HealthyS May is Family Wellness Month. Set Your Connection to …€¦ · taking family vacations, sharing healthy dinners, participating in daily walks and playing board games. In

Inside this issue

Spring 2014 VOL. 10 NO. 02

HealthyTIMES Your Connection to Better Health

What is Family Wellness? pg 1

Follow Me to the Park. pg 3

New Class Schedule. pg 5

Member Success Story. pg 6

Healthy Family Recipe! pg 6

Nourishing Advice for a Healthy Family. pg 7

Meet Your Cheering Squad. pg 9

In this issue:

www.baptisthealth.net/wellnesscenter

305-434-3700

May is Family Wellness Month. Set Your Family in Motion.

1 Spring 2014 Mariners Wellness Center

Wellness Center DirectorJames [email protected]

MARINERS WELLNESS CENTER

91550 Overseas HighwayTavernier, Florida 33070-2547

Tel: 305-434-3700 Fax: 305-434-3701

www.baptisthealth.net/wellnesscenter

Production Design and Editing Margi [email protected]

SUMMER is almost

here! Warm

weather and long

days will find

families scurrying

outdoors in search

of fun things to

do. This is great

timing as May is

national family

wellness month and

our magazine is

packed with great

information about

what family wellness

means and how to

get your entire crew

up, outdoors, and

enjoying a healthy

lifestyle!

What is Family Wellness?by Candice Grostefon

The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease. What this means in terms of family wellness is that, not only is your physical well-being important to leading a healthy life, but equally important is maintaining a healthy family and social environment. For example, spending quality time with your children is considered a form of health and wellness. Additional ways to lead a healthy lifestyle are taking family vacations, sharing healthy dinners, participating in daily walks and playing board games. In a world surrounded by television, video games and workaholics, a healthy family is one that participates in both mental and physical activities.

Families should dedicate a minimum of 30 minutes per day to spend together. Playing a board game is exciting for the entire family and a great way to interact with each other and improve family bonds. Other simple things like going for a walk outside, a leisurely bike ride or a visit to one of the parks in your area are also great fun. If your family is the adventurous type, try full-moon kayaking or even kite boarding. Families that experience new adventures together will enjoy reliving those memories and talking about them for years to come. If time and finances allow, try to go on a family vacation even if that means going on a staycation. We live in an excellent vacation community with an assortment of fun outdoor activities at our fingertips. Look for local deals around your area. Many hotels and businesses offer locals a discount year-round, and those that don’t will sometimes offer some discounts during the slow season.

We live in a society where the majority of our adult population is considered overweight or obese. Obesity-related conditions include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain type of cancers; all of which are preventable causes of death. Obesity is not only a financial strain to individuals and their families; it affects their quality of life and has a ripple effect on the individuals’ children. Childhood obesity is at an all time high. Obese children suffer from physical and mental issues that negatively affect their overall health and will greatly impact

Mariners Wellness Center Spring 2014 2

Member Satisfaction Survey Results

Your opinion counts - each year we send out a member satisfaction survey looking for feedback regarding our staff, services, and the facility overall. The feedback is invaluable in helping us assess whether we are accomplishing our objective to provide you with an excellent experience each time you visit our center. The 2014 survey results have been compiled. Over two hundred surveys were returned and we are delighted to see that we have been able to achieve a high level of satisfaction - 93.5% overall. We do, however, realize that sustaining your satisfaction is an ongoing process. Please look out for additional improvements as we strive, not only to maintain but also, to elevate the experience you have at our center.

TOTAL RESPONDENTS 202

OVERALL RATINGS 95.2%OVERALL FACILITY 95.5%FRONT DESK STAFF 95.4%EXERCISE FLOOR STAFF 92.6%GROUP EXERCISE CLASSES 89.7%CARDIO EQUIPMENT 94.1%STRENGTH EQUIPMENT 93.3%WEBSITE 92.2%LOCKER ROOMS 95.8%OTHER SERVICES 96.1%PRODUCTS 88.6%

OVERALL 93.5%

their future well-being. Experts agree that regular physical activity in children and adolescence has been proven to reduce anxiety and stress and increase self-esteem.

When is comes to nutrition try to make dinner healthy and fun by playing games such as Conversations in a Jar or Wacky Dinner Night. To play Conversations in a Jar have eachfamily member write a question and place it in the jar. An example of a fun question would be, “What can you do better than your parents?” The questions should be fun and friendly and not meant to bring negativity to the dinner table. Wacky Dinner Night can mean an array of things from dressing up in something wacky or using serving utensils instead of regular ones. These games would encourage families to eat together and have fun.

Set up a specific time for your activities so that they become routine. After dinner, when everyone is already in a family state of mind, is a perfect time for fun family activities. A set time will help the family focus and look forward to the activities that are planned. Each family should find their own niche and plan activities that both children and adults would thoroughly enjoy. Family health is very important for both the physical and mental well-being of each individual.

Candice holds a masters degree in exercise physiology and has been a member of our staff since 2010. She can be reached at [email protected].


Follow us on Twitter.To the Park!

In a world dominated by social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram how do we get our family members to be physically active? Let’s face it folks, computers and social media are here to stay and all of us are or will be impacted by its wide use. Marketing from billion dollar corporations right down to local mom-and-pop shops constantly urge us to follow them on Facebook for the latest news and offers. So it is no surprise that this phenomenon has become a problem not just for our youth, but also for adults young and old. Families that grew up in the era of information technology, as far back as the baby boomers, are spending enormous amounts of time sitting in front of their monitors reading the latest news, posting photos and texting with friends. Our youth are being introduced to this lifestyle by their parents at a very young age. Children may not always listen to what we try to teach them but, more often than not, they will learn by watching and copying what we do. Unless we break this vicious cycle, the only body parts that future generations of Americans will be exercising are their fingers.

We know the ugly truth -- most of America is overweight and sedentary. The majority of us are not getting enough exercise and neither are our children. Experts recommend that adults exercise for 30 minutes, three to five days every week, while children should engage in moderate exercise for 60 minutes per day. This may seem like a lot, but even as busy as we are, we can make changes to our schedules that will enable us to get our entire family moving and living a healthier lifestyle. Following is a list of fun ways to pull your family members away from their monitors and cell phones and get them moving.

by Margi Faze


Margi Faze holds a bachelor’s degree and is a nationally certified pilates instructor. She can be reached at [email protected].

1. In order to get your family moving, you have to be moving also. Find an activity or a sport that you enjoy and let your family members see your enthusiasm about it. They may not show it right away, but I guarantee you they are watching and learning.2. Enroll your children in a community sports team or tennis lessons. Participate in their activities by attending practice and sports events and by cheering them on.3. Make moving a family project. Call a family meeting and encourage everyone to think of fun things that you can do as a family to get off the couch and away from the screens. When children are involved in planning the family activities, they are more likely to get excited and participate. 4. Identify free times in your schedules to engage in family activities. Keep track of your daily routines for one week. Pick at least three 30 to 60-minute time slots you could use for family activity time. Once you have found those times, add them to the family calendar and be sure to keep those commitments as you would any other appointment on the calendar.5. Keep a family activity log on your refrigerator door. Encourage everyone to log their activities daily offering rewards when they participate.6. Bragging rights are sometimes motivation enough for competitive family members. But, make it fun for everyone by offering rewards for the entire family when every member has participated throughout the week. This will create camaraderie and family unity.7. Bring others into it. Invite neighbors and friends to join you in your activities. Create opportunities for your children to be active with their friends also.8. Celebrate special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries with something active, such as a hike, volleyball game, a hula-hoop contest, or a flying disc match at the park.9. Develop a set of activities for you and your family that are always available regardless of weather, such as indoor cycling, indoor swimming, stair climbing, rope skipping, mall walking, dancing and active games that you can play indoors.10. Identify cheap, local resources in your area, such as programs through your community center, park or recreation group, or work site.

Children are growing in a world where they barely see the outdoors or interact with their family and friends. It is up to us as adults, parents,and community members to lead by example and create opportunities for our families to be active. So let’s log off, look up, and get moving!

• Some activities that may require no new skills and everyone can participate include walking, swimming, jogging and stair climbing.• Jump rope contest.• Hula-hoop challenge.• Train together for a charity walk or run. Then, participate together.• Play outdoors with your children/grandchildren.• Ask your children or partner to join you for an exercise video or fitness game.• Dust off the old bikes and go for a ride around the neighborhood or to the nearest park.• Tennis and racquetball are great cardio sports that need some skill but are great fun for the whole family and are available in our community. • Take the family fishing or kayaking.

More Activity Ideas

Group-Fitness Class Schedule


* Denotes sign up is required Room Capacity: 20~Classes subject to change. For the most current schedule please check at the front desk.~Please note that patient parking at the front of our building is reserved for patients only. We appreciate your cooperation.

Here is a healthy Oatmeal Cookies recipe that you can bake with the special little ones in your life!


Dry Ingredients• 1 cup whole wheat flour • 1 1/2 cups of old fashioned rolled oats • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder• 1/2 teaspoon salt• 1 to 3 teaspoons cinnamon• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

Wet ingredients• 1/2 cup honey• 1/2 cup oil (corn, grape seed or olive. May substitute some with applesauce)• 1 tablespoon full flavor molasses• 1 large egg (beat with 1 tablespoon water)• 1 to 3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Yummy ingredients• 1/2 cup raisins (or a little more if you like)• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.2. In a large bowl, beat egg with water. Add the remaining wet ingredients to bowl and mix together. Tip: When measuring out the honey, measure the oil first then use the same cup for the honey. Your honey won’t stick to the cup. 3. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add the raisins and walnuts and mix. If the mixture seems too wet, add a bit flour. If it isn’t binding together very well, you may wish to add an egg white.4. Cool the mix for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.5. Preheat the oven to 335 degrees (lower temperature due to the honey in the recipe which will burn more easily).6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheet. Press down with a fork to ensure even cooking.7. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until golden on the bottom of the cookie. Place cookies on rack to cool for 5 minutes and enjoy! Makes about 35 cookies.

Member Success Story I began working out at the Wellness Center on the advice of my doctor, Dr. Hernandez. I was having a lot of health problems. My blood pressure was up to 200, and my heart was getting bad. All this because of my weight, which was 216 pounds. Dr. Hernandez put me on blood pressure and heart medication and urged me to go on a diet and exercise to help me lose weight. I went to the Wellness Center to get the help I needed. This coming November will be two years since I started, and I have lost 76 pounds. My blood pressure is now under control with medication but, thankfully, my doctor has taken me off the heart medication.

This is not to say that it has been easy. I still have a long way to go. But I’m not giving up and with the help that I have received from the instructors, especially Miss Sarah, Jen, and Ben, I know I will continue to improve. I would like to thank Mr. James Cordell, Miss Monica and all the kind ladies that are taking the classes with me, giving me their support and friendship, telling me all the time how proud they are of me. I have a lot of reasons why I have to keep working out -- my health, my family and all those wonderful people around me at the Wellness Center. Thank you to all of you for helping me be healthy again.

Celia Rendo (Cee Cee)

Nourishing Advice for a Healthy Familyby Dana Hartley


Family is a major part of every child’s life and the most important factor in helping a child make healthy life choices. As children grow and develop they watch everything their parents do and they inevitably pick up not only good habits but undesirable habits as well. This rings true especially in the nutrition aspects of their lives. Research shows that children often are more willing to eat healthy foods and be active if they see their family members doing these things. The following information about family nutrition and weight management is meant to inspire you to be a positive role model and actively promote good eating habits in your home.

Chicken nuggets, pizza, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese and French fries are all common foods in a child’s diet; while foods like broccoli, zucchini, star fruit, kiwi, brown rice and whole wheat pasta are less common. A poor overall diet with too many processed foods and lack of whole grains, fruits and vegetables has contributed to the steady increase of overweight children in America. Not surprising, the most recent data from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) show that more than one-third of children in America are overweight, and 12.5 million are obese. Furthermore, studies show that only one-third of adults meet the recommendation of at least two servings of fruits per day and even less than that are getting the minimum recommendation of three servings of vegetables. If the adults’ statistics are this bad, we can only expect that our children’s statistics are even worse. People in the same family tend to have similar eating patterns, maintain the same levels of physical activity and adopt the same attitudes toward being overweight. A child’s risk of obesity greatly increases if one or more parent is overweight or obese. If both parents are of a normal weight the child has only a seven percent chance of developing severe weight problems. If one parent is overweight, it increases to a forty percent chance; and eighty percent chance if both parents are overweight.

Every child needs appropriate amounts of calories, protein, vitamins and minerals to grow. The best way to ensure children get what they need is to provide a variety of nutritious foods from all food groups -- grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy and protein. A child’s willingness to try and accept new foods is influenced by feeding experiences early in life. Eating meals together gives you a chance to introduce your children to new foods regularly and helps them learn and develop a healthy attitude toward those foods. It also enables you to serve as a healthy role model, sharing quality time with family members while ensuring that they are eating nutritious foods on a regular basis.


Often times a child needs to be exposed to a new food multiple times before they will accept it, sometimes as many as ten times. There are some foods a child will always refuse; we are all entitled to our likes and dislikes, but the earlier a child is exposed to a variety of healthy foods the more likely your child will choose healthy foods as they get older. Eating healthy and physical activity do not become habits overnight. It takes time and effort to make them part of a daily routine. Here are a few tips to help your child try new foods:

• Offer a new food first, before foods your child already eats. Children usually are more willing to try new foods when they are hungry. • Have your child choose a new food at the grocery store. Trying new foods is more fun for children when they pick them. • Do a taste test. Talk about a new food. Have your child describe the color, shape, feel, taste --not whether they like it or dislike it. • Avoid forcing your child to taste anything. Keep food sampling positive. • Try and try again and don’t give up. Many kids need to try a new food eight to ten times before they like it. It’s normal for kids to be cautious at first. • Prepare new foods in different ways, and invite your child to help you make a meal. Children love to help and are more likely to taste something they helped to create. • Eat what you want your child to eat. Children are most likely to eat things they see you eating, and less likely to eat things you try make them eat. • Never use food, particularly sweets or desserts, as a reward or bribe. It will only make this food more irresistible and more highly valued. This can confuse a child’s internal hunger and fullness cues, leading them to eat for comfort, even when they are not hungry.

Dana Hartley is a licensed registered dietitian and a member of our staff since 2006. She can be reached at [email protected].

James Cordell Angela Webb Jennifer Boltz Julie Johnson Diane Griste

Arlene Line Monica Endico Beth Raines Jim Horan Heide Manns Rebecca Jaworski Sara Kirchner


Many of you already know Candice Grostefon from seeing her smiling face working with Mariners Wellness Center members. But, did you know that she was born and raised in the beautiful island of Trinidad? Candice’s passion for health and fitness brought her to the United States in 2002 to pursue her educational objectives in

this field. An athlete for most of her life, she played soccer for her alma matter, Barry University, where she set herself apart from the majority of personal trainers by obtaining a masters degree in exercise physiology. She continued to further her education by obtaining certifications in strength and conditioning through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and as a medical exercise specialist by the American Academy of Health, Fitness, and Rehabilitation Professionals (AAHFRP). Candice eventually settled in the Florida Keys and began working in her current position as exercise physiologist. For Candice the most rewarding part of her job is knowing that she is positively impacting the lives of our older members by helping them improve their mobility, independence, and overall quality of life.

This page is dedicated to getting you acquainted with the members of our staff. Our mission with this newsletter is to bring to you information that you can use to truly improve your lifestyle and overall wellbeing. A key part of that mission is using the background and expertise that each of our staff members has to offer. We rely on them to provide valuable tips and insight into fitness, diet, mind-body connections, and more. Consider them your personal team of coaches-ready and able to help you live well every day. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to stop them in the hallway and strike a conversation. You may also submit your questions in at our designated boxes near the front desk and in the gym area. Answers to these questions will be posted in the bulletin board in the gym area. And if it is a suggestion or a praise you would like to offer, our comment cards are available at the front desk.

Originally from Richmond, IN, Dana pursued her undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from East Carolina University. She is an American Dietetic Association registered dietitian and nutritionist and licensed by the State of Florida Department of Health. She has a

certificate of training in pediatric, adolescent and adult weight management from the Commission on Dietetic Registration and is certified in CPR and first aid by the American Heart Association. Dana has extensive work experience as a registered dietitian working for hospitals, a diabetes care center, and a school system with 34 schools. She moved to the Florida Keys nine years ago and has worked at Mariners Wellness Center for eight years. She is responsible for the weight management services which include individual nutritional consults, metabolism testing, a three-month weight loss program and community outreach projects focusing on health and wellness. Dana enjoys educating others on the importance of eating a balanced diet as well as teaching and practicing healthy eating habits at home with her three young children.

Meet

Margi FazeNatacha Paquette

Dana Hartley Candice Grostefon

Your Cheering Squad

HealthyS May is Family Wellness Month. Set Your Connection to …€¦ · taking family vacations, sharing healthy dinners, participating in daily walks and playing board games. In

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