dca wellness

renewing the mind, body & spirit

heArt heALthVisiting the dentist can save more than

your smile

getting AwAyto get recharged

Food pLAtereplaces pyramid

WellnessFebruary 2012

The Y is customizableFor YOUR wellness needs...

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DOOR COUNTY YMCAwww.doorcountyymca.orgVisit our website today for the latestclass schedule and upcoming events.

STURGEONBAY PROGRAMCENTER1900 Michigan StreetSturgeon Bay920.743.4949

NORTHERNDOOR PROGRAMCENTER3866 Gibraltar Road, Fish Creek920.868.3660

WELLNESS RENEWING THE MIND BODY & SPIRITBODY & SPIRITBODY & 3INSIDE

WELLNESS is published by the Door County Advocate and Kewaunee County Star-News. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior consent of the Door County Advocate or Kewaunee County Star-News. .

Publisher / Kevin CorradoAdvertising Director / John RoweCirculation Director / Scott DomalickEditor / Patricia RasmussenCopy Editor / Christopher CloughGraphic Artist / Marie Rayome-Gill

RENEWING THE MIND, BODY & SPIRIT

HEART HEALTHVisiting the dentist can save more than

your smile

GETTING AWAYTo get recharged

FOOD PLATEReplaces pyramid

WELLNESSFebruary 2012 4

DENTALHEALTH, HEART HEALTH

6FOOD PLATE

8GETTING AWAY

FEBRUARY 20124

Brushing, flossing, and keeping your regularly scheduled appoint-ments twice a year with your dentist not only bring big benefits to your smile – they could also help save your heart and your life.

Dentists and hygienists are trained to recognize identifying symp-toms to a variety of health conditions, including diabetes, cancer and heart disease. The American Academy of Periodontology re-ports that people with periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to have heart disease, and that common problems found in the mouth — such as gum disease, cavities and missing teeth — were just as reliable at predicting heart disease as cholesterol levels.

“The mouth is the gateway to your body and definitely is a reflec-tion of your overall health,” said Dr. Paul Feit of Dentistry by Design in Sturgeon Bay. “The trio is gum disease as it relates to diet and the high correlation of heart disease; the three conditions are inti-mately related. Getting your gums checked is a screening tool.”

The modern tools of dentistry paired with the conscientious skill of the dentist and sta� are e� ective tools for identifying conditions consistent with heart disease. In sedation dentistry, where a pa-tient receives oral medication to achieve a relaxed state for dental procedures, an in-depth health screening is done before the proce-dure. Patients are placed on a heart monitor that takes their blood pressure and measures blood oxygen levels. The information as-sists with a safe dental procedure but can also identify patients who may have heart concerns they never knew about.

Such was the case of 56-year-old patient Bob Larson.

Larson was avoiding regular dental care after a bad experience with a root canal. When a new toothache developed, he decided to give sedation dentistry a try at Dentistry by Design. During his screening, it was apparent that something very wrong was going on with Larson’s heart.

“He wasn’t having any symptoms and, until he was hooked up to the heart monitor, he was undiagnosed (for heart problems). I thought the machine was acting up. I put it on myself and got a normal reading and put it back on Bob and it was going all over the place,” Feit said.

A GATEWAY TODIAGNOSINGheart disease

“He said, ‘You have a heart problem.’ I went straight to my doc-tor’s o� ce ... and took my first ambulance ride to hospital,” Larson said.

After several nights in the Intensive Care unit, Larson learned he had an enlarged heart valve that wasn’t squeezing correctly, caus-ing his heart rate to flutter. It was a condition that put him at a serious risk of stroke or embolism.

“I never felt anything. Maybe that is why they call it the silent kill-er,” Larson said.

Silent killing conditions can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. For people unknowingly developing calcified arteries, a trip to the dentist o� ce may be a lifesaving experience, because the condi-tion can be easily caught on film — dental screening films and CT scans used for dental implant placements.

“We have been finding a lot of conditions related to the hardening of the arteries in the neck, and that is a sign of heart disease and a risk of stroke,” Feit said.

A nearly 180-degree dental x-ray is what set a health alarm o� for 79-year-old John Dempster. Some unusual findings on the film prompted a call to Dempster’s general practice doctor, who or-dered an ultrasound. What Dempster discovered was a complete surprise – blockages in both of his carotid arteries in his neck that put him at risk for a heart attack.

“If I hadn’t come up here to Dr. Feit, I never would have discovered that. I had no indicators of a blockage, no shortness of breath ... I probably would have found out only at an autopsy,” Dempster said. “It pays to have a good dentist that is observant and conscien-tious.”

Visiting the dentist can save more than your smile - it can save your lifeBy Pamela Parks, Advocate and Star-News correspondent

Continued on page 5

Paul Feit of Dentistry by Design treats patient Sylvia Youell of Sister Bay. Feit notes the connection between dental and cardiac health. Submitted photo

WELLNESS RENEWING THE MIND BODY & SPIRITBODY & SPIRITBODY & 5

With careful treatment and regu-lar monitoring, both Larson and Dempster are doing well. And Larson also conquered his fear of the dentist chair – he had his troubled tooth pulled and his root canal fixed.

It’s a bit odd to thankful for a den-tal visit, but both Dempster and Larson do.

“I certainly would encourage people to face their anxieties and see the professionals that can prevent, treat and correct their health issues,” Larson said.

Dentistry by Design is at 30 N. 18th Ave., Unit 1, Sturgeon Bay. For more information, call (920) 743-6976 or go to www.doorcountydentistry.com.

Continued from page 4

FEBRUARY 20126

We often hear “presentation is everything” when it comes to food. The U.S. Department of Agriculture took that to heart presenting a new symbol as a guide to healthy eating when it switched icons from the food pyramid to a plate last year. It’s no surprise nutritionists di� er on whether the MyPlate presentation is serving the public well.

The new round symbol hearkens back to the 1946 round version put out by the USDA. At that time, there were seven food groups represented by seven pie slices. The pie-shaped version was introduced at a time in U.S. history when obesity was so rare, the chart encouraged people to “eat anything else you want” after consuming the basic seven foods.

The groupings were made to help people cope with the food rationing of World War II. Shortly after the 1940s, the seven food groups dropped down to a basic four. After the war, junk food and more prepared foods emerged, and the USDA belatedly adopted in 1992 the shape of the pyramid from an early 1970s model in Sweden. Fats and sweets were at the top, a symbolic reminder to consume those sparingly.

The complicated array was modified in 2005 when the USDA added steps to the top of the pyramid, prodding consumers to add exercise. The food groups were all shifted to the pyramid’s base. The only thing that continued to climb were obesity rates, and the triangular shape seemed to be reminding people more of eating turnovers than good nutrition.

HARVARD TAKES ISSUE WITH USDAThe pyramid came under heavy criticism from some nutrition experts, most notably the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Walter Willett, a professor at the school, said the pyramid was outdated the day it was released. In a 2004 PBS interview, Willett told viewers why correcting the pyramid was important to public health.

“There are some important indirect impacts of the food guide pyramid, in that many tens of billions of dollars of federal food policies have to be compliant with the food guide pyramid,” Willett said. “Many programs – for example, what’s fed to young children, to pregnant mothers, to low-income families – have to be consistent with low-fat diets. So the impact really has been, overall, substantial.”

Willett pointed to lobby groups such as the National Dairy Council, Soft Drink Association and Salt Institute, which he said carried undue influence over public health.

A panel of nutrition experts makes recommendations to the USDA, whose findings are eventually distilled into an icon. But there is heavy lobbying from the food industry to either be on the panel or influence the results.

In 2010, the White House Child Obesity Task Force called for simple, actionable advice to equip consumers with information to help them make healthy food choices. As a result, the USDA introduced the new MyPlate food icon with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

FOOD PLATEREPLACES PYRAMIDNew graphic a guide to healthy eating today

The government also launched a website at www.myplate.com to provide online food guidance focusing on portion control and food groups to create a balanced diet.

First Lady Michelle Obama helped introduce the new image last summer, saying the plate is an easy to understand visual cue, similar to a place setting. The USDA, the First Lady and private partners also rolled out the “Let’s Move!” initiative.

The response of Harvard’s School of Public Health was to publish its own version of My Plate last September, called the Healthy Eating Plate. Harvard contends its Healthy Eating Plate is based on science and not political and commercial pressures from the food industry.

WHAT’S ON THE PLATES?The new My Plate icon is divided into four quadrants with fruits and vegetables making up one side and protein and grains on the other side. Not all four spaces are equal; vegetables and grains are the largest portions.

My Plate is an updated version and an easy icon, but continues to receive criticism from experts at Harvard, which recommended going a step further to specify what belongs on the plate and why. Among the recommendations from Harvard:

1. Fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruits. The more color, and the more variety on this part of the plate, the better. Potatoes and French fries don’t count because they are high in fast-digested starch, which has the same roller-coaster e� ect on blood sugar and insulin as white bread and sweets.

2. Save a quarter of your plate for whole grains, such as whole wheat,

By Ramelle Bintz, Door County Advocate [email protected]

Continued on page 7

The Harvard School of Public Health released its own Healthy Eating Plate in September, giving more details on the specific foods that aid in good health. Submitted.

Released last June, the new MyPlate graphic went back to the round image in place of the former food pyramid in hopes of controlling soaring obesity rates in children. Submitted



brown rice, whole wheat pasta, for example. These have a gentler e� ect on blood sugar and insulin than white bread, white rice and other “refined grains.”

3. Put a healthy source of protein on one-quarter of your plate – fish, chicken, beans or nuts – since these contain beneficial nutrients, such as the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids in fish and the fiber in beans. An egg a day is OK for most people, but people with diabetes should limit their intake to three yolks a week; egg whites are fine. Limit red meats and avoid processed meats since, over time, regularly eating even small amounts of these foods raises the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and colon cancer.

4. Use healthy plant oils like olive, canola, soy, corn, sunflower or peanut in cooking, on salads and at the table. Limit butter and avoid unhealthy trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils.

5. Drink water, co� ee or tea. Limit milk and dairy products to one to two servings per day, since high intakes are associated with increased risk of prostate cancer and possibly ovarian cancer. Limit juice to a small glass per day, since it is as high in sugar as a soda. Skip the sugary drinks.

6. Stay active. The small red figure running across the Healthy Eating Plate’s placemat is a reminder that staying active is half of the secret to weight control.

SUPERTRACKER IS NEW ONLINE NUTRITION/EXERCISE GUIDEAnother tool added to the government website is a new web-based guide called Supertracker, launched in December.

Consumers can personalize their nutrition and plan activities by plugging in what they eat and do. Supertracker is designed to help consumers make better choices, but it requires a great deal of patience, and recommendations di� er from those of Harvard.

Still, it can reveal some surprising information. For example, if a diet cola is entered, it may show no calories but displays an alarming amount of sodium, which could be an important factor for those attempting to control high blood pressure.

For the Supertracker or government information, go to www.choosemyplate.gov. To see more of Harvard’s recommendations, go to www.health.harvard.edu/plate/healthy-eating-plate.

FEBRUARY 20128

The recipe for rest and rejuvenation can take on many forms, and for women balancing the challenges of work, family, marriage and more, a “women’s wellness” weekend can be a creative solution to trading in the everyday obligations to kick up the heels with friends and family. Several appealing options are available locally which highlight relaxation, exercise, food, entertainment, massage and more for women.

GROOVY GETAWAY At the annual Groovin’ Sisterhood weekend, taking place for the fifth year in Sturgeon Bay from April 26 to 29, women will discover a fun selection of workshops. Past sessions ran the gamut from Zumba to cupcake decorating, massage and fashion design to afternoon tea, and everything in between.

“It is a time women to rejuvenate in and amongst themselves. The focus is to uplift your ‘sister’ and have a weekend away from the stress. It is all about having a fun and relaxing time,” Sturgeon Bay Visitor Center promotions coordinator Amy DeMeter said. “It is a little bit of fun and a little bit of self-care. It is not regimented but casual. You go to the classes if you wish or wake up and stroll down the street and enjoy scenic downtown Sturgeon Bay.”

Online voting of this year’s Groovin’ theme will wrap up soon. The choices are the ‘50s or the ‘80s. For more information, to vote or to register for Groovin’ Sisterhood, call the visitor center at (800) 301-6695 or (920) 743-6246, or visit www.groovinsisterhood.com.

EGGSACTLY WHAT WOMEN NEEDIn Egg Harbor, ladies will gather again for the fourth annual Girlfriends Great Eggscape from May 17 through 20. The weekend event focuses on o� ering women a long list of choices of activities to do together with family and friends, honing in on the most popular part of why women are gathering.

“When we surveyed our past participants and asked them what was the best part of the weekend, their favorite part is getting away with

friends and family,” Egg Harbor Business Association marketing and visitor center coordinator Lynn Michelsen said. In response, “the event o� ers a wide range of workshops for all peoples’ interest. And they can do it all, or they can do nothing but relax.”

Past favorites include an exercise class that combines Zumba and belly dancing; a yoga and hula-hooping class; cooking classes; and a margaritas and Mexican tapas session.

“There are a ton of opportunities to try new things as we take advantage of everything our members have to o� er, like zip lining, kayaking, jewelry making, home décor workshops and gardening,” Michelsen said. Also popular among the ladies is a pub crawl by trolley that takes ladies to all the local watering holes and, of course, the retail therapy of shopping and the fashion show.

For more information or to register for Girlfriends Great Eggscape, call the Egg Harbor Business Association at (920) 868-3717 or visit www.eggharbordoorcounty.org .

CULTIVATING ‘ART AND SOUL’Northern Door is o� ering a special weekend for women, as well, with Art and Soul — A Wonder-filled Weekend.

“(The weekend) is something for girlfriends to do together to energize and rejuvenate,” said Diane Ludwigsen, proprietor of The Spa at Sacred Grounds in Ephraim. “It is a weekend where women don’t have to think about the details. It is all put together well for them to have lovely memories to take home.”

This new Northern Door event takes place from Feb. 17 through 19 and will highlight whole-body wellness.

“It will cultivate all our di� erent sides — our minds, our souls, our artistic abilities, exercise, creating and pampering. It o� ers a bit of everything in a really great experience for women to come and renew themselves,” Ludwigsen said.

Continued on page 10

GETTING AWAY, GETTINGrecharged

By Pamela Parks, Advocate and Star-News correspondentA class in creating silver jewelry was held last year at Hands On Art Studio as part of the Girlfriends’ Great EGGscape weekend in Egg Harbor. Photo courtesy Girlfriends’ Great EGGscape Facebook page

Women’s weekends o� er rest, rejuvenation and fun with friends

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FEBRUARY 201210

Workshops include Zumba and spa treatments (aroma therapy or facials) and features a very special art class o� ered by Pipka Ulvilden of Pipka’s of Door County. For some fun, ladies can enjoy a champagne-and-appetizers mixer, shopping, a fashion show, and a just shy of formal “Dressed to the Nines” dinner at the English Inn.

Space is limited. To register for Art and Soul, visit www.pipkas-shop.com.

CONCENTRATED R-AND-RFor women interested in a more concentrated dose of rest, rejuvenation and relaxation, von Stiehl Winery, 115 Navarino St., Algoma, o� ers monthly women’s gatherings highlighting a number of topics, from Far East medicine and ladies’ makeovers to wine pairings made easy. The events are known as Ladies of the Vine, and the highlight event is the

daylong Ladies’ Fest in summer.

“It is all about leaving the kids and husband at home and coming to forget about things for a few hours and rejuvenate mentally. Women come because they just need to get away with their girlfriends, to take some time and forget about their stress,” von Stiehl Winery manager Sallie Marquardt said. “Ladies’ Fest itself is a one-day event, but a lot of women come up Friday and stay until Sunday.”

Not only do women get to enjoy wine, chocolate, good food and live music at Ladies’ Fest, they are also treated to a mini-massage and a vendors fair featuring wellness products, chiropractic assessments, shopping and more.

The sixth annual Ladies’ Fest is July 14. For more about Ladies’ Fest or the monthly Ladies of the Vine events, visit vonstiehl.com.



FEBRUARY 201212

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