Kelly Springer is the founder and owner of Kelly’s Choice nutritional company, which focuses on sports nutrition, weight loss, workplace wellness, heart health, diabetes and more. Kelly also is a spokesperson for many national healthy food companies. Her clients have included Quaker Oats and KIND. Recently, Kelly’s Choice kicked off a virtual wellness program for large companies and businesses throughout the U.S. Kelly lives her healthiest life by always staying organized and being active with her family!

Favorite Healthy Eating Tips:

• Start the day off with a well-balanced, nourishing breakfast. I start my day off with a glass of kefir (a creamy drink of fermented cow’s milk) and a scrambled egg with veggies mixed in.

• Hydrate throughout the day. Water is critical to all of the body’s systems, including the brain, heart, lung, kidneys and muscles. You can’t digest and absorb vitamins and nutrients without water. It also detoxifies the liver and kidneys and carries away waste from the body. Your brain is mostly water—drinking it helps you think, focus and concentrate better.

• Make sure that half of your lunch and dinner plates are veggies. They provide your body with additional water and also provide fiber, vitamins and minerals. There are many ways to make vegetables delicious!

How do you juggle a career, family and healthy lifestyle?

I’m going to be honest here—it is not easy! I’m busy with work, and my two daughters are busy with school, swimming and other activities. All of those activities go on a calendar, but guess what else? A couple of years ago, I started putting “me” time on the calendar. This is when I work out. I also make sure to never skip meals and get a full night’s sleep. This is true for me and my girls! We all need at least seven hours of sleep a night!

How do you stay active in the winter?

On Sunday, we like to ski in the winter! We spend four to five hours on the slope. I also stay active by doing all of my errands by foot: going to the bank, going to the post office or picking up a few groceries. I live in Skaneateles. It’s great to live in a walkable community.

How does a healthy lifestyle help you at home and at work?

A healthy lifestyle helps my whole family. It helps protect us from colds, flus, and other illnesses. My schedule is packed, and I don’t have time to get sick or for my children to get sick.

Best advice for people trying to live a healthy life?

Understand that you don’t have to be perfect. You can start by making simple healthy swaps:

• Swap your morning cereal for eggs.
• Replace white bread with whole wheat bread and white rice for brown rice.
• Switch your candy bars for healthier granola bars.
• Eat your fruit instead of drinking it (example: an apple instead of apple juice).
• Switch from potato chips to air-popped popcorn.
• Try Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream.

What are your favorite, local “healthy” spots?

I love the Charlie Major Nature Trail along Skaneateles Creek. It’s beautiful alongside the flowing water. We use it year-round for walking and biking in the spring, summer and fall, and snow-shoeing in the winter.

Click here to learn more about Kelly.

I had a rash that would not go away. It didn’t cover a large area, but it was irritating. Waiting it out was not helping, so I started looking for information on the internet. All signs pointed to shingles! I ran off to urgent care, and the doctor confirmed I was correct.

I had thought shingles was something that happened to older adults. Indeed, half of all shingles cases happen to those 60 or older, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  I had turned 40 just a week prior to this happening (so this did not stop me from grumbling about getting older!). But anyone who has ever had chickenpox can get the virus, no matter when they had it or how old they are now.

The shingles infection is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox (varicella zoster). I had chickenpox when I was 6 years old. My whole first-grade class passed it around that year. The virus stayed in my system and resurfaced as shingles all these years later.

What are the symptoms?

My rash was on the side of my body, which is the most common area for a shingles outbreak. In some cases, it can break out on your face or in your eye, which can be very painful. (Quick tip, nothing good comes from looking at images of other people’s medical conditions!)

I was lucky that my symptoms were not severe. I just experienced some itching and general discomfort for about two weeks. As long as the area was covered with a large bandage I could manage. But, it took nearly all my will-power not to scratch!

In more intense cases, you could experience nerve pain—called post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN)—that can last well after the other symptoms disappear.

Is it contagious?

That was my first question to the doctor. I certainly did not want this to spread in my family. Answer: You cannot spread shingles, but someone could catch chickenpox if they come in direct contact with open blisters.

I made sure to keep the rash covered as much as possible and washed my hands frequently. I felt good that both my kids have already had the chickenpox vaccine. This was before the holidays, so it was not a struggle to keep away from those at risk including older adults, folks who are ill or have a weak immune system, and babies too young to be vaccinated.

Why me?

In my case, the likely trigger for shingles was stress. Stress weakens your immune system and makes you more likely to catch a virus like shingles. It was easier said than done to avoid stress during the busiest time of year, from my full-time job to my children’s school and activities. I tried my best to find a way to calm my mind and body. I started taking a yoga class again and tried to stick to a regular sleep schedule.

You have shingles. Now What?

See your doctor as soon as you can. He or she may prescribe an antiviral medication, which can shorten the length and/or severity of the infection. Antiviral medications are most helpful when taken as soon as possible after the rash appears, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

By the time I saw a doctor, his only advice was to give it time to heal.

Some ideas to help you feel better if you have shingles from the National Institutes of Health include:

• Wear loose-fitting clothing. Some find it uncomfortable when clothing rub the affected area.
• Eat balanced meals.
• Rest! Give your body time to recuperate.

Get protected!

As of October 2017, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends Shingrix^®, a new vaccine to prevent shingles and the symptoms it may cause.

What should you know? The vaccine is:

• For healthy adults ages 50 and older.
• Administered in two doses, with the second dose given between 8 weeks and 6 months after the first.
• Effective! If you are in your 50s or 60s, it has been shown to be more than 90 percent effective.  
• Long-lasting. The vaccine kept its effectiveness during a 4-year study.
• Does not contain a live virus.
• Recommended over the other shingles vaccine, called Zostavax.^® (If you have already gotten Zostavax^®, you are also encouraged to get Shingrix^®.)
• Another layer of protection. If you’ve already had shingles, the shot may prevent it from coming back.

If interested, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the vaccine.

Are there side effects of the vaccine?

Temporary irritations like soreness in the arm, redness, and swelling are typical.

Form the New York Times: “It’s no contest: The hazards of shingles and its complications dwarf any problems yet reported with Shingrix”.

If you’re considering the shingles vaccine, you may want to call your insurer and ask about coverage for your specific plan.