Oregon Healthy Living

COMPLIMENTARY

Feb. 2015

Vol. 8 — Issue 2

Solid to the Core

Muscles work hard and look good

PLUS

Sensible Sugar and Treat Suggestions O REGON H EALTHYL IVING . COM

Table of Contents

FeBRUaRY 2015 | VOLUMe 8, ISSUe 2

7 FOOD

14 17 22 24 27 PAMPER FITNESS HEALTH NATURAL EVENTS

Choosing Sugaring: treats: Removing Ingredients matter unwanted hair

Body by Design: Muscle definition

Ups and Downs: Thyroid levels Delicious H2O: Providence offers infused waters ..................pg. 12

Give Us Some (Unrefined) Sugar!

Sweet options

Local Events Calendar: Find out what’s going on in your community

February 2, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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The editor’s desk

aDVeRTISeR INDeX

Sugar…so sweetly addictive, yet increasingly identified as a negative factor in health, influencing diabetes, obesity, allergies and autoimmune responses.

We’ve looked at some alternative options this month.

Check back in March when we will be focusing on the benefits and uses of one natural sugar – honey. Also, you can now view the full magazine each month at www.oregonhealthyliving.com.

crose@mailtribune.com

On the cover

Andy Howell of Medford began bodysculpting when he was 12 years old. Now 36, he’s a father to five daughters ranging in age from 2 ½ to 18 years old. He has worked as a full-time trainer for four years, earning several certifications including NASM and ACE. He has won regional bodysculpting competitions and has a goal of competing on a national level. Andy does a cardio workout three times a week, but does weight training daily, working a different muscle group each day for 45 minutes.

COVER PHOTO BY DAVID GIBB.

STaFF EDITOR: Cheryl P. Rose ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Dena DeRose DESIGN & PRODUCTION: Bret Jackson CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Denise Baratta, David Gibb

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Cathleen Cole, Margaret Battistelli Gardner, Rebecca Hanford, Cindy Quick Wilson

Oregon Healthy Living • February 2, 2015

Abdill Career College ............... 2 Ashland Dental Associates ........ 8 Ashland Food Co-op ............... 9 Blue Giraffe............................ 23 BrainJoy ................................... 4 Imaginears ............................. 20 Katzen Orthodontics ............... 19 Medford Food Co-op ............. 11 Medical Eye Center ................ 11 Medicap Pharmacy ................ 26 Nature’s Pet Market ................ 26 Oregon Advanced Imaging ...... 3 Oregon Surgical Specialists .... 16 Orenda Energy Arts ................. 4 Providence Medford Medical Center....................... 28 Retina Care Center ................. 15 Rogue Fit Studio ..................... 23 Royal Oak Retirement............... 5 Sherm’s Food 4 Less ............... 13 Shop’n Kart............................ 20 Southern Oregon Foot & Ankle Clinic ........................ 27 Southern Oregon Subaru ....... 12 Oregon Healthy Living Magazine is published by the Southern Oregon Media Group Advertising Department, 111 N. Fir St., Medford, OR 97501. General information: 541.776.4411 To advertise: 541.776.4422 Submissions and feedback: crose@mailtribune.com

SUGAR

TOO MUCH OF A SWEET THING

SUGAR SUGAR TOO MUCH OF A SWEET THING

The American Heart Association recommends that women consume no more than 6 teaspoons and men no more than 9 teaspoons of added sugars per day. Even one 20 oz. soda contains far more than that.

FIT BITS

15

6

TOO MUCH OF A SWEET THING

38.6

teaspoons Heart added The American Heart Association recommends that The American Association recommends that Pounds of added sugars from sugar sugars for women women 6 teaspoons and women consume no more than 6consume teaspoons and no more thandrinks are consumed by the average per day noofmore than men no more thanmen 9 teaspoons added sugars per 9 teaspoons of added sugars per teaspoons American each year day. Even one 20 oz. soda contains more than day.

Evenfar one 20 that. oz. soda contains far more than that.

6 9

teaspoons added teaspoons added sugars for women men per day per

9

teaspoons added sugars for men per day

of sugars in a 20 oz. Coke

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vs teaspoons added

sugars for women per day

vs

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23

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385

15

Sources of Added Sugars

teaspoons of sugars in a 20 oz. Coke

13.5% teaspoons All other foods 2.1% Yeast breads of sugars in a 3.8% 20 oz. Coke Cold cereals

vs

teaspoons added sugars for men per day

5.4%

Sugar, syrups, toppings, honey

23

Soda, energy drinks, sports drinks, fruit drinks, tea

6.1% Candy

1. teaspoons

Calories consumed daily from added sugars by the average American

49.7%

12.9%

Burning those calories would take: 385 385

Grain-based desserts

6.5%

1.

Dairy desserts

1.

Calories consumed daily from added sugars by the average American Calories consumed daily from added sugars by the average American

Consumption of

Walking: Basketball:

Burning those calories would take: Added Sugars (78 lbs./year; 2010) Burning those calories would take: 1½ hours

1 hour

Walking: Basketball: Walking: 1½ hours 1 hour 39 lbs

Biking: Biking: ¾ hour ¾ hour

Basketball: 29 lbs HFCS

9 lbs Corn sugar

1 lb

Honey

1½ hours

Sugar, cane & beet

Jogging:

Soda, the Sugar Drink of Choice

¾ hour Jogging: ¾ hour Biking:

1 hour

Jogging: ¾ hour

¾ hour

2.

2.

79%

Carbonated Soda

3%

Energy Drinks

Center for Science in the Public Interest Center for Science in the Public Interest

1220 L Street NW • Suite 300 • Washington, DC 20005

2.

1220 L Street NW • Suite 300 • Washington, DC 20005 www.cspinet.org

www.cspinet.org

6

Sources: 1.Sources: Johnson RK, Appel LJ, Brands M, M, et et al. al. Dietary Dietarysugars sugarsintake intakeand andcardiovascular cardiovascularhealth. health. ” A Scientific Statement from the 1. American Johnson RK, Appel LJ, BrandsCirculation. ” A Scientific Statement from the 2009;120:1011-20.

American Heart Heart Association.

Association. Circulation. 2009;120:1011-20.

Center for Science in the Public Interest 2.2.Arizona Healthy Lifestyles Lifestyles Research Research Center.LAvailable Available at:<http://sites.google.com/site/ <http://sites.google.com/site/ 1220 Street NW • Suite 300 • Washington, DC 20005 Arizona State State University University Healthy Center. at: compendiumofphysicalactivities>.

AccessedJan. Jan.28, 28, 2013. compendiumofphysicalactivities>. Accessed 2013. www.cspinet.org 3.3.Chart Chart 1: 1: 6% Sources: Dietary Guidelines Guidelines for Americans, Figure added ages 2 years Dietary Figure 3-6.

3-6.Sources Sources of addedsugars sugarsinRK, inthe thediets dietsofofthe theU.S. U.S.Population Population ages 2 years and Dietary sugars intake and cardiovascular 1. of Johnson Appel LJ, Brands M, etand al. health.” A Scientific Statement from the older, NHANES NHANES 2005–2006.

2005–2006. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2010/PolicyDoc/Chapter3.pdf.

Teas older, http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2010/PolicyDoc/Chapter3.pdf.

American Heart Association. Circulation. 2009;120:1011-20.

Accessed February February 6, 6, 2013.

2013.

Accessed 2. Arizona State University Healthy Lifestyles Research Center. Available at: <http://sites.google.com/site/ 5% Chart 2: Accessed Jan. 28, 2013.

Chart 2: Loss-Adjusted Food Availability–Sugar and Sweetenerscompendiumofphysicalactivities>. (added). http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food7% Sports Loss-Adjusted Food Availability–Sugar and; accessed Sweeteners (added). http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food3.August Chart 1: availability-(per-capita)-data-system.aspx 24, 2012. availability-(per-capita)-data-system.aspx ; accessed August 24, 2012.Guidelines for Americans, Figure 3-6. Sources of added FruitPopulation Drinks Dietary sugars in the diets of the U.S. ages 2 years and Drinks Chart 3: older, 2005–2006. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2010/PolicyDoc/Chapter3.pdf.

Beverage State ofNHANES the Industry Report. http://www.bevindustry.com/ Chart 3: Marketing Corporation. Beverage Industry 2012 Accessed February 6, 2013. articles/85663-2012-state-of-the-industry-report?v=preview Beverage Marketing Corporation. Beverage Industry 2012 State of the Industry Report. http://www.bevindustry.com/ Chart 2: 4. articles/85663-2012-state-of-the-industry-report?v=preview Johnson RK, Appel LJ, Brands M, et al. Dietary sugars intake and cardiovascular health. A Scientific Statement from the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability–Sugar and Sweeteners (added). http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/foodAmericanRK, Heart Association.

2009;120:1011-20.

4. Johnson Appel LJ, BrandsCirculation.

M, et al. Dietary sugars intake and cardiovascular health.

A Scientific Statement from the availability-(per-capita)-data-system.aspx ; accessed August 24, 2012.

American Heart Association. Circulation. 2009;120:1011-20.

Oregon Healthy LivingChart • 3: February 2, 2015

Beverage Marketing Corporation. Beverage Industry 2012 State of the Industry Report. http://www.bevindustry.com/ articles/85663-2012-state-of-the-industry-report?v=preview 4. Johnson RK, Appel LJ, Brands M, et al. Dietary sugars intake and cardiovascular health. A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2009;120:1011-20.

Sugar Drinks: Making Us Sick

3.

Sweet Surrender Indulgence in treats with healthy ingredients provides some not-so-empty calories TEXT BY REBECCA HANFORD

I

f your resolutions included cutting some of your favorite indulgences from your diet, your willpower may be tested by now. Imagine eating a slice of warm, homemade bread during dinner or unwrapping a chocolate bar for a snack, it’s dark, dreamy flavors melting in your mouth. Local bakers and chocolate enthusiasts shouldn’t despair because healthy options are available. You just need the right ingredients. continued on page 8 February 2, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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FOOD

continued from page 9 Natural ingredients are the difference between an empty-calorie snack, and a food that nourishes your body, according to Jennifer Davis, owner of The Great Unbaked in Grants Pass. She knows the ingredients in her raw chocolate are good for the body any time of day. “My family eats it for breakfast,” says Davis, who first learned of healthy raw chocolate about eight years ago. She researched, tried and honed recipes (which her friends and family happily tested) and the business evolved from there.

All the ingredients in Davis’ chocolates and sweets are natural. “One thing that makes our chocolate different is that our chocolate has so many nutrients in it that aren’t

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Oregon Healthy Living • February 2, 2015

Photos courtesy of Great Harvest Bread destroyed by the heating process,” says Davis. She doesn’t roast the cocoa beans so they retain more nutrients. Instead of refined sugars, Davis uses highly mineralized coconut sugar in her raw chocolate. These natural ingredients create a healthy, satisfying chocolate. “People are blown away by how creamy and good it is,” Davis says.

Bread is another food which gets a bad rap as unhealthy because of processed ingredients and empty calories. “Our bread is made with fresh ground whole wheat flour that retains fiber and vitamins in their natural form,” says Lisa Allen, who owns Great Harvest Bread Company in Medford with her husband, Dan. According to Allen, there are two key factors that makes their Great Harvest bread healthy: local honey and the type of flour. Both ingredients come from local farms and help create fresh bread with fiber, nutrients and vitamins.

Allen says Great Harvest Bread Company uses about one 650-pound barrel of honey in their bread each month. “The Super Food bread, one of our customer favorites, has hemp, quinoa, and flax meal, and is packed with high-fiber, highvitamin grains,” says Allen.

To educate consumers, Allen hosts tours for parents and children in the community. She shares the story of whole grains and how bread fits into a healthy lifestyle. However, despite the health benefits of natural grains, many people shy away from anything with carbohydrates. When people delete bread from their diets, it’s usually bread products made with processed white flour. “If you want to eat a carb,

FOOD

Photos courtesy of The Great Unbaked eat a whole grain because it gives you energy for longer,” says Allen. “You can live a healthy lifestyle by eating whole grains or making whole grain choices.”

The body processes sugars and calories differently depending on the ingredients. For example, the calories in raw chocolate aren’t like a 100-calorie snack-pack. The latter has processed ingredients. Raw chocolate has natural ingredients and raw fats. “When you have a raw fat and put that in your body, it

works with your body,” Davis says. “The effect on your body is totally different. Your body has natural energy it processes throughout the day.”

Whether you’re dieting or craving something tasty with your sweetheart, you can indulge in treats such as bread and chocolate, as long as you consider the ingredients. Healthy ingredients create a plethora of options whether you’re baking your own treat or buying one from the store.

February 2, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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FOOD

TReaTS FOR

Your Sweet

Two healthy Valentine recipes to make for those you love

ROaSTeD BeeT, PeaR, BURRaTa aND PISTaChIO CROSTINI wITh BaLSaMIC ReDUCTION Courtesy of Great Harvest Bread Company

Ingredients 8 slices Great Harvest savory bread cut in half to make triangles 1 medium-sized beet Olive oil as needed Kosher salt and black pepper 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar 1 8 oz. package burrata cheese (if unavailable, fresh mozzarella or goat cheese) ½ ripe pear, cored and sliced thin 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 1 teaspoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley 2 tablespoons chopped roasted, salted pistachios 1 cup balsamic vinegar Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place beet in foil-lined cast iron skillet.

Drizzle with olive oil and kosher salt. Roast uncovered in preheated oven about 45 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife. Remove, cool, peel and slice into half-moon shaped pieces.

Place in bowl. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper. Reserve.

Pour balsamic vinegar into small saucepan. Reduce until a light syrup consistency. Cool completely. It can go from reduction to burned mess quickly.

Place bread slices on sheet tray. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in oven along with beets for 8-10 minutes until brown and slightly crispy, turning once. Reserve.

Spread burrata on the crostini, shingle 2-3 beet slices on each, alternating with pear slices. Top with the herbs, pistachios and pinch of black pepper and kosher salt. Drizzle with balsamic reduction.

Serve immediately.

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Oregon Healthy Living • February 2, 2015

FOOD

VeGaN ICe CReaM SUNDae wITh Raw ChOCOLaTe SaUCe Courtesy of The Great Unbaked

Ingredients for sauce: 1 ¾ cup raw agave or maple syrup (or combination of both) 1 ¼ -1 ½ cup raw cacao powder 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Mix all ingredients in food processor or blender. Put in a squeeze bottle. If needed, put bottle in Mason jar filled with hot water for a few minutes to liquefy.

Ingredients for sundae: Banana Vegan Ice Cream Chopped Nuts In bowl add ice cream and sliced bananas. Top with nuts and sauce.

Can also enjoy over fruit or in cold/hot almond milk.

February 2, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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TEXT BY CINDY QUICK WILSON

A Rethink Your Drinks Infused waters as a healthier alternative to sodas

Photo by Jamie Lusch

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20-ounce soda often contains about 15 teaspoons of sugar with no nutritional value. “No one would sit at a table and eat 15 spoonsful of sugar, but we think nothing of drinking that amount in a sugary drink,” says Karen Bartalini, director of general services at Providence Medford Medical Center.

“Some drinks aren’t necessarily all that bad, but they are often packaged to represent two or three servings.

Because we drink them as one serving, it’s misleading. We’re ingesting a lot of extra calories that add up to extra pounds.”

As a beverage replacement, Providence Medford Medical Center now offers unsweetened, fruit-flavored water. “It has been a hit with the staff,” says Bartalini. “The infused water was the start of our quest to reduce sugarsweetened beverages in the hospital.

During the summer, we had urns of different flavors accessible to the staff and it’s been tremendously popular. We use fruit and different herbs to lightly flavor it. Some of the most popular are watermelon mint and kiwi strawberry.

You can combine whatever flavors you like. It’s free, available and it tastes good.”

Oregon Healthy Living • February 2, 2015

It’s a simple, healthy way to make water a little more interesting, Bartalini says, and there are some added health benefits. “First of all, it encourages people to drink water, and secondly, we hope it makes them think about grabbing water instead of a soda.”

Over the last year, Providence hospitals all across Oregon have been implementing changes they hope will raise awareness about healthier food choices for patients, staff and community members. Encouraged by the success so far, the next step in Providence’s Healthy Dining Initiative is reducing sugar-sweetened beverages in all of their Oregon hospitals. As of January, any sugar-sweetened beverages they sell are limited to no more than 5 percent of added sugar per container.

“The campaign is ‘rethink your drinks.’

We want people to think about what they’re drinking,” Bartalini says.

February 2, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Oregon Healthy Living

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is a Sweet Alternative to Waxing An all natural method of hair removal TEXT BY CINDY QUICK WILSON PHOTOS BY DENISE BARATTA

T

Sugar, water and lemon juice combine to make a sticky yet moldable substance ideal for pain-free and longlasting hair removal.

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Oregon Healthy Living • February 2, 2015

he art of “sugaring” has been used for hair removal since ancient times. Egyptians and Middle Eastern cultures cooked sugar, water and lemon juice into a paste which they applied to the skin and removed with a quick flick of the wrist. Though the process seems similar to modern day waxing, sugaring has definite advantages over the hot wax technique.

PAMPER

“If you have sensitive skin, don’t like the pain of waxing or are prone to ingrown hairs, try sugar.”

— Natalie Mitchell, owner of Skin Solutions in Talent

A warm sugar paste is applied to a leg for hair removal, then brushed off with a flick of the wrist, causing no pain or irritation with the results lasting longer than traditional waxing.

“What’s great about sugaring is that it does not adhere to live skin cells like wax will,” says esthetician Natalie Mitchell, “especially in those sensitive areas like the eyebrows, the lips and the chin. Depending on the type of wax, you can really increase the odds of blistering the skin or causing permanent pigment damage or scarring.

As I tell my clients, if you have sensitive skin, don’t like the pain of waxing or are prone to ingrown hairs, try sugar. It reduces ingrown hairs by more than 70 percent.”

Following specialized training, Mitchell gained experience with the technique in San Francisco. “I brought sugaring to Southern Oregon when I opened my business last March,” says the owner of Skin Solutions in Talent.

“I love to educate people about organic skin care and with sugar, it’s so pure you could literally eat it. It’s biodegradable, it’s compostable and it’s extremely environmentally friendly.”

continued on page 16 February 2, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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PAMPER

“The lack of heat causes less stimulation, less redness and less pain because the skin stays cooler and is less likely to become irritated.”

— Elizabeth Gomez, Waterstone Spa in Ashland continued from page 15

A sugar paste is applied to the upper lip for hair-removal.

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Oregon Healthy Living • February 2, 2015

Elizabeth Gomez, an esthetician with Waterstone Spa in Ashland, says that although it’s a popular choice by those who have tried it, the technique is relatively new here and not well known locally.

“Women who’ve been waxing have no idea that we offer this service at the spa,” she says, but once introduced to the process, it becomes their preferred method of hair removal.

Because it is less irritating to the skin, Gomez says sugaring can remove hair from any part of the body including ears, nose,

even the toes. “We use different consistencies of sugar and that’s important because when you’re working on particularly warm parts of the body you need to have a more firm consistency so that it can grab those coarser hairs like those in the bikini area.”

The organic paste comes premixed in a tub and is kept in a warmer at 99 degrees, closer to body temperature, so there’s never a risk of burning the skin.

“The lack of heat causes less stimulation, less redness and less pain because the skin stays cooler

PAMPER “My clients never want to go back and is less likely to become irritated,” to waxing,” Mitchell says. “Some of Gomez explains. “We apply the paste, them have had bad experiences with either a large ball of it or a small ball, waxing where they leave the salon with depending on the size of the body part red, swollen and irritated skin but with and mold it into the skin against the sugaring, that doesn’t happen. It is a direction of the hair growth so that it much gentler and kinder process. All actually wraps itself around the hair you get is beautiful, smooth skin.” and gently melts down into the follicle.

That gives it a really good grip. A gentle flick of the wrist lifts the sugar off the skin in the direction of the hair growth. With the waxing method, you can cause minor lacerations to the hair follicles and break more of the hair off because of that backwards motion during removal. That allows hair to grow back faster and causes more irritation.”

Another plus is that the results are generally more long lasting than with waxing, Mitchell says.

“It varies from person to person, but with waxing, you want people to come back every four to five weeks to get the best results, but I found that when they came back in, they hardly had any hair so we had to make it around six weeks.” That’s because the sugar will catch much shorter hairs, “Sugaristas” Elizabeth Gomez of Waterstaone Spa in Ashland even the ones waxing leaves (left), and Natalie Mitchell of Skin Solutions in Talent, offer behind, she explains. sugaring as an alternativre to traditional waxing for hair removal.

The SweeT aND SOUR OF SUGaRING The Sweet • An experienced practitioner can perform the procedure quickly with the paste formula. Large amounts of hair can be removed at once. Most waxing requires a limited area of coverage so the process takes longer.

• Organic, environmentally friendly product. Both the paste and gel are water soluble, allowing easy cleanup of any residue left on the skin, unlike regular wax which is made of resins and contains artificial fragrances, dyes, chemicals, and preservatives.

• The paste is gentle enough to be applied multiple times if necessary without fear of inflaming the skin.

• Sugaring hair removal kits can be made right in your own kitchen or kits can be purchased for home use. Follow instructions carefully.

• Repeated hair removal can become permanent. Over time, frequent sugaring can cause the hair follicle to become damaged and can permanently impair hair growth.

The Sour • Beware of some salons and spas that use a wax mixed with sugar and advertise it as sugaring. It is not the same as a real sugaring paste or gel. Find a pro who uses the paste formula for best results.

• If you make your own paste at home, the consistency must be right for it to be effective.

• Pick a reputable salon or spa for sugaring. Lack of cleanliness or poor technique can result in unpleasant consequences like red and inflamed skin or infections.

February 2, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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Solid Core TO THE

Strength training makes it easier to lose weight, feel fit and keep agile

TEXT BY MARGARET BATTISTELLI GARDNER PHOTOS BY DAVID GIBB

Y

ou can’t spot-reduce fat — sorry! — but with proper nutrition and commitment to exercise, you can spot-train certain muscles to work your body into a lean, fat-fighting machine.

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Oregon Healthy Living • February 2, 2015

FITNESS

“Your core is the basis of

your structure. It’s your movement. You use it in everything you do every day” — Andy Howell, personal trainer

The place to start is with core training, according to Andy Howell, a personal trainer at Aspire Fitness in Medford. The core muscle group includes the pelvic floor and girdle of muscles around the hips. The abdominal muscles are the front of the core group, and at the back are your glutes and the paraspinal muscles.

“Your core is the basis of your structure.

It’s your movement. You use it in everything you do every day,” Howell says. “It’s important to have a strong core for a strong back. It protects your internal organs. It’s your stability.”

Unlike most muscles, which need some recovery time between workouts, you can work your core muscles every day because you use them so much that they adapt to

continual usage and recover quickly.

The best exercise for core strength is the plank: Get into pushup position on the floor, then bend your elbows 90 degrees and rest your weight on your forearms.

Your elbows should be directly beneath your shoulders, and your body should form a straight line from your head to your feet. Hold it as long as you can.

“You’d be surprised how many people can only do it for 5 to 15 seconds at first,” Howell says. “But that’s fine. They become stronger the next time. It doesn’t hurt to push a little bit. If you do 15 seconds, go for 20 next time.”

Howell advises working up to a twominute plank before moving on to more advanced exercises.

continued on page 20 February 2, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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FITNESS

continued from page 19 Another good, basic core exercise is the superman, which works all of the muscles on the core posterior, according to Howell: Lie face down on your stomach with arms and legs extended, then simultaneously lift your arms and legs up toward the ceiling. The only thing that should be touching the floor is your hips.

If you’ve been avoiding strength training because you’re afraid of bulking up, forget about it.

“It’s a misconception,” Howell says.

“People with huge muscles don’t get there on accident. You work out to build muscle, not look muscle-y. It just depends on what you want to look like. Do you want to look lean and toned? Or do you want your muscles to look like noodles, with no shape to them?”

Howell suggests that when working arms and legs for toning, it’s important to consider form, range of motion and tempo. Squeeze your muscles as you contract them — if

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Oregon Healthy Living • February 2, 2015

FITNESS

you can’t, then you’re using weights that are too heavy. It’s helpful to meet with a trainer to learn which machines or weights you need and how to use them. For toning, he advises, stay in the 12- to 15-rep range and do about three sets of each exercise.

Howell stresses cardio work alone won’t lead to healthy weight loss in the long run.

A good cardio workout could burn 500 to 600 calories, but then you could take in 1,200 calories on one specialty coffee at the local café. Muscle burns calories more efficiently, leading to a lean, healthy body.

“It’s possible to get thin and fat at the same time,” he says. “If someone tells me they ate 800 calories a day and lost all this weight, a lot of times their body fat actually goes up. And what that tells me is that they cut calories and didn’t exercise, so they basically just starved the muscle off their body.”

Howell’s overarching advice is to keep it simple and don’t expect too much too fast.

It takes about eight weeks to start seeing and feeling a difference. It also takes a lot of determination and commitment for both exercise and proper nutrition.

Janet Lopez, owner of Jasper’s Café in Medford, agrees. She started strength training with Howell two years ago, when she was 55 years old and 35 pounds overweight. With a diet of clean, unprocessed foods and a strict workout routine, she lost the excess weight and toned her body.

“A lot of times, your mind is your worst enemy,” she says. “You have to be positive and stick to it; that’s when you’re successful.

And take it one day at the time. My motto is: Win the day. Just win the day, that’s all you have to do.”

YOU CaN’T OUT-TRaIN

While exercise helps, you can’t get lean and healthy without the proper diet — one that includes lots of whole, unprocessed foods and little to no sugar, fast foods and packaged products loaded with chemicals and preservatives and little actual nutritional value.

Personal trainer Andy Howell advises ensuring you take in the proper balance of carbs, fats and protein at each meal.

Eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day is also important, he says.

a BaD DIeT

Janet Lopez, owner of Jasper’s Café in Medford, who lost 35 pounds working with Howell, agrees.

“I see people who work out and then think they’ve ‘earned it’ to go to Jack in the Box for lunch a couple of times a week,” she says. “It doesn’t work that way. You’ve got to change your eating style first of all, and then secondly, at least walk for an hour every day. Once you do that, you start seeing results, and then it gets exciting!”

February 2, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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THYROID Ups & Downs

Feeling restless or fatigued?

Have your thyroid checked.

TEXT BY CATHLEEN COLE

T

anya Downing of Central Point had her first child at 22 and her second three years later.

The young mother was always extremely tired, but she chalked it up to being a working mom with two little kids. However, there were other symptoms: hair loss, weight gain, cold hands – all classic symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Her own mother has thyroid disease, but Downing pushed the idea aside. “I kind of suspected,” she says. “I just didn’t want to deal with it.” After a co-worker noticed how ice-cold her hands were and suggested she get her thyroid checked, she got the test and found out what she already knew. She’s been on thyroid medication since then. “I see a huge difference,” she says.

The important butterfly-shaped gland

The thyroid is the small, butterfly-shaped gland situated below the Adam’s apple in your throat. It produces hormones that affect your body’s organs, tissues and cells. If your thyroid doesn’t work properly, neither will you.

Common symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, dry skin, constipation, a slower metabolism and mood swings. Common symptoms of hyperthyroidism include weight loss, sweating, an increased metabolism, irritability, heart palpitations, thyroid enlargement and difficulty staying asleep. If left untreated, both conditions can cause numerous health problems.

Most thyroid patients are women

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune condition where the body makes antibodies against the thyroid gland, is the most common definable cause of hypothyroidism, according to Joel Klein, a physician with Ventana Wellness in Medford.

Frequently, however, no specific cause can be found.

Most thyroid patients are women, and most of them have hypothyroidism. It’s common for women between the ages of 30 and 50 to be diagnosed, but often they’ve had the disease for decades and didn’t realize it. Sometimes these women seek

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Oregon Healthy Living • February 2, 2015

medical help because they feel exhausted much of the time, and they don’t know why. Others have a family history of the disease.

Mirela Cvijanovic is a specialist in internal medicine with an interest in endocrinology at Asante Physician Partners -Physician Services. More of her female patients are diagnosed with hypothyroidism, she confirms, but the prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidsm – the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is elevated and free thyroxine (T4) is normal – is even higher.

Hypothyroidism can be brought on by pregnancy – postpartum thyroiditis. The condition might correct itself when hormones level out, but some women develop permanent hypothyroidism.

Nutrition and thyroid disease

A possible way to avoid thyroiditis is to keep intestinal yeast overgrowth down by limiting carbohydrates, sugar and gluten.

“Cut back on processed foods and sugar,” Klein recommends.

Research has shown a link between Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and celiac disease, another autoimmune condition where patients are sensitive to gluten. According to Klein, gluten, dairy, corn and soy can be playing a role, especially if it’s an autoimmune problem.

Lissa McNiel, a naturopathic physician with Arbora Natural Medicine Solutions in Medford, agrees that nutrition can play a role. “Patients benefit from a healthy lifestyle and avoiding foods that can disrupt thyroid function such as wheat, processed soy products, GMO foods and sugar,” she says. “A whole food, organic diet with a variety of healthy fats and micronutrient rich fruits and vegetables can help to promote thyroid function.”

HEALTH Supplements such as B vitamins, iodine and selenium can help, McNiel says, but warns that if a patient has Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, it is important not to take too much iodine as this micronutrient can make the condition worse. “Always work with a practitioner when treating a thyroid condition,” McNiel advises. “Laboratory evaluation will need to be done routinely to determine optimal dosing.”

Treating hypothyroidism

If you’re having symptoms, you should tell your doctor, who will typically order a TSH blood test. The hormone causes the thyroid gland to make thyroxine (T4), which is then turned into tri-iodothyronine (T3), which helps control your body’s metabolism. Some doctors also check free T3 and free T4.

“I commonly treat the patient based on the free T3 test,” Klein says. “There are significant questions about the 40year practice of just treating the TSH number and a very valid argument can be made to treat the patient’s symptoms and use the free T3 test to see if they are getting too much.”

Even if the thyroid tests fall within the “normal” range, Klein might still prescribe thyroid hormone replacement medication. “Treating the patient’s symptoms is what you do,” he said. “I will treat the patient and not the lab test.”

According to Cvijanovic, if the TSH is elevated but free T4 (the active hormone) is normal, treatment is not recommended unless the person has symptoms or is pregnant. Thyroid supplements are not without side effects, she warns, specifically if you are taking a dose that is higher than what your body needs. Heart failure, rapid heart rate and osteoporosis are all consequences of that. “Education and awareness of potential detrimental aspects of over-treating are crucial in this as well as other conditions,” she confirms.

Treating hyperthyroidism

There are three ways to treat an overactive thyroid. First is surgery to remove part or all of the thyroid gland. Second is using radioactive iodine to destroy thyroid tissue. Both of these options guarantee that the patient will switch to hypothyroidism and need hormone replacement therapy.

A third option is taking an anti-thyroid medicine –

propylthiouracil (PTU) or methimazole.

When it comes to hyperthyroidism it gets a little bit trickier, Cvijanovic says. “I have a lengthy discussion with the patient, weigh the benefits and risks of all the treatment options, have them think it over, read and then we reach the decision together,” she says. The hyperthyroid state needs to be calmed with medications first before considering radioactive iodine or surgery.

Primary-care physicians can treat most patients with thyroid disease, but many are not comfortable treating hyperthyroidism and will refer patients to an endocrinologist, Klein says.

Get it treated

Although hypothyroidism can cause additional health problems, no one dies suddenly from the disease, Klein notes.

Hyperthyroidism is much more stressful on the body’s systems and “thyroid storm” can cause major stress on the heart and occasionally prove fatal.

When a patient’s thyroid is functioning normally, frequent blood tests are unnecessary. “Once they’re controlled and doing well, I just check them once a year,” Klein says. He notes that people with thyroid disease are not more likely to get thyroid cancer. “Thyroid cancer is uncommon and rarely fatal,” Klein says.

There are many causes for people to have fatigue, but combined with weight gain, dry skin and hair loss – it could signal a thyroid problem. “They should absolutely get their thyroid checked,” Klein says. But even if the numbers are in the normal range, that doesn’t mean they don’t have a thyroid issue, he notes, adding, “It’s worth a trial of thyroid hormone to see if they feel better.”

Cvijanovic stresses the importance of treating thyroid disease, whether it’s hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism.

“I vividly recall a gentleman with severe heart failure due to hyperthyroidism,” she says. “He needs a heart transplant now.”

Hypothyroidism can cause slow heart rate, accelerated heart disease, high cholesterol and infertility. “Thyroid hormones regulate almost every cell in the body like a thermostat,” she explains. “You have too much you burn, too little you freeze.

I religiously take my pill every morning.”

February 2, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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TEXT BY CATHLEEN COLE

Sugar Fix

S

ugar and our taste for it come naturally: fructose from fruit and lactose from milk, for example. Sugar is not inherently evil. It’s bad when we consume massive quantities of it, which Americans tend to do.

Over the past 30 years, according to the American Heart Association, Americans have steadily consumed more added sugar in their diets, contributing to the obesity epidemic.

Most Americans eat about 20 teaspoons of added sugar a day.

For most American women, the AHA recommends about 6 teaspoons (no more than 100 calories) per day. For men, it’s about 9 teaspoons (no more than 150 calories) per day. For children, 3 to 6 teaspoons (100 calories or less) is enough.

With the deluge of processed foods and sugary bottled beverages that worked their way into American diets in the last century, we’ve become addicted to sugar.

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Oregon Healthy Living • February 2, 2015

Sugar overload

Kayley Gamm, a registered dietitian with Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford, confirms that added sugar offers extra calories but nothing nutritious to foods.

“Sugar doesn’t provide any nutritional benefits,” she says, noting that eating sugar has the same addictive tendencies as smoking cigarettes and drinking alcoholic beverages.

Tyler Giles, general manager of HealthWay Nutrition Center in Medford, knows that American diets are disproportionately focused on sugar, but sugar isn’t all bad. “Our diets are out of balance,” he says. “It’s the excess sugar in our diets that’s bad.”

Where is all this excess sugar coming from? Liquid sugar in sodas, energy drinks and sports drinks is the leading source of added sugar in the American diet, representing 36 percent of all added sugar consumed, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Because liquid doesn’t include fiber, the body processes it quickly, causing more sugar to be sent to the pancreas and liver than they can process properly.

The resulting overload of sugar leads to heart disease, diabetes

NATURAL

Breaking your sugar habit is hard, but worth it for your health and liver disease. Giles gives an analogy to alcohol – sipping wine versus downing shots of liquor. Ingesting sugary liquids rapidly, just like alcohol shots, is too much for a body’s filtering organs to process. And like too much alcohol too fast, too much sugar too fast can hurt the pancreas and liver.

Sugar is sugar

Is unrefined sugar better than processed white sugar? Giles believes sugar is sugar: brown sugar, pure cane sugar, molasses, honey, high-fructose corn syrup. “It’s all sugar ultimately,” he says, although he confirms that honey and unrefined sugars offer some nutrition. Gamm agrees, acknowledging that unrefined sugar has a few more trace minerals and nutrients, but it’s not enough to derive benefits and has the same amount of calories as refined sugar.

Gamm explains that there are two types of sugar: naturally occurring sugar such as fructose in fruit and lactose in milk, and added sugars such as high-fructose corn syrup in sodas and refined sugar in cereals and sauces. Added sugars are for flavoring and are also used as a preservative.

“There’s nothing wrong with a little dab of honey and whole fruits,” Giles says. “Our palates have been destroyed by too much sugar and we need to readjust.”

Learning to limit sugar

Sweeteners fall into three categories, according to Gamm.

Artificial sweeteners include aspartame, saccharin and sucralose that are ingredients in brands NutraSweet, Sweet ’N Low and Splenda, respectively. Sugar alcohols, including mannitol, sorbitol and xylitol, are lower in calories and don’t cause tooth decay like table sugar. They are used in products including toothpaste and gum. (Gamm advises that too much sugar alcohol can cause bloating and diarrhea.) Natural sugars include sugar cane, honey and agave. Stevia is also a natural sugar derived from a plant. It has zero calories and is said to be sweeter than refined sugar. Pure Via and Truvia brand products, among others, contain stevia.

No sugar substitute is perfect, Giles admits. He recommends using small amounts of stevia or xylitol as a stepping stone to limit sugar in your diet until natural sugars from whole fruits

February 2, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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NATURAL

are enough to satisfy a craving for sweets.

When trying to limit sugar, it’s helpful to know how much you ingest. Gamm recommends reading nutritional labels on packaged foods and bottled drinks carefully to check for added sugar.

Giles suggests limiting foods and beverages with excessive added sugar, but also warns of refined starches, such as white flour. Refined starches have no fiber to slow down absorption in the intestines, so they convert to sugar quickly. On nutrition labels, starches are listed as carbohydrates, not sugar.

A final tip is to wean yourself off sugar slowly – not a cold-turkey, zero-tolerance approach. “It would be foolish to think we should have a zero-sugar diet,” Giles says. “We need to do it wisely and with moderation.”

That’s sweet Artificial sweeteners Aspartame, saccharin, sucralose Brands: Equal, NutraSweet, Sweet ’N Low, Splenda Sugar alcohols Mannitol, xylitol, sorbitol Products: tooth paste, gum, low-calorie candy Natural sugars Sugar cane, honey, agave, stevia Stevia brands: Pure Via and Truvia

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Oregon Healthy Living • February 2, 2015

Local Events aShLaND GaRDeN CLUB SeeD SwaP weDNeSDaY, FeBRUaRY 4, 2015 – 7 P.M. TO 8 P.M.

Free event for all ages. No preregistration required.

North Mountain Park Nature Center, 620 North Mountain Ave., Ashland, OR

FIRST FRIDaY NIGhT TIBeTaN SINGING BOwL SOUND heaLING & MeDITaTION FRIDaY, FeBRUaRY 6, 2015 - 7:00 P.M. Woolworth Building, 33 N. Central, 2nd Floor Conference Room, Medford, OR For more information or to register contact: Karen Parnell 541.621.7891 or OrendaEnergyArts@gmail.com

COUPLeS ShUFFLe – 10K ReLaY/LOVe STINKS 5K SOLO SaTURDaY, FeBRUaRY 7, 2015 – 9 a.M. Griffin Creek Elementary School, 2430 Griffin Creek Road, Medford, OR For more information or to register go to: www.sorunners.org

MINDFULNeSS FOR MeNTaL heaLTh MONDaY, FeBRUaRY 9, 2015 – 10 a.M. TO 11 a.M.

Community Counseling Center of Ashland, 600 Siskiyou Boulevard, Ashland, OR For more information call: 541.414.7213

heaRTSaVeR aDULT CPR/aeD CLaSS SaTURDaY, FeBRUaRY 14, 2015 – 9 a.M. TO 12 P.M. Ashland Fire Station 1, 455 Siskiyou Boulevard, Ashland, OR Pre-registration and a $35 fee required. To register, go to: www.cpr@ashland.or.us

PRIMITIVe COOKING CLaSS SaTURDaY, FeBRUaRY 21, 2015 – 1 P.M. TO 3 P.M.

U.S. Cellular Community Park, 300 Lowry Lane, Medford, OR For more information and to register visit: www.coyotetrails.org or call 541.772.1390

ROGUe RIVeR RUN – haLF MaRaThON/5K/I MILe FUN RUN SaTURDaY, FeBRUaRY 21, 2015 – 9:30 a.M. Fleming Memorial Park, Gold Hill, OR For more information: e-mail Scott Becker at osbecker@hotmail.com

hOMeLeSS TO hOPeFUL RUN – 1 MILe/5K/10K SaTURDaY, FeBRUaRY 28, 2015 – 8:30 a.M. Harry & David Field, 2929 South Pacific Highway, Medford, OR For more information and to register go to: www.heartswithamission.org/annual-benefit-auction

February 2, 2015 • Oregon Healthy Living

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