Natural Awakenings Magazine ~ July 2010

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET feel good live simply laugh more

FREE

Special Edition:

NATURAL

FOODS Eat Well, Live Well, Be Well Mariel Hemingway’s

Kitchen Wisdom Locavore Nation Savor Regional Foods

BACKYARD GARDENING

JULY 2010 West Michigan Edition www.NaturalWestMichigan.com natural awakenings

July 2010

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Naturopathy (Each year 600 hours)

Natural Health Educator ....................... 1st Year Natural Health Therapist...................... 2nd Year Natural Health Practitioner ................. 3rd Year Certified Naturopath .............................4th Year 4th Year Graduates are Eligible for Doctor of Naturopathy National Test and Title

Massage Therapy

Therapeutic Bodywork Practitioner ..1 Year

Holistic Labor Program Doula.......6 Months

All Classes Meet On Weekends Fri. 5 - 9 p.m., and Sat. & Sun. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Naturopaths - 1 per month • Massage - 2 per month

Individual Classes:

• Herbology • Aromatherapy • Nutrition • Live Food Preparation • Light Healing Touch • Reflexology • Homeopathy • And More!

15 Years of Excellence

503 E. Broadway • Mt. Pleasant, Michigan • (989) 773-1714 www.nite-mtp.com Mt. Pleasant is 90 minutes North East of Grand Rapids

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West Michigan Edition NaturalWestMichigan.com Accredited by the American Naturopathic Medical Association


contents

8 globalbriefs

11 healthbriefs

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13 inspiration

14 healthykids 17 healingways

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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.

20 consciouseating

26 fitbody

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30 wisewords

33 calendar

advertising & submissions

POWER COLORS What Our Flag Says About Us by Tori Hartman

14 KAYAKING

WITH KIDS by Larry and Christine Showler

17 HEALING

20

ADDICTION with Ayurveda by Linda Sechrist

20 BACKYARD GARDENING How to Get a Lot From Your Plot

How to Advertise

by Barbara Pleasant

To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 616-656-9232 or email: Publisher@ NaturalWestMichigan.com. Deadline for space reservation is the 12th of each month prior to publication.

22 LOCAVORE NATION

News Briefs & article submissions

Email articles to: Publisher@NaturalWestMichigan.com. Deadline for articles is the 5th of the month prior to publication. Submit News Briefs online at NaturalWestMichigan.com. Deadline for news briefs is the 12th of the month prior to publication.

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13 AMERICA’S

Savor the Reign

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of Regional Foods

by Judith Fertig

26 BIKE TO WORK The Two-Wheel

calendar submissions

Commuting Wow

Submit Calendar Events online at: NaturalWestMichigan.com. Calendar deadline is the 15th of the month prior to publication.

WHERE TO PICK UP NATURAL AWAKENINGS

30 A CONVERSATION WITH 30

If you enjoyed this magazine and would like to know where you can pick up a free copy in your area, please contact us at 616656-9232 or email us at: publisher@NaturalWestMichigan.com

follow us online...

by Paul Dorn

MARIEL HEMINGWAY Her Kitchen Wisdom

for Healthy Living

by Giovanna Aguilar

Beyond our full “carbon neutral” digital issue each month... Check us out and connect with us on Twitter & Facebook! Twitter — Find us at NaturallyWestMI Facebook — Find us at Natural Awakenings of West Michigan

NaturalWestMichigan.com natural awakenings

July 2010

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letterfrompublishers

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uly’s Natural Foods issue is full of yummy insights ready to help you make the most of the best that summer has to offer—starting with farm fresh produce for holiday and twilight feasts with family and friends mixed with some warm-weather fun. We’re glad that actress, author and homemaker Mariel Hemmingway embodies the naturally healthy Natural Awakenings lifestyle; this month she shares her kitchen table wisdom with us on page 30.

contact us Publishers Kyle & Amy Hass Editors MaryAnn Lawrence S. Alison Chabonais Linda Sechrist Design & Production Interactive Media Design

We love how July booms with outdoor events, kicked off with our nation’s Independence Day celebrations. They mark the start of a month of special family events, reunions, parties and spontaneous get-togethers.

Scott Carvey

Printer Newsweb Natural Awakenings 484 Sunmeadow Dr. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49508 Phone: 616-656-9232 Publisher@NaturalWestMichigan.com

www.NaturalWestMichigan.com

Subscriptions are available by sending $30 (12 issues) to the above address. © 2010 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 for 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.

Committed to Sustainability Natural Awakenings is locally owned and operated.

Surely, summer can’t already be nearly halfway over? Not in our house. We’re already planning to schedule in that family camping trip and kayak outing we’ve been thinking about. We hope that you too will make summer activities a priority at your house, starting today. July 4th always reminds us how thankful we are to be Americans. Thanks to our country’s founders and many generations of armed forces right up to the present, we continue to know what it is to enjoy freedom. The brave sacrifices that these servicemen and women and their families make on behalf of us all is awe inspiring. They are our heroes. On a related holiday note, when you venture out to watch the bright colorful fireworks or whenever you hear the boom and crackle of fireworks, please leave your pets in a safe place where the noise will be quieted, maybe a finished basement or an inside room with a TV or radio on at a low volume to drown out the noisemakers. This can be a scary and stressful time for pets and you both feel better when you make sure they are comfortable. If you have not visited NaturalWestMichigan.com recently, please be sure to log on and participate in our short reader survey; it only takes a few minutes. We want to know how we can serve you better. Thank you. While you are at our website, feel free to leave comments under our Readers Submit Your Feedback section, which is a recent addition. It’s another way you can easily let us know what you like about the magazine and how we can continue to improve. You might also wish to sign up for our free monthly newsletter. So, here’s to you! Happy Independence Day,

Natural Awakenings is printed on 100% recycled newsprint with soy based ink.

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West Michigan Edition

Amy and Kyle NaturalWestMichigan.com


newsbriefs Home Test Rates Fatty Acid

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new test of omega-3 index can give a clear picture of the percentage of EPA/DHA omega-3 fatty acids in the blood to estimate your risk of a major cardiac event, including sudden cardiac death, heart attack, and fatal ischemic heart disease. One’s individual risk of heart disease can be estimated from the Omega-3 whole Blood Score, which is a percentage of the total whole-blood fatty acid score. The findings indicate that individuals with total omega-3 levels above 6.1% in their blood had a 90% reduction in risk of cardiac death compared with those whose scores were 4.3% or less. It is well known that the Standard American Diet is lacking in omega-3 and loaded with omega-6. Both are essential but it is the balance that makes for optimum health. The typical American diet can contain 14-25 times more omega 6’s. Adding omega-3’s in the form of EPA/DHA or simply a good quality fish oil and a change in diet can reverse the effects of an imbalance in as soon as three weeks. The test does not require a trip to the lab, but can be done at home. Results are graphed and returned by mail. Retail cost is $199, but this month only, order the kit for $149. To obtain an in home test kit contact Out of the Blue, Inc. 616-453-4215. omegaquant.com. See ad page 37

What’s Cooking?

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nterprising cooks and bakers who want to break into the food industry by selling goods at local Farmers’ Markets often run into a problem when they realize that they need a commercial kitchen to obtain a license to sell. Facility Kitchens offers long- or short-term professional kitchen space rental at reasonable rates on an asneeded basis. This allows scheduling flexibility that new business requires. Facility Kitchens provides a nurturing facility to encourage start-up food business clients in a legal working environment that can be inspected by insurance companies and the MI Department of Agriculture and Health Department. Facility Kitchens make it financially possible for a start-up food producer to have professional kitchen space to grow your business with minimal capital outlay. Facility Kitchens is located at 501 Ottawa, in Lowell. FacilityKitchens.com. See ad page 6 & 21

Story Time Summer Yoga Camp

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oin Marti DeLong for four days of yoga fun: A combination of music, dance, stories, and art to share the joy of movement and relaxation. Camp is for children 3-9 years old. Sessions are divided into two age groups:

Butterflies (3-6 yrs) runs 11am to noon. Cultivate creativity by moving our bodies, forming and remembering images, and learning simple yoga postures.

Eagles (7-9 yrs) runs 1 to 2pm. Enjoy using our bodies to develop more coordination, reduce stress and enhance positive thinking.

Sign up for four consecutive days or spread it out over the summer. Classes run Monday through Thursday, July 12-15, July 19-22, August 9-12 and August 23-26. Marti DeLong has a BA in Special Education and a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. In 2009 she completed her yoga teacher training the Get Ready to Learn Program that brings the gift of yoga to all children, including those with special needs. For over 30 years Marti has been a special education teacher and consultant in the Grand Rapids area and in recent years she has taught yoga to children in school settings. Expressions of Grace Yoga, is located at 5270 Northland Drive NE in Grand Rapids. 616-361-8580. See ad page 16

21st Annual Sierra Club Retreat

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ou don’t have to be a member, so come to the 22nd Annual Michigan Sierra Club Retreat at Camp Miniwanca on the shore of beautiful Lake Michigan at 8845 W. Garfield Road in Shelby, MI. All are invited to attend this fun-filled, family-oriented, educational weekend August 27th- 29th. There will be miniseminars where you can learn about key environmental issues, and develop grassroots organizing skills. On Saturday night there will be a keynote speaker, and both silent and live auctions, so bring your new, used, crafted, and unusual items for others to bid on. There will also be live entertainment provided by attendees, and you are invited to bring your instrument and/or your voice to take part in the jam. The annual Sierra Retreat is a means to help reestablish balance in our busy lives by being outdoors where we truly desire to be with lots of kid friendly activities, dune hiking, tubing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, and s’mores around the campfire at night. That’s why the retreat fees are kept as low

Mary a. delange C.C.T. C.M.T. Colon HydroTHerapy Some Benefits of Colon Therapy are: • Remove toxic waste from ones body • Eradicate constipation • Removes stomach bloat • Increases ones energy also offering Therapeutic Massage P: 616.456.5033 E: mary@harmonynhealth.net www.harmonynhealth.net

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as possible while covering costs and providing great programs. Come join us for this informative, fun, and relaxing weekend. All prices include lodging, healthy meals, access to all activities and mini-seminars. Visit www.SierraRetreat.org for more details about pricing, accommodations and programs.

New Addition to All-Ways Healthy Connection

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inny Hayataka CMT-P, proudly announces the addition of Michael Hayataka to her expanding practice, All-Ways Healthy Connection. Michael recently received his degree from Aquinas College and will be guiding the company’s marketing strategies while pursuing Michael & Ginny Hayatak certification in nutrition and massage. Michael is also looking forward to further developing his Japanese language skills and growing art portraiture practice. AllWays Healthy Connection offers a “whole – istic” approach to enhancing health for individuals, families, homes and businesses while caring for our Earth and honoring the connections among us all. Personal core services include therapeutic bodywork, rehabilitative fitness, and nutritional guidance. Business clients benefit from the firm’s Well At Work wellness program from on-site treatment and health education to increase productivity. Contact Ginny Hayataka CMT-P CPT CPA, All-Ways Healthy Connection 3424 Keswick Dr. NE, Belmont. 616-822-8084. AllwaysHealthy.com. See ad page 21

Now Appearing at the Farmer’s Market

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ach year the Fulton Street Farmer’s Market in Grand Rapids attracts the best local farmers, highest quality crafters and gourmet bakers. This summer, the founder of naturalmomma.etsy.com joins their ranks. Naturalmomma produces pure, natural and affordable skin care essentials for men, women and children. More popular products include an herbal diaper rash salve, gentle witch hazel and vinegar based facial toners, sweet glossy lip balms and home cleaning products. Stop by Fridays to check out these unique products that never contain parabens, artificial fragrances or preservatives. Visit www.naturalmomma.etsy.com

2010 NOCCOA Games

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he North Ottawa County Council on Aging (NOCCOA) is pleased to announce the dates and events for the 2010 NOCCOA Games. The Games will encompass 12 events to be held over a 5-day period from Thursday, August 12 through Monday, August 16. Events will take place at several locations throughout the Tri-Cities and are open to anyone 50+, including those who live outside north Ottawa County. Because one of the key goals of the Games is to promote healthy, active lifestyles for older adults, people with little or no previous competitive experience are also encouraged to participate. NOCCOA is looking for volunteers to assist with the Games. Volunteer application forms are available at the NOCCOA office at 422 Fulton Ave. in Grand Haven, or online at noccoa.org. The deadline for volunteer applications is July 1. Registration to participate in the Games will run through Wednesday, July 28. Games registration forms will also be available at the NOCCOA office or online at noccoa.org. The 2010 NOCCOA Games are sponsored by Harbor Industries, North Ottawa Community Health System, Scholten Fant, Generation Care, Michigan Commerce Bank and Priority Health. Games partners include the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, the Marion A. and Ruth K. Sherwood Family Fund, Shoreline Insurance and D&W/Spartan Stores. For more information please contact NOCCOA at 616842-9210.

John of God Trip

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oin Rev. Barb Huttinga along with a special guide on a 15day trip of meditation, healing, prayer and memories at the Casa at Abadiana in South America April 9 – April 24, 2011. This is a journey to heal you mentally, physically and spiritually with the most astonishing healer, John of God. The cost of $2900 includes airfare, transportation to and from the Casa, accommodations and meals. A nonrefundable deposit of $500 is due upon registration. $1500 due by December 5, 2010 with remainder of balance due 30 days prior to trip. Group size is limited. For more information contact Rev. Barbara Huttinga, The Healing Center of Lakeview at 989-352-6500 or email at bhuttinga@live.com. Visit JohnofGod.com. See ad page 25

FKPA 10-002

Bakers, Caterers, Chefs, Cooks, Entrepreneurs

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NaturalWestMichigan.com

“ Grow Your Food Business With Us!” Robin Cunningham Robin@facilitykitchens.com Phone: 616-301-4212 www.facilitykitchens.com 501 Ottawa, Lowell, MI 49331


GR College Offers Sustainable Business Degrees

KUDOS

quinas College in Grand Rapids is leading the charge in education for sustainability. Aquinas launched the nation’s first undergraduate program in sustainable business in 2003 and awarded its first degrees two years later. Aquinas continues to innovate, offering a combination of courses in business, physical science, environmental studies and sustainable business. The college now offers a Master of Sustainable Business Degree program. “Degree’s in sustainable business are relevant to every sector of business and create opportunities to shape the future of how businesses operate,” states Matthew Tueth, Ph.D., Sustainable Business Department Chairman at Aquinas College. The new academic curriculum combines six conventional business courses currently offered in the Aquinas Master of Management degree program with six sustainable business courses. The MSB degree is 12 classes (36 total program hours) with evening classes offered in 8-week segments. Aquinas.edu. Aquinas College 1607 Robinson Road SE in Grand Rapids. 616-632-8900.

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ongratulations to The Healing Center of Lakeview in celebrating their 5th Year in Business! The Healing Center is owned and operated by the husband and wife team, Barb and Bob Huttinga. Bob is a certified Physician Assistant with 30 years of experience. Barb is a naturopathic educator and licensed massage Bob & Barb Huttinga therapist and reflexologist with 15 years of experience. Both are Certified Natural Health Professionals. They offer services for men, women, children, and teens. Stop by The Healing Center for a personal private consultation. Many insurances are accepted. Food and snacks, educational classes, natural beauty products, and wonderful unique gifts are also available. Join them at an Open House on July 24 from 10:00am to 3:00pm as they celebrate their 5 year anniversary. Many door prizes, food samples and exciting things going on. Contact The Healing Center of Lakeview, 332 S Lincoln Street in Lakeview at 989-352-6500 or info@ thehealingcenteroflakeview.com. See ad page 25

Vegan Retreat Offers Conscious Cooking Made Simple

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he Leaven Center announced its first Vegan Retreat today, Your Food, Your Power: Vegan Eats for the Conscious Cook with Nicole Matthews, to take place July 9th through the 11th. Located midway between Lansing and Grand Rapids, the Leaven Center is a peaceful retreat and study center for people engaged in movements for social change. The weekend-long Your Food, Your Power: Vegan Eats for the Conscious Cook retreat is open to the public. It is $190 per person and includes interactive instruction, meals and lodging with leisure time for peaceful reflection. Limited spaces available. Contact the Leaven Center for reservations. www.Leaven. org or call 989-855-2606. See ad page 39

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ongratulations to DC Chiropractic on their First Year Anniversary. After graduating from Palmer College in 2006, Dr. Jimmy Kwok became an associate in a chiropractic clinic in Lansing. Practicing there for two years, he gained more experience in chiropractic skills, exercise, and spinal correction. In June 2009, he acquired the DC Chiropractic & Massage Clinic in Grand Rapids. Dr. Jimmy Kwok combines a variety of techniques to help reduce the subluxation of the spine and get patients back on their feet. Techniques consist of Palmer Package, Activator, Thompson Drop, Pettibon, CBP and ART. Learn more about the techniques above and enjoy free food and a complimentary chair massage at their Open House on July 14th, from 11:00am to 3:00pm. Dr. Jimmy Kwok, 1100 4 Mile Rd NW Grand Rapids. 616301-2225. See ad page 29

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

Economic Security

Buying at Home Keeps America Strong Poll after poll points to Americans’ preference for locally produced goods, according to msn.com; the real question is if we are willing to look for them and pay more. A 21st-century grassroots website, StillMadeInUSA. com, provides a helping hand with an online shopping directory of American brands. Categories range from personal apparel, handcrafts and household goods to tools, sports and entertainment, and include special occasions and shop-by-geography menus. “I try to buy American products whenever possible, but as a working mother of three boys, I don’t have time to drive from store to store or search for hours online,” says founder Stephanie Sanzone, explaining her website’s genesis. The Made in USA label represents a heightened concern for guarding American manufacturing jobs, worker and environmental health, product quality, consumer safety, national competitiveness and security while defending against an increasing trade deficit.

Donate a Day

Photo by Trace Ramsey

Crop Mobs Sustain Small Farms and Build Communities Across the country, crop mobs comprising dozens of mostly 20-something volunteers periodically gather at local sustainable small farms to donate their time to make immediate improvements. These landless farmers, apprentices, interns and the “agricurious” comprise a remarkable effective traveling work party, often assisted by experienced farmers and gardeners eager to share their know-how with the next generation. Assigned tasks might be mulching, building a greenhouse, prepping garden Weeding blackberry beds at Spence’s beds or bringing in a harvest. Farm in Chapel Hill, NC. “The more tedious the work we have, the better,” says Rob Jones, co-founder of the spreading movement, which originated in North Carolina’s Triangle in response to a regional surge in sustainable farming. “Because part of crop mob is about community and camaraderie, you find there’s nothing like picking rocks out of fields to bring people together.” It’s all about building the community necessary to practice this kind of laborintensive agriculture and to put the power to muster help into the hands of future local food producers. Any crob mobber can call a crop mob to do the kind of work it takes a community to do. Participants work together, share meals, play, talk and make music. No money is exchanged; it’s the stuff that communities are made of. For information and contacts in various states, visit CropMob.org. 8

West Michigan Edition

NaturalWestMichigan.com

Lunch Box

Funding Debate Slows Upgrade of School Nutrition For the past year, Slow Food USA has led a consumer campaign now exceeding 100,000 emails asking Congress to improve school nutrition. “We cannot, in good conscience, continue to make our kids sick by feeding them cheap byproducts of an industrial food system,” states Josh Viertel, president of Slow Food USA. “It is time to give kids real food, food that tastes good, is good for them, is good for the people who grow and prepare it and is good for the planet.” President Obama has proposed investing an additional $1 billion a year to help schools serve healthier food, but Congress is hesitating to approve the full amount. This change to the five-year Child Nutrition Act, now up for renewal, would add 20 cents to the $1 allocated for ingredients in each school lunch. School nutrition directors say an additional $1 is needed to serve sufficient vegetables, fruits and whole grains, making the ultimate goal $4 billion a year. Meanwhile, the viable farm-to-school movement is seeking just $50 million of the total to link local farms with schools. Vending machines also must be subject to stronger nutrition standards. “Kids have the most at stake here,” remarks Emily Ventura, of Slow Food Los Angeles. “This is their future, their health, their quality of life. But it’s also America’s future.” Support the Time for Lunch campaign at SlowFoodUSA.org.

Parents’ Day on July 25 honors responsible parenting and uplifts ideal parental role models for our nation’s children. ~ ParentsDay.com


New Paradigm

Research Shows We Can Feed the World Sustainably A benchmark study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research says that it’s possible to sustainably feed the world’s estimated 2050 population of 9 billion, while still preserving the planet. Findings suggest that a diet equivalent to eating meat three times a week would employ green farming methods, leave forests untouched and raise animals only under free-range conditions. “We can actually do without factory farming,” concludes Lasse Brauun, of Compassion in World Farming. “With 60 billion animals being reared for livestock production every year and the figure set to double by 2050, we really need to reconsider our approach. Animals are being reared like factory units to provide us with cheap meat. The true cost of eating too much meat is animal suffering, deforestation and obesity.” The Indian state of Sikkim in the Himalayas is among those showing the way. The government plans to have all of its arable land of 173,000 acres certified organic by 2015.

Eating Sewage

Avoid Sludge Used and Sold as Fertilizer Eight million tons of sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants, euphemistically renamed biosolids, is annually marketed as fertilizer and applied to the American farms and gardens that grow our food, as well as the parks where we play. No food crop, aside from those labeled U.S. Department of Agriculture certified organic, is regulated to guard against it being grown on land treated with this sludge. Because of the nitrogen and phosphorous found in human solid waste residue, the sludge industry and certain government bodies overlook the toxic blend of all that goes down the drain. That’s why a few conscientious companies like Del Monte and Heinz have long had a policy not to purchase food grown in sludge. Sewage sludge contains antimicrobial compounds, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals and pathogens that may be absorbed by food crops, water supplies and our bodies. Currently, the Environmental Protection Agency requires testing for only nine chemical elements and two bacteria for land application of sewage sludge and no testing for residue buildup in soil. Meanwhile, studies from universities including Yale, Cornell and Johns Hopkins express concerns about the health and safety of this practice. To protect health: Buy USDA-certified organic; ask at farm stands if they use sludge or biosolids; inquire about food and bagged fertilizer companies’ policies; and tell elected officials that citizens don’t want sewage sludge in America’s food and water supplies. For more information visit United Sludge-Free Alliance at USludgeFree.org.

Enjoy MasajiThe completely natural whole food drink with marine phyto plankton Offering Health Coaching in use of Therapeutic Essential Oils, Cleanses, Pain Relief, Hormone Issues, as well as Detoxing Foot Baths, Body Balancing & Biofeedback Scans.

Call Clara: 616.698.6148 www.NaturalHealth4Today.com

Shop for information on the origins of imported foods and key health issues to watch for at FoodAndWaterWatch. org/food/global-grocer.

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Worse and Worse

Natural Spin

Use of Chemical Dispersants on Oil Spills is No Answer

Shoppers Vote for Healthier Choices

Attendees at this year’s mega Natural Products Expo West, in Anaheim, California, saw everything from organic burritos and glass baby bottles to bags that extend the life of produce. “The 30th anniversary of the event mirrors major business and consumer shifts to values of health and sustainability,” observed Fred Linder, president of New Hope Natural Media. Organic products and green packaging are in—genetically modified foods are out. Accordingly, The Fresh Ideas Group, which monitors new-product trends, has forecasted lower prices for private label organic food in 2010 and an increase in foods with fewer processed ingredients and more whole grains. While organic still accounts for less than 5 percent of national food sales, overall sales of organic foods and other products was up 5 percent in 2009, more than double the growth of conventional wares.

Following the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig on April 20, British Petroleum (BP) has released more than 1 million gallons of the chemical dispersant Corexit into the Gulf of Mexico, despite the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warning that it is the most toxic of the 18 dispersants it has tested. While slowing the surfacing of the gushing oil, it may do far more to hide the true magnitude of the disaster from public scrutiny than to save the beaches. Dispersants are classified by the EPA as bioaccumulators, which are known to drive toxic hydrocarbons from crude oil directly into marine life, while distributing toxins throughout the water column, where they can do the most harm to the widest range of species. The public already has seen how use of chemical dispersants has accelerated the oil’s entry into the loop current and Gulf Stream, where it now poses a significant threat to the health of the world’s oceans. Experts explain that accelerating the biodegradation of the oil by ocean bacteria using dispersants causes oxygen depletion and animal death. Making the problem worse, dispersing the problem this way also hinders the recovery of the oil through siphoning, and enables it to slip more easily under protective booms into beaches and wetland habitats. OilSpillTruth.wordpress.com details the issue. Sign the petition at ThePetitionSite.com/25/stop-the-use-of-dispersants-in-the-gulf and contact your state representatives to object (via USA.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml).

Don’t knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn’t start a conversation if it didn’t change once in a while. FoodieView.com, a recipe search engine, makes it easy for readers to tap into a million recipes organized by category from many of the Internet’s most popular cooking sites.

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West Michigan Edition

~Kin Hubbard

NaturalWestMichigan.com


healthbriefs

Why Mangos are Good for Us

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ncluding mangos in summer fruit salads adds both delicious sweetness and health benefits. A new study by Texas AgriLife Research food scientists examined five mango varieties most common in the United States: Ataulfo, Francine, Haden, Kent and Tommy Atkins, and found that the tropical fruit has anti-cancer properties. When exposed to a variety of cancer cells in the laboratory, mango turned out to be especially effective against certain breast and colon cancers. The researchers attribute the cancer-fighting properties to the fruit’s polyphenolics, a class of bioactive compounds responsible for preventing or stopping cancer cells. As one might expect with an all natural anti-cancer agent, normal cells were not affected by the mango, which targeted only cells that had gone bad, by interrupting their mutated division cycles. Source: Texas A&M AgriLive Communications, 2010

Flaxseed Oil Strengthens Bones According to a report in the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health, numerous studies suggest that flaxseed oil benefits bone mineral density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women, as well as in women with diabetes. Source: Inderscience Publishers, 2009

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Vitamin D Makes News

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itamin D is one of the few vitamins our body can produce itself when bare skin is exposed to ultraviolet B light. But this sunshine vitamin that is known to influence the immune system seems to be in short supply, and mounting studies point to serious health risks that can result from a vitamin D deficiency. According to researchers at National Jewish Health, a leading respiratory hospital, low levels of vitamin D have been associated with decreased lung function and greater use of medications in children with asthma, as well as increased occurrence of a common vaginal infection in women of childbearing age. Now, a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health suggests that women living in northern states are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, suggesting a link between the autoimmune disease and vitamin D deficiency. Meanwhile, research at the University of Warwick Medical School has shown that middleaged and elderly people with high levels of vitamin D could reduce their chances of developing heart disease or diabetes by 43 percent. To ensure that our body produces enough vitamin D to keep us healthy, experts suggest that we expose ourselves to 15 to 18 minutes of sunshine daily. Eating foods that contain small amounts of vitamin D, such as fish, mushrooms, eggs and dairy products, also helps to keep our vitamin D levels up. Contributing sources: Medscape.com and nih.gov

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onstick cookware, popular because it’s convenient to use and clean, also emits toxic fumes when overheated. Tests commissioned by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) have shown that in just two to five minutes on a conventional stovetop, cookware coated with Teflon and other nonstick surfaces can exceed temperatures at which the coating breaks apart and emits toxic particles and gases. They posit that the same holds true for ovenware. At the same time, the researchers report that ingesting inert particles that have come off scratched cookware isn’t a hazard. EWG’s recommended alternatives are stainless steel and cast iron cookware. However, for families stuck with nonstick pots and pans, the group offers the following tips: Never preheat nonstick cookware empty or at high heat and make sure to cook food at the lowest possible temperature possible for safe cooking. Don’t put nonstick cookware in an oven hotter than 500 degrees and use an exhaust fan. Keep pet birds out of the kitchen, because they are particularly susceptible to the fumes.

Skip Nonstick Pans

For a free downloadable Guide to PFCs (perfluorochemicals) and how to avoid them in a wide range of products, including cookware, visit ewg.org/EWGGuide-to-PFCs.

Slow Down at Mealtime The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism reports that eating a meal too quickly reduces release of the hormones in the gut that induce feelings of being full, which can lead to overeating and weight gain.

Third Coast Yoga Studio Announces

Level I Hatha Yoga Teacher Training at the Lakeshore Saturdays

Fall 2010

200-hour Yoga Alliance approved

Lead instructor: Gretchen Cline, Ph.D., E-RYT 500

(616) 844-9074 Spring Lake, MI 49456 DISCOUNTS if registered by JULY 15 and AUG. 15 For details and application: w w w.t h i r dco a s t yo g a . com

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A Perspective on Soy

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ith many new soy foods on the market today, from nuts and beans to energy bars and powdered drinks, choosing those that are most healthful can be confusing. Soy has received mixed reviews, even though it has been eaten in Asia for hundreds of generations without reported adverse effects and is a staple in vegetarian kitchens worldwide. In its natural state, the soybean has proved to be high in nutritional value as a non-animal source of essential amino acids, qualifying it as the only complete plant protein. The controversy centers on 20thcentury isolation of the soybean’s beneficial compounds, isoflavones, that in their natural state have been found to protect against breast, prostate and colon cancers, menopausal symptoms, heart disease and osteoporosis. Rather than use the whole food, the manufactured food industry instead has added these compounds in isolated form to various products. Concerns arise because the isolated plant compounds act differently in the body when they lack the supporting vitamins, minerals and plant substances present in natural whole soy. Also, their amount and concentration in manufactured foods tend to exceed what is present in whole soy foods. To avoid the risk of overexposure to isolated soy compounds and still reap soy’s many health benefits, look for organic, non-GMO (genetically modified organism) whole soy products. Examples include tofu, tempeh, edamame and whole canned or frozen soy beans, as well as products produced from whole soy, such as soy flour, soy milk, miso and soy sauces like tamari or shoyu. Source: Research compiled by Monika Rice, who holds a master’s degree in holistic nutrition and is a regular contributor to Natural Awakenings.


inspiration

America’s Power Colors

What Our Flag Says About Us by Tori Hartman

thiness and honesty and conveys calm authority. That’s why the favorite corporate color through much of the 1970s and 80s was navy. Here, then, is how the telling combination of America’s colors plays out: The rashness of red conveys strength and courage, while white maintains a detached authority, and blue bears the idea that we stand united in trust and truth. Together, these three colors symbolize courage, authority and freedom. The Congress of the Confederation similarly chose these same three colors for the Great Seal of the United States, noting their meaning as white to mean purity and innocence, red for valor and hardiness and blue for vigilance, perseverance and justice. Americans have carried on with their energetic journey of freedom for themselves and the world since the day the first flag of the United States of America hung outside General George Washington’s headquarters on January 1, 1776. Tori Hartman is a color consultant and author of Color Wisdom Cards. For more information on her work, visit ToriHartman.com.

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hen we delve into the meaning behind red, white and blue, we learn that this distinctive combination signals a powerful message. Our national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, honoring Old Glory, salutes the intensity that founds the home we call America. Red gives orders; it doesn’t take them. Red is in charge and represents the source of all power. It is related to the first chakra (also known as the root chakra, or spiritual energy center at the base of the human spine), signifying a rootedness in the physical land. White deflects and takes nothing personally. Ironically, while white can be seen as clean and pure, it can also indicate being alone, isolated and with a seeming lack of caring that may make it appear aloof and superior. Instead, in its pure form, white simply stands as a neutral presence. Blue is the color of the creative conformist, especially in the hue of navy blue. This blue assists if one is overly emotional or hasty in communicating, because it helps calm things down. Navy represents truth that has been well thought out before being communicated. It symbolizes trustwor-

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America’s first Continental Congress likely didn’t consult a color glossary when choosing the colors for Betsy Ross to sew into the stars and stripes of our national flag. Yet her choices were uncanny at pinpointing the true message of the country for which it stands.

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fitbody healthykids

Kayaking with Kids by Larry and Christine Showler

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e began kayaking with our son, Justin, when he was only a few months old, understanding that the earlier children become accustomed to being in a boat, the sooner everyone can enjoy the benefits of exploring the outdoors together. By the age of five, Justin was paddling his own recreational kayak, and a year later he was confidently in charge of his own sea kayak. Unlike a canoe, where small children have limited visibility and support, a kayak provides a more interactive experience. Some cockpits are even large enough for a small child to be safely supported on an adult’s lap, so they can take in the new world around them while maintaining the warmth and security of direct contact with Mom or Dad. What a wonderful way to solidify the bond between a child and parent, by sealing it with nature itself.

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The first few trips together must be a positive experience to set the tone for future adventures, so make a special effort to create fun and interesting paddling experiences. Pick short destinations not more than 30 minutes away, so the family can stop and picnic. Bring snacks and drinks for the cruise along the shoreline, noting and explaining nature’s intriguing sights and sounds. Unlike in canoes, young children sit low enough in kayaks so that regardless of size, they are able to touch the water and splash it around. A wooden kitchen spoon makes a great first paddle; just remember to drill a small hole for a wrist leash, unless everyone wants to spend the day retrieving it 50 times. Often, a youngster will fall asleep to the rhythmic motion of the kayak long before reaching home. Even rainy weather won’t over-

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come the fun, as long as paddlers are dressed properly in rain gear and a positive attitude. Some of our family’s most enjoyable adventures have been out on the water on quiet, rainy summer days. By the age of two or three, we suggest moving a child’s assigned seat from a lap to the rear hatch of an adult’s kayak, facing the stern. This provides both comfort and legroom. A cushion or blanket placed on the bottom of the back hatch insulates the child from a chilly hull. By age five or six, youngsters may wish to paddle on their own. Coping with the length and weight of the paddle may lead to awkward technique at first, but with a little help and guidance, children quickly catch on. It’s a rewarding experience, akin to letting go of a bicycle with a child on board sans training wheels for the first time.


Initially, a child piloting a kayak will tire quickly, so using a towline helps ensure a longer, more positive day for all. When Justin would say “Dad, I have no energy,” we would hook up the tow line; after a while he would say “Dad, I have new energy,” and we would unhook the line and away he’d go again, water flying everywhere. The safety of a child while kayaking is the sole responsibility of the accompanying adult, and the principles of safe kayaking—such as never go out on the water alone—must be instilled at a young age. It is essential that grown-ups know their own paddling limitations, can read changing wind and weather conditions and use common sense to minimize risk. Necessary equipment includes properly fitting, quality personal flotation devices, which everyone must wear; sun hats, sunscreen and sunglasses; shoes that can withstand water and grip well; cover-ups; and lots to drink, even for short excursions. Make it fun, and the essential skills will be quickly learned. Today, at 13, Justin paddles a sea kayak better than many adults. As people today seek release from the pressures of daily life through a return to simpler family values, we remember that what fascinated us as children reverberates throughout our life. Exploring a nearby island and swimming off a secluded beach inspires children’s minds with the thrill of discovery on nature’s terms by choosing a paddle instead of a motor. Larry and Christine Showler own Frontenac Outfitters Canoe & Kayak Centre, just north of Kingston, Ontario, Canada. For more information, visit http:// Frontenac-Outfitters.com. natural awakenings

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Coming in August

Healing the Root Cause of Addiction with Ayurveda

VIBRANT CHILDREN

by Linda Sechrist

Ayurveda means the “Science of Life,” a holistic view of keeping our bodies in balance by combining applied principles of yoga, meditation and diet.

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t’s no secret that individuals who adopt unconscious ways to escape from stress and conflict can often become victims of their own self-destructive habits and behavioral patterns. “Conflict creates stress and addictions, like [to] alcohol, food, work, sex and drugs,” says Yogi Amrit Desai, founder of Kripalu Yoga. “Addictions are antidotes that provide a temporary escape from the stress-producing, conflictcreating reactions you have about what you are doing, where you are going and who you are with. Addiction, which is only an effect, occurs when you continue to use inappropriate external resources to reduce stress and restore a sense of balance, while failing to resolve the cause of the stress hidden in the unconscious.” Desai further explains how the body’s own homeostasis works to naturally regulate the internal polarities of tension and relaxation. However, when the amount of tension exceeds what can be balanced by relaxation, people call the unresolved tension stress. “It is important to recognize that most people don’t know the difference between tension and stress,” cautions Desai. He observes that stressors— thoughts and reactions to our lifestyle, relationships, work environment and

family life—are introduced through the ego mind. Emotionally charged thoughts and feelings of blame, shame or guilt then get metabolized into our biological body system. Stored in the form of toxins and neuro-glandular imbalances, these feelings create energy blocks that prevent the free flow of energy, or prana, the body’s self-healing wisdom. Energy blocks may take the form of muscular tensions and weakness in liver, kidney and digestive functions. Gradual decline results in a progressive deterioration of biological processes and consequently can manifest in external symptoms of fatigue, fear, anxiety and insecurity. “But, when our thoughts are free from stressful emotional feelings, they naturally pass like clouds without leaving footprints in our biology,” counsels Desai, whose approach to Ayurveda is designed to solve addictions by resolving internal causes of stress. “Shift your focus inward to your inner source, instead of reaching for external distractions; go within to resolve any excess tension and all surface symptoms will begin to erode,” advises Desai, who points out that addictions prevent us from connecting to the innermost core of our being. With the release of unconscious, stress-producing con-

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flicts, an individual naturally becomes more securely established in their core self; thus, their life force is freed to activate and accelerate the power of pranic healing. Ayurveda, a holistic health system and sister science of yoga, works from the outside in; yoga works from the inside out. Yoga physically initiates an unfolding of the spirit and a consequent transformation. Ayurveda initiates the same process, beginning with in-depth purification of body and mind. Ayurvedic treatments such as diet, nutritional herbs and an herbal detoxification process known as panchakarma, as well as meditation, not only work hand-in-hand to create a shift on a physical level, they also remove unconscious blocks that create chronic stress. Desai’s approaches to yoga and ayurvedic treatments are focused on working on subtle pranic levels of healing. Ayurvedic treatments are geared towards restoring energetic balance, according to an individual’s physical and psychological constitution, which

are considered to be interrelated and interactive. Healthful herbs and recommended lifestyle changes are precisely tailored to an individual’s primary psycho-physiological constitutional type— vata, which controls movement; pitta, which rules metabolism; or kapha, which controls structure. This approach determines an effective program of diet, exercise and other regular measures vital for maintaining inner balance and reducing stress. Desai’s Amrit Yoga Institute combines ayurvedic treatments with the practice of Amrit yoga, yoga nidra (a form of meditation) and quantum breath meditation to create harmony, balance and union and to connect individuals with their inner source of integration. This works to restore a natural balance, preventing people from being the victim of stress. “Relaxing in a zero stress zone helps to dismantle the preprogrammed self-image, phobias, addictions and stress-creating conflicts that lie beyond any mental or intellectual approach,” Desai explains, “When you join yoga

with Ayurveda, you have the combined power of body and soul, a powerful synergy for healing and recovery from addictions,” which he refers to as unwanted weeds. An analogy is that while Western medicine fights weeds with herbicides, ayurvedic treatments cleanse and rejuvenate the body, mind and consciousness, thus “keeping the soil inhospitable for weeds to grow in.” “Spirit, representing our core self, and the energy body, through which our spirit manifests, are eternal and inseparably one,” concludes Desai, who clarifies that the visible physical body is an extension of the invisible energy body. In the release of blockages and the purifying of the body, we are linked to our invisible presence, oneness. We enter the domain of divine presence and grace, which initiates spontaneous healing. In this domain the doer, the ego mind, disappears and “the presence performs the miracle.” For more information on Ayurveda and the Amrit Yoga Institute, visit AmritYoga. org or call 352-685-3001.

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Community Spotlight The Story of Why A L Blueberry Grower by Efrain Sandoval

iving in West Michigan and having blueberry fields all around, it’s hard to imagine Michigan blueberries traveling as far away as New Zealand and Australia, but that is just the case with Blueberry Heritage Farms. The farm also ships its blueberries across the United States, Europe, and other places around the world. Three years ago, in 2007, part of the blueberry fields of Blueberry Heritage Farms were certified organic, an event that owner Wayne Kiel keenly pursued because he says it’s better for the soil, yields healthier crops and better-tasting blueberries, and there is economic incentive to grow organic. The year that Wayne got his blueberries certified organic greeted him with bittersweet irony. On January 1, 2007 Wayne Kiel received a most unpleasant surprise. He went in to the hospital for a routine medical examination before his scheduled hip surgery (the polio that struck him as a young boy affected his body). During the preoperative checkup the hospital discovered he had lung cancer. He was shocked. “I am not a smoker!” he said. They told him at the hospital that only two types of people get lung cancer: “smokers” and “farm boys.” So it is that Wayne thinks there may be a connection between some of the pesticides he used to use and his lung cancer. “Of course, I sprayed pesticides all my life, so that could have an accumulative effect.” But things turned out alright for him. He was soon cured from his lung cancer and has stopped using some of the more harmful pesticides on the non-organic blueberry crops since then. But even before his diagnoses, Wayne was already working towards having a portion of his blueberry fields grow organic (there is a three to four-year transitional period). “Since we got away from that [human-made chemicals], I actually get better production in my organic fields than my non-organic fields,” he said. Wayne is a third generation farmer. His Blueberry Heritage Farms operation grows cranberries as well as organic and non-organic blueberries in the Greater Holland area. The farm, started by Wayne’s grandparents, Jacob and Laura Kiel in 1935, has grown from 40 acres to 200. After Wayne’s father, Eugene Kiel came back from serving in the Korean War in the 1950s, he and his wife Beatrice took over the operation before Wayne inherited the farm in 1981. Similar to what one reads and hears about blueberries time and again, the Blueberry Heritage Farm’s retail store, the Berry Bunch, makes the following claim on its website: “Blueberries rank highest in disease-fighting antioxidant activity when compared to 40 other fresh fruits and vegetables, just one serving of the blues delivers as much antioxidant clout as five servings of other fresh fruits and vegetables.” Cranberries too, the website maintains, are a healthy, low calorie fruit that may prevent urinary tract infections and gum disease. The Berry Bunch, located just east of US-31 on Blair Street in Holland, offers fresh, frozen, and dried cranberries

Went Organic

and blueberries. The store also features a variety of products grown and produced in Michigan, as one of the things the Berry Bunch strives for is support for the local and regional economy, particularly Michigan’s farmers. “We are striving to do the best job we can and have the safest food we can. I think it is very important to promote and buy locally. So I try to buy as much as I can around here and consequently, I think everybody else needs to,” said Wayne. “It’s good for the economy, it’s good for the community and it’s just good for the whole local infrastructure.” Many of the Berry Bunch products use the farm’s blueberries and/or cranberries as an ingredient. For example, there are ten different varieties of spreads, including blueberry butter spread, applecranberry butter, and cranberry-orange marmalade. Blueberry cranberry BBQ sauce, cranberry grill sauce, and cranberry dijon mustard are also part of the store’s featured items. If you are looking for “hot stuffs” there is the Fiery Fruit Salsa, advertised as a “A sweet and mild/hot salsa made with cranberries, blueberry, red raspberry or cherry, with tomatoes and a few peppers for a little heat” In line with Wayne’s philosophy, the store features such items as leadfree, resource-renewable soybean candles that are produced in Michigan. To date, Wayne produces an annual average of 200,000 pounds a year of organic blueberries, 25 percent of his fields, and 800,000 pounds, 75 percent, of non-organic blueberries. However, he wants to increase his organic crop so that it constitutes at least half of his production. “We wanted to be environmentally conscious and there is a health benefit. And then of course there is a difference in the product: It tastes better,” he said about why he went organic. “Obviously I’ve been at this for a while and I have learned. The soil is like a living organism—there is all this microbial action going on, and all this interaction of everything working together. But when you introduce human-made chemicals into it, especially fertilizers, it affects all that biological makeup. Then you start adding to the mix all the herbicides and fungicides. All of it is real tough on the microbiology.” He further noted that there is an economic incentive to grow organic because there is the market for it. For now Wayne said that his hands are full just growing organic blueberries and is not thinking about organic cranberries, at least not yet. Asked if he plans on growing all his blueberries organic one day, Wayne said, “I don’t know if we can do that; it takes a lot of manual labor and management. But we are headed that direction. Whether we achieve 100 percent is a different matter all together.” The Berry Bunch, 0-13871 Blaire St, Holland, MI. 49424. 616399-1677. See ad page 10. Efrain Sandoval is a freelance writer based in West Michigan. Contact at sandoval450@gmail.com. natural awakenings

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consciouseating

BACKYARD

GARDENING HOW TO GET A LOT FROM YOUR PLOT by Barbara Pleasant

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hether this is your first year growing a kitchen garden or your thumb glows green from years of use, it’s possible to quickly turn dreams of bountiful organic harvests into a reality. Even small gardens can be surprisingly productive, sometimes yielding enough squash to feed the neighborhood. These 10 tips will help you reap top harvests of superb vegetables and herbs. Shop from Your Garden First. After a lifetime of buying food in stores, you may need to change your shopping habits to accommodate the stream of veggies from your own produce patch. It makes sense to shop there first. When you plan meals based upon your garden’s abundance, much less overripe produce ends up as compost.

what’s ripe at least three times a week. Early morning is the best time to gather garden-fresh veggies. Make Plenty of Pesto. A fast-growing annual herb that loves hot weather, basil will keep producing new leaves over a longer time if you harvest big bunches just as the plants develop buds and flowers (the flowers are edible, too). If you have too much basil to use right away, purée washed leaves with olive oil and lemon juice, then cover with water in ice cube trays and freeze. Store the hard cubes in freezer bags for use in making pesto during non-harvest months.

Spread on the Mulch. Everywhere but in the subtropics, rain often becomes scarce in summer, so do everything you can to keep plants supplied with consistent moisture. Tomatoes, in particular, are sensitive to changes in soil moisture that can lead to black spots on the bottoms of ripening fruits. In any climate, drip irrigation from soaker hoses on the surface makes watering easy and efficient. Covering the hoses with mulch reduces surface evaporation and discourages weeds at the same time.

Squeeze Tomatoes. In choosing your favorite tomatoes, taste them fairly by keeping them in a warm place because cool temperatures can destroy their flavor compounds. In addition to watching the vines for ripe colors, make a habit of gently squeezing tomatoes to judge their firmness, the same way you might check an avocado or peach. Heirloom varieties, in particular, are at their best just as they begin to soften, but may become mealy if you wait too long.

Harvest Often. From snap beans to zucchini, vegetables will be longer and stronger if you keep them picked. Gather

Taste Local Favorites. Trying new crops is always fun, especially if you know they grow well in your region. To learn

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more about which vegetables and herbs naturally grow well in your climate and soil, visit local farmers’ markets to see what local organic farmers are growing. Any crop that grows well in a neighbor’s field is likely to also do well in your garden. Keep Your Cool. Take on big garden tasks early in the morning or in the evening, when it’s cool. If you must work outdoors on a hot day, try freezing damp kitchen towels into a U-shape and drape a frozen collar around your neck to keep from overheating. Bet on Beans. Most vegetables are fast-growing annuals that decline after they have produced for several weeks. Replace tattered spring crops with fast-growing bush snap beans, which will promptly sprout and grow in all but the hottest climates. Where summers are sultry, there is often time to follow spring crops with a planting of edamame (edible green soybeans), which offer sensational taste, texture and nutrition. Sow More Salad. Lettuce and other salad greens often go to seed and turn bitter when hot weather comes, but a second salad season is right around the corner. Leafy greens, from arugula to tatsoi (a gorgeous Asian mustard), thrive from late summer to fall in most climates. Keep seeds left over from spring in the refrigerator and start planting them outside as soon as cooler nights arrive in late summer. In subtropical areas, start seeds indoors and set the seedlings out after the hottest months have passed. Fortify Soil. Each time you cultivate a bed, mix in a generous helping of compost or another form of rich, organic matter. Over time, the soil will become better and better, which means ever more beautiful homegrown veggies, fresh from your own garden. Barbara Pleasant is the author of numerous gardening books; this year’s release is Starter Vegetable Gardens: 24 No-Fail Plans for Small Organic Gardens. For more information visit BarbaraPleasant.com.

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LOCAVORE NATION SAVOR THE REIGN OF REGIONAL FOODS by Judith Fertig

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onsider Boston cod, Georgia peach pie, Florida’s Indian River grapefruit, wheat from Kansas, heirloom tomatoes from Colorado, Michigan sour cherries, Texas pinto beans and California wines. While the definition of American cuisine is difficult to pinpoint, it definitely exists in regional form, say the Americans polled by the James Beard Foundation. It’s the particular tastes of the places we call home. There’s a delicious reason why regional foods remain popular; as The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture found, the average “fresh” food item on American dinner tables now travels 1,500 miles to get there—and often tastes like it.

Taste is All About Terroir “Place-based foods have a unique taste, related to the soil, water, air and cli22

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mate of a region, as well as the ethnic or regional heritage of their producers,” advises Rachelle H. Saltzman, folklife coordinator and director of the Iowa Place-Based Foods project. She notes that regional food might be considered a result of the happy pairing of nature and nurture. Regional foods start with terroir, a French term that refers to a peculiar combination of microclimate and geography. If we draw a circle with its center in our own backyard, the area within the circumference of the circle that encloses the same climate and geography is the general terroir. Although terroir is in wide use in reference to wines, it also applies to any food. Terroir accounts for the differences in flavor between mild orange blossom honey from Arizona, aromatic and pear-like tupelo honey from Florida, amber-colored and medium-

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flavored clover honey from Iowa and dark and slightly sulfurous sunflower honey originating in South Dakota. “When you eat honey that local bees make, you’re eating an easily digestible, raw food full of enzymes, pollen, vitamins, proteins and minerals from the region,” says Tony Schwager of Anthony’s Beehive, in Lawrence, Kansas. Bees forage for nectar in nearby blossoms and then do all the processing in the hive. The result is a regional food yielding more than 300 varieties across the United States. Even Vermont maple syrup can register the flavor changes from terroir, according to Amy Trubek, assistant professor of nutrition and food sciences at The University of Vermont and author of The Taste of Place: A Cultural Journey Into Terroir. Trubek is participating in an ongoing study of the character of small-batch maple syrups.


“Like Burgundy wines or Savoie cheeses, the terroir of maple syrups matters,” she says. For example, maple syrup—a whole food made only from the sap that rises in the tree only after a long, cold winter—can taste different depending on whether the maple tree grows in areas rich in limestone (giving flavor notes of caramel, vanilla and bitter almond) or schist (where minerals yield a slightly moldy note), giving it a unique taste of place.

Wild Bounty Before European settlement here, Native American tribes were often identified—and strengthened physically and spiritually—by the regional foods they ate, whether gathered by hunting or fishing in the wild or raised themselves. Early visiting explorers and naturalists noted such delicacies as wild strawberries growing along the New Hampshire shoreline, native persimmons in Virginia and beach plums on Cape Cod. In Early American Gardens: For Meate or Medicine, gardener and author Ann Leighton chronicles which plants were native to New England and which ones the 17th-century colonists brought or had sent from England. The resulting cuisine evolved into a fusion of English recipes with New World ingredients. Through many generations, regional cuisines developed along the Eastern seaboard, often featuring maple syrup, cranberries, wild blackberries, corn, pumpkins, Carolina gold rice, cod, clams, blue crab,

shad and shrimp. Grafting new and old world plants produced the happy accidents of the Bartlett pear, Concord grape and Newtown Pippin apple. What grew in these innovative gardens naturally began to grace American tables. “Native corn became a truly American food,” observes Lenore Greenstein, a food and nutrition journalist who has taught at several U.S. universities. “The corn of the settlers, however, was not the sweet corn we know today, but the field corn used to feed livestock and make corn meal, syrup and starches. Sweet corn was unknown until 1779, yet by 1850 it had replaced field corn on American tables.”

Ethnic Traditions Beyond the land itself, regional foods continue to be influenced by the transportation routes followed in early trading ventures; the ways of the English homeland were soon joined by those of African slaves. Greenstein relates that New Orleans’ famous gumbo comes from the African “In this wine, you can taste ngombo, for okra, its the magical place where principal ingredient. The thick stew gets our children, Hailey and some of its distincLoren, grew up. Aromas tive flavor and smooth of blackberries and bay texture from gumbo file powder made of dried, leaves, like those that grow wild sassafras leaves. along the spring-fed creek In other parts of the with subtle notes of tobacco, South, a cuisine that became known as soul smoke and earth, dance in food grew up around the background, derived dishes made from produce that slaves could from the soil itself.” grow in their own ~ Janet Trefethen, of Trefethen kitchen gardens: boiled peanuts, sweet potato Family Vineyards, in Napa, pie, boiled greens and California, about its HaLo black-eyed peas. Immigrants from cabernet sauvignon.

What’s Growing in Your Region? Slow Food, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to “good, clean and fair food,” has created an American Ark of Taste, its list of regional foods. Backyard entries include the granite beauty apple from New Hampshire, green striped cushaw [squash] from Tennessee, hand-harvested wild rice from Minnesota, Four Corners gold bean from Colorado, Padre plum from California and Alaskan birch syrup. (See SlowFoodUSA. org/downloads/ Ark_Foods_ By_Region_9.29_.09_.pdf) To find local farms and producers, visit: LocalHarvest.org SustainableTableorg/ issues/eatlocal FoodRoutes.org

Ireland who arrived in the New World during the potato famine of the 1840s and those Europeans promised free land under the Homestead Acts of the 1860s brought garden seeds, favorite plants and ethnic food traditions with them, further enlarging our country’s collective eating repertoire to include sauerkraut, coleslaw, cheesecake, cinnamon rolls and potato salad. Mennonite farmers who had emigrated from the Netherlands to Germany and then on to Russia, as their pacifist views clashed with the prevailing governments, finally left the steppes of the Ukraine for the similar terroir of

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the Kansas prairie in 1875. (This was around the same time that cowboys were herding longhorn cattle from Texas along the Chisholm Trail to railyards in Abilene, Kansas.) The Mennonites brought bags of turkey red winter wheat seeds that helped transform the wild prairie into the cultivated “breadbasket” it is today. In a similar fashion, Italian families coming to California brought their love of wine to a hilly region that benefited from moisture granted by the fog rolling in from the Pacific. They knew how to make the most of a climate with a spring rainy season followed by a dry summer—great conditions for growing wine grapes.

“Indian beliefs are the same and different [from one another]. For us, the sacred food is salmon; for the Plains Indians it was buffalo; in the Southwest it was corn. We all see Good for food as part of our religion, Us Food Foods naturally suited but different foods give to their environment us our strengths… if we grow better, taste better and are packed with move about from place to more nutrients, reports place, we become separate Sustainable Table, an from our sacred foods; we educational nonprofit working to build healthy become weak.”

tains more beneficial nutrients than milk from grain-fed cows. Jeni Britton Bauer uses regional Midwestern ingredients—including organic milk from grass-fed cows, local goat cheese, foraged wild foods and organic berries—for Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. “We couldn’t believe the difference in flavor in milk from grass-fed versus grainfed cows,” she says. “It’s because grass-fed cows produce milk with more conjugated linoleic acid, a cancer-fighting compound, as well as healthful omega-3 fatty acids.” Local examples such as hers illustrate the larger truth.

Good for Our Community

Growing and eating regional foods is equally beneficial for our communities. According to Larry West, a writer for E/The Environmental Magazine, most farmers on average receive only 20 cents of each food dollar spent on what they produce. The remaining profit gets consumed by transportation, processing, packaging, refrigeracommunities through sustainable eating ~ Louie H. Dick, Jr. of tion and marketing costs when their crops travel habits (SustainableTable. Oregon’s Umatilla tribe in far and wide. Farmers org). When grown and consumed locally, foods “Water is a Medicine that who choose to sell their escape the degradation Can Touch Your Heart” from foods to local customers see a better return on of being irradiated for Native Heritage: Personal their investment. When longer shelf life. When they come from organic Accounts by American In- neighbors choose to eat farms, they’re also grown dians 1790 to the Present, locally, it supports local agriculture and encourwithout pesticides and edited by Arlene Hirschfelder ages continued use of herbicides. area land for farms, Consider also that keeping development in check while milk from dairy cattle raised in areas preserving open space. where they can eat grass for most of There are even more benefits. the year has a better flavor and con24

West Michigan Edition

NaturalWestMichigan.com


Grow Your Own The best terroir of all is our own garden. A fresh-picked tomato will convert even the most dedicated supermarket shopper every time. A state agricultural extension agent or local master gardener will know what grows best in area gardens. Consider growing heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables for greater flavor and color. A good resource is Seed Savers Exchange (SeedSavers.org), a northern Iowa farm that acts as a collective for members who use and save thousands of varieties of seeds. Its yearbook lists member gardeners and their comments on their success with various types of plants. Research by Duncan Hilchey, a senior extension associate at Cornell University, and his colleagues in upstate New York found that regional agriculture contributes to the local economy, provides fresh food and a secure food supply, and plays a role in preserving our rural heritage. In Goût de Terroir: Exploring the Boundaries of Specialty Agricultural Landscapes, he concludes that “Agricultural landscapes, and the regional cuisine and foodways [culinary practices] to which they contribute, offer powerful expressions of place.” As Greenstein sums it up, “Regional food is better, however you look at it.” Judith Fertig is a freelance food writer in Overland Park, KS; for

“Were it not for Lake Michigan, you couldn’t grow fruit this far north on a commercial scale. The weather fronts come in from the west over the deep lake. The lake becomes a climate modifier, giving the fruit its character.” ~ Justin Rashid, of American Spoon Foods, a grower of sour cherries, apricots and peaches in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

more information visit AlfrescoFoodAndLife style.blogspot.com. Primary sources: Tony Schwager at AnthonysBeehive. com; Lenore Greenstein at LenoreSue@ Comcast.net; Rachelle H. Saltzman at Riki. Saltzman@Iowa.gov; Duncan Hilchey at Duncan@NewLeafNet. com; Justin Rashid at SpoonFoods.com; Amy Trubek at Amy. Trubek@uvm.edu; and Jeni Britton Bauer at JenisIceCreams.com Also, Culinaria: The United States, A Culinary Discovery, edited by Randi Danforth, Peter Feierabend and Gary Chassman; and Early American Gardens: For Meate or Medicine by Ann Leighton natural awakenings

July 2010

25


fitbody

BIKE TO WORK The Two-Wheel Commuting Wow by Paul Dorn

P

eople might start Commuters can now improving coordination. commuting by bicyCommuting bicyclists cle to improve their select the “Bicycling” easily meet the Centers fitness, save money or layer on Google Maps for Disease Control and support sustainability, but Prevention’s recommenthey continue because at Maps.Google.com/ dation that adults engage it’s fun. in moderate-intensity Ask a motorist about biking to help them physical activities for 30 their commute and they’ll plan their route. minutes or more at least frown, at best. Ask a bicyfive days a week. A study clist about their commute in the Scandinavian and they’ll smile, and likely mention the Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports endorphin rush, fresh air, wildlife spotconcluded that just 30 minutes of ted that morning, the new breakfast shop bicycle commuting improved aerobic discovered en route or how their retirefitness, cardiovascular load, cholesterol ment accounts are swelling with money and the burning of fats for energy. saved by not driving. According to the British Medical Association, in a nine-year study of Health Benefits 9,000 UK civil servants, those who cycled 25 miles a week (2.5 miles each The health benefits of bicycling are way) experienced half the heart atrecognized around the world. Cycling is a holistic form of exercise that gradu- tacks as those who shunned physical exercise. A long-term Copenhagen ally builds strength and muscle tone with little risk of over-exercise or strain, Heart study of more than 30,000 men and women found that even according to AdultBicycling.com. Legs, after adjusting for other risk factors, thighs, hips and buttocks all benefit, including hip and knee joints. The aver- those who biked to work had a 39 percent lower mortality rate than age cyclist burns about 300 calories during a 20-minute commute, while also those who did not. 26

West Michigan Edition

NaturalWestMichigan.com

A less stressful commute also contributes to mental well-being, even to the point of countering depression. A study at Duke University found that 60 percent of people suffering from depression overcame it by exercising for 30 minutes three times a week without antidepressant medication, which is comparable to the rate of relief people generally achieve through medication alone. Daily exercise may also help prevent memory loss, according to several recent studies from the United States and Europe. The research, reported by the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign and others, suggests that because regular aerobic exercise—such as bicycling, swimming or running— can improve cardiorespiratory fitness by up to 14 percent, it helps improve brain function. Further, improved overall health helps prevent certain diseases that may affect mental health.

Fr o m e r g o n o m i c s e a t s a n d pedals, seamless shifting and Kevlar-lined puncture resistant tires to handlebar speakers a n d e l e c t r i c - a s s i s t e d p ow er, today’s bicycles are packed with innovative technologies that make cycling accessible, easy and fun. Riding at night and in wet weather is also safer with bright, energy-efficient LED lights and lightweight fabrics like Gore-Tex, HyVent and H2NO that are big on breathability and waterproof comfort.


Cost & Time Benefits When it comes to sustainability, the bicycle is one of the most energy-efficient personal transportation devices ever created. According to the American Automobile Association, the average annual cost of operating a sedan for 15,000 miles in 2010 totals $8,487; for an SUV, it’s $11,085. Vehicle costs include depreciation, finance charges, fuel, maintenance, tires, tolls, insurance and taxes. Given the latest U.S. median annual household income of $52,029 reported by the Census Bureau in 2008, the cost of car ownership exceeds 15 or 20 percent of the typical household’s income. A quality bicycle, which can be purchased for the price of about one car payment, will never need fueling, is inexpensive to repair and has an operating carbon footprint that’s next to nil. Bicycle commuting is surprisingly time-efficient, too. Federal Highway Administration statistics show that nearly half of all trips in this country are three miles or less. More than a quarter of all trips are less than a mile. A three-mile trip by bicycle takes about 20 minutes; in a busy city, traveling the same distance by car can take longer. Add in getting a car out of a parking space, into traffic, through lights and congestion and parked again, and for many urban and neighborhood trips, bicycles are simply faster from point to point. Making a good thing even better, bicycle commuting saves time that would otherwise be spent at a gas station, car wash, automobile mechanic, department of motor vehicles and even traffic court. Plus, without the large cost of operating a car, it’s just possible that bicyclists might even save the necessity of time spent at a second job. As yet another bonus, there’s next to no time spent sitting in traffic. Paul Dorn, a writer and activist in  Sacramento, California, is co-author (with Roni Sarig) of The Bike to Work Guide: Save Gas, Go Green, Get Fit. He is a former editor of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition newsletter, former executive director of the California Bicycle Coalition, and a League of American Bicyclists certified instructor. natural awakenings

July 2010

27


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28

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July 2010

29


wisewords

How has food influenced your life?

A Conversation with

MARIEL HEMINGWAY Her Kitchen Wisdom for Healthy Living by Giovanna Aguilar

T

You juggle many responsibilities and roles in your personal and professional life. What advice can you offer readers for achieving balance in their lives?

his month Natural Awakenings speaks with Mariel Hemingway about her personal journey to achieving a healthy and happy life. The veteran actress has practiced and taught yoga for 20 years and avidly pursues avenues of sustainable living and holistic health. Her most recent books include Mariel’s Kitchen: Simple Ingredients for a Delicious and Satisfying Life and Mariel Hemingway’s Healthy Living From the Inside Out.

You must make time for what’s most important to you. Ask yourself questions so that you can find places where you can pull back and reset your priorities. How much television do you watch? Are you taking time to exercise? Do you take five minutes to close your eyes, breathe and listen to internal whispers? It’s often the everyday places, people and things of value that work to keep you connected and balanced.

In Mariel’s Kitchen, you stress the importance of local seasonal eating. What do you consider an ideal meal? It’s important to connect nature with food—knowing where foods come from, knowing about local farms and farmers’ markets. My perfect meal is something that is very simple, fresh and seasonal. The key is to use the right ingredients, a little olive oil and herbs. One of my favorites is searing fish so that it is raw on the inside and serving it with a wonderful aioli or fruit salsa and a lightly steamed, seasonal vegetable. You are a big advocate of organic food, which can be pricey for families on tight budgets. How can healthy eating be accessible to all? It’s about choices. When people want to eat healthier and believe organic is too expensive, I ask them to consider how many times they buy café coffee or order out. When you start to look at food and how you live your life as a method of preventive medicine, it 30

West Michigan Edition

My mother went to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris to learn how to cook. My family was crazy about food; growing up, I was obsessive about food and used it to fill a hole and replace love. I fasted and tried all kinds of diets, which eventually shut down my thyroid. I wound up needing to go to such extremes in order to find my center; now I’m privileged to be able to help other people find theirs. What I have realized is that instead of serving as a substitute for love, food should come from love as an expression of sharing and giving.

becomes obvious that getting sick [due to poor nutrition and a weak immune system] is a lot more expensive. How did you come up with the concept for your health snack, Blisscuits? My mother had cancer when I was a child, and I was her primary caregiver, so I saw what chemotherapy and radiation did to her. When my ex-husband was diagnosed with cancer, I created the cookies as part of a healthy, holistic lifestyle that could help heal him. They are gluten- and sugar-free and healthful. He is now 11 years in remission and well because he made many good choices. Another reason I developed Blisscuits was to feed my daughters as they were growing up in a world of unhealthy snacks.

NaturalWestMichigan.com

What projects are you working on that you’d like to share? I’m currently producing a film based on my grandfather’s book [referring to Ernest Hemingway], A Moveable Feast, and an environment-focused television show with my boyfriend and business partner, Bobby Williams, shot in amazingly beautiful places. It will start filming in the United States, but we plan to shoot internationally, starting with Costa Rica. Bobby and I are also writing a book, Be You Now. Connect on the Internet by visiting MarielHemingway.com and Twitter. com/MarielHemingway. Giovanna Aguilar is a freelance writer based in New York City. Reach her at LifestyleTargeting.com.


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Chiropractic Correction

About More than Just the Spine

R

ising health care costs and a lack of insurance may be more than economic disasters: They might be catalysts for change. According to 2008 statistics reported by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), more Americans than ever are open to trying alternatives to traditional medicine. About 4 in 10 adult Americans now use treatments that appear on NCCAM’s comprehensive list of modalities and approaches that are generally not considered part of conventional medicine. These include acupuncture, aromatherapy, herbal supplements, various forms of massage and bodywork, meditation, Tai chi and spinal manipulation. Holistic-minded health practitioners frequently consider treatments of this nature to be aspects of preventive health care management, a mindset that deals with the body from a less fragmented viewpoint. One NCCAM alternative is chiropractic care, a profession dating back to 1895, when Daniel David Palmer discovered that a manual spinal adjustment, known as a subluxation, could correct vertebral misalignments and eliminate nerve interference. This central chiropractic tenet remained a beacon for Palmer’s career, as well as that of his son, Bartlett Joshua, who carried on his father’s work at the Palmer College of Chiropractic, in Davenport, Iowa. Today, 50,000 doctors of chiropractic licensed in the United States remain loyal to the Palmers’ belief that pharmaceuticals are not the solution to health care. Chiropractors’ unwavering policy not to prescribe drugs is founded upon two principles established by the father of chiropractic. He maintained that the body possesses an innate capacity to heal itself; and the relationship between the spine and the nervous system holds the key to maintaining a healthy balance in the body. Many chiropractors see drugs as a temporary fix that masks symptoms, which point to deeper problems within the body and organs. Today, some use a new, collaborative approach, working in tandem with other health practitioners to restore health and balance to mind and body. Others choose to learn complementary forms of medicine, like nutritional therapy, physiology, acupuncture and energy work, which they integrate into their own practices and recommend as preventive health care measures.

32

West Michigan Edition

NaturalWestMichigan.com

by Linda Sechrist

“I teach my patients that to enjoy true health, they need to be proactive by incorporating preventive health care measures like nutrition, exercise and routine chiropractic manipulations into their lifestyle,” says Dr. Jimmy Kwok, owner of DC Chiropractic & Massage. Good Nutrition Creating and following a well-balanced diet boosts their energy levels. Proper nutrition achieved through eating correctly gives our body the raw material it needs to keep organs functioning properly. It is the building block for a healthy body and assists the body in healing injuries. It also promotes a strong immune system. Regular Exercise Following a regular exercise routine: increases lymphatic drainage thus reducing toxins in the system, keeps joints healthy, increases and maintains flexibility and keeps the muscular system performing correctly, and helps to maintain body weight. Chiropractic Manipulation Regular chiropractic manipulations correct subluxation (spinal misalignment) and help to keep their nervous system communicating accurately with the brain, the command center of the body. Opening the spinal cord to send the information to the brain keeps the body functioning properly. When spinal misalignment is ignored, malfunction of organs and muscles can occur at the cellular level. “I am a firm believer that a preventative health program, incorporating these three things can create optimal health for anyone interested in living a healthy lifestyle,” emphasizes the 2006 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic, who has reaped a few rewards of chiropractic treatment. “I used to suffer from constant headache and low back pain,” advises Dr. Jimmy, “chiropractic took care of that as well as my stomach problems and hearing difficulties.” DC Chiropractic & Massage is located at 1100 4 Mile Rd. NW, Grand Rapids 4955. For more information call 616-3012225 or visit Alpinemichiro.com. See ad page 29


calendarofevents

FRIDAY, JULY 9

THURSDAY, JULY 1

ing aligned. By Katherine Florentine/Yoga Tapestry. $80- bring your own mat. BodyMind Pilates 6504 28th St. Grand Rapids.

Yoga for Scoliosis Workshop- 8:00am-9:30am. July

Note: Visit www.NaturalWestMichigan.com for guidelines and to submit entries. All Calendar 16, 23 & 30.Experience how realigning your spine will free up your energy on all levels. Postures will events must be submitted online by the 15th of the month prior to publication. restore balance while teaching you new ways of be-

Reiki Healing by Gayle- 12:00-5:00pm. $25 for 30 minutes. Reiki promotes healing, deep relaxation, pain reduction and relief and has a calming effect. It helps to reduce blood pressure, normalize hormone levels, and reduce stress and anxiety. Chel Lea and Friends, 402 W Main St. Ionia. 616-522-9290 or www.chellea.com.

Nutrition, Herbs & Healing Workshop- 6:158:00pm. Learn how to ACTIVATE, BUILD & CLEANSE your body with herbs and nutrition. Handouts and organic nutritional snacks will be provided. $10. 5570 Wilson Ave SW, Grandville. Seating is limited, call and reserve your seat today. 616-530-9000

SATURDAY, JULY 10

Naturopathic School of the Healing Arts OPEN HOUSES- July 10 and July 24, 12-2. Visit naturopathicschoolofannarbor.net or call 734-769-7794

WEDNESDAY, JULY 7

Rest Restore Renew- 2:00-4:00pm. With Susan Duesbery. Take time to slow down and enjoy the restoring gifts that yoga has to offer. Explore gentle yoga poses and breathing techniques, ending with a guided imagery and yoga nidra experience. $30. Expressions of Grace Yoga 5270 Northland Drive NE, Grand Rapids. 616-361-8580

Teens with Dreams- 4:00-5:00pm. Every Friday. For teens to help encourage them, help them be aware that they help create the world they live in and to show them how to create a more peaceful loving world for us all. Love offering. Chel Lea and Friends, 402 W Main St. Ionia. 616-522-9290 or www.chellea.com.

Living Consciously- 6:30-7:30pm. Want to know more about what it means to ‘live consciously’? Come speak with coach, Shannon Elhart, to realize how you can accomplish a more peaceful, purposeful life. Space limited, please RSVP Life Imagined, LLC. 222 South River Ave., Holland. 616-403- 2120

SATURDAY, JULY 3

Guided Meditation and Healing Circle- 7:008:00 pm. Escape from stress and discover an inner world of calm, peace & joy through guided meditation, and energy healing from Healing in Americatrained healers. $5. Holistic Care Approach, 3368 E. Beltline Ct. NE, Grand Rapids. 269-929-6796

Retreat with Weishang Hu: A Day of Buddhist Meditation, Yoga & Pranayama- 2:00-7:00pm. $20 Donation suggested. Events include several meditation sittings, teachings and techniques, pranayama (conscious breathing), sound healing, Q&A, walking meditation at sunset, and light lunch. Satya Yoga Center, 3385 Blue Star Highway, Saugatuck. 269-857-7289

Healing Circle- 5:00-7:00pm. All energy healers and those in need of healing are welcome to join the healing circle the first Thursday of each month at Chel Lea and Friends, 402 W Main St. Ionia. 616522-9290 or www.chellea.com.

FRIDAY, JULY 2

Shop for Freedom- July 3-10. Celebrate our country’s independence while helping an artisan in a developing country obtain financial independence 20% off any one item that is red, white or blue. Not to be combined with other offers. Global Gifts, 2055 28th St SE, Grand Rapids.

SUNDAY, JULY 4

Progressive Sermon and Gathering- 10:00am. C3, An Inclusive Spiritual Community, Spring LakeMusical guest Carol Johnson. All are welcome. 225 E. Exchange Street, Spring Lake. www.c3center. org or 616-842-1985 YogaKids Class- 10:45am. Join certified YogaKids teacher Kim Vulinovic for a 4th of July celebratory class full of fun yoga poses. All kids welcome for the festivities! See website for further information www.yogakids.com. Satya Yoga Center, 3385 Blue Star Highway, Saugatuck. 269-857-7289

MONDAY, JULY 5

Free Concert- 2:00-4:00pm. With free-will donations taken to support future MAJIC concerts. Bring a picnic to Grand Rapids Bike Park & enjoy this unique touring band! Welcome to Mr. B’s Joybox Express! Join legendary blues and boogie-woogie pianist Mark Lincoln Braun (aka Mr. B) as he takes his show on the road.

Summer Film Fest: Spirituality & Ethics- Vera Drake: the secret life of a devoted family woman who helps others induce miscarriages. Discussion to follow. C3Exchange, Inclusive Spiritual Community, 225 E. Exchange Street, Spring Lake. For more info visit www.c3exchange.org or 616-842-1985

THURSDAY, JULY 8

The Tempest- 8th-11th. Presented by Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company. For performance information and tickets, contact www.pcshakespeare.com Healthy You- Energy- 7:00-8:30pm. Do you struggle to get yourself going in the morning? Learn how you can improve your physical energy & mental focus in a healthy way. 3424 Keswick Dr. NE, Belmont. Register or questions contact Ginny Hayataka 616-822-8084; ginny@all-wayshealthy.com

Tammy Tiffany, Animal Communicator- 12:004:00pm. Also July 20. Want to know what your pet is really thinking? Tammy can help. Visit her at Chel Lea and Friends, 402 W Main St. Ionia. 616-5229290 or www.chellea.com.

What Have I to Give?-10:00-11:00am. Eckankar Worship Service. All are welcome. Come and experience the Light and Sound of God. Motel 6 Meeting Room, US 131 at 76th St, Grand Rapids. 616-752-8460 Progressive Sermon and Gathering- 10:00am. All welcome and invited. C3Exchange, Inclusive Spiritual Community, 225 E. Exchange Street, Spring Lake. For more info visit www.c3exchange.org or 616-842-1985 Extended Grace Interfaith/Mystic Community Gathering 1:00pm Potluck. 1:30pm Integral Worship embracing the God beyond, between and within. Topic: The Power of the Mind. 233 Washington, Suite 208, Grand Haven. 616-502-2078

Indigo’s And Mystic’s Book Exchange & More s ssic Tale wth ries & Cla to onal Gro S rs ’s e n ality & P • Childre u it ir p S n ble oks o • New Bo oks Availa ts’ Used Bo 0 0 ocal Artis ‘L ,0 5 y r b e ts if • Ov G & s tions Treasure Consulta • Hidden Groups & k o o m B , p s m - 7 pm • Classe : 11 am -F 4 M : S lidays a HOUR Sat: 1d0Sundays & Ho e s lo C Books!

Open Mic Night- 6:00-8:00pm. Every Monday. Welcoming musicians, singers, poets and other performing artists who want a safe and welcoming place to practice and perform. Chel Lea and Friends, 402 W Main St. Ionia. 616-522-9290 or www.chellea.com.

TUESDAY, JULY 6

SUNDAY, JULY 11

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33


MONDAY, JULY 12

Chair Yoga Class- Yoga is truly ageless, especially when taught with the aid of a chair. Your first class is free. $72 for 8 class session, 60+ and full-time students 15% off or $61.20. Join us at the Studio at WFC, 935 52nd St. Kentwood. Call 616-450-3033 visit www.thestudiowfc.com. New Story Time Kids Yoga Camp for Kids- with Marti Delong. July 12-15, July 19-22. Two age groups: Butterflies - 4 to 6 yrs, 11am-12pm. Eagles - 7 to 9 yrs, 1:00-2:00pm. Four Class Package $40 or Drop-in $13 Each. Expressions of Grace Yoga 5270 Northland Drive NE, Grand Rapids. 616-361-8580 Six Week Series- Classes begin. All levels. $75 or $65 for series. Please visit website, gryoga.com or call 616-776-0836 for details. Spiritual Enlightenment Group- 6:30pm-8:00pm. The Spiritual Enlightenment Group gathers monthly to share ideas, knowledge and information about how to enhance our spiritual lives. Free. Naturopathic Community Center, 503 E. Broadway, Mt. Pleasant. 989-773-3636

TUESDAY, JULY 13

Reiki Share Group- 5:30-7:30pm. For all who have been trained in Reiki to share experiences, questions, comments, and Reiki. Jan Atwood, Reiki Master/ Teacher. 801 Broadway Ave NW, Grand Rapids. 616-915-4144 Trigger Point Massage- 6:00pm. Free community workshop sponsored by The Foundation for Wellness Professionals on how to do Trigger Point Massage. Workshop participants will learn what a trigger point is, what causes them, hands on training. 4150 East Beltline Suite #4, Grand Rapids. RSVP by calling 616-447-9888

WEDNESDAY, JULY 14

Open House- 11:00am-3:00pm. Learn more about decreasing stress and increases productivity and efficiency through massage as well as maximizing your optimal health. Free Food, Free Chair Massages. DC Chiropractic and Massage Center, 1100 4 Mile Rd, NW, Grand Rapids. 616-301-2225 Total Vibration Therapy Class- 6:30pm. Dr. Michael Morea gives you insight into therapy that promotes life and vigor, strength and beauty. Total Vibration Therapy is for performance enhancement, injury rehabilitation, and overall health and wellness. Free session offered to all attendees! Morea Chiropractic, 388 North 3rd Avenue, Fruitport. 231-865-7474 Guided Meditation, Prayer and Healing Circle7:00-8:00 pm. Relax to guided meditation, and receive energy healing from local healers while church chaplains pray over your prayer requests. Donation. Unity Church on the Lakeshore, 41 So. Washington, Douglas. 269-857-8226 Healthy You- Thyroid Issues- 7:00-8:30pm. As requested this popular program is being repeated. 3424 Keswick Dr. NE, Belmont. Register or questions contact Ginny Hayataka 616-822-8084; ginny@ all-wayshealthy.com

THURSDAY, JULY 15

5 Secrets to Permanent Weight Loss- 6:30-8:00pm. Free Workshop Learn; why diets don’t work. Why eating fat doesn’t make you fat. Presented by The Foundation for Wellness Professionals, Guest

34

West Michigan Edition

Speaker: Dr. Michael R. Dubiel, D.C. 5570 Wilson Ave SW, Grandville. Seating is limited, call today to reserve your seat. 616-530-9000

FRIDAY, JULY 16

Community Bike Event- Meet at 225 E. Exchange Street, Spring Lake for a group bike ride and safety demonstrations. Bring helmets for fittings. C3Exchange, Inclusive Spiritual Community, 225 E. Exchange Street, Spring Lake. For more info visit www.c3exchange.org or 616-842-1985 Reiki I/II Training Class- 9:00am-5:00pm. Learn this relaxing form of healing touch to use on self and family. Includes textbook and lunch. $225. Register with Jan Atwood, Reiki Master/Teacher, 801 Broadway Ave NW, Grand Rapids. 616-915-4144 Fire of Transformation Practice with Mimi Ray6:30-8:30pm. An invitation to light the inner fire of the heart, transform and reshape your practice, play your edge and develop flexibility and joy in community. Based on John Friend’s Eye of the Tiger Practice. Call for prerequisites. $18. Expressions of Grace Yoga 5270 Northland Drive NE, Grand Rapids. 616-361-8580

SUNDAY, JULY 18

Progressive Sermon and Gathering- 10:00am. Special Event: Congregational feast- pig roast, potluck and music! Enjoy concert by Max & Ruth Bloomquist following 10:00 a.m. service. $4 per person or donation. C3Exchange, Inclusive Spiritual Community, 225 E. Exchange Street, Spring Lake. For more info visit www.c3exchange.org or 616-842-1985

TUESDAY, JULY 20

Avoiding Back Pain for Gardeners- 6:00-7:00pm. Learn gardening techniques to protect your spine, and stretches to help keep you active in the garden. Q and A to follow. Free. Refreshments served. Schafer Chiropractic and Healing Spa. 1801 Breton SE, Grand Rapids. info@grchirospa.com. 616-301-3000 Free Weight Loss Through Purification Seminar6:00pm. Meet Angelo Agno from Standard Process Whole Food Supplements as he presents everything you need to know about a life changing body purification. See results from our nutrition consultant Rose, fresh off her cleanse. Wilcox Family Chiropractic 935 52nd St., Kentwood. 616-531-1500 Homemade First Aid Kit Workshop- 6:30-8:00pm. Learn simple, inexpensive and effective remedies that are essential for anyone’s home first aid kit. $10. Presented by The Foundation for Wellness Professionals, Guest Speaker: Dr. Michael R. Dubiel, D.C. 5570 Wilson Ave SW, Grandville. Seating is limited, call today to reserve your seat. 616-530-9000 CranioSacral Study Group- 7:00-9:00pm. Prerequisite: Upledger CST I. $5. Facilitated by Ellen Costantino. Contact Jamilah Tuuk for details at jjfmassage@yahoo.com or 616-340-0543. Lower level classroom at Holistic Care Approach, 3368 Beltline Ct. NE, Grand Rapids.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 21

Wonderful Wednesdays: Free Program to complement your Farmer’s Market Shopping10:00-11:00am. Cindy Mayo from Holland Hypnosis will speak about how hypnosis can be used to quit smoking and for also for rapid and safe weight loss. Holistic Nutrition Center, 90 West 8th Street, Holland. 616-355-5333

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Learn how to Be Fit 4 Life- 1:00-3:00pm & 7:00-9:00pm. Learn how you can lose the fat. Try samples! FREE event. Please call Clara, 616-6986148. 494 Coleman SE, Grand Rapids. Healthy You- Asthma- 7:00-8:30pm. What you don’t know can take your breath away. Learn how your food choices can aggravate your asthma and which environmental toxins are the worst. 3424 Keswick Dr. NE, Belmont. Register or questions contact Ginny Hayataka 616-822-8084; ginny@ all-wayshealthy.com

THURSDAY, JULY 22

Garden Party- 4:00-7:00pm Raising money to benefit Westerhouse. Live music, silent auctions, demos, massage therapy, raffles and much more. Rain date July 29th. The Healing Ground 857 W. Summit. Muskegon. 231-755-3832 Walking Meditation- 7:00-8:30pm. Join coach, Shannon Elhart, for a walking meditation to Tunnel Park in Holland, a guided meditation for world peace and love for all of life. Free with donations accepted to LEDA and the Children’s Advocacy Center. Call for more information. Life Imagined, LLC. 222 South River Ave., Holland. 616-403- 2120

FRIDAY, JULY 23

Kids Night Out- 5:30-9:30pm. Kids will have pizza and play on the trampolines, obstacle course, and more. Members $25/Nonmembers $30. Gymco 2306 Camelot Ridge Court SE, Grand Rapids. Going Upside Down & Loving It - Forearm Balance- 6:30-8:30pm. Exploring inversions can be fun and rewarding! These asanas are some of the most beneficial postures yoga has to offer. With Carol Hendershot. $20. Expressions of Grace Yoga 5270 Northland Drive NE, Grand Rapids. 616-361-8580 or www.expressionsofgraceyoga.com Partner Yoga- 7:00-8:30pm. Partner Yoga is a fun & unique way to experience yoga with support & connection to your partner, loved one or a friend. No yoga experience necessary. $35/couple. www.muskegonyoga.com. Muskegon Yoga Center, 255 Seminole Rd, Norton Shores (our New location). 231-668-4181

SATURDAY, JULY 24

Fulton Street Cemetery Tour-10:00am. Thomas Dilley, life-long Grand Rapids resident and researcher of the history and preservation of local cemeteries, will lead a free walk through the Fulton Street Cemetery, the oldest public burying ground in GR. Fulton Street Cemetery, Grand Rapids. Meet at the entrance on Eastern between Fulton and Fountain.

SUNDAY, JULY 25

JourneyDance- 4:00-6:00pm. Inspiring, playful, intuitive & exhilarating movement experience. It mixes yoga flow, free-form movement, zumba & other dance forms to a variety of global music. Movement is at your own pace and intensity. $15/person; $25/two. www.muskegonyoga.com. Muskegon Yoga Center, 255 Seminole Rd, Norton Shores (our NEW location). 231-668-4181

MONDAY, JULY 26

Muskegon County Right to Life- Meets every 4th Monday of the month. Come and join us, everyone is invited. Call for more info or visit muskegonrtl. org. Muskegon County Right to Life, 423 W. Norton Avenue, Suite 111 Muskegon. 231-733-6300


Free Training- 6:30pm. MomsBloom is seeking new volunteers. We offer support to families who have had a baby. Volunteers help with infant care, playing with siblings, and emotional support to the mother. Contact Angie for more information at 616447-9788 or angie@momsbloom.org. Healthy You- Sleep Well- 7:00-8:30pm. Struggling with sleep because you work odd hours? Come learn why sleep is absolutely essential for health and what you can do to increase the quality and benefits of your sleep. 3424 Keswick Dr. NE, Belmont. Register or questions contact Ginny Hayataka 616-8228084; ginny@all-wayshealthy.com

TUESDAY, JULY 27

2010 NOCCOA Games Registration DeadlineAugust 12-16. 12 events over 5 days for participants 50 and older. Field day, 5K run/walk, track and field, swimming, cycling, basketball, pickleball, golf, kayaking, bowling, bridge and euchre. Grand Haven area. 616-842-9210 or visit www.noccoa.org. Detoxification- 6:00pm. Free community workshop sponsored by The Foundation for Wellness Professionals on how to Reduce Toxins and Lose Weight through Nutritional Cleansing. 4150 East Beltline Suite #4, Grand Rapids. RSVP by calling 616-447-9888 The Wellness Forum- 7:00pm. Would you like some fresh ideas for summer picnics? Join us tonight and get some new recipes. 830 Forest Hill Ave, Grand Rapids. 616-942-7907

Exploring Faith: Mennonite Communities7:00pm. Mennonite Kirk Vredevelt joined the church in 1999. He will lead a discussion on Mennonite history and its Christian distinctive. Come learn about this often-misunderstood faith. Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library St NE, Grand Rapids. 616-988-5402

FRIDAY, JULY 30

Progressive Teaching Teacher Intensive with Betsey Downing- Thru August 3. The art of teaching progressively, sequencing toward a pinnacle pose, is one of the most empowering skills you can cultivate as a yoga teacher. 26 Hours Toward Anusara Certification/RYT $460. Expressions of Grace Yoga 5270 Northland Drive NE, Grand Rapids. 616-361-8580 or www.expressionsofgraceyoga.com

SATURDAY, JULY 31

Healthy You-Vitamin D- 10:30am-12:00pm. There’s lots of hype about Vitamin D these days - come find out what’s true and why you should care about Vitamin D’s role in your body. 3424 Keswick Dr. NE, Belmont. Register or questions contact Ginny Hayataka 616-822-8084; ginny@ all-wayshealthy.com Nature’s Spiritual Connections Holistic Fair12:00-6:00pm. Showcasing the members of NSC. A fun filled day with everything from messages from spirit to footbaths. Free admittance. For more information on booth availability or event call 616929-4204

WEDNESDAY, JULY 28

Free Health Workshop- 6:30pm. 5 Things You Can Do Right Now To Be The Healthiest you’ve Ever Been. Presented by Dr. Mike Morea. Learn which foods to avoid to maximize your health. Seating is limited. Call Morea Chiropractic, 388 North 3rd Avenue, Fruitport. 231-865-7474

SEPTEMBER 17-18

Fall Bridal Show of West Michigan - Fri. 5-9pm, Sat. 10am-4pm. The adventure of a lifetime starts now! From the engagement to the wedding... all your planning under one roof! Fashion Shows, Exhibits, Prizes and more! Tickets available at the door! www. kohlerexpo.com. DeVos Place, 303 Monroe NW, Grand Rapids.

S AVE T H E D ATE NOVEMBER 6

West Michigan Spa & Wellness Expo10:00am-5:00pm. Come as you are and leave rejuvenated. Admission free - donations for Love INC. Tri-Cities accepted at the Door. Community Event - free to all. Vendors wanted. Trillium Banquet Center 17246 VanWagoner, Spring Lake.

T

he frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives.

Summer Film Fest: Spirituality & Ethics- Maria Full of Grace: A woman smuggles heroin from Mexico as a way to get to “El Norte”. Discussion to follow. C3Exchange, Inclusive Spiritual Community, 225 E. Exchange Street, Spring Lake. For more info visit www.c3exchange.org or 616-842-1985 Posture and Pain Presentation- 6:00-7:00pm. Most spinal conditions are due in part by poor posture. Back pain will not resolve unless all aggravating factors are addressed. Admission Free. Schafer Chiropractic and Healing Spa. 1801 Breton SE, Grand Rapids. info@ grchirospa.com. 616-301-3000

S AVE T H E D ATE

~ Buddhist Proverb

If you don’t find time for exercise now, you will have to find time for illness later! ~Wayne Pickering

natural awakenings

July 2010

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ongoingevents Note: Visit www.NaturalWestMichigan.com for guidelines and to submit entries. Events must be re-submitted each month by the 15th of the month. Events subject to change, please call ahead.

All Month Long GR Reads-Summer Reading for Adults- July 1-August 31- Books set in Michigan or by Michigan authors get splashy treatment as the GR Public Library partners with area organizations to present the new program GR Reads. Visit www.grpl.org/grreads or stop by any GRPL library. Health by Nature- $20 off initial consultations. Make lifestyle changes that will allow you to you to feel better, have more energy and reduce your dependence on medications. Holland. 616-738-6096 or Karen@ yourhealthbynature.com New Chapter and Biotic Supplements- Buy 2 get 1 Free. Free bottle of equal or lesser value. 616-738-6096 or karen@yourhealthbynature.com Nutrition Evaluation and Testing- Now available at Wilcox Family Chiropractic, 935 52nd St., Kentwood. 616-531-1500 or visit www.wilcoxfamilychiropractic. com for more information. Sports Day Camp- 8:30am-6:00pm. Day camps will offer a variety of sports and fitness. Half-day options available. Prices vary on time choices. Gymco 2306 Camelot Ridge Court SE, Grand Rapids.

Sunday Awakening – 9:00-9:45am. Chanting, to meditation, and beyond. Free. Christ Community Church, 225 E. Exchange, Spring Lake. 616-842-1985 Bhakti Yoga: Celebratory Yoga with Music, Flow & Prayer. 9:00-10:15am. All Levels. Sunday morning practice with mindfulness movement and prayer freeflowing vinyasa style. Satya Yoga Center, 3385 Blue Star Highway, Saugatuck. 269-857-728 Christ Community Church – 10:00am. Gathering service with traditional and contemporary music and progressive message encouraging all to expand their consciousness. Childcare available. 225 E. Exchange, Spring Lake. 616-842-1985. Free Spirit Worship Center – 10:00am. Progressive Christianity & Spirit-filled Worship. Christ taught openness to all of humanity. Informal/pet-friendly. Come on, you’re invited. Free Spirit Worship Center 820 Monroe Ave, Ste 120, Grand Rapids. 616-791-8818 Unity Church of Peace - 10:00am. Celebrating God’s presence in human nature. Offering uplifting messages that are spiritual without being religious. Youth programs & Nursery. 6025 Ada Drive SE, Ada. 616-682-7812. www.unity-churchofpeace.org

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Mindfulness Meditation & Dharma Discussion4:30-5:00pm. Discussion. Based on the writings of a Buddhist teacher. Meditation-5:00-6:00pm. Two 20min periods of sitting & 10min of walking. Free-Donations accepted. The Yoga Studio, 955 Cherry SE, Grand Rapids. 616-776-0836 Beyond Basics- 5:30pm. Beyond Basics with an Ashtanga emphasis. Cost $12 walk ins Cascade Yoga Studio 5060 Cascade Road Suite G. Grand Rapids. 616-464-1610 The Coptic Center Sunday Series – 6:00pm. An ongoing series of inspirational speakers, centering and the piano music of Karen Lauck as we explore Universal Truths. TheCopticCenter.org. Love Offering. The Coptic Center, 0-381 Lake Michigan Dr NW, Grand Rapids. 616-531-1339 Kripalu Yoga with Marro Spehar - 7:00pm. Gentle/ Moderate (donation class). Drop-ins welcome. For details visit sevayoga.net. Seva Yoga Studio, 2213 Wealthy Ste 220, East Grand Rapids. 616-458-2541

Monday 50% Off BioMeridian Assessments- State-of-the-art profiling and tracking of all 58 meridians in the body with take-home color coded charts to assess health progress. Call for an appointment. Grand Rapids. 616-365-9176. Yoga-Beginning- 9:00am. This is where you start. Learn the basic poses, strengthen, breath awareness and relax. For more information visit SmilingLotusYoga.com or call Smiling Lotus Yoga, 103 E. Ludington Ave, Ludington. 231-852-0849. Intermediate Hatha Yoga with Mitch Coleman – 6:157:30pm. Drop-ins welcome. Visit WhiteRiverYoga.com for more information. Classes meet at White River Yoga Studio, 8724 Ferry St. Montague. 231-740-6662. Kripalu Yoga with Marro Spehar - 7:30pm. Gentle/ Moderate. Drop-ins welcome. For more details visit our website at sevayoga.net. Seva Yoga Studio, 2213 Wealthy Ste 220, East Grand Rapids. 616-458-2541

Tuesday Gentle Hatha Yoga with Mitch Coleman- 7:45-9:00am & 9:15-10:30am Drop-ins welcome. Visit WhiteRiverYoga.com for more information. Classes meet at White River Yoga Studio, 8724 Ferry St. Montague. 231-740-6662. Donation Yoga - Tuesdays 8:30am, Wednesdays 6pm, Thursdays 8:30am, Saturdays 10am & Sundays at 7pm.

NaturalWestMichigan.com

We believe that Yoga is for everyone regardless of his or her financial situation. Seva Yoga, 2213 Wealthy SE Ste 220, East Grand Rapids. Massage Therapy, and Life Path and Spiritual Advice- 12:00-4:00pm.Sessions available with Chel and/ or Pam. Chel Lea and Friends, 402 W Main St. Ionia. 616-522-9290 or www.chellea.com. A Course In Miracles- 7:00-8:30pm. ACIM study groups can be joined at any time. Attend when you can. They are conducted on an experiential basis, which enables you to fit right in whichever day you come. 6025 Ada Drive SE, Ada. 616-682-7812. www.unity-churchofpeace.org Yoga Nidra ~ Yogic Sleep- 7:45pm. Join us for the powerful relaxation of deep yogic sleep or Yoga Nidra. Satya Yoga Center, 3385 Blue Star Highway, Saugatuck. 269-857-7289

Wednesday 50% Off BioMeridian Assessments- State-of-the-art profiling and tracking of all 58 meridians in the body with take-home color coded charts to assess health progress. Call for an appointment. Grand Rapids. 616-365-9176. A Course In Miracles- 9:30-11:00am. ACIM study groups can be joined at any time. Attend when you can. They are conducted on an experiential basis, which enables you to fit right in whichever day you come. 6025 Ada Drive SE, Ada. 616-682-7812. www.unity-churchofpeace.org Ashtanga Yoga for All Levels- 10:00-11:15am. Learn the series with modifications offered for all levels. Sun salutations standing poses, seated poses, inversions and backbends finished with relaxation. Satya Yoga Center, 3385 Blue Star Highway, Saugatuck. 269-857-7289 Kripalu Yoga with Marro Spehar - 10:30am- Gentle. 7:30pm- Gentle/Moderate. Drop-ins welcome. For details visit sevayoga.net. Seva Yoga Studio, 2213 Wealthy Ste 220, East Grand Rapids. 616-458-2541 Back to Basics- 4:30pm. Cascade Yoga Studio 5060 Cascade Road Suite G. Grand Rapids. 616-464-1610 Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement Class6:00-7:00pm. Reconnect with your ability to move, regardless of age. Visit BodyWorkbyJudith.com. Ludington Area Center for the Arts, 107 S. Harrison Street, Ludington. 231-510-5800. Zen Meditation Group- 6:30-7:30pm. Please join Sukha Ryan Doran-Fisher from the Zen Buddhist Temple in Ann Arbor for a weekly meditation-sitting group. Free. Naturopathic Community Center, 503 E. Broadway, Mt. Pleasant. 989-773-3636 CieAura Informational Meeting- 7:00pm. Holographic chips for more energy, better sleep and pain relief. Explanation of science of the products with sampling. Free. jonolsen@eastwestkarate.org. East West Karate, 5330 South Division, Grand Rapids. Gentle Yoga- 7:00pm. With Anna. Come unwind your body and mind. $12. Laketown Healing Arts, 3997 64th, Holland. www.laketownhealingarts.com.


Shambhala Meditation Group of Grand Rapids- 7:30 pm. Provides an opportunity for group sitting and walking meditation practice for all levels of practitioner. Beginners welcome. Instruction provided. Free. Sacred Space, 58 E. Beltline, Grand Rapids.

Thursday Holistic Moms Group- 11:00am-12:00pm. 3rd Thursday. A support and information group for parents interested in raising happy, healthy and holistic kids in an environmentally friendly way. Free. Naturopathic Community Center, 503 E. Broadway, Mt. Pleasant. 989-773-3636. Massage Therapy, and Life Path and Spiritual Advice12:00-4:00pm. Sessions available with Chel and/or Pam. Chel Lea and Friends, 402 W Main St. Ionia. 616-522-9290 or www.chellea.com. Course of Miracles’ Class- 5:00pm. All Classes are $15 at the door. RSVP is appreciated. The Healing Center, 332 S. Lincoln, Lakeview. 989-352-6500 Healing Circle-5:00-7:00pm. 1st Thursday each month. All energy healers and those in need of healing are welcome to take part in the healing circle at Chel Lea and Friends, 402 W Main St. Ionia. 616-522-9290 or www.chellea.com. Green Drinks GR Network – 5:00-7:00pm. 3rd Thursday. Join other environmental enthusiasts for casual networking and drinks. For more Info visit GreenDrinksGR.org contact WMEAC at 616-451-3051. Grand Rapids. Advanced Hatha Yoga with Mitch Coleman – 6:157:30pm. Drop-ins welcome. Visit WhiteRiverYoga.com for more information. Classes meet at White River Yoga Studio, 8724 Ferry St. Montague. 231-740-6662.

Friday Yoga-Intermediate – 9:00am. Learn the basics. Holding poses longer and moving deeper into your practice and awareness of the core. For more information visit SmilingLotusYoga.com or call Smiling Lotus Yoga, 103 E. Ludington Ave, Ludington. 231-852-0849. Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement Class- 9:3010:30am. In ATM lessons, students engage in precisely structured movement explorations that involve thinking, sensing, moving and imagining. $40/5 week series. Contact Body Work by Judith, 121 E Ludington Ave, Ludington. 231-510-5800. Massage Therapy, and Life Path and Spiritual Advice12:00-4:00pm. Chel Lea and Friends, 208 W Main St, Downtown Ionia. Sessions available with Chel and/or Pam. Chel Lea and Friends, 402 W Main St. Ionia. 616-522-9290 or www.chellea.com.

Saturday Herbal Studies Programs- Gaia Center for Herbal Studies programs with Seven Saturdays (certification option), special workshops, Farmers Market and more. Visit GaiaHerbalStudies.net. RSVP for date and time. Gaia Center for Herbal Studies, PO Box 3599, Ann Arbor. 734-769-7794 Anusara Yoga with Mimi Ray- 8:30am. Integrated approach to Hatha Yoga in which the expression of the human spirit is interwoven with attention to precise principles of physical alignment and action. $10-$16 per class. Seva Yoga, 2213 Wealthy SE Ste 220, East Grand Rapids. Gentle Hatha Yoga with Mitch Coleman – 9:00-10:15am & 10:30-11:45am Drop-ins welcome. Visit WhiteRiverYoga.com for more information. Classes meet at White River Yoga Studio, 8724 Ferry St. Montague. 231-740-6662. Sweetwater Local Foods Market- 9:00am-1:00pm. Indoors at Hackley Health at the Lakes, Harvey St. 1/2 Mile South of Lakes Mall. Exit US 31 at Pontaluna Rd. Muskegon. Tai Chi- 9:30am. With Debby. Gentle Flowing Movements. $12. Laketown Healing Arts, 3997 64th, Holland. www. laketownhealingarts.com.

thenaturaldirectory ...connecting you to the leaders in natural health and green living in West Michigan. To find out how you can be included in The Natural Directory log-on to www. NaturalWestMichigan.com/advertising.

BOOKSTORE

ACUPUNCTURE

INDIGO’S AND MYSTIC’S BOOK EXCHANGE & MORE

SAMIR RAJANI, MD

Medical Acupuncturist mmpc Internal Medicine 890 S. Washington, Ste. 130 Holland: 616-396-1907 www.mmpc.com Medical acupuncture can be an effective treatment for many chronic conditions, including pain, fatigue, depression and anxiety. Samir Rajani, MD is certified in medical acupuncture and practices at mmpc Internal Medicine.

ALTERNATIVE HEALTH PRACTITIONER

4485 Plainfield Ave, NE, Grand Rapids 616-447-8298 www.Iambemore.com Featuring used books and new books based on personal growth, spirituality, music, handcrafted book accessories and other gift items. There are also book groups, classes & seminars held monthly. See ad page 33.

CHIROPRACTIC CARE DYNAMIC FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC

OUT of the BLUE inc. Nancy Despres RN, MBE 351 Cummings NW Grand Rapids, MI 49534 616-453-4215 www.OutofTheBlueInc.net

Out of the Blue help others find alternative ways for achieving optimal health through the use of homeopathy, enzyme therapy, nutritional supplements and hair mineral analysis.

Dr. Ronson Dykstra & Dr. Ronda VanderWall 4072 Chicago Drive, Grandville 616-531-6050 Family owned and operated in the heart of downtown Grandville, Dynamic Family Chiropractic focuses on lifestyle improvements through living a maximized life. A safe and natural approach to health through the combination of exercise, nutrition, detoxification and chiropractic care.

SCHAFER CHIROPRACTIC AND HEALING SPA

AYURVEDA NATURAL HEALING NUTRITION 616-581-8881 myzconnection@att.net myzconnection.myzrii.com

Protection against cell damage caused by chemicals, anxiety, stress, trauma, and fatigue. A new liquid nutritional provides healing, rejuvenation and balance. Certified Low Glycemic, Gluten-Free, and Vegan. An ADAPTOGENIC SUPERFOOD.

Dr. Andrew Schafer 1801 Breton SE Grand Rapids, MI 49506 616-301-3000 Treating musculoskeletal conditions, and specializing in back pain, sciatica neck pain, and headaches. Also offering physical therapy, massage therapy, and postural awareness. Most insurances accepted. Breton Village area. www. grchirospa.com. See ad page 7.

COLON HYDROTHERAPY HARMONY ‘N HEALTH

BODYWORK WHOLISTIC KINESIOLOGY HEALTH SERVICES, LLC

Barbara Zvirzdinis, WK, CMT 616-581-3885 www.WKHealthServices.com Certified Massage Therapist offering Therapeutic & LaStone Massage. Certified Wholistic Kinesiologist, Reconnection Healing Practitioner, Certified Herbalist, Certified Acutonics Practitioner, Certified Reflexologist, and a Certified Matrix Energetics Practitioner. See ad, page 15.

Mary De Lange, CCT., CMT. 1003 Maryland Av., N.E. Grand Rapids 616-456-5033 www.harmonynhealth.net

Certified therapist since 1991 offering colon therapy in a sterile and professional environment. Using a holistic approach colonics relieve constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloat, poor digestion, back pain, body odor and more. See ad page 5.

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July 2010

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THE BODY CENTER-HOLLAND Marcella Clark, CMMT, CCHT 650 Riley Street , Ste A Holland, MI 49424 616-834-2596

ENERGY HEALING AMA DEUS®

Gentle, effective and professional colon cleansing designed to drop toxin levels and improve nutrient absorption. Get relief from bloating and constipation, fatigue and arthritis pain. Warm, secure environment. www. TheBodyCenter.us. See ad page 24.

TRICIA E. GOSLING Holistic Care Approach 3368 Beltline Ct NE 616-481-9074

Offering an advanced clientcentered dimension of colonics: gentle, safe and effective. Eliminate toxins and enhance well-being. 15 years of experience. Also offering Quantum Biofeedback sessions. I-ACT certified Instructor.

Beth Cosmos Grand Rapids: 616-648-3354 www.Ama-Deusenergy.com Ama Deus healing energy method is a hand mediated technique aligned with love. The energy helps to enhance one’s own and others growth and awareness or physical and emotional healing. See ad page 27.

MATRIX ENERGETICS

Barbara Zvirzdinis, WK, CMT 616-581-3885 www.WKHealthServices.com Matrix Energetics is a system used to heal, transform and create new possibilities in your life. Using principles of quantum physics and subtle energy Matrix Energetics helps you to shift into a more balanced state. See ad page 15.

ESSENTIAL OILS BE YOUNG ESSENTIAL OILS

COUNSELING DAN ELLINGER, MA, LLP

supervised by Psy. D. Mark Mahacek Healing Ground Wellness Center 857 Summit, Muskegon, MI. 49441 231-755-3832 Stress Management, Neuro Emotional Technique (N.E.T.) practitioner helping to identify & let go of ‘stuck’ emotional patterns. 30 years of counseling experience, a holistic health care approach & setting. Affordable & confidential.

JANICE DE LANGE, PH.D

1514 Wealthy St. SE Ste 260, Grand Rapids 616-451-3008 JDelange06@yahoo.com www.janicedelange.com A mind-body-spirit approach for trauma and abuse recovery, PTSD, low sense of self-worth, panic & phobias, anxiety, depression, relationships. EMDR & Energy interventions.

DENTISTRY / HOLISTIC DENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER

Clara Vander Zouwen 616-698-6148 www.NaturalHealth4Today.com Offering Be Young therapeutic essential oils, MASAJI whole food drink, Organic meal replacement shakes, Mineral make-up. Services: Ionic detoxing foot baths, Physical and Emotional balancing, biofeedback readings. See ad page 9.

HEALTH FOOD STORES AFFORDABLE NUTRITION

Joel D. Manning, CNC®, Owner 7493 Cottonwood Drive, Jenison 616-667-1346 Affordable, natural ap-proach to better health. Certified nutritional consultant. 20 years experience. Offering select high quality vitamins and nutritional supplements. Weight loss, cleansing, sports nutrition and more! Senior discounts.

HEALTH HUTT

Grand Haven - 616-846-3026 Muskegon - 231-739-1568 North Muskegon - 231-744-0852 www.HealthHutt.net

Dr. Kevin P. Flood DDS 4990 Cascade Rd SE, Grand Rapids 616-974-4990 www.FloodTheDentist.com Comprehensive Holistic Dental Services – Amalgam Removal & Replacement. Bio-Compatible, metal-free materials, LowDose Digital X-Rays, Gentle Anesthesia. See ad page 40.

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West Michigan Edition

NaturalWestMichigan.com

Natural & organic foods, vitamins & herbs, sports nutrition, gluten free foods, books, natural body care and more. Open 7 days a week. See ad, page 15.

UTOPIAN MARKETPLACE 8832 Water St., Montague 231-894-9530 www.UtopianMarketplace.com

Our friendly, knowledgeable staff provides a personalized shopping experience. We have a large selection of gluten-free foods, clothing, jewelry, herbs, supplements, local foods, gifts and more. Open Mic events every month. See ad, page 32.

HOLISTIC HEALTH CENTERS THE HEALING CENTER

352 S. Lincoln Ave, Lakeview 989-352-6500 www.TheHealingCenterOfLakeview.com Naturopathic / Holistic Practitioners. Licensed Physician Assistant, Certified Natural Health Professionals. Private consultations. Counseling & Classes. Blood typing, acupressure, emotional release, iridology, homeopathy and more. See ad, page 25.

HOMEOPATHY BOB HUTTINGA

352 S. Lincoln Ave, Lakeview 989-352-6500 www.TheHealingCenterOfLakeview.com A Physician assistant since 1976, specializing in naturopathic and homeopathic care. Also, certified Silva Method instructor. See ad, page 25.

HYPNOTHERAPY Branden Wilson, BAS, CHT, CPNLP Certified Hypnotherapist, American Board of Hypnotherapy Certified Practitioner NLP, Society of NLP 616-560-1482 branden.wilson@gmail.com

Your phobia gone in an hour or less or its FREE. Eliminate unwanted habits and compulsions. Resolve inner conflicts, change your limiting beliefs, and achieve your goals. Transform guilt, shame, and grief.


KINESIOLOGY WHOLISTIC KINESIOLOGY HEALTH SERVICES, LLC Barbara Zvirzdinis, WK, CMT 616-581-3885 www.WKHealthServices.com

Certified Wholistic Kinesiologist, Certified Massage Therapist, Reconnection Healing Practitioner, Certified Herbalist, Certified Acutonics Practitioner, Certified Reflexologist, and a Certified Matrix Energetics Practitioner. Specializing in muscle testing, massage, energy medicine, nutritional counseling, lectures and classes. See ad page 15.

LAWN SERVICES CLEAN AIR LAWN CARE Nathan Arnold 616-328-5716 nate@cleanairlawncare.com

Sustainable lawn care service utilizing clean and quiet, electric equipment powered by renewable energy. Provide an all-natural, organic treatment & fertilization program that is safe for your children, pets, & waterways.

MASSAGE THERAPY SCHAFER CHIROPRACTIC AND HEALING SPA

Sheri Beth Schafer, CMT, Reiki Master 1801 Breton SE Grand Rapids, MI 49506 616-301-3000 We have multiple certified massage therapists offering relaxation (Swedish), deep tissue massage, and medical massage. We also offer Reiki, chakra balancing, and Ayurvedic bodywork. Breton Village area. www.grchirospa.com. See ad page 7.

MIDWIFERY BIRTH SONG MIDWIFERY SERVICES Yolanda Visser CM, CPM Grand Rapids 616-458-8144 www.BirthSongGR.com

Homebirth services since 1982. Committed to facilitating natural birth, bonding, strengthening the family, informed active participation, and lending dignity to women through their birthing experience.

FULL CIRCLE MIDWIFERY SERVICE, INC.

SPIRITUAL TRAVEL BARBARA LEE, PILGRIM SPIRIT TOURS

Patrice Bobier CM, CPM Hesperia - 231-861-2234 www.FullCircleMidwifery.com

In private practice since 1982 - specializing in homebirth. Over 1200 births attended. Offering midwifery care that maintains a family-centered safe birth experience. Empowering women to stay healthy during pregnancy, give birth naturally and parent in the best ways.

HOME BIRTH PARTNERS, LLC

Susan Wente, CNM, Dr. PH 231-652-3247 www.HomeBirthworks.com This regions only Certified Nurse Midwife with 32 years experience – over 3000 births attended. Providing pre-natal, home and hospital births and postpartum care. Gynecological and Doula services available.

REIKI REIKI HAUS

Paula Bojsen Holland: 616-392-1138 www.ReikiHaus.com Offering quality Reiki classes & treatments at affordable prices. Certified Usui Reiki Master Teacher & Gendai Reiki Shihan. All levels, Reiki Master classes and Gendai Reiki Gokukaiden. Learn pure Japanese Reiki.

RETREAT CENTER Lyons, Michigan 989-855-2606 www.leaven.org A place of beauty on the banks of the Grand River where you can find rest and nourishment for your body and spirit. Offering workshops, retreats, and rental space yearround.

SCHOOL/EDUCATION

Full Time Ad Sales Rep – Natural Awakenings is now accepting resumes for full commission Sales Reps in select lakeshore and Grand Rapids territories. Strong organizational skills, sales and computer/database experience. We’re positive people looking for positive associates. Flexible schedule with great earning potential. Email cover letter and resume to publisher@naturalwestmichigan.com.

AWAKENED POTENTIALS FOR WOMEN

Daina (DINAH) Puodziunas Enchanted Lake ~ 35 miles NE of Grand Rapids 616-754-9672 www.Awakenedpotentials.com www.Midlifefairygodmothers.com Providing everything a woman needs to nurture her true spirit and re-enchant her soul since 1988. Solitude In Nature & Women’s Wisdom Retreats at Enchanted Lake. Local Midlife Re~Enchantment, Groups, phone coaching & tele-classes.

classifieds Rent our nostalgic cabin and enjoy an affordable “woods and water get-away” in North Central Michigan. Only $425 / week. Go to www.rentalbug. com/michigan/7929.html or call 231-414-4793.

FOR SALE

Log Cabin Home - 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bath on Campau Kettle Lake in Caledonia. Plenty of storage in the new 4 Stall Garage. Asking $175,000. Located at 8810 66th Street SE in Caledonia. Call for details 616-292-6762. Retail Business – Call 616-447-8298

503 E. Broadway St Mt. Pleasant, MI. 48858 989-773-1714 www.nite-mtp.com Educational Programs: Natural Health 1-4 Years, Birth Assistant 6 Months (1 weekend per month), Massage Therapy 1 Year (2 weekends per month), Individual Classes available. 15 years of excellence. See ad page 2.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

WOMENS RETREATS & GROUPS

FOR RENT

THE LEAVEN CENTER

NATUROPATHIC INSTITUTE OF THERAPIES & EDUCATION

barbaralee13@gmail.com 616-502-2078 www.pilgrimspirittours.com Pilgrim Spirit Tours is offering a Tibet/Yunnan/Minority Cultures Pilgrimage April 12 - 28, 2011. Cost is $4960 excluding international airfare. Minimum 6 Maximum 12 participants. $100 refundable deposit to secure your spot.

OPPORTUNITIES

Opportunity for Culinary Professionals + Enthusiasts to Pursue Your Passion & Business Dreams. Commercial Rental Kitchens to open late June 2010. Facility Kitchens provides everything necessary for getting started, producing, and storing what you require to operate your food business by renting the area(s) and equipment you need. You don’t need your own place - we are your place to grow your food business! Visit www. FacilityKitchens.com or contact Robin to discuss how you can get started. 616-301-4212 or robin@ facilitykitchens.com.

natural awakenings

July 2010

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West Michigan Edition

NaturalWestMichigan.com


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