Natural Awakenings Washington, D.C. April 2018

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E E R

HEALTHY

LIVING

HEALTHY

PLANET

Heal the Climate, Heal Ourselves Why We Personally Need a Healthy Planet

Indigenous

Wisdom Reimaging Your Life

HEALTHY

HOME

5

Easy Ways to Green It Up

Paul Hawken Highlights

Solutions to Global Warming April 2018 | Washington, D.C. Edition | NaturalAwakeningsDC.com April 2018

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April 2018

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letter from the publisher

Dear Friends, April is an appropriate month to observe Earth Day as the ground thaws, trees come back to life and wildlife begins to shake off the winter. As a third generation Washingtonian, I’m forever amazed at nature’s offerings in our area—from the

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

WASHINGTON, D.C. EDITION PUBLISHER Stephen Ellis

EDITOR IN CHIEF Robin Fillmore

ONTRIBUTING EDITORS Randy Kambic C Jessica Bradshaw DESIGN & PRODUCTION Irene Sankey OUTREACH DIRECTOR Samantha Hudgins

Chesapeake Bay as the largest estuary in the United States, the glorious mountains throughout Maryland and Virginia, to the incredible parkland within Washington, D.C. It’s encouraging that so many organizations and individuals have made great strides in the past few decades to improve damage done by lack of care.

Our homes are places where better choices can make a difference to improve the envi-

ronment. Several of this month’s articles discuss better ways to “green it up” and offer new

CONTACT US Natural Awakenings of Washington, D.C. Phone: 202-505-4835 10411 Motor City Dr., Suite 301 Bethesda, MD 20814 Stephen@NaturalAwakeningsDC.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscribe online to receive FREE monthly digital magazine at NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

research and practical tips on some ways to live without harmful electrosmog from electronic devices and to how to rid the body of heavy metals and toxic chemicals. In the pages this month, you will learn about which plants to use to clean the air in your home and the link between indoor air pollution and mental health.

Our feature article brings some reality to the bigger picture of climate change and its

effects on health. Our warming planet is changing the frequency of heat-related illnesses, increasing allergy symptoms, respiratory illness and the disruption of sleep. The nightly news stories of more intense storms and extreme heat have become commonplace.

Although there are many discussions on why and how it has gotten to this point, there

are practical steps we all can take to do our part. I hope your reading of Natural Awakenings this month will fill you with reverence for our glorious planet, as well as inspire you to take positive changes, to help keep our world safe and green for generations to come.

This spring will be especially memorable, as April marks my first Natural Awakenings

publication. I’m honored to be a new member of this family. Thank you, Robin Fillmore, for trusting me to continue providing our readers insights and information to improve the quality of life physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Best,

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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.

Contents 14 HEALTHY CLIMATE, HEALTHY PEOPLE

17

Why a Warming Planet is Harming Our Health

17 PAUL HAWKEN Shares a Plan to Reverse Global Warming

18 CHANGING OUR DIET TO COOL THE CLIMATE Good Food Choices Enable Global Health

20 CREATING A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

A Conversation with Dr. Mark McClure of National Integrated Health Associates

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22 BEST PRACTICES FOR CLEANING THE HOME, BODY AND MIND

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ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS

HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 202-505-4835 or email Stephen@NaturalAwakeningsDC.com.

Deadline for ads: the 15th of the month.

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CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Submit Calendar Events to CalendarNADC@gmail.com Deadline for calendar: the 10th of the month.

REGIONAL MARKETS Advertise your products or services in multiple markets!

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Spotlight on Green Cleaning

24 ROSE WELLNESS

Providing a Fully Integrative Approach to Wellness and Healing

26 THERMOGRAPHY For Breast Health

27 HEAVY METALS AND CHELATION THERAPY Ridding the Body of Environmental Toxins

DEPARTMENTS 6 news briefs 8 health briefs 10 global briefs 13 eco tip 13 action alert 17 wise words 18 conscious

eating 20 practitioner spotlight 21 inspiration

10 22 green living 24 business

spotlight 26 women’s health 27 leading edge 28 calendar 32 resource guide April 2018

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news briefs

GreenFest Happening in Montgomery County

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oin more than 1,000 of your neighbors at GreenFest, Montgomery County’s largest environmental festival, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m on May 5, at Jesup Blair Local Park.

This free annual event, now in its fourth year, is designed to create opportunities for residents, businesses, nonprofits and neighbors to come together, share ideas and learn about local environmental initiatives.

This year’s event will offer a wide variety of activities to appeal to the whole family, from hands-on learning opportunities and live music, to tree climbing for kids. Visitors can enjoy a DIY Zone where experts will teach the skills to practice organic lawn care, build a RainScape or repair common household items at the Repair Café. Workshops include Easy Steps to Container Gardening by Kathy Jentz of Washington Gardener and Finding the Right Green Job for You, hosted by EcoWomen. There will be food trucks, a native plant sale and approximately 100 exhibitors on-site.

Dance performances by UpRooted Dance, a Montgomery County-based dance company will perform their new project, “The Legacy Project—Our Lives of Consumption,” featuring costumes and scenic elements created from repurposed materials.

Location: 900 Jesup Blair Dr., Silver Spring. For more information or to register as an exhibitor, visit MontgomeryCountyGreenFest.org. Parking will be available at the Montgomery College East Garage and nearby county parking lots. See ad, page 2.

Illuminate Frederick has Something for Everyone

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ver been curious? Go ahead and try it. The Illuminate Frederick Mind-Body-Spirit Festival, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 22, is just the place to sample reiki, acupuncture, massage, healing crystals, intuitive readings, astrology, essential oils or tarot and more.

Practitioners will conduct mini-sessions on a walk-up basis. Vetted intuitive readers, angel communicators, psychic mediums and astrologers will offer their services at special festival rates. Your admission also includes entry to hourlong intensive workshops on a range of holistic and spiritual topics—and you can choose from three per hour.

You’ll also find handmade jewelry, unique gifts and clothing, luxurious natural spa products and FREDERICK fascinating books.

It’s a wonder-filled day of natural health and spiritual rebalancing. Illuminate Festivals seek to create a welcoming, inclusive place to enhance well-being. Indulge, learn, connect, explore, nourish, and most of all, enjoy.

Admission is $4 online ticket, $6 at the door. Free admission for active and veteran military, children 16 & under. Location: Clarion Inn Conference Center at FSK Mall, 5400 Holiday Dr., Frederick. For more information, visit IlluminateFestivals.com/Frederick. See ad, page 2.

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When Thyroid Hormones Fail Us – A Free Talk

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ven though many women are taking thyroid hormones and their lab tests state that they are “normal”, up to 90 percent continue to suffer from many of the symptoms. Dr. Serena Satcher is offering a free wellness talk to help break out of this cycle by discussing the root causes of hypothyroidism and natural ways to overcome it. The talk will be held at 10 a.m. on April 7, in Springfield.

In her practice, Satcher has worked with women who continue to suffer from a list of symptoms, including tiredness and insomnia, inability to lose weight, cold hands and feet, constipation, depression and lack of motivation, thinning hair and acne, memory problems or brain fog or feelings of nervousness and heart palpitations.

Serena Satcher

The traditional approach is to drive the labs into the “normal” range by giving thyroid replacement hormones, such as synthetic thyroid hormones. This drug-only approach is not helping most of the women who try it.

Satcher will provide information that will help women sufferers to understand the underlying cause of 85 to 90 percent of hypothyroidism in the U.S., why it’s destroying not only the thyroid gland, and other glands and tissues as well, why taking thyroid medication may not help and why a personalized approach is essential. Satcher, an M.D. and certified in PMR, functional medicine and integrative medicine, specializes in metabolic and autoimmune problems affecting the glands, nervous system and musculoskeletal system.

Location: 6820 Commercial Dr., Ste. D, Springfield, VA. To qualify, contact 703-454-9326, ext.

0 or email Info@TreatYourselfToHealth.com.

Symposium Offered on How Healing Works

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he George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences’ Office of Integrative Medicine and Health (OIMH) is pleased to announce that Wayne Jonas, M.D., will be the keynote speaker at their Inaugural Patrick and Marguerite Sung Symposium, at 4 p.m. on June 5, at Ross Hall, at the university’s Foggy Bottom campus. The title of his talk will be How Healing Works and What It Means for Health Care. The event is free and open to the public.

Jonas is a healthcare thought leader, expert in integrative health and widely published scientific investigator.

The bestselling author of How Healing Works, he is the executive director of Samueli Integrative Health Programs, a nonprofit medical research organization supporting the scientific investigation of healing processes in the areas Wayne Jonas, M.D. of stress, pain and resilience. Jonas was the director of the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health from 1995-1999 and before that served as the director of the Medical Research Fellowship at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

The event is sponsored by OIMH. Launched in the fall of 2017, their goal is to promote health and wellness in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and beyond. They do this by educating providers and patients about the benefits of using an integrative approach to disease prevention and wellness, and by helping complementary and alternative medicine practitioners provide care in conventional hospital and outpatient environments.

Got Osteoporosis?

Save the Date for this Free Webinar

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any people believe that osteoporosis is a normal part of the aging process.

Though it is typical to lose some bone mass as you age, osteoporosis is not an inevitable side effect to aging. Yet, there are more than 25 million women diagnosed in the U.S. alone. Susan Brady, MPT, nutrition consultant and doctor of Integrative Medicine, will be offering a free webinar: Living Life without Fear of Fracturing: A Holistic Approach to Building Strong, Healthy Bones, from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m. on May 7.

Through her work, Brady has learned that with the right treatment, osteoporosis can be prevented, halted and in some cases, even reversed. In this webinar, participants will learn a five-step integrative method for saving one’s bones, the two hidden causes of bone-loss that are rarely addressed and the best diet for building strong, healthy bones.

This event is sponsored by Natural Awakenings, Washington, D.C. and you are invited to participate. Save the date now and plan to attend.

To register, visit NaturalAwakeningsDC.com or NurturedBones.EventBrite.com. See ad, page 6.

There are two ways of

spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. ~Edith Wharton

Location: Ross Hall, Room 117, GW Foggy Bottom Campus. Registration opens soon. For more information, call 202-994-7462 or email OIMH@GWU.edu.

April 2018

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health briefs

Whole Grains Help Us Eat Less DeryaDraws /Shutterstock.com

When overweight adults exchange refined grain products such as white bread and pasta for whole-grain equivalents, they tend to feel full sooner, eat less, lose weight and experience a reduction in inflammation, the journal Gut reports. Researchers from Denmark’s National Food Institute and the University of Copenhagen studying 50 adults at risk for Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease found that test volunteers realized these benefits by eating whole grains, and rye in particular.

Ingesting a combination of five herbs while making healthy lifestyle changes significantly reduced symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome in a recent Australian study of 122 women published in Phytotherapy Research.

The herbs were Cinnamomum verum (cinnamon), Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice), Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s wort), Paeonia lactiflora (peony) and Tribulus terrestris (tribulus).

Menstrual cycles returned to normal duration for 55 percent of the women, and significant improvements occurred in body mass index, pregnancy rates, hormones, insulin sensitivity and blood pressure. Subjects also exhibited less depression, anxiety and stress.

High-Fat Diet Risks Multiple Sclerosis Relapse A high-fat diet increases the risk of relapse of multiple sclerosis in children by as much as 56 percent, reports The Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. A multi-university study of 219 children also found that each 10 percent increase in saturated fat as a share of total calories tripled the risk of relapse. Inversely, each additional cup of vegetables per week cut the risk of the disease by 50 percent.

ZenFruitGraphics/Shutterstock.com

Herbs Ease Polycystic Ovary Symptoms

A Harvard study of 325 women undergoing fertility treatments found that those consuming the most produce high in pesticide residues, such as strawberries, spinach and grapes, were 18 percent less likely to become pregnant and 26 percent less likely to have a live birth compared to women eating the least amount of pesticide-laden produce. Study co-author Dr. Jorge Chavarro suggests that women trying to conceive should eat organic produce or low-pesticide choices like avocados, onions and oranges.

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All kind of people/Shutterstock.com

FRUIT PESTICIDES LOWER FERTILITY IN WOMEN

DeryaDraws /Shutterstock.com

Less REM-Stage Sleep Linked to Dementia Risk

People that get less rapid eye movement (REM) sleep may have a greater risk of developing dementia, according to a new study published in Neurology. Following 321 people over age 60 for 12 years, Australian researchers found that those that developed dementia spent an average of 17 percent of their sleep time in REM sleep, compared to 20 percent for others. It also took them longer to get to that dream-generating stage.

Nature Videos Calm Prisoners

Maximum-security prison inmates in Oregon that spent an hour a day for a year watching nature videos were involved in 26 percent fewer violent acts compared with fellow inmates, and reported feeling significantly calmer, less irritable and more empathetic. The University of Utah study, published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, states, “An estimated 5.3 million Americans live or work in nature-deprived venues. Such removal from nature can result in an ‘extinction of experience’ that can further lead to disinterest or disaffection toward natural settings, or even biophobia (fear of the natural environment). People that infrequently or never spend time in nature will be deprived of the numerous physical and emotional benefits that contact with nature affords.”

Luis Louro /Shutterstock.com

Air Pollution Linked to Psychological Distress Air pollution takes a toll on mental health, University of Washington researchers have concluded. By linking health data for 6,000 people to census tracts, they found that people living in areas with the highest levels of airborne fine particulate matter scored 17 percent higher in measures of psychological distress, including sadness, nervousness and hopelessness.

The higher the level of particulates—emitted by car engines, fireplaces and fossil fuel power plants—the greater the impact.

What’s Your Ayurveda Type?

by Laina Poulakos

Ayurveda is a 5000-year-old philosophy, based on the belief that humans are all made of one of three prime energies. We are born with one prime energy at birth—prakruti, but we will have a bit of the other elements through different times, as we face our journeys through life.

Keeping these elements in balance will help the body stay healthy­— mentally and physically.

Vata is the air dosha, Pitta the fire dosha and Kapha the dosha of Earth.

People with Vata energy can be more spacey and have a hard time focusing. Those with Vata energy have a thinner frame and tend to be cold.

Those with Pitta energy have more of a fast-moving body and mind. Normally, they are warmer and of average body frame. Individuals identified as Kapha are more grounded, as they have a heavier, earthy body frame. They also tend to be cold and can be oily.

Finding one’s dosha is an important key to helping you eat the proper diet for your body type. This will maintain a healthy balance body and mind.

Laina Poulakos is the founder of Mother’s Nature Store and a certified aromatherapist and herbologist. For a consultation and products, call 703851-0087 or visit MothersNatureStore. com. See ad, page 11.

April 2018

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Clear Gain

A study published in the journal Science found that forests across Asia, Latin America and Africa release 468 tons of carbon per year, equivalent to nearly 10 percent of the annual U.S. carbon footprint.

Thus, tropical forests may no longer be acting as carbon sinks and could be releasing more carbon than they store.

Lead author Alessandro Baccini, with the Woods Hole Research Center, in Massachusetts, says, “These findings provide the world with a wake-up call on forests. If we’re to keep global temperatures from rising to dangerous levels, we need to drastically reduce emissions and greatly increase forests’ ability to absorb and store carbon.”

Researchers think nearly 70 percent of this loss of carbon storage capacity is caused by small-scale degradation from logging, drought and wildfire. Researchers say that policies to curb deforestation, reduce degradation and restore the integrity of the land could turn forests back into carbon sinks.

Distributed Power Energy Users Control Own Supplies

Some municipalities spend between 20 and 40 percent of their annual budgets on the energy needed to operate wastewater treatment plants. The city of Thousand Oaks, California, has transformed their biggest energy user into an energy generator. Across the U.S., energy users of all sizes are taking control of their power supply and relieving stress from the grid. That’s the idea behind distributed energy. Atlantic Re:think and Siemens have partnered to explore this burgeoning energy revolution. View a video at Tinyurl.com/TheThousandOaksSolution.

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Solar energy is now the cheapest form of new energy in dozens of countries, with record-setting solar farms being built worldwide. Researchers have been investigating ways to make transparent solar panels that resemble glass that could be used as window panels at the same time as converting the light that shines on them into electricity.

“Highly transparent solar cells represent the wave of the future for new solar applications,” explains materials scientist Richard Lunt, Ph.D., from Michigan State University. “We analyzed their potential and show that by harvesting only invisible light, these devices have the potential of generating a similar amount of electricity as rooftop solar while providing additional functionality to enhance the efficiency of buildings, automobiles and mobile electronics.”

As reported in Nature Energy, his team has developed a transparent, luminescent, solar concentrator that looks like clear glass, covered in small, organic molecules adept at capturing only ultraviolet and near-infrared wavelengths of light. The visible light that enables human vision isn’t obstructed, so we can see through the cell. If scaled up to cover the billions of square feet of glass surfaces throughout the U.S., it could potentially supply about 40 percent of our country’s energy needs.

SVIATLANA SHEINAtterstock.com

Tropical Forests Releasing Excess Carbon

Dirk Ercken/Shutterstock.com

‘Sink’ Setback

Window-Like Solar Cells Could Power 40 Percent of U.S. Needs

Scientists’ Security

France Welcomes Beleaguered Climate Researchers

French President Emmanuel Macron awarded 18 climate scientists from the U.S. and elsewhere millions of euros in grants to relocate to his country for the rest of Donald Trump’s presidential term. Macron’s “Make Our Planet Great Again” grants are meant to counter Trump’s intent on the climate change front following his declaration to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord.

One winner, Camille Parmesan, of the University of Texas at Austin, who is working at an experimental ecology station in the Pyrenees charting how human-made climate change is affecting wildlife, says that in the U.S., “You are having to hide what you do.”

Big Pants Production/Shutterstock.com

global briefs

Transforming Plastics

Peter Bernik/Shutterstock.com

Mobile Trashpresso Turns Trash into Tiles

UK furniture and design company Pentatonic has invented the Trashpresso, a solar-powered, mini-recycling plant that transforms plastic waste into usable architectural tiles. Pentatonic doesn’t use raw goods that create excess waste because they are committed to using materials for their products that incorporate some element of recycling, says co-founder Johann Bodecker. They want their products to be reusable, too, so they don’t use glues, resins, paints or formaldehydes to create them, a philosophy that influences all company decisions.

The Trashpresso can be used in offthe-grid places where traditional recycling plants would be impractical. It sorts, shreds and compresses trash into plastic fibers to create fully formed tiles. The invention has attracted the attention of companies that want to reduce their own contribution to plastic waste and ocean pollution. Starbucks UK, for example, has commissioned Pentatonic to turn their coffee shop waste into furniture, including bean bag chairs produced from plastic bottles and cups.

Top Polluters

Photomontage/Shutterstock.com

Just 100 Companies Emit Most Global Emissions

In July 2017, historic new research from environmental nonprofit CDP, in collaboration with the Climate Accountability Institute, revealed in The Carbon Majors Report that 71 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions since 1988 can be traced to just 100 fossil fuel producers. It’s the first in a series of planned publications to improve transparency and highlight the role companies and their investors could play in tackling climate change.

Offenders ExxonMobil, Shell, BP and Chevron are among the highest-emitting investorowned companies. If fossil fuels continue to be extracted at the same rate for the next 28 years as they were between 1988 and 2017, global average temperatures would be on course to rise by 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of this century, likely causing catastrophic consequences, including substantial species extinction and global food scarcity risks.

Read the report at Tinyurl.com/ CarbonTop100List.

Earth Day

should encourage us to reflect on what we are doing to make our planet a more

sustainable and livable place. ~Scott Peters

April 2018

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THREE-MONTH EDITORIAL PLANNING CALENDAR

J U N E J U L Y

plus: Personalized Medicine

Our Readers are Seeking:

Integrative Physicians & Alternative Healing Providers & Services

Livable Communities plus: Natural Beauty

Our Readers are Seeking: Home & Garden Improvement Products & Services & Natural Beauty Aids

Chinese Chokepoint

U.S. Waste Paper Turned Away

Companies that recycle cardboard boxes were overwhelmed after record-breaking holiday shopping online. The U.S. Postal Service estimated it delivered 10 percent more packages in 2017 than the year before. Amazon, the leader in online shopping, said it shipped more than 5 billion items for Prime members in 2017. All of this cardboard is a huge recycling challenge. Americans routinely toss food waste and other garbage into their recycling carts, and China, the country that receives the bulk of these contaminated recyclables, says it has had enough.

China, by far the world’s biggest importer and processor of recyclables, has put the U.S. on notice that it will begin turning away all but the most pristine used plastics and unsorted waste paper by this fall and early next year.

The pronouncement has alarmed U.S. government and industry officials, especially on the West Coast, that face the challenge of either cleaning up the vast, never-ending stream of recyclables to meet China’s strict standards or finding other places to dump the messy items—perhaps in landfills.

The uncertainty caused by China’s looming ban is beginning to slow down the entire West Coast system for sorting and shipping off recyclables. In Hong Kong, which ships its waste paper and cardboard to the Chinese mainland, mounds of the materials already are piling up at docks and in cargo ships being kept at sea.

Waxworm Wonders

Caterpillars Offer Clues to Plastic Cleanup

Farmers Rooted In Health

plus: Anti-Inflammatory Diets Our Readers are Seeking:

Healthy food production and diet choices

Contact us to learn about marketing opportunities and become a member of the Natural Awakenings community at:

Waxworms, a type of caterpillar, are vexing to beekeepers because they devour the wax that bees use to build honeycombs. It turns out that they can do the same to plastic. Ongoing worldwide research reveals several types of bacteria found in waxworms that digest some kinds of plastic at rates that vary from weeks to months.

Scientist Federica Bertocchini, at the Spanish National Research Council, mashed up a quantity of the greater wax moth and applied the paste to polyethylene. After half a day, about 13 percent of the plastic had disappeared.

She collaborated with biochemists at the University of Cambridge to analyze this chemical decomposition of the plastic. They discovered that some of the substance is converted into ethylene glycol, a sign that it was genuinely being degraded. The carbon-to-carbon bonds found in polyethylene are also present in the wax that the caterpillars eat.

Susan Selke, director of the Michigan State University School of Packaging, remarks, “The hunt for organisms that can degrade plastics is on. Right now, we don’t have a good solution for dealing with the plastics that are piling up on our planet.”

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We Need Trees

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eco tip

Arbor Day More Vital Now than Ever

The 147th annual Arbor Day on April 27 encourages tree planting worldwide to replenish lost tree cover including trees wiped out in the recent fires in California and hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. The Arbor Day Foundation (ADF) is committed to providing 5 million trees in these areas alone. More than 3,400 U.S. communities will participate as an ADF Tree City. Visit Tinyurl.com/USATreeCityDirectory for a current list and criteria for new communities to apply.

The ADF Alliance for Community Trees (ACTrees.org) supports treegrowing programs for 200 nonprofit member groups nationwide via funding, information sharing and forging helpful connections. Trees are much more than aesthetics, says Program Manager Dana Karcher, who most recently welcomed Community Greening, in Delray Beach, Florida, and Outdoor Circle, in Hawaii, into the fold. “Trees clean the air, are a habitat for animals, retain storm water and more.” An affiliated nonprofit program online at NeighborWoodsMonth.org encourages tree planting each October.

Billings, Montana, earned the latest Arbor Day Celebration Award after 12 elementary schools there engaged in environmental education stations and 180 volunteers planted and pruned trees. Other recent biannual award winners included California’s ReLeaf program and the Atlanta Beltline Arboretum.

The need was great even before the world’s forests lost 73.4 million acres of tree cover in 2016, a 51 percent increase over 2015, due to poor forest management, climate change-driven drought and fires, says Global Forest Watch.

Hopeful global signs: The largest-ever tropical reforestation project in the Brazilian Amazon aims to plant 73 million trees in the next six years on 70,000 acres. A New Zealand participation goal for the Billion Trees Planting Programme targets planting 100 million trees annually for a decade. In July 2017, volunteers in Madhya Pradesh, India, planted 66,750,000 tree saplings in 12 hours, exceeding the previous record by Uttar Pradesh of 50 million in 24 hours, as part of India’s reforestation pledge of 2 billion new trees by 2030.

A $10 annual ADF membership fee includes 10, six-inch-tall seedlings to plant or to donate to a national forest. Karcher’s paramount planting tip: “Dig the hole twice as wide and the same depth of the root ball. If it’s too deep, it’ll suffocate. Give roots space to grow.”

Save Wild Horses Campaign Update

The Trump Administration’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget again calls on Congress to lift long-standing prohibitions on the destruction and slaughter of wild horses and burros. The budget seeks to cut approximately $14 million of the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Program by selling as many as 90,000 federally protected American mustangs for slaughter to avoid management costs and supply foreign markets with horsemeat.

So far, citizens have held the line in favor of America’s iconic equine heritage. As Congress discusses appropriations for 2019, we must continue to press our senators and representatives to stand with the 80 percent of Americans that demand protection for these animals.

Make your voice heard today via the online form at Tinyurl.com/ SaveWildHorsesNow.

Horses make a landscape look beautiful. ~Alice Walker April 2018

13

Why a Warming Planet is Harming Our Health

by Lisa Marshall

S

amantha Ahdoot’s son Isaac was 9 years old when he collapsed from the heat while playing clarinet at band camp. It had been a record-hot summer following a mild winter and early spring, and Dr. Ahdoot, an Alexandria, Virginia, pediatrician, had already noticed a string of unusual cases: A toddler had contracted Lyme disease in the once tick-free region of Northern Maine. A teenager had suffered an asthma attack in February, a full month before she usually started taking allergy medicine. A displaced grade-schooler from out of town arrived traumatized after fleeing a hurricane-ravaged home with her family. But it wasn’t until she saw her son laying on a gurney in the emergency room with an IV in his arm that she fully connected the dots.

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“I was aware that the weather had changed a lot since I was kid. But it really didn’t hit home until that day that climate change could affect my health and the health of my children personally,” recalls Ahdoot. “I realized it would be a betrayal of my duty as a pediatrician to sit back and do nothing about it.”

Health Care Alert

Ahdoot, now a vocal climate change activist, is among a growing number of healthcare professionals that have begun to reframe climate change not as a concern for elsewhere or the future, but as a pressing U.S. public

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Healthy Climate, Healthy People

health issue today. In one recent survey of 1,200 allergists, 48 percent said climate change is already affecting their patients a “great deal” or a “moderate amount.” In another survey of lung specialists, 77 percent said they were seeing patient symptoms grow more severe due to worsening climate-related air quality.

In a sweeping review published last October in The Lancet medical journal, a team of healthcare professionals proclaimed that the human symptoms of climate change are “unequivocal and potentially irreversible,” noting that since 2000, the number of people in the United States exposed to heat waves annually has risen by about 14.5 million, and the number of natural disasters annually has increased 46 percent.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also begun to weigh in with a Climate-Ready States and Cities Initiative to help local health departments brace for everything from the hazardous air quality associated with more forest fires to the spread of vector-borne diseases like Zika and West Nile as the range and season of mosquitoes and ticks expands.

Meanwhile, groups like the newly formed and expansive Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health, to which Ahdoot belongs, are being proactive. Its doctors are greening their offices, swapping cars for bikes, buses or carpooling, lobbying lawmakers and encouraging their patients to undertake measures to prevent the problem from worsening. In the process, they say, they might even improve their own health.

“We want the public to understand that climate change is not just about polar bears or receding glaciers in the Arctic, but also about our children and our health here and now,” says Ahdoot.

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Flora and Fauna Issues

During the past century, average temperatures have increased between 1.3 and 1.9 degrees Fahrenheit, with annual increases accelerating in recent years as 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2017 all set records for ambient heat. Such rising temperatures, combined with increased rain and record-high atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, can have a significant impact on plants— both those that irritate or nourish us, says Howard Frumkin, a medical doctor who co-authored the Lancet report and teaches environmental and occupational health sciences at the University of Washington, in Seattle.

Wild, allergy-inducing plants like ragweed and poison ivy are flourishing.

Poison ivy is growing faster, larger and more toxic as excess carbon prompts it to produce more of its rash-inducing compound, urushiol. “We are seeing the season for ragweed productivity expanding, with pollen levels rising higher and earlier and lasting longer by several weeks,” advises Frumkin. In 2016, residents of Minneapolis, Minnesota, endured a ragweed season that was 21 days longer than in 1990. Other, desirable crops, like grains, do worse in hotter carbonrich climes, producing less protein and other nutrients, Frumkin notes.

Meanwhile, bugs are thriving, with longer seasons and wider ranges in which to reproduce.

Mosquitoes’ capacity to transmit dengue fever— the world’s fastest-growing mosquitoborne illness—has risen by 11 percent since 1950, more than half of that just since 1990, according to the Lancet report. Further, the tick that carries Lyme disease is now present in 46 percent of U.S. counties, up from 30 percent in 1998. “My physician colleagues used to treat two or three cases a month during tick season,” says Dr. Nitin Damle, a physician at South County Internal Medicine, in Wakefield, Rhode Island.

Five Steps to Take Today

1

Swap tailpipes for pedals: Bike or walk instead of driving, especially for distances of less than two miles, which comprise 40 percent of all car trips.

A study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives found that if everyone did this in just 11 cities in the Midwest, not only would carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fall, but it would extend 1,300 lives and save $8 billion in healthcare costs due to better air quality and less sedentary lifestyles.

2

Eat less red meat: Producing

red meat results in five times more climate-warming emissions per calorie than chicken, pork, dairy or eggs, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. It also creates 11 times more emissions than the production of potatoes, wheat or rice.

Eating less red meat can also decrease an individual’s risk of certain cancers.

3

Encourage hospitals and doctors’ offices to go green:

The healthcare system is responsible

“Now each of us sees 40 to 50 new cases each season.”

Heat Pollution

Rising heat can also aggravate lung conditions because it promotes the production of ozone, a major lung irritant. With prolonged heat often come wildfires. When one burned for three months in North Carolina in a recent summer, researchers discovered that residents of counties affected by the smoke plume showed a 50 percent increase in emergency trips due to respiratory illness.

Like Isaac, more kids are ending up in hospitals due to soaring temperatures, with U.S. emergency room visits for heat illnesses up by 133 percent between 1997 and 2006. Ahdoot recalls a young football player from Arkansas that showed signs of weakness and fatigue during practice, but wasn’t treated right away. He ended

for about 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, according to a recent study by researchers at the Yale School of Medicine, in New Haven, Connecticut. Boston-area hospitals recently slashed their overall emissions by 29 percent in five years.

4

Plant more trees: As they grow, trees remove carbon dioxide from the air. Being around green space has also been shown to boost mental and cognitive health.

5

Show compassion: Americans,

per capita, emit six times more CO2 than the global average, according to research by Jonathan Patz, a medical doctor who directs the Global Health Institute at the University of WisconsinMadison. In a TED Talk, he observed that U.S. lower-income populations and those in developing countries are often hit hardest by gaseous emissions. “Those most vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change are often the least responsible,” he says. “Doing something about this is a matter of compassion.”

up with heat stroke, kidney failure and pulmonary edema and ultimately required kidney dialysis. “Every summer now, I see the impacts of increasing temperatures and heat waves on kids,” she says.

Climate change can also impact mental health, according to a recent review by the American Psychological Association.

Exposure to natural disasters can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. Plus, according to research institutions including the University of California, San Diego, and Iowa State University, chronic heat, especially at night, can interfere with sleep and even lead to aggressive behavior.

Then there’s the worry about what to do about it, and whether it will be enough.

“When you talk with people about what is affecting them, climate is definitely one of the things stressing them out,” says Thomas Doherty, Psy.D., a psychologist April 2018

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in Portland, Oregon. “There’s a sense of mystery and powerlessness around it that weighs on people.”

Fresh Perspective, New Hope

A cloudy day is no match for a

sunny disposition. ~William Arthur Ward

Mona Sarfaty, a family physician who is now director of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health, attests that 69 percent of Americans are aware that climate change is occurring, and more than half agree that human activities are at least partly to blame. Yet only a third believe it could ever harm them personally. “So much of the early focus was on the receding glaciers and the penguins,” she says.

“People today still think it will affect ‘those other people over there,’ but not them.”

She agrees with the recent focus on imminent health issues, and is encouraged that a growing number of healthcare professionals feel it’s their duty to inform their patients about climate change to mobilize action.

“When you talk about climate change not only in terms of the health impact it has on individuals and families, but also in terms of the real-time benefits of taking action against it, people are a lot more interested in doing something,” says Sarfaty.

For instance, shifting to clean energy sources like wind and solar instead of coal can effect better air quality and easier breathing now. Cycling or walking to work rather than driving can reduce carbon emissions, boost feel-good brain chemicals and keep weight in check. Writing letters to editors or attending rallies to urge lawmakers to pass climate-friendly policies can not only fend off the anxiety and depression that comes with feeling helpless, but also effect real change.

Ahdoot is taking these steps now. She has solar panels on her roof, is assisting the local hospital to reduce its carbon footprint, takes public transportation to work and encourages her kids to walk whenever possible. “I don’t feel powerless at all. I feel empowered and optimistic,” she says. “The more we know, the more we are moved to act. We can all do something small every day to protect our climate.”

Lisa Marshall is a freelance health writer in Boulder, CO. Connect at LisaAnnMarshall.com.

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wise words

Paul Hawken Shares a Plan to Reverse Global Warming

by Linda Sechrist

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or author Paul Hawken, a leading environmental entrepreneur working with a coalition of research fellows, advisors and expert reviewers, the climate goal is drawdown, or reversing global warming—the point in atmospheric time when the concentration of greenhouse gases peaks and begins to decline on a year-to-year basis. Hawken edited Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming, a compendium of the 100 most substantive solutions that already exist.

Are you optimistic about achieving the goal?

Why is drawdown the goal?

If we don’t name the goal, we are unlikely to achieve it. To date, language like mitigation, stabilization and reduction has been used to address climate change. These goals are not particularly ambitious and will do little to preserve civilization. Those verbs are about slowing the amount of released gases, but do not reverse them. If you are going the wrong way down a road which heads straight over a cliff, slowing down is not a helpful goal. We need to turn around, and that is what drawdown research is all about.

Why and how did you do the research?

We wanted to know if it was game over with respect to global warming, or could we reverse the buildup of greenhouse gases with techniques and practices already underway? We gathered a qualified and diverse group of 70 researchers from around the world to identify, research and model the 100 most substantive existing solutions.

They modeled the impact the solutions will have if they continue to scale in a rigorous, but reasonable way, and what the cost and profits would be. All carbon data was based on peer-reviewed science. Economic data came from respected international institutions like the World Bank. The goal of the

tion is the most powerful lever available for breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty while mitigating emissions by curbing population growth.

Ranked seventh, family planning, particularly in low-income countries, impacts world population. For women to have children by choice rather than chance and to plan their family size and spacing is a matter of autonomy and dignity.

Together, these two solutions would account for significant reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050. The United Nations estimates a difference between the high and median population projections in 2050 of 10.8 billion versus 9.7 billion. The difference is almost entirely determined by availability of family planning.

book was to present the findings and describe the solutions in ways that fascinated and informed, accompanied by images that enlivened and inspired.

What are the top 10 solutions?

The top 10 solutions, in order, are: refrigerant management, wind turbines, reduced food waste, plant-rich diet, tropical forests protection, educating girls, family planning, solar farms, silvopasture—the intentional combination of trees, forage plants and livestock as an integrated, intensively managed system— and rooftop solar. All 100 are listed at Drawdown.org/solutions-summary-by-rank.

Did any of the solutions surprise you?

None of the solutions surprised us, but their rankings did. For example, educating girls, number six, has a dramatic bearing on global warming. Women with more years of education have fewer, healthier, children and actively manage their reproductive health. Educated females realize higher wages and greater upward mobility, contributing to economic growth. Educa-

Drawdown is not about optimism, hope or pessimism. It is a reality project. The science on climate change is amazing, if not stunning. It is the best problem statement humanity has ever created, which I see as a gift, not a curse. Global warming is feedback from the atmosphere. The Earth is a system, and any system that does not incorporate feedback fails. It holds true for our body, ecosystems, social systems and economic systems. The knowledge of global warming and its potential impacts is creating huge breakthroughs in energy, transport, agriculture, housing, urbanization and materials. If it wasn’t for the science of climate change, we would be destroying our planet faster than we already are.

Focusing repeatedly on the problem does not solve the problem. Diagnosis is not prognosis unless we give up. The science of what will happen if we do not act has been here for a long time. What Drawdown points out is that humanity is on the case. The plan we refer to in the book’s subtitle is not our plan; we found a plan being activated by the collective intelligence of humanity. This is a different story than one of gloom and doom.

It is a story of innovation, creativity and generosity—that is who we are.

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings.

April 2018

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Changing Our Diet to Cool the Climate

Washington, D.C.

by Judith Fertig

hree years ago, the New York Times added a new word to the world’s food vocabulary:

Climatarian (n.) A diet whose primary goal is to reverse climate change. This includes eating locally produced food (to reduce energy spent in transportation), choosing pork and poultry instead of beef and lamb (to limit gas emissions), and using every part of ingredients (apple cores, cheese rinds, etc.) to limit food waste.

Changing our food choices to support this model can have a ripple effect. Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in a 2017 study published in the journal Climatic Change, looked at how diets impact personal health, the healthcare system and climate. They found that adopting a more plant-based diet reduces the relative risk of coronary heart disease, colorectal cancer and Type 2 diabetes by 20 to 40 percent. National annual health care costs could drop from $93 billion to $77 billion. Direct greenhouse gas emissions could annually drop 489 to 1,821 pounds per person.

Such an approach involves considering the related water usage, greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint—the energy required to cultivate, harvest and

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transport food—plus processing associated food waste. Here are some top choices.

Foods that Go Easy on Water

Hydroponic greens are hands-down winners. The Shelton Family Farm, near Whittier, North Carolina, weekly produces 10,000 to 12,000 heads of hydroponically grown Bibb lettuce. The controlled environment and carefully engineered nutrient delivery systems maximize all resources.

“It’s an enclosed system that runs 24/7, and it’s highly efficient from a waterusage standpoint because we recycle the water,” says William Shelton Jr., a fourthgeneration family farmer. “The only water that’s actually consumed is what’s taken up and transpired through the plants.” In a moderate climate, energy costs to recycle the water and keep the plants at an even temperature are moderate, as well.

Dry-tilled heirloom tomatoes, okra, melons and quinoa are drought-tolerant and only use available rainfall.

Foods that Go Easy on Greenhouse Gases

Plants beat meat. “Livestock farming produces from 20 to 50 percent of all

manmade greenhouse gas emissions,” says nutritionist and climate activist Jane Richards, of GreenEatz, in Mountain View, California. “You can reduce your footprint by a quarter by cutting down on red meats such as beef and lamb.”

An exception is the vegetarian staple of rice. According to researchers at Project Drawdown, a climate solutions organization in Sausalito, California, rice cultivation is responsible for at least 10 percent of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and up to 19 percent of global methane emissions. New farming techniques, like mid-season draining of the rice paddies, could cut methane emissions by at least 35 percent.

Richards notes, “Meat, cheese and eggs have the highest carbon footprint; fruit, vegetables, beans and nuts, much lower. The carbon footprint of a vegetarian diet is about half that of a meat-lover’s diet.”

Root crops such as carrots, radishes, potatoes and beets have a lower carbon footprint than above-ground plants due to less food waste. A beautiful beet is easier to grow than a bell pepper that blemishes more easily.

Seasonal, regional fruit, vegetables, herbs and honey have a lighter carbon impact because they are transported shorter distances. Usually what grows best in a region and is consumed locally is also best for the climate.

Foods naturally suited to their environment grow and taste better, and are packed with more nutrients, reports Sustainable

Table, an educational nonprofit that builds healthy communities through sustainable eating habits (SustainableTable.org).

Hopeful Developments

New agricultural developments can also benefit our climate environment. According to Project Drawdown research, perennial grains and cereals could be pivotal in reaching soil, carbon and energy targets.

The Land Institute, in Salina, Kansas, has been working with the Rodale Institute, in Berks County, Pennsylvania, to develop a perennial wheat that would not have to be planted from seed each year.

This would save soil, carbon and both human and machine energy.

Kernza, a new perennial grain proven to prosper in natural grasslands like the Great Plains, is not yet widely distributed.

Maria Speck, author of Simply Ancient Grains, advises, “With up to 15-foot-long roots, it can be harvested for five years and uses less fertilizer than conventional wheat.

Kernza tastes almost like a cross between rice and wheat—sweet, grassy, mesmerizing.”

Michael Pollan, author of Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual and creator of the film Food, Inc., suggests we keep it simple: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” Climatarians would add another guideline—eat as locally as possible.

Judith Fertig writes cookbooks plus foodie fiction from Overland Park, KS (JudithFertig.com).

Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful. ~Zig Ziglar

April 2018

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practitioner spotlight

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Creating a Healthy Environment A Conversation with Dr. Mark McClure of National Integrated Health Associates

by Robin Fillmore

N

atural Awakenings, Washington, D.C. editor, Robin Fillmore, had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Mark McClure why and how we all need to be aware of creating a toxin-free home to live a long and healthy life. Below is a part of that interaction.

Why is it important for individuals to take steps to have a healthy home?

All one’s hard work to be healthy, including money spent on testing and health professionals, diet and lifestyles, exercise and physical medicine machines and classes, can be reversed when living in a compromised home and environment.

What changes in our environment have made a healthy home more challenging?

Modern building construction, the modern world of electricity, cell phones, internet, wireless technologies, the 20

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chemical revolution and much more, can bring the world and conveniences to our fingertips and tame the elements—which is a very good thing. But this comes at a price of enhanced exposure to noxious energies, mold, toxic chemicals and poor air/water quality. Our home should be a place of healing and health, where food, rest and re-charge is maximized. Sadly, all too often, it is just the opposite.

What are some of the specific contributors to an unhealthy home?

There has been a dramatic increase in noxious energies or electrosmog (EMF, radiofrequency radiation and Geopathic stress). Noted expert Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt calls electrosmog the third leading cause of chronic illness in U.S. behind heavy metals and chronic infections. Everyone needs to learn to protect themselves from electrosmog.

Another problem is mold, which is prevalent in homes. Mold and fungi

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grow in damp, stagnant air and a dark environment. Mold growth is enhanced by modern building methods of sealing the home, which eliminates the potential for outside ventilation and the home’s ability to breathe.

Medical professionals also note the increase of chemicals in the home, as well. Typically, there are more than 6,000 chemicals in the home and 200,000 chemicals released into the environment—and very few are tested for safety.

These accumulate and synergize with other toxins (heavy metals, chronic infection toxins) to create exponential health issues. This includes personal care and home cleaning products. It is important to remember that what is placed on the skin goes into the body, and there are healthy alternatives to these toxic products.

The food in a modern kitchen greatly contributes to an unhealthy home. Too much sugar, artificial chemicals and pesticides found on non-GMO foods may create inflammation as well as sensitivities to gluten.

Likewise, having a clean water source at home is vital. Chlorine and fluoride are poisons that may disrupt endrocrine function and affect one’s thyroid metabolism. Also, biofilm of bacterial toxins seeps into home tap water from the water lines.

What are the top 5 things we can all do to create a healthier home environment?

1 2

Evaluate your home. Look for

noxious energies, mold and mildew (water leaks) and assess the interior environment for healthy, safe air.

Get smart about organic living, especially if you have

a chronic issue that is not being resolved and get help. Applying common sense to an enhanced understanding, but also test (and not guess) to understand electrosmog hygiene, enlist the support of wellness professionals and health coaches, and have an energetic health evaluation as part of a functional assessment.

3

Educate yourself about electrosmog and electromag-

inspiration

4 5

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netic frequencies (EMFs) which are given off by wireless devices. This is an uphill battle to bring electrosmog issues to the consciousness of everyone­—doctors as well as patients. Exposure to electrosmog is rapidly increasing with many known deleterious health effects.

Invest in a good water filter for healthy drinking water.

Use healthy, non-toxic cleaning products such as vinegar and baking soda.

What are some things we can do to protect our bodies from an unhealthy environment?

The key is to detox for life. This includes ridding the body of heavy metals and toxic chemicals; identifing and reducing one’s load of chronic infestations (such as mold, Lyme, parasites); and rehabilitating and then optimizing one’s bowels and liver, which is the body’s best “detox, immune, digestive and much more organ.” This means educating oneself about good bowel health (colonics, home enema and liver flushes), treating allergies, adding digestive enzymes if one is old or sick and probiotics for life, found in both foods and supplements.

National Integrated Health Associates (NIHA) practitioners can assist you with a good detox program based on your needs. Not only should one incorporate these strategies for now, it is important to make these changes for life.

Dr. Mark McClure is a pioneer in biological and holistic dentistry. The holistic dental team understands that a healthy mouth supported by holistic, mercury-free dentistry is critical to health. Location: 5225 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Ste. 402, Washington, D.C. For more information on detoxification, visit NihaDC.com/Health-Programs/ Rejuvenation-Detoxification .html. For more information about NIHA, call 202-237-7000 or visit NihaDC. com. See ad, page 16.

INDIGENOUS WISDOM

Elders Urge Us to Reimagine Life

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by Anita Sanchez

irst, 27 indigenous elders from 23 North American tribes, two African tribes, a Tibetan Buddhist and a Sami from Finland gathered at Turtle Mountain, in Dunseith, North Dakota, in 1994.

Recently, 13 elders from 10 tribes from Russia, Columbia, South Africa and the U.S. gathered in Kauai, Hawaii. Other such gatherings, too, are participating in a shared prophecy supporting world salvation.

They offer humanity four sacred gifts of wisdom rooted in their life experiences.

This is our invitation to receive them.

Power of Healing

Power to Forgive the Unforgivable

Power of Hope

Forgiveness is releasing ourselves from the prison of pain, hurt or mistreatment. It takes courage and self-love to do this. The reward of this act is freedom to use our energy to create what is life-giving to our self and the lives of those we touch.

Power of Unity

This is a time for us all to become and remain united and steadfast, repairing the world from the misuse of power and greed.

When we choose to stand in the circle of unity, there is strength. Each of us has an important part to play in the circle of life to sustain precious relationships among people, Earth and spirit for ourselves, our children and future generations.

Indigenous elders tailor their healing practices to the whole human being, using good medicine, defined as anything or anyone that brings into positive alignment the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical levels. Healing can take many forms, based on tradition, the healer, patient and nature, yet four basic elements or practices are consistent: listening, supportive relationships, unconditional love and committing to creative, positive action.

Hope springs from the choice to tap into an infinite energy source. It may not be understood by modern science, but indigenous wisdom keepers behold an inner certainty of something bigger than us all. When we open ourselves to hope, it is possible to release the pressure and desire to try to know something about everything, and instead free our imagination to create expansive possibilities.

Anita Sanchez, Ph.D., is a transformational leadership consultant, speaker, coach and author of the new book, The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times, from which this was adapted. For videos and a song, visit FourSacredGifts.com.

April 2018

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A 2009 study in The Journal of Environmental Science and Technology shows that the average home may contain as many as 400 chemicals and that many of these have not been tested on the body.

green living

Best Practices for Cleaning the Home, Body and Mind Spotlight on Green Cleaning

by Elizabeth McMillan

harmful compounds from the air via a process called phytomediation. They absorb toxic gasses through their roots and leaves, leaving the air purified. Some air-purifying plants include aloe, English ivy, rubber plant, lady palm, bamboo palm, peace lily, spider plants, snake plants, dwarf date palm and moth orchid. The added benefit is that most of these plants are easy to maintain and these vibrant greens will help you feel fresh and rejuvenated.

Another idea is to switch from plastic to glass storage containers. When plastic containers are heated in the microwave, they leach off several chemicals into our food. It is better to switch to glass storage containers. Clearing off countertops and floors of excess junk or un-opened mail has shown to relax the mind, promote drive and enhance energy.

Some other ways to help detoxify indoors include: n Use non-toxic household cleaners

T

oxins are unfortunately all around us. From the air we breath to the chemicals we ingest—and there is no way to avoid them unless living in a glass bubble. A 2009 study in The Journal of Environmental Science and Technology shows that the average home may contain as many as 400 chemicals and that many of these have not been tested on the body.

Often a sign that one’s life needs to be “detoxed” are feelings of being overwhelmed.

Other signs that the body needs to detox include inability to lose weight, hormonal imbalances, constipation, headaches, skin problems, fatigue and depression.

Environmental toxins come from pesticides, herbicides, exhaust, factory waste, 22

Washington, D.C.

molds, pharmaceuticals and chemicals in food, air and water. In our homes, we also have several areas of toxins. The air in our homes can become polluted from carpets, furniture and building materials. Nonorganic fabrics often have several chemicals involved in their synthesis and leach out over time. Chemical cleaning products and personal care products like lotions, makeup and perfumes also contain a lot of excess chemicals. These chemicals are absorbed through your skin or inhaled, causing a disruption in the body.

There are some simple ways to detox the air that we breathe inside of our homes.

There are many air purifying plants that are easy to keep in the house that can remove

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n Replace synthetically coated cookware with safe cookware n Do not use chemical weed killers on the lawn and landscape n Open the windows to air out any toxins kept in airtight rooms n Declutter personal spaces by donating or selling what you no longer need n Schedule a spring and fall house cleaning and de-cluttering calendar Adding some of these detoxification strategies will help to clear your body, mind and spirit.

Finally, toxins affect the biochemical processes of the body and they also bring about negative thoughts and beliefs, which

can poison your mental health, cause unhappiness and excess stress. A toxic mind may be cluttered with negativity and anger that leads to angry words, annoyances, guilt and stress. This is something that not only affects you but all the people around you.

Mental and emotional toxicity has, likewise, been linked to many diseases.

There is an interesting theory called German New Medicine that provides insight between the connection psyche and disease.

It is important to detox the mind by taking responsibility of your mental and emotional health, finding ways to reduce and eliminate bad emotions and thoughts and by adapting a holistic approach to stress.

Clearing toxins or excess clutter from the mind, body and home can be an empowering experience.

Elizabeth McMillan, MS, CNS, LDN is an integrative nutritionist at Rose Wellness specializing in digestive health, hormone balance, sugar control and inflammation.

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April 2018

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business spotlight

Rose Wellness

Providing a Fully Integrative Approach to Wellness and Healing

by Samantha Hudgins

S

ushma Hirani, M.D., a family medicine practitioner, has been practicing integrative medicine using the best of conventional and alternative medicine techniques for the past 11 years. When a patient has what Hirani refers to as their “Aha! moment”—the moment they finally start to understand why their body is behaving the way it is—the healing process begins automatically because they not only feel empowered, they also have renewed hope. Education also helps in strengthening the relationships between the practitioners and patients and is key to achieving one’s health goals at Rose Wellness.

Hirani was motivated to open her practice when working with patients with chronic diseases. She started the Rose Wellness Center, an integrative medicine clinic in Oakton, Virginia, in 2014, to expand the scope of services. She saw a need to focus not only on improving the health of the patients but also improving the quality of their life by guiding them on their journey to optimum wellness.

The team at Rose Wellness treats a multitude of conditions including fibromyalgia/ chronic fatigue, hormone imbalances, hypothyroidism, digestive issues, adrenal fatigue, women’s health issues, men’s health, allergies and chronic pain. Illness is not the only reason that brings people to Rose Wellness.

Preventive health care and health maintenance draw in patients as well. According to Hirani, there are five foundational elements to good health—a well-balanced diet, an efficient digestive system, a good hormone or

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endocrine balance, a healthy emotional state and regular or adequate body detoxification.

These elements are examined and discussed at each appointment to get the best picture of each individual’s health and healing journey.

The practice’s website, RoseWellness. com, contains information on the most common conditions they treat, as well as frequent articles and blog posts on health and wellness. Additionally, free seminars are held every month on a variety of topics.

At the center, Hirani is joined by other highly trained and accomplished health care practitioners. Dr. Alex Leon, an integrative medicine physician, specializes in men’s health care, chronic pain syndromes, fibromyalgia, hormone replacement for men, GI and allergic disorders. Dr. Vishal Verma, a trained sports chiropractor, specializes in chronic and acute pain conditions including fibromyalgia, arthritis, spinal and joint pain, sciatica and other nerve pain, sports and exercise injuries and headaches. Dr. Michael Liss, a classical homeopath, specializes in finding relief from various emotional and physical health problems including substance abuse, anxiety, bipolar disorder, posttraumatic stress, allergies, asthma, autism, childhood ailments, hair and skin disorders and sinus disorders.

Elizabeth McMillan, a board-certified nutritionist and frequent contributor to Natural Awakenings, Washington, D.C., specializes in functional nutritional therapy and integrative health. McMillan helps treat

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

Dr. Sushma Hirani diabetes, metabolic syndrome, food sensitivities, gastrointestinal health, autoimmunity, hormone imbalances in men and women and other metabolic complications. Virginia Mitchell, a board-certified acupuncturist, is also a trained massage therapist, focusing on acupressure and zero balancing. Mitchell specializes in pain management, fertility support, stress reduction, allergies, arthritis, back, neck or shoulder pain, migraines, autoimmune disorders, insomnia and sports injuries.

Patients are shown respect by having on-time appointments with minimal-to-no wait times. This is accomplished through incorporating technology and digitizing most information. Patients have access to their medical records through the patient portal.

A secure messaging system allows patients to request prescription refills and confidentially communicate with their practitioner.

Rose Wellness incorporates innovations in traditional medicine, integrative health care and technology to provide the best care to their patients. With a warm and welcoming spacious office, they are gladly accepting new patients and providing excellent care for the entire family.

To connect with the Rose Wellness Center, call 571-529-6699 or visit RoseWellness.com. See ad, page 3.

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April 2018

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women’s health

Thermography For Breast Health

by Donna Marie Scippa

T

hermography or Medical Infrared Imaging, is a painless, non-invasive and inexpensive breast scan approved by the Food and Drug Administration for women of any age. Research suggests that breast cancer survival rests upon the earliest possible detection. When discovered early, 95 percent cure rates are possible, making breast thermography an essential part of risk assessment and early detection.

Thermography is a physiologic test measuring heat levels in the tissue. Interpreting a thermogram requires a complex computerized system, which measures heat in the breast by analyzing images taken by a state-of-the-art medical infrared camera. All of us are heat generators and most of the heat we produce is normal. A thermogram detects abnormal heat in the breast tissue, (angiogenesis, or new blood vessel formation, necessary to sustain the growth of a tumor), which is one of the earliest signs that a breast cancer may be forming.

Thermography is an imaging procedure that uses no radiation, injections, 26

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extreme pressure or other invasive methods.

Infrared markers of early stage cancers missed by other methods may be discovered using thermography. This is the beautiful thing about thermography—it is capable of picking up these early signs while giving 90 percent sensitivity and specificity.

A mammogram is an X-ray (radiation) and a structural test. It detects microcalcifications and masses in breast tissue, which may or may not be benign. Unfortunately, cancer has already formed and been present in the breast for some time before detection by mammogram is possible.

Christiane Northrup, M.D., board-certified OB/GYN and author, a strong advocate of thermography, notes in a 2010 Huffington Post article, “I understand that mammography has been the gold standard for years. Doctors are the most familiar with this test and many believe that a mammogram is the best test for detecting breast cancer early. But it’s not. Studies show that a thermogram identifies precancerous or cancerous cells earlier.”

The inclusion of thermography in

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

breast cancer awareness and prevention plans is essential. It helps differentiate high-risk women, detect changes in breast tissue early and may give women a significant chance of beating an aggressive and widespread disease. It has been determined that no one method of examination alone can serve all the needs of breast cancer detection. Thermography can help in this arena, especially given how many women have dense breast tissue, which lowers the sensitivity of mammography.

It is also important to note that if women begin receiving thermographic scans in their 20s, they could be given a significant opportunity to change the course of their lives. Breast cancers in younger women are generally more aggressive and have poorer survival rates.

Breast thermography offers younger women a valuable imaging tool that they can add to their regular breast health check-ups. The importance of including thermography cannot be overemphasized. In this day and age we need to be as proactive as possible in order to finally stop breast cancer from being so prevalent and the cancer women fear the most.

Breast thermography has developed into an important tool in the fight against breast cancer and is important to include in any breast health program.

Neck Back & Beyond, an integrated wellness center in Fairfax, is offering their Spring Thermography Clinic, May 4-7. Call 703865-5690 or email NeckBackAndBeyond@ gmail.com to set up an appointment. Or attend their special movie of the month: a compilation of clips and a review of current issues on woman’s health from 7 to 9 p.m. on April 26. For more information, visit Neck BackAndBeyond.com. See ad, page 25.

Donna Marie Scippa has been a nurse practitioner in women’s health for more than 20 years based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is passionate about integrative therapies for women’s health and the value of thermography as a breast health screening tool. For more information, visit BreastThermography.com, DrNorthrup. com (search breast Thermogram) or DrChristineHorner.com.

leading edge

D E T OX

Heavy Metals and Chelation Therapy Ridding the Body of Environmental Toxins

by Dr. Isabel Sharkar

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ow are our bodies supposed to keep up with the influx of toxins we are bombarded with each day? The concoction of air and water pollution, plastics, industrial cleaning agents, food additives and genetically modified food are making our bodies work overtime. Lucky for us all, environmental medicine is an emerging field that takes a close look at how toxins in our environment affect our bodies physiologically. Heavy metals like mercury, lead, arsenic and cadmium have been linked to neurological, hormonal and immunological health problems.

According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), urine heavy metal testing provides the best estimates of the current body burden of chronic mercury poisoning. Elemental and inorganic mercury are mainly excreted in the urine. Urine heavy metal testing includes a pre-challenge (unprovoked) and post-challenge (provoked) urine collection. If levels are high on an unprovoked test, it means there is a current exposure to heavy metals. Whereas the provoked urine test reveals whether there are past or chronic exposures to heavy metals.

Chelation therapy is a good way to bind heavy metals and excrete them out of the body. The three most common chelators used in chelation therapy are calcium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (CaEDTA), dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), and 2,3-dimercapto-1-propane sulfonic acid (DMPS). Each binds to heavy metals and excretes them in the urine. A good chelator will have greater affinity for the metal to be bound, low toxicity, water solubility and rapid elimination from the body.

Toxic heavy metals are present in everyday things we come in contact with, like aluminum cans and foil, metal cookware, old paint and even food sprayed with pesticides and hericides.

This immense burden on our immune system from toxic heavy metals leaves us vulnerable to dis-ease. Heavy metals are also neurotoxic and can lead to memory loss, brain fog, fatigue and depression. They cause overall inflammation in the body and serve a source of food for bacteria, viruses, parasites and other pathogens. As a result, the waste of these pathogens is also neurotoxic and can take its toll on the central nervous system, leading to autoimmune disorders and cognitive impairments.

What can you do? There are many ways to detox heavy metals out of the body, chelation being one of them.

Detoxing has to be a default in your life, not something you reach for once in a blue moon. Other cultures incorporate detoxing into their lifestyle as second nature. Spirulina, chlorella, cilantro, barley grass juice extract powder, wild blueberries and Atlantic dulse are some natural foods that bind to heavy metals.

Minimize your heavy metal exposure, fast, sweat through exercise and infrared sauna, replace your amalgams, remove all metal from your mouth, drink lots of spring water and flush toxins out.

Dr. Isabel Sharkar, ND, is a licensed naturopathic physician and co-owner of Indigo Integrative Health Clinic, in Georgetown. For more information, call 202-298-9131 or visit IndigoHealth Clinic.com. See ad, page 36.

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calendar of events WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4 Herbalism 101 – 6:30-8:30pm. Through May 23.

Dive deeper into a holistic plant study for medicine over this 8-week course taught by April Ramee of Antler Alchemy at Common Good City Farm. $325. Common Good City Farm, 300 V St, NW. Register: Bit.ly/2GPFnBb or Josephine@ CommonGoodCityFarm.org. Info: 202-559-7513 or CommonGoodCityFarm.org.

THURSDAY, APRIL 5 Medical Cannabis for Oncology Patients-Hype or Valid Integrative Tool – 6:30-8:30pm. With Dr. Mikhail Kogan, MD, Deidre Orceyre, ND MSOM Lac and Paula Querido Kahn. Join us to learn about evidence-based support of the use of medicinal cannabis for oncology patients. We will discuss the basic process of obtaining medical cannabis, the uses and effects obtained from different strains and modes of delivery of medicinal cannabis. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-483-8600 or SmithCenter.org.

Nurture Your Passion, Nourish Your Soul – 7pm.

Through April 8. This retreat is for women who are serving, caretaking, helping or contributing to the world and holding frustration, anger, sadness or resignation within. If you are overwhelmed and overextended, this is you. $495 for shared room and $595 for private room. Healing in Service, Blue Mountain Retreat Center, 1032 Hoffmaster Rd, Knoxville, MD. Register: HealingInService.com/ New-Events/2017/1/1/Nurture-Your-Passion-Nourish-Your-Soul-Womens-Wellness-Retreat.

Info: HealingInService.com/New-Events.

SoulCollage – 1-3:30pm. With Theresa Walker. Find wisdom and guidance on your journey of healing with collage. Choose from a variety of images to interpret the messages that come from within ourselves.

All supplies are included. $20 (suggested donation).

Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-483-8600 or SmithCenter.org.

SUNDAY, APRIL 8 Identify Your Body’s Mineral Needs and Balance Blood Pressure Naturally – 2-3pm. Free health talk open to the public presented by Dr. John Bohlmann, ND. Limited seating. The Living Well Health Food Store, 12004 Cherry Hill Rd, Silver Spring, MD. Info: 301-572-0700.

Restorative Yoga: Deep Rest – 2-4pm. Un-wind your body. Still your mind. Find more space. Feel supported, nurtured and deeply rested. $45. Elements Fitness and Wellness Center, 2233 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 420, NW. Register: Bit.ly/2FzLPeA. Info: FrontDesk@ElementsCenter.com.

Natural Health for Busy Professionals Meetup Group – 3-4:30pm. Learn easy methods for natural stress reduction that you can actually fit into your busy life, plus make an essential oil roller bottle blend to get you started. Free. Dawson’s Market, 225 N Washington St, Rockville, MD. Register: Meetup.com/Natural-Living-for-Busy-Professionals/ Events/248131240/.

MONDAY, APRIL 9 Laughter Yoga – 6:30-7:30pm. Please join us for a playful and fun practice that has been proven to reduce stress and strengthen the immune system. The session ends with a silent meditation. Free. Arlington Central Library auditorium, 1015 N Quincy St, Arlington, VA. Info: ArlingtonLaughterYoga@yahoo.com.

FRIDAY, APRIL 6

TUESDAY, APRIL 10

Gong Medicine Journey – 7:30-9pm. With Angela Blueskies. Through the intense vibrations of the sound, the body and mind are able to relax and surrender to the healing energies of the gong and as the waves of sound wash over participants, a deep energetic clearing occurs, leaving participants feeling balanced, peaceful and light. $25$30. East Meets West Yoga, 8227 Old Courthouse Rd, Ste 310, Vienna, VA. Info: AngelaBlueskies. com and EastMeetsWestCenter.com.

Back School – 7pm. Learn how to take care of your back, mitigate back pain and tension, develop core strength, improve flexibility. Led by Dr. Allan Tomson. $5 contribution appreciated. Neck Back & Beyond, 10195 Main St, Ste D, Fairfax, VA. Register: NeckBackAndBeyond@gmail.com. Info: 703-865-5690.

SATURDAY, APRIL 7

special event Why isn’t my Thyroid Hormone working anymore?

Stress, Hormones and Health

Dr. Serena Satcher will tell you about the latest scientific breakthroughs and methods that help you permanently and safely remove unwanted belly fat while quickly reclaiming your health, your youth and your life. Free

Saturday, April 7 • 10-11am

Regenasyst Wellness and Health 6820 Commercial Dr, Ste D, Springfield, VA. Register: 703-454-9326x0 or Info@TreatYourselfToHealth.com or TreatYourselfToHealth.com.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 12

special event Why isn’t my Thyroid Hormone working anymore?

Stress, Hormones and Health

Dr. Serena Satcher will tell you about the latest scientific breakthroughs and methods that help you permanently and safely remove unwanted belly fat while quickly reclaiming your health, your youth and your life. Free

Thursday, April 12 • 7-8pm

Regenasyst Wellness and Health 6820 Commercial Dr, Ste D, Springfield, VA. Register: 703-454-9326x0 or Info@TreatYourselfToHealth.com or TreatYourselfToHealth.com.

four core elements or pathways of the Human Sun Model, stands at the leading edge of spiritual teachings today. At this introductory evening you’ll gain an understanding of how this process of awakening is accelerated by ongoing growth with others—as ourselves—in the sanctuary of mutuality. Address after registration. $30 suggested donation at the door or $20 via PayPal in advance. Slaters Ln, N Old Town, Alexandria, VA (off GW Pkwy/Rte.1). Info/RSVP: Bit.ly/ HeartWeekend2018-DC.

FRIDAY, APRIL 13 DC Young Adult Cancer Meet Up and Supper Club – 6:30-8:30pm. With Chef Kara Garrett. Meet other young adult cancer survivors for a casual dinner party and share a healthy, delicious meal. Learn how to make truffles and enjoy a festive taco bar. Bring your own drinks. $20 (suggested donation). Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-483-8600 or SmithCenter.org.

Weekend Retreat 2018: The Heart of Waking Down in Mutuality – 7:30-9:30pm. Through Sun April 15. Whatever is prompting you to explore this work, The Heart of Waking Down in Mutuality Weekend Retreat will give you a dynamic understanding of what the work entails. You’ll get to both learn about and experience this process of awakening and ongoing growth in the sanctuary of mutuality that all those participating co-create together. Address after registration. $415. Slaters Ln, N Old Town, Alexandria, VA (off GW Pkwy/Rt.1). Info/Registration: Bit.ly/ HeartWeekend2018-DC.

SATURDAY, APRIL 14 Heart of the Mother Retreat: Costa Rica – Through April 21. Deep in the coastal jungle of Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, we will experience transformative plant medicine ceremonies, principles of deep mind/ body/spirit wellness, a beautiful ecolodge and retreat center, delicious food and warm sunshine, ritual work, shamanic healing and connection with the natural beauty of the land and sea. $2,153. Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. Info: HeartoftheMotherRetreats.com.

Rock Creek Conservancy’s Tenth Annual Extreme Cleanup – The Extreme Cleanup is Rock Creek Conservancy’s largest cleanup of the year.

There are over 70 cleanup events throughout the Rock Creek watershed in Washington, D.C. and Montgomery County, Maryland. Find a site near you to help protect Rock Creek. Register: Rock CreekConservancy.org. Info: JMaleri@RockCreek Conservancy.org.

Let’s Veganize It Cooking Demo – 1pm. Learn to create Eggless Benedict. $15/person includes demo, tasting, $5 gift card and recipes. Space is limited, you must pre-register at customer service or by email.

Dawson’s Market, 225 N Washington St, Rockville, MD. Register: DThomas@DawsonsMarket.com.

Info: DawsonsMarket.com.

TUESDAY, APRIL 17 Essential Oils 101 – 7pm. Who, why, where, what and how about essential oils followed by a lively discussion on the 10 oils everyone needs in their tool kit.

Neck Back & Beyond, 10195 Main St, Ste D, Fairfax, VA. Register: NeckBackAndBeyond@gmail.com.

Info: 703-865-5690.

THURSDAY, APRIL 19 The Heart of Waking Down in Mutuality – 7:309:30pm. Waking Down in Mutuality, as one of the

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

Holistic Moms Arlington/Alexandria April Meeting – 5:30-7:30pm. Yes, it’s possible to connect with

your own mind and body and enjoy yoga with your kids at the same time. Join children and family yoga teachers, Sylvia Cacciato and Dana Cook for a fun practice and some guidance on how to incorporate yoga practice into daily life. Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, 4444 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA. Info: HolisticMomsArlAlex@gmail.com or Facebook.com/HMNArlingtonVA.

FRIDAY, APRIL 20 Environmental Movie Inhabit – 6:30pm. Light supper at 6:30pm and the movie starts at 7pm. People use an ecological design process to shift impact from destructive to regenerative. Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church, Chalice House, 9601 Cedar Ln, Bethesda, MD. Info: Chris Graham at 301-717-4204 or Cedar Lane UU Church at 301-493-8300.

SATURDAY, APRIL 21 Spring Fest – 11am-3pm. Kick off Earth Day and celebrate spring with Dawson’s. BBQ and beer garden, workshops and vendor demos, children’s activities and moon bounce, live music, raffles and more.

Dawson’s Market, 225 N Washington St, Rockville, MD. Info: DawsonsMarket.com.

Cheers for Charity – 5-7pm. Join us for a Winetasting Fundraiser to benefit Hospice Caring. Hospice Caring provides caring, compassionate, practical and highquality, non-medical support services, without charge, to Montgomery County adults and children facing a life-threatening illness or grieving the death of a loved one. Live music by Bones Jones Music. $5/person minimum donation. Dawson’s Market, 225 N Washington St, Rockville, MD. Info: DawsonsMarket.com.

SUNDAY, APRIL 22

special event Illuminate Frederick Mind-Body-Spirit Festival A wonder-filled day of natural health and spiritual rebalancing. Sample acupuncture, massage, reiki, reflexology, energy healing, essential oils, crystals, intuitive readers and much more. $4/online ticket, $6/ticket at the door and free admission for active and veteran military, children 16 and under.

Sunday, April 22 • 11am - 6pm Illuminate Festivals, Clarion Inn Conference Center FSK Mall, 5400 Holiday Dr, Frederick, MD. Info: IlluminateFestivals.com/Frederick.

TUESAY, APRIL 24 Finding Your Way Through Cancer: The Power of Navigation – 12:30-1:30pm. With Carole O’Toole.

Learn how our Integrative Cancer Care Navigation empowers people living with cancer to become more engaged in their healing through education, information and assistance with identifying supportive resources. RSVP’s are encouraged. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-4838600 or SmithCenter.org.

THURSDAY, APRIL 26 Movie Night – 7pm. Holistic trends in women’s

health. An evening of short films and conversation. $5 contribution appreciated. Neck Back and Beyond, 10195 Main St, Ste D, Fairfax, VA. Register: NeckBackAndBeyond@gmail.com. Info: 703-865-5690.

SUNDAY, APRIL 29 Munay-Ki Level Two: Initiation into the Shamanic Healing Tradition of Peru – 1-6pm. The Munay–Ki are the codes for the new human. They are delivered in the form of energetic transmissions. These Rites are given as the next step in the evolution of humanity, to realign and attune our neuropathways and truly shift human consciousness. $135 before April 23rd and $150 after. Rumi Wasi Sanctuary, 1030 Shannondale Rd, Harpers Ferry, WV. Info: AngelaBlueskies.com.

Calendar

A wonderful resource for filling your workshops, seminars and other events.

plan ahead SUNDAY, MAY 6

special event Holistic Energy Expo Enjoy a mini-session with our massage therapists, reiki master energy healers, sound therapists, psychics, mediums, angel card readers and fairy readers. Vendors will offer for sale holistic products, jewelry, crystals, essential oils, divination cards and tools and so much more. Free.

Sunday, May 6 • 10am-7pm Ashburn Farm Clubhouse, Ashburn, VA. Info: HolisticEnergyExpo.com

MONDAY, MAY 7 Laughter Yoga – 6:30-7:30pm. Please join us for a playful and fun practice that has been proven to reduce stress and strengthen the immune system. The session ends with a silent meditation. Free. Arlington Central Library auditorium, 1015 N Quincy St, Arlington, VA. Info: ArlingtonLaughterYoga@yahoo.com.

TUESDAY, MAY 15 Intro to Native American Flute – 7-9pm. Four weeks on Tuesdays and Thursdays through June 7.

The Native American flute is famous for its hauntingly beautiful sound and is simple to learn. In this class, you will learn the basic techniques of breath control, fingering and style. No prior experience or musical knowledge required. All levels of students are welcome, class is limited to 10 students. $230. Howard Community College, 10901 Little Patuxent Pkwy, Columbia, MD. Info: HowardCC.Edu/.

FRIDAY, MAY 18 Gong Medicine Journey – 7-8:30pm. With Angela Blueskies. Through the intense vibrations of the sound, the body and mind are able to relax and surrender to the healing energies of the gong and as the waves of sound wash over participants, a deep energetic clearing occurs, leaving participants feeling balanced, peaceful and light. $25-$30. Nourishing Journey, 8975 Guilford Rd, Ste 170, Columbia, MD. Info: AngelaBlueskies.com.

Two styles available: n Calendar of Dated Events:

Designed for events on a specific date of the month. n Calendar of Ongoing Events:

Designed for recurring events that fall on the same day each week.

Contact us for guidelines so we can assist you through the process.

We’re here to help!

202-505-4835 NaturalAwakeningsDC.com April 2018

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ongoing events

tion). Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-483-8600 or SmithCenter.org.

NOTE: All calendar events must be received via email by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines.

Email CalendarNADC@gmail.com for guidelines and to submit entries.

Cancer Support Group – 6-7:30pm. 2nd and 4th Mon. With Jennifer Bires, LICSW. This support group provides participants with an opportunity to explore their experience with cancer with a trained social worker and to connect with others. Please RSVP prior to your first visit. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-483-8600 or SmithCenter.org.

sunday Sunday Morning Meditation Class – 10:30am12:30pm. With Hugh Byrne. An oasis in a busy week, including 30-minute guided meditations, a 10-minute walking meditation and 30-minute discussion. A mini-retreat. Drop-ins welcome. The Center for Mindful Living, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 200, NW, Tenleytown. Info: Living-Mindfully.org.

Jazz Brunch – 11am-2pm. 4th Sun. An all-youcan-eat brunch buffet that includes an extended breakfast hot bar, salad bar, a locally made bageland-lox station, a made-to-order omelet station, waffle station, dessert and mimosa tasting. $16.99/ person and $6.99 for kids 4-10 and free for kids 3-and-under. Dawson’s Market, 225 N Washington St, Rockville, MD. Info: DawsonsMarket.com.

DC Young Adult Cancer Meet Up and Support Group – 5-6:30pm. 3rd Sun. With Jennifer Bires, LICSW and Cheryl Hughes, LICSW, OSW-C. Meet other young adult cancer survivors in a monthly support group session, a collaborative initiative of local hospitals, health organizations and cancer support groups. A healthy meal is provided. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-4838600 or SmithCenter.org.

Mindfulness in Recovery – 6:30-8pm. This group is open to new meditators and seasoned practitioners alike with a common interest in the intersection of Buddhist teachings and 12 Step recovery. All 12 Steppers are welcome and we ask that participants have at least 90 days of continuous recovery and a working relationship with a home 12 Step recovery group be established before attending your first meeting. This group is not a replacement for our individual 12 Step programs. The Center for Mindful Living, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 200, NW, Tenleytown. Info: Living-Mindfully.org.

monday Early Morning Meditation – 7:30-8:15am. A beautiful way to start your day, with a 30-minute meditation and optional 15-minute discussion following.

Drop-ins welcome. A project of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW). The Center for Mindful Living, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 200, NW, Tenleytown. Info: Living-Mindfully.org.

Gentle Yoga – 10:30-11:45am. With Beth Lawrence, RYT 500. Gentle yoga classes to help reduce stress and balance the mind, body and spirit. All experience levels welcome. $10/class or $25/month (suggested dona-

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Caregiver Support Group – 6-7:30pm. 4th Mon. With Julia Rowland, Ph.D. This group provides cancer caregivers the opportunity to meet one another, learn about useful tools for self-care and explore ways to thrive in the caregiving role. Please RSVP prior to your first visit. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-483-8600 or SmithCenter.org.

tuesday Early Morning Meditation – 7:30-8:15am. See Mon for details. The Center for Mindful Living, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 200, NW, Tenleytown. Info: Living-Mindfully.org.

Yoga Basics for Beginners and Beyond – 9:3010:45am. This class is perfect for anyone starting their yoga journey, as well as for those looking to revisit yoga basics. $22. Dream Yoga Studio and Wellness Center, 1485 Chain Bridge Rd, Ste 104 McLean, VA. Info: 703-448-YOGA (9642).

Family Yoga – 11-11:45am. Yoga for families provides the same benefits as other yoga classes: peace of mind, relaxation and increased bodily strength and flexibility for everyone. $22. Dream Yoga Studio and Wellness Center, 1485 Chain Bridge Rd, Ste 104 McLean. Info: 703-448-YOGA (9642).

Chair Yoga – 12-1pm. With Beth Lawrence, RYT 500. You are invited to relax deeply as we move through a series of gentle seated and supported poses that promote self-care. $10/class or $25/month (suggested donation). Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-483-8600 or SmithCenter.org.

Meet the Locals – 4-7pm. 2nd Tues. Come sample products from our favorite local vendors while you enjoy a glass of beer or wine. Free. Dawson’s Market, 225 N Washington St, Rockville, MD. Info: DawsonsMarket.com.

Weekly Knit Night for Young Adults – 5:30-7pm.

With our Young Adult Community. We’ll be hanging

Earth Day should encourage us to reflect on what we are doing to make our planet a more sustainable and livable place. ~Scott Peters

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

out in the nook and have yarn, needles and simple patterns on hand to teach beginners. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-4838600 or SmithCenter.org.

Gentle Yoga – 6-7:15pm. With Yael Flusberg, CIAYT, ERYT500. See Mon for details. $10/class or $25/month (suggested donation). Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-4838600 or SmithCenter.org.

wednesday Early Morning Meditation – 7:30-8:15am. See Mon for details. The Center for Mindful Living, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 200, NW, Tenleytown. Info: Living-Mindfully.org.

Intermediate Yoga (Level 2) – 10-11:15am. Take your yoga to the next level in this hatha Yoga class that blends the alignment principals of Iyengar Yoga with the mindfulness and energy work of Kripalu. $22. Dream Yoga Studio and Wellness Center, 1485 Chain Bridge Rd, Ste 104 McLean, VA. Info: 703448-YOGA (9642).

Outside the Lines – 10:30am-12:30pm. 1st and 3rd Wed. With Kiersten Gallagher. Learn how to use art making as a tool for healing through guided creative projects. $10 (suggested donation). Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-4838600 or SmithCenter.org.

Let Your Yoga Dance – 11am-12pm. With Jyotika Skeels, ERYT 500. A chakra-dancing yoga fusion, a movement practice combining yoga and dance with wonderful music of all kinds. All levels are welcome. $15 (suggested donation). Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-483-8600 or SmithCenter.org.

Weekly Knitting in the Nook – 3-4:30pm. With Project Knitwell and Friends. Trained volunteers are on hand to provide knitting instruction with quality materials in an effort to foster wellness, comfort and community among participants. Experienced knitters share their best tips. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-483-8600 or SmithCenter.org.

Kids Club – 6-7:30pm. 4th Wed. In Partnership with George Washington University, Georgetown University and Washington Hospital Center. Kids Club is designed for children ages 6 to 12 years old with a parent or grandparent who has been diagnosed with cancer. The group is a safe space for both kids and parents to come together to explore emotions, resilience and coping with cancer in the family through art activities and pizza. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-483-8600 or SmithCenter.org.

Teen Sanga – 7:30-9pm. 2nd and 4th Wed. The teen sangha provides a framework for exploring one’s inner life, understanding the causes of emotional stress and realizing the possibility of inner freedom. We explore key Buddhist teachings and how they can be helpful in navigating life’s inevitable challenges. The Center for Mindful Living, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 200, NW, Tenleytown. Info: Living-Mindfully.org.

455-6553. UUNaples@earthlink.net. UUNaples. org

thursday

Early Morning Meditation – 7:30-8:15am. See

Mon for details. The Center for Mindful Living, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 200, NW, Tenleytown. Info: Living-Mindfully.org.

Gentle Yoga – 10:15-11:30am. With Kiersten Gallagher, RYT 200. See Mon for details. $10/class or $25/ month (suggested donation). Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-483-8600 or SmithCenter.org.

A Healing Circle – Exploring Grief and Identity After Loss – 4:30-6pm. With Wendy Miller and Larry Kanter. 2nd and 4th Thurs. This healing circle focuses on the unique needs of those experiencing the loss of a spouse or partner, no matter where you find yourself in your journey with grief. Please RSVP prior to your first visit. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-483-8600 or SmithCenter.org.

Now What? Cancer Survivorship Education and Support Group – 6-7:30pm. 2nd Thurs.

With Erin Price, LGSW. This monthly group is for all adult cancer survivors of any type of cancer at any stage who have completed their initial cancer treatment and are navigating how to move forward. Each month will feature a different topic relevant to cancer survivorship followed by a discussion and support group. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-4838600 or SmithCenter.org.

friday Early Morning Meditation – 7:30-8:15am. See Mon for details. The Center for Mindful Living, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 200, NW, Tenleytown. Info: Living-Mindfully.org.

All-Levels Iyengar Yoga – 11:45am-12:45pm. Good for those new to yoga or with some hatha or Iyengar yoga experience. Come build strength, flexibility, equanimity. $176 for 11 60-minute classes. Yoga 4 All Bodies, 12021 Creekbend Dr, Reston, VA. Register: 703-297-2224 or Yoga4AllBodies.com.

saturday Nueva Vida Cancer Support Group for Latino Families – 8:30am-12pm. Nueva Vida provides support groups that support the experiences associated with a cancer diagnosis and provide Latina women the opportunity to share with others who are in similar circumstances. All support group meetings are open to all cancer diagnoses. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U St, NW. Info: 202-483-8600 or SmithCenter.org.

Family Yoga – 10-10:45am. 2nd and 4th Sat. During this playful and fun vinyasa yoga class, learn the foundation to a safe and relaxing yoga practice for all ages. $24. Epiphany Pilates, 9416 Main St, Fairfax, VA. Register: EpiphanyPilates.com/Schedule. Info: Info@EpiphanyPilates.com.

Refuge Recovery – 6:30-8pm. Refuge Recovery is a mindfulness-based recovery program and community that utilizes Buddhist philosophy as the foundation of the recovery process. Based on the Four Noble Truths and Eight-fold Path, emphasis is placed on both knowledge and empathy as a means for overcoming addiction and its causes. The Center for Mindful Living, 4708 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 200, NW, Tenleytown.

Info: Living-Mindfully.org.

April 2018

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community resource guide

CLEANING

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 Robin@NaturalAwakeningsDC.com to request our media kit.

ACUPUNCTURE NECK BACK & BEYOND WELLNESS CENTER

10195 Main St, Ste D, Fairfax, VA 703-865-5690 • NeckBackAndBeyond.com NeckBackAndBeyond@gmail.com Neck Back & Beyond in Fairfax, VA, offers chiropractic and naturopathic care, acupuncture, massage,reflexology, lymphatic drainage and more. See ad, page 25.

AROMATHERAPY MOTHER NATURE’S STORE 703-851-0087 Laina_Poulakos@hotmail.com MothersNatureStore.com

Certified aromatherapist and herbalist offering lifestyle consultations and handmade pro-ducts, including soaps, balms and beard oils. Reach a better state of body and mind. See ad, page 11.

CANCER SUPPORT NATIONAL INTEGRATED HEALTH ASSOCIATES

5225 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 402, NW 202-237-7000 • NIHADC.com

CONSULTING

CHIROPRACTOR

CORPORATE WELLNESS

NECK BACK & BEYOND WELLNESS CENTER DR. ALLAN TOMSON, DC

571-358-8645 Jessica@MindfulHealthyLife.com JessicaClaireHaney.com

Writing, editing, marketing/digital media support and strategy consulting for holistic-minded businesses and organizations from experienced local writer, blogger and event organizer Jessica Claire Haney.

MARIANNE SCIPPA

10195 Main St, Ste D, Fairfax, VA 703-865-5690 • NeckBackAndBeyond.com NeckBackAndBeyond@gmail.com

Neck Back & Beyond Wellness Center 10195 Main St, Ste D, Fairfax, VA 703-865-5690 • NeckBackAndBeyond.com ScippaAssociates.com

Dr. Allan Tomson, DC, director of Neck Back & Beyond Healing Arts in Fairfax, VA, with a satellite office in Manassas, VA. He is not your ordinary chiropractor with skills and experience in functional medicine, visceral manipulation, CranioSacral Therapy and Cayce protocols. See ad, page 25.

We design interactive sessions for you and your staff to better understand the physical, mental and emotional costs of many common work management habits. Individual or team coaching for ongoing leadership, management and health development support to create the peak performance habits you need. See ad, page 25.

258 Maple Ave East, Vienna, VA and 12242 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 703-255-7040 (VA) or 301-770-7040 (MD) Maddie@SavvyRest.com • SRNB.com

DR. VISHAL VERMA, DC, CCSP Rose Wellness Center 571-529-6699 RoseWellness.com

Dr. Verma specializes in functional ch i ropr a c t i c c are for p ai n management and active restoration of the body. He treating root causes using gentle chiropractic, physical therapy, cold laser therapy and rehabilitation for fast effective results. Dr. Verma treats back, neck, spine and joint pain, sciatica, sports injuries, fibromyalgia, and various other chronic and acute pain conditions. See ad, page 3.

Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none. ~William Shakespeare Washington, D.C.

We are Green Clean Certified, so you can have peace of mind that you r home w i l l b e healthier for you, your pets and the environment. See ad, page 23.

JESSICA CLAIRE HANE CONSULTING

SAVVY REST NATURAL BEDROOM

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4813-A Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA 800-515-6243 Marketing@Maid-Brigade.com MaidBrigade.com

If you are diagnosed with cancer, there are supportive treatments which may enhance the body’s ability to fight cancer and help the traditional cancer treatments work more effectively.

Integrative, holistic medicine combines traditional and adjunctive complementary treatments to restore the patient to a better state of health and improve the quality of life. Whereas traditional medicine will focus on treating the tumor, the holistic approach is to focus on the patient and outcome. See ad, page 16.

BEDROOM FURNITURE

Savvy Rest Natural Bedroom is the premier retailer of Savvy Rest organic mattresses and bedding, a Virginia manufacturer and retailer of fine bedroom furniture. See ad, page 3.

MAID BRIGADE CAPITAL REGION

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

DENTISTRY, HOLISTIC NATIONAL INTEGRATED HEALTH ASSOCIATES

5225 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 402, NW 202-237-7000 • NIHADC.com The professional health team at NIHA is comprised of holistic medical physicians, biological dentists, naturopaths, a chiropractor and health professionals highly skilled in acupuncture, nutrition and other healing therapies. See ad, page 16.

It always seems impossible until it’s done. ~Nelson Mandela

ENERGY THERAPIES INCA ENERGY INTEGRATIVE HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER

10440 Shaker Dr, Ste 203, Columbia, MD 410-292-5149 EnergyTherapyCeuWorkshops.com Inca Energy Integrative Health and Wellness Center is an ecofriendly holistic center offering energy medicine, energy psychology and meditation.

Inca Wellness brings together authentic ancient healing traditions from around the world with contemporary therapies to nurture ones whole being.

See ad, page 19.

OPTIMUM HEALTH & WELLNESS 1128 Jansen Ave, Capital Heights, MD 240-464-0544 PEMFHelpsMe@gmail.com OptimumHealth-Wellness.com

Boosting cellular rejuvenation through the use of PEMF therapy (energy medicine). Drug free, noninvasive. Therapy for over 200 health problems: pain, stroke, ALZ, dementia. See ad, page 19.

ESSENTIAL OILS PAM SNYDER

Neck Back & Beyond Wellness Center 10195 Main St, Ste D, Fairfax, VA NeckBackAndBeyond@gmail.com 703-865-5690 • NeckBackAndBeyond.com Let us help you integrate the healing power of essential oils into your home and personal care routines. We offer free ongoing classes each month. Individual and group consultations are available by appointment. See ad, page 25.

GREEN INTERIOR DESIGN AMY THOMAS DESIGN

716-536-0403 • AmyThomasDesign.com AmyLThomas10@gmail.com Amy Thomas is an eco-friendly interior designer focusing on creating comfortable and stylish living spaces for her clients, all while keeping health and wellness in mind.

Versed in many options that do not sacrifice quality or appeal while creating a healthy home or work space. Amy works on both remodels and interor spaces and is versed in various sustainable practices as well as feng shui for the home. Her goal is to create an environment that is a reflection of her client’s personality and style.

HEALTH COACH MIDLIFE REFOCUS

571-277-1292 JohnMays@FitnessTogether.com FitnessTogether.com/Chantilly John Mays is a certified wellness coach with unique skills to get you to your goals, regardless of your age or ability level. Through private coaching, mindfulness, hypnosis and behavioral modification therapies, Mays will help you to refocus your life, help you gain selfawareness and take control of your future. See ad, page 3.

NATIONAL INTEGRATED HEALTH ASSOCIATES 5225 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 402, NW 202-237-7000 NICADC.com/Health-Programs/ Rejuvenation-Detoxification.html

GREEN BUILDING AMICUS GREEN BUILDING CENTER 301-571-8590 • Info@AmicusGreen.com AmicusGreen.com

Rejuvenation & Detoxification program provides guidance to restore balance and health with lifestyle tips on diet, hydration, digestion and internal cleansing and detoxification with integrative at-home and spa strategies. See ad, page 16.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS ADVOCATE SERENA T. WILLS

SerenaWills@yahoo.com SerenaWills.com Self-published author of poetry, my book Crying Tears of Teal concentrates on ovarian cancer awareness, also health and wellness writer and coaching student. Assisting people with Lyme disease. .

HERBS MOTHER NATURE’S STORE 703-851-0087 Laina_Poulakos@hotmail.com MothersNatureStore.com

Certified aromatherapist and herbalist offering lifestyle consultations and handmade products, including soaps, balms and beard oils. Reach a better state of body and mind. See ad, page 11.

HOLISTIC NUTRITION ELIZABETH MCMILLAN, MS, CNS Rose Wellness Center 571-529-6699 RoseWellness.com

Elizabeth McMillan is a boardcertified clinical nutritionist specializing in functional nutrition.

She believes in finding the root cause of a liments and cre at ing a personalized dietary plan to restore optimal wellness. Elizabeth specializes in diabetes, food sensitivities, gastrointestinal health, autoimmunity and metabolic syndrome issues. Call today to see how she can help. See ad, page 3.

A new kind of design center and home improvement store, creating fresh spaces, fresh air and water and a fresh take on our buildings. See ad, page 35.

You can print money to bail out a bank, but you can’t print life to bail out a planet. ~Paul Hawken

You will not solve global climate change by hitting the delete button. ~Tom Brokaw April 2018

33

HOLISTIC PARENTING HOLISTIC MOMS NETWORK HolisticMoms.org

Holistic Moms Network is a national organization supporting natural-minded parents. Local chapters in Arlington/Alexandria, Burke, Fairfax, Gainesville and Montgomery County hold monthly meetings and more.

MINDFUL HEALTHY LIFE

571-358-8645 • MindfulHealthyLife.com Jessica@MindfulHealthyLife.com Online lifestyle magazine for natural-minded parents with a blog, calendar, directory and eBook filled with resources for holistic parenting and family wellness in metro D.C.

HOLISTIC PEDIATRIC CARE NATIONAL INTEGRATED HEALTH ASSOCIATES 5225 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 402, NW 202-237-7000 • NIHADC.com

Holistic pediatric and young adult care combines the healing power of traditional Western medicine with safe, complementary healing therapies. This approach addresses the whole child, not just the symptoms that brought you to the doctor, and encourages the immune system to heal naturally. See ad, page 16.

HOLISTIC PRIMARY CARE

parenting.

MICHAEL LISS

Rose Wellness Center 571-529-6699 • RoseWellness.com Michael Liss is a Doctor of Classical Homeopathy and an integrative health practitioner. He specializes in using homeopathy to help you find relief from various emotional and physical health problems including addictions, substance abuse, anxiety, depression, allergies, asthma, childhood ailments, migraines, hair and skin disorders, immune deficiencies and sinus disorders. See ad, page 3.

INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE SUSHMA HIRANI, MD

Rose Wellness Center 2944 Hunter Mill Rd, Ste 101, Oakton, VA Info@RoseWellness.com RoseWellness.com • 571-529-6699 Dr. Sushma Hirani uses an integrative approach to wellness, utilizing conventional medicine and evidence-based complementary therapies. She strives to treat the whole person and emphasiz es nut r it ion , preventive care and lifestyle changes. Dr. Hirani specializes in the treatment of chronic issues such as hypothyroidism, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, hormonal imbalances, digestive disorders, menopause and women’s health issues. Patients love her compassionate care and personalized attention. See ad, page 3.

1010 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 660, DC 202-298-9131 • IndigoHealthClinic.com

The body has an innate ability to heal itself and achieve balance from everyday stressors through non-toxic, non-aggressive and highly effective modalities. See ad, page 36.

5225 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 402, NW 202-237-7000 • NIHADC.com

Ideas shape the course of history.

ALEX LEON, MD

Integrative Family Physician Rose Wellness Center 2944 Hunter Mill Rd, Ste 101, Oakton, VA 571-529-6699 • RoseWellness.com Dr. Alex Leon is a board-certified family physician specializing in integrative functional medicine to help restore and maintain your wellbeing. He has a special interest in men’s health care, chronic pain syndromes including mus c u loskelet a l problems, fibromyalgia, bioidentical hormone replacement for men and women, chronic conditions including hypothyroidism, gastrointestinal disorders and allergic disorders. He treats kids too. See ad, page 3.

~John Maynard Keynes 34

Washington, D.C.

NATIONAL INTEGRATED HEALTH ASSOCIATES

5225 Wisconsin Ave, Ste 402, NW 202-237-7000 • NIHADC.com

The professional health team at NIHA is comprised of holistic medical physicians, biological dentists, naturopaths, a chiropractor and health professionals highly skilled in acupuncture, nutrition and other healing therapies. See ad, page 16.

ROSE WELLNESS CENTER

2944 Hunter Mill Rd, Ste 101, Oakton, VA 571-529-6699 • RoseWellness.com Info@RoseWellness.com

Suffering from chronic pain, fatigue, allergies, stress? Whatever your health challenges, Rose Wellness Center can help you get on the path to real wellness. We help identify hormone, metabolic, digestive, nutritional and food sensitivity issues to get to the root cause of your health problems, where true healing begins. Our services include digestive and women’s health programs, hormone balancing, acupuncture, Lyme treatment, homeopathy and thyroid management. See ad, page 3.

NATURAL LIVING RESOURCE MINDFUL HEALTHY LIFE OF METRO DC Jessica@MindfulHealthyLife.com MindfulHealthyLife.com • 571-358-8645

Blog, calendar and directory for natural living, holistic parenting and family wellness.

INDIGO INTEGRATIVE HEALTH CLINIC

NATIONAL INTEGRATED HEALTH ASSOCIATES Holistic primary care is an integrative approach that treats the whole person: mind/body and spirit. A primary care provider coordinates all of the health care a patient receives. This total patient care considers the physical and emotional needs of the person and how health issues may be affecting those needs. Whether you are coming in for an annual check-up or managing a chronic disease, we focus on the whole person, not just your disease or symptoms. We consider lifestyle, nutrition and stress management and put together a treatment plan to help you attain an optimum level of wellness. See ad, page 16.

HOMEOPATHY

NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

OSTEOPOROSIS SUPPORT NURTURED BONES

Great Falls, VA 703-738-4230 • NurturedBones.com

Nurtured Bones provides a holistic approach to addressing osteoporosis and bone loss. Our BONES method will help you build strong, healthy bones for life. See ad, page 35.

PERSONAL COACHING MIDLIFE REFOCUS

571-277-1292 JohnMays@FitnessTogether.com FitnessTogether.com/Chantilly John Mays is a certified wellness coach with unique skills to get you to your goals, regardless of your age or ability level. Through private coaching, mindfulness, hypnosis and behavioral modification therapies, Mays will help you to refocus your life, help you gain self-awareness and take control of your future. See ad, page 3.

PERSONAL TRAINING FITNESS TOGETHER CHANTILLY

3914 Centreville Rd, Ste 125, Chantilly, VA JohnMays@FitnessTogether.com FitnessTogether.com/Chantilly • 571-323-2223 Personal training and hypnosis for weight loss. Fitness lifestyle training.

Private studio setting for adults.

Learn the art of self-awareness and progressive exercise for radical change. See ad, page 3.

PHYSICAL THERAPY NURTURED BONES

Great Falls, VA 703-738-4230 • NurturedBones.com

Nurtured Bones provides a holistic approach to addressing osteoporosis and bone loss. Our BONES method will help you build strong, healthy bones for life. See ad, page 35.

POLARITY THERAPY NECK BACK & BEYOND WELLNESS CENTER

ROSE WELLNESS CENTER

SHIATSU THERAPIST

2944 Hunter Mill Rd, Ste 101, Oakton, VA 571-529-6699 • RoseWellness.com

NECK BACK & BEYOND WELLNESS CENTER

Nathalie Depastas 10195 Main St, Ste D, Fairfax, VA 703-865-5690 • NeckBackAndBeyond.com NeckBackAndBeyond@gmail.com Nathalie Depastas is a highly skilled acupuncturist and Shiatsu therapist with 30 years of experience in Chinese medicine, including medical qigong. See ad, page 25. .

THERMOGRAPHY

Rose Wellness Center for Integrative Medicine offers Thermography or Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI). This noninvasive diagnostic technique creates thermal images that are analyzed for abnormalities and early signs of disease.

Thermal imaging is painless, non-invasive, does not involve any compression and emits no radiation.

Call today to setup your scan. See ad, page 3.

VETERINARIAN - HOLISTIC

NECK BACK & BEYOND WELLNESS CENTER

HOLISTIC VETERINARY HEALING

Pema Choepel Mallu, DVM, CVA, M.Ac. L.Ac 12627 Wisteria Dr, Ste C/D, Germantown, MD 240-715-6570 • HolVetHealing@gmail.com HolisticVeterinaryHealing.com

10195 Main St, Ste D, Fairfax, VA 703-865-5690 NeckBackAndBeyond.com NeckBackAndBeyond@gmail.com Neck Back & Beyond in Fairfax, VA, offers chiropractic and naturopathic care, acupuncture, massage, reflexology, lymphatic drainage and more. See ad, page 25.

for long-term healing.

We offer integrative compassionate veterinary care. We view your animal as a whole focusing on the root cause of dis-harmony

Janice M Johnson 10195 Main St, Ste D, Fairfax, VA NeckBackAndBeyond@gmail.com NeckBackAndBeyond.com • 703-865-5690 Allow me to join you in creating your own individualized treatment program, which provides a safe and supportive experience for your healing process, with Polarity Therapy and Swiss Bionic Solutions MRS 2000 (Magnetic Resonance Stimulation) pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF). See ad, page 25.

Climate change is a terrible problem, and it absolutely needs to be solved.

It deserves to be a huge priority. ~Bill Gates

April 2018

35

' Washington D.C.'s Finest Integrative Health Care

Indigo Clinic CallIntegrative today to Health schedule The Waterfront Center a free consultation 1010 Wisconsin Ave., NW

Suite #660 202-298-9131 Washington, D.C. 20007

Our goal is to lead you back to thriving health.

INDIGO INTEGRATIVE HEALTH CLINIC

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Call today to schedule a consultation (202) 298-9131 Washington, D.C. NaturalAwakeningsDC.com Learn more at IndigoHealthClinic.com