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File Photo

Jack Lybyer, member of the Arlington Garden Club, tends to the community garden.

When the winter rain and cold subsides and spring moves in to the Pacific Northwest, it’s the perfect time to get out your supplies and start gardening.

While growing a flower or vegetable garden may beautify your lawn, it has the added benefit of keeping you healthy.

“It gets people outside doing exercise,” said Bea Randall, past president of the Arlington Garden Club. “I used to use it as a stress reliever when I was younger.”

There are several health benefits of gardening including exercise, stress relief and growing organic produce for meals.

When thinking of exercise activities, gardening isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind — but one full hour of gardening can burn between 270 and 450 calories depend-ing on the weight of the gardener.

“For people who are older, it’s an exercise that they can do,” said Randall. “When you are out there thinking about how pretty things are going to be, you don’t think about your aches and pains.”

As Randall mentioned, it can be a stress-relieving activity as well, which is important to consider as part of maintain-ing good health. High levels of stress have been shown to be linked to illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure and depression.

Having a vegetable garden is the perfect way to save money and grow healthy food for your dinner table.

Randall is also a member of the Master Gardener Pro-

Gardening: food for thought and body

See GARDeN, PAGe 3

Health & WellnessMARCH 2013 3

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gram, which has hosted classes on growing your own food.“There were a lot of people who were interested in grow-

ing groceries,” she said. “The most popular vegetable that people want to grow around here is probably the tomato.”

Indoor gardening has become more popular in this area as well, mostly due to the wet weather. Local indoor gardening businesses have seen an increase in families and even chil-dren who want to start their own fruit and vegetable gardens indoors.

“We can grow strawberry plants indoors, and can speed up the process so that you can produce fruit every three months,” said Holly Wheeler, co-owner of Green Acres Indoor Garden supply store in Marysville. “It’s kind of like when you have stuff growing outdoors; they need food, oxygen and rest.”

Gardening can be good not only for the gardener, it can also help out people in need.

“The Master Gardeners also have a grant program to help people build a community garden,” said Randall. “A com-munity garden is a place where they are growing groceries for the food bank or low-income people.”

Although gardening is great way to stay healthy and

happy, it does come with some warnings.“It’s like all activities, you need to start slow,” said Ran-

dall, who also noted the importance of being careful around sharpened garden tools. “In the spring, you don’t just jump right out in the garden for five hours. Start with one hour and then work your way up from there.”

The Arlington Garden Club is hosting a free “How to start a vegetable garden” class for beginners in the city of Arling-ton’s Community Room, adjacent to the Arlington Boys & Girls Club, on Saturday, April 6.

GARDeN FROM PAGe 2

File Photo

The Arlington Community Garden grows food for the Arlington Food Bank.

Health & Wellness MARCH 20134

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Whatever the sport or athletic activity, the staff members at the Arlington and Marysville Boys & Girls Clubs agree that the key to getting kids to adopt healthier lifestyles is enjoyment more than competition.

“I just try to get as many kids involved as I can,” said Kevin Coghill, athletic director for the Arlington Boys & Girls Club. “Most of these kids won’t be playing the sports that we offer at the high school competition level, but I want them to enjoy playing those sports now, as recreation. If you make them feel like they’re part of a team, don’t push them too hard and give them good experiences, they’ll keep coming back to those sports on some level, even if it’s just to stay active and healthy.”

“It’s not about wins or losses in games, but developing a healthy lifestyle in general,” said Matt Evans, unit direc-tor for the Marysville Boys & Girls Club. “Whatever sport or activity the kids are doing, it has to be fun and joyous. If they’re being forced to do it, you’re not going to succeed in getting them to adopt it as a habit.”

The Arlington Boys & Girls Club’s signups for co-ed

Boys & Girls Clubs aim to keep kids healthy

File Photo

Kobe Gray, left, charges past Michael Baesman to reach the basket during one of the all-ages pick-up basketball games at the Arlington Boys & Girls Club.See CLUBS, PAGe 6

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baseball are underway from now through April 4, in youth divisions ranging from T-ball for ages 4-5, coach pitch base-ball for ages 6-7 and pitching machine baseball for ages 7-9.

“The Stilly Valley Little League is the ‘real’ baseball for younger kids, and we do partner with them, but our modified pitch versions of baseball help younger kids get more famil-iar and comfortable with the sport, so that they’ll feel more ready for things like full-fledged Little League baseball,” Coghill said. “Stilly Valley actually accepts kids as young as 7, but between the ages of 7-9, those kids can do baseball with them or with us. It’s a mutual agreement that gives parents more options, since we recognize that not all kids are ready for the same levels of sports at the same times.”

The Arlington Boys & Girls Club’s baseball season will run from April 8 through June 8. The cost is $80 for T-ball and $90 each for either coach pitch or pitching machine baseball.

Over at the Marysville Boys & Girls Clubs, amidst all the kids’ regular spring sports, Evans has found a way to keep young people on their feet and moving even when the weather outside is typical of Washington.

“We call it the ‘I-5 Fun Run,’” Evans said, as young-sters walked and ran around the inside of the Marysville

Boys & Girls Club’s gym, getting stamps on special cards as they went. “Each lap around the outside of the traffic cones counts as ‘one mile,’ even though it’s obviously much shorter than that, and around the walls of the gym we track the distance they’ve walked by which cities they’d reach by walking that many miles south on I-5.”

Each session of the “I-5 Fun Run” lasts about 15-20 minutes, or about three to four of the songs that are played to motivate the kids, and each “city” that the kids reach along the way scores them an appropriate prize.

“Portland is the home of the Voodoo Doughnut shops, so each kid gets a doughnut when they get that far,” Evans said. “Ashland is home to the Shakespeare Festival, so each kid gets a book when they make it that many ‘miles.’ I’m a huge comic book guy, so since San Diego is the site of Comic-Con, I’ll be giving the kids comics when they reach that point.”

This unique course of afternoon walking and running falls in line with Evans’ belief that adopting more creative approaches to physical activity will more successfully en-gage children.

“It doesn’t just have to be four laps around the track, or always going to the standard defaults of football, baseball and basketball,” Evans said. “You can try hiking or biking or Frisbee golf. Whatever you do, though, do something that you like, and do it as a family.”

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CLUBS FROM PAGe 4

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Parks and Rec offers sports leagues to keep

you active, healthy

File Photo

Arlington Parks and Recreation softball teams compete in a summer game.

After high school graduation many adults stop compet-ing in team sports and lose out on the exercise and friendly competition that those sports provide.

Getting into shape or keeping up a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to mean slaving away at the gym or spacing out on a treadmill.

“I think that adult sports leagues give the community another option,” said Carsten Mullin, Arlington Parks, Arts and Recreation Commissioner. “You can go to the gym or you can go running, but this gives adults another option for exercise and competitiveness.”

Adult sports leagues such as softball, hardball and kick-ball give people the opportunity to join a team, exercise on a regular basis and feel a sense of accomplishment.

“I think that a lot of people who play adult sports played in high school and there aren’t many options to be competi-tive in that manner,” said Dave Hall, athletic coordinator for Marysville Parks and Recreation. “It’s important that people are staying physically active.”

You can burn up to 900 calories an hour playing softball or baseball, depending on how much you are moving or how

See LeAGUeS, PAGe 10

The transition into springtime means more sun, more flowers, more birds chirping, and it also means that parks and trails that were closed for the winter season are opening back up again for visitors — a perfect place for people to get active and stay healthy.

In Snohomish County alone there are more than 100 parks, including seven trails and trailheads for people look-ing to stay healthy by hiking, horseback riding, walking or biking for fitness purposes.

“We have close to half a million users on the Centennial Trail annually,” said Tom Teigen, Snohomish County Parks and Recreation director. “Obviously, one of the best things we can do is just walk. If every American simply walked for 30 minutes a day, we would save over one trillion dollars in health care costs.”

One reason to get out and start visiting trails and parks is that, in comparison to other exercise activities, it’s com-pletely free.

“The reason why our trails are important is because of the accessibility,” said Teigen. “If you have no money, no gym membership, you can just get out and walk on the trail at no cost.”

In Arlington and Marysville there are several parks and trails open to visitors looking to stay healthy. Northpointe Park in Marysville even has outdoor fitness stations, which suggest additional exercises for users to do while visiting the park. Taking note of how much you are exercising is important as well.

“The distances are marked on the track at Jennings Park [in Marysville] so you can see just how far you’ve gone,” said Marysville Athletic Director Dave Hall.

“We are seeing huge numbers of visitors on our trails,”

said Teigen. “Snohomish County Parks has 104 proper-ties and just under four million visitors a year. We honestly believe that parks are one of the best places to get out and recreate. You can walk, trail run, ride horseback. All of those things have health and wellness benefits, like for cardiovas-cular health.”

Some of the positive effects of frequently visiting trails and parks are not necessarily physical, but still tied to main-taining a healthy lifestyle.

“I think it makes anyone feel better to walk around and be in nature. Even if it’s still a bit drizzly, the brightness helps,” said Sarah Lopez, recreation coordinator for Arlington.

Health & Wellness MARCH 20138

Improve your health at trails, parks

Courtesy Graphic

Centennial Trail, which runs from North Arlington to Snohom-ish, sees half a million visitors every year.

See TRAILS, PAGe 9

File Photo

Visitors celebrate the opening of the Nakashima Trailhead on the Centennial Trail in Arlington.

Health & WellnessMARCH 2013 9

Teigen agreed.“There have been a lot of studies done over the last 30

years, where you’ve had folks in hospitals in critical care. They studied people with windows that faced trees and na-ture, and people with windows that faced another building,” he said. “People who saw a natural environment had a faster recovery than those who didn’t, regardless of the history of the person. There is a strong connectivity in all of us to nature.”

“There is a kid in all of us. You think back to the days of climbing trees or building forts. There’s a lot to be said for spending time outside everyday. It makes us healthier, psychologically, physically and emotionally.”

Although trails and parks are generally safe, there are some tips available for those looking to get outside.

“Check trail conditions before you leave and make sure that you are prepared,” said Lopez. “The Forest Service has helpful tips of things that you might need.”

For a full list of local trails, visit the city of Arlington website at www.arlingtonwa.gov, the city of Marysville website at www.marysvillewa.gov or the Snohomish County Parks and Recreation website at www.snocoparks.org.

Arlington Parks and TrailsArlington Skate Park

18501 59th Avenue NEBill Quake Memorial Park

18501 59th Avenue NE Centennial Park

200 Block of Division StreetCentennial Trail

Lebanon Avenue to Haller Avenue (downtown) or 67th Avenue NE Section: 172nd Street to 204th StreetCountry Charm Park

604 E Gilman StreetHaller Park

1100 West AvenueHigh Clover Park

19909 49th Avenue NEForest Trail Park

18005 Oxford DriveJ. Rudy York Memorial Park

3209 180th Street NE (Smokey Point)Jensen Park

7801 Jensen Farm LaneLebanon Park

105 Lebanon AvenueLegion Memorial Park

114 North OlympicRiver Crest Trail

6020 206th Street NEStormwater Wetlands Park/Eagle Trail

1100 West AvenueThe Rockery (Garden)

Corner of Division Street and West AvenueTerrace Park

809 E. Fifth StreetTwin Rivers Park

SR 530 at Lincoln BridgeW.E. Evans Park

18813 59th AvenueWedgewood Park

17510 Gleneagle Boule-vardZimmerman Hill Climb

South end of Crown Ridge BoulevardArlington Rotary Disc Golf Course

SR 530 at Lincoln BridgeAirport Trail

Around Arlington Airport with access at 43rd Avenue and 51st Avenue at 172nd StreetMarysville Parks and TrailsCedarcrest Vista Park

6401 82nd Street NEComeford Park

514 Delta AvenueDeering Wildflower Acres

4708 79th Avenue NEEbey Waterfront Park

1404 First StreetFoothills Park

7201 59th Street NEHarborview Park

4700 60th Avenue NE

Hickock Park67th Avenue and SR 529

Jennings Memorial Park6915 Armar Road

Kiwanis Park6714 40th Street NE

Marysville Skate Park1050 Columbia Avenue

Northpointe Park70th Street and 75th Drive

NEParkside Way Park

7729 64th Place NEShasta Ridge Park

3907 82nd Avenue NEStrawberry Fields Park

6100 152nd StreetTuscany Ridge Park

8512 Getchell Hill RoadVerda Ridge Park

5321 73rd Avenue NEYouth Peace Park

Grove Street and 67th Avenue NE

Trails and parks in Arlington, Marysville

TRAILS FROM PAGe 8

File Photo

Skateboarders of all ages get a workout at Marysville’s Skate Park.

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often you run. The running in most team sports not only strengthens the muscles used, but it is also a good way of getting in cardiovascular exercise. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests that adults between the ages of 18 and 64 should get two and half hours of aerobic activity every week, as well as muscle-strengthening activities, that work all major muscle groups, on two or more days a week.

Spring is the perfect time to join an adult sports league or at the very least prepare for one.

“You have to start. You can’t just say, ‘I’m going to do this tomorrow, or next week, or next month.’ You have to start now,” said Hall. “But if you are thinking about joining a spring softball league, don’t show up at the first game without having even thrown a ball

around. You could pull a muscle and be out for the rest of the season. Start slow and be prepared.”

“It definitely seems that people are more interested in joining a sport in the spring. That’s why we pick July and August for our leagues, because around this area there is a lot more sun during those months and the weather is more predictable. I don’t think we had a rainout at all last year. As soon as the sun gets out and the weather warms up, people are excited and geared up to start playing,” said Mullin, who suggested checking the newspaper for upcoming sports activities. “Or you can always call your local city recreation department to find something.”

Sarah Lopez, recreation coordinator for the city of Arlington, suggests also looking into private adult leagues.

“There is also the local church league,” she said. “But you have to be affiliated with one of the churches to play for them.”

For information on local city sports leagues, call the Arlington Parks and Recreation department at 360-403-3448, or the Marysville Parks and Rec-reation Department at 360-363-8400.

LeAGUeS FROM PAGe 7

File Photo

Kickball is a popular league sport offered by the Marysville Parks and Recreation Department.

Health & WellnessMARCH 2013 11

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Local health food stores recommend going natural in your diet

If there’s one trend of healthy eating that Sheli Fisher and Roger Smith can agree on, it’s going natural.

Fisher owns “Just for the Health of It” at 9214 State Ave. in Marysville, while Smith owns Arlington Health Foods at 317 N. Olympic Ave. in Arlington, and each one promotes diets de-signed to cut out a lot of what they believe modern industry has done to damage foods and drugs.

Sheli and her daughter, Courteney Fisher, already offer a wide variety of gluten-free foods at “Just for the Health of It,” but another recent culinary movement that they’ve tested out for themselves is the “paleolithic diet,” also known as the “caveman diet” for its emulation of a more hunter-gatherer menu.

“It’s insanely popular,” said Courteney Fisher, who works as the manager of her mother’s store. “You basically eliminate all sugar, all grains, all dairy and all legumes — that means no peanuts.”

“It’s a gluten-free diet by default,” Sheli Fisher said. “You’re pretty much sticking to fruit, vegetables, meat, nuts and seeds. We stock paleo bread that’s made from almonds and coconuts.

Staff Photo

Sheli and Courteney Fisher of ‘Just for the Health of It’ bran-dish gluten-free egg rolls, pot stickers and taquitos.See NATURAL, PAGe 12

Health & Wellness MARCH 201312

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The Walden Farms line is paleo-friendly, except for their peanut butter. Pretty much everyone I’ve seen who’s doing CrossFit is on the paleo diet. I did it for just three weeks before my other daughter’s wedding, and I lost 13 pounds that have never come back.”

At the same time, the Fishers have seen a steady increase in their number of gluten-free customers, which Sheli attributed to a corresponding increase in awareness about gluten sensitivity.

“The problem is that it can be difficult to recognize the symptoms, since they range across the board,” said Sheli Fisher, who touted egg rolls, pot stickers, Bavarian pretzel rolls, taquitos, and even Ramen and Vermicelli as among the foods that now have gluten-free versions. “A good rule of thumb is, if a food product doesn’t say ‘gluten-free’ on the label, you shouldn’t risk it. It’s just as simple with your diet. If you’re reading the label of a food product and you don’t know or can’t pronounce the ingredients, just set it back on the shelf. If you listen to your body and how it’s feeling, it’ll tell you if your diet is wrong.”

The Fishers’ warnings against genetically modified foods were echoed by Smith, who sees the increasing numbers of diagnoses of allergies to gluten and pollen as possibly being caused by the numbers of chemicals in our foods and drugs.

“An allergy is when your immune system responds to a

perfectly normal substance as an invader and attacks it,” Smith said. “Our immune systems are weakened when our bodies have to deal with things like food additives, and even when you take drugs to deal with the symptoms of allergies, you’re still putting chemicals into your system that way.”

Smith advocates cutting processed foods out of one’s diet as much as possible, on up to sticking mainly with “raw foods” that are not only unprocessed, but also uncooked and organi-cally grown.

“When foods are genetically modified, they become unrec-ognizable to the body,” Smith said. “We’re introducing babies to certain foods too soon, which is how allergies can start. Even pasteurization and homogenization can kill the good bacteria in milk. I’m a big believer in getting the milk straight from the animal. Without pasteurization, there can be issues with bad bacteria, but I was raised that way and didn’t have any prob-lems.”

Smith carries raw goat’s milk at Arlington Health Foods, de-scribing goat’s milk as healthier and easier to digest than cow’s milk, and he noted that stores such as his carry entire lines of natural antihistamines, designed to alleviate the symptoms of al-lergies without introducing the body to further chemicals.

“And I’m still carrying the omega oils,” Smith said. Our cells work off omega oils, but we don’t eat enough wild game and grass-fed animals to obtain those oils anymore. Even a lot of farm-raised animals are still fed chemicals that deplete the proper content of those oils.”

NATURAL FROM PAGe 11

Health & WellnessMARCH 2013 13

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YMCA: Pace yourself to get fitRonda Hardcastle, health and wellness director for the

Marysville YMCA, sees plenty of crowds come in at the start of the year to fulfill New Year’s resolutions, but as winter turns to spring many of those new YMCA members become scarce, and to prevent that she’s advising those who have decided to adopt healthier lifestyles to pace themselves.

“It’s good that they want to make a change, if their current lifestyles aren’t as healthy,” Hardcastle said. “The problem is when they think they can go from doing little or nothing to going gangbusters and overdoing it. Rather than trying to go to the Y every day of the week, they should plan out their calendars to come here on just certain days of the week. Those who have plans tend to succeed, and it has to be their plan. If we dictate a plan to them, or if they overcommit themselves to a plan that’s not realistic, they’ll hate it and never come back. When you start on the path toward a healthier lifestyle, you can set yourself up for success or failure very early on.”

Which is not to say that the staff of the YMCA is not avail-able to assist new members; indeed, Hardcastle noted that another stumbling block for those who first enter the Y is the sense of being overwhelmed with choices, which is why she

See YMCA, PAGe 14

Staff Photo

The Marysville YMCA’s morning classes, such as step aero-bics, focus on increasing participants’ endurance, respiration and circulation.

encourages new members to seek out YMCA staff upon their first visit.

“It’s one thing to have rough goals for getting healthier, but it’s another to walk in the door, see all the programs we have to offer and wonder how exactly they’ll do that,” Hardcastle said. “We try not to impose upon people or as-sume that they don’t know what they’re doing, but if you say, ‘I need help’ and ask us, we’re glad to work with you to figure out what you’re looking for and point you in the right direction.”

According to Hardcastle, part of that process can include connecting new Y members to wellness experts who will talk to them about their fitness goals, their recre-ational interests and their previous exercise experiences to determine whether cardio, weights, the pool or any number or other workout classes would suit those prospective participants the best.

“Instead of just putting you on a treadmill, we try to tailor those programs to your wants and needs,” said Hard-castle, who added that Marysville YMCA members even have the option to fill out food journals and map out meal plans, as YMCA staff members assist them in drawing up nutritious grocery lists. “Ultimately, though, it has to be their plans, not ours. If they don’t take ownership of the plan, they won’t follow it.”

Mornings at the Y can include offerings as diverse as stationary cycling, muscle and cardio workouts, and even Zumba, but all these classes share in common a focus on increasing participants’ endurance, respiration and circula-tion.

“Anybody can walk into those classes,” Hardcastle said. “When you start out, you shouldn’t measure your own performance against the people who have been there forever, because they all started out at the same point as you. Be aware of your own capabilities, and don’t be em-barrassed if you can’t step as high or cycle as fast, because not even the instructors can do everything.”

The Marysville YMCA’s daily classes start at 5:30 a.m. and run as late as 7-8 p.m., albeit with a bit of a midday break in between, and many are designed with active older adults in mind, from yoga to Pilates, not to mention the day care services for members that allow parents to bring their kids along while they work out.

“There’s a real camaraderie in those classes,” Hard-castle said. “So much of getting yourself healthy is getting into good habits, and the other people at your workouts can help with that. If you get involved, they’ll ask after you if you’re not there, and they’ll welcome you when you come back. It’s a form of community, and that positive support can help keep you on track.”

Health & Wellness MARCH 201314

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YMCA FROM PAGe 14

Staff Photo

Sara Reynolds, left, and Britt Parker pedal away at the station-ary cycles at the Marysville YMCA.

Health & WellnessMARCH 2013 15

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360-659-8145

Lance CurryFinancial Advisor9023 State Ave. Suite CMarysville, WA 98270360-658-8355

Gregory JensenFinancial Advisor9925 State Ave. Suite DMarysville, WA 98270360-658-1981

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ArlingtonNew Year’s Resolution Beginner Bootcamp

If you’re ready for a strong body, more energy and awesome health, Yes You Can Fitness will lead the way on Tuesdays from 6-7 p.m. at Lakewood Elementary School, located at 17100 16th Dr. NE in Marysville. The next four-week session runs from April 2-23 for $35. Call 425-418-7328 if you have questions, or 360-403-3448 to register.

Adult and Teen Kung Fu and Eskrima

Attendees can learn self defense skills while having fun and getting fit, through low-impact classes designed for all ability levels, on Thursdays from 7:30-8:15 p.m. The next session runs from April 18 through June 6 for $85. For more information, call 360-403-3448.

Zumba and volleyball at Presidents and Post

Zumba with Jojo runs Mondays and Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m., at a cost of $5 for drop-in attendees or $50 for those with 10-punch cards, at Presidents Elementary, located at 505 E. Third St. Recreational adult open-gym volleyball runs Fridays from 7-9 p.m., excluding holidays, at Post Middle School, located at 1220 E. Fifth St. For more information, call 360-403-3448.

Open Community Swim

Fridays can become a family fitness night through the open community swim at the Stillaguamish Athletic Club, located at 4417 172nd St. NE in Arlington. For a cost of $5 per person, or no charge for members, attendees can swim from 5:30-8:45 p.m. on Fridays, from 2-6:45 p.m. on Saturdays, and from 4-6:45 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, call 360-435-9404.

MarysvilleMarysville Parks & Rec health and fitness classes

Marysville Parks and Recreation invites you to get healthy this spring and summer with a variety of health and wellness classes, including yoga, Zumba, running, kettle-bell fitness, belly dance, senior fitness, the Journey Fit Club Weight Loss and more. Whether you are looking to enhance your workout routine or start something new, Parks & Rec has something to offer.

Healthy programs for youth

Keep your kids active and healthy this spring and summer with Marysville Parks & Recreation. From Kidz Love Soccer and Hoop Dance, to ZumbAtomic and Creative Dance, your child will be able to have fun and keep fit. Once summer starts, Parks & Rec will have a full offering of summer camps to keep your child on the move, includ-ing basketball, baseball, volleyball, track and field, day camp, mini-camps, “Tiny Tots” and more. Camp registration is already underway.

Healthy Communities Challenge Day

Looking ahead to this summer, you’re invited to join in this fun-filled community event focused on healthy living in Marysville. With vendors and entertainers focused on fitness, nutrition, gardening, physical health, recreation, community support orga-nizations and more, you will be able to discover all that Marysville has to offer.

Healthy Communities Challenge Day will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, at the Allen Creek Elementary field, located at 6505 60th Dr. NE in Marysville. Admission is free.

For information about these and other programs, or to register online, visit http://marysvillewa.gov and click on “Marysville Parks & Rec ePlay,” or call 360-363-8400.

Communities offer fitness classes, athletic activities

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