TRI-CITIES
Cheers! Where to wine in the Tri-Cities
Living with ALS Causes for a Cure
Plus
ENJOY NEW ENTERTAINMENT THIS FALL
$327
*
SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE! Original retail price is $409.00. *Special introductory price expires 11/1/15.
THE ENTERTAINER FIRE PIT RETURNS in an all-new design! If you’re limited on time and have beginner-level building knowledge, all you need is a sunny weekend afternoon to bring new entertainment to your fall! At just 3'5" x 3'5" x 1'2½", the new Entertainer Fire Pit is ideal for limited outdoor space and perfect for simple outdoor enjoyment.
www.GeneralShale.com
423-952-4135
423-245-6131
3015 Bristol Highway Johnson City, TN 37601
925 East Stone Drive Kingsport, TN 37661
There’s a story behind every smile...
...and everyone wants a smile they feel good about, no matter your age, gender, profession or circumstance. Understanding that simple fact has allowed us to provide not only exceptional results, but a pleasing experience as well. So whatever your story may be...
...we’d like to be a part of yours. 1599 Fort Henry Drive Kingsport, Tennessee
423.247.8172 W W W . M A R T I N D E N T I S T R Y . N E T
TIMOTHY R. MARTIN, DDS Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine
KEVIN W. MARTIN, DDS Cosmetic & Conscious Sedation Dentistry
Neuro-Spine Solutions, P.C. TRUST YOUR
Areas of Treatment GENERAL ORTHOPAEDICS | HAND AND SPINE Neck Pain Low Back Pain Thoracic Pain Herniated Disc Occupational Injuries Pinched Nerves Degenerative Arthritis Scoliosis Failed Previous Neck/Spine Surgery Steroid Injections
health to us
Joint Arthroscopy Ankylosing Spondylitis Joint Replacement Spinal Stenosis Sports Injuries Spinal Instability Cancer Spinal Fractures/Injuries Osteoporosis
About Us
We provide spine care excellence with a caring touch using cutting-edge technology. We believe in providing state-of-the-art spine care, including microsurgery, discectomy, laminectomy, minimally invasive, artificial disk, motion-sparing technology, fusion and kyphoplasty.
A graduate of Louisiana State University,
Morgan P.
Lorio
M.D. FACS
Dr. Lorio completed his general surgical internship and orthopedic residency at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Lorio is double board certified in spine and hand surgery along with general orthopaedics. Dr. Lorio completed the Simmons Spine Fellowship and a clinical practice fellowship with Dr. Hanson Yuan at the Health Science Center Syracuse. He is a member of the American Boards of Orthopedics and Spine Surgery the North American Spine Society, among others. Recognized by the Profiles of Hand Surgery in North America, Dr. Lorio is an assistant clinical professor at East Tennessee State University.
240 Medical Park Blvd. Suite 2700 Bristol, TN 37620 | (423) 844-0501
Get the free mobile app at
http:/ / gettag.mobi
october 2 0 1 5
| vol. 2 no. 2
features ON THE COVER
three places to wine p22
TRI-CITIES
As wineries have begun to pop up around the country, wine-tastings and tours—once activities that required longdistance travel—have gone mainstream. Photo by Peter Montanti
BY DEBRA MCCOWN
paint the town pink p16
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. Several local organizations are doing just that. BY LEIGH ANN LAUBE
a patient’s perspective p28 Two patients share insights into living with ALS. BY LEIGH ANN LAUBE
Cheers! Where to wine in the Tri-Cities
Living with ALS
Plus Causes for a Cure Cover photo by Peter Montanti
meandering your way through medicare p32
With 55 million Americans enrolled in the federal insurance plan Medicare, annual open enrollment is more than just another date on the calendar. BY JIM GIBSON
OCTOBER 2015
| tchealthyliving.com
3
departments
7
HE ALT H Y
beat
TRENDS | NEWS | PEOPLE
p8
BY CE ALIA ATHANA S ON, L AUREL G ILLUM & DEBR A MCCOWN
8
Fall foliage at its finest.
9
Get up and get moving.
10
Small miracles, big results.
11
HE ALT H Y
dose
INSIGHT | ADVICE | SOLUTIONS
B Y C E A L I A AT H A N A S O N & L AU R E L G I L LU M
12
Ugh, my upper back!
13
Dehydration damage.
14
Let the sun shine in.
37
HE ALT H Y
body
NUTRITION | FITNESS | BEAUT Y
p12
p14
BY CE ALIA ATHANA S ON, L AUREL G ILLUM & K ATIE MCPHER S ON
38
Tracking your fitness.
39
Avoiding exercise injury.
40
The flavors of fall.
42
Makeup must-haves.
43
HE ALT H Y
p10
balance
MIND | SPIRIT | FINANCE
B Y C E A L I A AT H A N A S O N & L A U R E L G I L L U M
44
Financial planning priorities.
46
Stop being stressed!
48
An in-office om.
p40
p44 p10
4
tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER 2015
p38
the most comfortable chair in the world. THE INNOVATORS OF COMFORT™
the beauty of total back support
HEALTH MATTERS Type 2 Diabetes affects an estimated 25+ million Americans and associated costs exceed $130 billion a year. Due to alarming rates of obesity and sedentary lifestyles, type 2 Diabetes unfortunately is becoming a wide-spread epidemic. Left untreated, this potentially life-threatening disease can lead to heart attacks, strokes and even blindness. Eating low-glycemic foods, staying active and managing your weight are all essential to keeping blood sugar under control. If more help is needed, though, one of our most powerful natural therapies is Berberine, a plant alkaloid clinically proven to effectively regulate blood sugar and A1C levels.
*Perfect lumbar and neck support
One-O-One W Main Street Jonesborough, TN 37659 Phone: (423) 753-4648 www.mauks.com
Mon - Thurs, 10a - 5p Fri - Sat, 10a - 5:30p Closed Sun
for info on health and features of recliners/chairs visit
ekornes.com
WALLACE SUBARU JOHNSON CITY
Published in the journal, Metabolism, a clinical trial states, “Berberine works just as well as the top-selling drug Metformin for type 2 Diabetes”. Another study in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that Berberine also lowered triglycerides by 35%, LDL cholesterol by 21% and total cholesterol by 18%. Amazing!
Patsy Meridith, CNC Certified Nutrition Consultant Owner of Natural Foods Market
423-610-1000 3211 Peoples St., Ste 74 Johnson City, TN NFMonline.com
As always, we guarantee your satisfaction.
Locally-Owned for 34 Years
Tennessee’s
largest subaru SHOWROOM*
“ Right on the Corner,
Right on the Price”
NOW MORE THAN EVER, IT’S love.
subaru
9AM-7PM M O N D A Y- S A T U R D A Y
3101 OAKLAND AVE. | 423-952-0888 WALLACESUBARUJOHNSONCITY.COM
ABBEY & ELLE *ACCORDING TO SUBARU FACILITY REPORTS-ATLANTA ZONE.
OCTOBER 2015
| tchealthyliving.com
5
TRICITIES
tchealthyliving.com / 423.794.8780
publisher
MARK BAGGARLY mark@tchealthyliving.com
People.
Experience.
EDITORIAL
editorial@tchealthyliving.com
Trust.
executive editor
KARIN FABRY-CUSHENBERY managing editor
MELISSA PETERSON contributing writers
JIM GIBSON JOANN GUIDRY LESLEY JONES BONNIE KRETCHIK LEIGH ANN LAUBE DEBRA MCCOWN CYNTHIA MCFARLAND CARLTON REESE associate editor
KATIE MCPHERSON editorial assistant
CEALIA ATHANASON editorial intern
LAUREL GILLUM
ART & PRODUCTION art@tchealthyliving.com
production manager
CYNTHIA BROWN
creative director
JASON FUGATE
People. Trust. Experience. Each word can stand on its own. Or, together they represent the values of Mountain States Medical Group. We put our focus on people, trust and experience because that’s what you look for in your healthcare partner and what you can always expect to find here. Our people are the pride of our operation, and understand what patients and their families are going through. The trust they place in us is something we take seriously and work hard to live up to. Ultimately, we are creating a patient experience that reaps every benefit of being surrounded by an experienced staff. You can read the words individually or as a sentence — either way, people trust experience.
art director
JESSI MILLER CASTRO graphic designer
CHRISTINA GEIGER photographers
JOHN JERNIGAN PETER MONTANTI WWW.FRESHAIRPHOTO.COM WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
SALES director of sales
MARK BAGGARLY
mark@tchealthyliving.com
administration/accounting
THERESA SHORT
billing@tchealthyliving.com
distribution
LEIGH ANN LAUBE MEGAN CONNER
HEALTHY LIVING MEDIA president
KATHY JOHNSON
kathy@tchealthyliving.com
352.732.0073
mymsmg.net
Healthy Living Tri-Cities, October 2015. Published monthly by Healthy Living Media, LLC and distributed by The Caddy Group, Inc. 2332 Volunteer Parkway, Bristol, TN 37620. All contents copyright 2015 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) 794-8780. 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.
HE ALT H Y
beat TRENDS | NEWS | PEOPLE
feed the world OC T
16
Observed the world over since 1945, World Food Day is celebrated each year on October 16, when people come together to declare their commitment to eradicate hunger in our lifetime. According to worldfooddayusa.org, 805 million people—that’s one in nine people worldwide—live with chronic hunger, and almost 5 million children under the age of 5 die of malnutrition-related causes every year. So this year, take a stand! Participate in food drives, meal packaging and hunger walks set in place to make this world a better place—one forkful at a time! FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: worldfooddayusa.org.
OCTOBER 2015
| tchealthyliving.com
7
HE ALT H Y
beat out and about Buffalo Mountain Park
big firescald knob
ROUND TRIP: 4.5 MILES (MODERATE)
Cherokee National Forest
awesome TriCities leaf hikes O ne of the perks of living in the Tri-Cities region is a climate that affords four seasons—and stunning foliage in the fall. If you’re looking to get out in the woods to enjoy the leaves, here are a few trails that come highly recommended.
Because it’s relatively level, this trail is a great option for families with kids. It can be accessed from Viking Mountain Road via State Route 70 near Greeneville. A trail from the parking area leads to the Appalachian Trail, which leads to several nice overlooks. (423) 638-4109 fs.usda.gov/cherokee/
buzzard rock fire tower ROUND TRIP: 8 MILES (STRENUOUS) trail Rocky Fork State Park
ROUND TRIP: 3.5 MILES (MODERATE)
This new park in Unicoi County, accessible from I-26, is a gem for those who like more rugged trails. The most popular route to Buzzard Rock includes unbridged creek crossings and a significant elevation gain. The view looks back on 10,000 acres with no roads, power lines or cell phone towers—just waves of mountains. The park has a lot of geologically and botanically unique areas and a lot of wildlife, including a healthy bear population. (423) 271-1233 Park info: tnstateparks. com/parks/about/rockyfork Trail map: tehcc.org/ clubwiki/images/Rocky_ Fork_Trail_Map.pdf
Bays Mountain Park Follow the switchbacks to the old Bays Mountain Fire Tower, which you can climb for a view that includes Bays Mountain, Church Hill, Mount Carmel, Kingsport and parts of Southwest Virginia. The park, run by the city of Kingsport, has miles of trails and a zoo-like area featuring native animals, including bobcats, otters, deer, gray wolves, raptors, reptiles and other critters. Park admission is $4 per car. (423) 229-9447 baysmountain.com
white rock ROUND TRIP: 2.5 MILES (MODERATE)
Buffalo Mountain Park
8
tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER 2015
Hampton Creek Courtesy of Travis Parker
overmountain victory trail ROUND TRIP: 2 MILES (EASY)
Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area If you’re looking for a nice fall stroll, this trail meanders on a gentle grade past a series of high-elevation meadows, which offer views of surrounding mountains and are full of fall wildflowers. For those with a more ambitious hike in mind, the trail continues on to Roan Mountain. (865) 594-5601 tn.gov/environment/article/na-na-hampton-creek-cove The best place to view the leaves at Buffalo Mountain is at White Rock, the park’s highest overlook. The route to this scenic spot, managed by the city of Johnson City, is a wellmaintained trail up the mountain. A 4.5-mile loop trail is also available. (423) 283-5821 | johnsoncitytn.org/parksrec/facilities
beat the challenge
Sources: parents.com, kidsactivitiesblog.com, goodhousekeeping.com, huffingtonpost.com
get some air
Each month we present our readers with a new challenge to improve their health and wellness. This month, we’re asking you to spend at least 30 minutes outside each day.
fun Spending time outside each day boosts your mental and physical the problem: outdoor health. In fact, just taking a walk outside boosts creative thinking, and 20 minutes in the fresh WITH WORK, KIDS AND DAILY RESPONSIBILITIES, IT’S HARD TO MAKE TIME TO GET OUTDOORS. BUT, WE DON’T WANT YOU TO MISS OUT ON ALL THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF BEING OUTSIDE.
the challenge: Go outside. Just 30 minutes of fresh air each day can lower your stress levels, motivate you to exercise more and calm your mood. We’ve suggested a few outdoor games and activities to make it fun for the whole family!
air can wake you up as much as one cup of coffee. Spending time outdoors also helps you relax and can put you in a positive mood. So, get out there and enjoy the cooler weather!
HERE ARE SOME FUN WAYS TO GET YOUR FAMILY INVOLVED, TOO: FOUR SQUARE: A little competition makes things fun. Draw a four square court with chalk on your driveway, and see who misses the ball first. STAR GAZE: Find a clear spot in your yard to gaze at stars. Set up a telescope or blankets for your family, and point out as many constellations as you can. PLANT A GARDEN: Grow
veggies or flowers in a small plot of land, and teach your kids how to plant seeds and weed, water and prune.
HIDEANDSEEK AFTER DARK: Let the kids stay
outside after the sun goes down. When it gets dark, grab a flashlight, count to 10 and shine it to find everyone who’s hiding.
RIDE BIKES: It’s a great way
to exercise, enjoy nature and hang out as a family. Get everyone outside and ready to take on the neighborhood, park or nature trail. Just don’t forget helmets.
HOPSCOTCH: Use some chalk to make a hopscotch course on your driveway. Teach your kids, start your stopwatch and see who can do it the fastest. BACKYARD CAMP OUT: Set up a tent, and build a fire. Camp out in your backyard, complete with campfire songs and s’mores. FLAG FOOTBALL: Make teams and play a game of flag football before dinner. Keep the competition going by planning a rematch for later in the week.
OCTOBER 2015
Sources: parents.com, kidsactivitiesblog.com, goodhousekeeping.com, huffingtonpost.com
HE ALT H Y
| tchealthyliving.com
9
HE ALT H Y
beat good deeds
miracles walk on four legs
T
he impact can be seen in the changed lives of individuals: the special needs child who grows steady on his feet and begins to speak; the troubled teen who goes to trade school and starts planning a future; the combat veteran who learns how to rejoin society. BY DEBRA MCCOWN
Some of the changes are physical, but mostly, they’re changes of heart. “It’s amazing,” says Sherri Russell, executive/ program director at Small Miracles Therapeutic Equestrian Center, a unique place in Kingsport where horses are the teachers and the lessons range from basic social skills to the development of purpose, motivation and hope. “You never know what life you might touch.” At Small Miracles, a non-profit founded in 1995, they run three programs: one
“Horses are nonjudgmental; they accept you with unconditional acceptance.”
for special needs children and adults, one for at-risk youth and one for veterans who suffer from brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder. “Horses are nonjudgmental; they accept you with unconditional acceptance,” says Russell of the intuitive animals that form the basis of her programs. “They don’t care how you dress; they don’t care what’s in your bank account.” Small Miracles has garnered a fair amount of community support in recent years. That’s made a big difference, Russell says, to an organization with a small staff that relies on a patchwork of grants, donors, United Way dollars and fundraising. For example, Eastman Chemical Company played a big part in building the current facilities. Local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have built items needed by the center. United Way volunteers have gotten major projects done each year at the annual Day of Caring. But Russell says the roughly 75 volunteers who give their time to Small
Miracles on an ongoing basis, many of them working with the center’s 13 horses, are the lifeblood of its success. They’ve had lives changed, too, she says, from improved interaction with peers to inspiration for a certain career path. It’s important, she says, to recognize the positive potential in everyone. Somehow, the horses know just how to act—whether it’s nurturing a child with profound special needs, providing instant feedback to troubled teens being raised in the foster care system or hanging tough to teach veterans positive coping skills and resiliency. “We’re very holistic here,” Russell says. “We want to see them be successful in life and reach their highest potential, no matter what program they fall in.”
FIND OUT MORE Small Miracles Therapeutic Equestrian Center 1026 Rock Springs Drive, Kingsport (423) 349-1111 small-miracles.org
HE ALT H Y
dose INSIGHT | ADVICE | SOLUTIONS
move over, Source: cnn.com
statin
The statin class of drugs, prescribed to lower cholesterol and among the most prescribed drugs in the United States, may soon have a new competitor. Recently, a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee recommended approval of two new experimental, cholesterol-fighting drugs—Praluent and Repatha, which could be more potent and offer less side effects than some of the most commonly prescribed statins, including Zocor, Lipitor and Crestor. If approved, these drugs will be the most important cholesterol medications released since 1987, when the first statin was approved.
OCTOBER 2015
| tchealthyliving.com
11
HE ALT H Y
dose what to blame
bum back I
s your upper back bumming you out? With a few exercises and good posture, you can kick your back pain for good.
Injury, little or no exercise, high stress levels, sitting for long periods of time or being overweight can cause upper back pain. Though most triggers can be amended or treated, certain medical issues can lead to upper back pain, too, including a slipped disc, trapped nerve or arthritis of the spine. Bad posture also affects the upper back, and many sedentary jobs that involve sitting in front of a computer have made upper back pain more common.
the aches and pains The good news is that upper back pain symptoms usually aren’t masking any other health issues. Achiness, headaches, pain stretching across the shoulder blades, muscle stiffness or tension and pains that worsen at night are the most common symptoms. But, symptoms like weak or numb arms and legs or incontinence may indicate a deeper health issue. In this case, see your doctor as soon as possible.
For general upper back pain, ice packs and painkillers should do the trick. But, if the pain persists, consider seeing a chiropractor, acupuncturist or physiotherapist to loosen up your joints. If you sit in front of a computer at work, keep good posture by aligning your head over your shoulders and shoulders over your hips. An office chair with back support will help you maintain good posture comfortably. Also, keep your computer screen at eye level to avoid straining your neck. Once you have the pain under control, work to strengthen your back with the following exercises. Perform them each day for more effective results, and don’t worry—they only take about five minutes or so.
12
SHOULDER BLADE SQUEEZE
FLAT BACK
STAND UP, SQUEEZE YOUR SHOULDER BLADES TOGETHER AND HOLD FOR FIVE SECONDS. REPEAT THE EXERCISE FOR ONE MINUTE.
STAND AND BEND AT THE WAIST, RESTING ONE OF YOUR ARMS ON YOUR DESK OR CHAIR. HOLD A CAN OF SOUP (OR SOMETHING WITH A LITTLE WEIGHT) IN YOUR OTHER HAND, AND EXTEND THAT ARM OUT TO THE SIDE UNTIL IT’S PARALLEL TO THE FLOOR. LOWER YOUR ARM UNTIL IT’S HANGING VERTICALLY FROM YOUR BODY, AND REPEAT 10 TIMES. SWITCH ARMS.
tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER 2015
HEAD LIFT
LIE FACEDOWN ON YOUR BED, HANGING YOUR HEAD OFF THE EDGE. LIFT YOUR HEAD UP, AND HOLD. THEN, SLOWLY LOWER IT BACK DOWN, AND REPEAT FOR ONE MINUTE.
Sources: ources: avogel.co.uk, webmd.com, spine-health.com
treat and prevent
dose
waterless woes B
ad mood, headache and sugar cravings? Grab a glass of water and drink away the pain! Your body starts to dehydrate after losing only 1.5 percent of its water. Here’s what dehydration does to your body and what to do to fix it.
dehydration damage Your body loses water throughout the day, leading to dehydration. And, dehydration can cause physical issues, from bad breath to high cholesterol. If you’re not replenishing lost water, your mood will plummet, you’ll get a headache and you’ll feel fatigued. You will even think you’re hungry when you’re actually just thirsty. Your body is 75 percent water, and below are a few of the problems caused by losing too much of that water: ASTHMA AND ALLERGIES: THE MORE WATER YOUR BODY LOSES, THE MORE YOUR AIRWAYS CONSTRICT TO CONSERVE WATER. ALSO, MORE HISTAMINE IS RELEASED WITH THE WATER YOU LOSE, MAKING ALLERGIES WORSE. HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE: WHEN HYDRATED, YOUR BLOOD IS APPROXIMATELY 92 PERCENT WATER. THICKER BLOOD RESULTS FROM DEHYDRATION AND CAUSES BLOOD FLOW RESISTANCE AND THUS HIGHER BLOOD PRESSURE. HIGH CHOLESTEROL: DEHYDRATION MAKES YOUR BODY PRODUCE MORE CHOLESTEROL TO KEEP WATER FROM ESCAPING CELLS. WEIGHT GAIN: BECAUSE WATER IS NEEDED TO ELIMINATE TOXINS, YOUR BODY STORES TOXINS IN FAT CELLS UNTIL HYDRATED ENOUGH TO REMOVE THEM. BAD BREATH: DRINKING WATER KEEPS YOUR MOUTH FRESH WITH THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF ANTIBACTERIAL SALIVA, REDUCING BACTERIAL GROWTH. WHEN DEHYDRATED, THERE’S LESS SALIVA IN YOUR MOUTH, ALLOWING BACTERIA TO GROW AND GIVING YOU SMELLY BREATH. PREMATURE AGING: CHRONIC DEHYDRATION LEADS TO THE WITHERING AND WRINKLING OF YOUR SKIN AND ORGANS.
drink up If you become dehydrated, sip on water and electrolyte-containing drinks, like Gatorade or Pedialyte, to replenish fluids. Wear loose clothing, and lay in an air-conditioned place to cool your body temperature. Avoid putting ice on your skin, as that will cause your blood vessels to constrict
and hold in heat instead of releasing it. If you are severely dehydrated with a body temperature of 104 degrees, a rapid heartbeat, confusion, dizziness or shock, you should seek emergency medical attention. A good rule of thumb is to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water
throughout each day. That will keep you hydrated as well as prevent many illnesses and diseases. You’ll actually feel fuller, burn more calories and give your metabolism a boost. And don’t forget to drink extra water before, during and after workouts or situations that cause you to sweat.
OCTOBER 2015
Sources: medicaldaily.com, cnn.com, webmd.com, emedicinehealth.com
HE ALT H Y
| tchealthyliving.com
13
HE ALT H Y
dose
the need for D D id you know getting enough of the so-called “sunshine vitamin” can boost your quality of life, promote healthy sleep and protect your immune system?
body language
Approximately 42 percent of adults in the United States are deficient in vitamin D, making them more susceptible to a long list of diseases. Of course, there are also possible side effects with getting too much vitamin D, so stick to the Institute of Medicine’s recommended daily amounts for intake until you can see your doctor for a blood test. The International Units of vitamin D recommended for each age group are as follows:
Vitamin D absorbs calcium, promotes strong bones, lowers inflammation, promotes quality sleep and puts you at a lower risk for developing breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, depression, weight gain and heart disease, to name a few. Vitamin D also helps regulate your immune and neuromuscular system, as well as boost your mood. If you don’t get enough vitamin D daily, you increase your risk for disease and could develop weaker bones, which could lead to osteoporosis.
06 MONTHS 400 TO 1,000 IU/DAY 612 MONTHS 400 TO 1,500 IU/DAY 13 YEARS 600 TO 2,500 IU/DAY
48 YEARS 600 TO 3,000 IU/DAY 970 YEARS 600 TO 4,000 IU/DAY 71+ YEARS 800 TO 4,000 IU/DAY
D in your diet SUN EXPOSURE GIVES YOUR BODY A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF VITAMIN D, BUT THERE’S NO NEED TO FOREGO SUNSCREEN COMPLETELY. WHEN YOU HEAD TO THE POOL NEXT SUMMER, SOAK UP SOME SUN WITHOUT SUNSCREEN FOR A FEW MINUTES, BEING CAREFUL NOT TO BURN. THEN, GO AHEAD AND SLATHER ON THE SPF. SITTING IN THE SUN 10 MINUTES OR SO EACH DAY WILL GIVE YOU A GOOD DOSE OF VITAMIN D IN LATE SPRING AND SUMMER MONTHS, BUT IT’S NOT PRACTICAL FOR MOST OF US AND NOT AS EFFECTIVE IN THE FALL OR WINTER MONTHS. SO, WITHOUT THE SUN AS A REGULAR OPTION, YOU’RE LEFT WITH DIET AND SUPPLEMENT OPTIONS TO KEEP YOU HEALTHY ALL YEAR LONG. FATTY FISH, LIVER, EGG YOLKS, ORANGE JUICE, OATMEAL, CHEESE, FORTIFIED CEREAL AND MILK ALL CONTAIN VITAMIN D, THOUGH EATING THESE FOODS STILL MIGHT NOT GIVE YOU ENOUGH OF THAT D GOODNESS. FOR HEALTHY ADULTS, IT’S RECOMMENDED TO TAKE 2,000 IU PER DAY OF VITAMIN D IN ADDITION TO A HEALTHY DIET AND ANY SUN EXPOSURE. TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR TO SEE WHETHER YOU MAY NEED TO UP YOUR DOSE, ESPECIALLY DURING THE COLDER MONTHS.
14
tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER 2015
Sources: webmd.com, prevention.com, bulletproofexec.com
proper amounts
In collaboration with Asheville Integrative Medicine is proud to bring to you our
Breast Cancer Awareness & Thermography Event! Thursday, October 29th 2015 at Anderson Women’s Health Clinical Services 310 Bluff City Highway, Bristol, TN 37620
Thermography is FDA approved* to be used in conjuction with mammography as an early detection tool.
SAFE, EASY, PAIN FREE, NO RADIATION
The screening process takes approximately 15 minutes Appointments are available beginning at 10 am
ion t n e v e r P our best is fense! de
Receive 25% off any Eminence Organic Skin Care product that day. Schedule a Breast Thermography Screening and take
an additional 15% off Eminence Organic Skin Care Products.
Please call 423-274-2410 (option 2) for more information or to schedule an appointment. *Thermography devices are not a substitute for mammography, but have been cleared by the FDA for use as an additional tool for detecting breast cancer.
t n i a P he
Town
T nk i P
Breast cancer is the second most common newly diagnosed cancer and second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. By Leigh Ann Laube
16
tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER 2015
Susan G. Komen TRI-CITIES AFFILIATE
S
taff at the Susan G. Komen Tri-Cities affiliate have fielded their share of phone calls for Susan Komen. They get emails and letters addressed to Komen. Susan G. Komen died from breast cancer at the age of 36. In 1982, shortly after her death, Komen’s sister, Nancy Brinker, founded the organization that bears her name. Today, the organization has invested more than $2.6 billion in breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment.
“If we’re on the phone with somebody, we’ll backtrack and do a little education,” explains Lisa Marie Pierson, Komen Tri-Cities’ executive director. “We tell them this is a breast cancer foundation named in honor of Susan G. Komen, tell them our background, who we are and what we do, and ask ‘What can I help you with?’” The mission of Susan G. Komen Tri-Cities, now in its 10th year, is to provide funding for breast health services, breast cancer education and outreach in a 23-county service area in Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina. Work to establish a Komen affiliate to address the breast health gaps in this region actually began in 2002. In October 2005, the Tri-Cities Affiliate was officially formed. Through events like the Komen Tri-Cities Race for the Cure, Komen Tri-Cities invests 75 percent of the funds raised to support vital local breast health services. The remaining 25 percent is dedicated to national research. Komen Tri-Cities has invested more than $2.4 million in local breast health agencies and organizations. During the 2014-2015 grant cycle, Komen Tri-Cities funding provided
3,990 people with breast health education, 659 no-cost mammograms for medically underserved Tri-Cities area residents, 378 people with breast cancer diagnostic services and 27 breast cancer patients with treatment assistance. Those gaps in care, Pierson says, include the uninsured, the underinsured and men. Komen Tri-Cities is seeing more and more underinsured patients. “We’re running into a lot of underinsured, low- to middleincome, who had insurance and don’t now, or they make too much and don’t qualify for federal programs and tax credits, and they don’t have enough to outright pay for it,” she says. “How do we reach younger women, because we are seeing more and more of them? African-American women have much, much higher late-stage diagnosis and mortality rates,” she says. Pierson often finds herself defending the decision to dedicate 25 percent of locally raised funds to national research. “It doesn’t matter how many mammograms if we’re not looking for a cure,” she says. “We’re never going to get ahead of this.” Next to the federal government, Komen is the No. 2 funder of research, she says. “We’re not shipping that money to Dallas to pay their light bill,” she says. “The entire quarter is for research.” In three decades, she says, the breast cancer mortality rate has dropped from 36 percent to 1 percent. “Breast cancer is one of the only cancers that can claim a 99 percent survival rate if we catch it early. Research is looking toward how do we catch it faster? What other diagnostic tools are available?”
Race For The Cure
AND OTHER KOMEN EVENTS
T
his year’s Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure marks the Tri-Cities affiliate’s 10th anniversary. It’s the affiliate’s biggest fundraiser, but attendance has dropped over the last few years. “That’s been the hardest hit in the last several years,” explains Pierson. “Everyone has a 5K. The race is probably always going to be our signature event. We’re looking to other areas to diversify. We have to find ways to create a culture of fundraising. There are 110 affiliates in the Komen
OCTOBER 2015
| tchealthyliving.com
17
network. All of us are trying to find ways to grow that fundraising component.” In August, the TriCities affiliate hosted the BigWig Campaign fundraising challenge. Fifteen high-profile community leaders were challenged to raise $1,000 during a four-week period to fund local breast cancer patient services and educational programs. The BigWig idea was borrowed from the Susan G. Komen Coastal Georgia affiliate. In 2014, 10 community leaders from the Savannah area raised nearly $40,000 in donations. Komen Tri-Cities also hosts a “Tickled Pink” Survivor Celebration each year. The 2015 celebration was held in July. Race for the Cure will be held October 25 at Memorial Park, across from DobynsBennett High School in Kingsport. Registration begins at 11am, with the Kid’s Dash at 1pm. A Survivor Celebration will take place at 2:30pm, and the 5K starts at 3pm. For registration fees and other race information, visit komentricities.org. komentricities.org
18
tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER 2015
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
T
he American Cancer Society is happy to report that more than 203,000 breast cancer deaths have been averted since 1991. More than 200,000 American women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, but the breast cancer death rate is down 34 percent, due in part to improvements in screening and treatment. Tri-Cities residents are invited to join the fight against breast cancer during the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event, set for 3pm on October 18 at Founders Park on Wilson Avenue in Johnson City. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks are the largest network of breast cancer awareness events in the nation, and money raised enables the American Cancer Society to fund groundbreaking breast cancer research; provide free, comprehensive information and support to those touched by breast cancer; and help people take steps to reduce their breast cancer risk or find it early when it is most treatable. Since 1993, more than 11 million walkers across the United States have raised more than $685 million to help fight breast cancer through Making Strides events. In 2014, 1.3 million walkers across the country raised $64 million. The ACS offers the Reach to Recovery program for people diagnosed with breast cancer. Reach to Recovery volunteers are breast cancer survivors, and they’re in a unique position to offer understanding, support and hope.
“We also have Road to Recovery, where we have volunteers pick patients up and take them to their treatments and bring them back home,” explains Holly Booker, community manager for the American Cancer Society of Northeast Tennessee. “Most people stop treatment because they don’t have a ride or don’t feel like going anymore. There’s someone making you accountable.” Road to Recovery is open to any cancer survivor, Booker said. The Look Good, Feel Better program is also not exclusively for breast cancer patients but is open to all women with cancer who are undergoing
chemotherapy, radiation or other forms of treatment. This public service program teaches beauty techniques to cancer patients to help them manage the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatments. “We do it [in Kingsport and Johnson City] once every other month,” Booker says. “They sign up for it; it’s free. It’s a morale builder. You get to hang out with other women who are going through the same thing you are.” For more information about the American Cancer Society or any of its programs, call (800) 227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
Casting For RECOVERY
S
ince Casting for Recovery began operating in East Tennessee, around 150 women have embraced the connection between fly-fishing and battling breast cancer. Casting for Recovery was founded in 1996 in Manchester, Vermont, by a breast cancer reconstructive surgeon and a professional fly-fisher. Casting for Recovery’s innovative program focuses on breast cancer survivorship and improving quality of life. Casting for Recovery retreats provide education and support weekends at no cost for women who have experienced breast cancer. The East Tennessee Retreat began in 2007 and has been held each year at The Lodge at Buckberry Creek in Gatlinburg. During the twoand-a-half-day retreats, the sport of fly-fishing is used to promote physical, emotional and spiritual healing. The gentle, rhythmic motion of fly casting can be
good therapy for the upper body as a way to encourage increased mobility in the arm for women who have had surgery or radiation as part of the breast cancer treatment. The retreat also provides resources to help address quality of life issues after a breast cancer diagnosis. “We only take 14 women at a time. We want to keep it small and intimate, and we’re teaching them everything about fly-fishing,” says Lindsay Long,
program coordinator for Casting for Recovery’s East Tennessee program. “Keeping it that small and intimate keeps it from being just a feel-good retreat. It enables them to form bonds with each other and makes it a support network.” The East Tennessee program held its ninth retreat in April. The program is open to any woman in Tennessee and will begin accepting applications from women from the northwest corner of North Carolina for next year’s retreat, scheduled for April 8-10, 2016. The East Tennessee program also hosts an annual retreat in Bluff City. Anyone who has participated in the Casting for Recovery program can attend the annual retreat held during the Labor Day weekend in Bluff City. For more information on Casting for Recovery or to apply to next year’s retreat in Gatlinburg, visit castingforrecovery.org, call Long at (865) 742-4143 or send her an email at cfreasttn@gmail.com.
OCTOBER 2015
| tchealthyliving.com
19
Putting it in
PERSPECTIVE
Carol
MANHARD
C
arol Manhard’s first reaction to her breast cancer diagnosis was to throw up and pass out. She didn’t. And she was told that she was going to be fine; that her type of breast cancer—invasive ductal carcinoma— was the most common and the most easily treatable. The diagnosis caught Carol, who was 53 at her diagnosis in May 2014, by surprise. She had no family history and considered herself healthy. “I was a candidate for a lumpectomy and radiation,” she explains. “But when they did the lumpectomy, they took out lymph nodes and one was positive. That meant chemotherapy.” Carol had 16 treatments of chemotherapy between July 2014 and November 2014, followed by 27 radiation treatments from the end of December 2014 to early February 2015. She had a hysterectomy following the radiation. The chemotherapy and radiation treatments weren’t as difficult as she was expecting. “I just looked at each part of the treatment as a step forward in my journey to recovery. Yes, there were some tough days, but honestly, not as bad as I thought it would be on the front end. It was so very scary and overwhelming as I was getting ready for each part of my treatment. I really have found many positive aspects in this journey, and I count my blessings daily,” she says. She’s done with treatment but will take the drug Arimidex for five years. With four daughters (ages 20 to 27) and three sisters, Manhard preaches diligence about regular breast self-exams and annual mammograms. If her
lump hadn’t shown up on a mammogram, it might have been years before she detected it herself. “I had a ‘clean’ mammogram one year prior to my diagnosis. My tumor was caught very early during my annual mammogram, therefore, my prognosis was excellent for a return to my regular, healthy life,” she says. “Be diligent. Get your mammogram. Do your self-exam. Be aware.”
“Be diligent. Get your mammogram. Do your self-exam. Be aware.”
20
tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER 2015
Rebecca SPIVEY
R
ebecca Spivey celebrated her 37th birthday in 2012 with a breast cancer diagnosis. Today, she celebrates being cancer-free. Spivey had a clean mammogram in September 2011 but discovered the lump in her right breast nine months later. Because her mother is a breast cancer survivor, Rebecca thought she was overreacting. She was sent for an ultrasound and mammogram, but the tumor didn’t show up on film. “The ultrasound tech and radiologist could feel it, but it wasn’t picked up on the ultrasound,” Rebecca says. Her next stop was a surgeon’s office, and an MRI showed the 9-centimeter lump. The results of an MRI biopsy confirmed that she had breast cancer. The next day was her birthday. After taking a few days off to celebrate her birthday, Rebecca started chemotherapy—four treatments of Adriamycin, commonly called “the red devil” because of its red color. She followed that with 12 weeks of Taxol, a medication that interferes with the growth of cancer cells, and Herceptin, a treatment for people with HER-2 positive breast cancer. “Around Christmastime 2012, an MRI showed no tumor,” Rebecca recalls. “It took me awhile to accept it. It was so big,
and it was aggressive. She [the nurse] actually called me at home from her house. I hadn’t had my mastectomy yet.” Rebecca finished chemotherapy in January 2013. Because of the cancer’s aggressiveness, she had a double mastectomy the next month. To prepare for breast reconstruction, she had tissue expanders put in during April 2013. Because she had positive lymph nodes, she had 25 radiation treatments between late April and early May. After a total of four surgeries, she received the breast implants in November 2013. “It’s a pretty long process, and I don’t think people realize that,” she explains. Aside from her mother, Rebecca has great aunts and a second cousin diagnosed with breast cancer. She worries for her young daughter, who is old enough to understand how cancer has affected her family. “She knew Mamaw had it and Mom had it. She asks, ‘Am I going to get it too?’” Rebecca says. Rebecca still tires easily and gets short of breath. She encourages other women to take charge of their health. “Routinely do your checkups. If you feel something or have pain, go have it checked. Obviously, age is not a factor,” she says. “If you feel like you have something going on, push your doctor to get it done.”
“If you feel like you have something going on, push your doctor to get it done.”
OCTOBER 2015
| tchealthyliving.com
21
Three Places to
Wine W
PHOTO BY PETER MONTANTI
As wineries have begun to pop up around the country, wine-tastings and tours—once activities that required longdistance travel—have gone mainstream. BY DEBRA MCCOWN
The
trend has even found its way to the TriCities, where three wineries now operate: Countryside Vineyards & Winery, Corey Ippolito Winery and Reedy Creek Vineyards & Cellars. “It used to be perceived as kind of a hoity-toity, finger-in-the-air kind of elite thing to do,” says Patti Fox, who lives in Kingsport and has developed an appreciation for local wineries over the last couple of years. “Everyday people are finding it more accessible and more enjoyable now.” Before a friend introduced her to wineries during a trip out of town, she says, she always assumed that she didn’t like wine. “When I used to think of wine, I used to think of what they did with communion wine,” Fox says, recalling just a couple of other occasions when she’d tasted wine—and didn’t like it. “What I’d say now is if you don’t think you like wine, you haven’t found
the particular type of wine that appeals to you. That’s the idea behind a tasting: If you don’t like it, you can spill it out.” The $5 typically spent on a wine tasting is also worth it in other ways, she says. She goes with a group of friends to make it an experience—kind of like going out for dessert after a meal. Plus, she says, researchers claim a glass a wine a day can have positive impacts on heart health. “It’s not about getting drunk,” she says, as she sips a sample at Corey Ippolito. “Anything is bad if you overindulge.” Holly Vining, who lives in Bristol, says visiting a winery is a relaxing way to spend an evening out with her husband—and support local businesses at the same time. “I love local wines,” she says, during a stop at Reedy Creek. “I think it’s definitely important to support local businesses,
OCTOBER 2015
| tchealthyliving.com
23
PHOTOS BY PETER MONTANTI
Countryside Vineyards & Winery
658 HENRY HARR ROAD, BLOUNTVILLE YEARROUND: MONDAYSATURDAY 106, SUNDAY 16 423 3231660 CVWINERYANDSUPPLY.COM
JIM THOMAS
and although Tennessee may not be renowned for wine, it’s like a little secret: We’ve got a gem right here because this wine is fabulous, and all of it’s local. Why buy the stuff from California when you can get it here and it’s way better?” Beyond enjoyment of wine itself, Vining says she also finds wine interesting on an intellectual level: “It’s just fascinating,” she says, “that such a little grape can be so many different things.” Fox says each of the Tri-Cities’ three wineries has its own personality. Reedy Creek is more formal in atmosphere and serves classic, drier wines. Countryside has a long history and tends toward the sweeter side. Corey Ippolito is easygoing and middle-of-the-road, catering to a variety of tastes. “The different ones offer different things, so you end up with your favorites that you have at different wineries,” Fox says. “You can go to three different wineries in the same town, and the wines are all different.”
24
tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER 2015
For Jim Thomas, owner at Countryside Vineyards & Winery, wine-making has been a part of life for as long as he can remember. “My grandmother made wine, and my grandfathers made wine. My wife’s side of the family made wine,” says Thomas, who was raised in an Italian family in Illinois. “You’re kind of brought up with the barrels and the routine.” Thomas decided to try making wine of his own when he got out of the Army, he says; when he went to work for Kodak in Rochester, New York, he found plenty of grapes in the area with which he could experiment. “Well, then I got transferred down here to Eastman Chemical in 1974, and guess what: no grapes,” he says. “So I had some land, had a garden and I started
“Why “W buy the stuff from California when you can get it here and it’s way better?” planting a few grapes. This variety, that variety, and so that kind of got me started into making wine. And then I had friends who were winemakers, too, and we talked and helped each other.” He bought the land where his vineyard now sits in 1986; he planted the vineyard in 1987 and, in 1990, made wine from his crop for the first time. He opened the winery the following spring. These days, Countryside is still making wine from its own grapes, Thomas says, and also with local blackberries and strawberries purchased nearby, for a total of 18 different wines.
Once the grapes are crushed, they’re allowed to ferment for several days. The wine is aged and then bottled. These days, Thomas says, the number of wineries is going up even as craft breweries and distilleries— there are some of each in the Tri-Cities—have begun to compete for visitors’ attention. He says that for his winery, staying small has always been part of the plan because it means he can still get his hands dirty. “You get too big, and the boss man just sits at a desk and says do this and do that,” he explains. “It’s fun to be involved.”
KEVIN AND NANCY COREY
Corey Ippolito Winery 533 ROGERS OAKDALE PRIVATE DRIVE, BLOUNTVILLE APRIL THROUGH DECEMBER: MONDAYSATURDAY, 126 JANUARY THROUGH MARCH: THURSDAYSATURDAY, 125 423 3231241 | CIVINES.COM
Kevin and Nancy Corey, owners at Corey Ippolito Winery, got into the wine business in kind of a roundabout way. It was such a wonderful accident, they’re convinced it was divinely inspired. “We found this property, but it was all overgrown; you couldn’t even see how it lay,” says Nancy, who first moved to the Tri-Cities area with her husband in 1986. After they left and spent a year and a half in Atlanta, they decided to return to East Tennessee and buy a farm. “We purchased it, cleared it off, built part of this building, and we were going to do Christmas trees,” she says. “We went to the extension office, and they said, ‘You can’t grow
PHOTOS BY PETER MONTANTI
He says he got a lot of attention back in the 1990s, when research came out about resveratrol—a substance found in red wine that’s supposed to boost heart health. “I remember that week and weekend; we just got covered up with people,” he says. “People had read or heard on the news about the resveratrol thing, and they were coming to a local winery just to sample wine and maybe buy some red wine.” The technology used in wine-making has changed a bit since his grandmother’s time, he says, but the process has remained largely the same. “You crush the grapes when you get them. In the old days, they used to stomp on them, and then they came up with crushers,” he says. “You see that machine right there?” he asks, pointing out a wooden antique displayed as part of the décor in the tasting room. “That was my grandmother’s crusher that goes back to the 1920s. In fact, I got started using that. Of course, the more grapes you process, it gets to the point that you can’t use a small machine; you’ve got to use a bigger machine.”
Christmas trees here.’ So we decided to do grapes.” They planted their first vineyard in 1999 while both still working full-time: She worked for the Sullivan County school system, and he was self-employed doing excavation, construction and remodeling work. “We designed everything on the property. We dug every hole ourselves, we planted every vine ourselves, and our two children [helped].” When they got their first harvest four years later, they hauled the grapes to a buyer west of Knoxville. By then, they were also hosting weddings at the vineyard and operating a bed and breakfast, where visitors encouraged them to start a winery. It took nine months to get approval of the paperwork and permits, but by 2007, Corey Ippolito Winery was in business. The winery now keeps them both busy year-round, and they produce 11 varieties of wine. They still do special dinner events sometimes during the winter months, and all year long, they encourage people to visit the tasting room and stroll through the vineyards. “We’re very family friendly. We have the sheep
26
tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER 2015
out here; that’s part of the thing,” Nancy Corey says, referring to the animals that serve as living lawnmowers on the property. “People will bring their families here, and they’ll go out there and see the animals. We have tables outside if people want to pack a little lunch and sit on the property. Sometimes we become the centrally located place where families come from all over… and they’ll come out here for the afternoon.” At Corey Ippolito, wine tasting is $5. It includes several samples and a souvenir glass. Although there still aren’t a ton of wineries in Tennessee, Corey says, state laws—some of them literally dating from the Prohibition era—are slowly being changed to make it easier for small wineries to operate. She hopes to see that process continue so local wines can be marketed more widely, including to more venues in the Tri-Cities region. “In the last few years,” she says, “we’ve had some law changes that are really opening the doors for wineries in Tennessee.”
PHOTOS BY PETER MONTANTI
“It’s a form of art, and it can be interpreted any way you want.”
SARAH JOBE
Reedy Creek Vineyards & Cellars 1901 MEADOWVIEW PARKWAY, KINGSPORT YEARROUND: TUESDAYWEDNESDAY 116, THURSDAYSATURDAY 118, SUNDAY 126; HOURS MAY VARY SEASONALLY 423 5780530 | FACEBOOK.COM/REEDYCREEKWINES
When Mike Reedy takes on a project, he does it with enthusiasm, says Sarah Jobe, who works in the tasting room at Reedy Creek Cellars. So it was no surprise to those who know him that when he and his wife, Kristen, decided to open a winery, they planted one of the biggest vineyards in this part of the country. Kingsport and Bristol natives who moved away to work for several years before returning home to the Tri-Cities, the couple planted their first vines in 2004 and produced their first wine in 2011 at Reedy Creek Vineyards & Cellars. “We currently have about 205 acres under vine, and we focus on a very classic European style of wine. Everything that we do has been designed to go with food,” says Jobe, who describes Reedy Creek’s 19 wines as “dry to off-dry.” “We’ve won several medals in California wine competitions and wine competitions all over the country,” she says. “We are one of the up-and-coming, award-winning wineries in Tennessee.” With this year’s bottling in October, she says, a release of new varieties is expected. Reedy Creek Cellars is located at the MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center, just off I-26 in Kingsport. The vineyards are in between Kingsport and Bristol, and plans are to eventually add another tasting room to allow visitors at the farm.
more to love IN ADDITION TO THE THREE WINERIES HERE IN THE TRI-CITIES, UPPER EAST TENNESSEE IS ALSO HOME TO A COUPLE MORE— WITHOUT GOING ALL THE WAY TO GATLINBURG:
Watauga Lake Winery
6952 Big Dry Run Road, Butler April through December: Thursday-Saturday 11-6, Sunday 1-5 (423) 768-0345 | wataugalakewinery.com
Goodwater Vineyards
1861 Goodwater Road, Bybee Year-round: Tuesday-Sunday 12-6 (423) 608-4977 | goodwatervineyards.com
IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA HAS BECOME A BIT OF A WINE DESTINATION, WITH ABOUT A DOZEN WINERIES SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE 19-COUNTY CULTURAL REGION. SEVERAL OF THEM ARE WITHIN ROUGHLY AN HOUR’S DRIVE OF THE TRI-CITIES:
Abingdon Vineyard & Winery
20530 Alvarado Road, Abingdon, VA March 15 through December 15: Tuesday-Saturday 10-6, Sunday 12-6 (276) 623-1255 | abingdonwinery.com
MountainRose Vineyards
10439 North Reservoir Road, Wise, VA March through December: Monday-Saturday 10-6 January through February: Monday-Saturday 12-6 (276) 328-2013 | mountainrosevineyard.com
West Wind Farm Vineyard & Winery Reedy Creek is also involved in another planning process, says Jobe, with hopes of driving tourism by making the Kingsport area a wine destination. She says she’d like to see a Kingsport wine trail developed and already sends visitors to the other two local wineries. So far, she says, the efforts are bearing fruit: People have come to Reedy Creek from other states to buy wine, and in the process, they’re introduced to the TriCities area. Jobe says interest in local wineries is also being driven
by demographic trends, as young professionals with a taste for wine move into the area. She also meets a lot of people who visit because, with the romanticism of wine and farming, they’re interested in planting their own vineyards. “It’s a form of art, and it can be interpreted any way you want,” she says of wine. “There’s so much room for interpretation, it makes it approachable and desirable to a lot of people, and wine is timeless. It’s going to have its ups and downs, but ultimately, it’s going to stick around.”
180 West Wind Drive, Max Meadows, VA Year-round: Monday-Saturday 11-6, Sunday 1-6 (276) 699-2020 | westwindwine.com
Rural Retreat Winery & Vineyards
201 Church Street, Rural Retreat, VA. Year-round: Monday-Thursday 11-5:30, Friday-Saturday 11-6:30, Sunday 12-5:30 (276) 686-8300 | ruralretreatwinery.com
Vincent’s Vineyard
2313 East Main Street, Lebanon, VA April through December: Monday-Saturday 11-6 January through March: Monday-Saturday 11-5 (276) 889-2505 | vincentsvineyard.com
Plum Creek Winery
5418 Thompson Valley Rd, Tazewell, VA April through December: Open by Appointment (276) 988-9792
Davis Valley Winery (& Distillery) 1167 Davis Valley Road, Rural Retreat, VA Year-round: Monday-Saturday 10-5, Sunday 12-5 (276) 686-8855 | davisvalleywinery.com
OCTOBER 2015
| tchealthyliving.com
27
A PATIENT’S
D
ale and Lisa Boyd understand that most people don’t know how to act around someone who has ALS. It’s not necessary to speak louder than usual or speak more slowly than usual when you’re addressing Dale. Most of all, Lisa says, don’t say that her husband looks good. “He has ALS. How is he supposed to look?” she questions. Dale was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis—more commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease and named for 1930s New York Yankees baseball player Lou Gehrig—in April 2012. He’s gone from a cane to a walker to a power wheelchair that’s decorated as a strong testament of his love for the University of Tennessee Volunteers. The disease first affected his left hand, then moved up his left arm and down his left leg. It’s moved to his right leg and is starting to affect the muscles in
his right arm. The muscles that control his tongue are also beginning to weaken. But, as in most ALS cases, Dale’s hearing and mind are perfectly fine, so no shouting, please. As for Mary Linkous, don’t apologize to her for her diagnosis. “When people say, ‘I’m praying for you,’ that to me is much, much better. Everybody can use a prayer,” she explains. “I welcome a visit, a phone call, anything. Usually, I’m not alone, but it’s always nice to see a new face.” Mary was diagnosed with ALS in January 2015. She had just bought a new house when she noticed that she was dragging her left leg a bit. “I asked my mom to watch me walk,” she recalls. “I knew something was wrong. She said I was dragging my left leg.” Mary is 36 and has a 4-year-old son. Like Dale, ALS has first affected the muscles in her left leg, so she uses a wheelchair all the time.
BY LEIGH ANN LAUBE
28
tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER 2015
LOU GEHRIG PHOTO © CATWALKER / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Two patients share insights into living with ALS.
DALE BOYD
“You’ve got to stay
WAY AHEAD ready next.” and be
PHOTO BY WWW.FRESHAIRPHOTO.COM
for what’s going TO HAPPEN
>> OCTOBER 2015
| tchealthyliving.com
29
M ADRAYL EL IBNOKYODU S
“I stayed
UPSET from the
diagnosis
until shortly before I came to the
support GROUP.
We all come in,
SIT,
laugh and AROUND
cry.” PHOTO BY WWW.FRESHAIRPHOTO.COM
sometimes
30
JULY 2015 2015 tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER
“My left arm is getting weaker. I’m starting to slur, especially when I’m tired or stressed,” she says. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells and pathways in the brain and spinal cord. When these cells die, voluntary muscle control and movement dies with them. Patients in the later stages of the disease are totally paralyzed, yet, in most cases, their minds remain sharp and alert. According to the ALS Association, an average of 15 people are newly diagnosed with ALS every day. The average life expectancy of a person with ALS is two to five years from time of diagnosis. There’s no cure, but with recent advances in research and improved medical care, many patients are living longer, more productive lives. Half of all those affected live at least three years or more after diagnosis. About 20 percent live five years or more, and up to 10 percent will survive more than 10 years. After being treated by medical professionals locally, both Dale and Mary received their diagnoses from Dr. Richard Bedlack at the ALS Clinic at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina. “I had heard of it, but I didn’t really know what it is,” Mary recalls. “I just knew it was the worst of the bad.” Doctors there, she said, told her they couldn’t
estimate her life expectancy but encouraged her to live life to the fullest. “Travel, have a good time, do what you want to do now because in a month, you may not be able to do it,” she says. Dale’s bucket list is complete, he says, and included visiting the Grand Canyon and getting a 1968 Camaro convertible. He’s far from inactive, however, and he goes wherever his wheelchair-accessible minivan and power chair will take him, whether it’s to the beach or to a Kid Rock concert. Dale now receives care at The Carolinas Neuromuscular/ ALS-MDA Center in the Department of Neurology at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, and he’s participated in two clinical trials—one in Charlotte and one at East Tennessee State University—to help find a cure, but neither trial was successful. Dale visits Charlotte every three months for evaluations, and Mary travels to Duke every three months. Dale has round-the-clock help now. His wife, Lisa, still works, and she’s his caregiver at night. “I need help being dressed. I need help being fed. I need help going to the bathroom. I need help taking a shower,” Dale
“I stayed upset from the diagnosis until shortly before I came to the support group,” Mary says. “It’s like church. We all come in, sit around, laugh and sometimes cry.” Although support group programs are useful, Dale says he gets more out of fellowshipping and talking with other PALS (People with ALS) who are dealing with the same issues he is. “Everybody in the support group is at a different level, so it’s hard to find a topic for everyone, unless it’s a broad topic,” Lisa explains. The support group usually meets on the second Tuesday of every month. For more information about the East Tennessee chapter, visit alstn.org or contact Care Services Coordinator Jane Luethke at (423) 224-2357 or jane. luethke@alstn.org. As he has since his diagnosis, Dale will have a team present at the Tri-Cities Walk to Defeat ALS. This year’s walk is set for October 10 at Warrior’s Path State Park in Kingsport. The Walk to Defeat ALS is The ALS Association’s biggest annual event. Funds raised allow local chapters to sustain care services and support research for much of the next year. Check-in for the walk begins at 10am, and the onemile walk starts at 11am.
$99 million
The ALS Association has committed to find effective treatments and a CURE for Lou Gehrig’s disease. says. “I can still stand up a little bit, but someone has to hold on to me. “Dr. Bedlack told me he felt like mine was progressing slowly,” he says. “He felt like I had had it a year before I was diagnosed.” Mary has been busy preparing her new house to accommodate the disease. She has a roll-in shower and a power chair on order. “You’ve got to try to stay ahead of this,” Dale explains. “You’ve got to stay way ahead and be ready for what’s going to happen next.” Mary can still feed herself, but she needs help bathing and getting dressed. She hasn’t worked since October 2014. Dale has the van, the power chair, a remodeled bathroom and equipment needed to support a feeding tube. Dale considers himself somewhat the poster child of ALS locally. In the ALS Association East Tennessee Chapter coverage area (Knox County east to the Tri-Cities), there are about 60 diagnosed cases of ALS. Dale visits as many of the newly diagnosed people as are willing to talk to him. Both Dale and Mary are active with the East Tennessee Chapter support group in Kingsport.
The ALS Tri-Cities goal is to raise $100,000 for the organization, and Dale hopes his team, Boyd’s Believers, will raise $10,000 of that. The local chapter offers lots of assistance with resources. Care Services Coordinators offer education, a monthly patient newsletter, respite care, an equipment program and loan closet, a communication program, a holiday support program, consultation services and advocacy. The ALS Association has committed $99 million to find effective treatments and a cure for Lou Gehrig’s disease. The association has already funded significant research milestones in the fight against ALS, including the groundbreaking discovery of a genetic abnormality that is, to date, the most common cause of known ALS; the finding involved in familiar ALS that shows how two proteins work together to buttress the survival of motor neurons; discovery of the ALS gene SOD1, which is responsible for 20 percent of all inherited ALS cases; the discovery in 2009 of ALS6, a new gene responsible for about 5 percent of all inherited ALS cases; and the first clinical trial of ISIS-SOD1, a drug that specifically targets the SOD1 gene.
OCTOBER 2015
| tchealthyliving.com
31
PLAN B
A N A L P
PLAN C
YOUR WAY THROUGH
32
tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER 2015
With 55 million Americans enrolled in the federal insurance plan Medicare, annual open enrollment is more than just another date on the calendar, it is a time to make important changes that can affect not only your health care coverage but your pocketbook.
PLAN D
BY JIM GIBSON
When does Medicare What are Traditional open enrollment Medicare Parts A take place? and B? October 15 through December 7. Changes take effect on January 1, 2016.
Who’s affected? People already on traditional Medicare, a Medicare C Advantage Plan or those planning to enroll in Medicare Parts A and B before or during the open enrollment period.
What part of my Medicare can be affected? • Traditional Medicare Parts A and B • Medicare C Advantage Plans • Medicare D Prescription Drug Plans
Medicare Part A covers hospital
visits and certain instances of stays in a skilled nursing facility or nursing home, certain home health needs and certain hospice needs. All people on Medicare receive Part A benefits.
Medicare Part B covers medically necessary and preventive health services. This includes: doctor visits, ambulance services, lab tests, mental health services, surgery, durable medical equipment, second opinions before surgery and some prescription drugs. Part B coverage is optional. There is an open enrollment period from January 1 through March 31 of each year for people who don’t enroll when first applying
for Medicare. There is a penalty if the applicant waits 12 months or more after first becoming eligible for Part B. The Part B monthly premium will increase 10 percent for each year they were eligible but didn’t enroll. Late applicants will be required to pay this penalty for as long as they have Part B coverage. If applicants postpone Part B coverage because they have “creditable” coverage under a separate insurance policy through their employer or their spouse’s employer, this penalty is generally waived. Once this creditable coverage ends, they have eight months to apply for Part B coverage or risk paying a penalty. In 2016, Part B monthly premiums range from $104.90 for persons earning under $85,000 per year to $335.70 for persons earning $214,000 or more annually.
OCTOBER 2015
| tchealthyliving.com
33
Both Parts A and B only pay a limited amount on services rendered, and many traditional Medicare recipients also buy supplemental insurance plans (Medigap plans) to cover any costs Medicare doesn’t pay. Medigap plans, generally, can only be purchased during the sixmonth period that begins on the first day of the month in which the enrollee is both 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B.
What are Medicare C Advantage Plans? Medicare C Advantage Plans are insurance plans offered by private carriers to persons who are eligible for both Parts A and B traditional Medicare. These plans take the place of traditional Medicare coverage, and many offer dental, vision and drug plans that are not offered with traditional Medicare. These plans generally have a lower monthly premium than traditional Medicare, and all have a cap for annual out-ofpocket health costs. Many of these plans are HMOs or PPOs and require the enrollee to visit in-network providers or pay higher costs for outof-network visits. Generally, people
with end-stage renal disease are not eligible to purchase Medicare C Advantage Plans. “Many times it may be advantageous to stay with traditional Medicare and purchase a Medicare supplement instead of going with a Medicare Advantage Plan,” says Shawn McElfresh of The Nation Group. “Advantage plans can have limitations. Because most are HMOs, the insured is required to choose only local doctors and only those physicians included in that particular plan. With traditional Medicare and a supplement you can visit a specialist anywhere in the country and still have full coverage, so you have a bit more flexibility. It pays to sit down with an insurance professional to determine what is best for you and your individual situation because of all the factors that can affect your choice.”
What are Medicare D Prescription Drug Plans? Medicare D stand-alone prescription drug plans are provided by private insurance carriers and require a monthly premium. Plans generally have deductibles that must be met and copays for each prescription purchased. These plans cover a list of prescribed medications called a formulary. Each formulary has different tiers of drugs
that cost different amounts. Lower tiered drugs generally have lower costs.
What Is Open Enrollment And How Does It Affect Me? Traditional Medicare and Medicare C “Open enrollment is a once-a-year chance for persons on traditional Medicare to change to a Medicare Advantage Plan or for persons on a Medicare Advantage Plan to change back to traditional Medicare or to a different Medicare Advantage Plan,” says McElfresh. “Open enrollment is also known as the Annual Coordinated Election Period (ACEP).” Because different plans have different monthly premiums and offer vastly different coverages, it can be financially beneficial to people with certain medical conditions and needs to purchase the plan best suited for their situation. Advantages to Medicare Advantage Plans could be: lower premiums, a cheaper prescription drug plan than Medicare D, cheaper premiums than traditional Medicare plus Medigap coverage and lower coinsurance costs. It is imperative that plans be carefully scrutinized before making any changes. There are many variables to consider, and it isn’t always easy to determine the advantages of costs and coverages. Don’t rush your decision, and make sure to weigh all the options. “A person’s general health can help determine what choice to make when it comes to deciding to go with an Advantage Plan or traditional Medicare and a supplement,” says McElfresh. “A person in poor health who needs more intensive health care may do better with traditional Medicare, because longer hospital stays and more treatment can mean much higher out-of-pocket expenses with certain Advantage Plans. On the opposite side of the coin,
Price. Make sure your plan remains affordable. Almost every plan goes up in price annually— but some much more than others. Compare plan cost, annual deductibles, copayments and coinsurance costs to make sure you get the best deal. Covered medications.
someone with few health concerns may do better with an Advantage Plan.” There is a Medicare C disenrollment period from January 1, 2016 through February 14, 2016. During this time period you may switch from your Medicare Advantage Plan back to traditional Medicare. Your traditional Medicare coverage will begin the first day of the month following your change. If you make this change, you have until February 14 to add Medicare D Prescription Drug coverage. No other types of changes can be made during this time period.
Check to make sure all the medications you are taking (especially new prescriptions) are on your plan’s formulary. Formulary lists can change at any time. Also make sure there are no restrictions placed on any medications you are taking.
Preferred pharmacies. Most
plans offer lower costs if your prescriptions are placed at their preferred pharmacies. Make sure that your plan’s preferred pharmacy is convenient to your home.
To Change Or Not To Change Carefully weigh every decision to make changes in your Medicare coverage plans. Once the enrollment and disenrollment periods are over, you will have to wait until fall 2016 to make any changes. Sources: Understanding Medicare Part C and D Enrollment Periods, medicare.gov
Medicare D StandAlone Prescription Drug Plans During open enrollment you can add, drop or change Medicare D prescription drug coverage. Prescription drug plans can change significantly from year to year, so if you presently have a Medicare D plan, it is imperative to check whether your plan will still be adequate for your needs and is still the best buy for your money. Plans, formularies, deductibles and costs can be compared on the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov.
OCTOBER 2015
| tchealthyliving.com
35
A Tradition of Excellence in Eye Care Since 1942
Amy Young, MD
John Johnson, MD
Michael Shahbazi, MD
James Battle, MD
Jeff Carlsen, MD
Alan McCartt, MD
Jennifer Oakley, MD
Randal Rabon, MD
Calvin Miller, MD
Peter Lemkin, OD
TRICITIES CHOICE FOR OPHTHALMIC SPECIALTIES INCLUDING:
Laser Assisted Refractive/ Cataract Surgery • Corneal Disease and Surgery • Age-Related Macular Degeneration • Medical and Laser Treatment of Diabetic Eye Disease • Glaucoma Surgical and Medical Management • Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgeries (iStent) • Pediatric Ophthalmology • Adult Strabismus • Neuro-Ophthalmology • LASIK • Occulo-facial Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery • Eyelid/Eyebrow Surgery • Cosmetic fillers and Botox • Facial resurfacing • Microdermabrasion and Dermaplaning • Chemical Peels • Laser Hair Removal • Airbrush Tanning Xtreme Lashes • Viore Skin Tightening and Body Contouring • Rejuvapen for wrinkles, color, scars, burns and stretch marks • Micro-current Facials
423-929-2111 • JohnsonCityEye.com
JOHNSON CITY 110 Med Tech Park, Johnson City, TN 37604 BRISTOL 225 Midway Medical Park, Bristol, TN 37620 TheMedSpa@JohnsonCityEyeClinic.com
Opiate addiction is a very dangerous and real epidemic in the United States. Millions of people every year abuse illicit opioid drugs and prescription medications. According to the CDC, opiate overdoses have passed traffic accidents as the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. It is a serious medical condition that can be very damaging to a person’s mental, physical and emotional health; it damages families and may even cause death. If you are suffering from opiate addiction you are not alone, and you can turn to help by contacting the experienced and compassionate staff here at Watauga Recovery Center.
THE WATAUGA RECOVERY CENTER Intentional Recovery Education Program is our unique approach to assisting our patients in developing a strong, 4-level recovery foundation and teaching the life skills needed for relapse prevention.
“Addiction is a Disease, Let’s Treat it That Way.”
36
tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER 2015
3114 Browns Mill Road Johnson City, TN, 37604 (423) 631-0432 www.wrchope.org
HE ALT H Y
body NUTRITION | FITNESS | BEAUT Y
fitting in fitness
With a long list of daily to-do’s, going to the gym probably falls toward the bottom of your list. Though staying fit should be a priority for everyone, sad to say, there just isn’t enough time to fit in… well, staying fit! HERE ARE EASY WAYS TO STAY FIT EVEN IF YOU ARE BOOKED UNTIL THE YEAR 2060!
DRINK WATER.
MEAL PLAN.
Keep a large bottle of water with you throughout the day to stay hydrated.
Schedule time to plan meals and snacks for the week to avoid impulse snacking.
SLEEP. Being tired raises the levels of the hormone cortisol, which has been linked to overeating.
FIND ALTERNATIVES.
Source: cnn.com
Find ways to exercise throughout the day, like playing with your kids or taking the stairs.
OCTOBER 2015
| tchealthyliving.com
37
body
keeping track! T hey count steps, measure sleep, tabulate heart rate and track blood oxygen level—and they’ve become a $1.15 billion industry. Wearable fitness monitors are becoming a fitness must, and with the ability to electronically share information with friends, they just might be pushing you to do your best. Each device has so many features and purposes that it’s best to do a little research on your own, but here are some top contenders to get you started.
fitbit charge hr Named the best overall fitness tracker, this device comes in three sizes, so all wrists can sport it. The most significant bonus, though, is on the underbelly of the watch—the little hump that keeps tabs on your pulse 24/7. With your heart rate under constant monitoring, this super watch is designed to keep your heart rate data in check, in turn, giving you a better picture of your real caloric burn. Also in this line comes the Fitbit Surge, a watch great for the gym, running and cycling. The full OLED screen also displays calls, texts and notifications in full. Fitbit Charge HR, $149.95 Fitbit Surge, $249.95 fitbit.com
jawbone up2 Described as “comfortable” and “goodlooking,” this tracker nails all of the basics and more. Whether you embark on a hike or sign up for a Zumba class, this unit specializes in tracking your active and total calorie burn, time spent being active and time spent idle. And if this one sounds appealing, try out its cousin, Jawbone UP Move. For a price that would normally raise eyebrows, this tracker is extremely adept when it comes to your favorite sports. From yoga to Zumba, keeping track of your workouts will never be easier! You can even connect with friends to compare and contrast your progress. Jawbone UP2, $99.99 Jawbone UP Move, $49.99 jawbone.com
38
tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER 2015
moov now
This high-tech wearable comes with a personalized virtual coach, which promises to turn you into a better athlete. The tracker analyzes and coaches form, counts reps, talks to you as you work out, monitors heart rate and more. It even lets you connect and compete with friends to keep you accountable. As of press time, this device was in preorder, with an availability date of fall 2015. $99 moov.cc
garmin swim
Measuring pool performance, including number of strokes, stroke type and stroke distance, this is by far the most popular watch for swimmers. With Garmin Connect working as the platform for this watch, there are both decent mobile and Web app versions, making it that much easier to plug data in and compare how far you’ve come. The more casual swimmer should check out the less expensive Misfit Shine, waterproof to 50m. $149.99, garmin.com/swim $69.99, misfit.com
withings activite pop smart watch
With three colors to choose from—black, blue or white—this device no doubt can be matched to any of your favorite gym outfits. Plus, not only does it track your workouts, it tracks your quality of sleep, too. With the ability to store a day and a half worth of data in a single band, we say it’s time to try it for ourselves. $149.95 withings.com
Source: wareable.com
HE ALT H Y
HE ALT H Y
body
risky business H
BECAUSE SOME EXERCISES CAN SEND YOU TO REHAB.
eaded to the gym? Certain exercises can injure you for weeks if your technique is slightly off. We’ve got a few suggestions to help you perform them safely. Just remember to learn proper techniques or grab a trainer to help you.
1. BIC YCLE CRUNCHES
2. BEHIND-THE-HEAD LAT PULL-DOWN
3. THE KETTLE BELL SWING
4. DEAD LIFT
5. OVERHEAD SQUAT
THE EXERCISE: It’s a regular crunch, but each of your elbows meets the opposite knee, mimicking the motion of riding a bicycle.
THE EXERCISE: With one hand on each side of a barbell behind your head, lift the bar above your head and slowly pull down.
THE EXERCISE: From a squat, push your hips out to swing a kettle bell, held with both hands, to the sky.
THE EXERCISE: This is the classic bodybuilder lift. Start with a barbell on the ground and lift it up to your hips.
THE EXERCISE: Lift a barbell above your head while squatting.
RISKS: Twisting your torso rapidly back and forth can herniate disks and cause muscle spasms. Holding your neck in your hands while you twist up and down puts your spine in danger, too.
RISKS: Lifting weight behind your head puts your shoulders in an unnatural range of motion, adds pressure to your shoulder joints and can lead to rotator cuff tears. MODIFY: Lift the weight in front of your face, instead. That way, your shoulder muscles and joints are doing natural movements.
MODIFY: Practice technique, using your hamstrings, glutes and hips instead of your arms and shoulders.
RISKS: Bending your back while lifting or dropping the weight can injure disks in your lower back or cause muscle spasms. MODIFY: Use proper technique by engaging your core, maintaining a neutral spine and keeping weight off your back.
MODIFY: Rest the weight on the back of your neck and shoulders, so you can go into a deeper squat without requiring as much joint mobility.
OCTOBER 2015
Sources: fitness.mercola.com, cnn.com
MODIFY: Slow it down, and keep your abdominal muscles contracted through the movement.
RISKS: Because it requires rapid movement, this exercise can lead to rotator cuff injury and shoulder inflammation if executed incorrectly.
RISKS: Lifting weight over your head puts strain on your shoulders and back, but this exercise also requires flexibility in your hips, knees and ankles.
| tchealthyliving.com
39
HE ALT H Y
body
revamping seasonal sweets A hhh, October, the month of apple this and pumpkin that everywhere we turn. And although these harvest fruits are delicious in desserts, we think this is the year to use them in something more savory.
cheesy pumpkin quinoa stuffed peppers
caramelized stuffed pork loin Apples are good for much more than pies and tarts, and they pair surprisingly well with juicy pork. Joanna Cismaru of jocooks.com knows just how to blend the two. You’ll need…
2
apples, peeled, cored and diced into ½-inch cubes
1
stick of butter
¼
cup brown sugar (plus 1 tbsp)
3 to 5 -lb pork loin
Pinch of ground cinnamon
2
tbsp vegetable oil
½
cup orange juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large skillet, melt butter with 1/4 cup brown sugar, apples and cinnamon. Toss to ensure they’re fully coated, and sauté about 3 minutes. Do not stir during these 3 minutes so that apples caramelize on one side. Toss, and repeat on the other side. Butterfly the pork loin, and flatten with meat mallet. Spread cooled apples down the center. Bring sides up, and use butcher twine to tie around the roll at 1-inch intervals. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet. Sear pork loin on all sides; then place in a large, oven-safe pot. Mix orange juice with brown sugar, and pour over pork loin. Roast uncovered for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove from oven, wrap with foil and let sit for 15 minutes before slicing to retain moisture. Recipe and photo courtesy of Joanna Cismaru, jocooks.com.
40
tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER 2015
Amy Kritzer of whatjewwannaeat.com is revamping boring stuffed peppers with creamy, cheesy quinoa coated in seasonal pumpkin. You won’t even miss the lattes. You’ll need… 2
tbsp grapeseed oil
1
small onion, diced
1
garlic clove, minced
2
tbsp all-purpose flour
1-1¼ cups whole milk ¼ -1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded ½
tsp kosher salt
1
tsp sage
1
tsp cinnamon
¼
tsp black pepper Pinch of cayenne
1
cup puréed pumpkin
1
10 oz package spinach, thawed and drained
1 ½ cups cooked quinoa 4
large bell peppers, hollowed
1
tbsp butter
½
cup Panko
Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat grapeseed oil. Sauté onions over medium heat until they start to brown; then add garlic. Add in enough flour to form a roux; then add in milk, and cook for a few minutes until sauce thickens. Add cheese, and stir until melted. Stir in salt, pepper, sage, cinnamon and cayenne. In a large bowl, mix together quinoa, spinach and puréed pumpkin. Add cheese sauce, and stir well. Fill all four hollow bell peppers with stuffing, and top with Panko and melted butter. Bake for one hour until peppers are soft and breadcrumbs are brown. Recipe and photo courtesy of Amy Kritzer, whatjewwannaeat.com.
PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
BUILD A HEALTHY RETREAT WORTH fall-ING FOR. BY GENERAL SHALE
Most everyone enjoys fall, right? We welcome comfortable temperatures, Labor Day get-togethers and, of course, football game days. As we’ve mentioned before, an important part of a healthy lifestyle means living in a healthy environment and making healthy choices. There’s perhaps no better time of year to have and do both by building a healthy place at home to enjoy all the fall season has to offer! The following is a few ways we can help you do just that:
Pave the way to Saturday. Clay or concrete pavers are a great way to set the foundation for a beautiful, at home retreat to kick-off the weekend. Choosing an interesting color along with a unique bond pattern can take your mind off the straight edges of work life and into a place of relaxation, good times and easy living.
Huddle up to something warm. Eventually the hot summer days give way to cool fall evenings. Introducing a fireplace into the mix can keep you, your friends, and family warm after celebrating a hard fought victory or tough defeat on game day.
Unwind and dine! Your outdoor retreat isn’t complete without the accompaniment of delicious food. Choose a combination of grills and counter tops that create a convenient outdoor dining area; one that offers up a perfect blend of relaxation and healthy outdoor delicacies. These are just a few ways to make your fall retreat healthy and enjoyable. The most important thing to remember, however, is to make it your own!
HE ALT H Y
body
falling for trends I t’s sometimes hard to say which pattern will be hogging the dress racks or what hues we will be matching them with when each new season swings into effect. Of course, with the “polka dots or chevron” question pressing heavily on everyone’s minds, we have done some digging, and the fall in-list has arrived. SO WHAT WILL IT BE? FLANNELS, NEUTRALS, FLORALS? HERE IS WHAT THE GURUS OF FASHION ARE EXPECTING US TO HAVE IN OUR CLOSETS THIS FALL.
face
‘90s LIPS. A new style is set to hit the streets this season. From ripe berry lips to oxblood red, the main goal this fall seems to be titled “how not to let your pout go unnoticed.” We wouldn’t be surprised if you happen upon an aisle especially devoted to the cleverly named red sticks! BRONZE SHADOW. Metallic shadow, not so much. Gold and silver are out, bronze is in. Bronze has a seemingly more natural appearance and happens to pair perfectly with the aforementioned ‘90s-inspired lips you’re soon to be sporting. FLUSHED CHEEKS. Experts say your best cheek color is the one that occurs naturally when flushed. Whether out of anger, shyness or sheer cold, take a peek in the mirror next time you’re feeling flushed—that’s your go-to shade. GRAPHIC LINER. Swap the cat eye out with a swipe straight across the eye. It may take some practice, but these dramatic looks are sure to make your eyes stand out.
FRINGE. The ‘70s fringe look is about to
make a major comeback on everything from coats and jackets to handbags and shoes!
TURTLENECK LAYERING. This simple
trend is actually very cost effective. No need for your favorite sundress to go into hibernation just yet. instead, throw a turtleneck on underneath, and you’re good to go! Surprisingly, it’s both cute and easy. This duo isn’t one you’ll want to be the last to catch on to.
42
tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER 2015
NUDE WITH ACCENTS. Pinks and beiges are colors that will go with virtually anything, including creative accents on each ring finger. OVERLAYS. Overlay a shimmering gold lacquer on top of another favorite color to create a new, funky, iridescent look. It’s sure to turn heads. MATTE. Shiny is good, but matte is better. This sophisticated look can be worn by businesswomen and fashionistas alike.
Sources: elle.com, huffpost.com
clothes
nails
HE ALT H Y
balance MIND | SPIRIT | FINANCE
sleep solutions Go easy on the alcohol before bed. Paint your bedroom a tranquil color, like light blue or green. Cut caffeine out of your diet by noon. Try aromatherapy— lavender is a very relaxing scent. Buy a new pillow.
Sources: cnn.com
We all know the drill: Set the alarm for an hour so excruciatingly early that it’s nearly impossible for any human to wake up chipper and ready to go. Instead, you hit the snooze button a good five times and roll out of bed an hour or so later than planned only to rush yourself and the kids out the door. If this sounds like your daily routine, it’s time for some sleep hacks.
OCTOBER 2015
| tchealthyliving.com
43
financial fix-up 10 ways to fix up your finances before the year’s end.
N
eed a tax break? Get your finances in order before the new year and you’ll be ahead of the game and ready to save tax dollars. Qualify for tax credits and deductions, and learn simple ways to protect your identity.
DOCUMENT CHECK BEFORE DECEMBER GETS ANY CLOSER, YOU’LL WANT TO ORGANIZE PAY STUBS, RECEIPTS AND BILLS SO THEY’RE READY FOR TAX SEASON. TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT YOUR EMERGENCY FUND AND BUDGET TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOU’RE RIGHT ON TRACK OR OVERSPENDING. REVIEW THE PAST YEAR AND ANY LIFE CHANGES, MAKING SURE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN UPDATED IN THE GOVERNMENT’S EYES. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU’RE DIVORCED, REMARRIED OR NEWLY INDEPENDENT OF YOUR PARENTS, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE CORRECT STATUS DOCUMENTED. YOU DON’T WANT TO COMPLICATE MATTERS BY HAVING TO GET PARENTS OR FORMER SPOUSES INVOLVED TO MAKE FINANCIAL DECISIONS. MAKE SURE ANY ASSETS, WILLS AND TRUSTS ARE UPDATED, AS WELL.
44
tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER 2015
tax season tips and tricks
Prep your finances so you can save more money on taxes this year. Make it happen by accomplishing these 10 things before January 1: Make charitable contributions. Give to one of your favorite charities, and you’ll be rewarded with a tax write-off. But, don’t forget the little things. Deduct the expenses you paid to organize your school’s fundraiser or the miles you drove for charitable organizations. Put extra money into your 401(k): If you have a 401(k) matched by your employer, then by all means, do your best to reach the maximum donation amount by December 31. The money matched is free money and will add up quickly over the years. Make your home energy-efficient. Upgrading your home? If your home meets certain criteria, you may be able to install energy-efficient upgrades that qualify you for tax credits. Visit energystar.gov to see which energy-efficient improvements you can make.
STUDENT © BURLINGHAM; LOANS ICONS © VOODOODOT; SHOES © LEMON TREE IMAGES; MONEY AND HAND © VERONCHICK84 / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
balance
Sources: bankrate.com, popsugar.com, marketwatch.com, turbotax.intuit.com, fidelity.com, usatoday.com
HE ALT H Y
Defer your income. If you’re expecting a year-end bonus, defer it to the new year and save tax dollars. This is especially helpful if you know you’ll be in a lower tax bracket next year. But, if you’re not sure, go ahead and claim it. You don’t want to pay even more in taxes next year.
Withdraw from required minimum distributions (RMD). If you are 70 1/2 years old, stay on top of the amount you are required to withdraw from your IRA or other retirement account. If you are late withdrawing, you could face penalties up to 50 percent tax on the withdrawal amount.
Open an IRA. Not only will you build a retirement fund, but you may also get a tax deduction when you donate the maximum amount each year. Watch your retirement nest egg grow, and get as much cash in there as you can before January. Sell your investments. Have a few of your investments lost value? Sell them before the end of the year to offset the taxes on your earnings from winning investments.
bad
ents
tm inves
Adjust your withholding. The point of withholding money from your paycheck is to match the amount you owe in taxes as closely as possible. If you had to pay a penalty for underpayment last year, adjust your withholdings now to get closer to the actual amount you owe. The same goes for large tax refunds. Although it’s nice to get a refund, think of it as a free loan to the government because you’re withholding too much from each paycheck.
Use up your flexible savings accounts (FSA). Although employers may allow you to roll over up to $500 of leftover money in your FSA to the new year, they aren’t required to. So, use up that money by going to your dentist, eye doctor and general practitioner for any and all checkups or needs before January.
Pay college expenses. If you pay yours or your child’s spring college tuition and expenses before January, you may be able to claim the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which can refund you as much as $1,000. And, when it comes to student loans, if you’re a student and your parents pay them off for you, the government views the payment as a gift to you. So, if your parents don’t claim you as a dependent, you can deduct up to $2,500 of student loan interest paid by them.
protect your identity
Identity thieves thrive during tax season. Follow these simple guidelines to protect yourself this year.
FILE EARLY. FILE YOUR TAXES AS EARLY AS YOU CAN. IDENTITY THIEVES USUALLY FILE EARLY, AND THE PEOPLE WITH STOLEN IDENTITIES DON’T FIND OUT UNTIL THEY FILE LATER. DON’T SIGN BLANK RETURNS. IF SOMEONE IS PREPARING YOUR TAXES, DON’T LET THEM CONVINCE YOU TO SIGN A BLANK TAX RETURN. TAKE YOUR TAX RETURN ELSEWHERE. USE TRUSTED WI-FI. IT’S BETTER TO USE YOUR HOME’S WI-FI TO SUBMIT YOUR TAX RETURN THAN THE WI-FI AT A COFFEE SHOP OR CAFÉ.
OCTOBER 2015
| tchealthyliving.com
45
HE ALT H Y
balance
stressin’ about
what? W
ith stress defined as being a mental or emotional state resulting from a demanding circumstance, one would think it’s possible to pinpoint the exact moments when life causes too much trouble. However, researchers have begun to uncover why that is nothing but wishful thinking. Scott Schieman, Ph.D., professor of sociology at the University of Toronto, says, “There are plenty of chronic strains and low-grade challenges that don’t necessarily overwhelm you in the moment but almost take more of a toll in the long run.” So where are all these little stressors coming from? Read on to find out.
TEA AND CHOCOLATE. AS HEARTBREAKING AS IT IS, CAFFEINE IS ONE OF THE MOST WELL-KNOWN CAUSES OF STRESS. AND ALTHOUGH WAKING UP ON EDGE AND GRABBING A CUP OF JOE IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED, SO IS SCARFING DOWN A CHOCOLATE BAR AND SIPPING TEA. TOO MUCH CAFFEINE LEADS TO PROBLEMS WITH SLEEP, DIGESTION AND IRRITABILITY. Everyday annoyances. Sometimes the smallest things make the biggest impact. Whether it be the milk carton that was left empty in the fridge or the rude cashier in the checkout line—we often let things bother us throughout the day. Other people’s stress. According to a German study in 2014, a yawn isn’t the only thing contagious among fellow humans. Through what was deemed to be “empathic stress,” in a series of experiments, most participants who simply observed others completing a stressful task experienced an increase in the stress hormone cortisol themselves. Social media. With the ability to hold a magnifying glass to virtually anyone’s life, social networks have made humans almost too aware of their subject’s stressful situations. With notifications flashing headlines of every problem your “friends” choose to display, anxiety most definitely can take root. Not to mention the link social media has had with negative body image.
YOUR FAVORITE SPORT. “THE BODY DOESN’T DISTINGUISH BETWEEN ‘BAD’ STRESS FROM LIFE OR WORK AND ‘GOOD’ STRESS CAUSED BY GAME-DAY EXCITEMENT,” SAYS JODY GILCHRIST, A NURSE PRACTITIONER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA. SO WHEN YOUR FAVORITE QUARTERBACK MAKES AN UNFORTUNATE FUMBLE, NOT ONLY IS HIS TEAM COMPLETELY ANNOYED, BUT HE HAS MANAGED TO REDUCE THE BLOOD FLOW TO YOUR HEART. THANKS A LOT, TIM TEBOW.
46
tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER 2015
Source: cnn.com
Your expectations. Next time things don’t pan out exactly how you imagined them, don’t sweat it. Whether you read it from a philosopher or heard it straight from granny’s mouth, being realistic has always been the best advice.
CONVENIENT Mobile Banking CONVENIENT
Mobile Banking CONVENIENT Mobile Banking
1
Download the Commercial Bank app
2
Enroll for Mobile Remote Deposit
3
Take a picture ofRemote the check for Mobile Deposit you want 2 Enroll deposited
1
3
4
Download the Commercial Bank app
Take a picture of the check you want deposited
Your money is usually accessible next Your money is usually accessible next 4 business business day day
Member FDIC
Member FDIC
Kingsport Branch Kingsport Branch 1072 East Stone Drive 1072 East Stone Drive 423-245-2816 423-245-2816
Johnson City Branch Johnson City Branch 1616 West Market St. 423-232-5036 1616 West Market St. 423-232-5036
www.cbtn.com www.cbtn.com
Kingsport Branch OCTOBER 2015
| tchealthyliving.com
47
HE ALT H Y
balance
stretch, twist, relief I
f you have a desk, office or other type of sedentary job, your back, legs, wrists and stress levels are suffering. Yoga can help! And it’s easy enough to take a few minutes to perform a handful of stretches right from the comfort of your office space. Your body and mind will thank you!
Stay seated in your desk chair and refresh your body and mind with these subtle yoga positions. These moves will relieve stress and discomfort, without disrupting your co-workers.
1. CONTROLLED BREATHING: Sit up, and inhale through your nose for
five seconds. Exhale for seven seconds, keeping your mouth closed. Repeat several times. Controlled breathing slows your nervous system, renewing concentration and releasing stress and anxiety.
2. SEATED TWIST: Inhale, grab an armrest with your hands and twist your body toward the armrest while exhaling. Repeat on the other side. This will help your achy back and regulate digestion. 3. WRIST RELEASE: Bend your wrists back toward your body and then forward toward your desk. Shake your wrists rapidly side to side and up and down. These moves will help relieve wear and tear from years of typing. 4. EAGLE ARMS: Extend both arms out in front of you with your
elbows bent at a 90-degree angle, palms facing upward. Cross the right arm over the left, and bring your palms together. Lift elbows up to a comfortable level, and lower back down. Repeat, switching arms, to stretch out your arms and shoulders.
48
tchealthyliving.com | OCTOBER 2015
on your feet
These moves require you to get out of your chair and endure the curious gazes of nearby co-workers. Perhaps an office yoga sesh is in order?
1. HIP OPENER: With one hand on your desk, rest your left ankle on your right thigh and bend back into a seated position. Hold for five deep breaths, and repeat on the other leg. 2. WARRIOR ONE (LUNGE): Place your left hand
on your desk, and bend into a short lunge with your left foot forward and your back leg straight. Inhale and stretch your right arm straight above your head. Exhale, and lean your straight arm over your head to the left. Repeat with your right foot forward, stretching the left arm up.
3. HAMSTRING STRETCH: Rest your left foot on your chair, and hold your chair or desk for balance. Keeping your back straight, bend forward from your hips and hold for three deep breaths. Repeat with your right leg.
Sources: cnn.com, huffingtonpost.com, artofliving.com, 99u.com, rachelbrathen.com
in your seat
BREATHE easy Allergies?
Our custom compounded
sinus solutions
will help you beat the season. ONE custo
m
Why take all those medicines when we can create
solu tion just for you?
310 Bluff City Hwy. Bristol, TN 37620 423-764-4136
Monday-Friday: 9am-5pm
www. ande rs oncom pou ndi ng . com
Top 10% in the U.S. for Medical Excellence in Heart Attack Treatment – CareChex®
2015 Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award – Healthgrades®
TOP 10% IN THE NATION FOR CARDIAC SURGERY FIVE-STAR RECIPIENT FOR CORONARY BYPASS SURGERY FIVE-STAR RECIPIENT FOR PERIPHERAL VASCULAR BYPASS, 6 YEARS IN A ROW (2010-2015) TOP 5% IN THE NATION FOR PATIENT SAFETY TOP 10% IN THE U.S. FOR PATIENT SAFETY IN HEART ATTACK TREATMENT TOP 10% IN THE U.S. FOR MEDICAL EXCELLENCE IN CARDIAC CARE
When it comes to heart care, people trust experience. Johnson City Medical Center has been named one of America’s best heart hospitals, not by just one, but by two quality ratings organizations. We are proud to receive all of these honors, but our #1 commitment will always be to provide the best heart care for every patient. When it comes to matters of the heart, choose our trusted and experienced heart team—right here, close to home. For more information, call 844-488-STAR or visit MountainStatesHealth.com/heart.
People. Trust. Experience. MountainStatesHealth.com All awards are 2015 unless otherwise specified.