Breathe Magazine by Summit Publishing

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inspiring active women

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tipping points

3 women weigh in on BALANCE

breaking

SAD

BEAT THE WINTER BLUES

Balance the art of

PAINTING A CLEARER PICTURE

FLU FIGHTERS

CHI RUNNING

BOOTING UP

H HIGCH TE

E MAD 1 00%H E U S A IN T

SEE

E W! M O C HATS NE W

POL

C AX. M AR

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contents

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Scale Models

editor in chief Lindsey Grossman lindsey@readbreathe.com

THREE WOMEN SHARE THEIR BOUTS— AND TRIUMPHS—WITH BALANCE

contributing writers

Brooke Edge

art director

The Art of Balance

magazine

copy editor

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features

breathe magazine

Aleigh Acerni Lia Aprile Caitlin Boyle Jodi Helmer Kelly Love Johnson Angie Mizzell Colleen Oakley Monica Olivas Kath Younger

Winter 2010 • The Balance Issue

Megan Murphy

senior designer Amanda Powers

associate designer Christa Albano

IS IT ALL HYPE OR THE REAL DEAL?

Beat the Blues FIGHTING SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER

web exclusive

On Point

THE GROWING ACCEPTANCE OF ACUPUNCTURE. Plus DIY acupressure tips! Only at readbreathe.com

contributing photographers Ashley Davis Tom Daly

IT director Craig Snodgrass

publisher Martha Evans martha@readbreathe.com

president Blake DeMaso blake@readbreathe.com

account executives Dusty Allison dusty@readbreathe.com Martha Evans martha@readbreathe.com Charles Leonard charles@readbreathe.com Leah Woody leah@readbreathe.com

business manager Melissa Gessler

contact us 107 West Market Street Charlottesville, VA 22902 434.817.2755 56 College Street, Suite 303 Asheville, NC 28801 828.225.0868

departments 5 NUTRITION COME OVER TO THE GREEN SIDE 7 FITNESS KICK YOUR WORKOUT UP A NOTCH 10 BREATHE IN BRRRRING IT! OUR WINTER WISH LISTS FOR GEAR, STYLE AND BEAUTY 17 HEALTH FLU FIGHTERS 22 FAMILY IN + OUT. WINTER ACTIVITIES FOR EVERY AGE.

cover © Ashley Davis ashleydavisphotography.com

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GREENS

come over to the green side By Kath Younger

In an ideal world, everyone would love greens. Families would celebrate healthy, nutritious food around the dinner table each night. Kids would smile as they munched through broccoli, kale and collard greens. Men would request tempeh stir-fry for dinner. What sounds like a dream world is not a total stretch. Condition your family to love the healthy foods that you do with some tweaks to your approach.

Get creative with flavor. Want to know one of my deep, dark secrets? I put maple syrup on all greens! That’s not entirely true, but I do love garlicky kale and collards finished with a drizzle of maple. The richness takes the bitterness out of the vegetables. I’m not suggesting you douse all veggies in sugar, but go a little heavy on the condiments—BBQ sauce, fancy mustards, cinnamon, vanilla, honey, parmesan, Cajun seasoning. Part of getting your loved ones to like the taste of healthy foods is actually putting them in their mouths. And if that requires a little sauce, so be it. Be as enthusiastic about broccoli as you are about cookies. How many times did you hear your mom say, “Now Jennifer, you don’t get any cookies if you don’t finish that broccoli,” with that slight negative tone on the vegetable part? Show your family how delicious they can be by taking the taboo out of them. Make all foods equal, and put as much enthusiasm in your voice when you talk about that baked sweet potato as you do when you talk about buttercream icing. This may require some effort on your part, but it will be worth it!

Healthy food requires no explanation. Stop cooking in black and white and see the world in color. Getting your family to like a wider variety of healthy foods will take time, so rather than present them with a stirfry of tofu and bok choy, try adding to your standard recipes. Do a beef stir-fry with a little less beef and add some tofu to the mix. Or serve your family’s favorite tacos over salads rather than nacho chips. Similarly, don’t apologize or make a big deal about new foods or healthy swaps. Just do them. Present them as if the meal were normal. If your kiddos or spouse complain, tell them tough. If they’re hungry, they’ll eat.

Bacon Cheese Bean Burgers

These bean-based burgers are so tasty you won’t know they are bean-based! A good example of a “meet in the middle” recipe, the bacon and cheese maintain a savory, full flavor while the beans keep cost, calories and fat lower. You can tweak the recipe however you please by adding herbs and spices, chopped mushrooms, peppers and corn.

ingredients (makes 4 burgers) • 4 slices nitrate-free bacon, chopped into pieces • 1 1/3 cups pinto beans • ¼ cup whole wheat flour • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce • ¼ tsp kosher salt • 4 grinds black pepper • ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

directions

Cook bacon pieces in a hot pan until crispy. Remove from pan and turn off heat. Meanwhile, mash remaining ingredients in a big mixing bowl. Use a fork and lots of arm muscle power to turn the beans into a nice mash. Add bacon and mix. Form into 4 patties. Reheat bacon pan (with grease) and sear patties in grease for about 4-5 minutes. Flip and cook until both sides are brown. Turn off heat. Top with shredded cheese and cover for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve on a whole wheat bun or over a leafy salad.

Kath Younger, RD, writes a popular healthy food blog read by over 10,000 visitors a day from around the world (Kath Eats Real Food, which you’ll find at KathEats.com). Having lost over 30 pounds since graduating from college, Kath is a Registered Dietitian and is opening a Great Harvest Bread Company with her husband in Charlottesville, VA. winter 2010

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fitness

TRENDS

kick your workout up a notch By Colleen Oakley

Rena BUCHGRABER

There are only so many three-mile treadmill runs you can do without wanting to hit the snooze alarm on your workout. Get your head back in the game with these five fitness trends that are sure to spice up your routine—and get you in better shape than ever.

you

try this

what it is

benefits

how to start

Running

Chi Running

Meditation meets jogging. Chi runners believe that training your mind is as important as training your body, and Chi running teaches you how to focus and lift your spirit as you log your miles.

It can help reduce or eliminate knee and hip pain, and help prevent hamstring pulls, Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, soreness and fatigue.

Go to ChiRunning.com where you can find a certified Chi running trainer or Chi running workshops near you.

Yoga

Hyp-yoga

Hypnotherapy on a yoga mat. Hyp-yoga takes the mind-body connection of yoga a step further by helping you reach your goals and change your life through hypnosis. Don’t worry—you won’t be asked to squawk like a chicken.

Want to eat healthier? Relieve stress? Be more motivated to work out? Hypyoga can help you do all these things and more, as long as you’re open to the power of suggestion.

Find a class in your area through hyp-yoga.com, or download a class at yogachocolate.com.

Circuit training

IntenSati

An intense (as the name implies) cardio workout that combines aerobics, martial arts and shouting out positive affirmations to keep morale high and your mind involved.

Success—in and out of the gym. Like the Law of Attraction, intenSati practitioners believe that what they set their mind to, they can achieve. More than a workout, this program is a lifestyle of optimism.

Go to satilife.com to find a class near you.

Spinning

Kranking

Invented by the same guy who brought us spinning, Kranking utilizes a machine with pedals that you turn with your hands, instead of your feet. Talk about toned triceps!

An American Council of Exercise study just concluded that Kranking provides an intense and effective workout that may build upper-body muscular fitness, boost aerobic capacity and burn calories.

For a map of all U.S. gyms that offer Kranking, go to krankcycle.com.

Jumping Rope

Urban Rebounding

A cardio workout on a trampoline. Seriously.

Along with all the other great effects of cardio exercises (sleeping better, revving up your metabolism, preventing disease), Urban Rebounding is great for those with little time and little space. It offers high calorie burn in a short amount of time and the trampoline will fit in nearly any cramped apartment or basement.

Call a Crunch gym near you—it’s offered at most locations. Or go to UrbanRebounding.com for your own trampoline and DVD workout.

winter 2010

scale models Three women share their bouts—and triumphs—with balance.

eat By Monica Olivas

run

I have been running for more than six years. I have two marathons under my belt and several half marathons. I lace up my running shoes first thing in the morning four days out of the week like clockwork. But only recently have I really learned how to balance running with eating. When I first started running, I thought I could eat anything I wanted. I mean, I was running—doesn’t that burn a ton of calories? So, I justified eating too many sweets or finishing off my boyfriend’s dinner because I knew I would be “running it off” the next day. Well, surprisingly that never happened. No matter how much I ran, I would eat to compensate for it and I didn’t drop an ounce. Actually, when I increased my mileage during training I would gain weight because I was eating so much! Then, I went toward the opposite end of the spectrum. I signed up for a half marathon hoping to lose weight. Despite what the professional runners said, the training books advised, and the sports nutrition websites listed, I refused to eat before my runs or eat anything during a long run. I figured it would derail my efforts, and I thought I knew better. Once again, I didn’t lose an ounce. This time I went back to the sports nutrition books and gave them some serious consideration. I finally realized that I wasn’t balancing food and running. I wasn’t looking at it from a health standpoint or a healthy mindset at all for that matter! I already saw running as my hobby. I was in love with the quiet morning miles, the sound of my feet hitting the pavement, the time to think through my life. But, my favorite pastime is taxing on my body, and I was not seeing eating as a way to fuel my passion. I needed to see food as fuel. I decided to reframe how I approached eating and running. Now 8

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when I had a long run planned (something I actually look forward to like it’s a day at Disney) I make sure to eat well the day before, including a balanced, but carb-loaded, stick-with-you dinner. I also started eating before my morning runs. This took some practice since I had to figure out what my body could handle before being jostled around. I felt so much better when I was properly fueled. It was a learning process, but slowly I became more in tune with how my body responded to running based on the different foods I ate (or sometimes, didn’t eat). Some days require more fuel than others, but learning my body’s needs and responding by tweaking my plan is exactly what balance is all about. Now that I have put together the importance of balancing food and running I feel healthier, happier and am a better runner. My newfound view on eating well has improved my running so much that I’m actually considering training to attempt to qualify for the Boston Marathon… the runner’s Mecca! That is something I would never have been able to do without changing my approach to fueling. I now am the first to encourage other runners that they must “eat well to run well”. I ask a lot of my body with all those miles and I make sure to give it love and good fuel in return. Monica Olivas is a writer, blogger and healthy living enthusiast living in Southern California. She is the blogger behind runeatrepeat.com. You can also check out her Breathe blog, Healthily Ever After, at readbreathe.com.

home By Kelly Love Johnson

away

In January, I spent two days driving halfway across the country—from Charleston, SC, to Austin, TX—with a dog in the passenger seat and a sedated cat in the back. Moving from home wasn’t a decision I made lightly. I grew up in Charleston and would be leaving my entire family (my mom, three sisters, five nieces and one to-be, and a nephew) back home. I hadn’t moved away since I spent two years in Orlando working at Disney between high school and college… during which I put thousands of miles on my first car; because I was so homesick I drove seven hours home and back twice a month. But I was moving towards something for the first time in a long time, something new, something exciting. The months before I moved were a whirlwind of packing and to-do listing and goodbye-saying. I’m not embarrassed to admit, once on the road, I didn’t stop weeping until I was well into Georgia, in part because I was leaving my family, but also because I was operating well outside of my comfort zone. I pulled up roots in order to find a balance between the adventurous person I’ve always wanted to be and the hesitant homebody I am. I’ve always had to force myself to enjoy travel (once I get to a place, I’m usually glad I did), have never loved sleeping in

hotels, and am envious of friends who have the travel bug and the wanderlust. My homebody is perfectly happy keeping things exactly as they are, not talking to strangers, spending evenings reading or watching television or writing. And she suddenly found herself challenged by this new, bold adventurer. I live in one of the music capitals of the world, in one of the most social, interesting, friendly cities in the U.S. My adventurous self buys books about Austin and all of its amazing places to explore; my homebody sits on the couch and reads them. My adventurous self often thinks about standing in line for tickets to Austin City Limits, which is on stage about 15 minutes away from my house. My homebody watches Austin City Limits on public television on Saturday nights. My adventurer makes lists of dog parks, hiking trails, restaurants and social events she finds online. My homebody finds reasons to stay inside (especially during a summer with 100plus degree temperatures). The internal arguments are exhausting. Adventurer: “Let’s get out and meet people and make new friends!” Homebody: “I already have friends. Let’s call them.” It’s not the homesickness that causes this conflict, though I spent months marveling at how different (hot, weird, large, crowded) this new place is, insisting that every one of my family members and best friend install Skype immediately because talking isn’t the same without being able to see their faces. I’ve dipped a toe in, going to social media events, a jazz brunch, a club to see a band that played Sinatra covers. After 10 months, I’m discovering that the adventurer is gaining some ground. We’ve even been to hiking trails—with the dog—and had conversations with total strangers. We’re going to a book festival. We’re going to restaurants alone. We’ve gotten to know some of our neighbors. No, the homebody isn’t caving easily, but she is caving. Her grumbling is getting fainter, she’s spending less time on the couch, and she’s starting to enjoy the little push she gets every now and then on a cool Saturday morning when the adventurer decides we’re going to a lovely brunch place followed by a walk in the park by the lake. Kelly Love Johnson (kellylovejohnson.com) is an Austin-based writer, editor and author who always has Carolina on her mind.

By Lia Aprile

play

Over the summer I completed an intensive yoga teacher training in New York, and for those four weeks I did nothing but think, speak and eat yoga. It. Was. Heaven. Finally my life had a singular focus, and I planned on keeping it that way. Of course I will continue to study for 10 hours a day when I’m back home. Puh-leeze. Piece of cake. But then, I graduated. And the day after graduation my boyfriend proposed to me on the steps of our building in Brooklyn. In that moment, standing there on our steps, him kneeling beneath me, all my plans about continued and uninterrupted devotion went right out the window. And my actual life came rushing in. I’m a yoga teacher. I’m engaged.

I’m about to turn 30. I’m so excited! I’m—oh my God how am I going to do this? Because, honestly, as passionate as I am about the practice of yoga, and now about the teaching of it—I am equally as passionate about going out to dinner and drinking red wine, about lounging in bed in the mornings with my fiancé (tee-hee), and even about occasionally watching America’s Next Top Model. (Okay, obsessively watching America’s Next Top Model. Tyra Banks you are fieeeeeerce!). So, it became very clear, very quickly, that I was going to have to find a level of devotion that made me feel comfortable and fit in with my real life, not my mystic-on-a-mountaintop life, but my actual imperfect one. If I wanted to be devoted to my practice (which I do) and engaged in my life (ditto!), then I would need to do the following:

Get Up Early Seriously, all those books by successful people about how getting up early is the secret to success…they’re not joking. Getting up early enough to practice and meditate and maybe read a little something inspirational before my actual “day” begins is a revelation. No more afternoon nap guilt!

Do It Anyway Ugh, I know. Apparently, the idea that I need to be “in the mood” to do something before I actually do it is, um… wrong. Because it turns out what I’m “in the mood” to do most every day is to re-organize my already organized desk or catch up on last week’s Project Runway. It is not, often, to roll out my mat and practice in my hot living room.

Give. Myself. A break. I keep telling my students that if they fall out of a pose, it doesn’t mean they’ve failed, it means they’re attempting. The falling is the indication that they’re testing their limits, so it is even more important in those moments that they brush it off, and come back. I can’t tell you the number of times I have dropped the ball on something in my life because I decided I had “failed”—I skipped my meditation, I ate something I wasn’t supposed to, I had a bad rehearsal—and instead of brushing myself off and trying again, I just packed up my metaphorical mat and walked away. And that, I’m learning, is just not how devotion works. It will never be possible for me to find balance and have all of the things I want in my life—my practice and my marriage and the occasional glass of red wine—if I am requiring perfect unshakeable devotion to any of them. Perfect unshakeable devotion to red wine, however, I think I’ve mastered. • Lia Aprile is a writer, actress and yoga teacher in Los Angeles, CA. When she’s not peddling her headshots or perfecting her handstand, Lia can be found tending to her yoga blog, Shanti Town, which is definitely about yoga, but mostly about life (the messy kind). You can find it at shanti-town.blogspot.com. winter 2010

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A One-Horse Race

Veg Meets Wedge

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ON THE FRYE

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We love Lucy, the latest wedge style from Novacas. As the company name implies, no cows (or other animals) were harmed in the making of this boot. $160 • mooshoes.com

A modern, clean spin on the classic cowboy boot. Who knew vegan could be so in vogue? We did! $140 • neuaurashoes.com

Two trends, one timeless boot. Whether it’s over-the-knee or cuffed, you can't go wrong with the Dannika Zip. $588 • thefryecompany.com

Imagine

a place that is a moving experience, even when you’re sitting still. The Blue Ridge Parkway winds across our county and intersects with our spirit. It is more than a road. It’s your connection to the majestic beauty of the 215-foot-high Natural Bridge of Virginia, the rich history celebrated in our towns and universities, and the unforgettable adventure of the Virginia Safari Park. We invite you to visit a place that will stay with you long after you’ve passed through.

Call today for your free travel guide. Toll-free: 877-453-9822. lexingtonvirginia.com

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Lexington • Buena Vista RockBRidge county

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GEAR

let it snow The latest women’s winter gear makes it easier (and more fun!) to keep active in the cold.

If you’re a more advanced skier who can’t resist fresh pow or a Rocky Mountain ski vacation, Rossignol’s S 110 W provides more maneuverability, easier steering, and more forgiveness than any other powder ski on the market. $880 • rossignol.com

Whether shoveling an icy driveway, hiking slushy trails or walking the dog on a blustery day, your feet will appreciate the added traction of Diamond Grip. Made of case hardened steel alloy, and strung on steel aircraft cable, Diamond’s patented beads have hundreds of biting edges that grip in all directions. $39.95 • icetrekkers.com Icebreaker’s RealFleece Igloo Hood is a stylish “trails to town” alternative to synthetic petroleum-based fleece. Made from merino wool grown in New Zealand’s Southern Alps, it’s soft, warm and cozy on the inside, with a smooth durable air-permeable jersey finish on the outside. $200 • icebreaker.com If you’re an expert who wants one of the most technologically advanced frontside/all mountain skis, look no further than Volkl’s Attiva Fuego. The ski was developed to improve the performance of high-end women’s specific skis, and in the process Volkl discovered a design that put less stress on the knees through ski shape and stance position. $1,125 • volkl.com

if the snowshoe fits... Snowshoeing is an inexpensive, heart-healthy winter sport with an almost instant learning curve. Check out these spots for miles of trails to explore and enjoy: Backbone Farm, Pleasant Valley, MD • White Grass Touring Center, Davis, WV • Moses Cone Memorial Park, Blowing Rock, NC • Mountain Lake Conservancy, Pembroke, VA MSR Women’s Lightning Flash, $199.95 • cascadedesigns.com

If you’re a beginner to intermediate level skier who mostly sticks to groomers, we’ve found your ideal ski, and at a very reasonable price. Dynastar’s Exclusive Sensation + Nova 9 Fluid makes controlling speed and shaping turns seem like second nature. $530 • dynastar.com winter 2010

breathein

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balancing act A roundup of natural beauty agents that work to balance your skin's natural moisture with the harsh effects of winter weather. Bonus? They're all loaded with vitamins and minerals. Replenishing Body Cleanser, $32 • becauseskincare.com

Oil Free Face Cleanser Wipes, $9.99 for a pack of 30 wipes • lafreshgroup.com Elemeni Radiance Face Oil, $29.99 • maxgreenalchemy.com

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5-in-1 Face Cream SPF 30, $38 • firstaidbeauty.com

Glycogen Protein Balancing Shampoo and Conditioner, $9.98 (shampoo) and $10.28 (conditioner) • aubrey-organics.com

The Art of by ANGIE MIZZELL photos by TOM DALY

Balance Do you often feel like an entire month has gone by, and you have no idea where it went? Overwhelmed by all the things to do? Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not alone. We could use more balance in our lives, but does it really exist?

winter 2010

t is 8:30 on Friday morning, and the kids are ready to go. Backpack. Check. Diaper bag. Check. Mommy’s showered and dressed. Check. Then, as I gloat about how well the morning is going, an emergency diaper change switches my status from “right on time” to “running behind.” I load the children in the car, drop the four-year-old off at school and take the baby to his Mother’s Morning Out class. I hop back in the car and send a quick text before pulling out of the parking lot. “I’m on my way.” I drive and stare at the clock, making an effort to stay as calm as possible. I am, after all, writing a story about balance and am scheduled to interview a stress management coach. I don’t want to bulldoze through the door of the coffee shop, acting like a frazzled mess. But juggling two parts of myself—the sane and the frantic—is my standard method of operation. For the past few months, I’ve been working out with a personal trainer, and at first, I resisted how hard he pushes me. He takes me to my physical limit and then makes me do a few more reps. At the gym

is so obvious; my own grandmother has taken notice. “When I was your age, no one talked about balance,” she said, during a recent phone conversation. “You just did what you had to do.” So why all this talk about balance? Why now?

BALANCE FOR SALE? Following my conversation with Dr. Zipp, I take that question to Atmah Ja, a yoga instructor, massage therapist and director of The Art of Core Consciousness Gallery in Charleston, SC. “We have to look at the time in which we’re living,” she explains. “Everything is moving at the speed of our mind. And if it’s not moving that fast, we want it to.” Atmah Ja sits comfortably on the couch across from me. Her hair is pulled back, in a way that looks casual and put together at the same time. Her outfit appears comfortable but is quite stylish. Being in her presence makes me aware of the jacked-up energy I’m giving off. I still can’t shake the feeling of being in a rush, and I had walked

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and in our daily lives, women have the amazing ability to do more than we think we can do. I surprise myself every day. But where is the line? How do we find a realistic middle ground, somewhere between bliss and burnout? This is what I’m thinking about when I arrive at my meeting and shake hands with Dr. John Zipp, founder of iStress.org. He hasn’t been waiting long, he reassures, because he’d gotten stuck in traffic. “If I would’ve left 30 minutes earlier, I wouldn’t have been stressed at all,” he says. “So I’m sitting in traffic thinking, ‘Oh my gosh. I might be late.’” Hmm. The stress management coach gets stressed, too. Feeling validated, I realize this is the perfect segue for what I really want to know: Can a person achieve true balance? “No,” says Dr. Zipp, without even blinking. “The challenge is you can’t be stress-free.” Yet, balance is the buzzword of our generation. Business owners use it as a marketing tool to sell coaching sessions, yoga classes, spa treatments and an assortment of scented candles. The trend

right past the gallery while checking the time on my phone. But Atmah Ja’s relaxed persona seems to magically counteract my own stress. Soft music hums through speakers. I’m surrounded by beautiful artwork, and the room even smells good. If she’s selling balance, I’m pulling out my wallet. I’ll have what she’s having. “Everyone wants to sell you everything,” AJ says. “You want to believe because everything’s moving so fast you need to find balance. But you can’t buy it. It doesn’t just come in a yoga class, in a tea room or all these places you can go to and get it. I can’t give you balance.” “I can give you a massage,” she continues, “and rewrite your entire energy system, so that you find balance for that moment. And then, you can choose to start altering your patterns so you don’t get into those places anymore.” And there’s the rub, I think. If I could hang out with AJ all day in her beautiful art gallery, I would most certainly restore my balance. But what happens when I

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winter 2010

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walk out the door? How Once I’m back in the do I escape the noise? car, I check the time. Apparently, you can’t. I’m still running behind At least, not for long. schedule. It’s funny how “We’re always grasping one unexpected diaper T i p s to br i n g you for what we want,” change can alter the bac k to center says Dr. Zipp, “and then course of the day. Then, we’re stressed because I notice a bright yellow we don’t get it. And if parking ticket, flapping we get it we want more. under the windshield And we push away what wiper. If only I had fed we don’t want. This the meter a few more constant pushing and quarters. So, I decide to pulling in life is what we heed the advice of the call stress.” However, he experts I was fortunate says we can equalize the to spend the morning stress and move closer with. I take responsibility, to balance by accepting inhale, exhale and shift “what is.” Realizing my focus to the beautiful he couldn’t control the Charleston marina on morning traffic, Dr. Zipp my left. I’m beginning (Source: istress.org) says he turned his focus to understand that true to the 80s music playing balance is not about in his car, and his perception and outlook improved dividing my “life plate” into perfectly measured immediately. “You get what you focus on,” he says. portions. And “achieve balance” is not another chore to check off my to-do list. The equilibrium I’m JUST BREATHE. seeking is a state of mind. And AJ’s right. You can’t One of the simplest things we can focus on, in any buy it. Turns out, it’s free. • given moment, is our breath. Atmah Ja says it’s so Angie Mizzell is a freelance writer and mom to two young easy to breathe, it’s often overlooked. “Take three boys. She writes a monthly column for Lowcountry Parent magazine and is a regular contributor to HybridMom.com. long deep breaths and the whole physiology and More at AngieMizzell.com. chemistry of your body is wired to change.”

stressed?

Don't take life personally. Create habits that empower you.

Create an environment that supports you, and if it doesn't, leave it.

Realize you're not perfect.

readbreathe.com

health

immunity

flu fighters By Jodi Helmer

Sick of sniffling through the winter? Tired of feeling tired? Want to stop wasting a weekend curled up under a blanket with the flu, slurping chicken soup while used tissues pile up next to a jug of orange juice? This winter, you can fight the flu, beat the blues and stay energized—no matter how many people at the office are sniffling, sneezing and sluggish.

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Spend time with friends Close relationships make you less susceptible to catching a cold, according to researchers at Carnegie Mellon University. Instead of spending the evening alone, invite a friend to go for a brisk walk or meet for a mug of tea. It’s not just the emotional connection that helps: Studies show that touching others— like hugging or snuggling—helps boost the activity of natural killer cells that help destroy viruses.

Savor a stretch “Stretching is calming. When the body is locked in the stress response, it doesn’t have as many resources to devote to fighting off invaders,” explains Kate Hanley, certified yoga instructor and author of The Anywhere, Anytime Chill Guide: 77 Simple Strategies for Serenity.

Try It! Stand up straight, feet hip distance apart and reach your arms overhead, turning your palms to face the ceiling. Take two to three deep breaths. Slowly arc your spine over to the left for two to three breaths, then to the right for two to three breaths. Return to standing straight up before floating your arms back to your sides. “This stretch opens the muscles in the chest where the lymphatic system [is located]. When the muscles are open the lymphatic system can flow more easily, which boosts immune function,” Hanley explains.

Get lucky Sex releases opioid peptides, mood-boosting chemicals that bolster the immune system. Research indicates that having sex twice a week can increase levels of immunoglobulin A, an antibody that helps destroy viruses that enter the body, by up to 30 percent.

Sip on some tea. Tea contains polyphenols, organic compounds that boost the effectiveness of white blood cells. Sipping up to five cups per day helps increase levels of proteins that combat viruses, according to Harvard scientists. “Tea is a great source of antioxidants, which can boost the immune system,” says Marisa Moore, R.D., an Atlanta-based spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “It’s also hydrating, so if you’re already sick it can help replace any fluids you’ve lost due to fever or vomiting.”

Eat more veggies. Pasta and bread might be winter staples but it’s veggies like spinach, kale, cabbage and collard greens which are chock full of antioxidants that help prevent colds and the flu. “When it comes to vegetables, the more the better,” says Moore. “The vegetables don’t have to be fresh; frozen vegetables are often cheaper and have the same nutrients and immunity-boosting benefits.”

Get outside. Bundle up and take a walk, go sledding, or try snowshoeing. Sunlight, even in the winter, is a great source of vitamin D. Scientists in Denmark discovered that vitamin D activates immune defenses; without it, the T-cells that kill viruses can’t fight infection. Milk and fish are also good sources of vitamin D. Despite its benefits, about half of American adults are deficient, according to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. If you’re deficient, consider a supplement. The Institute of Medicine recommends 400 IUD of vitamin D per day for an adult. Jodi Helmer is the author of The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference. She lives in Charlotte, NC, with her dogs, Molly, Milo and Roxie. For more, go to jodihelmer.com.

winter 2010

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Calling all

Beating the Staying active during the winter is just as good for your mind as it is for your body. by JAYME OTTO

Blues Chelle Quinn had run 30 miles every week during the spring and summer. She’d monitored her heart rate, done the recommended hill sprints and intervals and kept a meticulous training log that proved she was capable of hitting her 4:00 marathon goal time. On the overcast October morning of the Chicago Marathon, the 36-year-old Mechanicsville, VA, resident reminded herself that she was ready; that this was the moment she’d been looking forward to, visualizing and dreaming about all season. Her positive thoughts didn’t help. All she felt was dread. Quinn would go on to run the worst marathon of her life in 5:03—a difficult time to reconcile for a seasoned runner who coached the Sportsbacker’s Marathon Training Team for the Richmond Marathon every year. Her downfall? The season.

winter 2010

A SAD Story According to stress expert Kathleen Hall Ph.D., about 20 percent of the population is effected by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a variation of major depression where people with otherwise normal mental health experience depressive symptoms during the winter including: hopelessness, anxiety, loss of energy, social withdrawal, oversleeping, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, craving foods high in carbohydrates, weight gain and difficulty concentrating and processing information. For Quinn, it had become harder and harder to train for her marathon once the weather started changing and the days became shorter. Come race day, her fitness level was actually worse than it had been in the summer. “I just had no energy,” she says. For active women like Quinn, symptoms of SAD, and its milder version, Subsyndromal Seasonal Affective Disorder, can make staying motivated to exercise during an already challenging time of the year seem impossible. To g n i r further e f n suf Wome mber complicate outnu D A S m matters, o . r f to 1 men 4 SAD’s warning signs are hard to differentiate from some of the heavy emotions that arise during the holidays, the schedule disruptions that come from having the kids home on winter break and taking vacation time from work, the stress from increased social obligations and the circadian rhythm changes due to shorter, colder days. According to Florida Neuroscience Center’s Gabriela Cora, M.D., author of Leading Under Pressure, Strategies to Avoid Burnout, Increase Energy, and Improve Your Well-Being, it’s a common misconception to consider symptoms of SAD as a normal part of the holiday season. “This prohibits people from taking action to get the help they need,” she says. Fortunately, people who exercise are actually better equipped to recognize SAD symptoms in their training, and more likely to speak up when their performance is compromised. “I finally went to my doctor because my fall marathons were going so poorly every

Did yo?u know

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year, and my training just got worse through the winter, which meant my spring running would suffer, too,” Quinn says. At first, her doctor thought she could be battling depression, but upon reviewing her training log, was able find the root of her issues in the fall and winter months. Quinn’s symptoms were typical of SAD—difficulty getting motivated to do morning workouts once it got cold and dark, getting off schedule and then unable to get back on the steady routine she kept during the warmer months, running less, sleeping more, increased irritability and more anxiety. “My running partners even noticed it,” Quinn says. “April through September, I’m this positive, bouncy woman, and then come October, I become this negative ball of energy that doesn’t show up for runs, and when I do, well, I’m so irritable that they kind of wish I didn’t.”

Putting the Winter Blues to Bed Once someone has recognized a winter pattern in her symptoms, the good news is that lifestyle strategies are at the top of the list for combating SAD. “It’s even possible to stop the symptoms from happening at all once you know how,” Cora says. The key to keeping SAD at bay and maintaining a healthy lifestyle in the winter is to stay active. A recent study on the anti-depressant Zoloft proved that exercise was just as effective in warding off depression as medication. How? Exercise increases the neurotransmitters in the brain (norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin) and natural endorphins that regulate mood and give you that “feel good glow,” according to nutritional biochemist Shawn Talbott, Ph.D. “There’s definitely a mindset shift when you realize you’re not just running for your physical health, but also your mental wellbeing,” Quinn says. Like most of us, she tended to cut her workouts when feeling stressed or anxious, but now makes them a priority. “I know now that not running just makes me more stressed and anxious.” Quinn also realized how important being outside was for her general wellbeing. “I feel trapped indoors on a treadmill,” she says. She started running in the park around the kids’ football field after dropping them off for practice. “It’s not as much mileage as I like, but I’m learning to let that go—that for me, the important thing in the fall and winter is getting out there,” she says.

Feel Good Foods and Supplements Nutritional Biochemist Shawn Talbott shares some dieting do’s for fighting (and preventing) those SAD symptoms.

Carbs

When taken as small snacks throughout the day (slice of toast with jelly, granola bar, pack of instant oatmeal), carbs can help to boost production of serotonin in the brain (low serotonin is thought to be a primary cause of SAD and general depression). But be careful: eating too many carbs—more than about 30 grams or 120 calories at a time—can leave you feeling sleepy instead of happy.

Vitamins A, C & E

These vitamins keep the immune system functioning properly, which helps to fight the cold/flu viruses that can drag you down at this time of the year. Good food sources of ACE are squash, sweet potatoes and citrus fruits.

Eurycoma Longifolia

(Also called Malaysian ginseng) Used in traditional medicine for improving vitality (which is very low in people with SAD) by as much as 30 percent. Eurycoma extract works by restoring the balance between the hormones cortisol and testosterone, which can become unbalanced due to stress, sleep loss, or poor diet—all of which can be at play during the winter months when SAD is at its peak.

Fish Oil

Helps with both mood and dry skin, thanks to a high content of omega-3 fatty acids. You can get omega-3s from fatty fish such as tuna or salmon, as well from a daily intake of 2-3 grams of fish oil supplements. shawntalbott.com

It's a common misconception to consider symptoms of SAD as a normal part of the holiday season. 31-year-old Cathy Polishuk from Richmond, VA, regularly runs with Quinn and has dealt with her own version of the winter blahs. “I recently started running Boston as my spring marathon, and my winter training was so inconsistent that my times were as much as 20 minutes under my qualifying time,” she says. A runner since middle school, it took Polishuk a while to realize that she needed some extra motivation during the winter. She found it accidentally in the form of group runs. “I was lucky that Richmond has such a vibrant running and cycling community,” she says. Last winter, she started scheduling workouts with different groups of running friends on different days of the week and

found it much easier to stick to a training plan, particularly in bad weather. Boston-based sports psychologist Sharon Chirban, Ph.D. says that making those types of winter adjustments is what makes coldweather exercise possible. “The seasons have biological rhythms,” she says. “The way we exercise in the winter is not going to be the same as we exercise in the summer.” Chirban recommends reframing your training with each new season, making changes that are in tune with the characteristics of that time of the year. For winter, it can be as simple as moving your morning workouts to the noon hour, or during after-school football practice, when energy is higher and outdoor light is stronger, or running with a group who will

hold you accountable on even the chilliest days. Chirban says there is also value in embracing winter as a slower, more restorative season. What if you substituted one run or ride a week for that Pilates class you’ve always been interested in taking, but never had time for? What if you picked up a new winter-only sport—say cross-country skiing— that would make you actually look forward to a snowstorm? “If you can work with the season, instead of against it, you’re setting yourself up for restoration and rejuvenation that will carry through the entire year,” says Chirban. Quinn and Polishuk both admit that Chirban’s advice is hard to put into practice when you’re wired to train hard, especially in a sport like running that seems to draw type-A personalities. But Chirban isn’t saying to dial it down so much as she is saying to dial it in. Don’t want to be SAD? Then stay active. And that might mean redefining what it means to train during the winter. • Award-winning writer Jayme Otto writes about the people, places, ideas, and events that are changing the way we think about the world. She works as associate editor at Elevation Outdoors, and contributing editor at Women’s Adventure. More at JaymeOtto.com.

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winter 2010

family

activities

in & out

Cabin fever remedies for every age. By Aleigh Acerni

baby Indoors: Swimming Head to the local indoor pool for a great way to get in some exercise when the weather outside is frightful; add baby swimming lessons (which typically start when baby is around six months old) or an afternoon of splish-splashing and it’s a great way to get some quality time, too. Outdoors: Explore There are plenty of new things for baby to look at during the winter—icicles, leafless trees, sparkly white snow. Bundle up your bundle of joy, and take her for a gentle ride on a sled, or let her explore the snow at her own pace. Just be sure to head indoors when you start to feel chilled, change her out of her play clothes and snuggle up to those adorably rosy cheeks.

toddler Indoors: Obstacle Course Using pillows, blankets and chairs, create a makeshift obstacle course for your little one, then cheer her on as she scrambles from one end to the other. It’s a great way to encourage physical activity while also getting her to work on coordination and balance. If she starts to get bored, get out your watch and challenge her to see how fast she can make it through! Outdoors: Snow Painting Encourage your toddler’s inner Jackson Pollack. Fill squeeze bottles or spray bottles with warm water dyed with food coloring. Then head outside to “paint” the snow. Don’t forget to take pictures of your masterpieces before the snow melts!

kid Indoors: Charades It’s a classic for a reason: Write down people, actions, favorite movie characters or anything that can be acted out, onto strips of paper. Then, crumple them up, mix them up in a bowl, and have your kid choose one and act it out—bonus points if you can sneak in some words from next week’s vocabulary test. (Hint: This works well with pictures from magazines, also, which is a good way to get younger nonreaders in on the action.) 22

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Nature trail walks are our favorite. Bring a coloring pad and crayons and draw everything and anything you see. A walk in the woods is always good for the spirit— and a great way to calm a wild child. —Michelle Register, Atlanta, GA Mother of Collin, 5 yrs Outdoors: Animal tracking Fresh snow? Grab the camera, bundle up and head outdoors to look for tracks left behind by animals—when you find them, take pictures and then head home to search the Internet for animal tracks pictures to match up what you found with the animal who left them behind. Pretty soon you’ll be able to recognize them without having to look them up!

tween Indoors: Volunteer Winter is the perfect time of year to volunteer at a local homeless shelter or soup kitchen—

and it’s a great way to give an angst-y tween a little perspective. Even if you encounter some grumbling at the start, it’s hard to maintain a bad ‘tude when you’re doing something good for your community. Outdoors: Geocaching We’ll be really surprised if the phrase “hidden treasures” doesn’t get your tween excited, and geocaching is a fun treasurehunting activity that’s educational and the perfect remedy for a raging case of cabin fever. All you need is a GPS and a sense of adventure. (Although bringing along a snack couldn’t hurt.) Check out geocaching.com for tips and a primer on getting started.

teen Indoors: Cooking Cook together! It’s an easy way to encourage healthy eating habits, give her a little extra responsibility, and build a sense of accomplishment—plus, the kitchen skills she learns now will be put to good use once she’s out of the nest. If your teen wants to add more dishes to her repertoire, there are some great cookbooks out there for fledgling chefs. Two to try: Eat Fresh Food: Awesome Recipes for Teen Chefs and Cooking Up a Storm: The Teen Survival Cookbook. Outdoors: Hiking There’s still a lot of fun to be had outdoors when cooler temperatures arrive—just dress in layers (so you can shed some once you get warmed up), and head to your favorite hiking trails to breathe in some fresh, crisp winter air. Bonus: All that exercise gives you a great excuse to celebrate the season with two treats that are loved by kids of all ages—hot chocolate and s’mores!

Two green thumbs up.

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