healthline, september 16, 2010

pvhs.org

Ask a friend.85 percent of patients say they would “definitely” recommend Medical Center of the Rockies. That’s higher than any other hospital in Loveland and Greeley, according to a government survey.

Is it the world-class care, the dedicated and compassionate staff, or the state-of-the-art facility?

Simple. All of the above.

But don’t take our word for it. Ask a friend about Medical Center of the Rockies. Source: www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov

2500 Rocky Mountain Avenue

Loveland, CO | I-25 and Highway 34 | 970.624.2500

Thursday LOVELAND REPORTER-HERALD/Health Line of Northern Colorado S eptember 16, 2010 3

Health shorts ............................................................................................. pg. 4The Healthy Plate: Tomato and Italian Herb Gazpacho............................. pg. 8Naturally boost your libido ....................................................................... pg. 10Seniors use stairs as a workout.............................................................. pg. 13UNC alum, NFL player Reed Doughty experiences hearing loss ............ pg. 21Uncommon Sense with Loveland’s Dr. Beth Firestein ........................... pg. 22Treatment options for atrial fibrillation .................................................... pg. 23Loveland health briefs ............................................................................. pg. 24Loveland health calendar ........................................................................ pg. 25Ask a Health Pro ...................................................................................... pg. 26

Health Line of NorthernColorado is a monthly

publication produced by theLoveland Daily Reporter-Herald. The information

provided in this publication isintended for personal, non-commercial, informational

and entertainment purposesonly and does not constitute arecommendation or endorse-

ment with respect to anycompany, product,

procedure or activity. Youshould seek the advice of aprofessional regarding your

particular situation.

For advertisinginfor mation,

contact:Linda Story,

advertising director:970-635-3614

For editorialinformation, contact:Jade Cody, special sections

editor :970-635-3656

jcody@repor ter-h e ra l d . c o m

Jennifer Lehman,special sections reporter:

970-635-3684jlehman@repor ter-

h e ra l d . c o m

Health in aH a n d b a s ke t6Crandoodles by Steve Crandall5

Destination:H e a l t hy7

Tai Chi: Martial art practicebenefits balance, relieves stress14

Also inside

14

Meditation: Gain health benefits,clarity and peace of mind17

4 Thursday LOVELAND REPORTER-HERALD/Health Line of Northern Colorado S eptember 16, 2010

Alison JohnsonMcClatchey Tribune

It really is possible to develop a taste forhealthy foods you’ve avoided for years, nutri-tionists say. Here are some tips.

• Go slow. Make one small change at a timeover a period of weeks. As your taste budsadapt, gradually add in more vegetables, fruitand seafood.

• Stay away from plain. Don’t start off with aplate of raw broccoli. Instead, mix pureed ordiced vegetables into foods you already like.

• Use flavoring. Vegetables can taste muchbetter with some herbs and spices, Cajun sea-soning or simply grilled with a little salt, pepperand garlic.

• Experiment with cooking time. You may re-member your childhood vegetables as a mushyheap. Texture can matter as much as taste: if thesame food is firmer or cut into smaller pieces, itmay be much more appealing.

• Be adventurous. Every time you go to thegrocery store, buy one fruit or vegetable you’venever tried before. You’re likely to stumble on anew favorite.

• Give fish a chance. Different types of fishdon’t taste the same. Milder forms include tilapia,cod and flounder. Ask your store’s seafood de-partment for recommendations.

• Be patient. Children often won’t accept anew food until they’ve tried it eight or ninetimes, and the same may be true of grown-ups.

Lindsay MinnemaThe Washington Post

Whether you’re a frequent flyer who trav-els regularly for work or just an occa-sional vacationer, you don’t have to

give up on all your health and fitness goals whenyou are on the road. Rebecca Johnson and BillTulin, the authors of “Travel Fitness,” a guide todiet and exercise while traveling, offer these tips:

• Before boarding your plane, drink two 8-ounce glasses of water. Keep drinking water onthe plane to avoid dehydration.

• Plan to arrive at your destination during theday so that when you get there you can take ad-vantage of remaining daylight to do somethingactive outside.

• Set a goal of exercising at least every thirdday to keep your energy level up, performing atleast a third of your typical aerobic routine. Com-plete your strength training routine at least once aweek.

• To help yourself pick healthier meals wheneating out, decide on what you want before youeven look at the menu, such as steamed veggiesor fish, and just order it.

A nationwide survey of 1,000 Americans ages 18 and olderfound that women say they change their toothbrush everythree to four months on average, yet men hang on to theirsan average of five months. The ADA recommends replacingtoothbrushes every three-to-four months or when the bristlesbecome frayed since frayed and worn bristles decreasecleaning effectiveness.

Among women and men in the survey, 86 percent ofwomen brush their teeth twice or more a day, yet only 66percent of men do so.

Only half of those surveyed (49 percent) say they flosstheir teeth once a day or more often. And one out of threepeople surveyed think a little blood in the sink after brushingtheir teeth is normal, yet it’s not — it could signal gum dis-ease or another health problem.

— Source: American Dental Association

Up to 50 percent of the population has some de-gree of vitamin D deficiency, according to Dr. AmitKhera, Director of the Preventive Cardiology Pro-gram at University of Texas-Southwestern MedicalCenter. Some studies indicate that people with high-er levels of vitamin D have a lower risk of heart dis-ease and stroke, along with fewer risk factors such ashigh blood pressure and diabetes.

Vitamin D is produced by sun exposure or, morehealthfully, through supplements or a diet of fattyfish, eggs and fortified milk.

S t ay

VitaminDTwe a k

5monthsAverage time men go beforechanging their toothbrush

h e a l t hywhile traveling

yo u rtaste buds


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PitBossThree home remedies for sweaty armpitsJade CodySpecial Sections Editor

I’m a sweater. Not like awool Cosby sweater or afashionable turtleneck,

but the drippy kind — most -ly in my arm pits.

My case of the sweats ispretty mild, but it’s still a nui-sance, so why not try to con-quer it? Since this is our alter-native health month withHealth Line, I decided to for-go medical advancementssuch as surgery, commonsense or prescription an-tiperspirants. For this, I’ll on-ly use potions, black magicand home remedies. And asalways, this experiment ishighly scientific and shouldmost definitely be consid-ered for research purposesin medical journals.

BAKING SODAAccording to the folklore,

the baking soda remedyworks because it is an alka-line and sweat is an acid,which, when mixed, createsgas ... so sweat is quicklyand magically evaporated in-to the universe before it hasa chance to make a pit stop.To apply, I had to mix agenerous amount of bakingsoda with water until I had athick paste. Then I butteredup my pits and let it sit for 25minutes.

Well, since I refuse toshave my armpit hair, Iquickly had large lumps ofbaking soda paste hangingunder my arms like Christ-mas ornaments. That wasjust hilarious. So for this towork, you probably do needto shave.

Sadly, this one didn’t do itfor me — at least, not rightaway. The next morning Isweated like any other day.It might have worked betterif I were to apply it overconsecutive days or on myactual arm pit instead of justcreating ornaments.Pit Boss Rating: One dryar mpit

VINEGARMy second attempt at be-

coming my own pit bosswas called the apple vinegarremedy. This one works byapplying apple vinegar tomy pits at night. Supposedlyit saturates sweat pores andneutralizes any bacteria thatmay be present.

After applying the vinegar,I debated whether the smellof vinegar or the smell ofsweat is worse, and I’m stillnot sure. But after 20 min-utes I rinsed it off and cov-ered it with scented deodor-ant, and the vinegar smellwas gone.

Eight hours through thenext day, it was still holdingstrong. I found a winner.Pit Boss Rating: Five dryar mpits

STRAIGHT UP VOODOOI recently visited New Or-

leans, which, from my expe-rience, is the sweat capital ofthe entire world. The humid-ity there was hoveringaround 100 million percentand the temperature heldsteady in the mid-billions.Pretty much everyone whowas outdoors was sporting

some type of back sweat.Anyway, I did bring back

a voodoo doll, and I triedsticking a pin in both of itsarmpits and wishing evil onmy sweat glands.

While this method wasprobably the most satisfying,and I’m pretty sure I reallyscared my sweat glands, itdidn’t work.Pit Boss Rating: Zero dryar mpits

OTHER METHODSDo you have any methods

of your own to stay dry?Here are some that have

worked for me in the past:

• Keeping anxiety at bayby taking deep breaths andconcentrating on pastCharles in Charge episodes.

• Periodically swappingout antiperspirants.

• Keeping alcohol intakein check.

• Wearing five shirts at atime.

• Rolling down the win-dow while driving and creat-ing an air tunnel down mysleeve for the wind to passthr ough.

HL Health in a Handbasket

Health in a Handbasket

Health in a Handbasketis a monthly feature in whichI try a health-related adven-ture and write about it. If youhave an idea for a newadventure, write to me atjcody@r eporter-herald.com.

ThinkStock photo


Choose your challenges

Amanda Wicker is a Loveland nativeand the founder of Destination:Healthy, a free weight loss supportgroup held at Message of LifeMinistries on the first and thirdTuesdays of every month. She alsohosts Destination Healthy, a segmenton NOCO 5 News every MondayNight at 10 p.m. Amanda has lost atotal of 130 pounds using diet andexercise. She can be reached [email protected].

Destination: Healthy

Amanda WickerDestination: Heathy

One of my favorite weight losssayings is “It is hard to beoverweight, it is hard to lose

weight, and it is hard to maintain yourweight. You just have to pick yourhard!” I love it because it really sumsup the truth. When it comes to losingweight, getting healthy and stayinghealthy is not easy. There may be mo-ments when it is not as hard, butchanging your lifestyle comes withmany new choices.

This is how I look at it. It is hard tosee the scale go up, but it is also hardto journal my food. I could choose notto do anything and as we know, thescale would still climb, and my healthwould deteriorate. Neither choice isfun or easy, but I choose to track myfood because that is the “hard” I am

willing to live with rather than thescale going up. How many times haveyou thought about a situation orhealthy habits, “This is just too hard!”Life really is full of many hard choices,but picking the right hard lifestyle orsimply a different hard lifestyle than

what you have chosen in the past, canlead you down a healthier path.

• Write out the things you feel aretoo hard. See if you discover a differ-ent perspective once the list is on pa-per, making the right hard choice anobvious one.

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Cooked or raw, tomatoes pack nutritional punchHL The Healthy Plate

Jim RomanoffThe Associated Press

Conventional wisdomsays that cookingvegetables tends to

diminish their nutritionalprowess. And while there issome truth to this, it isn’t al-ways the case.

Cooking tomatoes does di-minish their stores of vitaminC, but it also concentratesother nutrients, such as ly-copene (found in red toma-toes), a powerful antioxi-dant.

Cooking tomatoes also isgreat from a culinary stand-point. Heat intensifies theirflavor and brings out theirrich sweetness by carameliz-ing the natural sugars. This isan especially good tech-nique when working without-of-season tomatoes.

With this recipe for gazpa-cho, you can have it either

way.

Traditionally, gazpacho isa fresh, pureed tomato soupof Spanish origin. It typicallyis made with lots of garlic,onions, bell peppers and cu-cumbers.

This Italian-style take onthe refreshing soup is sea-soned with fresh basil andoregano along with a liberalshot of balsamic vinegar. Theaddition of some fresh moz-zarella cheese adds the pro-tein and substance to turnthe soup into a satisfyinglunch or light supper. Servewith grilled slabs of crustywhole-grain bread to com-plete the meal.

For a cooked version ofthis recipe, spread the dicedtomatoes on a rimmed bak-ing sheet and roast at 400degrees until they start tobrown. Let them cool, thenproceed with the recipe.

TOMATO ANDITALIAN HERB

G A Z PAC H OStart to finish: 1 hour 35 min-

utes (20 minutes active)Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients:5 cups cored and diced toma-

toes (about 4 large)1 large English cucumber,

peeled and diced (about 2 cups)1 medium red bell pepper,

cored, seeded and coarselych o p p e d

1 medium red onion, chopped1/3 cup balsamic vinegar1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil1/3 cup chopped fresh basil2 tablespoons chopped fresh

oregano3 cloves garlic, minced1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to

tasteGround black pepper, to taste6 ounces very small fresh

mozzarella ballsDir ections:

In a large bowl, combinethe tomatoes, cucumber,

bell pepper, onion, vinegar,oil, basil, oregano, garlic,salt and pepper. Stir tocombine. Let the mixturerest at room temperaturefor 15 minutes.

Using a food processor orblender and working inbatches, process the toma-to mixture until it ischunky smooth, about 10to 15 pulses in a processor.Transfer to a bowl, coverand refrigerate for at least 1h o u r.

To serve, divide gazpachoamong bowls and top withmozzarella.

Nutrition information perserving (values are roundedto the nearest whole num-ber): 169 calories; 110 calo-ries from fat; 12 g fat (4 gsaturated; 0 g trans fats);17 mg cholesterol; 10 g car-bohydrate; 5 g protein; 2 gfiber; 141 mg sodium.

Thursday LOVELAND REPORTER-HERALD/Health Line of Northern Colorado S eptember 16, 2010 9....

A holistic approach to family medicine.

Welcome Dr. Kevin Felix.General and preventative family medicine for

newborns to geriatrics. Now accepting patients.

To make an appointment, call 970.669.5717.

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HL-317573


N a t u r a l lyBoost

Your LibidoMetro Creative Services

Is there such a thing as a magic lovepotion? Many men believe the way toput the spark back in their love lives

comes in pill form. However, there maybe more natural ways to rev-up libidowithout a prescription.

1. QUIT SMOKING

Who wants to kiss an ash-tray? Also, smoking narrowsblood vessels, which can re-sult in problems with arousal.

2. EAT OYSTERSThis aphrodisiac may be rooted

in fact instead of fiction. Oysters arenaturally high in zinc, a mineralcentral to fertility.

3. HAVE A DRINK

One or two drinks canloosen-up a person and calmperformance anxiety. Alcoholalso can thin the blood,which may help with arousalproblems. Just be sure not tooverdo it, as over-consump-tion of alcohol can cause ahost of problems you proba-bly don't want.

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4. EXERCISE

Exercise gets the blood pumping to sexual organs andcan help trigger the release of testosterone. Plus, exercisehelps you to feel good about yourself, which can be aboon in the bedroom.

5. EAT WELL

Boost your intake of freshvegetables and fruits. Foodsthat are good for your bodywill help your overall health,and thus your sexual function.It’s difficult to performamorously if you’re feelingunder the weather.

6. GINGKO BILOBA

This herbal reme-dy not only boostsmemory function, itis thought to improveblood flow to thebrain and sexual or-gans. Others say it in-creases sexual excite-ment and desire.

7. EXPLORE AROMATHERAPYCertain scents can put peo-

ple in the mood for love. Hereare some of the top romanticscents.

* vanilla* cinnamon* lavender* jasmine* ylang ylang

8. GET A MASSAGE

The stress-reducing effects ofa massage can help prepare thebody for intimacy. Stress is amood-buster and can impairperformance in many ways. Lessstress is definitely better foramorous activities.

12 Thursday LOVELAND REPORTER-HERALD/Health Line of Northern Colorado S eptember 16, 2010....

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Wina SturgeonM c C l a t c h e y-Tr i b u n e

Whether you’re an athleticboomer or prefer sittingaround, a set of stairs can be

your good friend. For active boomers,you can use stairs to get a quick and effi-cient muscle-building workout. If you’remore sedentary and don’t feel like goingto a commercial gym to work out, stairscan allow you to maintain and build yourbalance and coordination, so that you’llmove like a much younger person, andlessen your risk of falling as you get older.

To begin, wear athletic shoes or rub-ber-soled shoesthat won’t slide.Start at the bot-tom of the set ofstairs. If you’rejust starting yourefforts to get fit,put one foot onthe first stair, andput your handson the fourthstair up. Keepthe other foot onthe floor. Thiswill cause yourstair leg to bend.Next, keeping aslittle weight asyou can on yourhands, straightenyour stair leg, stillkeeping yourhands on the

stairs above. Your other foot will lift fromthe floor. Slowly bend your leg until yourfoot touches the floor again. Repeat 10times (you may have to work up to it),then switch legs and do 10 more repeti-tions with the other leg. These are aneasy variation of one-legged squats; theywill strengthen all the major muscles inyour legs, while maintaining the flexibilityof your knee.

If you’re already fit, put one foot on thesecond stair up, while keeping the otherfoot on the floor. This bends your kneemore, and works the leg muscles harder,thus building up your muscles, especially

the thigh.Next, keeping both feet on the floor,

place your hands on a stair that’s at shoul-der level when you lean down on yourhands. Standing on your toes, lean downto your hands, then push yourself backup. The first one or two may be easy. Therest won’t be. These are a form of push-ups; they build strength in your shoul-ders, chest and upper back (especiallyimportant for boomer-aged women). Ath-letic boomers can get more of an upper-body workout by placing their hands onestair higher, so the push-up requires morework. Do as many as you can, then try todo more for your next workout.

Calf muscles are an important part ofbalance. Use stairs to strengthen them bystanding with only your toes on the bot-tom stair. Holding onto the railing or wall,stand up on your toes, then come backdown with your heels lower than thestair. Quickly stand up on your toesagain. Keep repeating until your calvesbegin to burn. Athletic boomers shoulddo this exercise on one leg at a time. Lift-ing your body weight with your calveswill make them strong and well toned.

Next is the skip-a-stair butt builder. Thisis not about how your butt looks, be-cause it’s more important to have thelarge glute muscles become strong. Theyhelp support the trunk and control themovement of the thighs — again, helpingyour balance so that you have less risk offalling — and more opportunity to stayathletic. Sitting for long periods of timecauses these large muscles to atrophy andget weak — putting you at more risk ofinjury, whether you’re an athletic orsedentary boomer.

Start at the bottom of the stairs. Put onefoot two stairs up. You may need to pullyourself up with the railing, but climb uptwo stairs at a time. If you’re in goodshape, climb up three stairs at a time.Work on this exercise until you can climbup several stairs at a time without havingto hold on to anything.

Wina Sturgeon is a nationally recog-nized expert in helping boomers stayyounger. She’s also an athletic boomerwho ski races, ice skates and races BMX.

Boomers:Usestairsfor ag ym

ThinkStock photo

Thursday LOVELAND REPORTER-HERALD/Health Line of Northern Colorado S eptember 16, 2010 1514 Thursday LOVELAND REPORTER-HERALD/Health Line of Northern Colorado S eptember 16, 2010

JENNIFER LEHMANSPECIAL SECTIONS RE P O RT E R

Tai chi chuan, betterknown as tai chi, is anancient Chinese martial

art practiced in modern timesfor its health benefits.

Tai chi is beneficial for “flexi -bility, balance, bringing themind into the body,” saidJaqui Gee who has taught taichi at the Chilson Senior Cen-ter for several years and alsoteaches classes in Hygiene andL ongmont.

According to the Mayo Clin-ic, the bringing together ofbody and mind in tai chi canhelp reduce feelings of ten-sion, stress and anxiety.

“I have a very hectic worklife, said Kathy Maguire, whois practicing tai chi for stressrelief. Maguire is a student inGee’s beginner tai chi class atChilson.

There are numerous studiesshowing tai chi helps preventaccidents in seniors, said Al-fred Westlake of Baguachuanin Loveland, an organizationhe founded dedicated to pro-moting the benefits of variousinternal arts such as tai chi

and a form of breath workcalled Qigong. In the summer,Westlake teaches tai chi andother martial arts in DwayneWebster Veterans Park in Love-land and then moves the classto Loveland Dance Academy inthe colder months. He alsoteaches tai chi at Front RangeCommunity College.

Westlake said the practicehas been used in cancer pro-grams and in the treatment offibromyalgia and chronic fa-tigue.

The practice of this internalart also strengthens the legs,Westlake said.

“Undoubtedly, a person whopractices tai chi probably willget strong legs and more lim-ber legs.” Other parts of thebody might get stronger aswell, but if your legs aren’tshaking, you aren’t doing itright, he said.

The practice of tai chi isabout relaxing totally so thatthe constant energy availablewithin the body can be culti-vated, Gee said. Total relax-ation allows this energy, or chi,to flow through the body with-out any obstacles.

People often associate tai chi

with gentle movements popu-lar among seniors in cityparks, but it has a gritty histo-ry that has inspired the physi-cal benefits of the practice inmodern times.

There are two factions of taichi, Westlake said. The first ispeople who practice tai chiprimarily as a health art. Thesecond is people that recog-nize tai chi as a martial artand a healing art, and aredeeply into both, he said. Peo-ple in this second camp, West-lake said, believe you can’t gethealth benefits without someunderstanding of the martialarts aspect.

While every sport or endeav-

or has many myths associatedwith it, Westlake said, there isa generally accepted history oftai chi, even if little historicalevidence exists to support it.

Tai chi is about 2,000 yearsold and was started by a mem-ber of the Chen Family, West-lake said. One day, MasterChen came across a snake andcrane fighting as the cranetried to eat the snake (insome versions of this story itis a monkey and a crane). Ashe observed this, Chen had aeureka moment, Westlakesaid, in regards to the powerof flowing and yieldingmovement and the idea ofbeing soft rather than hard

in fighting.As a martial art, tai chi is

not about pitting force againstforce, Westlake said, but aboutfinding an advantage with po-sition and leverage. This is abenefit for a smaller personfighting someone larger thanthem.

The sparring technique,pushing hands, is not aboutforce, but about sensing bal-ance and strategically yieldingto the opponent, Gee said.

We all know how to punchand kick already, so pushinghands teaches us how to takethe opponent’s balance andcontrol, Westlake said.

“A smaller person needs toout maneuver and maybe evenuse the larger force againstthe other person,” We s t l a kesaid.

Tai chi Chuan means“supreme ultimate fist,” saidWestlake, because tai chifighters were feared as themost brutal and incrediblefighters. Martial artists of thetime lived a scrappy life ontheir own usually doing bodyguard work or were thugs whostole from people to survive,Westlake said, not like themartial arts rock stars por-trayed in Hollywood movies.

The fighters had to stay intop physical condition and beaware of their bodies. Theyknew how to use herbs totheir benefit and set bones,

Westlake said.“They created techniques for

stress reduction in a worldthat was kill or be killed,”Westlake said, and neededgood balance for fighting.

Both balance and stress re-duction are two tenants of themartial art that draw seniorsand other participants today.

Lori Pavlo started taking taichi to improve her balanceand energy level. “So as I ageI’ll be able to do the things Iwant to do and the energy ofcourse,” she said.

In her classes, Gee said, thedefense movements are ex-plained so students under-stand their outside use, butsince tai chi is an internal art,the focus is on becoming fa-miliar enough with the move-ments so the energy can be di-rected to the feet, then movedto the abdomen allowing forthe movement of the entireb o d y.

Tai chi can be helpful for themind by relieving stress andcalming down the body.

Often times our day-to-daylives activate our body’s sym-pathetic nervous system,putting us into a fight or flightmode that is actually inappro-priate, Westlake said.

The practice of tai chi forcesthe mind to focus on breathand balance, moving us into amore restful or parasympa-thetic state, he said, reducing

stress and all that’s relatedlike high blood pressure andheart rate.

“Once you start to get it youcan really feel your body calm-ing down,” he said. “After awhile it becomes a tool youcan access pretty quickly.”

Westlake said he can staycalm in stressful situations,

“not by stuffing the emotionbut by breathing and letting itg o. ”

“I like the mental discipline,”said Sande Gray, a student inGee’s beginner class. If wekeep using our minds and keepworking out problems, we willmaintain our mental capacityfor longer, she said. “This iskind of a dancing problem.Marriage of the mental and themovement.”

Marge Swett is workingthrough a grieving process andthe beginning tai chi classhelps her. “I lost my husbandat the end of January. Thishelps me focus. It helps me feelstrong, and it helps me feelvery hopeful.”

“I just retired,” said JudithWadman, a student in the be-ginning class. “I’ve been sittingdown for the last 20 odd years.It’s time to get up and start do-ing something with my bodyand putting my mind and bodyt o g e t h e r. ”

Let theEnergyFlow

The ancient martial art oftai chi is beneficial to the

body and mind

Left: Jaqui Gee and members ofher continuing level tai chi classpractice at the Chilson Senior Center.Bottom right: James James Letour-rette and Maggie Burgess practicetai chi movements in their continu-ing level class at Chilson Senior Cen-t e r.Bottom center: Alfred Westlake andstudent, Tim Facer, demonstratehow the balance and leveragecomponents of tai chi as a martialart allow fighters to take advantageof the opponent.

RH Photos / Jennifer Lehman


Green Tea: Companiesissued warningMatthew PerroneThe Associated Press

Federal health regulators have is-sued warnings to the makers ofCanada Dry ginger ale and Lipton

tea for making unsubstantiated nutri-tional claims about their green tea-fla-vored beverages.

In a warning letter issued Aug. 30, theFood and Drug Administration takes is-sue with the labeling of Canada DrySparkling Green Tea Ginger Ale. Theagency issued a similar letter Aug. 23 toUnilever Inc., over website and productlabeling for its Lipton Green Tea.

Food processors increasingly havebeen adding vitamins and nutrients totheir products to make them more ap-pealing to health-conscious consumers.But the FDA letter to Dr. Pepper Snap-ple Group, which makes Canada Dry,states that the agency “does not consid-er it appropriate to fortify snack foods

such as carbonated beverages.” Further -more, the agency states that the softdrink does not meet federal require-ments to carry the claim that the drink is“enhanced with 200 mg of antioxidantsfrom green tea and vitamin C.” Accord -ing to FDA regulations, the ingredientsin Canada Dry’s product “are not nutri-ents with recognized antioxidant activi-ty.”

The FDA letter to Unilever takes issuewith a company website that mentionsfour studies that showed a cholesterol-lowering effect with tea. According tothe agency, the labeling is misleadingbecause it suggests Lipton tea is de-signed to treat or prevent disease. Theagency also cites antioxidant labelingclaims on the company’s Lipton GreenTea, which do not follow federal guide-lines.

The agency asks executives fromboth companies to respond to the cita-

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� See Meditation/Page 19

Jennifer LehmanSpecial Sections Reporter

Meditation is the act of emptyingthe mind or using the mind tofocus on one thing to assist in

contemplation or relaxation. Meditationcan be used to relieve stress associatedwith a host of health problems.

The act of meditation takes manyforms and many names, said Naturo-pathic Doctor, Kathryn Plummer ofSage Holistic Health Clinic in Loveland.

“It’s meditation, it’s prayer, it’s con-scious thinking, its chanting. I think ev-ery major religion that I am aware ofanyway uses some sort of meditation intheir practice, and all the cultures havetheir own meditation.”

“Ther e’s a lot of different kinds ofmeditation, so we try and be carefulhow we word it,” said Plummer, whoseclinic incorporates meditation or prayerinto the individual treatment plans ofher patients. Some patients prefer theterm prayer over meditation and viceversa.

“(Meditation is) to familiarize ourmind with a virtuous object; a virtuousthought or determination or feeling,”said Kelsang Rinzin of Heruka BuddhistCenter in Fort Collins. Rinzin has beena resident teacher at the center for fiveyears and an ordained monk for oversix. “(Meditation) can be familiarizingourselves with the feeling of love to-wards others, towards patience, to-wards determination to do something.

“People sort of meditate all of thetime.” We come across a realization anddecide that from now on we are goingto think or behave differently. Holdingthis determination in our mind for awhile is meditation, he said.

“(Meditation is) just getting our mindsfamiliar with being positive and peace-ful, and anybody can do that.” Rinzinsaid.

Focused breathing or meditativebreathing can have the same effects.

“Most people do a simple breathing

meditation,” Rinzin said. “Fo -cusing on the breath is just veryneutral, at the same time theyare holding the attention tomake their mind more peace-ful. Without even knowing itthey are meditating, a Buddhistmeditation has been slippedin.”

“The health benefits are many,”Plummer said. Meditation helps reduceblood pressure, balance blood sugars,reduce inflammation and improvememory, Plummer said.

Plummer has seen the power of re-laxation that can come about throughmeditation or focused breathing. Sheregularly measures patients’ blood pres-sure before and after short deep breath-ing exercises and once witnessed a 20point drop in a patient’s blood pressureafter just a minute of deep breathing.

One of Rinzin’s students at the Heru-ka Buddhist Center is an uptight engi-neer at HP who used to get sick a lot.He kept excellent records of his healthand began to eat a healthy diet to see ifhis immune system would improve. Hesaw no change and began adding inregular exercise. There was still nochange and “finally his wife told him,you need to work with your mind,”Rinzin said. His health improved.

The chronically elevated stress levelsthat some people experience can be afactor behind a variety of health prob-lems including digestive issues, insom-nia, muscle pain, and it can set thebody up for early signs of diabetes be-cause of the constantly high levels ofcortisol and blood sugar, Plummer said.

“Higher blood sugar, higher insulin,that creates syndrome X first, and thenit goes into possibly diabetes if youdon’t address it. So, its a stress thingfirst,” Plummer said.

Everyday stressors like work dead-lines can activate our sympathetic ner-vous system or the fight or flight re-sponse mode, Plummer said.

When the sympathetic nervous sys-

tem is activated, the body is functioningas if it is running from tigers, Plummersaid. The body is stressed, elevating thehormone cortisol and blood sugars tokeep the body on the go.

If we were running away from tigers,the body’s elevated state would be fineand good, helping us to survive, Plum-mer said.

“But we’re not running away fromtigers, we just have deadlines. But it’sthe same thing, your body does notknow the difference.

“When you’re running away fromtigers and in a sympathetic state, whywould you be worried about fightingoff a cold? You shouldn’t be. Whyshould you be worried about digestingfood? You shouldn’t be. If you stop andworry about picking up a banana toeat, well you’re going to be food for thet i g e r, ” she said.

“If you’re running away from tigersall the time you’re not going to have agreat immune system. You’re not goingto have a great digestive system. You’renot going to be cleaning up. Your cus-todians are going to be like ‘hey, we’rechilling out until the chaos is done sothat we can mop the floors.’ That’s es-sentially what happens.”

The body’s other nervous system, theparasympathetic nervous system, isgenerally speaking the body’s rest anddigest mode, Plummer said.

“In the parasympathetic state, you aremore relaxed so the blood flow doesgo back into your digestive system andyour energy does go into your immune

Meditative practices offer healthbenefits, clarity and peace of mind

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MeditationFrom Page 17

� See Medtiation/Page 20

system and all the maintenance type ofsystems.”

Regular deep breathing or regularmeditative practices can help the bodyget to this state despite the stress ofdaily life and work.

Plummer recommends starting witha deep breath before each meal andwhen stuck at red lights for her pa-tients. People tend to get angry at be-ing stopped in traffic, she said. “Yo ujust take a couple of deep breaths andit’s amazing how short that red light re-ally is,” Plummer said.

“Even that one deep breath sends afeedback message to your brain thatyou’re relaxed. One deep breath,” shesaid. Once the body realizes it is re-laxed, signs of stress like neck tensionor knots in the belly will begin to sub-side. Focusing on deep breathing dur-ing other activities including exercisingwill make the act a less stressful for thebody and mind while helping you re-cover faster, move more, and maybelose more weight if that’s your goal,she said.

A few deep breaths throughout theday are the easiest, then people canmove up to a five minute meditation orprayer in morning. Even just going fora walk and focusing on the sounds go-ing on around you, such as the soundof birds, rather than what’s going on inyour head, is helpful, Plummer said.

“A simple breathing meditation, it’slike a shot in the arm for people,”Rinzin said. “They get a peaceful halfhour and it makes their life better actu-ally, just to let go of stress for a while. Itdoesn’t necessarily last that long so ifthey can do more focusing on virtuousdeterminations or a positive way ofseeing things it will have a much big-ger impact on their life.”

Some people use television or booksto help them relax and relieve stress,but these typically quiet activities donot have the same effect. “Whenyou’re watching TV or reading a bookor even exercising, you’re runningaway from yourself essentially andmeditation brings you back into yourbody. So that’s the main difference,”Plummer said.

When working with patients, Plum-mer tries to incorporate meditation into

the each person’s lifestyle.“I love to help people incorporate it

into their own individual faith.Whether that’s a Buddhist faith, Hindufaith, Christian faith, Jewish faith. Ifthey can incorporate it into their faiththen that seems easier because then itsnot an additional thing. It’s just achange up or an addition to what’s al-ready there, so that’s really nice.”

Meditation, prayer and consciousthinking are all part of many religiouspractices, but it can also just be part ofyour own health practice if you do notidentify with a specific religion, Plum-mer said.

“I try and get people to incorporatetheir meditation into whatever they’re

doing. So if they are driving a lot youdo the driving exercise, if they’re sittinga lot, running a lot ... you always tryand tailor it to each individual person.”

“An elder may not be able to sit inthe lotus position and they may not beable to go for a walk, so they do sittingmeditation or sitting breathing exercis-es,” Plummer said.

Meditation can improve health bydiminishing stress, but it can alsochange the way we relate to the world.One reason people seek meditativepractices is to effect an inner change inthemselves, Rinzin said, and learnmore positive ways to relate to the

ThinkStock photo


MeditationFrom Page 19

world.“The purpose of meditation is to make

our mind calm and peaceful, focusing onsomething neutral (such as breathing) orsomething more positive which hasmore lasting benefits,” Rinzin said.

“For some people it means striving toobtain enlightenment, and for people inother religions it might mean somethingelse,” Rinzin.

Getting to that positive state of mindcan happen in many different places.

You can even meditate in a La-Z-Boy,Rinzin said, just don’t tilt it back toomuch. In general, situations that are simi-lar to sleep or can induce sleep are notgreat for meditation, he said.

“We don’t just have to be sitting still.We can be working, talking with people.Keeping that positive state of mind is sobeneficial. Its almost like a mantra thatyou can say to yourself,” Rinzin said.

For example, if someone boring ap-proaches us and speaks to us, Rinzinsaid, we might get agitated or impatient.If we think to ourselves, this person isimportant, their happiness is important,then we are mediating. “We are positiveand we react to them much more posi-tively,” he said.

Plummer recommends using deepbreathing as part of an exercise of paus-ing, breathing and acting as opposed tosimply reacting in times of stress.

One of Plummer’s patients sufferedfrom insomnia because of tension withemployees at her small business. Shepracticed the method of pausing, breath-ing and acting rather than just reactingwhen dealing with the conflicts and shebegan to sleep better, Plummer said. Itonly takes three seconds to breath, shesaid.

Meditation is most beneficial whenpracticed daily, Plummer said. If peoplewant to take their meditative practice tothe next step or learn more about it, sherecommends trying yoga, a meditativehealth practice or taking a meditation ormindful breathing class.

“It’s really good to come to a classonce a week,” Rinzin said. An explana-tion of positive thinking and guidedmeditation can be a helpful for begin-ners and help them to hold those posi-tive feelings or determinations throughthe week. “It’s very helpful to knowwhat we’re doing when we meditate.Anyone can do a breathing mediationand with a little help can do other medi-tation,” Renzin said.

Guided meditation can help strength-en mindfulness, the mental factor thatfunctions to hold the object or feelingthe mind is focused on, and helps us toavoid everyday distractions like doingthe laundry or grabbing a pizza, Rinzinsaid.

“I know people struggle because inthe beginning our mindfulness probablyisn’t strong enough to do it on our own,”Rinzin said. This is why guided medita-tion for beginners can be helpful. “ Es -sentially someone else is acting as ourmindfulness.”

“We don’t exercise that mindfullnessmuscle very much and that’s wherepractice helps,” Rinzin said.

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UNC Alum, Doughty,deals with hearing loss

� See DOUGHTY/Page 23

AP photo/NICK WASSBuffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson is upended byWashington Redskins linebacker Perry Riley, left, and safetyReed Doughty, right, on Friday, Aug. 13, 2010.

Joseph WhiteThe Associated Press

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) —“Reed!” ’’Reed!”’’REEEEEEED!“

Jim Haslett kept yellingReed Doughty’s name, tryingto get the safety’s attention ata Washington Redskins prac-tice this week.

Doughty didn’t respondbecause Doughty couldn’thear. Finally, several team-mates went over and tappedhim on his shoulder, makinghim aware that he was want-ed by the defensive coordi-n a t o r.

“The communication be-tween us is not great,”Haslett said. “Because whenI yell, I get louder — and hestill doesn’t hear.”

Beginning his fifth seasonin the NFL, Doughty is oneof the great survivor storiesof pro football, having over-come several gut-wrenchingphysical and psychologicalsetbacks — any one ofwhich might have caused aweaker athlete to throw inthe towel. Yet the 27-year-old with the boyish face isstill plugging away, and he isexpected to be in the startinglineup Sunday night whenthe Redskins open the sea-son against the Dallas Cow-boys.

“Perseverance is one of hisstrongest traits,” safetiescoach Steve Jackson said.“You can’t knock a goodman down, and he’s a goodman. He’s had a lot of thingstry to knock him down.”

Consider the hurdles listedin the Reed Doughty bio:

• He was a sixth-roundpick from Northern Col-orado, a Football Champi-onship Subdivision schoolthat averages about two

draftees per decade.• He’s had hearing loss his

entire life, inherited from hisfather. It gets worse as hegets older. It stumped thecoaches when he was arookie in 2006.

“For a guy to be so smart,he used to always make a lotof mistakes. And no oneknew why. You look at him,and every time you saysomething, he’s really look-ing at you at your face andeverything. And you’re like,’Gah, he really pays atten-tion. Why doesn’t he knowanything? He must be adumb son of a ...,’” said Jack-son, his voice trailing off intoa laugh.

“But he was looking atyou,” Jackson continued, “toread your lips.”

Jackson realized he shouldno longer talk while writingon the whiteboard duringmeetings — because hisback was turned to Doughty.Jackson therefore developeda whole new differentrhythm: Write something,turn to speak, write some-thing, turn to speak.

“His play picked up,” saidJackson, snapping his fin-gers, “like that.”

• Also in 2006, Doughty’sson Micah was born sixweeks prematurely and hadchronic kidney failure. Afterlong days of practice andmeetings at Redskins Park,Doughty would go homeand help his wife hook uptheir son to a dialysis ma-chine. When Micah was 19months old, he had finallygrown enough to accept akidney transplant. The donorwas Doughty’s wife, Katie.

Micah turned 4 last week.Doughty beamed with prideat the mention of the mile-stone.

“He’s doing phenomenal,”Doughty said.

• In 2008, Doughty had aserious nerve problem in hisback. It spread, causingnumbness in one foot. Hewas placed on injured re-serve in early October andhad surgery. Not too manypeople were expecting himback in 2009.

“It was scary,” Doughtysaid. “There were a lot ofdoctors saying this wassomething you may nevercome back from, but the sur-geon that did it told me Ithink this is something you’llcome back from and doquite well. So I just trustedGod that no matter whathappened I’d be healthy justso I could play with my kids.And if I could play footballon top of it, that would beawesome. And I just workedhard in rehab, and it workedout.”

Doughty is returning thefavors as much as he can. Ittakes nearly a full column inthe media guide to list hisvolunteer work with groupssuch as the National KidneyFoundation and the SpinalResearch Foundation.

While Micah is doing welland the back injury is firmly

in the rearview mirror,Doughty and his teammatesand coaches still have thedaily challenge of dealingwith his hearing loss. Henow wears a hearing aid inmeetings, but it doesn’t workon the field because it can’tfilter out all of the back-ground noise from thecr owd.

When Doughty is in thegame, he often stands nearmiddle linebacker LondonFletcher to hear the defen-sive call, then relays a sepa-rate call to the rest of the sec-ondary. The Redskins cantrust Doughty with that rolebecause he’s studious andknows the play book well.

Doughty and fellow safetyLaRon Landry have also be-come adapt at using handsignals to communicate, butmessages don’t always getthrough. Landry says therehave been times he’s tried toalert Doughty to change inplans before the snap — butto no avail.

“I try to call him and he’sover there — he’s in tune (tothe play) — so I just let himplay that side and just


Unemployed be weary of money schemesHL Uncommon Sense

Uncommon Sense

with Beth Firestein

Dr. Beth Firestein is a licensed psychologist.She has 24 years of therapy experience andhas practiced in Loveland for over 14 years.She may be reached by calling her office at970-635-9116, via e-mail [email protected], or by visitingw w w. b e t h f i re s t e i n . c o m .

Question: D r.Firestein, my hus-band has been outof work for over 9

months after being laid offfrom his job. He has beenlooking non-stop but stillhasn’t found a new job. Inthe past few months, heseems to be spending moreand more time looking at“get rich quick” salesschemes and multi-levelmarketing opportunities. I’mconcerned. Should I be?

Answer: You should beconcerned. While there issuch a thing as legal Multi-Level Marketing businesses(MLMs), the vast majorityare legally questionablepyramid or Ponzi typeschemes. Originally, suchbusinesses came into beingto distribute goods andproducts in rural or remoteareas where distribution ofsuch products was practical-ly non-existent. The empha-sis was on selling qualityproducts at fair prices topeople who would not or-dinarily be able to buythem. With the advent ofmass distribution centers forproducts and the internet,the emphasis of most MLMshas changed from productquality to recruitment of dis-tributors, most of whomlose money on their salesefforts. (you might visitwww.consumer fraudreporting.org/MLM.php ).

Psychologically, MLMs aremost commonly marketedto those who are desperateor economically strained. Itis natural for your husbandto be tempted by opportu-nities to make lots of moneyby selling a worthwhileproduct to others. Unfortu-nately, people like your

husband can ill-afford tomake the initial investmentin products usually requiredto get the business started,and most of the individualsrecruited don’t end up mak-ing the money promised inthe recruiting seminars.Business opportunities ofthis type can also strain rela-tionships because new dis-tributors are encouraged tomarket the opportunity todistribute to friends andfamily, since this is the onlyreal way to make significantmoney in the business.

Naturally the other prob-lem with this type of busi-ness opportunity is the lackof a base salary, health in-surance or retirement bene-fits as well as the taxesowed on goods sold. Theseare significant disadvantagesto a family struggling to sur-vive economically. Withouta doubt these are toughtimes and jobs are hard tofind. Just keep in mind thatthere are no real “get richquick” schemes and encour-age your husband to do hisresearch and be very, verycareful if he continues to ac-tively consider these oppor-tunities. You can offer yourhusband emotional supportin his job search, but youboth need to keep the realneeds of your family inmind as you explore em-ployment opportunities.

Question: My job isphysically, emo-tionally andmentally demand-

ing. Because I work inemergency care at a hospi-tal, my priorities often haveto shift to work with the firstring of a cell phone when Iam on call. I have a sup-portive husband and son,

but I am starting to feelguilty about the time I don’tget to spend with them. Atthe same time, nursing isone of my greatest passionsand something that makesme come alive. What wouldbe the healthiest route toachieve balance in my life?

Answer: You are veryfortunate to have found ameaningful career that youare passionate about that al-so allows you help others sodirectly. It sounds like youare struggling with the de-mands of your work settingand not the overall nature ofyour work or career path. Inthat respect, you are one ofthe fortunate few. Still, thedemands of your emergen-cy-oriented position clearlydetract from the quality ofyour family life in someways. There are no easy an-swers to this dilemma, but Ican share a few ideas.

Many health-care profes-sions are highly demandingand the level of stress anddemand is strongly correlat-ed with the type of settingand the types of patients orclients you are serving.Some people find a profes-sional “home” in the area ofemergency medicine, andthis is their path for life.

Many others find that theyenjoy and thrive on high-stress, high-demand posi-tions during one phase oftheir career, but are eager toshift settings or jobs whenthe emotional, physical andfamily “costs” of these posi-tions begin to outweigh theposition’s benefits.

Even though your hus-band and son are support-ive, it sounds like you as anindividual might be longingfor more uninterrupted timewith your family. Guilt is notthe answer, but it is a usefulcommunication from your-self that it may be time toconsider a change in em-ployment within your pro-fession. Achieving a healthylife balance is a matter of lis-tening to yourself and bewilling to embrace change.

There are many other po-sitions in nursing and somemight be better suited toyour personal life and fami-ly needs. I suggest givingyourself plenty of time toexplore alternative careeroptions in your field and tomake the changes in aplanned and systematicway. Using this approachyou are most likely to findthe job fit that allows forgreater life balance.


Treatment options for atrial fibrillation

DOUGHTYFrom Page 21

Arnold Pfahnl, M.D., PhD.RH paid advertorial

Question: How doyou restore a nor-mal heart rhythm insomeone who ex-

periences atrial fibrillation?Answer: Atrial fibrillation

— an irregularheartbeat — isnot usually lifethreatening onits own. How-ever, it can leadto serious com-plications in-cluding stroke,congestiveheart failureand chronic fa-tigue.

Atrial fibrilla-tion occurswhen the up-per chambersof the heartbeat in an uncoordinated ordisorganized way like quiv-ering or beating fast ratherthan beating effectively.Blood doesn’t pump com-pletely out of those cham-bers, and it can pool or clot.If a clot forms, it can travelfrom the heart to the brain,and the person may have astr oke.

About 2.2 million Ameri-cans live with atrial fibrilla-tion according to the Ameri-can Heart Association. As the

number of elderly people in-creases, the number of peo-ple living with atrial fibrilla-tion will increase becausethe likelihood of developingthe condition increases withage. Other risk factors in-clude:

• A history of heart dis-ease, heart at-tack, heartsurgery orvalve problems

• High bloodpr essur e

• Thyr oidpr oblems,sleep apneaand otherchronic medi-cal conditions

• Gender –men are slight-ly more likelyto develop atri-al fibrillationthan women.

Women who are diagnosedcarry an increased long-termrisk of premature death.

• Smoking• Excessive amounts of al-

cohol consumption or use ofstimulant drugs includingcaf feine.

People who have atrial fib-rillation may experience fa-tigue, overall weakness, pal-pitations (the sensation of aracing, fluttering or irregularheartbeat) in the chest orneck, shortness of breath,

dizziness, chest pain or dis-comfort or heart failure.

When a physician plans acourse of treatment for atrialfibrillation, they focus onthree main goals: control theheart rate, restore and main-tain normal heart rhythm ifsymptoms persist despitecontrolling heart rate, andprevent strokes. Treatmentplans vary based on the pa-tient’s medical history andwhat other health problemsare present.

Atrial fibrillation can be avery frustrating health prob-lem because there are noquick fixes. The physicianmust evaluate what causesthe irregular heartbeat.Sometimes, a normal rhythmcan be restored with lifestylechanges to reduce risk fac-tors — weight loss, a hearthealthy, low-sodium diet, ex-ercise or smoking cessation.

Medications also may beused. They are separated in-to two classes: those that aimto control heart rate while inatrial fibrillation and thosethat aim to maintain the nor-mal rhythm and keep atrialfibrillation from happening.

Other therapies may in-clude treatment of sleep ap-nea (abnormal breathing atnight) or fixing a leaky heartvalve.

For someone who contin-uously experiences atrial fib-

rillation, the physician mayuse cardioversion. Car-dioversion is the use of anelectric shock to restore thenormal heart rhythm.

Another treatment optionbeing used more often isradiofrequency ablation,which is a procedure thatconducts a burst of radiofre-quency energy through acatheter to destroy the tis-sues that trigger the abnor-mal rhythm. The energybursts are actually a fewhundred strategically placedburns on the tissue.

For the procedure, the pa-tient is under general anes-thesia. It takes about three tofour hours to complete andis performed by a cardiolo-gist who specializes in theelectrical system of the heart(cardiac electrophysiologist).The procedure also may bedone in conjunction withopen heart surgery to repairother heart problems.

Not all electrophysiologistsperform radiofrequency ab-lation, and not all patientsare candidates for the proce-dure. You should consultyour physician to get an ac-curate diagnosis for an irreg-ular heart rhythm and planthe best option for treatment.

Arnold Pfahnl, M.D.,PhD., is an electrophysiolo-gist with the CaridoVascularInstitute of North Colorado.

Arnold Pfahnl,M.D., PhD.

adapt,” Landry said.But it usually works out because of

Doughty’s smarts and toughness — notto mention a strong faith that has seenhim through all his trials, plus enoughhumbleness for him to realize his role.

“The coaches trust me,” Doughtysaid. “I may not be a flashy player, but

I’m going to make good tackles, makegood decisions and execute the gameplan.”

Doughty also offered this well-grounded assessment of his hearingloss and hair loss, both genetic and in-evitable.

“I’m bald. I’m going to be deaf,” hesaid in a matter-of-fact tone. “And I’vegot a great family with two great kids,so I’m not worried about it.”

Doughty has started 16 of his 45

games over four seasons. A naturalstrong safety, he is now working withthe first team at free safety only be-cause Kareem Moore is out with asprained right knee.

Yet, considering all that he’s beenthrough, Doughty has accomplishedquite a bit. After all, how many playerscan sum up their career like this?

“Stuff happens, and they trust me toplay,” Doughty said. “And I’m still herebecause of that.”


HL Health BriefsDR. CAROL VANETTIRECEIVES NATIONALLEADERSHIP AWARD

Carol Vanetti, M.D., chiefmedical officer for BannerHealth’s Western Region, hasreceived the National Associ-ation of Medical Staff Ser-vices Leadership Award.

Dr. Vanetti was nominatedfor the award by medicalstaff services offices acrossBanner Health. Healthcareleaders each year are nomi-nated by members of the6,600-plus NAMSS organiza-tion.

Dr. Vanetti will be formallyrecognized by the NAMSS atits annual convention andexhibition Oct. 5 in Orlando,Fla.

EARLY REGISTRATION OPENFOR LOVELAND TURKEYTROT, NOVEMBER 25TH

The 9th Annual LovelandTurkey Trot will be held onThanksgiving morning — agreat way to start theThanksgiving Holiday. Therace begins on HoffmanDrive just north of McKeeMedical Center and proceedsnorth to 37th Street to thebike path at Boyd Lake. Itthen turns south and headsback to 18th Street where itfinishes at McKee MedicalCenter. This route is wideopen and beautiful, offeringa great run for more than1,200 Loveland residentswho value fitness and familytime before the big feast. TheTurkey Trot is a 3.1-milerun/walk, and is the perfectway to spend time with fami-ly and friends.

The 5K race begins at 8:30a.m., and individuals mayregister for the Turkey Trotin one of four ways: 1) regis-ter online at Active.com 2)printout a registration form atMcKeeFoundation.com andmail it in 3) register in personat Foot of the Rockies, 150 E.Harmony in Fort Collins or

Runner’s Roost, at Harmonyand Ziegler in Fort Collins 4)or register the day of the racestarting at 6:30 a.m.

Register prior to Septem-ber 24 for $20, kids 12 andunder for $10. Race fees are$25 for adults and $13 forkids 12 and under doing the5K until November 25. AfterNovember 25, race fees are$30 for adults and $15 forkids 12 and under doing the5K. Team registrations of 3 ormore are $20 each beforeNovember 25 and $30 after.The Kids Gobbler Trek isfree. All participants will re-ceive a t-shirt.

Prizes will go to the topoverall male and female andmale and female Mastersrunners along with the topthree in each age group.Prizes for Largest Team andBest Team Time will also beawarded. Door prizes donat-ed by area businesses will begiven away during theawards ceremony.

100 percent of race feesand sponsorship contribu-tions benefit the SteppingStones Adult Day Program atMcKee Medical Center. TheStepping Stones Adult DayProgram provides partici-pants an opportunity to so-cialize, build friendships, andenjoy stimulating activities ina safe, caring environment.By tailoring activities to meetindividual’s specific needs,Stepping Stones becomes aplace where dignity, confi-dence, security and indepen-dence are assured, givingparticipants new levels offreedom and enhancing theirquality of life.

STANDARD & POOR’SUPGRADES PVHS BONDRATING TO SOLID A

Standard & Poor’s RatingsServices has announced thatit upgraded the bond ratingfor Poudre Valley Health Sys-

tem from an A- to an A rat-ing, noting “marked im-provements to an alreadysound balance sheet” andstrong business position asevidenced by further growthin market share.

S&P’s issuing report recog-nized that PVHS has contin-ued to build its financial pro-file, posting excellent finan-cial results and generatingrobust cash flow. Factorssupporting the A rating in-clude the locally-ownedhealth system’s operating re-sults; continued profitabilityand maturation of MedicalCenter of the Rockies (thePVHS acute care hospital lo-cated in Loveland, Colorado,which opened in 2007); ex-cellent liquidity with 270days cash on hand; strongcoverage of maximum annu-al debt service; solid andgrowing business position innorthern Colorado; and asound, stable and forward-looking management team.

Stacey said the news fromStandard & Poor’s comes at atime when the nationalhealth care system awaits theunknowns of health reform.

In its report, S&P notes anexpectation that PVHS willcontinue to produce strongmargins and cash flow, aswell as balance capitalspending with available re-s o u rc e s .

The report also highlightsPVHS’s long-term strategy offostering relationships withother regional providers, in-cluding its recent affiliationwith 115 physicians acrossmultiple cities; its joint ven-ture relationship with Long-mont United Hospital to de-velop a health campus inFrederick, Colorado; andPoudre Valley Medical Fit-ness, scheduled to open inWindsor, Colorado in De-c e m b e r.

POUDRE VALLEY HEALTHSYSTEM AGAIN NAMED BESTPLACE TO WORK

Modern Healthcare hasnamed Poudre Valley HealthSystem one of America’s 100best places to work in healthcare for the third straighty e a r.

The journal is the health-care industry’s leading publi-cation. PVHS has been onthe Best Places to Work inHealthcare list each of thethree years since the maga-zine created it.

PVHS is the only Col-orado, Nebraska orWyoming hospital or healthsystem on the list. ModernHealthcare will release rank-ings for the top 100 on Oct.18.

The health system usessurveys to listen and respondto employee feedback;works to create a culture ofappreciation and recogni-tion; and fosters a team cul-ture in which employees linktheir individual work goals tothe system’s vision to pro-vide world-class health care.

PVHS’s voluntary turnoverrate currently outperformsthe national top 10 percent,according to the AmericanSociety for Healthcare Hu-man Resource Administra-tion. PVHS ranks in the 97thpercentile nationally for em-ployee engagement, accord-ing to Management ScienceAssociates.

Modern Healthcare andBest Companies Groupasked 400 PVHS employeesan in-depth set of questionsin eight core areas: the work-place’s culture and commu-nications; working environ-ment; role satisfaction, lead-ership and planning; rela-tionships with supervisors;training and development;pay and benefits; and overallsatisfaction.

....


BRIGHT BEGINNINGSPoudre Valley Health Sys-

tem offers free Bright Begin-nings materials for all fami-lies in Larimer County withchildren birth to 36 monthsof age. Materials covergrowth and development,health and safety, and infor-mation on community re-sources. These materials canbe obtained through ahome visit or by attending aclass. Registration is re-quired. Call 495-7528 to reg-ister or to learn more aboutthe programs

Program A for birth to12 months:

• 11:15 a.m. on October18 at McKee Medical Center

• Noon on October 19 atMedical Center of the Rock-ies

Program B for 12-24months:

• 9 a.m. on October 11 atMedical Center of the Rock-ies

Program C for 24-36months:

•10 a.m. on October 11and 13 at Medical Center ofthe Rockies

BREAST FEEDING SUPPORTGROUP

When: 10-11 a.m. Mon-days and Thursdays

Cost: Fr eeContact: 970-669-9355

ASTHMA EDUCATIONThis four-session multidis-

ciplinary educational serieshelps people manage asth-ma. The team reviews therespiratory system and howit works, medications usedto treat asthma and toolsthat can help you breathebetter and monitor yourasthma. Triggers, earlywarning signs and copingtechniques are discussed.Anyone who has asthma isencouraged to attend alongwith family and/or signifi-cant others.

When: 6-7:30 p.m. onMondays. Four-week ses-sion.

Where: McKee Confer-ence and Wellness Center

Cost: No chargeContact: 970-635-4138

BLOOD PRESSURE SCREEN-ING

Have your blood pressurechecked by a Wellness Spe-cialist.

When: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.,Monday through Thursday

Wher e: McKee WellnessServices, 1805 E. 18th St.Suite 6, Loveland

Cost: No charge Contact: 970-635-4056

COPD (CHRONIC OB-STRUCTIVE PULMONARYDISEASE)

This seven-session multi-disciplinary education serieshelps with the managementof COPD. The team reviewsthe respiratory system, howit works, what has gonewrong and how you canconserve energy and de-crease shortness of breath.Anyone who has COPD,emphysema or bronchitis isencouraged to attend alongwith family and/or signifi-cant others.

When: 1-3 p.m. on Tues-days, beginning Oct. 26.

Wher e: McKee Confer-ence and Wellness Center

Cost: No chargeContact: 970-635-4138

DIABETES INFORMATIONGROUP

An informational/educa-tional meeting for anyonetouched by diabetes whowants to learn and share.There will be a differentsubject matter for eachmeeting.


Cost: No charge. No reg-istration needed.

Contact: 970-203-6550

for more information andtopics

HEART FAILURE EDUCA-TIONAL SERIES 2010

The goal of the Heart Fail-ure Educational Series is tooffer people with Heart Fail-ure (and their family andfriends) information, re-sources and support. We fo-cus on management ofHeart Failure. The series isopen to members of thecommunity who want tolearn more about Heart Fail-ure. There is no need toregister. Topics are subjectto change without notice.

When: Second Tuesdayof every month from 3:30 to5 p.m.

Wher e: McKee MedicalCenter in the Wellness andConference Center.

Cost: No charge.Contact: 970-635-4138.Upcoming dates:Oct. 12 Topic: Activity –

Living an Active life withHeart Failure Guest Speak-er: Linda Hepperle, ExercisePhysiologist

GENERAL CANCER SUP-PORT GROUP

When: 5:30-7 p.m. Tues-days.

Wher e: McKee CancerCenter lobby.

Contact: 635-4129

CAREGIVER’S SUPPORTGROUP

For caregivers of cancerpatients.

Contact: 635-4129, fortimes and locations

BREAST CANCER SUPPORTGROUP

When: 5:30 to 7 p.m. onthe second Thursday ofeach month

Wher e: McKee CancerCenter lobby

Contact: 622-1961

SOULPLAY ART THERAPYPeople whose lives are

touched by cancer experi-ence the benefits of ex-pressing themselvesthrough art. No art experi-ence needed.

When: 9:45-11:45 a.m. onWe d n e s d a y s

Wher e: McKee CancerCenter Conference Room

Contact: 635-4129

MAN TO MAN PROSTATECANCER SUPPORT GROUP

When: 5:30 to 7 p.m. onthe fourth Thursday of themonth


Contact: 622-1961 formore information

CAREGIVERS SUPPORT

For caregivers of elderlyadults. The group focuseson providing support andeducation about communityresources and behavior is-sues, particularly for peoplewith Alzheimer's and mem-ory impairment.

When: 1:30-3:30 p.m. onthe third Thursday of themonth

Wher e: First ChristianChurch, 2000 N. LincolnAv e .

Cost: No charge.Contact: 970-669-7069

THE SEASONS CLUB

The Seasons Club at McK-ee Medical Center strives toenhance the quality of lifefor mature adults throughhealth promotion, educa-tion and recreation.

What: Welcome to Medi-care informational sessions

When: 5:30 p.m., Sept. 27Wher e: McKee Confer-

ence and Wellness CenterContact: To learn more

about Seasons Club activi-ties, call 970-635-4097 orvisit www.bannerhealth.com Keyword: McKee Sea-sons Club.

HL Ca l e n d a r

....


RH PA I D A D V E RT O R I A L

Question: How can chiropractic help me?Answer: Chiropractic care is used mostoften to treat neuromusculoskeletal com-

plaints, including but not limited to back pain, neckpain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, andheadaches. At Dahl Chiropractic Center, our message isthat the proactive care of one’s body and wise lifestylechoices are necessary to achieve health. We take a pre-ventive approach to health care: eliminate the cause ofdisease by locating and correcting subluxations (spinalmisalignments), which cause interference to the properfunctioning of the nervous system. By restoring thelines of communication within your body , we can beginimproving your overall body function, healing potentialand well-being.

Chiropractic servesas preventative care

HL Ask a Health Pro

For more information, contact:

2885 N. Garfield Ave., Loveland,CO 80538, 970-744-6915

The Loveland Reporter-Herald is the only daily Newspaper printed in Larimer County!

Same agency, new name, same commitment

In 1978, a group of nurses came together in Loveland to voluntarily care for a friend in the final months of her life. From these beginnings, you’ve known us as Hospice of Larimer County. Now we are Pathways Hospice, still providing exceptional medical and comfort care, and community-wide grief supportand education.

www.pathways-care.org | [email protected] 305 Carpenter Road, Fort Collins, CO 80525 | 970.663.3500 1580 Main Street, Suite 2, Windsor CO 80550 | 970.674.9988

We’re Here To Help You

HL-

3176

35Fast, convenient and friendly urgent care services for life’s unexpected minor injuries and illnesses. No appointment necessary. X-Ray available on-site.

Monday – Friday8 a.m to 6 p.m.

Saturday9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

We’re here for you.

Lee Goacher, MDBoard-certified family medicine physician

Pam Gale, APRNNurse practitioner

3850 North Grant Avenue, Suite 100Loveland, CO 80538 | 970.624.5150

www.lovelandurgentcare.com

We’re here for your minor injuries and illnesses.

HL-317572

www.BannerHealth.com/COexperts

Banner Health has been named as a Top 10 Health System in the U.S. for patient care according to Thomson Reuters.

Although the content of this ad is intended to be accurate, neither the publisher nor any other party assumes liability for loss or damage due to reliance on this material. If you have a medical question, consult your medical professional.

Question:McKee Medical Center is the only hospital in Colorado that is named an Epicenter for Robotic-Assisted Surgery. As only one of 23 Epicenter surgeons in the nation, can you explain why this is such an important designation?

Answer:Intuitive Surgical, manufacturer of the da Vinci Surgical System, recently named McKee Medical Center as an Epicenter Teaching Center for robotic-assisted gynecological surgery.

As an epicenter training facility, McKee will host surgeons from around the country who wish to train in robotic surgery.

The Epicenter designation is a reflection of the expertise of the surgical team we have at McKee. From the operating room staff to our floor nurses, we are dedicated to providing exceptional care for our patients.

We perform a variety of benign and advanced pelvic procedures with the robot including: hysterectomies (partial or complete removal of the uterus), myomectomies (removal of uterine fibroids), pelvic prolapse, tubal re-anastamosis (reversal of tubal ligation), lymph node removal and procedures for cervical, endometrial and ovarian cancers.

John T. Crane, M.D. Obstetrician/Gynecologist OB/GYN Associates, Loveland Appointments: (970) 667-2009

Banner Medical GroupMcKee Medical Center

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