TEAM Fit Whatcom

COVER STORY

Emily Pittis:The Joy of Running Page 4

Profile

Father’s support key for Bellingham boxer Kevin Torres Page 7

SPOTLIGHT

The Magazine for Youth Sports and Fitness SPRING 2013

HOW YOU’LL GET THERE: PAGE 5.School at 8. Practice at 4. Recital at 7.

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE: TEAMMAG.COM

FITspirations

Motorcycle accident changes young athlete’s life Page 12

Fitness Challenge

Get stronger in four weeks! Page 17

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August 24 & 25, 2013Hovander park, Ferndale

August 24 & 25, 2013Hovander park, Ferndale

August 24 & 25, 2013Hovander park, Ferndale

PUBLISHER Jim Lengell

PUBLISHER Jan Denman

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERDonna James

MANAGING EDITOR Jan Denman

CREATIVE DIRECTORTony Briggmin GRAPHICSJulie Seavers CONTRIBUTORSJan DenmanJim LengellRhonda JohnsonMary Jones Verbovski, MS, RD, CDThomas Holt, DDS

CONTENTS

The RunnerSehome High athlete Emily Pittis’ star shines with well-balanced life.

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HYDRATE WITHOUT THE SUGAR CRASHChoose the right drink to quench your thirst between meals.

16SPOTLIGHT: STORE GETS YOU MOVINGKlicks’ experienced owners help athletes find their groove.

8FITSPIRATIONS: BRANDON BIELENMotorcycle accident changes life of young athlete.

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PLUS

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FITNESS CHALLENGE ...17Get stronger with this plan!

WHAT IS A CAVITY? .....18Tips to keep your teeth heathy.

NATURAL DEFENSE ......18Fight off flu with these tips.

TEAM Publishing LLCP.O. Box 693, Maple Valley, WA 98038

(206) 498-9849

The thing Sehome High School track and field coach Kevin Ryan admires the most about sophomore runner Emily Pittis is her balanced outlook.

‘‘She has an incredibly healthy perspective about sports and the place it has in her life,’’ Ryan said. ‘‘She’s dedicated, but that doesn’t keep her from being a 4.0 student, a musician or a kid with a great group of friends and a typical teenage social life.’’

The RunnerSehome sophomore’s star shines with well-balanced life By Jim Lengell

Emily and her coach, Kevin Ryan

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Ryan has been coaching at Sehome since 1995. He is currently Distance Coach for Track. Together with Mark Kerr, he also co-coaches Cross Country. Both coaches view Emily as one of the best runners they have ever had in the program -- a runner with a future in running.

‘‘Emily is a once in a career athlete, especially her mindset,’’ Ryan said. ‘‘She’s mentally tough, and she always has a plan. She’s extremely talented with natural instincts, and on top of everything else, she’s an amazingly hard worker.’’

Above all, Ryan said Emily is one of the best teammates a coach and the team could have.

‘‘Being part of our team means as much to Emily as anything else,’’ he said. ‘‘She’s been preparing for this since she was in the third grade. She’ll literally do anything for the team, even if it doesn’t always help her race or her personal times. You can’t

teach camaraderie or selflessness.’’

Ryan said Emily will often write the names of her teammates on her hands as inspiration, and during a race, when getting tired, she’ll look at the names to remember who she’s running for -- ‘‘her team.’’

Ryan said colleges are sending recruitment letters of interest already, even though Emily is only in her sophomore year. ‘‘Emily will have a lot of choices.’’

Jennifer Pittis, Emily’s Mom, agrees, and it’s easy to see the apple didn’t fall far from the tree when she shares her feelings about athletics and its role in an overall life.

‘‘Running is a great, life-long sport,’’ Jennifer said from the kitchen of their Fairhaven home. ‘‘I believe everyone should do something athletic, but beyond that, they should do

‘‘Emily is a once in a career athlete, especially her mindset. She’s mentally tough, and she always has a plan. She’s extremely talented with natural instincts, and

on top of everything else, she’s an amazingly hard worker.’’

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something musical too, and Chuck (Emily’s Dad) and I raised our kids that way.’’

No surprise, Chuck and Jennifer, both teachers in Bellingham, are distance runners and play soccer on adult leagues in Bellingham.

Jennifer said Emily started out running AND playing soccer all through elementary and middle school. ‘‘She loves both sports equally, but somebody that’s running at a varsity level, it’s hard to do two sports well. Emily probably would have tried, but we didn’t want to wear her out. Giving up soccer was a tough choice for Emily, but it was absolutely her choice.’’

Jennifer said the family nickname for Emily used to be Pee Wee. ‘‘She was so little all the way through elementary school. Barely made 90 lbs and so tiny, but even still, was a really talented runner.’’

So talented she ran Bellingham’s famous St Patrick’s Day ‘Run of the Green’ race while in the third grade, and won, beating the field of kids and adults.

‘‘She knew how to win a race at the age of five really,’’ Jennifer remembers. ‘‘She learned about pacing early, and would never lead a race until, at the very end, whoosh, she’d surge ahead just before the finish line.’’

Dad Chuck said Emily loves hills. ‘‘That’s why she does so well in State.’’

Jennifer said when Emily was very young, she started running races with her sister, Colleen, now a freshman at Oregon State. ‘‘Colleen would race for and wanted to win all the different colored ribbons. Red, green, blue. Emily only wanted the blue ribbons. She wanted to win.’’

Growing up, she’d run with her sister or her parents in local events and races like the

annual turkey trot. It was middle school, at Fairhaven Elementary, that Emily first joined a team.

‘‘I ran the mile and the 800, and I was pretty competitive with myself even then,’’ she said. ‘‘And I was already excited about running in high school.’’

At the same time, Emily said she was also playing elite level soccer for a local private soccer league, but playing in such a

serious atmosphere took the fun out of it and soon, the decision to devote herself to one sport became an easy decision.

‘‘Because of my sister, I knew all the runners on the high school team,’’ Emily said. ‘‘And I wanted to BE them. That’s how I knew running was my sport of choice.’’

Emily was most attracted to the closeness between all the girls on Sehome’s running team. ‘‘The team was so tight,’’ she said. ‘‘I wanted to be a part of it. I was drawn to it, and my sister was so cool and would often let me run along with her team. She included me.’’

By that point, Emily was already well known within the running community and had attended Sehome coach Kevin Ryan’s

summer running camp in the 5th grade.

‘‘We knew her very well,’’ Ryan said. ‘‘We had been anticipating her arrival for years.’’

Now that Emily is firmly entrenched on the high school team, her days are filled with friends and music and art and running. She runs 4 or 5 days a week after school with close friends Abby and Dana for 40 minutes through the miles of trails around Bellingham.

‘‘Lots of hills,’’ Emily said. ‘‘I like training on hills. We meet at the Vet, and do a long run. I love running with my friends. We talk about so many things.’’

Emily just turned sixteen in January, and like most kids loves music. She said her musical taste is diverse, and includes bands like Passion Pit, Mumford and Sons, Brandi Carlile and even the Beatles.

Emily is a musician (violin) and sings. She’s an artist, likes drawing and photography.

‘‘I wish I had more time for art,’’ she said. ‘‘But running comes first.’’

Emily, along with her parents, is already looking at material from the colleges that are sending early letters.

‘‘I definitely want to stay on the West Coast,’’ Emily said. ‘‘And it has to be a school with a strong running program.’’

And a close knit team.

Emily and her artwork

Emily and her dad, Chuck Pittis

KEVIN TORRES

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Torres said his father was ok with it, so they started to research training facilities online and found a local company, Universal Solutions Martial Arts Academy (USMAA).

‘‘They had kickboxing and martial arts training, and a little boxing,’’ Torres said. ‘‘I started when I was 12.’’

After two years in the USMAA program, Torres and his Father decided they needed to focus more exclusively on boxing, so they found another program at the Azteca Boxing Club, in Renton -- almost two hours away from their home in Bellingham.

‘‘My Dad asked me if I was committed to boxing,’’ Torres remembers. ‘‘I said I was, and he told me, ok, he would commit to it too. And he has.’’

Torres said that commitment means every day after school his Dad drives him to Renton, waits around while Kevin trains for 90 minutes to two hours, and then they drive back to Bellingham.

‘‘Six hours, a lot of miles on the car, five days a week,’’ Torres said that after a full year, the schedule is routine now, but that’s not all he does to train.

‘‘I run a couple miles every day as well,’’ he said. ‘‘I feel so good. The workouts make me feel real athletic. It’s a mental boost as much as a physical one.’’

Torres fights as a welterweight. He stands 5’7’’, and

weighs 154 pounds.

‘‘My first fight event was April 2010,’’ he said. ‘‘I won that match on points.’’

Torres said he’s had 13 matches in his career. His record stands at 10-3.

‘‘I’ve never been knocked out, but we use headgear,’’ he said with a grin.

Torres recently boxed at the National Silver Gloves in Kansas City. His entire family made the trip to see the event.

‘‘It’s kind of cool to have everyone want to be there,’’ he said.

Besides boxing, Torres said he’s enjoying high school life. He plays other sports too.

‘‘I like soccer and basketball,’’ he said. ‘‘I play video games, and I’m in a break dancing group.’’

Torres said the dancing especially helps his boxing.

‘‘The dexterity and timing are skills I need in the ring.’’ Torres said there is one big goal left for him, in two years when he turns 18.

‘‘I’m going to box professionally.’’

His Dad will drive him.

PROFILE

KEVIN TORRES

By Jim Lengell

Meet Boxer

F athers influence their children. Kevin Torres, a 16-year old amateur boxer from Squalicum High School in Bellingham, has certainly been influenced by his Father. ‘‘My Dad

watches a lot of boxing, and I started watching,’’ Torres said. ‘‘I started liking it, and one day I told my Dad I wanted to try it.’’

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When you actually meet Charlie Sunderlage and Sam Alexander, owners of the store, for the first time, you notice something almost immediately. They are both rail thin and extremely fit. The kind of thin that comes from being active, regular long distance runners themselves. They don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk -- or in their cases, run the run. As recently as 2009, Sunderlage won the Seattle Marathon.

Charlie Sunderlage ran his first race at eight years old in Illinois, where he was growing up.

‘‘My Dad was a runner so I started running,’’ he said. ‘‘I ran a 2K and two weeks later I received an age group medal in the mail. I was hooked.’’

Sunderlage said for the next couple of years he ran more races, then once in high school, he joined track and cross country, which led to college at Monmouth where he continued to run cross country. After college, he stuck around for a couple seasons and became an assistant coach. In 2006, he said he was ready to try something different. Something not based in Illinois.

‘‘I was ready to try a different part of the country, not because

I didn’t like where I lived, but just to try something that I didn’t know.’’

How Sunderlage chose his next destination is the fascinating part.

‘‘My friend Matt and I picked Bellingham off a map,’’ he said. ‘‘We wanted a smaller, rather than larger town. Seattle and Portland felt too big. The more we learned about Bellingham, especially the running trails, the easier the choice became.’’ “

Sam Alexander started running in the 1980’s. He attended Bellingham High School and once held the school records for the 1600 and 3200, and was the state champ for the 3200. After high school, he attended University of Washington on a track scholarship and ended up All Pac 10. After college, he did some bumping around for a period of his life.

‘‘I was chasing running,’’ he said. ‘‘But I was always injuring my hamstrings or my calves.’’

After six years, Alexander said he made his way back to his hometown of Bellingham, and in September 2003, started working for Running Shoes.com.

Going the

Distance

SPOTLIGHT

Klicks Running & Walking store helps get runners moving

By Jim Lengell

When you walk into Klicks Running and Walking store for the first time, you’ll see a couple guys that look and act like people you’d want to know. Friendly and easy to strike up a conversation with. Knowledgeable too, not just about running, but about the town and the region — and the

people that make up the Bellingham community.

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Charlie Sunderlage and Sam Alexander own Klicks Running & Walking, located at 1431 N. State St., Bellingham.

But he never stopped running.

‘‘I ran when no one was running,’’ Alexander said. ‘‘I’d be running along the streets and people would literally roll down their windows and yell out some pretty disparaging remarks. Really nasty stuff we wouldn’t tolerate now, but back then all I had was my middle finger as a response, and I used it a lot.’’”

‘‘Alexander remembers in the 1990’s he heard a lot of ’Run, Forest, run’ comments. He said he’d often run for an hour and not see a single other runner along the way."

‘The only people that ran were the Sehome High School and Western Washington University teams. That’s just the way it was then."

He said the change started about 10 years ago, and the non-profit Team in Training (TNT) did a good job getting people running through their charitable organizations using marathons for their fundraising efforts.

‘‘The last five or six years, things have picked way up,’’ he said. ‘‘People now have an understanding you need to be healthy. Sedentary lifestyles just don’t work. You have to be active, and running is about as active as it gets.’’

Alexander said people used to think if you weren’t on the track team you couldn’t run at all, but that attitude has changed completely and running is now representative of good health and fitness.

‘‘The last five or six years, things have picked way up. ‘People now have an understanding you need to be healthy. Sedentary lifestyles just don’t work. You have to be active, and running is about as active as it gets.’’

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‘‘They may not be fast,’ he said. ‘‘But they get out there five, six, even seven days a week and they do it.’’

Sunderlage notes that since the parents are doing it, the kids are picking it up now as well.

‘‘There’s 180 kids in the Sehome High School program,’’ he notes. ‘‘There’s at least 50 in the Bellingham High School program, and Whatcom and Meridian High Schools teams are growing too. This is a running town now.’’

Both Sunderlage and Alexander agree their big passion is youth runners, and Klick’s caters to the kids.

‘‘We both ran in high school and we loved it so much,’’ Alexander said. ‘‘We’ve never lost that love and most kids don’t. They keep running for a lifetime.’’

Klick’s supports the counties youth running programs several ways. There’s always a 10% off everything and 20% off racing spikes discount extended to youth runners, and in 2011, Klick’s introduced ‘‘Spike Night.’’

‘‘I went to all the high schools in the county with samples of our various spikes and some of our shoes,’’ Alexander said. ‘‘Then we set a date and had a big pizza party at the store where we let them sample everything we had.’’

Sunderlage and Alexander both agree the event will be repeated annually. They also agree their second passion is the adult new runner.

‘‘I think OUR passion for the sport is an inspiration to people just getting started,’’ Alexander said. ‘‘We really want this to be something they stick with for the rest of their lives, which by the way will be a longer life if they stick with it.’’

Sunderlage and Alexander agree that helping runners be consistent is something they love, but they also are ready to help the ‘‘mid-packer’’ who decides they’d like to get faster, and be a bit more competitive.

Towards both of those ends, while the business was still RunningShoes.com, they founded and launched what is now known as the Klick’s Racing Team.

‘‘We wanted to support local runners who wanted to race and needed a little encouragement,’’ Sunderlage said.

The team started in 2001, but when they took it over, they changed it, Alexander said.

‘‘We don’t always go for the fastest runner. We pick the runners we enjoy hanging out with and will best represent the stores philosophy.’’

The relationship Sunderlage and Alexander developed with Jim Clevenger, the owner of RunningShoes.com, was a relationship that forever changed their lives, and made it possible for them to be the owners of Klick’s Running and Walking -- something they

intend to be for a long, long time.

‘‘Jim saw the changes coming in the dot com world and he knew he would have to dump millions into the RunningShoes.com website if he was going to stay competitive with the big players,’’ Sunderlage said. ‘‘He wasn’t willing to do that.’’

Sunderlage said Jim also saw the passion he and Sam had for the local runners, and after many discussions related to the business model they would offer to the community, Jim decided to sell the store to them. In March, 2011, RunningShoes.com became Klick’s Running and Walking.

‘‘He’s our bank, and gave us such friendly terms, that we were able to make this dream of ours come true,’’ Sunderlage said.

Alexander adds, ‘‘It wouldn’t have happened if Jim hadn’t made it possible for two underfunded but sincere guys to have this opportunity. He’s still a big part of this place. I can’t see doing anything else the rest of my life. I am literally living my dream.’’

Sunderlage and Alexander both know what the most important part of their business is customer service. They almost say it in unison.

‘‘We constantly work on our knowledge base,’’ Sunderlage said. ‘‘We have to stay current. We have to stay ahead. When people walk in here, their expectation is we know what we are talking about, and they can trust us to find the right equipment.’’

‘‘Charlie and I were prepared to run this business,’’ Alexander said. ‘‘We’re shoe nerds, biomechanics geeks, trainers and racers. We’ll talk with customers until they don’t want to talk anymore, whether they are buying or just looking for advice. We’re going to be here a long time.’’

Klicks staff use a treadmill and video gait analysis to help runners find the perfect shoe.

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Brandon was a strong, athletic, handsome, and charismatic young man in his junior year of high school. He was very social and had a lot of friends. He was never a sit still and read a book or watch

television kind of kid. He was extremely active and went to the gym to carve his physique every day. He loved swimming, and also took his dog, Sadie, hiking everywhere, his favorite being along Chuckanut Drive. He was an incredibly fast runner and still holds a spot in the top 10 at Cascade Middle School for the best time in the 50 yard dash. I used to love watching his football games. Although he was smaller than most of the other kids, he was so fast he could dart in and out around everyone and carry the ball to touchdown time and time again! He didn’t play in high school because of his grades (one of his biggest regrets!)

Brandon BielenBy Rhonda Johnson

But all of that changed when a car pulled out in front of my youngest son on his motorcycle just 2 days after his 18th birthday. Along with a compound fracture in his lower leg, shattered right hand, open book pelvic fracture, broken jaw on each side, punctured lung, broken rib, bruised heart, carotid arteries on each side of his neck, he also had a traumatic brain injury. In the beginning, the focus was on fixing all the broken parts. When we got through 4 surgeries in 5 days, a doctor discussed the scan showing 5 places in his brain that were ‘‘injured’’ (damage is irreparable ... but injuries are not!). They labelled it a ‘‘sheering’’ injury and said he ‘‘may’’ never wake from his coma. I relied on the word ‘‘may’’ and thought ‘‘you don’t know Brandon like I do, and the stubborn warrior that he is!’’ I kept thinking if he was going to die, he would have on

Brandon Bielen before the accident.

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the road. I know him, it’s all or nothing!

After regrouping myself from this news, I cleared the room and had a chat with Brandon. Knowing that he worries about other people’s feelings (especially mine), I

gave him permission to pass on if he needed to. I told him that if he felt this was too much for him to beat, I would understand. A tear formed on each

side of his eyes, so I knew he heard me. I said, ‘‘I’m in then. If you can do it, I can do it!’’ From then on I did my best to surround Brandon with positivity. Happy hearts heal! His older brother, Jarrett, was home from school in Santa Cruz. We played his favorite music, had prayers circles around him, and read funny uplifting books. In quiet moments I would lay my hands on him and beg God to take my energy and strength to heal my son. I would also whisper affirmations to him, and remind him that I have his back. He could focus on healing and I’d take care of the rest.

Some people wanted to hear statistics, asking ‘‘What are his chances?’’ The idea of resigning to a statistic seemed ridiculous to me. Besides, anything physical that Brandon has ever done was always in the top 20%, top 3% really (up there with his brothers). Whatever numbers the neurologist rattled off sounded like excellent odds to me! While somewhere tucked away in a corner I knew there was a possibility he ‘‘may’’ never rally up, it wasn’t where I chose to focus or expend energy. We had quite a mountain to climb, and I needed all my strength for that! Just for today, we’re going to act ‘‘as if!’’

After a month at Harborview, Brandon got sepsis (poisoning from a feeding tube). All the process made in a month seemed lost. It was as if he had finally got his nose above water, just to be kicked back down to the bottom on the pool. He was back in ICU, back on a ventilator, and extremely ill. The sepsis seemed worse than the wreck. He had to go through emergency surgery which was basically fileting his stomach open and flushing out his system. He looked like a grape about to explode. Even his face distorted while enduring so much physical pain. It was a horrific ordeal and I truly didn’t think he would make it since he had already been through so much. It was time. The Red Cross flew his oldest brother, a Marine in Afghanistan, home. It was touch and go for a few days, but he miraculously made it through the sepsis as well.

I could not find the right care center for an 18 year old young man who couldn’t even push his call button (and after the sepsis issue I didn’t want to risk it) so I found ‘‘Rehab Without Walls’’ and brought him home. At this point, he was still unable to walk, talk or eat. He had an open wound in his stomach from the sepsis surgery that needed to be packed with gauze and changed every 12 hours until it healed from the inside up. He couldn’t clear his own secretions, and he was still storming.

My knowledge regarding Mother Nature/nutrition told me there’s no way he could heal without whole food abundant with live enzymes, so I started juicing for him. Just 1 apple perked him up like watering a wilted flower! I slowly added carrots, greens, vegetable

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From the Publisher

The subject of our FITSpiration article, Brandon Bielen, suffered a major brain trauma, and besides the long recovery process he undergoes to this day, his family has suffered major financial trauma. Brandon lives on a very small monthly amount through SSI ... barely enough to get by on. Sadly, this is not a unique story. An account for the benefit of Brandon J Bielen has been set up at:

Skagit State Bank PO Box 29210 Bellingham, WA 98226 (360) 752-2986

Routing number # 125105621 Acct # 4111022813 Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=YKY5SFK8CC3V4

Any funds received will be used for further health care and medical expenses still being incurred on an almost daily basis. Maybe we could all skip a couple cups of expensive coffee this month, and instead, send that money to Brandon’s fund.

Thank you,

Jim Lengell Publisher

soups and broth. I added probiotics, a raw multi-vitamin/mineral supplement, and made sure he got a lot of omega oils. Again, the room (now our living room) was filled with love, laughter, and positivity --- the words ‘‘I believe in you!’’ and ‘‘You can do this!’’ were repeated over and over. Country Clinic Chiropractic came in twice a week for adjustments and laser therapy on his brain and wound. I got him outside for fresh air whenever possible. As soon as funds were available (about a year after the accident), I took him to the Hyperbaric Healing Center in Port Orchard, Washington .

That was 3 years ago. Today, Brandon struggles with short-term memory loss, delusional thoughts (dreams and thoughts that mesh with reality) and paranoia. When someone meets him, they think he is intoxicated. He gets fatigued easily and often. However, Brandon is handsome, polite, charming, charismatic, witty and funny. He can walk, talk, eat, ride his bike and even passed his drive test with DOL (although he’s not driving at the moment because he likes to speed --- so we’ll take a break and try that again when he calms down a bit more!) He is extremely active and walks, rides his bike, and works out at the gym every day. He still juices - -- in fact, at the moment he has a 25 pound bag of carrots in his fridge. If you get an opportunity to run into Brandon and ask him how he is doing, he usually responds with, ‘‘Wonderful!’’ He is absolutely amazing and inspirational. Words cannot describe how grateful I am for his strength. He has his own apartment and has lived alone for a month now. Although I’m there almost every day to give him a ride places, or help with things around his apartment, we both love having our ‘‘own space.’’ He still has a long way to go in his recovery, but when we look at how far he has climbed in three years—it is truly incredible. Each month I see noticeable improvement. Some days are better than others but like I tell him, ‘‘Two steps forward, and one back, still gets you there!’’

Not trying to be Polly Anna; some days are extremely difficult. As his healing progresses, he is reflecting more on realities. Along with physical aspects, Brandon is re-learning how to interact socially and read social cues. Although he can be sweet, some days his frustrations get the best of him. He knows some people treat him differently and it bothers him. For awhile, he’d get mad and say mean things but that stage is thankfully

passing. Sometimes he’ll see a cute girl at a grocery store or coffee stand and ask her out. If she says ‘‘no’’ or ‘‘I have a boyfriend’’ or ‘‘get lost!’’ he may forget all about that but not the fact there’s a cute girl there. So he’ll go back, ask her out again, and not remember she already said no. This has lead to trouble! These are the sorts of issues we deal with now. He does say, however, that he is glad this accident happened because it slowed him down enough to think about what truly matters, and he believes he will come out of this a much stronger person.

Brandon wishes he had his ‘‘cool’’ back and misses the high school days. He misses being able to drive and not rely on me or anyone else to give him a ride to the gym. He wants a girlfriend to be able to pick up for a date, watch movies on Friday night, and share dinner. He wishes he could still dance like Michael Jackson. Brandon took pride in his appearance. He was always coordinated, athletic and determined --- and could do anything he put his mind to. He enjoyed mechanics and tinkering on cars. Brandon had open heart surgery at just 8 months old, so it took him awhile to ‘‘catch up’’ in his growing. Being the youngest of 3 boys, he grew up a little bit tougher than some. He has always said, ‘‘Chicks dig scars!’’ I tell him I’m pretty sure he has more than enough now.

Back when this happened, Brandon and I lived together in a 3 story condo. He would always leave his shoes at the base of the stairs right in front of the door for me to trip on. It was amazing how much I missed those shoes after they weren’t

there anymore! It’s the little things. The past 3 years have gone fast, but also very slowly. I wonder why it is so easy to take care of others and not ourselves? Prolonged stress can definitely take its toll, and some days I feel so broken. As a mother, the past few months have been especially exhausting down to my core, I think because I have finally had a chance to grieve. I have been unable to return to work, but a few months ago I decided to take evening classes at Whatcom Community College so I could try to start piecing my life back together as well. Lack of funds are a stressor, as well as just daily realities. It’s bittersweet. On one hand I thank God and am forever grateful he is still here with us, but on the other hand I’m broken hearted this happened to Brandon, and our family. But I have learned that the leap of faith come before the miracle.

At 5am this morning Brandon called to say, ‘‘Hey, I was laying here thinking about how I have almost everything back that I thought I lost. Things have been so hard for so long, but you’re still by my side. I just want you to know that I love you so so so so much.’’ Those reflections, as well as hugs, laughter, sharing a meal, just seeing him smile make it all worthwhile.

Brandon never believed in God until the incident with sepsis. He said words cannot describe how he felt but it was a beautiful while light and someone talked to him. He told Him he wasn’t ready. I thought about this and had to know why he chose to stay on this earth when the ‘‘light’’ felt so amazing. He said with exuberance, ‘‘Because life is so FUN!’’

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Hydrate without the sugar crash

Thirsty? Great, grab some water. Thirsty and wanting some flavor? Great, grab some more water and add lemon, lime or a few berries.

If you are drinking sugary drinks such as PowerAde, Gatorade, soda, RockStars, or chocolate milk, wait to have them with your meals.

The value of enjoying flavored or sugary drinks with a meal rather than by itself is priceless. Here is why some recent research matters. When sugar from added sweeteners in any drink, even that of flavored low calorie drinks, is circulating around in your body between meals, it’s interrupting your appetite for regular meals or snack times. The extra calories from sugary drinks between meals don’t signal your brain to compensate and eat less at mealtime. You are likely to still eat the same calories at your meal, PLUS you have now upped your total calories for the day by a few hundred.

Of course it’s important to stay hydrated and drink throughout the day. If you choose to quench your thirst with water between meals, rather than soda or juice, you may actually feel fewer cravings and eat

a more balanced meal at breakfast, lunch or dinner because you have a stronger appetite.

Also, a wonderful side effect of choosing water over sugary drinks between meals is it decreases the chances of a big sugar crash. Having lots of sugar without much protein between meals often leads to not-so-healthy choices in snacks/drinks to keep your energy up. Therefore, cut down on those hidden sugars by drinking more water. If you want to have a soda, juice or sports drink sometime, have it with a meal instead of by itself, your brain and body will work better for you as a result.

In the box are some examples of higher sugar drinks to be cautious about. Read the labels so you can be better informed about your drinks. Some fruit drink packages are covered with pictures of real fruit, even though these drinks may

have no more than 5% real fruit juice. Your math skills may be helpful here. (Check for sugar, artificial sweeteners, and artificial flavors. Some parents may think fruit juice is better than regular soda. What some parents don’t realize is that ounce-for-ounce fruit drinks are just as high in calories and added sugar as soda. Remember - 4 grams of sugar = one teaspoon, and most children and teens should not have more than 15-30 grams of added sugar per day. Drink water, play hard and think clearly while you are in school, at a game or out with friends!

By Mary Jones Verbovski MS, RD, CDPediatric Dietician/NutritionistSeattle Children’s

l Soda/Soft drinkl Hawaiian Punch/Capri Sunl Gatorade/PowerAdel Monster / RockStar Energy Drinkl Arizona Teas / Snapplel Flavored coffee drinks like frappuccinos

Sugary Drinks to cut out or have on occasion

Go to sugarydrinkfacts.org and look at the nutrition information tab.

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Quinoa (pronounced ‘‘keen-wa’’): A seed from the Andes region, quinoa is highest in protein of all grains, and contains minerals such as iron and magnesium. It is used as breakfast food; to replace cracked wheat in pilafs; or used in casseroles. It can be ground into flour, and used with wheat to make more nutritious bread. It cooks very quickly as compared to other grains.

Flax: High in essential fatty acids, flax seed can be added to cereals, breads and salads. It is assimilated best when ground, but should be ground just before use for maximum freshness. The high oil content can become rancid if not refrigerated.

Spelt: although it contains some gluten, it’s often tolerated better than wheat by those sensitive to gluten. Used mainly in breads, but also some breakfast cereals

Amaranth: A seed rather than a grain, it has high protein content and ‘‘good’’ amino acid balance. Amaranth can be boiled for porridge or ground into flour and used in baking.

Buckwheat: Not a ‘‘true’’ grain, but buckwheat is commonly considered so. Buckwheat flour makes great tasting pancakes; buckwheat groats can be served hot as a breakfast cereal or used in baking.

Bulgar: Bulgar is a quick-cooking form of whole wheat that has been cleaned, parboiled, dried, ground into particles and sifted into distinct sizes. Compared to un-enriched white rice, bulgur has more fiber and protein, a lower glycemic index, and higher levels of most vitamins and minerals. Bulgur can be used in pilafs, soups, bakery goods, or as stuffing. It is a main ingredient in tabbouleh salad and kibbeh. Its high nutritional value makes it a good substitute for rice or couscous. It has a light, nutty flavor.

Grains with weird names

Challenge yourself! Can you com-plete 4 weeks of these 4 simple tasks EVERY day? It doesn’t take that long! Keep track on your Chal-lenge Chart and see if you can keep it up for the next 8 and 12 weeks after that!!

l 10 Penny Pick up: Scatter 10

pennies around your feet. Stand on right leg and pick up the 10 pen-nies (one at a time) with your right hand. Once all are picked up, throw them back down and stand on left leg and pick up with left hand. l 25 Jumping Jacksl Plank Hold (30 seconds)l 10 Burpees (Squat thrusts)

FITNESS CHALLENGE

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Week Activity Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

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10 Penny Pick up

25 Jumping Jacks

Plank Hold

10 Burpees

10 Penny Pick up

25 Jumping Jacks

Plank Hold

10 Burpees

10 Penny Pick up

25 Jumping Jacks

Plank Hold

10 Burpees

10 Penny Pick up

25 Jumping Jacks

Plank Hold

10 Burpees

So we are all familiar with the term ‘‘cavity,’’ but what really is a cavity anyway? The recipe for getting cavities is a very specific one, and fortunately for us, we are armed with mounds of knowledge about cavities that aid in our prevention and understanding of this common problem that most all of us face at some point in our lives. In fact, cavities, or dental caries, are one of the most common diseases throughout the world.

Science, technology, and lots of research have shown that cavities

come from specific bacteria in our mouths. These bacteria use the sugar in the food we eat to produce acids that are harmful to our teeth.

This is why it is bad for our teeth when we eat foods that are high in sugar. It is the acids that the bacteria produce that soften, or demineralize, our teeth and destroy precious tooth structure like enamel (the shiny, white, outside part of our teeth that we see) and dentin (a slightly softer structure on the inside of our teeth beneath the enamel). Once a cavity has formed, the only way to fix it is to remove the decayed part of the tooth (ie. cavity) and replace it with a filling or other dental restoration.

The size of a cavity depends on how much destruction has been caused by the harmful acids. Most cavities are not detectable to the average person and it usually requires a dentist to diagnose cavities.

This is why regular dental cleanings and exams are so important in finding and treating cavities as early as possible. One common misconception is that cavities should hurt. This is not true. In fact, most cavities will not cause any symptoms at all. When someone gets a toothache, it is most likely that they have a very large cavity that may require more extensive treatment other than a simple filling.

As technology continues to move forward, dentists have been armed with many advancements in the tools that we use to detect cavities. Through the use of digital radiography, and things like cavity detecting lasers, dentists are able to detect cavities much earlier. This allows dentists to perform much more conservative procedures when treating your tooth. The earlier you detect a cavity the better; and the earlier you have the cavity treated, the smaller the filling you will need!

So what can you do to help fight against cavities?! The best things are to limit the amount of sugar you eat, practice proper oral hygiene habits in the form of effective tooth brushing and flossing, and to see your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and check-ups!

By Thomas Holt, DDSMaple Valley Family Dental Care

Natural Ways to Avoid the Flu Make sure your feet are warm first. Soak in hot water for 10-15 minutes if you need to.

Put a pair of cotton socks into cold water (or run them under a faucet) up to the ankle.

As you are climbing into your warm bed, pull your socks on and quickly put on a pair of wool socks over top of the cold cotton ones.

Leave them on until morning.

You will wake up with warm, dry feet and your symptoms will soon dissipate.

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By Cari Thachuk, ND, PT

The flu is no fun. Period. Since antibiotics don’t kill the bugs that cause the flu (viruses), you may feel helpless against it. The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to help stimulate your immune system to kill the bugs for you. One is good old fashioned Vitamin C. I know this sounds simple, but it really can be quite the little miracle. Good sources of Vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, kiwi, bell peppers, and dark leafy greens. Another natural remedy is called The Warming Sock Treatment. It is a very easy and effective way to jump start your immune system, no matter how old you are.

What is a cavity?

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It’s that time of year when people start to think about their health. Are you at a fitness level you want to be at? Do you want to be stronger? More flexible? Run faster? Jump higher? Eat better?

There are lots of things to think about and the question is: HOW exactly do you do this ... safely? Many schools have P.E./after-school programs to help teach proper form, technique and progression but if you have access to a health club, how do you safely work out there?

Possibly your parents are back on the workout wagon and they have dragged you along to the gym with them. It may look intimidating, boring or like a great big, indoor playground.

Health clubs offer many benefits to their members. There are a variety of ways to improve your health and you are

bound to find something fun and interesting. Classes from Zumba, Spinning, Pilates, and Yoga to Ski conditioning, TRX and Boot camps all offer something different and challenging for your particular goals.

Learn how to use the heart pumpin’ cardiovascular equipment such as the elliptical, treadmill, rowing machine, and bike. These machines will help you burn calories and give you endurance for activities like running, snowboarding, basketball, and swimming. Maybe you want to get stronger for a particular sport or just to show off your biceps. Either way, free weights and resistance machines can accomplish this. It is always a great idea to begin with a trainer so they can develop a workout routine that is safe and based on your goals, your workout level, past injuries and your age.

Work with your trainer until you or your parents are absolutely, positively, 100% sure you are performing all the exercises correctly, otherwise you can either hurt yourself or you will look pretty silly. Whether you are working out at school, at home, or with a trainer at a health club, remember a safe workout is an effective workout.

Safe and SmartHow to start an exercise program at a health club

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