Fun in the Sun: Obviously, this workout is at Tybee. You can do it anywhere along the beach, but make sure there is some sand that is SOFT close by.

• Start by warming up – either a short 10 minute walk or run on the beach – 5 minutes one way then 5 back to your start place.

• Begin by doing some small squats in the soft sand. Do 30 seconds with your feet flat, 30 seconds coming up onto your toes, and 30 seconds actually jumping off the sand. Level I do one time, Level II, 2 times and Level III, 3 times.

• Go immediately to the water – calf-deep for Level I, about knee-deep for Level II and mid thigh-deep for Level III. Walk or run as fast as you can for 8-10 minutes. You will be walking/running parallel to beach so go 4 or 5 minutes one direction, then come back.

• Go back to the soft sand and repeat above squat series.

• Repeat these two activities as many times as you are able.

Be SURE to stretch well and cool down well. Put on some sunscreen and enjoy a relaxing day at the beach – you deserve it!

Cafe 37
The Lapin de Printemps ($30)
Rabbit has long been known as nature’s harbinger of spring and Blake Elsinghorst’s Lapin de Printemps (or rabbit of the spring) is a fresh and light dish that lives up to its reputation. At Cafe 37, the rabbit is braised for two hours in an aromatic vegetable stock with bay leaves and thyme, ready only when the meat is tender enough to almost fall off the bone. The braised leg of rabbit is then dusted in flour, pan-fried in butter and settled on a puree of celery root. Garnished with cardamom infused baby carrots, the leg of rabbit is covered in a reduction made of Riesling wine, whole grain mustard and heavy cream. Completing the dish are rabbit and veal sausages that are first poached in milk simmering in juniper berries then browned in butter. For color, the dish is drizzled with parsley oil that has been blanched, shocked and blended to a bright green that reminds you, if the rabbit does not, that spring is finally here.
Pairing: What’s the perfect wine for the spring dish? The Domaine Des Huards Cour-Cheverny Romorantin. This white wine is produced from one of the rarest grapes in the world. Legend has it that it was first planted in the Loire region by King Francis I (1494-1547) and Elsinghorst explains that it’s “an extremely clean white with a stripe of minerality running down the center.” And although the rabbit is seasonal, the wine is always on the list.

205 East 37th Street
912.236.8533 | cafe37.com






Circa 1875
Wild Boar Chop ($26)
Chef David Landrigan’s Roasted Wild Boar Chop is a tasty twist on the common chop. Like many “wild” dishes, diners might assume it has a heavier game flavor compared with its fattier domestic counterpart. However, explains Landrigan, the taste is actually a bit milder. To create his signature flavor, Landrigan uses a chili dust that he rubs on the chop and then sears the meat, sautéing it in bacon fat. He finishes the chop in an anise-flavored demi-glace of caramelized bacon. This sweet smokiness brings out the flavor in the meat, which is nestled on a bed of sweet potato ducats browned in the oven. Swiss chard, a lighter alternative to collard greens, is sautéed in garlic and seasoned with salt, pepper and a little Tabasco for heat.
Pairing: Landrigan recommends his favorite wine for the dish, Chateau Routas Wild Boar Cabernet Sauvignon (the name is merely coincidence). If you prefer a white wine, he suggests pairing the chop with a buttery sauvignon blanc or a Riesling.

48 Whitaker Street
912.443.1875 | circa1875.com

View the complete story on our latest issue!

It seemed like mere hours after the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon franchise announced the November 5, 2011, race in Savannah that runners began lacing up to get ready. Want to take the plunge but don’t know where to start? Here’s a guide to getting started.

1. MAKE A COMMITMENT: If you plan on crossing the finish line that day, your first stop needs to be the official website: runrocknroll.competitor.com/savannah. There you can get all the latest information about the race and register for either 26.2 miles or 13.1. Check out all of the event highlights and merchandise, and take a look at their training programs because you’re going to have to train. And the sooner you get started the better you’ll feel at the end.

2. RESEARCH STARTEGIES: There are numerous philosophies about training for such a long run. Do some research and see what appeals to you. Find a marathoner or two and ask how they trained and what they would do differently next time. Visit one of our running resources and pepper the staff with questions. Find a friend and commit to training together. It’s a lot harder to skip an early morning training run on a rainy day when you know there is someone waiting for you on the corner.

3. GET ADVICE: You can get helpful advice and all the gear you need at Savannah’s Fleet Feet Sports at 3405 Waters Avenue. Owner and local race guru Robert Espinoza maintains a full list of area races on the store’s website: fleetfeetsavannah.com. The store has also just hired a fitness trainer, Lydia DePue, who is hosting training classes for every level of fitness. If your goal this year is a 5K, 10K, half or full marathon, joining a training group is one of the best ways to maintain your focus. One of Fleet Feet’s most popular services is their FIT analysis, which involves a detailed study of your feet, your gait, and your fitness goals to put you in the perfect shoe.

See the latest issue of South magazine for more tips and upcoming race dates!

Dr. Doll Miller
Age: 60
Height: 5’4”
Weight: Ha-ha. You already know that I’m 60 years old. I think that’s as personal as we’ll get!
Workout regimen: When I’m not training for a 60-mile run, I generally do 2.5 hours of cardiovascular exercise Monday through Friday and three to five hours on Saturday and Sunday. I combine running with the Airdyne bike, elliptical and rowing machines.
Philosophy on food: I’ve never been very philosophical about food, but ever since I saw some really cute lambs grazing in a field in New Zealand, I’ve given up eating red meat!
Greatest physical accomplishment: Summitting Mt. Kilimanjaro with my husband and daughters. It was the best of times and the worst of times!
Reason for staying fit: My fitness is very connected to my overall happiness and emotional state of well-being.
Secret to staying healthy: Move more … eat less.
The most interesting thing about the human body is: We are physically capable of doing much more than we find mentally acceptable.
The exercise I hate doing the most is: Sit-ups because my five dogs won’t leave me alone when I’m doing them.
The worst injury I’ve sustained is: A stress fracture in my femur. I ran the Disney World Marathon with that injury. Funny thing about it was the only reason that I didn’t pull out was that I didn’t want to ruin the post-run celebration dinner!
The athlete I most admire is: Patrick Booten—that man has NEVER given up!

Elaine Zuckerman
Age: 50
Height: 5’4”
Weight: 118
Philosophy on food: I have tried everything from vegan to macrobiotic, but find I do best with lean organic meats. I eat several small meals a day, which include green leafy vegetables, fruits and whole grains. I love to cook and experiment with whole foods to create lively and nutritious meals.
Greatest physical accomplishment: Summiting the Grand Teton with my husband and two daughters.
Reason for staying fit: I grew up playing sports, so it never occurred to me not to stay in top shape. Other than the obvious reason of being healthy, it’s just a lifestyle I’ve always been attuned to.
Secret to staying healthy: Take a catnap, eat whole foods, do yoga, marry a man who makes you laugh, and I especially love acupuncture.
The most interesting thing about the human body is: How the emotional body manifests itself in the physical body.
The exercise I hate doing the most is: I can’t think of one as long as it’s done purposefully.
The worst injury I’ve sustained is: Medial meniscus tear.
The athlete I most admire is: Misty May, beach volleyball. She’s fierce and powerful yet sexy and graceful.

To see how others have fared in their Quest to be Fit for Life, take a brisk walk out and pick up the latest issue of South magazine!

Essi’s Dance Studio

Since 1975 Ebi Ilami has been teaching Savannah the elegant technique of ballroom dancing, cultivating a large stake in the area’s professional ballroom community. 912.927.2920   www.essisdancestudio.com

Synergistic Bodies

Belly dance like the stars. Here the motto is, “Getting fit while having fun.” 912.660.7300

The Savannah Dance Club

Eat and West Coast Swing, Tango, Cha Cha, Shag, and Bop. 912.398.8784

Abeni Cultural Arts and Performing Dance Studio

March to the beat of a different drum. Abeni specializes in African and modern techniques and choreography. 912.272.2797

Salsa Savannah at Tantra Lounge

Grab a partner and groove to Latin beats with Salsa Savannah at Tantra Lounge. Lessons are on Tuesdays. 912.231.0888

So why wouldn’t you want to eat organic when it’s just so easy in the Coastal Empire? Health benefits aside, organic food tastes better and it’s not hard to find around here. Check out these local resources and start enjoying food the way it’s supposed to be enjoyed!

For fruits, veggies and free-range eggs, give the Giddens family a visit. They run the Garden of Giddens on Sylvania Road in Savannah. Call them for operating times and directions at 912-313-3857. Another good resource for free-range eggs is Briarwood Acres in Guyton. Call Lidia Zalys at 912-728-7578 to learn more.
Farmers Markets seem to spring up on every corner this time of year. Don’t miss the Trustee’s Farmer’s Market (912-844-3184) at 10 Broad Street, Savannah, on Wednesday afternoons from 4:00 until 7:00 and Saturdays from 9:00 until 3:00. The Forsyth Park Farmer’s Market (www.forsythfarmersmarket.org) is located on the south end of the park and is open from 9:00 until 1:00 each Saturday.

Savannah State University has a Farmer’s Market (912-966-7800) each day from 6:00 in the morning until 6:00 p.m. Saturdays they are open from 9:00 until 5:00. Find them at 701 Highway 80 East in Garden City. Polk’s Fresh Market (www.polksfreshmarket.com) is open year round at 530 E. Liberty Street in downtown Savannah.
And if you are interested in growing some great produce of your own, check out the resources you can find on www.savannahgreensource.com and www.savannahhydroponics.com. Just don’t forget your sunscreen!

Then it’s time to get away from it all and treat yourself to the gift of health this holiday season! Simply book a 3 Day Getaway or 1 Day Pass to one of the “Top 5 US Health Spas,” the Hilton Head Health in Shipyard Plantation. The island is only a short 30-minute drive from “bridge to bridge.” From the minute you set foot in the facility, you feel like you’ve been transported to a special oasis designed to help you re-focus your priorities and re-energize your life.

They have a full, activity-filled day planned just for you! Here are few of the things my 1 day visit included:

• Sunrise beach walk
• Belly dancing class
• Hip Hop dance class
• Deep water conditioning in heated pool
• Metabo Meal (snacks)
• Exercise Prescription class
• Vitamin “buffet” with a wide of vitamin selections including information on each to make your selections easier
• Healthy food cooking demonstration
• Yoga for Abs and Lower Back
• 3 gourmet meals

Also, everyone who works at Hilton Head Health went out of their way to make sure my needs were met in pleasant, upbeat way. They have a wonderful, happy staff working there.

Having just returned, I’m basking in the glow of an amazing day well spent on Hilton Head Island. In about 24 hours, I know my sorely-neglected muscles will have a different view regarding the workout I put them through today, but until then, it’s all good.

Make your reservation TODAY! Don’t wait. You won’t regret it. What better investment can you make this holiday season than in a healthier, more fit, less stressed YOU?!

Hilton Head Health, 14 Valencia Road, Hilton Head, SC 29928, 800.292.2440, www.hhhealth.com

South magazine: How did your family end up in this industry?

Trina Dodd Stafford: Well, both my grandparents were in show business; they were musicians in local jazz bands. My mother, [Gretchen Greene], basically grew up in a dance studio where her mother was the class pianist. (You know, back then they used live pianists in dance classes.) I think that was a huge influence on her. As soon as she was old enough, she dyed her hair blonde, hopped on the first plane to New York and was a Rockette within a month. It was 1968 when she decided to move back to Georgia and open the Gretchen Greene School of Dance, where she still teaches classes today.

SM: Was there a time when you thought you might pursue a career outside of dance, or was it always your intention to get involved in the family business?

TDS: Like our mother, both my brother Travis [Dodd] and I grew up in the studio as well, and even though there was a time when we both tried to explore other career options, we eventually realized there really is no place like home. When we were growing up, working in a family business wasn’t really something a school guidance counselor would recommend. It took us a long time to figure out that, hey, this family business stuff is pretty cool. And what a blessing, really, to continue to build on what your parents have done.

SM: I imagine there must be a lot of rewards in that line of work.

TDS: There are. You know, in dance teacher circles, they say you’ve really accomplished something when you start teaching the children of your former students. We’re lucky enough to have entered an even more exclusive group of studios who are teaching the grandchildren of former students. The best thing about teaching at Gretchen Greene is watching the kids grow up. Whether they go on to be doctors or professional dancers, watching them learn and develop is really what motivates me.

Like what you’re reading? Read the full article in the December/January 10 issue of South magazine.

But that’s not to say we all shouldn’t strive to inch just a little bit closer to that supreme idea of being the very best version of ourselves. Luckily, Savannah boasts hundreds of ways to enhance both the yin and the yang, the spiritual and the physical, the active and the contemplative. The possibilities for a mind or body boost are virtually endless. With that, South presents its first ever guide to becoming the best you—in the best city in the South.

Train
Cost: $50+

When it comes to getting physically fit, some people love to feel the burn. Everyone knows that guy who seems to have an endless supply of self-motivation to work out. And then there’s the opposite kind of guy: He has visions of himself in top-notch shape but simply lacks the drive to reach his goals.

For those in the second category, personal trainers can often make a world of difference in getting actual and lasting results. Jodie Luther-Kofod, a personal trainer at the Downtown Athletic Club, affirms that many people struggling to get fit simply lack the know-how. “We send our kids to school to learn, we take a golf or tennis lesson to improve our game, but when it comes to longevity, health and fitness, and a way of life, we as a culture don’t place emphasis on this correctly,” Luther-Kofod says. It’s her job to teach clients about fitness. She helps them define their goals and rearrange their eating habits in order to reach physical perfection.
For more information on personal training, e-mail Jodie Luther-Kofod at jodie@jodieshouseofpain.com

Volunteer
Cost: free

Giving back to the community is probably one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to instantly add positivity—and some good karma—to anyone’s life and spirit. Shirley Sessions, director of United Way’s volunteer program for more than a decade, has seen time and time again how selfless serving can vastly improve more than one life. “Those who give of their time and talents in helping others smile and laugh more often gain a greater sense of self-worth, experience less depression, and feel they have made a positive difference in their lives through giving and volunteering,” she explains.

Most notably it’s the volunteer’s mood and sense of worth that gets a boost, but Sessions has also heard testimonies that volunteering can have some surprisingly positive health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, instilling a sense of calm and even increasing longevity.
The United Way has more than 100 different service opportunities. Contact Hands On Savannah for volunteer ideas via handsonsavannah.org or 912.651.7726.

Reflect
Cost: free

Unfortunately, too many people’s lives are touched by alcoholism. But since 1935, Alcoholics Anonymous has helped millions of people take positive steps toward improving the quality of their lives and the health of their bodies. In the Savannah area, more than 20 AA groups meet every day to help people caught in the powerful web of habitual drinking take control of their lives. Experts use the well-known 12-step program to counsel people into healthier lifestyles.
Visit savannahaa.com for a list of local AA meetings

Like what you’re reading? Read the full article in the December/January 10 issue of South magazine.

Val Beaudreau was only 43 when her symptoms started. “I thought I was having anxiety attacks,” she remembers. “And I’d cry, just cry. I’d hear a sad song, I’d cry. I’d see a commercial, I’d cry.” She also started gaining weight, struggling with insomnia, having debilitating hot flashes and losing her interest in sex. “I was up, I was down, I was around and around,” says Beaudreau. “I’d tell my girlfriends, ‘Oh my God, I think I’m going nuts!’”

Her doctor prescribed her an antidepressant, but it didn’t relieve her symptoms. “I was on it for about eight months and then I thought, ‘No, I’m not doing this,’” recalls Beaudreau. “That’s when I started being my own health advocate.

She hit the books, and in her research she came across a copy of Suzanne Somers’ bestseller Ageless. In the book, Somers describes symptoms similar to what Beaudreau was experiencing—symptoms related to the inevitable loss of hormones that goes along with aging. Somers also carefully documents her treatment through the controversial use of bioidentical hormones.

But first she needed to find someone who was trained in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) and willing to administer it. This was harder than Beaudreau ever could have imagined.

Doctors have been prescribing synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to women for more than 75 years. Initially, physicians touted it as a preventative medicine and believed that every woman should use HRT when she turns 50 to prevent osteoporosis and heart disease, improve memory, and perk up overall well-being. Treating the symptoms of menopause was simply considered a bonus feature. However, in 2002 doctors significantly scaled back the use of the therapy after a study conducted by the Women’s Health Initiative linked HRT to an increased risk for blood clots, stroke, heart attack and breast cancer.

Dr. Dina Linfoot of Provident OB/GYN Associates at Memorial University Medical Center is fully aware of the public’s negative perception of HRT, but she still considers it a safe and effective treatment for certain patients. “People have to weigh for themselves the risks and the benefits,” Dr. Linfoot explains. “There are some people who are not candidates [for HRT]. People who have had some sort of estrogen-dependent cancer—mainly breast cancer—or a strong family history for that, or carriers of the breast and ovarian cancer genes. These people are not going to ask me for hormone replacement because they’re too scared.”

But Dr. Linfoot feels the need to put the risks into perspective. “The Women’s Health Initiative suggested an increase of eight cases of breast cancer per 10,000 women, which is not really a lot,” she explains. In fact, Dr. Linfoot believes that women should pay careful attention to the therapy’s link to an increased risk for heart disease. “Women in general are more likely in their lifetime to die of heart disease than to die of breast cancer, but we all walk around fearing breast cancer and not fearing heart disease,” she says.

Dr. Linfoot does not deny the benefits of HRT: “In terms of skin, vaginal health, bone health, cholesterol, there’s definite benefits.” But she believes that doctors must administer it sparingly and with caution. “The recommendations by our governing bodies and by what science supports right now is to offer hormone replacement to perimenopausal and newly menopausal women who are having the true, life-altering symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, like hot flashes, night sweats, trouble sleeping, mood changes, skin changes, vaginal atrophy—changes like that,” advises Dr. Linfoot. “It should be used not for the potential benefits but mainly for symptom relief and for the shortest time possible.”

Enter the bioidenticals.

Searching for a safer alternative to HRT, a relatively small number of physicians began experimenting with bioidentical hormones in their practices. Several years ago, Dr. Mary Kay Ross, an E.R. doctor at Memorial University Medical Center, learned that her stepbrother and his wife were using BHRT under the supervision of a physician in St. Augustine, Florida. Concerned that her family may be experimenting with a risky treatment, Dr. Ross made an appointment to meet with the physician. She was surprised to find that he was very well-informed about a therapy that had a long list of benefits for both men and women. She began studying with the physician, became a patient herself and eventually opened a practice in Savannah called Live Well MD that specializes in bioidenticals.

Dr. Ross now treats more than 150 patients ranging from 14 to 82 years old. Her practice extends beyond treating the symptoms of menopause: She works with men and women looking to improve their overall well-being and slow the symptoms of aging.

Like what you’re reading? Read the full article in the December/January 10 issue of South magazine.

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