Natural Awakenings Eastern PA May 2020

EE R F

HEALTHY

LIVING

HEALTHY

PLANET

Special

Digital Edition

Healing the

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Gifts for Hard Times

Virus Fighters

Essential Oils for Challenging Times

Eye Care for Kids

IMMUNE SYSTEM Autoimmune Breakthroughs Offer New Hope

HEALING DANCE

Movement Helps the Whole Body

A Clear Path to Healthy Vision

May 2020 | Bucks & Montgomery County, PA Edition | NABuxMont.com

Copper

People have used copper on cold sores and say it can completely prevent outbreaks. Users say they felt a tingle in their lip and knew a dreaded cold sore was coming. They pressed the handle on the tingly spot for 5 minutes, and repeated several times that day.

The tingle went away and the cold sore either never erupted or was tiny and opper in a new cold brief. he invented a copper device used in the prevention device is shown One woman said, “I have tried every nose to stop colds. Now thousands of to stop sinus trouble and cold users have completely stopped getting product on the market over the past 20 sores, too. colds. Many have stopped sinus trouble, years. Some made it a little better, but These problems this actually stopped it from happening cold sores, and are caused by in the first place! I was amazed.” more. microbes, such Mary from Colorado said, “I used to Attorney as viruses and Donna Blight get cold sores a lot. Now I don’t.” bacteria. Microbes Some users say copper stops had a 2-day sinus multiply quickly. headache when nighttime stuffiness if used just before If you don’t stop her CopperZap bed. One man said, “Best sleep I’ve had them early, they arrived. “I am in years.” spread and cause Copper can also stop flu if used early shocked!” she misery. said. “My head and for several days. Lab technicians In hundreds cleared, no more placed 25 million live flu viruses on a New research: Copper quickly of studies, EPA headache, no more CopperZap. No viruses were found alive kills viruses and bacteria. and university congestion.” soon after.

The handle is curved and finely researchers have confirmed that viruses A man in Connecticut said, “I was and bacteria die almost instantly when born with sinus problems. This is the textured to improve contact. It kills touched by copper. only thing that has worked.” germs picked up on fingers and hands to protect you and your family.

That’s why ancient Greeks and Another man had suffered severe Copper even kills Egyptians used copper to purify water sinus problems for years. deadly germs that have and heal wounds. They didn’t know The condition was so bad become resistant to about microbes, but now we do. it ruined family vacations antibiotics. A moment Scientists say the high conductance and even dinners out with of handling it may keep of copper disrupts the electrical balance friends. His wife, Judy, serious infection away. in a microbe cell and destroys the cell in bought two CopperZaps, The EPA says seconds. one for each of them. copper still works even Dr. Bill Keevil led one of the teams He was totally when tarnished. It kills confirming the discovery. He placed skeptical. “Oh, Judy,” hundreds of different millions of disease germs on copper. he said, “you’re such a Sinus trouble, stuffiness, disease germs so it can “They started to die literally as soon as whack job!” But she got cold sores. prevent serious or even they touched the surface,” he said. him to try it and, to his fatal illness.

Tests by the EPA (Environmental surprise, the copper cleared his sinuses.

CopperZap is made in America of Protection Agency) also show germs die Judy and their daughter both said, “It pure copper. It has a 90-day full money fast on copper. So some hospitals tried has changed our lives!” back guarantee. It is $69.95. copper for touch surfaces like faucets Since then Judy has given Get $10 off each CopperZap with and doorknobs. This cut the spread of CopperZaps as gifts to a number of code NATA20.

MRSA and other illnesses by over half, relatives and friends, not just for sinus Go to www.CopperZap.com or call and saved lives. relief but also for colds and the other toll-free 1-888-411-6114.

The strong scientific evidence gave problems copper can prevent. They all Buy once, use forever. inventor Doug Cornell an idea. In 2012, say it works, she reports.

New device

stops sinus trouble and cold sores

C

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Contents 10 Integrative Medicine Pioneer DR. PETER AMATO

22

12 HEALING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

Autoimmune Breakthroughs Offer New Hope

16 DANCING TO YOUR OWN DRUMMER

The Healing Power of Movement

18 THE MATRIX OF LIFE

Boosting Collagen for Better Health

26

20 JONATHAN SAFRAN FOER

on Conscious Eating to Save the Planet

22 EYE CARE FOR KIDS A Clear Path to Healthy Vision

26 FLOWER WOW-ER Beautiful Floral Designing

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ON HEALING

Using Acupuncture and Chiropractic for Synergistic Healing in Veterinary Medicine

30 SOUL NOURISHMENT

The Kitchen As Sacred Space

DEPARTMENTS 6 health briefs 8 global briefs 10 community

spotlight 16 fit body 18 healing ways 20 wise words 22 healthy kids

28 24 teen voices 25 inspiration 26 green living 28 pet pages 30 conscious

eating 32 local yoga 34 resource guide May 2020

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Directory of Advertisers Thank you for being part of our community!

Ascend Hospice

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Inner Spa

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Cellements 24

ITEX, Peggy Washburn – doTERRA

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Center for Natural Healing

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Journey to the Self

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Center for Optimal Health / Dr. Cheikin

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Kindred Yoga

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CopperZap 2

Lanap & Implant Center of Pennsylvania

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Dental Wellness Centre

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Let'sGetChecked 27

Doylestown Veterinary Hospital

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Lisa's Thermography and Wellness

19

Dr. Julie Lachman, ND

35

M.E. Matters

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Green Meadow Burial

27

Medicine in Balance

19

Greenway Pest Control

17

Sacred Rose – Michelle Christine

27

Harmony Mountain Institute

17

Solstice Expo

Hempadelphia Cannabis Lifestyle Expo

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Step Into Joy Healing Arts

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Holistic Dental Center

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Whole Body Yoga Studio

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Inner Harmony Wellness Centers / Dr. Amato

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Yoga Vibhuti Yoga & Meditation Studio

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

letter from publisher

T

o our readers, advertisers, families, employees and friends, we wish you only the best through these challenging and unpredictable times. As always “if you have your health, you have everything” seems to ring true. All of us at Natural Awakenings wish you good health.

“In patience there is wisdom, and in wisdom there is the need for patience.” This is one of my favorite quotes and has echoed in my mind for years, yet never has it felt so true as now. Although I write about change constantly and how little we truly can control, this pandemic makes the point in a way no written word could describe. Change is upon us and our new reality is forming in real time.

While you are reading this message in our Digital Only Special Edition, our intention is to resume printing in June. Like so many businesses, we will remain flexible as we adjust to changing circumstances. In the meantime, I hope you will help spread the word, and let everyone know they can visit our website to read the latest issue. Most of our advertisers are local and have a presence on our website. Many are open and sharing in some capacity with online courses, training, virtual consultations, livestreaming and so much more.

Please support them, since using local services and businesses will help our communities to recover and thrive again.

Yes, this is a time of change, but with change and disruption comes opportunities.

Aside from business concerns, I have also been thinking about what I have been taught by life. In times like these, the opportunity to grow is epic. It has also been a time to reflect on my life as a husband since today my wife and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary.

What else has been good?

I have flossed more in five weeks than in five years.

My exercise program has increased, improved and changed.

My garden looks amazing.

Our house has eliminated the junk drawer.

We have cleaned out all the 20-year-old shirts, jackets, etc., and the closet now has room.

We have eliminated all the unnecessary monthly charges, and now have one music source.

My computer is much more organized.

We are happy that we are healthy.

We pray as a family with a little more sincerity.

I appreciate more and take less for granted.

We have supported each other like never before.

I believe we have brought much more love back into our family.

What has been good for you? E-mail us or leave a comment on our website.

Thank you for all your support.

In peace, love and laughter,

BUCKS / MONTGOMERY EDITION

Publisher Joe Dunne Publisher@NABuxMont.com • 908-405-1515

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May 2020

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In a study of 76 people with mildly high total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, research published in the Journal of Herbal Medicine found that consuming 30 milliliters of vinegar made from date pulp and pits daily for four weeks significantly improved total cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride and HDL levels, as well as several biomarkers of inflammation.

A new Harvard study of 746 young sperm donors reports that men that exercise more have better sperm quality.

The men, with an average age of 26, at least a high school education and no radiation exposure or sexually transmitted diseases, were qualified to donate to a sperm bank in their area. Compared to men that seldom exercised, those that reported the most total exercise and logged the most time doing intense workouts had better sperm motility, which increases the chances for sperm to move through the female reproductive tract to reach an egg.

Supplementation with quercetin, a plant pigment found in capers, cilantro, fennel, onions, red leaf lettuce, watercress, elderberries, asparagus, kale, cocoa, apples and chia seeds, can significantly reduce both diastolic and systolic blood pressure, lowering each by about three milliliters/ Hg, reports a new review of research published in the Oxford Academic Journal, of 17 clinical studies that tested 896 participants. Quercetin also improved HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels when consumed for eight weeks or more.

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Bucks & Montgomery County, PA Edition

Fewer than seven hours of sleep for a child is not only linked to anxiety, depression, impulsiveness and cognitive difficulties, but also impacts a child’s brain structure, suggests new research from the UK’s Warwick University published in Molecular Psychiatry. Researchers used data that included MRI scans of more than 11,000 children ages 9 to 11 from 21 centers in the U.S. Parents also provided information about their child’s sleep duration and mental health conditions, and children performed a battery of cognitive tests. Researchers found that compared to children that slept between the recommended nine and 11 hours, those receiving less than seven hours had 53 percent more behavioral problems and scored 7.8 percent lower on cognitive tests. In children that slept less, volumes were smaller in five brain regions. Children that slept longer showed less depression and higher cognitive scores, and felt safer and more secure in their homes and neighborhoods.

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Take Quercetin to Reduce Blood Pressure

Tuck Kids In Early to Reduce Depression and Cognitive Issues

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Exercise to Boost Sperm Quality

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Consume Date Vinegar to Boost Heart Health and Reduce Inflammation

health briefs

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Watch Out: Rapid Weather Changes Boost Flu Risk

Eat Less Sulfur Amino Acids to Reduce Heart Disease Risk A plant-based diet low in such sulfur amino acid foods as meat, dairy, nuts and soy may be key to lowering the risk of heart disease, concludes a study from the Penn State University College of Medicine. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins; a subcategory called sulfur amino acids plays integral roles in metabolism. Researchers correlated diets and blood biomarkers of more than 11,000 participants from a national study and found people that ate foods containing fewer sulfur amino acids tended to have a decreased risk for cardiometabolic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. They also found that the average American consumes almost two-and-a-half times more sulfur amino acids than the estimated average requirement. “People who eat lots of plant-based products like fruits and vegetables will consume lower amounts of sulfur amino acids,” says lead author Zhen Dong, a doctor of public health.

Confirming this, a Northwestern Medicine and Cornell University study in JAMA Internal Medicine found that every two servings of red meat, processed meat or poultry per week increased cardiovascular disease risk by 3 to 7 percent. For every two servings of red meat or processed meat per week, the risk of death from any cause was increased by 3 percent. The findings, based on an analysis of six studies involving 29,682 people, contradict a controversial study published last year that recommended people not reduce the amount of red meat and processed meat they eat. “Everyone interpreted that it was okay to eat red meat, but I don’t think that is what the science supports,” says senior study author Norrina Allen, a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern.

Rapid weather swings as a result of climate change raise the risk of flu virus infections and epidemics, reports a study from Florida State University and international researchers. Tracing weather patterns and infection rates during a 20-year period in the U.S., China, Italy and France, scientists found that extreme fluctuations in weather during the autumn months of 2017 essentially kick-started that winter’s severe flu epidemic, implying, “The lapsed human immune system in winter caused by rapidly changing weather makes a person more susceptible to flu virus,” says lead author Zhaohua Wu, a professor of meteorology. The study warned that as weather variability increases, Europe could see a 50 percent increase in deaths tied to flu by the end of the century, but added that factoring in weather variability could help public health planning.

May 2020

7

Buzz Off

global briefs

If Australia can grow enough of the puffy, pink Asparagopsis taxiformis seaweed for every cow in Australia, the country could cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent.

That’s the conclusion the University of the Sunshine Coast (Australia) seaweed research group leader Associate Professor Nick Paul. The cows burp out methane, but, “When added to cow feed at less than two percent of the dry matter, this particular seaweed completely knocks out methane production. It contains chemicals that reduce the microbes in the cows’ stomachs that cause them to burp when they eat grass,” he says. Cows are known to eat seaweed. “This seaweed has caused a lot of global interest, and people around the world are working to make sure the cows are healthy, the beef and the milk are good quality,” Paul notes.

“But the one missing step, the big thing that is going to make sure this works at a global scale, is to make sure we can produce the seaweed sustainably.”

Life Perseveres

New Bird Species Found on Remote Island

Although thousands of species have been identified and finding new taxa like birds, is rare, a study published in the journal Science describes five new songbird species and five new subspecies found on a single small island near Sulawesi, Indonesia, during a six-week expedition. Scientists targeted the area because of its geological history and complexity, and the historical notes of other explorers.

Two factors that contributed to the description of the large number of species in a small geographic area included knowledge of geographical land connections that helped pinpoint isolated islands likely to harbor substantial endemism and accounts of historic collectors such as British naturalist Alfred Wallace. The findings suggest that human understanding of biogeographically complex regions remains incomplete.

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Seaweed Lowers Cows’ Methane Emissions

New research from the University of Sheffield in the UK published in Scientific Reports suggests that individual members of a bee swarm behave like neurons in a human brain.

The scientists applied a theoretical model commonly used to study human psychology to the behavior of bee colonies, and they believe that studying “bee speak” could inform us about how our own minds make decisions. In the field of psychophysics, Weber’s law describes a relationship between the size of a stimulus and noticeable increases in its magnitude.

This general rule about stimulus and perception has been observed in birds, fish and even the collective behavior of simpler organisms, but not in whole clusters of tiny brains such as an insect hive. To investigate its role in the decision-making processes of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera), the researchers watched hives split apart and hunt for new homes. Among bees, the process of choosing a hive comes down to the interactions of scout bees communicating their discoveries through a visual display of body wiggles. “The study also supports the view of bee colonies as being similar to complete organisms,” says computer scientist and lead author Andreagiovanni Reina.

Charging Ahead

New Batteries From Fruit Waste

Carbon aerogels that exhibit high specific surface areas, high proportions of mesopores and significant levels of nitrogen doping have been developed for the first time using waste from durian fruit and jackfruit scraps using a chemical-free, green synthesis procedure. According to the Journal of Energy Storage, the electrodes also displayed long-term cycling stability and rapid charge–discharge processes. Both electrodes are attractive candidates for the next generation, high-performance, yet lowcost supercapacitors for energy storage devices derived from biowastes.

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Passing Gas

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Bee Swarms Form Giant Brains

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Jolly Good

King of Bhutan Requests Selfless Gift

The King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, turned 40 years old on February 21.

Rather than ask for gifts, he asked his people to either plant a tree, adopt a stray animal or clean up their neighborhood in his honor.

The Himalayan nation is consistently ranked one of the most eco-friendly countries in the world. In May 2016, Wangchuck and his wife celebrated the birth of their firstborn son by asking each of the nation’s households to plant a sapling, resulting in more than 108,000 trees planted.

Wild Things

Maria Sbytova/Shutterstock.com

Wildness a Big Factor in Urban Parks

A new study led by the University of Washington (UW) has found that not all forms of nature are created equal when considering benefits to people’s well-being.

Experiencing wildness is particularly important for physical and mental health, according to the study published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Cities. This is the first study to show that wildness in urban areas is profoundly important for human well-being. “The wilder areas in an urban park seem to be affording more benefits to people, and their most meaningful interactions depended on those relatively wild features,” says lead author Elizabeth Lev, a graduate student in the UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences.

Senior author Peter Kahn, a UW professor of environmental and forest sciences and psychology, says, “Everywhere, development is chipping away at wild areas. Humanity has caused so much destruction and there’s no stopping it—unless we stop. We’re trying to show that if you’re going to develop an area, you at least need to understand the human costs.” The researchers hope studies like this can be used as part of the decisionmaking process for development proposals in parks and urban natural areas. They compiled their analysis methods into a handbook that can be used in other cities around the world.

Financial Fix

Great Britain Coal Use Falls With Carbon Tax

A tax on carbon dioxide emissions in Great Britain has led to the proportion of electricity generated from coal falling from 40 percent to 3 percent over six years, according to research led by University College London (UCL) and the University of Cambridge. In a report entitled The Value of International Electricity Trading, researchers showed the British Carbon Price Support tax caused electricity generated from coal to fall from 13.1 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2013 to 0.97 TWh in September 2019, and that coal was replaced by other less emission-heavy forms of generation such as gas. The decline in coal generation accelerated substantially after the tax was increased in 2015. The tax is one part of the Total Carbon Price, which also includes the price of EU Emissions Trading System permits. Project leader Dr. Giorgio Castagneto Gissey, of the Bartlett Institute for Sustainable Resources, says, “Should EU countries also adopt a high carbon tax, we would likely see huge carbon emission reductions throughout the continent as we’ve seen in Great Britain over the last few years.”

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www.WeAreSME.com May 2020

9

community spotlight

Integrative Medicine Pioneer

Dr. Peter Amato

by Sheila Julson

S

cranton native Peter Amato, Ph.D., comes from an entrepreneurial family who owned an automotive parts business. His father, a World War II veteran, had suffered from several health issues, including chronic fatigue syndrome and congestive heart failure, but he took measures such as juice fasting, vitamins and steam inhalation to help improve his health. “I think it bought him some time,” Amato recalls. “That had an influence on me.”

Amato and his siblings later took over the family business. In his late 30s, he entered drug and alcohol rehab. He found solace through meditation, which propelled him to explore other natural wellness modalities. During the mid-1990s—well before integrative holistic therapies such as meditation, acupuncture, massage, nutrition and energy work were recognized by the mainstream—Amato attended conferences and workshops and got to know wellness pioneers such as Dr. Andrew Weil and Deepak Chopra.

Amato earned a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Westbrook University, and he went on to get a master’s degree in transpersonal psychology. He then earned a doctorate in mind-body medicine and integrative health sciences from Saybrook University.

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In 1997, Amato opened his first wellness center, Inner Harmony. He worked with Weil to form the National Integrative Medicine Council and served on the board of the foundation. He helped spearhead the United States National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine (NCCIH) by working with U.S. senators, industry leaders, labor and insurance persons. A report he co-wrote, “A Journey Toward New Medicine,” further legitimized integrative medicine and was presented to President Bill Clinton. “The gavel went down and five million dollar funding was allocated to form NCCIH,” he said. The NCCIH, housed under the National Institutes of Health, is still prominent today as a go-to resource for complementary and alternative medicine research.

Amato had also worked with Weil to develop the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, a teaching program for M.D.s and DOs at the University of Arizona Tucson medical school. Amato had also developed integrative protocols for Mercy Health System and led community wellness workshops with the company of Dr. Deepak Chopra and Marianne Williamson.

After operating an Inner Harmony Wellness Center in the Caribbean, on St. Maarten Island, Amato now brings his mission of fostering holistic transformation

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among individuals, families and the recovery community back home to Pennsylvania.

Inner Harmony Center for Well-Being is his new “country gentleman doctor’s office,” where he employs nutritional consultation, along with lifestyle and wellness coaching, to peel the onion and get to the underlying layers of one’s emotional, psychological, physiology and spiritual health issues.

Amato uses methods including SCIO, a quantum physics-based biofeedback scan that checks up to 12,000 positive and negative frequency signatures in the body to locate imbalances in the cellular makeup or energy fields. Amato is also highly educated and trained in two schools of muscle testing—applied kinesiology and Quantum Reflex Analysis (QRA), which is a cellular resonant analysis. The QRA cross-references a patient’s medical history and other metabolic testing to get an idea of a patient’s nutritional needs. He specializes in Lyme disease.

Amato notes that conventional blood work can sometimes miss health issues, because it doesn’t detect the root cause.

“With cellular resonant testing and biofeedback, we are able to identify the precise core issues,” he explains. “Then we can focus on proper diet, nutrition, restoring the body’s alkaline and pH balance, targeting and eliminating chronic infections, detoxification, and finally send the patient on a path of rejuvenation.”

Detoxification methods include tinctures, herbs and nutraceuticals. Amato also uses autonomic response testing (ART), which helps restore the body’s

Pandemic Resilience Moving Beyond Fear

biofield, or extacellular matrix. He has trained at the Klinghardt Academy. World-renowned medical doctor Dietrich Klinghardt predicts that neurodegenerative diseases will be the next leading cause of death. “We’re already seeing it with autism, brain fog and sleep issues caused by environmental factors like electric and magnetic fields (EMF), dirty electricity, glyphosate and smart TVs, which are waking up human indigenous viruses,” he states.

Amato offers patients environmental tips on how to remediate their homes from dirty electricity, such as installing a nominally priced shut-off timer on wi-fi routers and keeping electronic gadgets out of the bedroom. He offers informational sessions and workshops at Inner Harmony, as well as two free talks per month at Thrive Wellness Center, in Kingston.

“It motivates me to see results and how what I do works!”

Amato concludes. “Seeing people regain a bounce in their step makes it all worth it for me.”

Inner Harmony Center for Well-Being is located at 131 Reynolds Rd., Dalton, Pennsylvania. For more information, call 570-319-6073 or visit InnerHarmonyWellness.com. See ads, pages 14 and 17.

Sheila Julson is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Natural Awakenings magazines across the country.

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May 2020

11

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Healing the Immune System Autoimmune Breakthroughs Offer New Hope

by April Thompson

S

ome 23 million Americans suffer from one or more autoimmune diseases—a category comprised of more than 80 conditions, including fibromyalgia, Hashimoto’s disease, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and Type 1 diabetes. These pernicious disorders are notoriously difficult to diagnose, even harder to treat and can be debilitating, diminishing the quality of life for sufferers.

Another commonality is the increased prevalence of autoimmune disease in women versus men; in the case of lupus, for example, a nine-fold difference. Some early indicators are that this may be related to a “gene dosage effect”, as men with XXY chromosomes have the same risk of developing lupus as other women, and women with XXX chromosomes (known in medical parlance as “superwomen”) have an even higher risk of autoimmune disease, according to Judith James, 12

chair of the Arthritis & Clinical Immunology Program at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, in Oklahoma City.

Yet there is hope on the horizon, as scientific discoveries unlock important insights about the manifestation and progression of autoimmune diseases leading to new treatments and prevention tips. Evidence is also mounting around the role of diet and lifestyle in autoimmune conditions, giving patients new avenues for taking charge of their health instead of simply waiting for a cure.

Autoimmune diseases are chronic and can affect almost any part of the body, including the heart, brain, muscles, skin, eyes, joints, lungs, kidneys, glands, digestive tract and blood vessels. Each disease carries its own set of symptoms, but inflammation is nearly always present, and are all connected by how the immune system attacks

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the body’s healthy tissues. “Those shared characteristics hold the potential for shared treatments, and ultimately potentially common cures,” says Jane Buckner, president of the Benaroya Research Institute (BRI), at Virginia Mason, in Seattle, which works to advance the prediction, prevention, reversal and cure of immune system diseases.

“I’m excited about our progress toward prevention. We are working to understand those tipping points in transitioning into disease that help us understand who is at highest risk, and helps give very directed therapies,” says James.

Self-Healing from Autoimmunity

By her early 20s, Mickey Trescott, of Willamette Valley, Oregon, was bedridden and had lost her job to autoimmune

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disease. At one point, doctors thought it was multiple sclerosis (MS); she was dizzy, numb, falling over and slurring her speech.

Eventually, she was diagnosed with both Hashimoto’s and celiac diseases, affecting the thyroid and small intestine, respectively. Trescott, a nutritionist, chef and author of The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook, had been vegan for 10 years, but had a feeling that her body needed something different.

She found an early version of what would become known as the autoimmune protocol (AIP), and in following its guidelines, began to find relief. Trescott connected with other women and started a private Facebook group to share information on what was improving their condition from which the AIP community sprung. AIP, an elimination diet that seeks to reset the immune system by cutting out inflammation-causing foods and treating leaky gut, has much in common with the paleo diet and promotes vitamin- and nutrient-rich foods. However, every individual comes out of the AIP process with a customized diet.

For Trescott, “Gluten is a forever-no, and I am also allergic to dairy and sensitive to a lot of nightshade vegetables, like tomatoes and peppers.” It took three years to recover most of her functioning, and although she had been a personal chef, it was still challenging to determine a new approach to eating that didn’t include the grains and legumes that had been staples of her diet.

Trescott is still on medications, including the same thyroid support she’s relied on from the start. “There is a misconception that the AIP is an alternative to conventional medicine. We really pride ourselves on using all the tools in our toolbox, including surgery, medication and lifestyle changes,” she says.

Anecdotal successes like Trescott’s have led researchers to pursue funding to test the AIP’s efficacy. In a pilot study of 18 individuals with an average sick time of 19 years that didn’t respond to traditional medication, 73 percent were in clinical remission at the end of the trial, having followed the AIP. “It was a small sample size, but the results are promising,” says Trescott.

Physician, Healed Thyself

Like many physicians, Terry Wahls focused on treating her patients with drugs or surgical procedures—until the Iowa City doctor was diagnosed with MS in 2000. Within three years, despite conventional medical treatments, her back and stomach muscles had

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weakened to the point where she needed a tilt-recline wheelchair, and by the summer of 2007, she could no longer sit up.

Though Wahls had been a vegetarian on a low-fat diet for 20 years, she went back to eating meat and gave up all dairy, wheat and grains, but still wasn’t improving. Delving back into the science of her condition, Wahls realized that mitochondrial support was key, and the speed of her decline slowed while taking a cocktail of vitamins to support its functioning.

It wasn’t until she took a comprehensive approach to optimize everything she could take in through her food rather than relying on supplements that she saw radical results: Her brain fog, fatigue and pain went away and she biked around the block for the first time in six years. “Taking in nutrients in the form of food rather than supplements, you get related compounds and thousands of others in biologically anticipated ratios,” explains Wahls.

“I still do take some supplements, but the magic is the food.”

Those key ingredients, says Wahls, include magnesium, zinc, selenium, sulfur, amino acids, cholesterol, omega-6 and omega3s, fats, carnitine and creatine. Her rule of thumb for daily intake is three cups of leafy green vegetables; three cups of sulfuric vegetables like cabbage, mushrooms and onions; and three cups of deeply pigmented vegetables, plus sources of protein for meat eaters and vegetarians.

While her work was initially not accepted, today she has funding from the National MS Society and her research has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals. “Basic science is now showing that the microbiome has a huge impact on the immune system activity and the brain; the food we eat can turn gene expression on and off,” says Wahls, who hasn’t taken any drugs for her autoimmune condition since 2008.

Buckner cautions against patients trying to manage disease with lifestyle changes alone, without giving available allopathic treatments a fair try. “People do better if they are treated early and aggressively. They are reliant on fewer medications down the road and don’t have permanent damage if they seek treatment early.”

However, even researchers focused on pharmaceutical approaches acknowledge the importance of diet and lifestyle.

Meggan Mackay, professor of Molecular Medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, at Northwell Health, in Manhasset, New York, believes this can play a critical role in disease management. She cites numerous studies showing exercise as a stress-buster positively influencing disease outcomes, as well as a more specific study looking at the benefits of adding fish oil and vitamin D to the diets of lupus patients. “The rise in obesity, which is linked to increased inflammation in the U.S., may be one of reasons we are seeing more autoimmune disease than ever,” says Mackay.

At-risk individuals should be aware of factors under their control, adds James. “If someone is worried about autoimmune disease running in their family, monitoring and maintaining adequate vitamin D levels and avoiding smoking and other high-risk behaviors can help improve their chances.” Even sleep patterns can play a role in disease manifestation, says the researcher. In one study, individuals at high risk for autoimmune disease that slept

less than seven hours per day were more likely to develop an autoimmune condition, according to James.

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Common Links Serve as Research Clues

There are some clear links between autoimmune diseases, such as the genetic predisposition that runs in families. “Someone with rheumatoid arthritis may have a sister with celiac disease, for example, and one individual may suffer from multiple autoimmune conditions. We can learn from these common genetic links,” says Buckner. These common links can serve as important clues. For example, Buckner says they are able to demonstrate changes in T cells in diabetes and MS that are the same, which might lead to common treatments for the two conditions.

While the process from basic scientific discovery to development of effective treatment can be slow, there are some concrete breakthroughs autoimmune researchers are excited about, having demonstrated ability to both prevent and delay disease. Citing a recent clinical trial

published in the New England Journal of Medicine, “They have demonstrated in kids at high risk for developing Type 1 diabetes the ability to delay onset for at least two years. It’s an incredibly exciting finding,” says Buckner.

Mackay is hopeful about advances in basic science addressing specific immune system abnormalities linked to inflammatory problems. “Lupus is very challenging to diagnose and treat because it can affect every system in the body,” says Mackay,

Michael Cheikin M.D. Holistic Physician

whose research team has focused on lupus for decades. “The only forms of treatment have been very immune-suppressive medications that shut down the immune response. None of these medications are specific, so in shutting down the immune response to treat lupus, they in turn interfere with the body’s ability to fight off infection and cancer.” Researchers are now honing in on single cells from biopsies that indicate which proteins are abnormal, thereby helping develop more selective therapies, she says.

Seeing progress in the lab is one thing; seeing it in the waiting room is another, and that’s where autoimmune scientists and clinicians are really beginning to note a difference. “I’ve seen patients for 25 years, and when we started, we had very few options in my clinic, which was full of wheelchairs,” says Buckner. “In the last 20 years, we have seen an explosion in research and available treatments. I don’t have wheelchairs in my office anymore.”

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

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DANCING TO YOUR OWN DRUMMER The Healing Power of Movement

M

by Marlaina Donato

ovement comes in many colors, from modern dance to country line dancing, and there’s something for everyone, including those that claim to have two left feet. Dancing is healthy for the heart and improves cognitive function by forging new neural pathways in the brain. It builds stronger bones, helps balance and improves flexibility and endurance. Putting on dancing shoes also has a positive effect on depressive disorders, flooding the brain with endorphins that uplift mood and jumpstart motivation. Dance has found its way into the clinical setting as a psychotherapeutic tool for healing trauma, eating disorders and addictions.

Dancing, in essence, is for everyone. “Dance is a human right, a feature of almost every culture in the world, and our natural inclination to dance is one of the things that makes us human,” says David Leventhal, program director of Dance for PD, a nonprofit Parkinson’s Disease program of the Mark Morris Dance Group, in Brooklyn.

Valerie Durham, a modern dancer in Baltimore specializing in the Isadora Duncan technique, concurs, “Birds don’t consider if they have talent for singing, they just sing. They sing because they have a voice. Similarly, dance is a right offered to anyone with a body.”

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A Deterrent for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s Disease and Cancer Going dancing on a Friday night also proves to nourish the brain. A 2017 study published in Frontiers of Aging Neuroscience shows evidence that dance increases white matter that diminishes with cognitive decline. An older study sponsored by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and published in the New England Journal of Medicine spotlights data gathered during a 21-year period and reveals that regular social dancing can reduce the risk for dementia in seniors by 76 percent.

“A number of peerreviewed research studies point to dance’s ability to improve motor skills and function of people living with Parkinson’s disease—balance, gait and tremor. Dance is expressive, giving people a creative voice when it feels that their capacity for physical, vocal and facial expression is being taken away,” says Leventhal.

Durham, who worked with patients at the University of Florida Shands Hospital Arts in Medicine Program in the 1990s, witnessed memorable responses from cancer patients. “We danced with patients who were attached to IVs and those even in the ICU, some who were

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GROW YOUR OWN

fit body

partially or even completely paralyzed, people who maybe could dance only with their eyes. And yet they danced,” marvels Durham. “Getting the lymphatic system, endorphins and breath flowing all elevate the body out of pain mode.”

Dancing from the Soul All forms of dancing have the capability to free the spirit and heal deep emotional wounds buried in the memory-holding fascia of the body’s soft tissues. Ecstatic dance, which has roots in ancient spiritual practices, is an unstructured option that dilutes limiting, self-conscious habits.

These days, ecstatic dance gatherings have been organized in cities around the world.

“There’s a vast movement in the dance world that has nothing to do with performance, but rather, is done for the joy of inhabiting a body in motion. Ecstatic dance is a free-form conscious dance and is a vibrant global community for people who love music and movement,” says Donna Carroll, founder of Ecstatic Dance International, in San Francisco. “When we can be courageous enough to turn away from our cultural norms that say you need ‘talent’ to dance, we get a chance to experience music through our bodies, and it can be quite pleasurable and life-affirming.

Ecstatic dance is one of the most effective methods to return to what matters, to our bodies, to our ‘home’, and is accessible for people of all abilities.”

In her artistic sphere of performance art, Durham has seen her students blossom from the inside-out. “They are able to connect with the deep wisdom in their bodies, thereby releasing old energetic wounds. Depression and anxiety are relieved during dance because you are so consciously consumed with the present moment of the steps and the music. Dancers will find that they feel more joyful and at peace at the end of a dance session.”

For Leventhal, moving the body is a blessing for all: “Dance should be accessible and enjoyable to everyone, regardless of physical or cognitive challenges.”

Marlaina Donato is an author, composer and painter. Connect at AutumnEmbers Music.com.

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THE MATRIX OF LIFE Boosting Collagen for Better Health

by Maya Whitman

C

ollagen, a protein, holds us together from the inside-out, helping to build bones and providing the scaffolding that knits our bones and organs together. Stress and poor lifestyle habits, such as smoking and eating too much sugar, can contribute to its breakdown and accelerate the aging process, but strategic dietary choices and supplements can have a significant positive impact on our skin, as well as underlying conditions.

Although celebrated for its cosmetic effects, “Most people are surprised to learn that collagen is equally important for blood vessels and tissues surrounding and supporting the internal organs,” says Pamela Schoenfeld, a dietitian and nutritionist in Raleigh, North Carolina, and author of The Collagen Diet: Rejuvenate Skin, Strengthen Joints and Feel Younger by Boosting Collagen Intake and Production.

Collagen is mostly found in tendons, ligaments and skin, and is also abundant in bones, cartilage, muscles, corneas, blood vessels, the gut, vertebrae discs and teeth.

In studies, collagen supplements show promise for joint pain, arthritic conditions, osteoporosis and heart health.

A Penn State study of 147 student athletes found that those that took 10 grams of collagen hydrolysate daily for 24 weeks had significantly less joint pain while walking and at rest compared to a placebo group.

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A 2012 study featured in Complementary Therapies in Medicine found that 1,200 milligrams of collagen hydrolysate taken daily decreased joint pain in older people by 20 percent compared to a placebo. In a 2018 study, post-menopausal women that took five grams of collagen daily for a year had better bone buildup and less bone degradation. A 2017 Japanese study of 31 healthy adults found that those that took 16 grams of collagen daily had more flexible arteries after six months.

Essential Foods

Collagen health starts with our diet.

Leafy greens and jewel-toned, lycopenerich vegetables, like beets, red peppers, tomatoes, berries and pomegranates, as well as seeds, including chia, sunflower and pumpkin, all pack a collagen punch.

Schoenfeld recommends bone broth, too, for its joint-lubricating molecules called glycosaminoglycans, which hold many times their weight in water.

Kellyann Petrucci, a naturopathic doctor in Philadelphia and author of Dr. Kellyann’s Bone Broth Diet, concurs: “Bone broth is more than a soup. It’s concentrated healing and contains a bioavailable form of collagen your body can use immediately. It contains calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, collagen, glucosamine, chondroitin, amino acids and

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so much more.” She also recommends sulfur-rich foods like eggs, broccoli, onions, garlic and cauliflower, as well as shellfish and red meat in moderation for copper. “Copper activates the enzyme that is critical in producing collagen,” she explains.

Also important, according to Petrucci, is vitamin C: “If you’re depleted of vitamin C, your body won’t make any collagen.

Experiment with broccoli, kiwi, tomatoes and various citrus fruits. Bioflavonoids also improve the ability of vitamin C to be absorbed and utilized.”

Schoenfeld recommends chicken, including the skin; omega-3-rich fish with edible bones, such as sardines and canned salmon; and proline-rich, aged cheeses and yogurt. “Gelatin is also a fantastic way for the whole family to enjoy collagen and can be added to foods high in water like soups, stews, hot cereals, as can bone broth and collagen powders,” she says.

Supplements

A 2019 review of 11 studies published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology found that oral collagen hydrolysate or tripeptide at dosages ranging from 2.5 grams to 10 grams a day increased “skin elasticity, hydration and dermal collagen density” and showed promise for wound healing and skin aging. Aloe vera, ginseng, berries, garlic, hyuralonic acid and red light therapy also boost collagen production, according to osteopathic physician and author Joseph Mercola.

For vegans, British homeopath Melissa Foreman recommends homeopathically-based minerals known as tissue salts at low potency, “which offer the benefits of meat-derived collagen and bone broth without having to ingest a meat product.” She personally relies on a combination of Nat phos, Calc phos and Kali sulph to promote new skin cells and improve the skin cell matrix. “These remedies are totally animal-free,” she says.

“You can produce a supplement similar to collagen powder and it has the same health benefits of bone broth.”

Maya Whitman is the author of several books.

Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

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Silica is found in hair, nails and bones.

It decreases inflammation, eases painful joints, supports and strengthens nails, encourages new hair growth and improves the length and quality of eyelashes.

Nat Mur brings moisture to the skin and regulates the moisture content of every cell in the body. It promotes hydrochloric acid, helping to prevent heartburn, bloating, colic and flatulence.

Nat phos is known as the antacid of the biochemical world and like collagen, can protect the gut by neutralizing acids.

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wise words HEALTHY LIVING

Jonathan Safran Foer on Conscious Eating to Save the Planet

HEALTHY PLANET

2020 EDITORIAL CALENDAR HEALTHY LIFESTYLES ISSUE

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by Julie Peterson

J

onathan Safran Foer, the prize-winning author of bestselling novels that include Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, turned to nonfiction in his 2009 book, Eating Animals, about the morality of food choices in a factory-farm age. His most recent book, We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast, argues that only collective action will save our home and way of life, and it starts with what is on our plate.

He points out that there’s often a painful disconnect between the way we think of ourselves and the actions that we take that inadvertently and negatively affect the planet, and that science can help us make more informed choices.

How did you make the connection between diet and climate change?

For anybody who has even the tiniest amount of curiosity about human interaction with the climate, it’s something you can’t possibly avoid learning about. The science is readily available now, and it’s extremely comprehensive. It’s important to continuously come back to that scientific consensus to make clear that this is nobody’s theory or perspective. Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree.

Did anything in researching climate science surprise you?

There’s a lot that startled me. A lot that

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scared me. I was surprised by how wrong we have been and how wrong we often are about what matters… putting the emphasis in the wrong places or not knowing where to put it at all.

There are four activities that matter more than all others in terms of an individual’s relationship with the environment: having fewer children, eating less meat or animal products, flying less and driving less.

As somebody who has spent a lot of time recycling and not using plastic straws, I was surprised to learn that those activities are very low impact compared to the four I mentioned. I was surprised by how broad that misunderstanding is. Think about our response to coronavirus compared to our response to climate change. The way governments are acting together to do what needs to be done for a virus makes it all the more puzzling how ineffectual the response to climate change is.

If people can’t do everything that needs to be done, what small steps can they take that will have a collective impact?

We all need to question what our own limits are, what we can do, and then do that with rigor. We don’t need to stop flying, we just need to do it a lot less. I wouldn’t encourage anyone to suddenly become vegan.

I think a better idea is to eat as few animal products as possible, and if that amount is zero, great. If it’s once a week or once a day,

then that’s a hell of a lot better than doing nothing. Rather than measuring the distance from some ethical perfection, we want to measure the distance from doing nothing at all.

Why is it such a struggle for people to follow through on climate change goals?

I think that if we approach change as if it isn’t difficult, then we diminish our chances of being able to sustain change. A lot of the things we need to give up are fun. It’s a shame we can’t solve climate change by not eating broccoli; we would have done it already.

Climate change requires a different sort of moral imagination because, realistically, you and I aren’t going to die because of it. Human nature makes it more difficult to have an energetic response for something less immediate.

What call to action would you like to convey?

We have a feeling of helplessness, a feeling that there’s nothing we can do, but there is a lot that we can do and must do. The easiest and most powerful way to begin is with what we eat.

That doesn’t mean you become vegan tomorrow, but tomorrow is a wonderful time to start eating fewer animal products. It’s a journey, not an event.

Julie Peterson writes about health and the environment. Connect at JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com.

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Eye Care for Kids A Clear Path to Healthy Vision

T

by Ronica A. O’Hara

he blurry distant vision of myopia is a worldwide epidemic. Nearsightedness has doubled in the U.S. since 1971 to 42 percent, and in some Asian countries it affects 90 percent of teens and adults, reports the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Eye doctors say the key time to pay attention is during childhood, because myopia and other eye and vision problems can be reversed or stabilized if addressed at an early age.

“Parents tend to assume that vision problems aren’t a concern for the young and healthy, but it’s never too early to promote healthful habits or to be on the lookout for potential vision issues,” advises ophthalmologist Sandy T. Feldman, M.D., medical director of the Clearview Eye & Laser Medical Center, in San Diego.

Ophthalmologists and optometrists recommend having a child’s eyes tested at 6 months, 3 years and 5 or 6 years to detect nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, “lazy eye” (amblyopia), crossed or misaligned eyes (strabismus) and other potential problems. “For signs of trouble, I ask parents if they have seen their child have an eye that wanders or if the child covers an eye regularly, they are rubbing their eyes or playing with their

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toys close to their face,” says optometrist Nathan Langemo, of the Hopkins Eye Clinic, in Hopkins, Minnesota.

If myopia becomes severe, it can lead to retinal detachment, premature cataracts and glaucoma in adulthood, but early detection is possible. An Ohio State University study of 4,500 children found that myopia in eighth-graders could be predicted in the first grade by their eyeglass prescription. Children at age 6 are naturally slightly farsighted, and those with normal vision are more likely to become myopic later.

A common medical treatment to slow myopia in kids is daily use of 0.01 percent atropine eye drops, the medication used to dilate an eye before an exam. It slowed down nearsightedness by roughly 50 percent in Singapore children. A new, twoyear study shows that combining the eye drops with nightly contact lens-wearing is 28 to 38 percent more effective. For preschoolers with amblyopia, an iPad game called Dig Rush was shown to be helpful in a University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center study. Hong Kong researchers report that 15 weeks of acupuncture beat out eye patches for treating children with lazy eyes, resolving the condition in 41 percent of cases, compared to 16 percent.

The simplest preventive strategy for myopia may be simply to shoo children outdoors every day, including involving them in outdoor sports. Researchers aren’t sure whether it’s the vitamin D effect or the fact that when they are outdoors kids focus more on distant objects like trees and balls than when reading a book or screen, but recent studies in Taiwan and Denmark have verified that more time outdoors is linked to less myopia. Even sitting in sunlight inside while reading or using fullspectrum light bulbs is protective, say researchers. When outdoors, “Make sure the child has 100 percent UVA and UVB sun protection for the eyes,” advises Langemo, including using UV contact lenses.

Evidence is mixed on whether closeup reading brings on childhood myopia, but a study of 500 college students that heavily used computers found 53 percent reporting headaches, 55 percent with burning sensations in the eyes and 48 percent with tired eyes. When kids focus on a computer, their eye-refreshing blinking rate slows from 10 to 12 times a minute to three or four times a minute, says optom-

etrist Marc Grossman, of New Paltz, New York, author of Natural Eye Care: Your Guide To Healthy Vision and Healing.

He recommends taking breaks at least 10 minutes every hour, using homeopathic eye drops and gently massaging the eyes by moving fingers from the inner corner, around the upper socket and underneath, stopping about six times to massage each point for five to 10 seconds.

It’s also important to remove household hazards. Medical emergency rooms increasingly report eye injuries in kids from popular toy weapons like Nerf, BB guns and paintball guns, as well as colorful detergent pods that preschoolers love to squeeze or bite, plus aerosol spray from paint, hairspray, cleaning products and bug repellants.

Feeding children the right foods, including lots of vegetables, fruits and grains, also benefits their eyes. The omega-3s in fish oil, nuts and seeds help minimize dry eye, and leafy greens and eggs have the eye-protective antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin.

I find hope in the darkest of days and focus in the brightest.

I do not judge the universe. ~Dalai Lama

Ronica A. O’Hara is a Denver-based health writer. Connect at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.

May 2020

23

teen voices

Trying Times

by Isabella Dussias

I

am writing this article on April 13, and we are a few weeks into our new normal. There has been a lot of heartache and pain in our country. Many people have experienced loss of loved ones from COVID-19. Some of my friends’ parents have lost their jobs, and everyone’s lifestyles have been altered tremendously.

These times have spawned a lot of feelings of anxiety amongst people of all ages. Everyday tasks, such as going to the grocery store, are making many people anxious.

So how do we, as teens, stay hopeful in these very uncertain times? We simply accept the reality of our current situation and try to adapt to our temporary normal.

My friends are being very supportive of each other—reaching out over social media, doing group FaceTime, watching movies together virtually on Netflix.

These small efforts can make us feel more “normal” even though the reality is that we are living through a worldwide pandemic.

I have also turned to reading books on mindfulness and meditation. I practice deep breathing, listen to music, stretch and set small goals for myself each day to take my mind off what’s going on outside.

Even though teens are sometimes perceived as self-absorbed, we definitely understand the severity of this pandemic.

We are thankful for our parents that

provide for us and for our schools that have adapted their academic plans to continue our learning and create a sense of normalcy. We are grateful for those who continue to try and figure out how to fight this virus, and for everyone on the front lines that are serving our community in these times of distress.

Stay safe and be well.

Isabella Dussias is a 17-year-old singersongwriter/composer from New Jersey. She enjoys writing about issues that are important to today’s youth, and she believes music is an important outlet to connect people and share messages through the creativity of lyric and melody. For more information, please visit IsabellaDussias.com.

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inspiration

FINDING CALM During Trying Times

F

leave us frozen like deer in the headlights.

Whether we see what is happening online, on screen or in real time, we feel unsafe in our own skin. Although disturbing images can be swiped away, when something bad happens to us, we don’t know what to do.

We can’t change the channel.

Even during these tough times, we can find opportunities to develop new strengths and grow individually and together. To start with, we need emotional first aid to help us find calm quickly. We can do this by locating the tension points in our body and asking them what color would help them feel calm. Then we can inhale that color, letting it find its way

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n Humility helps us accept what we cannot change. n Patience takes the edge off when the hurt lasts longer than we want.

by Laurie Nadel

rom the moment we wake up and log on to our day, we are flooded with news about people whose days started off much the same, with an expectation of going from point A to point B, to lunch, to point C and then back home.

But something happened. A tornado touched down in the neighborhood. Or a train derailed in a cousin’s hometown. Or, like now, an invisible killer stalks the globe, threatening to take our life or the life of someone we know.

Within seconds, we are flooded with horror and helplessness. Unable to stop the cascade of acute stress hormones, our bodies shift into fight-or-flight mode or

within to soothe our cells, and exhale our stress by breathing out a different color. We can repeat this technique as long and as often as needed. Teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Florida, report that this really works for kids, too.

To heal means to make whole.

It doesn’t mean to make something go away. Hardship is part of life’s journey.

Even this global pandemic can serve as our spiritual wake-up call to learn how different spiritual traditions heal from life-shattering events. Five gifts offer us the keys to wholeness:

n Empathy keeps us connected for the long haul. n Forgiveness means forgiving ourselves, our leaders and God. n Growth lets us look back with thanks for what we learned when the journey of life was anything but comfortable and easy.

Let’s journey together.

Laurie Nadel, a Manhattan psychotherapist, is the author of The Five Gifts: Discovering Hope, Healing and Strength When Disaster Strikes.

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May 2020

25

FLOWER WOW-ER Beautiful Floral Designing

F

by April Thompson

tant in floral arranging. We can opt for a fussy, formal style, a rustic farmhouse look or a modern, asymmetrical design. “The good news is you can’t mess up flowers.

Whether multidimensional or one-sided, monochromatic or multicolored, you really can’t go wrong,” says Kathy Jentz, publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine and a flower arranging instructor in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Like a good meal, the ingredients of a bouquet are as important as how they are assembled. Start with organic, pesticidefree buds. “Look for local, seasonal flowers, which will be fresher and last longer than those flown in,” says Betty Ann Galway, a certified floral designer and instructor at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, in Virginia.

Farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture CSAs and pick-your-own farms are all great places to find locally, sustainably grown flowers, according to Jentz. To select for long shelf life, look for fresh-looking stamens and foliage, and firm heads on flowers. Mums, carnations and asters will last up to three weeks, says Galway.

When selecting flowers, Ami Wilber, floral and event décor designer at the Washington, D.C., Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, recommends starting with a color scheme, whether limiting the palette to one or two colors, using analogous colors like

resh-cut flowers can The good news Finding a elevate a space with is you can’t mess Floral Style color, scents and up flowers.

As with any artistic medium, textures that draw the eye creative choices are impor~Kathy Jentz and nose, but professional floral designs can be pricey.

DIY arranging, however, is an easy, fun and inexpensive creative outlet that can healthy, professional-looking bouquet doesn’t take also help cultivate mindfulness. Flower years of flower designing to achieve; these tricks of arranging is more than just a decorative the trade will help neophyte designers get started. art; it’s a spiritual activity that helps cre To loosen up tightly wound buds, breathe on them. ate a kinship with nature and merge the Hot breath will open buds up faster, says publisher and indoors and outdoors. arranger Kathy Jentz.

Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower

An arranging technique Jentz recommends is clusarranging, dates back to the seventh tering blossoms between the index finger and thumb century, when floral offerings were made of the less-dominant hand, resulting in a tight arrangeat Buddhist altars, according to Jeanne Ha, ment that can be held in place by a rubber band pulled owner of the Washington Flower School, in up to the tops of the stems.

Takoma Park, Maryland. In the 16th cen If working with hydrangeas or other flowers with tury, Japanese samurais practiced flower woody stems, smash open the stems along the length to get more water circulation. arranging prior to combat to help calm

Consider upcycling common containers to make flower vases, Jentz says. “You can them and stay centered, a stress-reducing create recycled vases out of old jars and bottles, or use chalk paint to colorfully cover activity most of us can benefit from today. over a tin can.”

“Seasonal flowers are an important element

The secret sauce in flower food is simply sugar and citric acid, says Jentz, so a little of Ikebana,” says Ha, part of a longstanding lemonade mix added to the water of an arrangement will work fine in a pinch.

Japanese tradition of appreciating plants and flowers throughout the four seasons.

Flower Arranging Tips From a Pro

A

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green living

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pinks and purples or selecting complementary colors like blues and oranges. “It’s also good to find a focal flower or a show-stopper that will immediately draw attention to a bouquet,” says Wilber.

Prepping the flowers before arranging will also prolong an arrangement’s longevity, including cutting stems diagonally to provide more surface area for water, suggests Jentz. She also recommends plunging flowers into cool water immediately after trimming their stems. Leaves pump water up the stem, so leave a few on while clearing those from the bottom that would otherwise be submerged in water, adds Galway.

There are many ways to create structure for an arrangement, most of which is often hidden. Wilber stuffs chicken wire into an opaque container and then tapes down the top with a grid of floral tape to provide more control over the direction of the stems. Ha uses floral foam, soaked to provide hydration, into which stems can be inserted at any angle to create a gravity-defying design.

Different styles of arranging draw from different principles, but many common rules of thumb apply; for example, using odd numbers of each type of flower and adding in the largest flowers first to create an anchor for the composition. For a rustic, farm-totable bouquet, look beyond just blooms to incorporate seed pods, grasses and other foliage from the backyard or woods, says Wilber. These will not only fill in gaps left by thin-stemmed flowers, but also help create contrast in texture, she adds, recommending that 70 percent of the container be green.

Once the design is complete, finetune the arrangement by stepping back to see the big-picture look and making any adjustments, removing discolored leaves and adding greenery to any bald spots, says Wilber. Many designers wrap large, flat leaves around the inside of a container for a clean, polished look that hides the stems.

Most importantly, don’t forget to stop and smell the lilacs. Let the flowers lead the design and let go of any unattainable vision of perfection. “Appreciating the flowers and being thankful is an important part of the process, too,” says Ha. Connect with Washington, D.C. freelance writer April Thompson at AprilWrites.com.

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May 2020

27

Double Down on Healing

Using Acupuncture and Chiropractic for Synergistic Healing in Veterinary Medicine

by David MacDonald

astounding thing about Chinese medicine is that these early concepts are still an accurate depiction of the how the body functions.

The modern scientific understanding of the body gained in the last 200 years does not supplant the earlier Chinese medicine beliefs; rather it simply offers further detail in understanding its operation. Modern medicine and Chinese medicine, when combined, provide additional medical thought on the patient’s circumstances, offering greater insight into the nuances of care.

Acupuncture treatment is directed at correcting imbalances through the use of stainless-steel needles at acupuncture points—precisely localized access points in the physical body that alter the physiologic state locally and systemically. The therapeutic effects of acupuncture occur through initiating changes in blood flow and the release of biochemicals that have a physiologic influence on pain and inflammation, and that improve support for compromised tissues in the body.

Chiropractic

W

hen treating animal patients, a holistic veterinarian may use many modalities in addressing the spectrum of ailments that present in veterinary hospitals every day. A particular strength of holistic veterinary medicine is that a synergy exists between modalities, and outcomes are often achieved beyond that which each individual component of care could offer by itself. An excellent example of this synergy is when acupuncture and chiropractic are used in treating pets.

28

Acupuncture Acupuncture has been successfully used in animal patients for many decades and has now been accepted as an effective and safe method of treatment within veterinary medicine as a whole. Acupuncture has wide applications, helping with osteoarthritis, degenerative neurologic disease, digestive issues, dermatologic disease and many other conditions. Many pets benefit from acupuncture with no side effects or interference with other medications or therapies.

Acupuncture, as understood through the concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine, addresses the state of health of the individual as a reflection of balance when healthy and imbalance when illness occurs.

The foundation of Chinese medicine has, at its core, a rigorous consideration of the body’s function that is several thousand years old, and it uses terminology that might be confusing to modern physicians. The most

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Acupuncture has great impact on the body overall, and as such has been widely embraced in veterinary medicine. While recognizing its great effect, it is not possible for acupuncture to correct all the physical problems encountered in veterinary medicine. In the same way that Chinese medicine extends the effects of conventional medicine, other therapies improve the effects of acupuncture. It is recognized clinically that chiropractic, when used in conjunction with acupuncture offers even further benefits.

Chiropractic exerts its main influences through the nervous system. Consider the impact of this—practically all parts of the body have nerves that go to and from the nervous system. That is to say that sensory organs (eyes, ears, nose, mouth), visceral organs (digestive, urinary, cardiovascular) and musculoskeletal tissue (muscles, tendons and ligaments) are all influenced by nerves, and are thus accessible to modulation through chiropractic treatments.

Chiropractic care involves adjustments of the central nervous system through manipulation of the spinal vertebrae, as well as treatment of the peripheral nervous system

in the extremities. Chiropractic adjustments are quick and painless, and the influence on the nervous system is immediate.

Appropriate chiropractic care can be successful in conjunction with other modalities such acupuncture, because its influence on the nervous system modulates such a pervasive element of the body function. It’s almost as if chiropractic eliminates the background static on a radio station.

Thus, the symphonic playing of the other treatments (such as acupuncture) is more readily accomplished.

In formulating treatment plans for animal patients, the combined efforts of multiple modalities should be considered in a methodical manner, rather than taking a kitchen sink approach. In using chiropractic and acupuncture together, a true synergy is achieved because each element has a known influence and each factor helps the other perform more successfully.

This example of holistic veterinary practice stands as a representative model of what holistic veterinarians strive for. The result is that truly comprehensive health care is achieved with assurance each time.

Dr. David MacDonald is a veterinarian with Doylestown Veterinary Hospital & Holistic Pet Care, located at 380 N. Shady Retreat Rd. He is a certified veterinary acupuncturist (CVA) and a certified veterinary spinal manipulative therapist (CVSMT). To request an appointment, call 215-345-6000. For more information, visit DoylestownVeterinaryHospital.com. See ad, this page.

mission statement To empower individuals to live a healthier lifestyle on a healthier planet.

To educate communities on the latest in natural health and sustainability.

To connect readers with local wellness resources and events, inspiring them to lead more balanced lives.

May 2020

29

Practical Magic

Soul Nourishment The Kitchen As Sacred Space

I

by Marlaina Donato

n our busy lives, grabbing food on the run or eating while standing at the kitchen counter is often the norm. Designating the kitchen as a practical sanctuary and seeing the sacredness of food not only makes it more conducive to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but also gives our spirits much-needed satiety.

“If we don’t touch the transcendent— emotionally and spiritually—physical nourishment won’t fill us up,” says Ronna Kabatznick, Ph.D., former psychological consultant to Weight Watchers International and the author of The Zen of Eating: Ancient Answers to Modern Weight Problems. “Seeing the kitchen as sacred is something that represents gratitude, beauty and blessings.”

Delia Baron, co-author of Better Together Kitchen: Beautiful Recipes to Share With People You Love and the host of seasonal food workshops with partner Ronnit Hoppe in Melbourne, Australia, concurs, “The kitchen is often the heartbeat of the home and the best place to gather, feast, chat and create beautiful memories and rituals. The kitchen is also a place to connect to our food source.”

30

Fun and Felicity

Preparing meals the old-fashioned way can slow us down and foster mindfulness, but Kabatznick emphasizes that cooking is irrelevant. “Look at the kitchen in terms of possibilities: ‘What can I create in this space?’ You don’t have to turn into Julia Child,” she says, adding, “You could be eating Chinese takeout or a prune; it’s all about mindset and simple rituals like saying a blessing, appreciating what we eat as a great gift.” Kabatznick encourages everyone to eat with dignity, and this includes using the good dishes, putting fresh flowers on the table and eating with awareness.

Seeing the kitchen as the inspired nucleus of the home, it’s natural to add favorite items like art prints, colorful jars, sentimental treasures, dried flowers and other seasonal delights to nourish daily contentment. Conjuring an element of joy adorns the mundane. “Put on some music to put you in either a peaceful or joyful mood,” says Molly Larkin, author, healing practitioner and blogger at Ancient Wisdom for Balanced Living (MollyLarkin.com), in Corrales, New Mexico. “Turn off the TV and give everyone in the family a job.

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Meal prep can be enjoyable and even relaxing in a calm environment. For Baron, organization is key. She advises, “Having all the ingredients you need and working in a clean space also helps make the experience rewarding.”

The smallest of kitchens can be abundant and organized with the help of a little innovation. A simple bookcase can offer additional shelf space for dry goods, bowls of produce or favorite cups. A small end table can hold a favorite tea pot and a jar of gourmet dark chocolate. A beautiful basket can hold go-to spice jars, and a pretty pitcher near the stove can accommodate a multitude of cooking utensils. “If you can’t fit it all out of sight in a cabinet, get some glass jars, fill them with grains, flours and legumes and line them up on the countertop. It will be neat, and you can see what you have,” suggests Larkin.

In the end, a well-nourished body and spirit fosters a beautiful life and inspires the same in others. An advocate for supporting the hungry in all communities, Kabatznick underscores local efforts and seeing the big picture of our relationship with food: “Taking out the garbage and cleaning up is also a sacred act if we bring that attitude into it. Food connects us to the Earth, the moon and the stars. From the seed to the truck driver—everything and everyone involved—the process of food is miraculous.”

Marlaina Donato is the author of several books and a composer. Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

Solis Images/Shutterstock.com

Laugh throughout the meal preparation.

Dance as you cook. Do the same thing if you live alone.”

Preparing food, whether a healthy smoothie or a gourmet weekend dinner for two, is a way to express love for ourselves and others. Baron loves the presence of plants, lovely ceramics and interesting platters and dishes, and notes, “Families can definitely shop, chop, cook and mealplan together to make the kitchen a fun place to be. Doing these things together is very bonding and sends the message that looking after yourself is important.”

conscious eating

SACRED SERVINGS Moroccan-Spiced Red Lentil Soup photo by Marlaina Donato

Yields: 4 servings 4 cups water 1½ cup red lentils 1 tsp sea salt 1 medium-size organic carrot, chopped in bite-size pieces 2 soft, dried apricots, chopped, or 1 Tbsp golden raisins or 2 dates, chopped ¼ tsp ground cloves ¼ tsp ground turmeric ¼ tsp ground coriander seeds or ½ tsp crushed coriander seeds ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp crushed or ground cumin seeds 2 tsp extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil Bring water, carrots, apricots and all spices and seasonings to boil. Add red lentils, stir once and set heat to low. Cover pot with lid. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, remove from heat. Add olive oil and allow to sit for five minutes before serving.

MIKHAIL MAKOVKIN/Shutterstock.com

photo by Marlaina Donato

Optional toppings for each bowl: finely chopped red onion, red pepper flakes, fresh cilantro and/or a sprinkle of turmeric.

Spring Fever Salad with Flowers and Fruit Yields: 4 servings

1 head romaine or green leaf lettuce 8 medium-large organic strawberries, thinly sliced, or 2 small packages of fresh organic raspberries Handful of fresh, chemical-free flowers from the garden or store’s produce section: nasturtium, pansies and/or calendulas; gathered wild: spring violets and dandelion blooms

In-the-Bowl Dressing:

Juice from one fresh tangerine 1 part organic apple cider vinegar to 2 parts avocado oil Dash of sea salt Add avocado oil, apple cider vinegar and salt into a large bowl, swirl around twice. Tear (don’t chop) lettuce and add to the preliminary dressing. Squeeze tangerine juice over lettuce and toss lightly until well-dressed. Place strawberry slices over salad. Sprinkle (don’t toss) flowers on top or artfully place where desired.

Serve immediately.

Whole-Grain Dark Chocolate-Banana Muffins

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ½ cup coconut sugar, evaporated cane juice or turbinado ½ tsp salt 3½ tsp fresh baking powder 1 cup water or unsweetened non-dairy milk (or half of each to make a cup) 2 tsp extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil or cold-pressed sunflower oil 2 organic eggs, beaten (for vegan option: ¼ to ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce) 2 tsp natural vanilla extract 1½ mashed ripe bananas 2 tsp molasses 1 tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp cloves ¼ tsp dried ginger 2 dashes of nutmeg 1 dash of allspice (optional) Pre-heat oven to 400° F and grease muffin tin with sunflower or olive oil (or line with cupcake papers). Sift flour and cocoa powder into bowl. Add baking powder, salt, sugar and spices; mix well. Combine water/milk, vanilla, molasses, oil and eggs (or apple sauce), and add to dry mixture. Stir, lifting the spoon high with each stirring to get air into the mixture. Do not beat or overmix.

Leave it a bit lumpy.

Fold in bananas. Fill muffin cups half to three-quarters full and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean. Place muffin tin on wire rack and allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing each muffin by hand (avoid turning tin over to get muffins out, or the extra-moist, fruit-filled muffins might come apart).

Optional treat: Dip muffin tops into melted coconut oil and roll in coconut sugar or turbinado. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Recipes by Marlaina Donato, author of several books and a composer. Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

Yields: 12 muffins

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

½ cup organic whole-wheat flour, sifted (protein-rich, gluten-free option: 1 cup organic brown rice flour and ½ cup organic soy flour or 1 cup organic brown rice flour and ½ cup garbanzo flour) May 2020

31

LOCAL

Find the studio, teacher or style that fits you best

ambler

hatboro

Twisters Wellness Centers

Nourishing Storm

131 E Butler Ave 215-654-5393 TwistersYoga.com

124 N York Rd 215-394-8152 NourishingStorm.com

rb eathe

doylestown Bikram Yoga Doylestown 1717 S Easton Rd 570-977-6689 BikramYogaDoylestown.com

Cornerstone Health & Fitness 740 Edison Furlong Rd 215-794-3700 CornerstoneClubs.com

erdenheim Twisters Wellness Centers 717 Bethlehem Pike 215-654-5393 TwistersYoga.com

new hope Cornerstone Health & Fitness 415 S York Rd 215-862-2200 CornerstoneClubs.com

north wales

Whole Body Yoga Studio

103 E Walnut St 215-661-0510 WholeBodyYogaStudio.com

quakertown Moondog Yoga Studio 115 E Broad St, Ste 200 267-374-4046 MoondogYoga.com

southampton

Yoga Vibhuti Yoga & Meditation Studio

Kindred Yoga

1364 Welsh Rd 267-664-1022 KindredYogaStudio.com

release

777 Second Street Pk 215-514-6065 YogaVibhuti.com

warrington Cornerstone Health & Fitness

847 Easton Rd, Warrington 215-918-5900 CornerstoneClubs.com

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Yoga Corner

Have a Vision for Local Yoga?

Sponsor this Page

Shine On

by Nicole Zornitzer

T

oday, I splurged. Today, I gave myself permission to take three yoga classes taught by my tribe members. Today, I realized the importance of self-acceptance.

In one of our dharma talks, we were taught that we need to accept where we are in this very moment, who we are in this very moment and how we feel in this very moment in order to shine. Many of us rise with frantic thoughts, experiencing moments of anxiety, frustration, fear, anger and sadness. Today, I experienced all of those emotions before the sun rose.

We were encouraged to recite how we actually felt, and this is what came up for me: I am scared.

I am angry.

I am frustrated.

I am lonely.

I am fearful.

If we accept how we actually feel versus how we want to feel, we have taken the biggest step in acceptance and the creation of positivity in our world. It is okay to feel uncertain and vulnerable. It is through these moments that we are our most authentic selves. We arrive exactly as we were meant to arrive: ourselves.

Sometimes, shining brilliantly requires moving through the mud and tangled weeds that seem to be holding us down, much like the lotus flower and its journey into life.

This also reminds me of the words a wise woman once said, “In the yoga community, these are the moments we have been training for our entire life. We are taught the ability to withdraw the senses; we are taught finding power through breathing techniques; we are taught enduring pain by using the tools we are given in yoga… and here we are—prepared and finely trained for this very moment.”

Shining may not always appear as brilliant as our imaginations think shining should appear. We have the ability to shine even when we feel the dullest. We have the ability to shine in times of discomfort. We have the ability to shine by simply being who we are at all times.

So be yourself, accept who you are and appreciate how your perception of life changes from day to day. Shine on my dear, shine on.

Nicole Zornitzer, ERYT 1000, is a yoga therapist and founder of Niyama Yoga & Wellness Studio in Randolph, New Jersey. Niyama YogaStudio.com.

Your input helps shape this section while our input helps you grow!

For information, email YogaByRosie@gmail.com May 2020

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Your local source for natural health, nutrition, fitness, personal growth, green living, creative expression and the products and services that support a healthy lifestyle

Behavioral Health M.E. Matters

668 Woodbourne Rd, Ste 108, Langhorne 215-914-5344 MEMatters.org Psychological and behavioral health services for individuals, couples, teens and families where mind, body and spirit matter. We offer neurofeedback, therapy and a spirituality awareness group. Our goal is to help you experience life with increased awareness and without fear. See ad, page 21.

Dentistry - Holistic Dental Wellness Centre Hyo J. Lim DMD

216 Mall Blvd, Ste 11, King of Prussia 610-265-4485 DentalWellnessCentre.com Dr. Hyo Lim provides a holistic approach to exceptional dentistry, in a warm and caring environment. At Dental Wellness Centre, mercury- and metal-free restorations are used for the most biocompatible results. Biocompatibility testing for dental materials is available. Invisalign is offered as an alternative to metal braces. Zirconium and titanium implants are offered to replace damaged or missing teeth. Free digital X-rays with initial consultation. See ad, page 25.

Holistic Dental Center Vladimir Gashinsky, DDS 91 Millburn Ave, Milburn, NJ 973-457-4688 HolisticDentalCenterNJ.com

Holistic dental care that is good for the body as well as teeth and gums. By treating the cause, not just the symptoms, Dr. Gashinsky helps improve his patients’ quality of life through dental care that respects and honors the body.

See ad, back cover.

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Lanap & Implant Center of PA David DiGiallorenzo, DMD Henry Hsu, DMD

184 W Main St, Collegeville 610-409-6064 • PerioImplants.us

Life Coaching - Gestalt Step Into Joy Healing Arts Joan Summers, Certified Gestalt Coach,

Trauma Professional and Reiki Master 267-272-9343 • StepIntoJoyHealingArts.com Joan@StepIntoJoyHealingArts.com

Providing oral health solutions through holistic, biologically compatible and organic practices. One of the world's most accomplished centers for periodontal and implant care, which integrates wellness services into their therapeutic approach. Experience with immediate total tooth replacement with metal-free dental implants, treating gum disease with LANAP, a no-cut, no-sew method of treating gum disease, comfortable gum grafting with PRGF, implant denture solutions, and chronic pain management. See ad, page 23.

Experience deep and long-lasting healing. Joan offers healing for her clients who are tired of feeling stuck, disconnected or without purpose. She offers Gestalt Life Coaching, Equine Gestalt Life Coaching and reiki, and you may choose to customize your session. See ad, page 19.

Essential Oils

Michael Cheikin, MD

Peggy Washburn Wellness Advocate doTERRA International 208-859-9155 MyPerfectLifeToday.com

Sharing natural health and wellness with the world through doTERRA Essential Oil. I’ve been “changing lives one oil at a time” with doTERRA since 2008. The purity and freshness of every product is unmatched, and the scents are amazing. See ad, page 21.

Hospice Ascend Hospice

108 Cowpath Rd, Stes 3 & 4, Lansdale 215-542-2100 AscendHospice.com Bringing a personalized and holistic approach to hospice care.

Our trained volunteers offer aromatherapy, massage therapy, reiki and pet therapy to bring healing and wholeness to clients and their families. See ad, page 21.

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Medical Doctor - Holistic Center for Optimal Health

832 Germantown Pk, Ste 3, Plymouth Meeting 610-239-9901 • Cheikin.com For 30+ years, Dr Cheikin has helped patients achieve root-cause level healing using education, nutrition, yoga and other methods. Specializing in physiatry, pain and medical acupuncture, he also offers special testing for deficiencies, toxicities, infections and allergies. See ad, page 15.

Metaphysical Services Journey To The Self Linda Harbaugh, Intuitive Medium

Certified Life Coach/Reiki Practitioner Linda@JourneyToTheSelf.com JourneyToTheSelf.com • 484-904-9268 Delivering messages of love and guidance from deceased loved ones and spirit guides via readings and intuitive reiki sessions. A certified life coach, Linda also offers intuitive coaching packages to help you navigate life, jobs and relationships. Psychology degree, former teacher, 30 years business experience. Telephone or in person.

Naturopathic Doctor

Reiki

Spa - Holistic

Julie Lachman, ND LLC

Step Into Joy Healing Arts

Inner Spa

1432 Easton Rd, Ste 3G, Warrington 267-406-0782 • DrLachman.com

Joan Summers, Certified Intuitive

Julie Lachman, ND, is a licensed naturopathic physician (Vermont). She is considered an expert in neurological and cardiovascular disorders, including headache, migraine and circulatory/heart problems, due to the amount of study she has done and the number of patients she has helped. Call today.

Reiki Master and Gestalt Coach 267-272-9343 • StepIntoJoyHealingArts.com Joan@StepIntoJoyHealingArts.com Experience peace of mind, enlightened awareness and physical restoration. The connections between physical pain and emotional trauma are often revealed during an intuitive reiki session. It is a practice of compassion and spiritual connection. See ad, page 19.

Natural Medicine Inner Harmony Wellness Center Peter Amato, PhD, DNM

Board Certified Natural Medicine Two PA Locations 647 Wyoming Ave, Kingston 131 Reynolds Rd, Waverly 570-319-6073 • InnerHarmonyWellness.com With 25 years of experience, we get to the root cause of your health concerns. Find out what is causing long-standing health issues and walk away with a precise care plan. Today's chronic illnesses are not located in the blood. We test at the cellular level. Our approach merges applied kinesiology, Quantum Biofeedback and (ART) Autonomic Response Testing developed by Dietrich Klinghardt, MD, PhD. See ad, page 14.

Nutritional Healing Center for Natural Healing Jeffrey L Griffin, DC

Bailiwick Office Campus, Ste 26, Doylestown 215-348-2115 • C4NH.com Feeling poorly? Lacking answers? Improvement at a standstill? Locate the source of stress and the treatment becomes obvious. Mention Dr. Jeff’s 35 years of experience when you call and receive a free phone consultation to learn how we can start helping you today.

See ad, page 13.

Retreat Experience

4 Terry Dr, Ste 12, Atrium Bldg, Newtown Info@InnerSpa.org • 215-968-9000 InnerSpa.org • InnerVitalitySpa.com A fully organic, holistic, eco-friendly wellness spa featuring an array of detoxification, cleansing and therapeutic services. The spa is one of the only facilities in the area to offer colon hydrotherapy. See ad, page 14.

Thermography Lisa's Thermography and Wellness

Dr Peter Amato, PhD, DNM

Lisa Mack, CCT, HHC Thermographer and Holistic Counselor See website for locations in NJ, NY & PA 855-667-9338 Lisa@LisasThermographyAndWellness.com LisasThermographyAndWellness.com

Harmony Mountain Institute brings you the ultimate Zen retreat experience. We provide a transformational weekend experience for those on a spiritual journey to become free of chronic illness, negative thinking and addictive behaviors all while experiencing luxurious self-care. See ad, page 17.

Thermography gives an early look at the most important indicator of a potential health problem – inflammation.

Early-stage disease screening is an area in which thermography excels. Whether your pain is acute or chronic, or you are merely curious about the state of your health, thermography can help provide answers. Radiation-free breast and full-body screenings for men and women. See ad, pg 19.

Harmony Mountain Institute 131 Reynolds Rd, N Abington Township 570-558-7450 Info@HarmonyMountainInstitute.com HarmonyMountainInstitute.com

Sexuality Coaching Michelle Christine Sacred Rose

Unity Barn, 4000 Sawmill Rd, Doylestown MichelleChristine@SacredRose444.com 215-840-8139 • SacredRose444.com Michelle Christine supports women to reclaim and redefine their sexuality in any stage of their lives. Together we will work on helping you to love, nourish and celebrate yourself and your divine femininity. See ad, page 27.

Veterinary - Holistic Doylestown Veterinary Hospital & Holistic Pet Care 380 N Shady Retreat Rd, Doylestown 215-345-6000 DoylestownVeterinaryHospital.com

Improving the lives of pets through acupuncture, herbal therapy, homeopathy, nutritional counseling and integration of holistic therapies with conventional medicine for customized approach to care.

See ad, page 29.

My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return. ~Maya Angelou

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