2 Your Health Magazine | October 2014

tallahassee.com/health 3
O
ur trees may still be vibrant green, but fall officially arrives today
and with autumn comes a flurry of pinks, blending in with the
garnet and gold. Pink has become the signature of Breast Cancer
Awareness month in October.
While I sometimes balk at the color, its a time when I try to listen more
closely to the stories of people who have struggled with cancer, and more
keenly feel their pain. When our friends and loved ones are hurting, it feels
better if we can take action by participating in something bigger than us
like the Taking Strides Against Breast Cancer
Walk or the Go Pink 5K or even tossing a bucket
of ice on our heads.
Being touched by severe illness can change us.
In our cover story, Marina Brown details how
Cynthia Douglas shifted course to do something
that brought her joy. The former banker opened
Cynthias Wig Boutique, a pursuit that she knows
is exactly what I was made to do. She finds ful-
fillment helping women with cancer find wigs and
breast forms to get their identity back.
Navigating the emotions of a serious diagnosis can be difficult, so Kenya
McCullum explores ways to cope. She also writes about the importance of
taking care of yourself. Finding time for fun and exercise is one positive way
to be good to yourself, and Elise Oberliesen has a blast reporting on Zumba.
Pink hair? Why not, reports Tricia Dulaney, who finds that fun shades of red
and teal are hot for fall.
Touched by pink,
moved to action
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NAILING
NOVEMBER
Manicures, pedicures and
a Champagne party! We look
at nail bars that offer time to
socialize and get a shiny new
look at the same time.
CONTACT US
277 N. Magnolia Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Call 850.599.2255
Fax 850.942.0185
PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER
Julie Moreno
850.599.2126
jmoreno@tallahassee.com
EDITORIAL
Martha Gruender
850.599.2171
mgruender@
tallahassee.com
ADVERTISING
Brian Cardinale
850.599.2345
bcardinale
@tallahassee.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Jessica Bliss
Marina Brown
Tricia Dulaney
Leigh Farr
Avery Hurt
Kenya McCollum
Elise Oberliesen
Lisa Stearns
FEATURES DESIGN
TEAM LEADER
Brian Goins
DESIGNER
Heather Shije
ONLINE
Find a digital copy of the
magazine and all this months
articles, along with stories from
past issues, online at
Tallahassee.com/health.
Your Health Magazine is
published 12 times a year by the
Tallahassee Democrat at 277 N.
Magnolia Drive, Tallahassee, FL
32301. No part of this magazine
may be reproduced without the
consent of the publisher.
Your Health Magazine is not
responsible for unsolicited
manuscripts, photos or artwork.
Your Health
Tallahassee
July 2013
Contents
October 2014
22
12
ON THE COVER
Wigs and so
much more
Cynthia Douglas helps women
with breast cancer feel better
about their appearance 16
PLUS...
Mind Matters
Ways to cope with recovery,
handle serious illness 6
Self help
Taking care of yourself
is not a selfish act 26
Best Body
Food can play role
in reducing pain 8
Essential
Nutrition
What can we learn from
eating like Paleo man? 10
Makeover
Like so many leaves, hair
shades turn to reds in fall. 12
ALSO INSIDE...
Smart Fitness
Zumba gets the
dance party going 14
Alternative
Health
Midwives help keep
childbirth process
as natural as possible 22
Feature
Fertility issues can be
devastating for couples 24
IN EVERY ISSUE
Editors Letter 3
Around Town 28
Cynthia Douglas poses for a
portrait in her wig shop.
MICHAEL SCHWARZ/
SPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT 10
6
tallahassee.com/health 5
Y
oure going along with your life and everything is fine. May-
be youve felt a little ill lately, but you dont think much of it.
Why should you? In most cases, theres usually nothing to
worry about. But your doctor knows better and the
news you get stops you dead in your tracks.
Theres nothing easy about
getting a bad diagnosis, no
matter what the illness, espe-
cially when it forces you to
start thinking about your own
mortality. Its not uncommon
to be besieged by a flood of
different feelings, ranging from
fear, anger, hopelessness, and
sadness. But allowing these
negative emotions to take over
wont help you or your
health as you navigate your
way through the treatment
process. The following tips
can help you work through the
complicated reactions associ-
ated with a diagnosis, so you
can reserve your much-need-
ed energy for healing.
Wallow in your
feelings. Although it may
sound counterintuitive, psy-
chotherapist Tina Gilbertson
says that wallowing in your
feelings is the most effec-
tive way of getting
through them. But, she
warns, wallowing should
not be confused with
ruminating. When she
talks about wallowing in
your feelings, she just
means allowing yourself to
experience whatever emo-
tion has come up for you in a
MIND MATTERS
Emotions
of illness
HOW TO COPE WITH A BAD DIAGNOSIS
By Kenya McCullum
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FROM
DIAGNOSIS TO
DEDICATION
When psychologist
Paulette Kouffman
Sherman found out
she had breast cancer,
first she was
shocked. Then she
became empowered
and inspired.
Although Sherman
planned to fight the
disease as hard as she
could, she also consid-
ered the legacy she
would leave behind if
she didnt make it
through. She decided
the best way to turn
this devastating diag-
nosis into a positive
was to write books
that would help others
walking in her shoes.
One of the things I
said during my cancer
is that my mission is
stronger than my
cancer, Sherman said.
It became my sole
mission to help others
on a broader scale.
Whether that was true
or not, thinking I could
help others going
through this experi-
ence to heal was very
helpful to me.
The result of this
newfound mission was
a series of books
including My Quick
Guide Through Breast
Cancer: Diagnosis,
Surgery, Chemothera-
py and Radiation,
The Cancer Path: A
Spiritual Journey Into
Healing, Wholeness
and Love, and the
Create Your Own
Cancer Path Work-
book specifically
designed to help
women struggling
with breast cancer.
And now that shes
beat her cancer,
Sherman has a vehi-
cle to empower
women fighting
the disease.
particular moment. On the
other hand, ruminating is an
exercise your brain engages in,
where you grapple with a
series of what ifs and con-
template every possible sce-
nario and outcome. Instead of
getting engrossed by these
mental acrobatics, Gilbertson,
who authored Constructive
Wallowing: How to Beat Bad
Feelings By Letting Yourself
Have Them, suggests push-
ing those thoughts aside and
just sitting with your feelings.
When you do that, you sep-
arate your thoughts from your
emotions, which can help your
feelings pass.
The fastest way to work
through a feeling is to ac-
knowledge the feeling and
name it if you canIm
scared, Im angry because
feelings have a life cycle, she
said. An actual emotion only
lasts a minute or two at any
given time. In any given mo-
ment, if youre feeling some-
thing, if you can just tolerate
the feeling, and consciously
decide to be with it letting
it run freely inside of you
instead of trying to sup-
press it then the actual
emotion should only last a
couple of minutes.
Cry it out. According to
psychotherapist Jude Bijou,
author of Attitude Recon-
struction: A Blueprint for
Building a Better Life, its not
uncommon to actually feel
your emotions physically in
your body. When this happens,
your body will actually take
the lead in releasing these
feelings. So if you feel like
crying, or if your body is shak-
ing, dont hold back. Let the
feelings work through your
body physically, so you can
work through them on an
emotional level.
We need to make the
space to cry the sadness out,
she said. We also need to
shiver, tremble, shudder, or
quiver to acknowledge the fear
were feeling in our bodies-
because thats how to most
effectively release the anxiety.
And we need a way to express
the anger physically, without
words, so we can accept what
weve been dealt and move
forward from there.
Ask for help. Although
you may not want to feel like
youre a burden on other
people, its important to try to
get the support you need
when coming to terms with an
illness. Whether you need a
shoulder to cry on or advice
about how to deal with your
condition, give yourself the
same compassion you would
extend to a loved one. Reach
out to your friends and family,
support groups, or medical
professionals and ask for
what you need without
judging yourself.
WALLOWING IN
YOUR FEELINGS
means allowing
yourself to experience
whatever emotion has
come up for you in a
particular moment.
8 Your Health Magazine | October 2014
Y
ouve heard it a
million times
You are what
you eat.
We all know
that eating
nutritiously is important to
overall health and well-being.
But did you know that what
you eat, even if its considered
healthy, may increase or de-
crease the pain you feel?
There are countless diets
and nutrition plans out there,
and it may be overwhelming
to decide whats best. If youre
feeling tired or swollen or
experiencing aches and
pains not associated with an
injury, try changing the way
you eat and see whether
your symptoms improve.
Consider these options.
Gluten-free diet
What it is: A diet that ex-
cludes the protein gluten.
Gluten is found in grains such
as wheat, barley, rye and
triticale (a cross between
wheat and rye). Gluten causes
inflammation in the small
EATS & PAINS
How your
diet can
aggravate
or ease
what ails you
By Lisa Stearns
For Gannett
If youre experiencing
ACHES AND PAINS
not associated with an
injury, try changing the
way you eat and see
whether your
symptoms improve.
BEST BODY
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intestines of people with celi-
ac disease. But it also has
been demonstrated in others
without true celiac disease
who exhibit signs of inflam-
mation and autoimmune dis-
orders without a known cause.
Those who are gluten-free
embrace a diet filled with
fruits, vegetables, meats, poul-
try, fish, beans and legumes.
May be a good fit if: You
experience achy muscles or
joints, intestinal gas and bloat-
ing, cycles of constipation and
diarrhea or headaches.
Modified low-fat,
good-carb diet
What it is: The South
Beach Diet was de-
signed by a Florida
doctor and dieti-
tian to help lower the risk of
developing heart disease. The
goal is to replace bad carbs
with good carbs and bad
fats with good fats. It elim-
inates white foods, such as
refined sugars and processed
grains, in favor of vegetables,
beans, whole grains and low-
glycemic-index fruits, and
replaces saturated fats with
foods rich in good fats and
omega-3 fatty acids, such as
salmon and avocado.
May be a good fit if: You
have had difficulty sticking
to a restrictive diet and
maintaining it as a lifestyle
change. This diet allows
you to enjoy feel-good
food without the conse-
quences of fluctuating
blood sugar and insulin
levels that accompany
eating processed and re-
fined foods. Such foods
may be associated with in-
somnia, sleep-walking, mood
swings, decreased mental
clarity, obesity and fatigue.
High-protein diet
What it is: The Atkins Diet
emphasizes eating lean pro-
tein and low-starch vegetables,
and avoiding simple carbo-
hydrates, such as flour and
sugar. The diet involves a
reduced glycemic load (carb
content) to keep blood-sugar
levels in a healthy range. In
theory, consuming fewer
carbohydrates allows your
body to burn greater
amounts of fat. In the body,
carbohydrates are metabo-
lized and stored as glycogen
to be used later as fuel.
May be a good fit if: You
have inflammatory condi-
tions in which you experience
painfully swollen tissues and
joints. Rapid changes in baro-
metric pressure cause fluid
fluxes through your body,
resulting in stiff, painful joints
and muscles. Adopting this
diet during weather shifts may
help decrease painful episodes
associated with weather.
MAKING
CHANGES
Consult your doctor
before beginning any
major diet, especially if
you have a history of
disease. For example,
if you have kidney
disease, a protein-
based diet may not
be recommended by
your physician.
Make sure to stick with
whatever nutritional
plan you choose for at
least two weeks to best
identify whether its a
good fit. Keep records
about how you feel
physically and emotion-
ally while trying to find
the best plan.
Also, if you would like
to make changes in
your childs diet, con-
sulting with a pedia-
trician or nutritionist
is recommended.
Remember that our
bodies evolve with
age and that what
works for you in
one decade may
not in another.
tallahassee.com/health 9
10 Your Health Magazine | October 2014
ESSENTIAL NUTRITION
Eat like a
CAVEMAN
Paleo diet serves up Stone Age cuisine for improved health, weight loss
By Leigh Farr
I
magine noshing
only on foods
that can be hunt-
ed or gathered.
Thats what pro-
ponents of the Paleo
diet claim we need to
do in order to be lean-
er and less prone to
getting chronic ill-
nesses like diabetes,
heart disease and can-
cer. This culinary ap-
proach harkens back
to a pre-agricultural
era when our ances-
tors were not yet privy
to processed foods,
dairy products and
refined sugars, culprits
that Paleo advocates
blame for much of to-
days chronic illness
and obesity.
THE PALEO DIET INCLUDES
MEAT, FISH, SHELLFISH,
EGGS, VEGETABLES,
FRUITS, NUTS AND SEEDS.
tallahassee.com/health 11
Primal Plan
The Paleo diet, taken from the
term Paleolithic, includes
meat, fish, shellfish, eggs,
vegetables, fruits, nuts and
seeds. What you dont eat in
this nutritional plan is as im-
portant as what you do con-
sume. Foods to avoid include
whole grains, dairy products,
potatoes, sugar, salt or proc-
essed foods.
There is no scientific
evidence that supports the
claims of the Paleo diet, how-
ever the good aspects are its
low in sugar, low in saturated
fats, includes a lot of good
quality foods, fewer chemicals
and less packaged foods, says
Jim White, a spokesperson for
the Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics and owner of Jim
White Fitness and Nutrition
Studios in Virginia Beach, Va.
On the other hand, says
White, eliminating nutrient-
rich foods from your diet can
be dicey.
By deleting foods like
dairy and whole grains which
studies have shown help to
prevent cancer and bone loss,
I feel that people are going to
have major cracks in their
plates and theyre going to
have major deficiencies
which may affect them later
in life, says White.
White also cautions that
decreasing your carbo-
hydrate intake so signifi-
cantly can lower your ener-
gy, particularly if you are
athletic.
People do feel better on
the Paleo diet, but following
a low carbohydrate diet is
not fun, especially when
youre an athlete trying to
build muscle and train for
distance, says White.
Making it Work
Any nutritional plan with strin-
gent guidelines can be chal-
lenging to maintain and the
Paleo diet is no exception,
says White. However, he says,
there are ways to modify it to
suit a more modern lifestyle.
Increasing the whole
grains and knocking down the
fats to less than 30 percent of
daily calories from fat would
be a more ideal meal plan and
more livable, he says. Accord-
ing to a U.S. News and World
report, the Paleo diet serves
up about 39 percent of daily
calories from fat, exceeding
current recommendations.
Since the diet offers little in
terms of calcium, White sug-
gests boosting your intake by
adding two to three daily
servings of organic skim milk
or Greek yogurt.
White suggests doing a trial
run to determine whether the
diet is right for you.
Give it 30 days as a jump
start and then get into a little
bit more realistic plan, he
advises. If it helps you lose
weight and gets you motivated
to start working out more, but
then switch it over to some-
thing more livable.
White recommends seek-
ing professional guidance to
help you get started.
PHOTOS BY
ISTOCKPHOTO/
THINKSTOCK
WEIGHT
LOSS
ON PALEO
Most people start
on the Paleo diet to
lose weight. There
are two ways the
regimen can help
you shed unwanted
pounds. First, by
decreasing the
amount of carbo-
hydrates you con-
sume, you can lose
water weight.
Second, many peo-
ple eat high
amounts of un-
healthy carbo-
hydrates.. The Paleo
diet offers less of
these foods and
more filling, high-
protein, high-fiber
food sources.
When you go on a
meal plan like this,
youre getting rid of
your high amounts
of unhealthy carbo-
hydrates and with
that there will incur
a weight loss, more
from decreasing
portion sizes and
decreasing calories,
says White.
The amount of
protein and fiber
you get in the Paleo
regimen serves as an
appetite suppres-
sant. In a small study
published in Nutri-
tion and Metabo-
lism, participants on
the Paleo diet re-
ported they were
just as full yet con-
sumed fewer calo-
ries than those
consuming a Medi-
terranean diet.
To help you transi-
tion to a new way
of eating, the Paleo
diet allows three
cheat meals a
week for you to eat
what you wish.
Since the Paleo
diet offers little in
terms of calcium,
boost your intake
by adding 2 to 3
daily servings of
organic skim milk
or Greek yogurt.
MAKEOVER
FALL
COLOR
Changing
hair shades
ablaze this
season with
reds, pinks
and teals
SHOULD YOU
GO IT ALONE?
While nothing beats the
expertise and product quality
available from a good salon,
Shannon Wells of Salon IQ
admits that economic con-
cerns often lead people down
the DIY hair color aisle. A few
guidelines will help you get
the most from that box.
Know what youre getting
into. Is the color semi-perma-
nent, demi-permanent, or
permanent? (Hint: semi-
permanent comes ready to
apply, others require mixing.)
Covering gray, Shannon
cautions, demands perma-
nent color.
Dont judge a box by its
cover. The model in that
picture doesnt have your
hair; read the description.
Use the buddy system.
Whatever your kids believe,
you dont actually have eyes
in the back of your head.
Friends dont let friends
miss spots.
Please. Read the in-
structions. Youre playing
with chemistry here, and each
brand is different. Also, set a
timer. That quick glance at
the clock might lead to over-
processed locks.
Going to extremes? Dra-
matic changes are a multi-
step process, best left in the
hands of professionals.
Dont be one-dimension-
al. Natural-looking color
has movement and tonal
variation.
Maintenance is key. Salon
products help color last, and a
good stylist will help you
choose the right ones, even
for DIY color. Bonus: while
they cost a bit more, salon
products are concentrated.
You use less, says Shannon.
tallahassee.com/health 13
H
ighlights, lowlights, reds, pinks, or teals the best place to watch the changing colors
of fall might be your own mirror. In the spring and summer people like to go lighter,
says Shannon Wells, owner of Salon IQ on Market Street, www.saloniqtally.com. As
the seasons turn, she explains, clients often add lowlights to gradually transition to a
darker winter color.
Not everyone prefers sub-
tlety, however. Bright colors
and pastels are huge right
now, Wells said. You
wont see chunks of color
or that zebra look you
might have seen in the
past, though. Instead,
look for softer streaks of
lavender, teal, or pink,
with teal riding the crest
of the fashion wave. The
popular ombre look, with
graduated color from roots to
tips, is on its way out; instead,
Wells recommends
zombre, a softer look,
perhaps with pastels.
Some women (and men)
dont want a big change. They
opt for hair coloring as a way to
avoid a change to gray. A
lot of people decide to color
their hair for the first time to
hide or blend grays, Wells
said. Once that first step is
taken, she said, they may real-
ize theyve always wanted to be
a redhead or a blonde. What
Shannon doesnt recommend is
stubbornly sticking with the
color you had as a kid. That
can age you. My job is to gently
steer clients towards something
that will actually make them
look 10 years younger.
Thats why a consulta-
tion is so important.
A consultation with an
experienced stylist is a key step
in getting the color and look
you want. Wells, Salon IQs
co-owner, Kevin Hamilton, and
their team of stylists combine
years of experience to evaluate
a clients lifestyle and color
preference to determine the
best products to use. The
beach, the sun, the pool all
affect hair color. We get to
know our clients lifestyle. An
initial hair color appointment
will take an hour to an hour
and a half with a consultation,
Wells said. If a client is ner-
vous or uncertain, Ill block out
even more time. A client might
want to go blonde, but well
evaluate eye color, skin tone,
and face shape to determine
the right shade. Well talk
while theyre in my chair.
Ill explain what products
Im using to make their
hair look the way they
want and make the
color last longer. It really
is all about the product.
Male clients, she says,
often opt for color from
Salon IQs Goldwell line for
men, with only 5 minutes
processing time. It blends gray,
doesnt show roots easily, and
doesnt look colored. Hamil-
ton, formerly owner of KH
Hairgroup, will soon be open-
ing Tallahassees first luxury
barbershop for those clients
right next door, Wells said. Its
been a dream Kevin has had
for a long time.
Hair color doesnt have to
be permanent. Semi- and
demi-permanent colors are less
damaging and offer a tempor-
ary change, gradually washing
out. Have fun with it, Wells
suggests. Goldwells Elumen
line offers vibrant colors that
last 4-6 weeks, perfect for
holiday hairstyles. In the end,
its hair. It grows out.
R
By Tricia Dulaney
The popular OMBRE
look, with graduated
color from roots to tips,
IS ON ITS WAY OUT;
instead try the
zombre, a softer look,
perhaps with pastels.
PHOTOS BY ISTOCKPHOTO/THINKSTOCK
14 Your Health Magazine | October 2014
I
ts way too fun to think of
Zumba as exercise. The
sexy dance moves seep
into your soul and be-
fore you know it youre
hooked. Its Thursday night
and in desperation, you scan
the rec center schedules and
gyms for a Zumba class. When
you find none malaise sets
in until your next class.
Maybe its the tribal drum
beats that vibrate the walls that
speak to you or that slow
romantic ballad sung by En-
rique Iglesias that has you
swaying your hips back and
forth or the hip-hop songs
more likely to be found at
night clubs.
People flock to Zumbas
Latin-inspired dance work-
out for many reasons
besides the promised
calorie burn evidenced
by the puddles of
sweat and spent
muscles. Some say,
including me,
Happy dance
By Elise Oberliesen
GOING CLUBBING WITH ZUMBA ON MY ARM
SMART FITNESS
out 45 degrees during squats,
Greisl says it targets inner
thigh muscles.
But that sounds like exer-
cise while Zumba feels like
a high energy expression of
body loaded with fun sexy
dance moves.
Try it you just might
get hooked, roped in and
mesmerized by the music and
the moves.
TOP 10 ZUMBA TUNES
If its the sensual sounds of Zumba music that keeps
you coming back, then check out my top 10 song
list. Here are a few of my favoritesand possibly
my next Day of the Dead party playlist.
1. Bailando,
by Enrique Iglesias
2. Marioneta,
by Zumba Fitness
3. La La La, by Shakira
4. Zumba He Zumba Ha
(feat. Soldat Jahman & Luis
Guisao), by DJ Mams
5. Calabria, by Enur Natasja
6. Mumbai Mashup -
Bollywood Fusion, by Zumba
Fitness
7. Sweet Girl, by Zumba
Fitness, (Ferda & Maike)
8. Cubia Arabe,
by Afrosound
9. Frukos Boogaloo,
by Pa Goza Con Fruko
10. Tie Zumba, by
Thorax, (Pitbull Album)
and Zumba, by Don Omar
going to Zumba is like going
clubbing whether its a
Monday at 5:30 p.m. or
Saturday at 8 a.m.
The pure fun and cre-
ative expression of Zumba
keeps many folks coming
back for more, says Kelly
Greisl, who teaches classes
at Premier Health and Fit-
ness in Tallahassee
To play up the idea of going
clubbing during Zumba, Greisl
even refers to classes as club
cardio. And she gets a fair
amount of kudos for picking the
right songs that keep her dance
mates moving along from
salsa and samba, to Bolly-
wood, or even some Russian
inspired music genres.
Most people come for
the atmosphere and let the
music drive the movement,
Greisl says.
April Pinner, one of her
regulars, fell in love with
Zumba three years ago, and
refers to herself as dance
crazy. As a natural born lover
of dance, she anxiously awaits
each class and sometimes
wishes they wouldnt end.
The clock flies when youre
in Zumba, says Pinner. Then
she realizes, sadly, Theres only
two minutes left.
While Zumba may seem to
possess a cultish following, the
thing is, people who love to
dance love to Zumba and
the desire to dance wins.
We get really happy about
dancing. I do other classes like
conditioning, but I actually get
excited to do Zumba, it kind of
puts you in the mindset of
dance, says Pinner.
People in her class love it so
much, they sometime even
break out into flash mobs and
two-hour fundraising zum-
bathons, says Pinner.
In Greisls class, she keeps
things interesting by occasional-
ly pulling songs out of the
vault the old favorites that
people forget until hearing
familiar tunes that send them
into fits of booty-shaking
arm- rattling fun.
Turns out, the film Slum-
dog Millionaire, directed by
Danny Boyle, may have pop-
ularized the term Bollywood,
film productions rooted in
Indian culture and Hindi
language. The Bollywood-
inspired song Mast Kalander
is one of Greisls top picks.
Bollywood has gotten
very popular, says Greisl,
adding that Moomba is
another genre with an
Indian, eastern feel and one
thats closer to hip-hop.
Greisl often puts the two
genres together and refers to
it as a Bollywood, hip-hop
mashup, something her
class raves about.
She said the choreography
used for Bollywood and
Moomba songs includes
flexed feet and chest popping
where you thrust the chest
out while squeezing the
shoulder blades together.
String together some
shoulder shimmies and hip
rolls and youve got a sexy
move that kills calories.
By using slow and controlled
muscle movements, or iso-
metrics, its easy to tone up
your core, biceps and triceps.
While side lunges, or squats,
combined with bent knees that
keep you low to the ground
target the leg muscles and
bring on the burn.
By pointing your toes
tallahassee.com/health 15
16 Your Health Magazine | October 2014
COVER STORY
hope
With wigs and breast forms,
CYNTHIA DOUGLAS dispenses
caring and encouragement
for women with breast cancer
Business of
tallahassee.com/health 17
pe
18 Your Health Magazine | October 2014
I
t is one of the worst days of your life:
Your doctor has just told you the diagnosis
is breast cancer. She recommends a
mastectomy. Oh, and by the way, she says
the chemotherapy thats included will
nauseate you and make all your hair fall
out. Suddenly your life, your sexuality, and your
personal and public persona are all at risk.
For many women, on such a day, it is hard to hold
onto the you inside.
Cynthia Douglas, a movie-
star beautiful woman with per-
fect mocha skin, has seen near-
ly 1,200 women both pre and
post mastectomy at this very
point. She sees their scars. She
holds them as they cry. She
helps them mourn both their
breasts and the mounds of
thick hair that almost overnight
fall out in hands-full. And then,
she gets on with the business of
giving them hope. She is not a
physician nor a social worker,
but Douglas interventions are
nothing if not therapeutic.
Walking into the salon-like
ambiance of Cynthias Wig
Boutique is more like going to
an upscale cosmetology spa
than the office of a certified
prosthesis fitter. In the welcom-
ing atmosphere filled with soft
contemporary furniture, orien-
tal rugs, and private silk-cov-
ered screens, the pampering
begins immediately. Whether
the client comes in to choose a
wig, a beautiful scarf instead of
a wig, or to be fitted with a bra
and breast form insert, Douglas
is filled with caring and it
must be said a kind of joy. I
know that this work is exactly
what I was made to do, she
says. You have no idea what its
like seeing the transformation
when a woman can toss her
hair again and put on a sweater
that shows her figure to its fin-
est. It is wonderful.
But how did this bright, en-
ergy-filled woman come to this
very particular calling, one that
some might feel is depressing
or draining?
By Marina Brown
It wasnt my first career,
laughs Douglas. I had started
out to become a nurse, she
says. But after a year at Talla-
hassee Community College,
Douglas military husband was
transferred out of state. Put-
ting nursing on hold, she went
into banking. Later, returning
to Tallahassee, she rose in that
profession at Hancock and at
Capital City Bank, where she
worked for 15 years. Like
nursing, banking is a helping
profession too, she says. But
there was a glamorous streak
in her that wouldnt stay quiet.
Along the way, I went to
cosmetology school and
learned how to care for hair.
Ive always had an interest in
hair styling and...again, in
making people feel better
about themselves.
It was about that time that
Douglas and her husband who
had adopted two children diag-
nosed on the autism spectrum
were in a serious automobile
accident. After that it was
difficult for me to sit for long
periods at the bank. I really had
to change what I was doing.
And as if it were a directive
from on high, Douglas began to
volunteer at the American Can-
cer Society in a program called,
Look Good Feel Better where
cosmetologists volunteer their
time and expertise. It wasnt
long before Douglas became the
coordinator of the program.
Cynthia Douglas, owner Cynthias
Wig Boutique, is certified in fitting
breast forms. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL
SCHWARZ/SPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT;
PINK RIBBON: ISTOCKPHOTO/THINKSTOCK
Giving
women
back control
of their
appearance
when so
much in
their lives
has gone out
of control is
what brings
me joy.
CYNTHIA DOUGLAS
tallahassee.com/health 19
20 Your Health Magazine | October 2014
tallahassee.com/health 21
By that time I knew I want-
ed to have my own shop, and a
store solely for beautiful wigs
seemed like a perfect idea.
But after a few years in a Mar-
ket Street location she began to
notice something. Most all of
my clients were cancer pa-
tients. By word of mouth they
were advertising my shop to
each other. Douglas notes that
more often than she would like,
a woman who is losing her hair
is never told where she can go
to get her identity back with
both dignity and even a little
fun (think Cynthias wig par-
ties where a whole family will
come to help the client try on
and choose a wig.)
In her new store, located
next to the Tallahassee Cancer
Institute, Douglas acts in coor-
dination with navigators at
Capital Regional Medical Cen-
ter professionals who col-
laborate with patients as they
wind through the labyrinth of
surprises and challenges of
dealing with breast cancer.
But even though shelves of
almond-eyed mannequins in
sophisticated wigs of both
synthetic and human hair sell
from $150-$1,000, through the
American Cancer Society,
Douglas is able to offer recy-
cled Wigs of Love free to
those in need. Yet it is her
other specialty which may be
even more appreciated.
I am Certified by the
American Board of Orthotics,
Prosthetics and Pedorthics,
she reads from a medallion.
Finding the proper fit,
weight, and comfort level is
vital after breast surgery.
Douglas herself wears one of
her products following a lum-
pectomy some years ago.
Breast forms (that slip
inside special bras) have to
meet the hug test, she says.
The soft, malleable product
must be able to reshape itself
quickly following an embrace.
Forms are designed to move
like a normal breast, wick
away perspiration and come in
a skin-appropriate color.
Insurance will pay for new
forms once every two years,
says Douglas. Luckily,
through our work with the
American Cancer Society, we
receive forms that are no
longer needed when a woman
decides to have breast recon-
struction. We then recycle and
pass them on to women who
on their own may not be able
to afford forms, which can run
nearly $300 per breast.
But with her helping sensi-
bilities and ability to see solu-
tions to problems, Cynthia
Douglas found herself identi-
fying needs beyond her salon.
With an energetic laugh, she
says, I recently started a food
pantry through my church.
Weve processed 6,800
pounds of food and served
241 people! Douglas, who
believes in making every act
count, devised a point system
which helps visitors to the
pantry become financially
literate and make good food
choices while they shop.
And where does the bright-
eyed Cynthia Douglas see
herself in five years? Without
hesitation she says, Fran-
chized. Envisioning a string
of wig and prosthetic salons
plus a pink and black R.V.
that will visit cancer centers
around the state to provide
fitted prostheses and donated
wigs to those who dont know
where to turn is her goal.
Giving women back con-
trol of their appearance when
so much in their lives has gone
out of control is what brings
me joy, she says.
And if theres one woman
who has things under control,
it seems to be the very dy-
namic Cynthia Douglas.
Cynthia Douglas, owner Cynthias Wig Boutique, meets with a client
being fitted with external prosthetic breasts.
21 century
midwives are
still birthing
babies the
traditional way
WHAT DOES
A DOULA DO?
While in the best of all
worlds, midwives have very
little to do during the
birthing process, they are
in fact, medical profession-
als who bring a range of
skills to the experience
when necessary.
Doulas, on the other hand,
are there simply to give
emotional and physical
support to the mother.
Doulas stay with the
mother during birth,
helping her to say calm
and comfortable, and
when needed, assisting in
communications between
the mother, the partner,
and the midwife.
Doulas assist before birth
and after as well, providing
information and much-
need emotional support to
mothers during pregnancy
and helping them to pre-
pare for the experience of
giving birth.
After birth, doulas can
assist with caring for the
newborn, and helping with
meals and light house-
keeping during the first
few days after the babys
arrival. Doulas can also
provide information about
feeding the new baby. Like
midwives, doulas are
trained and certified.
PREGNANT WOMAN AND MIDWIFE: BANANASTOCK RF/THINKSTOCK; BABY AND UL
Special
delivery
ALTERNATIVE HEALTH
AFTER BIRTH, doulas
can assist with caring for
the newborn, and
helping with meals and
light housekeeping
during the first few days
after the babys arrival.
Doulas can also provide
information about
feeding the new baby.
M
idwifery is more than a medical spe-
cialty; its a philosophy of childbirth.
Midwives and the families they assist
believe that childbirth is a natural experience that
when left to nature will more often than not come
to a happy and safe conclusion. The midwifes job
is to monitor, rather than orchestrate, the birth ex-
perience, in the belief that women can give birth
on their own without the need for high-tech gad-
getry and medical interventions.
The midwife approach also
supports childbirth as a family-
centered experience. The mid-
wife doesnt run the show, the
parents, do. With a midwife in
charge, the parents can have
whatever type of birth experi-
ence they like as long as the
safety of the mother and child
are kept paramount.
Not that long ago in human
history, midwives were the only
people who delivered babies. In
the United States most babies
come into the world in hospitals
with the help of obstetricians,
but midwives havent slipped
quietly into the mists of history.
While having a midwife attend
the birth of your child might
seem trendy, its really physi-
cian-assisted births that are a
new-fangled notion.
The Midwives Alliance of
North America states that 80
percent of people alive today
were born with midwives. And
though not nearly so many
people are born that way in the
modern, industrialized world,
midwife-assisted birth is still a
common practice. According to
the American College of
Nurse-Midwives, midwives
attended 313,846 U.S. births
in 2012, the last year for which
data is available.
Though midwifery is an
ancient tradition, midwives
have moved into the modern
age with everyone else. Certi-
fied midwives and certified
nurse midwives are highly
trained and licensed health-care
professionals. Midwives do
everything physicians do for a
normal birth, such as blood
work, urine testing, measuring
the uterus, ordering ultra-
sounds, and listening the fetus.
In addition to attending the
births of babies, midwives also
provide a full range of repro-
ductive care for mothers.
But Is It Safe?
Though debate still rages about
the safety of home births, many
studies show home births are
just as safe as hospital births.
Layla Swisher, a licensed, certi-
fied professional midwife at the
Birth Center in Tallahassee,
explains why midwife-assisted
birth is so safe. I take care of
low-risk, healthy mothers. I
am an expert in normal, in
variations of normal, and in
knowing when things are no
longer normal. And when
things arent normal, it be-
comes a job for an obstetri-
cian, Swisher explains.
Even though home births
are safe, many women prefer to
go somewhere other than their
bedrooms to give birth. For
those moms, birthing centers
provide a home-like birth at-
tended by a midwife. The Birth
Cottage in Tallahassee is an
example of such a birthing
center. At the Birth Cottage,
moms give birth in a cozy
environment, surrounded by
their families and with the
support and expertise of a
licensed, certified midwife.
Most families go home
with their newest member
about three hours after the
birth, Swisher said. Every
woman who gives birth here
says, after giving birth, That
was the hardest thing Ive ever
done, and Im really proud of
myself for having done it.
By Avery Hurt
REGNANT WOMAN AND MIDWIFE: BANANASTOCK RF/THINKSTOCK; BABY AND ULTRASOUND: ISTOCKPHOTO/THINKSTOCK
Midwives do everything physicians do for a normal
birth, such as blood work, urine testing, measuring the
uterus, ordering ultrasounds, and listening the fetus.
tallahassee.com/health 23
W
hen Stuart Burkhalter and his wife, Julie,
were ready to have a baby, she started
taking vitamins and the couple packed
for one final fling.
Pregnancy, they figured,
was as easy as deciding to try.
But it wasnt so simple.
Instead, for two years the
couple wrestled with infertility.
Specimens. Syringes. Surgery.
Sadness.
As Stuart Burkhalter strug-
gled with the journey, the
33-year-old Nashville, Ten-
nessee, lawyer realized that
while the resources for
educating women on the
issue are plentiful, men
often get overlooked.
Financially, physically,
emotionally, psychologically
the experience was drain-
ing like nothing else. For him
as well as his wife.
So he started writing a
book, Catawampus, that tells
of the madness and confusion
of fertility treatments from
a mans perspective. Through
humor and heartache, he
hoped to offer support.
When you are in the mid-
dle of this, it seems very
bleak, Burkhalter said. I
guess what I was looking for
was a bit of fellow feeling or
camaraderie. I realize there
are lots of other people out
there who are experiencing or
have experienced something
similar. Perhaps this is just
a recognition that a lot of
this process is completely
ridiculous.
Its just a little be-
wildering.
Try, try again
Maybe he was naive.
But when it first became
FEATURE
Madness of infertility:
THE MANS
PERSPECTIVE
By Jessica Bliss
Gannett
M
A
N

&

W
O
M
A
N
:
F
U
S
E
/
T
H
I
N
K
S
T
O
C
K
;

I
V
F
:

I
S
T
O
C
K
P
H
O
T
O
/
T
H
I
N
K
S
T
O
C
K
I guess what I was
looking for was a bit
of fellow feeling or
camaraderie.
I realize there are
lots of other people
out there who are
experiencing or have
experienced
something similar.
Perhaps this is just
a recognition that a
lot of this process is
completely
ridiculous.

24 Your Health Magazine | October 2014

clear that getting pregnant
was an issue, Burkhalter be-
lieved there would be an obvi-
ous solution.
I thought, OK, if theres a
problem, well get a diagnosis,
well fix it and then it will be
fine, he said.
Instead, failure after
failure. There were a ton of
medical theories but no
real conclusion.
I was shocked about the
lack of an answer, he said.
For two years, they
searched for one.
It started rather simply.
Three months of Clomid a
basic fertility drug prescribed
by an obstetrician after the
couple expressed concern
about Julie Burkhalters irreg-
ular periods.
Then there was the referral
to a fertility center, and the
fertility alphabet soup that
ensued. First an IUI (intrauter-
ine insemination), where the
sperm is placed inside the
womans uterus to facilitate
insemination. Then lapa-
roscopy surgery, which
was, as Stuart Burkhalter
puts it, allegedly zapping
endometriosis.
That was followed by IUI
after IUI after IUI.
It is just kind of like hop-
ping on a train, Burkhalter
said. You try one thing, it
doesnt work, and then its like,
OK, whats next?
At each step, Burkhalter
became further confused. The
steps they were taking were
supposedly helping, but at the
end of the day it was always a
theory, he said.
And then, when another
attempt would fail, he would
become aggravated with the
whole process and think,
What are we doing?
Still, Burkhalter did his best
to buy in. He needed to.
You have to have a posi-
tive attitude with each of these
sort of tries, he said. I might
be naturally skeptical, but
obviously I wasnt vocally
skeptical during any of these
experiences, because you
have to be convinced its going
to work if you have any
chance of having it work.
In truth he wasnt very
vocal about the process at all.
While Julie Burkhalter, 33,
became increasingly disheart-
ened, she turned to friends for
support and guidance. Stuart
Burkhalter, in contrast, mostly
remained mum.
Stay strong
Still, Stuart Burkhalters role
was to be strong.
For his wife, having chil-
dren is what she dreamed
about. When she was planning
her future, she didnt imagine
becoming an astronaut or a
high-powered business wom-
an. She wanted to be a mom.
I think a lot of men want
to be fathers, Julie Burkhalter
said, but a lot of them, too,
think its a natural occurrence.
They dont crave it.
Julie Burkhalter did, and
she felt burdened by not being
able to provide a child. From
her husband, she needed
reassurance that no matter
what happened they would
get through it and he would be
there for her.
And I needed someone to
talk me off a ledge on a reg-
ular basis, she said.
So her husband did.
We quit
The Burkhalters breaking
point came after the second
failed IVF.
We were emotionally,
completely wiped out, Stuart
Burkhalter said.
So they quit.
Everything.
No more drugs. No more
fertility doctors.
Julie Burkhalter took
some supplements and
changed her diet, but fertil-
ity drugs and procedures
were a thing of the past.
Her husband was all in: I
was like, We dont need to
talk about it. We dont need to
think about it. We dont need
to worry about it.
So they took a breath. And
then Julie Burkhalter began to
feel differently.
She talked about taking
a pregnancy test, and Stuart
Burkhalter responded:
Why bother?
But, when the news
came at 5 a.m. one morn-
ing, Julie Burkhalter woke
up her husband.
And just like that, every-
thing was over. All the stress.
All the heartache.
A baby was on the way.
It was a very good mo-
ment, Stuart Burkhalter said.
Moving on
For the Burkhalters, the story
has a sweet ending. They have
an 18-month-old little girl, and
Julie Burkhalter is pregnant
with their second child.
The couple cant explain
why it happened when it did.
They believe the natural route
and not the doctor-led
warpath was a factor.
Stuart Burkhalter also
knows that although his jour-
ney to fatherhood has ended
as he hoped, many other men
still struggle to find their way
through the process.
He hopes his book will
help with that. With some
humor and some reflection,
he wants to become a voice
of support where there
otherwise may be none.
The Burkhalters tried in-vitro fertilization, twice.
tallahassee.com/health 25
Y
ouve taken care of
the house, the kids,
your significant
other. Youve run the
errands. Youve done every-
thing you needed to do for
your job and still found time
for volunteer work. Youve
helped out a dear friend. But,
in the midst of all that youve
done for other people, have
you forgotten something?
Have you forgotten to take
care of yourself ?
Self-care is oftentimes not
something we think about, but
its essential for our well-being
if for no other reason, be-
cause when we take good care
of ourselves, we are in a better
position to take good care of
the people and things we love.
Amy Chang, a California-
based marriage and family
therapist, explains the impor-
tance of self-care this way:
I
S
T
O
C
K
P
H
O
T
O
/
T
H
I
N
K
S
T
O
C
K
Caring
turned
inward
Its easy but risky to neglect the importance of self-care
By Kenya McCullum
MIND MATTERS
SELF-CARE OR
SELFISH?
Sometimes its hard for
women to really take good
care of themselves the way
they feel compelled to take
care of everyone around
them. And when they do
take that time out for them-
selves, they fear the dreaded
S word: selfish. But, as Chang
explains, self-care and self-
ishness are really two com-
pletely different animals.
I think self-care is very
different from selfishness.
When we talk about self-
care, thats making sure
youre in a healthy place. On
the other hand, selfishness is
a disregard for what other
people want and the act of
being very narcissistic in your
thought process, she said. I
dont think you can take
self-care too far. Self-care is
basically making sure that
youre physically, mentally,
and emotionally healthy
and if youre doing all that,
its fantastic.
See CARE 30
Women are known for taking care of other people, almost as if it is in our
DNA. In order to practice good self-care, we need to take this nurturing
spirit and turn it inward.
26 Your Health Magazine | October 2014
tallahassee.com/health 27
TAILGATE AT
THE TUCK
Oct. 4, Oct. 18
No need to lug a cooler
when you attend Tailgate
at the Tuck. Four hours
before FSU home game
kickoff, area food trucks
will converge at the Donald
L Tucker Center, 505 W.
Pensacola St., creating one
massive party including
music, giveaways, beer
specials and of course great
food. For more informa-
tion, call 487-1691 or go to
tlccc.org/events_html/TAIL-
GATE_AT_THE_TUCK.html.
MISSION SAN LUIS
BLESSING OF THE
ANIMALS
Oct. 4, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Mission San Luis, 2100 W.
Tennessee St., invites ani-
mals and their friends to be
blessed at this annual event
in remembrance of St. Fran-
cis, patron saint of animals.
Mission San Luis is a pet-
friendly site, so bring your
companions and enjoy the
park setting and living his-
tory programs year-round.
For more information, call
245-6406 or go to
missionsanluis.org/.
MOON OVER
MACLAY JAZZ
IN THE PARK
Oct. 5, 6-9 p.m.
Maclay Gardens State Park
features the Friends of
Maclay Gardens 2014 Moon
Over Maclay jazz concert
Bring a blanket or chairs,
picnic dinner and your fa-
vorite beverage and listen
to the Three Divas and The
Leon Anderson Group on
the Maclay House lawn.
Stroll the brick path to the
Maclay House to see the
scary and funny scarecrows
created by youth groups,
businesses and nonprofits
in our area. Tickets are $25
adult; $10 student. For
more information, call
487-4115 or go to friends
ofmaclaygardens.com/.
ZOOBILEE AT
TALLAHASSEE
MUSEUM
Oct. 10, 7-10 p.m.
This year the Zoobilee
theme is a Mardi Gras
Masquerade and will fea-
ture music, local eats, and
an open bar. For more in-
formation, call 850-575-
8684 or go to http://talla-
hasseemuseum.org/.
GO PINK 5K
Oct. 11, 8 a.m.
The second annual Go Pink
5K and 1 mile fun run will
be in the Market Square
district, with registration at
7 a.m. in Market Square,
1015 Timberlane Road. 5K
cost is $25 before Oct. 9,
$30 on race day. 1 Mile Fun
Run is $15 in advance, $20
on race day. Proceeds from
AROUND TOWN
Elvis and Priscilla, owned by
Mary and Bob Cox, receive
a blessing from Father
Craig Smith at last years
Blessing of Animals.
GLENN BEIL/DEMOCRAT FILES
28 Your Health Magazine | October 2014
this race will benefit Joanna
Francis Living Well. On June
1, 2014 Joanna lost her bat-
tle with cancer, but her
foundation created to help
local families living with
breast cancer lives on. Regis-
ter for the Go Pink 5K and
continue Joannas dream of
Living Well at racesmith.
com/races/GoPink5K.html.
For sponsorship opportuni-
ties please contact
lesliesmith@tallahassee.com.
WILDLIFE ALERTS
4TH ANNUAL
RUN WILD 5K
Oct. 11, 8 a.m.
Run through Cascades Park
and Myers Park to help con-
serve Floridas fish, wildlife
and natural resources. Regis-
tration fee is $15 before Oct.
8, and $20 after noted date.
Day of race registration and
staging will be at the Bryant
Building, 620 South Merid-
ian Street. Proceeds will
benefit Wildlife Alert. For
more information, go to
http://www.active.com/
tallahassee-fl/running/
run-wild-2014.
16TH ANNUAL
OKTOBERFEST
Oct. 17, 7 p.m.
Elder Care Services will host
its 16th Annual Oktoberfest
at the Mission San Luis, 2100
W. Tennessee St. Oktober-
fest is Elder Care Services
signature fundraising event,
featuring beer and brat-
wurst and entertainment
under the majestic oaks of
Mission San Luis. General
admission tickets are $55,VIP
tickets are $100 at available
at eldercareservices.ticket-
leap.com/elder-care-services.
Silent Auction donations
also being accepted. Each
auction item should have a
retail value of at least $50.
Desired items include: vaca-
tion packages, sports equip-
ment and tickets, electron-
ics, handbags and jewelry.
To donate an item, please
contact Amber R. Tynan at
tynana@ecsbigbend.org.
TALLAHASSEE
SMPHONY
ORCHESTRA: POWER
AND PROWESS
Oct. 19, 3-6 p.m.
The first concert of the sea-
son will feature music by
two musical powerhouses,
Russians Rachmaninoff and
Prokofiev. Pianist Katherine
Chi, winner of the presti-
gious Honens Piano Compe-
tition, will demonstrate
perform one of the great
virtuoso works for piano
and orchestra Rachmani-
noffs Rhapsody on a Theme
of Paganini. This will be
followed by Prokofievs Fifth
Symphony. Tickets range
from $10 to $55. For more
information, call 224-0461 or
go to tallahassee
symphony.org/.
MAKING STRIDES
AGAINST BREAST
CANCER
Oct. 19, 1p.m.
Making Strides Against
Breast Cancer is a celebra-
tion of survivorship and a
fight to end breast cancer.
The American Cancer Society
Making Strides of Leon
County walk begins at Cas-
cades Park, 912 Myers Park
Drive. Registration for the
non-competitive, 5K (3.1
mile) event starts at 11 a.m.
Contact Kyla Pugh at ky-
la.pugh@cancer.org or call
785-9205.
OPENING NIGHTS:
CREATIVE
CONVERSATIONS
Oct. 21, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Opening Nights new series,
Creative Conversations, pulls
back the stage curtain and
explores topics in the arts.
Free discussion will cover
topics relevant in the 2014-
2015 Season. FSU Alumni
Will Peters, decked in a pink helmet and face paint, runs in the Go Pink! 5K.
MICHAEL SCHWARZ/DEMOCRAT FILE
tallahassee.com/health 29
Center Ballroom, 1030 W.
Tennessee St. For more in-
formation, call 644-7670 or
go to opening-
nights.fsu.edu/engage/cam-
pus-community/creative/.
WINE TOSS
WITH SPIRIT
Oct. 22, 6-9 p.m.
Spirit of a Child Foundation
is holding a Wine Toss with
Spirit hosted by Aloft Hotel
downtown at 200 N. Mon-
roe St. The event is a fund-
raiser for the nonprofit,
which has a mission We
Help Families Grow Strong-
er with a goal to break
the cycle of generational
family dysfunction. The
group is raising money for
its Parent-Child Project 14
on Nov. 28-30 to take 10
underprivileged families
from the Leon county area
to St. George Island. The
group also has a fundraiser
Nov.15 at 6:30 at the Amer-
ican Legion Hall called An
Evening with Spirit: Chris
Collins A Tribute to John
Denver. Tickets are $20. For
more information, visit spir-
itofachildfoundation.org.
GEM OF THE OCEAN
BY AUGUST WILSON
Oct. 22-24, 8 p.m., Oct. 25, 2
and 8 p .m., Oct. 26, 3 p.m.
Play follows the story of
Aunt Ester, a 285-year-old
former slave, who takes
wandering fugitive Citizen
Barlow into her Pittsburgh
Hill District home and guides
him on a mystical journey. .
Showing at Charles Winter
Wood Theatre/Edmonds
Stage, 515 Orr Drive (on the
campus of FAMU). Admis-
sion: $15 adult, $12 senior
citizen & FAMU employee
with ID, $8 student/child,
FAMU student free with ID.
For more information, call
850-561-2425 or go to
famu.edu.
GREEK FOOD
FESTIVAL
Oct. 24-25, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Two-day annual festival held
at the Holy Mother of God
Greek Orthodox Church,
1645 Phillips Road. Enjoy all
things Greek food, in-
cluding pastries, gyros, spa-
nakopita, moussaka and all
your other favorites, ouzo,
music, dancing. For more
information, call 878-0747
or go to http://
www.hmog.org/festival.
HALLOWEEN HOWL
Oct. 24-25, 6-10 p.m.
A weekend of tricks, treats,
live music and wicked fun
for the whole family. Activ-
ities include two haunted
trails (one not-so-spooky),
carnival games, a costume
contest and trick-or-treating.
Non-members $12 for
adults, $10 for children,
members $10 for adults, $8
for children under 3 free.
For more information,
call 575-8684 or go
totallahasseemuseum.org/.
NEW LEAF MARKET
FARM TOUR
Oct. 25-26
More than 30 local farms
invite the public to see their
facilities and learn about the
day-to-day operations. Enjoy
tours of the farms, barnyard
animal encounters and re-
freshments. Fresh produce,
eggs, meat and other farm
products available for pur-
chase at the end of the tour.
Bring cash, a coolor; no pets.
For more information, call
942-2557 or go to newleaf-
market.coop/seminars-
events/farm-tour.
DEMOCRAT FILES
Cynthia Connolly pours a
taste sample of one of her
organic wines during a
New Leaf Market farm tour.
30 Your Health Magazine | October 2014
What happens to a car
that does not go in for its
maintenance? Typically, it
encounters mechanical failure
and the car life span is re-
duced. Similar to a car, our
complicated fragile system
needs to go in for mainte-
nance, or self-care, to sustain
itself. Otherwise, our body
experiences mental health and
physical issues, such as a
nervous breakdown or an
illness, she said. Therefore, it
is important to listen to our
mind and body to care for it.
When we are feeling stress,
aches, irritability, or sickness,
it is our body communicating
to us that we need self-care.
Taking care of ourselves men-
tally and physically can have a
tremendous positive impact
on our self, our relationships
with others, and our overall
well-being.
Self-care tips
Self-care may be essential, but
its not always easy in practice.
The following tips can help you
exercise good self-care, espe-
cially if youre not used to it.
Make a list. Dont know
what you need to make your-
self feel loved and pampered?
Thats OK, says, Jude Bijou,
author of Attitude Recon-
struction: A Blueprint for
Building a Better Life. The
first step toward practicing
good self-care is to identify the
things that will nurture you.
Start to make a list and
start to identify what kinds of
little things would really nour-
ish you, she said. I think the
first thing is to just recognize
that its not selfish. Youre
practicing good self-care so
you can be your best self. Its a
real cognitive shift.
Think small. Although it
can be, self-care does not
necessarily have to be extrava-
gant to be effective. If you
think it only counts when
youre taking a week-long trip
to a spa for some hard core
pampering, think again. Good
self-care can be something
small a short walk, a bubble
bath, a couple of minutes
alone with your favorite book.
These kinds of baby steps can
go a long way toward making
you feel relaxed and refreshed.
Do unto yourself as you do
unto others. Women are
known for taking care of other
people, almost as if it is in our
DNA. In order to practice
good self-care, we need to
take this nurturing spirit and
turn it inward.
What women are doing for
others, they need to consider
doing for themselves too,
Chang said. If youre making
sure that other people are
having a good time at a dinner
party, you have to be reflective
and think, are you having a
good time at the dinner party
too? And if youre not, think
about what steps you can take
to make sure you do have a
good time.
Continued 26Z
Care