NAWESTMA - March 2013

H E A L T H Y

L I V I N G

H E A L T H Y

P L A N E T

Premiere Issue

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Get Your Garden On Growing Advice for Urbanites

Fostering Rescues

Hearty Helpings

Six Powerhouse Foods for Kids

How to Help Dogs in Need

Better Brain Diet

Eat Right to Stay Sharp

March 2013 | Western Mass Edition | NAWestMA.com natural awakenings

March 2013

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contents 12

5 newsbriefs 10 community spotlight

1 1 healthbriefs 13 globalbriefs 1 4 ecotip 15 business spotlight

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19 consciouseating

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2 1 healthykids 22 fitbody 25 wisewords 28 calendar 3 1 resourceguide

advertising & submissions HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 413-234-0024 or email Publisher@NAWestMA.com. Deadline for ads: the 10th of the month.

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Email articles, news items and ideas to: Publisher@NAWestMA.com. Deadline for editorial: feature articles are due by the 5th of the month, news briefs and health briefs are due by the 10th.

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Submit Calendar Events online at NAWestMA.com within the advertising section.

Deadline for calendar: the 10th of the month.

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Natural Awakenings is your guide to a healthier, more balanced life. In each issue readers find cutting-edge information on natural health, nutrition, fitness, personal growth, green living, creative expression and the products and services that support a healthy lifestyle.

16 URBAN GARDENING TAKES ROOT

16

Feeding Ourselves Well

by John D. Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist

19 THE BETTER BRAIN DIET

Eat Right To Stay Sharp

by Lisa Marshall

20 HOW TRIGLYCERIDES TAKE A TOLL

21

Beyond Cholesterol

by James Occhiogrosso

21 SIX POWERHOUSE FOODS FOR KIDS

With Palate-Pleasing Tips

by Susan Enfield Esrey

22 FITNESS MYTHS DEBUNKED

11 Vital Truths

by Lynda Bassett

23 THE HEALING

POWER OF SILENCE

by Robert Rabbin

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24 HOLISTIC IS BEST Natural Care for a Sick Pet

by Dr. Shawn Messonnier

25 WALKING THE TALK Marlane Barnes Fosters Rescue Dogs

by Sandra Murphy

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26 FOLLOW THE LIFECYCLE

Crunching the Numbers on Products We Consume

by Brita Belli

NAWestMA.com natural awakenings

March 2013

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letterfrompublisher

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contact us Publisher Carrie Kennedy Advertising Sales Carrie: 413-234-0024 Editorial Linda Sechrist Design & Production C. Michele Rose Stephen Blancett Multi-Market Advertising 239-449-8309 Franchise Sales John Voell 239-530-1377 Natural Awakenings of Western Mass P.O. Box 10275, Holyoke, MA 01041 Phone: 413-234-0024 Fax: 413-425-8367 Publisher@NAWestMA.com NAWestMA.com facebook.com/pages/ Natural-Awakenings-of-Western-Mass

©2013 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved.

Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing.

Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. It is available in selected stores, health and education centers, healing centers, public libraries and wherever free publications are generally seen. Please call to find a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business.

We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. We welcome your ideas, articles and feedback.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscribe online to receive FREE monthly digital magazine at NAWestMA.com.

Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soybased ink.

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Western Mass

elcome to the Western Massachusetts edition of Natural Awakenings, your new go-to resource for natural health and environmentally friendly living.

Each month, we will bring you valuable articles by national and local experts. We’ll share cutting-edge information on health, wellness, fitness, nutrition, personal growth, creative expression and sustainability to help you improve the quality of your life physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Local news briefs and calendar listings will highlight local happenings and events of interest.

Spring is a perfect time to bring forth something fresh and it’s a thrill to birth this newest member of the Natural Awakenings family of more than 85 magazines serving communities across the country, including one in Boston. My first 10 minutes reading an uplifting article I saw in Connecticut’s Hartford County edition was enough to start me on the path of becoming a loyal monthly reader, later choosing to redirect my career and launch a sister magazine in our area.

Spring also brings plans for local gardens. Container gardening was my first foray, starting with flowers. Last year I took the next step, planting and sharing tasty tomatoes and peppers. The husband-and-wife team of John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist share many creative tips to help you grow your own large or small plot in “Urban Gardening Takes Root.” You need not limit your aspirations with so much good advice available locally and online; we’ve even listed some of our favorite local resources.

Area residents’ interest in all aspects of health is reflected in the wealth of fitness studios and natural living classes noted in our calendar and local news briefs. I’m always willing to try something I haven’t done before and have fun finding new options; whatever class you choose, I suggest taking along a refillable water bottle and towel.

I hope that you enjoy this first edition as much as I have, knowing that there is much more to come. Please visit NAWestMA.com to submit your local news, stories and events; we want to hear from you. Natural Awakenings readers are renowned for visiting every page from cover-to-cover, and acting upon their discoveries.

Special thanks go to all those that contributed to this magazine for your enthusiastic participation in its success. Our advertisers are the reason we can bring this free publication to the Western Massachusetts community; please remember them when you shop for products and services.

With appreciation and gratitude,

Carrie Kennedy, Publisher NAWestMA.com

newsbriefs Karoun Yoga Relocates to Upgraded Studio

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aroun Yoga has moved to new location, 235A Memorial Avenue, in West Springfield. “We moved with the intention of giving our clients the ease, accessibility and joy of practicing yoga in the one of the most convenient locations in the greater Springfield area,” says owner Karoun Charkoudian. “We have put together a state-ofKaroun Charkoudian the-art yoga facility, complete with spacious changing rooms, private bathrooms and a retail yoga clothing section plus employ full-time receptionists to answer any questions at any time.”

Charkoudian began practicing yoga in 2003 and completed an intense yearlong study with qigong masters from Korea through Dahn Yoga, as well as 200 hours of Vinyasa flow style with Yogafit and 200 hours in the Iyengar style. Every instructor at Karoun Yoga is registered with Yoga Alliance at the 200-hour level, and several have completed the 500-hour level of training.

Cost: $14 per drop-in class; reduced rates available in prepaid packages. For more information, call 413-206-9642, email Info@KarounYoga.com or visit KarounYoga.com.

Paper City Fitness Introduces willPower & grace Classes

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aper City Fitness (PCF) is introducing a group exercise program, willPower & grace, that was originally created by fitness pro Stacey Lei Krauss in 1999. Classes are held at 6 a.m., Tuesdays, and 7:15 a.m., Thursdays, at Vega Yoga, Open Square, in Holyoke.

Kate O’Donnell Done in bare feet, the workout comprises a formatted fusion of postures and drills; it is a high-energy, cardiovascular, foot-fitness conditioning program that is as philosophical and psychological as it is physical.

PCF owner Kate O’Donnell developed the studio based upon her mission to bring health and wellness out of the gym and into the community, provide classes that are open and accessible to everyone, and remove traditional barriers to exercise. O’Donnell has taught many types of fitness classes including Pilates, boot camps, strength and sculpt/tone.

Cost: $5 drop-in classes, or $45 for 10-class, expiration-free card that can be shared with friends and family. Class location: 4 Open Square Way, Studio 221. PCF studio location: 383 Dwight St., Open Square, 2nd Flr., Holyoke. For more information, call 413-214-4777, email PaperCityFitness@gmail.com or visit PaperCityFitness.com.

Visit an Edible Oasis in Holyoke

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onathan Bates invites Natural Awakenings readers to visit his edible home garden, Food Forest Farm, from 1 to 2 p.m., every Friday and Saturday, starting May 3. The tour will focus on how to grow a home edible garden. Plants from the farm will be available for purchase, as will the recently released book, Paradise Lot: Two Plant Geeks, One-Tenth of an Acre and the Making of an Edible Garden Oasis in the City, by Eric Toensmeier, with contributions from Bates. The book follows the Food Forest Farm journey, encouraging readers to explore the possibilities of growing edibles in any yard, no matter how small.

On only one-tenth of an acre, Food Forest Farm grows 200 species of useful and edible herbs, shrubs, vines, trees and mushrooms. “Spring brings delicious, well-known perennial vegetables, like asparagus and rhubarb and lesser known treats such as sea kale and Turkish rocket,” advises Bates. “Each month brings new flavors, including honeyberries, goumi berries, juneberries, currants, gooseberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, grapes, Asian pears, paw paws, hardy kiwis and persimmons.”

Cost: donations requested on a sliding scale; $4 to $40 per person. Location: Holyoke. To schedule a tour (appointment required) and for directions, call 413-437-0101. For more information, visit PermacultureNursery.com.

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newsbriefs Ingleside Massage & Yoga Introduces New Classes

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ngleside Therapeutic Massage & Yoga has introduced several new classes, including a gentle yoga class called Yoga Therapeutics, from 9:30 to 11 a.m., Tuesdays, and a meditation class from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m., Tuesdays. Enrollment is ongoJ. Vecchia ing. A special course, Practice Compassion to Live with Love and Peace, is scheduled from 1:30 to 4 p.m., March 3. This class teaches karuna (compassion) through the Buddhist practice of tonglen—taking in the pain and suffering of others and ourselves and sending out compassion, love and peace. The workshop will consist of hip-openers, forward bends, twists, pranayama (breath awareness) and meditation to help us find ways to keep our hearts open and live with more love and peace.

Yoga Therapeutics is designed for individuals that enjoy a gentle approach to yoga and is especially beneficial for those living with special physical and/or emotional conditions or recovering from injuries or surgeries. The meditation class is for new and experienced meditation students and includes pranayama, as well as meditation. Preregistration is required for both events.

Location: 415 Ingleside St., Rte. 5, Holyoke. For more information, call 413-536-9682 or visit MassageTherapYoga.com.

See ad, page 9.

Market Street Healing Collective Relocates, Changes Name

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arket Street Healing Collective has been renamed Pleasant Street Healing Collective as part of its relocation to 376 Pleasant Street, in Northampton. The same group of independent healthcare practitioners remains to provide high quality, integrative health care, including naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, massage therapy, craniosacral therapy, chiropractic care and personal training.

“Healing is more than just the removal of disease; it is an individual developing to their fullest potential,” comments Dr. Rebecca Shwartz, who practices naturopathic medicine, acupuncture and craniosacral therapy. “At Pleasant Street Healing Collective, this is our goal.”

For more information and appointments, contact the individual practitioners: Rebecca Shwartz, ND, LAc, 413-341-3364 or 802-490-2060, DrRebeccaShwartz.com; Anna Abele, ND, 413-587-0122; Rachel Hannah, LMT, CNMT (massage and personal training) and Kate Lemer, DC, RCC (chiropractic and craniosacral therapy), 413-221-8454.

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Women’s Vitality Workshop

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omen’s Vitality Journey is a course that meets weekly, from 6 to 9 p.m., beginning March 7, for women that want to transform their lifestyles and create greater health and vitality. Led by Lenore Anderson, a holistic health practitioner, clinical herbalist and licensed massage therapist, the course includes weekly classes on topics such as the power of intention, body ecology, detoxification, acupressure, raw and livLenore Anderson ing foods, herbs and energy work. It also guides participants through a 10-day cleanse and offers the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain a new lifestyle for the long term.

Anderson says, “As their teacher and supportive coach, I want to help women begin or continue their journeys to become the women they are on the inside and to transform their lives on the outside. I hope to empower them to create more balance in their lives.”

Cost: $330, with 20 percent discount for single mothers; $100 deposit holds registration. Location: 19 Center Ct., 2nd Flr., bldg. 19, Northampton. For more information, call 413695-0942 or visit Natural-Vitality.com.

New Happenings at Integrative Health Group

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pring is bringing exciting things to Integrative Health Group (IHG), a facility that houses a collective of independent healthcare practitioners.

Chiropractic Doctor Leonard Samalot, who recently joined the group, practices chiropractic holistic medicine and specializes in applied kinesiology, functional nutrition, iridology, musculoskeletal conditions, weight loss and conditions of the endocrine system, such as diabetes, obesity and stress.

The group includes Stan Baker, LAc, who offers more than 30 years of experience practicing oriental healing arts and teaches Tai chi and aikido; Jus Crea Giammarino, ND, a graduate of the College of Naturopathic Medicine, who specializes in botanical medicine and homeopathy; Jocelyn Giammarino, a licensed massage therapist; and Lisa Wilson, an energy worker who uses Integrated Energy Therapy, Reiki and crystals.

Giammarino will lead a lecture, Naturopathic Medicine for Mental Illness for Children and Adults, starting at 6 p.m., March 27, at Better Life Whole Foods, 1500 Allen Street, in Springfield. For preregistration (requested), call 413-783-9424, extension 2, or email Barbara@BetterLifeWholeFoods.com.

Office location: 1502 Allen St., Springfield. For more information, call 413-783-1932 or visit BetterLifeWholeFoods.com.

Crystal Falls Wellness AeroGarden 7 Available at Center Adds New England Hydroponics ustomer demand has motivated New England Services, Classes C Hydroponics (NEH) to introduce the AeroGarand Community den 7, a complete countertop hydroponic garden

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ave and Julie Demarey, owners of Demarey Gardens—a store that sells artisan gifts, plants, jewelry, minerals and gemstones, in Southampton—opened Crystal Falls Wellness Center on the same property two years ago. The facility offers holistic services, including yoga, massage and Reiki, and is now adding classes that include Painting for Well-Being, Melt Fitness, Dance Fitness, The Wisdom of Gemstones and The Mind, Body and Spirit Connection.

In addition, the center regularly offers psychic, medium, gemstone, feather and angel readings.

“The center offers such a beautiful and relaxing location adjacent to the Crystal Falls waterfall,” says Dave.

“Our goal is to encompass the mind, body and spirit in the definition of wellness. We want to dive deep into each of these concepts and create an education and service center like no other, as we continue to expand our classes and services. We are collaborating with instructors and practitioners from the surrounding communities and are looking to partner with area farmers to offer a farmers’ market in the spring.”

The center’s newly designed website, CrystalFallsWellness.com, is under construction and will enable individuals to schedule services or register for events and classes online, as well as customize and print out their own gift certificates. Until the site’s completion, the company’s Facebook page offers information about available services and upcoming events.

with built-in grow lights and a seven-pod capacity.

The system enables year-round, indoor growing of a variety of plants, from lettuce and tomatoes to fresh herbs and flowers, without dirt, weeds and mess. It is available online or in the NEH retail store.

“The AeroGarden makes a great gift for anyone with an interest in gardening,” says NEH owner Ethan Holmes. “It is an excellent way to learn about hydroponics and to keep greens in your diet during the winter months or to start seedlings for spring plantings.”

The garden is suitable for any seeds, but AeroGarden simplifies the process by providing pre-seeded Grow Pods with two complete seed kits, the Gourmet Herb Kit and the Grow Anything 1-Season Kit. The system also reminds the home gardener when to add nutrients and turns lights on and off automatically. NEH offers additional seed kits and replacement light bulbs.

The company began offering hydroponics supplies online in 2002; in 2007, they opened a brick-and-mortar storefront where systems are displayed and staff members provide hands-on tips.

Location: 15 College Hwy. (Rte. 10), Red Rock Shops, Southampton. For more information, call 413-529-9025, email Sales@NEHydro.com or visit NEHydro.com.

See ad, page 5.

Location: 285 College Hwy. (Rte. 10/202), Southampton. For more info, call 413-527-5111, email CrystalFalls Wellness@gmail.com or visit Facebook. com/CrystalFallsWellnessCenter or DemareyGardens.com. natural awakenings

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newsbriefs MELT Method: Self-Treatment for Pain Relief

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errie Bodendorf will lead an introductory workshop on the MELT Method, a selftreatment approach to pain-free fitness and longevity, created by nationally recognized somatic movement educator and manual therapist, Sue Hitzman. Bodendorf’s workshop will run from 4:30 to 6 p.m., March 3, Kerrie at the LifeDance Studios and Wellness CenBodendorf ter, in Westfield.

After years of fitness training, Bodendorf developed chronic pain in her wrists, shoulder, low back and neck. She was so impressed by the pain relief she found using the MELT Method that she pursued training with Hitzman. Since July 2010, Bodendorf has been sharing these techniques with her friends and family and receiving amazing feedback. She says, “Scars are disappearing, cellulite and wrinkles are reducing, posture, mobility and flexibility are improving, and pain is going away or gone.”

The MELT Method works by keeping the connective tissue hydrated and free of roadblocks. Bodendorf says MELT is to the neurofascial system (nervous and connective tissue system) what all other forms of exercise are to the musculoskeletal system.

Cost: $25 per person. Location: 22 Cherry St., 2nd Flr., Westfield. For more information, call 413-579-7870, email Balance TotalBody@comcast.net or visit BalanceTotalBody.com.

New Acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist Joins Hamilton Natural Medicine

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tephanie Mattrey, a licensed acupuncturist and Chinese medical herbalist, recently joined Hamilton Natural Medicine, in South Hadley. Well-versed in all aspects of internal medicine, herbal medicine and pain management, Mattrey specializes in women’s health.

Stephanie She has successfully treated infertility, irregular Mattrey menstrual cycles, polycystic ovary syndrome endometriosis, premenstrual syndrome fibroids, ovarian cysts and other conditions. She obtained a master’s degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine at Yo San University, where she was mentored by renowned experts in the fields of longevity, infertility, endocrinology and oncology.

“Hamilton Natural Medicine is excited to welcome Stephanie to the practice,” comments practice owner Kindreth Hamilton. “She shares a passion for thoughtfully creating individualized treatments and listening to her patients’ concerns.”

Location: The Village Commons, 27 College St., South Hadley. For more information or to schedule a complimentary, 15-minute consultation, call 413-535-9930 or visit HamiltonNaturalMedicine.com.

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Serenity Yoga Offers Yoga for Teens

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erenity Yoga has introduced Teen Yoga, from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m., Tuesdays, to help teens manage stress and enjoy the present moment while building flexibility, strength and self-confidence. The class will explore yoga basics, poses and breath awareness in an environment that is welcoming, noncompetitive and fun. All teens between 13 and 18 are welcome; no experience is necessary.

Owner Michele Lyman says, “Every day, teens are faced with issues that include busy schedules, peer pressure, changing bodies and life-altering decisions. Yoga not only provides physical benefits, but also can be an instrumental tool in helping teens deal with the day-to-day challenges in their lives. Yoga can help teens ‘chill out’ and focus and balance their bodies and lives while strengthening their selfconfidence and self-esteem.”

Serenity Yoga offers a peaceful, cozy environment with a focus on accessible classes, skilled teachers and the health and wellness of the community. In addition to yoga for teens, the studio’s ongoing classes include gentle, beginner and moderate yoga and Vinyasa yoga.

Location: 15 College St., South Hadley. For more information, call 413-563-3678, email Info@SerenityYogaStudio.net or visit SerenityYogaStudio.net. See ad, page 29.

Community Acupuncture Clinic with Terry Tangredi

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ommunity acupuncture is a nationwide movement to remove the barrier of cost from healing by providing affordable acupuncture. By treating several patients at once in a group clinic setting, the individual cost can be reduced to $30 per session.

Known for its holistic treatment offerings, Abundant Wellness Center, in Chicopee, has Terry Tangredi launched a community acupuncture clinic, led by Licensed Acupuncturist Terry Tangredi, at 3 p.m., Mondays and Fridays.

Acupuncture is known for its ability to treat pain anywhere in the body. A New York Times article published last year reports that an analysis of data collected on nearly 18,000 patients found that acupuncture outperformed sham treatments and standard care when used by people suffering from osteoarthritis, migraines and chronic back, neck and shoulder pain. Because the work was the most rigorous and detailed analysis to date, according to the article, acupuncture received strong scientific support for its effectiveness in relieving pain.

Acupuncture is also used to treat allergies and asthma; anxiety, depression and stress; digestive problems; vertigo; infertility and other hormonal issues.

Location: 94 Chicopee St., Chicopee. For more info or an appointment, call 413-592-2828 or visit AbundantWellness.net.

Introduction to Brain Balance Program for Children

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New Teachers and Classes at Tanya Gets You Fit

hiropractic Doctor Megan Hudson, director of the Brain Balance Achievement Center (BBAC) of West Springfield, will host an informational seminar at the center, from 6 to 8 p.m., March 21, about the Brain Balance Program (BBP). The seminar is for parents and professionals interested in learning more about this approach to addressing academic, behavioral, emotional and sensory issues in children ages 4 to 17.

Fifty-four BBAC locations nationwide offer the program, which is intended to help children with neurobehavioral and learning difficulties surmount their unique challenges. The individualized, comprehensive and drug-free program has been successful in helping thousands of children that suffer with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders (ADD/ ADHD), dyslexia, Tourette syndrome and autism spectrum disorders, including Asperger’s syndrome.

The program is based on the theory that the brain can be changed. It employs special testing to develop a comprehensive, fully customized, in-center agenda, consisting of exercises for each child’s specific issues, as well as a supplemental plan which includes nutritional guidelines that can be implemented easily at home.

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Office location: 1472 Riverdale St., West Springfield. For more information, including event location and to RSVP (required), call 413-737-5439 or email BrainBalanceOf WestSpringfield@gmail.com.

Studio location: 54 W. State St., Granby; SHTH location: 116 Main St., South Hadley. For more info, call 413-427-7350, email Tanya@TanyaGetsYouFit.com or visit TanyaGetsYouFit.com.

anya Gets You Fit (TGYF) has added several new teachers and classes to the studio’s 2013 offerings. Classes include, Lean and Serene Yoga, taught by registered yoga teacher Linda Brunelle, which takes place at 6:30 p.m., Wednesdays, at South Hadley Town Hall (SHTH); the class is intended to help Tanya Ryan (right) students enhance energy, strength, flexworking with client ibility and balance, as well as weight loss, relaxation and sleep. Express Spinning happens at 6 a.m., Fridays, taught by certified spinning teacher, Rebekah Markham. Susan Fober, who is certified as a personal trainer and TRX trainer, will lead a new spinning class at 9 a.m., Sundays. Med Ball Madness, a group circuit class that involves an hour of high-intensity drills and core power using 14-inch, Dynamax medicine balls, will be offered at 9 a.m., Tuesdays, and 4 p.m., Wednesdays, at the studio.

TGYF owner Tanya Ryan is a certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor who has instructed cardio kickboxing, Zumba, Pilates, boot camp and sculpting classes for more than seven years.

Holistic Health Alliance Celebrates First Anniversary

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olistic Health Alliance (HHA) of the Pioneer Valley is a professional group of wellness practitioners in western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut that meets on the fourth Thursday of each month to network, socialize, build a wellness community and enjoy opportunities for new learning. The alliance hopes to foster the exchange of knowledge and client referrals while providing a sounding board for feedback and opportunities for sharing office space, working collaboratively and trading healing sessions among members.

The March meeting will run from 7 to 8 p.m., March 28, at First Churches of Northampton.

The HHA was first organized in March 2012 by Mark Sherry, who runs a business as a certified therapeutic laughter leader and holds a Master of Education degree in psychology.

In its first year, the alliance has attracted 139 members. Although the spectrum of practitioner approaches varies widely, the wellness practitioners are united in their vocation to help people improve the health of their body, mind and spirit through an assortment of therapies. Membership is open to all holistic health providers in the Pioneer Valley area.

For more information, call 413-374-7671 or visit hhapv.org or LaughForTheHealthOfIt.org. natural awakenings

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communityspotlight

Energizing Her Community How Deborah Whitford Helps Green the Planet

by Eva Elle Tomei

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eborah Whitford’s longtime interest in and bill them directly,” she explains. health, her community and the enviAnother plus is that Viridian sources its ronment drives her life journey, both energy supply from local producers whenever personally and vocationally. As she learned possible. In Plainville, Connecticut, in 2011, more about what seems to be an increasingly for example, Viridian purchased some of its Retoxic world, she became interested in ways to newable Energy Certificates (RECs)—the finanhelp cleanse the body of poisons and reduce cial transaction for supporting the generation our exposure to environmental contaminants. of green energy—from the solar panel array Whitford planted an organic garden at her atop the Louis Toffolon Elementary School. By South Hadley home, switched to environmencreating a demand for planet-friendly power, tally friendly household products and reViridian encourages growth in the renewable cycled and composted everything she could. energy industry.

Despite these empowering steps, she felt that “I’m a big believer in buying local for Deborah Whitford much still remained beyond the control of the food, clothing and household items,” says individual consumer.

Whitford. “By supporting the development of Whitford was intrigued when Viridian Energy, a socially renewable energy through Viridian, I am helping the environresponsible retail energy supplier, launched service in Masment while stimulating the local economy.” sachusetts in June 2012. After learning that the company Today, Whitford devotes most of her time to promoting provides green energy choices at competitive prices to resiViridian’s Residual Fundraising Program (RFP), an innovative dential and small business customers, she decided to jump and rewarding way to earn money for religious organizaonboard as an Independent Sales Associate. tions, schools and 501(c) entities. “The RFP is a perfect way “Switching to a green energy supplier is something we for me to help support my community,” she advises. The can do as individuals that really does make a difference,” she program is simple. Whenever customers sign up with Viridian says, noting that the traditional generation of electric power through a participating nonprofit organization, the nonprofit produces more pollution than any other single industry in the receives residual income each time customers pay their U.S., according to the Environmental Defense Fund. “People electric bills. Customers can save money over time and help want to do the right thing, but in today’s economy, someimprove the environment, while simultaneously supporting times the green choice costs more, making it difficult for a their church, school or favorite sports team or charity. consumer to decide.”

“It’s a big win for everyone, and I feel grateful,” Whitford Whitford notes that while other energy competitors enthuses. “I’d been searching for a career that allows me to often charge a significant premium for clean power, Viridearn a living while supporting my community and having ian offers affordable green energy, competitively priced. a positive impact on the environment. Viridian is the right “When I tell people they can go green and still save money choice at the right time.” over time, the choice becomes easy—‘A real no-brainer,’ as one customer commented—especially when I explain that Deborah Whitford is a Viridian Independent Sales Associate it takes about five to 10 minutes to enroll online for free (ID #28362). For more information, call 413-658-4147 or and that their current utility will continue to deliver service visit Viridian.com/Whitford. See ad, page 29.

“Switching to a green energy supplier is something we can do as individuals that really does make a difference,” Deborah Whitford says, noting that the traditional generation of electric power produces more pollution than any other single industry in the U.S., according to the Environmental Defense Fund.

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healthbriefs SUPPLEMENTATION CUTS COLON CANCER RISK

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diet enhanced with multivitamin and mineral supplements may dramatically lower the risk of developing precancerous colon cancer lesions, according to research published in the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. Nearly 150,000 men and women in the United States are diagnosed with this second-most common form of cancer each year.

In the study, rats were fed a high-fat (20 percent) diet for 32 weeks. Those fed a high-fat, low-fiber diet and also exposed to a carcinogen, developed precancerous lesions of the colon. The animals that underwent a similar diet and treatment, but also received daily vitamin and mineral supplements, showed an 84 percent reduction in the formation of precancerous lesions and did not develop tumors.

Reading Helps Teens Beat the Blues

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ooks stimulate the mind in more ways than previously known, and may even help reduce the risk of depression in teenagers, according to a new study published in the journal Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers report adolescents that spend more time reading books are less likely to experience a major depressive disorder than those listening to contemporary music.

Participants were called up to 60 times during five extended weekends over two months and asked if their attention was currently devoted to television, movies, music, video games, the Internet, magazines, newspapers or books. Teens that spent the most hours listening to music were 8.5 times more likely to be depressed than those that spent the least amount of time absorbed in tunes. In contrast, adolescents that read the most (primarily books) were 10 percent as likely to be depressed as those that read the least.

Major depression is thought to affect one in 12 teenagers, according to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Brian Primack, the assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics who led the study, remarks, “These findings may help clinicians and parents recognize links between media and depression. This is worth emphasizing because overall in the United States, reading books is decreasing, while nearly all other forms of media use are increasing.”

Bad Fats Are Brain-Busters

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ew research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, has found that consumption of “bad” saturated fats may be associated with a decline in cognitive function and memory in older women. The research team analyzed the BWH Women’s Health Study, focusing on four years of data from a subset of 6,000 women older than 65. Those that consumed the highest amounts of saturated fat, like that found in red meat and butter, exhibited worse overall cognition and memory than peers that ate the lowest amounts. Women that consumed mainly monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, demonstrated better patterns of cognitive scores over time.

DRINKS TIED TO TOOTH TROUBLE

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hen replacing lost fluids during or after a workout, consider how beverage choices can affect the health of teeth. A recent study published in General Dentistry, the journal of the Academy of General Dentistry, found that increased consumption of sports and energy drinks is causing irreversible damage to teeth, especially among adolescents.

A reported 30 to 50 percent of U.S. teens regularly imbibe energy drinks, and as many as 62 percent down at least one sports drink a day. “Young adults consume these drinks assuming that they will improve their sports performance and energy levels and that they are ‘better’ than soda,” says Associate Professor Poonam Jain, lead author of the study, who serves as director of community and preventive dentistry at the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine.

“Most of these patients are shocked to learn that the drinks are essentially bathing their teeth with acid.”

In testing the effect of acidity levels on samples of human tooth enamel immersed in 13 sports and nine energy beverages, researchers found that damage to enamel was evident after only five days of exposure. Moreover, energy drinks were twice as harmful as sports drinks. “These drinks erode or thin out the enamel of the teeth, leaving them more susceptible to decay and sensitivity,” says Jain. natural awakenings

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healthbriefs

Dining App for Special-Needs Diets

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oodCare’s new EveryoneEat! Android and iPhone app allows anyone to make informed meal decisions at 180,000 restaurant locations nationwide, based on their nutrition needs and meal preferences. Users enter their basic information such as age, gender, height, weight and activity level, plus any chronic health conditions and special dietary restrictions, at FoodCare.me. Instant analysis enables them to search for dishes at restaurants by type of cuisine or restaurant name.

“People need to easily answer the basic question: ‘Does this dish meet my dietary guidelines?’ and if not, “What’s off and by how much?’” says CEO Ken Marshall.

According to the U.S. government’s Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which monitors the use and cost of health care and insurance coverage, nearly half of Americans today are living with a nutrition-related chronic disease. The National Restaurant Association estimates that Americans order 47 percent of all of their meals from restaurants.

Yogurt Hinders Hypertension

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ating yogurt could reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure, or hypertension, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association 2012 Scientific Sessions. During their 15-year study, researchers followed more than 2,000 volunteers that did not initially have high blood pressure and reported on their yogurt consumption at three intervals. Participants that routinely consumed at least one six-ounce cup of low-fat yogurt every three days were 31 percent less likely to develop hypertension.

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WHY WE MIGHT NEED MORE VITAMIN C

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esearchers at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, a leading global authority on the role of vitamin C in optimum health, forward compelling evidence that the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin C should be raised to 200 milligrams per day for U.S. adults, up from its current levels of 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men. The RDA of vitamin C is less than half of what it should be, scientists argue, because medical experts insist on evaluating this natural, but critical, nutrient in the same way they do for pharmaceutical drugs, and consequently reach faulty conclusions.

The researchers base their recommendations on studies showing that higher levels of vitamin C could help reduce chronic health problems including heart disease, stroke and cancer, as well as underlying causal issues such as high blood pressure, chronic inflammation, poor immune response and atherosclerosis. Even at the current low RDA, U.S. and Canadian studies have found that a quarter to a third of the total population is marginally deficient in vitamin C and up to a fifth of those in such groups as students, smokers and older adults are severely deficient in it.

globalbriefs News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.

School Safeguard How to Build a Bike Train

In 1969, according to the National Center for Safe Routes to School, 48 percent of kids ages 5 to 14 regularly walked or biked to school. In 2009, it was just 13 percent. One major reason for the change is that parents don’t feel safe letting kids bicycle around town on their own. Bike trains—in which an adult chaperone rides a predetermined route, adding children along the way—can make it easier and safer for kids to get to school.

To start a DIY bike train, find a group of interested parents through school and neighborhood message boards and newsletters; assess the area to create routes; distribute flyers and get feedback; determine bike train dates and times; host a community meeting; and post selected routes online.

Source: Yes magazine

Better Cafeterias

School Lunches Improving Nationwide The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) 2012 School Lunch Report Card found that public school districts in Florida, Maryland, Tennessee and Nebraska rose above federal guidelines for serving healthy school lunches, with some in Georgia and Missouri also receiving good marks. But most schools nationwide can improve.

PCRM dietitians analyzed elementary school meals at 22 districts participating in the National School Lunch Program. The average grade is now a B (84.4) compared with the national C+ average (78.7) in 2008. Schools delivering poor grades still offer chicken-fried steak fingers, breaded catfish, pork nuggets and other high-cholesterol menu items.

To read the complete report, visit HealthySchoolLunches.org.

Leaf Relief

Urban Trees Act as Crime-Stoppers The city of Baltimore’s high crime rate inspired a gritty TV drama.

But a new study (Tinyurl.com/TreeCrimeReport) by the University of Vermont’s Transportation Research Center, in Burlington, found that a 10 percent increase in trees in a given area led to a 12 percent decrease in crime. “It’s really pretty striking how strong this relationship is,” says Austin Troy, lead author of the study, published in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning.

Researchers examined the correlation in and around Baltimore using aggregated crime data and combining it with highresolution satellite images to conduct the analysis. The working hypothesis is that because people enjoy spending time in pleasant outdoor spaces, there are more observers present to hinder criminal activity. Also, a well-maintained landscape seems to send a message that someone may be watching.

To avoid culture bias, the study considered many socioeconomic factors, including housing, age, income and race of residents, as well as variables such as rural versus city setting and population density. The findings should prove helpful to urban planners.

Superior Soil

Organic Farming Sustains Earth’s Richness Famed as the happiest country on Earth, the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan is now aiming to become 100 percent organic, phasing out artificial chemicals in farming in the next 10 years. Agence France-Presse reports that Bhutan currently sends rare mushrooms to Japan, vegetables to up-market hotels in Thailand, its highly prized apples to India and red rice to the United States.

Jurmi Dorji, of southern Bhutan’s 103-member Daga Shingdrey Pshogpa farmers’ association, says their members are in favor of the policy. “More than a decade ago, people realized that the chemicals were not good for farming,” he says.

“I cannot say everyone has stopped using chemicals, but almost 90 percent have.”

An international metastudy published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science that analyzed 74 studies on soils in fields under organic or conventional farming practices has found that over time, the carbon content in the organic fields significantly increased. For farmers everywhere, that means organic agriculture results in a richer, more productive soil, with plenty of humus, which is conducive to higher yields.

Peter Melchett, policy director at Britain’s Organic Soil Association, says a primary benefit of a country becoming 100 percent organic is an assurance of quality to consumers that creates both an international reputation and associated market advantage.

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globalbriefs

ecotip Peaceful Spirits Living Spiritual Laws in Prison

Living the Power, an organization formed by Marie Jackson in 2010, is piloting its Living the Power Behind Bars program in the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, in New Jersey, with encouraging results.

Jackson supplies recommended course and resource materials for workshops aimed to help guide inmates to new ways of thinking and approaching everyday decisions using kindness and self-reflection. Through understanding spiritual laws of attraction and intention, participants learn to deepen and redirect their perceptions of themselves, others, events and circumstances to live a life of increased peace, balance and personal fulfillment, while positively influencing their greater environment.

“I’ve learned as much from the women in the program as they have from me,” says Jackson. “Keeping our spirit free is at the heart of peace no matter where we are.”

Source: LivingThePower.com/EdnaMahan.html

Friend Me

Civic Engagement Linked to Social Media The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project has revealed that the use of social media is becoming an important feature of political and civic engagement. Approximately 60 percent of U.S. adults use social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter, and 66 percent of those—or 39 percent in total—have participated in at least one civic or political activity using social media.

In a three-week survey conducted last summer, two-thirds of the 2,253 adult respondents ages 18 and older said they had used social media platforms to post their thoughts about civic and political issues; respond to other postings; press friends to act on issues; follow candidates and vote; “like” and link to other content; and join groups formed on social networking sites.

Source: PewForum.org

Good Hood

Paving the Way in Sustainable Streets A one-and-one-half-mile stretch of Cermak Road, on Chicago’s West Side, will soon become one of the greenest streets in the country, and possibly the world. The historic industrial artery is shedding its smokestacks and corrugated steel warehouses for a $16 million makeover by the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) that will make the corridor a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum showcase.

Improvements range from solar-paneled bus stops to native plants and pavement that absorbs rainwater. Armed with tax increment financing funds and grant money, the CDOT set to work incorporating what may be the most sustainable elements ever to go into a single stretch of road. In addition, all materials were found within a 500-mile radius of the project.

Twenty-three percent of the materials used are from recycled sources, and more than 60 percent of the redevelopment construction waste will itself be recycled.

Other cities are studying the project as a blueprint for change.

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Creative Reuse New Life for Old Bedding Reusing, recycling or repurposing a wornout mattress is a far better solution than adding another to the 20 million or so that annually end up in landfills. Before discarding, first check with family members, friends or coworkers, or post a note on a community bulletin board or on the Internet (Freecycle.org) about the availability of a free, gently used mattress.

Next, offer to donate the mattress to The Salvation Army, Goodwill Industries or a local consignment or thrift shop, church, shelter or disaster relief organization. Note that this option may require professional cleaning prior to donation.

Many nonprofit outlets provide free home pickup of items, which can be claimed as a charitable tax deduction.

Crafty individuals may want to disassemble the mattress and make use of buttons, tabs and fabric for sewing pillowcases, reupholstering indoor furniture, covering outdoor furniture or as stuffing for pillows. Check with local artist centers too, because one or more of their members may wish to use recyclable materials like the metal springs in their works.

The wooden frame of the mattress can be used to create a backyard compost pile with the wood slots becoming the compost bin’s architecture. In addition, the springs of an old bed can be utilized in a garden as they can make for a serviceable trellis to support growing plants.

Some recycling centers do not accept mattresses. Find local resources and policies at Earth911.com.

Sources: Home.HowStuffWorks.com, Tinyurl.com/RadicalRecyclingMattresses

businessspotlight

ARMHER

Personal Protection Designed for Women

by Judith Kelliher

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perfect storm of incidents led she spoke to about security devices Deborah Halpin to establish were concerned about the safety of ARMHER, an online company others, rather than themselves. Now, based in Springfield, Massachusetts, leading ARMHER under the title of that sells personal protection devicchief protector, Halpin finds that 50 es for women. First, her daughter left percent of her customers buy for othfor college in New York City, which ers, while the other half buys for their gave Halpin reasons for concern. own personal protection.

Then her house was broken into, Sporting the tagline, “Love her. prompting extra worries about her Protect her. Arm her,” ARMHER widowed mother, who was living currently offers 14 personal protecalone in a big house. tion devices that consumers can Before starting ARMHER, Halpin purchase in kits relevant to their worked for 27 years in the corporate particular circumstances: students, sector as a marketer and product moms, active women and seniors. developer. When she was laid off from Customers can also customize a kit her job in August 2011, she recalls, with a minimum of six products to “I asked myself what I could do to meet their specific needs. The items protect the people I care about in my include an electronic whistle, a Deborah Halpin house, so I started going online to see doorstop alarm, test cards that dewhat things I could buy.” Halpin discovered that most of the tect date-rape drugs, and a small safe disguised as a soda products were targeted toward men and the security systems can for holding cash or valuables. were expensive. She thought that women were more likely to To reach audiences concerned about their own safety buy and benefit from small, portable devices such as elecand that of their loved ones, Halpin and her daughter tronic whistles or emergency help lights. “My goal was to Mackenzie, the company’s marketing manager, particimake [personal security] affordable,” says Halpin. pate in conferences and speak about safety and security to As part of her research, she atgroups in places like senior centers, tended a 10-week course offered YMCAs and schools. to citizens by the Springfield Police “A lot of people, especially stuDepartment. Each week, a different didents, think they’re invincible, because vision of the force, such as the detective they’ve never had anything happen to bureau, educated attendees on topics them,” Halpin advises. “I’ve heard a ■ Use initials, rather than first names, like criminal behavior. Halpin also lot of sad stories, but they’re also a real on mailboxes and phone listings. Write read articles on crime and surfed the learning experience. You have to get them in a way that suggests that more Internet for insight in understanding the rid of the notion that it’s never going to than one person lives in the residence. criminal mind. She learned that light happen to you.”

■ Change all the locks when you move and noise both deter criminals, inforinto a new house or apartment. mation that guides her in choosing the For more information, call 413-734■ Do not put the first or last name of most effective and useful products for 8005 or 877-403-3288, or visit your child on the outside of clothing or her audience. “Those are things we can backpacks. Strangers will be able to see ARMHER.net. create ourselves, whether it’s with lights it, read it and approach your child as if outside our homes that detect motion Judith Kelliher is the publications directhey know the youngster. or whether we scream,” notes Halpin. tor for Beetle Press, a writing, editing ■ If you think you are being followed, “Those are two principles that I keep in and graphic design business based in quickly find a well-lit, crowded area. the back of my mind.”

Easthampton, MA. Connect at Beetle Do not go home, lest you lead danger As she explored her potential marPress@hotmail.com or BeetlePress. to where you live. ket, Halpin found that many women com. See ad, page 12.

Safety Tips from ARMHER

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Feeding Ourselves Well

Urban Gardening Takes Root

by John D. Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist

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n just one-twelfth of an acre, including lots of paths and a compost heap, our family grows the vast majority of the fresh vegetables we need, plus a decent chunk of our fruits and berries,” says Erica Strauss.

“It’s not a huge garden, but we still feel nearly overwhelmed with the harvest in late August.” Her family of four tends a diversity of edibles on their urban lot in a suburb of Seattle, Washington.

Word has spread because Strauss writes about her experiences via Northwest Edible Life, a blog about food growing, cooking and urban homesteading. “Every kid on the block has picked an Asian pear off my espalier and munched on raw green beans,” she notes. “Even picky eaters seem pretty interested when they can pick tasty treats right from the tree or vine.”

We don’t need to live in a rural area or on a farm to grow our own food.

By the close of World War II, nearly 40 percent of all fruits and vegetables supplying Americans stateside were grown in victory gardens in the communities in which they were consumed.

Today, these small plots are often termed kitchen gardens, comprising parts of household lawns, schoolyards, balconies, patios and rooftops. Fresh taste and

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the security of local food supplies in case of manmade or natural upheavals are drawing more people to gardening.

Garden Cities

“Urbanization, a major demographic trend, has implications for how we grow and consume food,” observes Roger Doiron, founder of Kitchen Gardeners International. “If we agree that feeding more people fresh, local foods is a priority, we’re going to need to landscape and, in many cases, retrofit urban and suburban areas for increased food production.”

Millions of Americans now participate in growing mainstay foods.

According to a 2009 study by the National Gardening Association, 31 percent of all U.S. households grew food for their families in 2008, and more have since the economic downturn. Bruce Butterfield, the association’s research director, estimates that nearly 70 percent of these gardens are in urban or suburban areas.

“We’re seeing a new crop of farmers that defy stereotypes,” observes David Tracey, owner of EcoUrbanist environmental design in Vancouver, Canada, and author of Urban Agriculture. “Some are office workers leaving

unsatisfying jobs, techie types learning the trade in universities and back-to-theland folks that happen to live in cities.

Others are activists taking on the industrial farm system, folks adopting trends or entrepreneurs that see opportunities in the rising prices of quality food and the proximity of millions of customers.”

Opportunities and Pitfalls

Urban gardening has unexpected advantages in its use of organic waste like coffee grounds from a local coffee house and rainwater from area rooftops. Converting lawns at schools, churches and empty city lots into community gardens fosters community connections, improves access to affordable nutritious foods and creates employment opportunities.

A widespread challenge to the trend is dealing with the quality of urban soil and testing for possible toxins.

Often, urban soil must be improved using compost and other nutrients before plants can prosper. A nearby irrigation source is also required.

“One potential problem for urban gardeners may be the community reaction to an edible landscape,” admits Strauss. “In some cities, edible gardens in the front yard or even the common parking strip are celebrated and even officially encouraged. But in communities where lawn is still king and city codes regarding vegetation are vague and open to interpretation, one complaint from an anonymous neighbor can become an exhausting political and legal fight.”

Feeding Community

Community gardens often transform vacant lots and other marginal land into green growing places. In Chicago, The Peterson Garden Project, an awardwinning nonprofit program, has been turning unsightly empty lots into raisedbeds in which residents learn to grow their own food since 2010.

“Nationally, it’s been found that having a community garden on unused land increases property values, decreases crime and promotes a sense of unity with neighbors and others,” explains LaManda Joy, president and founder of the project. “We work with property owners on the short-term use of their land to enhance the community in which they eventually plan to develop.”

“Participating in a community

garden serves up a lot of individual victories,” says Joy. “Improved health and nutrition, learning a new skill, teaching kids where food comes from, productive exercise, mental well-being, connecting with others and saving money—community gardens help make all of this possible.”

Being Prepared

“How many recalls have we seen because some food item has been contaminated and people have suffered or died as a result? I am concerned about the safety and security of our food supply,” says Wendy Brown, whose family tends a quarter-acre garden with raised and landscaped beds and containers wrapped around their home plus an onsite greenhouse in a beach resort suburb of Portland, Maine. “As a mother, it concerns me that I might feed my children something that will hurt them. High-fructose corn syrup, genetically engineered crops and BPA-lined cans are all making headlines. It just seems smarter to grow it myself; that way, we have more control over what our family is eating.”

Brown is one of more than 3 million Americans that are following FEMA recommendations in preparing for any event that might disrupt food supplies. Her book, Surviving the Apocalypse in the Suburbs, shares everything her family has done to safeguard themselves, including

growing produce, caring for animals and canning, freezing, drying, cold storage or fermenting foods for later use.

“For me, it’s more about being prepared for the everyday things that are happening, like increases in food and fuel prices or a loss of family income,” Brown says. “If we’re growing at least some of our own food, I have a lot less to worry about when such things happen.”

The family also keeps rabbits and ducks, plus egg-laying and meat-providing chickens that can total 40 animals in the summer at their “nanofarm”.

These also supply natural fertilizer for the crops. Nearby beehives provide 20 pounds of honey each year. Because the foods they produce are solely for their personal use, the Browns are exempt from regulatory restrictions.

“Our neighbors love what we’re doing,” says Brown, whose house is close enough they can chat across their front porches. “One says our initiative reminds him of growing up in Maine pretty much self-sufficient. The other tells friends and coworkers they aren’t worried if things really go bad because they have us as neighbors.”

Growing Green Thumbs

“With some effort, urban gardeners can grow great vegeta bles anyplace that affords enough light and warmth,” advises Strauss, who gardens primarily

Winter Farmers’ Markets Franklin County Greenfield Saturday, 10am-1pm Thru March 16 Greenfield High School 1 Lenox St. Hampden County Hampden Saturday: 10am-2pm Thru March 16 The Big Green House 2 Somers Rd. Springfield Saturday, 10am-2pm Thru April 27 Open 2nd & 4th Sat Old Monkey House in Forest Park 302 Sumner Ave. Hampshire County Amherst Saturday, 10am-2pm Thru April 27 Amherst Middle School 170 Chestnut St. Northampton Saturday, 9am-2pm Thru April 20 Basement of Thornes Market 150 Main St. Source: FarmFresh.org

Helpful Resources CISA - Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture, BuyLocalFood.org Food Forest Farm, PermacultureNursery.com Green Restaurant Association, DineGreen.com Kitchen Gardeners International, KGI.org New England Hydroponics, NEHydro.com Northwest Edible Life, NWEdible.com Urban Farm Online, UrbanFarmOnline.com Urban Gardens, UrbanGardensWeb.com

Restaurants Nearby That Buy Local Hampden County Bottega Cucina West Springfield La Cucina / 3 Café Longmeadow Lattitude Restaurant West Springfield S&P Deli West Springfield natural awakenings

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in raised beds in her front and back yards. “I garden on the scale I do because I love it. It’s both relaxing and challenging, and we eat well.”

Urban gardening methods are as diverse as the growing conditions, space limitations and financial resources of the gardener.

“Lasagna” gardening—layering newspaper or cardboard and other organic materials on top—can be effective in urban areas because it involves no digging or tilling. Just as with making compost, alternate between brown and green layers. Once the materials break down, add plants to the newly created growing bed.

Urban dwellers with limited space may employ squarefoot gardening, intensively growing plants in raised beds using a growing medium of vermiculite, peat moss and compost. This method can yield fewer weeds and is easier on the back. “It’s an easy concept to grasp for new gardeners,” remarks Joy. “We use it to both maximize output in a small area and ensure healthy, organic, contaminant-free soil.”

Rooftop gardens are becoming more common as larger agricultural operations use them to grow income crops. The U.S. Department of Agriculture considers anyone that sells more than $1,000 of produce to neighbors or area restaurants a farmer, rather than a gardener, so regulations may apply.

For renters, just a few tomato plants in a well-maintained container on a patio or deck can yield as much as 50 pounds of tomatoes by taking advantage of its microclimate, influenced by wind blocks, heated surfaces and reflected light from windows.

Urban gardening is also thriving indoors in terrariums, window boxes and small greenhouses. Even partially lit rooms can support certain vegetables or herbs with grow lights.

Aquaponic gardening, a closed-loop system that involves both fish and vegetables, expands the self-sufficient possibilities of a hydroponic system of growing plants fed by liquid nutrients.

Feeding Ourselves

With more than 80 percent of Americans currently living in urban and suburban areas, the questionable nutrition of many mass-produced foods, increasing pesticide and herbicide use by non-organic farmers, greenhouse gas emissions from food transport and weather patterns altered by climate change, it’s past time to take back some control. Operating our own gardens and preparing our own meals turns us back into producers, not merely consumers.

“For the most part, we’re just average suburbanites,” concludes Brown. “We just choose to have less lawn and more garden. A huge benefit is that we need less income because we’re buying less at the grocery store. Our goal is to semi-retire in our mid-50s—not because we’ve made a bunch of money, but because we’ve needed less money to live along the way.”

John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist, co-authors of Farmstead Chef (FarmsteadChef.com), ECOpreneuring and Rural Renaissance, operate the award-winning Inn Serendipity Bed & Breakfast, in Browntown, WI. They grow 70 percent of their organic food; the cost savings helped them become mortgage-free in their mid-40s.

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consciouseating

The Better

Brain Diet

Eat Right To Stay Sharp

by Lisa Marshall

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ith 5.4 million Americans already living with Alzheimer’s disease, one in five suffering from mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and the 2012 failure of several targeted pharmaceutical drug trials, many brain health experts are now focusing on food as a critical defense against dementia.

“Over the past several years, there have been many well-designed scientific studies that show you are what you eat when it comes to preserving and improving memory,” says Dr. Richard Isaacson, associate professor of neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and author of The Alzheimer’s Diet.

In recent years, studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and Archives of Neurology have shown that people on a Mediterranean-type diet—high in antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, whole grains and fatty fish and low in refined carbohydrates and saturated fats—tend to fend off cognitive decline longer and be less prone to developing full-blown Alzheimer’s. Several small, but promising clinical trials further suggest that even people that have already begun to suffer memory loss may be able to slow or mildly reverse it via nutritional changes. Here’s how.

Switch to slow-burning carbs: Mounting evidence indicates that the constant insulin spikes from eating refined carbohydrates like white bread or sugar-sweetened sodas can eventually impair the metabolization of sugar (similar to Type 2 diabetes), effecting blood vessel damage and hastened aging. A high-carb diet has also been linked to increased levels of beta-amyloid, a fibrous plaque that harms brain cells.

A 2012 Mayo Clinic study of 1,230 people ages 70 to 89 found that those that ate the most carbs had four times the risk of developing MCI than those that ate the least. Inversely, a small study by University of Cincinnati researchers found that when adults with MCI were placed on a low-carb diet for six weeks, their memory improved.

Isaacson recommends switching to slow-burning, low-

glycemic index carbohydrates, which keep blood sugars at bay.

Substitute whole grains and vegetables for white rice, pastas and sugary fruits. Water down juices or forego them altogether.

Choose fats wisely: Arizona neurologist Dr. Marwan Sabbagh, co-author of The Alzheimer’s Prevention Cookbook, points to numerous studies suggesting a link between saturated fat in butter, cooking oil, cheese and processed meats and increased risk of Alzheimer’s. “In animals, it seems to promote amyloid production in the brain,” he says.

In contrast, those that eat more fatty fish such as herring, halibut and wild-caught salmon that are rich in the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acid DHA, are at lower risk. Sabbagh notes that DHA, when it’s a steady part of the diet, plays a critical role in forming the protective “skin of the brain” known as the bilipid membrane, and may possibly offset production of plaque in the brain, thus slowing its progression during the earliest stages of dementia. Aim for three weekly servings of fatty fish. Vegetarians can alternatively consider supplementing meals with 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams daily of DHA, says Isaacson.

Eat more berries and kale: In general, antioxidant-rich fruits (especially berries) and vegetables are major preventers of oxidative stress—the cell-damaging process that occurs naturally in the brain as we age.

One recent study published in the Annals of Neurology found that women eating high amounts of blueberries and strawberries were able to stave off cognitive decline 2.5 years longer than those that did not. Rich in antioxidant flavonoids, blueberries may even have what Sabbagh terms, “specific anti-Alzheimer’s and cell-saving properties.”

Isaacson highlights the helpfulness of kale and green leafy vegetables, which are loaded with antioxidants and brain-boosting B vitamins. One recent University of Oxford study in the UK of 266 elderly people with mild cognitive impairment found that those taking a blend of vitamins B12, B6 and folate daily showed significantly less brain shrinkage over a two-year period than those that did not.

Spice up: Sabbagh notes that India has some of the lowest worldwide rates of Alzheimer’s. One possible reason is the population’s love of curry. Curcumin, a compound found in the curry-flavoring spice turmeric, is another potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.

He recommends sprinkling one teaspoon of curcumin on our food every day and cooking with antioxidant-rich cloves, oregano, thyme, rosemary and cinnamon. A 2011 Israeli study at Tel Aviv University found that plaque deposits dissolved and memory and learning behaviors improved in animals given a potent cinnamon extract.

Begin a brain-healthy diet as early as possible. “Brain changes can start 25 years before the onset of dementia symptoms,” says Sabbagh. “It’s the end result of a long process, so don’t wait. Start your prevention plan today.”

Lisa Marshall is a freelance health writer outside of Boulder, CO. Connect at Lisa@LisaAnnMarshall.com. natural awakenings

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healingways Beyond Cholesterol

How Triglycerides Take a Toll

by James Occhiogrosso

F

or many adults, an annual physical involves routine blood tests, followed by a discussion of cholesterol and blood pressure numbers, along with prescribed treatment ranging from improved nutrition and exercise to drugs. Triglycerides tend to be relegated to a minor mention—if they are discussed at all—yet regulating triglyceride levels can improve health.

Why Triglycerides Count

“High triglyceride levels usually accompany low HDL (good) cholesterol levels and often accompany tendencies toward high blood pressure and central (abdominal) obesity. These are the markers of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, very common disorders underlying obesity and increased risks of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes,” explains Dr. Andrew Weil on his website, DrWeil.com.

While high triglyceride levels are not conclusively linked to the development of any specific disease, they are associated with the narrowing of arteries and impaired blood flow associated with cardiovascular disease. (Impaired blood flow also effects male erectile function.) Several recent studies, including one in the Annals of Internal Medicine, also suggest these could instigate the metabolic syndrome associated with the onset of diabetes and atherosclerosis, which can lead to stroke and cardiovascular disease.

What Creates Triglycerides?

Triglycerides, a normal component of blood, are introduced into the body by the fat in foods. Some are produced in the liver as the body’s response to a diet high in simple sugars or carbohydrates—especially hydrogenated oils and trans-fats.

Evidence reported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute suggests that very high intakes of carbohydrates are accompanied by a rise in triglycerides, noting that, “Carbohydrate intakes should be limited to 60 percent of total calories.”

Many research scientists agree that the main cause for high triglyceride levels is the Standard American Diet, notori20

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ously high in sugars and simple carbohydrates, trans-fats and saturated animal fats, and far too low in complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals; specifically, vitamins A, B, C, D and especially E, plus the minerals selenium, magnesium, silicon and chromium. Sugars added to soft drinks and food products, especially those containing high-fructose corn syrup, also raise triglyceride levels significantly.

Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, author of From Fatigued to Fantastic! and national medical director of the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers, observes, “The average American gets about 150 pounds of sugar added to his/her diet each year from processed food, causing fatigue, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and a host of other problems.”

Animal fats, like those in farm-raised red meats, typically contain a skewed ratio of the fats known as omega-3 and omega-6, with the latter dominating by nearly 20:1; a ratio also found in commercial packaged foods and baked goods.

Many studies show such a high omega-6/omega-3 ratio tends to promote disease. Eating oily fish and healthy plant oils such as cold-pressed virgin olive and coconut oil, nuts, seeds and minimally prepared foods provides a more balanced ratio of omega fatty acids.

Lowering Triglyceride Levels

Part of today’s medical paradigm focuses on lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol. As a result, many patients and doctors worry about cholesterol levels, but ignore triglycerides. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends a triglyceride level of 100 milligrams per deciliter or less; about onethird of the population currently exceeds this. While drugs can help, the AHA does not recommend drug therapy except for people that have severe levels (more than 500mg/dL), which can increase the risk of acute pancreatitis. For those with high, but not severe levels, dietary and other lifestyle changes can be effective in lowering triglyceride levels.

Logically, reducing consumption of red meat and processed foods, especially those containing trans-fats, and increasing consumption of complex carbohydrates from whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and legumes is recommended.

AHA studies further show that daily supplementation of fish oil and full-spectrum vitamin E can reduce serum triglyceride levels significantly. In one study, fish oil containing at least 1,000 to 3,000 mg of omega-3 decreased such concentrations by 25 to 30 percent.

In a 2009 study of a nationally representative group of 5,610 people published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Dr. Earl S. Ford, of the U. S. Centers for Disease Control, found that about one-third had triglyceride levels above 150 mg/dL— considered somewhat high—while almost another 20 percent had high levels of 200-plus mg/dL. Always consult a knowledgeable health practitioner prior to beginning a new regimen. Just as with managing any aspect of health, care is required and knowledge is power.

James Occhiogrosso, a natural health practitioner and master herbalist, specializes in salivary hormone testing and natural hormone balancing. His latest book is Your Prostate, Your Libido, Your Life. Find relevant articles at Health NaturallyToday.com. Connect at 239-498-1547.

healthykids

Six Powerhouse Foods for Kids With Palate-Pleasing Tips

by Susan Enfield Esrey

A

s parents, feeding children nourishing foods is one of our most important jobs. Although most new moms and dads start with impeccable intentions (homemade baby food, anyone?), maintaining high family standards can be a challenge when many easygoing babies become toddlers and school-age kids are picky about what’s on their plate.

It’s unfortunate, because the stakes are high. According to the American Heart Association, about one in three American kids and teens today is overweight or obese, and thus at greater risk for Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A recent Australian study by the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, in Perth, also has linked the “Western diet”—high in processed sugars, fats and starches, meats and salt, and low in fresh fruits and vegetables—to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adolescents.

“When we looked at specific foods, having an ADHD diagnosis was associated with a diet high in takeaway foods, processed meats, red meat, high-fat dairy products and confectionary,” adds Professor Wendy Oddy, Ph.D., the

nutritional epidemiologist who led the study. She notes that more research is needed to determine the specific nature of the relationship.

The good news is that it’s never too late to introduce healthy foods to a child. Here are six nutritional powerhouses children might actually eat.

Avocado: Loaded with healthy monounsaturated fats, potassium and folate, creamy avocados are a natural early-childhood favorite, says Pediatrician Dr. Robert Sears, author of HappyBaby: The Organic Guide to Baby’s First 24 Months.

How to eat: Spoon it out straight from the rind. Mash into guacamole with garlic and cilantro if desired. Use the spread (instead of butter or mayo) on wholegrain toast or a sandwich.

Or, blend avocado’s goodness with cocoa powder, agave nectar, vanilla and water for an irresistible dip for fruit.

Berries: Antioxidants in blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are well-known aids in helping to prevent illness and improve brain function, says Sears.

Choose organically grown berries to avoid pesticide residues. Nutritionally, frozen berries are just as good as fresh, although fresh tastes best. Also try

antioxidant-rich acaí berries (in powder form or frozen smoothie packs) and dried goji berries.

How to eat: Eat berries plain or add them to cereal or oatmeal; leave them whole or purée to pour over whole-grain waffles. Blend any type of berry with yogurt and bananas for a deliciously healthy smoothie.

Chia seeds: Relatively new to the U.S. market, this South American grain (the most researched variety is Salba seeds) may be the world’s healthiest, says Sears. He notes that it’s gluten-free; provides more omega-3 fatty acids than any other plant food; contains six times more calcium than milk; and is a rich source of vitamin C, protein, fiber, magnesium and iron. Other options include hemp and flax seeds.

How to eat: Sprinkle chia, hemp seed or ground flaxseed onto cereal, salad greens or brown rice. Add chia to juice to make a chia fresca. Spread nutty-tasting hemp seed onto natural nut butter sandwiches on whole-grain bread or crackers.

Quinoa and amaranth: Nutritionally, these grains—traditional foods in South America and Africa, respectively—trump typical North American grains by far. Both are gluten-free and contain more protein and calcium than wheat, oats, rice or rye.

How to eat: Triple-wash quinoa, vigorously rubbing grains to remove the bitter outside coating—then cook either quinoa or amaranth like rice for 20 minutes. Cook in heated water, then stir in applesauce and cinnamon and serve as a cereal; or cook in broth and then stir in chopped, fresh herbs.

Wild salmon: “Wild salmon is perhaps the healthiest fish source of omega-3 fats and protein, the two most important nutrients that kids need to grow,” advises Sears. Choose wild-caught salmon (fresh or frozen) over farmed fish to avoid possible contaminants.

How to eat: Glaze roasted fillets with orange juice and teriyaki sauce, or a mix of maple syrup, grated ginger and rice vinegar. Make a salmon and goat cheese (or Neufchâtel) tortilla wrap; then cut into spirals and serve.

Susan Enfield Esrey is the senior editor of Delicious Living magazine.

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fitbody

a basic home fitness center with a jump rope, set of dumbbells and not much more. Borrow an exercise video or DVD from the library or follow one of the many television fitness shows. “People can save thousands of dollars by combining five to 10 exercises into a burst-training workout routine,” which will burn calories and increase muscle mass, says Joe Vennare, co-founder of the Hybrid Athlete, a fitness website.

Myth 4: Too Late to Start

FITNESS MYTHS

DEBUNKED 11 VITAL TRUTHS

by Lynda Bassett

T

he U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has concluded that more than a third of Americans today are overweight. Yet it also reports that at least 30 percent of us don’t exercise at all, perhaps partly due to persistent fitness myths.

Myth 1: Lack of Opportunity Even the busiest person can fit in some exercise by making simple changes in their daily routine. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, do squats while watching television, deliver a message in person instead of via email, take a desk break to stretch or stand while talking on the phone. Even fidgeting is beneficial. The point is to be as active as possible during otherwise sedentary hours.

Myth 2: No Time The CDC recommends that each week, adults should exercise 150 minutes—the average duration of a movie—but not all at once. To make it easy, break it up into various exercise activities in daily, vigorous, 10-minute chunks.

Myth 3: Unaffordable Activities like walking, bicycling and even jumping rope can be done virtually anywhere, anytime. Individuals can create 22

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Many people feel they are too old or out-of-shape to even begin to exercise, or are intimidated by the idea of stepping into a yoga studio or gym. “Stop wasting time reading diet books and use that time to go for a walk,” advises Exercise Physiologist Jason Karp, Ph.D., author of Running for Women and Running a Marathon for Dummies. “In other words, get moving any way you can.”

Myth 5: No Pain, No Gain Suffering isn’t required. In fact, feeling pain can indicate possible injury or burnout. Still, consult a doctor before beginning any exercise program. “Do not hurt yourself,” says Charla McMillian, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, attorney and president of FitBoot – Basic Training for Professionals, in San Francisco. “Rather, aim for a point of gentle discomfort,” she advises.

Myth 6: Must Break a Sweat Perspiring is related to the duration and intensity of the exercise, but some people just sweat more than others. “How much (or little) you sweat does not correlate with how many calories you are expending,” assures Jessica Matthews, an experienced registered yoga teacher and an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise.

Myth 7: Dieting is Enough Women especially fall prey to the myth that they don’t need to exercise if they are a certain dress size. Even those at a healthy weight can be in greater danger of contracting disease and shortened lifespan than obese individuals that regularly participate in physical activity, according to a recent study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, in Bethesda, Maryland.

Health experts recommend combining regular activity with consuming lean proteins, healthy fats, limited starches and no added sugars.

Myth 8: Stretch Before Exercising New research from the American Council on Exercise recommends stretching at the end of a workout. “It is safer and more effective to stretch muscles that are properly warmed and more pliable,” says Matthews, who also recommends beginning a workout with simple movements such as arm circles and leg swings. She notes, “Stretching can help to improve posture and flexibility, plus reduce overall stress.”

Myth 9: Crunches Cut Belly Fat There’s no such thing as spot reducing.

While crunches strengthen abdominal muscles, they will not shrink your waistline, says Karp. Instead, try exercises such as squats, lunges and yoga plank holds or kettlebell repetitions to lose stubborn belly fat.

Myth 10: Women Using Weights Get Bulky The truth is that most weightlifting women won’t end up with a big, bulky physique because they have less testosterone, are smaller in size and have less muscle tissue than men, advises Matthews. “Any kind of strength training will help improve bone density, increase muscle mass and decrease body fat in both men and women.”

Myth 11: Exercise is Hard Physical activity should be fun. It’s best to start simply, add a variety of physical activities and challenges and keep at it. Schedule time for exercise and treat it like any other daily appointment; don’t cancel it. Alexander Cortes, a nationally certified strength and conditioning coach with Ultimate Fighting Championship Gym, in Corona, California, concludes, “When health is a priority, exercise is the most important appointment you can keep.”

Lynda Bassett is a freelance writer near Boston, MA. Connect at LyndaBassett.com.

inspiration

The Healing Power of Silence

by Robert Rabbin

O

of our heart, where it breaks open to reveal another heart that knows how to meet life with open arms. Silence It was more than grace, an epiphany or a knows that thoughts about life are not life itself. If we touch life through mystical union; it was my soul’s homecoming, my heart’s overflowing love, my Silence, life touches us back intimately mind’s eternal peace. In Silence, I experi- and we become one with life itself. enced freedom, clarity and joy as my true Then the mystery, wonder, beauty and sanctity becomes our life. Everything self, felt my core identity and essential but wonderment falls nature as a unity-inanger, fear and love with all creation, When I return from away; violence disappear as and realized it is within silence I am less if they never existed. this essence that we Knowing Silence learn to embody healthan when I entered: is knowing our self ing in our world. less harried, fearful, and our world for the This Silence time. We only belongs to us all—it anxious and egotistical. first have to be still until is who and what we Whatever the gift of that Silence comes are. Selfless silence from within to knows only the present silence is, it is one of forth illuminate and emmoment, this incredlessening, purifying, brace us, serving as ible instant of pure life teacher, teaching when time stops and softening. The “I” that the and path, redeeming we breathe the high-alreturns is more loving and restoring us in titude air we call love.

Let us explore Silence than the “I” who left. love. In this truth-filled as a way of knowing moment, we enter our and being, which we ~ Rabbi Rami Shapiro Self fully and deeply. know, which we are.

We know our own Silence is within. beauty, power and magnificence. As the It is within our breath, like music embodiment of Silence, we are perfecbetween thoughts, the light in our tion itself, a treasure that the world needs eyes. It is felt in the high arc of birds, now. Right now the Universe needs each the rhythm of waves, the innocence of of us to be our true Self, expressing the children, the heart’s deepest emotions healing power of our heart, in Silence. that have no cause. It is seen in small kindnesses, the stillness of nights and As a lifelong mystic, Robert Rabbin is peaceful early mornings. It is present an innovative self-awareness teacher when beholding a loved one, joined in and author of The 5 Principles of spirit.

Authentic Living. Connect at Robert In Silence, we open to life and Rabbin.com. life opens to us. It touches the center ne day I disappeared into Silence…

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naturalpet

Holistic is Best Natural Care for a Sick Pet

by Dr. Shawn Messonnier

T

he best course of action for any pet that appears to be sick is to see a holistic vet early, before a disease can progress or before the pet has been made even more ill by improper conventional treatment.

Downsides of Conventional Treatment

Many sick pets brought to a holistic vet’s office may not have been formally diagnosed, even if they’ve been receiving medical treatment by a conventional doctor for weeks or months.

In most cases, the standard blanket prescriptions of antibiotics and corticosteroids—regardless of the cause of illness—have failed to produce positive results. Worse, such drugs carry side effects that can make the pet even sicker; indiscriminate use of antibiotics, for example, has led to antibiotic resistance in bacteria, making it harder to treat serious infections when antibiotics are the only viable treatment option.

So by the time the holistic doctor sees them, the condition of these pets may have worsened. The good news is that with precise diagnosis of the underlying issues, most sickly pets can be treated with good success. Because a holistic approach to

healthcare relies on individual factors, the exact treatment will vary according to the patient and situation. A cookiecutter treatment will not be very helpful.

Holistic Nutrition Therapy Helps

Owners can take several steps to provide relief for a suffering pet right away while awaiting the results of proper diagnostic tests. In my practice, three vet-supervised nutrition therapies have been shown to be effective in stabilizing a sick pet for the 24 to 48 hours needed to return test results before the appropriate treatment can be initiated. Ask the attending veterinarian for other safe, comforting measures he or she likes to recommend.

First, most sick pets benefit from receiving fluid therapy (intravenous or subcutaneous) in a veterinary hospital.

The fluids rehydrate and help detoxify the pet by causing increased urination that flushes out cellular toxins.

Second, injectable vitamins C and B complex added to the fluids often have a temporary pick-me-up effect, reducing lethargy and improving appetite.

Third, using supplements selected to restore homeostasis also helps make the pet feel better and encourages healthy eating. I like to use a natural immunity support I developed called Healthy

Chi, which contains amino acids, potassium, green tea, ginseng, gotu kola and the herb astragalus. Homeopathic combinations also can be useful; I’ve developed a natural remedy combining gallium, colchicum, hydrastis, anthraquinone and glyoxal.

Case Studies Exemplify Success

Two recent cases illustrate the benefit of an informed holistic approach. Gus, a 7-year-old male standard poodle, had a history of inflammatory bowel disease and gastrointestinal cancer. He did well immediately following cancer surgery, but then became lethargic and showed a disinterest in food. So, we conducted a fecal analysis and complete blood profile. While awaiting test results, I prescribed the recommended nutrition therapies, along with a special diet. The next morning, the owner reported that Gus was feeling and acting much better, including showing more interest in eating. His owner was pleased with this rapid response and relieved to avoid unnecessary medication.

A young Persian cat arrived in our office with a chronic herpes virus infection. Percy’s owner made an appointment because the feline had a congested nose and wasn’t eating as much as normal. Natural treatment for the herpes virus began with the amino acid lysine and the herb echinacea, both also helpful in preventing cold and flu.

Supportive care for the general malaise and lack of appetite relied on the same recommended nutrition therapies and again resulted in overnight improvements in the pet’s attitude and appetite; the nasal congestion left during the following week.

While antibiotics and corticosteroids can be helpful in properly diagnosed cases, using natural therapies can provide quick relief without the harmful side effects often seen from the use of conventional medications.

Shawn Messonnier, a doctor of veterinary medicine practicing in Plano, TX, is the award-winning author of The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats and Unexpected Miracles: Hope and Holistic Healing for Pets. Visit PetCareNaturally.com.

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wisewords

WALKING THE TALK Marlane Barnes Fosters Rescue Dogs

by Sandra Murphy

A

ctress Marlane Barnes recently made her feature film debut as Maggie of the Irish Coven, in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II, building on a growing résumé of films, TV and theater credits. A current resident of Los Angeles, she actively supports the nonprofit Best Friends Animal Society, a local no-kill facility, and serves as national spokesperson for Spay First. To date, her foster dogs include India, Birdie, Archie and Wally, with more to come.

Why is fostering rescue dogs important?

Fostering is a good way to find the right dog for your personality and circumstances. Dogs aren’t accessories, chosen on looks alone. Fostering allows you to see what breed, size, temperament and activity level works best.

When India, the first dog I fostered, was adopted, she went to a home that suited her nature and needs. Birdie, a 6-year-old golden retriever-beagle mix, came to me when her shelter time was up. After two months, Birdie was placed with a family that was willing to deal with an older dog’s health issues, and it’s worked out well for all parties.

kids and take hikes; in these ways, I learn what the individual dog enjoys. It takes some of the guesswork out of the equation. Fostering is like a halfway house for dogs; after living with them, I can vouch for them, as well as voice any concerns about the family situation.

I feel strongly that the dog must be treated as part of the family, whose schedule has to work with having a dog, and that dog in particular. It’s a matter of finding the right person for the animal. We want every adoption to be the best match possible.

Who takes care of your foster dog when you are at work?

I have a group of creative friends who jump in to help. It’s easy to ask them to help with a foster dog because it lets them be part of the rescue. That way, they are doing a favor more for the dog than for me.

How do spay/neuter programs benefit shelter animals?

When I was 10, I volunteered at the Humane Society in Fort Smith, Arkansas, so being the spokesperson for Spay First is a natural fit. High volume/low cost spay/neuter programs are the fastest way to reduce pet overpopulation and the number of animals ending up in shelters.

Every year, taxpayers spend billions of dollars to house, euthanize and dispose of millions of animals. Spay/neuter is a commonsense way to permanently solve the problem. Spay First works to keep the cost less than $50, especially in rural and lower income areas, and actively campaigns to make this a community priority around the country.

How can caring people help?

Donate money or items found on a shelter or rescue unit’s wish list. Walk a shelter dog to keep it social and active. Foster a dog to see if having a dog fits and enhances your life. The rescue group pays the bills, support is available and it’s a good way to explore the possibility of adoption. Once you know for sure, adopt.

Also talk about the benefits of fostering and adopting dogs and the importance of affordable spay/neuter programs for dogs and cats in your community.

Spread the word that it is not okay to buy a puppy or kitten in a store when we are discarding millions of shelter animals each year that desperately need homes. Puppies are cute, but older dogs already are what they’re going to be— what you see is what you happily get.

For more information or to make a donation, visit SpayFirst.org.

Sandra Murphy is a regular contributor to Natural Awakenings magazines.

What do you try to teach the dogs to make them more adoptable?

We take a lot of walks during our six to eight weeks together. Teaching them to sit, be petted, take treats gently and behave well on a leash all helps.

I also expose them to new experiences. We visit the coffee shop, meet natural awakenings

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Coming in April

greenliving

Natural Awakenings’

SPECIAL ISSUE GREEN LIVING Celebrate the possibilities of sustained healthy living on a flourishing Earth.

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Follow the Lifecycle Crunching the Numbers on Products We Consume

by Brita Belli

E

very product we use has a lifecycle, or duration of environmental impact. According to the State of the World 2012: Transforming Cultures from Consumerism to Sustainability, by the Worldwatch Institute, humans collectively are consuming resources equivalent to 1.5 Earths, or 50 percent more than is sustainable—and that’s before projected population growth. In short, we’re depleting more resources than the planet can replenish; hence, our personal consumption habits matter.

In an ideal world, all the appliances, furniture and electronics we use and later discard would be “cradle-tocradle,” or C2C, certified, a term popularized by German chemist Michael Braungart and American Architect William McDonough for describing products designed never to become waste. Such innovative products typically are made of both technical components that can be reused and biological components that decompose back into the natural world.

Current examples of products that have obtained C2C certification include gDiapers—biodegradable cloth diaper liners that can be flushed or composted—and Greenweave recycled fabrics.

But smart, sustainable design is not yet the norm, so we have to monitor our own consumption and waste habits to try limiting our support of polluting industries and contribution to ever-

growing landfills.

Such product assessments are challenging, because it’s not only about what happens after a cell phone, for example, is thrown into a landfill that takes an environmental toll. It also entails the chemicals used, toxins released and fossil fuels burned to manufacture and ship that phone.

To help us sort out the best approaches, The Green Design Institute at Carnegie Mellon University has created the online Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment (EIO-LCA) that crunches the numbers for commonly used products—from household cleaners to mattresses—to provide us with the bigger-picture impact. So, as their website explains, “The effect of producing an automobile would include not only the impacts at the final assembly facility, but also the impact from mining metal ores, making electronic parts, forming windows, etc., that are needed for parts to build the car.”

The accompanying chart, using the latest available EIO-LCA figures, provides comparisons for some common products—from the most to the least energy-intensive—as well as recycling rates and suggested alternatives for keeping our own resource usage and waste load to a minimum.

Brita Belli is the editor of E-The Environmental Magazine.

Call for Cradle-to-Cradle Product Lifestyle MATERIAL

ENERGY COST TO PRODUCE $1,000 WORTH

GREENHOUSE GASES PRODUCED

AMOUNT RECYCLED

LANDFILL LIFESPAN

ALTERNATIVES

Paper

10,611 kilowatthours (kWh)

3,373 pounds

63.5 percent (2010)

2 to 4 weeks

Use recycled and scrap paper and limit printing.

Glass containers

7,778 kWh

3,373 pounds

33.4 percent (2010)

1 million years

Recycle or reuse glass bottles and jars as glassware or to store food.

Plastic bottles

6,361 kWh

2,910 pounds

28 percent HDPE bottles; 29 percent PET bottles (2010)*

450 years

Save money by choosing refillable bottles over throwaways.

Plastic bags and film

5,889 kWh

2,712 pounds

12 percent (2010)

Up to 1,000 years or more

Use washable cloth shopping bags and non-plastic food storage containers.

Carpets and rugs

5,083 kWh

2,469 pounds

8.1 percent (2009)

Up to 20,000 years

Use individual carpet tiles or carpet that meets Carpet Area Recovery Effort (CARE) standards.

Soaps and cleaners

3,500 kWh

1,715 pounds

Not applicable

Toxins from cleaners can contaminate water supplies.

Recycle plastic bottles and use biodegradable cleaners.

Light bulbs and parts

2,328 kWh

1,023 pounds

2 to 6.7 percent of household CFLs (2009)*

Up to 1,000 years or more

Use CFL and LED energyefficient lights and recycle CFLs at major hardware stores or check Earth911.com.* Consider solar exterior lights.

Mattresses

2,281 kWh

1,122 pounds

Less than 10 percent (2012)

Up to 1,000 years or more

Buy organic mattresses and recycle old ones (Earth911.com).

Computers

1,183 kWh

586 pounds

38 percent (2009)

Up to 1,000 years or more

Look for recycled content in electronics and recycle equipment. See Earth911.com.

Cell phones and other devices

1,322 kWh

665 pounds

8 percent (2009)

Up to 1,000 years or more

Only upgrade when needed.

Trade old phone in to recycle (SecureTradeIn.com) or donate to charity (ReCellular.com).

*HDPE means high density polyethylene; PET means polyethylene terephthalate; CFL means compact fluorescent lamp (or light); LED means light-emitting diode. Additional sources include epa.gov, PaperRecycles.org and ProductStewardship.us.

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Poetry Reading with Mark Hart – Boy Singing to Cattle.

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n individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

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SATURDAY, MARCH 30 Restorative Yoga Workshop -

ongoingevents NOTE: All calendar events must be received by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Review guidelines and submit entries online at NAWestMA.com (within advertising section).

Yoga Level I-II

sunday All Levels Yoga Meditation -

Pilates Mat Class -

-

wednesday

monday MELT

Mixed-Level Vinyasa -

-

tuesday Community Acupuncture

MELT Advanced

willPower & grace -

-

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Qigong & Tai Chi

Zumba速 Fitness Yoga Therapeutics Class

Yoga Level I-II

Advanced Tai Chi

natural awakenings

March 2013

29

thursday Teen Yoga -

GROW

MELT

Intermediate Vinyasa:

Bellydance for Fun & Fitness

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saturday Qigong & Tai Chi

Contact us for more information.

For more information

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friday Yoga Level I

Community Acupuncture

-

MELT Method Strength Class

about advertising

Beginner Yoga

and how you

Dance Fitness Class

can participate in

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Natural Awakenings of Western Mass, call

413-234-0024

It is easy to sit up and take notice; what is difficult is getting up and taking action. ~HonorĂŠ de Balzac

30

Western Mass

NAWestMA.com

communityresourceguide

MASSAGE PILLARS MASSAGE

Connecting you to the leaders in natural healthcare and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide, email Publisher@NAWestMA.com to request our media kit.

ACUPUNCTURE ACUPUNCTURE OF GREATER HARTFORD & SPRINGFIELD

Stan Baker, LAc, Dipl. Ac. Integrative Health Group 1502 Allen St (Bicentennial Plaza) Springfield, MA 01118 t "DVQVODUVSF4UBO#BLFS DPN

Michelle Grassi Chicopee, Southampton, Southwick, MA t 1JMMBST.BTTBHF DPN

GREEN ENERGY VIRIDIAN ENERGY - POWER WITH PURPOSE Deborah Whitford Independent Associate 28362 413-658-4147 %FCPSBI 8IJUGPSE!DPNDBTU OFU Viridian.com/Whitford

See ad, page 25.

PERSONAL PROTECTION ARMHER

See ad, page 29.

Love Her – Protect Her – ArmHer Deborah Halpin PO Box 6414, Springfield, MA 01101 877-403-3288 %FC!"SN)FS OFU t "SN)FS OFU

See ad, page 7.

HAMILTON NATURAL MEDICINE, LLC

Kindreth Hamilton, LAc, MAOM, MS Stephanie Mattrey, LAc, MATCM, Diplm.OM 27 College St, Ste 201, S Hadley, MA 01075 t )BNJMUPO/BUVSBM.FEJDJOF DPN

HEALTHY KIDS BRAIN BALANCE ACHIEVEMENT CENTERS OF WEST SPRINGFIELD Dr. Megan Hudson, Center Director 1472 Riverdale St West Springfield, MA 01089 (In Planet Fitness shopping plaza) 413-737-KIDS (5437) BrainBalanceOfWestSpringfield.com BrainBalanceCenters.com

FINANCIAL HEALTH

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LIFE PATH FINANCIAL SERVICES

Alan R. Druckenmiller, Registered Representative/Advisory Associate t "%SVDLFONJMMFS!DGJFNBJM DPN LifePathFS.com

See ad, page 12.

YOGA SERENITY YOGA

is an

Michele Lyman 15 College St, S Hadley, MA 01075 413-563-3678 *OGP!4FSFOJUZ:PHB4UVEJP OFU SerenityYogaStudio.net

HYDROPONICS NEW ENGLAND HYDROPONICS

15 College Hwy (Rte 10) Southampton, MA 01073 413-529-9025 4BMFT!/&)ZESP DPN t /&)ZESP DPN

See ad, page 29.

FITNESS BALANCE TOTAL BODY – MELT METHOD Kerrie Bodendorf Agawam, Westfield, Southampton, MA 413-579-7870 #BMBODF5PUBM#PEZ!DPNDBTU OFU BalanceTotalBody.com

See ad, page 5.

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