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6A Daily News – Tuesday, June 26, 2012 Vitalityfitness health DETROIT (MCT) — Loretta Moore looked at herself in the mirror one morning and didn't like what she saw. "I was ridiculously over- weight," Moore said. "I couldn't get into most of my clothes anymore." & Weight loss begins with a single step advocates say two of the best ways to stick to a regi- men is to have a partner or group, to walk in places that inspire and encourage you and to set a goal — such as walking a 5K or a half marathon. At 5-feet-4, Moore weighed 252 pounds. That image was all it took for Moore, 56, of Detroit to start walking reg- ularly. Davis. tive, she watched as the woman's son cried at his mother's casket. The woman who had died was in her early 40s. It took a funeral for Jodi At the funeral of a rela- "I thought that could be me" in the casket, said Davis, 45, of Coloma in western Michigan. Davis, too, was extremely obese. She is 5-feet-6 and weighed 300 pounds. Although they live in dif- ferent parts of the state, Moore and Davis took sim- ilar steps to get their weight and health under control. They began walking reg- ularly and eliminated a lot of sugary and high-fat foods from their diets. Moore shed 69 pounds in the past two years and is working toward losing more. And she no longer takes medications to control her once-high blood pres- sure. "My strength and endurance have improved," said Edythe Hayden Friley, 65, who has been walking with the River Walkers for five years. "And it's good for me emotionally. You hear so much bad stuff about the city. But here, there's such peace, tranquil- ity and beauty along the water. It just makes you feel good." MCT photos Top: Jodi Davis takes her dogs Skyla and Izzie for a walk recently. Bottom: Davis seen more than 10 years ago. book, Diet Plan & Inspira- tion" (Wiley, $27.99) by Joy Bauer, a nutrition expert on NBC's "Today" show. Moore and Davis are proof that getting fit starts by taking it one step at a time. After dropping 162 pounds over 16 months, Davis has maintained her weight for about 10 years. She became a healthy living advocate for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and is featured on the cover of the recently released "The Joy Fit Club: Cook- experts say that walking is one of the best ways to improve your health — and that when the weather is warm, it's a great time to get started. Health and fitness er and University of Michi- gan movement science pro- fessor. Walking reduces depres- sion and wards off or slows the progression of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, Katch said. And one of the best things about walking as a major form of exercise is that almost everyone can do it. "There are clear physi- cal, emotional and social benefits of walking," said Victor Katch, an avid walk- 1010 Jefferson St., Red Bluff 527-7800 Complete Dental Care • Cosmetic Dentistry • Adults And Children • New Patients Warmly Welcomed! www.MooreandPascarella.com "Walking is easy to do. It engages most of the major muscles of the body. It's good for balance and inter- nal functioning," he said. And, unlike some exer- cises, you don't have to go anywhere special to do it, said Katch, who walks daily — sometimes twice or three times on a really good day. "I'm a mover," he said. "I'd like to say I'm a mover and a shaker, but really, I'm just a mover." Katch and other walking The scenery, improved health and group support are among the attractions for the Detroit River Walk- ers — a group of almost 1,000 people 60 and older who walk Tuesday and Thursday mornings on the Detroit RiverWalk in a pro- gram sponsored by Detroit Receiving Hospital. Energy from B-vitamins? (MCT) — "An elder citizen seeking more energy" writes: "Can (vitamin) B-12 taken orally be effective (for more energy) or must other B-vitamins be included?" Here is the long answer to your short question: B-vitamins taken orally (in food or supplements) can indeed be effective for energy production. That's one of their main purposes — to help our cells derive energy from the foods we eat. B-vitamins also help produce red blood cells that feed our body oxygen and other nutrients. A deficiency of vitamin B-12 — a condition called The Detroit RiverWalk is one of Moore's favorite places to go for a stroll, too. She walks along the river- front at least three times a week. Occasionally, they veer off along the nearby Dequindre Cut Greenway. "We started out just doing a few miles, but sometimes we get in about 7 miles," says Moore, a clini- cal care manager for a men- tal health facility in Wixom. "I can wear all my clothes again," she says. "I love the new me." Davis walks every day for at least 1 1/2 miles along Lake Michigan near her home. walking at a brisk pace; as they lost weight, they were able to walk faster. And Davis discovered other benefits besides weight loss. "I have much more ener- Both women suggest "megaloblastic anemia" — can cause fatigue and weak- ness. When this condition is corrected, energy levels can return to normal. Unless you have a deficiency, however, it is unlikely that additional vitamin B-12 will necessari- ly enhance your energy. How to know if you have a deficiency of vitamin B- gy," she said. "My thoughts are clearer and I sleep better. Whenever I'm feeling stressed, I get outside and stomp it off." redbluff.mercy.org www.redbluff.mercy.org Cardiac Support Group 6:00pm-8:30pm 7/9 Monday Columba Room 527-5077 Community Basic Life Support 6:00pm-10:00pm 7/10 Tuesday Columba Room 529-8026 Childbirth Class 6:30pm-8:30pm 7/5- 12 Thursdays Columba Room 529-8026 Diabetic Education 12:30pm-4:30pm 7/18 Wednesday Columba Room 529-8026 Waterbirth Class 6:30pm-8:30pm 7/11 Wednesday Columba Room 529-8026 www.redbluff.mercy.org Grief Support Group 3:00pm-5:00pm Thursdays Coyne Center 528-4207 12? Your doctor can check with blood tests. Here is some other interesting information about vita- min B-12 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS): Vitamin B-12 is primarily found in foods of animal origin such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy foods. When we eat these foods, B-12 is "freed" for use in our body by the action of stomach acid and enzymes. Syn- thetic vitamin B-12 — found in dietary supplements and fortified foods — is already in its "free" form. Whether natural or synthetic, vitamin B-12 is absorbed into the body only when it combines with "intrinsic fac- tor" — a substance formed in the cells of the stomach. Some people can get plenty of vitamin B-12 in their diets and still have a deficiency of this vital nutrient, how- ever. A condition called "pernicious anemia" destroys the stomach's ability to produce intrinsic factor which pre- vents the absorption of B-12. People with this condition may require injections of vitamin B-12 to bypass the need for absorption through the stomach. People most at risk for vitamin B-12 deficiency are those follow a strict vegetarian diet or have a reduced amount of stomach acid. And as we age, our stomachs produce less acid. For this reason, nutrition experts now recommend people older than 50 obtain most of their vit- amin B-12 from foods with "free" vitamin B-12 such as fortified cereals and dietary supplements. How much do we need? The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for healthy people over the age of 14 years is 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B-12 daily. Higher doses have not been found to be toxic since the body is able to limit how much it absorbs. In answer to the second part of your questions, "other B-vitamins" include a complex of several compounds that are necessary to produce energy within the cells of our body. B-vitamins are found in a variety of foods includ- ing whole and fortified grains and cereals, beans and lentils, potatoes and bananas. Why so many "B" vitamins? Scientists once thought they were just one vitamin. As new compounds were discovered, they were numbered as distinct vitamins including thiamin (B-1), riboflavin (B-2), B-6, and B- 12. Bottom line: B-12 supplements do not necessarily increase your energy unless you are correcting an existing deficiency. The most effective way to get the right balance of B-vitamins into your body is to eat a variety of foods that contain these vitamins. Dietary supplements are meant to "supplement" what may be deficient in your diet for one reason or the other. RANDAL S. ELLOWAY DDS IMPLANT DENTISTRY 2426 SO. MAIN ST., RED BLUFF 530-527-6777 FACT SHEET ON DENTAL IMPLANTS DENTAL IMPLANTS: * are the most advanced tooth replacement system ever devised *help preserve jawbone to prevent the appearance of premature aging *look and function like natural teeth *are placed/restored in the doctor's office with minimal discomfort *improves comfort, appearance, speech * have a 95% success rate * allow you to eat the foods you love and talk, laugh and smile with confidence * represent a conservative treatment option-- adjacent teeth are left untouched * never develop decay * can provide great stability for lower denture * can completely eliminate the need for a denture * can help people of any age * give patients a third set of teeth that are natural looking and very long-lasting Ask yourself the following questions: Are you missing one or more of your natural teeth? Do you have a complete or partial denture that is no longer completely comfortable? Have you ever been embarrassed by a denture or a bridge? If you answered "yes" to one or more of these questions, call us today at (530) 527-6777 to schedule an evaluation appointment. We would be pleased to evaluate your oral health and discuss treatment options with you.