Health & Wellness 2013

June 9, 2013

Health Wellness GUIDE 2013

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SUMMERTIME HEALTH TIPS FOR KIDS

DIET VS. EXERCISE Which is more effective in the battle

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to lose weight?

In-Home Senior Care A Common Sense Approach to Diabetes 5 Questions to Ask Before Starting a Weight Loss Programs AND MUCH MORE! Renee and Will Reedy and their son Garrison make running together at the Columbus Riverwalk a part of their fitness routine four to five times a week.

2 SUNDAY, JUNE 9, 2013

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ASK THE EXPERT: MARK BITTMAN

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environment. The estimates of greenhouse gases generated by industrial livestock production range from 20 to 50 percent; split the difference and call it a third. That would mean that reducing meat consumption by 10 percent would reduce greenhouse gas generation by 3 percent. Not bad. Then there’s the general environmental damage that comes from factory farming and monoculture, like the annual “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico from fertilizer carried down there by the Mississippi, and the essentially undrinkable water now found in so many farming communities. Q: How much sugar is there in the typical American diet and why is it bad for our health? We eat unprecedented amounts of refined carbohydrates, especially sugar and hyper-processed flour, which provide most of our calories but are the foods we should be eating the least of. Sweets and desserts account for 12 percent of Americans’ daily caloric intake, with soft drinks making up an additional 7 percent. We don’t need all this sugar, and when we consume excess sugar [glucose], our bodies turn those sugars into fat. When that fat is not burned but stored, the result is illness — two-thirds of Americans are overweight, and risks for cardiovascular disease and diabetes are skyrocketing.

alcohol and over-processed foods. At 6 p.m., Bittman could eat meat (and anything else) he wanted. He explains the philosophy and provides recipes in his new book, VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health . . . for Good (Clarkson-Potter, 2013).

The noted food and cookbook author shows how going vegan — even part-time — can have a dramatic effect on your health. BY ANNE E. STEIN

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ix years ago, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman was overweight, had high cholesterol and was considering surgery for his achy knees. Instead of prescribing medication, his doctor proposed something more radical: Becoming a vegan and avoiding all animal-based foods. Bittman mulled it over and came up with his own idea. From the moment he woke until dinnertime, he’d avoid animal products, junk food,

Q: How has VB6 affected your life and your health? OK, you want to know weight, and the answer is I’ve lost about 30 pounds. All of my blood numbers, including cholesterol and blood sugar, are back where they belong. I sleep better [no apnea; that’s all about weight, in many people] and I run better. Needless to say, there are some sacrifices, but they’re hardly onerous and they’re totally worth it.

Q: What would you say to meat-eaters who are skeptical about living happily on this diet? Very simple: You can remain meat-eaters. After 6. Everyone knows anticipation makes things sweeter, so you can think all day about the meat you’re going to eat for dinner. There’s little to be skeptical about. Q: You write that VB6 isn’t just about weight loss and good health. It’s also about having a positive impact on the

Q: Why are minimally processed foods, such as whole grains, healthier for us? Where do I start? Junk food — and by “junk” I mean foods with no nutritious value or foods that are loaded with chemicals and so highly processed you can’t tell what the heck they are — wreak havoc on our bodies, on our environment and the animals raised in industrial farming. These foods place foreign chemicals, non-nutritious substances, and often harmful substances into our bodies and environment. Q: What else is wrong with the typical American diet? The Standard American Diet [SAD] — our manner of eating — is not only unhealthy, as has been well-documented; it’s also unnatural. Junk, like soda, doughnuts and Corn Flakes, and meat have become the base of the American diet, instead of the fibrous, nutritious plants that keep us healthy and provide natural, wholesome sugars, which were once the base of the pyramid, so to speak. The SAD is best described as a vicious cycle of consuming hyperprocessed, brilliantly marketed junk along with the diet schemes intended to combat the very system they’re a part of that incorporate even more over-processed, repackaged and higher-priced junk. It promotes a diet of excess sugar consumption, which will inevitably be stored as fat, which will then lead to obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and a number of other health issues; processed food consumption, which introduces chemicals to the body and air; and meat consumption, one of the top two contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. © CTW FEATURES

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diet VS. exercise Eat well or exercise hard — which is more effective? There's a debate in the medical community about the path to faster, long-term weight loss. So … which is it?

BY BEV BENNETT

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ou hear advice all the time about the key to slimming down. Cutting calories is an obvious step. If you consume fewer calories than your body burns, you’ll lose weight. So, how does exercise fit in? Exercise also burns calories. But, if you prefer to eat at your current level, can you burn enough calories in physical activity to make a significant difference on the scale?

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That answer is more nuanced than you may think. Exercise provides a wide range of health benefits. Regardless of whether you’re trying to lose weight, you should get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity a week plus musclestrengthening activities at least two days each week. (Recommendations for different age groups and different ways to get enough exercise are available at tinyurl.com/CDCexercise.) However, if you’re exercising to drop pounds, you’ll want to focus on certain exercises that are more productive and be realistic about how many calories you actually burn. To lose weight and fat emphasize aerobic training. In a study of obese, sedentary adults, volunteers aged 18 to 70 were divided into one of three groups. One did vigorous aerobic training for 45 minutes for three days a week, another did resistance training, which called for three sets of eight to 12 reps on eight resistance machines also for three days and the third did both the assigned aerobic and resistance training. The aerobic and aerobic-plusresistance exercise volunteers lost more weight than those who only did resistance training during an eightmonth experiment. In addition, the volunteers in either the aerobic or aerobic plus resistance group lost more fat and more of their waistline measurement than the resistance group, according to research published in the “Journal of Applied Physiology.” This is important because when you’re losing fat, part of that is likely to be visceral fat, which is associated with health risks. The aerobic versus resistance results shouldn’t lead you to toss those weights in the attic, however. The researchers also found that the resistance and the combination training groups increased their lean body mass, which didn’t happen to the aerobiconly trainers. It won’t show up on your scale, but maintaining lean muscle mass

is beneficial for your overall health, especially as you age. Your best bet may be both aerobic and resistance training to decrease body fat and increase muscle. Along with considering which exercises to embrace, adjust your expectations. If your aerobic and resistance routines leave you sweating, you may be jubilantly counting up the calories. Not so fast, say the experts. “You might have an exaggerated sense of how much exercise you’re getting,” says Tracey Ledoux, Ph.D., registered dietitian and assistant professor, Department of Health and Human Performance, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, University of Houston. “When we move at all, walk a little bit, we think we’ve done all this activity. It’s not as much as you think,” she says. Take a look at a calorie-activity chart and you’ll see that 30 minutes of aerobics burns only 240 calories in a 154-pound man (for more calorieexercise information,visit tinyurl. com/tablecalories). Doing an hour of aerobics a day could result in a weight loss of about a pound a week, but can you realistically do that much and maintain it? “That’s a lot of time,” says Diana Thomas, Ph.D., director of the Center for Quantitative Obesity Research and professor, Montclair State University, Montclair, N.J. She and others doubt that this is a reliable strategy for most people. Instead, health experts recommend exercise but emphasize eating fewer calories as well. When people ask Cris Slentz about exercise for weight loss, he tells them they won’t lose a lot of weight. “The majority of papers show exercise has a nice effect, but modest,” says Slentz, Ph.D., assistant professor of Medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C. “You still need to eat fewer calories,” the expert says. © CTW FEATURES

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TAKE THE BYPASS TO SKINNY? Gastric bypass and lap band surgery often are dirty words in the weight loss community, but for many they mean the difference between life and death.

BY JESSICA ROYER OCKEN

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lthough major surgery is nothing to sneeze at, for those who have long struggled with their weight and the health problems that accompany obesity, a procedure that exists to accomplish what dieting has been unable to do might sound too good to be true. And if it were that simple, it might be. However, gastric bypass and other bariatric surgeries are just one tool in accomplishing a larger goal.“If you think you’ll get the surgery and then do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you always got,” says Dr. Garth Davis, a surgeon at Houston’s The Davis Clinic and star of the reality show “Big Medicine.” But for those who are ready to change their lifestyle and their approach to eating, this sort of surgery may literally save their lives. More than just a way to get skinny, surgery adjusts the way metabolism works, explains Dr. Jaime Ponce, president of the Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and a surgeon in Dalton, Georgia. So these surgeries’ ability to resolve other health problems — including diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and fatty infiltration of the liver — may be an even greater benefit than shedding pounds. The procedures are increasingly common (about 200,000 in the US last year, says Ponce) and as safe as a gall bladder surgery, so many obese patients are now finding a surgical path to better health and improved quality of life, including Gail Engebretson and Kimberly Tremblay. GAIL ENGEBRETSON, 61, had been overweight her entire life.“I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t,” she says, “even as a small child.” She tried every fad diet and weight loss program there was, and she once lost 100 pounds on a doctorsupervised liquid diet. But she still tipped the scales at 240 pounds, and over time

she gained the weight back. She also had medical problems. Her blood sugar was on the rise, and doctors warned she would soon develop diabetes. “That scared me a lot,” she says.“I have seen what my family members [with diabetes] have gone through.”Acid reflux disease forced her to sleep sitting up, and lower back and hip problems prevented her from standing for more than 10 minutes without pain. “I always wanted to lose weight because I knew I’d feel better overall,” Engebretson says.“I wanted to be more active, and I hated walking into a room and feeling like people were staring at me.” So after extensive research, in March 2004 at age 52, she underwent gastric bypass surgery. The procedure went well, and her recovery was smooth.“I was very excited and ready for this,” she says.“I had no doubts or questions. I was totally determined.” As the weight began to come off, her energy level shot up.“In the mornings I would dance around the kitchen because I felt so good,” she says.“I had a very different body that felt lighter and could move in ways I’d never moved it before.” She also began exercising — just walking to the end of the block at first, but today, nearly 10 years after her surgery, she’s “still pretty darn active.”The surgery also required that she change everything about the way she ate — from the foods she chose to the amount she consumed — and “at times I really missed enjoying eating,” she says.“But I’d never felt this feeling of not being hungry and not caring about food.” As Engebretson searched for the support she knew she’d need to continue her new lifestyle, she connected with a life coach, which she credits for her success.“There’s so much about this that has nothing to do with the physical,” she says.“It has to do with where your head is.”As she learned what triggered her sugar cravings and

what stressors sent her looking for food, she took charge of her life. Today, Engebretson is herself a life coach and the author of a self-published book, “Fat No More: Long-Term Success Following Weight-Loss Surgery” (2008). She also maintains the website fatnomorelifestyle.com. KIM TREMBLAY did not have a problem with her weight until she became pregnant with her daughter, who’s now 23. As she carried the baby, she gained more than 100 pounds, and found it impossible to lose. Tremblay had never been one to exercise; she worked in a corporate office and ate out just about every day. She gained more weight, and then about 10 years ago, she became diabetic. Every year her condition worsened as she continued to add more weight to her body. After lots of research (she jokes that she could have done the procedure herself), Tremblay was ready to have a gastric bypass in the fall of 2011. But her doctor refused to do the procedure until she quit smoking. Smoking would slow healing and make her prone to dangerous ulcers, he explained.Though she’d been smoking since she was 14,Tremblay decided to quit. And despite months of horrific side effects from the medications she took to help, she remains a non-smoker today. In May 2012, at age 44,Tremblay underwent gastric bypass surgery.“Now my stomach holds a half cup of food, and that’s all there is to it.There’s no cheating, no gorging on a giant steak or I’ll be sick as a dog,” she explains.“It’s kind of disappointing sometimes — I want to try one of everything and I can only eat three bites — but then I look in the mirror and it’s not so bad.” She says quitting smoking was much more difficult than her recovery, and today, about seven months later, she’s lost 90 pounds and dropped from size 4X to a

large. And though she’d like to lose 50 or 60 pounds more, by her six-month checkup her diabetes was completely resolved.Tremblay is also an active person for the first time in her life. “Exercise isn’t as traumatizing as it used to be,” she says.“When you go to a gym, it’s small people using the bikes and treadmills, and they look cute doing it. Heavy people feel uncomfortable.”Today she skips the gym in favor of walking or jogging with her dogs, and in February she completed her first 5K race. Tremblay says her biggest challenge is dealing with stress. Emotional eating and smoking used to be her outlets.“The surgery took both of those away, so I’ve had to find another addiction,” she says: Exercise! “I was a little stressed out at work today, so I went for a walk at lunch instead of smoking,” she says.“If your head says you’re hungry, you have to tell it to shut up.” WHO MAKES A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR SURGERY? Doctors say those likely to be helped by bariatric surgery have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more and are likely to be 100 pounds or more above their ideal body weight. However, if health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure have already developed, even someone with a BMI of 35 could be helped by surgery, says Dr. Ponce. But because surgery is only part of the solution, there’s more to a successful outcome than just having the procedure. “A major part of making the decision is whether you’re willing to really change your whole life around,” says Engebretson. “If you’re not willing to put the work in, there’s no sense in having surgery.” For more information, visit the ASMBS website at asmbs.org or The Davis Clinic website at thedavisclinic.com. © CTW FEATURES

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‘Biggest Loser’ Danny Cahill Before & After

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Losing weight is just the beginning. What comes next is just as big of a challenge. ‘The Biggest Loser’ contestants Amy Parham and Danny Cahill discuss their emotional and mental battles following extreme weight loss. BY JEFF SCHNAUFER PHOTOS COURTESY NBC TELEVISION

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anny Cahill and Amy Parham rose to fame recently on “The Biggest Loser.” She shed over 100 pounds and he has dropped over 200 pounds since. They have both gone on to author books. Amy wrote 10 Lessons from a Former Fat Girl (Harvest House, 2011) and Danny & Darci Cahill are authors of Losing Big (Harrison House, 2012). We asked them how life is going for them — and what challenges they are facing — today. Q: What are your greatest emotional and mental challenges following weight loss? Amy: After you lose weight, you realize how much you allowed yourself to settle for other things in life. This causes you to examine relationships, careers, etc. So you kind of feel like you lived life halfway before. This causes regrets. Maybe I could have done more, maybe I allowed people to take advantage of me that I shouldn’t have etc. So you see your weight not only affects your body, but also other areas of your life. Danny: Coming off "Biggest Loser," I had to re-adjust to life off the ranch. This meant the 7-8 hours of workout a day had to be trimmed down to a normal level of 1 to 1.5 hours a day. This was tough, as I was mentally afraid I would immediately gain the weight back! My family also suffered the fact that I had lived such an extreme lifestyle for those few months. Everything to me was about moving! As time went by I settled back into balance. This was a great relief for 2 years, but then tragedy struck — my father died. The stress of that lead to a quick 50+ pounds of weight gain! I had fallen back into my addiction! My wife had to set me down and tell me she didn’t know if she could go there again. She asked me to get help and get my addiction under control. I soon regained my composure and found peace, and my life came back to normal. This opened our eyes to the fact that addiction is with me, always ready to show back up. I have to recognize when I feel those feelings and get them under control! The way to do that is not to stuff them and give them a voice — other than addictive tendencies. Write a song, run a race, build something — anything to get the issues out of my tissues and not turn to the addiction again. I am doing much better now and have almost lost all of the weight I put back on.

‘Biggest Loser’ Amy Parham Before & After

Q: What are the greatest physical challenges of keeping weight off? Danny: When I lost the fat, I found the skin issues. I was left with pound upon pound of skin. Well, I was offered a surgery on The Doctors show and they cut 10 pounds of skin off my body in an eight-hour procedure. It was a trial, but the results were fabulous. You can actually look on YouTube for “Danny Cahill Skin Surgery” and watch a portion of the surgery and the reveal. It was amazing. Now I am finding that all of the running, I have been doing is wreaking havoc on my back. I have laid off so much running and returned to the gym with a one-onone training experience. I am loving it and my body is on its way to the best shape it has ever been!

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Q: What are the ups and downs of keeping weight off? Amy: Having been on a reality show, you are always under a microscope where your weight is concerned. It puts pressure on you constantly. Sometimes that is good because it keeps you accountable, but it is frustrating too when you want an occasional dipped cone and the ice cream guy gives you “the look”. Danny: Traveling is the toughest thing. The food when traveling — which I do now that I motivationally speak around the country at businesses, churches and organizations — is not always exactly what I would choose. It’s been tough to keep in shape while flying over 100 flights for three years in a row. I have the knowledge to make better choices, but I also need to keep in the gym while traveling. Before, I wasn’t as busy. Now, I am 10 times busier than I have ever been and I love it. Helping people by paying it forward with speaking, authoring my two books (Losing Big and Lose Your Quit) and mission trips has been such a blessing in my life. Q: What is the hardest moment you’ve had since losing weight? Amy: My son said I should say giving up Doritos. (Laughs out loud). But I can honestly say I never had any attention from men or jealousy from women before I lost weight. It’s unsettling. Especially when you are not used to that. Danny: The hardest moment I have had since losing the weight was my father’s death in December of 2011. I was speaking for Chick-fil-A away from home and had to quickly catch a flight back home. It was absolutely

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heartbreaking. I miss him dearly, as he was my father, coach, boss, co-worker and my best friend. I have lost a true companion in him and each day I am reminded of him in some way. I have battled through the loss to turn it into inspiration. My father sowed so much into my life that his champion moments show up in me in some way every day. I know he is always with me. Q: What’s the best piece of advice you could give to someone trying to keep off the weight they have lost? Amy: Stay active. Move your body some. And don’t be afraid of food. You have to eat. Just eat things that are real and whole. It’s not how much we eat, but what we eat that counts. Danny: The best advice I can give is to find support. Get involved in a 12-step program such as Overeater’s Anonymous or Alanon. If people are having really hard times keeping the weight off, I recommend the 6-day intensive at Shades of Hope Treatment Center in Buffalo Gap, Texas. Tennie McCarty does great work and is wonderful at getting to the real issues of the weight issues. Another great program is The Journey Training in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I facilitate the program myself and it gets down to those core issues. If you simply lose the weight and expect that you’ll control it from now on without dealing with the reason you gained the weight in the first place, you’ll be fighting an uphill climb. Real victory comes with freedom, and freedom comes with education, support and treatment. Invest in yourself first and take control of your life by making you a priority. © CTW FEATURES


The Overeater’s Mental Toolbox — A weight loss expert’s best coping tools for emotional and stress-related eating: Marjorie Nolan Cohn, a New York City-based spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, nutritionist and personal trainer, has several ready-made suggestions for when we reach out for sweets and junk foods when we get stressed out: “The first thing it always starts with if they are doing stress eating on a regular basis is to have a very defined meal plan,” Cohn says. “If your blood sugar is mostly stable throughout the day, you can certainly deal with the psychological craving much better. In nutritional therapy, we focus on what is the physical side of the program. A dietician can help.” “Having lower calorie snack options are ideal. One of the best options is frozen yogurt — maybe Greek yogurt — that you mix with honey or fruit that you keep in the freezer. Having things like that when you are really in a bind can help,” Cohn says. “If you are looking for other food ingredients, try high protein snacks like whole grain bars, protein bars, also trail mix with dried fruits or whole grain cereal, like mixing it into trail mix,” Cohn says. “You may have more options with work because you may have a refrigerator — one of the things a lot of clients like is to make a hot cocoa — it’s going to take you longer to drink because it’s hot, whereas you can polish off a whole bag of potato chips in a minute if you are stressed.” “If you are in a car and you need to pull over because you are so stressed out and you need to have a snack, you probably need to call a therapist.”

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DENTAL CARE ADVANCEMENTS INCLUDE IMPROVED CROWNS

Continuing education key in staying up to date

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Robbie Upton, of Columbus, sits back to allow Dr. Jay Wiygul, DMD, to check her teeth following a cleaning. Photo Luisa Porter

s is true in so many practices in the medical field, advances in dental care technology continue to advance at a quick rate. Continuing education is key in staying up to speed with these developments, according to local dentist Dr. Jay Wiygul, who said his employees are always hitting the books to deliver the best care possible to their patients. Wiygul said he and his staff keep up with the latest trends and advances by utilizing research centers on the Internet and attending classes on a regular basis. Among the latest improvements they’ve incorporated into their care are in surgical procedures, he said. “We’ve adopted the use of soft tissue lasers for treatment of periodontal disease and surgical procedures during operative dentistry,”Wiygul said.“Lasers have been around for a number of years, but new advances make it more mobile and possible

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in chairside dentistry.” Another major development as of late has been zirconium — the material he uses in his offices in Columbus and Starkville for crowns, which he said was harder than diamond in terms of strength. “One of the things we’re excited about is new materials we’re using for restoration, including natural looking composites, or tooth colored fillings we can use for a variety of purposes.The zirconia material we’re using for crowns now is durable and translucent, which provides better aesthetics as well as long term stability for patients we use it on,” he said.“The rationale has gone from use of all gold crowns in the past 50 years to different types of porcelain restorations … and now porcelain is still used, but zirconium is building in popularity because you don’t have to worry about breakage or long-term stability.” Another adaptation he said his businesses have made is addressing the growing

concern of ongoing changes in health care laws. Making a concerted effort to provide dentistry to underserved patients is a priority of his, he said.Through a finance company called CareCredit, he said the balance of service and profit is being achieved. “CareCredit is a dental finance company that gives you a credit card you can use. Patients can go online, provide their information and once approved approved for a certain amount they can reimburse the company themselves like paying off a credit card and company pays me directly,” Wiygul said.“We don’t have to worry about the collection part of the process and for patients who do not have dental insurance, this gives them the opportunity to have procedures done without making decisions based on economics.” Particularly for adults, the basic dental health habits learned as youth, such as regular checkups and daily, consistent patterns of brushing and flossing are of utmost importance, he said. “As we age, things are going to change in our mouth, but monitoring those and being aware of problems as they arise as quickly as possible is the best way to prevent major issues,” he said.

Customer Service is Our #1 Priority! From left are Steve Talbot, ATP, RRTS, general manager; Crystal Fair, RRT and Brandi W. Odom, owner.

There are many options for patients when it comes to home medical equipment and supplies. We at Home-Med know this and that is why we strive to set ourselves apart by making customer service our #1 priority. At Home-Med you not only get professional customer service by licensed staff members, but we also service what we sell. If you have difficulty getting around and are interested in power mobility or if you have a

child with special rehab equipment needs, call and speak with Steve Talbot. Steve is the only licensed ATP, RRTS in this area and has more than 10 years of experience. If you have sleep apnea or other respiratory needs call and speak with Crystal Fair, RRT. She has 25 years of experience in respiratory. Crystal also provides free prescreening for obstructive sleep apnea.

Call Home-Med to discuss these or any other of your personalized needs in detail. © The Dispatch

BY NATHAN GREGORY | [email protected]

HEALTH & WELLNESS

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Diet, exercise are paramount BY CARL SMITH | [email protected]

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esides its doctors’ commitment to local patients’ health, OCH Regional Medical Center staff members are actively working with the community to ensure residents affected by diabetes can properly handle their condition. OCH Certified Diabetes Educator Nicky Yeatman helps organize the hospital’s monthly diabetic management class, a free session open to the public every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. With dedicated, common sense approaches to testing, medicine, nutrition and exercise, patients can help manage their diabetes and even improve their quality of life. “Our whole message is diabetes is manageable. My motto is ‘Empower those who are living with this,’” she said.“It doesn’t have to rule or ruin one’s life, but you do have to put on your tool belt and work hard to make sure it doesn’t. We try to provide information and motivation to help those patients do that.” OCH Physician Ramon Osorio said the two main types of diabetes he treats are Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1, otherwise known as juvenile diabetes, occurs when the body fails to produce insulin, while Type 2 develops as the body begins

resisting the insulin the pancreas produces. A third type, gestational diabetes, can also develop during pregnancy. Calling Type 1 “juvenile diabetes” is misleading, Osorio said, because a person with the condition will require insulin throughout all stages of life. Documented cases of Type 2 diabetes is the most prominent type of the illness he treats, Osorio said. “There are a lot of environmental factors (with Type 2 diagnoses), with obesity being the most important one. Nowadays, we see more and more 20-year-olds and teenagers being diagnosed with it,” he said.“The main contributing factors are diet and a lack of exercise.” Doctors prescribe a variety of direct medicinal treatments, ranging from pills to insulin injections, to treat diabetes, but Osorio says lifestyle changes are required to fully manage the condition. “Diet is one of the most important factors when it comes to diabetes management. One of the most important things you have to do is control carbs,” he said.“You do need them — that’s where sugars come from in digestion — but you need to make sure you’re getting them from healthy sources. You also have to maintain a carb-consistent diet." “Your body produces insulin based upon how much you need with your diet,” Osorio added.“Our patients need to recognize the components of their meals and try to make sure they’re consistent with their carb intake every day.” Exercise, too, plays an important factor with treating diabetes. Many patients with the condition are also prescribed medicines for other correlating health problems, he said, including high cholesterol and blood pressure.

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MobiliTy & GeneRal •Manual & Power Wheelchairs •Walkers •Canes •Hospital Beds •Bedside Commodes


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OCH Regional Medical Center Certified Diabetes Educator Nicky Yeatman, left, tests a patient's blood sugar. Photo submitted

“Your muscles use glucose when exercising, and it’s important because the more you weigh, the more resistant to insulin you become,” he said.“Gastric bypass surgery is another option for patients looking into their weight because most come off diabetic medicines once they drop all their excess weight.”

Caring for skin of all ages. Bethany R. Hairston, M.D., F.A.A.D. Board Certified Dermatology Mayo Clinic Trained

Kala White, CFN P © The Dispatch

A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO MANAGING DIABETES

255 Baptist Blvd. Ste. 304 | Columbus, MS | 662-328-3375 | www.thederm-clinic.com


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TECHNOLOGY MAKES DETECTING, TREATING HEART-RELATED ILLNESS EASIER

Expect Exceptional Vision

BY MICAH GREEN | [email protected]

COLUMBUS EYE CLINIC &

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L A S E R S U R G E RY C E N T E R Cataract Surgery • Laser Vision Correction LASIK Glaucoma Surgery / Therapy • Cornea Diseases Cornea Transplant • Retinal Diseases Macular Degeneration • Diabetic Retinopathy Dry Eye • Flashes and Floaters Comprehensive Eye Exams Eyeglass Prescriptions and Contact Lenses Cosmetic Eye Procedures

Board Certified Fellow American College of Surgeons

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Doctors Park - 425 Hospital Drive • Columbus, MS 39705 662.328.2061• www.ColumbusEyeClinic.com

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William Gillespie, MD FACS

HEALTH & WELLNESS

hen cardiologist Michael Boland first began practicing medicine 40 years ago, things were a tad bit different.Take heart attacks, for example. When Dr. Boland first entered the field, he wasn’t trained to stop heart attacks, he was trained to deal with the complications that come with them. “Death and dying were daily affairs,” Boland says.“I remember having to watch patients suffer right in front of me, and there was little to nothing I could do.” But like with every other aspect of human life, technology has found a way to ease the burden, and in this case, save lives. Devices like implanted defibrillators and procedures such as x-ray computed tomography, or CT scans, have made predicting and treating heart-related illnesses an easier task. Even so, Boland, who has been practicing in north Mississippi for more than 25 years, says anyone living in the “Stroke Belt” should be aware of the very common risk factors that plague much of the southeastern United States. Some of these risk factors can be controlled, others, not so much. Anyone reading this probably has at least three of these risk factors, right off the bat.

Having a Y chromosome, a birthday every year and living in America all place patients at risk, statistically, for heart-related illness. Have diabetes? Double the risk. High blood pressure? Triple it. Male sex? You get the drill. But there are, of course, things to avoid and things to seek out in order to ensure other risk factors do not pile up. Boland’s most simple advice? “Don’t smoke, don’t ever smoke,” Boland says.“Don’t even hang around people who smoke.” That is not all though. A healthy diet, though not necessarily full proof, can definitely help, too. Boland recommends a Mediterraneanstyle diet. Olive oil, fish, poultry, fruits, nuts and vegetables should play big roles in what you are consuming. But the diet should also be accompanied by a fair share of exercise. Any male over the age of 40, and any female over the age of 50 should get checked for risk factors regularly, but if you are already at high risk due to genetics, getting checked earlier is a safer bet. Medical technology has certainly come a long way, and is without a doubt, saving lives, but the only way to really prevent or treat heart related illnesses, is to take an active approach.

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Not all hospices are the same. Ask for Sanctuary by name! Liz Varco RN, works with Geneene Saunders on a cardio bike while Tom Althen looks on. Vacro runs the cardiac rehab facility at the Oktibbeha County Regional Hospital. Photo Micah Green

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HEALTH & WELLNESS


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HEALTH & WELLNESS

THE RUNNING DEAD From the page to TV to the big screen, zombies suddenly are everywhere. Now, the undead are aiming to take a bite out of the fitness world. Figuratively of course …

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No more yo-yo diets….It’s time for a lifestyle change. Melissa lost 150 lbs.

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James Beadling, dressed as a zombie, chases a runner in the woods during the Zombie 5k Run hosted by Columbus Air Force Base in early May. Photo Luisa Porter BY MATTHEW M. F. MILLER

E

ven avid runners need a little extra motivation from time to time and there’s nothing like the oppressive fear of zombies nipping at your heels to get you off the sofa and running for your life. Zombies, Run! ($7.99; available in the Apple App Store and Google Play) is an interval-training app that puts the survival of the human race in the hands – and feet – of the user. With more than 30 missions, a voiceover track guides runners to collect critical supplies (think medicine, batteries, ammo), rebuild their world and escape flesh-hungry zombies all while listening to a favorite music playlist. The story’s narrative is interjected between songs through a series of faux radio messages and voiceovers. Workouts can be done on a treadmill or an outdoor running track. It mixes jogging with

sporadic run-for-your-life sprints as zombies virtually sneak up on runners in an effort to build speed and endurance. Game play continues after the run is over, too. Users decide how the supplies collected during a run are dispersed, and the choices they make decide how big and thriving their home base becomes. The stronger the base, the more missions a user can play. An online interface allows users to view running logs and statistics, including the usual (miles run, calories burned) and the unusual (number of zombies evaded, average speed during a zombie chase). It’s a virtual dream-cometrue for the zombie enthusiast that thinks the fictional world of “The Walking Dead” looks like the ideal spot for a real-life adventure vacation. This just might be the best of both worlds – users can get in a good workout without the fear of getting infected. © CTW FEATURES

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HEALTH & WELLNESS


RECIPES: High energy snack solutions PEANUT BUTTER AND QUINOA GRANOLA

Recipe excerpted from “500 Best Quinoa Recipes” by Camilla V. Saulsbury © 2012 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca May not be reprinted without publisher permission. [photo credit: Colin Erricson/www.robertrose.ca]

MAKES: about 4 cups INGREDIENTS: 2 cups large-flake (old-fashioned) rolled oats 3⁄4 cup quinoa, rinsed 3⁄4 cup lightly salted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped 1⁄2 tsp fine sea salt 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon 1⁄4 cup natural cane sugar or packed light brown sugar 1⁄4 cup liquid honey or brown rice syrup 1⁄2 cup unsweetened natural peanut butter 1⁄3 cup vegetable oil 1 tsp vanilla extract 2⁄3 cup dried cranberries

PREPARATION: • Preheat oven to 325°F • Large rimmed baking sheet, lined with parchment paper • In a large bowl, combine oats, quinoa, peanuts, salt and cinnamon. • In a small saucepan, combine sugar and honey. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly.Turn off heat and stir in peanut butter, oil and vanilla until blended. • Pour peanut butter mixture over oat mixture and stir until coated. Spread mixture in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. • Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, stirring twice, until golden brown. Let cool completely on pan. • Transfer granola to an airtight container and stir in cranberries. Store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

FRUIT & NUT BARS

Recipe submitted by Beth Jeffers, owner, The Fitness Factor in Columbus

MAKES: 8 bars

INGREDIENTS:

PREPARATION:

1/3 cup whole wheat flour 1/8 tsp baking soda 1/8 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (or pecans) 1/2 dried cranberries 1 1/2 cups chopped dates 1 cup dried aprcots --chopped 1 large egg 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to 325°F • Line bottom and sides of an 8x8 square baking pan with foil. • Combine all dry ingredients, making sure that everything is coated with flour. • In a separate bowl mix egg and vanilla. • Pour egg mixture into the dry mixture and stir until everything is covered in a light coating. • Spread into pan and press to make an even layer. • Bake 35-40 minutes until golden brown.

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

MELT AWAY THE POUNDS Renowned fitness expert Sue Hitzmann’s top moves for a better, pain-free body.

BY LINDSEY ROMAIN

S

ue Hitzmann began her career as an international fitness presenter and instructor, working with clients to better their lives through physical activity. But her theory on health changed dramatically after suffering chronic foot pain in her 20s. That pain, coupled with observations she was making about her clients, helped her develop the MELT Method, a “simple self-treatment technique to learn how to address the cause of chronic pain,” says Hitzmann. The MELT Method is intended to stimulate cells in an effort to better the state of the body’s connective tissue, a fluid system that connects all other systems of the body. “It’s like a grid,” says Hitzmann. “It’s the only seamless 3-D system in the body.” When the connective tissue is dehydrated, it disrupts the body’s natural ability to heal. The skin will wrinkle, cellulite increases, joints compress and muscles fall out of balance, making the body stiff. To address these issues, Hitzmann

developed what she calls the Four R’s of MELT: reconnect, rebalance, rehydrate and release. Reconnecting is about tapping into a mind and body connection to self-assess stuck stress and inefficiency. Rebalancing is about improving whole body balance, grounding and organ support. Rehydrating is about restoring the fluid state of the connective tissue to improve joints, muscles, organs, bones and cells, as well as the tensional integrity of the body. Releasing is about decompressing the neck, low back and the joints of the spine, hands and feet in an effort to keep you youthful, mobile and pain-free. Hitzmann, author of “The MELT Method: A Breakthrough Self-Treatment System to Eliminate Chronic Pain, Erase the Signs of Aging, and Feel Fantastic in Just 10 Minutes a Day!” (HarperCollins, 2013) selected these basic sequences as some of the key MELT moves. You will need a MELT soft body roller and a MELT treatment ball.

thank you to whitney jeffers brown of the fitness factor for demonstrating a selection of

MELT Method moves.

REST ASSESS Before you get started, do what Hitzmann refers to as the rest assess. Lay on your back with your arms straight and relaxed and the palms facing up. Breathe and let the body relax. Don’t adjust or touch the body – simply see how it feels. Is the arch of your back touching the floor? Do your ribs feel weighted down? Notice if one side of the body feels more on the floor than the other side. This should give you a good idea of where the body is out of balance.

BACK THIGH SHEAR When you compress the connective tissue for long periods of time, it creates an effect where the cells soak up pressure like a sponge. When the thighs are compressed, the spine is tugged from the top of the head, causing a strain in the back of the body. This move helps delude that stress. Lie on your back, put the roller under the back of your legs, and roll the legs in a figure-8 – not back and forth, but around, like ringing a rag around a pole. Do this for about 30 seconds.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

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GENTLE ROCKING For this first move, you must lie on the length of the soft roller. This will apply gentle pressure to your spine. (If you need additional support, place rolled towels, pillows or bolsters on either side of the roller.) Once you’re sure that you’re fully supported, bend your knees and rock for 30 seconds. “Just this one move will rebalance your nervous system,” says Hitzmann.

FOOT GLIDE AND RINSE To rehydrate the foot, stand up and place the MELT treatment ball right in front of the heel. Rub the heel back and forth over the ball, to glide and prepare the tissue. Keep consistent pressure as you work your way to the back of the heel. Then, move the ball to under the big toe and roll it across the knuckles of the foot. Lift the foot and return the ball to under the big toe, repeating two more times. Next, place the ball back under the big toe and then press the ball toward the heel in a continuous motion, with consistent pressure. “The fluids are going to start to get entrapped around all of the cells in the system, so this stimulates the whole body,” says Hitzmann.

BASE OF SKULL SHEAR Begin by lying on your back on the floor and turning the head left and right. If you have any pain, lift your head and place the roller on the base of your skull. “When people are hurt, they want to rub where it hurts,” says Hitzmann. “But you don’t want to cause compression where it hurts. You want to pull liquid to the painful area.” Turn your head to one side and roll it in small circles, both clockwise and counter-clockwise. Slowly nod your head up and down, then left and right.

3-D BREATH BREAKDOWN This move focuses on expanding your torso and stimulating your diaphragm. Remain on the soft roller and place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly, over the belly button. Take four or five breaths into the area between the front and back of your body. Focus on expanding the diaphragm. Next, place your hands on the widest part of the rib cage, below the armpits. Take another four or five breaths. Next, place one hand on your collarbones and the other on your pubic bone. Take four or five breaths, allowing the diaphragm to move downward. “The nervous system is involuntary – you breathe all day and never think about it,” says Hitzmann. “If you start to focus on breathing directions, that helps to trigger your nervous system to work.”


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A SENSE OF INDEPENDENCE Trend among seniors is desire to stay at home BY NATHAN GREGORY | [email protected]

That desire to stay at home as opposed to moving to a nursing home or assisted living facility has prompted some ocal senior care providers Danny Avery of Comfort to place a larger emphasis on health as they age than they Keepers and Columbus Jones of ComForcare both agree did when they were younger, Avery said. that one of the common trends among that population is the “It has brought about a trend for people being more growing desire to stay at home. Constant advances in preventive.You’re seeing a lot more people in their 60s, 70s technology have helped meet those changing needs. and 80s exercising and taking their health seriously,”Avery said.“We specialize in going in and helping people in their own home. New technology is helping to do that.There is a device that will dispense your prescriptions on time when you need to take them. Companies like Safety Choice make a handheld GPS device people can have on them so they don’t have to stay in their house all the time. Having something on their person to monitor them is marvelous.” “Personal response systems provide 24/7 peace of mind. An older adult can summon emergency help for any situation by simply pressing a button on a pendant worn at all times,” Jones said.“In addition to in-home care visits, virtual care technology allows home care providers to check in on a client through phone and video chats and keep family members and Danny Avery, right, discusses services offered by Comfort Keepers with Jenni Hebert. other members of the client’s care team

L

Photo Luisa Porter

HEALTH & WELLNESS

informed of client’s well-being through an online communication portal.” Avery said another important aspect of his and his staff’s role of providing quality care for seniors is recognizing their need for independence. “I recognize the fact that I’m not as capable as I was at one time physically … but it’s important people feel independent. So many parents try to teach that same value to their own children. We want to promote a sense of achievement that helps the person to have some self worth,” Avery said.“One of the things we do a lot is change the bedsheets for them and go do their grocery shopping. Even when we are assisting people, we are involving them in the decision making process so they know we are helping them and not doing it for them.This fosters a sense of purpose and control and assures they don’t feel totally dependent on someone else.” Other advances include single level lifts for those with physical limitations living in multiple-story homes, Avery said, as well as maps with electronic sensors that can be placed at the side of a bed for monitoring purposes. Jones said there were a variety of affordable sources available for paying for senior care, including long-term care insurance, workers’ compensation, auto insurance and veterans’ benefits. “Benefits vary based on insurance coverage and if individuals meet eligibility requirements for state and federal programs,” Jones said.“Home care providers can assist clients in determining their payment options.”

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

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"Come Grow With Us"

Children’s Health Center

114 N. Lehmberg Rd. | Columbus | 662-329-2955 | www.drskiskids.com MOST INSURANCES ACCEPTED

Monday - Thursday 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Closed for Lunch Wednesday 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. | Friday 7 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Appointment Only | No Walk-Ins | Call as early as possible for a same day appointment!

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

SUMMERTIME HEALTH TIPS FOR KIDS ... AND PARENTS

BY SARAH FOWLER | [email protected]

N

ow that summer is here and children are spending more time outside, pediatricians encourage parents to get outside and play, too, to promote a healthy lifestyle. Columbus Pediatrician Pam Sykes said she hopes parents will turn off the television, put down their cell phones and get outside to spend quality time with their children. “Children need to be outside getting exercise, being active and moving, not sitting in front of a TV all summer,” Skyes said. “A child’s screen time should be less than one hour a day.” Spending time together outdoors ensures that children

are active and creates positive habits. "Throw a ball, jump rope, play hopscotch, kick a soccer ball, ride bikes or take a walk around the neighborhood — these are just a few activities you can do with your children that can make a huge difference,” she said. When playing outside, Sykes said sunscreen should be a part of everyone's daily routine and should be applied every four hours. On rainy days, Sykes suggested involving children in indoor activities. “Take them to the grocery store and let them pick out items on a list or let them help fold clothes. Are they going to fold clothes that great? Probably not, but children love

10-month-old Maggie Brown sits still for her checkup with Dr. Pamela Sykes at Columbus Children's Clinic. Photo Luisa Porter

that feeling of accomplishment.” Sykes stressed the importance of minimizing screen time for both children and parents. “Put the phone down and turn the TV off so that you’re fully engaged, listening only to the child and vice versa.” In addition to avoiding sugary foods and drinks and making nutritious food choices, Skyes said living in a smokefree environment is greatly beneficial to children and adults. “Second-hand cigarette smoke is such a danger to all children. As parents we should strive in every way possible to give them a smoke-free environment,” she said. Sykes said all children, once they reach 2 years of age, should receive a checkup annually.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Dr. Mary Huxford of Pediatric Dentistry checks the teeth of patient Joshua Carver, 6, while dental hygienists Mary Carmichael (center) and Jennifer Green (background) conduct cleanings for Joshua's siblings, Rebecca,11, and Daniel, 9. Joshua, Rebecca and Daniel's parents are DeDe and Brian Carver of Starkville. Photo Luisa Porter

Pediatric dentists say the earlier the better BY SARAH FOWLER | [email protected]

A

ccording to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, children should see a dentist by their first birthday. Starkville Pediatric dentist Dr. Mary Huxford concurs and recommends choosing a “dental home” — a dentist familiar with the child and the child's parents that they will see twice a year — by the age of one. “Even though the child won't have teeth yet, it will allow the dentist to educate the parents on diet and hygiene. They can then monitor the child's growth and development to prevent problems from occurring.” While children are young, parents need to be cautious about sugary drinks, including milk. If a drink has too much sugar, it can cause dental carries, or as they are more commonly referred to, cavities. “We discourage going to bed with a bottle or cup of milk or juice. It’s a common practice, but when the child falls asleep, the sugary liquid pools in their mouth and on their teeth, which leads to cavities,” said Dr. Huxford. She also instructs parents to have children begin brushing their teeth at the first sign of a tooth using a “smear layer” of toothpaste on the toothbrush. When the child is able to spit, a pea-sized amount can be used. In addition to brushing regularly, children also need to floss. “The number one thing is educating parents on flossing,” she said. “The rule of thumb is that if they can tie their shoes, they can floss.” Dr. Huxford also recommends using new “smart rinses” that highlight where excess plaque is located. Children can see the spots they need to concentrate on when brushing.

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

5 Questions to Ask Your Doctor Before Starting a Weight Loss Program Every fitness program and diet reminds users to talk to a doctor before starting use. So, what should you ask? BY MEGAN PATSAVAS

“B

efore beginning a weight loss program, talk to your doctor” seems to be the footnote of every plan. Find out what you should ask, and if it’s really necessary. Ask these questions to get your doctor — and yourself — more engaged in your weight loss.

1. HOW MUCH WEIGHT DO I NEED TO LOSE?

You may have already decided – or been told – that you need to shed some pounds, but asking your doctor exactly how much you need to lose in order to reach a healthy body weight is essential. Using a patient’s body mass index, which takes both height and weight into consideration, doctors can tell someone “whether they fall in the overweight range or the obese range and really how much weight they need to lose to get out of an unhealthy situation,” says Dr. Salila Kurra, co-director of Columbia University’s Adrenal Center in New York City. Then, you (or your doctor) can set realistic goals in terms of how long it should take to lose a certain amount of weight.

2. DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT ME PARTICIPATING IN A WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM, REGARDING MY HEALTH AND MY MEDICATIONS?

“The most important thing is to make sure that whatever underlying conditions [the patient] may have are not going to be adversely affected by whatever weight program they decide to start,” Kurra says. Diet and activity may need to be tailored accordingly, as well as medication. If a patient has a medical condition such as diabetes or hypertension, it may be necessary to adjust their medication’s dosage so they don’t become overmedicated as they lose weight, says Dr. Robert Kushner, clinical director of Northwestern’s Comprehensive Center on Obesity based in Chicago, Ill. Not every medicine will be affected by changes in weight, but it’s good to check.

3. DO YOU RECOMMEND A CERTAIN PROGRAM, OR KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE ONE I AM INTERESTED IN?

Asking you doctor for recommendations is “a good way to get an individualized approach to weight loss,” Kurra says. Your doctor can offer suggestions for diet or weight loss programs that fit your specific medical conditions or lifestyle. Additionally, “the doctor may have experience with some other patients of how certain programs have performed, or the balanced nature of the program and the effectiveness of the program,” Kushner adds.

4. ARE THERE ANY LIMITATIONS AS TO WHAT I CAN DO?

Some patients may need to limit the nutrients they consume. “If somebody has diabetes [your doctor] may say ‘Make sure that you don’t eat as many simple carbohydrates,’ whereas somebody else may need to have less fat in their diet or less protein,” Kurra says. Also ask your doctor if the amount – or type – of activity you plan on starting is safe for you.

5. DO YOU NEED ANY INFORMATION ON MY PROGRESS, OR NEED TO SEE ME FOR FOLLOWUP VISITS?

“A lot of patients do like to be monitored by their doctor,” Kushner says, “which has to do with safety” and making sure progress is being made. Furthermore, your doctor may want to receive information from your weight loss program, or have you monitor your own health in order to alert him or her of any abnormalities. “The more correspondence between the program and the doctor, I think the more they’ll be able to monitor and evaluate how well that patient is doing,” Kushner says. “So for example, if they get ongoing correspondence and it’s now four months later and the patients lost two pounds, and the patient is 40 pounds overweight, that hopefully would trigger to the doctor ‘You know, I’d like to see you soon so we could talk about maybe some alternatives because that’s not working for you.” © CTW FEATURES

HEALTH & WELLNESS

ADVANCEMENTS IN CANCER TREATMENT SAVE BREASTS AND LIVES BY CARMEN SISSON

B

reast cancer research has led to advances in early detection and treatment, giving women more options than their mothers and grandmothers may have had. Mississippi remains among the states with the highest mortality rates, with the Mississippi Department of Health estimating that approximately 400 women in the state die each year of breast cancer. But as awareness increases, more women are getting yearly mammograms, allowing physicians to catch the cancer in its earlier stages and improving survival rates, especially among women younger than 50.There are now more than 2.9 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. The American Cancer Society recommends women begin annual breast cancer screenings at the age of 40. Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle offers digital mammography, which takes around 30 seconds per breast and allows

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In-Home SenIor Care ServICeS


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technicians to see the results in realtime. In addition to being faster, the tests are also more comfortable now.A In-Home SenIor Care ServICeS soft, disposable breast cushion pad, similar to memory foam, keeps the compression plates warm and cuts down on pain as the plates are squeezed together. There is more good news: Many women are now able to avoid mastectomies. “Mastectomy is not the first line of treatment anymore,” said Dr. Michael Berry, of Columbus Surgery. “We’re able to save the In-Home SenIor Care Serv breasts now. Mastectomy is not even the first line of treatment on the effective side.” Breast conservation surgery — a combination of lumpectomy and radiation — is now the first course of action, he said. Whenever possible, doctors try to spare the breasts. “Many women are surprised by that,” Berry said. “They (have to) make the best decision for them. If they want a mastectomy, we’ll do what they want to do.” Major breast cancer risk factors include being over the age of 50, having a mother or sister with breast cancer, being childless or Towne Square Center • 327-6348 • fitnessfactor.net having children after 30, being overweight or previously having breast cancer. I n - H o m e IS n e n-I H o ro C ma er e SSee rnviI oC erS C a r e S e r v i c e s Breast cancer is the third leading cause of death among white women and the secondAt Comfort Keepers®, we provide in-home leading cause of death among black women. At Comfort Keepers®, we provide in-home Nationwide, one in every seven women willcare that helps seniors live happy, independent careofthat helps seniors live Our happy, independent their own homes. develop breast cancer during their lifetime.lives in the comfort

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Debbie Miller, foreground, and Sherry Monaghan are both Radiologic Technologist Mammographers on staff at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle. Photo Luisa Porter

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In-Home Care That Is Beyond Compare lives in the comfort of their own homes. Our

In-Home Care Comfort Keepers® help keep minds, bodies andAt Comfort ® Keepers Comfort Keepers® help keep minds, bodies and , we provide lives active, happy and healthy. That Beyond Comp in-homeIscare that helps seniors live

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Featuring Aquaris™ micon Aquaris micon is the first truly waterproof* (with an AP68 rating), dustproof, and shock resistant hearing instrument from Siemens. It doesn’t matter what you do in life, you want to enjoy every moment of it. Now you can always wear your hearing instruments, no matter how active your lifestyle. Virtually shock-resistant and completely sealed to keep dust and water out, Aquaris delivers outstanding sound quality no matter where you are. Whatever your surroundings, with Aquaris you’ll always be in your element.

Our Guarantee

Try these devices yourself for an entire month. If you don’t experience an amazing difference in your hearing or understanding, just bring your device back for a complete and immediate refund! No questions asked. Easy, Simple and Honest. Siemens Aquaris™ was named an International CES Innovations 2013 Design and Engineering Honoree.

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Health & Wellness 2013

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