Your Health May 2012

May 2012

Embrace your life When opportunity comes calling, CEO Gloria Pugh says hello

NOW SEE HERE! May is Healthy Vision Month

BEAUTY AND THE BEES

What honey can do for you

THE HAPPY LOSER Don’t let bad thoughts sabotage weight loss

DRINK UP

The wonders of water

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this Issue

May On the cover

14

Getting the best life now A.M.W.A.T. CEO Gloria Pugh is always ready to make the right moves.

Plus…

20

Your eyes, in focus Healthy Vision Month is a great time to get an eye exam and, if you wear glasses or contacts, take a look at how well they work for you.

Also inside...

06 Mind | Body | Soul Educator and retreat leader Licia Berry shares her family’s seven-year journey toward discovering what’s truly important to them.

08 YOUR TIME They don’t call her Mother for nothing — get in touch with the revitalizing power of nature.

10 SMART FITNESS Drinking more water is one of the easiest and best things you can do for you.

Tallahassee.com/Health

12 ESSENTIAL NUTRITION Seek out one of the many local farmer’s markets for fresh, seasonal foods.

About the cover Gloria Pugh runs A.M.W.A.T. with her husband.

Photo by Long’s Photography

18 BEST BODY No one wears girdles anymore, but “slimmers” find legions of fans.

22 MAKEOVER Considering a hair switcheroo? Here are a few tips on making a change.

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28 MIND MATTERS Keep up the good thoughts while pounds drop off.

IN EVERY ISSUE 4 EDITOR’S LETTER

24 ALTERNATIVE HEALTH Honey makes for one sweet beauty treatment.

30 AROUND TOWN

May 2012 YOUR HEALTH

3

editor’s LETTER

Let go of fear, and embrace the beloved

T

his morning I woke from a very different kind of dream. There were more than 50 family members gathered around beautifully set round tables in a glittering banquet hall where the windows streamed sunlight. My parents were the stars, celebrating another wedding anniversary. Feature writer Mark Hinson was playing piano, and I was engaged in a low-tone bickering match with my siblings.

First, I don’t think we have 50 family members, Mom and Daddy have been gone seven and six years respectively, and I’m not sure Mark plays piano, though I wouldn’t be surprised.

As the music was winding down and the cake was ready to be lit, I stood up, motioned for a few more lines to be played and walked to the center of the room amid a bit of grumbling from the crowd at the delay. Next up, I gazed into the eyes of those I loved best and began to sing. Now, a bit of disclosure is needed here. I do not sing. Maybe an occasional sing-along to Jimmy Buffet in the car if I’m alone, but that’s it.

277 N. Magnolia Drive Tallahassee, FL 32301 Call 850.599.2255 Fax 850.942.0185 PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER

Patrick Dorsey 850.599.2124 tlh-publisher@tallahassee.com MARKETING AND NONDAILY MANAGER

Marjorie Schoelles 850.599.2232 mschoelles@tallahassee.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Amber Barz Licia Berry Marina Brown Anne Marie Cummings Leigh Farr Kenya McCullum Janie Nelson Elis Oberliesen Kathy Radford Brandi Schlossberg

So imagine this vocally ungifted individual gazing into loved ones’ eyes and belting out in the best Broadway tradition (it was my dream so I got to have a beautiful, powerful voice): “This is the moment I choose to tell you I am so proud to be your daughter In this moment I want to say I am blessed to be your sister In each life there is a moment for saying goodbye In each day is a world of new beginnings This is the life we are given and this is the path I choose.”

Yes, it loses impact in written form, but I can tell you it was one very powerful dream. Much like our feature woman this month, Gloria Pugh, my life has not turned out to be what I expected, but it is certainly the one I embrace. Though I may not be able to sing well, I have learned to be creative with paintbrush and words.

My challenge to you this month is twofold: Look within and ask, “Am I holding on to old beliefs or fears that are preventing me from moving forward and embracing the most of the life I have now?” and “Have I told the people in my life what they mean to me?” Understanding that an ending brings a new beginning can be a scary and liberating moment.

CONTACT US EDITORIAL

Joni Branch 850.599.2255 ADVERTISING

Lisa Lazarus.Brown 850.599.2333 Tallahassee.com/Health

Marjorie Schoelles Marketing and Non-Daily Manager

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YOUR HEALTH May 2012

Your Health Magazine is published 12 times a year by the Tallahassee Democrat at 277 N. Magnolia Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32301. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. Your Health Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos and artwork.

Alicia Hansen O’Riordan

Teacher, dancer and newlywed

www.carecredit.com

photo courtesy of easthillphoto.net

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Mind | Body | Soul

Licia, husband Peter and their two sons, shown here in 2011, spent seven years on the road as they worked through what is important to them as individuals and as a family.

Photo by Dina Ivory, www.dinaivory.com

Looking for answers … from the inside One family’s radical departure from accepted culture to learn what really matters

By Licia Berry

T

HE BIG CHANGE in my family’s life started when I was posed a question in a workshop in October 2003. That question, simple enough, caused a chain reaction that has shifted the trajectory of me, my husband and my two sons forever.

I had been feeling the ship of our marriage slowly lurching off course for a while by the time I was seeking answers in this “Callings” workshop in our old town of Asheville, N.C. For about two years, I had been feeling an increasing, but nameless, sadness. I had a good life … a husband who adored me and two beautiful, smart, healthy sons, along with the big white house on the hill and the Volvo station wagon. I had my own consulting business and was serving as PTO president for the second year. From the outside, life looked good. Perfect, in fact.

But the reality was that we were doing what we thought we were supposed to be doing. Driven by a left-brain culture, the expectations and unconscious programming of our upbringing, 6

YOUR HEALTH May 2012

and the pressure of consumerism, we were being good citizens and achieving, playing the game. But we found ourselves caught in the hamster wheel, miserable and unable to see a way off.

My beloved husband, Peter, was working for a major corporation that encouraged the sale of the soul in order to make the numbers. He was becoming someone his sons and I didn’t know.

We would try to fit him in on the weekends after an 80-hour work week, but it was like trying to put another wheel on a tricycle. It didn’t work. I remember one night at the dinner table Peter had to leave yet again because my sons, ages 4 and 7 at the time, were making “too much noise.” He didn’t feel part of our family, and it showed.

Yes, I was at a crossroads, and that is what was making me sad. The answer to the question? I saw clear as day what was written on the signs: My Authentic Life or Peter. I felt as though I had to choose.

I came home on fire. It was not okay with me to have to choose. I wanted my soul mate and

the father of my children in my authentic life.

Peter and I used to know that nothing was more important than our love. Where did we get lost?

We talked late into the night. It was a defining moment of our relationship. Of course, he was defensive at first. After all, he was achieving for us. But when he understood the depth of the separation between him and our family, he dropped his objections. He saw that if we were to continue on this path, we might wind up divorcing, another statistic. He calls this realization the “spiritual dynamite” that motivated him to let go.

And let go we did, slowly at first. We started getting up early so we had at least an hour to sit in silence and listen for guidance. I have been trained in whole-brain communication as a teacher, and we used the input of our right brains (the hemisphere that speaks in imagery, receives intuition, senses the bigger picture, assigns meaning and purpose, navigates emotion, and processes mystical experience) to receive information that empowered us to make changes in our lives. They were smaller at first, like cutting down my hours at the kids’ school, or Peter being home by 7 p.m. But as the weeks sped by, we were asked to let go of everything: our jobs, our careers, our school, our community, our possessions and our home.

Toward the end, we were given an image of the four of us, standing hand in hand at the edge of a cliff. We were dressed in burlap sacks, and had nothing to our name except each other. It was a message to let go of everything, and to trust that our love for each other would get us through.

But the reward was that our family might stay together, and we were all motivated to do that.

Several times we would be approached at campgrounds by seniors who were curious why a family with young children were traveling during the school year. When we told them our story of how we did this to save our family and learn a different way of living, they enthusiastically affirmed and encouraged us. One elderly gentleman broke down crying, telling us, “I did very well in my business, and my family had everything they wanted. But my children never saw me, and now they don’t want to have anything to do with me. If I could go back and do what you are doing, I would. You just keep on going until the money runs out. You can never get the time back.” So many times we’d doubted ourselves. Are we nuts? We worked so hard, and now we only have each other. Oh, right, we reminded ourselves, that’s what’s important. We listened to him.

The question was this: “Imagine you are standing at a crossroad, facing a choice in your life. What is written on the two signs?”

And so we did. I told an acquaintance that we were selling our house the morning after we decided to let it go. She bought it. We held open houses and got rid of most of our possessions. We bought a used RV having never set foot in one before. And in two months, we went from caught in the web of someone else’s idea of success to being free to define that for ourselves.

And now we have settled here in Tallahassee, the place that we felt guided to choose to finish raising our family, to build community and our businesses. We have been applying what we learned continually, and bringing it into our lives “on the ground.” I’m happy to say that Peter and I celebrate our 26th anniversary this summer, and that my sons not only know their father, but continually express appreciation for their close relationship with him. They both have remarkable stories to tell about their big adventure, and we know that our lives and the lives of our children have been impacted for the better.

We wound up on a seven-year odyssey. We traveled the southern half of the U.S. and the West Coast, staying in locations for months at a time while we worked intently on our family. Every morning we had a family meeting, learning to reconnect, communicate, respect one other and listen to our inner guidance. (Remember, it was listening to all that outer guidance that got us in trouble in the first place.) All day long we put into action what we were learning. We had to learn a different way of being, and it was hard work.

~Licia Berry is writing a book about her family’s adventure and teaches the Whole Brain Communication techniques. A 25-year veteran educator, Licia also speaks about her life adventures and leads creative spirituality retreats, with a five-day retreat scheduled for October 2012 in New Mexico. A practical guide for “looking within,” Licia works here in Tallahassee as well as around the country. To sign up for her event list, contact her at licia@liciaberry.com, www.LiciaBerry.com or 850-661-9370. v May 2012 YOUR HEALTH

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Your Time

Retreat outdoors

Whether the getaway is to a local park or a faraway resort, connecting with nature is a wonderful way to recharge

By Brandi Schlossberg

I

f you’re searching for a way to recharge your batteries, consider taking a nature-based retreat. Whether you get away for five days or five minutes, plugging into the peace, beauty and balance available outdoors can be one of the best ways to boost your sense of well-being and your energy level.

“Women are asked to do so much, and we are built to do it, but we frequently forget to feed our inner fire, and it can get dangerously low or even go out,” says Licia Berry, who leads creative and transformative retreats and workshops. “It is so important that we take ‘timeouts’ to find our direction and purpose again.”

Berry and other retreat leaders encourage women to take these much-needed breaks in a natural setting, such as a park near your home or office, or perhaps a designated retreat center nestled in a remote and beautiful locale.

“Nature is the ultimate balancer,” Berry says.

“It operates in balance, so if we are in nature, it reminds us how to be in balance, as well as naturally bringing us there due to the environment.

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YOUR HEALTH May 2012

“Nature is also a neutral mirror for us, reflecting us and enabling us to see ourselves without judgment,” she adds. “I find the lack of judgment opens the space for insight and transformation to occur very easily.”

According to Andrea Hinda, owner and hostess of Chamomile Retreat in rural Ellijay, Ga., there’s a long list of perks that come from spending peaceful and private time outdoors.

“Stress reduction, a refreshing flow of creativity, self-discovery and restfulness are among the healthy benefits of a retreat where a woman spends much of her time in Mother Nature’s comforting embrace,” Hinda says.

Planning your own outdoor retreat usually depends on the amount of time you can take away from daily life, and whether you prefer a solo retreat or a more group-oriented getaway.

“A personal retreat can be excellent for clearing the mind, reconnecting with the body and experiencing silence, which is something most of us don’t do these days,” says retreat leader Elizabeth Barbour, who also serves as a life and business coach.

“It can be for an hour, a day, a weekend or longer,” Barbour says. “It’s about getting out of your usual routine, responsibilities and expectations, and taking time to slow down, rest and renew.”

For Berry, the key element of any retreat is stepping away from your everyday environment and into a space that promotes peace and quiet.

“A retreat allows me the space and time to be still and quiet, so that I gain a larger perspective on my life,” she says. “This pulls me up and out of the trees, so I can see the forest — it gives me the 30,000-foot view, so I can see the big map of my life.” v

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smart fitness

What’s the healthiest, most affordable drink?

There’s no better way to quench your thirst and maintain your health than by drinking enough water

By Amber Barz

A

re you drinking the proper amount of water?

Water makes up more than 60 percent of your body weight, so staying hydrated is one on the most beneficial things you can do for your health. If you are unsure of how much water you need to drink each day, use the formula provided in the sidebar as a guideline. If you discover you aren’t meeting your daily requirement, you’re not alone. Our unscientific poll found that one in three Tallahassee residents probably doesn’t drink enough water. If you are one of them, here are a few of the reasons why you should up your intake:

How much water do you need?

As a general guideline, an active person needs to consume the number of ounces equal to half their body weight, measured in pounds. For example, a 130-pound woman should consume 65 ounces of water each day which adds up to a little over eight 8-ounce glasses a day. Active people, or people who work or play outside, require more, nutritionist Carole Bullock says. Check with your health care professional to determine exactly how much you need based on your health, lifestyle and activity level.

Is tap water your best choice?

Tap water is one of cheapest and most convenient ways to get the water you need. The most recent Tallahassee water report, released in June 2011, shows that the quality of the city’s drinking water surpasses all regulations set by state and federal agencies. If you would like to have the water in your home tested, Culligan offers free water testing. “Inhome testing takes about an hour,” explains Dave Copp, general manager at Culligan. “We measure

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YOUR HEALTH May 2012

• Well-hydrated people feel perkier. “Fatigue is one of the first signs of dehydration,” says Carole Bullock, a registered and licensed dietitian and nutritionist. “Other early signs include thirst, loss of appetite, headache and dry mouth.”

• Well-hydrated people get more from their workout. “Water is involved in every chemical reaction in the body,” explains Sherman Rosier, owner of Fit & Functional and Groupfit Studio. “Proper hydration optimizes muscular endurance. If you aren’t fully hydrated, you

your tap water’s calcium, magnesium, iron, sulfur, salt, chlorine and PH levels. For more thorough testing, we are happy to send a sample of your water to the Culligan lab, where they can test for nitrates and a variety of other contaminants.”

Are sport drinks necessary?

Sports drinks have a place during high-intensity workouts and weight training, but are typically unnecessary for less-intense activities, such as walking or mowing the lawn.

“Sports drinks like Gatorade help replenish electrolytes,” fitness specialist Sherman Rosier explains. “An intense cardio workout or weight training session can cause muscle breakdown. You can shorten the muscle recovery time with a drink that contains protein and sugar.”

“The most important thing is to drink enough fluids,” nutritionist Carole Bullock says. “If you can’t force yourself to drink several glasses of water a day, make up the difference with other fluids. But always read labels. If you are watching your weight, choose drinks that are low in calories and sugar.”

won’t be able to work out as hard or as long as usual. Water also cleans your body of toxins.

If you are not taking in adequate water, it can cause a decrease in blood circulation and also retention of fluids in the body. This also causes an additional weight gain of 3 to 5 lbs.”

vision, confusion, difficulty breathing, seizures, chest and abdominal pain, unconsciousness, heart attack, stroke or even death. v

• Well-hydrated people likely have a lower risk of heart disease. A six-year study published by the American Journal of Epidemiology found that those who drank five or more glasses of water a day were 41 percent less likely to die from a heart attack during the study period than those who drank less than two glasses.

Moderate to severe dehydration puts your health — and possibly your life — at risk.

If you allow dehydration to go unchecked, symptoms can become more serious: increased respiration, increased heart rate, decreased sweating, decreased urination, increased body temperature, extreme fatigue, muscle cramps, nausea or tingling of the limbs are all possible.

Severe dehydration, Bullock says, may cause vomiting, muscle spasms, shriveled skin, dim

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Essential NUTRITION

Fresh from the farm How to get the most from local farmer’s markets

By Leigh Farr

S

hopping a farmer’s market is a great way to shore up your nutrition. The produce you buy comes straight from your local grower so you can be sure it’s fresh and brimming with nutrients.

Farmer’s markets can be year-round or seasonal, inside or out in a field, and they provide a great way to get locally grown produce that’s fresh and in-season.

“In our area, the farms that are bringing fresh fruits and vegetables to the market are within an hour of Tallahassee, whereas the fruits and vegetables in the grocery store are maybe days from their harvest time,” says Louise Divine, coowner of Turkey Hill Farm, who sells her produce at the market that sets up every Saturday at Market Square.

In addition to getting great deals on produce at its harvest peak, you can also find new fruits or veggies to try. Some markets offer more than produce and include a variety of cheeses, flowers, herbs, baked goods and hand-crafted goods.

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YOUR HEALTH May 2012

Whether you’re a novice or veteran shopper, here are some tips on how to get the most from your trip to the farmer’s market: • Think bright colors. Studies have shown that consuming brightly colored fresh fruits and veggies provide your body with essential nutrients such as fiber, folate, potassium and vitamins A and C. According to Deborah Glotzbach, community health educator at the Florida Department of Health, “Eating plenty of fruits and veggies may help reduce the risk of many diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure and some cancers.”

Farmer’s markets are filled with brightly colored produce such as green spinach, orange sweet potatoes, black beans, yellow corn, purple plums, red watermelon and white onions.

• Ask questions. Getting to know your local farmers is one of the great benefits of shopping at farmer’s markets. Ask growers questions about cooking and storing fresh produce. They

can also provide tips on which produce is in season and whether their produce is organically grown. Want more info? Ask to visit the farm.

“There is a level of trust you build with the farmer,” says Divine.

• Bring a tote. Be sure to bring your own reusable bags with handles. Many markets offer bags or boxes, but if you’re considering buying in bulk, you may want to bring sturdy, reusable bags made of canvas or string. To make your shopping trip easier, consider investing in a wheeled cart or wagon.

• Shop around. The best way to find the market that suits your culinary needs is to shop a variety of markets until you find the selection you’re looking for. Notice how the produce is presented and look for fruits and veggies that are firm and plump and not bruised or wilted.

“Any fruit or vegetable begins to degrade after it’s been harvested, so the way it’s stored and marketed is very important,” says

Danny Raulerson, bureau chief at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. “Most produce should be stored at cooler temperatures and with moisture present or it will begin to degrade and lose its nutritional value.”

• Be an early bird. To get the best selection, get to the market when it first opens. This is especially a good idea if you’ve planned the week’s menus with certain produce in mind.

If you’re simply seeking the best deals, pop in just before closing time. Farmers often discount items at the end of the day rather than hauling them back to the farm.

• Know what’s in season. You can get the freshest produce by simply being aware of what farmers are harvesting at any given time during the year. For a list of what’s in season yearround, visit www.redhillsfarmalliance.com, click on “Eat Local,” then click on “Seasonal Produce Calendar.” v

Where to shop Tallahassee has an abundance of farmer’s markets, making it easy to buy fresh produce year-round - you just have to know where to go. Here’s a quick and easy guide for finding fresh produce straight from the farm: Farmers market at the Y: Open 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays at the YMCA, 2001 Apalachee Parkway. Call 877-6151 or 414-8344.

Growers market at Lake Ella: Open 3 p.m. to dusk every Wednesday behind Black Dog Cafe.

New Farmers Market: It meets from 3 p.m. to dusk Thursdays in front of Video 21, 1441 E. Lafayette St. Green Grocers Growers Market: Open noon to 2 p.m. Thursdays at the Department of Environmental Protection, 2600 Blair Stone Road.

Killearn Farmers Market: Open 2 p.m. to dusk Fridays and Tuesdays at the Four Oaks Center, 4500 W. Shannon Lakes Drive.

Salt Air Market: Open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. the first and third Saturday of the month next to City Hall in downtown Port St. Joe. Sopchoppy Growers Market: It’s located in Sopchoppy in front of Posh Java, Organics & Gifts, and meets from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Sunday Growers Market: Open noon to 3 p.m. Sundays behind Black Dog Cafe at Lake Ella.

Innovation Park Farmers Market: Open 3 p.m. till dusk Mondays in front of the Shaw Building, 2031 E. Paul Dirac Drive.

Sunshine Growers Market: It sets up from noon to 2 p.m. Mondays on Esplanade Way in SouthWood.

Email famu.register@gmail.com to find out more.

Farmers Market: Open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays at the Pavilion at Market Square, 1415 Timberlane Road. Call 8939633.

May 2012 YOUR HEALTH

13

cover story

The right moves Moving company executive Gloria Pugh focuses on embracing the opportunities she finds and on making the best life possible right now

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YOUR HEALTH May 2012

In Gloria’s own words ON LIFE WITH DEAN “Working out is very important to me, as is spending time with my husband. We like to spend a couple of hours out in our boat, just the two of us. ...

Dean is truly my soul mate, and he feels the same way about me. ... It takes a very strong man to let his wife take over his business. I tell him what I want to happen, and he goes out and makes it happen.”

ON LEARNING “I don’t know everything.

I want to learn from other people.”

ON GUIDANCE “Before I go to bed, I say lengthy prayers, thanking God for his blessings and asking for the strength and leadership I need.”

ON BEING LIKED “Not everybody is going to like me or love me, and I’m OK with that.”

BY JANIE NELson “If you had told me at 18 years old I would have been the CEO of a moving company, I would have cried,” Gloria Pugh said recently from behind her large executive desk.

She’s not crying now.

At 45, Gloria and her husband, Dean, run AMWAT Moving Warehousing & Storage, a company that under the Pughs’ leadership has grown from a small, regional company to one that operates globally and enjoys a reputation for honesty and fairness. It all started with her ability to shift gears, learn from others and keep fit.

As a younger woman she wanted to be a lawyer or a mover-and-shaker in the fashion industry. That didn’t happen, and it’s OK with her. ”It’s very important for all women to understand that perfection is an idea in your head that changes as you age,” she said. “You seem to think this is really what you want, and you put on blinders and miss out on other opportunities.”

Pugh didn’t let that happen. When she saw that she could make a difference in her husband’s business, she jumped in with the enthusiasm she puts into everything she tackles.

“I called Dean and said I wanted to quit (her job as a Medicaid fraud investigator).” She recalls that he said, “Come on, we’re waiting for you.”

To learn the business, she studied other moving firms and embraced their best practices. Eventually, the Pughs bought out Gabriel’s, one of the oldest and most successful moving firms in town.

“I read Harvard Business Review and learned how to manage from business magazines,” she said.

She also sought out role models.

“I have been lucky to have had strong women mentors in my life,” she said, giving special credit to Nolia Brandt, a self-made millionaire who mentored for the Jim Moran Institute.

What was equally important, though, was developing a healthy lifestyle — mentally, physically and spiritually. “I have an enormous amount of energy,” she said, attributing that energy to personal responsibility.

May 2012 YOUR HEALTH

15

Dean and Gloria Pugh take in the skyline of the Grand Canyon.

A personal tune-up Last year, she and Dean noticed that the physical part of their lives needed a tune-up. The Pughs had won a small-business award and their photo appeared in the Tallahassee Democrat. They were shocked at what they saw.

“Oh my God, is that us?” Gloria recalled, realizing they both had put on some serious pounds.

“I had always worked out,” she said. “But when I came to A.M.W.A.T., I stopped.”

Lack of exercise and attention to diet had taken its toll.

No more. In the past year, Gloria has lost 30 pounds and Dean is down 26. Both attribute it to diet and exercise. She now works out four days a week at Good Friends Fitness, while he’s 16

YOUR HEALTH May 2012

constantly on the move, traveling back and forth on their 2 ½-acre work site.

“It’s part of my job description,” she said of her workout. Her regimen is the same each week: Monday and Wednesday, an hour of weight-lifting and core work; Tuesday and Thursday, spinning for her aerobic workout and Pilates. She’s at work early to get things up and running for the day and exercises after work.

The Pughs’ diet has changed dramatically, too.

“She cleaned out the fridge,” Dean laughed, recalling the day after they got the wakeup call from the photograph. “All my breads were gone.

I’m Irish. I like my Danish.”

Except for one “splurge” day a week, they eat lean meat or fish and vegetables for dinner. Breakfast may be coffee and a protein bar or a boiled egg.

“I eat a lot of salads,” Gloria said.

Sound boring? It’s not, according to Gloria, who loves to cook.

“Tonight, we’re having seared tuna and roasted vegetables,” she said. They’ll have berries and yogurt for dessert, with, perhaps, a little dark chocolate.

The Pughs do look forward to Saturday, their usual day to backslide.

“We had sandwiches on wheat bread,” Dean said as if he were talking about a memorable meal at a four-star restaurant, adding that he also celebrated with a purchased container of banana pudding.

“I love sweets,” he said.

When they snack, it’s usually nuts — preferably pistachios in the shell to make it a little harder to overindulge — raw vegetables and a limited amount of cheese.

Their favorite place to eat out, Gloria said, is Food Glorious Food in Betton Place. “They have a lot of gluten-free dishes,” she said, and she saves up her “splurge” for one of the tony restaurant’s desserts.

Shedding pounds and exercising have given her more energy for her job and added joy to her life, Gloria said.

“I found that when I was at an unhealthy weight, I was not as happy” she asserted. “When I am physically fit and mentally fit, I have more energy to get through the day” It’s all a balancing act.

“I feel that if Dean and I are honest, give back to the community (they move all people going into Habitat for Humanity housing) and are loyal, that rubs off on our employees.”

And, just maybe, on everyone else. v

A.M.W.A.T.’s super motivated staff includes (from left to right) Brand Manager Michaela Santiago, Operations Coordinator Jarvis Roberts, General Manager Christian Small, Pepper the dog, Chief of Operations Dean Pugh and President Gloria Pugh.

May 2012 YOUR HEALTH

17

Best Body

In the grip of the girdle The old rubbery models are long gone, but “slimmers” find plenty of fans

By Marina Brown

W

omen, it’s back. And we know we may be too weak to resist.

The GIRDLE wants to grab us again! Oh, we don’t call it that – nowadays, we call them Spanx, Slimmers, Shapers and Smoothers. But underneath, we know what gets the job done.

Lingerie has never been exempt from the vagaries of fashion’s dictates. What we burned yesterday, we buy by the dozen today. The brassiere, for example, evolved through modern technology from a dangerous Valkerie chest-plate that kept men gentlemen and women lonely, into a garment that now is a masterful physics lesson in softly cantilevered suspension.

From a ‘60s decade of “letting it all hang out,” it seems that after all these years of Zumba and free weights, the ferocious pull of gravity hasn’t lessened one bit. And whether we’re earth mothers or not, most of us decide at one point that, “Darn it, we still need a little help.”

All right, you say, but the girdle? That Bandaidcolored, slightly menacing contraption you’d caught a glimpse of in Granny’s bathroom? That first cousin to the corset, the thick, ribbed job with the grommets and laces favored by Ma Kettle on Sundays? No, no, you say. This isn’t fun anymore. Don’t let it get us again!

Certainly, the dreaded rubber Playtex girdle continues to torment the memories of its former wearers. One woman remembers getting the thing on inside out, with the fuzzy side out and the gripping rubber side in. Slowly the Playtex worked its way ever-upward, perspiration forming a kind of crawling vapor lock along her thighs.

18

YOUR HEALTH May 2012

Spanx makes modern versions of old-style foundation garments, including this Fantastic Firmer for the lower body.

Photo credit: Spanx

As friends seated themselves for dinner, her girdle had made sitting impossible and walking a crisis.

With a bizarre ambulatory stiffness, she waddled off to the ladies room where she pried herself out of the Playtex — and took the pledge to never self-encase in rubber again.

Nina Chimelli of Dillard’s lingerie department has only distant memories of such terrible tales.

Instead, the seasoned saleswoman talks about the ease of climbing into stretchable garments built for the torso in general or for specific areas of concern — think thighs, glutes, waist, back. Going down a dress size isn’t out of the question wearing a full-body slimmer, but when asked about going from a 12 to an 8, Chimelli wryly observes, “Do you want to breathe?”

At Victoria’s Secret, a perky young salesgirl admits that even at a size 2, she has a “slimmer in the drawer. … We all do … for special occasions.”

(Certainly “slimmer” sounds better than the more candid online product called “Lipo-In-A-Box.”) “Yep,” she laughs, “sometimes you’ve just got to suffer.”

But sometimes the price for svelte can be more than just a little suffering. Dr. Paul MacRae, a gastroenterologist in St. Petersburg, warns that a too-tight, constricting garment at the waistline and abdomen can cause a variety of medical problems. Esophageal reflux, lower limb circulatory constriction and even irritable bowel syndrome can be exacerbated by a too-tight body suit.

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By Elise Oberliesen

I

f you live a modern lifestyle, it’s likely you’re glued to a computer all day. Then you head home, eat dinner and maybe read the newspaper, clip coupons or peruse the headlines on your laptop. Maybe you read a few chapters before nodding off to bed. Then you wonder why your eyes are burning and irritated by 3 p.m. each day.

Eyes feeling a little tired? No wonder.

“It’s like (our eyes) are marathon runners eventually the runner gets tired and has to rest,” says Dr. Robert Orsillo, optometrist at Orsillo Vision Care and Optical. Eye strain is a common problem usually caused by overuse, he says.

While eye strain isn’t fatal, you wish you had fresher, focused eyes without annoying blur.

Here’s a quick fix - just give your peepers a rest.

“Look off in the distance, get up and walk around the office just to relieve the tension from focusing,” says Orsillo.

And for anyone who’s happily hitting the big 4-0, or about to, you know aging is more than just crow’s feet and arms with mud flaps. Small (or large) wrinkles come in crystal clear as we age, but our declining eye health may seem a little blurry and less obvious.

“After age 40, it becomes more difficult to focus,” Orsillo says.

You can help your eyes by making some simple changes. For starters, eating the right foods goes a long way, says Orsillo. Take lutein, a carotenoid found in leafy green vegetables and fruits. While more research is needed, lutein may play a role in preventing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disease that affects the retina, causing blurry vision, blind spots and possible blindness.

Another nutrient similar to lutein, zeaxanthin, is found in orange produce like yellow/orange 20

YOUR HEALTH May 2012

pepper, squash, papaya and the dried fruit Lycium barbarumpapya. Egg yolks contain both lutein and zeaxanthin.

Want even more ways to prevent AMD? Consider ditching tobacco, shedding a few pounds and lowering your blood pressure, recommends the American Society of Retinal Specialists.

Paul Wilford, an optician at Hatcher Opticians, says sunglasses also play a critical role in better eye health. He suggests polarized UV lenses, which minimize glare.

“Sunglasses act as a sunscreen for the eyes,” he says.

“Always take your lifestyle preferences into consideration when picking frames. Look for sunglasses with titanium components to avoid corrosion,” says Wilford.

Finding fabulous frames Taking time out for the initial eye exam - not so much fun. But picking out new frames? Did someone say “shopping trip”? With all the fun, whimsical frame styles, finding the right pair can be fun and adventurous. It’s like playing dress-up — from sexy librarian to sophisticated business woman.

Keep a few things in mind before buying. Wilford suggests factoring your prescription into the selection process.

“Some prescriptions don’t work well in some frames - there’s a limited optic zone in the lens,” he says. Also, Wilford says, with stronger prescriptions, large frames and lenses often translate into a lot of weight to carry on your face.

DR. MICHELE HOGGATT Facial features and frame-fitting basics Trying to find the right pair of frames that brings out your unique style? Start by looking at your face shape. As part of a fashion eyewear campaign, the Vision Council offers a few tips to make frame selection a cinch.

Oblong-shaped face — Features: Slightly larger forehead, narrow chin. With overall thin shape temple to temple, and more length top to bottom.

Best frames: Opt for prominent horizontal lines or decorative temples. Also, long faces appear shorter with round or inverted triangular shapes.

Round-shaped face — Features: Proportional dimension of length and width with full cheeks.

Best frames: Opt for temple in the high or medium range to elongate your features. Angular frames offer a narrowing effect. Adjustable nose pads add comfort and better fit.

Heart-shaped face — Features: Wider forehead that tapers in at the temples and cheeks then narrows at the chin.

Best frames: Low temples and wide or squared bottoms.

Rounded tops like aviators, rimless or a butterfly shape.

Be patient and try many different styles that bring out your best look.

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MAKEOVER

Hair switcheroos

Brown to blonde, long to short – here are a few tips on making a big change

BY KATHY RADFORD

W

ith the spring season, we enjoy putting away dark-colored clothes and bulky sweaters in favor of blouses and dresses with the lilacs and peaches and sunshine yellows that declare, “Warmer weather is happier weather.”

We get to the salon to enjoy a pedicure so we can ditch the closed-toe shoes and wiggle our sandalled toes in the sunshine. These are almost universal concepts for women all over the United States and of every age, and in Tallahassee, the season’s natural beauty and our location’s easy access to the beaches prompt us to shed the old and don the new.

While ditching the black shoes and dark sweaters for lighter hues, why not try hair makeovers as well? Whether you choose to go a bit lighter to 22

YOUR HEALTH May 2012

match the lighter clothing and show off the soonto-be tan or whether you choose to lose several inches of your locks, this can be the perfect time to experiment.

Monique of Haute Headz on Thomasville Road explains that lots of women tend to feel the urge to lighten their hair color when spring and early summer arrive. Sarah, a local veterinary receptionist, agrees and says of her long locks,“ I really like to change it seasonally. I enjoy dark in the winter and blonde in the summer. I think hair can be like an accessory.”

It’s not just the change in seasons that can make a woman want to perk up her hair color. It can also be a life change. Having a baby (or grandbaby!) can be the impetus needed to make us take the

plunge. So can a career change. Let’s face it: A business executive isn’t going to be taken seriously with a boring color held back by barrettes left over from years as a hippie writer living in SoHo. Terry, a mid-50s mom, volunteer and wife, found herself wanting a new look when the economy pushed her to decide to go back into the workforce. It wasn’t a change in color that she needed, though. It was a change in length. Since she really hadn’t been one to spend a whole lot of time on herself, Terry at first thought nothing of keeping the same longish hairstyle she had worn since her 20s. But she quickly learned that getting back into the groove of working outside the home demanded a fresh look overall and a shorter, more flattering haircut to go along with it. Especially as gravity works its power on us, long hair can sometimes make women look older than their years by giving the appearance of further “pulling down” the sags that nature gives us naturally.

seen her in a while “just couldn’t get over it … I kept hearing over and over how great I looked. It was a big boost to my self-esteem!”

Sarah, too, acknowledges that folks will often compliment her on her new locks: “My family joked around about my ‘Playboy bunny blonde,’ and I was, actually a bit self-conscious about the platinum look,” but after returning to the salon to get some lowlights and other hair magic, Sarah still has “really blonde” hair. “I love it!” v

No matter what prompts you to make a dramatic or a more subtle change in your hair, one of the side benefits is definitely how much attention it will garner for you. Terry’s friends who hadn’t

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ALTERNATIVE HEALTH

Honey, you look fabulous Beauty goes to the bees, for all the wonderful products these busy insects make

by Anne Marie Cummings

W

hen it comes to beauty, women know honey is a natural humectant that makes skin look radiant. But beauty begins beneath the skin, and busy honey bees provide us with an array of products that keep us beautiful and healthy from the inside out.

“The key to receiving honey’s benefits is using raw, not processed honey. When honey is processed, it’s heated and filtered and you lose all of the honey’s enzymes and pollen,” said Bill Merritt of Merritt Apiaries outside Tallahassee, a beekeeper since 1972. “Raw honey gives you all its nutrients.”

Honey Honey bees transform nectar into honey by a process of regurgitation and store it as a food source in wax honeycombs inside the beehive.

Since bees visit mostly one kind of flower as they gather nectar, the honey they produce has a unique taste, aroma and color from that particular flower. As there are many flowers, there are many types of honey.

The most medicinal honey being touted today is manuka honey, from the hives of bees that collect nectar from manuka and jelly bushes in Australia and New Zealand. Derma Sciences Inc., a New Jersey company, has fallen in love with this honey, and produces a product called Medihoney. This

dark honey is saturated with a highly absorbent seaweed-based material and kills germs and acts as an antibiotic. To purchase manuka honey, visit www.comvita.com.

Beeswax Beeswax is a lipoid granular substance made by worker honey bees. Glands on the underside of the abdomen of the worker bees produce wax droplets, which harden into flakes when exposed to air. Freshly built honeycombs contain 86 to 100 percent of this wax. Anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties of beeswax make it a great natural remedy for skin conditions and for wound healing.

Becky Hogg, co-owner of Full Moon Farm and Apiary 23 miles east of Tallahassee, makes lip balms and moisturizing bars with beeswax. She cleans the wax by running water through it, allowing it to cool, and then scraping the wax clean with a hive tool.

“I repeat three to five times, depending on how dirty the wax is,” said Hogg. “Then the clean wax is melted in a pot without water and poured into Styrofoam cubes, creating blocks of beeswax.

Once they’re dried, we store them and melt the blocks when I use it to make my products.”

To purchase Hogg’s products, visit www. fullmoonhoney.com

For coughs According to Bruce Boynton, CEO of the National Honey Board in Firestone, Colo., “We haven’t been able to find a honey in the US that has the same properties as the Manuka honey, but we did do a research study with (the state of) Pennsylvania in 2007 and we discovered that honey may offer parents a safe and effective alternative to over-the-counter cough medicines.”

24

YOUR HEALTH May 2012

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Here’s the skinny … you’ll meet with a certified Zerona specialist for a free consultation to talk about where you want to lose weight. During your consultation, you’ll fill out a medical history form. Dr. Stephen Duncan will speak with you if anything raises concern. Once you’ve been approved for the procedure, you’ll lie down on a comfortable table, and the Zerona specialist will place the spider-like laser machine around your troubled areas.

“The lasers cause fat cells in the body to release their fatty contents into the blood stream, which then goes into the lymphatic system. The liquefied fat is expelled through the normal detoxification process,” said Kathie Ann Brown, one of five Zerona specialists at The Laser Body Sculpting Center in Tallahassee. “During each session you can read, sleep, even talk on the phone.

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Following each session, clients are encouraged to drink plenty of water and go for a 20-minute walk.

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Did you know that one of the most highly controversial treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) is bee sting therapy, also known as apitherapy?

According to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation in Florida, many MS patients taking bee sting therapy say the stings increase peripheral circulation and cause MS remission, but conventional doctors are skeptical.

A sticky brown substance that has been referred to as “bee glue,” propolis is a mixture that honey bees combine with their own enzymes and collect from tree resin, tree buds and cracks in the barks of trees. Bees use propolis to keep their hives free from infection and to strengthen honeycomb, helping bees defend themselves naturally.

Erika Bolin of Aiken, SC, an ambassador for the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation in the US, currently has MS. Once she made sure she was not allergic to bees, she began receiving bee venom therapy from a local beekeeper in Aiken every three weeks for three years. She pays $3 per bee sting.

“Before the bee stings, I’m paralyzed on the entire left side of my hand, including three of my fingers,” Bolin said. “And then after five bee stings up my arm to my shoulder, my fingers are so agile that I can play the piano again. The effect lasts for three weeks.”

For information, call the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation in Florida at 1-888-MSFOCUS (673-6287).

26

YOUR HEALTH May 2012

Marla Spivak, Distinguished McKnight University Professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Minnesota, joined the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences to investigate the antimicrobial and antiviral properties of propolis. The studies suggest that propolis is highly active against HIV-1 in human cell culture.

“The results of these collaborative studies will help us understand the potential health-promoting effects of this important product of the bee hive,” Spivak said. For propolis products, visit www.newleafmarket.com or www.theyhoneytree.com.

HONEYCOMbs The honeycomb is a mass of tightly-packed hexagonal cells built by honey bees in their nests, where they store their honey and pollen. The honeycomb itself is made of beeswax.

Kim Flottum, editor of Bee Culture and author of several beekeeping books, said honeycombs themselves don’t have any health benefits, other than providing you with honey in its most natural state – a wonder for your taste buds.

“A bite of the honeycomb with honey in it gives you all of honey’s enzymes and flavors,” said Flottum, who suggests you take a spoon of the room temperature honeycomb with honey, place it on warm toast to melt the wax and bite down into it to squeeze the honey out for your epiphany.

As for the wax? “Most people chew it and swallow it,” said Flottum. “Some people spit it out.”

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Change Your Life Today

mind matters

Be a happy loser

Don’t let negative feelings bog you down as you work toward dropping pounds

By Kenya McCullum

A

nyone who has struggled with their weight knows how intense feelings can be about weight gain and weight loss. Just as the needle on the scale can fluctuate up and down, emotions can range from great highs, when we feel we’re getting closer to our goals, to great lows when we suffer a setback. This emotional rollercoaster does not begin when we embark upon a weight loss plan.

Chances are it started from the time we began to put on the excess weight and it continues as we try to reach our weight loss goals.

“There are a lot of different emotions that come into play in the weight gain experience and contribute to depression, anxiety and irritability.

Extra weight raises your stress level, not only in the body, but mentally as well,” said Damian Greer of Fit Weight Loss and More. “The reverse side of that is the experience of elation from dropping these pounds and basically getting your lifestyle back together.”

But, of course, where weight is concerned, getting your lifestyle back together takes time. And it’s not uncommon for people to hold on to these negative feelings as they go through their weight loss journey. So what can you do to get happy — and stay happy — as you are working toward your goals?

28

YOUR HEALTH May 2012

Scale back We always want to feel like our hard work is paying off, but constantly checking the scale probably isn’t going to make you feel better — especially if you haven’t shed as many pounds as you would like.

“Numbers don’t always reflect what’s going on,” said Judi Taylor of Jenny Craig. “We have a lot of people at Jenny Craig who start exercising when they have never exercised before. Once they start getting into it, they start building muscle and the scale doesn’t always tell them what they want it to tell them.”

Not so fast Our world is getting faster and faster, and as a result, we want everything to happen as quickly as possible — including weight loss.

But, unfortunately, it just doesn’t work that way.

Healthy weight loss takes time and being patient is an important way to keep our moods in check along the way.

“Lasting results don’t come quickly, they come with time. We didn’t get overweight overnight, so we’re not going to get fit overnight either. The most important thing is to remember that it is a process that requires hard work, dedication and consistency,” said Chelsea Garfied of Good Friends Group Fitness.

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“It’s all about progress, not perfection. Nobody is going to be perfect. Everybody’s going to have those setbacks,” said Taylor. “There is no cheating.

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AROUND TOWN May 11, 7 – 10 p.m.

10th Annual Florida Wine Festival The 10th Annual Florida Wine Festival is an important fundraising

event for the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science, and purchasing tickets will demonstrate commitment to the organization during this time of transition. Although The Brogan Museum has paused in its daily operations to the general public, it continues to host many museumspecific programs and remain available and dedicated to educating the community with every possible opportunity. Among other things, these programs include hosting spring and summer camps. The Wine Festival will feature catering by Moziak, fabulous wines, great silent auction items, a unique business showcase and more. The Brogan Museum, 350 S. Duval St. Contact Trish Hansen for more information, 513-0700, ext. 236, or visit thebrogan.org.

May 5, 7 a.m.- noon

11th Annual Tails & Trails

Center (LARC). Have a fabulous evening and watch the Kentucky Derby. Prizes include a weekend in Panama City Beach on the Gulf. There will be a Hat Parade, dancing to live music, famous Kentucky desserts, mint juleps, dinner and a silent auction, with Frank Ranicky as emcee.

Antique Car Museum, 6800 Mahan Drive. Contact jansoto@aol.com.

Each year, the Animal Shelter takes in more than 10,000 animals, and while several thousand are adopted each year, the reality is that there are simply more pets than homes, and thousands must be euthanized.

The Animal Shelter Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides life-saving support to the homeless animals in the care of the Tallahassee Animal Shelter. Your participation in Tails & Trails helps support Animal Shelter Foundation programs like spay/ neuter to reduce pet overpopulation, supplemental veterinary care and community education on responsible pet ownership. So walk, jog or run, and help make a difference in the lives of homeless animals. Registration starts at 7 a.m., 1 Mile starts at 8 a.m., 5K and 10K start at 8:30 a.m. Entry fees are $15 if pre-registered by May 3, $18 on race day and $10 with no T-shirt option. Visit www.TallyTailsandTrails. org to register online or to obtain a printable registration form. Animal Service Center, 1125 Easterwood Drive. Contact Cara Fowler, 3213665, or visit TallyTailsandTrails.org.

The Progressive Pediatric Development Center is holding its Second Annual Poker Run. All proceeds benefit PPDC’s purchase of playground equipment. Registration begins at 9 a.m. Last bike out from 1915 Welby Way at 11 a.m. All street-legal vehicles welcome. Entry fee is $15, extra rider is $5 and extra hand is $5. First stop, registration at PPDC; second stop , Riverside Café in St. Marks; third stop, Sky Box Sports Bar & Grill in Crawfordville; fourth stop, Capital City Harley Davidson in Tallahassee; fifth stop, K&K Fish Camp at Lake Iamonia.

Join us at K&K Fish Camp for a silent auction, live music, food and fun.

For more information, call 325-6301 or visit progressivepediatric.org.

May 5, 4:30 p.m.

May 19, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Kentucky Derby Gala

18th Annual Tour of Gardens

Don’t miss this fundraiser to benefit our citizens with disabilities through the Leon Advocacy and Resource

30

YOUR HEALTH May 2012

May 12

PPDC Poker Run

The annual tour of privately owned gardens hosted by the Friends of Maclay Gardens is a fundraising event

and a spring tradition for many folks in the area. The day will begin with breakfast at Maclay Gardens at 9 a.m. along with a silent auction and plant sale. Participants are then given maps and invited to enjoy a self-paced tour of privately owned gardens in the Tallahassee area. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased in advance at the park, Esposito Garden Center, Native Nurseries, Tallahassee Nurseries and Wild Birds Unlimited. Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park, 3540 Thomasville Road, floridastateparks.org.

May 19, 9 a.m.-noon

Master Gardener Open House Come out for the 10th Anniversary of the Master Gardener volunteers of the UF-IFAS Leon County Cooperative Extension. Visitors may also stroll through the six diverse plant bed areas and speak with the Master Gardeners who plant and maintain the gardens.

Although open to the public year round, the spring Open House affords visitors the opportunity to learn about the plants from experienced Master Gardeners. Also featured is the new 40,000-gallon rooftop rainwater recycling system and information on wildlife habitat, vegetable gardening and how to install micro-irrigation.

Admission is free. Leon County UF/ IFAS Extension Office, 615 Paul Russell Road, 606-5224, leon.ifas.ufl.edu

~ Physician Profiles MICHELLE HOGGATT, MD

Gynecology and Gynecologic Surgery Dr. Hoggatt received her undergraduate degree in genetics from the Univ. of California at Berkeley and she received her Doctor of Medicine from the Medical Univ. of South Carolina, Charleston, SC. After completing her obstetrics and gynecology residency at Tulane Univ. Medical Center, Dr. Hoggatt began practicing obstetrics and gynecological medicine in Sacramento, CA. She relocated to Tallahassee and has been in a group practice specializing in gynecology and gynecological surgery. Dr. Hoggatt is a member of the AMA, Capital Medical Society and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Hoggatt uses her specialized skills in gynecological medicine to help educate her patients about the importance of managing the challenges of women’s health issues.

Contact: 2009 Miccosukee Road., Tallahassee, 850.656.2128

BEN J. KIRBO, MD

Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery Dr. Kirbo is a board certified plastic surgeon who has been practicing in the N. Florida and S. Georgia area for more than 15 years. Dr. Kirbo completed his medical degree at the University of Miami.

Dr. Kirbo completed general surgery residency at the University of Kentucky and plastic surgery residency at Vanderbilt University. His particular interests are cosmetic, breast, post-bariatric weight loss surgery, correcting undesirable plastic surgery results and body contouring.

He was recently recognized as a recipient of The Tally Awards top surgeon in Tallahassee. Contact: Southeastern Plastic Surgery, 2030 Fleischmann Rd., Tallahassee, 850.219.2000, se-plasticsurgery.com

RONALD G. WILLIS, DMD

General and Cosmetic Dentistry Dr. Ronald G. Willis Graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Willis specializes in Cosmetic Dentistry, TMJ/TMD Neuromuscular Dentistry, Neuromuscular Orthodontics, and Veneers.

Dr. Willis has treated missing and discolored teeth. Many treatment options exist for his patients as well as finishing the frame around the teeth and face with Botox and Derma Fillers. Dr. Willis received an award for Best Dentist in 2003 & 2005 and Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies Clinical Instructor of the year.

Contact: Centre Point Dental Group, 2470 Care Dr., Tallahassee, 850.877.5151 or rwillisdmd@yahoo.com

Jana Bures-ForsthoeFel, MD

Gynecology and Obstetrics Dr. Jana Bures-Forsthoefel has been practicing in our community for 25+ years and is now delivering the next generation.

Dr. Bures -Forsthoefel received her doctorate in from the University Of Louisville School Of Medicine and did her residency at Emory University Grady Hospital in Atlanta Georgia. She is Board Certified in Gynecology and Obstetrics. Contact: Gynecology & Obstetrics Associates, PA Professional Office Building, 1405 Centerville Rd. Suite 4200, 850.877.3549, obgyntallahassee.com

LAURENCE Z. ROSENBERG, MD

Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery Dr. Rosenberg attended Emory University for college and medical school. He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and Plastic Surgery.

He has written articles on facelifts, breast reduction and reconstruction, abdominoplasty, melanoma and non-melanoma reconstruction. He has a many specializations; eyelid surgery, breast reconstruction, augmentation and reduction, abdominoplasty, hand surgery, treatments of skin disorders and body contouring for massive weight loss patients.

Dr. Rosenberg is the only board certified physician in N. Florida and S. Georgia to perform a hair restoration procedure of transplanting individual follicular units. Contact: Southeastern Plastic Surgery, 2030 Fleischmann Rd., Tallahassee, 850.219.2000, se-plasticsurgery.com

ROBERT FRABLE, DO

Family Medicine Dr. Robert Frable is a board certified family practice physician established in Wakulla County for 24 years. Originally from Pennsylvania, he attended undergraduate school at Northeast Missouri State University and graduated from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. Family Pratice Residency was completed at the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Hospital in Kirksville, Missouri. Contact: Capital Regional Medical Group, 2832 Crawfordville Hwy., Crawfordville, 850.926.6363

AFOLABI SANGOSANyA, MD

Cadiology/Internal Medicine Dr. Sangosanya has joined Capital Regional Cardiology Associates. He earned his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine and completed his cardiovascular disease training at the University of MiamiJackson Memorial Medical Center. Dr. Sangosanya is board certified in cardiovascular diseases and internal medicine. He is also board eligible in clinical cardiac electrophysiology. Dr. Sangosanya is committed to providing accessible care to the Big Bend and provides same day appointments to patients. Contact: Capital Regional Cardiology Associates, 2770 Capital Medical Blvd, Ste 109, Tallahassee, 850.877.0216, CapitalRegionalMedicalGroup.com

SHAWN RAMSEy, DO

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Dr. Shawn Ramsey specializes in minimally invasive surgery, female pelvic reconstructive surgery, and aesthetic procedures. He is certified in the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System. Dr. Ramsey received his Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pennsylvania and he did his residency at the Henry Ford Health System in Michigan. Contact: Gynecology & Obstetrics Associates, PA Professional Office Building, 1405 Centerville Rd. Suite 4200, 850.877.3549, obgyntallahassee.com