Second opinion nov dec 2017

November/December 2017

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IN THIS ISSUE

Holiday gift guide!

are you ready

?

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Contents Also Inside:

■ Balanced Living - 5 ■ Holiday Gift Guide - 17 ■ February Fitness Frenzy - 22 Arwen Rasmussen, 715.831.0325 editor@asecondopinionmag.com www.secondopinionmagazine.com Graphic Design: Brigit Olson All articles are the sole property of the writers.

Opinions expressed in Second Opinion are those of the writers or advertisers themselves, not the publication or its editors. Second Opinion is not liable for use of any artwork provided by advertisers. Please direct concerns to the advertisers. ©2006-2017

Think Green

Intelligent Nutrients: Beauty and Skin Care that Cares about the Planet Too 6 How Much Is that Doggie in the Window? 7 Will Work for Food 8 Deep Winter Greenhouse: Extending the Growing Season for Northern Climates 9 Blue Boxer Arts: Knit Away Holiday Stress 10

Feeling Good

My Favorite Health Tip: Top Santa’s Naughty List! 11 Healthy Choices: Safeguarding against Seasonal Stress All I Want for Christmas… 13 Melnaturel: All Natural Skin Care 14 Yuck, I Have the Flu — Now What? 15

12

Live Your Best Life

Connecting with the Why: Achieving Lasting Change in Exercise and Nutrition 21 Blue Ox Running: A Good Fit for Eau Claire 24 Winter: One Great Time to Get a Massage! 25 Eat Your Way to a Healthier You 26 Tips for Staying Healthy this Holiday Season 27 Lose Weight with Highland Fitness’s Weight Loss Challenge 27

Good Eats

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29

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balancedliving TRUE OR FALSE?

Get well quicker by eating soup

Shorten your colds length with zinc

80 mg/day of zinc acetate lozenges could shorten the length of your cold by three days, researchers suggest. Make sure to take the zinc at the first sign of your cold, and skip citric acid, which blocks zinc's effect.

You must scrub for at least 20 seconds to get rid of germs.

Most people stop at eight!

Eating honey can calm a cough

It's not as effective as cough syrup, but researchers say honey may be better than nothing. It's also safer than over-the-counter meds for kids under four. But skip it for kids under one, it can cause infant botulism.

false

Dairy makes your more congested

Studies show that drinking milk while you have a cold does not cause congestion or cough. Actually there is a placebo-effect! Believing milk causes mucus may make it so - even when drinking soy milk.

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• Ensure they get enough during parties. physical and mental exercise to • Ensure that its daily routine create a calmer body and mind. does not get hampered.

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www.secondopinionmagazine.com | 5

Intelligent Nutrients: Beauty and Skin Care that Cares about the Planet Too

by Nicole Rechelbacher, co-owner, Intelligent Nutrients

L

earning from Mother Nature is the foundation of the Intelligent Nutrients brand, and our mission is to maintain safety and nutrition within every ingredient we select. Choosing plantbased retinols, AHAs, enzymes, and other sustainably sourced actives with proven results in place of the chemically based norm is in our DNA. The bedrock of our products is active, high performing nontoxic ingredients that support healthy cell development.

Plant-based science is how I was raised. My father (Horst Rechelbacher) instilled a deep appreciation for nature and beauty without sacrificing wellness. He created Aveda and Intelligent Nutrients–his mission was to educate that beauty does not have to come at the cost of your health or the health of our delicate environment.

Kiran Stordalen (co-owner and lifelong partner of Horst) and I are honored to carry his vision and mission forward and excitedly evolve it. New technologies are making it possible to incorporate ingredients that achieve even higher standards of safety for us and for the planet.

Are our products certified organic?

Absolutely, we have a wonderful team member whose entire role is to ensure and vet every ingredient to be nontoxic, certified organic, and safe. We work directly with our suppliers and the third-party auditors that confirm our formulas, ingredients, and processes to maintain those standards.

More specifically we hold certifications from COSMOS, the international standard for organic and natural cosmetics. We also hold certifications from the Organic Soil Association and are stamped USDA Organic, showing which products are 95 percent or more organic content.

Our formulas are plant based, not petroleum based, and we believe every beauty company should use sustainable ingredients and new science to help take care of our bodies.

As a planet, we are clearly depleting our resources. The environment is unstable, and petroleum is not a part of nature’s DNA. So why should you put this on and in your body? The beauty industry, especially in the United States, needs to wake and shake up how we create sustainable skin and beauty.

6up| www.secondopinionmagazine.com

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We encourage everyone to respect yourself, body and mind, and respect the world around us. Pause, appreciate, meditate, do whatever it takes to preserve our planet.

EARTH | PETS | GREEN PRODUCTS

think green

How Much Is that Doggie in the Window?

By Dr. Margaret Meier Jones, DVM CVSMT

I

s it just me or does reading this make you want to break out in the Pattie Page song by the same title? In that song she wants to buy the dog for her sweetheart, singing, “If he has a dog, he won't be lonesome, and the doggie will have a good home!” We all have certainly been tempted to buy a pet for a loved one, especially during the holiday season, but is this really a good idea? Does our sweetheart have the space, time, energy, and financial resources needed to properly care for that doggie and ensure it will truly have a good fur-ever home?

So many considerations must be made when we look to add a pet to our homes, and the family members who will be involved with the pet’s care really need to be part of the decision as to whether or not this should happen. Should we get a cat or a dog? A bird or a lizard? A guinea pig, a hamster, or a ferret?

A fresh water or a salt water fish tank? Or should we settle on something even larger, like a pony or a pot bellied pig?

Settling on one of these species then brings even more questions such as which breed matches our family best? What health problems is that breed prone to? Does this breed have any special needs or other things that add to our financial commitment?

For example, if it is a brachycephalic breed (i.e., Bull dog or Himalayan), the soft palate is functionally elongated so they snore and have increased anesthetic risks during surgical procedures. Or, are we getting a giant breed, such as a Great Dane, that has larger spatial requirements and a shorter life expectancy?

Next we must ask ourselves if we are going to get our new pet at the pet store, shelter, rescue group, breeder, Craigslist advertisement, or through friends and family via Facebook? Will they join our family as a puppy/kitten, a young adult, or would a senior citizen work better for us? I know what you might be thinking: does each

answer really just lead to more questions? I like THAT doggie in the window I see right now! Why can't I just buy him and take him home!? You certainly can, but.....

Do you have the supplies he needs? Good food and bowls, leashes, kennels, and space inside or outside your home that’s a safe shelter for him? Litter boxes, scratching posts, and ageappropriate toys? Are you ready to deal with accidents that might happen in your new environment with potty training and/ or separation anxiety? Do you have friends and family willing to let you bring your new friend with you when you visit them this holiday season or do you need to secure space at a boarding facility? Are they current on the immunizations that the kennel requires and does that facility have vacancy?

Have you asked your sweetheart these questions? When you do, and the answers come easily, we congratulate you and look forward to meeting your new furry friend too!

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715-926-3836 |201 Industrial Dr., Mondovi youranimalwellnesscenter.com www.secondopinionmagazine.com | 7

Will Work for Food

By Heather Mishefske

G

iving your dog a way to work for their food can improve its behavior this holiday season.

Dogs are natural hunters and scavengers. We humans are not good at catering to our dog’s hunting prowess due to safety concerns. We do not allow them to chase squirrels, indulge in road kill, stalk squirrels, or hunt the songbirds at our feeders.

These are all activities that they would LOVE to indulge in, but due to the potential for parasites, hunts gone wrong, and safety, we deter them from doing so. And rightly so!

There are safer ways to allow our dogs to bring out their huntress side without the risks. The world of canine enrichment has exploded in the past several years. There are many gadgets, games, and toys that recreate a game that allows your pooch to engage its inner hunter. Our dogs have it pretty easy. We buy baked kibble in perfect little nuggets and deliver them to our dogs in raised feeding stations. While some of us make our dogs “work” for their food, by requiring a skill before their food or treat is presented, eating the food out of their bowl is a very easy task. So, let’s use their food to fill a puzzle or interactive toy and make them REALLY work for it! And use their most highly developed organ, their incredible NOSE! By making your dog work for its food, we utilize some brain power on those days when scheduling or Wisconsin weather makes it tough to get outside for exercise. And why not feed them out of a food puzzle or toy– they have to eat anyway, right? Food puzzles and enrichment toys provide an outlet for dogs to scavenge, root, uncover, and find their food. By doing this, we give our dogs a job, help alleviate boredom, assist with confidence building, and provide a chance for them to do some serious problem solving. Many toys or puzzles are made so that the dog must tip them to get the kibble out, move parts of a puzzle, turn the toy a certain way, or uncover sections to access the food. Once your dog understands how to access the food, he or she becomes a problem solver of all puzzles that you will present them. And there are SO many options out there to explore.

8 | www.secondopinionmagazine.com

An excellent place to add enrichment toys into your dog’s life are the holidays. The unpredictable days, the added stress of unfamiliar guests, the lack of routine, travel, late nights, and possible lack of physical exercise often lead to increased anxiety in our canine companions. Giving them a simple task like “find your own food” can help. Doing this uses their most developed organ, their nose. Make feeding time into a job.

Some of our faves here at emBARK are: • StarMark Bob-A-Lot • Starmark Treat Dispensing Ball • Planet Dog Orbee Tuff Mazee • Planet Dog Orbee Tuff Snoop • Omega Tricky Treat Ball • Pet Safe Tug-A-Jug OR Magic Mushroom • Any of the Trixie puzzles • Any of the Nina Ottenson puzzles • Kongs (the original stuffable food toy!)

• Kong Gyro • Snuffle Mats – find them on Etsy or make your own!

The main rule of enrichment toys is that they are meant to be used under our supervision. Many are made of plastic or resin, creating parts that could easily be chewed off. If you pup attempts to chew the toy, simply help a bit by moving it until they understand that motion of the toy is the way that food is delivered. Once your dog understands that they have control of the food delivery, he or she will begin to enjoy the game.

Dogs who eat too quickly also benefit from these food puzzles, as treats/food is delivered slowly.

For most dogs, their biggest enriching activity is learning new tricks, skills, and going to new outdoor environments to use their nose.

Using food puzzle toys can quickly become something that they look forward to. Add some interactive enrichment toys to your dog’s holiday gift list—it will benefit both of you!

Heather Mishefske is a certified professional dog trainer and the owner of emBARK, LLC. She has been involved in the dog scene in the Chippewa Valley since the age of ten, and professionally since 1998. emBARK offers training classes, dog daycare, dog grooming, canine massage, and workshops. To check out the Midwest’s Hippest Hang Out for Hounds, check out www.embarkdog.com.

Deep Winter Greenhouse: Extending the Growing Season for Northern Climates

By Nyssa Langlois, writer & copy editor for Farm Table Foundation

A

s we enter the beginning of fall, many of our regional farmers begin to prepare for a slow, if not nonexistent, growing period.

Winters in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota are frequently met with shudders in response to the bitter, dark transition that takes over the landscape. Winter in the north is rarely thought of to be an agriculturally productive time of the year–rural farms become barren, and hearty, local crop supplies become incredibly slim.

Yet there has been a recent introduction to these northern agricultural communities that would allow local farmers to grow a variety of greens and root vegetables year-round. The University of Minnesota has spent the last few years researching the sustainability and productivity of deep winter greenhouses, structures specifically geared toward the northern, blistery winter climates of Minnesota and Wisconsin, to provide produce throughout this harsh time of the year.

Research done by the Department of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems at the University of Minnesota has indicated there are specific methods to maximizing the productivity of these deep winter greenhouses. By using unique methods to retain and transfer solar energy, the design for these greenhouses allows for optimal growing even during the darkest winter months. These deep winter greenhouses are an ideal way for small farms to continue producing a good share of their root vegetables and greens varieties year-round, as this style of greenhouse is oriented toward plants that don’t require copious exposure to direct sunlight. Turnips, radishes, baby kale, sprouts, Asian greens, and herbs do exceptionally well in this particular environment.

In order to sustain and further research in this endeavor, the University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships office has worked with the construction of five deep winter greenhouses at different locations throughout Minnesota: the Organic Consumers Association in Finland, the Bemidji Community Food Shelf, Central Lakes College in Brainerd, Alternative Roots Farm in Madelia, and the Lake City Catholic Worker Farm. The greenhouse in Finland opened in February of this year, and the second installment of the project, located in Bemidji, opened at the end of September.

The Farm Table Foundation is excited for the opportunity to expand its knowledge base on deep winter greenhouses, as finding more economic and sustainable ways to continually produce local, organic food is a top priority of the organization.

To keep the community up to date on this new greenhouse practice, the foundation has invited Greg Schweser, the director of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems at the University of Minnesota, to conduct a discussion about deep winter greenhouses at the Farm Table Foundation. Schweser will be addressing the specific design techniques used to create a deep winter greenhouse, as well as the thoughts and energy that go into creating this kind of structure. This discussion will take place on Tuesday, November 14, at 6:00 p.m., and it will be open to the public. Tickets can be procured for $15 at the Farm Table Foundation website under Classes and Events.

Nyssa Langlois studied at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and worked as a program advisor for World Endeavors.

Her current positions are copy editor, writer & server extraordinaire for Farm Table Foundation in Amery, Wisconsin.

www.secondopinionmagazine.com | 9

Blue Boxer Arts: Knit Away Holiday Stress

W

hen Jamie Kyser and Erin Klaus, business partners and friends, moved Tangled Up in Hue from 416 Barstow (the current Blue Boxer Arts location) to 505 Barstow, they had an empty store space that was still under a lease. While considering their options, it occurred to Kyser that she and Klaus had always talked about opening a bead store in Eau Claire. Ever since the one on Water Street closed, they had felt that Eau Claire needed one. And in addition, Yellow Dog Knitting used to be located a couple of doors down, and when that closed, lots of people came into Tangled Up in Hue’s former location asking what happened to the yarn shop, so they knew there was a market for it. And if that wasn’t enough, they had an immense amount of beads from jewelry making, so it seemed like an opportunity to give the idea a shot. So, they opened a bead and yarn shop—Blue Boxer Arts!

Blue Boxer Arts follows the same format as Tangled in that they support and offer local products. They have a whole section of the store devoted to local fibers, hand-spun and dyed yarn from local farms where the sheep are raised and sheered, and the wool is processed and spun into yarn. They also have roving, locks, and loose fibers. (Roving is a long narrow bundle of fiber that is mainly used for spinning fibers into yarn. It’s been processed and dyed or can be natural colored. It can also be used in weaving or needle felting. Locks are actual hair locks from, say, an angora goat or llama, and loose fibers are just that—they have been processed from the animal and can be found in a bag or ball.) In addition, the store carries Plymouth-brand yarns and various others, and they currently offer a large selection of “natural” beads: wood, clay, porcelain, bone, nut, etc., but are expanding to also incorporate stone, glass, crystal, pearl, and more. The store also operates as a collective, meaning they have items on consignment as well.

A wide range of classes are available, about two a week. All of them are currently focused on the fiber and jewelry arts, as that is the type of product currently offered in the store. All

10 | www.secondopinionmagazine.com

classes can be found on the website (http://blueboxerarts. com/events.html) or the Facebook page, which has the most up-to-date info. The instructors range from store staff to outside experts and hobbyists, but anyone can come in and apply to teach a class here. If someone has a special skill they would like to share in a class, email blueboxerarts@gmail.com for more info.

With the holidays coming up, we all tend to brace ourselves for the accompanying stresses. Knitting or crocheting, however, can be a stress-relieving activity. Kyser believes all forms of creativity can be calming experiences: “I personally crochet (I have knit but am not an avid knitter) and participate in many forms of fiber arts and other crafty avenues. Each of these activities helps to sooth my soul and bring me balance and peace. It’s a way for many to reset from the day or take out frustrations. It makes me feel fulfilled and whole.” If you’re new to knitting and crocheting, don’t fret! As a beginner, and as with learning any new skill, knitting/crocheting can be a chore and may even be frustrating at first. But once the basics are learned and the rhythm is found, the fun starts, and it becomes a new way to cope with stress.

According to Kyser, knitting and crocheting can be more than just stress relieving: “I believe, too, that knitting/crocheting can lead to a meditative state. In meditation, the goal is to clear your head of all thoughts and brain chatter. In the act of knitting, and the repetitive nature of it, it can certainly lead to this. In some cases, when following a pattern for instance, you need to count your stitches, switch colors, or change stitches (knit, pearl, etc), and this can require more concentration and thought, and it can also be good to concentrate on something other than work and other stresses of life.”

She advises: “The concentration involved with these art forms as well as just keeping your hands busy and the satisfaction of completing a project can all be so good for the soul and help with stress during the holidays and year-round. This time of year it can help you check the gift-giving portion of stress off your list, knowing that you are making something for someone that took time and love and effort.”

The benefit of shopping locally is important to both Kyser and Klaus. Kyser notes: “With each step, knitting and crocheting with our products can give you the satisfaction and joy of shopping locally, which is so important in our current climate. The community thrives when local businesses do well. Because we offer products and services that are locally made/produced, a portion of the money spent in our store goes back into the community, which fuels the local economy, and it’s a win-win for everyone.”

feeling good

NUTRITION | HEALTH

My Favorite Health Tip: Top Santa’s Naughty List!

By April Willger, integrative health coach and owner of Wellness N Soul

A

s an integrative health coach I guide clients to do “nice” things like drink more water, express more gratitude, and clean out that closet that almost kills you each time you open it.

That’s all fun and cute. But when we get about four to five months into the program, I spring a recommendation on my clients that is one of my favorites: I tell them to BE BAD! My clients usually give me the seventy-five-year-old grandma response in a sweet, “I’m going to run home and bake cookies for you” voice, “Oh I don’t know if I can do that. I’m just a nice person, and it’s so hard for me to be rude, and, and….”

Excuses, excuses, excuses. I’ve heard them all.

Come on, Grandma. I’m not talking about illegal drugs and a night in jail or anything. I’m talking about gently brake checking the person that’s following you a little too close on the busy holiday roads. I’m talking about ignoring an invite to a gettogether, that frankly, you never wanted to go to anyway. I’m talking about going to a holiday celebration and purchasing a pie from the store instead of staying up all night and fussing over a decadent dessert. I’m talking about not contributing gift money for your lazy boss’s Christmas present. (Honestly, did he really earn a nice gift this year?)

As I give these ideas to my clients, evil grinch smiles spread across their faces that adorn a new flame in their eyes. The thought of, “Huh, maybe I could handle that,” crosses their forehead.

Don’t worry. There is a reason for my brake checking madness.

The purpose behind this exercise is to put my clients back in charge of their lives. You always have the choice to do whatever it is that you want in life. You choose to kill yourself the night before a holiday celebration, making that perfect dessert. You choose to attend a get-together that you don’t want to go to. You choose to contribute your hard-earned money to a gift for someone who doesn’t really deserve it.

Despite what you’ve heard and told yourself over the years, this life is about fulfilling your wants and desires. This life is about deciding what your values and mission are and living it with integrity. This life is all about pleasing yourself. It is not about pleasing others. It is actually your responsibility to create a life that you love for yourself.

Do you have the disease to please? Is the disease to please serving you and your health? What does being bad mean to you? Does being “bad” mean brake checking, ignoring holiday invites, or omitting your boss from your gift list? Or is it sleeping in, having an extra piece of pie, or curling up on the couch to relax and watch a movie?

While my sweet clients struggle to find ways to be bad, they usually are so thankful that for once in their life, someone finally told them it’s actually healthy for them, to be BAD!!

How can you implement a little of “bad” into your life this holiday season?

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www.secondopinionmagazine.com | 11

Healthy Choices: Safeguarding against Seasonal Stress

By Dr. Lynn Thompson

S

tress is defined as the organism’s response to environmental pressures or demands either internal or external. The causes of stress in humans can include any event that the individual perceives, consciously or unconsciously, as a threat. It has been reported that at least 90 percent of all diseases are related to stress and the lack of the coping skills to alleviate the long-term reactions. This particular time of year has special risks for uncontrolled stress.

This time of year we find to be more stressful from lack of sunshine, increase in sugar consumption, and “family” or community traditions. We live in an area around the 45th north latitude and as such are very limited on the direct sunlight during the winter months. Stress can present as depression (also increased in the winter months). When the skin does not have enough sunlight, Vitamin D is not manufactured. If you do not have adequate sun exposure, you should include good sources of Vitamin D in your diet from egg yolks; raw cow milk; fatty fish like sardines, mackerel, salmon, and herring; shrimp; chicken liver; and orange juice.

Ironically, orange juice is very high in sugar. In a one cup serving (8 ounces), OJ has 124 mg (milligrams) of Vitamin C (more than 100 percent of the US government’s Recommended Daily Intake of about 60 mg/day. Research dating back to 1999 recommends an increase to 120 mg/day). Dr. Linus Pauling discovered that Vitamin C is needed by the body to fight bacteria and viruses. Glucose (simplest form of sugar found in the body) and Vitamin C have similar chemical structures.

There are times when the body can confuse sugar and Vitamin C. When the blood sugar level reaches 120mg/dl, the body’s ability to destroy the bacteria and viruses is reduced by 75 percent for the next four to six hours. Here are some not-sosweet facts about sugar, just to name a few.

• The average American consumes 100 pounds of sugar per year. Crazy, right? It is even crazier when compared to the mere 8 pounds of broccoli the average American consumes annually.

• The other white powder. Sugar is more addictive than cocaine.

• Sugar is hidden almost everywhere, especially in processed foods.

• Sugar in disguise: corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, 12 | www.secondopinionmagazine.com

maltose, glucose, fructose—watch out for the “ose” at the end of the word!

• Refined table sugar (aka sucrose) lacks vitamins, minerals, and fiber. In fact, your body has to tap into its precious mineral and enzyme stores to process it.

• If your body does not properly digest sugar (and simple carbs for that matter), it contributes to candida overgrowth. If you are not familiar with candida, it is worth a Google or Bing search.

• It feeds the bad guys. Sugar contributes to an acidic environment, which cancer and other diseases love!

• It contributes to Type 2 diabetes.

This time of year, many of us celebrate religious holidays and overindulge in spending, eating, and lack of sunshine. Rather than participate in activities that increase stress levels, take a deep breath, go for a walk, have an attitude of gratitude, enjoy a hearty laugh, and share a healthy, low-sugar meal made with love and joy.

A cheerful heart is good medicine.

Proverbs 17:22 Dr. Lynn Thompson holds doctorates in chiropractic, naturopathy, and homeopathy.

She has been involved in healthcare for forty years. Dr. Lynn resides in Foster with her husband, John, and travels extensively around the United States presenting classes on health and wellness utilizing essential oils and nutrition.

All I Want for Christmas…

By Melinda Gardner, APPLE Pregnancy Care Center

T

oday it’s early fall and the furnace kicked on for the first time. The leaves are turning and falling, and I’m pretty sure summer is over. And sometimes that can make moms panic because we all know what’s coming: Christmas. When you think of that, does it make you excited—or totally panicked?

I have a friend who told me once about how she spent weeks preparing for Christmas and felt like she was putting on this huge event. Everyone loved it—except for her! She was exhausted.

It really helps if you can put things into perspective. Ask yourself: What are the things that I love to do as I prepare for this holiday? What are the things that I don’t really want to do but do anyway? What is Christmas all about anyway?

We all need to remember that it’s not about “the stuff.” It’s so easy to think we need piles of presents. We spend more than we want to. We panic that it isn’t “enough” but really, it’s too much. Your children want YOU—your time, your presence, a mom or dad who isn’t stressed and unavailable.

I grew up in a family that really valued each other. We had traditional things that we did every year that made the holiday special for us. Certain Norwegian food (It’s usually white!), the Norwegian candleholders at each place at the Christmas Eve table that we lit as we sang “Silent Night” together. My dad read the Christmas story from the gospel of Luke before we had dinner. These things are all really easy and don’t cost much money, but they made our celebration so special and uniquely ours.

Guess what? You can start your own traditions right now.

• Decorate Christmas cookies with your kids. (play music of course) • Pick a Christmas CD that you always listen to together.

(We decorate the tree to the Amy Grant Christmas album—the old one!)

• Help your little ones make gifts for someone else. It’s great to teach them the joy of giving.

• Watch a Christmas movie together. We love Emmett Otter’s Jug Band Christmas. It’s a Jim Henson production and so funny.

• Serve at a food bank or community table together or ring the bell for Salvation Army. It’s so satisfying to see your child learn to care for others.

• Go for a walk during a snowstorm. Make snow angels.

Have hot chocolate.

• Stop—think—enjoy your family.

• Go to a Christmas service and worship together.

Have a blessed, peaceful Christmas season with your family.

Melinda Gardner is the executive director of the APPLE Pregnancy Care Center in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. She is a wife, mother of two adult daughters, and grandmother of one special little boy.

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Melnaturel: All Natural Skin Care

M

elissa Wilson always enjoyed makeup, often playing with her mom’s makeup when she was a child. But in her teen years, Mel suffered from acne and scarring. Later she found out she has polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and that hormone imbalance was causing her acne. After trying many products—that didn’t work—Mel decided to try creating her own, natural skin-care products.

She’d been creating her own eyelash serum for a while, and friends and sisters encouraged her to go ahead and run with that. The serum is all natural—every other brand she’d tried from the salon would turn her eyelids colors, and she spent hundreds of dollars trying to get her eyelashes to grow better.

She loves DIY projects like refurbishing furniture—all kinds of making and creating. She explains, “I’ve always been an artist, and I’ve always been an entrepreneur. I already had the ingredients. I had the time. I decided to make a bottle for each of my sisters. It was around Christmas-time, and as I texted my friend that her bottle was ready, she asked if I’d make one for her friend. So I did. Then I created a professional-looking label for the bottles. At first I was going to call it Elnaturel, but my sister, who is sassy, said, ‘You forgot the M, duh!

Why not call your brand Melnaturel, playing off your name?’

And I thought, ‘Great idea!’ Soon after that, I posted on my Facebook page that I had 8 extra bottles available for $10 each. I ended up selling 165 bottles in that one post. I hadn’t even set up an official business yet! So I got to work ordering ingredients, setting up an LLC, getting insurance, and making everything legal, and on January 22, I launched the business— Melnaturel.”

Meanwhile, she had been working on looking for other natural skin-care products for herself, researching all of the reasons why she should be using completely natural products on her face. She had tried everything under the sun to treat acne but couldn’t get rid of it. Then when she started going 100 percent natural—no harsh chemicals—she started to see a

14 | www.secondopinionmagazine.com

major difference with scarring going away and acne clearing up. Then other people became interested in her research and products. By the second month of Melnaturel, she had already sold product in eleven states, and now her products are being used in over twenty states and in Australia.

She explains: “Once I started the official business, I started testing product with girls in various locations around the country that I knew were having problems. I mailed them product to test and give me feedback. Then I grouped them according to skin type and did various trial tests. If the trial worked, I’d bring it out to market. I had known it worked for me, but I wanted to know it was working for other people. And now I have frequent users all over the country.”

More information and Melnaturel’s full product line can be found at www.melnaturel.com/, or by following Melnaturel on Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest. You can also purchase some of her products locally at The Local Store (Volume One) in Eau Claire.

Yuck, I Have the flu — now what?

By Ann Bischel, Mayo Clinic Health System Got the flu?

Don’t worry quite yet. There are ways you can self-manage: • Hydrate. Be sure to drink plenty of liquids, such as water, juice, and warm soups, to prevent dehydration.

• Rest. Catch up on your sleep to help your immune system fight off the infection.

• Medication. Generally, you’ll need nothing more than bed rest and fluids. You also may consider an over-the-counter pain reliever to reduce some of the aches associated with the flu. But in some cases, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication. If taken soon after you notice symptoms, the medication may shorten your illness by a day or so and help prevent serious complications.

If infected with the flu, it’s important to take certain measures to ensure it doesn’t spread to others around you: • Wash your hands. Thorough and frequent hand washing or an alcoholbased sanitizer are effective ways to prevent the spread of germs.

• Contain your coughs and sneezes.

Cover your mouth or nose when you sneeze or cough, and wash your hands after. To avoid contaminating your hands, cough or sneeze into a tissue or the inner crook of your elbow.

• Avoid crowds. By avoiding crowds during the peak of flu season, you may reduce your chances of infection and spreading to others. If you're sick, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever subsides to lessen your chance of infecting others.

Anna Martinson B.S., LMT Licensed Massage Therapist since 1985

Certified Life Coach & Mind-Body Coach since 2002

715-456-2544

715-834-3959

HarmonyHealingCenter.net

LeapofFaithLifeCoaching.com

T R A N S FO R M AT I O N

If you do get the flu, remember these tips to help get over it quicker and avoid spreading it to others around you.

If you have flu symptoms and are at risk of complications, see your doctor right away.

Ann Bischel is a nurse practitioner in Express Care at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

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16 | www.secondopinionmagazine.com

Holiday

2017

gift guide

All the stuff we are loving this year!

Fat and the Moon Bath Soak

Blum Naturals Towelettes Infused with natural and organic botanicals that gently remove eye & face makeup. These soft towelettes will leave your skin feeling naturally clean and pure.

blumnaturals.com

Our mineral-based soaks keep the ingredients suspended in the water, rather than sinking to the bottom to exfoliate your bare bum. Yowza!

Leave the bath silky smooth and thoroughly pruney.

fatandthemoon.com

Fresh Wave Odor Removing Candle This soy-based candle removes odors using natural ingredients. Got tough odors like garlic, onions, fish, bathroom, or from your beloved pet?

Consider that stink gone. Just light the candle.

Sniff. Smile. Bask in the glow of a fresh smell.

Smile again. (You know you want to.).

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Buy Local!

Melnaturel Products & Serums Honey Face Scrub: Exfoliate and nourish your face with this blended face scrub. All natural ingredients formulated to reduce redness and blemishes while also moisturizing your skin.

Makeup Remover: Use all over your face and eyes to remove makeup. This makes a great facial cleanser that leaves your skin feeling nourished and hydrated.

Facial Serum: This concentrated formula of carefully selected natural ingredients hydrates your skin without leaving a greasy residue. Soft lavender and citrus notes will replenish your skin and reveal your natural glow.

melnaturel.com www.secondopinionmagazine.com | 17

Badger Body Care Products

Honeybee Gardens Mascara & Eye Liner

Tattoo Balm: Got ink? Keep it conditioned and protected with our soothing and nourishing certified organic tattoo aftercare.

Organic Massage Oil - Sweet Orange: uplifts the mind by encouraging cheerful thoughts while it lightly moisturizes the body.

Sleep Balm: A calming, soothing blend of essential oils promotes a sense of well-being so sleep can come naturally.

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Intelligent Nutrients Pureluxe™ Replenishing Shampoo & Conditioner Extremely nourishing, harsh chemical sulfate-free aloe based shampoo with rich emollients and protein rebuilds from the inside out. It’s deeply hydrating yet light.Silicone-free and intensely luxurious conditioning treatment with plant protein helps strengthen and mend.

Revitalizing Moisture Crème Intensely hydrating moisturizer. Helps firm and visibly diffuse fine lines, rebuild the skins moisture barrier, and even tone.

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Honeybee Gardens creates pure, all-natural bath and body care products made from only the finest organic ingredients. They offer them at a reasonable price, and treat every customer like a friend.

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Farmhouse Fresh Organics

Island Elixir Shea Butter This ultra silky, supple cream has an intoxicating blend of white coconut and pineapple notes that transport you to a sunny beach.

Whipped Shea Butter Body Polish Reveal a healthy new glow to skin with this whipped body polish that hydrates deeply as it exfoliates and softens.

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Puracy Natural Washroom Spray Proactive Odor Neutralizer: Spray the toilet water, before going, to lock in all forthcoming odors.

Natural Hand Soap Safely and effectively clean your hands with the natural power of plants and minerals.

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All of these great companies share the same philosophy that we do at Second Opinion by being organic, or mostly organic.

Visit their websites to see all the other products they offer!

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Buoycal!

L

Unique Nature-Inspired Birdhouses and Feeders

Jeremy Traynor started woodworking about twenty years ago. He enjoys making a variety of different things out of reclaimed wood and miscellaneous items that he finds, but he is best known for his birdhouses and bird feeders.

“I really get inspired when I spend time outside hiking and hunting,” Traynor notes. “I find it amazing how animals adapt to their environments and can make a home out of just about anything. I think that idea is what inspired me to make birdhouses and other items that look more natural.”

Traynor gets his ideas from observing things around him. “I’ll look at something that I find in the woods—like an antler, shelf fungus, or rusty piece of junk—and think of a way to incorporate it into my woodworking.”

What is unique about his birdhouses? He explains, “Most of my houses are made from completely upcycled products. I use a lot of rocks from the Lake Superior region and make use of a wide variety of different species of wood. There are no two that are the same! Every house I make is unique.”

The easiest way to purchase his birdhouses and bird feeders is to “Like” his Facebook page, “Nature’s Art by Jeremy and Amy Traynor,” and send him a message there. You can also email him at traynor@ wwt.net. Prices for birdhouses/feeders range from $20 to $65. He makes a variety of different houses for all ranges of birds.

Seasons Greetings from

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Poofy Organics MAX DEO Peppymint Tea Deodorant: Neutralizes Odor without Harmful Chemicals! You will never need another deodorant!

Skin Hero Lotion (Ciao Eczema) This lotion has the very best ingredients that have been proven to target eczema symptoms and ensure relief!

Flawless Face Daily Moisturizer Revitalize the appearance of dry skin.

Made with pure organic butters and oils providing the best moisturizer possible.

S.W. Basics Lavender Tube Cream Organic Shea Butter, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Olive Oil & Organic Lavender Essential Oil. Hibiscus Mask A potent blend of organic hibiscus, French green clay, and complexion-soothing organic lavender.

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Instead of reaching for the cookies & pie this holiday season endulge in some of these healthy treats!

Core Foods

Cacao Crunch Granola: Finally you can enjoy a delicious oven-baked breakfast free from added sugar, salt, flour or oil.

Tonics: The first sparkling health tonic made with only whole foods. No syrups, no "natural flavors" (whatever those are), no artificial sweeteners.

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Peanut Butter & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams

Soler Romero Extra Virgin Olive Oil Deliciously balanced with herbal notes of green olive leaves, fruity notes of green olives, tomato, artichoke, almonds, and apples, and a peppery finish—savor it!

Peanut butter blended with rich dark chocolate for a delicious spread that is great on bananas, perfect with pretzels, or tasty on toast.

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Revolutionary breakfast with a power blend of navy, lentil, and garbanzo beans!

Power O’s are full of flavor and crunch and are amazing with milk, but are also the perfect snack right out of the box!

20 | www.secondopinionmagazine.com

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MIND | BODY | SPIRIT

live your best life

Connecting with the Why: Achieving Lasting Change in Exercise and Nutrition

H

ave you ever been on the roller coaster of exercise and nutrition and found yourself doing a particular program for a while and then fall off? Thousands of individuals do this every New Year. You set your intention to make this change, and it seems to fade just a few months later. We ALL strive for lasting change.

Well, the New Year is not yet here, and we don’t need the New Year to make a permanent change. That “someday is today.”

Let me explain. I’ve been in the fitness industry going on twenty years. Lifestyle, health, and fitness is my passion—rather, helping individuals find their path to becoming the best they can be in all areas of life is what I truly set my intention for, why I do what I do.

Going back to lasting change, I truly believe change in anything you set out to do has to start with your mind. Your thoughts lead to decisions and decisions lead to actions. Many of us have set the goals to change that are more surface laden and not deep rooted and concrete. Over my twenty years, I have had many clients come to me and set the goal of weight loss. I truly honor this, but I challenge all of my clients to get more concrete and specific as to what they want and “WHY” they want their goal. I believe with absolute certainty you need to be specific about what you want and why you want it. Your goal has to be mapped out.

Dave Hildebrandt FE24 Fitness 40 S. Barstow St. Eau Claire fe24@fiteliteonline.com 715-514-1766 fiteliteonline.com/fe24

By Dave Hildebrandt, FitELITE, IGNITE, FE24 Fitness

What is the key ingredient to lasting change? What will this specific weight loss do for you in your life? Will this weight loss bring you renewed energy to get down on the ground and play with your kids? Will this energy bring you the self-confidence that you may have been wanting for so long in your life? Will this weight loss give you the vitality to enjoy your retirement in the coming years?

Answering these questions shows you how specific you need to be. What does it truly mean from deep within you to obtain the goal you are after? What is the internal (personally for you and you only) and external (for family or another external reason outside of you) meaning as to why you NEED and WANT to conquer the goal you set out to accomplish?

Once you established your “WHY,” make it a concrete statement and place the goal in front of you where you read it on a daily basis and as a constant reminder of the importance of conquering this goal to make it lasting. It is a constant reminder of how badly you truly want lasting change. Put it on your bathroom mirror, in your planner, your fridge, etc.

Just like nature has seasons of change, so does life. It is inevitable that you will encounter the winter and with it the trials will come, but you will have the power of your “WHY” to help guide you through to find the springtime and ultimately your lasting change. Truly anything and everything that leads to growth in your life comes through challenge.

So, the next time you set out to establish the next area in your life of personal development, take the time to reflect “WHY” it is so important to you. Make this “WHY” statement concrete, very specific, and get in depth within yourself to find the importance of conquering it for lasting change. Just like in the weight room, to make a muscle grow, you have to continually do repetitions just like we do in the personal development area of our minds.

Read your “WHY” statement through daily repetition. You become what you focus on.

Dave Hildebrandt is a personal trainer, development coach along with being an entrepreneur here in the Eau Claire area. His journey started back at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire graduating with his Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Corporate Exercise Management. Dave furthered his education with a Master's degree in School Counseling from University of Wisconsin-Stout. For the past 20 years, he has been fulfilling his life purpose through fitness by helping each individual reach their ideal lifestyle.

Dave has been provided the opportunity to open and co-own three fitness facilities here in the Chippewa Valley (FitELITE, IGNITE, FE24 Fitness). www.secondopinionmagazine.com | 21

February 5-19

Every winter we love to bundle up, all warm and cozy, and hibernate. But as January gives way to February, the holiday cookie platters grow stale and cabin fever starts to set in, and many of us feel the need to get moving. This year, Second Opinion magazine is here to help.

On February 5-19, we are hosting the first February Fitness Frenzy! Local health and fitness related businesses will be hosting events including open houses, free classes, and other activities - a chance to come out of hibernation and get motivated!

Sign up on our website to get email alerts about free classes from these great sponsors, and more!

www.fitnessfrenzy.fit 22 | www.secondopinionmagazine.com

Bring Peace, Love and Happiness to all!

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415 1/2 S BARSTOW ST. | EAU CLAIRE, WI

(715) 598-6043 | WWW.SKYYOGA.YOGA www.secondopinionmagazine.com | 23

Blue Ox Running: A Good Fit For Eau Claire

A

lthough the grand opening of Blue Ox Running was a great success on Saturday, October 7, Adam and Alicia Condit, who are both runners, have been working on opening the business since March of 2017.

But, being in the correct shoe means having the support you need—and most often it isn’t the stability (posting) of a shoe that drives the cost up, but the higher cushioning shoes tend to be more expensive.”

Adam explains. “No matter the size, shape, or speed of runners and walkers, we can all experience the same highs and lows and find a great sense of community when we connect locally.”

But what kind of shoe store is Blue Ox Running? Adam notes the three Ps of their business: “Our store has three main promises: 1) professional people—you'll receive only the best customer service in an environment that puts people first, 2) personalized gait analysis—we fit shoes by seeing what your natural stride does with video gait analysis and make sure you have the support you need, and 3) premium products— we only carry products that we believe in to prevent injury and be durable to use day in and day out.”

For hard-core race runners shoes can help you train better and win more? Condit says yes and no. “Better shoes can keep you injury free, but at the end of the day, it is the muscular and cardio-vascular systems that will get you to the finish line quickest. Showing up on the starting line fit and injury free, and being in the right equipment will certainly contribute to that.”

Why is it so important to make sure your running shoes are right for you? Condit says, “Having the wrong shoes can lead to anything from blisters to stress fractures to planter fasciitis or other injuries. It can also just make running less enjoyable and keep you from wanting to be on your feet or get out for good exercise.”

So how can a runner determine the “right” shoes? For that, Blue Ox Running uses some helpful technology and some careful thinking. “We use our video gait analysis to see people walk and run with their natural running stride,” Adam explains.

“From there, along with their shoe history, injury history, running experience, and other variables, we determine and choose a few brands and models that should be supportive of their anatomy and needs. But at the end of the process, it really is up to the individual to decide what brand and/or model is fitting their foot most comfortably and which they like best.”

Do the correct running shoes have to be higher priced?

Condit says, “Having a ‘correct’ pair of shoes can mean a few different things. Quality shoes that last 400–500 miles will be priced higher than those that will break down and/or aren’t meant for runners or walkers putting them through the paces.

24 | www.secondopinionmagazine.com

But Blue Ox Running is not just for the runners who race.

Condit stresses that the casual jogger and others also need shoes that fit them well. “Often times we hear the ‘I’m not a serious runner’ or ‘I’m just walking’ as a reason for a person to not think they need to be properly fit,” Adam notes. “The truth is that joggers and walkers put the same amount of miles on their shoes eventually, and with every stride or step they are putting just as much impact on their feet—sometimes more impact and stress per step, with how some land on their heels and/or roll through their stride at slower paces. We fit shoes for many, many walkers and really for anybody that needs support throughout the day, including nurses, teachers, and folks on their feet all day.”

How long—or how many miles—can a person expect a good pair of running shoes to last? Adam advises: “A good pair of walking/running shoes should last between 400–500 miles, depending on how you use them and/or how aggressive your stride can tear up the tread. Also, even if the tread isn’t yet worn down as much, they should be replaced at least every 6–9 months as the cushioning materials will start to break down and not provide the cushioning or relief to all of the pounding.”

“We LOVE Wisconsin and Eau Claire in particular. We are excited to be face to face with people in the community and share what we find so valuable in our lives!

For more information visit blueoxrunning.com, call (715) 5140898, or stop in at 417 S. Barstow Street, Eau Claire!

Winter: One Great Time to Get a Massage!

By Candace Lokken, licensed massage therapist, Sans Souci Massage

W

inter is hard on our bodies. Everything from dry skin, which body treatments are good for, to physical aspects and stressors such as shoveling, different exercises compared to summer exercise, and yes even shivering, contributes to winter stressors. There are also holiday stresses that weigh heavily on many of us, from family visits to spending the holidays without a loved one. Holiday stress can affect us in so many ways—physically as the body tenses, emotionally sometimes as depression and exhaustion, and even in a dietary way as our eating habits are different.

This is the time of year that most of our clients like heat and warmth. We use different ways of warming our clients: our tables are heated, we use rice bags, and we use hot stones and different types of heated towels.

As always, we do an integrative massage for each client that is detailed to meet their current needs.

We definitely do more hot stone massages in winter.

This type of massage is very warming, detoxifying, and can be relaxing or can be more of a deep tissue massage with heat to help the muscle tissue relax.

Essential oils are used throughout the year, but there are oils that can address dry skin and that can be warming. Make sure you or your massage therapist choose the right essential oils. Stay away from synthetic oils and look for therapeutic-grade essential oils. The top 5 essential oils you could have on hand for this time of year would be: frankincense, lavender, lemon, peppermint, and tea tree. If you are looking for specific oils for dry skin, geranium, lavender, neroli, rose, rosemary, myrrh, frankincense, and sandalwood are great. If you are looking for specific oils to help with warming of the body, try rosemary, myrrh, ginger, black pepper, and clove bud. Adding your essential oils to a carrier oil such as unrefined, cold-pressed, organic coconut oil is a good way you can apply them to your skin without any type of breakout. Some essential oils can be very harsh for your skin if applied directly. You can add the oils to a hot bath, diffuse them into the air, or apply them directly to the skin with a carrier oil.

Each Sans Souci massage therapist has at least fourteen years of experience and customizes each massage to the client’s needs and preferences. We do all different types of massage from individual therapists doing specific types of massage such as craniosacral, lomi lomi, ashiatsu, and thai yoga therapy. But also we always do a thorough health intake with our clients before the massage so that we know specifically what each client’s problem areas are, and then we work specifically on those areas.

Winter is a good time to get a massage, but it is good to receive massage throughout the year! Even a 30-minute massage gives us enough time to work on a specific problem area. It is not enough time for a full body massage though, but it can be helpful.

For the holidays, gift certificates for massage are always a great gift. We sell them in our office or they can be bought online and printed through our website.

For more information or to make an appointment, visit www.sanssoucimassage.com.

www.sanssoucimassage.com • 715-830-9890

This holiday give the gift of massage.

We have Gift Certificates and scheduling available on-line.

www.secondopinionmagazine.com | 25

Eat Your Way to a Healthier You

by Victoria Vande Zande, MD, Prevea Health Internal Medicine

T

here are many benefits of a healthy diet including increased energy, improvement in overall health, mood stabilization, and overall feeling better. Healthy eating is not about strict dietary limitations, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of foods you love. There are many simple things that you can do to start eating better.

• Increase your fruit and vegetable consumption to five servings per day. This helps to increase your fiber and vitamin intake, as well as increase complex carbohydrates.

• Decrease your calorie intake by replacing liquid calories with water.

• Eat real food. Replace fast food, food from convenience stores, and processed snacks with food that you prepare.

This takes some extra planning but will definitely make you feel better.

• If portion size is an issue, try using a smaller plate or a plate that shows how much of each thing you should have.

• People who count calories have the most success with weight loss if that is what you are striving for.

Not matter what you do, it is important to get the proper balance of foods including lean protein, fat, and carbohydrates.

Evidence shows that higher protein diets decrease hunger, increase weight loss, and increase percentage of fat loss.

Fats are important as an energy source and for cell function.

Trans fats, found in processed and deep fried foods, should be avoided. Carbohydrates are the most abundant molecules on earth and are an important source of fuel for your body.

They are necessary for a healthy diet, but it is important to choose correctly. Choose fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates and avoid simple carbohydrates (sugar, processed foods).

Now, the holidays are right around the corner, and it can be difficult to eat healthy during this time of year; Americans gain approximately one to two pounds throughout the holidays.

This can add up over the years. In preparation for a holiday feast, remember: • Don’t skip meals. Hunger will cause you to overeat.

• Eat breakfast.

26 | www.secondopinionmagazine.com

• • • •

Research shows that people who eat breakfast consume less during the day.

Use a smaller plate. This encourages proper portion sizes.

Start by eating salad and vegetables first. You’ll be filled up and eat less.

Drink a large glass of water prior to eating. Again, you’ll be filled up and eat less.

Don’t devour your meal. Eat slowly and savor each bite, and wait 10 minutes before going back for seconds.

Controlling cravings over the holidays can also be problematic.

Too much processed carbohydrates, sugar, and sugar substitute can increase cravings for sweet foods. It has been proven that the more you restrict yourself, the more you are going to get cravings for those foods. Allowing yourself a small amount of the things you crave will not leave you feeling deprived. When you are allowed these foods, you are less likely to binge or feel guilty for eating them. One tip: put a barrier between you and the food you crave. Put the food farther away. The less convenient a food is to obtain, the less likely you are to succumb to the craving.

Dr. Vande Zande is an internal medicine physician with Prevea Health in Eau Claire, Cornell, and Chippewa Falls. She provides routine care for adults including preventative medicine and diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, joint pain, heart disease and depression. She is also the medical director for Prevea’s medically supervised weight loss program, Ideal Weigh. Visit prevea.com to learn more.

A Weight Loss Program That Works

For some, a more strict diet is necessary. For these people, Prevea Health offers Ideal Weigh. Ideal Weigh is a medically supervised weight loss program that uses Ideal Protein foods along with vegetables, protein, and supplements to achieve weight loss. With Ideal Weigh, carbohydrates are limited to push your body into ketosis. During ketosis your body burns fat first. Since you are eating more protein, your body doesn’t burn muscle. In fact, patients on Ideal Weigh have improved body composition (decreased fat and increased muscle) and lose inches. Additional benefits? Patients with diabetes and high blood pressure are often able to decrease the medications they are on, or discontinue them altogether. Patients who have difficulty with fertility due to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can have improved fertility. Patients with muscle and joint pain will often have improvement due to decreased inflammation when they decrease their simple carbohydrate intake. To learn more visit prevea.com/weightloss.

Lose Weight with Highland Fitness’s Weight Loss Challenge

H Tips for Staying Healthy this Holiday Season

by Corbin Burkard, head trainer, Burn Boot Camp

H

ere you are again, wonderful holiday season. That magical time of year when you loosen up a notch on your belt and prepare yourself for the scale to move anywhere from 10–20 pounds, depending on the year. However, this time around you are ready for lasting change. You are ready to fulfill the commitment you set out on last New Year's.

Here is your survival pack for this holiday season!

- When going out to any sort of holiday party, offer to bring a dish. It is a good way for you to protect yourself from being stuck with a lame veggie tray, or without any healthy options whatsoever!

- Don’t forget about moderation. Track those calories and stay within your allotted budget. Allow yourself some “cheats,” but keep it all within moderation... which brings me to alcohol. Stick to water as much as you can, and when you do choose to have a drink, keep it at just one or two.

- Stay with your regular exercise routine. It is super easy, especially as you get busier and busier around the holiday season, to get away from your normal workout routine. Stay consistent, because the more consistent you are with your exercise, the more you will stick to stronger nutrition.

- Maintain a strong support system. Whether that is enlisting the support of your significant other, or as a family you have decided to make better decisions this year. Either way, this is always something that is really challenging to do. Do it together!

Cheers to staying with your goals this holiday season!

ighland Fitness, with three locations in the Chippewa Valley, has been involved with community weight loss programs and challenges for the past seven years. As we all know, January is the time for New Year’s resolutions, and many companies sponsor challenges to inspire folks to achieve their habit-changing resolutions. Since one of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight (especially after the holidays), their weight loss challenges have proven popular.

This year, 2018, their second annual Eau Claire Weight Loss Challenge will take place. The challenge is open to the public, and all weigh-ins will be at the Eastridge Center location starting January 2 through January 5. All participants will receive a gift bag that includes a T-shirt, water bottle, and vendor coupons worth hundreds of dollars. The Early Bird Registration is open now through November for $20.

Participants will weigh in monthly.

During the challenge, Highland Fitness will host guest speakers, offer healthy recipes, and provide trainer tips. On February 10 their Healthy Heart Medley event will feature food, classes, training sessions, and massages—all of which will be open to the public!

Highland Fitness promotes weight loss, health, and fitness and supports the community by providing over $25,000 worth of prizes and auction items to benefit various area programs. At the Eastridge Center location there is a donation box to support the health and fitness programs of the local Boys and Girls Club.

"Get Fit & Lean in 2018" 1st Place Wins $1000

$20 Earlybird Special • Register Today!

eauclaireweightlosschallenge.com www.secondopinionmagazine.com | 27

ugly?

Silver Fillings: Just Or harmful too?

This is a picture of a “Silver” or “Amalgam” filling. It is 50-52% MERCURY! If the mercury in this filling were spilled in a school, it would be evacuated...

This is a picture of a “light cured” composite filling. They can last as long as or longer than mercury fillings with no danger of releasing harmful heavy metals.

As noted on Dr. Mercola, Dr. Oz, and 60 Minutes... Mercury fillings may have a significant negative impact on your health.

Make 2017 your year for healthy choices!

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28 | www.secondopinionmagazine.com

Call 1-888-838-4777 (toll-free) for information.

wastEDwisconsin

By Amy Huo, executive chef, The Informalist

A

ccording to a July 2016 article in The Guardian, Americans discard roughly half of all produce because of a “cult of perfection.” That is, because an apple has some spots or lettuce leaves have fallen prey to a wayward cabbage worm, those products are unsellable and promptly discarded. It must be noted that this produce is unharmed in all other ways, usually perfectly ripe but unfortunately looks imperfect.

While I would like to say that my parents and grandparents—the generation oppressed by the Great Depression—would be horrified to see food wasted in such a manner, the truth is quite the opposite. Years of marketing

by Big Agriculture in the food industry has changed perception of how our produce must appear in order to be edible. That is, imperfection in appearance signifies imperfections more serious than surface-deep.

Where did this begin? All signs point to the discovery, processing, and development of sugar in Europe—some even argue that sugar was a means of supporting American independence (British forces were apparently too busy defending their sugar plantations in the Caribbean to adequately defend against American colonial independence). Furthermore, heavily processed wheat and white bread products were seen historically as more pure than brown bread made with wheat that includes the germ and bran.

Essentially, many eighteenth-century Europeans believed eating white foods made one more pure.

While I cannot connect via concrete evidence that any of the historical significance of eighteenth-century European tastes led to our demand for culture of perfection in food of the modern age, it does seem that there is a persisting connection between perfect appearance and taste. We live in an age of hothouse flavorless tomatoes and the “Red Delicious” apple (really not delicious at all, in fact, mostly mealy and devoid of flavor altogether).

good eats

It’s no secret, at this point, that my experience in New York with Chef Dan Barber has impacted my life and my approach to food in the restaurant. Chef Barber started the wastED campaign in New York by serving a dinner completely made of food waste. Most recently, he and the team from Stone Barns served dinner on the rooftop of the Selfridges department store in London to draw attention to the egregious amount of food wasted around the world in developed countries on the daily. His dishes were inventive and flavorful, served on broken plateware and other usually discarded items.

Because my background in the culinary industry is heavily influenced by this kind of thrownothing-away philosophy, I’ve begun to focus on the food waste issue here at The Informalist. wastEDwi is my campaign to draw attention to the many ways we utilize usually wasted ingredients in our kitchen to create dishes that are inventive, beautiful, and delicious.

Preserving ingredients to use year-round demands innovation but begets unforeseen experiences for our guests. For example, this year, to preserve the flavor of sugary spring parsnips, we used the meaty parsnips for our various dishes requiring root vegetables but then dehydrated the peels and ground them into dust. The perfumed quality of the fresh parsnips and the pure sugary sweetness are both preserved in the dust and give us an extra layer of flavor to play with in our dishes. In some recipes, I’ve gone as far as replacing the sugar content with this parsnip sugar or dehydrated sweet corn in the same manner. Beets juiced for sauces leave behind pulp that can also be dehydrated, ground, and used to color pasta. Carrot and fennel tops usually discarded can be used the same way or mixed with salt or sugar to garnish a dish.

Kitchens have long had to use normally wasted items to improve their food cost, but this approach is more important than just saving money. It’s about respecting the time and effort farmers and producers spend to create the ingredients we serve in our kitchen. Using every part of a product— essentially nose-to-tail for vegetables—means that spiritually speaking, nothing is disrespected. www.secondopinionmagazine.com | 29 (continued on next page)

I believe, on a personal note, a guest can feel this kind of approach on a plate.

If we can understand that every single element on a dish belies a deeper significance about preparation, care, and environment, then the dish can speak for itself about the philosophy of a culture. In the cult-of-perfection world we live in, imperfection requires innovation. Here at The Informalist, we seek out those experiences so that we may bring the guest a unique, surprising, and exceptionally innovative plate every single day.

EAU CLAIRE’S HOMETOWN MEAT MARKET!

Sources: www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/13/us-food-waste-ugly-fruitvegetables-perfect www.livescience.com/4949-sugar-changed-world.html www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/03/04/147819980/american-historybaked-into-the-loaves-of-white-bread www.sucrose.com/lhist.html www.selfridges.com/GB/en/content/article/wasted-london

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www.secondopinionmagazine.com | 31

DOCTOR UP YOUR DIET

There’s no magic pill for losing weight. But, there is a proven, scientific system…

Ideal Weigh, Prevea Health’s exclusive doctor-driven program.

It’s built on precisely-formulated meal replacements and regular check-ins with the program director and coach, who specialize in weight loss. It’s safe, effective and you’ll see long-lasting results.

Whether you want to lose a couple of pounds or need to undergo extreme weight loss, Ideal Weigh works. See the science behind Ideal Weigh at prevea.com/weightloss or call (715) 723-9138 to attend a workshop.

32 | www.secondopinionmagazine.com

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS Nov. 20 | Dec. 18 5:30 p.m.

Prevea Chippewa Falls Health Center 2509 County Highway I, Suite 500 Chippewa Falls