Tri-Cities Healthy Living Magazine Aug'16

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Kids In The Kitchen 3 Junior Chefs Dish It Out

Better Together Top Health Systems Team Up

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CASA of Northeast Tennessee presents the

11th Annual Golf Tournament Where: Johnson City Country Club When: Monday, August 22, 2016

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tchealthyliving.com › AUG ’16

august

FEATURES

COVER

Merged Expectations

America’s Top Park ›

P A G E 14

As America’s most visited national park, the Great Smoky Mountains is close to the Tri-Cities and offers visitors a wealth of outdoor activities all year long. › By Leigh Ann Laube

› P A G E 18 For years, they’ve been known as intense competitors: Wellmont Health System and Mountain States Health Alliance, the Tri-Cities’ two major health care companies. But now, these local health care rivals are taking a different approach with a marriage they say is born of necessity. › By Debra McCown

Kids In The Kitchen › P A G E

22

Young, local chefs excel in culinary arts. › By Leigh Ann Laube

2016

Sickness Syllabus

› P A G E 28 How can you keep your children healthy, whether they’re still finger painting or driving themselves to school? Here’s the rundown on sickness this school year. › By Katie McPherson

Keeping It All In Line › P A G E 34

If you’ve never had back pain, you should consider yourself fortunate. Or it may just be that your time has not yet come. › By Cynthia McFarland

GOODBYE SUMMER Hello Germs SNAP, CRACKLE, POP: Chiropractic Care Explained

Photo by Jim Bennett

TRI-CITIES

Kids In The Kitchen 3 Junior Chefs Dish It Out

Better Together Top Health Systems Team Up

DEPARTMENTS

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P A G E 39

H E A LT H Y

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P A G E 45

TRENDS | NEWS | PEOPLE

INSIGHT | ADVICE | SOLUTIONS

NUTRITION | FITNESS | BEAUTY

MIND | SPIRIT | FINANCE

By Debra McCown and Molly Norman

By Laurel Gillum, Katie McPherson & Molly Norman

By Cealia Athanason, Laurel Gillum & Molly Norman

By Laurel Gillum and Molly Norman

8 great parks.

Are you a fit family?

› 10 Be your own advocate. › 11 Back-to-school bugs. › 12 Improve your immunity.

› 40 Makeup meet micellar. › 41 Oils for all. › 42 Managing overworked muscles. › 44 Say goodbye to acid.

› 46 Teach ‘em while they’re young. › 47 Pests be gone (naturally). › 48 Can-do camera shots.

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TRI-CITIES

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HEALTHY LIVING TRI-CITIES / AUGUST 2016 / VOL. 3, NO. 8 Published monthly by Healthy Living Media, LLC and distributed by Forever Young Media. All contents copyright 2016 by Healthy Living Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. For back issues or advertising information, call 423.677.0775. Return postage must accompany all unsolicited manuscripts and artwork if they are to be returned. Manuscripts are welcomed, but no responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited materials. “Promotional” and “Promotional Feature” denote a paid advertising feature. Publisher is not responsible for claims and content of advertisements.

TRENDS NEWS PEOPLE

H E A LT H Y

NEWS

The Case Against Multitasking

Sources: wellandgood.com

When’s the last time you completely finished one task before moving on to another?

At work, distractions come in the form of text messages, email alerts and mounting to-do lists. And although being able to multitask is usually seen as favorable by employers, turns out, we might want to rethink that logic. According to a recent study, even brief two- to three-second interruptions can double the number of errors participants made on an assigned task. Another study concluded that multitaskers are more easily distracted than those who spend less time switching between tasks, which can apparently happen up to 400 times each day. The take away? Turn off those notification buzzers, and finish one thing before you move on to something else. You’ll be a more productive worker, for sure.

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OUT AND ABOUT

Nature Close To Home

We’re surrounded by mountains and the recreational opportunities they offer. › By Debra McCown But if you can’t find the time to drive out of town to explore them, there are options closer to home: great parks in all three of the Tri-Cities with a unique set of opportunities to enjoy. Here are a few highlights.

Johnson City Founders’ Park: Downtown’s Front Lawn A delightful byproduct of the city’s flood control effort, this 5-acre downtown green space has become a popular destination, says Dianna Cantler, downtown development manager for the Washington County Economic Development Council.

“You’ll find people all the time just sitting there with a blanket reading, playing ultimate Frisbee, just

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sort of hanging out on the lawn,” she says. “There are a lot of folks that come down and will just walk the walking trail… [and also attend] the free yoga classes and things like that.”

The free yoga is on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings, which is also when the adjacent farmers market is open. The park hosts free Friday night concerts through September and a drum circle every Wednesday. It’s also across the street from the Tweetsie Trail, Johnson City’s popular rail-trail.

More info › downtownjc.com Winged Deer Park: Lots Of Amenities This well-developed park is attractive for its athletic fields, batting cages, 18-hole disc golf course, multiple playgrounds, historic cabin and lakefront, which has a public boat launch and festival area that hosts concerts and special events.

Winged Deer has a half-mile walking trail encircling the ball fields and a paved and lighted fitness trail through a wooded area.

More info › johnsoncitytn.org

Buffalo Mountain: Backcountry In The City Johnson City also has a park with no amenities, a 725-acre natural area with about 10 miles of well-marked but rugged backcountry trails.

“What makes Buffalo Mountain so awesome is the fact that it’s not developed,” says Connie Deegan, natural program coordinator for Johnson City Parks and Recreation.

“You can anticipate 1,100 feet of elevation change to some of the best views, so it’s a hike.”

The park’s White Rock Loop trail passes through a large area burned by a 2009 fire, where you can see forest succession at work. Buffalo Mountain’s hardwood forest is loaded with wildlife and mountain views, and there’s an old fire tower in the adjoining Cherokee National Forest.

More info › johnsoncitytn.org/parksrec/facilities

than 3,500 acres, nearly 40 miles of hiking trails, and a 60-foot fire tower that visitors can access.

Other highlights include a planetarium, an observatory and animal exhibits. The closest thing to a zoo in the Tri-Cities, Bays Mountain has indigenous animals including reptiles and amphibians, birds of prey, bobcats, river otters, raccoons and gray wolves.

More info › baysmountain.com

Bristol Sugar Hollow: A Dam Good View The extensive and well-maintained walking trails at Sugar Hollow Park are a big draw, including one that runs along the top of a large earthen dam with scenic views.

The trails also traverse woods and wetlands, says Parks and Recreation Superintendent Danny Hill, and the park’s 18-hole disc golf course is one of the best between Roanoke and Knoxville. Sugar Hollow also has a dog park, a campground, picnic shelters and an extensive playground area.

More info: bristolva.org/facilities/Facility/ Details/14

Kingsport Warriors’ Path: Boundless Playground The Narnia-themed playground at Warriors’ Path State Park will stick with your kids’ imagination for a long time. It includes a fully accessible tree house and playground equipment for kids of all abilities.

“We have, as far as we know, in the nation the only state park with what we call a ‘boundless playground,’ which is a playground designed for kids with all physical limitations to be able to play together,” says Park Ranger Marty Silver.

Like most state parks, Warriors’ Path has hiking and biking trails. It also has golf and disc golf, horseback riding, a full-service marina with paddleboats and kayaks, campgrounds and an awardwinning nature education program.

More info › tnstateparks.com/parks/about/warriors-path or (423) 239-8531 Kingsport Greenbelt: A Scenic Stroll This well-traveled “linear park” offers about 9 miles of level, paved trail. It runs east to west across the city, connecting neighborhoods, downtown, schools and historic sites on a scenic route along the Holston River. An ideal access point is the city’s Boatyard Riverfront Park.

“We see so many families out there walking with strollers, and then you have a lot of bicycles and all ages,” says Robin DiMona, the city’s assistant parks and recreation manager.

More info › (423) 229-9457 Bays Mountain: Critters to Visit The biggest city park in the state of Tennessee, Bays Mountain has more

Steele Creek: New Nature Center The new nature center under construction will triple the size of the original for more exhibits and program space, which offer an educational window into the natural world.

“Steele Creek is absolutely a spectacular park,” says Nature Center Manager Jeremy Stout. “Even a lot of our born-and-bred lifelong Bristolians don’t realize how big the park is. It’s over 2,200 acres in size, and most of that is wilderness with just a few hiking and biking trails.”

The park has 25 miles of hiking trails, a 58-acre lake and a miniature train that offers rides daily for $1.

“Steele Creek really is the gem of Bristol,” Stout says. “It offers a little touch of wilderness right here in the city.”

More info › bristoltn.org/166/Steele-Creek-Park or (423) 989-5616

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TRENDS

Become A Fit Fam

This month we challenge you to incorporate fitness into family time.

Who said going to the gym was the only way to stay in shape?

The Issue

Between your job and your family, it’s almost impossible to find time for the gym. And let’s face it, after a long day at work, you’d rather run to your couch than run on the treadmill.

Exercise is often looked at as more of a chore, making it easy to push off some days.

The Challenge

No more excuses. Grab your kids and your sneakers—it’s time to exercise. Here are a few ideas that will help you stay in shape and spend quality time with your family.

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B Is For Bicycle

Whether attached to the back of your bicycle or riding alongside with training wheels, take your kiddos on an adventure around the neighborhood.

You could also walk or run alongside your children. No bikes? How about scooters?

Fun With Frisbees

A great weekend activity could be taking your family out to a Frisbee park or a field to toss the disc around. This is great cardio and a good excuse to get out of the house for a few hours.

Flag Football Tournament Divide your family (and maybe some neighborhood families) into teams and head to the park for a friendly game of flag football. Make it interesting, too.

The team that loses provides the dinner.

Just Keep Swimming

With summer coming to an end, the pool is a great way to spend your last few warm weekends while also being

active. You and your kids could swim laps, race each other or play fun water games such as Marco Polo.

Just Dance

Dance like no one is watching, and jump around with your kids. Create routines and show off your favorite dance moves to one another. You could even incorporate a few arm and leg exercises into it.

Freeze Tag

Freeze tag is the perfect game for kids. You can also make it more of an exercise; instead of standing in place when you’re frozen, you could jog in place.

Bedtime Yoga

Yoga before bed could help with stress and help you and your children sleep better at night. Stretching and breathing is a good way to relax your body after a long day.

Sources: mothersniche.com, kristendukephotography.com, pagingfunmums.com

Each month we create a new challenge for our readers to try to improve their health and wellness.

INSIGHT ADVICE SOLUTIONS

H E A LT H Y

INSIGHT

Diagnosing Dementia

A new smartphone game called Sea Hero Quest not only tracks spatial awareness, it helps doctors diagnose dementia.

Source: cnn.com

The game asks players to set sail in search of artifacts that are in the form of memories. As you advance in the game, scientists are able to use generated data to gain an idea of one’s spatial navigation abilities, which is one of the first skills lost from dementia. A new patient is diagnosed with dementia globally every three seconds. With the help of this game, neuroscientists are hoping to not only spot the disease early but prevent it from worsening. The app is available for both Android and iPhone devices. (It looks fun, too!)

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ADVICE

Medical Mistakes

A doctor’s appointment is nothing like a hair or nail appointment. It can be scary and unpredictable, even if it’s only a yearly checkup.

Y

our appointments as well as your doctor’s diagnosis are extremely important; it can determine your next move. However, with medical errors being the third leading cause of death in the United States, it can sometimes be hard to trust your doctor’s opinion.

According to Dr. Martin Makary, professor of surgery and health policy at Johns Hopkins University, “People don’t just die from heart attacks and bacteria. They die from system-wide failings and poorly coordinated care.” These errors can’t be looked at as lapses in judgment or mistaken diagnoses; these are people’s lives on the line. With the number of deaths being at least 250,000 every year from medical errors, this issue needs to be addressed quickly.

Crucial Questions

Here are a few tips to help you get safer care.

› Make sure all your doctors know about every medicine you are taking. Keep an updated list, including meds and doses in your purse or wallet. › Bring all medicines and supplements to your doctor visits. › Make sure your doctor knows about any allergies you have. › When your doctor writes a prescription, make sure you can read it. If you can’t read it, maybe the pharmacist won’t be able to either.

Your Job

› Ask questions about your medicine, and make sure the doc answers in terms you understand. › If you are having surgery, make sure that you, your doctor and your surgeon all agree on exactly what will be done.

Request a meeting beforehand. › If given a choice, choose a hospital where many patients have had the same surgery. › Speak up if you have questions or concerns. Always have a list of questions on hand before any appointment

or consultation. Take notes when the doc makes suggestions or discusses ways to improve your health or condition. › Ask a family member or friend to go to appointments with you. Maybe they will think of a good question to ask or remember facts you might have missed. › Learn all you can about your condition and treatments.

Take responsibility for your own health. We’ve heard it all before, but it’s worth repeating. Get plenty of rest, eat a balanced diet, reduce your stress levels and exercise regularly. In addition, make sure to schedule well visits and any required tests, including blood tests and other diagnostic tests, on time. Be informed and ready to ask questions!

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SOLUTIONS

The Stitch On The Itch

Backpack, pencils, paper… check. Lunch money, new shoes, lice… check? Let’s leave that last one off this year’s list, OK? Sending kids back to school each fall is an exciting time. Coming home with a case of head lice? Not so much.

Bye Bye, Bugs

Lookin’ For Lice?

› Items such as hairbrushes, hair accessories, helmets and scarves should not be shared.

› Itching

› Talk to children about not laying on carpet at school.

› Lice bites

› Keep long hair tied up in ponytails, braids or buns at school.

› Tickling feeling of something moving on your head, hair or body

The following are some tips for preventing head lice in the first place.

› Use tea tree oil by adding five drops to the amount of shampoo normally used to cleanse your hair. Tea tree oil can dry your hair out, so use sparingly. Tea tree oil is said to repel lice. (Some people also report using tea tree oil as a natural method for getting rid of a lice infestation. A quick Internet search can lead to more information.)

The following are symptoms of a lice infestation.

› Irritability › Difficulty sleeping (head lice are most active in the dark) › The appearance of small white objects in the hair that are difficult to brush out.

Sources: webmd.com, health.com, cdc.gov

Head lice live close to the human scalp and move by crawling. They cannot hop or fly. Head lice spread through direct head-to-head contact with the hair of someone who has lice. Although more uncommon, head lice can also spread via hats, scarves, coats, pillows and other bedding, combs and brushes, and towels.

An estimated 6-12 million infestations occur each year in the United States among children ages 3-11. Personal hygiene or cleanliness of a person’s home or school is not related to getting head lice.

Lice will not go away without being properly treated. As soon as symptoms of lice are noticed, treatment should begin. All family members should be checked for lice as well. Overthe-counter treatments are available (follow the packaging instructions carefully), and there are even professional lice-removal companies that can help do the deed for you.

Visit liceclinicsofamerica.com to see if there’s a clinic near you. Once you’ve begun treating the person, it may be necessary to wash all bedding and clothing the infested person has recently been in contact with.

Super Lice A form of lice that develops immunity to strong insecticides used in over-the-counter and prescription shampoos is becoming mor more prominent. In a Harris Poll of 2,000 U.S. mothers, about one-third said they were able to treat their child’s super lice infestation with just one application of an over-the-counter product. Sixty-eight percent reported that treatment required two or more applications or that no over-the-counter over-the-cou treatment resolved it.

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INSIGHT

What’s Good Bacteria Good For?

Thanks to their children, most parents are pretty familiar with the medicine aisle— what works for colds, upset tummies or coughs.

But when it comes to probiotic supplements, there are a lot of options and not much clarification on how they differ.

Here’s what parents need to know about probiotics for their kids.

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Is Snacking Sufficient?

Yogurt, cheese, Kefir and more are all marketed as probiotic-populated snacks, so why bother with a supplement? A 2010 study found that after just 10 days in the fridge, 70 percent of the probiotic critters have died. Further research states food should contain 106 to 108 live cultures per gram, and no one can put away that much yogurt every day. Although these foods don’t hurt, supplements may just be worth the hype.

Note: Probiotics are not suitable for children with certain serious conditions, such as cancer. Always talk to your child’s pediatrician about supplement use.

Sources: slate.com, webmd.com, parents.com

B

y now, most of us know probiotics are microorganisms that help keep our digestive systems on track. They’re found naturally in foods like yogurt, but supplements are the fastest way to repopulate the gut with good bacteria after, say, a round of antibiotics (a common occurrence for kiddos).

And with a weak microbiome—all the microscopic organisms living in and on the body—being linked to conditions like asthma, type 1 diabetes, allergies and autoimmune diseases, probiotics are definitely worth some consideration.

However, when you find yourself standing in front of the probiotic section in your drugstore, it’s hard to actually consider which product is best for your child. Just like antibiotics, probiotics treat different ailments. The confusion arises because, for supplement brands to market their products with treatment claims and dosages, they’d have to engage in the same extensive testing as pharmaceutical drugs (which is expensive and takes forever, so they skip it).

Thankfully, there are some general guidelines for which probiotic strains are helpful and when.

What kind of good bacteria are best?

Lactobacillus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii are the most studied strains. Research shows these probiotics can eliminate diarrhea about 25 hours earlier than usual during a stomach virus.

With the average stomach bug lasting three days, that’s a full day of mercy. They’ve also been shown to halve the number of children who experience diarrhea while taking antibiotics. They’re found in Culturelle and Florastor, respectively.

Studies also show links between probiotics and reduced eczema flare ups, prevention of respiratory infections and decreased instances of colic in babies. Taking probiotics regularly may not be for every child, but parents who think their son or daughter could benefit from a few more microorganisms should ask their pediatrician’s advice.

Watch Jill’s story online.

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Today, Jill can’t stop smiling! Even strangers comment, telling her, “You’ve got the best smile!”

As for Jill? She says she couldn’t be happier with the investment she made. “I love my new smile!

I’ve never come across a dentist who could compare to Dr. Sanders.”

Meet Dr. Kathy Sanders

Dr. Kathy Sanders is one of only eight dentists in the state of Tennessee to earn accreditation with the AACD and one of only 300 worldwide.

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AUG ’16 › tchealthyliving.com

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By Leigh Ann Laube

As America’s most visited national park,

the Great Smoky Mountains is close to the Tri-Cities and offers visitors a wealth of outdoor activities all year long.

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Photo by Casey Laube Photo by Casey Laube

T

he National Park Service turns 100 on Aug. 25. There are 59 officially designated national parks in the United States and its dependent areas, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, established in 1934.

The Smoky Mountains include half a million acres divided almost evenly between Tennessee and North Carolina. And in those half million acres are abundant opportunities to enjoy auto touring, bicycling, camping, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, picnicking and ranger-led programs.

You can enjoy the cool spray of a waterfall on your feet, visit historic homes and churches, fish for trout and smallmouth bass, hone your photography skills by photographing the local wildlife and more than 1,500 different flowering plants, ride 550 miles of horse trails, or enjoy a carriage or wagon ride.

With so many options, how will you decide?

There’s no entrance fee to the Smokies, named for the bluecolored mist than hangs above mountain peaks and valleys. The land that today is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was once privately owned. The states of Tennessee and North

Carolina, as well as local communities, paid to construct Newfound Gap Road (US-441).

When Tennessee transferred ownership of Newfound Gap Road to the federal government, it stipulated that “No toll or license fee shall ever be imposed…” to travel the road.

A Wealth Of Fun Here’s a quick glance at what the Great Smoky Mountains has to offer.

An auto tour of the park offers a variety of experiences, including panoramic views, tumbling mountain streams, weathered

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Photo by Casey Laube

Photo by Jim Bennett

historic buildings and mature hardwood forests stretching across the horizon. There are 384 miles of road to choose from in the Smokies. Most are paved, and even the gravel roads are maintained in suitable condition for standard passenger cars.

Bicycles can travel on most roads within the park; however, the Cades Cove Loop Road is the best and safest path for bicyclists. The 11-mile, one-way road provides riders with excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing and touring 19th century home sites. From early May until late September each year, the loop road is closed to motor vehicle traffic on Wednesday and Saturday mornings until 10am to allow cyclists and pedestrians time to enjoy the cove.

Open areas like Cades Cove and Cataloochee offer some of the best opportunities for wildlife viewings.

Visitors will frequently see white-tailed deer, elk, black bears, raccoons, turkeys, woodchucks and other animals. It can be advantageous to look for wildlife during morning and evening hours, and it’s also a good idea to carry binoculars.

The park offers several different types of campsites, including backcountry sites for backpackers; front country sites with restrooms, cold running water and flush toilets; group

campgrounds located in the front country sites; and horse camps, which are small campgrounds, accessible by vehicle that offer hitch racks for horses and primitive camping facilities.

Fishing is permitted year-round in the park, from 30 minutes before official sunrise to 30 minutes after official sunset. The park allows fishing in all streams.

You must possess a valid fishing license or permit from either Tennessee or North Carolina. Both state licenses are valid throughout the park, and no trout stamp is required. The Smoky Mountains has about

More than

GSM

By The Numbers

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522,427:

Number of acres

in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, divided almost evenly between North Carolina and Tennessee

9.4 million: Number of recreational

visits in 2013, making it the most visited of the 59 national parks

$18.5 million: Base budget in Fiscal Year 2014.

Great Smoky Mountains is one of only a few national parks that does not charge an entrance fee.

2,900 miles of streams within its boundaries and protects one of the last wild trout habitats in the eastern United States. Approximately 20 percent of the park’s streams are large enough to support trout populations. The park offers a wide variety of angling experiences from remote, headwater trout streams to large, cool water smallmouth bass streams.

Hikers enjoy the Smoky Mountains during all months of the year. During winter, the absence of deciduous leaves opens new vistas along trails and reveals stone walls, chimneys, foundations

10:

Developed campgrounds in the park, with more than 1,000 sites

and other reminders of past residents. Spring provides a weekly parade of wildflowers and flowering trees. In summer, walkers can seek out cool retreats among the spruce-fir forests and balds or follow splashy mountain streams to roaring falls and cascades. Autumn hikers have crisp, dry air to sharpen their senses and a varied palette of fall colors to enjoy.

There is lots to consider before choosing a trail. Start by deciding what you would like to see. Waterfalls? Oldgrowth forests? Endless views? Then decide how far you would like to hike

11:

Picnic areas, totaling 1,050 sites

850: Miles of backcountry trails, hosting more than 400,000 hikers annually. Approximately 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail run through the park.

384: Miles of roads in the park; 238 miles are paved and 146 are unpaved

Photo by Sam Hobbs

(remember, however far you hike, you’ll have to hike back that far as well!) There are kid-friendly trails for youngsters, and overnight hiking for the more experienced.

Every year, more than 200,000 visitors hike wellworn trails to view Grotto, Laurel, Abrams, Rainbow and other popular waterfalls in the park. Large waterfalls attract the crowds, but smaller cascades and falls can be found on nearly every river and stream in the park.

The park is a world-renowned preserve of wildflower diversity. More than 1,500 kinds of flowering plants are found in the park, more than in any other national park in North America. In fact, the park is sometimes referred to as the “Wildflower National Park.” From the earliest hepaticas and spring-beauties in the late winter to the last asters in the fall, blooming flowers can be found year-round in the park.

You are welcome to ride your horse in the Great Smoky Mountains. About 550 miles of the park’s hiking trails are open to horses. If you wish to ride your own horse in the park, please obtain a copy of the park’s trail map. This map indicates the trails on which you may ride horses and explains the park’s rules and regulations concerning horse

875:

The approximate feet of elevation at the mouth of Abrams Creek. Elevations in the park range from 875 feet at Abrams Creek to 6,643 feet at Clingmans Dome. Sixteen mountain peaks exceed 6,000 feet in elevation.

342: Number of structures maintained in the park, including five historic areas with 97 structures preserving Southern Appalachian heritage

riding in the backcountry.

It also provides information about backcountry camping and permit requirements.

Guided horseback rides are available at four concession horseback riding stables in the park from mid-March through late November. Rides on scenic park trails are offered and last from 45 minutes to several hours.

All rides proceed at a walking pace and rates are from $30 per hour.

Weight limits and age restrictions may apply, so check ahead when making plans.

Hayrides are offered from the Cades Cove Riding Stables, and ranger-led hayrides are offered on some evenings.

Carriage and Wagon Rides are offered at two of the concession horseback riding stables in the park. These rides provide an opportunity to experience a 20-30 minute horse-drawn carriage or wagon ride on a park trail.

Picnic areas are located throughout the park, but you’ll need a park map to find these locations. Some picnic areas remain open yearround, while others are closed during the winter.

Pavilions can be reserved for groups up to a year in advance.

It’s important to remember that feeding bears and other wildlife is illegal. A bear that has

730: Miles of fish-

240: Number of

bearing streams, with another 1,300 miles of tributaries

permanent park personnel, with more than 80 seasonal workers

discovered human food or garbage will eventually become day-active and leave the safety of the backcountry. Picnic areas, including grills and the ground around tables, should be thoroughly cleaned after each meal.

There are no motels or rental cabins located within the national park other than Le Conte Lodge.

However, communities surrounding the park offer a wide variety of accommodations, including hotels, cabins, bed and breakfasts, and campgrounds.

Find out more › nps.gov/grsm

GSM By The Numbers

2,625: Number of

volunteers who donated 150,308 hours in Fiscal Year 2013 AUG ’16 › tchealthyliving.com

17

Merged Expectations A new model for health care emerges in the Tri-Cities

By Debra McCown

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“I think we have a great opportunity to really show what can be possible in rural environments.”

—Todd Norris

F

or years, they’ve been known as intense competitors: Wellmont Health System and Mountain States Health Alliance, the Tri-Cities’ two major health care companies. But now, in a process announced last year, these local health care rivals are taking a different approach with a marriage they say is born of necessity.

The planned merger between the two health systems has gone slower than first anticipated, company officials acknowledge, but they’re optimistic about a process that they believe will result in better health care delivery in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

What they envision is a new, collaborative model that’s focused not just on medical services but on the whole picture—the social, the educational, the cultural and the space where those intertwine with basic knowledge on factors that influence health.

A senior vice president from each side of the deal— Tony Keck from Mountain States and Todd Norris from Wellmont—joined us for a joint interview to explain what it’s going to look like.

The key concept in the region’s health care future, they agree, is collaboration: bringing together partners and stakeholders in a way that changes the game in terms of health outcomes, taking on some of the toughest health challenges of rural Appalachia.

“I think we have a great opportunity to really show what can be possible in rural environments as we look at a continuum of care that goes from prevention all the way to end of life services that we provide, as we really look at reinventing the way we think about health care—not

just as an inpatientcentric organization but as one that creates very effective partnerships with the community and with physicians, both in the rural settings and here in the greater Tri-Cities area,” Norris says.

The merger process itself is a complex one, further complicated by the fact that both Wellmont and Mountain States straddle the Virginia-Tennessee line, serving customers in both states.

“In order for this merger to go through, it’s necessary to get the permission of both the states of Tennessee and Virginia,” Keck explains, noting that both states have passed laws allowing for potential approval.

“They’re different laws, but essentially they try to accomplish the same thing,” he says, “and that is to get what’s known as state action immunity for a merger of this kind.”

Basically, “state action immunity” means that a state can, by taking action in support of and with supervision for an anti-competitive arrangement, enable the merger

AUG ’16 › tchealthyliving.com

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Holston Valley Medical Center - Photo by Wellmont Health Systems

Bristol Regional Medical Center - Photo courtesy of Wellmont Health System

“It’s part of the vision for the new health system that we’re very excited about.”

to avoid a potential run-in with the Federal Trade Commission, whose mission includes preventing anticompetitive mergers.

Keck says competition won’t decrease much anyway, as most of the systems’ hospitals are in rural markets that don’t compete directly with each other, and in the era of outpatientbased care, there’s plenty of competition among physicians, home health providers, laboratories, surgery centers, pharmacies and skilled nursing care—things that typically exist outside the hospital setting.

“The new system has to go through an application process to both states where they review the advantages and disadvantages of the merger and then determine if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages,” Keck says. “So, for the past year, we’ve been working on our application… and both states are currently in the review process.”

Each state has a different process, he says, but both include questions for clarification about the details of the proposed merger, and both require approval from their attorney general.

“We initially estimated sometime in early fall; now we’re looking at late fall toward the Todd Norris end of the year,” Keck says of the timeline.

“It’s important that the states take their time and do a rigorous examination because it’s this process of state action immunity that allows us to merge without going through the FTC process at the national level.”

Of course, a merger with each other wasn’t the health systems’ only option, Norris says.

Before they decided to come together, both sides considered other potential solutions to a common problem.

—Tony Keck

Tony Keck

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tchealthyliving.com › AUG ’16

“Both of our organizations are operating in a constrained environment where our reimbursements are decreasing, where we’re operating in a low Medicare reimbursement region, [and] a very high percentage of Medicare. There are all sorts of national and local factors that are squeezing our ability to reinvest in health care services,” Norris says.

Ultimately, the question became not whether a merger was needed, but with whom: Would it be a larger company outside the region, or would it be someone closer to home?

Input from community stakeholders was clear, Norris says, they wanted to maintain local control.

“Our leaders, our boards, spent a lot of time assessing what was happening nationally, what was happening locally, both in the economy and in the health care system, and I think our boards—both boards—recognized that for financial reasons, this merger was necessary,” says Keck.

“Once Wellmont came to the recognition that they were going to need a partner in order to survive in this environment, it became clear that if they merged with somebody, we would have to do the same thing. And that realization—that loss of control over our own health care future—I think hit both boards the hardest, and that’s what led them to, after many, many years of hard-fought competition, to come to the table—because they knew it was better for the community to work together as opposed to ceding control to [someone] outside the region.”

As the process moves toward the hoped-for approval, Mountain States and Wellmont are already talking about what a merged organization might look like. Norris says it will be eager to take on challenging health trends like chronic disease, smoking and poor lifestyle choices.

“Most of the time when mergers like this happen there’s very seldom a requirement that there would be an improvement in the overall health status of the community as part of that, and we really embrace that,” Norris says. “It’s

Johnson City Medical Center Photo by Fresh Air Photo courtesy of Mountain States Health Alliance

Indian Path Medical Center - Photo courtesty of Mountain States Health Alliance

part of the vision for the new health system that we’re very excited about, but only because of the efficiencies that would be derived from bringing these two health systems together would we have a significant amount of resources that we can reinvest outside the walls of our hospitals to improve the health of our communities.”

The idea is to add an additional layer on top of traditional health care services, working with community organizations to provide preventive education and screenings while linking medical patients with wraparound services in their communities.

“One of the bigger concerns of a community is access to health services, and as a rural community, we often have struggled to provide those services,” Keck says.

“But taking it to the next step is really moving into a world where we don’t utilize health care services as much as we do now because we’re staying healthier.”

In the United States, he says, the vast majority of money spent on health care is spent on health care services, with little being spent on public health and prevention. The theory is simple enough: through the merger, free up dollars that are now being spent on unnecessary duplication of services, and invest some of those dollars in community health efforts that could range from literacy initiatives (because reading by third grade is positively correlated with education, income and health) to programs that help people recognize, avoid and manage diabetes.

“First, they’re broad-based coalitions, and so they’re multi-sector,” Keck explains of the partnerships to be formed.

“It’s not just health care; it’s schools, it’s government, it’s business and it’s a large public safety net. Second, it’s that they’ll actually agree on a limited number of root problems to work on that they believe will fundamentally move the needle [on health] in their communities.”

Johnson Memorial Hospital - Photo courtesy of Mountain State Health Alliance

From there, he says, they establish goals with clear metrics and accountability. The key areas identified so far: strong starts for children, helping adults live well in the community, helping to promote a drug-free community and reducing unnecessary utilization of health care services by being more proactive.

Of course, it’s going to be a process, Keck says, and with a service area that spans two states and numerous counties, there’s a lot of variation. But as communities focus on what makes sense, the merged health system will be able to make investments that result in positive change over time.

Norris describes a process of empowering people to take a more active role in their health with the knowledge that not everything is driven by genetics; lifestyle choices and other social factors have a big impact on health, including most chronic illness and even a prolific killer like heart disease.

“These are [unhealthy] trends that have built up in our region over generations—not just decades—and they’re trends that are embedded in the culture of the way people live their lives here in the area,” Norris says. “A lot of this is going to be about helping people understand that and develop new behaviors and habits and ultimately a new culture that’s more health-oriented here in our region.”

To the average person, Keck says, the merger will be visible in several ways: more health care options, more services offered at rural health facilities through telemedicine, more visible community efforts and a more proactive approach to health outcomes that touch patients before—and after—they cross the threshold of the hospital door. The bottom line: If people stay healthy, they don’t need to consume costly services—and that’s better for them as well as their wallets.

AUG ’16 › tchealthyliving.com

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S D i K EN H C T i K in t h e

fs e h c l a c o l Young , linary ar ts . cu excel in BE

LAU H ANN G I E L BY BY RAPHY I G O T O PH NT MONTA R E T E P

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Though she didn’t qualify for national competition, she’s pleased with her finish—up from 13th place in 2015.

It was nervewracking competing alongside 14 other students in the college’s industrial kitchen.

“We had to fabricate chicken into eight pieces; create a crudité platter with an herb dip to go in the center; make chicken bouillon soup; create a salad with chicken; and create two entrées—one with braised chicken and vegetables, one with sautéed chicken and vegetables,” says Salyer.

When she was a junior at Dobyns-Bennett, she was enrolled in the school’s culinary arts curriculum. That’s when she decided to make culinary arts a career.

She’ll attend Walters State Community College’s Sevier County campus this fall to earn a technical certificate in culinary arts with an emphasis in baking and pastry. She hopes to someday open her own bakery.

In the meantime, she’s working in the bakery at Food City’s Colonial Heights store.

KYONNA SALYER Kyonna Salyer has been cooking from scratch since she learned to bake at the hands of her mamaw when she was 6 or 7 years old.

Homemade chocolate cake. Homemade icing.

Homemade chocolate chip cookies. Homemade carrot cake.

Salyer, a 19-year-old May graduate of DobynsBennett High School, does most of the grocery shopping and cooking at her house for her family of four. A typical evening meal? Chicken breast with homemade Alfredo sauce, steamed broccoli and roasted red potatoes.

“I like to bake in general, but one of my favorite things to make are breads. I like artisan breads—pan loafs and braided breads,” she says.

Her cooking skills are honed enough that she placed seventh in the SkillsUSA State Culinary Competition hosted

by Virginia College in Chattanooga in April.

s te thin gke i r o v a f li my One of e are breads. Iloafs to mak breads—pan artisan ided breads. and bra — Kyon

na Salye

r

AUG ’16 › tchealthyliving.com

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really g s a w I 10, a t in By a gekes and decorst into ca made my fi r 10. cakes. Ig cake at a ge weddin — Maiya

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Shu gar t

MAIYA SHUGART Maiya Shugart’s mamaw taught her how to fix savory foods, but as a youngster, Shugart was more interested in learning to bake. So she taught herself; then she taught her mamaw.

By watching Cake Boss on television and YouTube videos, she learned to make fondant, an icing used to decorate

cakes, and taught herself cake piping.

“By age 10, I was really into cakes and decorating cakes. I made my first wedding cake at age 10,” she says.

She’s only 17, but this high school senior already has her own wedding cake planned—white cake with a raspberry preserve

filling and almond buttercream icing.

Culinary arts was kind of an accidental discovery when Shugart arrived at DobynsBennett High School.

“I had planned, ever since I was 3, to be a vet. I got to culinary arts because I didn’t get the small animal care class I wanted. I’ve been taking culinary ever since,” she explains.

Through her culinary arts classes, she’s learned things like how to make pasta from scratch and how to poach eggs. She

does not like anything involving deep frying.

She bakes almost every day at home but leaves the bulk of the cooking to Mamaw.

The 2016 SkillsUSA State Culinary Competition hosted

by Virginia College in Chattanooga in April was her first, and last, competition.

“I love to bake, but I do not like doing it in a competition under restrictions,” she says.

“We had to make blueberry muffins,

cookies, a braided loaf of bread, three knot rolls, decorate a cake, bake a pie and make a separate crust.”

Like her classmate Salyer, Shugart is headed to Walters State Community College’s Sevier County campus in 2017 to earn her technical certificate in culinary arts. Her plans after that are undecided.

“I thought about going back to school to get a business degree,” she says. “I would like to own my own bakery one day.”

CHOCOLATE LASAGNA CUPCAKES Makes 24 cupcakes Recipe by Maiya Shugart

1 6 1 ¼ 1 1

1

package regular Oreo cookies, about 36 cookies. tbsp butter, melted 8oz package cream cheese, softened cup granulated sugar 12 oz tub Cool Whip, divided 3.9oz package chocolate instant pudding, made according to package directions (you will use 2 cups of milk) cup mini chocolate chips

Crush 36 Oreos, cream and all. Use a food processor for the best results. You can also place them in a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin. When the Oreos have turned into fine crumbs, you are done. › Prepare cupcake tins with paper liners. › Prepare the pudding according to package directions, and set aside. › Transfer the Oreo crumbs to a large bowl. › Stir in 6 tbsp of

melted butter, and use a fork to incorporate the butter into the cookie crumbs. › Place a heaping tbsp of Oreo mixture in each cupcake liner. I used a 1-tbsp cookie scoop to simplify this process. Firmly press the crumbs into the bottom of each cup. › For the cream cheese layer, mix an 8-ounce package of cream cheese with a mixer until it is light and fluffy. › Add 2 tbsp of milk and 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and mix well. › Stir in 1 heaping cup of Cool Whip. › Place a heaping tbsp of mixture on top of the Oreo layer. Use a spoon to spread the mixture evenly. › For the pudding layer, scoop 1 tbsp of pudding on top of the cream cheese layer. You will have just enough pudding if you use 1 tbsp for each cupcake.

Use a spoon to spread the pudding evenly. › Place 1 tbsp Cool Whip on top of each cupcake, and use a spoon to spread it out. › Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top. › Place cupcakes in the freezer for at least an hour before serving.

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GRACIE LAMBERT Gracie Lambert will tell you there’s a lot of things she enjoys doing: hunting, playing at the lake, playing the guitar and last—but probably not least—cooking.

The 15-year-old homeschooler started cooking when she was about 8, helping her grandmother make everything from scrambled eggs and pancakes to brownies and chicken.

She helps cook at least one meal a day for her family and especially likes being in charge of dessert.

“I mostly do everything by myself,” she says. “It’s fun. I like cooking a lot of stuff.”

Lambert has tended to a garden for about four years. She grows corn, potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, cauliflower, onions, banana peppers and red peppers.

For the third time this summer, she attended the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center’s annual four-day teen cooking camp, where her favorite activities

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are fixing breakfast and outdoor grilling.

“We’ve learned about kitchen safety, how to cook food properly and how to clean things properly,” she says.

Having a dad who works for the health department also helps ensure she is safe in the kitchen.

She also gets kitchen experience at Fellowship Chapel in Bristol on Wednesday nights where she helps with the meal preparation.

After she finishes high school, she would like to be a personal chef, a career that requires a culinary arts certification.

She’s not sure yet where she will go to college.

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CUPCAKES Recipe by Gracie Lambert

1 1⁄2 1⁄2 1⁄4 1 2 3⁄4 1 3⁄4 1

cup flour tsp baking powder tsp baking soda tsp salt tsp cinnamon tbsp cocoa powder cup sugar egg, beaten cup oil cup grated zucchini

Sift dry ingredients together in a bowl. › In a separate bowl, beat egg, oil and sugar together; mix in zucchini, and add dry ingredients. › Divide mixture between greased cupcake pan cups, and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes (minis) or 20 minutes (regular sized) or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. › Allow to cool to the touch before frosting.

Chocolate Ganache 1 1 1

cup heavy whipping cream cup chocolate chips tsp vanilla extract

y do I mostl by myself. in g e veryth .

It ’s fu n in g a ok I like co . u ff lot of asmtbert — Gracie

L

Heat cream to a boil in a saucepan. › Remove from heat; add chocolate chips, and tip pan back and forth until hot cream covers chocolate chips. › Allow to stand for 1 minute. › Stir until all chips are dissolved. › Stir in extract, and spread onto cupcakes.

AUG ’16 › tchealthyliving.com

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S S E N K S C U I S LAB L Y S rson

cPhe M e i t a

By K

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ages l l a f ids o after k , t s ugu o school hey’ve A h Eac d back t ation. T acks hea mer vacw backp encils, d, sumtheir ne sharp p aper an got ed with tebook piversity load ty of no the Un age of plen rding to, an aver inds of accoolorado erent k nds. of C ,000 difftheir ha 332 teria on bac

So how childrenchan you keep your they’re sti ealthy, whether or driving ll finger painting to school? themselves rundown oHere’s the school yea n sickness this r.

Pre-K & Kindergarten Prep

ur child ad news ficrskt:frYoom school. will get siild entering kindergarten

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The average ch to two diarrheal 12 colds and one will have eight to All parents hool year alone. episodes in one sc n’s immune age when childre know this is the or hits and will ng their first maj systems start taki the name of over time. But in hopefully build up most likely to what is your child being prepared, ? come home with es for young t common illness os m One of the That’s ial conjunctivitis. children is bacter most d pink eye strikes right—the dreade n l and kindergarte often in preschoo e m sa e th used by classrooms. It’s ca s ld co r he eria as ot viruses and bact ad d is typically spre an ns and infectio ed at in am with cont by touching eyes ed ng something us hi uc to hands after s nu Si ed child. by another infect e common cold th d infections an ed to strike at an are also guarante are used age where hands and ys to d as tissues an al. un m m co crayons are r fo es The same go gastroenteritis, e also known as th g. stomach bu

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Of course, before your little scholar sets foot in school, they’re going to need a few vaccinations. According to tn.gov, here’s the list of shots preschoolers and kindergarteners need:

Children e ro lling in child care facilitn ie s , pre-kinderga pre-school, rten.

• Infants ente

ring child care fa cilities must be up at the time of en to date rollment and are required to prov an updated certi ide ficate after compl eting all of the required vaccines due no later than • Poliomyelitis 18 months of ag e.

(IPV or OPV) • Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) - age younger than 5 years only • Pneumococca l conjugate vacc ine (PCV) - age younger than 5 years only • Measles, Mum ps, Rubella - 1 do se of each, normally given together as MM R • Varicella - 1 do se or credible hi story of diseas • Hepatitis B (H e BV) • Diphtheria-Tet anus-Pertussis (DTaP, or DT if appropriate) • Hepatitis A 1 dose, require d by 18 months of age or older​​

n kindergarte in g in ll o r n Children eBV) riate)

(H prop • Hepatitis B TaP, or DT if ap us-Pertussis (D an after et -T or ria on he ht • Dip final dose ) PV O or V (IP • Poliomyelitis ay hd rt ch, usually bi h 4t the - 2 doses of ea la el ub R , ps • Measles, Mum MMR as disease given together ible history of ed cr or s se do least 6-18 • Varicella - 2 ses, spaced at do 2 of l ta to • Hepatitis A t ar ap s th on m

All children entering 7 th grade (includin

g currently enro • Tetanus-diphth lled students) eria-pertussis bo oster (Tdap) evidence of one Tdap dose given any time before 7th grade entry is required rega rdless of Td histor • Varicella - 2 do y ses or credible hi story of disease

Although the flu vaccine is not required by most pre-K and kindergarten schools, it’s currently recommended for everyone 6 months and older.

Serious flu complications typically only occur in children under 2, but an estimated 20,000 kids ages 6 months to 5 years are hospitalized with the flu and its complications each year. Children with chronic health problems like asthma or diabetes are at a higher risk for developing complications. Be sure to ask your pediatrician if the flu vaccination is right for your child.

Boosting Your Babies’ Immunity

2

E

GET THEM TO BED. Preschoolers need an average of 10 hours of sleep each night, but some may struggle to nap at school surrounded by playmates and activity. If your child is one of them, get them to bed in time to get 12 or 13 hours so their bodies can stay strong.

keep your child healthy among the army of little nose-pickers at school?

3

ven daycare veterans’ immune systems won’t win every battle. How can you

1

SERVE THEM AS MANY FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AS POSSIBLE. Ideally, they should eat five servings a day, (two tablespoons for toddlers and one cup for older kids). Focus on foods rich in phytonutrients, like carrots, strawberries and oranges—studies show they increase production of white blood cells, which fight viruses.

PREVENT GERM SPREAD

BY WASHING HANDS, OF COURSE. Get kids more excited about the routine by letting them pick out soap in fun shapes and scents. Also, if a child falls ill with a bacterial infection (think strep) they can reinfect themselves later, so toss their toothbrush.

Even if it’s viral, the germs can easily brush hop, so replace their brush if only to defend everyone else’s.

Elementary Illness

T

here’s no crazy vaccine list this time—parents probably have their hands full with the elementary school supply list as it is. That said, there

are some new sicknesses on the block, but you can add a few more bacteria-busting tactics to your child’s wellness arsenal, too.

Anywhere from 6 million to 12 million cases of lice are reported in children ages 3 through 11 each year, more often in girls. They’re transmitted via head-to-head contact while playing. It’s less common for lice to travel on shared hairbrushes, clothing, hats, earphones, etc., but it’s still a

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Listen Up, Kids

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ow that the kiddos are old enough to remember, try discussing some tips for fighting germs while they’re at school.

Wash hands with soap and water for 20-30 seconds (sing a song if counting is boring!), especially before it’s time to eat snacks or lunch. If they can’t get to a sink, rub hand sanitizer all over and in between fingers for 30 seconds until dry (more singing here, of course).

Avoid touching the face with unwashed hands throughout the day.

If they know a classmate is sick, try to avoid touching their desk and belongings.

Avoid close contact like kissing, hugging, close proximity games and sharing food with other children.

Time for Germs 101. Teach children not to touch their mouths to water fountains while drinking and not to eat food that has dropped from their plate onto their cafeteria tray or table.

In 2005, a study of germs in schools discovered plastic cafeteria trays and

2�7�0�0�0 b�c�e�i� p�r good idea to have your child keep their above-the-neck belongings to themselves.

Strep throat also occurs most commonly in children, as it’s spread by sharing food and drink, airborne droplets from an uncontained cough or sneeze and touching doorknobs or surfaces shared with those already infected. Strep bacteria typically circulates in the fall and early spring, and it loves to make its way around groups of people in close contact (i.e. classrooms). Be sure to keep your child’s teacher stocked on hand sanitizer, and make sure your children have all the supplies they need to avoid borrowing a pencil from a sick neighbor or touching the community sharpener.

As always, the common cold will be back for a few more bouts this year. Most students average three to five colds each year.

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water fountain spigots are the most germridden parts of any school with 2,700,000 bacteria per square inch on the spigot and 33,800 on the tray. If your kids don’t take this lesson seriously, tell them there are 3,200 bacteria per square inch on a toilet seat for comparison.

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Im probiotic parents purchase eir families, but th r supplements fo ican Academy in 2010, the Amer ased a clinical of Pediatrics rele w at it’s unclear ho report stating th ay m ts pplemen effective these su doesn’t approve A be. Also, the FD ments before probiotic supple ith as they would w they’re marketed e ud tit ul m a ere are medicines, and th se oo ch shelves to of brands on the out h information ab uc m from without ent. how they’re differ udies have been st no Although r effectiveness, done proving thei from ment use stems probiotic supple a n ee tw g a link be research showin e un m im ng d a stro healthy GI tract an to at re th pose no system. They also veral different se e ar e health. Ther tics available, with strains of probio being the most Lactobacillus GG d (it’s used in the thoroughly studie lturelle). popular brand Cu probiotic should In short, taking a ’s ngthen your child theoretically stre be t no ay m There immune system. but ck it up just yet, ba to e any scienc hey, it can’t hurt.

Middle School Immunity

I

t’s sad to see them getting older, but without playing tag at recess and sharing crayons anymore, middle-schoolers are less likely to come home sick than younger children. This transition is

easier than others, too, as only one shot is needed before the first day.

REQUIRED TO ENTER 7TH GRADE: TDAP (Tetanusdiphtheriaacellular pertussis) SHUT DOWN SHARING The same old colds, streps and infections will keep coming around in middle school, but a few new varieties may crop up at this age thanks to P.E. class and puberty.

All those lessons about sharing is caring? Tell your middle-schooler to forget it, at least when it pertains to personal items and locker room necessities.

Besides food or drinks, students should not share lip balms, makeup, razors, shaving creams or lotions to avoid skin infections like MRSA and herpes. herpes These can also spread on ear buds, locker room towels, sports uniforms, helmets and gloves.

GARDASIL: NOT JUST FOR GIRLS It’s not fun for parents to think about, but

this is the age when sexually transmitted infections become part of your child’s health equation. Young people ages 15 to 24 represent 50 percent of new cases of the human papillomavirus (HPV) each year. It can lead to genital warts and, in girls, even cervical cancer.

Gardasil, the HPV vaccination, is recommended for girls and boys ages 11 through 26 who have not been exposed to the human papillomavirus. Gardasil protects against 90 percent of genital warts cases, 70 percent of cervical cancer cases and 70 percent of vaginal cancer cases.

The CDC recommends vaccinating boys and girls between ages 11 and 12 before exposure to HPV, but anyone 13 through 26 who has not yet been vaccinated or exposed should also ask their doctors if Gardasil is a good choice for them.

PESKY BIRDS, STUPID BEES We know having The Talk with your son or daughter sounds as pleasant as pulling out your hair, but the time has come. (While middle school might seem a bit early, we say the sooner the better. You can bet that if you don’t talk to them about sex and their changing body, they’ll get info—likely wrong info—from their friends or the Internet.) If teens can’t be trusted to wash their hands, matters of STDs and STIs should not be left to chance.

Impress upon your middle-schooler the dangers of unsafe sex, and talk frankly about their options for protection.

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Off To College

G

oing to school with thousands of other people is a surefire way to increase exposure to illnesses of every severity. Living in a dorm

compounds those chances, as tight quarters are a given. How can new students stay healthy?

The CDC recommends that first-year college students living in residence halls receive the meningococcal conjugate vaccine or get a booster shot if they had it before their 16th birthday to be safe. That’s because meningitis thrives in community spaces just like dorms and is most common in adolescents and young adults. It’s spread by saliva, living with a contaminated person and even breathing air where someone with meningitis has been. It’s easy to see why numerous campus outbreaks have been reported in recent years.

Hello, High School

C Sources: cdc.gov, cchealth.org, parents.com, foxnews.com, webmd.com, kidshealth.org, ask.com, gardasil.com

lasses and extracurriculars may start piling up, so parents, be sure to stay in tune with your child’s stress levels.

Sharing stress management techniques may help highschoolers handle this new level of responsibility and keep their immune system strong as a result. As always, keeping the fridge stocked with healthy snack options is beneficial, too. Oh, and there’s one new sickness on the radar.

Mononucleosis crops up most in people ages 15 through 17, and while it’s not terribly common, the symptoms can last for months. It’s known to be spread through kissing but can also travel on shared utensils, drinks, lip glosses or anything else that touches the mouth, so kindly request your teens keep their saliva to themselves.

HYGIENE IN HIGH SCHOOL By this point, we all know washing hands is important to prevent sickness. That is, everyone knows it except for those stinkin’ teenagers. WebMD.com references a study that found only about half of high school students wash their hands after using the bathroom, and of those, only 33 percent of the girls and a gross 8 percent of the boys actually used soap. Send your teen to school with a mini hand sanitizer for their own convenience, and try to impress upon them that the importance of hand washing didn’t end in pre-K.

DORM DOS AND DON’TS How can your college student keep sickness at bay while living in a dorm?

DON’T LEAVE TOOTHBRUSHES, TOWELS OR OTHER PERSONAL ITEMS IN THE BATHROOM WHERE GERMS MAY CRAWL ONTO THEM (or less gracious neighbors may use them).

1

2 3

DON’T SHARE UTENSILS OR DISHES, ESPECIALLY WITH SOMEONE WHO IS CLEARLY SICK.

STAY CURRENT ON VACCINATIONS. This keeps individuals safe and gives illnesses one less person to use as a transmission vehicle. Many schools include health fees in tuition, so ask the student health center about vaccinations included in that cost— the annual flu shot may already be paid for.

4 5

STUDENTS SHOULD KEEP PERSONAL SPACE CLEAN AND DISINFECT DOORKNOBS AND SHARED SURFACES FREQUENTLY.

MOM AND DAD, MAKE SURE TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF EATING WELL, PRIORITIZING SLEEP AND MANAGING STRESS NOW THAT YOUR KIDDO IS IN CHARGE OF HIS OR HER OWN IMMUNE SYSTEM. Oh, and toss some travel-size hand sanitizer into those care packages!

AUG ’16 › tchealthyliving.com

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Keeping It All In Line How chiropractic care plays a role in the health of your

spine.

By Cynthia McFarland

I

f you’ve never had back pain, you should consider yourself fortunate. Or it may just be that your time has not yet come.

Approximately eight out of 10 Americans experience back pain at some point. Back and neck pain are among the most common reasons for sick leave in the workplace.

“Neck pain, back pain and headaches are the most frequent complaints in a chiropractic office. While sometimes these problems are attributable to muscle or ligament strains, there are cases with more serious causes such as disk injuries or degenerative joint disease,” notes Robert A. Hayden, DC, Ph.D., FICC, who practices at Iris City Chiropractic Center in Griffin, Georgia and is also a media spokesperson for the American Chiropractic Association (ACA).

The Big Picture It’s easy to ignore the health of your spine when you don’t have back pain, but you may not realize your spine and nervous system play into your overall health—and not just when it comes to walking.

“The nervous system is the control mechanism for the body,” explains Hayden. “The central nervous system is composed of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nerves take information to and from our body parts from the brain and spinal cord.

“This information includes, for example, control of circulation, movement, digestion and influence on the immune system,” Hayden continues. “It constantly monitors input from the environment through our senses and reacts appropriately to maintain the delicate balances required for stable metabolism. The nervous system is truly marvelous. King David said it well: ‘We are fearfully and wonderfully made.’”

It’s All Connected “With the hip bone connected to the back bone, and the back bone connected to the neck bone...”

You may dismiss that old ditty as just a silly childhood song, but it contains an important kernel of truth:

AUG ’16 › tchealthyliving.com

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When something goes wrong in your spine, numerous areas of your body can be affected.

Hayden points out that proper alignment may prevent or impact systemic problems. For example, alignment issues in the neck and upper back may affect breathing in the upper airways or in the lungs if the thorax does not move properly.

Your gastrointestinal tract also has important ties to your spine. Thoracic nerve roots come out of the mid back and coalesce to form important nerves that actually control the GI tract.

“One of our patients endured a very expensive medical workup to track the source of his right upper abdominal pain that revealed nothing significant,” Hayden recalls. “When he returned for chiropractic care, we found a thoracic disc herniation that was causing the radiating pain to the abdomen.

This was an interesting case because gastric reflux produced a chronic cough, and the cough herniated the disc. The nerve squeezed by that herniated disc caused his abdominal pain.

That is an interesting chain of events but not unusual. Every patient’s situation is like a mystery novel waiting to be read and solved.”

Help For What Hurts

Hey, Doc, What’s That Noise?

When joints are adjusted, sometimes there is an audible sound. (You’ve heard it when you crack your knuckles.)

Chiropractors refer to this noise as “cavitation.”

There’s no need for concern.

Adjustment can change the pressure within the joint, and any sound you hear is caused by the release of tiny gas bubbles between the joints.

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There are typically two causes of pain originating in the spine: nerve and disc.

When a disc has degenerated, the disc itself is painful. In other cases, a nerve may be pinched or irritated as a direct result of damage to a disc, and because a nerve is involved, the pain can radiate out to other areas of the body. Your health care provider can help determine the exact cause of your pain and what treatment is recommended.

There are many different injuries and conditions that may be helped by chiropractic care, from lumbar spinal stenosis and sciatica to whiplash and herniated discs.

Each year, some 30 million Americans turn to chiropractic care, and no, you don’t need a medical referral. Doctors of chiropractic are educated as primary-contact health care providers, with an emphasis on diagnosis and treatment of conditions related to the musculoskeletal system (the muscles, ligaments and joints of the spine and extremities) and the nerves that supply them.

“Most people consult us with a pain problem,” says Hayden. “A doctor of chiropractic will use the same knowledge base and diagnostic tools as our medical colleagues but with a very different approach to treatment that is drug-free, non-surgical, safe and effective.”

Although it’s often pain that drives a person to seek chiropractic care, how does the chiropractor know where adjustment is needed?

“Pain is like a rattle in a car. It tells you something is wrong, but it is not necessarily specific,” notes

Hayden. “Chasing pain can be frustrating because sometimes people hurt in places remote from the cause.”

The chiropractor takes the patient’s history, including this specific complaint and other parts of the medical history. A careful examination will include multiple body systems, and imaging may be necessary to complete the picture. All of that together leads to a diagnosis, and that guides the chiropractor toward specific therapy.

Let’s say you seek out a chiropractor because of frequent headaches. Those headaches may be related to alignment issues in the neck, alignment issues of the skull or they may be totally unrelated to musculoskeletal issues. The answer will be found via your patient history, physical exam and imaging, allowing the chiropractor to know precisely where adjustment is needed.

Seeking Relief Chiropractic adjustment is a carefully controlled procedure that manipulates the body’s joints, in particular the spine. This can reduce pain and helps resolve inflammation of joints. Depending on the nature of the problem and whether it is acute or chronic, a patient may need several adjustments over a period of time.

Chiropractors aren’t limited to just using their hands for adjustments. There are many chiropractic techniques, some of which involve the use of devices and machines.

“Some doctors use activators, which are handheld devices that impact bones very lightly and very quickly,” says Hayden. “Some use special tables, such as flexion distraction or decompression, to affect pressure inside intravertebral discs. There are several

physiotherapies at our disposal, including numerous electrotherapies, ultrasound and infrared light, all of which can be used as adjuncts to support soft tissue, along with the adjustments.”

In some cases, a misalignment is causing the pain, so adjustment brings immediate relief.

An adjustment may also release endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkillers that are embedded in our tissues. Adjustments of the thoracic spine probably also release epinephrine, which is made in nervous tissue —Robert A. Hayden surrounding the thoracic spine.

“I have a patient who is a recovering heroin addict,” relates Hayden. “Heroin and our own endogenous endorphins ‘tickle’ the same opiate receptors in our brains. When I do thoracic adjustments for that gentleman, he nearly goes unconscious as the endorphins hit his brain, which is screaming for stimulation after being exposed to heroin

in his youth. He states that this adjustment feels like when he ‘shot up.’ It is not that his endorphins are more powerful than ours, but he is more sensitized than most people and reacts very strongly.”

If you have a physical job, you may want to consider seeing a doctor of chiropractic before you run into back problems.

Athletes, for example, often seek chiropractic care.

“Right now 28 professional baseball teams and all 32 professional football teams have chiropractors maintaining finely tuned athletes,” remarks Hayden. “As chiropractors optimize a patient’s structure by adjusting the spine and extremities, there is a direct improvement in function that is reflected in performance.

“I have some high school athletes who come to see me before a big game. After adjustment of the spine and extremities, they report better speed and agility.

The whole team appreciates that!”

“Chasing pain can be frustrating because sometimes people hurt in places remote from the cause.”

Learn More American Chiropractic Association acatoday.org/patients Click on “Find a Doctor” to locate a doctor of chiropractic in your area.

Take Care Of Your Spine!

Have a desk job? Use a chair that offers ergonomic support, ideally with your knees slightly higher than your hips to maintain the natural curve in your lower back.

Don’t slouch. Adjust your computer monitor to look directly at it, not up or down.

Take regular breaks: Get up, stretch and walk around.

Have a physical job?

Never twist while lifting something. Pick up heavy items by kneeling on one knee close to the item with your other foot flat on the floor, or bend at the knees and squat. Lift with your leg muscles, not your back muscles.

Sweet dreams. Sleeping on your back puts significantly more pressure on your spine than sleeping on your side. Better to sleep on your side with just enough pillow to keep your head level.

Hug a body pillow so your upper arm and knee are supported by the pillow.

AUG ’16 › tchealthyliving.com

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HEALTH MATTERS If you often spend time outdoors in the summer, you know how important it is to have a safe, reliable insect repellent. This year, it’s especially important to protect yourself with the scare of the Zika virus carried by mosquitos.

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NUTRITION FITNESS BEAUTY

H E A LT H Y

NUTRITION

Chew On This

The FDA recently announced that the labels on the food you buy are going to change within the next few years.

The reason? To encourage shoppers to make healthier eating decisions. Here’s how they plan on doing it. Some changes include: › Bolder font, making it easier to see how many calories you’re consuming › Clearly listing how much sugar is added to the food › Specify what a serving size is, and define “serving size” itself to better fit what the average person eats

Source: news.ufl.edu

› Prioritize what Americans need more of in terms of vitamins › Supplement labels will also be updated to reflect the new changes PAGE

39 41

H E A LT H Y

body

BEAUTY

Much Ado About Micellar Toner meets cleanser and moisturizer—all in one.

Yep, micellar water might be worth ditching a more involved skin care regimen for, especially if you fight dry skin and easily clogged pores.

T

his product, touted to completely remove all types of makeup, dirt and oil from the skin without stripping your complexion, first became popular in France because of the harsh water there. Now, makeup artists and models consider it a staple for glowing skin.

Did we mention this “micellar” formula’s base is water? Hard to believe, right? Read on.

So, What Is It?

Apparently, it all comes down to a little molecule.

Micelles are nano-sized, single-layer fatty bubbles suspended in soft water. The tiny oil molecules are attracted to dirt and grime and pull all the yuck out of your pores. Saturate a cotton round with the water, and gently wipe it all over your face. It’s gentle enough to wash away eye makeup, too (just keep your eyes closed), making it an all-in-one product and totally lazy-girl approved.

It’s so simple that it almost sounds too good to be true.

And even better, once applied, the cleanser doesn’t have to be wiped or rinsed off.

Here are some of our favorite micellar waters based on reviews. Grab your credit card—we’re sure you’re going to want to give them a try.

Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration Nourishing Facial Water, $13 ulta.com

Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Micellar Cleanser, $30 sephora.com

Vichy Purete Thermale One Step Cleansing Micellar Solution, $17 dermavenue.com

Orlane Vitality Radiance Micellar Water, $45 lordandtaylor.com

Simple Cleansing Micellar Water, $7 ulta.com

Dry skin.

After washing, dab your face with a towel, if desired; never rub. Rubbing stretches your skin, leading to premature wrinkles. Or, apply moisturizers immediately after cleansing while your skin is still damp. Waiting until your skin is dry will make it harder for the active ingredients to soak into your skin.

Look for a product with simple, natural ingredients. You don’t have to spend a fortune to have healthy skin.

Hint: Take another look at those products above.

Although any oil can help replenish the skin’s lipids, coconut oil is one to especially rave about.

As an anti-inflammatory, it is much more effective than mineral oil at helping skin retain moisture.

DON’T OVERDO IT. Washing twicepress” a day is are a good routine. Any Want to throw one more into the mix? Extra virgin olive oils labelled as once “firstorcold rich more, however, could irritate the skin, leading to an overproduction of oil. in compounds that nourish the skin, including polyphenols, squalene and fatty acids.

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Sources: womenshealthmag.com, instyle.com, elle.com

A Little Dab Will Do Ya

H E A LT H Y

body

BEAUTY

Face Off

Surely you’ve heard of the magic of coconut oil. But that’s just one oil out of many. Read on to find out some of the great benefits of some top facial oils.

From skin prone to severe dehydration to skin suffering from constant breakouts, oils can help stabilize and regulate the skin’s ecosystem.

Sources: oilhealthbenefits.com, totalbeauty.com

Acne.

Studies have found that 5 percent tea tree oil is as effective at treating acne as 5 percent benzoyl peroxide. Miami dermatologist Leslie Baumann recommends it as a gentle, natural alternative to harsher acne treatments such as benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid that sometimes dry skin out, causing more harm than good.

Oily skin.

Oil on oil? Sounds counterproductive right? Grapeseed oil helps to regulate your body’s natural oil production. Plus, it’s packed with beta-carotene and vitamins D, C and E.

Combination skin.

Try marula oil, made from the nut of the African marula tree, to prevent skin damage and fight breakouts almost immediately.

Apply three drops of the oil onto your palm and then apply it to your skin to keep redness and blemishes at bay.

Repair.

Black currant oil is rich in fatty acids and has anti-inflammatory properties. It even works on conditions such as eczema or psoriasis because of the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids contained in this seemingly magical potion.

Discoloration. Anti-aging.

Rosehip seed oil is ideal for protecting your skin as well as promoting cell regeneration. Perfect for a boost to your moisturizer—just mix in a few drops before you apply it to your skin.

Argan oil contains a high concentration of vitamin E and essential fatty acids. Want further proof this oil actually works?

Check out skin care guru Josie Maran’s argan oil skin care line.

Fountain of youth, here we come.

Dry skin.

Although any oil can help replenish the skin’s lipids, coconut oil is one to especially rave about.

As an anti-inflammatory, it is much more effective than mineral oil at helping skin retain moisture.

Want to throw one more into the mix? Extra virgin olive oils labelled as “first cold press” are rich in compounds that nourish the skin, including polyphenols, squalene and fatty acids.

AUG ’16 › tchealthyliving.com

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H E A LT H Y

body The P.R.I.C.E. Is Right

You’ve likely heard of the R.I.C.E. method for dealing with injuries, but builtlean.com recommends adding in another step—protect—to remind you to stop using the injured muscle.

PROTECT: Stop doing whatever strained your muscle in the first place to protect it from further injury. (Put down the weights, my friend.)

REST: Lay low for two or three days. If the pain persists, see your doctor.

ICE: Apply ice to the area while you’re awake for 20 minutes every couple of hours for the first day or two.

COMPRESSION: Wrap the pulled muscle with an elastic bandage, like an ACE bandage, to provide support. Just don’t wrap it too tight.

ELEVATE: Keep that pulled muscle propped up higher than your heart to keep the swelling down.

Reach for anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil, Motrin or Aleve to relieve persistent pain. You can also apply a hot compress or heating pad after the first couple of days to relax your muscle and prevent stiffness.

Soothing Solutions

So, you’re laid up on the couch; Netflix is on. Before you sink further into the cushions, soothe your pulled muscle with a few natural remedies. They’ll encourage healing and make lounging more comfy.

Muscle Malfunction

That moment when you bend over weird, lift a heavy weight or play a sport you haven’t played in years and then feel the surging pain of a pulled muscle won’t be your most glamorous, though it may be quite memorable.

Don’t try to power through the pain of a strained muscle—that will only make things worse. Instead, fast track your recovery with these simple steps.

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2

3

Soak the muscle in Epsom salt for 30 minutes, dry and wrap in a bandage.

Two cups of the salts added to a warm bath or a bucket of water should do the trick. Soak once daily until your strained muscle is completely healed.

Or, soak in the same amount of apple cider vinegar for anti-inflammatory and alkalizing effects. You can try to drink the stuff, too, but we’d suggest mixing it with warm water and honey to lessen the bitter taste.

Heat clove oil and gently massage it into your pulled muscle. Its anesthetic and anti-inflammatory properties will ease the pain, reduce swelling and increase blood flow to the area. You’ll experience similar benefits from garlic oil, as well.

Sources: top10homeremedies.com, builtlean.com, mayoclinic.org

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AUG ’16 › tchealthyliving.com

H E A LT H Y

body

NUTRITION

Anti Acid

If you’re like many Americans, you can’t go a day without your morning coffee or your late-night salty snack.

(Potato chips sound so much better at 1am.)

All About Acid

Stressed? Fatigued? Joint and muscle pain? Lay off the acidic food and drinks for a while and see if your ailments begin to improve.

Acidity is measured in pH levels. A pH of 0 is high in acid, while a pH of 14 is alkaline, or base. You guessed it, a pH of 7 is considered neutral. (FYI, our stomach is a 3.5 to break up all the food we eat). The rest of our body, however, hovers between 7.35 and 7.45 regularly.

A diet of too many acidforming foods, including protein, can create acidic urine, which in turn can cause painful uric acid kidney stones. Overacidity can also lead to bone and muscle deterioration, not to mention issues with your liver and heart.

Consuming too much acid also ups your risk for cancer.

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Try It!

Here are a few simple changes to help eliminate acid from your body and your diet.

1.

BREATHE! Believe it or not, deep breathing exercises will help rid damaging acid from your body.

Food For Thought

Foods with high acid: Eat less of this…

2. HYDRATE WITHOUT COFFEE. Drink an 8-ounce glass of water every morning with half of a lemon. Continue to drink water throughout your day. Every day.

› Nuts (cashews, peanuts, walnuts)

› Fried foods

› Sweeteners (sugars, maple syrup, fruit juices with sugar)

3. MINIMIZE HARMFUL ACIDS. Caffeine, sugar, gluten, dairy, alcohol, soda and processed food are not always your friend.

Go easy on them.

› Breads

› Processed lunch meats and other sources of protein like chicken (remove the skin and don’t fry it for a low-acid option) or hot dogs

4. DRINK SMOOTHIES. Having a fresh, organic smoothie is a great way to feed your body the nutrients it needs. Start with fruit like bananas and berries, and gradually add in spinach or kale.

› Condiments like mayo and ketchup

5. EXERCISE FOR 20 MINUTES EVERY DAY. Sweating helps rid your body of toxins and acids.

Visit the gym, go for a swim or take the kids on a bike ride.

› Fruit (blueberries, cranberries, etc) › Coffee

› Salt

› Cheeses (Parmesan, cheddar, American, mozzarella)

Foods with low acid: Eat more of this…

› Green vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, celery, green beans)

› Eggs › Melons and bananas

› Brown rice

› Fruit (apples, blackberries, pears)

› Coconut

› Oatmeal

› Fish

Sources: getoffyouracid.com, greenopedia.com, healthline.com, webmd.com

This behavior, however, could be one reason why you feel tired and sluggish the next day. Too much acidic food can be damaging to your body. The combination of toxins and acids often creates large amounts of inflammation in your body, forcing your body’s systems to work harder throughout the day.

MIND HOME FINANCE

H E A LT H Y

MIND

Got Sleep?

Scientists have revealed that one of the main reasons it’s sometimes hard to fall asleep in a new location is because half of our brain stays awake to keep us safe from danger. Who knew?

Here are five tricks that may help the next time you’re on the road.

1.

Bring your own pillow. A familiar smell and squish can trick your brain into thinking you’re home.

2. Find a hotel with rooms that look like your bedroom. (Good luck with this one!)

3. Invest in a sleep mask or earplugs to block out light and noise.

4. Download smartphone apps that generate white noise or other calming sounds.

Source: newser.com

5. Take a warm shower right before bed or try reading a few pages of your favorite book to unwind.

PAGE

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H E A LT H Y

vibe

FINANCE

Kids & Cash

In a world of credit cards, Internet banking and online shopping, kids don’t often see people buying products with actual money anymore. This can make the world confusing for kids who are new to the world of finance.

K

nowing this, the sooner parents take an active role in teaching kids financial basics, the better. Parents are, after all, the biggest influence on decisions a child makes later in life— financial decisions included. Here are some ways to make even a trip to the grocery store a teachable moment.

Encourage your kids to ask questions about money. What’s a check? How does a debit card work? How much candy can I buy with $2?

Next time you go to the bank, take your kids with you! Explain the different accounts your money is put into and what the teller is doing. (They might even get a lollipop!)

Give your child some money while grocery shopping and let him or her make the decisions about what to buy. It’s important to understand what can be purchased with said amount of money.

Talk to your child while shopping about how you decide what to buy. Discuss practical choices like whether something is a need versus a want.

Save It, Don’t Spend It

Here are a few tips to encourage your kids to save money.

USING ENVELOPES: Have your kids draw pictures (or cut and paste catalog pictures) of toys they want on different envelopes. This will help them understand that some things take longer to save for.

46

SAVINGS GOAL CHART: Make a chart of how many weeks it will take your child to save up for something. They will be excited to save in order to reach their goal.

tchealthyliving.com › AUG ’16

REWARDS FOR SAVING MONEY: If your kid saves their money for a while, reward them with an extra half hour of TV or video games or a trip to the park to continue to motivate them.

SET A GOOD EXAMPLE: If your child sees you putting money into a savings jar, they will want to do the same. Saving money will start to become more normal to them (and hopefully to you, too).

MATCH THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS: Matching your kids’ savings is a good way to encourage them to save a little more. A quarter for a quarter, a dollar for a dollar.

LET KIDS MAKE PURCHASING MISTAKES: Even if you think they’re wasting their money on something, you should let them buy it anyway. They will soon stop wanting to buy toys that they only play with once or twice.

Sources: moneycrashers.com, moneysmart.gov.au, parents.com, money.usnews.com, windgatewealthmanagement.com, forbes.com

It is crucial to teach children early on that money doesn’t grow on trees and you can’t just “swipe” a credit card whenever you want. Experts say children as young as 3 can grasp financial concepts such as saving and spending, and a report by the University of Cambridge revealed money habits are formed by age 7.

H E A LT H Y

vibe

HOME

Bug Off—Naturally!

Keeping The Kiddos Safe

With chemicals being harmful to both your home and your health, it could be beneficial to create a pest killer using products found under your kitchen sink.

Time spent outdoors is a given during the summer months, with days stretching well into the evening hours. Another given is mosquitoes. Protect the kids with this all-natural bug repellent.

After all, who doesn’t want to be a little more environmentally conscious these days?

Fill an 8-ounce spray bottle 1/2 full with distilled or boiled water. › Add witch hazel to fill almost to the top. › Add 1/2 tsp vegetable glycerin (optional). › Add 30-50 drops of essential oils to desired scent. Keep in mind that the more drops you use, the stronger your spray will be.

SPIDERS: Vinegar is your friend. Mix this with water, and it should effectively repel any spider that dares to come into your house. It can be sprayed on any type of openings throughout your house as well.

ANTS: Coffee isn’t just necessary to get you through that long Monday; it can be sprinkled around your windows and doors to prevent ants from crawling their way inside uninvited.

ROACHES: Attention all beer lovers! Pouring beer onto a plate and leaving it near entry points will apparently keep these 6-legged creatures away (or floating in the free booze).

MOSQUITOES: Garlic not only scares off vampires but mosquitoes as well. Crush a couple cloves of garlic, and boil in water. Pour this into a spray bottle and squirt it around the problem areas outside your home.

The Wellness Mama’s (wellnessmama.com) personal favorite mix is: rosemary, clove, cajeput, lavender, cinnamon and eucalyptus. She says it works great and smells good, too!

Into The Oils?

Here are 10 fabulous essential oils that naturally repel insects:

CITRONELLA: Mosquitoes

GERANIUM: Mosquitoes, flies

LEMON EUCALYPTUS: Mosquitoes

LAVENDER: Mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, fleas, flies LEMONGRASS: Mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, fleas, flies

PATCHOULI: Gnats

Sources: homeremedyhacks.com, lifehacker.com, info.achs.edu, wellnessmama.com

A

quick browse through Google and Pinterest yields plenty of useful tips to rid yourself of an irritating pest issue. Some of our favorites are below. Of course, they’re not guaranteed but certainly worth a try.

PEPPERMINT: Spiders, ants ROSEMARY: Fleas, ticks TEA TREE: Mosquitoes, ants THYME: Mosquitoes, flies

EXTRA TIP: When using essential oils, remember to mix 2 ½ teaspoons of oil with 1 cup of grain alcohol in a spray bottle.

Mist throughout home or yard.

AUG ’16 › tchealthyliving.com

47

vibe 1

Candid is the new cool.

2

People tell stories.

3

Little things.

4

Beat the tourists.

5

Pin it, use it.

6

All about angles.

7

Lens lesson.

HOME

Fancy Photos

Here’s to never again posting a cliche passport picture on every viable social media platform.

No more photos of clouds outside your plane window uploaded. And selfies? See ya.

Is traveling really traveling if you come back without the photos to prove it? We’re not convinced. Here are some tricks of the trade for all you self-proclaimed globetrotters out there in need of some photobook-worthy photos.

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tchealthyliving.com › AUG ’16

How many pictures can you frame of you or your kids grinning at the camera with a famous building or scenic view in the background? The best way to photograph a location is to face away from the camera for a profile shot. Get real pictures of people enjoying the moment.

The best pictures of people are typically the ones taken without their knowledge. Having a person placed in your photo, especially while capturing landscapes, really shows the full-sized scale of the scene. A bicyclist roaming the streets? A woman walking past with a poodle? Character is a major key in photography.

Keep an open eye for the things other people may pass up. A dress hanging to dry on a clothesline, flowers on a balcony, anything that catches your eye. Years later, when you look at the picture, you’ll be surprised at just how many more memories will come flooding back to you from the experience.

Unless you want countless photobombed pics by a sunburned dad or a woman sporting a fanny pack, get to your destination before the tourists arrive.

Show up bright and early. An added bonus? The lighting will be great.

Pinterest is one tool that you could use as a reference right up to the moment you press click. The best way to use Pinterest is to sign up and start using the search tool to research your destination. Within moments, you will have an excessive amount of visual content (not to mention inspiration) at your fingertips.

A ton of pictures taken at eye-level can be monotonous. Switch it up. Don’t be afraid to get on the ground for the perfect shot or climb a bit higher to look down on a subject. Creativity counts.

In gardening you use a shovel for digging and a rake to gather up the leaves. There are different tools for different types of jobs. Likewise, there are different lenses that work for different types of shooting. Pick up a photography book or do a bit of online research to find various lenses and what they’re great for.

Sources: buzzfeed.com, digitalcameraworld.com, photographylife.com

H E A LT H Y

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To learn about life here, visit TheVirginian.com. Homes from $450k.

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