PageO Greenwood Commonwealth / Wednesday, September 3, 2014 eb^iqe=^ka=cfqkbpp =======================================================================================================================================================================
PageP Greenwood Commonwealth / Wednesday, September 3, 2014 eb^iqe=^ka=cfqkbpp =======================================================================================================================================================================
Cover Story: Terry Kimmel
No excuses
“Don’t tell me you don’t have the time. Everyone has the same 24 hours.” qÉêêó=háããÉä
Everyone has time to get fit, aerobics teacher says A
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erobics teacher Terry Kimmel accepts no excuses for not exercising. “Don’t tell me you don’t have the time. Everyone has the same 24 hours,” she said. “Exercise makes you a better mom, wife, employee, everything.” Kimmel was always active as a young person, including cheerleading, but the mother of five began exercising to relieve the stress inherent in her role. “One day I burned the Hamburger Helper, (and) a child came in with a tattoo,” she said. “My husband was out of town. I went out and ran up and down (Grand) Boulevard twice. It felt good.” That began a life of fitness that has helped her and others. “I started kicking it back up again. The kids knew 5 to 6 p.m. was my time every day. Unless they were bleeding or something, I exercised.” About six or seven years ago, Kimmel decided she needed a better fitness rou-
tine, so she created an aerobics workout for herself and then started teaching a class. “It’s a head-to-toe complete workout for me,” she said. “It includes cardio, strength training and flexibility. All are important in a good workout. That’s what we do — every bit of it.” Now she has a class full of students of all ages, both male and female, who depend on her to help them get fit. The youngest is 14, and the oldest is over 60. People can use the class whether they are beginners or advanced. “Beginners can modify it,” she said. “You have to pace yourself.” Having a group to exercise with creates both accountability and sociability, Kimmel said. “Having a support group like our class is very helpful. If someone misses a class, somebody checks on them to encourage them. I don’t have to worry about contacting them. “We also support each other in other
ways, like celebrating birthdays. I also send out mass texts that are motivational,” she said. Most of her students stay with her. “I have one or two who have been in the class the whole time. It’s a neat experience.” Kimmel works as surgical nurse for Dr. Michael Coleman, a job she has held for the past 18 years. For her, exercise is about health. “It’s about fitness, not about skinny,” she said. “I work out three times a week. I love a holistic approach. It’s not just exercise, but it’s about eating right and getting the right amount of sleep. It’s all in moderation. I’m not a nut or fanatic about it.” She said a lot of people don’t think they can do an exercise class. “I teach a lot of life exercises,” she said. “I’m training a 70-year-old who can probably run circles around a 30-year-old. I tell people to just come once and try it.”
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In addition to teaching aerobics three times a week, Kimmel is also a personal trainer, working with a number of clients. She became a nurse after not fulfilling her original goal of becoming a dancer. “I have been teaching exercise for 30-plus years. In 2005 I went to Cooper Institute in Dallas and got my personal training license. The training is very important.” Although she is 56 years old and has grandchildren, Kimmel says she does not feel her age. “I have more energy than ever. It’s a great thing for me,” she said. “It’s just wonderful.” The aerobics class experience sometimes does more than help with fitness, she said: “I have seen people transformed from shy to not being afraid of the gym.” Kimmel said she might want to slow down someday but doesn’t see herself no longer exercising regularly or teaching. “I can’t think about quitting,” she said. n
Setting an example
PageQ Greenwood Commonwealth / Wednesday, September 3, 2014 eb^iqe=^ka=cfqkbpp =======================================================================================================================================================================
Dr. Joseph Assini
Podiatrist models easy healthy living program D
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r. Joseph Assini has seen the benefits from losing weight through some simple lifestyle changes, and he wants others to know they can do it, too. The Greenwood podiatrist, who weighed 241 pounds on April 24, had dropped to 208 as of Aug. 19 by doing regular exercise and making adjustments to his diet. At one point, he said he wanted to lose 40 pounds, and he is confident that will happen. But he hasn’t set a deadline to hit that mark. Rather, he just plans to keep doing what he’s doing and let the benefits come naturally. “I know it’ll continue because it’s a lifestyle change and not a fad or a yo-yo diet or something that you join and then don’t want to do anymore,” he said. v v v
Assini, 59, came to Greenwood Leflore Hospital in October 2012 from New York. As a podiatrist, he already had seen many diabetic patients lose limbs and experience other problems. However, in New York, that typically didn’t happen until they were in those 70s or 80s. In the Delta, he treats some people who are on dialysis on their 20s. “The thing that actually put me over
the top was, six to eight months ago, we had a patient 13 years old that weighed 398 pounds,” he said. After going on television once to speak about diabetes, he realized that given his family history, he might be headed for trouble, too. “I looked at myself and said, ‘I’m headed for the same cliff, with diabetes in my family,’ and I couldn’t believe I was up to 241,” he said. He resolved to cut out sweets that have no nutritional value, eat more fruits and vegetables and exercise more. These days, he does have dessert every once in a while, but he doesn’t crave it. He also has committed to a 25-minute walk at least five days a week — typically during his lunch hour — and that also has made a difference. However, he recommended aiming for a seven-days-aweek exercise schedule first. “If you shoot for seven, you may end up with five, six or seven,” he said. “If you shoot for five, you’re going to end up with three, four or five. If you listen to the pundits that say ‘three times a week,’ you’re lucky if you’re going to do it once.” And for those who can’t walk, there are other exercises they can do while sitting, he said. He recommends that people motivate themselves by putting up pictures from weddings, graduations or some other
time when they were happier with how they looked. A person might not notice the impact of gaining three pounds in a year, but it adds up if that pattern continues for a decade, he said. Assini said his approach has been simple, enjoyable and inexpensive — and getting positive reinforcement from others helps, too. He said it feels good when people thank him for helping their relatives or when they recognize him from his television appearances and honk their horns at him on the street. Also, he said other people at the hospital have seen what he has done and been motivated to lose weight. In turn, he hopes they will be able to motivate their friends and relatives, too. “My patients are my family. My community is my family. And I’m doing it to help them help themselves,” said Assini, who has a wife and three children of his own. “But the funny thing is, whenever you do something for someone else, you get so much more back.” v v v
Assini said that when he came to the Delta, he saw a “disconnect” regarding health problems. Many people seem to think that if their parents or grandparents had conditions
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such as diabetes, they will inevitably suffer the same fate, he said. But he tells them that if they change their habits, they can break the cycle — and even if they do develop diabetes, they can take steps to avoid amputation, blindness and other severe effects late in life. “Being a podiatrist, I’ve seen diabetic patients from infancy on,” he said. “And the earlier you have it, the more aggressive it is, and the more you need to intervene with good healthy habits.” Greenwood Leflore Hospital already has conducted a survey assessing the community’s needs, and the top issues identified by residents were diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Assini said these findings fit well with what he wants to do. Diabetes educators already are available to help patients, and patients only need to give a doctor’s referral. Assini already has spoken to a number of groups about diabetes risks and prevention and received a good response. And since the disease affects the whole body, the hospital will be unveiling a multidisciplinary approach to fighting it that will include doctors from different specialties. It’s all about caring for others and treating work as a calling, Assini said. “This is beyond a job. This isn’t work for us,” he said. “This is more of a vocation, because life has to mean more than what we do.” n
PageR Greenwood Commonwealth / Wednesday, September 3, 2014 eb^iqe=^ka=cfqkbpp =======================================================================================================================================================================
Dirt work
PageS Greenwood Commonwealth / Wednesday, September 3, 2014 eb^iqe=^ka=cfqkbpp =======================================================================================================================================================================
James Tolleson
FoodCorps worker teaches healthy food lifestyle G
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The FoodCorps member is also on hand reenwood’s first FoodCorps serto ensure, if they display an interest, that vice member is delving into another school year to teach stu- local children can learn about gardening and cooking and have the skills that corredents about food, agriculture and health. spond with the three pillars. Partnering with the city of Greenwood, So far, Tolleson has helped integrate the Greenwood School District and the hands-on learning into science classes at National Center for Appropriate Threadgill and Greenwood Middle. The Technology in Jackson, James Tolleson began his work at Threadgill Elementary children have learned about the food system, where food comes from and how food School and Greenwood Middle School in affects personal and environmental health. September 2013. Beginning last year, Tolleson, with stu“A lot of what I was doing was looking dents, teachers and volunteers, began for teachers, community members, farmwork on raised bed gardens at the schools. ers and gardeners who are growing fresh The garden teaches students science conproduce in the area and trying to figure out what are the ways people are trying to cepts in a “real life” setting, such as photosynthesis, decomposition and reusing achieve health equity,” said Tolleson. decomposed material — compost — to FoodCorps, a branch of the national AmeriCorps service network, aims to give grow new plants. Tolleson hopes the gardens can become all children an enduring relationship with healthy food. There are seven locations in an outdoor classroom for the children, expanding the garden- and food-related the state with FoodCorps service memlearning to other subjects, such as history, bers, including three in Jackson and one each in Shelby, Louisville, Biloxi and now social studies and math. “We focus a good bit on working with sciGreenwood. The national organization ence teachers, but I’m also interested in also works in 15 other states. Tolleson, a North Carolina native, oper- working with a variety of different teachers,” he said. “The garden could be used to ates using what FoodCorps calls its three teach math concepts, work on measurepillars: knowledge, engagement and access. A lot of his job is making sure that --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- pÉîÉê~ä=íçã~íçÉë=~êÉ=ÖêçïáåÖ=~í=íÜÉ=aÉäí~=aáêí=d~êÇÉåI=ïÜáÅÜ=ï~ë=íÉåÇÉÇ=çîÉê=íÜÉ=ëìãJ pÉÉ TOLLESONI=m~ÖÉ=T ãÉê=Äó=aÉäí~=aáêí=vçìíÜ=d~êÇÉåÉêëK people have access to healthy foods. pqlov=^ka=melqlp=_v=orqefb=ol_fplk
PageT Greenwood Commonwealth / Wednesday, September 3, 2014 eb^iqe=^ka=cfqkbpp =======================================================================================================================================================================
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`çåíáåìÉÇ=Ñêçã=m~ÖÉ=S ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ments, depth, width and area.” The garden can also be used to teach the history of the food system and the problems with the production of food over time, he said. Last school year, several seventh- and eighth-graders at Greenwood Middle School participated in an afterschool garden club. “Most of the spring, we were building the garden, and, after spring, we were able to get some crops in the ground,” Tolleson said. “Over the summer, we were able to do some healthy cooking activities.” Tolleson co-taught, with ArtPlace Mississippi artist Robin Whitfield, an afterschool gardening class at the Delta Dirt Garden during the spring and summer break, too. The program lasted eight weeks, and the students learned about gardening, food and entrepreneurship. The school gardens and the Delta Dirt Garden, located at the Greenwood-Leflore County Recycling Center, produced tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, beets and one watermelon. “That was really a learning process for all of us,” said Tolleson, who is fairly new to gardening. The Delta Dirt Youth Gardeners, as they called themselves, took their harvest to the Greenwood Farmers Market and sold it there. The group learned to price their produce, interact with customers and talk to and learn from local farmers. “For the most part, I was happy they kept coming back,” said Tolleson. “It was completely voluntary. I had six students who kept with it for eight weeks during the summer. They were out in the garden three times a week and, on Saturday, at farmers market.” After weeks of tending to the plants, the young gardeners celebrated their success with a party.
^å=ÉÖÖéä~åí Öêçïë=~í íÜÉ=aÉäí~ aáêí=d~êÇÉåI äçÅ~íÉÇ=~í íÜÉ dêÉÉåïççÇJ iÉÑäçêÉ `çìåíó oÉÅóÅäáåÖ `ÉåíÉêK cççÇ`çêéë ëÉêîáÅÉ ãÉãÄÉê g~ãÉë qçääÉëçå=~åÇ ^êímä~ÅÉ jáëëáëëáééá ~êíáëí=oçÄáå tÜáíÑáÉäÇ=ÅçJ í~ìÖÜí=~å ÉáÖÜíJïÉÉâ éêçÖê~ã=~í íÜÉ=Ö~êÇÉåI ïÜÉêÉ=íÜÉ ëíìÇÉåíë íÉåÇÉÇ=íç íÜÉ=éä~åíëI ëçäÇ=íÜÉ=éêçJ ÇìÅÉ=~í=íÜÉ dêÉÉåïççÇ c~êãÉêë j~êâÉí=~åÇ ÅççâÉÇ ÜÉ~äíÜÑìä ãÉ~äëK With the assistance of guest chef Mary Hoover, the group seasoned and grilled some of their veggies, including green tomatoes, bell peppers and eggplant. “They really liked it,” Tolleson said. “The bell peppers were a big hit. We seasoned the vegetables on the grill with garlic powder, steak seasoning and parsley. Some of the children were kind of apprehensive, because it was a new thing. But they tried it together as a group, and Mrs. Hoover encouraged everyone to try it in unison and give some feedback.”
One of Tolleson’s priorities this school year is to form a school garden committee. “Communities tend to have the resources or expertise to improve themselves,” he said. “As a newcomer, I bring new perspective, but unless I have guidance from people here, I’m not going to be successful. We have a lot of expertise and knowledge in Greenwood that we just need to tap into.” The committee is open to students, parents, teachers, those with ties to farming or gardening or community volunteers.
“The school garden committee is one strategy we are using to get as many people involved long term and be a part of the decisions for what’s grown there and what’s the purpose, and, also I can get input, so it really becomes the school’s garden,” Tolleson said. Anyone interested in helping with the school gardens can contact Tolleson at à~ãÉëKíçääÉëçå]ÑççÇÅçêéëKçêÖ or at (828) 699-7446. “At the end of the day, it is about helping kids grow up healthy,” he said. n
PageU Greenwood Commonwealth / Wednesday, September 3, 2014 eb^iqe=^ka=cfqkbpp =======================================================================================================================================================================
On the road
PageV Greenwood Commonwealth / Wednesday, September 3, 2014 eb^iqe=^ka=cfqkbpp =======================================================================================================================================================================
Terry Grantham
She reached her mid-50s and needed new hobby T
erry Grantham found a passion for running in an unusual manner. A lot of runners pick up the sport for its many fitness benefits. Grantham was just looking for a way to fill some idle time. Two years ago, with the last of four kids out of the house, she was looking for a new hobby, so in her mid-50s, Grantham decided to give running a try. “I had been used to having children in the house for the last 38 years, and things were real slow around there after that. I needed something to do, and I had always heard people talk about endorphins from, like, a runner’s high. And I felt like that’s what I needed,” Grantham said. “I had never been a runner before this, but I was active. But when you start chasing kids to ball games and dance recitals, it’s harder to find time to exercise.” That first run two years ago didn’t last long — maybe about a block, she said. But Grantham didn’t get discouraged, pushed on and was up to running a mile in about a month. She reached her first goal of three miles a couple of months later. Then she was hooked. “Yes, I am very addicted now. The longest I’ve gone without running in the last two years was four days, and that about killed me,” she said. “I can’t really explain why I love to run so much. There is a freedom to it. You are alone with your thoughts. It’s a good time to think.” Now, the 56-year-old mother of four runs 31/2 miles at least four times a week. Her next goal is 15 miles without stopping — a milestone she will shoot for as soon as the summer heat and humidity start to fall. “I feel like I can get 15 miles, but it’s just too hot to try it right now,” Grantham said. Grantham lost about 50 pounds in the first four months after she began running. She says she has gained a little of that weight back, and it’s a good thing. “Losing that much weight that soon caused me to lose a lot of strength. At first, running just killed my appetite, but I’ve gotten some of it back now,” she said. “I will cross-train sporadically to help me
NK=oìååáåÖ=ã~âÉë óçì=Ü~ééáÉêK= If you’ve been working out regularly, you’ve already discovered it: No matter how good or bad you feel at any given moment, exercise will make you feel better. And it goes beyond just the “runner’s high”—that rush of feel-good hormones known as endocannabinoids.
“I can’t really explain why I love to run so much. There is a freedom to it. You are alone with your thoughts. It’s a good time to think.” qÉêêó=dê~åíÜ~ã
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get stronger.” Grantham has competed in one competitive race so far, winning her age division in a four-mile run at Leland’s Frog Fest with a time of 38 minutes, 36 seconds. She would love to participate in
OK=oìååáåÖ=ÜÉäéë=óçì ÖÉí=ëâáååáÉêK You know that exercises burns calories while you’re working out. The bonus is that when you exercise, the burn continues after you stop. Studies have shown that regular exercise boosts “afterburn”—that is, the number of calories you burn after exercise. (Scientists call this EPOC, which stands for excess post oxygen consumption.) That’s kind of like getting a paycheck even after you retire.
Greenwood’s two running events, the 300 Oaks and the Viking Half Marathon, but unfortunately she’s working during those events. Grantham is very involved behind the scenes that those races because she is the office manager for the GreenwoodLeflore County Chamber of Commerce. n
S=ÄÉåÉÑáíë=çÑ=êìååáåÖ
PK=oìååáåÖ=ëíêÉåÖíÜJ Éåë=óçìê=âåÉÉë=E~åÇ óçìê=çíÜÉê=àçáåíë=~åÇ ÄçåÉëI=íççFK It’s long been known that running increases bone mass and even helps stem age-related bone loss. But chances are, you’ve had family, friends and strangers warn you that “running is bad for your knees.” Well, science has proven that it’s not. In fact, studies show that running improves knee health, according to Boston University researcher David Felson in an interview with National Public Radio.
QK=oìååáåÖ=ïáää=âÉÉé óçì=ëÜ~êéÉêI=ÉîÉå=~ë óçì=~ÖÉK Worried about “losing it” as you get older? Working out regularly will help you stay “with it.” A December 2012 study published in Psychonomic Bulletin & Review concluded that the evidence is insurmountable that regular exercise helps defeat age-related mental decline, particularly functions such as task switching, selective attention and working memory.
pqlov=^ka=melql=_v=_fii=_roorp
RK=oìååáåÖ=êÉÇìÅÉë óçìê=êáëâ=çÑ=Å~åÅÉêK= Maybe running doesn’t cure cancer, but there’s plenty of proof that it helps prevent it. A vast review of 170 epidemiological studies in the Journal of Nutrition showed that regular exercise is associated with a lower risk of certain cancers. What’s more, if you already have cancer, running can improve your quality of life while you’re undergoing chemotherapy.
SK=oìååáåÖ=~ÇÇë óÉ~êë=íç=óçìê=äáÑÉK= Even if you meet just the minimum of amount of physical activity (30 minutes, five times per week), you’ll live longer. Studies show that when different types of people started exercising, they lived longer. Smokers added 4.1 years to their lives; nonsmokers gained 3 years. Even if you’re still smoking, you’ll get 2.6 more years. Cancer survivors extended their lives by 5.3 years. Those with heart disease gained 4.3 years. Ô oìååÉêë=tçêäÇ
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Delta blues
PageNN Greenwood Commonwealth / Wednesday, September 3, 2014 eb^iqe=^ka=cfqkbpp =======================================================================================================================================================================
Depression
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Depression is fact of life for many area residents
he recent suicide of actor-comedian Robin Williams has brought the issue of depression into sharp focus, says Jonathan Grantham, mental health services coordinator at Life Help. Such an event “brings needed attention to the plight of the mentally ill and the resources available to them,” Grantham said. Grantham said depression is prevalent throughout society. “According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 16 million adults age 16 and older in the U.S. had at least one depressive episode in the previous year,” he said. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that as many as 1 in 10 adults in the nation report having some level of depression, he said. However, Grantham said, “if we were to add the number of Americans suffering from depression but not being treated, those numbers would surely be much higher.” Depression is an even bigger problem in the Mississippi Delta. “Unfortunately, depression is a part of everyday life for many people in our area,” Grantham said. “The blues is more than a kind of music around here.” In a 2006-2008 study by the CDC, both Arkansas and Mississippi fell into the category of highest number of reported cases of adults meeting criteria for depression per capita, Grantham said. Also, he said, according to the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, suicide is the third leading cause of death for Mississippi teens. “The good news is that people are more willing now to discuss depression than ever before,” Grantham said. “That lends itself to change.” Life Help offers services to residents of 12 counties in west central Mississippi. Grantham said the causes of depression can vary widely from person to person. “Depression is often thought of as feeling sad or blue, but depression is much more serious than circumstantial feelings of sadness,” he said. “Clinical depression can affect an individual throughout his or her life and usually worsens without treatment.” Symptoms of clinical depression can be so
qÜÉ=ëí~ÑÑ=ãÉãJ ÄÉêë=çÑ=iáÑÉ eÉäé=Ü~îÉ ÉñéÉêáÉåÅÉ ïçêâáåÖ=ïáíÜ íÜçëÉ=ëìÑÑÉêáåÖ Ñêçã=ÇÉéêÉëJ ëáçåK=cêçã=íÜÉ äÉÑí=~êÉ=gÉÑÑ aìååI=íê~åëáJ íáçå~ä=êÉëáÇÉåJ íá~ä=ëÉêîáÅÉë ëìéÉêîáëçêX açêçíÜó oçÄÉêíëçåI=çìíJ é~íáÉåí=ëìÄJ ëí~åÅÉ=~ÄìëÉ ÅççêÇáå~íçêX åìêëÉ=gÉååáÑÉê `K=táåíÉêX=~åÇ cêÉÇ=dìÉåíÜÉêI ~äÅçÜçä=~åÇ ÇêìÖ=êÉÜ~Äáäáí~J íáçå=ëÉêîáÅÉë ÅççêÇáå~íçêK
“Unfortunately, depression is a part of everyday life for many people in our area. The blues is more than a kind of music around here.” qÉêêó=háããÉä
severe that they interfere with everyday life by affecting social, work and family relationships. Warning signs associated with depression include: n Persistent sad, anxious or empty feelings. n Changes in sleep patterns. Some people have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, and others tend to sleep excessively. n Changes in appetite. A person might eat excessively or might have no appetite at all. n Inability to concentrate along with difficulty in decision making and comprehension. n Loss of energy or excessive fatigue. n Lack of interest in normal activities that used to bring enjoyment. n Feelings of hopelessness or guilt. n Thoughts of suicide or of dying. Although there are many treatment options for depression, “therapy in conjunction with med-
ication has been found to be the most effective treatment combination,” Grantham said. “Some people benefit from using one or the other instead of both.” Antidepressants such as Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft and Celexa are used in the treatment of clinical depression, he said. Significant advances have been made in antidepressants in the past few decades. “Some of the earlier medications for depression led to side effects. Those have been greatly reduced,” Grantham said. Still, other activities, such as yoga, stress management and exercise therapy and exercise therapy often work as well, Grantham said. For more information on Life Help’s programs, call 453-6211 or visit the agency’s website ïïïKêÉÖáçåSJäáÑÉÜÉäéKçêÖ. Life Help’s after-hours hotline is 453-6216. n
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PageNO Greenwood Commonwealth / Wednesday, September 3, 2014 eb^iqe=^ka=cfqkbpp =======================================================================================================================================================================