Sitting: Could it be as bad for your body as smoking?

By Dr. Tara Hogan, D.C. • Guest writer According to the Mayo clinic’s experts, sitting too often can cause a…
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Get fit: Challenge asks all in WNC to ramp up activity

This year’s eight-week WNC Get Fit Challenge is set to return Monday, Sept. 10, challenging not just Jackson County residents…
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Nervous to try yoga?

By Jerica Rossi • Guest writer While people were walking into class, I heard a woman whisper to her friend, “I’m…
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Everyone goes Keto: Health experts explain potential risks

It seems like every year there’s a new fad diet people swear is the panacea for quick weight loss. This…
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Journey toward positivity

By Wende Goode • Guest writer Negativity surrounds us, is embodied in us. Until a couple of years ago, I…
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Don’t be confused about CBD

Despite pages and pages of published studies and hundreds or thousands of anecdotes extolling the benefits of cannabidiol, it’s the…
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Out of school and into the pool

Since 2001 the Smoky Mountain Aquatic Club has been geared toward having a nationally recognized aquatics program that develops and…
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Learn to paddle at NOC youth camp

For 15 years Nantahala Outdoor Center instructors have been teaching kids and teens how to maneuver the waters of Western…
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Summer youth events at Lake Junaluska

Church youth groups of all sizes are invited to Lake Junaluska for five Summer Youth Events June 17 to July…
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Jackson launches outdoors camp

With a whole world of mountain beauty to explore, summer leaves no time to waste indoors. 
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Waynesville’s Base Camp now offered on the go

In the four years since they first launched, Waynesville’s Base Camp summer programs — day camps packed full of outdoor…
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Camp Watia offers affordable fun for local youth

A YMCA camp in Swain County specifically caters to youth in Western North Carolina by offering an affordable weeklong outdoor…
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Summer camps help kids stay sharp

When the last bell rings and the doors fly open loosing schoolchildren across the nation out into the sunny summer…
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Jellybean loses sight, finds new home
 

Jellybean loses sight, finds new home

Jellybean is a 31-year-old blind miniature horse. Not being able to see her surroundings may seem like an insurmountable obstacle,…
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To eat or not to eat, that is the question
 

To eat or not to eat, that is the question

Cherished family member, societal parasite, or dinner?
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PAWS director passionate about placing pets
 

PAWS director passionate about placing pets

Beth Cline has rescued animals since she was a young child. Her father would scold her every time she brought…
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Resources
 

Resources

Here is a list of pet adoption and advocacy groups — and veterinarians — in the four western counties of…
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Western Carolina Dog Fanciers’ annual gatherings attract all shapes and sizes
 

Western Carolina Dog Fanciers’ annual gatherings attract all shapes and sizes

Several hundred purebred dogs converged at the Haywood County Fairgrounds last weekend to walk the proverbial red carpet in the…
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$1 million pledged for new Haywood facility
 

$1 million pledged for new Haywood facility

In a perfect world, an animal shelter is just a temporary stopover for pets in search of a new owner.
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Connecting displaced cats with FUR-ever families
 

Connecting displaced cats with FUR-ever families

Jamie Powell has a special talent. She can not only tell the 100 cats living at FUR’s feline sanctuary apart,…
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Macon animal rescue struggling to hold on
 

Macon animal rescue struggling to hold on

Appalachian Animal Rescue was bustling with activity Monday morning. Staff members were getting the shelter back in order following an…
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Saving Preacher
 

Saving Preacher

It was a chilly pre-spring day when Olivia Hickman ventured to the Waynesville Recreation Park, looking for nothing more than…
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Health news

Details on Mission Hospital for Advanced Medicine  The public got its first detailed look at the Mission Hospital for Advanced…
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Big city fitness in the heart of Waynesville

While motivating oneself to wake up early and hit the gym may be a constant struggle for some, whenever that…
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Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for health, fitness, self-defense

The Gracie family is well known to martial arts enthusiasts across the world; as perhaps the only martial arts practitioners…
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Maggie Valley Wellness: Finding balance with a healthy mind and body

As a yoga instructor and a massage therapist, Candra Smith knows that staying healthy requires a sound mind and body,…
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Commit to be fit: Franklin Health & Fitness helps community stay healthy

Franklin Health & Fitness has invested a lot in its community, and in return, the community has been able to…
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Grant focuses on building love of outdoors for Cherokee youth

The Nantahala Racing Club is all about ensuring future generations have a love and appreciation for whitewater recreation, and a…
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Fitness by the numbers at 9Round

Enjoy working out like a fighter but hate getting punched in the face? Then a new fitness franchise concept in…
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Flying on faith: Clyde woman finds strength and spirituality in aerial silks

Wearing a leopard-print leotard and suspended 4 feet off the ground in a band of purple silk, Patricia Forgione is…
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Keep moving: Huskey helps women get healthy
 

Keep moving: Huskey helps women get healthy

Sussy Huskey has learned that life can take you in many directions — some planned and others unexpected — but…
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Treating the spine, easing the pain
 

Treating the spine, easing the pain

A little bit goes a long way. That’s a key philosophy at Blue Mountain Chiropractic Center in downtown Waynesville. Good health…
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Yoga is about stress relief, not acrobatics
 

Yoga is about stress relief, not acrobatics

By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern It’s a myth that yoga is reserved for only the most acrobatic of people. And…
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Reflexology or massage?
 

Reflexology or massage?

The Mountain Spirit Wellness building in Waynesville’s Frog Level area offers a pair of services that have the same goal…
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Health care resources
 

Health care resources

Health organizations throughout Western North Carolina offer a variety of programs and services to promote wellness among residents.
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The beauty of what lies beneath
 

The beauty of what lies beneath

A medical esthetician at Salon & Skin Spa of Hazelwood Village in Waynesville, Darcia Sirianni knows exactly how important skin…
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Naturopathy looks to treat the root of the problem
 

Naturopathy looks to treat the root of the problem

By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern As a doctor of naturopathy, Michelle Sanderbeck said one of her main concerns is finding…
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Wellness center empowers clients through choices
 

Wellness center empowers clients through choices

By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern Jackie Beecher wants clients to feel empowered in making decisions about their health when they…
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Relaxing more than a luxury when it comes to health
 

Relaxing more than a luxury when it comes to health

By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern  Relaxing through methods such as massages and skin care treatments is not just a luxury.…
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The importance of balance
 

The importance of balance

By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern  Whether it is teaching a Pilates or karate class or performing massage therapy, much of…
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Reconnecting today’s kids with the outdoors is critical to their well-being
 

Reconnecting today’s kids with the outdoors is critical to their well-being

There’s something ingrained in our DNA, something seared into our psyche that triggers a primal sense of harmony when we…
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Wellness program promotes healthy living in Swain schools
 

Wellness program promotes healthy living in Swain schools

Swain County schools are a little bit healthier following the conclusion of a trial wellness program this spring.
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Working toward relaxation: After years of renovation, Fusions Spa relocates to downtown Sylva

After 35 straight days on the job, Jeannine Sowers is sorely in need of a spa day. The irony of…
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Sylva’s homegrown talent

Nestled betwixt the Great Balsam and Plott Balsam ranges not far from Western Carolina University in Jackson County, the town…
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Edwards reflects on culture changes spanning 30 years in the workplace

In Western North Carolina’s travel and tourism community, it’s not too unusual to find women at the helm. But when…
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Passion for fashion

Sarah Miller has a glowing personality and limitless energy when it comes to pursuing her passion.
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Crossroads of art and community

It’s a constant flow. “All day people are coming in and out of the gallery, to wander the shop or…
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Designing your dreams

The “wow” effect. “When we reveal a project to a client and they have that ‘wow’ expression on their face…
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