Natural Awakenings SENC January 2018 by Natural Awakenings of the Coastal Carolinas

E E FR

HEALTHY

LIVING

HEALTHY

PLANET

Dial Down

Premiere Issue

STRESS How to Stay Calm and Cool

Expect a

Miracle Five Ways to Manifest Your Desires

Smart Eats for Healthy Weight Kids January 2018 | SE North Carolina Edition | NA-SENorthCarolina.com January 2018

Copper

Natural device stops a cold before it starts

New research: Copper stops colds if used early.

ew research shows you can stop a cold in its tracks if you take one simple step with a new device when you first feel a cold coming on. Colds start when cold viruses get in your nose. Viruses multiply fast. If you don’t stop them early, they spread in your airways and cause misery. But scientists have found a quick way to stop a virus. Touch it with copper. Researchers at labs and universities worldwide agree — copper is “antimicrobial.” It kills microbes, such as viruses and bacteria, just by touch. Four thousand years ago ancient Greeks and Egyptians used copper to purify water and heal wounds. Now we know why it worked so well. Researchers say a tiny electric charge in microbe cells gets short-circuited by the high conductance of copper. This destroys the cell in seconds. Tests by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show germs die fast on copper. So some hospitals switched to copper touch surfaces, like faucets and doorknobs. This cut the spread of MRSA and other illnesses by over half, and saved lives. The strong scientific evidence gave inventor Doug Cornell an idea. When he felt a cold coming on he fashioned a smooth copper probe and rubbed it gently in his nose for 60 seconds. “It worked!” he exclaimed. “The cold went away completely.” It worked

Some users say it also helps with sinuses. Attorney Donna Blight had a 2-day sinus headache. When her CopperZap arrived, she tried it. “I am shocked!” she said. “My head cleared, no more headache, no more congestion.” Some users say copper stops nighttime stuffiness if they use it just before bed. One man said, “Best sleep I’ve had in years.” Users also report success in stopping cold sores when used at the first sign of a tingle in the lip. One woman said, “I tried every product on the market over 20 years. Some helped a little, but this stopped it from happening in the first place.” The handle is sculptured to fit the hand and finely textured to improve contact. Tests show it kills harmful microbes on the fingers to help prevent the spread of illness.

again every time he felt a cold coming on. He reports he has never had a cold since. He asked relatives and friends to try it. They said it worked for them, too. So he patented CopperZap™ and put it on the market. Soon hundreds of people had tried it and given feedback. Nearly 100 percent said the copper stops their colds if used within 3 hours of the first sign. Even up to 2 days after the first sign, if they still get the cold it is milder and they feel better. Users wrote things like, “It stopped my cold right away,” and “Is it supposed to work that fast?” Pat McAllister, age 70, received one as a gift and called it “one of the best presents ever. This little jewel really works.” Sinus trouble, stuffiness, cold sores. People often use CopperZap Copper may even help stop flu if for prevention, before cold signs apused early and for several days. In a pear. Karen Gauci, who flies often for her job, used to get colds after crowded lab test, scientists placed 25 million live flu viruses on a CopperZap. No viruses flights. Though skeptical, she tried it were found alive soon after. several times a day on travel days for The EPA says the natural color 2 months. “Sixteen flights and not a change of copper does not reduce its sniffle!” she exclaimed. ability to kill germs. Businesswoman Rosaleen says CopperZap is made in the U.S. of when people are sick around her she pure copper. It carries a 90-day full uses CopperZap morning and night. money back guarantee and is available “It saved me last holidays,” she said. for $49.95 at CopperZap.com or toll“The kids had colds going around and free 1-888-411-6114. around, but not me.” ADVERTORIAL

NATURAL AWAKENINGS MAGAZINE

FRIENDLY-USER GUIDE

Welcome...

...to Southeast North Carolina's newest hea lthy living magazine! We’re delighted to be here and want to make it easy for you to use and benefit from this new resource and community builder. From the photos selected for our eye-catching covers to the appealing editorial throughout, you’ve discovered the perfect guide to a healthier and more balanced life for you and your family. Each month, Natural Awakenings’ advertisers and authors provide a helping hand along your personal path to wellness and creative self-expression.

Let’s get started! Publisher’s Letter – Each month, Owner/ Publisher Lori Beveridge shares her thoughts on the featured monthly topic. She’ll offer her entertaining and informative perspective with a nod to stories from her own experience. News Briefs – Local and national news keeps you up to date on cuttingedge perspectives in the fields of natural health, alternative medicine, fitness and related fields. We welcome everyone’s contributions of newsworthy information. Health Briefs – Timely news items introduce and hook you up with the latest treatments and tools for specific health and wellness concerns. They include practical tips that you can use today to advance a healthy living lifestyle. Global Briefs – The rain forest is half a world away, yet our health depends upon its health. This department keeps you wired with relevant current events and opportunities for action vital to our planet’s well-being. Community Spotlight – Articles packed with insight into local businesses and healing arts practitioners show they can be of service to you and your loved ones. You’ll be amazed by the level of knowledge and expertise right here in our local communities in SENC! Healthy Kids – Our children’s health is paramount. This column helps parents

Mercer, NJ

and caretakers make wise decisions in protecting your children’s health and well-being. Natural Pet – We love to see our family pets active and thriving. Surprising alternative therapies, nutrition ideas and resources open new possibilities. Fit Body – We all know that exercise and physical fitness are essential. The trick is finding the right options for you. We will supply fresh windows of thought that can help get you moving. Healing Ways – Turn here to learn about therapies and modalities both new and traditional, all focused on enhancing the body-mind-spirit connection for optimal well-being. Inspiration – Spreading light and encouraging positive perspectives, this column is a beacon that spotlights our interconnections with Nature, Spirit and Community. Wise Words – Exclusive interviews with renowned national and international leaders, experts and authors offer lively dialogues on topics both current and timeless. Feature Articles – Interesting, informative, often exclusive articles take advantage of Natural Awakenings’ national scope and local interest in our community. You’ll want to read them all. Calendar of Events – There’s so much to do in SENC. Check out the exciting classes, weekend workshops and special events that pop up each month.

Classified Ads – Classifieds are an inexpensive way to let readers know what you have to offer and search for additional help for your business. They’re a great source to locate “that’s exactly what I need” types of services, products and opportunities. Community Resource Guide – Here’s a quick reference to SENC best health and wellness resources. It’s a quick way to find gifts of health and fun for yourself or others. Display Ads – Our advertisers are the absolute best! They not only make this magazine possible, but also are the nicest people in town. Please patronize them and tell them you saw their ads in Natural Awakenings. Distribution Locations – Please ask for Natural Awakenings at every business you visit, and support our distributors with purchases. Our distributors are just as important as our advertisers and readers. All three are essential elements of the wider community we seek to cultivate for the benefit of all.

Thank you for reading, supporting and contributing to Natural Awakenings. We’re glad you’ve joined us in rousing a real natural awakening of SENC. Feel good, live simply, and laugh more!

Awakening One Community at a Time

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publisher letter

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

elcome to the premiere issue of Natural Awakenings of Southeast North Carolina, our area’s free natural health and sustainable living magazine. As I read this first completed issue after months of preparation, I realize that, rather than a destination, it represents the beginning of an expanded journey. I am grateful to play a part in publishing practical news and views on naturally healthy and green living in this incredibly diverse, resilient and forward-thinking community. North Carolina, after all, is getting recognized for sustainability and is the largest producer of sweet potatoes in the nation! It has been 14 years since our family has transitioned to an organic and natural lifestyle. It all started when I wanted my children’s food to be free of synthetic hormones and pesticide residues; at the same time, I began to research natural remedies to rectify illnesses. Cooking, always a joy for me, became a passion centered on providing the best nutrition possible for my family. Seven years ago on one of our many summer vacations to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I discovered my first copy of Natural Awakenings among an array of other magazines set out on the coffee table of the rental home where we were staying. After unpacking with my husband and settling our three children in, I sat down to relax while enjoying the ocean view. As soon as I started to flip through it, I was drawn by the content, especially the Community Resource Guide’s extensive coverage of local holistic and natural practitioners. I turned to my husband and exclaimed, “Wouldn’t it be nice to have a magazine like this in Mercer County, New Jersey?” After researching Natural Awakenings’ national website and finding a wealth of informational resources, including a National Directory Listing, I was ready to do what it takes to share them with you. Fast forward to present, after vacationing in now many areas of North Carolina, an amazing opportunity fell in my lap to take a new endeavor to start a Natural Awakenings magazine here, in the Southeast. After discussing this with my family we realized this was a wonderful adventure for all of us. The state that we have always loved to vacation now has become our new home. Our publishing team is grateful that you are among the thousands of readers in our community that have picked up this premiere issue and we look forward to greeting you each month in these pages. We’re here to help you find the practical knowledge and insights you need to support your journey in improving the quality of your life—physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We aim to be your favorite go-to place for resources related to healthy and sustainable lifestyles. Each month, you will find cutting-edge information from leading national and local experts on complementary and alternative therapies, nutrition, fitness, personal growth, creative expression and living lighter of the Earth. Our timely local news briefs and calendar listings will alert you to the best of what’s happening all around the Southeast, North Carolina. Here you’ll find listing of local businesses and practitioners ready to help you further your realization of a healthier, happier life. It’s all here, at your fingertips. Turn the page and read on… A special happy and healthy new year to all,

SOUTHEAST NC EDITION PUBLISHER Lori Beveridge MANAGING EDITOR David Beveridge

PROOFREADER Randy Kambic

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Jason Cross Steve Hagewood

CONTACT US P.O. Box 4753, Wilmington, NC 28406 Ph: 910.833.5366 NA-SENorthCarolina.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are available by sending $15 (for 12 issues) to the above address.

NATIONAL TEAM CEO/FOUNDER Sharon Bruckman

NATIONAL EDITOR Alison Chabonais MANAGING EDITOR Linda Sechrist

NATIONAL ART DIRECTOR Stephen Blancett SR. ART/MKTG. DIRECTOR Steve Hagewood

FINANCIAL MANAGER Mary Bruhn

FRANCHISE DIRECTOR Anna Romano RANCHISE SUPPORT MGR. Heather Gibbs F WEBSITE COORDINATOR Rachael Oppy NATIONAL ADVERTISING Kara Scofield

Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation 4933 Tamiami Trail N., Ste. 203 Naples, FL 34103 Ph: 239-434-9392 • Fax: 239-434-9513 NaturalAwakeningsMag.com © 2018 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. 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. Check with a healthcare professional regarding the appropriate use of any treatment.

Natural Awakenings Magazine is ranked 5th Nationally in CISION’S® 2016 Top 10 Health & Fitness Magazines

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

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

Contents 16 THERMOGRAPHY

OFFERS SAFE HEALTH SCREENING OPTION

17 DIAL DOWN STRESS How to Stay Calm and Cool

19 10,000 STEPS AND COUNTING Keep Moving to Stay Fit

20 HEALTHY

WEIGHT KIDS

Food Choices that Prevent Obesity

22 UNDERSTANDING NUTRACEUTICALS

How They Differ from Health Store Supplements

24 THYROID FUNCTION

and the Immune System

ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS

HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 910-833-5366 or email Local Publisher@NA-SENorthCarolina.com. Deadline for ads: the 10th of the month. EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Email articles, news items and ideas to: Editor@NA-SENorthCarolina.com. Deadline for editorial: the 5th of the month. CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Visit NA-SENorthCarolina.com for guidelines and to submit entries or email Editor@NA-SENorthCarolina.com REGIONAL MARKETS Advertise your products or services in multiple markets! Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing franchised family of locally owned magazines serving communities since 1994. To place your ad in other markets call 239-434-9392. For franchising opportunities call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakenings.com.

25 EXPECT A MIRACLE Five Ways to Manifest Our Desires

26 KICK THE

PLASTIC HABIT

Choose Earth-Friendly Alternatives

27 EAT WHEAT AGAIN Eight Ways to Restore Gut Health

DEPARTMENTS 6 news briefs 9 health briefs 11 global briefs 14 eco tip 16 community

spotlight 19 fit body 20 healthy kids 22 healing ways 25 inspiration

9 26 green living 27 conscious

eating 28 wise words 29 calendar 30 classifieds 31 resource guide January 2018

news briefs

The Wilmington

Acupuncture Clinic

Family Inspiration Leads to Wellness Business

“P

ure Life Wellness Center’s inspiration originated from my grandmother, who is a descendant of the Taino Indian tribe in the Caribbean, and her tradition of using herbal and holistic remedies,” says Victoria RP Chavez, owner/manufacturer. “She is the inspiration behind the Miracle Skin Relief, First Aid Kit in Jar, the herbal tonics, teas and the Grandma’s Cough Syrup.” “I can remember as a child, the minute we had a skin irritation, fever or looked like we were going to get sick, Grandmother would gather garden herbs and create a natural remedy for our ailments,” Chavez adds. Her teaching inspired Chavez to study herbalism and in pursuing a degree in Health and Wellness, studying alternative medicine to complement the in-home education she learned from her grandmother. Pure Life Wellness Center’s retail store location opened in 2007. This outlet allows Chavez to expand access to the handmade herbal remedies from her grandmother for all to benefit.

Over 17 years experience in the Healing Arts Acupuncture Moxibustion Cupping Tui Na/Chinese Massage Full Herbal Pharmacy Essential Oils

Location: 317 North Front St., Cotton Exchange, Wilmington. For more information or to schedule a free, 30-minute consultation, call 910-279-9059 or visit MiracleSkinRelief.com. See ad, page 23.

Tuning Forks Polarity Therapy Gift Certificates Available

(

970-306-5 0-306-5 06-53 323

wilmingt ngtonacu onacupu onacu punc punctu ncture.com ture.com

Optimism is

the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. ~Helen Keller

Tenth Annual Cold Stroke Classic

oastal Urge’s 10th annual Cold Stroke Classic will be held at 9:30 a.m. on January 20, with two races and multiple divisions, as paddlers can opt to do either the 3.5-mile short course or the seven-mile long course. The cash purse for the long race will be $1,250 spread across the top finishers in each division except for 14 and under and “Run what you brung” divisions, provided there are at least three registered participants in the division. Every racer, including those that win prize money, in all divisions and all races will receive prizes from Cold Stroke Classic race sponsors. All non-prone racers must have a USCG-approved PFD with them to race. It’s not mandatory to wear it, but it must be on one’s board or body to comply with state and federal law. Also, it’s highly recommended wearing a leash. Cost: $55/$75 adults short/long race, kids $25 either. Location: Blockade-Runner Beach Resort, 275 Waynick Blvd., Wilmington. For more information and to register, visit Cold StrokeClassic.com.

Free Natural Awakenings App Offers Access to Healthy Living Resources

eeping in touch with the best choices for a green and healthy lifestyle is now easier than ever, thanks to Natural Awakenings’ iPhone and iPad app, available as a free download at Apple’s iTunes App Store. Individuals on the go can find products, practitioners and services dedicated to healthy living, right at their fingertips. They can also read articles on the latest practical, natural approaches to nutrition, fitness, and creative expression, personal growth and sustainable living, offered by national experts with fresh perspectives and inspired ideas. To download the free app, search “NaturalAwakenings” in the iTunes App Store or visit NaturalAwakenings.com.

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Consider Our Place as Your Place for Healthy and Happy Lifestyles

eople of all backgrounds and faiths in this day and age are searching for ways to improve, enhance and maintain a healthy and happy lifestyle. “Our Place is your place to help you with such goals,” comments Linda Thunberg, MHt, owner of Our Place. Our Place, that recently opened in Wilmington, is a wellness center designed to empower body, mind and soul for a stress-free and healthy lifestyle. Thunberg continues, “Our Place is your place to come and meditate, enhance your life and meet with people of like minds; minds that are open to all people, all faiths, all thoughts of love light and harmony and much more.” The Center includes seven practitioners offering hypnotherapy, life coaching, intuitive counseling, meditation, reiki, divine grace healing, shamanic journeys, mentoring, Hands-up healing, gestalt therapy and more. Also, a retail area offers the latest in metaphysical tools and gifts to enhance life and home. Salt and selenite lamps, crystals and stones, books, oracle cards, incense and aura cleansing stones are among the items available. Recently added is the VitalJuwel-water wands and drinking bottles to enhance and structure one’s drinking water, using crystals to infuse purity in water. Classes and workshops—covering many health and wellness to everexpanding metaphysical topics—are led by various teachers from Wilmington and beyond at the center. There are some donation-based groups along with weekly, full day and monthly classes with fees. A metaphysical book-lending library is also available.

If you or someone you know are experiencing these symptoms, you may have a hormone imbalance. Difficulty Sleeping

Depressed

Lack of Energy

Weight Gain

Brain Fog

Decreased Strength

Moody

Reduced Sex Drive

Anxious

Fatigue

Feeling Better Can Start with a Simple Blood Test For more information, visit

restorehealthwellness.com or call 910-520-5476

Location: 4320 Wrightsville Ave., Wilmington. Hours: Tues.-Thurs., noon to 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and by appointment for private sessions. For more information, call 910-833-8916 or visit OurPlaceILM.com. See ad, this page. January 2018

news briefs

Consider Post-Holiday Hypnosis

“A

Blue Lagoon Wellness Celebrating Three Years

fter the holidays, stress can set in from many things to include, credit card bills, family issues, personal review of habits and beliefs; things you want to change in your life but can’t seem to be able to, and of course—resolutions that you wish you could keep. With Transpersonal Hypnosis you can,” comments Linda Thunberg-Dobson, Owner and Master Hypnotherapist at TransperLinda Thunbergsonal Power, LLC. Dobson, MHt “Transpersonal Hypnotherapy is a proven natural modality to help with stress and anxiety, and any other ‘thing’ you want to change in your life, easily,” continues Thunberg-Dobson. With hypnotherapy, you only have to be willing to want to make a change in your life. There are no pills, drugs or invasive procedures, only relaxation and a willingness to enhance your life. Each personal session addresses your specific wishes and changes you want to experience in your life.

at Zachry, co-owner of the Blue Lagoon Wellness Center, in Wilmington, announces, “We are approaching our three-year anniversary in February 2018.” Both Pat and her sister Jo Zachry are coowners and together bring 10-plus years of combined knowledge and experience to the practice, as well as being certified reiki practitioners, Munay Ki facilitators, certified crystal healers, and Crystal Energy Feng Shui practitioners. “During the three years, our center has grown and expanded as both the Emporium Rock shop retail outlet as well as a base for multiple practitioners to provide their services,” continues Zachry. The center’s offerings now include Laughing Buddha holistic massage, professional counselors, licensed psychologist, certified life coach, tai chi, and much more. Additionally, class schedules, course offerings and events are found easily through the center’s website, Meetup page. Here readers can find and sign up for daily and weekly events.

Location: 4320 Wrightsville Ave., Wilmington. Group sessions offered monthly and personal sessions available Tues.-Thurs. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. or by appointment. Call to schedule in January and take advantage of the new year’s special, mention Natural Awakenings and get $35 off session. Call 855-772-0459 or visit Transpersonal Power.com. See ad, page 7.

Location:1202 Floral Pkwy., Wilmington. Store hours for Emporium Rock Shop: Tues.-Wed., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thurs.-Fri., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information including to schedule appointments with practitioners, call 910-685-2795 or visit BlueMoonWellnessCenter.com. See ad, page 30.

CONNECT WITH OUR READERS!

THREE-MONTH EDITORIAL CALENDAR AND MARKETING PLANNER

FEB

Living Courageously plus: Meditation Styles

Our Readers are Seeking Providers & Services for: Life Coaching Psychological Counseling Personal Development Wellness Trainers Meditation Instruction Yoga Classes

MAR

Ethnic Cuisine plus: Super Spices

APR

Climate Health Update

Our Readers are Seeking Providers & Services for: Community Co-op Gardens Cooking Classes Ethnic Eateries Farmers’ Markets/Food Fairs Garden Supplies Green/Vegan Restaurants Organic Food Stores ...and so much more!

plus: Healthy Home

Our Readers are Seeking Providers & Services for: Earth-Friendly Landscapers Electric Vehicle Dealers Green Builders Recycling Services Solar Panel Providers and so much more!

910.833.5366 8

publisher@NA-SENorthCarolina.com

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health briefs

Lutein in Greens and Eggs Slows Cognitive Aging

Natali Zakharova/Shutterstock.com

Healthy diet options of spinach and kale may also help keep our brains fit. In a study from the University of Illinois appearing in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 60 adults between 25 and 45 years old having higher levels of lutein, a nutrient found in green, leafy vegetables, avocados and eggs, had neural responses more on par with younger people than others of their own age. Lutein is a nutrient that the body can’t make on its own, so it must be acquired through diet. It accumulates in brain tissues and the eyes, which allows researchers to measure levels without using invasive techniques.

Daily Produce Servings Prevent Early Death

Researchers at the Imperial College London say that five servings of fruits and vegetables is a good start, but more is better. After conducting a worldwide meta-analysis of 2 million people that compared early mortality rates from cardiovascular disease and cancer, they recommend eating at least 10 three-ounce vegetable and fruit servings per day, which could prevent up to 7.8 million premature deaths each year.

Frustrated by an “unexplained infertility” diagnosis, or confused about how to enhance fertility NATURALLY? Alison L. Born, LAc is

the only board certified fertility acupuncturist Contact us today in the area and 3802 Park Avenue would love to Wilmington NC (910) 352-4555 help you. capefearacupuncture.com January 2018

A Swiss study gave volunteers $25 a week for four weeks, and told half of them to spend the money on themselves and the others to spend it to benefit others. Subsequent brain scans revealed a link between the altruistic acts and feelings of contentment, activating neurons in the ventral striatum associated with happiness. Even the intention alone to be more generous was enough to create these changes, and the amount spent did not influence the increase in levels of well-being. The discovery sheds fresh light on why many people feel gratified when giving, even when it costs them something.

Mercury/Autism Brain Research Alert As the debate rages between health officials and vaccine critics about possible links to autism, mercury seems to be a specific bone of contention. It has long been present in the form of thimerisol, a preservative that inhibits bacterial contamination. Under government pressure, amounts have been reduced by the pharmaceutical industry to trace levels or eliminated, except in commonly recommended flu vaccines, some of which contain the food emulsifier polysorbate 80, which disrupts the blood-brain barrier and helps create an extremely effective delivery system for escorting neurotoxic ethylmercury and other heavy metals straight to the brain. The U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences reports that ethylmercury, in particular, gets metabolized into even more toxic inorganic mercury and remains in the brain for years.

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Sugar Linked to Depression The journal Scientific Reports recently published a study that confirmed a link between a diet high in sugar and common mental disorders. In 2002, researchers from Baylor College found that higher rates of refined sugar consumption were associated with higher rates of depression. A 2015 study that included nearly 70,000 women found a higher likelihood of depression in those with high added sugar intake, but not in those with a high intake of naturally occurring sugars such as those found in fruit. The World Health Organization recommends that people reduce their daily intake of added sugars to less than 5 percent of their total energy intake; Americans typically consume three times that much. Meanwhile, one in six people worldwide suffers from a common mental problem such as a mood or anxiety disorder.

Widi Design/Shutterstock.com

Generosity Cheers Mind, Body and Spirit

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health briefs

Urban Trees

City Greenery Boosts Public Health

Urban trees help reduce obesity and depression, improve productivity, boost educational outcomes and reduce incidences of asthma and heart disease for residents, yet according to The Nature Conservancy, American cities spend less than a third of 1 percent of municipal budgets on tree planting and maintenance. As a result, U.S. cities are losing 4 million trees per year. Each summer, thousands of unnecessary deaths result from heat waves in urban areas. Studies have shown that trees are a cost-effective solution. Too often, the presence or absence of urban nature and its associated benefits is tied to a neighborhood’s income level, resulting in dramatic health inequities. In some American cities, life expectancies in different neighborhoods located just a few miles apart can differ by as much as a decade. Not all of this health disparity is connected to the tree cover, but researchers are increasingly finding that neighborhoods with fewer trees have worse health outcomes, so inequality in access to urban nature can lead to worse health inequities.

Cigarette Cutback Higher Prices Lower Use

Research from the Medical University of Vienna found in a 30-year study that increasing prices for tobacco products by 5 percent reduced tobacco use by 3.5 percent.

LilKar/Shutterstock.com

puhhha/Shutterstock.com

global briefs

To read the white paper, visit Tinyurl.com/FundingTreesForHealth.

Gods_Kings/Shutterstock.com

Veggie Doctors

Cardiologists Urge Plant-Based Hospital Meals

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is advising hospitals in improving patient menus by adding healthy, plant-based options and removing processed meats, which have been linked to 60,000 cardiovascular deaths annually. The ACC Heart-Healthy Food Recommendations for Hospitals states, “At least one plant-based main dish should be offered and promoted at every meal.” ACC also urges that processed meats such as bacon, sausage, ham, hot dogs and deli meats should not be offered at all. These guidelines extend to hospital cafeterias and onsite restaurants. The American Medical Association has also passed a resolution that calls on hospitals to provide similarly healthy meals. Processed meats are now considered carcinogenic to humans, according to the World Health Organization. A 50-gram serving a day—one hot dog or two strips of bacon—increases colorectal cancer risk by 18 percent. “Too many heart disease patients have had their recovery undermined by bacon and hot dogs on their hospital trays,” says Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the nonprofit Physicians Committee. January 2018

Crackdown Needed

Glyphosate Found in Breakfast Foods

Of 24 breakfast food samples tested by the Alliance for Natural Health USA, 10 showed the presence of glyphosate. Executive and Legal Director Gretchen DuBeau states, “We expected that trace amounts would show up in foods containing large amounts of corn and soy. However, we were unprepared for just how invasive this poison has been to our entire food chain.” In the study, the chemical, now revealed to be a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization, was found in oatmeal, bagels, eggs, potatoes and non-GMO soy coffee creamer. The presence of glyphosate in dairy products may be due to bioaccumulation in the tissue of animals. DuBeau adds, “Glyphosate has been linked to increases in levels of breast, thyroid, kidney, pancreatic, liver and bladder cancers, and is being served for breakfast, lunch and dinner worldwide. The fact that it is showing up in foods like eggs and coffee creamers, which don’t directly contact the herbicide, proves that it’s being passed on by animals that ingest it in their feed. This is contrary to everything that regulators and industry scientists have been telling the public.”

lantapix/Shutterstock.com

global briefs

Plumbing Progress

Australia’s Centre for Advanced Design in Engineering Training at Deakin University is practicing an affordable way to increase the availability of potable (drinkable) water in needy areas of the world. The project involves collecting plastic garbage from around the Pacific Islands and turning it into pellets, which are then extruded as 3-D printer filament to make replacement plumbing parts, often in short supply in those locations. That effort is called 3D WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), and the children’s charity Plan International Australia will be the first recipient (Plan.org.au).

Your Market is Our Readers. Let Us Introduce You to Them!

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Recycled Plastics Put to Good Use

Corporate Programs Boost Health and Bottom Line

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Corporate wellness programs are linked to a 25 percent reduction in absenteeism and sick leave, 25 percent reduction in health costs and 32 percent reduction in workers compensation and disability costs, according to a 2016 meta-analysis of corporate wellness studies by Edelman Intelligence. For details, visit Tinyurl.com/EdelemansAt Work. NA-SENorthCarolina.com

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Wellness Works

Meatless Millennials Peter Bernik/Shutterstock.com

Young Vegetarians Worry Meat Industry

The 2017 Chicken Marketing Summit in North Carolina involved hundreds of leaders from fast-food chains, marketing agencies and poultry production companies discussing the fact that Americans are eating less poultry—and what to do about it. Richard Kottmeyer, a senior managing partner at Fork to Farm Advisory Services, explained that Millennials need to be “inspired and coached” to consume more animal products, according to an article published on Watt AgNet.com, an industry website. “Compared to their parents, Millennials are more likely to believe in evolution and accept that climate change is occurring. They seek out facts and science to better understand a complex world, but the poultry industry doesn’t have any fact-based information to defend its cruel, unsanitary practices,” states animal rights advocate Nathan Runkle via EcoWatch.com. The majority of chickens raised for meat have been bred to grow so large so quickly that they collapse under their own unnatural weight. North Carolina has enacted an “ag-gag” bill, making it illegal to photograph or videotape animal abuse.

Tim UR/Shutterstock.com

Eco Pesticide Safer Product Controls Citrus Pests

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Department of Pest Regulation have approved CRS Plus, an aerosol pheromone biopesticide product that disrupts the mating cycle of Aonidiella aurantii, also known as California Red Scale (CRS). Pheromones do not kill or damage the target insects, and are speciesspecific, so pollinators and other beneficial insect species are not affected. CRS attacks all aerial parts of citrus trees, including twigs, leaves, branches and fruit. Heavy infestations can cause reduced fruit quality, yellowing and dropping of leaves, dieback of twigs and limbs and even death of the tree.

“Thermography will become the standard of care for breast health monitoring.” Dr. Christine Northrup, MD, OBGYN, internationally known author and authority on women’s health issues

Thermography is a state-of-theart, FDA-registered, painless, touch-free and radiation-free imaging technology. May help detect abnormalities in the breast long before they can be “seen” by standard structural tests, such as mammograms, ultrasounds, or MRI. Thermal breast scans also include the areas surrounding the breasts, including outer edges of the breast, lymph nodes in and around armpit area, and upper back. Our interpreting doctors are board-certified in thermal scan analysis.

To schedule an appointment, please call (910) 803-2150 Visit us online for more information at beaconthermography.com

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THREE-MONTH EDITORIAL PLANNING CALENDAR

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Living Couragerously plus: Meditation Styles

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Secrets to Better Furniture

A new year can prompt us to refresh the look and feel of our home. Eco-minded individuals may wish to spruce up a treasured piece of furniture or find a replacement that’s light on environmental impact.

MConsider wood furniture made from

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sustainably harvested forests and tree farms or reclaimed wood. Find explanations of Forest Stewardship Council certification requirements at US.FSC.org.

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nostalgia. Avoid painted furniture from the early to mid-20th century, which may contain lead, or use a paint-testing kit.

MLook for furniture with organic substances such as natural wood finishes, naturally tanned leather or organic cotton. Look for Greenguard product certification to ensure low toxicity (Greenguard.org).

Some businesses, like Upholstery on Broadway, in Arlington, Massachusetts, conduct money-saving classes for people that want to learn to repair or restore their own furniture. Owner Kevin Kennedy finds, “People bring in their own projects, often wing chairs and side chairs, along with stray pieces of materials. As long as they have ‘good bones’ [solid wood frames], new fabric can add many years.” For those afraid of making mistakes in cutting fabric, “We help them measure carefully first, and that relieves their anxiety.” A carpenter’s rule is to measure twice, cut once.

Climate Health Update plus: Healthy Home

MGet creative. Treehugger.com cites Pentatonic, a furniture line made from

100 percent recycled materials, including glass, plastics and metals, for easy assembly without tools. Standardized components deliver efficient manufacturing and shipping; each part has an identification number with the manufacturer’s date and location, and the type of waste used in production.

MIn replacing furniture, make sure the old piece gets reused, as well. Sell

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January 2018

community spotlight

Thermography Offers Safe Health Screening Option by Shelly Laine

Shelly A Laine, Certified Clinical Thermographer, Cecilia Laine-Meinhold, Clinical Thermographer

and Tanis J Clark, Clinical Thermographer

The growth rate of breast cancer cells is a rapid and alarming reality. Within a year, two cells become 16. In four years, 16 have advanced to more than 65,000. In addition, in eight years—when mammography typically detects a problem—those cells have multiplied to approximately 4 billion.

t’s a scary fact facing all women that are typically advised to begin routine mammograms around age 45 but are most at risk between 30 and 50. Women would have greater peace of mind if they didn’t have to wait for potentially devastating results, but could instead proactively keep track of early indicators to protect their health. Digital infrared thermal imaging can provide that comfort. The technology— administered locally by the professional team at Beacon Thermography, Inc.—is a non-invasive tool used to identify changes in the body over time. For women concerned with breast health, for example, thermography can begin detecting vascular changes at the oneyear mark—when cell count is only at 16. With early detection, prevention of 16

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what can often be fatal illnesses is the ultimate goal. Therefore, when detected early, changes in the body can translate into better treatment options and a better overall outcome for patients. Moreover, because it is safe and pain-free—no radiation, breast compression or physical contact of any kind—there is no added risk to taking control of one’s health. Using a digital infrared camera that measures the body’s surface temperature, certified clinical thermographers and sisters Shelly Laine, Cecilia Laine-Meinhold and Tanis Clark at Beacon Thermography can create a “digital map” of the body, showing heat patterns that could be a sign of a condition or abnormality. That map is crucial, since tests like X-rays, mammograms and MRIs are only

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able to provide information on structures within the body. Medical thermal imaging, by comparison, can pick up warning signs like inflammation or angiogenesis, increased blood supply to a growing tumor. Once captured, the thermal images are reviewed by medical doctors that are also board-certified thermologists. Taking into consideration a patient’s symptoms, health history and thermography results, the doctor will then report results and may make recommendations. Often, in the case of abnormal screening results, the recommendation is to seek clinical correlation (e.g. blood work and/ or X-rays, mammograms and ultrasound). In that sense, thermography works in conjunction, not in competition, with traditional screenings like mammograms. In fact, the two tests are quite different yet together can help accurately diagnosis breast cancer as early as possible. Thermography has been FDA-approved as an adjunct to anatomical testing since 1982, and has received the endorsement of well-known doctors like Joseph Mercola, a leading expert globally in natural health who recommends thermography as the best option for breast cancer screening. Certified Clinical Thermographer Shelly Laine and her team at Beacon Thermography, Inc., can provide the benefits of wellbeing through thermography. Screenings can be provided at Elite Chiropractic (primary location), Landfall Shopping Center, 1319 Military Cutoff Rd., Unit L; McKay Healing Arts Center, Wilmington; Shaver Chiropractic, Wilmington; Cross Creek Commons, Leland; and Health Touch NC LLC, Durham. For more information, call 910-803-2150 or visit BeaconThermography.com. See ad on page13.

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DIAL DOWN STRESS How to Stay Calm and Cool

hether from natural disasters, divisive politics, unmanageable workloads or a smartphone culture that makes it tough to unplug, U.S. adults are feeling more strain now than they have at any other time in the past decade, according to the American Psychological Association’s 2017 Stress in America Survey. One in three say their stress has increased in the past year and one in five rate the level at eight or more on a scale of one to 10. About three in five, or 59 percent, say they believe this is “the lowest point in the nation’s history” and nearly two-thirds say concerns about our nation’s future (including its health care, economy and international relations) are key sources of their stress. “We’re seeing significant stress transcending party lines,” notes Arthur C. Evans Jr., Ph.D., the association’s CEO. All that stress is having a powerful impact on health, with as many as 80 percent of visits to primary care physicians characterized as stress-related, according to the American Medical Association.

by Lisa Marshall Workplace stress accounts for 120,000 deaths a year—more than influenza, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease combined—according to a 2015 Stanford University study. Yet, empowering news has emerged amid this epidemic of anxiety-related illness. Research shows that by eating right, exercising and changing our mindset about stress itself, we can buffer our bodies from many health hazards. “Unfortunately, you can’t always avoid the things that stress you out. But you can control how you respond to stress before it takes over your life,” says Melanie Greenberg, Ph.D., a Mill Valley, California, psychologist and author of the recent book The Stress-Proof Brain: Master Your Emotional Response to Stress Using Mindfulness and Neuroplasticity.

Our Brain on Stress

Whether it’s an urgent email from the boss or a rude motorist driving unsafely, tense situations elicit a physiological response remarkably similar to what might occur if we were chased by a lion.

Deep inside an almond-shaped region of the brain called the amygdala, an alarm goes off, signaling the release of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol that boost heart rate, usher extra blood to muscles, hasten breathing and spike blood sugar to provide more fuel for the brain to react. Evolutionarily, this response was key to early human survival, providing the energy boost needed to flee predators. Even today, it has its upside, says Greenberg. “In the short term, stress can be exciting and even beneficial, revving you up so you can put your passion and energy into something.” But chronic excess can lead to high blood pressure and blood sugar, inflammation, cognitive problems and a hair-trigger response to stress, in which our body overreacts even to mild annoyances. It can also, research suggests, accelerate aging by eroding the protective caps on our chromosomes, called telomeres. “Think of the stress response as an elastic band,” says Dr. Mithu Storoni, a Hong Kong physician and author of the new book Stress Proof: The Scientific Solution to Protect Your Brain and Body — and Be More January 2018

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Resilient Every Day. “If you pull it and it snaps back immediately, that’s fine. But if you pull it too intensely or too frequently, it doesn’t snap back, and there are lots of downstream consequences.”

Stress-Proofing Our Body

Eating right can better protect our bodies, says New York City Registered Dietitian Malina Malkani. She recommends loading up on nutrient-dense, high-fiber foods like leafy greens, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds during stressful times, because they can slow our rate of digestion and minimize unhealthy dips and spikes in blood sugar. Beneficial, bacteria-rich foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi are other foundational foods for stress-resilience, says Storoni, because they can dampen bodily inflammation that arises from chronic tension. They can also replenish bacterial strains like lactobacillus and bifidobacteria which, according to studies of college students, tend to decrease when we feel pushed beyond our limits to handle what’s coming at us. One 2016 study of 171 volunteers, published in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, found that those that ate yogurt containing lactobacillus plantarum daily for two months had fewer markers of stress in their blood. Another study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007 found that when 132 adults drank a probiotic-infused milk drink daily for three weeks and were then subjected to an anxiety-prone situation, their brains reacted more calmly than those of a control group. “Probably the most important thing you can do to make your body stress-resilient is to maintain a healthy ecosystem of bacteria in your gut,” advises Malkani, who recommends exchanging dessert for low-sugar yogurt every day and taking probiotic supplements as well as steering clear of sweetened beverages and refined carbohydrates. The spice turmeric is also a good stress-buster due to its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to help normalize blood sugar, Storoni notes. Despite our natural craving for comfort food, it’s a good idea to go easy on saturated fats in the immediate aftermath of a traumatic situation, because stress slows fat metabolism. In one recent study, Ohio State 18

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University researchers asked 58 women about their previous day’s stressors, and then fed them the fat-loaded equivalent of a double cheeseburger and fries; the stressedout women burned 104 fewer calories. “If a woman had a stressful day at work every day and ate a meal like this, she could easily gain seven to 11 pounds in a year,” says study author Jan Kiecolt-Glaser, a professor of psychiatry and psychology and director of the university’s Institute for Behavioral Medicine. Exercise, too, can help combat stressrelated illness. But Storoni attests that not all exercise is created equal. One recent study in the Journal of Physiology found that in animals daily moderate exercise (the equivalent of a light jog) can boost levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a critical brain protein diminished by stress and sleep deprivation, significantly more than weight training or intense exercise. On the flip side, excess strenuous exercise (laps around the track or an intense gym workout) can boost inflammation, whither brain cells, and aggravate the physical impacts of stress, says Storoni. “If you want to exercise to relieve the stress you just experienced, keep it at low intensity,” counsels Storoni. If possible, work out in the morning, as it can boost melatonin levels at night, helping you get to sleep faster, she notes.

Stress-Proofing Our Mindset

While diet and exercise can buffer our body from the impacts of chronic stress, a shift in mindset can keep it from becoming chronic in the first place, says Greenberg.“The goal is not to eliminate stress, but to put it in its place—to use its energizing and motivating aspects to take care of what needs to be done, and then relax,” and stop paying attention to

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it. This, she says, requires being mindful of what’s happening in the present moment. “When you feel your heart racing at the sight of another urgent demand at home or work, stop what you are doing, take a deep breath and tune into what’s happening in your body,” advises Greenberg. She notes that when the highly reactive amygdala “hijacks the brain”, we often say and do things in the heat of the moment that we later regret. Waiting just a moment (like counting to 10) allows the more rational part of our brain (the prefrontal cortex) to kick in. “It allows you to go from panic to, ‘I’ve got this.’” Greenberg observes that we often feel most stressed when we feel out of control. When faced with a daunting task, it may help to make a list of the things we have control over and a list of the things we can’t control—then make a plan to act on the manageable one and let the others go. “Mindfulness is also about keeping our self-judging and ruminating mind at bay, which may keep repeating, ‘I’m not doing enough,’” she says. “Realize that you do not have to listen to every thought that comes into your head. Ask yourself, ‘What is the most important thing for me to focus on right now?’” Greenberg also says it’s important to aim to broaden and brighten our view in tough times, explaining, “Feeling stress biases your brain to think in terms of avoiding threat and loss, rather than what you can gain or learn from the situation.” Start by jotting down three ways this challenging situation may be beneficial in the long run; also make a list of things and people we are grateful for, she suggests. “Practicing gratitude helps you realize that you have a choice about what to focus your attention on and you don’t have to let stressors take all the joy out of life,” according to Greenberg. As an added bonus, “You’re less likely to take your stress out on loved ones when you think about what they mean to you and how they have helped you,” she says. Lisa Marshall is a freelance health writer in Boulder, CO. Connect at LisaAnnMarshall.com.

10,000 Steps and Counting Keep Moving to Stay Fit

by Kathleen Barnes

e have become a nation of couch potatoes. The average American takes only 5,900 steps a day, somewhat better than the sedentary Brits that average less than 4,000. The notion that overall we need to take 10,000 steps a day to be physically fit started with manpo-kei, a 1960s Japanese marketing tool to sell pedometers. While the 10,000 steps concept lacks specific supporting science, it’s widely acknowledged that we are healthier the more that we move. Affixing a target number to it helped spread the notion of the benefits of walking, says Catrine Tudor-Locke, Ph.D., a walking behavior researcher at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Tudor-Locke is a proponent of the walking goal, although she readily admits the real objective is to get people moving more. “Any opportunity to walk more, more frequently and farther, wherever that is—it all adds up,” she says.

Making 10,000 Steps Possible For those already physically fit and physically active, 10,000 steps is a no-brainer. However, it’s never too late to start for those with exercise programs that have been supplanted by a too-busy-toworkout lifestyle. There’s probably no easier exercise than walking, says Dr. Melina Jampolis, the Los Angeles author of The Doctor on Demand Diet. “Walking is the number one exercise I recommend to most of my patients, because it is exceptionally easy to do, requires only a supportive pair of quality sneakers and

has tremendous mental and physical benefits that increase just by getting outside in the fresh air.” The biggest bang for the increased effort is the first 3,000 to 4,000 steps between the sedentary baseline and 10,000 steps, Tudor-Locke explains. “Still, 10,000 steps is the magic number for the average American,” says Dr. Michael Roizen, chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio. “That specific number of steps seems to help break down insulin resistance, an underlying cause of Type 2 diabetes. We’re not exactly sure how this happens, but we know that this amount of exercise takes the glucose from the blood where it is a hazard to the cells, so that it becomes less hazardous.”

Exponential Health Benefits Many more well-documented health benefits of a walking program include: 4 increased heart health 4 lower blood pressure 4 stronger muscles 4 improved balance 4 weight control 4 natural stress relief Several studies from places like Harvard Medical School’s affiliate Brigham and Women’s Hospital also show that a brisk walking program nearly cut in half the risk of early death in breast cancer patients. Most exercise experts note that a walking pace that leaves the walker only slightly out of breath reaps the greatest rewards. “One hundred steps a minute is a good cadence,” advises Tudor-Locke. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 150 minutes of exercise weekly, or 30 minutes five days a week, for virtually everyone. Many experts don’t believe it’s necessary to move for 30 minutes straight. Ten-minute increments work fine; so a quick morning walk around the block, another outing during the lunch hour and a refreshing walk with the dog after work can do the trick. Some evidence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion suggests that varying walking speed is even more effective in overcoming insulin resistance and burning calories.

Counting Up Roizen recommends wearing a pedometer or using a free iPhone app (no need for a fitness band), mainly to keep up awareness of our daily step count. There’s no age when we don’t need to walk anymore. If a consistent 10,000 steps does wonders for health, some ask if more would be better. “Ten thousand is the answer for health and longevity, but 12,000 or more makes a difference for fitness and calorie burning, so go for it!” Roizen says. Kathleen Barnes is the author of numerous books on natural health, including Our Toxic World: A Survivor’s Guide. Connect at KathleenBarnes.com. January 2018

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fit body

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healthy kids

Healthy Weight Kids Food Choices that Prevent Obesity by Amber Lanier Nagle

Small changes in daily eating routines translate into healthier weight for America’s kids.

n 2010, President Obama and Michelle Obama launched Let’s Move! as their signature initiative to tackle epidemic levels of U.S. childhood obesity. While modest progress has been made, it remains a public health crisis. A brief by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the obesity rate remained fairly stable at nearly 17 percent between 2011 and 2014 for children 2 to 19 years old. Caused mainly by inadequate physical activity, unhealthy diets and rare genetic factors, obesity increases the risk of significant health problems, including high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes, plus joint and breathing issues. “We must launch our own family anti-obesity campaigns,” urges pediatrician Ricardo Riesco, co-owner of Peds Care, in Dalton, Georgia. “Along with increasing activity levels, we can encourage healthier eating habits at home and lead by example.” 20

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Portions Matter In today’s “supersize-me” climate, teaching youngsters about appropriate portion sizes is imperative in fostering healthy eating habits. “It’s often hard for parents to find time to cook a meal at home,” Riesco acknowledges. “Too often, parents will pick up fast food for dinner, which is typically higher in calories and fat, plus the portion sizes are far too large.” When parents can’t prepare a meal from scratch, a frozen, boxed meal can be a better alternative than fast food. “The portions are more appropriate, so there’s more control of how much a child eats.” Tasty frozen organic meals are now available at many grocers.

Rethinking Family Plates “A large part of the obesity problem stems from children consuming sodas and refined, processed, junk and fried foods,” says Daemon “Dr. Dae” Jones, a Washington, D.C., naturopathic physician and author of Eat More Plants. “They are low in

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nutrients, and high in sugars and calories that pack on the pounds.” Jones says the best way to combat obesity and form healthy eating habits is to replace processed foods with a whole foods diet plentiful in colorful fruits and vegetables, with sides of whole grains, nuts and seeds, and beans and legumes. “These foods are high in vitamins, nutrients, fiber, proteins and healthy fats. Lean meats, chicken and fish are good choices for protein, as well.”

Breakfast and Snacks Breakfast provides fuel for the body and helps young minds concentrate and learn, so experts warn against skipping or skimping on it. “I tell parents to, ‘Get out of the box,’” says Doctor of Naturopathy JoAnn Yanez, executive director of the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges. “Offer them a balance of fats, proteins and complex carbohydrates.” She suggests making a batch of pancakes using an extra egg or almond meal for protein, served with fresh fruit and nitrate-free sausage. “I also recommend steel cut oats,” she says. “I make them in advance, and in the morning add in all sorts of good stuff such as fresh fruit, almond meal and almond milk.” “Although almost everything can be enjoyed in moderation, decreasing or eliminating high-calorie, high-fat, lownutrient treats can also help children develop healthy eating habits for life and prevent obesity,” says Registered Dietitian Wendy Palmer, manager of child wellness and a certified health education specialist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. “A medium-sized apple or banana, or a cup of baby carrots with hummus, is a nutrientrich snack for kids. Avoid snacks that have no nutritional value or are coated in sugar.” For more good ideas, see Tinyurl.com/ HealthySnackingOptions.

No Sugary Drinks “There’s a strong correlation between sugary drinks and overweight, obese children,” observes Palmer. “I recommend that parents remove all sugary sodas, sports drinks and juice boxes from their children’s diets. Water and unsweetened seltzer water are great alternatives.”

Palmer notes that many eating patterns are set before a child turns 3, so limiting all sugary drinks, including juices, is an important component of teaching young children healthier eating habits that will last a lifetime. Studies suggest a strong link between obese children and obese adults, so for parents concerned that their child’s cute baby fat has turned into something more, the time to act is now. Amber Lanier Nagle is a freelance writer in Northwest Georgia (AmberNagle.com).

Media Promote Junk Food Olesia Bilkei/Shutterstock.com

by Amber Lanier Nagle

econdary causes of childhood obesity include pervasive junk food marketing. A recent study in Obesity Reviews showed that young people exposed to advertising for foods and beverages high in fat, sugar and salt had a higher incidence of selecting the advertised products instead of healthier options. Parents can use simple strategies to limit their kids’ exposure to this mesmerizing influence. Reduce Screen Time—Decrease the amount of time children spend viewing TV, computers, tablets and smartphones.

Teach Kids About Advertising—Watch some ads with children. Talk to them about misleading messaging, underscoring how most advertisers’ intentions aren’t in the audience’s best interests.

Friends are the siblings God never gave us. ~Mencius

Fast Forward Through Commercials— Take control and bypass ads using a DVR player or streaming service; mute the TV during ads. Primary source: WebMD.com January 2018

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UNDERSTANDING NUTRACEUTICALS

How They Differ from Health Store Supplements by Linda Sechrist

Savvy consumers seeking products that might help them achieve and maintain good health may be noticing two new categories: medical food and nutraceuticals.

edicalized terminology is now being used to describe certain products we may already have been buying from brand-name dietary supplement companies and retailers, and they have a higher price tag. One common example: powdered protein mealreplacement shakes that can cost up to $16 more than a retail store brand, as nutraceutical and medical food purveyors want to differentiate their products as having clinical research and development behind them. This raises the bar on the quality of contents and assures consumers of third-party testing for proof of ingredients. Although both are regulated under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994, there is no legal distinction between dietary supplements and nutraceuticals, yet each serves different purposes. Dietary supplements, comprising vitamins, minerals and/

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or herbs and botanicals, are intended to enhance wellness among healthy adults. Nutraceuticals encompass nutrients, foods or parts of foods used as medicine to provide health benefits beyond nutrition and combat chronic disease. Some of the most popular formulations involve botanicals like ginseng, ginkgo biloba, St. John’s wort and echinacea. “Medical foods, formulated for dietary management of a specific medical condition for which nutritional needs are unmet by a normal diet, are regulated under the Orphan Drug Act of 1983,” explains Bill Shaddle, senior director of medical education at Metagenics, Inc. “Our nutraceuticals and medical foods are supported by verifiable science that provides solid evidence regarding the therapeutic benefits produced by ingredients in our products.” The word nutraceutical, blending nutrition and pharmaceutics, was coined in 1989 by Stephen L. DeFelice, the founder and

chairman of the nonprofit Foundation for Innovation in Medicine, in Mountainside, New Jersey, which promotes clinical research and development of dietary supplements and foods specifically for their health benefits. Reputable companies that manufacture private-label nutraceuticals, such as Metagenics and Xymogen, among others, research and develop products for functional nutrition and quality. While such products are solely distributed through partnerships with healthcare professionals such as medical doctors, nutritionists and pharmacists, some of the evidence-based, professional-grade formulas are available through online physician websites. Metagenics and Xymogen collaborate with institutions such as the Cleveland Clinic, Bastyr University and National College of Natural Medicine in conducting clinical research that demonstrates how their formulas impact healthy aging, cognitive function and overall health.

Federal Regulations Medical foods and nutraceuticals, orally administered dietary products formulated to support the management of conditions such

as compromised gut function, age-related muscle loss, metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, are subject to standard food and safety labeling requirements of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Although they may be used under medical supervision, patients don’t need a prescription. Many healthcare practitioners, including dietitians, currently recommend them under a physician’s direction. Unlike pharmaceuticals, which are accountable to the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, patent-protected and supported by expensive testing documentation, nutraceuticals are not. However, many manufacturers do choose to undergo costly testing. Like all dietary supplements, the majority of which do not undergo third-party testing, they are regulated by DSHEA, which defines and regulates labeling and claims of benefits related to classic nutrient-deficiency diseases.

Private Quality Control

manufacturing process, to avoid contamination and validate ingredients, every batch is third-party assayed by an independent laboratory, whereas some companies only do this for every fifth or 20th lot. Xymogen’s validation extends to packaging and controlling the level of humidity because it affects how ingredients oxidize,” says Burdette. Gary Kracoff, a registered pharmacist and naturopathic doctor at Johnson Compounding & Wellness, in Waltham, Massachusetts, researches the nutraceuticals that he carries and recommends for his clients. “I like professional-grade nutraceuticals because their formulas are researched and science-based. They are excellent products for specific purposes. Individuals that take the medical foods come to appreciate their disease-modifying therapeutic results. While pricier, they include healthier sources of carbohydrates and fats, as well as natural, rather than synthetic nutrients to provide what the body needs to return to a state of balance,” says Kracoff.

Xymogen is strictly a physician’s line of nutraceuticals, explains Cheryl Burdette, a doctor of naturopathy and director of clinical research and outreach for the company. “In our

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings who blogs at LindaSechrist.com.

Origami Owl CUSTOM JEWELRY

Independent Designer 910-833-5366 Creative jewelry.origamiowl.com January 2018

Thyroid Function and the Immune System by Mark Hollingsworth

anuary is thyroid awareness month. It is also during the season in which we see a significant rise in respiratory and other infectious diseases. Thyroid function can play an important role with the immune system. Dr. Broda Barnes is well known in the endocrinology community for having spent more than 50 years in clinical practice and research, studying thyroid dysfunction. He wrote extensively on the topic and his book, Hypothyroidism, the Unsuspected Illness, contains a plethora of related information. One of the first clinicians to suspect a link between contracting infections and thyroid dysfunction, he also implicated thyroid dysfunction as a primary contributor to other ailments including heart disease, migraines, menstrual disorders, diabetes, infertility, fatigue, depression and other disorders. Barnes’ extensive research on thyroid dysfunction and the immune system appears to have begun during a 1958 summer vacation that led him to Graz, Austria. He was very interested in Graz due to the high infant mortality (98 out of 100) there that led empress Maria Theresa, in the late 1700s, to order autopsies done on every infant that died which became a general trend over time. Evidently, by the time he began his research there were thousands of these autopsies on record there. He believed that the infant deaths from infectious disease could be thyroid 24

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related. Between 1958 and 1970, Barnes reviewed about 70,000 autopsies in Graz during his summer vacations. He concluded that the death rate from heart disease in 1970 was 10 times what it had been in 1930. Dietary changes in the population could not account for this increase in Barnes’ opinion, so he kept researching the reason for the dramatic increase in deaths from heart disease. Another piece of the puzzle was iodine. By the 19th century, it had been well established, due to the work of French chemists Adolphe Chatin and Eugene Bauman, that iodine deficiency played a crucial role in goiter development and thyroid dysfunction. By 1963, it was acknowledged that the soil in Graz contained extremely low levels of iodine. It is part of a goiter belt that has been well established in Europe. Further research yielded that the infant mortality rate there from infectious diseases like tuberculosis and pneumonia had dropped dramatically during the same period that heart disease in adults had risen. Barnes saw a link in these two phenomena. He believed that the infants who died had thyroid dysfunction, and those surviving grew into adults with a high risk for heart disease because the thyroid dysfunction was never treated. What happened in the 1940s possibly accounted for such a paradigm shift. Antibiotics became readily available for use by the general population. Therefore,

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children with thyroid dysfunction and thus compromised immunity were more likely to live and not only develop cardiovascular disease but they were now able to pass on any predisposition toward thyroid dysfunction to their offspring. Therefore, the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction began to rise dramatically as antibiotics became widely available. It is an interesting theory and makes us wonder how prevalent thyroid dysfunction is and if it significantly affects the immune system. There’s not a clear answer as there are a broad range of differing opinions on this; yet, thyroid dysfunction does increase one’s chances of contracting an infectious disease along with having significant allergies, asthma, obesity and anemia plus many possible symptoms or sequelae, including cardiovascular disease. If you are suspicious that you have an under functioning thyroid gland, then you are not alone. Perhaps you have expressed this concern with a list of symptoms to your primary care provider and he or she checked your thyroidstimulating hormone (TSH) levels and told you that you were fine. If this is the case then you need to find a provider that is not only looking at your TSH, which is pituitary hormone, but is also checking such levels. They should also be checking for and treating autoimmune thyroid disease (and all autoimmune disorders) which appears to be increasing in the U.S.

Mark Hollingsworth is a certified Functional Nurse Practitioner at Restore Health & Wellness, in Wilmington. For more information, call 910-763-1960 or visit RestoreHealthWellness.com. See Restore Health & Wellness ad on pages 7 and 9.

inspiration Syda Productions/Shutterstock.com

Also, consider nutrient deficiencies that may affect the thyroid gland. Your thyroid cannot function normally without enough Iodine, selenium and zinc. Laboratory testing for these nutrients is fairly standardized and is covered by most major insurance carriers and deficiencies in one or more of these nutrients are highly prevalent in the population. However, most providers never check these levels for their thyroid patients. Many goiters (enlarged thyroid glands) and under-functioning thyroid glands are caused by iodine deficiency. The Midwest has been referred to in endocrinology circles as the “goiter belt”. Several “goiter belts’ have been identified in other countries as well, and as mentioned previously, Graz, Austria, is located in one of them. Iodine occurs naturally in seafood and particularly seaweed, so coastal dwellers tend to develop fewer goiters than those that are landlocked. This is why the U.S. government in 1924 implemented a plan to put iodine in salt. Prior to that, unless you were a chemist by trade, you would never have heard of iodized salt. Most people are aware that the thyroid gland plays a major role in maintaining energy and metabolism, and is thus crucial for helping an individual maintain a healthy weight. However, the thyroid gland is much more multifaceted than most people realize and dysfunction of the gland can adversely affect your immune system as well as your cholesterol and risk for heart disease as well as many other crucial pathways and systems in your body. So, this month and in the future, be aware. Your thyroid may need some attention.

Expect a Miracle

Five Ways to Manifest Our Desires by J. Marie Novak

ccording to a Pew Forum study, nearly 80 percent of Americans believe in miracles. When we think we can’t handle burdensome difficulties on our own, we often seek help from a higher power, pleading: Cure me or my loved one of this illness. Aid me in providing for myself and my family. Bring me someone to love. Help me resolve this intensely painful situation. Protect loved ones from the harm they’re subjecting themselves to. If we want miracles to unfold in our lives, we must actively participate in their manifestation. Here are five ways to manifest more miracles in our lives.

Be Grateful for Everything

Gratitude deserves its positive buzz. When we’re grateful, our energy changes and our light shines. Our perspective shifts from scarcity to abundance. We bring forth divine blessings by being tuned into the giving nature of the creator of all. When we live in a state of gratitude, good people, opportunities and blessings arrive.

Stop Using Excuses to Do Nothing

When we take a positive step in our lives—it can be anything—a way forward will often appear that may be unrelated to the blessing we receive. For example, clearing out clutter may clarify a career move. Taking a course to build a new skill may introduce us to a new friend. In beginning a new exercise routine, we may discover self-confidence in other areas of life.

Step Beyond Routine

Step out of routines, broaden horizons and bust through comfort zones. Bumps and bruises may occur, but bravery is rewarded. Miracles are not beyond our grasp, but we may need to extend our reach in ways we’ve never done before.

Help Others Receive the Miracles They Pray For

Experience the bliss of being a giver. Share what others need. Sponsor a child’s education. Give unused belongings to people that desperately need them. Offer words of encouragement. It all matters more than we realize.

Trust Intuition

When we listen to our intellect instead of our inner heart-and-soul guidance system, we get turned around and off course. We all have an inner knowing that can help us get where we want to go. Divine wisdom always trumps the human mind. When we tune into it and trust what it’s telling us, we invite miracles into our lives. We all have the power to participate in creating miracles for ourselves and others by bringing to fruition what did not seem remotely possible. It’s easy to start by practicing these five miracle-creating strategies. J. Marie Novak is an author, life transformation mentor and founder of the Believe and Create online community. Learn how to believe in and create the life you were born to live at BelieveAndCreate.com. January 2018

green living

Mohamed Abdulraheem/Shutterstock.com

Kick the Plastic Habit Choose Earth-Friendly Alternatives by Avery Mack

rocery bags, bottles, cups and straws comprise much of the 9.1 billion tons of plastic manufactured worldwide in the past 65 years. Once discarded, 79 percent resides in landfills and litters the environment, with more created daily. Annually, the equivalent of five grocery bags of trash for every foot of coastline worldwide enters the oceans, killing 100,000 marine animals. A 2016 World Economic Forum report says that by 2050, the world’s seas could contain more plastic than fish. At the 2017 Our Ocean Conference, the Ocean Conservancy and its partners announced a $150 million preventive plan. “This is a major breakthrough for trash-free seas,” says Susan Ruffo, the conservancy’s managing director of international initiatives. “Our research found improved waste management in Southeast Asian countries [Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and China] can halve plastic going in the ocean by 2025.” When the United Nations launched the Clean Seas campaign in 2017, Indonesia pledged $1 billion to reduce plastic waste by 70 percent within eight years through education, taxes on plastic bags and investing in alternative products. Increased awareness is crucial to buy and discard less, create alternatives and recycle more to support the planet’s overall health.

Expanding Footprint

Lacking space, technology and equipment to transform waste into reusable materials, U.S. municipalities typically ship it to a sorter for processing elsewhere; often to China, where new regulations restrict what’s accepted, 26

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leaving trash haulers scrambling. Although recyclable, these are the worst plastics: #3, Polyvinyl chloride, used in plastic wrap, toys, squeeze bottles and packaging for peanut butter, contains lead and phthalate esters (chemical compounds) that affect development of testosterone, according to a study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. #6, Polystyrene, in Styrofoam, plastic utensils and disposable or carryout containers, is toxic to our brain and nervous system; ask what restaurants use. #7, Polycarbonate, found in the lining of canned foods, sports drinks, juice drinks, ketchup bottles and clear sippy cups, contains bisphenol A (BPA), a proven endocrine disruptor.

Small Changes Make a Difference

Recycling weakens plastic grocery bags, necessitating double-bagging to avoid spills. Average families annually accumulate about 1,500 plastic bags, with 99 percent ending in landfills, as litter or stuffed in the pantry, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. Worldwide, many countries ban or tax bags. “Annually, 50 billion water bottles are sold globally, including 30 billion in the U.S. That’s 1,500 individual water bottles thrown away per second,” says Deanna Latson, co-founder of ARIIX, which makes water purification systems, in Bountiful, Utah. “One filter can purify the equivalent of thousands of them a year.” The U.S. annual bottle recycling rate is 23 percent. Beth Terry, of Oakland, California,

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author of Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too, offers 100 tips at MyPlasticFreeLife.com, including this planet-saving advice: 4 Opt for bar soap instead of liquid, soap nuts in lieu of plastic-packaged powders, and baking soda and lemon or vinegar rather than sprays to clean. 4 Ask the butcher to wrap meat in paper, forgoing trays and plastic wrap. 4 Buy fruit and vegetables at farmers’ markets; return containers for reuse. 4 Turn out-of-fashion garments into cleaning rags; skip plastic scrubbers. 4 Carry reusable water bottles and cloth shopping bags. 4 Avoid over-packaged frozen foods. 4 Use glass jars for leftovers and storage. 4 Buy kitty litter packaged in paper. 4 Choose stainless steel pet food and water bowls. As a substitute, glass is endlessly recyclable, but facilities are few. Find resource centers at gpi.org/glass-resource-locator. “Plastic innovations stop at invention and don’t follow through to end-of-life solutions,” says Tom Szaky, CEO and founder of TerraCycle, in Trenton, New Jersey. It accepts both basic and difficult-to-recycle waste including pens, laboratory waste, cigarette butts, art supplies, small auto parts, bathroom cleaning waste, toys, candy wrappers and coffee pods (TerraCycle.com).

Contact Influencers

Tell companies when products have excessive or harmful packaging. In Delray Beach, Florida, Saltwater Brewery created biodegradable, safely edible wheat and barley sixpack rings to replace traditional plastic rings that are hazardous to wildlife. Restaurants routinely provide fresh plastic straws with refills. BYOS (bring your own straw), whether plastic, stainless steel or paper, and let management know why. Americans daily discard 500 million plastic straws (StrawlessOcean.org/alternatives). “Consumers are willing to change if options are available,” observes Szaky. “Manufacturers need to offer high-quality, reusable products designed for reuse equal or superior in value to single-use, disposable items.” Connect with the freelance writer via AveryMack@mindspring.com.

effected a huge spike in gallbladder surgeries and epidemic levels of obesity, high blood sugar and food intolerances. To boost bile flow, enjoy these foods daily: n Eat one red beet and one apple a day— either raw, cooked, juiced or blended. Add celery and make a bile-flow smoothie. n Consume one teaspoon of both coconut oil and high-quality olive oil per day. n Eat more artichokes, bitter roots and leafy greens. n Drink fennel and fenugreek tea with meals.

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conscious eating

EAT WHEAT AGAIN Eight Ways to Restore Gut Health

by John Douillard

he New York University Langone Medical Center recently reported that 74 percent of Americans experience some form of digestive distress, a quarter are obese and more than 100 million U.S. adults are pre-diabetic and don’t know it. While many blame such problems on eating wheat, some food scientists disagree, including those citing two major studies by Harvard researchers; following more than 100,000 people for 25 years, they concluded that those eating the most wheat compared to low-gluten folks had a 13 percent lower diabetes risk and no greater risk of heart disease. While the standard American diet, which includes highly processed wheat, is likely responsible for many of these health concerns, plenty of science links a diet rich in whole grains, including whole wheat, to weight loss, better digestion and lower blood sugar. The Mediterranean Diet, replete with whole grains and wheat, is still revered as one of the healthiest-known diets. Centenarians that live in the famed “blue zones”, recognized for their longevity-enhancing environment and lifestyles, eat a non-processed, wholefood diet rich in whole grains and wheat. Many Americans that are gluten-sensitive today digested wheat fine when they were young. At some point, our ability to digest foods that are a bit harder to digest, like wheat and dairy, became compromised. It’s possible to reboot.

Delete Processed Foods

The first step toward reestablishing digestive strength is avoiding all processed foods. A study in the journal Diabetes Care linked a processed food diet to a 141 percent increase in belly fat, high blood sugar and high cholesterol. It further showed that a diet of whole grains, including wheat, reduced the risk of these health concerns by 38 percent. Monitor these ingredients to achieve a healthier diet. n Avoid all added sugars or artificial sweeteners. Allow nothing more than six grams of naturally occurring sugar per serving. n Avoid fried foods and baked goods made with refined cooking oils used to preserve them like bread, muffins, cookies, energy bars, most packaged foods and chips. n Eat bread that’s only made of organic whole wheat, salt water and starter.

Restore Liver and Gallbladder Function

Highly processed vegetable oils are used as preservatives in most packaged foods, including bread. Processing these oils renders them indigestible. Linked to congestion of the liver and gallbladder, they disable liver bile so it can’t break down either good or bad fats, also making it insufficient to buffer stomach acids. Without adequate bile production to neutralize stomach acid, the stomach won’t produce the needed acid to digest proteins like gluten and the casein in dairy. This malady has

Strengthen Stomach Fire

Instead of taking digestive enzymes or a hydrochloric acid-based stomach acid pill, stimulate the stomach to make its own acid and the small intestine and pancreas to produce digestive enzymes. This is best done regularly with the following five spices: n Use ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom and fennel. Studies published in journals such as Molecular Nutrition & Food Research and the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry suggest that when these five spices are used together —as a supplement, in cooking or to flavor food—they act as a total upper digestive reset. These five-star spices: 4 Stimulate digestion 4 Increase bile flow, pancreatic and small intestine enzyme activity, and fat and sugar metabolism 4 Decrease H. pylori, an opportunistic acid-producing microbe, from adhering to the stomach 4 Decrease gas and bloating 4 Support optimal weight, microbiology health, growth of good gut bacteria and elimination 4 Act as powerful free-radical scavengers Following these simple steps of nutrition will set gluten sufferers on the right path to retraining the body to digest and enjoy wheat again. John Douillard, a Boulder, CO, doctor of chiropractic is the former director of player development and nutrition advisor to the New Jersey Nets NBA team. He is author of the book Eat Wheat: A Scientific and Clinically-Proven Approach to Safely Bringing Wheat and Dairy Back into Your Diet. Learn more at EatWheatBook.com. January 2018

wise words

HAROLD KOENIG

on Why Science Finds Faith a Healthy Choice by April Thompson

hysician Harold G. Koenig, an international authority on religion, health and ethical issues in medicine, has dedicated his career to understanding the relationship between faith and health. Koenig, who has surveyed the scientific literature, shares the mounting evidence linking the power of faith to better health and well-being. Koenig struggled for three decades to determine his life’s purpose before a spiritual transformation in 1984 set him on a Christian path. “As I’m able to surrender my will and follow God’s lead, I’ve found an increasing flow of blessings. Even in those times when I’m self-centered, the blessings continue. I can only attribute it to the incredible undeserved grace and mercy of one who understands and forgives,” he says. He’s the director of Duke University’s Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health, an associate professor of medicine at the Duke University Medical Center, in Durham, North Carolina, and author of nearly 50 books. Titles include The Healing Power of Faith, The Handbook of Religion and Health, and the recent You Are My Beloved. Really?, musings on the nature of divine love.

What maintains people’s faith in the face of worldly adversity? Adversity can increase people’s faith; when things are going well, people don’t feel the same urgent need for religion. Why do hurricanes happen? Why do people experience chronic pain? When someone is in the midst of challenges, there is no easy explanation, even though there can be many answers. Sometimes all you can do is to have faith that a good God reigns, despite appearances. That can lead to a sense of well-being and spiritual purpose, even in the midst of bad material experiences. How you’ve dealt with life prior to a challenge matters. If you follow a spiritual 28

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path and practice, when bad things happen, you can lean on your foundation of faith; you’re better prepared. Once you’re in the middle of it, all you may feel is the pain and a desperate desire to get rid of it. One of the most precious gifts we have as humans is the freedom to choose. We can be selfish and strictly pleasure-seeking, or we can be kind and altruistic. We can turn toward or away from our divine source.

What have you concluded from decades of studying the relationship between faith, prayer and health? Our research and that of many other major academic institutions, including Harvard and Columbia universities, shows that people of strong faith enjoy better social, physical and mental health, all else being equal. It drives healthy behaviors and attitudes, which leads to better health. A person’s religious beliefs and spiritual practices affect them across their lifespan. It begins in utero, based on parental behavior and care, and shows in the

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sense of trust we have as infants. In this way, parents’ faith-based moral values also can favorably affect their children’s levels of stress, depression and drug use later on.

Is there a tension between the yearning for scientific certainty and the intuitive nature of faith? I feel that tension constantly as a scientist and a believer. I’m always challenging myself; you have to be objective as a scientist, to observe without reading into things. But the wisdom of the scriptures has endured through thousands of years, applied by believers through the ages in many different groups and cultures. About 80 percent of Americans today believe in God, nearly 90 percent in a higher power, and 84 percent of the world’s people have religious faith. Such faith must serve some kind of function for it to have persisted throughout the millennia. There is much that is still unknown, and may not be knowable from a scientific perspective. You need to use common sense and intuition. It requires a leap of faith, but once you do it, everything falls into line—though I admit as a scientist I keep trying to understand things from a rational perspective.

What are the pathways by which spirituality contributes to health? Science supports firsthand experience; that the virtues instilled by a religious path ultimately lead to better decision making, relationships and greater well-being. They help to neutralize negative emotions. These benefits accrue through adulthood and yield fruit into old age. The coping mechanism that spiritual practices provide is also important. It helps us to tolerate and navigate difficult situations and integrate meaning and purpose into daily life. I don’t think science can prove to us that faith leads to divine healing. But through natural mechanisms alone, ones that we can understand and study, tremendous evidence exists to show that it benefits health and maybe even longevity. Connect with freelancer April Thompson, in Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.

calendar of events MONDAY, JANUARY 1 Happy New Year Full Moon Qigong – 4:30pm. (30 minutes before sunset.) Certified qigong instructor, Alison L. Born leads a monthly Full Moon Qigong and meditation practice at Wrightsville Beach public access #3. Ring in the new year with this vigorous yet grounding mindbody practice. Cost is donation, all proceeds for local charities. Canceled if below 45 F or raining. Email AlisonLarmee@gmail.com for exact practice times.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 6 Mini Psychic Fair – 10am-3pm. New Year Readings with Linda Thunberg, Missy Purcell, and Fox Coffman. Start the year and find out what possibilities lie ahead for you. Your choice of three well-known Wilmington intuitive readers as you see what is in store for you in 2018. Cost $25/15 minutes. Our Place, 4320 Wrightsville Av, Wilmington. Register online. 855-772-0459. Our PlaceILM.com/calendar.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 7 Airlie Gardens NHC Resident Day – 9am-5pm. Free. On first Sunday of every month, New Hanover County Residents, Students and Employees are admitted to Airlie Gardens free of charge. 300 Airlie Rd, Wilmington. 910-798-7000. AirlieGardens.org.

MONDAY, JANUARY 8 Monthly Bird Hike at Arlie Gardens – 8-9:30am. Fly over to Airlie Gardens to participate in their monthly Bird Hikes, co-hosted with partner, Wild Bird & Garden. Birders of all levels are encouraged to attend. Airlie offers some of the best birding in New Hanover County, with nearly 200 species of birds recorded. Bring binoculars. Cost $9/$5, adults 12 and up / New Hanover County residents and Military with ID. Arlie Gardens, 300 Airlie Road, Wilmington. 910798-7000. AirlieGardens.org. Winter Weight Reduction 2018! – 7-9pm. Start the new year using your mind effortlessly to help your body acquire the results you want. Be motivated, crave healthy food and water, raise your metabolism, and exercise easily with hypnosis. If willing to make a change, you can. Cost $99/3 weeks. Linda Thunberg, MHt, Transpersonal Power at OUR Place, 4320 Wrightsville Av, Wilmington. Register online. 855772-0459. OurPlaceILM.com/calendar.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 9 Guided Meditation for Stress Relief – 7-9pm. Learn how to harness your thoughts and relax in any situation this year. Cost $20. Transpersonal Power at OUR Place, 4320 Wrightsville Av, Wilmington. Register online. 855-772-0459. OurPlaceILM.com/calendar.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 13 Transitions to Personal Transformation – 9:30am-

save the date Healing Circle With Kat Arnoldy, join for a night of shared healing modalities: Reiki, Reconnection, and Matrix Energetic just to name a few. If a practitioner of a healing modality or in need of healing, or just want to experience the awesome energy to help you on you path, join this monthly healing circle.

January 23 • 7-9pm. Our Place 4320 Wrightsville Ave, Wilmington

Cost: Love Offering Register at: OurPlaceILM.com/calendar

Spirit Animal Workshop – 2:30-5pm. Cost $35. Blue Lagoon Wellness Center.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21 Discovery Lab – 2:30-4pm. See January 14 listing. Wilmington.

MONDAY, JANUARY 22 Winter Weight Reduction 2018! – 7-9pm. See January 8 listing. Wilmington.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23 Healing Circle – 7-9pm. With Kat Arnoldy, join for a night of shared healing modalities: Reiki, Reconnection, and Matrix Energetic just to name a few. If a practitioner of a healing modality or in need of healing, or just want to experience the awesome energy to help you on you path, join this monthly healing circle. Cost / Love offering. Our Place, 4320 Wrightsville Av, Wilmington. Register OurPlaceILM.com/calendar.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25 noon. With Denise Tervo. Explore the Gestalt Cycle of experience as we learn to identify and move through our physical sensations. Come home to yourself, meet your dreams, and accomplish you goals. Cost $25. Our Place, 4320 Wrightsville Av, Wilmington. Register OurPlaceILM.com/calendar. Our Place Women’s Group – 1-3pm. A circle of divine women co-creating the world. A circle of sharing, of listening and holding space for each other on a journey. Open group, all women welcome. Cost $10. Transpersonal Power at OUR Place, 4320 Wrightsville Av, Wilmington. Register online. 855-772-0459. Our PlaceILM.com/calendar.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 14 Discovery Lab – 2:30-4pm. Investigate, experiment, and explore in the Discovery Lab, the whole family can drop-in for fun, quick experiments and handson investigations. Ideal for ages 5 and up. Free for members or cost of general admission. Cape Fear Museum, 814 Market St, Wilmington. 910-798-4370. CapeFearMuseum.com.

Vibrational Alignment and Balance – 7-8:30pm. With Missy Purcell. Our thoughts and emotions affect our reality and the vibration of everything. Discover how to check your personal vibration and maintain a high vibration in a world often filled with fear, anger or drama. Experience a method that can assist anyone in getting answers to these and many more questions. Cost $10. Our Place, 4320 Wrightsville Av, Wilmington. Register OurPlaceILM.com/calendar.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27 MaxLiving Seminar – 10am-1pm. Resolve: Mind, Body, Food. Build a holistic, step-by-step action plan to increase energy, lose weight, and improve your health. Learn how to set goals and achieve them. Discover the impact that food has on your hormones and metabolism and how to make better food choices for a health mind and body. Cost $10. Hampstead Women’s Club, 14435 US 17, Hampstead. Register/ info 910-406-1200.

Winter Weight Reduction 2018! – 7-9pm. See January 8 listing. Wilmington.

Stop Smoking NOW! Group Hypnosis – 10amnoon. Stop smoking easily and permanently NOW in the NEW YEAR. You can do it with hypnosis. Allow your body to start repairing itself as a non-smoker. Live sessions with a recording to take home. Cost $49. Transpersonal Power at OUR Place, 4320 Wrightsville Av, Wilmington. Register online. 855-772=0459. Our PlaceILM.com/calendar.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 20

SUNDAY, JANUARY 28

Cold Stroke Classic – 9:30am. With two races and multiple divisions, paddlers can opt to do the 3.5mile course or the 7-mile course. Enjoy second year of the “Run What You Brung” division for both the short and long races. Includes surf skis, outrigger canoes, unlimited paddleboards, kayaks and more. Cost $55/$75 adults short/long race, kids $25 either. Blockade-Runner Beach Resort, 275 Waynick Blvd, Wilmington. More information and register at Cold StrokeClassic.com.

Like Minds Group – 6:30-8pm. Meet other like minds, and share experiences of our spiritual journey. Short meditation and conversation.., help raise the vibration of Wilmington’s metaphysical community and universal consciousness. Cost, love offering. Transpersonal Power at OUR Place, 4320 Wrightsville Av, Wilmington. Register online. 855-772=0459. Our PlaceILM.com/calendar.

MONDAY, JANUARY 15

January 2018

on going events

classifieds

NOTE: All calendar events must be received via email by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Visit NA-SENorthCarolina.com for guidelines and to submit entries or email Editor@NA-SENorthCarolina.com.

Fee for classifieds is $1 per word \per month. To place listing, email content to editor@NA-SENorth Carolina.com. Deadline is the 10th of the month. FOR RENT/LEASE OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE – Serene Office space for rent. 2-year lease through January 2020. Includes lights, water, sewer, WIFI, onsite parking and a meeting room for classes. Located on Floral Parkway near Whole Foods Market. $575 plus deposit. Pat: 910-352-9535.

FOR SALE CURRENTLY PUBLISHING NATURAL AWAKENINGS MAGAZINES – For sale in Bergen/Passaic, NJ; North Central FL; Manhattan, NY; Santa Fe, NM; Seattle, WA; Austin, Tx; Greenville, SC and Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, NC.Call for details, 239-530-1377.

friday

sunday Lectio Divina: Learning to Hear the Voice of God – 4-5:15pm. Rev Ed Heuer. Start the New Year off right by learning to listen to the voice of God through scripture and the use of meditation / contemplation. Cost/love offering. Our Place, 4320 Wrightsville Av, Wilmington. Register OurPlaceILM.com/calendar.

tuesday Reiki Inspired Yoga – 10am-11am. Join Lesa Stephin in this gentle flow Yoga floor practice de-

signed to incorporate chakra balancing, Reiki and guided meditation to engage innate healing potential. Visualizations are utilized to enhance your own light and personal power. Cost $15/class. Punch card discounts available. Blue Lagoon Wellness Center, 1202 Floral Parkway, Wilmington. 262-496-2593.

wednesday Tai Chi – 6:30pm. With Jay Stempin, a T’ai chi Ch’uan practitioner. Help promote balance, clarity of thought, relaxation, and loosening tension in the mind and body. Cost $15. Blue Lagoon Wellness Center, 1202 Floral Parkway, Wilmington. 262-515-9005.

Innate Health

Family Chiropractic & Wellness

Dr. Ada Aniniba Chiropractor IHFCWellness@gmail.com

Innate Health Family Chiropractic & Wellness

14886 US Highway 17 N Hampstead, NC 28443 Phone 910.406.1200 Fax 910.406.1201 www.dradaaniniba.com

SE North Carolina Edition

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Living Art Series – 7pm. 3rd Friday of month. Join monthly for introduction and post-movie discussion facilitated by Dameron Midgett on the living art of embodied presence. Cost/love offering. Our Place, 4320 Wrightsville Av, Wilmington. Register OurPlaceILM.com/calendar.

saturday Thermography Scans – 10am-4pm. 1st and 3rd Saturdays. Mammography doesn’t see anything till it’s something..., Thermography can see something before it’s anything. Cost dependent on scan type. Beacon Thermography at Elite Chiropractic, 1319 Military Cutoff Rd, STE LL, Wilmington. 910-8032150. BeaconThermography.com.

community resource guide

HYPNOSIS

Connecting you to the leaders in natural healthcare and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide visit NA-SEnorthcarolina.com or call 910-833-5366.

ACUPUNCTURE THE ACUPUNCTURE ALTERNATIVE Karen A. Vaughn, LAc. 5725 Oleander Dr, E-2, Wilmington 910-392-0870 AcupunctureofWilmington.com

Trained in Australia and China with over 25 years’ experience in Classical Chinese Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Affordable treatments are designed to treat the whole person. Treating all health disorders especially infertility, allergies, PTSD, pain management and much more. Hours by appointment only. Currently on North Carolina Acupuncture Licensing Board.

CAPE FEAR COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE

CHIROPRACTIC INNATE HEALTH FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC & WELLNESS Dr. Ada Aniniba, DC 14886 US Hwy 17N, Hampstead 910-406-1200 DrAdaAniniba.com

Dr. Ada Aniniba is a Max Living Doctor at Innate Health Family Chiropractic and Wellness. She focuses on 5 Essentials of health: Maximizing the Mind, Chiropractic, Nutrition, Lean Muscle and Minimizing Toxins. Innate Health is a family-centric practice open to patients of all ages. Corrective and wellness care programs provide a primary source of wellness, nutritional support, immunity and allergy support, education, inspiration and fitness. See ad, page 30.

Alison Larmee Born, LAc, FABORM 3802 Park Av, Wilmington 910-352-4555 CapeFearAcupuncture.com

RESTORE HEALTH & WELLNESS

WILMINGTON ACUPUNCTURE

At Restore Health & Wellness, we locate the root causes of your issues to provide tools to restore normal body function and optimize longterm health outcomes. Specializing in Bioidentical Hormone Therapy, Digestive & Immune Disorders, Thyroid & Adrenal Problems, Endocrine Health, Food Sensitivities, Nutritional Analysis/Therapy, Nutritional IV Therapies, Weight Management, Pharmaceutical Grade Supplements, Far Infrared Sauna, and more. See ads, page 7 and 9.

S o u t h e a s t e r n N C ’s o n l y acupuncturist certified by the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine, s p e c i a l i z i n g i n f e r t i l i t y, gynecology and hormonal imbalances. Well versed in prescribing herbs, nutraceuticals, and nutrition/lifestyle modifications. Also offering Wilmington’s only “community clinic” (sliding scale-reduced cost) acupuncture, treating a wide array of acute and chronic health conditions. See ad, page 9.

Pamela Butz LAc, MSOM 5046 Wrightsville Av, STE 200, Wilmington 970-306-5323 WilmingtonAcupuncture.com

Pam is delighted to provide Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine to the Wilmington Community! She treats patients of all ages with a wide range of health issues; include wellness treatments to stay healthy all year long. Ask for a free consultation to see how Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can help you! See ad, page 6.

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE Tabetha Smith, FNP-C Mark Hollingsworth, FNP-C 1010 S 16th St, Wilmington 910-763-1960 RestoreHealthWellness.com

TRANSPERSONAL POWER, LLC

Linda Thunberg, MHt, CCP 4320 Wrightsville Av, Wilmington TranspersonalPower.com Meetup.com/Transpersonal-CommunityOf-Wilmington 855-772-0459

Transpersonal Hypnosis is spiritually centered, incorporating, body, mind, and SPIRIT! The sessions are extremely client based, a natural way of self –healing and enhancing what you want in your life! Achieve your highest & best YOU! Sessions available for weight, anxiety, childhood patterns, relationship issues, self-worth, soul advancement and more. See ad, page 7.

THERMOGRAPHY BEACON THERMOGRAPHY, INC. Shelly Laine 910-803-2150 BeaconThermography.com

Thermography is state-of-theart, radiation-free diagnostic tool which creates a digital map of your body, illustrating heat patterns that may detect some condition or abnormality using a scanning-type infrared camera that measures your body’s surface temperature. Thermography aids in the detection and monitoring of many types of diseases and physical injury. Multiple scanning locations throughout the Wilmington area. See ad, page 13.

WELLNESS CENTER BLUE LAGOON WELLNESS CENTER Pat & Jo Zachry 1202 Floral Parkway, Wilmington 910-685-2795 BlueLagoonWellnessCenter.com

HYPNOSIS SOLOMON HYPNOSIS

Mrs. Azariah Solomon – Partner/Coordinator 1328 N Lake Blvd, Ste 106, Carolina Beach 910-343-1171 SolomonHypnosis.com

The brain rules and controls each and every cell in your b o d y. H o w e v e r, i t s commands come from your subconscious. Through hypnosis, the mind is guided to provide healthier & happier living for individuals. End addictions, phobias, depression, panic, pain, insomnia, lose weight, and gain confidence effortlessly and permanently. Over 30 years’ experience. See ad, page 32.

page 30.

Besides being one of Wilmington’s largest Rock Shop Emporiums, we offer Counseling, Energy Work, Chakra Balancing, Crystal Therapy, Massage, Craniosacral Therapy, Hypnotherapy, and Past Life Regression. Many classes. Check Meetup for listings. See ad,

OUR PLACE WELLNESS CENTER

4320 Wrightsville Ave, Wilmington OurPlaceILM.com Meetup.com/Transpersonal-CommunityOf-Wilmington 910-833-8916

A place where you can feel as though you are part of the whole. A place to empower yourself, or get guidance and assistance for healing and growth through e n e rg y h e a l i n g & v a r i o u s modalities! Private Sessions w/ various practitioners. Groups and Classes. Meditation room, metaphysical lending library, & metaphysical items. See ad, page 7.

January 2018

Hypnosis Changes Lives! Your Past

Your Future

With just one hypnotic session you will stop smoking or the 2nd session is free life time guarantee Hypnosis isn’t just for smoking cessation and weight loss! end insomnia • manage pain during childbirth • conquer drug & alcohol abuse improve relationships & sex life • eliminate panic attacks & phobias reduce/eliminate allergies, anxiety and stress and so much more! 32

SolomonHypnosis.com • 910-343-1171

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