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March 2013 | Greater Wayne and Monroe Counties-Edition | NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com natural awakenings

March 2013

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Work in Advertising Sales on the Natural Awakenings Wayne County Team!

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Mary Anne 586-943-5785 Holistic Networking Group Next Meeting Date

Natural Awakenings Detroit is pleased to sponsor this

community outreach event specifically targeted for those in healthy living and green businesses. It offers an opportunity for business people from this niche to gather, network and share ideas to help support one another and grow our local green economy.

This is also a great chance to learn more specific ways to partner with Natural Awakenings magazine to help grow your business.

Meetings will be held at: St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center 23333 Schoolcraft Rd • Detroit (on the I-96 service drive near Telegraph)

Wednesday, March 20th 6-8pm Group Discussions Sharing & Fellowship Upcoming Meeting Dates: Apr - Wed 10th May - Thur 16th Jun - Thur 13th Jul - Wed 10th Aug - Thur 15th

Sep - Wed 11th Oct - Wed 16th Nov - Wed 20th Dec - Thur 12th

Please RSVP to Mary Anne 586-943-5785

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Wayne County Edition

NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com

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March 2013

design by lm grunst

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contact us Wayne County, Michigan Edition Published by: Healthy Living Detroit, Inc. P.O. Box 381250 Clinton Twp, MI 48038 Phone: 313-221-9674 Fax: 586-933-2557 Publisher Mary Anne Demo publisher@NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com Editorial & Layout Team Lauressa Nelson Kim Cerne Hedy Schulte National Franchise Sales John Voell II NaturalAwkeningsMag.com 239-530-1377

© 2013 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing.

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

letterfrompublisher

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am so excited to be right here, right now, doing what I’m doing with Natural Awakenings magazine in the city of Detroit and throughout Wayne County and beyond. It’s an incredible time in our local history; our future is wide open to changes and amazing new possibilities for all of us, but especially for entrepreneurs.

I am delighted to work with entrepreneurs in so many different fields and from such varied backgrounds. Some have created a business using money from an automotive buyout; others are juggling day jobs, while on the side, they build the business of their dreams until it’s lucrative enough to let the day job go. Many individuals started small ventures to help make ends meet but then grew weary of looking for employment and decided to turn those side gigs into their own source of work. These resilient, resourceful individuals are busy creating our new local economy, and I am so proud to be a part of this movement.

Many signs indicate that things are moving along on the larger economic scale, but for the average individual in this area, grand change might be difficult to see. However, we can each notice the small choices that we make every day. For example, our opportunities to vote with our dollars: in the most basic of economic concepts, retailers will respond to this voting system by discontinuing items and services that don’t sell and restocking those that do. As consumers, spending our dollars on what we support and value gives us the power and responsibility to influence change both locally and globally.

This issue features the topic, Local Foods Grow on Menus, as part of the article, Urban Gardening Takes Root. A recent trend among restaurants is hyper-local food growth, where the restaurant grows some of their own ingredients, such as herbs and leafy greens. The restaurant may also source produce from local farmers. This is a perfect example of mutual benefit between the company and the consumer. The restaurant is cutting costs by growing their own food, local farmers are getting a boost in business from the restaurant, and the customer is now eating fresher, sustainably grown food that has not traveled miles to reach the table.

Our national elections may be long over, but very important local voting continues every day. The products and services we support will remain in business.

Natural Awakenings magazine helps many local companies connect with potential customers and provides information to help readers make better choices for our health and the environment. Together, we move forward through these tough economic times, creating new opportunities in a healthful, mindful manner. I am confident that one day soon we will look back proudly on these times as we witness the success of our joint efforts. In the words of German theologian and philosopher Meister Eckhart, “And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”

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

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are available by sending $28 (for 12 issues) to the above address.

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Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soybased ink.

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Wayne County Edition

NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com

contents 12

6 newsbriefs 12 healthbriefs 14 globalbriefs 22 healthykids 23 inspiration 24 naturalpet 25 community

spotlight 14 26 healingways 28 greenliving 24 32 consciouseating 36 calendar 43 resourceguide 45 classifieds

advertising & submissions How to Advertise To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 313-221-9674 or email Publisher@NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com Deadline for ads: the 15th of the month.

Editorial submissions

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

16 URBAN GARDENING Feeding Ourselves Well

by John D. Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist

20 FINDING SOLUTIONS

TO DIFFICULT WEIGHT LOSS CASES

by Gregory M. Kramer, DC

22 SIX POWERHOUSE FOODS FOR KIDS

With Palate-Pleasing Tips

by Susan Enfield Esrey

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23 THE HEALING

POWER OF SILENCE

by Robert Rabbin

24 HOLISTIC IS BEST

Natural Care for a Sick Pet

by Dr. Shawn Messonnier

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26 HOW TRIGLYCERIDES TAKE A TOLL

Email articles, news items and ideas to:

Beyond Cholesterol

Publisher@NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com Deadline for editorial: the 10th of the month.

by James Occhiogrosso

calendar submissions

16

TAKES ROOT

28 RECYCLING EVERYDAY REFUSE

What Happens after the Blue Bin is Emptied

Visit our website to enter calendar items.

NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com You will receive a confirmation email when your event has been approved and posted online, usually within 24 hours. Events submitted by the 15th and meet our criteria will be added to the print magazine as space permits.

by Avery Mack

regional markets

32 THE BETTER BRAIN DIET

Advertise your products or services in multiple markets!

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

NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com

30 BACK FLOWER ESSENCES

Balancing the Spiritual and Mortal Planes

by Phoenix Honka

30

Eat Right To Stay Sharp

by Lisa Marshall

34 GLUTEN INTOLERANCE:

A Growing Concern With Emerging Solutions

by Theresa Edmunds

natural awakenings

March 2013

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newsbriefs

Sustainability Conference

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oday’s environment presents us with a number of challenges and opportunities to becoming a more sustainable society. Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, an environmental education center in Hastings, Michigan, is hosting a Sustainability Conference on Saturday, March 16 to help individuals face the environmental and social challenges around them and find the solutions that will help our communities become more sustainable.

This year’s conference will address

current environmental issues that are relevant to everyone. The conference will explore ways that individuals, organizations, and communities are working to build a more sustainable future. It will also help participants be better prepared to face ecological challenges while still identifying opportunities to become a proactive force for positive global change.

Breakout sessions fit into three broad categories; sustainability in communities and organizations, energy, and personal action. Individual sessions will cover backyard wildlife habitat, fracking, renewable energy, and sustainability on campus, among others.

Keynote speakers include: Peter Sinclair and Robin Mather.

Cost is $40 for Members, $50 for NonMembers and $20 for Students. To register for the conference, please visit cedarcreekinstitute.org or call 269-7214190.

Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, 701 West Cloverdale Rd in Hastings. See ad page 37.

To dwell is to garden. ~Martin Heidegger

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Wayne County Edition

BetterHealth Market Hosts Free Weight Loss Seminar

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etterHealth Market is hosting the free seminar, Change Your Brain, Change Your Weight, at two of its locations on March 16: the Grosse Pointe Woods store at 11 a.m. and at the Southgate store at 2 p.m. Holistic Health and Life Consultant Bethany Perry will discuss the concept that the brain can cause a person to overeat and modifying the individual’s mindset can produce weight and health.

Perry, who does not believe in diets, will introduce tools that attendees can use to create balance, including a new variety of foods as well as a way to understand and reduce cravings and increase energy. Through interviews and a questionnaire, Perry customizes food and supplement recommendations. She studied with Dr. Daniel Amen, founder of Amen Clinics and an expert on applying brainimaging science to everyday clinical practice. She is certified to teach as an Amen educational affiliate.

Cost: Free. Locations: 11 a.m. presentation, 19850 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Woods. To RSVP, call 313-885-5000. 2 p.m. presentation, 17825 Eureka Rd., Southgate. To RSVP, call 734-374-1973. Reservations can also be made at TheBetterHealthStore.com.

World Medical Relief Launches 60th Anniversary Celebration with Unusual Raffle

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o kick off its 60th anniversary celebration, World Medical Relief (WMR) will raffle a van-style ambulance filled with medical supplies and emergency equipment, valued at approximately $10,000, to a charity in a lesser-developed country chosen by the raffle winner. WMR can recommend one of five overseas charities or the winner can choose a different charity. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold at $50 each. The drawing will be held, October 19, at Laurel Manor, in Livonia.

WMR collects and distributes surplus medical equipment and supplies to the medically underserved, both locally and abroad. Founded in 1953 by Detroit homemaker Irene Auberlin, what started as an inspiration to help one boy orphaned by the Korean War grew into a mission that continues today to aid thousands of sick and poor people in more than 140 developing nations.

In 1966, the organization started local programs to address community needs.

Today, the Durable Medical Equipment Program provides low-income people with walkers, wheel chairs and other medical equipment. The Medical Supply Program offers basic home health care supplies to low-income individuals and provides medical supplies to local nonprofit agencies, and the Prescription Program assists those that are not covered by insurance to get medications.

Location: 11745 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit. For more information, call 313-8665333, email Raffle@WorldMedicalRelief.org or visit WorldMedicalRelief.org.

NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com

newsbriefs Total Health Foods Leads Class on Women’s Health Issues

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class addressing women’s health issues is scheduled from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., March 18, at Total Health Foods, in Wyandotte. Certified Health Counselor Theresa Edmunds will talk about the rise in women’s health problems today and how they are related directly to women’s lifestyle and

food choices. “Women are at particular risk,” explains Edmunds, “because they use more body care products as well as cosmetics. As a general rule, women are the primary users of household cleaning products, too.” Edmunds says these products contain ingredients that are not well regulated for safety and can be toxic.

The good news, she says, is that women make most of the buying decisions for the home, which gives them the power of choice. “With a little information, women can be empowered to make good choices for their health and the health of their families,” affirms Edmunds, who graduated from the Health Coach Training Program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. During her training, she studied more than 100 dietary theories and learned practical techniques to help others with lifestyle management.

Cost: $10. Location: 2938 Biddle Ave., Wyandotte. To preregister, call 734-246-1208; walkins are also welcome. For more information, email TheresaEdmunds@ hotmail.com or visit THFDownriver.com.

A Year of Flowers

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ring some flowers and plants into your life or someone else’s life each month with A Year of Flowers. Whether it be for yourself, a thank you to someone, special occasion or just a kind gesture, A Year of Flowers can be an ideal gift. For $35 the recipient is entitled to one cut flower bouquet or potted plant per month, with a different selection each month. To receive their flower item, they must pick it up at one of six English Gardens’ locations in the Metro Detroit area.

Contact Lynn at 313-308-0500 ext 116 or 800-680-1222 to order A Year of Flowers. Also available for fundraising projects. (This is a special offer not available in the store).

Need some help learning to use your computer?

• One-on-one individual sessions • Learn at your own pace • Specifically targets what you want to learn

Call Mary at 586-943-5785

— Your Computer Tutor —

Thriving Life Course (TLC 101)

Learn How to Make Your Powerful Subconscious Mind Work For You to Achieve Your Dreams

Class location: Unity Livonia, 28660 Five Mile Rd

Harness the Power Of YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND Remove the blockers to Peace, Joy, and Abundance Achieve your goals.

Classes taught by Ramona Underwood, RN Introductory Class - Fridays 6-7:30pm Continued Education - Saturdays 1-3pm or 4-6pm Ongoing course Participants can start and stop when ready

Cost $25 every two weeks

Angels for Healing • Call 734-778-4655 • AngelsforHealing.com natural awakenings

March 2013

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newsbriefs VegFest 2013 Vegan Tastefest and Expo Returns to Novi

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egFest returns to Novi on April 21! The annual event features notable local and national speakers, cooking and raw-food demonstrations, vegan cuisine from local restaurants and bakeries along with national brand sampling, a diverse array of exhibitors, ecofriendly products, cruelty-free fashions, children’s activities, door prizes, literature, cookbooks, and more.

The main speakers this year include Carol Leifer, a trailblazing female in the world of stand-up comedy; NBA champ John Salley; author and founder of Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine Dr. Neal Barnard, M.D.; world-renowned ultramarathon champion and former 24-hour American record holder Scott Jurek; and author, artist and activist Ruby Roth.

VegFest will be held at the Suburban Collection Showplace Novi located at 46100 Grand River Ave in Novi on April 21 from 11 am to 5 pm. Tickets are $10; children 6 and under free.

VegMichigan is a nonprofit organization promoting awareness of the health, environmental, and ethical benefits of a plant-based diet.

For more information, visit their website: VegMichigan.org.

Naturalist Shares Photo Tour of Isle Royale

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outheast Michigan Group (SEMG) Sierra Club will present Isle Royale: A Naturalist’s Tour, an exhibition of photos by accomplished photographer Faye Stoner, a naturalist for Washtenaw county Parks and Recreation Commission, at 7:30 p.m., March 7, at Birmingham Unitarian Church, in Bloomfield Hills. The presentation is part of the free monthly environmental series the group launched last month.

Stoner will narrate as she shares her photos of an August trip to Isle Royale, the largest island in Lake Superior and a designated U.S. National Park. She will discuss the flora and fauna of this Great Lakes treasure and share her insights about the geology of the island.

Measuring more than 45 miles long and 9 miles wide at its widest point, Isle Royale was established as a National Park on April 3, 1940, designated as a Wilderness Area in 1976, and made an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980.

The SEMG Sierra Club is a volunteer-run and funded organization with more than 4500 members in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and St. Clair Counties. Their mission is to encourage Southeast Michigan residents to explore, enjoy and protect nature’s local resources.

Location: 38651 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills. For more information, visit Michigan.SierraClub.org/semg or Facebook.com/clubSEMG.

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Wayne County Edition

NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com

Director of Detroit Wholistic Center to Attend Natural Health Conferences

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aturopathic doctor Jesse R. Brown, founder and director of Detroit Wholistic Center and Wholistic Training Institute, will attend two of the nation’s largest natural health Naturopathic doctor conferences.

Jesse R. Brown Brown’s first stop is the Health Freedom Expo, in Long Beach, California, from March 1 to 3, followed by the Natural Products Expo West, in Anaheim, California, from March 8 to 10. Brown will share his discoveries of the latest advances and products in complementary and alternative medicine and natural health via Twitter; those interested in reading minute-to-minute updates about expo happenings can follow @WholisticGuru.

The expos will feature worldrenowned speakers such as Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Joan Borysenko, and Dr. Patch Adams. Ornish, clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, is well known for clinical research that demonstrated how comprehensive lifestyle changes can reverse coronary heart disease without drugs or surgery.

He will lecture on lasting, low-cost, high-impact lifestyle changes that work.

Borysenko, a Harvard-trained medical scientist and psychologist who directs spiritual mentor training program, will discuss how healthy living is a multi-dimensional process of caring for your mind, body and soul. Adams, an American physician, social activist, citizen diplomat, clown and author, will discuss the holistic medical care project that he founded in 1971, the Gesundheit! Institute.

For more information about Brown, visit DetroitWholisticCenter.com.

To learn about the expos, visit HealthFreedomExpo.com and ExpoWest.com.

newsbriefs

Garry Kuneman Opens Pure Pastures East Grocery Store

Michigan Business Women to be Honored

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he National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Greater Detroit Chapter will honor ten Michigan businesswomen, March 11, at the 19th annual Top 10 Michigan Business Women Awards Ceremony and Luncheon, at the Roostertail, in Detroit. The event is set to run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., beginning with a business-to-business showcase, followed by the luncheon and awards ceremony at 12 p.m. Carol Cain, Emmy-award-winning journalist and host of the CBS 62 show, Michigan Matters, will emcee the event.

Recipients of the 2013 top ten awards are Diane Young, The Athena Group; Pollyette Lenear, General Motors Corp.; Shell Jones, Play-Place for Autistic Children; Andra Rush, Rush Group, LLC; Dorothy Zehnder, Bavarian Inn; Sheila Rossman, Paramount Precision Products, Inc.; Wanda Harper, Michigan Minority Supplier Development; Daphne Zargar, Chive Talkin; Brenda Arbelaez, PALS International; Tina Harmon, The Harmon Group/Mercury P&F; and Lisa Howze, Speaking Life Principles, Inc. and Michigan State Representative.

NAWBO, headquartered in Washington, DC, is the only dues-based national organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs. Its first chapters formed in 1978, and it currently has 90 chapters in the United States. Chartered in 1980, NAWBO Greater Detroit has more than 120 women business owners representing sole proprietorship operations with approximately 200 employees.

The association’s goal is to help women in business grow and succeed.

Cost: Luncheon only, $40/member, $60/non-member; Business-to-business showcase and luncheon ticket, $100 member, $150 non-member. Location: 100 Marquette Dr., Detroit. For more information or to preregister (required), call 313- 881-5655 or visit NAWBOgdc.org.

A Perfect Balance Celebrates One-Year Anniversary in Farmington Hills

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uring the month of March, A Perfect Balance is celebrating there one-year anniversary in Farmington Hills. They are a brain optimization company which combines the latest advances in neuroscience and computer technology.

Through their affiliation with Brainstate Technologies, they offer a new way for people of all ages and conditions to overcome challenges and enhance personal performance and well being. Co-owners Debbie Bollen and Jenny Harwood have made a personal goal to reach as many people as possible to educate them in the benefits of Brainwave Optimization.

“Brainwave Optimization with Real-Time Balancing is a revolutionary new process which is helping people all over the world achieve their goals and perform at their highest mental, physical and emotional levels,” explains Debbie. “We will place sensors at various places on the head and you will be given earphones.

During each protocol, you will listen to your own brainwaves converted into musical notes as well as other sounds meant to encourage the brain towards a more balanced state.”

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arry Kuneman has opened Pure Pastures East, a grocery store specializing in organic and sustainably farmed products, at 6870 Telegraph Road, in Dearborn Heights, after participating in area farmers’ markets and seeing consumer demand sufficient to support his second retail location. In 2010, he opened his first store, Natural Food Local Express, in Plymouth, which he has renamed Pure Pastures-West.

Kuneman, a Dearborn resident, says the new name better reflects the company’s mission to provide customers with products raised or produced using sustainable farming practices. The two stores provide local residents with Michigan-sourced meats, cheeses and cagefree eggs, as well as gluten-free and organic groceries.

All cheeses and meats, which include beef, buffalo, elk, lamb and venison, are harvested from grassfed, free-range animals, raised without antibiotics and hormones.

“For all of our products, there are no hormones, no antibiotics whatsoever.

Basically there is no factory farming,” Kuneman says. “There are several segments of the population we pull from including people with special diets, people who want to know what’s in their food and some are concerned about the humane treatment of animals.

It’s a little pricier, but people are willing to pay to know what they’re getting and to support Michigan.”

Locations: Pure Pastures-East, 6870 Telegraph Rd., Dearborn Heights, 313277-4066. Pure Pastures-West, 1192 Ann Arbor Rd., Plymouth, 734-9276951. Visit NaturalLocalFoods.com for more information.

For more information, please visit PerfectBalanceMind.com or call 248-254-7827. natural awakenings

March 2013

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newsbriefs Private Television Network Brings Relaxing Atmosphere to Businesses

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ichigan-based television network eScapes is offering a Private Television Network (PTN) to businesses to help foster a relaxing atmosphere. eScapes Network is a television network that specializes in relaxation television, pairing beautiful scenery from around the world with beautiful music. This programming now forms the basis of a Private Television Network that is available to businesses.

PTNs are best suited for businesses with waiting areas. Market research has shown that the programming actually helps to reduce the perceived wait time of clients. In addition to this benefit, PTNs bring a relaxing atmosphere to the waiting area, reinforce the business through tasteful branding, and offer programming free of competitors’ messages.

“Private Television Networks are a unique offering for businesses that provide a solution to problems found in the waiting area,” says Robert Oklejas, President and founder of eScapes Network. “PTNs are particularly well-suited for doctors’ offices, spas, auto service centers, and restaurants, just to name a few. If used to full capacity, they even have the ability to impact the bottom line by increasing revenue and reducing expenses.”

For more information or to learn how to get a PTN for your business, visit eScapesTV.com/PTN.

Get a Healthy Upstart for Your Business

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ealthy Upstart is a new collaboration between SHARK Consulting Group and Channeler Media Group specializing in dealing with small health-related businesses, from independent health coaches to the family health store. The company offers four Quick Start packages to help meet the needs of businesses: Business Launch, Marketing, Reboot, and Sustainability. All Quick Start packages include a combination of business analysis, written plans, and marketing materials at one low price.

SHARK Consulting is run by Patti Radakovich, certified performance technologist and certified professional in learning and performance.

Radakovich has been helping businesses, both large and small, grow for almost a decade. She is also known as VeggiePatti, an author, teacher, and healthy lifestyle consultant.

Channeler Media Group specializes in media production and web design and works primarily with small businesses to offer that personal touch.

For more information, visit VeggiePatti. com/Index.php/HealthyUpStart, email Shark.Consulting.Group@gmail.com, or call 734-658-6799.

Intro Class in Bach Flower Essences • Restore Body Equilibrium and Well-Being • Find Your Flower Essence through Electro-Magnetic Testing • Release Emotional and Mental Disharmony

March 3, 9, 10, 16, 17

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Sessions start at 1:30 and 4:30 on each day listed.

Class cost: $10 Electro-magnetic Test: 1/2 off when you take the class ($20 value) Flower Essences are additional cost.

Emotional Body Tuning/Shamanic Memory

Phoenix Honka: Shaman, Herbalist, Reiki Master 248-880-6320 • sabotagecorrection.com 10 Wayne County Edition

NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com

newsbriefs

Festival of Enlightenment Holistic Fair Celebrates Fifth Anniversary

Program Participants Wanted for 21-Day FOCAS Challenge

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ould you like to take the next steps toward a healthier, happier, less-stressed you? Join VeggiePatti for the 21-Day FOCAS Challenge targeting four areas of your life relating to health and stress.

This challenge is about lifestyle choices and is designed to help create healthy, stress-free lifestyle habits.

The 21-day FOCAS Challenge runs from March 6 to March 27. Participants choose between online lectures for $20 or classroom lectures (with online access) for $40. Classroom lectures will take place at Total Health Foods in Wyandotte from 7 to 8:30 p.m., March 6 and March 27; and from 7 to 8 p.m., March 13 and March 20. Participants will also have access to a daily blog and optional personalized support.

VeggiePatti is also looking for input to a new book she is writing. Participants will be asked to complete three surveys over a three month period. Those who respond to all three surveys will receive a free electronic copy of the book when it is published.

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Cost: $20 online; $40 in classroom. Location: Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle, Wyandotte. VeggiePatti is a local vegan author and healthy lifestyle consultant who focuses on healthy lifestyle choices and public outreach. For more information email VeggiePatti@gmail.com or visit VeggiePatti.com.

he fifth Festival of Enlightenment Holistic Fair takes place, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., March 23, in the Student and Culinary Arts Building, at Henry Ford Community College (HFCC), in Dearborn. The event will raise funds for HFCC’s independent, non-commercial radio station, WHFR-FM 89.3, which features a unique blend of music and talk radio. The station and radio talk show, Metaphysically Speaking, are organizing the event.

Attendees can check out vendors, psychic readers and body healers, along with live, local musical performances and guest speakers. The speaking schedule includes Carole Lynn Hovsepian, Usui Reiki Master & Medium, at 12 p.m.; Versandra Kennebrew, life empowerment coach, at 1 p.m.; Darlene Denning, teacher, psychic, palm reader, at 2 p.m.; and Tiffany Anton, sex therapist, at 3 p.m.

Cost: $5; high school and college students, free with current I.D. Location: 5101 Evergreen Rd., Dearborn. For more information about the fair, call 313-317-6540 or 313-4832555, email Holistic2010@PeoplePC. com. For station broadcasting, tune to WHFR-FM 89.3 or visit Whfr.fm.

Empowered Flower Girl Winner of February’s SOUP

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etroit SOUP, a public, monthly soup dinner event that facilitates the award of micro-grants for creative projects in Detroit, is scheduled from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., March 3, in the Jam Handy Building, north of midtown. At Detroit SOUP, participants pay $5 for dinner and become part of an audience that listens while local projects are pitched and then votes on which project to fund. The winner receives the money collected from the evening’s dinner. Started three years ago, Detroit SOUP now averages about 225 people at each dinner.

At February’s Detroit SOUP, $2,100 was awarded to Empowered Flower Girl (EFG)—a company that produces workshops, literature and clothing that inspire girls and young women to live powerfully. Rasheda Kamaria, EFG’s chief empowering officer and founder, will use the money to fund Chica Chat workshops for select Detroit area schools. The workshops foster positive and empowering relationships among girls and young women.

Cost: $5 Location: 2900 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit. For more information on Detroit SOUP, visit DetroitSoup.com. For more information on Chica Chat workshops, visit EmpoweredFlowerGirl.com.

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healthbriefs

Battle of the Bulge

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ccording to the American Heart Association, about one in three American kids and teens is overweight or obese today, nearly triple the rate in 1963. A new report by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation advises that if adult obesity rates continue on their current trajectories, by 2030, 13 states could have rates above 60 percent; 39 states above 50 percent; and all 50 states above 44 percent.

A study published in the International Journal of Obesity, based on research at 10 universities, points to the use of hormones in factory meat production as a major reason for this trend. Pesticides are another culprit; the average American is exposed to 10 to 13 different types each day via food, beverages and drinking water, and nine of the 10 most commonly used are endocrine disrupters linked to weight gain. Genetically modified U.S. food crops are also sprayed heavily with biocides. Findings presented at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science linked bisphenol A (BPA)—an industrial chemical contained in plastic soda, drinking and baby bottles—with abnormal estrogen function.

To win the battle of the bulge, Americans need to eat balanced diets and exercise regularly, but additional steps can further help: choose organic, grass-fed meat instead of corn-fed; use glass instead of plastic containers for beverages and food storage; avoid canned food unless the label states BPA-free; and consume yogurt daily or take a high-quality probiotic to help restore healthy intestinal flora.

Drinks Tied to Tooth Trouble

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

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

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

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

12 Wayne County Edition

NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com

Why We Might Need More Vitamin C

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

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

Dining App for Special-Needs Diets

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

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

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

Yogurt Hinders Hypertension

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

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Try to learn something about everything and everything about something. ~Thomas Huxley

Bad Fats Are Brain-Busters

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ew research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, has found that consumption of “bad” saturated fats may be associated with a decline in cognitive function and memory in older women.

The research team analyzed the BWH Women’s Health Study, focusing on four years of data from a subset of 6,000 women older than 65. Those that consumed the highest amounts of saturated fat, like that found in red meat and butter, exhibited worse overall cognition and memory than peers that ate the lowest amounts. Women that consumed mainly monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, demonstrated better patterns of cognitive scores over time.

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March 2013

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

Windy Woes

Solving Wind Power’s Hidden Pollution Problem

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The U.S. Department of Energy reports that although wind power accounts for just over 4 percent of domestic electrical generation, it comprises a third of all new electric capacity. Even with the freedom from coal or oil that wind power creates, a major component of the generating devices, the turbine blades, has its own carbon footprint that needs examining.

Some of the blades are as long as a football field, and the metal, fiberglass or carbon composites must be mined, refined, manufactured and transported, all consuming energy and creating materials that are difficult to recycle when they reach the end of their usefulness and are replaced. Christopher Niezrecki, a member of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell Wind Energy Research Group, estimates the United States will have as many as 170,000 wind turbines by 2030, creating more than 34,000 discarded blades each year.

The next generation of blade material may come from natural cellulose fibers and bio-based plastics derived from soybean, linseed and other vegetable oils, instead of oil-based polymers. A $1.9 million National Science Foundation grant is funding the research.

Source: FastCoexist.com

Dishpan Plants

Waste Water Cuts Fertilizer Use The effluent created by household sinks, washing machines and showers, known as gray water, could provide a new, lowcost source of irrigation for landscape plants that cuts down on the amount of fertilizer required to maintain them. The nonprofit Water Environmental Research Foundation’s (WERF) new report shows that many plants used for landscaping benefit from the use of gray water (Tinyurl.com/graywaterreport).

The study looked at seven homes in Arizona, California, Colorado and Texas with new and longstanding gray water systems that recycle wastewater to irrigate outdoor plants. Although the soil irrigated with gray water showed higher levels of cleaners, antimicrobials and sodium compared with areas irrigated with fresh water, there was enough nitrogen present in gray water to reduce or eliminate the need for additional fertilizers.

Not all plants responded positively, but WERF Communications Director Carrie Capuco says, “Gray water can be successfully used with the right plant choices.” Guidelines include heavily mulching the area where gray water is supplied to minimize contact with pets.

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Feeding Ourselves Well

Urban Gardening Takes Root

gardens are in urban or suburban areas.

“We’re seeing a new crop of farmers that defy stereotypes,” observes David Tracey, owner of EcoUrbanist environmental design in Vancouver, Canada, and author of Urban Agriculture. “Some are office workers leaving unsatisfying jobs, techie types learning the trade in universities and back-to-the-land folks that happen to live in cities. Others are activists taking on the industrial farm system, folks adopting trends or entrepreneurs that see opportunities in the rising prices of quality food and the proximity of millions of customers.”

Opportunities and Pitfalls

by John D. Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist

“I

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

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

Word has spread because Strauss writes about her experiences via Northwest Edible Life, a blog about food growing, cooking and urban homesteading.

“Every kid on the block has picked an Asian pear off my espalier and munched on raw green beans,” she notes. “Even picky eaters seem pretty interested when they can pick tasty treats right from the tree or vine.”

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

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

16 Wayne County Edition

Today, these small plots are often termed kitchen gardens, comprising parts of household lawns, schoolyards, balconies, patios and rooftops. Fresh taste and the security of local food supplies in case of manmade or natural upheavals are drawing more people to gardening.

Garden Cities

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

Millions of Americans now participate in growing mainstay foods.

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

NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com

Urban gardening has unexpected advantages in its use of organic waste like coffee grounds from a local coffee house and rainwater from area rooftops.

Converting lawns at schools, churches and empty city lots into community gardens fosters community connections, improves access to affordable nutritious foods and creates employment opportunities.

A widespread challenge to the trend is dealing with the quality of urban soil and testing for possible toxins. Often, urban soil must be improved using compost and other nutrients before plants can prosper. A nearby irrigation source is also required.

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

Feeding Community

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

“Nationally, it’s been found that having a community garden on unused

land increases property values, decreases crime and promotes a sense of unity with neighbors and others,” explains LaManda Joy, president and founder of the project.

“We work with property owners on the short-term use of their land to enhance the community in which they eventually plan to develop.”

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

Being Prepared

“How many recalls have we seen because some food item has been contaminated and people have suffered or died as a result? I am concerned about the safety and security of our food supply,” says Wendy Brown, whose family tends a quarter-acre garden with raised and landscaped beds and containers wrapped around their home plus an onsite greenhouse in a beach resort suburb of Portland, Maine. “As a mother, it concerns me that I might feed my children something that will hurt them.

High-fructose corn syrup, genetically engineered crops and BPA-lined cans

are all making headlines. It just seems smarter to grow it myself; that way, we have more control over what our family is eating.”

Brown is one of more than 3 million Americans that are following FEMA recommendations in preparing for any event that might disrupt food supplies. Her book, Surviving the Apocalypse in the Suburbs, shares everything her family has done to safeguard themselves, including growing produce, caring for animals and canning, freezing, drying, cold storage or fermenting foods for later use.

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

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

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

“Our neighbors love what we’re doing,” says Brown, whose house is close

Helpful Resources Green Restaurant Association, DineGreen.com Kitchen Gardeners International, KGI.org Northwest Edible Life, NWEdible.com The Peterson Garden Project, PetersonGarden.org Uncommon Ground, UncommonGround.com Urban Farm Online, UrbanFarmOnline.com Urban Garden Magazine, UrbanGardenMagazine.com Urban Gardens, UrbanGardensWeb.com

enough they can chat across their front porches. “One says our initiative reminds him of growing up in Maine pretty much self-sufficient. The other tells friends and coworkers they aren’t worried if things really go bad because they have us as neighbors.”

Growing Green Thumbs

“With some effort, urban gardeners can grow great vegetables anyplace that affords enough light and warmth,” advises Strauss, who gardens primarily in raised beds in her front and back yards. “I garden on the scale I do because I love it. It’s both relaxing and challenging, and we eat well.”

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

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

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

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

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

Urban gardening is also thriving indoors in terrariums, window boxes

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and small greenhouses. Even partially lit rooms can support certain vegetables or herbs with grow lights. Aquaponic gardening, a closed-loop system that involves both fish and vegetables, expands the self-sufficient possibilities of a hydroponic system of growing plants fed by liquid nutrients.

Feeding Ourselves

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

“For the most part, we’re just average suburbanites,” concludes Brown.

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

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

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Local Foods Grow on Menus

any restaurants are seeking to lower ‘food miles’ and offer fresher, more local food,” reports Michael Oshman, founder and CEO of the Green Restaurant Association, which certifies sustainably operated restaurants. The 500-plus restaurants certified since 1990 include university, government and corporate cafeterias.

The award-winning Uncommon Ground restaurant, in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood, maximizes the nation’s first certified organic rooftop farm using just 654 square feet of soil. Combined with its Wrigleyville restaurant’s “sidewalk farm”, client

chefs receive 1,200 pounds of fresh produce each year, valued at more than $5,600. Ingredients not grown onsite are sourced directly from regional farms, with their names often appearing on the menu. Community education is also part of the program.

According to the “What’s Hot” National Restaurant Association nationwide survey of chefs, hyperlocal food sourcing, including rooftop farms, was the fifthmost-popular trend in 2011. Also in the top 10 were locally grown produce sourced from area farmers, farm-branded ingredients and sustainability.

“Customers now have an opportunity to demand local and organic ingredients as much as possible,” concludes Oshman. More Americans than ever want to know the origin of what’s on their plate.

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Finding Solutions for Difficult Weight Loss Cases

by Gregory M. Kramer, DC are some of the health issues that may be sabotaging their efforts.

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone. It is often caused by an autoimmune disease but can also be caused by certain drugs, congenital defects and radiation used to treat cancers of the head and neck. Because the thyroid gland produces the hormones that regulate metabolism, any problems with the thyroid must be addressed for successful weight loss, even if the patient is taking thyroid medication.

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Chronic cellular inflammation raises the adrenal hormone cortisol, which causes belly fat to accumulate and makes weight loss difficult. Toxins, bad fats, food intolerances, autoimmune diseases, poor diet and dysgylcemia (disorder of the blood sugar metabolism) can all cause chronic inflammation.

hy can’t I lose weight?”

I hear this every day in my office. Patients say they have tried everything, but they just cannot get rid of their stubborn belly fat. To crack a difficult weight loss case, it is important for the health professional first to gather as much information as possible to determine what factors are contributing to the individual’s scenario.

Weight loss is so much more than counting calories, grams of fat or even carbs. To ensure lasting success it is also important to address the underlying issues that cause weight gain or prevent weight loss. Attempts at weight loss can fail if an individual is battling any metabolic disorders.

When individuals are doing the right things but still cannot lose weight, here

20 Wayne County Edition

Leptin resistance can result in fat storage and a feeling of constant hunger. Leptin is a hormone that controls appetite, satiety and the storage (or burning) of fat.

Insulin surges from starchy, sugary diets cause leptin resistance.

Hormone imbalances in women commonly include high cortisol, high testosterone and insulin resistance. These imbalances can lead to weight gain, excess belly fat, facial hair growth, hair loss and problems with menstruation or menopause. In men, high estrogen in relation to testosterone promotes belly fat as well as gynecomastia and pearshaped hips.

Brain chemistry imbalances can lead to cravings and addictive behavior, such as

NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com

overeating.

Structural imbalances, in the back, hips, knees or feet, for example, may limit a person’s ability or desire to exercise. Structural correction of those problem areas can make a big difference to their fitness.

Exercise is an essential part of losing weight and a potent enhancer of normal hormonal function. Exercise can raise testosterone and growth hormone and improve insulin sensitivity—all of which improve fat loss). Yet overtraining can tip the testosterone to cortisol ration and cause muscle wasting and fat deposition. Too much exercise can become a chronic stressor that reduces overall wellness.

The key is balance for each person’s individual body.

Every case is different. Once all health factors are considered, physician and patient can determine a plan for healthy eating, proper exercise and beneficial supplements and lifestyle changes to produce optimal results.

Dr. Gregory M. Kramer is a Chiropractic physician who is associated with Functional Medicine University with advanced training in functional medicine and clinical nuitrition. He is a diplomate in the American Aacademy of Medical Legal Professionals and has advanced certification in chiropractic biophysics . His practice, is located at 34441 west 8 Mile Road suite 116, in Livonia(8mile and Gill Rd.). For more information, call 248-615-1533, email LivoniaSpine@yahoo.com or visit www.

LivoniaSpineAndHealth.com.

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healthykids

Six Powerhouse Foods for Kids With Palate-Pleasing Tips

by Susan Enfield Esrey

A

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

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

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

22 Wayne County Edition

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

inspiration

The Healing Power of Silence

by Robert Rabbin

O

ne day I disappeared into Silence…

It was more than grace, an epiphany or a mystical union; it was my soul’s homecoming, my heart’s overflowing love, my mind’s eternal peace. In Silence, I experienced freedom, clarity and joy as my true self, felt my core identity and essential nature as a unity-in-love with all creation, and realized it is within this essence that we learn to embody healing in our world.

This Silence belongs to us all—it is who and what we are. Selfless silence knows only the present moment, this incredible instant of pure life when time stops and we breathe the high-altitude air we call love. Let us explore Silence as a way of knowing and being, which we know, which we are.

Silence is within. It is within our breath, like music between thoughts, the light in our eyes. It is felt in the high arc of birds, the rhythm of waves, the innocence of children, the heart’s deepest emotions that have no cause. It is seen in small kindnesses, the stillness of nights and peaceful early mornings. It is present when beholding a loved one, joined in spirit.

In Silence, we open to life and life opens to us. It touches the center of our heart, where it breaks open to reveal another heart that knows how to meet life with open arms. Silence knows that thoughts about life are not life itself. If we touch life through Silence, life touches us back intimately and we become one with life itself. Then the mystery, wonder, beauty and sanctity becomes our life. Everything but wonderment falls away; anger, fear and violence disappear as if they never existed.

Knowing Silence is knowing our self and our world for the first time. We only have to be still until that Silence comes forth from within to illuminate and embrace us, serving as the teacher, teaching and path, redeeming and restoring us in love.

In this truth-filled moment, we enter our Self fully

and deeply. We know our own beauty, power and magnificence.

As the embodiment of Silence, we are perfection itself, a treasure that the world needs now. Right now the Universe needs each of us to be our true Self, expressing the healing power of our heart, in Silence.

As a lifelong mystic, Robert Rabbin is an innovative self-awareness teacher and author of The 5 Principles of Authentic Living.

Connect at RobertRabbin.com.

Help Others Read to Succeed We are seeking volunteers to tutor reading students

Pro-Literacy Detroit believes everyone should have the opportunity to be an informed citizen, a supportive and involved parent, a viable employee, and a lifelong learner.

— Attend one of our workshops — March 2013 • Basic Literacy Workshop Training Saturday, March 16, 2013 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 23, 2013 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

April 2013 • Basic Literacy Workshop Training Saturday, April 13, 2013 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 20, 2013 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Workshop fees are paid by the Detroit Rotary Club

Workshops are held at the

Pro-Literacy Detroit Administrative Office 7375 Woodward Avenue Suite 2800 • Detroit, MI 48202

313.872.7720 www.ProLiteracyDetroit.org

READ • EMPOWER • SUCCEED natural awakenings

March 2013

23

Holistic is Best Natural Care for a Sick Pet

by Dr. Shawn Messonnier

T

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

Downsides of Conventional Treatment

Many sick pets brought to a holistic vet’s office may not have been formally diagnosed, even if they’ve been receiving medical treatment by a conventional doctor for weeks or months. In most cases, the standard blanket prescriptions of antibiotics and corticosteroids—regardless of the cause of illness—have failed to produce positive results. Worse, such drugs carry side effects that can make the pet even sicker; indiscriminate use of antibiotics, for example, has led to antibiotic resistance in bacteria, making it harder to treat serious infections when antibiotics are the only viable treatment option.

So by the time the holistic doctor sees them, the condition of these pets may have worsened. The good news is that with precise diagnosis of the underlying issues, most sickly pets can be treated with good success. Because a holistic approach to healthcare relies on individual factors, the exact treatment will vary according to the patient and situation. A cookie-cutter treatment will not be very helpful.

Holistic Nutrition Therapy Helps

Owners can take several steps to provide relief for a suffering pet right away while awaiting the results of proper diagnostic tests. In my practice, three

vet-supervised nutrition therapies have been shown to be effective in stabilizing a sick pet for the 24 to 48 hours needed to return test results before the appropriate treatment can be initiated.

Ask the attending veterinarian for other safe, comforting measures he or she likes to recommend.

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

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

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

Third, using supplements selected to restore homeostasis also helps make the pet feel better and encourages healthy eating. I like to use a natural immunity support I developed called Healthy Chi, which contains amino acids, potassium, green tea, ginseng, gotu kola and the herb astragalus. Homeopathic combinations also can be useful; I’ve developed a natural remedy combining gallium, colchicum, hydrastis, anthraquinone and glyoxal.

Case Studies Exemplify Success

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

24 Wayne County Edition

NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com

[optional sidebar]

[optional pull quote]

acting much better, including showing more interest in eating. His owner was pleased with this rapid response and relieved to avoid unnecessary medication.

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

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

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

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

communityspotlight

On a Mission to Save Detroit’s Dogs

T

here are thousands of wandering the streets of Detroit and The Detroit Dog Rescue is a non-profit organization committed to helping. They’re on a mission to open the first no-kill shelter in Detroit.

The Detroit Dog Rescue was founded by Daniel Carlisle, also known as Detroit rapper Hush. In 2010, he started documenting Detroit’s saddest dogs and posting the videos to YouTube. In 2011, DDR received an anonymous donation of 1.5 million dollars from a terminally ill woman. Carlisle credits the success of DDR to her gift.

The Detroit Dog Rescue works to save the forgotten dogs of Detroit. Sometimes, the police call them from drug raids to come collect an abandoned dog. Other times, neighbors surrender canines left behind by their owners.

Every dog that DDR rescues receives veterinary care including vaccinations, sterilization, de-worming and heart-worm testing and treatment. So far they have helped over 1500 dogs and only 2 have ever been put down - one terminally ill and one who could not be rehabilitated.

“We essentially work as a shelter, without having the physical space yet,” says Carlisle. While the rescued dogs wait to be adopted, they live with foster families or are boarded at pet facilities, including Harper Veterinary Hospital and Camp Bow Wow in St. Clair Shores. In 2014, DDR plans to break ground on the first no-kill shelter in Detroit.

DDR also does community outreach by providing education and assistance to dog owners in the city. They host vaccination clinics, teach classes, and collaborate with organizations to build dog houses. Struggling dog owners can contact DDR for food, vet costs and dog houses.

“No expense is spared when it comes to saving a dog’s life.” explains Carlisle. “Gunner, a German Shorthaired Pointer who was found on the side of the road with his leg hanging off, has been DDR’s most expensive case yet.

When DDR contacted the owner, using Gunner’s microchip, they learned he had traveled over 100 miles…with a broken leg and the owner didn’t want him back. DDR spent over $6000 to heal Gunner and send him to a no-kill German Shorthair Pointer rescue in Boston.”

“What DDR needs most is adopters and foster families,” says Carlisle. “The quicker we can get fosters and adopters, the faster we can bring more dogs in.

When we’re at capacity, we can’t take in more dogs.”

For more information, to volunteer foster or adopt, visit DetroitDogRescue.com.

For information on local DDR events, check out the calendar on their website. natural awakenings

March 2013

25

healingways

Beyond Cholesterol

How Triglycerides Take a Toll

by James Occhiogrosso

F

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

Why Triglycerides Count

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

While high triglyceride levels are not conclusively linked to the develop-

26 Wayne County Edition

ment of any specific disease, they are associated with the narrowing of arteries and impaired blood flow associated with cardiovascular disease. (Impaired blood flow also effects male erectile function.)

Several recent studies, including one in the Annals of Internal Medicine, also suggest these could instigate the metabolic syndrome associated with the onset of diabetes and atherosclerosis, which can lead to stroke and cardiovascular disease.

What Creates Triglycerides?

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

Evidence reported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute suggests that very high intakes of carbohydrates are accompanied by a rise in triglycerides, noting that, “Carbohydrate

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intakes should be limited to 60 percent of total calories.”

Many research scientists agree that the main cause for high triglyceride levels is the Standard American Diet, notoriously high in sugars and simple carbohydrates, trans-fats and saturated animal fats, and far too low in complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals; specifically, vitamins A, B, C, D and especially E, plus the minerals selenium, magnesium, silicon and chromium.

Sugars added to soft drinks and food products, especially those containing high-fructose corn syrup, also raise triglyceride levels significantly.

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

Animal fats, like those in farm-raised red meats, typically contain a skewed ratio of the fats known as omega-3 and omega-6, with the latter dominating by nearly 20:1; a ratio also found in commercial packaged foods and baked goods. Many studies show such a high omega-6/omega-3 ratio tends to promote disease. Eating oily fish and healthy plant oils such as cold-pressed virgin olive and coconut oil, nuts, seeds and minimally prepared foods provides a more balanced ratio of omega fatty acids.

Lowering Triglyceride Levels Part of today’s medical paradigm focuses on lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol. As a result, many patients and doctors worry about cholesterol levels, but ignore triglycerides. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends a triglyceride level of 100 milligrams per deciliter or less; about one-third of the population currently exceeds this.

While drugs can help, the AHA does not recommend drug therapy except for people that have severe levels (more than 500mg/dL), which can increase the risk of acute pancreatitis. For those with high, but not severe levels, dietary and other lifestyle changes can be effective in lowering triglyceride levels.

Logically, reducing consumption of

SANKOFA LIFE NETWORK presents

red meat and processed foods, especially those containing trans-fats, and increasing consumption of complex carbohydrates from whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and legumes is recommended. AHA studies further show that daily supplementation of fish oil and fullspectrum vitamin E can reduce serum triglyceride levels significantly. In one study, fish oil containing at least 1,000 to 3,000 mg of omega-3 decreased such concentrations by 25 to 30 percent.

In a 2009 study of a nationally representative group of 5,610 people published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Dr. Earl S. Ford, of the U. S. Centers for Disease Control, found that about one-third had triglyceride levels above 150 mg/dL—considered somewhat high—while almost another 20 percent had high levels of 200-plus mg/ dL.

Always consult a knowledgeable health practitioner prior to beginning a new regimen. Just as with managing any aspect of health, care is required and knowledge is power.

James Occhiogrosso, a natural health practitioner and master herbalist, specializes in salivary hormone testing and natural hormone balancing.

His latest book is Your Prostate, Your Libido, Your Life. Find relevant articles at HealthNaturallyToday.com. Connect at 239-498-1547 or DrJim@HealthNaturallyToday.com.

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

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March 2013

27

greenliving

RECYCLING EVERYDAY REFUSE What Happens after the Blue Bin is Emptied

E

by Avery Mack

ach blue recycle bin filled with plastic, aluminum, glass, paper and cardboard helps the environment, because it reduces landfill, takes less energy to repurpose materials than to make new ones and gently reminds us that thoughtful consumption is healthier for people and the planet. But what do all those recyclables turn into?

Repurposed Plastics

Plastic milk jugs turn into colorful playthings at Green Toys, of Mill Valley, California. Repurposing one pound of recycled milk jugs instead of making new plastic saves enough energy to run a computer for a month. All packaging is made from recycled content and printed with soy ink, so it can go into the blue bin again. GreenToys. com’s online counter shows the number of containers recycled— more than 10

28 Wayne County Edition

million to date.

Fila Golf’s Principal Designer Nancy Robitaille says, “Recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate), a core Fila cooling fabric, is used throughout our collection.

Each fully recycled PET garment reuses about two-and-a-half 20-ounce plastic pop bottles.”

Patagonia customers are encouraged to return their old coat when buying a new one. Coats in good condition are given to people in need; the PET fleece lining from retired coats is sent to ReFleece, in Somerville, Massachusetts, where it is cleaned and turned into recyclable protective cases for iPads, e-readers and cell phones.

“We expect to make 10,000 cases

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this year from 2,000 jackets,” says Jennifer Fellers, ReFleece’s CEO. “We use low heat to press the cases into shape.”

Vancouver, Canada, which plans to be the greenest city in the world by 2020, includes recycled plastic from bags and water bottles in laying down warm asphalt mix for roads because it uses less fuel to keep the tar at a pourable temperature. Switching from traditional hot asphalt technology also reduces emissions.

Transforming Aluminum and Glass

In 2012, Do Something.org partnered with Alcoa to challenge teens to recycle aluminum cans. For every 50 cans collected during a two-month period, they were awarded a chance to win a $5,000 scholarship. The sponsors note that recycling one can saves enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for 20 hours. The final total was 1,152,569 cans kept out of landfills.

“Aluminum can be recycled an infinite number of times,” says Beth Schmitt, director of recycling programs for Alcoa, which has centers nationwide and cash-back programs for community fundraisers.

“We re-melt the collected cans, then roll out coils of new can sheets. This process can be repeated without any loss of strength—that’s why we call aluminum the ‘miracle metal.’ If every American recycled just one more can per week, we would remove 17 billion cans from landfills each year.”

Wine bottles become designer drinking glasses at Rolf Glass, in Mount

Pleasant, Pennsylvania. “Our designs give used bottles a second life,” says owner Rolf Poeting. Refresh Glass, of Phoenix, Arizona, salvages and preps the bottles. “Then, our glass cutting and diamond-wheel engraving technology transforms them into sophisticated Glacier Glass,” continues Poeting. “This seems to be a trend in many industries, to find additional uses for another company’s recycled products.”

Rewined, of Charleston, South Carolina, also exemplifies this principle. It uses wine bottles to hold their soy-based, cotton-wicked candles, which provide 60 to 80 hours of winescented burn.

Second Life for Paper

Purina’s Yesterday’s News and Second Nature litter for cats and dogs, respectively, is made from recycled paper and absorbs waste upward from the bottom of the litter box for easier cleaning. The unscented litter pellets are three times as absorbent as clay, non-toxic and nearly dust-free. Hedgehogs, mice, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs and reptiles also like Yesterday’s News for bedding.

On average, 44 million pounds of paper are annually recycled for these products.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States annually generates 11 million tons of asphalt shingle waste, mostly from re-roofing tear-offs and new installation scrap, comprising 8 percent of construction waste. Each recycled ton saves a barrel of oil. OFIC North America, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, creates its Ondura corrugated roofing from old newspapers or magazines and cardboard, made durable by infusing it with asphalt. It’s placed atop existing roofs, which means no discarded shingles. Each day, 40 to 50 tons of recycled paper goods find new life in Ondura products, available at most home improvement stores.

Sound inside Buick Lacrosse and Verano vehicles is dampened via a ceiling material made partly from reused cardboard shipping boxes. Paint sludge from General Motors’ Lansing, Michigan, Grand River assembly plant becomes durable plastic shipping containers for Chevrolet Volt and Cruze engine components. Some 200 miles of absorbent polypropylene sleeves, used to soak up a recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, were converted into air deflectors for the Volt, preventing 212,500 pounds of waste from entering landfills.

As part of its community outreach, 250 shipping crates from GM’s Orion assembly plant became raised garden beds for a Southwest Detroit community garden. A local entrepreneur turned donated sound absorption material into coats that also serve as sleeping bags for the homeless.

Old Tires Transformed

The Rubber Manufacturers Association reports that Americans discard 300 million tires each year, each one having consumed about seven gallons of oil in its manufacture and poised to add to Earth’s landfills. Lehigh Technologies’ micronized rubber powder (MRP), made by freeze-drying discarded tires and pulverizing them into a fine powder, changes the equation. MRP is now used in many items, from new tires, roads and building materials to shoes.

It feels good to place used items in the blue bin instead of the trash, knowing that more and more companies are helping to put these resources to good use.

Connect with freelance writer Avery Mack at AveryMack@mindspring.com.

Coming in April

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29

Bach Flower Essences

Balancing the Spiritual and Mortal Planes

by Phoenix Honka

“W

e all have a Divine mission in this world, and our souls use our minds and bodies as instruments to do this work, so that when all three are working in unison the result is perfect health and perfect happiness.”—Dr. Edward Bach Bach Flower Essences were developed in England by renowned British researcher and physician, bacteriologist, immunologist, pathologist and homoeopathist Dr. Edward Bach in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Bach believed that a negative state of mind was at the core of any illness. He gave up his lucrative medical practice, which came from a more orthodox approach, and instead pursued his passion. Following his insight and intuition, he discovered that he would find the healing properties that he sought among a countryside of flowers and trees.

Bach was a deeply spiritual man.

His philosophy about disease was tied into his philosophy about life. He wrote, in Ye Suffer From Yourselves, “Disease of the body, as we know it, is a result, an end product of something much deeper. Disease originates above the physical plane, nearer to the mental. It is entirely a result of a conflict between our spiritual and mortal selves.

So long as these two are in harmony, we are in perfect health: but when there is

30 Wayne County Edition

discord, there follows what we know as disease.”

Bach had the intuitive discovery that the dew found on the leaves of flowers retains healing properties of that plant. As he continued his work, his intuitions became so sensitive that, by holding a flower or tasting a petal, he could immediately sense what its healing effects were. In this way, one by one, he developed the 38 different main flower essences, each with a different use. According to Bach, flower essences have the unique ability to communicate with the human body on a vibrational and cellular level and quell disharmony found in everyday life. Through their intuitive and energetic use, the spiritual and mortal plane can be balanced.

Flower essences are intended for emotional and spiritual conditions, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, insomnia and stress. Wild Rose, for instance, helps to balance feelings of hopelessness and encourages choices.

Walnut is commonly selected to assist with transitional periods in life that require adaptation to new situations.

Rock Rose can neutralize terror and fright.

By pursuing his passion, Bach came to realizations from inner observation.

His profound insights provide meaningful information to be considered by those who take interest in health. Bach considered disease beneficial and purely corrective, a message from our soul that changes need to occur in our lives if we are to maintain our health and happiness.

He described disease as “the means adopted by our own Souls to point out to us our own faults, to prevent our making greater errors, to hinder us from doing more harm, and to bring us back to the path of the Truth and Light from which we should never have strayed.”

He also wrote, “These [negative states of mind], if we allow them, will reflect themselves in the body causing what we call disease. Not understanding the real causes we have attributed

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disharmony to external influences, germs, cold, heat, and have given names to the results, arthritis, cancer, asthma, etc.; thinking that disease begins in the physical body.” These provocative revelations lend to a deeper understanding of human nature, which shows a path towards inner acceptance and exploration and that we solely are the ones who decide the paths that we take.

Bach emphasized that only the person is to be treated, never the disease. He developed flower essences to release the emotional and mental disharmony within us, to facilitate being true to our soul’s purpose once again, thereby restoring our systems equilibrium.

Therefore, the remedies are chosen according to a person’s mental and emotional state. Since there are many options available for flower essences, it is best to be evaluated by a professional and to make sure any products used come from a pure, organic source of plants that have been prepared under optimal conditions.

Phoenix Honka, Master Herbalist, Shaman, Reiki Master, Reconnective Healer. honka. phoenix@gmail.com, sabotagecorrection. com, 248-880-6320

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consciouseating

The Better Brain Diet Eat Right To Stay Sharp

drates, which keep blood sugars at bay.

Substitute whole grains and vegetables for white rice, pastas and sugary fruits.

Water down juices or forego them altogether.

Choose fats wisely: Arizona neurologist Dr. Marwan Sabbagh, co-author of The Alzheimer’s Prevention Cookbook, points to numerous studies suggesting a link between saturated fat in butter, cooking oil, cheese and processed meats and increased risk of Alzheimer’s.

by Lisa Marshall

W

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

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

In recent years, studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and Archives of Neurology have shown that people on a Mediterranean-type diet—high in antioxidantrich fruits and vegetables, whole grains and fatty fish and low in refined carbohydrates and saturated fats—tend to fend off cognitive decline longer and be less prone to developing full-blown Alzheimer’s. Several small, but promising clinical trials further suggest that even people that have already begun

32 Wayne County Edition

to suffer memory loss may be able to slow or mildly reverse it via nutritional changes. Here’s how.

Switch to slow-burning carbs: Mounting evidence indicates that the constant insulin spikes from eating refined carbohydrates like white bread or sugarsweetened sodas can eventually impair the metabolization of sugar (similar to Type 2 diabetes), effecting blood vessel damage and hastened aging.

A high-carb diet has also been linked to increased levels of beta-amyloid, a fibrous plaque that harms brain cells.

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

Isaacson recommends switching to slow-burning, lowglycemic index carbohy-

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“In animals, it seems to promote amyloid production in the brain,” he says.

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

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

One recent study published in the Annals of Neurology found that women eating high amounts of blueberries and strawberries were able to stave off cognitive decline 2.5 years longer than those that did

not. Rich in antioxidant flavonoids, blueberries may even have what Sabbagh terms, “specific anti-Alzheimer’s and cell-saving properties.”

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

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

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

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

Start your prevention plan today.”

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

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March 2013

33

Gluten Intolerance: a Growing Concern with Emerging Solutions

by Theresa Edmunds

G

luten intolerance is a spectrum of disorders in which gluten—a protein composite that naturally occurs in the grassy or cereal grains, such as wheat, rye and barley and related grains—has an adverse effect on the body. The disorders produce symptoms of digestive distress, inflammation, body and joint aches, fatigue and more. The most serious form of gluten intolerance is celiac disease, an autoimmune reaction to eating gluten that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing nutrients.

Gluten intolerance is on the rise and continues to grow, reports Dr. William Davis, in his book Wheat Belly. According to research from Mayo Clinic, celiac disease is four times more common now than 60 years ago and could affect as many as one in 100 to 150 people, although most cases go undiagnosed. Some are calling it the hidden epidemic. How is it that something virtually unknown a generation ago has become so much more prevalent?

One theory, proposed by Davis describes that over the last 60 years or so, the process of hybridizing wheat to make it more productive has also increased its gluten content significantly. One test, Davis mentions, reveals fourteen new strains of gluten. During this hybridization process, no proper studies were done to evaluate the effects of the new varieties on humans. Mayo Clinic researchers are examining this and other theories.

Hidden Sources of Gluten While the reasons for the increase in the number of gluten-sensitive individuals are not completely understood, those people that suffer with some form of gluten intolerance face the complication that gluten-containing ingredients are commonly found in many different forms in packaged or prepared foods, and the FDA does not require labeling it. For instance, malt and malt derivatives can be a hidden source of gluten because they come from germinated barley.

Stabilizers, thickeners and binding agents in processed foods can be hidden sources. Surprisingly, gluten can be found in such unlikely places as ice cream,

34 Wayne County Edition

mayonnaise and yogurt and even in nonfood products, such toothpaste and the adhesive on envelopes. Obviously, this creates many challenges for those who must avoid gluten but also for those who unknowingly are gluten sensitive and cannot figure out the source of the problem.

Health Issues For those that are intolerant, gluten has the ability to damage the digestive system. When this occurs, even without symptoms, the body will try to protect itself by making antibodies against the tissue that has absorbed the gluten.

To diagnosis celiac disease, doctors use blood tests for the antibodies and a biopsy of the small intestine to see if the villi are injured. Unfortunately, these antibodies can start to affect other systems in the body, such as the thyroid, the joints and even the brain. This is significant because gluten intolerance and its most extreme form, celiac disease, can lead to more serious health issues.

According to the book, The G Free Diet, written by Elisabeth Hasselbeck, people with celiac disease are more likely to have other autoimmune disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as type1 diabetes, intestinal cancers, thyroid disease. In addition to the symptoms describes previously, Hasselbeck writes that gluten intolerance is also linked to irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, depression, brain fog, constipation, infertility, attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder and headaches.

Gluten-free Living The good news is that with some awareness and understanding we can protect ourselves and even heal our bodies from the damaging effects of gluten. Other whole and often ancient grains, such as quinoa, millet, amaranth and brown rice, are naturally glutenfree and can be healthier choices than processed breads and pastas. Oatmeal can also be a good choice but some controversy exists around oats because some individuals react to them. Scientist still debate the causes, but because cross-contamination in processing can

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be an issue, those avoiding gluten should consume only oats that are tested and labeled gluten-free.

An array of gluten-free products are made from alternative grains, as well, including pasta, breads, crackers and cookies; as the quality and availability of these products increase, it has become easier today to enjoy living without gluten. Restaurants are starting to address the growing need, too, by either offering gluten-free alternatives or labeling their gluten-free menu items.

Many people find better health through eliminating gluten from their diet. In addition, by shifting to a more balanced diet, people can take their health to the next level. In a culture where the common diet is so heavy in carbohydrates, removing many of these products from the diet and replacing them with vegetables, fruits and true whole grains, like the ones listed above, can create a significant improvement in health.

According to Dr. Natasha CampbellMcBride, in her book Gut and Psychology Syndrome, emerging evidence suggests that by following a specialized diet, free of all grains and sugar, some people can cure their gluten sensitivity. Diets such as the Gut and Psychology Diet (GAPS) and the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) can heal the body of the damage that gluten has caused including related disorders and may rebalance the system enough that the body can tolerate moderate gluten intake.

The more we understand about gluten and its effects on the body, the greater the promise of health we have for the future. As we educate ourselves, we open ourselves to the opportunity for better health. Many people have found that accepting a new way of eating has left them feeling better than they have in years.

Certified Health Counselor Theresa Edmunds is the founder of Natural Concepts Health Counseling. She teaches nutrition and natural living classes for Monroe Community College’s Lifelong Learning Program. For more information, email TheresaEdmunds

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Thursday, March 14, 2013 7:00pm Civic Center Library, 32777 Five Mile Road, Livonia

Balance Your Hormones Naturally Tuesday, March 19, 2013 7:00-9:00pm TLC Holistic Wellness, 31580 Schoolcraft Rd, Livonia

Drink Yourself Healthy Friday, March 1 at 7pm Friday, March 8 at 7pm Saturday, March 9 at 11am Friday, March 22 at 7pm Saturday, March 23 at 11am Not all water is equal.

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March 2013

35

calendarofevents All Calendar events must be received by the 15th of the month prior to publication, and adhere to our guidelines.

Please visit HealthyLivingDetroit.com for guidelines and to submit entries.

March 1 Little Shoppe Market - 10am-7pm. (3/1 thru 3/3) Unique opportunity for crafters, artisans and vendors – up to 75 exhibitors, and provides a convenient way to shop while visiting the local retail shops, Free. Northville Square, 133 W Main St, Northville. LittleShoppeEvents. com, 734-660-7967.

Low-Cost Vaccine & Microchipping Clinic for Pets - 4:30-7:30pm. Microchips $25.

Nail trims $5. Clinic brought to you by Basil’s Buddies. Tiny Paws Pet Grooming, 13498 Dix Rd, Southgate. BasilsBuddies.org 734-9261098.

March 2 Marley Coffee Sampling – 9am - 10pm. Join us and taste the difference! . Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte. THFDownriver. com, 734-246-1208.

Lupus Warrior Gathering - 12-2pm. Not just for Lupus Warriors but Warriors of all chronic illness. Reiki Master Chrishara Seyanna Dudley-Wilkes, who once struggled with lupus, but is now pain-free will make a Reiki presentation. Free but donations accepted. St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 1961 E Lafayette Blvd, Detroit. PrettyDisabled.com 313-3032015.

March 3 10th Annual Dearborn Women’s Expo – 10am-5pm. Grab you BFFs for this SundayFunday, 100+ exhibitors, Fashion Show, Zumba demo, bridal/prom show, 50/50 raffles, duck pond full of prizes, silent auction. Admission $3, free parking. Ford Center for Performing Arts, 15801 Michigan Ave, Dearborn.

Christian Simplicity Lent 4.5 - 5-8pm.

Formation offers practical opportunities for people of faith to apply the values of Christian Simplicity to their everyday lives. Topic – Transportation: Exploring Alternative Ways of Getting Around, Reducing Carbon Emissions , Soup & Salad meal included, $10 per session, register at 313-286-2802. St. Paul of the Cross Retreat & Conference Center, 23333 Schoolcraft (I-96 @ Telegraph), Detroit. Passionist.org/ StPauls.

March 5 Total Health Foods - Double Punch Day - 9am - 9pm. Get more bang for your buck with double punch day! Get to your rewards faster! Stop in and save! Get double punch rewards when you spend over $25 . Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte. THFDownriver.com, 734-246-1208.

Read Up on Science for Kids – Engineering - 7- 8:15pm. Science workshops for children throughout the month of March, grades pre-K thru 3, will feature a demo by experts, a story, and a free book about the topic. Free, registration required. Caroline Kennedy

36 Wayne County Edition

Library, 24590 George St, Dearborn Hghts.

DHCL.MichLibrary.org 313-791-3800.

Veg101 - 7pm-8:30pm. Fun and informative cooking class, learn the nutritional aspects of a plant based diet and taste samples of the prepared food. Free. Whole Foods, 2918 Walton Blvd, Rochester Hills. VegMichigan. org, 248-371-1400.

March 6 Peripheral Neuropathy Seminar – 6pm.

Learn about problem causes & cures, presented by Dr Kramer, DC. Free, but seating is limited, call to reserve your spot 248-6151533. Livonia Spine & Health, 34441 Eight Mile Rd Ste 116, Livonia.

Group Breath Practice - 6:30-8pm. For experienced breathers who want to deepen the benefits of conscious breathing by developing a consistent breath practice - will consist of intention setting, a facilitated breath session closing with sharing and integration, $25.

BodyWorks Healing Ctr, 819 Mill St, Plymouth.

734-416-5200.

March 7 Isle Royale: A Naturalist Tour - 7:30-8:30pm.

Explore the splendor of Michigan’s only National Park with naturalist Faye Stoner, and enjoy breathtaking photos. Join us early for refreshments and to learn of special Earth Day Volunteer opportunities with your local Sierra Club the Southeast Michigan Group.

Free. Birmingham Unitarian Church, 38651 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills. Michigan.

Sierraclub.org/semg.

Open Mindfulness Meditation - 7-8:30pm.

Learn a system of breathing, balance, flexibility, and mental focus/concentration practices designed to create a total “mindbody” meditative experience. Includes breathing, meditating, metta, and body focus. $15. BodyWorks Healing Center, 819 Mill St., Plymouth. 734-416-5200.

March 8 Drink Yourself Healthy - 7pm. All water is not created equal, learn which water is the best for your body. Dr. Fischer, a hydration expert, will help you learn the truth about water to help boost your overall health and improve your mood. Free. TLC Holistic Wellness, 31580 Schoolcraft Rd, Livonia. TLCHolisticwellness. com, 734-664-0339.

March 9 Weight Loss & Detox Seminar - 12-1pm.

Join Jamie Sutton, MS, RD, ACSM CPT to discuss weight loss and detoxing the healthy way! Free. Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte. THFDownriver.com, 734-2461208.

Health Awareness Day - 1-4pm. Bring a friend or family member for a health check up. $15. Dr. Elizabeth Sisk, 1075 Ann Arbor Rd, Plymouth.

HealthSpaofPlymouth.com, 734-454-5600.

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Mental Health Boot Camps - 6-8pm. Intensive self-help workshop designed to empower, educate, promote positive choices, openness to change, mental and emotional stability. Classes are interactive, informative and facilitated by a Licensed Professional Counselor in groups of 1525. Light refreshments will be served, arrive early for registration. Topics will include depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, codependency, self esteem, substance abuse, anger & trauma recovery $25. Darev Safety Consultants, 38099 Schoolcraft Rd, Livonia. 313-467-6434.

Pet Adoptions - 3-5pm. Basil’s Buddies has many available cats waiting for their furever homes, come meet your new best friend.

PetSmart, 23470 Allen Rd, Woodhaven.

BasilsBuddies.org, 734-926-1098.

VegMichigan Dinner Club - 7pm. Enjoy a flavorful, mildly-spiced vegan Indian feast for $17 (includes tax & tip). To attend, you MUST give an rsvp by 3/7, leave msg 877-778-3464 or karen@vegmichigan.org. Royal Indian Cuisine, 3877 Rochester Rd, Troy. VegMichigan.org.

March 10 Flower Essences Intro. Class - 1:30-2:30pm + 4:30-5:30pm. Flower Essences are considered the first in Vibrational Healing. Learn more about Dr. Bach, a deeply intuitive and spiritual man, who sensed the deeper significance of flowers, and how they can gently guide you toward health and emotional harmony. $10.

Phoenix Honka, Mercy Center, 28650 11 Mile Rd, Farmington Hills. 248-880-6320.

Christian Simplicity Lent 4.5 - 5-8pm.

Formation offers practical opportunities for people of faith to apply the values of Christian Simplicity to their everyday lives. Topic – Energy: Using Clean Energy and Consuming Energy More Efficiently, Soup & Salad meal included, $10 per session, register at 313-2862802. St. Paul of the Cross Retreat & Conference Center, 23333 Schoolcraft (I-96 @ Telegraph), Detroit. Passionist.org/StPauls.

March 11 Free trial belly dance lesson - 7-8pm. Ladies 16 and up join us for a trial belly dance lesson, no exp necessary-all fitness levels welcome, wear comfortable clothing. Free. Wayne Recreation Center, 4635 Howe Rd, Wayne.

BlazingBellyDance.com, 313 506 3073.

savethedate Meditation is for Everyone - 6:308pm. Fresh and innovated way to bring meditation into your life. This progressive, eight wk course designed and taught by Markel Lemke CRT, is a fast, easy, and fun way to help you help yourself, naturally. $100, call to register 734-301-7598. Henry Ford Self-health Center, 23400 Allen Rd, Woodhaven.

734-301-7598.

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March 12 Balancing Hormones Naturally- 6:307:30pm. Learn an easy way to reduce stress, how to have abundant energy and a simple yet powerful principle for healthy living and why many people unknowingly sabotage their health. rsvp at 734-525-9588 Free. Dr. William Civello, 34441 8 Mile Rd., Ste 116, Livonia.

DrCivello.com.

Essential Oils for the Nervous System 7-8:15pm. Learn which oils help in reducing stress to improve your overall health and well being, it’s simple and informative. Free, call to register. Canton Center Chiropractic, 6231 N Canton Ctr Rd. Ste 109, Canton.

CantonCenterChirpractic.com, 734-455-6767.

Healthy Detroit Seminar - 6-8pm. Join Team HD (Healthy Detroit) for our monthly wellness seminars which feature holistic health professionals from around the Metro Detroit area, includes nutrition tips and a taster sponsored by USANA Health Sciences followed by a special guest presentation. Free. Whole Foods Market Office Detroit, 3670 Woodward Ave, Detroit. BeHealthyDetroit.Eventbrite.com, 313-443-2571.

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Youngevity meeting - 7-8pm. Come learn about Youngevity & see what the hype is all about, free. Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte. THFDownriver.com, 734-2461208.

Foot Detox Mondays - 9am-8pm. Now offer foot detoxing, call to make an appt with

A

Alicia. Walk-ins also welcome.

Total health Center, 23400 Allen Rd, Woodhaven. ccess $25. many thousands of health-conscious, Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte. 734-676-3813.

THFDownriver.com, 734-246-1208. eco-minded, spiritual now! - 7-8pm. Step-byPressure singles Point Therapy Read Up on Science for Kids – Weather - step instruction of this therapy is taught by 7- 8:15pm. Science workshops for children Certified Wellness Doctor, Dr William H. Karl, and manifest throughout the month of March, grades DC Bring a partner to receive the most benefit pre-K thru 3, will feature a demo by experts, from this relaxing, informative workshop. Free. a story, and a free book about the topic. Free, Register at 734-425-8220. Karl Wellness Center an extraordinary, enlightened registration required. Caroline Kennedy & Chiropractic Clinic, 30935 Ann Arbor Trail, Library, 24590 George St, DearbornSpring Hghts. is Westland. relationship. in the air; DHCL.MichLibrary.org 313-791-3800.

Attracting and Maintaining True Love & March 13 be proactive by joiningPartnership today. – 7-9:30pm. Intro-Session & Mixer - want to learn how to stop repeating Pet Food Bank – 3-5:30pm. 2nd Wed of every old mistakes and pain when it comes to love? soulanimals matewhich is waiting to meetchange you!strategist, neuroplasticity month. Bring proofYour of your Join executive you are seeking assistance for, see website for trainer and love-mentor Sylvia Becker-Hill $15 requirements. Please do not bring your animals Concorde Inn, 1919 Star-Batt Dr, Rochester to this visit. Trenton/Woodhaven Animal Hills. Successfullysingle.org Shelter, 21860 Van Horn Rd, Woodhaven.

BasilsBuddies.org, 734-926-1098.

Essential Daily Exercises - 8-9pm Learn the six most essential exercises that will help you to Weight Loss Seminar – 6pm. If you’re serious improve strength, balance, and overall energy, about losing weight, don’t miss this one hour a must for all ages and fitness levels. Karl seminar presented by Dr Kramer, DC. Free, Wellness Center & Chiropractic Clinic, 30935 but seating is limited, call to reserve your spot Ann Arbor Trail. Free, please register 734-425248-615-1533. Livonia Spine & Health, 34441 8220. KarlWellnessCenter.com.

Eight Mile Rd Ste 116, Livonia.

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Diabetes Signs and Symptoms - 6:30-7:30pm.

Learn how to recognize a high vs. a low blood sugar and what you can do to level them out.

This is a great follow-up to Diabetes 101, but is not necessary that you attend both. Presented

by Kathy McKay, RN, Charter Member and Past President of the Michigan Organization of Diabetic Educators. Free. Henry Ford Self-

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37

calendarofevents All Calendar events must be received by the 15th of the month prior to publication, and adhere to our guidelines.

Please visit HealthyLivingDetroit.com for guidelines and to submit entries.

March 14

savethedate

Evening Out with Work it Out - 6:309:30pm. Join us for an evening of friends and fun! Learn how DKWIO is making a difference in the lives of children and how you can help. Yoga teachers who are RYT certified receive a complimentary admission, enjoy delectables created by D’Amato’s paired with refreshments from Pearl Vodka along with music by Urban Kris. $50 D’Amato’s Restaurant, 222 S. Sherman Drive, Royal Oak. dkwio.givezooks.com/events/lm-test, 313-227-7946.

Dine & Dish: How to Be a Vegetarian - 7-8pm.

On the fence about becoming a vegetarian?

VeggiePatti will be available once a month for a free mini-lecture followed by a Q&A. Grab a smoothie, juice, or raw food snack and get your questions answered. Free. Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte. VeggiePatti.com, 734-246-1208.

March 15

savethedate Ladies Spa Day - 4-7pm. Anti aging galvanic facial treatment, cellulite treatment, chair massage or calf/foot treatment, food & fun, gift drawings + specials, come and pamper yourself, gift certificates available, must call to register 734-454-5600, $30pp or bring a friend $50. Dr. Elizabeth Sisk, 1075 Ann Arbor Rd, Plymouth. HealthSpaofPlymouth. com.

Third Fridays in Wyandotte - 5-9pm. Join us along with the Wyandotte Business Assoc for Browse, Brews, & a Bit O’ Blarney, come paint the town green in honor of St. Patrick’s Day many shops & restaurants stay open later than usual, offer freebies, specials and discounts, plus musical entertainment, free trolley, and carriage rides throughout the downtown district. Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte.

THFDownriver.com, 734-246-1208.

Stone People Intuitive Development Class - 6-8pm. Shamanic People of all cultures observed nature to gain knowledge about the nature of being human. Learn how to quiet the mind, see and hear the messages from the Stone People. This is a way to gain self knowledge and a knowing of the interrelationship of all beings. rsvp ltd to 5 people. $20. Phoenix Honka, Mercy Center, 28650 11 Mile Rd, Farmington Hills. 248 880-6320.

March 16 Kids’ Easter Storytime & Craft Day 12:30pm. VeggiPatti will read The Easter Chinchilla, about Inca, a chinchilla who doesn’t quite fit in, and how he finds his purpose. Free crafts following the story, please bring a picture

38 Wayne County Edition

of your child that can be cut up, all other supplies will be provided. Book will be available for purchase after the reading; a portion of the proceeds benefit Basil’s Buddies. Free. Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte.

VeggiePatti.com, 734-246-1208.

Flower Essences Intro Class - 1:30-2:30pm + 4:30-5:30pm. Flower Essences are considered the first in Vibrational Healing. Learn more about Dr. Bach, a deeply intuitive and spiritual man, who sensed the deeper significance of flowers, and how they can gently guide you toward health and emotional harmony. $10.

Phoenix Honka, Mercy Center, 28650 11 Mile Rd, Farmington Hills. 248-880-6320.

Coffee & Tea Tasting - 2pm. Divided into two groups one for coffees and one for teas, each class will taste 3 to 4 different drinks. We will discuss the health benefits, the origins, the complexities of the taste, also what makes an organic tea or coffee, the market price of the products around the world and what affects them. $10. Agua Dulce Coffee & Tea, 1519 N Telegraph Rd., Monroe. AguaDulceCoffee. com, 734-652-7103.

savethedate Thermography Scans - 2-4pm. Free class for first half hr and scans by appt afterwards by Certified Thermography Technician Adarsa Antares. Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging is a 30-minute non-invasive imaging procedure used for detecting and monitoring breast disease, uses no radiation and is painless.

Call 734-246-1208 to make appt, cost is $135 for scan. Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte.

all wk long. Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte. THFDownriver.com, 734-2461208.

Women’s Health - 6:30-7:30pm. Join Theresa Edmunds as she discusses women’s health issues. $10. Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte. THFDownriver.com, 734-2461208.

Exercises For Better Health - 7-8pm. Learn posture exercises that are easy to do, and will help to hold your adjustments better. Join Dr. D for this fun and interactive evening.

Register at 734-455-6767. Free. Canton Center Chiropractic, 6231 N Canton Ctr Rd Ste 109, Canton. 734-455-6767.

March 19 Keep Your Heart Healthy - 1-2pm. Learn how to diminish your chances of an early death. Dr Karen will teach how & what you can do to take care of your heart & cardiovascular system. A plan of action steps will get you stepping in the right direction to a longer healthier life, Free.

Broad Family Chiropractic, 43423 Joy Rd & Morton Taylor, Canton. BroadFamilyChiro. com. 734-354-9900.

Learn How to Cook with Grains - 6-7pm.

Join Lucinda Reinas as she teaches you how to cook with grains, $5. Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte. THFDownriver.com, 734-246-1208.

Read Up on Science for Kids – Space 7- 8:15pm. Science workshops for children throughout the month of March, grades pre-K thru 3, will feature a demo by experts, a story, and a free book about the topic. Free, registration required. Caroline Kennedy Library, 24590 George St, Dearborn Hghts.

DHCL.MichLibrary.org 313-791-3800.

March 17

March 20

Flower Essences Intro. Class - 1:30-2:30pm + 4:30-5:30pm . Flower Essences are considered the first in Vibrational Healing. Learn more about Dr. Bach, a deeply intuitive and spiritual man, who sensed the deeper significance of flowers, and how they can gently guide you toward health and emotional harmony. $10.

Phoenix Honka, Mercy Center, 28650 11 Mile Rd, Farmington Hills. 248-880-6320.

Unresolved Thyroid Seminar – 6pm. Presented

by Dr Kramer, DC. Free, but seating is limited, call to reserve your spot 248-615-1533. Livonia Spine & Health, 34441 Eight Mile Rd Ste 116, Livonia.

Christian Simplicity Lent 4.5 - 5-8pm.

Formation offers practical opportunities for people of faith to apply the values of Christian Simplicity to their everyday lives. Topic – Water: Conserving and Protecting the Sacred Gift of Water, Soup & Salad meal included, $10 per session, register at 313-286-2802. St. Paul of the Cross Retreat & Conference Center, 23333 Schoolcraft (I-96 @ Telegraph), Detroit.

Passionist.org/StPauls.

March 18 $1 off Smoothies - 9am-9pm. Mar 25-30th is Restaurant Week in Downtown Wyandotte, stop by the THFs’ Juice Bar to get $1 off smoothies

NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com

Free Pranic Healing Clinic - 7-8:30pm.

Dissolve and disintegrate blocked energy.

Effective with many illnesses and diseases.

Relieve stress. Meditation Twin Hearts, love donation. BodyWorks Healing Center, 819 Mill St, Plymouth. BodyWorksHealingCenter.com, 734-419-5200.

Heal your Adrenals & Have Abundant Energy - 6:30-7:30pm. Come learn an easy way to reduce stress, how to have abundant energy and a simple yet powerful principle for healthy living. Understand why many people unknowingly sabotage their health. rsvp at 734525-9588 Free. Zerbo’s Health Foods, 34164 Plymouth Rd, Livonia. DrCivello.com.

March 21 The Truth About Cholesterol - 6-7:30pm. Join Kathy Peltier as she teaches you the real story

about cholesterol. Free. Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte. THFDownriver. com, 734-246-1208.

The Basics of Energy Medicine - 6:308:30pm. We have an innate ability for self healing through our energy systems (chakras, meridians, auric fields) learn to see & feel your energies and techniques for self healing, also a brief discussion regarding your sacred contracts. Pre-registration required $10. Paula Neys, Northville. PaulaNeys.vpweb.com, 248982-5971.

of your shoppe-ing needs, this venue is just SW of Michigan Ave & Outer Dr and will offer the opportunity to bid on items donated by our crafters and vendors, all proceeds from the raffles will be donated to a local charitable organization. Free. O’Kelly Banquet Hall, 23663 Park St, Dearborn. LittleShoppeEvents. com, 734-660-7967.

savethedate Attracting and Maintaining True Love & Partnership – 10am-6pm.

Want to learn how to stop repeating old mistakes and pain when it comes to love for good? Work with executive change strategist, neuroplasticity trainer and love-mentor Sylvia Becker-Hill to guide you through a true transformational process plus teaches you the tools to create the love of your dreams. $100 Troy Community Center, 3179 Livernois Rd Troy. SuccessfullySingle.org

March 22 Chocolate and Candy Day - 9am-10pm. Just because we all love the guilty pleasures in life, we will be offering 10% off all chocolate and candy today only. Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte. THFDownriver.com, 734-246-1208.

Flower Essences Intro. Class - 1:30-2:30pm + 4:30-5:30pm. Flower Essences are considered the first in Vibrational Healing. Learn more about Dr. Bach, a deeply intuitive and spiritual man, who sensed the deeper significance of flowers, and how they can gently guide you toward health and emotional harmony. $10.

Phoenix Honka, Mercy Center, 28650 11 Mile Rd, Farmington Hills. 248-880-6320.

Stone People Intuitive Development Class - 6-8pm. Shamanic People of all cultures observed nature to gain knowledge about the nature of being human. Learn how to quiet the mind, see and hear the messages from the Stone People. This is a way to gain self knowledge and a knowing of the interrelationship of all beings. rsvp ltd to 5 people. $20. Phoenix Honka, Mercy Center, 28650 11 Mile Rd, Farmington Hills. 248 880-6320.

Drink Yourself Healthy - 11am. All water is not created equal, learn which water is the best for your body. Dr. Fischer, a hydration expert, will help you learn the truth about water to help boost your overall health and improve your mood. Free. TLC Holistic Wellness, 31580 Schoolcraft Rd, Livonia. TLCHolisticwellness. com, 734-664-0339.

Pet Adoptions - 3-5pm. Basil’s Buddies has many available cats waiting for their furever homes, come meet your new best friend.

PetSmart, 23470 Allen Rd, Woodhaven.

BasilsBuddies.org, 734-926-1098.

Drink Yourself Healthy - 7pm. All water is not created equal, learn which water is the best for your body. Dr. Fischer, a hydration expert, will help you learn the truth about water to help boost your overall health and improve your mood. Free. TLC Holistic Wellness, 31580 Schoolcraft Rd, Livonia. TLCHolisticwellness. com, 734-664-0339.

March 23 Marley Coffee Sampling – 9am-10pm. Join us and taste the difference. Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte. THFDownriver. com, 734-246-1208.

Little Shoppe Market - 10am-3pm. Offers up to 50 crafters, artisans and vendors for all

savethedate 5th Annual Festival of Enlightenment Holistic Fair - 11am- 5pm. Join WHFR. FM 89.3 & “Metaphysically Speaking” in the bright, spacious Student and Culinary Arts Center, great vendors, readers and body healers, free speakers and live music, food and beverages will be available for purchase. Admission $5, students w/valid ID-free. This is a fund raising event for WHFR - the independent, noncommercial radio station at Henry Ford Community College, 5101 Evergreen Rd, Dearborn.

WHFR.FM, 734-326-7936.

March 24 AliveEmotion Trance Dance Meditation - 4-6pm. Trance Dance Meditation and AlivEmotion™ are methods of dance to release obstructed energy, with key integration of joyous expression. Collaborators, Phoenix Honka and Diana Kealoha, have developed a unique blend of their respective fields to explore the innerself, with a focus on spiritual evolution. Learn methods such as transformative breathing, healing body movement and how to enter a ‘trance’ state which promotes mental clarity, emotional well-being, spiritual awakenings and physical stamina, bring a blindfold, dynamic percussive rhythms provided. Suggested $10 donation. Mercy Center, 28650 11 Mile Rd, Farmington Hills. 248 880-6320.

Temple Community Gathering - 5-7pm.

Curious about Mystery School offerings but not sure where to start? Join a regular Gathering for seekers, connect and discuss openly, sexuality, consciousness, spirituality, tantra and more!

Includes: Open Meditation, Sacred Circle (a safe space to share and ask questions on intimate topics) Email to pre-register: Dakini@ MysterySchooloftheTempleArts.com. Dearborn, Free Leslie Blackburn, Dearborn. 313-269-6719.

Christian Simplicity Lent 4.5 - 5-8pm.

Formation offers practical opportunities for people of faith to apply the values of Christian Simplicity to their everyday lives. Topic – Gratitude and Generosity: Discovering New Ways of Opening Our Hearts and Becoming Involved, Soup & Salad meal included, $10 per session, register at 313-286-2802. St. Paul of the Cross Retreat & Conference Center, 23333 Schoolcraft (I-96 @ Telegraph), Detroit.

Passionist.org/StPauls.

March 25 Treating Fibromyalgia Holistically 7-8:15pm. Presented by Dr. Mark Campbell, learn a holistic approach to treating Fibromyalgia, which encompasses nutrition, diet, exercise and lifestyle changes. Free, call to register 734-455-6767. Canton Center Chiropractic, 6231 N Canton Cte Rd Ste 109, Canton. CantonCenterChiropractic.com.

March 26 Read Up on Science for Kids – Bugs - 78:15pm. Science workshops for children throughout the month of March, grades pre-K thru 3, will feature a demo by experts, a story, and a free book about the topic. Free, registration required. Caroline Kennedy

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March 2013

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Library, 24590 George St, Dearborn Hghts.

DHCL.MichLibrary.org 313-791-3800.

Wheat Woes & Your Waistline – 7-8:30pm.

Learn how modern hybrid wheat may be affecting your weight, mood, and health.

Targeted especially for those with Celiac Disease or who suffer from gluten sensitivities. Free reservations required, 734-425-8588. Livonia Civic Center Library, 3rd floor 32777 Five Mile Rd, Livonia. KarlWellnessCenter.com.

ongoingcalendar All Calendar events must be received by the 15th of the month prior to publication, and adhere to our guidelines. Visit NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com for calendar guidelines and to submit ongoing events.

March 27 Family Kitchen Fun - 6:30-7:45pm. Come join healthy cooking coach Adarsa Antares to learn how to work with your child in the kitchen and eat healthy food. Kids of all ages and their parents are welcome to this hands-on class. Includes organic meal. Call 734-4556767 to register, $15 per family. Canton Center Chiropractic, 6231 N Canton Center Rd Ste 109, Canton.

Powerful Impact of Positivity - 6:30-7:30pm.

Positivity impacts our lives in so many ways.

In fact there is a specific ratio that has been scientifically proven to enhance our resilience and outlook on life. Learn what this ratio is and how you can create a more positive and nurturing environment for yourself and family.

Free. Henry Ford Self-health Center, 23400 Allen Rd, Woodhaven. 734-676-3813.

$2 Shot Day - 11am-7pm. Ready to try a new type of shot? On March 3, 10, & 24, try our Hot Shot, and in honor of St Patrick’s Day, try a Wheat Grass shot on the 17th. Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte. THFDownriver.com.

Yoga Class - 11:30am-12:30pm. Guided poses to warm the body. Gentle postures with optimal alignment. All levels, donation based(not Free) BE NICE Yoga Studio, 4100 Woodward Ave, Detroit.

BeNiceYoga.com.

Yin (restorative) Yoga – 7-8pm. $14 walk in.

Livonia Yoga Ctr, 19219 Merriman Rd, Livonia.

LivoniaYogaCenter.com, 248-449-9642.

March 28 Irritable Bowel Disease, Colitis-Chrohns Disease Seminar – 6pm. Presented by Dr Kramer, DC. Free, but seating is limited, call to reserve your spot 248-615-1533. Livonia Spine & Health, 34441 Eight Mile Rd Ste 116, Livonia.

Free Reiki Clinic - 7-8:30pm. A unique opportunity to experience the powerful healing effects of Reiki. You have to feel it to know it, love donation. BodyWorks Healing Center, 819 Mill St, Plymouth. BodyworksHealingCenter. com, 734-416-5200.

March 30 Mental Health Boot Camps - 6-8pm. Intensive self-help workshop designed to empower, educate, promote positive choices, openness to change, mental and emotional stability. Classes are interactive, informative and facilitated by a Licensed Professional Counselor in groups of 15-25. Light refreshments will be served, arrive early for registration. Topics will include depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, codependency, self esteem, substance abuse, anger & trauma recovery $25. Darev Safety Consultants, 38099 Schoolcraft Rd, Livonia.

313-467-6434.

Foot Detox Mondays - 9am-8pm. Now offer foot detoxing, call to make an appt with Alicia.

Walk-ins also welcome. $25. Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte. THFDownriver.com, 734-246-1208.

Gentle Flow Yoga – 11:30am-12:30pm. Serene, restorative practice. All levels. Yoga Shelter, 17000 Kercheval Ave, 2nd floor, Grosse Pte. YogaShelter. com, 313-884-YOGA. Lunch Yoga – 12-1pm. Donation. Yoga 4 Peace, 13550 Dix-Toledo Rd, Southgate. info@y4peace. org 734-282-9642.

Kids Yoga – 4:45-5:30pm. Students ages 5 to 12 will gain focus, confidence, and body awareness while having fun with new friends, $8 per child. Taylor Yoga, 8935 Telegraph Rd, Taylor.

TaylorYoga.com, 313-292-9642.

Yoga – 6-7pm. De-stress, relax, rejuvenate! $10.

The Sanctuary, Chiropractic & Wellness Spa, 35275 Plymouth Rd, Livonia. Katie 248-880-3755.

SWCRC Connections Weekly Networking Group – 8am. Free to chamber members, one business per industry. Non-members can visit two meetings free. WCCC-Downriver Campus, 21000 Northline Rd – Conference Room 11, Taylor. Rick Williams, 734-626-7778.

40 Wayne County Edition

NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com

Foot Detox Tuesdays - 9am-8pm. Now offer foot detoxing, call to make an appt with Alicia.

Walk-ins also welcome. $25. Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte. THFDownriver.com, 734-246-1208.

Zumba – 9-10am. With Kym $10 Sankofa Life Learning & Wellness Center, 18734 Woodward Ave, Detroit. 313-366-5250 SankofaLife.net

Gentle Yoga – 9-10:15am. All levels. $14.

TaylorYoga, 8935 Telegraph Rd, Taylor.

TaylorYoga.com, 313-292-9642.

Foot Detox Tuesdays - 9am-8pm. Call to make an appt with Alicia. Walk-ins also welcome. $25.

Total Health Foods, 2938 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte.

734-246-1208.

Yoga - 10:15-11:15am. Come enjoy yoga in a nurturing environment! $10 walk-in rate. St John Neumann, 44800 Warren Rd, Canton.

StJohnNeumann.us, 734-455-5910.

Awaken Internal Organs – 11:30am-12:30pm.

Learn ancient & new ways to acknowledge & awaken your internal organs. $10. Kandascent Temple of Love, 8325 E Jefferson – Indian Village, Detroit. 313-286-5426

Donation Pop-Up Yoga - 12-1pm. Basic-Hatha Flow class, we encourage students to pay what they can, no one will be turned away, takes place in the atrium of the Fisher Bldg, street parking is available + in the lot attached to the Fisher Building (just W, & across the St from the New Ctr Bldg). donation.

The Fisher Building, 3011 W Grand Blvd, Detroit.

PopUpYoga313.com, 405-971-4523.

Classic Nia – 5:30-6:30pm. All levels. $13. Body and Mind Fitness, 239 E Nine Mile Rd, 1 blk E of Woodward, Ferndale. NiaBethSchedule.BlogSpot. com Beginners Pilates – 6pm. Guardian Martial Arts & Fitness, 30942 Ford Rd, Garden City.

GuardianMartialArts.com, 734-266-0565.

Qi Gong and Yoga for Real Bodies and Yoga Nidra – 6-7:15pm. Qi Gong is ancient Chinese exercise. No exp needed, provides stress relief and focus. Donation. Yoga 4 Peace, 13550 Dix-Toledo Rd, Southgate. Y4Peace.org, 734-282-9642.

Transformational Tuesdays – 7-9pm. With Dr Keefa Weatherspoon. $10 Sankofa Life Learning & Wellness Center, 18734 Woodward Ave, Detroit.

313-366-5250 SankofaLife.net Mindfulness Meditation Practice - 7- 8:30pm.

Learn a system of breathing, balance, flexibility, and mental focus/concentration practices designed to create a total “mind body” meditative experience.

ongoingcalendar All Calendar events must be received by the 15th of the month prior to publication, and adhere to our guidelines.

Visit NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com for calendar guidelines and to submit ongoing events. $15. BodyWorks Healing Center, 819 Mill St, Plymouth. BodyWorksHealingCenter.com, 734416-5200.

Core Yoga + Meditation - 7:30- 8:30pm. Come and experience Core Yoga + Meditation in a nurturing environment! $10 walk-in rate. Canfield Community Center, 1801 N Beech Daly Rd, Dearborn Hghts. 313-791-3600.

SWCRC Connections Weekly Networking Group – 8am. Free to chamber members, one business per industry. Non-members can visit two mtgs free. Best Western/Greenfield Inn “The Pink Palace” Packard Room, 3000 Enterprise Dr, Allen Park. Annette Prevaux 313-389-3937.

Chakra Yoga – 11am-12pm. Vinyasa class led

by Courtney Conover, designed to help balance chakras, all levels $14. Taylor Yoga, 8935 Telegraph Rd, Taylor. TaylorYoga.com SWCRC Connections Weekly Networking Group – 8am. 2nd and 4th Wed. Free to chamber members, one business per industry. Non-members can visit two meetings free. WCCC-Downriver Campus, 21000 Northline Rd – Conference Room 8, Taylor. Contact Mark Tremper 313-460-0438.

Tai Chi – 6-7pm. With Boby Jean Calhoun $10 Sankofa Life Learning & Wellness Center, 18734 Woodward Ave, Detroit. 313-366-5250 SankofaLife.net

Empathic Mystic Movement – 6-7:30pm.

Makeeba will help you learn to allow yourself to fully engage body, mind, soul, and spirit while combining music, movement, colors, and meditation. Begin to create our best lives. $10 Kandascent Temple of Love, 8325 E Jefferson Ave - Indian Village, Detroit. 313-286-5426

Canton Communicators Club – 6:30pm. Learn to become a better communicator and improve public speaking abilities! Canton Coney Island, 8533 Lilly Rd, Canton. Canton.FreeToastHost. com, 734-994-0569.

Community Share Dinner & Activities – 6:308pm. Join us for a meal, followed by contemporary worship, Bible study, classes, music, cards, and crafts -sign up for dinner each wk. Suggested cost is $6 per adult, $4 for 4-14, 3 and under free. “paywhat-you-can”. Allen Park Presbyterian Church, 7101 Park Ave, Allen Park. AllenParkChurch.org, 313-383-0100.

Circle of Light – 2-7pm. Sukyo Mahikari, Love offering. Sankofa Life Learning & Wellness Center, 18734 Woodward Ave, Detroit. 313-3665250 SankofaLife.net

Qigong – 5:30pm. Harmonize your body and relieve stress w/this ancient Chinese practice of meditation through movement w/instructor Terrell Thomas, all levels, 1st class free. New Center Yoga, 6080 Woodward Ave, Detroit. NewCenterYoga. com, 248-703-6971.

Tai Chi – 6-7pm. $5. Canton Ctr Chiropractic Clinic, 6231 N Canton Ctr Rd, Ste 109, Canton.

734-455-6767.

Budokon Flow – 6:15-7:15pm. Experience movements that fuse the yogic, martial & living arts. 1st wk free. Practice Yoga, 20792 Mack Ave, Grosse Pte Wds. Practice-Yoga.net, 313-881-2874.

Nia Technique – 7-8pm. All ages & fitness levels. $7. Canton Ctr Chiropractic Clinic, 6231 N Canton Ctr Rd, Ste 109, Canton. 734-455-6767.

Community Yoga - 7-8pm. All-levels, dedicated Christian Yoga Studio. Free/Donation. Living Waters Yoga, 63 Kercheval, Ste 20, Grosse Pointe Farms. LivingWatersYoga.com, 313-884-4465.

Cardio Kickboxing – 7:45-8:45pm. Ages 13 and up. $5. Michigan Karate Academy, 23753 Van Born Rd, Taylor. 313-292-9214.

Prenatal Yoga – 7:45-8:45pm. $14. Northville Yoga Center, 200 S Main St Unit B, Northville.

NorthvilleYogaCenter.com, 248-449-9642.

Vinyasa Yoga - 9-10:15am. Flowing sequence, all levels. $14. Taylor Yoga, 8935 Telegraph Rd, Taylor. TaylorYoga.com, 313-292-9642.

Zommer Yoga - 10:30-11:30am. Chair Yoga. Safe, low-impact workout with cross training benefits.

Enhance flexibility, mobility, bone density, and strength. Good for active seniors. $10. Mind Body Balance, 105 E Front St, Ste 304, Monroe.

MindBodyBalance.com, 734-457-9003.

Slow Flow Yoga - 11:30am-12:15pm. Beginning students and moderate pace. Intro to vinyasa.

Gentle flow working toward an advanced beginner class. $10. Mind Body Balance, 105 E Front St, Ste 304, Monroe. MindBodyBalance.com, 734457-9003.

Yin Yoga - 11:45am-12:30pm. All levels, yin is a unique quality of challenge and surrender that works to stretch muscles and connective tissues $15. BE NICE Yoga Studio, 4100 Woodward Ave, Detroit. BeNiceYoga.com, 313-544-9787.

Hustle Dance – 6-7pm. With Fast Freddy $10.

Sankofa Life Learning & Wellness Center, 18734 Woodward Ave, Detroit. 313-366-5250 SankofaLife.net

Intro to Thriving Life Course (TLC 101) – 6:30-7:30pm. Learn how to make your powerful subconscious mind work for you to achieve your dreams. $25 for 2 weeks, call 734-778-4655 to reserve your space. Unity of Livonia, 28660 5 Mile Rd, Livonia. AngelsforHealing.com Kid’s Yoga - 4:30-5:30pm. Ages 7-12 years old.

Learn basic postures, activities, and games. $10.

Mind Body Balance, 105 E Front St, Ste 304, Monroe. MindBodyBalance.com, 734-457-9003.

Open Gymnastics Fridays – 7-9pm. All levels welcome, drop in fee $10. Sokol Detroit Gymnastics, 23600 W Warren Ave, Dearborn Hghts. SokolDetroitGymnastics.com 313-2687232.

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28660 5 Mile Rd, Livonia. AngelsforHealing.com

Detroit Eastern Market – 5am-5pm. Open year-round. Now that most of the local farmers markets have closed for the season, it’s great time to check out Eastern Market. EBT accepted.

2934 Russell St, bet Mack & Gratiot, Detroit.

DetroitEasternMarket.com

Qi Gong – 8am. Harmonize your body and relieve stress w/this ancient Chinese practice of meditation through movement w/instructor Terrell Thomas, all levels, 1st class free. New Center Yoga, 6080 Woodward Ave, Detroit. NewCenterYoga.com, 248-703-6971.

Swim with your Senior dog - 2-5pm. 4ft deep heated pool, 1/2 hr swim $15. Private sessions RSVP required. $15 Me & My Shadow, 29855 Ford Rd, Garden City. MeandMyShadowLLC. com, 734-525-9500.

A NEW DAY

It is a wise father that knows his own child. ~William Shakespeare

A NEW APP

Zumba – 10-11am. With Via Kim $10. Sankofa Life Learning & Wellness Center, 18734 Woodward Ave, Detroit. 313-366-5250 SankofaLife.net

P90X Certified Classes - 12-12:30pm. P90X is now available in live class form, drop in $12.

World of Pole Fitness & Dance, 32669 Warren, Ste 6, Garden City. WorldofPole.com, 734-306-0909.

Tai Chi – 12-1pm. With Ted Cash $10. Sankofa Life Learning & Wellness Center, 18734 Woodward Ave, Detroit. 313-366-5250 SankofaLife.net

Thriving Life Course (TLC 101) – 1-3pm or 4-6pm. Continuing Education, learn how to make your powerful subconscious mind work for you to achieve your dreams. $25 for 2 weeks, call 734778-4655 to reserve your space. Unity of Livonia,

Enjoy Natural Awakenings on the GO!

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communityresourceguide

Pure pastures Pure Pastures East 6870 Telegraph Rd Dearborn Heights, MI 48127 313-277-4066

Want to reach readers who are health and wellness focused?

Learn how to list your services in the Community Resource Guide.

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Education

acupuncture DETROIT COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE 4100 Woodward Ave., Detroit 313-831-3222 www.detroitcommunityacupuncture.com In pain? Stressed out? Try acupuncture!

We offer comfortable, individualized treatments in a cozy community setting. $15 - $35 sliding scale. Check our website for current specials, “What to Expect” for new patients, and more!

CHIROPRACTIC WELLNESS HEALTH SPA of PLYMOUTH & Integrative Health Chiropractic Center 1075 Ann Arbor Road Plymouth, MI 48170 734-454-5600 HealthSpaofPlymouth.com Wellness and Posture Doctors

With a combined 30 yrs in practice Dr Elizabeth Sisk DC and Dr Craig Stoller DC have focused their attention on total body function and posture in respect to the affect they play on health and wellness. Using Chiropractic care, rehab/proprioceptive training, and nutrition Dr Sisk and Dr Stoller have effectively treated patients with a wide variety of health problems, as well as, individuals looking to maintain and achieve better health and wellness. If you are searching for innovative methods to improve or maintain your health contact the doctors at Integrative Health Chiropractic Center.

Pure Pastures West 1192 Ann Arbor Rd Plymouth, MI 48170 734-927-6951

NaturalLocalFoods.com

NATUROPATHIC SCHOOL of the HEALING ARTS. NATUROPATH Diploma (ND) , and integrated therapeutic massage diploma Commutable scheduling in Ann Arbor, serving the Great Lakes region.

734-769-7794 NaturopathicSchoolofAnnArbor.net

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See schedules, fees, FAQ, Clinic Hours State Licensed school.

Supervised student clinic offering on-site clinical internships. On-site Herbal Pharmacy and Dispensary.

Naturopathy diploma (ND), Massage Therapy/Natural Medicine Diploma, Medicinal Herbal Studies, Iridology, Homeopathy, Bodywork Therapies, Energy Medicine, Homeopathy, Healing Diets

health counseling Natural Concepts Health Counseling Theresa Edmunds, CHC (734) 308-7105 theresaedmunds@hotmail.com www.theresaedmunds.com

We specialize in organic, and locally sourced, grass fed meats, eggs and cheeses, free of antibiotics and hormones. Also an assortment of gluten free plus many fine Michigan made

Healthy LIfestyle Consultant VeggiePatti www.veggiepatti.com veggiepatti@gmail.com Providing education and resources in healthy living, chronic illnesses, and specialized diets such as vegetarian, vegan, glutenfree, grain-free, and raw foods. Private consultations, classes, books, and more! Business and restaurant consulting also available.

HOLISTIC HEALTH

Have a child with ADHD or Spectrum disorders?

Diagnosed with an autoimmune disease or glutenintolerance? Suffering from digestive issues? Theresa Edmunds is a Certified Health Counselor who helps her clients feel better and create lasting health. Call and schedule your free initial consultation today. “There is a better way. . .Live Healthier, Feel Better, Be Happier”

HEALTH FOOD STORES ZERBO’S 34164 Plymouth Rd., Livonia, MI 48150 734-427-3144 Zerbos.com Wall to Wall supplements Organic products & produce Frozen & Refrigerated foods Groceries, Teas, Bulk Foods Natural Chemical Free Pet Products Mineral Based Cosmetics Chemical Free Personal Care products Raw Living & Sprouted Food Section Fitness Section and more.

Detroit Wholistic Center 20944 Grand River Ave. Detroit, Mi. 48219 313-538-5433 www.DetroitWholisticCenter.com Wholistic Health Services and Training Specializing in Colon Hydrotherapy (colonics) and cleansing programs. Established in 1987 Jesse R. Brown N.D. and staff have helped thousands relieve colon congestion and lose weight naturally. All therapists certified by Wholistic Training InstituteWTI licensed by the State of Michigan and providing training since 1999.

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communityresourceguide Want to reach readers who are health and wellness focused?

Learn how to list your services in the Community Resource Guide.

Call us at 313-221-9674

Natures Remedies Dr Denise Acton, N.D.

Urban Oasis Massage

734-645-4434 www.DrDSNaturesRemedies.com Certified naturopathic doctor offers acupuncture treatments, nutritional counseling, massage raindrop therapy, and biomeridian testing for a variety of issues. Advanced training in nutrition response testing for food sensitivities, chemicals, heavy metals, or virus, bacteria, fungus or parasites. She works out of several clinics in Canton or Livonia. Call to schedule an appt today to get your health back on track.

mAssage therapy LINDA’S PEACEFUL and THERAPEUTICMASSAGE (734) 765-1341 linda4massage@gmail.com

Sherry Lane, CMT 2930 Biddle Ave Wyandotte MI 48192 734-331-0696 UrbanOasisMassage.abmp.com Certified myomassologist and Reiki practitioner. Sherry will work with you to customize a combination of therapeutic and relaxation techniques to achieve balance of mind and body.

Integrative massage sessions can incorporate Swedish, Myofascial Release, Lymphatic Drainage, Cranial Sacral Therapy, and Hot Stone work. Chair massage is also available for those who need a break in their busy workday. Offering massage, Reiki and doTERRA Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils.

Gift certificates available, see website for full service menu.

MENTAL WELLNESS

CUSTOMIZED THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE for you. Designed to relieve muscle tension and the stresses of the day. Complimentary, Essential Oils offered for additional benefits Ask me about AFFORDABLE PRICES, GIFT CERTIFICATES and SPA PARTY ideas. Serving Southeastern MI at: Shaft Chiropractic Wellness on Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays. Avail weekends; call or email to schedule an appointment. ABMP (Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals).

A Perfect Balance

Debbie Bollen • Jenny Harwood Farmington Hills • 248-254-7827 PerfectBalanceMind.com

Holistic, non-invasive brain optimization technology, identifying where brainwave patterns are not functioning at optimal levels. Specializing in: anxiety, memory/focus problems, sleep issues, PTSD, ADD/ADHD, Brain Injury.

Natural Living Calendar 2013 Covering holidays of various flavors related to pets, the environment, health, fitness, personal growth and creativity. Fun and informative!

Mar 2 Read Across America Day Mar 8 Int’l Women’s Day Mar 15 World Consumer Rights Day Mar 20 Great American Meat Out Day (Vegetarian) Vernal Equinox (Spring) Int’l Day of Happiness Mar 21 World Forestry Day Mar 23 National Puppy Day World Meteorological Day Mar 30 Earth Hour (8:30 p.m.)

44 Wayne County Edition

Apr 2 World Autism Awareness Day Apr 7 World Health Day Apr 16 National Stress Awareness Day Apr 19 Day of Silence Apr 22 Earth Day

Pay It Forward Day Apr 26 Arbor Day Apr 27 World Tai Chi and Qigong Day

NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com

NATURAL WELLNESS Advanced WellnessThermography/Midwifery/ Healthy Cooking HealthyBreastScan.com Adarsa Antares CPM, CTT, MS. Ed. Advanced Wellness-TMHC 734-972-8775

to wellnes

Servicing the Metro Detroit and surrounding areas:Thermographyinfrared camera detect early changes in breast-no radiation-Dr.’s create report Midwifery-certified midwife to help you deliver in the safety of your home. Healthy Cookingcoach that guides children/family

RETREAT CENTERS Song of the Morning Yoga Retreat Center

9607 Sturgeon Valley Rd Vanderbilt, MI 49795 989-983-4107 office@songofthemorning.org SongoftheMorning.org

Find spiritual refreshment amongst 800-acres of natural beauty for your own personal retreat or participate in workshops, yoga classes, meditations, or Sunday Service.

Accommodations and gourmet vegetarian meals available.

spirituality One Space Leslie Blackburn Dearborn, MI 313.269.6719 OneSpaceConnected.com MysterySchooloftheTempleArts.com

Illuminating the Path of Self-Realization through A r t , Yo g a , S a c r e d G e o m e t r y, S a c r e d Sexuality & more!

Individual and couple coaching is available in addition to group classes, workshops and retreats.

Browse the website for original artwork and music.

Prints, music downloads and commission pieces are also available.

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

communityresourceguide

classifieds

Want to reach readers who are health and wellness focused?

Learn how to list your services in the Community Resource Guide.

Call us at 313-221-9674

WELLNESS CENTERS Dr Carol Ann Fischer, D.C. N.D. TLC Holistic wellness

31580 Schoolcraft Rd, Livonia, MI 48150 734-664-0339 You deserve the best TLC TLCHolisticWellness.com

Dr. Carol Ann Fischer, D.C., N.D. owns TLC Holistic Wellness in Livonia. She is a practicing chiropractor, naturopath and wellness consultant, who for 28 years has provided holistic and nutritional recommendations using whole food supplements.

Visit www.TLCHolisticWellness.com for more health information, and free public workshop dates, or call (734) 664-0339.

Dr. William H. Karl, D.C., Certified Wellness Doctor Karl WELLNESS CENTER & CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC 30935 Ann Arbor Trail Westland, MI 48185 734.425.8220 KarlWellnessCenter.com

Dr Sharon A. Oliver, M.D. Integrative Medicine Institute 18714 Woodward Ave,, Detroit, MI 48203 313-368-2284 313-368-4598 fax DrOliverMD.Tripod.com

Dr. Oliver is a medical doctor Board Certified by the American Holistic Medical Association.

She has over 15 years experience helping people achieve their optimal health with the use of foods, herbs and natural remedies. If needed Dr. Oliver has the knowledge and ability to help you effectively use conventional treatments, including chelation therapy, intravenous Vitamin C, and nutritional I.V.s. Come experience truly wholistic care!

YOGA

Arthritis

Yoga 4 Peace is a non-profit yoga studio that offers classes on a donation basis. We have a wide variety of classes for every level. We offer Classes, Workshops, Retreats and Teacher Training.

The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks.

—Tennessee Williams

Give yourself the gift of literacy - the passport to greater opportunities. If you are 16 years and older and need a reading tutor, contact Pro-Literacy at 313-872-7720 or visit ProLiteracyDetroit.org

Board Members Needed - The Independent Living Housing, Inc. (ILHI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established for the charitable purpose of providing life skills and educational services to developmentally challenged youth and young adults in metro Detroit. We are seeking individuals to endorse our mission, which is to create positive educational and social outcomes for the developmentally challenged youth and young adults in metro Detroit. We are looking to expand our board members to those who can commit to a min of two yrs. Many kinds of experience are needed, but especially people familiar w/the operations of apt bldgs, or an MSW (to supervise social work interns), Psychologist-to counsel students with their social and emotional problems and someone to teach reading. If you or someone you know could help us to help our clients please contact hi4220@aol.com,or 313-491-7462.

6231 N. Canton Center Rd. • Ste 109 • Canton

Dr. Joel Wallach Creator of DEAD DOCTORS DON”T LIE

(734) 455-6767

www.cantoncenterchiropractic.com

Books, CDs & Nutritional Products Available locally at wholesale

888-277-2751

SERVICES

Canton Center Chiropractic Clinic

Obesity

His information has helped millions

www.MYoungevity.com

Volunteers needed to drink medical grade water. Requirements: age 25-75, desire to eliminate unwanted fatigue, weight, digestive, joint or body pain, where traditional meds have not gotten desired results.

Must attend one 2.5 hour class, return 6 more times for water, and only drink water provided. Improved health is only compensation. Call (248) 382-8668.

volunteer OPPORTUNTIES

Yoga 4 Peace

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13550 Dix-Toledo Rd., Southgate Mi 48195 www.y4peace.org

Certified Wellness Doctor with over 30 years experience, Dr. William H. Karl, D.C., is dedicated to helping his patients obtain optimal healthutilizing whole food supplements, herbs, homeopathic remedies, nutritional consultation, allergy elimination/reprogramming techniques, detoxification programs, advanced chiropractic care, cold laser, and Neurological Relief Techniques for Fibromyalgia and pain management.

To place a listing: 3 lines minimum (or 35 words): 1 month $25; or 3 months for $60 prepaid. Extra words: $1 each: Send check w/listing by 15th of the month to Healthy Living Detroit, Inc. - Classifieds, Box 341081, Detroit, MI 48234-1081 or email to Publisher@NaturalAwakeningsDetroit.com.

Dr. Robert E. Potter, JR., D.C., CTN & Associates Chiropractic & Nutrition

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Feb 2013 Ad.pdf 1 2/18/2013 9:32:18 PM

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www.alicehuangs.com 313.418.8161 46 Wayne County Edition

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March 2013

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SANKOFA LIFE NETWORK

presents

YOUR ONGOING WELLNESS SUPPORT CL ASS A Wholistic Approach to Restoring and Maintaining balance in Spirit, Mind and Body!

Our “Inner Physician” is wired for 3-R’s Regenerate, Rebuild, Redirect! We simply have to know its many languages and learn how to respond!

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Dr. Keefa Weatherspoon *Gold, Platinum, Diamond and Founding Members

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

Better Cafeterias

School Lunches Improving Nationwide

Not So Nice Rice

N

ew research by the nonprofit Consumers Union (CU), which publishes Consumer Reports, may cause us to reconsider what we place in our steamer or cookpot. Rice—a staple of many diets, vegetarian or not—is frequently contaminated with arsenic, a known carcinogen that is also believed to interfere with fetal development.

Rice contains more arsenic than grains like oats or wheat because it is grown in water-flooded conditions, and so more readily absorbs the heavy metal from soil or water than most plants. Even most U.S.-grown rice comes from the south-central region, where crops such as cotton were heavily treated with arsenical pesticides for decades. Thus, some organically grown rice in the region is impacted, as well.

CU analysis of more than 200 samples of both organic and conventionally grown rice and rice products on U.S. grocery shelves found that nearly all contained some level of arsenic; many with alarmingly high amounts. There is no federal standard for arsenic in food, but there is a limit of 10 parts per billion in drinking water, and CU researchers found that one serving of contaminated rice may have as much arsenic as an entire day’s worth of water.

To reduce the risk of exposure, rinse rice grains thoroughly before cooking and follow the Asian practice of preparing it with extra water to absorb arsenic and/or pesticide residues; and then drain the excess water before serving.

See CU’s chart of arsenic levels in tested rice products at Tinyurl.com/ ArsenicReport.

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

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

To read the complete report, visit HealthySchoolLunches.org.

Food Feelings

Restaurant Ambiance Affects Diners’ Appetites The mood in a restaurant can help diners enjoy their meals more and eat less, according to study results published in the journal Psychological Reports. After transforming part of a fast food Hardee’s restaurant in Illinois with milder music and lighting, researchers found that customers ate 18 percent fewer calories than diners in an unmodified seating area. Brian Wansink, Ph.D., a professor of marketing and consumer behavior at Cornell University, in New York, explains, “It didn’t change what people ordered, but what it did do was lead them to eat less and made them more satisfied and happier.”

Wansink, author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think, asks, “If softer music and softer lighting seem to get people to eat less in a fast food situation, why not try the same thing at home?”

School Safeguard How to Build a Bike Train

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

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

Source: Yes magazine

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globalbriefs Coyote Ugly

Critters Becoming New Urban Pioneers Stray dogs and feral cats in our cities may be supplanted by raccoons, foxes and coyotes if current trends continue. Even mountain lions and bears are unexpectedly showing up in urban landscapes. Evidence suggests that clashes between humans and other predators will increase and potentially intensify.

Ohio State University Biologist Stan Gehrt stated, “The coyote is the test case for other animals,” at an EcoSummit 2012 conference in Columbus, Ohio. “We’re finding that these animals are much more flexible than we gave them credit for, and they’re adjusting to our cities.” Coyotes, commonplace around many metropolitan areas, don’t seem to mind the density, with some packs each confining themselves to a one-third-square-mile territory.

Eradication efforts have sometimes faltered, partially because of public backlashes sympathetic to wild animals, plus a pattern in which new coyotes tend to quickly move into areas where other animals have been evicted. Gehrt poses the question, “Are we going to be able to adjust to them living with us or are we not going to be able to coexist?”

Source: The Christian Science Monitor

Superior Soil

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

Jurmi Dorji, of southern Bhutan’s 103-member Daga Shingdrey Pshogpa farmers’ association, says their members are in favor of the policy. “More than a decade ago, people realized that the chemicals were not good for farming,” he says. “I cannot say everyone has stopped using chemicals, but almost 90 percent have.”

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

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

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ecotip Toilet to Table Fertilizing Our Food with Human Waste

Using sewage sludge as fertilizer on the land that grows our food and feeds our livestock is legal, but critics question the safety of the practice. United Sludge-Free Alliance founder Darree Sicher says, “Most people flush the toilet and assume the waste is being taken care of properly, but many times, the industry is simply performing a toxic transfer.”

Everything that is flushed down the drains of residential and commercial properties combines at local water treatment plants, including chemicals, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, pathogens and poisons. Water is then treated and the extracted pollutants are concentrated in the residual sludge that remains.

The Environmental Protection Agency reports that more than 7 million tons of sludge (biosolids) are generated each year in the United States—half is applied to farms, parks, playgrounds, golf courses and forests in all 50 states. Biosolids are also sold as bagged fertilizer to homeowners.

Until the use of biosolids as fertilizer is more strictly regulated and foods are labeled as sludge-free, consumers should consider buying organic foods. When buying from local growers, ask about the use of biosolids on their fields.

Also, raise awareness among state and federal officials to outlaw such questionable practices and lobby local officials to continue the trend toward sludgefree public areas. A far safer use of waste is “poop to power” projects that harvest energy from sludge to produce heat, fuel and electricity, which Sicher reports have been widely used in Germany and Sweden for 30 years.

For more information, including sludge-free fertilizer brands and downloadable brochures, call 610-823-8258 or visit USludgeFree.org.

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wisewords

animal. We want every adoption to be the best match possible.

WALKING THE TALK

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

Marlane Barnes Fosters Rescue Dogs

by Sandra Murphy

A

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

Why is fostering rescue dogs important?

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

When India, the first dog I fostered, was adopted, she went to a home that suited her nature and needs. Birdie, a 6-year-old golden retriever-beagle mix,

came to me when her shelter time was up. After two months, Birdie was placed with a family that was willing to deal with an older dog’s health issues, and it’s worked out well for all parties.

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

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

I also expose them to new experiences. We visit the coffee shop, meet kids and take hikes; in these ways, I learn what the individual dog enjoys.

It takes some of the guesswork out of the equation. Fostering is like a halfway house for dogs; after living with them, I can vouch for them, as well as voice any concerns about the family situation.

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

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

How do spay/neuter programs benefit shelter animals?

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

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

How can caring people help?

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

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

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

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

Sandra Murphy is a regular contributor to Natural Awakenings magazines.

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fitbody

shows. “People can save thousands of dollars by combining five to 10 exercises into a burst-training workout routine,” which will burn calories and increase muscle mass, says Joe Vennare, co-founder of the Hybrid Athlete, a fitness website.

Myth 4: Too Late to Start Many people feel they are too old or out-of-shape to even begin to exercise, or are intimidated by the idea of stepping into a yoga studio or gym. “Stop wasting time reading diet books and use that time to go for a walk,” advises Exercise Physiologist Jason Karp, Ph.D., author of Running for Women and Running a Marathon for Dummies. “In other words, get moving any way you can.”

FITNESS MYTHS

DEBUNKED 11 VITAL TRUTHS

by Lynda Bassett

T

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

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

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

Myth 3: Unaffordable Activities like walking, bicycling and even jumping rope can be done virtually anywhere, anytime. Individuals can create a basic home fitness center with a jump rope, set of dumbbells and not much more. Borrow an exercise video or DVD from the library or follow one of the many television fitness

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

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

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

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

Myth 8: Stretch Before Exercising New research from the American Council on Exercise recommends stretching at the end of a workout. “It is safer and more effective to stretch muscles that are properly warmed and more pliable,” says Matthews, who also rec-

ommends beginning a workout with simple movements such as arm circles and leg swings. She notes, “Stretching can help to improve posture and flexibility, plus reduce overall stress.”

Myth 9: Crunches Cut Belly Fat There’s no such thing as spot reducing. While crunches strengthen abdominal muscles, they will not shrink your waistline, says Karp. Instead, try exercises such as squats, lunges and yoga plank holds or kettlebell repetitions to lose stubborn belly fat.

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

Myth 11: Exercise is Hard Physical activity should be fun. It’s best to start simply, add a variety of physical activities and challenges and keep at it.

Schedule time for exercise and treat it like any other daily appointment; don’t cancel it. Alexander Cortes, a nationally certified strength and conditioning coach with Ultimate Fighting Championship Gym, in Corona, California, concludes, “When health is a priority, exercise is the most important appointment you can keep.”

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

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W

e spend a good deal of time gazing at ourselves in a mirror with the physical eye, as well as into the mirror of our mind with an analytical eye, endeavoring to size ourselves up in our own estimation, and also determining how others might evaluate us. Both of these mirrors are clouded with ego-related dust that distorts our vision. Only when we turn our gaze inward with the intuitive eye of awareness can we perceive our innate wholeness, for there is no dust on the mirror of the soul.

Consider this: A consciousness of wholeness reunifies us with our authentic self, so that even during those times when we are unaware of it, our wholeness is intact and utterly dust-free—only our awareness of it is missing. When awareness returns, we live free from ego’s bondage and its ignorance-soaked history and habits. We are reunified with the reality of our being.

Our daily practice is to be ever mindful—on the dot— the moment we lose sight of our true nature. Everyday experiences grace us with reminders by mentally tapping us on the shoulder and returning us to the qualities we wish to express in our interactions with our self, others and all of life. We are continually given the opportunity to reconnect with the high vision we hold for ourselves in our mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, professional, relational and communal life structures.

It serves us well to remember that we are here learning to mother our consciousness, just as the universe mothers us throughout our lifetime and beyond. Intelligence, wisdom, intuition, joy and creativity—these are the qualities we want to mother within ourselves in order to unveil our original face. As we set a conscious intention to evolve, we live as the master artists we are—creating, directing and producing our lives.

The more time we set aside for meditation, contemplation and life visioning, the more we can have 20/20 vision in foresight, rather than hindsight. Through practice, we activate our intuition, clean off egoic dust and enter a more consistently clear-sighted state of mindful being. Thus we actualize our highest potential and realize our organic, enlightened consciousness.

Michael Bernard Beckwith is the founder of the Agape International Spiritual Center, in Los Angeles, California, author of Life Visioning: A Transformative Process for Activating Your Unique Gifts and Highest Potential (Sounds True, 2011/2013), and originator of the Life Visioning process.

Discover Easy Ways to Update a Wardrobe in New Dress a Day Book

I

n Marisa Lynch’s recently published New Dress A Day, readers can learn how to go from thrift shop cheap to runway chic. Based on Lynch’s popular blog of the same name, the innovative tailor demonstrates how to easily and affordably transform a wardrobe from frumpy to fabulous. With a little imagination, Lynch’s do-ityourself tips and tools like needles, thread and safety pins, an outdated castoff can be updated with style and savings.

In this book, readers will discover how to ace the sewing basics, create do-it-yourself designer look-alikes, style the same dress in seven different ways and more.

For more information, visit NewDressADay.com.

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