Natural Awakenings Boston February 2020

HEALTHY LIVING

HEALTHY PLANET

FREE

SACRED VESSELS

THE LIFEBLOOD OF HEART HEALTH

A Cure for Insomnia

NEUROFEEDBACK REDUCES SYMPTOMS OF SLEEPLESSNESS

Your Healthier Future

UNDERSTANDING YOUR GENETICS AND EPIGENETICS

When Clean Doesn't Mean Clean LOCAL EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON CLEAN BEAUTY

February 2020 | Boston | NaturalAwakeningsBoston.com

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February 2020

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

publisher's blog

BOSTON EDITION

There’s No Time Like Now This month, we’ve got lots of exciting news for readers starting with the most obvious change—our new layout design. We’ve freshened up our style a bit and hope that you are as thrilled with the results as we are, which is why we are asking you for feedback on your reading experience.

We’re equally excited to share that the new hyper-local website platform for NaturalAwakeningsBoston.com has officially gone live. One of our favorite features is the online Directory. We’ve taken our old directory and created a new space where you’ll soon be able to access content and special offers from all your favorite local healthy living and healthy planet businesses and practitioners. We’re populating it with new listings daily, so check back often at NaturalAwakeningsBoston.com/businesses.

My personal favorite new news is the arrival of our new Associate Publisher, Julie Starr.

Julie has a rich background in the wellness industry with past experience as a midwife and birth doula, also carrying a master’s in nutrition as a practicing nutritionist. Julie is also the owner of Starr Yoga and Barre Studio, in Roslindale. Julie’s new role as associate publisher includes marketing, sales and support for our partners as well as being the researcher and writer of our new monthly column on all things healthy in and around Boston, “Naturally Boston.” Check it out on page 39.

This month, Julie explores what is meant by “clean beauty” in, “When Clean Doesn’t Mean Clean, Local Experts Weigh in on Clean Beauty.” With the help of local experts in the business of beauty, she helps bring some clarity to an industry that has been recently plagued with the discovery of dangerous chemicals in numerous products many of us have been using for decades.

We hope you love the changes and enhancements we’ve carefully designed with you, the foundation of our publication, in mind. Share your thoughts with us at Publisher@ NaturalAwakeningsBoston.com. We’d love to hear what you think.

Feel good, live simply, laugh more!

Peace,

PUBLISHER Maisie Raftery ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Julie Starr

MANAGING EDITOR Nancy Somera DESIGN & PRODUCTION Courtney Ayers

Zina Cochran PROOFREADER Randy Kambic CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bridgitte Carroll Marlaina Donato Gary Kracoff Ronica O'Hara Julie Peterson Jolene Ross Julie Starr

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DEPARTMENTS 8 news briefs 12 health briefs 14 global briefs 15 eco tip 16 healing ways 24 conscious eating 26 fit body 28 natural pet 31 calendars 32 classifieds 34 resource guide 39 naturally boston

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YOUR HEALTHIER FUTURE

Embracing the Rainbow Year Round

SACRED VESSELS

The Lifeblood of Heart Health

26

VITAL STEP

CHOLESTEROL TESTS What the Results Say About Our Health

Neurofeedback Reduces Symptoms of Sleeplessness

A FEAST FOR ALL SEASONS

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A CURE FOR INSOMNIA

24

Understanding Your Genetics and Epigenetics

28

23

The Path to Vascular Fitness

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PAIN RELIEF FOR PETS Prolotherapy Gives Joints New Life

39

WHEN CLEAN DOESN'T MEAN CLEAN

Local Experts Weigh in on Clean Beauty

February 2020

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news briefs

Natural Awakenings Boston Launches New Community Website

Natural Awakenings has unveiled a brand-new, comprehensive online hub for all things healthy and sustainable in the Boston area. The new website has many exciting features for readers and advertisers alike.

The enhanced online calendar will make it easy to share events and discover local happenings in the community. Business owners can list their natural health and eco-friendly products or services for visitors to discover in the new searchable directory. There are opportunities for advertisers to increase their online reach through a community sponsorship, featured event listings, display advertisements and more. Also, the articles and sections that readers have grown to love can be easily found and shared through the new website.

Publisher Maisie Raftery says, “I'm excited about building a multimedia platform that will better serve the community and expand our reach in connecting readers with local practitioners and businesses that provide the products and services to help improve and enhance quality of life. ” For more information, visit Natural AwakeningsBoston.com. If you are interested in digital advertising opportunities with certain online placements available on a first-come, first-serve basis, call 617-906-0232 or email Sales@ NaturalAwakeningsBoston.com.

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SYMMETRY Neuro-Pathway Training Will Be Showcased at Conference

An exclusive invitation-only hosted event at the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) 2020 Annual Conference in Palm Springs, California, on February 5 to 7, will showcase SYMMETRY Neuro-Pathway Training, providing free qEEG brain mapping and intake assessments to program executives and clinical directors to allow the opportunity to understand the impacted value these services provide to students.

SYMMETRY Neuro-Pathway Training brings the industry’s most user-friendly, cloud-based software for qEEG brain mapping and biopsychosocial assessments to pinpoint areas of brainwave dysregulation. Designed to provide trainees a customized plan, Neuro-PT was created for individualized neurofeedback training using short-term goals set through a series of regulated neurofeedback sessions. During these sessions, the brain learns to self-regulate through positive reinforcement, setting trainees up for long-term success.

Neuro-PT is a major breakthrough for students that struggle with behavioral and learning challenges. When the brain is better regulated, teachers and parents have reported improvements in the following areas: anxiety, impulsivity, sleep cycle, focus, increased self-awareness and confidence. SYMMETRY Neuro-PT provides results to multiple therapeutic and academic school programs across the country and offers on-site training to provide professionals, schools and treatment facilities the opportunity to incorporate neurofeedback into their programming and enhance services, results, revenue and reputation. Neuro-PT is aslo available for at-home training for those unable to come into the Foxboro office.

For more information on the conference, visit natsap.org/Public/2020AnnualConference/ Home.aspx. For more information about SYMMETRY, contact Dianne Kosto, SCN, CEO and founder at MeetMe.so/DianneKosto or visit SymmetryNeuroPT.com. See Resource Guide on page 34.

Integrative and Functional Dietitian Joins Johnson Compounding & Wellness

Tamara Luck, RDN, LDN, is an integrative and functional dietitian that can help people make sustainable lifestyle changes to reach and maintain their unique health goals in a holistic and natural way. Currently accepting clients, Luck’s holistic approach to wellness and food helps individuals get to the root of imbalance in their body to find wellness, optimize health, manage gastrointestinal disorders, improve chronic health conditions, lose weight and get better sleep, among other things.

After working at one of Boston’s top hospitals, Luck is happy to be a part of the Johnson Compounding & Wellness team, where her position will allow her to connect more deeply Tamara Luck with her customers and clients that vary in age and goals. She focuses on using functional foods, natural supplements and lifestyle changes that support and heal the body. She also offers additional functional lab testing that can help to uncover gastrointestinal, hormonal, micronutrient and detox imbalances in the body. Along with detailed intake forms and thoughtful questions, these optional tests can help Luck uncover what is going on in the body and specific recommendations to make.

She offers hour-long, one-on-one consultations that may be covered by some commercial insurance plans. Luck does not follow a set protocol for each client; each session and all recommendations are completely individual.

Location: 577 Main St., Waltham. To schedule an appointment or a free 15-minute discovery call to learn more, visit Calendly.com/TamaraLuck. See ad on page 17 and Resource Guide on page 35.

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news briefs

Intertwining Reiki and Mindfulness Meditation Practices

Elise Brenner, Ph.D., owner of Brenner Reiki Healing, in Newton, is now also a certified mindfulness meditation teacher. Separately, or gently woven together, reiki practice and mindfulness offer practical and approachable techniques for addressing pain, trauma and difficult emotions as well as for cultivating stillness, clarity and an enlarged sense of things. Mindful practices can shift us out of habitual mental and emotional patterns so we can respond to ourselves, to people and to situations more intentionally.

“We are easily caught up in a swirl of judgment, comparison and labeling, which often bring with them misery, constriction and distress,” Brenner says.

“With mindfulness and reiki practices, we can invite a mind-state that is more settled, open and spacious; less hijacked by our habitual reactive thoughts.”

Brenner Reiki Healing brings mind-body workshops that weave reiki practice and mindfulness techniques to elders, to people living with cancer, to survivors of intimate partner violence and to college students, to name a few populations that have benefited from reiki and mindfulness.

Brenner will come to one’s setting to help individuals, households and organizations to experience the immediate benefits of mindfulness, or people can choose to come to Brenner Reiki Healing in the Auburndale neighborhood of Newton.

“As you reflect on your inner state, and perhaps on any wish you have to claim greater well-being and wholeness, you may consider reiki and mindfulness as your way in,” she says.

FREE

WORKSHOP Saturday, Feb. 29 3:30pm - 4:30pm Tuesday, Mar. 24 7:15pm - 8:15pm RSVP REQUIRED

617-964-3332

Location: 324 Central St., Newton. For more information, call 617-244-8856, email Elise@BrennerReikiHealing.org or visit BrennerReikiHealing.org. See Resource Guide Listing on page 37.

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February 2020

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news briefs JOIN US FOR A LECTURE

Naturally Detox your Body for the New Year With Jeanned’arc Haddad, RDN, LDN

Part Two: February 5 7 to 8:30 pm at Acton Pharmacy

March of the Living Program Takes Teens and Adults to Poland and Israel

Concerned by the Holocaust knowledge gap and denial of history that has become pervasive on college campuses, Irv Kempner, son of Holocaust survivors, has taken on the role of CEO of the New England Friends of the March of the Living (NEMOTL). MOTL is an international nonprofit organization which annually brings some 10,000 Jewish teens from around the world to Poland and Israel to study the history of the Holocaust and to examine the roots of prejudice, intolerance and hate.

Donations are needed to ensure the perpetuation of March of the Living through its Teen Trip Scholarship Fund and other activities to create awareness, to promote and fund the upcoming trip on April 17 through May 1. The MOTL experience instills the necessity to "Never Forget" and of continuing to share the stories of Holocaust survivors for generations to come. An adult march will be held from April 20 to May 3.

In a 2018 survey, 31 percent of Americans—and 41 percent of millennials in that group—admitted they don’t believe that 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust. Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), is concerned about the level of Holocaust knowledge, particularly among young people: “The farther we move away from the terrible events of the Nazi era, the more creative we have to be in connecting young people, for whom it is all ancient history, to the horrors that took place—and how it is relevant to today’s society.”

A CUNY survey showed that 95 percent of past teen participants say the MOTL trip strengthened their Jewish identity and their bond with Israel. Ninety percent of respondents said MOTL made it more likely they would financially support Jewish causes, and 90 percent said they are now more inclined to get involved when confronted with anti-Semitism, such as on their college campuses.

Donations may be made online at MOTLNewEngland.org. For more information, call 508-846-2448 or email Development Chair Jim Slovin at Jaslov1@msn.com. For information on registration for upcoming teen and adult marches, visit MOTLNewEngland.org.

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Fourth Annual Lincoln Holistic Wellness Fair

news briefs

Register for the 15th Annual Fight For Air Climb The American Lung Association, in Boston, is challenging local residents to go big this year and register for the Fight For Air Climb on March 28, at One Boston Place.

Friends, family and colleagues will come together in honor of loved ones living with lung diseases, such as asthma and lung cancer, to raise funds for clean air and lung disease research, education and advocacy.

Hundreds of American Lung Association supporters will scale more than 41 floors—that’s 789 steps—up to the top of One Boston Place.

“Far too many residents in Massachusetts struggle to breathe on a daily basis,” says Karen Whitefield, executive director of the American Lung Association, in Massachusetts. “The Fight For Air Climb is not an easy event, but it’s a fulfilling one when you can help those who are living with a lung disease breathe a bit easier.”

Local firefighters from more than 60 departments will be showing their support at the end of the event by climbing the 41 floors in full firefighter gear—helmet, hood, pants, coat, gloves, boots and air pack—weighing more than 45 pounds. Firefighters have an increased risk for lung disease from the exposure to gases, chemicals and smoke in the line of duty.

The Lincoln Area Wellness Collaborative will host the 4th annual Lincoln Holistic Wellness Fair from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., February 1, at Pierce House, in Lincoln. Snow date is scheduled for February 8. Attendees are invited to take part in demonstrations to learn more about various holistic methods such as acupuncture, Aston-Patterning, Ayurveda, Barbara Brennan Hands of Light, Bemer, Emotion Code, Higher Brain Living, kundalini yoga, massage and bodywork, reflexology, sound and energy healing, therapeutic touch, zero balancing and more.

The fair is part of the weekend-long Lincoln Winter Carnival event put on by the Parks and Recreation Committee and includes numerous family-friendly events throughout the town, many of which are free. Numerous free healthy snacks and refreshments will be available.

Location: 17 Weston Rd. For more information, call 781-738-1920 or email Asanajai@ verizon.net.

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Cost: Climb registration is $35 per participant and includes a $100 fundraising minimum. Location: 201 Washington St., Boston. For more information or to register, call 781-314-9005, email BostonClimb@ Lung.org or visit BostonClimb.org.

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February 2020

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health briefs It’s easy for our digital edition to land in your inbox each month

Just send your email address by text message:

Text NABOSTON to 22828 to get started Message and data rates may apply.

Use Probiotics to Reduce Bone Loss and Newborn Infections Bone loss leading to increased fracture risk occurs in half of postmenopausal women, but new research from Sweden offers a deterrent: a combination of three Lactobacillus probiotic strains. A total of 249 healthy, early postmenopausal women over the age of 50 that took the probiotics for a year suffered no significant bone loss in the lumbar spine compared to a placebo group, report researchers at Gothenburg University. They had slight reductions in bone loss at the neck and no changes at the hip or upper femur.

In a British Medical Journal-published study on probiotics that spanned 10 years and involved nearly 1,000 at-risk babies, researchers from the UK’s Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital found that newborns with gut infections were twice as likely to recover when given probiotics as part of their treatment in intensive care units, with sepsis rates reduced from 22.6 percent to 11.5 percent. The strains used were L. acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum and B. longum subspecies infantis. The babies were suffering from necrotizing enterocolitis, a rare infection and inflammation of the intestines which can affect low-birthweight babies.

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Try Mind-Body Options to Reduce Opioid-Treated Pain People suffering from acute pain often turn to addictive opioid treatments, but research from the University of Utah School of Social Work published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine concluded that certain mind-body therapies significantly reduce pain and the use of opioids. Reviewing 60 randomized, controlled, published clinical trials with more than 6,400 participants, researchers found that meditation/mindfulness, therapeutic suggestion and cognitive behavioral therapy all significantly reduced pain severity along with opioid use and misuse. Hypnosis also helped lower pain. Mind-body therapies proved effective at reducing short-term, acute pain from medical procedures, as well as chronic pain. Lead author and Associate Dean for Research Eric Garland pointed out that 82,000 Americans are projected to die from opioid overdoses in the next five years and noted, “If all of us—doctors, nurses, social workers, policymakers, insurance companies and patients—use this evidence as we make decisions, we can help stem the tide of the opioid epidemic.”

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Practice Qigong Massage to Improve Autism Symptoms in Children Qigong, a traditional Chinese massage technique and movement practice, may offer hope for the one in 68 American children suffering from autism spectrum disorder. Researchers at Portugal’s Oporto University reviewed 10 high-quality studies, all of which involved massage for children as young as 2, including two which also employed slow qigong movements and breathwork for older children. Previous studies have found that the qigong type of gentle massage practiced for 15 minutes daily by parents on autistic children helps the children tolerate touch, feel reassured by it and bond more deeply with parents that also feel less stress.

The meta-study affirmed, “Qigong seems to be able to decrease severity of individual sensory, behavioral and language components of autism, and improve self-control, sociability, sensory and cognitive awareness, as well as healthy physical behavior.”

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February 2020

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A Billion Trees in Eight Years

Marrying forestry to technology, the startup Flash Forest, in Toronto, is using aerial drones to plant trees 10 times faster than human planters with a goal of 1 billion trees by 2028. Since testing prototype devices last year, it has already planted several thousand trees across Ontario using pre-germinated seed pods containing a mixture of species. The drones are capable of planting trees at just 50 cents per pod, or a quarter of the cost of typical planting methods. Funded partly by a Kickstarter campaign, the group will start planting trees in April, with at least 150,000 in the ground by the end of this year. At full capacity, one drone operator will be able to plant 100,000 seed pods per day.

Flash Forest spokesperson Angelique Ahlstrom says, “Our goals are to have a significant and measurable impact on mitigating climate change in the next decade, while combatting deforestation and biodiversity loss on a global scale.

We feel we are one of the only ways that the federal government will be able to fulfill its pledge to plant 2 billion trees in the next 10 years.”

Trees Exhibit ‘Heartbeat’

Scientists have discovered that some trees raise and lower their branches several times in the course of the night, indicating a cycle of water and sugar transportation, but they didn’t know why.

Plants need water to photosynthesize glucose, the basic building block from which their more complex molecules are formed. For trees, this entails drawing water from the roots to the leaves. Dr. András Zlinszky, at Aarhus University, Denmark, used a laser scanning technique to measure the exact location of branches and leaves of 22 tree and shrub species, and published his observations of substantial unexpected movement cycles. He says, “We detected a previously unknown periodic movement of up to 0.4 inches in cycles of two to six hours. The movement has to be connected to variations in water pressure within the plants, and this effectively means that the tree is pumping.

Water transport is not just a steady-state flow, as we previously assumed.” Some might call that pumping action a heartbeat.

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Green Horizons

Thump Thump

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global briefs

Climate Check

A new Climate Neutral product label is joining others like Fair Trade, 100% Organic and Made in America, and is closing in on a Kickstarter (Tinyurl.com/ CarbonNeutralKickstarter) funding goal to raise $100,000. The idea for the label was hatched by the founders of San Francisco-based backpack and camera equipment maker Peak Design and Brooklyn-based Biolite, which sells sustainable energy products. Participating companies start by establishing baseline emissions, evaluating such factors as raw materials, the energy costs at their facilities, the amount that employees travel, and how and where their products are shipped.

They work to reduce and balance them through greener strategies, switching to renewable power and investing in carbon offsets before they can display the label on their products. According to Climate Neutral, it only costs 12 cents to offset the carbon emissions required to produce a $120 running shoe. More than 40 brands have already signed up.

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New Label Verifies Carbon Neutral Products

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eco tip

Clean and Green Eco-Laundry Tips By laundering clothes using simple ingredients and wise eco-practices, consumers can both save money and lower their carbon footprint.

Natural cleaning ingredients cited by TheEcoGuide.org include white vinegar, baking soda, lemons, borax and castile soap, all of which “can be bought in bulk with minimal packaging and have known cleaning properties that make them safe, effective and carbon-friendly alternatives.” Coarse salt is also suggested due to its mold-fighting power.

Look for biodegradable laundry detergents made with plant oils and other natural ingredients that are free of phosphates, bleach and surfactants such as petroleum-based nonylphenol ethoxylates.

Consider coldwater washing. About 90 percent of the energy a washing machine uses goes toward heating water.

By washing four out of five loads in cold water, a household could cut its carbon emissions by 864 pounds a year, according to Energy Star data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Because the cold setting may still heat the water

to as much as 80° F, see if the washer has a preferable “tap cold” option. Also, the temperature recommendations on clothing labels represent “the highest spectrum clothes can handle,” Melissa Hockstad, president and chief executive of the American Cleaning Institute, recently told The New York Times, so the hottest water won’t necessarily clean clothes better.

During rinsing, natural disinfectants that can be added include a few drops of peppermint or lavender essential oil; two teaspoons of tea tree oil; white vinegar (one-half cup per load); or one teaspoon of grapefruit seed extract.

Always assemble a full load of laundry each time. Line drying outdoors or on a drying rack indoors also conserves energy and is gentler on fabrics. Further, learn how to make homemade, felted wool dryer balls at DIYNatural.com; tossing four to six of them in each dryer load saves time, energy and money plus reduces static cling. And consider running the dryer early in the morning or overnight: this shifts energy consumption to off-peak hours, which lowers the demand on power plants and could help reduce national reliance on fossil fuels.

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February 2020

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healing ways

Your Healthier Future Understanding Your Genetics and Epigenetics

by Gary Kracoff

With recent advances in DNA analysis and better understanding of how DNA can affect our current and future health, science has shown us that we can have a say in what the future may bring. The old thought is that if there is familial history of heart disease, diabetes, inflammatory diseases, arthritis or high cholesterol, it is in our genes (genetics) and it is inevitable that we will have these problems as we age. We now know that each of us does have some control over our future health.

Functional genomics is a new field that can provide insight as to how our DNA impacts specific functions in the body, and how these errors in our DNA can cause some roadblocks to optimal wellness.

We have no control of what genes we inherit from our parents. We are born with our genes and will have them for the rest of our lives. This is our genetics. We now realize that we are in control of our epigenetics, the external factors that can turn on or off these genes. Our lifestyle choices, including diet, exercise, sleep, stress, exposure to toxins, relaxing and enjoying relationships, travel, hobbies, etc., can have a positive or negative impact on our health. If we have a poor diet, filled with toxins and lacking in nutrients, this can lead us to some of the above conditions. If we have a good diet and lifestyle, we can help prevent many of these conditions.

Genetics is like a loaded gun, pointed at us, and we have our finger on the trigger.

Epigenetics can either take our finger off the trigger or pull it, causing damage. Even if the trigger is pulled, if we change our epigenetics and remove the finger from the trigger, the damage does not continue, and with the proper support, health can be re-established.

Here are some examples of how a functional genomic analysis can show how variants (snps) in the following genes may be impacting your health and some nutritional help if there is an issue:

• Snps in the HLA and KIAA genes may increase the chance of gluten intolerance.

(Enzyme products are available to help break down gluten that is hidden in food.)

• ABP1 snps may impact your ability to digest high histamine foods leading to digestive disturbances due to undigested histamine. (DAO enzyme is now available in capsule form to break down histamine in the gut from food.)

• Sult snps can cause sensitivity to toxins, hormones, xenobiotics and heavy metals.

• NRF2 snps can decrease the body’s ability to make antioxidants needed to lessen 16

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inflammation and toxicity. (Formulations to assist with the manufacture and release of antioxidants are now available.)

MEET YOUR

• HFE and SLC snps may cause unre-

solved inflammation because it can cause iron to become a free radical leading to the Fenton reaction and major inflammation. (Hydrogen water is now available to help break down excess hydroxyl molecules being generated.)

• Snps in NOS can lead to problems making nitric oxide which can lead to cold hands and feet, high blood pressure and erectile dysfunction. (Supplements containing organic beetroot, grape seed extract, olive leaf, theobromine, hawthorn and potassium citrate are available to boost nitric oxide formation and utilization.)

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Many people have had minimal genetic testing done such as MTHFR by itself. The “take this for that” prescription does not work well when analyzing the genome.

Most find that adding methyl folate if they have the MTHFR gene snp does not fix their issues and many feel worse.

A functional genomic approach is to look at 200,000 genes, symptoms, health issues and look for patterns in the results. It looks at the metabolic pathways that these genes can affect, and at how the genes and compromised pathways could affect one’s health. Also, the epigenetics of the individual must be considered. Then, a picture begins to fall into place, and your practitioner can help you unravel many of the underlying imbalances that have been created due to your genetics and epigenetics.

Addressing “why” there is a problem is very important.

With the greater understanding of our genetics and epigenetics, there becomes clearer ways to help the body respond in a healthier way by supporting the weakened metabolic issues. Working with a practitioner that will work with you to understand your genetics and epigenetics and design a protocol specifically for you can help you live a happier and healthier life.

Dr. Gary Kracoff is a naturopathic doctor and registered pharmacist at Johnson Compounding and Wellness Center, located at 577 Main St., Waltham. For more information on functional genomic testing, call 781893-3870 ext. 2 or visit NaturalCompounder. com. See ad on this page and Resource Guide on pages 35 and 37.

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EXPIRES 2/29/2020

February 2020

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SACRED VESSELS

The Lifeblood of Heart Health

by Julie Peterson

When a disease is lifestyle-induced, the only thing that can reverse it is a dramatic change in diet and lifestyle. We’ve seen over and over again that it works. ~Brenda Davis When people think about heart health, what generally comes to mind is the fist-sized muscle that pumps and oxygenates the body’s lifeblood. However, the heart of the matter is not the pump itself, but the vascular system—the network of veins, arteries and capillaries that distributes blood to every cell in the body, delivering nutrients and eliminating waste.

Each human adult harbors an astonishing 60,000 miles of blood vessels—enough to 18

wrap around the planet twice. Keeping these hard-working vessels supple and open is the key not only to avoiding disease, but also to ensuring a long and healthy life.

The alternative—arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries—can slowly and silently bring on cardiovascular disease (CVD), which can result in a heart attack, stroke, vision loss and cognitive decline. CVD is the leading cause of death in the U.S., killing one in four Americans,

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according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). By 2035, nearly half the population—45 percent—is predicted to have some form of the disease.

“A hundred years ago, we were farming the back 40 with a team of horses, eating what we grew. Kids don’t get out and ride bikes; they’re playing video games and eating crap. There’s very little doubt how we got to this problem,” says John Osborne, M.D., director of cardiology at State of the Heart Cardiology, near Dallas.

Yet, the nation’s number one killer, which can fester for decades without symptoms, is largely preventable and reversible. Only 15 percent of CVD is related to genetics; the rest is attributed to lifestyle, and the right choices can make all the difference. The key is to adopt heart-healthy habits before the body delivers a potentially fatal warning.

“The initial presentation of heart disease can be an acute catastrophic event that results in death in half the men and two-thirds of the women. That’s not treatable,” warns Osborne.

The first step toward cardiovascular health is awareness. Important indicators of CVD risk include:

❤ High blood pressure (over 140/90) ❤ High cholesterol (over 240 mg/dL) ❤ High triglycerides (over 200 mg/dL) ❤ High blood glucose (over 140 mg/dL) ❤ Obesity (BMI over 30) ❤ Inflammation (hsCRP test above 2 ml/dL) ❤ Physical inactivity (less than 30 minutes a day)

❤ Smoking or vaping (any at all) ❤ Chronic stress ❤ Loneliness Any of these factors can increase the risk of CVD, but possessing a cluster of the first five comprises a condition called metabolic syndrome, which significantly increases the potential for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes—itself a significant risk factor that can damage blood vessels, as well as the organs they support.

“While diabetes is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States, this figure belies the fact that most people with diabetes die of heart disease, kidney failure and other complications,” says Brenda Davis, RD, of Alberta, Canada, author of Kick Diabetes Essentials: The Diet and Lifestyle Guide.

Metabolic syndrome, like CVD, has few obvious symptoms and is on the rise: Nearly onethird of adults in the U.S. have it, according to the CDC. The one distinct marker for the condition is an accumulation of fat around the waistline, characterized by a measurement of over 35 inches for women and 40 for men.

Lisa McDowell, director of clinical nutrition and wellness at St. Joseph’s Mercy Health System, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and team dietitian for the Detroit Red Wings, works with elite athletes of all ages and notes that they more likely know their favorite player’s jersey number than their own health numbers.

“Learn what your blood pressure is, know your body mass index, get your cholesterol levels and triglycerides and your [hemoglobin] A1C. Know these numbers early on and, if there’s a problem, fix it,” she advises.

While simple blood tests help monitor indicators for CVD, more sophisticated tests can be even more revealing. In 2018, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (AHA) jointly issued new guidelines for patients over age 50 to get a computerized tomography (CT) scan to determine their calcium score. The procedure checks for hardening of the arteries and predicts the risk of a 10-year future cardiovascular event.

“This identifies people who have pre-clinical atherosclerosis, regardless of risk factors,” says Osborne. “It also helps people modify behaviors, because they are faced with a diagnosis.”

Yale R. Smith, a Melbourne, Florida, M.D., who specializes in metabolic and functional medicine, utilizes the U.S. Food & Drug Administration-approved protein unstable lesion signature (PULS) blood test. Recommended for patients in their 40s, it measures inflammatory biomarkers for the body’s immune system response to arterial injury and provides a chronological heart age and risk of a CVD event.

“If you can show someone the future, it’s a wake-up call to make lifestyle changes to increase longevity,” Smith says.

“There’s not an excess of blueberries in the American diet; there’s an excess of relatively inexpensive, highly processed junk foods in large containers,” says McDowell. Overcoming the urge to grab fast and easy foods requires education.

“Everyone needs to learn how to read a food label and avoid foods linked to vascular disease,” she adds.

Vegans have healthier cholesterol levels in their blood compared to vegetarians, which in turn have better levels than meat-eaters.

Study-verified diets that lower CVD indicators also include the Mediterranean diet, as well as two developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet, which also addresses exercise and weight control.

“I don’t believe that one diet fits everybody, but there’s a preponderance of evidence that the more plant compounds you get, the better off you are,” says McDowell.

Some cardiovascular boosters: Leafy greens flush out excess sodium and magnesium, and reduce inflammation.

Berries improve circulation by boosting nitric oxide, which expands blood vessels.

Pomegranate juice lowers blood pressure and reduces plaque formation.

Walnuts, peanuts and almonds lower LDL, the “bad cholesterol”.

Oily fish, chia and flax seeds with omega-3 fatty acids lower triglycerides.

❤ Eat for Heart Health

Take Action to Cut Risks “When a disease is lifestyle-induced, the only thing that can reverse it is a dramatic change in diet and lifestyle,” says Davis. “We’ve seen over and over again that it works.”

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pre-diabetes, putting them at increased risk for Type 2 diabetes and CVD.

Z

Know the Risk Factors

CVD flies under the radar even though it’s increasingly common at younger ages. The Journal of the American Medical Association released a study in December 2019 stating that about one in four young adults in the U.S. have

Perhaps the single most important change that people can make is diet. “But a lot of people don’t want lifestyle medicine—they’d rather take a statin with their Big Mac,” says McDowell.

Preventing or reversing CVD requires diligence, but it’s largely about eating real, whole food—and mostly plants. This means avoiding processed foods and consuming less salt, trans fats, saturated fat and cholesterol; and more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

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Soy with anti-inflammatory isoflavones helps dilate blood vessels. “We could eat tofu, tempeh, miso, edamame, soy beans or even organic soy ‘veggie meats’ in place of red meat,” says Davis.

Yogurt, kefir and other fermented probiotic dairy products help improve glycemic control, blood lipids, cholesterol and blood pressure.

Supplements can be very helpful:

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Red yeast rice extract, much like a statin, significantly lowers total cholesterol and LDL. Coenzyme Q10, a powerful antioxidant, lowers blood pressure and combats the side effects of statins.

Omega-3s in fish oil supplements reduce heart risk in healthy people and those already diagnosed with CVD risk.

Nicotinamide riboside improves blood pressure and arterial health in those with mild hypertension.

Garlic, fresh or in capsules, can lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

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Exercising outdoors provides additional benefits. Research from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health found that exposure to green spaces helped prevent metabolic syndrome.

❤ Stress Less, Socialize More Spending even 20 minutes outdoors in nature can do wonders for high blood pressure and cortisol levels, studies show.

Walking or talking with a friend deepens social engagement, a key factor in lowering CVD risk: “Having the right tribe is crucial,” says McDowell. “If you’re with people who support you and make you laugh, you feel less stress.”

Walking a dog outdoors gets three cardiovascular pluses—exercise, nature and sociability, as dogs tend to be tail-wagging ice-breakers.

Further, merely stroking a pet lowers blood pressure.

Apps like Headspace and Insight Timer make it easy to do meditation, which studies suggest may reduce overall CVD risk.

❤ Don’t Smoke

Sitting all day and then briefly exercising doesn’t provide the same benefit as moving periodically throughout the day. Take more frequent breaks from sitting, get up to move around for a couple of minutes every 30 minutes.

Not starting to smoke or vape at all is ideal for cardiovascular health, but quitting allows the body to begin to heal, reducing the risk of coronary heart disease after one year by 50 percent, reports the AHA; 14 years later, the risk is the same as a non-smoker’s.

Exercise strengthens the endothelium, the innermost of an artery’s three layers, and produces nitric oxide, which helps keep arteries open and healthy. Getting the blood moving lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, and increases oxygen and nutrients to the body.

Julie Peterson writes from rural Wisconsin.

Connect at JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com.

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“It’s not intuitively easy to make healthy decisions,” says McDowell. “We have to learn how to make good choices.”

ASSESS PERSONAL RISK High Blood Pressure High blood pressure occurs when the force of blood pushing against the vessel walls is too high, making the heart and vessels work harder. The friction damages the endothelium—the inner lining of veins and arteries—plaque builds up, the vessels narrow and blood pressure increases even more. Contributing factors include being sedentary, overweight and consuming excessive alcohol or salt.

High Cholesterol

adults reported that a 10 percent increase in the consumption of processed foods corresponded to a 12 percent overall increase in cardiovascular disease.

British study found that artery functions declined and CVD risk factors worsened in just two weeks when active exercisers reduced their daily steps from 10,000 to 1,000.

Inflammation

Smoking and Vaping

Chronic inflammation, caused by such factors as fried and processed foods, smoking, obesity, alcohol and stress, can trigger the immune system to attack healthy tissues, including the endothelium, raising CVD risk. C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammation marker, is measured by the hsCRP blood test. Men with higher CRP levels had three times the risk of heart attack and twice the risk of stroke, Harvard scientists have found.

Nicotine, carbon monoxide and chemicals in cigarettes increase blood pressure and heart rate, damage the endothelium and cause blood platelets to clot more, which is why smokers are two to four times more likely to get cardiovascular disease.

E-cigarettes and cigars may be worse due to higher doses of nicotine, the AHA warns.

Physical Inactivity A lack of regular, ongoing physical activity has been shown to dramatically increase obesity, blood pressure, cholesterol and inflammation. A 2019

Loneliness People need people: Harvard researchers examined 23 studies that involved 181,000 adults and found that loneliness, social isolation or both were associated with increased risks of heart attacks (29 percent) and strokes (32 percent).

A waxy, fat-like substance found in all cells of the body, cholesterol can pile up (mostly as a consequence of poor diet) and stick to arterial walls, creating plaque that stymies blood flow to the heart.

High Triglycerides The end product of digesting fats in food, triglycerides become fat in the blood that gives the body energy. Numbers climb with consumption of refined carbohydrates, simple sugars and fatty foods, contributing to arteriosclerosis.

Metabolic Syndrome A cluster of conditions that affect up to a third of Americans, metabolic syndrome is defined by high blood pressure; high levels of blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides; and excess fat around the waist. It’s closely linked to Type 2 diabetes, another CVD risk factor.

Obesity Obesity afflicts almost 40 percent of American adults—causes chronic inflammation, harms the endothelium and causes poor cholesterol numbers. A 12-year study of 17,640 Europeans, published in the European Heart Journal, found that obese people with metabolic risk factors were two-and-a-half times as likely to have heart disease as those of normal weight.

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Stress When stressed by such factors as work overload, family strife or traumatic memories, the body releases adrenaline, which causes acceleration of breathing and heart rate, contraction of vessels and a rise in blood sugar. Chronic stress can cause constricted arteries that lead to arteriosclerosis and inflammation of the endothelium.

Further, stressed people often turn to vascular-destructive activities such as smoking, drinking and binge eating.

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February 2020

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Cholesterol Tests What the Results Say About Our Health

by Bridgitte Carroll When we think of heart health, good cholesterol levels come to mind. A primary care doctor can test them yearly, which gives the notion that they’re an excellent indicator of health from year to year. This isn’t the case for most healthy people. In contrary to how Western medicine approaches cholesterol, studies show that slightly elevated levels (200-240 mg/dL) are actually protective of health. Countries with the lowest heart disease risk have moderately high cholesterol levels. However, if your doctor or dietitian is worried about elevated cholesterol levels, try determining the root cause of the dysfunction and make nutrition or supplement changes.

Out of all foods and food additives, trans fat is the most problematic for heart health.

Even the government has caught onto this with legislation that food products must contain under a certain amount of trans fat. But that begs the question, why is any amount allowed in foods? When looking at an ingredient label, trans fat will be categorized as partially hydrogenated oil. Avoid it. Better yet, buy more food products without labels.

Another fat under scrutiny is saturated fat. Sat22

urated fat gets a bad reputation, and for some with certain genetics, it may be helpful to be reduced. The largest source of saturated fat in the American diet comes from beef, however, well-raised, grass-fed meat will have lower levels of a type of inflammatory saturated fat called arachidonic acid and higher levels of omega-3s. Eat locally sourced, grass-fed beef once per week and your heart should stay healthy.

High cholesterol levels are also not only an issue of the wrong types of fats in the diet, but a sugar consumption issue. Those with high cholesterol many times have elevated glucose levels. Evaluate with a dietitian how much added sugar is in the diet. Sugar is sneaky and in many packaged products. When looking at nutrition labels, 4g of added sugar is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of sugar. That yogurt with 20g of added sugar means your day starts out with 5 teaspoons of pure cholesterol-increasing glucose. Stay away.

Besides total cholesterol, there are other indepth and state-of-the-art testing that will be better markers of nutritional and cardiovascular health. The omega-3 index is a marker

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of anti-inflammatory fatty acid balance. Most people are deficient in anti-inflammatory omega-3s, so adding fatty fish such as salmon and sardines two to three times per week, or a high-quality fish oil at 1 to 3g total of EPA + DHA per day may be helpful. There are sources of omega-3s other than fatty fish, however, their anti-inflammatory properties are not as high.

These sources include flax, chia and walnut.

Whether your doctor has marked your cholesterol high or excellent, be sure to evaluate these markers with an integrative practitioner or dietitian. Nutrition can be tailored to blood testing and genetics. Additionally, there is more in-depth testing that will give your practitioner a better clue about how to support heart and overall health.

Bridgitte Carroll, MS, RDN, LDN, is an integrative and functional dietitian in Waltham, MA. She works one-on-one with clients utilizing a systems approach to get to the root cause of bodily imbalances. She is currently accepting new clients at Johnson Compounding and Wellness and appointments can be made at Calendly.com/Bridgitte-Carroll. See ad on page 17 and Resource Guide on pages 35, 36.

A Cure for Insomnia Neurofeedback Reduces Symptoms of Sleeplessness

by Jolene Ross A person has insomnia if they are having problems with sleep. Unfortunately, this is the case for many people in the United States today.

Insomnia is an inability to fall and/or stay asleep at night, which prevents a person from getting the quality sleep they need to function well during the day. A person with insomnia does not feel refreshed after waking up in the morning. Insomnia is all about how a person feels. Getting quality sleep is what is most important despite how much sleep a person gets.

where their brain is having trouble functioning. This can be done while they are awake because these brain waves are visible when they are awake as well as when they are asleep.

Once the initial assessment is performed, neurofeedback protocol is created to specifically target their problem brain waves for improvement. After neurofeedback, people have reported that they sleep better, wake up feeling refreshed, are able to sustain their attention throughout Increasing the size of the the day, and they have increased cognitive capacity. Neurofeedback is safe for all ages theta brain waves can and does not have any accompanying negimprove sleep. ative side effects.

Additional symptoms a person may notice include fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating and not feeling alert. Napping after noon may reset circadian rhythms, which means getting back to sleep at night may prove difficult. This is a problem for those with insomnia, as taking a nap is so tempting to try to relieve feelings of fatigue. Other mental health conditions have been linked to insomnia including depression, anxiety, fatigue, bipolar disorder and poor attention.

TYPES OF INSOMNIA

There are several different types of insomnia. Chronic insomnia is a long-term pattern of not sleeping. To be diagnosed with chronic insomnia, a person must have trouble falling and/or staying asleep for at least three nights a week for at least three months or longer. Comorbid insomnia refers to insomnia that is associated with another health condition. This can include mental health conditions including anxiety and depression. Onset insomnia is when you have difficulty falling asleep at night. Maintenance insomnia is the inability to stay asleep during the night, causing the person to wake up during the night and not be able to get back to sleep.

The irregularity of the brainwave called theta can be a cause of insomnia.

Increasing the size of these brain waves can improve sleep. Increasing theta can also reduce symptoms of anxiety, PTSD, trauma and other challenges.

NEUROFEEDBACK IMPROVES BRAIN FUNCTION The better a person sleeps, the better they function. Neurofeedback is the process of improving brain function and can effectively reduce symptoms of insomnia. First, a QEEG, also called a Quantitative Electroencephalogram, is taken of the person’s brain waves, to establish

ESTABLISH A SLEEP SCHEDULE Establishing a regular sleep schedule is key to improving sleep. This means going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every day. Tracking behavior almost always results in positive changes in that behavior, so try utilizing a sleep diary to track sleep behaviors. Take a hot shower or bath two hours before going to sleep. The process of meditating can lower stress levels, which may improve sleep. Reading a book instead of staring at a cell phone will help as well. Studies have shown that blue light from screens dissipate melatonin in the brain, and without enough melatonin, a person will have difficulty sleeping. Do not eat meals with high sugar content or drink anything highly caffeinated too close to bedtime. Be sure to get regular exercise, although getting exercise too close to bedtime can also contribute to insomnia, therefore morning exercise is recommended.

Getting better sleep will improve performance in work, school and/or athletics. As always, mental health is physical.

Dr. Jolene Ross is a licensed psychologist and is an EEG-Certified Senior Fellow of the Biofeedback Certification International Association. She is a neurobehavioral psychologist with extensive experience in neurobiofeedback treatment, cognitive and behavioral therapy, and behavioral medicine. For more information, visit AdvancedNeurotherapy.com. See ad on page 11 and Resource Guide on page 34.

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February 2020

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conscious eating

A Feast for All Seasons Embracing the Rainbow Year Round

by April Thompson Food always tastes better in the season it was intended to be eaten in. ~Brigit Binns No matter where we live, eating seasonally in winter doesn’t have to be boring or limiting; a culinary adventure awaits the home chef that’s willing to leave avocados and asparagus to their rightful seasons and embrace the winter rainbow of bitter greens, sweet potatoes, sunny citrus and fuchsia beets, among other timely delicacies.

“Sometimes people think of winter foods as brown and soft and boring, and it’s absolutely not the case. Winter brings bright things like pomegranates, beets and citrus, which offer color and acidity,” says Brigit Binns, the Paso Robles, California author of 30 cookbooks, including Cooking in Season: 100 Recipes for Eating Fresh.

Eating seasonally is especially important in winter, says Shannon Stonger of Texas, author of Simple Food for Winter: 30 Grain-Free Recipes to Get You Through the Dark Days. “Winter foods like fermented vegetables, root vegetables, squashes and hardy greens are especially helpful in the colder, darker months, when our bodies are in need of comfort foods as well as pre- and probiotic foods,” says Stonger, a homesteader and founder of the blog NourishingDays.com.

There are plenty of other reasons to stick to a seasonal diet in winter, adds Binns. “Food always tastes better in the season it was intended to be eaten in. Seasonal foods are naturally ripened, rather than harvested early and trucked in. In addition to enhanced flavor, eating seasonally helps minimize use of fossil fuels to bring our food to us, and is likely to be less expensive.”

Winterizing the Kitchen Much of the fall harvest, particularly root vegetables, stores well through the winter (hence the idea of a root cellar), extending produce across seasons, according to Steven Satterfield, chef and author of Root to Leaf: A Southern Chef Cooks Through the Seasons. There are lots of root vegetables beyond just carrots and potatoes to be enjoyed in winter, including sunchokes, parsnips and turnips, which can be used creatively rather than “boiled to death,” says Satterfield. For example, the Atlanta restaurateur incorporates parsnips into an upside-down cake with winter spices like nutmeg, black pepper and ginger.

Binns like to add texture to winter dishes with nuts, color 24

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with herbs, and crunch with a winter vegetable like fennel. Warming soups are always comforting during the coldest season, but she also likes warm salads, like a beet and escarole salad drizzled with a warm sherry vinaigrette.

Satterfield suggests that specialty citrus like blood oranges, Meyer lemons and cross-hybridized varieties such as tangelos and pomelos are fun to intersperse with winter vegetables to maximize brightness and freshness. A lot of winter produce can be great in raw form as well, he adds, including Brussels sprouts, rutabaga or daikon radish, shaved thinly or julienned into a salad.

Winter squash is a favorite staple of the Stonger family in the cooler months. “It is easy to grow, easy to store and so deliciously sweet and rich. We roast it as a side dish, mash it as a sort of breakfast porridge or make soups and curries from it,” says Stonger.

Satterfield suggests using all the parts of winter vegetables to maximize the harvest and minimize food waste. For example, the seeds of winter squashes can be roasted with herbs and spices and eaten as is, churned into other dishes such as a squash seed granola or blended and strained into a homemade broth to add some texture, fat and flavor. After roasting carrots with Moroccan spices, Satterfield suggests taking the leafy carrot tops and chopping them with cilantro and garlic to make a green sauce to crown the carrots. Swiss chard stems can also be chopped and cooked into Portuguese bread soup, with leftover stale bread made into olive oil croutons and egg whites stirred in at the end.

Winter Health Boosters Beyond selecting seasonal produce, chefs recommend a few key dietary tweaks in winter, such as stepping up vitamin D consumption. “Since you’re not seeing a lot of sun this time of year, it’s more important to get it through colorful vegetables like carrots, cabbage or radicchio. Watermelon radishes are another winter vegetable full of vitamins,” says Binns.

“You can grow your own sprouts throughout the winter as a great microgreen option. Sprouts are incredibly high in enzymes, something often lacking in other winter dishes,” suggests Stonger. “Fermented vegetables and other fermented foods can make up the difference in winter.”

April Thompson is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C. Connect at AprilWrites.com.

Winter Salad Wonder

For the vinaigrette: Fresh orange juice or as needed 1 Tbsp champagne vinegar ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

photo by Ray Kachatorian

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Cut the celery in half lengthwise. Using a serrated vegetable peeler or a mandoline, shave the celery into thin strips lengthwise down the ribs. Cut the strips in half crosswise and place in a bowl of water.

Set aside.

Mixed Citrus Salad With Mâche, Fennel and Celery Winter is the height of citrus season, with an appealing display of oranges, mandarins, tangerines, tangelos, pomelos and more in the best-stocked markets. Use a varied mixture of sweet-tart types for the prettiest, tastiest salad.

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Yields: 4 servings 2 ribs celery 2 bunches mâche 2 lb mixed citrus fruits, such as navel oranges, blood oranges, tangerines, mandarins and pomelos ½ fennel bulb, trimmed 8 kumquats ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted

Separate the mâche leaves and transfer to a shallow serving bowl. Working on a plate to capture all the juices, use a serrated knife to cut a thick slice off the top and bottom of each citrus fruit.

Working with one fruit at a time, stand it upright and, following the contour of the fruit, carefully slice downward to remove the peel, pith and membrane. Set the fruit on its side and cut crosswise into slices about ⅜-inch thick, discarding any seeds. Transfer the slices to the bowl with the mâche, reserving the juices for the vinaigrette.

Cut the fennel lengthwise in half. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, cut the fennel crosswise into very thin slices and tuck among the citrus slices. Drain the celery and distribute evenly over the salad. Using the serrated knife, cut each kumquat crosswise into very thin slices, discarding any seeds. Scatter the kumquat slices evenly over the salad, then sprinkle the almonds over the top.

To make the vinaigrette, pour the reserved citrus juices into a measuring cup. Add enough additional orange juice to measure ½ cup then add the vinegar.

Whisking constantly, slowly add the olive oil and whisk until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad, toss gently to coat, and serve.

From Cooking in Season: 100 Recipes for Eating Fresh, by Brigit Binns

Natural Awakenings recommends using organic, non-GMO (genetically modified) and non-bromated ingredients whenever possible.

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fit body

VITAL STEP The Path to Vascular Fitness

by Marlaina Donato

For blood vessel flexibility, any sort of sustained aerobic exercise helps.

Find something you enjoy so that you’ll keep doing it in the long term. ~Alex Hutchinson

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It is well-known that exercise combats cardiovascular disease by balancing blood pressure and managing blood sugar, but aerobic exercise, not resistance training, takes the prize for keeping the body’s thousands of miles of blood vessels more supple. A 2017 study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise shows that all-extremity exercise like brisk walking improves arterial flexibility in older individuals; even those with a sedentary history.

Moving the body regularly also lowers stress hormones like cortisol that can ignite damaging vascular inflammation. A West Virginia University study presented at the 2016 Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego showed that aerobic exercise fosters healthy blood vessels in rats exposed to chronic stress. Combining aerobic exercise with good diet and paying attention to triglyceride levels all help to keep us young from the inside-out.

Step It Up According to a 2015 study by the University of Missouri School of Medicine published in Experimental Physiology, walking just 10 minutes after prolonged sitting can restore blood flow in the legs and improve impaired vascular function.

Results like these are another reason to get up and move. Walking, running, swimming, cycling, jumping rope and playing tennis are all excellent options. “For blood vessel flexibility, any sort of sustained aerobic exercise helps. Find something you enjoy so that you’ll keep doing it in the long term,” says Alex Hutchinson, New York Times bestselling author of Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights? Fitness Myths, Training Truths, and Other Surprising Discoveries from the Science of Exercise. The Toronto-based, Outside magazine science columnist underscores that treadmills and walking outside foster equal benefits by increasing the heart rate.

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The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic exercise. Dr. Regina Druz, a board-certified cardiologist and medical director of the Integrative Cardiology Center of Long Island, explains, “This translates into 30 minutes a day, five times a week. A specific exercise program may be helpful for those with a medical condition, but for overall vascular health, any physical activity like walking or taking the stairs will do.” Druz also highlights the role of nitric oxide: “One of the most studied mediators of vascular health is [nitric oxide], which makes arteries flexible.”

Research findings published in 2018 in the journal Hypertension spotlight the correlation between the number of daily steps and arterial plasticity through a technique called pulse wave velocity, which measures how fast blood travels from the heart to

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the feet. The evidence suggests that 1,000 extra steps a day foster significant vascular improvement.

Judy Heller, a walking coach and founder of Wonders of Walking, a fitness program in Portland, Oregon, concurs: “Moving throughout the day, not just once a day, is most important.” Heller is a firm believer in consistency. “My aunt lived to 107 and remained in her three-story house. Her words to me were, ‘Judy, don’t ever stop walking.’

Small changes yield greater rewards over time. We’re meant to move.”

Superfoods and Supplements Nitric oxide, responsible for the dilation and contraction of blood vessels, is produced by exercising and helps to protect the smooth interior lining of the arteries from excessive plaque accumulation. Adding nitric oxide-boosting foods to an already healthy diet can give us an extra edge over vascular conditions like stroke and peripheral artery disease. “Beets, arugula, spinach and rhubarb are all good sources of dietary nitrate. They’re not miracle supplements, but if you make these foods a regular part of your diet, you’ll have a positive effect on your arteries,” says Hutchinson.

Research by Florida State University published in th e Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics reveals that a onecup daily serving of blueberries helps to protect the arteries from stiffness. Watermelon, rich in the nonessential amino acid L-citrulline, also packs a nitric oxide punch.

Full-spectrum vitamin E is another good option, especially for addressing peripheral artery disease and reducing serum triglyceride levels that are often seen as secondary to “bad” cholesterol levels, but which low levels are vital to cardiovascular health.

Druz cautions against using supplements as substitutes for healthy nutrition and exercise, and underscores the importance of dialing down stress, “I advise my patients to build stress resiliency, which involves recognizing and practicing stress response. This, along with nutrition and consistent exercise, will lower inflammation and help build stress resiliency.”

Marlaina Donato is an author and composer.

Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

February 2020

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natural pet

Pain Relief for Pets Prolotherapy Gives Joints New Life

by Julie Peterson By the time we completed the treatments, he was able to get up and down with ease and started cruising around the kitchen looking for snacks on the counter. ~Brian Engler

Brian Engler, of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, was asked to provide hospice care for a senior Akita.

Tadao was underweight, weak, arthritic and had been severely neglected. He needed a place to live out his remaining days in comfort. Even though Tadao was unstable with severely limited mobility, Engler believed that the old dog had more than a little life left in him.

Integrative Veterinary Center, in Kingston, Washington. “It’s part of a combination of integrative treatments based on what is best for your pet.”

Engler’s veterinarian tried prolotherapy injection treatments for Tadao’s joint pain and he soon became more comfortable and gradually more active. “By the time we completed the treatments, he was able to get up and down with ease and started cruising around the kitchen looking for snacks on the counter,” says Engler.

The right balance of treatments to help an animal feel comfortable could include laser therapy, osteopathic manipulation, acupuncture, physical therapy, custom braces, prolotherapy or rest.

Prolotherapy, short for proliferative therapy, isn’t just for dogs. Any animal with a joint can receive the regenerative injection therapy, which relieves pain by strengthening ligaments and tendons supporting the joint. It’s minimally invasive, involving the injection of a sugar solution directly into the affected area. The body’s inflammation response kicks in, resulting in regrowth of new fibers in ligaments and tendons.

Prolotherapy has been around a long time. It was used to treat lame animals around 1350 B.C. Back then, a hot poker was used to induce the inflammation response. In the 1930s, injection of an irritant solution at the site of the injury became the new method, and has since been shown in scientific studies to facilitate the repair and regrowth of connective tissue, ligaments, tendons, cartilage and other joint-stabilizing structures.

Modern prolotherapy has remained basically the same for the last 80 years, although the injected irritant solution is modified according to the veterinarian, the type of animal and the injury. Every vet uses a slightly different prolotherapy “cocktail”, which typically includes 50 percent dextrose and possibly several other ingredients the practitioner finds useful, such as saline, vitamin B12, lidocaine and homeopathic combinations. Some vets also offer platelet-rich plasma or stem cells in the injection mixture.

“Prolotherapy offers an effective alternative to surgery in a significant number of partial ligament tears or persistent joint pain issues,” says Judith M. Shoemaker, DVM, owner of Always Helpful Veterinary Services, in Nottingham, Pennsylvania. “It’s quite inexpensive and the success rate is very good. Many animals respond after just a few treatments.”

Shoemaker typically does prolotherapy treatments in three- to five-week intervals until the joint heals. She also looks to correct the underlying issues of the problem. “Joints don’t get torn up with normal movement,” she says.

Animals may have joint issues from falling, but other causes include overweight, long toenails or chiropractic issues. Prolotherapy stabilizes joints after an injury and achieves pain-free motion, but it’s only successful if the cause of the injury is remedied.

“Prolotherapy is a very important tool in integrative veterinary care, but it’s not a panacea, and it’s never a stand-alone treatment,” says Christin Finn, DVM, owner of the Canine Rehabilitation & 28

Boston | NaturalAwakeningsBoston.com

Using prolotherapy in conjunction with other posture-correcting and integrative therapies is a win for pets and their owners.

Surgery is fraught with complications and expensive. When prolotherapy is used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan, animals can recover from injuries that may have been debilitating or even fatal.

Ivey Sumrell’s Irish sport horse recovered from a severe injury. At 8 years old, Johnny was bitten on the neck by a stallion. “His neck became unstable and he had severe problems walking,” says Sumrell, of Tryon, North Carolina.

“Ultrasound-guided prolotherapy was done three times to all of his neck joints.”

Johnny was able to be ridden and lived to be 22.

And Tadao, the dog that was expected to die in hospice care a year ago, is enjoying life. He’s now well-nourished and loved, and painlessly goes for walks and plays at the park. “Tadao is the poster child for what prolotherapy can do,” says Engler.

Julie Peterson writes about health and environmental issues. Reach her at JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com.

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February 2020

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Boston | NaturalAwakeningsBoston.com

BOSTON COMMUNITY

All Calendar events for the March issue must be received by February 10 and adhere to our guidelines. Visit NaturalAwakeningsBoston.com for guidelines and to submit entries. For extended event descriptions and additional listings, visit NaturalAwakeningsBoston.com/events/new.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1 Lunar New Year Celebration - 10am-5pm.

Explore Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese traditions while enjoying a variety of activities, demonstrations, and performances throughout the day. Free admission and events. Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston. 617-267-9300. MFA.org.

special event

mind, body and spirit on a deep, cellular level.

The Immersive vibrational field created has been experienced by many as a vehicle to moving and releasing energy blocks, quieting the mind, thus promoting feelings of deep peace, clarity and well-being. We’ll bring the evening to a close by gathering, in full support of each other’s intentions, to play a 36” Gathering Drum. $35. Earth’s Hidden Treasures, 63 S Main St, Assonet. 617-610-1564.

EarthsHiddenTreasure.com.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2

The 4th Annual Lincoln Holistic Wellness Fair The elegant Pierce House will make for a relaxing, warm, space for this venue that promises to be the best year yet. The fair is a rare opportunity for patrons to experience a varied representation of wellness services from A – Acupuncture, to Z – Zero Balancing, and many modalities in between. Meet engaging practitioners who help fill a vitally needed gap in health care today and find effective solutions for chronic and acute health concerns.

Absorb healing sound vibrations, enjoy hot beverages and delicious, healthy snacks that round out the offerings ensuring a rejuvenating oasis for the senses; a welcome panacea on a cold winter’s day. The Lincoln Holistic Wellness Fair is one of several events within the larger Lincoln Parks and Recreation Winter Carnival, an annual nonprofit, free, family event.

Sat., February 1 • 11am - 5pm Pierce House, 17 Weson Rd, Lincoln.

781-738-1920.

Facebook.com/The-Annual-LincolnHolistic-Wellness- Fair-175339525923858.

Pop-Up Yin Yoga Workshop – 1-2:30pm. With Lisa and Jane. Includes a 60-min class. Learn what yin yoga is, the benefits of practicing and how to practice safely. Yoga mats provided.

Dress comfortably. All forms of payment accepted. $15. 4 Corners Yoga and Wellness, 336 Washington St, Dorchester. 617-56-0519.

4CornersYogaWellness.com.

Transforming through Sound with Sonic Field – 6-8pm. Sacred Sound Immersion with Sonic Field. The power of Sacred Sound effects the

Chinese New Year Parade – 11am-4pm. The parade kicks off at the main stage in Philips Square (corner of Harrison Ave & Beach St), continues on Essex St, winds its way other nearby Chinatown sts, and then each of the dozen or so groups of performers spread out through the neighborhood to continue their performances for the rest of the afternoon. Free. More info: BostonDiscovery-Guide.com.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4 Botany Blast: Viburnums – 6:30-7:30pm.

Join Wendy Clement for an overview of temperate viburnum species to get a better understanding of their forms, function and growth characteristics that develop across the seasons. Free. Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston. Registration requested: 617-384-5277 or My.Arboretum.Harvard.edu.

The Incredible Dr. You Workshop – 7:158:15pm. This first of two workshops breaks down the basics of Network Spinal Analysis, the method of chiropractic used at Newton Chiropractic. Get more out of your adjustments and enlighten yourself on just how incredible your body is at healing itself. Free. Newton Chiropractic & Wellness Centre, 383 Elliot St, Ste 250, Newton Upper Falls. RSVP: 617-964-3332.

WellAdjusted.com.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5 MFA 150: The Celebration Begins – 10am10pm. Join us to celebrate the MFA’s 150th birthday, and kick off our anniversary year, with a full day of fun and free admission.

Explore 15 decades of MFA milestones through 15-stop highlights tour, or make your own masterpiece. Stick around for a sweet treat and special surprises. Free. Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston. 617267-9300. MFA.org.

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special event Naturally Detox Your Body for the New Year With Jeanned’arc Haddad, RDN, LDN. This is the second class of a 3-part series. Taking all classes is not required.

Wed., February 5 • 7 - 8:30pm

$90/class. Acton Pharmacy, 563 Massachusetts Ave, Acton.

Register: 781-910-1538. DinnoHealth.com.

9-Session Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) – Wednesdays, Feb 5-Mar 25. 6:30-9pm. Led by Cindy Gittleman, Certified MBSR teacher and founder of Sunrise Mindfulness, includes guided instruction in mindfulness meditation practices and concepts, gentle mindful stretching, group discussions, daily home practice assignments and materials, including four guided mindfulness practice recordings.

Also includes 1 all-day class Mar 15. $495.

Skin to Soul, 800 W Cummings Park, St 3950, Woburn. More info & to register: SunriseMindfulness.com.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6 A Rose is a Rose: The Art of Botanical Prose – 2-3:30pm. Jonathan Damery, the associate editor for Arnoldia, will provide an enlivening and breathtaking tour of the artistry found in horticultural and botanical reference books. $5/member, $10/nonmember. Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston. Register: 617-384-5277 or My.Arboretum.Harvard.edu.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9 Reiki Level I Training – 9am-7pm. Learn to care for yourself and others with reiki practice. Reiki is a practical mind-body-spirit healing and meditation practice for all of us with challenges both big and small. Learn the traditional Japanese reiki meditations, how to practice hands-on healing of self and others, the reiki principles, reiki history, and how reiki promotes mindfulness and resilience on all levels of your being. Comprehensive course manual. CEUs for nurses, social workers and LMTs. $155. Brenner Reiki Healing, 324 Central St, Auburndale. 617-2448856. BrennerReikiHealing.org.

February 2020

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David Roth Returns! – 9:30am. Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician will be offering us a sermon in song, “Rising in Love,” to followed with a concert at noon. Will be a day to remember. Love offering. Concordia Center for Spiritual Living, 292 W Shore Rd, Warwick.

401-732-1552. ConcordiaCSL.com.

Radical Wellness Fair – 1-4pm. Stop by our open house to learn more about The Meeting Point.

There will be chair massages, acupuncture, yoga, zumba, meditation, crafts, snacks and lots more. Free. The Meeting Point, 3464 Washington St, Jamaica Plain. Register: bit.ly/ tmpfair2020. TheMeetingPoint.org.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13 Mindfulness: A Two-Part Series – 7:15-8:45pm.

Also Feb 27. Learn how to incorporate mindfulness practices into your daily life, reduce stress, be kinder to yourself and others, and feel more confident. With Matthew Carriker, Protestant Chaplain at Brandeis University and founder of the Agape Spiritual Society. Also with Vivekanand Pandy Vimal, postdoctoral fellow in the Ashton Graybeil Spatial Orientation Lab at Brandeis University, who will bring a scient orientation to mindfulness. Free. Waltham Public Library, 735 Main St, Waltham. 781-314-3429.

WalthamPublicLibrary.org.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15 Well-Being Through Prana – 1-5pm. With Christian Verde. You may attend any or all of this workshop. Discover your inner self through introspective yoga, 1-2pm. Introduction to Pranic Healing, 2:15-3:15pm. Receive Pranic Healing from one of our practitioners, 3:305pm. $40. 4 Corners Yoga and Wellness, 336 Washington St, Dorchester. 617-56-0519.

4CornersYogaWellness.com.

Gongs & Himalayan Singing Bowls Meditation – 6:30-8pm. This meditation is to awaken the deep energy of your own open heart, to expand the love energy residing within your heart. When you stand in the heart, you free yourself from fear, pain and confusion and

feel your true connection with the hearts of others and the heart of the universe. $40. Just Breathe, 45 E Main St, Westborough. 508366-8292. JustBreatheSaltRoom.com.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16 Move Into Your Magnificence – 11:15am.

Science of Success Workshop. Success isn’t about hard work, and it isn’t about luck.

Success is about science. Come learn the 3 fundamental principles that every successful person can, and must control. $30 suggested donation. Concordia Center for Spiritual Living, 292 W Shore Rd, Warwick. 401-7321552. ConcordiaCSL.com.

Conifers in Winter – 1:30-3pm. Docent Robbie Apfel leads this winter walk in an exploration of the Arboretum’s conifer collection. Tour will also introduce native and non-native conifers in the winter landscape. Free. Arnold Arboretum, Bussey Street Gate, Boston.

Registration requested: 617-384-5209 or My.Arboretum.Harvard.edu.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20 Children’s Winter Festival – 11am-2pm. Arts and crafts, games, inflatables, photo booth and more. Free. Frog Pond at Boston Common, 38 Beacon St, Boston. Events12.com/Boston.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22 Crystals for the Chakras – 3-4:30pm. A talk about the various crystals used for each energy center (chakra). Mediation with crystals on our chakras for a treatment of alignment. Each participant will receive a free stone. RSVP by Feb 18. $25. Earth’s Hidden Treasures, 63 S Main St, Assonet. 617-6101564. EarthsHiddenTreasure.com.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26 Grafting Woody Plants: Fruit Trees – 5-7:30pm.

Learn basic principles of grafting with an overview of different types of dormant-season grafts. Arnold Arboretum propagator Sean Halloran will provide step-by-step instructions so that you can practice both cleft and side veneer grafts using apple root stock. $48/

member, $58/nonmember. Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston. 617-384-5209.

My.Arboretum.Harvard.edu.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29 Reiki Level II Training – 9am-7pm. Discover deeper teachings and practices within the traditional Japanese system of reiki. Learn to practice with three symbols and mantras, as well as specific healing processes. Reiki Level 2 (Okuden) may be a gateway to a professional reiki practice and a way to deepen one’s own self-practice. CEUs for nurses and social workers. Prerequisite: Reiki Level 1 Training.

Comprehensive Course Manual. Ongoing support in your practice. Inquire about tuition discounts for seniors, students, veterans. You may re-sit at a reduced fee if already trained. $300. Brenner Reiki Healing, 324 Central St, Auburndale. 617-244-8856. BrennerReikiHealting.org.

STEAM Saturday – 10am-12pm. With the New England Aquarium. Explore family-friendly STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) activities. Free. BCYF LeahyHolloran, 1 Worrell St, Boston. 617-635-5150.

Bostong.gov/Events.

Intro to Salt Therapy aka Halotherapy – 2-3pm.

Learn more about the history and benefits of salt therapy. Halotherapy has been an effective tool used for many centuries for sinus issues, lung issues and allergies. All participants will receive a free 15-minute salt therapy session. Free. Earth’s Hidden Treasures, 63 S Main St, Assonet. 617-6101564. EarthsHiddenTreasure.com.

BEMER Workshop – 3:30-4:30pm. BEMER is designed to improve circulation supporting the body’s natural self-regulating processes. It enhances cardiac function, physical fitness, endurance, strength and energy, concentration, mental acuity, stress reduction and relaxation, and sleep management. Free. Newton Chiropractic & Wellness Centre, 383 Elliot St, Door F, Ste 250, Newton Upper Falls. Limited space; RSVP 617-964-3332. WellAdjusted.com.

classifieds BOOKS ..............................................

Christian Movements; Disdain and Suppression of Women; Crimes Against Children, etc. 844-576-0937. Gabriele-Publishing-House.com.

SPIRITUAL SERVICES ..............................................

SPIRITUAL TOOLS TO TRANSFORM OUR PERSONAL LIVES – And help create a world that works for everyone. A spiritual family that honors all paths to the God of your understanding and can help you experience a personal relationship with the Inner Divine. Sunday Celebration Services, 10-11:15am. 50 Dudley St, Cambridge. CLSBoston.org.

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Boston | NaturalAwakeningsBoston.com

BOSTON COMMUNITY

All Calendar events for the March issue must be received by February 10 and adhere to our guidelines. Visit NaturalAwakeningsBoston.com for guidelines and to submit entries. For extended event descriptions and additional listings, visit NaturalAwakeningsBoston.com/events/new.

DAILY Quincy Market History Tour – Learn about Quincy Market’s central and ever-evolving role in Boston’s history. Meet guide, Linda, at the property directly near Anthem Restaurant.

Faneuil Hall Marketplace, 4 S Market, Boston.

617-523-1300. Available dates & times: FaneuilHallMarketplace.com.

Free Tour of Symphony Hall – 4:30pm select weekdays. Also 3:30pm select Sat. Join volunteers on a behind-the-scenes tour and hear about the hall and the history and traditions of the famed musicians and conductors. Boston Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave, Boston. For available dates & times: 617-638-9390. BSO.org.

SUNDAY Sunday Celebration Service – 9:30-10:30am.

Change your thinking and change your life through an hour of uplifting music, affirmative prayer, meditation and an inspiring message.

All welcome. Love offering. Concordia Center for Spiritual Living, 292 W Shore Rd, Warwick. More info: ConcordiaCSL.com or Facebook.com/ConcordiaCSL. SoWa Vintage Market – 10am-4pm. Designers, collectors, appreciators of the beautiful and unusual love this market. A cool, urban, vintage flea market featuring fresh vintage and designer finds every week. Free. SoWa Vintage Market, 450 Harrison Ave, Boston.

SoWaVintageMkt.com.

Winter Wellness Walk – Thru Mar. 1-1:45pm.

This walk emphasizes fitness, with a healthy dose of information on seasonal highlights.

Geared towards adults and led by trained Arboretum docents. After your tour, stay for a warm drink and more conversation with your guide and staff at the visitor center. Free.

Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston.

Registration requested: 617-384-5209 or My.Arboretum.Harvard.edu.

MONDAY Peace Circle – 6-7pm. 1st Mon. Want to experience greater peace? Join us as we explore different aspects of peace through music, meditation and poetry, and how to put it into practice within yourself, relationships, community and the world. All welcome.

Facilitator, Gina Colvario-Krupka, RScP. Love offering. Concordia Center for Spiritual

Living, 292 W Shore Rd, Warwick. 401-5805800. More info: Gina@BelieveInYouToday@ gmail.com. ConcordiaCSL.com. Facebook. com/ConcordiaCSL. Free Guided Meditation – 6:15-6:45pm.

Experience different HypnoMeditations (pre-recorded by Richard Lanza) each week.

HypnoMeditation takes you on a journey to states of expansive inner calm which allow for personal transformation and healing. Free.

Open Doors, 395A Washington St, Braintree.

781-843-8224. OpenDoors7.com.

TUESDAY Noon Concerts on the Freedom Trail – 12:15pm.

Stop by to hear a 30-40-min concert.

Performers vary each week and perform a wide variety of music ranging from jazz to folk, medieval to modern. $5 suggested donation.

King’s Chapel, Tremont & School sts, Boston.

617-227-2155. Kings-Chapel.org.

Weekly Divine Meditation – 6-7pm.

Experience a powerful guided meditation lead by Bhavna, the Golden Light Goddess. No two meditations are ever the same. Drop-ins encouraged. $10. Bhavna’s Wellness Group, 512 Main St, Penthouse Ste, Shrewsbury.

508-970-5620. BhWellnessGroup.com.

Reiki Healing Sessions – 7-9pm. Reiki and energy healers offer their services free of charge. To broaden the spirit of free care and community services to others, please make a donation in any amount for each healing you receive. Donations sent to a variety of local charitable causes. Open Doors, 395 Washington St, Braintree. 781843-8224. OpenDoors7.com.

WEDNESDAY Museum of Fine Arts Free Wednesdays – Free admission after 4pm. Donation suggested.

MFA, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston. 617-2679300. MFA.org.

Public Open Night at the Observatory – 7:30pm, Fall/Winter; 8:30pm, Spring/Summer.

A chance to come observe the night sky through telescopes and binoculars and see things you otherwise might not get to see.

Held most Wed evenings throughout the year, weather permitting. Space limited, reservations recommended. Free. Coit Observatory at Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Ave, Boston. 617-353-2630. BU.edu.

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THURSDAY Free Night at the ICA – 5-9pm. The Institute of Contemporary Art, 100 Northern Ave, Boston. ICABoston.org.

SRR Thursday Night 4.06 Miler – 7:15-8:15pm.

It may be raining. It may be hot or cold. The SRR Thursday night run will happen every week, no matter what. Free. Casey’s Bar, 171 Broadway, Somerville. SRR.org/Events/ Thursday-Night-Race.

Observatory Night – 7:30-9:30pm. 3rd Thurs, 6 times per academic year. A non-technical lecture and telescopic observing from the observatory roof if weather permits.

Free. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Phillips Auditorium, 60 Garden St, Cambridge. 617-495-7461. More info: CFA.Harvard.edu/PublicEvents.

FRIDAY Watertown Mall Walking Club – 9am. Meet the club leader near Carter’s. Start with stretching exercises followed by a walk through the mall. Occasional guest lectures. Free. Watertown Mall, 550 Arsenal St, Watertown. 617926-4968. Watertown-Mall.com.

SoWa First Fridays – 5-9pm. 1st Fri. Over 60 galleries south of Washington St and at the Artist’s Guild, nearby businesses and restaurants open their doors to give you a chance to experience the vibrant South End arts community. Free. Start at 450 Harrison Ave. SoWaBoston.com.

Community Reiki Clinic – 7-8:45pm. 1st Fri. Receive a 30-min reiki session by appt.

Appointments start at 7, 7:35 & 8:10pm. If you have been curious about reiki, schedule a session. $15. Brenner Reiki Healing, 324 Central St. Auburndale. 617-244-8856.

BrennerReikiHealing.org.

SATURDAY The Marketplace at Simpson Spring – 10am2pm. Includes farmers, bakers, artisans and local entrepreneurs. Stop in to browse or take in our featured entertainment, local authors, educational seminars and lecturers.

719 Washington St, South Easton. SimpsonSpring.com/saturday -market.

What is The Third Testament? – 11am-12pm.

Introduction to The Third Testament, the life work of Martinus. Live stream with chat questions. Free. Online. 941-462-3177. More info: TheThirdTestament.info.

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COMMUNITY RESOURCE GUIDE Connecting you to the leaders in natural health care and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide, email Sales@NaturalAwakeningsBoston.com to request our media kit.

Acupuncture

Beauty

Chiropractic

GROTON WELLNESS

ELEMENTAL ESSENCE

NEWTON CHIROPRACTIC AND WELLNESS CENTRE

Quan Zhou, LicAc, Nutritionist 493-495 Main St, Groton 978-449-9919 GrotonWellness.com

Trinity Lounge 1314 Mass Ave, Arlington, MA 02476 617-819-4372 ElementalEssence.org

Helping patients return to health with acupuncture, ear therapy, cupping, guasha and acupressure, Quan’s expertise lies in the areas of chronic and acute pain, allergy, digestive conditions, stress-related problems, headaches, migraines, anxiety, depression, neurological disorders, respiratory issues, supportive treatment for cancer, fertility, reproductive health, women’s health and difficult-to-treat conditions in conventional medicine. See ad, page 4.

Licensed esthetician, certified aromatherapist and practicing herbalist, Angelica offers an array of wellness therapies. From organic and advanced skincare services, henna adornment, natural cosmetic solutions, vibrational sound therapy sessions, herbal medicine and aromatherapy consultations.

ALANA P. HAMMER

ADVANCED NEUROTHERAPY, PC

Newton Chiropractic & Wellness Centre 383 Elliot St, Ste F 250 Newton Upper Falls, MA 02464 617-964-3332, Fax: 617-332-7601 WellAdjusted.com Alana is a certified acupuncturist providing acupuncture, herbal medicine and adjunctive therapies to treat acute and chronic pain, orthopedic conditions, digestive disorders, stress and anxiety, sleep and cosmetic facial rejuvenations for over 10 years. See ads, pages 3 and 9.

Applied Kinesiology CENTRAL SQUARE HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Kristine Jelstrup, CMFT, CBK, LMT 126 Prospect St, Ste 5, Cambridge, 02139 617-833-3407 Kristine@CentralSquareHealthAnd Wellness.com CentralSquareHealthAndWellness.com Achieve optimal health physically, emotionally, nutritionally.

Kristine uses a form of muscle response testing to identify and clear nervous system interference, facilitating optimal health.

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Brain Training Jolene Ross, PhD 781-444-9115 RetrainYourBrain.com

Specializing in Neurotherapy, an effective, drug-free treatment for: attention, behavior, emotional, and executive function problems, autistic spectrum, anxiety, depression, post-concussion, peak performance and more. See ad, page 11.

SYMMETRY NEURO-PATHWAY TRAINING Dianne Kosto, Founder & CEO 132 Central St, Ste 205A, Foxboro 844-272-4666 Dianne@SymmetryNeuroPT.com SymmetryNeuroPt.com

Natural solutions to ADHD, autism, migraines, memory loss and mental fatigue do exist.

SYMMETRY is helping families increase grades in school, become more productive at work, manage emotions with calmness and security, and regain their health. Book a free consultation at MeetMe.so/DianneKosto.

Boston | NaturalAwakeningsBoston.com

Julie Burke, DC 617-964-3332 Info@WellAdjusted.com WellAdjusted.com

We are a total wellness center open 7 days a week. We specialize in Gentle Non-Force Chiropractic (NSA), an assortment of massage modalities, HydroMassage, “Super Comfortable” custom orthotics, physical therapy, detoxifying ionic foot baths, and our latest wellness tool, BEMER (designed to improve circulation supporting the body’s natural self- regulating processes). See ads, pages 3 and 9.

Coaching LOVE CREATES MIRACLES 857-753-6819 ProsperityPrincess@gmail.com EdieBlue.com

Edie provides unique, boutique coaching tailored to help you create more love in your life.

Courses by Edie: The ABC’s of Love, The “Write” Way to Love, Soulmate Bootcamp, Knotty Minds: Knotty Bodies. Call Edie for a free 10-min session to see if you are ready to make changes that last. See ad, page 32.

TAKE THE LEAP COACHING

Kim Childs 1025 Mass Ave, Arlington, MA 02476 617-640-3813 Kim@KimChilds.com KimChilds.com Need help clarifying and realizing your desires? Asking “What’s next?” or “How do I get started?” Kim is a certified life and career coach specializing in Positive Psychology, creativity, and midlife transitions, to help clients create more personally fulfilling, meaningful and empowered lives. Initial consultations are free.

DINNO HEALTH

Colon Hydrotherapy GROTON WELLNESS Katryn Miller, MEd, LMT, Colon Hydrotherapist 493-495 Main St, Groton 978-449-9919 GrotonWellness.com

Katryn has always held a deep desire to learn about the body and how it works. After many years of running her own business, Katryn joined Groton Wellness to help others with Colon Hydrotherapy. She holds a training certificate on the Libbe Colon Hydrotherapy Device. See ad, page 4.

INTERNAL WELLNESS CENTER Liz Marcano-Pucillo 150 Wood Rd, Ste 403 Braintree, MA 02184 781-228-6915 Liz@InternalWellnessCtr.com InternalWellnessCtr.com

Acton Pharmacy 563 Massachusetts Ave, Acton, MA 01721 978-263-3901 Keyes Drug 2090 Commonwealth Ave Newton, MA 02466 617-244-2794 West Concord Pharmacy 1212 Main St, Concord, MA 01742 978-369-3100 DinnoHealth.com For more than a quarter of a century, Dinno Health has been a trusted provider of pharmacy services and is committed to providing the highest quality of individualized care for each customer. At our three independent pharmacies, we offer prescriptions, compounded medications, medical supplies, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and vaccines. See ad, page 10.

JOHNSON COMPOUNDING AND WELLNESS

Receive professional colon hydrotherapy by a national board-certified therapist using the Angel of Water system. The most comfortable and private system in the industry. See ad, page 10.

John Walczyk 577 Main St, Waltham, MA 02452 781-893-3870 • Fax: 781-899-1172 John@NaturalCompounder.com NaturalCompounder.com

Compounding & Wellness Pharmacy

JCW is the only sterile and non-sterile PCABaccredited pharmacy in Massachusetts. In addition to our compounding service, we offer a full range of nutritional supplements, natural products, homeopathic remedies and home health care equipment. See ad, page 17.

BIRD’S HILL COMPOUNDING PHARMACY

Dentist

401 Great Plain Ave, Needham, MA 02492 781-449-0550 Pharmacist@BirdsHillPharmacy.com BirdsHillPharmacy.com

DENTISTRY BY DR. DAVID

Familyowned and -operated since 1960, we have evolved from a traditional pharmacy to a worldwide compounding and nutritional resource.

Our unique one-on-one patient consultations produce a full understanding of your health needs.

You, your physician, and one of our compounding pharmacists work as partners to ensure that you will receive the best care possible.

Amparo M. David, DMD 563 Main St, Bolton, MA 978-779-2888 BoltonDental.com

We look beyond our patients’ teeth in order to improve both their smiles and their quality of life. Our practice offers full preventive services: biological, holistic, functional dentistry, ozone therapy, reconstructive dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, periodontics, endodontics, dental sleep medicine, implant dentistry, in addition to TMD (Temporomandibular Joint Disorders) therapy. See ad, page 9.

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BOSTON DENTAL WELLNESS

Dr. Iveta Iontcheva-Barehmi DMD, MS, D.SC. 1842 Beacon St, Ste 305, Brookline, MA 617-868-1516 BostonDentalWellness.com Dr. Iontcheva-Barehmi is an accomplished dentist and specialist in Periodontics and Implants with a holistic approach to medicine and dentistry. To schedule your comprehensive exam and share the excitement of a healthy smile, call: 617-868-1516. See ad, page 12.

GROTON WELLNESS

Dr. Apoorva J. Shah, DDS 493-495 Main St, Groton 978-449-9919 GrotonWellness.com Health-focused biological dentist specializing in cosmetic dentistry, oral surgery, biological dentistry, mercury amalgam removal, digital dentistry and Invisalign.

Dr. Shah is certified in Invisalign and has experience with CAD/ CAM digital technology. He has become increasingly knowledgeable about the mouth-body connection and is excited to offer holistic options to his patients. See ad, page 4.

GROTON WELLNESS

Dr. G. Robert “Bob” Evans, DMD 493-495 Main St, Groton 978-449-9919 GrotonWellness.com Health-focused general dentist at Groton Wellness specializing in biological dentistry, oral surgery, chelation therapy and safe mercury removal. Groton Wellness is a 26-chair dental practice, incorporating functional medicine, a detoxification spa, an organic cafe and an energy medicine center promoting total wellness. See ad, page 4.

GROTON WELLNESS

Dr. Jean Marie Nordin, DDS, IBDM, ND 493-495 Main St, Groton 978-449-9919 GrotonWellness.com Health-focused general dentist, integrative biologic dental medicine and naturopathic dentist specializing in biological dentistry, oral surgery, sleep solutions, chelation therapy and safe mercury removal. Certified trainer of Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) developed by the Benson-Henry Institute in conjunction with Harvard Medical School. Dr. Nordin now teaches staff and other healthcare providers. See ad, page 4.

February 2020

35

Divine Healing

Functional Dietitian

Health Coach

BHVANA’S WELLNESS GROUP

BRIDGITTE CARROLL, MS, RDN

YOUR WELLNESS SCOUT

512 Main St, Shrewsbury, MA 01545 BhavnaSrivastava@BhWellnessGroup.com BhWellnessGroup.com Come and heal from traumas, emotional, mental, spiritual pain, money blueprint and past lives. Become empowered to live abundantly. Allow Bhavna to unleash your full Divine purpose. See ad, page 13.

Energy Healing NATURAL HEALING RESONANCE Kristi Borst Danvers, MA; Wells, ME; worldwide by phone 978-238-9321 Website: ReleaseItAll.US

Inner child healing, trauma release, energy balancing, empowerment, self-mastery. Level-up your wellness and joy with Kristi’s Perspective Reboot® healing/medical intuitive support. Release what no longer serves you, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Individuals, couples, groups.

Frenectomy (Tongue/Lip Tie Release) DENTISTRY BY DR. DAVID Martin Kaplan, DDS 563 Main St, Bolton, MA 978-779-2888 BoltonDental.com

Specializing in pediatric dentistry, Dr. Kaplan uses the latest technology available to diagnose and treat infants as well as children and adults. In 2015, he was instrumental in developing the first-in-the-country “Infant Laser Frenectomy” training class through the continuing education department at Tufts Dental School and is an international leader in the field of dental laser surgery. See ad, page 9.

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Johnson Compounding & Wellness Bridgitte@NaturalCompounder.com 781-893-3870 x 149

Bridgitte is experienced and passionate about helping individuals improve their well-being with food and lifestyle changes. Specialties include gastrointestinal issues, inflammatory conditions, anti-aging and weight management although she has worked with people of all ages with many diseases. See ad, page 17.

Kirsten Wright-Cirit 919-593-2943 YourWellnessScout@gmail.com YourWellnessScout.com

Your Wellness Scout provides coaching, resources, and tips to set wellness goals and integrate sustainable solutions and practices without tipping the work, life, family balance.

Hormone Balancing Functional Medcine GROTON WELLNESS

Dr. Henri Balaguera, MD 493-495 Main St, Groton 978-449-9919 GrotonWellness.com Functional medicine doctor and clinical director of Groton Wellness. Specializes in functional medicine, chronic and infectious disease, autoimmune disorders, functional nutrition, pulmonary disorders, sleep issues, cardiovascular and metabolic dysfunction, natural hormone replacement and preventative medicine.

Mindfulness and meditation are at the foundation of his core values. See ad, page 4.

Functional Orthodontics GROTON WELLNESS

Dr. Samantha Bogle, DMD, MDS 493-495 Main St, Groton 978-449-9919 GrotonWellness.com Functional orthodontist specializing in orthodontics, dentofacial orthopedics, braces and Invisalign. Dr. Bogle loves creating beautiful smiles for her patients with a specific emphasis on early treatment in children to improve facial growth and development. She believes focusing on the airway, proper breathing and early structural intervention can reduce the need for orthodontic treatment later in life. Prevention is key. See ad, page 4.

Boston | NaturalAwakeningsBoston.com

BELLA NATURAL HEALTH

Dawna Jones, MD, FACOG 427 Washington St, Norwell, MA 02061 781-829-0930 BellaNaturalHealth.com Board-certified MD in gynecology and integrative medicine. Hormone balancing, nutrition and detoxification are keys to optimal health. See ad, page 13.

Integrative Veterinary Medical Care MASH MAIN ST ANIMAL SERVICES OF HOPKINTON Margo Roman, DVM 72 W Main St, Hopkinton, MA 01748 508-435-4077 MASHVet.com

A full-service integrative veterinary clinic offering caring and healthful options and modalities like acupuncture, functional nutrition, homeopathy, chiropractic, herbs, ozone therapy, surgery and dentistry. See ad, page 21.

Jaw Pain (TMJ)

Naturopathic Medicine

Physical Therapy

DR. YASMIN’S TMJ SLEEP CENTER

GARY KRACOFF, RPH & NMD

NEWTON PHYSICAL THERAPY

284 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446 617-684-1883 YasminChebbiDMD.com

Do you suffer from jaw pain or a locked jaw? Do you grind your teeth at night? Do you have headaches, ear pain, facial pain?

Do you snore or wake up tired?

We can help. Mention Natural Awakenings for 20% off your first visit.

Johnson Compounding and Wellness 781-893-3870 Gary@NaturalCompounder.com

Massage

Dr. Gary Kracoff provides guidance and in-depth consultative services to find the “why” to what is happening physically and mentally, working with individuals to restore balance in the body.

Specializes in customizing medications to meet individualized needs of patients, and he suggests nutritional supplements, natural products and homeopathic remedies to aid in faster healing and recovery. See ad, page 17.

NEWTON CHIROPRACTIC & WELLNESS CENTRE

GROTON WELLNESS Candace Scholl, ND 493-495 Main St, Groton 978-449-9919 GrotonWellness.com

383 Elliot St, Ste 250 617-964-3332 WellAdjusted.com

Deep-tissue, medical, sports, Swedish and therapeutic massage, shiatsu, reiki & hydro-massage in a full-service Wellness Centre, also featuring chiropractic, acupuncture, Facial Rejuvenation, Facelift Acupuncture and detox footbath. See ads, pages 3 and 9.

Mind-Body Medicine BODYMIND REPATTERNING

Alison Shaw APRN, LMT, CEH 109 Massachusetts Ave Lexington, MA 02420 781-646-0686 Alison@BodymindRepatterning.com BodymindRepatterning.com

Dr. Scholl is a Licensed Naturopathic Doctor in MA and NH treating patients of all ages using scientific, research-based naturopathic medicine as the foundation. Finding the root cause of chronic and autoimmune diseases. She specializes in craniosacral therapy, detoxification, bio-identical hormone therapy, Lyme disease, diabetes, anti-aging, joint disorders, adrenal fatigue, thyroid disorders, endocrine imbalance, epigenetic assessment, cardiovascular health, digestive health, cognitive imbalances, arthritis and more.

See ad, page 4.

Perinatal Wellness

An innovative blend of bodycentered counseling, integrative bodywork and energy medicine to uncover and release bodymind patterns that limit your life and health. See ad, page 11.

LIFE GATE HOLISTIC LIVING 66 Boston Rd, Groton, MA 01450 978-448-0405 Info@LifeGateLiving.com LifeGateLiving.com

Perinatal services and resources include acupuncture, therapeutic massage, psychotherapy, energy healing, integrative health coaching, perinatal yoga, perinatal support groups, lactation support services, and labor and postpartum doula services.

383 Elliot St, Door F, Ste 250 Newton Upper Falls, MA 02464 617-916-1655 NewtonPT.com

Manual physical therapy which includes craniosacral therapy incorporates the mind-body connection for holistic healing which is essential for effective treatment of chronic pain and/or stress.

Effective manual therapy treatment for acute or chronic pain or injury enables therapeutic exercise to be significantly more effective for rehabilitation. See ads, pages 3 and 9.

Reiki BOSTON REIKI MASTER

34 Lincoln St, Newton Highlands 617-633-3654 BostonReikiMaster.com Are you stressed from the pressure of your job, home life, kids or an illness? Do you want to feel calm and relaxed?

Experience reiki. Certified Reiki Master/Teacher with over 20 years’ experience in energy medicine providing pure Usui Reiki healing/relaxation sessions.

BRENNER REIKI HEALING

324 Central St, Newton 02466 617-244-8856 Elise@BrennerReikiHealing.org BrennerReikiHealing.org Providing you with reiki healing sessions, reiki meditation and reiki training to support you in reaching your goals of mind-body-spirit wellness and wholeness.

CRYSTAL SOUND HEALING/ SACRED SONG REIKI 978-897-8846 SacredSongReiki@yahoo.com SacredSongReiki.com

Services include: (John of God) Crystal Bed Healing with Crystal Singing Bowls; Sound Healing; Sound Healing with Reiki; reiki. Release stress, reduce pain, boost your immune system, lower blood pressure, more energy, clarity of thought. sessions and appropriate referrals where necessary.

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MARCH

PLANT-BASED NUTRITION ISSUE

Coming Next Month

CBD

Plus: Thriving on a Plant-Based Diet

Sleep Apnea (Snoring)

Wellness Center

DR. YASMIN’S HOLISTIC DENTAL

NEWTON CHIROPRACTIC AND WELLNESS CENTRE

284 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446 617-684-1883 YasminChebbiDMD.com

Do you have sleep apnea but hate your CPAP? Instead you could be wearing an Oral Sleep Appliance that stops sleep apnea without wires, machines or electricity. It is approved by the FDA and is covered by most medical insurances. Stop snoring and start sleeping better. Ask us how.

Tantra/Sacred Sexuality SACRED TEMPLE ARTS

Sacha L. Fossa, Masters Health Arts & Sciences, Certified Sex & Tantric Educator, Licensed Erotic Blueprint Coach, Healing Arts Practitioner 978-309-9399 SacredTempleArts.com Ready to have better sex and love your life more, partnered or not? Holistic, cutting-edge sex, intimacy and relationship coaching, energy and bodywork, for your sexual healing and empowerment. In-person and/or virtual sessions and programs.

See ad, page 21.

Thermography METROWEST THERMAL IMAGING Susan Shaw Saari, LAc, CCT, MEd, MAOM, Diplomate in Acupuncture (NCCAOM) 781-899-2121 Sue@Thpclinic.com MyThermography.com

A clinical imaging technique that records thermal patterns of the body to help diagnose and monitor pain or pathology in any part of the body. See ad, page 20.

To advertise or participate in our next issue, call

617-906-0232 38

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Julie Burke, DC 617-964-3332 Info@WellAdjusted.com

We are a total wellness center open 7 days a week. We specialize in Gentle Non-Force Chiropractic (NSA), an assortment of massage modalities, HydroMassage, “Super Comfortable” custom orthotics, physical therapy, detoxifying ionic foot baths, and our latest wellness tool, BEMER (designed to improve circulation supporting the body’s natural self-regulating processes). See ads, pages 3 and 9.

Wellness Resources BETH GARDNER

Acton Pharmacy Keyes Drug West Concord Pharmacy BGardner@DinnoHealth.com 508-259-7851 Certified lifestyle educator and the director of health and wellness at Acton Pharmacy, Keyes Drug and West Concord Pharmacy. Beth Gardner works one-on-one with patients to help create ways to improve diet and overall health as a means for disease and illness prevention. See ad, page 10.

Yoga CECILE RAYNOR

Certified Alexander Technique Teacher; Certified Thai Yoga Therapist 33A Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02445 617-359-7841 OffTheMatYogaBlog.com Your yoga can release or create tension depending on the quality of your daily movements. Learn to let your postural mechanism work for you and notice excess body tension ease away on-and-off the mat.

naturally boston

When Clean Doesn’t Mean Clean Local Experts Weigh in on Clean Beauty

by Julie Starr

Back when we were kids and our parents asked us if our face was clean, it meant did we wash the dirt off of our face; nowadays, the word clean is used to categorize what we are using to wash and maintain our skin. With words like clean, natural and plant-based being thrown around like confetti, it’s hard to decipher which products are actually good for us and which ones should be tossed.

The clean beauty industry is growing exponentially, with thousands of products claiming to belong to this enigmatic category, and based on consumer reports, people are buying them up. But what is it that Julie Starr makes a clean product different from any other one? Clean beauty doesn’t have a standardized definition, and in the U.S. especially, the beauty industry has been slow to change since its creation in the 1930s, despite evidence that some ingredients in beauty products may not be safe. With increased awareness over the last 10 years to how some ingredients can trigger negative skin reactions, and with more individuals experiencing sensitive skin, in addition to the long-time concern of aging, people are now more than ever looking for products that bring about positive results without any associated health risks.

THE ESSENCE OF CLEAN BEAUTY Local holistic aesthetician and practicing herbalist, Shannon Curtis, of Noel Herbal Skincare, in Somerville, defines clean beauty products as ones that omit harmful ingredients that could irritate our natural state. She stresses the importance of educating ourselves and reading labels. With that same philosophy in mind, local wellness entrepreneur Kristina Tsipoiras, founder of Moroccan Magic Clean Beauty, adds that a clean product should not include ingredients that have been banned in countries that have more diligent regulations, like the EU standards. Simply stated by Paula Hoss of CLN and DRTY Natural Skincare, in Kingston, Massachusetts, who has made it her mission since 2016 to create clean products that are not only natural but effective, “Clean beauty should include the use of products that have been mindfully and intentionally formulated with the safest ingredients possible.”

After surveying more than a dozen Boston influencers in clean beauty, the top five ingredients that should be avoided are: parabens, phthalates, fragrance (parfum), aluminum and formaldehyde. Although there is a good deal of controversy about the harmful effects of these ingredients when applied in low, cosmetic doses, some studies from the American Cancer Society suggest that they may be carcinogenic and include reproductive toxins and hormone disruptors, along with skin irritants. Advocacy groups such as the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics take the perspective that any evidence that a substance may be linked to cancer, regardless of the dose or route of exposure, should cause it to be banned from use, if possible, and groups Be sure to let our advertisers know you found them in

that may be especially vulnerable to ill effects, such as infants, pregnant women and the elderly should think twice before using.

GETTING STARTED Agreeing that it can seem overwhelming, all the local clean beauty experts advise that we resist the urge to throw away all our current products at once. Instead, take it slow, finding a couple of new products that we like, and then adding one or two others, perhaps from that same line. Khaki Paquette, owner of Face Food Natural Skincare, in Newburyport, suggests that we start by switching out our deodorant, but warns that it may take a few tries to find the right one. Gayatri Pradhan, owner of Poethique, in Wellesley, reminds us that when trying a new product, our skin may rebel, so give it a couple of weeks.

One of Boston’s most talked about wellness influencers, Gianne Doherty, founder of Organic Bath Co., has a slew of hand-crafted clean beauty products, from body scrubs to lotions that can be purchased online or at several stores, including the clean beauty boutique Follain. Andrea Starr, founder of STARR Beauty and EYESTARR, has been a beauty influencer in Boston for years, and was inspired to create her own line of clean products when she began to develop allergies to her favorite (but toxic) products. She has since developed several products, including clean lash boosters and a face wash especially formulated for tweens.

Another Boston-based clean beauty leader, Marie Aspling, has created a literal organic oasis in the middle of Boston at her spa Balans. Her background in biomedical science, combined with her passion for clean beauty products and services, shows through her carefully curated products and educated team members.

When it comes to what we put on our bodies, the choice is ours and is based on how we feel.

It is important we educate ourselves and are mindful with our choices, defining clean beauty for ourselves with guidance from plenty of experts right here in Boston.

Julie Starr, MS, CNS, is a credentialed nutritionist, successful yoga and barre teacher and studio owner, and associate publisher of Natural Awakenings Boston . For more information, visit StarrLifeStudios.com and connect at @StarrNutrition.

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