Natural Awakenings Tampa Bay April 2022 Edition

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HEALTHY

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APPS TO HELP YOU BE A NATURE EXPERT EATING WITH THE PLANET IN MIND WAYS TO BRING MORE NATURE INTO OUR LIVES AND LANDSCAPES CELEBRATE

EARTH DAY 2022 April 2022 | Tampa Bay Edition | NATampa.com

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April 2022

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March 2022

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PL ANET

TAMPA BAY EDITION Publisher Debbey Wilson Editor Cheryl Hynes Design & Production Patrick Floresca Contributing Writer Eleanor Bailey Sales & Marketing Debbey Wilson Circulation Manager Dean Wille Accounting Susan Hoffman Website Kyle Hass Operations Amy Hass

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CONTENTS

Natural Awakenings | Tampa Bay Edition | April 2022

22 WHY WE NEED WILD PLACES

DEPARTMENTS 12 news briefs 14 health briefs 18 global briefs

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TECHNOLOGY MEETS NATURE

Apps Bring Us Closer to Flora and Fauna

34 BUZZ-FREE DRINKING

The Healthy Rise of Non-Alcoholic Beverages

20 eco tip

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26 green living

Power Walk to Better Fitness

Keeping Dogs Safe from Ticks and Fleas

SPIRITED STRIDES

28 wise words 30 healthy kids 32 healing ways 34 fit body 36 conscious eating 40 natural pet 42 calendar 44 resource guide 8

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PEST CONTROL

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letter from publisher

n 2022, we must all enter into ONE partnership [for our planet] to save our HOME, to paraphrase Earth Day President Kathleen Rogers. Fifty-two years into the actual Earth Day recognition of the dire need for constructive human interaction, this year on April 22, we collectively and formally honor our home—Mother Earth. Let us become as sustainable as possible in an ever-evolving world, meaning establishing and maintaining a healthy individual and collective consciousness. Read Earth Day 2022 for local happenings.

Creating and maintaining “space” is another topic of keen value. Be it wild space in nature or creating such an ambience in one’s own backyard, space is needed for freedom. Too many people, too much clutter, one too many ‘things’ cause anxiety and eventually destruction. Space, wild and otherwise, is needed for sanity and emotional wellbeing. Reading Wild Places is a good start, followed by Technology Meets Nature, with the suggestion of more than 6,300 apps bringing us fauna and flora up-close.

“Everything is connected and the ecological crisis is a spiritual crisis. The healing of me and the healing of you and the healing of Earth are bound together.” Commit to be what you wish to see. Seeking peace? Be Peace. Seeking love? Be Love. Read Brian Sauder on Faith-Based Grassroots Change, from the bottom-up and the top-down.

As always, with an open heart-mind, please enjoy.

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news briefs Metamorph at The Violet Butterfly

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he Violet Butterfly is a metaphysical healing center located in Alderman Plaza, in Palm Harbor. Since September 2019, they have been providing a safe and loving space where one can explore their personal spiritual journey and find a natural way to resolve what’s out of sync.

Offering a variety of metaphysical items, including crystals, jewelry, candles, essential oils, tarot cards, pendulums, singing bowls, sage, incense, and so much more, the Butterfly provides their clients with custom services to meet each individual’s unique needs. They love to share knowledge and empower their clients to do the inner work, and to that end, teach most of the skills used in the shop.

The Violet Butterfly has the space to accommodate private readings (psychic, tarot, oracle card, mediumship), coaching and reiki sessions. They conduct classes of three to four and up to 15 for mediumship gallery readings. At present, they are teaching Meditation, Reiki, Psychic and Mediumship Development, How to Read Tarot Cards, Astrology, and The Basics of Rituals.

Continuously growing and evolving their inventory, classes and services to better meet client’s needs, check out their online shop, learn more about them, and view practitioner bios and calendar to access event information and book appointments.

Location: 35154 US Hwy. 19 N, Palm Harbor. For more information, visit TheVioletButterflymhc.com or call 727-386-4535.

See ad page 43.

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Harness Your Body’s Health with PolarAid

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cientific evidence that the human body runs on electrical energy has been long-recognized. To that end, miles of authentic, compelling testimonials validate PolarAid’s ability to encourage the overall health of the body, including muscle, joint and spinal health/flexibility; weight management via healthy metabolism; bowel and digestive health; sexual health; mental calm with balanced moods; quality relaxation and sleep.

The science behind PolarAid was first demonstrated by Dr. Georges Lakhovsky and Nikola Tesla. Tesla identified the existence of the cosmic energy that nourishes and supports all life yet can be diminished with life’s challenges, traumas and aging as cells of the body lose their ability to absorb. Lakhovsky, author of The Secret of Life: Electricity, Radiation and Your Body, explained that cells are small oscillatory circuits emitting ultra-short electromagnetic waves, and health is determined by the relative strength of these cellular oscillations; bacteria, cancers and other pathogens corrupt them.

Enter Dr. Dino Tomic and his team who procured the original schematics of the two scientists and their inventions to perfect the PolarAid antenna—a copper-based alloy ring that works like a satellite antenna, receiving and amplifying natural energy. When applied to the body, the PolarAid disc redirects the energy to replenish the body’s [energy] flow, enhancing its capacities to heal naturally.

For more information, call 450-486-7888 or visit PolarAidHealth.com. See ad page 16.

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April 2022

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health briefs

Avoid Formaldehyde to Sidestep Cognitive Problems

A new type of immunotherapy that enables T-cells to fight cancer cells is proving hopeful for people with the deadly skin cancer melanoma, and a new study has found that a high-fiber diet improves the effectiveness of the therapy.

Researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported in Science that, by analyzing the gut microbiome in hundreds of patients, they found that higher dietary fiber intake was linked with disease nonprogression among patients receiving immune checkpoint blockade therapy compared to patients eating little fiber.

The results were strongest in patients that ate the most dietary fiber, but did not take probiotics, a finding that was replicated with lab animals.

Consider Berberine and Probiotics to Improve Cholesterol

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When used together, the plant alkaloid berberine and the probiotic Bifidobacterium breve work synergistically to significantly improve total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, reports a new study in Gut Microbes from Shanghai Jiao Tung University, in China. Researchers tested 365 diabetes patients at 20 centers throughout the country, giving them either a placebo, one of the two substances or both. Comparing post-meal blood samples after 12 weeks, patients that had taken both the berberine and the probiotic had significantly better cholesterol readings and experienced positive changes in the gut microbiome, as well as better fatty acid metabolism.

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Workers exposed over years to formaldehyde may experience thinking and memory problems later in life, researchers at the University of Montpellier, in France, have concluded. Their study published in the journal Neurology surveyed and tested more than 75,000 people with an average age of 58. Of those, 8 percent were exposed to formaldehyde through their occupations as nurses; caregivers; medical technicians; workers in the textile, chemistry and metal industries; carpenters and cleaners. The risk of developing thinking and memory problems was an average of 17 percent higher in people that were exposed to formaldehyde on the job than those with no such exposure.

People exposed to formaldehyde for 22 years or longer had a 21 percent higher risk of cognitive impairment.

Try Fenugreek to Boost Male Fertility and Health Fenugreek, an herb used in Indian curries and Middle Eastern cuisine, has been shown in studies to increase breast milk production in women, and a 12-week study of 100 men has found that it also boosts male testosterone and fertility. A research team at King George’s Medical University, in Lucknow, India, gave 500 milligrams a day of an extract made from fenugreek seeds to men that ranged in ages from 35 to 60. Sperm motility, or movement, significantly increased at eight and 12 weeks of treatment, while abnormal sperm morphology significantly decreased at 12 weeks. Testosterone levels, cholesterol markers and libido also improved.

Higher levels of alertness were documented, along with lower blood pressure.

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Eat Lots of Fiber to Improve Melanoma Outcomes

Practice Good Dental Care to Lower Heart and Cognitive Risks

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A whopping 47 percent of U.S. adults over 30 have periodontal disease, and the consequences can be severe for their physical and mental health, suggests a new study in the journal BMJ Open. Researchers from the UK University of Manchester followed 64,379 people diagnosed with periodontal disease, including gingivitis, marked by swollen and red gums, as well as periodontitis, in which gums pull away from the tooth and bone or teeth are lost. The subjects, with an average age of 44, were compared over an average of three years to 251,161 people without the disease. Those with periodontal disease had a 37 percent higher risk of mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety and serious mental illness; a 33 percent higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases like arthritis, Type 1 diabetes and psoriasis; an 18 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart failure, stroke and vascular dementia; and a 26 percent higher risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.

“This research provides further, clear evidence why healthcare professionals need to be vigilant for early signs of gum disease and how it can have wide-reaching implications for a person’s health, reinforcing the importance of taking a holistic approach when treating people,” says Caroline Aylott, head of research delivery at the University of Birmingham Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research.

April 2022

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POLARAID ®

1st demonstrated by Georges Lakhovsky and Nikola Tesla.

global briefs

Sea Change

Himalayan Glacier Retreat Bodes Consequences for Millions

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PolarAid disc increases Life Energy!

PolarAid disc increased the Life Energy readings of a rose plant when placed below the plant for a day. The improvement in Life Energy continued on after the PolarAid disc was removed. This is the same phenomena that Dr. Lakhovsky was observing in his laboratory on the plants before allowing humans to benefit from the same technology.

Watch “Before and After: Using PolarAid on a plant” video: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=mUqTyM1kB2g PolarAid® encourages the overall health of the body: sexual health weight management healthy metabolism bowel and digestive health muscle, joint, spinal health and flexibility mental calm, balanced moods; and more Hundreds and hundreds of authentic, compelling testimonials

Watch our “Success Story” video on YouTube: The TV Show “Histoire de Succès” reports on the science and benefits of PolarAid! Get a PolarAid disc at 25% discount $64 $49.95

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Glaciers in the Himalayan Mountains have been growing for millions of years, but researchers at England’s University of Leeds conclude in a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports that they are melting at an exceptional rate compared to other glaciers around the world. The Himalayas are home to nine of the world’s 10 highest peaks, including Mt. Everest, and the source of Asia’s longest river, the Yangtze. They contain the third-largest deposit of ice and snow in the world, after Antarctica and the Arctic. Study co-author Jonathan Carrivick, deputy head of the University of Leeds School of Geography, says, “Our findings clearly show that ice is now being lost from Himalayan glaciers at a rate that is at least 10 times higher than the average rate over past centuries ... and coincides with human-induced climate change.”

These glaciers release meltwater that forms the headwaters of several major rivers, and their disappearance could threaten agriculture, drinking water and energy production in countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. But the impact is not only regional, it includes the effect on sea level rise and the damage that could wreak on coastal communities globally. Carrivick says, “We must act urgently to reduce and mitigate the impact of human-made climate change on the glaciers and meltwater-fed rivers.”

Bigger Apple

Climate Change Research in Central Park The Central Park Conservancy, the Yale School of the Environment and the New York City-based Natural Areas Conservancy are launching the Central Park Climate Lab, a new initiative and climate partnership to study the impacts of climate change on urban parks. Their mission is to work with cities across the country to improve urban park mitigation and adaptation to climate change. New York City Mayor Eric Adams states, “The Central Park Climate Lab begins a new era in research and cooperation that will give our park professionals improved tools to combat the climate crisis, and it will be a model for urban parks across the country.”

Because around 55 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas, the program will use mapping tools to develop interventions and protect urban parkland. With no national standard in place for characterizing and mapping it, the ability to identify broader climate solutions is limited. Research will begin in Central Park and then other New York City greenspaces before expanding to more parks. The data collected will be used to create new, scalable strategies and protocols. Elizabeth W. Smith, president and CEO of the Central Park Conservancy, says, “Severe weather events such as unprecedented rainfall, blizzards, high winds and extreme heat and cold, strain resources and impact Central Park’s tree canopy, plants and wildlife.”

April 2022

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Broken Promises

Plastic On its Way Out at National Parks A poll by Ipsos conducted for the ocean conservation group Oceana last November found that 82 percent of registered U.S. voters responding would like the National Park Service to stop selling and distributing single-use plastic items. The survey revealed broad appreciation for national parks, with around four in five respondents saying they had been to a park and 83 percent of previous park visitors looking forward to a return visit. Oceana Plastics Campaign Director Christy Leavitt says, “These polling results indicate that Americans, whether Republican or Democrat, want our parks to be unmarred by the pollution caused by single-use plastic.”

The results show broad support for a campaign led by Oceana and more than 300 other environmental organizations which sent a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland asking the parks to end the sale and distribution of plastic beverage bottles, bags, foodware and cutlery, and plastic foam products. The proposed Reducing Waste in National Parks Act would see such a policy enacted if passed. “The National Park Service was created to preserve these natural and historic spaces, and in order to truly uphold that purpose, it needs to ban the sale and distribution of single-use plastic items, many of which will end up polluting our environment for centuries to come, despite being used for only a moment,” says Leavitt.

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Large Study Addresses Indigenous Biodiversity Decline

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Inconvenient Convenience

Simon Fraser University (SFU), in British Columbia, is engaging with more than 150 Indigenous organizations, universities and other partners to highlight the complex problems of biodiversity loss and its implications for health and wellbeing in the Tackling Biodiversity Decline Across the Globe research initiative. The project is inclusive of intersectional, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary worldviews and methods for research, with activities in 70 different kinds of ecosystems that are spiritually, culturally and economically important to Indigenous peoples. One of the project’s six principal investigators, SFU assistant professor Maya Gislason, of the Faculty of Health Sciences, says, “Our work in health will focus on healing from the stresses and losses caused by colonial practices and on building healthier relationships to nature.

By 2027, when the project completes, healing and well-being will have been important considerations within the development of holistic and actionable solutions intended to improve stewardship and care for people and the planet.”

SFU professor John O’Neil, former dean of the faculty of health sciences, says of the enterprise, “It is unique from many other large projects in its embrace of governance models like ethical space, Indigenous research methodologies and Indigenous knowledges.”

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global briefs

Flat-Free

Airless Tires Increase Safety, Limit Waste

photo courtesy of Goodyear

Michelin’s new airless tires don’t puncture, so they should last longer, which means fewer tires will need to be produced, thus limiting waste. Their Unique Puncture Proof Tire System (UPTIS) is an important step on the road to sustainability.

The company notes that millions of tires end up in landfills early because of puncture damage, along with all the tires that are old and worn out. Disposed tires can become fire hazards, releasing gases, heavy metals and oil into the environment. The U.S. alone produced more than 260 million scrapped tires in 2019. The new tires can also be made from recycled plastic waste, according to industry publication Interesting Engineering.

UPTIS, in development for more than a decade, combines an aluminum wheel with a special “tire” around it comprised of a plastic matrix laced with and reinforced by glass fibers. This outer tire is designed to be flexible, yet strong enough to support the car.

Michelin Technical and Scientific Communications Director Cyrille Roget says, “It was an exceptional experience for us, and our greatest satisfaction came at the end of the demonstration when our passengers ... said they felt no difference compared with conventional tires.” Goodyear has announced that the Jacksonville, Florida, Transportation Authority will be piloting the company’s own version of an airless tire on its fleet of autonomous vehicles.

Bitter Twitter

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Industrial Farming is Bad for Birds Researchers at the University of British Columbia found that increased farm sizes resulted in a 15 percent decline in bird diversity. Frederik Noack, assistant professor in the Food and Resource Economics Group, part of their faculty of land and food systems, says, “Wildlife is a good indicator of a healthy agroecosystem, and one thing we wanted to understand was the link between farm size and biodiversity in surrounding areas.” A diverse bird population provides natural pest control and maintenance of an overall healthy ecosystem.

They studied how various farming indicators impacted the diversity of local birds in the farmland bordering the former “Iron Curtain” in Germany. On the Western side of the former political border, farms are five times larger than on the Eastern side, a legacy of Communist farm collectivization. Although farms in East Germany have been privatized for 30 years, sharp differences in farm size remain along the former border, providing an opportunity to study the impact on biodiversity in an ecologically similar environment. Noack says, “Our results show that the negative impact of increased farm size can be mitigated by conserving land cover diversity within the agricultural landscape. In practice, this could mean incentivizing riparian buffer strips, forest patches, hedgerows or agroforestry.”

April 2022

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eco tip

Expiration Dates

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When to Eat or Toss Food

coming in the may issue

Women's Wellness

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Tampa Bay Edition

Americans waste about 40 percent of the food supply every year, which translates to billions of pounds of edible food rotting in landfills and generating dangerous greenhouse gases, along with the dollars leaking out of our wallets. We squander limited resources like water and fuel and needlessly uptick our carbon footprint to produce and transport food that will never be consumed.

One major contributor to this problem is expiration labeling—those ambiguous “best before” or “sell by” dates on canned goods, prepared foods, egg cartons, milk jugs and meat packages. Consumers are not quite sure what they mean, and as a result, they often throw out ingredients that are perfectly good to eat.

Except for baby formula, the U.S. Department of Agriculture does not require or regulate date labels. Generated by food manufacturers, these cryptic markings convey information about the quality and freshness of products rather than their safety.

Experts advise that food that doesn’t show signs of spoilage after a specified date can still be eaten. Instead of allowing a package date to dictate the lifecycle of food, we can rely on an NATampa.com

item’s look, smell and taste to make that decision.

To become better stewards of the environment, we need to become food conservationists—purchase only what we will consume, plan meals to cook the most perishable items first, scrape the fuzz off sour cream or yogurt, snip off the mold on a block of cheese, freeze items we aren’t going to consume in a timely manner, and eat everything on our plates.

WHAT LABELS MEAN Best if used by/before date indicates when a product is at peak quality and flavor.

Freeze by date denotes when an item should be frozen to maintain peak quality.

Sell by date tells a retailer how long to display the product for sale.

ACTUAL FOOD LIFE SPAN Milk lasts seven to 10 days after the “sell by” date. If it smells bad, chuck it. Otherwise, it’s safe.

Eggs typically stay fresh in the fridge three to five weeks past the “pack date.”

Meat should be cooked or frozen within two days of bringing it home.

Cheese lasts refrigerated from one to eight weeks. Harder, aged varietals last longer. It’s safe to remove mold and continue enjoying the rest.

Canned goods don’t expire. The “best by” or “use by” dates only relate to peak freshness, flavor and texture.

Store in a cool, dark place, and don’t buy bulging, dented, leaking or rusted cans.

Fruits and vegetables with blemishes taste the same, are a fraction of the cost and safe to eat.

EARTH DAY 2022 Focuses on Collective Responsibility

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by Ronica A. O’Hara

Invest in Our Planet

As 1 billion people around the globe gather to mark Earth Day on April 22, they will be focusing on an increasingly critical goal: the need for everyone—governments, citizens and businesses—to do their part to combat climate change. “Everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable,” is the day’s emerging motto.

While Earth Day themes over the past 52 years have often centered on specific issues, such as plastic pollution and deforestation, this year’s broader theme, “Invest In Our Planet,” reflects a growing consensus that, at such a critical point for the Earth’s future, governments will not solve the climate crisis by themselves. “Like the industrial, space and information revolutions, all sectors of society can and must play major roles—this time with the extraordinary responsibilities to get it right,” reads a statement from EarthDay.org. Activism involves not only lowering carbon emissions, but also making sure that the benefits of the coming Green Revolution are spread evenly throughout society, the statement says. “In 2022, we all must enter into one partnership for the planet,” says Earth Day President Kathleen Rogers.

Events, such as rallies and social media campaigns, aim to encourage action and legislation, as well as educate on corporate and personal sustainability. Art shows allow attendees to visualize a better future while data collection for citizen-based sci-

ence research and workshops find ways to build local green economies. All are appropriate ways to participate this Earth Day, as well as clean-up campaigns and tree plantings. To learn about personal actions, including step-by-step instructions on how to organize an event, visit EarthDay.org.

Help Tampa Bay celebrate victories and support future progress by participating in these local Earth Day 2022 events.

Beach Cleanup- Fri, April 22, 11 a.m., Grab a bag and join Don CeSar staff to clean up the beach. All volunteers get free lunch, including a 3 Daughters brew or seltzer.

Registration required. Go to Don CeSar Earth Day Celebration on Eventbrite to register. Free. Don CeSar Hotel, 3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. 727-360-1881.

Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival - Fri, April 22, 4:00 – 7:00 pm. Join Keep Pinellas Beautiful, Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival, and the City of Clearwater for an Earth Day cleanup at Clearwater Beach! Pier 60, 1 Causeway Blvd, Clearwater Beach, FL 33767 Riverwalk Cleanup- Sat, April 23, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, Join our team for a Riverwalk cleanup. We’ll supply everything that you need. Bring your love of our estuary and maybe a few friends! Publix GreenWise Market at Water Street Tampa, 555 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 33602.

April 2022

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Why We Need

WILD PLACES How to Invite Nature Back into Our Lives and Landscapes

by Sheryl DeVore

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Tampa Bay Edition

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selfies and photograph the natural scene above them instead, as Hoffman witnessed in Great Britain.

Such regions that offer vast tracts of natural beauty and biodiversity are even found in and around major cities like Chicago, says Chicagoland nature blogger Andrew Morkes. “A wild place is also where you don’t see too many people, or any people, and you can explore,” he says. “You can walk up a hill and wonder what’s around the next bend.”

“A wild place could be a 15-minute drive from home where we can walk among plants in a meadow, or a tree-lined street, or front and back yard, if landscaped with wild creatures in mind,” says Douglas Tallamy, author of Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts with Your Yard.

Sustaining Our Species

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n a blustery day, Julian Hoffman stood outdoors and watched wild bison grazing in the restored grassland of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, fewer than 50 miles from downtown Chicago. For him, it was a wild place, affording a glimpse of what North America looked like hundreds of years ago when bison roamed the continent by the millions. “We’re witnessing, in a way that’s both terrible and tragic, just what the profound cost is of continuing to destroy the natural world,” he writes.

Saving wild places is critical for human health and wellbeing, say both scientists and environmentalists. But defining what a wild place is or what the word wilderness means can be difficult, says Hoffman, author of Irreplaceable: The Fight to Save Our Wild Places. “If wilderness means a place untouched by humans, then none is left,” he says. Even the set-aside wildernesses where no one may have ever stepped have been altered through climate change, acid rain and other human interventions.

Humans are also losing the wilderness that is defined as land set aside solely for plants and creatures other than humans.

Prominent naturalist David Attenborough, whose most recent documentary is A Life on Our Planet, says that in 1937, when he was a boy, about 66 percent of the world’s wilderness areas remained. By 2020, it was down to 35 percent.

A wild place can be as spectacular as Yellowstone, a 3,500-square-mile national park in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, filled with hot springs, canyons, wolves, and elk. It can also be as simple as a sky filled with a murmuration, or gathering, of thousands of swooping starlings, which once caused two teens to stop taking

“We need these places to save ourselves,” says Tallamy, who heads the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. “Humans are totally dependent on the production of oxygen and clean water, and that happens with the continued existance of flowering plants, which are dependent on the continued existence of all the pollinators. When you lose the pollinators, you lose 90 percent of the flowering plants on the Earth. That is not an option if we want to stay alive and healthy.”

Our mental and emotional health is also at stake. According to a recent overview in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, studies have shown that natural settings can lower blood pressure, reduce depression and anxiety, and help the immune system function better.

People have saved wild places over time, of course. “The world’s ancient redwoods are still with us today because people in the early 1900s fought to protect and preserve what they could already see was rapidly diminishing,” Hoffman says. “In April 2022

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CREATING A WILD SPACE AT HOME In their book The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden, University of Delaware ecology professor Douglas Tallamy and landscape designer Rick Darke show how to create wild spaces in yards, including what and where to plant and how to manage the land. They advise homeowners to: n Stop using pesticides and herbicides. n Replace non-native plants with those native to the region. n Reduce lawn space, converting it to native plants. n Leave leaf litter, withering plants and dying trees alone to provide shelter

and food for wildlife. n Create a small pond or another water feature.

“Mourning cloak butterflies overwinter as mature adults. If you say, ‘Hey, let’s just clean up all of that so-called leaf litter,’ you could be cleaning up the habitat of mourning cloaks and killing them,” says Darke, who has served as a horticultural consultant for botanic gardens and other public landscapes in Texas, Maryland, New York, Illinois and Delaware. “That’s not litter. It’s meaningful habitat.

“A dead tree in your home landscape, called a snag, often contributes as much to the local ecology as a living tree,” he adds. “For example, woodpeckers build nests in holes or cavities in a snag, and countless insects find shelter and nourishment in the organic material of the snag.” the year 2022, we are the beneficiaries of those past actions. Yet less than 5 percent of those old-growth redwood groves are left, and we live in an age where we’re losing an extraordinary range of wild species; for example, 3 billion birds have disappeared from the skies of North America in just the past 50 years. That’s why people need to continue to fight for wild spaces.”

Community Crusaders In researching his book, Hoffman went looking for wild-space struggles. In Glasgow, Scotland, he met people that fought to save an urban meadow from being turned into a luxury home development. “I’d never experienced as much joy in any one place as when I spent time with the community fighting to preserve this tiny meadow,” he recalls. “They campaigned and lobbied politicians, and eventually, the government backed down. And now the whole community is able to enjoy this site where a lot of urban wildlife thrives.”

Once-wild places may also need human help to again become wild refuges. The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, where Hoffman saw the buffalo, “was once an arsenal for the production of extraordinary quantities of ordnance for a number of wars,” he says.

After hundreds of die-hard volunteers dug out invasive plants, scattered seed and documented wildlife on the 18,000-acre prairie, visitors can now walk among big bluestem and golden alexander, and listen for the sweet song of meadowlarks in the grasslands and chorus frogs in the wetlands.

Conservation volunteers working to save wild places hail from every state. In fact, nearly 300,000 volunteers contribute more than 6.5 million hours of volunteer service a year to the U.S. National Park Service, from leading tours to studying wildlife and hosting campgrounds.

One doesn’t have to be an environmental crusader to save wild places, Hoffman stresses. Exploring local wild places and sharing them with others can help save them, as well. “We can only protect those places that we love,” he says. “And we can only love those places that we know.”

Sadly, roughly 100 million people, including 28 million children, do not have access to a quality park within 10 minutes of home, according to The Trust for Public Land. Projects, 24

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such as the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program, which enables urban communities to create outdoor spaces, can help. The U.S. Department of the Interior committed $150 million to the program in 2021. “Every child in America deserves to have a safe and nearby place to experience the great outdoors,” says Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.

A Homegrown National Park Tallamy says one of the most important ways to get people to appreciate and save wild places is to begin in their own yards.

“We have wilderness designations. We have national forests. We have national parks.

We have 12 percent of the U.S. protected from development,” he says. “Yet, we are in the sixth great extinction. Our parks and our preserves are not enough. My point is that we have got to focus on the areas outside of parks and preserves.” He urges what he calls a “homegrown national park,” in which homeowners, land managers and farmers create a habitat by replacing invasive plants with native species.

Tallamy speaks from experience. He lives on a 10-acre former farm in Oxford, Pennsylvania. “It had been mowed for hay and when we moved in, very little life was here,” he says. “We have been rebuilding the eastern deciduous forest here, getting invasive plants under control and replanting with species that ought to be here.” He’s now counted more than 1,400 different species of moths on his property and documented 60 species of birds nesting within the landscape. “We have foxes who raise their kits in the front yard,” he says.

Lots of acreage is not required, he says. In Kirkwood, Missouri, homeowners created a wild place on six-tenths of an acre on which they’ve documented 149 species of birds. “If one person does it, it’s not going to work,” he stresses. “The point is to get those acres connected. When everybody adopts this as a general landscape culture, it’s going to help tremendously. By rewilding your yard, you are filling in spaces between the true wild places and natural areas. The reason our wild spaces are not working in terms of conservation is because they are too small and too isolated. Even the biggest national parks are too small or too isolated.”

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Tallamy says people can create wild spaces in their yards by reducing the amount of lawn they have or even getting rid of it. They can grow native plants and discontinue the use of pesticides and herbicides, which are disrupting ecological function of wild places the world over, as research shows. Hoffman agrees, “We’ve cultivated a culture of tidiness. It’s actually very easy to welcome wildlife into your home places, often by doing fewer things, by not bringing the leaf blower out and by leaving some dead wood where it fell, which creates important shelters for insects, for example.

“Such wild yard spaces encourage wonder. Suddenly, the kids are out there and they can be absolutely fascinated by a small glittering beetle. For me, to experience the wild is to go to the shore of a lake, to be present in the mystery, to be among the lake’s reed beds, to see a marsh harrier sleek out of those reeds and to know you’re part of something much larger,” he says. “There’s so much joy and beauty and complexity in being in the presence of other lives besides human.” That in itself is reason enough to save wild places.

Sheryl DeVore has written six books on science, health and nature, as well as health and environmental stories for national and regional publications. Read more at SherylDeVore.wordpress.com.

LEARN MORE The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative, by Florence Williams Irreplaceable: The Fight to Save Our Wild Places, by Julian Hoffman

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A Life on Our Planet, Netflix documentary by David Attenborough Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts with Your Yard,

by Douglas Tallamy The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden, by Rick Darke and Douglas Tallamy

April 2022

25

TECHNOLOGY MEETS NATURE APPS BRING US CLOSER TO FLORA AND FAUNA

by Sheryl DeVore

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hile exploring Seattle, Jackie Lentz Bowman noticed some bushes filled with pink and orange berries. She discovered she could safely eat them by using the smartphone nature app called iNaturalist (iNaturalist.org). “I learned they were salmonberries and edible,” says the Chicago area photographer and birder. “I just had to try them. They were very similar to raspberries.”

Bowman is among a growing number of people using their smartphones to enhance their nature experiences. Phone apps are available for free or a modest price to identify

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mushrooms, bugs, birds, dragonflies, reptiles, beetles, wildflowers and other flora and fauna. “Whether it is to help identify a plant I’ve taken a photo of or to familiarize myself with what a bird looks like and sounds like, these are tools I’m always glad to have in my back pocket,” she explains.

At least 6,300 nature apps were available in 2015, according to Paul Jepson and Richard Ladle, Oxford environmental scholars and co-authors of “Nature Apps: Waiting for the Revolution,” a research paper published in the Swedish environmental journal Ambio. Such programs are only beginning to scratch the surface of what is possible. They write, “As most people own a mobile phone today, the app—though a small device—is a major way conservationists could be reaching a huge audience with transformative possibilities.”

Right now, some apps allow the user to point a smartphone to a plant or animal to get instant feedback on its common or scientific name. Others ask the user questions about what they are seeing and suggest an identity based on the answers. Some allow the user to interact with scientists, share their knowledge, record their observations and contribute to science.

Perhaps the most popular nature app is iNaturalist, which has all those features and more. “Our mission has been to connect people to nature through technology,” says Scott Loarie, co-director of iNaturalist, a joint initiative of the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society. “By 2030, we want to connect 100 million people to nature to facilitate science and conservation.”

The app began as a master’s degree proj-

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green living

photo by Jackie Lentz Bowman

ect at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2008, and today 2 million people have recorded about 100 million observations, covering one in six species on the planet. “iNaturalist has grown to the point where it’s helping take the pulse of biodiversity,” he adds.

Newcomers are often mentored and helped with identifications by volunteers that are experts in different fields. One example is a worldwide competition called the City Nature Challenge in which beginning and advanced naturalists document urban flora and fauna for several days.

During the event, people share their photos of plants and animals on iNaturalist.

During Chicago’s Challenge, Eric Gyllenhaal, who blogs about nature on the city’s west side, found an uncommon species. “A Canadian expert helped confirm the identification as a bronze ground beetle native to Europe,” says Cassi Saari, project manager of natural areas for the Chicago Park District. “It’s an introduced species in Illinois and could have implications for wildlife in the region down the line.”

Two other nature apps that Loarie likes are eBird (eBird.org) and Merlin (Merlin.

AllAboutBirds.org), both administered by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, in Ithaca, New York. With eBird, users can report on their phones a list of birds they’re seeing in the wild, including when and where, and the sightings are added to a database for scientific research.

Merlin is a field guide app to help folks identify the birds they are seeing. “Merlin has taken on authoring content with great descriptions of birds, something iNaturalist doesn’t do,” Loarie points out. “Merlin also just released sound recognition in the app, so people can identify birds by sound. It’s huge for birders.”

Award-winning nature photographer Adriana Greisman, of Phoenix, says she uses both Merlin and iBird (iBird.com), another field guide app, to identify birds in the wild and when processing photos. “These are great resources to identify unknown species and to learn about their behavior.”

The favorite app of Joyce Gibbons, a volunteer at the Natural Land Institute, in Rockford, Illinois, is Odonata Central (OdonataCentral.org), which focuses on

her passion—dragonflies and damselflies, collectively called odonates.

“I’ve loved solitary walks in the woods, prairies and other natural areas since I was a child,” she says. “I’ve always taken photos and tried to ID the many species I’ve observed. Now, with these apps on my phone, I feel like I am actually contributing to the scientific body of knowledge and connecting with other enthusiasts and not just keeping all this joy of discovery to myself.”

Sheryl DeVore is an award-winning author of six books on science, health and nature.

Connect at SherylDevoreWriter@gmail.com.

NATURE APPS TO LEARN BY AUDUBON GUIDE: Search a field guide to 800 species of birds found in North America with tips on places to find them (Audubon.org/app).

PICTURE INSECT: Identify thousands of different insects and learn about them using this entomologist in a pocket (PictureInsect.com).

PICTURE MUSHROOM: Identify thousands of different mushrooms using a smartphone (PictureMushroom.com).

PLANTNET: Identify wild plants by posting photos. Images are compared to thousands of images from throughout the world in a database (PlantNet.org).

SEEK BY iNATURALIST: Seek uses data submitted to iNaturalist to show suggestions for species nearby, but unlike iNaturalist, findings made with Seek will not be shared publicly, making it safe for children to use. Users can earn badges as they discover wildlife (iNaturalist.org/pages/seek_app).

TRAILLINK: Search a database of more than 40,000 miles of trails in the U.S. and download trail maps on a smartphone (TrailLink.com).

April 2022

27

“One way to describe justice is love in action.”

wise words

Brian Sauder on

Faith-Based Grassroots Change

by Sandra Yeyati

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ith degrees in natural resource management, environmental science, religion and business administration, Mennonite Reverend Brian Sauder is an adjunct professor at two Illinois seminary schools, as well as president and executive director of Faith in Place, a Midwest nonprofit headquartered in Chicago that helps diverse faith-based groups become community leaders in a shared quest for environmental, social and racial justice.

How are places of faith uniquely positioned to address environmental and racial justice?

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If you look at the history of the U.S. environmental justice movement, from Warren County, North Carolina, where black church women laid their bodies on the road to stop toxic waste dump trucks in their community, to Dr. Benjamin Chavis’ coining of the phrase “environmental racism” through the United Church of Christ, there’s a legacy of people of faith and diverse spiritualities calling out environmental racism and organizing the community to take action. We view ourselves in that historical lineage, with a mission to provide the tools, resources and programming for our faith partners to continue to advance these valuable pursuits.

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How does Faith in Place work?

It’s very grassroots. We believe in a Green Team model, which is a core group of people within a faith community, anywhere from three to 30 individuals, depending on the size of the community. Through coaching, we help teams evaluate the community’s needs and assets, set goals for the year, and create a strategic plan to address needs through programming, advocacy and a network of nonprofit partners.

Why are Green Teams effective in bringing about change?

The messenger matters. When you work with a community, it’s the people in that community that are going to understand the culture, the theology, the context, the history, the politics of the local body; so they understand how to meet people where they’re at and how to talk about these issues in a way that’s effective and attainable.

Can you describe a noteworthy Faith in Place project?

We partnered with a Green Team that wanted to address the need of hunger in their community by turning four acres of land that they had into a congregationsupported agriculture project (CSA), where people paid upfront to get a weekly bushel of produce grown on the land, while the church tithed 10 percent of it to local food pantries. Over several years, we helped them write a business plan, approach the committee structure of the church, hire a farmer, set up a legal structure and launch Sola Gratia Farm, which today is employing a bunch of people and stocking local food pantries with fresh tomatoes, kale, fruits and vegetables grown right there in the community. Once Faith in Place shared this story, other faith partners wanted to replicate it. We now support five different CSAs across Illinois.

Does Faith in Place welcome all denominations?

Absolutely. Whether it’s an institution of

religion or a spiritual tradition, people are bringing the wisdom of the ages to bear on understanding the moment we’re in. Everything is connected, and the ecological crisis is a spiritual crisis. The healing of me and the healing of you and the healing of Earth are bound together, and this mutuality is core to all our different spiritualities and traditions. At our annual Green Team summit, people from different regions, backgrounds and religions come together, all united by the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land where our food is grown and a deep sense of calling and purpose. It’s hope-inspiring in a world that is so divided.

What areas of environmental justice do you focus on?

A Green Team might say, “We have an issue with lead pipes in our communities,” or, “We have an issue with high schoolage youth needing employment.” Our programs, which are shaped by the needs of our Green Teams and are constantly being reevaluated and reshaped, cover sustainable food and land use, climate change and energy, environmental advocacy, youth empowerment, and water and flooding prevention. We also advocate to policymakers. Last year in Illinois, Green Teams helped pass the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act by convincing legislators to not only reduce carbon emissions, but also prioritize employment opportunities in the new green economy for highunemployment neighborhoods.

What is your philosophy concerning the intersection between faith and environmental and social justice?

We’ve got to be committed to the transformation that we seek. Our spirituality calls us to remember how connected we are. One way to describe justice is love in action—a love that begins with ourselves— and as we love ourselves more deeply, it spurs outward action that seeks to dismantle injustice.

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Sandra Yeyati, J.D., is a professional writer and editor. Reach her at SandraYeyati@gmail.com.

April 2022

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healthy kids

Nature Speaks STORYTELLING CONNECTS KIDS TO THE NATURAL WORLD

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hildren are natural storytellers with imaginations that shape their play and learning. In outdoor settings, everything from puddles to pine cones can engage children and draw them closer to the natural world, opening up a lifelong appreciation of natural environments. Connecting with nature also improves creativity, academic performance and attentiveness, while reducing stress and aggressive behavior, a body of research shows.

Organizations, like the Wilderness Awareness School, a Duvall, Washington-based nonprofit, work to help children and adults cultivate healthy relationships with nature, 30

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community and self. “We find that children who feel at home in the outdoors are often more resourceful, creative and allow for curiosity to naturally unfold,” says Leah Carlson, director of marketing and communications at Wilderness Awareness School. “Allowing them to play freely and explore in nature is a wonderful way to build resilience and resourcefulness. When children can be intrigued through a story, it also allows them to understand their own outdoor experiences. They become more

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by Carrie Jackson

“We find that children who feel at home in the outdoors are often more resourceful, creative and allow for curiosity to naturally unfold.”

–Leah Carlson

Connect with writer Carrie Jackson at CarrieJacksonWrites.com.

LEARN MORE Rootstock Puppet Co.: rootstockpuppet.com Wilderness Awareness School: wildernessawareness.org Megan Zeni: meganzeni.com

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adept at finding new solutions to problems using the tools they have access to and creative thinking.”

Weaving storytelling into their programs helps children understand their outdoor experiences. “Regular time spent with experienced nature mentors, playing games, exploring unique plants and animals and getting excited about the possibilities of nature is how a connection begins. When children are outside, the characters of these stories are the plants, animals, rocks and landforms around them. The suburban tree that was always an obstacle on the sidewalk can be seen through new eyes as a dragon, monkey bars or a red alder,” Carlson explains.

Megan Zeni, a public school teacher in Steveston, British Columbia, says there is a global body of research that shows every measure of wellness is improved through time spent outside. She teaches solely outdoors, ensuring that her students have exposure to nature regardless of which neighborhood they live in. “In our modern world, higher-income families generally have better access to green spaces. Incorporating outdoor activities into the school day gives children equitable exposure to nature and outdoor learning,” she explains.

Zeni uses both non-fiction and fiction storytelling approaches to teaching. “To learn about water cycles, I’ll have kids jump in puddles, observe where the water goes and track where it is in the community. They’ll then relay a fact-based story based on their observations and experiences.

For a lesson on squirrels, I’ll ask the students to imagine where their habitat is, who their family is and what they eat. We use loose parts, which are open-ended items, such as pine cones and sticks, to creatively illustrate the story.

“By using storytelling as a measure of knowledge, it is more equitable for students who don’t perform as well using traditional test and essay methods,” she says. Listening to a child’s story can also reveal misconceptions that can be clarified through further exploration and instruction.

Storytelling can take on many forms and be enhanced with the use of props. As the artistic director of Rootstock Puppet Co., based in Chicago, Mark Blashford performs puppet theater rooted in stories that promote mutual kindness and ecological awareness. “Puppets are remarkable storytelling agents because, not only can they play characters and support narrative through movement, they can also tell a story from the very material they inhabit,” he says. “Puppets invite kids to exercise empathy by compelling them to accept and invest in the thoughts, feelings and life of another entity.”

By making puppets out of wood and using them to weave environmental awareness into his shows, Blashford helps to put the natural world in perspective. “My show TIMBER! is about an entire forest and a single tree which is home to a family of spotted owls. I want children to see the role of both the forest and the tree in the lives of an owl family. When they fall in love with little wooden puppet owls, they are able to convert the giant concept of deforestation into a manageable scale,” he says.

He encourages parents to regularly engage their children with their natural habitat. “Go to your local forest or park, find a tree, name it and check on it as often as you can. Prompt children to ask questions about who they think lives in that tree, why the branches stretch out how they do and what happens at night. As children learn to see the outdoor world as part of their own characters and setting, the stories will develop naturally,” he advises.

April 2022

31

fit body

Spirited Strides POWER WALK TO BETTER FITNESS

by Marlaina Donato

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e all know that the more steps we take in a day the better.

The Mayo Clinic advocates walking regularly to keep bad cholesterol in check, maintain a heart-healthy weight and keep blood pressure within a normal range. Power walking—going a mile in under 15 minutes—amps up cardiovascular benefits and takes metabolic conditioning to a new level.

Power walking involves taking longer strides, moving at 4.5 to 5.5 miles per hour and using the arms to propel motion, with or without light weights. “With this more intensive exercise, in comparison to everyday walking, one should note that their breathing is harder and their heart rate is faster with power walking. Compared to someone who walks at a casual pace, a power walker can expect lower blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar and cholesterol numbers,” says Jason C. Robin, M.D., director of cardio oncology at North Shore University Health System, in Glenview, Illinois.

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Walking as a Workout

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In cases of severe coronary artery disease, certain heart muscle disorders, known as cardiomyopathy or valvular diseases, Robin recommends seeing a doctor before taking up fitness walking, but emphasizes, “Obvious injuries or illnesses aside, power walking is great for all ages, genders, sizes and fitness levels and is, in general, very safe with very few contraindications.” He suggests aiming for 15 minutes or less on a first endeavor, and after one week increasing the time to 20 to 25 minutes, eventually working up to 30 minutes. To complement power walking, he recommends resistance

training to increase muscle strength and tone, protect joints from injury, and improve flexibility and balance.

Dave McGovern, walking coach and author of The Complete Guide to Competitive Walking: Racewalking, Power Walking, Nordic Walking and More!, points out, “The impact forces of walking, even high-level racewalking, can be one-third of what runners experience, so it’s a lot easier on the joints. Power walking doesn’t have many rules.” A 30-year veteran of the U.S. National Racewalk Team, McGovern underscores the importance of starting out with a regular, easy walk before progressing to a more vigorous pace.

To avoid and reduce injury, he advocates mindfulness of correct posture and taking shorter, faster steps rather than long, stomping strides. He trains on a variety of surfaces, including everyday roads, tartan (rubber) running tracks, treadmills, dirt trails, grass, and even the occasional concrete sidewalk. “Changing up surfaces uses your muscles in different ways, which can help prevent overuse injuries that crop up from too much training on the same surfaces day in, day out,” he says.

Practical Essentials For optimal results on any surface, proper footwear is vital. “We would typically recommend a running shoe for any fitness-based walking,” says Josh Saint Cyr, store manager at New Balance, in Highland Park, Illinois. He notes that the right shoes are designed to help align gait and avoid pronation or supination that prompts the ankle to roll inward or outward with movement. “For a more customized experience, someone with medium or lower arches would want a shoe from the stability running section, and someone with higher arches would want a shoe from the cushioned running section.”

In cases of tight calf muscles, Saint Cyr recommends stretching as a daily practice, even on non-exercise days. “Rollers or massage guns can be useful for immediate relief, but ultimately, stretching will help by reducing or eliminating tightness.”

Taking it Up a Notch Racewalking, the competitive and highly technical variety of power walking, takes place at track meets. “After you’ve built a base of miles, you can start sprinkling in some longer and faster workouts, and maybe even think about competition,” says McGovern. “There is a bit more technique involved in competitive racewalking, but once you get the hang of it, it will allow you to go much faster.”

In the end, having a goal can be the best motivator. “For the athletes I coach, many of them in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond, racewalking and power walking gives a purpose to their workouts,” says McGovern. “One of my athletes has said that she hates to work out, but loves to train. Having the goal of a race over the horizon gives a lot of athletes a reason to get out the door every day.”

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Marlaina Donato is an author and composer. Connect at WildflowerLady.com.

April 2022

33

healing ways

Buzz-Free Drinking THE HEALTHY RISE OF NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

by Ronica O’Hara

photo courtesy of Kerry Benson and Diana Licalzi

A

SOUR MOCK-A-RITA 1 cup and 2 Tbsp lime juice ¼ cup and 2 Tbsp orange juice 3 Tbsp agave nectar, plus more to taste 2½ cups and 2 Tbsp coconut water Few dashes of salt Lime wheels for garnish Lime wedges and sea salt to rim the glasses To salt the rims of four to six lowball or margarita glasses, pour a thin layer of salt onto a plate or a shallow bowl.

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Slide a lime wedge around the rim of the glass to wet it, or use a finger to apply the juice to the rim, then dip and twist the glass in the salt. Combine all of the drink ingredients in a pitcher. Stir.

Fill the rimmed glasses with ice. Divide the margarita mix among the glasses.

Garnish with lime wheels.

From Mocktail Party: 75 Plant-Based, NonAlcoholic Mocktail Recipes for Every Occasion, by Kerry Benson and Diana Licalzi.

NATampa.com

s a former bartender, Katie Cheney enjoys mixing drinks for friends, and one night recently, in her San Francisco apartment, she tried out something new: an alcohol-free “Noquila Sunrise” made with a distilled, plant-based spirit. “I was actually pleasantly surprised.

Even though we were drinking nonalcoholic drinks, we still had just as much fun as usual!” recalls Cheney, who blogs at DrinksSaloon.com.

In New York City, Marcos Martinez has begun drinking virgin piña coladas when out on the town with friends. “The feeling is surprisingly great since I don’t wake up with hangovers. More importantly, I’ve realized that I don’t have to use alcohol as a crutch for my social anxiety,” says Martinez, who owns the black gay lifestyle blog TheMenWhoBrunch.com.

At Chicago’s Kumiko Japanese cocktail bar, owner Julia Momosé offers a menu of what she calls “Spiritfrees,” crafted without alcohol and with ingredients like yarrow, ume—a Japanese fruit—and cardamom.

“Folks comment on how they appreciate that it is ‘more than just juice,’ or how surprised they are at their depth, texture and complexity,” she says.

The “sober-curious”—people experimenting with alcohol-free beverages as a way of prioritizing their health and fitness over a short-lived buzz—are changing America’s drinking culture. For the first time in 20 years, fewer Americans are regularly drinking, reports Gallup, and tipplers are drinking measurably less than they did 10 years ago.

No longer stuck with a seltzer while dodging questions from inquisitive imbibers, today the sober-inclined can sip from a vast array of sophisticated choices—from

photo courtesy of Vanessa Young/ ThirstyRadish.com

“You have your wits about you, you can drive if necessary, you are less likely to say or do something you might regret and you won’t have a hangover the next morning.”

–Kerry Benson faux vodka in exotic, crafted drinks to prize-winning sparkling wines to low- and no-alcohol craft beer. No-booze options can be easily ordered at restaurants, picked up at supermarkets or delivered at home with a few online clicks.

“The best part about having a fun, non-alcoholic beverage in hand is that you get the taste and experience of a cocktail or beer, just without the alcohol and potential negative side effects,” says dietitian Kerry Benson, co-author of Mocktail Party: 75 PlantBased, Non-Alcoholic Mocktail Recipes for Every Occasion. “You have your wits about you, you can drive if necessary, you are less likely to say or do something you might regret and you won’t have a hangover the next morning. And alcohol-free drinks are usually less expensive than their alcoholic counterparts.”

Sober-curious strategies range widely. Some people start tentatively, but increasingly turn to non-alcoholic drinks because they prefer the taste, price and lower calorie count, as well as the diminished risk of heart and liver disease. Others may go cold turkey for a month or two to break a pandemic-induced habit, alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks at a game or bar to avoid getting tipsy, or drink a Bloody Mary for a weekend brunch and virgin versions during the week to enhance work productivity.

The sales of non-alcoholic beverages shot up 33 percent to $331 million in 2021, reports Nielsen, and online sales of non- and low-alcoholic beverages skyrocketed 315 percent. To compete for the Millennials-heavy market, distillers like Seedlip, Suntory and Lyre’s have created beverages evoking tequila, Campari and vodka; breweries like Guinness, Budweiser and Carlsberg and small crafters are offering robust-tasting near- and no-alcohol beers; and wineries are using distillation and reverse osmosis to produce fine, low-alcohol Cabernets, Chardonnays and other varieties. Niche products are growing: for example, Los Angeles-based Optimist Botanicals bills its gin-, vodka- and tequila-like botanical blends as being vegan, gluten-free and paleo- and keto-friendly.

On the home front, people are making their own concoctions, often with natural and herbal ingredients, such as pears, tomatoes, cilantro and spices. “Garden-grown produce, windowsill herbs and farmers market finds are the ideal foundation for recipes, from tea sangrias to shaken mocktails,” says New Jersey cooking instructor and recipe developer Vanessa Young, creator of ThirstyRadish.com. As an example, she says, “A slice of brûléed fruit gives a non-alcoholic drink a touch of smoky sweetness, plus it is so appealing in the glass.”

Substance abuse counselors caution that beverages that mimic alcohol may not be a good route for recovery from serious alcohol abuse because they can reawaken destructive patterns. And con-

sumers are advised to look carefully at labels. “Alcohol-free” beer contains 0.0 percent alcohol. “Non-alcoholic” beer can contain up to 0.5 percent alcohol, but some have been found to contain up to 2 percent—not desirable if pregnant or in recovery.

Still, says Karolina Rzadkowolska, author of Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You, “The popularity of alcohol-free drinks is changing a culture. We are going from a culture that glamorizes drinking at every social situation, with little valid excuse to decline, to a culture that gives people healthier options.”

Health writer Ronica O’Hara can be contacted at OHaraRonica@ gmail.com.

MAPLE PEAR SPARKLER ½ cup pure maple syrup ¼ cup filtered water 1 rounded tsp fresh pomegranate arils (about 12 arils, or seeds) 1 tsp fresh lemon juice ½ oz maple simple syrup 2¼ oz pear juice 2 oz sparkling mineral water Bartlett pear slices for garnish For the syrup, whisk to combine ½ cup maple syrup with ¼ cup filtered water in a small saucepan, and heat until small bubbles begin to form around the edge. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

In the meantime, to prepare the jewel-like pomegranate arils, score a fresh pomegranate cross-wise. Twist to separate into halves. Loosen the membrane around the edges and tap firmly with a wooden spoon over a bowl to collect the pomegranate arils. Continue to loosen the membrane and tap to release all the arils.

For each drink, gently mash the pomegranate arils with lemon juice in a muddler, then add the mixture into a cocktail shaker, along with the syrup, pear juice and ice. Shake to chill, and strain into a glass to serve.

Top with sparkling mineral water. Add a slice of ripe Bartlett or brûléed pear.

Courtesy of Vanessa Young of ThirstyRadish.com.

April 2022

35

conscious eating

Eating for the Planet DIET FOR A CLIMATE CRISIS

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by Sheila Julson

W

hat we choose to put on our plates influences not only our physical health, but also the health of the environment. While much of the climate conversation focuses on the burning of fossil fuels, commercial food production—particularly livestock—uses large amounts of land, water and energy.

Wasted food contributes to approximately 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions.

Leigh Prezkop, food loss and waste specialist for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), says agriculture accounts for

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about 70 percent of the world’s fresh water use, while pasture and crop land accounts for about 50 percent of the Earth’s habitable land.

“The environmental impacts begin with the soil,” Prezkop explains. “Soil that’s depleted of nutrients loses its ability to capture carbon and produce nutrientrich foods. The long chain continues with the processing and packaging of that food, and then transporting it to grocery store shelves and, eventually, to the consumer’s home.”

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Eat Less Meat

Animal agriculture is the leading cause of climate change, argues author, screenwriter and playwright Glen Merzer in his latest book, Food Is Climate: A Response to Al Gore, Bill Gates, Paul Hawken & the Conventional Narrative on Climate Change.

“When we have 93 million cattle farmed in the U.S. and 31 billion animals farmed globally each year, they create mountains of waste,” says Merzer, a dedicated vegan of 30 years. “That waste infiltrates water supplies and causes contamination, such

“When food is wasted, we’re not just throwing away food, but everything it took to produce that food is also wasted— the water, the fertilizer and the land.”

–Leigh Prezkop as E. coli outbreaks, in foods like lettuce and tomatoes that are grown downstream.”

He adds that cows belch methane, a far more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and that grass-fed cows belch even more of it than grain-fed, feedlot cows. In addition, nitrogen fertilizers used to grow animal feed run into waterways. Overfishing and ocean warming threaten populations of phytoplankton, which sequester carbon dioxide and seed clouds. Deforestation to create grazing land may be the single greatest future threat to our climate because forests also sequester carbon and provide a home for diverse flora and fauna.

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Make Simple Swaps Prezkop emphasizes that despite these problems with the industrial food chain, changing the way we produce food is also the solution. The WWF works with suppliers to educate and promote regenerative production practices. On the consumer side, changing the way food is produced can be achieved by changing people’s dietary demands.

“We don’t prescribe people to eat a certain way. We do believe different people and cultures have different dietary needs,” she says. “The global north eats a lot of meat, so we do recommend a plant-forward diet while still incorporating animal proteins, depending on individual dietary needs.”

Merzer argues that we have little control over fossil fuel burning, but we can control our diets. He promotes plant-based eating as a primary solution to climate change. Changing mindsets about “normal” traditions, such as having hamburgers on the Fourth of July or turkey on Thanksgiving, can be difficult, but achievable with the planet at stake, he says.

Sophie Egan, founder of FullTableSolutions.com and author of How to Be a Conscious Eater: Making Food Choices That Are Good For You, Others, and the Planet, advises to start small by looking at the foods eaten most frequently and identifying ways to make simple swaps. “If you have toast with butter every morning, that could be changed to a nut butter. A sandwich with cold cuts every day for lunch, that can be replaced with a roasted vegetables and hummus sandwich or an avocado sandwich. You can still eat something in a familiar form, but replace ingredients with loweremissions options,” she says.

If someone is intimidated by switching to an all plant-based diet, a flexitarian option emphasizing foods from the plant kingdom while enjoying meat only occasionally may be more sustainable throughout a person’s lifetime. Her book contains a “protein scorecard” from the World Resources Institute that lists animal

SCRAP VEGETABLE STOCK Those potatoes that start to sprout, the straggler stalks of celery wilting in the back of the crisper drawer or that pompon of green carrot tops can all be used to make vegetable stock. This is a very general recipe with plenty of creative license to get more mileage from leftover vegetables that normally would have been discarded.

Start by collecting vegetable scraps that typically aren’t used— thick asparagus ends, carrot tops and broccoli stems. Even wilted kale or limp carrots that are no longer good to eat fresh, but are still free from mold or mush, can be added. Coarsely chop scrap veggies and put them into a freezer bag. Store them in the freezer until four to five pounds of vegetable scrap have been accumulated. yield: about 3 quarts 4 to 5 lb vegetable scraps (can include the freezer bag of vegetable scraps, green tops from a fresh bunch of carrots, slightly wilted kale, turnips that are starting to turn soft or any combination) 2 bay leaves 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 2 medium onions, cut into quarters 6 quarts water Salt to taste Coarsely chop all vegetables and add to a large stockpot. (If the vegetables are still frozen, dump them into the stockpot; they’ll begin to thaw during the cooking process.) Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently.

Cook for about two hours or until the liquid is reduced by about half and the color begins to fade from the vegetables.

Let the mixture cool. Strain the stock into a large bowl.

Compost the vegetables, as they are now flavorless; all of the flavors have been cooked into the broth.

Strain broth a second time through a cheesecloth or sieve for an even clearer broth. Salt to taste and portion into Mason jars.

Store in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, or freeze if saving for later use.

Courtesy of Sheila Julson.

April 2022

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Nature’s Virus Killer Copper can stop a virus before it starts

By Doug Cornell

S

cientists have discovered a with a tip to fit in the bottom of the natural way to kill germs fast. nostril, where viruses collect.

Now thousands of people When he felt a tickle in his nose are using it against viruses and bacteria like a cold about to start, he rubbed the that cause illness. copper gently in Colds and his nose for 60 many other seconds. illnesses start “It worked!” when viruses get he exclaimed. in your nose and “The cold never start multiplying. got going. That If you don’t stop was 2012. I have them early, they had zero colds spread and take since then.” over.

“We don’t Copper kills viruses almost In hundreds of make product instantly studies, EPA and health claims,” university researchers confirm copper he said, “so I can’t say cause and effect. kills microbes almost instantly just by But we know copper is antimicrobial.” touch.

He asked relatives and friends to try That’s why ancient Greeks and it. They reported the same thing, so he Egyptians used copper to purify patented CopperZap® and put it on the water and heal wounds. They didn’t market. know about microbes like viruses and Soon hundreds of people had tried it. bacteria, but now we do.

Feedback was 99% positive if they used “The antimicrobial activity of copper copper within 1-3 hours of the first sign is well established.” National Institutes of bad germs, like a tickle in the nose or of Health. a scratchy throat.

Scientists say the high conductance Users say: of copper disrupts the electrical balance “It works! I love it!” in a microbe cell by touch and destroys “I can’t believe how good my nose it in seconds. feels.”

Some hospitals tried copper “Is it supposed to work that fast?” for touch surfaces like faucets and “One of the best presents ever.” doorknobs. This cut the spread of “Sixteen flights, not a sniffle!”

MRSA and other illnesses by over half, “Cold sores gone!” which saved lives.

“It saved me last holidays. The kids The strong scientific evidence had crud going round and round, gave inventor Doug Cornell an idea. but not me.”

He made a smooth copper probe “I am shocked! My sinus cleared, no ADVERTORIAL 38

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more headache, no more congestion.”

“Best sleep I’ve had in years!”

The handle is curved and textured to increase contact. Copper can kill germs picked up on fingers and hands after you touch things other people have touched.

The EPA says copper works just as well when tarnished.

Dr. Bill Keevil led one of the science teams. He placed millions of viruses on a copper surface. “They started to die literally as soon as they touched it.”

Customers report using copper against: Colds Flu Covid Sinus trouble Cold sores Fever blisters Canker sores Strep Night stuffiness Morning congestion Skin infections Infected sores Infection in cuts or wounds Thrush Warts Styes Ringworm Threats to compromised immunity CopperZap® is made in the USA of pure copper. It has a 90-day full money back guarantee. Price $79.95. Get $10 off each CopperZap with code NATA28.

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Statements are not intended as product health claims and have not been evaluated by the FDA. Not claimed to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

and plant sources in terms of greenhouse gas emissions per gram of protein from the worst offenders to the least, with beef (along with goat and lamb) being at the top.

Prezkop recommends eating a wide variety of foods. “Currently, 75 percent of food produced is from 12 plant species and five animal species, despite that there are thousands of varieties. This means there’s less diversity happening in the field. Diversity helps with regeneration and healthy soils. Producing the same crops over and over means there’s no crop rotation and no diversity happening, leading to degraded soils and deforestation to produce more of the same crop.”

Egan adds that diets that are over-reliant on just a few food sources like corn, wheat, rice and soy threaten the Earth and can lead to food insecurity. “Think of it as risk management with a financial portfolio: We have a diversified portfolio of foods available to feed a growing population, but as the climate warms, extreme weather events threaten yields because lack of fresh water and unhealthy soil threaten the planet and, ultimately, food production.”

Eating food that is as close as to its original state as possible is better for the planet. “The more food is processed, the more resources it took to get it to market,” Prezkop notes.

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Cut Food Waste Prezkop says approximately 40 percent of the food produced globally is lost while still on the farm or further up the supply chain. “When food is wasted, we’re not just throwing away food, but everything it took to produce that food is also wasted—the water, the fertilizer and the land.”

A recent WWF report entitled Driven To Waste cites new data indicating that food waste contributes to approximately 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions—nearly twice the emissions produced annually by all the cars in the U.S. and Europe.

Egan suggests using a shopping list; impulse buys can be forgotten and are prone to spoiling. Keeping food visible by putting fruits and vegetables front and center ensures they won’t be forgotten. Leftovers can be kept from languishing by designating a section of the refrigerator for food to eat first or a day of the week to eat leftovers for dinner. “You can freeze just about anything,” Egan says, from leftover bread to cheese, which can be shredded before frozen. Even scrambled eggs can be poured into a freezer container to use later. (For more ideas, check out SaveTheFood.com and Dana Gunders’ Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook.)

Nonprofits throughout the country are creating solutions to divert food waste from the landfills. Keep Austin Fed, a nonprofit comprised of mostly volunteers, helps neighbors experiencing food insecurity by redistributing wholesome, nutritious, surplus food from any food-permitted business. Volunteers pick up leftover food from urban gardens, rural farms, grocery stores and caterers serving area tech firms. All prepared food accepted and redistributed is handled by licensed food handlers. Executive Director Lisa Barden says that Keep Austin Fed redistributed 982,428 pounds of food, or the equivalent of 818,695 meals, in 2021, thus keeping it out of the waste stream.

Similarly missioned organizations exist nationwide. FoodRescue.us, with 40 locations in 20 states, provides assistance and even a dropoff/pickup app for people starting local groups. Since its founding in 2011, it has provided 85 million meals and kept 109 million pounds of excess food out of landfills. Its website offers a potent plea: “Fight Hunger. Help the Planet. Be the Rescue.”

Sheila Julson is a Milwaukee-based freelance writer and contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine.

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April 2022

39

natural pet

Pest Control KEEPING DOGS SAFE FROM TICKS AND FLEAS

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leas and ticks are different types of pests; so, when considering how best to protect a dog, it is important to make a distinction—fleas are an annoyance, but ticks can be life-threatening. Many veterinarians recommend specific chemicals as a preventive solution, but this is often just a knee-jerk approach that uses chemicals to control nature. Instead, consider more natural alternatives that are both effective and non-toxic.

Fleas 101 Fleas are related to ants and beetles, feed on blood, and their bites can lead to irritation and skin allergies. They aren’t typically attracted to healthy pets; so, one of the best defenses against flea infestations is to feed a dog a nutritionally balanced, species-appropriate, freshfood diet that will help keep their immune system functioning optimally. It is also important to remove the environmental factors that can negatively impact immunity, including: n Poor water quality. Make sure to provide fluoride- and chlorine-free drinking water. n Too many vaccines. Insist that the veterinarian runs titer tests instead of giving un-

necessary shots.

n Toxic household chemicals, including cleaning products and dog beds treated with

flame retardants.

n Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers used in the yard. n Toxic levels of electromagnetic fields from electrical devices in the home.

The Trouble with Ticks Ticks are a type of arachnid related to mites, spiders and scorpions. Because ticks feed on many different animals (including humans, dogs, cats, squirrels, mice, opossums and deer), they are quite good at acquiring and transmitting diseases, some of which can be life-threatening.

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alexei_tm/AdobeStock.com

by Karen Shaw Becker

Unfortunately, a single tick bite can expose a dog to multiple pathogens, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and babesiosis. Luckily, most dogs mount an effective immune response.

Up to 90 percent of dogs may have been exposed to tick-borne pathogens, but most are able to fight off infection on their own.

The only way to know if a dog has effectively eliminated harmful bacteria is to follow up the typical blood test with a second test called a quantitative C6 that differentiates exposure from infection.

Large numbers of dogs each year are unnecessarily treated with extensive antibiotic therapy because their veterinarians panic after seeing a positive exposure and fail to check for infection.

To catch tick-borne infections before they take hold, ask the veterinarian to replace the standard annual heartworm test with the SNAP 4Dx Plus (from Idexx Labs) or the Accuplex4 tests (Antech Diagnostics), which screen for heartworm, Lyme disease and four other vector-borne diseases. Completing one of these simple blood tests every six to 12 months is the best way to protect a

dog. In tick-infested areas, if a dog tests positive on either of those two tests, it should also be screened for babesia exposure with a polymerase chain reaction test.

Before Reaching for a Chemical Pet parents should not automatically apply potentially toxic chemical agents to their dogs or around their home to repel or kill pests. The use of spot-on products may cause skin irritation, paralysis, seizures and even death, if used improperly, and there are effective, natural alternatives that are far safer. If these chemicals are used, follow these precautions: n Be very careful to follow dosing directions on the label. If a pet is at the low end of

a dosage range, use the next lowest dosage. Monitor the pet carefully afterwards for adverse reactions. Do not under any circumstances apply dog product to a cat.

n Every other month, rotate chemicals with natural preventives, including diatomaceous

earth, pet-friendly, essential oil products and natural deterrent collars. In many parts of the country, people can successfully control ticks with one chemical dose in the spring and one in late summer.

n To detox a dog’s liver afterwards, give them a supplement such as milk thistle, a detox

agent that helps to regenerate liver cells, or chlorella, a super green food. Work with an integrative veterinarian to determine the dosage; one dose daily for seven days following any chemical flea-, tick- or heartworm-preventive application is recommended.

Safe Options to Chemicals There are safe, non-toxic alternatives for flea and tick control for dogs, and they do not have side effects, unlike virtually all forms of chemical pesticides. These include: n Cedar oil, specifically manufactured for pet health n Natural, food-grade diatomaceous earth, applied topically n A fresh-food diet that is nutritionally optimal and species-appropriate

It is important to bathe and brush a dog regularly and perform frequent full-body inspections using a flea and tick comb to check for parasite activity. If they spend a lot of time outdoors, be sure to check pets and people for ticks every night during tick season.

Veterinarian Karen Shaw Becker has spent her career empowering animal guardians to make knowledgeable decisions to extend the life and well-being of their animals. Visit DrKarenBecker.com.

Homemade Pest Deterrent for Dogs An all-natural pest deterrent will help a dog avoid a good percentage of the pests they encounter, though not all of them.

To make it, mix eight ounces of pure water with four ounces of organic, unfiltered, apple cider vinegar, and add 10 drops of neem oil.

Neem oil is not an essential oil; it is an expelled or pressed oil. It is effective because fleas and ticks are repelled by it, and it doesn’t bother pets sensitive to odors. Catnip oil can also be used since it has been proven to be as effective as diethyltoluamide (DEET), the mosquito and tick spray humans use that has a number of toxic side effects. To add extra punch to the mixture, add five drops of lemon, lemongrass, eucalyptus or geranium essential oil.

Store the homemade pest deterrent in the fridge, and before a dog goes outside, mist them with it, being careful to avoid the eyes. The active ingredients, especially the essential oils, dissipate in about four hours, so the solution may have to be reapplied several times throughout the day.

April 2022

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calendar of events

SATURDAY, APRIL 23

Printed calendar is a gratis feature exclusively for advertisers who make this magazine possible. Non-advertisers are free to use the on-line calendar at NATampa.com.

SATURDAY, APRIL 2 Hypnosis Training On-line – 10am-4pm. Part of certification program with Patricia V. Scott, PhD, UP Hypnosis Institute, open to hypnotists for CEUs–advanced techniques. Prior hypnosis training necessary.

Approved: International Association of Counselors & Therapists. Single Day: $45 (UPHI, IACT, IMDHA or HEA Member); $55 (Non-Member). Two Days: $75 (Member); $95 (Non-Member). Includes materials & scripts. 727-943-5003, UPHypnosis.com.

THURSDAY, APRIL 7 Create Your Ideal Healthy Body – Noon-1:30pm (1st & 3rd Thursday Online or LIVE Oldsmar). The Mind-Body Cohesion System developed by Patricia V. Scott, PhD, combines Hypnosis, NLP & Pivotal Response Conditioning. Create healthy habits, confidence & exercise motivation, eliminate blocks & limiting beliefs. Hypnotic experiences, handouts & hypnosis recording (1st class). $20 (1 class) or $50 (3 classes) 727-943-5003, UPHypnosis.com.

SUNDAY, APRIL 10 Mediumship Gallery Reading – 3:30-5pm. Join Dr. Danielle Clark for an uplifting demonstration of mediumship and psychic connections. She shares

insights into mediumship and the other side. $50.

The Violet Butterfly, 35154 US Hwy 19 North, Palm Harbor, 727-386-4535, TheVioletButterflymhc.com.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20 Free Webinar “Hypnosis-NLP for Focus, Concentration & Memory” – 7:30-8:30pm. Interactive webinar with Certified Master Trainer Patricia V. Scott, PhD. With 30 years’ experience as a Medical Hypnotherapist & NLP Master Practitioner and trainer, Patti shares practical, easy to use techniques with Q&A. (Usually 3rd Wednesday monthly w/ various topics.) Register by 5pm for log-in details: UPHypnosis@outlook.com, UPHypnosis.com.

Hypnosis Education Association “LIVE” 1-Day Conference (Marriott Oldsmar) – 9:30am-5pm. Open to all. First time attendees pay only $5 for the friendliest, most welcoming hypnosis conference you will ever attend. Patricia V. Scott, HEA President, has invited 6 speakers to offer interesting, interactive presentations on how to more powerfully use your Unlimited Mind. To register & for more information: HEAHypnosis.com/ conferences/conference-2022-spring.

SUNDAY, APRIL 24 Reiki Level I Training – Noon-4pm. Learn what reiki is, how it works, and what you can use it for, with Reiki Master Michele Belcastro. You will receive training, attunement and manual. $155. The Violet Butterfly, 35154 US Hwy 19 North, Palm Harbor, 727-386-4535, TheVioletButterflymhc.com.

PLAN AHEAD SATURDAY, MAY 21

THURSDAY, APRIL 21 Create Your Ideal Healthy Body – Noon-1:30pm (1st & 3rd Thursday Online or LIVE Oldsmar). The Mind-Body Cohesion System developed by Patricia V. Scott, PhD, combines Hypnosis, NLP & Pivotal Response Conditioning. Create healthy habits, confidence & exercise motivation, eliminate blocks & limiting beliefs. Hypnotic experiences, handouts & hypnosis recording (1st class). $20 (1 class) or $50 (3 classes). 727-943-5003, UPHypnosis.com.

Hypnosis International Certification begins – Receive two certifications: International Association of Counselors & Therapists and UP Hypnosis Institute, with Patricia V. Scott, PhD (Certified Master Trainer). Training “Live” (Oldsmar) and/or Online (Zoom). Learn basic & advanced techniques, medical uses, regression, parts-integration, time-line techniques, smoking cessation, weight/diet control, NLP & more. Enroll by 4/25: $3095; $2895 (UPHI Members); After: $3395/$3095. 727-943-5003, UPHypnosis.com.

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SATURDAY, JUNE 4 Medical Hypnotherapy Specialty Certification begins – 10am-3pm. “Live” (Oldsmar) and/or Interactive Online (Zoom). Certification through UP Hypnosis Institute. Optional additional certification through International Medical & Dental Hypnotherapy Association. Learn advanced Medical Hypnotherapy techniques, theory & practice. Prerequisite: 200 hours hypnosis training. Enroll by 5/10: $695; $525 (Members); After: $795; $695 (Members).

Includes workbook, PowerPoints, scripts & private coaching. 727-943-5003; UPHypnosis.com.

ONGOING EVENTS SUNDAY Lightness of Walking – 5-7pm, May 1, 8, 15, 22, June 5 & 12. Online! Join Bonnie Kissam, M.A., Feldenkrais Practitioner, for her 6-week Lightness of Walking Program. Learn how to re-design your ABCs for walking. Past attendees have reported pure amazement at how much lighter and more efficient their balance and walk can be when they use the Lightness of Walking tools to realign, re-balance, and re-coordinate.

Registration, receive your free E-Book and more info at LightnessOfWalking.com, 941-360-2248.

WEDNESDAY Lightness of Walking – 1-3pm, Apr 6-May 11, June 8-July 13. Online! Join Bonnie Kissam, M.A., Feldenkrais Practitioner, for her 6-week Lightness of Walking Program. Learn how to re-design your

ABCs for walking. Past attendees have reported pure amazement at how much lighter and more efficient their balance and walk can be when they use the Lightness of Walking tools to realign, rebalance, and re-coordinate. Registration, receive your free E-Book and more info at LightnessOfWalking.com, 941-360-2248.

THURSDAY Meditation for Beginners – 6:30-8pm. A true beginner’s class. Never meditated? Tried to meditate, only to feel frustrated? $10 per class or $50 in advance for the entire 6-week program. Sacred Path Spiritual Center, 9011 Park Blvd. N, Ste. 207, Seminole, 727-798-3363 or 727-289-6599. .Meditation Group – 8:45pm. Join Nana Hendricks, spiritual teacher / intuitive visionary, for insightful guided meditations, exploring various meditation techniques from beginners to advanced. Meditation is an exploration of self and our connections to all things; experience Self-realization, transformation, relaxation, rejuvenation, healing, clarity and guidance. $15. Dunedin Health and Wellness, 1000 Bass Blvd., Dunedin. 828-337-5512, NanaHendricks.com.

FRIDAY Intuitive Readings / Cacao Readings & Ceremony – 6-10pm, 1st Friday, 3rd Saturday. Join Nana Hendricks, spiritual teacher / intuitive visionary, in Gulfport at Sumitra’s, the enchanting Moroccan Tea House and Expresso Lounge, during the festive downtown evening marketplace. Intuitive Readings, Cacao Readings and

Judy Bordignon, SiriusK9.org, dubs this “The Princess and Her Court”, featuring Lexi Wilson, center, at her refresher training course. monthly Cacao Ceremonies. Sumitra’s, 2838 Beach Blvd. S, Gulfport. Prices vary, check website or call for details/reservations, 828-337-5512, NanaHendricks.com.

SATURDAY Women’s Group – 3pm, 2nd Sat. Join Nana Hendricks, spiritual teacher and intuitive visionary, for a celebration of the Divine Feminine, in an uplifting empowering group of conscious, high-vibe ladies who want to harness their potent power and presence and make a difference. Enjoy different themes monthly, open forum dialog, set intentions, join in meditation and weave magic into one’s life.

Dunedin Health and Wellness, 1000 Bass Blvd., Dunedin. 828-337-5512, NanaHendricks.com.

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April 2022

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community resource guide Connecting you to the leaders in natural healthcare and green living in our community.

ACUPUNCTURE ACUPUNCTURE & ORIENTAL MEDICINE Chris Dziubinski, DOM, AP, L. Ac 12952 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa 813-935-CARE (2273) MindBodySpiritCare.com

Florida Board Certified Acupuncture Physician offering acupuncture therapies for the whole family. Established, comfortable, caring and professional integrative medicine clinics in South & North Tampa. Innetwork with most medical insurances; accept payments from HRA, HSA and FSA.

PROFESSIONAL HERBALISTS TRAINING PROGRAM Acupuncture & Herbal Therapies 2520 Central Ave., St. Petersburg 727-551-0857 AcuHerbals.com

The 2-year program meets one weekend each month for class and Wednesday nights for our handson student clinic. This program is designed to create clinical herbalists in a combination of Chinese and western herbalism. Designed to meet American Herbalists Guild standards. See ad page 20.

TCL MEDICAL

Islam Ganie, PN, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, APRN 6613 49th St. North, Pinellas Park 33781 727-954-4543, 1tclmedic@gmail.com Instagram: TCL_Medical Facebook: TCL Medical Providing optimal and affordable integrative and holistic health care, including weight loss; antiaging; IV hydration/chelation (including IV vitamin C, ozone); gut; thyroid; asthma/respiratory; fatigue/stress & much more.

NATURAL MED THERAPIES Machelle Perkins, D.O.M. 7600 Bryan Dairy Rd # C, Largo 727-541-2211 NaturalMedTherapies.com

National & state board certified with 15+ years experience in Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Cold Laser & more.

Bio-Puncture and Mesotherapy to treat pain, ADHD, anxiety, depression. Lab testing, most insurances. Free Nutritional Consultation.

ANGELIC HEALING TRACY SPURLING, MASTER INSTRUCTOR Integrated Energy Therapy Palm Harbor 315-830-7847 FourEverEvolving.com

Powerful angelic energy therapy system supports you in releasing limiting energy patterns, empowering and balancing you in the present. Reach for the stars as you evolve.

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE LIFEWORKS WELLNESS CENTER

Dr. David Minkoff, M.D. Sue Morgan, APRN, Karima Redouan, APRN Rose Tyler, APRN & Lindsay Williamson, APRN 301 Turner St., Clearwater 727-466-6789 LifeWorksWellnessCenter.com Specializing in Ozone Therapy, IV Therapy, Heavy Metal Detoxification, Neurological Issues, Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy, Gut Issues, Thyroid Issues and IPT for Cancer treatment.

See ad inside front cover.

ORTHOMOLECULAR NUTRITION & WELLNESS 9225 Ulmerton Rd., Ste. 312, Largo 727-518-9808 OrthoLiving.com

We address the underlying root cause of disease by using a variety of modalities such as Nutrient IV’s, Chelation, Weight loss, HRT, PEMF, Ozone Therapy and more. To see if you qualify for Medical Marijuana go to OrthoMMJ.com.

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APOTHECARY BOHEMIAN GYPSEA

12 West Orange St., Tarpon Springs 727-935-6046 BohemianGypsea.com Metaphysical Gift Shop, Crystals, Jewelry, Clothing, Local Artist, CBD, Delta 8, Tea, Supplements, Greeting Cards, Sage, Incense, Essential Oils, Books, Energy Healing, Candles. See ad page 10.

SIX OAKS WELLNESS APOTHECARY Carolyn Zinober, LMT, Esthetician, Clinical Herbalist, Aromatherapist 607 1st. Ave. SW, Largo 727-501-1700 SixOaksWellness.com

Clinical herbalist and massage therapist offering consultations, extensive line of Eastern/Western Herbs, Teas, Essential oils, CBD, Supplements, and learning workshops. Visit your neighborhood apothecary today! See ad page 6.

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ASTROLOGY ASTROLOGY FOR YOUR SOUL

Aluna Michaels, M.A., Esoteric Astrologer Dunedin 248-583-1663 AlunaMichaels.com Second-generation astrologer and Soul Evolutionist practitioner.

Over 25 years of experience.

Insightful, unique perspective on goals and issues. “Together we will unveil your soul’s purpose.”

CHIROPRACTIC NATURAL LIVING CHIROPRACTIC & WELLNESS CENTER Dr. Paula Giusto 310 South Brevard Ave., Tampa 813-253-2565 NaturalLivingChiropractic.org

Family chiropractic care, wellness care, nutritional counseling, neuromuscular massage therapy.

Jin Shin Jyutsu & craniosacral therapy.

COLON HYDROTHERAPY RENEW LIFE

Bonnie Barrett 28469 US Hwy 19 N. #402, Clearwater 727-461-7227 RenewLifeFla.com, Lic# MA14802, MM35406

30 years experience. Expert in colon hydrotherapy using pressure points, abdominal massage, essential oils, and lymphatic drainage.

All disposable tubing used. Very comfortable and relaxing room with private bathroom. See ad page 18.

DENTISTS BEATA CARLSON, DDS

1825 Sunset Point Rd, Clearwater 727-888-6523 NaturalAndCosmeticDentistry.com Natural, Holistic, Aesthetic Dentistry. Careful Silver filling removal.

Non-metal crowns and bridges. Be pampered in our Spa-like atmosphere. See ad back cover.

CARLO LITANO, DMD

Natural Smiles of Tampa Bay 9087 Belcher Rd., Pinellas Park, 33782 727-300-0044 Natural-Smiles.com Offering Holistic/Biological dentistry. Swiss dental protocols, ceramic implants, safe mercury removal, ozone cleaning and on site sedation. See ad page 4.

PAUL T. RODEGHERO, DDS

Clearwater Family Dental 215 S Myrtle Ave., Clearwater 727-442-3363 MyClearWaterFamilyDental.com We are a full service family dental practice that stresses metal free restorations, safe mercury removal, ozone and laser dentistry. We welcome patients of all ages and can handle any concern that you may have. See ad pages 3, 9 & 12.

ROBERT J. YU, DMD

Tampa Bay Dental Implants & Periodontics 6700 Crosswinds Dr., Ste. 200-B, St. Petersburg 727-384-9122 TBPerio.com

See ad page 19.

The only board certified periodontist and implant surgeon in Tampa Bay offering ceramic/ zirconia non-metal implants.

State-of-the-art treatments include CBT imaging, LANAP and digital intraoral scanner, eliminating messy impressions.

INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE CHRISTIE MD FUNCTIONAL & AESTHETIC MEDICINE Dr. Heather Christie 2837 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg 727-220-9080 ChristieMDfam.com

Functional, Aesthetic and Intravenous Medicine. Offering hormone therapy; nutritional evaluation and therapy; fatigue and stress management; detoxification; diabetes; cardiovascular diseases; weight control; aesthetics. Outof-Network Provider. See ad page 15.

INTEGRATIVE THERAPEUTICS Dr. Prudhvi Karumanchi 8320 Stone Run Ct., Tampa 33615 813-322-6171 IntTherapeutics.com

Committed to finding the root cause, Holistic MD offers: IV Nutrition, Regenerative Treatments, Functional Medicine, Heavy Metal Detox, Energy Healing, Weight Loss, Antiaging and more. Out-of-Network Provider.

HERBALIST ROSE KALAJIAN—HERBALIST

Natural Health Hut Clinic and Herb Farm 813-991-5177 ImHerbalist.com Specializing in growing the herbs used in my clinic practice and in the Herbal Remedies I formulate.

Consultations are available for humans, dogs, cats, and horses.

Promoting health through the use of Herbs. See ad pages 31.

HYPNOSIS UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES HYPNOSIS, INC.

Patricia V. Scott, President 727-943-5003 UPHypnosis@yahoo.com, UPHypnosis.com Professional Hypnosis & NLP Certification Training, Weekly classes & Private sessions (Smoking, Weight, Stress, Sports, Habits), Clinical/Medical Hypnotherapy available w/referral. Speaking Services & Corporate Programs.

See ad page 29.

Buy into your community …Support our advertisers

MIND BODY SPIRIT CARE

Ron N. Shemesh, M.D. 12952 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa 813-935-CARE (2273) MindBodySpiritCare.com Integrative & holistic medicine for women & men: Natural Hormone Therapy, Anti-Aging, IV Chelation, Nutritional Vitamin Therapy, Fatigue & Stress Management, Weight Loss, Yoga, Nutritional Counseling.

Affiliated with St. Joseph Hospital.

Most insurance accepted.

SUCCESS BY DESIGN

9095 Belcher Road, Pinellas Park 727-548-0001 SBDWellness.com

A Wellness Center for Age-Management, Functional Medicine and Medical Weight Loss. Specializing in Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement including Pellet Therapy, Gut Health/Food Allergies, Detoxification, Nutritional Evaluations, Acupuncture, Massage therapy and more. See ad page 7.

YOUNG FOUNDATIONAL HEALTH CENTER John D. Young, M.D. 7241 Bryan Dairy Road, Largo 727-545-4600 YoungFoundationalHealth.com

Author of Beyond Treatment.

Creator of Young Health Products. Offering specialized treatments for chronic diseases.

Therapies include Bio-identical Hormone, Stem Cell, Vitamin IV, Chelation, Ozone. Special Testing and Nutritional Education. See ad page 5.

INTUITIVE HEALING RONNI FORD YOGA AND INTUITIVE CRYSTAL HEALING Dunedin 340-626-9642 RonniFordyeh@gmail.com

Intuitive crystal healer and yoga instructor; 22 years’ experience.

Awaken: messages from your incarnated soul; energy and energetic healing; food sensitivity awareness. Group yoga and private healing sessions available online, by phone or in-person.

MEDICAL INTUITIVE JEN PENICK HEALING

PEAKS OF HEALTH METABOLIC MEDICAL CENTER Tracie Leonhardt, DO 1120 Belcher Rd. S., Ste. 2, Largo 727-826-0838 PeaksOfHealth.com

Dr. Leonhardt is Board Certified & Fellow of the American Academy of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. Offers a personalized program for each individual patient. Hormone replacement therapy, weight loss, thyroid, GI issues, Diabetes, infrared sauna, IV nutrition, Anti-aging, Chronic fatigue, adrenal fatigue, and toxicities. See ad pages 11 and 47.

To Advertise in the Resource Guide, email Debbey at dwilson@natampa.com or call 727.865.9339.

214 Pasadena Ave. South, St. Petersburg 720-401-0055 JenPenickHealing.com My readings identify the disease in the physical body, the dis-ease of the mind and the ease of your healing housed in your spirit.

MEDITATION LARRY CASTELLANI, PH.D.

Integral Awareness Meditation 716-816-5464 I.Am.Meditation108@gmail.com InCommunionWithTruth.blogspot.com I have 30 yrs. experience helping people along the spiritual path. Expect an effortless awakening of freedom, peace and happiness. Overcome worry, craving and pain.

Equitable fee, sliding scale.

April 2022

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REFLEXOLOGY REED ‘NAHAM’ MYLES

Certified Reflexologist and LMT 727-543-3048 by appointment Clearwater, MA0028171

NANA HENDRICKS

Intuitive Visionary/Conscious Life Coach 828-337-5512 NanaHendricks.com For those seeking direction, yearning for Self/deeper connection, Nana can commune with your Soul Light and Higher Self to bring forth purest forms of support.

See ad page 43.

Whether you need deep therapy, a tuneup or just a relaxing treatment, I can help you. Just call me.

SPIRITUAL INTUITIVE LISA MILIARESIS

Extreme Communication 727-239-0656 Lisa@2Communicate.net 2Communicate.net

Rev. Amanda Segovia, Reiki Master Certified SRT Personal Consultant UniverSoulLight.com UniverSoulLight@gmail.com

Private sessions using various healing, clearing & spiritual modalities. Akashic Records, Intuitive Medium, Astrologer, Numerologist, Meditation, Chakra-Balancing, Tarot/Oracles, Candles, EOL Transition, Teacher/Mentor & more.

See website.

YOUR ONE TRUSTED GLOBAL ONLINE DESTINATION FOR

Regenerative Whole Health™ Benefits

John D. Bartone MD Thomas Hudson MD 7901 4th Street North, Suite 316 St. Petersburg, FL 33702 727-576-0100 GreenPointThermography.com

The only physician owned and operated thermography practice in Tampa Bay - serving Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Pasco counties. Accredited by the American College of Clinical Thermology.

See ad page 10.

FLORIDA MEDICAL THERMOGRAPHY June Drennon, CCT 2008 JuneDrennon@FloridaMedicalThermography.com 727-729-2711 FloridaMedicalThermography.com

See ad page 29.

Certified Clinical Thermographer 2008. Mindful Wellness with Thermography!

Knowledge is power: Know your risk factors to make corrections and avoid developing pathology. Call for location convenient for you.

VETERINARIAN HEALTHY PAWSIBILITIES NATURAL PET WELLNESS CENTER Dr. Cathy Alinovi, DVM 628 Cleveland St., #17, Clearwater 727-510-3665 HealthyPawsibilities.com.

24/7 ACCESS

Offering only holistic health options. Nutrition, herbal support, body balancing, canine fitness, reiki and more.

See ad page 41.

KnoWEwell is a One-Of-A-Kind Platform that centralizes today’s trusted global knowledge, resources and community to Prevent and Address the Root Causes of Chronic Diseases.

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MEDICINE RIVER ANIMAL HOSPITAL Shawna L. Green, DVM 13495 Gulf Boulevard Madeira Beach 727-299-9029 MedicineRiverAnimalHospital.com

Services.

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Visit KnoWEwell.com Today and receive 50% Off your first year.

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GREENPOINT THERMOGRAPHY

UNIVERSOULLIGHT CONSULTING

Lisa offers private individual and group channeling sessions, as well as private counseling sessions for those looking for direction in developing their own personal practice.

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THERMOGRAPHY

NATampa.com

Compassionate health care catered toward the needs of your pet offering preventative medicine, surgery, dentistry, senior wellness, and more.

See ad page 41.

“A good friend is like a four-leaf clover–hard to find and lucky to have.” ~Irish Proverb

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