NATampaJune2015

H E A L T H Y

L I V I N G

H E A L T H Y

P L A N E T

feel good • live simply • laugh more

Namaste, Dude!

More Guys are Getting into Yoga

The Guts of Good Health

David Perlmutter on Why Bacteria Matter

Don’t Get Ticked Off

Natural Ways to Avoid and Treat Lyme Disease

Testosterone Boosters Raising this Key Male Hormone Naturally

June 2015 | Tampa Bay-Edition | NATampa.com

FREE

We Fix Your Health...Naturally

301 Turner Street, Clearwater, FL 33756

Are you read y to final ly be as well & healt hy as y ou shoul d be ?

(727) 466-6789

www.lifeworkswellnesscenter.com

Bachelor’s Degree

ALTERNATIVE

MEDICINE Herbology & Botany

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Nutrition & Aging

The Herbal Medicine Chest

“The tools I’ve learned gave me confidence and helped me grow as a person and public figure.”

Laurianne Uhrich-Macdonald 2014 Graduate

“Every professor was passionate about seeing me succeed. No matter what obstacle appeared, they were always willing to help me.”

“Today I am more confident than ever. Thank you, Everglades University, for a great experience.”

Patricia C. Armour 2013 Graduate

Edith Kaplan 2013 Graduate

Ranked in the Top 30 Best Online Colleges TheBestSchools.org

Learn more at EvergladesUniversity.edu

Tampa 1.844.297.1715 Sarasota 1.866.907.2262 natural awakenings

June 2015

3

take a

out of aging

with our

The Vampire Facial is an all-natural, holistic procedure which uses the body’s own Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP).

Growth factors in the PRP rejuvenate cells, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve the skin’s tone and texture, and heal tissue by stimulating a stem cell response. These stem cells work to generate new tissue (smoothness), increase blood flow (glow), create new collagen (fill and rejuvenate) and repair damaged skin while reversing the signs of aging. Let us unlock your own body’s

100 %

BENEFITS INCLUDE:

TREATMENT OVERVIEW:

• Minimized pore size

• Safe, gentle and no real down time

• Reduction of acne & other scars

• All natural; no foreign chemicals or toxins injected into your body

• Plumping of the skin • Reduction in hollowness around the eyes • Decreased fine lines & wrinkles around eyes and mouth • Reduced smoker’s lines

N AT U R A L

PROCEDURE

• Results are gradual and build over time • Results are lasting; no surgery or on-going expensive treatments for life • Only therapy to safely regenerate your own tissue • Hypo-allergenic and non-toxic

• Glowing skin • Tightening of chin and neck skin • Softening of frown & mouth lines • Reduction in sun and age spots

• Minimal to no discomfort during treatment • Very cost effective packages for lasting skin rejuvenation

This cutting edge, natural treatment is Hollywood and the most posh cities in the world!

MORE HOLISTIC ANTI-AGING SERVICES AVAILABLE: • Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy • Platelet Rich Plasma (TendonTearRepair.com) • Trigger Point Injections (Muscle Pain Relief) • Weight Loss Packages • IV Nutrient Therapy & More BEFORE

AFTER 2 TREATMENTS

• Telomere Testing (How Fast Are You Aging?)

15 off %

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK.COM/ORTHONUT

4

Tampa Bay Edition

9225 ULMERTON RD, SUITE 312 LARGO, FL. 33771

www.natampa.com

YOUR FIRST TREATMENT

PACKAGES STARTING AS LOW AS $195!

BOOK YOUR COMPLIMENTARY SKIN ANALYSIS TODAY

727-518-9808

natural awakenings

June 2015

5

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

22 RETHINKING RECOVERY 22

Holistic Approaches to Healing Addictions

by Lisa Marshall

26 DON’T GET TICKED OFF Natural Ways to Avoid and Treat Lyme Disease

by Linda Sechrist

28 HIDDEN TREASURES

Neighbors Discover Their Wealth of Resources

32

by John McKnight and Peter Block

32 NATURAL DADS

How They Raise Conscious Kids

by Lane Vail

34 MANLY FOODS

Boost Testosterone with the Right Choices

by Kathleen Barnes

36 THE TEENY-TINY

VACATION OPTION

36

Mini-Dwellings Make Travel a Lark

by Avery Mack

38 THE GUT-MIND CONNECTION

David Perlmutter on How Stomach Microflora Affect Brain Health

by Linda Sechrist

40 YOGA FOR THE BRO’S Men Find it Builds All-Around Fitness

by Meredith Montgomery

44 WALKING THE CAT Harness a Curious Cat for a Lively Stroll

by Sandra Murphy

6

www.natampa.com

44

14

10 newsbriefs 14 healthbriefs

16 globalbriefs 26 healingways

16

32 healthykids 34 consciouseating 36 greenliving

15

38 wisewords

44 naturalpet

46 calendar

52 resourceguide

advertising & submissions how to advertise To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please visit www.natampa.com or contact us at 727—865—9339. Ads due the 15th of the month.

Editorial submissions Advertisers email articles and news briefs to dwilson@ natampa.com. Editorial due the 10th of the month. We reserve the right to edit all submissions if necessary. calendar submissions Advertisers email calendar events to dwilson@natampa. com by 15th of the month for magazine. Everyone go to natampa.com to submit events on-line for inclusion in web based calendar. regional markets Advertise your products or services in multiple markets!

Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing franchised family of locally owned magazines serving communities since 1994. To place your ad in other markets call 727-865-9339. For franchising opportunities call 239—530—1377 or visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com.

natampa.com natural awakenings

June 2015

7

letterfrompublisher

A

s we head for the mid-year mark here in Tampa Bay, those in the know are already rethinking our fast-paced schedules in preparation for the lazy heat of the summer ahead. As we peel off unnecessary layers of clothing, we remember to protect our skin from the sun’s more potent rays, and make all those other good common sense adjustments that will nourish body, mind and spirit. (Remember to keep an umbrella handy for the luscious afternoon showers typical of this season!)

Those huge cloud formations moving across our skies remind us that tropical weather patterns are returning. Time to make sure we’re up-to-date on hurricane preparedness at home and at work. Free copies of the Official 2015 Hurricane Guide for the Tampa Bay area are available at area libraries, post offices, and local government buildings. In cyberspace, comprehensive information is available at www.tbrpc.org/ tampabaydisaster/hurricane_guides2015. This month’s issue of Natural Awakenings Tampa Bay has a particular focus on the health of the men in our lives, with a special tip of the hat to the dear dads and dad-like guys we love.

On the 21st of June we again celebrate the arrival of Summer Solstice. Tampa Bay is again tilting back toward the sun.

Life is good.

As always, open your mind and read on.

contact us Publisher/Sales: Debbey Wilson, dwilson@natampa.com Phone: 727.865.9339 • Fax: 727.864.5599 Editor: Cheryl Hynes Contributing Editor: Eleanor L. Bailey Franchise Sales: Toll Free 877—530—1377 © 2015 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing.

Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. It is available in selected stores, health and education centers, healing centers, public libraries and wherever free publications are generally seen. Please call to find a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business.

We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. We welcome your ideas, articles and feedback.

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

8

Tampa Bay Edition

www.natampa.com

natural awakenings

June 2015

9

newsbriefs Orthomolecular Highlights Medical Aesthetician Kaelin Jutras

O

rthomolecular Nutrition & Wellness Center has been rejuvenating people from the inside-out for over a decade. They use bio-identical hormone therapies, vitamin IV infusions, platelet rich plasma (PRP), and chelation and practitioner grade supplements to heal, cleanse and balance the body’s natural biochemistry.

Orthomolecular highlights Kaelin Jutras, a highly skilled medical aesthetician, who performs their revolutionary PRP vampire facial (OrthoLiving.com/anti-aging/facial-rejuvenation) as well as micro-needling, microdermabrasion, and many other skin care services for rejuvenation and restoration of skin health and inner radiance. She customizes the application of modalities to suit the client’s immediate needs.

Jutras has the innate passion and ability for assisting clients to feel good on the inside and look great on the outside.

For more information and to set up your free skin analysis, call 727-518-9808. To learn more about Orthomolecular products and services, visit OrthoLiving.com.

See ad page 4.

10

Tampa Bay Edition

www.natampa.com

Yogi Amrit Desai Presents at Yoga Village

Y

oga Village is very excited to offer a workshop in June with Yogi Amrit Desai, founder of the Amrit Yoga Institute. The two-day workshop will present an introduction to the Integrative Amrit Method “I AM.” “I AM” teaches you how to be completely absorbed, deeply engaged, totally present and whole. It is designed to take you to the innermost self-balancing, self-healing integration where body, mind, heart and soul are brought into perfect harmony.

The practice is not a temporary relief from the symptoms of stress, but rather a release from rigidly held, unconscious sources of self-destructive habits and behavior patterns.

Designed for students of all levels, even newcomers to yoga, the workshops can be attended individually. Friday, June 26, 6:30 to 9pm, includes a lecture, an experience of the “I AM”, Q&A, and an introduction to the Teacher Training in July. Saturday, June 27, 9am to 5pm, provides time to learn more and dive deeper into this yoga practice.

Advance registration Friday only $25, $30/day of event. Advance registration for entire event $85, $90/day of. Students registering for the Yoga 100-Hour Amrit Method Teacher Training will have the cost of this event applied to their registration.

For more information and registration, visit AYogaVillage. com. See ad page 7.

Discover at the 2015 Tampa Body Mind Spirit Expo

T

he Body Mind Spirit Expo is dedicated to helping you discover the radiant life that surrounds you every moment. The Expo returns to the Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa, in the Special Events Center, June 27 to 28, Saturday 10am-6pm, and Sunday 11am5pm. Enjoy a weekend filled with the finest presentations, exhibitors and entertainment that can help you grow personally and show that when you believe, everything is possible. Meet up with future, like-minded friends.

Discover an outstanding collection of the nation’s most intriguing exhibitors, offering the latest findings in natural health, personal growth, spirituality and sustainability.

Browse for hours, receive a healing or soothing massage, try the latest products, and learn fascinating new avenues to better health, personal well-being and spiritual growth.

Head to the lecture halls for this season’s latest discoveries, with 28 incredible presenters and authors. Become inspired and ready to accelerate toward a glorious and graceful awakening in 2015.

Cost: $10/Weekend admission. Location: 4800 U.S. Hwy. 301 N, Tampa. For more information or vendor registration, call 541-482-3722 Ext. 1 or 2; for $1 off coupon, visit bmse.net. See ad below.

400 Percent Better than Rehab?

T

herapists employ “12-Step” programs to treat more than 300 addictive disorders. Millions of Americans turn to these programs to help them with life’s greatest challenges. So they must be effective, right? The truth is, not really.

In The Sober Truth: Debunking the Bad Science Behind 12-Step Programs and the Rehab Industry, author and Harvard Professor of Psychiatry, Dr. Lance Dodes, reports a success rate of only 5-10 percent.

A groundbreaking alternative: In 2003, Julia Stewart unveiled a new approach called Perception Therapy™. Where 12-Step programs label individuals and have them affirm that they “are” their worst behaviors, this revolutionary new therapy affirms the intrinsic value of each individual and focuses on their behaviors as something they do, not something they are.

Stewart says, “Perceptions are learned. When one identifies how their perceptions were formed, they can be changed, eliminating the feelings that lead to negative behavior. This approach delivers a way to live a healthy, happy life without drugs or alcohol.”

What is the clinically proven success rate of Perception Therapy™? An independent study found it to be up to 400 percent more effective than 12-Step.

To learn more, call Jim Dillon at 727-410-8911 or visit Alternative2Rehab.com. See ad inside back cover.

natural awakenings

June 2015

11

Overactive Bladder Specialist Offers Free Acupuncture Happy Hour

J

ustin Mandel, DOM, AP recently made his move from New York to the Tampa Bay area. As an overactive bladder specialist, he brings with him 12 years of in-depth experience along with compassion and genuine care for his patients.

Within his specialty, he has examined and treated more than 6,000 patients who were experiencing pain. New patients can look forward to feeling profoundly deep healing in his new and upscale Madison Avenue style lakefront office.

Mandel is the acclaimed inventor of the patented Bladder Re-Expansion Technique® rehabilitative procedure, and his new book, Top 10 Overactive Bladder ‘Food Triggers’: Modify Your Diet, Minimize Your Bathroom Visits, is due out this summer.

If you are suffering with chronic conditions, his unique and highly exclusive concierge program is now accepting 20 qualified patients. Schedule your free “Acupuncture Happy Hour” limited group session, held Wednesday evenings, to receive your special ear acupuncture and experience its profoundly relaxing effects.

Rapid Health Response is located at 970 Lake Carillon Dr., Ste. 300, Saint Petersburg, To discover how you can feel better, faster, call 727-240-2141 or visit RapidHealthResponse. com. See ad page 32.

12

Tampa Bay Edition

www.natampa.com

Natural Awakenings Publishers Attend Conference in Florida

N

atural Awakenings publishers from around the nation attended a company conference from May 1 to 3 at the Marco Beach Ocean Resort, in Marco Island, Florida. Highlights included separate presentations by two prominent master life and business coaches, David Essel and Mary Lynn Ziemer, who also participated in discussions on how publishers can become more personally empowered in awakening and uplifting their communities.

In addition, special topics included expanding editorial exposure for a strong advertiser base, effectively managing reach and keeping operations efficient. Subsequent breakout sessions afforded the opportunity for franchisees to share progressive ideas.

Launched by founder and CEO Sharon Bruckman with a single edition in Naples in 1994, Natural Awakenings has grown to become one of the largest free, local, healthy lifestyle publications in the world, serving approximately 4 million readers in 95 cities across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

“It’s always heartening to bring our Natural Awakenings family of publishers together to share successful practices and pioneer ideas as we work together with our communities to create a healthier, more sustainable world,” Bruckman says.

For more information, visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com.

See ad page 42.

Hypnotherapy for Positive Life Changes

D

o you feel disconnected or dissatisfied with your life right now? Do you want to change but find yourself feeling stuck? Do you desire a more successful and fulfilling life but don’t know how to get there? Are you faced with a decision that you just can’t make?

Hypnotherapy is a gentle and effective tool that allows you to re-pattern your beliefs, attitudes and behaviors to create success in your life, and to deeply understand your subconscious emotions and beliefs to get the answers you need to move forward. It is approved by the Council on Mental Health of the American Medical Association as a valuable therapeutic tool for positive personal change.

Kate Nucci, a graduate of Vassar College and the statelicensed Florida Institute of Hypnotherapy, specializes in all aspects of hypnotherapy, including subliminal programming, regression, guided imagery, breathwork, Neuro-Linguistic Programming™, trauma resolution and more. Her office is a safe haven where clients feel secure and supported in sharing their innermost feelings and beliefs, and learn to understand themselves at a deeper level. Major breakthroughs have been realized, improving lives significantly.

For more information or to schedule a free consultation, call 813-424-0335 or visit KateNucciHypnotherapy.com.

See ad page ??.

Natural Balance Welcomes Organic Skin Care

N

atural Balance Massage Therapy & Wellness Center is pleased to introduce Angela Gray, Licensed Paramedical Aesthetician, as the newest member to join their team of holistic practitioners.

Natural Balance strongly believes in the power of safe, organic and homeopathic remedies, so it was natural to choose awardwinning, results-oriented Éminence Organic Skin Care. Founded in 1958, Éminence products are handmade in small batches, using organic, ethically grown ingredients rich in vitamins and bursting with juicy pulp, seeds and herbs.

Gray creates organic treatments customized to the individual’s skin care type and concerns, such as anti-aging; age corrective; hyperpigmentation; melasma; adult and teen acne; sensitive; redness/rosacea; and sun damage. She also provides treatment enhancements, such as Dermafiles™; eyebrow tinting; waxing; high frequency, ultrasonic skin scrubber; and sonophoresis.

Natural Balance offers massage therapy, yoga therapeutics, organic skin care and a full spectrum infrared sauna. Book your massage and facial back-to-back for a mini retreat. New clients can take advantage of a two-hour wellness retreat for only $120 ($30 savings). Gift certificates are available online.

Location: 350 Alt. 19 N. (across from post office), Palm Harbor. For more information and appointments, call 727-785-7071 or visit NaturalBalanceMT.com. See ad page 15. MM32925

natural awakenings

June 2015

13

healthbriefs

Hatha Yoga Boosts Brainpower

R

esearch from Wayne State University, in Detroit, has found that hatha yoga can significantly improve cognitive health in as little as two months. Researchers tested 118 adults with an average age of 62 years. One group engaged in three, hour-long hatha yoga classes per week for eight weeks, while the other group did stretching and strengthening exercises for the same duration. The participants underwent cognitive testing before and after the eight-week period.

At the end of the trial, the hatha yoga group showed significant improvements in cognition compared to the other group. The yoga group also recorded shorter reaction times, greater accuracy in high-level mental functions and better results in working memory tests.

Source: Journal of Gerontology

Acupuncture Treats Prostate Enlargement

R

esearch from China has found that a combination of acupuncture and moxibustion, a form of heat therapy in which dried plant materials are burned on or near the surface of the skin to warm and invigorate the inner flow of qi, or energy, can effectively reduce the symptoms of benign prostate enlargement.

Researchers tested 128 patients with prostate enlargement for three months, dividing them into two groups. One group was given acupuncture and moxibustion; the other took a traditional Chinese herbal medication for prostate enlargement called Qianliekangi. The patients’ prostate symptoms were tested using the International Prostate Symptom Score, maximum urine flow rate and residual urine tests.

At the study’s end, the patients given the acupuncture/moxibustion treatment reported significantly reduced levels in all three tests—calculated at an 89 percent total effective rate—compared to the herbal medication group.

Antioxidant-Rich Berries Thwart Alzheimer’s

A

n international team of scientists has confirmed that consuming berries such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, mulberries and raspberries can significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Blueberries, in particular, were found to be associated with increased memory and learning.

Researchers from Washington State University, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, India’s Annamalai University and Oman’s Sultan Qaboos University’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences reviewed two decades worth of research relating to consuming berries and dementia. They found that the many biochemicals contained in berries provide antioxidant protection to neurons and prevent the formation of beta-amyloid fibrils found in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients.

14

Tampa Bay Edition

www.natampa.com

Stroke Risk Rises with Two Drinks a Day

Balance Your Mind & Body

N

ew research published in the American Heart Association’s journal Stroke has determined that drinking two alcoholic beverages per day during middle-age years increases the risk of stroke more than other known factors, including high blood pressure and diabetes.

The study followed 11,644 twins from Sweden for 43 years, starting between 1967 and 1970. All began the trial when they were under the age of 60. The scientists compared the effects of having less than half a drink—classified as four and two ounces of wine for a man and a woman, respectively—daily to drinking two or more daily.

The study found that consuming two drinks per day increased the risk of stroke by 34 percent compared to drinking less than half a drink per day. Those that downed two or more drinks a day during their 50s and 60s had strokes an average of five years younger than light drinkers. The increase in stroke risk was found to be higher than the danger generally posed by diabetes and hypertension.

An Avocado a Day Keeps Bad Cholesterol Away

R

esearch published by the Journal of the American Heart Association has determined that just one avocado a day can significantly reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL), a type of cholesterol carrier known to increase the risk of hardening of the arteries.

The researchers tested 45 overweight adults between 21 and 70 years old that followed an average American diet for two weeks before adopting one of three diets: a low-fat diet, a moderate-fat diet that included one Hass avocado per day or a moderate-fat diet without an avocado.

After five weeks, researchers found that the addition of the avocado reduced LDL significantly more than the diets that did not contain the fruit. While both the low-fat and moderate-fat diets reduced LDL levels, the moderate-fat diet with an avocado reduced LDL by better than 60 percent more than the moderate-fat diet alone, and above 80 percent more than the low-fat diet alone.

MASSAGE THERAPY

Relaxation • Prenatal • Aromatherapy • Reiki Hot Stones • Lymphatic Drainage • Sports Neuromuscular • Deep Tissue • Cupping Couples • Kinesio Taping® Method

ÉMINENCE ORGANIC SKIN CARE Anti-aging • Age Corrective • Sensitive Redness/Rosacea • Hyperpigmentation Melasma • Sun Damage • Adult & Teen Acne DermafileTM • Waxing • Eyebrow Tinting

10

$ OFF 1ST SESSION Not valid with any other offers.

Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna Wellness Packages Yoga Therapeutics

727-785-7071

350 Alt. 19 North, Suite A Palm Harbor

Gift Certificates Available

Open Tuesday-Saturday

By Appointment Only MM32925

www.NaturalBalanceMT.com

Pain and Depression Ebb with Flotation Therapy

N

ew research from Sweden has found that flotation therapy helps increase sleep quality, reduce pain and relieve anxiety and depression.

Flotation therapy, sometimes called isolation therapy, consists of floating in a tank of water with minimized interruptions and sensory stimuli.

Researchers from Karlstad University divided 65 people into two groups. One group underwent 12, 45-minute flotation therapy sessions for seven weeks, while the other group did not. Both groups were given a battery of physiological and psychological tests before and after the treatment period. The therapy was conducted using three commercial flotation therapy centers that provided sensory isolation systems to promote relaxation as part of the treatment.

Compared to the control group, the flotation therapy group reported significant decreases in pain, anxiety, depression and stress levels and better sleep quality. The flotation group’s average depression scores went from 4.42 to 2.25, while the control group’s scores barely budged. The worst pains among the flotation group dropped from 64 to 40 on the scale. natural awakenings

June 2015

15

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

Solar Harvest

New Technology Makes Windows Power Producers

SolarWindow Technologies, Inc.

SolarWindow Technologies’ new window coatings are a “first of its kind” technology that could turn the buildings we live and work in into selfsufficient, mini power stations. They can generate electricity on see-through glass and flexible plastics with colored tints popular in skyscraper glass.

The coating can be applied to all four sides of tall buildings, generating electricity using natural and artificial light conditions and even shaded areas. Its organic materials are so ideal for lowcost, high-output manufacturing that the technology is already part of 42 product patent applications.

When applied to windows on towers, it’s expected to generate up to 50 times the power of conventional rooftop solar systems while delivering 15 times the environmental benefits. For example, a single SolarWindow installation can avoid the amount of carbon emissions produced by vehicles driving about 2.75 million miles per year, compared to 180,000 miles for conventional rooftop systems.

KAQUN WATER

a breakthrough oxygen delivery system!

Body oxygen depletion is common, especially as we age. Studies indicate Kaqun water

can have positive results!

Tissue oxygen level increase in a 65-year old, minutes after drinking 6oz of Kaqun water!

ater, Pure W id

70

iqu Pure Lgen!

Oxy

60

For more information or to order:

Call (727) 441-4954 or visit BodyHealth.com 16

80

Tampa Bay Edition

www.natampa.com

Farm Therapy Veterans Heal Through Agriculture

Of the 19.6 million veterans in the United States alone, approximately 3.6 million have a service-related disability, 7.6 percent are unemployed and they collectively make up 13 percent of the adult homeless population, according to the Independent Voter Network.

Organizations worldwide are helping veterans heal their wounds through farming and agriculture.

The goal is to create a sustainable food system by educating them to be sustainable vegetable producers, providing training and helping families rebuild war-torn lives.

Eat the Yard, in Dallas, Texas, was founded by Iraq War veterans James Jeffers and Steve Smith to cultivate fresh produce in community gardens. The two began organic farming in their own backyards for both therapeutic and financial reasons, and then slowly began to build more gardens in their community.

They now sell their produce to local restaurants and businesses.

The Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) is working with veterans across the U.S. to transition them into agriculture. The coalition partners veterans with mentors experienced in farming and business, matches them with agriculture-related job opportunities and organizes equipment donations in Iowa and California. FVC is helping former members of the armed forces in 48 states.

Source: FoodTank.com/ news/2014/11/veterans-day

natural awakenings June 2015

17

Creature Crime

Feds Make Animal Abuse a Felony In October, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) classified animal cruelty as a class A felony and a “crime against society,” on a par with such serious crimes as homicide. The FBI intends to prosecute intentional abuse and torture, gross neglect, sexual abuse and organized abuse, which includes dog fights.

Also, the onset of tracking animal abuse cases nationwide will assist local police and counselors in identifying and connecting with minors that show an early tendency to abuse.

FBI studies show an alarming connection between animal abusers and perpetrators of extremely violent crimes against humans. The goal is that early detection and intervention will help certain children get the counseling and social support they need to live productive lives free of crime and abuse.

“Regardless of whether people care about how animals are treated, people, like legislators and judges, care about humans, and they can’t deny the data,” says Natasha Dolezal, a director for the Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark College, in Portland, Oregon.

Source: EliteDaily.com

Plastics Ping-Pong

China Reverses Its Recycling Policy Plastic items we carefully separate from the rest of the trash and put in a distinct container may have a dubious fate, according to environmental watchdog Quartz. U.S. recycling companies have largely stayed away from accepting plastic, and most of it has been shipped to China, where it can be processed more cheaply. But China has announced a new Green Fence policy (Tinyurl.com/ ChinaGreenFence), prohibiting importation of much of the plastic for recycling that it once received.

Plastic categories #3 through #7 (shampoo bottles to butter tubs) may go into domestic landfills again until a solution is found, says David Kaplan, CEO of Maine Plastics, a post-industrial recycler.

China controls a large portion of the recycling market, importing about 70 percent of the world’s 500 million tons of electronic waste and 12 million tons of plastic waste each year. These Chinese policy changes will put pressure on Western countries to reconsider their reliance on this formerly cost-effective practice of exporting waste and the necessity for increasing their domestic recycling infrastructure.

18

Tampa Bay Edition

www.natampa.com

Euro Space

Forty Percent of Hamburg Will Be Green Space Hamburg, Germany, named Europe’s 2011 Green Capital by the European Union, is implementing an ambitious plan to create and link 27 square miles of new and existing green space, comprising 40 percent of its land area. The result will put nature within easy reach of every resident, provide connectivity for walking and bicycling to eliminate automobile traffic by 2035 and make the city more resilient to flooding caused by global warming. The metro area population currently numbers 4.3 million as Europe’s 10th-largest city.

Since 2000, Germany has converted 25 percent of its power grid to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass. The architects of the clean energy movement energiewende, which translates as “energy transformation”, estimate that 80 percent to 100 percent of Germany’s electricity will come from renewable sources by 2050.

Angelika Fritsch, a spokeswoman for the Department of Urban Planning and the Environment, says, “The more important result may be the provision of green infrastructure to absorb rain and flood waters.” Sea levels in the port city have risen by 20 centimeters over the past 60 years and are expected to rise another 30 centimeters by 2100.

Source: Inhabitat.com

Lost Lands

Salinity is Eating Away Farmland Worldwide Every day for more than 20 years, an average of almost eight square miles of irrigated land in arid and semi-arid areas across 75 countries have been degraded by salt, according to the study Economics of Salt-Induced Land Degradation and Restoration, by United Nations University’s Canadian-based Institute for Water, Environment and Health.

Salt degradation occurs in arid and semi-arid regions where rainfall is too low to maintain regular percolation of rainwater through the soil and where irrigation is practiced without a natural or artificial drainage system, which triggers the accumulation of salt in the root zone, affecting soil quality and reducing productivity. In the Colorado River Basin alone, studies peg the annual economic impact of salt-induced land degradation in irrigated areas at $750 million.

The cost of investing in preventing and reversing land degradation and restoring it to productive land would be far lower than letting degradation continue and intensify. Methods successfully used to facilitate drainage and reverse soil degradation include tree planting, deep plowing, cultivation of salttolerant varieties of crops, mixing harvested plant residues into topsoil and digging a drain or deep ditch around salt-affected land.

natural awakenings

June 2015

19

Lectins = Toxins

by Betty Wedman-St Louis, PhD

D

iscovered more than 100 years ago, lectins are carbohydrate binding proteins which promote inflammatory responses like Crohn’s disease, systemic lupus, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. They cause leaky gut and gastrointestinal dysbiosis. The push for a plant-based diet focusing on legumes as meat alternatives overlooks the damage lectins cause. Legumes offer inferior nutrition compared to animal proteins so toxicity needs to be considered when recommending food choices.

As carbohydrate binding proteins, lectins are difficult to digest and irritate the brush border of the small intestine.

Consequently, the tight junctions of the microvilli are damaged by prolamins and agglutinins which can lead to numerous disorders of the gastrointestinal

tract and autoimmune diseases. Lectins are also a major contributor to leptin resistance which contributes to obesity.

As described in The Handbook of Plant Lectins: Properties and Biomedical Applications (John Wiley, 1998), foods that contain toxic lectins are members of the pea family and include peanuts, pigeon peas, soybeans, kidney beans, mung beans, lima beans, lentils, fava beans, chickpeas, carob, and green and yellow peas. Green beans, snow peas and snap peas can be tolerated once the gut has been healed since they are immature protein sources with minor amounts of lectins.

Lectins are found in other

foods including grains and pseudograins. Grains are seeds from grasses: barley, oats, rice, rye, millet, wheat, teff, corn, kamut, spelt, and possibly wild rice. Many gastroenterologists believe that the detrimental effects of lectins in grains are a factor in the development of celiac disease. Genetics and frequent consumption possibly play a critical role in the severity of sensitivities to these foods.

Pseudo-grains are seeds from broad-leafed plants: amaranth, buckwheat, chia, and quinoa. These seed products were geographically limited to specific populations and only available on a limited basis seasonally. However, modern agriculture has greatly increased the consumption of these pseudo-grains as they can be labeled “gluten-free” based on U.S. standards allowing any grain with less than 20 ppm to be called gluten-free.

Omitting toxic lectins, prolamins and agglutinins from the diet is critical for gut health. Prolamins are predomi-

Do You Suffer From Chronic Back Pain?

Discover real relief, through NIH Certified Viniyoga therapy. If you’re one of countless lower back pain sufferers seeking a real alternative to costly drug dependent pain management, join Shanti Vinyasa for the first classes ever offered in Florida, in two locations on both sides of Tampa Bay.

SHANTI V I N Y A S A

Nancy MacDonald, E-RYT 500 visit web site for class calendar privates by appointment

20

Tampa Bay Edition

Certified NIH Low Back Pain Program Certified Restorative Yoga Teacher www.natampa.com

shanti vinyasa 727-542-0116 www.shantivinyasa.com

nately found in the seeds of plants. Gluten is the most widely known source of prolamins. They get their name from the high content of the amino acid proline. Research studies have shown that the prolamins in quinoa, corn and oats can cause damage to the digestive tract in people with celiac disease, yet these grains are frequently included in a gluten-free diet.

Agglutinins are named for their ability to cause clumping of red blood cells. The most recent example of how this toxic lectin works is the bioterrorism threat caused from ricin. Ricin is the compound in castor beans that is so toxic that only tiny amounts are needed to cause death. Agglutinins are found on the seed coatings of grains and pseudo-grains and serve to protect the seed from fungus growth. Genetically modified crops—wheat, corn, soybeans—have higher amounts of agglutinins to insure higher yields.

A leaky gut is harmful to the innate and adaptive immune systems. Toxic lectins cause inflammation and induce cytokine production. As few as five soaked, uncooked kidney beans can lead to gut distress for raw foodies, while

one tablespoon of peanut butter leads to peanut agglutinins entering the bloodstream soon after consumption.

Paolo Zatto and Pamela Zambenedetti, from Padova, Italy, studied lectins, microglia and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) as reported in Lectins and Pathology, 2000. The microglia of 10 AD brains stained intensely for agglutinins. Their research concluded that the glycation reaction seen in AD from lectins may serve as a significant factor in amyloid plaque development and disease progression.

Bacteria overgrowth in the gut is associated with a wide variety of diseases: septicemia, pulmonary infections, enteropathies. Adhesion of pathogenic bacteria to epithelial cells in the gut can be a critical first stage in the infectious disease process. Michele Mouricout and Bruno Vedrine, of Limoges, France, described how lectins cause adhesion of numerous bacterial strains to intestines, brain tissues, urinary tract, lung and corneal cells. Their research, reported in Lectins and Pathology, 2000, illustrates the mosaic effect of how agglutinins cause tissue damage.

Even though lectins have been identified for decades, little interest has

been shown by biological and medical science. Since they are so widely distributed in foods consumed daily, they may finally become recognized as partners in the pathogenesis of diseases like cancer. Galectin-3 (gal 3) galactoside-binding lectin is found on the surface of most cancer cells and has been reported to promote angiogenesis.

Lectins are not oncogenes but they help in cancer progression once initiated.

Some are implicated in adhesion while others cause metastasis.

Isn’t it time nutrition science took a closer look at the lectin levels in foods consumed daily and customize the diet for lectin sensitivity to better manage inflammation and auto immune diseases? The higher intake of GMO food in the diet, the more lectins are consumed. Without food labeling of GMOs, consumers will continue to be misled and sick.

Betty Wedman-St Louis, PhD, Licensed Nutritionist & Environmental Health Specialist, is on the medical staff at Peaks of Health Metabolic Medical Center, 1120 Belcher Rd. S., Ste. 2, Largo.

For more information and appointments, call 727-826-0838. See ad page 9.

Books • Cards • Music • Free WiFi

h mucMore Than

A Bookstore…

"It's an experience."

“We inspire, ignite and invigorate the Spirit within.”

Facebook.com/UnityCampus

Sunday Services 9:30 & 11:30 am Wednesday Service 6:00 pm

460 46th Ave N, St Petersburg | (727) 527-2222 | FirstUnity.org

h mucMore Than

Located at 4500 4th St North in St. Pete.

Call us at (727) 52BOOKS or visit WingsBookstore.com to see

A Bookstore… how much more!

"It's an experience."

Located at 4500 4th St North in St. Pete.

Call us at (727) 52BOOKS or visit WingsBookstore.com to see

how much more!

4500 4th St N, St Petersburg | (727) 522-6657 | WingsBookstore.com natural awakenings

June 2015

21

RETHINKING RECOVERY Holistic Approaches to Healing Addictions

by Lisa Marshall

T

hrough 15 years of alcohol and prescription drug addiction, one prominent Virginia business owner tried it all to get clean: three inpatient rehab centers; talk therapy; Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), spending roughly $200,000 in the process.

“I would follow through for about a year, and then start to feel like I was on top of things and get complacent,” says the 52-year-old, who asked that her name not be used. She’d treat herself to “just one drink” and soon find herself in a familiar downward spiral. She last relapsed in October 2012. Three months later, she was on the interstate in the morning, a half-empty four-pack of mini wine bottles on her front seat, when she swerved and slammed head-on into a semi-trailer truck. She escaped her flattened car with minor head trauma, gratitude that her children didn’t have to “bury their drunk mother,” and a renewed will to sober up and rediscover happiness.

Today, she’s done just that, thanks to a comprehensive, holistic approach that included hiring a life coach that specializes in addiction, overhauling her diet, making time for daily physical and spiritual exercises and reframing her addiction, not as a disease she is cursed with, but as a predisposition she has the power to keep at bay.

“Yes. I was passed a gene by my alcoholic father. Yet that only becomes a threat to me when I make a choice to ingest something that cuts the beast loose,” she says. “I work hard every day, using a whole bunch of different tools to keep that from happening again.”

She is one of a growing number of alcoholics and addicts reaching beyond the standard trifecta of 28-day rehabs, 12-step programs and psychotherapy toward an approach that addresses mind, body and spirit. More than 40 million Americans over the age of 12 (16 percent of the population) are addicted to alcohol or drugs, according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at New York City’s Columbia University.

Yet the standard treatments yield lessthan-stellar success rates.

Sixty percent of addicts return to drug use within a year after rehab, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and only 5 percent of AA attendees continue with meetings after 12 months, according to AA research.

David Essel, a Fort Myers, Florida, life coach who specializes in working with substance abusers, says that when examining all the data, only about one in 10 addicts or alcoholics that use conventional means alone are still clean after one year. Fortunately, because

22

www.natampa.com

Tampa Bay Edition

people vary widely in emotional needs and physiologies, other complementary options are also catching on.

Mending Brain and Body

Enter a group meeting for recovering addicts or alcoholics and chances are there will be a pot of black coffee, plus donuts or cookies. “Having poor eating habits is a primary contributing factor to relapse,” says Registered Dietitian David Wiss, founder of NutritionInRecovery.com, which provides nutrition consulting for recovery programs in Los Angeles. Because substance abuse can deaden appetite and many of the same neurological circuits that drugs and alcohol stimulate are also activated by salty or sugar-laden foods, newly recovering addicts tend to be ravenous and drawn to junk food. “After 30 days in treatment, people can gain 10 to 30 pounds. They often turn back to addictive substances they’ve abused to get their appetite back under control,” says Wiss. (Because smoking deadens taste buds, drawing people to seek out more intense salty or sugary flavors, it exacerbates the problem.)

In a subconscious attempt to get maximum stimulation of now-neglected reward centers in the brain, users often eat little most of the day, then binge later, leading to erratic blood sugar levels that can impact mood, further sabotaging recovery. After years of abuse, addicts also tend to suffer deficiencies of proteins and good fats—key building blocks of a healthy brain.

“The brain has been rewired due to the use of substances. Without healing it, you can attend all the meetings in the world and you’ll still struggle with cravings,” reports Essel. He starts new clients with 500 milligrams (mg) daily of the dietary supplement DLphenylalanine, an amino acid precursor to feel-good neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine. He also gives them tyrosine, an energizing amino acid said to quell sugar cravings. For relieving a craving in progress, he recommends 500 to 1,000 mg of glutamine, placed under the tongue.

Wiss says he generally recommends food over supplements, yet asking newly recovering addicts to also revamp their diets can be tough. “I wouldn’t expect anyone to make a big nutritional change in their first week of sobriety,” he says.

After that, he encourages small steps: Drink eight glasses of water per day. Eat three meals and three snacks to keep blood sugar stable. Load up on fiber, which can help heal the gut and replenish it with healthy bacteria. Eat plenty of lean protein to promote production of feel-good brain chemicals. Load up on nuts, seeds, fatty fish and other omega-3 fatty acids that suppress inflammation in the brain and have been shown in some studies to quell depression.

Daily exercise is also key as Wiss notes that it “circulates our blood and gets all those healthy nutrients into our brain.”

Physical activities can also help fill the void and even provide a new sense of identity for someone whose selfesteem has been shattered, says Scott Strode, founder of Denver, Colorado’s Phoenix Multisport, which hosts group cycling, running and climbing outings for recovering addicts and alcoholics.

Strode kicked his own cocaine habit 18 years ago by immersing himself first in boxing, then climbing and triathlons.

He founded Phoenix in 2007 to help fill what he sees as a gaping hole in recovery support services—a place where people with similar pasts can gather and talk without dwelling exclusively on their dependence issues. He has since served 15,000 people in Colorado, California, and Boston, offering 60 free outings a week for anyone at least 48 hours sober.

“By being part of something like this, you can let go of the shame of being the addict, the junkie or the one that let down the family. Now you are the climber or the mountain biker,” says Strode. He stresses that Phoenix programs aren’t intended to replace treatment. Still, “For some, just that redefining of self may be enough. For others, it’s a powerful tool in a broader toolbox.”

Beyond AA

Co-founded in 1935 by an alcoholic named Bill Wilson, Alcoholics Anonymous now has 2 million members and has played an important role in many successful recoveries. However, its Godbased approach (five of the 12 steps refer to God or Him), a credo that alcoholics must admit “powerlessness” and its emphasis on alcoholism as a defining disease aren’t for everyone. Naysayers

natural awakenings

June 2015

23

point to a 2006 finding by the nonprofit Cochrane Collaboration that states, “No experimental studies unequivocally demonstrated the effectiveness of AA or 12-step approaches for reducing alcohol dependence or problems.”

Such concerns have prompted some alternative recovery fellowships, including Moderation Management (Moderation.org), which helps people that want to drink less; and Smart Recovery (SmartRecovery.org), which supports an ethos of self-empowerment via cognitive behavioral therapy, nutritional changes and group discussions. Other programs focus on renewing the soul by applying metaphysical practices to the traditional 12 steps.

“The conventional 12 steps talk about a higher power outside of you,” says Ester Nicholson, a singer, author and addictions counselor. In her book Soul Recovery: 12 Keys to Healing Addiction, she describes a descent into crack cocaine addiction beginning in her teens, and the long climb out of it.

At first, she says, the 12 steps helped her break free of what she calls the “spiritual malady, mental obsession and physical allergy,” that is addiction. But after a decade of being clean,

followed by a near-relapse, she discovered meditation and other spiritual practices. “I realized that this higher power can restore me to sanity, but the higher power is actually within me. I found this wonderful bridge between the 12 steps and universal spiritual principals, and it is rocking my world.”

Patti Lacey, 54, an Essel client, likewise found lasting sobriety by extending her toolbox, learning to focus not only on past pain, but on bringing forth her best self. According to the International Coach Federation, which reports an uptick in interest in recovery coaching, a coach helps to establish individual goals and map a journey to success.

Two years into recovery, Lacey still takes her supplements daily, rises at dawn to meditate,

attends 12-step meetings and is part of a nondenominational church community. She also regularly meets with her coach to report progress and update goals, including getting a handle on her finances, a frequent casualty of addiction. “Everybody’s journey is different,” Lacey confirms. “What I needed was someone to tell me exactly what to do in the beginning, and then be around to hold me accountable. That changed everything.”

Lisa Marshall is a freelance health writer in Boulder, CO. Connect at LisaAnnMarshall.com.

When was the last time you had a great night’s sleep?

If you’re too tired to remember, it’s time to try something new!

Sleep Apnea Relief – a fast-acting and wholistic solution to get you off CPAP Leg Relaxer – quell restless legs and leg cramps with an effective combination of herbs that relax nerves, reduce tension and increase circulation Hi, I’m Steve Frank and I suffered from sleep apnea for years. My patent-pending formulation has helped thousands return to sleeping well and I use it every night.

My Mom asked me what to do about the persistent leg cramps keeping her awake. Leg Relaxer was the result of my research, and it works for Restless Legs as well!

Now you can use these effective solutions too!

Order online at MyNaturesRite.com or call 800-991-7088 24

Tampa Bay Edition

www.natampa.com

natural awakenings June 2015

25

healingways

Don’t Get Ticked Off Natural Ways to Avoid and Treat Lyme Disease

by Linda Sechrist

I

n 1977, two Yale School of Medicine scientists identified the infected blacklegged deer tick carrying the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi as the disease-transmitting organism of Lyme disease. Since 1982, this most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the U.S. has gained notoriety, with its own resource book, Disease Update: Science, Policy & Law; research center (Columbia-Lyme. org/index.html); International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society website, ilads.org; Lyme Times print journal (LymeDisease.org); and national informational organization, the Tick-Borne Disease Alliance (TBDAlliance.org).

The surge of activity appears justifiable. According to scientists at the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 300,000 cases are diagnosed annually in this country alone.

Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club, is a post-treatment Lyme disease patient and co-founder of LymeAid 4Kids (Tinyurl.com/LymeAid4Kids) that funds the diagnosis and treatment of uninsured children with Lyme. She disagrees with physicians that downplay late-stage cases and insist that the disease is cured with a simple round of antibiotics, as does Katina Makris, a classical homeopath from New Hampshire and host of Lyme Light Radio.

26

Tampa Bay Edition

www.natampa.com

After experiencing mysterious symptoms, Makris spent five years suffering from debilitating symptoms familiar to individuals with Lyme—undiagnosed, relapsing fevers, lingering fatigue, joint pain, headaches, neurological symptoms and cognitive impairment. “Then I finally began my 10-year healing journey,” she says. Her book Out of the Woods: Healing from Lyme Disease for Body, Mind, and Spirit, is a recovery memoir and resource guide for alternative medical, emotional and spiritual support.

Lyme evades detection by standard blood tests for bacterial antigens and antibodies. “The ELISA [enzyme-linked immuno assay] test is only accurate between two weeks and two months after the bite,” says Makris, who notes that the Western Blot test is somewhat more accurate, while the IGeneX Laboratory test is superior. She believes the best laboratories for testing are Clongen Laboratories and IGeneX Laboratory Services.

Dr. Richard Horowitz has treated more than 12,000 Lyme disease patients as medical director of the Hudson Valley Healing Arts Center, in Hyde Park, New York. The author of Why Can’t I Get Better? Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease raises another red flag regarding detection.

Testing for coinfections frequently transmitted along with Lyme is unreliable. Horowitz, who will conduct a workshop with Makris at New York’s Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, in Rhinebeck, and online, from June 26 to 28, counsels that antibiotics are not effective because they don’t address all of the infecting organisms now frequently found in ticks.

Stephen Harrod Buhner, of Silver City, New Mexico, an independent scholar and citizen scientist and author of Healing Lyme Disease Coinfections, says that the bacteria have jumped species and found new hosts that live in habitats formerly occupied by wild animals: “They have learned to exist in humans and are teaching each other how to resist antibiotics and more easily infect us. What they do together in the body is a great deal more complex than what they do alone, making them difficult to treat. Bartonella species utilize the immune system of whatever mammal they infect as part of their infection strategy. Any existing inflammation in the body, such as arthritis, facilitates the growth of Bartonella.”

Essential Oils to Repel Ticks 1 cup distilled water 2 drops geranium essential oil 2 drops Palo Santo essential oil 1 drop myrrh essential oil 4 drops grapefruit essential oil 1 drop peppermint essential oil 1 drop Thieves hand soap or castile soap Place all ingredients in a spray bottle and shake. Spritz on socks, sneakers/ hiking boots, ankles and legs at a minimum and consider other exposed skin.

The weaker or more compromised one’s immune system, the more likely a debilitating course of illness will occur. An improved immune system can identify the outer membrane proteins of the offending bacteria and create countering antibodies in four to eight months. “Once the immune system creates the proper antibodies, the bacteria

are then eliminated fairly rapidly,” advises Buhner.

Makris is grateful that she saw a nutritionist trained in functional medicine.

“He worked slowly and methodically to reduce the inflammation, build up my immune system and restore my digestive, endocrine and nervous systems before killing the bacteria and opening up natural detoxification pathways to flush out the bacteria and their endotoxins.

We used weekly acupuncture appointments, good nutrition and homeopathic formulas, plus various herbs, vitamins and mineral supplements,” says Makris.

Ticks in high-vegetation areas wait for a passing host. To avoid these hitchhikers, wear light-colored long pants tucked into socks. A shirt should also be tucked in. Later, strip down and search hair, underarms, legs, behind the knees and ears, and in the belly button.

As commercial tick repellants contain toxic ingredients, a targeted mixture of topically applied, therapeutic-grade essential oils is preferred.

Linda Sechrist is the senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings.

natural awakenings

June 2015

27

inspiration Office hours: Mon. - Fri. 8am - 6pm Sat. 8am - noon Appointment hours vary

Ani ma l Alternatives

HIDDEN TREASURES Neighbors Discover Their Wealth of Resources

Holistic Health Care Clinic ‘Guidance for your pets’ health’

Dr. Anne Lampru, DVM, CVA over 20 years experience

Holistic Medicine TCM Acupuncture Homeopathy Nutraceutical Medicine • Herbs Alternative Vaccination Plans Dentistry & Surgery

813 - 265 - 2411

238 E. Bearss Ave. Tampa, FL 33613 (located at the NE corner of N. Florida Ave. and Bearss Ave.)

www.animalalternatives.org

28

Tampa Bay Edition

T

by John McKnight and Peter Block

he essential promise of consumerism is that everything fulfilling or needed in life can be purchased— from happiness to healing, from love to laughter and from raising a child to caring for someone at the end of life.

What was once the task of relatives and neighbors has been outsourced, costing the family its capacity to manage traditionally provided necessities. The community has been replaced by paid professionals and technology.

Until the 20th century, the basic philosophy of rearing children was that they become effective grownups by connecting with productive adults and learning the community’s skills, traditions and customs from them. Youth had key household jobs to do. When they became adults, they were thus equipped to care both for the next generation and for those that had cared for them.

Today, the most effective communities are those in which neighborhoods and residents have reclaimed their traditional roles. The research on this point is decisive. Where there are “thick” community connections, there is positive child development. Health improves, the environment is sustained and people are safer and have a stronger local economy.

Neighbors Naomi Alessio and Jackie Barton were talking about family challenges when Alessio noted her son Theron’s encouraging turnaround after he began voluntarily learning metalworking skills with Mr. Thompson in his garage shop. Alessio could see Theron change and finally stopped worrying about what he was doing after school.

Barton admitted that her son Alvin was in trouble, and asked Alessio if there might be someone in the neighborhood

www.natampa.com

whose skills would interest him. They discovered enough diverse talent for all the kids in the neighborhood to tap into.

Three of the men they met— Charles Wilt, Mark Sutter and Sonny Reed—joined Alessio, Barton and Thompson in finding out what the kids on the block were interested in learning. Also, why not ask the kids what they knew? They found 22 things the young people knew that might be of interest to some adults on the block.

The six neighbors named themselves the Matchmakers and created a neighborhood website. Many neighbors also formed a band, plus a choir led by Sarah Ensley, an elder who’d been singing all her life. Charles Dawes, a police officer, formed an intergenerational team to make the block a safe haven for everyone.

Lenore Manse decided to write family histories with photos and persuaded neighborhood historian Jim Caldwell and her best friend, Lannie Eaton, to help.

Wilt suggested that the Matchmakers welcome newcomers by giving them a copy of the block history, and then updating it with information about each new family.

Three years later, at the annual block party, Barton summed up the neighborhood’s accomplishment: “All the lines are broken; we’re all connected. We’re a real community now.”

Adapted from an article by John McKnight and Peter Block for YES! Magazine that appears in its anthology, Sustainable Happiness. They are co-authors of The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods (Abundant Community.com).

natural awakenings

June 2015

29

Balancing for

Best Health

by Susan Beaven, MD

O

ur lives are all about the balance and integration of our many parts—the yin and yang—building up (anabolic) and breaking down (catabolic), and sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, to name a couple. When we lose balance in our bodies, disease ensues.

When we experience a combination of symptoms, like fatigue, joint pain, muscle pain, headache, abdominal bloating and pain, it tells us that many systems are out of balance. We need to find and treat the main imbalances and our body will start to rebalance itself and heal. More than ever, in this age of specialization, health care providers need to look at our bodies and health as a whole and how each part affects the other.

A lovely quote from Jeff Bland, PhD, the father of Functional Medicine: “Functional Medicine is the science of

creating health. Disease goes away as a side effect.”

The highest balance/integration is that between the mind (mental/ emotional), body (physical), and spirit.

Within the body, the neurological, endocrine, and immune systems must be balanced. Any disruption in any system causes the others to malfunction.

Within the endocrine system, three of the major systems—thyroid, adrenal, and sex hormones—must be balanced.

Failure to do this is why some people do not feel quite right on sex hormone replacement alone. For instance, elevated levels of cortisol from the adrenal glands cause a change in the binding of the sex hormones and the amount of free hormones (like estrogen) available to perform their functions.

Hypothyroidism is a good example of the effects of different organs

30

www.natampa.com

Tampa Bay Edition

on another. Treating hypothyroidism is not just a matter of testing, including thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), finding it elevated, and then giving the patient medication to fix it. It is necessary to ask, “Why did this occur?”

Then to find the root cause(s), begin the proper treatment(s), balancing the body and allowing it to heal. To make thyroid hormones, proper nutrients are required, such as iron, iodine, tyrosine, zinc and selenium, Vitamins E, B2, B3, B6, C and D. We must eat a healthy, nutrient-dense diet, but even that is not enough. We must digest and break down and absorb those foods—the proteins, fats and carbohydrates—in order to have the nutrients to use in the many cellular reactions in our bodies, and in this case to make thyroid hormone.

Here are examples of the gut-thyroid balance/inter-regulation. Medicine like the protein pump inhibitor, Prilosec, can interfere with the absorption of vital nutrients which can lead to disease states like hypothyroidism and osteoporosis. Surgeries like removal of the gallbladder and stomach surgeries for weight loss can alter the ability for digestion and absorption of food.

Celiac disease—an autoimmune disorder—causes damage to the intestinal lining and problems with digestive enzyme production/absorption of food.

This damage to the lining gives loose connections between the cells (leaky gut) and allows foods to pass from the gut into the bloodstream and body.

This causes the body to react to these ‘foreign invaders’ and produce antibodies leading to autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Hypothyroidism is known to cause elevation in the cortisol levels. (It is felt to do this as it is causing metabolic stress on the cells.) Elevated cortisol levels suppress TSH and low cortisol levels cause high TSH. This is an example of the thyroid axis and adrenal axis interplay.

Cholesterol metabolism is another example of complex interplays. High cholesterol is not a statin deficiency—it comes from a variety of causes: genetic, inflammation, hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, foods we eat, stress. Just because our genes say we have inherited a particular genetic sequence does not mean we are doomed. Another

of my favorite quotes by Dr. Bland is: “Genetic expression=our genes get messages from our interactions with the environment and with how we choose to behave. They translate those messages into cellular instructions. These instructions are then what control our health and disease patterns. Genetic inheritance is not fate. Your lifetime health was not predetermined at your conception.

On the contrary, you have the opportunity—and the power—to shape your own pattern of health and longevity. It’s what personalized health management is all about.”

Insulin resistance can come from high cortisol levels which can be stressinduced and problems with carbohydrate metabolism from excessive intake.

Insulin resistance can cause high cholesterol levels. It is all really interrelated and interdependent. When you get that high cholesterol level back, you see why just putting you on a statin isn’t the answer. One of the reasons statins have been shown to work in studies is that they decrease inflammation which is one of the causes of high cholesterol.

In Functional/Integrative Medicine, we have other ways to treat the inflammation. First, we need to find the source, looking at the whole picture, and to decide on a treatment plan. We access genetic risk and then how our environment affects this, causing those genes to express or not. Are we eating a diet that is balanced and giving us

Functional Medicine is the science of creating health. Disease goes away as a side effect. ~ Jeff Bland, PhD

the proper nutrients? Are we eating too many carbs and the wrong kind of fats?

Do we have in place a daily lifestyle plan to modulate the stresses in our lives? Are we exercising but not excessively? Have we evaluated our thyroid and adrenal (cortisol and adrenaline) functions? Have we identified any inflammation that could be causing the problem? All these factors need to be taken into consideration to treat high cholesterol appropriately.

Another important interplay is between cholesterol, sex hormones and cortisol. Cortisol is the ‘mother’ substrate necessary for the production of adequate sex hormones, like progesterone, estrogens, DHEA, testosterone and cortisol. If we don’t have enough cholesterol, we can’t make these hormones and have deficiency states.

Driving cholesterol down too far with statin drugs becomes a problem for our hormone production and we become symptomatic. The hot flashes, fatigue and insomnia symptoms that a woman is presenting with can also be coming from this very low cholesterol. We know that stress is necessary for our health, yet too much of the right kind gives us elevated cortisol initially and the wrong kind damages our body. Elevated levels are a tear me down situation, not a build up the body. Too much exercise contributes to this problem also.

We need to balance our lives with proper foods, exercise, stress management and attitude. Be happy, generous and, most of all, be yourself. I am happy to help you on your journey to optimal health, happiness and well-being.

Dr. Susan Beaven, MD is a board certified Family Medicine physician and one of 215 internationally certified in Functional Medicine by the Institute of Functional Medicine. She is a Diplomate of the Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine. Her extensive training, qualifications and experience in both allopathic and functional/integrative medicine allow her to provide patients with exceptional care.

Dr. Beaven practices at Hermann Wellness, 6387 Central Ave., St. Petersburg.

To make an appointment for a comprehensive evaluation and plan, call 727-278-4992. See ad page 17.

natural awakenings

June 2015

31

healthykids

Natural

DADS How They Raise Conscious Kids

by Lane Vail

F

athers are more involved in their children’s lives than ever before, embracing their roles of leader, nurturer and protector, and they’re reaping extraordinary benefits. According to a 2014 study published in the Academy of Management Perspectives, fathers that spend more time with their kids are both happier at home and more satisfied at work. Today, many mindful dads engaged in a natural lifestyle apply that same health consciousness to their parenting.

Support Mama. Natural fathering begins during pregnancy, with an informed birth plan. “Support whatever birthing decision the woman feels will provide her the most comfort and relaxation,” advises Dr. John Douillard, an ayurvedic chiropractor and author of six books, including Perfect Health

for Kids. Hold her hand, rub her back, advocate for her rights and after the birth, support her efforts to breastfeed whenever, wherever and however long she wants.

“Fathers should recognize that the burden of care is clearly on the mother for at least the first year, so her opinions and wishes deserve special consideration and respect,” says Ben Hewitt, father of two, home unschooler and author of The Nourishing Homestead.

Embrace physical closeness. Bonding through nurturing touch is powerful and rewarding for father and child. A recent study published in the Journal of Perinatal Education found that fathers that practiced infant massage experienced significant stress release and bonding with their offspring. Wearing a baby or toddler

32

www.natampa.com

Tampa Bay Edition

in a sling, wrap or carrier is another comforting way to spend time together.

Co-sleeping helps foster a more natural sleep rhythm with a nocturnally hungry baby, while also offering another way to connect. “Any stress my family may have experienced during the day dissipated when we reconnected at nighttime,” Hewitt attests. “Looking back, I can’t imagine having missed out on that opportunity to be so close with my kids.”

Feed healthy habits. Natural dads are educated about both naturopathic and Western medicine to make informed choices regarding prevention and intervention. Douillard applies the ayurvedic principle of seasonal eating in order to bolster the immune systems of his six children and clients. Cooling foods like fruits and vegetables in summer prevent overheating; warming foods like soups, nuts and meats in winter lubricate mucus membranes and facilitate fat and protein storage; light foods like leafy greens in spring detoxify the body. His experience is that when kids with robust immunity catch the occasional malady, its severity and duration are reduced, and natural herbs often provide a gentle first step toward recovery.

Douillard treats colds with a spoonful of equal parts turmeric and honey mixed into a paste. “Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antiviral herb that also helps liquefy mucus in the respiratory tract,” he says. For tummy troubles, he suggests offering kids an herbal tea of cumin, coriander or fennel.

When dads are calm and present, they become a calming presence.

Now Enrolling Grades 6, 7 & 8 727-239-7245

~Hal Runkel

Above all, parents must exemplify good health habits. “Eat better, exercise regularly, change your diet with the local season and your kids will follow along,” says Douillard.

Impart green morals. Earth-conscious parents teach their children how to leave a faint ecological footprint by supporting local eco-friendly companies, reducing the presence of toxic chemicals in the home and consuming and wasting less. However, wagging a finger and imploring kids to be ecofriendly is not enough; model helpful behaviors and illustrate the implications of their choices. “Instead of saying, ‘You should recycle,’ show kids online pictures of the giant flotillas of plastics polluting the oceans,” says Hewitt. Maintain an experiential dialogue about respecting, preserving and enjoying nature.

Encourage adventure and resourcefulness. “Historically,” says Hewitt, “children learned alongside their parents and community, immersed in their environment, an arrangement that allowed them continual opportunities to prove their own resourcefulness.” All dads, like homeschoolers, will find satisfying fun in sharing problem-solving, hands-on projects with their kids, like building a debris shelter in the woods, planting a garden, or using repurposed materials to engineer something with form and function.

Learning doesn’t have to be a hierarchical activity, wherein dads teach children, says Hewitt. “The opportunity to learn and explore together is powerful.”

Play. Hewitt encourages dads to look for opportunities to relieve kids of their often overwhelming and scattered schedules. “It’s incredibly important for kids and adults to set aside time for free play and exploration,” he says.

“Go outside with them,” says Douillard. “Make up games, goof off, run around, roll around and just be with them. It makes a world of difference in their lives.”

Step Up for students scholarship available

Educating children to become creative, compassionate and innovative thinkers.

TampaBayWaldorf.org

455 Riviere Rd Palm Harbor

Man maintains his balance, poise and sense of security only as he is moving forward. ~Maxwell Maltz

Lane Vail is a freelance writer in South Carolina and blogger at Discovering Homemaking.com. natural awakenings

June 2015

33

consciouseating

MANLY FOODS

Boost Testosterone with the Right Choices

by Kathleen Barnes

Today’s rates of male infertility and sexual dysfunction suggest that low testosterone is rapidly becoming a national problem.

J

ohns Hopkins School of Medicine epidemiologists estimate that 18.4 percent of all American men over the age of 20, totaling 18 million, have reported experiencing erectile dysfunction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 7.5 percent of all sexually experienced men under 45, or more than 4 million, have consulted a fertility doctor, suggesting it’s a serious problem among younger men.

“Both erectile dysfunction and infertility reflect elements of lifestyle choices, especially obesity, smoking and exposure to environmental toxins,” says Naturopath James Occhiogrosso, of Fort Myers, Florida, author of Your Prostate, Your Libido, Your Life: A Guide to Causes and Natural Solutions for Prostate Problems and ProstateHealthNaturally.com. He says there are many ways to address low testosterone, a factor in both issues, and a healthy diet is crucial for healthy sexual function in both men and women.

Some foods can help, while others can hinder a man’s sexual vitality, advises Craig Cooper, of Newport Beach, California, founder of the CooperativeHealth network of men’s health websites and author of Your New Prime: 30 Days to Better Sex, Eternal Strength, and a Kick Ass Life After 40. He identifies key 34

Tampa Bay Edition

www.natampa.com

no-nos that decrease testosterone as eating excess sugar, drinking excessive alcohol and being sedentary. Here are the best foods for increasing testosterone.

Shrimp: Like fatty fish, this tiny crustacean is one of nature’s few food sources of vitamin D, which Harvard School of Public Health research confirms is linked to testosterone levels.

Four ounces of shrimp contain 162 IU (international units), about 40 percent of recommended daily intake.

Oysters, red meat and pumpkin seeds: All of these are rich sources of zinc, which Cooper notes has a direct link to higher testosterone levels. He cautions, however, that too much zinc can cause its absorption to diminish.

Men need 11 milligrams (mg) of zinc a day. Oysters are considered a food of love for a reason: One shelled oyster contains 12.8 mg of zinc. Pumpkin seeds are zinc powerhouses with 7 mg in 3.5 ounces. By comparison, 3 ounces of beef liver or dark chicken meat deliver 4.3 mg and 2.4 mg, respectively.

Lean, grass-fed beef, tuna and nuts: These are high-quality sources of omega-3 fatty acids. “Without obtaining at least 20 percent of our daily calories from fat (no less than 15 percent) we can’t function at optimum capacity, as hormones are produced through the components of dietary fats, including the sex hormones like testosterone,” advises Virginia Beach, Virginia, Registered Dietitian Jim White, a spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “A diet high in carbohydrates and too much dietary fat—more than 35 percent—will cause a gain in body

fat, which can decrease testosterone levels. Balance is the key.”

Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage: Cruciferous vegetables are rich sources of indole-3-carbinol, which helps both balance testosterone and estrogen, and neutralize excess estrogen in men and women, says Occhiogrosso. Yes, men have estrogen, too, just less than women, and too much blocks testosterone production.

Red grapes: This whole food is a good source of resveratrol and proanythocyanidin, which block harmful estrogen production, says White. Excess estrogen production spurred by eating foods like soy and flax and the growth hormones contained in big agriculture’s meat and dairy products lowers testosterone production in men.

Strawberries: Due to their cortisollowering vitamin C, all berries help reduce stress, including when hormones are released during a heavy workout that can hamper testosterone production. One study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine confirms that more cortisol equals less

testosterone; another in the World Journal of Men’s Health shows that high cortisol lowers sex drive and results in delayed ejaculation. Plus, two Brazilian studies showed animals with the highest vitamin C intake had the highest sperm counts among study subjects.

Another good cortisol fighter is the allicin in garlic.

Pomegranates: Occhiogrosso likes pomegranates for building testosterone levels. An impressive study from the International Journal of Impotence Research showed that the performance of 47 percent of the impotent male study participants improved after consuming a daily glass of pomegranate juice for four weeks.

“Food is always the first choice when I’m treating men with testosterone and fertility issues,” says Occhiogrosso. “It’s often effective without the dangers of testosterone injections.”

PERSONAL HORMONE PROFILE

H

ealth counselor James Occhiogrosso says it’s essential to know a man’s entire hormone profile, not just testosterone levels, to understand the best way to treat problems.

Kathleen Barnes is the author of numerous health books, including Food Is Medicine: 101 Prescriptions from the Garden. Connect at KathleenBarnes.com.

4 Testosterone 4 Free testosterone 4 SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin)

Body Building Doesn’t Build Testosterone

M

A hormone panel should include blood and/or saliva tests of the following:

any people think that bodybuilders define he-man muscles by producing huge amounts of testosterone. Not so, says Naturopath James Occhiogrosso, who specializes in men’s health. “Bodybuilders consume huge amounts of protein to build muscles,” he says. “When a man’s pumping 100 to 150 grams of protein into his body every day, he will actually produce less testosterone.” For healthy testosterone levels, he recommends that a man derive a maximum of 25 percent of his daily calories from protein.

4 Progesterone and estradiol (hor mones not only present in women) 4 DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), a precursor, or foundational hormone, that produces both estrogen and testosterone

natural awakenings

June 2015

35

THE TEENY-TINY VACATION OPTION Mini-Dwellings Make Travel a Lark

by Avery Mack

Tiny vacation cottages offer a simple, cozy setting for taking time off together and spell crazy fun—a huge improvement over sterile motel rooms.

M

ost of us are oriented to a typical American house averaging 2,300 square feet, making it a childlike hoot to step into the petite footprint of a tiny house one-tenth the size. Vacation rentals of “tinies” are

available nationwide in all shapes and styles—including treetop aeries.

Tree houses range from rustic to luxurious. Marti MacGibbon and her husband, Chris Fitzhugh, spent a romantic weekend at the Out ‘n’ About Tree-

36

www.natampa.com

Tampa Bay Edition

photo courtesy of Pat Capozzi

greenliving

house Resort, in Cave Junction, Oregon.

“The Peacock Perch is a favorite,” says MacGibbon. “It also helps me overcome my fear of heights.”

In Hawaii, Skye Peterson built a tree house from recycled materials in five native ohia trees outside Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. The eco-friendly, solarpowered, passive-energy vacation home enchants guests with firelight at night and breakfast in the morning.

For those that prefer ground-level vacationing, glamorous camping, or glamping, offers an outdoor experience with the comforts of home. Yellowstone National Park’s Yellowstone Under Canvas has summer options for every budget through September 7, including an onsite gourmet restaurant. Tipis offer the basics, while a roomier safari tent adds a wood-burning stove with complimentary firewood. A deluxe suite with private bath sleeps a family with king-size and sofa beds. All face majestic views of mountains, water and wildlife.

Rustic Karenville, eight miles from Ithaca, New York, isn’t on any map.

Owner and builder Karen Thurnheer and her husband, Robert Wesley, live in a 270-square-foot cabin amidst a small village of tinies next to the 9,000-acre Danby State Forest. The little buildings don’t have running water; some have woodstove heat, electricity if the generator’s running and there’s a composting outhouse. “The houses are silly and fun,” she says. “There’s fresh air and at night a million stars.”

Sarah and John Murphy welcome travelers to enjoy urban life with amenities in the heart of Music City via Nashville’s tiniest guest house. With a complete kitchen and bath, conditioned air and Wi-Fi, its 200 square feet can accommodate four.

Rhode Island’s Arcade Providence historic shopping mall took a hit from Internet shopping. Now it’s vibrantly alive as micro-apartments (bedroom, bath and kitchen in 300 square feet) fill the second and third levels, while first-floor stores cater to residents and destination shoppers. The “no vacancy” sign is regularly posted for apartments acting as dorms or pied á terres.

On the West coast, near the 150acre Lily Point Marine Park, in Port Roberts, Washington, a secluded gingerbread cottage affords a gas fireplace, solarium and upstairs deck for viewing wildlife. “It’s relaxing and romantic,” says owner Pat Capozzi.

Artsy and trendy, Caravan is the

first tiny hotel in the United States. Since 2013, guests have enjoyed a choice of its six tiny houses in Portland, Oregon’s Alberta Arts District.

Simple-living students, retirees and even families with small children and pets are embracing the concept longer-term. “The best part,” says Macy Miller, a Boise, Idaho architect who built her own tiny of recycled materials at a cost of $12,000, “is no mortgage.”

To avoid local minimum-size zoning requirements, her house is mounted on a flatbed trailer. The 196-square-foot space is also home to her boyfriend James, toddler Hazel, and Denver, a 150-pound great dane. Recently, Miller blogged, “I’m designing what may be the first tiny nursery as we expect baby number two!”

As Thurnheer observes, “There are lots of silly people like me who love living tiny.”

Connect with freelance writer Avery Mack at AveryMack@mindspring.com.

Prepare for a New Career as

photo courtesy of Out ‘N’ About Treesort

After stays in guesthouses and hotel rooms, a tiny house felt spacious, so I decided to build my own as a home base. ~Lauren Juliff, professional travel blogger

Tiny Houses to Go ArcadeProvidence.com MiniMotives.com MtUnderCanvas.com MusicCityTinyHouse.com TinyHouseHotel.com TinyHouseTalk.com/Karenville Tinyurl.com/Out-N-AboutTreesort Tinyurl.com/SheSheds Tinyurl.com/TinyGingerbreadCottage VolcanoTreehouse.net

YOGA NIDRA

Massage Therapist

IMMERSION & CERTIFICATION Unleash the Healing Potential Dormant Within You

a

• Graduate in as little as 7½ months!

• Financial aid is available to those who qualify.

• Dedicated solely to massage therapy education since 1981.

• Hands-on training!

• Day and evening programs!

• Accredited by ACCSC.

OCTOBER 16-25, 2015

877-206-4308

4045 Park Boulevard, Pinellas Park, Florida 33781

cortiva.com

352-685-3001 www.amrityoga.org

For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program, and other important information, please visit our website at www.cortiva.com/programs.

natural awakenings

June 2015

37

wisewords

The Gut-Mind Connection David Perlmutter on How Stomach Microflora Affect Brain Health

by Linda Sechrist

D

r. David Perlmutter, a board-certified neurologist and recipient of the Linus Pauling Award for his innovative approaches to addressing neurological disorders, has recently released Brain Maker, the latest in a series of books on brain health. This medical advisor to the Dr. Oz Show demonstrates how brain problems can be prevented by adopting lifestyle changes that nurture the bacteria living in the digestive system.

Why did you begin your book with the quote, “Death begins in the colon,” rather than “Brain health begins in the gut”?

I wanted to draw attention to the real life-or-death issues mediated by what goes on inside the gut. Individuals with an immediate concern for their heart, bones, immune system or brain must recognize that the health of these parts and functions are governed at the level of commensal gut bacteria, the normal microflora that eat what we eat. This relationship is the most powerful leverage point we have for maintaining health.

How were you led to expand from studying the nervous system and brain to investigating gastrointestinal medicine?

Early on in my career, I was taught that everything that goes on in the brain stays there. But leading-edge research now reveals that seemingly disparate organs are in close communication, regulating each other’s health. As scientific literature began supporting the notion that gut-related issues 38

Tampa Bay Edition

www.natampa.com

have a huge bearing on brain health, and specifically on brain disease, it became important to me to be able to leverage deep knowledge of this empowering information in terms of being able to treat brain disorders.

What is the Human Microbiome Project (HMP)?

HMP, launched in 2008 by the National Institutes of Health, is a $115 million exploration of the gut microbiome. In the ongoing research project involving genetic and DNA assessment, researchers are looking at the microbiome array in the gut of individuals suffering from various diseases. They are drawing correlations between emerging patterns in the abnormalities of gut bacteria and specific diseases. For example, autism correlates with an overabundance of the Clostridia species. In diabetes, there are more Firmicutes than Bacteroidetes, which we also see in obesity characteristic of the Western cosmopolitan diet.

This is paving the way for interventions designed to restore a normal balance of gut bacteria. An example in my book is Dr. Max Nieuwdorp’s research at the University of Amsterdam, in which he discovered an array of abnormal bacteria that characterize Type 2 diabetes. In the more than 250 individuals diagnosed with diabetes that he treated in a double-blind study, he was able to reverse the disease by inserting a series of fecal material transfers from healthy, lean donors into diabetic patients.

What is the most eye-opening information about the roles played by gut organisms?

More than 100 trillion bacteria live in our gut. Plus, there are viruses, yeast species and protozoa. When we factor in their genetic material, it means that an astonishing 99 percent of the DNA in our body is bacterial. It’s humbling to realize they influence all manner of physiology, from our immune system to our metabolism, making vitamins, maintaining the gut lining and controlling inflammation, the key mechanism involved in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and any number of brain degenerative disorders. They also exert influence over the expression of our 23,000 genes, in effect regulating the expression of the human genome.

The latest startling discovery— which is so new that it’s not in the book—is that bacterial DNA sequences have now been found in the human genome, meaning we are partly bacterial. It reveals the most sophisticated symbiotic and intimate relationship at the deepest level imaginable. It turns the previous way of thinking about who we are upside-down. Our perceptions of the world, moods, hunger or satiety, even our metabolism, are dictated by gut bacteria, which deserve careful stewarding.

They don’t deserve, for example, to be bombarded by the capricious use of antibiotics whenever we have the sniffles.

Non-Surgical Technology Designed To Treat Herniated Discs And Severe Back, Sciatica And Leg Pain Tampa Bay — Have you considered or tried pills, therapy, injections, or massage for your severe back, disc, sciatica, or leg pain? Does it make you wonder if your severe back pain will ever go away?...If you’ll ever be able to have a “normal” life again where every activity doesn’t have to be run through the “can my back hold up” question?

Wondering if there is something that can be done even though every treatment you’ve tried may have failed? Dr. Carl Conforti, DC has released “The Severe Back, Sciatica, And Disc Pain Guide”. Discover for yourself why your treatments may have failed and technology relatively new to the Tampa Bay area that may provide a solution for you.

Please call 813-749-8331 for your complimentary consultation ($295 Value!)

Dr. Carl Conforti, D.C.

How can we reestablish good gut health?

Better food choices bring about significant changes in our body’s microbiome.

By incorporating prebiotic foods such as Jerusalem artichokes, dandelion greens, garlic, leeks, onions, jicama or Mexican yam, as well as fermented foods such as kimchi, kombucha tea, yogurt and kefir, individuals can reestablish good gut health that helps them gain control over inflammation, the cornerstone of all degenerative conditions. Inflammation originates in the gut. Balancing bacteria and reducing intestinal permeability, which allows substances to leak through the lining of the small intestine into the bloodstream, can reduce it.

Visit Linda Sechrist’s website, ItsAllAbout We.com, for the recorded interview. natural awakenings

June 2015

39

fitbody

Yoga for the Bro’s Men Find it Builds All-Around Fitness

by Meredith Montgomery

F

ive thousand years ago, most yoga teachers and students were men.

Today, of the 15 million American practitioners, less than a third are males.

However, this figure has increased in

Be open to the power of relaxation and letting go.

Like anything that is organic and pure and whole, yoga works in a lasting way over time. ~ Bhava Ram

the past decade, with teachers in some areas reporting a balanced ratio of men and women in their classes.

Yet, even as professional athletes add yoga to their training regimen, Power Yoga founder Bryan Kest, in Santa Monica, California, points out, “To the mainstream man, yoga is not masculine.

You see men in ballet performances, but it doesn’t mean men are attracted to ballet.”

Eric Walrabenstein, founder of Yoga Pura, in Phoenix, agrees. “To achieve the widest adoption of the practice, we need to shift away from the notion that yoga is a physical exercise primarily for women, to one that embraces yoga’s holistic physical, mental and emotional benefits for anyone regardless of gender.”

Life Benefits

Physically, yoga can complement traditional workout routines by increasing flexibility, strength and balance, and also play a role in pain management and injury prevention. Kest says, “Yoga is the best fitness-related activity I know of, but the tone and shapeliness that results is a byproduct. The focus is on balance and healing.”

40

Tampa Bay Edition

www.natampa.com

He encourages students to challenge themselves without being extreme.

“The harder you are on anything, the faster you wear it out. If our objective is to both last as long and feel as good as possible, it makes no sense to push hard. Instead we should be gentle and sensitive in our practice.”

Men will do well to learn how to stop what they’re doing and breathe, says Kreg Weiss, co-founder of My Yoga Online (now on Gaiam TV), from Vancouver. He emphasizes the importance of modifying poses as needed during classes and notes that doing so takes vulnerability that doesn’t come naturally to most men. “If you find yourself shaking while holding downward dog, allow yourself to go down to the floor without worrying about what others will think.”

Societal pressures of masculinity sometimes dictate who a man thinks he should be. Breaking through such barriers enables a man to be relaxed with himself and unafraid as, “It changes what goes on off the mat, too,” observes Weiss.

Bhava Ram (née Brad Willis), founder of the Deep Yoga School of Healing Arts, in San Diego, points out, “Men need yoga because it helps us deal better with stress and emotional issues.

When we have more inner balance, we show up better for ourselves, spouses, friends and loved ones.”

Therapeutic Benefits

As modern science begins to document yoga’s healing effects, it’s being used in treatment plans for conditions ranging from addiction and trauma to multiple sclerosis and cancer. Ram was a

Type A aggressive reporter and network war correspondent and, “Like many men with similar personality types, I struggled with anger and control issues. I had no interest in yoga; it seemed strange and unnecessary to me,” he recalls.

After a broken back, that ended his journalism career, failed surgery, advanced cancer and dependance on prescription drugs, he found himself facing death. Inspired by his young son to take control of his health, he embraced yoga as a healing way forward.

After two years of dedicated practice, Ram says he turned 80 pounds of physical weight and 1,000 pounds of emotional toxins into gratitude, forgiveness and loving kindness. “I left 90 percent of my back pain behind and the cancer is gone.”

Kest explains that yoga’s significant therapeutic value is based on its capacity to reduce stress and its effects, while teaching and strengthening techniques to cope with it. “Ninety

percent of the stress we put on our bodies originates in the stress we put on our minds,” he says. “If you want to be healthy, you have to look at mental fitness, not just the size of your biceps or the strength of your cardiovascular system. It’s calmness and peacefulness of mind that matter.”

Tips for First-Timers

Weiss urges men new to yoga to take time to find the right class. “When men that can’t touch their toes walk into some preconceived notion of a class full of women Om-ing, they feel apprehensive and the experience does them no service.” Regardless of one’s state of fitness, it’s important to start slowly, with a focus on the breath. “If you don’t have a good foundation, you can miss a lot of yoga’s benefits. Seek teachers with a solid yoga background educated in anatomy.”

Walrabenstein recommends that first-timers find a class that meets their expectations of targeted benefits. “Re-

Yoga Helps Vets Heal

by Meredith Montgomery

A

ccording to the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, an essential aspect of recovering from trauma is learning ways to calm down, or self-regulate. As suicide, divorce, domestic violence, drug abuse, homelessness and violent behavior continue to plague veterans and members of the military, yoga is being regarded as a promising treatment or adjunctive therapy for addressing symptoms associated with trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Numerous studies indicate that veterans that practice yoga (including postures, breath work, guided visualization and affirmation) can better cope with PTSD and other emotional challenges, and realize enhanced physical and mental stability.

Former war correspondent Bhava Ram founded Warriors for Healing (W4H). Launched online and through trained teachers this year, “We want

to spread the word that yoga science is proven to be extremely effective for coping with PTSD and life-based trauma,” he says. The intention is to help people unlock their inherent power to heal, and to assist in a journey of self-empowerment as they establish new lives.

W4H and its foundation partners provide resources for veterans and their families to implement yoga’s transformational lifestyle practices, including nutrition, philosophy, breath work and postures. Studies from leading institutions including the University of California, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital have shown that these practices can change the organism that is us down to the level of our genomes.

“We’re not stuck where we are,” says Ram. “My own history illustrates this, and I’ve seen many others heal from remarkable challenges.”

member that yoga is supposed to serve you in enabling your best life possible.

If for you that means a vigorous workout, go for it. Even the most physicallyoriented yoga styles can carry profound mental and spiritual benefits—and can lead to a deeper, more rewarding practice over time.”

Arrive early to class to get settled and talk with the teacher about physical status, potential limitations or other concerns. Yoga is practiced barefoot and clothing should be loose and comfortable, allowing the body to sweat and move.

Walrabenstein reminds men to have fun. “Yoga, like anything, can be awkward at first. Make space for your learning curve and remember, no one in class is judging you.”

Meredith Montgomery, a registered yoga teacher, publishes Natural Awakenings of Mobile/Baldwin, AL (HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com).

Bootstrap, an online yoga system specific to the challenges of military duty-related stress, has distributed 70,000 yoga sessions to troops and veterans and their families since 2013. Designed to fill the many gaps left by traditional treatment strategies, it’s tailored to empower users to manage stressors and stressful episodes in a productive and ongoing way.

Founder Eric Walrabenstein, a former U.S. Army infantry officer, notes that the program is curriculum-driven.

Beyond breath and body postures, its 10-week structure makes it accessible to those that wouldn’t necessarily step into a studio. “The multimedia program has been clinically proven to derail chronic stress caused by military service in less than one hour per day,” he says.

Bootstrap is presented as a stressmanagement program that just happens to use yoga techniques. “We did this because many men tend to self-select themselves out of the practice,” he says.

“We wanted to avoid that as well as the idea that yoga is primarily about postures, when that’s only a small fraction of what the practice is.”

Visit WarriorsForHealing.org and BootstrapUSA.com. natural awakenings

June 2015

41

Turn Your Passion Into a Business

Own a Natural Awakenings Magazine Our publishers ranked us among the highest in franchise satisfaction for our Training, Support, Core Values and Integrity!

“I am impressed by the range of support provided to franchisees; it seems all the bases are more than covered to provide an owner the ability to be successful. Together with my experience, drive and desire to make a difference, it feels like a good fit.” ~ Holly Baker, Tucson, AZ “Each month, the content is enriching, beneficial and very often profound. We are a source of true enrichment and nourishment for so many. We are bringing light and understanding to millions of people.” ~ Craig Heim, Upstate NY “There’s such strength in this business model: exceptional content from the corporation paired with eyes and ears on the ground here locally. We rock!“ ~ Tracy Garland, Virginia’s Blue Ridge “We are an amazing group; it’s getting better all the time! We are America’s Leading Healthy Living Magazine.” ~ Susie Q Wood, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

As a Natural Awakenings publisher, you can enjoy learning about healthy and joyous living while working from your home and earn a good income doing something you love!

No publishing experience is necessary. You’ll work for yourself but not by yourself. We offer a complete training and support system that allows you to successfully publish your own magazine.

• Meaningful New Career • Low Initial Investment • Proven Business System • Home-Based Business • Exceptional Franchise Support & Training

For more information, visit our website NaturalAwakeningsMag.com/mymagazine or call 239-530-1377

Natural Awakenings is now expanding into new markets across the U.S. Contact us about starting a magazine in a community of your choice or acquiring an existing publication for sale highlighted in red below.

Natural Awakenings publishes in over 95 markets across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

• • • • • • • • • •

Huntsville, AL Mobile/Baldwin, AL* Phoenix, AZ* Tucson, AZ East Bay Area, CA San Diego, CA Denver/Boulder, CO Fairfield County, CT Hartford, CT New Haven/ Middlesex, CT • Washington, DC • Daytona/Volusia/ Flagler, FL • NW FL Emerald Coast • Ft. Lauderdale, FL • Jacksonville/ St. Augustine, FL • Melbourne/Vero, FL • Miami & the Florida Keys* • Naples/Ft. Myers, FL • North Central FL* • Orlando, FL* • Palm Beach, FL • Peace River, FL • Sarasota, FL • Tampa/St. Pete., FL • FL’s Treasure Coast • Atlanta, GA • Hawaiian Islands • Chicago, IL • Chicago Western Suburbs, IL • Indianapolis, IN • Baton Rouge, LA • Lafayette, LA • New Orleans, LA • Portland, ME • Boston, MA • Ann Arbor, MI • East Michigan • Wayne County, MI • Western MI • Minneapolis/ St. Paul, MN • Charlotte, NC • Lake Norman, NC* • Triangle, NC • Central, NJ • Hudson County, NJ • Mercer County, NJ

• Monmouth/ Ocean, NJ • North NJ • North Central NJ • South NJ • Santa Fe/Abq., NM • Las Vegas, NV • Albany, NY • Buffalo, NY • Central NY • Long Island, NY • Manhattan, NY* • Queens, NY • Rochester, NY • Rockland/ Orange, NY • Westchester/ Putnam Co’s., NY • Central OH • Cincinnati, OH • Toledo, OH • Oklahoma City, OK • Portland, OR* • Bucks/Montgomery Counties, PA • Harrisburg/York, PA • Lancaster, PA • Lehigh Valley, PA • Pocono, PA/ Warren Co., NJ Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre, PA • Rhode Island • Charleston, SC • Columbia, SC • Grand Strand, SC* • Greenville, SC • Chattanooga, TN • Knoxville, TN* • Memphis, TN • Austin, TX • Dallas Metroplex, TX • Dallas/FW Metro N • Houston, TX • San Antonio, TX* • SE Texas • Richmond, VA • VA’s Blue Ridge • Seattle, WA • Madison, WI • Milwaukee, WI • Puerto Rico

* Existing magazines for sale

Natural Awakenings recently won the prestigious FBR50 Franchise Satisfaction Award from Franchise Business Review. To learn more, visit FranchiseBusinessReview.com

How much longer will you be okay with SICK CARE!?

With all of the changes in insurance, making your HEALTH CARE work for you is more important than ever.

We currently have SICK CARE, not HEALTH CARE Last year Americans spent $2.8 trillion on healthcare. That is around $8,000 per person.

So does this mean that we are all healthy and living well?

Absolutely NOT! In fact, we lead the world in heart disease, obesity, and cancer.

Astonishingly, 5 out of 6 Americans will be diagnosed with either heart disease or cancer.

If we were spending the most money in healthcare and had the healthiest people, maybe it would be worth it. But we are spending the most money AND have the unhealthiest people.

In a study by the Journal of the American Medical Association, of 37 different developed countries the United States ranked 37th (dead last) in terms of overall health of the population.

SO where are we spending all of this money?

When we are sick or in pain, we go to the doctor. We get prescriptions to help cure and prevent illness and pain. What do we do when that medication has a side effect or no longer works? We go back and get more medications for the next side effect. Americans take up 5% of the world’s population, yet we consume 85% of the world’s medications. You would think that if drugs make you healthy then we would be the healthiest nation, and that is far from the truth. We had 1.1 million people die last year because of drugs and these are not street drugs like heroin or other illegal drugs. These are prescription drugs that were prescribed for the right condition, the right amount, the right time.

Prescriptions are not the only culprit, a large amount of that money is spent in nursing homes and cancer treatment centers.

We have so many sick and ailing people in our population that we are seeing more and more longterm nursing facilities. People may be living longer, but we are not living better.

The focus needs to change. We cannot be okay with a health system that has no regard for health.

It is time to take the focus off of SICK care and focus on health.

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR HEALTH A lot of people believe that genetics are to blame for the disease we see in our society today, but only 2-5% of degenerative illnesses are actually caused by genetics. So that leaves 95-98% of disease that is caused by lifestyle.

The foods we eat, the drinks we drink, and the habits we live are the main cause of the increase in disease.

Our offices are focused on HEALTH care.

We recognize that health is not just about what you eat and whether or not you exercise. Our offices implement maximized mind, maximized nutrition, maximized nerve supply, maximized oxygen and lean muscle. We personalize each care plan and work with our patients to establish health and wellness goals that create a healthy lifestyle that maximizes each patients’ quality of life.

We offer full health and wellness care that excludes drugs, shots, and harmful combinations or both. Our goal is to make sure our patients live the healthiest life possible.

BUT WHAT TRULY SETS US APART FROM ALL OTHER WELLNESS CLINICS It is our dedication to whole health wellness.

Our patients are not just adjusted and sent on their way. We spend time focusing on spinal CORRECTION not just spinal alignment. By providing our patients with in office and at home stretching, strengthening, and lifestyle changes, our patients are the healthiest they can possibly be without introducing toxins. It is truly about balance and focus on health.

What does CORRECTIVE CARE mean?

If your spine and Central Nervous System are “abnormal,” there is a need for corrective chiropractic care. This type of care will restore “normal” spinal position and alignment. By properly restoring normal curves to the spine and aligning the vertebrae, it will eliminate interferences allowing your body to function and heal “normally.” This optimizes your chance to live at 100% of your body’s peak performance.

A healthy spine will allow your body to express a normal body temperature, a normal blood pressure, and other measureable norms for the spine itself.

There are four primary curves of the spine in the lateral (side) view of the spine.

These curves give the spine strength, stability, and flexibility. Any loss of integrity of these curves can affect the function of the nervous system as this is the basis of evolution. These misalignments can put further stress on several aspects of the spine including the soft tissue structures, muscles, ligaments and discs that support the spine and its normal function.

Much like braces straighten teeth, it is our aim to restore the proper alignment of your spine. Recent research allows us to now know the measurements and proper alignment of your spine. There is a normal body temperature, a normal blood pressure, and there are measureable norms for the spine. We take the necessary steps to restore the regions of abnormal alignment to normal through whole health wellness.

Obtaining the level of normal alignment allows us to cure and prevent disease that otherwise leads to a lifetime of harmful shots and pills.

Take the next step and allow your body to function at 100% of peak performance.

49 New Patient Exam and Consultation

$

THE PATIENT AND ANY OTHER PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT HAS A RIGHT TO REFUSE PAY, CANCEL PAYMENT, OR BE REIMBURSED FOR ANY PAYMENT OR ANY OTHER SERVICE, EXAMINATION, OR TREATMENT WHICH IS PERFORMED AS A RESULT OF AND WITHIN 72 HOURS OR RESPONDING TO THE FREE, DISCOUNTED, OR REDUCED FEE, SERVICE, EXAMINATION, OR TREATMENT.

WITH 6 TAMPA BAY AREA LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU Conforti Chiropractic and Wellness Center, Inc. 4040 Tampa Road, Oldsmar, FL 34677 813.818.7499 Conforti’s Crossroads 1811 Healthcare Drive, Trinity, FL 34655 727.376.9611 Benttree Clinic 10935 N Dale Mabry, Tampa, FL 813.969.2225 New Tampa Chiropractic and Injury 2312 Crestover Lane #102 Wesley Chapel, FL 33544 813.994.6111 Palma Ceia Chiropractic and Wellness 1502 S MacDill Ave, Tampa, FL 33629 813.251.0246 St Pete Chiropractic and Injury Center 2206 4th Street North, St. Pete, FL 33704 727.822.6700

naturalpet

Walking The Cat Harness a Curious Cat for a Lively Stroll

by Sandra Murphy

C

exercise and explore,” says Utica, New York, Veterinarian Debra M. Eldredge, author of Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook. Kitty’s senses are activated in such expanded horizons. For trips outside the yard, Eldredge advises, “Choose your places and times; you don’t want to mingle with joggers and skateboarders.”

Cats have definite preferences. “Jagger walks around the block with my husband, Rob,” says Anna Easteden, an actress in Los Angeles. Jagger has no problems with dogs he meets, but not all cats are so tolerant. “Star walks only in the yard, companioned by Fuzzy and Boots.” All four are microchipped in case of an escape.

Carrie Aulenbacher, of Erie, Pennsylvania, author of The Early Bird Café, first got her cat Daisy used to a harness indoors before venturing outside. “Now he runs to the door and meows to go out,” she says. Daisy’s been hiking for 10 years. View some of his adventures at Tinyurl.com/DaisyTheHikingCat.

Boston insurance underwriting assistant, cat blogger and artist Koshka Koh routinely walks her Abyssinian therapy cat, Jake. “We can’t hurry. People ask questions and want to pet him. They say, ‘I wish my cat could do that.’”

Good to Know Tips The Best Friends Animal Society, in Kanab, Utah, averages 625 cats in residence and Society Manager Michelle Warfle supports an enriched environment. “We teach as many cats

WHOLE FOODS MARKE T IP, L .P.

ats live longer these days, due to improved food, regular veterinary care and indoor living, but there’s another aspect of health to consider. To thrive, cats need mental and physical stimulation, which outdoor adventures naturally deliver.

“Leash walking’s a great way for cats to get fresh air,

Photo courtesy of Best Friends Animal Society

June is Adopt-a-Cat Month

SINUTHEM MBAGER

G R A B ON E BEFOR E TH EY ’ R E G O NE !

(while supplies last)

YOUR P R I CE

12

$

.00 RE TA I L VA L UE $50

AVA I L A B L E S AT U R D A Y, J U N E 2 7 AT 1 0 A M

CHECK YOUR LOCAL STORE FOR DETAILS OR VISIT WFM.COM COMING SOON A LTA M O N T E S P R I N G S • DESTIN WINTER PARK NORTH • JACKSONVILLE BEACH

44

Tampa Bay Edition

www.natampa.com

as possible to leash walk,” she says. Her tips include: Don’t progress too quickly, keep walks fun and use a harness, not the collar. Warfle’s own cat, Earl, hikes about two miles before tiring. A backpack-like pet carrier lets a feline take a break.

Adapt the walk’s length or location to a pet’s age and physical limitations, such as arthritis. “Jabez always loved to walk on Ventura’s wet sandy beaches,” says Californian Kac Young, a naturopath with a Ph.D. in natural health.

“His second choice was a trip to Home Depot to ride in the cart.” Now 18, Jabez doesn’t travel as often.

Routinely check kitty’s neck, tail, stomach and inner thighs to pick off fleas and ticks after an outing before they become a bigger problem. (For an infestation of fleas, comb the cat with natural dishwashing detergent and water to drown them and rinse kitty afterward.) Pet-grade diatomaceous earth is safe to rub into her fur and bedding.

Consider yard plants like mint, lemongrass, sage and lavender to repel bugs. Multiple studies suggest catnip, which kitty can roll in, may be an even more effective mosquito repellant than the toxic DEET (mosquitoes spread heartworm).

Cat companions agree that when kitty explores a blade of grass or pounces on a blowing leaf, it presents a delightful opportunity to be in the moment. A change of pace benefits those on both ends of the leash.

Connect with Sandra Murphy at StLouisFreelanceWriter@ mindspring.com.

Cat Walk Savvy

by Darlene Arden n Cats need to get used to an idea before embracing it.

Proceed slowly. n A collar is for ID tags, not walking—a cat can wiggle out of a collar. A harness, properly fitted at the pet supply store, is best. Designate a comfortable, padded, wider harness solely for walking, not to restrain the cat in the car (a crate is safer). n Let a cat see and smell the harness before putting it on.

Small treats help. Don’t let the cat bat it like a toy. Put the harness on for short spans each day until he’s used to it—cats tend to fall over, “paralyzed”, when it’s first introduced. n After the harness has been worn comfortably, add the leash and let him drag it around in an enclosed outdoor space.

Never use a flexi-lead/retractable leash. A six-foot bungee (stretchy) or woven leash allows space to explore without getting tangled in a bush or beyond reach. n Leash walk around the house without pulling, yanking or dragging—just do some pet-paced walking. n Don’t force the next step, because the outdoors can be a big, scary place; most cats need to observe first before exploring. n Use lots of praise and treats.

Darlene Arden is a certified animal behavior consultant from Boston and author of The Complete Cat’s Meow and Beautiful Cats.

YOGA

for best friends.

Explore the joy of yoga with your dog. Meditate, massage and stretch your relationship to a new level of bonding.

Certified yoga instructors.

Good Doga. What a treat.

SPCATAMPABAY.ORG 727.586.3591 ext. 137

natural awakenings

June 2015

45

calendarofevents

See monthly, by the day and hour, what’s happening in the Bay area. So many educational and uplifting events to assist with personal and planetary health: enjoy seminars, lectures, workshops, book signings, beauty and nutrition events, leading edge health solutions, spiritual connections, for singles, couples and families. Printed calendar is a gratis feature exclusively for advertisers who make this magazine possible. Non-advertisers are free to use on-line calendar at natampa.com, click on submit calendar tab.

MONDAY, JUNE 1

SATURDAY, JUNE 6

Young Living Therapeutic Essential Oils Workshop – 6:30pm. June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29. Lesley Jacobs-Keeler, registered dietitian/nutritionist, licensed dietitian, demonstrates how living a healthy lifestyle that includes therapeutic essential oils is beneficial for you and your family. For class location or health information, 813857-7752, Lesley.JacobsRD@gmail.com.

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Meditation Summer Camp – 9am-noon. June 6, 20, 27, July 11 & 18. Developed by Jon Kabat Zinn, Mary Beth Jones, DOM teaches this simple routine that stills the chatter of the mind and releases stress in our lives. Also learn a powerful Qi Gong movement called The Golden Ball that regulates the meridians in the body and improves clarity of mind. Establish a solid meditation practice over a two month period. $50/class, $200/series. Wings Bookstore, 4500 4th St N, St. Pete. 727-522-6657, WingsBookstore.com.

THURSDAY, JUNE 4 GMO Seminar – 6pm. GMO: Everything You Wanted to Know. Presented by Dr. Betty WedmanSt Louis, PhD, Clinical Nutritionist. Free. Peaks of Health Metabolic Medical Center, 1120 Belcher Rd. S, Ste. 2, Largo. 727-826-0838. PeaksOfHealth.com.

Young Living Therapeutic Essential Oils Workshop – 6:30pm. June 4, 11, 18, 25. Lesley JacobsKeeler, registered dietitian/nutritionist, licensed dietitian, demonstrates how living a healthy lifestyle that includes therapeutic essential oils is beneficial for you and your family. For class location or health information, 813-857-7752, Lesley.JacobsRD@gmail.com.

7 Common Workout Mistakes – 6:30pm. How to avoid them! Patty Durell, LPTA, Rock Solid Fitness, shows how to get the best possible fitness results in the least possible time. Free. Nature’s Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater, 727-443-6703, naturesfoodpatch.com.

FRIDAY, JUNE 5 Couples Weekend Getaway & Workshop – 7pmSun 2pm. Join Richard & Diana Daffner, authors Tantric Sex for Busy Couples, for a romantic beach getaway. Bring greater joy, intimacy and passion to your relationship. Celebrate your love.

Connect with your beloved on a soul level. $695/ couple. Siesta Key Beach, Sarasota. More info, other dates & locations, brochure, 941-349-6804, IntimacyRetreats.com.

Rhythms of Ayurveda – 1-4pm. Ayurveda recommends daily (Dincharya) and seasonal (Ritucharya) routines to help attune us with the rhythms of nature, promote health, and maintain balance in our lives.

Sample unique Ayurvedic massage (Abhyanga) oils, essential oil body and room sprays, herbal teas and more in this interactive workshop with Kathleen Hoffman that explores simple yet profound practices that can easily be incorporated into your lifestyle. $30/Advance, $35/ Door. Tree of Life Yoga, 6800 Gulfport Blvd., Ste. 205, St. Pete. Sign up 727-514-3051, TreeOfLifeYoga.org.

Healthy Feet: Anatomy for Yoga Teachers – 1:304:30pm. Join Nancy MacDonald E-RYT500 and learn: anatomical alignment of the feet on and off the mat; how misalignment of the feet can cause students to struggle; healthy exercises; how shoes affect not only the feet but the knees, hips & posture; the most important stretch for overall feet and leg health. With 2000+ hrs. training, Nancy shares with you her in-depth understanding of anatomy and how the mechanics of movement impact daily life. $40/ CEUs 3 hrs. Lotus Pond Center, Tampa. Sign up, YogaLotusPond.com.

Intro to Tachyon Energy Healing – 2-3:30pm.

Join Michael Keleman for an exploration into the New Paradigm in Holistic Healing, a no touch, allnatural, holistic wellness therapy with no harmful side effects that restores health and well-being on

  



all levels: mental, emotional, physical, spiritual.

Created by scientist and inventor, David Wagner, in his quest to harness free energy from the Universe, it is known in scientific circles as the Zero-Point Field.

Free. Evolve Holistic Health & Wellness Center, 2120 Range Rd., Clearwater. For more information, call 727-223-8911, Pre-register, EvolveClearwater.com.

SUNDAY, JUNE 7 Eye Health – 4pm. Robin Quigg, CWWS, COT, Free Health Screenings. Topics include macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, glaucoma, dry eyes, flashes & floaters, corneal & eyelid conditions. Free vision screenings after seminar!

4pm. Nature’s Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater, 727-443-6703, naturesfoodpatch.com.

TUESDAY, JUNE 9 Library Technique Group Hypnosis – 6:308:30pm. Patricia V. Scott, Ph.D. guides you through the library in your mind to effect wanted changes in behaviors, attitudes, limiting beliefs & more using a technique she learned from its creator, Dr. Michael Preston, author of Hypnosis: Medicine of the Mind. $20; $15/Members. UP Hypnosis Institute, 800 Tarpon Woods Blvd., Palm Harbor. Info 727-9435003, UPHypnosis@yahoo.com, UPHypnosis.com.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10

Vegan Burgers – 6:30pm. Brad Myers, The Vegabond Chef’s recipe for preparing moist & filling vegan burgers for the whole family. Just in time for cook-out season! Free. Nature’s Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater, 727-4436703, naturesfoodpatch.com.

THURSDAY, JUNE 11 A Yoga Village Tea Series: Serenity Tea – 1-4pm.

How can you experience serenity in your life? Reverend Vanessa Stuebe will focus on inner peace by supporting you to access talents & potentials, draw on your inner wisdom & strength, and live with greater love, laughter & joy. She provides multi-

Near Death Experiences Lecture

  

Respected author and lecturer Frank Valentín will take you on a spiritual journey as living proof that there IS life after death in ways never taught beforeÑfrom his Þrst NDE in 1979 to his most recent manifest in 2014.

www.journeyswithanna.com

w w w. S e a r c h i n g T r u t h . o r g

Need Guidance on Life Issues, Lessons or Purpose? 



46

Tampa Bay Edition



www.natampa.com

RSVP ( 8 1 3 ) 4 4 0 - 1 2 9 9

discipline professional services daily at Serenity Now. A Yoga Village, 2760 Daniel St., Clearwater.

Info, 727-712-1475, AYogaVillage.com.

Balancing Your pH – 6:30pm. Dr. Beata Carlson, DDS, Natural & Holistic Dentistry. A discussion about how the foods you eat affect your body’s pH & how pH levels can influence oral hygiene, leading to tooth decay. Free. Nature’s Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater, 727-443-6703, naturesfoodpatch.com.

SATURDAY, JUNE 13

TUESDAY, JUNE 16

Intricacies of Alignment for Yoga Teachers – 1:30-5pm. Join Heather Overton eRYT500 for this in-depth study on the foundations of the yogic practice. Learn the importance of alignment in your foundational poses to advance your practice & teachings. Explore small details to create big moments.

For teachers and advanced practitioners. $45. No refunds 24 hrs. prior to event. yoga4all, 8836 Seminole Blvd., Seminole. Info, Heather 727-480-3004 or register yoga4all.com/workshops.

Japanese Noodles – 6:30pm. Join Debby DeGraaff, natural foods chef & author, as she prepares ponzu pasta with authentic homemade ponzu sauce & udon noodles with white miso tarragon sauce. Free. Nature’s Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater, 727-443-6703, naturesfoodpatch.com.

FRIDAY, JUNE 12 Bringing Yourself to Balance – 6:30-8:30pm.

Mary Sambrosky, well-being coach and intuitive counselor, guides you to understand the ways your masculine and feminine energies serve you. Identify which energy may be more dominant, learn how to bring both important aspects to balance for a more empowering and secure-feeling life experience. $20, Wings Bookstore, 4500 4th St N, St. Pete. 727-5226657, WingsBookstore.com.

Yoga for Recovery from Addiction and CoDependence – 7:30-9pm. With Jamey Kowalski.

Develop your ability to be less reactive and more mindful. Learn proven tools to move away from judgement and expectation, cultivating acceptance and Self-caring. Class includes a range of gentle/restorative yoga postures, focused breathing and meditation. No yoga experience or flexibility required.

Wear comfortable clothing. $10/Suggested donation.

Tree of Life Yoga, 6800 Gulfport Blvd., Ste. 205, St. Pete. Sign up 727-514-3051, TreeOfLifeYoga.org.

Radiant Child Yoga Teacher Training, Levels 1, 2 & 3 – June 12-14. With Amy Pfaelzer.Radiant Child Yoga Program (RCYP) is a certificate program for teaching yoga teachers, school teachers, parents and all others who are interested in learning how to teach children yoga. The RCYP courses have qualified as CEUs for public school systems, and as credit hours for RYT certification through Yoga Alliance.

A Yoga Village, 2760 Daniel St., Clearwater. Info, 727-712-1475, AYogaVillage.com.

The Seven Chakras – 2-3:30pm. Chakra is a Sanskrit word (ancient language of India) which means “wheel”. The chakras are interpreted as wheels of energy and, as they spin, move the energy up and down the body. They run up the center of the body, parallel to the spinal column. Learn about the seven major chakras and how they affect your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Free. Evolve Holistic Health & Wellness Center, 2120 Range Rd., Clearwater. For more information, call 727-2238911, Pre-register, EvolveClearwater.com.

SUNDAY, JUNE 14 Yoga Therapy: Neck & Shoulders – 1-4pm. Doug Warner 500 E-RYT. Do you have tight or painful shoulders from overuse or injury? Unknowingly we can abuse our shoulders. This could involve emotions, stress, desk work, poor posture, old injuries and past physical trauma. Learn awareness of where the tension is rooted, identify the tension, and use yoga tools to work toward release. $35/advance, $40/door. Sign up, 727-894-9642, info@stpeteyoga. com, StPeteYoga.com.

Relax – 4pm. Dr. Tanya Gold, MD, RYT, Dr. Gold’s Optimal Living Institute. Have you ever wondered how some people remain so calm, relaxed & happy, even though they’re busy? Learn their secret to success. Free. Nature’s Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater, 727-443-6703, naturesfoodpatch.com.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 The Psychology of the Chakras with Kamini Desai – 2-4pm. The chakras are the medium though which source energy moves into and animates your body. This life-giving energy does not just heal and maintain your body, it has an evolutionary, spiritual potential. In this lecture and experiential workshop, you will discover and journey through the chakras as a developmental map to your personal evolution. $35. A Yoga Village, 2760 Daniel St., Clearwater.

Info, 727-712-1475, AYogaVillage.com.

Nature’s Anti-Aging Secrets – 7pm. Discover how to get billions of antioxidants that slow down aging without taking pills, potions or juices. Find out how to easily lose weight, reduce pain, improve digestion, boost energy & immunity, and look and feel younger naturally. Learn how a change in diet and lifestyle habits can help improve your life. Free.

Presented by Dr. Carol Ann Fischer, retired, who loves to share knowledge and help others. Handouts provided. Clearwater location. Limited seating.

Reservations required 727-201-2192.

THURSDAY, JUNE 18 Stretches for Arthritis – 6:30pm. Marsha Chorlog, DPT, RYT, Premier Physical Therapy. A demonstration of pain alleviating stretches, covering major areas of the body. Free. Nature’s Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater, 727-443-6703, naturesfoodpatch.com.

Relief from Menopause Symptoms – 7pm. Learn how acupuncture, herbs, and massage can bring you amazing relief, even if you’ve tried everything else. New patients attending the lecture get their first acupuncture treatment free. Jade Tree Wellness

natural awakenings

June 2015

47

Center, 3039 49th St. N, St. Pete, 727-344-8690, JadeTreeWellness.com.

Summer Solstice Gong Celebration – 7:15-9pm. It is believed that the celestial conditions during the solstice heighten ones abilities to meditate and heal. The sounds and vibrations of the gong help us experience a profound meditative state, and during an equinox can be a transformative experience. We begin with gentle stretching and breath-work followed by the gong played for 50 mins. Yogi Tea and snacks will be served.

Wear loose, comfortable clothes. $20. yoga4all, 8836 Seminole Blvd., Seminole. Info, Lisa 727-595-6036 or register yoga4all.com/workshops.

Hutchinson, Personal Trainer, Trim-Lean & Healthy.

Learn the benefits of exercise for the mind & body & which exercise fits your needs. Free. Nature’s Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater, 727443-6703, naturesfoodpatch.com.

Self-Hypnosis Training: Your Unlimited Mind – 1-4pm. Patricia V. Scott, internationally certified trainer of hypnosis, teaches how to discover untapped potentials, talents & abilities using the power of your Unlimited Mind. $35; $25UPHI Members.

Hypnosis CD, workbook & scripts included. UP Hypnosis Institute, 800 Tarpon Woods Blvd., Palm Harbor. Info 727-943-5003, UPHypnosis@yahoo. com, UPHypnosis.com.

FRIDAY, JUNE 19 Fundraiser to Benefit Bryan Blackford – 6-8pm.

A horrific accident left our friend and patient with third degree burns and a shattered elbow. He lost his job, and used all of his savings. We’re raising money to help him pay for his medical expenses. He’s still suffering from pain and requires another surgery on his right elbow to remove plates, screws, and excess bone growth. With your help, he can continue to work towards making a full recovery. St Petersburg Health and Wellness, 222 2nd St, N, St Pete. Call 727-202-6807 Ext. 3 or visit StPetehw.com.

Vision Boards – 6:30-8:30pm. Sara Sabourin, certified healing practitioner, holds a master’s degree in education. Experience how your thoughts are a form of energy that helps shape your reality. Gain understanding of the Law of Attraction. Understand how Vision Boards help you focus on what you DO desire in life. Realize the importance of releasing self-limiting beliefs. Be given time to create your own Vision Board in a supportive environment! $20.

Class limited to 12. Wings Bookstore, 4500 4th St. N, St. Pete. 727-522-6657, WingsBookstore.com.

Couples Weekend: Father’s Day Getaway – 7pmSun 2pm. Join Richard & Diana Daffner, authors of Tantric Sex for Busy Couples, for a romantic beach getaway. Bring greater joy, intimacy and passion to your relationship. Celebrate your love.

Connect with your beloved on a soul level. $695/ couple. Siesta Key Beach, Sarasota, FL. More info, other dates & locations, brochure, 941-349-6804, IntimacyRetreats.com.

SATURDAY, JUNE 20 Fitness for Every Body Type – 11am. Tracy

48

Tampa Bay Edition

Reflexology Certification Program Weekend – June 20-21. This weekend is part of a 12-month, 300-hr program available for LMTs, acupuncturists and licensed health professionals with massage in their scope of practice to train to become Certified Reflexologists. Sam Belyea, program director, guides students through balancing the systems of the body using the technique of Reflexology. Each weekend includes additional topics such as business development, meditation and self-care. $2100/Year; $175/ Weekend. The Foot Whisperer Reflexology Institute, 4810 W. Gandy Blvd., Tampa. Details 813-831-9420, FootWhisperer.com/reflexology_training.

Summer Solstice Celebration – Music, Food, Vendors, Wellness Workshops, Yoga, Meditation, Kids’ Activities. Proceeds from the event support Nepal. For more information, 727-223-8911, EvolveClearwater.com.

TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Overcoming Fears: Hypnosis & NLP Class – 6-9pm. Public welcome to participate as practice clients & enjoy experiencing Hypnosis-NLP with certified practitioners who receive 3 CEUs to expand skills with techniques, scripts & interactive practice with attendees. $25/UPHI Members; $35/ Non-Members. UP Hypnosis Institute, 800 Tarpon Woods Blvd., Palm Harbor. Info 727-943-5003, UPHypnosis@yahoo.com, UPHypnosis.com.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 Nature’s Anti-Aging Secrets – 7pm. Discover how to get billions of antioxidants that slow down aging without taking pills, potions or juices. Find out how to easily lose weight, reduce pain, improve

www.natampa.com

digestion, boost energy & immunity, and look and feel younger naturally. Learn how a change in diet and lifestyle habits can help improve your life. Free.

Presented by Dr. Carol Ann Fischer, retired, who loves to share knowledge and help others. Handouts provided. Clearwater location. Limited seating.

Reservations required 727-201-2192.

The Reynolds’ Kitchen – 6:30pm. Dr. Paul & Cara Reynolds, thereynoldskitchen.com, use the principles of Chinese medicine in this dairy- and gluten-free cooking class held on the last Wednesday of every month. Make seasonal meals full of color and flavor that feed all of your organs. Free. Nature’s Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater, 727443-6703, naturesfoodpatch.com.

THURSDAY, JUNE 25 Thyroid Seminar – 6pm. What they don’t tell you about your thyroid. Presented by Tracie Leonhardt, D.O. Free. Peaks of Health Metabolic Medical Center, 1120 Belcher Rd. S, Ste. 2, Largo. RSVP 727-826-0838. PeaksOfHealth.com.

Men: Why Health Goals are Important. What are Yours? – 6-7:15pm. In order to stay healthy and well, it is important to set health goals and then take actions to meet them. It is a fact that men, on average, die at a younger age than women, often due to cardiovascular disease. Join in the discussion about health goals and how to set yours with Dr. Les Cole. Learn which common male conditions are associated with the development of cardiovascular disease. St. Petersburg Health and Wellness, 222 2nd St. N, St Pete. RSVP 727-202-6807 Ext. 3 or visit StPetehw.com.

Collagen & Anti-Aging – 6:30pm. Trip Campbell, Genacol USA. Learn how to heal and support the body naturally with collagen. Free. Nature’s Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater, 727-4436703, naturesfoodpatch.com.

Reflexology for Digestive Dysfunction – Class takes place during the Florida State Massage Therapy Association’s 2015 annual convention in Orlando. Sam Belyea, nationally certified reflexologist, guides students through balancing the digestive system using the technique of hand and foot reflexology. Free for convention attendees. For more information and to register, visit Myfsmta.org.

FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Amrit Yoga: “I AM” with Yogi Amrit Desai – June 26-27. 6:30-9pm Fri. 9am-5pm Sat. Founder of Amrit Yoga Institute, Yogi Amrit Desai presents an introduction to the Integrative Amrit Method “I AM” which teaches you how to be completely absorbed, engaged, totally present and whole. It is designed to take you to the innermost self-balancing, self-healing integration where body, mind, heart and soul are brought into perfect harmony. $25/Advance registration for Friday, $30/day of event; $85/Advance registration for the entire event, $90/day of event. A Yoga Village, 2760 Daniel St., Clearwater.

Info, 727-712-1475, Register, AYogaVillage.com.

TriYoga® Flow for Hips and Spine – 6:30-9pm.

Join Lynne Andrews (Chandra), Senior TriYoga® international teacher trainer, and learn the dynamics of TriYoga® Flows. We will practice spinal wavelike motions, flowing into each posture, moving in pace with the flow of the breath. Spinal flows and hip stretches are intermixed with relaxation poses.

TriYoga® Flow is the union of posture, breath and focus, or asana, pranayama and mudra. $40. yoga4all, 8836 Seminole Blvd., Seminole. Info, Chandra 850329-7839 or register yoga4all.com/workshops.

SATURDAY, JUNE 27 Body, Mind, Spirit Expo – June 27-28. 10am-6pm Sat. 11am-5pm Sun. Coming to Tampa for the 12th year, Body Mind & Spirit Expo brings to life a positive healing environment. $10/Weekend admission includes free lectures and demos and admission to the exhibit hall. Florida State Fairgrounds Event Center, 4800 US Hwy 301 N, Tampa. Info & registration, 541482-3722 Ext. 1 or 2; for a $1 off coupon visit bmse.net.

Near Death Experiences Lecture – 10:30am-1pm.

Respected author and lecturer Frank Valentín will take you on a spiritual journey as living proof that there IS life after death in ways never taught before—from his first NDE in 1979 to his most recent spiritual manifest. $10. Seats are limited. Perkins Family Restaurant, 2375 Curlew Rd., Dunedin.

Reservations 24/7 live call center 813-440-1299.

Details SearchingTruth.org/lectures.

Digestion & IBS – 11am. Dominque Ostrander, Jarrow Formulas. Digestive problems? IBS? Unsure if you’re taking the right probiotic? Learn about these topics & more! Free. Nature’s Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater, 727-443-6703, naturesfoodpatch.com.

Holistic Sharing and Caring Circle – 1-2:30pm.

Searching for ways to assist in reaching your highest level of health and wellness? Come to a caring and sharing circle facilitated by holistic RN and Healing Touch practitioner, Donna Harmony-Jones. Ask questions and share with others seeking to achieve optimal health and well-being. Free. Evolve Holistic Health & Wellness Center, 2120 Range Rd., Clearwater. For more information, call 727-223-8911, Pre-register EvolveClearwater.com.

Healing Music Concert with Eluv Zotos – 6-7:30pm.

Eluv’s concerts are an immersion into grace with her angelic vocals and sacred mantras. Expressed into a tapestry of the pure tones of Crystal Singing Bowls, lush harp strings and other beautiful sounds, her music has a harmonizing effect on the listener, helping to release stress and move into a naturally peaceful state. $30/Advance registration; $35/day of event. A Yoga Village, 2760 Daniel St., Clearwater. Info, 727-7121475, Register, AYogaVillage.com.

SUNDAY, JUNE 28 Cultivating Happiness: Finding Purity & Contentment in our Lives – Ashley McHan 500 RYT. Join us to discover how these principles can play into our lives, giving us a greater sense of control over our happiness. Learn what Sauca and Santosha mean in your life and explore paths to attaining a state of calm and cultivating happiness. $35/advance, $40/ door. Sign up, 727-894-9642, info@stpeteyoga.com, StPeteYoga.com.

TUESDAY JUNE 30 Free Online Life after Death Lecture – Respected author and lecturer Frank Valentín will take you on a spiritual journey as living proof that there IS life after death in ways never taught before—from his first NDE in 1979 to his most recent spiritual manifest in 2014. This online version is for those who haven’t been able to attend this acclaimed lecture due to their busy schedules or commuting affairs.

Visit SearchingTruth.org/lecture/.

PLAN AHEAD SATURDAY, JULY 25 Hypnotic Fat Ban™ – 6:30-9pm. Patricia V. Scott, PhD leads powerful program developed over 30 years by Robert Otto, first hypnotist to get Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition listed in Library of Congress. Uses hypnosis, guided imagery & visualization to effect positive, permanent change. $97, $75/UPHI Members. One-year Free Tune-UPs. UP Hypnosis Institute, Palm Harbor. Info 727-9435003, UPHypnosis.com.

Couples’ Retreats!

Led by Richard & Diana Daffner, M.A. authors of Tantric Sex for Busy Couples

Create Magic in your Relationship!

Romantic Vacation Workshops

Siesta Key

Celebrate Your Love - Rekindle Your Passion June 5-7 June 19-21 July 17 -19 Aug. 7-9 Aug. 28-30 Call for ADD’L DATES & Free Brochure: 941-349-6804 Intimac yRetreats .com

natural awakenings

June 2015

49

ongoingevents sunday 25 Years of Teaching Meditation – 10-11am Sun; 6:30-8:30pm Weds; 6-7pm Fri. Learn three unique pre-Buddhist approaches to practicing meditation; techniques used by the earliest Yogis designed to awaken into the freedom and fullness of yourSelf.

Practice the fundamentals, avoid common pitfalls, and get guidance creating a practical, sustainable, life-changing practice. No experience needed. St. Petersburg Yoga, 2842 Dr. MLK St. N., 727-8949642, info@stpeteyoga.com, StPeteYoga.com.

Mindfulness Meditation and Buddhist Teaching – 10am-Noon. In the spirit of Thich Nhat Hanh with Fred Eppsteiner. Mindfulness practice helps one to cultivate compassion, develop inner peace and experience joy in daily life. 6501 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, Info tampa-updates@floridamindfulness. org or visit floridamindfulness.org.

Sunday Celebration Service – 10:30amNoon. Meditation 9:15-10am; Free Reiki & Healing 10am. Join our radically loving spiritual community as we share inspiring music & empowering messages which can transform your life. NBO Center embodies, express & practices oneness with all! New Beginning Oneness Center, 210 S. Pinellas Ave. (Alt 19 & Boyer), Tarpon Springs. Info 727-415-3600.

Candlelight Meditation – 6pm. Let yourself drift in a sea of peaceful music, beautiful imagery, and candlelight that creates an atmosphere of tranquility and serenity for you to soak in. This is gently guided meditation mixed with intervals of sacred silence, all underlined with soft, heavenly music. Sanctuary at First Unity Spiritual Campus, 460 46th Ave. N (at 4th St.), St Petersburg, 727-522-2222.

monday Yoga for Cancer Survivors – 10:30am Monday & Wednesday; 9:30am Thursday. Yoga and movement can enhance quality of life as a complement to medical treatments. Gail Newfield will teach us how to relieve some common side effects during and after cancer treatments. We will focus the mind, breathe deeply and move gently to renew the mind, body and spirit. Sign up 727-514-3051, treeoflifeyoga.org.

Inner Wisdom Coaching Circle – 6-8pm. Join Coach Dianne Kipp in a “telecoaching” group each month to discover your internal wisdom, while

50

Tampa Bay Edition

learning how to overcome your “Monkey Mind” negative self-talk. You will learn the foundations of Ontological coaching, as well experience what it is like to “be coached”. Bring your life challenges, desires, and dreams and we’ll get you on the road to your success! $30 per person per month; 3 or 6 month commitment required. Contact Coach Dianne 727-481-1646 or coach@diannekipp.com.

Create Your Ideal Healthy Body! – 6:30-8:30pm.

Mind-Body Cohesion© System developed by Patricia V Scott combines Hypnosis, NLP, Pivotal Response Conditioning & more for weight, diet, cravings, confidence, exercise motivation. Initial 5 classes: $155 prepaid; $175 same day; $135 Members. UP Hypnosis Institute, 800 Tarpon Woods Blvd, Palm Harbor, 727-943-5003, Info@ UPHypnosis.com, map uphypnosis.com.

Embrace Your Infinite Potential – 7pm, 3rd Mon. Awaken yourself to a New Way of Being during this session designed to ignite and inspire your full potential. Each session will include the gift of Vibrational Alignment shared by Andi Schenbeck, aligning you with your highest potential by transmuting lifetimes of unconscious beliefs and energies that no longer serve you. 7pm, Love Offering, Wings Bookstore, 4500 4th St N, St Pete, WingsBookstore.com, 727-522-6657.

Free Being Meditation – 7-8pm. Practice inner being health through deep relaxation. Offering seated Yoga Nidra meditations; on the first Monday of every month we practice with recorded chanting or background music. Door opens 6:45pm to get settled, Love offering, First Unity Campus Bldg. (next to Wings Bookstore), 4500 4th St N., Rm. 400, FirstUnity.org, meetup.com/ Free-Being-Meditation-St-Petersburg-FL. Yum Yum Yoga – 7-8:15pm. Recovering from illness or injury? Stressed, overwhelmed or suffering from back pain? This therapeutic class taught by Yoga Therapist Nancy MacDonald ERYT 500 might be just what you need. Leave class feeling yummy and peaceful, with tools to support you and your journey of health. Yoga4All, 8836 Seminole Blvd., Seminole, shantivinyasa.com.

Attention Coaches and Want-a-Be Coaches! – Join Coach Dianne Kipp, experienced, certified and mentoring coach on a monthly “coaches conversation call” to build community, exchange ideas and gain insight to solving difficult client challenges.

Details 727-481-1646, diannekipp.com.

tuesday Inspiration Radio – 7:30am. Listen to Dr Tracie J Leonhardt, DO, on 1110 AM; call in with questions on topic of the day.

Qigong – 11am-Noon. An ancient Chinese exercise and healing technique that involves meditation, controlled breathing and movement exercises. $10/ Energy Exchange. New Beginning Oneness Center, 210 S. Pinellas Ave. (Alt 19 & Boyer), Tarpon Springs. Info 727-415-3600. Look for us on Meetup & Facebook.

Kids Mindful Yoga – 4-5pm. Also Thurs. Kids ages 5 to 9 can learn the fundamentals of Mindfulness in body, breath, mind & life through yoga. Taught by our Licensed Mental Health Councilor, Yoga Instructor, and Mom of two. Parents can relax at the same time in their own separate Restorative class. 4-5pm, St. Petersburg Yoga, 2842 Dr. MLK St. N., 727-894-9642, info@stpeteyoga.com, StPeteYoga.com.

Acupuncture Intern Clinic $25 + Cost of Herbs – 6-8pm. Students spend about an hour or two using the Chinese medicine system of evaluation to see what herbs and herbal formulas to recommend for you. They are supervised by one of our experienced acupuncture & herbal practitioners. Appointments only. St. Petersburg Health & Wellness, 222 2nd St. N., St. Pete, 727-551-0857, stpetehw.com.

Reiki I & II Usui System – 6-10pm. Class Certification and CEUs available for LMT, Provider #MCE 50–77, for Reiki credits. Rev Maria Antonieta Revello, Reiki, Karuna & Qigong Master. Reiki II, Thursday. RSVP 813-334-7424.

Prenatal Classes – 7:30pm. Gail Walker, facilitator.

Open to all levels of students in any trimester. Restore, rest, renew. $15, Tree of Life Yoga, 6800 Gulfport Blvd., Ste. 205, St. Petersburg. TreeOfLifeYoga.org.

Back Pain? Scoliosis? – Tues & Thurs. Looking for a Yoga Therapist? Fine tune your alignment? Nancy MacDonald E-RYT500, Yoga Therapist for 7+ years is offering private sessions and small group classes.

Chair yoga for those that cannot get up and down from the floor with ease might be just what you are looking for. Nancy has many advanced certifications including chair yoga. Tree Frog Yoga, Pinellas Park, Schedule with Nancy 727-542-0116, ShantiVinyasa.com.

wednesday Reiki Share – 10am-2:30pm. Also 3rd Sat. Experience the most profound, powerful & gentle relax-

www.natampa.com

ation technique. It helps re-establish healthy frequencies to cells and tissues bringing back health.

Call 813-425-2596 Dr Marta Alarcon, 813-334-7424 Maria, reikishrine@gmail.com.

Inspiration Radio – 11:30am-Noon. Listen to Dr. Tracie J. Leonhardt, DO, on 1110 AM; call in with your questions on the topic of the day. Also listen daily for her metabolic health minute of the day.

Joel Chudnow Hosts Hawk Health Hour – Noon1pm. Wholistic Health Educator and Natural Lifestyle Counselor Joel Chudnow is back on the radio and web, interviewing and showcasing wholistic healthcare professionals in Tampa Bay. WMNF 88.5 HD4 and live streaming HawkRadio.com.

Past Life Regression and Quantum Healing Hypnosis Therapy – 1-4pm. Shellie Brown, Past Life Regression Specialist, Certified Reconnective Healer and Certified Shamanic Practitioner, has been practicing hypnotherapy for seven years, specializing in past life regression. This technique has been proven to be effective for thousands of people worldwide, regardless of age, gender, personality, etc. New Beginning Oneness Center, 210 S. Pinellas Ave., Ste. 195, Tarpon Springs. Call 727-935-4891.

Tai Chi & Qi Gong – 4:30-6pm. Dao Yin and warm-up exercises 4:30pm. Qi Gong and Tai Chi sequences 5pm. Instructor Dr. Justin Fontanini has extensive experience and knowledge of these ancient arts. Donation. Reservations, 813-334-7424 Maria, 813-968-2128 Acupuncture & Natural Therapies, reikishrine@gmail.com.

Herb Student Clinic $10 + Cost of Herbs – 6-8pm.

Students spend about an hour or two using the Chinese medicine system of evaluation to see what herbs and herbal formulas to recommend for you.

They are supervised by one of our experienced acupuncture & herbal practitioners. Appointments only. St. Petersburg Health & Wellness, 222 2nd St. N., St. Pete, 727-551-0857, stpetehw.com.

Hypnosis & NLP Master Class (Public Welcome) – 6-9pm, Last Weds. Master Class for professional development (3 CEUs). Hypnotists expand skills with scripts & practice time & others participate as practice client. $30 UPHI Associates; $35 UPHI Members; $40 General Public). UP Hypnosis Institute, 800 Tarpon Woods Blvd, Palm Harbor, 727-943-5003, 866-5377746, Info@UPHypnosis.com, map uphypnosis.com.

Guided Meditation with Gong – 7-8:15pm. Relax and let go of all struggles as you are guided by the gentle, soft voice of Charles Robinson and the healing vibrations of the gong. Each week the meditation will be different, allowing you to release tension, anxiety and stress. Bring comfortable mat, blanket(s) and pillow(s). Free. Evolve Holistic Health & Wellness Center, 2120 Range Rd., Clearwater. 727-2238911, Pre-register EvolveClearwater.com.

Restorative/Yin Yoga – 7-8:15pm. Join Nancy MacDonald E-RYT500, Certified Restorative Yoga teacher as she guides you in the peaceful practice of restorative/ yin yoga. Postures will be held so the body can unwind and unfold naturally. Yoga4All, 8836 Seminole Blvd, Seminole, 727-542-0116, Shantivinyasa.com.

co-workers, and if you have your own drum, that too! King James will lead us in a Drum Circle filled with lots of energy, light and love! Love Offering Appreciated. Evolve Holistic Health & Wellness Center, 2120 Range Rd., Clearwater. 727-223-8911, Pre-register EvolveClearwater.com.

Mindfulness Meditation & Practice – 7-8:45pm. In the spirit of Thich Nhat Hanh. Mindfulness practice helps to cultivate compassion, develop inner peace and experience joy in daily life. UU St Pete, 719 Arlington Ave N, St Petersburg, Info floridamindfulness.org.

Evolve and Transform Meetup – 7-9pm. First Friday. Come join a community of like-minded people to discuss Spirituality and Awakening. Pot Luck: bring a dish to pass. Free. Evolve Holistic Health & Wellness Center, 2120 Range Rd., Clearwater. For more information, call 727-223-8911, pre-register at EvolveClearwater.com.

thursday Free Beginners Yoga Class – 5:45-7pm. New to yoga or need a brief review of the basics? Join us for this class or any other one class for free. Open to all levels.

5:30-6:45pm. First class in studio (limit one) is FREE to Pinellas residents. Yoga4All, 8836 Seminole Blvd, Seminole, Info, Marty 727-392-9642, yoga4all.com.

A Course in Miracles – 7pm. A modern day expression of the demonstrations and teachings of Jesus as the path to happiness, love and joy; course focuses on letting go of thoughts and pictures in our minds that cause us to suffer. $5 Donation, First Unity, 460-46th Ave N, St Pete, 727-527-2222 x101 or FirstUnity.org.

friday Gentle Yoga – 8:30-9:45am. With Osiris; bring your mat. Reservations, Osiris 813-545-3261 or Maria 813-334-7424.

Community Acupuncture Healing Sessions – 10am-3pm. Patients sit quietly in comfortable recliners and benefit from the synergistic healing energy of a group. Payment is made anonymously, based on honor system, Suggest $20–$45, cash only, Mind Body Spirit Care, 3610 Madaca Ln, Tampa, Reservations 813-969-1311.

Glimpsing Your Soul – 6:30-8:30pm, 4th Fri. Join inspirational author and teacher Laurel Geise as she leads the group in a past life session opening energetic doorways to explore the many dimensions of you. Beginning with an energetic expansion session and leading you deeper and deeper, she will guide you through the exploration of the eternal nature of your soul. $33, Wings Bookstore, 4500 4th St N, St. Pete, WingsBookstore.com, 727-522-6657.

Drum Circle with King James – 6:30-9pm. 2nd Friday. Our CommUNITY event begins with a pot luck. Bring a dish to pass, your family, friends,

Couples Beach Retreat & Workshop – 7:30pm Fri-1:45pm Sun. Transform your relationship through sacred intimacy and conscious loving.

Discover Tantra. $595/couple, Siesta Key Beach, Sarasota, IntimacyRetreats.com; Dates, other locations, brochure, call 1-877-282-4244.

saturday Qi Gong: Supreme Science Qi Gong – 9-10am. Val Mirea, DOM, AP conducts guided group class through powerful and relaxing qi gong positions and techniques.

All levels, $10, St. Petersburg Health & Wellness, 222 2nd St. N., St. Pete, 727-551-0857, stpetehw.com.

Passion 4 Pets Workshop – 10am-Noon. 3rd Saturday. Explore the world of your pets with Annette Pederson. Each month, a different topic. We will address animal CPR, nutrition, emergency planning, alternative healing modalities and more from local practitioners, experts and speakers. Meetings are for pet owners. $10/Energy Exchange. New Beginning Oneness Center, 210 S. Pinellas Ave., Ste. 195, Tarpon Springs. For more information, call 727-935-4891.

Reiki Share – 10am-2:30pm, 3rd Sat. Experience the powerful & gentle relaxation technique. It helps re-establish healthy frequencies to cells and tissues bringing back health. 813-765-5166 Maritza, 813-4252596 Dr Marta Alarcon, or reikishrine@gmail.com.

Prenatal Classes – 10:30am. Gail Walker facilitator.

Open to all levels of students in any trimester. Restore, rest, renew. $15, Tree of Life Yoga, 6800 Gulfport Blvd., Ste. 205, St. Petersburg. TreeOfLifeYoga.org.

Self-Hypnosis Training: Your Unlimited Mind! – 1-4pm, Last Sat. Patricia V Scott, Certified Master Trainer, teaches how to discover untapped potentials, using the power of your Unlimited Mind. $45 prepaid; $55 same day; $35 Members, includes CD/materials, UP Hypnosis Institute, 800 Tarpon Woods Blvd, Ste A-1, Palm Harbor, 727-943-5003, 866-537-7746, Info@UPHypnosis.com, map uphypnosis.com.

natural awakenings

June 2015

51

communityresourceguide ...connecting you to the leaders in natural healthcare and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide visit www.natampa.com or call 727.865.9339.

alternative medicine

ACUPUNCTURE Jade Tree Wellness Center Tom Elman, AP, LMT 3039 - 49th St. N, St. Petersburg (727) 344—8690 JadeTreeWellness.com

Happy, Healthy, Whole! Acupuncture, Herbs and Massage to help you feel better. We treat everything from asthma to emotional issues, from Acid Reflux to Fibromyalgia. Free Consultations! See ad page 36.

Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Chris Dziubinski, DOM, AP, L. Ac 201 S. McDill Ave. (S. Tampa) 3610 Madaca Lane (N. 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. In-network with most medical insurances; accept payments from HRA, HSA and FSA.

Natural Med Therapies

Machelle Perkins, D.O.M. 7600 Bryan Dairy Rd # C, Largo, 33777 (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.

LIFEWORKS WELLNESS CENTER

Dr. David Minkoff Dr. George Springer & Sue Morgan, ARNP 301 Turner Street, Clearwater (727) 466—6789 LifeWorksWellnessCenter.com

astrology Astrology for Your Soul

Aluna Michaels, M.A., Esoteric Astrologer Dunedin (727) 239-7179 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.”

Specializing in natural hormone replacement therapy: the natural, bioidentical way and other safe, natural nutritional solutions for menopause symptoms, including weight loss, acupuncture, chelation, allergy elimination, and walk-in care.

See ad inside front cover.

Peaks of Health Metabolic Medical Center

Tracie Leonhardt, DO 1120 Belcher Rd. S., Ste. 2, Largo, Fl 33777 (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.

Offering: Hormone replacement therapy, weight loss, thyroid, GI issues, Diabetes, infrared sauna, IV nutrition, Anti-aging, Chronic fatigue, adrenal fatigue, and toxicities. See ad page 9.

Steven A. Culbreath Esq. 111 - 2nd Avenue N.E., Suite 900 St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 456-6463 steve@saculbreathlaw.com ImmigrationLawTampaBay.com

Member AILA/prestigious AV-rating. Authored articles on U.S. immigration law, visa strategies, legislative / regulatory updates, demystifying government agencies, insight into government practices. Visas, Greencards, Citizenship.

blood analysis

Professional Herbalists Training Program

Acupuncture & Herbal Therapies 222 2nd St. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33705 (727) 551—0857 AcuHerbals.com

attorney Law Offices of Steven A. Culbreath, P.A.

The 2-year program meets one weekend each month for class and Wednesday nights for our hands-on student clinic. This program is designed to create clinical herbalists in a combination of Chinese and western herbalism.

Many open classes. Designed to meet American Herbalists Guild standards.

See ad page 14.

Stewart Analysis, Ltd.

Brandi Stewart Microscopist/ Insured Wellness Counselor 15511 N.Florida Ave. Suite 2, Tampa (863) 860-6643 brandi@stewartanalysis.com StewartAnalysis.com Specializing in Live and dry layer blood evaluations utilizing applied dark field microscopic technology for health, education and nutritional improvements. Locations available throughout Florida.

Sunshine Acupuncture Center Dr. Guansu Wang, AP, DOM, MD (China) 1811 N. Belcher Road, Suite H4, Clearwater (727) 797-1161 SunshineAcupunctureCenter.com

25+ years experience practicing and teaching Acupuncture and TCM. In bay area since 1992.

Specializing in Neurological pain, migraine, Arthritis, Anxiety, Insomnia etc. Free consultation.

52

Tampa Bay Edition

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. ~Confucius www.natampa.com

chiropractic Conforti Chiropractic and Wellness

4040 Tampa Rd., (813) 818—7499 Benttree Clinic 10935 N. Dale Mabry, (813) 969—2225 Conforti’s Crossroads Chiropractic Center 1811 Healthcare Dr., Trinity (727) 376—9611 Providing affordable family plans. See ad pages 39 and 43.

colon Hydrotherapy RENEW LIFE

Bonnie Barrett 28469 US Hwy 19 N. #402, Clearwater (727) 461—7227 RenewLifeFla.com, Lic# MA14802 MM12728 25 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. Raindrop massage available also.

Lucy Westervelt

2708 Alt. 19, Ste. 708, Palm Harbor (727) 781-8446

Natural Living Chiropractic & wellness center Dr. Paula Giusto 2102 S. Mac Dill Ave., Tampa (813) 253—2565 NaturalLivingChiropractic.org

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

Jin Shin Jyutsu & craniosacral therapy.

David F. Doering, DDS

Doering Family Dental 1201 W. Linebaugh Ave., Tampa (813) 933—5365 TampaDentalCare.com Cosmetic and restorative dentistry. Conservative approach to periodontal (gum) treatment. See ad page 23.

Paul T. Rodeghero DDS

Clearwater Family Dental 215 S Myrtle Ave., Clearwater (727) 442-3363 MyClearwaterFamilyDental.com Our practice is a full service family practice. We welcome patients of all ages and can handle any concern that you may present to us. See ad page 10.

Lic# MA33067 MM33474

Expert in Colon Hydrotherapy, using state-of-the-art equipment combined with Abdominal Massage, Reflexology, Pressure Points and Essential Oils during session for optimal results.

Professional, warm spa setting.

counseling

Ray Behm, DDS

127 N. Garden Ave., Clearwater 33755 (727) 446—6747 BehmNaturalDentistry.com Improve your overall health with holistic dentistry! Materials are tested for compatibility with your body. We remove toxic metals, treat root canals, and strengthen teeth and gums with state-of-the-art ozone treatments.

See ad page 31.

Willing Heart Counseling

Kerry Knesl, LCSW 105 S. Albany Avenue, Tampa FL 33606 (813) 468-5858

coaching Dianne M. Kipp, BSN, PCC, CTT

ICF Certified Coach & Business Culture Consultant Dianne M. Kipp & Associates, LLC (727) 481-1646 coach@diannekipp.com DianneKipp.com

Wanting to achieve the best in your personal relationships, professional or business goals? Try coaching with a certified coach.

You will be amazed at the results!

Coaching Courageous Living choices & senior executives for over 8 years. Complimentary Personal Values Assessments & Intro-session available.

Nature always

wears the colors of the spirit. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Depression and bipolar disorder, dual diagnosis, eating disorders, anxiety and stress, PTSD, relationship problems, women’s issues, grief, self-esteem issues, adolescent issues, bullying and group therapy.

for sale Bonnie Barrett (727) 461-7227

dentists Beata carlson, DDS

2701 Park Dr. Suite 4, Clearwater, Fl. 33763 (727) 712—3837 NaturalAndCosmeticDentistry.com Natural, Holistic, Aesthetic Dentistry. Careful Silver filling removal. Non-metal crowns, bridges and partials. Be pampered in our Spa-like atmosphere. See ad back cover.

Tough times never last, but tough people do.

Add income to your practice with a Synergie Cellulite machine. Vacuum type massage that rids cellulite and smooths skin and firms. Has ability to add on micro-Dermabrasion. Low hours on machine. Moving and don’t have space for it. New cost $12,000. / Asking $3200.

herbalist Rose Kalajian—Herbalist

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

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

Promoting health through the use of Herbs. See ad page 28.

~Robert H. Schuller natural awakenings

June 2015

53

hypnosis UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES HYPNOSIS, INC.

Patricia V. Scott, President (727) 943—5003, (866) 537—7746 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 39.

integrative medicine St. Petersburg Health & Wellness

Les Cole, MD 222 2nd St. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 202-6807 StPeteHW.com.

Board certified in Anti-Aging/ Regenerative and Integrative/ Holistic Medicine. Specializing in men’s & women’s health, bio-identical hormones, weight, diabetes, hypertension, thyroid, fatigue, stress, gut health, chelation, IV vitamin C, nutrition.

See ad pages 14 and 29.

Mind Body spirit Care Ron N. Shemesh, M.D. 3610 Madaca Lane, 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.

lifestyle coaching Sarah Boughanmi, LLL, LLM, ESQ (QC.)

1-844-64-LIGHT (54448) LifeGlowOrganics.com,LifeGlowHealth.com FloridaHealthRetreat.com We help you attain a holistic and sustainable lifestyle for: health, beauty, rejuvenation, detox, and wellness. Specializing in produce/sprouts, coaching and retreats.See ad page 51.

meditation Meditation on the Inner Light and Sound 1-877- MEDITATE SantMat.net

Learn how to live in alignment with the soul’s purpose and to experience greater harmony within, with others, and with the environment. Always free, never a charge.

organic produce

Tampa Bay Edition

The Learning Connection, T.L.C. Inc.,voted #1 Best Tutoring Service for 6 years in a row, is celebrating its 19th anniversary! We offer a wide variety of educational services for Pre-school to Adults.

We produce results!

See ad page 33.

Tampa Bay Organics

Jessica Papesh (813) 949-1112 TampaBayOrganics.com hello@tampabayorganics.com Tampa Bay Organics delivers fresh, delicious 100% Certified Organic Fruits and Vegetables directly to your home or office.

Customize your delivery schedule and produce preferences to fit your lifestyle! www.TampaBayOrganics.com. See ad page 14.

psychotherapy Lois A. Miller, L.C.S.W., PA

238 E. Davis Blvd. Suite 302, Tampa (813) 258-3906, Fl. Lic. swooo1738 info@mytherapywithheart.com mytherapywithheart.com Integrative and holistic psychotherapy for individuals and couples. Treating anxiety, depression, grief, relationships, trauma, transitioning and more, using EMDR, EFT, mindfulness, and other modalities. See ad page 26.

SUZANNE P. PERSONS, Ph.D., LMHC MH#0423 / since 1982 Psychotherapy / Consultation 1700 Park Street North St. Petersburg, FL 33710 (727) 804—1706

EMDR Therapy for stress, trauma and change. Counseling for people with grief, loss, esteem issues; relationship communication, life assessment, direction and goals, father/daughter relationships.

NA Fun Fact: Natural Awakenings is published in 100 U.S. markets and Puerto Rico.

To advertise with us, call 727.865.9339 54

tutoring THE LEARNING CONNECTION TLC, INC. Annette Primiani, B.S., M.S., Director 1156 N.E. Cleveland St.,Clearwater, FL 33755 (727) 443-5353 LearningConnectionTLCInc.com tlcinc@earthlink.net

www.natampa.com

veterinarian animal alternatives holistic health care Dr. Anne Lampru 238 E. Bearss Ave., Tampa (813) 265—2411 AnimalAlternatives.org

Dr. Anne Lampru has practiced holistic veterinary medicine since 1983. Believing that each pet is unique, she tailors a health restoration or maintenance plan to their individual needs.

See ad page 28.

Medicine River Animal Hospital Shawna L. Green, DVM 15235 Gulf Boulevard Madeira Beach, FL 33708 (727) 299—9029 MedicineRiverAnimalHospital.com

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

See ad page 38.

weight loss HCG ACCELERATED DIET

LifeWorks Wellness Center Sue Morgan, ARNP Sue Minkoff, RN 301 Turner Street, Clearwater, FL 33756, (727) 466 6789 LifeWorksWellnessCenter.com Experience this revolutionary, medically supervised weightloss program, where patients lose 14-20lbs in 24 days.

See ad inside cover.

MIND FUL NESS

is the key to solving addictive behavior.

Empower is the open door. ™

Transformation starts with a conversation.

Call our friendly staff at 727-410-8911.

Empower™ is a highly effective and proven alternative treatment program using Perception Therapy® as its primary protocol. Rather than focusing on symptoms, Empower looks at root causes to help transform learned perceptions.

alternative2rehab.com

2120 Range Rd | Clearwater, FL 33765

Above Limits. Beyond Labels.