Sixth Sense Health & Wellness Center

By Fran Daniel | Journal Reporter

Published: July 28, 2009

If Nike Roach had his way, every American who is old enough would own a business.

"I don't care if you've got a job or not," he said recently at Sixth Sense Health and Wellness Center in Winston-Salem as soft music played in the background, providing a relaxing ambiance. "You should have a business yourself. I think every American should have a business."

He already has an answer for people who might say they don't have any money to open shop.

"R.J. Reynolds came to Winston-Salem on the back of a horse with a great idea and little money," he said.

Roach's aunt and uncle, Clinton and Claudette Pough, lent him enough money to open Sixth Sense and he believes that there is money out there for other entrepreneurs. His center offers massage therapy, acupuncture, nutrition counseling, herbology and fitness training.

"If you have the desire, you will find the money," he said.

Roach is a big supporter of the Greater Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce and received the chamber's Ambassador of the Year award in 2008.

Ambassadors are chamber volunteers who serve as a communication link between the chamber and its members. Ambassadors help in the chamber's efforts to add and retain members. They support the organization by attending such activities as company grand openings and by serving on committees.

Roach (whose first name is pronounced "nee-kay") likes helping out with the chamber's various networking activities but his favorite role as an ambassador is going to grand openings.

"I love the grand openings because the grand opening is an individual company's time to shine," he said.

He finds joy in just showing up to support a fellow chamber member, sometimes holding the ceremonial ribbon, but always seeing promise in a new company.

"It's like a rebirth and a new commitment," he said with a big smile.

Rodessa Mitchell, the chamber's executive vice president of education and membership, said that everybody at the chamber knows Roach.

"He is one of our most visible and approachable members and has been so helpful in so many ways, especially helping new members feel welcome," she said. "Nike has a strong desire to help other people succeed -- which helps his own business as well. He really is an anchor of the Ambassador program and has provided a model for others to emulate."

Even with all the recent job losses in the Triad because of the economy, Roach sees the current business environment as a way for people to reinvent themselves.

"It's a great time for you to take the skills that you've learned in administration or leadership and hone them into doing your own business," he said.

He said that the chamber is a great resource for small businesses.

"A lot of business owners have used the chamber for nothing more than a leverage to get into some office doors that were otherwise fairly closed to them or meet people at a business seminar," Roach said.

Roach said that Winston-Salem is a great place to do business because it has a lot of other resources for business owners, including the Forsyth Tech Small Business Center and Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina Inc.

Roach grew up in Beaufort, S.C. He moved to Charlotte in 1986, where he went to high school.

He started his first business, a lawn-care operation, at the age of 14. His mother, Yeye Fini, was his first investor. She gave him $20 to buy a used lawn mower.

After high school, Roach joined the Army Medical Corps, serving during the first Gulf War.

His current career was influenced by his mother, who had always been a proponent of natural health, but he really became interested in massage therapy while he was in the military.

When he returned home, he went to college. In 1997, while a student at Winston-Salem State University, he opened Sixth Sense Massage and Therapy with Lee Cockerham. The business partners went their separate ways in 2001 and Roach changed the name of his business. He married two years later.

Today, his wife, Nicola, who is also a massage therapist, handles most of the company's administrative duties while he takes care of the marketing side of the business.

Roach credits her for the company's growth. He declined to give sales figures but said that his business increased 20 percent in 2008 over 2007.

"She's a wonderful mother, but as a business partner, she's a whiz," he said.

For Nicola Roach, it's hard to find the right word to describe her husband.

"‘On fire,' maybe," she said with a laugh. "That's two words."

She calls him a people person.

"He loves to meet people and learn more about what their interests are and things like that," she said. "He's always trying to help other people promote themselves and their businesses. He's that type of person.

"He never really is thinking, ‘What's in it for Nike.'"

¦ Fran Daniel can be reached at 727-7366 or at fdaniel@wsjournal.com.

---

Nike Roach

• AGE: 38.

• HAILS FROM: Beaufort, S.C.

• EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in exercise sciences from Winston-Salem State University and a master's degree in sports studies from High Point University.

• EXPERIENCE: He was a medical specialist with the Army Medical Corps during the Persian Gulf War from 1989 to 1993. He was an after-school teacher at Summit School in Winston-Salem from 1995 to 2000. He and his wife own Sixth Sense Health and Wellness Center at 1012 Brookstown Ave. in Winston-Salem. They also operate Myeniola.net, a discount-travel company.

• FAMILY: Wife, Nicola "Nikki" Roach, and two sons.

• QUOTE: "I don't care if you've got a job or not. You should have a business yourself. I think every American should have a business."

Wholesale and travel are not two words that go together, at least not to most of us. Since my family and I are self-proclaimed road junkies, I was very interested when one of our clients came to the office touting the benefits of this heretofore unheard combination. We love to travel, sometimes just heading out with no real destination or purpose beyond being on the move and spending time somewhere else. The idea that we could do so and save a tremendous amount of money was very appealing. I contacted a company that deals with wholesale travel in order to get more information. Thankfully the person with whom I spoke was more than happy to provide information about wholesale travel.

Purchasing wholesale is a familiar concept – it involves buying something for a reduced price without a decrease in quality. While we normally associate it with bulk items, wholesale travel does not involve bulk purchase for the individual consumer.

Wholesale travel works on the idea that people will go to places that appear popular. Consider two restaurants, one packed with patrons and the other almost empty. People will often wait for a long time to eat at the crowded establishment, believing (rightly or not) that it offers something worthwhile. An empty restaurant generally does not draw customers solely on the basis of a short wait time.

Hotels and resorts work the same way. We want to go to places where they will be surrounded by like-minded people. For this reason, hotels and resorts want to be crowded in order to draw more visitors and attention, even if it means some people are staying for half-price. Wholesale travel allows the consumer to stay somewhere at a sometimes sizable discount, with the hope that you will be pleased and tell your friends, thereby increasing business.

In addition to strictly wholesale travel bargains, many resort destinations (such as Disneyworld) offer cheap rates (through wholesale travel) and then offer cheap or discounted upgrades. This combination really increases foot traffic, thereby benefiting the company in the way described earlier. In some cases, these upgrades are not really worth the money. Consider Disney, for example. If you are there for a weekend, you might be offered a Park Hopper Pass (allowing you to visit another part of Disney’s facilities) for a discounted price. However, if you have ever been to Disney you know that it is nearly impossible to visit more than one part of the complex in a weekend. Save your money and stick to the deal you obtained through the wholesale price. Still, some upgrades are readily worth the money. On cruises you can often get cheap upgrades to a suite or cheap tickets for your children. At beachfront hotels you may find a cheap deal for a seaside room.

Wholesale travel is a wonderful, inexpensive, and fun way to travel for the cost-conscious family. It helps the family save, allows vendors to highlight their products, and makes the company look popular. So the next time you want to take that cruise, stay at the beach for a week, or just want to take time off, look at wholesale travel before you head to the local travel agent. You just may have a great time with the added benefit of returning home with a bit more green in your pockets. For More information go to Wholesale Travel for 75% Off.

Our family loves Ginger Snaps. When we were children, my siblings and I would find all types of creative ways to use the delectable disks. From spicing up a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich to adding fire to ice cream, the Ginger Snap had a fixed place in most of our menus. So you can imagine how disappointed I was when, in one of those adult moments, I flipped the box over to see just what caused the Ginger Snap’s appeal. The answer horrified me. How could this be? Is it a mistake on the label or am I possibly misreading it? The snap came from the arch-enemy of dentists: sugar!

 

I had read the packaging correctly, and unfortunately my days of consuming 10-15 cookies in one sitting had come to an end. Not only was there sugar, there were other forms of sugar disguised in creative names.

 

As we enter that adult phase of our lives, many of us try to reduce our sugar consumption for personal reasons or under the advice of our medical practitioners. But the desire to cut back on the sweet stuff is made even more difficult because food manufacturers often disguise sugar with legal – yet crafty – labeling. Most often, the list of ingredients on food products begins with the ingredient of greatest quantity and continues in descending order until the final ingredient (of least quantity) is listed. Some manufacturers find ways to list sugar with different names, thereby making it appear as if each sugar is an insignificant part of the product.

 

Beware! The truth is that, when combined, all these sugar pseudonyms often equal almost half of the ingredients in common food products.

 

Returning to my Ginger Snaps, I found sugar for sure. Reading further, I found brown sugar, corn syrup, and dextrose. Though labeled differently, in the end they are just various forms of sugar. Naturally, there are some ways to avoid falling into manufacturers’ sweet snares.

 

First, become aware of the common alternative names for sugar that you will see listed on ingredient lists. These monikers include sugar (obviously), honey, brown sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, glucose, lactose, maple sugar, sorghum syrup, turbinado sugar, caramel, dextrin, fructose, grape sugar, invert sugar, maltose, and molasses.

 

Second, if you want to ease back on the amount of sugar that you consume in your food and beverages, choose sugar-free options. Sugar free beverages are often indistinguishable from their sugar-laden counterparts. The multitude of sugar substitutes offer another way to cut back on your sugar intake. Most of them are safe, but it’s a good idea to do at least some preliminary research before using them. The FDA regulates food safety, but an overworked and understaffed federal agency can’t catch everything.

 

Third – and this is only if you can really do without sugar as we commonly consume it – opt for either black strap molasses or Sugar in the Raw. These products are the least processed forms of sugar available, and they retain quite a bit of the nutrients not found in white sugar. As a matter of fact, in order to obtain snowy white sugar, manufacturers wash it an average of seven times, stripping many of the natural nutrients. Raw sugar is usually washed only twice.

 

Finally, and most effectively, you can just take simple sugar out of your diet. This seemingly extreme measure does not mean you can’t enjoy the great tastes of foods, but you will have to find healthy alternatives to satisfy that sweet tooth.

 

We still love Ginger Snaps, but we have sought out the similar snacks that use unprocessed sugar or no sugar at all. If we do want to relive the youthful, carefree days, we might slip in four or five of the decadent Ginger Snaps every once in a while.

My family and I often walk in the neighborhood around downtown, both for fun and for the physical benefits. Quite often, we find ourselves having to circumnavigate large, brown roll-out carts. These centurions of the sidewalk, bellies full of our refuse, will soon offer their contents to the sanitation workers who transport the waste to some “faraway” landfill.

 

Normally, trash does not command much attention, but when I am confronted by these overfilled carts I have to ask, “Where is all of this trash going? How many generations will live and die before this stuff finally decomposes?” At the current rate, our town – even our civilization – will be a distant memory by the time the earth reclaims this garbage.

 

I have to admit that I too am part of the problem. I do not recycle enough, and nobody is pushing the issue in our county in a way to remind and encourage me to do more to help. In our beautiful communities we take for granted that the industrial, agricultural, and consumer waste will just disappear. The heaping mess that accrues does not bother us because we do not see the mountain of trash that lives in the northern part of our county. As far as we are concerned, “out of sight is out of mind.”

 

We should learn from California. Not too long ago, government leaders there realized that space in landfills was running out. Rather than simply creating news landfills (which would themselves be filled in less than ten years), local leaders started very aggressive recycling programs. More than just creating the programs, the cities insisted that everyone participate and provided the tools to do so.

 

Visit many California homes and you will find four waste containers rather than the single monoliths that obstruct our sidewalks. One is for non-recyclable trash, and the other three are for various recyclables. Furthermore, each of the three recycling bins in California homes is twice as big as the single green bins we have. Given more education and tools, we could greatly increase the success of our recycling. Here it is likely that over 75% of our trash is actually recyclable, and recyclable in a way that can benefit our communities. Increasing our recycling awareness and actual recycling will help save the earth from our propensity to over-consume while at the same time providing jobs. Recycled products can become daily essentials such as toilet paper, road surfaces, drinking containers, car parts, and even medical equipment.

 

The solution does not lie in fining people for failing to recycle. We can be more proactive on an individual basis. First make a commitment to recycle at least 75% of your waste. Second go to the Department of Sanitation and request two additional recycling containers. They are free and, from the dearth of bins I see on the streets on designated pick-up days, probably in plentiful supply. Third, petition your community leaders to consider earnestly the possibility of using larger, possibly wheeled, carts that are designated for recycling purposes. Taking initiative in those three ways will facilitate greater use of recycling potential while simultaneously teaching future generations about the value of caring for our planet.

 

A final, and perhaps more controversial initiative, is to encourage companies to pay people for recycled trash. Though it may sound odd, recycling is a multi-billion dollar industry. However, very few companies actually pay anything for the products we throw away and from which they produce new products. (Gone are the days of cash returns on glass bottles!) If we have to pay for the soda bottle that was created from recycled material, then the bottle company should be willing – if not required – to pay for their raw (recycled) materials.

 

If we truly want to leave the earth healthy for the next generation, we owe it to them to take better care of it by recycling more. If we don’t act now, we stand the chance of turning this currently pristine community into just another trash heap.

 

New clients who have a history of spa massages always extol the benefits of a therapeutic massage. Though similar in origin, both formats seek vastly different results.

 

Spa massages are a wonderful, relaxing treat, especially when you have done something special or want to celebrate. These occasional self-indulgences usually offer other gratifying services such as makeovers, hairstyling, and manicures. The massage is light, fluffy and relaxing. By design it avoids addressing any major health concerns. Sometimes you may even want a body scrub to enhance your perceived radiance.

 

Though a therapeutic massage practitioner may approach the body in a manner similar to the spa-masseuse, the therapist’s goal is health and stress-reduction, not simple relaxation. The therapist wants to know about the client’s lifestyle and health maintenance in order to provide information and services helpful to the client. The therapist addresses the shoulders, neck, back or foot problems more clinically than a spa masseuse, and tries to determine the root causes of discomfort while considering all available treatment options. Since these providers are more focused on your overall health (not just helping you relax), they can help you form healthy habits to prevent any future discomfort. Because therapeutic massages are often less expensive than those at spas, there is an added value to the treatment. Finally the therapeutic massage therapist seeks to help you live more healthily, which means that you should visit regularly instead of just for special occasions.

 

Both types of massage have their purposes, but it is important to understand the differences when you seek health and relaxation.

CEO of the Month

Congratulations to Brooks Jones. for being the CEO (chief excitement officer) for the month of January. The CEO award is given to the person who really care allot about their friends and family enough to refer them to us so that we can help them get healthier.

Because of Brooks’, effort 5 people visited the office and is on their way to a better way of living. For her efforts, Brooks was awarded a 2 day 3 night vacation for her and three members of her family to one of 20 destinations in the United States or the US Virgin Island. Way to go Brooks. YOU ROCK!

 

Get Paid to Stay Healthy

According to US News and World Report, more employers are paying workers to take a physical, get cancer screenings, eat well, exercise, and take better care of themselves. Irene Gernon of Harrison, N.Y., pocketed $200 from her employer, PepsiCo, in 2008 by completing a personal health assessment and entering a smoking cessation program. She also avoided a $600 surcharge on her health insurance by completing the antismoking program. Gernon figures PepsiCo has paid her $500 in recent years to eat healthfully and adopt other good habits.

Even in the recession, employers say offering financial incentives makes sense. It can lower the rate of health insurance premium hikes. While most large employers saw premiums rise 6 percent or more in 2008, premiums at PepsiCo remained flat. If your employer offers insurance ask them about reductions for you taking better care of yourself. It may not surprise you but if you are in better health, the company saves money, you feel better, and at the end of the year, you may have a little extra jingle in your pockets for your efforts. 

 

Want to ride for a good cause?

Well last year many of you know that Nike got a scooter to get around town economically. You may have seen him and “Yellow Sunshine” smiling together. Someone propose the notion of riding from one side of the county to the other to raise funds for a good charitable endeavor and well…just to have fun.

The problem is that we only know a small number of people with scooters and is searching for a good cause to help raise funds for. If you know of anyone that would like to participate even if they don’t have a scooter or knows of some really worthy ideas please let him know. There are no dates set but it will more than likely be in the warmer months. This is your chance to do something noble as well as have a blest doing it.

 

Budding Aroma Therapist

A few months ago one of our staff members attended an advance course in aroma therapy at a prestigious school in VA. They did this because aroma has a powerful effect on the health and wellbeing of the body. Have you felt ill or nauseated by a particular odor? Well aroma therapy works similar but in the opposite direction.

In effect aroma therapy creates an aroma that will have a curative effect on the body and mind. Blending such essential oils as Eucalyptus, Lemongrass, Lavender, Ylang, Ylang, Neroli, and a host of others can help the body deal with stress, headaches, nausea, insomnia, allergies, and even minor cuts and bruises. Give us a call today and schedule your next aroma therapy session with a special formulation for you. 


  All the best......

 
        Nikki & Nike

In one of the richest and most advanced countries in the world, it’s alarming that we have such poor health. With an army of health care practitioners and an arsenal of drug remedies for just about any form of illness, we are still some of the sickest people in the world. Partly this dichotomy results from the Americanized lifestyle of “sin now and pay later,” but a bigger contributor is our tendency to react to a major health problem instead of modifying our lives more towards prevention. This problem stands out even more in the communities of color because many people do not know about alternative and preventative methods of living.

With hypertension, kidney failure, heart disease and diabetes leading as some the most debilitating – yet often preventable – afflictions, it is odd that in the communities of color these cases keep rising. It is not a lack of education that leads to many people contracting such health problems; it is a lack of compliance. We have been taught that there are pills to treat any ailment, so we forget that ultimately we are the ones to blame for most of our health problems. Also if you contend, like popular culture, that drug companies have your best interests in mind, be advised that they do not – and will not as long as we allow ourselves to become dependent and not take responsibility for our own actions (or, more accurately, inaction). Despite the evident grimness, there are a few things that you can do to improve your health.

Get a check-up by a preventative-based health care promoter. This check-up will establish your baseline and help you set some goals. Seek out a professional who is familiar with both conventional and alternative health prevention formats. Some prevention may include taking temporary medications and/or herbs. At a minimum, you should get your blood pressure, cholesterol level, and blood sugar checked.

Spend more time sleeping and less time hooked on artificial stimuli. Overuse of caffeinated beverages and large amounts of sugar-containing substances have negative long-term health effects and can expose your body to an unhealthy stress cycle.

Create good habits of fluid intake and eating. A licensed nutritionist can help you in this area and can best show you which foods and beverages resonate with your personality without depriving you completely of an occasional treat.

Exercise all day and you will live healthy all day. The common belief is that you need at least 20 minutes per day of heart-stimulating exercise. However you may want to consider incorporating exercise into your entire day, which in the long run may yield better results than exercising one time for 20 minutes each day. Use steps rather than elevators, and carry items in your hand instead of using a shopping cart. Walk whenever possible at a comfortable yet brisk pace, and ride a bicycle to work if possible. If you drive somewhere, such as the mall, try to park as far away as possible from the entrance so that you get some more exercise. Finally taking a stroll after a meal will often help your health much more than sitting for hours after eating.

Manage your stress. You may think that most people have stress under control, but often the cause of sickness comes more from a constant state of tension than it does from contact to a harmful substance or germ. When under stress, your body is less capable of fighting off invaders, so practice patience and develop mindfulness to life’s little challenges. Other ways to reduce stress include meditation, prayer, acupuncture, counseling or talking through challenges, and massage therapy. All can be effective in rounding out a good health maintenance program based on prevention rather than reaction.

Follow steps such as these and you will find that good preventative health is rewarding and easy to achieve.

Winston-Salem - Nike Roach of 6th Sense Health and Wellness has earned the Ambassador of the Year award from the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce. He was recognized at a special Ambassador meeting on January 8, as well as at the 2008 Ambassador Luncheon in December.

"Nike is just amazing," says Gayle Anderson, Chamber President and CEO. "He truly went above and beyond the normal call of duty-reaching out to current and prospective members, recruiting new members, and just spreading the word about the Chamber's mission throughout the community. His enthusiasm is inspiring and we are extremely fortunate to have volunteers like him."

Adds Kathy Judkins, Ambassador Coordinator for the Chamber: "Nike was an obvious choice for Ambassador of the Year. Not only did he attend a majority of our events last year, but he was constantly talking to people about the Chamber, trying to match members with the Chamber benefits that are the best fit for them. He's like a walking Chamber encyclopedia-and an extremely hard working advocate for us."

Roach earned Ambassador of the Month honors six times in 2008-more than any other Ambassador. He also achieved Honorable Mention once. Ambassadors serve as a vital communication link between the Chamber and its members, as well as supporting the Chamber by attending events and serving on committees. An important part of the Chamber's growth and member retention efforts, Ambassadors enjoy high community visibility and the ability to network at a higher level and hone their leadership skills.

For more information on the Chamber's Ambassador Council, contact Kathy Judkins at 728-9256 or kjudkins@winstonsalem.com.

About the Chamber
The Greater Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce is a leading business organization in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, representing nearly 2,000 area businesses that are committed to increased economic development in the region. The Chamber is dedicated to establishing Winston-Salem as a technology-driven economic center, and provides services to strengthen existing businesses, support entrepreneurs, and encourage small business creation. The Chamber supports public school student achievement, workforce, and higher education development.

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This week my mother, a holistic life coach, went to the Bahamas. She advises people to help them improve their lives, using time-honored techniques which she has learned from all over the world. She is especially talented at helping people get though hard times. Unfortunately for us, a situation that had been developing for years arose during her absence. She was not here when we most needed her.

 

For background, about eight years ago my baby sister fell in love with a young man whom I have known since birth. She spoke about him like he could walk on water. She was a dreamer and kind of naïve, and we often talked of their future. Eventually they wanted to get married. Reality soon came crashing down – at their son’s naming ceremony (an ancient African tradition). Her boyfriend looked mortified. I think the reality of being a father hit him hard and he became very scared. He fell into the unfortunate cliché, he immediately took distance from her and their son, essentially disappearing from their lives.

 

My sister was faced with many difficult issues. She chose not to force a relationship with the man and even had to take him to court for child support … to no avail. He managed to stay one step ahead of the law, never paying a penny. Considering the potentially detrimental effects to her son, my sister did not tell him the identity of his father. This decision seemed to work well, especially since my nephew bonded with another man that my sister knew. For all practical purposes, my nephew thought that this man was his father.

 

Recently, when our mother was out of the country, my sister decided – difficultly – to tell her son the truth about his father. You can imagine the blow this admission delivered to her son, and my sister called me since our mother was not here to help. I could sense her tears, but I tried to stay focused and diplomatic, knowing that the hard truth was what had to be dealt with.

 

One question I asked was what she had been telling her son about his biological father. She answered that she had told him his father was absent because he was not prepared to be a good father. She quickly added that this fact had nothing to do with her son and that he should in no way feel responsible or bad about the fact that his father had left.

 

I have never been as proud of my sister as at that moment. It was clear that she had grown from a self-centered little girl to a woman whose character has been fortified by the birth of her son and all the challenges and happiness that such an event entails. Her maturity is the inspiration for this article.

 

Commonly, a young mother who faces the departure of her child’s father will find a way to blame the father. My sister – later confirmed by my mother – understood that blaming the father is the worst way to deal with the sad situation because the child will likely feel that it is his or her fault. Obviously, this type of burden is hard on a child. According to some researchers, the child starts to think that he or she caused the problems, thereby leading to difficulty in developing (or maintaining) a good self-esteem. Even worse, the child may grow up thinking that such behavior is appropriate, leading to similar problems involving other innocent victims.

 

The better method of dealing with an absent parent is to highlight his or her positive qualities. There is no reason to make him or her a hero, but it is important to explain what made that person so special. No matter how much the parent feels cheated by the abandoning parent, there is nothing good in passing on the resentment or other negative feelings to the child. As the child grows, he or she will find other adults who are there to support his or her growth and development, effectively substituting for the biological father. It is worth considering that the child may eventually wish to meet the missing parent. If so, allow it, so long as there are clear boundaries established in terms of ensuring that the child is not exposed to dangerous or negative situations.

 

It was once thought that girls were more difficult than boys to raise since they are more emotional and express what they are thinking more openly. Boys are similar, except that society dictates that they do not show emotions. Both boys and girls require constant work to develop into well-rounded adults, but boys with no male role model require extra attention since they are the ones who will become fathers themselves. If these boys are given the proper tools –not the burdens – then it is likely that they will not make the same mistakes as their own fathers.