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FALL 2016
healthsourcemag.com 1
YOUR KNEES & HIPS
DESERVE
R. DAVID HEEKIN, MD
Only Heekin Clinic can offer you a
one-on-one relationship with Florida’s top
orthopedic surgeon, Dr. R. David Heekin.
Fellowship-trained and board-certified,
Dr. Heekin specializes in total joint replacement of
the hip and knee.
Medical Director of St. Vincent’s Orthopedic Center
of Excellence, Dr. Heekin consistently performs
more total joint replacement surgeries than
any other Florida surgeon.
Dr. Heekin’s patients enjoy the very best orthopedic
care available. Shouldn’t you?
Ranked #1 in combined volume for knee and hip replacements
at www.floridahealthfinder.gov
2 First Coast Health Source Fall 2016
call 904.328.5979 or visit HeekinClinic.com
2 Shircliff Way, Suite 605 DePaul Building | Jacksonville, FL 32204
First Coast Health Source
HEALTHY CALENDAR
SEPTEMBER 10
Delicious Destinations
Southern inspired farm to fork fare
is on the menu at this wonderful
dining event to benefit St. Vincent’s
Community Health Outreach Programs
Where: Ponte Vedra Inn & Club
When: 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Info: jaxhealth.com
SEPTEMBER 17
First Coast Heart Walk
There isn’t a person in town who has
not been touched by family or friends
suffering from heart disease. Get out
and support the fight against America’s
No. 1 health crisis.
Where: Metropolitan Park
When: 8:00 a.m.
Info: firstcoastheartwalk.org
SEPTEMBER 24
Fashion For A Cause
Bubbles, cocktails and brunch will all be
served with a big dose of style at this
fashion show fundraiser for First Coast
YMCA.
Where: Stonewood Grill & Tavern
When: 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Info: firstcoastymca.org
OCTOBER 8
JU River House Run/Walk 5k
Celebrate Jacksonville University’s
Homecoming and raise money for the
Kinesiology Running Research program.
This family-friendly event is sure to
be a blast!
Where: Jacksonville University
When: 7:00 a.m.
Info: ju.edu
OCTOBER 22
Esser Health Seminar
Curious about how diet and exercise
can reverse illness? This seminar with
Dr. Stephen Esser and Certified Personal
Trainer, Tiffany Esser will get you on
the road to wellness
Where: Fresh Jax,
11526 Lake Mead Ave., Unit 103
When: 11:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Info: freshjax.com
OCTOBER 25
Stroke Sense Education Series
This support group is designed to help
provide community for stroke survivors
and their families, every Tuesday.
Where: Mayo Clinic, Cannaday Building,
Room 116
When: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Info: mayoclinic.org
NOVEMBER 4
Tobacco-Free Jacksonville
Coalition Meeting
Every first Friday, join in the fight to
reduce tobacco addiction and learn what
resources are available in our community
Where: 6852 Belfort Oaks Pl.
When: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Info: tobaccofreejacksonville.org
NOVEMBER 12
Bailey’s Health &Fitness Mandarin Run
Burn those calories before holiday
feasting begins at the 10k and 5k run
sponsored by Bailey’s Health and Fitness.
Where: Bailey’s Gym, 11740 San Jose Blvd.
When: 8:00 a.m.
Info: 1stplacesports.com
NOVEMBER 19
First Coast Walk for Children
with Apraxia
Apraxia is a rare disorder that causes
children to struggle with speech
development. This walk is to raise
awareness and funding to about this
disorder to support the children and
families who live with it daily.
Where: The Bolles School,
7400 San Jose Blvd.
When: 8:30 a.m.
Info: casana.apraxia-kids.org
NOVEMBER 22
22 Too Many
Twenty-two veterans commit suicide
every day in America. On the 22nd of
every month, organizations gather to
discuss how to better support our local
veterans and advocate for their mental
health needs.
Where: BREW Five Points,
1024 Park St., Jacksonville
When: 11:30 a.m.
Info: 22toomany.com
/ healthsourcemagazine
/ healthsourcemag
healthsourcemag.com 3
First Coast Health Source
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Editor
Nan Kavanaugh
Creative Director / Designer
Christine Tarantino
Sales Manager
Sean Scullion
Director of Business Development
Stephanie Calugar
Senior Marketing Consultant
Anna Marie Burke
Marketing Consultants
Fallon Mayer
Nikki Schonert
Events Manager / Social Media
Erin Colatrella
Copy Editor
Roxie Lute
Contributors
Caren Burmeister
Bob Fernee
Maggie FitzRoy
Woody Huband
Bruce Lipsky
Bob Mack
Allie Olsen
Craig O’Neal
John Vredenburg
Roosevelt Watson III
Production Coordinator
Melanie Turner
Stock photography provided by
Thinkstock
HealthSourceMag.com
The health community of the First Coast
is diverse, cutting-edge and growing by
the minute.
We have some of the best doctors in
the world working and living here. We
have an extraordinary network of organizations
working to raise awareness
and support funding for research for a rainbow of health initiatives.
We have a bounty of resources that lend themselves to building a
healthy lifestlye around fitness and outdoor activities. Holistic health
is trending in every region of our area with new yoga studios and
practitioners popping up. We have fantastic organizations providing
us access to fresh, local food. In other words, we have it all.
But how do you cram all that into one publication? The team here at
Health Source has been asking itself that question over the past two
years. The magazine has undergone a series of evolutions in the past
24 months on a quest to figure out what it is that our readers want
out of a health magazine. The process has led us to the decision to
take a break and re-evaluate. This issue of Health Source will be the
last of 2016, as we begin to dig deep into research and development
to understand how to better bring you stories that will hopefully
lead to a happier, healthier life.
In 2017, we will hit the ground running with a new magazine that
spans across a variety of media platforms to bring stories from our
flourishing health community to you. That being said, what do you
want out of a health magazine? We want to know. Email me with
your ideas.
Health Source Magazine is the longest running health magazine in
Jacksonville. Our city has seen a lot of change over the past decade,
and as a media organization it is our job to change with the times. We
will see you in 2017 with a bold new venture for the Bold New City.
Best,
First Coast Health Source Magazine is published 12 times per
year by Times-Union Media. Reprints are available – 1 Riverside
Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32202. ©2016 First Coast Health Source
Magazine. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication,
including articles, may not be reproduced in any form without
written permission from the publisher. Content of the contributing
advertisers do not reflect the opinions of Times Union
Media. Advertisers have proofed respective articles and content
is assumed true and correct. First Coast Health Source is not
responsible for the care given by its advertisers. First Coast Health
Source is for informational purposes only and is not meant as
medical advice. First Coast Health Source believes that choosing a
medical professional is a serious decision and should not be based
solely on an advertisement.
Nan Kavanaugh
Editor, First Coast Health Source
Send story ideas to nan.kavanaugh@morris.com
4 First Coast Health Source Fall 2016
DISSOLVING HEART STENTS
Available Only at St. Vincent’s
St. Vincent’s is one of only three hospitals in Florida to offer dissolvable stents. Our interventional
cardiologists are the only physicians in the region to offer this cutting edge, life-saving treatment.
Learn more at www.jaxhealth.com/heartleaders
healthsourcemag.com 5
First Coast Health Source
CONTENTS
Fall 2016
14
12
30
20
Features:
12
14
20
30
The Family Minute
Soccer for family fun and fitness
Kayak Fly Fishing
Get a little zen on the water
Living with Congenital Heart Disease
Living longer and better lives
Farm to Family Food Truck
Delivering fresh food to those most in need
DAILY THRIVE
10 Workplace Wellness
11 Your Pet
BODY WORKS
18 Shape It Up
19 Thrive Outside
SOUND MIND
24 Survive & Thrive
26 Brain Games
FRESH EATS
28 Delish Dish
34 Calorie Count
OUTSIDE THE SECTIONS
3 Healthy Happenings
8 Ask the Expert
6 First Coast Health Source Fall 2016
The highest level
of recognition
Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital recently achieved
Magnet designation as a reflection of its nursing
professionalism, teamwork and superiority in patient
care. The Magnet Recognition Program is the gold
standard in nursing excellence. Brooks is one of only
four freestanding inpatient rehabilitation facilities in the
country to achieve this designation!
healthsourcemag.com 7
ASK THE EXPERT
First Coast Health Source
A Look at Prostate Health with Dr. Ali Kasraeian
As told to Nan Kavanaugh I Illustration by Roosevelt Watson III
The prostate is one of the organs that we are familiar with, but may not know much about how it serves the
body. September is Prostate Cancer Awareness month, and we asked Dr. Ali Kasraeian of Kasraeian Urology
to share with us some information about the prostate and how to keep it healthy.
shows that diets that are high in red meats and fats contribute
to a rise in certain cancers, and prostate cancer is a
part of that group.
3. Is there an age where men need to begin to think
more about their prostate health? Why?
You should start screening in your 40s. Your first PSA test
in your 40s is most predictive of your prostate cancer risk.
Men don’t like to talk about this stuff. We are the worst.
It is tough to do, but the problem with prostate cancer is
that there are no symptoms. It is out of sight out of mind.
One of the most important things to do is to get appropriate
and timely screening for prostate cancer.
4. Are there any early warning signs that your prostate
may be unhealthy or cancerous?
There is nothing. Ninety percent or more of prostate cancers
have no symptoms. It is difficult because a patient
feels great and is living their life, and then they are diagnosed
with prostate cancer. It is different than if you had a
heart attack or an intestinal blockage, and you feel terrible
and treatment makes you feel better. You feel great, and
then all of a sudden you have all of these things to do for
treatment that are very daunting.
1. What is the prostate and how does it serve the body?
The prostate is an organ that lives at the bottom of the
pelvis under the bladder, and the urine channel runs
through it. Basically, it serves as an outflow track for
semen, and it secrets fluid that nourishes and protects
sperm on its quest to fertilize the egg.
2. What can men do to keep their prostate in
good health?
Maintaining a healthy balanced diet of fruits, vegetables
and grains, which seems like a generic recommendation,
but it really serves our bodies well. Study after study
5. If there was one thing you wish every man knew
about his prostate, what would it be?
Get screened. It can really save your life. Getting screened
earlier in your 40s can give us a better idea of where you
lie. If you have an abnormal screening, and a biopsy is
suggested, see an urologist that has expertise in some of
the more cutting-edge diagnostic techniques out there.
If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, you have time
to take in the information about your cancer and make an
informed decision. Prostate cancer is not a rapidly progressing
disease. The world of prostate cancer therapy is
changing at a rapid pace. You may be a candidate for certain
treatments and you want to find an expert who deals
with prostate cancer, specifically.
To hear more about prostate health from expert Dr. Ali Kasraeian, visit us
online at healthsourcemag.com
8 First Coast Health Source Fall 2016
Ryleigh
is why.
Join or start a Heart Walk team to help those affected by heart disease, like
Ryleigh and her family, experience more of life’s precious moments.
NATIONALLY SPONSORED BY
FIRST COAST LIFE IS WHY SPONSORS
2016 First Coast Heart Walk
Saturday, September 17 th
METROPOLITAN PARK
DOWNTOWN JACKSONVILLE
FIRST COAST CAUSE SPONSORS
Register today! www.FirstCoastHeartWalk.org or call 904-256-5732
Come in and get our FREE 5 Step Fit Process, which includes a foot pressure
test, GAIT Analysis, and running test! Or come to one of our FREE weekly
group runs from our stores! Visit: www.1stplacesports.com for details!
SIX
STORE
LOCATIONS
Baymeadows: 3931 Baymeadows Rd, Jacksonville | (904) 731-3676
San Marco: 2018 San Marco Blvd, Jacksonville | (904) 399-8880
Town Center: 4870 Big Island Dr., Jacksonville | (904) 620-9991
Jax Beach: 424 South 3rd St, Jacksonville Beach | (904) 270-2221
Orange Park: 2186 Park Avenue, Orange Park | (904) 264-3767
St. Augustine: 1000 S. Ponce de Leon Blvd., St Augustine | (904) 679-4237
healthsourcemag.com 9
Daily Thrive
WORKPLACE WELLNESS
Don’t Work Yourself to Death
How to deal with workplace stress
By Caren Burmeister
Sometimes people have to hit rock bottom before they turn their lives
around. Jacksonville Cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Constantin sees this
frequently when it comes to high blood pressure.
DON’T LET THE
PRESSURE BUILD
Blood pressure is considered high
if it’s greater than 140 over 90 on
two separate occasions. Here are
some ways to manage high blood
pressure and the stress that
can provoke it:
• When stress is building at work,
take a walk on your lunch break
and schedule time to get away,
even if it means a stay-at-home
vacation.
• Cognitive therapy, which
challenges negative thought
patterns about the self
and the world, can help you see
a stressful situation in a different
light.
• Find the type of exercise,
walking, yoga or workout,
that fits your personality so
you’ll do it consistently.
• Avoid smoking, drinking and
over eating. Their comfort is
short lived and only exaggerates
stress.
One patient, a morbidly obese alcoholic
in his fifties who often skipped
his medications, had been in and out
of the hospital four or five times due
to heart failure.
“He was his own worst enemy,”
says Constantin of the First Coast
Cardiovascular Institute.
He believes that a patient’s understanding
and participation in their health is key
to their success. But as a doctor, all he
can do is point out the risks and benefits
of their lifestyle choices.
“I’m not scolding them,” he says. “I’m
a teacher who provides resources. I
wasn’t giving him advice for my sake, it
was for him. You have to take responsibility
for yourself.”
One day, as the patient was going
through a divorce, he just kind of woke
up, Constantin says. He stopped drinking,
changed his diet and lost 145 pounds.
Eventually, he was able to stop taking
four or five of his medications.
“He has started walking and his heart
function has normalized,” Constantin says.
“He looks like a new person. He can’t
believe how good he feels.”
High blood pressure is a growing
problem due to obesity, diabetes and
unresolved stress. It affects roughly 76
million Americans over the age of 20.
Over time, and without treatment, high
blood pressure can not only damage
the heart, but also the kidneys and
brain, Constantin says.
Stress, which can aggravate high blood
pressure, occurs when there is a perceived
threat, whether it’s real or not. The
time we spend at work can be the most
stressful part of our days and that stress
can act as a trigger.
“It’s the fight or flight response that
activates the sympathetic nervous system
and releases chemicals that increases
the heart rate and blood pressure,”
Constantin says.
It’s one of the conditions that patients
can make a conscious choice to control.
While the sympathetic nervous system
revs you up, its counterpart — the parasympathetic
nervous system — slows you
down and lowers the heart rate. It kicks
in when you are resting, meditating or
doing yoga for example.
While it’s not always practical to quit a
stressful job, you can change the way you
view it and deal with it, Constantin says.
Here’s where exercise really shines. It
trains your heart rate and blood pressure
to more effectively restore to normal and
deal with stress, he says.
For more information visit firstcoastcardio.com or the American Heart Association at heart.org
10 First Coast Health Source Fall 2016
Daily Thrive
YOUR PET
Eastern Medicine for Man’s Best Friend
A look at acupuncture for pets
By Caren Burmeister I Photography by Craig O’Neal
Pets plagued with allergies, arthritis and hot spots often don’t respond well to conventional veterinarian
medicine. But holistic medicine, well, that just might be the cat’s meow.
Some pet medical
conditions that respond
well to holistic care are:
• Seizures
• Fecal incontinence
and feline cystitis
• Cancer and post
cancer treatment
following
chemotherapy or
surgery
• Allergies, autoimmune
diseases and hot spots
• Arthritis, hip dysplasia
and degenerative
diseases
• Weight control
and gastrointestinal
ailments
Acupuncture, laser therapy, chiropractic, massage and nutritional
care can be very successful for chronic, degenerative diseases
and overall wellness, say Jenna Castner Hauck, who practices
holistic therapies at her Jacksonville Beach clinic, Veterinary
Acupuncture and Wellness.
While some conditions respond best to traditional Western
medicine, others do better with acupuncture and nontraditional
therapies.
“The dogs and cats really respond to it,” she says. “They
realize what we’re doing for them and it really makes them
feel better.”
Just ask Pooker. The 10-year-old dachshund could barely
walk when she was brought to the wellness clinic in April. Two
months earlier she had jumped off a sofa, causing a slipped
disk. Soon after, she began to drag both feet on her right side
and fall down. When Pooker’s condition didn’t improve, her
veterinarian suggested a neurological
evaluation and surgery. She was
brought to the wellness clinic for
less invasive treatment. For the next
seven weeks, Castner Hauck treated
Pooker with Chinese herbs and
electroacupuncture, a procedure in
which a small electric current is passed
between pairs of acupuncture needles.
With each visit Pooker’s condition
improved, Castner Hauck says. After
seven visits, Pooker walked out the
clinic on her own. Castner Hauck
recently checked to see how she was
doing.
“She’s truly 100 percent normal,”
Castner Hauck says. “She did awesome.”
A veterinarian, Castner Hauck
became a certified animal acupuncturist
a decade ago after noticing that
pets with allergies and chronic degenerative
issues weren’t improving with
steroids and antibiotics.
“I was feeling that I wanted other options,” she says.
“Conventional medicine wasn’t really helping them heal. I felt
like I was putting Band-Aids on things, and now I really feel like
I’m helping animals heal.”
Acupuncture recognizes an imbalance before it becomes a
disease, Castner Hauck says. An ancient form of Chinese medicine,
it works on the premise that chi, the vital force that flows
through the body, travels along energy channels called meridians.
Acupuncture opens these meridians and stimulates the blood
supply. Performing acupuncture on animals is nothing new.
Hundreds of years ago it was practiced on horses in China to
keep them healthy and ready for battle, she says.
Dr. Jenna treating Dexter, a 10-year-old Airedale Terrier for general
wellness and he was also treated for being a little lethargic.
For more information, visit Veterinary Acupuncture and Wellness at
vetacuwellness.com
healthsourcemag.com 11
12 First Coast Health Source Fall 2016
Daily Thrive
FAMILY MINUTE
SOCCER
For family fun and fitness
By Bob Fernee I Photography by Bob Mack
The world’s most popular sport has exploded in popularity in the
United States throughout the past few decades. There was a time
when soccer was rarely seen on television. Now, it’s shown all the
time. Locally, Jacksonville Armada FC, a professional team in the
North American Soccer League (NASL), and many recreational clubs
serve kids and adults all over the First Coast.
According to 2014 U.S. Youth Soccer
statistics the number of registered players
has gone from more than 100,000
in 1974 to more than 3 million, with 52
percent boys and 48 percent girls playing
respectively. Florida has the sixth
highest number of players nationwide
with more than 113,000.
Why is soccer catching on? Surely
it’s more than David Beckham and
neon-colored cleats.
Parents are looking for a sport that
not only encourages commitment, teamwork
and good sportsmanship, but also
promotes a high level of physical fitness.
The cross-cultural sport also requires little
equipment.
Amy Haney is a working mother of
three and coach of a kids’ recreational
team at the Westside Soccer Club. Haney
started playing at an early age herself
and went on to play intermural soccer at
the University of Florida. When Westside
Soccer Club was looking for coaches,
she figured with her experience it was
a natural fit to coach her 6-year old
daughter’s team.
For her, it is a privilege to coach. “The
parents are entrusting their children to me.
I want them to fall in love with the game,
learn the fundamentals and to grow as
players,” she says.
Soccer is a sport that requires skill,
intelligence and fitness. As a cardiovascular
exercise, it is one of the most
vigorous. It’s rated sixth behind hockey,
rowing, racquetball, cycling and running.
A 90-minute game of soccer is considered
equivalent to a four-mile run.
Haney believes that soccer is the
perfect kids’ sport. “It is so active; they
are always running around with a ball
at their feet. It is a wonderful way for
them to exercise.”
Working in groups is a fundamental
part of the sport. “It is also a great team
game. Individually each child plays a
part, but they learn that teamwork is
required to be successful collectively,”
she says.
The Haney family, that also includes
9-year-old Joel and 5-year-old Micah,
often play and run together. Husband,
Stephen, has grown to enjoy the game his
wife and children love. The entire family
can be found on the fields of Ringhaver
Park during practice and game days,
which can be tiring with two working
parents; but a family that plays together,
stays together.
Above top to bottom: Amy Haney
works one-on-one with son Joel, 9,
as they practice ball handling skills;
Krista Haney practices dribbling
the ball around cones.
Right: Amy Haney is a former
collegiate soccer player who
coaches for the Westside Soccer
Club. Amy, her husband Stephen,
and kids (from left) Joel, 9, Krista,
6, and Micah, 5, posed for a
portrait in Ringhaver Park and then
went through a few skill drills.
FITNESS FACT
According to Diet & Fitness
Today, competitive soccer burns
431 calories in 30 minutes. While
casual play burns 302 calories
and coaching soccer burns 172
calories. No matter how you
play the sport, soccer is going to
be a great workout.
healthsourcemag.com 13
14 First Coast Health Source Fall 2016
Body Works
By Maggie FitzRoy I Photography by Woody Huband
A bright peach sun rises above the horizon as we launch our kayaks
from Cedar Point Preserve. The brightening sky is robin’s egg blue,
dotted with gray and white clouds, and not a sound can be heard except
the soft swish, swish of our paddles. Then a fish jumps out of the water
ahead of me, breaking the stillness. And another.
It’s a good sign. We’ve come
to this gorgeous spot in the
Timucuan Ecological and
Historic Preserve to fish. But not
to do just any type of fishing.
We’ve come to kayak fly fish, a
sporting activity that is growing in popularity
with people of all ages.
It’s a sport that requires skill and
patience, and when mastered is “a very,
very rewarding way of catching fish,” our
guide, Captain Rich Santos, tells me, a complete
novice.
“You can pretty much pat yourself on
the back when you do catch a fish,” he
says. “Because you’ve earned it. It takes
practice.”
The First Coast is an ideal environment for
kayak fly fishing due to all our many waterways,
Blackfly Outfitter fly fishing expert
Andrew Mizell told me after I returned from
my excursion. “We have the largest population
of kayak fly fishing enthusiasts anywhere
in the world.”
“It does take practice, it does take finesse
and there is some skill involved,” Mizell says.
But is also an enjoyable minimalist sport,
because “it’s just you and the fish and the
kayak. It’s more than just catching a fish. It’s
getting out there and exploring what the back
country and marsh have to offer.”
I was game, open to learning what I could
out on the water with Santos, photographer
and expert angler Woody Huband, co-worker
Roxie Lute and Santos’ fishing buddy
Kevin Eastman. Santos, who teaches many
newbies the sport, was a clear and patient
teacher and provided everything we needed
— Wilderness System open top kayaks, rods,
lines, anchors and flies.
The first thing I learned was that the poles
don’t have reels. Instead, one of your hands
acts as the reel, making the line, and the fly
attached to it, move, which is called “stripping.”
healthsourcemag.com 15
Writer Maggie FitzRoy practices “stripping” the line in order to move the fly across the water as guide and instructor Captain Rich Santos watches.
CAPTAIN RICH SANTOS
A U.S. Coast Guard captain, Santos is an
expert in all types of fly fishing, including
kayak.
For information about guided trips visit
flyfishjax.com
Captain Rich Santos stands up in his kayak to
sight fish in shallow water lined with oyster
beds, and birds, including a Roseatte Spoonbill
in the background.
The flies come in various shapes,
sizes and colors, and to an untrained
novice like me, look kind of like
fuzzy lures. But in the water, to the
fish, they look like something the fish
would like to eat, such as a bait fish,
shrimp or crab. It takes skill as well to
know what type of fly to use to catch
a particular type of fish in a particular
type of water.
“With the fly, you are trying to make
it come alive, by stripping it with your
line hand. It’s making the fly swim and
move,” Santos told me as he demonstrated,
and then let me try.
Since I am right handed, I cast the
rod with my right hand and stripped the
line with my left. It took coordination
and patience, and like anything new,
was awkward at first.
“It’s a very technical way of fishing,”
and casting a fly is more difficult from
a kayak than from land, he explained
as I tried again and again. But there
are advantages of being in a kayak,
and you have a much higher chance
of catching a fish in one, he said. “It’s
a much quieter and stealthier way to
sneak up on a fish in shallow water.
Fish are very skittish and spooky in
shallow water.”
We were fishing for spotted sea trout
in the salt water tidal marsh around
Cedar Point, as well as for Red Fish and
Southern Flounder.
A breeze blew across the water as
Santos demonstrated how to “false cast,”
which is flicking the line out a few
times first without letting the fly land in
the water, like a warm up. False casting
loads, or bends, the rod, storing energy
in it, he said.
“Now, let the fly drop, rod tip
down,” he said. “Then you start stripping
to move the fly.”
We’d paddled near oyster beds,
and positioned ourselves near them,
because oyster beds “are like restaurants”
to fish, Santos said. Bait fish
live between the oysters, using them
for cover, as do crabs.
After we’d fished an area for a while,
we pulled up our anchors, which kept
us in place against the eddies and cur-
16 First Coast Health Source Fall 2016
ents, and paddled on to a new spot.
Around us red winged black birds flitted
and landed on marsh bushes, calling to
each other with their signature “pee jee,
pee jee” sound. In the distance I could
see the Dames Point Bridge against the
by-then totally blue sky.
“This is an adventure,” Santos said. “It’s
about the beauty, and being in the marsh.
It’s an incredible place to see birds.”
Since we were on an outgoing tide,
Santos explained that everything in the
“shrinking” water was becoming more
concentrated, including the fish.
Off in the distance, his buddy Eastman
shouted that he’d caught a flounder.
About five minutes later, Santos also
caught a foot long flounder.
Then we moved on, passing several
egrets standing in the mud, hunting fish
along a shore lined with grand cedar,
oak and palm trees.
Santos explained that a lot of kayak
fly fishing involves “sight fishing,” looking
for a fish, like the egrets do, and
then dropping a fly right in front of it.
It’s like hunting. “You get to know the
water and allow the fish to show themselves,”
he said. “Fly and kayak is a
deadly combination.”
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associated with vulvo-vaginal
youthfulness and well-being.*
* Alinsod, Red “Temperature Controlled
Radiofrequency for Vulvovaginal Laxity.”
PRIME, International Journal of Aestheic
and Anti-Ageing Medicine (July 2015)
16-21, Print
After several relaxing and invigorating
hours kayak fly fishing in the beautiful
environs of Cedar Point, I still had not
caught any fish. Twice, I snagged an oyster
and thought it was a fish.
“An oyster fish,” Santos said, laughing.
But it didn’t matter. By then I was
feeling more confident with my casting,
and realized that with practice, I could
do this.
“A lot of ladies are catching onto
kayak fly fishing, Mizell told me.
“Because of the finesse and elegance of
casting a fly rod.”
“It’s zen,” he says. “For me, it’s my
way of getting away from everything. If I
do happen to catch a fish, it just makes it
that more rewarding.”
healthsourcemag.com 17
Body Works
SHAPE IT UP
Build a BETTER You
A look at Roc Fitness Training
By Bob Fernee I Photography by Bob Mack
Ever since its invention, Americans have loved the automobile. Unfortunately, that love has undone
us. We began driving more and walking less resulting in a number of health ailments brought on by a
decline in fitness.
Personal trainer, Maynard Taylor, has a favorite exercise that he
pushes to all his clients. The one we left behind: walking.
He also likes the outdoors. “I have a gym, but I don’t use it that
much, I prefer to use all this,” he says gesturing toward an open
grassy field, “I like to do cardio and body weight exercises. The
only equipment a person needs is their legs.”
Walking helps maintain a healthy weight and prevents heart
disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes. It also
strengthens bones and muscles in addition to improving balance
and coordination, and can even lift your mood.
The 36-year-old Philadelphia native discovered the benefits of
exercise while in the Navy. Stuck aboard a ship, with little else
to think about except a painful divorce, he found relief by lifting
weights and exercising. He continued with his newfound love
once his naval stint was over and it wasn’t long before others
were asking his advice. Next thing he knew, him and his pal,
Roscoe “Roc” Casey, began Roc Fitness Training.
“Get moving, get active,” Taylor says, “that is our training
philosophy.”
“We have a slogan, ‘Let’s Go BABY,’ and B-A-B-Y means, Build
A Better You,” he says with enthusiasm.
Taylor is a man on a mission; he wants people to be fit and
active. At the moment, he isn’t making it a full-time career, but it is
an all-consuming passion.
“I just want to help people change their lives and achieve their
goals,” Taylor says.
He has learned that clients are all different. “When someone
comes to me I ask them: ‘What are you trying to change?’ Then,
I find out what motivates them,” he says. “I had one girl who
needed to pass a fireman’s physical exam. One day she said she
didn’t feel like training, and I said, ‘there is somebody else who
wants that spot and they are working out right now and they are
going to take it away from you.’ That got her going.”
Taylor admits that many people have trouble staying motivated.
He helps them look for higher goals and urges them forward.
Some just need a training partner, and he is happy to be that
person. He is constantly giving advice and is as much a mentor as
he is a motivator.
18 First Coast Health Source Fall 2016
Body Works
THRIVE OUTSIDE
Little Talbot & Big Talbot Island
Adventure away from civilization
Written and Photographed by Maggie FitzRoy
The dunes framing the beach at Little Talbot Island State Park are as
natural and undisturbed as they were in the days of the Timucuan Indians.
Big Talbot Island has a rustic picnic area near the entrance and several walking trails that
meander through the nature preserve and Boneyard Beach.
Big Talbot is a unique sea island and
a magnet for photographers who are
attracted to its wild, other-worldly beach
landscape. Due to steep bluffs between
the forest and shoreline, visitors need to
hike Blackrock Trail to get down onto the
beach. A sign at the beginning of the trail
says that it is a quarter-mile long, but I
was up for it. Walking along the wooded
winding pathway, I see no other people,
and have the beach to myself.
Strolling Big Talbot beach isn’t an option,
because of all the skeletal trees. They form
a natural obstacle course which you need
to climb over, under, or find a way around
— depending on the tide.
Other trails on the island lead to other
habitats. Big Pine Trail leads to marsh, and
Old Kings Highway and Jones Cut lead
through maritime forest.
I’ve been to the Talbot islands before, in
the summer, when there are more people,
but they are great places to get away any
time of the year — whenever you want to
escape the clutches of civilization.
As I walk along a boardwalk toward the
beach, I am alone amid a vast expanse of
shrubs, wild flowers and sea oats. Stepping
out onto the beach, I see only sand, ocean
and sky. The hazy far-off silhouettes of US
Navy ships to the south at Naval Station
Mayport are the only signs of civilization.
After a relaxing stroll, I hike back to my
car and drive a few miles north to Big Talbot
Island State Park. The adjacent islands
are a beautiful study of contrasts.
On Big Talbot, soaring majestic live
oak trees grow all the way to the shoreline.
And the beach is littered with the
salt-washed silver-white skeletal remains
of oak and palm trees. The beach is famously
known as Boneyard Beach.
Big Talbot and Little Talbot are part of
a collection of seven state parks known as
The Talbot Island State Parks, which also
includes Amelia Island, Fort George Island,
Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve, Yellow Fort
Bluff and George Crady Bridge Fishing
Pier. They’re First Coast treasures, and great
places to spend a day beachcombing, viewing
and photographing wildlife, fishing,
kayaking, surfing and picnicking.
Little Talbot has five miles of white
sandy beaches, and is one of the few
remaining undeveloped barrier islands in
Northeast Florida. Its western side is filled
with maritime forest and salt marshes,
home to river otters, marsh rabbits, bobcats
and many migratory birds. This particular
day, I meet a few photographers
looking for a snowy owl that temporarily
made the beach-side dunes its home.
A full facility campground is also located
on the island, where kayak rentals
and guided paddle tours are available.
Little Talbot Island has five miles of undeveloped
beach, a full facility campground and a two and
half mile paved bicycle path.
healthsourcemag.com 19
20 First Coast Health Source Fall 2016
Sound Mind
LIVING WITH
CONGENITAL
HEART
DISEASE
Living longer and better lives
By Maggie FitzRoy I Photography courtesy of the American Heart Association
Lee Ann Walker was 22 weeks pregnant with her daughter Ryleigh when she learned
during an ultrasound that her baby had a serious heart defect. The diagnosis was truncus
arteriosis, a rare type of heart disease in which the aorta does not develop.
Left: Ryleigh Walker
is this year’s Heart
Walk Ambassador at
the First Coast Heart
Walk on Sept. 17.
She was advised
to terminate the
pregnancy, but she
and her husband,
Craig, refused.
Instead, she
researched the
condition and went
to see pediatric cardiologists at Wolfsons
Children’s Hospital, who knew how to
fix it.
Ryleigh was born full term, at 6
pounds, 7 ounces, with a team of
specialists there to greet her. At a
week old, she underwent an 11 hour
operation during which surgeons gave
her an aorta created from donated
human tissue. Since her pulmonary
arteries were also very small, at three
months a balloon was inserted into
them to expand them, but with minimal
success. She also has defective heart
valves which will need to be repaired
when she gets older.
The Walkers were warned that
children living with conditions like
Ryleigh’s usually have low energy, “but
that’s never been the case with her,” Lee
Ann says.
Now 4, she is a bundle of energy, and
always has been.
“She’s always been a happy girl and
she’s a really smart girl,” her 9-year old
brother, Cael, says one recent day as his
healthsourcemag.com 21
GIVE A LITTLE LOVE
TO ALL HEARTS
JOIN THE 2016 FIRST COAST
HEART WALK
Robert Hill, President and Chief Executive Officer
at Acosta, and this year’s volunteer First Coast
Heart Walk Chairman, says Ryleigh Walker’s
story is one that resonates with all of us.
“Ryleigh’s story shows that the work of the
American Heart Association is so critical in
our community, and why the education and
resources the association provides to our local
community is important. Heart health affects
everyone from children of very young ages such
as Ryleigh, to our aging parents. Ryleigh’s story
helps to remind us with the proper awareness,
education and resources that good outcomes
can happen.”
Visit firstcoastheartwalk.org to register for the
2016 Heart Walk on September 17.
Ryleigh and her parents Craig and Lee Ann with her brother Cael.
sister zooms around the family’s living
room, jumping on and off the furniture.
“She’s fun to play with and she’s really
hyper — in many ways,” he says. “She
has ten times as much energy as me.”
“She likes to pretend she can fly,” Lee
Ann says. She is also in an advanced
class in her preschool. And she is at a
normal weight and height because she
has always had a healthy appetite. At
this point she is being monitored until
she is old enough for another open heart
surgery to repair her ongoing issues.
Ryleigh is also this year’s Ambassador
for the American Heart Association’s
Heart Walk on September 17 at
Jacksonville’s Metropolitan Park. Last
year, she and her family participated
in the event that raises awareness and
funds for heart disease research. This
year, she is literally its poster child, and
proudly so.
As a child living with heart disease
and thriving despite it, “she’s the face of
the campaign this year,” Lee Ann says.
She’ll lead the walk, wearing a cape just
like all the other children in the “zipper
club,” those who have had open heart
surgery and have the scars to prove it.
“I’ve always been an advocate for
social change, so when Ryleigh was
born, I got involved with support
groups,” Lee Ann says. She’s still an
advocate, for congenital heart disease,
which is a major way she copes with her
daughter’s condition.
According to the AHA website, about
40,000 children are born with a heart
Ryleigh Walker is now 4 years old and a
bundle of energy.
Seventy years ago, only 15 percent of babies
with congenital heart defects made it to
adulthood. Now, more than 90 percent do.
22 First Coast Health Source Fall 2016
defect each year. There are many types,
and the impacts of the defects vary
widely.
In many cases, the condition goes
undiagnosed until the child is older
and in some cases not until adulthood,
says Dr. Naser Ammash, a professor
of medicine in the cardiovascular
department at Mayo Clinic.
Symptoms depend on the type and
severity of the condition and some
people just assume feeling fatigued is
normal, he says.
All of Dr. Ammash’s patients are 16
and older, and as part of their treatment
he encourages them to live as normal
as possible. “They tend to have a higher
risk of depression and a higher risk of
anxiety,” he says. “They have many
concerns about their futures.” He refers
them for psychological counseling if
necessary and also encourages them to
exercise to the extent they can.
Seventy years ago, only 15 percent
of babies with congenital heart defects
made it to adulthood, he says. Now,
more than 90 percent do. “The feeling
of normalcy is very important,” he says.
“With adequate care, many can have
children and careers.”
Mayo patient Joe Meyer, 19,
didn’t learn he had hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy, thickening of the heart
muscle, until he was 14, when it was
discovered during a sports physical. He
was lucky. A common cause of sudden
death in young athletes, it is usually
diagnosed during autopsies.
He was upset about it initially, but
after open heart surgery he was able
to begin exercising, which helped
physically and emotionally. He also
copes by sharing his story. He has been
Heart Walk Ambassador and a speaker
at the Heart Ball.
“By drawing attention to all the forms
of heart disease,” he says, “I feel like I
am making a difference.”
Ryleigh’s brother, Cael, also aims to
make a difference. He has been his
sister’s biggest supporter since the day
she was born.
“I was happy that I had a really cool
heart sister. She inspired me to become
a doctor that fixes hearts,” he says. “I
just want her to be fixed. I just want her
to be fine.”
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• Medical Assistant
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• Medical Insurance Billing and Coding
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For more information about graduation rates, the
median debt of students who completed the program
and other important information, please visit our
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See what sets us apart:
• Scholarships and grants available for
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(904) 264-9122
healthsourcemag.com 23
Sound Mind
SURVIVE AND THRIVE
Beating Heart Disease
Made Her Stronger
Now Annie Ward wants to offer hope to others
By Maggie FitzRoy I Photography courtesy of the American Heart Association
For most of her life, Annie Ward’s motto has been: “I decide the odds.”
And time and time again, she has beaten them. When she was seven,
she was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an enlarged
heart muscle. After suddenly collapsing while walking the family dog,
her shocked parents were told she had almost no chance of survival.
But she lived.
She was air lifted to Wolfson Children’s Hospital where she
laid in a comatose state for days. Doctors warned her parents
that she’d likely be mentally incapacitated if and when she woke
up. But she emerged from the coma mentally fine. Implanted
with a defibrillator, she was given a cocktail of medications, and
warned to never do anything physically exerting. For the young
girl, simple tasks like walking up the stairs were exhausting.
Constantly lethargic, she attended school with her new reality,
and did well.
At age 17, cardiac tests indicated that her heart was so weak
that a transplant was her only hope. Placed on a waiting list, she
graduated from high school. She was off to college, but with a
beeper to alert her when a suitable donor had been found. One
day during freshman year, she passed out as she walked to class.
Her situation became dire.
“I told my professors that I might be late to class because I
had to walk slow,” Ward, now 23, recalls. “But I was very upset
because my heart condition had robbed me of so much. I felt
alone, worthless and constantly tired.”
She didn’t know if a heart would be found for her in time. A
donor between the ages of 13 and 30 was needed due to her
age. She felt depressed and defeated. Then she realized she had a
decision to make: “I could either let this heart condition take over
my life,” she says. “Or I could be joyful in spite of it.” She chose
joy and focused on what she could do in life, not on what she
couldn’t accomplish.
Sharing her story during a special event at her college,
Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla., she was afterwards
showered with
prayers and
support. Three
days later, she
received a heart
from a 14-year-old
female accident
victim at UF
Health Shands
Hospital in
Gainesville.
But her
challenges were
Annie Ward at the 2016 Go Red for Women
Luncheon.
far from over. After all she’d already been through; she says life
was suddenly “a different kind of difficult.”
She had to learn how to walk again. She had to fight to get
stronger, one step at a time. She came to accept and embrace the
scars on her chest and abdomen as evidence of her strength.
Then she graduated from college, and next year plans to get
an advanced degree in social work. She dreams of working
with cardiac patients, so she can share her story and bring
them hope.
“At the end of the day, it all comes down to your
perspective,” she says. “You can’t let the disease defeat
you; you’ve got to defeat it. That’s what I ended up doing. I
defeated it and I won.”
24 First Coast Health Source Fall 2016
“At the end of the
day, it all comes
down to your
perspective. You
can’t let the disease
defeat you; you’ve
got to defeat it.
That’s what I ended
up doing. I defeated
it and I won.”
— Annie Ward
healthsourcemag.com 25
Sound Mind
BRAIN GAMES
Brain Games I Sudoku
There is nothing better for the brain than a little exercise. Keep your brain in shape with
our monthly brain games.
Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9.
© 2016 Satori Publishing
(answers on page 34)
26 First Coast Health Source Fall 2016
Trust your legs to the vascular experts!
Coastal Vein Aesthetic Institute was founded
by MBB Radiology to help promote vascular
health in the Jacksonville community.
Our doctors have spent their careers treating
patients with extensive vascular disease who missed
the early warning signs. By extending our outreach
into the community, we hope to help bridge the gap
between hospitals and your family doctor to help
promote comprehensive vascular wellness.
Douglas Gesner, M.D. | Andrew McBride, M.D., RPVI
Natalie Bernhart, MSPAS, PA-C
Visit coastalvein.com for
more info or to schedule a
Vascular Health Screening.
904.660.2330 | 7741 Point Meadows Dr. Unit 104, Jacksonville, FL 32256
Our body is our temple.
The NEW First Coast Health Source features stories that dive into how we can
best support our physical health. Providing expert advice on exercise, outdoor
active lifestyle and celebrating new advancements in medicine, this department
showcases stories that speak to how best to keep in shape.
healthsourcemag.com
For advertising information or where to get a copy of
the NEW Health Source Magazine call 904.359.4179
healthsourcemag.com 27
Miso Marinated Tofu
& Soba Noodle Salad
from HOBNOB
By Jon Vredenburg, MBA, RD, CDE, CSSD, LD/N I Photography by Bruce Lipsky
Since openings its doors earlier this year, HOBNOB has quickly become a prime urban core dining destination, located at Unity
Plaza within the Brooklyn neighborhood of Jacksonville. The wide-ranging menu reflects Chef Roger Regulacion’s desire to bring
together a world of flavorful cuisines under one roof. “We just try to take these classic dishes people love from different cuisines,
like the pancit [noodles] from the Philippines or the shakshuka [eggs poached in tomato sauce] from North Africa, and elevate it to
fit our style of dining here,” Chef Regulacion says.
28 First Coast Health Source Fall 2016
Fresh Eats
DELISH DISH
This month’s featured recipe, a Miso Marinated Tofu & Soba Noodle Salad, was originally developed to appeal to the vegetarian diner but
has quickly become a customer favorite at HOBNOB. “There was always this forgotten crowd of people, who were vegetarians, and there
was never anything on the menu that was intentionally made for them,” Regulacion says. The marinated tofu provides a good source of
protein, while the soba noodles provide a tasty alternative to white flour pasta, with about half of the calories.
INGREDIENTS:
Miso Marinade:
1 lb. white miso paste
1 lb. granulated sugar
2 cups mirin (rice wine)
2 cups sake (rice wine)
Spicy Soy Vinaigrette:
1 cup teriyaki sauce
1 roasted and seeded jalapeno
1 tsp. sambal oelek (chile sauce)
1 tsp. Rayu (chili oil)
Quick Pickling Liquid:
1 cup distilled vinegar
1/2 cup sugar cane vinegar
1 cup granulated sugar
6 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
Buckwheat Soba Noodles:
1 lb. Korean or Japanese buckwheat
soba noodles
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. canola oil
Salad:
12-16 oz. firm tofu
1 lb. cooked soba noodles
2 cups Napa cabbage
1/2 cup grape tomatoes
1/2 cup julienned jalapeños
1/2 cup fresh cilantro (or less, to taste)
1/2 cup julienned carrots (marinated in
quick pickling liquid for 1 hour)
1/2 cup julienned red onions (marinated in
quick pickling liquid for 1 hour)
1/2 cup radish, thinly sliced (marinated in
quick pickling liquid for 1 hour)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Place all miso marinade ingredients in a heavy gauge sauce pot over medium heat and whisk thoroughly.
2. Slowly simmer until mixture reaches the color of caramel. Remove from heat, transfer liquid to a bowl, and let
cool completely in the refrigerator. Once the marinade has completely cooled, divide equally into two bowls.
Add tofu to one bowl and marinate for two hours. Reserve the other bowl for salad assembly.
3. While tofu is marinating, prepare the quick pickling liquid. Place all pickling liquid ingredients in a heavy gauge
saucepot and bring to a boil, or just until all the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool completely in
a bowl. Add carrots, red onions, and radishes, and marinate for one hour in a refrigerator.
4. Next, make the spicy soy vinaigrette. Blend all vinaigrette ingredients until the jalapeño is completely puréed.
Set aside.
5. Prepare the buckwheat soba noodles according to package instructions. Once noodles are cooked to al dente,
remove from heat and place in an ice bath. Drain and toss in the sesame and canola oil until well coated and
no noodles stick together. Chill in a refrigerator.
SALAD ASSEMBLY:
1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees and warm a sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Grill or pan-sear the marinated tofu until it develops a light brown. Flip tofu, remove pan from heat, and finish
in the oven for 4-5 minutes or until just heated through.
3. Toss soba noodles in a small bowl with just enough spicy soy vinaigrette to coat the noodles.
4. Drain the pickling liquid off carrots, red onions, and radish.
5. Transfer noodles to two serving plates.
6. Arrange pickled and raw vegetables around the noodles.
7. Place tofu on top of noodles and vegetables. Garnish with a drizzle of spicy soy vinaigrette on the noodles,
and leftover miso marinade on the tofu.
8. Top the dish with fresh cilantro and serve immediately.
HOBNOB is located at 220 Riverside Ave. For more info visit: hobnobwithus.com
healthsourcemag.com 29
Delivering fresh food to those most in need
Written and Photographed by Allie Olsen
The Farm to Family food truck is a
tale of resourceful ingenuity, piein-the-sky
ideals and the American
Dream.
30 First Coast Health Source Fall 2016
Fresh Eats
For more information, visit
facebook.com/FarmtoFamilyFlorida
It’s also a tale of overcoming economic mountains
to provide for families in need. Farm to
Family is changing the way the First Coast views
food, and is giving the term “food truck” a
whole new meaning.
The Food Truck
A massive truck is the heart of Farm to Family.
Outfitted with refrigerated cargo bays and filled
with local produce, this food truck aims to sell $7,000
worth of retail products in three days of sales each weekat
competitive prices.
Farmers price their ripe-from-the-field-produce based on
the market, and the food truck is a popular stop with residents
in communities all over St. Johns County who want
to support their local economy and farmers. It has been so
popular that its route expanded to more than 13 stops each
week during its first two months on the road.
Scheduled market stops include Christ Episcopal Church
in Ponte Vedra Beach, library parking lots, and Serenata
Beach Club, where a group of moms there are so excited
to have access to farm-fresh food that they’ve decided to
make it a weekly moms group stop before play dates.
Farm to Family aims to be a self-sustaining program, to
sell at a certain volume in many communities in order to
offset lower sales in “food desert areas.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture describes a food desert
as “urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready
access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food.” While Farm
to Family serves communities with ready access to farmers
markets, the USDA reports that St. Johns County has
seven food desert regions, including much of downtown
St. Augustine and rural Hastings. Farm to Family stops in
these areas, and accepts all forms of payment, including
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits,
to bring healthy options to all residents of all economic levels
of St. Johns County.
Community Collaboration
“Every cucumber you’re buying today helps pay a farmer’s
mortgage,” says Executive Director Malea Guiriba.
“Every $1.50 for a tomato goes back into the community.
The impact is so far reaching.”
Guiriba has big dreams and an even bigger heart for the
community. Her desire for sustainable change in underserved
areas is unquenchable and contributes to the success
of this program.
“Ideally, in a pie-in-the-sky world, this food truck is
making nutritional and educational changes for all ages,”
Guiriba says, citing its regular stops in impoverished and
food desert areas.
Her vision is not limited to making healthy food more
accessible. “We affect childhood obesity now,” she says.
“Sixty years from now, this reduces the number of adults
with hypertension. That child we’re getting produce to
now…well, we’ve affected her whole life span. The truck
is not just about food. It’s about access to nutrition, education,
supporting the farmers we buy from - everything we
do is about so much more.”
During a stop one day, Guiriba gestured for a market
ambassador to help a customer grab a second watermelon.
“You can have an extra one free,” she says. “We have plenty.”
“At the end of the day, we don’t waste any of it,” she
says. “We sell it discounted to feed the homeless, help
farm workers and feed 20 homebound senior citizens in
Hastings.”
Food Desert: urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready
access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food.
healthsourcemag.com 31
Left clockwise: Afternoon showers
don’t keep Farm to Family shoppers
from filling their baskets; Some
produce, such as apples, pineapples
and bananas are added to the truck
for variety but the vast majority
is grown here on the First Coast;
George constantly restocks the Farm
to Table truck as customers fill their
baskets.
Meet The Farmers
Always quick to share credit, Guiriba
points out that Farm to Family is the
brainchild of two hard-working farmers,
Chris Barnes and Ben Wells. “Chris even
pulls from other smaller farms,” she says.
“All the farmers try to help each other
out,” says Wells.
Barnes is a fifth generation farmer who
longed to bring this new food truck concept
to the First Coast. “Hey, you need
food, we’re here to get it to you. This
is the best, cheapest way possible and
we’re gonna get it to you,” he says.
A third generation farmer, Ben Wells
works alongside family and hired hands
planting 1,400 acres in St. Johns County.
Farming is what he’s good at and
what he loves, Wells says. Teaming up
with Guiriba to develop Farm to Family
allowed him to diversify his crops and
also raise community awareness about
local farms by going straight to the customer.
Keyword = LOCAL
Farm to Family sources from several
local, mid-sized family farms. The truck
sells local produce to people who want
to buy fresh food for taste and nutritional
benefits. This, in turn, provides
enough revenue for the truck to go to
lower income areas to offer nutritious
food where there was no way to access
it before.
Farm-fresh produce is accessible to
thousands of St. Johns County families
who needed better access to fresh food.
Unlike shopping at a traditional grocery
store, with this model every dollar is
earned and spent in the county, and the
local economy is strengthened. Farm to
Family is a food truck trend that’s changing
the community one produce basket
at a time.
32 First Coast Health Source Fall 2016
healthsourcemag.com 33
Fresh Eats
CALORIES COUNT
END OF SUMMER COOKOUT
HAMBURGER
Can be delicious and nutritious
Calorie Counts is a new section focused on providing information about the foods
we eat, to act as a guide for healthier diet choices.
BUTTER TOASTED BUN
ONION RINGS
Forget the onion rings:
Putting fried onion rings
on your hamburger increases
the calorie count
by about 140 calories
(4 rings).
Healthier choice:
Go with sliced raw onion
instead. There is only 6
calories per slice.
Loose the bread:
A butter toasted bun is 220 calories and
packed with carbs.
Healthier choice:
Sandwich your burger between two
pieces of iceberg lettuce. It adds a great
crunch and is virtually calorie free.
EXTRA MEAT
Don’t Pile on the Meat:
Sliced bacon or a double
patty just doubles down on
your fat and calorie count.
Healthier choice:
Add a thick slice of tomato,
sprinkled with salt and pepper.
It will add flavor and heft to your
burger, without the extra fat and
calories of meat.
BEEF HAMBURGER PATTY
(answers to puzzle on page 26)
Keep it Lean:
There are different types of ground beef, and
ground chuck is the most fatty. Stay away from it.
Healthier Choice:
Look for 95% lean ground sirloin for
your patties to drop the fat count,
while maintaining protein.
34 First Coast Health Source Fall 2016
Saturday, November 5 | Noon – 5:00 p.m.
The Glass Factory
601 Myrtle Avenue North, Jacksonville
Join us for our annual Go Local Marketplace celebrating the best of the First Coast in one place.
The Go Local Marketplace will be a dynamic mix of shopping, food and live entertainment.
We look forward to sharing some of our favorite local boutiques and entrepreneurs
as we celebrate the great things that our region has to offer! Free admission.
BUICK
GMC
Sponsored By:
ST. VINCENT’S
H E A L T H C A R E
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I R G O O D S
Visit us online for more information!
firstcoastmag.com/golocal
healthsourcemag.com 35