CoverA01

YOUR L IFE UP NORTH

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013

2 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH

GOODlife 3

features 5 Good Taste New Year’s Ham & Beans

6 Good StuffGood to Go: Hook lying arm & leg lift

Good Humor: Katie MacInnis

Good for Kids: Swimming lessons

9 Good WordAnne Kelly

10 Good Thoughts S.A.D. & treatments

12 Cover Story Winter farmers markets

15 Good HealthQuelling cabin fever

17 Good Sport Skiing for all ages

19 Good Advice from Dr. Lauren Wise

20 Good Buys Crossfi t Petoskey

22 Good to Know Personality profi le: Jim Elzinga

On the cover: Patrick Scharinger, of Pond Hill Farm, in Harbor Springs, assembles a display of fresh vegetables at his table at the Petoskey farmers market at

North Central Michigan College. The Petoskey market has moved inside for the winter and will be each Friday morning in the concourse area of the Student and

Community Resource Center at the college. Photo by G. Randall Goss/GoodLife

4 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 - Volume 4, Issue 3

PUBLISHERDOUG CALDWELL

EDITORSHERI MCWHIRTER-O’DONNELL

PHOTOGRAPHYG. RANDALL GOSS

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GOODlife 5

Anyone who hears me speak on the telephone to my mother or grandmother knows I’ m not

originally from Northern Michigan.A slight southern twang surfaces

whenever these conversations happen, evidence of my birth in the central part of Southern Illinois. Now, you are cor-rect if you’re thinking Illinois isn’t ex-actly a southern state. But as I’ve been told, the coal mines in Kentucky and Tennessee once gave out decades ago, leaving the workers there to migrate to the carbon-rich parts of Illinois, bring-ing their southern accents and s outh-ern traditions with them.

Ultimately, this is wh y my family eats ham and beans on New Year’s Day.

It’s a southern food tradition to eat black-eyed peas on the fi rst day of the calendar year, a ritual intended to bring good luck and prosperity. It all began with Babylonia, if you c an believe it. Th e Jewish good luck tradition of e at-ing black-eyed peas on Ne w Year’s Day is founded in the Babylonian Tal-mud, compiled fi ve centuries before Jesus lived. Purportedly, the American South adopted that tradition from Jew-ish immigrants who arrived in Georgia in the early- to mid-18th century.

Traditionally, the meal includes col-lard greens and ham. Th e way the story goes, the swollen peas symbolize pros-perity, the greens symbolize money and the pork symbolizes positive mo-tion, all t hanks to the way hogs root forward when foraging. Oh, and don’t forget the cornbread, which doesn’t symbolize anything, as far as I know.

But whatever the reason, it’s quite clear this easy and ine xpensive meal

can feed a large family. See, the ingre-dients are a pound of black-eyed peas or Great Northern beans, along w ith some sea salt, black pepper and two or three pork hocks. Th e bag of beans costs around $3 and t he pork hocks collectively run around $2. A b ox of cornbread mix is le ss than 50 c ents. Th at means you get a big meal to feed a decent crowd for $5-6. How’s that for prosperity?

My family has its own interpreta-tion, of c ourse. My mother always joked that ham and b eans over c orn-bread is t he cheapest meal you c an make to feed a family. So doesn’t that mean every meal after New Year’s Day is an improvement?

Well, maybe not alw ays. Say, on popcorn nights. But it’s a nice tradition and I’m glad it’s mine.

Ingredients:

— 1 pound of black-eyed peas, or Great Northern beans

— 2-3 pork hocks

— Sea salt

— Black pepper

Directions:1. Soak the cleaned and s orted

beans overnight in c old water, according to instructions on the package. Th en drain and rinse.

2. Place the 2 or 3 p ork hocks in a large slow c ooker and add t he rinsed beans. Pour water over the top to fi ll up the cooker and add sea salt and black pepper to taste.

3. Cook the ingredients on low f or 8-10 hours, or on the high setting for 4-5 hours.

4. About an hour before being done, use tongs to remove the pork hocks from the cooker. Th en use a knife to cut loose as much meat as possible from the bones and skin. Return the meat to the cooker and discard the bones and skin.

5. Stir and serve the ham and beans soup over a slic e of c ornbread, preferably cornbread mixed with a heaping tablespoon of lo cal honey before baking.

Story and photography by Sheri McWhirter-O’Donnell

New Year’s Day ham & beans

New Year’s Day ham and beans are a tr a-ditional meal in many American households.

Southern food tradition intended to bring luck and prosperity

GOOD TASTE

6 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH

GOOD STUFF

GOOD TO GO GOOD HUMOR

Physical therapist Kelly Gib-son said she recommends a particular exercise to help

address low back pain problems.Gibson said this is a relatively

easy exercise to do, regardless of age. She recommends perform-ing this exercise on a fl at surface or mat, such as a bed.

“Th is exercise addresses trunk muscles, so back and a bdomi-nal muscles in the body’s trunk,” Gibson said.

A common reason clients may experience lower bac k pain is weak abdominals in the body’s trunk, she said. S o build-ing up the strength of both back

and abdominal muscles should reduce lower back pain, Gibson said.

A key element to the fi rst step in this exercise is fi nding the

“neutral pelvis” position. Gibson said that can be done by tilt -ing the pelvis forward and then back, before fi nding the mid-point.

“I tell people to arch their back all the way while ly ing down, then fl atten their back. Do that several times and fi nd the mid-point between the two plac es,” Gibson said.

Th at mid-point is wher e the pelvis is neutral, she said.

Hook lying arm/leg lift

Photography by G. Randall Goss

Position 1: Lie fl at on your back with knees bent and feet placed fl at on the surface, whether a bed or the fl oor. Find your neutral pelvis po-sition.

Position No. 2: Lift one arm above your he ad, while a t the same time raising the opposite foot a few inches off the surface. Hold that po-sition for a moment, this movement strengthens the back and abdominal muscles.

Position No. 3: Repeat the second position with the other arm and the other foot.

“Th at can be repeated 10 times on each side and t he key is to keep the abdominal mus-cles tight throughout,” Gibson

said. “Th e bonus to this is it also challenges for coordination, but once you get it, you’re good.”

— Sheri McWhirter-O’Donnell

Th at mid point is where the elvis is neutral, she said.

-

w-

The question I dread the most from friends is: “So, what have you been up to?” Either

I can’t remember or I am quickly Rolodex-ing through my day, hoping for something appropriate to say. I think:

“Can I tell this friend what I really do, now that I’m re-tired?” I feel like a parolee on a tether program who can’t ex-plain where she’s been. I haven’t just unpacked from a trip around the world, nor have I saved the whales or worked on a mission trip. But I recently spent a very happy afternoon watching six NCIS episodes in a row. And I have to say how much I admire the producers for hiring a man with grey hair (Gibbs), who is actually pretty hot, though he sure can be grumpy at times.

I do some volunteer work and I am involved with my church. I make lists each morning of important things to do, such as going to the library, changing the bed, making pies for the benefit dinner and my watercolor class

— a precarious balance between domesticity and insignificance.

We love to see our grand-son and children. But we have miles between us which, for them, is probably a God-send.

Not responsible

COURTESY PHOTOKatie MacInnis, columnist

from Harbor Springs

Continued on page 7

GOODlife 7

Xxx.

GOOD FOR KIDS

GOOD STUFF

Sometimes I define my happi-ness by what I am not doing. My world is more perfect without meetings, in-services, forms to sign, qualifications to be met and without being on my feet for 12 hours, knowing any minute someone would make a demand or complain about something, or even die. The day of my retirement party at the hospital, between cake and ice cream, there were two codes on my floor. I loved being a nurse and sought out exactly that kind of challenge, but I am so grateful I do not still work there.

Just a couple of weeks ago, my grandson and I were on a walk. He is 2 years old and fas-cinated by a lot of things I tell him. We examined a lamb’s ear weed in the grass and I plucked two “ears” to tuck into his knit-ted cap. Then I had to have ears as well. We were quite a pair! He doesn’t ask me about my day. And our walk seemed to be the most important thing I could ever do.

He is not responsible for much. He takes naps, holds hands and walks slowly enough to admire even the weeds. Maybe I, too, would accomplish more if I just tried to do less. GL

— Katie MacInnis

Katie MacInnis is a retired nurse living in Harbor Springs with her husband, Charlie. She became a nurse after obtaining a bachelor of arts degree in English and waiting tables for a year or two. Nursing and writing are still important to her, though only as volunteer work. She and her husband love living in Northern Michigan.

Winter months may not be when most t hink about a swim, though it ma y

prove to be the ideal time for chil-dren to take swimming lessons.

All three local community pools off er swimming lessons for children during the winter, in-cluding those in Charlevoix, East Jordan and Harbor Springs. Local aquatics professionals said sum-mer isn’t the only time to think about swimming skills.

“With us b eing surrounded by water up here, it’s imperative that kids know water safety and know how to swim,” said Mik e Cullip, aquatics specialist at the Harbor Springs Community Pool. “It’s a great indoor activity to keep the

kids in shape and in a safe place.”Families can choose from mul-

tiple swim-related options, such as group swimming lessons, pri-vate lessons or competitive swim clubs based at each of t he local community pools.

Betsy Granstra, aquatics coor-dinator at Charlevoix Area Com-munity Pool as well as East Jordan Community Pool director, agreed it’s important for Northern Mich-igan children to know swimming skills and winter is a good time to learn.

“It’s an im portant opportunity during the winter to get in t he pool and practice their skills. And it’s a nice family activity,” Granstra said. GL

Swimming lessons at community poolsBy Sheri McWhirter-O’Donnell · Photography by G. Randall Goss

Information about swimming lessons is available at each community pool. Th e

pools can be contacted at:— Charlevoix Area Community Pool11905 U.S. 31 North, Charlevoix(231) 547-0982; info@charlevoixpool.orgwww.charlevoixpool.org

— East Jordan Community PoolAt East Jordan High School101 Maple St., East Jordan(231) 536-2250; bgranstra@ejps.orgwww.eastjordanpool.com

— Harbor Springs Community PoolAt Harbor Springs High School500 Spring St., Harbor Springs(231) 526-4824; pool@harborps.orgwww.harborps.org/Pool/pool.htm

Libby Sterrett, ( front to back) 11, of Charlevoix, Gabby Snyder, 11, of East Jordan, and Tia

Spence, 11, of East Jordan, work on their back stroke while practicing at the East Jordan Com-

munity Pool. Swim teams from Charlevoix and East Jordan use the pool for practice.

Continued from page 6GOOD HUMOR

8 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH

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GOODlife 9

GOOD WORD

What is on your bucket list has a lot t o say about yourself and t he things you still w ant to experi-

ence and accomplish in life, things you don’t want left undone, lik e a half-hung laundry basket on a sunny day. Maybe it’s Pollyannaish given the implications of the phrase

“kicking the bucket,” but I pr efer to think of a bucket list along the lines of a tr eat jar f illed with enjoyable experiences, or a sand pail filled with fortune cookie adventures — all good and fulfilling.

One day as I w aited in the cash register line in J.C . Penney’s base-ment, two elderly ladies chatted away. “You know, I alw ays wanted to go to Hawaii,” one said t o the other. “But I never did. Now I just don’t have the energy.” The conver-sation gave me pause. I felt so badly for her. Right then and t here I de-cided that I would mak e my own plans to go to Hawaii. I put the plan on my bucket list and actually went the next year. I w ill never regret that trip and I think that’s the point of making and c hecking off your list, having no regrets.

The list do es not ha ve to exclu-sively be trips, although if you a sk most people, it appears vacations or travel adventures are priority items.

“What’s on your buc ket list?” I r e-cently asked some friends. Around the table the discussion included riding the Orient Express, sky div-ing, running with the bulls in Ma-drid, visiting every continent and riding the Trans Canadian Railway.

When someone put t he ques-

tion to me a f ew years ago, “See-ing Neil Diamond in c oncert,” was one of t he first phrases out of my mouth. So over Labor Day, a friend and I f lew to Vegas and sa w Neil do his H ot August Night Tour concert at the MGM Grand, along with 17,000 ot her fans. Now I’ m able to check that one of f the list. But what’s next? Southern Spain in September, I think. It sounds warm and wonderful. My college room-mate speaks the language and w ill be a p erfect traveling companion. I don’t want to miss s eeing Barce-lona and Madrid, or miss catching a glimpse of the Mediterranean.

Sure, some of m y goals are un-realistic, like being interviewed on the Today Show f or something I wrote or getting a cartoon caption chosen for The New Yorker. But

taking a river cruise down the Dan-ube or le arning to play golf better aren’t out of the question. I want to be sure to include altruistic goals; helping others in r emarkable ways or in unr emarkable ways should not be excluded. The more you give, the more you receive. That is an es-tablished fact.

There are books written on t he subject of bucket lists ranging from 99 to 2001 things to do before you die. That’s a lot of c hecking off! Whether the list is long or shor t it will be uniquely yours and c ompil-ing it is an e xercise in reflection. It can serve as a ledger showing what you have accomplished and what is hanging in t he balance. While no one entry will ever bring total ful-fillment, at least there will be sat-isfaction that you are still alive and moving forward. Robert Browning said it best, “Ah, but a man ’s reach must exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”

I have a friend who when a sked said he r eally didn’t have a buc ket list. He’s happy with where he is and with what he’s done. He doesn’t pine for more. My mother-in-law was like that, very content with the status quo. While I admir e those who seem to have a yoga s ense of inner peace and c ontentment, I am restless. To me, life is a jour-ney and every day offers the prom-ise of a ne w experience along t he way. My list may go on as long as I do; it s eems to constantly evolve. Keeping it going is my New Year’s resolution. I don’t want to have any regrets. GL

COURTESY PHOTO

No regretsBy

Anne Kelly

10 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH

GOOD THOUGHTS

It’s not unheard of to get the North-ern Michigan wintertime blues. In fact, it’s rather common nationwide

with as many as 11 million Americans who annually experience this condi-tion.

Michael Lucido, Charlevoix center supervisor for North Country Com-munity Men-tal Health, said about 1 in 4 p eople experience subsyndromal symptoms of the disorder

— commonly called SAD — and it is most often associ-ated with high latitude areas, precisely where North-ern Michigan falls on the globe.

“SAD is diag nosed when t here is a temporal relationship between the onset of de pression and t he fall and winter seasons, but then remits in the spring,” he said.

Th e disorder’s symptoms include depressed mood, low s elf-esteem, hopelessness, despair, apathy, anxiety, irritability, less interest in ple asurable activities (anhedonia), sleeping more and diffi culty staying awake, fatigue, low energy especially in the afternoon, craving for carbohydrates and s weet foods with weight gain, diffi culty con-centrating, poor memory and isolation from others. Lucido said there are sev-eral possible causes behind SAD.

“Th e Photoperiod Hypothesis sug-

gests that the shorter winter daylight time reduces the amount of direct light exposure. Melatonin is a ne urohor-mone that is im portant in r egulating the sleep-wake or cir cadian rhythm cycle, and varies seasonally with longer secretion during winter months be-cause of less exposure to light,” he said.

Another potential cause is the Phase-Shift Hypothesis, which states there is a phase delay of the circadian rhythm in that people are staying awake later into evening and arising later in the morn-ing, Lucido said, which again supports the impact of melatonin’s role in regu-lating the symptoms of SAD . Lastly, there are genetic contributions sug-gesting individuals with SAD frequent-ly have a family history of depression and there have been “Circadian Clock” genes implicated in SAD, he said.

Lucido said anyone who e xperi-ences these symptoms fi rstly should speak with his or her do ctor to rule out any other medical reasons for the symptoms.

“Your doctor may have a number of recommendations,” Lucido said.

Phototherapy has been suggested as a key intervention to address the direct problem of phot operiod and pha se shift hypotheses, he said.

“What is often recommended is pur-chasing a high intensity, 10,000 lux, full spectrum light box and us e it f or 30 minutes per day in t he morning,” Lu-cido said.

Th e light should be directed down-ward toward the eyes, but at an angle that prevents direct light. And there are side-eff ects for over use, including eyestrain, mild headaches, insomnia or irritability, he said.

“Also, it is im portant that you t alk

with your do ctor about any current medications that may have light sensi-tivity,” Lucido said.

He said another treatment may in-volve medications, such as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, also a common fi rst line tr eatment for de-pression. Medications can bring relief, though they can come along with side-eff ects. Also, a t herapist may also be able to use cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to change thoughts and be-haviors to combat the negative thought patterns or maladaptive behaviors that infl uence SAD, Lucido said.

“Cognitive behavioral therapy may help you addr ess the thoughts and actions that are preventing you from accessing the little direct sunlight we do have during the day, such as stay-ing inside rather than going out skiing or walking the dogs,” he said. “It is im-portant to be active during the winter.”

In addition to medication, Lucido said vitamin D supplements have

SAD seasonBy Sheri McWhirter-O’DonnellPhotos by G. Randall Goss

Seasonal Aff ective Disorder common in northern communities

Dr. Michael Lucido

BELOW: Th is full spectrum light used for bright light therapy is available at VitalCare in Petoskey.

North Country Community Mental Health

www.norcocmh.org

Charlevoix County6250 M-66 North

Charlevoix(231) 547-5885

Emmet County1420 Plaza Drive

Petoskey(231) 347-6701

GOODlife 11

been found to be as eff ective as light boxes in treating SAD. High quality light boxes can be purchased at VitalCare in Petoskey.

A great book on this topic is “Winter Blues: Everything You Need to Know t o Beat Seasonal Aff ective Disorder,” written by Dr. Norman Rosenthal. Lucido recommends the book as a good resource on the topic, as well as resi-dents’ own local doctors.

“Ask about options for treatment and consider the strat-egies to increase outdoor time,” he said. “ Get a pair of snowshoes. Th ere is no r eason we cannot get out in t he snow and embrace it!” GL

12 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH

COVER STORY

Farmers in nor thwest Lower Michigan are growing the fresh food season in B oyne City,

Charlevoix, East Jordan, Harbor Springs and Petoskey.

Wintertime farmers markets in these communities — s everal in a second season — now mak e it p os-sible for local residents to buy fresh

produce, even if t he options ar e somewhat limited. Growers expand their off erings through hoop houses and winter crops, along w ith the honeys, jams, meats, cheeses and eggs that make up winter’s cornu-copia.

“I think people want good, fresh food as often as possible. We try to meet that demand,” said Kathy Cov-eyou, of Coveyou Scenic Farm near Petoskey.

Coveyou and other local farmers sell their off erings on Fridays at Peto-skey’s new winter farmers market at North Central Michigan College, along with other winter markets in Charlevoix and Emme t counties. Coveyou off ered eggs, along w ith holiday wreaths and other greenery at a recent Petoskey winter market.

“We are working to get more greens and squash,” she said.

Across the way, Sue Duerksen of-

Fresh, local foods available at

winter marketsArea farmers grow the season in fi ve communities

By Sheri McWhirter-O’DonnellPhotography by G. Randall Goss

Jane ( from left) and Tim Bauman, of Door, Mich., check out the homemade preserves made by Callie Cupp, (right) of Guntzviller’s in Elk Rapids, at the Charlevoix farm-ers market on a Th ursday morning inside the Charlevoix Public Library.

GOODlife 13

fered various products from her tur-key farm in Antrim County. She sold sausages, ground turkey and turkey legs for roasting. She said she’s opti-mistic for winter markets to grow in popularity among t he region’s win-tertime residents.

“We’ve been doing farmers mar-kets for about seven years. Every time we he ar about an indo or mar-ket we go,” Duerksen said.

In Charlevoix, the winter farmers market takes place each Th ursday at the Charlevoix Public Library.

“It’s indoors, so after setting up your tent in the rain, sleet or snow, being inside is a nic e break for us,” said Renée Mosoryak, of Wholly Granoly in Bellaire.

She said they use local syrup, lo-cal honey and lo cal fruits in t heir granola. Th e idea is t o acquire as

many granola ingredients as pos-sible from within 30 miles of home.

“Anything we c an source from Michigan we do. Th e closer to home the better,” Mosoryak said.

Shopper Michelle Rick-Biddick, of Charlevoix, recently stopped by

the local winter farmers market to buy some fresh spinach and ot her produce. She said she’ s glad for the appearance of w inter markets in more and more communities.

“I love the fresh produce. I like to know it’s organic. And I lik e to sup-port local people,” she said while making her pur chase at the stand for the Pond Hill Farm in Harbor Springs.

Marci Spencer, from Pond Hill Farm, said t hey participate in t he Boyne City, Charlevoix, Harbor Springs and P etoskey winter farm-ers markets. Th e farm off ers both canned goods and fresh produce.

“We have all sorts of home-canned goods from jams t o salsa, pickles to relishes,” Spencer said. “ We also grow in our ho op house. We grow

“I think people want good, fresh

food as often as possible.

We try to meet that demand.”

— Kathy Coveyou, local grower

ABOVE: Tim Boyko (left) of Providence Farm, sells fresh vegetables to M ary Grace Otis, of East Jordan, at the Charlevoix farmers market in the Charlevoix Public Library. Th e library is host to the farm market each Th ursday morn-ing throughout the winter.

BELOW: Kathy Coveyou, of Coveyou Farms in Petoskey, assembles a display of holiday wreaths at her table during a Friday morning farmers market at North Central Michigan College. Th e Petoskey farmers market will be each Friday morning in the concourse area of the Student and Community Resource Center at North Central Michigan College, throughout the winter.

Continued on page 14

14 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH

kale, chard, spring mix, spinach and we still have some Brussels sprouts.”

Winter farmers markets remain somewhat small f or now, but t he growers remain confi dent they will continue to grow in p opular-ity, along w ith increased awareness of the benefi ts of local — even or-ganic — foods in terms of diet and a reduced carbon footprint.

“It’s so nice to have access to lo-cal produce, whether it’s in a can or it be freshly grown. We see people coming back week after week for their favorite spinach, or what have you,” Spencer said.

Coveyou said she hopes local residents will support the farmers at the winter markets while they work to “get going” in coming seasons to expand their off erings by setting up additional hoop houses and explore other winter crops.

In Boyne City, the winter farm-ers market is on Saturdays in the red barn next to Boyne District Library, while another winter market also is held on Saturdays at 157 State St. in downtown Harbor Springs. East Jordan hosts a w inter farmers mar-ket on t he second Th ursday of t he month at the East Jordan Commu-nity Center. GL

Boyne City — Boyne City’s indoor farmers market runs 9 a.m.-1 p.m. every Saturday through April in the red barn next to Boyne District Library. (231) 582-9009; www.boynecityfarmersmarket.com.

Charlevoix — Charlevoix’s farmers market is 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursdays through May in Charlevoix Public Library’s community room. (231) 547-2101; www.charlevoix.org.

East Jordan — East Jordan’s winter market is 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month from December through April at the East Jordan Community Center. (231) 536-7351.

Harbor Springs — Harbor Springs’ indoor farmers market runs 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays through the end of April at 157 State St. in downtown Harbor Springs. (231) 526-7999.

Petoskey — Petoskey’s winter farmers market is 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Fridays through March in the concourse in the Student and Community Resource Center at North Central Michigan College. Closed Dec. 21, Dec. 28 and when the college is closed for the holidays. (231) 487-1188.

Farm market vendors ( from left) Ashley Harris of Michigan Mushroom Market, Shaleen Millard of Farm Country Cheese with customer Don Hunter, and Eli Brown of the Farmer’s Daughter-Interwater Farm, sell their goods in the warm setting of the Charlevoix Public Library during the winter months.

Continued from page 13

GOODlife 15

GOOD HEALTH

Some people love w inter while others can’t wait for the warm air of spring to make its trium-

phant return. For the latter, cabin fe-ver can become a problem as winter progresses.

Cabin fever is t he feeling people get when they are relegated to spend-ing long periods of time indo ors. Be-cause winter weather can be harsh, cabin fever most often occurs in the winter, when t he weather outside discourages people from spend-ing time out doors or op ening their windows to let fresh air in. Th ough there’s nothing men and women c an do about the weather, they can take steps to quell cabin fever and avoid the wintertime blues.

AROUND THE HOUSETh ere are plenty of ways to make

a cabin less conducive to cabin fever.

— Let the sunshine in. Cold air out-side makes it foolish and potential-ly unhealthy to open the windows. But homeowners can still le t the sunshine outside those windows in.

— Work by t he window. More and more people now telecommute to work, which can make them more susceptible to cabin fever during the winter months. Choose an airy room with lots of windows to house your home offi ce. You’ll want your desk to face the windows dur-ing the workday so you can benefi t from the midday sun.

— Improve your home’ s aroma. While the validity of aromatherapy remains open for debate, improv-ing a home’s aroma during the win-ter months can remove the musty smell that forms when a home has been poorly ventilated for weeks or even months. Supporters of aro-matherapy suggest that some es-sential oils, including lavender and peppermint, improve one’s mood.

EMBRACE ACTIVITYMany people feel winter is a time

to hibernate, which can make them more susceptible to cabin fever. But even when the weather outside isn’t conducive to a bac kyard pool party, men and women can still stay active to fend off cabin fever.

— Exercise regularly. Regular exer-cise has both physical and mental benefi ts, the latter of which can be

especially valuable to those hop-ing to quell cabin fever. Exercise releases certain neurotransmitters in the brain that alleviate pain and improve mood.

— Get outdoors. Men and women don’t have to spend hours in a gym each day to stay active dur ing the winter months. It’s still possible to spend ample time outdoors when the weather is c old. Walk or r un when the conditions allow or em-brace an activ ity such as skiing or snowboarding to get off the couch and spend some quality time out -side.

— Shovel the driveway. If your b ody allows, shovel your ow n driveway when it snows . When done c or-rectly, shoveling is g reat exercise, and you may even cherish the time you get to spend outdoors.

By Metro Creative Services

Metro Creative ServicesEmbracing outdoor activities like skiing is one way to quell cabin fever this winter.

Seek light and activityto avoid wintertime blues

16 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH

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GOODlife 17

GOOD SPORT

There’s not much else like downhill skiing during Northern Michigan winters.

“Exhilarating, with the wind in your face,” said L ou Fantini, 71, of Petoskey. “Skiing gets us outdoors with good exercise and fresh air. We are not sit ting in f ront of t he televi-sion all day. It’s very stimulating. And, after a g ood day we ar e really tired. We love it.”

Fantini is or ganizing this year’s 70-Plus Ski Club Midwe st Division event with his w ife, Sue. About 200 participants are expected to attend the event at Nub’s Nob Ski Area, for the 26th year, between Jan. 29-31.

Th e 70-Plus Ski club is a na tional organization founded in 1977 by Lloyd Lambert, then 76. Now le d by Lloyd’s grandson, the organiza-tion continues to organize trips and events for its more than 3,000 mem-bers nationwide, including those here in the Midwest Division.

Nub’s Nob alw ays served as the home for the Midwest Division’s annual event, the fi rst ski resort in Michigan to off er free skiing to adults 70 years and older. Nub’s Nob general manager Jim Bartlett said it’s a continuation of ye ars spent skiing together.

“We’ve enjoyed the company of these folks for years when t hey weren’t 70, and t hen when t hey hit that milestone in lif e they are pro-vided with free skiing, so getting in-volved with them seemed only natu-ral,” Bartlett said.

Th e energy and excitement among the senior skiing g roup is not t o be

You’re not too old to downhill ski

By Aliana Knapp-Prasek ° Photography by G. Randall Goss

Shirley, 83, and Tom Wall, 89, of Suttons Bay, made it to the event in 2012.Continued on page 18

18 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH

missed, he said while tr ying to de-scribe the experience.

“One word — inspirational. Other sports that you par ticipate in when you are younger generally become too diffi cult for you in t hat seventh decade. Skiing is s omething you can do all your life. Th ese folks choose to live every day to the fullest,” Bartlett said.

Fantini skied downhill for 50 years and his wife skied for 25 years. Fanti-ni remembers his fi rst pair of Fischer wood skis t hat were very long and diffi cult to turn. Now he us es a pair of short skis that are easier to maneu-ver. During the season, Fantini likes to ski once or twice each week. And throughout the year, Fantini and his wife work out at the gym to keep in shape, he said.

“We are in good health and able to participate. We enjoy helping a lot of people to do something they like

and get together and ha ve a g ood time. It’s amazing once someone gets on the slopes. Skiing b elies the fact that they have all these ailments and rheumatisms. It is like watching the ballet — it’s amazing,” Fantini said.

Mike Keem, 71, of Char levoix, is a new member of t he 70-Plus Ski Club. He earned the title of Na star National Champion for Snowboard-ing in his ag e group in 2012 af ter a lifetime spent skiing sinc e his t een years. Keem started snowboarding 24 years ago after a hors e riding ac-cident that left him unable to use his poles. He rides an alpine snowboard, also known as a carving board.

“You go downhill with a lot of carv-ing, very similar to skiing, just on one board,” he said.

Keem said he rac es both on skis and his snowb oard and he and his wife, Mary, try to hit the slopes every day, rarely missing a day unless it’s re-

ally bad weather. He said it ma y not seem easy, but can become a beloved winter activity.

“Like any outdoor activity, you are outside getting some exercise, but people do ne ed to have a f air sense of balance,” he said. “ Anyone that is interested, don’t give up after the fi rst day because it is r eally tough — lots of bruises and sores. But, don’t give up.”

Anyone 70 years or older who is in-terested in participating at this year’s event must fi rst join the 70-Plus Ski Club. Applications will be available to become a member at the Midwest Division event.

Th ere will be various activities over the course of t he three days, including ski rac es, dinners, dances and social events. More information is available by c alling Lou and S ue Fantini at (231) 347-5061 or s ending email to badmala@charter.net. GL

LEFT: A crowd of senior skiers cheer on competi-tors in the slalom race.

ABOVE: Bob Vandervoort, Okemus, 91.

Continued from page 17

GOODlife 19

GOOD ADVICE

Tips to stay healthyQ&A with a local family doctor By Dr. Loren Wise

COURTESY PHOTODr. Loren Wise

No. 1: E at healthy foods. One of the most im portant keys to good health is eating a balanced diet. Th e term “balanced” simply means that a diet meets your n utritional needs while not providing too much of any nutrient. To achieve a balanced diet, eat a rang e of f oods from each of the food groups. Although it varies person to person, your f ood intake should consist of 50 percent fruit and vegetables, 25 p ercent lean protein and 25 percent starch.

No. 2: E xercise regularly. For op-timal health, pair r egular physical exercise with a healthy diet. Exercise can reduce high blo od pressure, de-pression and anxiety, as well as your risk for heart disease, stroke and many types of cancer. A good goal is at least 150 minutes of exercise each week, with plenty of t hat including moderate-intensity cardiovascular work.

No. 3: A void tobacco products. Smoking is one of t he most prevent-able causes of premature death in the United States. All forms of tobacco — not just cigarettes — contain the ad-dictive ingredient nicotine. And t o-bacco smoke contains approximately 250 other harmful ingredients, in-cluding at least 69 carcinogens (can-cer-causing agents). Smokers have a higher risk of de veloping coronary heart disease, heart attack (myocar-dial infarction), stroke, cancer, and lung disease.

No. 4: G et plenty of sle ep. Most adults need from seven to eight hours each night. According to the National Institutes of H ealth, inad-equate sleep increases risk for mood disorders, including depression, and can lead to poor concentration and judgment. Lack of sleep can also contribute to cardiovascular and metabolic problems. Sleep-deprived people tested using a dr iving simula-tor or p erforming a hand-e ye coor-dination task perform as badly as or worse than those who are intoxicated.

No. 5: See your physician regularly. Regular checkups with your primary care physician are critical to main-taining good health. Th ese could in-clude proper health care screenings and any necessary vaccinations. He or she can work with you to outline a more detailed plan f or preventive health that addresses your sp ecifi c needs and concerns. GL

Loren Wise, M.D.Board Certifi cation: Family Medicine

McLaren Northern MichiganMitchell Park Family Medicine

2390 Mitchell Park Drive, Suite D, Petoskey(231) 487-9355

www.northernhealth.org/mitchellpark

“Th ere’s a lot you can do on your

own to stay well and to prevent

illness and disease.”

— Dr. Loren Wise, Petoskey

Q: What are some preventive steps I can take to get healthy?

A: Believe it or not, there’s a lot you can do on your own to stay well and to prevent illness and disease. Th e fol-lowing pointers should help you maintain a high quality of life in the years ahead.

20 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH

GOOD BUYS

CrossFit Petoskey off ers three diff erent monthly membership plans based on the number of

hour-long sessions clients plan to at-tend each month, making it e asy to make the most of your money.

One of t he many unique a spects of CrossFit is t he benefi t of wor k-ing within a g roup, as well as hav-ing a trainer t o guide clients, ensure safe movements and p ersonalize the workout sessions. Trainer Phil Loesch said one of t he greatest ben-efi ts his c lients enjoy is t he camara-derie that builds within the group as they challenge themselves and e ach

other to improve their fi tness levels. CrossFit also is s et apart from

other workout models because it is a whole-body approach. Work begins at the core and moves outward, with each day bringing a diff erent routine. Th at means monotony-prompted boredom is not an issue, Loesch said.

Workouts typically begin by learn-ing and practicing the exercises with-out weights, he said, only af terward adding weight until the day’s goal weight is ac hieved. Individuals are challenged to increase the intensity of the workout, either by shortening the allotted time for a set number of

repetitions, or by incr easing repeti-tions for the given time f rame. Th is gives the benefi t of easily measurable fi tness and me asurable increases in fi tness, Loesch said.

Of course, he said t hat with in-creased fi tness comes the benefi t of positive neurological and physiologi-cal changes, as well. Th e high inten-sity, functional movements involved in CrossFit lend themselves to better everyday living and increased capac-ity to do more, Loesch said.

Clients can attend up t o two s es-sions a we ek for $80 mon thly, up to three sessions per week for $95

CrossFit Petoskey By Jonathan M. Shiril laPhotography by G. Randall Goss

CrossFit instructor Phil Loesch ( foreground) demonstrates the proper technique on a rowing machine during an adult CrossFit class.

GOODlife 21

monthly, or an unlimit ed number of sessions for $120 per month. Th e stu-dent rate is $45 per month.

CrossFit Petoskey off ers classes Monday through Saturday. Monday through Th ursday, classes begin at 5 a.m. and run every hour until 1 p.m., with three more sessions at 4 p.m., 5:15 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. F riday is nearly the same, just without the last two sessions of the day. On Saturday, there are three morning sessions at 7, 8 and 9 a.m.

In addition to adult classes, Cross-Fit Petoskey also off ers CrossFit kids classes for ages 3-5, 6-10 and 11-15 years. Th e kid-centered classes are taught by instructors who are Cross-Fit-certifi ed and obt ained a sp ecial CrossFit Kids certifi cation, as well.

Classes for children between 3-5 years are held Tuesday and Th urs-day from 9-9:30 a.m. Th ose between 6-10 years can come Monday and Wednesday from 4-5 p.m., while classes for those between 11-15 years are held Tuesday and Th ursday from 4-5 p.m.

CrossFit Petoskey is at 345 N. Di-vision in Petoskey. Call (231) 753-2050 for more information, or v isit www.crossfi tpetoskey.com online. GL

LEFT: CrossFit Petoskey instructor Phil Loesch ( fore-ground center) leads a class in warm-up squats during a CrossFit workout.

ABOVE: Kristin Jeff ers, of Petoskey, high steps it with the rest of the adult CrossFit class during warm up exercises at CrossFit Petoskey.

22 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH

GOOD TO KNOW

The burning of cold winter air is enough to deter even avid run-ners, but lo cal running legend

Jim Elzinga doesn’t fl inch. Elzinga, of t he Alanson area —

who recently turned 77 years old — is the epitome of motivation. Using screws for traction on the bottom of his sneakers and dr essing for win-ter weather, Elzinga claims even the snow is not an excuse.

“Th e hardest part about running is just getting out the door,” Elzinga said in a recent interview.

Back in F ebruary 2012, El z-inga announced his g oal of log-ging 40,000 lif etime miles. Despite a summer kne e injury, he is w ithin 300 miles of his goal.

While recovering from his in-jury, Elzinga — who is a pr oponent of cross training and stretching — used cycling, Pilates and weigh t training to stay in shape. Because of his competitive nature, Elzinga ad-mits he has a hard time sleeping and loses his a ppetite when ba ttling in-juries, which luckily remain few and far between.

When Elzinga is not found on the road, he can be seen running in the pool at the Staff ord’s Crooked River Lodge, on the track at North Central Michigan College, or with a pair of cross country skis or snowshoes.

Now, back on t he road, Elzinga has no plans to slow down.

To meet his 40,000 mark, Elzinga aims to run 18 miles each week.

“I will for sure reach my goal in 2013 and I w ill have my running friends with me t o cross the fi nish line,” he said, smiling.

Th ese friends are the support sys-tem he ac quired over t he years in the world of competitive racing.

“When I started running back in

the ‘70s, I lost a lot of f riends who didn’t fi t with my new lifestyle, but I felt better, and that was what was important.”

Nearly 37 years ago, Elzinga be-gan running as motivation to com-bat unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as poor diet, a str essful job and smoking. Now, looking fi t for any age, Elzinga boasts he ha s no ne ed for medications.

Besides daily runs in nearby neighborhoods and on t he North Country Trail, Elzinga competes in races nearly every weekend. Racing and motivation go hand-in-hand, he said.

“If I didn’t sign up for races, I might lack the motivation to get out when it’s raining or cold,” Elzinga admits.

At least this is proof he is inde ed human.

Racing also is an obv ious way to satisfy his apparent competitive na-ture.

Running did not c ome naturally for Elzinga, who b egan by r unning just a quar ter of a mile. Th is left him red and huffi ng and puffi ng, he joked. But he s oon worked to three miles and t hen six, and t he rest is history.

Elzinga believes most people have the ability to run within reason. He recommends starting with a w alk and slowly adding a jog each outing.

“Our biggest obstacles really are ourselves. Just put one foot in front of the other,” he said. GL

Alanson’s Jim Elzinga, running legend

By Danielle McIntoshPhotography by G. Randall Goss

Jim Elzinga runs on the walking track at North Central Michigan College in Petoskey.

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24 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH