Healthy Life July August 2013

body. mind. spirit.

A Times Union Publication

Posh

Ponytails!

My Clothes,

My Self

The stories your closet tells

Plus...

• summer soups • forgiving yourself • slo-o-o-o-w down now

July/August 2013

Baking on the Grill?

Yes, you can!

Yoga

and Your

Spirit

Fair Fare

Eating healthy at festivals

bite-sized lessons Keep Cool

Craving more?

Join your Hannaford dietitians for FREE nutrition classes and in-store demos.

Go to hannaford.com/dietitians for upcoming FREE events and a monthly schedule.

Try this quick and lean meal idea for those hot days of summer when turning on the oven is out of the question. This no-cook, main-course salad recipe is packed with colorful vegetables and flavor, from tart dressing to sweet tomatoes and bold red onions, to the nutty flavor and whole-grain goodness of brown rice. It’s nutritious and ready to enjoy in less than 15 minutes!

Jean Bottillo-Faulisi, MS, RD

Spinach Salad

Jean is available: Mondays, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Select Fridays, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Select Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Serves: 4

Monique Boulet, RD, CDN, CPT

with tomatoes, brown rice, mushrooms & vinaigrette Ingredients: 1 bag Fresh Express® Baby Spinach 1/2 cup grape tomatoes 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice 2 cups sliced white mushrooms 1/2 cup slivered red onion 1 Tbsp. McCormick® Rosemary Leaves 4 Tbsp. WishBone® Red Wine Vinaigrette 1/2 cup shredded Cabot™ Sharp Light Shredded Cheddar Cheese (optional) Coarse salt and ground pepper Directions: Place spinach in a large bowl. Add tomatoes, rice, mushrooms, red onions and dried rosemary. Drizzle dressing on salad and toss. If desired, serve salad with a sprinkling of shredded cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition Facts, Amount Per Serving: Calories, 170 Total Fat, 4.5g Sat Fat, 1g Trans Fat, 0g Cholesterol, 5g Sodium, 270mg Total Carbohydrate, 26g Dietary Fiber, 4g Sugars, 5g Protein, 9g Recipe courtesy of Fresh Express.

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Contributing Writers Kristi Barlette, Beth Cooney, Laurie Lynn Fischer, Valerie Foster, Anna Zernone Giorgi, Jayne Keedle, Carin Lane, Traci Neal, Emma Tennant, Linda Tuccio-Koonz, Melinda McGarty Webb, Megan Willis

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HealthyLife is published 10 times per year. If you are interested in receiving home delivery of HealthyLife magazine, please call (518) 454-5768 or e-mail magcirculation@timesunion. com. For advertising information, please call (518) 454-5358.

HealthyLife is published by Capital Newspapers and Times Union 645 Albany Shaker Road, Albany, NY 12212 518.454.5694 The entire contents of this magazine are copyright 2013 by Capital Newspapers. No portion may be reproduced in any means without written permission of the publisher.

Capital Newspapers is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hearst Corporation.

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49

body

mind

every issue

22 More Than a Soupçon

47 Ask Emma

8 talk back

125 soup recipes from the famed Soupbox Restaurant

26 Swimming with the Fishes

The freedom — and exercise benefits — of swimming in a lake

31 Making Concessions

How to eat healthier at summer fairs and festivals

34 Too Hot to Bake?

Never fear, the grill is near

40 Pony Up

Glamming up your ponytail

Slowing down is easier said than done

49 Please, Forgive Me

Sometimes the hardest person to forgive is ourselves

spirit 55 My Word

First weekend without the kids in a decade

60 A Closet Full of Clothes

And stories… and memories

healthylife

12 editor’s note 14 fit & fab 16 news & views 20 did you know?

39 owner’s manual

Your uterus — a primer

62 cover model Q&A

Up close with Kristin Donlon

56 Nurturing Your Spirit Why yoga can help

6

10 on the web

Hair and makeup by Kimberley’s A Day Spa, Latham, (518) 785-5868. Select clothing available at Boscov’s Clifton Park, Clifton Park Center, (518) 348-0800.

On the cover: dress by Skye’s, D&Y hat and Ashley Cooper jewelry. At right: blouse by Architect and Kenneth Cole necklace. Photos taken by Suzanne Kawola at Union College in Schenectady.

july/august 2013

56 62

CALL TODAY FOR A CONSULTATION

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talk back

The story behind the story from our contributors Birth Control Anna Zernone Giorgi  Birth control methods that range from short-term, reversible coverage to permanent, surgeryfree sterilization offer women effective options for every stage of their lives. With the availability of so many safe and convenient methods, it was surprising to learn that almost half of pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned.

See Anna’s story online at timesunion.com/healthylife

Forgive Yourself Jayne Keedle  I’ve never been one for regrets. We all do stupid things, say things we wish we could take back, but the past can’t be undone. When you know you’ve done wrong, however, I do think it’s important to acknowledge that, to learn from it, and to try to make amends. The only sins that don’t deserve forgiveness are the ones we knowingly commit again and again. See Jayne’s story on page 49.

join the conversation!

! n i w

8

Into the Great Wide Open

Baking on the Grill “I thought the only thing to bake on the grill was pizza” Valerie Foster  Silly me. I thought the only thing to bake on the grill was pizza. But then I spoke to three experts, who have all assured me that pizza is just the tip of the baking-on-the-grill iceberg!

Chocolate-chip cookies. Pound cake.

Peach cobbler. Peanut butter, apple, oatmeal treats for dogs. They’ve done them all. It’s not as easy as grilling a burger or frank, but if you’re a bit adventurous and like a challenge, the sweet side of grilling might be for you.

See Valerie’s story on page 34.

Ponytails Up Kristi Barlette  A ponytail is a great way to assure you won’t be playing with your hair all night and ruining that glam look you spent hours perfecting.

See Kristi’s story on page 40.

Laurie Lynn Fischer  Cold-water swimming might help your health, your happiness and your sex life.

I didn’t know that before researching this article. I also discovered some new swimming spots and learned that triathlon clubs sponsor guarded openwater swims throughout the Capital region. See Laurie’s story on page 26.

Eating Healthy at Festivals Traci Neal  Water. It always surprises me to learn something new about the incredible benefits of water. But nutritionists, time and again, mentioned how being dehydrated and thirsty — especially when surrounded by so much food at a hot summer fair or festival — can be misinterpreted by our brains as hunger. Staying hydrated is easy and cheap and can help us avoid mindlessly eating an entire day’s worth of calories in a few hours at the fair. See Traci’s story on page 31.

We asked, you answered!  What celebrity do people tell you you look like?

 What’s your favorite easy-chickendinner recipe?

or a Like us f win o chance t of s all kind ! free stuff

Melissa: Elaine from Seinfeld and Tina Fey ... and the girl from Rain Man ... I like that one ...(she’s super hot). It must be my 80’s hair.

Rachel: Rub it in some Penzeys spices and tell my partner to fire up the grill (nothing’s easier than a spice rub and somebody else doing the cooking!)

facebook.com/ HealthyLifeNYmagazine

Merci: Liza Minnelli and I am not amused.

Melissa: Rosemary chicken in the crockpot! Stuff the cavity of a roaster with rosemary, salt and pepper and drop in the crock pot on low for 6-7 hrs. DELISH!

healthylife

 What TV show are you binge-watching lately?

Marilyn: NCIS — have never followed it until about a month ago On Demand — now hooked on it. As well as NCIS/LA. Rachel: Arrested Development!

Alicia: Top of the Lake!

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BEHIND THE SCENES After reading our Q&A with our cover model on page 62, head online for more pictures and behind-the-scenes stuff!

healthylife

blogs

COOKBOOK & BAKING ON THE GRILL RECIPES Mmm, soup. Read all about it on page 22; then head online for this cool cucumber soup recipe. Also check out more recipes for grill-baking (story on page 34).

Midlife Mom

Illustration: Computer mouse, ©Irina Iglina/Dreamstime.com.

Rebecca Haynes, editor of HealthyLife Connecticut, offers her perspective on life and motherhood while she navigates the teen years and beyond.

Healthy Tips Writer and freelance editor Beth Cooney scans the Web to bring you the latest info and tips for healthy living.

Healthy Life FISH FACTS & BIRTH CONTROL Some fish shouldn’t be consumed more than once or twice a week. What’s up with that?

And we’ve got the big lowdown on birth control, all online!

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healthylife

Writer and designer Carin Lane shares her success stories with losing weight her way — without a gym membership, a personal trainer, or special foods.

PONYTAILS VIDEOS We show you a few neat ponytail tricks in two exclusive videos.

Check them out online and read the story on page 40. Scan the QR code at right to link directly to our magazines YouTube channel. 

During a stroke, every second counts.

Where should you go?

The Answer is Albany Med.

When you are having a stroke, the first hours are the most critical.

We are the first, and often the only, facility in the region to provide the expertise and breakthrough technology to help stroke patients achieve the best outcomes possible.

When you need expert care for your brain, spine and nervous system,

THE ANSWER IS ALBANY MED.

www.amc.edu/stroke

editor’s note

Your Feedback!

Most of you like what you’re reading, with 68% finding the overall content of HealthyLife “very informative.” Favorite features include News & Views (86% read this), Ask

the Doc (80%), Ask Emma (63%), Fit & Fab (85%), Fast Facts: Did You Know? (89%), and the cookbook feature (76.5%).

We received good news for our advertisers as well, with 86% of readers noting that they read the ads and 52% saying they’ve visited an advertiser as a result of an ad.

You gave us some good ideas on topics for which you’d like to see more coverage, too, so stay tuned for those. And, as always, thanks for reading.

HL

Photo by Krishna Hill.

T

he results are in from our second reader survey and the news is good! Here are just a few of the statistics: • 57% of you spend 30-60 minutes with each issue • 80% share it with a family member, friend or colleague • 45% of you hold on to the issue until the next one arrives • 85% of you refer to the issue throughout the month

Janet Reynolds, Executive Editor jreynolds@timesunion.com

TURN UP LIFE , not the volume.

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fit & fab ◀ More Than Sunglasses: Oakley may be best known for quality sunglasses, but its new Nadi Printed Shorts are super cute with five designs to choose from, and equally great shirts to match. Made of Hydrolix fabric to keep you sweat-free, the inner liner and stretch fabric keeps you cozy as you work out or hang out. Bonus? A hidden zip pocket to store your valuables. $48. Available at Olympia Sports, Alpine Haus in Clifton Park or visit oakley.com.

▼ Tank You: Wear it whenever with whatever. The Women’s Active by Old Navy MeshBubble Tank comes in eight bright colors to match any outfit. The bubble hem and side tie keep it dressy while the racerback, scoop neckline, all-over mesh and moisture-wicking fabric keep you cool and free to move about. The tank sits slightly below the hips and fits true to size. $9.99-11.99. Available at Old Navy stores or visit oldnavy.com.

by carin lane

These latest Fit & Fab finds are as fashionable as they are functional.

For more Fit and Fab goodies, go to timesunion.com/ healthylife. Have a new product you’d like to share?

E-mail Carin at clane@timesunion.com.

You can visit Carin on facebook at www.facebook.com/ carinlane.healthylife or follow her on twitter @tiredorinspired and Pinterest at pinterest.com/carinlane.

▲ Comfort in a Bag: The Chilly Jilly Lounge Pant and Duelette come in a cute drawstring pouch that fits nicely into your purse or gym bag.

Soft and flowy through the legs, the pants feature a fold-over waistband to keep them in place while flattering every waist size.

If they are too long, just take advantage of the no-fray fabric and cut them down to size.

Plus, be ready for anything with the adjustable Duelette that functions both as a bracelet and a hair band. Purchase several and combine them for different looks, or give them away as gifts for all ages. Lounge pant, $45; Duelette, $15. Visit chillyjilly.com.

▼ Show Us Some G-love: Lifting weights is a great way to get lean and mean faster than cardio alone. G-Loves Lift & Love weightlifting gloves are made with lightweight, sweat-wicking neoprene to provide a comfortable no-slip grip, and prevent calluses and hand fatigue. Available in a ton of fun designs to fit your style or match your outfits.

They’re even machine-washable. $45. Visit g-loves.com.

▲ Music to Work Out By: Designed with Olympic swimmer Dara Torres, KOSS FitBuds guarantee pure KOSS sound and perfect fit. Roughly 6 mm wide, or 33 percent smaller than traditional earbuds, they’ll stay in place regardless of your activity. Match them with the Nite Ize Action Armband and you’ve got yourself a terrific workout twosome. Nite Ize comes in two sizes to accommodate your iPhone, iPod or Android, and also includes an inside pocket for valuables, a key clip, a reflective strip for safety and (best of all) a Curvyman Cord Supervisor to keep the cord out of your way. $29.99 each. Visit KOSS.com and niteize.com.

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healthylife

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Photo by Peter Bowden

news & views compiled by beth cooney

NOT SO SWEET

Puppy Treats MEDICAL NEWS has been chock full of studies correlating the heart healthy benefits of certain properties in certain varieties of chocolate. But when it comes to man’s best friend, the risks of snacking on chocolate far outweigh the brief enjoyment of the sweet treat.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine recently issued an advisory reminding dog owners and lovers that chocolate is just plain bad for Fido and company.

Here’s why: Chocolate contains theobromine, a substance in the same family as caffeine that can cause neu-

rological, digestive and heart-related issues in dogs ranging from rapid heart rates to frequent urination, vomiting and diarrhea. In worst-case scenarios, ingesting too much of the substance can cause death. Interestingly, certain pure or dark chocolate varieties (such as baker’s chocolate) tend to contain more theobromine than milk chocolate varieties.

The FDA advises that pet owners never feed their dogs chocolate of any kind.

Source: tinyurl.com/ hl13pets

Sweep Away Those

HOT Flashes WOMEN SUFFERING from annoying menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats may want to take a mop to their kitchen floors! Research suggests that women who get busy with domestic chores during the day seem to experience fewer of these sometimes debilitating menopausal symptoms and sleep better.

Researchers who studied a sampling of women ages 54 to 63 found that those who engaged in the most vigorous domestic activities during the day — ranging from housecleaning to caregiving — reported the best night’s sleep. Since the study seems to mirror research that suggests vigorous exercise also curbs these symptoms, the researchers noted this is important information for women who

16

healthylife

can’t make the time during the day for gym workouts, long walks or other recreational exercise because of their responsibilities.

There was one caveat in these findings, however: White women of normal weight seemed to derive the most benefit from housework in relation to their menopausal symptom, whereas the connection was far less impressive in black or obese women. Researchers weren’t sure why these other groups did not derive the same benefit.

Researchers at the Pittsburgh site of the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (or SWAN) plan to report their findings on the housework-menopause connection in the September 2013 issue of the journal Menopause.

Source: tinyurl.com/hl13menopause

No Tweeting!

IT’S TEMPTING for medical professionals to cross the boundaries of patient-doctor relationships into the social media zone. But new guidelines issued by the American College of Physicians advise doctors and medical students to use extreme caution and consider medical ethics and patient privacy when exploring this slippery virtual slope.

To that end the ACOP recently issued some guidelines for navigating social media for their member doctors. They include:  Not texting medical advice or important information to patients  Not making friend requests of patients or their families on Facebook  Urging medical trainees to exhibit caution in what they post online in order to protect their professional integrity and careers.  Not engaging in medical dialogue or diagnosis via e-mail with patients with whom they’ve had no prior physical contact.

These recommendations were part of a larger policy paper recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Photos: GettyImages; Dog, Tim Ridley; Teen Texting, Bart Sadowski; Skin check, Peter Dazeley; Woman sweeping, © Adam Borkowski/Dreamstime.com; Stethoscope, Dreamstime.com.

Source: tinyurl.com/hl13ethics

More Than Skin Deep SINCE SUMMER is the season when we’re more likely to soak up dangerous sun exposure, it’s also a good time of year to get your skin checked for all forms of skin cancer.

But here’s another reason to make an annual skin check part of your routine health care: New research out of Harvard University and Boston’s Brigham and Women’s’ Hospital suggests that people diagnosed with the two most curable skin cancers, squamous and basal cell carcinomas, tend to have higher rates of other kinds of cancer. Specifically, researchers found higher rates of breast and lung cancer in women who had these conditions and higher rates of melanoma in men and women diagnosed with these other skin cancers.

While the doctors say more research is necessary into the cause-and-effect relationship, they also concluded that diagnosis with these more treatable skin cancers should make men and women more vigilant about their health and cancer prevention.

The research was recently reported in the journal Plos Medicine.

Source: tinyurl.com/hl13skincancer

TEEN TEXTING

Off Course THE TYPICAL AMERICAN TEENAGER gets hundreds of text messages

a day. It’s the most important message, however, that still seems to elude them: don’t text and drive! The typical teen is texting and driving to their peril (and those of their passengers and other drivers), according to a study recently announced by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Researchers say that in a survey of American teens some 43 percent reported texting and driving during the 30-day period that preceded the questionnaire.

The results were gleaned by the Centers for Disease Control’s 2011 survey of more than 7,830 teens as part of its biannual Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The AAP called the texting-while-driving phenomenon a “national epidemic” and noted in a related survey presented at the annual Pediatric Academic Societies that parents are not setting a very good example in this department. Some 9 out of 10 parents reported they were distracted drivers — routinely chatting on their cell phones, grooming and focusing on other tasks while behind the wheel.

The AAP notes that teens increase their risk of causing an accident by some 23 percent when texting and driving.

That’s a statistic that should have parents and kids alike focused on what’s ahead of them.

Source: tinyurl.com/hl13texting continued on page 18 

timesunion.com/HealthyLife

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news & views continued from page 17

A Few Sips Too Many THINK TOSSING BACK A SODA here and there is OK as long as it’s not your constant beverage of choice? Well, even occasional soda drinkers may gulp when they hear about new research that suggests that just 12 ounces of soda a day — the equivalent of a single can — has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes.

With diabetes and obesity rates now reaching epidemic proportions, researchers in Europe studied the soda habits of more than 28,000 citizens in Germany, France, Denmark, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The study, recently reported in the journal Diabetologia, did not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship between soda consumption, but still, researchers found that having just one soda a day could increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 22 percent.

The study did not include artificially sweetened beverages.

Source: tinyurl.com/hl13sodastudy

Sleep Your Way Thin

ONCE AGAIN, science is telling us that one weapon in the battle of the bulge may be as simple as getting a good night’s sleep.

Researchers at the University of Colorado have found that when they deprived men and women of sleep (cutting them back to as little as five hours a night) those tired subjects tended to feed their fatigue with too much food.

The overeating was particu-

larly pronounced in men who participated in the study, but the women also ate more when given unlimited access to food and were deliberately sleep-deprived.

Interestingly, researchers found that the exhausted subjects ate far more than the calories needed to function during the extra hours they were awake, adding to the growing body of research that correlates sleep depriva-

tion with obesity.

“I don’t think extra sleep by itself is going to lead to weight loss,” Kenneth Wright, director of the Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory at the University of Colorado, Boulder, says in a university news release. “Problems with weight gain and obesity are much more complex than that. But I think it could help.” source: tinyurl.com/hl13obesity

Delaying Delivery Matters Photos: Cans, © iStockphoto.com/NoDerog; Bed, © Dearisara/Dreamstime.com; Newborn, Victoria Penafiel/ GettyImages; Half-eaten food, © Sergey Kochmaryov/Dreamstime.com; Church, AtomA/GettyImages.

WHEN IT COMES TO NEWBORNS, experts know that the closer

a baby’s birth coincides with its actual due date, the more likely that infant will have a healthy start. So it’s interesting that a new study demonstrates that when hospitals make a concerted effort to discourage elective births, those institutions can make impressive strides in reducing unnecessary Caesarean sections and inductions.

In a multi-state study partially funded by the March of Dimes, researchers found that rates of these types of often-unnecessary deliveries were reduced by a whopping 83 percent at the 25 hospitals that committed to the effort to eliminate such elective deliveries. The research, according to the March of Dimes, is good news because it suggests that quality-control programs and education can affect how and when babies are delivered. And of course, it bodes well for babies as multiple studies have shown babies born at full term, at 39-40 gestational weeks, have fewer health problems and less mortality in the first year of life.

Meanwhile, the experts remind expectant women who may be anxious to deliver their babies for a variety of reasons that when a pregnancy is otherwise healthy, it is always best for labor to begin naturally.

The study was published recently in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Source: tinyurl.com/hl13births

Clean-Your-Plate Perils DESPITE INCREASING EVIDENCE that a growing number of

estingly, researchers found this pressure was most often directed by fathers toward boys, possibly because American teenagers are overweight, of concerns about athletic prowess some parents are still putting presand bulk associated with it. sure on their kids to clean their The researchers, who plates, according to a recently reported their Fathers are new study. findings in the jourResearchers at the especially guilty of nal Pediatrics, suggest University of Minnepushing their kids their data shows that sota say this message to eat all the food parents and adolesdoesn’t seem to dission their plate. cents alike need more pate once early childeducation on approhood ends, with some parents — espriate portion size and weights for pecially fathers — still insisting that teens. They noted it’s actually metatheir teens eat all the food that is set bolically normal for teens to be lean before them, even when their child and gangly. might actually benefit from calorie restriction and portion control. InterSource: tinyurl.com/hl13plate

Keeping FEELING

DOWN?

Have some faith. Believing in God may help patients recover from psychiatric illness, according to a new study conducted by the team at Mclean Hospital, one of the nation’s top mental health facilities.

Researchers at the Harvard University-affiliated hospital studied 159 patients receiving treatment for a variety of mental illnesses and found that those who relied and on and were

the Faith actively engaged in faith-based practices, and described themselves as moderately to highly religious, recovered more quickly and reported a greater sense of well-being during treatment, regardless of religious affiliation. The researchers say their study suggests that there really is a psychic benefit to leading some kind of spiritual life, which is good news for the 90 percent of Americans who identify themselves as having some kind of relationship with a higher power.

Source: tinyurl.com/hl13god

timesunion.com/HealthyLife

19

fast facts

did you know?

compiled by brianna snyder

100 calories

25 percent

A survey found that “at least 25 percent of men” would consider using hormonal contraception ... if it were available.

To burn a quick 100 calories, do 40 jumping jacks, 30 crunches, 20 squats and 10 pushups.

Not bad, right? source: tinyurl.com/hl13calories

1.4 million

There may have been barbecue before conversation. And the first barbecuers may have been cavemen. Anthropologists say our distant ancestors may have started roasting meat some 1.4 million years ago, while language development didn’t occur until 200,000 B.C. or later. source: tinyurl.com/hl13bbq

July 4

The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence didn’t sign at the same time, nor did they sign on July 4, 1776. The official event was on Aug. 2, 1776, when 50 men signed it. And the first public Fourth of July event at the White House occurred in 1804. source: tinyurl.com/hl13july4

4

The elephant is the only animal with 4 knees. source: tinyurl. com/hl13elephant

20

healthylife

Photos: GettyImages; Crunches, Simon Wilkinson; Flag, Richard Goerg; Open fire, Nivek Neslo; Elephant, Steve Grubman.

source: tinyurl.com/ hl13malebc

Sweet potatoes are a ➺ healthy alternative to potatoes.

Photo: Image Source/GettyImages.

They are high in beta carotene, which helps build heart-healthy vitamin A in the body.

body

Did You Know? 20 Mmm, Soup in the Summertime! 22 Swimming in Open Water 26 Keeping Fair Food in Check 31 Bake Cookies ... on the Grill 34 Ponytails Are In! 40 timesunion.com/HealthyLife

21

cookbook

More Than a

Soupçon

125 soup recipes from the famed soupbox restaurant

For the recipe for this cool cucumber soup with mint, visit timesunion.com/healthylife.

by janet reynolds | photos courtesy race point publishing

L

ucky Chicagoans. They can visit the Soupbox restaurant — voted “best soup in Chicago” on citysearch.com and featured on Rachael Ray’s Tasty Travels — anytime they want. The rest of us have to settle for the new Soupbox cookbook.

Not that the cookbook is really settling. Filled with soups of every possible mixture — 125 in all — the cookbook features recipes for all seasons. Hearty win-

22

healthylife

ter soups (and some stews too)? Check.

No-cook cold soups for summer’s dog days? Check. And they are all illustrated with lovely photos and foolproof recipes even the most basic of cooks can follow.

The Soupbox restaurant is the brainchild of Jamie Taerbaum, who started it in 1995, and Dru Melton, a trained chef who has been everything from busboy to head chef at the restaurant. Melton says the ideas for soup can come from

The Soupbox Cookbook: Sensational Soups for Healthy Living,

by Jamie Taerbaum and Dru Melton.

Race Point Publishing, 256 pages, $27.

, S G , N I S D N D O I E W RADUAT S E U Q G E B R A B just about anything. “Cooking is an inspired art and I am a voracious reader so I’m always reading trade publications and watching online and TV [for new ideas,]” he says. “I also pay attention to customer feedback and what seems to be quote-unquote hot.”

The popularity of Latin and Tex-Mex foods in recent years, for instance, is represented by authentic Mexican tortilla soup and Tex-Mex turkey and tomato soup in the restaurant and in the book. A few years ago, when low-fat and low-sodium were high on the customer needs list, Melton retinkered the restaurant’s recipes to lower their salt and fat content.

Right now, Melton says, gluten-free and Paleo-friendly eating are in, so he’s developing some new soups to satisfy those dietary needs. “I try to keep my finger on the pulse of what’s hot and what customers are saying,” he says.

Melton’s interest in good soups and chilis began as child.

Both his grandmother and his great-grandmother Pearl lived with his family, and his favorites are a toss-up between his grandmother’s split pea soup and his great-grandmother’s chili. “They were always in the kitchen,” he says. “It was a focal point in our house.”

“My first [cooking] memory is making spaetzle dumplings with them,” he says. “They were of the make-everythingfrom-scratch generation. I was very lucky in that regard.”

Which does not mean Melton is one of those soup purists who insists only on homemade stock. “For our application I’m a nazi about that,” he says channeling Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi as he discusses the absolute requirement for homemade stock in the restaurant’s soups. Canned or boxed stock can be too Top tips for salty and loaded with MSG. great soup But Melton is a realist as • Good ingredients. “This well — especially on the is the 2 + 2= 4 for any homefront. “I’m also a parcooking,” says Melton. ent,” he says. “The canned “Even with leftovers stock and the bullion cubes you have to have have been used in our good ingredients.” home and will be again.”

• Take your time and One word of caution if you taste soup. “Soup is used storebought stock? very forgiving. It’s good Use the low-sodium variety. for a long period of time Indeed, over-salting and and there are things overcooking are two of the you can do while cooktop soup mistakes people ing to fix the taste.” make, Melton says. This is • Too salty? Peel a potato especially true with sumand add it into the soup. mer soups filled with vegWhen it’s fork tender, etables. “If it’s not going to the potato will have be pureed it should have a leached out a good little bit of tooth.”

HL portion of the salt from Get recipes on page 24  the soup. Take it out.

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cookbook

continued from page 23

New England Clam Chowder Ingredients 5 pounds fresh sea clams or 2 pounds clam meat, chopped. Allow the clams to sit in fresh water for 20 minutes to get the sand out 1 medium onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 4 ounces salt pork, medium diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 sprig fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 1 /4 cup white wine 24 ounces clam broth (chicken or fish stock can be substituted) 3 medium potatoes, diced 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water 1 cup heavy cream salt and pepper to taste method Steam fresh clams until just opened, about 4 minutes. Shuck the clams and then chop and set aside. Be careful to reserve any liquid from the clams. (Note: If using precooked or canned clams skip to the next step.)

Saute the salt pork in a large stockpot over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the onion, celery and garlic, and cook for another 8 minutes until translucent. Add the fresh thyme and bay leaf, and cook for another 5 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with white wine and reduce the liquid for 3 minutes. Add the clam broth and bring the chowder to a simmer. Add the potatoes and cook for another 15 minutes until they are fork tender. Add the cornstarch and allow the chowder to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat Remove the thyme and the bay leaf, and add the clams and heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper as needed.

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healthylife

Classic Gazpacho Ingredients 2 slices stale bread, crusts removed 1 cup tomato juice 4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped 1 medium red onion, chopped 1 red pepper, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 /2 teaspoon salt 1 /4 teaspoon cumin 1 /4 teaspoon cayenne 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons clover honey salt and cayenne pepper to taste 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1-2 cups cold water as needed fresh parsley, chopped for garnish method Soak the bread slices in the tomato

juice. Place the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and bread slices with tomato juice in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour out into a large bowl and add the red pepper, garlic, salt, cumin, cayenne, vinegar and honey. Cover the bowl and put in the refrigerator for at least one hour and up to overnight.

Remove from refrigerator and adjust seasonings as necessary with salt and a little more cayenne if needed.

Drizzle in the olive oil. Add water if the soup is too thick. It should be smooth and thick but level in the bowl and pourable. Ladle into serving bowls and top with fresh parsley.

ď ś

TIP: To peel a tomato, cut a

cross on the bottom with a sharp knife and dunk them in boiling water for a minute. Then dunk in cold water.

The skin should easily peel back.

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healthylife

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wimming on a lake versus a pool is like the difference between skating on a pond or an indoor rink.

Sure, the surface is the same but the experience is worlds apart.

“There’s something about swimming in a lake that’s so freeing,” says Kathy Speck of Rensselaerville. “One of the joys that I get is when you’re kind of floating around, you can watch the sky. It’s probably less swimming and more movement in this body of water that hugs you. Some people don’t like not being able to see in deep water. Unless I’m swimming in Loch Ness, I’m probably not worried about it.”

Swimming in a natural body of water does have its challenges — everything from lightning to leeches. Potential problems include wind, cold water, hypothermia, currents, poor visibility and natural hazards such as underwater rocks and stumps, says retired Red Cross aquatics manager Don Guertze of Bethlehem. It’s generally safest to swim in a guarded, roped-off area, such as the beaches at area New York State parks, he says.

“Open water can be disorienting,” he says. “There’s no reference point of where you’re going. You can very easily get off course.”

The Bethlehem Tri Club provides buoys, lifeguards and kayaks during weekly swims at Warner’s Lake in East Berne. Non-members who sign waivers can pay to participate.

The first time that club president John Guastella swam in open water, he panicked. “You don’t have the comfort of knowing that in 25 yards, you’re going to have a wall you can hang onto,” he explains. “In a pool, you still feel in control. The vastness kind of makes you insignificant.”

Now, he loves open-water swimming. “You train all winter in a pool, looking at a black line, going back and forth,” he says. “Then you’re outside, at one with nature in a lake.

You get into a rhythm. All of your senses calm down. You kind of lose track of everything. It’s very peaceful.”

Club coach Fran Vincent of Bethlehem usually wears a wetsuit during open water workouts. Swimming gives her a sense of well being, she says.

“I’m in my element,” she says. “One of the things I love is the freshness of the water. You have the wind and the waves, which makes it challenging for some people and intimidating for many. It’s kind of fun sometimes to see the fish. Visibility is certainly not as good as in a chlorinated pool. You’re sticking your head out of the water, looking at landmarks to know you’re going in the right direction. Sometimes you put your head in the water and you see nothing really, just the abyss. I think that’s kind of cool.” continued on page 28 

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Way cool Swimming in cold water is good for you, researchers have found. Here’s why: 1. You burn more calories because your system uses more energy to maintain body temperature.

Doing swimmingly Swimming benefits your whole body, says Don Guertze, a lifeguard and Red Cross safety instructor since the 1960s. “It is one of those exercises you can do at all ages,” he says. “It does not put impact on the joints. It allows you to exercise at your own pace. It gets all the body systems going. If you actually swim some distance, you get an aerobic workout.”

Swimming is one of the top two athletic activities in America, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

According to the CDC: • Aerobic exercise such as swimming for 2 and a half hours per week can lower risk

28

healthylife

of chronic illness and improve health of people with heart disease and diabetes.

• Inactive non-swimmers are twice as likely to die as swimmers.

• Aquatics are kinder to joints and muscles than higher impact land sports. Exercising in water helps reduce arthritis pain and broaden range of motion.

• Swimming is a lifelong activity that helps women’s bone health after menopause.

• Swimming can put you in a good mood. It helps the mental health of everyone from pregnant women to fibromyalgia sufferers.

Source: cdc.gov/healthywater/ swimming/health_benefits_ water_exercise.html

2. Production of estrogen and testosterone — hormones that affect sex drive and fertility — reportedly increased when study subjects took daily cold baths.

3. Swimming through cold water reportedly makes your body produce feel-good chemicals, including endorphins, serotonin and dopamine.

4. White blood cell counts rose, boosting immune systems of study subjects who spent three hours weekly in cold water.

5. Cold water swimming helps circulation, flushing out blood vessels and pumping blood to your extremities.

Some say it fights cellulite and helps the complexion.

Source: thenextchallenge. org/2010/02/cold-water-swimming/

Photos: WomanSwimming, © Argument/Dreamstime.com; Feet in Lake, Steve Williams Photo/GettyImages.

continued from page 27

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healthy eating

Making Concessions

how to eat healthier at summer fairs and festivals

D

“Some of the foods we consume at the fair might be equal to the calorie intake for an entire day,” says Jean Bottillo-Faulisi, a registered dietitian for Hannaford Supermarkets, which operates stores in New York and neighboring states. “Many people have their dinner at the fair, then a snack and then dessert. All of that food combined can add up to several days’ worth of calories.”

Bottillo-Faulisi, who helps educate Hannaford consumers about nutrition, offers advice to customers concerned about eating healthy during the summer fair and festival season. Basically, she advises, have a plan. continued on page 32 

Fair Play New York is home to America’s very first state fair, held in Syracuse in 1841, according to nysfair. org. Sponsored by the New York State Agricultural Society, the first New York State Fair welcomed 10,000 to 15,000 attendees to hear speeches, see animal exhibits, watch contests, and sample the latest products. These days, more than 1 million people attend the 12-day fair. The Great New York State Fair will be back this year from August 22 through September 2.

Photo: Shimona Carvalho/GettyImages.

eep-fried Oreos, giant turkey legs, chocolate-covered bacon, sugarcovered nuts. If it can be sugared, battered, deep fried, and/or drizzled in chocolate or cheese sauce, you can bet it’s available at many of the region’s summer festivals and fairs.

One or two fair-food weekends all summer, most nutrition experts agree, won’t set your healthy eating plan back too much. But beware, they warn, because one or two weekends can turn in to eight or nine when you add in barbecues, family picnics, local food festivals, vacations — and that can be the tipping point into unhealthy summer eating.

by traci neal

timesunion.com/HealthyLife

31

healthy eating

If You’re Going to Indulge …

From worst to best, here are the stats on 10 popular fair offerings, according to the Food Finder. Total time to burn off is based on a 160-pound person walking at an average pace. Consider yourself warned.

Blooming onion

Turkey drumstick

Funnel cake

Caramel apple

Deep-fried Snickers bar

Calories: 1,950 Total Fat: 127 g Total time to burn off

Calories: 1,136 Total Fat: 54g Total time to burn off

Calories: 1,119 Total Fat: 56g Total time to burn off

Calories: 619 Total Fat: 26g Total time to burn off

Calories: 616 Total Fat: 28g Total time to burn off

 6 hours, 44 minutes

 4 hours, 58 minutes

 4 hours, 54 minutes

 2 hours, 42 minutes

 2 hours, 42 minutes

continued from page 31

you D id ? know You may think that turkey would be a healthy option, but the reality is that at a fair they are deep fried and contain about five times the amount of turkey that would normally be consumed in a meal!

32

healthylife

“If you’re going to a potluck or a barbecue,” she says, “you can be that one person who brings the healthy dish. People will like a tossed salad or chopped fruit, and you can get yourself a more generous portion of that one thing you brought.” Summer, she adds, is a great time to enjoy fresh produce and enjoy what the season has to offer.

At a barbecue or at the fair, Bryan Nunziato, a certified personal trainer with Synergy Fitness and Nutrition in Albany, recommends choosing lean meats. “When going to picnics and parties, instead of a burger you can choose chicken, turkey, lamb, fish even.”

While the grill’s going, Bottillo-Faulisi advises, “throw some fruits and vegetables on. It doesn’t always have to be a piece of meat.” Peaches, plums and sliced pineapples are particularly good on the grill, she says, especially when topped with reduced-

fat yogurt. “They caramelize and become very sweet,” she says, adding, “Fresh vegetables also grill up nicely.”

Staying on a healthy food plan can get trickier when you trade your backyard for the fairground. “All bets are off,” says Susan Brown, a certified nutritionist with Vitality Health Center in Scotia. “A lot of people go to fairs or festivals to experience the food, so it’s going to be very difficult to tell them not to eat anything.”

Instead, Brown and others recommend that fair- and festival-goers eat a healthy meal before heading out. “The last thing you want to do is to show up there starving and smelling all the aromas that make you especially vulnerable to making choices you wouldn’t normally make,” says Sharon Alger-Mayer, associate professor of medicine at Albany Medical Center.

Photos: GettyImages; Fried Onion, Jackson Vereen; Turkey Drumstick, Roy Hsu; Funnel Cake, Elisa Cicinelli; Caramel apple, José María Riola; Chili Dog, Paul Johnson; Kabobs, Dorling Kindersley; Corn on the Cob, Tanya_F; Watermelon, Ales Veluscek. Cannoli, © David Smith/Dreamstime.com.

worst

best

Chocolatecovered cannoli Calories: 466 Total Fat: 25g Total time to burn off

 2 hours, 2 minutes

Chili dog Calories: 296 Total Fat: 13g Total time to burn off

 1 hour, 18 minutes

Or, suggests Bottillo-Faulisi, compromise.

Have a small meal at home and then “plan on having dessert when you’re out.” If you must eat fair food, she offers, “choose a child-sized portion, or better yet share with a friend. You’ll save money and you’ll save calories.”

Also, Nunziato suggests, “Go with a healthier approach, like grilled lean meats and grilled vegetables. You can usually get kabobs at the fairs and carnivals made with chicken or lamb. Choose grilled over fried, choose lean meats, and choose fresh vegetables whenever you can.”

Flame-grilling also cuts some of the fat, says Alger-Mayer. “Even if it’s a fatty piece of meat, like a hamburger, if it’s cooked on an open grill or flame grill so the fat drips out, it’s going to be a better choice than something that’s deep-fried or breaded.”

Bottillo-Faulisi also recommends bringing

Beef shish kabobs

Corn on the cob

Piece of watermelon

Calories: 176 Total Fat: 5g Total time to burn off

Calories: 155 Total Fat: 3g Total time to burn off

Calories: 46 Total Fat: 0g Total time to burn off

 46 minutes

 41 minutes

along healthy snacks such as granola bars, fruit, nuts, or trail mix to curb your appetite.

“It’s going to be about satisfying those cravings,” says Nunziato. Another tip, he says, is to drink plenty of water. When you’re dehydrated, he says, “your brain may tell you you’re hungry when you’re actually thirsty. That’s why I encourage people to keep drinking water. Especially in the heat.”

Having something — ice water, ideally — to sip on while walking around, says AlgerMayer “may help you feel full and not so exhausted, which is when you tend to make bad choices.”

If you overindulge at the fair or the backyard barbecue, don’t sweat it. “Enjoy everything in moderation,” says Bottillo-Faulisi. “If you decide to indulge on something, don’t feel guilty about it. Enjoy it. But just don’t do it too often.”

HL

 12 minutes

 App Attack Developed by the DesMoines Register the Food Finder App gives a nutritional breakdown of some of the most popular fair foods. While it’s meant to accompany fairgoers at the Iowa State Fair, the app may be used anywhere to get information about foods you might be tempted to eat at this year’s summer fairs, festivals, or amusement parks. It also calculates the amount of physical activity it would take to burn off the calories, based on clickable options. Find the app at data.desmoinesregister. com/dmr/foodfinder.

timesunion.com/HealthyLife

33

summertime food

Too to Bake? never fear, the grill is near by valerie foster

34

healthylife

You are never alone at...

Illustration: © Timbrk/Dreamstime.com; Grill, © Donna Kilday/Dreamstime.com.

A

h, the lengths some people will go to keep their homes cool in the summer! But baking on the grill?

Now we’ve heard everything.

Chris Grove has another take: “Why did we ever stop baking on the grill?” Grove, writer of the popular blog Nibble Me This, says man cooked everything on stone over embers back in 4000 B.C., and that included baked goods. But enter electricity, and everything once cooked outdoors came into the home. So are there other reasons we should consider baking on the grill besides keeping our homes cool?

“The real reason is that everything just tastes better when it is cooked on a grill,” Grove says. He and his wife, Alexis, are such grill aficionados they grill year-round, everything from main courses to breads and desserts. And although the savory side of baking is scrumptious, today’s focus is on sweets. But beware: Baking on the grill is not for the fainthearted, those lacking patience, or the unadventurous.

Michael Mahaffey’s blog, Yeah, You Can Grill That, is filled with treats he makes on his grill, everything from chocolate-chip cookies, a pound cake and peach cobbler to peanut butter, apple and oatmeal cookies for Mollie, his 7-year-old mixed boxer/Rhodesian Ridgeback.

“The premise of my blog is that I will find a way to grill anything,” Mahaffey says. “My readers challenge me to grill the most outrageous things, and I do! I have to admit that I have come up with some pretty cool things to cook on the grill.”

And then there’s Susan Reid, editor of the King Arthur Flour publication, The Baking Sheet, who spends her days testing and writing about food. She understands the lure of the grill, especially when it comes to baking. Her favorite grilled baked goodies pair fruit with pastry dough. “I think there is something to be said about the caramelization that happens to the fruit when it is grilled,” Reid says.

“People are really attracted to it. It contains a little smoke, a little bit of sweetness.”

The greatest challenge for all our experts is controlling the heat, which they have all mastered through trial and error. Their tips will get you heading into your yard, creating sweet endings to your meals.

Mahaffey remembers his first baking challenge from a reader: “Bet you can’t make a cake.” He got out an old pound cake recipe, made a few little adjustments and dove in. He admits that in his first few attempts, the cake was unevenly baked. “Undercooked middles and burnt edges,” he remembers. But eventually he perfected his technique, figuring out that if he cooked it 10 minutes over direct heat, then 10 minutes on the right side of the grill, and finally 10 minutes on the left side of the grill the result was stellar.

He says most importantly, you have to have some fun. “Experimenting is fun,  For tips and and you have to be resigned to that fact recipes, go that not everything is going to be a winto page 36. ner,” he says. “I live by trial and error.” HL

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summertime food Helpful tips when

baking on the grill

5

When baking, Chris Groves, writer of the blog, Nibble Me This, and his wife Alexis, turn to their Big Green Egg, at left. “It’s a ceramic cooker that retains heat very well because it is domed,” he says. But don’t despair: If you don’t have one, try his seven tips:

1

2

6

4

 Use stoneware when baking on the grill, which keeps cooking temperature steadier and yields a better crust. Chris Grove admits he is not picky, and uses all different brands of loaf pans, pie pans and muffin tins.

He calls pizza stones “cookie sheets for the grill.” He uses them for everything: calzones, cookies, drop biscuits, and, of course, pizza!  Be sure to calibrate your cooking thermometer frequently. In an indoor oven, a temperature change of 10 degrees is not as critical as it is cooking on a grill. And don’t rely on the thermometer that comes with your grill. Grove says it’s worth the extra cost to invest in a quality thermometer.  Add some extra cooking time. “I guarantee that baked goods always

36

healthylife

take five or 10 minutes longer on a grill,” he says.  Use a cake tester to test for doneness.  Test using frozen dough. Then you won’t feel horrid if your first few attempts end in disaster!  Buy a Weber stainless steel grill pan, which blogger Michael Mahaffey uses for cookies and his dog Mollie’s favorite treat.  This last step is the hardest: Detecting your grill’s temperature center. Consider oven baking: If you bake at the top of the oven, the top burns. Bake at the bottom of the oven, and the bottom burns. The same holds true for grills. Grove says the temperature center is usually in

the middle, but again, you have to test with a thermometer.

Food tester and writer Susan Reid says if you are using a charcoal grill, it should be a large-size kettle grill.

But whether she is using a gas or charcoal grill, she says the ultimate goal is to recreate what used to happen in old-time village stone ovens.

“The most foolproof way to replicate baking on an outdoor grill is to put your pizza stone to one side of the grill as it is heating,” she says. “Once the grill is hot, keep the flame mostly on the side away from the stone, usually at medium high.”

You put your baked good on the hot stone, close the grill’s lid, and let the baking begin. “You’ll have to peek once in a while — although not for the first 20 minutes — to see how things are going,” she adds.

Photos: Big Green Egg, Contributed: Thermometer, © Jo De Vulder/Dreamstime.com Stoneware, © Warren Price/Dreamstime.com; Bread dough, James And James/GettyImages; Grill pan and plate of cookies, Courtesy of Michael Mahaffey; Peach Tart, Courtesy of The Baking Sheet.

 The greatest challenge for all our experts is controlling the grill heat, which they have all mastered through trial and error.

Rustic Peach Tart makes 8 servings crust ingredients 1 1/4 cups King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon buttermilk powder 1 /2 teaspoon salt 1 /4 cup cold butter 1 /4 cup vegetable shortening 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water filling ingredients 4 to 5 large ripe peaches, peeled and sliced; or 2 pounds frozen sliced peaches, partially thawed (about 5 to 6 cups) 1 /2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons instant Clear Jel 1 /2 teaspoon ascorbic acid; optional, for added flavor and to preserve color 1 /8 teaspoon nutmeg pinch of salt 1 /2 cup fresh raspberries method To make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, buttermilk powder and salt. Mix in the cold butter and shortening until the dough is crumbly.

Sprinkle ice water over the mixture 1 tablespoon at a time while tossing with a fork. After adding 3 tablespoons of water, gather the dough together into a ball. Add more water if it crumbles and won’t hold together.

Flatten into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer.

Whisk together the sugar, ClearJel, ascorbic acid, nutmeg, and salt. Add the peaches and a few of the raspberries, tossing to combine. Set aside.

Ready grill: Place pizza stone to one side of the grill. Turn on grill and warm until it reaches 450 degrees. Turn burners off under pizza stone. Cover grill.

Roll the chilled dough on a wellfloured work surface or silicone rolling mat into a 14-inch circle.

Use a knife or pizza wheel to trim the edges in a scalloped design.

Fill the center with the peach mixture. Fold the edges of the crust up over the peaches, leaving the center uncovered. Move the crust to the heated pizza stone; a giant spatula works well here.

Bake the tart for 40-45 minutes, until the crust is golden.

You’ll have to peek once occasionally — although not for the first 20 minutes — to see how things are going.

Remove from the oven, and sprinkle with the remaining fresh raspberries. Serve warm, with whipped cream or ice cream.

— From King Arthur’s Flour

Grilled Chocolate Chip Cookies! makes at least 5 dozen cookies ingredients* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 3 /4 cup granulated sugar 3 /4 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs 1 12-ounce package Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels 1 cup chopped nuts * The ingredients are from the Nestle Tollhouse recipe, but the method for grilling is different.

method Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Stir in morsels and nuts.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased grilling pan. (Mahaffey’s favorite is Weber’s stainless-steel grill pan pictured at left.) The smaller the cookie, the better for grilling; otherwise, you get a charred bottom and an undercooked top. In order to cook them over indirect heat, he puts the grilling pan on the ends of the grilling grate. You’ll only be able to cook about eight small cookies at a time this way, so to complete the above recipe, you’ll need to cook these in several batches.

Cook on grill, over indirect heat, for about 20 minutes (or until they reach your desired level of doneness — Mahaffey likes them on the softer side).

— From Yeah, You Can Grill That For additional grilling recipes, go to timesunion.com/healthylife.

timesunion.com/HealthyLife

37

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owner’s manual

Your uterus

fallopian tubes

— a primer

uterus ovary

ovary

compiled by linda tuccio-koonz cervix

T

he uterus, or womb, is hollow and pear-shaped and is one of the few organs that makes us uniquely female. Its main purpose is to protect and nourish a developing fetus, and then go through a series of contractions to push the baby out when it’s time to be born. Its narrow, lower portion is the cervix and the broad upper area is made of three layers of tissue.

Photo: rubberball/GettyImages. Illustration: D© Madartists/Dreamstime.com.



The uterus’ middle layer (myometrium) is muscular tissue that expands during pregnancy to hold the fetus and contracts during labor to deliver the child.

The outer layer (parametrium) also expands and contracts. The inner layer (endometrium) thickens each month to receive a fertilized egg, but sheds through menstruation if that doesn’t happen.

The uterus is found in a woman’s lower abdomen, between the bladder and the rectum.



The first sign of uterine disease is often bleeding between periods or after sex.



Endometriosis is a painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside of it. It most commonly involves the ovaries, bowel or tissue lining the pelvis, and can affect fertility.



Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological cancer in the U.S. It originates in the uterus’ inner lining and is found in its earliest stages by women who

see their doctors at the first sign of abnormal vaginal bleeding. Other symptoms can include postmenopausal bleeding, difficult or painful urination, or pain during intercourse.



Uterine fibroids are relatively common noncancerous growths and are usually discovered during a pelvic exam or ultrasound.

They seldom need attention, but can require emergency treatment if they cause sudden, sharp pelvic pain or heavy menstrual bleeding.



Uterine prolapse happens when the pelvic floor muscles stretch and weaken, causing the uterus to drop down into the vagina, and in some severe cases, outside the vagina.



For uterine health, eat a balanced diet and exercise; walking is great. Diet should include high-fiber foods and plenty of fluids to avoid constipation. Reduce fat intake by choosing lean cuts of meat, and limit use of added fats such as butter and oils.

HL

For additional information on the uterus go to

www.timesunion.com/healthylife

timesunion.com/HealthyLife

39

up-do

40

healthylife

Pony Up

glamming up your ponytail

CELEB STYLES

by kristi barlette | photos by colleen ingerto

Celebrity photos: GettyImages. Reese Witherspoon, Frazer Harrison/Staff; Blake Lively, Dimitrios Kambouris/Staff; Anne Hathaway, Frederick M. Brown/Stringer.

R

emember when women only pulled their hair into a ponytail while sweating at the gym? Even Barbie knew this rule. Every version of the doll had its hair down in the 1980s — except for workout Barbie.

Today, though, the comfortable, sleek style has gone mainstream with celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon, Blake Lively, Anne Hathaway (pre-haircut) and others sporting this seemingly more casual updo on the red carpet and at other high-end affairs.

“We have seen a big shift with celebrities,” says Megan McIntyre, senior beauty editor with Refinery29.com, a site specializing in current fashion and beauty trends for every season. “There used to be this untouchable glamor, but then they wanted to be more approachable and with that came hairstyles that looked like they did them themselves.”

Social media played a big role in this, say experts. The majority of Hollywood elite are on Twitter, and many are on Facebook, meaning fans have constant access to what their favorite star is doing, saying and even how they’re wearing their hair. Some celebrities, such as Miley Cyrus, have even polled the fans regarding certain ’dos.

And right now that “in” look is the ponytail, says Rosemary Tymeson, a master stylist with Kimberley’s A Day Spa in Latham. Tymeson says the major shift came about five years ago when celebrities, and then regular folk, realized ponytails can be chic, creative and fun.

“It’s an easy style to wear and can look very glamorous and very sleek,” says Tymeson. “It’s a style.”

Not only is it a style, it’s a versatile

style. You can keep your ponytail low, wear it high and have it in the middle of your head. You can also pull it off to the side, add braids, curls or height.

It’s a single style, with numerous options, says Janice Case, director of salon and spa at Rumors in Latham. “Ten years ago the ponytail was definitely stay-at-home moms and soccer moms and maybe some leftover from a different era like the hippie stage,” Case says.

Now she gets request for the ponytail for weddings, proms and similar events.

She also sees versions of the look in style magazines that arrive at the salon each month.

Reese Witherspoon

T

exture is key in today’s ponytails, say Case and the others. Soft tendrils spilling out of a side pony work well for a bride or girl headed to the prom, while a sleek, chic, low-onthe-nape-of-the-neck ’do can work well with a fitted evening gown for a gala, or as a guest at a wedding.

“In the 1990s, your hair was all piled on top of your head and curled” if you were going to a wedding, prom or other elegant event, says Tymeson. “It was very structured.” But we’ve gotten away from that.

Bumping up the front/bang area has been big in the past two years. Think Snooki, or Adele.

Incorporating a braid, or several braids, can also make the ponytail more current and on-trend. Playing with the part also helps. When you pull your hair off your face, you draw attention to your eyes and cheekbones. A part — be it on the side, in the middle, or none at all — can also change up the look. continued on page 43 

Blake Lively

Anne Hathaway

timesunion.com/HealthyLife

41

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up-do

continued from page 41

Want a great tip for holding up your ponytail? Check out our exclusive video!

Want to learn more? Watch our videos on how to make a braided ponytail or a messy ponytail at timesunion.com/healthylife.

Got a smartphone? Scan the QR code at left to link directly to our HealthyLife YouTube playlist.

So will teasing. Teasing, say all three women, is huge for ponytails. Not only does it help hold the style in place, but it gives it a little glitz and glam you wouldn’t otherwise see at, say, the gym.

Product also matters. Pomades and mousses can help make hair easier to manage, as can skipping the morning shampoo. “It should not be freshly washed hair,” says Case. “Even if you wait a couple of hours, or put the appropriate products in, you’ll have more texture than when you just step out of the shower.”

Still not sure how to get the perfect look, the one that works with your bone structure, and your dress? “With YouTube and being able to watch trailers on how people are doing their hair, and how world-renowned stylists do hair, people can replicate what they can get done in the salon.”

“We love to see this accessibility,” says McIntyre. “Beauty should be about something you can obtain. It’s about looking at it and thinking ‘I want to do that and I can do that’ without losing the inventiveness.”

HL

timesunion.com/HealthyLife

43

TAKE YOUR CAREER IN THE

RIGHT DIRECTION

times union

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To reserve your booth, contact your Times Union Job Fair representative, or call Erin Rosa at (518)454-5493 or e-mail erosa@timesunion.com.

Believe it or ➺ not, you can’t do it

Photo: pidjoe/GettyImages.

all — personally or professionally. So don’t feel guilty about setting limits and saying no. It’ll help you better manage your commitments.

mind Ask Emma 47 Learn to Forgive Yourself 49

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ask emma

Stop and Smell the Roses

slowing down is easier said than done

by emma tennant

Photo: © iStockphoto.com/Lise Gagne.

I

can be a terrible hypocrite. I have a client I’ll call Alexandra who is a workaholic if I’ve ever met one. Her day begins at 5 a.m. with a run, which she hates but feels she must do to stay slim. She is at the office by 7:30 and leaves 12 hours later, staying up until midnight reviewing files. On the weekends she gardens — a garden that by her description would rival the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens in scope and expense. Her complaint: “I have no life.”

“So, what if you just did a little less?” I ask.

The anxiety on Alexandra’s face is palpable. I can’t, I’ll lose my job. I can’t, I’ll get fat and never get a boyfriend. I can’t, my garden means everything to me.

So, I relax into my chair and say things like, “You know, nobody is going to remember that you were so busy all the time. Nobody will thank you for working 80 hours a week.”

I stretch out in my chair and give the impression of a lean old grasshopper, with all the time in the world, chewing on a blade of grass.

I understand that for Alexandra being busy means being wanted, and it absolves her from an underlying feeling of guilt about being unworthy. She believes that if she works hard — relentlessly — and does all the right things, plants the right flowers, gives to the right charities, either the right man will come along and reward her with love, or the parents that she wished she had had will suddenly change their characters and say, “Alexandra, you’ve done enough. You’ve won our love. You can rest now.” She works now in the hope of buying peace in the future.

I can see that so plainly. Boy, am I smart.

But I am also up at 6:30 in the morning, for a commute to my office where I see patients until as late as 11 p.m.; I am on the board of nonprofits so ridiculous they should disband at once; I agree to write press releases for a friend who can’t pay me; I walk my ex-boyfriend’s dogs when he is away; I check my iPhone for e-mails roughly every 3 minutes.

I, too, have no life.

I

do think in part that our lives — smartphones being the biggest culprit — have turned us into 24-hour productiv-

ity generators. There is no reason not to reply to a patient immediately with an e-mail. There is no escape from doing, and the willpower it would take to say “Oh, maybe I’ll get to it later” is so counter-cultural that it would be like standing in the middle of the interstate, expecting the traffic to turn around and go the other way.

And there is in me, too, the hope that someday I will do enough, work enough, write enough, be a good enough friend, that I will feel OK about myself— completely free of the nagging, persistent sense of incompleteness that I believe is in fact our existential inheritance and can never fully be satisfied.

What troubles me is that I think it is all catching up with me, as it is with Alexandra. The wheels are turning faster, not slower. It’s harder for me to say no. I’m beginning to forget what it is I want from life.

So I’m forcing myself — yes it seems that slowing down will also be another job I need to do. The difference is that it may be an essential job.

There is a little bird sanctuary near my office — a small pond, a path that goes around it with a small, roofed pagoda that extends over the pond. I make myself go. I hate it for the first five minutes. I walk. I itch to read my e-mail. I worry that I’m missing a call. Then I see a heron suddenly burst out of the brush at my feet and fly in slow motion over the pond with a frog in its beak. At the pagoda, as I lean on the rail, the wood ducks glide over to see if I’ll feed them, and then glide away. The painted turtles come out and sun themselves on a log. There’s the shrill chipping of a woodpecker. Once, I saw a young hawk swoop down and take a squirrel in front of me. I sit. I breathe. I remember who I am — that I’m limited, basically human, never perfect, but for that minute or two, I’m OK, I think.

HL Emma Tennant (not her real name) is a practicing psychotherapist.

All advice offered here is simply that. If you have a pressing concern, you should see a specialist in person. If you have a question you’d like addressed or a comment for Emma, send it to askemma@timesunion. com. Inquiries will be treated with confidentiality.

timesunion.com/HealthyLife

47

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letting go

Please

Forgive Me! sometimes the hardest person to forgive is yourself

Photo: Andrew Penner/GettyImages.

by jayne keedle

S

ally Secci Scuderi knows a lot about guilt.

“My daughter died at 27,” she says. “She had been sick with anorexia and we did so much to try to help her, to no avail. My guilt at her death was, ‘What more could I have done?’ I couldn’t discuss it with anyone. Really, I just blamed myself deep in my heart.”

A lifelong Catholic, Scuderi probably couldn’t count the number of times she’s recited the words from the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Yet she couldn’t forgive herself for the way she believed she had failed her daughter.

Today, Scuderi is a grief counselor for Saint Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church in South Glens Falls where she frequently encounters people who are struggling to come to terms, not just with the loss of a loved one but

with lost opportunity to make amends and find the forgiveness they desperately want.

They get stuck replaying the final fight they had, always forgetting that those last words weren’t the whole story.

Or they focus myopically on regrets and everything they could have, should have, would have done if they could do it all again.

“Instead of just grieving the loss, they’re grieving what they see as personal failing on their part. I’ve seen it over and over and over. I do understand it, because I’ve been there. I didn’t know I hadn’t forgiven myself. I kept that to myself. It was like a stone in my heart and I just couldn’t move it,” says Scuderi. “I was almost content to live with it.

I’m so glad that I didn’t.” continued on page 50 

timesunion.com/HealthyLife

49

letting go

GUILTY SECRETS

CONTRITION VS. ATONEMENT

The human capacity for forgiveness is often astonishing.

People who have lost loved ones to violence will stand up at sentencing hearings and ask for leniency for convicted murderers. So why do we have such a hard time forgiving ourselves for even the smallest transgressions?

Most of us are raised from an early age to apologize when we are in the wrong and we’re also encouraged to forgive people who say they’re sorry. But the things we are most ashamed of — and least able to forgive ourselves for — are often the things we tell no one about.

Finding a safe place to share these secrets is one way to move beyond the guilt. That’s one reason that groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, or Narcotics Anonymous are so effective. People can talk about the often awful things they did without fear of being judged.

People in the group learn they’re not alone, and as they discover they share common experiences and accept and forgive the person sitting next to them, it becomes easier for everyone in the group to do the same for themselves.

Pat Mousaw, spiritual director of Rachel’s Vineyard, a retreat offered by the Albany Diocese for women who have had abortions, has seen this dynamic play out often in group sessions. The women who come to Rachel’s Vineyard retreats may have carried their guilt about having an abortion for years. And though many have made confessions, sometimes multiple times, they still aren’t able to forgive themselves.

“The book written by the founder of Rachel’s Vineyard is called Forbidden Grief,” says Mousaw. “There’s no place to take that pain. If you can’t process it, if you can’t look at it, if you can’t grieve, how can you heal if you hold it all inside?”

The popular expression is “to forgive and forget,” but though forgiveness is often the end goal there’s a difference between putting a painful memory behind you in order to move on and obliterating it all together.

“Self-hating serves no useful purpose [however] remembering the wrong, how we’ve wronged someone and learning from it might stop us from doing it again,” says Janis Abrahms Spring, Ph.D., a nationally acclaimed expert on issues of trust, intimacy, and forgiveness and author of After the Affair: Healing the Pain and Rebuilding Trust When a Partner Has Been Unfaithful, and How Can I Forgive You? The Courage to Forgive, The Freedom Not To. Abrahms Spring doesn’t believe forgiveness is something to be asked for and granted because it’s “good” for us. Instead she emphasizes acceptance and meaningful acts of atonement.

“Forgiveness is not a thing I believe that is granted cheaply, and forgiveness, genuine forgiveness, must be earned,” she says. “If you are the offender and you have hurt someone, it requires humble, heartfelt, hefty acts of repair. Asking for forgiveness asks nothing of you unless it’s backed with these concrete steps.”

“Most people, when they have wronged somebody in ways they did not deserve, feel guilt. And we feel bad about ourselves, so it is as much a gift to that person as to ourselves to right that wrong and to feel like a decent human being,” Spring says.

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UNBURDEN YOURSELF Talk to enough people about the need for forgiveness and one analogy comes up time and again: Feeling guilty

Photo: Tom Merton/GettyImages.

continued from page 49

Letting Go

“

Self-hating serves no useful purpose [however] remembering the wrong, how we’ve wronged someone and learning from it might stop us from doing it again.

”

— Janis Abrahms Spring

is like carrying around a bag of rocks. It’s a heavy burden and one that is inherently useless, yet people often cling to it so tightly that the pain they experienced and the wounds they’ve inflicted come to define them.

“Left-brained people think I’ve got to work this through, and they’re in therapy for 40 years,” says Dr. Michael Murphy, founder of the Love, Loss, and Forgiveness Project in Cambridge. “It’s something that happened, it’s often very painful, but to endlessly talk about it? You are carrying a burden.”

Murphy doesn’t put much stock in praying for forgiveness either. To err may be human but it doesn’t necessarily follow that forgiveness has to be divine.

“It’s not all this baloney of praying to God. It’s nothing to do with the church. This whole business [of] judgment is totally ridiculous. I think God must be incredibly stupid if he’s bothered by little people like you and [me]. We’ve dreamed up all these things to torture ourselves.” Murphy says. “Yes, we make many mistakes. We fall flat on our face, but we need to pick ourselves up and with compassion.”

As much as we’d all like to go back in time and undo the wrongs we’ve done, in life there are no do-overs. There is, however, always the opportunity to do better. ”Self-forgiveness is just letting the story go. ‘This story is killing me. It’s a huge burden. I’m going to put it down,’” Murphy says. “You don’t have to understand it. You just put it down. It is that simple.”

For Scuderi, forgiveness came with self-acceptance. And when she was finally able to see herself clearly and honestly, she saw that she was a good mother, a good wife, a happy person who loved her job and who had years of life ahead of her.

And when she found she could look back at her own reflection and smile, she says, “It was a beautiful feeling. All that heaviness left me.”

HL

The practice of forgiveness has been shown to reduce anger, hurt depression and stress and leads to greater feelings of hope, peace, compassion and self-confidence. Practicing forgiveness leads to healthy relationships as well as physical health.

It also influences our attitude, which opens the heart to kindness, beauty and love.

The following tips come from the Stanford Forgiveness Project, which was founded by Dr. Frederic Luskin, one of the foremost researchers on the topic.

1. Know exactly how you feel about what happened and be able to articulate what about the situation is not OK. Then, tell a trusted couple of people about your experience.

2. Make a commitment to yourself to do what you have to do to feel better. Forgiveness is for you and not for anyone else.

3. Forgiveness does not necessarily mean reconciliation. What you are after is to find peace.

Forgiveness can be defined as the “peace and understanding that come from blaming that which has hurt you less, taking the life experience less personally, and changing your grievance story.”

4. Get the right perspective on what is happening. Recognize that your primary distress is coming from the hurt feelings, thoughts and physical upset you are suffering now, not what offended you or hurt you two minutes — or 10 years — ago. Forgiveness helps to heal those hurt feelings.

5. At the moment you feel upset practice a simple stress management technique to soothe your body’s flight or fight response.

6. Give up expecting things from other people, or your life, that they do not choose to give you.

Recognize the “unenforceable rules” you have for your health or how you or other people must behave. Remind yourself that you can hope for health, love, peace and prosperity and work hard to get them.

To learn more about Dr. Luskin and his work, go to learningtoforgive.com/9-steps.

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HealthyLife magazine brings you stories and advice geared at living a balanced life, and nourishment of your mind, body, and spirit.

Life@Home is packed with inspiration to help you make your house a home.

Capital Region Women@Work is the in-print component of an innovative network of local women in managerial and executive positions.

VOW: Your Wedding. Your Way. is the secret to creating your fairytale wedding using local resources.

If you are interested in receiving free home delivery of any of our magazines, please (518) 454-5768 or email magcirculation@timesunion.com.

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➺ Top Tip: In a

world that has us all so busy, make sure you find the time to take care of yourself. It will pay off in the long run.

— Cover model Kristin Donlon

Behind the Scenes: Hair and makeup by Kimberley’s A Day Spa, Latham. Select clothing available at Boscov’s Clifton Park. At right: Blouse by Architect, pants by Chaus and necklace by Kenneth Cole.

Photo taken by Suzanne Kawola at Union College in Schenectady.

Founded in 1795, Union College is a small and independent liberal arts college with a diverse campus environment. Visit facebook.com/ healthylifenymagazine to view our Behind the Scenes photo gallery, or scan the QR code at right to link to our HealthyLife photos page on Facebook.

spirit A Long-Overdue Break from the Kids 55

Yoga For Your Soul 56 What’s In Your Closet? 60 Q&A with Kristin Donlon 62 timesunion.com/HealthyLife

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my word

Alone at Last! by megan willis

T

here were no iPhones back then.

The last time my husband and I went away without the kids, W. was entering his second year in office and I was eight months pregnant. It was the fall of 2002.

I know.

The in-laws watched our 18-month-old for what would be our last weekend away for a long time. We found a hotel made of stone on the river in Montreal’s old city. It was the Auberge Vieux-Port. We walked to a fabulous dinner, where we hobnobbed with a bevy of bon vivants and, in the morning, we walked those cobblestone streets until I thought my uterus would fall out. (Seriously, I needed a uterus hammock like nobody’s business.) We saw as much as we could possibly see of this beautiful city and on our last night we ordered in cheeseburgers and celebrated our good fortune and the miracle in my big mama belly who was preparing for her coming-out party.

In the morning we ventured down the boulevards and shops one last time and I became hypnotized by a store with brightly colored paper Moroccan lamps hanging from the ceiling. I wanted them all. I looked at my husband and our faces said the same thing: There will be no lanterns today.

There will soon be diapers and onesies and baby Willis number two and that is good.

Photo: Rolf Bruderer/GettyImages.

ELEVEN YEARS, TWO TWEENS, AND ABOUT TIME

Février 2013 (that’s “February” en français, Américains).

We are way, way, WAY overdue for a trip away. Our babysitting options have all moved away and otherwise dwindled.

Then, out of nowhere, we have an epiphany at Christmas brunch that results in making our nephew and his girlfriend an offer they can’t refuse. They are busy with a new baby and work, and live an hour away but “desperate” trumps “subtle,” and we pop the question.

“We know it’s a lot to ask but would you guys ever consider coming up for a weekend to watch the …?”

“Of course,” they amazingly reply. “Just tell us when.” Cue the excitement.

After fantasizing about leaving the country we conclude that we just need to leave the neighborhood and decide on a destination: Saratoga. Close, fun, walkable and grown up.

The week before departure, the weather forecasters begin catastrophizing an epic 20-year winter storm, the low

pressure of which launches a migraine with an epicenter in my left eye. The pain gains intensity all week, along with the frenzied predictions of snowpocalypse.

Thursday’s forecast? Bad. Trains are shutting down and the city is reporting “waffle-sized snow.”

Kübler-Ross grief stages set in: bargaining, anger, depression, denial, acceptance. “Maybe it won’t be so bad. Maybe we can still go Saturday. Let’s just wait until morning.”

Friday. Despite widespread office and school closings, our upper-Hudson enclave once again dodges the bullet and Nemo proceeds to suck significant remaining portions of the Northeast into its vast snow hole. Call mission control; resume the countdown. We pack bags and cell phones and breathe sighs of relief.

On arrival in Saratoga, our hotel room is promptly upgraded to a suite and we thank all known deities before heading to Max London’s for a big-girl, big-boy date. My migraine is peaking and I have to push on my left eye to counter the pressure, but I’d be out with my husband even if I had to carry my eyeball in my handbag. After eating, we tramp about in the beautiful snowfall that has begun and on the way back to the hotel we find the perfect dive bar stocked with both pool tables and a killer old-school jukebox.

Despite grand plans of snowshoeing and ice skating, for the next 24 hours food is the only thing enticing enough to make us leave our hotel room. We rack up $100 in payper-view movies charges and laugh like idiots as we do.

We order in filet mignon that we eat with plastic utensils, and it is good.

MORAL OF THE STORY

There are several. First of all, we have to do this way more often. Second, snow holes happen but we can’t let them suck our joy into their vortex. What could have cancelled our weekend wound up providing a George Bailey-like backdrop and, somewhere, an angel got its wings. Last and least expectedly, in an age where not being overscheduled leaves me bored and confused, I reaffirmed that sometimes doing absolutely nothing with my husband is the greatest thing in the world.

HL Megan Willis is a freelance writer and director of marketing for a global software company. Read her blog, The Davenport Chronicles, at blog.timesunion.com/davenport.

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self-care page header

Nurturing Your

Y

oga is so much more than stretching. It’s about deep breathing. And relaxing. And going inward, possibly discovering yourself in the process. What’s more, yoga’s benefits don’t abandon you when you leave class. Instead, they stay with you through the rest of the day.

According to the Mayo Clinic, yoga can:

HELP REDUCE STRESS. A number of studies have shown that yoga can help reduce stress and anxiety as well as enhance your mood and overall sense of well-being.

IMPROVE FITNESS. Practicing yoga can lead to improved balance, flexibility, range of motion and strength, making you less likely to injure yourself in other physical pursuits or daily activities.

MANAGE CHRONIC CONDITIONS. Yoga can help reduce risk factors for heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, pain, anxiety and insomnia.

None of this comes as a surprise to Janis Bowersox, who sold her Connecticut yoga studio two years ago and is now working at Kripalu in West Stockbridge, Mass., a mecca for yoga enthusiasts. “I cannot imagine a day without yoga,” she says. “There is a ripple effect to the practice. People

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by valerie foster

leave class calmer, more present. They go home and they don’t snap at their children or their spouse. They take better care of themselves. They are just kinder and more aware. They smile at people. They say hello. They listen.

Just imagine what would happen in the world if everyone practiced yoga.”

Bowersox’s thoughts were echoed over and over by the practitioners who spoke to HealthyLife. Although each came to yoga for a different reason, all say it has proved to be life-changing.

Amber LaPointe Pettersen, owner of Yana Yoga Studio & Healing Arts in Malta, discovered yoga 10 years ago after she found out she was pregnant. “I wanted to get more zenlike. It was not all about me anymore,” she says. “I learned to do something beyond myself.” In 1996, Jim Whiting of Body Mind Spirit Yoga in Delmar quit smoking and wanted to get back in shape, both for himself and his newborn daughter.

“I was introduced to yoga through meditation, and I took to it right away.”

Stephani Dimopoulos of Burnt Hills had done yoga before, but it wasn’t until a year ago, when she took her first class at Yana, that yoga clicked for her. She entered class with a

Illustation: Eastnine Inc./GettyImages; Photo: Andrew Olney/GettyImages.

SPIRIT

why yoga can help

lot on her mind: her dad had almost died and her 22-year-old son was sick. “I wound up feeling very welcome and comfortable, something I had never experienced in class before. I began to breathe.”

It’s the breath that yoga practitioners say starts the mind/body connection. “In all the classes I teach, I use breath to bring the body, mind and spirit into alignment and that releases energy,” Whiting says. “Yoga also brings you into a place of healing.

Many come to yoga because they have health issues. I rely heavily on breath work. I am not a stickler on postures. Many think mind is separate from the body. It is not. Everything is interconnected.”

H

ow many of us really pay attention to our breath? It is always there, when we wake up in the morning until we go to sleep, and throughout the night. In most cases, our breath is shallow. In yoga, it is deep. In class you can hear yourself deep breathing and if you stop deep breathing, you will hear your neighbor’s breath, which makes you aware that you need to breathe more deeply.

LaPointe Pettersen likens yoga to a moving meditation and that breath — in yoga called pranayama — is an essential part of the practice. She adds: “We use breath as a tool to help keep us connected through the entire practice. It’s powerful, yet simple.” Senior Kripalu teacher Shobhan Richard Faulds says, “Unless practiced with sensitivity to the breath, yoga postures fall far short of their potential to foster healing and growth.” It is so important that many yoga studios offer workshops in breathing techniques.

Dimopoulos recently took a Dive Deep class, a two-hour yoga marathon that she thought would exhaust her. “Quite the opposite happened,” she says. “I still felt absolutely amazing three days after the class. We got into different postures and held them, breathing and releasing, inhaling and exhaling, going further and further in the practice. I now know that yoga is not only about maintaining good well being and flexibility. It’s more about your spirit. My spirit has completely opened up.”

LaPointe Pettersen understands that the spiritual aspect can put some on high alert, making them afraid to try yoga.

“I stay away from explaining the spiritual side of yoga because I know that once they get into yoga they will experience it,” she says.

Bowersox agrees. “The spiritual aspect of yoga can be annoying, but if they stick to it, over time, what you hear in class seeps into the cracks,” she says. “You begin to notice

that you are kinder to yourself,” she says. “You begin to notice you are not judging yourself or others. You begin to understand that we really are all one.”

All practitioners cautioned against confusing spirituality with religion. “For some people, yoga is their church, where they go to feel connected to a higher power,” Bowersox says. “For others, it is the sense of community they share with the other people in the room and how it connects them to their feelings.

That is what makes yoga so special: It is different for everyone, and each time you practice, you might get something different from that experience.”

Whiting says his classes have a heavy spiritual component. “You get out of the classes what you need,” he says. “If you are not looking for a spiritual practice, that’s fine. You can still practice. I am simply offering tools. It’s up to each person to experiment.

“Yoga can transform your life. It begins to permeate into your relationships, your work, any situation where you are dealing with people,” he adds. “As you begin to release and accept, it creates room for other’s views. You find yourself not fighting life’s moments.”

It’s the mind/body connection in perfect harmony.

HL

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A DV E R T I S E M E N T

Have you heard about this new technology that is FDA cleared, and non-surgical treatment for back pain?

Herniated Disc?

Non-surgical spinal decompression may be the last back pain treatment you will ever need. And you may be able to forget the pills, getting endless shots, struggling through exercise programs...and...risky surgery...because with this amazing new technology...if you are a candidate... they may be a thing of the past. You’re about to discover a powerful state-of-the-art technology available for: Back pain, Sciatica, Herniated and/or Bulging discs (single or multiple), Degenerative Disc Disease, a relapse or failure following surgery or Facet syndromes. Best of all -- you can check it out yourself for FREE! CALL 518-300-1212

I

magine how your life would change if you discovered the solution to your back pain.

In this article you’ll discover powerful new back pain technology that has the potential to be that solution for you.

This incredible technology is Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression and the DRX 9000.

Here’s the amazing story how it was discovered and why it has a chance to help YOUR back pain...

How Science Helps Back Pain The lower back is a series of bones separated by shock absorbers called “discs”.

When these discs go bad because of age or injury you can have pain. For some the pain is just annoying, but for others it can be life changing...and not in a good way.

It has long been thought that if these discs could be helped in a natural and noninvasive way, lots of people with back and leg pain could lower the amount of pain medication they take, be given fewer epidural injections for the pain and have less surgery.

Recent medical breakthroughs have led to the development of advanced technologies to help back and leg pain suffers!

Through the work of a specialized team of physicians and medical engineers, a medical manufacturing company, now offers this space age technology in its incredible DRX 9000 Spinal Decompression equipment.

The DRX 9000 is FDA cleared to use with the pain and symptoms associated with herniated and/or bulging discs. . . even after failed surgery.

What Conditions Has The DRX 9000 Successfully Treated And Will It Help YOU? The main conditions the DRX 9000 has success with are: • • • •

Back pain Sciatica Spinal Stenosis Herniated and/or bulging discs (single or multiple) • Degenerative disc disease • A relapse or failure following surgery • Facet syndromes A very important note: The DRX 9000 has been successful even when NOTHING else has worked.

Even after failed surgery.

What Are Treatments On The DRX 9000 Like?

After being fitted with an automatic shoulder support system, you simply lie face up on the DRX 9000’s comfortable bed and the advanced computer system does the rest.

Patients describe the treatment as a gentle, soothing, intermittent pulling of your back. Many patients actually fall asleep during treatment.

The really good news IS... this is not something you have to continue to do for the rest of your life. So it is not a big commitment.

Since offering the DRX 9000 in my Colonie office, I have seen nothing short of miracles for back pain sufferers who had tried everything else. . . with little or no result.

Many had lost all hope.

Had herniated disk operation 8 years ago another disc became herniated. Doctor wanted to operate have arthritis from 1st one (did not want to go under knife again) very grateful to DRX9000 (thank you Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC) Very happy camper.

Raymond F Niskayuna, NY Age 55 This treatment was a miracle for my cervical disk herniations. Only other alternative was surgery, which I no longer have to face.

William I Schenectady, NY Age 63

I was told by a doctor I wouldn’t be able to work. I cannot afford to not work so I tried Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC, and not only did the pain go away but I never missed a day at work.

Rick S Clifton Park, NY Age 42 I would love to shake the hand of the person who invented this machine. It was a life saver for me and a lot better than going under the knife. I HIGHLY recommend this to anyone with chronic back pain.

Dawn H Colonie, NY Age 49 Before the DRX 9000 treatment. I had no quality of life.

Couldn’t do anything for myself. Thank God for Dr. and the DRX machine. I can live again.

Yvette K Schenectady, NY Age 47 I suffered for three years, before I received treatment on the DRX 9000. Today, I can sleep and get out of bed like a normal human being. Before, I couldn’t even drive my car because the pain in my hips, legs and feet were so bad from the sciatica nerve being pinched by my Herniated Disc L4 and L5, which also prevented me from sitting in a chair or even using my computer lap top at any time. Today things have changed due to advance technology therapy on the DRX 9000. They always try

A DV E R T I S E M E N T I would definitely refer people to your office. Dr. Guerra and his staff have made this experience a pleasure.

Ed H Hoosick Falls, NY Age 70 Pain free, numbness in the left foot is gone. DRX 9000 is GREAT and does work.

Sal L Niskayuna, NY Age 50

Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC demonstrates the DRX 9000 to a patient

to regulate the treatments that work. What is up with this taught process???? The world is changing and so have I. Frank A Troy, NY Age 52 Before receiving the DRX treatments, my quality of life was very poor. I could hardly do anything other than going to work and going to bed.

After the DRX treatments my quality of life has improved 90% which has resulted in me being able to go for long walks without a cane and go shopping.

Anne P Burnt Hills, NY Age 70 I am so appreciative of this method of therapy because when I came to the office I had to use a cane and had muscle pain in walking. After 2nd treatment sciatica nerve pain was gone in my left leg.

Judith W Albany, NY Age 64 Prior to this treatment my only options appeared to be invasive pain management, or surgery. After receiving 24 sessions on the DRX, I am markedly improved, relatively pain free and am able to function as I had in previous years. Highly recommend to anyone with disc issues.

Alan P Scotia, NY Age 53 I would choose this therapy again! Painless treatment that gets your life back to

normal. Stick with it-it works!

Linda G Broadalben, NY Age 53 I am so happy I came to Dr. Guerra. I was in a lot of pain and after being on the DRX I tell you I do not have pain. I feel wonderful and the staff are very nice. Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC is wonderful. If you are in pain try the DRX it really helps.

Edith C Schenectady, NY Age 71 I think more people should know about this procedure before considering any surgery. Medications help the pain but they don’t cure the cause. I am back to my old self again.

Lorraine B Scotia, NY Age 78 I highly recommend this machine. I had my doubts but it really and truly works. Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC is a wonderful doctor and his staff is great too.

Linda D Clifton Park, NY Age 46

I’m able to go on long walks and get all night sleep (I’ve had 3 surgeries since 2006) Without the DRX I would be in for a 4th back surgery. I’m getting back to doing activities with my 10 year old son.

Lisa V Catskill, NY Age 45 I wish to thank you very much for all the help I received with the spinal decompression therapy. Your entire office was very helpful and compassionate. No longer do I sit at night with my heating pads, moving them from sore spot to sore spot. My knees are no longer on fire and I’m able to go up and down the stairs much easier than before.

Mable D Ballston Lake, NY Age 68

SPECIAL OFFER Call Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC’s office at 518-300-1212 and mention to my assistants that you want a FREE back pain/DRX9000 qualification

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Here is what you will receive: • A consultation with me, Dr. Claude D. Guerra, DC to discuss your problem and answer the questions you may have about back pain and the DRX9000 • A DRX9000 demonstration so you see for yourself how it works! Due to current demand for this technology, I suggest calling today to make your appointment.

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I was extremely skeptical at the beginning of treatments - Progress was slow in coming - But... then it worked!

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www.healthsourceofalbasnynorth.com Like us on Facebook: Healthsource of Albany North

clothing tales

A Closet Full of Clothes and stories … and memories

60

healthylife

by valerie foster

W

hen Elizabeth Sikoryak of Ballston Spa puts on her Salty Dog sweatshirt, it reminds her of her first trip to Hilton Head Island, S.C. “I was there with my husband and kids for a family wedding, and my aunt gave me the sweatshirt as a gift,” Sikoryak says. “When I put it on, it makes me feel like I am in vacation mode, wherever I am. I had it on the other day and I felt like I was on Hilton Head.”

Sikoryak’s feelings would not surprise Siobhan “Bunny” McDonough, who wrote a book called My Mother’s Dressing Room. “My clothing and jewelry

collection embodies my favorite memories, people and places,” she writes in her book. “Each piece comes from an experience, a period in my life that can be revisited when I put it on — creating memories of my own.

In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, researchers coined the term “enclothed cognition” referring to the influence clothes have on our psychological processes. They concluded that two factors influence us: the symbolic meaning we attribute to our clothes and our experiences when we wear them.

Neither of which surprises McDonough. “I am passionate about my mother’s and my connection with clothes, and I love sharing that connection with her,” she says in a phone interview from her home in Vero Beach, Fla. “This is not a fashion book. It is more about how things can make us feel, how life can be enhanced through something like clothing.

And when you think about it, clothes are the closest thing that touches our skin. We should feel passionate about the clothes we put on.”

Ruth Anne Stigberg Foster’s grandma also made memories for her. “I incorporated her diamond into my engagementring setting,” says Stigberg Foster, who lives in Duanesburg.

“It makes me feel like she is with me all the time.”

McDonough wrote the book not only to share her passion for clothes and jewelry but to help people understand

Photo: Getty Images. Woman with dress, Ralf Nau; Items on lawn, Nikki Bidgood.

“Enclothed cognition” refers to the influence clothes have on our psychological processes.

Growing up in Alexandria, Va., McDonough was a tomboy, the youngest child with three big brothers. But it was the hours she spent in her mother’s dressing room, first watching her get dressed, later having discussions about clothes and style, that formed her clothes consciousness. “It was a safe haven for us,” she says.

What makes McDonough’s book so fascinating is that while most of us have a closet full of clothes, many of us rarely think about the stories behind the clothes. Do you remember when you bought the piece? If it was a gift, do you remember who gave it to you?

McDonough knows the history of every piece of clothing she owns. Take her rabbit coat from the ‘60s, which she bought for $29 in an antiques store in Maine, a purchase she is so proud of she keeps the price ticket in the jacket’s pocket. Or the vintage moccasins with extensive beading that she bought while working for the Associated Press in Carson City, Nev.

A

nd she has other treasures, such as her white summer dress that her mom wore when she wed McDonough’s dad in 1961. With a little tailoring, it has been transformed into one of her most revered pieces of clothing.

Her nana, meanwhile, provided some cherished milestonemarking pieces, including a signet ring in eighth grade, and add-a-bead necklace in high school, and her first string of pearls when she graduated high school.

that clothes really can be much more than just something to cover our bodies or jewelry to adorn our hands, necks and ears. For example, when she travels, she steps out of the touristy areas, searching the local consignment, antique and specialty shops for something to buy that will remind her of the spot.

“Shopping gives you the opportunity to poke into quirky and unassuming shops you wouldn’t normally go into,” she says. “It also provides a really good pulse of what people there are like. You get a real sense of community that gives you a deeper insight into who they are, or who they might have been.”

And her last bit of advice: “If you buy something that speaks to you, it will become a treasure. And that’s what shopping should be: a treasure hunt.”

HL

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cover model q&a

up close with ...

Kristin Donlon by brianna snyder | photo by suzanne kawola

What do you and your family like to do together?

We’re all active and we’re huge sports fans, so we love going to games and hanging out together.

What is your relationship to healthy eating?

Just about two years ago I woke up and thought, “I don’t feel really great mentally and physically.” In my younger years, I was very active and as my kids got older I was focusing on their needs and not taking care of myself as much. When I got to the age where I could take care of myself, I decided to sign up for a half marathon. I completed my first half marathon in 2009 and after that I joined a bootcamp. I’ve been a part

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of that for two years. But it wasn’t until Ii decided to change my diet — eat less takeout, make better choices — that I was able to really transform everything mentally and physically.

And you’re on the paleo diet?

Probably within the last eight months I have started with the paleo. It’s been really, really good. My energy level is way up.

What do you like to do for fun?

I have a really big family and we just love getting together on weekends and just sort of hanging out and being together. I also play soccer. I’m part of a women’s soccer team in Clifton Park. I’ve been doing that for about six years. And I like being out at my pool and reading a book. I love to read.

Do you have a favorite book?

I’m a big fan of James Patterson’s work.

Do you have any favorite music?

I am all over the board with music. I love oldies and I love music from the ’80s and I love O.A.R. I love country music. Music is the one thing I can relate to. I’m not particular about music because I have a huge appreciation for it.

How did that come about?

I think that was really influenced by my parents. My parents really loved music and we grew up listening to the oldies and having those little dance parties in your living room when you were kids. I think I’ve passed it on to my kids.

How do you feel about turning 40?

I’m actually kind of excited about turning 40. I don’t go by the number. I feel really good. I’m probably in the best shape of my life right now.

So I’m not too much focused on the number.

HL

Behind the Scenes Hair and makeup

by Kimberley’s A Day Spa, Latham.

Photo taken by Suzanne Kawola at Union College in Schenectady. Above: blouse and skirt

by Premise. Select clothing available at Boscov’s Clifton Park. Visit facebook.com/ healthylifenymagazine to view our Behind the Scenes photo gallery, or scan the QR code at right to link to our HealthyLife photos page on Facebook.

‘Before’ photo by Colleen Ingerto.

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hen 40-year-old Kristin Donlon applied to be a HealthyLife cover model, she had no idea she was entering a contest to be on the cover of a magazine. Donlon’s sister-in-law had told her she’d seen a contest for a free makeover, and Donlon thought that’s what she was about to win when we called her and told her she’d made it.

When she found out she was going to be on the cover of HealthyLife, she says, “I was like, ‘Whoa! OK,’” and laughed. She decided to just go with it.

That’s a good representation of Donlon’s general life approach; Donlon is the busy mom of three — twins in college and a high schooler at home — and she works as an assessment specialist for Project Lead the Way, a non-profit educational organization that develops hands-on, project-based STEM curriculum to high school and middle school students across the country, Donlon says.

She, her husband and her daughter live in Watervliet, where Donlon grew up.

After back surgery elsewhere, the last thing this patient expected was more pain than he went in with. Unfortunately he ended up with a condition known as “failed back syndrome” which made walking a challenge and running impossible. When he came to Capital Region Neurosurgery, our spine specialists suggested a minimally invasive procedure. After a brief recovery period he quickly reached his goal of walking pain free and was soon on his way to reaching his next goal—running his first 5K. 1220 New Scotland Road, Slingerlands, NY 12159 (518) 439-4326 Appointments in 48 hours

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At 43, when he was left immobile by back pain, he asked us to help him walk.

Instead, we helped him run.

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