January 2011 Natural Awakenings Gulf Coast AL/MS

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This year, I resolve to

be healthy.

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contact us Publisher/Editor Meredith Montgomery Assisting Editors Anne Wilson, Josh Montgomery Design Meredith Montgomery Michael Wilson Local Ad Sales 251-990-9552 P.O. Box 725 Fairhope, AL 36533 Phone: 251-990-9552 Fax: 251-281-2375 Mobile.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com MobilePublisher@NaturalAwakeningsMag.com Multi-Market Advertising 239-449-8309 Franchise Sales 239-530-1377 © 2011 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.

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Around the holidays, we were fortunate to enjoy more meals together as a family than our schedules usually allow. With the increase in family meals, we got back into the habit of saying a blessing before we eat. At one and a half, Mays has come to enjoy the act of joining hands and pausing for positive words before eating and it is something I would like for us to continue doing.

“I think our New Year’s resolution should be to give thanks for our food before each meal,” I said to Mays one evening. It’s been several years since I’ve made a resolution, but this got me thinking. What else do I want to do differently in 2011?

Too often I take advantage of the rare moments when Mays sits in one spot as he does during meals, to do things like read the paper, make a grocery list or check my email. Realizing that I regularly eat meals without really tasting what I put in my mouth, I’ve decided that I would like to cut back on my tendency to constantly multi-task both physically and mentally. I also want to take time for myself by doing yoga and meditating, or at least sitting quietly for 5 minutes, everyday. And I would like for Josh and I to nurture our relationship by having date night at least once a month.

Instead of turning this list of do’s and don’ts into New Year’s resolutions, I decided to set a sankalpa, or intention for 2011. In sanskrit, sankalpa means “a conception or idea formed in the mind or heart directed toward a specific outcome.”

A concept practiced in yoga, sankalpa is a more positive way to set goals and an alternative to making annual resolutions.

With the previously mentioned desires in mind, I formulated the following sankalpa for 2011: May I be present in all the moments of day-to-day life and may I feel and express gratitude for all things positive in my life.

Our timely theme for this month’s Natural Awakenings is Health and Well-Being. With articles like "Exercise Now," page 12, and "Five Steps to Better Health," page 22, be encouraged to start the year off right but also refer to "I’m Stuck," page 10, when you encounter bumps in the road. And consider formulating your own sankalpa this year. While we have yet to set a time and place for our date night by the time this goes to print, we will be saying grace at dinner tonight, and my new mantra is fresh in my mind: "May I be present and gracious everyday, every moment."

Happy New Year!

Meredith Montgomery

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January 2011

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contents

Cultivate Health in Mind, Body, & Spirit Holistic Wellness Coaching Vegetarian and Vegan Cooking Classes Personal Vegan Chef and Catering Yoga and Meditation Classes Tracey Winter Glover JD, RYT 200 www.shantiwarrior.com tracey@shantiwarrior.com • (251) 510-2418

TELL US HOW WE’RE DOING!

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.

17 FOODS THAT FIGHT PAIN

A Tasty, Colorful Banquet

by Michelle Schoffro Cook

18

18 RAISING HEALTHY EATERS How to Train Children’s Palates from the Cradle On

by Jeannette Bessinger and Tracee Yablon Brenner

To help us serve you better, please participate in our online survey.

20 EXERCISE NOW!

Visit our website at: NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

New Year’s Resolution Going

Stick-With-It Tips Keep Your

22

by Gretchen Rubin

22 FIVE STEPS TO

BETTER HEALTH

How Integrative Medicine Can Make Health Care Simpler, More Effective and More Affordable

by Marco Visscher, Ursula Sautter and Carmel Wroth

25 THE JOY OF HEALTH

25

A Conversation with Dr. Dean Ornish on Lifestyle Changes that Foster Well-Being

by April Thompson

27 PAIN-FREE PETS

Natural Ways to Provide Relief

by Dr. Matthew J. Heller

29 HONORING OUR LIFE FORCE

Energy Medicine Helps Restore Balance and Harmony

by Linda Sechrist

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6 healthbriefs 10 inspiration 12 fitbody

14 globalbriefs

14

15 ecobriefs

17 consciouseating 18 healthykids 25 wisewords

15

COMING IN FEBRUARY

27 naturalpet 28 greenliving

29 healingways

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healthbriefs

Natural Relief for Colds and Flu

W

ith cold season in full swing, it’s good to know that we don’t have to rush to the nearest drug store to get relief. Using natural remedies—many of which may already be in the house—can be just as effective. Although such steps don’t claim to cure what ails us, they can bring comfort and often shorten the duration of illness by strengthening the immune system. Here are six helpful tips:

Herbal Teas: Chamomile can help cold and flu sufferers relax and get muchneeded rest. Hot ginger tea, spiced with cinnamon and a dash of cayenne, will keep the body feeling warm when we have the chills.

Sage: Gargling regularly with sage tea disinfects the mouth; sage-based inhalations further reduce inflammation of the mucous membranes.

Garlic: Garlic is a natural antibiotic that also stimulates the immune system and wards off complications such as bronchitis.

Homeopathy: The homeopathic remedy Arsenicum album helps when one feels chilly and exhausted. Belladonna is suggested when the symptoms are sudden and intense. Bryonia alba relieves headaches, coughs and irritability and Allium cepa is good for watery discharge. Consult a holistic practitioner to determine potency and doses.

Humidifiers: Nothing irritates sensitive nasal passages and sore throats like dry air. Add a few drops of eucalyptus food-grade essential oil to a humidifier to help open airways and clear congestion.

Moist heat compresses: When plagued by a throbbing head and difficulty in breathing through the nose, try applying warm moist compresses—perhaps with a drop of peppermint food-grade essential oil—to the cheeks and sinuses.

Mushrooms for Health

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new Agricultural Research Service study reports that mushrooms may play an important role in maintaining health. Researchers found that white button mushrooms may promote immune function by increasing production of antiviral and other proteins that are released by cells seeking to protect and repair tissue.

Source: United States Department of Agriculture

Sources: AssociatedContent.com, eHow.com, HolisticOnline.com, WebMD.com

BRAIN FUNCTION LESSENS WITH OBESITY New research from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine confirms that being overweight adversely affects the brain function of older women in terms of their memory, reasoning and other mental skills.

The surprise is that the effect appears to be even more pronounced in women who carry excess weight around their hips, known as pear shapes, than those who carry it around their waists, called apple shapes.

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Rethinking Calcium Supplements

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ew research warns that calcium supplements can be associated with a 30 percent increased risk of heart attacks. The findings were consistent across trials and were independent of the age and sex of those researched, as well as the type of supplement. The researchers stress that these findings only pertain to calcium supplements, and not to higher dietary intake through calcium-rich foods.

Source: British Medical Journal, 2010

newsbriefs Natural Awakenings Launches New Health Network WHY JUNK FOOD IS AGING Here’s another reason to kick the soda habit. Research published online in the FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology) shows that high levels of phosphates may add more fizzle to sodas and processed foods than previously thought. New evidence shows that ingesting these accelerates signs of aging by increasing the prevalence and severity of age-related complications, such as chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular calcification and severe muscle and skin atrophy.

When the researchers fed mice with a high phosphate diet, the mammals died prematurely. Dr. M. Shawkat Razzaque extrapolated that, “Keeping the balance of phosphate in the [human] diet may be important for a healthy life and longevity,” speaking for his team at the Department of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

This gives us all yet another reason to read food and beverage labels.

Natural Awakenings Corp., whose signature Natural Awakenings magazines support sustainable, healthy living, is launching an innovative, cost-saving health network. The new Natural Awakenings Network (NAN) will allow members to obtain discounts on products and services focused on wellness and natural, healthy lifestyles.

NAN’s extensive network will encompass practitioners of alternative and complementary medicine, including chiropractic, naturopathy, acupuncture, body therapies and energy work, as well as health and fitness clubs, health food stores, yoga centers, bookstores, spas and vegetarian/healthy restaurants.

Members will enjoy discounts ranging from 5 to 50 percent on products and services offered through NAN providers and can choose individual or family coverage. Additional benefits include a NAN Provider Directory and newsletter, access to NAN’s website and free Consultation Line, and discounts on workshops and special events.

Company founder and CEO Sharon Bruckman says, “We rejoice that the wellness revolution is in full swing, propelled by the kind of people who read our magazines and website. Natural Awakenings Network is our next step in helping people map out alternate routes to healthier, happier, longer lives.”

For more information on NAN in Mobile and Baldwin counties, email Mobile.Publisher@ NaturalAwakeningsMag.com or call 251-990-9552. See ad on page 4.

Registration Open for Reiki II Class Local Reiki Master Rio Barlow will offer a Usui System Reiki II class January 21 and 22, in Bon Secour. Appropriate for licensed massage therapists, nurses and health care professionals needing CEU credits, the course is also open to anyone interested in advancing their knowledge and abilities in the healing energy arts.

After several years as a licensed massage therapist, Barlow, a former ballerina, returned to school to become a licensed hypnotherapist and is also a Reiki master instructor. With 10 years experience in healing hands and energy work, and a successful practice in Bon Secour, Barlow says, “The atmosphere of my classes are relaxed, but focused, so there is time to have individual instruction.”

Reiki is a healing system focusing on aligning the natural energy found in all people. Translated from Japanese as "universal life force," Reiki is not only concerned with healing the body, but awakening and energizing the individual's spiritual potential. The class size is limited and includes a brief recap of Reiki I, a workbook, hands-on practicums and a light lunch.

For more information or to register, contact Rio at 251-979-9851 or riobarlow@ ymail.com. See ad on page 30. natural awakenings

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newsbriefs See Them Balance, See Them Beam The Little Gym, in Daphne, is now enrolling for the winter semester. Programs are available for children 4 months to age 12, including parent/ child classes, gymnastics, karate, sports skills development and dance.

Owner Julia Parks says, “We believe that motor skill development, made fun, builds confidence, which leads to a lifetime of success.”

Parks, a pediatric nurse practitioner, has worked with children for most of her career and is accompanied by a staff with backgrounds in education and gymnastics.

The age-appropriate and gymnastics-based curriculum at The Little Gym helps kids increase their flexibility, balance and coordination, while also improving listening skills, attention span and the ability to follow directions. According to Parks, “Under our supervision, kids learn to tackle challenges, overcome fears and express themselves confidently. And they have a blast doing it!”

Location: 6900 U.S. Highway 90, Suite 11, in Daphne. For more information visit TLGEasternShoreAl.com or call 251-626-9858. See ad on page 19.

Bill Finch to Speak at Local Foods Meeting The notable garden writer, Bill Finch, will speak at a meeting of the Local Food Production Initiative at 7 p.m., January 17. The topic of discussion is Vegetable Gardening on the Gulf Coast, and includes his top veggie picks for best production. The meeting is open to the public, with a suggested donation of $5 per person.

Finch, a longstanding weekly garden columnist for the Mobile Press-Register, also writes a monthly column for Alabama Gardening magazine. He serves as a senior fellow for the Ocean Foundation’s Gulf of Mexico Region in the Restore Coastal Alabama program, which is involved with the restoration efforts in the wake of the Deep Horizon oil spill.

Location: The ballroom at Homestead Village on Plantation Boulevard, in Fairhope.

For more information, call Jo Ann Wettlaufer at 928-8646.

Wellness Therapies Grand Re-Opening Wellness Therapies, in Long Beach, Mississippi will open its doors for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. In addition to providing massage therapy, personal training and detoxes, Wellness Therapies owner Charles Wambolt is offering his personal training service to help individuals enter a 12-week fitness challenge.

After recovering from a life-threatening illness, Wambolt was inspired to enter this national fitness challenge himself. The results were so impressive that he decided to challenge the community. Wambolt says, “This is one of the best programs to achieve results. Go from out-of-shape to great shape, or inshape to better shape.” Up to $25,000 and prizes will serve as an incentive to enter this challenge.

As a supplier of specialized water products, Wellness Therapies sells water ionizers, alkaline water, shower filters and BPA-free bottles. In celebration of the Grand Re-Opening, 10 gallons of purified alkaline water will be given away to customers.

For more information call 228-2344567 or visit AmtaMembers. com/CharlesWambolt. See listing on page 38.

Delicious Dietitian on the Eastern Shore The Delicious Dietitian, a Mobile-based practice of registered dietitians, has opened a new location in Daphne. Offering the same services as the current office in Mobile, the Eastern Shore location also functions as a retail venue for the company’s line of vinegars and spice blends. The Delicious Dietitian’s wine vinegars and Zalea Zest spice blends are especially developed to be a salt-, sugar-, potassium- and MSG-free way to add flavor to meals.

“We’re very excited to expand our services to the Eastern Shore. Our goal with the new location is to bring our real nutrition solutions to the real people of Baldwin County,” said Jenny Neese, owner and founder of The Delicious Dietitian.

As the only private practice providing dietician services on the Gulf Coast, Neese’s practice offers their clients nutrition solutions that work. Through individual, couple or family sessions, the staff of the DD develops dietary recommendations based on each patient’s specific nutritional needs.

Location:1745 Main Street, Suite C, in Daphne. To schedule an appointment at the Daphne office, call 251-281-2094. For more information, visit TheDeliciousDietitian.com.

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Submit via email.

Year-Round Farmers Market on Wheels Grow Alabama is now delivering locally and sustainably grown fruits and vegetables to Mobile and Baldwin counties.

Each week, residents can have fresh, pesticide-free produce conveniently delivered within 24-48 hours of harvest.

Originating in the Birmingham area, Grow Alabama connects communities with local family farms throughout the state in an effort to improve the ratio of foods consumed in Alabama to foods grown in Alabama. According to founder Jerry Spencer, “Members not only buy more nutritious, flavorful food, they keep money from leaving the state, and a rich tradition from vanishing forever.”

Subscribers can chose from three fruit/vegetable delivery plans to accommodate different family sizes and budgets.

Each week, plans can be customized online to fit individual preferences of available produce. Other healthy, gourmet grocery items, such as eggs, nuts, coffee and soaps, can be added to the order and everything is delivered to a central pickup location. Deliveries are currently being made to Fairhope and Mobile, with new pickup locations added as subscribers from other areas sign up.

Heart of Promise Heart of Promise is a new ministry founded by Jordan and Sarah Smith, following the birth and passing of their first daughter, Elliana. In hopes of serving as lights of encouragement for others who have experienced similar losses, the organization gives necklaces to mothers who have experienced the loss of a child.

During the few hours Elliana lived, the Smiths noticed a wound on the crown of her head in the shape of an open heart. Sarah recalls, “In the midst of our heartbreak, we knew this was a symbol of what God was telling us to have - an open heart.” This symbol inspired the design of the necklaces that are given as gifts to other mothers. They feature a sterling silver heart, with the child’s birthstone in the middle.

Completely supported by donations, the Heart of Promise necklaces are available as funding becomes available.

Anyone that has lost a child and is interested in receiving a necklace can log on to the organization’s website and complete a form on the “How to Receive a Necklace” page.

Donations can be made to the ministry through the website, as well.

For more information, visit HeartOfPromise.com.

For more information and to sign up, visit GrowAlabama. com, Grow Alabama Foundation. com, or call 251-991-0042.

See ad on back cover. natural awakenings

January 2011

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inspiration

I’m Stuck!

We say it in despair, desperation, denial. We say it when we can’t, won’t or simply don’t move on.

by Anneli Rufus

W

hether we’re striving to eat healthier, spend less or listen more, we refer to our stuckness with exquisite metaphors: We say “I’m frozen, paralyzed, marooned.” We say, “I can’t get started” or “I just can’t stop.”

When we make New Year’s resolutions, we are promising to become unstuck. But only 63 percent of us manage to keep those resolutions, according to a University of Washington study. The researchers reported that 40 percent of the participants kept their resolutions on the first try; for the others, it took multiple attempts.

The passive verbs we use to describe being stuck infer that it isn’t our fault.

The hardest bit is admitting that our own choices got us here and keep us here.

Sure, accidents occur—but humans are uncannily skilled at affixing balls and chains to our own ankles and swan-diving into quicksand.

Becoming unstuck means first accepting a harsh truth: that we’re lazy,

scared and/or strangers to our true selves.

Laziness often comes disguised as denial or avoidance.

Reforming means making a change, and change is strenuous. So, try this: Think of becoming unstuck as a new sport or exercise you want to learn. Think of your weak, sore spots as muscles—mental, spiritual or financial ones—and find safe, small ways to “exercise” them gradually.

Like any form of fitness, this takes more than one muscle and more than one day.

Move ahead gently and keep track of progress.

Change means the terrors of risk and exposure, trading the familiar for potential failure. So, try this: Think of becoming unstuck as moving to a non-English-speaking country. How would you prepare—or help a friend prepare—for that? By calmly researching the destination before making the leap: Learn its language. Study its maps. Reach out to kind folks who already live there. Have coping strategies in place to deal with issues that will inevitably

Sparkle...

from the inside out in the New Year.

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come up.

Change means facing our own limitations; our own breadth. Can we change? Yes, but how much? The answer requires clear-sighted self-knowledge and crucial honesty. So, try this: Imagine the contest American Idol, with a twist; make it about the desired change. Then, imagine yourself as both contestant and judge. Give constructive criticism—and gracefully take it.

Clinical Psychologist and study researcher Elizabeth Miller, Ph.D., concludes: “The keys to making a successful resolution are a person’s confidence that he or she can make the behavior change, and the commitment to making that change.”

Remember: We do get to try again and can make behavior changes throughout the year, not only at New Year’s.

Anneli Rufus is the author of Stuck: Why We Can’t (or Won’t) Move On (AnneliRufus. com).

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Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted. ~ John Lennon 12

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xercise is a key to happiness, as well as fitness, according to mounting research. Newsweek reports that people who exercise are healthier, more energetic, think more clearly, sleep better and have delayed onset of dementia. Studies by the Karolinska Institute, in Sweden, and California State University are among those that further show why exercise leads to relief from anxiety and mild depression.

Researchers at Leeds Metropolitan University have also demonstrated that people who exercise perform better at work.

More, although it’s tempting to flop down on the couch when you’re feeling exhausted, exercise is actually a great way to boost energy levels, a conclusion supported by a metastudy conducted by the University of Georgia. They concluded that feeling fatigued is a reason to exercise, not a reason to skip exercise.

But even when you admit that you’d feel better if you exercised, it can be hard

Mobile.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

to adopt the habit. My idea of fun, for example, has always been to lie in bed reading, preferably while also eating a snack—but I’ve managed to keep myself exercising over the years by using these tricks on myself:

1 2

Always exercise on Monday. This sets the psychological pattern for the week.

If at all possible, exercise first thing in the morning. As the day wears on, you’ll find more excuses to skip exercising. Get it checked off your list, first thing.

It’s also a nice way to start the day; even if other things don’t get done, you’ve accomplished that.

3

Never skip exercising for two days in a row. You can skip a day, but you must exercise on the next day, even if it seems to be inconvenient at that time.

4

Give yourself credit for the smallest effort. One man I know said

that all he had to do was put on his running shoes and close the door behind him to get going. Many times, by promising myself I could quit 10 minutes after I’d started, I got myself to start—and then found that I didn’t want to quit, after all.

5

Think about context. Examine the factors that might be discouraging you from exercising. Perhaps you are distressed about the grubby showers in your gym or recoil from running if it’s cold outside. Try alternatives.

6

Exercise several times a week. If your idea of exercise is to join games of pick-up basketball, you should be playing practically every day. Twice a month isn’t enough.

7

Find a way to exercise that doesn’t always require you to shower afterward. Each week, I really get into a challenging weight-training session, but it’s in a format that doesn’t make me sweat.

8

Look for affordable ways to make exercising more pleasant or satisfying. Could you upgrade to a nicer or more convenient gym, buy yourself a new iPod or pedometer, or work with a trainer? Exercise is a high life priority, so these are worthwhile ways to spend some money if they help get you moving.

9

Think of exercise as part of your essential preparation. It readies you for times when you want to be in especially fine form—whether in performance (to be sharp for an important presentation), appearance (to look good for a wedding or another formal occasion) or mood (to deal with a stressful situation).

in the way.

12

Don’t kid yourself. Paying for a gym membership doesn’t mean you necessarily go to the gym. Having been in shape in high school or college doesn’t mean you’re in shape now. Saying that you don’t have time to exercise doesn’t make it true.

People often ask me, “So, if I want to be happier, what should I be doing?” and I always say, “The first thing to do is to make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep and some exercise.” It’s a stance backed up by research psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness. Good exercise is a good place to start, and makes it easier to act on other personal happiness-inducing resolutions.

Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, blogs daily at Happiness-Project.com.

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Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Don’t decide it’s only worth exercising if you can run five miles or if you can bike for an hour. A woman I know scorns exercise unless she’s training for a marathon—so she never exercises.

Even going for a 10-minute walk is worthwhile. Do what you can.

11

Suit up. Even if you’re not sure you’re going to exercise, go ahead and put on your exercise clothes. Pack your bag. Put the dog’s leash by the door.

Get prepared. If you’re ready to go, you might find it easier just to go ahead and exercise. Sometimes a trivial thing, like not knowing where your shoes are, gets natural awakenings

January 2011

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

Vital Signs

Lifetime Educational Achievement is Up Worldwide Worldwatch Institute reports that people all over the world are completing more years of schooling than ever before, according to the latest data out of Austria. Just over 3 billion, or 61 percent of the global population 15 years or older, had finished at least some secondary schooling during their lifetime as of 2010. That’s up from 36 percent in 1970 and 50 percent in 1990, and includes those who went on to even higher education. Having advanced to secondary school or beyond indicates that individuals are better prepared for the future.

Monarch Butterfly Behavior Hints of Self-Medication

Sources: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and Vienna Institute of Demography

Survey Says

Most Scientists Don’t See Science and Spirituality at Odds Research for a new book, Science vs. Religion: What Scientists Really Think, reports that a significant number of scientists from elite universities do not see much of a conflict between their work and their faith. (Those who do see such conflict tend to be atheists or agnostics.) Author Elaine Howard Ecklund, a Rice University sociologist, also learned that the younger scientists, who are more likely to be religious, feel less of a sense of conflict than their older counterparts.

While believing scientists, who comprised 70 percent of the nearly 1,500 survey participants, may feel beleaguered by their non-believing colleagues, Ecklund found that the strongly anti-religious views found among “new atheists,” such as Oxford University Biologist Richard Dawkins, are in the minority. “What religious scientists fail to realize, however, is that a significant proportion of their colleagues, [even if] not religious themselves, are open to talking and thinking about matters of faith,” she comments.

Scientists who say they are “spiritual, but not religious” range from those who find their secular spirituality in nature or teaching science, to those engaged in such practices as yoga and meditation. Ecklund writes that such spiritual entrepreneurs may help in bridging the perceived gulf between science and religion, because they see their practice of spirituality as flowing into their scientific discipline, yet they tend to avoid politicized science-religion conflicts.

Source: Religion Watch 14

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Nature’s Cure

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As with many species, Monarch butterflies’ bright coloring warns predators of the insects’ potential toxicity, which in many cases is true.

Biologists have now discovered that female Monarchs infected with a particularly noxious parasite will choose to lay their eggs on a more toxic version of milkweed, their basic food foliage, which works to reduce pass-along parasite infection in their offspring and is harmless to the larvae.

“These experiments provide the best evidence to date that animals use medication,” says Jaap de Roode, the biologist who led the Emory University study. Some scientists theorize that animals’ practice of self-doctoring by using nature’s medicine cabinet may be more widespread than we realize.

Our attitude toward life determines life’s attitude towards us. ~ Earl Nightingale

ecobriefs Green Marketplace

Environmentally Conscious Behavior is Encouraging With more organic foods and sustainable products becoming available, it’s a bit easier to go green these days, and consumers are responding. The latest annual study by the Natural Marketing Institute finds that we are increasingly taking bags with us to the store, avoiding brands that don’t reflect our values and making better transportation choices, including carpooling and using public transit.

Green Rollout

Reliable Source

2011 Launches Electric Rental Cars

Americans Trust Scientists for Information on Global Warming A national study of what Americans know about the causes and effects of global warming, along with potential solutions, reveals a general acknowledgement of our limited understanding. According to the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, only 10 percent believe they are “very well informed,” while 75 percent say they would like to know more about the issue. Likewise, 75 percent want America’s schools to teach our children about climate change, while 68 percent would welcome a national program to make us all better informed.

Overall, 63 percent of the Americans surveyed believe that global warming is occurring, but only about half of our citizens make the connection between human activities and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Just 25 percent have ever heard of ocean acidification. Meanwhile, a large majority incorrectly thinks that global warming is somehow related to the hole in the ozone layer and that banning aerosol spray cans and stopping rockets from punching holes in the ozone blanket are viable solutions to the problem.

Gigantic Grid

Global Benefits of World’s Largest Public Computing Project A recent big idea has IBM’s World Community Grid tapping into the computing power of millions of linked personal computers to help solve the global water crisis. Scientists from China, Brazil and the United States will make use of formerly idle processing capacity among volunteered PCs to develop water filtering technology, clean up polluted waterways and find treatments for water-related diseases.

While the idea of aggregating thousands of individual computers to create a virtual supercomputer to process data is not new, Grist.org reports that it’s the first time the approach has been used to tackle one of the planet’s bigger environmental problems.

To do that, the scientists need to run millions of computer simulations as part of their Computing for Clean Water project. “They believe they can collapse tens or even hundreds of years of trial and error into mere months,” says spokesperson Ari Fishkind.

To join the Clean Water or Clean Energy projects, download the software at WorldCommunityGrid.org.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car leads the competition in rolling out the first round of rental electric vehicles this month in eight markets supported by charging stations. Customers can initially rent these gas-free vehicles in Los Angeles, Knoxville, Nashville, San Diego, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona.

The cars can be charged using a standard 110-volt home outlet or a 220-volt or 480-volt commercial charging station. Most EVs can travel about 100 miles on a single charge, accommodating the travel habits of the typical commuter that averages 30 to 40 miles a day.

“With airport and neighborhood locations within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population, [we can] test the market viability of new alternative fuel technologies like the electric vehicle with daily commuters nationwide,” says Lee Broughton, director of sustainability for Enterprise Holdings, operator of the Enterprise, Alamo and National brands. The company already manages the world’s largest fleet of fuelefficient vehicles, including nearly 7,000 gas/electric hybrid vehicles.

Additional corporate sustainability initiatives include Enterprise Institute for Renewable Fuels’ research into biofuels aimed to reduce both energy use and energy cost by 20 percent over the next five years.

For more, visit KeysToGreen.com.

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consciouseating

findings. If you’re taking medications, check with your health practitioner for possible herb-drug interactions.

Turmeric Turmeric (Curcuma longa), the yellow spice commonly used in Indian curries, is well known for its anti-inflammatory properties and for suppressing pain without harmful side effects. Its main therapeutic ingredient is curcumin. Research from institutions such as the University of California, San Diego, and Cornell University indicate that curcumin appears to be a safe, natural alternative to COX-2 inhibitor drugs.

FOODS THAT

FIGHT PAIN A TASTY, COLORFUL BANQUET

by Michelle Schoffro Cook

W

hile many foods taste great, they can also be powerful healers, naturally packaged in vibrant, multicolored disguises.

Plus, these foods won’t cause the nasty, common side effects that often accompany the use of drugs. Here are some fabulous-tasting favorites that can yield extra benefits.

Cherries Muraleedharan Nair, Ph.D., professor of natural products and chemistry at Michigan State University, found that tart cherry extract is 10 times more effective than aspirin at relieving inflammation. Only two tablespoons of the concentrated juice need to be taken daily for effective results.

Sweet cherries have also been found to be effective.

Other Berries Nair later found the same anti-pain

compound in other berries, specifically blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries.

Celery and Celery Seeds James Duke, Ph.D., author of The Green Pharmacy, found more than 20 antiinflammatory compounds in celery and celery seeds, including a powerful flavonoid called apigenin. Add celery seeds to soups, stews or as a salt substitute in many recipes.

Ginger Ginger reduces levels of pain-causing prostaglandin in the body and has been widely used in India to treat pain and inflammation. A study by Indian researchers found that when people who were suffering from muscular pain were given ginger, they all experienced improvement. New research from the University of Georgia supports these

Fatty Fish Many fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and herring contain omega-3 fatty acids that convert in the body into hormone-like substances that decrease inflammation and pain. According to research reports from arthritis specialists associated with the National Institutes of Health, omega-3 is an effective anti-inflammatory agent; ingesting fish oil acts directly on the immune system by suppressing 40 to 55 percent of the release of cytokines, compounds known to destroy joints. Many other studies similarly demonstrate that eating moderate amounts of fish or taking fish oil supplements reduces pain and inflammation, particularly for arthritis sufferers.

Flax Seeds and Flax Oil Freshly ground flax seeds and coldpressed flax oil contain plentiful amounts of the omega-3 essential fatty acids. Do not cook with flax oil, however, as it then can have the opposite effect of irritating the body’s tissues and causing pain.

Raw Walnuts and Walnut Oil Raw walnuts and walnut oil also contain powerful omega-3 fatty acids that fight pain and inflammation in the body.

When it comes to relieving pain, food really can be the best medicine.

Michelle Schoffro Cook is a registered nutrition consulting practitioner and doctor of natural medicine. Her latest book is The Phytozyme Cure. Learn more at DrMichelleCook.com/HealthSmartNews.

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January 2011

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healthykids

RAISING HEALTHY EATERS

How to Train Children’s Palates from the Cradle On

by Jeannette Bessinger and Tracee Yablon Brenner

America is in the midst of an epidemic Early Training efforts to address these health issues have demof childhood obesity that is creating a Nationwide onstrated that early prevention is easier than intervention after problems have taken hold. Parents can begin cultivating health crisis for our kids.

healthy eating habits in their children right from the cradle.

Establishing a few key parental practices can have long-ranging benefits for the family. ccording to the Nestlé Nutrition Institute’s often ref The first tip is to keep a neutral attitude about food, even if erenced Feeding Infant and Toddler it’s counterintuitive. When introducing solids Study (FITS), many U.S. children are to a child, it is helpful to present the foods in eating a poor quality diet too high in calories a relaxed, neutral way, with no pressure to eat and too low in nutrition. About one in three them. As the youngster grows, avoid labeling older babies and toddlers are not eating a certain foods as good, bad or even healthy to single vegetable on a given day, and eating sidestep the response, “This is good for me? I habits don’t improve as children get older. don’t like it!”

Today’s typical American diet is clearly

Parents do well to remain patient. It not working. According to a benchmark Nacan take up to 15 presentations before a child tional Cancer Institute study, only 1 percent is willing to try something new, and then sevof all children between the ages of 2 and 19 eral tastings before they decide they like it. years met all requirements of the U.S. DepartIt also helps to offer a variety of flavors ment of Agriculture Food Guide pyramid. from a very young age to familiarize children Sixteen percent of the children met none of with many dimensions of tastes and textures. the pyramid recommendations. In 2010, the Though babies initially prefer sweet tastes Dr. William Sears, author, American Dietetic Association (ADA) reported above all others, as youngsters grow, their professor of pediatrics at the that upwards of 23 million U.S. children and preferences tend toward what is familiar.

University of California-Irvine adolescents are now overweight or obese and School of Medicine and founder When introduced early on to variety and concurrently at risk for other health problems sistently offered healthy whole foods, includof AskDrSears.com associated with obesity. That’s nearly one in ing all the veggies, these come to comprise three children. their preferred diet.

A

“The first three years of a child’s life are a window of opportunity for forming lifelong, healthy eating habits.”

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Protective Food Practices

Continuing Practices It’s always wise to offer food to children only when they are actually hungry. When kids eat a continuous flow of simple carbohydrates, such as white crackers and sweetened cereals or even 100 percent juices, it keeps their blood sugar levels slightly elevated, which can create problems.

Nutritionists see firsthand how such a diet prevents the true hunger signal from turning on fully, which in turn can cause little ones to act finicky about certain foods, especially vegetables. It can also prompt them to eat less of more nutritionally balanced foods on their plate at mealtimes.

In children who have any type of blood sugar sensitivity, the more sweet foods they eat, the more they will tend to want. If a parent wants to offer a sweet snack, include some additional fiber, protein or healthy fat to balance it, because these nutrients act as a time-release mechanism for sugars and will help to regulate a more natural appetite rhythm.

According to the ADA’s Pediatric Manual of Clinical Dietetics, vegetarian children tend to be leaner than their non-vegetarian peers; it doesn’t mean that simply eliminating meat is a recipe for obesity prevention. According to the ADA, a varied and appropriately planned vegetarian diet can meet all of a growing baby and toddler’s nutritional needs. But it is even more crucial to keep the blood sugar levels balanced in vegetarian toddlers, because they aren’t receiving proteins from animal sources. On the plus side, young vegetarians are more likely to eat a broader range of fiber and micronutrientrich fruits, veggies and beans.

To encourage reluctant youngsters to eat more vegetables, try roasting them, especially green produce and root veggies.

Also serve a new vegetable in a way similar to one that they already like; e.g., baking homemade sweet potato fries cut in familiar shapes. Kid-size veggies like mini-broccoli trees or baby carrots have appeal. Dressing up plain veggies with dips and shakers of a mild herb, spice, Parmesan cheese, ground seeds or wheat germ adds to the fun.

Finally, encourage toddlers to help out in the kitchen by asking them to wash and sort the veggies or arrange them in a pretty way on the platter.

If children are involved in preparing foods, they are more likely to eat them.

Jeannette Lee Bessinger, an award-winning lifestyle and nutrition educator, and Tracee Yablon Brenner, a registered dietitian, founded RealFoodMoms.com. These certified health counselors have co-authored two practical guides for families: Great Expectations: Best Food for Your Baby and Toddler and Simple Food for Busy Families.

n

80 percent rule: Don’t worry too much about what your child is eating outside the home. If s/he is eating a varied diet of high quality whole foods at home 80 percent of the time, everyone’s on the right track.

n Make the connection: Help a child understand the relationship between our food supply and the natural world. Visit an organic farm or help children start a garden. n

The pristine pantry: Put the child in charge of what foods they actually eat at a meal while parents stay in charge of the foods available. Keep unhealthy foods out of the house.

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communityspotlight

Happy and

Harmonious

Life Unedited with Rosie Blu

by Meredith Montgomery

On a shelf near the front door of Rosie Blu are small, corked capsules of glitter, tagged as Blu Dew, with instructions that read, “Live your life unedited and celebrate it with a sparkle.”

Store owner Betsey Grady believes that life is meant to be fun, and therefore stocks her retail space with products to help her customers live an easier and happier life. Her peaceful and authentic demeanor makes shoppers feel at home in this comfortably cozy store, where she encourages visitors to get in touch with their inner child.

Originally from Virginia, Grady spent a short time in Florida as a district manager for Bath and Body Works before being transferred to San Francisco. Once there, she soon became the national sales manager for Hello Kitty stores. Traveling to different locations around the U.S. and Japan was just one of the aspects of the job that Grady enjoyed. She recalls, “It was a fun experience that introduced me to all aspects of running a business, including sales, marketing, pricing and design, both in retail and wholesale environments.”

Ready to escape the corporate world, Grady relocated to Fairhope in 2006. After taking some time off, she started the wholesale business of selling a friend’s perfume, and soon decided to open a retail space as a venue for the product.

“I always dreamed of opening a store where local artisans could sell their wares, from artwork and crafts to soaps and lotions,” Grady says. With the opening of Rosie Blu in February 2007, her dream became a reality. When shopping in downtown Fairhope, lively music near the intersection of Fairhope Avenue and Bancroft will lead you to Rosie Blu, where lights twinkle in the window and a bowl of water near the door invites four-legged passersby.

Inside the small shop, Grady’s unique inventory promotes a creative and healthy spirit. Her locally sourced items are 20

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complimented by West Coast lines that are typically difficult to find in Lower Alabama. “We carry natural products that beautify your mind, body, spirit and soul,” she says. From aromatherapy products and crystals to funky tights and books, there is something for everyone at Rosie Blu.

A line of hydrosols created by Grady is an example of the one-of-a-kind finds available at this Fairhope destination. Also known as botanical waters, these sprays are the pure, natural waters produced during the essential oil steam distillation process. Considered the homeopathic version of aromatherapy, they can be applied directly to the skin and are ideal for use with children, animals and those with fragile immune systems.

Grady is grateful for the clients she serves and the network of friends and new experiences that have resulted from managing the store. Dana Goudie, of the Kula Yoga Community, stopped by the store one weekend and purchased a bottle of the botanical waters for use in her yoga class. “This encounter led to my involvement with Kula Yoga and to a meditation class I now lead for them. Dana has also become a dear friend and is a kindred spirit,” says Grady.

The shop is frequented by locals like Goudie and tourists, as well. With the eclectic medley of items available, Grady enjoys the equally varied customer base she is visited by each

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“We carry natural products that beautify your mind, body, spirit and soul. From aromatherapy products and crystals to funky tights and books, there is something for everyone at Rosie Blu." Owner Betsey Grady

day. She says, “I come home to ‘What cool customer did you have today?’ because I encounter people who share so many personal things—amazing spiritual and inspirational stories with me. I get chills on almost a daily basis from the journeys customers share with me.”

“Perhaps one of the nicest stories from my time here started when my soon-to-behusband walked through my doors on a Friday Art Walk,” Grady recalls. “He came looking for painted light switch covers and left empty-handed, because the store was packed with shoppers.” She says, “When he returned six weeks later, he no longer needed the switch plates, but ended up buying one of my paintings, my first piece to ever sell! And the story goes on—after a few months, we both knew it was meant to be.”

An animal lover and loyal supporter of The Haven, Fairhope’s no-kill animal shelter, Grady met and adopted her canine shopkeeper, Rosie, a year and a half ago.

This gentle black lab shares the company of other store mascots, Judy and Sideburns, the two goldfish housed in a bowl on the shop’s counter. It is believed that the presence of goldfish generates happiness and harmony.

While the goldfish are a peaceful and colorful touch to this shop, everything about Rosie Blu is cheerful and harmonious, from the mindful selection of products available to the relationships that are formed on a day-to-day basis. As Grady says, “It’s a neat place to be.”

Rosie Blu is located at 422 Fairhope Avenue, in Fairhope. For more information, visit RosieBlu.com or call 251-517-5326.

See ad on page 10.

ecotip Retail Solutions

Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle Plastic Bags Studies tell us that plastic grocery bags consume less energy to produce, transport and recycle than paper grocery sacks. The problem is that the vast majority of them do not get recycled.

This modern “urban tumbleweed” clogs our gutters, kills wildlife and makes the world less beautiful. Worldwatch Institute estimates that the United States throws away 100 billion plastic shopping bags every year. Here are some ways to prevent that. n Bring reusable totes and plastic bags to stores. n Go through the self-checkout to add more items to each bag. n Put items in a purse or briefcase or carry them out. n Use a plastic grocery bag to clean up behind the dog and scoop out the litter box. n Reuse plastic bags to pack lunches. n Use plastic bags as packing material, instead of Styrofoam packing peanuts. n Line paint trays with plastic bags before pouring in paint for easy cleanup. n Keep bags in the trunk of the car for emergencies. n Reuse plastic grocery bags as camping trip garbage bags. n Tie bags around both feet to keep shoes clean when traversing a muddy area. n Cut the bags into loops and knot them together into plastic “yarn,” to make

braided rugs, woven baskets and crocheted bags. n Support companies that use recycled plastic, from makers of handmade African crafts to designer chairs and composite decking.

Source: Adapted from RusticGirls.com

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21

Five Steps to

Better Health How integrative medicine can make health care simpler, more effective and more affordable.

by Marco Visscher, Ursula Sautter and Carmel Wroth

Suffering from headaches and depression? Don’t let a doctor put you on drugs; instead, look for the underlying causes. High cholesterol? Try the Mediterranean diet, with a glass of organic red wine a day. The best way to win the war on cancer? Eat healthy, exercise and develop an active social life. An increasing number of physicians are realizing that this type Health care costs are continually rising, but people are not getting any healthier. Here is a five-point prescription for of approach, geared to prevention and a the future of health care that applies the tenets of integrative conservative use of medications and technology, medicine to make today’s health care simpler, more effective not only increases patients’ vitality, but saves and more affordable. lots of money.

1. Emphasize Illness Prevention

I

n the words of Dr. Dean Ornish, founder and chairman of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, in Sausalito, California, “It is time to change not only who is covered, but also what is covered.” There is an overemphasis, he says, on treating symptoms and on the idea that caring for our health is primarily the responsibility of medical experts, rather than of individuals themselves.

Zhaoming Chen, a neurologist and chairman of the American Association of Integrative Medicine, describes the way things currently work. “We only treat the disease after it occurs.”

With figures showing that 95 cents out of every dollar spent on health care goes toward treating illness, he notes that “The best way to reduce the costs is prevention.” Integrative medicine puts the patient, not the doctor or the insurance company, at the center of attention, and it puts the focus on the sources of illness and not the symptoms.

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About half of all American adults have a chronic illness, according to the Partnership for Solutions, a John Hopkins Universityled initiative to improve care for Americans with chronic health conditions. Ornish claims that three-quarters of the more than $2 trillion recently spent on health care in a single year went to treat these kinds of conditions, including obesity. “All of these can be not only prevented, but even reversed through diet and lifestyle intervention,” he says. “It just seems so obvious to me that this is where we should be putting our focus.”

There is a long way to go before prevention is on the national agenda. While prevention is indeed better than cure, we tend to reward those who find solutions for existing problems rather than those who ensure that those problems don’t occur.

“Prevention is boring,” says Ornish. Rather, “We need to focus on living better.”

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2. Promote Healthy Foods

alternative healing method that’s now beginning to find its way into hospitals is acupuncture, which has been shown, among other benefits, to help relieve pain, stress and nausea during pre- and postoperative care.

Beth Israel’s Department of Integrative Medicine is bringing acupuncture into the hospital free of charge as part of a fellowship program for Chinese medicine practitioners. “The future of acupuncture is to be a part of best practices in the conventional setting,” says Arya Nielsen, a nationally board-certified acupuncture specialist who leads the program. “The research is just too good.”

The goal is to train both acupunc3. Focus on Lifestyle Changes turists and conventional doctors in the Another way to reduce The majority of health problems and risk benefits of this technique so that it can costs is to use alternafactors for illnesses stem from the choices be incorporated into Beth Israel’s best we make: how much time we invest worktive and complementary practices. “Even if physicians have time to ing, exercising and relaxing; time spent therapies such as homewith friends and outdoors; and whether we read the acupuncture studies, what really opathy, naturopathy, yoga consistently take the stairs or the elevator. makes it gel is when they see the results

The Sanoviv Medical Institute, in and herbal medicine that on the patient they treat,” says Nielsen.

Rosarito, Mexico, is located on a beautiful “The proof is in practitioners working can supplement and even stretch of the Pacific coast, an hour south replace conventional meth- side-by-side and people being able to of San Diego. The recommended stay for experience what this therapy can do.” most patients is two weeks. While there, ods. Such complementary

Chen points out that chemotherapy, they learn about and experience a lifestyle treatments work to nourbased around stress reduction, emotional surgery and radiation dramatically change ish, nurture and augment well-being, healthy eating and exercise. a patient’s life, and people need strong Many patients come in with cancer or the body’s own defenses. support from family and friends to adapt multiple sclerosis; others come just to to these changes. Chen believes that treatdetoxify and clear out the accumulated ing cancer should involve both conventional and alternative effects of stress. The program includes dietary changes, supplements, daily exercise and a stress management plan supported medicine. “Patients also need some lifestyle changes: smoking cessation, minimizing alcohol intake, adopting a low-fat, highby psychological counseling and daily meditation.

A 2004 study in The Lancet showed that lifestyle changes— fiber diet. Besides that, because [conventional] treatment may quitting smoking, healthier eating habits, moderate alcohol cause nausea and pain, patients may benefit from acupuncture, consumption and regular exercise—can prevent 90 percent meditation, yoga and Tai chi. This will help them cope with pain of today’s cases of heart disease, which currently accounts for better.” more premature deaths and higher health care costs than any other illness, according to Ornish.

5. Treat People, Not Diseases

“When lifestyle is offered as a treatment, it’s as effective and As Nurse Béatrice Fleury pours a steaming infusion of yarrow often more effective than what we’re now doing, at a fraction of over a piece of cotton and then wrings it out, the aroma of the the cost,” says Ornish. “We pay for all these interventions that are dangerous, invasive, expensive and largely ineffective, and medicinal herb wafts over to the hospital bed where Eliane yet interventions that have been scientifically proven to reverse Perrot is waiting for her body wrap. When the compress and a hot water bottle have been gingerly applied to her lower back disease, are a simple change of lifestyle.” and secured by a soft cloth sash, she leans back with a con4. Use Alternative Therapies tented sigh. The compress will help her liver better metabolize Another way to reduce costs is to use alternative and complementary therapies such as homeopathy, naturopathy, yoga the toxins that have accumulated in it after months of breast and herbal medicine that can supplement and even replace cancer therapy. The wrap’s warmth will also create a sense of conventional methods. Such complementary treatments work temporary well-being, a precious feeling for the frail, exhausted, to nourish, nurture and augment the body’s own defenses. One 65-year-old.

Roberta Lee, a pioneer of integrative health care and primary care physician at the Beth Israel Medical Center Department of Integrative Medicine, in New York City, believes the first prescription any doctor should write should be about diet and lifestyle. “You can never lose by maximizing lifestyle management,” says Lee, pointing out that many conditions not easily diagnosed or cured in a conventional framework can be improved by dietary and lifestyle changes. “There are specific diets that promote wellness,” she says. “They reduce inflammation, [and] increase fiber, vitamins and minerals that come in the form of a lot of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.”

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Alternative treatments like the yarrow wrap are the order of the day at the Paracelsus Spital, in the Swiss town of Richterswil, outside of Zurich. Founded in 1994, the clinic is one of a handful of hospitals in Europe devoted to complementary healing. In addition to orthodox treatments and drugs, the conventionally schooled doctors here also use therapies and medications based on the holistic approach to medicine inspired by the anthroposophy of Waldorf education founder Rudolf Steiner.

“If you want to understand a person’s disease and support his self-healing powers, it’s of central importance to look at the human being as a whole—body, spirit and soul,” says Paracelsus Medical Director Erich Skala. “This may require more time and effort, but it’s how you treat the causes, and not just the symptoms.”

Dr. Daniel Dunphy, of the San Francisco Preventive Medical Group, believes the Paracelsus approach is what the United States needs. “You have to take time to get to know the patients and listen to their stories,” he counsels. “I want to know their personal history, their traumas, how they do at work, what they eat and at what times of the day—and then I know what to do about their problem.”

The Bottom Line

Of course, the bottom line in the debate about health care is cost. Proponents of integrative health argue that the promotion of preventive steps such as eating healthy food and making positive lifestyle changes, as well as using complementary methods to treat the whole person and not just the disease, will result in “... the biggest return on investment this nation could ever

have,” in the words of William Novelli, a professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and the former CEO of AARP.

Kenneth R. Pelletier, clinical professor of medicine at the University of Arizona School of Medicine and the University of California School of Medicine, has been putting numbers behind the arguments for integrative health. Pelletier has studied the cost-effectiveness of corporate programs to promote health and manage disease among employees. The programs encompassed everything from subsidized gym memberships and smoking cessation classes to biometric screening and serving smaller portions in company cafeterias. Pelletier found that companies with such programs in place realized healthier, more productive workforces, fewer sick days and less staff turnover.

He estimates that it takes, on average, just over three years before firms see a financial return on this kind of investment.

“These reviews clearly indicate that comprehensive interventions do evidence both clinical- and cost-effectiveness,” says Pelletier. “There’s a very good payback. It makes us think about health as an investment.”

More money, more pills and more technology don’t necessarily lead to better health. Advocates of integrative medicine generally take a “less is more” approach—less needless medications and medical procedures and more prevention and healthy personal lifestyle changes can add up to big financial savings and big improvements in an individual’s quality of life.

Marco Visscher is the managing editor of Ode, Ursula Sautter and Carmel Wroth are contributors. Adapted from an article that first appeared in Ode, the magazine about positive change.

TIPS FROM THE LOCAL EXPERTS Natural Awakenings recently asked local healthcare professionals for their own natural health tips. The responses are seasonally appropriate for everyone wanting to maintain good health this winter.

“Season changes can be health challenges. Now that the colder weather is here, everyone needs to give their im-

mune system every possible opportunity to function at its highest level by supplementing vitamins and herbs for individual needs.”

Dr. Laurie Crafton, Foley

A Better Way Chiropractic and Health Food

“Probiotics are essential and have helped many individuals with immune functions including issues with the stomach, sinuses, ears and more. When there is an imbalance of good bacteria versus bad in the gut, it can cause issues that occur due to our diet and/or antibiotics. When an antibiotic is prescribed, I suggest the addition of probiotics to replenish the good bacteria that may have been lost.”

Dr. Richard Rizzuto, D.C., Foley

Back on Track Chiropractic, Back to Health Nutrition and Natural Foods

“Check your vitamin D levels. While it’s commonly known to be valuable for bones, vitamin D is also extremely important for a properly functioning immune system. Functioning more as a steroid hormone, it plays a large role in pain sensitivity as well. With vitamin D at a near epidemic low level across the country, we suggest supplementing with D-3 for best results.”

Dr. Arthur Tripp and Kitty Tripp, Mobile

Doctor’s Nutrition 24

NA Mobile / Baldwin Edition

Mobile.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

wisewords

pace. We’ll help track your progress, and if the changes are enough to accomplish your goals, great; and if not, then you can do more.

THE JOY OF HEALTH

Who seems to benefit most from this approach, and to what degree?

A conversation with Dr. Dean Ornish on lifestyle changes that foster well-being

by April Thompson

F

or more than 30 years, renowned medical doctor Dean Ornish has led pioneering clinical research proving that making simple changes in the way we eat and live can radically transform our health. He directed the first randomized, controlled trials demonstrating that lifestyle changes may halt or reverse the progression of even severe coronary heart disease, as well as early-stage prostate cancer. In collaboration with Nobel Laureate Elizabeth Blackburn, Ph.D., Ornish also showed that healthy lifestyle changes can increase telomerase, and thus lengthen telomeres, the ends of chromosomes that control how long we live.

Ornish is the founder and president of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

He is the author of six bestselling books, including Eat More, Weigh Less and most recently, The Spectrum.

What sparked your interest in preventive medicine?

I got interested in doing this work when I was learning how to do bypass surgery as a medical student. We’d cut people open, bypass their blocked arteries and tell them they were cured; then they‘d go home and continue to do the same things that caused the problem in the first place—smoke, overeat, drink too much, work too hard and so on.

More often than not, their bypasses would get clogged up again, and we’d cut them open again and bypass the bypass, sometimes multiple times. That became a metaphor for an incomplete approach for me. Sometimes you need to use drugs and surgery in a crisis, but ultimately, you must address the underlying cause.

One of our most interesting research findings was that the primary determinant of improvement wasn’t how old or sick people were, it was how much they’d changed their diet and lifestyle. The body has a remarkable capacity to heal itself if we simply stop doing what’s causing the problem. We’ve seen hundreds of thousands of patients slow or reverse the progress of life-threatening diseases when they make good changes.

Such lifestyle changes can work not only as well as drugs and surgery, but oftentimes better, and at a fraction of the cost.

Plus, the side effects are all good ones.

You stress the importance of individual lifestyle changes, but what about changing our What is the concept behind sick health care system?

The Spectrum and how does do need to look at the politics of it differ from other lifestyle We health care and hold our leaders responprograms? sible for some of decisions that have creThe problem with most lifestyle-oriented health programs is that they are restrictive, all-or-nothing, fear-based approaches.

If you go on a diet or exercise program, sooner or later you’re going to go off of it. Then people feel like they’ve failed; it makes it hard to maintain

Sustainable changes, on the other hand, are based on joy, pleasure and freedom. In our research, we found that the more you change your lifestyle, the more you improve and the better you feel.

The better you feel, the more likely you are to continue these changes.

The Spectrum is not a diet; it’s an overall way of living. If you overindulge one day, you then eat healthier the next.

Let’s say, for example, that you want to lower your cholesterol or get your diabetes under control. You begin by making moderate changes that you choose.

There’s no pushback because you set the

ated the mess we’re in.

For example, after 16 years of lobbying, working with Medicare and members of Congress, we learned a few months ago that Medicare is finally covering our program for reversing heart disease. It’s game changing. If Medicare covers it, all the other insurance companies will follow their lead, and we can make these sorts of programs available to people who most need them, rather than just those who can afford it.

If we change reimbursement, we change not only medical practice, but also medical education. Otherwise, I could do a thousand studies with a million patients and it would always remain on the fringes of medical practice.

For more information visit pmri.org or OrnishSpectrum.com.

April Thompson is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C. See AprilWrites.com

natural awakenings

January 2011

25

naturalpet

SOUTHPAWS PET SPA in downtown Fairhope

PAIN-FREE

HOLISTIC services & NATURAL products for the pampered pet.

PETS

Grooming • Pet-icures • Massage • Teeth Cleaning Organic treats, bones & grooming supplies

FREE Pampered Pet Spa Package for New Clients!

NATURAL WAYS TO PROVIDE RELIEF

Call for details.

by Dr. Matthew J. Heller

Lynn Anderson, CEO 251-928-0750 southpawspetspa@gmail.com

For just $20 a month, you can help pets like Dot find forever homes.

Dot Female Pointer Mix

P The Adoption Spot is a page dedicated to the many adoptable animals in local shelters and foster homes.

See page 32 for details.

26

NA Mobile / Baldwin Edition

roviding pain relief for pets is important, whether they are recovering from an injury or surgery or suffering from a chronic problem. But recognizing signs of pain in animals is tricky because it’s subjective and its expression varies with each animal. Some pets are stoic when faced with horrible injuries, while others howl over minor ailments.

Humans complain, grumble and often self-medicate to alleviate their aches.

A pet may need help and be communicating, “I hurt!” if any of the following signs are evident. n Being unusually withdrawn, inactive, restless or exceptionally clingy n Refusing to walk stairs or not rising quickly when called n Avoiding physical contact, such as being lifted or carried

Mobile.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

n Whining, whimpering, howling or meowing constantly n Biting or continually licking a particular part of the body n Flattening ears against the head n Loss of appetite

Changes in behavior may be the only way a cat or dog will communicate its plea for relief from pain. Keep in mind that in nature, predators seek out animals that display signs of pain or injury as a preferred target, so it’s natural to hide pain as a protective measure. In the event of a trauma, illness or surgery, seek diagnosis and assistance from a trusted integrative veterinarian.

Mounting evidence from institutions such as the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture

supports the use of alternative modalities to effectively manage pain and provide relief. Some of the most common include the following approaches.

Nutraceuticals

In decades past, veterinarians were taught that some feeling of pain could help an injured

These non-drug nutrients play a significant role in strengthening normal body tissues, repairing damaged tissues and improving efficient body metabolism.

Pet guardians may use vet-recommended nutraceuticals for up to six to eight weeks to manage low levels of pain.

or post-operative pet to stay

Homeopathic Remedies

mizing any pain generally aids

Homeopathic remedies, sometimes referred to as homotoxicology, comprise the use of plant and animal materials to stimulate the body into action; homeopathy is often explained as, “Like heals like.” Specifically, exposure to a large amount of a toxin (e.g., poison ivy or arsenic or anthrax) would likely cause specific physical problems, but in a small, controlled dose, it may stimulate the body to heal similar problems.

We regularly apply Traumeel, manufactured by Heel, a blend of 12 homeopathic remedies for temporary relief of minor aches and pains associated with bruises, sprains and injuries such as dislocations, fractures and trauma. It can also ease pain associated with inflammation and arthritis. Forms include dissolvable tablets, ointments and drops.

Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) is a holistic approach that considers each being as a whole—body, mind and spirit—and takes into account both diet and environment. For the practitioner, disease is the result of an imbalance of the body’s energy flow, which needs to be redirected, rebalanced and restored.

Herbal formulas are prepared for pets suffering from musculoskeletal injuries due to an acute trauma, like a sprain or back injury, or a chronic discomfort, such as arthritis. They are available in capsules, powders and tea pills.

In medical terms, acupuncture can assist the body to heal itself by effecting certain physiological changes, such as increasing blood circulation and relieving muscle spasms. General conditions

quiet enough, long enough to heal. More recent studies, to the contrary, show that mini-

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the recovery process.

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Organic Food, Free-Range Meat, and Organic Wine treated by acupuncture include arthritis; back pain; muscle pain and spasms; and stroke. A simple acute problem like a sprain may require only one treatment, where more severe or chronic ailments may require multiple sessions.

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Animal Chiropractic Veterinary Spinal Manipulation Therapy, also referred to as animal chiropractic, is applied to correct common misalignments in the spine, restoring motion to the spine, as well as proper nerve and muscle function. Misalignment may be caused by trauma, overexertion or the normal wear and tear of everyday life.

Proper adjustment allows the body to fully function and better heal itself. The number of adjustments required to alleviate pain varies based on the severity of the disease or injury.

Pain management requires a team effort, but the result—a pain-free pet that feels happier and healthier—is worth it.

Dr. Matthew J. Heller is a holistic veterinarian and owner of All About PetCare, in Middletown, OH. For more information, call 513-424-1626 or 866-YOUR-VET, or visit AllAboutPetCare.com.

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Serving the Public for 33 Years

natural awakenings

January 2011

27

greenliving

A GREENER WAY TO DRY CLEAN

New Eco-Friendly Methods Help the Planet

by Brita Belli

Dry cleaning may be convenient—but until now, it has not been a friend of the environment.

I

t makes no sense. First, there are the harsh chemicals used to clean the clothes. Most facilities continue to use PERC (short for percholorethylene), a suspected carcinogen that is released in cleaners’ airborne emissions, from where it can eventually contaminate soil and groundwater. With as many as 35,000 dry cleaning facilities nationwide, this poses a major public health and environmental concern.

Additional commonly used drycleaning chemicals with toxic repercussions include petroleum-based solvents like Pure Dry, EcoSolve, and GreenEarth, a silicone-based solvent that breaks down into sand, water and carbon dioxide.

Beyond the chemicals, standard dry-cleaning practices come with lots of built-in waste; the most obvious being the ubiquitous plastic garment covers and disposable hangers.

28

NA Mobile / Baldwin Edition

A New Era Aware of their planet-harming public image, dry cleaners, many of which are small, family-owned businesses, have set out to reinvent themselves in recent years. Unfortunately, sometimes this involves little more than adding the word “organic” or “green” to a com-

pany’s name. To be clear, customers must inquire whether or not a particular cleaner uses PERC or one of the other harmful chemicals to determine if a green-sounding name has merit.

The good news is that more dry cleaners across the country are actually shifting to alternative cleaning methods that leave less impact on the environment. A new certification agency called the Green Cleaners Council (GCC) is helping to lend weight to a cleaner’s green claims.

Fresh Technologies One alternative to traditional dry-cleaning, known as CO2 cleaning, uses liquid carbon dioxide—the type used to carbonate soda—as its active solvent, mixed with dry cleaning detergent. During the cleaning process, the excess CO2 released is captured and reused.

Even better, an Environmental Protection Agency-approved wet cleaning method uses water and “environmentally preferable detergents” to safely clean delicate clothes, and emits no air pollution, nor does it leave hazardous waste behind. The only negative environmental impact with this approach is the use of additional water.

The EPA estimates that 10 percent of the industry has shifted to wet cleaning, a number that’s on the rise. Intriguingly, all cleaners have the capacity to wet clean at least some items using existing equipment, the agency reports, and some 3,000 establishments are likely offering some degree of wet cleaning (based on equipment sales).

Ann Hargrove has the distinction of operating the first wet cleaning business in the United States. Today, she is a member of the GCC, providing the environmental certification the industry has

Dry cleaning is not always necessary; clothing makers often place the “dry clean only” label on tags because they can list no more than one cleaning method and can be held liable if an item is damaged when the owner follows a listed procedure.

Yet many of these items can be safely washed at home, either by hand or using a washing machine’s delicate cycle.

Union of Concerned Scientists

Mobile.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

lacked. Much like other green standards groups, the council rates dry cleaners based on a long list of environmental attributes. After verifying claims, the council awards cleaners between one and five leaves, based on their green credibility.

“The nice part about what we’re doing,” says Hargrove, “is that once cleaners fill out the form, we give them their ratings and give them an itemized list: ‘Here are some things you can do….’”

She says no cleaner can earn a fiveleaf rating while using PERC, but adds that new equipment is expensive and smaller steps deserve recognition, too. The GCC website offers a state-by-state listing of its certified green cleaners—yet many states still have none listed. The EPA provides another, more comprehensive, greener cleaners guide, which lists CO2 cleaners and wet cleaners by state.

A Florida-based company, Sudsies, exemplifies the kind of entrepreneurs who have taken up the green cleaning challenge. It has earned a four-leaf rating by offering wet cleaning and instituting a recycling program (Sudsies.com).

“We use plastic hangers made from recycled plastic that can also be recycled,” says Sudsies CEO Jason Loeb.

The company also has reduced paper and plastic bag use and prints its brochures on recycled paper.

With the economy down, Loeb says it’s a tough time for the industry to take major green steps, so incremental ones may be the order of the day. He observes, “For now, most of those with the time and money to invest in eco-friendly practices limit their investment to the use of a particular dry cleaning solvent, rather than moving to evaluate all areas of their environmental impact.”

The Green Cleaners Council’s mission to evaluate more cleaners should spark more widespread interest while helping customers to readily differentiate the green-in-name-only cleaners from those committed to cleaning clothes in a whole new way. It’s up to us to create demand.

Brita Belli is the editor of E – The Environmental Magazine.

healingways

HONORING OUR

LIFE FORCE

ENERGY MEDICINE HELPS RESTORE BALANCE AND HARMONY

by Linda Sechrist

I

n William James’ famous hypothesis, “A new idea is first condemned as ridiculous, and then dismissed as trivial, until finally, it becomes what everybody knows.” In the field of energy medicine, the experiences of pioneers such as medical intuitives Caroline Myss and Donna Eden, natural healer Dr. Carolle JeanMurat and Doctor of Chiropractic Eric Pearl validate James’ postulate.

Initially disregarded by allopathic medicine, the energy medicine these healers practice operates on the belief that changes in the “life force” of the body can affect human health and healing. They maintain that applying this energetic per-

spective allows them to clinically assess and treat what they refer to as the body’s electromagnetic fields, in order to achieve a healthy balance in the body’s overall energy system.

The modality has to do with energy pathways, or meridians, that run through our organs and muscles. The idea is to uncover the root causes of imbalances and harmonize them at an energetic level before they completely solidify in the physical body and manifest as an illness. Such imbalances may be brought on by, for example, such things as emotional stress and physical trauma.

natural awakenings

January 2011

29

Aid to Conventional Treatment

LOCAL HEALING ENERGY EVENTS PRANIC HEALING AND MEDITATION, Mobile

6:30 p.m., Every Monday These Pranic Healing clinics are offered to the public at no cost and are followed by the Meditation on Twin Hearts. Classes on pranic healing are available as well.

For more information, call Deana Lannie at 251-454-0959.

QUANTUM TOUCH WORKSHOP, Fairhope

9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., January 15-16 No experience is necessary to learn Quantum Touch. Nurses, massage therapists and medical doctors find that it can be used with all other kinds of therapies or treatments to improve the results.

For more information call Julie E. Brent at 251-504-5328, or visit MoonSunEarth.com/Quantum-Touch. htm.

REIKI II CERTIFICATION CLASS, Bon Secour 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., January 21-22 This course includes a short recap of Reiki I, light lunch, workbook, and hands-on practice. Professionals as well as anyone interested in learning more about healing energy arts are welcome.

For more information call Rio Barlow at 251-979-9851, or email RioBarlow@ ymail.com.

As recently as 1990, the idea of using any form of energy medicine, such as acupuncture, Reiki, Touch for Health or the services of a medical intuitive in a hospital setting would have been considered preposterous. Today, however, more medical institutions are combining these types of treatment with traditional allopathic medicine.

For example, Children’s Memorial Hospital, in Chicago, a researchoriented emblem of Western medicine, now employs a Healing Touch therapist.

The hospital, which perennially ranks among America’s premier hospitals, is the principal pediatric teaching hospital for Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, a leading U.S. cardiovascular surgeon, was the first to include a Reiki practitioner in his department at Columbia University Medical Center, in New York City. The New York Times reports that Oz allows the use of Reiki during open-heart surgeries and heart transplant operations.

Holistic Consultation Energy Work Color Therapy Essential Oils Flower Essences Qi Gong Chartres Labyrinth

Permaculture Design Passive and Active Solar Rainwater Collection Humanure Composting Greywater Recycling Shiitake Cultivation Biodynamics

Middle Earth Healing and Learning Center Citronelle, AL 251-866-7204

MidEarthHealing@yahoo.com * www.middleearthhealing.com

Conquer Your Weight Issues in 2011 Personalized weight management program with a holistic, no drug approach. Learn to tap your stress away to balance your weight.

Usui Reiki

Aligning the natural energy found in all of us to heal your body and awaken your spirit.

Dr. Diana Sturm Certified in Energy Psychology The Delta Institute, Mobile, AL

Call to schedule your Reiki Therapy Appointment or for information on trainings and CEUs

RIO BARLOW, Reiki Master 251-979-9851 NA Mobile / Baldwin Edition

Medical intuitives say they can recognize problems in the flow of the body’s energies and are able to accurately predict the kinds of physical problems that are likely to emerge before any symptoms are detected. Eden, who has had a lifelong ability to make health assessments that are confirmed by medical tests, can look at an individual’s body and see and feel where the energies are not flowing, out of balance or not in harmony, then works to correct the problem.

“I was 22 before I discovered that everyone didn’t make their decisions after first seeing and sensing energy,” says Eden.

Carolle Jean-Murat, a California licensed obstetrician and gynecologist who now practices as a medical intuitive and healer, left her 30-year allopathic practice to focus on natural healing. Today, the native of Haiti specializes in helping women restore their mental, physical and spiritual health. “I am a healer who has the capacity to see, feel and hear whatever a client is going through, because I see them as a whole: energy, body, mind, soul and emotions,” says Jean-Murat.

A CENTER FOR HEALING ... A CENTER FOR LEARNING

Promote Peace, Serenity & Physical Well-Being

30

More Insight

251-219-4574

Mobile.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

www.deltainstitute.net

Dr. Eric Pearl, author of The Reconnection: Heal Others, Heal Yourself, demystifies the healing process. He teaches others (75,000 and counting) how to activate and use what he refers to as an all-inclusive spectrum of healing frequencies.

“Reconnection teaches people how to transcend the ego and its judgment, and reach a state of non-judgment observation,” explains Pearl. “Many of them describe their experience simply as an internal activation of an advanced level of consciousness, in which awareness allows the perception of a multi-dimensional universe.”

Pearl posits that as part of our growth as human beings, “We not only discover that we have become more, we understand that we can’t stand in fear, lack and limitation, and we can only offer ourselves as a vessel for healing for ourselves and others when we reside in oneness and love.” Pearl believes that it is part of everyone’s life journey to discover that they are an empty vessel, born to be filled with Spirit. By letting go of beliefs that block our ability to deeply understand this, we can harmonically converge with the lives of others at the level where we are all energy, as physics indicates.

These practitioners agree that, while we all have some subtle sense of an animating force within us that is pure energy, we often ignore it. We go about our daily lives using this life force to perform our activities until it becomes depleted and illness manifests in a physical or emotional imbalance. While professional energy medicine practitioners are specifically trained to sense and honor the body’s animating life force and recognize its excesses and deficiencies, they also believe that we can all learn how to work with this important facet of our being. It is our birthright to realize balance and harmony, and we can do this by learning to re-establish a healthy flow of communication within the body’s subtle energy system.

Linda Sechrist is a Natural Awakenings editor and freelance writer.

Holistic and Alternative Therapies in Occupational Health

by Corey Biggs, RN

O

ccupational health is an essential part of any workplace.

Large facilities such as factories, refineries and production plants usually house on-site clinics where employees and contractors seek medical care. These clinics are staffed by nurses and physicians that are specially trained to address workrelated emergencies, as well as on and off the job illnesses. When employees visit an occupational clinic, they may be surprised to find that the treatment is not always similar to the conventional therapies they would expect to find from their primary care doctor.

Occupational clinicians across the globe have come to appreciate the art of holistic and alternative medicine and therapies, many times utilizing these measures first. For example, muscular injuries (one of the most common occupational injuries as reported by OSHA) may be managed by thermal treatments, massage and rest.

Chiropractic care is often utilized as a routine treatment for employees undergoing rehabilitative care, as well. Other alternative and holistic therapies, including acupuncture and herbal remedies, are on the rise. These therapies will continue to become increasingly popular as occupational health professionals are influenced by foreign cultures and by patient preferences for alternative treatments.

Companies are quickly recognizing and respecting the relationship between mind, body and spirit. Occupational clinics may be instrumental in providing quiet rooms, where an employee can sit in virtual peace or listen to tranquil music during a routine break period, sometimes in conjunction with aromatherapy. The staff member may simply need to unwind and relax after a stressful moment or thwart an approaching headache.

Clergy and religious assistance is also sometimes available for employees who may have spiritual needs, such as those

returning from bereavement leave. Many clinics provide or accommodate mental health professionals to help with stress management and issues involving the balance of work and home life, thus reducing symptoms of somatoform disorders such as chronic fatigue and malaise.

Educating individuals about preventative healthcare, while promoting fit lifestyles and responsible choices, is an integral part of both holistic and occupational medicine. Diet and exercise are emphasized to employees to help them control disease processes such as diabetes and high blood pressure. When combining proper nutrition, physical conditioning and appropriate alternative therapies, medical conditions are more easily managed and, as a result, employees may be able to reduce or discontinue pharmaceutical interventions.

Unfortunately, a “quick fix” of prescription medication has become the standard in patient care. Unnecessary medications may limit a patient’s job function, while narcotic and sedative classes of medications may prevent the patient from working at all. Employees working while taking mind-altering medication not only pose a threat to themselves, but to the community, as well. Choosing a more holistic approach in treatment options allows workers to continue their occupations, while ensuring safety.

As the field of occupational health and medicine continues to grow, nurses and physicians must be mindful, not only of allopathic medical care, but of alternative treatment options, as well. This not only conforms to standard of care practices, but promotes a safe and efficient workforce, consisting of healthy, happy employees who can function with a sound body and mind.

Biggs is a registered nurse and paramedic working as an occupational health nurse in Mobile.

natural awakenings

January 2011

31

The Adoption Spot

Adoption is the right option. Help these animals find a forever home.

Contact the rescue organizations for adoption details and availability of the animals spotted on this page. These listings are made possible by generous individuals and local businesses.

For infomation on how you can sponsor an animal in need, visit Mobile.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com or call 251-990-9552.

Sponsorships start at $20 a month.

North Baldwin Animal Shelter

DOT

Less than 1 yr old, Female Pointer Mix Sponsored by:

North Baldwin Animal Shelter

PETEY

2+ yrs old, Male American Bulldog Mix Sponsored by:

Alla Mano

in downtown Fairhope

Sponsor This Spot!

Support A Rescue

Sponsored by:

Name or Logo ONLY $20!

For sponsorship information: Mobile.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com 251-990-9552

Azalea City Cat Coalition

SOPHIE

2 yrs old, Female Tabby Short Hair Sponsored by: Sponsored by:

Carla CarlaShumock Shumock

JulieWilkinsYoga.com

For adoption information: NorthBaldwinAnimalShelter.com 251-937-8811

For adoption information: NorthBaldwinAnimalShelter.com 251-937-8811

For adoption information: AzaleaCityCats.org 251-648-7582

SouthBark

The Haven

Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF)

TATTOO

1 year old, Male Heeler/Cattle Dog mix Sponsored by:

DocsNutritionMobile.com

FUDGE

2 yr old, Female Medium Hair

APRIL

4 yrs old, Female Boxer/Dalmation Mix

Sponsored by:

Sponsored by:

Hyman Homes, Inc.

Friends of ARF

HymanHomesInc.com

For adoption information: SaveASouthernDog.com 251-604-2997

For adoption information: HavenForAnimals.org 251-929-3980

For adoption information: AnimalRescueMobile.org 251-478-9743

Azalea City Cat Coalition

Lost Without You Animal Rescue

Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF)

TAMALE

6 months old, Male Russian Blue Mix

Sponsored by:

BLUE

1 yr old, Male Weimerainer/Border Collie

Sponsored by:

BLACK JACK

1 year old, Male American Bulldog Mix

Sponsored by:

Friends of ARF For adoption information: AzaleaCityCats.org 251-648-7582

For adoption information: LostWithoutYouAnimalRescue.org 251-391-0959

For adoption information: AnimalRescueMobile.org 251-478-9743

calendarofevents All Calendar events must be received by the 10th of the month prior to publication and adhere to our guidelines.

Go to Mobile.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com to submit entries. Mark Your Calendar events are $40.

SUNDAY JANUARY 2

Yoga of Acceptance Workshop – 11am-2pm. Ginger Layden-Braun returns for a vinyasa workshop emphasizing heart & hip openers. Embrace your gifts and take the actions that empower you. Let this practice open your heart and settle you into a life of spaciousness, abundance and freedom.

Synergy Yoga and Pilates, Mobile. 251-473-1104. synergyoga.net.

12 Week Fitness Challenge Orientation – 12:30pm. Topics include: getting started on a fitness program, how detoxing helps, how ionized water can help with detoxing, cancer prevention and increased performance. Free. Limited seating.

Long Beach, MS. Contact Charles: 228-234-4567.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! New Year’s Yoga Celebration – 2-4pm: All Levels Flow Yoga Practice. 4-5pm: Guided Meditation. Set aside time to open your body, relax your mind and create a clear and positive intention for the new year. Accompanied by live music. Suggested donation: $25. Space 301, Mobile. Details at KulaYogaCommunity.com.

MONDAY JANUARY 3

First Day of Kula Yoga Community at Daphne Civic Center – 5:30pm. Starting in January, Kula Yoga Community classes will be offered every Mon and Wed at the Daphne Civic Center. Pay what you can. 251-202-YOGA. KulaYogaCommunity.org.

Hour of Power Yoga – 6am. 60 minutes of pure physical yoga. A dynamic class that challenges your body, quiets your mind and encourages your spirit.

Find your physical edge and balance it with patience and love. Begin your week with a kick start. Taught every Monday by associate Baptiste Power Vinyasa teacher Angela Cain. Synergy Yoga and Pilates, Mobile. 251-473-1104. synergyoga.net.

TUESDAY JANUARY 4

Vinyasa Yoga with Teddy – 7:45am. Starting January 4, please join us every Tues and Thurs at 7:45 AM for a powerful Vinyasa yoga class led by 200 RYT Teddy Ward. Jump start your morning with Teddy’s vibrant and lively flow! Synergy Yoga and Pilates, Mobile. 251-473-1104. synergyoga.net.

SATURDAY JANUARY 8

Vinyasa-Mantra Yoga Class with Sudevi – 9:30am-12pm. All levels welcome. $40. Preregistration required. Quiet Mind Massage Therapy and Yoga Studio, Midtown Mobile. 251-476-6463.

QuietMindMassageTherapy.com.

Health and Essential Oils – 10am-12pm. Join us at Conscious Mile Center for Spiritual Living to learn more about how Young Living Essential Oils can support you in your 2011 intentions for excellent personal health and well-being. Free. 1230 Montlimar Dr, Mobile. 251-343-0777.

Haven Pet Adoption – 11am-3pm. Monthly adoption event for local no-kill shelter the Haven. Petsmart, Spanish Fort. 251-929-3980. HavenForAnimals.org.

SUNDAY JANUARY 9

Wellness and Fitness Class – 12:30pm. Making wise nutritional choices, including proper protein intake, types of proteins, types of carbs and types of fats to allow or avoid. Timing and frequency of meals will be discussed. Free. Limited seating. Long Beach, MS. Contact Charles: 228-234-4567.

TUESDAY JANUARY 11

Prenatal Yoga Series – 4pm. First day of 6 week series. Experience the extraordinary benefits of yoga for pregnancy and birth. Yoga helps alleviate many common ailments such as low back pain, sciatica, fatigue and helps prepare for baby's arrival. Preregistration required. $90. Yoga Birds, Fairhope.

Details at YogaBirds.com. 251-990-3447.

SATURDAY JANUARY 15

Panther Pride 5K Run – 8:30am. A neighborhood run on a certified course starting and finishing at Murphy High School. Funds raised will benefit the Faculty Wish List. There is a post race party with awards given to top 3 in 10 year age groups. It is a Corporate Cup Race. $20 day of race. Murphy High School, Mobile. 251-656-2453.

Toast to Freedom-Hot Yoga Flowshop – 9:1510:45am. Find extra freedom in your muscles from heated exercise. Heat in the body aids digestion, toxin removal and breath control. Bring a towel and water. Pre-register. $25. Integrated Fitness, 456 Morphy Ave, Fairhope. 251-379-4493.

Quantum-Touch Workshop Level I – Jan 15-16.

9:30am-5:30pm. No experience necessary to learn Quantum Touch. Nurses, massage therapists, MDs find that QT can be used with all other kinds of therapies or treatments to improve the results. CEUs offered. $295, prepaid. Dragonfly Haven, Plantation Blvd, Fairhope. 251-504-5328. MoonSunEarth.com/ Quantum-Touch.htm.

Habitat for Humanity Homeowner Orientation Meeting – 10am. Individuals interested in applying for the Habitat program in Mobile County must attend an orientation to receive an application.

Habitat ReStore, 4128 Government Blvd, Mobile.

251-476-7171. HabitatMobile.org.

SUNDAY JANUARY 16 MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Meditation Retreat – 9am-4pm. A half-day meditation retreat. Come as long as you like, coming and going on the hour or half hour. 25 mins of seated meditation followed by 5 mins of silent walking. Quiet Mind Massage Therapy and Yoga Studio, Midtown Mobile. 251-476-6463.

QuietMindMassageTherapy.com.

Wise Supplement Intake Class – 12:30pm.

What supplements are best to use for specific conditions, with an emphasis placed on athletic performance and achieving fitness goals. Free.

Limited seating. Long Beach, MS. Contact Charles: 228-234-4567.

MONDAY JANUARY 17 MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Vegetable Gardening on the Gulf Coast – 7pm.

Bill Finch will be the featured speaker at the Local Food Production Initiative meeting. Open to the public. $5 suggested donation. Homestead Village ballroom, Fairhope. 251-928-8646.

THURSDAY JANUARY 20 Ultimate Wellness – 7-8:30pm. Whatever your New Year goals are be sure to include the Cornerstone of Ultimate Wellness. We invite you to come learn and experience a new way to improve your health, reduce aches and pains, improve your energy and vitality, and relieve inflammation. Free, must RSVP. Bay Branch Estates, Office/Home, Daphne.

251-625-0080.

FRIDAY JANUARY 21 Reiki II Certification Class – Jan 21-22. 10am4pm. Includes short recap of Reiki I, light lunch, workbook, hands-on practice. Class size limited.

Register: 251-979-9851, RioBarlow@ymail.com.

Michele Baker Workshop – 1-3:30pm. Siva Class: His dance and his 5 acts, with backbends. 5-7:30pm.

Shakti Class: Her reflective power, with hip openers and arm balancing. $40/class, $68/entire package before Jan 8. Yoga Birds, Fairhope. 251-990-3447.

SATURDAY JANUARY 22 100-1000 Restore Coastal Alabama Project – Jan 22-23. 9am-3pm. Volunteers needed to get restoration efforts underway, installing bagged oyster shells for new reefs. Helen Wood Park at the base of the Dog River Bridge, Mobile. 100-1000.org or MobileBayKeeper.org.

Reiki II Certification Class – Jan 21-22. 10am1pm. See Jan 22 listing. Class size limited. Register: 251-979-9851, RioBarlow@ymail.com.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Set Your Intentions on Paper – 10am-12pm.

Center for Spiritual Living invites you to come create a vision board or scrapbook outlining the dreams and desires you intend to experience in your life. Visual aids remind us and keep us focused on what we really want to create in our lives. $20. 1230 Montlimar Dr, Mobile. For more info: 251-343-0777.

Vegan 101 Cooking Workshop – 12:30-2:30 pm.

Jump-start your New Year's resolutions by learning how to cook healthy and delicious plant-based meals. Workshop includes informational discussion, hands-on cooking demonstration, take-home recipes, and tasting. $30. Conscious Mile Spiritual Center, Mobile. RSVP. by January 20: Tracey@ ShantiWarrior.com or 251-510-2418. For more info: ShantiWarrior.com or CMSpiritualCenter.org.

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FRIDAY JANUARY 28

Yoga Film Group – 6:30pm. Join us for the first Yoga Film Group. On the 4th Friday of each month we will meet to view a film relating to yoga and then join in conversation about the film. Free. Yoga Birds, Fairhope. Details at YogaBirds.com. 251-990-3447.

SATURDAY JANUARY 29

Journal Writing Workshop – 10am-12pm. Keep your focus and release your stress. Do you have a beautiful journal and not use it because you don't know what to write? Join us at Center for Spiritual Living as we discover creative ideas to make journal writing creative and fun. Bring a journal and a pen. $20. 1230 Montlimar Dr, Mobile. For more info: 251-343-0777.

ongoingevents

All Calendar events must be received by the 10th of the month prior to publication and adhere to our guidelines. Go to Mobile.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com to submit entries.

sunday Your Own Personal Chef – Vegan personal chef services for special events or daily/weekly meals.

Visit ShantiWarrior.com or email Tracey@Shanti Warrior.com for more information. 251-510-2418.

Conscious Mile Spiritual Center Service – 10am.

Make every step we take, every choice we make, every word we speak a conscious one. New Thought Spiritual Center, 1230 Montlimar, Mobile. Rev. Sherrie Quander, 251-343-0777. CMSpiritual Center.org.

Sunday Service – 10:30am. Explore your spiritual pathway with Mobile Unitarian Universalists, 6345 Old Shell Rd, Mobile. UUFM.org.

Sunday Worth-ship Celebration – 10:30am. Find, strengthen and celebrate one’s connection with Divine Spirit. Donation. Unity on the Eastern Shore, 22979 US Hwy 98, one mile north of US Hwy 104, Montrose. 251-990-8934. UnityEasternShore.org.

Sunday Worship – 11am. Celebrate Spirit in this special and sacred space. Unity Mobile, 5859 Cottage Hill, between Hillcrest and Knollwood, Mobile.

251-661-1788.

monday More than a magazine...

A better way of life.

Join Our Family and Connect to Our Community in Mobile and Baldwin counties

NATURAL HEALTH SUSTAINABLE LIVING PERSONAL GROWTH FITNESS CREATIVE EXPRESSION 300+ Distribution Points 25,000+ Monthly Readers Advertising Options for Every Budget 251-990-9552

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NA Mobile / Baldwin Edition

Hour of Power Yoga with Angela Cain – 6am. 60 minutes of physical yoga that challenges the body and encourages the spirit. Find your edge and balance it with patience and love. Synergy Yoga and Pilates, Mobile. 251-473-1104. synergyoga.net.

Strengthening and Stretching Class – 9am. Free for Thomas Hospital Seniors’ Best members (free membership). James P. Nix Center, Fairhope. For more info: 251-928-2835.

Boot Camp Bodi – 9:15-10am. Mon, Wed and Fri. Bodi by You group class taught. $5. Pathway Conference Center, Moffet Rd, Semmes. Contact: Gail at 251422-7265, BodiByYou@att.net. BodiByYou.com.

Bosom Buddies Breast Cancer Support Group – 12pm. Second Mon each month. For breast cancer patients, families and friends. Thomas Hospital Health Resource Center. For more info: American Center Society, 251-928-8650 or Thomas Hospital, 251-279-4008.

Bootcamp with Gina – 4pm. All levels. Cardio, strength and core conditioning exercises. Many include lightweights, resistance bands, jump ropes and stability balls. $15/$10 with package. Integrated Fitness, 456 Morphy Ave, Fairhope. 251-554-4121.

La Leche League Enrichment Meeting – 6:30pm.

Last Mon each month. This month’s meeting is geared toward new or expectant moms, but all breastfeeding mom are welcome. La Leche League provides encouragement, information and support for nursing and expectant mothers. Free. Call for location. 251-689-2085.

Pranic Healing and Meditation – 6:30pm. Pranic Healing clinics offered to the public followed by the Meditation on Twin Hearts. Learn to heal yourself. Classes available. Free. Mobile. RSVP: 251-454-0959.

Mobile.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

tuesday Complimentary First Facials – Tues-Sat, by appointment only. First-time facial customers receive their first facial free. Monette’s Family Hair, Magnolia Place, Hwy 98, Ste J, Daphne. Dixie: 251-621-8511.

Ten Percent Tuesday – Get an extra 10 percent off purchases every Tuesday. Back to Health Nutrition and Natural Foods, Foley. 251-970-2225. BackTo HealthNutrition.com.

Vinyasa Yoga with Teddy – 7:45am. Join us on Tues and Thurs for a powerful class led by RYT Teddy Ward. Jump start your morning with Teddy’s vibrant, dynamic flow! Synergy Yoga and Pilates, Mobile. 251-473-1104. synergyoga.net.

Low Impact Aerobics Class – 9am. Free for Thomas Hospital Seniors’ Best members (free membership). James P. Nix Center, Fairhope. For more info: 251-928-2835.

Zumba Bodi – 9am. Tues and Thurs. Bodi by You group class. $5. Pathway Conference Center, Moffet Rd, Semmes. Contact: Gail at 251-422-7265, BodiByYou@att.net. BodiByYou.com.

Anusara-Inspired Yoga – 9:15am. Explore asana with Melanie Buffet, E-RYT in this radically affirmative method. More info at YogaBirds.com.

Packages available. $15. Yoga Birds, 458-B Section St, Fairhope. 251-990-3447.

Vinyasa Flow with Tracey, RYT-200 – 9:30am.

Challenge your body, still your mind, and connect with your own inner light. Quiet Mind Massage Therapy and Yoga Studio, Midtown Mobile. 251476-6463. QuietMindMassageTherapy.com.

La Leche League Series Meeting – 10:30am.

Second Tues each month. La Leche League provides encouragement, information and support for nursing and expectant mothers. Free. Call for location.

251-689-2085.

Prenatal Yoga – 10am. During this blessed time, let our teachers assist you in getting even closer to your baby–cherish this time together! Also Friday at 10am. Synergy Yoga and Pilates, Mobile. 251473-1104. synergyoga.net.

Fibromyalgia Support Group – 10:30am. Second Tues each month. For friends and family of patients with Fibromyalgia. Thomas Medical Center, Boardroom, Daphne. For more info, call Jason Pierce, 251-752-1140 or Thomas Hospital, 251-279-4008.

Bodi Fit Core – 4pm. Tues and Thurs. Bodi by You group class. $5. Pathway Conference Center, Moffet Rd, Semmes. Contact: Gail at 251-422-7265, BodiByYou@att.net. BodiByYou.com.

Belly Fit Bodi – 5:30pm. Tues and Thurs. Bodi by You group class taught by Kaycie Shenesey. $5.

Pathway Conference Center, Moffet Rd, Semmes.

Contact: Gail at 251-422-7265, BodiByYou@att. net. BodiByYou.com.

Mindfulness Meditation – 5:30pm. Every Tues.

Experience the benefits of meditation practice.

No prior knowledge required. More classes at YogaBirds.com. Free. Yoga Birds, Fairhope. 251990-3447.

LA Hikers Meeting – 6-7pm. First Tues each month. Free and open to the public. 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center, Spanish Fort. LAHikerMeetings.

Blogspot.com.

Positive Parenting Class – 6-8pm. Kids don’t come with a set of instructions. Get the tools and skills to create your happy, healthy family. Free. The Family Center, 601 Bel Air Blvd, Ste 100, Mobile. 251-4795700. Kids101@comcast.net.

Running Wild Group Run – 6pm. A social group run starting and finishing at Running Wild store.

Open to everyone, all ages and abilities. Just show up and run! Run different distances ranging from 3-6 miles. Free. Running Wild, 214 Fairhope Ave, Fairhope. Jon Adams: 251-990-4412.

Zumba – 6:30pm. Tues and Thurs. Bodi by You group class. $5. Pathway Conference Center, Moffet Rd, Semmes. Contact: Gail at 251-422-7265, BodiByYou@att.net. BodiByYou.com.

Mobile Bay Canoe and Kayak Club Meeting – 7-8:30pm. First Tues each month. For pro-paddlers and those brand new to the sport. A great place to meet others interested in kayaks and canoes. Open to the public. 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center, Spanish Fort. BayKayaker.Blogspot.com.

Sierra Club Meeting – 6-8pm. First Tues each month. Open to the public. 5 Rivers Delta Center, Spanish Fort.

Diabetes Support Group – 6:30pm. First Tues each month. For people with diabetes and their families and friends. Thomas Hospital Diabetes Center.

For more info: Thomas Hospital Diabetes Center, 251-279-1700.

CWG Mobile Group – 7-9pm. Second and fourth Tues each month. Read and discuss books by Neale Donald Walsch. Joy N Love, 171 Crenshaw St, Mobile. 251-382-4215. CWG_Mobile_Group@ yahoo.com.

Rosie Blu’s Free Meditation Classes – 7pm.

Guided meditation is a relaxation exercise and a way to reconnect with the divine spirit that resides in each of us individually; however, mostly, it is just a nice break from a crazy pace and hectic lifestyle. Free.

Contact Rosie Blu for more info: 251-517-5326, RosieBlu@gmail.com.

Spiritual Cinema Group – 7-9pm. First, third and fifth Tues each month. View and discuss spiritual DVDs. Contact Heiner, 251-607-9089.

wednesday

Hospital Discounted Perms for Seniors – Seniors 65 and over receive discounted perms. Monette’s Family Hair, Magnolia Place, Hwy 98, Ste J, Daphne. Dixie: 251-621-8511.

Viniyoga with Rhonda – 6:45am. Viniyoga is directed toward healing - a yoga for all ages. Join teacher Rhonda Gran-Proescher to refresh & renew your spirit. Synergy Yoga and Pilates, Mobile. 251473-1104. synergyoga.net.

Tropical Yoga Birds – 7:30am. In a tropical 85 degrees, you WILL get hot in this class, a hybrid of Vinyasa-based flow and power yoga set to funky fun music. See YogaBirds.com for details. $15. Yoga Birds, Fairhope. 251-990-3447.

Yoga with Annette – 8:30am. Join Annette PorterHam for an energizing yoga experience. Relieve stress, relax your mind and rejuvenate and recharge your body. Synergy Yoga and Pilates, Mobile. 251473-1104. synergyoga.net.

Positive Parenting Class – 9:30-11:30am. Kids don’t come with a set of instructions. Get the tools and skills to create your happy, healthy family.

Free. The Family Center, 601 Bel Air Blvd, Ste 100, Mobile. 251-479-5700. Kids101@comcast.net.

Alzheimer’s Support Group – 10:30am. First Wed each month. For family and friends of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Thomas Medical Center, Daphne. For more info, call Bunnie Sutton or Kellie Sutton of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of the South, 251-660-5661 or Thomas Hospital, 251-279-4008.

Lunchtime Vinyasa with Tracey – 12-1pm. Feed your soul. Quiet the mind and restore vitality through a challenging sequence of asanas designed to increase strength, balance, and flexibility. All levels. Quiet Mind Massage Therapy and Yoga Studio. Midtown Mobile. www.shantiwarrior.com.

251- 476-6463.

Unusual Film Series – 2pm. Third Wed each month. Thought provoking cutting-edge films shown on big screen in meeting room. Adults only.

Free. Popcorn and drinks included. Foley Public Library. 251-943-7665. FoleyLibrary.org.

International Association of Near Death Studies (IANDS) – 6-7:30pm. Second Wed each month.

Ongoing discussion and support group affiliated with IANDS. Discussion expands to include intuition, after death communication, consciousness studies and related areas of interest to attendees.

Free. West Regional Branch, Mobile Public Library.

251-340-8555.

thursday Running Wild Group Run – 6am. A social group run starting and finishing at Running Wild store.

Open to everyone, all ages and abilities. Just show up and run! Run different distances ranging from 3-6 miles. Free. Running Wild, 214 Fairhope Ave, Fairhope. Jon Adams: 251-990-4412.

Low Impact Aerobics Class – 9am. Free for Thomas Hospital Seniors’ Best members (free membership). James P. Nix Center, Fairhope. For more info: 251-928-2835.

All Levels Yoga – 9:30am. Start your morning off right by connecting body with mind and breath. Various styles, modifications for any level. Kula Yoga Community, Mobile. Also on Tues. Pay what you can. 251-202-YOGA. KulaYogaCommunity.org.

New! Vinyasa with Tracey – 9:30am. Discover your inner light. Unite body, mind, and spirit in this energizing and centering 75 minute raja yoga inspired practice. All levels. Quiet Mind Massage Therapy and Yoga Studio. Midtown Mobile. www. shantiwarrior.com. 251- 476-6463.

Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Support Group – 10am. First Thurs each month.

Thomas Medical Center, Daphne. For more info: Joy Peters, 251-626-6337 or Thomas Hospital, 251-279-4008.

ALS Support Group – 11am. Second Thurs each month. For people with ALS and their families and friends. Thomas Medical Center, Daphne. For more info: Lynn Sanderson, 205-937-4415 or Thomas Hospital, 251-279-4008.

Tropical Yoga Birds – 6:15pm. In a tropical 85 degrees, you WILL get hot in this class, a hybrid of Vinyasa-based flow and power yoga set to funky fun music. See YogaBirds.com for details. $15. Yoga Birds, Fairhope. 251-990-3447.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Support Group – 6:30pm. Open to individuals,

friends and family. The Harbor, Thomas Hospital, Daphne. For more info: NAMI, 251-965-6264.

friday Fab Fifteen Friday – Get an extra 15 percent off purchases every Friday. Back to Health Nutrition and Natural Foods, Foley. 251-970-2225. BackTo HealthNutrition.com.

Tropical Yoga Birds – 7:30am. In a tropical 85 degrees, you WILL get hot in this class, a hybrid of Vinyasa-based flow and power yoga set to funky fun music. See YogaBirds.com for details. $15. Yoga Birds, Fairhope. 251-990-3447.

Yoga with Faye – 8:30am. Enjoy Faye’s seamless style and renew your spirit with a glorious yoga class. Begin your day refreshed and re-energized!

Synergy Yoga and Pilates, Mobile. 251-473-1104. synergyoga.net.

Foundations of Yoga – 9:15am. Learn safe, basic yoga skills. More classes for all levels at YogaBirds. com. $15. First class free for locals. Yoga Birds, Fairhope. 251-990-3447.

Phat Girlz Running Club – 9:30am. A diverse girls only walking and running club. Come out and join the Phat Girlz for a fun, social and healthy run or walk. Open to all women of all abilities, strollers welcome. Free. Running Wild, 214 Fairhope Ave, Fairhope. Jon Adams: 251-990-4412.

Vinyasa Yoga with Ginger – 12pm. Join Ginger Dunaway for this fluid series of poses to increase strength, flexibility and balance in the body and mind. Class is instilled with yogic philosophy meant to connect you more deeply with this ancient tradition. Quiet Mind Massage Therapy and Yoga Studio, Midtown Mobile. 251-476-6463. QuietMind MassageTherapy.com.

First Friday Artwalk – 6-8pm. First Fri each month.

Enjoy an artsy and fun-filled night with an evening of exhibit openings, guest artists and live entertainment throughout beautiful downtown Fairhope. Map of participating venues available at the Eastern Shore Art Center, 401 Oak St, Fairhope. 251-928-2228.

EasternShoreArtCenter.com.

LoDa ArtWalk – 6-9pm. 2nd Fridays in downtown have become quite a popular time and place to be at. With the LoDa ArtWalk in its 4th year, the event seems to be getting better each month. Cathedral Personalized Fitness – Ego-free, holistic personal training with Dr. Scott Stanga, DC. Training available 7 days a week for individuals or small groups.

Contact Scott at StangaFit@gmail.com for scheduling, or call 251-510-2418.

Vegetarian/Vegan Cooking Classes – Learn the elements of healthy, delicious cooking. Private and small group classes available 7 days a week.

Tracey@ShantiWarrior.com or 251-510-2418.

ShantiWarrior.com.

Zumba – 9am. Bodi by You group class. $5.

Pathway Conference Center, Moffet Rd, Semmes.

Contact: Gail at 251-422.7265, BodiByYou@att. net. BodiByYou.com.

Baldwin County Humane Society (BARC) Pet Adoption – 10am-2pm. Third Sat each month.

Adoption event. PetSmart, Eastern Shore Center, Spanish Fort. 251-928-4585. BaldwinHumane.org.

Yoga Class – 10am. Balance out your weekend with this calming yet energizing yoga class. Quiet Mind Massage Therapy and Yoga Studio, Midtown Mobile.

251-476-6463. QuietMindMassageTherapy.com.

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erences available upon request. Contact Cody: 251-454-8258.

classifieds Rates for classifieds start at $16 per month. Listings must be received by the 10th of the month prior to publication. Email MobilePublisher@NaturalAwakeningsMag.com for details. Volunteer Opportunities are listed for free.

FOR SALE CURRENTLY PUBLISHING NATURAL AWA K E N I N G S M A G A Z I N E S – F o r sale in Austin, TX; Lexington, KY; Manh a t t a n , N Y; P e n s a c o l a , F L ; S o u t h west VA; and Ventura/Santa Barbara, CA. Call for details 239-530-1377.

BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME! – The Hammock at Blakeley Subdivision by Hyman Homes, Inc. 9 lot subdivision in historic Spanish Fort on the highest elevation in Baldwin Co. Minimum home size, 2,800 sq ft with lots from $65,000 to $85,000. HymanHomesInc.com. 251-454-8583.

HEALING ENERGY NEEDED THE WATERS OF THE GULF NEED YOUR HELP! – Sing along with Dr. and Master Zhi Gang Sha and renew the life-giving energies of the Gulf of Mexico. LovePeaceHarmonyMovie.com.

OPPORTUNITIES BECOME AN INDEPENDENT TRAVEL AGENT – Work online at home. Small startup cost. Training provided. CoastalDreamsTravel@ earthlink.net.

CAREER IN COSMETOLOGY – Are you a creative individual that has dreamed of a career in cosmetology? Formerly known as Capps College, Fortis College School of Cosmetology can help you reach that dream. Call us today at 251-342-3230.

GROW AL AREA MANAGER – Promote the availability of locally and sustainably grown farm products to new subscribers and service existing customers. Base pay plus commission. Call 205266-5130.

JOIN THE GREEN CLEAN TEAM! – Green Clean provides environmentally friendly, non-

green

toxic cleaning services. If interested in becoming part of our team, please call 251-508-3796 for an interview.

PRODUCTS THINKING ABOUT BUYING A KANGEN WATER MACHINE? – Call me first for a sideby-side comparison. Save big! 228-234-4567. cwwt777@gmail.com.

SERVICES BABYSITTING, HOUSEKEEPING & PETSITTING – Over 6 years of experience.

References available upon request. Prices negotiable. Contact Maggie: 251-895-6447 or mscribner725@aol.com.

HOLISTIC WELLNESS SERVICES – Holistic wellness coaching; vegetarian and vegan cooking classes, personal chef services; private yoga classes. Contact Tracey at Tracey@ShantiWarrior.com or visit Shanti Warrior.com. 251-510-2418.

LAB WORK – Only $69 includes CBC, metabolic panel, lipid panel and thyroid panel.

Hormone panel only $125. Other tests available with no appointment needed! Doctor’s Nutrition, Mobile. 251-445-7898.

NEGATIVE EMOTIONS? Gone! Guaranteed!

The Delta Institute, Dr. Diana Sturm, certified energy psychology practitioner. Private sessions and workshops. DeltaInstitute.net 251219-4574.

NEED AN EXPERIENCED HANDYMAN? – Over 8 years of experience in general handyman work. Painting, dry wall repair, pressure washing, wood repair and tile/floor repair. Ref-

reasons to read

1. 100% Recycled Paper 2. Soy-Based Ink 3. Also Available Online 36

NA Mobile / Baldwin Edition

Mobile.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

NUMEROLOGY AND ASTROLOGY – Numerological and astrological analyses of birth dates and names with general six-month forecast included. Rosie Blu in Fairhope. 251-517-5326.

RosieBlu.com.

PRIVATE FITNESS AND LIFE COACHING STUDIO – Fitness training, nutritional guidance and life skills coaching for women at Bodi By You in Mobile. 251-422-7265. BodiByYou.com.

YOGA AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS – Gentle, therapeutic or fitness-based classes customized to groups or individuals and led by occupational therapist/yoga instructor. JulieWilkinsYoga.com. JWilkins75@gmail.com.

YOGA WHEN AND WHERE YOU WANT IT! – YogaSource offers classes at your home or business for fitness and relaxation. Single or groups. Props provided. 251-202-YOGA. Kula YogaCommunity.org.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Azalea City Cat Coalition – Volunteers needed in any capacity: transporting cats, trapping and adoption events. Contact Susan Young: 251648-7582. SusanYoung@AzaleaCityCats.org.

BARC! – Cat lover to help maintain cages at one of the adoption locations in Fairhope in needed. visit BaldwinHumane.org or call 251-928-4585.

Dori Dogs – Volunteers (both human and dog) are needed for therapy dog work. 251-348-2158.

DrBrown05@yahoo.com.

Habitat for Humanity – Volunteers currently needed for Interfaith Build and Women Build every Saturday 8am-4pm. Groups or individuals welcome. Contact for details: 251-476-7171 or JTidwell@HabitatMobile.org.

MOBILE BAYKEEPER – Volunteers needed who are interested in researching topics pertaining to all aspects of oil and energy. Contact: CMiller@MobileBaykeeper.org.

naturaldirectory Connecting you to the leaders in natural healthcare and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Natural Directory, email MobilePublisher@NaturalAwakeningsMag.com to request our media kit. Rates begin at $36 a month.

ART FAIRHOPE ARTIST GALLERY

18 South Section Street, Fairhope 251-990-8763 FairhopeArtistGallery.BlogSpot.com

MOBILE CENTER FOR JOYFUL LIVING 60 N Ann Street Mobile, AL 36695 251-391-6960 The Center for Joyful Living—practicing disorganized religion. Come live the Question with us, Sundays, 10:30am.

251-391-6960.

Be delighted by the local color of diverse, original and affordable artwork. Look for the golden palette and ART above the door. Open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm. Sun 1-4pm.

BEAUTY B-BUTTERFLY SALON

103A North Bancroft Street, Fairhope 251-990-9934 BButterflySalon.com

A certified organic salon offering organic products and services including hair color, perms and shampoo. Keeping you and the Earth beautiful. See ad page 19.

ROSIE BLU

422 Fairhope Avenue, Fairhope 251-517-5326 RosieBlu.com Offering all-natural and organic products for body, mind, spirit and home.

Quality lines at affordable prices from local vendors and artists. Samples given when available. See ad page 10.

KATRINA BREELAND

Birthing from Within™ Mentor Mobile, AL, 251-554-5704 Facebook.com/MadeForLoveMobile Birthing from Within classes provide a holistic and mindful approach to childbirth preparation.

CHURCHES CONSCIOUS MILE SPIRITUAL CENTER OF MOBILE

Sundays at 10am 1230 Montlimar, Mobile 251-343-0777, CMSpiritualCenter.org Rev. Sherrie Quander invites you to visit a loving, inclusive spiritual community where we aim to make every step we take, every choice we make, every word we speak a conscious one. See ad page 13.

Offering essential oils, blends and body care from Tisserand Aromatherapy: a bottler of nature at its finest. See ad page 10.

FOODS AND SUPPLEMENTS 3100 Hickory Street Loxley, AL 36551 251-964-6464

GREEN CLEAN, LLC Green Clean, LLC provides environmentally friendly, non-toxic cleaning services for residential properties.

Regular and deep-cleaning services are available, as well as special services such as organizational assistance.

See ad page 10.

On Hwy 59 on the way to Gulf Shores, AL. Fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh baked strawberry shortcake, ice cream and much more. Your “first and last” stop to the beach, or any other time.

FAIRHOPE HEALTH FOODS AND THE SUNFLOWER CAFÉ 280 Eastern Shore Shopping Center 251-928-0644 Café 251-929-0055 Va-FairhopeHealthFoods.com

DIAPER SERVICES LIL’ GREEN DIAPER SERVICE Dana Warner 251-378-8115 LilGreenDiaperService.com Mobile’s only all-inclusive diaper service. Taking care of baby’s bottom and our Earth, for a clean end.

Comprehensive health food store and organic café, featuring organic food, free-range meat, organic wine. Store open 7 days a week. Serving the public 35 years. See ad page 27.

VIRGINIA’S HEALTH FOODS AND THE SUNFLOWER CAFE II

ESSENTIAL OILS CHILDBIRTH SERVICES

422 Fairhope Avenue, Fairhope 251-517-5326 RosieBlu.com

BURIS FARM MARKET & BAKERY

CLEANING SERVICES Nicoll Mastin 251-508-3796

ROSIE BLU

LAURIE AZZARELLA, LMT, CRR Young Living Educator, Sponsor #327923 251-625-0080, LaurieAzzarella@gmail.com WellnessPurposeAbundance.com/yl/123 Experience the healing, uplifting and detoxifying benefits of therapeutic-grade essential oils and supplements. Contact us for personal consultations, in-home classes, household products, health supplements, diffusers, group presentations and business training.

3952 Airport Blvd, Mobile 251-345-0494 Café 251-345-0495 Va-FairhopeHealthFoods.com

Supplements, wheat- and gluten-free, organic produce and meats, vegetarian, low carb, sports nutrition, books.

Café features a juice bar. Store open 7 days a week. Serving the public 35 years. See ad page 27.

TO BE IN FEBRUARY'S DIRECTORY, CALL 251-990-9552 BEFORE JANUARY 10. natural awakenings

January 2011

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GRAPHIC DESIGN

REFLEXOLOGY

MICHAEL M. WILSON

LAURIE AZZARELLA, LMT, CRR

Creative & Graphic Designer MMWilson@gmail.com MMWilson.com For all of your graphic design needs, including but not limited to websites, logos, brochures, posters, postcards, business cards reports, greeting cards, mailers, newsletters, menus and door hangers. See ad page 36.

HEALING ARTS PRANIC HEALING IN MOBILE Deana Lannie 251-454-0959

Free healing nights and group meditations every Monday.

Pranic Healing classes and the advanced technique of Superbrain Yoga.

251-625-0080 Daphne, AL 850-380-4943 Pensacola, FL LaurieAzzarella@gmail.com, WellnessPurposeAbundance.com/yl/123 Upcoming Workshops: January 29-30 in Orlando, FL and February 26-27, location TBA. Certification in Ingham Reflexology through the International Institute of Reflexology. 16 CEUs per workshop. Available to everyone, these workshops provide education in better health naturally. Young Living Essential Oil Education also available.

SCHOOLS/EDUCATION 1050 Hillcrest Rd, Mobile AL 36695 251-639-1311 SheltonAcademy.org

HOLISTIC CARE KIRSTEN CHRISTMAS

When was the last time you talked with someone about your health and received the personal attention you deserve. Could one conversation change your life?

PHOTOGRAPHERS

WELLNESS EDUCATION 228-234-4567 CEHours.net Cwwt777@gmail.com

CE classes for LMT’s. Personal Training consultation.

MS RN 880830, MS LMT03, ACE T122317.

SOUND THERAPY

VICTORIA WEBB PHOTOGRAPHY

251-716-9699 VictoriaWebbPhotography@hotmail.com VictorialWebbPhotography.com

MARTHA UMPHREY

251-752-8122 MarthaUmphrey@yahoo.com

Lifestyle portraits and wedding photography.

Offering sound therapy as a natural solution for tinnitus or diminished hearing due to injury, stroke or aging.

SCIATICA? BACK PAIN? HIP PAIN? POOR POSTURE? Relaxing 20 minutes daily on the Sacro Wedgy®

may be all you need. Placed under the sacrum (tailbone), it allows the hips to suspend and relax, letting go of nerves and ultimately “rebalancing.”

Try the SACRO WEDGY® For individual self-care and therapists.

Only $29.95.

www.sacrowedgy.com 251-653-9258 or 800-737-9295 38

NA Mobile / Baldwin Edition

DAUERWALDEN

First Conservation Community in Gulf South, Located in Baldwin County Dauerwalden.com 251-937-3276 Minutes from Pensacola, Mobile and Gulf. Only 25 homesites, more than 1,100 protected acres. Rolling hills up to 275 feet. 20 miles of equestrian trails.

MIDDLE EARTH HEALING AND LEARNING CENTER

20205 Middle Earth Rd, Citronelle, AL 251-866-7204 MiddleEarthHealing.com Middle Earth is an evolving education center, modeling permaculture, sustainable living and the interconnection of the health of the planet and the health of her inhabitants. See ad page 21.

SHELTON ACADEMY

No entrance/exit exam. Work at own pace. Get diploma whenever you complete all requirements.

One-on-one instruction. Small classes, Grades 5-12. School Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Fully Accredited.

Holistic Health Coach 251-422-8203 Kirsten.M.Christmas@gmail.com

SUSTAINABLE LIVING

Mobile.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

YOGA JULIE WILKINS YOGA 251-554-4856 JWilkins75@gmail.com JulieWilkinsYoga.com

Do you have a small group of four to five people and an open space? I will bring yoga to your place of business or home. Fitness-based, stress management, gentle yoga. See ad pages 12.

YOGA BIRDS

458-B North Section Street, Fairhope 251-990-3447 YogaBirds.com Fairhope’s yoga studio and boutique with yoga classes for everyone: Anusara-Inspired®, Foundations, Vinyasa Flow, Restorative, Chair Yoga, weekend workshops and more.

View full schedule and sign-up for classes and special events at YogaBirds.com See ad pages 9 and 11.

KULA YOGA COMMUNITY

251-202-YOGA Info@KulaYogaCommunity.org KulaYogaCommunity.org Yoga classes utilizing shared spaces with four locations in Daphne, Downtown and West Mobile. Classes for every level.

Learn from teachers with various experiences and backgrounds. All classes are Pay What You Can. Check out our full schedule at KulaYogaCommunity.org. See ad page 11.

New to you... and green too!

New Creation Consign Clothing and Accessories for Women and Men

Style that makes cents.

Consignment shops offer a green and affordable retail experience. Visit one of these local businesses for deals on clothing, furniture and more!

251-943-4250

3800 S. McKenzie St., Ste 3 Foley, AL 36535

SECOND THOUGHT CONSIGNMENT 103 Hwy 59 North, Ste B Summerdale, AL 251-989-2444 Second.Thought@hotmail.com

Kaglen’s Resale

Furniture & Home Accessories New items arriving daily.

The little shop that fits your life with tables, chairs, sofas, desks, dressers and kitchen stuff! Bring more imagination than money and have fun!

Big Variety, Low Prices.

SENSATIONAL SECONDS CONSIGNMENT BOUTIQUE 7695C Cottage Hill Rd, Mobile 251-639-6789 SensationalSeconds@mchsi.com Sensational-Seconds.com

251-666-2000

3431 Cottage Hill Rd. Mobile, AL

330 Fairhope Ave • Fairhope • 251-928-4866 4358A Old Shell Rd • Mobile • 251-517-1197 25325 Hwy 98, Ste 1 • Daphne • 251-625-4332

Advertise your consignment business on this page and save up to $62 a month.

Call 251-990-9552 or email MobilePublisher@NaturalAwakeningsMag.com to reserve your spot.

We offer quality, gently used, clothing for men, women and children as well as shoes, accessories, handbags and jewelry. Maternity, 0-plus sizes and formal wear.

YOUR CONSIGNMENT BUSINESS Mobile & Baldwin Counties Call 251-990-9552 To Reserve Your Spot Rates start at $50 per month. Call today to promote consignment shops as the green shopping option!

Every week you get a beautiful seasonal array of Alabama-grown fruits and vegetables grown by Alabama farmers that care; farmers that know and can take the time to harvest at just the right time for optimum flavor and nutritional value. A group of farmers that can provide the quality and the variety that you want. And it is delivered to you within 24-48 hours of harvest. Add to your weekly delivery from our ever-expanding online healthy gourmet grocery store.

Deliveries are now being made to Mobile and Baldwin counties!

205-991-0042