Words on Wellness
SPRING 2015
The Core
is the Key to Spine Health
We have all heard the phrase “work your
core” in the exercise world, but do we
really know what the buzz is all about?
The core is best described as the group of
muscles that support and stabilize your
spine, pelvis, hips and ribs.
Wellness Center Hours
Cape Coral
5 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Friday
7 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday
Fort Myers
5:15 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday-Friday
7 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday
Wellness Centers
609 SE 13th Court
Cape Coral, FL 33990
239-424-3220
3114 Cleveland Avenue
Fort Myers, FL 33901
239-343-4980
*An outpatient department of Lee Memorial Hospital
When all the muscles are strong and work
together, they keep the spine upright and
in a well-balanced position to function.
Imagine a cup of water filled to the rim
while balancing on a rock. If there is an
imbalance of the cup in any direction, the
water will spill out. Our core is the cup
that keeps us balanced.
Weakness and/or tightness of any of
these muscles cause misalignment and
an imbalance, eventually leading to:
Pain
Poor posture
Poor balance
Lack of flexibility
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A weak core almost always translates into
some form of body mechanic issue. If you
have ever pulled a muscle in your back
or abdomen you know that it is difficult
to do almost anything with your arms or
legs. Everything, including coughing, can
be difficult.
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Our core is not only important to keeping
us balanced, but is a key component to
upright posture and strength. As we age,
we tend to take on a rounded-shoulders
posture and slumped lower-back stance.
Strengthening our core is directly related
to the mechanics of keeping proper
posture.
Most back and neck aches and pains can
be attributed to weak postural muscles.
The core muscles need endurance rather
than power because their job is to stabilize
the spine as we move our arms and legs.
These muscles need to be able to hold up
our body for long periods of time as we
move and stand upright. To strengthen
them we need to focus on stabilizing
exercises. A good example of a stabilizing
exercise is a plank.
Keeping your entire body still in a
horizontal position, while bearing weight
on your elbows and feet, requires good
trunk control and abdominal stabilization.
A plank is a great way to strengthen
muscle endurance in multiple muscles
at one time. Try adding core exercises
to your workouts and get your body to
endure a life of mobility and upright
control. A little core goes a long way.
Ask The Doc
Salvatore Lacagnina, D.O., is the Lee Memorial Health System vice president of health &
wellness. He is board certified in internal medicine and has been in practice since 1993. As a
regular part of Words on Wellness, Dr. Lacagnina answers your health-related questions. Send
your questions to [email protected].
Question
What books would you recommend I read to educate myself on
healthy living?
Answer
There are so many great books, videos and websites about
general health and wellness. Starting from the head and
working down the body I would recommend:
Books:
• “Power Foods to the Brain” by Dr. Neal Barnard
• “Disease Proof” by Dr. David Katz
• “Super Immunity Foods” by Frances Goulart
• “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease” by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn
• “The China Study” by T. Colin Campbell
• “The Whole Heart Solution” by Dr. Joel Kahn
• “Foods that Fight Cancer” by Richard Beliveau
• “The New Optimum Nutrition Bible” by Patrick Holford
• “Rethink Food” by Amy Goodman
• “Disease Delusion” by Dr. Jeffrey Bland
• “Salt, Sugar, Fat” by Michael Moss
• “Eat to Live” by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
Videos:
• “Food, Inc.”
• “Forks Over Knives”
Websites:
• www.nutritionfacts.org ; daily videos by Dr. Michael Greger
• www.lung.org; stop-smoking
• www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/how_to_quit/index.htm
• www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/index.html
• www.Eatright.org
• www.Choosemyplate.gov
• www.Chiphealth.com
Stay well!
Exercises and Classes Focus on the Core
•Yogalates – This class blends
multi-level yoga and Pilates
and provides all over body
toning.
•Yoga – There are a variety
of classes to balance your
mind, body and spirit through
various poses.
•Barre Fitness – This class blends strength training and
stretching, and offers total body conditioning.
•Fit Core – Geared toward active seniors and newer
members, this class offers exercises that are less intense
but still train the core.
John Croce, wellness and fitness supervisor at the Wellness
Center – Cape Coral, also says focusing on stabilizing
exercises is great for the core. He adds that the abdominal
muscles are no different from the other muscles in the body,
so consistency is key.
“If you are going to intensely work your core, then
incorporate those exercises every other day,” John says. “But,
if you are doing a maintenance set on your abs, then you can
work them more often. A plank is a great exercise because it
requires good trunk control and abdominal stabilization and
you can do them anywhere.”
If you prefer working out with others in the group exercise
classes, there are options at both locations that focus on core
work, including:
Wellness Center – Fort Myers
•Stronger Core & More – Stretching and strengthening
exercises isolate your core muscles.
•FIT Pilates – Pilates exercise class designed with our
super seniors in mind.
•FIT Core – Core training and flexibility class designed
for our super seniors.
Wellness Center – Cape Coral
•CX Worx – This Les Mills class uses resistance tubes
and weight plates, as well as body weight exercises to
strengthen the core.
•Pilates – A unique set of exercises designed to stretch,
strengthen and balance the body.
•Total Core – In this class you will target your torso,
sculpt your abs and strengthen your back.
Visit the front desk for more information and class schedules.
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Pickleball is an Exciting Game for All Ages
Combining elements of tennis,
badminton and racquetball, Pickleball is
quickly becoming a popular sport at the
Wellness Center – Cape Coral.
“Pickleball is easy for beginners to learn,
but it can also develop into a quick, fastpaced, competitive game for experienced
players of all ages,” says John Croce,
wellness and fitness supervisor.
Played as both singles and doubles,
players use wood or composite paddles
and a perforated plastic baseball—like
a whiffleball. The court has the same
dimensions as a doubles badminton
court.
Mike and Diane Welter started playing
pickleball seven years ago after reading
about the sport in the newspaper and
attending an exhibition. Mike, who is the
current Florida state pickleball champion
in his age group, says the sport is
growing by leaps and bounds—especially
in the senior age group. “Pickleball is
great for seniors because it is easier
than tennis and can be played in an airconditioned gym,” Mike says. “It’s a great
cardio activity—you breathe hard and
sweat, but you don’t have to be a great
athlete to do it. There are people of all
levels playing, so you play against people
at your same skill level who you feel
comfortable with.”
Mike adds that he and Diane love the
social aspect of the sport. “We have met
so many nice people—new friends—
through pickleball,” he says. “It’s friendly
competition—everyone gets along and
has fun.”
It was actually Mike who brought the
idea of pickleball to the Wellness Center
– Cape Coral. “I noticed the gym was
underutilized,” he says. “The staff did
some research, procured the correct
equipment and I offered to hold a clinic.”
Pickleball is played on the basketball
court at the Wellness Center – Cape
Coral. John says the interest has
increased to the point that he had to
create a schedule and start a sign-up
sheet to balance the opportunities for
pickleball and basketball. The pickleball
schedule offers morning and
afternoon options, seven days a week.
Check out the sign-up sheet at the
front desk.
If you are interested in learning more
about the game, stop by and watch the
action. Mike says he has seen many
people try the game a couple of times
and quickly get addicted.
Sweet Potato-Peanut Bisque
This satisfying vegetarian, sweet potato soup is inspired by the flavors of West African peanut soup. We
like the added zip of hot green chiles, but they can sometimes be very spicy. It’s best to take a small bite
first and add them to taste. Try chopped peanuts and scallions for a different garnish. Serve with a mixed
green salad with vinaigrette.
5 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes (10-12 ounces
each)
Preparation
1. Prick sweet potatoes in several places
with a fork. Microwave on high until just
cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Set
1 tablespoon canola oil
aside to cool.
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan
1 large clove garlic, minced
or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add onion and cook, stirring, until it
3 cups reduced-sodium tomato-vegetable
juice blend or tomato juice
just begins to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1
1 4-ounce can diced green chiles,
minute more. Stir in juice, green chiles,
preferably hot, drained
ginger and allspice. Adjust the heat so
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
the mixture boils gently; cook for 10
1 teaspoon ground allspice
minutes.
1 15-ounce can vegetable broth
3. Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes
and chop into bite-size pieces. Add half
1/2 cup smooth natural peanut butter
to the pot. Place the other half in a food
Freshly ground pepper to taste
processor or blender along with broth
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
and peanut butter. Puree until
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4. completely smooth. Add the puree to
the pot and stir well to combine.
5. Thin the bisque with water, if desired.
Season with pepper. Heat until hot.
Garnish with cilantro, if desired.
Nutrition
Per serving: 291 calories; 16 g fat; 3 g sat.
fat; 8 g mono; 0 mg cholesterol; 30 g
carbohydrates; 10 g protein; 6 g fiber; 474 mg
sodium; 1011 mg potassium
1 1/2 carbohydrate per serving
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 1/2
high fat meat, 1/2 fat
Tips & Notes
Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up
to 3 days. Thin with water before serving if
necessary.
From EatingWell: September/October2009
Words on Wellness
© Copyright 2015
P.O. Box 2218, Fort Myers, Florida 33902
Words on Wellness is a Lee Memorial Health System
publication for the community.
Kali Lynch, Communications Writer
JL Watson, Communications Writer
Diana Rippl, Director, Health and Wellness Integration,
Wellness Centers
Website: www.LeeMemorial.org/wellness
Please call the Wellness Centers to
inquire about our seasonal membership
opportunities.
Cape Coral...........................239-424-3220
Fort Myers...........................239-343-4980
6300.02 3-15
Spring into Action
Our personal trainers are here to help you make leaps and bounds toward your personal fitness goals.
424-3220 – Cape Coral
Happening This Spring:
343-4980 – Fort Myers
Blood Pressure & Cholesterol: Risk Factors for
Chronic Disease
12-1 p.m., April 13
Gulf Coast Medical Center Community Room
Me? Diabetes?
10-11 a.m., April 20
Wellness Center – Cape Coral
Salt, Sugar & Fat: Food Additives Contributing to
Major Chronic Illnesses
12-1 p.m., May 13
Wellness Center – Cape Coral
Healthy Communities Start
with Me!
12:30-1:30 p.m., May 18
Lee Memorial Hospital Auditorium
Cancer: How to Avoid this Growing Epidemic
12-1 p.m., June 29
Cape Coral Hospital Room A
Beginning this spring at the Wellness Center – Fort
Myers, Better Back, Better Balance and BrainFIT classes.
Call for dates and details.
Refer a friend or family member to
the Wellness Centers
The Wellness Center –
Fort Myers has a
If they join us for a year, we will give you
$25 in Club Cash, which can be used on
new location. An open house
will be announced at a later date. other great services in our centers.*
In addition to weekday hours,
the café at the Wellness
Center – Cape Coral is open
8 a.m.-12 p.m. Saturdays.
We also offer “Free Friend Fridays” and the
Free Week Pass on our website:
www.LeeMemorial.org/wellness
Call or stop by the front desk for more
information.
*Lee Memorial Health System employees are not eligible
and some restrictions apply.
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