The event will be held Saturday, Aug. 9 at the yacht club on Choctawhatchee Bay. A series of races for all skill levels and ages begins at 9 a.m.

Participants can choose between the 5-mile elite or 1-mile recreational course, as well as a three-person team relay race. A 1-mile youth race will also be offered. A stand-up paddleboard jousting tournament will top it all off. Awards will be offered in various categories for each event, including best costume for jousting competitors.

A post-race celebration with food, beverages and live music will be held on-site following the races. In addition, a prize drawing will be held for a 12-foot Starboard “Atlas” donated by Dog House Surf Shop. Tickets are on sale now for $5 each or 5 tickets for $20; the winner doesn't have to be present.

Registration fees are $30 for each race entry and $20 for the youth race. Fees include an event T-shirt and goody bag for each racer as well as the post-race celebration. Advance registration and prize drawing tickets are both available at www.eventsatcovenant.org/paddle or in person at Covenant Hospice’s Fort Walton Beach office, 220 Eglin Parkway NE. Day-of-event registration fees increase by $10. 

All proceeds support Covenant Hospice’s special programs in Okaloosa and Walton counties. These include bereavement services for adults and children who have experienced a loss, chaplain services, specialized programs for veterans and indigent patient care.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Yacht club hosts Paddle for the Promise to benefit Covenant Hospice

CRESTVIEW — Lyndsey and Brandon Brooks are introducing the community to two special deliveries they received last week.  

PHOTOS: See 7 photos of the Brooks family welcoming the twins >>

Savannah Lynn and Hannah Kathleen Brooks were born Thursday at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola after a 32-week pregnancy. The twins were delivered a minute apart, each weighing more than 3 pounds, Lyndsey’s mother, Victoria Teems, stated in an email.  

The girls shared the same amniotic sac and placenta throughout the pregnancy, which is unusual. Monoamniotic, or "mono mono" twins occur in one of every 10,000 pregnancies, according to the Journal of Perinatology.

Lyndsey, who gave birth by cesarean section, is recuperating, Teems stated. Savannah also is doing well. However, "Hannah has been having breathing difficulties and is unable to be held," Teems stated. "She is very sensitive to touch and it affects her breathing and heart rate. Hopefully in the next couple days she will be stronger."

Specialists are closely observing both babies, Teems stated in a post on the couple’s Gofundme.com account.

Teems is involved with fundraising efforts for the family to help with medical costs, travel expenses and baby supplies, among other things. In addition, the Brooks family's loved ones are organizing a benefit auction and raffle on Aug. 30, not Aug. 31 as originally stated. Click here for more details as they become available.  

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview family welcomes ‘mono-mono’ twins (PHOTOS)

CRESTVIEW — Needy Belizeans in impoverished villages will receive medical supplies, health education and clinical treatments this month thanks to a local team.

Dr. Joseph Peter, of Crestview Pediatrics and Adolescent Center — along with 16 other volunteers — will visit the Central American country from Aug. 17 through Sept. 1. Four doctors, three registered nurses, a dietician, a respiratory therapist and a pharmacist are among those paying their way to help others.

It'll be the fifth consecutive visit for Peter, who organized fundraisers to purchase medical supplies for use at five villages. Volunteers also will take school supplies, a few toys and gardening seeds.

The trip is a first for registered nurses Fallon Simmons and Loren Wilkinson of Crestview.

Hearing about a co-worker's past medical mission inspired Simmons to join the effort.

“She said it was one the best experiences she ever had,” Simmons stated in an email. “I am personally looking forward to being able to help people who are much less fortunate than most of us.”

Wilkinson learned about the mission after taking her children to Peter’s office for evaluations.

“Hearing about the people his organization was able to help really inspired me to start (and) finish my nursing degree so that I can do my part to help others,” she said in a Facebook message.

It will be an “eye-opening experience” for both women, Peter said.

“They will learn what it is to practice medicine in a third world country,” he said. “We’re going to sweat from the time we land to the time we get back.”

HOW TO HELP

Click here and here to donate toward Fallon Simmons' and Loren Wilkinson's medical trip to Belize, respectively. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview volunteers prepare for medical mission trip

CRESTVIEW — The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County is extending clinic hours for back-to-school immunizations.

Crestview dates and times are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 4, 6, 11, 12, 15 and 18; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 5; and 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 7, 13, and 14. The Crestview location, 810 E. James Lee Blvd., is closed 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. daily.

The Health Department is also offering physicals — by appointment only — Aug. 8 and 15 in Fort Walton Beach. A school or sports physical costs $40; the cost to get both is $50.

March of Dimes, which promotes mom and baby health, urges parents to immunize their children against infectious diseases before the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year.

Influenza, pertussis (whooping cough), and measles are just a few of the serious vaccine-preventable diseases that still affect children.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview back-to-school shots set

A potentially deadly danger lurks in the medicine cabinets of local seniors this summer. Did you know that heat, when combined with certain medications, can seriously harm seniors? 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

Seniors are more prone to heat stroke and heat-related stress because their bodies can’t adjust to sudden changes in temperature.

Seniors who take certain prescription medications are more susceptible to heat related injuries and illnesses.

“During the hot summer months, families really need to pay special attention to their elderly loved ones who are taking medications and may not understand the health risks,” says Rick Basch, President of Synergy HomeCare. “We strongly urge families to consult with their doctor or pharmacist regarding the potential impact of heat on any medications.   If family members aren’t available, our Caregivers can be an excellent resource for monitoring any potentially adverse reactions to heat that a senior may experience.”

Prescription for Trouble

Antidepressants and antihistamines act on an area of the brain that controls the skin’s ability to make sweat. Sweating is the body’s natural cooling system. If a person can’t sweat, they are at risk for overheating.

Beta blockers reduce the ability of the heart and lungs to adapt to stresses, including hot weather. This also increases a person’s risk of heat stroke and other heat related illnesses.

Amphetamines can raise body temperature.

Diuretics act on kidneys and encourage fluid loss. This can quickly lead to dehydration in hot weather.

Sedatives can reduce a person’s awareness of physical discomfort which means symptoms of heat stress may be ignored.

Ephedrine/Pseudoephedrine found in over the counter decongestants decrease blood flow to the skin and impact the body’s ability to cool down.

“We want to do everything we can to ensure that our seniors don’t make the headlines this summer due to heat-related conditions,” says Basch. “Our Caregivers can be a lifesaver (literally), when it comes to keeping seniors well hydrated, cool and comfortable. They’re an extra set of eyes and when it really counts.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Heat and medicine: a dose of danger for seniors

MAITLAND — March of Dimes, the leading organization for mom and baby health, urges parents to immunize their children against infectious diseases before the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year. Influenza, pertussis (whooping cough), and measles are just a few of the serious vaccine-preventable diseases that still affect children and adults in the United States today.

“Immunizations are as important today as they were in the age of polio in the 1950s, when the March of Dimes funded the pioneering work that resulted in the vaccine that still is used today against this deadly disease,” said Dr. Karen Harris, Program Services Committee chair for the March of Dimes Florida Chapter. “Back-to-school season is the time of the year when we especially encourage kids to get their shots to protect their health.”

Even small groups of unimmunized people can quickly spread disease, Dr. Harris says. In the US, both measles and whooping cough are at epidemic rates.

According to the Florida Department of Health, the most recent school year (2013 – 2014) immunization status reports for all 67 Florida counties indicate rates of:

•Kindergarten: 93.2 percent (state and national goal is 95 percent)

•Seventh grade: 96.6 percent (state goal is 95 percent; national goal is 90 percent)

•Two-year-old children (2013): 86.72 percent (state and national goal is 90 percent)

Flu shots

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says diseases can spread when infected people cough, sneeze, or even talk. Children may spread the flu virus for up to three days before they show any symptoms and for longer than a week after getting sick, putting their classmates at risk of becoming sick, too.

The CDC, the March of Dimes, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists all recommend that, in addition to children, all pregnant women and those planning to become pregnant should get an annual flu shot in the fall. The normal biological changes of pregnancy put pregnant women at increased risk of the harmful effects of flu. Recent research suggests that the flu vaccine may also lower a woman’s risk of having a stillbirth or miscarriage. “The flu vaccine helps protect your body from infection, and this protection is in turn passed on to your baby during pregnancy,” adds Dr. Harris, explaining that immunization during pregnancy helps keep the newborn safe during the first few months of life until he or she is ready for the first set of vaccinations.

Pertussis

Parents, grandparents, caregivers, and anyone in close contact with an infant should get an adult pertussis vaccine to help protect themselves and to help stop the spread of the disease to the newborns in their lives.

Newborns are most at-risk for this highly contagious and often serious disease because they don't begin receiving their own vaccinations until they are two months old and may not be protected until they have received at least three doses of an infant pertussis vaccine.

This year, the March of Dimes continues their work on the Sounds of Pertussis Campaign, a national education campaign started in 2009 to help raise awareness about the potential dangers of pertussis and the importance of adult vaccination.

March of Dimes also supports the “Word of Mom: Celebrating Generations of Healthy Advice” campaign, which empowers moms to make the best health decisions for themselves and their families by making sure their families’ immunizations are up to date.

March of Dimes continues to fund vaccine research and to work with international coalitions seeking to improve immunization rates and eliminate preventable diseases that threaten babies and children. More information on baby vaccinations is available from the March of Dimes website.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: March of Dimes reminds parents to immunize children for the new school year

While big chunks of America’s population continue to be ravaged by obesity, causing other problems such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, there are many millions who choose to prevent those conditions by exercising regularly.

“The Centers for Disease Control recently estimated that only 20 percent of us get the recommended amount of daily exercise,” says Dr. Brett Osborn, author of “Get Serious, A Neurosurgeon’s Guide to Optimal Health and Fitness."

“Given our diet and lifestyles, it’s no wonder that some of our first-world diseases have reached epidemic proportions.

“Let’s be clear: This is your health. There is nothing more important. If you don’t have good health, you will eventually die, preventing you from doing everything else, from spending time with your loved ones to enjoying your money.”

If you’re going to exercise – which Osborn applauds – he warns that you will do more harm than good if you’ve bought into some of the myths and “conventional wisdom” that is, in fact, simply wrong.

Osborn, an avid bodybuilder, shatters some of those misconceptions:

•  More exercise is always better. Everyone wants more muscle and less fat, Conventional wisdom says that hours and hours of exercise will achieve those results. That’s completely wrong, Osborn says. Overkill is not only unnecessary, it can be counterproductive. You’ll get the best results with a strength-training regimen, tailored to meet your needs, which can be accomplished in three to four hours per week.

•  More cardio is better than lifting. For all you chronic dieters and cardio enthusiasts out there trying to shed fat, the right strength-training program can boost your metabolism and help burn off more fat. By increasing lean muscle mass, you will increase your basal metabolic rate, BMR. Activated, contracting muscles are the body’s furnace. Excessive cardio and dieting can eat muscle tissue away, compromising this furnace.

•  Women: “But I don’t want to look like a man.” Females who lift weights won’t look like men; they do not have the hormonal support to pile on a significant amount of muscle mass. Female lifters will, however, assume a shapelier figure. In fact, 99.99 percent of men older than 30 do not have the natural hormonal support to do so either. All elite professional bodybuilders use androgenic agents, including steroids.

•  You need to buy “product X.” We live in a very money-based culture – so much so that we often place the almighty dollar above health. Get out of this mindset, at least regarding exercise. What counts for building muscle includes determination, intensity, consistency and safety. If you think buying the most expensive formula, training uniform or machine is necessary for reaching your potential, you’re wrong. Machines often compromise the intensity required for the body you desire.

•  CrossFit is a good exercise program. If you want to build muscle, then CrossFit has many problems. First, it encourages ballistic movements from novice lifters, and since the program’s rise in popularity, there has been a marked increase in injury rates, which can set fitness goals back by many months. Second, as mentioned above, you don’t need to pound the body five times a week; you may increase endurance and lose fat, but you’ll also lose muscle. CrossFit encourages overtraining and has been linked to increased incidents of Rhabdomyolysis, or Rhabdo, which is the breakdown of muscle tissue that leads to the release of muscle fiber contents into the blood. Rhabdo can cause kidney damage. Third, the creators of CrossFit have encouraged the Paleo Diet, a low-insulin diet. Insulin is a necessary part of building muscle.

Brett Osborn is a New York University-trained, board-certified neurological surgeon with a secondary certification in anti-aging and regenerative medicine, Diplomate; American Bard of Neurological Surgery, Diplomate; American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. He holds a CSCS honorarium from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Dr. Osborn specializes in scientifically based nutrition and exercise as a means to achieve optimal health and preventing disease. He is the author “Get Serious, A Neurosurgeon’s Guide to Optimal Health and Fitness."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Bodybuilder, neurosurgeon debunk 5 training myths