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GREATER LEHIGH VALLEY AND FAR WEST NJ EDITION

Publisher Dr. D Rodger (ND)

Editors Dr. D Rodger (ND) Marilyn Wanser

D esign & Production Patrick Floresca

Contributing Writers Sheila Julson

S ales & Marketing Dr. D Rodger (ND)

S ales Executive Barbara Davis 610-333-3591

S

Marci Molina

CONTACT

P.O. Box 81

Three Bridges, NJ 08887

Phone: 610-421-4443

Fax: 908-806-4046

DrRodgerND@HealthyLehighValley.com

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My thoughts for the month…

Theend of November is somewhat according to most the start of the “holiday season”. It is a wonderful time of the year; some say it’s the best time of the year. One thing that is clearly obvious around this time is we are for whatever reason, we are generally more open to other people. We smile more, we speak to strangers, we say hello more often, and wish people we don’t even know ‘Happy Holidays”, it is a great time of the year for most.

As I was perusing over many personal development books, this one in particular, which is called “One Choice” I thought it would be nice to share some quotes with you, that may or may not resonate with you, however, I’m sure out of the list at least one of them may grab your attention, not only grab it but make you want to pursue it. Here we go:

“Life is a cause set in motion and life is not over until you quit”.

“Nobody ever did, or ever will escape the consequences of their choices”.

“Choose being kind and watch it change your life”.

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment”.

“The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost”.

“Remember there are no mistakes, only lessons. Love yourself, trust your choices, and everything is possible”.

“Many of life’s failures are people who do not realize how close they were to success when they gave up”.

“There are two primary choices in life; to accept conditions as they exist or accept the responsibility for changing them”.

“Take a risk, let yourself love someone else”.

Remember an old saying, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life”. It made a great slogan for tee shirts, but there is also a lot of truth to it…. Albert Camus said, “Life is a sum of all choices”. Tomorrow is a blank slate, so what do you choose for the rest of your life?

Have a fantastic “Thanksgiving” everyone!

Dr. D Rodger ND, MBA

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ries…a time for giving gifts that say, “You are special. I treasure you. I love you.” We wrack our brains for the right gift, something more memorable than another spa day, more useful than an expensive watch or piece of jewelry that will be tucked away for safe keeping and rarely worn. We want to find something as special as our love itself, something beautiful and use ful, something that will renew itself year

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At Home Blood Testing, For a Healthier You

The public can check many health aspects at home in an easy and highly convenient way without going to a doctor’s office.

LetsGetChecked, based in Dublin, Ireland, and New York City, provides comprehensive, at-home health testing along with complementary clinical services and connections with a global network of regulated laboratories, enabling users to take more active roles in their health and decision making.

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Corp. Partners with KnoWEwell

atural Awakenings Publishing Corp. (NAPC) is entering into a partnership with KnoWEwell, P.B.C., and is a founding patron of the KnoWEwell collaborative. “NAPC and KnoWEwell are perfectly mission aligned,” says Founder and Chief Executive Officer Kimberly Whittle. “Natural Awakenings’ well-researched, practical information about the latest natural approaches to nutrition, fitness, personal growth and sustainable living played a significant role in fueling the wellness revolution. We’re grateful to collaborate with them.”

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Thirty separate kits—grouped in men’s, women’s and sexual health plus wellness—can check for sexually transmitted diseases; some cancers; thyroid function; vitamin, cholesterol and hormonal levels; and more.

Since its founding in 2014, the company has performed more than 250,000 tests.

For more information or to register, visit LetsGetChecked.com. Natural Awakenings readers can receive 20 percent off by using discount code LGTLVP2019. See ad, page 6.

KnoWEwell is a 1% for the Planet company and received the Top 50 Healthcare Companies award from the International Forum on Advancements in Healthcare. Their purpose is to improve the health of humanity and the planet. “It’s one central ized, private, secure online platform to inspire and empower individuals with knowledge, evidenced-based resources and a ‘wholistic’ community to address the root causes of chronic diseases and achieve optimal health and well-being,” Whittle explains. “It’s a collaborative with personal and professional benefits for all in the ‘wholistic’ ecosystem: individuals, families, providers and organizations.”

NAPC Chief Executive Officer Sharon Bruckman says, “Our Natural Awakenings family of 50+ publishers is excited about the new resources and opportunities this partnership brings to our community of readers, providers and organizations. We are honored to be playing such a significant role in the launch and future growth of this incredibly sophisticated platform which will result in tremendous benefits to members.”

more information, visit KnoWeWell.com. Enter these special codes to receive 50% off your first year! Practitioners Apply: NAPUB0221P. Individuals Apply: NAPUB0221. See ad, page 38.

news briefs Holiday Shopping with a Chance to Win Prizes

Fall Holistic Expo in Hamburg!

The Inner Peace Holistic Expo will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., November 5, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., November 6, at the Hamburg Field House. There will be free lectures and demonstrations all weekend to entertain and educate. Participants can enjoy holistic and natural products and services for a healthy mind, body and home, spiritual readings, crystals and gemstones, jewelry, massage, reiki, CBD products, soaps, aura readings, iridology, pet wellness and more. Food and drink will be available for purchase. The first 150 guests each day receive a free goodie bag.

annual Holiday Spiritual & Holistic Bazaar will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., December 10 and 11, at Leesport Farmers Market Banquet Hall, with more than 60 vendors of crystals, jewelry, gemstone trees, soaps, bath products, essential oils, clothing, incense, books, salt lamps, artwork, reiki, singing bowls, pet products, readers, massage therapy, animal com municators, food and baked goods for sale and more.

A basket raffle auction will benefit the Chopper Foundation, a nonprofit which aids families and local rescues by providing funding for emergency life-saving veterinary care. Money and pet donations will also be accepted. Julie Barracato and her sister Lisa own Lady Lynora’s Gemstone Treasures. Julie says, “We enjoy hosting this event because it’s a great opportunity for holiday shopping for unique gifts, and the basket raffle goes to a well-deserved benefit. Tickets will be drawn at 5 p.m., December 11. You do not need to be present to win, and we have a few options for picking up your winning baskets.”

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Keynote speakers include Forever Well founder Tom Staverosky, with Curing Any Disease, The Magic of The Human Body and Natural Medicine, and Birgit Leuders, with Reboot, Restore/and Heal Your Body, How to Detox the Right Way.

Admission is $10/weekend, veterans, active service men and women and kids 12 and under free. Location: Pine St., Hamburg. For more information, call 610-401-1342 or visit InnerPeaceHolisticExpo.com. See ad, page 29.

Admission is free. Free goodie bags to the first 100 patrons each day that mention Natural Awakenings. Location: 312 Gernant’s Church Rd., Leesport. For more information, call 570-573-1651, email Julie@LadyLynora.com or visit LadyLynora.com/holiday-bazaar. Visit LadyLynora.com/benefitraffle-auction to view raffle items. See ad, page 31.

Date: / /

Frequency Programs Online

Dr. Gerald H. Smith is the brainchild and originator of the Frequency Shop. Through intelligent evolution and his 52 plus years of clinical practice, he has integrated and developed a unique system whereby people can access frequency programs online. This one of kind delivery system now makes available healing frequencies via one’s smartphone, tablet, laptop, and desktop computer. The genius behind this technology utilizes universal frequencies plus digitally captured frequencies of natural remedies to heal the body. Food, vitamins, herbs, homeopathic remedies, and drugs all represent a matrix to carry frequencies into the body. Through the use of sophisticated electronic systems and software Dr. Smith has discovered how to digitally capture the essence of vitamins, minerals, homeopathic remedies, and even drugs to effect a healing response.

It has been said that necessity is the initiator for creativity. The Frequency Shop had its inception during the pandemic when our governmental authorities began suppressing availability of essential remedies to resolve the crisis. In addition to the pandemic, there also evolved a supply chain crisis, which made it difficult to obtain the needed remedies. The innovative concept of utilizing frequencies, which had its origin in the 1930s through the research of Dr. Royal Raymond Rife, provided a simple solution. An affordable, noninvasive healing modality was now available 24/7, via common electronic devices that could be accessed by anyone around the world. There three plans available and to access your healing frequencies, go to:

For more info: https://frequencyshop.co/ref/3/

TMS Center of the Lehigh Valley DRUG-FREE SOLUTIONS FOR DEPRESSION

by Sheila Julson

Asa practicing psychiatrist for more than 40 years, Dr. Paul Gross, Director of TMS Center of the Lehigh Valley, had always sought ways to help patients considered “treatment resistant”—those who weren’t helped by psychotherapy, medication or a combination of both. When he heard about transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy, a brain stimulation technique that noninvasively stimu lates neurons in the brain to induce immediate or long term changes in activity, he became intrigued.

“I had been following TMS while it was being proposed and researched,” he says. “There was a lot of interest in it, and a lot of journal articles about it, before it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2008.” The treatment had already been used in Europe.

become one of the most experienced centers on the East Coast, having treated over 1,000 patients.

While receiving TMS therapy, the patient reclines in a chair while a strong magnet coil, similar to that used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is placed on the patient’s scalp in the left prefrontal cortex, or the “control center” of the brain for depression. The mag net repeatedly stimulates the neurons in that area, turning them “on.”

“It turns on that part of the brain; when the neurons are turned off for various reasons—we’re not sure why—but we’re bringing those neurons back to normal function,” Dr. Gross explains.

Patients are awake during treatment. The duration of treatment sessions is based upon the average repetitions of the magnet, or 3,000 pulses. Dr. Gross estimates it takes about 30 sessions over a six-week period to reach the number of treatments necessary to see results. The treatment is mostly free from side effects. Some people report headaches during treatment, or feel slightly tired afterward.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy is commonly used for depression and anxiety, two conditions that Dr. Gross says often go hand-in-hand. “Often, people who are depressed are also anxious, so when their depression gets better, their anxiety level gets better as well,” he says.

Other conditions that Dr. Gross uses TMS for include obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The magnetic coil is placed in different areas, depending on the condition.

. Gross had also treated a neurological patient that had suf fered from a stroke. The patient had depression and couldn’t move his right arm or hand. Dr. Gross and his team used TMS to treat the patient’s depression. Through brain stimulation, the patient was able to move the right hand and arm again.

Dr. Gross notes he always looks at the medications patients are taking, and sometimes he’s been able to reduce their medications dur ing or after TMS treatment.

Dr. Paul Gross

“We’re in the infancy of this treatment, and we’re finding out more every year about where to place the magnet, how strong it should be and how many sessions,” he notes. “There’s ongoing research, and the field is really wide-open because there are a lot of disorders that are not being treated well with current treatment prac tices, and TMS is an option. Down the road, I would suspect that you’ll see TMS used more and more for other conditions.”

In 2010, while attending a conference in Atlanta, Dr. Gross saw a NeuroStar TMS machine. He was also able to speak with French and Cuban psychiatrists that had used other TMS machines in their practices and had seen good results.

Once the NeuroStar TMS machine received FDA approval— the first model to do so—Dr. Gross knew that was a golden opportunity to help his patients. In January 2011, he opened TMS Center of the Lehigh Valley, the region’s first depression treatment center offering FDA approved, non-drug, non-invasive TMS treatment for patients. TMS Center of the Lehigh Valley has since

During the decade that Dr. Gross has used TMS therapy on patients, he’s seen about a 65 percent significant improvement rate among patients that have depression, many of whom were consid ered treatment resistant. “These are people who, for years, had shown no improvement. So, it’s really remarkable to see somebody who has been suffering for years and they start to get better,” he concludes.

TMS Center of the Lehigh Valley is located at 401 N. 17th St., Ste. 304, in Allentown. For more information, call 610-820-0700 or visit tmslv.com.

Mislabeling Found in Some Immunity Supplements

Immunity supplements may not be all they claim to be, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers conducted liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry tests on 30 of the bestselling, four-star-and-up immunity products on Amazon and found that only 13 contained the exact ingredients listed on their labels. Thirteen were missing some of the listed ingredients and nine contained ingredients not listed on the labels. Missing ingredients were mainly plant extracts such as aloe vera, astragalus, eleuthero, ginger root and slippery elm. Added ingredients included black rice seed in elderberry extracts and pantothenic acid.

Stretching and Balance Exercises Can Avert

Mental Decline

To protect against memory loss, simple stretching and balance exercises work as well as hard-driving aerobics, concludes a new study from Wake Forest University. The study enrolled 296 sedentary older adults with mild cognitive decline such as forgetting dates, keys and names. Those that performed simple stretching routines for 120 to 150 minutes per week experienced no memory decline in a year’s time, as measured by cognitive tests and brain scans that showed no shrinkage. These results matched the outcome of people that did moderate-intensity aerobic training on treadmills or stationary bikes four times a week, striving for about 30 to 40 minutes of a heightened heart rate. A control group of equally matched people that did not exercise did decline cognitively. The people that exercised were supervised by trainers at local YMCAs, which may have helped them stay motivated, say the researchers.

Longevity Diet Involves Fasting, Too

After reviewing hundreds of studies on nutrition, diseases and longevity in laboratory animals and humans, the optimal diet for longevity has “lots of legumes, whole grains and vegetables; some fish; no red meat or processed meat and very low white meat; low sugar and refined grains; good levels of nuts and olive oil, and some dark chocolate,” reports University of Southern California gerontology professor Valter Longo. According to the literature review he and others authored for Cell, a day’s meals should ideally occur within a window of 11 to 12 hours, allowing for a daily period of fasting. A five-day fast or fast-mimicking diet every three to four months was also suggested to help reduce insulin resistance, blood pressure and other risk factors for those with increased disease risks.

Google Downplays Flight Emissions

The world’s biggest search engine has taken a key driver of global warming out of the carbon calculator embedded in the company’s Google Flights search tool, making journeys appear to have much less impact on the environment than before. Dr. Doug Parr, chief scientist of Greenpeace, says, “Google has airbrushed a huge chunk of the aviation industry’s climate impacts from its pages.”

With Google hosting nine out of every 10 online searches, this could have wide repercussions for people’s travel decisions. In July, the search engine decided to exclude all the global warming impacts of flying except CO2 following consultations with its industry partners.

Kit Brennan, a founder of Thrust Carbon, a UK com pany that helps businesses reduce the effect their travel has on the climate, fears consumers could come to believe that non-CO2 impacts on the climate are not relevant in the longer term, despite the science that con tradicts this view. That would mean up to 1.5 percent of the warming caused by human activity would be ignored, and the pressure on airlines to reduce their emissions would be cut accordingly. Some experts say Google’s calculations now represent just over half of the real im pact of flights on the climate.

Plastic Recycling Hoax Revealed

According to a new report (Tinyurl.com/Chemical Recycling) from the nonprofit Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), 20 states have passed bills to exempt chemical recycling facilities from waste management requirements, despite significant evidence that most facilities actually incinerate the plastic they receive.

The petrochemical industry, as represented by the American Chemistry Council, has been lobbying for state-level legislation to promote “chemical recycling”, a process that critics say is recycling in name only. Their goal is to reclassify chemical recycling as a manufacturing process, rather than waste disposal, with more lenient regulations concerning pollution and hazardous waste.

GAIA Policy and Research Coordinator and author of the report Tok Oyewole says, “These facilities are in actuality waste-to-toxic-oil plants, processing plastic to turn it into a subpar and polluting fuel.” The report calls for federal regulation to crack down on the plastic industry’s misinformation and affirm chemical recycling’s status as a waste management process.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering whether chemical recycling should be regulated under Sec tion 129 of the Clean Air Act, which would define chemical recycling processes as incineration, potentially short-circu iting the petrochemical industry’s state legislative strategy, although Oyewole says it’s unclear whether the agency’s determination would override existing state legislation.

Concrete Made with Rubber Refuse

Concrete consists of water, cement and an aggregate such as sand or gravel. The aggregate has to be mined from the ground, and is now in short supply in many parts of the world, while discarded tires can be partially recycled, but are often burned or relegated to landfills.

Attempts to replace some of the aggregate used in concrete with crumbled, used tires has been stymied by a bonding problem because pores in the rubber fill with water when the concrete is first mixed, and become empty holes as the water evaporates and the concrete sets.

As reported in the journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling, scientists at Australia’s RMIT University have produced good-quality concrete in which all of the aggregate has been replaced with tire particles. They started with wet concrete in which all the aggregate is comprised of tire particles, then placed it in special steel molds as it set to place pressure on the concrete, compressing the particles and the pores within.

Once the concrete dried and set, the cement had bonded much better to the tire particles. When compared to previous 100-percent tire-aggregate concrete produced by conventional means, the preloaded concrete exhib ited 97 percent, 59 percent and 20 percent increases in compressive, flexural and tensile strength, respectively.

Ben Klewais/Unsplash.co,,

Center for Anti-Aging Medicine and Hormone Wellness

Guiding at the Crossroads Toward Good Health

by Sheila Julson

Dr.Albert Peters, a reproductive endocrinologist and founder of Center for Anti-Aging Medicine and Hormone Wellness, firmly believes that people can take charge of their health as they age. He saw positive changes in his own health when he changed course at age 50 and began focusing on diet, exercise and nutritional supplements to reverse weight gain, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. In an effort to help his wife, Brenda, who was later struggling with menopause, Dr. Peters only found success using bioidentical hormones—hormones made to mimic human hormones that the body naturally produces. This immensely helped his wife, where traditional hormones failed.

Dr. Peters delved further into antiaging and bioidentical hormone education by undertaking a fellowship through The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. After 28 years of practicing as a board-certified reproductive endocrinolo gist and infertility specialist, Dr. Peters and his wife decided to embark on a new jour ney to offer what had helped both of them, to other people. The Center for Anti-Aging Medicine and Hormone Wellness opened this past February, where he offers bioi dentical hormone therapy, nutritional and dietary supplements and exercise counsel ing to both women and men.

With an extensive background in gynecology and reproductive endocrinology, Dr. Peters has been able to blend that knowledge with the newest research in functional medicine. “Many practices are either/or, but I don’t believe in throwing out the baby with the bathwater,” he

says, “there’s important information and research in traditional medicine, but times are changing, and people want to do things more naturally with herbs, supplements, nutrition and bioidentical hormones. I provide that in a safe, effective way that’s backed up with research and knowledge.”

Dr. Peters diagnoses and treats both male and female hormone imbalances; menstrual irregularities; polycystic ovarian syndrome; erectile dysfunction; unwanted hair growth in women; nutritional deficiencies; fertility assessment; preconception health assessments; nutrition and exercise; and other hormone imbalances such as thyroid issues. He begins by counseling patients about lifestyle improvements in the areas of nutrition, exercise, restful sleep and effective nutritional supplements. “Sleep is huge for the human body as far as wellness and health, as it’s a time when the body repairs itself and heals,” he advises. “Exercise is also important, which maintains muscle mass.”

Dr. Peters takes the time needed to get a thorough health profile of each patient’s concerns and goals. His initial consults average 70 to 90 minutes. Dr. Peters starts by recommending the basic supplements for good health: omega-3s, probiotics, multivitamins and antioxidants. When the lab results come in, he will address specific areas and create an individualized plan for each patient.

When it comes to the use of nutritional supplements, Dr. Peters reminds people that it’s important to consult a trusted, knowledgeable professional, and not to self-diagnose and self-medicate based upon information on the internet. This can

lead to wasting money on inferior supplement products that may do nothing or even potentially cause harm.

In addition to educating patients at his clinic, Dr. Peters does many community seminars, talks and national lectures. He also sees patients in Sarasota, Florida.

Dr. Peters reminds us that longevity and quality of life is a choice we all have the power to control. “There comes a point in everybody’s life when there’s a crossroad. You can continue down a comfortable path of accepting aches, pains, elevated blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol as a part of aging, or you can take control of your health and look for root causes of these problems in order to correct them naturally before they transform into disease. This requires interest, desire and some dedication on the patient’s part to keep the body as healthy as possible,” he says.

Center for Anti-Aging Medicine and Hormone Wellness is located at Integrated health Campus, 250 Cetronia Road, Suite 301. Allentown, PA 18104. For more information, call 484-788-2391 or visit HormoneWellness.net. See ad on page 20.

Sheila Julson is a Milwaukee-based freelance writer and contributor to Natural Awaken ings magazines throughout the country.

STAYING SERENE IN TURBULENT TIMES HOW TO TURN ANXIETY INTO POSITIVE ACTION

by Ronica O’Hara

In this day and age, we have good reason to toss and turn in our beds at night. As our nation faces climate catastrophes, acrid politics, stubborn inflation, unpredictable virus variants and hot-button issues like abortion and guns, there’s good reason our collective anxiety levels are at a high pitch. A recent Yale survey found that 70 percent of Americans report being anxious or depressed about global warming, and a Penn State survey this year found that 84 percent of us say

we are “extremely worried” or “very worried” about where the country is headed. Researchers are coining new terms: “polycrisis”, for complex, cascading crises in interacting systems, and “pre-traumatic stress disorder”, when fear of an outcome makes it as good as real to our psyches.

“It’s easy for people to feel overwhelmed now, feeling there are breakdowns and threats on many fronts. People can wonder ‘Where do I even start?’ and feel powerless and hope less and numb,” says psychiatrist Janet Lewis, M.D., a founder of the nationwide Climate Psychiatry Alliance and a University of Rochester clinical assistant professor of psychiatry. “We are part of a complex system that is moving into new ways of functioning, but there’s no way of predicting ahead of time exactly what all the features of the new ways of operating will be. That makes it impossible for us to wrap our minds around everything that is happening.”

miniartkur/AdobeStock.com

Still, she adds, “We are also by definition part of the system, and therefore have a responsibility to do what we can. We can’t sit on the sidelines and merely hope that things transform in good directions. The situation being so serious also means that what we do now is really important.”

To move from anxiety into effective action, mental health experts advise several strategies: taking a wider perspective, building resilience through self-care and taking individual steps to make a collective difference. As the Dalai Lama encourages, “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito!”

Taking a Wider Perspective

News reports almost always sound dire— just like the amygdala of our brains, journalists often see their function as focusing on threats to alert us to dangers. “Still, if you take the long view of history, we are much better off than we were 200 years ago or 1,000 years ago, but it took many years to make those changes,” counsels Robert L. Leahy, Ph.D., director of the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy and author of the bestselling The Worry Cure and the upcoming If Only

“We never know if something is hopeless until we have all the data, and we seldom have all the data,” he says. “And when it comes to political emotions, many of the predictions that are made by the ‘talking heads’ in media never come true.”

Leahy counsels patience: “Social change does not come about by one person doing something. That usually comes about by a long process of millions of people changing their attitudes and changing their behav ior. Small efforts can be made on a daily basis that move this slow process forward. We need to take a longer view, rather than expect immediate change.”

In this ongoing process, anxiety has its rightful place. “Anxiety makes us look around, figure out solutions and act. This can absolutely be turned into some thing positive,” says neuropsychologist Barbara Easterlin, of Jackson, Wyoming, an expert on eco-anxiety who is on the steering committee of the Climate Psychology Alliance of North America. “Doing just one thing to help the planet

consistently helps defeat anxiety.”

Taking action moves us into our power—as 15-year-old Greta Thunberg demonstrated by holding a sign outside the Swedish parliament. Personal actions matter because numbers add up. Only 25 percent of individuals in a social group need to make a shift before significant social change follows, conclude researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science that analyzed a decade of societal changes in voting, health, technology and finance.

Once a group reaches that tipping point, it can trigger a change in the rest of society, says study author Damon Centola, Ph.D., author of Change: How to Make Big Things Happen.

Building Resilience with Self-Care

Fears about the shape of the planet and nation are often piled on top of our everyday living anxieties about family and finances, which can induce emotional overload. “We all have a ‘zone of resilience’ or ‘window of tolerance’,

outside of which we become more reactive, less able to function effectively. But it is not fixed. We can learn tools to expand it and cultivate the capacity to be with more,” says Easterlin.

Therapy can be a part of that process by challenging us to examine “the mental narratives that can exacerbate distress,” says Leslie Davenport, a climate psychology consultant and author of Emotional Resiliency in the Era of Climate Change It’s important to find a therapist, she says, that “validates that your feelings are a normal response to an existential crisis.”

She has helped develop new programs at the American Psychology Association and the California Institute of Integral Studies to train therapists in treating eco-anxiety. For low-cost online support, the Good Grief Network offers a 10-step, 10-week program to help process personal anxiety and grief about climate change. People are also sitting down to share their distress at climate cafes, small local gatherings springing up across the country and globe, including some online.

Getting enough sleep, eating healthy and exercising are also key self-care strategies. When anxiety strikes, psychologists advise shifting attention from the head to the body, using such approaches as mindful breathing, dancing and grounding. Meditation, easily accessed these days through apps like Calm and Headspace, helps us to enter into what religious and spiritual teachings call “the still point within.”

Rather than “doomscrolling” when anxiety mounts, cutting back our media use can significantly lower stress levels, studies show. Wise media strategies include choosing well-established, credible news sources; reading rather than

watching the news to lower its emotional impact; limiting news intake to 10 minutes once or twice a day; taking a “news fast” on occasion; and passing up sources that incessantly feed fury.

On the other hand, it’s essential to find sources for hope, an emotion important in recovery from anxiety disorders, according to a study in Behavior Therapy. Googling “good news on climate change” will bring up articles about alternative energy growth, new super-enzymes that eat plastic rubbish and black rhinos coming back from the brink of extinction. Although dystopic books abound, others offer hope, such as Drawdown, with its sensible, scaled-down strategies to stop global warming by 2050.

Moving into Action

Virtually no one can take on all the problems of the nation and globe at once—and the good news is that unless we hold high public office, we don’t have to. Instead, “In taking action, focus on what you are good at, what your sphere of influence might be,” advises Lewis. “What are you most heartbroken over? Get involved in that and allow yourself to feel really good about what you’re doing and other people are doing.”

By narrowing our focus, we can hone in on an issue and figure out our part in its so lution. “We need a broad range of collective action for transformation,” says Davenport. “For climate change, a teacher could bring social-emotional learning to climate educa tion into the classroom or start an after school ‘green club’; an artist could use their creative medium to communicate about climate in a moving way that could engage others; a nurse could create a waste-re duction initiative within a medical setting. These efforts all have ripple effects and help to elevate each other.”

In one recent study, people were found to consume less energy if they believed their neighbors did so and personally cared about conservation. Our neighborhoods are the place to take the small, meaningful steps that address the “crisis of connection” underlying rancorous national crises, says New York Times columnist David Brooks. He advocates “radical

mutuality”, saying, “Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone.” Through simple actions like having casual conversations around town, pitching in to help a family in crisis, bringing a salad to a block party, tutoring a child or holding a civic post, we build the warm relational bonds that strengthen communities. As we meet others that feel as strongly as we do about our issues, our numbers start building and collective action can unfold.

“Independent of political beliefs, many people can find common values such as wanting safety for their families, a clean environment with clean waterways and recreation in natural environments,” says Easterlin.

That, in turn, helps lower our distress. A recent Yale study found that eco-anxiety was linked to depression only among students not involved in group activities; those engaged in collective action such as being part of an environmental group, working in a letter-writing campaign or going to events or protests did not spiral downward emotionally. “Personal transformation and social transformation happen simultaneously. When you reach out and build community, you nourish yourself,” Brooks says.

As Thunberg has put it: “When I’m taking action, I don’t feel like I am helpless and that things are hopeless, because then I feel like I’m doing everything I can. And that gives me very much hope, especially to see all the other people all around the world, the activists, who are taking action and who are fighting for their present and for their future.”

Health writer Ronica O’Hara can be reached at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.

Gratitude is Good Medicine

by Madiha Saeed

Stress, work and family routines can trap us in a pattern of negative thinking that feeds on itself and creates stress and unhappiness. With our internal and external worlds being bombarded these days with negativity, being optimistic is more important now than ever before.

Gratitude is not just a feel-good word. It is an emotion expressing appreciation for what one has—a universal concept in nearly all of the world’s spiritual traditions. Practicing gratitude daily is proven to have actual physiological consequences. It helps lower inflammatory markers, influences epigenetics, improves the immune system and even helps the heart, adding years to life.

Optimism has been found to correlate positively with life satisfaction and selfesteem. “Heartfelt” emotions like gratitude, love and caring produce coherent brain

waves radiating to every cell of the body, as shown by technology that measures changes in heart rhythm variation and coherence.

Our subconscious governs 90 percent of our thoughts and actions. It shapes our every behavior. But the subconscious mind is nothing other than neural pathways that have been established in the brain as a result of past beliefs and conditioning. Our subconscious does no thinking of its own, but rather relies on our perception of the world around us, interpreting verbal and nonverbal cues.

When we consciously turn negativ ity to positivity from the inside-out, the neural pathway associated with negativ ity will take time to come down fully, so it is critical to practice gratitude regu larly. Upon waking in the morning, say 10 things that you are grateful for. Keep a gratitude journal. Put sticky notes all over the house with gratitude mes sages—on photos, light fixtures, fans, exercise equipment—to create a zone of subliminal positivity.

Remember that our perspective can reflect either our pain or our power. That choice is in our hands. Know what you are grateful for each day.

Madiha Saeed, M.D., ABIHM, is the bestselling author of The Holistic RX, an international speaker, founder of HolisticMomMD.com and director of education for KnoWEwell.

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Caregiving Companions

THE MANY BENEFITS OF SERVICE, THERAPY AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS

by Karen Shaw Becker

Animals offer support to humans in innumerable ways, acting as loyal companions, providing soothing therapy and emotional support, and being attentive service animals for invaluable medical assistance. As animals increasingly take on these roles in public spaces, it is necessary to understand what each category offers and the type of access each is given.

“Some people misrepresent their animals as assistance animals in order to bring them to places where pets are not allowed, to avoid fees or out of a misunderstanding of the animal’s role,” states the American Veterinary Medical Association (avma.org). It points out that although service, therapy and emotional support animals are sometimes referred to interchangeably, they are distinct categories, each with its own definition.

Assistance Animals

As defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, an as sistance animal is “any animal that works, provides assistance or performs tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability, or provides emotional support that allevi ates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability.” If certain conditions are met, a person may be entitled to keep an assistance animal in a housing facility that would otherwise prohibit animals.

Service Animals

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 defines a service animal as “any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disability.” Aside from miniature

horses, no other species are included.

Service animals perform such tasks as helping with navigation, pulling a wheelchair, assisting during a seizure, providing protection or rescue work, alerting a person to allergens and interrupting impulsive or destructive behavior.

Emotional Support Animals

Emotional support animals (ESA), according to the Fair Housing Act and the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), can be any spe cies. Both laws require a disability-related need and a recommendation by a medical or mental health professional. ESAs do not have to be trained to perform a particular task and may be permitted in otherwise banned housing facilities. Some international airlines allow them to travel at no ex tra cost. As of January 2021, following a U.S.

Sukjai Photo/AdobeStock.com

Department of Transportation rule-tighten ing, virtually no American domestic airline allows ESAs to fly free. (Small dogs can still be flown by passengers paying extra.)

Therapy Animals

According to the ACAA, therapy animals may take part in animal-assisted interven tions when there’s a “goal-directed interven tion in which an animal meeting specific criteria is an integral part of the treatment process.” Animal-assisted therapy may involve dogs, cats, horses, llamas, pigs and other species, typically in hospitals, schools and rehabilitation centers.

Why They Can Be Controversial

While service animals are highly trained and can even receive certifications as psy chiatric service dogs, ESAs are often pets that help a person to cope with daily life or situations they may otherwise find intoler able, such as being in stores, restaurants, museums and on airline flights and other public transportation.

Controversy has arisen when some people have pushed the line, claiming their pet is necessary for emotional support, but in reality, are just there to enjoy access benefits. Yet, in a survey of more than 500 Americans, both service dogs and emotional support dogs were viewed favorably, and most participants reported feeling that the majority of people with such dogs were not taking advantage of the system.

The Many Benefits

There is seemingly no end to the emotional, physical and mental benefits dogs offer to humans. Regular visits with therapy dogs

may improve the well-being of people seek ing addiction and mental health treatment. Animal-assisted interventions have been used among Canada’s correctional popula tion, for which mental health, addictions and trauma histories are major concerns. Research published in the journal Anthrozoös found that animal-assisted therapy decreased the need for pain medi cation in people receiving joint replace ment therapy. Studies by the Delta Society suggests holding, stroking or simply seeing an animal may lower blood pressure while lessening feelings of hostility and increasing self-esteem. For children, service dogs can be trained to detect the scent of allergens like peanuts or gluten in food and even provide comfort to them and adult witnesses in courtrooms.

Be aware that out in public, certain rules of etiquette apply. Service dogs, in particular, should never be approached, talked to or touched unless permission is granted by the dog’s handler. And take no offense if the handler says no. Distracting a working dog can result in potential harm to the handler and may interfere with the dog’s focus and ability to follow potentially life-saving com mands or cues.

Veterinarian Karen Shaw Becker, DVM, has spent her career empowering animal guardians to make knowledgeable deci sions to extend the life and well-being of their animals.

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MAKING FOREVER CHEMICALS GO AWAY

M ANMADE COMPOUNDS POSE LASTING THREAT TO OUR HEALTH

by Sheryl DeVore

Decades ago, environmental groups urged the banning of what are known as forever chemicals, which have been linked to cancer, compromised immune systems and hormonal imbalances, among other health issues. Today, although some of these man-made perand polyfluoro alkyl substances (PFAS) are being phased out, there’s still much to worry about.

“These chemicals are everywhere–in products, in our homes, in our drinking water. They’re even coming down in rain,” says Mike Schade, director of the Mind the Store program of Toxic-Free Future (ToxicFreeFuture. org), a national nonprofit based in Seattle. “This is a growing public health crisis.”

A recent Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) report says that 200 million Americans are likely drinking water contaminated with PFAS, and that these chemicals are even more toxic than once thought. In June, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established new health advisories for these chemicals, warning about the toxicity of even lower amounts in water. The EPA is offering $1

billion in grants initially and $5 billion over time to help remove them from drink ing water. Recent research has also shown PFAS detected in sludge used as fertilizer in home gardens. “We need action at all levels of government,” Schade says. “We need states to step up. We need Congress to step up. We need big companies to step up and consumers to take action.”

Origin of PFAS

Since the late 1940s, forever chemicals have been manufactured for use in products such as nonstick cookware; waterproof, water-resistant and stain-resistant textiles; dental floss; and food packaging, such as microwave popcorn bags and fast-food containers. Firefighters also use foam that contains the chemicals.

“Production and disposal of these chemicals is leading to the contamination of drinking water supplies and surface water bodies all across the country,” Schade says.

“It’s a huge issue, especially in the Great Lakes.”

“We’re talking about more than 9,000 chemicals,” says Susie Dai, Ph.D., a leading PFAS researcher and an associate professor of plant pathology and microbiology at Texas A&M University. “Because they contain one of the strongest chemical bonds, the carbon-fluorine bond, they are very stable. That makes it difficult for the chemicals to break down and easy for them to accumulate in the environment.”

Several years ago, chemical companies began manufacturing what they deem are less-toxic PFAS. They’re known as either

short-chain or alternative PFAS, and include chemicals named GenX and PFBS. “The more that scientists study this very large class of chemicals, the more that scientists find the replacement chemicals are likely just as toxic,” Schade says. The EPA June health advisories include these two new PFAS.

Meanwhile, as public concern grows, 11 states have banned PFAS in food packaging, and Congress is considering a similar ban, says Schade. Whole Foods Market has stopped using the chemicals in food packaging, and Keen, an outdoor shoe brand, has phased out use of PFAS in their products.

In February, Toxic-Free Future sent rain jackets, hiking pants, cloth napkins, bedding and other products marked as stain- or water-resistant to independent labs for analysis. “Seventy-two percent of them contained forever chemicals,” Schade says. Some of these products are manufactured by recreational equipment company REI, which Toxic-Free is urging consumers to write to, asking it to end the practice.

In July, Columbia Sportswear received petitions with 48,000 sig natures from the Natural Resources Defense Council and other en vironmental organizations urging the company to eliminate PFAS from its products. Although it has begun taking steps, Columbia has yet to set a timeline or define PFAS sustainability standards.

“We can minimize the threat of PFAS contamination by turning off the tap on their use,” says Paloma Paez-Coombe, an associate of Environment Illinois, which participated in the petition drive. “One of the best ways we can do that is by getting a major brand like Columbia Sportswear to publicly lead the way.”

These actions, however, won’t fix the problem of PFAS already in drinking water. Dai and other researchers have created a new bioremediation technology using plant-based material and fungi that could clean places where forever chemicals have been disposed. She hopes a similar concept can be applied to PFAScontaminated drinking water.

Northwestern University researchers published a paper in August in Science showing PFAS can be destroyed using somewhat harmless chemicals called sodium hydroxide, which is the lye used to make soap, and dimethyl sulfoxide, a medicine for bladder issues. Dai says that before these new approaches, the only way to break down PFAS was to expose them to high temperatures in an incinerator, but that is costly and still introduces harmful chemicals into the environment.

Meanwhile, the Delaware-based chemical company Chemours, a spinoff of Dupont that manufactures PFAS, has filed a lawsuit against the EPA saying the agency’s most recent health advisory regarding PFAS is based on flawed science. Chemours is the same company that has been ordered to pay a $12 million fine to the state of North Carolina after contaminating waterways with PFAS.

Schade surmises, “This is an issue that should be of concern to every American, especially when these chemicals are linked to health problems that are on the rise in our communities.”

Sheryl DeVore has written six books on science, health and nature, as well as health and environmental stories for national and regional publications. Read more at SherylDeVore.wordpress.com.

The Gut-Brain Connection

HOW FOOD AFFECTS OUR MOOD

by Kimberly B. Whittle

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We’veall heard the phrase, “You are what you eat,” but the connection is more than just physical because food impacts our mood, too. During the last decade, there have been an increasing number of studies explor ing what’s called the gut-brain axis and the role that microorganisms in the gut play in mental health conditions like anxiety, stress, depression and other disorders.

Depression is a leading cause of disability in the U.S. and worldwide. There are long-held views in medicine that depression is caused by imbalances in brain levels of serotonin—the neurotransmitter that plays a key role in regulating mood and other functions like digestion and sleep. These beliefs resulted in decades of extensive use of antidepressants, most of which boost serotonin in the brain.

However, research by University College

London, published in July in the journal Mo lecular Psychology, found “no consistent evi dence of there being an association between serotonin and depression, and no support for the hypothesis that depression is caused by lowered serotonin activity or concentrations.”

Michael Gershon, M.D., a Columbia University professor of pathology and cell biology, and author of The Second Brain, has explained to psychologists that “scientists were shocked to learn” that about 90 percent of serotonin is not created in the brain, but is actually produced in the gut and carried from there to the brain, not the other way around. This relationship is called the gut-brain axis.

A recent literature review of 26 studies suggests that imbalances in gut bacteria can disrupt the two-way communication along the gut-brain axis, leading to depression and other psychiatric issues.

Health Equals

Mental Health

“Gut health is extremely important for mental health,” says Bhavna Barmi, Ph.D., a senior clinical psychologist, relationship therapist and founder of the New Delhibased Happiness Studio. “The traditional belief that only psychiatry and talk therapy can treat mental health has widened to include lifestyle and food, too.”

“The truth is that our food is the primary contributor of the quality and diversity of bacteria in the microbiome,” says Ishi Khosla, a clinical nutritionist and president of the Celiac Society of India. “There is an intricate relationship between the gut and the brain.” Food sensitivities, alcohol and highly processed, refined and sugary foods can lead to a lower diversity of good bacteria and increases in bad bacteria in the gut, which can trigger gut inflammation and unfavorable health conditions.

Most mood-related disorders start with inflammation of the brain as a response to inflammation in the gut. “Certain foods, like gluten, can cause an inflammatory response in the gut. Over time, sensitivities to gluten and other foods can lead to a ‘leaky gut’, an impairment of the gut lining that lets toxins into the bloodstream. Often, if it remains unresolved, it leads to mood-related disorders and other chronic health conditions,” says Khosla.

Clinical nutritionists and other practitioners use biochemical markers and food sensitivity tests to help identify food ingredients that trigger inflamma tion in patients. However, if a leaky gut is present, a food sensitivity test may not be very accurate. As Tom O’Bryan, DC, chief health officer of KnoWEwell, explains in his bestselling book The Autoimmune Fix, “When you have a leaky gut, a practitio ner may do a 90-food testing panel that comes back sensitive to 20 or 25 different foods. And then the patient exclaims, ‘Oh my God, that’s everything I eat.’ Well, of course it is, because your immune system is doing what it is supposed to do—pro tecting you from toxins. Once the inflam mation in the gut is reduced through the elimination of wheat and other offensive foods, and the implementation of a personalized diet and protocol to heal the

gut [takes place], the same food testing panel will correctly identify those few ingredients to permanently avoid.”

Mood-Lifting Foods

Kelly Brogan, M.D., a holistic psychiatrist and author of The New York Times best sellers A Mind of Your Own and Own Your Self, as well as co-editor of the landmark textbook Integrative Therapies for Depres sion, recommends making three dietary changes to lift mood:

n Eliminate processed foods and food toxins

n Add whole foods, good fats and therapeutic foods

n Add fermented foods

Eating foods that are fresh, whole, simple and organic when available fuels good gut bacteria and eliminates the toxins found in packaged foods such as hydrogenated vegetable oils, preservatives, dyes, emulsi fiers, taste enhancers and sugars that can upset the proper balance in the gut. A powerful mood regulator is the omega-3 fatty acid found in such cold-water fish as salmon and trout or taken as a dietary supplement. These fatty acids regulate neurotransmission and gene expression, act as antioxidants and have potent antiinflammatory properties. Good fats from pasture-raised meats, wild fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, olive oil, coconut oil and grass-fed ghee also contribute to mood regulation.

“Resetting the gut through good bacteria in probiotics and feeding the good bacteria with prebiotics is a powerful tool to fight mood disorders,” says Khosla. Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, pickles (truly fer mented, not just cured in vinegar), kimchi and coconut kefir are natural sources of probiotics. They are delicious and easy to make at home.

A 2018 University of Toronto study in the World Journal of Psychiatry identi fied 12 nutrients to prevent and treat depressive disorders and found that the following foods had the highest levels of those beneficial nutrients: bivalves such as oysters and mussels; various sea foods such as octopus, crab and tuna; organ meats; leafy greens; lettuces; fresh herbs; peppers; and cruciferous vegetables such

as cauliflower and broccoli.

Choosing what to eat is complex and affected by culture, cost, environment and taste preferences. Dietary changes can be difficult and take time, and those suffering from mood swings, depression or anxiety have additional challenges in making changes. Nutritionists advise starting small by incorporating one or two foods rich in beneficial nutrients and eliminating a highly processed or packaged food or two. Focus on incorporating a rainbow of red, yellow, orange and green foods into meals.

“Food therapy to improve mood is inexpensive, free of side effects and can begin to show results within days,” says Khosla.

In view of the gut-brain axis, says Barmi, “It is imperative that from this point on, nutritionists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists work together for holistic care of the client to lead to maximum benefit.”

Kimberly B. Whittle is the CEO of KnoWEwell, the Regenerative Whole Health Hub online solution for health and wellbeing. Visit KnoWEwell.com.

GUT-HEALING SMOOTHIE

Blueberries contain compounds that increase beneficial bacteria in the gut, as well as antioxidant properties that are remarkable at protecting our brain. In fact, consuming 1 cup of blueberries per day for three years gets our brain working as well as it did 11 years earlier. Bananas are high in pectin, which helps to normalize movements of the large intestine. Look for gelatin powders from pastured animals.

YIELD: 2 SERVINGS

1-1½ cups water

½ cup coconut milk

1-2 frozen bananas

1 cup frozen blueberries

2 Tbsp ground flaxseed

1 Tbsp unflavored gelatin powder

1 Tbsp high-quality fish oil

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1-3 scoops L-glutamine powder (optional)

In a blender, combine the water, coconut milk, bananas, blueberries, flaxseeds, gelatin powder, fish oil, cinnamon and L-glutamine powder (if using). Blend until smooth. Add more water for a thinner smoothie, if desired. Serve immediately or pour into ice-pop molds and freeze for a sweet treat later on.

Recipe courtesy of Tom O’Bryan, DC, CCN, DACBN, from his book The Autoimmune Fix

QUINOA AND BEETROOT SALAD

A HINT OF MINT

YIELD: 2 SERVINGS

SALAD:

cup quinoa

1 medium beetroot, grated

fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

cup fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp shelled pistachios, roasted

2 Tbsp golden raisins

cup water

DRESSING:

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp lemon juice, adjust to taste

2 cloves garlic, adjust to taste

½ tsp roasted cumin powder

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

to taste

Rinse quinoa and add to a pot. Add water and cook uncovered for around 15 minutes or until all the water is evaporated. Cover the pan and switch off the stove. Keep covered for 5 minutes, remove lid and fluff cooked quinoa with a fork. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl, mix all dressing ingredients and set aside. Place cooled quinoa, grated beets, pistachios, raisins and chopped herbs in a large bowl. Pour the dressing, toss well. Serve cold.

Recipe courtesy of Ishi Khosla.

ALMOND FLOUR BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

YIELD: 12 TO 24 SERVINGS

3 cups almond flour

6 eggs

½ cup honey

½ cup avocado oil

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients—almond flour, baking soda and salt—and whisk well. In a separate smaller bowl, combine the wet ingredients—eggs, honey and avocado oil—and blend until smooth.

Then pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Fold in blueberries. Line cup muffin tin with paper liners and pour in batter. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Madiha Saeed, M.D., ABIHM.

The Colors of Healing

ART THERAPY FOR KIDS

by Marlaina Donato

Opening a brand-new box of crayons or making a happy mess with homemade salt dough can provide hours of fun for most kids, but art therapy—based in a clinical setting—can help children achieve emotional equilibrium, cultivate social skills and increase their capacity for learning. Dipping a brush into bright colors or creating a collage under the guidance of a qualified therapist can help a child express what is beyond spoken language: unprocessed trauma, emotional and physical pain or the multilevel challenges of autism spectrum disorder.

“Art therapy is completely different from arts and crafts, or even teaching a child how to do art. The idea behind art therapy is that not everyone attending therapy is able to talk about what is going on inside of them,” says Robyn Spodek-Schindler, owner of Paint the Stars Art Therapy, in Manalapan, New Jersey.

Art and the Nervous System

According to 2018 research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology & Behavioral Science, painting-based art therapy has been effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety in preschool-aged children. Dipping into the unconscious wellspring of creative impulse through doodling and drawing, finger painting or taking a photograph can help kids bounce back more easily from bullying or family conflicts, including divorce. Splashing color on a canvas or throwing pottery has been shown to enhance fine motor skills, increase attention spans and instill a sense of

accomplishment. For those that are not neurotypical, engaging in guided artistic expression can foster sensory integration and promote positive social interaction.

“I have worked with children who have lost a parent, experienced abuse, abandonment, consequences of addiction in the family, COVID [-19] anxiety and autism spectrum disorders,” says Andrea Davis, founder and CEO of Dallas Art Therapy, in Richardson, Texas. “Many times, the body is expressing the trauma in the form of sleep disturbance, eating changes, anxiety, depression and panic attacks, to name a few. Art-making bypasses the brain’s trauma response. The art therapist is trained to support the person in the process of creation and allows the person to utilize their other senses to express themselves.”

Celeste Wade, an art psychotherapist at the Child and Family Art Therapy Center, in Haverford, Pennsylvania, emphasizes that emotional processing cannot occur when an individual is on the alert for potential danger, a physiological response from an overstimulated amygdala. “Trauma needs to be processed for the client to gain mastery and function in a calm state versus fight, flight or freeze. Art making can also activate this area of the brain and have calming effects to counteract trauma responses,” she says.

Willingness, Not Talent

The art therapist provides a nourishing presence without art instruction or critiquing, and sessions can be private, in a group setting or include family members. Conversation, combined with art making, is typical in any art therapy session. Schindler stresses that creating pretty images is not the goal of an art therapy session and dispels the common assumption that “the person attending art therapy needs to have either a talent in art or an interest in art. They just need the willingness to participate in a session.” Some children see immediate benefits, while others realize emotional progress after several sessions.

Art therapy, sometimes in conjunction with other modalities, not only gives children a voice, but provides them with an opportunity to stretch their wings. Group therapy, says Davis, “can look like working together to create a collaborative mural. In the process, taking turns, hearing one another’s ideas, sharing materials, respecting boundaries and each other’s art becomes an important part of meeting goals.”

During an initial art therapy assessment, Wade might ask a client to draw a family of animals, which creates an opportunity “for the cli ent to share about their own family dynamics in a safe way. If the client has experienced any type of familial trauma and I were to present the same directive as, ‘draw you and your family doing something,’ the child may be more hesitant or may shut down.”

In a world that can be overwhelming, self-expression through art can give a young person a safe harbor. Schindler accentuates human rapport in the clinical setting, saying, “Art, much like play, is a universal communication tool for children. Sometimes you just feel better when creating and sharing with a trusted person.”

Marlaina Donato is an author, painter and composer. Connect at WildflowerLady.com.

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12 Quick Fixes for Anxiety

SIMPLE STRATEGIES FOR MENTAL WELL-BEING

by Ronica O’Hara

It is an all-too-human experience to have anxiety—feeling fear or apprehension about what might happen. A survival mechanism for our species, it can easily get out of hand in times of uncertainty, morphing from a timely signal to a crippling, chronic condition. Happily, mental health professionals have found many useful anti-anxiety strategies to ease us through difficult moments.

Breathe Deeply

“Controlling your breathing is a fantastic hack to help you move out of a stress/anxiety response state. It’s important to try different breathing techniques to figure out which ones work for you,”

says Krista Jordan, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Austin, Texas. Many options exist such as breathing slowly into the belly; inhaling through the nose for a count of four, holding the breath for a count of seven and exhaling through the mouth for a count of eight; slowing the breath so that the in and out breaths equalize; and placing mindful attention on our breathing until 10 breaths are completed.

Tap with the Fingers Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a five-minute approach using two fingers to tap on specific points of the head and chest in a certain sequence. In one 5,000-person study, 76 percent of participants found anxiety relief after three EFT sessions, while only 51 percent experienced relief after 15 sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy. “EFT sends a calming signal to the brain that reduces your anxiety, which allows for newfound thinking and solutions,” says Colorado Springs therapist Dana C. Avey. Sim ple instructions can be found online and in YouTube videos.

Write It Off with Journaling

Whether it’s a three-page brain dump in the morning, a frantic scribbling on paper in a stressful moment or a nightly ritual in a bound journal, writing out anxious thoughts helps clarify worries and puts things into perspective, research shows. Seattle spinal surgeon David Hanscom, a chronic pain expert and author of Back in Control , counsels writing down in longhand whatever is on the mind using graphic and de scriptive language twice a day for 10 to 30 minutes, and then promptly tearing it up to let the thoughts go.

Meditate Mindfully

Many soothing types of meditation can be tried out on apps like Calm, InsightTimer and Headspace, but the best-studied approach for anxiety is mindfulness, which involves focusing on the breath and body sensations while letting distracting thoughts float by.

A 2017 Australian study found that just 10 minutes of daily mindful meditation can help prevent the mind from wander ing and is particularly effective for repeti tive, anxious thoughts. “Just be clear that having a constant stream of thoughts is fine and part of the process. It’s sadly ironic that people turn to meditation to help with anxiety, and then get anxious that they are doing it wrong,” advises Jordan.

Move the Body in Nature

According to the Harvard Health Letter, “Just a single bout of exercise can ease anxiety when it strikes ” Studies have proven the value of everything from aerobics to swimming and yoga, and it’s even better if exercising can be done outdoors, because decades of research have found that being amidst the sights, sounds and scents of natural settings lowers anxiety markers. In a recent study, walking without using a smartphone or another electronic device in urban settings just two hours a week reduced cortisol levels 21 percent in 20 minutes, “which helps to reduce the medical effects of stress, including chronic inflammation, GI disorders and heart problems,” says Santa Barbara-based John La Puma, M.D., cofounder of the ChefMD health media brand and creator of MyNatureDose.com, a free, anti-anxiety walking program.

Say a Favorite Prayer

Making a deep spiritual connection—an age-old anxiety solution—can involve pray ing or for example, reading psalms, saying a rosary, chanting a mantra or reading sacred scripture. Eric Almeida, a mental health practitioner in Bernardston, Massachusetts, recommends the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.” He says, “It doesn’t matter if you believe in God, the wisdom is use ful nonetheless.”

Chill Out

“Sip cold water, hold ice cubes, take a cold shower, blast the AC in your face. Our body and mind are very connected, so if you can’t cool down your mind, cool down

your temperature,” advises San Diego-based marriage and family therapist Sarah O’Leary. Some people find the opposite works: taking a long, hot bath infused with essential oils like bergamot, frankincense and lavender.

Get Rooted

Stand barefoot in grass or dirt while breathing deeply or imagine the roots of trees growing from the soles of the feet deep into the earth. “This helps ‘ground’ you or ‘root’ you, and can help you find steadiness rather than getting lost in anxiety,” says mindfulness trainer and author Joy Rains of Bethesda, Maryland.

shaking to a favorite song: “Begin by shaking out the hands while holding the thought, ‘I let go.’ If shaking the hands feels good, add in shaking one leg at a time. Shake the whole body while imagining yourself releasing the tension stored in your muscles.”

Soothe with Supplements

B oston integrative medicine physician Sarika Arora, M.D., of the Women’s Health Network, recommends vitamins B5, B6 and B12 to improve cellular energy, lower cortisol and restore equilibrium to the nervous system; magnesium to sup port balanced metabolism and increase feelings of calm; L-theanine, found in green tea, to lower stress hormone levels; eleuthero (Siberian ginseng) to limit excess cortisol; and vitamin E to support hormone production and stress recovery.

Be with the Anxiety

PO Box 6274 Lancaster, PA 17607 • P: 717-399-3187 F: 717-427-1441 NALancaster.com or NABerks.com • Publisher@NALancaster.com

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Bond with an Animal Merely petting a dog or cat releases the feelgood bonding hormone oxytocin into our system. “Animals speak to you in a nonverbal communication, so the interac tions require you to be present and to feel. Both allow for a meditative experience that is tremendously impactful for reducing anxiety,” says Shannon Dolan, an Austin, Texas, nutritional therapist and horse own er. “If you don’t have your own pet, look up equine therapy in your area, go to a local dog shelter, spend time with a friend’s dog or travel out to a petting zoo, where you can experience the healing power of animals.”

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Health writer Ronica O’Hara can be reached at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.

Tyler Read, the San Francisco-based own er of Personal Trainer Pioneer, decided to bite the bullet by using the tools of dialectical behavior therapy to put him self into anxiety-producing public places. “Instead of convincing myself that I was at peace or not nervous, I accepted that I was nervous. I gave myself permission to shake, sweat and feel nauseous; at times, I acknowledged that I felt like I was dying. And by permitting myself to be nervous, the anxiety decreased over time,” he says.

Move to Music

Relaxing music can be as effective as medication in altering brain func tion, research suggests, especially if the rhythm is 60 beats per minute, which encourages the slow brainwaves associ ated with hypnotic or meditative states. Dancing to upbeat music like no one is watching can also chase worries away. Holistic psychotherapist Kellie Kirksey, Ph.D., of Youngstown, Ohio, suggests

Nutrition Course

NEXT COURSE STARTS

19 2023 and finishes July 23, 2023

Become a Certified Nutrition Consultant

Through the American Association of Nutritional Consultants (AANC) Doctor of Naturopathy and Clinical Nutritionist

Dr. Derek Rodger (ND) prepares students to pass the Certified Nutritional Consultants Exam. Once qualified you are entitled to use the designation CNC after your name and practice as a Nutritionist. Certified Nutritional Consultants (CNC) can work in hospitals, clinics, private practice settings alongside acupuncturists, mental health professionals, physical therapists, doctors and chiropractors, as well as a consultant in schools, businesses, health food stores, spas and health clubs.

Today's economists have determined that the natural health field is the fastest growing industry in the U.S. today. It goes without saying that people are getting more concerned about their personal health and their families health. Just take a look at this picture below and ask yourself, what type of life are you planning for yourself.

The course includes 11 modules and the classes meet on a Sunday morning 9-1 pm. The course fee is $1794 and can be paid over 6 months at $299.

To obtain

ECO-SKIING

PLANET-FRIENDLY WAYS TO HIT THE SLOPES

Many alpine ski resorts are going more and more green, enabling enthusiasts to reduce their impact on the planet while enjoying the winter sport. Here’s some eco-information, as well as money-saving tips:

As detailed on SkiVermont.com, the latest Vermont Ski Areas Energy Savings Impact Report from Efficiency Vermont revealed that 13 state ski areas have completed 668 projects since 2000, including “low-energy snowguns, compressed air right-sizing, lift terminal heater controls, thermal shells and many other systems and improvements.”

Last year, Taos Ski Valley, in New Mexico, treated 245 acres of high mortality spruce and fir trees to help restore the forest ecosystem and diverted 10,287 pounds of waste from landfill to compost, equaling a CO2 reduction of approximately 3.2 megatons. Park City and Deer Valley, in Utah, have partnered with nearby districts to source power from an 80-megawatt solar farm. Vail Resorts, encompassing more than 40 ski areas, continues its EpicPromise program with the goal of zero net emissions, zero waste to landfills and zero operating impact on land and ecosystems by 2030 (TheAvantSki.com).

Skiers at Big Sky Resort (BigSkyResort. com), in Wyoming, can minimize their carbon footprint by offsetting their trip with partner Tradewater, a Chicago

company that facilitates lowering greenhouse gas emissions. All of the resort’s lift operations have been running carbon-free since March 2020, and ongoing efficiency projects include upgrading hotel thermostats and increasing the use of solar power.

Wear sustainable brands. Patagonia, The North Face and Cotopaxi are some of the brands that make ski jackets from recycled materials. Also, instead of buying new, con sider patching up an old jacket if it has a tear. Take a pass. Many individual ski resorts and associations offer lift ticket passes. Tips on making the best choice for individual or family needs can be found at SkiMag.com. It’s a popular trend: The National Ski Areas Association (nsaa.org) reports season passes now make up more than half of all lift ticket sales.

Group together. Gather family and friends in one car. Also, local ski clubs, sporting goods retailers and parks and recreation departments often organize group trips by chartering buses and arranging for discounted lift tickets. Warm-weather ski clubs arrange for flights to ski resorts. Making new friends along the way is a nice bonus.

Leave a clean path. Don’t leave any plastic water or sports drink containers or power bar wrappers on the snow.

Gorilla/AdobeStock.com

calendar of events

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 3RD & 4TH

YogART Transformative Chakra Mandala Workshop – 6-8:30pm. A mystical mix of mind, body, spirit exercises that bring you into the flow to create intuitive art that speaks from spirit, removing blocks and empowering your best life. The Balance, Harrisburg. Pre-register www. balanceisyours.com/workshops.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9

Anxiety and Stress Relief with Effortless Meditation™ – 7pm-8:15pm. This meditation technique is recommended by physicians as a key to self-care. Gain relief from insomnia, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, fatigue, brain fog, OCD, and more. FREE Introduction, Twin Ponds Holistic Health Center, West LVBreinigsville, Pre-register 610-670-6700.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15

Brain and Heart Health with Effortless Meditation™ – 12noon-1pm. This meditation technique is recommended by physicians as a key to self-care. Gain relief from insomnia, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, fatigue, brain fog, OCD, and more. FREE. Introduction, LIVE ONLINE Video Conference, Pre-register 610-670-6700.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30

Brain and Heart Health with Effortless Medi tation™ – 7-8:15pm. This meditation technique is recommended by physicians as a key to selfcare. Gain relief from insomnia, high blood pres sure, depression, anxiety, fatigue, brain fog, OCD, and more. FREE Introduction, LIVE ONLINE Video Conference, Pre-register 610-670-6700.

ongoing events classifieds

PLANS CHANGE

Please call ahead to confirm date and times daily

Narcotics Anonymous – If you think you have a drug problem, and are tired of being sick and tired, there is a better way. Call 24-hour helpline 610-439-1998. We are here to help. You are not alone.

sunday

Sunday Services – Metaphysical and nondenominational. Rev. Lloyd Moll, PastorUnique Sunday services 10:30am. All welcome! St. John’s Church of Faith, 607 Washington St Allentown. 610-776-7211.

C o-Dependent Anonymous – CoDA is a 12-Step Fellowship of men and women with a common purpose to recover from codependence. The only requirement for membership in CoDA is a desire for healthy and loving relationships. 7pm, Unity Church, 26 N. 3rd St., Emmaus. Call 610-737.-354 or visit Coda.org.

Yoga to Soothe the Soul – Gentle yoga to restore balance and release stress. Cost: donations $5$15 suggested. Every Sunday at 6pm starting on February 7, 2021. Contact Info: www. rebeccarosereiki.com. Call: 484-280-4963.

wednesday

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6

Learn to be a Certified Hypnotist online in only 20 evenings! In person classes also avail able. Instructor Tina Pineiro will prepare you to use hypnosis to help clients make positive, transformational changes in their lives. Payment plans available. scrantonhypnosis.com. (844) HYP-TINA.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11

Holiday Spiritual & Holistic Bazaar – 10am5pm. Enjoy vendors of crystals, jewelry, gem stone trees, soaps and bath products, artwork, clothing, pet products, singing bowls and more, along with reiki and reflexology practitioners, tarot, and readers, plus a benefit raffle and auction. Free admission. Leesport Farmers Market Banquet Hall, 312 Gernants Church Rd, Leesport. 570-573-1651. LadyLynora.com/ Holiday-Bazaar.

Sacred Symposiums – Potluck Dinner & Discussion Group – We meet the 3rd Wednesday of every month to share food and ideas about inspirational, metaphysical, or spiritual topics. Please bring a covered dish to share. Time: 7:009:00pm. Visit Facebook group or call (610) 8385463 for more info. Sacred Space, 45 W. Water St., Hellertown.

LV Lyme Support Group – First Wednesday of every month except July. Zoom calls only. Contact Heidi Healey at 973-610-0531 if interested. Speakers, Doctors, brochures and books. PA is #1 in reported cases, so we help educate the public. We also post in Lehigh Valley Lyme Support Group on Facebook and Pennsylvania Lyme Resource Network on Facebook.

OPPORTUNITIES

Calling Holistic Presenters – Facilitate your workshop or retreat at our Upper Bucks center, with peaceful country setting, meditation gardens, and woods. GreenShireArts.org. Email info@ GreenShireArts.org or call 215-538-0976.

Holistic Chiropractor, Naturopath or Natural Functional Medicine Practitioner Needed Join our comprehensive solution Wellness Center in Stroudsburg. Access to over 2000 clients in a professional, dedicated facility. Call Vicki at 570977-1900 to discuss.

PRODUCTS

Crystal Tones Singing Bowls – Classic & Alchemy for meditation & vibrational healing. Also offering personal vibration testing. Contact Anthony at Life Holistic Center, 570-706-6680 or LifeHolistic@hotmail.com. See more at Life HolistiReiki.com.

Interactive Dementia and Alzheimer Game An interactive and fun family game that will bring a twinkle to the eye and smile on the face. Call 484860-5894. HighRollDice.com.

Two Green Burial Plots for Sale – At Green Meadows Burial Ground in Fountain Hill, PA. $1,800 total.Call 610-698-4921.

SERVICES

Spiritually guided card readings offered in per son, or via phone, parties also welcome. Channeled messages are for your highest good. Let my gifts guide you! Reasonable rates. Cheryl 908-268-8029. Readings with intuitive counselor, Reiki also available. Free 10-minute initial session. Evelyn peptel62@gmail.com. 551-804-7571.

Free Phone Reading for Lightworkers. Your Higher-Self reveals the blocks that are slowing you from growing your practice/business. Email Enaid to learn more. enaid-rensporp@protonmail.com

Kula Heart Yoga & Wellness, LLC contracts self motivated and ethical bodyworkers and yoga instructors to serve Bath and the Lehigh Valley. If you are interested in growing your business, making your own hours and being a part of a Wellness Center that is filled with compassion, professionalism, and FUN! Submit your interest to info@kulaheartyogaandwellness.com.

SPACE TO RENT

Attention Health Care Professionals! Twin Ponds Health Center, a highly diverse holistic health center, offers a unique lease opportunity. Schedule a tour of the site. 610-395-3355.

Peaceful Country Setting – Building includes 4 gathering rooms, kitchen, and covered porch. Wood ed paths, meditation gardens. Perfect for workshops, weddings, retreats. Quakertown. Call 215-538-0976.

ACUPUNCTURE

BALANCED ACUPUNCTURE

Heather Shoup, L.Ac.

2299 Brodhead Rd., Suite A Bethlehem, PA 18020

610-393-7589

BalancedAcupuncture.net

A patient centered wellness com munity, where treatment is indi vidually tailored. Heather pro motes health and wellness by creating balance in the body. Acu puncture specializing in anxiety, depression, digestive, and cancer support.

LIVEWELL INTEGRATED HEALTH LLC

Dr. Robert W. Livingston III, DC, L.Ac.

Dr. Jennifer K. Bollinger, DC, L.Ac.

8026 Hamilton Blvd. • Trexlertown, PA 18087

610-395-5509

LiveWellIntegratedHealth.com

LiveWell Integrated Health of fers traditional Chinese acu puncture, chiropractic, body work, and nutritional and life style coaching. Being healthy is a lifestyle choice...choose to LiveWell. See ad, page 15.

BODYWORK

MARIE RUXTON THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE

Marie Ruxton CMT, CN

628 Chestnut St., Emmaus, PA 18049

610-965-2500

Marie is a certified massage thera pist trained since 1997 in Ad vanced Myofascial Release Ther apy, Therapeutic Massage, Reiki, Ear Candling, Homeopathy and Holistic Nutrition. Offers compre hensive custom bodywork for those wanting to overcome chron ic pain and movement problems. Sessions range from a (2 hour) Head to Toe meltdown massage to “Just Neck and Head” massage for those needing stress relief. Gift certificates available See ad, page 12.

CHIROPRACTOR

ASSOCIATED CHIROPRACTIC Dr. Joseph A. Perelli 656 5th St. Whitehall, PA 18052 610-266-6111

AssociatedChiropractic.com

Dr. Perelli has served the Lehigh Valley for 31 years delivering natural, hands-on chiropractic care for neck, mid-back, low back and extremity conditions. He spe cializes in sports, auto and work comp injuries with various holis tic treatments to get you back to your pre-injury status quickly. See ad, page 4.

LIVEWELL INTEGRATED HEALTH LLC

Dr. Robert W. Livingston III, DC, L.Ac. Dr. Jennifer K. Bollinger, DC, L.Ac. 8026 Hamilton Blvd. • Trexlertown, PA 18087 610-395-5509

LiveWellIntegratedHealth.com

LiveWell Integrated Health offers traditional Chinese acu puncture, chiropractic, body work, and nutritional and life style coaching. Being healthy is a lifestyle choice...choose to LiveWell. See ad, page 15.

CLINICAL NUTRITIONIST

BETHLEHEM NUTRITION & WELLNESS CENTER Kathy Harrington, MS Functional Medical Nutritionist 3400 Bath Pike, Ste. 101 Bethlehem 610-419-3909 www.BethlehemNutrition.com

Bethlehem Nutrition & Wellness Center, we give you the tools to bring you and your family into a state of optimal health. Using the most advanced nutritional testing available, we look for the under lying cause of your health prob lems. Once the underlying cause is addressed not only do symptoms go away, but your overall health can also be greatly improved. See ad page 11.

COUNSELING - HOLISTIC

SMART SOLUTIONS AND CREATIVE HOLISTIC THERAPY

Rev. Lyn S. Felix, MSW, LCSW, CHT, RM 3037 S. Pike Ave. #105, Allentown, PA 18103 610-282-0709

CreativeHolisticTherapy.com

A holistic, highly intuitive coun selor, coach and vibrational chakra rebalancing practitioner who sup ports you in getting unstuck and moving forward. Using mindful ness, hypnotherapy, EFT, Reiki, tuning forks, breathwork, and more, Rev. Lyn guides you step by step from chaos to calm and confidence. Insurances & Private Pay. Free Phone Consultation.

DEPRESSION

TMS CENTER

Dr. Paul Gross 401 N. 17th St., Suite 304 Allentown, PA 610-820-0700

www.Tmslv.com

Thousands in the Lehigh Valley struggle with depression every day, but thanks to the TMS Cen ter of the Lehigh Valley, they are not alone in their fight. We are the region’s first transcranial mag netic stimulation (TMS) treat ment facility and one of the most experienced centers on the east coast, having per formed over ten thousand TMS treatments. See ads, pages 5 & 14.

EQUINE THERAPY

EQUINE ALLIANCE FOR TRANSFORMATION AND HEALING, LLC

Robin Michael Macungie, PA 484-207-6457

EquineAlliances.com

Info@EquineAlliances.com

We facilitate learning and healing with the partner ship of horses through ex periences that cultivate personal growth and selfdiscovery. We foster peace and hope while empowering individuals/groups to rely upon resilience and confidence when faced with challenges. Sessions include Horses, Equine Specialists and Licensed Counselor or Coach/Edu cator. Activities are ground-based. Experience with horses is not needed.

HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES AND Cafe Santosha

Dianne & Lloyd Burg

7150 Hamilton Blvd

Trexlertown, PA

610-366-9866

www.HealthyAlt.com

Dianne and Lloyd Burg opened Healthy Alter natives in 1994 to help people live a healthy lifestyle. As a registered nurse, Dianne saw a lot of hospital patients who weren’t getting better with traditional treatment. She started studying natural remedies to help them heal. Dietary changes and homeopathy seemed promising, but no one offered these solutions. The Burgs wanted to change that, so they decided to open Healthy Alternatives. See ad page 21.

FUNERAL SERVICES

NICOS C. ELIAS

FUNERAL HOME, INC

Nicos C. Elias, Supervisor Allentown, PA 610-433-2200

Nicos@EliasFuneralHome.com

EliasFuneralHome.com

Mr. Elias offers several different green and eco-friendly funeral plans using biodegradable cas kets, preservation without chemi cals. A natural, back to the earth approach. Biodegradable urns for those choosing cremation.

GREEN CEMETERY

GREEN MEADOWS AT FOUNTAIN HILL CEMETERY

1121 Graham Street, Fountain Hill, PA 18015 610-868-4840

GreenMeadowPA.org

The only green cemetery in the Le high Valley. A cemetery of wild flowers and grasses native to Penn sylvania. Return to the natural cycle of life to nourish the soil, green the meadow and live on. Nondenominational. Non-profit. Speakers available to visit organi zations. See ad, page 13.

HEALTHCARE

MJA HEALTHCARE Dr. M. Artamonov 391 E Brown St East Stroudsburg, PA 570-282-9045 www.MJAHealthcare.com

Dr. Mikhail Artamonov is a Harvard educated board certified physi cian that has some of the most extensive training in pain management, and MJA healthcare is a network of clinics where the cutting-edge medi cine from all around the world connects to fulfill our patients’ needs. Our clinic is specialized in pain management, holistic approaches, and antiage medicine. We also provide supervised weight loss & diet programs. See ad, page 27.

HEALTH FOOD & SUPPLEMENT STORE

CBD AMERICAN SHAMAN 7727 Glenlivet Dr West, Ste D Fogelsville PA 18051 484-656-7771 cbdfogelsville.com

Including high-quality CBD into your daily routine can change your health for the bet ter. Our certified consultants will show you why we were voted Best CBD Store by Readers’ Choice in 2021.

HYPNOSIS & HYPNOSIS

TRAINING

PAST LIFE MATTERS HYPNOTHERAPY plmhypnosis.com Judy Lynch 610-554-8633 pastlifematters@aol.com

As a certified hypnotherapist that has used hypnotherapy to quit smoking, reduce stress, help control pain, and in crease focus, I can attest to the power of the mind to achieve desired results! Hypnosis is easy and safe and allows us to tap into the power of our inner selves, easily and naturally.

TINA PINEIRO LIFE SOLUTIONS (844) HYP-TINA scrantonhypnosis.com

TINA PINEIRO LIFE SOLU TIONS provides Mindset Coach ing & Hypnosis sessions. Peck ville and Honesdale locations. I use hypnosis, neuro-linguistic programming, EFT, Reiki and more to empower you to let go of limiting beliefs, heal and move forward.

RESULTS WELLNESS CENTER, LLC

Jacqueline LeClaire 6120 W. Main Blvd., Bath, PA 18014 484-264-3889

JacquelineLeClaire.com

Become a Certified Hypnotherapist / Become a Certified Reiki Practi tioner, Usui Master. Jacqueline LeClaire is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Master Trainer with the International Association of Counselors and Therapists and Reiki Master for over two decades. She is the owner of Results Wellness Center, LLC.

TENDER EMPOWERMENT

Tenderempowerment.com 484-373-9693

Becka@tenderempowerment.com

Tender Empowerment uses hypnosis, coaching and other methods to create personal change. Whether you are looking to lose weight, quit smoking, manage stress, overcome phobias, or help with chronic pain, Tender Empowerment can help. Schedule a free phone consultation to learn more. Become the you, you can be!

INTEGRATIVE PHYSICIANS

HUNTERDON INTEGRATIVE PHYSICIANS

Dr. Scott P R Berk, MD, AAFP, AIHM 33 Rupell Rd Hampton, NJ 08827 908-238-0077

HipmdOffice@gmail.com www.HunterdonIntegrativePhysicians.com

Hunterdon Integrative Physicians (HIP) presents an alternative to the average Primary Care office. You will find a modern medical practice in every sense of the word. We strive to offer our patients an array of diagnostic options, treatment choices, and scheduling flexibility. If you are looking for a common-sense approach to your health needs, look no further than HIP. See ad page 9.

LANDSCAPING

BEAR CREEK ORGANICS

570-582-0615

BearCreekOrganics@gmail.com

BearCreekOrganics.com

We create organic and ecological edible land scapes. With mother nature as our teacher, and extensive knowl edge of edible plants,. We develop beautiful food production systems that support your needs and the needs of the natural wildlife. No matter the size of your budget we will help you create an edible landscape that is right for you. See ad, pages 10.

NATURAL AWAKENINGS

DR. DEKA RODGER ND, MBA

Owner/Publisher

610-421-4443

DrRodgerND@HealthyLehighValley.com

DrRodgerND@gmail.com

www.HealthyLehighValley.com

www.DrRodgerND.com

www.NutritionConsultans.org

DrRodgerND.B3Sciences.com

Due to his extensive background in business and marketing and built his own practice through the Natural Awakenings magazine he can take businesses to the next level. Also, with a strong back ground in keeping fit and under standing all aspects of exercising, he promotes B3 Science, an advanced method of achieving better fitness results in 1/2 the time. He also teaches a Nutrition Certification Course over a 6-month period, students completing this course and passing all exams can put the designation CNC after their name. See ad pages 5, 32, back page.

MASSAGE/ESTETICS

HEALING WELLNESS CORNER

Jamie Brotzman LMT, LE

101 N 4th Street

Easton, PA 18042

484-861-7287

www.HealingWellnessCorner.com

Jamie had worked at the top sa lons and spas in the Lehigh Val ley and the surrounding area, as well as chiropractor offices be fore deciding to bring her knowl edge and love for her work to cre ate her own space. Here at The Healing & Wellness Corner, Ja mie shares her extensive expertise in acneic, hy persensitive, and age-appropriate skin care treat ments and much more.

MASSAGE

KONNECTIONS MASSAGE

Kathy Hatcher, LMT

656 5th St., Whitehall, PA 18052

610-266-6111

KonnectionsMassage.com

Kathy has been administering deep tissue, therapeutic, medical, preg nancy and aromatherapy massage since 1996. Her NEWEST services are Ionic Foot Cleanse Detoxifica tion as well as Red-light therapy for non-surgical weight loss and chronic pain management. Insur ance billing for massage available. See ad, page 4.

MEDITATION & PERSONAL GROWTH

MICHELLE LEE ARTS Lake Harmony, PA 570-443-7777

MichelleLeeArts.com

Helping people reclaim their flame by deepening connections to our inner selves, each other and the natural world. A holistic mind, body, spirit approach, Michelle’s transformative YogART Work shops and Tantra Rituals include a mystical mix of meditation, yoga, intuitive art, breathwork and other empowerment exercises to support self-healing, remove blocks and supercharge your life.

NATUROPATH

NATURAL HEALTH PROMOTION LLC

Tina Stashko, PhD MIfHI Emmaus, PA 18049

610-965-8132

NaturalHealthPromotion.net

Specializing in preventative health care, digestion and nutrient absorp tion, and thyroid and adrenal health. Modalities such as iridology, sclerology and biochemical balanc ing enable the development of your unique program for optimum health. These programs are easy to follow and incorporate into your daily life. Reach your full health potential! See ad, page 12.

REIKI

EVELYN JABOUR

551-804-7571

peptel62@gmail.com

I am a Reiki Master and Intuitive Counselor, and can help you work through difficult emotions and situations. Call or text me at 551804-7571, or email me at pep tel62@gmail.com, for a compli mentary 10-minute initial reading.

WELLNESS SPAPOTHECARY

HERBS TO YOUR SUCCESS

Vanessa Sabatine 64 South Main St. Nazareth, PA 18064 610-365-8996

www.HerbsToYourSuccess.com

Herbs to Your Success is a health & wellness spa located in Naza reth, offering multiple holistic spa experiences and herbal remedies. We also offer a wide selection of essential oils, teas, skincare, make-up and more! We provide high quality spa services to our customers and our friendly and courteous staff guarantees exceptional customer service. See ad page 9.

The Next Nutrition Course

Through the American Association of Nutritional Consultants (AANC) Doctor of Naturopathy and Clinical Nutritionist Dr. Derek Rodger (ND) prepares students to pass the Certified Nutritional Consultants Exam. Once qualified you are entitled to use the designation CNC after your name and practice as a Nutritionist. Certified Nutritional Consultants (CNC) can work in hospitals, clinics, private practice settings alongside acupuncturists, mental health professionals, physical therapists, doctors and chiropractors, as well as a consultant in schools, businesses, health food stores, spas and health clubs.

Next Course starts Sep 2022 - Feb 2023 dates TBD

“If the doctors of today do not become the nutritionists of tomorrow, then the nutritionists of today will become the doctors of tomorrow”. (Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research)

Become a Certified Nutrition Consultant

Today's economists have determined that the natural health field is the fastest growing industry in the U.S. today. It goes without saying that people are getting more concerned about their personal health and their families health. Just take a look at this picture below and ask yourself, what type of life are you planning for yourself.

in 6 Months and put the letters CNC after your name. This recognized qualification is obtained through the American Association of Nutritional Consultants, AANC.

Natalie, who flew in from Chicago every 2 weeks to do the CNC program has passed her Certified Nutritional Consultant and can now proudly put the letters CNC after her name: I met Dr. Rodger (ND) before I took his Nutrition Course and it was his knowledge and experience that drew me to choose his class over others. I am so very glad I did as, I'm positive I wouldn't have learnt what I did with other teachers.  I'm not sure I would have had such an inspirational teacher with highly motivational lectures.

The course includes 12 modules, and classes meet twice a month on Sundays 9 am - 1pm . All modules are taught by Dr. Derek Rodger (ND). Course fee is $1794 and can be paid over 6 monthly installments at $299 per month. Every student receives a free 90 minute private nutritional consultation with Dr. Rodger (ND) 89.

To obtain a detailed information pack visit: NutritionConsultants.org or Tel: 908-223-8899

Alessandra, already had her nutritional degree, before she came on the course. I'm so proud of myself for finishing this the course and the exam. It was a great experience and I truly learned a lot. There are so many opportunities out there for me in my career to help others. I'll be attending the Natural Gourmet Institute which has a strong focus on a plant based diet. I look forward to helping others achieve a healthy lifestyle as a CNC and chef!

The course includes 11 modules and the classes meet on a Sunday morning 9-1 pm. The course fee is $1794 and can be paid over 6 months at $299.

A library of material becomes yours following course completion.

If you would like to attend this educational course, which will clearly change your life from a nutritional perspective. More detailed information is sent out to students who are interested, sign up by going to: www.NutritionalConsultants.org

A library of material becomes yours following course completion.

Naturopathic Doctor

Dr. Derek Rodger (ND) Course Instructor