january 2015 health & fitness - eastern edition

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WINTER 2015 HERSAM ACORN NEWSPAPERS

Health&Fitness

by Robin Walluck

One day it just clicked. Somethinghad to change, and Annamarie Riverawas going to make it happen.

“I was in a really, really bad relation-ship that kept getting worse and worse,”Rivera said, remembering that day. “Iwas too attached, I couldn’t get out ofit.”

Rivera, 27, said she weighed morethan 400 pounds five years ago. Shewas in the habit of eating fast food morethan once a day.

“When I was with him, I was eatingMcDonalds seven to 10 times a week,”she said. “I only knew of Coke and juices. I would never think of wantingto eat healthy.

“I was always heavy, but when I wasin that relationship, I had gained over ahundred pounds,” she said.

She was going through the motions,making her way from her home inTrumbull to her job in Shelton everyday, until she decided she was done

with what was happening.“One day I just did a U-turn in the

middle of the road,” drove to the gym,“and signed up,” Rivera said.

Getting startedShe couldn’t start her new journey

right away. She wasn’t in any kind ofshape to use the machines — and herweight exceeded some of the limits touse the machines.

“I just started walking. It was literallythe next day,” said Rivera. “I don’t knowwhat clicked with me. I just would putmy headphones on and zone out theworld around me.”

A few days later she moved out ofthe ex-boyfriend’s house. Despite a fewsetbacks — an accident that affected hermobility — she hasn’t looked back.

The weight began to fall off. The gymbecame a mental addiction.

“This was going to be my outlet,”to walk away stress and any fears. Shestarted her first day at the gym with10 minutes on the elliptical, and then

moved to the treadmill. “The gymbecame a mental addiction,” she said,but in the course of it she met her hus-band. The two were married in May.

“The hardest part of [my transforma-tion] was healthy eating,” said Rivera.“When they say it’s a lifestyle change...you really have to change your completemental outlook on it.”

Finding the right food“When I first started, I started trying

to not have any carbs,” Rivera said. But,when she started to look at it, she sawthat it’s not right to cut out all carbs. You need to eat good carbs, she said.

After seeking some help from hermom — a marathon runner — she’sfound something that works for her.

She didn’t eat out at restaurants fora while because she wasn’t really surewhat would be the right food choicesfor her.

“Eventually, you know what to order,”

Changing her lifeWoman finds her secrect to weight loss

See Changing on page 3B

Annamarie Rivera holds her size 28 jeans that she was barely

squeezing into when she started her exercise routine to change

her life.

Audra Napolitano photos

Annamarie Rivera works out on an elliptical at the local Planet Fitness.

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• 2 • • Health & Fitness • Hersam Acorn Newspapers • • January 29, 2015 •

It’s official. It’s the last week in January, andyou haven’t gotten yourself together to start afitness routine. Or, maybe you tried that firstweek of the month, but found that it wasn’tfor you.

Throughout the country, people are findingthe gym, a style of dance or Pilates the way togo to lose weight or tone up. Here are somespots to look at to make changes.

Pure BarrePure Barre, with locations in Fairfield and

Westport, launched a new franchise studio inDarien. Located at 313 Heights Road, it is co-owned by Laura Laboissonniere and KristinMcClutchy.

“Pure Barre is a total body workout thatis made for absolutely everyone,” saidLaboissonniere, who owns Pure Barre Westport and Fairfield. “It’s amazing whenyou see a mother and daughter in the sameclass both being challenged. I have person-ally seen it transform my own body, as well asothers’, and I cannot wait to bring the work-

out to Darien after great success in Westportand Fairfield.”The ballet barre workout has exploded in

popularity since its inception in 2001, saidLaboissonniere. Focusing on the areas of thebody women struggle with the most, PureBarre lifts the seat, tones the thighs and upperbody and creates the long and lean muscles ofa dancer through small isometric movementscentered around a ballet barre. Since it beganfranchising in 2009, more than 280 PureBarre studios have opened nationwide.

The 55-minute full-body workout con-centrates on the areas women struggle withthe most: hips, thighs, seat, abdominal andarms. The Pure Barre technique is low-impact,protecting your joints by avoiding any bounc-ing or jumping. Each strength section of theworkout is followed by a stretching section

in order to create long, lean muscles withoutbulk. “We are thrilled to open our newest loca-

tion in Westport and bring the excitementand results of Pure Barre to its residents,” saidCarrie Dorr, founder and chief concept officerof Pure Barre. “The continued growth of PureBarre studios across the country is a testamentto the workout’s ability to quickly transformwomen’s bodies, and we couldn’t be happierto bring this experience to Darien.”

For more information on Pure Barre callLaura Laboissonniere at 203-557-8663, visitpurebarre.com or follow each Pure Barre loca-tion on Facebook.

KoKo A digital gym in Monroe aims to cut out

the confusion and add precision to people’sworkouts.

Koko FitClub, 447 Monroe Tpke., doesaway with sometimes costly personal trainers,and instead uses computers, attached to eachmachine, to guide people through their exer-cise routines. It even sends its members mealplans, recipes and grocery lists, and gives

them an online profile to monitor their prog-ress. There are also online nutrition coursescalled “Fuel school.”

The approach uses a digital computersystem to keep people on track with theirexercising and charting their workout rou-tine. Users have accounts and “Koko keys”they stick into the machines to personalizetheir workouts — based on goals they’ve setand health metrics they recorded when they joined.

When a user does an exercise such as anincline bench press, the computer describesthe proper technique — where to position thechest, elbows, and how to hold and move the

weights.“Within two months, I hit my goal weight,”

said Connie Parker. “I’m still losing weightwhile gaining strength and getting toned. I amdown 27 pounds and have my figure from 25years ago back.”

When the set begins, the screen shows asquare moving up and down at the ideal pace. A line, which represents how the user is actu-ally moving the weight, moves up and down

as well. The goal is to keep the line within thesquare.

For more information, call 203-445-6110or visit monroe.kokofitclub.com30for30.

PilatesDarien Pilates follows the traditional teach-

ings of the Pilates system. Their goal is tohave those exercising feel stronger, more con-nected and centered in their lives.

Pilates is a method of exercising that wascreated by Joseph Pilates several decadesago. According to the Darien Pilates website,Pilates’ work started in Europe and Englandduring World War I before he immigrated to

the United States, where he opened the firstPilates studio.

“Here at the studio we are dedicated to cre-ating a safe and welcoming place for Pilatesdevotees to make profound connections withthemselves through their individual workouts— connections that are carried out into theirdaily lives,” a post on the studio’s websitesaid.

Pilates is a series of exercises that are used

to develop strength, flexibility and stability inthe entire body. To do that, one has to use the“powerhouse,” a group of muscles includingthe abdominals, hips, inner thighs, buttocks,shoulder girdle and lower back.

Focusing on controlling the movement fromthe powerhouse is essential to the work andtakes a lot of effort — so that means, it’s thequality, not quantity of each exercise that isimportant.

Darien Pilates is located at 870 Post Road inDarien. For more information call 203-662-0084 or visit darienpilates.com.

Finding the right exercise routine for you

Bryan Haeffele

A scene of a class at Pure Barre in Westport. This warmup is lead by Nicole Buyskes.

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The 2015 Rose of Hope winter event is Monday, Feb.23, at 6 p.m., at the Trumbull Marriott, 180 HawleyLane.

The title of the event is Transforming Tragedy: A 9/11Survivor’s Story

Colleen Reilly, an integrative Kundalini yoga instruc-

tor at the Norma Pfriem Breast Center in Fairfield andthe Grove Healing Center in New Jersey is the keynotespeaker.

To register, or for more information, visit foundation.bridgeporthorthospital.org/ROHWinterEvent2015.

Rose of Hope to feature

yoga instructor from

Norma Pfriem center

On Tuesday, Feb. 10, Milford Hospital will host thefirst in a new series of “Dinner with the Doc” programs.February’s session, titled “Heart Smart,” will be led byMilford Hospital Cardiologist Dr. Clifford Kramer.

During his heart health presentation, Kramer will dis-

cuss prevention, diagnosis and treatment options for car-diovascular disease. The session begins at 6 p.m. A light,healthy meal will be served. Time will be allowed forquestions and answers following the presentation.

Registration is required and seating is limited. Callthe Milford Hospital Community Education Department203-876-4004 to reserve a seat.

Have ‘Dinner with

the Doc’ Feb. 10

Here are open meetings for Al-Anon for people to go forsupport, and not necessarily speak. For even more meet-ings, visit: ctalanon.org/meetings/meetings-by-town.

Milford

Sunday, 6 p.m., Woodmont United Church of Christ,

1000 New Haven Avenue.Monday, 7:30 p.m., United Church Of Christ, 18 West

Main Street, parents meeting, Plymouth Building.Tuesday, 6 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Church, 21 Robert

Treat Parkway, second driveway, door on right.

Shelton

Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., St Pauls Episcopal Church, 25Church Street.

Wednesday, 12 p.m., Spooner House, 30 Todd Road,ring doorbell; park on street.

Trumbull

Thursday, 11:30 a.m., Grace Episcopal Church, 5958Main Street.

Al-Anon meetings

It’s January and what often comeswith it are the winter blues. You’veprobably tried everything in the past tobattle the sadness and inevitable snifflesand colds that arise during the longwinter months.

But have you tried reflexology?Reflexology is an alternative medicine

that deals with the principle that thereare reflex areas in the feet and handswhich correspond to all of the glands,organs and parts of the body. The prem-ise is that the application of pressureto these reflex areas through thumbs,fingers and hand techniques can affect aphysical change to the body.

Reflexology therapeutically reducesstress and tension throughout the body’s

systems to improve blood and lymphcirculation, increase nerve supply tothe cells and release toxins from thebody’s tissues. It promotes the release ofendorphins, the body’s natural feel-goodhormones, well documented in theirability to relieve stress.

Overall, reflexology has been knownto relieve: Stress and stress-related con-ditions, tension headaches, digestivedisorders, arthritis. insomnia. hormonalimbalances, sports injuries, PMS andback pain.

HistoryReflexology was first practiced as

early as 2330 B.C. by the Egyptian cul-ture and the alternative therapy as weknow it today was first researched anddeveloped by Eunice Ingham, the pio-neer of this field.

Her first book on the subject waspublished in 1938. Currently, it is oneof the most used alternative therapiesin Denmark and is commonly used inNorway.

The Center of Spirituality andHealing at the University of Minnesotawebsite cites a summary of 168 research

studies and abstracts that Kunz andKunz compiled from journals and meet-ings from around the world.

Many of these studies originated inpeer-reviewed journals in China andKorea. All of the studies had informa-tion about the frequency and durationof the reflexology application.

BenefitsBased on the studies they reviewed,

Kunz and Kunz identified four primaryeffects that reflexology demonstrates:

1. Reflexology has an impact on spe-cific organs (e.g., fMRI readings dem-onstrated an increase in blood flow tokidneys and to the intestines)

2. Reflexology can demonstrate an

amelioration of symptoms (e.g., positivechanges were noted in kidney function-ing with kidney dialysis patients)

3. Reflexology creates a relaxationeffect (e.g., EEGs measure alpha andtheta waves, blood pressure wasdecreased, and anxiety was lowered)

4. Reflexology aids in pain reduction(27 studies demonstrated a positive out-come for reduction in pain; e.g., AIDS,chest pain, peripheral neuropathy ofdiabetes mellitus, kidney stones, andosteoarthritis)

This article was supplied by theDarien YMCA.

Add reflexology to your wellness plan

by Kim Bensen

I’m not talking about cost. “Freefood” is a term used by many diet pro-grams to identify foods that are allow-able on a relatively unlimited basis.

Their purpose is simple: those of uswith weight problems don’t eat becausewe are physically hungry. We eat for emo-

tions, boredom and, well, because weenjoy eating. It brings us pleasure (for themoment).

Most of us have a hard time recogniz-ing when we are full. Sometimes we justdon’t care. Offering a “free foods” liststeers dieters away from high-fat, calorie-laden foods when we feel that need to eat.

Celery is usually on the list. Chocolatecake is never on the list. Depending onwhich program you follow, it could meanall non-starchy vegetables or it may meana food item that has zero net carbs. For

some, it even means fruit.But hear this — nothing is really free!

Other than water, everything has calories.So while you can eat a larger quantityof low-density foods for less — and forhealth and fullness you should do so --the quantity you consume still has to beconsidered.

How much “free food” do you actually

eat? What does that mean in calories? Your BMR is your line. That’s howmany calories your body needs to staythe same. Simply put, eat less than thatand you’ll lose. Eat more than that andyou’ll gain. You generally want to eat500 calories less for a 1-2 pounds weightloss.

I didn’t make this up. It’s just scienceand math (3,500 unused calories equalsone pound of fat). The fact is, if you eat200 calories more than your body needseach day, you will gain 20 pounds in one

year! Two cups of broccoli, a cup of car-rots and two pieces of fruit is more than200 calories. One bag of baby carrotsalone is 120. A large banana is the same.

Are you starting to re-think the “freefood” thing?

No matter what your weight loss pro-gram teaches, there is no magic formulain dieting. The concept of filling up on

lower-calorie, higher-nutrient foods isa good one, but still must be managedwithin your calorie range.

If you have been doing this foreverand still haven’t gotten to goal or havebeen losing super slowly, the culprit isusually “free foods” and sloppy dieting.Something has to change. Either do yourprogram differently or find one that doesit for you.

For more information on Kim Bensen, author

and nutritionist, visit kimbensen.com.

Is free food really free?

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• January 29, 2015 • • Health & Fitness • Hersam Acorn Newspapers • • 5 •

Dr. Bruce Singer

It turns out that your coach wasright — you do need to keep yourhead in the game.

New York Knicks President Phil“Zen Master” Jackson is smart toencourage his players to practicemindfulness, according to Dr.Bruce Singer, director of SilverHill Hospital’s Chronic Pain andRecovery Center.

In fact, Singer says athletes at alllevels can gain an edge from learn-ing about how to be mindful, espe-cially in the heat of the action.

Mindfulness — focusing on one’sthoughts and feelings in the presentmoment, non-judgmentally — canhelp athletes in a number of ways.

It makes you respond, rather thanreact. During a game, an athlete’s judgment can get clouded by emo-tions and adrenaline. The abilityto generate more level-headed andeven creative in-game responses canimprove performance.

It helps athletes become unat-tached from negative emotionalstates like disappointment, frustra-tion and anger. Instead, you canlearn to stay present with what’sright in front of you, what’s hap-pening now, and let go of what’shappened or worry about what willhappen.

It cultivates resiliency whichallows great athletes to get back upafter being knocked down, or playthrough minor injuries.

It builds team chemistry, espe-cially when there are strong egos, bybringing a team together and help-ing them to hear what your team-mates are saying in a validating andconstructive fashion.

Chronic pain Working with patients strug-

gling to overcome the debilitatingeffects of chronic pain at Silver Hill,Singer emphasizes a FAR approach— Flexibility, Acceptance andResiliency — for athletes. Flexibilityis not just physical; flexibility ofmind, spirit and emotion equates toadaptability.

Acceptance is about living in “thehere and now.” If you’re still dwell-ing on that double-fault you just

made, you’re going to miss what’sgoing on in the present moment.Resiliency is about dealing with fail-ure and developing mental tough-ness to overcome it. It’s not justabout getting back up on your feet,but how fast you can do it.

What makes elite athletes great isa commitment to practice that, inturn, creates muscle memory.

Singer says athletes need to traintheir “mindfulness muscle,” too.Tools like simple breathing exer-cises, taking time between plays tore-center yourself and even chang-ing your posture on the bench canall help.

He adds that anyone who exercis-es can practice mindfulness by beingpresent in the activity — feeling the

wind and sun as you jog, focusingon each step as you walk, payingattention to the texture of the dirttrail as you ride a mountain bike.

Mindfulness, in short, gives ath-letes an edge, according to Singer.By “catching and releasing” negativethoughts, you can develop creativeresponses when others are behav-ing in the same, predictable way: Whether it’s on the baseball dia-mond, the basketball court or theboard room or class room.

Silver Hill Hospital is locatedat 208 Valley Road, New Canaan.For more information visitSilverHillHospital.org.

Athletes: Keep your head in the game and gain that edge

Lung cancer is the leading causeof cancer death in the country, butit can be treated effectively if thosemost susceptible are tested and takesteps to decrease their risk.

For more than a year, GriffinHospital’s Low Dose CT LungCancer Screening Program hashelped hundreds of individuals

at high risk for lung cancer getscreened and get on a healthierpath. The program provides freelung cancer tests and connectspatients with the hospital’s freesmoking cessation classes in aneffort to reverse the effects of thisdeadly disease.

“Lung cancer causes more deathsthan the next three most commoncancers — colorectal, breast andprostate — combined,” said Dr.Richard Salzano, a thoracic surgeonand chairman of Griffin Hospital’sDepartment of Surgery. “The LowDose Lung Cancer ScreeningProgram is about saving lives,whether it’s by finding lung cancerat an early and treatable stage or

having people take stock of theirsmoking habits and change coursefor the better.”

Diagnosis often comes too lateThe American Cancer Society esti-

mates there were 159,260 deaths in

2014 due to lung cancer.One of the reasons lung cancer is

so deadly is that there are little tono symptoms until the cancer hasprogressed into the later — and lesstreatable — stages. According to a

study in the New England Journalof Medicine, more than 85% of themen and women diagnosed withlung cancer are diagnosed in the latestage when the survival rate is low.

If the cancer is found in Stage I,the study found that 88 percent ofthe individuals diagnosed lived for

10 or more years.In order to catch the cancer early,

Griffin’s lung cancer screening pro-gram seeks out high-risk individu-als who are 50 and older and havean extensive history of smoking

or being exposed to occupationalor environmental hazards such asasbestos and radiation.

“A long and prevalent history ofsmoking is the leading cause forcancer deaths,” Salzano said. “Somestudies estimate that active smokingis responsible for nearly 90% of all

lung cancer cases. If you are a heavy,longtime smoker, you owe it toyourself and your family to get test-ed and potentially avoid tragedy.”

Promising early results A recent clinical trial by the

National Lung Screening ResearchTeam found that individuals at high

risk for lung cancer could decreasetheir chance of lung cancer death by20% if given regular low-dose CTscans as opposed to the standardchest X-ray.

When Griffin’s Low Dose CT LungCancer Screening Program startedin the fall of 2013, Salzano expectedto see one or positive cancer testresults based on statistics fromsimilar programs across the country.However, the program has found sixindividuals testing positive for StageI or II lung cancer.

The results have magnified theimportance of the program, espe-cially in the region.

“These are six individuals whoselives will be saved by this program,”

he said. “We’re hoping to bring anend to the idea that a lung cancerdiagnosis is a death sentence, but it’sup to people in our community totake those proactive steps of gettingtested and stopping smoking if weare going to achieve this goal.”

Be smoke free this yearIn order to help heavy smokers in

the lung cancer screening programand in the community kick thehabit, Griffin Hospital offers a freesmoking cessation program called“That’s It — Learn to Quit.”

“The goal of the program is tohelp you learn how to quit,” said

Carrie O’Malley, a co-coordinatorof the program. “There are differentmethods of quitting and managingnicotine withdrawal. If one methoddidn’t work for you in the pastwe’ll help you understand all youroptions.”

Through group discussion andinteractive activities, participantslearn how to develop a quit plan thataddresses their personal behaviors andhabit. Strategies to manage nicotinewithdrawal, behaviors, triggers, urgesare all discussed as well as weightcontrol and stress management.

For more information on GriffinHospital’s Low Dose CT LungCancer Screening Program, visitgriffinhealth.org/lung and take the

high risk survey to see if you are aneligible applicant.

For more information on “That’sIt — Learn to Quit,” call 203-732-1476.

Find and fight lung cancer in 2015

Dr. Richard Salzano consults with a patient.

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january 2015 health & fitness - eastern edition

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