Natural Awakenings Fairfield County January 2014 Edition by Natural Awakenings Magazine

H E A L T H Y

L I V I N G

H E A L T H Y

P L A N E T

feel good • live simply • laugh more

FREE

Special Edition

Health & Wellness

Coaching

BUILD YOUR OWN

Fracking

TEAM

Closing in on Connecticut

HEALTH Impact

January 2014 | Fairfield County Edition | eNaturalAwakenings.com eNaturalAwakenings.com

January 2014

The Natural Choice – The Breiner Whole-Body Health Center

Optimize Your Smile and Your Health! Whole-Body Dentistry® provides comprehensive oral health care using traditional and holistic approaches. We understand the “mouth-body connection.” Mark A. Breiner, DDS

Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry Fellow of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology Speaker and best-selling author of Whole-Body Dentistry®

Mercury-free for over 30 years, Dr. Breiner is a pioneer and recognized authority in the field of biological and holistic dentistry.

WholeBodyDentistry.com 203-371-0300

5520 Park Ave., Trumbull / Fairfield town line at Exit 47 off Merritt Pkwy

Doesn’t it make sense to see the authority?

The Natural Choice – The Breiner Whole-Body Health Center Caring Naturopathic Physicians Offering the Best in Holistic Healing

Our integrative approach treats a widerange of conditions including: ADD/ADHD Allergies Anxiety & Depression Autism Brain Injuries Candidiasis Chronic Fatigue (or Fatigue Concerns) Difficulty Concentrating Female Concerns Fibromaylgia

Gastrointestinal Concerns Healthy Aging Hormonal Issues Immune Disorders Lyme Disease RSD Sports Injuries Stress-related Symptoms Thyroid & Adrenal Issues Toxicities Weight Gain

Learn more about our approach. Watch our new therapy videos – all on our website!

We can help you get your health back in balance naturally with proven treatments and therapies:

From left to right:

Dr. Adam Breiner, ND, Director Dr. Elena Sokolova, MD, ND & Dr. David M. Brady, ND, CCN, DACBN

WholeBodyMed.com 203-371-8258

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) EEG Neurofeedback Acupuncture Chinese Medicine Homeopathy Energy Medicine Electrodermal Screening Metabolic Typing

Functional Medicine Colon Hydrotherapy Natural Hormone Therapy Herbal Medicine Nutritional Assessment Allergy Desensitization FDA-cleared Phototherapy Detoxification Abdominal Manual Therapy

FREE CDs on our Whole-Body approach to Lyme Disease. Call now for details.

Office located on the Fairfield/Trumbull line

Whole-Body Medicine, LLC – The Natural Approach for Optimal Health 2

Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

Personal and Business Reinvention

www.kmareducation.org

One never knows what qualities, skill sets, learning capacity and how multi-faceted one can be, until you actually try it out; until you give yourself a chance to experience something you have never done before and implement your ideas.

KES Educational Services, Inc. Provides a full menu of services for individuals who understand the necessity of personal growth investment in order to be competitive in this world. It is not about how much you know, it is about how, when, what, and where you have applied your Knowledge and Skills Set and the moment of truth: The RESULTS.

Conscious Living Events in 2014

Build Your: Communication Skills • Belief System • Conﬁdence • Self Esteem • Convincing Power • Tenacity

January 9, 2014 6:30-8 PM Norwalk Public Library • 1 Belden Avenue • Norwalk, CT 06850 Reservations Required 203-505-3660

“Hate Your Job No More... Think Projects” with Mariette Kammerer

“Eliminating Foods Causing More Stress” with Dr. Constance Greene www.thenaturalhealingcenter.biz

“When I gave birth to KES Educational Services, Inc. in 2004, I knew that the end result was going to be “helping others on their path to self-discovery and building on their accomplishments.” Having gone through a reinvention process myself, it was time to reach out to encourage others who are in need of clarity, direction, and passion. The time is now - for everyone to take Action in their life, to learn new things, shelve some of the old things, and go into territories where one has never been before.” Mariette Kammerer Please visit www.kmareducation.org for more information. To book a private consultation with Mariette call 203-505-3660.

Join Mariette on the Radio Every Tuesday From 9-10 PM

lifechanges with mariette

Life Changes with Mariette is about conquering adversity in life, learning from setbacks, and making changes. Our focus is on: Change, Health and Wellness, Personal Growth, Career, and Taking Action. Featuring great local and national professionals and experts who have the skills to connect with people.

Call in WICC AM 600 203-333-9422 or Listen in at www.wicc600.com

Serving Connecticut, New York, Long Island

Contact Mariette at 203-505-3660 if you have special services or treatments that you want us and our audience to know about. eNaturalAwakenings.com

January 2014

A new year, a new YOU…better than ever!

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 Fracking Impact

Closing in on CT Spectra Algonquin Project in Development by Ellen Weininger

Sun., Jan. 19, 2014 10am to 5pm

Filmmaker Katie Teague

Hotel Pennsylvania

by Linda Sechrist

401 7th Ave. New York, NY 10001

VISIT a whole new kind of wellness fair: It’s social, inspiring, informative and welcoming to all! Awaken Wellness Fair: promoting well-being for your mind, body, spirit — and the environment! BE INSPIRED by over 100 exhibitors including: ❁ Noted speakers ❁ Gifted healers ❁ “Green” experts ❁ Self improvement vendors ❁ Intuitive readers Media Sponsor:

24 MONEY MYTHS

Uncovers Our Misperceptions

28 CATALYST FOR CHANGE

Natural Awakenings Celebrates 20 Years by Sharon Bruckman

29 BUILD YOUR OWN

WELLNESS DREAM TEAM Take Your Health to the Next Level by Kathleen Barnes

34 Integrative Health

Coaching and Patient Navigation

Holistic Healthcare as a Statewide Imperative by Leslie Cahill

37 SOUL-FULL GOALS

Feeling Our Way to Happiness by Susie Ruth

ORDER TODAY!

TICKETS: $10 online; $15 at the door www.AwakenFair.com

38 Health & Wellness Coach Profiles & Directory

FOR MORE INFO:

e-mail: AwakenUSA@aol.com or call 914.422.1784

52 Virtual Gastric

Band Hypnosis Combat Obesity & Lose Weight without Dieting by Diane Bahr-Groth, CH, TFT-Adv

Presented by PPC Group, LLC

60 EVER-MORE-GREEN IN 2014

Easy Ways to Go Eco Right Now by Avery Mack 4

Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

WHY AN ORGANIC MATTRESS IS RIGHT FOR YOU

32 7 newsbriefs 16 healthbriefs 20 globalbriefs 32 healingways 44 naturallyhealthypet 46 45 pethealthbriefs 46 naturalpet 50 petresourceguide While we sleep, our immune system recovers and prepares for the day ahead. If your mattress is filled 51 peteventscalendar with airborne allergens and chemical toxins, your immune system will battle these rather than repair 54 healthykids itself. Regular bedding & mattresses are laden with polyurethane foam, toxic flame retardants, will and water While we sleep, our immune system recovers will battle these rather than While repair itself. While While we we we sleep, sleep, sleep, our our our immune immune immune system system system recovers recovers recovers will will battle battle battle these these these rather rather rathe th or stain with resistant chemicals. 56 productmarketplace and prepares for the day ahead. If your Regular bedding & mattresses are laden and and and prepares prepares prepares for for for the the the day day day ahead. ahead. ahead. If If your If your your Regular Regular Regular bedding bedding bedding & & mat & ma m 54 58system consciouseating and chemical toxins, your immune and water or stain resistant and chemicals. and and chemical chemical chemical toxins, toxins, toxins, your your your immune immune immune system system system and and and water water water ororor stain stain stain resis resi re Organic Innerspring Mattresses Organic Innerspring Mattresses 61 calendar Natural Latex Organic Mattresses Organic Organic Organic Innerspring Innerspring Innerspring Mattresses Mattresses Mattresses Natural Natural Natural Latex Latex Latex Organic Organic Organic Mat MM Our cotton innerspring mattresses are made with 65 classifieds organic cotton batting and organic wool — free from chemicals and pesticides! Great for those who are 66 resourceguide chemically sensitive or allergic to latex. A good fit

WHY AN ORGANIC MATTRESSWHY WHY WHYAN AN ANORGANIC ORGANIC ORGANICMATTRE MATTRE MATTRE IS RIGHT FOR YOU ISISISRIGHT RIGHT RIGHTFOR FOR FORYOU YOU YOU

advertising & submissions

for families on a budget because an innerspring is generally less expensive than a latex mattress.

Natural Latex Organic Mattresses how to advertise To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 203-885-4674 or When it comes to latex there’s “natural” and then there’s “all natural”. We sell only “all natural” latex email NicoleM@NaturalAwakeningsMag.com. Our cotton innerspring mattresses are made with When it comes to latex there’s “natural” and then there’s so Our Our Our cotton cotton cotton innerspring innerspring innerspring mattresses mattresses mattresses are are made made made with with with When When When it itcomes itcomes comes totolatex tolatex latex there ther th mattresses you are sleep chemical-free. Beware Deadline for ads: the 12th of the month. organic cotton batting and organic wool – free from “all natural”. We sell only “all natural” latex mattresses organic organic organic cotton cotton cotton batting batting batting and and and organic organic organic wool wool wool – –free –free free from from from “all “all “all natural”. natural”. natural”. We We We sell sell sell only only only “all “a

chemicals and pesticides! Great for those who are

Editorial submissions

for families on a budget because an innerspring is Visit eNaturalAwakenings.com. generally less expensive than a latex mattress.

mattress stores online and in your neighborhood selling sosoyou soyou you sleep sleep sleep chemical-free. chemical-free chemical-fre mattresses.

so you sleep chemical-free. Beware mattress stores chemicals chemicals chemicals and and and pesticides! pesticides! pesticides! Great Great Great for those those those who who who are are are “natural” or “green” orforfor “sustainable” foam online and in your neighborhood selling “natural” or This is “green wash” marketing hype. “green” or “sustainable” foam mattresses. Thisonon isa “green forforfor families families families on abudget abudget budget because because because ananinnerspring aninnerspring innerspring isisis wash” marketing hype. generally generally generally less less less expensive expensive expensive than than than a alatex alatex latex mattress. mattress. mattress.

online online online and and and ininyour inyour your neighborh neighbo neighb “green” “green” “green” oror“sustainable” or“sustainable” “sustainable” foam foa f wash” wash” wash” marketing marketing marketing hype. hype. hype.

Deadline for News Briefs: the 5th of the month. FIND A HUGE SELECTION OF THE BEST FIND A HUGE SELECTION OF THE BEST ORGANIC MATTRESSES IN THE WORLD FIND FIND FIND AORGANIC AHUGE AHUGE HUGE SELECTION SELECTION SELECTION OF OF OF THE THE THE BEST BEST BEST ORGANIC ORGANIC ORGANIC MATTRESSES MATTRESSES MATTRESSES INININ THE THE THW MATTRESSES IN THE WORLD calendar submissions Queen$1799 Queen$2439 Queen$2549 Queen$2530 Queen$2875 Queen$1799 Queen$4398 Queen$2439 Queen$1799 Queen$1799 Queen$2439 Queen$2439 Queen$2549 Queen Queen$2549 $2549 Queen Queen$2530 Queen$2530 $2530 Queen$ Queen Que Visit eNaturalAwakenings.com. Deadline for magazine calendar listings: the 5th of the month. Website calendar listings may be entered at any time. Naturepedic Essentials

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regional markets WHYAdvertise YOU SHOULDyour PURCHASE YOUR ORGANIC WHY WHY WHY YOU YOU YOU SHOULD SHOULD SHOULD PURCHASE PURCHASE PURCHASE YOUR YOUR YOUR ORGANIC ORGANIC ORGANIC products or services in multiple markets! MATTRESS FROM THE CLEAN BEDROOM MATTRESS MATTRESS MATTRESS FROM FROM FROM THE THE THE CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing When we found out what was in our mattress, my husband When When When wewefound we found found out out out what what whw We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. We We We We have have have anan A+ an A+ A+ rating rating with with with the the the Better Better Better Business Business Business Bureau. Bureau. Bureau. We We We Th erating Finest Organic Mattresses & Bedding in franchised family of locally owned magazinessaid, serving ‘Every mother in the world should know what they said, said, said, ‘Every ‘Every ‘Every mother mother mother ininthe in thew th research every brand we carry, testing the mattresses and research research research every every every brand brand brand we we carry, we carry, carry, testing testing testing the the the mattresses mattresses mattresses and and and the World, all in one place communities since 1994. To place your ad in other bedding to be sure they meet our rigorous standards for purity bedding bedding bedding toto be to be sure be sure sure they they they meet meet meet our our our rigorous rigorous rigorous standards standards standards forfor purity for purity purity Clean Bedroom was born. Clean Clean Clean Bedroom Bedroom Bedroom was was was born. born bor and construction. product knowledge and and and construction. construction. construction. Our Our Our extensive extensive extensive product product product knowledge knowledge knowledge helps helps helps markets Our callextensive 239-449-8309. Forhelps franchising opportunities —Chris Chamberlin, Co-founder —Chris —Chris —Chris Chamberlin, Chamberlin, Chamberlin C Greenwich at 79 East Putnam Ave |Our 203.292.9275 you select the mattress and bedding that is right for you. Our you you you select select select the the the mattress mattress mattress and and and bedding bedding bedding that that that is is right is right right forfor you. for you. you. Our Our call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com. prices are fair. We listen. We recommend. You decide. prices prices prices are are are fair. fair. fair. We We We listen. listen. listen. We We We recommend. recommend. recommend. You You You decide. decide. decide.

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letterfrompublisher

contact us Publisher/Managing Editor Nicole Miale Assistant Editor Ariana Rawls Fine Design & Production Erica Mills Sales & Marketing Nicole Miale Virginia Trinque Distribution Man in Motion LLC Natural Awakenings Fairfield County Phone: 203-885-4674 Fax: 203-516-2392 NicoleM@NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

eNaturalAwakenings.com NAWebstore.com NaturalAwakeningsSingles.com © 2014 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing. Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. It is available in selected stores, health and education centers, healing centers, public libraries and wherever free publications are generally seen. Please call to find a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business. We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. We welcome your ideas, articles and feedback.

appy New Year! I hope your holidays were warm with love, friendship and laughter, and that 2014 opens easily before you. The words “BEGIN AGAIN” echo in my head as I contemplate the new year. This is an excellent time to push “reboot” on that which doesn’t work in our lives. If any of the 2014 intentions you have set are health or lifestyle adjustments, keep this January issue close at hand. We feature the rapidly evolving profession of health and wellness coaching and the host of local resources poised to support you in reaching your goals. Nicole Miale We’ve put the spotlight on many highly qualified Fairfield County coaches. Whatever your specific goals are, these caring professionals can empower you and your process. You are not alone! As I reflect on my own intentions for this year, I also consider the recent past. This is my seventh edition at the helm of Natural Awakenings Fairfield County. Those months flew by and have brought me much joy and wonderful connections. A heartfelt thank you to my amazing team - in CT and FL - without whom this work would be less good, and certainly less fun. Infinite gratitude to the advertisers who accepted me so warmly, supported my efforts and remark positively about the magazine’s changes. Our distributors provide an invaluable service, connecting advertisers and readers each month through their generosity. I was reminded last week by readers at a networking event just how passionate many of you are about this magazine and how life-changing the content can be. Natural Awakenings is celebrating its 20th year of publishing and this edition is proud to carry the torch high! We will keep developing stories which challenge and educate, and keep breaking ground on behalf of this vibrant local community. Thanks to those of you who have commented favorably on the new, growing Naturally Healthy Pet section! 2014 will bring more exciting shifts. Our circulation and distribution have already grown significantly and, within a few months, our edition will be available at more than 1,000 locations (currently just under 700)! Our presence on electronic and digital devices will continue to improve and an overhaul of the enaturalawakenings.com website is planned. Have you friended us on Facebook yet? Please join our nearly 3,000 followers! Beginning this month, I will be a monthly guest host of the radio show “Life Changes with Mariette” on WICC 600 in Bridgeport, taking the Natural Awakenings message to thousands of radio and online listeners in CT and NY. I look forward to bringing some of our local thought leaders on the air with me. Lastly, next month’s issue – the Annual Natural Living Directory – promises to be a HUGE edition, a year-round reference guide that will include directory listings and practice profiles from many terrific local practitioners and businesses. The issue will be distributed all year, so it’s not an issue to miss if you have been considering joining us as an advertiser. We’re setting our sights high for 2014. I’m shooting for the moon but will be very happy to land among the stars. Come join us! With love and light,

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are available by sending $15 (for 12 issues) to the above address. Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soybased ink.

Fairfield County Edition

New in 2014: See our advertiser index on page 65. Making it easier to find the resources you need. natural awakenings

newsbriefs Empowering Through Beauty Expo 2014

New Ecotherapy/Cultural Sustainability Certificate Program

mpowering Through Beauty Expo 2014: A Celebration of Beauty is a fundraising event on January 18, 2014 celebrating the intelligence, strength, courage and determination of women and girls and the beauty professionals who inspire our community. Launched by CEO Tanisha Akinloye, the evening event will include celebrities, fashion, music, shopping, beauty makeovers, networking, empowerment and more. Guests will include R&B artist Jazmine Sullivan, actor/R&B singer Tony Grant, host/actress Trisha Mann Grant, Miss Teen USA Logan West, GoldStar Properties CEO/President and Women Doing it Big Founder Tiana Von Johnson and many others. The expo will be held from 5:30 to 11pm at the Trumbull Marriott. The mission of Empowering Through Beauty, Inc. (ETBINC), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is to empower people to live a vibrant future by restoring hope, dignity and self-confidence to create a pathway to wellbeing, employability and self-sufficiency. The organization teams with shelters, churches, schools, senior living and non-profit associations to create awareness using beauty services and products, educate the public, increase collaboration between beauty professionals and community outreach and create empowerment opportunities. All proceeds from the expo will go towards continuing this mission.

he Graduate Institute (TGI) is now enrolling for a new certificate program in Ecotherapy and Cultural Sustainability. Classes will begin in May 2014 and meet on weekends once a month at TGIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main campus in Bethany, as well as at several nature centers and agriculture sites in Connecticut and Vermont. Ecotherapy is based on the philosophy that the presence or absence of nature is directly connected to our health. During the nine-month certificate program, participants engage in a variety of activities that enhance their self-sufficiency and capacity for creating sustainable cultures in the natural world, while activating their ability to help others do the same. These practices include woodland and essential survival skills, permaculture, animal-assisted therapies, holistic gardening, social/environmental/food justice, natural healing and more. Students will earn 12 graduate credits as well as a certificate to become practicing Ecotherapists. The program is geared towards mental health and healthcare practitioners and educators, non-profit leaders, youth advocates and those interested in developing and enhancing their capacity for initiating eco-sustainable change.

Location: Trumbull Marriott, 180 Hawley Ln, Trumbull, CT. For more information, visit ETBexpo.com and EmpoweringThroughBeauty.org or contact etbexpo@gmail.com.

For more information, contact Admissions at 203-874-4252 or admissions@learn.edu or visit TGI at Learn.edu. See ad, page 71.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

January 2014

newsbriefs Holistic Lifestyle Workshop Series

WordenWellnessCenter.com FB: Worden Wellness Center

Mention this ad for

$15 OFF your First or Next visit

203-244-8801 WordenWellnessCenter.com 41 Kenosia Avenue, Danbury, CT 06810 Or scan QR code

Protect yourself from toxins in our food and water Your body has the ability to rid itself of toxins, but is compromised by the great number of toxins we must process. Adequate nutrition is essential for effective detoxification.

Our program assists your natural body functions

ADVANCED DETOXIFICATION SUPPORT • Scientifically designed • Clinically tested • Backed by research

Worden Wellness Center

We specialize in keeping you and your family healthy!

Lipo-Light is the new nonsurgical state-of-the-art technology alternative to Liposuction. It is completely non-invasive, does not cause any discomfort, and no down time. It is based on the principle of biophotomodulation. Infrared light at 635 nanometers is absorbed by fat cells causing the cell’s pores to open and excrete the fatty acid contents into the surrounding fluid. The fat is taken away by the lymphatic system and consumed by body metabolism. The result is immediate loss of inches.

Fairfield County Edition

r. James T. Prado will present a 2-part workshop series titled The Holistic Lifestyle: Contemporary Science Discovers Ancient Wisdom on January 11 and 18, 2014 from James Prado 11am to 1pm. The workshops, which include lunch, will be held at Woodbury’s New Morning Market. The first part of the workshop will focus on issues with our current American lifestyle and healthcare system, the human diet and the link between diet and the epidemic of diseases related to chronic inflammation. In addition, attendees at this workshop will learn about the benefits of exercise and sleep. For the second workshop in the series, Nature Deficit Disorder and sunlight deprivation’s link to an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency as well as stress’ effects and different views of stress management will be covered. Prado and Brian Baker, DC, are physicians at the Pomperaug Chiropractic & Holistic Center, located in Southbury since 1987. Location: New Morning Market is at 129 Main St North, Woodbury, CT. Cost: $40, including freshly prepared Provender lunches. To register and for more information, contact Kim at 203263-4868.

Only One Offer Per Person Restrictions May Apply New Patients Only Offer Expires 3/31/14

natural awakenings

Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value. ~Albert Einstein

A Unique Boutique with Heartfelt Purpose

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welry • fairy st r je • painting atues e v s an & sil gifts d s gi ng rian cu l st

Hypnosis Certification Course

ind Matters Hypnosis Center in Avon is offering a Hypnosis Certification Course March 15 through March 22, 2014. In this 100-hour basic/advanced certification course, attendees will learn how to successfully hypnotize themselves and others from Lisa Zaccheo, MA, BCH, BCI. The course will be a combination of 8 full days of in-person training plus home and group study/practice. The course will cover what hypLisa Zaccheo, Owner nosis is, its history and science, who and Lead Hypnotist can and cannot be hypnotized and for Mind Matters deepening techniques, among other subjects. A $200 discount is offered for registration by the early bird date of February 14, 2014. In addition, a referral reward of $100 off of tuition is offered for every student who is referred and registers for the course. For more information or to apply, visit MindMattersHypnosis.com or call 860-693-6448. See ad and coupon on page 41.

Budgets, spending, saving, earning won’t solve your financial issues. What will?

Discover and heal your relationship with money . . . to the root. To learn more, please visit www.judithbarr.com and click on MONEY IS A CLUE

e dh

Soul Focus is located at 145 Grassy Plain St, Bethel, CT. For more information, call 203-570-3868 or visit Soul-Focus.me. See ad, page 10.

oul Focus is celebrating its one-year anniversary in the spiritual center’s Bethel location. Owner Mela Rispoli, a 4th generation clairvoyant/medium, offers clairvoyant readings, spiritual counseling, teen and adult meditation, Reiki, Native American drumming and more in the 3,200-square foot facility. “We are in the process of offering new workshops and classes, special Mela Rispoli events and some guests on a national level for 2014,” says Rispoli. “It’s been a most successful year, and I’ve been blessed to have met some wonderful people.”

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Soul Focus Turns One

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ryst

als • pottery •

Gift Cards Available Intuitive Readings Every Weekend Wide Selection of Native American Gifts

203-438-7146

452 Main St, Ridgefield

touchofsedonaridgefield.com Open Every Day Until 5:30

Touch Of Sedona

Clinics Your Partners in Health and Wellness

The UB Clinics, located on the campus of the University of Bridgeport, are staffed by some of the brightest and most talented healthcare professionals of the future. Open to the public, the UB Clinics offer affordable, high-quality care at a fraction of the cost of comparable treatments elsewhere. • Naturopathic Medicine • Dental Hygiene • Chiropractic • Acupuncture Call our UB Clinics at 203-576-4349 to take advantage of this unique healthcare opportunity located in your own backyard. Or visit www.ubclinics.org

Judith Barr, LPC, LMhC ... hEaLiNG tO thE rOOt 30 Years Experience • Depth Psychotherapist • Spiritual Midwife Financial Therapist • Professional Training/Supervision • Speaker

Health Sciences Center, 60 Lafayette Street, Bridgeport, CT 06604

PO Box 603, Brookfield, CT 06804 • 203-775-5006 • JudithBarr@PowerAbusedPowerHealed.com

eNaturalAwakenings.com

UBRIRE380_natrl_Awkngs_Ad color PRINT.indd 1

January 2014

4/6/10 4:58 PM

Ready to Heat or Freeze In-Home Prep: personalized menus

newsbriefs Dr. Victoria Shaw Now in Wilton

Home Delivery: Clean Food Prepared in a Farm, Packaged and Labeled.

Stamford, Norwalk, New Canaan, and more to come.

Specialty: BloodType/Genotype Diet-SWAMI* (generativemedicine.org ) * by Dr. Peter D’Adamo Licensed/Insured

(203) 559 8946 • ChefElyGrubel.com

Personal Wellness Center Inspiring You to Live Your Best Life! • Intuitive/Psychic Readings • Mediumistic Readings • Holistic Health Coaching • Health & Healing Program for Cancer Patients

sychotherapist and consultant Victoria Shaw, PhD, LPC from Westport is opening a new location in the Center for Integrative Health in Wilton this month, expanding options for holistic mental health in the area. Shaw offers holistic psychotherapy to children, teens and adults. She specializes in working with children and teens on social, academic and emotional issues Victoria Shaw including ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, anger management, self-esteem and grief and loss. In addition, she works with adults on life transitions, stress management, trauma, parenting concerns and spirituality. The Center for Integrative Health is located at 3 Hollyhock Ln, Wilton, CT. For more information, call 203-254-3403 or email vfshawphd@gmail.com or visit VictoriaShawPsychotherapy.com. See ad, page 27.

1895 Post Rd, Fairfield Sage Osa 203.767.6237 ~ MyPersonalWellness.com

Fit and Fun Fest with Junior League of Greenwich

145 Grassy Plain St. Bethel, CT

FiT & F N FeST

Soul Focus Mela Rispoli 203-570-3868 mrispoli2@aol.com

Be well Be beautiful Herbal Hair Color • 100% grey coverage • Ammonia-free • Paraben-free • Oderless • Long Lasting • Gentle on hair & scalp • Improved texture & shine

(203)966-5655 www.SynergySalonNC.com 10

Fairfield County Edition

he Junior League of Greenwich (JLG) is sponsoring its second annual Fit and Fun Fest on February 1, 2014 at the YWCA Greenwich from 1pm to 4pm. Geared to families with children aged 5 to 12, the Fit and Fun Fest is a health and wellness event offering interactive health, fitness, food demos and activities to provide a foundation of health practices to be used both at home and in school. The event, free to all attending, will feature health practitioners, restaurants, food chefs, fitness instructors and activities. In addition, to support the Neighbor to Neighbor local food bank, JLG will run a food drive and has invited families to bring a non-perishable food item to the YWCA to be delivered to Neighbor to Neighbor. Samples, giveaways and door prizes will be available to the first 300 attendees. The 2014 Fit and Fun Fest is an extension of the Junior League’s national nutrition program, entitled “Kids in the Kitchen.” The Junior League is sponsoring this event free to the community. JLG is an educational and charitable organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.

Organic Hair Studio 53 East Avenue New Canaan, CT 06840

natural awakenings

For more information, visit JLGreenwich.org.

Community Plates’ Social Volunteering App

orwalkbased Community Plates has rolled out its nextgeneration GoRescue App, which is designed to streamline and enhance the organization’s food rescue process. The nonprofit rescues surplus food and transfers it directly to receiving agencies to feed Call us the food-insecure. The GoRescue App enables food runners to access the orga-today! nization’s “self-serve volunteer management system” via their mobile phone or on the internet. Volunteers are able to chat about and sign up for food runs on the spot or in advance, access details about the run, share new opportunities and ideas and exchange success stories about the people they help. GoRescue is initially being deployed in Community Plates’ Connecticut markets, including Fairfield and New Haven counties. In early 2014, it will become available in Albuquerque, NM and Columbus, OH. “As the organization grows, the simplicity of GoRescue will continue making volunteers more efficient. This is critical to enabling Community Plates to achieve this year’s goal of rescuing three-million meals, and significantly more year-afteryear,” said Executive Director Kevin Mullins. While in earlier stages, the core GoRescue technology was awarded the 2013 Computerworld Honors Program 21st Century Achievement Award in Human Services. GoRescue is powered by WhenToManage, a company creating cloud-based software for the restaurant, hospitality and retail industries.

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January 2014

newsbriefs ProMindful Launches Appeal Drive

roMindful, co-founded by Alex Nason and Jamie Dickinson, has launched its annual appeal drive to support its mission to promote mindfulness, holistic health and wellness. The Stamford-based organization achieves this by providing grants, scholarships and other support to organizations and instructors - primarily in Fairfield County - who provide and teach mindfulness and integrative health. The all-volunteer organization offers grants and scholarships to assist organizations in providing holistic and integrative scholarships, lectures, classes, workshops, publications, broadcasts, websites, libraries, partnerships, volunteer efforts and restricted funds held for the benefit of third parties. Current fields of interest include, but are not limited to yoga, meditation, holistic nutrition and integrative health. For more information or to donate online, visit ProMindful. org, check Facebook.com/ProMindful or follow ‘mindfultwits’ on Twitter™.

Awaken Wellness Fair Comes to Big Apple

A new year, a new YOU…better than ever!

he Awaken Wellness Fair, a body-mind-spirit-green expo making its New York City debut, will be held January 19, 2014 from 10am to 5pm. This educational and experiential event, featuring integrative practices (holistic and tradiSun., Jan. 19, 2014 tional), has attracted over 100 exhibitors each spring and fall 10am to 5pm for more than a decade. Sponsored by Natural Awakenings Hotel Pennsylvania 401 7th Ave. New York, NY 10001 magazine, the expo will include two speaker areas with continuous scientific and metaphysical-leaning VISIT a whole newtalks kind ofthroughout wellness fair: It’s social, inspiring, informative and the day for no additional charge. welcoming to all! Awaken Wellness Fair: promoting well-being your mind,will The event, expected to attract at least 1,000forguests, body, spirit — and the environment! take place at New York City’s Hotel Pennsylvania. ApproxiBE INSPIRED by over 100 exhibitors including: mately 20 intuitive readers and healers practicing a variety ❁ Noted speakers ❁ Gifted healers appointment after of modalities will be available by advance ❁ “Green” experts ❁ Self 500 improvement vendors purchasing a ticket online. The first guests arriving at ❁ Intuitive readers the Awaken Fair will receive a reusable bag filled with gifts, special offers and discounts. Media Sponsor:

Location: Hotel Pennsylvania, located at 401 Seventh Ave, ORDER TODAY! $10 online; in Manhattan, NY. Cost: TicketsTICKETS: are available online for $10 $15 at the door through January 16 and $15 at www.AwakenFair.com the door. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit AwakenFair.com and click FOR MORE INFO: e-mail: AwakenUSA@aol.com on “New York City.” See ad, page 4.914.422.1784 or call

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Prescription4Wellness Starts 11-Day Detox Class

Sonia Choquette at Newtown’s SOUND

rescription4Wellness, a nutrition and wellness coaching practice, will be launching its “11 Day Detox” online detoxification event on January 17, 2014 with support and free coaching from principal Mary Gilbertson. Open cart starts January 1 with a kick-off call taking place on January 15 for clients to receive their materials and learn about the detox. Clients can access all the materials online after purchasing the program. A workshop is tentatively scheduled at The Collaborative Women’s Center, 500 Monroe Tpk, Monroe on January 16 to review the detox and materials and answer questions. Natural detoxification with botanicals, essential whole food nutrients and certain supplements will help detoxify your body naturally, without chemicals and undue side effects. After doing a detox (essentially also an elimination diet), clients may uncover a host of allergens and/or toxins that have been making them sick and causing health problems. Afterwards, they can lose weight, feel less bloated and have more energy. For more information, visit Prescription4Wellness.com, click on “Programs” and then “11 Day Detox.” If interested in the workshop, email GilbertsonMary@yahoo.com. See ad, page 33.

ewtown’s SOUND Center for Arts & Mindfulness is offering a special 90-minute mini-workshop and book signing with alchemist and six-sensory healer Sonia Choquette, PhD, on January 19, 2014 at 4pm. She will teach about awakening and integrating our intuitive voice or “vibes” to use as a source of insight, creativity, health and wealth. With over 30 years in her field, Sonia Choquette is a global spiritual teacher, six-sensory consultant, storyteller and transformational visionary guide who has authored 19 books on intuitive awakening, personal growth, creativity and transformational leadership, including Ask Your Guides and the New York Times bestseller “The Answer is Simple.” SOUND is a holistic educational center in Newtown, located in a historic, restored wedding chapel. SOUND offers classes in creative arts, dance, early childhood (private and group), music therapy, yoga, healing modalities and more. Preregistration and prepayment is required as there is limited seating for the $60 workshop. For more information and registration, contact 203-270-1119 or visit SoundCenterArts.com. Location: SOUND is at 31 Hawleyville Rd, Newtown, CT. See ad, page 24.

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January 2014

kudos Monroe’s BodySmart Celebrates 10 Years

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Now at Ridgefield Chiropractic & Wellness Center

odySmart, a private one-on-one and semi-private boutique fitness and healthcare practice founded and owned by Elizabeth Reed, MS, CNS, recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Reed, clinical nutritionist Elizabeth and Mark Reed before and and former body after his approximate100lb weight loss builder, first began in Monroe with Dr. Thomas C. Roballey, a chiropractor, before starting her own business more than 10 years ago in its current Monroe location. During the decade celebration at the studio, BodySmart gave out top three weight loss awards for the BodySmart local TLS Find Your Fit Challenge to Trumbull’s Marge Pulzig, Shelton’s Caren Kangas and Darien’s Karen Boccadoro. Local prizes were donated by Steven Williams Hair Design and Vazzy’s Osteria on Main Street in Monroe in addition to BodySmart. BodySmart hosts pole sculpting, Pilates and movement classes, as well as setting up nutrition plans. “It’s tiny, very private. Clients almost have a studio all to themselves. It’s a boutique fitness with a private feel. It’s almost like being at their home…I focus on the whole body,” Reed said. “We believe in balance through healthy living and that is my slogan.” BodySmart’s members sign up by appointment only. For information, visit BodySmart.cc or Facebook.com/ BodySmart. The studio is located at 115 Main St, Suite 11, Monroe, CT. See ad, page 30.

r. Christopher Mascetta, DC, Ridgefield Chiropractic and Wellness Center, LLC’s Founder and Director, welcomes Dr. Jonathon Kramer, LAc, and the addition of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Christopher Mascetta and services to the practice. Jonathon Kramer Kramer, a Connecticut native and a licensed Oriental Medicine practitioner in Connecticut and Florida, received a Bachelors in Health Sciences and a Masters in Oriental Medicine from East West College of Natural Medicine. Kramer’s studies include Classical and Chinese Medicine as well as Japanese Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Eastern and Western Botanical Medicinals and Clinical Nutritional Supplementation. “With the addition of Dr. Kramer, Ridgefield Chiropractic & Wellness Center will be adding another beneficial treatment option to our roster of natural and alternative healthcare services. RCWC is committed to the improved health and well-being of our community and our patients,” said Mascetta. “Dr. Jon works diligently and compassionately to help people live up to their fullest potential to achieve well being in mind, body and spirit.” Kramer is available for appointments on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Ridgefield Chiropractic & Wellness Center is located at Ten South St, Suite 205, Ridgefield, CT. For more information, call 203-431-1688 or visit RidgefieldChiropractic.com. CORRECTION We apologize for an error in the previously published article, “Energy Healing Comes of Age.” Donna Eden founded the Energy Medicine Institute, not Energy Medicine University.

Celebration Service Sundays at 10:30 am Our mission is to continually discover, demonstrate, and educate that our source of Good is God within. Our Ongoing Events

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Thought Exchange, Mon Jan 6, 13 & 20 at 7 pm Reiki Healing Circle, 1st Thu at 7 pm Radical Manifestation, Tue at 7 pm Metaphysical Movie Night, 1st Fri at 8 pm Journaling with Spirit, Wed at 7 pm Purls of Wisdom, 2nd Sat at 6 pm Open Mic Night, 3rd Sat at 7 pm

Fairfield County Edition

Special Events “Who’s Better Than YOU?” - a lecture with comic/author Nancy Witter Friday, January 31st at 8:00 pm, $25

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Inspired by the beauty of nature, Deborah Ronglien favors watercolors and mixed media as the foundation for her florals, landscapes, cityscapes and contemporary images. Softly transparent hues, careful blending and judicious highlights capture the award-winning Minnesota artist’s expressive vision. After earning a bachelor’s degree in fine art, Ronglien traveled abroad to study in Europe, and then returned to her home state, where she has worked from her Eden Prairie studio for more than 20 years. “I paint in several styles, always paying close attention to the elements of design,” she advises, noting that custom work is what she particularly enjoys. “It’s so rewarding to collaborate with a client in creating a fine art memory they will have for a lifetime.” Ronglien’s art, whether realistic or abstract, radiates serenity and balance. “Painting is a spiritual experience [for me],” she says, “created through a partnership between an inspiration from within and principles of classical design and composition.”

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January 2014

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ew research from New Zealand’s University of Otago shows that consuming more whole fruits and vegetables increases peacefulness, happiness and energy in one’s daily life. Scientists discovered the strong relationship to be particularly apparent in countering winter blues. A total of 281 college-age students filled out an online food diary and mood survey for 21 consecutive days. Results showed that eating fruits and vegetables one day led to improvements in positive mood the next day, regardless of other key factors, such as body mass index. Other types of food did not produce the same uplifting effect. “After further analysis, we demonstrated that young people would need to consume approximately seven to eight total servings of fruits and vegetables per day to notice a meaningful positive change,” says Tamlin Conner, Ph.D., with the university’s department of psychology. “One serving of fruit or vegetables is approximately the size that could fit in our palm, or half a cup.” Study co-author Bonnie White suggests that this can be accomplished by having vegetables comprise half of the plate at each meal and snacking on whole fruit like apples. The American Psychiatric Association acknowledges that seasonal affective disorder (SAD) affects, at least mildly, as many as 20 percent of Americans.

Sweets Sour Brain Power

inging on sweets and soda in an effort to bone up for exams or presentations probably has the opposite effect, according to a new animal study from the University of California, Los Angeles. Researchers found that eating or quaffing too much fructose, like that found in cane sugar and the highfructose corn syrups permeating many processed foods, can cause unclear thinking, poor learning and impaired memory. Scientists have long known that high-fructose diets increase the risk for diabetes, obesity and fatty liver. Now the UCLA team has discovered that only six weeks of a high-fructose diet slowed the animals’ brains. The good news is that eating omega-3 fatty acids like those found in cold water fish appear to counteract the negative effects of fructose, enabling the animals to think more clearly.

Art Heartens Seniors

Search “Natural Awakenings Fairfield County” 16

Fairfield County Edition

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ust looking at a painting by Picasso, Dali or Warhol can brighten the world for seniors, according to researchers at Britain’s Newcastle University. After just three visits to a gallery, the researchers found positive changes in the participating seniors’ opinions about their life experiences and abilities in light of their ages. The gallery visits further inspired participants to become more involved with others and their communities.

Local, Healthy Food is Hot

he National Restaurant Association surveyed professional chefs, members of the American Culinary Federation, on which food, cuisines, beverages and culinary themes will be hot trends on restaurant menus in 2014. The What’s Hot in 2014 survey was conducted in the fall of 2013 among nearly 1,300 chefs. The top 10 trends bode well for our health and our local food producers: 1. Locally sourced meats and seafood 2. Locally grown produce 3. Environmental sustainability 4. Healthful kids’ meals 5. Gluten-free cuisine 6. Hyper-local sourcing (e.g. restaurant gardens) 7. Children’s nutrition 8. Non-wheat noodles/pasta (e.g. quinoa, rice, buckwheat) 9. Sustainable seafood 10. Farm/estate branded items Source: Restaurant.org

More Bok Choy, Less Ice Cream Boosts Breast Health

howing down on cruciferous veggies reduces the risk of recurring breast cancer, say Vanderbilt University researchers, while consuming too many high-fat dairy products produces an opposite effect, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The paper on veggies presented at the American Association for Cancer Research showed that the more cruciferous vegetables a woman ate in the first two years after her breast cancer diagnosis, the lower was her risk of the cancer returning or death from the original cancer. Eating broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy and cabbage worked to reduce the rate of recurring breast cancer by 35 percent and the risk of death in the following nine years by 62 percent. On the other side of the coin, the NCI study showed that women treated for early stage breast cancer that regularly ate one or more servings of high-fat milk, cheese, yogurt or ice cream increased their risk of dying of breast cancer by 44 percent and of earlier death from all causes by 64 percent.

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January 2014

healthbriefs

Mammograms Carry Cancer Risk

here is growing evidence that mammograms, which are the primary screening tool for breast cancer, may cause it. Scientists have long known that radiation causes cancer, and now research published in the British Journal of Radiobiology reports that the so-called “lowenergy X-rays” used in mammography are four to six times more likely to cause breast cancer than conventional high-energy X-rays because the low-energy variety causes more mutational damage to cells. Mammograms led to a 30 percent rate of over-diagnosis and overtreatment, according to a study published in the Cochrane Review. Researchers wrote in the study, “This means that for every 2,000 women invited for screening throughout 10 years, one will have her life prolonged and 10 healthy women, who would not have been diagnosed if there had not been screening, will be treated unnecessarily. Furthermore, more than 200 women will experience important psychological distress for many months because of false positive findings.” Many women and functional medicine doctors are now choosing non-invasive and radiation-free annual thermograms as a safer alternative. Those at high risk for breast cancer may choose to do periodic MRI screenings, a recommendation supported by research at Britain’s University Hospitals Birmingham.

Brief Bouts of Yoga Bolster the Brain

ust 20 minutes of yoga postures, breathing and meditation are valuable tools for bolstering mental functioning. A study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign reports that a single, 20-minute hatha yoga session significantly improved participants’ speed and accuracy on tests of working memory, focus, retention and ability to absorb and use new information. Study participants didn’t get the same positive brain buzz from 20 minutes of aerobics. The study appeared in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health.

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Vitamin C Halves Colds in Athletes

aking vitamin C before engaging in physically demanding activities helps keep colds away for people that are heavy exercisers, say Finnish researchers at the University of Helsinki. While their meta-study showed that nonexercisers that took vitamin C daily gained little or no protection from colds, the story for marathoners, competitive skiers and soldiers on subarctic assignments was much different. The study, published in the Cochrane Review, found that the 598 heavy exercisers cut their risk of colds in half.

The Toxic Side of Tylenol

s the evidence of the harmful effects of Tylenol increases, there is a growing call for it to be removed from the market. Its active ingredient, acetaminophen, once thought to be an effective and safe pain reliever for adults and children, turns out to have dangerous effects. A related study by University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center researchers leads with the fact that each year, acetaminophen causes more than 100,000 calls to poison control centers, 50,000 emergency room visits, 26,000 hospitalizations and more than 450 deaths from liver failure. The U.S. Acute Liver Failure Study implicates acetaminophen poisoning in nearly half of all cases of acute liver failure in this country. When taken with alcohol or without food, the effects on the liver are multiplied. Doctor of Naturopathy Michael Murray, of Phoenix, Arizona, reports in GreenMedInfo.com that regular use of acetaminophen is linked to a higher likelihood of asthma, infertility and hearing loss, especially in men under 50. Last summer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning linking acetaminophen use to three rare and sometimes fatal skin conditions. “Can you imagine if the side effects and risks associated with acetaminophen were associated with a dietary supplement?” opines Murray. “It would be yanked from the market immediately.”

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January 2014

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

Eco-Skiing

White Resorts Go Even Greener As skiers flock to snow-covered trails this winter, more ski resorts are going greener to save energy and support the environment. Arapahoe Basin, in Colorado, recently received a National Ski Areas Association Sustainable Slopes grant for retrofitting its base area lighting that will annually slice off an estimated 53,000-plus kilowatt hours of usage. Arapahoe Basin, Vail Resorts and others in the area provide their restaurants’ used vegetable oil to outside companies for recycling into biofuels. Aspen, Vail, Copper Mountain and other Colorado resorts installed more photovoltaic solar arrays on buildings prior to the current season. Stratton Mountain Ski Resort, in Vermont, installed a 1,500-horsepower electric snowmaking air compressor last summer, replacing a diesel model. Purchased in consultation with the statewide energy utility Efficiency Vermont, it delivers more cubic feet of air per minute using less, and cleaner, energy. Since 2009, the state’s Bolton Valley ski area, plus Massachusetts’ Jiminy Peak and Berkshire East, have all installed wind turbines to generate energy. Sarah Wojcik, director of public affairs at the Vermont Ski Areas Association, attests that resorts are doing their part to keep mountains green. Sources: nsaa.org, SkiVermont.com

Grassroots Gumption

Citizen Action Wins Against Monsanto and More The Center for Food Safety (CFS), a national non-profit advocating in the public interest, works to protect human health and the environment by curbing the use of harmful food production technologies and promoting organic and other forms of sustainable agriculture. It confirms that actions such as signing petitions really do make a difference. For instance, the CFS cites a hard-fought campaign that pushed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to respond to a lawsuit and remove arsenic from chicken feed. They credit the thousands of consumers that joined the effort, saying, “Together, we forced the FDA to remove arsenic ingredients in animal feed used for our nation’s chickens, turkeys and hogs, and 98 of the 101 drug approvals for arsenic-based animal drugs will be withdrawn.” More recently, CFS reports that half a million citizen phone calls and emails had a significant effect in killing an extension of the so-called “Monsanto protection act” in the Senate. Formally named the Farmer Assurance Provision, the measure undermined the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s authority to ban genetically modified crops, even if court rulings found they posed risks to human and environmental health. Source: CenterForFoodSafety.org 20

Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

Whale Wars

Global Watchdog

During the next five years, the U.S. Navy’s war games, using live munitions in our coastal waters, will potentially kill 186 whales and dolphins off the East Coast and 155 more off Hawaii and Southern California, according to computer models. Rear Admiral Kevin Slates rationalizes the casualties by stating, “Without this realistic testing and training, our sailors can’t develop or maintain the critical skills they need or ensure the new technologies can be operated effectively.” On the upside, marine scientists are currently using mobile devices to reduce the number of whales struck and killed off California’s coast by large commercial ships. An app called Whale Spotter employs crowd-sourcing to gather data, allowing sailors, fishermen and marine scientists that spot whales to plot their locations on an interactive map. Such a network can track marine mammals in real time as they migrate. These maps are useful to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Coast Guard officials responsible for recommending changes in vessel routes.

The United Nations (UN) has created a new scientific advisory board under the aegis of UNESCO, mandated to advise UN executives, participating countries and other stakeholders on the use of science, technology and innovation in achieving sustainable development. The 26 international experts appointed to the board span a broad spectrum of disciplines including: basic sciences; engineering and technology; social sciences and humanities; ethics; health; and economic, behavioral and agricultural sciences, as well as the environmental sciences more commonly associated with sustainability. The board’s inaugural meeting in December focused on outcomes of the 2013 UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), and from other large-scale interdisciplinary processes, such as the 2012 Planet Under Pressure Conference, held in London, and the Future Earth 10-year international research initiative.

Military Exercises Threaten Sea Life

United Nations Panel Zeroes in on Sustainability

Source: Tinyurl.com/NavyWhaleWars

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Fracking Impact Closing in on Connecticut Spectra Algonquin Project in Development by Ellen Weininger

ublic awareness of the serious health and environmental impacts of hydro-fracking is growing across the country, yet many people are still under the impression that these negative impacts are confined to areas where “fracking” operations are conducted. As the expansion of natural gas infrastructure sweeps across the tri-state area, we are quickly learning that the infrastructure, the new gas supply and other components of shale gas production bring health and environmental threats very close to home. Connecticut residents are mobilizing through social media and other means to demand that state legislators enact legislation to ban the acceptance of hazardous radioactive fracking waste in the state, including Don’t Waste Connecticut at Facebook. com/DontWasteCT. For those who may be new to the conversation, hydrofracking or “fracking” involves the high-pressure injection of a highly toxic brew—millions of gallons of fresh water mixed with hundreds of chemicals and sand—into well bores to crack open shale. Ten to forty percent of this toxic mixture returns back to the surface with the natural gas, along with additional contaminants including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, high levels of chlorides and bromides and radioactive elements like radon and radium. 22

Fairfield County Edition

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The full life cycle of shale gas production involves clearing large swaths of land and creating a vast infrastructure of pipelines and giant compressor stations to bring the natural gas, primarily composed of methane, to our homes, schools and other buildings. Natural gas pipelines are subject to leakage and explosions, and compressor stations emit high levels of highly toxic pollutants twenty-four hours a day. One might think that federal laws such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act would protect citizens from these highly polluting activities, but all these natural gas-related operations were exempted from these and other federal environmental laws under the Energy Act of 2005. So there are no laws on the books to protect us. Highly-contaminated radioactive gas drilling waste from gas extraction operations can potentially cause irreversible damage to air, water, soil and food supplies, and yet there is no safe disposal plan in place for the billions of gallons of hazardous radioactive gas drilling waste that are produced. Gas drilling waste from the Marcellus Shale, which underlies Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York, could potentially contain high levels of radium-226 and radium-228, which are known carcinogens. Radium-226 has a half life of 1600 years and is linked to anemia, cataracts, bone, liver and breast cancers and death. Radon, a decay product of radium, is considered the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers nationwide. The Marcellus Shale is known for its significantly higher levels of radium and its decay product, radon, and other radioactive materials. For more background information, visit WasteFreeCT.org In July 2013, Connecticut’s Governor Malloy signed into law energy legislation clearing the way for Connecticut’s three natural gas utility companies and Spectra, a Houstonbased energy company, to connect 280,000 customers over the next ten years. This new legislation will position Connecticut as a new market for natural gas from the Marcellus Shale region and a potential recipient of highly contaminated radioactive gas drilling waste. This massive rollout of a natural gas expansion will increase demand for fracking and will pipe potentially high levels of radon gas to Connecticut consumers. Twenty to thirty percent of homes in Connecticut already have an indoor level at or above 4 piC/L, the EPArecommended mitigation level. The traditional natural gas supply from the Gulf Coast, which has very low levels of radon to begin with, takes four or more days to reach the Tri-State Area, allowing sufficient time for radon decay to take place because it takes 3.8 days for radon to begin to decay. In contrast, U.S. Geological Survey data indicates radon levels in the Marcellus Shale may be 20 to 80 times greater than current Gulf Coast levels—and this new gas supply would travel in much shorter time. This shorter transport time is inadequate for radon to decay prior to delivery, increasing the risk of public exposure to high levels of this known lung carcinogen. Data indicates gas delivery from wellhead to each gas appliance like kitchen stoves could increase current levels of radon exposure by a factor of 20 to 80 times or more; however, the cumulative impact of multiple exposures from several gas appliances in one dwelling is unknown. There are

no safe levels of radon exposure, and children, the elderly and those already health-compromised are particularly vulnerable to its effects. This rollout of a natural gas expansion includes the proposed Spectra Algonquin pipeline slated for New York’s Westchester, Rockland and Putnam Counties, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) held two scoping meetings on the proposal—one in Westchester County, New York on September 30, 2013 and one in Danbury, Connecticut on October 1, 2013—with negligible communication to public officials and the general public. One of many concerns about the proposed pipeline is that it would intersect with a proposed underground highvoltage transmission line just a few hundred feet from the Indian Point nuclear power plant’s spent fuel pool, and in close proximity to the Ramapo fault line. The project would also involve replacing its existing 26-inch diameter pipeline with a 42-inch high pressure pipeline between Ramapo and Fairfield County. Explosions by natural gas pipelines can cause extensive damage, and pipelines also leak methane, a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. With inadequate pipeline regulation and oversight and Spectra’s history of safety issues, this pipeline project poses a serious threat to public health, safety, property values and the economy. The new Spectra Algonquin project would include the expansion and construction of five compressor stations, which are loud and operate continuously, with each one emitting tons of toxic pollutants a year. Health problems associated with compressor station releases include respiratory and neurological problems, headaches, skin lesions and bloody noses, among others. The impact could be critical for citizens of the Tri-State Area, where air quality is already unacceptable according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards. Although the U.S. Energy Information Administration projects a steady decline in demand for natural gas through 2040, gas infrastructure projects are proliferating. Given the glut of natural gas and cheap energy prices domestically, one could surmise that natural gas exportation is the ultimate goal commanding a much higher global price. Expanding and building new gas infrastructure unwisely invests in dirty fossil fuels at a time when we should be fast-tracking our

investment in and expansion of clean, renewable energy infrastructure instead. Ellen Weininger is the educational outreach director of Grassroots Environmental Education, a science-based, environmental health non-profit with offices in Port Washington and Rye, NY, and Westport, CT. For more information, visit GrassrootsInfo.org.

Take Steps to Protect your Family and Community Demand that your state legislators enact legislation to prohibit the acceptance of hazardous radioactive fracking waste in Connecticut, or the use of fracking waste and its constituents in commerce. Visit Facebook.com/DontWasteCT for more information. Test your home’s radon level now, as a baseline, in case that level increases later in the new natural gas supply from the Marcellus Shale. Demand that your state legislators enact legislation to continuously monitor and limit radon levels in the natural gas supply to consumers below EPA action levels. Contact your local and state health departments for further guidance regarding radon gas exposure from gas-fueled appliances in your home. Do whatever you can to save energy, and utilize renewable energy resources. Urge schools, businesses and government to do the same. Please visit SAPE2016.org for more background information and action steps regarding the Spectra AIM pipeline project. Contact FERC about the Spectra AIM project at FERC.gov. Comments should refer to Spectra Algonquin Incremental Market Project Docket # PF13-16 and should be addressed to Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary.

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Fairfield County Edition

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Filmmaker Katie Teague Uncovers Our Misperceptions by Linda Sechrist

atie Teague’s inspiring documentary, Money and Life (MoneyAndLifeMovie.com), provocatively asks: Rather than disastrous, can we view economic crises as brimming with opportunities to shift our thoughts about money and, thereby, improve models of economic exchange?

Why did you produce a documentary on the subject of money?

As an in-depth psychotherapist familiar with observing humanity, I felt that I could use the simple lens of storytelling to chronicle the complexity of money and economics. Because I had no experience in economics or filmmaking, I was often brought to my knees in the crucible of all I was learning, a virtual crash PhD course. In interviewing David Korten, economist, author and former professor at the Harvard Business School, he soothed my worries by pointing out that because I hadn’t been indoctrinated into the world of economics and its jargon, my language of metaphors and analogies would help lay people better recognize and understand convoluted economic concepts. As a therapist, I repeatedly see how disconnections due to eroding relationships with ourselves, our natural world and each other are wreaking havoc on people and the planet. I routinely see that money isn’t a root cause of a person’s issues, just the container for them. Most frequently the issues I hear about result from setting dreams aside “for later” and squelching the sparks of individual genius, usually because of a perceived scarcity of money. I became curious about what role our relationship to money plays in such disconnections.

What are the effects of awaking to what money is and isn’t in our lives?

In considering this from the perspective of healing and tending the soul, asking, “Where are we most wounded in our modern world?” I had my own quantum awakening to the fact that I’m not separate from the subject matter I’m exploring: What is my own story with money? Have I given up healthy self-government to the money god? What are my

I did not know that the U.S. and global economies are based on debt and scarcity nor understand beforehand that our perceptions of scarcity and separation from one another are only illusions. While the majority of economists say that money is an exchange, Bernard Lietaer, author of The Future of Money, states, that is what money does but not what it is. Fundamentally, money is a human agreement—a form of currency via an artifact designed, engineered and built by humans. This is something we have forgotten and it’s hurting us.

How did you approach the universally sensitive subject of money?

The film is purely a starting place and a tool that individuals can use to educate themselves and spark conversations. I kept the tone of the film as non-polarizing as possible so that conservative family members could cull compelling concepts that inspire further exploration, rather than walk away feeling a need to defend their beliefs. Awareness and knowledge breeds empowerment and innovative perspectives so that we all can better participate in whatever is emerging.

Will a new economy replace or parallel the existing one?

A new economy is emerging and operating in parallel. Beyond being based on gifting, alternative money, barter or other buzzwords, it’s coming online from a previously unknown place. This is one of the reasons I term the film emergent-oriented, rather than solution-oriented. A quote by Richard Buckminster Fuller, systems theorist, architect and inventor, eloquently applies: “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” The fact is that the old economy, based on debt and scarcity, is designed to collapse. The more innovative we can be in participating in the emerging economy, the more conscious awareness we can bring to bear, improving the chances for increasingly positive impacts. Linda Sechrist is a Natural Awakenings senior staff writer. Visit ItsAllAboutWe.com for recorded interviews.

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opportunities to reclaim my own power? I discovered that the core principle of the economy, money and currency is relationship itself, and that we’ve unwittingly disempowered ourselves by entrusting too much power to middlemen like central banks and financial consultants, but are now realizing that we don’t need them. One clear example is that more individuals are having a direct experience of the divine. Also, entire communities are investing their time, energy and money in their local economies, where they have established relationships and can see the results. I believe that the technologies supporting our emerging new economy reflect our own consciousness coming online.

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Deep Conversation Accompanies Good Food The pursuit of combining good food and conversation is taking on new, more fulfilling formats. Instead of idle chit-chat or gossip over high-calorie feasts, many people are showing an appetite to fill their lives with more meaningful discussions while dining on healthy meals. The international Green Drinks phenomenon was among the first to successfully mix eco-conscious conversation with healthy beverages; now, thoughtprovoking initiatives are mixing regular banter with bites in ways that are both lively and nurturing. Those seeking the exotic may indulge in The Philosopher’s Table: How to Start Your Philosophy Dinner Club— Monthly Conversation, Music and Recipes, by Marietta McCarty, following guidelines to immerse guests in the tastes and cultures of 12 different cities and countries. Suggested themes include saluting the present-day benefits of the work of women’s rights pioneer Jane Addams while sipping multi-

bean soup (Chicago) or consuming uplifting perspectives of ancient philosopher Lao Tzu over shrimp dumplings with dipping sauce (China). Recommended discussion topics at ConversationCafe.org include selfidentity and self-reflection, current events and appreciating the arts. A search function for finding a local chapter complements advice on launching a new one. RawFoodNetwork.com provides links to groups nationwide that forge connections with fellow enthusiasts, share dishes and network. It also provides information, recipes and other helpful resources. Touring experts in the preparation and benefits of raw food and vegan, plant-based diets show up everywhere from natural food restaurants and retailers to health expos and foodie Meetup events. Speakers include Brian Clement, Brenda Cobb, Paul Nison, Jenna Norwood, Karen Ranzi and David Wolfe.

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resolution be this: we will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity, in the finest sense of the word. ~Goran Persson

Fairfield County Edition

heartfelt shout out goes to the 90 U.S. cities and metro areas across the country, plus Puerto Rico, where Natural Awakenings is effecting positive change in people’s lives. For 20 years, this free community magazine has been loyal readers’ go-to resource for awakening America to the benefits of naturally healthy living. We thank our 3.8 million readers that devour these pages every month, typically from cover-to-cover. We voice gratitude to the thousands of committed advertisers that report multiplied business success as a result of our partnership. We extend kudos to the hundreds of editorial contributors that have generously shared their pioneering expertise with us via cutting-edge information and practical tips. Interviews and bylines of internationally recognized healers, teachers and leaders underscore the magazine’s primacy in its field. Collectively, we comprise a great movement embodying ways of living that are healthy for people and the planet. Together, we are producing a pay-it-forward chain reaction of positive energy and conscious living that benefits everyone. Each large and small choice in favor of natural health and environmental sustainability counts toward enhancing our own standard of living and supporting a higher quality of life on Earth. It all starts with individuals waking up to conscious living and connecting locally to make measurable differences

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in their own homes and communities. They are role models of wellness. They are eco-stars. They are visionaries that daily act on their passion for helping others live happier, healthier, more thriving lives. What started as a single print publication in Naples, Florida, in 1994, is now a growing network spearheaded by 90 local magazine publishers reaching out to share the message. Supportive media range from digital magazine editions, e-newsletters, community websites and social media releases to an iPhone app, webstore and dating website, topped by a nationwide network of local natural health practitioners. All embrace the original vision of bringing like-minded people together to help make life better. We are glad that you are joining us in celebrating 20 years together. We look forward to all the good that 2014 and beyond will bring to us all. For more information and to connect, visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com.

onventional doctors too often dispense vague, boilerplate health advice, urging their patients to eat a healthy diet, exercise and take helpful supplements. Some are lucky enough to also be directed to detoxify their body and manage stress. That’s typically the best most people can expect in terms of practical advice. It is rare to receive specific, individualized answers to such burning questions as:

Complementary natural healing modalities can address all of these queries and more. Finding the right mix of treatment and preventive measures requires some creativity and self-knowledge. The experts Natural Awakenings consulted maintain that it is both desirable and possible to assemble an affordable and effective personal health care team that focuses on optimum wellness.

Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture. Integrative practitioners see the human body on three levels, Yang explains: structural; biochemical; and bioenergetic, a form of psychotherapy. Ideally, he says, conventional and integrative medicine, plus complementary practitioners, work together to provide the total care an individual patient needs. “Any problem on one level affects all levels, so we assess patients on all three with whatever tools we have,” he says. While conventional medicine may be able to treat structural problems well and biochemical problems to a certain extent, it falls short on the energetic level. That’s when it’s time to expand the team, counsels Yang. “‘Know yourself’ is the watchword. Get to know what to use and when to use it. It’s the practitioner’s job to educate patients in this way.” Dr. Andrew Weil, renowned as the father of the integrative medicine movement in the U.S., has remarked, “If I’m in a car accident, don’t take me to an herbalist. If I have bacterial pneumonia, give me antibiotics. But when it comes to maximizing the body’s natural healing potential, a mix of conventional and alternative procedures seems like the only answer.” Dr. Shekhar Annambhotla, founding director and president of the Association of Ayurvedic Professionals of North America, turns to the integrative realm of ayurvedic medicine for healing and wellness. The 5,000-year-old Indian healing tradition incorporates lifestyle changes, yoga and meditation, detoxification, herbs, massage and various other individually targeted healing modalities, depending on the patient’s diagnosis and recommended treatment plan.

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Which exercise will work best for me—yoga, running, tennis or something else? Why do I feel stressed so much of the time, and what can I do about it? What supplements are best for me, and which high-quality products can I trust?

“We need to understand the value of an integrative approach because no single modality treats everything,” says Dr. Jingduan Yang, the Philadelphiabased founder and medical director of the Tao Integrative Medicine. By way of example, he maintains credentials as a physician, a board-certified psychiatrist and an internationally recognized expert on classic forms of

“Wellness is a team effort,” advises integrative medicine specialist Dr. Vijay Jain, medical director at Amrit Ayurveda for Total Wellbeing, in Salt Springs, Florida. It’s not only a matter of knowing what needs the practitioners will address at specific times, it’s also knowing who can help when the going gets tough. “Modern medicine has the edge for early detection of dis-

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January 2014

Health insurance may not cover the services we want, and high deductibles may pose a financial challenge in maintaining comprehensive health care, so we need a personal wellness plan. ease,” Jain notes. “However, Ayurveda is excellent in determining the earliest imbalances in the mind and body that eventually lead to disease.” Most experts consulted agree that a personal wellness program should include a practitioner that acts as a gatekeeper and coordinates a care plan to meet individual needs. Jain recommends that the foundation of the team be a licensed medical professional such as an integrative physician (MD), osteopathic doctor (DO) or chiropractor (DC). In most states, any of these professionals can function as a primary care doctor, authorized to order and read laboratory tests, prescribe drugs and access hospital services. In some states, a naturopathic physician (ND) can perform the functions of a primary care doctor in ordering and reading laboratory tests. As part of a personal wellness team, consider a functional medicine or integrative physician, chiropractor, osteopath, doctor of naturopathy, ayurvedic practitioner, nutritionist, Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor/ acupuncturist, herbalist, craniosacral therapist, massage therapist and energy practitioner (such as in Reiki, medical qigong or polarity therapy). It’s not necessary to see all of them, sources say. Sometimes, one practitioner will be skilled in practicing several modalities, a bonus for patients.

Other complementary practitioners may form a supporting team that works with the primary care team, depending on the challenges a patient faces. They will be identified as treatment unfolds and the team evolves over time.

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being diagnosed with lupus in 1992. “Members of my health team fluctuate, depending on what is going on in my life and where I am focusing,” comments Harader. She points out, for example, that nutrition education and general deep-tissue massage can both be helpful as part of a foundational plan toward obtaining and maintaining optimal health. In fact, many of our experts recommend both a monthly chiropractic adjustment and/or massage, as well as daily yoga and an ongoing meditation practice for wellness and total well-being. Naturopathic practitioners operating in states where they are licensed can be good sources of nutrition counsel and often recommend herbal remedies for relief. “For chronic illness, you need a chiropractor or drug-free physician like a naturopath on your team. Conventional medicine is generally poor at dealing with chronic illness,” observes Naturopath and Chiropractor Michael Loquasto, Ph.D., who practices in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Loquasto should know. He has practiced integrated modalities for 50 years, employing the knowledge gained through his practice and triple doctorates, which include one in nutrition. Also a master herbalist, he strongly advocates that people start by working with a good integrative or functional medicine medical doctor. “In some states, like Pennsylvania, chiropractors and osteopaths can perform routine diagnostic work, but in many states they cannot,” he notes. “I recommend undergoing a physical every six months and regular bone density tests, plus colonoscopies.” Loquasto is not in favor of mammograms because of the radiation exposure associated with them, but supports routine breast screening using ultrasound or thermography.

Self-Diagnosis

Contributing Specialists

An ayurvedic practitioner likely will begin by helping to define healthful lifestyle changes, depending on one’s dosha, or energetic temperament. Yoga and meditation would be a likely recommendation, plus specific herbs and perhaps detoxification, says Annambhotla. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and acupuncture often go handin hand with Ayurveda in accordance with the view that illness and disease are caused by imbalances in the body’s energetic flow. Diagnostic techniques employ intuition and pulses to assess and smooth blocks in energy circulation. Craniosacral therapy is another way to unlock energetic blockages caused by lifestyle stress and other factors that restrict and congest the body’s innate ability to self-correct and remain healthy, says Joyce Harader, a registered craniosacral therapist in Cave Creek, Arizona, and secretary of the board of the Biodynamic Cranial Sacral Therapy Association of North America. She relied on a whole team to realize a natural way back to health after

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Intuitive listening and observant selfknowledge are crucial parts of any well-

A personal wellness program should include a lead practitioner that acts as a gatekeeper and coordinates a plan of care that meets the individual’s needs. ness plan. Most people are aware when something doesn’t feel right in their body. “Libido is a great barometer of health,” suggests Dr. Diana Hoppe, an obstetrician, gynecologist and hormone specialist in San Diego, California. “If you’re not interested in sex, it’s probably a sign that you need to do some investigating.” Reasons for such a decline of interest are wide-ranging says Hoppe. “For men and women, it might be due to hormonal changes, lack of self-esteem, medications, stress, relationship issues, job, family life or lack of sleep. It means that somewhere, things are out of balance,” she says.

Funding a Plan

A personal multifaceted wellness program can be expensive, but there are ways to minimize the cost. “In the new world of high insurance deductibles,

people get more for their money from an alternative doctor, especially one knowledgeable in a variety of healing therapies, than a conventional one,” Loquasto advises. Costs for tests may also be lower; plus patients are not expected to pay $150 or more just to walk in the door. A current trend has medical doctors and chiropractors participating in “umbrella” practices and wellness centers, where several types of practitioners collaborate in one facility. They find that sometimes insurance will pay for certain complementary services, including massage and nutrition education, when doctors or chiropractors prescribe them. Maintaining wellness in an environment filled with chemical, biological and mental toxins is a substantial, yet worthy, investment. It’s far better than

the costly alternative of dealing with regular bouts of sickness or escalating disease. In that light, maintenance looks affordable: an ayurvedic diagnostic session starts at around $100, a consultation with a licensed naturopath at $75 and acupuncture at $100; a massage typically costs about $80 an hour. While insurance is unlikely to pay for treatments outside the realm of conventional medicine and sometimes, chiropractic, “The cost of these preventive therapies will be much less than the cost of treatment for a serious disease,” advises Loquasto. “You’re worth it.” Kathleen Barnes is author of more than a dozen natural health books. Her latest is The Calcium Lie II: What Your Doctor Still Doesn’t Know with Dr. Robert Thompson. Connect at KathleenBarnes.com.

Finding the Right Practitioner Word-of-mouth is the most common way to find a natural health practitioner, plus many national organizations will help identify practitioners by location. Schedule an initial conversation to ask a practitioner key questions. What is your degree, certification or license? Who trained you and how did you train, specifically? Do you practice full time? How long have you been in practice? Will you provide patient references I can speak with? Trust in intuitive responses to the individual during the conversation or interview. His or her passion for the work of healing should be noticeable.

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January 2014

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Caring, Steering, Cheering

A Health Coach Helps Us Change for Good by Lauressa Nelson

A health or wellness coach integrated into a personal healthcare team can be critical to catalyzing sustainable change. Many people understand they need to modify their self-care, yet fail to take the optimal steps to make such a transformation happen.

“

hat we’ve discovered is that people don’t routinely change behavior due to education alone or out of fear. They change through partnership,” explains Linda Smith, a physician’s assistant and director of professional and public programs at Duke Integrative Medicine, in Durham, North Carolina. Coaching partnerships supply a supportive bridge between provider recommendations and patient implementations, she says, “significantly increasing the client’s ability to make changes successfully.” “Health coaching was absolutely essential to my health,” says Roberta Cutbill, a 72-year-old retired registered nurse in Greensboro, North Carolina, who considered her lifestyle relatively healthy when in her late 60s she experienced autoimmune and cardiac problems. “I have an excellent primary care doctor who, when these issues came up, told me that I needed to change my diet, thoughtfully downloaded a list of recommendations and sent me on my way. I still needed help with many things in order

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to make the changes,” recalls Cutbill, which is why she turned to a health coach at Duke Integrative Medicine. Margaret Moore, founder and CEO of Wellcoaches Corporation and co-director of the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, in Belmont, Massachusetts, identifies two primary forces that enable behavioral change: autonomous motivation (people want to do something for their own reasons, not because someone tells them to) and confidence (they believe they can do it). “The most powerful motivating forces of all are what you treasure most in life, your life purpose and contribution,” she remarks. Both Smith and Moore emphasize that the priorities in any health coaching relationship are client driven, based on the client’s chosen goals and personal intrinsic motivators. Confidence in attaining ultimate success is built through positively framed experiments and experiences. “A health coach is trained to help clients break up their goals into manageable steps,

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focus on strengths, track progress and identify and overcome personal roadblocks,” explains Dr. Karen Lawson, an integrative physician and director of integrative health coaching at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality and Healing, in Minneapolis. A helpful approach sets goals that can be met and exceeded, not insurmountable ones. “The key is always keeping a positive lens, helping clients see the progress they achieve,” continues Lawson. This involves speaking in terms of growth through trial and error, in which outcomes are explored without judgment and clients feel empowered to modify. This is vital, explains Moore, because experiencing at least a threeto-one ratio of positive to negative emotions creates the conditions for the brain to learn, change and thrive, making people feel more capable of taking care of their health. Mindful awareness is another essential tool; being self-aware and reflecting on what we are doing while it is happening. Unlike thinking, analyzing and planning, mindfulness involves observing while experiencing. During sessions, coaches use it to give their full attention in a non-judgmental way, modeling how clients can bring such compassion to themselves. A mindful state calms mental noise and puts reflective distance between individuals and their beliefs, emotions and behaviors. It improves their ability to handle negative emotions and to make a conscious choice to respond with a different attitude or new behavior, according to Moore. For Cutbill, maintaining a personal relationship with her coach over time has been the most significant factor in the improvement of her health. “The relationship was healing, because my coach regularly pointed out my progress with profound encouragement and validation. I wish all primary care doctors had health coaches on staff to help them and their patients attain the success they both are aiming for.” Lauressa Nelson is an editor and contributing writer for Natural Awakenings. Connect at LauressaNelson@gmail.com.

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by Margaret Moore In the past 10 years, approximately 10,000 health professionals have become coaches through dedicated training schools and university programs focused on life, corporate or health and wellness coaching. The selection of the right partner to help in the quest for lifelong wellness entails assessing the following qualifications. Credentials and training: A reputable health and wellness coach training program typically requires six months to two years of education, skills training and practice with clients, followed by a certification process that tests for knowledge and core competencies. Employment background: Additional desirable credentials in the medical, physical or mental health fields will likely include exercise physiology, physical therapy, psychotherapy, nutrition counseling, nursing or medicine. Structured relationship: A coach should be able to explain how coaching works and why successful results are more likely with a coach. Coaching sessions are typically conducted by phone and last between 30 and 60 minutes. Coaching services are generally not covered by insurance. Personal character: Effective health coaches are good listeners, interested in clients’ unique stories. They foster self-acceptance and self-respect, pointing out personal strengths, values and desires. Coaches engage, energize and challenge clients through a positive, non-judgmental focus, while at the same time asking courageous questions. As skilled partners, they help clients become clear about personal motivations and an overall vision for life, so that they can help design a detailed, attainable plan that successfully moves them toward fulfilling their goals. Margaret Moore is CEO of Wellcoaches Corporation and holds a master’s degree in business administration. Email her at Margaret@Wellcoaches.com or visit CoachMeg.com or Wellcoaches.com.

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January 2014

AWAKENING AMERICA

Integrative Health Coaching and Patient Navigation: Holistic Healthcare as a Statewide Imperative by Leslie Cahill

Natural Awakenings Celebrates 20 Years of Conscious Living

Read What People Are Saying About Natural Awakenings Natural Awakenings provides helpful information on natural health and environmental issues with a consistently positive perspective and tone, which is not always easy considering how serious and intimidating some of these topics are. It’s a rarity. ~ Sayer Ji, founder, GreenMedInfo.com

Publications like Natural Awakenings reach many people and I’m so glad to be able to share a voice beyond the propaganda. ~ Melinda Hemmelgarn, Food Sleuth

I have changed so much over the last year finally realizing that life is so much bigger than me. I love this Earth and all the wonders that are a part of it, and your magazine contributes to my appreciation.

~ Theresa Sutton, Connecticut

It is unusual to see your level of writing and consciousness in a free publication. Thanks for a great work. ~ Kaih Khriste’ King, Arizona

Natural Awakenings magazine is the only advertising I use for my practice other than word of mouth referrals and it has brought us new patients consistently especially now that we advertise monthly. The quality of the leads is great and we really enjoy helping the holistic-minded patient. The publisher is great to work with and truly wants to see the business succeed. We plan on always advertising with Natural Awakenings and expanding our presence in the magazine. ~ Cate Vieregger, DDS, Colorado

Fairfield County Edition

here’s a lot of talk these days about health, wellness and preventive healthcare but when it comes to the daily work of putting it into practice, many may lack understanding of where to begin. Fortunately, a new profession and training program is playing a critical role in improving the quality and accessibility of care here in Connecticut through an integrated mind-body-spirit approach. Although it has yet to receive the public recognition it deserves, this growing vocation is quickly transforming the way healthcare is delivered and reducing healthcare costs. Integrative health coaches and patient navigators (IHCPNs) are trained, culturally sensitive healthcare professionals who provide support and guidance throughout the continuum of an individual’s care. They help people “navigate” through the maze of doctors’ offices, specialists, clinics, hospitals, insurance and payment options and other components of the healthcare system. IHCPNs exhibit the principles of mindbody medicine in action – connecting the dots and facilitating a holistic approach to medical care in a system that is largely fragmented. These professionals are becoming increasingly important as the Affordable Care Act goes into effect, as their role is deeply intertwined with achieving preventive outcomes. The Graduate Institute of Bethany, CT is offering the first certificate program in Integrative Health Coaching

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and Patient Navigation in the state. The program kicked off on October 25, 2013 at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford and is currently providing training to 12 students. One of the students, Arlene Walsh, is a social and human services professional from Bridgeport. Walsh acknowledges that it is social determinants that make access to quality and affordable healthcare such an enormous challenge for so many people near her neighborhood and in her community. As someone who lives in a large urban center, all she has to do is walk down the street to observe these disparities at play. “We need greater partnership between resource providers when it comes to access to medical care, healthy food options at the corner stores, affordable housing and educational opportunities and more effective job training and preparedness programs,” Walsh explains. “There are certain common denominators that impact those in need. If people don’t have the skills, resources or support systems that enable them to move beyond their immediate environment, the cycle of lack continues within our communities.” What drew Walsh to study Integrative Health Coaching and Patient Navigation was the opportunity to work collaboratively with individuals and providers in a focused, guided and engaged way to attain better health outcomes. She believes that, through education and awareness, the major

barriers to timely, affordable, quality care can be removed, empowering more people to use the healthcare system effectively. “For me, empowerment is synonymous with prevention,” she states. “And that is where change occurs.” She acknowledges that many people are confused about the role of health coaches and patient navigators in a system that is already complicated by a growing spectrum of care providers. The IHCPN profession has its own value distinct from physicians, nurses, social workers or care coordinators. “As an integrative health coach and patient navigator, we’re here to foster the patient’s understanding of how the system works, collaborate with providers and facilitate timely access to care,” Walsh explains. “We’re also the trusted go-to person that individuals and families can rely on as they follow through with doctors’ orders while attempting to manage health and insurance systems. The preparedness training of the IHCPN program is enabling me to forge preventive measures that will keep people healthy and out of the emergency room.” In a system where physicians are enormously constrained and will continue to see increases in patient volumes, having an IHCPN on the team provides a great deal of support and guidance toward holistically addressing each patient’s needs. This not only eases the burden of patients’ physical care, but offers a level of emotional and psychological support that is critical to their health and wellness. “Ultimately, everything comes back to health and wellness,” Walsh says. “A healthy person is a functional person.” When someone is deprived of their ability to maintain their basic health, all other aspects of their social and economic

situation suffer. This is where IHCPN plays a key role in addressing some of the non-medical factors that are essential to achieving an efficient and high-performing healthcare system. When asked why she personally feels such a strong pull to serve in this advocacy role, she reflects on her childhood and the positive example set by her parents. They worked tirelessly to raise ten children and own their own home while still managing to make time to prepare meals and volunteer at the local soup kitchen. Walsh herself embodies this spirit to contribute to her community. She served as a foster parent to a number of children in need and worked with birth parents to teach them life skills, financial literacy and effective self/child advocacy. Walsh also volunteers with the Read a Loud Program at local schools, donates to Bridgeport Rescue Mission and Salvation Army and provides free or low-cost computer training to women who are unemployed or underemployed and lack the skills to obtain better paying jobs. In each of these cases, she acknowledges that the individual can’t do it all alone. “It takes a village,” she says. “IHCPNs fill an important link that unites the system. They are no more or less important than every other healthcare professional; rather, they serve as a spoke on a wheel, where each spoke is an integral community provider that contributes to preventive and holistic health and wellness for everyone.” To learn more about The Graduate Institute’s Integrative Health Coaching and Patient Navigation certificate program, visit Learn.edu/HealthCoaching. See ad, page 71.

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January 2014

Small Steps to Understanding the Coaching Relationship by Amanda Ann Godwin

n a culture that seems to become more “Do It Yourself” all the time, being well coached can make a world of difference. Whether the coaching in question is focused on health, leadership, small business or anything else, the following will help give context to this rapidly growing profession. The International Coach Federation (ICF), the umbrella organization working to standardize the young profession, defines coaching in this way: “Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” In coaching, the agenda is devised and set by the client, not the coach. That agenda often morphs and changes throughout the coaching process. After a client articulates the key goal(s), a skillful coach will consider orientation and values and challenge the client to make small changes over time that will support the realization of the vision as well as explore a larger life vision or mission statement. The ICF asks that a skillful coach listen actively to what is said and unsaid, ask powerful questions, mirror back what is heard, and offer direct articulate feedback, as well as alternative perspectives. 36

Fairfield County Edition

Coaching is distinct and unique from psychotherapy, though they’re often confused. While traditional therapy is interested in past experience and back story to understand the present situation, coaching assumes a client is creative, resourceful and whole in the present, according to Habit Change-A Whole Life Co., a leading coach training organization based near Philadelphia, PA. Helping clients identify their own beliefs, emotions, values and perceptions leads to designing actions for the client to implement between sessions. This “change work” when the client is on their own is where most of the hard work of coaching takes place. It often influences the next session’s agenda and urges the client toward the goal. Coaching ethics require clear agreements regarding confidentiality. Sometimes coaching involve a “sponsor,” a third party (often an employer) who is arranging and/or paying for the sessions. In this situation confidentiality guidelines are agreed upon up front. Here it is decided what stays between coach and client and to what degree the sponsor is due a “report” from the coach or the client. Coaching includes a contract with clear agreements about fees, session length (typically 30-60

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minutes,) and frequency (between 1-4 times a month), as well as confidentiality and assessment times. It is common for coaches to request advance payment by the month. Coaching is rarely covered by insurance, but more frequently is sponsored by employers in the workplace. First session questions often deal with a client’s priorities, motivating factors, how they like to be held accountable and how they deal with failure. Good questions to ask a prospective coach during a first session or introductory consultation might include how the coach functions and what they do - and don’t do in their role. Ask anything that is important to you because finding a coach who is a good match for you is critical to the success of the work. A good coach can describe the desired structure and relationship with articulate ease. The real beauty of coaching lies in its repertoire of unique tools. A wellversed coach follows hunches generated by intuition, asks powerful—and often difficult to hear—questions and then is willing to sit in (sometimes very uncomfortable) silence, allowing the client time to uncover her own truths. Coach training programs, usually delivered in private or university settings, may take anywhere from 6 to 24 months. ICF testing for credentialing involves oral and written exams, insuring solid understanding of the profession’s core competencies. If you decide to pursue coaching, finding someone who is a good match for you is essential. Many coaches are gracious about referring to someone who might be a better match. Coaching is intimate work, revealing in the process a lot of an individual and what is dear to them. Ask for what you want as exactly as you are able. Commit to exploring the change you are longing for. May you be blessed with the empowerment that engaging your goals and dreams can bring! After 30 years of intuitive counseling, Amanda Ann Godwin has completed her coach training and residency and is preparing to sit for her ICF exams. Her young practice is thriving in Carrboro, NC where she makes her home with her husband, Steve.

inspiration

Soul-Full

GOALS Feeling Our Way to Happiness by Susie Ruth

any of us have our relationship to success inside-out. We busy ourselves so much with do-or-die goals we “should” achieve that we drown out the crucial signals life is sending our way—both from our own instincts and from others that can objectively see what we truly need. According to Danielle LaPorte, author of The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul, knowing how we want to feel inside yields the most potent clarity in identifying what’s critical to us. “We need to have soulcentered goals, and if we get clear on defining our core desired feelings—the way we most want to feel—then all of our goals are a means to create those feelings,” she says. “It’s that simple.” The external things we want to have and experience are secondary goals, provided they contribute to the first.

LaPorte’s Desire Map process is a holistic life planning tool that helps spur our thinking about our core desired feelings and how to use them to start creating some goals with soul. At heart, it involves the following four highly personalized steps. How do you want to feel? Engage in a stream of consciousness, allowing each query to lead to the next and letting your desired feelings flow. Do you want to, for example, feel continuously energized, connected or prosperous? Consider areas such as livelihood and lifestyle (career, money, home, travel), health and wellness (healing, fitness, leisure, mental health) and relationships and community (romance, friendship, family). Recognize patterns. Look for patterns in the desired feelings in order to distill your list to determine key, repeat-

ing words. Individuals tend to reach for the same feeling states across all areas of their lives. If you want to feel “vitality” within livelihood, then you likely wish to feel the same way in the context of wellness and relationships. Declare your core desired feelings. Now zero in on three to five core feelings that resonate most strongly inside. Ask yourself what’s beneath each feeling. For you, perhaps “success” is really about freedom, creativity or excellence. Look up the definitions of words—every word is its own world. Which feelings do you find to be the most uplifting, positive, satisfying and compelling? Ask yourself: “What do I want to do, have or experience to create my core desired feelings?” Thus, you begin setting goals with soul. You see and make connections between how you want to feel and what will actually help you feel that way. This is where you turn your ambitions truly inside-out and right-side-up to hitch your intentions to deeper and more nurturing meaning. This is the revolutionary beginning of realizing the ongoing success of a lifetime. Source: Danielle LaPorte is an entrepreneur, inspirational speaker, social media presence and bestselling author of The Fire Starter Sessions; her latest release is The Desire Map. She is a former news commentator for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and director of a Washington, D.C., think tank. Visit DanielleLaPorte.com.

Reach Your Target Market Participate in the 4th Annual 2014 Natural Living Directory! Call 203-885-4674 or 203-733-1330 or email FFCAdvertising@NaturalAwakeningsMag.com (Final deadline for this annual issue is January 12th) eNaturalAwakenings.com

January 2014

healthandwellnesscoachprofiles Christel Autuori, RDH, RYT, MA Integrative Health Coach Integrative Health of Connecticut LLC Ridgefield, CT • 203-788-0647 Christel@IntegrativeHealth.com

What drew you to health and wellness coaching as a profession? I take a holistic approach with my dental patients and my yoga students, coaching, guiding and assisting them to make changes to create better health and wellness. As an integrative health coach, I am able to extend and expand my support to others. What training and/or certifications do you have? My Masters degree is in Integrative Health and Healing, and I am a graduate of the Integrative Health Professional Training at Duke University. I am an RDH, a RYT -200, Certified AcuYoga instructor, and Reiki Master. Christel Autuori

How long have you been practicing? I established my private integrative health coaching and consulting practice in 2012, and work with clients in person or via telephone. I have practiced and taught yoga for decades. Do you have a particular specialty or niche? Positive healthstyles, stress management, work/life balance and harmony, self care, pain management (especially TMJ and headaches), health education, life transitions, womens’ health What should a client expect from you as a coach? My client and I are partners, discovering and activating their strengths and creativity for change. I encourage and empower them to make realistic, practical and sustainable choices for better health, vitality, and happiness. What do you most want Natural Awakenings’ readers to know about you and your work? I have a gentle and compassionate heart and spirit, and work hand in hand with clients as we create a safe, supportive, and comfortable environment in which to work and create better health, balance, and harmony.

Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

Joy Carbino

Healing White Light LLC Westport, CT 203-470-1226 Joy@healingwhitelight.com • HealingWhiteLight.com What drew you to health and wellness coaching as a profession? Being able to teach people how to make lifestyle choices that benefit them from a holistic perspective is a way to help create a healthier world, and that’s one of my goals as a professional. What training and/or certifications do you have? Joy Carbino I’m a Certified Holistic Health Coach, and I received my education in holistic health and wellness practices from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, based in Manhattan. I’m also a drugless practitioner and Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT). How long have you been practicing? I’ve been a Certified Holistic Health Coach since 2010. I am continually learning and I’m looking forward to helping more people in the new year! Do you have a particular specialty or niche? The gluten-sensitive population is who I work with, as well as those affected by blood sugar issues. This includes high/low blood sugar clients, in conjunction with diabetes or not. What should a client expect from you as a coach? I will “meet them where they are” on the health and wellness spectrum and provide them with the tools and resources they need during their customized program to help them reach their goal(s). What do you most want Natural Awakenings’ readers to know about you and your work? As long as you are ready to take steps toward a healthier, more balanced lifestyle, (which includes a greater sense of well-being and better energy levels), I’m happy to help! The consultation is free!

Mary Gilbertson

Nutrition & Wellness Counseling Prescription for Wellness Monroe, CT • 203-521-4733 Gilbertsonmary@yahoo.com Prescription4Wellness.com What drew you to health and wellness coaching as a profession? I have been fascinated with the human body from a very young Mary Gilbertson age. After working in the healthcare industry for 28 years, I finally had the courage to leave a job that no longer served my beliefs. When I had the opportunity to teach health promotion and risk prevention to clients, I was amazed at how much education was needed, and how well clients responded when they were empowered to take charge. What training and/or certifications do you have? I have a BSN in Nursing and a certificate in Health Coaching from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in NY. I will graduate with an MS in Nutrition in January 2014. I am a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner through AADP (American Association of Drugless Practitioners), and hold a certificate as an instructor in Holistic Stress Management, (Paramount Wellness Institute) in Boulder, CO. How long have you been practicing? I have been practicing as a nurse for 28 years, much of this time in health promotion and education. I started my health coaching business, Prescription4Wellness, in April 2013. Do you have a particular specialty or niche? I work with teens through late adulthood to educate, and empower clients to reach their optimal level of health and wellness. I develop healthy lifestyle plans around each client’s unique circumstances and needs, using whole foods nutrition, vitamin supplementation, exercise, disease and risk management, and stress reduction. I work one on one, with groups and in corporations. Inflammation and health education are my specialties. With the proper lifestyle we can avert most degenerative diseases and lead healthy, active, productive lives well into our later years. What should a client expect from you as a coach? The first thing we do is build a relationship of acceptance and trust. Then we work on a health history to identify the client’s needs. I try to be an active listener and allow the client to direct the session. I am able to address issues involving relationships, life stressors, weight gain and loss, nutrition, risk management, disease management, growth and developmental issues, particularly in relation to teens, and health education and promotion.

Alexa Lane

Aloka Life LLC Norwalk, CT • 203-988-4190 Alexa@AlexaLane.com • AlexaLane.com What drew you to health and wellness coaching as a profession? As a former professional dancer, maintaining a healthy body and mind was essential. I incorporated natural healing modalities to support my well-being. Inspired by the results, I knew I wanted to share health and wellness techniques when I retired from dance. Alexa Lane

What training and/or certifications do you have? In addition to my dance training, I studied exercise science in college. I am a board certified Wholistic Health Practitioner (American Association of Drugless Practitioners). I hold a certificate in Plant Based Nutrition (T. Colin Campbell Foundation), a certification in massage therapy (Institute of Psycho-structural balancing) and a certification in yoga (Yoga Alliance). How long have you been practicing? I have been practicing in the health and wellness field for 20 years. I started as a yoga and massage therapist, but have spent the past 13 years in health coaching as well as directing yoga training programs. Do you have a particular specialty or niche? My specialty is in physical fitness, weight loss and stress reduction. My approach is to first establish health in the body by helping the client develop positive lifestyle habits. I also incorporate yoga and meditation to cultivate a deeper awareness of the self. What should a client expect from you as a coach? Firstly, clients can expect support and compassion. Together we will set up a wellness program that works and suits their needs, based on small attainable goals. I combine a Western science-based approach with Eastern modalities. What do you most want Natural Awakenings’ readers to know about you and your work? I truly care about the state of health and environmental issues we are facing globally. I have personally experienced the life changing qualities of the methods I practice. Additionally, current research confirms healthy lifestyle changes have dramatic effects on chronic disease.

What do you most want Natural Awakenings’ readers to know about you and your work? I am a people person and my mission is to spread the message that health and wellness is to be nurtured in all ages and for all people. We must treat our bodies with respect and kindness, and feed it with the most nutritious foods we can, and it will perform beyond our wildest expectations. eNaturalAwakenings.com

January 2014

healthandwellnesscoachprofiles Silvana Perelli

Belle Quaintrelle Norwalk, CT • 917-575-1566 Concierge@BelleQuaintrelle.com • BelleQuaintrelle.com

What drew you to health and wellness coaching as a profession? After struggling with health issues and emotional eating in my own life, what worked for me was hiring a health coach. I never thought I’d be able to overcome my emotional eating but having the right support and accountability showed me the way. I wanted to be able to offer that same guidance and accountability to other women. What training and/or certifications do you have? • Holistic Health Coach, Columbia University • Certified Health Coach, Institute for Integrative Nutrition • Tranformational Coaching Method Coach • Hormone Cure Certified, Dr. Sarah Gottfried, MD • Reiki Master How long have you been practicing? Since 2007 Do you have a particular specialty or niche? I work with women who struggle with emotional eating who want to look and feel fabulous. I also love working with brides. I teach my clients the art of being a woman while helping them lose weight. What should a client expect from you as a coach? Clients can expect a very different approach to what they may have tried in the past. This is transformational work. I will be their biggest cheerleader and give them tough love when they need it. I lovingly hold them accountable. Most of the women that come to me know what to do to lose weight but they’re just not doing it. I help them discover why that is and help them move past it so they can create a body and life they love. I’ve been in their shoes so I know exactly what they’re going through. What do you most want Natural Awakenings’ readers to know about you and your work? This process should be fun. The journey should feel like the destination. I love helping women figure out what that means for them and eliminate whatever is holding them back from being and having what they want in their life.

Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

Dee Rapposelli

Sound Mind Integrative Hypnosis Stamford, CT • 203-978-1772 • 203- 414-2869 Dee_Rapp@yahoo.com • SoundMindCT.com What drew you to health and wellness coaching as a profession? A long-time interest in the close links between neurology, psychology, spirituality, mysticism, magic, and the body-mind connection got me interested in exploring hypnosis and change work as a profession. What training and/or certifications do you have? Dee Rapposelli I am a certified consultant hypnotist, trained in integrative hypnosis through the Center for Integrative Hypnosis, and a member of the National Guild of Hypnotists. I also hold certifications in Kundalini, Hatha, and Raja yogas, with a Masters in Yoga Education through the High-Tech Yoga Institute of America. How long have you been practicing? After working in medical publishing as a journalist and editor for the past 30 years, I am launching a hypnosis practice in Stamford, CT. I have taught yoga/meditation and facilitated polyphonic sound work for more than 10 years. Do you have a particular specialty or niche? In addition to integrative hypnosis for the wide range of issues people seek hypnosis for, I offer polyphonic sound immersion (“gong baths”) for physiologic vibrational balancing and deep, dynamic relaxation as well as small and private group meditation instruction. What should a client expect from you as a coach? Integrative hypnosis facilitates congruence between conscious goals and intentions, subconscious patterns and rationales, and the neurologic pathways that “set” conditioning and paradigms. Following change work sessions, clients should expect to experience either sudden or gradual changes in thoughts, behaviors and motivation that are aligned with their goals and intentions. What do you most want Natural Awakenings’ readers to know about you and your work? The human personality is largely bundle of habits and conditioning generated by circumstance and experience. The essential basis of spiritual practice is to deconstruct the hapless, conditioned self and become truly conscious and wilful. I am committed to cultivating that and helping others to cultivate that too.

Jennifer Simon

Live Well with Jenn • Bethel, CT • 203-364-6540 Jennifer@JenniferRoxanneSimon.com JenniferRoxanneSimon.com What drew you to health and wellness coaching as a profession? I wasn’t eating the healthiest of foods, so I started incorporating vegetable and fruit juices into my diet. I wanted to learn more about eating healthy and also wanted to help other people that are struggling with weight and health issues. I decided to go back to school to get some training. I created my business called Live Well with Jennifer Simon Jenn as a journey of discovering what all life has to offer, whether it is learning new food choices or exploring the world and finding your inner self. What training and/or certifications do you have? I received my training as a Health Coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition’s cutting-edge Health Coach Training Program. I received my Holistic Health Coach certification (HHC) as well as my Health Coach credentials from the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. During my training, I studied over 100 dietary theories, practical lifestyle management techniques, and innovative coaching methods with some of the world’s top health and wellness experts. My teachers included Dr. Weil, Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. David Katz and many other leading researchers and nutrition authorities. What should a client expect from you as a coach? As a Health Coach, I will create a supportive environment that will enable you to achieve all of your health goals. No one diet works for everyone. I will guide you to find the food and lifestyle choices that best support you. I will also help you to make gradual, lifelong changes that enable you to reach your current and future health goals. Together we’ll work to reach your health goals in areas such as achieving optimal weight, reducing food cravings, increasing sleep, and maximizing energy. As we work together, you’ll develop a deeper understanding of the food and lifestyle choices that work best for you and implement lasting changes that will improve your energy, balance and health. What do you most want Natural Awakenings’ readers to know about you and your work? My unique approach includes listening intently and carefully considering your lifestyle to help you prioritize your health lifestyle goals. I work with my clients via one-on-one personal coaching and group coaching ranging from workshops, webinars and retreats. Workshops are fun and creative atmospheres which include international or domestic retreats and cocktails and conversations events. I offer nutritional cleansing programs and teach you how to incorporate vegetable and fruit juicing into your daily lives.

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January 2014

healthandwellnesscoachprofiles Joy Yascone, MA

914-341-2070 Joy@JoysPantry.com • AstrologicalLifeCoach.com What drew you to health and wellness coaching as a profession? I was drawn to wellness coaching due to my own personal transformative experience with astrology and holistic health. Eventually, after a 20 year study of astrology and pursuing my M.A. in Holistic Health, I became a full time Intuitive and Astrological Life Coach. Joy Yascone, MA

What training and/or certifications do you have? I have a Masters of Arts in Holistic Health Studies and am a third generation intuitive. I have also studied astrology for over 20 years. I‘ve been practicing professionally for 10 years and have helped friends and family since a very young age. My grandmother, who is also gifted, explained I had the gift as a child. That was confirmed for me when I would share insights with people about their path that was just part of my consciousness. Do you have a particular specialty or niche? I utilize my client’s astrological chart with my intuitive gift and my academic training in Holistic Health to assist my clients in becoming whole and living abundant lives in career, finance, love, and marriage. I also work with couples. What should a client expect from you as a coach? I meet with my clients on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to help them to live in flow with the universe. During sessions, clients receive accurate timing of events, weekly assignments for life improvement based on their natal chart and a life plan based on current planetary influences to help clients start transforming their lives in every area. What do you most want NA readers to know about you and your work? I’m very spiritual and work with divine love and light energy. I have worked with people from all walks of life. I’m very compassionate and love to see my client’s lives become successful and abundantly happy!

Elizabeth Reed

Bodysmart • Monroe, CT 203-767-0623 • Bodysmart.cc Facebook.com/Bodysmart What drew you to health and wellness coaching as a profession? I have had a passion for nutrition and exercise since I was in my twenties. I competed in bodybuilding competitions and went back to school to Elizabeth Reed become a Clinical Nutritionist. That’s when I realized there were people like myself who were interested in staying healthy and aging gracefully. Everybody has their own unique “Owner’s Manual” as they age. Manageable components need to be updated as bodies change. What training and or certifications do you have? I am a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, involved in the fitness industry since 1986. I competed in amateur all-natural competitive bodybuilding competitions in the Tri-State Area under the tutelage of world-renowned bodybuilder Bev Frances. I am certified in Pilates from the Kane School in New York City. Recently, I completed a FAMI workshop (Functional Anatomy for Movement & Injury), which incorporates the knowledge of medical education and movement to enhance a client’s exercise experience. I hold a Masters Degree in Science in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport (2003) and am a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS). How long have you been practicing? BodySmart celebrated its 10-year anniversary in December 2013! Do you have a particular specialty or niche? Bodysmart is a private boutique weight loss and fitness studio that offers the intimacy of one’s own home. We focus on the health of the whole body, hence our slogan, “balance through healthy living.” Pilates, pole sculpting, and other movement techniques help engage the body while clients also learn how to organize their foods and combine them properly. Clients learn new eating and exercise habits, which creates long-term results. They do not gain the weight back. What should a client expect from you as a coach? Whether BodySmart’s clients choose private or group sessions for weight loss counseling, they can expect honesty, direction, and support. One of our strongest assets is helping people break old habit-loops and create new healthier ones. All recommendations made at BodySmart are “husband and child-tested.” What do you most want NA readers to know about you and your work? My academic knowledge combined with clinical experience allows me to customize exercises suited to the age and ability of each client. Weight loss is extremely personal. Each person is unique and brings different elements to their sessions. It is not just the academic knowledge I have, but the practical experience for successful weight loss strategies that has made BodySmart’s classes so successful for ten years.

Fairfield County Edition

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healthandwellnesscoachdirectory Connecting you to some trained health and wellness coaches in Fairfield County. JOY CARBINO

Virginia Trinque, CHHC, BA Nutrition

Sue Muro

Healing White Light LLC Westport, CT • 203-470-1226 Joy@HealingWhiteLight.com HealingWhiteLight.com

Holistic Health and Wellness Counselor It’s Perfectly Natural • 203-520-9449 ItsPerfectlyNatural@charter.net ItsPerfectlyNatural.com

Robin McCluskey

Certified Health Coach 203-743-3667 RobinAmm@yahoo.com NaturalHealingNaturalHome.com I will take those first steps with you. Find the healthy, vibrant you. Don’t settle! I’m working with Chris Powell’s (see on TV) team helping people to achieve their weight loss/health goals.

Feel healthy and confident in your body. Seasonal 4-week group cleanses focus on whole foods for vibrant health and weight loss. Healthy cooking instruction, menus, group and individual support. Classes held in Monroe, CT.

Suzanne Antal-Proietti, LMT

Certified Wellness & Life Coach WellnessWisdom®MindBody Integrative Coaching & Wellness Solutions 203-434-4209 WellnessWisdomCTMassage.com Facebook.com/WellnessWisdomMindbody Create your personalized self-care strategy with integrative mind/ body methods, such as Therapeutic Bodywork/Massage, Reflexology, Energy Healing/Reiki, VibroAcoustical sound therapy & Integrative stress relief techniques. Coaching in studio, phone & online.

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Virginia is a certified integrative health and nutrition instructor. She can teach you how to combine foods for weight loss, cancer prevention and transformational techniques to eliminate disease causing chronic stress. Virginia includes energy work and intuitive healing in her practice. Unique individual and group sessions in person or by phone.

Joy Yascone, MA

3rd generation Intuitive/Astrological Life Coach/MA Holistic Health • 914-341-2070 Joy@JoysPantry.com • AstrologicalLifeCoach.com As an astrological life coach and gifted intuitive, I provide accurate guidance with precise timing. I utilize my intuitive, gift and your astrological chart to coach you to success in love, marriage, career, finance & health. These coaching sessions are transformative and priceless. Please call for monthly specials. Sessions available by phone or Skype.

I’m a Certified Holistic Health Coach, with education in holistic health and wellness practices from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. If you are ready to take steps toward a healthier, more balanced lifestyle, a greater sense of well-being, and better energy levels, I’m happy to help! See ad page 33.

Advanced Reiki Master 203-733-1330 Create a life you love!

A relaxing vacation with education and inspiration 35 teachers 135 lectures 7 cooking classes Specially prepared cuisine - Vegan, Gluten-free, Oil-free

Phone: 1-800-496-0989 (Toll-Free, US only) Phone: 1-828-749-9537 Website: holisticholidayatsea.com Email: info@holisticholidayatsea.com

Nelson Mandela

What can one person do? INSPIRATION

eNaturalAwakenings.com

January 2014

petbriefs “Happy Neuter Year” Campaign Sponsored by PetSmart Charities The Monthly Naturally Healthy Pet Section Starts Here!

utmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic is launching its “Happy Neuter Year” campaign to encourage pet owners to ring in the New Year by making a resolution to neuter their male dog or cat. Sponsored by PetSmart Charities, “Happy Neuter Year” will provide $20 neuter surgeries for male dogs and cats during the month of January. “Neutering male pets is a simple surgery that reduces unwanted behaviors like roaming, fighting and urine marking territories,” says Clara Nolan, Nutmeg’s Executive Director. “It also guarantees your dog or cat never fathers a litter of puppies or kittens.” Spaying and neutering is one of the most effective ways to reduce the homeless pet population and is safe for puppies and kittens as young as 12 weeks old. Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic is a non-profit organization in Stratford, CT, providing low-cost spay/neuter for cats and dogs. A limited number of “Happy Neuter Year” sterilizations for $20 will be provided in January. For more information, visit NutmegClinic.org or call 203-690-1550 for an appointment.

Project Breathe™ Helps Pets Breathe Easier

C News, articles, resources, events… all dedicated exclusively to happy, naturally healthy living for our furred, feathered, and scaled animal companions. For information on how you can be a part of a future issue, call

203-885-4674 or email NicoleM@NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

Fairfield County Edition

anine Company® in Wilton and Invisible Fence® Brand has launched Project Breathe™, the Pet Oxygen Mask Donation Program for local fire departments. Canine Company® supports the program throughout New England, New Jersey and Southern NY providing oxygen mask kits to first responders. Each kit includes a small, medium and large mask and comes in a convenient carrying case. Although the number of pets that die in fires is not an official statistic kept by the U.S. Fire Administration, industry web sites and sources have cited that an estimated 40,000 to 150,000 pets die each year in fires; most succumbing to smoke inhalation. In most states, emergency responders are not equipped to deal with the crisis because they lack specially designed pet oxygen masks. The goal is to equip every fire department and rescue unit with these lifesaving pet oxygen masks. To date, more than 350 kits have been donated to fire stations throughout the Northeast, so there is a long way to go to complete the mission. Canine Company asks Natural Awakenings’ readers to help connect them with local fire stations. Please email fire department contact information to Marketing@CanineCompany.com.

natural awakenings

pethealthbriefs New Tests Detect Early Cancer in Dogs by Dr. Shawn Messonnier

here is now an accurate, inexpensive way to allow the detection of cancer and other inflammatory diseases before a pet actually develops clinical signs of cancer. The blood panel tests provide early detection that allow intervention prior to disease progression, when greater damage occurs and options become more expensive and limited. The tests measure several aspects of cell irregularity: abnormal cell division and systemic inflammatory activity. Thymidine kinase (TK) is a measure of dysregulated cellular proliferation; as cancer cells divide, TK is usually increased. C-reactive protein (CRP) is elevated in the presence of systemic inflammatory diseases, including cancer. In a study group of 360 dogs followed for up to one year, incidence of cancer and serious disease were tracked. The study showed that almost 100 percent of cancers were detected four to six months prior to the pet showing symptoms. Designed to be part of a routine wellness plan, these cancer screening tests are the most comprehensive single blood test available in monitoring the overall health status of a dog. In addition to screening for cancer, checking the vitamin D status of a dog is also important, because low levels of vitamin D have been shown to contribute to increased incidence of cancer and infectious diseases. Dr. Shawn Messonnier is a holistic veterinarian in Plano, Texas, and founder of Dr. Shawn’s Naturals all-natural products and supplements for dogs. Natural Awakenings readers can save 10 percent on all in-stock products with the code DRSHAWN. For more information, visit DrShawnsNaturals.com.

Keep Dog and Cat Paws’ Safe in Winter by Natasha Michaels

inter has arrived in the Northeast and, with it, the inevitable snow, ice and resulting layers of salt on roads and sidewalks. While application of ice melting products makes surfaces less treacherous for human passage, it also creates a health concern for animals. Every year, hundreds of pets in the U.S. become seriously ill or even die because they ingest rock salt from paved surfaces. Consuming rock salt can cause dehydration, liver failure and pancreatitis. Rock salt is made up of chemicals such as calcium chloride, potassium chloride and magnesium chloride that draw moisture from the air. Over-application of such chemicals is often to blame for cracked, dried out paw pads or more serious illnesses because after a storm, a layer of residue may remain on the road for days. Although it is unlikely a dog or cat will actually eat a chunk of salt, observe your animal’s behavior and take necessary precautions. More usually the chemical is transferred from the road to the mouth via the paw, which is licked when the salt stings the paw pads. A dog may signal it has picked up stinging salt because it will stop walking and hold a paw in the air, sometimes even whining. Help keep paws clean by avoiding obvious piles of leftover salt, walking them through puddles away from the salt-covered surfaces or by dipping their feet in fresh water once at home. You can also grab a handful of snow and “wash” paws while still on the road. For the safest melting on your own property, search out melters that are salt and chloride-free. Some salt-free products may still contain magnesium chloride or potassium chloride, which are still irritants to paws. Try to avoid ice melt products that are jagged or irregular in shape, which may cut or get stuck in the pads. In recent years, veterinarians have worked with companies to develop safer products. These include, but are not limited to, Morton® Safe-T-Pet® ice melt and Gaia Enterprises Safe Paw™ Ice Melter. Safe Paw was awarded the PTPA Green Product Seal and was included in the Whole Green Catalog: 1000 Best Things for You and the Earth. If you suspect your animal has ingested a significant amount of any ice melt product, contact your veterinarian immediately or call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435. Natasha Michaels is a Contributing Writer to Natural Awakenings Fairfield County.

Do they Play While You’re Away? Camp Bow Wow® Services • All Day Play, Snooze the Night Away® • Large Indoor & Outdoor Play Areas • Spacious Cabins with Comfy Cots • Live Camper Cams® • Certified Camp Counselors®

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Home Buddies Stamford

www.myhomebuddies.com/stamford

203-504-2288 • 581 Hope St. Stamford, CT • stamford@campbowwow.com

eNaturalAwakenings.com

January 2014

naturalpet

LONG-LIVED PETS Anti-Aging Care Aids Youthful Vigor by Dr. Shawn Messonnier

n human health care, naturopathic doctors offer a specialty called antiaging medicine. The goal is to restore optimal health to those at midlife and older that seek to prevent or reduce the incidence of diseases often associated with aging. But when it comes to aging pets, most veterinary doctors fail to focus on the necessary specialized care. In fact, some traditional vets may decline to treat older pets at all. Often, these animals are suffering from chronic diseases and when they are treated, prescriptions may include numerous drugs. As many know, drugs can entail serious, even debilitating side effects, further deteriorating the prospects for sustained health. Owners may thus find themselves spending a lot of money maintaining their pets in a chronic state of ill health with little hope for improvement. Animals that might benefit from surgery for problems ranging from dental disease to tumors may not receive ameliorating care when the family vet simply consid46

Fairfield County Edition

ers them “too old” to invest in or pull through surgery.

A Better Alternative

For an enlightened holistic vet, no pet is too old to warrant and benefit from proper health care. By instituting the correct care and focusing on anti-aging efforts, health can be improved and often restored, with the added advantages of reducing unnecessary medications and increasing their lifespan. As an example, most doctors expect larger breeds of dogs to live 10 to 12 years, but with informed care, these same dogs can typically live 15 to 16 years. Smaller dogs and cats typically have a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years; using an anti-aging approach, such pets routinely live 18 to 20 years or longer, in good health and with a good quality of life.

Exemplary Treatment

Here’s how the team at Paws & Claws Animal Hospital, in Plano, Texas, successfully approaches anti-aging medicine.

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Beginning at 5 years of age, all pets—including dogs, cats, other small mammals, birds and reptiles—are screened via a physical examination and special blood and urine tests twice a year, with a focus on bionutritional analysis of results. Abnormal results indicating some risk, even slight ones, often ignored by mainstream medicine, are treated using vet-specified natural medicines that help return biometric values to normal and slow down the progression of problems that could, if untreated, turn into serious diseases. Dietary evaluation, including a bionutritional analysis, ensures that the pet is eating what’s most appropriate for its age, breed and health status. Potential dental and other oral issues are treated aggressively and early, because they are the most common source of infection and inflammation contributing to poor bodily health, including diabetes and diseases of the liver, kidneys, heart and lungs. A review of prior medications confirms or adjusts proper use. In most cases, some of these medications can be eliminated or replaced as needed with natural therapies that have the same clinical effect, but without the possible side effects associated with chronic use of medical therapies. Natural supplements, which can benefit all pets, also are reviewed and/ or prescribed. Most older pets benefit from supplementation with phosphatidylcholine, vitamins and minerals, fatty acids, glucosamine and other elements to support thyroid and adrenal functions. Paws & Claws also favors the herbal remedy Healthy Qi to support the immune system of any ill or older pet; astragalus, green tea, gotu kola and ginseng ingredients give an extra boost toward achieving homeostasis and improved quality of life. Like human senior citizens, pets in their golden years deserve dignified specialized care that allows them to live more happily and peacefully. Shawn Messonnier, a doctor of veterinary medicine practicing in Plano, TX, is the award-winning author of The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats and Unexpected Miracles: Hope and Holistic Healing for Pets. For more information, visit PetCareNaturally.com.

Nutmeg Spay/Neuter CliNiC iS a high quality, low CoSt Spay/Neuter CliNiC.

Tired of unwanted litters? Need to get your pet fixed, but not sure if you can afford it? Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic can help! Call 203-690-1550 for an appointment.

Nutmeg SPAY/NEUTER CLINIC

www.nutmegclinic.org 25 Charles Street, Stratford, CT 06615

eNaturalAwakenings.com

January 2014

Pet Food Evolution

One Diet Does Not Fit All by Robert Goldstein, DVM, and Susan Goldstein

e’ve come a long way from the dark days of the pet food industry, which for years produced inferior dog and cat foods sourced with ingredients from human food chain wastes. The first commercial pet food was produced more than 100 years ago, replacing a time when dogs and cats dined on fresh meat, fertile raw eggs, wholesome communal soups and vegetable stews and hunted prey consisting of raw protein, pre-digested vegetables, grass and herbs. In those days, factory-farmed animals fed pesticides, hormones and antibiotics did not exist and the Earth’s soil was naturally organic. It did not take long for the convenient, highly cooked foods to catch on, such as kibble, canned and semimoist foods. Pet parents or consumers were enticed by convincing marketing into purchasing their animals’ food, as well as clinical food and nutrition trials appealing to consumers as well as

Fairfield County Edition

veterinarians. Generations of millions of dogs and cats have been fed commercially prepared foods consisting of rendered and rejected meat by-products, synthetic vitamins, minerals and low grade milled grain bits containing a myriad of chemicals all cooked at excessively high temperatures. The rest is history and the experiment has seen its closure. It took a great deal of time for the results to show themselves because – just like people - dogs and cats are, for the most part resilient and, in many cases, it takes years for improper diets to produce the symptoms of degeneration and disease. There is a great need for humans to understand what is going on in the inside of their animals nutritionally and metabolically before disease manifests. The inflammation building up in the organ systems of the body caused by sub-standard ingredients, some of which are toxic, is often the root cause of the nagging conditions that we see in

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modern veterinary practice. The direct link between poor diet and skin allergies, arthritis, kidney, liver, lung disease and even cancer is real, if only we’d make the connection and veterinarians were taught preventive methods in veterinary school. We’re getting there slowly but surely, unfortunately at the expense of millions of pets who have suffered along with their families. Consumer demand for better quality food began in the 1980s as our consciousness shifted and dogs and cats became an integral part of the family, instead of “owned” possessions. There was a collective light bulb which went on when folks began to link chronic illness and chronic use of medicine with the inferior foods being fed. The pet food industry is positively evolving and producing more nutritious foods. However, they have a long way to go as there is a philosophical need to move away from the “one diet fits all” mentality. It’s helpful to understand that dogs and cats enter our lives in an individual state of wellness or disease. There are levels of wellness and disease and the selection of food and diet should meet the individual needs, which is when true healing and sustained wellness occurs. Regardless of which path one takes in selecting the appropriate nutrition, we suggest that the concept of feeding farm fresh, minimally processed local whole foods be revisited. It’s a good idea to consider selecting food which is neutral and does not incite harmful inflammation, which sets the stage for disease to develop. Foods which contain organic fresh meats, fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants, phytonutrients, non-synthetic vitamins and minerals are the warriors against inflammation and the disease process. They set the stage for an immune defense unlike heavily cooked and processed foods that are laced with unfamiliar potentially harmful chemical compounds. It’s a whole new world...composed of many choices. Depending upon a dog or cat’s current state of health, it’s a good idea to re-evaluate his or her diet by using the guidelines of individual needs and neutrality along with researching the integrity and conscious-

ness of the pet food provider. The key question to ask is “what are your personal food goals?” with regards to one’s animal, lifestyle and economic situation. Once answered, review the choices which best match both the pet and family’s needs. The selection process should begin with the following choices: Preparation A balanced home cooked or raw diet versus a commercially prepared (raw, dehydrated, canned or dry diet) Quality Evaluation A natural diet consisting of organic, human grade, whole ingredients versus a diet that contains by-products of meats, grains and vegetables along with chemical additives, preservatives, artificial ingredients and coloring agents Purchasing Locations Veterinary hospitals, specialty local or regional pet food stores, farm stores, human or pet health food stores versus big box pet stores, grocery stores, mass merchants or discount stores with pet sections as these locations offer different quality foods at different price points These decisions will help to decide on the type and quality of food that is best for one’s animal companion. The various food terms, marketing words and pros and cons of food types (dry, canned, semi moist, raw, dehydrated, pre-mix, etc.) as well as nutritional concepts such as organic, human grade, grain free, raw, freeze dried and dehydrated will be covered in future articles to offer further education and tools to make the appropriate food choice for the health and well being of our beloved animals. Dr. Bob and Susan Goldstein are the founders and co-owners of Earth Animal in Westport. The Goldsteins are the authors of “The Goldsteins’ Wellness and Longevity Program” and Dr. Bob is the editor and an author of the veterinary textbook, “Integrating Complementary Medicine into Veterinary Practices.” See ad, page 51.

Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity. ~John F. Kennedy

Since 2008, we have rescued more than 1000pure and mixed breed dogs and cats from death row and placed them in foster and forever homes! We are a foster-based, no-kill rescue dedicated to saving the lives of homeless, neglected, and abused animals by providing a safe refuge, rehabilitation, and permanent homes.

Please

ADOPT • FOSTER • DONATE • VOLUNTEER www.TheLastResortRescue.com • TheLastResortRescue@gmail.com The Last Resort is a 501(c) non-profit, volunteer-run organization. eNaturalAwakenings.com

January 2014

petresourceguide Adoption/Rescue

Doggie Day Camp, Day Care, Training & Boarding

Animals in Distress Inc. 238 Danbury Rd, Wilton 203-762-2006 Animals-In-Distress.com

Camp BowWow & Home Buddies Stamford

Bridgeport Animal Control 236 Evergreen St, Bridgeport 203-576-7727

Camp Bow Wow ® provides a fun, safe and upscale environment for dogs to play and receive attention. We provide doggy day camp as well as overnight boarding. Home Buddies Stamford provides premier in-home pet care in the Stamford, Greenwich, New Canaan, Darien, Norwalk areas. See ad, page 45.

Bully Breed Rescue PO Box 953, New Canaan BBRct@yahoo.com BullyBreedRescueInc.org

Danbury Animal Welfare Society (DAWS) 147 Grassy Plain St, Bethel 203-744-3297

Dog Gone Smart

Friends of Felines, Inc.

PO Box 8147, Stamford 203-363-0220 Cats@AdoptAPet.org • AdoptAPet.org

Pet Animal Welfare Society Inc. (PAWS)

504 Main Ave, Norwalk 203-750-9572 • PawsCT.org

Pet Protectors

2490 Black Rock Tpke, #453, Fairfield 203-330-0255 PetProtectorsRescue.org

Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue

45 South St, Ridgefield 203-438-0158 • Roar-Ridgefield.org

SPCA of Connecticut Inc.

359 Spring Hill Rd, Monroe 203-445-9978 SPCAct.org

Strays and Others

PO Box 473, New Canaan 203-966-6556 StraysAndOthers@hotmail.com

Tails of Courage

1 Pembroke Rd, Danbury 877-63-TAILS TailsOfCourage.org

Westport Animal Shelter Advocates (WASA)

1 Tower Ridge, Westport 203-557-0361 WestportWASA.org

Fairfield County Edition

581 Hope St, Stamford • 203-504-2288 CampBowWow.com/Stamford Stamford@CampBowWow.com

15 Cross St, Norwalk 203-838-7729 DogGoneSmart.com

Fairfield County’s TOP canine center! We have been serving pet lovers in our area for over 20 years. Our staff consists of dog trainers, and animal behavorists who work together to make Dog Gone Smart a loving, safe, fun and happy home away from home for your dog. See ad, page 49.

Passage East Boarding Kennels 499 Danbury Rd, Wilton 203-762-7998 PassageEastKennels.com Passage_East@sbcglobal.net

Passage East has been dedicated to caring for pets for more than 40 years and makes your dog feel like they never left home. Passage East is a full-service dog boarding kennel. We offer daycare services, overnight boarding, and full-service grooming.

Wholistic Pet Services Boutique Dog Resort & Spa East Norwalk • 203-542-0910 WholisticPetService.com Loukia@WholisticPetservice.com

Wholistic Pet Services is a unique and “boutique” dogboarding and training resort in a private home with a fully fenced and landscaped garden. Furry guests receive good manners training, sleep on cotton sheets and Persian carpets and go for daily socialization and training hikes. Home-made holistic nutrition supplemented by herbal remedies and nutritional advice and cooking lessons available for health conscious dog parents.

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Pet Food & Health Supplies Earth Animal

606 Post Road East, Westport 203-222-7173 • EarthAnimal.com

Earth Animal has been the pioneer in the natural pet health industry for decades. The family owned business sells their own veterinarianformulated products for cats and dogs. These include vitamins, organic herbal remedies and a natural flea and tick prevention program. Dr. Bob Goldstein recently partnered with Bell&Evans® to produce a hormone and antibiotic free line of American made chicken treats. Earth Animal also sells raw and dehydrated foods and organic home cooking pre-mixes, plus the best quality treats, bones, toys, leashes, collars, beds, etc! See ad, page 51.

The Honest Kitchen

145 14th St, San Diego, CA 866-437-9729 • TheHonestKitchen.com

The Honest Kitchen provides natural, human-grade pet food products for dogs and cats. Our gourmet recipes are 100% natural and gently dehydrated. See ad, page 49.

Veterinary Services Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic 25 Charles St, Stratford 203-690-1550 • NutmegClinic.org

The Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic is a low-cost, highvolume facility for cats and dogs, the first such professional clinic in Fairfield County. The clinic offers other low-cost services only during the spay/ neuter appointment. Nutmeg honors state spay/ neuter vouchers at face value from shelters and offers incentives for low-income families and rescue groups. Pit bulls and mixes are welcome and the clinic offers discounts for feral cats to be spayed or neutered. See ad, page 47.

peteventscalendar Magazine pet related calendar events must be received by January 5th (for February issue) and adhere to our guidelines. All calendar submissions must be entered online at eNaturalAwakenings.com - click on “submit calendar” at the very top of the page. Saturday, January 4 PAWS Animal Adoption Event – 12-4pm. Meet your new best friend! PAWS, 504 Main Ave, Norwalk. 203-750-9572.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 5 Pet Reptile Expo – 10am-4pm. Thousands of pet reptiles from world-famous breeders available for sale. $10/adults, $5 children under 12. Westchester County Center, White Plains, NY. 845-526-4845 or ReptileExpo.com

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12 Cat Adoption Event – 12-3 pm. We have many adorable kitties for adoption! Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic, 25 Charles St, Stratford. 203-690-1550 or Nutmegclinic.org

household manners and sit, down, stay, come commands. Mandatory orientation on 1/7 from 7-9pm before you can begin the course. 6 classes/$190 + tax. Classes held at Dog Gone Smart, 15 Cross St, Norwalk. 203-838-7729, DogGoneSmart.com or Info@DogGoneSmart.com

your session. At Earth Animal, 606 Post Rd East, Westport. 203-222-7173 or EarthAnimal.com.

New Year’s Express Foundation 2 Class – 11:15am-12:15pm. This 3-week, 6-class Express Obedience course prepares dogs to pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. 6 classes/$190 + tax. Classes held at Dog Gone Smart, 15 Cross St, Norwalk. 203-838-7729, DogGoneSmart.com or Info@DogGoneSmart.com

SUNDAY, JANUARY 26

Saturday, January 18 PAWS Animal Adoption Event – 12-4pm. Meet your new best friend! PAWS, 504 Main Ave, Norwalk. 203-750-9572.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14 New Year’s Express Foundation 1 Class – 1011am. This 3-week, 6-class basic obedience course teaches you to be a leader while your dog learns

Pet Reiki Sessions – 12-3pm. With Denise Cain. Complimentary 20 minute energy healing sessions for pets. Stop into the store or call to sign up for

PAWS Animal Adoption Event – 12-4pm. Meet your new best friend! PAWS, 504 Main Ave, Norwalk. 203-750-9572.

Cat Adoption Event – 12-3pm. We have many adorable kitties for adoption! Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic, 25 Charles St, Stratford. 203-690-1550 or Nutmegclinic.org.

pet-related businesses/services

please submit calendar listings to NicoleM@NaturalAwakeningsMag.com or on eNaturalAwakenings.com

EARTH ANIMAL NATURAL ANIMAL CARE & NUTRITION Offering Natural Solutions for 30 Years The Highest Quality Dog & Cat Foods Our Own Veterinarian Formulated Vitamins Natural Flea & Tick Products American Made Treats & Chewies Toys, Leashes, Collars and more . . . The only store in town to cause barking, purring, & chirping! Become a fan on Facebook!

606 Post Road East, Westport, CT • 203-222-7173 • www.earthanimal.com Store Hours: Monday - Friday 9:30 - 6:00 • Saturday 9:30 - 5:00 • Sunday 12:00 - 4:00

eNaturalAwakenings.com

January 2014

therapyspotlight

Virtual Gastric Band Hypnosis

Combat Obesity & Lose Weight without Dieting by Diane Bahr-Groth, CH, TFT-Adv

ccording to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov/obesity/data/facts) “Obesity is common, serious and costly.” More than 69% of adults are overweight or obese (2009-2010). “Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death” with estimated annual medical costs of $147 billion in 2008. Facts and findings indicate that reducing obesity (BMI of 30+) “even a modest weight loss, such

Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

as 5 to 10% of your total body weight, is likely to produce health benefits, such as improvement in blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugars.” Many individuals are in search of a natural and healthy method to lose potentially unhealthy excess weight without the high cost, risks and side effects associated with invasive surgery. The Mind Body Transformation Virtual Gastric Band Hypnosis program may be a solution for some of them. The new Virtual Gastric Band Hypnosis weight loss program can naturally help people make better food choices, lose weight and put food in its proper perspective. This technique is a safe and healthy alternative to weight loss surgery and is designed to replicate the effects, results and benefits of the gastric band or bypass surgery without going under the knife. No diet, no deprivation and no hospital stay are involved. All change begins with hypnosis and the mind. This unique and very specialized concept was originally developed in Europe and has been featured on TV and in newspapers in the U.S. and abroad. The stories detail exciting and dramatic behavioral and weight loss results. Diane Bahr-Groth, CH, TFT-Adv is one of the first of the few American hypnotists trained and certified by British Clinical Hypnotist, Sheila Granger, who developed the Virtual Gastric Band Hypnosis program. The clinical trials of this hypnosis program have shown a 95% success rate with average weight loss of 7 pounds the first week and 1-3 pounds weekly. Hypnosis is widely recognized by those in the medical field and researchers as a safe, natural and enjoyable state of deep physical and emotional relaxation. After receiving positive suggestions for deep relaxation, the subconscious mind is given suggestions that the stomach is much smaller, the size of a golf ball, as if the gastric band were surgically installed. The hypnotic suggestions prevent over-eating and encourage smaller portion sizes resulting in measurable reduction of body fat and inches. Bahr-Groth is an expert in advanced techniques of Hypnosis, Thought Field Therapy and Applied Kinesiology, all of which come into play in the Virtual Gastric Band Hypnosis program. Thought Field Therapy TM (TFT) is a powerful stress, fear and anxiety reduction tool created by a psychologist, Dr. Roger Callahan, that helps create almost instantaneous changes in thoughts, feelings and emotions. Bahr-Groth utilizes Applied Kinesiology (AK or muscle testing) to access information from the subconscious mind to facilitate change. It is similar to using the body as a lie detector test to uncover emotional blockages which can cause a psychological reversal or self-sabotaging behavior like emotional eating. These techniques help to access and release limiting beliefs and decisions or “blockages” that may be preventing one from accomplishing their goal. Most people are psychologically reversed about losing weight and therefore may continue a pattern of sabotage, stress and a cycle of failure that prevents weight loss. Psychological reversals cause many people to feel there is a good angel and a bad angel on their shoulder and the bad angel is winning. The emotions and negative responses related to the root cause issue are addressed at the very first session. The use of these tools at each hypnosis session evaluates progress and eliminates self-sabotage while

creating greater effectiveness and faster results. The Mind Body Transformation Virtual Gastric Band program consists of a series of five hypnosis sessions personalized for a client’s specific needs and scheduled weekly. The first session may be up to three hours in length and subsequent sessions are usually one hour each. A pre-recorded hypnosis support CD is used daily to reinforce the healthy eating and weight loss changes desired. The fifth hypnosis session is recorded for the client’s personal goals and continued success. Client satisfaction rate for this unique weight loss program is remarkably high. Client weight loss varies from person to person based on activity levels, age and motivation but most experience profound changes in stress levels, eating habits and food choices as they quickly begin to reduce clothing sizes and lose weight. Some clients have lost 20-23 pounds in their first few sessions, without feelings of deprivation and without dieting. This hypnosis program helps to create natural, automatic and positive changes for healthy eating, exercise

and weight loss as well as developing a healthier relationship with food. Most people begin to feel better, more positive and empowered to eat less and lose weight at their very first session. Anyone who has made a personal commitment to change behavior or improve their health and life realizes how difficult it can be to institute and maintain regular and positive improvements and responses for wellness in today’s hectic and chaotic world. This hypnosis program can help create healthier, natural lifestyle changes for those who desire to eat more consciously and especially for those struggling to lose weight. It is not necessary to be a candidate for gastric band surgery to utilize this hypnotic program for change. It is available for those who want to reach and maintain their ideal weight without the high cost, risks or side effects of invasive surgery. The Mind Body Transformation hypnosis programs - whether the traditional or the Virtual Gastric Band program - can help create the healthy and positive changes needed to naturally lose weight, without dieting,

without deprivation and in a natural, relaxing way. Diane Bahr-Groth, CH, TFT-Adv, Director of Mind-Body Transformation Hypnosis Center, specializes in fast and effective methods for weight loss, healthy eating, stress, fear and pain reduction, smoking cessation, success, motivation and sports performance as well as fear and phobia elimination for public speaking and other issues. She is a registered Consulting Hypnotist and Certified in Virtual Gastric Band Hypnosis Program™, Thought Field Therapy™, Time Line Therapy™, Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP), Complementary Medical Hypnosis. HypnoBirthing™, Touch for Health (Systematic Applied Kinesiology) and Healing From The Body Level Up I, II and III. Established in Fairfield County since 1989, her office is located at 1177 High Ridge Rd in Stamford, CT. For more information or to schedule a free consultation or appointment, please call 203 595-0110, MindbodyTransformation.com. See ads, pages 12 and 63.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

January 2014

healthykids

Label Literacy Five Tips Help Kids Choose Healthy Foods by Elisa Bosley

Families have three key weapons in combating America’s childhood obesity epidemic: keeping them active, reducing their soda and junk food intake and teaching youngsters how to read food labels.

ccording to the National Center for Health Statistics, obesity more than doubled in children ages 6 to 11 and tripled in adolescents ages 12 to 19 between 1980 and 2010. Nearly one in five youths in both age groups, plus one in eight preschoolers, are now considered obese and at increased risk for consequent health problems. By 2013, the Centers for Disease Control finally showed signs of hope, with some states reporting small reversals in the trend. Positive developments might continue if parents and teachers gently coach kids to better evaluate what’s going into their mouths and bodies by understanding food labels. Despite the intimidation factor (even for adults), “Once children know how to read, they are ready to start learning how to read food labels,” advises Jolly Backer, CEO of Fresh Healthy Vending, a forward-thinking company actively increasing the presence of healthy-food vending machines in schools nationwide. He says, “The more kids know about what they’re eating, the more empowered they’ll be about making healthier food choices.” Here are five basic tips to increase

Fairfield County Edition

knowing what food labels really say that will benefit a youngster’s health for a lifetime. Visualize serving sizes. Assemble two or three packaged food items— preferably those that the child regularly eats, like cereal, oatmeal and applesauce—plus a measuring cup. Point out the serving-size number on the package label, and let the child measure out a single serving. This visually reinforces serving sizes, the first number anyone needs to consider on a food label. Try it with a single soda or juice bottle, too, which often says, “two servings.” Important note: Most nutrition label serving sizes are based on a 2,000-calorie adult diet. For kids ages 4 to 8, portion sizes are about two-thirds of an adult portion; for preteens, portions run 80 to 90 percent of the adult amount, says Registered Dietitian Tara Dellolacono-Thies, food coach for CLIF Kid nutrient-rich organic energy snacks. Evaluate numbers. Next, discuss the numbers noted for calories, fat, sugar, fiber and cholesterol. When evaluating a packaged food for an elementary school child, DellolaconoThies suggests aiming for 175 calories or less per serving; one gram or less

natural awakenings

saturated fat; no trans fats; no more than 13 grams of added sugars; no more than 210 milligrams sodium content; and at least two grams of fiber. She notes that cholesterol alone is less of a health risk factor for kids than saturated fats and sugars unless a child is on a specialized diet. Added bonuses: Look for high-percent daily values (shown as DV percentage) for nutrients such as calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin D, which experts generally agree most kids’ diets lack in sufficient quantities. Compare and contrast. Armed with these basic guidelines, compare, for example, the grams of sugar in a can of soda with a serving of cooked rolled oats, or the amount of calcium in a carton of milk versus a juice box. One-to-one evaluations will begin to give a child a sense of what numbers constitute “high” or “low” amounts. Check the fine print. “Artificial colors and flavors, artificial sweeteners, high-fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated anything signal that the food is likely of lower nutritional quality,” counsels Dellolacono-Thies. Make a game of sounding out items in the ingredient list. “It’s a classic teaching moment: Unpronounceable ingredients often mean it’s a lab-created, fake, food-like item,” she says. Next, ask the youngster to read the label on an apple. Surprise! No food label means it’s a whole, real food—the best, most nutritious kind. Translate knowledge into choices. Once a child has gotten the hang of it, let him or her compare different food labels and choose which one is the healthier option. Plan a little extra time to also do it during grocery shopping. With time and practice, an educated youngster will begin to incorporate the power of reading food labels before choosing foods. “Even when children walk up to a vending machine, where they can’t read labels, you want them to know which is the healthier option,” says Backer. “With label-reading practice, they’ll become savvy shoppers who’ll readily recognize healthy food options when they see them.” Elisa Bosley is senior food editor at Delicious Living magazine.

Timing Divinely by Joy Marie Yascone

ost people have had occasions where no matter how hard they tried, things wouldn’t seem to shift or change. Those are times when we find ourselves fighting against the tide instead of the tide carrying us where we’d like to go. How do we get to a place where the wind is at our back and the roads rise up to meet us? As this new year begins and we reflect on years past, it’s a powerful time to take inventory of our lives; where we’ve been and where we’d like to go. We all have our challenges in this life, whether in relationships with family, spouses or partners, health, career, finances or other areas. The human experience is wrought with challenges as this is how we learn compassion. Wherever we place our intention, whatever we nurture or feed, grows stronger. It is often a part of the human condition to place our intention on our issues or challenges. It seems counterintuitive to do otherwise. What do you do if you have a problem? Think about it until you solve it. It worked in math, right? However, if we wish to experience the most abundant life possible, it may be wise to be counterintuitive in this instance and go against our natural human condition to nurture the problem. This can be accomplished by shifting intention and energy to what is nurturing us as opposed to what is currently challenging us or causing us pain. In this way, we starve the challenges, thereby diminishing their power and effect. We instead feed, nurture and multiply our blessings. We generally all know what our challenges are because they scream loudly, like a baby with a soiled diaper that needs changing. In order to feed our blessings, we need to know what they are. So the question now becomes when the path looks so murky and dark, how do we find the blessings? One technique is looking at the astrological birth chart. Sometimes referred to as the astrological fingerprint, it is a snapshot of the stars and placements of the planets at the moment each of us took our first breath and is unique to each of us. Through knowledgeable interpretation of our astrological fingerprint and current astrological influences, we can locate our current blessings and challenges so we can feed the correct source to achieve the desired result. It is something that takes practice but can transform your life. It is imperative to time efforts in step with the Universe; that is where the Universe is supplying divine support. So we too will live the Irish Blessing with the wind at our backs and the road rising up to meet us. Joy Marie Yascone, MA is a composer, author, healer and astrological counselor with a MA in Holistic Health from Georgian Court University. She is a 3rd generation intuitive and focuses on astrological life coaching, intuitive medicine, intention energy healing, Holistic Wellness coaching and natural alternatives for stress management and depression. See Health Coach Directory listing, page 42.

Whole Foods Market is bringing you natural & organic foods at premium quality, not premium prices. Westport 399 Post Road West, CT 203.227.6858 Greenwich 90 E. Putnam Avenue, CT 203.661.0631 Darien 150 Ledge Road, CT 203.662.0577

TANGERINE-ROASTED TUNA WITH GREEN OLIVES (Serves 4) Serve this one-pan dish of juicy tuna, sweet red onions and green olives over cooked brown rice for a quick and easy meal. 1/2 cup drained pitted green olives (about 20) 1 tangerine or small orange, zested and quartered, zest reserved 1 red onion, cut into small wedges 1/2 pound Whole Catch® boneless, skinless tuna steak, cut into (1-inch) chunks 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Arrange olives, tangerine, and onions on a large, parchment paper-lined baking sheet and roast until onions are just browning, 10 to 15 minutes. Toss gently, scatter tuna over the top, season with salt and pepper and continue roasting until tuna is just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes more. Squeeze tangerine over tuna, onions and olives. Sprinkle with reserved zest; toss well and serve.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

January 2014

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natural awakenings

Did you know that 98% of all mattresses on the market today contain toxic chemicals and fire retardants and are made of polyurethane foams, petrochemicals and steel springs? Not a healthy formula for a good night’s sleep!

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e all need iodine, yet most of us don’t get enough of it through our diet. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that iodine deficiency in the developed world has increased fourfold in the past 40 years and now affects nearly three-quarters of all adults. Numerous U.S. practicing physicians quoted widely in the media estimate that the incidence of hypothyroidism in our adult population may be between 30 and 70 percent. Thus, we can’t efficiently produce the thyroid hormones that serve as chemical messengers triggering nearly every bodily function. The presence or absence of iodine affects our every cell.

Be Aware of Hypothyroidism Symptoms Low thyroid function, or hypothyroidism, is the most recognized and obvious indicator of low iodine intake because the thyroid gland contains more concentrated iodine than other organs.

Symptoms can range from extreme fatigue and weight gain to depression, carpal tunnel syndrome, high blood pressure, fibrocystic breasts and a variety of skin and hair problems. Hypothyroidism can further cause infertility, joint pain, heart disease and stroke. Low iodine levels also have been associated with breast and thyroid cancers. In children, insufficient iodine has been strongly linked with mental retardation, deafness, attention deficient and hyperactivity disorder and impaired growth, according to studies by Boston University, China’s Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and France’s National Academy of Medicine. The answer is simple: Taking the right kind of iodine in the right dosage can rebalance thyroid function and restore health to the thyroid and the whole body.

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Natural Awakenings Detoxifed Iodine is 100 percent natural, raw iodine in an ethyl alcohol solution. We thank all those that are benefiting from this product and enthusiastically telling us their great results.  Available only at NAWebstore.com  My wife, who suffered from extreme fatigue and other symptoms, saw a dramatic increase in energy after just a few days of taking the natural iodine drops. Now if she misses a day, she’ll end up falling asleep in the middle of the afternoon, like she used to do before taking the iodine. It works! ~ Aaron My doctor told me that I had a hypothyroid condition, prescribed medication and was happy with the follow-up test results, yet I noticed no positive effects on my overall wellbeing. Within two weeks of using the Natural Awakenings Detoxified Iodine, I had more energy, felt more awake and enjoyed clearer thinking and greater peace of mind. People even comment that I look younger. I am a fan! ~ Larry

Reasons Behind Iodine Deficiency

Radiation: Almost everyone is routinely exposed to iodine-depleting radiation emitted by cell phones, Wi-Fi, microwave ovens and other electronic devices. Iodized table salt: The human body cannot utilize the iodine added to this product. Low-sodium diets: Failure to use healthy salts to fulfill sodium requirements, plus overuse of zero-nutrient table salt in foods, leads to • Depression • Weight Gain iodine depletion. • Fibromyalgia • Low Energy • Hypothyroidism • Hyperthyroidism Bromine: This toxic chemical overrides • Radiation • Bacteria & Viruses iodine’s abilities to nourish the thyroid, adrenal and other hormone-producing glands. $ 4-6 week supply ONLY 19.99 A known carcinogen, it is used as an antiOrder Online Today at caking ingredient found in almost all baked goods, unless the ingredients specifically cite unbromated flour. Or Call: 888-822-0246 Iodine-depleted soils: Due to poor farming techniques, iodine and other minerals in soil SPECIAL SHIPPING have declined, so most foods today are devoid of $5 •up to 8 bottles naturally occurring iodine. Wholesale Pricing Available Proper iodine supplementation with to Stores and Practitioners a high-quality product like Natural Awakenings Detoxified Iodine can prevent harm by protecting the thyroid and other Shop Natural Awakenings’ Online Webstore for endocrine glands and restoring proper More Special, Natural Products hormone production. eNaturalAwakenings.com January 2014 57

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2014 Natural Living Directory

WHOLE FOOD Greater than the Sum of its Parts by Margie King

For more information about advertising and how you can participate, call

203-885-4674 58

Fairfield County Edition

estern science is obsessed with deconstructing food, researching and analyzing its component parts, isolating the active ingredients, repackaging them in pills or powders and prescribing them in daily doses. But according to Annemarie Colbin, Ph.D., author of Food and Healing, this chemistry-based theory of nutrition is upside-down. Colbin, founder and CEO of the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts, in New York City, has crafted her own nutrition theory based on more than 30 years of nutrition practice, teaching from a foundation that a whole food, like the complex human being consuming it, is greater than the sum of its parts. She defines whole foods as “those that nature provides and all the edible parts.” She limits them to those comprising one ingredient, such as plants, whole grains, beans, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. Animal foods are more challenging to categorize. Eggs are a whole food, but steaks are not, because they are one

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part of the entire animal. She includes small fish if we eat the head and bones, and small birds like quail. Whole milk is included, but not low-fat dairy. Colbin maintains that our bodies know the difference between a whole food and an aggregation of isolated nutrients. We have evolved over thousands of years to eat the food that nature presents to us, and if that food has been fragmented, the body realizes it and seeks what’s missing. For example, if we eat fragmented wheat like white bread, in which the bran and germ of the whole grain have been removed, the body will still be hungry and seek the missing part of the food, something with fiber or crunch. Likewise, health enthusiasts that devour wheat germ or wheat bran in isolation will also feel something is missing and may find themselves craving refined flour in the form of cake or other baked goods. Table sugar is another example, a fragment of sugar cane. Colbin calculates that it takes 17 feet of sugar cane to make one cup of sugar. What’s miss-

ing is mostly the cane’s water content and the result, she says, is that sugar makes you thirsty. It’s a big reason why when we drink a soda, ingesting an average equivalent of 12 teaspoons of sugar, we’re thirsty afterward and drink even more, creating a vicious cycle. Fruit juices are, by definition, a fragmented food. When we drink orange or grapefruit juice, all or most of the fiber from the raw fruit is obviously missing. Craving something to chew, we may reach for chips or something crunchy. Vegetable juices may yield the same result. Colbin cautions that while vitamin and mineral supplements can be helpful in treating specific conditions or deficiencies, they nevertheless comprise fragments of food at best. She notes that the body may have difficulty processing these isolated nutrients outside of the whole food. Supportive studies include Kentucky’s University of Louisville School of Medicine comparison of the effects of the spice turmeric with those of its active ingredient, curcumin. Adding the whole food turmeric to the diet of rats reduced inflammation significantly, while curcumin alone was ineffective. Results suggested the difference may be explained by turmeric’s higher bioavailability. A Pennsylvania State University research review determined that although

population studies consistently report that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables protects against cardiovascular and other chronic diseases, studies of antioxidant supplements did not show the same benefits. The difference may be that a whole foods diet naturally contains not only antioxidants, but a wide range of nutrients and compounds that may act synergistically to protect against diseases. Colbin goes further, suggesting that supplements may even make us less likely to want to eat vegetables and set us up for junk food cravings to balance out too many vitamins or minerals. Her advice is to use vitamins and supplements if medically required, but not every day and not for a lifetime. Her views are all about maintaining the natural balance in the foods that nature provides without worrying about striving for perfection or radical changes in diet. Colbin recommends aiming for 70 percent whole foods overall to keep everything in balance. Start by taking a few small changes, listen to the body to see if there’s a noticeable difference and adjust accordingly.

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Margie King is a former corporate attorney now working as a holistic health and nutrition coach and natural health copywriter from Philadelphia, PA. Connect via NourishingMenopause.com.

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Natural Frontier Market

2014 JANUARY

health & wellness

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plus: gluten-free foods APRIL

green living

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women’s wellness plus: bodywork JUNE

inspired living

plus: men’s wellness JULY

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transformative education plus: children’s health SEPTEMBER plus: yoga

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January 2014

greenliving

Ever-More-Green in

Easy Ways to Go Eco Right Now by Avery Mack

ew Year resolutions can be a distant memory by midJanuary, due to unrealistic expectations, slow results and distractions that sideline good intentions. Yet we may still reap the rewards of a greener, healthier lifestyle by progressively adopting small, doable changes.

Nifty Switches

January white sales present a prime opportunity to change to organic cotton sheets and dry-fast towels to reduce energy usage. Local animal shelters welcome old towels and blankets. Homeless shelters also accept gently used clean linens, and outgrown cold-weather gear. Replace family toothbrushes with eco-friendly models made from renewable castor oil plants instead of petroleum. The Naturally Clean Toothbrush is BPA-free and recyclable (TomsOfMaine.com). Each day, Americans use 500 million disposable straws, reports Milo Cress, founder of the Be Straw Free Campaign (Ecocycle.org). Discarded plastic straws and stirrers are on the Ocean Conservancy’s top 10 list of debris littering beaches. Cindy Schiff Slansky, CEO of GreenPaxx, in New York City, suggests using a reusable silicone straw. “The bright colors help keep track of each person’s drink. They’re in my purse for when I eat out with my kids,” she says. “We always say no to disposable straws.” Also consider paper straws that compost within 45 to 60 days. Plug electronics into power-saving energy strips that can be turned off when machines aren’t in use. Completely shutting down computers saves more energy than using sleep mode. When it’s time for a more energy-efficient fridge or freezer, call the electric company. The Appliance Recycling Centers of America work with utilities to pick up and recycle working appliances. Air conditioners and dehumidifiers are accepted with a qualifying fridge or freezer. Alternatively, call a local recycling company for a curb pickup of broken appliances; even easier, confirm that the company 60

Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

Switch to public transportation or telecommuting at least twice a week to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. delivering a new appliance will take away and recycle the old one. Upgrade to a greener model when the need arises to change cars. California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont have pledged to speed the construction of charging stations in their states and project collectively having 3.3 million battery-powered cars, plug-in hybrids and other clean-burning vehicles on their roads by 2025. To make clean and renewable home energy affordable and increase property values, Sunrun installs and maintains home solar power panels in 1,000 cities in 11 states for low and predictable monthly rates (Sunrun.com). Choose green products carrying the 1% for the Planet logo. Identify participating companies at Tinyurl.com/ OnePercentPlanet.

Table Tips

One-pot, slow-cooked hearty stews and soups—especially made with seasonal, locally grown vegetables—use less energy and need less water to wash. A slow cooker can also steam rice, make yogurt or bake simple, whole-grain breads (VitaClayChef.com). Dave Feller, CEO of Yummly.com, in Redwood City, California, adds, “Slow cooking tenderizes meats and brings out flavor, even in less expensive cuts. It’s also a timesaver.” Yummly recipes detail ingredients, cooking times and nutritional values. For family snacks, Terry Walters, the Avon, Connecticut, author of Clean Food and Clean Start, advocates going untraditional. “Get closer to the green plant than the processing plant,” she advises. At least once a week, she likes to try a new food. “Roasted chick peas, kale chips or a ‘pizza’ made from a rice tortilla, pasta sauce or pesto, and veggies all make ‘clean-food’ snacks.” (Recipes at TerryWalters.net.) Keeping produce fresh can be a challenge, especially when the average fridge can harbor millions of bacteria, according to testing by Microban Europe, UK. The BerryBreeze in-fridge automated device periodically circulates activated oxygen to prevent mold, keeping produce fresh longer and reducing spoiling to save grocery dollars (BerryBreeze.com). Hannah Helsabeck, president of eco-friendly WildMint Shop.com, shares can-free meal tips online. “It takes a little planning, but we can now avoid all the toxic chemicals used in processing foods and making cans. Let’s kick the can!” Also, check out local food Meetup groups. Penny Miller, of Wichita Falls, Texas, says, “At our first meeting, we saw examples of raised-bed gardens, rainwater harvesting, composting, native landscaping and container plants.” Avery Mack is a freelance writer in St. Louis, MO. Connect via AveryMack@mindspring.com.

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Monday, January 6

Magazine calendar events must be received by January 5th (for February issue) and adhere to our guidelines. All calendar submissions must be entered online at eNaturalAwakenings.com click on “submit calendar” at the very top of the page. Church of Spiritualism, 293 Sound Beach Ave , Old Greenwich. AlbertsonChurch@gmail.com

markyourcalendar Awaken Wellness Fair

Yoga Nidra & Gong Relaxation – 4-5:30pm. With Evelyne Serais. Yoga Nidra is an ancient form of guided meditation that will take you into the deepest levels of relaxation. The gong’s elemental vibration resets our magnetic field, allowing us to transcend habitual energetic layers of the mind. Includes mindful breathing and intention setting, yoga nidra and gong relaxation. $40. Yo g a f o r E v e r y b o d y, 2 7 U n q u o w a R d , Fairfield. 203-254-9642. Info@Yoga4Everybody.net

A whole new kind of

Body-Mind-Spirit Expo

Sunday January 19 10am to 5pm Hotel Pennsylvania, 401 Seventh Avenue, NYC 10001 Speakers, Healers, Vendors and Readers Over 100 exhibitors, 1000 guests! AwakenFair.com • click on “NYC” Exhibitor spots available • 914-422-1784

S t i c k s a n d S t o n e s F a r m N e w Ye a r ’s Drum Circle – 7-9pm. Celebrate the new rhythm of 2014 playing drums in the Stone Barn w/ Mark Zarillo. Beginners, dancing and hooping welcomed. $15 (Seniors & Kids under 12 $5.) C a s h O n l y. R S V P 2 0 3 - 5 0 0 - 3 8 1 8 . 2 0 1 Huntingtown Rd, Newtown.

Friday, January 3 Reiki Level 1 workshop – 10am-4:30pm. With Gigi Benanti. Reiki Master/Teacher Learn Reiki Level 1 in the Western style from an experienced Reiki Master. Learn how to use Reiki for self-healing and healing for others. Includes 4 powerful energy connections. Receive 2 manuals and certificate. $115 + $10 towards Materials RSVP. Angelic Healing Center, 7 Morgan Ave, Norwalk (enter private office downstairs in back). 203-852-1150. AngelHealReikiGiGiB@snet.net

Saturday, January 4

Sunday, January 5 Owning Our Stories: A Yoga and Journaling Workshop – 1-4pm. With Kerri Gawreluk. Journaling is a powerful tool for self-discovery. This workshop uses the creative medium of writing as a tool, in combination with yoga, to cultivate self-inquiry, self-love, and healing. Open to all. Please bring a favorite notebook, a pen/pencil and a picture of yourself when you considered yourself to be most authentic. $50. Yoga for Everybody, 27 Unquowa Rd, Fairfield. 203-254-9642. Info@Yoga4Everybody.net

Sticks & Stones Farm Ukulele Club – 6-8:30pm. Come Strum and Have Fun with other lovers of the Ukulele. Uncle Zak “the Uke Guy” will facilitate. Come prepared to have fun jamming, singing and making music as attendees share knowledge and learn. Uke not necessary but please inform when reserving spot. Donation. RSVP: 202-219-2230. 201 Huntingtown Road, Newtown.

markyourcalendar Special Needs, Special Care

Open House and Info Session Saturday, January 25 • 1 to 3pm

Meet Dr. Stephanie Soalt, naturopathic doctor and art therapist; learn about alternative approaches to treating autism spectrum disorders, ADHD/ADD, anxiety disorders and behavioral and emotional problems

RSVP at DrSoalt@BIHolistic.com BodyIntelligenceHolistic.com

A place to honor your spirit, your way

(from the ARC Affirmation)

Sharing a Vision of Love and Oneness

Thursday, January 9

9 Mott Avenue, Suite 310, Norwalk • 203-710-3937

... May the energy we create as a loving community, multiply into the universe so that all beings may experience true and divine love.

THE ALLIANCE FOR RAISING CONSCIOUSNESS

R a d i c a l M a n i f e s t a t i o n – 7-8p m . Wi t h Rev. Shawn Moninger. A six-week class/ workshop where we review our ways of looking at life and then take the steps necessary to use Spiritual Inteligence to sup e r c h a r g e o u r i n t e n t i o n s . L o v e O f f e ring. Unity Center for Practical Spirituality, 3 Main St, 2nd Floor, Norwalk. 203-855-7922. Office@UnityCenterPS.org

Body Intelligence Holistic Health Center

Spiritual Psychic Fair – 12-5pm. Mediumship, Angel Cards, Tarot Cards, Pendulum, Palmistry, Soul Mandala Drawings. Sessions approx. 25 mins. To reserve a time, contact AlbertsonChurch@gmail.com. Walk-ins welcome. $30 and up. Albertson Memorial

ARC Sacred Center

STRESS LESS: An Intro to Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program – 6:30-8pm. With Sheila Wall. MBSR Introduction. Do you want to live a more engaged and balanced life? Mindfulness is learning to pay wise attention to what is happening in the present moment, with non-judgmental awareness. Introduction is free. Details of 8-week program explained. To register, SmWall@optonline.net or 203-216-6243. At SOUND, 31 Hawleyville Rd, Newtown.

SPIRITUAL SUNDAY SERVICES at 10 AM followed by FELLOWSHIP at 11 AM

Please Join Us as we build community and celebrate Life, Hope, Healing, Love and Spirit.

(Visit our website for a detailed description of our Sunday services and for classes & events at the center)

458 Monroe Tpke, Monroe, CT | 203-268-1ARC (1272) arcsacredcenter.org | arcsacredcenter@gmail.com

eNaturalAwakenings.com

January 2014

calendarofevents markyourcalendar A Natural Awakenings’ Community Connections event…

Peace, Love & Chocolate Sunday, February 23 12 to 4 pm

Sound Healing with Crystal Cymbalogy – 6pm. Cynthia and Rick help audiences experience their highest vibration by playing original compositions and using a combination of sounds including crystal bowls, drums, cymbals, voice and more. Saltana Cave, 590 Danbury Rd, Ridgefield. RSVP: 203969-4327.

Wednesday, January 15

Connect, learn, and mingle with likeminded people at this fun, educational event held at historic SOUND – A Center for Music, Creative Arts, and Mindfulness.

31 Hawleyville Rd, Newtown SoundCenterArts.com

Albertson Church Healing Service – 7:30-8:30pm. Come join us for an evening of healing in our soulful sanctuary beginning with a guided meditation. We then offer you the opportunity to sit in one of our healing chairs with a church-designated healer or to sit quietly and embrace the peace and serenity of spirit. All are welcome. $0. Albertson Church of Spiritualism, 293 Sound Beach Ave, Old Greenwich. AlbertsonChurch@gmail.com

markyourcalendar HYPNOSIS CERTIFICATION COURSE March 15 - 22

Improve Your Life & the Lives of Others Guaranteed To Be A Once-In-A-Lifetime Experience

“The best course I’ve ever attended... AMAZING!” - Rita G., Waterbury Call 860-693-6448 or go to MindMattersHypnosis.com to Register Mind Matters Hypnosis Center • Avon, CT

Thursday, January 9

Thursday, January 16

Saturday, January 25

Reiki Refresher for all levels – 7:30-9:45pm. With Gigi Benanti, Reiki Master. Reiki Practitioners only. In this class, group class techniques are taught that will help raise reiki vibration and deepen your Reiki. Please bring Reiki Certificates from in-person classes. A re-attunement is included. $38+$8 material fee. At Angelic Healing Center, 7 Morgan Ave, Norwalk (enter office downstairs i n b a c k ) . M u s t R S V P 2 0 3 - 8 5 2 - 11 5 0 . AngelHealReikiGiGiB@snet.net

Reiki Second Degree workshop – 9am-5pm. With Gigi Benanti, Reiki Master/Teacher. Learn Reiki 2rd Degree in the Western style from an experienced Reiki Master. Learn how to send distance Reiki healing, deepen use of Reiki for others and yourself. Receive 2 powerful energy connections. Receive 2 manuals and certificate. $215. Angelic Healing Center, 7 Morgan Ave, Norwalk. RSVP: 203-8521150. AngelHealReikiGiGiB@snet.net

Saturday, January 18

Saturday, January 11 Spiritual Development Workshop Series with Rev. Mary Yankee – 1-4pm. Join Reverend Mary Yankee for an eight-week journey through the vistas of the Soul. Each week covers a topic of interest, intending to help us inform ourselves and develop our spirituality and our spiritual goals. Classes are part lecture/discussion, part experiential. 8wk course for $250. For workshop content information go to: reverendyankee.com - events. Class dates are Jan.11 and 25, Feb.8 and 22, March 8 and 22, April 12 and 26. Pre-register for course at AlbertsonChurch@ gmail.com. Discounts for full prepayment.. $30 per session. Albertson Church of Spiritualism, 293 Sound Beach Ave, Old Greenwich. Yoga 101: Get Back to the Basics – 3-5:30pm. With Michelle Dalbec. Whether you are new or a seasoned practitioner, come join this interactive workshop: ask questions, gain knowledge and learn the foundations of a yoga practice: basic breath techniques, essential form & alignment of poses, use of props and how to modify postures for your body. All levels welcome. $35 if paid by 1/4/14, $45 thereafter. Yoga for Everybody, 27 Unquowa Rd, Fairfield. 203-254-9642. Info@Yoga4Everybody.net, Yoga4Everybody.net

Fairfield County Edition

The Getting Started in Organic Farming Conference – 8am-3:30pm. The average age of food producers in Connecticut is 57, while demand for locally produced, organic foods is on the rise. New farmers require support in order to provide enough goods to meet local demand. CT NOFA’s annual Getting Started in Organic Farming Conference helps aspiring organic farmers develop successful farming careers. Lunch provided. To register, or for more information: visit CTNofa.org click Getting Started in Organic Farming Conference, or call 203308-2584. $40/CT NOFA members and Students, $50/general attendance. Goodwin College, East Hartford. Stephanie@ctnofa.org.

Friday, January 24 Holistic Happy Hour at ifloat – 6-8pm. Fun, informative, and social networking event. ifloat, 163 Main St, Westport. RSVP 203-885-4674.

natural awakenings

The Breath of Life: An Exploration of Prana and Pranayama – 3-6pm. With Greg Barringer. In this workshop, you will learn breathing techniques to help you breathe more fully and deeply and thus reduce negative emotions and reactions. You will learn and practice techniques of Pranayama, yoga breathing, designed to calm the body and the mind, as well as stimulate and increase awareness. $40 /person if paid by 1/18/14, $50 thereafter.. Yoga for Everybody, 27 Unquowa Rd, Fairfield. 203-254-9642. Info@Yoga4Everybody.net Sound Healing with Crystal Cymbalogy – 6pm. Cynthia and Rick help audiences experience their highest vibration by playing original compositions and using a combination of sounds including crystal bowls, drums, cymbals, voice and more. Saltana Cave, 590 Danbury Rd, Ridgefield. RSVP: 203-969-4327.

Monday, January 27 Ecotherapy Interest Group – 6-8pm. Open to all in the community who wish to deepen their connection to the natural world! The Graduate Institute, 171 Amity Rd, Bethany. RSVP 203-874-4252 or Learn.Edu/Events

ongoingevents

Mahasati or Insight Meditation – 12:30pm. Redding Center for Meditation, West Redding. 203-244-3130.

sunday

monday

Angelic Reiki Meditation with Essential Oils – 8-9am. Receive short, hands-on Angelic Reiki, experience powerful techniques to reduce stress and relax. $10. Angelic Healing Center, 7 Morgan Ave (in the back, downstairs), Norwalk. Pre-register: 203-852-1150.

Sticks & Stones Farm Hatha Para YOGA – 6:157:15pm. With Aga Chapska. Gentle flow, candle lit in the Stone Barn. Beginners welcome. Bring a mat, water bottle and wear comfy clothes. $15 drop in/$100 for 10 classes. 201 Huntingtown Rd, Newtown. RSVP: 203-270-8820.

Yoga & Pranayama – 9:30am. Yoga and Pranayama with Wendy, Deb and Alok. Move with the breath, open heart, release stress. Free and open to all. Hindu Cultural Center, 96 Chapel St, Stratford. 203-375-9898.

Yoga – 7-8:15pm. With Charles Sikorski, RYT. Weekly. Charles encourages one to find one’s true self: physically, mentally and spiritually. $13/class, discount with 5+ weeks. ARC Sacred Center, 458 Monroe Tpk, Monroe. 203-414-6790.

Mahasati or Insight Meditation – 10am. Dharmma talk. If first time on Saturday or Sunday, arrive 5-10 minutes before start of class. Redding Center for Meditation, West Redding. 203-244-3130.

Mahasati or Insight Meditation – 7pm. Dharmma talk. Redding Center for Meditation, West Redding. 203-244-3130.

Interfaith Service Gathering – 10-11am. A community to celebrate life, hope, healing, love and Spirit. Followed by a community hour from 11am-12pm. My Little Light Children’s Program is available during the service. Free. ARC Sacred Center, 458 Monroe Tpk, Monroe. 203-268-1272. Reiki Volunteers – 10am-12pm. Pledge time to volunteer Sundays at various homes for the elderly and nursing homes in Fairfield and Southbury. Receive credits towards Reiki training. Reiki Overtones, 95 Harris St, Fairfield. Reservations, Jim or Jeannette: 203-254-3958.

Transformation and Healing – 7:30-8:15pm. Rev. Ed O’Malley uses a Shamanic Illumination Process which removes heavy energies from luminous energy fields, returning the body and soul to its initial state of wellness. ARC Sacred Center, 458 Monroe Tpk, Monroe. 203-268-1272. Guided Meditation at Sabita Holistic Center –7:30-8:30pm. Give yourself the gift of meditation at Sabita Holistic Center. Internationally known Dr. Levy has worked for over the past 35 years in stress reduction, deep relaxation and meditation. Free. Sabita Holistic Center, 3519 Post Rd, Southport. 203-254-2633.

Celebration Service – 10:30am-12pm. With Rev. Shawn Moninger. Inspiring message supports one’s spiritual unfoldment. Great music by award-winning singers. Childcare provided. Fellowship hour after the service. All are welcome. Love offering. Unity Center, 3 Main St (above Ford dealership), Norwalk. 203-855-7922.

Monday Meditation for Everyone – 7:30-9pm. This is Meditation Guided imagery for relaxation and stress reduction. It also helps you move forward on your Spiritual path. No experience necessary. $20. Soul Focus, 145 Grassy Plain St, Bethel. 203570-3868.

Albertson Church Service – 11am-12:30pm. Includes an inspirational talk from caring ministers, guided meditation, time to receive healing energy and spirit messages from those we continue to love. Free. Albertson Church of Spiritualism, 293 Sound Beach Ave, Old Greenwich. 203-637-4615.

tuesday TLC Monthly Networking Breakfast – 8:30am. 1st Tuesday. A relaxed, supportive community of healthy living professionals. Grab a friend, biz cards and join for a fun morning of connecting. Free. TLC Center, 152 East Ave, Norwalk. 203-853-4852.

Change Your Mind & Change Your Life! Dynamic Therapy for Rapid and Powerful Change Fast, Easy, Natural & Successful ~ Relief in Minutes Thought Field Therapy • Hypnosis • NLP • Time Line Regression • Virtual Gastric Band Program

Gentle Yoga Class – 6-7pm. Perfect for beginners and people with physical difficulties such as back pain and knee pain. $10. Fairfield County Integrative Family Medicine and Healing Therapies, 2 Corporate Dr, Trumbull. Registration required: 203-445-9060. BodySmart – 6:15-7:30pm. Semi-private sessions for 2-4 participants. Complete core/body conditioning exercises and stretching utilizing a 9’ floor to ceiling X-Pole. $45/class-discount with 6+ classes (pre-reg required). BodySmart, 115 Main St, Unit 11, Monroe. Call Lisa for details, additional schedule information and to register: 203-209-7359. Reiki Shares – 7:30-10pm. 1st and 3rd Tuesdays. Gigi Benanti Usui/Karuna Reiki Master/Teacher. For Reiki practitioners only. Exchange ongoing since 1996. Instructions included. $10. Angelic Healing Center, 7 Morgan Ave, Norwalk. Preregister: 203-852-1150.

wednesday Sticks and Stones Farm Restorative Flow Yoga – 9:00-10:15am. With Aga Chapska. Beginners welcome. Bring a mat and water bottle. $15 Drop in or $10 with Class Pass (10 classes for $100) Bring a mat & water bottle. 201 Huntingtown Rd, Newtown. RSVP: 203-559-9656. Guided Meditation – 1-1:45pm. Give yourself the gift of meditation at Sabita Holistic Center. Internationally known Dr. Levy has worked for over the past 35 years in stress reduction, deep relaxation and meditation. Free. Sabita Holistic Center, 3519 Post Rd, Southport. 203-254-2633. Sticks and Stones Farm Candlelit Yoga Flow – 5:30-6:30pm. With Aga Chapska. $15 Drop in or $10 with Class Pass (10 classes for $100) Bring a mat & water bottle. 201 Huntingtown Rd, Newtown. RSVP 203-559-9656. Mahasati or Insight Meditation – 7pm. Dharmma talk. Redding Center for Meditation, West Redding. 203-244-3130.

• Fear • Weight Loss • Self Sabotage • Sleep • Motivation

• Smoking • Trauma • Anger • Sports • Success

Call (203) 595-0110 for a FREE Consultation 1177 High Ridge Rd, Stamford MindBodyTransformation.com

Diane Bahr-Groth, CHy, TFTdx

eNaturalAwakenings.com

January 2014

ongoingevents wednesday Albertson Church Healing Service – 7-8pm. 3rd Wednesday. Guided meditation, receive healing energy from church-sanctioned healers and the gift of saging. All are welcome. Free. Albertson Church of Spiritualism, 293 Sound Beach Ave, Old Greenwich. 203-637-4615. Journaling with Spirit – 7-8pm. By Rev. Shawn Moninger. Journaling is one of the fastest and easiest ways to get in touch with the highest voice within ourselves. First-time attendees receive a new journal. Love offering. Unity Center for Practical Spirituality, Norwalk. 203-855-7922. Afro Flow Yoga Series – 7-8:15pm. With Pilin Anice. A fusion of Kundalini,Vinyasa Flow Yoga and African Diaspora dances with live drumming and chanting. Creator Leslie Salmon Jones will guide natural movements to destress mind and body. Open to all dance/yoga levels. $15/class (if paid by October 2). Yoga for Everybody, 27 Unquowa Rd, Fairfield. 203-254-9642. Journey Within: Do You Feel Stuck? – 7-9pm. 1st Wednesday. Need support trying to begin something new? Support, intuitive insight, wisdom. Facilitator: Cindy Miller, intuitive. $20. Newtown Congregational Church, 14 West St, Newtown. Call: 203-426-9448. Sticks & Stones Farm Improv Games – 7-8:30pm. 2nd and 4th Wednesdays. Come have fun and play with silly voices, scenes, and laughs. No experience necessary. Adults only. $10. In the upstairs “Shoes off” Yoga room, wear comfy socks. 201 Huntingtown Rd, Newtown. RSVP: 203-382-3342. Monthly Relaxation Class – 7:30-8:30pm. 1st Wednesday. Reduce stress with Hypnosis by Clinical Hypnotist, Meg Tocantins. Space is limited. $90. Stamford Healthcare Associates, 1425 Bedford St, 1G, Stamford. Register by texting: 917-292-8115. Holistic Moms Network Fairfield County, CT Chapter – 7:30pm. 2nd Wednesday. In January, Feng Shui with Joan Law. Associates in Family Chiropractic & Natural Health Care 156 East Avenue, Norwalk.

thursday Sticks & Stones Farm Energizing Vinyasa Flow – 7:15-8:15am. With Aga Chapska. Beginners welcome. Bring a mat and water bottle. $10 drop in/$100 for 10 classes. 201 Huntingtown Rd, Newtown. RSVP: 203-559-9656. Thursday Morning Meditation for Moms – 9:3011am. Come and unwind with a Guided Meditative Journey geared to release stress and a healthful more positive understanding of self. $20. Soul Focus, 145 Grassy Plain St, Bethel. 203-570-3868.

Fairfield County Edition

Tea & Meditation – 9:30am. Redding Center for Meditation, West Redding. 203-244-3130.

Discussion with Spirit – 7:30pm. Bring questions, receive channeled information to help understand who you are, why you’ve come to the earth plane and empower yourself with messages from Spirit and loved ones. $35. Private residence, Monroe. Information/RSVP: 203-268-3262.

Monthly Tapping Group – 10-11:30am. Last Thursday. EFT together for stress reduction, conflict resolution, abundance, whatever the group dictates. Free. Darien. Reservation required: 203-202-4174. Detox With Dr. Dave – 6pm. Join for a discussion on the importance of cleanses, facts on nutrition and supplementation and support for weight loss. No fee or registration. Osteopathic Wellness Center, 158 Danbury Rd, Ste #6, Ridgefield. 203-438-9915. Reiki Healing/Exchange – 7-9pm. 1st Thursday. By Gigi Benanti Reiki. All welcome. Love offering. Unity Center for Practical Spirituality, 3 Main St, Norwalk. Gigi: 203-852-1150. Circle of Life – 7:30-9:30pm. Explore topics such as love, trust, permission and forgiveness as tools in navigating through life’s opportunities, losses and changes. Learn how to bring love, life and happiness. Location given with registration: 203-268-3262.

friday A Course in Miracles Study Group – 9:15am. Meets bi-weekly in Westport. Facilitator: Henry Grayson, PhD. Free. To reserve seat and for dates/ location: 203-454-1745. Student Massage Clinic – 11am-1pm. Relax and enjoy a full-body massage at the Danbury Campus public’s Student Massage Therapy Clinic. Wednesday evenings or Friday mornings available. $30/50 minutes. Ridley-Lowell Business & Technical Institute, 24 Shelter Rock Rd, Danbury. Call for appointment: 203-748-0052.

saturday Angelic Reiki Meditation with Essential Oils – 8-9am. Receive short, hands-on Angelic Reiki, experience powerful techniques to reduce stress and relax. $10. Angelic Healing Center, 7 Morgan Ave (in the back, downstairs), Norwalk. Pre-register: 203-852-1150. Mahasati or Insight Meditation – 10am. Dharmma talk. If first time on Saturday or Sunday, arrive 5-10 minutes before start of class. Redding Center for Meditation, West Redding. 203-244-3130. Sticks & Stones Farm Saturday Morning Flow with Ease – 10-11:15am. With Anne O’Regan, RYT. $12. 201 Huntingtown Rd, Newtown. RSVP: 617-244-9586. The Universal Reiki Plan – 11am-1pm. 3rd Saturday. Reiki Practitioners. Register for a free Reiki session. Love offerings appreciated. Bloodroot Vegetarian Restaurant, 85 Ferris St, Bridgeport. Reservations, Jim or Jeannette: 203-254-3958. The Universal Reiki Plan – 1:30-4:30pm. 3rd Saturday. Reiki practitioners only. Workshop and Reiki Share. Free. Love offerings appreciated. Bloodroot Vegetarian Restaurant, 85 Ferris St, Bridgeport. Reservations, Jim or Jeannette: 203-254-3958. Reiki Session – 5-6pm. Offering free Reiki sessions during classes. Students participate as part of class syllabus. 1st reserved. ReikiOvertones, 95 Harris St, Fairfield. Reservations, Jim or Jeannette: 203-254-3958.

Sticks & Stones Farm Friday Farm Yoga Club – 6:30-7:45pm. With Anne O’ Regan, RYT. Come and de-stress from the busy week. Great class for athletes. Everyone welcome. $12. 201 Huntingtown Rd, Newtown. RSVP: 617-244-9586.

Kirtan with the Bindu Band – 7-9pm. Come join The Bindu Band on their vibrational journey back to the heart. Bring some snacks and beverages to share. Love offerings accepted. ARC Sacred Center, 458 Monroe Tpk, Monroe. Register: 203-268-1272.

TLC Tarot Fun & Fabulous Tarot Friday – 7-9pm. Have fun with Beth with this self-help tool for novices to longtime tarot friends to explore the Tarot or develop a deeper relationship with your cards. $40. TLC Center Norwalk, 152 East Ave, Norwalk. 203-856-9566.

Open Mic Night – 7-9pm. 3rd Saturday. Bring music printed out in your key and Kenneth Gartman will accompany on the piano. Comedians, poets and writers welcomed as well. $10. Unity Center, 3 Main St (above the Ford dealership), Norwalk. 203-855-7922.

It is health that is real

wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. ~Mahatma Gandhi

natural awakenings

classifieds To place a Classified Listing: $1 per word. $25 minimum. Magazine deadline: 12th of month prior to publication. Email copy to NicoleM@ NaturalAwakeningsMag.com. for rent 1st month & one month security to move in. Newly refurbished, paint and carpeted office spaces from 1100 to 4800sf available. Great for Prof. office space, Medical, Counselling, Nutritionist, Chiropractor, Dental, Insurance, Real Estate,Telemarketing, Technology, Accountant, Lawyer, etc. 1st floor. Immediate occupancy. Good parking. Call Donna Anderson for info: 203-6098075. Located at 85 Old Long Ridge Rd, 3 miles west of Exit 34 Merritt Parkway. Next to Giovanni’s /LaRocco’s Country Market. Easy ride to and from the Merritt. Part-time rental space for Holistic health practitioner. Weekday/weekends available. $175 month. Newtown. 203-270-1119. Rental space available in beautifully renovated holistic arts center. Perfect for holistic health practitioner, arts therapist. Supportive & Healing Environment. Part-time options available. Great location off I-84. Only serious inquiries please. 203-240-8747. Space Available in small Wellness Center 2-3 days/week in Bethel location in time slots of 4-hr minimum. Open area perfect for Yoga, Pilates, Offices for Reiki, Massage, Counseling and Readings, etc. 203-570-3868.

for SALE 6 year old Massage Therapy Practice Prime Ridgefield location, lease available. Includes: client list of 1200, 2 electric tables, waiting room furniture, storage and linens, portable sink. Call 516-426-8529 or email Rob@SocialResultsToday.com. Wooded 6 acre prime building lot in gated lake community Woods at Duck Harbor in Equinunk, PA, near NY state border and Honesdale, PA. Lot borders protected PA game land, gorgeous mountain views in fall and winter, walk to lake. Low taxes and maintenance fees. If interested, call 914-763-0464.

HELP WANTED Distributors Wanted for monthly deliveries of Natural Awakenings and other local publications. Perfect for a retired person or stay-at-home mom looking to earn some extra income and connect with their local community. Honesty and dependability are the most important characteristics of our distributors - if you don’t have it in spades, please do not apply! Thomas@ManInMotionLLC.com. Work/Study Program: Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY is looking for volunteers for our 2014 seasonal staff. Please visit eOmega.org/Jobs to learn more and fill out an application.

advertiserindex Acupuncture Center/Ingri Boe-Wiegaard 15 Acupuncture Healing CT/Jody Eisemann 27 Alexa Lane 31 ARC Sacred Center 61 Associates in Family Chiropractic and Natural Health Care 13 Awaken Wellness Fair NYC 4 BeautyCounter 56 Beth Prins Leas 27 Beyond Touch/Roberta Russell 28 BodySmart/Elizabeth Reed 30 The Breiner Whole-Body Health Center: Medical 2 The Breiner Whole-Body Health Center: Dental 2 Camp Bow Wow 45 Chamomille Natural Foods 18 The Clean Bedroom 5 Community Connections (NA)/ SOUND Center 24 Country Green 23 Debra Gibson, ND 20 DermaClear 56 Detoxified Iodine 57 Dog Gone Smart 49 Earth Animal 51 Elyana Grubel 10 Embody the Sacred/Deana Paqua 27 Escape Salon and Boutique 56 Eyecare Associates 15 The Graduate Institute 71 GRAZE 56 Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa 21 Healing White Light/Joy Carbino 33 Healthy Choice Mattress 56 Healthy Choice Mattress 72 Holistic Holiday at Sea 43 The Honest Kitchen 49 Housatonic Valley Waldorf School 7 ifloat 27 Judith Barr 9 KES Educational Services Inc/ Life Changes with Mariette 3 Kindred Spirits 16 Koko FitClub 11

The Last Resort 49 Lipo-Light 8 Michael E. Doyle, MD 19 Mind-Body Transformation 12 Mind-Body Transformation 63 Mind Matters Hypnosis Center LLC 41 Mrs. Greens Natural Markets 20 NA Franchise Sales 70 NA Singles.com 69 Natural Frontier Market 59 Nature’s Temptations Healthy Food Market 25 Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic 47 Organic Sleep at Sleep Etc 35 Peartree’s Salon 25 Prescription4Wellness/Mary Gilbertson 33 Riverside Obstetrics & Gynecology 53 Robin Ordan, LMT 20 Robin Ordan, LCSW 28 Sage Osa 10 Salon Aponte 15 Saltana Cave 11 Shalva Clinic/Ellen Lewis, ND 41 Social Results Today 11 Soul Focus/Mela Rispoli 10 Sound Mind Integrative Hypnosis/ Dee Rapposelli 31 Sticks & Stones Farm 25 Stops Pain Plus 33 Susan Rzucidlo, ND/ The Center for Naturopathic Medicine 17 Synergy Salon 10 Total Life Care Center 27 Touch of Sedona 9 TrueHealthTrueWealth/Connie Busch 25 Unity Center for Practical Spirituality 14 University of Bridgeport Clinics 9 Values.com 43 Victoria Shaw, PhD 27 Wellness Institute/ Marvin Schweitzer, ND 26 Whole Foods 55 Worden Wellness Center 8 X to Rays 15

eNaturalAwakenings.com

January 2014

communityresourceguide Connecting you to the leaders in natural healthcare and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide (CRG) in print and online email FFCadvertising@NaturalAwakeningsMag.com to request our advertising rates. ACUPUNCTURE

Meri Rosco, DC 31 Hawleyville Rd, Newtown 203-994-4541 • LiveWellChiropracticCare.com Dr. Rosco practices evidencebased medicine. She relieves pain, tension and improves mobility in joints and muscles with various gentle techniques. She provides her patients with extensive nutritional and fitness advice.

ALBA THERMAL IMAGING LLC

Fairfield, Wilton, Bethel 203-259-1660 • CTAcupuncture.com 25 year full time practice

Safe, painless early detection 71 East Ave, Suite D, Norwalk 203-856-1421 • AlbaThermalImaging.com

Ingri treatments help alleviate Pain, Depression, Neck & Back, Anxiety, Headaches, Stress, Allergies, Asthma, Arthritis, Digestive, Menstrual, Infertility, and Smoking & Weight Loss Issues. See ad page 15.

Jody Eisemann, LAc

Offices in Norwalk and Fairfield 203-216-2548 • AcupunctureHealingCT.com High-quality acupuncture at the most affordable prices in Fairfield County. 20+ years experience, specializing in treating all kinds of pain and general health issues. See ad page 27.

ALLERGIES

invasive, FDA registered.

Thermography can detect breast disease at its earliest stages and monitor and assess pain in any part of the body. Safe, painless, non-

SOPHIA NATURAL HEALTH CENTER 31 Old Rt 7, Brookfield CT 203-740-9300 SophiaNaturalHealth.com

As the hormone experts, we specialize in women’s health, natural hormone balancing, breast cancer prevention and thermography utilizing the highest definition camera in the area with interpretations from MD specialists in the field.

X TO RAYS.COM

BioSET Allergy Elimination Program

Dr. Mark Joachim Advanced Certified Practitioner 156 East Ave, Norwalk 203-838-1555 • AllergyEliminationNorwalk.com BioSET can eliminate all food and environmental allergies related to behavioral issues, asthma, eczema, headaches, fibromyalgia, sinus conditions, gastric disorders and chronic health conditions. Safe for all ages, without drugs, shots or side effects! See ad page 13.

Coming in February

2014 Natural Living Directory For more information about advertising and how you can participate, call

203-885-4674 Fairfield County Edition

LIVE WELL CHIROPRACTIC CARE

BREAST THERMOGRAPHY

Ingri Boe-Wiegaard, LAc

CHIROPRACTIC PHYSICIAN

Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging Suzanne Pyle, MS, CCT 866-XtoRAYS • SuzannePyle@Prodigy.net Get peace of mind with safe (no radiation), FDA-approved breast cancer screening. 8 years earlier detection vs. mammography. Certified DITI thermographer. Conveniently located throughout Fairfield. See ad page 15.

COLONICS COLONICS

914-921-LIFE (5433) LifelineHygienics.com Experience and personalized service you can trust. The finest in colonic irrigation and personal care. Serving the tri-state area since 1993.

WHOLE-BODY MEDICINE, LLC

Fairfield/Trumbull town line 203-371-8258 • WholeBodyMed.com Ready to start feeling healthier? Take your first step with this gentle cleansing procedure. Watch our colonic and detoxification videos on our new video website located at WholeBodyMed.com. Call for Free CD on detoxification. See ad page 2.

EDUCATION Housatonic Valley Waldorf School

40 Dodgingtown Rd, Newtown 203-364-1113 • WaldorfCT.org

CHIROPRACTIC

We develop each child’s unique capacity to engage meaningfully in the world by integrating experiential and artistic learning, academic excellence, respect for diversity, and reverence for nature. See ad page 7.

Black Rock Holistic Health Center

ENERGY HEALING

Kristine DeMarco, DC, MS, FIAMA 825 Kings Hwy East, Fairfield 203-333-6544 DeMarcoChiropractic.com

Kristine M. DeMarco, Doctorate of Chiropractic and founder of the Black Rock Holistic Health Center, has been successfully specializing in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal problems for over 12 years. She is certified in “Cox Flexion Distraction Technique,” Graston Technique, Applied Kinesiology and Acupuncture. Specializes in disc problems, LBP, neck pain, and musculoskeletal pain.

natural awakenings

The Light of Happiness Reiki and Wellness

Deborah Arconti, LPN, RMT, IARP Reiki Master/Teacher Advance Practice IET™ Danbury • 203-470-0635 TheLightOfHappiness.com Specializing in Reiki and IET™ sessions for mind, body and spirit connections. IET ™ “Integrated Energy Therapy” uses angelic connections for soothing results. Teaching all levels of small Usui Reiki classes, experienced in training healthcare professionals.

Fitness KOKO FITCLUB

88 Danbury Rd, Ridgefield • 203-894-5055 619 Post Rd East, Westport • 203-557-3994 We offer sensible weight loss and fitness regimens which incorporate exercise and nutrition programs customized to your body and goals. We call it Smartraining. It is fun, fast, and so effective, it’s patented! See ad page 11.

HEALING CENTER Rev. Christine Guerrera, LMFT Psychotherapist, Interfaith Minister ARC Sacred Center, Monroe 203-268-1272 • ARCSacredCenter.org

Chris is a licensed psychotherapist and inter-spiritual teacher offering psycho-spiritual therapy and sacred ceremonies such as baby blessings, weddings, interfaith gatherings and healing workshops. See ad page 61.

Forza5 Holistic Fitness and Healing Center 1047 Danbury Rd, Wilton 203-247-4175

Forza5 is a center that focuses on bringing the fitness and healing worlds together. A beautiful, fully equipped gym offers personal training or group classes. A meditation and yoga room offers tranquil space where we connect our minds and spirits through meditation, reiki, and intuitive readings.

SOUND - A Center for

Music, Creative Arts & Mindfulness 31 Hawleyville Rd, Newtown 203-270-1119 • SoundCenterArts.com

SOUND is a holistic center for arts and spiritual awareness. We offer individual classes and group workshops for children and adults in music, creative arts, intuitive development, sound and energy healing, meditation yoga and much more. See ad page 24.

HOLISTIC DENTIST MARK A. BREINER, DDS, FIAOMT

5520 Park Ave, Ste 301, Ffld Town Line Merritt Pkwy, Exit 47 203-371-0300 • WholeBodyDentistry.com Dr. Mark A. Breiner is a pioneer and recognized authority in the field of holistic dentistry. With over 30 years of experience, he is a sought after speaker and lecturer. His popular consumer book, Whole-Body Dentistry, has been sold world-wide. See ad page 2.

Hypnosis

Integrative Medicine Physician

MIND BODY TRANSFORMATION HYPNOSIS

Diane Bahr-Groth, CHy, TFTdx 1177 High Ridge Rd, Stamford 203-595-0110 • MindBodyTransformation.com Fast, effective methods for weight, stress, fear, pain, smoking, etc.  Certified Hypnotherapist, Thought Field Therapy™, Time Line Therapy™, NLP and Complementary Medical Hypnosis, since 1989. See ads page 12 and 63.

STAMFORD INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE Michael E. Doyle, MD Conventional & Alternative Medicine 22 5th St, Suite 201, Stamford 203-324-4747 • GoToDrDoyle.com

Specializing in Natural and Alternative approaches to restoring health. Focusing on underlying causes of illness. Hypothyroidism, hormonal imbalances, nutrition and much more. See ad page 19.

INTEGRATIVE HealTH

INTEGRATIVE OPTOMETRY

Maryann Barrett, RN

Wilton, Newtown offices 203-788-7119 EarthBodySpiritConnections.com

Eyecare Associates, PC

A graduate of the Barbara Brennan School of Healing and Registered Nurse, Maryann is able to combine traditional medicine with an alternative practice to treat a multitude of health issues. Maryann has a natural sensitivity and intuitive ability that enables her to connect on an energetic level to her clients.

Drs. Randy Schulman, Steve Carr, Narvan Bakhtiari, Carl Gruning, and C. Lee Mellinger Locations: 6515 Main St, Trumbull • 203-374-2020 139 Main St, Norwalk • 203-840-1991 2600 Post Rd, Southport • 203-255-4005 CTEyeCareAssociates.com We offer behavioral optometry, comprehensive vision exams, contact lenses, and vision therapy. See ad page 15.

Worden Wellness Center

41 Kenosia Ave, Danbury Thomas Worden, DC 203-244-8801 DocWorden@WordenWellnessCenter.com WordenWellnessCenter.com At Worden Wellness Center we use an integrated approach of chiropractic, acupuncture and nutrition to incorporate therapeutic lifestyle changes to help you reach your optimum health. Dr. Worden has been practicing in Danbury for 25 years. See ad page 8.

Integrative Medicine Physician RIVERSIDE OB/GYN

Russell Turk, MD Karen Zino, MD 1200 East Putnam Ave, Riverside 203-637-3337 Riverside Obstetrics & Gynecology is a full-service medical practice incorporating traditional and holistic approaches to women’s health. The practice includes two OB/GYN’s and a naturopathic physician. See ad page 53.

Massage & Bodywork Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa

Shoprite Plaza, 143 Federal Rd, Brookfield 203-775-2244 Facebook.com/HandStoneBrookfield Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spas provide professional spa experiences at affordable prices with same day walk-in convenience. With prices starting at just $49.95 for a 50 minute introductory massage, Hand and Stone’s prices are lower than a typical day spa and lifestyle programs are available which provide even further discounts and benefits. See ad page 21.

iFloat

163 Main St, Westport 203-226-7378 • iFloatSpa.net Experience this superior form of body/mind relaxation as you float effortlessly in warm water with high concentrations of Epsom salt. Relieve stress, chronic pain and more. See ad page 27.

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January 2014

Massage & Bodywork JOY CARBINO

Licensed Massage Therapist Holistic Nutrition Consultant & Reiki 203-470-1226 • HealingWhiteLight.com Joy combines her intuitive ability and her expertise in massage therapy to enhance the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Holistic health & nutrition programs also offered. See ad page 33.

Laura Carlson, LMT

Redding/Monroe/Easton 203-885-7353 (SELF) Facebook.com/LauraCarlsonMassageLLC You deserve to be nurtured and time to be still, to breathe and to restore balance. Relaxing and nourishing massage will encourage positive changes in your mind and body. Individual sessions and massage parties available.

MEDITATION Redding Center for Meditation

SHALVA CLINIC, LLC

We teach and practice Mahasati meditation. Mahasati meditation cultivates self-awareness through attention to the movement of the body and, at more advanced levels, to the movement of the mind. No prior meditating experience is necessary. Ongoing weekly meditation classes, retreats, and events. Please check monthly event calendar.

Dr. Lewis offers comprehensive holistic care for women including well-women exams, fertility, thyroid and menopause support. She also has a special interest in pediatrics and utilizes a variety of natural modalities when working with patients with ADD/ADHD, autism, allergies, eczema and asthma. Treatments include herbal medicine, functional medicine, biotherapeutic drainage, homeopathy and more. See ad page 41.

9 Picketts Ridge Rd, West Redding 203-244-3130 ReddingMeditation.org

Naturopathic Physician Debra Gibson, ND

100 Danbury Rd, Ridgefield 203-431-4443 Natural family healthcare using nutrition and biochemistry; herbal, homeopathic, and energetic medicine; lifestyle transformation and detoxification, to promote well-being of body, mind and spirit. See ad page 20.

Robin Ordan, LMT, LCSW, CICMI Licensed Massage Therapist & Reiki Practitioner Old Greenwich/Stamford 203-5610-8535 • RobinOrdanLMT.com

Robin has been providing massage and Reiki for over 15 years. Specializing in Swedish, Pregnancy, Trigger Point, Injuries and Infant/ Child Massage Instruction. Sessions are individualized to meet your needs. See ad page 20.

Zak Walker, LMT

Wellness Institute One Westport Ave, Norwalk   203-443-6679 • ZaxWeb@gmail.com I combine elements of Swedish and Deep Tissue Massage, Acupressure, and Myofascial Release, according to the goals and preferences of each client. I’m here to help you feel your best!

Dr. Marina Yanover, ND, LAc 1300 Post Rd East, Westport 203-255-5005 • BigAppleHealth.com

Naturopathic Medicine, Acupuncture, Craniosacral Therapy, Natural Face Lift using microcurrent therapy. Specialties include Family Medicine, Women’s Health, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Pain Management, Skin Care. Insurance accepted.

Northeast Natural Medicine, LLC Shawn M. Carney, ND 33 Main St Suite 15, Newtown 1-800-723-2962 • NortheastNatMed.com

Integrative naturopathic medicine clinic and therapeutic massage center for the whole family. Services include advanced diagnostic testing, detoxification programs, personalized nutrition, and botanicals. Insurance accepted.

MASSAGE SCHOOL Finger Lakes School of Massage 272 N. Bedford Rd, Mount Kisco, NY 914-241-7363 • FLSM.com

programs.

Join us for a transformative experience as you develop your intuitive and scientific abilities to heal through therapeutic touch. Classes taught to auditory, visual and kinesthetic learners. Financial aid available for full and part-time

Fairfield County Edition

Naturopathic Physician

Marvin P. Schweitzer, ND

Wellness Institute 1 Westport Ave, Norwalk 203-847-2788 • DrMarvinSchweitzer.com Family Health Care using all natural therapies for 25 years. Acupuncture, Bio-Identical H o r m o n e s , H o m e o p a t h y, Chinese/Western Herbs, Allergy/ Toxin Testing, Oxygen Therapy, Meridian Stress Assessment, Nutrition/Enzyme Therapies. See ad page 26.

natural awakenings

Ellen M. Lewis, ND, Director 37 Franklin St, Suite 103, Westport 203-916-4600 • ShalvaClinic.org

WHOLE-BODY MEDICINE, LLC

Adam Breiner, ND, Director Elena Sokolova, MD, ND David Brady, ND, CCN, DACBN Fairfield/Trumbull town line 203-371-8258 • WholeBodyMed.com Using state-of-the-art science combined with centuries-old healing modalities, our caring naturopathic doctors correct underlying imbalances and address issues which may interfere with the body’s ability to heal itself. Treatment protocols or therapies include: Abdominal Manual Therapy, Acupuncture, Allergy Desensitization, Chinese Medicine, Colonics and other Detoxification Protocols, Electro-Dermal Screening, Energy Medicine, FDA-cleared Phototherapy, Functional Medicine, Herbal Medicine, Homeopathy, Hormonal Balancing, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Metabolic Typing, Nutritional Assessment, RealTime EEG Neurofeedback, and other therapies. See ad page 2.

ORGANIC MATTRESSES & BEDDING Healthy Choice Mattress

270 Federal Rd, Brookfield • 203-739-0077 141 Post Rd East, Westport • 203-557-3900 HCmattress.com Healthy Choice Organic Mattress o ff e r s l u x u r y mattresses and bedding made from the highest quality natural materials. With four showrooms, including two in CT, Healthy Choice features locally made mattresses that are chemical and toxin free, biodegradable, comfortable and durable. See ad back cover.

ORGANIC MATTRESSES & BEDDING Organic Sleep by Sleep Etc.

508 Main Ave, Norwalk • 203-846-2233 55 High Ridge Rd, Stamford • 203-323-1509 Founded in 1947, Sleep Etc now offers a new line of socially responsible bedding products, including higher quality, more comfortable, and longer lasting mattresses. All the materials in its products are carefully chosen from a quality, comfort, natural environmental point of view. See ad page 35.

The Clean Bedroom

79 West Putnam Ave, Greenwich 203-292-9275 | 866-380-5892 TheCleanBedroom.com The Clean Bedroom is an organic and all-natural mattress and bedding resource with seven showrooms, including its new location in Greenwich. Through its showrooms and web site, eco-minded shoppers gain insight to create a healthier sleep environment. See ad page 5.

PHYSICAL THERAPY Physical Therapy of Southern CT

Linda Maude, PT 917 Bridgeport Ave, Shelton 203-926-6997 • PhysicalTherapySoCT.com Specializing in evaluation & treatment of musculoskeletal imbalance & injuries. Results achieved that traditional physical therapy may not. Therapeutic approaches such as manual therapy, cranialsacral, visceral manipulation and vestibular rehab. State of the art facility for strengthening & overall rehabilitation.

PSYCHOTHERAPY DENI WEBER, MA, LPC, D-CEP

Holistic Psychotherapist Comprehensive Energy Psychology Fairfield County 203-544-6094 • DeniWeber.com Within a supportive, empathic relationship Deni guides individuals on their journey of self-discovery integrating psychology, Eastern medicine and spirituality to heal suffering from traumatic stress related to chronic illness, disabilities, abuse & PTSD.

PSYCHOTHERAPY JUDITH BARR, LPC, CCMHC Brookfield 203-775-5006 • JudithBarr.com PowerAbusedPowerHealed.com

Psychotherapy’s heart is soulwork. Wounded, you’ve split off part of yourSelf. Psychotherapy helps you reconnect, finally healing, becoming yourSelf, heartful, matured. No quick-fix, defend-against-feelings work. Take time - do justice to yourSelf, mind, body, heart, soul. Journey safely with Judith. See ad page 9.

‘Tis The Season To Find Your Natural Match!

oin the largest database of health-conscious, ecominded, spiritual singles for FREE and manifest an extraordinary relationship!

Maria C. Castillo, MSW, LCSW 238 Monroe Tpke, Suite B, Monroe 203-445-8966 • Msisi@AOL.com LifeBetweenLivesTherapy.com

Past Life Regression, trained by Brian Weiss, MD. Life Between Lives Hypnotherapy, trained by TNI and Michael Newton, PhD. Traditional psychotherapy with a spiritual approach; Reiki. Connect with your soul self and let your inner wisdom guide you.

Robin Ordan, LCSW

Family, Child, Individual & Couples Therapy Old Greenwich/Stamford 203-561-8535 • RobinOrdanLCSW.com Robin has over 18 years of experience working with families and children. Specializing in Divorce, Parent/Child Conflict, Grief, Attachment /Bonding, Child Development and Parenting. See ad page 28.

VICTORIA SHAW, PhD, NCC

Intuitive Psychotherapist and Consultant Westport 203-254-3403 • VictoriaShawIntuitive.com I combine the best of traditional psychotherapy with intuitive guidance in my work with children, teens, and adults. My goal is to connect clients with their own inner source of strength, wisdom, and healing. See ad page 27.

NaturalAwakeningsSingles.com

Take care of your

body. It’s the only place you have to live. ~Jim Rohn

REIKI EMBODY THE SACRED® Deana Paqua, MA, LMT  203-994-5045 EmbodyTheSacred.net

Turn your deepest pain or trauma into your greatest strength. Shamanic Reiki, Usui/Karuna® Reiki, Shamanic Healing and Bodywork. Offerings in Ridgefield, Danbury and NY areas. See ad page 27.

eNaturalAwakenings.com

January 2014

REIKI

REIKI & JIKIDEN REIKI

GIGI BENANTI, USUI REIKI MASTER Angelic Healing Center 7 Morgan Ave, Norwalk 203-852-1150 • AngelHealReiki.com

Gigi is an experienced Reiki Master/Teacher. She offers all levels of Reiki training monthly. All classes and Reiki sessions include the latest techniques including Karuna®, Angelic and Jikiden Reiki.

Reiki Medic

Suzanne Schultz RN, Reiki Master, CCH   Monroe • 203-650-0325 • ReikiMedic.com Specializing in Reiki and Hypnosis. Healing from my heart center to yours. Offering private sessions and teaching all Usui Reiki levels. Will travel.

TURNING POINT REIKI, LLC

JoAnn Duncan, MS, RMT Reiki Master Ridgefield • 203-438-3050 TurningPointReiki.com JoAnn uses intuition, experience and a deep spiritual connection in her Reiki, IET and Reconnective Healing sessions. Specializing in care for individuals with Cancer, Lyme disease and Back Pain. All Reiki levels taught.

Transformative Healing

ARTHUR S GERSTEIN, MANAGER, ACORN LLC

Beth Prins Leas

Practicing Reiki at 1 Danbury Rd, Wilton 855-245-3060 • info@ArtEnergyHealing.com ArtEnergyHealing.com

Transformative Healing • Tarot Offices in Norwalk & Ridgefield 203-856-9566 BethLeas.com • TLCTarot.com

Certified in several types of Reiki, Arthur also practices other energy modalities and techniques to help reduce pain as well as provide relaxation. His innovative on-site 25 minute workshop can help energize for a more productive day. His unique melding of colors and imagery with life force promotes light and well-being. He is also available for individual sessions.

See ad page 27.

If not now, when? Inspire change on all levels - greater physical ease, emotional freedom, peace of mind and spiritual connection. 20 years intuitive healing experience with adults and children of all ages. Reiki, Jin Shin Jyutsu, Tarot.

Heart’s Desire Method

SKIN & BEAUTY

Shiloh@theHDMethod.com theHDMethod.com

The Heart’s Desire Method – 7 Steps to making your dreams come true. Bring high definition focus on what you want in all areas – work, family, relationships and money. By energizing the healing power of the authentic self, you will lead a happier, more peaceful and fulfilling life.

DIANA PISANO

203-962-2591 • Diana.BeautyCounter.com Diana.BeautyCounter@gmail.com A new skin care line that is luxurious, effective, and, most importantly, toxin-free. The U.S. bans only 11 toxic ingredients in all beauty, skin care and children’s products. Beautycounter is the 1st U.S.-based company to leave out more than 1,500 banned ingredients! All products are formulated without parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, PEGs, SLS or Secrets. Call today to place an order; shipping is complimentary! Samples upon request. If you would like to join the beauty movement, call me to find out about becoming a consultant yourself! See ad page 56.

PUBLISH YOUR OWN Natural Awakenings publishes in over 88 NATURAL AWAKENINGS markets across the U.S. and Puerto Rico • Oklahoma City, OK • Lafayette, LA • Birmingham, AL • Portland, OR* • New Orleans, LA • Huntsville, AL MAGAZINE • Bucks/Montgomery • Boston, MA • Mobile/Baldwin, AL* WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

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Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings

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January 2014

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Organic Mattresses

The Premier Retailer of Organic Latex Mattresses in the Tri-Stae Area Brookfield, CT 270 Federal Road (203) 739-0077

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Fairfield County Edition

natural awakenings Look for the sheep at the front of our store.

Ridgewood, NJ 14 Wilsey Square (201) 857-3245