St. George Health & Wellness Magazine Jan/Feb 2023

On The Cover: Photo courtesy of Brendan Dalley

Community and Culture

Letter from the Editor 7

Mayoral Message 8

Trailblazer Nation: Letter from the President 11

Dixie Technical College: Letter from the President 12

Make Volunteering Your New Year’s Resolution

Make a Difference in 2023: Find a Volunteer Opportunity Near You 16

Atara: Transforming the Active Lifestyle 41

Health and Fitness

Health Recommendations for the New Year 20

Customize Healing and Wellness from Every Possible Angle 22

Utah Tech University Alumnus Is Blazing His Own Trail in the Local Tech Industry 43

Center for the Arts at Kayenta Announces Its Exciting 2023 Season with New Executive Director, Miranda Wright

Youth Diaries: The Joys of Our Trials 71

Are You Having Fun Yet?............................. 26

An Apple a Day ................................................. 28 Step Forward to Become the Best Version of Yourself....................... 30 Alternative Therapies for Your Dog’s Health ........................................ 32 Finding the Cause of Your Pain with Selective Nerve Root Blocks ............. 35 Winter Warm-Up Health Tips: Eat Well, Be Positive, Move More ....... 36 When It’s Dark Outside ...................................... 48 Be Strategic and Tactical, but Don’t Be Fearful..................................... 64

Mind and Body

Did You Know That Remission from Depression Is Possible? .............. 44 Turning Over a New Leaf in 2023 50 Change Your Mind, Change Your Life 52

How to Successfully Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions .............................. 66 Turn Your New Year’s Resolutions into Finding Solutions! .............................. 72

Dimensions of Well-Being..................... 54

A New Year, A New Way to Keep Yourself Emotionally, Physically, and Mentally Healthy. 62 Yin and Yang Balance. ........................... 68

Relationships and Family

The Doctor Will Be In:

Pine View High School Grad Britney Le Deftly Juggles Time on Way to Medical Degree ................. 24 Resolutions, Personal Challenges, and Goals .......................................... 38 Everything but the Snow Shovel 46 Bombproof Your Marriage 56 Zen-tropy, the Solution for Not-So-Social Media .................. 58

The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of St. George Health & Wellness Magazine, its owners, or its staff.

The way we talk about sexual violence matters. Our words can be used to foster a culture of safety, respect, and equality that stops sexual violence before it happens. Or to show support for survivors, shutdown harmful misconceptions, promote consent, and to practice healthy communication with children. Our voices matter now more than ever. How will you use yours to help end sexual assault, harassment, and rape? DOVE Center is our local resource for those who have experienced domestic abuse and sexual assault. DOVE can help. Please reach out.

The way we talk about sexual violence matters. Our words can be used to foster a culture of safety, respect, and equality that stops sexual violence before it happens or to show support for survivors, shutdown harmful misconceptions, promote consent, and practive healthy communication with children. Our voices matter now more than ever. How will you use your voice to help end sexual assault, harassment, and rape? DOVE Center is our local resource for those who have experienced domestic abuse and sexual assault. DOVE can help. Please reach out.

For information on advertising or other inquiries, visit our website at www.sghealthandwellnessmagazine.com, email diane.sghealth@gmail.com or call us at (435) 236-2966.

The publisher is not responsible for the accuracy of the articles in St. George Health & Wellness Magazine. The information contained within has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Neither the publisher nor any other party assumes liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on this material. Appropriate professional advice should be sought before making decisions. Outside of our staff authors, articles written by providers or professionals are invited authors and represent the opinions of that particular individual, business, group or organization. If an article is a paid advertisement, we will place the word “Advertisement” or “Advertorial” to identify it as such. ©Copyright 2023.

Gini Grimsley, Director of Fitness Product, VASA Fitness Author, Health and Fitness

Lyman Hafen

Author, Community and Culture

Tiffany Gust, MS, NBC-HWC, USA Triathlon Certified Coach Author, Health and Fitness

Rob Henderson, LASUDC, CTRS Author, Mind and Body

Bentley Murdock

Author, Wholistic Lifestyle Wellness

Mark Wade

Author, Outdoor Adventure

Marianne Hamilton

Author, Community and Culture

L. Steven Wilson Author, Purposeful Living

Brendan Dalley Executive Editor

Koby Taylor, PharmD Executive Editor, Author

Diane K. Del Toro Director of Operations, Copy and Design Editor

Scott Allen, MD Author, Health and Wellness

Brigit Atkin Author, Mind and Body

Matt Eschler, PhD, LMFT Author, Relationships and Family

Erin Del Toro, ACHE Clinical Hypnotherapist Author, Mind and Body

Anita DeLelles, LMT, LAMT Author, Pet Wellness

A new year gives us a chance to reflect on where we have been and where we are going and provides us with the opportunity to approach the year ahead with purpose and intention. The choices we make in the coming year impact where we will be next year. What are you going to do differently this year than you did last year?

Thinking about this question, reading about recent local events, and knowing that the St. George City council is in the process of hiring a new city manager have made me reflect on the importance of “quality of life.” Measuring quality of life is subjective and can change from person to person and even from year to year. For me, quality of life is not only determined by my relationships with family, friends, and deity but also by the place that I choose to live.

The St. George area is a wonderful place with so much to offer: stunning views, unlimited outdoor exploration, quality education and health care, a small town atmosphere, friendly people, a vibrant economy, a thriving arts community, and great shopping. There are also beautiful trails, parks, and recreation centers, all of which add to the quality of life each one of us enjoys simply by living here.

With the changes taking place in our city and county governments and with the influx of people moving to southern Utah, maintaining and improving the quality of life can be a challenge.

Recently, I was involved in the formation of the St. George Quality of Life Coalition, a group of people concerned about maintaining the high standard of living we have enjoyed. I would like to share portions of a letter we sent to our city officials as I believe it coincides with the values represented in the St. George Health & Wellness Magazine. In part, the letter reads:

“We represent the many thousands of residents who want St. George City to continue to maintain the investments made in our quality of life by this and prior city councils and citizens. We support and expect continuing expenditures to meet the needs of our growing community. Our goal is to help you succeed in doing the work necessary to maintain and improve our city’s quality of life.

While we support you in this good work, we want to convey our concern for cutting quality of life budgetary expenditures like parks, trails, the arts, and recreation. We believe the majority of voters in the community supports the role of the city in providing programs and facilities that enhance quality of life. High quality of life has made living and doing business here desirable.

We value parks, trails, golf courses, recreation programs and facilities, arts programs and facilities, special events, and more. These amenities are crucial for mental and physical health. This list includes (but is not limited to):

• Youth sports • Swimming pools • Softball fields • Youth camps/camp programs • Pickleball courts • Outdoor adventure programs • Arts facilities and programs • Special events (St. George • Recreation facilities Marathon, IRONMAN, • Dixie Sun Bowl tournaments, camps, etc.) • Golf courses • Summer programs for children • Tennis courts • Trail systems

Please continue to honor the mission of St. George City by providing services that focus on people and advance a thriving community. We are an active community, rich in culture, with a diverse and vibrant economy that supports people doing great things. We are so grateful for your service.”

If you are interested in learning more about the St. George Quality of Life Coalition, please scan the QR code on this page. We would love to have you join us in supporting positive efforts to keep southern Utah a place where all of us want to live, work, and raise our families.

Dalley Editor Brendan Dalley Editor

St. George Health & Wellness

Brendan

MAYORAL MESSAGE

The Thunder Junction Spook-track-ular was packed. The Snow Canyon Half Marathon had a record number of participants. Our Turkey Trot generated a large amount of food for the Utah Food Bank while setting a record for early registrations.

What does this all mean? I think the people of St. George have a deep yearning to gather and connect with others. It warms my heart to know that the events our city hosts are well received and attractive to a wide range of people.

The great news is that 2023 has arrived, and we have many awesome events to look forward to. Here are some events to put on your radar:

Virgin River Half Marathon (January 14): Formerly the St. George Half Marathon and 5K/Fun Run Walk N’ Roll, the Virgin River Half Marathon is a spectacular race on paved city trails that winds along the Virgin River and takes you through the beautiful landscape of St. George. It begins at 9 a.m. Heritage Day (January 28): Each year we commemorate the City’s birthday by preparing free root beer floats at the Social Hall (47 East 200 North) from noon to 2:00 p.m. as part of our Heritage Day celebration. In addition to the refreshments, there are several other freebies available January 28, including free admission to the Sand Hollow Aquatic Center, St. George Recreation Center, and St. George Art Museum and free rides all day on SunTran buses. Also, the train at Thunder Junction and the St. George Carousel will be free all day.

It is my great privilege to host the State of the City address, set for

State of the City (February 7): It is my great privilege to host the State of the City address, set for February 7 at 3:00 p.m. at the Dixie Convention Center’s Garden Room. There is no charge to attend the event and light refreshments will be available. While you are there, take a moment to stop by the Dixie Regional Transportation Expo, which will be in full swing down the hall at the Dixie Center.

St. George Art Festival (April 7-8): The St. George Art Festival prides itself on being a world-class family friendly event. Festival goers enjoy thousands of original works of art, live entertainment on two stages, a vibrant children’s area, and food of all types. It’s a can’t-miss event that marks the arrival of spring in St. George.

There are many great events to look forward to this year! If your resolution is to get more involved and better connected to your city, we’ve got you covered in 2023.

Mayor, City of St. George

I am thrilled to announce that as part of a landmark partnership, Dixie State University and the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office have entered into a strategic marketing agreement that will result in Greater Zion receiving more than $2 million in annual marketing exposure and Trailblazer Stadium being renamed Greater Zion Stadium.

One special day each year, I have the best view on campus from the back window of my office as local children experience mobility for the first time while their parents cheer them on. As participants in the national Go Baby Go program, students in Utah Tech University’s physical therapist assistant and engineering programs gain valuable hands-on learning experiences while adapting motorized toy cars to meet the needs of specific local children and making a lasting impact on our community.

Months before campus is transformed into a speedway, children with special needs who can benefit from specialized mobility assistance are identified, and students and faculty in our physical therapist assistant program start meeting with selected families. For our last event held in November, eight children were served, and each one was evaluated to determine what each of their cars needed to make movement possible.

The 20-year, $10 million agreement maximizes revenue generated by visitors—not Washington County taxpayers—to create a superior experience for both visitors and residents. The partnership is truly a win-win-win situation for everyone; it promotes the area nationally, builds the community, and fuels economic growth by bringing more people to our gorgeous corner of the world.

After needs were assessed, students began retrofitting the cars with large, easy-to-press buttons for the children to use. These were in addition to remote controls that parents could use to help maneuver their child’s vehicle, when necessary. A truly customized experience, engineering students fabricated a footplate for a child born without arms and with only one functional foot so that the child could successfully steer the vehicle. This is a prime example of how Go Baby Go gets kids moving on their own early in life to experience the world around them. Students also took advantage of the makerspace in Utah Tech’s Atwood Innovation Plaza to build custom headrests, chest plates, and other accessories.

As part of this effort, the Tourism Office will establish a visitor center at the stadium and information kiosks at other key locations on campus to showcase visitor activities to all those who attend events on the Dixie State campus. Additionally, Dixie State will better be able to tell prospective students what an amazing backyard full of abundant recreational opportunities they will have when they attend DSU.

The timing of this partnership couldn’t be more perfect, as it will assist Dixie State during our transition to NCAA Division I status through opportunities to expand athletic facilities. The university plans on adding state-of-the-art press boxes and comfortable event space to the existing westside grandstands, which will help attract more athletic, entertainment, and community events. As a member of the

Western Athletic Conference starting this July, Dixie State will take on competitors based everywhere from Washington, California, Arizona, and New Mexico to Illinois, Missouri, and Texas. This will give Greater Zion access to audiences it would otherwise leave unreached.

Plus, partnering with Greater Zion is a natural fit for Dixie State University. The Tourism Office’s vision to “Inspire Greater. Experience Greater. Live Greater.” aligns perfectly with Dixie State’s “active learning. active life.” approach to education. Both philosophies take advantage of the beautiful, world-renowned destination we live in by encouraging students, visitors, and residents alike to learn by exploring. Here at the University, we recognize that valuable learning experiences take place inside and outside of the classroom. By taking advantage of experiences available in Greater Zion, we all can grow academically, actively, and holistically.

“Biff” Williams President of Dixie State University

Beyond the functionality of the vehicle, students and faculty took pride in learning about each child and customizing cars and accessories to reflect the interests of each individual. The process brought learning to life for the UT students as they applied the lessons they learned in coursework, worked with patients and their families, and engaged with the community. This collaborative experience also included students in the University of Utah’s physical therapy doctoral program that is housed on the Utah Tech campus. Seeing kids be mobile for the first time without having to depend on anyone else was a highlight of this project for both the participating families and students. However, it came with its own set of unique challenges as the first-time drivers started the experience with a few bumps into parents and garbage cans. Fortunately, the crazy maneuvers didn’t last long as children got more familiar with their vehicles and took siblings for rides in their passenger seats. At the end of the day, watching children experience independence and mobility for the first time truly made it a great day to be a Trailblazer!

This unique, trailblazing partnership certainly will enhance our community for years to come. I can’t wait to see you at upcoming games, concerts, and community events in Greater Zion Stadium!

Richard

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

practical nursing, pharmacy technician, phlebotomy technician, biotechnology, and emergency medical technician.

Computer Tech and Design: The computer industry is fastgrowing and full of opportunities. We offer many different ways for students to dive into this field and be a part of how technology shapes the future. Utilize our high-quality tools and knowledgeable instructors as you prepare for a career in computer technology. Our programs include app development, digital media design, drafting and design, and information technology.

Construction: Do you love to work with your hands and have an understanding of problem-solving? We work closely with local experts to ensure that our teaching material is relevant and prepares students for high paying careers in construction. Programs include electrical residential, electrical commercial, plumbing residential, plumbing commercial, and HVACR technician.

Transportation: Do you have a passion for the transportation industry, enjoy working on cars and trucks, or dream of painting your own car? Do you want to learn how to repair diesel trucks or drive a semi? There is no better way than by using top-of-the-line equipment and learning the skills needed to put your career in drive. Our programs include automotive technician, collision repair, diesel technician, and commercial driver’s license (CDL).

By Jordan Rushton, President, Dixie Technical College

New Year, New Career

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions and setting goals, we often think that a thriving life will come if we get in better shape, make more friends, or spend more time in nature. It’s true that these things can add to a good life, but do you know where a significant amount of happiness actually comes from? You guessed right—your job! Well-being is directly related to our work lives, and in order to thrive, we need to have a profession we enjoy.

As you set goals for the New Year, don’t forget about your career. Dixie Technical College is here to help! Our mission is to provide industry-driven training that will lead to a fulfilling career and a thriving life.

Below is an overview of the twenty-four accredited career programs we offer. Each occupation is in high demand in southern Utah. We’ve done our best to create time and cost efficient pathways to get your future on track! Our programs have focused hands-on training, which will get you to work in your new career as quickly and inexpensively as possible.

Healthcare: Whether in a hospital or a lab, there are certain skills, traits, and qualities that all great healthcare professionals possess that make them successful in what they do, such as caring, commitment, attention to detail, and teamwork. Our accredited programs include nursing assistant, medical assisting,

Industrial Programs: Do you enjoy custom fabrication and metal work, working with your hands, and solving problems? Learn by using the best equipment available. With a high demand in the field, you can be confident entering these programs. Our programs include welding and precision machining.

Service Professionals: In our culinary arts program, you will learn all aspects of high-end cooking and baking, dining, catering, and management. You will also learn what being a chef entails, from baking contemporary dishes to deep cleaning kitchens.

Our goal at Dixie College is to make these programs incredibly accessible. We offer classes at varying times of day and strive to be sensitive to those already working, parents, and high school students who have other extracurricular and scholastic activities. Most of our programs can be completed in a year or less and the cost is very reasonable; many of our programs also qualify for financial aid, and there are multiple scholarship opportunities.

Changing your career can be daunting, but we are here to help you succeed! With our hands-on training and connections to local industry, we can help you build the future you’ve always dreamed about. Happy New Year and Happy New Career!

Make Volunteering Your New Year’s Resolution

By Marianne Hamilton

The good news: somehow, we all survived the holidays.

The bad news: a fair number of us are feeling some level of post-craziness lethargy.

With the nonstop barrage of messages telling us that we all ought to visit family, serve eight-course gourmet meals, decorate our homes perfectly, throw parties, have fun— and most importantly, buy, buy, buy!—it was enough for the most grounded of us to feel like we were losing it.

For seniors, such feelings are often amplified as the days grow shorter. While the rest of the world might appear to be bathed in cozy Hallmark joy, older adults’ awareness of increasing physical limitations, separation from families, loss of a spouse or loved one, worries about finances, and just plain loneliness can become overwhelming. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “older adults are at an increased risk for experiencing depression,” and depression is “more common in people who also have other illnesses (such as heart disease or cancer), or whose function becomes limited.”

So…what to do when the post-holiday blues set in? Though the “season of giving” ostensibly has passed, one of the most sure-fire ways to beat those blues is to get out of the house and give of yourself. In the Greater St. George area in particular, there are countless ways to volunteer. And in the process, you’re bound to feel your sagging spirits soar.

Abundant research supports the notion that when you give a little, you get back a lot, both mentally and physically. In a landmark study published in the Journal of Health Psychology, a trio of scientists reported that “high volunteers” (those who work with two or more organizations) had “63 percent lower mortality than non-volunteers,” and that volunteerism “is associated with fewer strokes, less shortness of breath, and improved self-rated health and life satisfaction.”

...One of the most sure-fire ways to beat those blues is to get out of the house and give of yourself.

A number of other studies, including one conducted by the University of Maryland Medical System, also suggest that the act of volunteering may benefit your health and wellness. Researchers found that those who volunteer on a regular basis had a broader social network, enhanced mental wellbeing, higher happiness levels, longer lifespan, lower blood pressure, and greater stress relief.

Fortunately, we live in a state that largely understands the importance of volunteering: Utah holds the top spot in the U.S. for the highest rate of volunteerism (51 percent), according to a study released by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency that oversees AmeriCorps and Senior Corps. A tip of the hat to all of the good souls who’ve helped Utah maintain that ranking for over thirteen years straight!

Of course, even if you’ve made the decision to give back to your community in some fashion, it can be daunting trying to decide just where to direct your energies. My advice: find a charity or a cause that’s aligned with your personal passions, and your “work” will be virtually effortless.

Are you a lifelong animal lover? The good folks at P.A.W.S., Best Friends, or the Humane Society would love to hear from you. Are the arts more your passion? Consider becoming a docent at the St. George Art Museum, introducing local schoolchildren to our gorgeous outdoor sculptures through Art Around the Corner, tying on your apron to craft/paint scenery at the Stage Door Theater Company or St. George Musical Theater, or getting involved with any of our other outstanding performing arts groups. Do you enjoy writing? Give your favorite club a call and offer to contribute content to or edit their newsletter or website.

One of the easiest ways to get involved Is to join one of the many service organizations in St. George, such as the Elks Club, Lions Club, Rotary Club, Exchange Club, Assistance League, and others. Your local place of worship is another terrific option for checking out volunteer

opportunities. An online search of justserve.org will yield dozens of places and ways those of any age or level of experience can make a difference in their community and throughout the world.

Still not sure where to start? United Way Dixie serves as a clearing house for more than a dozen nonprofit partner agencies that provide scores of human service programs to assist local families in need. Every one of these organizations relies heavily on volunteers to support its programs; your willingness to pitch in would be a godsend.

As you’re mulling over the best fit for your interests and skill set, keep in mind that volunteerism doesn’t have to be all-consuming (although often, the more you do, the more you want to do). It only takes a few hours per week, studies have shown, to prompt the maximum benefit for you and any cause you choose to support. Your efforts and those of your peers make a significant difference. According to recent data published by AmeriCorps, Americans volunteered nearly 6.9 billion hours last year, worth an estimated $167 billion in economic value, and this does not include the millions more who supported friends and family and did favors for their neighbors, all acts of “informal volunteering.”

So as the New Year gets underway, don’t give in to the blues. Just give.

Abundant research supports the notion that when you give a little, you get back a lot, both mentally and physically.

Volunteer Opportunity Make a Difference

By

As the director of operations for St. George Health & Wellness Magazine, I have had the opportunity over the years to write articles about many of the charitable organizations located in the southern Utah area. The more I learn about the wide range of needs in our community, the more I am incredibly grateful to and inspired by those who sacrifice their days and nights to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, train the unemployed, and protect the weak. Many of these people oversee the dozens of non-profit organizations that operate throughout the county, and they rely on us to help them.

Profiled below are thirteen service organizations in Washington County that can use your support and will gratefully receive your donation of goods, time, or money. You can find many more by going to justserve.org, unitedwaydixie.org, or stgeorgechamber.com. As you read through these profiles, thoughtfully consider one way (or many ways) you can make a difference by serving, giving, or donating.

About the Author

Diane Del Toro is the Director of Operations for St. George Health & Wellness Magazine and Southern Utah Business Magazine. She graduated from Dixie State University with a degree in English literature and is a freelance writer and copy editor and a piano instructor. Diane enjoys hiking, backpacking, and quilting and loves every second she spends with her six children and twenty-one grandchildren.

Switchpoint

Switchpoint provides support and service to the homeless. Its mission is to empower families and individuals in need by addressing the underlying causes of their poverty and providing each client with a personalized, comprehensive plan that supports them on their journey to self-sufficiency. It believes each individual has worth and value and that change occurs when people are treated with respect and dignity and empowered with skills and resources to better their circumstances.

The Switchpoint website provides a comprehensive overview of their mission. Click on “Ways to Help” at the top of the page. Most pressing needs include gift cards (Walmart, Target, gas), fifty-gallon trash bags, canned goods, and other essentials.

Contact information: 948 N. 1300 W. St George, UT 84770 435-628-9310 info@switchpointcrc.org www.switchpointcrc.org

Diane Del Toro, Director of Operations, St. George Health & Wellness Magazine

Tan’s Treats

Tan’s Treats is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting childhood hunger in the southern Utah area. Each year thousands of children in the United States get out of school for the weekend and return home to a less than adequate supply of food. Their needs during the week are being met with school breakfast and lunch but they go hungry over the weekend. Tan’s Treats coordinates with the schools in the area to get these children weekend and holiday meals.

A donation of $20 will provide weekend meals for one child for a month. Click on “Get Involved” at the top of the Tan’s Treats website. Most pressing needs include canned dinners high in protein (chicken noodle soup, Vienna sausage, etc.) and breakfast bars (Nutri Grain bars, Poptarts, etc.).

Contact information: 435-627-3163 tanstreats@gmail.com www.tanstreats.com

Utah Food Bank

The objective of Utah Food Bank is to fight hunger statewide. It works tirelessly with community partners and volunteers to continue fulfilling this mission. In addition to being one of only a handful of food banks that distributes food free of charge to partner agencies, it also offers several direct service programs to help children and seniors, the most vulnerable populations in our state. By combining these direct service programs with its emergency food assistance services, Utah Food Bank impacts the lives of Utahns who live in a world of food insecurity.

Most pressing needs include canned goods and nonperishable food items.

Contact information: Southern Distribution Center 4416 S. River Road St. George, UT 84790 435-656-9122 www.utahfoodbank.org

DOVE Center

The DOVE Center is a nonprofit organization committed to cultivating an informed community free from domestic abuse and sexual violence. It works to empower those impacted by domestic abuse and sexual violence by providing safe shelter and traumainformed services to facilitate safety, healing, and assault recovery. Additionally, it relentlessly pursues community education to increase bystander awareness and shift culture norms.

Go to the DOVE Center website and click on “Ways to Give” at the top of the page. Most pressing needs include bus passes and restaurant gift cards.

Contact information: Outreach Business Office 1240 E. 100 S. Suite 221 St. George, UT 84790 Outreach Center: 435-628-1204; DOVE Center Advocate: 435-628-0458 www.dovecenter.org

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah

Root for Kids

Root for Kids is a nonprofit organization that provides services for children and families in need of extra support. Since 1993, Root for Kids has served over 16,000 families through Early Head Start, Early Intervention, and Parents as Teachers home visiting programs in Washington County, Utah, and the Arizona Strip. All services are based on eligibility and are provided at no cost to the families.

The Root for Kids website provides valuable information about their mission. Click on “How You Can Help” at the top of the page.

Contact information: 2044 S. Mesa Palms Dr. St. George, UT 84770 435-673-5353 www.rootforkids.org

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah provides mentoring relationships for youth who are facing opportunity gaps. For more than forty years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah has matched Bigs (volunteer mentors) with Littles (children in the program) to ignite the potential of Utah children and promote a positive outcome for everyone. Visit the Big Brothers Big Sisters website to learn how to volunteer or donate. Most pressing needs include holiday craft supplies (any holiday), birthday bags (gift bag, cake mix, frosting, candles, banner, $5 gift card).

Contact information: 530 E. Tabernacle Street St. George, UT 84770 435-986-9776 Stephanie.Lundgreen@bbbsu.org www.bbbsu.org

St. George Health

St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site

The DinosaurAH!torium Foundation, in partnership with the City of St. George, manages and operates the museum and gift shop at the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site. Additionally, the foundation raises money through granting agencies and private donors for various exhibits and projects. Its mission is to research, preserve, interpret, and exhibit the fossil resources of the area and the story of this specific site for the benefit, education, and enjoyment of the southern Utah community and the entire world.

Visit the St. George Dinosaur Discovery website to learn how to volunteer or donate.

Contact information: 2180 E. Riverside Dr. St. George, UT 84790 435-574-3466 info@utahdinosaurs.org www.utahdinosaurs.org

Utah Court Appointed Special Advocates

Utah Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a leader in child advocacy, providing the highest level of representation to children and their best interest. Its mission is to preserve and strengthen families whenever possible, and when it is not, to achieve permanency for children in a timely manner. It works collaboratively to meet children’s needs for safety, stability, nurturance, and love and strives to represent children with proficiency and diligence.

You can find out how to volunteer on CASA’s website. Most pressing needs include children’s books and gift cards that older youth can use for clothes, gas, or personal items.

Contact information: District 5 (St. George and Cedar City) Emily Scow (CASA Coordinator) 206 W. Tabernacle Street, Suite 175 St. George, UT 84770 435-986-6850 emilys@utcourts.gov www.utahcasa.org

Family Healthcare

Family Healthcare, a 501(c)(3) registered charity since 2002, serves the integrated medical, behavioral, and dental care needs of almost 10 percent of the population of southwest Utah. They are committed to “Making Lives Better” by removing the barriers hard-working families face in receiving health care services. At Family Healthcare, patients receive affordable payment options, patient-centered care, caring and professional doctors and staff, walk-in and same-day appointments, bilingual service, a discounted pharmacy program, discounted dental services, and discounted mental health care.

Family Healthcare’s website provides information about their mission, services, and ways to donate.

Contact information: 2276 E. Riverside Dr. St. George, UT 84790 435-849-8476 info@familyhc.org www.familyhc.org

Memory Matters Utah

Memory Matters Utah (formerly the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Society) is a grassroots service organization dedicated to reducing isolation and improving wellness for individuals with dementia and their caregivers. They serve the southern Utah community person to person with compassion, responsiveness, integrity, and professionalism. Services include support groups, Memory Activity Club, private caregiver consultations, early stage memory loss classes, and the Good Morning Sunshine telephone reassurance program.

For information about how to donate or volunteer, visit the Memory Matters Utah website.

Contact information: 168 N. 100 E. #104 St. George, UT 84770 435-319-0407 memorymattersutah@gmail.com www.memorymattersutah.org

Doctors’ Volunteer Clinic of St. George

Established in 1998 by the Washington County Medical Association, the Doctors’ Volunteer Clinic is a nonprofit, non-government healthcare organization that provides access to affordable health services for the uninsured, underinsured, and low-income in southern Utah. They act as a safety net of services that includes primary medical care, mental health services, and dental care.

Volunteer at the Doctors’ Volunteer Clinic as a physician, advanced practice provider, RN, medical assistant, scribe, patient tech, or front office coordinator. If you are a community member seeking to volunteer, they have opportunities in supporting roles, such as assisting in the front office or at the resource desk

Contact information: 1036 E. Riverside Drive St. George, UT 84790 435-656-0022 info@volunteerclinic.org www.volunteerclinic.org

Neighborhood Connection

Neighborhood Connection is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting childhood hunger. It provides supplemental weekend food for school children who qualify for school breakfast and lunch programs

Your donation of $12 will sponsor a child for one month. Most pressing needs include individual microwavable meals, pudding cups, juice boxes or pouches, instant oatmeal packets, granola bars, and fruit snacks. Information about how you can donate time, money, or food can be found on the Neighborhood Connection website.

Contact information: PO Box 140 Santa Clara, UT 84765 435-313-4725 www.neighborhoodconnection.net

Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Utah

Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Utah is a nonprofit organization that builds, renovates, or repairs homes for qualified families in Washington County, Utah. Since 1998, they have built twenty-five homes for families in need of safe, decent, and affordable housing through the generous support of countless volunteers, donors, and community partners. Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Utah envision a world where everyone has a decent place to live and the opportunity for a better future.

Donate or volunteer through the Habitat for Humanity website, or shop at the Habitat Restores in St. George and Cedar City, Utah.

Contact Information: 835 S. Bluff Street St. George, UT 84770 435-628-4041 Director@habitatswu.org www.habitswu.org.

Health Recommendations for the New Year from the LiVe Well Center–St.

George

About the Author

Jordan has been a registered dietitian for four years and has spent most of his career working with cardiovascular and diabetic patients. Since becoming a dietitian, his goal has been to help people treat their chronic diseases through diet and lifestyle change.

Jordan focuses on helping individuals who are seeking bariatric surgery and on those with cancer, diabetes, gastrointestinal illness, hypertension, kidney disease, nutritional deficiencies, and obesity. He is currently an outpatient registered dietitian for Intermountain Healthcare.

Diet

By Jordan Bentley, MS, RDN, CD

I encourage you to be careful before starting a new diet in the coming year. There are many fad diets and products out there that claim to provide quick or even instantaneous results. Social media and neighbors may not be the best place to find a good diet or the best lifestyle changes. Consider asking a nutrition professional, such as a dietitian, if you have questions or would like some help with diet or lifestyle changes.

Starting a diet that entirely changes the way you eat can yield weight loss, but often, these types of diets tend to be short lived and are difficult to maintain long term.

Preventive Medicine

By Nicole Fellows, PA-C, MS

Prevention is an important part of staying healthy and reducing the risk of certain diseases. Lifestyle Medicine is the practice of traditional evidencebased medicine with an emphasis on lifestyle and behavioral changes for prevention to help you live the healthiest life possible. With lifestyle medicine, there is a focus on key areas to improve health and provide a proactive approach towards health and overall quality of life. These areas include:

• Good nutrition

• Physical activity

• Sleep

• Stress management

• Social connection

• Avoidance of risky substances

The idea behind lifestyle medicine is prevention. Prevention can begin at any point in time in a health and wellness journey. Placing more emphasis on prevention of illness can decrease the cost of healthcare and improve overall quality of life.

Instead of drastically changing your diet, consider making small, simple changes. These could include avoiding or limiting sugar sweetened beverages (regular versus diet soda), increasing whole fruit and vegetable intakes at mealtimes, choosing leaner proteins over the higher fat alternatives (baked chicken breast versus fried chicken drumstick or chicken tenders), reducing distracted eating (not eating in front of the television), or eating out of the home less frequently.

Make one or two SMART goals at time. SMART goals are ones that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely.

If you would like help with diet and lifestyle changes, feel free to reach out to Intermountain LiVe Well Center.

Routine, annual examinations are an important part of prevention, even if you do not have any concerns. This can include physical exams, lab tests, and screenings for different illnesses, cancers, and diseases along with a review of lifestyle behaviors. These check-ups can help detect any potential problems before they become more serious. These visits can also allow for education and discussions about the benefit of vaccines, as vaccines help protect people from serious illnesses such as measles, polio, and other infectious diseases.

About the Author

Nicole Fellows is a physician assistant who has been practicing medicine for the past seven years. She earned her Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences degree from St. Cloud State University and went on to earn her Masters of Physician Assistant Studies degree from Des Moines University in 2015. Before moving to St. George, Utah, she practiced primary care internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Nicole is currently practicing lifestyle medicine for Intermountain Healthcare within the LiVe Well Center in St. George, Utah.

Ryan Otterson is the clinical supervisor at the LiVe Well Center at St. George Regional Hospital. He received his master’s degree in sports performance and conditioning from Southern Utah University in 2020 and earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Utah Valley University in 2011. Ryan has been a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) since 2015 and is a certified weightlifting coach with Zion Barbell. Ryan specializes in strength training and improving fitness,

Exercise

By Ryan Otterson, MS, CSCS

All of us typically set behavior-change goals for the new year with our New Year’s resolutions. In many cases, these goals involve getting in better shape by starting a new fitness routine and are accompanied by purchasing either a gym pass or some gym equipment we can use in our own homes. The recommendations for weekly exercise from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) are to get 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise (think cardio) and two to three sessions of resistance training.

We all know that improving our physical fitness is important, but if you are not currently exercising, adding this amount of exercise to your weekly routine can seem quite daunting! Since building new habits can often be difficult, I have some suggestions for starting a new fitness routine in the new year that may prove helpful.

1. Start small. If getting five times per week of cardio seems like too much, consider settling for a small win and starting with two or even just one cardio session a week to get you started. Often, just starting in the first place is all that needs to take place for your actions to snowball into habits.

2. Get some skin in the game. Sign up (and pay for) fitness classes or programs that will help keep you accountable to your good intentions.

3. Enlist a friend. Getting someone else to join the journey with you can not only help to keep you more accountable to following through on your intentions to change but can make it more enjoyable, too.

At LiVe Well, we can help you implement all of these tips. We provide structured classes and fitness programs that work with your schedule and bring you together with people who have similar goals. Let’s make 2023 the year to make you the fittest you can be!

Wholistic Lifestyle Balance

By Bentley Murdock

Rather than diving (yet again) into another new gym membership this year (which will likely have lost its luster by, oh…February), take a step back from what you think wellness is and consider what truly wholistic balance might look like for you. Perhaps the ideal “gym” for you is the outdoors. If your wellness journey were, in some way, similar to the multidimensional being you are and always have been, consider what some of your most influential, interconnecting pieces might be. Those pieces (and likely many others) have all worked in concert to collectively create the current level of physical, emotional, and relational well-being you enjoy—or could be enjoying—today.

Relational Peace

Consider how communication and compassion can cover literally dozens of aspects of interpersonal relationships. Expression, love languages, boundaries, understanding, patience, forgiveness, and even the new and improved Golden Rule (treat others the way they want to be treated) can all be factored into the redefining of these two subcategories. The heart is either at war or at peace, so clearly redefine peace and orient all relational aspects of your life to that heading.

Nutrient Density

Nutrition is the method of measurement by which vitamin, nutrient, and mineral levels are collectively determined. Fruits, berries, melons, veggies, microgreens, crucifers, herbs, nuts, and seeds are just a few of the highest potency sources of nutrient density available to us. The more we ramp up the intake of these phytonutrientdense, powerhouse foods, the higher our effectiveness at fighting disease and illness in and on the body will be. This relentless battle rages on daily, so armor up at every meal!

True Self-Care

This category should be entirely customized since only you know what your body, heart, and mind actually need these days. Hygiene, cleanse and detox efforts, regular sunshine, fresh air, adequate sleep, and mental/emotional rest are just the tip of the iceberg, especially for those who have a hard time finding a spare moment to leisurely go to the bathroom let alone get the rest they desperately need every night. While it may seem selfish, putting your own needs first is one of the very best ways of preparing to show up entirely capable of loving and serving others around you. You can’t pour from an empty cup. =:o)

RelationalPeace

Communication

About the Author

Macronutrients

Not everyone is aware of the benefits of using the “plate method” for preparing properly balanced meals, which is why so many of us wind up eating meals void of some of its most critical components. Complex carbs, whole grains, rootveggies, beans, lentils, legumes, and other excellent forms of plant-sourced protein are just a few of the ingredients which certainly deserve their own spotlight on your plate more often. These items should collectively share half of each entire meal, while fruits and veggies should be equally busy dominating the other half.

Compassion Nutrient-Density Fruits&Veggies Nuts&Seeds

ComplexCarbs Plant-Protein

Macro Nutrients

Sun/Air/Rest

Self-Care

Desire-Based Re-Creation

Most see the word “recreation” and think it means athletics or sports, but those are just small pieces of what it could potentially mean for you. Instead, break up the word, and let it mean what it was intended to mean: the literal re-creation of your new self. This opens up all kinds of unique customizations! Whether it’s cardio, aerobic, HIIT, Pilates, wrestling with kids or grandkids, trampolining like a child, or just chasing your dog around your favorite park, customize all of it within the physical activities you already love. Step it up a notch when you’re able to implement some resistance training, and keep it fun!

“Wholistic” Self-Assessment Wheel

A powerful tool in determining what baby steps to be taking in order to put lasting and sustainable change into motion is the Wholistic Self-Assessment Wheel. The word wholistic means “all parts,” so imagine what that might mean for you when it comes to the multifaceted health and wellness goals you are currently pursuing. Print off a few blank copies of this assessment wheel. Play around with how you might fill it out, and apply it to those goal-bound efforts of yours this year.

To really solidify where I’m going with this, picture how a “rising tide” in your life would certainly be able to “lift all ships” equally. All we have to do is start turning on those old faucets and bring those ships up! The key questions for you to chew on would be these: What do the ships represent in my story? What could my baby steps be if I started to “bring up the tide” in my life?

For a free, customized, and guided approach to this concept, please reach out to us directly by sending an email to Aloha@CustomCoaching.com.

Bentley Murdock is a wholistic family lifestyle wellness coach, certified wholistic nutritionist, disease reversal specialist, nutritional phlebotomist, and #1 best-selling author. With over twenty years of experience coaching families toward wholistic lifestyle wellness, his multi-faceted approach considers all angles of healing, from plant-sourced nutrition and desire-based re-creation to mental health, emotional harmony, and relational peace. As owners and founders of Custom Coaching (family lifestyle wellness) and Mama First Birth Co. (assisted home birth), Bentley and his wife, Michelle, guide families of all kinds worldwide through every chapter and season of family life, from assisted home birth and present parenting to passion-directed learning, intentional living, and disease prevention. For more information, send an email to Aloha@CustomCoaching.com.

By Marianne Hamilton

If Britney Le ever decides not to become a doctor, she could have a very successful career as a time management coach.

Even before her 2018 graduation from Pine View High School, Le was expertly juggling a schedule teeming with piano lessons and practices, four-year stints on St. George Youth City Council and the cheer squad, dance and gymnastics classes, and more—all while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average and earning a medical assistant’s certificate at Dixie Technical College.

Le just graduated from the University of Utah’s esteemed premed program, finishing up a degree in kinesiology (with the same GPA) in December. Now planning a “gap year,” Le aims to prep for the MCAT and tweak her already impressive resume before applying to medical schools. She will also continue in her role as director of the Salt Lake City branch of Camp Kesem, the nonprofit summer camp for children impacted by a parent’s cancer diagnosis. Additionally, Le will be on staff at the University of Utah Health’s Utah Center for Reproductive Medicine, where she assists women experiencing infertility.

To those who’ve known Le for any amount of time, it’s little surprise that she’s able to cram so much into so few hours. “Britney was the easiest, happiest baby; she was sleeping through the night by the time she was a week old,” said her mother, Kristen Phan, who, as owner of popular nail salon The Nail Lounge,

THE DOCTOR WILL BE IN:

Pine View High School Grad Britney Le Deftly Juggles Time on Way to Medical Degree

knows a thing or two about maximizing one’s schedule. “She started speaking in full sentences at the age of one and a half, and she was in a national spelling bee in the second grade.”

Phan adds that her own background as one of the “boat people” who escaped communist rule in Vietnam in the early 1970s may well have had an impact on her daughter’s demeanor and ability to multitask. “Learning English was hard for my parents and me when we came here, so we always read, and we’d look at dictionaries to learn new words. Also, I never used ‘baby

talk’ with my kids. Britney’s always thought very deeply; she’d blow my mind, speaking like an adult from such an early age.”

In the close-knit Phan-Le family, Britney was inevitably the first to administer love and Band-Aids when someone got cut or scraped a knee. That willingness to provide care eventually blossomed into a desire to go into the medical field. “Witnessing my mom taking my grandparents to doctors appointments and watching her serve as translator, mediator, and advocate for them really had an impact on me,” Le explained. “Since English wasn’t their

first language, they were lucky to have mom there; that’s not the case for everyone. I hope to be able to provide healthcare resources in a more equitable manner for underrepresented or marginalized groups.”

While a senior at Pine View, Le also completed a year-long course in medical assisting at Dixie Tech, graduating from that program at the same time she received her high school diploma. Le then spent her post-graduation summer attired in scrubs, working urology and pediatrics at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital. That experience sealed the deal: during her freshman year at the U, she applied for medical assisting jobs in the area; from her sophomore year through graduation, she “floated” through various hospitals, clinics, and departments despite carrying sixteen to twenty units per semester in premed studies and acing all classes and labs. It was as a member of the float pool that Le connected with the field that will be her focus in the future.

Said Le, “One of the specialties asked me if I wanted to work full time with them, so now I’m at the Center for Reproductive Medicine, helping patients get pregnant and then providing care throughout their pregnancies. I’m very interested in that, especially in labor and delivery; it’s very inspiring to me.”

As a senior, Le was also recruited to become director of the first-ever University of Utah chapter of Camp Kasem, which boasts 130 such campus sites nationwide. True to form, Le had spent her collegiate summers taking extra classes and serving as a counselor at the BYU/ UVU camps. When it came time to add the U’s new chapter, Le was the organization’s choice to assume the leadership role.

Though Le will transition her duties to new codirectors now that she’s a U grad, she intends to remain connected with the camp for as long as possible. “There are five million kids impacted by a parent’s cancer. It was a huge privilege to bring awareness to that population here in Salt Lake City. The camp aims to ease the kids’ minds with innovative, fun activities. It’s all free. They just come up and sing songs, eat s’mores, and do silly stuff; kids can just be kids,” Le said.

Le’s future success is all but assured, according to Della Lowe, who was the City of St. George’s advisor to Youth City Council when Le was a member. “Britney is a remarkable young woman with a driving spirit.” Lowe confirmed. “She is a natural leader who understands the role of a leader is to build others up. It was a pleasure to mentor her in the St George Youth City Council.”

Pausing for a few minutes after teaching weekend yoga classes at the Sandy Senior Center in Salt Lake, Le reflected on her goals—

and the value of some quality shut-eye. “I love my naps; they keep me going!” she laughed. “It does get challenging with time management. But I really enjoy everything that I’m doing, so that’s helpful in keeping me engaged. I love the interaction with patients; it never seems like a ‘checklist’ to me.”

About the Author Marianne L. Hamilton is a veteran journalist and marketing writer whose work appears in regional and national publications. When not race walking, hiking, or teaching water aerobics, she is the past Board Chair of Art Around the Corner and the Special Events Manager for DOCUTAH. She and her husband, Doug, are also co-administrators of the St. George Wine Club and race directors for the Huntsman World Senior Games and National Senior Games. Marianne was crowned Ms. Senior Universe 2021-2022 and is the Senior Pageants Group’s Senior Games Ambassador. She is a proud breast cancer survivor.

Are You Having Fun Yet?

By Jay Bartlett

You’ve been riding for a while now: hitting the trails with your riding pals, soaking in the scenery, and getting good workouts. But are you having fun, or are you caught in a worry loop that riding would be fun if only you had a new bike, were an elite athlete capable of amazing bicycle feats, or could outdo all the people you follow on Strava when it comes to speed and distance? Sure, changing one or more of these could be a benefit to the fun quotient on your next ride, but you don’t need to be (or own) the greatest to have a great time on the bike. In fact, with time and budget constraints or lack of proper genes, most of us will never be able to own the sweetest bike, send the biggest gap jump, or place on the podium at a race. Not to worry. The biggest winner at mountain biking is the person having the most fun. This, of course, is coming from a guy who has seen very few podiums, doesn’t own the nicest bike money can buy, or doesn’t have the necessary skill set to clear even a modest gap jump! So, take my opinion for what it’s worth.

Someone might say to you, “Are you riding 29 or 27.5 inch wheels? 26 inch?! Eww.” They might ask, “Your bike weighs how much?” or “How do you even ride that thing?” when the real question should be this: Are you having fun?

Wheel size is often the center of mountain bike debate when in reality, we all had a blast riding our old, heavy 26-inchers

when that was the only choice. Maybe we just didn’t know any better, or maybe the act of riding a bike is just plain fun! Do you need the latest, greatest bike to have fun riding? No! However, if I can play devil’s advocate/salesman for a moment and quote Ferris Bueller (as if he just rode a modern mountain bike), “It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.” More important than wheel size, the changes in frame geometry have been drastic over the last decade, making bikes more stable, efficient, and forgiving than ever.

Okay, enough sales pitch because what have we learned? You don’t need the best bike to have the most fun. You will need, however, something better than a big-box store bike for safety’s sake, but you don’t need some high-zoot, carbon fiber, trail missile (no matter how choice it is) to have a good ride. Then there’s this question: What’s a fun ride for you? Some only like to shuttle to the top and ride down, while others relish the challenge of the “ups.” Mileage can make a fun ride turn into a death march if you’re not in shape for it, but as happened to me when I first started riding, I was having so much fun on shorter rides that I contracted a serious case of bike greed. The only prescription was to ride more; I slowly started to push the miles further so I could stay out riding longer to satisfy my greed. Not everyone is going to enjoy thirty-plus mile days, and that’s just fine. I still have fun on shorter rides, and sometimes, I don’t have the luxury of coming home spent from all the fun!

So, ride your sweet spot, or work your way to it. Love the bike you’re on and the talents you have. Not every ride will be great, but with a good attitude, all of them will be fun.

About the Author Mountain bike veteran, amateur filmmaker, and lover of long rides, Jay Bartlett has been riding trails in Southern Utah for over thirty years. Jay has over a decade of experience as a bike mechanic at St. George’s oldest bike shop, Bicycles Unlimited.

An Apple a Day…

By Lori Wright, CEO, Family Healthcare

Prevention means to stop something from arising. In health care, there are three levels of prevention. Primary prevention is intervening before health effects occur. Secondary prevention is screening to identify and treat earlystage disease before it progresses. Tertiary prevention is managing a disease after diagnosis. Preventative care lowers the risks for diseases, disabilities, and death. So why do Utahns deny themselves the health and cost saving benefits of preventative care?

Whether they hear it from a doctor, see it advertised, or learn about a friend who waited too long to seek care, there are a variety of reasons that many people delay or don’t get the preventive care they need. Barriers include cost, not having a primary care provider, living too far from providers, being fearful, or lacking awareness. The bottom line is that preventative care helps patients stay healthy and lowers their overall long-term health care costs.

About the Author

Preventive disease screening helps identify issues—like high blood pressure, diabetes, or certain cancers—early, when most treatable. Tackling health issues early helps you get or stay on a healthy track and reduces the risk of developing other health conditions. Here are some examples of preventative care:

• Annual checkups should include general health screenings for high blood pressure, cholesterol, and other health conditions.

• Cancer screening is recommended at certain times and intervals throughout your life. The earlier cancer is identified, the greater a patient’s chance for a full recovery.

• Immunizations prevent potentially lifethreatening diseases from occurring. For children, these include hepatitis A and B, chickenpox, and measles, mumps, and rubella. For adults, these include Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) boosters as well as

immunizations against pneumococcal conjugate and shingles.

• Flu shots target prevalent flu viruses each year. Having a flu shot reduces your risk of getting the flu by up to 60 percent and can significantly reduce the chances of serious flu symptoms that could lead to hospitalization.

For those with insurance, there are no outof-pocket costs or co-pays if you visit an in-network provider for preventative care. At community health centers like Family Healthcare, the sliding scale fee structure ensures that everyone, including insured, low-income, and uninsured patients, pay only what they can afford. If you live in southern Utah, whether you have insurance or not, there is an affordable way for you to access preventative care. Are you due for your annual preventive care checkup? Do you have a question about whether the appointment you want to make is preventive or not? Contact your insurance company or your provider, and ask for help.

Lori Wright is the CEO of Family Healthcare. With more than twenty-five years of experience in community health, she is passionate about developing equity, where everyone is able to access high quality integrated primary health care. Family Healthcare’s mission is Making Lives Better, and as CEO, Lori’s efforts are focused on improving the overall health of patients and the communities that Family Healthcare serves.

Lori serves on a variety of committees across the state and throughout Washington and Iron Counties, including the St. George Area Chamber Board of Governors, Dixie Tech Pharmacy Tech Advisory Committee, and Association of Community Health Center’s Board. She also serves as co-chair of the AUCH Health Center Control Network. She is a Certified Medical Practice Executive by the American College of Medical Practice Executives and has received a BS in Community/Public Health and a Master of Public Administration from the Marriott School of Management.

By Tiffany Gust, MS, NBC-HWC

to Become

Step Forward the Best Version of Yourself

Today, you stand at the beginning of a brand new year: part of your epic journey. As you approach this clean, fresh page of your life, unmarred and unspoiled, you have before you a new opportunity to rally the best within you. Everything that has gone before has prepared you for this moment in time, and I certify to you that it is indeed a magnificent moment. It is yours! Set before you are the opportunities of a lifetime to become a force for good in the world and to become the best version of yourself. Stepping forward with the goal of behavior change doesn’t have to be daunting. Looking inside yourself to discover what you need and developing a support system to provide guidance and backup are keys to your success.

Self-Efficacy and Readiness to Change

According to the Transtheoretical Model (TMM) of Behavior Change, there are five stages to physical activity behavior change that can be identified.

1. The first stage is precontemplation. In this stage, you are not even thinking about making changes and don’t see the importance or practicality of change in your life.

2. The second stage is called contemplation. In this stage, you may start to consider the benefits of changing your behavior, but you still aren’t ready to commit to any new behaviors.

3. When you enter into the preparation stage, you are ready to adopt the change. You are open to education and may start to make plans to engage.

4. The next stage is action! You are taking all the right steps to make this behavior a part of your lifestyle by setting goals and making progress. This stage lasts up to six months.

By Tiffany Gust MS, USA Certified Triathlon Coach

You might ask yourself what drives your behavior change. What is the one thing that motivates you to engage in wellness behaviors? What is your wellness vision? When have you felt the healthiest in your life, and what action items did you engage in then that you can incorporate into your life now?

5. The final stage is maintenance. The new behavior has now become a part of your life and regular routine. Stressful events, such as an illness and injury, can cause you to slide into the previous stages, sometimes before you even know it. Maintenance can be blissful, but it can fade quickly if you aren’t careful.

According to Alexander Link, the shift back and forth between stages may be caused by internal factors (e.g., changes in selfefficacy) and external factors (e.g., commitments to family, work). It’s important to identify triggers and build strategies that can help prevent relapse. Bringing awareness to your current behaviors can help you maintain positive behavior changes.

Whether you are eager to improve your physical fitness, eat healthier, sleep better, or decrease your stress levels, now is the time to step forward on your quest to become the best version of yourself.

The LiVe Well Center at Intermountain Health has an extraordinary team of professionals that are eager to help you on your journey. Our team includes lifestyle medicine providers, health coaches, registered dietitians, and exercise physiologists. Services include fitness assessments, customized exercise prescriptions, body composition measurement, resting metabolic rate assessment, Vo2 max testing, and exercise classes. We have the tools that can help you close the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. Feel free to stop by for a tour or call 435-251-3793 for more information. This is indeed a new opportunity to become the best you can be. Now is the time to take a step forward. I know you can do it!

By Anita DeLelles, LMT

Nearly 40 percent of households in the United States own at least one dog. That’s a lot of dogs to keep healthy. To do so, dog parents are turning to complementary therapies that enhance their pets’ health and quality of life. Besides good nutrition and exercise, pet owners are exploring hydrotherapy, cold laser, acupuncture, acupressure, massage, and chiropractic services.

These alternative treatments should not be used as a replacement for traditional veterinary treatment and diagnosis; rather, they should be used in conjunction with them. The combination can work together as a balanced approach to your dog’s good health. A sound, integrated approach can be a road to recovery and a regiment to keep your dog healthy and happy. It may also add years to the life of your cherished pet.

Hydrotherapy mixes the benefits of warm water with physical resistance. An underwater treadmill can work wonders for improved cardio, rehabilitation after surgery, and even weight loss.

Dogs enter the hydro tank, and water fills to the appropriate level for your dog—usually shoulder height. Once inside, the treadmill moves at a monitored speed, and the hydrotherapist assists any of the dog’s limbs or muscles that need help, achieving the correct range of motion. The temperature,

Alternative Therapies for Your Dog’s Health

buoyancy, and resistance of water positively builds muscle strength and manages pain.

When compared to regular exercise, stress on joints, bones, and muscles is greatly reduced with hydrotherapy. For some conditions, measurable results are often seen after just a few sessions; a regular course of treatment is needed for others. It’s not unusual to see dogs that could barely stand on their own begin to walk and lead a more normal life.

Cold laser therapy, also known as low-level laser therapy or LLLT, has become increasingly popular in recent years. It is referred to as a cold laser because it does not produce heat. The laser beam consists of wavelengths with photons that penetrate the tissue. Cells that are not properly functioning due to injury or disease absorb these protons. This helps boost energy production in cells, increasing overall cellular function. In turn, this allows for more rapid absorption of nutrients, elimination of wastes, and reproduction of new cells.

Laser therapy is used to treat a multitude of ailments and injuries and is ideal for pets recovering from surgery. Treatment can also be beneficial for animals that are injured or in

pain. It helps the pet regain some mobility and activity earlier in the recovery process. Less pain and inflammation means greater range of motion in joints, which is particularly helpful for arthritis. In turn, the dog or cat will engage in more exercise and achieve a more desirable quality of life.

Cold laser can help heal:

• Joint, ligament and tendon injuries

• Bone fractures

• Muscle sprains or strains

• Skin lesions or abrasions

• Arthritis

• Musculoskeletal diseases

• Nerve injury and more

Pet massage is gaining wider acceptance as an alternative healthcare approach. Who doesn’t love a good massage? Often combined with acupressure, pet massage stimulates the body’s soft tissue to increase blood circulation, with the use of the laser instead of needles to access acupuncture points. By focusing on

About the Author

these points, various organs and meridians can be targeted for desired results. Observations and scientific studies have shown that massage can do the following:

• Reduce fear and anxiety

• Improve flexibility and mobility

• Relieve muscle spasms and stiffness

• Balance the body’s energies

• Release endorphins

• Fortify the immune system

Dog parents would likely agree that they would go to great lengths to keep their pets healthy and living a top quality of life. Alternative therapies are an exciting new way of doing just that!

For more information on health and wellness for your pet, visit woofcenter.com. You can also call them at 435275-4536 or stop by WOOF! Wellness Center & Training Academy at 3199 Santa Clara Drive in Santa Clara, Utah. Santa

Anita DeLelles, LMT, is a certified equine and small animal acupressure practitioner with accreditation from the Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute and a member of IAAMB. Her Tallgrass training has included two consecutive summers in Bath, England, near where she lived as a child, as well as coursework in Colorado and northern California. Additionally, Anita is certified in animal massage from the Northwest School of Animal Massage as well as human massage in the state of Utah and is a graduate of UNLV. In 2013, Anita and her husband, Ron, opened WOOF! Wellness Center & Training Academy to serve pets and their health-conscious pet parents. WOOF! is dedicated to improving the quality of life for companion and competitive animals through fitness and conditioning, education, and proper nutrition. Anita shares her life with Ron and their overly-pampered cats in Santa Clara, Utah.

FINDING THE CAUSE OF YOUR PAIN WITH Selective Nerve Root Blocks

About the Author

By Dr. Casey Muir

If you have pain radiating down an arm or leg, the most common cause is a pinched nerve in your spine. An injection called selective nerve root block can be helpful in finding the exact nerve that is causing your pain.

The nerves for your arms exit the spine from your neck or cervical region, and the nerves for your legs exit the spine in the low back or lumbar region. When a nerve is pinched, it can cause radiating pain down your limb. This is called radiculopathy. A severely pinched nerve can also cause numbness or weakness. Nerves exiting the spine are most commonly pinched by a bulging or herniated intervertebral disc. Other causes might be a cyst from a joint in the spine or arthritis, which can build up to narrow around a nerve.

Radiculopathy is diagnosed with clinical evaluation and an MRI of the affected spine region. Treatment options for radiculopathy include antiinflammatory medications, physical therapy, injections, and surgery. Often radiculopathies can improve with conservative treatments and epidural steroid injections. Epidural steroid injections place steroids down in the spinal canal around nerves that are being pinched to decrease inflammation and pain.

If there is worsening weakness, numbness, or pain despite these treatments, surgery may be necessary. However, prior to surgery being

performed, it is important to maximize the likelihood that surgery will be effective in alleviating symptoms. For this purpose, selective nerve root blocks (SNRBs) are used. SNRBs are x-rayguided spine injections that place medication around a single nerve as it is exiting the spine. This allows the physician to find the specific nerve that is the source of the pain. These injections are performed in an outpatient clinic under x-ray guidance. Patients are able to go home following the injection but are given a pain journal to write down how much relief from the pain is felt for the few hours while numbing medication is effective. If the patient’s typical pain resolves, the nerve causing the pain is confirmed. This information is then used to develop further treatment plans, including help with surgical planning.

As a pain specialist at Southwest Spine & Pain, I always do my best to treat each patient individually based on their symptoms and not just treat the x-ray or MRI images. SNRBs are a tool I use to find the source of the pain and develop a plan to best relieve the pain affecting a patient’s well-being.

The physicians at Southwest Spine & Pain Center are fellowship trained and board certified to perform selective nerve root block injections and other spine interventions to reduce pain and improve your quality of life.

Dr. Casey Muir attended medical school at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. He then did residency training in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Dr. Muir was selected by his peers and staff to be chief resident during his final year of residency. His most rewarding experiences as a resident were working together with his patients to find what pain management treatments best fulfilled their individual needs. These experiences led Dr. Muir to complete a pain medicine fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. He received training in the latest minimally-invasive pain treatments.

Dr. Muir is dedicated to providing compassionate care to his patients and helping them maximize their quality of life. He uses his extensive training to treat acute and chronic pain conditions throughout the body, helping his patients get back to doing what matters most to them. When he is not working, Dr. Muir enjoys being with his wife and three daughters. He loves being outside and participating in any sport. He especially enjoys golf, soccer, and snowboarding.

Winter Warm-Up Health Tips: EAT WELL, BE POSITIVE, MOVE MORE

By Coleen M. Andruss, MD

When it starts to cool down, we typically crave comfort. Our senses tell us it is time to hibernate. We want to curl up in a blanket, sit by the fire, watch our favorite movie, eat soup, and drink hot chocolate. Quite often, our health takes a back seat in the wintertime, but there is no reason healthy habits can’t continue throughout the winter.

Winter has plenty of delicious food to embrace and love. Citrus fruits, such as mandarins and oranges, are at their best in winter, and they are packed with vitamin C, which is great for fighting off colds and infection. Lemons also provide vitamin C and are

great to use in cooking or in water as a natural diuretic. Despite wanting the comforts of casseroles and baked goods, remember that the grill can be used all year round. But if grilling is not in your plans, embrace the use of the oven for roasting turkey and chicken and for broiling vegetables, such as brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes.

Winter is the growing season for cauliflower, radishes, spinach, cabbage, and leeks. Get creative with new veggies that are packed full of the nutrients that are necessary for good health. We know that fresh vegetables are always the best, but winter may

be the time to stock up on bags of frozen vegetables that can be steamed. However, stay away from canned vegetables; they are high in salt and preservatives.

Winter is also an awesome time to enjoy a daily cup of bone broth, as its minerals and nutrients will give your immune system the boost it needs to stay healthy. Broth fills you up and is low in calories, helping you keep your weight under control.

About the Author

Dr. Coleen Andruss practiced as an internist for ten years and has specialized in weight management for twenty-nine years. She and her staff have personally experienced weight management issues and have a compassionate understanding of patients in the Healthy Lifestyles program. Dr. Andruss’s internal medicine background helps her to see underlying medical problems when formulating individual plans that work.

Be on the watch for symptoms of seasonal depression: carbohydrate cravings, weight gain, lack of energy, concentration difficulties, irritability, feelings of negativity, and a loss of the desire to do pleasurable activities. If you are feeling blue because of the shorter daylight hours, you may have seasonal affective disorder (SAD), or you may simply have the winter blues. When there is less sunlight, the biological clock shifts, and you become out of tune with your daily routine. Sunlight is a primary source of Vitamin D, which helps raise serotonin, that neurochemical in our brain that contributes to feelings of happiness. Less sunlight can lead to lower serotonin and thus, more sadness.

To remedy this, don’t stay secluded during the winter. Open the shades and shutters to let the daylight in. Get outside for that vitamin D, even if just for a quick, short walk. Sunlight will lift your mood and spirit. Many people do not know that the lack of sunlight stimulates the production of melatonin, the neurochemical that enhances sleep. Sleep is important for our health; we need uninterrupted, quality sleep to regenerate and reinvigorate our bodies. But too much sleep affects our circadian rhythm. A strong, alert, positive mind means a happy and healthy body.

Stay active. The cold weather in winter can be an easy turn-off for exercise, but it doesn’t have to be. Embrace the colder temperatures, and try something you do not

do in the summer, such as snowmobiling, walking, snow skiing, snow shoeing, golfing, or ice skating. Maybe it means embracing new indoor activities, such as yoga, walking the mall, or using the gym more. Staying active is not only important for keeping the weight off but also helps your lymphatic system and thus, the immune system.

Lastly, stay hydrated. During the heat of summer, we are keenly aware that we need to keep up on our water intake, but it is just as important to keep hydrated in the winter. Wearing multiple layers can cause sweating, which can lead to dehydration. While studies show that the intake of alcohol, coffee, and tea goes up in colder weather, these beverages do not hydrate but do just the opposite. Hydration is critical for metabolism, immune system function, and energy all year round.

So don’t forget to keep all of the same rules in the winter that you keep in the summer. Good sleep, high water intake, low stress, good nutrition, and plenty of activity will get you through this winter, and you will be able to enter the spring in great shape. Stay happy and healthy this winter season!

Can you believe another year has come and gone? Last year flew by so quickly! I have found myself looking at photos taken along the way to remember what was happening that kept me so busy: attending weddings, traveling to visit family and friends, and welcoming out-of-town guests (who love our southern Utah biking and hiking trails) to my home. It was a very full year!

I might have mentioned in my previous articles that I’m normally not a New Year’s resolution type of person. I’m more of a “personal challenge’’ kind of woman. However, this year is feeling very different.

Last year, my personal challenges were to walk at least thirty minutes each day, use the stairs at work (the beautiful staircase at Spilsbury Mortuary got a good workout), and learn at least one new thing daily. Because reading is one of my favorite things to do, this challenge was easy. I also wanted to recognize and be grateful for all of life’s wonderful gifts. It has been my experience that gratitude empowers the mind with positivity, and don’t we all need that in this day and age?

This year, I’m feeling the need to start crossing things off my bucket list. The problem is that I love my job. There is nothing quite like a productive morning to help me feel great. However, my job is not me! We all need to realize that working all the time is not healthy. It is important to retain some sense of balance in our lives. Recently, I read an article that stated, “One way to brighten up your life is to engage in a new activity each month. You will be happier trying new things, and if you try these activities with other people, you will strengthen your relationships.” Now that really caught my attention!

We all have a list of things, either on paper or stashed in our minds, that we would love to accomplish during our lifetimes. But if you are like me, you can easily add to the “wish list” without doing much about the “accomplishing’’ side of things.

This year, my honey and I have decided to take more vacations with friends and family. Taking even a small vacation or “staycation” has been proven to decrease the chance of experiencing burnout. A few wellplanned activities can revive the body, mind, and spirit, and the bonus is being able to check off some of those “bucket list” adventures, making room for new ones.

If you haven’t yet made new goals for 2023, you can still choose to improve your life this year. Even small changes to your everyday routine can be uplifting. Something as simple as taking a walk on a different trail, making a new friend, or sharing an inspiring event with someone you love can make a difference in your life. In all this planning, don’t forget to set aside some “down time” to really enjoy your surroundings and incorporate some of those things that bring you joy!

Whether you call them New Year’s resolutions, challenges, or goals, personal commitments are an important part of life. Make this year different, better, and more enjoyable. Create new memories to help you through the tough times and bind you to those you love. Welcome 2023 with open arms and an open mind. Make this the year for new experiences!

About the Author Connie enjoys working with local Hospice Groups and Veterans Associations. The military is very close to her heart, with her father being a Pearl Harbor survivor and her sweetheart retired Navy. Helping support local hospice groups is very rewarding for Connie, and she feels being a part of the Spilsbury team is an awesome opportunity. She is the mother of seven daughters and nineteen grandchildren, who are “the joy of her heart.” She loves being of assistance to those in our community who do so much for each of us.

Resolutions, Personal Challenges, and Goals Thoughts about the New Year

By Connie Zdunich

ATARA:

TRANSFORMING THE ACTIVE LIFESTYLE

Southern Utah has thrived on its attractions for tourists, outdoor enthusiasts, and athletes but has fallen short in accommodating its six million annual visitors. The area has lacked upscale hotels for discerning travelers to rest and refresh after a day riding the countless mountain bike trails, participating in a sporting event, or canyoneering in one of our many state and national parks.

Atara, Autograph Collection® Resort and Residences located within the Desert Color community, is addressing this deficit. The seventeen-acre resort acts as a wellness retreat; a lively, community-oriented meeting center for the area’s athletes; an unparalleled venue for weddings and events; and an overall resort experience unlike anything else in southern Utah.

The Resort includes a 138-room Autograph Collection hotel and 136 for-sale, singlelevel villas ranging from 850 to 2600 square feet, with oversized balconies and indoor/outdoor fireplaces. The villas can be used as full-time or part-time residences or added to the resort rental program. Residences are fully-furnished and designed by nationally-acclaimed design firm FlickMars, with exteriors by awardwinning architects SB Architects.

Atara Desert Color’s attractions to travelers are in its location and amenities. It is located right off I-15 with easy access to state parks and sports venues. Additionally, Atara has anticipated every adverturer’s needs, including meals, equipment, and customized itineraries. Its unique amenities include a dedicated outdoor adventure concierge with an onsite outfitter, bicycle shop, and grab-andgo market, with prepared meals that cater to food and nutrition sensitivities.

Atara also offers a 10,000 square foot spa and fitness center with unique indoor-outdoor treatment rooms and a spa program that includes traditional wellness and beauty treatments plus athletic performance programs—perfect for guests preparing for a big ride or recovering from a long hike.

Luxury travel aficionados will enjoy Atara’s five unique dining options, including a signature restaurant with a beautiful show

kitchen and live fire. Guests and residents can also enjoy the gorgeous pools found on the resort.

The beauty of this project lies in its players. Atara Desert Color is being developed by AMS Hospitality, a national company with over forty years of experience, and the hospitality arm of the Allen Morris Company, a sixty-five year-old commercial real estate development firm. Together, they have successfully completed over $4 billion worth of projects in the U.S. and have a long history with Marriott. Using the Autograph Collection brand for this venture, AMS has partnered with Marriott and with the internationally-established hotel and residences operator Benchmark Pyramid Global Hospitality. This collective partnership ensures each villa will be professionally marketed and managed with the best of the best.

Expected completion is the last quarter of 2025, with deposits being taken now.

“We believe travel can be transformative.

even. We

our guests curated experiences that broaden the mind, relax the spirit, shift perspectives and empower authentic moments of connection.”

–Marriott Bonvoy®

By Jessica Elgin, Realtor, Red Rock Real Broker

BY FUSION PHARMACY

Utah Tech University Alumnus Is Blazing His Own Trail in the Local Tech Industry

By Grayce Payne

People often learn more about themselves during the journey to their destination than they actually do when they arrive at their final stop. For Utah Tech University alumnus Matt Pelo, his journey from student to manager at Zonos, a local tech company, taught him the importance of resilience and drive.

Pelo’s time at Utah Tech began after he returned home from a mission in New Zealand and was looking for a change. He had outgrown his previous experiences playing basketball at Snow College and wanted a new start. After meeting with coaches from the Utah Tech men’s basketball team, Pelo transferred to the University and played on the team for the 2015-2016 season.

Homeschooled until college, Pelo felt nervous about coming to Utah Tech. Motivated rather than frightened by his worries, he challenged himself to be open to unfamiliar academic and professional opportunities. One professional opportunity Pelo took advantage of was becoming an innovation ambassador. His responsibilities as an ambassador helped launch his career in the technical field as he was able

to consult and meet with local businesses and leaders in the industry.

While earning his degree, the chance to start a business emerged in his macroeconomics class. Throughout that class, Pelo drafted his business plan, developed a product offering, and received mentorship and direction from his professors. He appreciated the handson learning experiences he received at Utah Tech, which he could apply in the real world to his business. “I could probably list every professor I’ve had as some form of guide and mentor,” Pelo said. “Whether it was in writing, business ethics, entrepreneurship, or marketing, they all played a part in developing my entrepreneurship skills.”

Between study sessions, Pelo started and built Kenect, a company that allows customers to connect with businesses and submit reviews of a service through text messages. As Kenect grew, Pelo temporarily stepped away from his studies to run the thriving business. He brought Kenect to scale, and a short time later, it was acquired. Recently, Kenect was acquired again for $100 million.

After selling his company, Pelo returned to the University to finish his degree. He worked for a handful of tech companies in the area and continued to grow his network after college. Pelo was previously offered a position at Zonos, but passed up the opportunity for a better offer with another company. After some time had passed and Zonos offered him a new position as a product manager, he felt prepared to take on the role. “The best part of being a product manager is that I can be an entrepreneur without the risk of being an entrepreneur,” Pelo said. “My job here at Zonos is to deliver the best things for the company and the customer.”

Years after graduating from Utah Tech, Pelo remains grateful for the support, connections, and opportunities he received from professors, coaches, and faculty that enabled him to be where he is today.

About the Author

Grayce Payne is a full-time student at Utah Tech University. She moved from a snowy town in Michigan to sunny St. George, Utah, to pursue a bachelor’s degree in media studies and public relations. She enjoys the endless hiking trails and warm weather southern Utah has to offer.

For more information about Utah Tech University, please visit utahtech.edu.

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Medical treatment for depression are usually centered around antidepressants that rely on the systems in your body to deliver relief. NeuroStar Advanced TMS Therapy treatments go right to the source of depression - your brain There are specific areas in your brain that control mood. When synapses in those mood-regulating areas are underactive, connections are broken and depression can result. TMS treatments revitalizes those dormant synapses, "waking up" the brain to function as it was meant to

Medical treatment for depression are usually centered around antidepressants that rely on the systems in your body to deliver relief. NeuroStar Advanced TMS Therapy treatments go right to the source of depression - your brain. There are specific areas in your brain that control mood. When synapses in those mood-regulating areas are underactive, connections are broken and depression can result. TMS treatments revitalizes those dormant synapses, “waking up” the brain to function as it was meant to.

Everything but the Snow Shovel

By Lyman Hafen

In the winter of 1979-80, my wife, our new little boy, and I moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho. We had no idea what we were getting into. Debbie and I still sensed between our toes the warm remnant of the red sand of Utah’s Dixie. I had just graduated from Brigham Young University, and two winters there had taught me that the further you wander north, the colder it gets. But there was no way for a sixth-generation St. George boy to imagine the bone-cold wind of the Snake River plain.

Living in Idaho Falls, I discovered a mode of transportation called the snowmobile. My boss, who was publisher of Snowmobile West Magazine, had access to the latest model snow machines. It wasn’t long before I’d jockeyed many of them to the top of some of the most storied mountains of Idaho and Wyoming, from Island Park to Togwotee Pass. I learned quickly what real cold was. I loved the riding, but my blood was not calibrated for such temperatures.

During my second winter in Idaho Falls, I flew in a private plane to a business conference in Winnipeg, Canada. I still believe the coldest moment of my life was at some point during the twenty seconds from the door of the cab to the door of the hotel in downtown Winnipeg. That night, the wind howled down that canyon of tall buildings like the breath of a mythic ice monster.

After four years in Idaho Falls among some of the best people on earth, Debbie and I returned to St. George with our little brood that had grown to three boys. It took us a year or two to thaw out, though sometimes when I think about it, I wonder if I’m still thawing out. We wanted to come home. We believed it was easier to cool off in the heat than warm up in the cold. We brought everything home with us but the snow shovel.

The other day, I was shuffling through some old black and white photographs. One brought back a boyhood memory reminding me how cold it got even here where, as the Chamber of Commerce always proudly said, “the summer sun spends the winter.” In the early 1960s, my dad was a member of the Washington County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse. Mom was a member of the Posse-ettes. Every year in the midst of winter, they held a rodeo at the old posse grounds on the northwest outskirts of town, just west of today’s Sunset Corner Stadium 8 theater. I was a horseback kid in those days, and our corrals were out near the posse grounds. The first thing on New Year’s morning, we’d saddle up and ride over to the arena and compete in a number of events, including calf riding.

The photograph I came across was of me riding a Holstein calf at the posse grounds when I was maybe ten years old. What I remember most was how cold those days were and how, when you climbed up on the chute, your legs shivered, and your fingers were so frozen they felt shot-through with fire. I’m sure some of the shivering was from nerves and fear, but most of it was from the cold. As you climbed down on the back of the calf and stuck your numb hand under the prickly rope and your dad pulled it up snug and told you to lean back and hold on tight, you never felt so cold in your life.

Then the gate opened, and that wiry little calf shot out into the arena, and you held on for all you were worth until your frozen knuckles cracked and your grip shattered, and you slid off and splattered in the icy sand, and the calf’s hind hoof stomped down upon your thigh, creating what later would manifest itself as a bruise more colorful than a southern Utah sunset, and you wanted to cry but you knew there was no crying in rodeo, yet the hot tears squeezed out anyway and rolled cold down your frozen cheeks, and finally it was over, and you limped back toward the chute as the folks in the spectator stands applauded and the announcer congratulated you on a great effort, and you never felt so cold in your life.

Not long after I came across that photo, I received a text from an old friend. It included a photo of a clipping from the January 13, 1966, edition of the Washington County News. In one terse paragraph, our county’s only news source in those days listed all the kids at the recent rodeo who had won a free meal at Dick’s Café in the calf riding event.

That year, Dick Hammer, the legendary owner of Dick’s Café on St. George Boulevard, had promised a T-bone steak to any kid who could ride a calf past the first light pole at the posse grounds. I had no idea what a T-bone steak was. All I knew was half the kids in town were risking their lives for one, so I threw in.

It was the coldest day of my life to that point. But a week or so later, when my dad took me to Dick’s to redeem my prize, I sat down to my first T-bone steak. Dick Hammer came and sat down in the booth with dad and me, and as I listened to those two cowboys tell each other stories, I never felt so warm.

About the Author Lyman is the author of a dozen books intent on connecting landscape and story in the American Southwest. He is executive director of the Zion National Park Forever Project, and is past president of the national Public Lands Alliance. He’s been writing and publishing for more than 35 years, with several hundred magazine articles in publications ranging from Western Horseman to Northern Lights, and was the founding editor of St. George Magazine in 1983. He’s been recognized on several occasions with literary awards from the Utah Arts Council, and won the Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. He lives in Santa Clara, Utah, with his wife Debbie, and together they have 6 children and 18 grandchildren.

The Afternoon Approach

As I strode through the forest, the afternoon light from the winter sun, lower in the sky this time of year, cast long shadows behind large ponderosa pines. I followed a well-worn, three-and-a-half mile trail toward a scenic overlook where I stayed until sunset, shooting photographs as the light dissipated. The afterglow of the post sunset environment added to the windless tranquility of the setting. I had not seen any other hikers on my outbound trek, and I was alone on this canyon rim for over an hour. It seemed that even the birds and insects were ready to relax as I could detect no extraneous sounds. The dark of night was fast approaching, and I had to force myself to leave such a splendid scene.

Finding My Way Back

I donned a beanie, gloves, a light jacket, and a headlamp for my trek back to my parked vehicle. For a time, no supplemental light was needed to see the trail ahead, but soon the black pall of this moonless evening engulfed me. The light from my headlamp

extended ten feet ahead and to the left and right edges of my pathway. With an hour-long walk ahead of me, I found that my prior thoughts of enjoying this return trek were not as accurate as I had hoped.

It wasn’t long before my mind took me places I didn’t necessarily want to go. I clearly recalled a prior hike in the area where I had come across the footprints of a mountain lion on my outbound trek and then blood and additional prints in the same spot on my return—evidence that the mountain lion had successfully found dinner. Now, I began to worry about becoming an evening meal myself!

As I walked, I recalled a story that had been shared with me of a ranger who had been followed to his vehicle by a mountain lion, only to have the animal jump into the back of his truck just after he had entered and closed the door on his cab. The inference from the story was that the lion could see the ranger through his rear window but didn’t understand the barrier that now separated him from his prey.

Wade’s Walkabout WHEN IT’S DARK OUTSIDE

By Mark Wade

My mind was freely leading me down a crazy rabbit hole. So entranced with these thoughts did I become that I began to resort to creating as much noise as possible to discourage any beast that might be following my progress. I dredged from my memories the Maori war chants (hakas) learned during my youth in the country of New Zealand. My body gyrated with primal gestures that synchronized with the chants that rang clearly through the forested plateau upon which I traveled at an ever increasing speed.

Secure

Upon arrival at my vehicle, I found myself scrambling to get inside, and only then did I begin to surmise that I was safe enough to stop my chanting and breathe normally.

Requisite

Perhaps this story presents just one of the challenges of obtaining photography in the right light settings. Early mornings and late evenings are just part of the obligatory effort of a photographer. Headlamps are not optional, and it helps to know a war chant.

Wade’s Walkabout Finding Meaning and Healing in the Outdoors

For destination ideas, visit .. www.RoadTrippinWithBobAndMark.com

Also on Facebook and Instagram

About the Author Mark Wade is active in hiking, writing, photography, and videography. He works as a tourism marketing consultant, for which he has won numerous awards. He is a weekly guest on the KSL Outdoors radio show. Mark is the former Director of Tourism for southwestern Utah and has served on the board of directors for various tourism associations.

St. George Health

Turning Over a

NEW LEAF in 2023

By Erin Del Toro, Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist, ACHE

The opportunity for renewal that a fresh year brings has happily arrived again. Now that we are basking in that New Year bliss, it’s time for some self-reflection. When it comes to last year’s resolutions, how did you do? Did you fall short of goals you thought you would be committed to reaching? Are there habits you thought would be behind you that are still out in front?

Evolving as individuals is important, but don’t feel too badly if you’ve missed the resolution mark. It’s easy to get excited about new commitments, jumping in with both feet, only to lose momentum as the days and weeks move on.

Each January, my family jokes about staying away from the gym for a couple of weeks to avoid the New Year’s crowds. It’s so packed in the facility that we find it a challenge to use certain equipment as hopefuls apply their new commitments

to becoming physically fit. We might joke, but sadly, every year without fail, three weeks into the new year, the gym is back down to pre-January levels again: great for steady gym goers who want to access the equipment; bad for those who were truly looking to begin a long-term fitness plan.

So, how do you permanently turn over a new leaf? The origin of the phrase “turning over a new leaf” dates back to the 1600s and has nothing to do with trees or horticulture. Instead, it refers to turning over a new page of a book while writing, revealing a fresh page ready for new content. As the calendar “turns over” from 2022 to 2023, you have a chance to put the old part of your life’s book behind you and truly start anew. I love to help people create this change with hypnotherapy because it has the ability to accelerate results, but the process is basically the same no matter which modality you use.

As you begin to create content for your new book, you need to be prepared with three things in order to successfully and permanently stick with your resolution:

1. A clearly defined goal with a deadline.

2. Enthusiasm for the goal and for the process of changing.

3. A belief in yourself.

Clearly outline your goals and apply deadlines.

Define what the new leaf in your book looks like, then break the goal down into manageable steps and line up goal dates that correspond to each. It may seem obvious to say that you need to clearly outline your goal, but from the standpoint of the subconscious mind, telling yourself that your goal is to “lose weight” won’t yield optimal results; even losing half a pound achieves your stated objective. If you truly feel you need to lose weight,

half a pound probably isn’t going to cut it. Being clear with yourself and your subconscious mind by saying that your goal is to “lose thirty pounds by July 30” is a more foolproof way to ensure that your subconscious mind will work harder to observe your goal.

Once the goal is clearly set, break it down into smaller, achievable goals. For instance, if your goal is to lose thirty pounds, you could say, “I will lose ten pounds by February 14, another ten pounds by May 1, and the last ten pounds by July 30. Making the steps small and simple can help to ensure you don’t feel overwhelmed.

Be actively excited about your goal and the process of reaching it. It is easy to feel motivated when you are standing at the base of a large mountain and contemplating your hike to the top.

It is an entirely different story to feel the same motivation when you’re a mile and a half up with five miles still to go, out of breath with legs burning. It would be so easy to let your tired muscles rest or to head back down the trail to the comfort of the car, especially if you’re new to hiking.

This is the way you might feel as you endeavor to write your new story. As you begin the ascent up the mountain of your goal, you might find yourself out of breath after the first mile and even more exhausted after the second. Our neural pathways are programmed a certain way from habit and exposure, so even the cells of our bodies store memory and need to be regenerated. We have to work until the new path feels comfortable and push through the desire to quit early on.

To thwart the February relapse blues, you need a clear “why.” Why do you want to reach that goal? Do you want to lose weight because your spouse is hounding you or because you envision yourself at your peak form and sense how empowering that would be? I can guarantee you that when you make the goal your own—when you own it and attach powerfully positive feelings to it—you will have greater success at a faster rate. Whether your resolution is to have an ideal dollar amount in your savings account, to fit into smaller clothes, or be able to play a full concerto on the piano, keeping yourself actively excited about both the end goal and the process of getting there will strengthen your likelihood for success, so your “why” must be personal and motivating.

Anyone in the business of helping the mind make changes knows that being excited, positive, and anticipatory are the key emotions to activating stick-to-itiveness. Try using a vision board to help yourself remain positive or use meditation and prayer. You may even consider hypnotherapy, the modality I use to help clients access the excitement and passion that is already inside them.

Believe that this new path is achievable, and believe in yourself. Once you’ve got the why and the active excitement locked in, it’s important to feel deep down in your soul that you can achieve your goal. If this is a totally new path for you, it’s common to feel unsure of your ability to conquer. I recommend combining mindfulness practices, like meditation and hypnotherapy (there are many guided meditation and hypnosis recordings in online video platforms) and using positive affirmations to help you retrain your mind to accept that you will succeed at your new endeavor.

I wish you the best of success as you move forward with all of your new hopes and dreams in 2023, from January through December. If you would like to learn more about hypnotherapy and how it might help you achieve change, please visit balancedmodernhypnotherapy.com.

About the Author

Erin Del Toro is an ACHE Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist and owner of Balanced Modern Hypnotherapy. She’s passionate about changing the effects of trauma, rewriting unwanted habits and behaviors, and helping others unlock the power of their true potential. Erin lives in St. George with her twin daughters and enjoys participating in the ninja warrior sport and playing in the beautiful outdoors of southern Utah.

I enjoy reading stories about those achieving success in business, athletics, or other aspects of life because they refused to quit. They believed in themselves or what they were trying to accomplish when others gave up. I have read stories of people who were disadvantaged through no fault of their own—by circumstances of war, accident, or physical disability—yet they succeeded because they believed they could.

I find it interesting how the expressions “with his own hands” and “self-made” are used to describe an individual’s accomplishments. While many achievements do result from the physical effort exerted by individuals working alone, recognizing human achievement as a product of the “hands” references a time in the distant past when land needed to be cleared, crops planted, and barns raised. Indeed, little was achieved without a significant physical investment, and it was most often measured in blood, sweat, and blisters.

Today, we recognize that individual achievement begins with a thought, which then sparks an idea. In this way, we see—with good reason—that most human achievements are a product of the mind. It is in the mind where thoughts and beliefs reside.

The great thinkers through the ages have long understood the true nature of this powerful connection. Consider the following:

All that we are is a result of what we have thought.

Buddha

A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes.

Gandhi

What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

Andrew Carnegie

Protect Your Thoughts and Beliefs

If life is the product of our thoughts and beliefs, then it follows that it is critical we direct and protect them. I have come to recognize I am responsible for my life. Ultimately, it is made from what I choose to think and believe.

Failing to direct and protect thoughts and beliefs can lessen the value of life. For example, as I coach individuals transitioning to retirement, I find many struggle to respond to this question: “What do you do?” Often, they give this undirected and unprotected response: “Nothing. I am retired.”

Stop. Think about it. Using this response again and again over time will connect nothing with your retirement. Thereafter, you may struggle to find value in your life, and depression can take over.

Possibility Is Personal

I have come to understand that what you choose to think and believe (yes, you can choose) either expands or limits your personal possibility. Possibility is personal. Where do you draw the line between possible and impossible? The answer to this question is determined by you and you alone.

Let’s use the example of running a marathon, a popular event in southern Utah every October. As you may know, a marathon is a foot race covering a distance of 26.2 miles. Why do some people believe it is impossible to run that distance while others complete several marathons and enjoy the experience? How can that be? If something is impossible for one person, how can it be possible for another? The difference is in what they choose to think and believe.

Change Your Mind; Change Your Life

By Steve Wilson

Let me illustrate with examples from history. Look at the dates below. What is the historical event associated with each?

December 16, 1903

July 19, 1969

August 4, 2012

December 16, 1903, was the last day it was impossible for a person to fly a “heavier than air” machine.

July 19, 1969, was the last day it was impossible for a human to walk on the moon.

August 4, 2012, was the last day it was impossible for a person without legs to run in the Olympic games.

About the Author

Each date represents the dawning of a remarkable achievement, especially when framed within the perspective that the day before, it was impossible. Think about the way the world and humankind were (and still are) affected when the light bulb, telephone, and personal computer were no longer impossible achievements. Each of these inventions carries a story of possibility, and each of these inventors believed that “impossible” did not apply to him.

Think about how your life would be different if you believed. Change your mind; change your life.

Things are only impossible until they’re not.

Jean-Luc Picard

Steve is the former CEO of St. George Regional Medical Center, St. George, Utah. He authored next—Redefining Retirement; Lessons for Life’s Transitions with Lisa G. Larson and speaks frequently to those preparing to leave their careers. He serves on the Board of the Institute for Continued Learning. His post career “hobby” is real estate investing, and he is Associate Broker for Utah First Property Management, a company his son Bryan founded. To contact Steve go to wilson.stg@gmail.com.

WELL-BEING DIMENSIONS OF

By Scott Allen, MD, Medical Director, Satori Health and Wellness

We often think of well-being in terms of physical well-being. And while physical health is an important pillar of well-being, it’s helpful to recognize the other dimensions that underpin a life well lived.

Intellectual Dimension

How do you maintain curiosity about the world? Studies suggest that people who are open to new information are more satisfied with their lives. As the flow of information streams at us faster than ever before, how do you emotionally respond? What happens in your body when presented with data that conflicts with deeply held beliefs?

Emotional Dimension

How do you connect with your own emotions as well as the emotions of those around you? Emotions are like seasons; they live with us for a while and then transform to something else. Love turns to anger turns to acceptance. The key is to be aware of the pattern of change within yourself.

About the Author

Dr. Scott Allen is a St. George-raised, board-certified ane sthe sio logist. He has specialty training in transplant anesthesiology and currently practices with Mountain West Anesthesiology at St. George Regional Hospital. He is also the medical director of Satori Health, an integrated ketamine clinic (www.theketamineclinic.com). Dr. Allen is the current president of the Washington County Medical Association. With his deep roots in Utah, he has a special passion for improving the mental healthcare of his friends and neighbors in the community. Dr, Allen enjoys outdoor pursuits with his family and communing with nature. He’s doing his best to stay grounded in the moment!

Vocational Dimension

This dimension is hardwired into us as a society, but what does a satisfying career look like? It’s more than money, of course. Most people will agree that a satisfying vocation is one in which you contribute your unique talents, skills, and gifts to benefit others.

Financial Dimension

When we separate our vocation from our finances, we realize that they do indeed exist in different dimensions. Our vocations are how we serve the lives of others, independent of the financial reward. Financial well-being entails living below your means, setting realistic goals, and preparing for short- and longterm emergencies.

Social Dimension

We can’t exist on an island. Isolation is a direct cause of much modern-day suffering; we’ve substituted real-life interactions for increasingly digital “connections.” We punish our most hardened criminals with solitary confinement, yet we’ve created a society (catalyzed by COVID) in which many of us live confined to our homes and devices. How can we regain intimate social relationships?

Think about each of these dimensions. They’re interrelated, of course, but where can you personally improve and how can you help those around you in each dimension? Well-being is truly a group effort!

Bombproof Your Marriage

By Matt Eschler, PhD, LMFT

My spouse, Chris, and I work with couples in conflict. All couples have arguments or differences of opinion, but not every couple knows how to deal with it in a healthy way. In the middle of an intense argument, it’s human nature to slip into familiar patterns of communication no matter how ineffective they may be, and these patterns can be corrosive to a relationship over time. Peace, joy, excitement, and passion are all emotions you can enjoy in your marriage. Conflict is either a pathway to these moods or the destroyer of all that could be great in your relationship.

Managing perpetual conflict is mandatory if you are going to enjoy the best marriage relationship possible. There are actions, attitudes, and beliefs you can learn and practice that will make all the difference in bombproofing your marriage. Take a few minutes and reflect on how well you are doing in the following four areas of managing stress and conflict in your relationship.

Accept influence from your spouse.

Statistically, women are much better at accepting their man’s influence. This creates incredible synergy toward mutual satisfaction and toward feeling heard, seen, and understood. Men must be able to do the same or an imbalance can occur,

causing resentment and marital destruction. Accepting influence includes listening to ideas presented by your spouse and including those ideas into life goals or plans; discussing intimacy needs and responding to requests in a healthy manner; and communicating as coequals in family operations.

Focus on building each other up and seeing the good in each other.

During a couple’s courtship, positive comments, positive actions, and emotional intimacy cement the love that leads them to engagement. But after a decade of marriage, couples often report feeling extremely vulnerable when they share positive regard for each other.

According to the relationship scientist John Gottman, a ratio of five to one must exist for couples to remain connected. This means that for every one negative feeling or interaction between partners, there must be five positive feelings or interactions. The “masters of relationships” have a nineteen to one positive ratio! Take some time to evaluate your relationship with your partner. Are you vulnerable and seeking to highlight the positive moments?

Soften a confrontation by using “I” statements.

When dealing with conflicts in your relationship, it is best to use “I” statements when describing an event rather than using blame statements, such as “you always” or “you never.” When expressing your beliefs about an issue, be accountable. Speak for yourself and allow your partner to do the same. For example, saying “You never seem to want to be with me. You are always on your phone or working or doing anything except being with me” is a harsh beginning to resolving a conflict. Your partner will likely get defensive and argue with you. Instead, soften your approach: “I feel lonely in our relationship. I am noticing that you can be on your phone even when we are trying to be alone together, and it

seems like work is taking priority over us spending time together. Can you see this?” This kind of beginning to a conflict shows that you are willing to discuss the issue before you deem yourself to be in the right. You will invite conversation and agreement rather than conflict and argument.

Get coaching or counseling early.

Most couples get help after seven years of conflict. These couples have extreme patterns of negative communication styles that are difficult to get through. After nearly a decade of practicing conflict in combative ways, couples often show up to counseling wanting the counselor to tell their partner how wrong they are. It shocks both spouses to realize they are both the problem! Get help early. Learn to discuss conflict as partners and not as competitors.

About the Author

Matt lives in St. George, Utah, where he and his wife, Chris, are enjoying their life with each other. Since their children have grown up and moved out to pursue their dreams, Matt and Chris travel the world. They want to visit 200 countries before they are done. Matt and Chris are active in their community and enjoy working out, training for marathons, and spending time participating in numerous activities with their adult children. Matt received a PhD in psychology. He is focused on the arena of resolving personal conflicts and improving interpersonal relationships. In addition to his doctorate degree, Matt has earned a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy, studied criminal justice and received a category one license with Peace Officer Standards and Training, and received a degree in the Arts of Business Management. Matt is a professor at Dixie State University and hopes to be part of the positive growth of southern Utah.

The Solution for Not-So-Social Media

By Rob Henderson, LASUDC, CTRS

As a parent and as an addiction and recreation therapist, I’ve recently noticed a concerning uptick in how much social media and how many electronics are being used during family leisure downtime. While reflecting on this and revisiting the research, I was reminded of some interesting insights that are helping me to understand the issue and to navigate me towards solutions both in my home and in my practice.

As a confession, I have a pretty infrequent and uncommitted relationship with social media and would probably be somewhat of a digital hermit if it weren’t for my wife prompting me with updates. However, as a therapist, (especially a recreation therapist), I spend many more hours than I intend cybernating in my office cave on teletherapy and electronic health records. Truth be told, even though I heavily emphasize the outdoors in my family and in counseling, I’m probably one of the more digitized people that I know that is in need of unplugging.

What’s the Big Problem?

According to research, it is not just the pure volume of electronic mediums or the amount of time spent digitizing that needs our attention. It is also how we are using media in our homes and during our family free time that is causing some heavy glitching in our relationships and surges to our mental health. And apparently, it’s not just a youth thing either, as each member of the family, young and old, are susceptible to the ill effects of digital media usage in their own unique ways.

One Culprit: Psychic Entropy

Entropy is a physics term that refers to the degree of disorder and randomness in everything. The law of entropy states that all things in our known universe are in a constant state of dissipation and are gradually moving towards disorder. If you don’t believe me, consider my daughters’ bedroom only moments after they clean it.

In the behavioral health world, the term psychic entropy is introduced as a way of describing unhealthy randomness and disorder in the mind when there is too much mindlessness. In other words, there are some psychopathological—and therefore relational—consequences that creep in when the mind remains disengaged and unstimulated for long periods of time.

Different from being actively engaged in play, recreation, sports, work, and even reading, digital media specializes in organizing our thoughts for us. This is where psychic entropy enters the scene. Just because digital media can be attention-grabbing and highly entertaining doesn’t mean that it’s mindful or engaging. In fairness, research states that mindlessness isn’t all bad and that there are stress-relieving benefits to about forty-five minutes of nothingness once or maybe twice per day. However, these benefits plateau between forty-five and ninety minutes, and as you near the two-hour mark of mindless media, the law of diminishing returns starts to take effect to the detriment of your psyche and relationships.

Alone Together

Another concern that surfaced in my research about youth and family recreation is the relationship between digital media and family interactions. As media usage increases in the home, more family members are separating and even isolating, which is bearing down on psychological health and family functioning. As stated by one contemporary author, “American families are spending more time than ever alone together.”

Digital Zen-tropy

Instead of the negative effects of entropy, I have gotten a bit cheeky with my family in creating the term “Zen-tropy” as a play on the words Zen (mindfulness and intentionality) and -tropy (transforming or moving towards). We are far from achieving digital Zen-tropy in our home but are benefiting from practices like time limits for our personal and family media use. We are finding success in scrolling social media with our teens, video gaming as a family, YouTubing together, and creating funny reels and posts with our children and their friends. Also, if you’re feeling a bit daring, you might consider doing some sort of household reset or fast from mindless and isolated media use. As a family, we’re two weeks and counting into a tailored media fast, and though not everyone supported the reboot, the benefits are foreel and dare I say, at times, Zen-tropic!

About the Author

Rob Henderson is dually licensed in addiction counseling and recreation/experiential therapy and is a Wilderness First Responder. He also specializes in leisure and outdoor education, youth development, family systems, and parenting. He is best known for his ability to integrate play and a variety of adventures and backcountry pursuits into his private practice as well as with his family. Additionally, Rob is the executive director and co-founder of RITE Trainings, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that “provides for providers” effective, interactive, and affordable behavioral health training and education. Visit www.RITETrainings.org or www.ARETherapy.com to learn more.

Center for the Arts at Kayenta Announces Its Exciting 2023 Season with New Executive Director, Miranda Wright

The future of the Center for the Arts at Kayenta (CFAK) is brighter than ever and so is the spring season of performances. The upcoming 2023 season features thoughtful and exciting music, storytelling, theater, the immensely popular Voyager Lecture Series, and a unique immersive and interactive installation produced by professional artists from across the country. Also returning this spring are the Street Painting Festival and Festival of the Americas. CFAK looks forward to bringing these and other incredible and unique performances to the community.

In the fall of 2022, CFAK and the Kayenta Arts Foundation (KAF) announced the appointment of new executive director Miranda Wright, who will introduce her programming to Kayenta audiences in March 2023. Her appointment concludes a search of applicants from across the United States. “Miranda has a very strong vision for the next stage of the Center’s growth,” said Rob Goodman, KAF board chair. “We are all very excited to see what new artistic heights CFAK will reach under her leadership.”

As executive director, Wright will handle both the artistic and strategic aspects of CFAK, which include building and expanding the CFAK legacy through long-term planning and visioning, increasing visibility, expanding and diversifying the talent used at CFAK, and increasing the capacity to reach a broader audience.

Wright grew up in St. George, Utah, and attended Southern Utah University before moving to Los Angeles in 2006. Over the past decade, she has worked closely with remarkable theater and dance artists in Los Angeles and New York to produce boundarypushing and engaging performances that have toured worldwide. Many of these internationally renowned artists will visit southern Utah for the first time as part of the new artistic direction of the Center, which will feature virtuosic dance performances, awardwinning professional theater, and immersive installations.

Wright has an extensive background in performing arts. She founded Los Angeles Performance Practice in 2010 and the Live Arts Exchange [LAX] Festival in 2013. In Los Angeles, she worked with Center Theatre Group, Center for the Art of Performance (CAP) UCLA, and CalArts Center for New Performance. She was the recipient of Center Theatre Group’s Richard E. Sherwood Award in 2014 and awarded a Cultural Exchange International Fellowship to work with Arts Admin in London in 2015 by the City of Los Angeles and the British Council. She is a founding member of the Creative & Independent Producers Alliance (CIPA) and the International Presenting Commons (IPC). Wright holds a certificate from the Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance at Wesleyan University, an MFA in producing from California Institute of the Arts, and an executive MBA from Hult International Business School.

“Life is full of surprises, and while I honestly did not imagine my career taking me back to my hometown, I am nothing but enthusiastic about this incredible opportunity to return to the St. George area,” said Wright. “Since leaving in 2006, I have traveled the world, formed amazing relationships with award-winning artists, and actively participated in national and global networks of professionals who are dedicated to the art of performance. I truly can’t wait to introduce artists and global colleagues to the natural landscapes and welcoming culture of Kayenta and Washington County. I look forward to meeting the audiences and artists living in southern Utah and to bringing dynamic and electrifying programming to our communities.”

About Kayenta Arts Foundation and The Center For the Arts at Kayenta:

Kayenta Arts Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop and create an environment where diverse artistic endeavors can flourish. The Center for the Arts at Kayenta (CFAK) is our beautiful black box theater that brings our mission to the community. Southern Utahns come to CFAK to learn, express, appreciate, and celebrate art in all its forms.

The Kayenta Arts Foundation is supported in part by funding from Washington County and Ivins City RAP funds. KAF is also supported in part by the Utah Division of Arts & Museums, with funding from the State of Utah and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Come, be a part of the art at Kayenta.

Miranda Wright

By Brigit Atkin

New Year

The new year always seems to beckon us to renew our resolve for healthier eating and commitment to exercise. While this is a great endeavor—I’m a big fan of morning exercise and clean eating—I have recently discovered some highly effective and simple ways to keep the mind and body in a happy balance, and I’d like to share them with you. I am finding that when the mind, body, and spirit are in alignment, many wonderful things happen: hormones balance, muscles relax, the mind clears, anxiety dissipates, and the appetite normalizes. I also find that quality sleep is induced and that overall, I am better able to deal with life’s stressors.

Below are some easy habits to incorporate into your daily routine. Start with one or two, and add more as needed to help you work through difficult circumstances and emotions.

1. Start each day with gratitude and a glass of water. Water holds memory, so as you speak gratitude while holding a glass of water, it will reinforce that high vibration into your body as you drink it. Gratitude is such a powerful emotion that I write articles about this trait alone. It has the ability to dispel fear, heal the body in miraculous ways, and build new neural pathways in the brain. A body filled with gratitude is a happy, resilient body!

2. Get some sunshine. Doing this—especially in the morning— will reset your sleep hormones. Make sure you are facing the sun so that it shines on your forehead. This is where you produce melatonin, and getting sun into this place for a few

A New Way to Keep Yourself Emotionally, Physically, and Mentally Healthy

moments each day will help regulate this important hormone. The sun (in small amounts) at any time of day is healing, so do whatever you can, when you can, to take advantage of this natural and precious resource.

3. Drink at least one hot drink per day. A quality herbal tea or a glass of hot lemon water will do wonders for your liver, kidneys, metabolism, and urinary tract, and it will calm and sharpen your mind and spirit. Lemon has many healing and clarifying qualities and is key for helping water get into the cells. If water can’t get into the cells, it will dehydrate the body instead of replenishing it.

4. Reset and reactivate your vagus nerve and diaphragm.

The vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve that stretches from the brainstem to the colon, is the portal to the parasympathetic nervous system. It governs the restorative bodily functions and is where most healing and release occur. If the vagus nerve isn’t happy, it affects your health and speeds up aging. It affects the brain, neck, ears, tongue, heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, kidney, spleen, and reproductive organs in women. It is also linked to anxiety, among a host of many other issues. There are several ways to reset this very important nerve. Here, I will mention only two:

• Lie on your back with your fingers interlaced behind your head. While keeping your face toward the ceiling, look as far to the right as you can without hurting your eyes. Breathe as you keep your eyes there for about

a minute or so. Then, switch to the left for the same amount of time. This is a quick and effective reset.

• Place a foam roller horizontally under your back as you lie on the floor. Rolling along the upper and mid back frees up the diaphragm and increases the capacity of your breath volume. This will oxygenate the blood and connective tissues and activate the vagus nerve, creating a sense of calm and release.

Add the above suggestions to your existing health plan. There is no substitute for regular workouts, even if you are limited to practicing yoga in a chair. Any movement you can do is good for a happy body, mind, and spirit. Combining this with healthy eating will bring much healing to your soul. Take care of yourself in every way you can, and you will find that you are able to navigate life’s challenges as well as enjoy its pleasures.

I wish you the happiest and most prosperous new year and hope you find wellness at every corner.

About the Author

Brigit Atkin–Brigit of Brightworks helps improve the lives of others facing challenges and difficulties. She is certified in the SimplyALIGN™ method and was trained by founder Carolyn Cooper herself. For more information, visit www. brightworksbybrigit.com.

Be Strategic and Tactical, but Don’t Be Fearful

By Branden DuCharme

There is currently a lot of pessimism, concern, and fear in the average consumer, worker, or investor—perhaps for good reason. 2022 was the first time in history that, broadly speaking, both stocks and bonds were down more than 10 percent at the same time. Inflation has been soaring at over 8 percent, with the more volatile (yet more applicable to retirees) measures of food inflation at over 11 percent and energy inflation at over 23 percent.

This means that many people have seen what traditionally should be their defensive investments (bonds) decay at a similar rate to what is traditionally their offensive investments (stocks) at a time when their costs are going up. This makes it more difficult for those approaching sixty-five to navigate a retirement plan and for those in retirement to remain there.

As a result, many people are looking for alternative places to move their investments. It’s not uncommon for me to hear prospective clients say, “I need to do something before it’s all gone.” It is a real fear that many people are facing.

I like to caution folks that it is okay to be aware, but making fear-based decisions, especially fear-based financial decisions,

can be disastrous over time. Emotion is not something you want near investments, although, to a certain degree, it always will be. It would behoove all investors to put a hard check on allowing fear near their financial decisions.

Fear is currently driving folks to look for alternatives. They find feelings of safety in places that sometimes use the word “guarantee” and offer little to no risk (often, annuities and CDs). Although there is nothing inherently wrong with these types of products, they should be a need-driven and not a fear-based change. When looking at annuities with my clients, I try to educate them about the opportunity cost and the potential liquidity constraints.

Annuities often carry a significant surrender charge, similar to a cancellation fee. This means you can’t always easily access your money. Additionally, if inflation continues to run at a high rate or the market shifts and starts producing significant gains, your annuities often have no way to capture the changing market conditions, and the results of the annuity may not meet your long-term goals.

If you feel the need to make a change with your strategy but it seems like alternatives don’t make a lot of sense, consider looking at tactical management with your investments. It allows for reduced risk with an exit from the current market conditions but with a quantitative strategy of how and when to reenter the market based upon changing conditions.

A way to help you understand if a product or service is a good fit is to start with your “why.” Peel back the layers of your financial plan and look at why you are doing any of it. What are your goals? After identifying these goals, look at strategies that may help you accomplish them. If a certain type of product or service is a good fit, explore specific product options that fit the strategy, which is driven by your needs, a product of your “why.”

Changes to current buy-and-hold investing in this market can be productive, but they come with their own sets of risks. Think holistically prior to making major changes, and consult with your own personal fiduciary financial advisor. Fiduciaries are legally obliged to work in your best interest, helping you to find clairvoyance of thought. They should help you avoid fear-based decisions and instead, make strategic and perhaps even tactical decisions.

Advisory services offered through Global View Capital Management, Ltd. (GVCM). GVCM is a SEC Registered Investment Advisory Firm headquartered at N14 W23833 Stone Ridge Dr-Suite 350, Waukesha, WI 53188. Branden DuCharme is an Investment Advisor Representative with GVCM. GVCM is affiliated with Global View Capital Advisors. Supervising office 262-650-1030. Local office 435-220-4930. Additional information can be found at: https://www.advisorinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/

About the Author Branden DuCharme is an investment adviser representative with GVCM, a SEC registered investment advisory firm.

Gini

How to Successfully Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions

By Gini Grimsley, Director of Fitness Product, VASA Fitness

At the start of each new year, gyms and fitness centers are flooded with new members who want to make a positive change in their lives by improving their fitness. Over the course of the next few months, those highly motivated gym-goers drop off until the gym returns to its normal hum of activity.

Make this year different! Setting a goal of getting in shape isn’t enough. A goal without a plan is just a dream. This is the year to create a concrete plan to improve your fitness and make physical activity a part of the rest of your life.

There is never a bad time to start a new fitness routine, and there is an easy rule of thumb to follow as you begin to tackle it: add to your routine before you take away from it. For example, drink more water, walk an extra five minutes a day, or stretch while you’re watching a show. All of these will improve your energy and fitness without feeling restrictive.

Often, the first, most common step when beginning a new fitness routine is to restrict certain foods, television, sugary drinks, and many other things. Removing things you enjoy, like fruit, coffee,

and bread creates the feeling of scarcity, so when you’re tempted to “indulge” in the restricted food or drink, the ability to avoid these items becomes immensely challenging.

Breaking a promise to yourself to avoid dessert after dinner can derail your entire fitness program if you let it. So why not start off your new regimen with steps that add to your routine or replace a habit rather than take away or restrict it. Activities or habits to add into your routine can be as simple as:

• Going for a 10-minute walk after each meal.

• Drinking a glass of water before your morning cup of coffee.

• Completing 10 squats or push-ups during commercial breaks.

• Taking a sip of water between bites of a meal. The activity or habit doesn’t have to be overly complex, but it needs to be done consistently. Figuring out what activities and habits to include in your routine is as simple as figuring out what goal you want to achieve.

About the Author

Grimsley is the Director of Fitness Product for VASA Fitness where she creates cutting-edge fitness programming for VASA’s clubs across eight states.

Before starting out on your journey to a healthier, fitter you, take some time to make a plan. Creating specific, measurable, attainable, relative, and time-based (SMART) goals is a great way to begin. For example, “I want to climb the Red Reef Trail in less than two hours during spring break.” This is a tangible goal you can base all your new habits and activities around to help you prepare for it. Once the goal is set, establishing behaviors and activities that support achieving the goal is the most important step. List the skills and abilities you’ll need to develop over the next few months to help you. For the hiking example, one skill to work on would be improving cardiovascular endurance so you are capable of hiking for two hours. Adding cardio and HIIT-based workouts to your weekly exercise routine instead of removing something from your daily life is a great way to prepare for your goal in a positive way.

To successfully achieve your resolution, make a plan, list the steps needed to be successful, and don’t lose sight of the end goal even when things may not go as planned! Progress is still progress, no matter how fast or slow it happens. And don’t forget, the slower the progress, the better the habit and the longer the result will last!

There is never a bad time to start a new fitness routine, and there is an easy rule of thumb to follow as you begin to tackle it: add to your routine before you take away from it.

AND YIN YANG YIN YANG Balance Balance

By Anna DuPree

In this age of yoga and meditation, many of us have seen the yin-yang symbol and probably thought of it as a symbol of opposites or polarity. While this is true, the yin-yang symbol contains a deep reservoir of wisdom about our bodies, our relationships, and how our energy communicates. The main message is one of balance. We all find ourselves feeling “out of balance” in some way during our lives. It can be challenging to pinpoint just how and why we are feeling “off.” Contemplating our yin and yang can provide insight and understanding into this delicate balance of body/spirit, heaven/earth, give/receive, and masculine/feminine energies.

What is Yang?

Yang energy, thought, and action are what we are most familiar with in the West. Yang is outward, giving, masculine energy (not gender related) that is structured, organized, conscious, aware, and cognitive.

Yang is the energy we need to get to appointments on time, pay bills, organize our families and work, give service, and generally give of our time. It is the energy of the universe that is aware of all of the moving parts and puts them into structure. It contains the masculine energy to evolve, grow, and improve.

Sometimes yang energy can be felt in the body as heat or a warm glow. This heat can radiate from the heart at the chest center. If one is practiced in kundalini or other forms of yoga, this heat can run up the base of the spine or low back. The sun or fire is a symbol of yang. Those who practice Qi Gong or other martial arts can experience the heat of chi from the palms of their hands and can learn to run this energy in the whole body to disperse stagnation and create more balance. Don’t worry if you have never felt this heat or energy in your body. It is not a requirement of balance but rather something to just notice: an invitation to pay closer attention to the signals from your body.

What is Yin?

Yin energy, thought, and action tend to be least familiar to our western selves and more understood in the East. Yin is inward, receiving, feminine energy (not gender related) that is pure energy, intuitively flowing, emotional, and the still point of creation.

Yin is the energy we need to rest, recuperate, deeply connect, receive care and comfort, receive service, flow healthily with our emotions, and create. It is the still point of ourselves where we are fully accepted, all is perfect, and there is nothing to fix but also where new life and creation spring forth.

Where yang is do-ing, yin is be-ing. It is being receptive and allowing life to flow through and around us without trying to control it. Yin is pure creation and is symbolized by water and earth.

Yin can be felt in the body as cooling, menthol, or chills. If you are feeling out of balance physically, emotionally, mentally, or relationally, I invite you to explore your own yin energy. Most of us in the West are yin deficient. We have been taught that yang (give) is better than yin (receive). Who hasn’t heard the

oft-repeated phrase “it is better to give than receive”? Mystics, physicians, and wise ones have known for centuries that this is not true and will lead to illness and burnout.

What is Balance?

My favorite symbol for yin and yang balance is a healthy, flowing river guided by river banks. The yin energy is the water in the river. When healthy, it is flowing and receptive to the rocks, mud, and dirt along the sides. The yang is represented by the rocks, mud, and dirt making up the river bank, creating structure and guiding the water.

In the absence of the river bank (yang), the water (yin) will flood. The flood will create chaos and drown out the life around the river. On the other hand, in the absence of water, the rocks and dirt will become a dry, barren land with no life or color.

We can easily understand the symbols in this example. Nature works in balance. We see the need for both dirt and water, give and receive, structure and allowing, yin and yang.

What Can You Do?

Imbalanced yang energy can be experienced as overwork, overbusiness, fatigue, loneliness, lack of connection, bitterness, anger, anxiety, trouble sleeping or resting, and many physical health issues. I recommend using the strength of your yang to schedule (structure) some time for yin. Schedule time to rest and meditate. Consciously look for ways you can receive more in your life, and let go of control. Allow for the surprises of life to be a joyous dance.

Imbalanced yin energy can be experienced as depression, lack of motivation, taking the role of victim as an identity, autoimmune disorders, overgiving, and lack of boundaries. I recommend using the power of your yin intuition to ponder and ask yourself what you really desire in life. Then, start to make a plan. Where would you like to give and receive in order to balance your life, and with whom can this start? Hint: the answer usually is yourself!

Sitting by a river with my feet on the ground or in the water is one of my favorite ways to physically and energetically balance yin and yang. I am not sure exactly why it works; I just know that it does!

May we all find balance this new year. May we feel both the head and the heart as we walk this beautiful earth together.

About the Author

If you are interested in a personal yin-yang assessment and balancing plan, please contact the author, Anna DuPree, at anna.dupreee@gmail.com.

Anna is a mentor and coach specializing in the relationship of the heart to the mind and body. She uses eastern, western, and energy techniques. She now lives in the Blue Mountains of North Carolina after spending the past ten years in St. George, Utah, connecting with her pioneer ancestors who settled the southern Utah area. She provides her sessions remotely. You can contact Anna by going to www.wholeheartawakening.com or by emailing anna.dupree@gmail.com.

Dining Guide

St. George

Angelica’s Mexican Grill

101 E. St. George Blvd., St. George, UT 84770 | 435-628-4399

Mexican | Vegetarian and Vegan Options | Family Friendly | $

Mon.–Sat., 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.; Closed Sun.

Located Downtown on St. George Boulevard, Angelica’s Mexican Grill serves fresh, made from scratch authentic Mexican food. The flavor driven and nationally recognized menu provides everything and more that you would expect from a Mexican restaurant, including street tacos, Mulitas, Tortas, Sweet Carnitas, Machaca, and their famous salsa bar. Vegan and Vegetarian dishes are always available. Seating is available inside and also outside on the spacious patio. Catering & To-Go ordering available.

Benja’s Thai and Sushi

2 W. St. George Blvd. #12, St. George, UT 84770 | 435-628-9538

Thai | Sushi | $$

Mon.–Sat., 11:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.; Sun., 1:00 p.m.–8:00p.m.

Hungry for sushi? Hungry for Thai curries? Benja’s Thai and Sushi, in the heart of downtown at Ancestor Square, will satisfy your craving with fresh sushi, curries, noodles and a great beer and wine menu. Stop in with business colleagues, friends, a date or the whole family, and be sure to come hungry – in addition to curries, noodles and sushi, Benja’s salads, soups and sticky mango rice are not to be missed.

Cappeletti’s

36 E. Tabernacle, St. George, UT 84770 | 435-986-4119

Italian | Steak | Seafood | Contemporary | $$

Lunch: Tues.–Sat.,11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.; Dinner: 5:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. Centrally located in historic downtown near Town Square, Cappeletti’s is a favorite for casual business lunches, friend and family gatherings, and romantic evening dining. Authentic Italian pastas like gnocchi bolognese or cannelloni will comfort and satisfy, but if you’re not in the mood for pasta, the fresh fish of the day, tender Black Angus flat iron steaks, market fresh meats, and poultry are all prepared daily and presented beautifully. In this quaint and cozy family owned and operated restaurant, plan to settle in for warm, friendly Italian cuisine with an Argentinian flair, and leave satiated in body and soul.

Magleby’s

1450 Hilton Dr., St George, UT 84770 | 435-652-9600

American / Dine-In | Catering | $$

Mon.–Sat., 11:00 a.m.–9:00p.m.; Lunch Buffet, Wed., 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Closed Wed. 2:00–4:00 p.m. and on Sunday

With over thirty years of catering experience, we guarantee to make your next event magical! Everything we do we do with love, and you won’t find another catering company with as many homemade recipes or fully customized options. If you’re looking for a culinary experience creatively tailored to fit your event, we’re at your service.

Katering Koncepts, Inc.

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Full Service Catering and Event Rentals

1495 S. Black Ridge Dr., Suite A210, St. George, UT 84770 | 435-574-0059

Menus include buffet options, breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizers, and gourmet lunch boxes. Call Katering Koncepts when it just has to be perfect! We will customize any menu just for your event. Serving the St. George and surrounding southern Utah areas. Katering Koncepts sets a new standard in private, corporate, and wedding events. We have a full line of rentals, including tables, chairs, linens, formal dishware, decorations, dance floors, tents, serving dishes, and many other items to help make your event a success. Call us or visit our website at www.kateringkoncepts.com for a complete list.

Pizza/Pasta Factory

Pasta Factory: 2 W. St. George Blvd. #8, St. George, UT 84770 | 435-674-3753

Pizza Factory: 2 W. St. George Blvd. #8, St. George, UT 84770 | 435-628-1234

Pizza Factory Express: 1930 W. Sunset Blvd., St. George, UT 84770 | 435-634-1234

Pizza Factory Pineview: 2376 E. Red Cliffs Dr., St. George, UT 84790 | 435-688-2656

Pizza | Pasta | Dine-In | Take-Out | Delivery | Salad Bar | $$ Mon.—Sat at 11:00 a.m.

The Pasta Factory, with its year-round, climate controlled outdoor patio dining wows with custom-made pasta, soups, sandwiches and salads. The Pizza Factory offers three locations with the best and freshest salad bar in town; homemade soups, sandwiches, famous bread twists and Southern Utah’s favorite pizza combinations.

Red Fort Cuisine of India 148 S. 1470 E., St. George, UT 84790 | 435-574-4050

Indian | Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free Options | Healthy | $$ Mon.–Thurs., 11:30 a.m.–9:00 p.m.; Fri.–Sat., 12:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.; Closed Sun. Located in the shopping and dining hub just north of St. George Boulevard, Red Fort Indian Cuisine is the only authentic Indian restaurant in St. George. The flavors are unique and harmonious, and many of their menu items are vegan, vegetarian or gluten free. Stop by and experience the delicious flavors of authentic East India. The elegant and inviting atmosphere paired with their kind and friendly staff, is sure to provide for a relaxing, enjoyable dining experience.

The Painted Pony

2 W. St. George Blvd. #22, St. George, UT 84770 | 435-634-1700

Steakhouse | Seafood | Contemporary | Healthy | $$$$

Lunch: Mon.–Sat., 11:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; Dinner: 4:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.; Sun., 4:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.

In the heart of Ancestor Square, the Painted Pony delights with an upscale menu, full beer and wine list, cocktails and exceptional service. Prepare for a sensory experience with complex flavors, top-notch presentation and a beautiful atmosphere. Evening ambiance complete with soft lighting, fresh flowers and patio dining. Locally sourced, organic, vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options are available for every palate.

The Joys of Our Trials

By Samiyah Jones, Senior at Crimson Cliffs High School

My life would not be the same if it wasn’t for the hardships that I have been through and that I still go through today.

I didn’t grow up with what you would call a “traditional” childhood. When I was young, I lived in South Jordan, Utah. I had a mom, but it never felt like it. I went through alot of physical and emotional abuse, and in my young mind, I thought it was normal. Sadly, my mom had turned to drugs and alcohol as an outlet for the stresses that she dealt with. It got to the point where she couldn’t take care of me and my siblings anymore.

When I was nine years old, my aunt and uncle stepped in and took me and my siblings to good old St. George, Utah. What was supposed to be a two week visit turned into two months and then into two years. On December 26, 2022, it was the eight-year anniversary of the date I began living in southern Utah. During that time,

I was adopted by my aunt and uncle, who have loved and accepted me as their own. They have taught me how to work hard and to be a better person. Most importantly, they have taught me what it means to be part of a family. Throughout these many years, I have learned and grown so much.

Fast forward to my freshman year of school. Although I was doing well in my classes, I wanted to test myself physically and emotionally. I decided that I wanted to be on the basketball and track teams. I had never participated in these sports before, so I knew I had to work hard to be good. Because of the trials I had experienced earlier in my life, I knew I could do hard things, and I was determined to reach my goals.

I am now a senior in high school, playing basketball at a varsity level and competing in track at a state level. I still deal with the aches and pains of my past, but I use it to shoot me further in life, to be a better friend and athlete, and most importantly, to be a better person. I think that it’s funny how people often equate a trial to something that is bad. But once you

learn to change your perspective of the trial, it becomes a blessing, a lesson to be learned, and a promise to be better than you were yesterday.

Adoption day. Back row from left to right:: mother, Tracie Jones; brother, Julius; father, Russell Jones; social worker, Lindsey; Samiyah. In front: brother, Cole; sister, Hannah.

Turn Your New Year’s Resolutions into Finding Solutions!

By Koby Taylor, PharmD

The New Year is here, and with the holiday season in the rear view mirror, many people are indulging in retrospection, reevaluating some of their life choices, and making “New Year’s resolutions.”

New Year’s resolutions are part of almost everyone’s life. Are you thinking of taking on a resolution or two? You might want to broadcast your new goals to as many people in your life as possible because sharing them with others makes them real and creates accountability. The added bonus to this practice is that you might even get a friend or two to join you on your journey. Nothing is better for a New Year’s resolution than good company.

While I certainly don’t want to dissuade you from making a resolution or from keeping it, I do want to give you a new idea and run some statistics by you.

Studies show that at least one in four Americans make a New Year’s resolution, but by the end of the year, only 9 percent feel they’ve succeeded. Why so few?

After all, a New Year’s resolution is a great reminder that you are going to take care of yourself all year long.

There are many reasons why resolutions can fall short. A change in health, family responsibilities, finances, or work can waylay the best intentions. There are many people who forget about their resolutions. I know it sounds funny, but it happens. Additionally, creating new habits takes time, patience, and a level of self-discipline and self-awareness that many decide they can’t sustain, so they quit. Whatever the reasons may be, I have always felt like a New Year’s resolution—while a good thing—is also an added pressure to an already pressure-driven society.

Resolutions are deals we make with ourselves, are they not? Maybe you need another way of looking at making that deal.

The New Idea

I’d like to flip the script on the notion of making a resolution. I’d like to start the New Year by suggesting you make this deal with yourself: along with your resolution, find a solution.

For example, one of the most common New Year’s resolutions is losing weight. Maybe you’re someone who is overweight, and over time, you have started to experience other symptoms, such as fatigue, brain fog, achy joints, acne, and maybe even hair loss. Through no fault of your own, you’ve now got a cupboard full of medicines and supplements that were prescribed by a physician or purchased

over the counter to provide relief from these symptoms and/or aid you in your weight loss journey. But they don’t seem to help. Yet, you continue taking the most obvious visual symptom of your decline in vitality, hoping to lose weight. This is a wonderful idea, and it can be done. But what I want you to think about is this: what changed in your life before the weight gain, and are these excess pounds truly the root cause of how you feel today?

I’ve coached many patients through their weight loss journeys, and their success rate is always directly related to taking a deep dive into root causes, which are typically more than just diet choices.

Solution-Based Resolutions

Staying with the weight loss example, sometimes weight gain may be linked to a stress hormone reaction to other things going on in your life. If you have been living in a state of fight or flight for a long period of time (years, in fact), your entire body has adapted to this condition: your hormones, your cells, your neurons, every part of you. Weight gain could be a symptom of the years of stress you’ve been under. Weight gain could be your body’s way of self-preservation, as we know stress hormones can hinder your body’s ability to absorb and process nutrients from your food. And because you’re stressed, you probably aren’t eating the healthiest, so

your gut health is struggling as well. I’m trying to illustrate how one thing leads to another and another and another.

As part of your New Year’s resolution to lose weight, quit an addictive habit, get into shape, or whatever it may be, consider treating yourself as a whole picture and not just one detail. I also recommend going easy, being patient, and taking one step at a time. The solution to keeping your resolution may take more than a year, and that’s okay. I think it’s also advantageous to be aware of your stress triggers and the bad habits you have developed to cope.

Remember that while you’re on a path for change, your body may not respond the way you’d like it to as fast as you would like it to, which, as we know, can lead to disappointment and add pressure to what is supposed to be a healthy resolution.

Looking at your resolution in another way means you’ve given yourself permission to take action steps to solving a problem. Action steps imply it may take you some time. Action steps imply there is plenty of room for exploration and discovery. Action steps allow for stumbling and for learning!

#FusionIsBetterMedicine

FUSION PHARMACY

Santa Clara (435) 703-9680 St. George (435) 656-2059 www.FusionSpecialtyPharmacy.com

About the Author Koby Taylor, PharmD, is the owner and pharmacist of Fusion Pharmacy. Working as a retail pharmacist early in his career, Koby began to see that pharmacy patients needed to have access to available alternative medications. He realized that pharmacy in its truest form is compounding, and he wanted to be able to provide patients with customized medications. He also desired more personalized interactions with patients in order to truly help their health and well-being. To fulfill his passion for improving the health of patients and educating them about compounding, Koby opened the doors of Fusion Pharmacy in 2013. Today, Fusion is nationally accredited with PCAB. It is licensed in and ships to 27 states. Fusion is proud to have two locations to better serve the southern Utah community. Koby graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in molecular biology in 1995 and from the University of Utah with his Doctorate of Pharmacy in 2000.

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