Watauga Public Library Hosts Better Health Workshop By Mike Shands High Country residents can learn about a more natural, fad-free nutrition and exercise approach to getting and staying fit next month. Claudia Mason will present a workshop on better health June 5 at the Watauga County Public Library. Photo by Mike Shands. Exalibur Fitness will present a free, one-hour workshop on better health Saturday, June 5 from 11 a.m. to noon at the Watauga County Public Library. Claudia Mason, who holds a degree in education, will conduct the workshop. “I spent many years fighting weight so I come from a testimonial background,” she said. “I tried everything that everyone tried to sell me or promote to me, and nothing worked for any length of time so I decided that I would take a very courageous perspective and find out what would work for me, which meant that I had to maybe buck the propaganda. “I have watched ads for 15 years that promise you all sorts of rewards in a very short period of time, and I want to show people what I did – that if you do it every day, like you do a lot of things every day – then you will be healthy.” Mason said being healthy involves more than just eating less and exercising more. “A lot of thin people are not healthy, and I know in America just being thin is what we want,” she said. “We just want the goal, but I believe that the process is the only thing that’s really important, and somewhere in everybody there’s a balance of that.” That process is comparable to automobile maintenance, she said. “Some people just do a little preventative (automobile) maintenance,” Mason said. “They make sure it has the right gas, they check their oil occasionally and they take it to a professional every now and then if it has a problem, and I think the human body, being a much more sophisticated machine, operates just as simply.” During the past decade Mason has learned a wide variety of tips that people can use every day to become healthier and stay that way. She said there is a direct relationship between what people eat and how healthy they are. “I really believe that certain foods help prevent disease and help you in the healing process,” she said. One example of that is water. “Inflammation in the joints typically is really the result of toxins that aren’t eliminated appropriately,” she said. “Toxins are eliminated from the liver to the kidneys and bladder. “The kidneys are like washing machines. If there’s not enough water in the washing machine your clothes don’t get clean so if you drink enough water then you allow your kidneys to eliminate toxins in the system more efficiently.” Another helpful tip involves eating apples to help clean teeth. “It’s just a natural hard thing that keeps the plaque at the very bottom of the tooth from building up,” she said. Mason said body odor and smelly feet are often a sign of zinc deficiency. “Little things like that,” she said. Another way to improve one’s health is by properly caring for the liver. “Every drop of blood in your body goes through your liver before it goes anywhere,” Mason said. “If you’re going to eat toxins, they are going to go through your liver. “If you do things to keep your liver healthy – there are certain supplements, certain foods, that are liver-inspiring – then you can do some of the bad stuff, but you’ve got to balance it.” Proper nutrition doesn’t mean resorting to grapefruit-only types of diets, Mason said. “It’s not just about becoming a monk in your food habits and being this carrot and celery kind of eating person that nobody wants to eat with,” she said. “I’ve already been there, and I wasn’t necessarily healthier. “To me, ignorance of your body’s nutritional needs is just as harmful as overeating all the time. That’s why I’ve met a lot of thin people who are very unhealthy, and they think they’re fine.” Mason will also discuss the five food groups, which she said can be condensed to three primary groups – carbohydrates, fats and proteins. “I’m going to take the five food groups and break it down into the 21st century vernacular, which is carbohydrates, good and bad fats and protein,” she said. “Most people don’t know what a carbohydrate is – it is whole grains, vegetables and fruits. “You can eat those every day. In fact, if you don’t eat those every day your hair will fall out, your teeth will weaken, your skin will be dry and pasty and your nails will be brittle and cracked.” Slow Down Another aspect of a healthy lifestyle is knowing when to stop exercising, Mason said. “Pain means stop,” she said. “I do not believe that pain is the result of doing a good job. It’s the body’s signal that you have done enough for that moment. “If you go past that your body actually produces a poison that goes in there and creates a big swelling compound. She said exercising too strenuously could also damage the body’s immune system. Part of the workshop will include a question and answer session where participants can also share their success stories or obstacles. “I just want to share and see people be healthier and not end up in an ICU unit the last year of their life,” Mason said. “At 85 I plan to be just as fit as I am now.” The library is located near downtown Boone on the corner of Depot and Queen streets. For more information about the workshop call the library at (828) 264-8784.