November 2016 Natural Awakenings Gulf Coast AL/MS

H E A L T H Y

L I V I N G

H E A L T H Y

feel good • live simply • laugh more

How to Naturally Shed Depression

Without Meds

STAY SHARP

Powerful Ways to Avoid Mental Decline

P L A N E T

FREE

The Art of BLESSING Sanctifying Everyday Life

November 2016 | Gulf Coast AL/MS Edition | HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com

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

18 STAY SHARP

Powerful Ways to Avoid Mental Decline

by Lisa Marshall

22 KELLY BROGAN

ON THE TRUTH ABOUT DEPRESSION

Let your soul shine 103-B N. Bancroft Street • Downtown Fairhope TheSoulShineLife.com • Namaste@TheSoulShineLife.com /soulshineliving @thesoulshinelife

Why Meds Don’t Work and What Does

by Kathleen Barnes

24 WORKPLACE WISDOM Mindfulness in Corporate Life

by April Thompson

26 ONE-PERSON

PAMPER PARTY

Go get your hair done.

YOU’LL FEEL BETTER. When you look good, you feel good.

SALON

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24

Natural Ways to Refresh and Renew

by April Thompson

27 PAMPERING PATIENTS Oncology Skin Care Soothes and Rejuvenates

by Kim LaMartiniere

28 FESTIVE SIPS

B-Butterfly

18

AND NIBBLES

Vegan Holiday Treats that Everyone Loves

26 33

by Judith Fertig

33 THE ART OF BLESSING Sanctifying Everyday Life

by Dennis Merritt Jones

251-990-9934 103A N Bancroft St, Downtown Fairhope, AL

4

Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition

38 www.HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com

12 7 newsbriefs 12 healthbriefs 14 globalbriefs 16 ecotip 22 wisewords 14 24 healingways 26 greenliving 27 localinsight 28 consciouseating 29 recipes 16 33 inspiration 34 calendar 38 classifieds 39 naturaldirectory

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letterfrompublisher

I

t sometimes feels like the littlest member of our household can have the largest impact on our family dynamic. At the curious age of 2-and-a-half, Thatch can be the light of the room, making us all laugh as he experiments with humor and his developing language skills. At other times, a peaceful family dinner is jolted when he starts crying hysterically because I cut his enchilada the wrong way.

As he learns to express himself more effectively, we try to foster his independence by showing him how he can remedy a subpar circumstance.

When he whines for water, we remind him to ask nicely, or better yet, encourage him to find his cup and serve himself! When his emotions start spiraling out of control, we escort him away from the situation that is upsetting him and into a calm space to collect himself.

From presidential candidates to peers, it’s not uncommon to see toddler-like behavior from adults. When we don’t get what we want, it’s easy to complain, or place judgment and blame on others. We can get emotionally wrapped up in a situation and overlook the proper time to step away and move on. But these approaches rarely resolve the underlying issue.

Natural Awakenings focuses on solutions, not problems. Resisting the sensational in favor of the meaningful, our articles educate readers about timely issues by providing actionable guidance and spotlighting people that are making a difference.

If work has you stressed, let “Workplace Wisdom” inspire you to launch a mindfulness program at your office. For individuals fighting cancer, read “Pampering Patients” to learn about oncology skin care and consider treating yourself to the services of an oncology esthetician. If someone you know is struggling with dementia or depression, read "Stay Sharp" and "Kelly Brogan on the Truth About Depression" to learn about the positive effects diet has proven to have on brain disorders.

If you’re feeling disconnected from or hopeless about national politics, invest your time and passions into local issues, where it’s usually easier to see tangible results. Start in your neighborhood, at a nonprofit organization or your child’s school.

Thatch is little in stature but his presence can dominate a whole house. While his temper tantrums may be hard to miss, it’s his small acts of kindness—the first time he said “thank you” or offered a seemingly random hug—that make the most lasting impressions.

If we turned every criticism and outburst into an idea for positive change, or an action steeped in kindness, imagine the possibilities.

In gratitude,

contact us Publisher/Editor Meredith Montgomery Publisher@HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com Marketing Manager Marcia Manuel Distribution Manager Stephanie Klumpp Editing Team Michelle Bense, Anne Wilson, Michael Wilson, Gabrielle Wyant-Perillo, Josh Montgomery Design and Production Meredith Montgomery Natural Awakenings Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi P.O. Box 725, Fairhope, AL 36533 Phone: 251-990-9552 Fax: 251-281-2375

HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscribe to the free digital magazine at HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com. Mailed subscriptions are available by sending $30 (for 12 issues) to the above address. © 2016 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing.

Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers.

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

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

Natural Awakenings is printed on recyclable newsprint.

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newsbriefs

Sunflower Café Offers Organic Holiday Meals

A Farewell Tribute Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation’s family of 95 magazines bid a fond farewell to company President Larry Levine, with many joining in on a call and sending notes, prayers and good thoughts prior to his passing on September 23. Levine enthusiastically contributed his all with a host of talents focused on forwarding our collective mission of providing publishers and readers with the tools needed to help us all create a healthier, more sustainable world together.

Founder and CEO Sharon Bruckman honors her partner, saying, “Our home office and publishers Larry Levine are truly saddened to lose the beautifully loving, guiding light that Larry generously shared with us throughout the past 12 years.

His impact on our lives and Natural Awakenings‘ success will continue to bless our readers. We will miss him dearly.”

Natural Awakenings Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Publisher Meredith Montgomery says, “Larry would stop whatever he was doing to help a publisher when they had a question or concern. We looked up to him as a mentor because of his extensive business experience, but also because of his warm spirit. The positivity that he contributed to our family of publishers is undeniable and his influence will be felt for many years to come.”

Sunflower Café makes the holidays easier by offering prepared dishes for Thanksgiving and Christmas. All menu items are organic and made with love and can be ordered to meet vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free needs. This year two sizes will be available—small dishes serve 4 to 5 people and the regular size serves 8 to 10. The last date to place an order for Thanksgiving is November 20. Items may be picked up in Fairhope or Mobile the day before Thanksgiving.

This season’s featured offerings include green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, corn casserole, butternut squash casserole, eggplant casserole, creamed cauliflower, gravy, cranberry chutney, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, pumpkin cheesecake and chocolate gateau with raspberry sauce.

Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation’s home office is located in Naples, FL. Visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com, or call 239-434-9392 for more information.

Location: 280 Eastern Shore Shopping Center, Fairhope, AL and 3055 A Dauphin St., Mobile, AL. For more information, call 251-929-0055. See ad, page 3.

Discounted Workshops Celebrate 20 Years Julie E Brent, founder of the Reiki Center of Fairhope, continues to celebrate her 20 years of Usui Reiki experience this month by offering a 20 percent discount on registration fees for her Usui Reiki Level I and II workshop on November 5 and 6.

Brent trained with several experienced Reiki Master Teachers when reiki was relatively unknown in the U.S. “I’ve enjoyed watching reiki become better known and used by both the general public and in hospitals,” she says.

Julie E Brent

During Brent’s massage training she discovered her affinity for working with Life Force Energy. She studied Shiatsu, Healing Touch and others, but was particularly drawn to reiki because it aligns with her life ideal of “keep it simple”. According to Brent, the modality is profoundly easy to learn and use, and over time it has shown itself to be extremely effective.

Although still certified in massage therapy, she currently focuses on teaching and energy healing.

Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul. ~Henry Ward Beecher

For more information, call 251-281-8811, email ReikiCenterOfFairhope@ gmail.com or visit ReikiCenterOfFairhope.com/events. See Healing Arts listing, page 41. natural awakenings November 2016

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newsbriefs Women Helping Women at New Wellness Studio Brandy Rhodes Coaching is a new personal fitness and wellness studio in Fairhope that offers a well-rounded schedule of classes to fit a variety of personalities and interests. With minimal equipment and warm, inviting colors, the private studio for women emphasizes its unique setting.

“We want you to feel like you’re meeting with friends to exercise in a home, not a gym,” says owner Brandy Rhodes, who is a family nurse practitioner, certified personal trainer and personal coach. “We value privacy, personalization, personal relationships, Brandy Rhodes empowering feedback and personal development.”

Instructors and offerings are continually evolving to meet the needs of their unique clients. Classes combine cardiovascular training with strength training and include boot camps, yoga, high intensity interval training, circuit training, boxing, high energy cardio jam sessions and Barre. All classes can be modified to any fitness level, and private or small group sessions are available.

As a nurse practitioner, Rhodes values ongoing, continuous education for the many aspects of a woman's life and unique needs. “We focus on not only her physical health and body, but also her mental health and personal feelings of happiness and fulfillment,” Rhodes says. “We are simply women helping other women find balance in all aspects of life.”

Location: 76 Plantation Pointe (next to Subway), Fairhope, AL. For more information, call 870215-3631, visit BrandyRhodes.com or find Brandy Rhodes Coaching on Facebook.

See ad, page 25.

Get a Live Christmas Tree This Year Fish River Trees Christmas Tree Farm will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., November 25 through December 23 to help families celebrate a more sustainable holiday with the addition of a living Christmas tree.

Located five miles east of Fairhope, in the Marlow/Fish River community, Fish River Trees has been providing the finest choose-and-cut trees, fresh-cut Fraser firs and containergrown, environmentally-friendly living Christmas trees for 33 years.

Farm visitors will enjoy a live manger scene open during regular business hours. On the first three weekends, Santa will be visiting the farm from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and visitors can enjoy free farm tours aboard the Tree Train and camel and pony rides for a small fee. Donations will also be collected for Trees for Troops.

Location: 13982 Woodhaven Dairy Rd. E., Summerdale, AL. For more information, call 251-988-8114, email FishRiverTrees@gultel.com or visit FishRiverTrees.com.

See ad, back cover.

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Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition

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Holiday Restorative Yoga Workshop at Alabama Healing Arts Registered yoga teacher Angela Gray, MA, MS, is conducting a morning of rejuvenating yoga from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., December 3, at Alabama Healing Arts, LLC (AHA), in Mobile. The restorative class aims to foster more balance, peace and calmness during this busy time of the year.

“As our holiday season schedules ramp up and to-do lists become longer, explore ways to find balance this season, rather than feeling overwhelmed by the stress of it all,” says Gray.

Focusing on breaking the cycle of stress, the workshop will begin with a 50-minute gentle yoga class to aid overworked muscles and release emotional stress and tensions. A series of mindful restorative postures will follow, to center the mind and body while generating energy for the months ahead.

Cost: $25 by November 25; $30 after. Location: 6304 Cottage Hill Rd., Mobile, AL. To register, call Angela Gray at 646-220-8561. For more information, email AlabamaHealingArts@gmail.com or visit AlabamaHealingArts.com.

See ad, page 17.

Do you have your NAN Discount Card yet?

Order yours today:

Tinyurl.com/NANCard

Counseling, Meditation and Yoga for Holistic Wellness Licensed Professional Counselor and yoga instructor Rebecca Washburn recently attended a mindful resilience workshop that focused on relaxation and breathing techniques for individuals that have experienced trauma. The training focused on veterans with post-traumatic stress syndrome but Washburn realized the principles and techniques could be applied to anyone who has experienced grief, stress or trauma.

“This approach has elements that can be used in both yoga classes and counseling sessions,” Washburn says. “As people learn that they have control of how they feel through the use of Rebecca Washburn breath, it empowers them to deepen the healing work of counseling.”

Weaving together elements of mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy and yoga philosophy, Washburn’s style of counseling invites clients to see life through a new lens. She uses a holistic approach that incorporates the mind, body, emotion, energy and spirit, in an open and affirming space.

She enjoys incorporating her knowledge of the chakra system into her work and encourages clients to utilize mindful activities such as journaling, reciting mantras and trying yoga or movement classes. Washburn also teaches meditation as a tool to relax, to connect with one’s inner guidance system for decision-making and to tap creativity.

“Once people cultivate their own skills and talents they can visualize the life that they want. I love guiding them to build what they desire from within,” says Washburn.

Insurance accepted. Location: 400 Fairhope Ave., Ste. 2A, Fairhope, AL. For more information, call 251-929-4634 or visit RebeccaWashburn.com. See Counseling listing, page 39.

Open House at Elements Massage Elements Massage Mobile will hold its annual Holiday Open House from 3 to 8 p.m., December 1. Owners Claudia McClure and Rebecca Murphy and staff say it’s their way of saying, “Thank you,” to their clients and the community. There will be free chair massage, refreshments, door prizes and a chance to win 12 massage sessions.

Massage gift cards for the holiday season will be on sale during the Open House, where members can buy one gift card and get one free at the walk-in rate. Non-members will be able to purchase two, one-hour massage gift cards for $99.

Meditation Classes in Fairhope Cynthia Galas is offering meditation classes on Sundays from November 20 to December 11, at Jellyfish Yoga and Soul Shine Yoga, in Fairhope. The classes at Jellyfish Yoga will be from 4 to 5 p.m. and are donation-based, benefitting Ecumenical Ministries. Soul Shine classes are from 6 to 7 p.m., and cost $5.

Meditation is an active training of the mind to increase awareness.

The Fairhope classes will begin with 30 minutes of instruction and a question-and-answer period. The 20-minute meditation portion will be silent and unguided so participants must be able to sit quietly for that length of time.

According to Galas, after a couple of weeks of meditation training, students increased their scores on the verbal reasoning section of the GRE by 16 percentile points. Meditation is now a regular part of recovery programs in hospitals across the country and brain imaging studies show that it can lower high blood pressure and lessen chronic pain, anxiety and depression.

“It’s not always easy but the benefits are truly amazing,” says Galas, who is an ayurvedic consultant, massage therapist and yoga teacher. “If you’re curious about mindfulness and meditation, commit to a daily practice in your community and see for yourself.

It’s a practice you can continue for the rest of your life.”

Open to all adult students and to those over 14 accompanied by attending adult. For more information, call 205-7466632 or visit CynthiaGalas. info. See ad, page 24.

Location: 6920 Airport Blvd., Ste. 111, Mobile, AL. For more information, call 251-342-6415 or visit ElementsMassage.com/Mobile. See ad, page 25. natural awakenings November 2016

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Reconnective Healing Now Offered in Alabama As the only registered Foundational Practitioner in the state of Alabama, Jeremy Stout is now offering Reconnective Healing (RH) sessions on evenings and weekends at Rosie Bluum, in Fairhope. Distance sessions are also available.

Jeremy Stout

RH is a comprehensive approach to life progress and overall wellness that can return individuals to an optimal state of balance. For over 20 years, founder Dr. Eric Pearl and his trained practitioners have been serving as ambassadors around the world for this evolutionary movement in healing that utilizes a spectrum of frequencies including energy, light and information. Benefits can include freedom from stress, mental challenges and pain; the restructuring of damaged DNA; restoration of range of motion and peak athletic performance.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, RH was more than twice as effective as physical therapy and 30 percent more effective than reiki in treating people with limited range of motion in their shoulders.

Gary Schwartz, Ph.D., Lab Director of Advances in Consciousness and Health at the University of Arizona, found that severed leaves typically perished within 3 to 12 days, but when RH was applied, leaves from the same tree healed quickly and lasted up to 90 days.

Location: 6A S. Bancroft St., Fairhope, AL. For more information, call 251-2220220 or visit RosieBluum.com. See ad, page 16.

Small Business Saturday Returns On November 26, between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses nationwide. Founded by American Express in 2010, the event is the cornerstone of Shop Small—a movement to celebrate small businesses and help communities thrive.

On that day, customers will find special offers at many locally owned business locations along the Gulf Coast. According to the Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, last year, 95 million people shopped at small businesses on Small Business Saturday throughout the U.S.

Merchants can also benefit from the online Shop Small Marketing Center, which provides marketing materials, business tips and the opportunity to qualify for free online advertising. Small business owners and customers alike can encourage friends and family to spread the word and shop at small businesses year-round.

Local Backpack Program Feeds Students In a country with a surplus of food, it is difficult to comprehend how a child could be hungry on a consistent basis. Unfortunately, many local teachers identify students struggling with chronic hunger, often coming to school having eaten little over the weekend. As the holidays approach, Feeding the Gulf Coast encourages the community to help fill the gap by supporting the organization’s Backpack Program.

With the help of donations and volunteers, Feeding the Gulf Coast provides weekend bags of food to children that contain six meals and two snacks. These are non-perishable items that children can prepare themselves without adult assistance. Bags are discreetly placed in the children’s backpacks on Friday afternoons.

The privately funded program reaches 1,200 children in south Alabama but there is currently a waiting list of students that need to be funded. A $125 donation can fund the weekly stocking of a local student’s backpack for a whole school year. In addition to donations, volunteers are also needed to support the program.

For more information, call 251-6531617 or visit FeedingTheGulfCoast.org.

For more information, visit AmericanExpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small.

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Soul Shine Yoga Observes Veterans Gratitude Week with Donation-Based Classes Soul Shine Yoga is partnering with Veterans Yoga Project for Veterans Gratitude Week, a national fundraising and awareness-raising event, from November 4 to 13.

The Fairhope studio joins the yoga teachers and studios across the country that are hosting donation-based classes during the week of Veterans Day to fund programs that support veterans, families and communities in all 50 states. Soul Shine will also offer free classes for veterans and active military. The first donation class will be Hoppy Hour Yoga at 6 p.m., November 1, at Fairhope Brewing Company.

The Veterans Yoga Project is a nonprofit public charity on a mission to support the mindful use of yoga therapy to aid recovery and resilience among veterans, their families and their communities. In 2015, the groundswell of support for Veterans Gratitude Week reached 400 events across 39 states, attended by thousands of veterans and civilians alike, raising awareness and much needed funds to continue providing therapeutic resources to veterans and their families.

Last month, 18 yoga teachers from the Gulf Coast participated in the Veterans Yoga Project training at Soul Shine and are now qualified to teach mindful and resilience training to those who live with posttraumatic stress.

To find a teacher or locate a studio with veteransbased classes, visit VeteransYogaProject.org. For more information about events at Soul Shine Yoga, visit TheSoulShineLife.com. See ad, page 17.

Alzheimer’s Event Raises Awareness and Funds This year’s Mobile Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., November 5, at Langan Municipal Park, in Mobile. The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s raises awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.

This inspiring event calls on participants of all ages and abilities to reclaim the future for millions.

The Alzheimer’s Association provides free, easy-to-use tools and staff support to help participants reach their fundraising goal. While there is no fee to register, participants are encouraged to fundraise in order to contribute to the cause and raise awareness.

Sensory Massage with Vibrational Restoration For the month of November, Licensed Massage Therapist Kristen Kelly is offering Natural Awakenings readers 20 percent off a Sensory Massage with Vibrational Restoration, available exclusively at Rosie Bluum, in Fairhope.

The experience indulges all senses, starting with a dimly lit room, aglow with salt lamps and candles.

Ambient music plays as scents that conjure relaxation and peace fill the air. The 60-minute, full-body massage uses aromatherapy scents of the client’s choice, targeting their needs be it physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. Following the massage, Kelly covers the body in gemstones and crystals as the effects of the bodywork sink in and the body adjusts to the stones.

With the mind at peace and the body settled, the client’s spirit rises as the sound of Kelly playing singing bowls, ting shas and crystal pyramids envelops the room. “Feel the vibrations throughout your body and let yourself go, trusting in the nature of sound and stones and touch,” says Kelly.

Cost: $80 (regularly $100) for 80 minutes. Vibrational Restoration can also be added to any service for an additional $30. Location: 6A S. Bancroft St., Fairhope, AL. For more information, call 251-559-5943 or visit RosieBluum.com. See ad, page 16.

For more information, contact Danielle Gillis at 850-225-0680 or DGillis@alz.org.

NEWS TO SHARE?

Send submissions to Publisher@HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com or call 251-990-9552. For submission guidelines, visit HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com. natural awakenings November 2016

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The human brain does not function optimally in society’s noise-filled environment. The brain, like the body, needs rest to function, and that comes with silence. A recent study in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience discovered that the brain is able to integrate both internal and external information into a “conscious workspace” when resting. Constant distractions and noises can detract from the brain’s ability to process critical information.

Noise also elevates stress hormone levels within the brain. Research published earlier in Psychological Science examined the effects that the relocation of the main Munich airport, in Germany, had on children’s health and cognition. Gary W. Evans, researcher and professor of human ecology at Cornell University, notes that when exposed to constant noise, children develop a stress response that causes them to ignore it. The study’s subjects tuned out both harmful sounds and stimuli that they should be paying attention to, including speech. Silence has the opposite effect, releasing tension in brain and body.

Exposure to chronic noise can also hinder children’s cognitive development, according to a study from the World Health Organization and the European Commission Joint Research Centre; this includes language skills and reading ability.

To help counter modern noise pollution, attention restoration theory suggests that individuals placed in environments with lower levels of sensory input can recover some of the cognitive abilities they have lost.

donskarpo/Shutterstock.com

Silence De-Stresses the Brain

Gut Bacteria Linked to Toddler Temperament Pressmaster/Shutterstock.com

Ohio State University researchers have discovered a correlation between bacteria in the gut and behavior in toddlers. Scientists studied the bacterial microbes in stool samples from 77 girls and boys between the ages of 18 months and 27 months, while mothers filled out a questionnaire describing their children’s level of emotional reactivity.

The study found that positive behavioral traits occurred more frequently in children with the most diverse types of gut bacteria. These included mood, curiosity, sociability and impulsivity. The correlation was particularly strong in boys.

Lisa Christian, Ph.D., a researcher with the Ohio State Institute for Behavioral Medicine research, and her co-author, Microbiologist Michael Bailey, Ph.D., plan to use the information to help uncover some mysteries related to the origin of chronic illness. “There is substantial evidence that intestinal bacteria interact with stress hormones; the same hormones that have been implicated in chronic illnesses like obesity and asthma,” explains Christian. “A toddler’s temperament gives us a good idea of how they react to stress. This information, combined with an analysis of their gut microbiome, could ultimately help us to detect and prevent chronic health issues [from developing] earlier.”

Source: Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science

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Heavy TV Watching Linked to Poor Bone Health

A study published in the Journal for Bone and Mineral Research this summer suggests that excessive TV watching during childhood may be associated with lower bone mineral content in young adulthood.

The researchers followed 1,181 children over time and measured their weekly hours of TV watching at ages 5, 8, 10, 14, 17 and 20. The bone mineral content (BMC) of each was measured at age 20. The study found that individuals that routinely watched more than 14 hours a week had lower BMC for their whole body and in their arms than those that watched less. Higher BMC helps protect the body against osteoporosis later in life.

While all screen time should be monitored in children, TV appears to be the most harmful medium. A report published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine studied 111 children between the ages of 3 and 8 and measured their TV viewing and other screen time, as well as their blood pressure levels. The study linked higher blood pressure with excessive TV viewing, but did not find the same link between the condition and computer usage.

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healthbriefs

Acupressure Eases Fatigue in Cancer Survivors

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Breast cancer survivors are often plagued by chronic fatigue that lasts long after their treatment is finished. They have few options to relieve the condition, but acupressure shows promise. A study published this summer in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that acupressure can significantly improve two symptoms of fatigue experienced by breast cancer survivors: sleep quality and quality of life.

The researchers tested 424 women that had completed cancer treatments at least a year prior to the study. They were divided into three groups—one self-administered relaxing acupressure and another stimulating acupressure, while the control group followed a conventional care plan. After six weeks, fatigue was reduced from 70 percent to 43 percent among those receiving acupressure, with two-thirds of the women in the acupressure groups reaching levels of fatigue considered normal.

The relaxing acupressure group showed substantial improvements in sleep quality compared with the conventional care group at week six, but the two groups reached parity at week 10. The relaxing acupressure group was the only one that showed improvements in quality of life, making it a reasonable, low-cost option for managing fatigue symptoms.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology reports that regular exercise during pregnancy can reduce the rate of Cesarean deliveries.

Conducted by Thomas Jefferson University Medical College researchers, the study followed more than 2,000 pregnant women split into two randomized groups. Half of them exercised 35 to 90 minutes, three to four times a week, while the others did not. Just under 18 percent of the women in the exercise group ended up having Cesarean deliveries versus 22 percent in the non-exercising group.

Exercising during pregnancy also appears to improve gestational health. The study participants that worked out regularly experienced a lower incidence of both hypertensive disorders and diabetes mellitus.

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

Thanksgiving Lite

Turning the Tide for Turkeys

photo courtesy of the Farm Sanctuary

Turkeys and Thanksgiving go together for 88 percent of Americans surveyed by the National Turkey Federation.

Each year, more than 46 million turkeys provide the entrée for gatherings, yielding leftovers for sandwiches, stew, chili, casseroles and turkey burgers. In 2011, 736 million pounds of turkey were consumed in the U.S., while a few lucky birds avoided the chopping block.

The pardoning of a White House turkey began in 1863 when President Lincoln’s son, Tad, interceded on behalf of the bird and its life was spared. Now a tradition, two dressed birds and one live turkey are delivered to the White House each year. The live bird is “pardoned” and lives out its life on a historical farm.

At the Farm Sanctuary, turkeys get sponsored or adopted instead of eaten.

“Turkeys are friendly and follow you around like puppy dogs. They’ll try to sit on your lap to be petted,” says Gene Baur, president and co-founder of the sanctuary’s New York and two California locations. “At our Celebration for the Turkeys, we feed them cranberries, pumpkin pie and squash. People visit to see them enjoy it.

Guests’ snacks are vegan.”

Hundreds of turkeys have been adopted and given a lifelong home since the program’s inception in 1986. More than 8,000 people pledged to sponsor a turkey living at the sanctuary in a recent year, proving it’s not necessary to be a president to pardon a turkey.

Source: FarmSanctuary.org/giving/adopt-a-turkey

Message Received

Conventional Grocery Chains Go Organic Arina P Habich/Shutterstock.com

The Kroger grocery chain, with nearly 2,500 U.S. stores, including subsidiaries Ralphs, Fry’s, King Soopers and Food 4 Less, has decided to go all in on the organic food market as a follow-up to the 2012 release of its Simple Truth brand of organic foods.

Kroger President Michael Ellis says, “We’re really just answering the customer’s call for more and better,” giving Whole Foods Market more competition.

Walmart has also begun to satisfy the growing health concerns of its shoppers by integrating organic options in its supermarkets. Now the challenge is for organic farming—which intentionally works to minimize agricultural impacts on the health of people and the planet—to meet the greater demand nationwide for healthier foods. Although implementation will vary depending on climate, experts advise that it begins with farms adopting healthy soil practices. It’s up to consumers to keep the momentum going.

Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition

Dangers vs. Benefits of Pet Marijuana

As of June, half of the states and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of medical marijuana for humans.

People wonder if it’s also suited for pets, too, and need to investigate the parameters and consequences carefully.

“It’s not legal in any state for veterinarians to prescribe or recommend medical marijuana,” says Dr. Carol Osborne, owner of Ohio’s Chagrin Falls Veterinary Center & Pet Clinic. “Done properly, it could have applications, but it’s not standardized, dosage amounts are unknown and without U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation, there’s no guarantee what you think you’re buying is what you get.

“Dogs that get into the stash or sneak-eat marijuana-laced food can experience wobbling when walking, trembling and potential seizures,” Osborne notes. “I haven’t heard of any cases of death, but as with any prescription drug, practice responsible ownership by keeping it out of the reach of curious children and pets.”

“THC [tetrahydrocannabinol] in marijuana produces the high,” explains Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Robert Silver, author of Medical Marijuana & Your Pet: The Definitive Guide. “Dogs are extremely sensitive to THC, much more so than any other species studied.”

Silver believes there are uses for cannabinoid oil, derived from hemp, which has very low levels of THC; pet owners in an end-of-life situation with no hope of recovery have used it to ease pain, stimulate appetite and add quality to final days.

Reference: Tinyurl.com/PetMedical MarijuanaGuide

Source: Healthy-Holistic-Living.com 14

Stoned Doggies

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Stark Mark

Zoo Zapped

Buenos Aires Moves Animals to Nature Reserves

Source: Nature.com

Safer Citizens

Germany to Ban Fracking Permanently txking/Shutterstock.com

The German government has ruled to ban the practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, for shale gas in the country, but will allow test drilling in certain circumstances, reports Reuters. The industry has lobbied to continue fracking, which involves blasting chemicals and water into underground rock formations to release trapped gas, but strong opposition has persisted throughout the nation, with a powerful green lobby warning of possible risks to drinking water. Germany follows France and Bulgaria, which have already permanently banned fracking.

The 140-year-old zoo in Buenos Aires is shutting down to give the animals a better life. Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta agrees with activists that keeping wild animals in captivity and on display is degrading, so the zoo’s 2,500 animals will be moved to more suitable living environments in nature reserves around the country.

Older animals and those too sick to be relocated will remain in their current home, but not displayed.

The 45-acre zoo will be transformed into an eco-park to give children a place to learn how to take care of and relate with the different species.

It also will provide refuge and rehabilitation for animals rescued from illegal trafficking.

Source: Ecowatch.com

Chemical Testing

Consumer and Animal Protections Update

Experience the gifts of the Earth.

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The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act is a new federal law that restricts animal testing and requires regulators to develop technology-based alternatives.

It updates the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, which insisted non-animal tests be used whenever possible and established a precedent for developing animal-free testing, including vitro and silico (computer simulation) methods.

Earlier this year, the John Hopkins University School of Medicine made strides in removing the use of animals from medical training and cosmetic testing.

Now all new chemicals will have to meet specific safety standards. Clothing, couches and cleaning products, among many other consumer goods, contain chemicals linked to cancer, Parkinson’s and other serious health problems, but are not routinely tested for safety. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will now have new authority to require testing with a legal mandate to review existing chemicals on the market.

Along with updating rules for tens of thousands of everyday chemicals, the law specifically sets safety standards for dangerous chemicals like formaldehyde, asbestos and styrene. It aims to standardize on the national level what is currently a jumble of state rules governing an $800-billion-a-year industry.

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Record carbon dioxide levels will surpass the symbolic threshold of 400 parts per million (ppm) this year and will likely never fall below it again in our lifetimes, according to a new study published recently in the journal Nature Climate Change.

The findings highlight urgent concerns about global efforts to curb climate change as outlined in the Paris agreement negotiated last December and signed in April by nearly 170 nations. Carbon concentrations have passed the 400 ppm limit before, but never permanently.

The authors state, “In the longer term, a reduction in CO2 concentration would require substantial and sustained cuts in anthropogenic [humanly influenced] emissions to near zero.” The determined safe level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a maximum of around 350 ppm, according to climate advocates.

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Carbon Dioxide Passes Climate-Warming Threshold

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Quality Clothes are Planet-Friendly The temptation to buy inexpensive clothes whispers, “It’s smart to trend with the latest fad,” or “Disposable wear can be tossed if it gets stained,” or “I can wear this outfit only once for a special event.” The lure to buy future throwaways seems especially prevalent during the holiday season of gifting and gatherings.

Consumers can fall into the cycle of buying from inexpensive chain stores, wearing items a few times and then discarding them during spring cleaning purges. According to The Atlantic magazine, Americans now buy five times as much clothing annually as they did in 1980, yet recycle or donate only 15 percent of it. They simply discard 10 million tons as waste, reports the Huffington Post.

Conscious consumers consider the extended consequences of their purchases.

The production and transporting of an average shirt, for example, can deliver about nine pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, reports Eve Andrews, culture editor for Grist.com.

She offers five tips: buy less; shop smarter and only for what’s truly needed; look for durability and design that won’t fall apart or look dated in a few months; decrease frequency of laundering to increase the life of the garment; and donate what no longer works.

Buying items that are durable, timeless and made under fair labor conditions from selected organic, resale and outlet stores that sell high-end clothing that lasts at reduced prices will save money over time and reduce resource abuse and waste.

Five top outlet chains for superior and lasting value per a 2016 Consumer Reports readers survey are Bon Worth, L.L. Bean, Haggar, OshKosh B’gosh and Izod.

Quality labels are welcomed by consignment stores, so the wearer can even retrieve some of the purchase price for gently-used classics. Giving used threads to thrift shops, churches, The Salvation Army and Goodwill Industries is another way to extend the life of items, help others and save landfill space. Another option is to cut up portions of clothing earmarked for disposal so they can live on as cleaning rags for home and vehicles.

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STAY SHARP Powerful Ways to Avoid Mental Decline

by Lisa Marshall

A

slow descent into dementia seemed inevitable for a 66-yearold man that had been misplacing his keys, missing appointments and struggling at work. He failed doctoradministered cognitive quizzes and tested positive for a gene variant linked to an exponentially higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease. A brain scan revealed scattered clusters of sticky, amyloid plaque—a hallmark of the disease. His hippocampus, or memory center, had shrunk to rank in the lowest 17 percent of men his age.

Told there wasn’t much that could be done, he sought the help of University of California, Los Angeles Alzheimer’s researcher Dale Bredesen, a neurologist and founding president of the independent Buck Institute for Research on Aging. He recommended a personalized, 36-point plan, including a high-fat/low-carb diet, intermittent fasting, strict sleep schedule, select

18

dietary supplements and other lifestyle changes. Within three months, family members reported marked improvements in his memory. At 10 months, brain scans revealed his hippocampus had grown 12 percent.

“Such improvements are unprecedented,” says Bredesen, who described this and nine other hopeful cases in a provocative paper published in June in the journal Aging. “These are the first examples of a reversal of cognitive decline in pre- and early Alzheimer’s patients.”

Addressing the Sources

Bredesen is among a small but growing group of researchers, physicians, caregivers and patients challenging the conventional wisdom that the road to dementia goes one way, with no cure or repair of damage done. They argue that the key to both prevention and reversal, at least in early stages, is to pinpoint its

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numerous drivers—from nutritional and hormonal deficiencies and exposure to infection to environmental toxins and harmful drugs—and attack them simultaneously. It’s a stark departure from the classic, often unsuccessful, one-pill treatment approach. Of the 244 clinical trials for Alzheimer’s drugs between 2002 and 2012, all but one failed.

“Imagine having a roof with 36 holes in it, and your drug patched one hole. You still have 35 leaks,” says Bredesen, who believes his synergistic approach—the Bredesen Protocol—can likely make Alzheimer’s drugs work better or render them unnecessary. Skeptical colleagues point out that Bredesen’s paper described only 10 case studies, not a clinical trial.

“It is intriguing, but not enough to make recommendations to physicians or patients,” says Keith Fargo, Ph.D., director of scientific programs and outreach for the Chicago-based Alzheimer’s Association.

“The current consensus in the scientific community is that we do not have a way to reverse dementia.”

While agreeing that a larger study is needed, Neurologist David Perlmutter, of Naples, Florida, whose bestsellers Brain Maker and Grain Brain promote nutritional changes for supporting brain health, considers Bredesen’s study revolutionary. “To reverse Alzheimer’s in one patient is monumental, much less 10,” says Perlmutter.

They recently presented together at a conference organized by Sharp Again Naturally, a New York nonprofit that educates patients and caregivers about natural means of slowing and reversing cognitive decline.

After losing her mother to Alzheimer’s, the nonprofit’s co-founder, Jacqui Bishop, 74, stopped her own frightening decline by changing her diet and getting her thyroid hormone levels under control via supplements. Now she’s helping others do the same. She says, “We are trying to change the conversation from one of despair to one of hope.”

Mending Body and Brain

Key to Bredesen’s approach is the notion that instead of being one disease, Alzheimer’s consists of three sub-types with distinct drivers: inflammation or infection; harmful environmental exposures; and/or lack of neuron-nurturing hormones. To determine which one to

Lifestyle changes can prevent and slow cognitive decline.

Some say they also reverse it. target, he tests patients for blood-sugar, inflammation and hormone levels, heavy metals and critical nutrients such as D and B vitamins. Then he crafts a personalized plan.

He notes that the 10 years it can take to progress from subtle decline to full-blown Alzheimer’s provides a huge opportunity. “Ideally, we want people to come in when they have mild impairment or are asymptomatic,” says Bredesen, advising that tests be done for the APOE4, or “Alzheimer’s gene” in one’s 40s. “People have not wanted to know in the past because they’ve been told there is nothing they can do about it. We completely disagree.”

One way to stay cognitively sharp is to eat fewer carbs (which boost blood sugar) and eat more fat, says Perlmutter.

“There is a clear relationship between elevated levels of blood sugar and increased risk of Alzheimer’s.”

One study, published in 2013 in the New England Journal of Medicine,

tracked 2,067 healthy adults for seven years and found that the higher their average glucose level, even if they weren’t diabetic, the more likely they were to develop dementia. For instance, those with a level of 115 milligrams per deciliter were 18 percent more at risk than those measuring 100 milligrams per deciliter.

A 2012 study published in Neurology followed 266 adults for four years and found that those with higher blood sugar saw certain areas of the brain shrink 6 to 10 percent more than those with lower blood sugar. Gluten can also be problematic, advises Perlmutter, when it’s inflammatory and driving brain degeneration.

In contrast, good fat, like that in avocados, fatty fish, coconut oil and walnuts, serves as a foundation for neurons and an efficient, clean-burning fuel source for the brain. This is particularly helpful in someone with early-stage Alzheimer’s, says Bredesen, because the disease can make

it harder for the brain to use sugar for fuel.

In some cases, both doctors recommend an extremely low-carb, or “ketogenic” diet (fewer than 60 grams of carbs per day).

Starved of carbohydrates, the liver produces fat-like compounds called ketones, a brain-fuel source shown to stimulate growth of new neural networks.

Bredesen also recommends 12 hours of fasting each night, with zero food intake within three hours of going to sleep. Fasting promotes a process called autophagy, by which the brain essentially cleans itself of damaged cellular material. Eight hours of sleep is also vital. According to University of Rochester research, the space between brain cells opens up during sleep, allowing cleansing channels of fluid to flow more freely. “If you were operating your house 24/7 with no time to rest or clean, it would be disastrous,” says Bredesen.

“The same is true of your brain.”

Also, they say, keep teeth clean because bacterial infections, including those in the gums, have been shown to hasten formation of neuron-killing plaque. Also critically examine the prescription drugs being ingested. A recent study of 74,000

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Good fat, like that in avocados, fatty fish, coconut oil and walnuts, serves as a foundation for neurons and an efficient, clean-burning fuel source for the brain. people published in JAMA Neurology found that regular use of heartburn drugs like Prilosec and Nexium increased dementia risk by 42 to 52 percent. Meanwhile, anticholinergic drugs like Benadryl and statin drugs prescribed to manage cholesterol have also been linked to increased dementia. “We see ‘statin brain’ all the time,” observes Perlmutter, who says once patients go off the drugs, they tend to get better.

False Hope or Sound Advice

Fargo says researchers are keenly interested in many of the ideas in Bredesen’s paper. Although it’s too early to endorse

them, numerous studies are underway.

But he wonders if some patients that assert that they’ve reversed dementia actually suffered from something else, like sleep apnea or depression.

Bredesen stands by his research, asserting that the 10 patients in his paper had all been formally diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or its precursors.

One 69-year-old entrepreneur that was planning to close his business after 11 years of mental decline is now expanding it. A 49-year-old woman that scored poorly on neuropsychological tests showed no signs of cognitive decline when she was tested again

Mind Performance Center, LLC

A Non-Drug Treatment for Brain Disorders

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he Mind Performance Center, LLC, in Foley, Alabama improves quality of life by providing non-drug rehabilitation for a range of brain disorders including ADHD, depression (even treatment-resistant depression), dementia, traumatic brain injury, autism, stroke and Parkinson’s.

“Our approach fosters brain balance and performance without negative side effects,” says owner Dr. J. Douglas Brown, DC, DACNB. “Adding years to our patients’ lives—high-quality-of-life years—inspires me to constantly research the latest breakthroughs in functional neurology and apply those as they fit into the treatment programs for my patients.”

Brown is the only functional neurologist in the U.S. providing brain pathway activation therapy in conjunction with deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (which regenerates abundant release of neurotransmitters) and the science-based nutritional program of Alzheimer’s researcher Dale Bredesen (see article, this page).

“The results of our treatments are tangible, often delivering improvement when nothing else has,” says Brown, who notes that 70 percent of depression patients will see depression symptoms reduced by at least 50 percent. He spends 90 minutes with new patients, fully examining their brain activity so that a detailed treatment program can be recommended. Brown encourages anyone wanting better brain performance for a higher quality of life, without the use of medications, to schedule an evaluation. “Improvements may begin in a few weeks, but the benefits can last a lifetime.”

Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition

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

Resources Alzheimer’s Association, alz.org Buck Institute for Research on Aging, BuckInstitute.org David Perlmutter, DrPerlmutter.com Mind Performance Center, MindPerformanceCenter.com MPI Cognition, MPICognition.com Sharp Again Naturally, SharpAgain.org

For more information, see ad, page 19.

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nine months later. In all, more than 100 people have participated in the program. “We have people that are four-and-a-half years out and doing very well,” he says, noting that such strategies aren’t likely to work for someone with advanced Alzheimer’s.

In some cases, the results may be more subtle, but for those caring for a sick loved one, any positive progress means a lot. Paul Tramontozzi knows.

After his father, then 75, was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, the New York City financial advisor attended a Sharp Again Naturally meeting seeking advice. “I was skeptical, but when the answer you get from everyone else is, ‘There’s nothing you can do,’ you become more willing to listen.” He took his father off his cholesterol medication, fed him spoonfuls of coconut oil daily and put him on a specific supplement regimen. His balance improved and he could participate in family outings again. “If you had told me a few years ago we’d be able to take Dad to a restaurant for his 80th birthday, I would have said, ‘No way.’

But we did.”

Tramontozzi says his father isn’t cured, but the advice he obtained facilitated more time together and insights on how to avoid a similar fate. “These are all things a healthy 37-year-old should be doing right now anyway. I just wish we’d found out earlier.”

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Get-Smart Supplements Curcumin: This potent constituent in turmeric (the yellow spice that gives curry its flavor) has been shown to combat many of the problems that contribute to brain degeneration, including inflammation, free radical damage and high blood sugar. It also boosts growth of new brain cells.

Take 500 milligrams (mg) twice daily or eat a diet rich in curry.

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid): This omega-3 fatty acid serves as a key building block for brain cell membranes. Take 1,000 mg daily (derived from fish oil or algae) or eat lots of fatty fish.

Coconut oil: It’s rich in medium-chain triglycerides, an efficient, clean-burning fuel source for the brain. Take one or two teaspoons daily.

Probiotics: These help fortify the intestinal lining, reducing the gut permeability and inflammation that can impact cognitive health. They also support production of key neurotransmitters and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor brain growth hormone. Look for supplements or foods containing Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus brevis, Bifidobacterium lactis and Bifidobacterium longum.

B vitamins: High levels of the amino acid homocysteine have long been linked to increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease; have levels checked and if they’re elevated, B6 and B12 can reduce them.

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ntegrative medical doctor Kelly Brogan, a women’s health psychiatrist and author of A Mind of Your Own, has turned the world of neuropsychiatry on its head by revealing that depression can be reversed without a single prescription drug. She asserts that depression is not caused by imbalanced brain chemistry, but by lifestyle choices that unbalance the entire human physiology. That’s why conventional antidepressants generally don’t work. She instead prescribes eliminating foods that trigger inflammation in order to rebalance all body systems.

According to the National Institute for Mental Health, depression annually affects 15.7 million adult Americans, or about 8.3 percent of the population.

What’s your stand on the illness model of medicine and how you arrived there?

My training as a conventional doctor was predicated on a disease care model that offers patients only one solution—a prescription. We have never had a shot at true wellness, having handed over our health to corporations loyal to their shareholders, rather than to us.

Conventional medicine is based on the notion that we are born broken and need chemicals to feel better; the body is a machine that needs recalibration; and doctors always know what they are doing. After investing thousands of hours

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researching what would aid my own journey back from health challenges, I saw how we have been duped.

Health is our natural state, and we can restore it by natural means. The way to prevent and reverse illness is to communicate with the body in a language it understands. It’s so simple, yet society considers it an act of rebellion to consider this kind of lifestyle.

Which science supports your conclusion that antidepressant drugs don’t work for most patients?

Taking an antidepressant for depression is like taking a Tylenol for a shard of glass in your foot. Wouldn’t you rather just remove it? Antidepressants don’t work the way we think they do and come with risks, including impulsive violence and debilitating withdrawal. They also can distract from an opportunity to identify the real cause of symptoms, one that is entirely reversible, in my experience.

Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors like Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and Lexapro are commonly prescribed to treat depression by boosting serotonin levels. There are many studies debunking their use and effectiveness. The 2012 Ottawa Hospital Research Institute study led by Paul Albert, Ph.D., concluded, “Direct serotoninenhancing effects of antidepressants disturb energy homeostasis and worsen symptoms.”

As far back as 1998, Irving Kirsch, Ph.D., an expert on the placebo effect at Harvard Medical School, published a meta-analysis of the treatment of 3,000 patients, finding that drugs improved depression in only 27 percent of the cases.

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When I meet a patient that complains about irritability, anxiety, foggy thinking, fatigue and insomnia, I visually plot her day-to-day symptoms on a mental graph.

I find that the sugar rollercoaster accounts for the vast majority of diabetes, obesity, depression and other symptoms troubling my patients, especially women.

Sugar disturbs mental health in at least three ways: It starves the brain by causing blood sugar highs and lows that can eventually cause insulin resistance, diabetes and even Alzheimer’s disease; promotes inflammation, which is closely linked to depression; and derails hormones by raising levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body’s effort to balance blood sugars.

Depression also has roots in thyroid imbalances, which are common in women more than 40 years old, and in food intolerances, especially to gluten, soy and corn, that can affect the brain in unpredictable ways.

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Is there a general protocol that seems to work best?

While there are no quick fixes, I see turnarounds every week because I help my patients see the benefits of simple choices like avoiding wheat and wheat products. You need a month of serious commitment to quit sugar, alcohol, coffee, wheat and dairy. Then you discover you aren’t an irritable, tired, forgetful person, which is its own incentive toward feeling better. It’s the basis to make choices with your own fully informed consent. Applying such information leads to long-term change and healing.

Kathleen Barnes has authored n u m e r o u s n a t u ra l h e a l t h b o o k s , including Food Is Medicine: 101 Prescriptions from the Garden. Connect at KathleenBarnes.com.

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by April Thompson

T

he workplace can be filled with stress, egos and distractions that challenge the productive and happy atmosphere we desire. Both employees and employers are adopting mindfulness to help cope and transform both themselves and their work environment.

Rooted in Eastern philosophies like Buddhism, most workplace mindfulness programs have stripped the techniques to a secular form more appealing to skeptics or adherents of other religions.

The key practice—simply known as “sitting” or meditation—involves focusing our attention on our thoughts, breathing, emotions or bodily sensations for a set time period, while the term mindfulness refers to the ability to be aware of the present moment, whether meditating or in a business meeting.

While Fortune 500 companies like Procter & Gamble, Aetna and General Mills have instituted formal mindfulness programs, Michael Carroll, meditation teacher, executive coach and the author of Awake at Work, says that the mindfulness revolution has been largely seeded

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from the ground up. It’s emerged through people exploring the practices in their personal lives, and then bringing them to work.

Personal and Professional Benefits

Jacqueline Gallo, operational excellence manager for Whitcraft Group, a manufacturing plant in Eastford, Connecticut, discovered meditation 12 years ago while seeking solace during a traumatic time. Today, Gallo does three short sits a week and occasionally participates in 10-day retreats. Whitcraft doesn’t offer meditation to employees, but Gallo says mindfulness enables her to be available to her staff and solve problems without getting “swept off my feet so easily by all the desires, agendas and emotions confronted at work.”

Carroll cautions that it’s not about trying to eliminate our own or others’ emotional agendas or personal biases at work; rather, individuals use mindfulness to become more conscious of and relaxed about them. “Meditation helps

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develop agility in viewing… to selfregulate, drop fixed mindsets, become self-aware,” explains Carroll, who has coached university presidents, CEOs and nonprofit executives in mindful leadership techniques. “You learn things from a competitor’s perspective or pick up on social cues you may miss if you instead had a fixed lens on a situation.”

Corporate Acceptance

While meditation may be on the upswing in the workplace, it was a battle to legitimize it, according to Tara Healey, program director for mindfulness-based learning at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (HPHC). A longtime meditation practitioner, Healey started the Mind the Moment program a decade ago while serving as an organizational capacity building consultant. Surveys had shown that employees were overwhelmed and dissatisfied, but lacked the skills to rectify their situation.

“The leadership said, ‘Great, let’s do it, but not tell anyone,’” relates Healey.

She notes that meditation, a core component of her multifaceted mindfulness course covering everything from workplace stress to mindful listening, wasn’t accepted in the workplace at that point.

Today, 30 percent of her company’s 1,050 employees have completed a six-week class introducing them to the power of mindfulness; some go on to participate in a guided monthly group meditation practice or use company meditation rooms for individual practice.

The health services company also offers the course to its member companies throughout New England. To date, more than 12,350 people in 174 companies have participated, encompassing varied fields from higher education and health to finance and technology. A survey of employees showed that initially 99 percent felt it was a good use of their time; another taken six months later found that 87 percent were still using the techniques.

HPHC informatics analyst Stephanie Oddleifson, who took the course nearly 10 years ago, says it transformed her way of thinking and behaving in the workplace and furnished a set of practices she uses every day. In times of conflict, “I was so quick to make up stories in my head and jump to conclu-

sions previously,” she says. “Now I’m able to pause before responding and observe my thoughts without getting caught up in them. I can diffuse tense situations with humor and not take things personally.”

Additional research substantiates the anecdotal evidence for meditation’s workplace benefits. In 2015, scientists from Canada’s University of British Columbia and Germany’s Chemnitz University of Technology compiled data from 20-plus neurology studies, finding significant correlations between meditation and areas of the brain related to capacities for self-regulation, introspection and complex thinking. A Rice University study specifically found a positive relationship between workplace mindfulness, job performance and employee retention.

While workplace mindfulness programs vary and may incorporate helpful talks, encouraging readings and group discussions, Healey and Carroll both caution that reading or talking about mindfulness or meditation is no substitute for the practice itself, which many find challenging. “You won’t taste the benefits just reading about it,” remarks Healey.

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Make Home a Spa Zone

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by April Thompson

Natural Ways to Refresh and Renew

by April Thompson

P

ampering ourselves isn’t a luxury so much as a necessity to refresh and renew mind, body and spirit.

A Spa Specialty

Spas have been synonymous with pampering throughout the ages. “Every civilization around the world has had some kind of communal gathering place for people to practice ‘self-healing’,” says Jeremy McCarthy, group director of Spa & Wellness for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and author of The Psychology of Spas & Wellbeing.

From ancient Greek bathhouses to Japan’s beloved natural hot springs, spas have long served as sacred places of healing and restoration. Indeed, many treatments provided at today’s eco-spas draw inspiration from traditional uses of herbs, honey and olive oil to care for skin and hair.

More Pampering Spots

While busy people tend to put off selfcare, there are treats to suit any schedule or budget—from getting a quick manicure or pedicure at a neighborhood eco-nail salon to visiting a yoga or wellness center.

For a quick, healthy pick-me-up, visit an organic juice bar. Opt for businesses that feature fresh, whole ingredients rather than pre-mixed powders or sugarladen juices; to give the immune system an extra lift, add a natural booster shot of ginger or turmeric. Most grocery stores now carry cold-pressed juices that can 26

pack as much as six pounds of produce into a single bottle.

An honored ritual that continues to restore spent spirits is drinking a cup of tea. Whether sipped at home, as a British high tea featuring an organic Earl Grey or as part of a traditional Japanese green tea ceremony steeped in Zen, tea time allows us to slow down and savor the moment along with the aromas in our cup. Also, antioxidant-rich tea is fortifying.

Salt room visits, another healthy pleasure that has spread throughout the U.S., dates back 150 years to an indigenous Polish practice. Research indicates that salt therapy, or halotherapy, can help improve conditions such as asthma and allergies and support the immune, nervous and lymphatic systems (see Tinyurl.com/SaltRoomPampering).

Universally restful salt rooms also offer a unique sensory experience.

Another highly accessible way to treat body and mind is to move in a joyful way.

Consider taking up a playful new class for de-stressing and stretching such as trapeze yoga, conscious dance or any other dance.

Aerial yoga, using suspended trapeze-like supports, helps lengthen the spine and strengthen muscles in ways not easily achieved on the ground. Dance delivers health and fitness bonuses in the midst of having fun.

If we’re not in the habit of pampering ourselves, it’s time to stretch our beliefs about what we deserve. We’ll find bliss is an attainable luxury.

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B

etween professional spa visits, a doit-yourself spa day at home can be a rewarding and economical treat. “You can create a full day of home spa treatments using ingredients most people have in their kitchen,” advises Lise Andersen, an expert in nature-based cosmetics from Copenhagen, Denmark, and the owner of LisaLise.com, offering custom skin and hair care products, individualized formulations and beginnerfriendly DIY kits.

One of Andersen’s home skincare favorites is simple raw honey, used as a cleanser and face mask. “You can use it alone or in conjunction with an added ingredient like almond meal or ground oats. It rinses off beautifully and both softens and cleanses,” she says.

A “facial tea” made with herbs like chamomile, lavender and elder blossom is another of the Scandinavian’s at-home favorites. Simply boil water and pour it into a bowl with a handful of herbs, drape a towel over the head, embracing the face and breathe deeply. “It smells wonderful while opening the pores and hydrating the skin,” Andersen says.

Dry brushing with a mitt made with a natural fiber like sisal or jute serves as a quick, everyday pick-meup. It stimulates and exfoliates the body and helps boost circulation.

For beautiful cuticles, Andersen suggests a handmade scrub made from raw brown sugar or Himalayan salt combined with a carrier oil like almond or grapeseed. It exfoliates and hydrates, leaving hands feeling silky smooth.

To get the most out of a home spa day, prep materials in advance and let family members know that it requires absolute solitude. Complete the spa-like atmosphere with relaxing music and naturally scented beeswax candles.

Visit Tinyurl.com/Lisa-Lise-Blog for more home spa treatment tips.

Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, of Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.

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PAMPERING PATIENTS Oncology Skin Care Soothes and Rejuvenates

by Kim LaMartiniere

C

ancer can have numerous effects on the body, mind and spirit of a patient, including a host of conditions that often wreak havoc on their skin. Because skin is the largest organ of the body, it can become extremely dry, irritated and reactive during oncology treatments. The acid mantle—a protective, slightly acidic film on the skin’s surface—usually acts as the skin’s barrier of protection. During medical treatments, it becomes compromised because skin cells lack normal levels of sebum (a lipid), making it extremely hard to keep the skin moist and protected from bacterial invasion.

Therefore proper hydration, both inside and out, is very important for the health of the skin during oncology treatments. Toxin-free, plant-based skincare products hydrate, nourish and protect the skin with antioxidant vitamins. Most plant-based oils mimic the skin’s natural sebum and repair the acid mantle while providing anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties to further combat dryness and dehydration.

Products containing alcohol should be avoided, but ingredients such as aloe vera, chamomile, calendula, emu oil,

oatmeal and black seed oil have soothing properties. The use of too many products can clog pores, so simplify skincare routines by using a gentle soapfree cleanser with an effective hydrating moisturizer and chemical-free sun protection. Also avoid touching the face which can cause more irritation.

Oncology patients can also benefit from the safe and professional skincare treatments of a qualified oncology esthetician. These trained professionals utilize their understanding of cancer, the side effects of treatment and the suitable skincare options, to provide specialized care for anyone who has undergone or is presently undergoing oncology treatment. The experience soothes both the patient’s skin and mind.

Although every patient is different, The International Dermal Institute recommends avoiding excessive heat (including steam, infrared and steamed towels), extractions, stimulating products and strong exfoliants (physical or chemical) for all clients in active cancer treatment or recent recovery. Hydrating treatments are effective and soothing.

Essential oils can also be beneficial, but clients should inform their esthetician of sensitivities to aromas before use.

The effects of cancer and cancer treatment can cause dramatic skin care changes, but with the help of specialized professionals and simple plant-based products, a patient’s “new normal” in skin care can be achieved.

Kim LaMartiniere is a licensed oncology esthetician and owner of Wellness Spa of Ocean Springs, in Ocean Springs, MS. Connect at 228-209-4090 or WellnessSpaOS.com.

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Festive Sips and Nibbles Vegan Holiday Treats that Everyone Loves

by Judith Fertig

F

or those that like to eat plant-based meals most of the time, the holidays can present a challenge. Social occasions from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day abound, including multi-course dinners and potlucks; tree-trimming and baking parties; neighborly hospitality; nibbling on treats while wrapping gifts; and gathering to watch a holiday movie.

Because so much is happening in such a short period of time, people often revert to serving traditional foods such as Aunt Mary’s cheese ball or Grandma Daisy’s three-layer chocolate bars.

These vintage recipes, however, can be laden with processed ingredients.

Foods that signaled holiday cheer ages ago need a tweak or two to satisfy today’s health-minded friends and family members. With traditional flavors of the season like aromatic spices, fresh rosemary and chocolate, plus a plant-based philosophy, family favorites can get a new twist.

Natural Awakenings asked cookbook authors, chefs and bloggers from around the country to help us celebrate wonderful holiday moments, big and small.

Adding a plant-based nibble or sip not only helps party hosts stay on track, it also helps keep guests from over-indulging,

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so that everyone ends up enjoying themselves even more.

Addictive Nibbles

American-born Sandra Gutierrez grew up in Guatemala and now lives in Cary, North Carolina. As the author of The New Southern Latino Table and Empanadas: The Hand-Held Pies of Latin America, she shows how fresh, seasonal, Latino foods can add grace and flavor to any table.

“In the South, appetizers can be as simple as shelled pecans tossed with spices,” she says. She applies the same easy treatment to pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, tossing them with ancho chile powder, cumin, coriander and other flavorings to bake in the oven until crunchy. “These take only minutes to make and will keep for a few weeks if stored in an airtight container.”

Then, when people drop by, she has a ready-made, plant-based, delicious nibble to offer with drinks.

Brother chefs Chad and Derek Sarno, of Austin, Texas, are the co-founders of WickedHealthyFood.com, a website devoted to plant-based eating habits. Chad has co-authored (with Chris Karr) Crazy Sexy Kitchen: 150 Plant-Empowered Recipes to Ignite a Mouthwatering Revolution. Derek is the former global execu-

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consciouseating

Celebratory Sips

Sophia DeSantis, of Carlsbad, California, changed to a vegan diet because of her husband’s health issues several years ago.

“We ate plant-based for one month and just kept on going,” she says. “Within three months, he was off all meds and hasn’t needed them since.”

That victory made her an impassioned vegan cook for their three children, as well. Whether preparing food for family or guests, she says, “I don’t even mention the type of food, because I simply make delicious dishes that just happen to be plant-based. There are a million and one ways to redo traditional favorites.”

DeSantis makes her own pistachio milk for a special hot chocolate she serves during the holidays; she blogs her recipes at VeggiesDontBite.com.

Other options for plant-based sips include chilled, dairy-free eggnog, perhaps topped with coconut creamer and a dusting of freshly grated nutmeg. Mulled cider or pomegranate juice, warmed in a stove pot with whole spices like cinnamon and cloves, plus slices of citrus fruits, add holiday flavors and aromas.

Having already prepared nibbles and sips handy in the pantry, freezer or refrigerator makes both planned and spontaneous hosting easier, as well as providing readymade goodies to bring to other gatherings.

“Then, there’s always something available you can enjoy,” says DeSantis.

Judith Fertig writes cookbooks and foodie fiction from Overland Park, KS (JudithFertig.com).

Tasty Holiday Recipes Truffle Spiced Popcorn

photo by Stephen Blancett

tive chef for Whole Foods Market. “Shoot for 80 percent healthy and 20 percent wicked, and you’ll be 100 percent sexy,” they advise with a wink.

A little indulgence is fine during the holidays, they say. “For vegans and vegetarians, think of your 20 percent as a chance to let loose every now and again and enjoy whatever makes you feel a bit wicked—fats, sugars, salts, beer; you get the idea—unless you’re following doctor’s orders. We want you to eat for health, and as chefs, we want eating healthy to taste great.” For the holidays, they like to have easy, yet big-flavor nibbles on hand such as homemade popcorn flavored with fresh rosemary and truffle oil, or crunchy, roasted chickpeas that pack a little heat from sriracha, a homemade or bottled hot sauce.

Spiced Pepitas These crunchy pumpkin seeds are lemony, salty, spicy and zesty, all at the same time. A handful of these toasted tidbits whets the appetite.

Yields: 2 cups

This wicked, fresh, piping-hot popcorn is kissed with a simple blend of rosemary, onion and truffle oil.

Yields: 9 cups 2½ Tbsp grapeseed oil A bit less than ½ cup popcorn kernels 1 Tbsp truffle oil 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast ½ Tbsp onion granules ½ tsp fresh rosemary, minced Sea salt to taste

On medium heat, warm the oil in a large saucepan with a lid.

Remove from the stove and add all kernels in an even layer on the bottom of the pan.

2 cups raw pumpkin seeds 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest 1 Tbsp lemon juice 2 tsp salt 1 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper ½ tsp ground coriander ½ tsp ancho chile powder ½ tsp cayenne pepper ¼ tsp garlic powder ¼ tsp sugar (optional)

Cover for 20 seconds to allow all the kernels to become coated and reach equal temperature so they all pop at once.

Place the covered pan back on the heat and shake it while it’s on the burner. The kernels will slowly begin to pop; once they start, crack the lid slightly to let out a bit of steam. Continue shaking the pan over heat until the popping stops.

Preheat the oven to 375° F. In a medium bowl, toss together the pumpkin seeds, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, cumin, pepper, coriander, chile powder, cayenne and garlic powder.

Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and shake to redistribute the seeds, and then bake for another 3 minutes. Pull it out to shake the pan again. Then finish baking for 1 to 2 minutes or until the pumpkin seeds are crispy and golden without burning them.

Remove from the stovetop immediately and pour all popcorn into a large bowl.

Drizzle with truffle oil, nutritional yeast, onion granules, minced rosemary and sea salt. Shake and mix well before serving.

Courtesy of Chad and Derek Sarno, WickedHealthyFood.com.

Transfer to a cool baking sheet and cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Courtesy of Sandra A. Gutierrez, SandrasKitchenStudio.com. natural awakenings November 2016

29

Pistachio Milk ½ cup raw shelled pistachios 2 cups filtered water

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Beer-Miso-Sriracha Roasted Chickpeas

For the pistachio milk, soak the nuts overnight in a bowl of water.

Any favorite beer will work.

Yields: 2 to 4 servings

Rinse before placing them into a highspeed blender with the 2 cups of water.

Blend until the mixture is completely puréed and milky.

1 (15½ oz) can chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained and set aside 1 Tbsp sriracha 1 Tbsp organic miso paste (any color) 1 /3 bottle of beer Black and white sesame seeds Dried chili to taste Smoked salt for garnish to taste Preheat the oven to 375° F.

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Whisk wet ingredients until mixed well.

Toss mixture with chickpeas.

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Place mixture on baking pan and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, shaking and stirring periodically until mixture is evaporated and chickpeas begin to get color; beware of burning.

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Add all other ingredients and blend at a high speed until thick.

Note: If using a regular, slower blender, re-warm the hot chocolate on the stove top. It may not be as thick and frothy but will taste good.

Courtesy of Sophia DeSantis, VeggiesDontBite.com.

Garnish with sesame seeds and dried chili, maybe a little smoked salt.

Courtesy of Chad and Derek Sarno, WickedHealthyFood.com.

Frothy Hot Chocolate with Pistachio Milk Cozy up and indulge in this thick, creamy and rich hot chocolate made with whole food ingredients.

Yields: 2 servings

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Strain mixture through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth; then add the nut milk back into the blender.

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Natural Awakenings recommends using organic and non-GMO (genetically modified) ingredients whenever possible. www.HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com

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Offer valid on in-store purchases only. Reproduction, altering or tampering with this coupon in any way, may constitute fraud and is expressly prohibited. Not valid with any other coupon offer. State law requires the retailer to collect tax on the full price of the item before deduction of the coupon value. Sales taxes are included in value where applicable. To Dealer: Bell Lifestyle Products will reimburse you the face value of this coupon provided it is redeemed by your customer at the time of purchase on the item(s) specified. Failure to send in, on request, proof that sufficient stock was purchased in the previous 90 days to cover coupons presented, will void coupons. Coupons www.HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com submitted become our property. Redemption Address: Bell Lifestyle Products, 07090 68th Street, South Haven, MI, 49090.

DEC

The Art of Blessing

Suzanne Tucker/Shutterstock.com

inspiration

Sanctifying Everyday Life

M

by Dennis Merritt Jones

ost blessings are done quietly, in the silence of one’s own mind and heart; most often others don’t even know about it. How a blessing is done is not as important as the fact that it’s done mindfully. There is nothing magical or mystical about conferring a blessing—it’s simply confirming the presence of God, divine Spirit, at the center of that which is being blessed.

Masters, teachers, sages and saints from every spiritual tradition have used blessings as a way to consecrate, sanctify, purify and heal. Wedding ceremonies, memorial services, christenings and everything in-between have at one time or another been blessed. Anyone can offer a blessing. Ernest Holmes, author of Science of Mind, defined a blessing as constructive thought directed toward anyone or any condition. He says, “You bless a man when you recognize the divinity in him.”

When things are good, it can seem easy to neglect the practice of blessing ourselves and others. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: “Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God’s handwriting—a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face,

in every fair sky, in every fair flower and thank God for it as a cup of blessing.”

We can always bless what’s good in our lives, but blessings can become even more meaningful if we remember to bless the bad times as well, when we most need to remember the truth that good is present then and there, too.

Getting in the habit of embracing daily blessings is a good spiritual practice as we evolve and go forth and bless our world as we have been blessed. It’s a matter of remembering that the real blessing has already been bestowed; the gift of life itself. Take a moment to contemplate this and seal it in consciousness by silently affirming, “I am blessed and I am a blessing.” I Am is a name of God. In the words of Mary Baker Eddy in introducing her seminal work, Science & Health, “To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, today is big with blessings.”

Dennis Merritt Jones, D.D., of St. Petersburg Beach, FL, is the author of Your (Re) Defining Moments, The Art of Uncertainty and The Art of Being, the source of this essay. He has contributed to the human potential movement and field of spirituality for 30 years (DennisMerrittJones.com).

FOLLOW YOUR HEART ,

Tis The Season To Help Others Advertise in our

December Uplifting Humanity Issue

To advertise or participate in our next issue, call

251-990-9552

natural awakenings November 2016

33

calendarofevents Dates and times may change. Please call ahead to confirm. All calendar events must be received by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Go to TinyURL.com/NACalendar to submit entries.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8

AHA 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training – Nov 4-5.

Iyengar-based, hatha yoga training includes fundamental sciences, teaching methodologies, breath and meditation practices and in-depth philosophy study. Upon completion of the 16-month training, graduates are eligible to register with Yoga Alliance.

Alabama Healing Arts, LLC, 6304 Cottage Hill Rd, Mobile, AL. 251-753-1937. AlabamaHealingArts@ gmail.com. AlabamaHealingArts.com.

AHA Student Massage Clinic – Nov 4 & 18.

School-supervised internship gives opportunity for student practitioners to work with clients in a professional setting and clients to receive quality, full-length healing treatments at a great value. Call to schedule appointments at 10:15, 11:30, 12:45. $25 for 50-min full-body student massage. Alabama Healing Arts, LLC, 6304 Cottage Hill Rd, Mobile, AL. 251-753-1937. AlabamaHealingArts@gmail. com. AlabamaHealingArts.com.

markyourcalendar Election Night at Green Drinks Fairhope Join us for an informal yet engaging happy hour with like-minded folks every second Tuesday. Enjoy $4 election beers! (no speaker this month) Food from Sunflower Café plus local farm vendors.

November 8 • 5-7pm

Fairhope Brewing Company 914 Nichols Avenue, Fairhope, AL 251-279-7517 • MobileBayGreenDrinks@gmail.com Facebook.com/MobileBayGreenDrinks

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5 Usui Reiki Level I & II Certification – 9:30am5:30pm, Nov 5-6. Basic Usui Reiki and some amazing supercharged ways to increase the focus and intensity of your work. Level I gives you the tools for self-healing. Level II increases your connection and you will learn to work on others. 13 nurses CEs available. $300/$250 prepaid 7 days in advance.

Reiki Center of Fairhope, 7 S Bayview St, Fairhope, AL. Julie 251-281-8811. ReikiCenterOfFairhope@ gmail.com. ReikiCenterofFairhope.com/events.

3-Class Meditation Series – 11am-12:15pm. Saturdays, Nov 5-19. This series will teach Kundalini yoga techniques to promote a sense of inner peace, well-being and calm. Students will practice meditations and preparatory exercises which help release tension, fear and other mental blocks, leading to enhanced awareness. $15 per class. 251-473-1104.

Synergy Yoga & Pilates, Mobile, AL. Synergyoga.net.

Clean Energy Fest – 11am-5pm. Solar panels, electric cars, a tiny house, art exhibition, music and poetry all come together to celebrate our transition to clean energy from the wind and sun. Free. Bowden Building, 120 Church St, Pensacola, FL. 850-6879968. 350Pensacola@gmail.com.

Mobile Walk to End Alzheimer's – 5:30-7:30pm.

Raising awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Participants of all ages and abilities are called to reclaim the future for millions. Langan Municipal Park, Mobile, AL. Danielle Gillis: 850-225-0680 or DGillis@alz.org.

17th Annual Wise Traditions Conference – Nov 11-14. Sponsored by the Weston A. Price Foundation. Confused about a healthy diet? Join 1,000 others from all over the world to learn from 40 speakers and 80 vendors and to enjoy delicious meals. The exhibit hall and the Friday night movie are free to the public. Renaissance Montgomery Hotel, Montgomery, AL. 540-722-7104.WiseTraditions.org.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12 Reiki Attunement Level 1 Class – Taught by Alvin Shawn Enfinger M.A. Reiki Master, energy, crystal and pranic healing and herbalist. Wishful Treasures, 4622 Saufley Field Rd, Pensacola, FL. 850-9414321. WishfulTreasures.com.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14 Quantum-Touch Level One – 9:30am-5:30pm, Nov 14-15. Quantum-Touch teaches us to focus, amplify and direct Life Force energy, for a wide range of benefits with surprising and often extraordinary results. Your love has tremendous impact to benefit yourself and others. NCBTMB and nursing CEs available. $350 3 weeks in advance/$400 day of.

Reiki Center of Fairhope, 7 S Bayview St, Fairhope, AL. Julie: 251-281-8811. ReikiCenterOfFairhope@ gmail.com. ReikiCenterOfFairhope.com/events.

Please call ahead to confirm dates & times.

Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition

markyourcalendar Green Drinks Mobile Holiday Social Join us for an informal yet engaging happy hour with like-minded folks every third Wednesday. This month we will have a holiday social and no speaker. Free to attend except the cost of your drinks.

November 16 • 5-7pm

Alchemy Tavern 7 South Joachim Street, Mobile, AL MobileBayGreenDrinks@gmail.com Facebook.com/MobileBayGreenDrinks

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17 Mental Wellness – 6:45-8:45pm. Join us as Laurie Azzarella, YL Diamond, presents the wonders of our central nervous system, how our brains work and how to maintain mental wellness using natural foods, essential oils, activities and more. Free door prizes. $5 at door supports Prodisee Food Pantry. Prodisee Pantry, 9315 Spanish Fort Blvd, Spanish Fort, AL. 850-380-4943. Laurie.MarketingScents.com.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18 Port City Craftsmen Arts & Crafts Show – 9am5pm, Nov 18-19. 11am-4pm, Nov 20. Bring the entire family for our Craft Show Extravaganza. We have lots of handmade items from local crafters for the entire family. Soaps, lotions, candles, wood working, ceramics, painted china, jewelry, crochet baby items and Christmas decorations. Entry fee $2 or $1 and 1 can good for Feeding the Gulf Coast. Abba Shrine, 7701 Hitt Rd, Mobile, AL. PortCityCraftsmen@ yahoo.com. PortCityCraftsmen.com.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19 Wishful Treasure's Intuitive and Holistic Fair – 10am-6pm. Featuring amazing psychic readers, products, healers, chair massage and much more.

Door prizes and hourly raffle giveaways. There will be a Psychic Gallery from 6:30-8:30pm. Accepting vendors, intuitives, readers, healers and more. Psychic Fair is free. 4622 Saufley Field Rd, Pensacola, FL. 850-941-4321. WishfulTreasures.com.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20 Sunflower Café’s Thanksgiving Order Deadline – Order your made-to-order, organic Thanksgiving dishes by today! Casseroles and desserts. Glutenfree and vegan options available. Small dish feeds 4-5, regular feeds 8-10. Available for pick-up in Mobile and Fairhope on November 23. Call for pricing: 251-929-0055.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25

PLANS CHANGE!

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16

www.HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com

Christmas Tree Farm Opens – 8am-5pm, Nov 25-Dec 23. Fish River Trees Christmas Tree Farm offers choose-and-cut trees, fresh-cut Fraser firs and container-grown, environmentally-friendly living Christmas trees.13982 Woodhaven Dairy Rd E, Summerdale, AL. 251-988-8114. FishRiverTrees.com.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26 Small Business Saturday – A movement dedicated to supporting small businesses nationwide. Show your support by shopping at small locally-owned businesses. AmericanExpress.com/us/small-business/ shop-small.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30 Depression and the Holidays – 6-7:30pm. DoTERRA essential oils on depression and the holiday season.

Come enjoy and experience the healing, uplifting and detoxifying benefits of these amazing oils. Love offering donation. Unity Church of Gulfport, 1700 E Railroad St, Gulfport, MS. Sherry: 228-313-0664.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1 Holiday Open House at Elements Massage – 3-8pm. Free chair massage, refreshments, door prizes and a chance to win 12 massage sessions.

Members can buy one gift card and get one free at the walk-in rate; non-members can purchase two one-hour massage gift cards for $99. 6920 Airport Blvd, Ste. 111, Mobile, AL. 251-342-6415.

ElementsMassage.com/Mobile.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3 Advanced Reiki Training (Usui-ART) – 9:30am5:30pm. This one day class will give you the Reiki Master Attunement. You will learn techniques for increasing the power of your Reiki using the Reiki Grid and more. Can be taken separately from Reiki Master Teacher Training. $250 ($25 discount for prepayment).

Reiki Center of Fairhope, 7 S Bayview St, Fairhope, AL. Julie 251-281-8811. ReikiCenterOfFairhope@ gmail.com. ReikiCenterOfFairhope.com/events.

AHA Holiday Yoga Restorative Workshop – 9:30-11:30am. Break the cycle of holiday stress with a 50-min gentle yoga session followed by a series of mindful restorative postures. $25 before Nov 25/$30 after. Angela Gray: 646-220-8561.

Alabama Healing Arts, LLC, 6304 Cottage Hill Rd, Mobile, AL. AlabamaHealingArts@gmail.com.

AlabamaHealingArts.com.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4 Level I/First Degree Reiki Training – Explores history, benefits and step-by-step details to give a complete Reiki treatment, and to self-treat. Participants will experience giving and receiving Reiki. Upon completion, graduates are certified to perform Reiki professionally.

Alabama Healing Arts, LLC, 6304 Cottage Hill Rd, Mobile, AL. 251-753-1937. AlabamaHealingArts@ gmail.com. AlabamaHealingArts.com.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9 Tratak Meditation – 6-7pm. A Special Light meditation led by Cynthia Galas. Donation. Jelly Fish Yoga, 561 Fairhope Ave, Fairhope, AL. 205746-6632. CynthiaGalas.info.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10 Wellness Fair – 10am-4pm. Natural products and services, gifts, aromatherapy info and sales. Reiki sessions, massage, chakra clearing and more.

Vendors welcome (email Admin@UnityGulfport. com). Free. Unity of Gulfport, 1700 E Railroad St, Gulfport, MS. UnityGulfport.com.

FAIRHOPE, AL

MOBILE, AL

FAIRHOPE MASSAGE THERAPY Chester Schmidt, LMT: 251-359-0500 ChesterSchmidt.com Brenna Taylor, LMT: 480-430-4548 BreTaylor.LMT@gmail.com ROSIE BLUUM (DOWNTOWN) Kristen Kelly, LMT 6A South Bancroft Street 251-599-5943 • 251-517-5626 RosieBluum.com See ad, page 16.

THRIVE YOGA & MASSAGE Billie Reinhart, RYT, LMT 251-379-4493 Thrive@ThriveFairhope.com ThriveFairhope.com See ad, page 17.

FOLEY, AL THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE Charlene Rester, RN, LMT Historical Downtown 117 West Orange Avenue 251-550-0117

GULF SHORES, AL HOT & COLD STONE MASSAGE Roselee Marie Giovino, LMT Foley and Gulf Shores Locations 251-228-2077 BaldwinWellness@gmail.com

ALABAMA HEALING ARTS 6304 Cottage Hill Road 251-753-1937 AlabamaHealingArts@gmail.com AlabamaHealingArts.com See ad, page 17.

ELEMENTS THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE 6920 Airport Boulevard, Suite 111 251-342-6415 Mobile@TouchOfElements.com ElementsMassage.com/Mobile See ad, page 25.

MONTROSE, AL JEN ADAMS, LMT 22787 US 98 at Parker Rd., Bdg. D, Ste. 5 251-616-4201 JenAdams.Massage@gmail.com JenAdamsLMT.info See ad, page 24.

ROBERTSDALE, AL HEALING ACRES Massage, Reflexology, Colonics, Reiki 22355 Price Grubbs Road 251-300-9052 See ad, page 15.

NAN cardholders receive discounts at these businesses. Visit www.TinyURL. com/NANCard for details.

natural awakenings November 2016

35

ongoingevents Please call ahead to confirm dates and times. All calendar events must be received by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Go to TinyURL.com/NACalendar to submit entries.

sunday Discounts on Supplements – Every Sunday get 15% off supplements at Fairhope Health Foods (251-928-0644) and Virginia's Health Foods (251479-3952). 280 Eastern Shore Shopping Center, Fairhope, AL and 3055-A Dauphin St, Mobile, AL. VA-FairhopeHealthFoods.com.

Center for Spiritual Living Service – 10am.

Make every step, every choice, every word, a conscious one. Center for Spiritual Living, 1230 Montlimar, Mobile, AL. 251-343-0777.

CenterForSpiritualLiving-Mobile.org.

Santa Visits Tree Farm – 10am-4pm, Sundays Nov 26-Dec 11. Santa will visit Fish River Trees Christmas Tree Farm. Visitors will also enjoy free farm tours on the train and a live manager scene. Camel and pony rides for a small fee. 13982 Woodhaven Dairy Rd E, Summerdale, AL. 251-988-8114. FishRiverTrees.com.

Open Table Worship Service (United Church of Christ) – 10:30am. Weekly progressive Christian worship. Gathering in the chapel at All Saints Episcopal Church, 151 S Ann St, Mobile, AL. 251-545-1011. Ellen.OpenTable@gmail.com.

OpenTableUCC.org.

Unity Christ Church Sunday Service – 11am.

Tune in, turn on, tap into the loving presence of the Divine at Unity Christ Church. If you desire a nonjudgmental, open, supportive and loving spiritual community, Unity Christ Church of Mobile is here to inspire, uplift and celebrate the Divine. 5859 Cottage Hill Rd, Mobile, AL. 251-285-3440. Facebook. com/unityofmobile.

Unity Church of Gulfport Sunday Service – 10:30am. Join us for spirited and lively service with music that will soothe your soul. We are an all inclusive congregation, welcoming people of all countries, all nationalities, all faiths and all areas of the beautiful south. Potluck 3rd Sunday of the month. Free. Unity of Gulfport, 1700 E. Railroad St, Gulfport, MS. UnityGulfport.com.

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

Meditation Class – 4-5pm. Sundays Nov 20-Dec 11. Led by Cynthia Galas. 30 min instruction and Q & A followed by 20 min silent meditation. Participants must be able to sit still for 20 min. Open to 14 and older. Under 18 must be accompanied by attending adult. Donation (benefitting Ecumenical Ministries). Jelly Fish Yoga, 561 Fairhope Ave, Fairhope, AL. 205-746-6632. CynthiaGalas.info.

Meditation Class – 6-7pm. Sundays Nov 20-Dec 11. Led by Cynthia Galas. 30 min instruction and Q & A followed by 20 min silent meditation. Participants must be able to sit still for 20 min. Open to 14 and older. Under 18 must be accompanied by attending adult. $5. Soul Shine Yoga, 103-B N Bancroft St, Fairhope, AL. 205-746-6632.

CynthiaGalas.info.

monday

Doggie Happy Hour – 5-7pm. 1st Mon. A rescue networking event hosted by My Happy Dog 123.

Bring your dog for drinks and live music while raising money for a local rescue foundation. Q&A with local vets. Free grain-free dog treats. Raffle prizes. Puppy photo booth. Free. OK Bicycle Shop, 661 Dauphin St, Mobile, AL. Viviane Hentschel: MyHappyDog123@gmail.com. Facebook.com/ myhappydog123.

Yoga Dance Fusion – 5:30-6:30pm. Connect with your inner rhythm and flow through Rebecca’s unique blend of yoga and dance. A fusion of dance styles mixed with yoga and breath will be an exploration of your own creativity and energetic flow.

No experience necessary. $15 drop in, packages available. Soul Shine Yoga, 103B N Bancroft St, Fairhope, AL. 251-929-4634. Rebecca.SoulFlow@ gmail.com. TheSoulShineLife.com.

Bridging the Great Divide – 6-8pm. The Family Center is offering this class for parents of teens. It helps prepare and equip parents for having the important conversations needed with their teens. Helps parents see things from the teen perspective. Free.

601 Bel Air Blvd, Ste 100, Mobile. Lydia Pettijohn: 251-479-5700. FamilyCenterMobile.org.

Gentle Yoga Flow – 8am. This stretching, strengthening, balancing, feel good class is for curious people wanting to learn about yoga. Learn to breathe, match breath to movement, the details of proper alignment of a pose. All levels. Unheated. $15 drop in, packages available. Soul Shine Yoga,103B N Bancroft St, Fairhope, AL. Namaste@ TheSoulShineLife.com. TheSoulShineLife.com.

Together We Can – 6-8pm. A Family Center class to help parents build a better future for their children by working together as co-parents. Open to couples regardless of their relationship. Become a team that supports your family's success. Free.

27365 Pollard Rd, Daphne, AL. Christie Brannon: 251-626-1610. BaldwinFamilies@gmail.com.

FamilyCenterMobile.org.

Hot Power Hour – 8am. Mon-Fri. A faster paced power vinyasa flow builds strength, increases flexibility, strengthens your core and transforms your body and mind. Find your groove, shine your light and practice at your own level. Heated. $15 drop in, packages available. Soul Shine Yoga, 103B N Bancroft St, Fairhope, AL. Namaste@ TheSoulShineLife.com. TheSoulShineLife.com.

Pranic Healing and Twin Hearts Meditation Clinic – 6:30-8:20pm. Headaches, stress, physical or emotional ailments bothering you? Experience healing for your mind, body and soul, with Pranic Healing and/or Meditation on Twin Hearts. We all have the ability to heal ourselves and others. Classes also available. Donation. Center for Spiritual Living Mobile, AL. RSVP: 251-454-0959.

AHA Morning Yoga – 9:30am. Mon/Wed. Learn the basics of yoga postures. Energize, align, strengthen, center and distress through movement, body-mind awareness and breath. Beginnerfriendly, props provided. Call/text 251-753-2037 to register. $10/class or 12-class pass for $100.

Alabama Healing Arts, LLC, 6304 Cottage Hill Rd, Mobile, AL. AlabamaHealingArts@gmail. com. AlabamaHealingArts.com.

Diversity Tea – 2pm. 2nd Sundays. Please join us in raising our individual and collective spirits as we gather for our monthly Ladies Tea. Please bring a short quote, prayer, poem, story, song or even a piece of art that inspires you. Free. 726 Amador Ave, Fairhope, AL. BahaisOfFairhope@gmail.com.

Group Reformer Class with Adrienne – 9:30am.

Catch the wave of classical fitness and start the week right—join Aurelie in the morning for a Pilates group reformer class. Stand taller, get toned and be both leaner and stronger. Log onto the website to make reservations. Synergy Yoga & Pilates, Mobile, AL. 251-473-1104. Synergyoga.net.

Baha'i's of Fairhope Diversity Devotions – 3-5pm, 4th Sundays. The coming together of people from diverse religions and backgrounds to celebrate their unity and strengthen the spiritual health of the community. Refreshments are served following the shared devotional program. Free. 81 Magnolia Ave, Fairhope, AL. BahaisOfFairhope@gmail.com.

Gentle Chair Yoga – 11am-12pm. Accessible to individuals that are unable to stand unsupported for long periods of time, including seniors and anyone suffering from chronic pain, injuries, movement disorders or limited balance. Also Wed in Daphne. $5. Soul Shine Yoga, 103B N Bancroft St, Fairhope, AL. 251-610-3151.

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Get Ripped Class – 11am. Class combining upper and lower body, lower weights with higher repetitions for a combined cardiovascular and strength training, full body, high calorie burning workout! $15. Brandy Rhodes Coaching, 76 Plantation Pointe, Fairhope, AL. 870-215-3631. BrandyRhodes.com.

Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition

www.HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com

tuesday 10% Off Facials – Tues & Thurs. Book your appointments at Wellness Spa of Ocean Springs on Tuesdays and Thursdays and receive 10% off of any facial treatment or microdermabrasion when you mention this listing. Excludes any other offers, coupons or specials. Wellness Spa of Ocean Springs, 21 Marks Rd, Ocean Springs, MS. 228-209-4090.

WellnessSpaOS.com.

Fitness at Midlife and Beyond – 8:15-9:15am. Tues/ Thurs. Free outdoor exercise classes. Included: cardio, strength-training and a yoga-inspired stretch. Bring a mat and a water bottle. Beginners welcome (with no serious health conditions). Free. Stimpson Field (corner of Morphy and Mershon, Fairhope, AL. Pam: 251-609-0504.

Yoga with Manja – 8:15am. Enjoy 200-hr RYT Manja Podratz’s zest and refreshing energy as she puts you back in touch with your body, restores the mind and leaves you refreshed, energized and

focused. Revel in the bliss and embrace the joy as you start the day! Synergy Yoga & Pilates, Mobile, AL. 251-473-1104. Synergyoga.net.

wednesday

Farmers Market – 9am-2pm. Tues & Sat. Farmers market offering direct farm sales to the public. Fresh seasonal produce, beef, pork, lamb, chicken, eggs, honey, jellies, baked goods, handcrafted soaps and local artistry. Open year round. Know your farmer. Coastal Alabama Farmers and Fishermans Market, 20733 Miflin Rd. Foley, AL. 251-597-5557. MktMgrFoley@ gmail.com. CoastalAlabamaMarket.com.

Yoga – 9am. Wed & Fri. Experience yoga with emphasis on breathing, alignment and slow flow. Use of props to support your practice. All fitness levels welcome. Class size limited, call/text to register 251-583-0049. $10. Richard Fitness Systems, 1880 Airport Blvd, Ste D, Mobile, AL. 251-583-0049.

Hot Restore: Hips + Hamstrings – 9:30am. Tues & Thurs. Hot Restore focuses on poses to lengthen the hamstrings and open the hips. Allow the heat to help you open more deeply and stretch more fully, while you heal your body and calm your mind. Heated. All levels. $15 drop in, packages available. Soul Shine Yoga, 103B N Bancroft St, Fairhope, AL. Namaste@ TheSoulShineLife.com. TheSoulShineLife.com.

La Leche League Mobile Bay Area – 10:30am. La Leche League meetings are open to all women with an interest in learning about and supporting breastfeeding. Meetings are always free and babies/children are welcome. 251-689-2085. For location information or breastfeeding help contact AmandaLLLMobile@ yahoo.com or MeghanLLL@yahoo.com.

Grief Recovery Meeting – 1-2:30pm. This is a Christian-based grief recovery program for all losses. Experienced, professional and compassionate staff members support you through the grief process with the goal of transitioning into a renewed life of purpose and fulfillment. Ascension Funerals & Cremations, 1016 Hillcrest Rd, Mobile, AL. 251634-8055. AscensionFuneralGroup.com.

Green Drinks Fairhope – 5-7pm. Every 2nd Tues.

Join us for an informal yet engaging happy hour with like-minded folks. Connect with other progressive people in our area. Brief speaker at 6pm at most meetings. Open to the public. Free to attend except the cost of your drinks. Food from Sunflower Cafe and produce from local farmers. Fairhope Brewing Company, 914 Nichols Ave, Fairhope, AL. 251279-7517. MobileBayGreenDrinks@gmail.com.

Facebook.com/MobileBayGreenDrinks.

AHA Evening Yoga – 5:45pm. Give your spirit the gift of a calming and centering tune-up by improving posture, muscle-tone, strength and flexibility, establishing core strength, refreshing the mind and restoring healthy balance. Beginner-friendly. Props provided.

Call/text to register. $10/class or 12-class pass for $100.

Alabama Healing Arts, LLC, 6304 Cottage Hill Rd, Mobile, AL. 251-377-8940. AlabamaHealingArts@ gmail.com. AlabamaHealingArts.com.

Outstretched Christ-Centered Yoga Class – 5:45pm. Also at 8:15am on Wed. Each week Pneuma offers two donation-only yoga classes open to the public. Classes are appropriate for all levels and include a Christ-centered devotion. Donation only.

1901 Main St, Daphne, AL. See website for more info: Pneuma-Yoga-Movement.com.

Yoga with Valerie – 5:45pm. Join 200-hr RYT Valerie Mitchell for a glorious yoga experience as she challenges with a strong emphasis on alignment and focus while still calming the mind. Relieve stress and rejuvenate, energize and recharge the body. Synergy Yoga & Pilates, Mobile, AL. 251-473-1104. Synergyoga.net.

$5 Yoga & Chair Yoga – 9:15am, Flow. 10:30am, Chair Yoga (seated or holding onto chair to practice balance). Beginners welcome. Bring your own mat.

Enjoy exercise at every level. Improve balance, strength and flexibility. $5. Fairhope UMC CLC, AL. 251-379-4493. ThriveFairhope.com.

AHA Morning Yoga – 9:30am. Mon & Wed. Learn the basics of yoga postures. Energize, align, strengthen, center and de-stress through movement, body-mind awareness and breath. Beginnerfriendly. Props provided. Call/text 251-753-2037 to register. $10/class or 12-class pass for $100.

Alabama Healing Arts, LLC, 6304 Cottage Hill Rd, Mobile, AL. AlabamaHealingArts@gmail. com. AlabamaHealingArts.com.

Positive Parenting – 9:30-11:30am. A 9-week course using the Nurturing Parenting curriculum which focuses on positive discipline and communication with children. Open enrollment is available; certificates upon completion. Free. 601 Bel Air Blvd, Suite 100, Mobile, AL. Lydia Pettijohn: 251-4795700. FamilyCenterMobile.org.

Free Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis – 10:30am. This chair yoga class is free to participants with MS and funded by the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. Build strength and flexibility while improving balance and circulation. Fairhope, AL. Thrive@ThriveFairhope. com. 251-379-4493.

Gentle Chair Yoga – 11am-12pm. Accessible to individuals that are unable to stand unsupported for long periods of time, including seniors and anyone suffering from chronic pain, injuries, movement disorders or limited balance. Also Mon in Fairhope. $5. Pneuma Yoga/Movement Studio, 1901 Main St, Daphne, AL. 251-610-3151.

Green Drinks Mobile – 5-7pm. 3rd Wed. Join us for an informal yet engaging happy hour with likeminded folks and monthly speaker at most meetings.

Connect with other progressive people in our area.

Open to the public. Free to attend except the cost of your drinks. Alchemy Tavern, 7 S Joachim St, Mobile, AL. MobileBayGreenDrinks@gmail.com.

Facebook.com/MobileBayGreenDrinks.

Eastern Shore MS Support Group – 5:30pm. 2nd Wed. Eastern Shore MS Support Group meets each month at Ruby Tuesday in Fairhope, AL. Family, friends and caregivers are always welcome. Weezer: 251-928-7606.

MELT Method Class – 6pm. MELT is a simple self-treatment that helps prevent pain, heal injury, and erase the negative effects of aging and active living. Regardless of age or fitness level, MELT can improve their longevity through self-treatment. Log on to reserve your spot. Synergy Yoga & Pilates, Mobile, AL. 251-473-1104. Synergyoga.net.

Near Death (NDEs) and Related Experiences – 6pm. 2nd Wed. Mobile affiliate group of IANDS. All are welcome to share experiences and support.

Free. West Regional Branch, Mobile Public Library, Grelot Rd (near University Blvd), Mobile, AL. 251340-8565. Lbrlumin@aol.com. IANDS.org.

Meditation Class – 6:30pm. Join us for a "more than meditation" class facilitated by Ms. Brenda Love.

Spiritual healing, chakkra clearing, relaxation techniques all in the comfortable quiet of Unity Church of Gulfport classroom. Free. Unity of Gulfport, 1700 E. Railroad St, Gulfport, MS. UnityGulfport.com.

Chill Skills – 7-9pm. The Family Center offers an inspiring four-week class designed to change your life outlook. Learn what fuels your anger and how to see it in a new light. Warning: classes may cause peace. $25/week. 601 Bel Air Blvd. Suite 100, Mobile, AL. Call 251-479-5700 to register for next class.

thursday 10% Off Facials – Tues & Thurs. Book your appointments at Wellness Spa of Ocean Springs on Tuesdays and Thursdays and receive 10% off of any facial treatment or microdermabrasion when you mention this listing. Excludes any other offers, coupons or specials. Wellness Spa of Ocean Springs, 21 Marks Rd, Ocean Springs, MS. 228-209-4090.

WellnessSpaOS.com.

Fitness at Midlife and Beyond – 8:15-9:15am.

Tues/Thurs. Free outdoor exercise classes. Included: cardio, strength-training and a yoga-inspired stretch.

Bring a mat and a water bottle. Beginners welcome (with no serious health conditions). Free. Stimpson Field (corner of Morphy and Mershon, Fairhope, AL. Pam: 251-609-0504.

Gentle Yoga with Lauren – 12pm. Tues/Thurs. A stressful morning? Synergy can fix that! Join Lauren Parrish in the land of "ahhhhs" for a relaxing hour long class to soothe the spirit, calm the mind and replenish the soul. Also on Tuesdays at noon. Synergy Yoga & Pilates, Mobile, AL. 251-473-1104.

Synergyoga.net.

Men’s Pilates Class – 5pm. Classes utilize reformers, Pilates chairs and barrels. 2-4 people in a class to insure each client receives the instruction they require. Individual and group sessions are 60 minutes.

Call for more time options. Registration required.

2-4 people/class: $30/person. Individual sessions: $60. 4500 Old Shell Rd, Mobile, AL. 251-344-0590.

PeakConditionPilates.com.

PLANS CHANGE!

Please call ahead to confirm dates & times.

Sierra Club Meeting – 6-8pm. 1st Tues. Public welcome. 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center, Spanish Fort, AL.

natural awakenings November 2016

37

Group Reformer with Adrienne – 5:15pm. Catch the wave of classical fitness and join Adrienne for a Pilates group reformer class. Stand taller, get toned, and be both leaner and stronger. Please log onto the website to make reservations. Synergy Yoga & Pilates, Mobile, AL. 251-473-1104. Synergyoga.net.

Movie Night – 6-8pm. Showing a different thoughtprovoking movie each week. Seating is limited; please reserve your seat by calling 228-831-1785.

Free. Coast Health & Nutrition, 12100 Hwy 49, Ste 628, Gulfport, MS. CoastHealthAndNutrition.com.

Personal Wellness and Self-Discovery Classes – 6:30pm. Every last Thurs. Monthly classes designed to empower oneself to heal, uplift and detoxify the body, mind and spirit. $5 donation for food pantry.

Prodisee Pantry, 9315 Spanish Fort Blvd, Spanish Fort, AL. 850-380-4943. LaurieAzzarella@gmail. com. Laurie.MarketingScents.com.

Dynamic Dads – 7-9pm. The Family Center is the site of the Mobile County Fatherhood Initiative.

Be the father your children need--A super hero for your super kid! Free. 601 Bel Air Blvd, Suite 100, Mobile, AL. Lydia Pettijohn: 251-479-5700.

FamilyCenterMobile.org.

friday AHA Morning Yoga – 9am. Learn the basics of yoga postures. Energize, align, strengthen, center and destress through movement, body-mind awareness and breath. Beginner-friendly, props provided. Call/text 646-220-8561 to register. $10/class or 12-class pass for $100. Alabama Healing Arts, LLC, 6304 Cottage Hill Rd, Mobile, AL. AlabamaHealingArts@gmail. com. AlabamaHealingArts.com.

Purification Meditation – 11am. Join Betsey Grady from Rosie Bluum in the hot room and purify your body and mind with a guided meditation and creative visualization. Let the heat of the room envelop you as you go deeper within to rest in the calm center within you. $10. Soul Shine Yoga, 103-B N Bancroft St, Fairhope, AL. Betsey: 251-517-5626.

saturday Fall Market on the Square – 7:30am-12pm.

Oct 15-Nov 19. Local produce, baked goods, honey, flowers, soaps, live music and more. Ca-

thedral Square, downtown Mobile. 251-208-1550.

SpecialEventsMobile.org.

Saturday Morning Yoga with Augusta – 7:308:45am. All levels. The movements will challenge you to stay mindful and your mindfulness will allow you to honor your limits without judging yourself. $15 drop-in. $10 students and instructors. Creative Outlet, 66 1/2 S Section St, Fairhope, AL. 251-9285363. HeartStringsYoga.com.

Farmers Market – 9am-2pm. Tues & Sat. Farmers market offering direct farm sales to the public. Fresh seasonal produce, beef, pork, lamb, chicken, eggs, honey, jellies, baked goods, handcrafted soaps and local artistry. Open year round. Know your farmer. Coastal Alabama Farmers and Fishermans Market, 20733 Miflin Rd. Foley, AL. 251-597-5557. MktMgrFoley@gmail. com. CoastalAlabamaMarket.com.

Open Flow Saturdays – 9-10am. Julie Wilkins teaches an all levels form-based vinyasa class every Saturday at COTA Montrose. Strengthen, stretch and inspire. $10 drop-in. COTA Montrose 7159 McIntyre St, Montrose, AL. 251-554-4856. AlignmentPaths.com.

Santa Visits Tree Farm – 10am-4pm, Saturdays Nov 26-Dec 11. Santa will visit Fish River Trees Christmas Tree Farm. Visitors will also enjoy free farm tours on the train and a live manager scene. Camel and pony rides for a small fee. 13982 Woodhaven Dairy Rd E, Summerdale, AL. 251-988-8114. FishRiverTrees.com.

Restorative Yoga – 10:30am. Restorative yoga is a receptive practice and in that receptivity you can guide yourself toward a more healthy state of being. There’s no goal of stretching or strengthening. All levels. Unheated. $15 drop in, packages available. Soul Shine Yoga, 103B N Bancroft St, Fairhope, AL. Namaste@ TheSoulShineLife.com. TheSoulShineLife.com.

Expressive Art – 10am-12pm. Tamlin Allbritten, author of Art With A Purpose, teaches kids and their parents what they need to know through a creative process that fosters thought-provoking insights. All ages welcome. For times and dates: ArtWithAPurposeBooks.com. $20. Fairhope, AL. RSVP: TamlinAll@gmail.com.

Second Saturday Kite Flying – 10am-4pm. Kite flying exhibition and free kite flying lessons for single line, dual line and quad line sport kites. Free.

Long Beach Harbor area, Beach Blvd at Jeff Davis, Long Beach, MS. 228-206-0322. KewlKites.com.

Mediumship Intuitive Reading – 6:30-8:30pm. Join us for life changing readings and messages from the other side. Light desserts and refreshments will be served. $20. Wishful Treasures, 4622 Saufley Field Rd, Pensacola, FL. 850-941-4321. WishfulTreasures.com.

classifieds Fee for classified listings is $1 per word. Volunteer opportunities are listed for free as space is available.

OPPORTUNITIES MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTOR – Natural Awakenings is looking for a magazine distributor for Jackson, Harrison and Hancock counties in Mississippi. 1-2 days/mo.

Reliable transportation, internet access and professional references required. Email MSNaturalAwakenings@gmail.com for details. No phone inquiries please.

SERVICES ENERGY HEALER – Offering energy work, spiritual healing, medical intuitive readings, natural remedies and supplements. Sherry Seicshnaydre: 228-3130664. SherryAnn4@gmail.com.

MEDIUM~INTUITIVE~PSYCHIC – Marie Bates Curry offers intuitive guidance and spiritual connections. Individual and group readings. By appointment only: 251300-7261.

RELIABLE HANDYMAN – Interior and exterior painting, repairs and small remodels. Call Blake Coggin for a free quote: 251-504-8918.

VOLUNTEER OPPS AZALEA CITY CAT COALITION – Volunteers needed in any capacity. Contact Susan Young: 251-648-7582. SusanYoung@ AzaleaCityCats.org.

DOG RIVER CLEARWATER REVIVAL STORM DRAIN MARKER PROJECT – Volunteers needed to educate the public about the storm drain system. Janet Miller: J46Miller@yahoo.com. 251-654-1827.

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naturaldirectory

CHURCHES

Connecting you to the leaders in healthy and green living in our community. To be included in the Natural Directory, email Publisher@ HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com.

Did you miss our 2016 Healthy and Green Living Directory?

Contact us to find out where you can pick up a copy of this expanded edition, or read it online at TinyURL.com/NAFeb16.

THE BAHA'I'S OF FAIRHOPE

81 Magnolia Avenue, Fairhope, AL 251-928-5692 BahaisOfFairhope@gmail.com Join our gathering of people from diverse religions and backgrounds to celebrate unity and support the spiritual health of the community. Meeting every fourth Sunday. Contact us to learn more.

UNITY CHURCH OF GULFPORT

ACUPUNCTURE

1700 East Railroad Street, Gulfport, MS 228-871-7004 UnityGulfport.com

BABYCARE

BISHOP PHYSICAL THERAPY

LUNA BABIES

Acupuncture treats neck and back pain, weight management, sciatica, arthritis, headaches, stress/ anxiety, digestive issues, fertility issues, menstrual and menopausal symptoms and more. Experience natural pain relief with acupuncture, cupping and physical therapy. See ad, page 13.

A natural parenting store proudly offering a growing selection of cloth diapers and accessories, baby carriers, unique gifts and other green products for families. Classes and support groups offered regularly. See ad, page 22.

Patrick Miller, Licensed Acupuncturist 1203 Highway 98, Suite 1-C, Daphne, AL 251-626-7778 • BishopPhysicalTherapy.com

AIR QUALITY PROBIOTIC AIR PURIFIERS

Family Care Naturally 1404B West 1st Street, Gulf Shores, AL Behind Walgreens • 251-970-3605

1820 Pass Road, Gulfport, MS 228-357-5574 • LunaBabies.com Facebook.com/lunababiescd

BEAUTY

Licensed Professional Counselor 400 Fairhope Avenue 2A • 251-929-4634 RebeccaWashburn.com

salon offering organic B-Butterfly Aproducts and services

AKASHIC READINGS

CHIROPRACTIC

Referred to as the Book of Life, the Akashic Records are soul records, storing all information of an individual, place or thing. A consultation offers deep levels of guidance from the masters, teachers and guides, supporting you in living life from your authentic essence.

See ad, page 16.

REBECCA WASHBURN, LPC, RYT

103A North Bancroft Street, Fairhope, AL 251-990-9934 BButterflySalon.com including hair color, perms and shampoo.

Make a difference today in your hair, your life and the Earth. Visit us for a free hair exam today and go organic! Manicures, pedicures and eyebrow waxing also available. See ad, page 4.

Founder of Rosie Bluum 6A S Bancroft Street, Fairhope • 251-517-5626 BetseyGrady.com • RosieBluum.com

COUNSELING

B-BUTTERFLY SALON

Patented delivery system technology eliminates mold, allergens, pet dander, odors, harmful bacteria and viruses safely. No GMO, chemicals, additives.

Financing, group presentations and discounts available. No more dirty air! See ad, page 13.

BETSEY GRADY

A positive path for spiritual living.

Unity teachings and communities are places of spiritual healing. If you’re drawn to individuals like Oprah, Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson and Deepak Chopra, you’ll love Unity of Gulfport.

See ad, page 25.

SALON

SOUTHEAST FUNCTIONAL CHIROPRACTIC

Dr. Wesley Corbin, DC, MS 1802 US Highway 98, Suite E, Daphne, AL 251-375-0012 • DaphneChiropractor.com Caring for the whole person with spinal health, lifestyle advice, individualized nutritional programs and acupuncture. For patients battling chronic pain and illness, and for those seeking a more balanced life.

Insurance accepted.

Experience inner peace and balance by connecting with your intuition and releasing patterns of anxiety. Learn to create a life that honors who you are holistically. Offering tools of self-awareness and meditation.

CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY KRISTEN KELLY, LMT

Rosie Bluum 6A South Bancroft Street, Fairhope, AL 251-599-5943 • 251-517-5626 Offering Chinese Craniosacral Therapy, a subtle blend of Chinese meridian therapy and craniosacral energy work, that indirectly approaches physical and psychological imbalances.

This experience teaches your body to use its own bioelectric immune system. See ad, page 16.

Natural Awakenings Network (NAN) cardholders receive discounts at these businesses. Visit TinyURL.com/NANCard for details.

Pick up a copy of Natural Awakenings at these businesses. natural awakenings November 2016

39

CRYSTALS & GEMS

EDUCATION

THE WILLOW TREE AT ROSIE BLUUM

MARIETTA JOHNSON SCHOOL OF ORGANIC EDUCATION

6A South Bancroft Street, Fairhope, AL 251-517-5326 or 251-751-6945 TheWillowTreeAtRosieBluum.com

8 Marietta Drive, Fairhope, AL 251-928-9437 • FairhopeOrganicSchool.com

Offering gifts and services that nurture your spirit. Books, card decks, essential oils, Bach Flower Remedies, crystals, salt lamps, incense and organic clothing. Local art, jewelry, honey, soaps and candles. See ad, page 16.

A progressive school for pre-K through 8th grade that utilizes handson activities, small class sizes and inquiry-based learning, to guide students to find answers to their questions. See ad, 5.

ESSENTIAL OILS LAURIE AZZARELLA YL #327923

DENTISTRY

Daphne, AL • 850-380-4943 LaurieAzzarella@gmail.com Laurie.MarketingScents.com

DR. DAYTON HART, DMD

IAOMT Protocol 225 West Laurel Avenue, Foley, AL 251-943-2471 • DrDaytonHart.com Free book for new patients: Mercury Free Dentistry.

Offering ozone; laser (nosuture) gum surgery; testing for compatible materials and cavity-causing bacteria; examine for gum disease and bacteria; laser cavity diagnoses; saliva pH check; oral galvanic screening; no fluoride.

Experience the healing, uplifting and detoxifying benefits of authentic, genuine therapeutic grade essential oils and supplements. Contact us for personal Zyto Wellness readings and wholesale privileges. Wellness classes last Thursday of the month at Prodisee Pantry. See ad, page 23.

FENG SHUI FENGSHUI831

ECO-FRIENDLY HOLIDAYS

Meryl Hyderally, Feng Shui Design Consultant 251-463-1862 • Meryl@Hyderally.com fengshui831.com

FISH RIVER CHRISTMAS TREE FARM 13982 Woodhave Dairy Road East Summerdale, AL 36580 251-988-8114 • FishRiverTrees.com

Home of the living Christmas tree--an environmentallyfriendly option that outlives the holiday season. Also offering choose and cut trees, fresh-cut trees and wreaths, garlands and centerpieces. See ad, back cover.

FOOD & NUTRITION COAST HEALTH & NUTRITION

12100 Highway 49, Suite 628, Gulfport, MS 228-831-1785 CoastHealthAndNutrition.com Local health food store and wellness center to support your healthy lifestyle: natural and organic options for food, supplements, cleaning supplies and skincare.

Chiropractic care, massage therapy and essential oil counseling also available. See ad, page 30.

FAIRHOPE HEALTH FOODS AND THE SUNFLOWER CAFÉ

280 Eastern Shore Shopping Center 251-928-0644 • Café: 251-929-0055 Va-FairhopeHealthFoods.com Comprehensive health food store and organic café serving the public for 40 years. Extensive supplement selection; organic groceries, produce and meats; bath and body products; bulk spices and herbs; pet supplies; baby products and more. Monthly product specials. See ad, page 3.

THE HEALTH HUT

2032 Airport, Midtown Mobile: 251-473-0277 680 S. Schillinger, Mobile, AL: 251-633-0485 6845 Hwy 90, Daphne, AL: 251-621-1865

fengshui 831

Utilizing feng shui principles, let us create an organized and productive space that reflects who you are while enhancing your life, personally and professionally. It's about more than aesthetics— holistically designed spaces are conducive to an effortless life. See ad, page 13.

able staff. See ad, page 5.

For 30 years The Health Hut has been the go-to place for high quality, whole-food vitamins, herbs and sport supplements at great prices. Service-oriented, knowledge-

VIRGINIA’S HEALTH FOODS AND THE SUNFLOWER CAFÉ II

3055 A Dauphin Street, Mobile, AL 251-479-3952 • Va-FairhopeHealthFoods.com

Comprehensive health food store and organic café serving the public for 40 years. Extensive supplement selection; organic groceries, produce and meats; bath and body products; bulk spices and herbs; pet supplies; baby products and more. Monthly product specials. See ad, page 3.

Never glossy.

Always green.

DID YOU KNOW? Natural Awakenings is printed on newsprint.

When you're finished with it, this publication can easily be recycled or composted.

40

Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition

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NAN cardholders receive discounts at these businesses. Visit www.TinyURL. com/NANCard for details.

Pick up a copy of Natural Awakenings here.

HEALING ARTS ABUNDANT LIFE

Sherry Seicshnaydre, Energy Healer Gulfport, MS 228-313-0664 • SherryAnn4@gmail.com

HOLISTIC WELLNESS EMILY SOMMERVILLE, RYT

Certified Health Coach Emily@TheSoulShineLife.com • 205-478-4287 TheSoulShineLife.com

Sharing and teaching love, joy, peace and light through sessions, coaching, crystals and classes. Offering energy work (Reiki, BARS, Healing Touch), spiritual healing, medical intuitive readings, natural remedies and supplements. See ad, page 22.

JEREMY STOUT

Reconnective Healing Foundational Practitioner Rosie Bluum, 6A S Bancroft Street Fairhope, AL • 251-222-0220 Reconnective Healing leads to an optimal state of balance utilizing a spectrum of frequencies. Treats stress, PTSD, mental challenges, aches and pains. Proven to restructure damaged DNA, restore range of motion, support athletic performance. See ad, page 16.

Increase energy and manage stress by finding balance in a life that lets your soul shine.

Find true health and vibrancy by fueling your body with clean, nutritious foods. Free initial consultation.

MASSAGE THERAPY JEN ADAMS, LMT

22787 US 98, Building D, Suite 5, Montrose 251-616-4201 • JenAdamsLMT.info JenAdams.Massage@gmail.com Unique massage technique that is gentle enough for the severest sufferers of pain and deep enough for the most rigorous of athletes. 14 years experience in the bodywork and natural wellness field. See ad, page 24.

PRANIC HEALING IN MOBILE Deana Lannie 251-454-0959

MENTAL HEALTH Free healing nights and group meditations every Monday. Pranic Healing classes and the advanced technique of Superbrain Yoga. See ad, page 22.

REIKI CENTER OF FAIRHOPE

7 South Bayview Street, Fairhope, AL 251-281-8811 ReikiCenterOfFairhope@gmail.com ReikiCenterOfFairhope.com/events Monthly Reiki and QuantumTouch® workshops (CEU's for nurses and LMT's available). Private sessions by appointment for Energy Healing, Reflexology or Angel Card Readings with Julie E Brent, Reiki Center founder.

Stay Connected!

MIND PERFORMANCE CENTER, LLC 240 West Laurel Avenue, Foley, AL 251-597-8787 MindPerformanceCenter.com

A cutting e d g e approach to brain disorders that is drug-free, non-invasive and proven effective. Treating dementia, depression, memory loss, ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, traumatic brain injury and more. See ad, page 19.

MOVEMENT THERAPY GENTLE CHAIR YOGA Sherlyn Culwell, RYT Fairhope and Daphne, AL 251-610-3151

Like "Natural Awakenings Gulf Coast AlabamaMississippi" on Facebook and follow @NaturallyAwake on Twitter and Instagram.

2017 Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi

Healthy& GREEN Living

DIRECTORY Fitness & Nutrition Health & Wellness Personal Growth Sustainable & Green Living

Promote your business all year for only $99!

Be listed in our directory to reach our health-conscious readers, both in print and online, all year long.

Regular Pricing: • $99 for 1 listing or • $149 for 3 listings

Early Bird Rates: $79 for 1 listing or 3 for $119 Valid until December 1.

Experience yoga's benefits with the support of a chair and build strength, endurance and courage. Accessible to seniors and anyone suffering from chronic pain, injuries, movement disorders or limited balance. See ad, page 17.

Reduced rates and FREE with Display Ad in this special edition. Ask us for details!

See sample listings and learn more: www.TinyURL.com/DirectoryNA

Reserve your space today!

251-990-9552

natural awakenings November 2016

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NATURAL HEALTH CYNTHIA GALAS

Downtown Fairhope, AL 205-746-6632 CynthiaGalas@yahoo.com Create a life of balance with Ayurveda, the ancient art of natural living. Contact me to discover how Ayurveda, massage, yoga and clean eating can nourish your body, mind and spirit. See ad, page 24.

NETWORKING MOBILE BAY GREEN DRINKS

Fairhope & Mobile • 251-279-7517 MobileBayGreenDrinks@gmail.com Facebook.com/MobileBayGreenDrinks An informal yet engaging happy hour with likemobile bay minded folks every second Tuesday in Fairhope and every third Wednesday in Mobile. Connect with other progressive people in our area. Sponsorship, speaker and catering opportunities available.

GREEN DRINKS

DAVID'S GALLERY

809 Gulf Shores Parkway Gulf Shores, Alabama 36542 251-948-7862 Offering cannabidiol (CBD), a natural remedy for anxiety, insomnia, pain, etc. CBD products in 11 different forms, plus essential oils, coffee, e-juice, sublingual drops and more. Free samples. Mention this ad for 10% discount.

OSTEOSTRONG FAIRHOPE

333 Greeno Road S., Unit 2B, Fairhope, AL 251-210-6955 OsteoStrong.me A 7-minute session, once a week provides a natural solution for healthy joints, strong bones and muscles, better balance and flexibility and pain reduction.

Accessible to all ages; non-invasive; non-pharmaceutical. See ad, 23.

NAN cardholders receive discounts at these businesses. Visit www.TinyURL. com/NANCard for details.

OXYGEN THERAPY HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY Family Care Naturally 1404B West 1st Street, Gulf Shores, AL Behind Walgreens • 251-970-3605

O

Enhances natural healing processes, hastens muscle recovery and raises energy levels. By breathing oxygen at higher than atmospheric pressures, cells, tissues and organs absorb more oxygen.

Introductory pricing and multiple session discounts. See ad, page 13.

2

SPAS WELLNESS SPA OF OCEAN SPRINGS 21 Marks Road, Ocean Springs, MS 228-209-4090 WellnessSpaOS.com

A Wellness Spa specializing in oncology skincare. Also offering digital skin analysis, facials, waxing and microdermabrasion. Wellness coaching available. Everything you need to know to accomplish good health, skincare and wellness. See ad, page 27.

WELLNESS CENTERS FAMILY CARE NATURALLY

Dr. Mary Sabal, DC, RN 1404B West 1st Street, Gulf Shores, AL Behind Walgreens • 251-970-3605 Acupuncture (needle and non-needle), chiropractic (manual or instrument), massage (therapeutic and relaxation), hair tissue mineral analysis, hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Multiple visit discounts.

Better Air brand probiotic air purifier distributor. See ad, page 13.

HEALING ACRES

22355 Price Grubbs Road, Robertsdale, AL 251-300-9052 Experience wellness with massage, reflexology, body treatments, Reiki, colonics, essential oils, wellness classes and more. Walk our new labyrinth (open to the public during daylight hours)! See ad, page 15.

WOMEN'S WELLNESS BRANDY RHODES COACHING 76 Plantation Pointe, Fairhope, AL 870-215-3631 BrandyRhodes.com

A fitness and wellness studio for women who prefer a homelike exercise setting instead of a gym. Offering a variety of classes, personal training and health coaching for overall mind-body balance.

See ad, page 25.

Pick up a copy of Natural Awakenings here.

Make our community a little GREENER...

Support our advertisers.

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For every $100 spent in locally owned businesses, $68 returns to the community.

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Fish River Christmas Tree Farm

Home of the Living Christmas Trees Don’t discard your Christmas tree after the holidays, plant it!

Living Christmas Trees are an environmentally-friendly option that outlive the short holiday season. Decorate your living tree for Christmas and then plant it in your yard for years of enjoyment.

OPEN: Nov. 25th-Dec. 23rd

HOURS: 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Daily

www.FishRiverTrees.com

Fresh Wreaths, Garland & Centerpieces

Choose & Cut Trees

Fresh-Cut Fraser Fir and Flocked Trees

ContainerGrown Living Christmas Trees

A Family Christmas Tradition

Visit our Manger Scene with live animals (free & open daily) Free Santa Visits (10am-4pm) -- first 3 weekends only Free Farm Tours on our Tree Train -- first 3 weekends only Camel and Pony Rides -- first 3 weekends with a small fee 13982 Woodhaven Dairy Rd. East • Summerdale, AL 36580 251-988-8114 • www.FishRiverTrees.com