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BEHealthySETX.com | March/April 2012 1
Mrch/apr
2012
Gardeningfor fruit,owersand tness
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BEHealthySETX.com | March/April 2012 3
ocus on healthEach edition, BE Healthy
Medical Adviser Dr. Garrett K.
Peel will cut through the previous
months medical and health news
and bring you the most relevant
and interesting tidbits to help you
make informed health decisions.
PeelDto
MedicalNEWS
Black Tea Linked to Lowering Blood Pressure
Fish Helps Reduction Risk of Pre-Cancer Polyps in Women
Peer Pressure Works! There Is No I Found in the Weight Loss Team
I we can eat what we like, in small portions,perhaps this can decrease cravings, reports TheNew York Times. Researchers have ound that alow-calorie meal plan that includes dessert withbreakast might help dieters.
Scientists randomized 144 obese people, ages20 to 65, to two low-carbohydrate diets provid-ing 1,400 daily calories or women and 1,600 ormen. The diets were identical except that oneincluded a high-carbohydrate, protein-enrichedbreakast with a choice o cookies, chocolate,cake or ice cream or dessert.
The study will be published in the March edi-tion o the journal, Steroids. Participants weretested or insulin, glucose, lipid and ghrelin, ahormone that stimulates appetite. During aninitial 16-week period, the average weight loss ineach group was identical about 32 pounds. Butin a 16-week ollow-up, people on the dessert-with-breakast diet lost an additional 13 poundson average; while the others gained back all but3.5 o the pounds they had lost. Blood levels ocertain hormones play a large role in appetitesuppressant and portion control.
A new study shows that people who drankthree cups o black tea a day lowered their bloodpressure levels by an average o 2 to 3 points.
The study reported in the Archives o InternalMedicine suggests the stroke risk was decreasedby 7 10 percent with black tea consumption.
A new study has ound that consumption oomega-3 atty acids rom sh is associated witha reduced risk or one kind o colon polyp, butonly in women. Ater controlling or age, race,body mass index, smoking and other actors, theresearchers ound that women in the highest thor omega-3 consumption those who consumed
three or more servings o sh a week were33 percent less likely than women in the lowestth to have adenomatous polyps, a type likely tobecome cancerous. This study urther suggeststhe anti-inammatory benet o omega-3s, andthe protective role they might play against coloncancer.
A new study, appearing in Obesity, showsthat people who were part o a weight lossteam had an initial 5-percent weight loss, ascompared to those who tried to go-it alone.Those who said their teammates played a largerole in their weight loss were more likely tolose a signicant amount o weight. People wholost at least 5-percent o their body weight,which is an amount that is thought to be sig-
nicant in improving health, tended to be onthe same teams. Those who reported a higherlevel o social inuence by their teammatesincreased their odds o signicant weight lossby 20-percent. Team captains lost more weight.Couples working at it together were moresuccessul in weight loss eorts as well. Peerpressure is key to keeping the mind trained ona common goal.
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Photography by
Dae Ryan
Janice Prestridge o Beaumont inher back yard garden. Find out inthis issue about all the benefts ocultivating your own patch o earth.
Onthecover
6HealtHy living
GARDEN OF
DELIGHTS
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PREVENTING
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3 Peeld To The News9 Innovations8 Calendar
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A P A Y A
BE Healthy | November/December 2011 | Volume 2, Issue 5
Contents BEEditorial
Contributing EditorsCHRISTOPHER CLAUSEN
ELAINE WIKSTROM
Contributing WritersCATHLEEN COLE
MARGARET BATTISTELLI GARDNERCHERYL ROSE
Medical AdiserDR. GARRETT K. PEEL
PhotographyContributing PhotographersGIUSEPPE BARRANCO
DAVE RYAN
ArtGraphic Design
AFFINITY EXPRESS
Graphic Design ConsultantKRISTEN FLORES
AdertisingTo advertise in BE Healthy
409.880.0700
Contact UsBE Healthy
380 MAIN ST.BEAUMONT, TX 77701
409.880.0700
TO DISPLAY THE MAGAZINE
AT YOUR BUSINESS LOCATIONPLEASE CALL 409.838.2829
SUBMISSIONS
TO SUBMIT AN EVENT, ORGANIZATIONOR PERSON FOR CONSIDERATION
IN AN UPCOMING ISSUE, SUBMIT BYUSPS AT ADDRESS ABOVE.
A DIvISION Of HEARST NEwSPAPERS
PublisherBILL OFFILL
EDITOR
TIMOTHY M. KELLY
COPYRIGHT 2012THE BEAUMONT ENTERPRISE
Visit us online at BEHealthySETX.com
Be part o keepingSoutheast Texas green!Recycle this magazine.
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BEHealthySETX.com | March/April 2012 5
ITS TIME TO
SHAPE UPWe offer many ways toenhance your beauty.Botox, Laser Treatments,Facials, Mesotherapy,
Lipotherapy, Weight Lossand More.
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OF YOUR BEAUTY
TIMELESS IMAGE
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When it comes to your health, you now have more choices than ever.
Altus Healthcare offers Beaumont the highest levels of service, quality and convenience. Our state-of-the-art facility on
11th Street, between Broadway and Liberty, features a wide variety of imaging, sleep and surgical services in an attractive,
friendly and comfortable environment.
Our new Altus Cancer Center will open this Fall, offering the latest and most innovative cancer treatments by
board-certified/board-eligible oncologists, right here in Beaumont.
To learn more, talk to your physician or visit us at www.altushms.com.
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Academy award-winning actress Helen Hunt will bethe keynote speaker or the th annual Christus LiveWellWomens Conerence May 3 at Ford Park.
Registration or the 2012 Christus LiveWell WomensConerence begins March 26. Go to www.christushospital.org/conerence or call (409) 899-7700.
The annual conerence is held in May in conjunctionwith National Womens Health Week, which encour-ages women to make their health a top priority and takesimple steps or a longer, healthier and happier lie.
The day-long conerence will eature more than 25workshop sessions covering areas including ExtremeCouponing, Learning to Laugh Your Way to a Better Mar-riage, Sel Deense Hands-On training, Social Securityplanning, and the latest in womens health and technol-ogy rom leading physicians.
Christus Hospital will oer a variety o health screen-ings during the day.
Hunt received a Best Actress Oscar or the 1997 com-
edy As Good As It Gets with Jack Nicholson. She wonthree Golden Globes, our Emmys and three AmericanComedy Awards or her portrayal o Jamie Buchman onthe popular television sit-com Mad About You. Sheshares the distinction o winning a Golden Globe, Oscarand Emmy in the same year, 1998.
Hunts lm credits include Twister, What WomenWant, Pay It Forward, Cast Away and Bobby.
Academy award winning actress
Hunt will speakat Christus womens conference
8/2/2019 March / April BE Healthy
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GreeningSpring
Gardens can soothe the mindand sustain the body
B CathlEEn ColE
The glory o
gardening: handsin the dirt, head inthe sun, heart withnature. To nurturea garden is to eednot just the body,but the soul.
Alred Austin
Healthy Living
6 March/April 2012 | BE HealthySETX.com
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S
pring ever: the eeling o excitementand energy that comes with warmerand longer days. It makes you wantto throw open the windows, cleanout the dust and gloom o winter,and stay outside breathing in resh
air and soaking up sunshine. Its a physical andpsychological phenomenon. You want to beactive outside, and nature can oer peace andtranquility. Thats why so many people cant waitto start their spring gardens.
When youre in your gar-
den, youre a thousand miles
away, Kit Ohmstede with
Down to Earth Landscaping
in Beaumont noted. Its very
therapeutic.
I youre new to gardening,
just walking into a nurserycan be overwhelming. Dont
try one o everything keep it
simple. When choosing plants,
be sure to read the inormation
that comes with them regard-
ing their lighting and watering
needs. Pick herbs, owers and
vegetables that will be compat-
ible together i you want to
put them in the same plot o
earth or in one container. And
dont orget to buy high-quality
potting soil with time-released
nutrients or your potted plants
and top-quality humus or
landscapers mix to till in
with your garden soil.
J.R. Smith o Beaumont
grew up on a arm in Alabama
in the 1930s and 40s where
his ather planted hundreds o
acres o corn and cotton, and
his mother always had a big
vegetable garden. Today, Smith
still makes time or gardening
in his yard. His spring garden
includes tomatoes, green beans,
cucumbers and peppers.
Jalapenos grow real goodin the springtime, he said.
He gets his root vegetables
radishes and onions in the
ground by early March. It
takes 65 to 70 days to produce,
he explained. By May, hell start
harvesting his crop. For spring
owers, Smith likes petunias
and impatiens.
For the 80-year-old retired
industrial painting contrac-
tor, gardening oers physical
and mental benets. It helps
him stay active and improveshis mood when hes down. It
really helps, he explained. It
makes me eel 10 times better. I
like to watch plants grow.
Another healthy benet o
gardening is the crop. The U.S.
Department o Agricultures
Food Guide Pyramid recom-
mends eating three to ve
servings o vegetables a day.
And owers can be part o your
healthy harvest too.
A 2006 behavioral research
study conducted by psycholo-
gist Nancy Etco o Mas-sachusetts General Hospital
and Harvard Medical School
revealed that people eel more
compassionate toward others,
have less worry and anxiety and
are less depressed when resh-
cut owers are in their homes.
The Home Ecology o Flowers
Study also ound that owers
at home can provide a boost o
energy, happiness and enthusi-
asm at work.
Texas A&M University pro-
essor Roger Ulrich ound thatsimply viewing certain types o
nature and garden scenes sig-
nicantly reduces stress within
ve minutes. Viewing nature or
longer periods not only helps
to calm hospital patients but
can also oster improvement in
clinical outcomes such as reduc-
ing pain medication intake and
shortening hospital stays.
Joseph Johnson, director
o horticulture at Shangri La
Botanical Gardens & Nature
Center in Orange, previously
worked at the University oTexas M.D. Anderson Cancer
Center in Houston. Ulrichs
research, Johnson said, spurred
a lot o redesign there. Parking
lots were taken out around the
buildings and replaced with
gardens and landscaped areas.
Its all part o the patient-care
experience, he said.
Darrell Troppy o Beaumont
is a master gardener and an
artist who specializes in ower
themes. He recently completed
39 paintings mostly o ow-ers and trees or the newly
opened Outpatient Diagnostic
Center. He believes in the pow-
er o owers and their message,
which is, he says, Look at me.
I can show you the beauties o
the world in an instant.
Grac yr pacl sttig ith sm gard art classic, c-
try r kitschy hatvr sits yr tasts. Thrs thig rg
ith a plastic pik amig r a cramic gard gm. A grglig
tai rs a tch traqility t. Add cmrtabl tdrritr t rlax i atr yv rkd i yr gard, ad yv
gt a littl patch hav right tsid yr back dr.
Artistic tchs
Push moer ith
motor
182 calories
Push moer 243 calories
watering lan 61 calories
Trimming shrubs
(poer)
142 calories
Trimming shrubs
(manual)
182 calories
Raking 162 calories
Bagging leaves 162 calories
Planting seedlings 162 calories
Planting trees 182 calories
weeding 182 calories
Digging, spading,
tilling
202 calories
Laying sod 202 calories
Gardening ith
heavy poer tools
243 calories
TRIMYouR HeDGeSAnD YouR BoDYGt it thrgh Gardig by JryRstcci is ritt r ppl h
dt lik traditial rms r xrcis
r playig sprts. Th gardig ftss
gr stimatd th amt calris
brd drig 30 mits cmm
gardig activitis. Hr ar a :Src: ritcd.cm/arbicgardig
BEHealthySETX.com | March/April 2012 7
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Over the past several decades, there
has been a monumental shit away rom
exercise and activity in our liestyles. In
many schools now, physical education classes
are optional, and video games have all but elimi-
nated the days o going outside to play ater
school with riends.
Childhood obesity has more than tripled in
the past thirty years in children o all ages.
Obese children, starting as early as age 6,
already run the risk o having uture problemssuch as cardiovascular issues and diabetes, just
to name a couple.
Everyone worries about healthcare costs, and
wonders why this issue is not being resolved.
We are setting ourselves and our children up or
ailure.
Parents need to take responsibility early in
their childs lie, and stress the importance o
physical activity.
Set aside time to interact with your child. Go
outside and play catch, go walking with them, or
simply get them moving around.
I possible, get them involved in a sport, or
nd an activity they enjoy and do it with them.
Find community activities such as parks,
bike trails, or camps.
These ideals need to be instilled in children
early in lie. Waiting until they are pre-teens or
even older and deciding that it is time to get ac-
tive is too late. Taking action and responsibility
now will help with healthcare costs, and save
countless children rom having health issues
later in lie.
Parents: Act now to preventfuture couch potatoes
John Freeman, Christus Health &
Wellness Center fitness supervisor,
answers your questions:
Q.A.
BE HealthycalendarBE Healthycalendar
MARCH 12-23
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Hope Womens Resource ClinicReading to Nurture Babies, 1 p.m.-2 p.m.(409) 898-4005
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MARCH 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29
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The Power of a Positive Parent1:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m.
Why is it important for children to exercise?
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BEHealthySETX.com | March/April 2012 9
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Did you know that Beaumont has some o the most innovative surgical and medical treatmentsavailable anywhere? The medical community o Southeast Texas is comprised o highly trained,
skillul physicians available to make a dierence in your care. Each edition, with the help oMedical Adviser Dr. Garrett Peel, we will introduce you to some o these innovative procedures.
medical guide
The International Association or the Study o Pain
states that pain is an unpleasant sensory and emo-
tional experience associated with actual or potential
tissue damage.
However, pain is a more encompassing phenom-enon that involves more than what the patient experi-
ences or eels. At the newly ormed Anesthesia Associ-
ates and Baptist Hospital Pain Institute, we look at how
pain aects all aspects o a patients lie, as compared
to just what the patients themselves experience.
Most people think that dealing with pain involves
going to a doctors ofce and having him prescribe
medication. That is only one part o what a physician
should be doing or his patients.
At the Pain Institute (740 Hospital Drive, Suite 150,
Beaumont, 409-212-6900), Dr. David Adrian Olveras
approach is to attack pain rom several dierent
avenues. Pain not only aects the patients themselves
but changes their moods, aects, and even their
interactions with others. His philosophy is to treat the
patient with a medical, interventional, physical andpsychological approach.
Prescribing medications orms an integral portion o
any pain practice, but there are so many other parts o
a person that need to be addressed.
At the Pain Institute we perorm an initial evalua-
tion to take inventory o the key areas. We look to see
how pain has aected your mood and your social lie,
and how we can get you back to your pre-pain status.
We oer a multitude o treatment modalities, rom
psychological counseling to screening or depression
accompanying pain.
Most oten patients in pain ear movement and
require physical therapy to regain strength and conf-
dence with activity.
Dr. Olvera understands his patients concern with
medical management. He will take the time to counselyou on the best course o medication, as well as side
eects to watch or, and he will start with medications
that have less addictive side-eect profles.
The overall goal o the Pain Institute is to provide an
integrative approach to pain management that doesnt
just ocus on injections, medications, or psychological
medicine, but rather on the whole patient.
Attacking painon all fronts
Immediate
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There is a large body o evidence
that suggests that there is an associationbetween aith/spirituality/religion and good
health outcomes, said Dr. Nathan Carlin,
an assistant proessor in the McGovern
Center or Humanities and Ethics at The
University o Texas Health Science Center
at Houston.
In the last 20 years, thousands o
studies have attempted to measure links
between aith and diverse health issues.
As examples, there have been studies
that question whether religious aith can
speed recovery rom surgery, lower blood
pressure or delay death. Even allowing or
problematic variables and contradictoryreports, Carlin said the weight o evidence
shows the relationship between health and
aith to be a positive one.
According to Carlin, there are three con-
tributing actors that scientists can point to
as reasons or this eect: temperate living,
social support and coping mechanisms.
Temperate living
Religions tend to promote healthy be-havior, Carlin said. In many religions, an
emphasis on dietary restrictions, prohibi-
tion o alcohol and stimulants, delity in
marriage and a strong reverence or lie
may all contribute to general health and
well-being. For example, Carlin noted that
ritual hand-washing in Jewish tradition
provides a dual purpose o serving God and
promoting hygiene. History has tied this
ritual to the greater survival rates o Jewish
communities over non-Jewish communities
during the cholera epidemics in Europe.
Rabbi Joshua Taub o Temple Emanuel
in Beaumont said that though rituals suchas hand-washing or dietary laws may have
an inuence on health, particularly histori-
cally, the uniying actor among religions
may be treating the body as an expression
o aith.
A person o aith may very well be
adopting a healthier liestyle because things
are done in moderation, he said. In
Western religions, you recognize yourselas being created in a divine image, being a
divine vessel.
Holy Health Club?Looking at connections between
aith and wellnessB ChERyl RoSE
R
eligion andmedicine havebeen tied togetheror thousands oyears, sometimes
in harmony, butmore oten at odds. In recent years,researchers have shown a renewedinterest in establishing whetherand how these separate doctrineswork together or a holisticapproach.
Prevention
10 March/April 2012 | BE HealthySETX.com
Rabbi Joshua Taub o Temple Emanuel in Beaumont
>>
8/2/2019 March / April BE Healthy
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Social support
The second actor Carlin cited was the social network that a
religious association oers.
People have a place they belong, a place or help with very
practical matters o lie, so that i you have any kind o problem,you go to the church or similar organization, he said. I you arent
a member o a group and have a problem, you are more isolated
and problems become bigger.
Taub concurred, pointing to how congregations will mobilize
or a suering member, bringing ood, comort, prayers and any
assistance they can oer.
A Suggested Listfor Further ReadingTh dpth this tpic ca ly b skimmd i this articl,bt i yr itrst is piqd, thr ar may cmprhsiv
bks th tpic cvrig yars thghtl rsarch.Listd bl ar a th mr ll-k i th fld.
The Handbook o Religion and Healthby Harld Kig, Daa Kig, Vra B. Cars
The Healing Power o Faithby Harld G. Kig, M.D. (Kig, a pir i this fld rsarch, has pblishd mr tha 60 bks th tpic.)
God, Faith and Healthby J Lvi, Ph.D.
Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy: Understandingand Addressing the Sacredby Kth I. Pargamt, Ph.D. (Pargamt ill b thgst lctrr April 18 at th Istitt r Spiritality adHalth at th Txas Mdical Ctr i Hst)
A Time or Listening and Caring: Spirituality and theCare o the Chronically Ill and Dyingby Christia M. Pchalski, M.D.
BEHealthySETX.com | March/April 2012 11
>>
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Cindy Smiley, a licensed proessional
counselor and the owner o local Aware-
ness Health, works exclusively with peo-
ple in severe physical pain. In 22 years o
therapy work, she has repeatedly seen the
dierences between patients who embrace
spirituality and those who do not. She also
noted the impact o social support.
You have relationships, an externalsupport network, beyond immediate am-
ily, she said. This is going to sound New-
Agey, but you get a lot o positive energy
that comes rom that external support that
you would not typically have.
Coping mechanisms
The last common denominator Carlin
presented was the emotional peace that
aith can oer.
I I have cancer, how do I make sense
o that? I I dont have religion, then its just
how the universe rolled the dice and Im
just alone, he said. I I do have religion, it
can provide an interpretive ramework.
Denise Butler-Owen, a clinical mental
health therapist in private practice in Beau-
mont or 20 years, agrees with this connec-
tion between aith and health.
People who have aith and can ocus
on their aith are able to walk through the
I Cidy Smilys cliic, patits t arriv c mdici
has d all that it ca.
I rk ith thigs tsid pills, tsid th mdicalmdl, ad thats hr aith cms i t play, sh said.
I rally lk i trms aith big a vry brad spctrm
thig; hr it cms rm ist rally a iss r halth ad
ll-big. Yr aith i yr ability t vrcm that is hat
gts y t a mr psitiv tcm.
Part aith is a illigss t accpt that may thigs ar b-
yd r ctrl ad that ar t idividally th ctr th
ivrs, Rabbi Jsha Tab xprssd. H blivs ays
ability t rmai psitiv i th ac advrsity has sm aith
lmt at its cr.
I thik thr ar a lt ppl aith i th rld h
dt rlat t rgaizd rligis, bt d hav aith, h said. I
y s val i yrsl, s val, prps, maig y ar
ltimatly a prs aith.
12 March/April 2012 | BE HealthySETX.com
What is Faith?
trials and tribulations in their lie with less
stress and anxiety.
From her experience, Butler-Owen
believes there is a positive connection
between aith and mental health, and that
mental health aects physical health. I
think aith gives us better mental health,
thereore we have less stress, or example,
she said.Stress can cause tremendous physi-
cal problems in the long run, such as high
blood pressure and stomach problems. It all
ows together.
Butler-Owen said that a large percentage
o her patients are grieving or some loss
a death, a lost job, divorce.
The denition o depression is hope-
lessness. Without spirituality, they lack
hope, so continue in the emotions o grie,
anger, isolation, she said. The ones that
dont have aith, that dont believe in some-
thing, those are the ones that struggle with
mental health issues, including depression,anxiety and addictions.
Addictions are examples o mental
health issues with physical health impli-
cations. Linking this to spirituality, she
pointed to 12-step programs such as Alco-
holics Anonymous.
Its very oundational to those pro-
grams or people to begin to have aith in
something, even i they dont believe in
God.
Another valuable connection or mental
health and aith traditions is the concept o
orgiveness, according to Butler-Owen.
Forgiveness is crucial or people who
have been abandoned, rejected, abused.
Without orgiveness, we hold onto bitter-
ness, which produces depression and anxi-
ety. I people believe that something bigger
is guiding and directing their lives, their
healing is oten more complete because
they can get to that orgiveness phase, or-
giving themselves and others. It all comes
under spirituality and aith.
When faith can be unhealthy
In balance, Carlin also noted that there
are occasions where religious doctrines can
be interpreted at the individual level in un-productive ways, including religious delu-
sions, atalism and eelings o guilt, shame
or punishment. He gave an example that
i a child is born with a severe disability,
it would be viewed in some Buddhist and
Hindu traditions as karmic punishment,
resulting rom moral ailings in a previous
lie. There are also religious traditions that
reuse medical attention or intervention.
Putting God under
the microscope
Though there appears to be a posi-
tive connection between aith and health,
Carlin cautioned it is important not to
overstate the claim. People are wondering
about theological or mystical connections,
something supernatural, he said. Those
questions are legitimate, but they are not
or secular intellectuals to answer. Theres
no scientic data that you can put toward
that type o question.
Smiley also recognizes it is a nebulous
area.
I can see where it is difcult to come
up with empirical evidence to back up the
point o view, she said. Faith can mean so
many dierent things to so many dier-
ent people how do you to quantiy aith?
There are a lot o conicting studies and
opinions, but rom my perspective, I think
that aith absolutely has a positive correla-
tion with health.
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BEHealthySETX.com | March/April 2012 13
1. Its not a
cookie-cutter
condition
Autism is also known as
Autism Spectrum Disorder,
encompassing a variety o brain
development disorders that pres-
ent uniquely in each individual.
In the autism communitywe say, I youve met a child
with autism, youve met one
child, said Liz Mabry, mother
o 8-year-old Alex. She said that
though autistic children might
have certain things in common,
such as delayed speech, delayed
motor skills, hand apping or
sensory overload meltdowns,
similarities end there.
2. Communication
is challenging
When you say that a child
has a difcult time communicat-ing, that doesnt really translate
its vague, said Daphne Bell,
mother o 10-year-old Walker.
But i your child cant tell you
when hes hurting, when hes
sick, and hes taking inormation
into his brain but cant speak out
to you what he knows, how can I
respond?
Speaking in ull sentences,
understanding idioms, reading
acial expressions and picking up
verbal cues are all challenging
or her son and oten or otherautistic children, Bell said.
3. We dont know
why it happened
Current research is leaning
toward genetic predisposition
or mutation as actors or the
occurrence o autism, but sci-
ence doesnt have a denitive
answer yet. Bell said she is oten
asked why her child has autism,
particularly since he has a twin
brother who does not.
I wish I knew, but I dont,
she said.4. Genuine curiosity
is OK, not advice
The advice is abundant, Bell
said. I try to think about where
they are coming rom; i they
are caring and sweet and they
mean well, I take it in that spirit.
Collins and Bell have experi-
enced many similar scenes.
The older your child gets,
the more awkward it gets, Bell
said. Mabry said oering a help-ing hand rather than assuming
bad parenting will ease the situa-
tion, at least or the parent.
9. A kind word
works wonders
Bell vividly remembers a day
when a similar scene was play-
ing out with her son, Walker, in
a store. She was embarrassed,
trying to calm him, and could
eel someone watching and ap-
proaching her. The woman told
Bell, I just want you to knowthat you are doing a great job.
Then she walked away. Bell said
that verbal pat on the back was
spectacular and helped renew
her spirits.
10. Being different
is OK
We believe that God put us
all here or a reason, Mabry
said. Its really hard sometimes
to see people dismiss those with
disabilities, especially my son,
because I think he is abulousand wonderul. Collins said
parents can set the example or
their kids. I your children see
that you treat all kinds o people
with compassion and dignity,
they will lead others as well, she
said.
10 THInGSPARenTS o CHILDRen wITH
AuTISMwAnT You To KnowB ChERyl RoSEwith 1 i 91 Amrica childr diagsd ith atism, th dds
ar icrasigly likly that a amily y k has a atistic child.
Larig t part a child ith atism rqirs crativity ad ifit
patic. A spprtiv cmmity maks a hg dirc t ths
mms ad dads. Hr is sm irmati ad advic rm thr
Lmbrt amilis basd thir xprics ith a atistic child.
I appreciate that. Because there
is greater public awareness o au-tism, Bell has experienced being
grilled at the checkout line o the
local store about which treat-
ments shes tried or her son.
Therapies, treatments and
medications or autism are com-
plex personal topics that arent
casual or public conversations
or these parents, Bell said.
5. Be friendly
Even i the child doesnt
respond, acknowledge and greet
him or her, advised Julia Collins,
mother o 10-year-old Denton.
Mabry also encouraged people to
be riendly but anticipate it may
be a one-sided conversation.
The problem comes when
the adult doesnt get the re-
sponse they are expecting, she
said. The adults may take this
as rudeness on the childs part,
she explained. I a child doesnt
speak, it doesnt mean they dont
have something to say, Mabry
noted. They may not verbalize
it, but they may be able to type it
or write it down, she said.6. Include us
We eel isolated a lot, Col-
lins said. Although some social
situations might be overwhelm-
ing or children with autism,
parents still appreciate the oer
o inclusion. We would love to
have them invited to a party. I
we have questions, well ask andmake the decision that is right
or our child.
7. We feel you
watching
All three mothers have elt
social pressure in public places
when a child is acting oddly. Bell
has elt compelled to diuse the
interest by announcing her sons
disability.
Ill just say out loud, its
hard to have autism so every-
one in earshot can hear and I
dont have to look directly at the
person who is staring at us.
Bell said that i you witness an
episode, please trust the parents.
Be patient, be caring and be
non-judgmental, she urged.
8. Its not lack of
parental discipline
On one grocery shopping out-
ing, seeing an 8-year-old sitting
in a shopping cart and crying
loudly was too much or a ellow
shopper. He came over and told
Alex to stop being a crybaby and
be good or his mama.
Although Mabry was sure this
individual meant to be helpul,
his intervention ratcheted up
Alexs anxiety and brought tears
to Mabrys eyes as she tried to
explain autism and pay or her
groceries amid the chaos.
FYI
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Witness the early days o AIDS/HIV. It
was considered a plague and something
those other people got. But when stars
like Rock Hudson and Magic Johnson
went public with their diagnoses, attitudes
started to change.
Another example is The Michael J. Fox
Foundation, a undraising powerhouse that
brought in $57 million dollars in 2010 and
has unded more than $240 million in Par-
kinsons disease research since its ounding
10 years ago.
O course, MJFF has something other
organizations dont Michael J. Fox. Since
announcing his diagnosis in 1998, the
Canadian actor who rose to ame in the
U.S. mainly or his role in the iconic sitcom
Family Ties and the Back to the Future
lm ranchise has gone rom beloved
lm and TV star to international symbol o
courage, persistence and hope.
It just makes sense that in a society that
sucks up celebrity gossip like mothers
milk, we would be swayed when a amous
ace tells us to get a mammogram or check
or testicular cancer or eat a piece o ruit
once in a while.
It brings more attention to the illness.
For the public, the benet is the research
and the amount o money the celebrity
brings to the table, said Randy Robin,
owner o Better Living Medical, in Neder-
land. But (celebrities) are not doctors so
its important to keep a proper perspective
and listen to the experts.Healthcare proessionals agree that
celebrities can build a buzz around diseases
but, in many cases, they know as much
or as little about them as any average
person who is dealing with the condition.
Celebrities can ocus a spotlight on the
illness and bring orth more awareness,
which is very good, said Norma Cates o
Nederland, a retired nurse with 30 years
experience. And yes, it does encourage
people to get tested, see their doctors, etc.
Unortunately, some people tend to
idolize celebrities, so they may be more apt
to listen and be more receptive to a celeb-rity than they would their own doctor. Its
good or them to raise awareness unless
they try to sway people away rom seeking
proessional care by doctors who can treat
the illness, Cates said.
Dr. Stephen Sinatra, a nationally recog-
nized cardiologist, nutritionist, educator,
and author who has practiced integrative
medicine or more than 30 years, agrees.
Its always necessary to be careul
when a celebrity comes out saying they
were cured by something that is contro-
versial and may have worked or them but
may not work or may even harm others,
Sinatra said. So its a careul mix, but in
general I think its a good thing.
Then theres Paula Deen. When the
celebrity che announced in January that
she has Type 2 diabetes, ew people were
shocked. Deen is, ater all, the Butter Queen.
But many were surprised to learn that she
was diagnosed with the illness in 2008 and
chose to not announce it publicly until, thatis, she cut an endorsement deal with the
makers o diabetes drug Victoza.
TARSTRuCKSCelebrities can bring a lot oattention to a disease,but the public should keeptheir advice in perspective
B MaRGaREt GaRDnER
Celebrities arepeople. They getsick. They die.But unlike therest o us, theycan use their
ame to help raise awarenessabout their disease and evenmoney to ight it.
MedicalAdvice
>>
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BEHealthySETX.com | March/April 2012 15
Pala D sms t hav a cavalir pblic attitd tard a
disas that has bcm arly a pidmic i th uitd Stats ad
brigs ith it th thrat may dir cditis.Amid a malstrm tcris rm th d as mdici cali-
ti, D basically ippd th rld th bird, dclarig that sh
dst blam hrsl r hr cditi ad dst itd t giv
p atig th ay sh liks t at.
whil D might vtally bcm a ac i th fght agaist
diabts, itll b as a drsr a drg rathr tha midl at-
ig ad halthl livig.
That has b th crx mch th criticism hrld at D
sic hr acmt. ndrlads Shar Mr, h als has
Typ 2 diabts, agrs.
Pala D ld t mak a dirc i h I maag th
disas, bcas Iv d that chagig my dit t at lss ridd ad lss sgar, v glt-r, ad icrasig th amt
rits ad vggis I tak i rks bttr r m. I am takig hal th
diabts mdici I as takig, ad my sgar is ll-balacd .
I th ak Ds acmt, scial mdia sits lik
acbk ad Tittr bl p, ad mch th cmmtary tk
th ch t task r hr chics.
Certainly Deens health is her own business. And while one can
debate her (or any celebritys) obligation to the public, theres no
denying that the opportunity to make a dierence is there.
Randy believes Deen has an obligation to be responsible about
her diabetes by pointing her ans toward more healthul eating.
Joe Colburn, o Nederland, who also has Type 2 diabetes, nds
Deens announcement irrelevant. His eeling? Ultimate responsi-
bility or our health alls on no one but ourselves.
People tend to blame everyone else, the doctor, the pills, theood but we are responsible or our individual eating habits,
Colburn said. I the doctor says you have diabetes, take it to the
prayer circle and do what the doctor says. In the beginning, doctors
told me to watch what I eat, take my medicine and get some exer-
cise. I did exactly that. Now I am being told they cant nd proo o
diabetes in my body.
We werent aware o the causes beore, but as soon as we were
inormed, we denied or ignored all the signs o diabetes or good
eating habits until we wound up in the doctors ofce, he said. So
now I ask mysel, Whats good or Joe? and I ollow through.
TheDebateOverDeen
crossftB Mes Mer
Across
1 Omega 3 source
6 Substances high in
Omega 3s (goes with 29
across)
9 Obtain
11 Caring or the ill
12 Dieters problem, when
expanding
14 Expression o relie15 ___ nutshell
16 Medieval drink
17 Type o bandage
20 Drip
21 Relating to the physical
structure o the body
25 Fruit with ban
26 Natural lenses
27 Comort eature on a
chair
28 ___ alive!
29 See 6 across30 Diagnostic test
32 Pouch
33 Dog doc
35 Personal codes o
conduct
36 Yellow ruit
Down
1 Fungal inection killer
2 The throat or example
3 A healthy orm o
exercise
4 Breakast cholesterol
reducers
5 Dovers state
7 Kind o artery
8 Menopausal symptom(goes with 19 down)
10 Lung number
13 That girl
18 According to Greek
myths a substance that
gave eternal lie
19 See 8 down
22 Nutritious starch which is
the source o tapioca
23 Picnic invader
24 Patients concern
27 First cervical vertebra29 Loneliest number
31 Napoleonic marshal
32 Greensboro location
34 Teachers assistant, or
short
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10
11 12 13
14
15 16 17
18 19
20 21 22 23
24 25
26 27
28
29 30 31
32 33 34
35 36
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REGISTRATION OPENS MONDAY, MARCH 26
Keynote Speaker Helen Hunt
Mark your calendar now to enrich yourself both personally and professionally at the fifth annual
CHRISTUS LiveWell Womens Conference presented by the LiveWell Womens Network. The all-
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