It really was an act of God,”Ernie Jones says when recalling his first steps toward a lifelong relationship with the sport of wrestling. Jones, who is in his 13th season as head wrestling coach at Tulsa’s Cascia Hall High School, says he never planned on going into wrestling. A skinny kid who lived in the country outside Sapulpa, Jones says he was never asked to participate in sports. But a penchant for mischief – and a strong sense of self-preservation – led him to stumble into his own destiny.

“They were building a brand new school next to the old one,” Jones recalls, “And we were told not to go into the new building before it opened. Well, of course, my buddy and me walked right into it after school. We heard some noises at the end of the building and went and looked through the door to see what it was, and there staring right at us was the meanest guy at the school: the wrestling coach. He came up to us and asked, ‘Are you boys wanting to wrestle?’ We didn’t say a word, just nodded our heads. And that was that.”

Keeping Up With The Joneses

Each year in Oklahoma, thousands of youngsters are introduced to the sport of wrestling. Little league wrestling tournaments across the state regularly draw hundreds of participants. While football gets the headlines, wrestling is firmly entrenched in the culture of Oklahoma, and with the numbers of young people taking up the sport each season, it doesn’t seem anywhere close to giving up its ground.  

“We had something like 180 elementary kids sign up this year,” Shawn Jones, head wrestling coach at Broken Arrow High School, says. “And that was before the actual sign-up day. Every year we’re getting more.”

Shawn Jones has a unique understanding of the attraction wrestling holds for kids in Oklahoma, and for what it takes to develop young wrestlers into champions. All he had to do was look to his father, the aforementioned Ernie Jones, who coached Shawn and his two younger brothers, Biff and Rodney, who are also successful coaches today.  

“I don’t know how other dads are as coaches,” the younger Jones says, “but he did a fantastic job of making us fall in love with the sport.”

The same influence Ernie Jones has had on his own sons has been shared with hundreds of other young men over the course of his more than 40-year career as a wrestling coach and teacher. In building Tulsa’s Booker T. Washington wrestling program basically from scratch, Jones won five team state championships in seven years, along the way coaching Oklahoma State University and U.S. Olympic champion Kenny Monday. He followed that stint up by coaching multiple champions at Tulsa Webster. Following a brief retirement, the allure of the sport drew him back to Cascia Hall, where for the second time he has built a program from scratch.

Being raised and coached by his father has allowed Shawn and his brothers to develop the skills to become not only championship-level competitors, but also championship-level coaches. This year Shawn’s Broken Arrow team will be gunning for its fourth consecutive state championship in class 6A. Assisting Shawn on his coaching staff will be youngest brother Rodney. Across the Arkansas River, middle brother Biff has Sapulpa High School poised to challenge for the crown.

“It’s almost as if we cheated because we were given the base that our dad provided growing up,” Shawn says. “He’s definitely done a really good job of brainwashing us. Sometimes we wish he had been a lawyer or a banker. We’d all be a lot richer because we were always going to follow in his footsteps.”

The fact that the Jones boys have become so enamored of the sport of wrestling is not surprising if one considers the state in which they were raised. In Oklahoma, wrestling, maybe more than any other sport, is a legacy. All fathers wrestle with their kids. The fathers who wrestled competitively teach their kids from an early age how to wrestle them back.

Start ‘Em Young

“We see a lot of kids start in our takedown club at 3 or 4 or 5 years old,” says Cass Cagle. “I started wrestling when I was 3.”

Cagle has volunteered as a little league wrestling coach in Wagoner for the past four years. He knows the value of working with children at a young age in teaching the nuances of the sport.

“We play a lot of games when they’re that young,” Cagle says. “They don’t do any conditioning. Just some games to help learn techniques. Technique can beat strength. Starting from a young age was a big deal for me in learning the techniques. It made it a lot easier.”

What may sound to some like a bad case of stage parents hoping to live vicariously through their destined-for-greatness young wrestlers becomes something altogether different upon closer inspection.

“We try to get most of the little ones to only come about half the season,” Cagle says. “But a lot of the time their parents will tell me they just begged to come back. We try to make it fun.”

There are volunteers in nearly every junior level wrestling program across the state doing what Cagle does. It’s that kind of dedication to the sport that professional coaches like Ernie Jones and his sons find invaluable to sustaining the success of their programs.
 
“I have a ton of respect for the Ernie Joneses of the world who’ve built these dynasties,” says Dr. Brett Gray, “but the unsung heroes in wrestling are the volunteers who put in the time with the kids to help them build the foundation to be successful.”

Gray, a three-time state champion from Stilwell who wrestled at OSU, has volunteered as coach of the elementary wrestling program in Pryor for the past eight years.

“We just go over the basics, learn the techniques,” Gray says. “There’s a lot of different styles, you just try to guide them to their strengths.”

Volunteers who instill fundamentals at the elementary level are key ingredients in building success. Another ingredient is a high school coach who can build confidence in the athletes within the program so they can reach their own potential. For Gray, that coach was Greg Henning.

“One of the biggest things he did for me was help me find that inner drive,” recalls Gray. “I had a pretty solid foundation when he came to Stilwell, but he really made me, not only find my own style, but also to push myself to be as good a wrestler as I could be.”

Creating Dynasties

Much like Ernie Jones, Greg Henning has found success at every school he’s coached, with stops at the University of Central Oklahoma, Sallisaw High School, Stilwell High School and Tuttle High School. Also like Jones, Henning briefly stepped away from wrestling before the urge to return became too strong.  Following a six-year retirement, he became the head coach at Norman North this past fall.  

“I just got to missing it too much,” Henning says. “You miss the camaraderie; the other coaches. This is a sport in which you truly make lifelong friends.”

Henning, who has coached 43 individual champions and had eight wrestlers named most outstanding at the state tournament, spent 21 years at Tuttle High School building one of the most dominant programs in the state. Again like Jones, Henning coached his three boys, his to 11 individual state championships.

“One more than the Smith boys,” Henning brags good-naturedly, “and there are four of them.”

There is a certain connectivity within the sport of wrestling, perhaps more so in Oklahoma than in other areas of the country. But one doesn’t need a sharp eye to recognize that wrestlers tend to know other wrestlers. They may go into a match as competitors, sometimes fiercely, but often times they strike up friendships that endure a lifetime.

“I think a lot of times you can go back to the duels,” Henning says. “At a duel, every time you wrestle that guy you shake his hand five times.”

Henning says his wrestlers will shake hands at each weigh in, again during the introductions as teams are lined up facing one another, before each individual match, after each match and at the end of the duel.

“It helps build respect for a guy,” he says. “Some of my best friends were some of my worst enemies.”

Those relationships make the reasons for Oklahoma’s enduring love affair with the sport of wrestling clearer, but they don’t tell the whole story. It may come down to a simple fact: Oklahomans are just better at wrestling than anyone else.

“Wrestling’s a big deal here because we’re good at it,” Shawn Jones says. “Coach Gallagher at OSU brought a style of wrestling that was unlike anything that had been done. He was an innovator.  Then you have all the Olympians from Oklahoma, guys like Kenny Monday and John Smith, who is probably the greatest wrestler of all time.”

Coach Gallagher is Edward Gallagher, the man who introduced college wrestling to Oklahoma State University, setting the program on a course that would lead it to 34 national championships, the most titles for any sport at any Division I school. John Smith? He’s one of the Smith boys Henning mentioned, and a six-time world champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA champion.  

“I think you can trace the relationship (Oklahomans) have with wrestling way back to Coach Gallagher,” says Smith, current head wrestling coach at OSU. “He was so instrumental in making wrestling what it has become. The way he did it obviously created longevity.”

Smith is the winningest coach at OSU, having led the team to five NCAA championships and 12 conference titles.

“What’s amazing about Oklahoma is the numbers compared to places like Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and California,” Smith says. “We’re a pretty low-populated state, but we’ve been able to produce a large number of great wrestlers.”  

Smith’s older brother, Leroy, was an NCAA champion at OSU. He is currently executive director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater.

“We can take pride in an authentic wrestling heritage in Oklahoma like no other,” Leroy Smith says. “There may not be another sport in America in a particular state that can cite the types of numbers and accomplishments that we can when it comes to wrestling.”

The elder Smith singles out Tulsa Central High School, which, before it closed, saw 15 graduates go on to win 25 NCAA wrestling titles, more than any other high school in America, and Perry High School, which holds the national high school record for state team championships.
“And of course you have OSU,” he adds. “It was one of the first sports dynasties.”

The Godfather of the Mat

“Coach Gallagher set a trend of science in the sport,” continues Leroy Smith. “His influence is everywhere, not just in Oklahoma, but also throughout the sport. That’s why he was known as the dean of collegiate wrestling. That’s why his name’s on the arena. Can you think of any other school where the wrestling coach’s name is on the sports arena?”

The crowds for high school and collegiate wrestling are a mere shadow of what they once were, but as the sport moves into the future, the state of wrestling in Oklahoma is as strong as ever before, and it is evolving. Female wrestling programs are popping up across the country, and while it has been slow to catch on in many high schools in the state, one Oklahoma college is at the forefront of the burgeoning sport.

“There are pockets of participation that are stronger than others in terms of numbers of athletes,” says Rich Bender, executive director of USA Wrestling. “But at the college level, Archie Randall at Oklahoma City University has set the pace for women’s opportunities in the NCAA.”  

 As some things change, others stay the same. Ernie Jones started the wrestling season shooting for another team championship. If he gets it, he will have won titles at three different schools, tying him with Virgil Millard. In the meantime, he has been nominated for the National High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year award for wrestling. Winning either would be nice, but wouldn’t necessarily be enough for him to call it a career.

“Doggone, I retired from public schools after 25 years,” Jones says. “My brother-in-law got me a lucrative job. I could work when I wanted. But I was bored to death. So here I am doing what I was supposed to do. I told my wife just yesterday, the good lord got me into this situation, it’ll be up to him to get me out of it.”

The young men who have been influenced by coaches like Jones and Henning would agree that the former is right where he belongs.      

“The time you spend in wrestling will always stick with you,” Gray says. “You learn discipline on a level that you never dreamed yourself capable of. You learn about sacrifice, endurance and dedication. You carry those things with you throughout your life.”

“There’s a saying you’ll hear from wrestlers,” adds Gray. “Once you’ve wrestled, everything else is easy.”

What kind of career might Charles Faudree have had if his mother had not let him paint the family’s shuttered, Dutch-style front door, when he was only 10 years old? Every year, with Ruby Faudree’s blessing, Charles experimented with a different color – Wedgewood blue, pink, apple green.

“I got that out of my system early on in my career,” he recalls. “Now I much prefer black.”

That was the genesis of Charles’ interest in interior design – a fascination with colors, fabrics, textures, accessories and details that has made him a beloved icon in the world of French Country designs.

It was inevitable that Charles would gravitate to a design career that would allow him to travel to Paris and London often to enjoy the nuances of French-style design. He finds incredible antiques and structural fragments at the Paris Flea Market. He favors London’s Portobello Road for smalls.

“The French don’t have small accessories, and I do love Staffordshire, Majolica and English tea boxes,” he notes.

He was in London with close friends and clients for his 50th birthday. Paris was the scene of his 70th birthday, an event that drew quite an entourage.

“Given my French name and heritage, I have always been drawn, almost charismatically, to elevate French Country to a fine art. I am an avowed Francophile, and I love the French carving so typical of French Country furnishings. There is a simplicity, a gentle softness to these furnishings I find very calming and soothing. French Country is a working class style and I believe it wears well,” he wrote in our first book.

Charles and I grew up two doors apart in a modest neighborhood on East Side Boulevard in Muskogee. When he was 8 years old, and I was 6, he announced, “When I grow up, I want to be so famous I want someone to write a book about me.” My response was quick. “That will be me. I am going to be a writer.”

In 2003, the first of three books we wrote together was published: Charles Faudree’s French Country Signature. Two more followed: Charles Faudree’s Country French Living in 2005 and Charles Faudree Interiors in 2008.

Charles graduated from Northeastern State University in the early 1960s, as I did. NSU honored him in 1998 as a distinguished graduate.
 

One of Charles’ first jobs was teaching art in Kansas City, later in Oklahoma City. I was a journalism student at the University of Missouri then and sometimes rode the train to Kansas City so I could ride with Charles to Muskogee. As I recall, we often talked about decorating. Charles left teaching for retail ventures in Oklahoma City and Dallas.

“In 1978, when I was about to turn 40, I gathered the courage to leave my sales position and move from Dallas. I wanted to pursue my dream – interior decorating – and chose to move back to my childhood home, Muskogee, to open my first design studio and antique shop,” Charles notes.

Muskogee was an incubator for greater things ahead in his design career. His sister, Francie, was among his first clients; she let him experiment with several of her homes. In 1979 he opened a shop and studio in Tulsa and began expressing his love affair with French-inspired homes for his appreciative clientele.

In his newest, and sixth book, Charles Faudree Home, written with Francesanne Tucker in 2012, Francie noted, “I like to tell Charles I taught him everything I know about decorating. In reality, my suggestions for designing come with the advantage of years spent watching Charles work his decorating magic.”

Editors have long gravitated toward Charles’ designs. The late Nancy Ingram discovered Charles and was the unofficial president of Charles’ “fan club” while she was editor of Tulsa Home & Garden. Every time Charles moved to a new home, the magazine featured some aspect of each new address.

When Ingram passed the editorship of Oklahoma Home & Lifestyle to me and became a regional scout for the Meredith Corporation, she encouraged their editors to write about Charles’ designs. Other shelter magazines took notice, and Charles’ reputation flourished. Ann Omvig Maine, editor-in-chief for Traditional Home, wrote the foreword for our first book.

“Charles has a wonderful way with a room,” Maine noted. “He infuses a space with freshness and vitality, making it elegant and inviting ­– but most of all – personal. In each home – and in an amazingly short amount of time – Charles puts his own stamp on the place. Every one of his houses is uniquely his – replete with his prodigious collections, spilling over with comfort and exuding a sense of his having lived there forever.”

Karen Dewulf Nickell, editor-in-chief of Better Homes & Gardens, called Charles’ designs, “a seamless sonnet of a life that’s well lived and also well appointed.”

Lisa Newsom, founder and editor of Veranda magazine, which had featured six of his houses by our third book, wrote, “(Faudree) believes favorite colors and hues repeated throughout an interior can produce a harmonious environment.”

Charles has shared his joie de vivre with audiences across the country. He often quips, “Each one of my homes is like Elizabeth Taylor’s husbands – my best and my last.” Friends and clients quickly learned that comment often signaled another move.

I especially loved his 1923 Dutch Colonial house – a somber saltbox on the exterior – near Philbrook. A French chateau was another favorite. I adored one of his “Roost” dwellings at Spring Creek – a rustic cabin he gave a welcoming personality.

Initially, Charles defined French Country as an “excessive, exuberant style” that fostered his favorite design principle – too much is never enough. That philosophy is still obvious in his homes but changing times and shifting tastes have encouraged him to recognize the pared-down trend in lifestyles.

“All of my clients and friends are aware of my love for French Country. I still consider it one of my strengths. But the winds of change touch all of us and a sparer look is having its way,” he wrote in our third book. “I respond to the idea of paring down, too, but I like my simpler life to include my favorite collections and a great mix of fabrics and furnishings,” he stated recently.
 

Charles recognized early that recycling, or repurposing, is part of the design process. He thrives on change – it’s part of his DNA. His good friend, artist Jimmy Steinmeyer, calls Charles “a serial mover.” Charles responds, “Moving often has allowed me to be ready for the next design challenge as soon as the last renovation is complete, and frequently, has shown me how to assign new uses, new settings and new clothes for old furnishings.”

The “mix” has long been part of Charles’ design philosophy. Asked often his secret for creating rooms with that certain French élan, he says simply, “It’s all in the mix, not the match. Hopefully that mix is always artful, eclectic and inspiring.” For Charles, that means mixing past and present, old and new, even blending accents from other eras, other countries.

“I like to create inviting rooms that express a casual, comfortable feeling. I am often guided by my belief there are no rules about where you can use things. That’s why French Country design has a pleasing, fluid quality and an appeal that is timeless,” he says. In the mix, his penchant for blending fabrics, colors and textures becomes pronounced.

“With a taste for the eclectic, I would like to think I have mastered one of the main tenets of this style – combining traditional prints, patterns, colors and textures with just the right furnishings,” he says. “It’s magic the way fabrics play off each other and off the contrast of the woods. I’m always inspired by new fabrics and I think that’s what keeps this style fresh.”

Charles believes the first impression of a home begins with the front door. He says, “If the exterior of a house entices, the interior – especially the entryway – must enthrall.” One magnificent piece of furniture is often the first hello guests encounter. “An entry not only welcomes and wows your guests, it defines your design aesthetic as an individual,” Francie noted, in her introduction to Charles Faudree Home, his sixth book.

Study Charles’ design magic and symmetry becomes apparent. He teaches clients to think in pairs. He loves dynamic duos. A pair of Chinese export porcelain vases adds interest above a mantle. Two antique Staffordshire deer vases accent an English bull’s eye mirror. A trumeau mirror is enhanced with matching bronze wall sconces.

His fascination for collections is legendary, from his white Staffordshire cows to dog memorabilia, a tribute to his three King Charles Cavaliers. “I love using my clients’ collections to create interesting tablescapes and wallscapes. Collections can be especially pleasing when they complement the fabrics in a room.” He adds, “Traveling and collecting are natural companions.” Collections and ideas for displaying them abound in his fifth book, Charles Faudree Details, written with Francesanne Tucker.

“My rule of thumb for deciding if something is a collection is simple: one is good, two are usually a pair. Three are definitely a collection,” he says.

“Details may seem like a small subject, but these finishing accessories are by far the most important part of decorating. People’s lives are expressed by little details. They give a room its soul.”

Early in his career, Charles hoped to elevate French Country to a fine art. He quickly surpassed that goal, creating settings that have all the elegant trappings of a French country estate, without any of the traditional French pretentiousness.

His career has provided many design credos for his fans to savor. My favorite concerns collecting. Charles believes: “If you find something you love, nothing else matters.” I also love his client Linda James’ comment in Home. Her philosophy about entertaining: “When you open your home to others, in a sense you open your heart.”

Fans of Faudree

“Charles Makes Me Laugh”
Toni Garner, owner of Toni’s Flowers and Gifts
Co-author with Charles Faudree/Text by Francesanne Tucker, Charles Faudree Country French Florals & Interiors

Toni and Charles have been friends for more than 15 years and share an intense love for fresh flowers and status as Northeastern State University alumni.

“We just clicked the first time we met,” Toni remembers.

Fresh flowers, occasionally silks, are featured in almost every setting Charles designs. If the locale is Tulsa, Toni is there. “For Charles, flowers are the ultimate accessory,” Toni says. “Charles comes to the shop, picks out something and says, ‘Shove some more things in here.’ He makes me laugh. There’s never a dull moment with Charles.”

Charles suggests an idea for a floral bouquet, and then lets Toni use her design magic. “He gives me the confidence to do special things. You look for someone like him for approval. He’s got the eye.

“I know he always wants flowers to be elegant and have flair. Sometimes he will pick one flower and mix it with the soft colors he loves.”

This past Christmas, John and Julie Nickels’ home, which Charles decorated, was on a tour. “We went to the home Saturday evening to review every room and my flowers. While we were in the powder room, Charles showed me the Fortuny wall coverings. Everything was so beautiful, we both got teary-eyed. It was a special moment.” – M.V.

“Charles Is One Of A Kind”
Jody Kerr, owner of Jody Kerr Antiques, Oklahoma City

When Jody Kerr talks about Charles, she always speaks in superlatives.

“He is a precious man,” she says. “Any time his name is mentioned, I get a huge smile on my face. I even smile just when I think of him. He has more talent in his little fingernail than most of us.”

Charles has scouted for antiques often in Kerr’s distinctive antique shop. He suggests her collections to his clients – most recently, a young couple just beginning to furnish their Faudree-inspired home.

“I have friends who knew Charles when he taught in Oklahoma City. Students loved him because he was so positive, kind and supportive,” Jody says. “He has such a knack for design. His rooms make you feel so welcome. I’m a devotee of ‘too much is never enough,’ like Charles. He teaches us about beauty through his designs. His work is spectacular.” – M.V.

Charles’ Clients Learn By Example
Gayle and Frank Eby
Cashiers, South Carolina

After Gayle and Frank Eby bought the 2010 Cashiers, North Carolina Designer Show House, they invited Charles to add some character to their home, which embraces the beauty of the Smoky Mountains.

“Perhaps because of his upbringing in the wooded landscapes and sunny pastures of eastern Oklahoma, Charles has a keen appreciation for the wonders of nature and an unerring ability to incorporate that feeling into his interior designs,” Gayle notes.

“Charles may use outdoor statuary in an entry hall or put a fauteuil chair meant for an elegant living room on a porch. And he makes it all work.”

The setting is so magnificent, Charles now has an elegant country home in Cashiers. – M.V.

The Physical

How important is this annual visit?

The yearly physical exam is a medical tradition between patient and doctor, a time spent focused on preventive medicine.  

During physical exams, doctors screen for disease, assess future potential health problems and update immunizations, explains Dr. Kathryn Reilly, a family medicine provider with OU Physicians. Additionally, doctors often take the opportunity to encourage a healthy lifestyle and to develop a deeper doctor- patient relationship, adds Reilly.  

“A physical exam is important and intended to improve your health,” offers Reilly. A physical could be more accurately thought of as health maintenance exam, she adds.

But how necessary is this annual visit to your health? New research suggests the frequency necessary may vary widely based on each patient’s needs.

“The frequency of physical exams depends on the patient’s age and sex,” confirms Reilly.

Newest trends call for the patient to be separated into groups based on age, sex and risk level.

Newborns and children up to age 2 are growing so rapidly that they should see a doctor often. After age 2, yearly exams are still necessary. At age 6, however, kids can begin to see the doctor every other year, suggests Reilly.

Eighteen- to 30-year-olds are advised to have at least two exams during this 12-year span. There are, however, tests that need to be performed more often.

“Everyone should have their blood pressure checked every two years,” advises Reilly.

Additionally, women in this group should have routine gynecological exams at least every three years, says Reilly.   

Past age 30, the risk of heart disease begins to rise, so, more frequent exams may be necessary.

“Men over age 34 and women who have a risk for heart disease should have cholesterol checked every five years,” says Reilly.

Between 40 and 65, the list of recommended tests begins to lengthen, adding a mammogram every one to two years and a colonoscopy every 10 years, beginning at age 50.

At 65, the yearly exam begins once again.

The new guidelines may seem more complicated. However, they have been designed to better address patient health and reduce unnecessary tests.

“There is little to no evidence that the yearly physical provides any benefits for most patients,” says Reilly.

Of course, general physicals aren’t the only regular checkups recommended by health professionals. Dental health and vision are also important to maintain. Generally speaking, it’s recommended that one sees a dentist for a cleaning and check-up every six months – more frequently in the case of persons with existing issues. One’s vision should be checked every two years between the ages of 18 and 60 and annually after age 60. Those at risk for vision issues or who already wear contact lenses should also have annual vision check-ups. – Lindsay Cuomo

The Aging Caveman

Does eating like our ancestors affect health long-term?

If it was good enough for the cavemen it’s good enough for us, right? After all, they eked out plenty of provisions when there were no grocery stores and stayed around long enough to propagate future generations, so perhaps they were on to something.

The perception of the caveman diet is that they consumed a mostly protein-rich, meat-filled diet.  

In recent years, however, many researches believe that the modern “caveman’s diet” would be filled with wild plants, legumes, grass-fed beef and seafood, which is often identified as the Paleo Diet. Even with the new revelations on diet, many still prefer meat at every meal.

What is popular in nutrition today may not be the case tomorrow, but heavy meat consumption has always been a hot topic.

“It is well-known that red meat carries with it an increased risk of colon cancer and probably other GI cancers as well,” says Dr. Joel Grubbs, a physician with INTEGRIS Family Care Coffee Creek.

“In my mind, this is a moderation issue. Red meat as part of your overall diet plan is not a bad thing, and I would say the same thing about carbohydrates.”

He recommends sticking to brown carbs and whole grains as much as possible.

While researchers are split on the health benefits of red meat and extreme protein consumption, there is a general consensus that a high intake of fresh fruits and vegetables is a wise choice. In other words, if the majority of the food on your plate won’t wilt or rot, your diet is probably out of balance. – Corrie McGee

Just Do It

Is exercising really a miracle drug?

We all know we need to exercise, but that means a lot of things to a lot of people. Does walking count as much as running? Do we need to break a sweat or is simple activity just as effective? One thing is for certain: The effects of exercise go well beyond the physical benefits of weight loss.

“(Exercise) truly is the miracle drug,” says Dr. Joel Grubbs, a physician with INTEGRIS Family Care Coffee Creek. “If we could package this as a medication, we probably wouldn’t need a lot of other medications.”

Multiple studies show clear benefits of regular exercise that reach across heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, Alzheimer’s and cancer, to name a few.

It’s important to clarify what “regular” exercise means. According to Grubbs, the amount of activity used in these studies was about 150 minutes per week, which is essentially 30 minutes five times a week.

He adds that there is a “more is better” component to this; however, it’s not clear yet how much more benefit there is. The good news is that it doesn’t seem to matter what type of exercise you choose, which means there is something here for everyone, from the tennis player to the bird watcher.

Aerobic exercise, such as walking, jogging, swimming or weight-lifting programs can be effective.

There is a tried and true formula of 220 minus your age, then taking 85 percent of that number as your maximum heart rate. Before you pull out that calculator, Grubbs recommends starting out slow and working up.

“If you do too much too fast, you probably won’t like the way you feel, and you might quit before giving yourself a good chance.

“Remember, baby steps,” he adds. – Corrie McGee

What To Vaccinate

Which shots are most important in adulthood?

Vaccines are often associated with children, but as we get older, several are recommended for adults to maintain good health.

The flu shot is the most well-known vaccine for adults. It is recommended that adults receive the shot annually in November or December.

“It has been proven beyond doubt to make a big difference in the death rate from flu in the U.S.,” shares Dr. Joel Grubbs, a physician with INTEGRIS Family Care Coffee Creek.

He adds that the pneumonia vaccine is important for people that have a chronic disease that impairs immunity or ability to fight infections, such as those with diabetes and heart disease, as well as those 65 and older. It is also recommended that adults 60 years and above receive the shingles vaccine whether they’ve had the disease or not, as it is a continued risk. Though it’s more of a risk for those over 60, there are a high number of adults in their 40s and 50s that are affected as well.

Vaccines that may be needed due to lifestyle, health or job risks include hepatitis A/B as well as the meningococcal vaccine. Along with these shots, women and men under the age of 26 are also encouraged to get the HPV vaccine.

Lastly, experts recommend receiving a tetanus booster shot once every 10 years. This is part of younger booster shots, but just because you were vaccinated as a child doesn’t mean you are covered for a lifetime.

It’s important to know vaccine history because there can be overlaps of vaccines that weren’t available when adults were younger.  – Corrie McGee

In The Genes

Can genetic testing keep you healthy?

Preventive medicine is frequently touted as the best way to stay healthy. Routine exams assess our current health and risk level for future ailments. Genetic tests take screening to another level by looking for gene abnormalities. Certain abnormalities can show a predisposition to a particular disease or can confirm a diagnosis.

“Genetic testing tests for defined gene mutations that place a person at significantly increased risk,” says Dr. Denise Rable, director of breast surgery at St. John Medical Center.

“The idea is the genes don’t function properly,” continues Dr. Coty Ho, medical director of hematology and oncology at St. John Medical Center.

There is a wide variety of genetic testing available. Predictive testing can show if you have inherited a genetic risk factor to a particular disease. For example, a simple blood test could screen for the BRCA gene, which would show a high risk for breast and ovarian cancer, shares Ho.

“Genetic testing results can be helpful in planning treatment,” says Rable. “The results can more accurately define an individual’s risk and guide subsequent screening and possibly preventive interventions.”

“From a medical standpoint, it often means more surveillance or aggressive treatment is needed,” says Ho. “But, the results can be more complicated on the personal level.”

The emotional consequences can be quite difficult, cautions Ho.

“It can cause a lot of stress in the family,” says Ho. “We do not take genetic testing lightly. That’s why we recommend a visit with a genetic counselor.”

Genetic testing is only recommended for those with a strong family history of a particular disease.

Genetic testing might be beneficial if there is a high occurrence of a certain type of cancer within your family, especially if they were diagnosed at an early age.  

Additionally, someone with a limited family history might consider genetic testing, adds Rable.

“Genetic testing for appropriately screened individuals is covered by most insurance companies,” says Rable.

Genetic testing is still a limited science.

“We often hear about genetic testing and cancer, but we haven’t been able to identify a specific gene for most cancers,” admits Ho.

“Ninety five percent of cancers aren’t linked to a specific gene,” shares Ho.

The science is simply not advanced enough yet, says Ho.

And, often, results only show a predisposition not whether you will certainly develop the disease.

“It is a fairly easy procedure,” says Ho. “It is very easy to do, but the results are a bit more complicated.” – Lindsay Cuomo

Seeking Whole Health

Should I consider a mental health evaluation?

According to the Oklahoma State Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, one in four American adults has a diagnosable mental illness, but less than one-quarter of that percentage gets any type of mental health attention, let alone appropriate treatment. Caring for mental health is as important as caring for physical health, shares Dr. Ahsan Khan, an OU Physicians psychiatrist.

“People are very familiar with the concept of routine physical health screening, but the notion of a regular mental health screening is not well established,” explains Khan. “In general, taking care of one’s mental health is not a top priority because of lack of knowledge and stigma associated with mental health.”

A periodic mental health screening helps identify warning signs for common mental conditions like depression and anxiety. Both of which are treatable but if left untreated can result in very serious consequences.

The symptoms of a mental health condition can often be overlooked.

“Sometimes signs and symptoms of depression or anxiety are taken as if someone is moody or as their personality style,” says Khan.

Additionally, some psychiatric disorders present with physical symptoms.

“Patients with depression often complain about being tired, in pain and without energy,” explains Khan. “Early detection of mental disorders will prevent the problems from worsening.”

Many people don’t realize that mental health conditions are treatable.

“Common conditions like depression and anxiety are as treatable as common medical conditions like hypertension,” says Khan.     

Additionally, mental health screenings are quite simple. These screenings can be done at home or by your primary care physician.

“There are many self-evaluating screening tools available on the internet that anyone can use as a starting point to assess themselves,” shares Khan.

Your physician will often use a questionnaire to assess your mental health. Khan encourages patients to answer openly and honestly.

Assessing mental health is just the first step. It is very important to follow through with the treatment your doctor recommends, advises Khan.

“Do not change or stop taking your treatment, unless discussed with your doctor,” cautions Khan.

Premature discontinuation of a prescribed treatment is very common and can result in relapse and a return of the symptoms.

“The patient feels well when they are on their treatment and thinks they don’t need it,” says Khan. “They forget that the very reason they are feeling well is because of the treatment.” – Lindsay Cuomo

Vitamins: The Real Deal

A common sense approach to vitamins renders the debate largely moot.

Every day, it seems, another report or study is announced that either supports the benefits of broad vitamin supplements or diminishes them. Still others border on labeling supplements as utterly fraudulent or worse – hazardous. It’s little wonder that many people are confused.

But Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) advocates a thoughtful approach to such supplements.

First and foremost, HSPH and most other leading exerts agree that the best way to meet your vitamin needs is nutrition via a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and healthy oils, and low in red meat and unhealthy fats. To ensure adequate ingestion of vitamins, choosing a daily multi-vitamin is a good idea. Check for one with folic acid to fill in a gap that even healthy eating might not fill. HSPH and others also suggest a vitamin D supplement even if it is included in your multivitamin.

Beyond these basics, which effectively help maintain a balanced intake of necessary nutrients, the effectiveness of other supplements is the source of considerable debate. HSPH cautions against mega-doses of vitamins and mega-fortified foods and also against advertised “super” supplements because more doesn’t always equal better, and claims that sound too good to be true probably are.

Always consult with your doctor before beginning or altering a supplement plan, and remember that a well balanced diet should provide almost everything the body needs nutritionally. – Michael W. Sasser

Fit And Fat

Is it possible to be both?

Many define their health solely by the number on the scale, but how much does weight really factor into health? Brooke Rusher, therapeutic exercise specialist with St. John Siegfried Health Club, says being healthy is more about what you are putting in your body and how active you are than your weight.

“Being healthy is more than losing weight and having the best figure,” explains Rusher. “Being healthy includes exercising regularly, eating healthy and keeping a healthy mental attitude.”

Numbers matter, just not necessarily the number we typically focus on. Weight alone won’t give a complete picture.  

“Research suggests a person can be overweight and fit,” counters Rusher. “Overweight people who exercise 150 minutes a week decrease their risk of mortality more than a normal weight person that doesn’t exercise.”  

A better measure of health comes from body mass index (BMI), a measure of fat based on height and weight, and waist circumference, outlines Rusher.

“Women with more than 35 inches around the waist and men with more than 40 inches have an increased risk for heart disease and diabetes,” shares Rusher.

Other important numbers are cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

“Everyone should know their numbers,” advises Rusher.

She encourages individuals to focus on health rather than simply being slim.

“Getting fit is more realistic than getting slim,” says Rusher.

The goal should be to exercise, eat right and stay healthy. That may be achieved at any body weight.  

“Step back and look at what you are putting into your body,” recommends Rusher. “It really does matter.”   

Are you getting enough exercise?

“Everyone should be exercising at least 150 minutes each week,” says Rusher.  “Thirty minutes of continuous exercise daily to maintain weight and 60-90 minutes to decrease body weight.

“Exercise should be at an intensity of somewhat hard to talk. The Talk Test is always a good indication of intensity.  You should be able to say short-winded phrases but should not be able to have a long conversation while exercising.”   

Find a fun activity that’s right for you. Rusher suggests pool exercise, group fitness classes, chair exercise classes, yoga, treadmills or exercise bikes.

“There is a mode of exercise for everyone no matter what: young or old, fit or unfit, healthy or unhealthy,” says Rusher. – Lindsay Cuomo

Sex For Life

Sex has a remarkable number of health boons.

While many surely know the psychological benefits of sex, and some may even be aware of the potential exercise ramifications of an active sex life, there are numerous other advantages, researchers and physicians assert.

Psychological benefits include increased confidence and self-esteem and deeper levels of intimacy with one’s partners. Sex boosts one’s level of the hormone oxytocin, the “love hormone,” which helps build trust and bonds. That same hormone also boosts the body’s set of natural painkillers and promotes better sleep.

Exercise benefits of sex might have been exaggerated at times, but realistically, sex burns 85-plus calories per half hour, so overcoming a pint of Haagen Dazs might be exhausting.

But other benefits abound. Sex can lower stress levels and thus blood pressure. According to a Wilkes University study, sex also has been linked with higher levels of an antibody that can protect against colds and other infections. Meanwhile, a 20-year British study revealed that men who had sex two or more times a week were half as likely to have a fatal heart attack than men who had sex less than once a month, intimating heart health advantages. Also of note to men, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that frequent ejaculations – particularly in 20-something men – may lower the risk of getting prostate cancer later in life.

Sex, it seems, isn’t just a vital part of human life – it also enhances and improves lives in ways many not often consider. – Michael W. Sasser