Just Breathe

By

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September 28, 2011

One of the greatest things that we can do for children is encourage them to have a healthy appreciation of their minds, bodies and spirits. What better way to instill this positive message into their hearts than to introduce them to exercise that is fun, calming and noncompetitive?

Promoting a state of overall wellness that can last a lifetime, kid’s yoga is an unconventional extracurricular activity that enhances physical strength, balance, flexibility and body awareness as much as it improves focus and concentration.

“One of the biggest problems facing adolescents in our culture today is obesity, so any kind of exercise you can get a child involved in is good exercise,” says Dr. William James, a primary care physician who focuses on pediatrics at St. John Medical Center.

“There are a lot of studies showing that children who are overweight or obese often leads to adolescents who are overweight, leading to adults who are ultimately in the same situation. Setting up your mind and body to take care of yourself early on establishes good habits that you’ll tend to follow for the rest of your life.”

For children who are involved in sports and other physical activities, the strengthening and flexibility benefits acquired through a regular yoga practice can work as a helpful preventative tool.

“Improved flexibility and strength is a type of conditioning that can help to prevent injuries when used in coordination with other activities, such as sports and other things of that nature,” James adds.

Through kid’s yoga, children have the opportunity to reap many of the additional benefits that adults enjoy, such as outlets for relaxation and breathing techniques used to combat stress.

With its synchronization of movement, stretching, mindful breathing and encouragement of inner connection, yoga nurtures a youthful energy that almost derives from childhood itself.

“Children are natural yoginis. They are a lot better at the breathing than we are. When we’re born, we breathe through our entire bodies; then, as we grow into adulthood, we gradually lose touch with that ability, but we don’t have to,” explains Lauren Sullivan, a certified kid’s yoga instructor at Yoga at Tiffany’s in Oklahoma City.

“Yoga also does wonders to improve posture and encourage increased awareness of their bodies, because they learn to be more aware of the ways that they move and the effects of the movement. I think a lot of people have a preconceived idea of what yoga is – that you just sit there and close your eyes – but there is actually lot of physical activity and movement involved.”

The age range for kid’s yoga classes varies, with classes beginning at age 3, so classes can be every bit as fun and playful as they are instructional.

Particularly at the testing age, when kids spend the lion’s share of their days sitting behind desks, yoga has been proven to be an excellent way to counter the pressures of their day-to-day lives.

Learning how to overcome mental distraction and agitation to “let go” and simply rest, as many adults have learned, however, is not an easy thing that comes naturally at any age.

“Kids have stress – a lot more than we think. If you teach children how to go back to a safe and calming place with their breathing, it makes any sort of stressor in their lives much easier to deal with,” Sullivan says.

“Developing this helps them to concentrate on a happy place or a happy thought, which aids in relieving stress in school, on the playground and any other place in their lives.”

The Sultan Of Special Effects

By

Jami Mattox

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September 28, 2011

John Stirling is an artist that produces works with the help of an airbrush, skin wax and, yes, even rigid collodion. His canvas is the face, the body. The pictures he paints are not always beautiful, but sometimes they are. They often evoke horror, fear, even disdain. And that’s exactly what Stirling wants.

“Funny thing, I just kind of grew into it,” Stirling says of his special effects makeup artistry.

“Seven years ago, my ex and stepson wanted tattoos, and they wanted me to get one, too. So I started researching, got an airbrush and stated playing with temporary tattoos. Next thing I knew I was airbrushing at events, doing face painting and body painting.”

It was Stirling’s work at Scream Country – an epic horror attraction that has haunted Drumright, Okla., for the past decade and a half – that vaulted him into performing true special effects makeup artistry.

This month, Stirling has cleared his calendar and prepared for a whirlwind of special effects, which includes providing makeup for those working at Scream Country, as well as the cast of Evil Dead The Musical, a national traveling homage to low-budget horror movies. Working on the makeup for this production tops the list of great experiences for Stirling.

“Evil Dead The Musical is holding sellout shows again all through October in Drumright,” he says. “It’s a challenging show, and I get treated like a rock star.”

Stirling has also done work for a breast cancer charity calendar, and he has also done traditional Cherokee makeup on renowned Cherokee storyteller Robert Lewis.

But it’s the horror aspect of his work that keeps Stirling excited.

“Getting to work with America’s oldest living horror show host Count Gregore was a thrill,” he says.

Stirling hopes to continue to expand his special effects makeup artistry business, even into television.

“I want to get started (on a) TV pilot that takes a look at monsters from the aspect of a naturalist. Kind a Crocodile Hunter or Man vs. Wild thing, but in this case, monster hunter and horror survival. It would be a makeup artist’s dream – a new monster each week,” he says.

An accounting clerk by day, Stirling admires another self-taught special effects makeup artist, Tom Savini, who is considered by many to be the father of modern-day horror makeup. He says there are no certifications needed to perform special effects makeup, but that it helps to be trained.

“Art school, cosmetology school – it all helps. But you must practice safe makeup. Safety is a huge part of special effects makeup. It’s being able to make people look gory and horrid, but safely.”

In the Wake of Blood Cult

By

John Wooley

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September 28, 2011

Halloween is on the horizon, which makes this an apt column to reiterate one of the longest-lived of all moviemaking axioms: If you can shoot a horror movie cheaply enough, you’re going to make money.

The reason? Horror has long been a genre that doesn’t need major stars or a big budget to succeed at the box office; there are lots of folks out there who’ll queue up to see a scary movie just because it’s a scary movie, with the ultra-low-budget Paranormal Activity being one of the best recent examples.

Another excellent example came along a little over a quarter of a century ago, right here in Oklahoma. The Tulsa-lensed Blood Cult didn’t just earn more than 30 times its very modest production cost, which is impressive enough. Because it was the first-ever feature film intended to bypass theaters and go directly to the home-video market, it changed the very definition of the term “movie.”

The story of this groundbreaking collaboration between Bill Blair’s Tulsa-based United Entertainment, a homevid distributor, and filmmakers Christopher and Linda Lewis, is told in some detail in Shot in Oklahoma, my recently published book by University of Oklahoma Press. But the focus of the book, which is on theatrical films, militated against the inclusion of the Oklahoma-produced video features that came along in Blood Cult’s wake.

There were plenty of them, though. Within months of Blood Cult’s release, dozens of made-for-video features were in production all over the country, many with a horror angle. Probably because the revolution had happened right in their backyard, Oklahoma filmmakers were responsible for more than their fair share, and homegrown United Entertainment was right there to cut distribution deals. In the second half of the 1980s alone, the Tulsa company would release two more fright flicks by the Lewises, The Ripper (1985) and Revenge (1986), as well as horror efforts from other Oklahoma moviemakers, including Terror at Tenkiller (1986) and Blood Lake (1988).

Unfortunately, things went south rather quickly in the direct-to-video market. The culprit was overproduction; videotape had made it much cheaper to shoot, edit, and release a movie, and even the most avid horror fan couldn’t watch every genre title on the suddenly cluttered racks of the video-rental stores. As is the case with just about everything else in life, timing was of utmost importance.

Which brings us to a trio of Tulsa features that, at this writing, are not readily available. Two of them had what appears to have been nominal releases. The other had a big premiere and sold a few copies for its producer, but never had an actual distributor. All contain horror elements, and all of them were directed by Tulsa’s Larry Thomas. They are Mutilations (1987), a tale of cattle-mutilating aliens; The Change (1989), a romance/psychological thriller featuring a monster-filled nightmare sequence; and Vigilante Blood (1993), a death-dealing masked-avenger picture produced and written by Oklahoman Harvey Shell. Shell, along with fellow actors Bill Buckner and Dann Daigle – among others – were part of an ad hoc Tulsa stock company, appearing in all three pictures.

Mutilations, Thomas says, was influenced by classic science fiction films like the original versions of The Thing (1951) and War of the Worlds (1953), as well as by the stop-motion animation of Ray Harryhausen, who created iconic monsters for such classics as It Came From Beneath the Sea and 20,000 Miles to Earth. It was Harryhausen, even more than Blood Cult, which set Thomas on his filmmaking path.

“In the early ‘80s, I actually met Ray Harryhausen on several occasions, and over the course of our conversations, he kind of encouraged me to go forward,” Thomas explains.

Then, at a comic book and movie convention, Thomas connected with Texas-based artist John Fischner, who was also a fan of Harryhausen and had been experimenting with stop-motion animation himself. When Thomas read a story about Blood Cult in a local magazine, everything suddenly came together.

One of the reasons Blood Cult’s costs were so low – in the neighborhood of $30,000 – was that it had been shot on half-inch videotape, the kind TV news outfits were using at the time. Thomas, however, decided he wanted to shoot Mutilations on actual film, bumping the cost up to, he says, “less than $100,000.” Part of that budget paid for a long stretch in Texas, where Fischner created the stop-motion animation effects.

“We didn’t have enough money, I knew, to go through elaborate film editing with color film stock,” he adds, “but we found a cheaper way to do it. We transferred it to one-inch, high-resolution videotape and bumped it down to three-quarter-inch tape, and made all our editing decisions on that. I didn’t want that dull Eastman Color look. I wanted that lush, three-strip Technicolor look, like in War of the Worlds. So we went in and boosted the colors throughout the film, to give it that look as much as possible.”

His next picture, The Change, was the story of a young burn victim (Shelly Creel) with repressed, violent memories brought out by a kidnapping. To Thomas, it represented a step up.

“It cost about $150,000,” he says. “It was filmed over six weeks instead of three (for Mutilations). And I realized we needed to get the best performances possible, so I really went to work for over two months with rehearsals. Five days a week, with all the actors.”

As was the case with Mutilations, most of the people involved with The Change were working on deferral, hoping to get a piece of the profits. So far, neither film has shown any.

“That’s what’s sad to me,” Thomas reflects. “They all had faith in the projects. And I’ve never been able to produce money for myself or for them.”

Thomas himself took a deferred salary to direct Vigilante Blood – with the same results. No one working on the picture, including its two Oklahoma City-based leads – Price Fallin (who was, at the time, married to our now-governor Mary Fallin) and Susan Lauren – made anything, and producer-writer Shell ended up in the negative column, spending around $15,000 out of his own pocket to get the film across the finish line.

“A lot of it was craft services, and we had various other minor expenses, but they did add up,” Shell says. “Most of it was equipment. We didn’t have any, so we bought some used.”

Shot on VHS tape, Vigilante Blood made its debut on July 25, 1993, with a star-studded party at Tulsa’s Outback Sports Cafe. But its producer had qualms about releasing it to the general public.

“The problem was the graininess of the picture,” Shell explains. “If we had made it in black and white, it would not have been a problem, but in color it was too grainy. For the kind of money we needed to charge, which was about $10 for a tape then, people would’ve felt robbed.”

So no one involved made a dime out of Vigilante Blood. But it’s a good bet that many of the cast and crew knew there was little chance of a big payday anyway, and did it for the pure joy of helping create a movie.

“They all did it for nothing,” Shell recalls. “But just about every one of them said, when we finished, ‘Be sure to call me the next time you do one.’”

Resource Revolution

By

Staff

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September 28, 2011

In western and northern Oklahoma and elsewhere in the region, often far from the eyes of most residents, oil and gas rigs are popping up in numbers unseen in decades and often in places long thought devoid of accessible resources.

In many cases, they’re new types of rigs – many times more efficient and with a more conservative impact on the environment. Their job is the same as in the past, but these days they are being more successful at it than ever before. While much of the media focuses on the potential of alternative energy sources, those in the real-world energy industries know that there is already major news from the sector – and it’s good news for those who support U.S. energy independence.

“This story is tremendous,” says Mike Cantrell, president of the Domestic Energy Producers Alliance (DEPA) and chairman of Cantrell Energy Corporation.

“There has been a paradigm shift in the energy industry.”

“I’d say it’s a boom,” chimes in Brad Foster, Devon Energy senior vice president, Central Division. “When you look at oil and gas operations in the U.S., and try to explain it to a layman, it’s analogous to the iPhone-iPad type advancement.”

What those in the industry are talking about and what Foster dubs “the biggest development in the energy industry in the last 50 years” is the boom, occurring over just the past few years brought about by new technology and new and innovative application of existing technology.

“I’d say it really started in the Barnett Shale around 2002,” Foster says.

Around that time, Mitchell Energy had developed a hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” technique that showed limited success in fracking resources from shale – the density of which typically made capturing oil and gas from it cost ineffective, if not outright impossible. Devon purchased Mitchell Energy, and the technique continued to be built on.

“We took that technology and also applied it to horizontal drilling, and it has ramped up to where it is today,” Foster says. “It unlocked the Barnett, and it has just transformed the industry.”

Fracking has been used in the on-shore energy industry for some 60 years. It involves increasing the permeability of rock and stone by concentrated exposure to a high-pressure solution of predominantly water and sand.

Horizontal drilling, also known as directional drilling, developed largely in conjunction with offshore drilling. Unlike vertical drilling, horizontal drilling permits a single descent into the ground to then “turn” and access resources along a horizontal plane.
Combining the two with various specific techniques and machinery has opened up energy resources long thought out of reach.

“Wells that were vertically not economically feasible can now be drilled horizontally and with a large stimulation on them can be very productive and economical,” says Steve Dixon, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Chesapeake Energy.

“This isn’t about exploration. We knew these resources were there…We just couldn’t get to them.”

“This isn’t about exploration. We knew these resources were there. They just couldn’t be produced economically. We just couldn’t get to them.”

The development of the process opened or re-opened known resource sites around Oklahoma and elsewhere in the U.S. and expanded the potential of others already being utilized, including Oklahoma’s Cana and Woodford Shale, among others.

Cantrell says it isn’t just energy giants such as Devon and Chesapeake who are benefitting from the recent advance and resource boom.

“More and more companies are able to participate because the technology has made it economically viable for them,” Cantrell says.

Foster says that states such as Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana are and will benefit tremendously from the rush of activity.

“At Chesapeake, we’re ramping up activity in Oklahoma, and we’re really pleased,” Dixon says. “We’ll probably drill twice as many wells this year as we did in 2011, and it will only continue to expand.”

Chesapeake is currently operating 35 drilling rigs in Oklahoma. Their current daily natural gas production in Oklahoma is 900,000 cubic feet per day, and oil production is 32,000 barrels per day.

Foster says that Devon has spent a billion-plus dollars in Oklahoma since the new technique opened up so much more of the Sooner State’s resources.

Industry experts cite the economic advantages to the state from the revitalized drilling.

“There will be a huge windfall for the states, from employment, mineral rights and taxes,” Foster says. “School districts get the biggest chunk of ad valorem taxes, so it can be a lot of money for schools in the area.”

Foster also points out that the activity in Oklahoma is mostly in remote small towns and rural areas, well outside of high population centers.

“It’s a huge deal for rural western Oklahoma,” he says. “A lot of towns that were dying are now surviving and even thriving because of this activity. Most people we find out there are happy about it. Some aren’t. But it’s having an incredible effect on a lot of small towns where the populations had plummeted.”

The greater economic impact isn’t lost on industry insiders, either.

“Just this year, shale gas has grown to 30 percent of U.S. production,” Dixon says. “It didn’t even exist a few years ago. And I think liquids could displace foreign oil.”

New access has also increased the official position on the quantity of retrievable oil and gas in U.S. territory. In 2007, the Potential Gas Committee (based at the Colorado School of Mines), estimated the U.S. natural gas resource base to be 1,321 trillion cubic feet. That was four years after Devon coupled horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in the Barnett Shale, but it was still before the shale gas revolution fully was underway. This year, the Potential Gas Committee raised its estimate to 1,898 trillion cubic feet – a 44 percent increase over the 2007 estimate.

“Over the past 10 years there has probably been a four-fold or five-fold increase in estimated (recoverable resources),” Foster says. “There is tons and tons more natural gas than people imagine. Natural gas is revolutionary. It’s cleaner and it will probably be the fuel of choice in the future. It just takes time for people to realize it. At the current demand level, and based on finding no more than what we have already found, there is a 100 year supply.”

Cantrell says that by the time official estimates are revised, they are already obsolete because of the rapid rate of change in the industry.

“It’s very good for Oklahoma because the state is rich in resources and we will better be able to (access) them,” Dixon says.

What's Cooking?

By

Alaina Stevens

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September 28, 2011

The kitchen is the gathering spot. It’s the room everyone migrates to when you entertain or are just having the family over for a special occasion. Functionality is something people always want out of their kitchen.

For Sherry Fine, functionality was essential to her dream for a new kitchen.

“The original design was not very conducive to cooking,” she explains. “I didn’t have a large workspace in the kitchen, and it didn’t have a good flow. That’s what pushed us to go ahead and remodel it.”

Roger Shollmier, owner of Kitchen Ideas, says the process to create Fine’s kitchen was simple.

“We consulted with the client, we used our design and color team here at Kitchen Ideas, we assisted her in selecting the color of the cabinets and everything down to the countertops,” he says.

The counter tops are made of onyx, and glass tile was used on the backsplash to complete the kitchen’s sleek, modern look. For the pantry, obscure frosted glass was used to create greater ambiance. Two televisions have also been incorporated into the kitchen.

Shollmier and Fine both say the highlight of the kitchen is the Galley sink, a spin-off of older, large sinks and the work triangle, which enabled you to get to the refrigerator, the sink and cooktop stove without taking more than three steps.

The sink is a little more than five feet long and is attached to the island in the middle of the kitchen with an induction cooktop to make cooking easier.

TREND: Functionality is the biggest trend going. Innovations, such as the Galley sink, put the kitchen to work for you.

“It makes cooking more of a family affair because everyone can be in the kitchen,” Fine says. “I had no idea that when I first heard about the Galley sink that we would enjoy it so much.”

“We used to know a kitchen as prepping at a sink and going to a cooking area, but now we’re prepping, cooking, cleaning up and serving from an area no longer than 10 feet long to accommodate all the accessories and things you would use to perform,” Shollmier explains.

While Fine says her kitchen isn’t large, it is everything she could have dreamed of for her home.

“I don’t have a huge kitchen, but it’s so functional,” she says. “It’s easy to go in there and whip something up. The clean up is easier. It’s nice to have a functional kitchen.”

Cooking in the laundry room for two solid months while the kitchen was renovated was worth it for Fine and her family. “It makes a huge difference when it functions and flows right in a kitchen,” she adds.

Fine advises anyone who wants to redesign their kitchen to take their time.

“It is so easy to feel rushed, but the kitchen is a vital part of your home and it should be something you’re comfortable with, so take your time.”

Functionality Is Key

When planning a new kitchen, the choice of cabinets, countertops, flooring and appliances are key decisions.

Personalizing your kitchen is the most important aspect of redesigning or remodeling, but there are some trends to keep in mind if you’re looking for a modern kitchen.

“We are seeing more clean lines and honest surfaces,” says Linda French, a designer at Kitchen Ideas.

TREND: Cookie-cutter kitchens are a thing of the past. Homeowners want kitchens that reflect their personality and serve their unique needs.

“No more glazing or faux finishes. The strong trend now is toward function. I don’t see that ever going out of style.”

Scott Pohlenz, president of Pohlenz Cucine Moderne, says the current economic environment has accelerated people’s needs to modify their lifestyle choices. People instinctively turn to their homes to rest and enjoy life more fully, so there is a need for a functional kitchen, he says.

“There has been a welcomed return to utilizing the work triangle,” Pohlenz says. “This important planning concept addresses fundamental efficiencies in the kitchen.”

A sustainable lifestyle is what is in, especially when the kitchen is involved. Think renewable, recycled, environmentally safe and energy-efficient products in the kitchen.

Green Technology

While going green is a trend that is sparking in business and schools, it is also reaching into the home. With people seeking to lower their carbon footprint, appliances are more eco-friendly.

“Green technology is very important to a lot of our clients in appliances,” explains Wanda Killgo, showroom sales consultant at Morrison Supply Company.

“Some of our builders in Oklahoma are totally going green, and everything they put in is energy rated, and they have said it is a great selling feature.”

Builders and designers are also masking appliances in the kitchen. Cabinet manufacturers have made it easy to conceal dishwashers, trash compactors, and icemakers behind panels that match adjacent cabinet doors.

Killgo advises that there are a few other trends besides the eco-friendly appliances and kitchen technology.

“The latest trends we are seeing include more ranges instead of built-in units, French-door styled refrigeration instead of side by side units, quiet dishwashers, microwave drawers and also more panel-ready units to blend in with the cabinets,” she says.

French says induction cookers are the trend in modern kitchens.

“It’s the next big wave to hit the kitchen,” French adds.

An induction cooker is faster and more energy-efficient than a traditional electric stove top. It allows instant control of cooking energy similar to gas burners. Space-saving and energy efficiency remain top concerns for homeowners everywhere, especially with the anticipated price hikes in gas and electricity.

Wall To Wall

Want a wine rack on one wall and open shelves on another? No problem.

Regardless of the market or home design, there is a wide range of options available to consider when choosing cabinetry for your kitchen.

TREND: Traditional locker-style cabinets have given way to a mix of options designed for versatility.

The latest style is a mix-and-match approach, which offers new creativity and visual interest. The look of furniture is not something new, but rather a fashion that is coming back into style. That means doing the refrigerator in an armoire-style cabinetry with a contemporary look. Cabinets no longer have to be set in the locker style.

“People are now seeking increased efficiency, without losing storage or function, while occupying a smaller footprint,” says Pohlenz. “This results is a kitchen that is more like furniture and is an extension of the adjacent living spaces.”

While our purchasing habits have led to buying smaller quantity with more frequency and the need for a large pantry or overabundance of cabinet space is gone people still want efficient storage, Pohlenz adds.

In Sink

Today’s kitchens are about function and multitasking. Kitchen sinks are not any different. Kitchens today have taken on a more multi-functional roll with separate work zones. Popular materials used for kitchen sinks today include fire clay, copper, titanium, as well as stainless steel. There are so many different and basic sink styles now available including: under mount, drop in, counter top, square, round, vessel, wall mount and freestanding.

“Fashion has exploded in the plumbing world,” says Roland Rice, owner of Heatwave Supply. “If you can dream it, it almost can be done. We have so many styles to choose from, but try to stay true to your house. If you are contemporary in the style of your house follow the flow of your house to your kitchen.”

Get Back

Backsplashes were traditionally used to protect the wall from moisture and grease from the sink and stove, but now it is an essential part of a kitchen design and can be featured anywhere there is a counter. A variety of materials can be used for backsplashes: concrete, natural stone, metals, mosaics, glass and stoneware. Textured glass, a look that is resurfacing from the 1950s, is another backsplash option.

TREND: Backsplashes are no longer just a background. Make a bold statement with color and materials.

Under Your Feet

People are looking for flooring that is durable and eco-friendly. Popular styles usually are made of wood, stone or tile. Sheron Gearhardt, builder sales division manager at Millcreek Carpet, says today, with busy lifestyles, people want flooring that is easy to clean.
“In flooring, we’re seeing rich, darker colors with rustic finishes that work well for any decor or style but lend themselves to easy care,” she explains.

She Who Laughs Best

By

Staff

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September 28, 2011

Earlier this year – just before Seattle Opera’s production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville – Sarah Coburn told a writer she planned to take some time off from her work and travel schedule to be with her husband and baby daughter.

With no fewer than 13 engagements booked for 2011 – most of which are full-scale productions requiring rehearsal – a “light” season for the state’s favorite coloratura soprano might wither many a would-be opera star.

Coburn, however, is a full-fledged celebrity of the opera world for the reason that she doesn’t back away from a role.

Best known for her tragic characters, including that of the title role in Lucia de Lammermoor (which she performed for Tulsa Opera in 2009), the Oklahoma State University graduate returns to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center’s Chapman Music Hall stage to deliver what promises to be a delightful rendition of Rosina from the great comedy The Barber of Seville, this time for Tulsa Opera.

When she played the role for Florida Grand Opera in early 2010, reviewers noted her beautifully executed bel canto technique, her touch for subtle comedy and natural grace. When she played Rosina for Los Angeles Opera in 2009, the Los Angeles Times remarked on her voice’s “dark-toned caresses, lively wit and jewel-like sparkle.”

The Seattle Times reported on Coburn’s ability to catch both Rosina’s “tenderness and spitfire volatility to perfection.”

The story of the barber Figaro – yes, this is the one where he sings “Figaro, Figaro, Figaro…” – Seville’s most famous wielder of the straight razor, and how he helps a young count romance the beautiful ward of a guardian who also seeks her hand, doesn’t change, yet fine artists reinterpret the story and continue to make Barber one of the most famous opera comedies ever. With stars like Coburn and Corey McKern, also returning to Tulsa Opera, the tale remains as vibrant as ever. Deception and disguise have never been this delicious.

Tulsa Opera’s production of The Barber of Seville runs Oct. 8, 14 and 16 at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. For ticket information, go online to www.myticketoffice.com.

Downtown Italian

By

Callie Ferguson

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September 28, 2011

Diners are in for a treat once they step into the bold dining room of Trattoria il Centro on the bottom floor of downtown Oklahoma City’s historic Montgomery Building. The vivid tiles and eye-popping art set the scene for a dining experience that’s quite unlike other restaurants downtown.

“It’s engaging, fun and doesn’t take itself so seriously,” chef and owner Christine Dowd says of Trattoria il Centro.

With more than 15 years of culinary experience, Dowd has held prestigious positions such as Chef d’ Cuisine at Bistro 110 and executive chef of Mossant Bistro in Chicago.

Pairing with Maggie Howell, general manager for 56West and Scoozi Trattoria in Chicago, the two purchased Howell’s family business, Aunt Pittypats Catering in Oklahoma City, in 2003.

After a few catering jobs, Trattoria il Centro was born, and they’ve been in the Montgomery building six years. In addition, Howell and Dowd still find much success in Aunt Pittypats Catering.

“We’ve been cooking our hearts out,” Dowd says. “Maggie takes care of parties, planning, people, and I take care of the food. It’s a perfect business for us both.”

With a menu described by Dowd as “classic Italian,” there’s a bountiful selection of house-made pastas, oven roasted fish and meats, antipasti, risotto and desserts. As Dowd explains, “We use classical techniques, but we bring it up to date.”

To start, try the beef carpaccio, thinly sliced seared beef, capers, tomatoes, mushrooms, grilled radicchio, arugula and shaved parmesan; or the pancetta-wrapped asparagus with parmesan foam and mixed greens.

Trattoria il Centro’s best-selling entrée is the rigatoni buterra, with spicy ground Italian sausage, green peas, tomato cream, red pepper flakes and parmesan, but Dowd says her favorite dish is the ravioli di vitello, hand-made pasta, braised veal cheek, red wine sauce and seasonal mushrooms.

“It takes time to prepare,” she explains, “but it’s worth every bite.”

Another entrée favorite is the prosciutto-wrapped filet mignon, with braised oxtail, Napa cabbage and asparagus.

To finish, sample the rotating three-to-four-piece dessert platter, made in house. Don’t forget to sip a little wine as well; with Dowd’s carefully picked seasonal selection, there’s sure to be a body and style to pair with every meal at your table.

Trattoria il Centro hosts several events throughout the year, including a $25 wine dinner, which includes a three-course meal, the third Monday of each month. 500 W. Main St., Oklahoma City. www.trattoriailcentro.com

There When You Need Them

By

Jeff Harrison

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September 28, 2011

As a teenager, Cliff Eppler did not know what he wanted to do with his life. And he certainly didn’t expect to find the answer in a smoldering pasture near Sallisaw, Okla.

Eppler was driving his pickup truck down a country road when he spotted a local forest ranger battling a grassfire in a nearby field. The teenager pulled over to the side of the road and helped the man stamp out the blaze. Shortly after the fire came to a rest, he had his answer.

“I was just 16 years old, but I knew right then that I wanted to become a ranger,” Eppler says. “I enjoyed helping him put out that fire then and I still enjoy doing it.”

Today, Eppler is one of the Oklahoma Forestry Service’s nearly 80 rangers dedicated to prevention and suppression of wildfires in the eastern portion of the state. And that task wasn’t an easy one this past summer as scorching heat and drought like conditions turned much of the state’s forests into kindling.

“This has been a challenging year because we have had very dry fuel and extremely hot weather,” says Mark Goeller, Oklahoma Forestry Service assistant director for wildland fire and eastern operations.

“And if someone outside of the area needs assistance and we have the personnel available, we’ll send it. We’ll go anywhere.”

The Oklahoma Forestry Service staffs 42 units across the eastern portion of the state. Each unit consists of a ranger and crew chief, which operate a dozer and brush bumper. The crews are on call 24 hours a day providing fire protection and prevention in their assigned district.

Don Cook, a forest ranger crew chief in Broken Bow, says he never dreamed of a career in the forest service, but was attracted to the challenges and variety of the job.

“To do this job you have to enjoy fighting fires and be pretty flexible,” the 19-year veteran says. “There’s a lot of variety, you never know where or what you’re going to be doing each day. I could be in Eagletown or Poteau or Woodward or who knows where. And there are also days when it’s 110 degrees outside and I’m walking behind a dozer with a drip torch, wondering if I’ve lost my mind.”

“There are days when it’s 110 degrees and I’m walking behind a dozer with a drip torch, wondering if I’ve lost my mind.”

Those calls requesting assistance are not limited to the 18-county region. This year, crews have been dispatched across the state and have helped with large wildfires near the Arbuckle Mountains and spent nearly a week battling a blaze in Medicine Park in late June.

“We’ve gone all the way from Broken Bow and Jay all the way to Erick and up to the panhandle,” Goeller says.

Through an agreement with the federal government, the Oklahoma Forestry Service also makes its wildland fire division available to other states. Eppler has helped on a number of those fires, including the massive wildfire that scorched nearly 800,000 acres of Yellowstone National Park in 1988. As part of a crew of 20 Oklahoma fire personnel, Eppler spent nearly two weeks helping combat the historic fire.

“That was a really memorable and unique experience,” says Eppler. “When we got there, we had to hike 10 miles to get to the spike camp. And I remember every morning a wildlife official would ride horseback out of camp to check for grizzly bears. They’d go out before crews and look for grizzly bears. And every tent would have bear spray, so that was pretty different.”

Wildland firefighters have been protecting the state’s forests since the Oklahoma Forestry Service was founded in 1925. Before that time, excessive timber harvesting without forest regeneration and uncontrolled wildfires discouraged any interest in making investments or improvements in much of the southeastern portion of the state.

During the early days of the department, rangers relied on a number of fire lookout towers to monitor the heavily wooded part of the state. At one time, there were 23 state fire towers within the protection area. A few of those fire towers are still in use today, but the department now relies on flyovers.

“We would have people climb those towers to check for smoke and sometimes they would stay up there all day, depending on the fire danger,” Goeller says. “As we’ve moved on through history we now have a three pronged attack with our employees patrolling their districts, public calling in and surveillance with our aircraft and fire towers.”

The equipment on the ground has also come a long way during the past few decades.

“In 1982 we got our first dozer for the Sallisaw district,” he said. “Before that we had to put out the fires with a leaf blower and a rake. We later got a better dozer with a climate controlled cabin, so the equipment has really been upgraded since I’ve been here.”

Along with the task of fire protection, the Oklahoma Forestry Service works with private landowners, municipalities, civic organizations and school groups to promote fire prevention. They assist with the development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans and Firewise Plans, while also conducting fire prevention activities including displays at public events, school programs and Smokey Bear visits.

Fashion Week Diary

By

Staff

-

September 28, 2011

Oklahoma Magazine’s delegation got a peek at the 2012 spring collections from the biggest names in fashion at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City. Our ever-fashionable reporter gives us some of the highlights:

If you believe Heidi Klum, über model and star of the Lifetime reality series Project Runway, "One day you are in, and the next day you are out."

It's true; we saw some new fresh faces showing their collections at the Spring 2012 New York Fashion Week runway shows. Chris Benz, famous for the ever-changing color of his hair (currently hot pink), showed us avant-garde looks that are more downtown than uptown, dripping with Asian attitude. (Is he the new Marc Jacobs, we wonder?) We are going to keep our eye on Anndra Neen, who presented a bold collection full of inspired accessories. BUT, we really fell head over heels, crazy in love with some of our timeless favorites.

Zang Toi, all elegance and refinement, gave us a powerful collection with a North African influence. These are STATEMENT pieces. Stephen Baldwin, of the famous Baldwin brothers clan, sat across from us with a very young, very pretty brunette. Closing the Toi show was Kirstie Ally, exploding onto the catwalk in a royal blue, jeweled gown and full-length coat, sporting a very sexy new figure, compliments of her recent stint on Dancing With The Stars. We had just bumped into Kirstie in the Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge relaxing before the show. Kirstie, girlfriend, you go, girl!

Showing to a packed, standing-room-only crowd, Hervé Léger creator, of the iconic bandage dress, had a seductive collection designed by French couturier Max Azria, who also designs BCBG. His signature is a sculpting silhouette that wraps the most famous female bodies in Hollywood. This season, the look was monochromatic, except for the few pieces that used Ikat dyeing techniques. I am not quite sure how they translated, but his fans adore him, just the same. Country crooner Lee Ann Rimes was on the front row looking scarily slim.

The eccentric Betsey Johnson has been IN since she first launched in 1978 and continues to show a funky, frilly, flirty and oh-so-sexy collections, which had pink and black lingerie playing peek-a-boo. Her daughter LuLu strutted the catwalk in a form-fitting champagne maxi dress à la Jessica Rabbit. All of the models were curved in just the right places, unlike the typical 16-year-old, starved, under-developed waifs that look as though they had their last meal some eight weeks ago. The coup de grace was when the 69-year-old quirky designer, with her platinum locks, ended the show by flying down the stage and landing a perfect cartwheel to thundering cheers and applause.

If I could walk away with only one piece, it would be from Carlos Miele, whose flagship store is in the Meatpacking District. This gorgeous Brazilian knows how to make a woman look beautiful. These are sultry clothes that blast of luxury and sensuality, especially the sheer silk kaftans infused with colors of the swirling sun and sea. Whether you are on the red carpet, at a gala or the very chic mother of the bride, his alluring gowns make your body look and feel flawless.

What is Pink Tartan? A smart, sophisticated line designed by Kimberly Newpot-Mimran

I loved these ‘60s inspired Brigitte Bardot meets Holly Golightly styles.

How does one achieve lady-like and prim and at the same time sexy? Sometimes it is what you DON'T see that rules the imagination. I loved these ‘60s inspired Brigitte Bardot meets Holly Golightly styles. A red satin cigarette pant and fitted shirt with a pencil thin orange belt simultaneously screamed siren and coquette. I want every piece in this collection, including the Tom Ford Nikita, cat-eye sunglasses the models were sporting. If you don't yet own a pair, get them. They sizzle!

On a side note, Vivienne Tam proved that you cannot always mix prints. The show, however, was redeemed by the fact that we chatted up the tall, handsome Matt Nordgren, star of Bravo's latest reality show, Most Eligible Dallas. "I love Oklahoma!” Matt said. Thanks Matt, we love Dallas…AND Bravo!

Dallas native Lela Rose is one of many designers who is down streaming a designer collection for the masses. Seated on the front row were her beautiful husband, children and dog looking like they jumped off the pages of Town & Country. She designs a shoe collection for Payless that has the look of couture with an affordable price tag. The collaboration between designers and mass retail began with Karl Lagerfeld's collection for the Swedish retailer H&M in 2002. This season, Missoni is designing for Target, proving the point that you don't have to be rich to be fashionable. The response to Missoni for Target was such a grand slam that Target's website crashed 30 minutes into the release of the collection, leaving shoppers enraged. Note to Target execs: Try this again with Gucci or Ferragamo, but be prepared for the onslaught of shoppers who will do just about anything for a designer label.

Derek Lam delivered a "California Dreamin’" montage of mustard yellows, gold and aqua that made one want to rip out the Net Jet card and fly away to Palm Springs for the weekend.

On a break between shows, we cruised the shops on Madison Avenue to catch our breath and do a little window-shopping. We popped into Chanel and snagged the last bottle of the white-hot nail color of the season: Chanel's limited edition "Les Jeans" is a muted steel blue called Blue Boy. As fashion is known to make a girl a little thirsty, we meandered into the posh Surrey Hotel for an afternoon libation in Bar Plieades. Resident bartender Mary McGuigan whipped up cappuccinos and frothy little cocktails. The rooftop bar is perhaps one of the best views in Upper Manhattan.

A girl cannot live on fashion alone. We needed some gastronomic sustenance along the way, and we found it. Lavo (39 East 58th), owned by the restaurant group who gave us Tao, is a loud, jam-packed scene with a mix of youngish Manhattanites, Europeans and tall, blonde, aggressive Russian girls looking for the buyer of their next handbag. The Kobe beef spaghetti and meatballs…SO worth the indulgence.

Sometimes you love a place, sometimes, not so much. We opted to head across town to The West Village eatery The Lion by chef John DeLucie, formerly of Waverly Inn fame. Sad to say, it failed to dazzle. After 15 minutes, a rude hostess and less-than-acceptable table on a balcony the size of a matchbook, we walked out and popped down 9th to the Hotel Griffou, another trendy spot that was a bordello at the turn of the century. As serendipity would have it, we were met at the door by one of the four owners, who showed us to a sexy little booth and proceeded to deliver a beautifully executed dinner. We noshed on a juicy halibut, chicken under brick (the latest way to prepare a bird) and sweet sausage rigatoni with broccoli rabe. The chocolate soufflé ended in a four-way, spoon-to-spoon war game! Lesson learned: Sometimes the grass IS greener on the other side of 9th Avenue. (21 West 9th).

Saturday night après dinner in Jean-Georges at The Mark Hotel (Madison Ave at 77th) – I ordered a watermelon and goat cheese salad with cracked pepper and olive oil which I can't stop thinking about – we quite literally bumped into Daphne Guinness. Daphne who? Daphne of the Irish Guinness family, heiress, fashion icon and oft called "the most fashionable woman in the world" Daphne, that's who! She swept into the hotel bar (best place on upper East Side for cocktails) like a cyclone in Brian Atwood suede wedges and an alligator Hermès Birken bag that probably cost more than a semester at Duke. A retrospective of her famous haute couture clothing collection recently opened at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology. I totally have a girl crush on her…. AND her handbag. In the words of Rachel Zoe, I could just die!

Every once in a blue moon you are able to get a dinner reservation in the hottest spot in town. Score one for the concierge at the Peninsula, who booked us into Marea (240 Central Park South), Chef Michael White's Cucina del Mare. Donnie Deutch was at the next table high-fiving a group of men that had obviously just closed a major business deal. This is a power broker restaurant. Order the branzino, which is a striped sea bass served with roasted eggplant and apricot mostarda, or the seppia, a Mediterranean cuttlefish.

Philippe (33 East 60th) by Philippe Chow (not to be confused with Mr. Chow) was voted Best in Chinese in 2010 Zagat. We opted for the tasting menu, which included chicken satay in cream sauce, squab lettuce wraps, pork dumplings, a divine crispy Peking duck, green prawns and Chilean sea bass. We hosted a couple of students from Parsons School of Design who are from Tulsa families.

Don't you just love fall Sundays in New York? The place you want to be seen in your sweater and leggings is at Isabella's on 77th and Columbus. The lines are long, but while waiting to dine on the farmers’ market egg white omelette or Isabella's huevos rancheros, you can stroll the farmers’ market in the surrounding Upper West Side neighborhood. We saw vendors with giant bouquets of fresh lavender and artists showing interesting jewelry designs.

Our first and our last stop to New York is always Botega del Vino for breakfast and lunch. A cappuccino or glass of pinot grigio and a Veronese mortadello panini split two ways is just enough when you need a small bite. It is located across from the Plaza Hotel at 59th and Fifth. This area was a checkpoint to get into midtown Manhattan due to the 10th anniversary of 9/11. New York's finest were on full alert due to a high threat level and were randomly searching cars, taxis and trucks. It was a somber day, to be sure. We will never forget how this sad historic day changed our lives forever.

All good things must come to a close. It was another glorious fashion week overflowing with talent and celebrity and dining and shopping.

Coco Chanel once said, "Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening."

Oh, dearest Coco, my thoughts, exactly!

What is Your Body Telling You?

By

Katie Williams

-

September 28, 2011

We have scheduled maintenance for our cars, and the handy monitoring systems let us know when they need to be serviced. Unfortunately for humans, our bodies don’t come conveniently equipped with a dashboard to light up when something may be amiss. Dry skin, waist size, creaky joints and even dry eyes can all be signs of underlying health issues. While most of the time these symptoms should not be cause for alarm, you should always be alert to what your body is trying to tell you.

As new studies are published and picked up by the media, it seems that anything and everything can be a sign that some health disaster is looming in your future. From having a longer ring finger than the forefinger being an indication that you have a higher probability of developing osteoporosis, to the shape of your body and sense of smell, it seems that new information about health issue probabilities is released daily.

“The pendulum changes so often,” says Dr. Jenny Le, a family medicine specialist with OU Physicians in Edmond.

“It used to be pear-shaped bodies were healthier than apple shape bodies, but a recent study has refuted that, saying basically that large amounts of fat anywhere aren’t good.”

Le says she tends to take the latest and greatest medical finds published in supermarket health magazines with a grain of salt, preferring to stand by the studies that have years of research behind them.

“There are certain truths to old wives’ tales – there is something in chicken soup that makes you feel better and aloe vera is good for burns. But, I don’t buy into most of it.”

While it’s not likely that your doctor is going to be examining the lengths of your fingers to develop a case history, your body does communicate with you in numerous ways. We’ve asked doctors about some common complaints and what they could mean.

Symptom: Cold Hands

According to Le, having cold hands doesn’t necessarily mean anything. However, consistently cold hands could indicate poor circulation.

“Definitely go see a doctor if having cold hands is outside your normal or if you have a tingling sensation. It could be nerve damage-related.”

Treatment:

First thing’s first: If you have cold hands, bundle up. If the coldness persists or becomes tingly, your doctor will work with you to establish a medical history and devise a course of action. Sometimes, something as simple as watching your salt intake can help.

Symptom: Irritability When Hungry

Do you notice that you get increasingly cranky or you’re not as focused as it gets further and further away from the last time you ate? You could be expressing the indicators for hypoglycemia. Other symptoms can include heart palpitations, tremors, anxiety and sweating.

Treatment:

For most, simply eating curbs the irritability, while your doctor can confirm if what you’re experiencing is hypoglycemia. According to the Mayo Clinic, if you have diabetes and early signs of hypoglycemia don’t improve with eating or taking glucose tablets, seek immediate help.

Symptom: Leg Cramps

“Leg or muscle cramps can be tricky,” says Le. “If you’re experiencing muscle cramps after a bout of physical activity, that’s par for the course. You also may have a low potassium level or restless leg if there’s no rhyme or reason to the cramps.”

Treatment:

“We’ll likely draw a blood level to see what’s going on with your potassium. That’s the biggie – deficient potassium can lead to heart problems. But most patients that I see have increased their activity level in some way,” says Le.

Symptom: Energy Slumps

Feeling down and not so peppy? Experiencing prolonged energy slumps can be the signs of an underlying thyroid issue.

“When a patient comes in and complains of decreased energy, it could be thyroid-related or an imbalance of iron levels in their blood,” says Le. “Patients may can also be depressed. It’s really important to look at the big picture to determine potential causes for these symptoms.”

Treatment:

According to Le, a blood panel will likely be taken to determine if the thyroid is functioning properly or if the blood is low in iron. Additional treatment options can be as simple as a vitamin B-12 shot or amending your diet and adding exercise.

“Sometimes the solution for loss of energy is as easy as starting an exercise routine. When you get exercising, you’re using your own endorphins. Also, eating a lot of junk food can make you feel sluggish. If that’s the case, you really need to examine what kinds of foods you’re consuming.”

If your funk is more likely due to depression, your doctor may prescribe anti-depressants or other forms of medication to get you feeling back to normal.

Symptom: Creaky Joints

If there is pain, swelling, redness or warmth at the joint, it could be gout or rheumatoid arthritis. Hopkins says that typically normal osteoporosis does not present with fever. Which type of creaky joint you have will dictate the course of treatment.

Treatment:

If there is pain, swelling, redness or warmth at the joint, it could be gout or rheumatoid arthritis. Hopkins says that typically normal osteoporosis does not present with fever. Which type of creaky joint you have will dictate the course of treatment.

Symptom: Dry Skin

“Medical providers view the skin as a barrier,” says Dr. Stephen Hopkins of Mercy Clinic Northwest Expressway.

“A lot of this stuff is what we’re doing to ourselves – soap, body wash and such. Dry skin can be benign or something more serious, such as psoriasis.”

According to Hopkins, dry skin coupled with constipation or other symptoms can also be a signal of a thyroid issue.

Treatment:

Solutions can be as simple as switching soap and daily moisturizing. Psoriasis is treatable through creams and medication.

“Dry skin could just be a sign that you’re getting older – your skin loses its ability to hold moisture,” says Le. “I love putting Vaseline on damp skin to trap in the moisture. It’s cheap and it works.”

If you’re experiencing dry skin coupled with other symptoms, it’s important to tell your doctor, as it may be related to an underlying issue.

Symptom: Snoring

“Typically, if someone comes into my office and says their spouse is complaining about their snoring, we’ll go over a history to determine if a sleep study is warranted,” says Hopkins. “It can be that the snoring is caused by allergies, or could it be from sleep apnea.”

Treatment:

If you’re one of the many who keep their spouse awake at night due to snoring from allergies or inflamed nasal passages, nasal strips might help. If it is sleep apnea, which is the halting or stopping of breathing during sleep, and goes untreated, it can lead to much bigger issues such as heart disease.

Symptom: Chronic Coughing

According to both Le and Hopkins, the reasons for experiencing chronic coughing can be as varied as the designs of a kaleidoscope.

“If there is something that needs to be sought for medical evaluation, it would be chronic coughing,” says Hopkins. “It can be asthma, it could be cancer, tuberculosis – even some medications can cause chronic coughing.”

“It could be a byproduct of acid reflux or if you’re a smoker it can be even worse,” adds Le.

Treatment:
Both doctors say that assessing a patient’s medical history is important to finding the root cause of the coughing to provide the appropriate course of treatment.

Symptom: Changes In Your Nails

“Changes in the fingernails and toenails may be suggestive of underlying systemic disease,” says Hopkins. “Spoon-shaped nails may indicate underlying iron disorder or anemia, a club shaped deformity of the nail might indicate underlying lung or bowel disease, and small nail hemorrhages might suggest heart disease especially in the conjunction with a heart murmur. Pitting of the nail may reflect psoriasis, and yellow, discolored nails may indicate fungal infection and sometimes something more serious: problems with the lymph system, kidneys or other systemic diseases.”

Treatment:

Depending on what you’re experiencing, your treatment can be varied. If the changes in your nails are fungal related, they most likely can be easily treated through medication.
The biggest thing, both Le and Hopkins caution, is that it is important to be aware of any changes in your body.

“If you have something ongoing for more than a few weeks, go get it checked out,” Le says. “I’m never upset about a patient coming in to see me about any concerns they might have. You are the person who knows what’s going on with your body better than I do so don’t underestimate what you know. Just have your concerns addressed by someone in the medical profession.”

“Pain is an important indicator,” adds Hopkins. “Anytime there’s pain it’s your body’s indicator that something is going on.”

Additional symptoms that you might want to have checked out by a health provider include new moles, yellowing of the skin, dramatic changes in weight and rashes on the face. Increased thirst and urination can be early warning signs of diabetes. Both Hopkins and Le say that any and all chest pain should be taken seriously and any lump or mass should be looked at immediately.

“Early detection can save your life,” adds Hopkins. “Some signs are more subtle and some are more obvious. Like a car’s check engine light, people should get their questions answered.”

More About Thyroid Disorders

It is estimated that approximately 20 million Americans suffer from some form of thyroid disorder, and that at least half of those cases are undiagnosed. Symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain and foggy thinking are often attributed to factors such as stress, unhealthy diet or other illnesses when a faulty thyroid gland may be to blame.

The thyroid gland is a small endocrine gland situated in the front of the neck that is responsible for maintaining proper metabolism – the rate at which the body uses energy. While somewhat inconsequential in size, it is surprisingly powerful. When the thyroid gland doesn’t function properly, the body is deprived of essential hormones needed to regulate things such as body weight, heart rate, body temperature and brain function.

Due to the thyroid gland’s all-encompassing effects on the body, symptoms of thyroid disorders are often far-reaching and difficult to pinpoint.

“Thyroid disorders may be difficult to diagnose based on symptoms alone because many of these symptoms are nonspecific and may be associated with a multitude of other disease processes,” says Dr. Erin Kratz of OSU Medical Center.

Common Disorders

The most common disorder of the thyroid gland is called hypothyroidism, or under-active thyroid. Symptoms typically include fatigue, dry skin, hair loss, constipation, cold intolerance and weight gain. Cognitive difficulties are also sometimes associated with a sluggish thyroid, as well as a diminished sense of smell, taste or hearing.

Hypothyroidism is most often caused by an autoimmune disorder called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditus, which causes the body’s immune system to attack the thyroid gland and inhibit thyroid hormone production. In some cases, hypothyroidism may also be caused by the pituitary gland failing to produce enough TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone), which essentially tells the thyroid what to do and when to do it.

Hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid, is less common than hypothyroidism, but can be equally debilitating. Symptoms commonly include increased heart rate even when resting, heat intolerance, weight loss, tremors and more frequent bowel movements. While basic blood tests may be used to diagnose hyperthyroidism, an iodine uptake and scan may be needed to identify the specific cause. The most common cause of hyperthyroidism is Grave’s Disease, which is an autoimmune disorder similar to Hashimoto’s that causes the immune system to attack the thyroid gland and trigger an increase in the amount of thyroid hormones released. The most prominent symptom of Grave’s Disease is known as exophthalmos, or a swelling of the eyes that causes a visible protrusion of the eyeballs themselves.

Treatments

Hypothyroidism is traditionally treated with a daily oral hormone replacement, such as Levothyroxine, Synthroid, Levothroid or Levoxyl. Once medication has been prescribed, thyroid levels are then monitored every few weeks, and medication dosage may be adjusted in order to determine the adequate amount needed for healthy thyroid function in each individual patient.

Hyperthyroidism is commonly treated with oral medication or radioactive iodine, which helps inhibit thyroid hormone production. For more severe cases, or for those with thyroid nodules or thyroid cancer, the thyroid may be partly or completely removed surgically.
After thyroid disorders are treated, TSH levels typically return to normal, but some symptoms may take a bit longer to fade.

“Symptoms such as hair loss may take a longer time to resolve, even after laboratory tests return to normal,” says Kratz. “It may take a while to ascertain the right dosage of medication, as each individual will respond differently to treatment.”

Since treatment may not provide immediate and/or significant relief from symptoms, patients may sometimes assume it is not working, and request a higher dosage of medication or feel the need to increase their dosage themselves. However, too much thyroid medication can be dangerous.
“Too often, thyroid hormone levels are manipulated with medications based on symptoms without regard to the thyroid hormone levels,” says Dr. Peter J. Tebben of Mercy Health Center.

Symptoms should be evaluated carefully in order to ensure that thyroid hormone levels are really causing the problem before increasing dosage. “Taking too much thyroid hormone can cause serious health problems,” Tebben says.

Risk Factors

While anyone can develop a thyroid disorder, young and middle-aged women are most susceptible to thyroid problems, and it is often hereditary. The NWHIC (National Women’s Health Information Center) estimates that one in eight women suffer from a thyroid disorder.
Pregnant women are particularly prone to thyroid disorders, so it is important to monitor thyroid health both during and after pregnancy.

“Abnormal thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy may increase the rate of miscarriage and affect the neurological development of the child,” says Tebben. “Thyroid hormone doses may need to be increased by as much as 25 to 50 percent during the early phase of pregnancy and then be reduced again after delivery.”

Infants are sometimes born with hypothyroidism, but current newborn screening programs test for thyroid problems. Other high-risk factors include a family history of thyroid disease, postpartum women, those with pre-existing autoimmune diseases and/or those who have undergone radiation treatments.

While most North Americans typically consume enough iodine, a continued emphasis on low-salt diets and an increase in consumption of iodine-deficient processed foods may have put some at risk for iodine deficiency. The Institute of Medicine Food and Nutrition Board (IOM) recommends a dose of 90 milligrams per day for children, 150 milligrams per for adults and 220 milligrams per day for pregnant women. Good sources of iodine include iodized table salt, seafood, milk, yogurt and strawberries. There are also many vitamin supplements available that contain the recommended daily dose of iodine.

Regular checkups are recommended, since untreated hypothyroidism can lead to serious health problems including diabetes, heart disease, seizures and, in rare cases, even coma.
Hyperthyroidism that goes untreated can lead to problems such as cardiac arrhythmia, osteoporosis and toxicity to the liver, or thyroid storms.

The Thyroid Foundation of America recommends that women should have their thyroid hormone levels checked starting at age 50, and men should begin regular monitoring at age 60. Those over age 35 should have their thyroid checked every five years.

– Tricia Tate

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Symptom: Cold Hands

Symptom: Irritability When Hungry

Symptom: Leg Cramps

Symptom: Energy Slumps

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Symptom: Dry Skin

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Symptom: Chronic Coughing

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