Natural Awakenings Toledo - August 2014 by Natural Awakenings Toledo

H E A L T H Y

L I V I N G

H E A L T H Y

P L A N E T

feel good • live simply • laugh more

FREE Special Issue

Transformative Education plus Children’s Health Learning that Changes Our World Cures in the Kitchen Super-Immunity for Kids Safe Seafood Running’s Second Wind

August 2014 | Toledo, OH / Monroe County, MI Edition | NaturalAwakeningsToledo.com

WE ARE EXPANDING Publish Your Own Natural Awakenings Magazine

Natural Awakenings is Looking for Passionate Publishers for EXPANSION into the Following Available Markets: • Mobile/Baldwin, AL* • Little Rock/ Hot Springs, AR* • Los Angeles, CA • San Francisco, CA • Riverside, CA • San Bernadino, CA • Ventura, CA • Fresno, CA • San Jose, CA • Bakersfield, CA

• Sacramento, CA • Orange County, CA • Miami/FL Keys, FL* • North Central FL* • Orlando, FL* • Volusia/Flagler, FL* • Louisville, KY • New Orleans, LA* • Western MA, MA • Worcester, MA • Kansas City, MO

• St. Louis, MO • Asheville, NC* • Greensboro/ Winston-Salem, NC • Omaha, NE • Hudson County, NJ* • North NJ* • South NJ* • Buffalo, NY • Akron, OH • Cleveland, OH

• Dayton, OH • Tulsa, OK • Portland, OR • Pittsburgh, PA • Grand Strand, SC* • Knoxville, TN* • Nashville, TN* • El Paso, TX • Houston, TX* • Salt Lake City, UT • And More!

Share Your Vision and Make a Difference

•Meaningful New Career •Proven Business System • Exceptional Franchise •Low Initial Investment •Home-Based Business Support and Training For the last 20 years, Natural Awakenings has for turn-key publishing of your magazine. been committed to providing our readers and Explore the possibility of making a contribution to advertisers with the tools and resources they your community as a Natural Awakenings publisher. need to live a healthier, more balanced life. No publishing experience is necessary – we offer a complete training and support system

Visit Our Website NaturalAwakeningsMag.com/mymagazine or call 239-530-1377

contents 8 5 newsbriefs

32 13

6 business spotlight 7 community spotlight 8 healthbriefs 10 globalbriefs 13 ecotip 19 fitbody 20 greenliving 22 naturalpet 23 wisewords 24 healthykids 26 calendar 29 classifieds 30 resourceguide

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.

6 WELLNESSRX 14 HELPS PATIENTS AVOID SURGERY WITH NATURAL SOLUTIONS

7 SENSORY LEARNING

CENTER OFFERS LIFE-CHANGING PROGRAM

14 LEARNING THAT

TRANSFORMS HEARTS AND MINDS

Rethinking How We See Our World Changes Everything by Linda Sechrist

17 SCHOOLS THAT ROCK

Innovators Blaze Creative Paths

advertising & submissions HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 419-340-3592 or email Publisher@NA-Toledo.com. Deadline for ads: the 10th of the month. EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Email articles, news items and ideas to: Publisher@NAToledo.com. Deadline for editorial: the 10th of the month. CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Visit our website to enter calendar items – Natural AwakeningsToledo.com. You will receive a confirmation email when your event has been approved and posted online, usually within 24 hours. Events submitted by the 10th and meet our criteria will be added to the print magazine as space permits. 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 239-449-8309. For franchising opportunities call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com.

NaturalAwakeningsToledo.com

by Sandra Murphy

19 RUNNER’S HI

Women and Social Media Revolutionize the Sport by Debra Melani

20 DAY CARE GOES GREEN What’s Good for Kids is Good for the World by Avery Mack

22 WATER DOGGIES

Given a Pool or Lake, Canines Dive Into Action by Sandra Murphy

23 CURES IN THE KITCHEN Dr. Mark Hyman is Fed Up with Our National Health Crisis by Judith Fertig

24 SUPER-IMMUNITY FOR KIDS

Simple Ways to Boost a Child’s Long-Term Health

by Lisa Turner

natural awakenings

August 2014

publisher'sletter “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” ~Benjamin Franklin

contact us Publisher/Editor Vicki Perion National Editor S. Alison Chabonais Editorial Randy Kambic Martin Miron Patti Radakovich Design & Production Stephen Blancett Kim Cerne Patrick Floresca Calendar Sherry Ann Franchise Sales 239-530-1377 P.O. Box 5452 Toledo, OH 43613 Cell: 419-340-3592 Fax: 419-329-4340 Publisher@NA-Toledo.com NaturalAwakeningsToledo.com © 2014 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing. Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. It is available in selected stores, health and education centers, healing centers, public libraries and wherever free publications are generally seen. Please call to find a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business. We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. We welcome your ideas, articles and feedback.

I recently heard the story of a 3-year-old girl whose mother’s sole entry in her baby book was, “We discovered the library today!” By age 16, her career goal was to write articles for national magazines. The young woman went on to ultimately become the national editor of Natural Awakenings content for nearly 100 magazines across the country, shaping well-informed articles that reach nearly 4 million thoughtful readers each month. Ever since she was 6 years old, my daughter, Jessie, has also been an avid reader. Even though I’ve always thought of myself as a big reader, I don’t hold a candle to her. She regularly heads off to the local library to check out as many as eight books at a time. When she’s done with them, she signs out another bunch. I wonder if such a love of reading comes from nature or nurture. I admire her passion for reading and believe it plays a pivotal role in her ability to develop as an independent thinker and distinctive individual. Today, Jessie’s path is taking her into the demanding medical profession. She will start a nursing program in the fall at Saginaw Valley University. As always, Mom is cheering her on. This month’s complementary themes of Transformative Education and Healthy Kids afford thought-provoking reading on creative teaching methods for children with different learning styles by making the most of diverse learning approaches and environments. Participating parents and teachers not only work to ensure their children receive the best education possible, but that they also enjoy the learning process. Learn some of what’s happening now in Sandy Murphy’s article, “Schools that Rock: Innovators Blaze Creative Paths.” I’m sure you join me in applauding such a radical transformation from the more traditional one-size-fits-all schooling since we were little. Thankfully, our community affords families several progressive opportunities to develop young minds with Montessori schools serving our Toledo, Ohio, and Monroe, Michigan, communities. We all know that kids learn best when they’re well-nourished with healthy foods. Lisa Turner’s article, “Super-Immunity for Kids,” discusses those that help boost your child’s immune system. The right foods are a proven schooldays help in preventing and fighting off colds and ear infections. Plus, they’re good in keeping children on a healthy track throughout the year. To the joys of endless summer reading,

Vicki Perion, Publisher

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are available by sending $20 (for 12 issues) to the above address. Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soybased ink.

Toledo/Monroe edition

NaturalAwakeningsToledo.com

newsbriefs

An Eco-Friendly Way to Update Kitchens and Bathrooms

Reinvention Uncensored: An Inspiring Event for Women

einvention Uncensored provides an opportunity to connect with women on a weekend adventure at Potawatomi Inn, in Pokagon State Park, in Indiana, from September 19 to 21. The event is a multilayered chance to celebrate, share, inspire and connect with women reinvented and reinventing. It is the brainchild of Beth Collins, Girlfriend on a Mission, and Pat Altvater, of BizTV Shows. “Reinvention Uncensored is what happens when women get together to reimagine their lives. To get inspired by new friends and new ideas. It’s where talk meets walk and the truth about what you really have to do to get what you want is revealed—not by experts—by women who have done it and are willing to talk about it. We are gathering the most inspiring stories and experiences to weave together a weekend you will never forget,” explains Collins. “Reinvention Uncensored is the first step when you’re ready for change. It’s your invitation to step away from the life you created and embrace the one you want.” The event begins Friday night with a farm-to-table dinner sponsored by All Things Food, in Bryan,OH with food provided by area farmers Kristin Bauer (Black Creek Farms), Sue Oskey (Maple Lane Farms) and Del Burkholder (Turkeyfoot Creek Creamery) and producers Toni Britton-Harmon (The Upper Crust), Jess Tracey (Pioneer North Central FFA teacher) and Pam Stotz (Stoney Ridge Winery). The food will be prepared by Maggie King, chef at Father John’s Microbrewery; Angie Pelland, nutrition food services caterer at Community Hospitals and Wellness Centers; and Denise Hoff, café creator and holistic health coach of A Recipe for Change. The weekend includes outdoor adventures like group hayrides and hiking trails, speakeasy-style presentations with featured women sharing inspiring reinvention stories, group practices like yoga and nia, a DJ dance party and a chance to give back to charities through Unique Boutique sales, silent auction and raffle. For more information, contact AllThingsFoodLLC.com or call 419-636-0950. To register, visit GirlfriendOnAMission.com or PatAltvater.com/RU.

Michigan-Owned Company Launches Organic Deodorant

achy, a new odor-fighting deodorant made with organic and vegan ingredients, created and sold by Rustic Maka, is now available for purchase online and at The Purple Door Store, in Wixom, Michigan. Handcrafted with organic coconut oil, organic Shea butter and scented with therapeutic-grade essential oils, the deodorant is free of parabens, aluminum, triclosan, propylene glycol, preservatives, GMO, gluten and corn or soy byproducts. Pachy (pronounced Pahyi) is available in five scents including Sweet Lemonade, Wild Meadows, Calming Fields, Naughty Butter and Rough Rivers. Rustic Maka was founded by Polish-American sisters Kasia Rothe and Monica Stakvel, whose mission is to find healthy alternatives for skin care and household products without toxic chemicals. The company continues to develop other pure, simple and organic beauty and body care items.

Cost: $7.95. For more information or to order online, visit RusticMaka.com, Facebook.com/Pachybyrusticmaka or call 248-802-5242.

itchens or bathrooms can now get an eco-friendly facelift without tearing out existing countertops, tubs or showers. EcocountertopsUSA, founded in Indianapolis five years ago, is operating in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan, ready to transform these high-traffic areas into looking better than new. Their system uses an eco-friendly, latex-based color coat that is sprayed directly onto the existing counter, and then an epoxy seal coat is sprayed three times to seal and give it a shiny, lustrous finish. Most jobs are finished in one day. Owner Angie Horvath Abdelkader states, “I was looking for a way to update our house to sell it, and didn't want to spend a lot of money. We came across this procedure and loved the method and results!” It’s wasteful to tear out and dump counters in the landfill when all they really need is resurfacing. A typical 40-foot kitchen counter costs about $3,000 to have granite installed, but only $640 to reface. There are approximately 45 colors to choose from, and even porcelain and fiberglass bathtubs and showers can be sprayed instead of replacing them. Harvest gold and avocado color schemes from another era—be gone. For more information, call 888-5779903 and watch the video at EcoCountertopsUSA.com.

The starting point of all achievement is desire. ~Napoleon Hill

natural awakenings

August 2014

businessspotlight

WellnessRX Helps Patients Avoid Surgery with Natural Solutions

ellnessRX helps patients avoid unnecessary surgery and improve their health with natural solutions. Jay Nielsen, M.D., owner of WellnessRX, has worked in nutritional and integrative medicine for almost 40 years. He was also the innovator and director of the first Institutional Review Board dedicated to alternative therapies in the U.S. Nielsen primarily focuses on helping people that have been told they need joint replacement or spinal surgery. “At the first visit, the patient is evaluated to find the true cause of the pain,” explains Nielsen. “For example, patients with gout, Lyme disease or lupus may have severe pain, but joint replacement may not provide the relief the patient seeks due to the underlying condition. Instead, they may respond better to changes in diet, supplementation,

Dr. Jay Nielsen, M.D.

detoxification or hormone stabilization.” “Two of the key tools I use are balancing hormones and detoxification,” continues Nielsen. “You can think of

Members receive multiple choices in the following fields:

We have no health care crisis in America nor do we need reform. We can benefit by paying cash for our medical services and get the government out of our pockets. FairCare4all is a simple referral system with no middleman. It offers direct cash solutions to nearly every aspect of care from testing through therapy, even affordable catastrophic insurance. It’s simple, you contact the provider with your prescription - identify yourself as a FairCare client and pay the provider directly. A simple, affordable alternative to insurance. Our network of providers is growing rapidly because it works and Doctors are patients too... With families. If you’re uninsured, pay a heavy deductible or are underinsured, call today.

Toledo/Monroe edition

Health Care Providers wishing to participate, contact info@faircare4all.com

27121 Oakmead Dr., Suite C Perrysburg, OH 43551 Phone 419-897-6490 Fax 419-874-3512 Please visit faircare4all.com to learn how easy health care should be and put to use the smartest plan yet.

Laboratory Physical Therapy X-Ray / CT Scan / MRI Alternative to Emergency Room Care Physician House Calls Ultrasound Discount Prescriptions Compounding General Surgery Family Practice Orthopedics Durable Medical Equipment In-Home Health Care Counseling Supplements Chiropractic

NaturalAwakeningsToledo.com

hormones as “on” switches for different body functions. Without hormones, the body cannot repair and replace tissues. These hormones include testosterone, DHEA, estrogen and thyroid hormones.” Nielsen also seeks to provide maximum molecular repair of the affected joint surface, and then the joint itself, by using additional therapies that include injections and therapies like prolotherapy, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or Synvisc. “By using natural solutions, about 80 percent of the patients that come to me for spinal issues do not need surgery and about 60 percent no longer need joint replacement after the underlying conditions are treated,” states Nielsen. “I have also started seeing Lyme patients because it is such a common underlying cause for joint pain issues.” Nielsen also partners with two other professionals to offer seamless service to his patients. The first, Jan Meier & Associates, run by his wife, are counselors that specialize in pain management. Meier has been a counselor for 25 years and trains other counselors. Her practice offers marriage, family and adolescent counseling and focuses on anxiety, depression and pain management. “Roughly one-third of the patients with depression and anxiety have hormonal issues, so they are referred to me to metabolically repair their hormones. And I refer my patients to Jan’s practice for sessions in pain management techniques,” says Nielson. The second partner is Jack Grogan, of Nutri-Health, in Lambertville, Michigan. “I refer my patients to Jack for all nutritional and supplementation choices,” says Nielsen. “I consider both Jan and Jack integral partners in the WellnessRX family. We also lecture together to help educate the public on natural solutions to health issues. Together, we work in the best interest of our patients to help them live normal and pain-free lives.” WellnessRX is located at 27121 Oakmead Dr., Ste. C, in Perrysburg, OH. For more information, email Jay@wellnessrx.org or call 419-897-6490.

communityspotlight

Sensory Learning Center Offers Life-Changing Program

he Sensory Learning CenterToledo offers a unique 30-day program that uses light, sound and motion to create new pathways in the brain to help eliminate or lessen sensory issues. The center has been offering this program since 2008 and has helped more than 200 patients during that time. However, the program was originally brought to Toledo to help just one child. Dr. Jeff Schmakel, OD, director of the Sensory Learning Center, has always had a passion for helping families with struggles in their lives. He has been a practicing optometrist for 36 years and has incorporated The Vision Improvement Program into his practice for more than 20 years. This vision therapy is an intensive and advanced program that helps people that have trouble with eye movements that can lead to learning and behavioral issues. Schmakel was aware of a child with autism from his church that he wanted to help, but he knew The Vision Improvement Program would be too intense for him. Then, at an optometrist conference, he was introduced to the Sensory Learning Program and decided to bring it back to Toledo for this child. The Sensory Learning Program simultaneously stimulates the visual, auditory and vestibular systems and synergistically helps the patient create new neural pathways to better process his or her environment. The program involves the patient lying on a table that moves while wearing headphones to hear music and looking above at a light. The entire program takes 30 days–12 days on-site for a half-hour twice daily and then 18 days at home

Dr. Jeffrey Schmakel, O.D.

with just light therapy. There are followup appointments at 30, 60 and 90 days out to check on progress and resolve any issues. When Schmakel used the program for the first time on the child he was trying to help, the results were beyond what he expected. It did help the child dramatically and Schmakel was honored to be able to hear the child speak his first complete sentence after several sessions of treatment. Since that time, Schmakel has continued to be amazed by the results. “Every patient that has gone through this program has seen positive results, and they are different and unique to each patient,” states Schmakel. “The Sensory Learning Program can treat a wide variety of sensory integration issues and disorders in-

cluding ADD, ADHD, all spectrums of autism, eye movement issues, focus issues, anxiety, depression, PTSD, head injury, and stroke,” says Schmakel. “The program may help with speech and behavioral issues. Many patients report feeling calmer, having an increased attention span and having a decrease in sensory issues.” Referrals for the program mainly come from other patients, but medical professionals, teachers, physical and occupational therapists and other optometrists often refer patients, too. Most insurance does not cover the program, but many payment plans are available, including Care Credit. Also, there are grants available to families that qualify. The program can help anyone at any age. Free experiential sessions are available and a questionnaire on the website can be completed and submitted to the office to help determine if a patient may benefit from the program. “Many people are not aware this program is available, but it can be lifechanging for parents and kids,” concludes Schmakel. “My goal is to help these patients have a more effective and normal life.” The Sensory Learning Center-Toledo is located at 3454 Oak Alley Ct., Ste. 209, in Toledo. For more information or to complete a free assessment, visit SensoryLearning-Toledo.com or call 419-578-0057.

Call For A Free Wellness Consultation Essential Connection, Ltd. Karla Gleason, IPC# 224532

419-265-3219 gleason.karla@gmail.com www.essential-connection.myoilproducts.com

natural awakenings

August 2014

healthbriefs

Tough Family Life Linked to Chromosome Aging

hen Princeton University researchers analyzed data from a representative sample of 40 African-American boys enrolled in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study that followed children born in major U.S. cities between 1998 and 2000, they determined that those that lived through 9 years of age with less-stable families, such as parents with multiple partners and harsh or hostile parenting styles, had a higher probability of having shorter telomeres compared with other children. Telomeres were, on average, 40 percent longer among children from stable families. Telomeres are the segments of DNA at either end of a chromosome that protect the ends from deterioration or fusion with neighboring chromosomes. Shorter telomeres can decrease life expectancy by reducing the number of times our cells can divide, and scientists are discovering that a person’s living environment may lead to the condition. Using large cohort (age group) study data from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety, another group of researchers from Amsterdam’s Vrije University found significantly shorter telomere length among those with higher stress markers; the shorter length was also associated with aging approximately 10 years faster. In addition, the scientists observed significantly shorter telomere length among people with depressive symptoms lasting longer than four years; the shorter length correlated with both longer and more severe depression.

Parents’ Smoking Linked to Artery Damage in Children

esearchers from Australia’s University of Tasmania have found that children exposed to the secondhand smoke of their parents will likely face abnormally thickened carotid arteries later in life. The finding, published in the European Heart Journal, followed 3,776 children that participated in the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study and the Childhood Determinants of Adult Health Study. The children were divided into groups according to whether neither parent smoked, one parent smoked or both parents smoked. Questionnaire results were combined with ultrasound testing to correlate exposure during childhood with the health of carotid arteries, and researchers concluded that the effects are pervasive even 25 years later. Those exposed to two parental smokers as children had significantly greater thickness of inner carotid artery walls than did children with non-smoking parents. Their arteries also showed signs of premature aging of more than three years compared to children of nonsmokers. The researchers wrote, “There must be continued efforts to reduce smoking among adults to protect young people and to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease across the population.”

Toledo/Monroe edition

NaturalAwakeningsToledo.com

Benefits of Prenatal Yoga Beyond Relaxation

renatal yoga can be restorative and relaxing, but it can also emotionally and physically prepare moms-to-be for labor and delivery. By using meditation, guided breath work and integrated strength-building poses, mothers can gain an edge during their pregnancies. Yoga can help moms learn to meet challenges. Strength-building poses can help the mind adapt to changing situations and create endurance, which may be useful during a lengthy labor. Meditation can clear the thoughts. Strong, flowing inhalations and exhalations can train the mind to withstand high moments of discomfort. By focusing intentions inward and away from the pain, mothers can reach a state of relaxation and have a stress-free, happy birth. Hip and pelvic floor work can aid with ease of delivery. Squatting poses can help prepare the body for birth by strengthening the pelvic floor. This can help expectant moms get used to challenging those muscles. Squatting or being in an upright position during labor has also been shown to have several benefits. Yoga can also help mothers feel empowered and strong during labor with focused and centered breathing, allowing them to learn to “go with the flow” when contractions really become heavy. The vocalization of mantras such as “Om” can also help harness the energy of the event and produce feelings of focus and stress relief. Kelly McLendon is a registered yoga teacher and prenatal yoga instructor at Essence Mind Body Studio, in Perrysburg, OH. She teaches prenatal yoga each Sunday at the studio. For more information, visit EssenceMBS.com.

Pine Bark Extract Reduces Perimenopausal Symptoms

esearch published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine confirms that pine bark extract can significantly reduce symptoms of menopause and perimenopause, including restless legs syndrome and hot flashes. For three months, 170 perimenopausal women were given 30 milligrams of Pycnogenol patented pine bark extract or a placebo twice a day. Although a placebo effect was noted, the supplement significantly improved all but two symptoms and was especially effective in improving vasomotor and insomnia/ sleep patterns. The severity of symptoms among the Pycnogenol group, as measured by the Kupperman Index, decreased 56 percent more than for the placebo group. In another study, scientists from Italy’s Pescara University gave 70 perimenopausal women a placebo or 100 milligrams of Pycnogenol daily for two months. The supplement group experienced fewer menopausal symptoms and showed improvements with symptoms that include fatigue, insomnia, reduced concentration, memory problems, dizziness, depression and irritability.

Flaxseed Lowers Blood Pressure

ating flaxseed reduces blood pressure, according to researchers from Canada’s St. Boniface Hospital Research Center. They attribute the effect to its omega-3 fatty acids, lignans and fiber. The researchers examined the effects of flaxseed on systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with peripheral artery disease, a condition typically marked by hypertension. Patients consumed a variety of foods that collectively contained 30 grams of milled flaxseed or a placebo each day for six months. The flaxseed group experienced significantly increased plasma levels of certain omega-3 fatty acids and lower average systolic blood pressure (by 10 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (by 7 mm Hg). Those in the flaxseed group with initial systolic blood pressure levels over 140 mmHg saw reductions averaging 15 mmHg.

Medicinal Mushrooms Boost Athletic Performance

HEELLESS SHOES MAY HELP PREVENT RUNNERS’ INJURIES

British study published in Footwear Science analyzed the effects of running in experimental heelless footwear compared with conventional running shoes with reinforced heels. The objective was to see if the heelless footwear would reduce the risk of chronic injury related to the habitual rear-foot strike pattern associated with conventional heeled shoes. Using eight cameras with optoelectric running motion capture technology,12 male runners were tracked at four meters per second. The heelless running shoe resulted in less impact, greater plantar flexion and greater ankle eversion (rolling outward). The researchers concluded that the heelless shoes decreased the risk of chronic running foot injuries linked to excessive impact forces, but concede they may increase injury potential associated with excessive ankle eversion.

GROW

esearch from Italy’s Pavia University found two medicinal mushroom species—cordyceps (Cordyceps sinensis) and reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)—significantly improve race performances and recovery times among competitive cyclists. The researchers studied seven male cyclists that had competitively raced for more than 10 years. For one month, they were given placebo supplements, after which the researchers tested their performance and recovery during races and workouts. Then, for the next three months, the cyclists daily used medicinal mushroom supplementation. The researchers found the mushrooms significantly increased performance and recovery in both workouts and races compared with the placebo period. The two types of mushrooms both boosted testosterone levels and reduced post-workout cortisol levels. The mushroom supplementation also increased their antioxidant status, reducing their risk of exhaustion.

Your Business Secure this special ad placement! Contact us for more information.

natural awakenings

August 2014

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

Fitness Update

Healthiest U.S. Metro Areas in 2014 The American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) seventh annual American Fitness Index (AFI) ranks Washington, D.C., at the top with a score of 77.3 (out of 100), followed by Minneapolis-St. Paul (73.5), Portland, Oregon (72.1) Denver (71.7) and San Francisco (71). Metro areas rankings closest to Toledo and Monroe County are Columbus,OH (41.3) and Detroit,MI (37.3). Overall, metro areas in 25 states scored 50 or above; the two lowest-ranking hovered near 25 points. “The AFI data report is a snapshot of the state of health in the community and an evaluation of the infrastructure, community assets and policies that encourage healthy and fit lifestyles. These measures directly affect quality of life in our country’s urban areas,” says Walter Thompson, Ph.D., chair of the AFI advisory board. Find the complete report at AmericanFitnessIndex.org.

Through traditional physical therapy combined with a holistic approach, we will treat the root cause, not just the symptoms. We provide one-on-one compassionate care and help infants to adults get back to what they love most...

Comfortable, family-style atmosphere where you can relax and heal offering: n Physical Therapy

n Accupressure

n Cranial Sacral

n Myofascial

n Neurological Rehab

n Orthopedic

n Aquatics

n And Many More!

Advanced Training and 30 plus years experience

Join us for: • Pilates • Yoga Classes • Roller SelfMobilization Classes • Holistic Lifestyle Coaching

“Lisa is a highly skilled, compassionate Physical Therapist. Her love for her profession is very evident in the care she provides and the rapport she establishes with her patients. I trust Lisa with my own family members.” — M. Webb

Scan to get a special gift!

Call To Get Your Body in Motion Today!

Lisa Kelly, PT, CSCI 440 S. Reynolds Rd. • Toledo 10

Toledo/Monroe edition

419-578-HELP (4357)

www.AlternativePhysicalTherapy.com

NaturalAwakeningsToledo.com

Dirty Waters

Trenton to Chicago via Eco-Outrigger Margo Pellegrino, a homemaker, mother of two and healthy oceans advocate from Medford Lakes, New Jersey, will begin a 1,600-mile journey from nearby Trenton to Chicago, Illinois, by outrigger canoe on August 13 as part of Blue Frontier Campaign’s ocean explorers project. During her two-month trip, she’ll meet with local environmental groups and the media to raise awareness of the urgent need to clean America’s waterways. “All water and everything in it ends up in the ocean,” Pellegrino says. “Plastics and chemicals are particular problems, but soil runoff during floods and heavy rains also impact the ocean and marine life.” During previous paddles, Pellegrino saw firsthand the effects of dumped industrial waste in the waterways she traversed. She notes that nationally, oil rig operators have federal permits to dump 9 billion gallons of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, waste into the ocean each year. On Pellegrino’s first trip in 2007, she paddled nearly 2,000 miles up the Atlantic Coast, from Miami, Florida, to Maine. In 2009, she partnered with the Natural Resources Defense Council to go from Miami to New Orleans, Louisiana, to build support for a Healthy Oceans Act (OnEarth.org/author/healthyoceanspaddle). In 2010, she canoed along the Pacific coastline from Seattle, Washington, to San Diego, California. Next summer, Pellegrino plans to paddle down the Mississippi River. Follow her upcoming trip at Miami2Maine.com or on Facebook.

Cycling Rx

Doctors Order Up a Bike for Patients The Prescribe-a-Bike program (Tinyurl.com/Prescription Bikes) allows doctors at Boston Medical Center, in Massachusetts, to write low-income patients prescriptions for a one-year membership to Hubway, the city’s bike-sharing system, for $5, which is $80 less than the regular charge. A free helmet is part of the deal. According to The Boston Globe, one in four Boston residents is obese, and Kate Walsh, chief executive of Boston Medical Center, believes the program can help. “Regular exercise is key to combating this [obesity] trend, and Prescribe-a-Bike,” she says, “is one important way our caregivers can help patients get the exercise they need to be healthy.”

The WarkaWater tower is providing an innovative new way to harvest safe drinking water, normally an onerous task in Ethiopia and many other parts of Africa. Obtaining water via repeated trips to the nearest source is extremely time-consuming and what’s collected is often highly contaminated and harmful to drink. Also, this task is commonly carried out by females, putting them in danger of sexual harassment or worse enroute. The towers, inspired by the native warka tree, are a vertical bamboo system that harvests potable, clean water from the air through condensation, using a fog-harvesting fabric that can collect up to 25 gallons of safe drinking water per day. Each tower costs about $550, and can be built in a few days by village residents using locally available materials.

Some educators believe that improvements in instruction, curriculum and school environments are not enough to raise the achievement levels of all students, especially disadvantaged children. Also necessary is a quality called “grit”, loosely defined as persistence over time to overcome challenges and accomplish big goals. Grit comprises a suite of traits and behaviors that include goal-directedness (knowing where to go and how to get there); motivation (having a strong will to achieve identified goals); self-control (avoiding distractions and focusing on the task at hand); and a positive mindset (embracing challenges and viewing failure as a learning opportunity). A meta-study of 25 years of research by John Hattie and Helen Timperley, professors at the University of Aukland, New Zealand, has shown that giving students challenging goals encourages greater effort and persistence than providing vague or no direction. Students aren’t hardwired for these qualities, but grit can be developed through an emerging battery of evidence-based techniques that give educators a powerful new set of tools to support student success. A famous example of the power of self-regulation was observed when preschoolers that were able to withstand the temptation of eating a marshmallow for 15 minutes to receive a second one were more successful in high school and scored about 210 points higher on their SATs later in life than those with less willpower (Tinyurl.com/Stanford MarshallowStudy).

Source: Inhabitat.com

Source: ascd.org.

Flight Zone

Airports Establish Bee-Friendly Acres The Common Acre is a nonprofit partnering with the airport serving Seattle, Washington, and the Urban Bee Company (UrbanBee.com) to reclaim 50 acres of vacant land to plant native wildflowers as pollinator habitat for hummingbirds, butterflies and disease-resistant bee colonies. A GMO-free (no genetic modification) wildflower seed farm is also in the works. Bees present no threat to air traffic and the hives discourage birds that do pose a danger to planes. Beekeeper Jim Robins, of Robins Apiaries, in St. Louis, Missouri, rents an area with a plentiful supply of white Dutch clover, and Lambert Airport views his enterprise as part of its sustainability program. O’Hare Airport, in Chicago, the first in the U.S. to install hives, is rebuilding to its full complement of 50 hives after losing about half of them to 2014’s extreme winter. It’s a project that could be a model for airports everywhere—using inaccessible scrubland to do something revolutionary, like supporting a local food system. One hundred foods make up 90 percent of a human diet, and bees pollinate 71 of them. Learn more at CommonAcre.org.

Harvesting Fog

Simple Device Provides Safe Water in Africa photo: ArchitectureAndVision.com

True Grit

Why Persistence Counts

Source: The Atlantic Monthly

natural awakenings

August 2014

therapybriefs

Tapping is New Tool to Control Anxiety in Children

nxiety is a normal response to stress. A little anxiety can actually be beneficial in enhancing performance. But when anxiety becomes excessive, children may have difficulty controlling it and end up with frequently recurring periods of high anxiety and distress. According to the National Institutes of Health, one in five children will develop an anxiety disorder. Children with an anxiety disorder worry excessively about a variety of things, such as grades, family issues, relationships with peers and performance in sports. Children with anxiety tend to be very hard on themselves and strive for perfection. They may also seek constant approval or reassurance from others. Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), or Tapping, is a self-help tool that is easy for children to learn. With EFT, children use their fingers to tap on a series of acupuncture points while focusing on the negatives they wish to release. An affirmative statement is used to neutralize the negatives. The sequence can be completed in minutes with immediate results. Research studies have found that cortisol levels are significantly reduced through the Tapping process. The mechanism is explained by the Eastern paradigms underlying acupuncture principles that assume there are bioenergies (qi) that guide the functions of the physical body, and that there are higher concentrations of these energies at acupuncture points. Stimulation of these acupoints by needles or pressure releases blocks and regulates energy flow, restoring oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural state of wellness. Tapping is safe to use and can be applied in any situation as needed. Teachers that use Tapping in their classrooms report that the technique has a positive effect upon the entire class. Parents that tap with their children notice that they experience a calming effect while observing their children move into the relaxation response. Students that have been taught Tapping in school report using it to reduce stress, induce calmness, improve sports/recital performances, help with focus when studying, decrease test anxiety, reduce pain due to injuries, recover from nightmares, soothe relationship wounds and cope with adversity. Children are empowered when they realize they can take control of their feelings. Relief is only a few taps away. Cindy Baker, MEd, is a licensed school psychologist and certified energy psychology practitioner. For more information, contact her at CindyBaker001@gmail.com or visit TappToledo.com.

Toledo/Monroe edition

NaturalAwakeningsToledo.com

The hCG Diet Protocol

he hCG weight-loss program was formulated in the 1950s by Dr. A.T.W. Simeons. It is a 500-calorie diet done in conjunction with injections of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Women are expected to see a one-half-toone-pound loss daily, while men lose one-to-two pounds per day. The program was originally performed to reset the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s metabolism to that of a thin person. The program can be followed in 23- or 40-day increments. The initial visit lasts about 45 to 60 minutes, including an exam and thorough explanation of the hCG protocol and diet; lab work may need to be performed. The patient is then given the necessary documentation explaining the daily food regimen. The diet consists of coffee or tea for breakfast and two meals throughout the day. The foods allowed are proteins, vegetables, fruits and a breadstick. Patients are expected to drink one-half-ounce per body pound of liquid during the program to help with detoxification. At the end of the program, an additional diet is given to ensure weight loss. The restricted diet only allows for weight loss because the hCG takes nutrients from stored fat and feeds the body; the diet alone will not work. The injection uses an insulin-like syringe or a sublingual tablet. Injections are self-administered daily for the first 14 days and six out of seven days for the duration of the program. For more information, contact Dr. Mark Neumann, DO, of MSN Healthcare, at 734-847-4700 or DrMarkNeumann.com.

actionalert

ecotip

Dangerous Influx

New School Rules

Gas Pipeline Pumps Radioactive Radon into Homes In New York City, the Spectra gas pipeline that went online in 2013 is delivering more than just energyefficient, clean-burning natural gas from Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale. It’s also piping radioactive radon gas that’s contaminating commercial and residential boilers, ovens, stoves, dryers and water heaters at 30 to 80 times baseline levels—well above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency safe level for radiation exposure. According to Dr. Sheila BushkinBedient, with the University of Albany, New York, “While it may be possible to remove other components of raw natural gas such as ethane, propane, butane and pentanes at natural gas processing centers, it’s not possible to remove radioactive substances such as radon. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers and the second-leading cause among smokers and indirect (secondhand) smokers.” The Spectra conduit is one of hundreds of pipelines and fossil fuel infrastructure projects across the country being quickly approved by the Federal Energy and Regulatory Commission. Citizens should demand that elected officials connect the dots and halt the uncontrolled rush to drill new sites regardless of safety concerns and let them know people are alarmed by the possibility of radioactive gas entering their communities.

Eco Strategies for Back-to-School Prep Families preparing for the coming school year will welcome easy ways to stretch the budget while protecting the environment our kids are growing up in. n Buying new clothes can be expensive, and most of today’s synthetic fibers are petroleum-based, while toxic pesticides are commonly used to grow cotton. For healthier alternatives, check labels for clothes made from organic, low-impact or recycled materials such as organic cotton, hemp, bamboo or recycled fibers. Inexpensive options are found in Salvation Army and other thrift store locations, as well as repurposing hand-me-downs among siblings. n Avoid buying all new school supplies. Gently used binders and book bags can last years. Sturdy, simple backpacks skip the cost of faddish brand-name and celebrity products. For supplies that must be replenished, like paper, seek out postconsumer-recycled options. n For lunch boxes, food containers and utensils, look for retro metal, a cloth bag and other alternatives to plastic (which can contain harmful chemicals) and glass (which can break). Beth Terry, in her book, Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too (MyPlasticFreeLife.com), suggests searching Mighty Nest.com and LifeWithoutPlastic.com, makers of stainless steel, naturally lacquered wood and other non-plastic, durable children’s bowls, cups, plates and utensils. n Healthy afterschool extracurricular activities today typically require driving commutes. Look into carpooling with nearby families to save time and gas, cut vehicle emissions and expand friendships. n Check the school’s eco-practices. Encourage local administrators to conduct recycling programs and to email documents to parents instead of using regular mail.

We Focus on Posture Not Poses. Hot YogAlign with Joe classes are postural based movement exercises that range from beginner to intermediate level done in a humid room. We do not believe in using force, we practice Ahimsa, compassion and caring to gently and intelligently transform ourselves.

To learn more, visit MariasFarmCountry Kitchen.com/radon-gas.

Joe Sparks, LMT

The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique.

www.HotYogAlignWithJoe.com

~Walt Disney

(419) 345-0885

29101 Hufford Rd. Rm. 103 • Perrysburg

joe.sparks@toast.net

An hour session at this temperature promotes sweating and makes the body very warm, relaxed and therefore, naturally more flexible and strong. At the end of the session you will feel aligned, with your body moving and breathing with less effort, less tension, and no PAIN! So, you can have your kid-like flexibility back! We want your whole mind and body involved in this process, not parts. — Aloha & Namaste, Joe

Before and After photos after my YogAlign Teachers Training in Kauai

March 11th - April 19th 2013.

Please read about Michaelle Edwards in the New York Times article: Women’s Flexibility is a Liability (in Yoga) natural awakenings

August 2014

Learning that Transforms Hearts and Minds Rethinking How We See Our World Changes Everything by Linda Sechrist

n the 30 years since Harrison Owen introduced Open Space Technology (OST), it has been used hundreds of thousands of times by three-quarters of the world’s countries. Whether a few people gather in a circle to share ideas and brainstorm personal issues or thousands discuss a bulletin board of topics around tables, OST is a safe, informal venue for transformative learning. Guided by purpose-based, shared leadership, it allows individuals focused on a specific task to freely speak their thoughts and be heard. It also encourages breakout groups to mine for more information—learning individually, as well as collectively, and self-organizing in order to concentrate on more complex topics. “Boeing engineers used OST to learn how to redesign airplane doors and young Egyptians used it to strategize for their Arab Spring,” as examples, comments Owen.

Circle Principle

For Owen, like Jack Mezirow, author of the paper, “Core Principles of Transformative Learning Theory,” 20th-century Brazilian educator Paulo Freire and Juanita Brown, co-founder of The World Café, learning is transformation, the 14

Toledo/Monroe edition

keystone of life, and the essence of meaningful education. “The circle principle contains the predictability of fresh, emerging thoughts and learning that never occurred previously,” explains Owen. He points to an experiment regarding children’s capacity for self-learning initiated by Sugata Mitra, Ph.D., the former science director of an educational technology firm in India. On the outside wall of the building where he worked, Mitra installed a computer facing a New Delhi slum where most children were unschooled and illiterate and had never seen a computer. He turned it on and told children they could play with it. Via a noninvasive video camera, he watched 7-to-13-year-olds discover how to use the computer and teach each other how to play music and games and draw using Microsoft’s Paint program. Repetition of the experiment in other impoverished sections of India yielded similar results. Wherever he established an Internet connection, children that could not read English, the Internet’s default language, taught themselves how to use the Web to obtain information through their interactions with each other and the computer.

NaturalAwakeningsToledo.com

“I agree with what Mitra surmised from his experiment—learning is emergent, which is another word for self-organizing,” remarks Owen. Like Freire, Owen likens traditional education to the “banking” method of learning, whereby the teacher passes information to students that become dependent on someone else rather than learning how to think on their own. Suzanne Daigle, a Sarasota, Florida-based consultant with a Canadian multidisciplinary consulting firm, explains how the OST learning environment changed her life: “My personal transformation began in 2009, when I volunteered to assist another OST facilitator. I was a perfectionist who judged myself harshly and struggled with the question, ‘Who am I to think I can help hold space for leaders to transform themselves through their learning when I have so little experience?’” She notes, “Before such experiences, even though I was a leader in my corporate career, I doubted myself and often believed that what others had to say was more significant and interesting than what I could express.” Now she says she has shed her people-pleasing tendencies and former attempts to control other people’s agendas and discovered the freedom and courage of her own voice. “As an OST facilitator, my life work now occurs in the moments I am collaboratively learning and listening for opportunities to enter into meaningful conversations that can lead to actions,” says Daigle. “I invite others to do the same.”

Co-Learning

In a compulsory two-year Theory of Learning class for an International Baccalaureate degree at California’s Granadas Hill Charter High School, math and science educator Anais Arteaga helps students apply two major elements of transformative learning: self-reflection to critique one’s own assumptions and discourse through which they question or validate their judgments. She focuses on the roles that perception, language, reason and emotion play in a student’s learning and decision-making abilities. “Questions and lively discussions are the basis of the class,” Arteaga says. “We begin with a question and

explore what we know, how we know it and any conclusions drawn from the process.” Using a democratic model in which the teacher welcomes critical discussion, Arteaga and her students have mutually discovered that knowledge is not static, but has a history and changes over time. “When we first started the class, it was challenging to accept that in many situations there is no right or wrong, just relativity and a matter of perception. We don’t really know anything for certain,” she remarks.

Worldview Explorations

Katia Petersen, Ph.D., is the executive director of education at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), headquartered in Petaluma, California. She co-developed the tools, practices and 22 lessons in the pioneering organization’s Worldview Explorations (WE) project. Founded on 40 years of IONS research, WE engages everyone in age-appropriate ways in reflecting upon long-held assumptions and how beliefs create the lens they see through, ultimately improving how they understand and respond to the world. “When individuals understand the power of offering their story and are open to the worldview stories of others, they no longer focus attention on differences and limitations,” says Petersen. “They realize that everyone has their own truth.” Through small groups and conversations, participants unpack how

Total Body Fitness

Positively Fit

the program has influenced them by answering questions that explore what inspired, surprised and changed the way they perceive the world. “WE’s transformative learning experiences draw from the heart and soul of individuals, rather than stuffing heads with ideas and perspectives, which serves them well as they embody and apply these tools and practices in their daily lives,” notes Petersen. She cites a particularly powerful moment for a group of young people she worked with. “A student was killed in a drive-by shooting two weeks before their certification. The transformative moment came when they said that their new awareness and capacity for compassion and understanding would not allow them to seek revenge. Instead, they chose to save lives in their communities using their new skills.”

Mycelium School

Ashley Cooper and Matt Abrams, cofounders of the Mycelium School, in Asheville, North Carolina, re-imagined a learning environment for aspiring entrepreneurs and social change agents committed to activating their potential and realizing solutions to today’s challenges. A 12-week learning journey allows individuals to become increasingly adept at learning from and helping each other learn. The curriculum offers minimum structure, significant support and collaboration with others. “In the learning

community, individuals are dedicated to a project or life question of their choice,” explains Cooper. Participants’ goals include changing careers, determining the next steps after retirement or how to pursue true passions to make a difference in the world. Cheri Torres, Ph.D., founder of the Asheville-based Innovation Partners International SE, was one of the earliest participants in the Mycelium Learning experience. She says that she obtained an expanded understanding of the approach that she uses in her work. “The whole systems approach I use with organizational and community leaders enables them to shift from a top-down management model to one that engages everyone and uses the collective intelligence and collaborative efforts of all for the collective good. My own learning journey transformed the level of awareness I bring to my work and the understanding of who I am,” advises Torres. “My original guiding question was, ‘How can I get so clear about my work that I can explain it in plain language?’ Ultimately, my question shifted to what would it be like for me to live and work from a place of wholeness. Through conversations with Ashley and self-reflection, I realized I was not walking my talk within my own mind-body-spirit system. My journey helped me understand that my most effective role in my own life, as well as with clients, is to create the

Nutrition for the Best of Health

• Personal Training • Strength Training & Conditioning • Complete Body Wellness

www.BePositivelyFit.com • Achieve your goals of a fit and lean body • Increase your energy • Feel great

Maryellen Grogan, CPT, MES

419-893-5105

108 E. Dudley, Maumee Email: Bepositivelyfit@gmail.com

• Vitamin Mineral Supplements • Hair Analysis Profile • Seminars

Jack Grogan, B.Ed, C.N.

734-856-9199

8336 Monroe Rd. • Lambertville natural awakenings

August 2014

conditions for collective intelligence and collaboration to emerge in service to the whole,” says Torres.

World Café

Like OST, the World Café, co-created by Brown and David Isaacs, of Burnsville, North Carolina, creates a transformative learning environment for individuals of all ages. Its primary principles are: set the context, create hospitable space, explore questions that matter, encourage everyone’s contributions, connect diverse perspectives, listen together for patterns and insights and share collective discoveries. Webs of conversation created around actual or occasionally virtual tables resemble those found in coffeehouses. “Conversation is a core meaningmaking process, and people get to experience how the collective intelligence of a small or large group can become apparent,” says Brown. After several rounds of conversation on one or more topics, participants offer their harvest of key insights, learning and opportunities for action with the full group gathered to reflect together on their discoveries. “World Café provides an environment in which you are comfortably drawn forward by the questions you are asking together. When enough diversity is present, varied perspectives are offered and people feel listened to and free to make their contribution,” observes Brown. What participants learn in this setting creates the climate of conditions that support the kinds of transformations that can change lives. Brown remarks, “When it happens to me, I feel like my brain cells have been rearranged. I know something in the collective, as well as the individual, has been evoked, so that something never before imagined becomes present and available.” Transformative learning has been compared to a sea journey without landmarks. Adventurous individuals that are open to traversing its highly engaging processes can emerge as autonomous thinkers, capable of contributing fresh, new ideas that just might transform the world we live in. Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. Visit ItsAllAbout We.com for the recorded interviews. 16

Toledo/Monroe edition

inspiration

Be Happy Now Simple Ways to Quickly Lift Your Spirits by April Thompson

inger-songwriter Pharrell Williams, whose infectious hit song, “Happy,” has spread joy worldwide, seems to know the secret to happiness. More than 1,500 people from 140-plus countries have posted their own happy video spinoffs at WeAreHappyFrom.com, inspired by his daylong music video featuring Los Angeles residents from all walks of life dancing and lip-syncing to the tune. Can happiness really be just a finger snap away? It depends on our unit of measurement—a moment versus a lifetime. Research by such authorities as Psychologist Martin Seligman, Ph.D., director of the University of Pennsylvania Positive Psychology Center, suggests that several basic ingredients are keys to long-term happiness, including a sense of purpose, engaging activities, quality relationships and achievable goals. Ultimately, happiness is a subjective state, gauged only by personal perception. Still, there are quick, simple things we can do to shift our mood into a higher gear, according to Jonathan Robinson, author of Find Happiness Now: 50 Shortcuts for Bringing More Love, Balance, and Joy Into Your Life. “Broadly, happiness shortcuts fall into two categories—those that help in letting go of negative emotions and those that help in tuning into or expanding positive feelings,” says Robinson. “The

end result is the same.” Practice gratitude. When the day’s affronts seem excessive, we can reframe them by counting our blessings mentally or in a journal. Review the day with an eye to everything that went right. “Soon, you’ll start to see everything as a gift,” observes Robinson. Pencil it in. Take a few moments at the start of each week to block out a little time every day for happy activities. Pay it forward. It doesn’t take much to make someone’s day, advises Robinson. Give someone a compliment or a piece of chocolate and watch their attitude instantly change, which in turn lifts you into their happy cloud. Sing and dance. Williams applies this secret: Moving our bodies and vibrating our vocal chords helps shake us out of our mental cages. “It’s hard to feel bad when you sing. It’s a choice: You can stay angry for four hours or sing for 15 seconds,” Robinson notes. Don’t underestimate the power of a simple jumpstart to happiness. Research from the University of Arizona shows that as little as a forced smile not only releases stress-fighting neuropeptides and mood-lifting serotonin in the brain, it activates a chain reaction of happiness around us. Connect with freelance writer April Thompson at AprilWrites.com.

This fall, the University of California-Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center will host the first public online course on the Science of Happiness. According to Dacher Keltner, Ph.D., professor of psychology and founding director of the center, the university’s meta-analysis of research indicates that 50 percent of our happiness level is tied to genetics, while only 10 percent stems from our environment. “Therefore, about 40 percent of your happiness is up to you,” remarks Keltner. Students will learn practical, scientifically tested strategies for nurturing their own happiness and tracking progress. Sign up to audit the free course, which has already attracted 40,000 registrants, at Tinyurl.com/UCLA-Happiness.

NaturalAwakeningsToledo.com

Teachers, students and parents at Weinacker’s Montessori School, in Mobile, Alabama, apply daily, weekly, monthly and yearly logs of goals and work plans to track progress. All of this can be adjusted as kids discover new topics they want to learn more about.

Waldorf

Schools that Rock Innovators Blaze Creative Paths by Sandra Murphy

Creative educational initiatives offer more flexible programs of study than traditional institutions. First introduced into the United States in the latter part of the 20th century, today there are thousands of such facilities operating according to their own lights. Yet many share certain distinguishing characteristics including emphasis on close studentteacher relationships, diverse experiential learning and development of student decision-making skills aided by peer and parental support. All aim to prepare and equip students for future success both inside and outside the classroom.

Montessori

At age 3, kids at the Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School, in Maryland, are gaining early math and motor skills, plus an appreciation for healthy foods, in unique and innovative ways. “The children roll out a long mat containing 1,000 beads that they use to learn to count by twos, fours and 10s,” says Jenny Smolen, development coordinator and grant writer for the school. “When it’s time for multiplication and division, they’re prepared.” The school is located in a food desert—fresh, unprocessed food isn’t readily available—so the kids plant

seeds to grow in pots until it’s time to transplant them to the garden. “Before the seed-to-table program, the kids didn’t know what fresh tasted like. Now they go home and ask for vegetables for dinner,” says Smolen. The school also has six chickens that supply fresh eggs, and two beehives produced 100 pounds of honey last year that was sold to raise funds. The school is free of charge to Baltimore city students chosen by lottery. Currently, 330 students from diverse backgrounds ages 3 through 13 attend, with 1,000 names on the waiting list.

Waldorf School alumna Jocelyn Miller, an account manager at Matter Communications, drives 45 minutes from Newburyport, Massachusetts, to take her three children to The Waldorf School at Moraine Farms, in Beverly. “On bad weather days, I wonder why I make the drive, but the smiles when we arrive are worth it,” she says. There, her children spend time outdoors regardless of the weather. Indoors, they draw illustrations to bolster lessons on history and geography. Second-graders work in three-hour blocks of time, rather than the traditional 45 minutes. Fifth-grade students recently spent three weeks studying Greek mythology. Older students play in an orchestra and learn German and Spanish. They also knit; the craft builds manual dexterity and helps children learn to plan, correct mistakes, be creative, visualize the finished product and mindfully create something useful or decorative. Middle school and high school students at the Waldorf School of Garden City, in New York, universally participate in seasonal sports—baseball, softball, basketball and soccer. The emphasis on the values of teamwork and sportsmanship complement development of skills. The school’s policy is, “You don’t have to be a superstar to get playing time,” noting that the quality of athletic teams is consistently strong. The school also brings some green into the city with a horticultural program that fully cultivates a quarter-

natural awakenings

August 2014

acre field. Its steady harvest of fruits, vegetables, herbs and grains includes lettuce, beans, spinach, broccoli, kale, corn, oregano, thyme, rosemary, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. A new greenhouse keeps produce growing through winter months. Students at Conservatory Prep High School, in Davie, Florida, were tasked with finding a way to walk on water in order to explore principles of flotation and buoyancy. After researching and experimenting with each of a series of materials, they analyzed what went wrong, worked to fix it and then tried again. “We did the testing at our onsite pool,” says Wendy Weiner, Ed.D., the school’s founder and principal and a Waldorf alumna. “We saw some pretty funny results, but they eventually invented a pair of shoes that worked. Of course, they were pretty big shoes.”

Homeschooling

Homeschooling provides another option. Parents don’t need to know all about a subject with organizations like Bridgeway Academy’s homeschool curricula at hand. This Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, institution provides easy access to tools and support for families nationwide. “We’re a kindergartento-12th-grade provider,” says Jessica Parnell, academy president. “Teachers in a school setting have to teach

Children at Wisconsin’s Montessori School of Waukesha learn to baste; spoon beans or rice from bowls; cut paper, draw, paint or paste cutouts; and sew or embroider using a three-finger grip. It strengthens the muscles they will need later to practice writing skills.

Toledo/Monroe edition

standardized subjects, in certain ways, to the whole class. We use customized learning to inspire and excite children individually. We help parents discover their child’s learning style, personality and ideal learning environment.” Materials provided include instructor guides, user-friendly websites and interactive games and other activities. “It gives kids the freedom to explore, learn and discover,” Parnell adds. “This is how you grow a lifelong learner.”

Un-Schooling

Un-schooling, another pioneering approach, is a method of homeschooling in which children pursue areas that interest them, eat foods they enjoy, rest when needed, choose friends of all ages or none at all and engage their world in unique, powerful and self-directed ways. Suzanne Strisower, a life and career coach in Oroville, California, has written a commoncore, standards-based curriculum for un-schoolers. “It’s a yearlong program for ages 15 and up designed to enable a student to realize his career path and life’s purpose,” she says.

Online Tutorials

“There’s an explosion in online learning, too,” observes Bob Bowdon, executive director of nonprofit Choice Media, an education news service at ChoiceMedia.tv, produced in New York City. School kids in some states are able to opt out of a class at school if they feel the teaching style is holding them back, instead tapping online teachers available in a virtual school setting. Louisiana’s Department of Education’s Jump Start program partners high schools and local companies to offer students one-day-a-week internships apprenticing in trades. “It’s real-world, on-the-job training,” says Bowdon. Thanks to such innovative approaches to school curricula and technology, parents and children have more options than ever before for learning. Instead of memorizing information until the next test and then forgetting it, more learning is customized and hands-on, because children that learn by doing, remember. Connect with Sandra Murphy at StLouis FreelanceWriter@mindspring.com.

Standout Schools Help Inner-City Kids Shine New York City students participating in The Young Women’s Leadership of East Harlem School are motivated to think about where, not if, they will attend college. The first three all-girl graduating classes boasted 100 percent college enrollment with the help of the Young Women’s Leadership College Bound Initiative, which funds a full-time college counselor at several of the city’s public high schools. The majority of the students are the first in their families to attend college. Harlem Village Academy Charter School, in Manhattan, ranks highest among all public, non-selective high schools in New York City in terms of college enrollment. Because many

NaturalAwakeningsToledo.com

children enter it as fifth-graders with a first grade reading ability, they typically receive extracurricular, phonics-based reading instruction, attend a homework club and have access to outside tutors. Performance generally improves throughout middle school, and 90 percent of the students stay in the Harlem Village Academies (HVA) network through high school. The class of 2012 had a 100 percent graduation rate compared with a 60 percent average for the city’s high schools. Nationally, only 8 percent of low-income students graduate from college, but 88 percent of all HVA high school graduates starting with its first senior class in 2011 have remain enrolled in college classes.

(an intense obstacle course challenge), Chertok can personally testify to the benefits of camaraderie. “It’s just like if a married couple got stuck in a storm and had to brave the elements; the act of doing something challenging together is very bonding.” Simply joining a recreational running group—also increasingly popular and often social media-driven—can bolster success. “When a bunch of individuals work together to pursue a common goal, they are incentivized by the group,” Chertok remarks. “You’ll run at a faster clip or go a longer distance if you are with a group, because each runner values the group and doesn’t want to let members down.”

fitbody

Runner’s Hi Women and Social Media Revolutionize the Sport by Debra Melani

hether donning colorful tutus or making a marathon a girls’ day out, the current running scene is attracting a broader group of fitness-seekers mindful of the enhanced benefits of a more well-rounded approach. Rather than pursuing fierce competition and personal bests, these runners are focusing on social bonding and overall well-being, likely boosting their fitness success. Two main factors are fueling what’s shaping up as a new running boom: women and social media. “The first running-boom era was male-centric and competitive,” observes Ryan Lamppa, of Running USA. He’s referring to the 1970s, when, largely thanks to 1972 Summer Olympic marathon gold medal winner Frank Shorter and The Complete Book of Running, by James Fixx, many were inspired to hook up Walkmans, lace up sneakers and train for distance races. “Today’s running boom is female-centric, much bigger and more focused on health and fitness and completion, rather than competition.” Forget elapsed running time; just cross the finish line and have fun doing it, seems to be a growing mantra. Women’s participation hit an all-time high in recent years, comprising 56 percent of the more than 15.5 million runners finishing U.S. races sanctioned by Running USA in 2012 and 61 percent of U.S. half-marathoners in 2013.

Brings Balance

“Women tend to be more social and more in tune with their health overall, and that’s definitely a driving force,” Lamppa says. Couple the female factor with social media-driven, nontraditional race events and the result is explosive. “Events are fun, community-centered and sometimes charity-driven,” Lamppa says of the many innovations, from paint-splashing 5Ks to mud-slinging obstacle course action, which attracted 4 million entrants last year.

Boosts Bonding

These trends could indicate America’s collective progress toward fitness as studies show the social factor plays a huge motivational role in participation. “I think running adherence strengthens when there is accountability and social support,” remarks Englewood, New Jersey, sports psychologist Greg Chertok, citing a meta-analysis of data in Sport & Exercise Psychology Review that backs his notion. For example, such social exercise events inspire happiness. “If you are physically close to someone that is happy, eager and optimistic, you are naturally going to share those feelings,” explains Chertok, who is also a spokesman for the American College of Sports Medicine. “Just through social connectedness alone, you’ll gain boosted performance and mood.” As a finisher of two Tough Mudders

Mixing things up can also improve running performance and decrease risks of injury, enhancing long-term staying power. One study found that eight weeks of simple strength-training exercises by conditioned runners boosted their running performances over their conditioned, but non-strength-training peers, as noted in the Health & Fitness Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine. As for injury prevention, everybody, regardless of sport, needs to cross-train, advises Mindy Caplan, a wellness coach in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “In any sport that you engage in, you end up working certain muscles the same way all the time. Then those tighter muscles start to pull on the joints and without stretching, you end up with problems.” Moving the body in different ways helps, and working on stretching and flexibility can elongate muscles and protect tendons and joints. “The new runner of this second running boom has much more information about training, health and fitness, and injury prevention,” says Lamppa, who occasionally cross-trains by biking and includes some yoga-related stretching as part of his regular routine. “You have to have balance in your running as in your life. If you can get to that point, you will get a very positive response from your body and mind.” Freelance journalist Debra Melani writes about health care and fitness from Lyons, CO. Connect at Debra Melani.com or DMelani@msn.com.

natural awakenings

August 2014

greenliving

49965 Van Dyke Ave Shelby Township, MI 48317

Are you looking for a unique historical venue for your next special event?

his beautiful automotive history site is situated on 14 acres and features Albert Kahn designed buildings, and is a lovely venue for weddings and special occasions. The large Repair Garage Banquet Center Room can accommodate up to 300 guests, and the smaller Lodge Garage room is great for smaller meetings and celebrations.

Visit us on a Saturday 9am-2pm The site is open for venue tours during our weekly farmers market which is held on the grounds May through October.

Mark your calendar for our Annual Open House on Sunday, October 19th Contact: Mary Anne, Event Coordinator 586-943-5785 cell/text • maryannedemo@gmail.com www.PackardEvents.org Packard Proving Grounds Historic Site

Day Care Goes Green What’s Good for Kids is Good for the World by Avery Mack

Summer Love, Find Your Natural Match!

the largest database of health-conscious Join and eco-minded, spiritual singles for FREE

and manifest an extraordinary relationship!

Join for FREE at NaturalAwakeningsSingles.com 20

Toledo/Monroe edition

NaturalAwakeningsToledo.com

ith children especially susceptible to germs, chemical sensitivities and allergens, it makes sense to ensure that the child-friendliness of day care facilities extends to their ecological integrity. When Denise Adusei, of New York City, was unable to find a preschool that included all the criteria she sought, she decided to create and direct Peartree Preschool, a yearround day care facility for 2-to-5-year-olds. “An eco-friendly day care environment is more than nontoxic paint, organic food and unscented soaps. It’s what you don’t see, as well,” says Adusei. “We first looked for a building with lots of natural light near Central Park. Manhattan has a high rate of allergens, so we went ahead with a thorough environmental inspection on what looked like an ideal building,” recalls Adusei. Inspectors pulled tiles from the floor, opened walls to check for mold and collected samples. “When they discovered signs of an old oil spill in the basement, we knew it was an unsafe place for children. We kept looking until we found the right building with large windows, near the park and environmentally safe,” she says, noting that her own kids now attend Peartree. Workplace coach Paul E. McGinniss, who also blogs at NewYorkGreenAdvocate.com, says, “Creating a garden onsite and connecting with local farmers or CSAs [community supported agriculture] to provide healthy, fresh foods is a great way to educate kids via a learning activity. New York’s Hudson Valley, where I live, has a farm to school move-

ment. Everyone should know where their food comes from,” he says, echoing another day care cornerstone. In Madison, Connecticut, Tina Pascoe, a registered nurse, attorney and health consultant, co-founded Nurses for Day Care, a nationwide program. The staff finds that many children are sensitive to dye additives in mustard or ketchup, certain oils in soap, paint or cleaning fumes and fire-retardant chemicals embedded in new rugs and carpeting. “We push for the whole school to go green, not just the classroom, with the sensitive or allergic child in mind,” she says. “We’re willing to do whatever it takes, like providing special menus, banning perfumes and smoking, and only using disinfectant wipes or bleach during nighttime cleaning.” Pascoe personally works with about 80 facilities throughout the state. The Cottages at Michaels Learning Center, in Sarasota, is Florida’s first school to earn a Level Three Green School and green infant care certification from the National Green School Coalition and operates the city’s only certified green infant care program. Children from 6 weeks through kindergarten benefit. The school even conducts regular radon testing. Owner and Director Michelle Ireland assesses, “It’s cause and effect. One of the things we teach the children is how our actions have an impact on the world.” Mark Stedelbauer, vice president of marketing at eWater Advantage, in Raleigh, North Carolina, strives to inform day care administrators about the value of using electrolyzed water instead of cleansers. An electrical current that runs through a blend of ordinary tap water and minerals changes the basic nature of water. A lower pH creates a disinfecting solution; a higher pH results in a degreaser. Both solutions clean and kill germs without fumes, residue or allergy triggers. “Often, the combined cost of the electricity, water and mineral supplements used is less than what would be spent on multiple cleaning products,” Stedelbauer points out. It can be created by the half-gallon in a toaster-sized unit onsite and has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture (for use on meat) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (for use on produce). Also, electrolyzed water won’t harm skin or clothing. Creative Minds Learning Centers’ six locations are recognized by the Oregon Program of Quality as among the top 25 schools in the state. They buy renewable energy from wind, solar and biomass sources. At the school, they compost, plant sustainable gardens, collect rainwater and recycle. Nature preschools in the U.S., nearly 30 sites and growing, use a community nature center as a regular part of their learning program (Tinyurl.com/NaturePreschools). Generally, the children are outdoors for 45 to 90 minutes per day, weather permitting, and flexible activities allow them to investigate their own interests safely. Daily explorations build valuable skills like observation, sorting and experimentation. Children experiencing green day care see firsthand how healthy, environmentally sound choices can help make their present and future safe. Telling their parents about their school experiences is a natural bonus. Avery Mack is a freelance writer in St. Louis, MO. Connect via AveryMack@mindspring.com.

Trying to Get Pregnant? Dr. Douglas Schwan specializes in Acupuncture for Fertility

Call Now! 419.472.7055 Acupuncture can be used to treat many types of fertility disorders including…. Spasmed Tubes Elevated FSH Repeated Loss

Idiopathic Infertility Male Factors PCOS

Toledo Holistic Healthcare 2828 W Central Toledo OH

Heal Your Mind & Body. Heal trauma and emotional issues with hypnosis; Break through barriers to success with Life Coaching; NBHC can help you • Lose Weight • Stop Smoking • Gain Confidence • Relieve Pain

• Relieve Stress • Improve Focus

Learn and Grow with weekly classes AND MORE!

For a limited time, mention this ad and

save 20% on your first visit. New Beginnings Healing Center

202 N. McCord • Toledo • www.nbhctoledo.com

Practitioners! Rent Beautifully Furnished Space Inexpensively! Call 419.861.7786 natural awakenings

August 2014

WATER DOGGIES Given a Pool or Lake, Canines Dive Into Action by Sandra Murphy

Water sports for dogs can be done just for fun or to earn recognition. Venues range from a backyard adult or kiddie pool to a lake, river or ocean. All offer healthful exercise for canine bodies and brains.

photo by Sam Matlick

ome dogs seem born in another. To prevent posto swim, while others sible squabbles, company learn to love it and policy allows only samea few make entertaining household dogs to swim in spectators. It all depends the same pool. on temperament, breed and “Max is a fetching mabody style plus energy and niac in the water,” remarks confidence levels, as well Yue. “He doesn’t like to as training. dive, but if his ball sinks, Not all dogs love to he’ll go after it. It’s low-imswim, says Eileen Proctor, a pact, high-exercise playtime Michelle Yue and Max pet lifestyle expert in Denand the only thing I know ver, Colorado, so proceed cautiously. that will wear out a 2-year-old German “One of the first things to do is buy a shepherd pup.” properly fitted life jacket that keeps his The skill of directed retrieval can be head out of the water,” she counsels. described as advanced fetching. Several “Once he is used to wearing it, train toys or dumbbells are placed on the him to use steps [like in a pool] to walk bottom of the pool and the handler tells into and out of the water every time.” the dog which item to retrieve. Nautical Michelle Yue, a professional dog nosework is the most challenging—five trainer in Washington, D.C., takes her floating objects like tennis balls or dumdog, Max, to a dog-specific pool twice mies are launched into the water by a month. At the Canine Fitness Center, another person. The dog must then find, in Annapolis, Maryland, Max swims in indicate and retrieve the one ball his one pool while canine buddies paddle person has handled.

Toledo/Monroe edition

NaturalAwakeningsToledo.com

photo by Maria Schultz

naturalpet

Other fun options are teaching a pet to tow a raft in the pool or to team swim with his owner. In a more complex aquaagility exercise, the dog swims a circle around his owner as a prelude to both of them swimming a synchronized, zigzag course between floating markers before returning to their starting positions. Ernie, a 95-pound Labrador retriever that lives with Sierra Prause, a marketing assistant, and Jaron Clinton, a search engine content marketer, in Phoenix, Arizona, rides in the storage area of Clinton’s kayak. Ernie came to them at age 4 and has always loved to jump in and swim alongside his owners. “Ernie’s claim to fame is fetching two tennis balls at once,” says Prause. “He wasn’t allowed in the pool at his former home, and now revels in taking a cooling dip after his twice-aday walks.” Maria Schultz, author of How to SUP with Your Pup, enjoys stand up paddleboarding with her Australian shepherds, Riley and Kona, on rivers near her home in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She and Riley learned together in the living room. “I brought the board home and taught Riley how to hop on and off, where to sit or lie on the board, and to relax,” she relates. “I forgot the living room floor stood still. Riley was surprised when he got on the board on the river to find that it moved.” Riley was a good sport about it; within a week, he knew how to ride along. Kona took several months to get the hang of it. “Have patience, make it fun and all positive,” Schultz advises. “Know what motivates your dog. Riley works for food, Kona for praise.” For the more adventurous, Loews Coronado Bay Resort, in San Diego, offers one-hour surfing lessons for canine guests. Taught by Coronado Surfing Academy instructors, the only requirement is that a dog enjoys water. Of course, board shorts and a bandana are also provided so that Fido gets the full surfer dude experience. Enjoying warm weather and cool water with man’s best friend provides perfect fun for these dog days of summer. Learn more at CanineWatersports.com. Sandra Murphy writes from Missouri. Connect at StLouisFreelanceWriter@ mindspring.com.

wisewords

Cures in the Kitchen Dr. Mark Hyman is Fed Up with Our National Health Crisis by Judith Fertig

n the groundbreaking new documentary film, Fed Up, Dr. Mark Hyman prescribes a major overhaul of the diets of all family members in communities across America to prevent far-reaching unwanted consequences. Hyman practices functional medicine, which takes a wholesystem approach to treating chronic illnesses by identifying and addressing their root causes, starting with poor diet. He is also the bestselling author of a series of books based on The Blood Sugar Solution.

What has your experience with Fed Up shown you about the root cause of many diseases? In Fed Up, I met with a family of five to talk with them about their health and understand the roots of their family crisis of morbid obesity, pre-diabetes, renal failure, disability, financial stress and hopelessness. Rural South Carolina, where they live, is a food desert with nearly10 times as many fast-food and convenience stores as supermarkets. The family’s kitchen was also a food desert, with barely a morsel of real food. There were no ingredients to make real food—only pre-made factory science projects sold in cans and boxes with unpronounceable, unrecognizable ingredient lists. This family desperately wanted to find a way out, but didn’t have the

knowledge or skills. They lived on food stamps and fast food and didn’t know how to navigate a grocery aisle, shop for real food, read a label, equip a kitchen or cook nutritious meals. Their grandmother has a garden, but never taught her children how to grow food, even though they live in a temperate rural area.

Sugar calories drive food addiction, storage of belly fat, inflammation and fatty liver (now the number one reason for liver transplants). They also disrupt appetite control, increasing hunger and promoting overeating, and are biologically addictive. Sugar calories are the major contributor to heart attacks, strokes, cancer, dementia and Type 2 diabetes. Sugar is a root cause behind the tripling of obesity rates in children since the 1970s. As just one example illustrating government policy culprits, although poor people are disproportionately affected by obesity, the food industry vigorously opposes any efforts to limit the use of food stamps for soda. Every year, the U.S. government pays for $4 billion in soda purchases by the poor (10 billion servings annually) on the front end, and then pays billions more on the back end through Medicaid and Medicare to treat related health consequences that include obesity and diabetes.

What are the consequences if we don’t attack the problem of poor diet now?

I got the whole family cooking, washing, peeling, chopping, cutting and touching real food—onions, garlic, carrots, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, salad greens, even asparagus. After 12 months, the mother had lost 100 pounds and was off of blood pressure medication, and because the father had lost 45 pounds, he finally qualified for a kidney transplant. The son originally lost 40 pounds, but because he was stuck in a toxic food environment at school and only able to get a job at a fast-food eatery, he gained much of it back. I’m happy to report that he is now working to get back on track.

The costs of a poor diet are staggering: At the present rate, by 2040, 100 percent of the nation’s federal budget will go for Medicare and Medicaid. The federal debt soars as our unhealthy kids fall heir to an achievement gap that limits America’s capacity to compete in the global marketplace. At the same time, having 70 percent of young people unfit for military service weakens national security. In a detailed scientific analysis published in The New England Journal of Medicine, a group of respected scientists reviewing all the data affecting projected life spans concluded that today’s children are the first generation of Americans ever that will live sicker and die younger than their parents. Health issues due to poor diet comprise a national crisis. They threaten our future, not just for those fat and sick among us, but all of us.

How is sugar a primary factor in creating obesity?

For more information on Fed Up, visit FedUpMovie.com.

What results did the family see when they changed their eating habits?

Of some 600,000 processed food items on the market, 80 percent contain added sugar. Sugar calories act differently from fat or protein calories in the body.

Judith Fertig blogs at AlfrescoFood AndLifestyle.blogspot.com from Overland Park, KS.

natural awakenings

August 2014

Pinpoint Allergies

healthykids

Super-Immunity for KIDS Simple Ways to Boost a Child’s Long-Term Health

Shore Up with Supplements

by Lisa Turner

We’d love it if our kids had fewer sick days away from school, but what if by bolstering their immune systems now, we could also protect them from serious diseases going forward?

“

uring childhood, when the immune system is still developing, there’s a great opportunity to set the stage for improved health and resilience,” says Dr. Joel Fuhrman, a family physician and nutritional researcher in Flemington, New Jersey, and author of Disease-Proof Your Child. “A healthy diet and lifestyle can help kids avoid common childhood illnesses like colds, ear infections and allergies, as well as ensure greater resilience against disease later in life.”

Focus on HighQuality Foods

Fruits and veggies have a wealth of protective phytochemicals that enhance immune cell function and protect against disease. In a study published in

Toledo/Monroe edition

Food allergies and sensitivities can suppress the immune system by increasing inflammation in the body and call for consultation with a health specialist. “Whenever there is extra inflammation, the body has less available energy to keep the immune system functioning as well as it should,” says Dr. Fred Pescatore, a New York author of The Allergy & Asthma Cure. “It’s like putting the wrong type of gasoline in the car; it hinders your performance.”

the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, kids that ate the most fruit had a 38 percent lower risk of cancer later in life. Berries, cherries, plums and pomegranates are among the most powerful immune-boosting fruits. For veggies, eat more dark leafy greens, tomatoes, carrots and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower. Also emphasize whole grains and healthy fats such as those found in nuts, seeds and avocado, advises Fuhrman. Sugar-laden calories depress the infection-fighting activity of white blood cells, says Dr. Alan R. Gaby, of Concord, New Hampshire, author of the textbook, Nutritional Medicine. Even natural sweeteners such as honey and juice have similar effects when consumed in excess, he says. Try healthy options like pomegranate and kiwi fruit salad; trail mix with raw almonds; dried cranberries and air-popped popcorn; and hummus with red pepper strips and baby carrots for dipping.

NaturalAwakeningsToledo.com

Probiotics can enhance immune function in children by stimulating white blood cells and reducing inflammation, says Gary B. Huffnagle, Ph.D., a University of Michigan Medical School immunology research professor and author of The Probiotics Revolution. They are especially protective against allergies, diarrhea and respiratory tract infection. Start with yogurt: Serve with cereal; mix with mashed bananas and freeze in ice cube trays for a cool treat; or make smoothies with unsweetened, non-dairy yogurt and frozen berries. Or consider a Lactobacillus acidophilus supplement; aim for 5 billion CFUs per day of Lactobacillus or bifidobacterium. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), an ayurvedic herb, boosts immunity by supporting and balancing adrenal function, says Dr. John Douillard, Ph.D., a Boulder, Colorado, chiropractor, ayurvedic physician and author of Perfect Health for Kids. The adrenal glands produce cortisol, and overproduction of this “fight-or-flight” hormone can dampen immunity. Ashwagandha is particularly helpful for preventing colds and can also be used when kids are stressed or tired. For children ages 6 to 12, give 500 milligrams per day with breakfast; children over 12 can take 1,000 mg a day.

Stabilize Hormonal Changes

“Puberty and adolescence are marked by dramatic shifts in and surges of hormones,” says Dr. Richard Shames, of Sebastopol, California, co-author of Feeling Fat, Fuzzy, or Frazzled? “This is monumental, as far as the developing immune system is concerned. As the immune system is directly linked

Tell kids they’ll get sick, and chances are it’ll happen. Instead, nurture an attitude of wellness and help them learn they have control over their own health. to hormonal influences, any hormonal imbalance will affect overall immunity.” Shames recommends selenium—a potent antioxidant and general immune booster—to help balance hormones. For children ages 8 to 18, aim for 100 mg per day.

SEMI eNews

- Community Events - SE Michigan News - Exclusive Oﬀers from Local Businesses - Healthy Living Info

Let ’em Get Dirty

“Once a child has been exposed to dirt and germs, the immune system responds by trying to expel those bacteria from the body, which strengthens immunity,” counsels Jane Sheppard, owner of HealthyChild.com and founding executive director of the Holistic Pediatric Association. Avoid antibacterial soaps, cleansers and gels; most contain the chemical triclosan, which some researchers suspect of contributing to development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Instead, use a natural antibacterial gel or make one, by combining witch hazel or alcohol, tea tree oil and lavender essential oil.

Stay in the Sun

“The sun is our primary source of vitamin D, which has broad effects on the immune system,” Fuhrman says. “Depending on your skin tone and the local climate, about 15 minutes of full sun exposure a day will lead to natural production of sufficient amounts of vitamin D.” If kids have dark skin or live in a cloudy region, they may need vitamin D supplements—at least 200 IU per day.

Laugh Out Loud

“You can give your kids the best food and nutrition, but if they have underlying sadness, their immune system will suffer,” remarks Sheppard. “When you’re happy and when you laugh, your brain releases chemicals that increase immunity.” Lisa Turner is a Colorado-based health writer.

HCG s Los Weight & erone Testost ment e c Repla py Thera natural awakenings

August 2014

calendarofevents Visit our website to enter calendar items – NaturalAwakeningsToledo.com. You will receive a confirmation email when your event has been approved and posted online, usually within 24 hours. Events submitted by the 10th and meet our criteria will be added to the print magazine as space permits.

5-6:30pm. Join Angela Korte, PCC, LICDC,CHt for Better Things to Come Group Hypnosis. Learn to use this technique to decrease your stress and improve your sleep. There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep! $40 per session ($5 discount for seniors). CPW Health Center, 3130 Central Park West Dr., Toledo,OH. More info contact Angela, 419-806-9819.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13 SATURDAY, AUGUST 2 Women’s Distance Festival Fundraiser – Starts 8am. Sign up for the 5K Run/Walk, the Mile Walk or the 100 Meter Heels Race. Funds raised support causes that benefit female youth and women in the Maumee OH community. $15/single event, $20/ bundle pkg, $5/kids 12 and under. Fallen Timbers, Maumee OH. More Info and Registration wen-usa. com/upcoming-event/WomensDistanceFestival. Questions contact Alicia Wagner 419-536-6732 or e-mail director@wen-usa.com.

MONDAY, AUGUST 4 Paddle the Pond at W.W. Knight Nature Preserve – 4-7pm. Take a canoe for a leisurely spin. Canoes issued on a first come, first served basis. Free. W.W. Knight Nature Preserve, 29530 White Rd, Perrysburg OH. Mindfulness 8-Week Course – 7:30-8:30pm. (Mondays Aug 4 thru Oct 6). Aug 4th is a Free Intro class, the 8-wk course follows from Aug 11 thru Oct 6. Facilitator Caroline Anne Dawson, certified instructor with 20 yrs meditation experience, combines formal and informal practice to enable students to adapt the practice to their lifestyle. The 8-wk course creates space for reflection, sharing and support from the group. $120. New Beginnings Healing Ctr, 202 N McCord, Toledo OH. RSVP 419-861-7786 or NBHCToledo.com.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 5 Community Health and Wellness Guide Meeting – 11:30am-1pm. This is a group of holistic, energetic and alternative professionals who have started a monthly gathering of like-minded individuals in the NW Ohio area. The goal is to invite every single Health & Wellness/Holistic Practitioner to be a part of this group. $15 (lunch included). Grape Leaf Diner, 909 S McCord Rd Holland OH. RSVP to Cathy 419-509-3320. CommunityHealthAndWellnessGuide.com. DYS Type 1 Diabetes Support Group – 6-7pm. A support group for families living with Type 1, both newly diagnosed and experienced; all family members welcome to attend. Free. St Luke’s Diabetes Care Ctr, 5871 Monclova Rd, Maumee OH. Contact Mary at 419-887-8741 or Mary@dys4kids.org.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6 Bariatric Surgery Information Session – 5:306:30pm. Join surgeon Matthew Fourman, MD, as he hosts an informational session discussing weight loss surgery options at Mercy Weight Mgmt Ctr. Free. Mercy Weight Management Ctr, 3930 Sunforest Ct, Ste 100, Toledo OH. Register online at mercyweightmanagement.org. Contact Brenda Bal 419-251-8766 or brenda_bal@mhsnr.org. Metal Toxicity, Mercury and Other Toxins – 7-9pm. Lecture on nutritional and complementary medicine with slides, interrupted by questions,

Toledo/Monroe edition

heckling and controversy. Free. With Restorative Concepts Jay Nielsen MD and Jack Grogan. Nova Faith Church, 5105 Glendale Ave, Ste G, in Kroger Plaza just off Reynolds Rd.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 9 Yoga at Wildwood – 7:30-8:30am. Beginners welcome. Please bring your own mat and wear protection from bugs as this session is outdoors. Meet at the Ward Pavilion/Farmhouse at 7:25 and walk to lookout point. $20/single class, $39/series. Wildwood Metropark-Corey Loop Outlook, East Entrance, 4830 W Central Ave, Toledo OH. Register online YogajaYoga.com. Contact Brent Divine 912308-2185 or brent@yogajayoga.com. Restore, Renew, Just Be Yoga Workshop – 9-11am. Instructor Caroline Anne Dawson, ERYT 200 with 18 yrs experience, teaches this reflexive method of yoga that uses blankets and bolsters to provide a supportive environment in order to release stress and tension. The body’s energy is replenished and inner harmony is restored. $30. New Beginnings Healing Ctr, 202 N McCord, Toledo OH. Reserve your place 419-861-7786 or visit NBHCToledo. com for more info. Pontifex 5K Glow Run – 8pm. Race starts at 9pm. Come decked out in glow-in-the-dark paint, accessories or clothing. Glow necklace included in race packet. All are welcome (strollers are permitted). Proceeds go to Pontifex, a 501(c)3 non-profit. $25/ pre-reg, $10/child 10 and under, $20/person on team of 4 or more, $30/race day reg. Roger Young Park-downtown Fremont, Front St, Fremont OH. Pre-Register Facebook.com/BodyLinesGym. More Info call 419-332-9792 or visit Body Lines Gym Facebook page or Facebook.com/Pontifex.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 10 Reiki Level I Certificate – 9am-12:30pm. Facilitator Caroline Anne Dawson, Reiki Master, teaches the history, hand positions, benefits and practice of this natural healing technique. Reiki uses the imposition of hands to pass soothing, relaxing and healing energy to treat a variety of emotional and physical ailments. An optional support class will be held on Aug 30th: 9-10am. $120. New Beginnings Healing Ctr, 202 N McCord, Toledo OH. RSVP 419-861-7786 or NBHCToledo.com for more info.

MONDAY, AUGUST 11 Preparing for Fall/Back to School with doTerra – 1-2pm. Learn how to prepare yourself for the upcoming school year using essential oils for fighting germs, decreasing school-related stress, increasing concentration and more! Free. CPW Health Ctr, 3141 Central Park West Dr, Toledo OH. Contact Patti Leupp, Wellness Advocate, 419-779-6310.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 12 Reduce your Stress and Improve Your Sleep! –

NaturalAwakeningsToledo.com

River Raisin RX Heart to Heart Health Walks – 10am. Maura Barrett, Health Educator, Heidi Webb, Public Health Nurse, and a registered dietician will hold discussions on nutrition, exercise, fitness and healthy life habits. Blood sugar readings will be held before and after a guided walk on the RR Heritage Trail to demonstrate the difference a little exercise can make. Free. River Raisin Nat’l Battlefield Pk, 1403 E Elm Ave, Monroe MI. More Info contact RR Natl Battlefield Pk 734-243-7136. Essential Oils 101 – 5:30-6:30pm. Learn the basics of using essential oils to create natural cleaning, health or beauty products. Free. William Vaughn Conference Ctr, 145 Chesterfield Lane, Ste 204, Maumee OH. RSVP to Deb Keller, Wellness Advocate, 419-392-0537. Preparing for Fall/Back to School with doTerra – 7-8pm. Learn how to prepare yourself for the upcoming school year using essential oils for fighting germs, decreasing school-related stress, increasing concentration and more! Free. Lake Township Admin Hall, 27975 Cummings Rd, Millbury OH. RSVP to Lynn Hanely, Wellness Advocate, 419-836-9541.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 16 Yoga at International Park – 7:30-8:30am. Beginners welcome. Please bring your own mat and wear protection from bugs as this session is outdoors. Meet at blue iron bridge on Boers-Boyer Way at 7:25 and walk to the workout area. $20/single class, $39/series. International Park Rails to Trails, next to Maumee River, Toledo OH. Register online YogajaYoga.com. Contact Brent Divine 912-308-2185 or brent@yogajayoga.com. The Color Run – 5K – 8am. This paint race, which celebrates healthiness, happiness and individuality, kicks off at 8am with waves going every few minutes. The start line is its own pre-race party, with music, dancing, warmup stretching and giveaways! $45/individual, $40/4+ person team. Promenade Park, Downtown Toledo OH. For tickets, visit thecolorrun.com/Toledo. Family Bike Day – 9:30am-1:30pm. Bike Sylvania 2014 is a morning ride for families and friends with 3 routes, each suited to every level of cycler. A quick lap around Fossil Park, the 3-mile Quarry Ridge Bike Trail and Route 5-a bike lane of 5.5 miles, all starting and ending at Centennial Terrace. Centennial Terrace, 5773 Centennial Rd, Sylvania OH. More Info and RSVP Facebook.com/BikeSylvania.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 17 4th Annual Sylvania Cycling Classic – 8am. The 2014 Senior State Criterium Championship races for both men and women categories 1-4. Burnham Park’s picnic, swimming and playground facilities open to racers, their families and spectators. There will also be amateur races and kids’ one-lap at noon. Food vendors. $40/participants. Burnham Park, Sylvania OH. More Info and Registration at SylvaniaCyclingClassic.com.

MONDAY, AUGUST 18 Household Hazardous Waste Collection – 3-7pm. Secure document shredding, also. Free for Monroe County residents. Monroe County Community College, 1555 S Raisinville Rd, Monroe MI. More Info at GreenMonroeCounty.com. Raku Pottery Class – 5-8pm. Julie Beutler leads a fun evening finishing pots in this Japanese-style firing method. Enjoy a potluck (bring a dish to share)! Pre-Requisite: the 577 Adult Pottery Class and have 3-5 pots already bisque fired. Space is limited. $18. 577 Foundation, 577 E Front St, Perrysburg OH. Register at 577Foundation.org/Take A Class. Medicine Cabinet Makeover – 6-7pm. Improve your health one drop at a time with essential oils. Free. Healing Arts Institute, 340 Three Meadows Dr, Perrysburg OH. RSVP to Lynn Lehnert, Wellness Advocate, 419-304-5522.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 19 Adult Pottery – 9:30am-12:30pm. This class is for beginners through advanced potters. Learn the potter’s wheel, pinch, slab, coil and extruder techniques, and the pot-glazing process. Space is limited. Leader Julie Beutler. $120. 577 Foundation, 577 E Front St, Perrysburg OH. Register at 577Foundation.org/ Take A Class. Prenatal Care with doTerra Essential Oils – 5:306:30pm. Learn how using essential oils can be a natural and safe way for you to care for yourself during this special time. Free. Panera Bread in Perrysburg, 10981 Fremont Pike, Perrysburg OH. RSVP to Deb Keller, Wellness Advocate, 419-392-0537.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20 River Raisin RX Heart to Heart Health Walks – 10am. Maura Barrett, Health Educator, Heidi Webb, Public Health Nurse, and a registered dietician will hold discussions on nutrition, exercise, fitness and healthy life habits. Blood sugar readings will be held before and after a guided walk on the RR Heritage Trail to demonstrate the difference a little exercise can make. Free. River Raisin Nat’l Battlefield Pk, 1403 E Elm Ave, Monroe MI. More Info contact RR Natl Battlefield Pk 734-243-7136.

Transitions-Art Café – 4-6pm. Individuals with early stage memory loss, their families and friends are invited for social and educational opportunities and group sharing. Join area artist Jan Revill for fine art options or choose to create a “Make & Take” mosaic art piece. No art experience needed. $5. Alzheimer’s Association-NW Ohio, 2500 N Reynolds Rd, Toledo OH. Register at 1-800-2723900 or e-mail bhendricks@alz.org.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 21 Creating a Healthy Lifestyle Change – 12-1pm. Are you in need of a lifestyle change? Looking to create new healthy Habits? Come find out how to get started by using baby steps to achieve your ultimate goal! Ashley Daniels, BS, Certified Healthy Life Style Coaching/Holistic Health Practitioner can help. CPW Health Center, 3130 Central Park West Dr., Toledo,OH. More info contact Ashley, 419-455-6803.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22 Holistic Festival – Aug 22: 12-9pm, Aug 23: 10am-6pm, Aug 24: 10am-6pm. 60,000 sq. ft. of booths featuring products and services such as tarot readers, psychics, astrologers, reflexology, massage, aromatherapy, herbal products and much more. $2/ parking. Gibraltar Trade Ctr, 237 N River Rd, Mount Clemens MI. More Info GibraltarTrade.com.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 24 Holistic Festival – 10am-6pm. Refer to the Aug. 22nd event for details.

“Mommy,AUGUST he can have TUESDAY, 26 my socks.” Medicare Fraud lecture – 6-7pm. The Area Agency on Aging 1-B will offer advice on how to prevent, detect and report Medicare and Medicaid fraud. Examples of common fraud schemes and local enforcement effort will be outlined. Free. Bedford Library, Community Room, 8575 Jackman Rd, Temperance MI. Register at Monroe.Lib.Mi.Us.com/EventCalendar.

“Momm

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27

Essential Oils for Kids and Babies – 5:30-6:30pm. Learn how to use essential oils with your children to keep them healthy all year long. Free. Panera Bread in Perrysburg, 10981 Fremont Pike, Perrysburg OH. RSVP to Deb Keller, Wellness Advocate, 419-392-0537.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 28

Hannah’s Socks Box

Cleaning Healthy: No Chemicals – 9:30-10:30am. Learn how to make natural cleaning products with essential oils. Free. Cherry Tree Café, 6726 Providence St, Whitehouse OH. RSVP to Jen Urban 419-376-9557.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23 Yoga at Fallen Timbers Monument – 7:308:30am. Beginners welcome. Please bring your own mat and wear protection from bugs as this session is outdoors. Park at monument or Side Cut. $20/single class, $39/series. The Fallen Timbers Monument, Side Cut Metropark Overlook, Maumee OH. Register online YogajaYoga.com. More info contact Brent Divine 912-308-2185 or brent@yogajayoga.com. Holistic Festival – 10am-6pm. Refer to the Aug. 22nd event for details.

Have a Stubborn Skin Disorder and Tried Everything Else? Finally there is a solution, try Natural Awakenings DermaClear, a natural, affordable skin repair salve. Our all natural personal skin care product brings comforting relief to sufferers of many skin irritations. DermaClear has proven to be effective against: • Shingles • Psoriasis • Eczema • Burns • Allergic Rash • Jock Itch • Stings • & more DermaClear will simply feel good putting it on. Cooling and soothing, the Calcium Montmorillonite/ Calcium Bentonite clay penetrates pores and open areas of the skin and pulls out toxins and inflammation. The proprietory blend of homeopathics go even deeper, address the root causes and assist to bring even deeper toxins to the surface.

29.99+ $5 shipping-up to 5 jars

2014 Health Odyssey Speaker series – 11:30am12:30pm. Guest speaker Jennifer Sell, RPh, provides pharmacy updates, safe medication disposal and the Red Medication box. Free. Monroe Center for Healthy Aging, 15275 S Dixie Hwy, Monroe MI. RSVP required at 734-241-0404.

Back to School with doTerra Essential Oils – 6:30pm. Learn how doTerra essential oils can be used for fighting germs, increasing concentration, decreasing school anxiety and more! Free. Lullaby Lane at the Shops at Fallen Timbers, 3100 Main St, Ste 735, Maumee OH. RSVP to Megan Gleason, Wellness Advocate, 419-460-0214.

How one little girl with a big heart is making a world of difference

“Mommy, he can have my socks.”

Hannah’s Box Hannah’s Socks Socks Box

Care. Share. Give a Pair! Please donate new socks and underwear in men’s, women’s Care. and children’s sizes aforPair! distribution Share. Give to homeless and domestic-abuse shelters Care. Share. Give aand Pair! PleasePlease donate new socksnew underwear in men’s, donate socks How one and little girl women’s and children’s sizes for distribution

underwear insocks men’s, and Please donate and women’s underwear in men’s, to homeless and domestic-abuse shelters with a new big heart is making children’s sizes forsizes distribution to women’s and children’s for distribution a world of difference to homeless domestic-abuse shelters homeless andand domestic-abuse shelters

4-oz jar-$

Order Online Today at

NAWebstore.com or call 888-822-0246 Wholesale Pricing Available to Stores and Practitioners

H with a a w

Have questions or need help? Call 419-931-4757.

Have questions or need 419-931-4757. Have questions or need help? help? CallCall 419-931-4757.

natural awakenings

August 2014

ongoingevents sunday Hot YogAlign with Joe – All Levels: 9-10:15am. Level 2: 10:30-11:30am. Free Community Unheated: 1:30-2:45pm. Postural-based classes, tailored to participants level, focusing on deep ribcage core breathing while maintaining natural alignment of the body’s 4 spinal curves. Temp not as hot in summer. Please bring water bottle. Cool Lavender face cloths and watermelon offered for cool down. $15/dropin. Free mat/towel rental 1st class. Graystone Hall, 29101 Hufford Rd, Rm 103, Perrysburg OH. 419345-0885. Register at HotYogAlignWithJoe.com. Lighthouse Cruise at Sandpiper – (Sundays Aug 10, Sep 14 2014) 12:30-5:30pm. Enjoy a 5-hr trip downriver past the new bridge and out into Lake Erie to see Harbor Lighthouse and the remains of Turtle Island Lighthouse. Bring a picnic if you wish! Reservations required. $35/adult, $15/child under 12. Sandpiper Boat Rides, Promenade Park, 120 Water St, Toledo OH. For Reservations SandpiperBoat@aol.com or 419-537-1212. SandpiperBoat. com/pubrides.

monday Monthly Memorial Ceremony – 3rd Mon. A gathering for those that have lost a beloved pet and want to remember them and share their memory with other pet lovers. Please bring a picture of your pet. Free. Canine Karma, 6128 Merger Dr, Holland OH. RSVP: 419-290-8237. Fitness After 55 – 9am. Every Monday. The Center provides the setting for seniors to communicate and share with each other. Living alone, eating alone, being alone – these circumstances are not necessary in a community which has a Senior Citizens Program like Bedford’s. Bedford Senior Citizens Center, 1653 Samaria Rd, Temperance MI. Call for Info 734-856-3330. Hot YogAlign with Joe – All Levels: 9:30-10:45am and 6-7:15pm. Postural-based classes, tailored to participants level, focusing on deep ribcage core breathing while maintaining natural alignment of the body’s 4 spinal curves. Temp not as hot in summer. Please bring water bottle. Cool Lavender face cloths and watermelon offered for cool down. $15/dropin. Free mat/towel rental 1st class. Graystone Hall, 29101 Hufford Rd, Rm 103, Perrysburg OH. 419345-0885. Register at HotYogAlignWithJoe.com. Chair Yoga – 11am-12pm. Gentle yoga poses done in a chair that anyone of any fitness level can do. There is a component of centering, breathing exercises, stretches and deep relaxation. $10/drop in, $50/6 classes. Optimum CHI Studio, 4024 N Holland-Sylvania Ste 7, Toledo OH. More info 419-450-4940. Yoga - Connecting Within – 11am-12:15pm. With Sandy Earl. Awaken the true connection between body, mind and spirit by incorporating the practice of yoga into a lifestyle. Come and experience the many benefits yoga offers. All levels welcome. $15/ drop-in. Presence Yoga at Westgate Village Office Bldg, 3450 W Central Ave, Ste 320F, Toledo OH. 419-351-7409. SandyEarl_Rower@hotmail.com.

Toledo/Monroe edition

PiYo with Brie Hobbs – 5:30-6:30pm. A fusion of flowing yoga poses and Pilates calisthenics. Burn calories, sculpt and tone muscles in a fun challenging environment. The practice and music change monthly. $10/class, $50/6 classes paid in advance. Optimum CHI Studio, 4024 N Holland-Sylvania Ste 7, Toledo OH. Info and Registration 419-450-4940 or brieahobbs@gmail.com. Happy Hatha Yoga Class – 6-7pm. Facilitator Caroline Anne Dawson leads this class in yogic breathing, stretching, strengthening & balancing, postures and guided relaxation. Space is limited. $50/5 classes, $15/drop-in. New Beginnings Healing Ctr, 202 N McCord, Toledo OH. RSVP 419-8617786 or visit NBHCToledo.com. Open Knitting – 6-8:45pm. This group meets every Monday evening to knit/crochet. Come when you want, leave when you want. All are welcome. Bedford Branch Library, 8575 Jackman, Temperance MI. 734-847-6747. Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) – 7-8:30pm. Food addicts offers help and hope for people with eating disorders. Epworth United Methodist Church, 4855 W Central Ave, Rm 206, Toledo OH. Contact Joyce Treat 419-699-1007 or jtreat@bex.net or visit foodaddicts.org.

Hot Kettlebells – 7:30-8:30pm. A 60-minute total body workout that will tone muscles and burn fat. Please bring water bottle. $13/drop-in. Free mat/ towel rental 1st class. Graystone Hall, 29101 Hufford Rd, Rm 103, Perrysburg OH. 419-345-0885. Register at HotYogAlignWithJoe.com.

tuesday Hot YogAlign with Joe – All Levels: 9:30-10:15am. Level 1: 6-7:15pm Postural-based classes, tailored to participants level, focusing on deep ribcage core breathing while maintaining natural alignment of the body’s 4 spinal curves. Temp not as hot in summer. Please bring water bottle. Cool Lavender face cloths and watermelon offered for cool down. $15/dropin. Free mat/towel rental 1st class. Graystone Hall, 29101 Hufford Rd, Rm 103, Perrysburg OH. 419345-0885. Register at HotYogAlignWithJoe.com. T’ai Chi For Health – 10:30-11:30am. Instructor Marie Criste presents a soft movement class, designed for those wanting to try t’ai chi. Each class is divided into three parts including warm up, senior form and yang form. Beginners should arrive at 10:15am. Bedford Branch Library, Bedford Community Room, 8575 Jackman Rd, Temperance MI. 734-847-6747. Monroe.Lib.Mi.Us. Basic Vinyasa Yoga with Brie Hobbs – 10:3011:45am. Make this practice your own, gentle or challenging. Begins with warm up stretching and alignment, then sun salutations and work phase, then balance and floor exercises. Leave class invigorated and prepared to handle daily stresses. $12/ class, $60/6 classes. Optimum CHI Studio, 4024 N Holland-Sylvania Ste 7, Toledo OH. Info and registration 419-450-4940 or brieahobbs@gmail.com. Arthritis Foundation Tai Chi – 12:15-1pm. Learn the ancient discipline of Tai Chi, which combines small steps, joint-safe exercise and mental strength to improve mobility, breathing, and relaxation. Will

NaturalAwakeningsToledo.com

help people of all ages take control of their physical, emotional and mental health. $25/month or included in $45/month fee. CPW Rehab Center, 3130 Central Park West Dr, Ste A, Toledo OH. Call Jennifer for more info 419-841-9622. jschrickel@cpwrehab.com Tuesdays in Downtown Sylvania – 4-7pm. (from June-October 2014) Shop the downtown merchants, farmers and artisans on Main St. Downtown Sylvania, Main St, Sylvania OH. More info Downtown Sylvania Association on Facebook. Yoga with Weights – 5:30-6:30pm. Bring your own weights for this active practice that builds strong arms, cores and glutes. $10. Canine Karma, 6128 Merger Dr, Holland OH. Call to reserve a spot. 419-290-8237.

wednesday Hot YogAlign with Joe – All Levels: 9:30-10:15am. Level 1: 6-7:15pm. Level 2: 7:30-8:45pm. Posturalbased classes, with each class tailored to participants’ level, focusing on deep ribcage core breathing while maintaining natural alignment of the body’s 4 spinal curves. Temp not as hot in summer. Please bring water bottle. Cool Lavender face cloths and watermelon offered for cool down. $15/drop-in. Free mat/towel rental 1st class. Graystone Hall, 29101 Hufford Rd, Rm 103, Perrysburg OH. 419345-0885. Register at HotYogAlignWithJoe.com. Fitness, ETC. – 10-11am. A blend of yoga, cardio, light hand weights, core work and relaxation designed to increase strength and endurance on a beginner’s level. $10/drop-in, $50/6 classes. Optimum CHI Studio, 4024 N Holland-Sylvania Ste 7, Toledo OH. Info: 419-450-4940. Beginner Yoga at OCS – 11:30-12:30pm and 6:457:45pm. A gentle practice for those who are new to yoga and want deep relaxation. $10/drop-in, $50/6 classes. Optimum CHI Studio, 4024 N HollandSylvania Ste 7, Toledo OH. Info: 419-450-4940. Body Better – 12:15-1pm. The Body Better program incorporates low-impact resistance training, functional movements, stretching and relaxation to improve mental and physical strength and health. Improve balance and stability, increase postural awareness and flexibility. Get healthy and stay healthy! $45/month unlimited visits or $25/month once a week. CPW Rehab Center, 3130 Central Park West Dr, Ste A, Toledo OH. Call Jennifer for more info 419-841-9622. jschrickel@cpwrehab.com. Beginner Yoga – 1-2pm. A gentle practice for those that are new to yoga and want deep relaxation. $10. Canine Karma, 6128 Merger Dr, Holland OH. Reserve a spot. 419-290-8237. Transition-Mind Works – 1-2:30pm. (2nd Wed every month). Individuals with early stage memory loss and their family and friends can attend for social/educational opportunities, fun brain games and group sharing. Free. Alzheimer’s Association-NW Ohio Chapter, 2500 N Reynolds Rd, Toledo OH. Register 1-800-272-3900. More Info Contact Brenda Hendricks 419-537-1999 or bhendricks@alz.org. Aquatic Exercise for Survivors – 6-7pm. Free to survivors of any type of cancer through a grant received by The Victory Center from The Rotary Club of Toledo. CPW Health Ctr, 3130 Central Park West Dt, Ste A, Toledo OH. More Info Contact Penny at The Victory Center 419-531-7600.

Yoga for 8-12 Year-Olds – 7-7:45pm. Children ages 8-12. Connecting mind, bodies and hearts with Diane Ausmus. Through flowing sequences, balancing poses, partner poses, cooperative games, breathing exercises, creating relaxation techniques and much more. Children will gain body awareness, flexibility, strength and an open heart. Summerfield-Petersburg Branch Library, 60 E Center St, Petersburg MI. 734279-1025. Register: Calendar.Monroe.lib.mi.us.

body workout that will tone muscles and burn fat. Please bring water bottle. $13/drop-in. Free mat/ towel rental 1st class. Graystone Hall, 29101 Hufford Rd, Rm 103, Perrysburg OH. 419-345-0885. Register at HotYogAlignWithJoe.com.

Yoga for Lower back and Core Strength – 7:308:30pm. A well-blended practice to build a strong core, healthy back and increase flexibility. Walk taller, sleep better and enjoy well-being. $10/class, $50/6 classes paid in advance. Optimum CHI Studio, 4024 N Holland-Sylvania Ste 7, Toledo OH. Info and registration 419-450-4940.

Qigong – 7-7:30am. With Jen Lake. Driven Fitness Studio, 819 Kingsbury St, Ste 102, Maumee OH. First class free. To register or for more info. DrivenFitnessStudio.com.

Zumba! – 7:30-8:30pm. (weekly every Wed. thru 11/13/2016) Instructor Toni Quinn. Both Latin and mainstream music is used. No dance experience necessary. $5. Mercy Weight Management, 3930 Sunforest Ct, Ste 250, Toledo OH. 419-480-7547.

thursday Hot YogAlign with Joe – All Levels: 9:30-10:15am. Level 1: 6-7:15pm. Postural-based classes, with each class tailored to participants’ level, focusing on deep ribcage core breathing while maintaining natural alignment of the body’s 4 spinal curves. Temp not as hot in summer. Please bring water bottle. Cool Lavender face cloths and watermelon offered for cool down. $15/drop-in. Free mat/towel rental 1st class. Graystone Hall, 29101 Hufford Rd, Rm 103, Perrysburg OH. 419-345-0885. Register at HotYogAlignWithJoe.com. Yoga - Connecting Within – 5:30-6:45pm. With Sandy Earl. Awaken the true connection between body, mind and spirit by incorporating the practice of yoga into a lifestyle. Come and experience the many benefits yoga offers. All levels welcome. $15 drop-in rate. Presence Yoga at Westgate Village Office Building, 3450 W Central Ave, Ste 320 F, Toledo OH. 419-351-7409. SandyEarl_Rower@ hotmail.com. Healthy Cooking Classes – 6-8pm. Our series of healthy, simple cooking classes feature an amazing green dish each week. $15. The Andersons, Sylvania Market Café, 7638 Sylvania Ave, Sylvania OH. RSVP 24 hrs in advance at 419-913-7328 or BeyondBasicsHC.com. Hot Kettlebells – 7:30-8:30pm. A 60-minute total

friday Hot YogAlign with Joe – All Levels: 9:30-10:15am. Level 2: 6-7:15pm. Postural-based classes, with each class tailored to participants’ level, focusing on deep ribcage core breathing while maintaining natural alignment of the body’s 4 spinal curves. Temp not as hot in summer. Please bring water bottle. Cool Lavender face cloths and watermelon offered for cool down. $15/drop-in. Free mat/towel rental 1st class. Graystone Hall, 29101 Hufford Rd, Rm 103, Perrysburg OH. 419-345-0885. Register at HotYogAlignWithJoe.com. Seated Qigong – 10:15-11am. The “mother” of Tai Chi, these exercises can be done seated or standing and are safe for all fitness levels. Supported by Silver Sneakers. $5 drop-in. Optimum CHI Studio, 4024 N Holland-Sylvania Ste 7, Toledo OH. More information 419-450-4940. Mat Yoga – 11-12pm. Connect with the mind, body and spirit. For the yoga novice and those with limited level of yoga experience. $10/week or $50/6 classes. Optimum CHI Studio, 4024 N Holland-Sylvania Ste 7, Toledo OH. More information 419-450-4940. T’ai Chi – 1pm. Join in the Chinese martial art that combines controlled movements with deep breathing. T’ai chi provides health benefits that include reducing stress, lessening chronic pain, and improving the immune system. In addition, balance and blood pressure often show improvements. Monroe Center for Healthy Aging, 15275 S Dixie Hwy, Monroe MI. 734-241-0404. Yoga for Kids – 4-5pm. Now signing up children in age groups 4-9 and 10-16. A five-week yoga class to teach children fun ways to manage stress and anxiety. Instructor: Jennifer Dubow, LISW, Clinical Therapist, Certified Child Yoga Instructor. $20/class, $100 total for five weeks, can bill insurance. 3335 Meijer Dr Ste 450, Toledo OH. Call for class dates and times. 419-699-3659. JenniferDubow@bex.net.

classifieds Fee for classifieds is $1 per word per month. To place listing, email content to Publisher@NA-Toledo.com. Deadline is the 10th of the month.

OPPORTUNITIES LOCAL NATURAL WAX CANDLE COMPANY LOOKING FOR DISTRIBUTORS. You can get started today! For more information contact 419519-0588 or WhatsTheScents.biz.

saturday Hot YogAlign with Joe – All Levels: 9-10:15am. Postural-based classes, with each class tailored to participants’ level, focusing on deep ribcage core breathing while maintaining natural alignment of the body’s 4 spinal curves. Temp not as hot in summer. Please bring water bottle. Cool Lavender face cloths and watermelon offered for cool down. $15/dropin. Free mat/towel rental 1st class. Graystone Hall, 29101 Hufford Rd, Rm 103, Perrysburg OH. 419345-0885. Register at HotYogAlignWithJoe.com. Hot Kettlebells – 10:30-11:30am. A 60-minute total body workout that will tone muscles and burn fat. Please bring water bottle. $13/drop-in. Free mat/ towel rental 1st class. Graystone Hall, 29101 Hufford Rd, Rm 103, Perrysburg OH. 419-345-0885. Register at HotYogAlignWithJoe.com. Uncork The Artist – 7-10pm. (weekly on Sat. thru 01/01/2015) Painting parties with a twist. Classes for both adults and kids. Register thru website and see the painting to be created each evening. All art supplies provided. $65. Uncork the Artist, 5228 Monroe St, Toledo OH. 419-283-2484. UncorkTheArtist.com.

It is far better to be alone than to be in bad company. ~George Washington

A Few Drops Can Change Your Life! You could feel better, lose weight or increase energy and mental clarity with a few drops of Natural Awakenings DETOXIFIED IODINE daily in water or on your skin when used as directed. Order Online Today at

An essential component of the thyroid, iodine replacement has been reported to give relief from: • Depression • Weight Gain • Low Energy • Fibromyalgia • Hypothyroidism • Hyperthyroidism • Radiation • Bacteria & Viruses • And More!

NAWebstore.com or call: 888-822-0246

1-11 bottles: $19.99 ea. • 12-23 bottles: $14.99 ea. • 24+ bottles: $ 9.99 ea. SHIPPING — $ 5•up to 8 bottles (1 bottle yields a 6-8 week supply) natural awakenings

August 2014

communityresourceguide 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 email Publisher@NA-Toledo.com to request our media kit.

ESSENTIAL OILS Karla Gleason, dōTERRA IPC #224532 Aromatouch Technique Certified Maumee, OH 43537 419-265-3219 Gleason.Karla@gmail.com Essential-Connection.MyOilProducts.com Looking for answers to your health problems? dōTERRA CPTG essential oils are nature’s perfect health solution! Essential oils offer a safe, effective and versatile solution to a tremendous range of health concerns. Contact Karla for a FREE Wellness Consultation today! See ad page 7.

Jodi Walters, Owner/Lead Trainer 819 Kingsbury Street Suite 102 Maumee, OH 43537 419-482-4847 Driven Fitness is your Northwest Ohio studio for Pilates, TRX Suspension Training, Indoor/ Outdoor Fitness Bootcamps, YOGA, Tai-Chi and Qigong training. Our studio is a Stott® Pilates fully equipped facility. At Driven Fitness, it’s our goal to help you reach the pinnacle of personal fitness through various training options in a small studio setting. We offer daily group classes, evening sessions and private sessions. Call or visit our website at DrivenFitnessStudio.com.

Graduate, 1981 from Palmer Chiropractic College and 1996 from Des Moines School of Osteopathic Medicine. He is also fellowship trained in Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement. Dr. Neumann states, “Our goal is to increase people’s quality and quantity of life.” In addition, the office offers weight loss programs, deep tissue laser therapy, hormone replacement and laser hair removal. See ad page 25.

3454 Oak Alley Court Suite 209 Toledo, OH 43606 419-578-0057 SensoryLearning-Toledo.com Dr. Jeffrey G. Schmakel, O.D. Director Marjorie A. Hunter, B.S. Ed. Administrator The Sensory Learning Program-Toledo is a 30 day, drug-free, intervention that treats sensory issues as seen in Autism, Aspergers, ADD/ADHD, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Strokes, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders, Learning Disabilities, Speech and Language Delays, and Behavior Issues. See ad on back cover.

NUTRITION

POSITIVELY FIT

Maryellen Grogan, CPT, MES 108 E Dudley, Maumee, OH 43537 419-893-5105 Studio

NUTRI-HEALTH

Getting Fit is Not “One-Size-FitsAll.” Everyone Is Unique. Exercise needs, nutrition needs and goals are unique for each person. We take individuality into account and build a complete fitness program that’s right for you. To become “Positively Fit,” all elements of fitness and health must be in balance. See ad page 15.

Toledo/Monroe edition

Traditional physical therapy with a holistic approach. Specializing in one-on-one hands-on care, including aquatics, mobilizations, myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, zero balancing and trigger point releases, utilizing 32 years of experience. Neuro and Pain specialist. See ad page 10.

1715 W Dean Rd, Ste B, Temperance, MI 734-847-4700 419-474-4700 corner of Dean & Jackman Rds DrMarkNeumann.com

SENSORY LEARNING PROGRAM – TOLEDO

DRIVEN FITNESS STUDIO

440 South Reynolds Rd, Ste D, Toledo, OH 419-578-4357 Info@AlternativePhysicalTherapy.com AlternativePhysicalTherapy.com

MARK S. NEUMANN, D.O.

FITNESS

• Personal Training • Strength Training & Conditioning • Complete Body Wellness

ALTERNATIVE PHYSICAL THERAPY

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

ESSENTIAL CONNECTION, LTD.

Positively Fit

PHYSICAL THERAPY

Jack Grogan, Certified Nutritionist 8336 Monroe Rd, Lambertville, MI 734-856-9199 734-854-1191 fax Feeling out of balance? Wonder how the body responds to stress? Discover the blueprint for the body’s metabolism through hair mineral analysis. Helping clients achieve better health through nutrition and supplementation with over 40 years of experience. See ad page 15.

NaturalAwakeningsToledo.com

WELLNESS CENTER NEW BEGINNINGS HEALING CENTER Health for the Spirit 202 N McCord, Toledo,OH 419-861-7786 NBHCToledo.com

Change your thoughts and change your life. Individual appointments for hypnosis and life coaching to resolve trauma, eliminate negative behaviors, and achieve goals. Specializing in regression therapy. Small groups for weight loss and smoking cessation. Sound and energy healing, Reiki, and Biomat available by appointment. See our events page for upcoming classes on a variety of topics. See ad page 21.

WELLNESS RX INC.

Dr Jay Nielsen, MD 27121 Oakmead Dr, Ste C, Perrysburg, OH 419-897-6490 419-874-3512 fax Jay@WellnessRx.org Dr. Nielsen is a board-certified family physician with 38 years experience helping patients avoid orthopedic surgical procedures using Prolotherapy, Platelet Rich Plasma, Bioidentical Hormones and Supplements. Specializes in fatigue, chronic pain, mood disorders and accepts BWC worker injuries. See ad page 6.

YOGA HOT YOGALIGN WITH JOE

Joe Sparks, LMT, RYT 29101 Hufford Rd, Perrysburg, OH 419-874-2911 Joe.Sparks@Toast.net HotYogAlignWithJoe.com YogAlign-affiliate studio. Daily classes and private sessions. Posture and Natural Alignment is the main focus, not performing poses. Space offers a warm, safe and peaceful environment to balance and free the fascia. We work on strength and flexibility. Kettlebell classes also offered. See ad page 13.

natural awakenings

August 2014

“ I have seen Garrett’s behavior improve tremendously. He is calmer, more relaxed, more attentive, more focused, more confident, independent and generally just a joy to be around .” — H.C...Toledo

The Sensory Learning Program treats individuals that have been diagnosed with: • Autism • Aspergers “My daughter is more • ADD/ADHD aware of her surroundings and sensory rich environments that • Sensory Integration Disorder used to overwhelm her and send • Speech and Language Delays her into a meltdown, no longer bother her.” —S.C...Monroe • Anxiety/Depression • Behavior Abnormalities

Like us!

CALL 419-578-0057

for more information and to schedule a FREE Sample Session

Dr. Jeffrey G. Schmakel, O.D. 3454 Oak Alley Court • Suite 209 — Toledo — www.SensoryLearning-Toledo.com