February 2014 VOL. 9 - ISSUE 2
flaire
A Note from the editor
2 February 2014
flaire FOR WOMEN
Cynthia M. Ellis As you begin reading this month’s issue of flaire be aware that you don’t need to be in love or even in a relationship to enjoy Valentine’s Day. I know it’s a holiday for lovers, but really why can’t it be one on which you do something special for yourself? Don’t get me wrong for any of you in a relationship, but I’ve watched many women become disappointed because the one they love didn’t do what she felt he should do to celebrate their love. The reality is he should be doing it every day. The little things are what matter. If he’s not a romantic the rest of the year, then don’t expect him to suddenly be on Feb. 14. It leads to disappointment. I’m not in a serious relationship right now, but I couldn’t be more excited about the approaching holiday. Why? I have a trip planned to Monterey, Calif. I will be spending the day being a proud Marine mom watching my son graduate from the U.S. Military Defense Language Institute. I couldn’t ask for a better Valentine’s gift than to be with him. He is, after all, the “love of my life.” This issue is filled with things to make a woman feel good and all that is truly required is a positive attitude. Loving yourself is more important than wondering about what someone will or won’t do for you. Enjoy the day like it’s any other and if you really want chocolate or some sexy lingerie, splurge and buy it for yourself. I mean, who cares if you’re single on Valentine’s Day, just don’t let anyone make you feel bad about. I know I don’t.
flaire: A natural talent or aptitude; a knack; instinctive discernment; keeness; distinctive elegance or style
F L A I R E I S A SU P P L E M E N T TO T H E T E L EG R A P H
W H AT ’ S I N S I D E
C O N T R I B U TO R S
4
GENERAL MANAGER
Freshgirl Fashion
Sweet in Scarves
5
Divine Design
6
COVER STORY
6
February Recipe
Dreaming of Flowers Dark Love Affair
Jack Daniels Pork Tenderloin
8 Style Sense
Luscious Lingerie
8 Basic Beauty 11
Pucker Up
Dr. Christine Seo
Atrial fibrillation and sleep apnea
ON THE COVER
Kent A. Kilpatrick
EDITOR/SENIOR WRITER Cynthia M. Ellis cynmell@hotmail.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Corey Stulce Vicki Bennington Lynne and Eddie Agha Christine Seo, M.D.
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Scarves are one of my favorite accessories; you can never have enough and they are very versatile. They add color and dimension to outfits and can be found in almost all clothing stores. Scarves are also an all year round accessory. For spring and summer you can wear a lightweight material and in the fall and winter you can wear a heavy wool material to keep warm. If you are a crafty person, you can even make your own scarf. I’ve made three infinity scarves, which took about 45 minutes each. I made them by “arm knitting.” This is really easy to learn, and once you get the hang of it the scarves can be made even faster. Usually, scarves cost about $15, but the tools needed to arm knit a scarf cost about $7. There are endless possibilities when wearing a scarf. You can tie the ends together to create an infinity scarf, or create the European loop or even the water-
fall style. Scarves go great with a plain T-shirt and jeans for those lazy days or can be paired with a nice dress, when dressing up. Pattern scarves go great with a solid tee, but if you’ve become tired of this look you can try something a little more creative. For instance, try pairing a pattern scarf with a patterned shirt, which is a huge trend in fashion this year. If you do not own a pattern scarf and just have solid colors you can color block, by pairing bright colors together, or even pair it with a patterned shirt. Scarves have been around for a long time and won’t be going away any time soon. There is good reason for this. It is because they are so useful and versatile. They can bring life to an outfit by adding color, but not too much. Therefore it’s best that every woman should at least own a couple scarves, whether it’s patterned or solid. Scarves are easy to borrow from your mom or friends — that way you can have more of a variety of colors and patterns.
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Winter is cold, gray, bare, usually wet and often overcast. It is the appropriate time for nature to sleep, hibernate and get ready to change — a fact of life in the four seasons area like ours. However, I’m dreaming of flowers. Flowers bloom in all types of terrain, from lily of the valley in the shade around our trees to the desert cactus that blooms amid their veil of thorns. Daisy types come in white and yellow and pinks and blues to delight our eyes. Of course the first flower we see around here is the yellow and purple crocus peeping up at us, often through a layer of snow. These are followed soon by the daffodils and jonquils in their pure gold, yellows, creams and whites with an occasional flash of clean crisp orange. Later, tulips burst from their bulbs to create clouds of color sailing across our lawns like blowing silken scarves. These tulips come in numerous colors and patterns, like the parrot tulips with their serrated edges that look like the feathers of their namesake. Next we have the majestic tall bearded irises. They pretty much define the color royal purple in my mind, but also come in a breathtaking spectrum of colors that include sky blues to navies, mauves to maroons, creams to yellows, peaches to rusts, and all of the “fire� colors. We give flowers to express our
feelings. Brides, maids, grooms, attendants and parents all have their flowers. Our halls are decorated with more of the blooms. At funerals we weep petals and try to cover the bare earth with their ephemeral beauty to ease our loss. Just as we have birthstones for each month, we also have a flower for each month, like carnation for January, iris for February or rose for June. The Victorian culture assigned different meanings to flowers and could essentially send messages in code by what blooms were presented in a picture or bouquet. Flowers are a significant part of our cultural vocabulary and as such, they are highly represented in our variety of jewelry choices. Flowering blooms make up pendants and earrings, and the occasional ring. Roses tend to be one of the most popular flowers used not only as real blooms but also in jewelry. The presentation of a single rose has always meant “love� and this is the logical basis for the multitude of pendants that incorporate roses. Several years ago a friend who was losing his battle with cancer picked out a single gold rose pendant for his wife of many years. He asked us to give it to her “afterward.� The evening of his passing we took his parting gift to her. That single rose of gold meant he loved her, before, now and always! Actual flowers are delicate and fleeting, so we have more permanent representations made in precious metals to wear and enjoy. The best part is they do not need to be watered, just enjoyed.
Jack Daniels Pork Tenderloin
DARK LOVE AFFAIR
Scientists link chocolate’s popularity to mood-altering ingredients
6 February 2014
flaire FOR WOMEN
CYNTHIA M. ELLIS
Love is in the air — or rather this month, it’s likely the smell of chocolate. A woman’s love for the sweet and decadent treat can range from the casual affair to the declaration that chocolate is “better than sex.” Chocolate just doesn’t tingle the tongue, but its compounds affect the brain just like a powerful kiss. “For most of us, chocolate is a guilty pleasure,” said Dr. Susan Mitchell, a nutrition expert and author of “I’d Kill for a Cookie.” “We crave it because it tastes wonderful and sweet, even when we know we should be stretching for the fruit bowl.” Mitchell said the ingredients in chocolate create a powerful blend for your brain. “The combination gives you that overall optimum brain happiness,” she said. “Chocolate just seems to have that magical power, the way it makes you feel.” It’s often said the chocolate is an aphrodisiac. The Aztecs may have been the first on record to draw a link between the cocoa bean and sexual desire. Nowadays scientists believe there are two chemicals in chocolate that support this theory. The first is tryptophane, which increases the brain’s serotonin levels for a happy, feel-good result. The second is phenethylamine, a stimulant related to amphetamine that causes feelings of passion and love. Philip K. Wilson, joint author of “Chocolate as Medicine — A Quest over the Centuries” with Jeffrey Hurst, said what lies behind the aphrodisiac qualities of chocolate is still to be answered. “It’s difficult to tease apart which chemicals may be contributing to which psychological functions,” Wilson said. “There are over 500 chemicals in consumer chocolate products, so there’s a lifetime of chemical analysis still to be done.” His hunch is that the “almost seductive” texture of chocolate is as important as its ingredients. “The combination of the smoothness and creaminess of chocolate in the mouth, the sweetness of the taste — boosted by vanilla flavoring — and the smell of it before it even hits the taste buds make chocolate-eating a hugely pleasurable experience,” Wilson said.
Both Mitchell and Wilson said women do have a stronger craving for chocolate. An American Diabetes Association report found that only 15 percent of males appear to crave chocolate and as many as 40 percent of women do, plus 75 percent of them claim that absolutely nothing other than chocolate can satisfy their appetite. Because chocolate cravings may be influenced by a deficiency in magnesium, that this may be why some experience an increase in chocolate cravings during PMS. Nutritionist Adam Drewnowski with the University of Washington, said for most people craving chocolate is in no way harmful, but if it rises to the level of “binge eating” it can be a real problem. “For most people chocolate is the food most desired by women who binge eat,” Drewnowski said. Drewnowski said not all chocolate is equal. When choosing your chocolate, he said it’s important to become a label sleuth. “Watch for trans fat or hydrogenated fat, butter oil, coconut or palm oil (both of which contain saturated fat), or even milk fat, all of which are not healthy for you,” he said. He said if you must indulge in chocolate, go for the dark and compare labels to find the highest percentage of cacao you can. Cacao contains flavonoids, the antioxidant found in chocolate and red wine. Mitchell agrees. “There are more flavonoids in dark chocolate; milk chocolate does not have the health benefits of dark chocolate,” Mitchell said. Emerging research claims that flavonoids in dark chocolate can increase blood flow, which could help reduce high blood pressure. “As a general rule, the higher percentage of cacao equals a higher percentage of flavonoids,” Mitchell said. She said a piece of dark chocolate will usually have between 60 and 100 calories, depending on the size. Dark chocolate may not be fat-free, but if that is what you crave, enjoy it, she said. “I’ve given myself permission to pamper without guilt,” she said. “Chocolate should be something to look forward to and enjoy. We beat ourselves up enough every day.”
Motivated by her renovated “cook’s dream kitchen,” Katie Wuellner took food preparation to the next level after she and husband, Paul Krueger, moved into their home a little more than four years ago. Katie grew up in Godfrey and graduated from Illinois State University in Normal with a degree in nursing. After college, she wanted to improve her cooking skills and started to experiment. “My mom worked outside the home, and she KATIE WUELLNER always made easy dishes that I still like to make, like turkey tetrazzini, spaghetti and breakfast casserole — I make that all of the time,” she said. As a child, Katie’s grandmother taught her how to bake pie crusts from scratch, and every year, she and her mom get together to bake banana chocolate chip bread, which has become a holiday family tradition. “I experiment with new dishes a lot,” Katie said. “I want to make easy, yet healthy meals that will become staples in our home.” And she has the perfect place to hone her skills. As owner of Krueger Builder – Construction, Paul had the know-how to “open up” their home, creating a contemporary layout that’s perfect for entertaining. Katie and Paul take advantage of that, inviting friends and neighbors to enjoy their spacious living area, preparing food for dinner or “appetizer” parties that include spinach artichoke dip-filled filo cups, poor man’s caviar with corn chips, New Orleans crab pie and basically, anything with cheese. One of Katie’s favorite hobbies is researching new recipes, spending time on Pinterest and other websites, though she’s fond of the printed cookbook variety as well. “And Paul is a really good sport about new dishes,” she said. “Fortunately, he likes almost anything and is willing to at least give new recipes a try.” One of his newest favorites is chicken chow mein, which surprised Katie since he’s generally not a fan of international food, though the two love to travel and were even married in Cabo San Lucas. He also likes her Capellini Arrabiata, a spicy sweet Italian pasta, and he (and everyone else in her family) love her Jack Daniels Pork Tenderloin, a recipe she got from a friend several years ago. Katie works as an emergency room nurse, and during the week, she prepares large portions of soups, chilies, lasagna or baked fish, that will feed the family more than one night. On her days off she gets to spend more time experimenting in the kitchen. She sometimes works as a traveling nurse, and has gone to California for short periods of time. She plans to go back to school in 2014 to become a nurse practitioner. — VICKI BENNINGTON
JACK DANIELS PORK TENDERLOIN
1/2 c. brown sugar 1/4 c. Jack Daniels whiskey 1/4 c. soy sauce 1/4 c. ketchup 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1 pork tenderloin Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all ingredients except tenderloin in saucepan; bring to a boil, then simmer to thicken. Place tenderloin in greased pan; brush sauce over tenderloin in thin layer; set aside remaining sauce. Cook for 30 minutes. Spoon remaining sauce over individual servings of tenderloin to taste.
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flaire FOR WOMEN
Most of us don’t wear sexy underwear every day, some of us don’t wear them at all, but let’s face it — once in awhile we should, and here’s why. To feel sexy — Yes, every woman should feel sexy. Being sexy is a state of mind. You don’t have to have perfect proportions or wear revealing clothes to feel sexy. It’s all the way you present yourself. To rekindle romance — Every relationship falls into a rut sometimes. Maybe it’s not even a rut, but rather a state where you feel completely comfortable with each other and no one feels the need to impress or attract the other person. Instead of sleeping in an old T-shirt, why not put on a pretty nightgown. To keep passion going — Dressing up sexy for your loved one definitely boosts sex appeal. Go ahead and show him the strap to the red bra you’re wearing and
let him imagine all day what it will be like when you get home and can see the whole thing. To enhance your figure — Modern lingerie isn’t the same as it was 40 years ago. No longer are women wearing stiff corsets. Now they’ve got stylish bras that come in various styles that are meant to enhance what a girl’s got, small or large. They lift and hold a woman’s attributes in place more than ever before. To feel glamorous — Silk underwear and sleepwear feel unbelievably smooth and comfortable that it’s no doubt it will look glamorous. Pair a silk baby doll nightie and matching robe and use it to not only seduce your man, but yourself. The confidence boost of just putting on
basicBEAUTY
PUCKER UP and sleeping in something silk is enough to make you feel like a diva. To feel extraordinary on an ordinary day — wearing a pair of sexy underwear underneath your conservative business suit is something to make any girl smile. Only you can feel them and it’s important that you feel sexy even when you know your attire may not be doing that. Remember: wearing lingerie is as much for you as it is for him. Wearing lingerie isn’t just for the younger set, either. A British survey found that women between 45 and 55 in Norwich spent the most on the sexy stuff. A more liberated sexual attitude in recent years and the popularity of erotic fiction like “Fifty Shades of Grey” is thought to be behind the trend for women over 40 becoming more sexually assertive. Emily Bendell, founder of Bluebella, who conducted the survey, said ” Older women really know who they are and what they like – and nothing is more enticing and attractive than that inner confidence. “ – CYNTHIA M. ELLIS
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and you have a special date planned. You’ve picked out your outfit, visualized your hairstyle and know just how you want your look to go. Everything should go according to plan, but there is one beauty blunder you may not be prepared for — smeared lipstick. Your makeup is the last thing you want to worry about when you’re on a date. While eyeliner and mascara likely will stay in place, lipstick is another story. Often, you start the night with a perfect pout, and before you know it, your lipstick has decided to magically disappear — and reappear on the rim of the wine glass. To keep your lips colorful (and kissable) throughout the night, here are some step-by-step tips to keeping your pucker up. STEP 1 Exfoliate and moisturize Use a lip scrub to exfoliate any dead skin and smooth out the surface of your lips. Can’t find a lip scrub? Make your own using olive or coconut oil and brown sugar. Keep your lips smooth and hydrated by applying a good balm every night before you go to bed. STEP 2 Line Once your lips are fully exfoliated and moisturized, you will need to add definition and shape with a lip liner that matches the hue of your lipstick. This will also help prevent feathering later on — meaning your lipstick won’t run outside of the lines. STEP 3 Tint Now it’s time to fill it all in with color. Choose a tint that’s close to your lipstick shade. The tint essentially stains your lips, so even if you are eating and drinking throughout the night, color will remain on your lips. Tints work best after your lips are exfoliated. STEP 4 Lipstick After your lips are prepped, lined and tinted, go ahead and apply your lipstick color. Make sure that you use uniform shades through the process to keep your lips in that adoring hue. STEP 5 Seal Your last step for getting smooch-certified lips is sealing the deal. After you apply your lipstick, hold a tissue over your lips and lightly dust translucent powder over the tissue. The powder will ever so lightly fall on your lips through the tissue, and it will set your lip color the same way it sets your makeup when you use it on your face. — CYNTHIA M. ELLIS
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ATRIAL FIBRILLATION AND SLEEP APNEA It’s February and that means it’s time to recognize American Heart Month. One of the heart conditions that affects 2.7 million Americans is called atrial fibrillation, also known as afib – a Dr. Christine SEO Internal Medicine/ quivering or irregular Geriatrics Specialist heartbeat than can increase a person’s risk of stroke and heart failure. Atrial fibrillation occurs when abnormal electrical activity causes the upper chambers of the heart (or atria) to beat irregularly and out of coordination with the lower chambers or ventricles. Because the lower chambers have major responsibility for pumping blood to the rest of the body, atrial fibrillation by itself causes few problems. However, a heart in atrial fibrillation does not beat efficiently, and blood in the upper chambers tends to become sluggish, increasing the risk of blood clots and, ultimately, of life-threatening strokes. Some individuals with atrial fibrillation occasionally have extremely rapid palpitations that send them to the emergency room. Others are bothered by fatigue and shortness of breath. A significant number have no noticeable symptoms and can go about normal activities as long as they take a blood thinner such as Coumadin, Pradaxa or Xarelto to help protect them from blood clots and strokes. Afib can be caused by high blood pressure, heart failure, a heart attack or
heart surgery. It has also been linked to excessive drinking, thyroid disorders and certain drugs. Recent studies have found a clear link between afib and obstructive sleep apnea, or numerous episodes of interrupted breathing during sleep every night. Roughly half of persons with obstructive sleep apnea also have atrial fibrillation; and afib patients have an abnormally high prevalence of co-existing sleep apnea – as high as 81.6 percent, according to one study. Moreover, treatment of afib tends to be more successful when co-existing sleep apnea is treated and less successful when it is not. Obstructive sleep apnea involves interruptions that are characterized by loud snoring followed by a snort or gasp as the person attempts to resume breathing. In many cases, the sleep apnea patient never knows this is happening (until being informed by a sleep partner) but is bothered by extreme daytime sleepiness that creates a risk of accidents. Causes of sleep apnea are often structural — a large tongue, short lower jaw, excess weight and loss of tone in the muscles of the neck. But the effects of interrupted breathing can be quite serious, including sudden cardiac death. Over time, untreated sleep apnea can cause changes in the structure of the heart and lead to heart failure and other cardiovascular disorders. Many of the risk factors for atrial fibrillation and obstructive sleep apnea are the same: obesity, hypertension, age of
60 and older. In each case, men are more vulnerable than women. Both disorders are common, and it’s possible they could develop independently in the same person. However, several studies have shown that people with severe obstructive sleep apnea are highly likely to develop atrial fibrillation. Researchers speculated that the hypoxia (shortage of oxygen) and activation of the sympathetic nervous system that occur during apneic episodes could trigger the arrhythmia. Radiofrequency catheter ablation, considered by many to be the most effective afib treatment, also is affected by the presence of obstructive sleep apnea. Recurrence of arrhythymia after catheter ablation was 59 percent among patients with OSA but only 37 percent among those without sleep-disordered breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea is relatively easy to treat with weight loss, dental appliances that keep the tongue from blocking the throat and devices that keep the airways open during sleep. The preferred treatment for most patients is CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure applied through a mask worn over the nose and throat during sleep. Air is forced through the nose and mouth by an air blower. By contrast, treatment for atrial fibrillation is problematic. A normal rhythm can be re-established by electrically shocking the heart (cardioversion), but in at least half the cases, arrhythmia returns within a year. Some patients can be helped by medi-
cations such as beta blockers that slow the heart rate. But drugs used to specifically control the heart’s rhythm have many serious side effects, including damage to the lungs and thyroid gland. Many of these drugs can even bring on new arrhythmias, including life threatening ones in the lower chambers of the heart. For many patients, catheter ablation is the best long-term solution, but it is an invasive procedure that is not without risk. Sleep and its relation to heart health is a relatively new and unexplored area of medicine, and there are, as yet, no guidelines calling for the use of CPAP or other obstructive sleep apnea therapies for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. Patients who have been diagnosed with either disorder should be aware of the close association between the two. Early detection and treatment of sleepdisordered breathing is a crucial way of preventing severe, long-term heart problems, including arrhythmia. Patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and their doctors should realize that they may have undetected sleep apnea. Getting treatment for it may be exactly what they need to get and stay in normal sinus rhythm. For information on sleep studies, call Saint Anthony’s Sleep Center at 618-4635171. Dr. Seo is a board-certified internal medicine physician with Saint Anthony’s Physician Group. For an appointment with Dr. Seo, call 618-462-2222.
flaire FOR WOMEN February 2014 11
ENJOY A BETTER NIGHT’S SLEEP! 6
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