WGL July-August 2016

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July/August 2016 Life . Art . Music . People

West Georgia

V Li ingTo your HEALTHGetting inshape and staying fit - for life

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FeaturesJuly-August

2016

Exercise doesn't have to be a grind. Yoga and Zumba trains the body and the mind21

There are no excuses for not finding a pleasing,enjoyable exercise

CrossFit has you working inside the box with amazing results

Four steps to help you deal with the daily stresses in your life

With disci-pline and monitoring, diabetes can be kept in check

16 19

3127P L U SHealth and happiness - 8Taste of Douglasville - 13Carrollton's Mayfest - 55 A look at Zumba - 25Some SUPER healthy foods - 41

On the Cover: Dr. Charlie Rouse, Board Certified Cardiologist, of West Georgia Cardiology. Photograph by Ricky Stilley


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Copyright 2016 by the Times-Georgian

West Georgia

V Li ing

PublisherMarvin Enderle

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EditorKen Denney

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AdvertisingMelissa Wilson

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PhotographerRicky Stilley

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DesignRichard Swihart

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Contributors

Taylor Boltz, Melanie Boyd, Alexandra Cof-fey, Bob Coval, Rob Duvé, Kathy Howell, Josh Sewell

Volume 6 . Issue 4 July/August 2016

ABOUT THIS ISSUENow that summer is here, it’s time to re-sume our active lifestyles – so this issue is all about health.

Alexandra Coffey takes a look at all our excuses for not exercising and takes them apart. Also, she and Taylor Boltz review some of the more unconventional ways to get in shape.

We examine all the ways stress can affect us, and what we can do about it. Also, we discuss how diabetes doesn’t have to restrict your lifestyle. Rob Duvé shows us how to eat healthy, then we introduce you to "super-foods" and discuss the physical and nutri-tional benefits of gardening.

Also this issue, we want to acknowledge that west Georgia has lots of exciting and fun activities for visitors to our region.

Whether you are in town to visit relatives, or are here for business - or have come for

other reasons - think of this issue as guide to what to see and do.

We have photo features for “Taste of Doug-lasville,” an annual event in Douglas County where all the restaurants in town demon-strate what’s on their menus; and “Mayfest,” an annual arts and crafts fair in Carrollton that’s the biggest in west Georgia. As you plan your next visit to coincide with these terrific events

But also remember that just about anytime you can catch a great – and free – concert or other event at the Mill Amphitheater in downtown Carrollton, as this issue’s photo feature on the “Journey” cover band, “De-parture,” shows.

The counties of Douglas, Carroll and Haral-son counties have beautiful places to see, ex-citing things to do. So get in shape, eat well and be healthy to enjoy all that life has to offer here – and stay fit and trim for yourself and loved ones, too!

Departments

P R E T T Y P L A C E S

G A R D E N

T A K E 5

F O O D

C I N E M A

B O O K S

Along the river in Haralson County

43

Get off that couch and hit the garden

47

Dr. James Harper of First Prebyterian Church

57

Lighter and healthier can be tastier too

35

Taking a look back at 'Contagion'

10

'Taking our Love Offline,' by Chuck Wanager

58

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Y ou’re going along just as normal, doing your thing and living your life, when – wham! – the Cosmos hands

out a reminder that you are not an immortal being. If you’re lucky, that reminder is a bad cold or a stomach virus. If you’re not lucky, well …

We are not superheroes on a movie screen. We are, in fact, only a frail physical assembly of organs and parts that are susceptible to an incredible number of injuries and disease. Our plumbing is so intricate, and our systems so dependent on one another that the slightest malfunction in one part can throw the whole mechanism out of order.

Let’s face it: the universe is out to kill us.

It’s easy enough to ignore this fact when we are young and, well, stupid. I am sure there are plenty of you out there who escaped maiming or other serious consequences of youthful shenanigans. I have a lot of memories of doing incredibly risky things when I was a teenager and young man; things I never told my parents and things I am certainly not going to confess now.

OK, here’s one: I was driving home late one night after work, through the empty streets of Augusta. I was tired and approaching an intersection just as the light was about to change. I decided that I just didn’t want to waste 90 seconds waiting at a crossing with no traffic, so, just as the light was turning red, I gunned the engine.

Approaching the red light at high speed, I suddenly had burst of conscience; 25-years of Southern Baptist respect-for-authority kicked in and took control. I slammed on the brakes, but too hard and the car went spinning – 360 degrees in one direction, then, as I overcorrected, 360 degrees in the opposite direction. How I avoided flipping over, I don’t know. I had left work that night a 25-year-old kid. When I got home I was considerably wiser, if not any older.

Thankfully, age gives us wisdom. At the same time, age gives us creaking knees and fuzzy hearing, rumbling intestines and aching backs. Time is cruel. If we live long enough, we begin to understand life just when it’s pretty much too late to use that understanding.

At least we can have a sense of humor about it all. Have you ever thought about how much comedy depends on physical pain and suffering? Seriously, my sides are splitting. Stop it, you’re killing me.

Well, why not? Life can be a pretty grim business, so we cope with it the best way we can, and some of us use humor to do so. As a young news reporter, my colleagues and I used dark humor to cope with the awful things we saw on a daily basis. Soldiers and doctors do the same thing. It’s not that such people lack respect. It’s just that sometimes you need a break from all the serious.

Some of the funniest people I know just now are those who are facing some pretty grim medical futures. They take their situation seriously, but when they see their own fears reflected in the eyes of their visitors, they crack a joke or two to make their loved ones – and themselves - forget for a little while.

That’s as good a definition of bravery as I know.

Through many personal experiences, and too many losses, I have learned to respect the fragility of life. I don’t drive like a maniac anymore. I don’t go sprinting up stairs, and I watch what I eat. I miss the potato chips and the doughnuts and the fried okra, but I have a healthy respect for how unhealthy such things are.

Now, there are some who take health and fitness to a bit of an extreme. Well, quite a lot of extreme, actually. They buff their bodies and detox their systems and cleanse their auras and align their chakras all the livelong day. I’m all for health, and for living as long as possible, but let’s not forget to enjoy life. What’s the point of owning a Ferrari if all you are going to do is polish and vacuum it?

We are more than physical beings, and while it’s certainly important to watch what we eat and to get good exercise, we have to tend to our souls as well as our bodies. It’s no fun to get out on the GreenBelt and run alone. What’s the point of that fancy fitness app on your smartphone if you can’t share the data on social media?

We are meant to be with other people. We are meant to live in a community of family, whether defined by blood or by choosing the ones we wish to be close to. We want to live long and prosper, not just for our own sake, but also so we can see our children grow into mature and responsible people. We want to see our grandchildren and the tangible proof we have contributed something to the world.

Let’s all be healthy and watch how we live, but let’s do that for the sake of others as much as for us. There are loved ones in our lives who have gotten used to having us around and who enjoy our company. Let’s care for ourselves so that they can, in turn, can care for us.

Health is, at best, a temporary gift. It’s one you enjoy and one that you give. So, here’s to yours. WGL

KEN DENNEY

To health and happiness


One of the most terrifying movies I’ve ever seen doesn’t feature a chain-saw-wielding maniac or a peeping

Tom with a butcher knife and mommy issues. Back in 2011, the monster that kept me awake at night was a microscopic virus that diminishes a huge chunk of the world’s population in a matter of weeks. That’s the ominously plausible scenario depicted by screenwriter Scott Z. Burns and director Steven Soderbergh in their underrated film, “Contagion.” When I saw it in a local theater on opening weekend, the simple, yet effective, opening moments

– a black screen and the sound of a nasty cough – set the mood perfectly. It’s only a few seconds, but seems to last forever when you’re in a dark auditorium sur-rounded by strangers. Almost immediately, we meet the owner of that cough. She’s the pale, blotchy Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow), sitting at an airport bar, sticking her hands in a bowl of peanuts and coughing again as the crimson words “Day 2” appear on the screen. After

that, she hands her credit card to the bar-tender. At the same time, on another continent, a young guy with similar symptoms wanders through a crowded marketplace. In yet another part of the world, a sick business-man coughs on a crowded bus as he grasps a rail for balance. Uh-oh … Situations like this start to occur simulta-neously all over the globe. People go from sniffles to a corpse in a matter of hours. Doctors with the Centers for Disease Con-trol and the World Health Organization JOSH SEWELL

CINEMA

A Look Back at

'CONTAGION'

Jude Law spreads the word about a pandemic in the 2011 film “Contagion.” Photo from Warner Brothers.


(Laurence Fish-burne, Kate Winslet and Marion Cotil-lard) work to track down the source of the virus and search for a treatment, all while attempting to keep the public from spreading the dis-ease even faster. It doesn’t work. The number of infected quickly reaches the millions with no sign of relief on the hori-zon. A small number (like Matt Damon’s character) are appar-ently immune from the virus, but not from the panic that the sickness evokes. Then there are peo-ple like the activist blogger (Jude Law) who claims the public isn’t being told what’s really going on; that there’s a government conspiracy; that Big Pharma released the bug on purpose, etc. Though he may mean well, he sets off an epidemic of paranoia and fear that do just as much damage as the actual virus. Soderbergh, whose chameleon-like tenden-cies make him one of my favorite direc-tors, has crafted a film that makes a “what if?” story seem like a documentary. Like “Traffic,” his gloomy epic about the war on drugs, “Contagion” focuses on dozens of characters — from government officials and military generals to suburban dads, janitors and children in remote villages — in order to show how a worldwide event can affect completely different people in similar ways. Even though there’s technically no good guys or bad guys (as one sci-entist reminds us, a virus is trying to stay alive just like the rest of us; it’s not killing people on purpose), the movie will have your heart rac-ing like a thriller. You don’t know if a character you’ve grown to care about is about to start coughing, meaning you’ll be forced to watch them foam at the mouth in a few scenes. Everyone in the cast does remark-able work, but there are two real standouts. The first is Damon, who perfectly represents the everyman. He’s a guy who sur-

vives the first wave of sickness and is determined to protect what little family he has left. Whether he’s calmly explain-ing to his daughter why she can’t visit her boyfriend, or braving an apocalyptic wasteland to pick through the remains of a grocery store, you totally buy it. He’s the one I was rooting for the most. Fishburne gives an equally commendable performance. As the face of the CDC, he represents the doctors and scientists who are trying to beat the disease but can’t get out in front of it. He has the weight of humanity on his shoulders, and you can feel it with every resigned sigh. He makes a couple of questionable choices later in the film, but by that point you get why he’s making them. The only storyline that didn’t work for

me was Cotillard’s, which seems like a soap opera compared to the rest if the film. I’m not sure if part of the story got lost in the editing room, or if Soderbergh and Burns were attempt-ing to address a little-known problem with vaccine hijack-ing. Either way, it comes off like an afterthought. Five years after this film was released, I’m still puzzled why “Contagion” didn’t catch on in our col-lective pop culture consciousness. It made my 10 Best List and turned a decent profit at the box

office, but it didn’t make any waves dur-ing awards season and promptly dropped off people’s radars. That seems weird to me, considering the recent media-induced freakouts over the Ebola and Zika viruses. I still remember talking the movie up to my wife, a high school biology teacher who’s literally one of the smartest people I know, going on endlessly about how scary it was. When she finally got around to watching it on DVD, I spent more time watching her expressionless face than I did the screen in front of us. About halfway through the movie, her stone-faced reaction got to me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, hitting pause on the remote. “You don’t think this is terrify-ing?”

“No,” she replied, cool as ever. “That’s exactly how it’s going to be when it happens.” My jaw dropped. Not “if” it hap-pens. When. Try to guess if I got any sleep that night. “Contagion” is rated PG-13 for disturbing content and some lan-guage. E-mail: [email protected]: @IAmJoshSewellFacebook: facebook.com/josh8199

WGL

Matt Damon represents “everyman” in the film “Contagion.” Photo from Warner Brothers.

Anna Jacoby-Heron and Matt Damon in "Contagion." Photo from Warner Brothers.

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July/August 2016 West Georgia Living 13

TASTEOF DOUGLASVILLE

PHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY

For the past 23 years, the Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville/Douglas County has celebrated the coming of summer with the Taste of Douglasville festival, one of the grandest annual tourist draws to west Georgia.

This year’s event was held on May 21, and as always, vendors and several thousand people gathered in downtown for the community’s largest one-day party. There were local

performers, activities for children and booths from community groups. And there was also food. Restaurants from across the county were there offering samplings of their menus; everything from barbecue, to Italian, Louisiana cooking, pizza, Mexican and desserts were on hand. Taste of Douglasville is the Arts Council’s largest fund raising event. If you missed it this year, come back in 2017. It should be bigger and better than ever!

Ken Richardson of Carrabba's Italian Grill cooks up some tasty dishes.


Above: Gabrielle Joseph sings the National Anthem during opening ceremonies as Scout Jasen Dewbre salutes. Left: Matt Lucas of Outback Steakhouse stirs fudge for some delicious deserts. Below: The band Off The Grid peforms some classic rock hits.


Below: Weezie the Clown talks to Kaitlyn Anderson. Right: Gil Caro entertains after opening ceremonies on the acoustic guitar, while bottom, Mike and Jacquleline dance to his music.


I f you’re not used to working out, the whole thing can seem daunting.

You go for a jog at the park, decide it’s not for you, and have to drag yourself back to the car. You decide to go to the gym, but you see everyone there is wearing clothes you’d have to exercise for years to look good in. You buy an expensive piece of home workout equipment, and somehow within months it becomes a clothes rack.

If you’re not exercising right now, you’re not alone. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services not even 5 per-cent of adults engage in 30 minutes of physical activity each day.

“We tend to forget the importance of having

a steady workout routine along with a healthy diet,” said Chesley Large, a certified exercise therapist and health coach in west Georgia. “But incorporating just 30 minutes of physical activity into your day-to-day life could boost your happiness and completely revamp your self-image.”

Whether you’ve fallen out of the habit of exer-cising regularly, or regular exercise has never been part of your routine, going for 30 minutes of exercise each day doesn’t have to be hard.

“You just have to shut down the excuses,” Large said.

STORY BY ALEXANDRA COFFEYPHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY

STOP ACTING AS IF THERE’S A REASON YOU’RE NOT EXERCISING

NO MORE EXCUSES


“I Don’t Have Time.”

Working nine or more hours a day, picking up kids from daycare, getting home, helping with homework and cooking dinner is about all a lot of folks feel like they have time for.

“Having kids alone is a full-time job,” said Large. “Add to that normal work and home responsibilities, it gets tough to find time for anything extra. So, exercise has to become something that’s not extra.”

The trick to getting 30 minutes of exercise in every day, Large said, is making it part of your routine.

“Research shows that your 30 minutes doesn’t have to be a single block of exercise,” said

Large. “It can be smaller workouts. And it doesn’t have to be extravagant, either — taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking on the far side of the parking lot and walking in, taking a walking break during the day, playing with your kids in the yard — all of that counts.”

The trick is remembering that some exercise is better than none, Large explained.

“I’m Too Tired.”

That may be true, but the solution, oddly enough, is to get moving anyway.

“Being too tired to exercise is a paradox,” said Large. “Exercise gives you more energy. So say-ing you’re too tired for exercise is saying you’re too tired to have more energy.”

If you feel that you’re simply too exhausted to work out near the end of the day, work out first thing in the morning. Or find a gym near your job and work in your exercise over your lunch break or right after work.

Studies show that working out first thing in the morning can jump-start your body into burn-ing more calories throughout the day. It also improves your alertness and your energy levels all day long, and helps you sleep better at night.

“Gym Memberships Are Too Expen-sive.”

Not every gym offers the same amenities, or the same price tag.

“Gyms that offer more amenities — like a pool,

NO MORE EXCUSES

Greg Denney jogs on the Carrollton GreenBelt near Hay's Mill Rd.


sauna, personal trainers and classes — have more overhead, so they have to charge more to make ends meet,” said Large. “There are some gyms, though, that are open 24/7 and don’t even have staff on hand at all hours — they give you swipe-card access, and can be pretty affordable if all you need is access to some treadmills, an elliptical and weight-training equipment.”

If gym memberships are still outside your price range, the great outdoors are still free. West Georgia offers a vast variety of exercise opportunities, from rent-ing a bike to ride on the Carrollton GreenBelt, to hiking at McIntosh Reserve Park near Whitesburg, or taking a canoe for a row at Sweetwater Creek State Park near Douglasville. The website GetHeal-thyLiveWell.org offers a map with exercise opportunities throughout the region.

You can find plenty of opportu-nity for exercise closer to home, too. Got a basketball goal in the driveway you never use? A neighborhood you never walk through anymore? These are easy problems to remedy. And there’s nothing stopping you from doing some jumping jacks or push-ups inside; the Internet is full of exercise tips that use your body’s resistance or help you burn calo-ries in limited space.

“Jogging in place, doing squats,

pushups, crunches and wall-sits can all be done in the comfort of your own home,” said Large. “You can even accomplish some of those during a commercial break while watching television.”

“I’m Too Out-of-shape For the Gym.”

This is one of the most common, yet unusual, excuses of all.

Gyms tend to be full of hardbod-ies, but how do you think those bodies got hard in the first place?

“Everyone starts somewhere in his or her fitness journey,” said Large. “They, too, were once on the other side, worried about fit-ting in and trying to find a way to reach their goals. Most people will respect you for having the will-ingness to take those first steps toward improving yourself.”

Trainers often say “if something doesn’t challenge you, then it doesn’t change you.” Once you get past your fears and make the gym part of your routine, you should design a workout that works for you and your level of fitness — regardless of how easy or difficult it may seem to others.

It’s OK to start slow and build from there. Set your goals, and work to meet them.

“Excuses don’t burn calories,” said Large. WGL

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Austen Bingham and his daughter Phoebe enjoy a warm spring day on the Carrollton GreenBelt.


To someone who does not partake in CrossFit, the name Greg Glassman might not mean anything. But to

those who do, it means everything.

Glassman, who founded the fitness regi-men, figured out a way to understand and measure fitness by varying movements in a high intensity. Workouts in the program combine aerobic exercises from many disciplines – from jumping rope to swim-ming – all done with intensity. For those who do it, CrossFit creates community; it creates power; it creates strength.

With over 13,000 gyms — and affiliates — in and out of the United States, the program began in 2000 offering hour-long workouts in four phases: a warm-up, a strength and conditioning workout, the Workout of the Day (WOD), and group stretching.

CrossFit affiliated gyms are called

“boxes” and are structured to be consis-tent no matter where someone works out.

Laura Lutgen, has been working out in boxes for two years now. She started in Carrollton, but moved to New York about seven months into her training. Her workout structure did not change.

People come to CrossFit in different stag-es of their fitness strength. Some may already be ridiculously strong and built, so they work harder and at a different level than others. Others may be taking their first crack at working out, so they learn the workouts at a different pace.

Lutgen, like some other CrossFitters, had been an athlete for her whole life, but CrossFit — as it is meant to — pushes athletes into a whole different zone.

“But potential CrossFitters should know that every single movement/exercise can be scaled to their fitness and/or skill level,” she said. If someone cannot do a particular workout, “they’ll figure out some alternative.” She said CrossFit is not about trying to outshine anyone else, or to prove anything.

The introductory class laid a great foun-dation for Tony McCarley, who has been doing CrossFit and the CrossFit style training in Carrollton since 2014. He said it has allowed him to tackle workouts with the knowledge of performing them safely, which is key, because, as with any workouts involving equipment or diffi-cult movements, it’s easy to be injured.

“(I’ve had only) minor injuries that were not catastrophic … but I banged up my shin doing box jumps, and got a slight pinch in my shoulder from doing over-head squats,” McCarley said. “This came

C R O S S F I T

STORY BY TAYLOR BOLTZPHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY

PUSHING INTO A WHOLE

DIFFERENT ZONE

Jordan Kadoora, owner, center, coaches Bradley Griffith, left, and Kelley Roberts through some lifts at CrossFit Unscaled.


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from me not keeping my ego and mind in check.”

Indeed, CrossFit has faced some controversy over poten-tial risk for injury. But is it different from other high-intensity program, such as P90X and Insanity?

McCarley notes that “you can get into great shape with (high intensity interval train-ing) … but CrossFit) transfers into daily life. It really is an all-inclusive approach.”

Lutgen agrees, noting that while similar programs include impersonal demon-strations on DVD, CrossFit involves a community of peo-ple who adopt the program as a lifestyle.

In the end, like with any exercise, it’s all about the individual person and what he or she is comfortable with.

So, if someone is looking to turn up the intensity of their workout, try signing for one of the CrossFit introductory courses in the neighborhood. It just might be what one needs to re-energize their routine. WGL

Web Resources

Here are some online resources to learn more about CrossFit routines and its lifestyle:

• Crossfit.com

• Journal.crossfit.com

• Myathleticlife.com/crossfit-resources

• kippingitreal.com

• mentalitywod.com

• crossfitinvictus.com

• tabatatimes.com

Taylor Parrish warms up with some lifts.


MINDAND BODY

YOGA AND ZUMBA ARE ALTERNATES TO TRADITIONAL EXERCISE


“D ownward Dog,” “Child’s Pose,” and “Warriors One, Two, and Three” — these are just a few

of the asanas, or poses in Hatha Yoga, one of several branches, or paths, of an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India.

Hatha Yoga, the is physical path, the one most practiced. It focuses on postures (asa-nas) pranayama, or breathing. Yogis – those who have attained a high level of proficiency in the displine – must consistently practice, and that seems to be the hardest part.

Jenna Harte, has been doing yoga consis-

tently since August 2015, after her mother invited her to a class. She now attends one at Sportsplex in Carrollton. “I always enjoy the work out and feel refreshed,” she said. “The hard part is carving time into your day.”

Yoga has been around for quite awhile (at least 5,000 years), but has recently gained increase interest. Perhaps the reason is that one of its main goals is healing.

“It is a fantastic way to both strengthen your body and to relax your mind,” Harte says. “Some people use yoga to supplement other workouts, some use it as their primary workout. It can mean anything you want it to — there’s no pressure to conform to a certain method.”

YOGA

Finding Om—Understanding the

Importance of

Whether you feel like you’ve spent half your life on the elliptical, or have always consid-ered “exercise” a dirty word, west Georgia

offers several options to expand your horizons in new and exotic ways.

Shaking up your routine is a great way to give your motivation a boost, and two of the latest fitness phe-nomena in this region — the ancient practice of yoga and the spicy Latin dance of Zumba — offer an oppor-tunity to burn calories, build strength and get you closer to your fitness goals.

Zumba: Not Your Father’s Salsa Dancing

There are two kinds of Zumba students: Those who are stepping gently outside their comfort zone, and those who can’t wait to dance like no one’s watching.

Zumba uses Latin-inspired music and dance to burn calories and tone your body, incorporating a range of exciting rhythms and challenging dance moves.

“If calorie burn is what you’re looking for, Zumba is your class,” said Betsy Stevens, a personal trainer at Gold’s Gyms of West Georgia. “No slacking allowed! Keeping yourself constantly moving and your feet alternating up and down off the floor is how you will get your best results. So it’s all about the effort you put in yourself.”

STORY BY ALEXANDRA COFFEEPHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY


Yoga instructor Johnna Langlo

An exotic and fun approach to exercise


If someone is ready to start, but isn’t sure they want to attend a class at gym, never fear: as with any exercise, there is a do-it-at-home option.

The website yogabasics.com recommends these items for getting started:

• A book to understand the basics of yoga

• A Yoga DVD or CD, to start learning begin-ning poses. Most are under $30.

• A mat, of course, which is the key for yoga — offering padding and a non-slip surface.

• Props, which are good for beginners because they offer a little more help when getting deep into poses—a block or a strap are good starts for the prop collection.

• A music library offering calming, relaxing music. • The right clothing. No jeans or tight clothing, as yoga is meant to make the body loose and stretchy. So if one focuses on loose fitting and stretchy fabrics, all will be okay.

And there is a whole set of do’s and dont’s for practicing yoga. According to the Yoga Basics website, these are a few:

• Modify the postures for your body. No one wants to pull anything, so be sure to experi-ment with everything to be comfortable. Illus-trations of the postures are meant to be a guide; imitate them, but don’t stress if you cannot match them.

• Moderate the intensity. Like Harte said

earlier, yoga is different for everyone. So each pose does not have to have the same intensity as the person on the next mat over. Do what feels right.

• Chose postures that seem feasible. Most beginners cannot do “Crow Pose.” Sometimes a “Sun Salutation” is all that’s needed, or “Tree Pose.”

• Don’t eat or drink before a practice. A yogi should eat 1-3 hours before and drink small amounts of water before. Try not to drink dur-ing practice.

• Practice should last between 15 to 90 min-utes, and should be done one to six times per week to see and feel results. Of course, that all depends on your personal schedule. WGL

The thing to remember about Zumba is that it’s an exercise class, not a dance class. That means the goal is to move and sweat, not move with precision and rhythm. And as an exercise class, Zumba is extremely effective: Research shows that a single full Zumba class can burn in excess of 400 calories. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) found that Zumba can burn more calories than cardio kickboxing, step aerobics, hooping and other popular exercises.

Zumba can accommodate participants of all ages and fitness levels, and skilled instruc-tors are excellent at keeping the energy level high and helping time fly, leaving you feel-ing energized and ready for more even after the music stops.

“If you go to Zumba and are new to the class, make sure you listen to your class instructor and go at your own pace,” said Stevens. “Better yet, get to class just a little bit earlier than its start time and tell your instructor your limitations. They’ll be more than willing to advise you on your options because they want to see you back in their class.”

Zumba is also incredibly accessible, with studios and gyms throughout Carroll, Douglas, Haralson and Paulding counties responding to the rising demand for this program by offering Zumba classes sev-eral times a week. ACE estimates that there are some 12 million people participating in Zumba around the world, at more than

110,000 sites in 125 counties.

Yoga: Not As Painful As It Looks

The first thought any first-time participant in a yoga class has is: “There’s no way.”

Oh, yes way.

Yoga isn’t about putting on too-tight pants and twisting yourself into a pretzel (though looking good in yoga pants and gaining flex-ibility are all achievable fitness goals), but using your body’s own resistance to gently build strength, flexibility and balance.

Kaitlyn Smith and Eric Johnston Katie Chewning

An exotic and fun approach to exercise


“Contrary to the popular stereotype, yoga isn’t just for the ‘vegan hippies’ of today’s world,” said Stevens. “It’s for the stay-at-home mom who needs a break from her day of running her kids to soccer prac-tice; it’s for the traveling businessman whose head is spinning from meetings and needs to reboot his mind; it’s for the senior who wants to be able to stay flex-ible and mobile for many more years.”

By combining posture, peaceful medi-tation, breathing exercises and balance, yoga helps to restore balance and con-trol, even when life is hectic and chaotic. Yoga uses poses (called “asanas”) such as “downward facing dog” and “standing forward bend,” to stretch your body, cre-ate stamina and build muscle.

Yoga is also good for helping to relieve back pain (though you wouldn’t think so watching it), and has been shown to have a positive impact on people with arthritis, high blood pressure and more.

“The health benefits that yoga provides are numerous,” said Stevens. “It’s a class that is meant to help you connect with yourself on a different level than you nor-mally would during another workout.”The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Asso-

ciation — the industry that manufactures those yoga pants and yoga mats — esti-mates that there are some 11 million Americans currently practicing yoga. And it’s not like it doesn’t have a track record of success — there’s evi-dence that people have been practic-ing yoga since 2250 B.C.

Namaste.

You Don’t Have to Choose One

Yoga and Zumba have both grown tremendously popular in the past few years, leading more gyms and exercise instructors to begin offering classes.

Local recreation departments, too, also often offer Zumba and Yoga classes, so you can check your com-munity calendar and call the recre-ation department to inquire about a class.

Step outside your comfort zone a little; try one, then the other. You’ll soon discover the health benefits of both. WGL



The music begins and courses through everyone in the class as they follow the instructor’s movements. As the class progress-es, the instructor signals transitions to a new movement, and

when the song is finished everyone whoops and claps.

“Zumba is based on a high-low formula,” said Ashley Carroll McCa-rley, a Zumba instructor at Atlanta Fitness in Carrollton and the Temple Recreation Department. “The intensity of the routines go back and forth to keep your heart rate increasing and decreasing at a safe rate.”

“When you take a Zumba class … you don't even realize that an hour has passed,” she said. “By the end … my students are dripping sweat while wearing the biggest smiles on their faces.”

Though some people may still believe Zumba to be “faddish,” others find it an effective combination of anaerobic and aerobic exercise that tones the body while working against a body’s own resistance.

So what makes this different from a typical “aerobics” class?

Well, aerobic dance classes include both non-traditional and tradi-tional dance movements, meaning someone could be dancing the box step and then hip-hop in the same song. Zumba, on the other hand, features multiple routines to Latin music, or more contemporary music with Latin backgrounds. These classes can burn more calories than kickboxing or step aerobics.

Zumba’s motto is “ditch the workout and join the party,” or “party yourself into shape” depending on whichever inspirational poster you see, and that’s exactly What a class can be for the students—a party.

“It takes a few classes to catch on to the moves and hand cues,” McCarley says. “However, once you do, don't be afraid to jump in with both feet first! Be open-minded and just have fun.”

As with yoga and practically all other forms of exercise, there are DVDs to help teach the basics, and marketers of specialized clothing to wear. Light clothing is recommended, because you can expect to sweat – a lot. Dance shoes are highly recommended because their grip allows some movement, like the many twists and turns found in Zumba movements.

Websites that advise first-time Zumba-ers also recommend water, a light snack – and a friend. And those sites are right! While dancing away, one will want someone they know to laugh and sweat with.

Like any workout, Zumba strives to be a fun and positive experience, suitable for any exercise level, which means, if someone is looking to shake up their workout or get into a class different from the others at the gym, maybe it is time to give Zumba a go. WGL

ZUMBA Your Way to Fitness

Above: Water Zumba Instructor Chesley Large gets her students moving, while student Jenny Sambuco, left, reaps the benefits of the water exercise.


For more information, call 1-877-366-6032. wel l s tar.org

Introducing the new Cancer Center at WellStar

Kennestone Hospital. Redesigned inside and out to ensure our vision of world-class cancer care is experienced by both patients and families. By changing patient flow, adding new services and enhancing the overall care experienced, a new focus on Mind/Body/Spirit has arrived. With recognition by Becker’s Hospital Review’s “100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Oncology Programs,” our redeveloped cancer program offers:

• Cyberknife® and Tomotherapy®: the only health system in Georgia offering both forms of radiation therapy.

• Pancreatic Hepatobiliary Program structured to reduce the time of diagnosis to treatment.

• Center for Genetics, the largest in Georgia

• Nationally recognized STAT clinics for lung and prostate cancer.

• Nurse Navigators for patients and families

• Clinical psychologist for emotional needs

• Integrative treatment including acupuncture

• Patient and Family Advisory Board


S tress — just hearing it makes your chest tighten and pulse race. Odds are, it even brings some images to mind, like work, planning for that

upcoming birthday party or waiting to see if your daugh-ter brought up her history grade on her report card.

We’re all subject to stress, and many of us experience it all too often. According to the American Institute of Stress, it's one of the top health problems in America, and it’s only getting worse over time. Almost 90 percent of all primary care medical visits are due to stress-relat-ed issues. Although we try to control (or avoid) it, stress demands our attention.

Know the enemy: What is stress?

There are several ways to look at stress. It can be real — such as standing in front of a room full of your peers — or perceived, as when you lie awake at night worried about getting up in front of a room full of your peers. Many factors can trigger stress, and the way each indi-vidual experiences stress can be different.

Feeling stress is our body’s way of communicating with us, so take the time to listen and respond. While not all stress is necessarily bad, it is important to know how to successfully manage the feeling.

“Rule of thumb: If a situation is keeping you from being able to laugh, love, or learn, then you should address it soon,” said Martin Altman, a licensed professional coun-selor at the Life Development Center in Douglasville.

There are at least three primary types of stress: acute stress, episodic stress and chronic stress. Each differs from the other in severity and reoccurrence:

Acute stress is the first and most common of the

Coping skillsfor daily tension


three. We sense this form of stress when we feel under pressure, have anticipation, face constant demands or dread an approaching deadline and so on. Acute stress is short-term and focuses on temporary matters. While acute stress may appear to be normal and average, don’t let it fool you — it still deserves necessary attention, no matter how common it may seem.

Episodic stress is an extreme form of stress that individuals suffer more fre-quently in comparison to acute stress. Epi-sodic stress can take a major toll on your body, leading to migraines, chest pain and heart disease. It can occur when we become overwhelmed from adding too many tasks to that to-do list, or when we take on too many projects at work. Everything in life constantly feels chaotic and unorganized, like you can’t catch a break. The constant feeling of pressure from this type of stress is

when it begins to have a negative effect on our bodies and overall health.

Chronic stress happens when we try to ignore stress altogether, which only creates a poor coping mechanism in return. This form of stress can result from traumatic experiences, anxiety and depression, pro-longed emotional pressure and the overall feeling of having no control over any aspect of your life. For some, chronic stress is an everyday battle that casts an overwhelming amount of anxiety onto even the smallest of things. The consequences of chronic stress are serious.

Whichever type of stress you may experi-ence, it is imperative to take time to not only evaluate your stress level, but to learn how to successfully manage and cope.

“Trauma is one of the most under-appre-

NEED HELP TO COPE WITH STRESS?

It’s OK to Ask For HelpMaybe it’s stress, or maybe it’s

something more. Anxiety disorders are a very common behavioral health concern for millions of people.

If the stress — or the circumstances causing it — feels overwhelming, help is available. The Life Development Center is dedicated to providing individuals with the resources needed in order to get back their lives. You can reach the center at 770.942.4742, and it’s open Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.


School teachers can face stress from a variety of sources, as Central Elementary School teacher Katie McKenzie and some of her third grade students helped illustrate.


ciated stressors out there,” said Altman. “Going through a traumatic experience can sometimes cause mysterious, unexpected responses to seemingly small stressors, which can damage relationships and cause you to doubt yourself and your sanity. The good news is that because trauma is so common, we know a lot about how to treat it. With a little help, you can move past it, managing well.”

Whether you experience stress persistently or even rarely, it still has the ability to affect your heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar and other major parts of your body. Using effective ways to handle stress can lead to a better understanding of yourself and your overall health.

How can you cope?

Most of us probably consider ourselves to be generally informed on how to cope with stress — right? But managing our stress is a lot more then just blowing off steam or venting to our friends. Here are four steps to help regain control over your body, feel-ings and reactions to being caught under pressure:

Step One: Take a Break and Meditate

It may seem like the most obvious piece of advice, but simply taking a break is one of the best and healthiest ways to cope with stress. After all, you probably deserve it.

Taking even one minute to stop what you’re doing and center yourself will not only ease your mind, but will help put things into perspective, and that can alleviate stress tremendously.

There’s more than one way to meditate. You can try closing your eyes and blocking out all noise for a few seconds, or you can sim-ply take a few deep breaths and clear your mind.

Most of the time, stress is all in your head. Don’t let overthinking lead to a stressful situation. Distance yourself from whatever may be causing your anxiety, close your eyes, and take a giant deep breath. It works!

Step Two: Take Care of Yourself

In order to do your best, you must be the best version of yourself. Forgetting to take care of our own needs is something we are all guilty of some time or another.

It’s easy to get distracted with the continu-ous demands that life throws in your direc-tion, but making it a priority to be a little

selfish — yes, selfish — can be the giant sigh of relief you’ve been searching for.

“Take care of yourself as much as possible and give yourself a break,” said Altman. “We call this ‘self-care,’ and it is so impor-tant because it’s a way of re-affirming for yourself that you are important and worth the time spent on yourself.”

Take yourself shopping, go get a massage, take time to laugh a little or even take a weekend trip somewhere you’ve been dying to go. Don’t be afraid to do things for your-self every once in a while. A happier you will not only improve your perspective, but every aspect of your surroundings as well, including your relationships and health.

“You’re carrying a lot and you know best what you need to do to help yourself,” said Altman. “So go for it!”

Step Three: Evaluate Your Sleeping and Eating Habits

Stress can have a lot to do with the amount of sleep you’re getting (or not getting), along with your everyday diet.

According to the National Sleep Founda-tion, most adults should be getting seven to nine hours of sleep every single night. By not getting the appropriate amount of sleep each night, you’re actually doing yourself a disservice by causing your body to have a significant decrease in day-to-day alertness, memory and performance.

When we don’t put sleep as a priority, all of these things mentioned eventually lead to stress, which is the thing we’re trying to control.

As for your eating habits, try incorporat-ing more greens into all meals and snacks throughout the day.

“Make sure you’re eating well and that you’re doing what you can to improve your physical health,” said Altman. “Your brain is an organ, after all, and helping your body with good nutrition is also helping your brain’s ability to handle stress, to make good decisions and to relax.”

Step Four: Move It!

Whether stress is something you deal with daily, weekly or even monthly, it’s time to make exercise a priority — no excuses.

Even the smallest amount of physical activ-ity does wonders for your overall health,

energy levels and your mood.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, exercise and other physical activity produces endorphins, which help alleviate pain and induce feel-ings of pleasure and happiness. Exercise has also been found to stabilize moods, improve sleep patterns, increase self-esteem and stimulate anti-anxiety effects.

Even 15 minutes of physical activity every day is better than none at all, and in return, your body will thank you for a more ener-gized and stress-free life. Try viewing exercise as a reward that allows us to freely sweat out and work out all of our stress and anxiety.

“When it comes to exercise, make sure you’re using the larger muscle groups like your legs, arms and chest,” said Altman. “Using these muscles with allow you to really work out the anxiety.”

No matter how often or how little you may experience stress, pressure or anxiety, it should be dealt with in the appropriate manner in order to successfully allow you to live a healthy, happy day-to-day life.

Each of these steps will allow you to take back control, fulfill your daily tasks to the best of your ability and live a healthier, more meaningful life. WGL

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D iabetes is one of west Georgia’s most widespread

health concerns, but for-tunately, it’s relatively easy to understand and – with proper attention and accountability – to control.

According to the American Diabetes Associ-ation, more than 30 million Americans are suffering from diabetes, and that number is increasing each year.

“Many people really don’t understand dia-betes, so when they’re diagnosed with it, they come away with a lot of questions,” said Jamie Brandenburg, a chronic disease community outreach coordinator with Tan-ner Health System. “That’s why we’re so interested in helping people understand the condition and how they can effectively man-age it.”

Three Types of Diabetes

The first thing to know about diabetes is that not all diabetes diagnoses are the same.

Type 1 diabetes —previously known as juve-nile diabetes — is usually diagnosed among children and young adults. Their bodies produce little to no insulin, a hormone that helps them process sugar. More than 200,000 cases of Type 1 diabetes are diag-nosed in the United States each year.

“Type 1 diabetes is difficult because of the population,” said Brandenburg. “You have to teach children how they can control a condition they never had a chance to pre-vent. But we’ve come a long way in medica-tions and technologies now that let people with Type 1 diabetes live active, engaged lives.”

Far and away the most common form if diabetes is Type 2, with more than 3 million cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year.

“Easily 90 to 95 percent of the adults who

are diagnosed with diabetes are diagnosed with Type 2,” said Brandenburg. “Histori-cally, it’s a disease that’s been diagnosed in adults later in life, but for a variety of reasons — high-calorie diets, sedentary life-styles, an increasing number of adults with an unhealthy weight — we’re seeing Type 2 diabetes diagnosed among younger adults, and even children and adolescents.”

Risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes include age, heredity and lifestyle habits. Adults who are older than 65 are at the greatest risk of developing the disease, but a family history of the disease increase the risk. Lifestyle choices concerning diet and activity level also impact one’s risk of the disease.

Staying in Step with Diabetes


Katie Jones leads a normal life, including an athletic career playing softball for Carrollton High school, despite having to wear an insulin pump.


“Because Type 2 diabetes sets in gradually, some people don’t notice their symptoms until the disease has reached an alarming point,” said Brandenburg. “If you’re con-stantly thirsty, urinating more frequently, often feeling overly hungry or tired, inexpli-cably losing weight or suddenly having blur-ry vision, you really need to be screened.”

Gestational diabetes, the third type, occurs only among pregnant women. Obstetrics specialists typically begin screening for ges-tational diabetes around the 24th week of pregnancy.

“Being diagnosed with this type of diabetes does not necessarily mean that you had dia-betes prior to your pregnancy, and it also does not indicate that you will have diabetes following your pregnancy,” said Branden-burg. “But gestational diabetes does increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes within five to 10 years after giving birth.”

Maintaining a healthy weight and a healthy diet can lower a woman’s risk for gestational diabetes, according to Brandenburg.

Taking Back Your Body

When it comes to Type 2 diabetes, there are many ways that individuals can continue to live a healthy, active life.

“What Type 2 diabetes means is that you’re going to have to be far more engaged with your health, probably more so than ever before,” said Brandenburg. “The goal is to manage the disease so the disease doesn’t manage you.”

One-on-one education for people recently diagnosed with diabetes, classes and group support are available from many area health systems. Tanner, for example, has a “Get

Healthy, Live Well” program. They are focused on teaching those with diabetes make healthier food choices, become more physically fit, and how to monitor the dis-ease.

WellStar also offers an educational diabe-tes program that’s been recognized by the American Diabetes Association. Individuals undergo an assessment reviewing their med-ical history, while also learning the ABC’s of basic healthy eating.

The WellStar system offers more than 10 unique diabetes classes, each tailored to find a solution in managing the dis-ease no matter what someone’s situation may be. The eight-week long program is designed to provide individuals with the tools needed to achieve a healthy weight, to understand tricky food labels, create healthy new habits and more.

The key to living well with diabetes, Bran-denburg explained, is living a physically active lifestyle and while maintaining a healthy diet.

In some instances, Type 2 diabetes can be greatly diminished or even reversed with weight loss, diet, exercise and appropriate medical supervision.

“Because Type 2 diabetes sets in gradually, some people don’t notice their symptoms until the disease has reached an alarming point. If you’re constantly thirsty, urinat-ing more frequently, often feeling overly hungry or tired, inexplicably losing weight or suddenly having blurry vision, you really need to be screened.”

— Jamie Brandenburgchronic disease community outreach

coordinator with Tanner Health System

Katie has to meaure her blood sugar several times a day.


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Essential Screenings

While individuals with diabetes adjust to learning how to live with their condition by adopting healthier lifestyles, regular physi-cal exams are critical to finding potential com-plications early when treatment can be most successful.

Without appropriate treatment and manage-ment, Type 2 diabetes can lead to cardiovas-cular disease, blindness and even amputation, especially of lower extremities.

“Going in for physical

exams is part of man-aging the condition,” said Brandenburg. “You and your primary care provider have to make a plan to keep the disease in check, and that means doing everything you can

to mitigate the risk of complications. It’s better to catch a problem at the doctor’s office than let it land you in the emergency department.”

Regular A1C tests, which monitor an indi-vidual’s blood sugar levels over a three-month period, are also necessary. The test, also called a hemo-globin A1C screening, provides an idea of how an individual’s blood sugar has changed over time.

“It takes work, but millions of people are successfully living long, active lives with diabetes,” said Bran-denburg. “You have to understand the disease and take every oppor-tunity you can to learn more, and you have to be committed to chang-ing your lifestyle. But

people do it every day.”

Learn more about managing diabetes or find an educational program online at www.wellstar.org or www.tanner.org. WGL

The insulin pump delivers the proper dosage during the day, but has to be moved frequently to avoid the formation of scar tissue.


Pink Flamingos Flock to West Georgia for

#SummerOfHealthPink flamingos are the perfect symbol of fun in the

sun, and they have flocked to west Georgia to help

Tanner Health System’s Get Healthy, Live Well kick o�

its #SummerOfHealth.

Get Healthy, Live Well will o�er a series of healthy

lifestyle challenges throughout the summer. So put

down the TV remote, pick up your camera and share

what you’re doing to get healthy this summer. Post your

pictures and make comments on social media with the

hashtag #SummerOfHealth.

Get Healthy, Live Well also has a variety of family-

friendly fun planned for the summer, including:

• ”Find the Flamingo” scavenger hunt in Carrollton and

Villa Rica

• “Light up the Night” family bike ride parade

in Carrollton

• Health education events before family movie nights

at The AMP in Carrollton

Get Healthy, Live Well is led by Tanner Health System

and funded in part by a Partnerships to Improve

Community Health (PICH) grant from the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

For more information about the #SummerOfHealth campaign, visit www.GetHealthyLiveWell.org

or email [email protected].


LIGHTER ANDTASTIER Healthy meals

don't have to be 'Rabbit Food'


C ooking for a living is a delicate dance. Some people look for the

finest food; others want some-thing deep-fried, covered in cheese, and deep-fried again.

It’s rare that I am asked to choose healthier options when planning a meal. Yet there was a time that most of the menus I was tasked to create were designed around any number of dietary restrictions. When catering for crowds with spe-cific needs, one has to have a few tricks up the sleeve.

Most people assume that eat-ing healthy is a path paved with salads. While salads are a great way to eat light, they have a reputation of being dull and uninteresting. The term “rabbit food” comes to mind.

Well, here are a few ideas that can help make your diet a little lighter and a lot tastier.

Since everyone has their own idea of how a salad should be constructed, I’ll not go into great detail on ingredients. But when I cater for small groups over several days, I always provide a new vinaigrette each day. It’s not only a great way to keep flavors interesting, but it also keeps my mind occupied. You can create a great vinai-grette out of more common ingredients than you might expect.

The basic ratio of oil to vinegar in a vinaigrette is usually three parts oil to one part vinegar. Some of these dressings, however, do well by using a cus-tom blend, which means you must taste, add, and tinker until you hit the flavors you like. When making vinaigrettes, I like to use a mason jar or some other clear vessel so I can watch the ratios and remember them for the next go round.

Here’s another bit of useful information: use a binding agent of some form. Vin-aigrettes are an emulsion, which means you are forcing oil and water bases to mix,

which they don’t like to do with-out a little help and that help comes in the form of a surfac-tant.

That term sounds quite scientific until you realize that common household surfactants include egg yolks, honey, or mustard. If you use these to emulsify a dressing, they will stay mixed for a while but will eventually break apart again, so I tend to use a touch of Xantham gum which, when used in proper ratios, will not allow the dressing to break.

Asian Peanut Vinaigrette

This is a great dressing to add a bit of Thai flair to any salad. It’s also a terrific compliment to pro-tein sources like salmon or grilled shrimp.

2 cups vegetable Oil1 cup sesame Oil1 cup rice wine vinegar2 tablespoon peanut butter1 teaspoon Asian hot sauce1 teaspoon lime juice1 teaspoon finely chopped cilantro½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger½ teaspoon Dijon mustard or Xantham gumSea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix oils in a container. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle oil mixture in a thin ribbon until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Do not add too much oil at a time or the mixture

won’t come together. However, you can also follow the Quick Tip on this page.

Honey Ginger Salmon

As I mentioned, the above dressing works very well with the addition of certain pro-teins to the salad. This variation happens to

STORY BY ROB DUVÉPHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY

FOOD

QUICK TIPSWhether you know it or not, you need an immersion blender.

Otherwise known as a hand blender or a stick blender, it will be the best $20 you’ll spend. Not only will it make an emulsion in seconds with very little arm work compared to whisking, it also makes puréed soups and sauces very smooth with little clean up and even less effort.

" . . . you can have some very good food that doesn’t have to be heavy – as do most great-tasting things. A little duck here, a little bourbon there, and all of a sudden, you’ve got a great salad with serious flair that you won’t forget, and you’ll trim a few calories as well."

– Rob Duvé

Chef Rob Duvé


FOOD

be one of my favorites.

1 4-ounce salmon filet, skinned2 tablespoons local honey1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger½ teaspoon sea salt½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Add honey, ginger, sea salt, and pepper to a cup and microwave for 20 seconds and let cool to room temperature. This is to let all of the spices combine with the honey. Coat a small skillet with cooking spray and heat over a medium high heat. Season the filet with sea salt and pepper on the skin side and place skin side down in the hot skillet. While that is cooking, brush the top with the honey mixture two or three times until the salmon is cooked almost halfway through by looking at the sides. Reduce heat to medium low and flip and finish cooking. The appearance of the salmon may seem a bit overdone but the caramelization of the honey will be quite tasty.

Bourbon Sorghum VinaigretteI was making a salad one day with some duck prosciutto and couldn’t quite get the flavor I wanted to go with any of the dress-ings I had on hand. So, I put a little thought into it and this is the dressing I came up

with. It’s not the healthiest dressing – but it is quite good.

2½ cups vegetable oil1/2 cup bacon drippings 1 cup balsamic vinegar½ cup sorghum¼ cup good bourbon¼ cup chopped pecans2 tablespoons finely diced shallots½ teaspoon finely diced garlicsea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a vessel large enough to hold it all and puree with an immersion blend-er. Taste and adjust to suit your needs.

Duck Breast Prosciutto

Since I just gave you a recipe for a dressing meant to be used with duck prosciutto, I would be quite remiss if I didn’t include the recipe for the prosciutto. It’s not healthy by a long shot, and it takes a long time for the process to occur, but like the dressing it is really good.

2 large duck breasts3 cups dark brown sugar1 ½ cups kosher salt½ cup black pepper3 tablespoons chopped dill (fresh if possible)3 tablespoons ground coriander

Mix all ingredients except the duck in a large zip top bag; this is the curing mixture. Lightly score the fat side of the duck in three or four places and place in the bag with a layer of cure at the bottom and on the top. Add another breast and another layer of cure, alternating until the duck is completely covered and surrounded by the dry ingredients. Press all of the air out of the bag and place between two plates in the refrigerator for five to seven days. You will know when the process is complete when you cut into the center of the breast and it no longer looks raw. Slice very thin and serve on salads or sandwiches.

Ok, so maybe my idea of “healthy” is a little different than

that of others but I do like my flavors and I do like them interesting.

The point of all of this is that you can have some very good food that doesn’t have to be heavy – as do most great-tasting things. A little duck here, a little bourbon there, and all of a sudden, you’ve got a great salad with serious flair that you won’t forget, and you’ll trim a few calories as well.

As always,

" . . . you can have some very good food that doesn’t have to be heavy – as do most great-tasting things. A little duck here, a little bourbon there, and all of a sudden, you’ve got a great salad with serious flair that you won’t forget, and you’ll trim a few calories as well."

– Rob Duvé

Enjoy!

Honey Ginger Salmon, salad with vinaigrette and Duck Breast Prosciutto


“A n apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

Oh, does it?

Making healthier decisions is a goal every-one has at some point in time. Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution, or a challenge we’ve been facing for most of a lifetime, attempting to achieve better health through nutrition is always a dream.

I think we can all agree on how difficult it is to turn our goals and desires into everyday habits. But being healthy isn’t just a simple goal; it’s a way of living we must be commit to.

“We don’t always equate healthy with tasty,” said Christina Schoerner, RD, LD, a registered and licensed dietitian in Carroll-ton. “But incorporating healthy food into your everyday diet isn’t as bad as it sounds. It doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite comfort food — only be more open-minded to the concept of what nurtures your body.”

Consumers are faced with a wide variety of foods and brands, and many of those products are wrapped in labeling that touts

their health benefits. But those health bona fides can be pretty dubious. After all, even a Twinkie at least has 2 percent of your daily value of iron.

Still, most people think they have a pretty good idea of what constitutes a healthy choice and they understand — in principle, anyway — the importance of at least limit-ing unhealthy options.

“There are also people who count a slice of apple pie as a serving of fruit,” said Scho-erner. “When you start talking with some-one about nutrition, one of the first things we have to do is get a baseline understand-ing of how they perceive nutrition.”

Schoerner encourages people to begin with a basic understanding of nutrition, begin-ning with five fundamental food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy.

“Each of these has a place in your daily diet, though not in equal quantities,” said Scho-erner. “But we have to understand what each is and why each is important to gain a full view of our nutritional picture.”

Fruit

Sweet, juicy and accessible, fruit is one of the fundamental components to a healthy diet.

With the vast variety of fruits there are to

choose from, branch out and try something new — you may surprise yourself.

Bananas, grapes, apples and peaches are fundamental go-to fruits, but supermarkets also stock some more exotic fare if you’re interested in an adventure. Grab a papaya or some dates. Crack your own coconut or slice some mango.

Fruit contains a large amount of potassium, fiber, vitamin C and vitamin A. One to two cups of fruit is the recommended amount each and everyday.

“But don’t mistake juice or processed foods as a substitute for actual, whole food,” said Schoerner. “Juice can give you a lot of the nutrition, but it doesn’t give you the fiber. And you can choose canned options for a better shelf life and portability, but make sure they’re packed in juice and not heavy syrup, or you’re also going to get a lot of unwanted calories.”

Vegetables

Mom and dad really did know best: eating your vegetables has huge health benefits, such as reducing the occurrence of obesity and heart disease, controlling cholesterol and even providing some protection against certain types of cancer.

Next time you’re eating a meal, pay atten-tion to how many green-colored foods


Fivefor

FitMaking the most of your nutritional choices

occupy a place on your plate. That alone can help you tell if you’re getting the appropri-ate level of nutrition.

“Broccoli and dark-green, leafy vegetables like spinach are just a few of the green vegetables we should all pay attention to,” said Schoerner. “And don’t overlook other options, like carrots, cauliflower, bell pep-pers, mushrooms, eggplant and tomatoes. The goal is to ‘eat a rainbow,’ and that means eating a lot of different colored fruits and vegetables so that you’re consuming a lot of different nutrients.”

Grains

Grains are a dietary staple in much of the world, encompassing breads, rice, oats, bar-

ley, cornmeal and more.

One reason that grains are so popu-lar, along with the relative ease of culti-

vation and the many ways they can be pre-pared, is because they’re also an excellent source of fiber and vitamins.

“With grains, the goal is to go with ones that are as close to their natural state as possi-ble,” said Schoerner. “You want brown rice, rather than refined white rice, or whole-grain breads and cereals. Those offer the most nutritional value and take the body longer to process, so they help you feel full longer.”

Grains have lately received a bad reputation among those trying to achieve better health by counting carbs — a reputation they don’t necessarily deserve.

“Historically, people have eaten grain-rich diets throughout human history, and only recently have problems like obesity impact-ed so many in our society,” said Schoerner. “The problem is the refined grains and the simple carbs, and we have to try to limit those while still understanding that some grains deserve a place at our tables.”

Consider trying a new grain like quinoa, farro, bulgur, or wheat berries to add some variety to your plate.

Protein

Most Americans eat plenty of food from this category, which includes meat. How-

ever, it’s the choices in meat that

matter.

“We tend to go for more fatty options, and we tend to make them the centerpiece of our meal,” said Schoerner. “We need to limit our portion size and use leaner choices. More poultry and fish, for instance, which is lower in fat and generally health-ier, and we need to be mindful that a serv-ing, typically, is about the size of a deck of cards.”

Meat isn’t the only option for packing more protein into your diet. Beans, peas, nuts and seeds also have a high content of protein.

“If you pictured the ideal dinner plate in your mind, protein would actually take up the smallest serving,” said Schoerner. “It isn’t the centerpiece, but a part of an overall meal that’s heavier on healthy grains and vegetables.”

Dairy

Moooooving on (sorry), there’s also some-thing to be said for dairy, which also tends to get a bad reputation in health-conscious circles.

Dairy — including cheese, yogurt, milk and soymilk and more — is healthy, according to Schoerner, if used in moderation, and in reduced fat options when available.

“Dairy supplies calci-um, which you need for healthy bones and teeth,” said Schoerner. “Get-ting enough

calcium in your



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diet is essential in limiting your risk for osteoporosis and even cardiovascular disease.”

Putting It All Together

The best way to take advan-tage of the healthy meal options at your disposal is to plan, plan, plan.

“It’s really hard to pre-pare a healthy meal on the fly,” said Schoerner. “You have to plan it out. Otherwise, if you wait until you’re tired and hungry, the less-healthy options like fast food are going to hold a lot more appeal than strapping on an apron or stopping by the store. You can choose less-healthy food without even getting out of your car.”

So, how to plan? It starts by picturing your perfect plate, and “MyPlate” – a nutrition guide from the U.S. Department

of Agriculture – can help.

“The food pyramid we grew up with, like other pyramids, is something of a relic now,” said Schoerner. “Now, nutritionists and other healthcare professionals refer to MyPlate, because it provides a much better overview of how we should eat to

get the most health ben-efits from our diets.”

The USDA’s “My Plate” website, ChooseMyPlate.gov, can help users learn more about portion sizes and nutritional options.

“It’s not as complicated as it sounds,” said Scho-erner. “Eat more fruit and vegetables. Eat a rainbow. Eat less fat. Eat healthier, less-refined grains and low-fat dairy in modera-tion.”

Schoerner also recom-mended researching new recipes online and get-ting ideas about healthy substitutions in foods you

already prepare.

“You can make pancakes with oatmeal,” said Schoerner. “You can make chicken fajitas, and they’re healthy and delicious. It just takes planning ahead.” WGL


Want to super-charge your nutrition? That

sounds like a job for “superfoods.”

A “superfood” is “a food item that is said to have health benefits which set them apart from all the other food groups. Some dieticians and nutritionists believe there is little scien-tific basis for such claims, but that doesn’t mean a lot of people think otherwise.

The website Real Simple explains that superfoods not only contain high lev-els of much-needed vitamins and minerals, they also can be a source of antioxidants that may help prevent disease and damage to cells.

Some “superfoods” you may already know: Kale is a leafy green vegetable said to have special cholesterol-lowering benefits; salm-on is full of omega 3; and blue berries are supposed to chock full of antioxidants. But there are other “superfoods” that you may need to know more about. Açai (ah-SIGH-ee) is said to have high levels of antioxidants which Real Simple claims help fight cancer and heart disease, while also helping in weight-loss and anti-aging. The website notes that Acai is “one of the few fruits with oleic acid,” which can be found in olive oil. Frozen açai contains less sugar than açai juice, so that might be a great option for homemade smoothies or oatmeal add-ins.

Another berry is the Goji, which contains a ton of vitamin C and has been “used by Chi-nese herbalists for centuries to treat visual ailments and poor circulation and to help boost the immune system,” Real Simple says, but there is no research to prove this. Goji berries can come dried, powdered, and in liquid form.

Fitness magazine says that lemons have “more than 100 percent of (the) daily intake” of vitamin C, which is key in raising

the “good” cholesterol levels and strength-ening bones.

Kefir is a substitute for milk products that tastes similar to yogurt. It has natural pro-biotics and Real Simple claims it is a key food for boosting the immune system and having a good digestive system. It can be found near yogurt in the health food aisle.

And now, onto nuts, particularly walnuts—one of the more underrated ones.

Walnuts contain a ton of omega-3 fatty acids, just like salmon, and that helps reduce cholesterol. Omega-3s also help boost moods and can also protect against damage from the sun – but don’t let that be an excuse to avoid sunscreen. One more fun fact about walnuts: they contain melatonin, which helps regulate sleep.

Now let’s talk about grain, and specifically oats. These babies have so much fiber, mag-nesium, potassium, phytonutrients (chemi-cal compounds considered good sources of medication) that all work together to lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease and regu-late blood sugar, helping reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Oats are also delicious for breakfast, snack, or dessert because they help people feel full for longer periods of time.

Now, how can someone incorporate these “super-foods” into their diet? Here are some ideas for specific meals.

Breakfast:

Pumpkin Spiced Oat-meal: which has pump-kin puree, cinnamon, and milk, as well as four superfoods. To top with dried fruit and nuts means an energy boost while protecting your heart and fighting inflam-mation.

Breakfast Casserole: which combines spinach, leeks, cottage cheese, and goat cheese. Though it may seem fancy and mixes tastes that might not seem tasty, it’s worth a try because it’s got a great amount of iron to help build muscles.

Lunch:

Quinoa Salad: Quinoa is a superfood seed that contains a ton of protein—enough to give meat a run for its money. The salad has red peppers and cilantro and can be topped with a light vinaigrette from mustard, lime and more cilantro, and is sure to leave one fuller than if they ate a pasta salad.

Stacked Salmon Salad: this salad, which is actually a breadless sandwich, uses avo-cado, yellow squash and whole roasted red piquillo peppers. Full of superfoods, the salad’s yellow squash will work to protect eye health with lutein. The salmon acts as bread, according to Greatist. The best part? It takes under 30 minutes to prepare.

Dinner:

Grilled Halibut with Kale Pistachio Pesto: who doesn't like pesto? Full of basil, kale, pistachios, garlic, olive oil, lemon, and Par-mesan cheese, it’s ridiculously tasty. How-ever, halibut is not so bad itself—offering omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins.

For specific recipes for these meal options, check greatest.com. WGLTAYLOR BOLTZ

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Get out of that chair! Don’t be a couch potato! Get outside! Exercise! Don’t worry! Eat right! Enjoy the beauty

of every day!

You have heard some of these said, haven’t you? Being healthy is a worthy goal, but what does it mean exactly? Being healthy not only means the absence of disease and a healthy body, but a healthy mental attitude and a healthy lifestyle.

The health benefits of gardening are obvious: eating more fresh, healthy vegetables and fruits. Other benefits are physical activity, mental well-being, and using knowledge and skills to be a productive individual. And don’t forget that growing your own food will lower your grocery bills.

Vegetables and fruits that ripen in your garden have more nutrients than those you buy in the store. They contain vitamins, minerals and fiber that can reduce the risk of stroke, diabetes, heart disease, obesity and some types of cancer, so the more types of healthy foods you eat, the healthier you will be. Roasting vegetables instead of frying them is healthy, quick and easy. The Southern staple, fried okra, is really tasty cooked without the frying. Grill it outside in a grill pan or roast it inside your oven and have a more nutritious food.

Walking to the garden and picking produce at the peak of ripeness is a unique experience. Most foods purchased at a store are picked in another location, then shipped to the grocery. Those foods must be picked before they are fully ripe, reducing their vitamin and mineral content. Do we even know how long it took that food to travel from farm to table, or how long it has been on the grocery store shelf?

The most popular food to grow, pick and eat from the garden is tomatoes. No store-bought tomato compares to the taste of a home-grown one! This fruit that acts

like a vegetable is one of the healthiest foods you can eat, an excellent source for vitamin C, biotin, molybdenum, and vitamin K. They are also a very good source of copper, potassium, manganese, dietary fiber, vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), vitamin B6, folate, niacin, vitamin E, and phosphorus.

Our grandchildren come to visit us, but one of the first things they do when they get here is to run to the garden to find what is growing and what needs picking. The garden is a stimulating place for children. Studies have shown that children who participate in gardening eat more vegetables than those without that opportunity. When children help plant the seeds, water the plants, watch them grow - then pick the fruits and vegetables - they are more likely to

enjoy and eat them.

In the grocery store you don’t find misshapen fruits and vegetables; only perfectly shaped ones. What happens to the ones that don’t make the grade? Are they tossed? Probably. In a garden you will toss less and salvage more, which helps our environment. Home-grown ugly food has the same vitamins and minerals of the perfectly shaped foods.

If you grow it, you are more likely to eat it, even when it isn’t perfect. In our garden, the grandchildren think carrots with two legs are cute and they think it is a treat to eat them. We cut off the places the birds peck on the strawberries, cut up the remaining parts and eat on cereal. An overgrown zucchini becomes zucchini bread. If a squirrel nibbles on the tomato, we wash it well, cut off the teeth marks and make a tomato sandwich.

West Georgia Living July/August 2016 47

GARDEN

GET UP AND GET

GARDENING

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If you are interested in gardening, start small and grow things you really enjoy eating. Pick a sunny spot with access to water. Consider raised bed gardening which allows you to use contaminant-free soil.

You could begin a gardening experience with some large containers and rich soil. Plant just a few vegetables that you would enjoy eating. Have you ever heard of a pizza garden? Tomatoes, green peppers and basil can be used to create a well-liked dish from freshly grown foods. Just three pots will get you started.

Physical activity is necessary in gardening. So gardening can promote, strength, agility, range of motion, eye-hand coordination, and improved motor skills, all of which are crucial for a healthy heart and body. Tilling, weeding, hammering stakes, building trellises, pushing a wheelbarrow, squatting, crawling, bending, dragging hoses, moving dirt and building raised beds are just some of the physical tasks that are needed when gardening. I read that one hour of weeding burns about 300 calories. If you need a place to weed, come to my house. I have plenty!

Is gardening costly? It can be – or it can be economical. A packet of tomato seeds costs around $3. If 50% of the seeds germinate, say 25 of 50, and become fruit-bearing plants, and if each plant bears a minimum of 10 pounds of tomatoes, that is 250 pounds of tomatoes for $3. A real bargain!

The question is what do you do with 250 pounds of tomatoes? Eat what you can, share with others, and preserve the rest to use throughout the year. Vegetable soup or spaghetti in the winter is delicious with preserved home-grown tomatoes. WGL

Kathy Howell is a Carroll County Master Gardener Extension volunteer


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V Li ing

In the next issue.......

AGRICULTURE

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MAYFEST

PHOTOS BY MELANIE BOYD

Throngs of people and dozens of vendor booths lined the streets of downtown Carrollton on May 7 for the 30th annual Mayfest Arts and Crafts festival. Nestled among the historic buildings on Adamson Square, this event has grown to become one of the largest arts and craft festivals in the west Georgia area. Each year, a wide variety of vendors exhibit everything from paintings to pottery and baskets, with something for everyone. And there was much more besides, like food sellers with Southern specialties, and activities for children. The AMP was the scene of the annual Teen Idol contest and afterwards the Westfest concert. The event will return next May, so keep your calendar open!

Ella Palmer, 4, of Carrollton pets Lucky, a dog that was up for adoption.

2016


Sherrie Thomas of Carrollton and Dulcie Powell of Temple browse a vendor from Douglasville.

Zoë Leach and Kelsey Burnett, both of Carrollton look at jewelry.

Above, crowds of people visit the booths that lined Bradley Street in downtown Carrollton. Left, several kids climbed, zip lined, bungee jumped and much more at MayFest on May 7.

West Georgia Living July/August 2016 57

I never dreamed I’d … be a pastor. I think that still shocks most people who knew me long ago.

My best friend is … my wife.

If stranded on a desert island, I’d want this book with me … “Thomas’ Guide to Practical Shipbuilding.” I’m a problem solver, and, clearly, I need to figure out how to get off this island.

I'd love to share a cup of coffee with ... C.S. Lewis and the rest of his friends, who formed a group called the Inklings.

My hero is…. In Marvel world, it’s the Hulk; in the real world, William Wilberforce. He was an English politician in 18th and 19th Centuries. After his conversion to Christian-ity, he was tasked by God to fight for the end of the slave trade in the British Empire. After 46 years of work, and three days before he died, Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833. His was a life well lived.

People probably don't know that … I was a petroleum geologist before I was a pastor.

When I have 10 minutes alone I like to ... power nap.

My parents taught me … faith, responsibil-ity, and determination.

My personal motto is … in whatever you face, do all that you can and trust God with the rest.

My favorite childhood memory is … spending vacations with my mom’s brother, who we called Uncle Bubba, who died way too young. WGL

Dr. James HarperSenior Pastor,

First Presbyterian Church,

Douglasville

TAKE 5

Photo by Ricky Stilley


BOOKS

Chuck Wanager: 'Taking Our

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P oets, like other writers and artists, use their art to help the readers experience their own world even

as the poet writes about his. The poems in Chuck Wanager’s first book of poetry, “Taking Our Love Offline.” include intensely personal subjects as well as more universal experiences. Wanager challenges the reader in the poems’ emotional vulnerability, offering the reader a unique perspective on the world.

Much of Wanager’s poetry is reminiscent of the confessional school of poetry popular in the 50s. Like the work of Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, and Allen Ginsberg. Wanager writes painfully honest poems about family events, personal issues, and failed romantic relationships. His poems “Purple blotches of the heart” and “As dad lay dying” depict the painful illnesses and passing of parents, as children stand as powerless onlookers.

The first poem evokes a mother’s declining health in the lines “Skin taut/like it’ll tear/when she moves” and “bones like chicken bones.” The purple blotches of the poem’s title, ironically described as “imperious purple,” are symptomatic of heart disease.

In the poem about the father’s passing, the details are painfully vivid, as the father breathes with the assistance of a respirator, the sound of the machine dominating the poem. While most of the poem’s details are graphic, the father’s passing is understated, as the nurse touches her “index finger to his

The world made fresh

Taking our love offline

Poems by

Chuck Wanager

Poems of Vision and Vulnerability


wrist/She nods.”

In both of these poems, Wanager evokes the exquisitely painful emotions aroused by loss. Other poems such as “Depression cuts dull” and “Red skin rising” (about the effects of the skin disease psoriasis) strike a confessional tone, revealing personal issues to the reader with unflinching honesty. The poems about relationships are equally direct, such as “I txted her 2day,” in which the fervent romantic pleas of the man, expressed in common texting abbreviations, arouse only contempt expressed in the woman’s one message at the poem’s end. Many of the personal poems in this collection strike a similar tone of direct emotional confessional honesty. Other poems explore larger social and global themes. A number of the poems reflect on the violence of the world. Two poems, “Stuffedbirds” and “The escape,” depict the harsh reality of chickens being transported in trucks. The first poem gives the reader graphic images of chickens crammed in cages, headed to poultry processing plants. The second poem, “The escape,” describes an accident in which one of those trucks loses many birds, including one chicken, which escapes. The spectator says she escaped “and flew/And we all knew/she could - a little.” That escape offers a small victory in a violent world.

Some of the more global poems include topics such as terrorism (“When terrorism strikes”), mass killings (“Born to Kill”), and war (“Along the road to Baghdad”). While these poems on social and global themes include painful subjects, the tone tends to be more thoughtful and less personal than the confessional poems. Wanager also includes an occasional positive poem, such as “Dogwood king,” a kind of Imagistic ode to the first blossoms of spring, and “Sunday evenings, late summer,” a reminiscence of the innocence of childhood. Those poems serve as respite from the book’s more edgy realities. Chuck Wanager’s literary techniques include experiments in poetic form and language, similar to the poems of some of the Beat poets of the 50s. His poem “I txted her 2day” uses abbreviations as noted earlier, the poem written in two columns, with the right hand column explaining the slang terms, adding to the poem’s powerful ending. Wanager uses the tradition of the figure poem as well, in poems such as “Gun play” and “Somewhere in a parallel universe.” The first of these is in the shape of a gun and a bullet. The language uses many harsh consonants to suggest the sound of the weapon firing: “a gutsy guard with a Glock goes grim, gut-grazed.” Both the sound of the language, and the physical shape of the poem, support the poem’s theme on gun

violence in our society.

The poem “Somewhere in a parallel universe” is a wistful theme on a love that could be, or might have been. The first two lines and the last start on the page’s left margin, while the poem’s other lines are right-justified. The result of the line placement is a large empty space, a void, where the reader would normally expect the poem. That emptiness creates the feeling of loss, reflecting the speaker’s lost romantic opportunities.

Wanager’s experiments with form and language give his poems a craftsmanship that takes them beyond mere expressions of emotion. The sound effects of his words, their placement and other experiments recall those of poets such as Allen Ginsberg and E.E. Cummings (often written as ee cummings), who extended the artistry of poetry beyond the traditional forms to convey a modern sensibility. The poetry in this collection is sometimes edgy and shocking in its approach to its subject matter. Wanager’s vivid images and the use of the vernacular provide a vision, and sometimes a re-vision, of contemporary issues. We sometimes see the world as though from the other side of the looking glass. The poems use language to reshape reality, to present it anew, as all art should. The world made fresh, as Wanager offers it in this collection, requires the reader to consider his inner and outer worlds anew. WGL

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ROBERT C. COVELRobert C. Covel, a retired university and high school English teacher, received his Ph.D. in Eng-lish from Georgia State University. He has pub-lished two books of poetry and he is also writing a novel. When not reading and writing, he enjoys playing trivia. He lives with his wife Deloris in West Georgia.


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West Georgia businesses answer consumer questions

An Award Winning DealershipWalker Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Inc. ....... 63

Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites.... Hidden GemsGeorgia State Parks .....64

Lyme DiseaseCarroll County Animal Hospital ..... 65

Metal BuildingsSuperior Structures ...... 66

How to stay ON GUARD this summer!Crossroads Church ..... 67

Summer Lawn “Brown Spot” Diagnosis ChecklistNG Turf ......68

Mother’s Day and Father’s Day combined with GriefScott and Ellen McBrayer/ Jones Wynn Funeral Home ......69

Choosing Healthy Meals at a RestaurantTanner Health System .... 70

Is Your Kid Stressed Out?Oak Mountain Academy ......71

Mark FosterExecutive Manager Walker Cadillac, Buick, GMC Inc.

Qualifi cationsMark has a Dual BBA in AutomotiveMarketing/Automotive Management fromNorthwood University and Certifi cationin Dealership Successorship through theNADA. Mark has 15 years experience in the automotive industry and is a community visionary who has a passion for exceptional customer service.

S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N

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What every West Georgian should know about...

An Award Winning DealershipYou say Walker Cadillac Buick GMC is an Award Winning Dealership; what does that mean?

We have been a GM Mark of Excellence award winning dealership since the program’s inception. To receive this prestigious award, we must maintain high levels of Customer Satisfaction and increase sales year over year. Only the fi nest dealers who commit to unsurpassed performance and customer satisfaction are named Mark of Excellence dealerships.

And you sell award winning vehicles; what exactly is that?

Once again, Buick has claimed the top spot for Customer Service Satisfaction across all mass-market brands! Th is means Buick dealers just locked in position as the back-to-back reigning champions of this coveted

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LEARN MOREwww.walkergmauto.com• 770.832.9602

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www.walkergmauto.com

770-832-9602 1492 N Park St. • Carrollton

award. As a Buick GMC Dealer, we can confi dently call this our J.D. Power “3-Peat” with GMC winning in 2013 and Buick in both 2014 and 2015. For 2015, GMC came in a commendable fourth place position in the mass market brands.

How does Walker Cadillac Buick GMC work to maintain these levels?

We Dare ourselves to be Diff erent. We challenge each co-worker to do more, better, faster. Mr. Walker makes it very clear for us to focus on “What is right for the customer” before we make any decision. It is his ultimate goal for us to stand out in the crowd as the best of the best.

Kim HatcherGeorgia State Parks & Historic Sites

Kim has been promoting Georgia’s State Parks and Historic Sites since 1993 and serves as a spokesperson for the Department of Natural Resources.


treasure hunt -- at all state parks and historic sites for several years, so we created a new game for 2016. Th e Birthday Bash Geocache includes a free game board and collectible geocoins. Players use a hand-held GPS or smartphone to fi nd hidden caches at 12 participating state parks. It’s a great way to get outside and can be played by all ages. Download the game board from GeorgiaStateParks.org/85.

Q: It sounds like state parks are great vacation

destinations. Can visitors stay overnight?

A: Yes – the parks are popular getaways because they’re close to home, aff ordable and have so many activities right outside your door. In addition to modern campgrounds, we have rental cottages and hotel-style lodge rooms. I especially like our “glamping” yurts – which are like a combination between a tent and cabin. Georgia’s State Parks off er group accommodations as well.

What every West Georgian should know about...Georgia’s State Parks & Historic Sites Hidden Gems.

Think you’ve seen all that Georgia State Parks have to offer? Do you have a knack for exploration and discovery? Introducing Georgia State Parks: Hidden Gems, your chance to see the undiscovered side of Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites. From a ranger-led hike to the Marble Mine at “Sloppy” Floyd State Park, to finding the Prohibition Era Moonshine Truck at Amicalola Falls, you don’t want to miss these once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Visit GaStateParks.org/HiddenGems to sign up and plan your visit. Act quickly, because many of these events are limited. Book your stay today! GaStateParks.org | 800-864-7275 reservations

85th

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HISTORIC

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ES

G

A

STATE

PARKS

ANNIVERSARY

Adventure Lodges

Historic Sites

Camping, Cottages and Yurts

View our onlinestate parks guide!

Hidden Gem

Explore the Hidden Gems at Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites!

Q: What are some of the Hidden Gems near Douglas

County?

A: Sweetwater Creek State Park in Lithia Springs identifi ed several gems, including old homesteads, rarely seen lakes and ruins, river rapids, a birding lake, and one of the most eco-friendly buildings in Georgia. F.D. Roosevelt State Park in Pine Mountain has a historic swimming pool built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. Many people don’t realize this pretty stone pool is in the shape of the Liberty Bell. Chattahoochee Bend near Newnan, which is one of Georgia’s newest state parks, has a bald eagle nest. In the Summerville area, you’ll fi nd James H. Floyd State Park, whose hidden gem is an old marble mine. Many people who hike to this small waterfall and refl ection pond don’t realize that the hole behind the cascade was once a mine.

Q How else are you celebrating the 85th anniversary?

A: We’ve off ered geocaching – which is like a high-tech

Georgia’s State Park System is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year, and we wanted a way for visitors to celebrate with us. We asked park rangers to identify some of their favorite spots that most visitors miss. Th roughout the year, state parks and historic sites will host events that spotlight these “Hidden Gems” – and our guests are welcome to explore on their own as well. For a list of gems and programs, visit GeorgiaStateParks.org/HiddenGems.

What every West Georgian should know aboutLyme disease


I have found a number of ticks on my dog do I need to worry about Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and other tick diseases in my pets like in humans?

Th e simple answer is Yes. Lyme disease is a tick born disease named for Lyme, Ct. where in the 1970s a number of people developed the disease. Lyme disease is a disease that aff ects pets and humans alike. However, this disease is neither spread from animal to humans, nor from animal to animal. Instead, it is spread from the deer tick, which is the carrier of the disease. Once the tick bites your dog, it normally takes 2-4 days for the tick to inject the bacteria to be injected into your dog. Th e tricky part about Lyme disease is that after infection your dog may or may not become sick. A good number of dogs that are infected never show symptoms. Signs that your dog might be infected would include fever, lameness, or loss of appetite. In more severe infections, Lyme disease can aff ect the kidneys and develop into a life threatening issue. When the signs or symptoms are picked up early, Lyme disease is easily treated with antibiotics. Th ere is also a vaccine to prevent the disease in those most at risk. Another tick borne disease we encounter in pets is Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Just like Lyme disease, this is a disease that aff ects humans

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Q and animals alike and is spread by ticks. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is more commonly encountered in the southeast than is Lyme disease. It is caused by a bacteria called R. rickettsii, and is carried by the American dog tick. After the animal is bitten by an infected tick it can take up to 2 weeks to show symptoms. Th e early symptoms of infection are fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, pain in the eyes, and lameness. Later in the disease neurologic signs can develop, but once these symptoms develop the prognosis for survival worsens. However, when treatment is started early in the disease process, the prognosis is good and in some cases response to treatment will occur almost immediately. Unlike Lyme disease, there is not a vaccine available to prevent RMSF. During the spring and summer months it is important to have your pet on a good fl ea and tick control to prevent these disease from aff ecting your pets. To fi nd out which preventative is best for your pets, please feel free to make an appointment with one of our veterinarians at either of our locations.

Jason Harden, D.V.MCarroll County Animal Hospital

Qualifi cations:Dr. Jason Harden is a native of Carrollton, GA. He graduated from Oak Mountain Academy and continued on to the University of Georgia where he received his degree in Biology and his doctorate in veterinary medicine. His interests in veterinary medicine include surgery, exotic medicine, and ophthalmology. Dr. Harden is married to Chloe Harden, and they have 2 children, Maggie and Reese. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Animal Hospital Association. He is the chairman of the Oak Mountain Academy school board, a member of the Carrollton Lions Club, and on the board of directors of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce.

For more information, call 770-832-2475 or 770-834-1000 or visit www.carrollcountyah.com

Carroll County

Animal Hospital

(770) 832-2475Across from Sony Music

NOW SERVING YOU FROM TWO LOCATIONS635 Columbia Dr.

Carrollton, Ga. 30117(770) 832-2475

1155 Stripling Chapel Rd.Carrollton, Ga. 30116

(770) 834-1000

Sometimes your pet’s health care can’t be scheduledOffi ce Hours: Mon. - Sun. 8am - Midnight

Regular Offi ce Hours: Mon. - Sun. 8am - 6pm


Jeff BishopPresident Superior Structures


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What every West Georgian should know about... Metal Buildings

LEARN MORE www.superiorstructures.net

Are metal buildings used for shops only?

No, our structures are used for: shops, homes, home businesses, hobby shops, airplane hangers, horse barns, hay storage, garages, lake houses, mountain cabins, RV covers, RV storage buildings, carports, pavilions, pool covers, pool houses, basketball arenas, churches and a variety of commercial buildings and covers. We even off er lighthouses and portable buildings.

What options are available for metal buildings?

We off er many options from the basic steel building to a luxury home in a variety ofcustomizable shapes and sizes. Th ere are several diff erent roof shapes/styles to choose from. You can choose a sidewall height from 8’ to 16’ with options including: loft, lean-to, porch, cupola, weathervane, etc. You have a wide variety of colors to chose from so you either match your home or choose a color (or a combination of colors) that makes a statement.

What makes your structures so different than all the others we see out there?

First: Our structures are all American Made.Second: We use only local contractors and not out-of-state crews that you will never see again.Th ird: Th e owners are local and have lived in the same

community for their entire life. You are buying from someone you know and trust, someone who believes A good name is more desirable than great riches; Proverbs 22:1.

What is the advantage of steel and metal over traditional wood and shingles?

Less expensive - up to 50% savings over wood and shinglesFaster - Much faster build time, our structures can be “dried in” in a fraction of the time of wood.Maintenance - Almost 100% maintenance free, the roofi ng and siding have a 40-year limited warranty on the paint. You will never have to worry about terminates.Strength - Our steel framing is American Made and is 10” in circumference. Most others are only 8” or 9”. We have a new frame that is 14” in circumference (the largest in the industry) for unprecedented strength.

We have over 6,000 satisfi ed customers; individuals, farms, industrial, schools, local and stategovernments. We have built structures from airplane hangers to diaries, BBQ Restaurants to barns, covered walkways to man-caves, lake houses to mountain cabins.

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SUPERIOR QUALITY ★ SUPERIOR SERVICE ★ SUPERIOR STRUCTURES

Jeff Bishop has been a resident of Carroll County since he married his wife, Kathy, 27 years ago. Th ey worship and serve at Midway West Church in Carrollton.

Jeff has received several business awards including the most recent “Th e Best of Carroll” 2015 Award from the National Chamber of Commerce for Metal Buildings.

Jeff has been an entrepreneur for most of his life and he believes that you should treat every customer like family and always do what is right. Jeff quickly gives God all the Glory for his success in this business. Jeff and Kathy believe that God has chosen to bless their business because they strive to honor Jesus Christ in all that they do.

JEFF BISHOP3982 Hwy 61 • Carrollton, GA 30116 • Offi ce: 770-832-9939 • www.superiorstructures.net

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Greg Towler, PastorCrossroads Church

Pastor Greg has a Doctor of Ministry degree from Southern Baptist Th eological Seminary and has been the Lead Pastor of Crossroads Church in Douglasville, GA for over 15 years.


Q: How do I stay “on guard.”A: Summer is a great time to travel, go on vacation to the beach or just relax doing your favorite activity. Unfortunately, summer is also a time that our lives can take a turn in the wrong direction through making poor decisions. For us to have the best summer ever, it is important for us to have a plan to guard ourselves against things that could be destructive for our lives. I believe God’s word gives us a clear plan to do just that. Th e Bible tells us, “ I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing (2 Peter 3:17).”

Q: How do I have fun and learn to relax.A: We live in one of the busiest cultures in the world where we are always on the go. If we could, some of us would work in our sleep. Th e summer time is a great time for us to learn how to slow down and relax. Th e Bible tells us to, “enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God (Ecclesiastes 3:13).” Spend time doing something to better yourself. Read a book, go outdoors, or spend extra time with your family or friends. Take a trip, plan a stay-cation or invest in a friendship that helps you become a

What every West Georgian should know about...How to have the best summer ever!

better person. All these things seem obvious, but extra time and margin in your schedule will not create itself. You must be intentional with your schedule.

Q: How do I create a plan for success?A: Speaking of being intentional, one of the most important things people forget in the summer time is to have a plan. Great things happen because of great planning. One of the biggest mistakes people make in the summer time is over spending. My best advice is to create a summer budget and stick to it. Th ere is a story in the bible that contrasts the importance of fi nancial planning. “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without fi rst calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to fi nish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you (Luke 14:28–29).” Plan your vacations, trips, and activities ahead of time. Know the timing and costs involved with your summer plans and create a budget that works. Be as specifi c and realistic as possible when creating your fi nancial plans. To be the most successful, start saving as early as possible for your summer fun and be creative if you are on a tighter budget.

Helen Albrightson Business ManagerQualifi cationsA native of Wisconsin, Helen joined NG Turf in 2001. Her responsibilities include oversight of internal functions including accounting, sales, marketing and human resources. Helen has been a Certifi ed Turfgrass Professional since 2005.


SUMMER LAWN “BROWN SPOT” DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST FROM NG TURF

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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ad will receive one for free! Call NG Turf @ 770-832-8608.

Warmer weather has fi nally arrived! Blue skies, sunny days, and beautiful green lawns beckon us to play outside. But, wait… what’s that? A brown spot in your lawn! Where did that come from? Th e culprit may be an insect infestation, poor fertilization application, or even your family pet. Use this simple guide to help diagnose the problem.Brown spots, sometimes surrounded by a halo of green – Th ese are hallmarks of dog urine spots. Th e high concentration of nitrogen and salts in animal urine causes damage and, occasionally, greener growth. Th ere is no treatment for dog spots other than removing the dead turf and patching or reseeding. It may be possible to reduce the damage by increasing irrigation to dilute the salts. Make sure your dog drinks plenty of water to naturally dilute the urine and try to train Fido to use a mulched area as a potty instead. Sudden brown spots – Th ese are likely from an accidental spill. Check your mower for gasoline leaks and take special care when mixing fertilizer, herbicides, or outdoor detergents for vehicles and patio furniture.Blades of grass are brown at tips and edges – Sharpen your mower blade. A dull blade shreds leaf tips instead of providing a nice, clean cut. Shredded edges burn easier and invite disease.Brown patches over raised areas of the lawn – Raise your mower height because you are “scalping” your lawn on these raised areas. In fact, you may even be cutting into the crown, severely damaging your lawn.

Alternating streaks of brown and dark green grass – Th is indicates improper fertilizer application, possibly by an incorrect application pattern or spreader miscalibration. Check your fertilizer products and equipment carefully before the next application.Irregular areas of brown grass, leaves look chewed and ragged – You may have a sod webworm or armyworm infestation. To test the theory, mix 1 ounce of dish detergent in I gallon of water and apply to 1 square yard of the damaged area. Th e detergent irritates the insects and they rise to the top. More than 15 little caterpillars per square yard indicates the need for treatment with an insecticide.Yellow patches 2 to 6 inches in diameter – Th is may be a fungal disease called Dollar Spot. It aff ects leaf tissue but leaves roots unharmed. Practice good fertilization techniques. Mow only when the grass is dry, and be sure to bag and dispose of your clippings as your lawn recovers. Lawn is yellow all over and slow growing – Check your soil pH and fertilization requirements. You may need to adjust pH and add nitrogen.



Mother’s Day and Father’s Day combined with Grief

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How can you tell if someone is hurting because of Grief? Grief is a pain or emotion that we usually can’t see in other people. We can only see the hurt or heartache if someone allows us to see their pain. However, if their pain is so great that they can’t hide it any longer, you might see signs of their emotional pain.

Can Grief make Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, &/or other Holidays Hard Emotionally? Yes. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are wonderful holidays. However, with a broken heart, holidays can magnify the pain of losing a loved one. I realized that the fi rst Father’s Day after my father’s death. Th e familiar statement of “Happy Father’s Day” didn’t feel so “Happy” to me. I didn’t even want to look at a Father’s Day greeting card. It took years for me to feel comfortable about Father’s Day again. I am back to loving it again, but I had to survive the grief fi rst. Father’s Day celebrations had taken memories that were once happy and painfully transformed them into moments of sadness for a while. Now, thankfully, I realize how blessed I am to have the memories and love to live on in my heart.

Have you ever wondered what Mother’s Day or Father’s Day was like for a parent after the death of a child? Also, for parents who have lost a child, these holidays can be exceptionally hard to manage from an emotional standpoint. Any day can feel very lonely as a parent of a child who has passed away, but on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day the reality that your child is gone forever is something from which you can’t hide. Certainly many other specifi c reasons and circumstances exist as to why these holidays seem to intensify the feelings of grief and heartache for the survivors. However, once you are a mother or father, you are forever a mother or father. Remembering the love you shared may lead to shutting down on Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or even their birthdays, but remember that these feelings are part of grieving. Th e reason for this grief and pain is the result of experiencing such a strong, loving relationship. Spend time recalling the special bond that you once shared with your loved one, a bond that is

Scott McBrayerEllen Wynn McBrayerJones-Wynn Funeral Home & Crematory and Meadowbrook Memory GardensAs always, we remain “A Family Serving Families®....Since 1950”

Qualifi cationsScott & Ellen McBrayer are both licensed funeral directors and embalmers. Jones-Wynn Funeral Homes & Crematory has served our community since 1950. We keep our funeral home & crematory synonymous with its name & reputation of serving & caring for families. We are three generations carrying on one tradition. We off er Peace of Mind with the highest quality of service and aff ordable options. Our funeral home family is always available to help you clarify or answer questions you might need help with.

still cherished. Try to honor their lives as a part of who you are and by trying to always move forward, by living, and never losing hope.Please remember to always try and fi nd hope during these holidays. Even if these holidays shine a spotlight on your pain of missing them, we challenge you to make this holiday one to remember or to help someone else you know that might be missing their loved one.

What are some ways to honor and remember loved ones during holidays? Here are a few ways to honor and remember them:– Create a scrapbook, photo album, or just fi nd some older pics

of them. – Volunteer your time to an organization that you love and

support– Carry a special keepsake with you so that you will feel close

to them. – Write them a letter (that only you will see) and express to

them how you feel. You can relay that you miss them, or that you are mad they are gone. Maybe you even want to share a story you remember about them.

– Talk about special “rituals” or “inside jokes” you might have with them.

Can you change how you greet someone with a broken heart on this holiday Yes, remember when talking with someone who might look at Mother’s Day or Father’s day as painful to not say, “Happy” Father’s Day or “Happy” Mother’s Day, but rather simply say, “We hope you have a Blessed Day”. And encourage others to fi nd someone who you can talk openly with about how much you miss them.

LEARN MOREwww.jones-wynn.comVilla Rica Chapel - 770-459-3694Douglas Chapel - 770-942-2311

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What every West Georgian should know aboutChoosing Healthy Meals at a Restaurant


I am trying to eat healthier. What can I do to keep my calorie count in check while dining out?

When dining out, keep in mind that a typical restaurant serving is often twice the size of a single serving. If you are concerned about calories, ask for half a serving and request a to-go box for the other portion. Th is will decrease the amount of calories you’re consuming in one sitting and give you leftovers for lunch the next day. You can also share an entrée or order an appetizer instead of a main dish.How can I eat healthy at a casual dining restaurant?

Depending on the menu choices, restaurant meals can be high in fat and sodium. However, many restaurants off er healthier meal options that are just as delicious as those loaded with fat and salt. If you don’t see a menu item that fi ts your dietary needs, don’t be afraid to make a special request. Ask your server if the chef can alter a recipe to meet your needs. You can also request that your meal is prepared without butter to avoid extra calories. Limit high-sodium foods like those that are pickled, smoked or served in soy or teriyaki sauce. Ask that your food be prepared without added salt or MSG. Avoid menu items that are au gratin, crispy, escalloped, fried, pan-fried, sautéed or stuff ed —they are higher in fat and calories.How can I eat healthy at a fast food restaurant?

When you think about fast food, visions of greasy cheeseburgers, fried onion rings and super-sized soft drinks may be the fi rst thing that comes to mind. But more fast food restaurants now off er healthier alternatives, like grilled chicken sandwiches, side salads and smoothies. While you want to avoid burgers topped with cheese, mayonnaise-based sauces and bacon, there are ways to add fl avor without all the fat. Try topping your sandwiches with ketchup, lettuce, onions, mustard, pickles and tomato. A baked potato can

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be a healthy option for a side, but make sure you top it with low-fat sour cream instead of the full-fat version. Also avoid topping it with butter or cheese. Checking the nutrition information before going out is a great way to ensure you are making a healthy choice that fi ts your needs.I have food allergies. Can I have a healthy and satisfying experience while dining out?

It can be a challenge to dine out if you have a food allergy, but a healthy and satisfying dining experience is possible with a little planning. Before dining out, get a menu ahead of time and fi nd out what ingredients are in the foods at the restaurant where you plan to eat. When you arrive, let the server know about your food allergy before ordering. Avoid buff et-style restaurants because of potential cross-contamination from people using the same utensils for diff erent dishes. Also avoid fried menu items, since the same oil may be used for several diff erent foods.What can help me choose healthy restaurant options?

Tanner Health System’s Get Healthy, Live Well initiative has developed Menu It, a new smartphone app that helps users fi nd and choose healthy food options. Th e app works as a personal food and nutrition assistant. With the app, users will be able to check out the nutritional information for menu items at a number of chain restaurants and local, independent establishments. Users can receive personalized nutrition guidance based on chronic diseases, diet preferences, food preferences, life stages and weight management goals. Th e Menu It app is available for free in the Apple App Store and for Android devices on Google Play. Th e app can be downloaded by searching for “Menu It.”

Christina Schoerner, MS, RDN, LDNTanner Health System

Qualifi cations:Christina Schoerner, MS, RDN, LDN, is a registered dietitian nutritionist and health coach at Tanner Health System. A Carrollton native, Schoerner earned her bachelor’s in dietetics from Samford University and her master’s in nutrition from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

For more information, call 770.812.9871 or visit

www.GetHealthyLiveWell.org

M E N U I T

Go local, eat healthy with

MENU IT.

Get Healthy, Live Well’s new smartphone app, MENU IT, connects you to a world

of healthy meal options. Look up recipes, find a local farmers’ market and match

menu items at local restaurants to your dietary guidelines, all with MENU IT — the

app that helps put you in control of your health.

MENU IT was developed by Get Healthy, Live Well and area restaurants who have

committed to helping you eat better — and get your healthy on!

www.GetHealthyLiveWell.org

Download MENU IT on your smartphone for free today.

Choose healthier options with MENU IT.

A

Q

What every West Georgian needs to know about...

Vacation: Family Fun, or Is It?As schools everywhere come to a close, family vacations begin. If you remember or have seen any of Chevy Chase’s classic family vacation movies, you know they brought a whole new meaning to “family fun” with unexpected events and near disasters. To ensure that your family vacation is more fun than failure, consider the following tips from parenting experts:• Plan the trip as a family with activities for all to enjoy.

Talk about the trip ahead of time so all know what to expect and what to look forward to on the vacation.

• Prepare ahead of time and begin your trip rested. Many of the aggravating aspects of travel such as jet lag, uncooperative agents at hotels, car rental stands, and airlines may be more attributed to our beginning trips stressed and tired from last minute preparations. A rested, positive attitude makes it all easier to handle.

• Avoid over-packing. Gather what you think you need, then decide what you REALLY need, eliminating non-essential items and that extra outfi t or pair of shoes for each family member.

• When fl ying with children, while taking off and landing have a pacifi er, juice, or something that will cause the child to swallow. Th is will relieve ear pain.

• When traveling by car, avoid toys with tiny pieces that will get lost under and in between seats, causing stress and tears if they can’t be found.

• When cruising, choose the shorter “kid-friendly” cruises with activities that will keep your child happy and engaged – and Mom and Dad as well!

• If traveling to a foreign country, plan for shots and passports well in advance to avoid last minute complications.

• If your child has a tendency to become carsick, pack extra plastic bags. Also, avoid having them read in the car. Instead, play games that require looking out the windows such as fi nding certain colors of cars, American fl ags, etc.

• Leave at a time that will avoid anxiety – not at the child’s regular nap time or during high traffi c volume. Plan for extra time to arrive at the airport on time and plan enough time between connecting fl ights.

Vacations can and should be memorable times for the entire family. With thoughtful planning and preparation, along with fl exibility and positive attitudes, it can be a memorable time of family fun for all!

Learn more at: www.oakmountain.us770-834-6651

[email protected]


222 C�� P�� R�� ~ C��, GA 30116 ~ 770-834-6651 ~ ��.��.��

At Oak Mountain Academy we encourage our students to dream big! We believe strong students deserve to be challenged in order to fully develop their gifts. OMA combines academic and athletic rigor, along with a strong

commitment to the fine and performing arts, to encourage our students to strive to succeed. Oak Mountain Academy students grow into confident young adults who are ready to take on the world and become everything they ever dreamed!

We invite you to visit our campus and see for yourself what OMA is all about.

Please call today to schedule a personal tour of our beautiful campus, meet our students and faculty, and experience what it means to be a Warrior!

* Bus service is available from Douglasville and Villa Rica.

Paula GillispieHead of School Oak Mountain Academy, Carroll County’s only independent, college-preparatory, faith-based, day school

Qualifi cations

arning her graduate degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Th e George Washington University in Washington, DC, Paula is a lifetime educator in her fi fth year as Head of School at Oak Mountain Academy. Professionally, she chairs Accreditation Teams for the Southern Association of Independent Schools, is a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, National Council of Teachers of English, the International Reading Association, and Phi Delta Kappa. Additionally, she serves on the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Independent School Association. Paula is a member of the Carrollton Dawnbreakers Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, and she serves on the Workforce and Education Committee and the Board of Trustees of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce.

A� I�� P�� - K 3 �� 12�� G�� C�� -P�� S� ��

O � � M � � � � � � � A C A D E M Y

At Oak Mountain Academy we encourage our students to dream big! We believe strong students deserve to be challenged in order to fully develop their gifts. OMA combines academic and athletic rigor, along with a strong commitment to the fi ne and performing arts, to encourage our students to strive to succeed. Oak Mountain Academy students grow into confi dent

young adults who are ready to take on the world and become everything they ever dreamed! We invite you to visit our campus and see for yourself what OMA is all about.

Please call today to schedule a personal tour of our beautiful campus, meet our students and faculty, and experience what it means to be a Warrior!

222 CROSS PLAINS ROAD ~ CARROLLTON, GA 30116 ~ 770-834-6651 ~ WWW.OAKMOUNTAIN.US

MEDICINE BEYOND MEASURESM

To find a heart specialist, call 770.214.CARE or learn more at TannerHeartCare.org.

What’s a picture worth? The detailed images we create of your heart have value

beyond measure. Advanced imaging tests such as PET/CT, cardiac ultrasound,

catheterizations and MRI give us the information we need to assess the health

of your heart muscle, its function and the blood vessels that supply it. With an

accurate diagnosis, we can make a plan to improve your heart health and your life.

You don’t have to travel far from home to find heart imaging beyond measure.

WITH HEART IMAGING BEYOND MEASURE.

Advancing Health

WGL July-August 2016

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Transcript of WGL July-August 2016