we take in through food, drink, and any other substances that we ingest (drugs, medications, etc.).

Everything we absorb has a specific frequency that interconnects with the frequencies of our cells, creating either harmony or dissonance––hence the importance of listening carefully to our bodies. Thus, we become aware of our internal rhythms, of breathing deeply, of balance between movement and rest.

Mentally, we also learn to become mindful of the information we absorb: the junk news, the manipulative news, the false news, the trivial, and the many ubiquitous distractions we are tempted by every day. We learn to filter what comes into our mind, in turn creating clarity and coherence.

In the emotional section of our orchestra, we attune to the energy of our feelings. Ignoring them or repressing them

creates subtle energy blockages that often lead to the onset of psychosomatic illnesses.

Emotions are like waves in the ocean. They can smash us to pieces or carry us to bliss. Rather than suppress them, we need to express them, yet manage them by tapping in to what is called the “heart intelligence.”

Lastly, in the spiritual section—the section of the heart and soul—we learn to assess the validity of our beliefs, many of which are acquired by conditioning.

We become aware of who we are at the core and begin to live in authenticity. We learn to trust and believe in ourselves and to harness the inner powers that lie within us.

These four sections are all interconnected in holistic fashion. What happens in one affects the others.

Our health and wellness and, ultimately, our happiness is shaped by how mindful we are in creating and implementing this strategy of self-care.

Insights can be found by investigating your inner voice.

WRITER: BRIDGET WEBBER

People often try to get rid of negative thoughts, imagining they are unhelpful. However, your thoughts contain hidden messages. Untapped, they are just endless streams of data. To learn, you have to be willing to listen. Here’s why negative thoughts exist and how to use them to your advantage.

Why you have negative thoughts

You might see your critical voice as an enemy because you feel unhappy when it surfaces. However, the discomfort experienced begins before the voice speaks. A stimulus triggers negativity and the voice echoes your emotions.

For instance, you might feel upset if you see dirty dishes in the sink when it’s not your turn to wash up. The voice tells you the person who was supposed to do the dishes doesn’t care about you. The emotion appears first followed by negative thinking.

What are negative thoughts?

Negative thoughts are part of your internal guidance system. They are meant to help you find your way in life. When you fight against them, you miss vital insights and opportunities to heal. The voice helps you notice your emotions so you can work on unhealed aspects of your psyche.

The negative thoughts in the scenario above could trigger a painful argument if you don’t explore them. When examined, however, they inspire self-awareness. The

underlying emotion wants you to recognize it is fear of not being loved. Exploring it can lead to understanding and a positive resolution.

How to understand the emotions behind negativity

The fears beneath negative thinking often originate in childhood. If your need for love and acceptance go unfulfilled, your mind highlights similar events in the future. Your mind wants to resolve the unfinished business of the past.

The next time you notice negative thoughts, look behind them. Find where they originate. Sit somewhere quiet, close your eyes, and ask for a memory of the event that triggered negativity. The episode might be monumental or insignificant. Childhood traumas and misunderstandings can both be triggered later in life.

Recalling triggering events lets you see through fresh eyes. You have knowledge and experience now, and your wisdom helps you understand what happened. Also, uncovering what causes your feelings throws light on how you react to events. As a result, you comprehend why you feel as you do.

Negative thoughts offer valuable insights if you search beneath them. Investigating them reveals parts of your psyche that want attention. Use your internal voice to go back to painful emotions from your past. When you identify unresolved issues, study them and heal them with understanding. The more problems you uncover, the less negativity you’ll meet in the future.

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.

“The most effective way to do it, is to do it.”

—Amelia Earhart

4 REASONS

BOSSES SHOULD ENCOURAGE MEDITATION AT WORK

PROVIDED BY: NEWS AND EXPERTS

The co-worker two cubicles down who appears to be nodding off may not be indulging in an afternoon nap after all.

That employee could be in a state of meditation, and the bosses likely are happy about that—or at least they should be.

“It’s not uncommon now for big corporations to encourage meditation during breaks and even hold meditation events during working hours,” says Dr. Barbara Cox, a consulting psychologist and coach who specializes in working with innovative leaders and organizations.

“Research shows there are significant effects on physical and mental health for people who practice meditation, selfhypnosis, and other stress-management tools,” she adds.

Among the benefits:

Improved ability to manage stress

Life is filled with stress, and the average workday can provide a host of new triggers that add to stress, whether it’s a demanding supervisor, a difficult client, or uncooperative co-workers, just to name a few. “Stressful situations are going to happen,” Barbara says. “So, the question becomes how well you can handle the stress.

Meditation can assist in that.”

Increased quality of sleep

Meditation can help people with their sleep issues, according to research by Harvard University, Northwestern Memorial Hospital. That doesn’t mean meditating only before bedtime. It also helps to practice meditation during the day, so you can more easily get into that relaxed state at night. “And if you get a good night’s sleep, you’re more likely to perform well at work the next day,” she says.

More mental energy

People often feel tired during the workday, even if they don’t have a physically demanding job. One reason is mental exertion, some of which goes back to all that

stress, Barbara says. Meditation can help restore both your physical and mental energy.

Greater ability to concentrate

For many people, it doesn’t take much to let their minds wander, especially these days when distractions such as smartphones and internet connections are close at hand to give them an extra reason to lose focus. Those who meditate are better able to focus on ideas and remember facts without getting easily distracted, and there’s research by the University of California at Santa Barbara to back that up.

“Supervisors need to take note of all that research if they haven’t already,” the doctor adds. “Companies are always looking for ways to improve productivity, and meditation can help lead to a happier workforce and a more efficient one.”

Bringing the benefits of meditation into a company doesn’t have to be a major undertaking.

“You can start small,” Barbara says. “You could have a meditation week where everyone meditates at the same time every day for one week. You could have a meditation challenge between departments or send out weekly meditations in the company newsletter. You could even begin your meetings with a two-minute meditation.

“The key is to just get started because the sooner you do, the sooner your company will experience the results,” she adds.

About the doctor

Barbara Cox is a consultant and coach for innovative leaders and organizations. To learn more about meditation, try one of the free guided recordings at drcoxconsulting.com. Her advice has been featured in local and national publications, including msn.com, Cosmopolitan, and holistic health and wellness publications. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of California at San Diego. She has master’s and doctorate degrees in psychology from Alliant International University at San Diego.

If you snooze, you lose, but taking a focused mental break has stress-relieving benefits.

7 ESSENTIAL STEPS FOR A PRODUCTIVE DAY

Organize first and work with purpose.

WRITER: WARREN DAVIES

You’re an intelligent and motivated individual. Why aren’t you getting more done each day? Most likely, it’s not because of a lack of ability or motivation.

It’s because of a lack of planning and organization. If you organize your work time more effectively, you’ll get the most important things done first and you’ll be less vulnerable to procrastination.

Work first, email later

As soon as you sit at your desk, get straight to work on your first key task of the day (which you will have identified the evening before—see “Prioritize the next day’s tasks” below). Don’t go to your email, news sites, or social media first, as you might get stuck there for a while. You can do all that later.

Use the Pomodoro Method

If you’re procrastinating or resisting that first task, set a timer for three minutes. Tell yourself you’ll just work for these three minutes. Paradoxically, motivation often follows action, so you’ll probably be in the swing of things before that time is up. If not, take a break for a few minutes then set the timer again.

Single-task

Focus on one task at a time and put your whole attention into it for a set period, such as 45 minutes to an hour. Don’t check email, don’t look at social media, and put your phone aside. After that, you can take a five-minute break to stretch your legs or get a drink. Then start another single-tasking work block. Complete your whole working day in this manner.

Utilize the two-minute rule

If a task crops up between your single-task work blocks, ask yourself if you can finish it in two minutes. If so, get it done then and there. If not, either schedule a time block for it or add it to your to-do list to be slated later.

Schedule your to-do list

To-do lists are wish lists. Every evening, take your to-do list and turn it into a plan by allocating specific blocks of time in which you’ll complete all these tasks.

Prioritize the next day’s tasks

After you’ve scheduled your to-do list, write down the three most crucial tasks you need to complete the next day, and the first key task you are going to start in the morning. This way, you won’t waste time in the morning figuring out what to do.

Decompress

You need to decompress and relax in the evenings or your productivity the next day will suffer. Take some time away from desks and screens. Find an activity that helps you forget about everything else, like a sport, dancing, or playing a musical instrument.

Repeat

Planning your days has a psychological as well as a practical benefit. By breaking the day up into work blocks and identifying your first tasks, you have made the day less intimidating.

So remember to repeat this planning process every evening, and you’ll see a significant boost in your productivity.

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

“Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship.”

—Benjamin Franklin

6 MOBILE PAYMENT APPS THAT ARE REPLACING CASH AND PLASTIC

Digital wallets give consumers added security and convenience.

WRITER: EVAN CROSBY

Several large finance and technology companies have developed mobile payment apps that customers can use to pay for store purchases. Pay apps, also known as digital wallets, are available for both Android and iPhone users. After installing a payment app, customers then link it to their bank or credit card information. Each time customers pay for something with an app, the amount is either deducted from their bank account or charged to their credit card. Paying for instore purchases with a digital wallet is more secure than using a credit or debit card because all customer financial information is kept private. Therefore, a growing number of customers are using their smartphone to pay for retail purchases.

Venmo is another digital wallet created by PayPal. Venmo lets you share payments with others. For example, if you go out to eat with a group of friends, you and your friends can use the app to split up and pay the bill. You can also send money to others that use the app.

Android Pay has partnerships with major credit cards like Visa. The app is an easy way for Android users to pay for Google services like apps, games, music, and videos. You also can use Android Pay for traditional retail and online purchases.

PayPal is one of the oldest, and largest, online payment systems in the world. The company began as a digital alternative to cash, checks, money orders, and wire transfers. In addition to those services, customers can also install the PayPal app on their smartphone. Linking the app to your payment information is easy: just take a picture of your credit or debit card with the app. PayPal’s mobile wallet lets you pay for in-store purchases with your smartphone. The app also allows you to manage your account as well as send and receive payments.

Dwolla is a competitor of PayPal’s that offers a mobile payment system. However, the company is much smaller and is open only to users in the United States. A growing number of brick-and-mortar merchants, online retailers, and organizations accept payments from Dwolla users.

The popularity of pay apps has not gone unnoticed by big banks. In fact, Citibank has become the first bank to offer its own mobile wallet, Citi Pay. Citibank customers are eligible to use the Citi Pay app anywhere that Citibank cards are accepted.

The Apple Pay app is available to iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac users. The app is a convenient way for users to pay for iTunes and other Apple services. You can also use the app to pay for in-store and online purchases.

In short, mobile pay apps are quickly replacing cash and plastic as modes of payment. A lot of digital wallet users like that their banking information is kept private from merchants. Also, many customers find that using their smartphone is more convenient than digging out a credit or debit card in a store. There are several pay apps available; however, the most popular ones are from major financial and technology companies: Apple, Google, PayPal, Citibank, and Visa. Finally, if you would like to use a digital wallet to pay for purchases with your smartphone, then research the different apps to decide which one is right for you.

10

FINANCIAL COMMANDMENTS FOR A BETTER LIFE

WRITER: B.E. CONRAD

You are no doubt familiar with the 10 commandments, but there are additional rules by which to live. If you want to live a successful financial life, following some basic rules of the monetary road can help you a great deal.

These 10 financial commandments are not hard to live by, at least if you are willing to work hard and stick with it. If you want to change your life, just keep these 10 financial commandments in mind.

I. Save something

Even if it is just a dollar from every paycheck, get in the habit of saving. You can always ramp up the amounts later, but the key is to get started.

II. Pay yourself first

Instead of waiting until the end of the month to see what’s left, flip the script and pay yourself first. Treat your investments as just another bill that you must pay every month.

III. Keep a daily spending journal

There is nothing like a written record to keep you honest, so record your purchases throughout the day and look for ways to cut back.

IV. Be proactive about asking for that raise

If you think you deserve a raise, go ahead and ask for it. If you are a valuable part of the team, your boss may be willing to sweeten the deal.

V. Invest in yourself

You are your best investment, so keep learning, gaining new skills, and becoming more valuable to would-be employers. Your education is the best investment you will ever make.

VI.

Participate in

your workplace retirement plan

Even if it is just 1 percent of your pay, sign up for your employer’s 401(k) or 403(b) plan. Try to ramp up the amount you save at the beginning of each year or on your anniversary date.

VII. Create a debt elimination strategy

If you have debt, create a plan for getting rid of it. Whether it is getting a second job and using that income, cutting back on expenses, or just throwing extra cash at your bills, getting rid of debt should be your No. 1 goal.

VII. Invest the savings

Once your debt is gone, keep making those payments, but make them to yourself. This strategy is a painless way to save and invest.

IX. Create an extra income stream

Having a second source of revenue gives you peace of mind and an additional impetus to save. Whether you monetize a blog, take on a side hustle, or sell your crafts online, creating an extra stream of income is a good way of improving your financial life.

X. Review your budget

Having a budget is critical since it helps you see where your money is going. Take time to review your budget to see how you are doing and what you could be doing better.

Commandments are rules to live by, and they do not have to be religious. Whether you go to church every week or rarely see the inside of a temple, the 10 financial commandments outlined above can help you improve your earthly life.

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I Final Impression

LOVIN’ ME SOME LAKE

WRITER: JAMES COMBS

It’s October. College football is in full swing, the holidays are rapidly approaching, and cooler weather will soon replace the unbearable heat and humidity we’ve endured for months.

We have many reasons to be thankful. We should also be thankful to call Lake County home. Here’s a laundry list of why I enjoy living here:

• Contrary to popular belief, this is not a boring, desolate area. Simply put, a county with 315,690 residents cannot even be considered rural. That’s more than four times the population of Wilmington, the largest city in Delaware. We have approximately 106,000 more residents than Des Moines, the largest city in Iowa. You cannot possibly drive through Clermont, The Villages, and Mount Dora and tell me there’s nothing to do here. In fact, it’s the 19th-largest county (out of 67) in the country’s third-fastest growing state. You want to see rural? Go to North Florida. You’ve undoubtedly heard the old joke: “Florida: the farther north you drive, the farther south you get.”

• Leesburg Bikefest. I’ve attended most years, and watching this grow into one of the country’s largest motorcycle events has been a real treat. Beer, bikes, and bikini-clad babes. Like they used to say in the Old Milwaukee beer commercials: “It just doesn’t get any better than this.” Did I mention bikini-clad babes?

• Each town has its own identity. The tourist attractions in Mount Dora, the bustling events in Leesburg, the waterfront activities in

Tavares, and the health-conscious options in Clermont make Lake a truly diverse county.

• The wealth of events. Hold on to your handlebars because Leesburg Bikefest is not the only game in town.

The Lake County Folk Festival, Pig on the Pond, the Mount Dora Arts Festival, and the Sunnyland Antique and Classic Boat Festival— the largest classic boat show on America’s East Coast—draw thousands of visitors to the area.

Oh yeah, Eustis’ GeorgeFest is the second-longest-running festival of its kind in the country.

• Ample opportunities for the avid outdoor enthusiast. Love to fish? Enjoy hiking? Want to discover birding? With various preserves, nature parks, and more than 1,000 named lakes, Lake County has you covered.

• Lake is becoming a destination for niche sports such as beach volleyball and disc golf. In fact, the sand volleyball complex at Hickory Point is the largest in Florida and the third-largest in the United States. County officials hope to build the Lake County Disc Golf Trail, which would allow Lake to host prestigious tournaments and world championships.

• Last, but certainly not least, the people. Lake County residents embody the true meaning of community spirit and would gladly give you the shirts off their backs if you needed it. Here, we don’t have neighbors; we have extended family.

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Fighting breast cancer one mammogram at a time.

Fighting breast cancer one mammogram at a time.

$99

Digital Screening Mammograms during the month of October.

Schedule Your Mammogram Today!

Schedule Your Mammogram Today!

Have you had your mammogram yet? One-in-eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and it is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. A mammogram is the most effective method for detecting breast cancer early, when it is most treatable and beatable.

Have you had your mammogram yet? One-in-eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and it is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. A mammogram is the most effective method for detecting breast cancer early, when it is most treatable and beatable.

Screening Mammograms are recommended at least every two years, starting between the ages of 40 and 50. Consult with your physician to determine when and how often you should have a screening mammogram.

Screening Mammograms are recommended at least every two years, starting between the ages of 40 and 50. Consult with your physician to determine when and how often you should have a screening mammogram.

Schedule your exam today call, (352) 253-3700 | FHWatermanPink.com

Schedule your exam today call, (352) 253-3700 | FHWatermanPink.com

*Discounted $99 price valid only for self pay patients receiving a screening mammogram at Florida Hospital Waterman. Valid from October 1 to October 31, 2017.