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H E A L T H Y

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Birth The Way Nature Intended

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Gentle Ways to Bypass Medical Intervention

Rethinking Breast Health Natural Ways to Keep Them Healthy

Kids Lovin’ Veggies

How to Instill Healthy Lifelong Habits

Flexing Our Muscles

Weightlifting for Strength Inside and Out

May 2015 | South Central Wisconsin Edition | AwakeMadison.com

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South Central Wisconsin

AwakeMadison.com

natural awakenings

May 2015

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contents 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.

10 6 newsbriefs 10 healthbriefs 12 globalbriefs 15 OPTIMIZE HEALTH 16 14 ecotip NATURALLY WITH LIVING WATER 19 wisewords 20 healingways 16 RETHINKING BREAST HEALTH 24 healthykids

Natural Ways to Keep Breasts Smooth, Pain-Free and Firm, while 12 Reducing the Risk of Cancer 26 fitbody 19 14 28 consciouseating 19 LAURA PREPON’S JOURNEY TO HEALTH 29 calendar Home Cooking, Organics and Massage Are Keys 30 resourceguide 20 GIVING BIRTH advertising & submissions

by Julie Reynolds

by Lisa Marshall

by Gerry Strauss

NATURALLY

HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 608-721-2254 or email Publisher@AwakeMadison.com. Medit kit can also be found on our website. Call or email for pricing.

Deadline for ads: 12th of the month.

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Email articles, news items and ideas to: Publisher@AwakeMadison.com.

Deadline for editorial: the 5th of the month.

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Deadline for calendar: the 12th of the month.

Email your formatted listing to Publisher@AwakeMadison.com.

REGIONAL MARKETS Advertise your products or services in multiple markets! Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing franchised family of locally owned magazines serving communities since 1994. To place your ad in other markets call 239-449-8309. For franchising opportunities call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com.

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Conscious Choices Lead to Less Intervention

by Meredith Montgomery

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24 KIDS LOVE VEGGIES How to Instill Healthy Lifelong Habits

by Clancy Cash Harrison

26 FLEXING

OUR MUSCLES

Weightlifting Makes Us Fit, Healthy and Self-Confident

by Debra Melani

28 EATING SKINNY

Why Vegans and Vegetarians are Naturally Trim

by Judith Fertig

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letterfrompublisher

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on asked me to stand in for him in writing a letter for this month’s Breast Health & Natural Birth issue so that I could share my thoughts in preparing for the arrival of my first child. I admit that at 36-weeks pregnant, the state of my body is unlike anything I’ve considered natural in the past. It seems I’m experiencing just about every discomfiting symptom possible for a woman in her third trimester, breasts included, making “natural birth” an oxymoron to me as

much as “jumbo shrimp”.

I’ve asked women friends about their own experiences and realized that no one’s is like anyone else’s. We are all unique individuals, just like the babes growing inside of us.

My first choice is to have a natural birth and I have prepared for the best by making healthy nutrition choices, regularly exercising and surrounding myself with a team of expert professionals educating me as we go along. My doula, Margaret Romano, from Sacred Beginnings, has shared numerous resources and maintains, “If you don’t know your options, you don’t have any.” Thanks to mentors like her, I’m gaining confidence in my choices for a completely healthy outcome for me and my little one. I trust Margaret’s experience and knowledge as she’s helped with 68 births to date.

Dr. Bryan Hotujec, my obstetrician and gynecologist with the Dean Clinic on the west side of Madison, has delivered at least 1,000 babies to date. He’s helpfully monitored the progress of my baby’s development, explaining how myriad surprising symptoms are normal. He also advises what I can do to make myself as comfortable as possible without resorting to drugs.

I do not want a C-section and the good doctor’s response is, “I don’t want you to have one either.” I asked him, “When would you perform one?”and he says, “If the baby’s heart stops or there is a risk for brain damage.” I say, “Great, I agree!”

In a recent tour of St. Mary’s Family Birthing Center with my support team, I familiarized myself with the environment that will be welcoming my baby into the world. It feels right to me. I love how they treat expectant mothers.

The hospital will not allow a woman to advance schedule a C-section over a natural birth because the expectation is everyone will give birth naturally; if complications arise, they are prepared to handle those immediately. The birthing center promotes breastfeeding, discourages pacifiers and provides all the help a new mother needs to make sure her baby is feeding successfully. Its support system includes the whole family.

I am grateful that as a new mother-to-be I have many good options available to ensure the best, most natural and caring choices possible will be made to support the two of us.

In good health for a lifetime,

Jasper Dayton Owner, Walker Creative Design, a Natural Awakenings partner

contact us Publisher Donald Beran Creative Developer Jasper Dayton 608-334-5480 Jasper@AwakeMadison.com Editor Julianne Hale Design & Production Melanie Rankin Distribution Koari Nelson Donald Beran

To contact Natural Awakenings Phone: 608-721-2254 Fax: 866-645-4412 P.O. Box 3394 Madison, WI 53704 Publisher@AwakeMadison.com AwakeMadison.com

© 2015 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved.

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

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

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

We welcome your ideas, articles and feedback.

Natural Awakenings is printed on recyclable newsprint with soybased ink.

natural awakenings

May 2015

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newsbriefs Willow Island Hosts Bhakti Fest

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he Bhakti Fest Midwest will return for a weekend celebration of yoga, kirtan, wisdom workshops and heartopening fun from June 26 to 28, at the Willow Island Alliant Energy Center, in Madison.

Participants can practice yoga with some of the most accomplished instructors in the world, including Govind Das and Radha, Mark Whitwell, Saul David Raye and more. Many transformational styles of yoga will be offered. Radhanath, Swami, Old-Time Blue Grass Kirtan and Grammy Award nominee Krishna Das will take the stage to perform uplifting kirtan.

Festival visitors can take advantage of the fashions, gemstones, instruments and other items offered in the Eco Village. Attendees will have the opportunity to study with world-renowned spiritual teachers such as Michael Brian Baker, Anand of Rhishikesh, Manoj Chalam, David Newman and others. Topics include breathwork, Vedic studies, tantra and sound healing.

Cost: $125 to $200, senior discount. Free for active or veteran military and children 13 and under. Location: 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way. For more information or tickets, call 408-460-0504, email Info@BhaktiFest.com or visit Midwest.

BhaktiFest.com. See ad, page 2.

Nothing is more POWERFUL than a BELIEF in what you do ...

Natural Awakenings is looking for an advertising consultant to sell advertising in the Madison area.

Up to 60% commission This is a commission-based position, with great earning potential for the right person. Must be outgoing and must enjoy working one-on-one with area businesses. Must be patient (and motivated) enough to build from month to month. Must have a genuine desire to help others succeed.

608-721-2254 6

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whitedoor Hosts Transformative Forgiveness Seminar

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arbara Newsome, of the Urantia Foundation, and Alden Hughes, a longtime teacher of A Course in Miracles, will present a Transformative Forgiveness Seminar, an introduction to the healing power of forgiveness, from 2 to 4:30 p.m., May 31, at whitedoor, in Madison. Practical demonstrations and a time for questions will follow the lecture.

“In Heaven forgiveness has no purpose,” explains Hughes. “But in this world it has a mighty purpose.

The problem we have is that in our conscious awareness, in each moment that God speaks to us, we promptly forget the experience. In contrast, each act of forgiveness clears away a little of the darkness and allows moments of clarity in which we can hear God speaking.

Forgiveness frees us for a moment from our body identity and judgments and allows the purity of spirit, our true selves, to emerge.”

In addition, A Crash Course in Miracles study group will meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays. “The reason we meet is that without the giving or sharing of our spiritual experience, it is unremembered,” says Hughes. “By joining with a group of like minds with a true purpose, a relationship can occur that facilitates the memory that love is true and that separation and all its illusions are not true.”

Cost: Free seminar, donations accepted for study group. Location: 6225 University Ave., Ste. 206. For more information, call 608-432-2238 or email Alden.Darla@gmail.com.

Rainbow Marifrog Expands Therapy Practice

Summer Open House at Wildwood Institute

ainbow Marifrog is honored to announce the expansion of her private therapy practice to an office on Madison’s Eastside, located at 2132 Fordem Avenue, Suite 500, this month. A Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Marifrog is a trained somatic psychotherapist and shamanic practitioner.

Marifrog’s work is rooted in the development and application of transformational techniques for Rainbow Marifrog healing and growth. She is committed to creating an exceptional therapy experience for every individual. “Finding acceptance for where we are and what we’re dealing with in life opens the door to creating the life we want and know is possible,” she says.

Sessions are customized to meet the unique needs of her clients, who include children, couples and families. Marifrog has experience working with diverse cultural populations and LGBTQI individuals.

he Wildwood Institute, in Madison, will celebrate summer with an Open House from 1 to 4 p.m., July 19. Visitors can sample herbal treats and refreshments and take advantage of a 15 percent discount on all herbal products. Kathleen Wildwood will lead a guided walk through the Herb Garden at 2 p.m.

In addition, Herbalist Jennifer Helmer will present Making Herbal Medicines, a class, July 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 pm. Topics include how to make a tincture, long infusion, infused oil or ointment and an herbal vinegar; using tools and techniques to harvest herbs; choosing the correct preparations for harvested herbs; using homemade remedies; choosing a harvest location; safety guidelines; and making and eating a wild salad.

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For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 608-520-6207 or visit RainbowMarifrog.com.

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Cost: Open House is free. Making Herbal Medicines costs $95 plus $20 materials fee. Location: 946 Burr Oak Lake.

For more information or to register, call 608-663-9608, email Kathleen@WildwoodInstitute.com or visit WildwoodInstitute. com. See ad, page 14.

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natural awakenings

May 2015

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newsbriefs Heart-Light and Lighthouse Host Open House

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sui and Karuna Reiki Master Teacher and Crystal Healer Patricia Penner, of Heart-LightReiki, LLC, and Kara Donovan Guido, of Lighthouse Healing Massage Therapy, have opened a new office on Madison’s west side, located at 6441 Enterprise Lane, Suite 212B. To celebrate, the duo will host an Open House from 1 to 5 p.m., May 9, at the new office.

Hourly giveaways will be held for Reiki and crystal healing sessions, as well as Intuitive Life/Career and Intuitive Grief Coaching sessions. Refreshments will be served and the first 30 people to arrive at the event will receive a goody bag.

New clients receive a 15 percent discount on their first session and a free chakra balancing.

For more information, call Patricia at 608-467-7033 or Kara at 608-216-6761, visit Heart-Light-Reiki.com or visit LighthouseHealing.com.

SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP G R A D UAT E PRO G R A M Engaging students in collaborative innovation to lead positive change.

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Lead the Change. Make a Difference. edgewood.edu/sustainability | 608.663.4299 | gps@edgewood.edu

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South Central Wisconsin

Natural Awakenings Ad.indd 1

AwakeMadison.com

2/13/15 4:52 PM

Natural Awakenings Helps Sponsor The Real Truth About Health Conference in Orlando

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ore than 30 of the most popular and influential leading thought leaders, experts and authors from a wide variety of wellness fields will be sharing their knowledge, insights and remedies at The Real Truth About Health Conference from May 22 to 31 at the Caribe Royale All-Suite Hotel and Conference Center, in Orlando. This free event is a partnership between the Hippocrates Institute, TheRealTruthAboutHealthConference.com and Brian Clement, Ph.D., author of LifeForce and director of the Hippocrates Health Institute.

Joining Clement as presenting authors at what organizers term as the nation’s largest health, nutrition and environmental conference, will be Dr. T. Campbell, The China Study; Gary Null, Ph.D., The Healthy Vegetarian; Dr. Helene Caldicott, Crisis Without End; Robert Whitaker, Anatomy of an Epidemic; David Simon, Meatonomics; David Kirby, Animal Factory; Joel Fuhrman, The End of Diabetes; Jeffrey Smith, Seeds of Deception; and director of the film PlantPure Nation, Nelson Campbell, plus many others.

“Our Natural Awakenings network of publishers is excited to help support this important event as a sponsor and exhibitor in Orlando,” says company CEO Sharon Bruckman. “We hope our readers will take advantage of this free conference by attending or registering online for these 10 days of empowering information and inspiration.”

Those that cannot attend the conference can watch a live stream or a replay of the presentations on their computers. Location: 8101 World Center Dr. For more information and to view the full schedule, visit TheRealTruth AboutHealthConference.com. Those interested in being vendors or other sponsorship opportunities, call 516-6050459 by May 15. Hotel phone: 407-238-8000. Also visit HippocratesInst.org. See ad, page 13.

Worldwide March Against Monsanto

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grassroots group, March Against Monsanto, has inspired people in cities and towns worldwide to raise public awareness and increase political pressure regarding Monsanto’s corporate farming and business practices and to insist on labeling of foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Some 428 cities in 38 countries on six continents will participate in the Global March Against Monsanto on May 23. Monsanto and other companies such as Dow and Syngenta genetically engineer food that poses scientifically established health risks that include organ damage, sterility, infant mortality, birth defects, immune reactions, allergies and increased cancer risk.

Marcher’s demands include solidarity against Monsanto predatory business and agricultural practices, rejecting “substantial equivalence” of GMO and traditional crops, independent scientific testing of GMO crops, promoting organic solutions, exposing the cronyism between big business and the government, addressing poverty, the real cause of global hunger, supporting food and seed sovereignty, supporting local farms, bees and biodiversity and labeling of all foods that contain GMOs. An Open Letter from World Scientists to All Governments Concerning Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) (see i-sis.org.uk/list.php), signed by 828 scientists from 84 countries, details their concerns calls for immediate five-year suspension of GMO crops in order to conduct “a comprehensive public enquiry of agriculture and food security for all.”

For more information, including a list of Wisconsin cities participating, visit March-Against-Monsanto.com. See ad, page 9.

Make your community a little GREENER …

Support our advertisers For every $100 spent in locally owned business, $68 returns to the community source: the350project.net natural awakenings

May 2015

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healthbriefs

Meditation Improves Brain Health

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arvard Medical School researchers working at the Massachusetts General Hospital have determined that meditation can improve brain health. The researchers studied 16 volunteers that took part in an eight-week mindfulness meditation study at the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness.

The participants conducted mindfulness meditation exercises for an average of 27 minutes a day. Before and after the trial, the subjects were given tests and magnetic resonance imaging of their brains.

The researchers found that the practice of mindfulness meditation resulted in increased gray matter density in the hippocampus of the brain, an area associated with increased memory and learning capacity, plus a greater sense of compassion and introspection.

HEART DISEASE DETECTED EARLY WITH BREATH TESTING

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esearch published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology has found that breath testing can reveal potential heart disease and artery problems quickly and efficiently. Testing 31 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) together with 34 healthy control subjects, the study found that concentrations of volatile gases such as propanol, ethanol and ammonia were significantly different among the heart disease patients.

It also found that the breath can reveal specific details about the heart’s condition. The breath test can be analyzed in fewer than 30 minutes.

Italian Court Links Boy’s Autism to a Vaccine

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ast September, a Milan Court held in favor of plaintiffs that claimed that three doses of the hexavalent GlaxoSmithKline vaccine Infanrix Hexa that were administered to an infant beginning in 2006 caused autism later when he was a young boy. The vaccine is used for polio, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, whooping cough and haemophilus influenzae type B. After hearing from several medical experts, the court ruled that the child likely suffered autism and brain damage as a result of the vaccine’s content of mercury and aluminum, combined with a genetic mutation in the child rendering greater susceptibility. The ruling ordered damages to be paid by the Italian government’s national vaccine injury compensation program. The court’s decision was also based upon GlaxoSmithKline’s list of possible adverse events resulting from the vaccine, which included five cases of autism during clinical trials.

Today in the U.S., most vaccines routinely given to children under 6 years of age are free of thimerosal, a mercury-derived preservative.

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South Central Wisconsin

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Weight Gain in Moms Lowers Toxins in Newborns

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any expectant mothers try to know about everything they put into and onto their bodies as multiple studies are finding that infants are exposed to toxins during pregnancy. A new study of 325 expectant mothers has determined that the baby’s exposure to toxins in the womb decreases when the mother’s weight gain during pregnancy approaches the guidelines recommended by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2009.

Women that are underweight at the start of pregnancy are advised to gain between 28 and 40 pounds, women of a healthy weight 25 to 35 pounds, overweight women 15 to 25 pounds and obese women 11 to 20 pounds.

The researchers found that expectant mothers with a gestational weight that meets or exceeds the IOM guidelines gave birth to infants with reduced toxin levels. In their analysis of the umbilical cord blood of mothers from Spain, the researchers tested for 14 pesticides and 21 other environmental toxins, including seven polychlorobiphenyls (PCB). Other influencers such as age, education and fish consumption may also be relevant.

Rehabilitating the Digestive System Naturally

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anufacturers add preservatives to food products in order to reduce spoilage by killing bacteria and fungus in the container. But that can do the same in the gut, killing good bacteria that help the body absorb nutrients and digest food.

Diets high in sugar and carbohydrates also harm the gut, feeding intestinal fungus such as Candida and allowing it to take over.

According to Steven Frank, founder of Nature’s Rite, an herbal remedies company, a wellbalanced, three-pronged approach can rehabilitate the digestive system. The first step is to kill off the bad bacteria and irritating fungus with a broadspectrum antimicrobial that is biocompatible, yet effective. Frank suggests an enhanced aqueous colloid of silver that is optimized to help clear the microbes out of the digestive system. It’s best taken on an empty stomach, dosing two ounces every two hours for two to three days; this prepares the system for enhanced effectiveness of the following treatment.

The second step is taking a good probiotic daily for at least one month. Finally, take a combination of herbs to increase mucus to protect the digestive system and reduce histamine sensitivity, allowing the intestines to rebuild a healthy lining.

Steven Frank, innovated herbalist, suggests a combination of plantain, licorice, aloe vera, peppermint, marshmallow root and slippery elm bark.

When working to heal the body, basic building blocks are required, so it’s critical that those using this approach take 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C, 10,000 international units of vitamin D and a good B-complex daily.

For more information, call 888-465-4404 or visit NaturesRiteRemedies.com. See ad, page 25.

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To Get Healthy, Get a Healthy Partner

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aving a healthier partner may be one of the best things to do for our own health. Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine finds that losing weight, stopping smoking or becoming more active is easier with a partner that has led the way in any or all healthy pursuits.

The study authors reviewed data collected by the UK Health Behavior Research Center at the University College London that followed 3,700 couples between 2002 and 2012—most of them ages 50 and older and married. Those that smoked at the beginning of the study were more likely to quit by the end of it if their partners quit smoking, and those that were physically inactive at the beginning of the study were more likely to become active if their partners did so first. About two-thirds of the men became newly active during the course of the study.

Men with wives that had lost weight were more likely to also shed pounds during the study, and women with husbands that didn’t lose weight were less likely to do so through the study period.

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natural awakenings

May 2015

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

Corporate Climate

Companies Slowly Embrace Sustainability The 2015 State of Green Business report (Tinyurl. com/2015GreenBusinessReport), which assesses the environmental performances of companies worldwide, along with the trends to watch, is produced by GreenBiz, in partnership with Trucost.

Collectively, companies have been nibbling at the edges of challenges such as climate change, food security, ecosystems preservation and resource efficiency. One measure of corporate engagement going forward will be proactive involvement on political issues that could accelerate the transition to a low-carbon and more sustainable economy. It remains to be seen whether companies can afford to sit on the sidelines, letting the political process unfold, or worse, play defense against changes that might roil their status quo.

2015 will be an interesting year on multiple fronts, especially with the launch of the new sustainable development goals at the United Nations (UN) in New York this fall, along with UN climate talks in Paris in December. Both will be tests of corporate engagement and resolve in driving the kinds of change many of their CEOs publicly call for. The reports’ findings of companies’ progress in greenhouse gas and emissions, air pollutants, water use and solid waste production are all leveling off or even declining.

Animal Genocide

‘Lethal Control’ Trades Off Species Over the next four years, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers will shoot 16,000 double-crested cormorants nesting near the Columbia River, in Oregon, at a cost of $1.5 million a year and eliminate almost 100 sea lions because both feed on endangered salmon and steelhead trout. “If people knew how many animals are killed at taxpayer expense, they’d be horrified,” says Camilla Fox, executive director of Project Coyote, a San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit.

Termed “lethal control”, there’s a growing trend to kill one species to protect another, and not all methods used are humane. In 2012, Dennis Orthmeyer, acting director of California’s Wildlife Services, said, “We pride ourselves on our ability to get it done without many people knowing about it.”

Climate change, reduced habitat and food supplies, and the introduction of non-native species are the result of human interference. “With society’s growing footprint, lethal control can only increase,” observes Michael Scott, a University of Idaho ecologist.

A plan to poison 4,000 ravens will protect greater sage grouse. More mountain lions will be killed to save bighorn sheep. The human rampage goes on, and concerned citizens are advised to urge lawmakers to end lethal control and protect wildlife habitat sustainably.

Take action at Tinyurl.com/AnimalLiberationFrontCampaign.

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South Central Wisconsin

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Dirty Dollars

Stores Filled with Toxic Products HealthyStuff, a project of the Michiganbased Ecology Center, in collaboration with the Campaign for Healthier Solutions (CHS), has released a report, A Day Late and a Dollar Short: Discount Retailers are Falling Behind on Safer Chemicals, about toxic chemicals found in dollar store products.

It includes test results for 164 dollar store products such as toys, jewelry, school supplies and household items and found that 81 percent contained at least one hazardous chemical above a level that generates concern.

The campaign sent a letter to the CEOs of the four largest dollar store chains, including Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Dollar General, and 99 Cents Only, urging them to stop the sale of these unsafe products, especially to communities of low-income and ethnic families that already live in more polluted areas and food deserts, and adopt policies that will instead protect both customers and their own businesses. Combined, these discount chains have annual sales totaling more than $36 billion and operate more stores nationally than Walmart.

The CHS is asking for a comprehensive set of reforms; communities need to let dollar store chains know that they want safer products and join local and national efforts advocating for nontoxic products.

Scroll to Dollar Store Report at Healthy Stuff.org for the complete test results.

Take action at NontoxicDollarStores.org.

Eco-Eating

Town Eateries Embrace Sustainability The city of Maplewood, Missouri, outside St. Louis, has teamed up with the Green Dining Alliance to become the area’s first Green Dining District, with at least 25 percent of all of its independently owned businesses certified by the Green Dining Alliance (GDA).

The GDA helps businesses with sustainability and green business practices while also helping them save money.

So far, eight restaurants in downtown Maplewood are GDA-certified.

Green Dining Alliance’s Olivia Engel says, “It’s a win-win that makes sense for businesses and communities.” The city is also encouraging the program by subsidizing Green Dining Alliance membership fees.

Persistent Pacers

Women Marathoners Better at Maintaining Speed Danish researchers studying almost 2 million marathon results from 131 marathon races over a period of five years have concluded that women are 18.6 percent better than men at maintaining a consistent pace overall, compared to the first and the last parts of the distance. Among the population studied, 68.5 percent were men and 31.5 percent were women. The research further suggests that both men and women “burn out” en route and could improve their marathon results significantly simply by starting slower.

Source: Consumer.HealthDay.com

View updates at GreenDiningAlliance.org.

Enflamed Water Home Flame Retardants Found in River

Scientists with the Washington Toxics Coalition tested household dust and laundry wastewater from 20 homes in the state’s cities of Longview and Vancouver and took samples of incoming and outgoing flow from two wastewater treatment plants that discharge into the Columbia River, the Northwest’s biggest waterway. They detected flame retardants in all the tests.

The conclusion of the study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, is that flame retardants are sloughing off household products such as couches and TVs and collecting on people’s clothing, washing out in the laundry and passing through wastewater treatment plants into local waterways.

Source: WaToxics.org natural awakenings

May 2015

13

ecotip Raised Right

Organic Flowers Honor Mom and Mother Earth

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Dances of Universal Peace

Simple, meditative and joyous circle dances using phrases, chants, music & movement inspired by the world’s wisdom traditions.

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1st & 3rd Fridays each month See NA calendar listings for details

Please RECYCLE

The Mother’s Day tradition of gifting mom with flowers, including such perennial favorites as lilies, orchids, tulips and roses, can be practiced in a sustainable manner. Buying organic varieties protects workers, families and the environment.

Flowers grown with conventional techniques contribute to the contamination of groundwater and streams through fertilizer and pesticide runoff that can also threaten animal species.

Many of the cut flowers are grown in South America, where farms continue to use pesticides that are restricted in the U.S. and cited as highly toxic by the World Health Organization.

GreenAmerica.org provides several helpful tips on bringing joy to mom on her special day in eco-friendly ways:

Grow Your Own. Buy organic bulbs or seeds in consumer seed catalogs and retail racks or online from reputable sources that include Seeds OfChange.com. Children can then grow their own flowers to make them mean even more. Tips for natural weed and pest control, environmentally friendly watering, making raised garden beds and more are posted at Earth Easy.com/yard-garden.

Buy Local and Organic. Support local communities and save shipping costs and energy by purchasing chemical-free organic flowers from a local farmers’ market or community supported agriculture. Online retailers like OrganicBouquet.com and LocalHarvest.org/organic-flowers.jsp offer U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified organic flowers.

Ask Local Florists to Go Organic. Find out if local florists purchase any organic and local flowers, and if not, request that they do so.

Also, eschew plastic wraps and vases for eco-friendly flowers to avoid toxic ingredients and the carbon manufacturing footprint. Fun options to hold and showcase the gift include old, recycled Mason and glass jars and bottles or an artistic vase from an estate sale or antique or thrift shop.

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Optimize Health Naturally With Living Water

by Julie Reynolds

W

written several other ater is one popular books relatof the keys ing to water properto life. ties. According to Humans, animals and his website, Masaruplants cannot live Emoto.net, in 1999 without it. The human he introduced the body is comprised idea that water not of up to 75 percent only reflects the physwater, and water ical world around it, quality affects our but it also reflects the organs, cells, brain consciousness of the function and energy being surrounding levels. While water Given that water is an it. He believed that may look the same, essential element for water has memory it may not taste the capacity and can same. It also may not healthy living, humans absorb life-enhancing have the same level of owe it to themselves to qualities from nature quality. This is where consume the very best, making it more effecprocessing comes into tive to the body. play. Some people highest quality water Frequency imbelieve water changes available. printing water, or prodepending on how it gramming water, is a method of trying is filtered, bottled and processed. to get water delivered to consumers in

Because it is our lifeline, highan energized alive condition. This idea quality water is important to many has drawn interest from all over the people. Research has been done on world. Different products from many water and water quality by various sources are on the market for structurorganizations, doctors and researching water using this method. ers over the years. Dr. Masaru Emoto,

Mark Bublitz is owner of a Wisa doctor of alternative medicine, did consin-based water company called extensive research on water during his H20 Energy Flow. Here, structured walifetime. Emoto is the author of The ter is energized through an all-natural New York Times bestselling book The Hidden Messages in Water. He has also process. Bublitz explains, “There are no added chemicals or artificial ingredients, which sets the stage for optimal, high performance cellular hydration.”

Bublitz believes this water carries additional healthy properties.

After being diagnosed with high cholesterol at age 50, Bublitz started changing the way he lives and is now more aware of what he puts into his body. He began learning about structured water and potential benefits.

Now, he imprints water through a pre-designed system, which allows the water to pick up an energy charge as it passes through an energy field before being bottled. “Our technique has an energetic frequency unlike other structured water,” Bublitz remarks.

Explained on Bublitz’s website, H2oEnergyFlow.com, a coil is charged using a non-electrifying low voltage that structures the water hexagonally, creating an energetic field. This energy field then picks up frequencies from specially formulated vials placed within the system, resulting in a coherent, fullspectrum water.

While Bublitz cannot claim that his water will necessarily cure any particular ailment, he has spoken to many satisfied customers who speak highly of his water. Some use it to drink, to water plants and even offer to pets as drinking water. Potential key benefits listed on his website include increased moisturizing effect, increased stamina, higher immune response level, revived muscles and enhanced brain function.

Given that water is an essential element for healthy living, humans owe it to themselves to consume the very best, highest quality water available. Nature is capable of producing everything we need, but it is up to people to decide how best to utilize those resources.

For more information on structured water and available locations, visit H2OEnergyFlow.com or call 888-6026568. See ad, page 32.

Julie Reynolds is a contributing writer and has a background in advertising, teaching, writing and real estate. She can be contacted at ReynJ36@gmail.com.

natural awakenings

May 2015

15

RETHINKING BREAST HEALTH Natural ways to keep breasts smooth, pain-free and firm, while reducing the risk of cancer.

by Lisa Marshall

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e’ve been conditioned to narrowly define breast health in terms of pink ribbon campaigns, cancer awareness marches and cold, steel mammography machines.

Nearly 30 years after anticancer drug maker Imperial Chemical Industries (now AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals) established the first National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October 1985, many women have come to equate healthy breasts with cancer-free breasts, and assume the most important thing they can do is undergo regular screening.

But amid this chorus, some women’s health advocates are striving to get a different message across: There are a host of steps women can take to not only fend off disease in the future, but keep their breasts in optimal condition today. “We need to change the conversation about our breasts from how to avoid breast cancer and detect it early to how to have healthy breasts and enjoy them,” says Dr. Christiane Northrup, an obstetrician and gynecologist from Yarmouth, Maine, and author of the new book Goddesses Never Age: The Secret Prescription for Radiance, Vitality, and Well-Being.

Healthy Breasts, Healthy Body

In adolescence, breast changes are the first to signal the arrival of womanhood.

When she’s aroused, a woman’s nipples harden and change color. When a woman gives birth, her breasts fill with life-giving milk. “In all these ways, your breasts are deeply connected to your femininity, compassion and sensuality,” says Hawaiian Naturopathic Doctor 16

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Laurie Steelsmith, co-author of Natural Choices for Women’s Health. Because breasts are extremely sensitive to hormonal fluctuations throughout the body, they can also serve as a barometer of overall health. “If you’re having chronic breast symptoms, it can be your body’s wisdom saying, ‘Help. Something’s wrong.’ Women need to listen.”

While some premenstrual swelling and tenderness is normal, exaggerated or persistent pain is often a sign of systemic estrogen dominance in relation to progesterone. It’s common in the years leading up to menopause, but can also hint at impaired thyroid function, because low levels of thyroid hormones have been shown to boost estrogen in breast tissue, advises Steelsmith.

Large, fluid-filled cysts or fibrous lumps, while non-cancerous, can also be a reflection of overexposure to harmful chemicals and toxin buildup, combined with poor lymph flow, notes Dr. Elizabeth Vaughan, an integrative physician in Greensboro, North Carolina. “If a woman has lumpy, bumpy breasts, they probably contain too many toxins, and those toxins are primarily estrogenic.” Addressing such symptoms is important not only to relieve discomfort, but also

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because excess estrogen can fuel future cancer risk, says Vaughan.

Any new, suspicious lump should be evaluated by a professional. Also, severe breast tenderness combined with nipple discharge could be a sign of infection or a problem with the pituitary gland, so it should also be checked. But typically, subtle natural healthcare steps can go a long way toward restoring breast wellness.

For nipple tenderness, Steelsmith recommends chaste-tree berry (175 milligrams [mg] of powdered extract or 40 drops daily). The herbal supplement mimics naturally occurring progesterone in the body, helping to counter estrogen dominance. Vitamin E (400 to 800 international units [IU] per day) and evening primrose oil (1,500 mg twice a day) have also been shown to alleviate breast tenderness.

For fibrous or cyst-filled breasts, Vaughan advises supplementing with iodine (up to 12.5 mg per day via kelp, seaweed or oral tablets) or applying an iodine solution to the breasts at night.

A key constituent of thyroid hormones, iodine helps the liver convert unfriendly forms of estrogen into friendlier forms and flush toxins out of lymph nodes in the breast. Also, steer clear of chocolate and coffee, because caffeine is

believed to interact with enzymes in the breast, exaggerating pain and lumpiness.

Also consider ditching the bra, says Vaughan. Brassieres can constrict lymph nodes and hinder blood circulation in breasts, locking toxins in and aggravating fibrocystic symptoms. The link between bras and breast cancer risk remains hotly debated, with one 2014 U.S. National Cancer Institute study of 1,400 women concluding unequivocally that, “There’s no evidence that wearing a bra increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer,” while smaller studies from the United States, China, Venezuela, Scotland and Africa suggest a link.

Vaughan, the founder of BraFree.org, says the science is compelling enough that she has chosen to keep her own bra use to a minimum and advises her patients to do the same.

“Obviously, there are certain sports where you should wear a sports bra and there are certain dresses that only look right with a bra,” says Vaughan.

At a minimum, avoid wearing a bra to bed and steer clear of underwires and overly tight bras that leave red marks.

“This is not about guilt-tripping women into never wearing a bra. It’s about wearing a bra less.”

Beautiful Breasts Naturally

Ne Sh w op W , Re Ou eb de r Sto sign re ed

Too small or too big, lopsided or riddled with stretch marks… it seems almost every woman has a complaint about the appearance of her breasts.

That’s a problem, says Northrup, because, “Healthy breasts are breasts that are loved. We have to stop beating them up.”

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the number of women getting breast implants

for cosmetic reasons ballooned from 212,500 in 2000 to 286,254 in 2014.

Physicians—including Northrup— claim that modern implants don’t, in the majority of cases, promote disease like older silicone implants did. Yet even plastic surgeons warn that having implants should be fully thought out, and at some point they’ll probably have to come out. “They are manmade devices, and are not intended to be lifelong. At some point, you will probably have to have further surgery,” says Dr. Anureet Bajaj, an Oklahoma City plastic surgeon.

Bajaj notes that implants can rupture, forming scar tissue and lending irregular shape to the breast. Often, as a woman ages and her body changes, the larger breasts she chose in her 20s no longer look right and may cause back and shoulder pain. In some cases, implants can also lead to loss of nipple sensitivity. For these and other reasons, 23,774 women—including actress Melissa Gilbert and model Victoria Beckham—had their implants removed in 2014, often following up with a breast lift (using their own tissue) to restore their shape.

Vaughan sees breast implant removal as a wise and courageous choice to restore optimal breast health. Better yet, don’t get implants in the first place.

“There are a lot of other things you can do to improve the appearance of your breasts,” she advises.

Vaughan recommends breastperking exercises like dumbbell bench presses and flys that tone the pectoral muscles beneath the breasts, making them more resilient and look larger. To prevent or reverse sagging, she again urges women to go bra-free. “We have

ligaments in the upper outer quadrant of our breasts called Cooper’s ligaments, and they’re responsible for holding our breasts up. Just like your muscles atrophy when you put your arm in a sling, your Cooper’s ligaments atrophy if you wear a bra all the time.”

In one unpublished, yet highly publicized 2013 study, French Exercise Physiologist Jean-Denis Rouillon measured the busts of 330 women ages 18 to 35 over a period of 15 years and found those that regularly wore a bra had droopier breasts with lower nipples than those that didn’t. In another, smaller, Japanese study, researchers found that when women stopped wearing a bra for three months, their breasts perked up.

Those worried about stretch marks also have options. They can be a sign of inadequate copper, which promotes collagen integrity and helps skin stretch without injury, says Steelsmith. If rapid weight gain is occurring due to adolescence, pregnancy or for other reasons, try taking copper supplements or applying a topical copper spray on the breasts.

Remember to massage your breasts daily, not only as a “search and destroy mission” for early detection of cancerous lumps, says Northrup, but as a way to get waste products flowing out and loving energy flowing in.

“It concerns me that women feel pressured to think of their breasts as two potentially pre-malignant lesions sitting on their chests,” Northrup says.

“These are organs of nourishment and pleasure for both ourselves and others.

We need to remember that, too.”

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

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natural awakenings

May 2015

17

Bust Musts for Cancer Prevention

with Amethyst-Far Infrared Energy

by Lisa Marshall

Visit My Website and Call Me for a FREE Demo Bio-Mats.com/LarryKlein Larry Klein 608-278-1321

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. ~Nadine Stair

Motherhood:

All love begins and ends there. ~Robert Browning

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ccording to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and nearly 40,000 will die annually of the disease.

But at least 38 percent of those diagnoses could be prevented via diet and lifestyle changes, affirms the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR).

“For decades, the dominant public message about breast cancer has been about early detection,” says Medical Doctor Robert Pendergrast, an associate professor at the Medical College of Georgia, in Augusta, and author of Breast Cancer: Reduce Your Risk with Foods You Love. “Screening is important, but not nearly enough attention is being paid to prevention.” Here’s what we can do to keep cancer at bay or from recurring.

Eat more veggies: Cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, are loaded with indole-3-carbinol, or I3C, a potent anticancer compound that helps break down excess estrogen and convert it into a more friendly, or benign form, says Steelsmith. One study in Alternative Medicine Review found that women that ate high amounts of cruciferous vegetables were 30 percent less likely to develop breast cancer over 30 years.

I3C can also be taken as a supplement (300 milligrams [mg] per day).

Eat more fiber, especially flax: Fiber, via whole grains, fruits and vegetables, helps flush out toxins including unfriendly estrogen. Flax contains cancer-fighting compounds called lignans, which block the effects of excess or unfriendly estrogen on cells.

Drink less alcohol: Alcohol boosts estrogen levels in women and is broken down in the liver to acetaldehyde, a known toxin that causes cancer in laboratory animals, notes Naturopath

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Laurie Steelsmith. According to the AICR, a woman that has five drinks per week boosts her risk by 5 percent. Two or more drinks per day boosts such risk by more than 40 percent.

Skip the barbecue: Charring meat produces carcinogenic compounds called heterocyclic amines. A study of 42,000 women, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, found that those that routinely ate welldone hamburger, beef or bacon had four times the risk of those that opted for medium or medium-rare.

Keep weight in check: Excessive estrogen, which lives in fat cells, fuels cancer risk. According to the AICR, a woman with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 (obese) has a 13 percent higher risk of cancer than a woman with a BMI of 25 (slightly overweight).

Spice up life: Curcumin from the turmeric plant has been shown in many studies to have potent immune-boosting and anticancer properties, reactivating sleeping tumor-suppressor genes that can kill cancer cells.

De-stress: Growing evidence that includes studies from Ohio State University suggest that stress can boost the risk of breast cancer and recurrence, plus heighten its aggressiveness by altering hormones and impairing immunity.

One study from Finland’s University of Helsinki followed 10,808 Finnish women for 15 years and found as much as double the rate of breast cancer among those that had experienced a divorce or death of a spouse or family member.

Drink green tea: It’s loaded with epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a potent antioxidant believed to suppress new blood vessel growth in tumors and keep cancerous cells from invading healthy tissue.

wisewords

so you get the marrow; I’m partial to knuckle bones. I always have soup broth in my refrigerator.

Laura Prepon’s Journey to Health

What’s key to your ability to naturally stay healthy and fit in the midst of an intense schedule of work and travel?

Home Cooking, Organics and Massage Are Keys

by Gerry Strauss

How do you manage to consistently eat local organic food instead of fast food?

My mother was a gourmet chef and an advocate of organic food, so we always had amazing meals growing up. Eating organic produce that’s in season locally seems to help me assimilate nutrition more readily. Whenever I can, I also try to tap into biodynamic agriculture, which takes an even broader holistic approach to food production and nutrition. I view GMOs [genetically modified foods] as toxic to the system.

As a self-taught chef, I like to cook at least 80 percent of my food at home

and bring meals to work so I don’t stress about food during the day. It feels good to get people together in the kitchen and I’ve taught friends how to cook healthy foods in simple ways, so they now bring their own meals with them to work. It’s all about preparation, so that you’re not just grabbing something on the run. Knowing what’s going into the food we’re eating is important. photo by Michael Simon

F

rom That ‘70s Show to Orange is the New Black, actress Laura Prepon has long been considered by TV audiences to be a welcome image of health. Yet Prepon’s recent discovery that she’d been falling short in nourishing her body as effectively as possible has set in motion a complete redirection of lifestyle, from her diet to fitness routine. Now working on a book about clean living and eating due out next year, Prepon has rededicated herself to educating us just as much as she’s entertained us through the years.

Why do you include a lot of soup in your diet?

With all of the GMO food sprayed with chemicals in the typical American diet and the other environmental toxins everyone has to deal with, our gut flora, intestines and bodies in general are becoming compromised. Ten years ago, few had even heard of gluten allergies unless you had celiac disease, which was rare even then. Now, everywhere you go, there’s a gluten-free option.

I love eating soup because the healthful ingredients I use are broken down completely, so the body can immediately assimilate needed micronutrients, which help heal us from the inside out. I’m talking about homemade broth from grass-fed beef bones,

I love modalities like acupuncture, massage … all of that. I fully believe in keeping energy flowing to benefit the functioning of all our organs.

As school kids, we learn about the circulatory system and central nervous system, but who knows much about the lymphatic system? It’s extremely important, and people are starting to get the idea. Activities like yoga, swimming and bouncing on the trampoline can help.

Do you see society’s penchant for medicating as a way to avoid listening to and addressing our body’s real needs?

I do. That’s why I study Eastern medicine, because I feel that Western medicine treats problems and Eastern medicine prevents problems from happening.

I grew up in a family of doctors and “full-on” Western medicine and respect the medical community. Unfortunately, these days, most people are continually medicated and they’re not getting better.

As a society, we tend to just take a drug to handle a symptom instead of addressing the actual cause of the problem.

As a celebrity, do you see yourself as a conduit to facilitate a shift away from unnatural lifestyles?

Yes. The reason I decided to write a book was because I’ve been struggling with a bunch of different ailments in secret for a long time. When I began working with my integrated health coach, Elizabeth Troy, I started to heal for the first time in all the years of reading books on health, diet and fitness, seeing doctors, taking loads of pills and spending crazy amounts of money on all of these activities. I want to help people struggling to regain their health to get answers.

Gerry Strauss is a freelance writer in Hamilton, NJ. Connect at GerryStrauss@aol.com.

natural awakenings

May 2015

19

FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE

healingways

Giving Birth Naturally

In Life and Business

Conscious Choices Lead to Less Intervention

by Meredith Montgomery

L Advertise in

Natural Awakenings’ Healing Addiction and Balanced Man June Issue To advertise or participate in our next issue, call

608-721-2254 20

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abor and delivery in a hospital was promotMost births is a natural process ed as a safer alternative. should be viewed By 1938, half of domesthat can be enjoyed.

“It’s not something as a natural life tic births took place in to be afraid of,” says hospitals, and by 1960 it process instead rose to 97 percent. CurMel Campbell, author of The Yoga of Pregnancy. rently, midwives attend of a potential “It’s a wonderful and less than 8 percent of beautiful experience. We medical emergency. births here, and fewer need to remember that than 1 percent occur ~Abby Epstein, The outside a hospital. the body is designed for Business of Being Born giving birth.”

Natural labor and

Natural childbirth delivery in a hospital uses few or no artificial medical interis possible, but, “It’s hard to have an ventions such as drugs, continuous unmedicated birth in many hospitals if fetal monitoring, forceps delivery or you don’t know your rights, understand episiotomies (cuts to enlarge the vaginal your physiology and have a doula by opening). According to the U.S. Centers your side helping you avoid unnecesfor Disease Control (CDC), 32.7 percent sary interventions,” says Ina May Gasof deliveries were by Cesarean section kin, a pioneering midwife and author in 2013—most performed in situations of Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth. Key where a vaginal birth would have posed factors to discuss include fetal monitora relatively low risk to the health of ing, intravenous tubes and the option to mother and child. Entirely natural child- eat or drink during labor. birth is now rare here compared with other countries, but that wasn’t always Benefits of Home Births the case.

Women choose home births and

In 1900, 95 percent of all U.S. homey birthing centers because they births took place in the home; when labor there more comfortably, feel more more moved to hospitals here in the in control of the process and can more early 20th century, midwives still easily avoid interventions. Many moms typically handled the delivery in other seek out a midwife’s services because they don’t want to repeat the convencountries, sometimes without a doctor tional hospital experience that accompresent. In America, obstetrics became a profession and a doctor-attended birth panied their first baby’s arrival.

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When actress lessons are gifts you By 2006 Cesarean Ricki Lake gave birth can take with you delivery was the number into labor.” to her second child in her home bathtub She reminds one surgical procedure with the assistance women that the in American hospitals. baby is always getof a midwife, she felt empowered by doing ting nourishment ~U.S. Centers for it on her own terms. from all that mom Disease Control “Giving birth wasn’t eats and breathes in, an illness, someand also feeds off of thing that needed to be numbed. It was her feelings and emotions. “The more something to be experienced,” she says. we can feel at peace with ourselves and

When women let their bodies incorporate the baby into our being, the naturally lead, labor can last as little more we feel a connection and union,” as 20 minutes or as long as two weeks, she says. “It’s vital that you let your and the spectrum of pain intensity body’s innate wisdom be your guide and respect any cues it may give.” is equally broad. A healthy prenatal

Campbell guides expectant lifestyle that prepares a mom-to-be mothers through a yoga practice that for a natural physical, emotional and spiritual experience of childbirth is embraces the changes occurring each highly beneficial. trimester. For example, a more physical practice in the second trimester utilizes the surge of energy to build stamina Compassionate Self-Care and strength, while opening the heart, “Pregnancy’s not the time to overexhips and pelvis. ert yourself; let go of the temptation

Complementary relaxation techto overachieve and instead practice niques for labor include breathing breathing and mindfulness,” advises practices, visualization, meditation and Campbell. “If you’re experiencing massage. When a mother isn’t conmorning sickness, try to embrace it and nected to monitors and tubes, she’s free how it serves you. By doing so, you’ll to experiment with positions and props be more in tune with your body. These

Conscious Childbirth Resources The Yoga of Pregnancy Week by Week: Connect With Your Unborn Child through Mind, Body and Breath

by Mel Campbell Natural Hospital Birth: The Best of Both Worlds

by Cynthia Gabriel Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth

by Ina May Gaskin Spiritual Midwifery

by Ina May Gaskin Your Best Birth

by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein The Business of Being Born a film by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein Mothering Magazine’s Having a Baby, Naturally

by Peggy O’Mara

natural awakenings

May 2015

21

There is a great deal of fear and ignorance about allowing labor and birth to proceed without disturbance. Rates of routine intervention are so high, most nurses and physicians rarely see a fully natural birth. ~Ina May Gaskin such as balls, bars and pillows, plus a warm shower or bath. If a hospital birth is planned, Gaskin notes that labor often slows once a woman leaves the comfort of home, and recommends laboring at home as long as possible.

There is no way to predict the course of labor and delivery when women let nature take the lead. Campbell, a mother of three, says, “I tried to focus on the intention of what I wanted for my birthing experience, while also surrendering expectations, knowing that I would have whatever type of birth I was supposed to have.” She adds, “The breath is the most important thing—it keeps us in the moment, helps us to relax and supports us through labor.”

While the home birth option is important to America’s new generation of trailblazing women, it’s also significant on a macro level. Gaskin explains, “It’s hard for staff to change routine practices in hospitals but home births make innovation possible.” Home births demonstrated that women don’t require routine episiotomies and have shown how maternal mobility and position changes can help labor progress and free badly stuck babies (earlier methods often injured mother and child).

Gaskin has found, “Wherever and however you decide to give birth, your experience will impact your emotions, mind, body and spirit for the rest of your life. No one should have a home birth who doesn’t want one, but it must be one of the choices.”

Meredith Montgomery publishes Natural Awakenings of Mobile/Baldwin, AL (HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com).

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A Mother’s Guide to Natural Childbirth

by Meredith Montgomery

D

etermining the best birth setting for a mother necessitates sound planning.

If an unmedicated birth is a goal, these insights may help in mak-ing decisions.

Home birth takes place in the comfort of home, typically with the assistance of a midwife, and is suitable for a healthy woman with a low-risk pregnancy. She is able to wear her own clothing and eat as she pleases. Because monitoring of mother and baby is done intermittently, she is free to move around.

Confirm the midwife’s training and experience; ask how many home births she’s attended and which obstetricians she consults. Discuss the signs and symptoms that might necessitate a move to the hospital and how quickly it can be done. While a midwife’s fee is often far less than the cost of a hospital birth, not all insurance companies cover home births.

A birth center provides personalized, family-centered care in a homelike environment for healthy women.

Practitioners follow principles of problem prevention, sensitivity, safety, appropriate medical intervention and cost-effectiveness. A midwife typically delivers the baby, but the collaborative practice team also includes obstetricians, pediatricians and other specialists.

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Mothers experience personal freedoms similar to a home birth, and tubs for water births are usually available, plus other birthing props such as squatting bars, stools and balls.

The center should be accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Birth Centers. Inquire what the protocol for care will be if complications arise, learn what the center’s charges for care cover and confirm if the family’s insurance policy will pay for the services provided.

A hospital generally has access to the latest medical technology, making it a preferred option for medium-to-highrisk pregnancies. With proper preparations, an unmedicated birth is possible in this traditional setting. Investigate their rates of Cesarean births and episiotomies and the determining parameters.

To allow for an active labor, request intermittent fetal monitoring, avoid intravenous fluids and ask about the availability of birthing props. Become familiar with hospital policies, such as who can be in the delivery room and whether the baby will stay with mom after the birth. If a nurse midwife is not on staff, consider hiring a doula to assist in preparing for and carrying out the family’s birth plan.

natural awakenings

May 2015

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healthykids

Keep it fun, so that your kids will try new things like vegetables. Remember, it takes 12 times before a baby actually prefers a new food, so don’t give up! ~Veronika Van de Geer Buckley, Maine mother

KIDS ¤ VEGGIES How to Instill Healthy Lifelong Habits

by Clancy Cash Harrison

Starting at conception, the early years of a child’s life are a perfect window of opportunity to establish a foundation of healthy eating.

W

ant a child to love veggies?

Here are simple tips parents can practice in the first three years to establish lifelong good eating habits.

Start early. We all know that eating healthy during pregnancy will help a baby grow, but many may not realize that an infant can taste flavors in utero and through breast milk. Eating a variety of fresh produce during pregnancy and breastfeeding helps shape a healthy diet later in life.

Treat weaning as a time for the infant to explore the texture, taste and aroma of an array of foods. After six months of exclusive breastfeeding, food can be introduced, although breast milk is still the primary source of nutrients.

Small, repeated exposures to many foods during this stage will help minimize refusals to try or accept foods in the toddler years.

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South Central Wisconsin

Children’s foods should be exploding with nutrients. Offering a variety of organic produce ensures optimal nutrition and decreases chemical exposure. Research reported by the Harvard Medical School and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, among others, shows that richly colored foods help build dense bones, powerful brains and tough immunity. Good candidates include butternut squash, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, carrots, broccoli, berries and citrus. Also go for those naturally high in iron, such as peas, leafy greens, apricots, raisins and legumes.

Avoid anything high in sugar and other sweeteners, hydrogenated oils, artificial colorings and other harmful additives.

Another important yet often overlooked foundation of healthy eating is encouraging a child to self-regulate his

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or her calorie intake. Self-regulation starts on the first day of breastfeeding and is carried through adulthood.

Respecting a child’s decision to end a meal allows them to control their own food intake. Common signals infants use to end a meal include turning their head away, arching back, throwing food on the floor and showing an interest in other activities. To encourage self-regulation, always serve meals and healthy snacks on a schedule and allow the child to feed himself when possible.

As early as 7 months of age, most healthy infants are developmentally ready to do this, which should optimize nutrient consumption, increase participation in family meals and contribute to a less stressful mealtime. Appropriate foods for self-feeding should easily melt in an infant’s mouth and be a safe size, such as soft fruits and cooked vegetables. To prevent choking, avoid round, hard and sticky foods such as whole grapes, peanuts, popcorn and nut or seed butters.

Don’t be afraid to add mild herbs and spices to a child’s food. An easy way to teach healthy flavor preferences, develop taste buds and reduce pickiness when they’re older is to expose children to many foods, textures and aromas. A dash of cumin in smashed avocado or freshly chopped mint mixed with diced strawberries introduces new perspective on a favorite food.

Food refusal is inevitable, normal behavior. Children will love a food one day and hate it the next. Rethinking the definition of variety empowers parents to reintroduce a not-so-favorite food many times. If children don’t like the way an item feels or looks, they may not

It’s important to give the child the same food that the family eats, but in smaller servings. This allows the child to watch others eat and enjoy the same meal.

Kid Feeding Tips

by Clancy Cash Harrison n Holding off on fruits as a first food to prevent development of a sweet tooth is a myth. A sweet taste preference is engrained in an infant’s DNA (Annual Review of Nutrition; Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care).

~Maria Myers Maiden, North Carolina mother

taste it. The refusal of a carrot doesn’t necessarily doom carrots. They can be coined, minced, mashed, puréed and diced to change the texture, plus they can be served cold, at room temperature or tepid.

A child’s early adventurous eating increases the willingness to experiment with a wider range of less familiar foods as a young adult in a multicultural foodscape. Kids are not born reciting an alphabet; it takes time and practice to read and learn a new language. Similarly, it requires time and patient practice to establish a healthy foundation for eating. Have faith in the family’s ability to make eating together enjoyable for everyone.

Clancy Cash Harrison is a mother of two, pediatric feeding therapist, registered dietitian and author of Feeding Baby: Simple Approaches to Raising a Healthy Baby and Creating a Lifetime of Nutritious Eating. Connect at FieldsOfFlavor.com.

n Restricting foods high in sugar and fat increases a child’s preference for them. Then, when sweets are made available, the child feels compelled to overeat them (Appetite; The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; Proceedings of the Nutrition Society). n Most children will refuse a new food and by age 2, become afraid of anything new. Therefore, introduce a large variety of foods early in life (Appetite; International Journal of Obesity). n Infants and children can regulate calorie needs based on current growth patterns and age. Some days an infant will eat large amounts of food, on others very little. n Pressuring a child to eat is a behavior associated with unhealthy eating habits. Not only does it set them up for long-term food aversions, it teaches them to distrust their internal feelings of hunger and fullness, often leading to a habit of overeating.

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MUSCLES Weightlifting Makes Us Fit,

Healthy and Self-Confident

by Debra Melani

W

omen who shy away from the traditionally male-centric weight rooms might want to reconsider. Standing their ground amid the deadlift bars and iron plates could lead to a host of unimagined benefits.

Research has found that among other things, hoisting dumbbells can amp up the fat burn, ward off some common diseases and make women stronger, both inside and out.

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Aerobic activity can burn more calories while doing it (e.g., 14 to 16 per minute when running), but strength training prolongs the burn, even when resting afterward, according to Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., of Quincy, Massachusetts, who publishes widely on the topic in scientific journals, magazine articles and books. Women will burn fewer calories while pumping iron than when running (between eight and 10 calories a minute), but because of weightlifting’s action—traumatizing muscle tissue and forcing it to rebuild—muscle recovery requires increased expenditure of energy, and thus calories, when the person is at rest.

The research shows a revvedup burn of between 5 percent and 7 percent for three full days after a workout, says Westcott, who developed the exercise science major at Quincy College and has reviewed and directed strength-training research for more than 25 years. “On average, a woman burns an extra 100 calories a day by having done 30 minutes of strength training twice a week. That’s an extra 3,000 calories a month, or nearly an extra pound of fat she can burn.”

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Additional “free” calorie burning comes from the after-burn effect. By initiating the anaerobic, rather than aerobic, system, weightlifting requires more energy just to return to the resting state. “So, after you finish a workout, you will burn approximately 30 percent of the amount of calories you burned during the workout in the first hour afterward as your body transitions back.

It’s a bonus of resistance training.”

“It’s like there’s a furnace inside you,” says Naturopathic Doctor and CrossFit instructor Holly Lucille, of West Hollywood, California. The more buff a woman becomes, the more fat she burns. “It can help minimize that natural effect of slowed metabolism as you age and control body weight,” she notes.

To maximize the burn, eat a healthy combined protein/carb snack within an hour of the workout, advises Jen Hoehl, a personal trainer in New York City, who says, “Adding amino acids helps the muscles rebuild more efficiently.”

Westcott agrees, adding that 90 percent of studies he’s reviewed concur that about 25 extra grams of protein such as a Greek yogurt, more for heavier men, just before or after a workout, enhances fat loss, bone strength and lean muscle gain.

Don’t Fear ‘Hulk’ Bulk

Experts agree that it’s impossible for women to look like the Hulk character of comic book fame. “They don’t have enough anabolic hormones, such as testosterone,” Westcott explains. “Our team has written 26 books on strength training, with not one title exclusively for women.

The muscles are exactly the same for both genders, so the same training works, but women will just get toned, not bulky.”

To build muscle and become toned absent injury, create a full-body routine, balance muscle groups targeted in workouts, and progress properly through increased weight loads.

“I train a lot of tiny girls that deadlift 225,” Hoehl says. One tip: Don’t overeat, a mistake many women make when starting out.

“Often, people will be hungrier, and they lose track of what they eat or think, ‘Now I can reward myself,’” Lucille explains. “You have to figure out what your new normal is. Eat lean, clean protein.”

All three experts agree that braving the free-weight area boosts success at toning and trimming the whole body. “If you use free weights, you use your core and more muscle groups to help stabilize both the weight and your body, which is often standing,” Hoehl explains, versus machines that are often worked while sitting, and generally exercise only one targeted muscle group at a time.

Pumping Iron Boosts Overall Health for Men and Women

W

ayne Westcott, who has served as a consultant for many national organizations, from the U.S. Air Force to the American Council on Exercise, points to the relevant body of research he’s studied, which shows that the health benefits of building muscle can also help ward off many diseases and debilitating conditions.

4 Osteoporosis, by building up bone tissue 4 Diabetes, by increasing lean muscle, which helps the body regulate blood sugar levels 4 Heart disease, by increasing the good cholesterol and lowering the bad 4 Stroke, by lowering resting blood pressure 4 Depression, by building self-esteem and boosting endorphins 4 Colon disease, by increasing natural intestinal movement that keeps the colon clear 4 Energy loss, by enhancing mitochondria, the powerhouse of the body

•

Call for your appointment or book online today

Recover Muscle

Note: Experts recommend using a certified trainer or weightlifting class to get started.

Debra Melani writes about health care and fitness from Lyons, CO. Connect at DebraMelani.com.

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Weightlifters also slow Mother Nature’s habit of stealing muscle during aging.

“Women lose an average of five pounds of muscle per decade after age 30 until menopause, when the rate increases even more,” Westcott says. Studies have found that during a woman’s first six months of twice-weekly weight training, she can rebuild about one-quarter pound of muscle per week, he says.

Because becoming stronger makes everything from chores to other kinds of workouts easier, women become firmer, fitter and more self-confident, Lucille observes. Independence rises, along with self-esteem. “As with all things in life: If you push against resistance, you get stronger,” she says. “That’s true both mentally and physically.”

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May 2015

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EATING SKINNY Why Vegans and Vegetarians are Naturally Trim

by Judith Fertig

W

e read the labels touting low sugar, carbs, fats and calories. We try this and that diet, hoping the pounds will melt away.

Yet more than a third of U.S. adults, nearly 80 million of us, remain overweight or obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Atlanta.

The problem might be that we’re getting the wrong advice. While most weight-loss plans focus on reducing calories, recent research shows that vegan and vegetarian dietary patterns can result in more weight loss than those that include meat, without even emphasizing caloric restriction. Scientists at the University of South Carolina, in Columbia, point to their study, How Plant-Based Do We Need to Be to Achieve Weight Loss?

Study participants were divided into five groups, according to eating style, from vegan to flexitarian to carnivore, and monitored for an eight-week period. At the end of the evaluation, those that followed an entirely plantbased diet achieved the greatest weight loss. Study leader Gabrielle Turner-McGrievy, Ph.D., notes, “Many researchers agree that vegan eating styles are tied to lower BMI [body mass index], lower prevalence of Type 2 diabetes and less weight gain with age.”

Can it really be that simple… eat more plants and lose weight? “Yes,” says clean food coach Jeannette Bessinger, of Newport, Rhode Island. “Most people could benefit from eating more vegetables.” Co-author of Natural Solutions for Digestive Health with Naturopath 28

South Central Wisconsin

Eat food. Not too much.

Mostly plants. ~Michael Pollan Jillian Sarno Teta, Bessinger advises her clients to start by eating more green, leafy vegetables.

Vegetables contribute to weight control in several ways, says Bessinger.

They fill us up and help calm cravings.

Plus, when plants become the bulk of what we eat, we naturally consume fewer high-fat, high-calorie foods.

For an easy appetite-control strategy, Bessinger suggests having a cup of vegetable soup about 10 minutes before a meal. “It shuts off your appetite valve and you’ll eat noticeably less,” she says, while still feeling full. She also recommends slowing down and being mindful when we eat. Vegetables help us do that. “It takes two-and-a-half minutes to eat a piece of cheesecake, but much more time to eat a big salad,” she says.

For New York City-based Victoria Moran, author of Main Street Vegan and The Good Karma Diet, losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle became easier once she adopted a vegan diet. “I’ve been through life and loss and ages 40 and 50, and my weight stays steady, some 60 pounds less than it once was,” she says. “Every year

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when I put away my winter clothes and get out my summer clothes, they fit.”

Her eating strategy is easy, too.

“Make your plate look like a Christmas tree,” says Moran, “mostly green with splashes of other bright colors from vegetables and fruits.” She eats green veggies in several ways. She makes her own green juices—one favorite combines celery, kale, apple and lemon juice. She also adds tender greens like romaine or spinach to smoothies that might also contain fruit and citrus juice.

She steams greens with plenty of garlic and makes big salads.

“I bought my salad bowl at a restaurant supply house,” Moran exclaims. Salads get an oomph factor with a selection of avocado, pumpkin or hemp seeds, mushrooms, chickpeas or red beans, artichoke hearts, chunks of steamed yam and sautéed tofu or tempeh. Moran cites benefits of more energy to do more physical activity and “feeling really good” as additional outcomes of her dietary shift.

Sophie Uliano, a Los Angelesbased natural beauty expert and author of the new Gorgeous for Good, agrees, believing that eating a vegan diet 80 percent of the time can pay dividends in weight loss, well-being, energy and beauty. “Most of the time, eat clean and healthy,” she recommends. “It’s not a diet. It’s a ‘live-it’, a way of life.”

Uliano recently asked two colleagues on the Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family show to try eating vegan, while also eliminating gluten, alcohol, caffeine and refined grains.

The pair lost weight, gained energy and improved their skin tone.

“Transformation comes in a series of small, consistent decisions over time,” concludes Bessinger, eating salad instead of cheeseburgers and vegetables instead of fries. For natural weight management, “Make strategic, long-term changes in stages that you can actually sustain over time.”

Judith Fertig blogs at AlfrescoFood AndLifestyle.blogspot.com from Overland Park, KS.

calendarofevents

Alden Hughes, long-time teacher of A Course In Miracles, will present an introduction to the healing power of forgiveness with ample time for questions and practical demonstrations. Free. whitedoor, 6225 University Ave, Suite 206, Madison. Contact Alden: 608-432-2238, Alden.Darla@gmail.com.

Submit your calendar event by the 12th of each month to Publisher@ AwakeMadison.com. $20/listing.

SATURDAY, MAY 2

plan ahead

Working with Crystal Grids – 10-12pm. With John Deits. Majority of class is spent working handson to create and activate crystal grids. No experience necessary. $10. Registration is required as class size is limited. 608-835-5288. PeacefulHeart.net.

FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Dances of Universal Peace – 7-9pm.Simple, circle dances using sacred phrases from the world’s spiritual traditions. Family friendly dance evening. $10/donation. Gates of Heaven Synagogue, 302 E. Gorham St, Madison. 608-339-0708. MadisonSufis.com.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 Culinary Herbs that Promote Health and Vitality – 6:30-8pm. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme are savory herbs, and useful remedies for memory loss, improving digestion and more. Kathleen Wildwood leads you on a journey from kitchen to herbal medicine cabinet. Register: Olbrich.org. $22 non-members, $17 members. Olbrich Botanical Gardens, 3330 Atwood Ave, Madison.

SATURDAY, MAY 9 Sustainability Leadership Graduate Program Open House – 3-5:30pm. Meet faculty, students, alumni and friends. Learn about Sustainability Leadership Program and celebrate the work being done to create abundant, healthy and prosperous organizations and communities. For info, contact Lyn McMurray at LMcMmurray@Edgewood.edu or 608-663-3440. The Stream atrium, Edgewood College, 1000 Edgewood College Drive, Madison.

SUNDAY, MAY 10 Universal Worship – 10am-12pm. Ceremony of words, music and ritual that honors all the world’s religious traditions on one altar. Donations welcome.

Gates of Heaven Synagogue, 302 E Gorham St, Madison. 608-338-0709. MadisonSufis.com.

FRIDAY, MAY 15 Energy Healing – Level 1 – 5:30-8pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am-5:30pm. Learn energy healing from England’s largest energy healing organization, now teaching in the U.S. We teach grounding, protection, professionalism and offer certification.

No prerequisites. $400. St. Francis Spirituality Center, 300 East Fourth St., Marathon. Info: 715937-3124, Rose@HealingInAmerica-Midwest.com.

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Dances of Universal Peace – 7-9pm. Long Dance/ Zikr Night. Meditation and movement. Simple, circle dances using sacred phrases from the world’s spiritual traditions. Family-friendly dance evening. $10/donation. Tai Chi Center, 301 S Bedford, Ste 219, Madison. 608-339-0708. MadisonSufis.com.

SUNDAY, MAY 17 Numerology Can Help Workshop – 2-4 pm. Use Numerology to determine your birth/soul path and help to clarify and illuminate goals and life purpose. $25 ($20 if paid by May 9). Taught by Patricia Penner, Intuitive Life/Career & Grief Coach. Unity of Madison, 601 Tompkins Dr, Madison. For info or to register: 608-467-7033 or Patty@Heart-LightReiki.com. Heart-Light-Reiki.com.

THURSDAY, MAY 21 Community HU – 7:30pm. Singing HU can open your heart to God’s love and expand awareness.

Sing HU for 20 minutes followed by fellowship and light refreshments. Free. Goodman Center, 149 Waubesa St, Madison. Experience the sound of HU at HearHU.org.

FRIDAY, MAY 29 Holistic Healing with Herbs – 9am-5pm. Also Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm. Weekend intensive. Comprehensive overview of herbal medicine, growing herbs, and holistic uses. Complete requirements to receive 75-hour certificate. Taught by Dr. Christina Wilke-Burbach PhD. Mimosa 260 W. Gilman, Madison. $475. For info or to register: Christina 608-393-7353, MindSoulSelf@yahoo. com. MindSoulAndSelf.com.

SUNDAY, MAY 31 Psychic Medium Readings – 12:30-4pm. With Brendalynn. Cost is $45 for 30 min. Appointments are highly recommended. Peaceful Heart, 123 S. Main St, Oregon. 608-835-5288. PeacefulHeart.net.

Transformative Forgiveness Seminar – 2-4:30pm.

Barbara Newsom, of the Urantia Foundation and

Community HU – 7:30pm. Singing HU can open your heart to God’s love and expand awareness. Sing HU for 20 minutes followed by fellowship and light refreshments. Free. McCormick Place, 5610 Medical Circle, # 25, Madison. Experience the sound of HU at HearHU.org.

SUNDAY, JUNE 7 Herb Day – 10am-4pm. Local herbal enthusiasts, teachers and vendors present a day of education, herb walks and herbal product sales. Herb Day is a family-friendly event, with free classes and events for all ages. Olbrich Botanical Gardens, 3330 Atwood Ave, Madison.

FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Power of Forgiveness Workshop – 7-10pm. Saturday and Sunday 9am-6pm. Join facilitator Gil Beltran in an inspiring, interactive weekend workshop that creates joyful and healed relationships using A Course in Miracles. $125. whitedoor, 6225 University Ave, Suite 206, Madison. For info or to register: Alden or Darla at 608-432-8637 or Darla.

Alden@charter.net.

markyourcalendar Bhakti Fest Midwest Festival that celebrates devotional path with roots in yoga, kirtan and meditation. Embrace ancient and modern sacred wisdom and spiritual practices. The festival is a vehicle for evolution of human consciousness through heart-centered revolution.

June 25-29

(includes pre- and post-fest events) Info and tickets at:

MidwestBhaktiFest.com See ad on page 2.

If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased. ~Katharine Hepburn

SATURDAY, JULY 18 Making Herbal Medicines – 10am-5pm. Taught by Jennifer Helmer, Herbalist. Learn to safely harvest and prepare tincture, long infusion, infused oil or ointment and vinegar. Take remedies for home use.

Includes Herb Walk, weather permitting. $95 + $20 materials fee. Wildwood Institute, 946 Burr Oak Lane, Madison. Register at WildwoodInstitute.com.

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May 2015

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communityresourceguide Connecting you to the leaders in natural health care and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included, email Publisher@ AwakeMadison.com to request our media kit.

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HEALTH/BEAUTY DUWAYNE’S SALON

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HERB TRAINING/PRODUCTS WILDWOOD INSTITUTE

946 Burr Oak Ln, Madison 608-663-9608 • WildwoodInstitute.com Kathleen@WildwoodInstitute.com Herbal apprenticeship program, one-time herb classes and workshops, special events, personal health consultations with herbalist Kathleen Wildwood, and locally grown, pesticide-free, high-quality herbal products. See ad, page 14.

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Indulge the inner diva with great jewelry, healing music or an insightful book. Pick up a calendar of events featuring healers, readers, classes and other special events. See ad, page 11.

Awaken senses and enlighten the mind with our selection of oils, sprays, crystals, incense, buttons, smoking accessories, tapestries, tarot, statuary, and singing bowls.

Holographic Sound Healing sessions available. See ad, page 14.

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TERGAR MEDITATION COMMUNITY 608-513-9642 • Madison@Tergar.org Facebook: Tergar Madison Tergar.org

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