Old Fashioned Advice and Spring Tool Kit
by
Elizabeth Bassett

I channeled my grandmother the other day. "Nannie," I said, "the
Health and Fitness Issue is coming up."
"No problem," she said, "before you went to kindergarten you knew
everything that's important."
Until a stroke felled her at age 86, Nannie walked several miles each
day- briskly! Decades before it was fashionable, my Scandinavian
grandparents toasted whole wheat bread for breakfast and Papa scooped
honey from a gallon can. As Nannie spooned cream from the neck of the
milk bottle, I watched a lump of brown sugar melt into the tiny pool
of butter on my oatmeal. We savored grapefruit shipped from Texas or
Nannie's applesauce. After breakfast- and making my bed of course, I
shadowed Papa into the enchanted world of his garden. On St. Patrick's
Day we planted peas and, when oak leaves were as big as a squirrel's
ear, we sowed beans. That's about all you need to know.
Today life doesn't seem so simple. Heart disease, Type 2 diabetes,
obesity, high blood pressure, asthma, and mood disorders are
exacerbated by our modern world. We may look to Washington to solve
issues like air and water pollution, global warming, or distorted farm
subsidies, but each of us can make choices that shape our personal
health. What would Nannie say?
Walk! A pair of walking shoes is a good first step toward reducing
risk for heart disease, obesity, and high blood pressure. Exercise,
sunlight, and fresh air are powerful forces against depression. Burn
calories while gossiping, counting ducks, or identifying wildflowers.
Skip the elevator and climb stairs. Park at the far end of the lot.
Enjoy our dirt roads- we're lucky to have them. I recently walked the
length of Roscoe Road, then followed Rotax Road to Monkton Ridge. In
two hours only three vehicles passed.
Garden! If you don't think gardening contributes to fitness, I dare
you to work our local Vergennes clay. You'll build muscles, shed
pounds, eat well, and perhaps achieve enlightenment! Dig, turn the
soil, plant, weed, mulch, rake and, voila, harvest! On summer nights
take a strainer to the pea patch and pick dinner. Don't resist
nibbling. A bag of chips won't look as tempting if you're full of
greenery.
No time or patience for your own vegetable patch? Buy a share of the
harvest at Stony Loam Farm, subscription-based community supported
agriculture (CSA) on Hinesburg Road. You write a check, Dave Quickel
and Emma Burrous do the heavy lifting. Cut herbs and flowers each week
with your Charlotte neighbors. It's like Town Meeting with no agenda!
You'll leave with an armload of pre-picked veggies. Don't know what to
do with kale or kohlrabi? Dave and Emma provide recipes. Across the
farm yard, the wood-fired hearth at Pizza On Earth tempts you to bring
home a loaf of bread, pizza, or dessert. Many a night last summer we
ate a monstrous stir-fry with warm bread! Does it get any better?
StonyLoamFarm.com or 238-0255.
Local produce- yours, Stony Loam's, from the Charlotte Farmer's
market or from any local garden, berry patch, or orchard, is fresh and
filled with vitamins and minerals absent in agribusiness foods. Buying
from local farms also minimizes transportation and helps preserve
farmland and prevent sprawl- subjects for another day. Manure and
compost return micronutrients to the soil. Scientists find that a diet
rich in micronutrients can reduce vulnerability to depression or
bipolar disorder and can alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia and other
mental illnesses. That's in addition to improving general health.
A 1997 British study compared the mineral content of produce grown in
the 1930s with contemporary fruits and vegetables. The study found
that many nutrients had dropped dramatically- calcium nearly 30%, iron
32%, and magnesium down 21%, the latter long known to be a
sedative. Mental illness appears to be partly heritable. Psychiatric
researchers speculate that one genetic component may be an
individual's higher-than-normal metabolic demands for vitamins and
minerals. New discoveries in brain biochemistry have prompted academic
studies- drug companies have no motivation to conduct research since
vitamins and minerals can't be patented. But it's not easy for
research psychiatrists to stack up their few studies against research
fueled by the pharmaceutical industry testing the likes of Paxil and
Zoloft.
Harvard psychiatrist Andrew Stoll found that bipolar patients given
large doses of omega-3s, fatty acids found in seafood, flax, wild
game, and greens, did significantly better than a control group. These
fatty acids may help maintain fluidity in cellular membranes,
enhancing the function of neural receptors. Stoll believes that
omega-3s may act in ways similar to mood stabilizing drugs like
lithium and Depakote, damping excessive signaling between cells.
Scientific studies are designed to examine the effect of one variable
yet Stoll and others surmise that the benefits of nutrients are
additive- that their strength is only apparent in combination with
others.
Like Nannie said, "Eat a little bit of everything. And enjoy it!"

Nuts and Bolts
Get Out-
Mt. Philo State Park opens May 26 until Oct. 15. New this year, two
accessible toilet buildings using an innovative composting technology
that reduces the park's use of potable water. Day use fees: $2.50 for
adults 14 and older, $2 for kids 3-14, and free under 3. An individual
pass for $25 buys unlimited day use at any one Vermont State Park. For
$75 a vehicle carrying up to 8 occupants may enter any state park all
season. A ten-visit punch card reduces the per visit fee to $1.80 and
may be used at any park in more than one season.
The Winooski Valley Park District boasts more than 1,700 acres and
twelve miles of river, lake, and pond shoreline. Their easy-to-use
website, www.wvpd.org, proposes Six Easy Walks, including maps and
driving directions. All 17 properties are open from sunrise to sunset
free of charge. Canoe and fishing accesses dot the shores.

Tone Up-
Local fitness clubs offer tongue-twisting menus of Qigong, Pilates,
Ashtanga Yoga, Dance Aerobics and, of course, spinning. (I suspect
Nannie's head would be spinning like my spell-checker!) Shelburne
Health & Fitness) offers a free one-week trial membership. Try their
Class on Couples' Massage, Saturday, May 20, 2-4 PM.
www.shelburnehealthandfitness.com, 985-3141
Catamount Family Center, a not-for-profit with the goal of preserving
its 500 acres in fast-growing Williston, has more than 20 miles of
professionally designed trails. Catamount hosts two popular evening
race series: Tuesday trail runs and Wednesday mountain bike series.
Opening Day is April 29. Details at www.catamountoutdoor.com or
879-6001.
In addition to classes, Shelburne Athletic Club organizes races:
running- including the Charlotte Covered Bridges Half Marathon on May
6, triathlons, and duathlons (no swimming). Tune up your biking legs
with early season time trials. Two final races are April 20 and April
27. The eight-mile course starts at the corner of Greenbush and
Thompsons Point Roads. Entry is $5. www.shelburneathleticclub.com,
985-4400.

Tune Up-
Need a Steed? Shop for mountain, road, or hybrid bikes at the Ski
Rack's annual swap on May 6. Drop-off is Monday through Friday, May
1-5. (No 10-speeds or department store bikes.) Beginning in June, the
Ski Rack will offer bike tuning clinics on Tuesday evenings.

Tune In-
For information on vitamins, including the latest research, visit the
Vitamins and Nutrition Center at: www.vitamins-nutrition.org
To learn more about mental health consult the National Institute of
Mental Health: www.nimh.nih.gov.
The Sanctuary for Yoga and Well Being in Shelburne. Rita Frederick
offers six-week yoga classes begin the week of April 24.
rf@yogasanctuaryvt.com or 985-4961.
Looking for a cause? Ride for Diabetes. Monday evenings the Ski Rack
hosts a "no drop ride," meaning you will not be left behind no matter
your speed. These rides build momentum for the store's team
participation in the Tour de Cure, a diabetes fund-raiser. The South
Burlington ride on June 11, is NOT a race, with distances ranging from
10 to 100 km. Contact the Ski Rack at www.skirack.com or 658-3313, or
the Tour de Cure: www.diabetes.org/tour.