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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013PROMOTING HEALTHY LIVES, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIESCOASTAL COURIER

Bikers ride to help local woman with medical bills.

page 2

Get to know some of Liberty’s top physicians.

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livingwellMEET THE DOCTORS EDITION

In between technically difficult ankle surgeries and dermatology-heavy di-abetic wound care, podiatrists spend a lot of time talking about shoes. Most people take them for granted; they’re

just another part of your morning routine — something you slip on as you leave the house without realizing they could seriously affect your feet.

In fact, your shoes are quite literally the foundation for your entire day. A good shoe will cup your heel and hold it in a proper alignment to support the weight coming down through your leg and ankle. Good arch support (whether built into the shoe or added with a pair of orthotics) will keep

your feet from feeling “tired” by the time you get home and can prevent tendinitis or plan-tar fasciitis. A wide, accommo-dative front (the “toe box”) will prevent irritation on the skin of the toes, blisters and other sore spots.

Many of my patients are dis-appointed when I scold them for wearing high-heeled or unsupportive shoes. They come to the doctor asking for a solution to their foot pain, but are unhappy when I tell them their poor shoe choices are a large part of the problem. I’ve even had women ask for orthotics to put in their stilettos to make

them more comfortable. (Unfortunately, short of using a magic wand, there are some shoes that will never be comfortable.)

The bad news: just like having poor eye-sight, having foot pain means you need some correction. Instead of a pair of eyeglasses, you need supportive shoes. If you have 20/20 vision, there's no need for glasses. If you have no foot pain and your feet tend to be anatomically balanced, you can get away with wearing less supportive shoes without immediate painful consequences. If you do have foot pain or other problems, such as bunions or hammertoes, then you need to spend the majority of your day in good, sup-portive shoes.

The good news: I said you need to spend "the majority" of your day in supportive shoes — not "all day." I am completely aware that you cannot wear athletic shoes to a wed-ding or on a first date to a nice restaurant. This is why I have termed the unsupportive flats or heels "dessert shoes."

If you ate chocolate cake all day long, it would negatively affect your health, and the same is true for unsupportive shoes. But if you eat good, nutritious food at each meal, you can splurge and have a little piece of cake after dinner. Wear good shoes (with

Dr. Libby PutnamCourier contributor

ShoeS continues on 2

By Dr. Libby Putnam

Complete Health Care for Women

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Seth A. Borquaye, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.Zorana M. Sifford, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.Kathleen Cools, M.D.

cobgyn.net

Phone Number: (912) 877-2228Fax Number: (912) 877-2463

455 South Main Street, Suite 202Hinesville, Georgia 31313

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Candice N. Escalea, DPM

• Ankle & Foot

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481 E.G. Miles Parkway, Suite CHinesville • 912-432-7236

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Conservative and Surgical Care of the Foot and Ankle

orthotics if you need them) all day, and then slip into your heels for two hours while you’re out with your friends.

Most people don’t real-ize the impact shoes have on their gait, stature and foot health. I’ve often been asked, “Are my shoes really that im-portant?” Well, several stud-ies have been done in the past 10 years that examine the effects of different shoes when walking, running and regular daily activities. An article in Arthritis Care and Research in 2009 studied more than 3,000 individuals and found that women who wore supportive shoes were 67 percent less likely to have heel and hind-foot pain later in life. This is a great argu-ment for wearing support-ive shoes even if you’re not having symptoms yet. Most women in their 20s are able

to wear heels or unsupport-ive flats without pain, but the long-term consequences may be arthritis, hammertoes or tendinitis.

Another study published in the Journal of Experimen-tal Biology in 2010 noted sig-nificant changes in the length and stiffness of several calf muscles in women who wore high heels regularly. With a shortened Achilles tendon you’re more likely to suffer from plantar fasciitis (a com-mon cause of heel pain) and inner ankle tendinitis, and it even can play a part in the formation of hammertoes.

So, by all means, grab that pair of Jimmy Choos or Steve Madden heels. Just remember — everything in moderation. You need to earn that time in your “dessert shoes” by wear-ing healthy, supportive alter-natives the majority of your day.

Of course, some foot dis-comfort stems from more se-rious issues, so if switching to supportive shoes doesn’t solve your pain, see your podiatrist to find the cause.

Putnam is the lead po-diatrist for Atlantic Foot and Ankle Specialist.

ShoeS

Continued from page 1

Area motorcyclists gath-ered Saturday for a “Riding for Morgan” charity run to help raise funds for a serious-ly ill Hinesville native, Mor-gan Smith Rogers. Despite overcast skies and blustery conditions, the ride brought around 50 riders and raised $1,000 to assist Rogers’s fam-ily with mounting medical costs.

Rogers, 29, has been hospitalized at St. Joseph’s Candler since Jan. 3 with a serious bacterial infection and has undergone 15 dif-ferent surgeries to date. She recently was moved from the intensive care unit to the progressive care unit, where she is beginning to recover; however, relatives say Rog-ers’s road to recovery is long.

“Her doctors say that she will have a very extended re-covery, with more surgeries to come before, she is fully healed. ... We have no idea how long she will be in the hospital,” said Rogers’ father-in-law, Mike Allen.

Allen and his wife, Tam-my, attended and rode in the event to thank those who came out in support of their daughter-in-law. He said that Rogers has her good days and her bad days, and it has been a difficult time for the entire family.

Allen and other family members contacted Sistaz and Soljaz with Vizonz, a lo-cal social club known for its involvement in community service, to help coordinate a charity event for Rogers.

“The club holds a ride in conjunction with our annual Presidential Bash and when we were asked for help, we

decided to have the proceeds of this ride go toward Mor-gan’s care. It’s the least we can do to help,” said Lisette “LBoogie” Flores, president and founder of SWV.

Flores said the club held the ride in conjunction with its parent motorcycle club, Deep South Riders, and heavily promoted the event through other motorcycle clubs, social media sites and prayer groups.

According to SWV Vice President Amanda Lawson, the club always is open to opportunities to help the

community.“We try to help out where

we can,” she said. She added that the group has been in-volved in collecting toys for Toys For Tots, working with area nursing homes and rais-ing money for its scholarship program, which gives money to area high-school gradu-ates.

Group members weren’t sure what to expect regard-ing turnout for the ride since such events typically tend to be influenced by the weather. Lawson said the cold, wind and threat of rain may have

kept some riders at home. Still, multiple indepen-dent riders and several Fort Stewart and Hinesville-area motorcycle clubs did show, including Chosen Riders, Front Runnerz, Soldiers United, Kingz and other groups. One group, II Tight, came from Brunswick to show its support.

Riders met in the park-ing lot of the Quality Inn on Highway 17 in Richmond Hill to form a procession. A few co-workers of Greg Rog-ers, Rogers’s husband, from Interstate Paper and many of

Rogers’s relatives and friends gathered at the rally point to see off the riders and thank them for participating.

“The community sup-port has been great. We’re so thankful for everything that people are doing,” said Vicki Smith, Rogers’ sister. She added that Rogers is aware of the ride and other support efforts on her behalf but has not been able to comment due to her condition.

Flores gathered the rid-ers together at noon and ex-pressed her gratitude for the turnout.

“You all touch my heart,” she said before inviting Rog-ers’ family members to speak on her behalf.

Smith thanked all the participants before becom-ing overwhelmed with emo-tion. Allen said it meant a lot to see so many of his fellow brother and sister motor-cycle riders come together in support of his daughter-in-law.

“God is good all the time and we thank everyone for their continued prayers,” he said. Attendees joined hands and prayed for Rogers and the safety of the group on the road.

The route brought riders down Highway 17 into Mid-way, then west on Highway 84 before looping back to Highway 17 via Leroy Coffer Highway.

An account for donations has been established at The Heritage Bank in Hinesville and Altamaha Federal Cred-it Union locations in Ludo-wici and Jesup. Anyone who wants to contribute to Rog-ers’ care should make checks payable to the “Morgan Rog-ers Fund,” or call Allen at 912-256-1743.

Local motorcyclists ride for seriously ill womanEvent nets $1,000 to help with Hinesville native’s hospital bills, medical expensesBy Emily C. Harrison

eharrison@coastalcourier.com

SUNDAY, FebrUArY 24, 2013PrOMOTING HeALTHY LIVeS, FAMILIeS AND COMMUNITIeSPAGe 2

Emily C. Harrison

Motorcyclists, both independent and from various local clubs, pose for a group photo Saturday before getting on the road during the “Riding for Morgan” event.

Photo provided

Morgan Smith Rogers, shown here with her husband, Greg Rogers, has been hospital-ized since early January with a serious infection.

MEET THE DOCTORS

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Page 3PROMOTINg HeaLTHY LIVeS, FaMILIeS aND COMMUNITIeSSUNDaY, FeBRUaRY 24, 2013

Areas of Speciality: Walk-In Medical Care for Illness and Injury for Civilian and Military Communities. Family Medicine. Pediatric Care - ages 9 months and up. Occupational Healthcare. Workers’ Compensation Medical Care and Case Management.Affiliation: Georgia Emergency Associates operates the South Georgia Immediate Care Centers as well as the St. Joseph’s/Candler Immediate Care centers in the south Georgia region. It also staffs the Emergency Departments of St. Joseph’s/Candler hospitals in Savannah as well as other hospitals throughout southeast Georgia.Core belief/Mission: South Georgia Immediate Care Center offers the civilian and military communities an excellent alternative to the hospital emergency room for non-life-threatening illness and injuries, because it treats patients in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost. The center is open 7 days a week and always has a physician on duty. The center’s philosophy is all about meeting the community’s need for quality medical care at convenient times, in convenient locations and in a comfortable setting.

Areas of Speciality: Obstetrics. Gynecology. Infertility. Core belief/Mission: Comprehensive OB/GYN Health Center is proud of its long and distinguished tradition of providing first-rate care and continuing education. Doctors are always at the forefront of the latest research and use the most up-to-date methods and technology to provide patients with best-in-class medical care. Staff is committed to provide the highest standard of care in all procedures to ensure patients have a comfortable experience and achieve optimal level of health and wellbeing.

Areas of Speciality: Foot & Ankle, Hand, Wrist & Elbow, General Orthopedics, Joints, Neck & Spine, Pediatric Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.Core belief/Mission: Doctor Led. Patient Focused. The mission of Optim Healthcare and our affiliated locations and physicians is to provide our patients with premium quality care that is convenient, effective and cost efficient in a comfortable and pleasing environment. Our doctors guide your health and wellness experience at Optim Healthcare. By working alongside their peers across a wide spectrum of specialized areas of practice, our physicians provide comprehensive care focused on improving your life. Our expanding network of well-equipped and expertly staffed facilities serves southeastern Georgia and provides premium care close to your home.

Areas of Speciality: Diversity Health Center, Inc., a non-profit organization, with clinics located in Hinesville and Ludowici, offers a full range of comprehensive health services to individuals of all ages, regardless of their ability to pay. Each clinic also staffs a compassionate nursing team and a licensed professional counselor. Core belief/Mission: Diversity Health Center prides itself on its positive presence in the communities it serves. Diversity’s comprehensive approach to medical care also involves education and monitoring for those at risk for chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Meeting the healthcare needs of Coastal Georgia’s culturally diverse population is achieved through partnership with the Southeast Georgia Community Project (SGCP), and several staff members are bi-lingual, English/Spanish. Diversity Health Center is proud to play a part in the growth of Liberty County. Each member of Diversity’s team plays a vital role in providing comprehensive health services to our community.

South Georgia Immediate Care Center

Comprehensive OB/GYN Health Center

Optim Orthopedics

Diversity Health Center

IMMEDIATE CARE

OB/GYN

GENERAl pRACTICE

Office Location: 780 East Oglethorpe Highway Hinesville. Phone: (912) 332-7262

Office Location: 455 S. Main St., Ste 202, Hinesville. Phone: (912) 319-4009

Office Location: 1146 E. G. Miles Pkwy, Ste 102, Hinesville. Phone: (800) 827-6536

Office Locations: 3030 Frasier Drive, Hinesville; 213 N. McDonald St., Ludowici. Phone: (912) 545-9398

Hometown: Georgia native having grown up in both Fort Valley and Cairo.Education – College & DegreeUndergraduate: Xavier University of LouisianaMedical Degree: New York College of Podiatric Medicine.

Surgical training: Completed surgical training at the New Mexico VA Healthcare System and Atlanta VA Medical Center where she served as chief resident. Currently has surgical privileges at Wayne Memorial Hospital and the Institute for Corrective Surgery for the Foot and Ankle.Area(s) of Speciality: Comprehensive Podiatric Care.Affiliations: Member of the American Podiatric Medical Association and the Georgia Podiatric Medical Association.My interests/hobbies: Dr. Escalea is married to husband Reginald. She enjoys fishing and traveling in her spare time.

Hometown: Yonkers, NY.Education – College & DegreeMD: University of Rome, School of Medicine, Rome, Italy Internship, General Surgery: Cabrini Hospital of New York Medical CollegeResidency, Neurology: Indiana University School of Medicine

Board Certifications: American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry, American Board of Pain Medicine.Area(s) of Speciality: Neurology & Psychiatry.Affiliations: Southeast Georgia Regional Medical Center, Premier Surgery Center.What got me interested in pursuing this career: I was always interested in neuroscience and wanted to reach out and help others. This became my direction as I developed well rounded experience in general surgery, neurology and general medicine conditions. My interests/hobbies: Hunting, fishing and water activities. Music. I play clarinet and I am a member of the Coastal Band.

Hometown: Marion, SC.Education – College & DegreeEmory University, Medical University of South Carolina, Internship- Grady Medical in Atlanta, GABoard Certifications: The American Board of Plastic Surgery.Area(s) of Speciality: Plastic Surgery, Cosmetic Surgery, Non-

Surgical Face Rejuvenation, Hair Transplantation, Liposuction, Tummy Tuck, Breast Enhancements and Reduction, Breast Lift, Rhinoplasty, Face and Eyelid Lift.What got me interested in pursuing this career: My father was a general surgeon and began assisting him at the age of 14. It just seemed that it was what I was meant to do with my life and I never second guessed it.Core beliefs about practicing medicine: It is very basic; regardless of the specialty we are all here to make people happy and healthy. We help to build confidence and self-esteem.My interests/hobbies: Old cars and motorcycles, I like to them. I raced cars for about 30 years. More recently, I am just interested in the newest innovations in Plastic Surgery and all the medical advancements in technology.

Education – College & DegreeResidency: Wright State University, Dayton, OHInternship: Transitional Internship, Damascus University Hospitals, Damascus, SyriaMedical School: Doctor of Medicine, Damascus University School of Medicine, Damascus, Syria.

Board Certifications: American Board of Internal Medicine.Area(s) of Speciality: Internal Medicine.Affiliations: American College of Physicians; Georgia Medical Society; Medical Association of Georgia.Spoken Languages: English, Arabic, Russian.Liberty Loves 2011&2012 Voted Best Family Physician.

Education – College & DegreeUndergraduate: Biology, The CitadelMaster’s of Education and Doctorate of Dentistry: University of Pittsburghcertificate in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Temple University

Chief Residency, Temple University.Area(s) of Speciality: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Anesthesiology.About: He is a highly qualified and experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Dr. Myers will communicate effectively with you to help to put your mind at ease and make your experience as comfortable as possible.Since Dr. Myers is an expert, qualified and experienced dental anesthetist, you can have any procedure done in comfort and safety. Don’t avoid oral surgery, you can trust that you are in great hands with Dr. Myers.

Candice N. Escalea, DpM

Stephen G. pappas, MD

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Roger Myers, DMD, M.ED.

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Office Location: Savannah and Hinesville Day SpaPhone: 1-800-868-9301

Office Location: 455 S. Main St., Ste 201, Hinesville. Phone: (912) 264-9999

Office Location: 604 W. Ogelthorpe Hwy., Hinesville. Phone: (912) 408-7100

Zorana M. Sifford, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Seth A. Borquaye, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

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Feelings of accomplishment are twice as niceDespite weather, holiday

and head-cold related set-backs to my 10-week train-ing plan, I successfully fin-ished the Hilton Head Island Half-Marathon on Feb. 9.

At 2:28:32.2, my time wasn’t an improvement — in fact, it was about 24 seconds

slower than my November 13.1-mile time — but I still consider the run a suc-cess.

First, the course was an out-and-back that was not ex-actly flat and in-

volved winding bike paths. It also spanned the bridge over Broad Creek, which I mis-took for a low, flat structure.

Boy, was I wrong. The bridge was a bear to get over, but that made the climb the most scenic part of my jour-ney as the sun rose over the water, casting its warmth on houses, boats and, of course, cold runners.

Knowing that the bridge was coming — and would require a return hike — also heavily influenced my run-ning. Whereas in my first race I allowed excitement to accelerate my pace at the be-ginning, I was much better at keeping a slow, steady speed throughout this race.

I first crossed the bridge at mile six, and I was espe-cially vigilant about appre-ciating the view. That was a lesson I learned during the Enmark River Bridge Run in December; then, I was so focused on conquering the climb that I didn’t lift my head enough to appreciate the view of River Street and the Savannah River.

After descending the bridge the first time, I felt great and even considered

picking up my speed. Know-ing the bridge would rear its head again, though, I chose to maintain.

There was one point

where the course wound through wood-covered bike paths where it was hard to see those who were not in my immediate vicinity.

Several times through that stretch, I looked back over my shoulder to see whether anyone was behind me. I swear I ran for two minutes with no one in my rearview, and that thought scared me.

“Oh my goodness, what if I come in dead last in this race?” I thought. “How em-barrassing would that be? And it probably means I won’t beat my time.”

Then the other side piped in. It helped that I thought of people like Charm Reed, a socialite who told me that she follows my column and finds it inspirational. (Charm, if you’re reading, I’d like you to know that that short conver-sation at the Liberty County Chamber of Commerce An-nual Banquet has given me the strength and courage to push through several runs since.)

“You’re crazy to think that way. Given the sedentary life you broke out of, finishing any race is a big feat — and even coming in dead last in a 13.1 mile run is something

to boast about.”While my running experi-

ence was gratifying, and I’m proud to have more miles under my belt, I learned upon crossing the finish line that my companions also came out of the event with some bragging rights.

My fiancé, Firth Rixson engineer Jon Besser, and our friend, P.C. Simonton engi-neer Matthew Barrow, both finished third-place in their respective age groups for the corresponding 10K race.

Matthew, who began run-ning recently, is a speedster. He’s concentrating on com-pleting a 5K within 20 min-utes, so we all knew he was hoping to place. He said he’d like to work up to a half-marathon.

Jon was much more surprised — the guys and Hinesville Downtown De-velopment Authority pro-gram assistant Katrina Bar-row agreed that Jon was caught off-guard when the announcers called his name.

“It felt great, I was thor-oughly surprised,” he said.

So what keeps him run-ning?

“The camaraderie of be-ing a ‘runner,’ the free food and the cold beer after a tough race,” he said. “I travel a lot for my job, and one of my favorite ways to explore new places is on foot, in the early morning when the rest of the city is still asleep.”

Katrina, who is very new to running, also improved. She said she shaved two min-utes off of her 5K time.

Hearing everyone else’s thoughts going into the race humbled me and brought me back to my own trepida-tion last April as I prepared for my first 5K. Yes, you read that right. My first 5K was last April, and I since have run two half-marathons. I’m learning that with a little dis-cipline, we can accomplish great feats.

Again, skimming the crowd, I was amazed to be surrounded by people of all shapes and sizes. Regardless of our motivators, everyone’s success is another testament to what we can achieve.

Danielle HippsCourier staffer

Photo provided

Above: Courier reporter Danielle Hipps grins and bears it as she approaches the finish line of the Hilton Head Island Half-Marathon on Feb. 9. Above right: Run participants Jon Besser, Danielle Hipps, Katrina Barrow and Matthew Barrow show off their numbers and medals after completing differ-ent distance runs on Hilton Head.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013PROMOTING HEALTHY LIVES, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIESPAGE 4

INGREDIENTS• 1 cup pearl barley• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock, divided• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil• 1 large white onion, diced • 3 peeled, minced garlic cloves• 1 1/2 pounds ground bison• 3/4 cup water• 2 pounds Roma tomatoes, diced• 1 bell pepper, yellow, diced• 1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder• 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin• 1/4 Tbsp ground oregano• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper• 1 Tbsp tomato paste• 1 cup frozen corn, partially thawed

Recipe by Emily C. Harrison

Barley and bison chili

In a medium saucepan, bring barley and three cups of the broth to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until barley is just tender, there may be some unabsorbed stock.

Add olive oil, onions and garlic to a me-dium stock pot. Saute over medium-low heat until you can smell the onions and garlic cook-ing. Add ground bison and brown, breaking up the meat as much as possible while cooking. Drain any unwanted fat from the pan.

When bison is almost cooked through, add the water, remaining stock, tomatoes, pepper and spices. Boil over medium-high heat, stirring to break down the meat into consistent pieces.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the barley mixture, tomato paste and corn. Return to a boil over high heat.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and sim-mer, uncovered, about five minutes or until the chili is slightly thickened. If it gets too thick, add water until it reaches desired consistency.

There is nothing quite like a warm bowl of chili on a cold day. Try this healthy, low-sodium version that uses bison instead of ground beef. Bison is leaner than ground beef and higher in protein. Bison is becoming more popular and can be found in many grocery stores. Using fresh tomatoes and peppers instead of canned helps keep the so-dium content low. This recipe uses no added salt; resist the temptation to add it. Those seeking a spicier recipe can jazz it up by adding more cayenne pepper or hot pepper. Also, try adding toppings such as cheese or sour cream, but be sure to go for low- or no-fat varieties.

Most fitness centers rarely open early or stay open late. Even fewer fitness centers open their facilities for use by teens, 14 and older. Next month, 24Seven Family Fit-ness & Tanning Center will open its first Hinesville gym, making a good workout pos-sible for the whole family around the clock.

The new fitness center, which will be in the Mag-nolia Oaks shopping center at Highway 196 West and Airport Road, is expected to open for business by mid-March. Manager and per-sonal trainer Justin Huitt said 24Seven has nine other facilities in the Savannah area and one in Richmond Hill.

“There are no other gyms that offer 24-hour access like us,” Huitt said. “Another big benefit we offer is free child care while you’re working out.”

The facilities are only staffed until around 8 p.m., he said. For late-night and early-morning use, members are issued a keychain access card they can swipe to enter the facility. The member has about two seconds to open the door after swiping the card.

Teens who are 14 and older are allowed to use the facilities, which have weight-lifting equipment, tread-mills, stationary bicycles, an aerobics studio and more. He noted, however, teens under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Huitt emphasized that all 11 fitness centers are owned by military veterans who understand the difficul-ties of squeezing in a good

workout around their long duty day. He said they also understand the stresses of military family members, who have to squeeze in their exercise time between their own work hours and taking care of children. The child-care option would be a big drawing point for these fam-ily members.

“We expect the major-ity of our customers at this gym to be military or mili-tary family members,” Huitt said. “Soldiers whose units don’t conduct daily (physical training) can come here be-fore they start their duty day or in the evenings to work off the stress of their duty day.”

Huitt said he is helping to manage three other 24Seven facilities, including the one in Richmond Hill. However, when the 5,000-square foot Hinesville facility opens, he will give his full attention to that gym.

“We really don’t want our members coming in the gym and not being greeted by a staff member,” he said, ex-plaining that he expects to put in a lot of hours for sev-eral months. “These first few months are going be very important. We want to build a relationship with our cus-tomers as we build our mem-bership base.”

Customers already are able to sign up for member-ship, Huitt said. They can use one of the other facili-ties until the Hinesville cen-ter opens. One of his newest customers, Elyssa Spicer, said she is looking forward to the fitness center opening.

“I’m interested in joining their fitness center because it’s so close to where I live and work,” Spicer said. “(Their membership) rates are very reasonable, too, and they’re

open 24/7. Oh, and I like the idea of child care available right there at the gym.”

As a personal trainer, Huitt said his first objective in working with new clients is to “clean up” their diets before working on cardio-vascular exercises or weight lifting.

“I’d say about 70 percent of results in a workout come from your diet,” he said. “The diet I put my clients on — you could stand in a corner and lose weight. One thing I emphasize is no processed foods. Most people don’t even know where to look for healthy foods, but they’re usually the ones on the out-side perimeter or produce section of a grocery store.”

Huitt said he’s looking forward to working with and serving new clients and community members at the Hinesville fitness center.

For more information about 24Seven Family Fit-ness & Tanning Center, call Huitt at 912-428-8647.

Double Board Certifi ed:Pain Management And Neurology“It’s really satisfying to see people walk out of my offi ce

pain-free after months of suffering. Making the right diagnosis is the key to the immediate results that over 80%

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600 E. Oglethorpe Hwy, Hinesville 2600 Parkwood Drive, Brunswick

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Alzheimer’s • Dizziness • Seizures

Dr. Stephen G. Pappas, M.D.

Liberty Regional welcomes Aaron Ford, MD to our Medical Staff with a specialty in Cardiology. Dr. Ford is Board Cer� fi ed in both Cardiovascular Disease and Internal Medicine and comes to us from the Heart Care Center in Council Bluff s, Iowa.

Dr. Ford received his Medical Doctorate from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in Omaha. Following gradua� on, he went on to residency in Internal Medicine at the Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa. From there he a� ended Creighton University Medical Center in Iowa where he completed his training in Internal Medicine while serving as Chief Resident. Pursuing an interest in Cardiology, Dr. Ford then completed a Fellowship in Cardiology, serving as Chief Fellow at the Creighton Cardiac Center.

Dr. Ford is now accep� ng pa� ents from his offi ce in the Liberty Regional Medical Offi ce Building.

Welcome Dr. Aaron Ford

Aaron Ford, MDLiberty Cardiology455 S. Main St., Suite 205Hinesville 912.876.5620

The owners of Farmers Natural Foods in Hinesville believe that good health starts in the blood.

Hinesville’s organic health-food store held nu-tritional blood analysis clinics Feb. 8-9 for custom-ers who seek alternatives to traditional medicine and want to maximize their well-ness. Twenty-four custom-ers signed up for 30-minute slots, during which they were given some insight about what is occurring in their bodies.

Three or four times per year, the store brings in Ryan Cronin, a certi-fied health consultant from NBA Research Group in Florida, who conducts live cell microscopy, otherwise known as nutritional blood analysis. He said undergo-

ing the analysis every three months allows customers to make changes to improve their health. It also gives the body an opportunity to pro-duce new blood, which lets Cronin see the effect those changes have on a person.

The analysis is done by taking a drop of blood from the finger and examining it under a high-powered mi-croscope. The images then are projected on a monitor so the customer can see for him or herself.

“Live cell microscopy is not intended to detect or treat disease, but rather to look for signs in the blood that point to known causes of disease, look for deficien-cies in the blood, as well as looking for things such as fat,” Cronin said.

Since he is not a medical doctor, Cronin said he is not allowed to diagnose illness or give medical advice to

customers; he merely pro-vides them with a nutritional health consultation.

“I look at the blood for a qualitative standpoint rather than a quantitative one,” he said.

The consultant explained that a doctor’s traditional blood analysis only checks for numbers that fall within a certain range to determine whether an imbalance or ab-normality exists. Nutritional blood analysis looks at live blood cells, and the size and shape of the individual cells give clues about what is oc-curring in the body, he said.

When analyzing a blood sample, Cronin said he quickly can detect vitamin deficiencies — such as a lack of B12 or folic acid — and the presence of toxins, fat in the bloodstream, free radical damage and pathogens.

Cronin said doctors who are moving quickly from pa-

tient to patient tend to look strictly for deficiencies and are quick to treat symptoms with pharmaceuticals, which many of his customers want to steer clear of. Cronin en-joys taking the time to talk with people about their health; however, he stressed that the analysis is not in-tended to replace the advice of or treatment by a medical doctor.

Repeat customers like Janet Rodriguez of Hines-ville feel that blood analysis is an important addition to a health regimen. She has been attending the clinics at Farmer’s Natural Foods since 2006 and said she looks for-ward to them so she can see where she’s good and where she needs to improve.

“The blood tells you a lot about what’s going on in the body,” she said.

Rodriguez said she switched to a vegetarian,

gluten-free diet during the past two years, and blood analysis is important to make sure she is getting enough vitamins and minerals in her diet.

“If I am low in certain areas, Ryan can tell me and I then I know I need to ad-just my diet accordingly,” she said.

Rodriguez sought alter-native health and wellness resources about six years ago when she felt she wasn’t get-ting what she needed from traditional medicine.

“All the doctors want to do is push the next big pill on you,” she said. “The side effects are often worse than what they originally pre-scribed the medicine for.”

She added that she opts for nutritional supplements and homeopathic remedies over pharmaceuticals be-cause she feels it gives her more control over her own health.

Rodriguez has lost a sig-

nificant amount of weight through her healthier life-style and said that her blood analysis usually comes out fairly positive, although she still struggles with digestive issues.

“When your digestive sys-tem isn’t functioning prop-erly, you don’t assimilate food properly,” she said. She recently tried a nutritional cleanse and added a “green drink” to her diet to help eliminate toxins which, she hopes will boost digestion.

Farmer’s offers the nutri-tional blood analysis clinics about every three months. Cronin may return in May, although a specific date has not yet been set. Once the next clinic is scheduled, it will be advertised in the store and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/farm-ers.naturalfoods.

For more information about upcoming nutritional blood analysis clinics, call Farmer’s at 912-368-7803.

Customers get a picture of overall healthPage 5PROMOTINg HeaLTHY LIVeS, FaMILIeS aND COMMUNITIeSSUNDaY, FeBRUaRY 24, 2013

Local health store offers nutritional blood analysis clinicsBy Emily C. Harrison

eharrison@coastalcourier.com

24Seven Family Fitness coming to HinesvilleGym boasts weights and cardio equipmentBy randy C. murray

rmurray@coastalcourier.com

Photo provided

24Seven Family Fitness & Tanning Center, slated to open next month in Hinesville, boasts weight-lifting equipment, treadmills, stationary bicycles, an aerobics studio and more.

Our family was stuck in a diet slump. Because my hus-band and I both have such hectic work schedules, we got into a rut over the years, eating a lot of processed convenience foods. Awhile back, we cut out nearly all fast food and had been eat-ing at home more often, but we hadn’t necessarily been eating healthier at home.

Our typical din-ner was high in fat, starch, so-dium and pre-servatives, and we really were not thinking much about it. Although we al-ways ate a veg-

etable of some type with our meals, it wasn’t enough to balance things out. We also had bread or rolls with each meal, layering starch on top of more starch.

Several months ago, we got to a point where we were literally sick of eating. We just weren’t hungry for the same unhealthy food. We also were tired of feeling sick and tired. We realized we needed a diet change. My husband had brought up the idea of switching to the Paleo Diet. I had no idea what this was and when my husband explained it to me, I laughed out loud.

Just the thought of living as our Paleolithic ancestors did — without sugar, salt, dairy, legumes and grains — was too much for me to handle. Besides that, there was no way our children would stick to the Paleo Diet, which would make it difficult to adapt to our life.

Another issue is that I am an avid couponer. I buy large quantities when items that I have coupons for go on sale and store them until needed. I have a large pantry stock-pile. What would we do with several months worth of

food that we wouldn’t be able to eat? We knew that we wanted to eat healthier and make changes, but I wasn’t sure that Paleo was the way to go.

It wasn’t until I attended a health talk about a month ago that something clicked. During the event, the speak-er said that we don’t have to empty our pantries and go buy all new food in order to eat healthier. Additionally, I learned that people who do that often fail because they can’t handle the radi-cal change all at once. The key is to slowly start incor-porating healthier habits into our diets each day. This meant we could attempt to eat healthier while still us-ing items from our pantries, then replacing those items with healthier choices when

they run out. I had my “duh” moment

right there during the talk. It was so simple. I couldn’t believe that I was using my pantry full of unhealthy food as an excuse to not eat well.

I picked up a Paleo Diet cookbook that also contains supporting information on how to get started. Even though the diet is very limit-ing (there is much you can’t eat), there is so much you can do with the foods that are permissible. My book contains a plan that helps users transition to the Pa-leo Diet in tiers. It says that most people are not full Pa-leo, but instead use an 85-15 rule. We can eat 85 percent Paleo and 15 percent non-Paleo each week, which al-lows us to still eat some of

those foods that we really love, like pasta.

So my family and I planned a full week’s worth of Paleo dinner recipes. We located a retailer that sells organic and grass-fed beef, chicken and bison and bought what we would need. We then hit the grocery store and bought fresh fruits and vegetables, buying organic when possible.

We started right away by crafting dinner recipes from the book for a full week. My husband and I didn’t say anything to the kids, and they were completely clue-less. To our surprise, they didn’t seem to notice much of a change, except for the noticeable lack of dinner rolls.

The recipes mostly were great. They were bland in

some ways without all the salt, but more flavorful in

others. It took several meals before we adjusted to the changes, but the recipes so far have been really good.

Although we are not sure we will ever eat 100 percent Paleo, we are enjoying try-ing new recipes and eating better. We’re still working to clear our pantry of the un-healthy stuff; it is a process.

We are glad we made the leap, and now we know that we can eat much healthier and enjoy it — the kids, too. I have changed the way that I grocery shop and am not couponing for couponing’s sake. I shop the organic, produce and meat sections of the store first and usually don’t venture down many other aisles. When I do, I read labels a lot more closely and seek out all-natural or organic products whenever possible.

Change is possible in all types of diets. It takes re-search and determination to start incorporating healthier choices into your life every day.

For more information on the Paleo Diet, go to thepal-eodiet.com.

Don’t get stuck in a diet rut — make healthier choices

Emily C. HarrisonCourier writer

Photo provided

The Paleo Diet, which consists basically of fresh produce, meat, seeds, eggs and certain oils, can be tough to follow, but just partially following it by making certain lifestyle changes can lead to better overall health.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013PROMOTING HEALTHY LIVES, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIESPAGE 6

754 E.G. Miles Pkwy, Hinesville

912-368-7803www.farmersnaturalfoods.com

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