Forty Monroe County residents participated in the American Heart Association’s Start! Heart Walk May 16 in South?eld, including Sharon Bowman, Terri Moore, Mike Moore, Staci Compher, Steve Vitale, Jennifer Emery, Susan Martinez, Cherrie VerWoert, Melissa Thomas and Dr. Steven Bell.

Forty Monroe County residents were among thou- sands who took part in the American Heart Associa- tion Start! Heart Walk on May 16 in Southfield. The event, a walk and a five kilometer run, included local residents who have graduated from Great Lakes Weight and Wellness, a Monroe-based weight- loss program owned by Dr. Stephen Bell. Each has lost at least 80 pounds or more since joining the program.

The event also brought awareness to cardiovascular disease. Staci Compher of New- port took part in the event not only for her own physi- cal health but in memory of her husband, who died nearly two years ago of dilated cardiomyopathy. To date, Mrs. Compher has lost 140 pounds. Area residents partici- pating in the event raised $1,000 for the American Heart Association.

The original article is available as a PDF here monroe-evening-news-aha-great-lakes-0602091

Photo courtesy of Melissa Thomas

For forty Monroe County residents, the culmination of a life-changing goal concluded with a race to the finish. On May 16th , these individuals participated in the American Heart Association 5K Run in Southfield. What made this event so remarkable is that many of these participants had been morbidly obese not more than 6 to 12 months ago.

For Newport resident Staci Compher, participating in the event was more than just completing a physical feat she would have thought impossible only a year ago. “I am here today for my husband,” she confides. “He passed away 19 months ago of a dilated cardiomyopathy. We had fought obesity together for years.” Staci proudly ran with his picture while wearing his watch. “I know he’s here with me, with every step.” With so many steps taken, Staci has shed 140 pounds, but still plans to climb higher and lose even more. “Now I have to set an example for our daughters to live a more active lifestyle.”

Jenifer Emery of Newport agrees with Staci. “I have a three year old son and the way I was living my life was not a good example. I want to be around to watch him grow and to watch him as a father teach his children the healthy lessons I had taught him.” Echoing this belief is Steve Vitale of Monroe. “Heart disease has touched my family,” he reveals, “and has touched my life as well. I refuse to be a victim and I am changing my lifestyle for a better tomorrow.”

All of the participants are graduates of Great Lakes Weight and Wellness, a Monroe based weight loss program focusing on medical supervision, meal plan replacements, and behavioral counseling. “Seeing people become physically active for the first time in years, and for a good cause, is very rewarding and helps to remind us all,” shares program director Melissa Thomas, “that healthy living, while often neglected in these stressful times, is very much the key to our mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. Plus, having been overweight myself, I know first hand what that change is like, and the lifetime benefits it brings.”

Owner Dr. Stephen Bell agrees. “The 5k walk for the AHA was a great time to reflect on the tragedy of cardiovascular disease from a number of angles. It was a great opportunity for my wife, Michelle, and I to have the conversation with our boys about the importance of living in a healthy way and to demonstrate our collective support for victims of this cruel disease. It was extraordinarily gratifying to see how far and how fast our Great Lakes Weight and Wellness patients have come. Their courage and stamina has led them to dramatic lifestyle changes and their achievement is an inspiration to all of us. They reinforce our commitment to helping patients improve their lives, and the worth our endeavors at Great Lakes Weight and Wellness. We feel very privileged to be able to participate in the AHA walk with these successful patients.”

In addition to the physical accomplishment, Monroe County participants raised $1,000 for the American Heart Association.

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Welcome to the new Great Lakes Weight and Wellness Website! Things sure have been busy around here. We finally moved to the new building and we absolutely love it! Br. Bell has been asked to speak on our local public access channel two times in one month. He loves getting the message out. I hope some of you got a chance to view it.

Our weight loss patients have been making HUGE gains, which is to say, HUGE losses. They’re so happy about it we made an infomercial about it. It will air December 6th, right after Saturday Night Live! You can see some of the testimonials’ right on this page. Just take a peak over at the left side under “Recent Videos.” We’re very excited!

Enough about us. Tell us what you think. This website was designed to deliver information as quickly as possible to you our patients. What do you want to see, perhaps more recipes? Maybe more tips on how to stay fit or videos showing proper exercise technique? We’re here to help you out in any way we can. PLEASE visit the “Contact Us” page and tell us what you’re thinking.

This recipe serves: 4  
Ingredients
4 medium sweet potatoes (or yams), scrubbed clean
Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400º F.
2. Prick the skin of the potatoes with a fork in several places to prevent the potatoes from bursting.

3. Place the potatoes in a warm oven to bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until tender.

Serving Size: 1 potato
Nutrition Information

Number of Servings: 4/strong>
Per Serving
Calories 130  Carbohydrate 33 g
Fat 0 g Fiber 4 g
Protein 2 g Saturated Fat 0 g
Sodium 45 mg

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Rinse the chicken under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Season inside and out with salt and pepper.

2. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan.

3. Roughly chop two sprigs of the rosemary. In a small bowl, mix together Dijon mustard, honey, chopped rosemary, lemon juice and lemon zest.

4. Place the remaining sprig of rosemary, a lemon half, the onion quarters and garlic in the cavity of the bird. Using a pastry brush, coat the outside of the bird with the lemon honey glaze.

5. Place the roasting pan in the oven and baste the chicken every 15 minutes with any remaining glaze. Roast until a thermometer inserted into the thigh reaches 180° and juices run clear, about one hour. Remove and discard the skin. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serving Size: 1/4 of chicken

This recipe serves: 4  

Nutrition Information

Number of Servings: 4/strong>