Natural Awakenings New Haven/Middlesex Counties - Annual Directory-July 2023

Holistic Community Professionals

Our professional team of holistic and natural businesses provides community outreach and education. We are committed to improving the health and wellness of body, mind and spirit in the communities we serve.

To join Holistic Community Professionals, contact Shirley Bloethe at 860-989-0033. Visit our site: HolisticCommunityProfessionals.org

HOLY FIRE REIKI MASTER

Damaris Cruz

Holy Fire is both powerful and gentle, and provides purification, healing, empowerment and guidance.

Tender Loving Reiki

Shelton, CT 203-338-1100

DCruz88@yahoo.com

SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION COACH

Rev. Lauri Ingram

Mindfulness and Meditation teacher

Spiritual Counseling, Sacred Creativity through Cosmic Smashbooking Crystal, Light, Sound Energy Balancing

203-435-5650

Lauri@LauriIngram.com

LauriIngram.com

PSYCHIC MEDIUM

Elizabeth Raver

PhD, Psychology

Psychic Medium

Spiritual Intuitive Life Coach Sessions, Classes, Mentoring

Connect with loved ones/guides

DrLizMedium.com

203-400-9212

RavElizabeth516@gmail.com

INTUITIVE COUNSELOR & HEALER

Gayle Franceschetti

MEd, CHt

Hypnotherapy, Meditations, Reiki/Energy Sessions, Essential Oils, Group Past Life Regression, Individual Past Life Regression, Workshops, Spiritual Power Journeys

Private mentoring & counseling 203-631-7803

Return2love3@gmail.com

Return2Love.com

NATUROPATHIC PHYSICIAN

Nicole Klughers

ND, PharmD, MSAc Vis Wellness Center

Rocky Hill & Virtual Visits Your Health Detective. Listens, Takes Time, Finds You Answers. Uses Detailed Testing, Not Guessing. Discovers the Root Cause of Symptoms. 234-222-8362

Hello@DrNicoleKlughers.com

DrNicoleKlughers.com

ENERGY HEALING

Kathy Stalter Owner

Scalar/biophotonic energy field system that creates an environment for cells to recharge and restore, so the body can heal itself.

Sanaré Wellness, LLC

860-600-0106

Kathy@Sanare.life

Sanare.life

Jill Andrzejewski

LMT, RMT, Psychic Massage Therapy

Reiki & Chakra Balancing

Angel Tarot, Oracle Card and Tea Leaf Readings

A Moment In Time Treasures items for self-care and healing workshops and classes

203-909-1108

JillaMomentinTimeMassage@gmail.com

AMomentInTimeMassage.org

PSYCHIC MEDIUM

Heather Gottlieb

Psychic Medium

Group and individual intuitive readings about loved ones, jobs, relationships, past life, Oracle Card. In person and online.

433 Spring St.

Southington, CT 06489

860-899-9211

PsychicMediumHeather@yahoo.com

HeathertheMedium.com

TRANSFORMATION COURSES

Terri O’Brien

Transformational Course Creator

Fear Stomper

Belief Changer

Audio and spotlight courses to transform your mindset, life and productivity.

Terri@MasterJoyandSuccess.com

MasterJoyandSuccess.com

SPIRITUAL HEALTH PRACTITIONER

Rev. Bradford W. Tilden

MM, CMT, UWT

Starseed support

Universal White Time

Crystal Healing

Sound Healing

Sessions and trainings

860-830-5841

CrystalMusicHealing.com

Linktr.ee/BradfordTilden

NEW HAVEN/MIDDLESEX EDITION

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Contributing Writers Dr. Lyndsey Maher Mary Albanese

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It is amazing to see the growth in our green living community as we continue to come out of the last few years’ cloud of uncertainty. Our amazing community is rebounding, fostering new businesses and practice expansions. I am seeing more folks around me embracing their passions and starting “second careers” doing what they love. That growth can be seen in this year’s Natural Living Directory.

As Natural Awakenings readers and holistic community members, I encourage you to peruse the 2023 profiles and directory to find local practitioners and businesses you can trust to help you along your path toward health and wellness. I have a challenge for you! Reach out to several of these community practitioners to find out more about what they do, their unique trainings and mindsets, and how you can help each other (and, of course, mention where you heard about them). Even just having a conversation is uplifting as it bolsters our energy and health mission to speak with like-minded, forward-moving, knowledgeable practitioners…at least it does for me! Make sure you keep this annual directory issue at hand yearround as a local holistic directory for you and your loved ones.

In this issue, we have two local articles: Dr. Lyndsey Maher focuses on the connection between regenerative farming practices and naturopathic medicine while Mary Albanese tackles prevention tips to avoid your pet getting lost during the summer (and all) holidays. We also have a slew of articles related to restorative farming, ties between the soil and your gut health, combating histamine issues, the microbiome connection, natural ant control, and so much more.

Keep sharing our articles with your family and friends. Keep connecting with local holistic experts. Keep up your own inspiring journey toward wellness. And keep up that curiosity to know more! Have an amazing July!

All the best,

Natural Awakenings is a network of natural lifestyle magazine publishers empowering local communities with knowledge, resources and connections to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet.

8

8 THE MICROBIOME CONNECTION

How Soil and Human Health Are Related

12 AVOIDING THE SUMMER OF LOST PETS

14 REGENERATIVE FARMING PRACTICES MEET NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE

16 ANNE BIKLÉ on the Advantages of Regenerative Farming

18 HUES OF HEALTH

Benefits of a Colorful Diet

22 FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE GARDEN Regenerative Techniques for a Healthy Ecosystem

24 TOO MUCH HISTAMINE Natural Solutions to an Excessive Allergic Response

26 GUT HEALTH FOR KIDS

Clever Strategies for Picky Eaters

28 PROTECTING PETS FROM LYME DISEASE

Prevention and Symptom Management Tips

16 22 28

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30 GREEN EXERCISE Reconnecting With Nature

32 GARDENING THERAPY

Healing Mind, Body and Spirit in the Yard 33 THE SWEET TAPESTRY

Pilot

Program Reveals Benefits of Four-Day Work Week

The nonprofit 4 Day Week Global conducted a six-month pilot of more than 2,900 workers from 61 companies in the United Kingdom from June to December 2022 in which the work week was reduced from a standard 40 hours to 32 hours for the same pay and benefits. At the end of the six-month trial, 39 percent of employees reported less stress and 71 percent expressed lower levels of burnout. Anxiety, fatigue and sleep issues also decreased, while mental and physical health improved. Sixty percent found a greater ability to balance work with home-based responsibilities, and 62 percent found it easier to balance work with social life. Employees were also more satisfied with their finances, relationships and time management. Company revenue stayed broadly the same over the trial period, rising by 1.4 percent on average. Companies also saw improvements in hiring, absenteeism and resignations, with staff turnover dropping by 57 percent over the trial period. Additionally, 63 percent of businesses offering a four-day week found it easier to attract and retain new talent.

Effects of Cannabis Use Before and After Surgery

artit/AdobeStock.com

In January 2023, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine published guidelines recommending that all patients undergoing anesthesia be screened and questioned about cannabis use, including how much and how often they use, how they take it and when they last used it.

One of the largest studies on the effects of cannabis use on sedation, published in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, looked at 250 patients undergoing an endoscopy while under anesthesia. Those that reported regular cannabis use required significantly higher doses of anesthesia than nonusers. Another study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, found that daily cannabis users required a higher dose of sedatives prior to an endoscopy than weekly or monthly users.

On a related note, a 2018 study published in the journal Patient Safety in Surgery reported that marijuana use may interfere with painkillers after surgery. The study looked at 261 trauma center patients and concluded that marijuana use, especially chronic use, may affect the pain response to injury and require higher doses of opioids for pain management.

Seniors Want Fewer Prescriptions

In a new National Poll on Healthy Aging by the University of Michigan involving adults aged 50 to 80, the vast majority of respondents expressed an interest in cutting back on prescription medications. Eighty percent would be willing to stop taking one or more drugs if their healthcare provider said it was possible, and 26 percent had already stopped taking at least one drug they had been taking for more than a year. When asked which meds they would be most interested in stopping, 43 percent named their heart disease pills for high blood pressure or high cholesterol, 13 percent mentioned diabetes medicines and 10 percent included pain management prescriptions. These results reflect a growing trend dubbed “deprescribing.” According to Deprescribing.org, a researcher-led online resource, it is the planned process of reducing or stopping medications that may no longer be of benefit or could be causing harm. The goal is to reduce medication burden or harm while improving quality of life. Seniors interested in cutting down on the drugs they are taking should consult their healthcare provider to ensure it is safe and helpful to do so.

Flamingo ImagesAdobeStock.com

New Environmental Justice Initiative

Repairing the Planet’s Lungs

In April, Executive Order 12898 established the White House Office of Environmental Justice to address persistent environmental injustices involving toxic pollution, underinvestment in infrastructure and services, and other harms due to a legacy of racial and economic discrimination. The new office is tasked with coordinating efforts among federal agencies to help implement innovative directives. It requires federal agencies to notify communities in the event of a release of toxic substances; directs agencies to facilitate meaningful public participation and just treatment in agency decision-making; directs agencies to identify and address information gaps related to environmental justice and make information on environmental and health concerns more publicly accessible; and implements a scorecard to evaluate federal agencies’ environmental justice efforts.

The oceans, sometimes called the lungs of the Earth, have absorbed 30 percent of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions since the Industrial Revolution and captured 90 percent of the related excess heat. Seawater stores about 150 times more CO2 than air. Unfortunately, absorbing all that greenhouse gas has damaged sea life.

Engineers from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed a process to cleanse the seawater of CO2 so it can store greater amounts of greenhouse gases. The process sends an electric charge into seawater flowing through tanks on a barge. The charge sets off chemical reactions to trap the greenhouse gas into a solid mineral, which is then deposited on the ocean floor, completing the cleansing process.

The engineers expect to design larger facilities based on the data obtained from their test sites in Los Angeles and Singapore and have commercial sites removing millions of tons of CO2 per year by 2025. The UCLA scientists estimate that 1,800 facilities would be needed to capture 10 billion tons of atmospheric CO2 annually beginning in 2050, thereby limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Solar Community Hubs

Nearly half of the world’s population has no access to the internet. Dell Technologies, in partnership with Computer Aid International, is addressing the gap for people that might benefit the most. They convert old shipping containers into customizable, solar-powered internet centers, called “solar community hubs”, that connect community members to the digital world. The hubs are well-lit, well-ventilated classrooms that use energy-efficient Dell technology and air-cooled servers. Each hub supports up to 40 people at a time and offers up to 20 users a wireless connection to learning materials. The hubs provide digital skills to further education and open economic opportunities for the local community; allow micro and small enterprises to create jobs; and enable financial sustainability by offering services and products that go beyond education, such as telemedicine.

The first hub was placed in the Brazilian Amazon town of Boa Esperança in March 2022. Dell and the Foundation for Amazon Sustainability also installed equipment, including drones and environmental monitors, to track deforestation in the area. During the first week of March 2023, more than 200 alerts about tree loss were posted from Boa Esperança. Three hubs currently exist in Brazil and South Africa, and Dell will soon add two hubs in Egypt that are focused on career and life skills, as well as another in Australia, centered on preserving and protecting Aboriginal art and culture.

photo courtesy of Dell_Technologies__community

Natural Ant Control for the Home

The warmer weather can bring unwanted pests, including ants, into homes and apartments. Conventional pesticides and ant traps can be toxic to humans, pets and the environment. This season, consider using one of these safer ant-control alternatives.

KEEP COUNTERS CLEAN

First and foremost, maintain kitchen counters and floors free of food particles. Tightly seal food containers, wipe countertops with soapy water, sweep the floors and avoid leaving standing water overnight. If there are no food sources around, the ants will lose interest.

STOP ENTRY INTO THE HOME

After cleaning, the next line of defense

is to keep ants from entering the home in the first place. One of the most effective, toxin-free methods is to spray cedar oil outside, around the perimeter of the house. Mix one ounce of cedar oil in one quart of water (or four ounces per gallon) and spray the solution three feet up the outside walls and on the ground, six feet out from the edges of the house.

USE NATURAL REPELLENTS

Numerous natural repellents work well inside the home. Place one or more of these in the kitchen or wherever the ants are entering: cucumber peels or slices; tea bags of mint tea or dry, crushed mint leaves; cloves; cayenne pepper; citrus oil soaked into a piece

of string; lemon juice; cinnamon; or coffee grounds.

CONFUSE ANTS TRAVELING BACK TO THE NEST

As worker ants travel from their nest to forage for food, they leave a sex hormone (pheromone) scent in order to find their way back to the nest. These invisible trails can be washed away with a mixture of one-quarter cup of white vinegar, two cups of water, and 10 to 15 drops of peppermint, clove, eucalyptus or tea tree essential oil.

USE NATURAL ANT KILLERS AS LAST RESORT

A serious ant problem might require more drastic measures that kill the invading ants. These two options employ non-toxic ingredients.

n Diatomaceous earth is a nontoxic, talc-like powder made from the fossilized remains of marine phytoplankton. When sprinkled on ants, the powder causes them to dehydrate.

n Cornmeal left out in small piles where ants are visible is another option that poses no threat to pets or little kids. The ants will eat the cornmeal, but because they can’t digest it, they will perish.

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THE MICROBIOME CONNECTION

HOW SOIL AND HUMAN HEALTH ARE

RELATED

by Kelcie Ottoes

The human gut microbiome, which is critical to fighting off disease, and soil microbiome, which enables plant growth, are vitally important to maintaining all life on our planet. These two communities of microorganisms are indirectly connected in important ways, and researchers are trying to find out more about their interplay.

Human Microbiome

The human gut microbiome consists of trillions of microorganisms of different species. These microbes help to digest food, synthesize vitamins and other important compounds, regulate our immune system and even influence behavior and mood.

The gut microbiome includes both helpful and potentially harmful

microbiota that coexist peacefully in a healthy person. But certain diets, or the use of antibiotics or other bacteriadestroying medications, can upset the balance, a state known as dysbiosis, which can impair the microbiome’s functions, leaving the body susceptible to disease.

Soil Microbiome

The soil microbiome has many parallels to the human gut scenario. It consists of bacteria, fungi, archaea and viruses— microorganisms that play an important role in maintaining the health of the soil. They do this by breaking down organic matter, cycling nutrients and protecting crops against harmful pathogens.

Regenerative organic farming practices that promote biodiversity and disdain the use of chemical pesticides

and fertilizers develop robust soil that is rich in nutrients and beneficial microbes. In such settings, farmers don’t need to use chemicals, because the microbiome creates disease-resistant soil to fight off threats.

The Nutrition Link

While a direct link between the soil microbiome and the gut microbiome has yet to be proven, soil certainly impacts our health through our diet. A diverse and active soil microbiome is responsible for supporting plant growth. Plants then provide us with the nutrients that our gut microbiome needs to thrive, including calcium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, E, K and the B complex.

Dan Kittredge, founder of The Bionutrient Institute, explains, “The sophistication of the soil microbiome

Photo by Rodale Institute

is connected to the nutritional value of the food that’s produced. The healthier the [soil] microbiome, the healthier the food.” The use of fertilizers and pesticides does not directly produce less nutritious food, but rather their impact on the health of the soil microbiome can impact the crops’ nutritional value.

There is a hypothesis that food has become less nutritious since the mid-1900s. In a 2004 study, University of Texas scientists examined the nutritional value of 43 garden crops from 1950 to 1999 and found that while all 43 foods showed a statistically reliable decline in nutrition, it was likely due to cultivating plants with desired traits, such as larger sizes, faster growing rates and increased pest resistance. It wasn’t the soil that was the problem, but that growers had not prioritized breeding crops for higher nutritional value.

According to Jack Gilbert, a pediatrics professor at the University of California San Diego and co-founder of the Earth Microbiome Project and the American Gut Project, “There is an indirect relationship between a healthy soil microbiome and healthy gut microbiome. While we need healthy soils to grow plants, a healthy soil microbiome does not equal a healthy gut microbiome.”

He explains, “The link is really about diet in the gut microbiome. Precision nutrition is the idea that how we all respond to food is unique, and that we can predict those responses if we understand what kinds of bacteria are in the gut. This is because the gut microbiome varies between people, and those same gut microbes can mediate how food influences our physiology. Eating a healthy diet can have a profound impact on reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases.”

The nutritional value of food is more complicated than the quality of the soil in which the crops grow. It is also impacted by the processing of the food. As Kittredge notes, when the bran in wheat is removed—a common process that turns flour white—wheat loses much of its nutritional value. Unprocessed foods allow us to access more of the nutrients within them.

Digging in the Soil

There is another way that soil microbes can benefit human health: spending time in nature. Exposure to the soil

Photo by Rodale Institute

The Promise of Regenerative Organic Agriculture

Led by the Regenerative Organic Alliance, which includes organizations and brands like Rodale Institute, Dr. Bronner’ s and Patagonia, the Regenerative Organic Certified farms and products meet the highest standards in the world for soil health, animal welfare, and farmworker fairness. The idea is to create farm systems that work in harmony with nature to improve quality of life for every creature involved. The Regenerative Organic Certified framework is designed to go above and beyond the USDA Certified Organic seal. To date, 134 farms and more than 47,000 smallholder farmers totaling almost 880,000 acres are Regenerative Organic Certified. Nearly 100 brands offer Regenerative Organic Certified products on the market.

Under Regenerative Organic Certified standards, soil health is promoted by including a variety of rotating crops, cover crops, no tillage, no synthetic inputs, no genetically modified seeds and rotationally grazed animals. Farms that follow these protocols become biodiverse ecosystems with organically rich soil that absorbs water, does not erode over time and produces safe, nutritious food. Learn more at RegenOrganic.org.

microbiome has been shown to stimulate the immune system. When outside, we are exposed to a diverse array of microorganisms that increase disease resistance and provide neurological benefits.

Gilbert has largely built a career on the benefits of getting his hands dirty. He is currently conducting a study to find out how giving children two hours of outdoor learning a day can impact their metabolic health and help them avoid diseases. According to Kittredge, playing in the dirt isn’t just for kids. “It is beneficial to expose ourselves to soil microbes,” he says. “Everyone should nature bathe.”

“Exposure to soil microbes, like Mycobacterium vaccae , can positively impact our physical and mental health,” says Kathleen DiChiara, a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioner and digestive wellness educator. “We are losing diversity and not getting the exposure we used to.” She points out that the gut microbiomes of urban citizens in the U.S. have lower bacterial diversity than those in rural societies, including hunter-gatherers from Tanzania and the Amazon.

While diet, lifestyle and genetics play a role in the hostspecific differences, the microbiome composition in adults is also based on exposure to microbes in the environment. According to DiChiara, there is no perfect profile for the gut microbiome, and our gut microbial communities ebb and flow. “If a specific strain of bacteria suddenly disappears, perhaps due to an illness, another species can take on its task,” she explains. “Like nature, it’s about working together on our behalf.”

Diversity, richness and symbiotic behavior of the gut microbes are central to our well-being. DiChiara notes that many variables can negatively impact the gut microbiome. Some result from the choices we make voluntarily, such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, eating ultra-processed foods, being chronically stressed and leading a sedentary lifestyle. Other factors are beyond our control, such as neurological injuries, illnesses and hormonal shifts due to puberty or menopause.

Photo by Rodale Institute

Photo by Rodale Institute

Human Impact on Soil Health

The soil microbiome and the gut microbiome both need our support to maintain proper health. Although our gut microbiome may not be directly impacted by the health of soil microbes, it can be impacted by the pesticides, herbicides and fungicides in our food.

Degradation of the soil microbiome occurs in many ways. Tillage, bare soil, dry soil, fertilizer, chemical sprays and fungicides all harm the soil microbiome. These non-regenerative agricultural practices can have negative impacts on the health of individuals that eat the plants and on the health of the broader ecosystems.

Chemicals like glyphosate can damage the gut microbiome by creating oxidative stress, which agitates the microbiome and impedes its ability to function properly. Pesticides can also have a detrimental impact on the gut microbiome. Each year the United States uses 1 billion pounds of pesticides that may be damaging our bodies when we eat our veggies. “What we are not doing is prioritizing protecting the microbiome—for us and the soil. It’s time we recognize the interconnections between climate, soil and the gut,” DiChiara says. There are multiple ways we can cultivate a closer, healthier relationship between our soil and our gut, such as supporting sustainable agriculture, avoiding processed foods, frequenting farmers markets for organic produce or spending time in nature. Better yet, Kittredge suggests planting a pesticidefree garden at home and eating carrots straight from the soil.

Kelcie Ottoes is a copywriter and content creator specializing in sustainability and environmental topics.

Photo by Rodale Institute

Avoiding the Summer of Lost Pets

By Mary Albanese

Surely having your pet get lost is every pet parent’s worst nightmare, but it is preventable with some advance preparation before triggering events occur. According to CT Dog Recovery Volunteers board member and lead volunteer, Carol Ferrucci, the month before Fourth of July until about three weeks after the holiday is a very active period for lost pets, largely because of fireworks.

Knowing the situations that cause your pet anxiety or stress is key to pet loss prevention. Likely you already know what your pet reacts negatively to, but you may need to explore several different options—or combinations of them— before settling on what works best for you and your pet. Loud noises, such as fireworks, can randomly occur at other times besides July 4th so keep the following tips in mind throughout the year.

There are a multitude of natural regimens available; together with your pet’s health care professional, decide what would work best for your furry friend. These can include supplements and homeopathic methods; however, many are unregulated so before attempting to self-administer to your pet, it would be wise to first consult with your veterinarian.

Wrapping your pet either with an item of clothing of yours, a small blanket or a purchased calming pet shirt can also be a useful method. Wrapping resembles a hug, similar to swaddling a baby, and can help your pet feel secure and safe.

Creating a safe space for your pet is essential. Many pets respond well to auditory soothing. Calming music or sounds can be played near your pet’s special space or stall. It can serve as a buffer and can make a stressful event more bearable.

Some pet parents report pheromone therapy helps their pet cope with stressful situations. Given our pet’s superior sense of smell, this is understandable. These therapies were initially used to quell aggressive or negative behaviors, but later research has shown that they can also be useful in stressful situations like thunderstorms, moving or having a social event in your house.

Alternative therapies, such as massage, energy work like EFT, acupuncture, acupressure or even simply grooming your pet, can be useful soothing methods.

Aromatherapy may also be beneficial. Certain essential oils may be helpful for your pet. However, it is imperative that you consult with your pet’s health care professional before utilizing any kind of essential oils as some of these can be toxic to pets.

You as pet parents are responsible for the safety of your furry family members, and you should be diligent in your care of them. A bit of prevention on your part can go a long way and prevent avoidable heartache.

“Make sure your pet is well-secured— if you are taking your dog outside, use a reliable leash and collar system and don’t let your guard down,” Ferrucci points out. “Many dogs can panic if they’re outside and fireworks start to go off. If your yard is fenced and fireworks begin, bring your pet inside.”

Ferrucci explains there are five major ways that a dog will go missing: the dog is off leash and ran, was left outside unattended, broke through a fence, ran out a door, or slipped a collar or ran when a leash was dropped. Predators are always an additional risk and can be another factor in pet disappearances.

As pet parents, Ferrucci advises to do your due diligence. If there have been windy conditions, be sure gates and fences are still secure, gates are latched (preferably locked so they can’t be left open), a fence can’t be jumped by your pet (even using a nearby tree stump, chair or table). If you have people working in your house or company, secure your pets in a room or crate so there is no chance of mishap or escape.

Should the unthinkable occur and your pet does get lost, Ferrucci offers the following tips:

• Contact your local animal control officer and notify them about your missing pet.

• Do a quick search of your immediate area for your pet.

• If your pet has a favorite person or another pet in your house, have them get involved in the search.

• If you do see your pet, stay calm and low to the ground. Try to lure your pet closer to you using treats or a toy or another pet on a long line. You may even want to open your car door and offer a car ride if that appeals to your pet.

• If your yard has a barrier fence, open your gate in case your pet returns while you are searching. Turn off your electric fence.

• Leave out a “scent article”—something that belong to your pet’s favorite person or other pet— at a point in your yard where your pet usually goes, put out water and place a camera in your yard.

• Don’t chase or scream for your pet; call gently and stay calm.

• Contact CT Dog Gone Recovery Volunteers (CTDGRV.org) if your dog has gotten lost and fill out the lost dog form.

Pets give their trust and love. You can honor that trust by keeping them safe.

Mary Albanese of ZenZu Animal Communication & Energy Work provides animal communication and energy work globally to all species of animals in a variety of circumstances, including helping locate lost pets. Connect at ZenZuac.com.

Wrapping your pet either with an item of clothing of yours, a small blanket or a purchased calming pet shirt can also be a useful method.

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched—they must be felt with the heart.

~Helen Keller

APPROACH TO HEALTH: Regenerative Farming Practices Meet Naturopathic Medicine

By Dr. Lyndsey Maher

Its early on a Sunday morning, the sun is shining and the rest of the house is still sleeping. The water is boiling in preparation for French press-style coffee and the decision of what to make for breakfast remains undetermined. A few minutes pass and a decision is made: eggs.

In the refrigerator, there remains a carton of a dozen eggs left untouched; two should be good. Those eggs, once cracked open, reveal the richest and deepest orange-colored yolks. The yolks do more than just show us a vibrant color; they tell us about the chickens who produced the eggs and the farm that cared for them.

Where our food comes from is an important detail often overlooked when attempting to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is easy to get caught up in the marketing

minutiae of terms such as organic, free range, cage-free, antibiotic-free, hormone-free, and so on. Overwhelm is also a common feeling, especially when choosing to work with a more holistically minded practitioner who might parrot the same verbiage. Health isn’t just about proper supplementation; it is about the fundamentals, including diet and lifestyle.

Thomas Edison is quoted as saying, “The doctor of the future will give no medication but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.” The reality is everybody has to eat. Being the case, this makes for a simple way to modulate health, both favorably and unfavorably. However, simply stating eat organic as much as possible is not

telling a complete story of where our food should be coming from to obtain maximal health benefits.

While eating organic does have its merits, there are other factors to consider when making particular food choices in the name of health. Instead of looking for buzzwords like “organic,” let’s expand that a bit to include others, the most notable one being “regenerative farming.”

For those unaware of what regenerative farming is, it is rooted in nature, not unlike the premise of naturopathic medicine. Essentially, it is how farming practices were before industrialized farming became commonplace, in much the same way that medicine was originally predicated on naturopathic principles. Regenerative farming seeks to mimic the natural grazing patterns of animals, nourish the soil to maintain its natural mineral content, enhance diversity within the crops and so much more.

This really takes the concept of terrain theory…literally.

Contrary to some of these principles is “monocropping,” a.k.a. monoculture or monocrop culture. It is where farms strictly grow one crop season after season without any rotation. This lack of diversity results in compromised and mineral-poor soil. While the EPA defines organic food as grown and processed using no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, there is no stipulation regarding monoculture. And, to be fair, supporting our health by the food we choose isn’t exclusively about lowering toxic burdens by limiting pesticides, but by eating food filled with nutrition, of course.

It is the soil that is mineral- and nutrient-rich, and then transfers into the plants we or other animals eat; therefore, soil devoid of minerals begets plants, humans and animals that are as well. Regenerative farming practices extend beyond omitting pesticides in their crops but by restoring soil and ecosystem health so that we can receive the minerals we are meant to through our food. While the impacts of this may not be seen readily, testing that we have run through bloodwork to assess nutrient status can and does show this on a cellular level.

At the next farmers’ market, instead of asking the farm stands whether or not they are organic, consider the following questions:

• Does your farm participate in regenerative agricultural practices?

• Do you use sprays or pesticides, and, if so, which ones?

• Do you use GMO seeds?

• Do you grow a variety of crops or just one?

• In what kind of soil do you grow?

• If they are a meat farm, what are the animal welfare standards? How are the animals treated? What are the living situations? What are they fed, such as grain, grass, corn, etc.?

By asking some or all of these questions, it ensures a wellrounded understanding of where the food is coming from, the potential nutritional impacts and how the establishment is benefitting our community as a whole. Engaging in conversation with local farmers creates a dialogue of understanding and comprehension so that we may pass this information along to others.

Knowledge is power, one to be harnessed, gained and offered up to those interested. Let us not take for granted the power our food has simply because we are accustomed to eating every day, most often multiple times per day. Let us use these moments serve as opportunities to enrich our palates and our wisdom.

A curious thing may also happen when transitioning one’s palate in this way—we may find our cravings for “fake” food dissipate and the desire for more nutrient-rich and whole foods increase. The body is so intelligently designed that when it knows what it needs, it will ask for more of it and it will be thankful.

Dr. Lyndsey Maher, a naturopathic doctor with a Master of Acupuncture, is the medical director of Soleil Acupuncture and Naturopathic Wellness in Hamden, Conn. Connect at 203-8713262, Lyndsey.Maher@SoleilHolistic.com or SoleilHolistic.com.

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Anne Biklé

ON THE ADVANTAGES OF REGENERATIVE FARMING

by Linda Sechrist

“Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life.” Exploring the connection between soil health and human health, the duo shows us how the roots of our good health begin on farms.

Why did you write this book?

term farming practices, such as tilling or plowing, which is the villain in what is becoming a significant planetary problem that can be reversed with regenerative farming practices.

The plow is one of the more destructive implements that mankind has ever invented despite its ability to help feed us in the past. It contributes to soil degradation and erosion because it fundamentally alters the balance between how fast soils are being made and how fast they’re being lost.

What are the benefits of regenerative farming practices?

Anne Biklé and David R. Montgomery, a husband and wife team, collaborated to write “What Your Food Ate: How to Heal

Our Land and Reclaim Our Health.” A biologist, environmental planner and gardener extraordinaire, Biklé earned degrees in biology and natural history from the University of California (UC) Santa Cruz and a master’s degree in landscape architecture from UC Berkeley. She uses her endless fascination with the natural world to explore the tangled relationships between people and their environments. She also helped Montgomery, a professor of Earth and space sciences at the University of Washington, research and write “The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health,” as well as

It was a case of evolution, a progression of our research and thinking, as well as the culmination of a journey that we’ve been on, looking into how soils affect human societies. When you’re a writer and you’re constantly looking for connections and patterns, this is what can happen. When David was writing “Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations,” he discovered that how we treated the land in the past shaped the way that the land was able to treat the descendants of people. In other words, if you don’t take care of your land, it doesn’t take care of you.

What effects do soil erosion and degradation have on our food supply?

In looking at the UN’s “Status of the World’s Soil Resources” from 2015, the study concludes that 33 percent of the Earth’s soils are already degraded, and we’re losing about 0.3 percent of our ability to feed ourselves—to grow food on this planet every year—due to soil erosion and soil degradation. That doesn’t sound like a big number in any one year, but adding it up over the rest of this century, it comes to 30 percent of our ability to feed ourselves. Adding to this is the serious degradation of the world’s agricultural land from long-

Regenerative agriculture uses less fertilizer, less pesticide and less fossil fuel. It also increases the carbon content in the soil. Carbon-rich soil retains more water and contains more life, such as whole new worlds of microbial metabolites [the energy and nutrients needed to live and reproduce] that come from soil microbes.

Do farming practices influence the health of crops and human health?

Conventional farming practices use synthetic nitrogen, which degrades organic soil matter and alters the communities of life in the soil. In studies of organic versus conventional, we’ve found that there’s almost always evidence that there are differences in micronutrients and phytochemicals, with organic crops having higher levels of both. Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals that we need in trace amounts for our health—for example, selenium, boron, zinc and iron—which we need just a little bit of, but that little bit has an oversized effect on our health.

Conventional crops almost always have higher levels of pesticides and heavy metals. There’s a lot of controversy scientifically about how much is enough to affect human health. The companies that make pesticides assure us that the levels in food are perfectly safe. But there are now scientists who are starting to investigate chronic exposure to even small

amounts over a whole lifetime. How much does that influence our health? We think there are reasons to keep asking those questions.

It is highly suggestive that the idea of a connection between soil health, crop health and animal health translates into what’s in our food. If we’re getting more vitamins, phytochemicals and mineral micronutrients, which are shown to support health, you can make the argument that these regeneratively grown foods are probably healthier for us to eat.

What influence do farming practices have on livestock and human health?

The nature of what ruminants eat greatly influences the nature of the fats that are in meat and dairy. Livestock grazing on leafy green plants are getting an omega-3-rich diet. Ruminants that eat predominantly seed- or seed oil-derived rations in a feed lot are getting a mainly omega-6-derived diet. Omega-6 fats help trigger inflammation. We want our bodies to be able to trigger inflammation when we need it, but we also want it to turn off when it’s done. Inflammation is not a process that just stops, so we need omega-3 fats, which are central to the process of terminating or quelling inflammation.

Linda Sechrist has been a contributing writer to Natural Awakenings publications for 20 years.

Hues of Health BENEFITS OF A COLORFUL DIET

by Veronica Hinke

Eating plant-based foods from every hue in the rainbow provides an exceptional array of health benefits. Rich in essential vitamins, minerals and fiber, vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables also contain phytonutrients such as antioxidants, flavonoids, carotenoids and polyphenols that contribute to the color, flavor and aroma of such foods. There are thousands of phytonutrients and, according to a 2022 review of clinical studies published in Nutrients, these natural chemical compounds, “play an important role in the prevention of serious chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity and hypertension, along with different types of cancer or degenerative diseases.”

From a culinary perspective, colorful, plant-based foods add pops of color and flavor to a dish, and simple techniques can transform uber-nutritious fruits and veggies into crave-worthy delights. From tasty spreads and luscious dressings to pungent pickling recipes and rich soups, eating the rainbow can be a scrumptious and sustainable everyday lifestyle.

Keeping a medley of wholesome choices in the house is a good tactic to help a family adopt a rainbow-based diet.

According to registered dietitian Olga Kras, “Not any single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients we need. Making a variety of colors of fruits and vegetables visible increases the likelihood that they will be part of a daily routine.”

When her children were younger, instead of giving them sugary treats, she would cut fruits and vegetables into shapes with cookie cutters. “They loved opening their lunch boxes to find the fun shapes,” she recalls, noting the allure of visually pleasing treats. As the firstcentury Roman Apicius said, “We eat first with our eyes.”

According to Sarah Stegner, coowner and chef of Prairie Grass Cafe, in Northbrook, Ill. “Food is medicine. It is what lifts us up. When we allow ourselves to get run-down or we are tired, that is when we are the most vulnerable, and we reach for that highly processed, packaged thing. That’s when we compromise, and compromise leads to long-term illness.”

Stegner compares food shopping to a trip to an art store for the artist that is about to paint a rainbow. “Center yourself,” she counsels. “Don’t put anything into the cart that shouldn’t be eaten. The key word is choice. If people don’t understand and realize what the choices they have are—for example, what herbs are and how to use them—then that is not a choice for them when they go home to cook a meal.”

“It’s just fun to have foods that are colorful,” says Erin Hoogendyk, a cooking instructor at Grebe’s Chef Center, in Wausau, Wis., whose favorite

Dwayne Watson/ShutterStock.com

flavor accents are onions, lemons and limes, as well as a panoply of herbs, including basil, rosemary, chives, parsley and mint. To add color and nutrition to everyday salads, she tosses in blueberries or dresses them with homemade vinaigrettes made with strawberries and balsamic.

Hoogendyk recommends farmers markets, individual farm stands and community-supported agriculture subscriptions to discover the freshest, in-season ingredients. When it comes to cooking and putting meals together, a sense of adventure and enjoyment is paramount, she says. Her coleslaw recipe includes red and green onions, radishes and red cabbage. “I don’t like coleslaw to be boring,” she quips, adding that her next project is to pickle an ingredient she has never pickled before: celery. “I can’t wait to see how it turns out.”

For those wanting to optimize their rainbow-based diets, “testing can help people understand how to best support their biology and determine what their bodies need,” says Dr. Véronique Desaulniers, a chiropractor and author of “Heal Breast Cancer Naturally.” She recommends the DNA test kit and whole-body health report from Nutrition Genome to pinpoint which foods to enjoy or avoid, depending on genetic weaknesses. Close monitoring of blood sugar levels is also important, she notes, as daily glucose and insulin spikes “can turn on cancer-causing genes and cancer-causing pathways.”

Veronica Hinke is a food historian and author of “The Last Night on the Titanic: Unsinkable Drinking, Dining and Style.” Learn more at FoodStringer.com.

CHEESY CAULIFLOWER MUSHROOM STEAKS

This dish can be served as a meal or cut into smaller pieces and presented as party appetizers. Cauliflower provides vitamins B6 , K and C, magnesium and fiber. It is also a great source of glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, two types of antioxidants that have been shown to slow the growth of cancer cells.

Button mushrooms are a source of vitamin D, selenium, phosphorus and folate. They also contain polysaccharides, indoles, polyphenols and carotenoids, which are associated with cancer-fighting properties.

YIELD: 4 SERVINGS

4 slices of cauliflower, ¾-inch thick

1 tsp cooking spray

4 tsp olive oil

1 Tbsp dry Italian seasonings

2 cups fresh brown button mushrooms, sliced

2 fresh garlic cloves, minced

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp fresh thyme for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400º F and spray two large baking sheets with cooking oil. Place the cauliflower slices onto one of the baking sheets. They need lots of space between them and shouldn’t overlap.

Brush each side of the cauliflower steaks lightly with the olive oil and season with sea salt, pepper and Italian seasonings. Roast 20 to 25 minutes, flipping once, until both sides are golden brown.

In a mixing bowl, add mushrooms, minced garlic, a pinch of sea salt and pepper, then toss to coat well. Spread the mushroom mixture on the other oil-sprayed baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. As an alternative, sauté the mushroom mixture in a medium pan with 1 teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes.

Once done, remove the pans from the oven. Sprinkle roasted cauliflower steaks with cheese and top the cheese with the roasted or sautéed mushrooms and garlic mixture. Return to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Sprinkle with fresh thyme and enjoy.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Jennifer Carden.

MONTHLY PLANNER

SUMMER BROCCOLI SOUP WITH HERB CROUTONS

This vibrant, lime green-colored soup is an excellent source of potassium, fiber, vitamins B6 and C, iron, magnesium and calcium. It also contains several phytonutrients, including the carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin and B-carotene, as well as tocopherols. For the croutons, choose a healthy bread, such as sprouted whole grain, glutenfree, almond flour or flax loaves.

YIELD: 2 TO 6 SERVINGS, DEPENDING ON PORTION SIZE

FOR SOUP:

6 cups broccoli florets, chopped

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 generous pinch of sea salt

1 pinch of chili pepper flakes

3 Tbsp butter

FOR CROUTONS:

1 cup diced bread

2 Tbsp melted butter

½ tsp fresh thyme, chives or other fresh garden herbs, minced

Bring the stock to a boil. Add the sea salt and chili flakes. Add the broccoli and cook until fork tender and bright green. Transfer to a blender, add butter and blend well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with aged cheddar cheese and croutons.

To make the croutons, toss the diced bread in a bowl with melted butter, salt and fresh herbs. Spread the bread in an even layer on an oven-safe pan. Bake at 350º F and toast until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Sarah Stegner.

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NATUROPATHIC

MARINATED BEETS AND GOAT CHEESE CROSTINI

Deriving their deep-red color from phytonutrients called betalains, beets are rich in nitrates, which help to lower blood pressure. They also provide calcium, folate and fiber. The pistachios in this recipe contain potassium, fiber, vitamins

B6 and C, iron, magnesium and calcium.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

1 lb mixed-color baby beets

1 cup orange juice

1 cup apple cider

1 cup honey

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 pinch sea salt

1 pinch grain mustard

3 oz goat cheese

2 Tbsp herbs (chives, basil, mint), chopped

3 oz olive oil

3 oz chopped pistachios

1 toasted baguette, sliced

Remove the beet tops and reserve for other uses. Boil the beets in salted water until tender. Allow to cool slightly and rub the skin off the beets.

Using an old dish towel will help the skin come right off.

Mix the vinegar, honey and orange juice in a bowl. Add the thyme and mustard. Add the beets, cover and allow them to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Place the oil, sea salt, herbs and pistachios in a blender. Pulse until slightly pureed and chunky.

To assemble the crostini, remove the beets from the marinade and slice. Spread the goat cheese onto the toasted baguette slices and top with the beets. Drizzle the pistachio sauce on top and serve.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Sarah Stegner.

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Fighting Climate Change in the Garden

REGENERATIVE TECHNIQUES FOR A HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM

by Julie Peterson

Reversing global warming may feel like a challenge that is out of reach, but anyone can make a difference by planting an ecologically supportive garden. Regenerative techniques employed in the backyard, a community garden or even an apartment patio can significantly improve local ecosystems. And because living systems are interconnected, a healthier ecosystem boosts the well-being of all life forms, as well as the environment.

“Growing a garden is one of the most powerful things we can do as individuals to enact positive change and make a difference,” says Emily Murphy, the California author of “Grow Now: How We Can Save Our Health, Communities, and Planet—One Garden at a Time.” “If you’re looking for practical solutions to the climate crisis and the resulting loss of biodiversity, the answer is right out your door and in the earth beneath your feet. It’s possible to sequester enough carbon to offset your carbon footprint while supporting wildlife.”

According to Jessica Walliser, the Pennsylvania author of “Plant Partners: Science-Based Companion Planting Strategies for the Vegetable Garden” and co-founder of Savvy Gardening.com, “Regenerative practices are simple, proactive steps that millions of gardeners should be adopting. They not only simplify your gardening practices and reduce time and budget in the long term, they are also the right thing to do in this modern age of human disturbance.”

LAYER SOIL

A key principle of regenerative gardening is to add layers to the soil instead of digging downward or tilling. “Layering up increases the water-holding capacity of the soil and the ability of the soil to sequester carbon,” Murphy explains.

“Addition of organic matter, such as compost, leaf mold or well-aged manure, helps build good soil structure and feeds beneficial soil microbes,” says Walliser, who recommends adding one to two inches per year to gardens.

Making compost onsite is valuable, but not always possible. In some cities, free compost is available through

community compost hubs where residents drop off bins of yard and food waste. “Purchasing commercially produced compost may be a worthwhile investment, particularly when growers are just getting started and soil quality is poor,” suggests Bryan O’Hara, the Connecticut author of “No-Till Intensive Vegetable Culture: Pesticide-Free Methods for Restoring Soil and Growing Nutrient-Rich, High-Yielding Crops.”

PLANT PERENNIALS

Perennials come back every year and can provide food for people and wildlife. Many varieties of fruiting shrubs, trees, vegetables and nuts can form the backbone of a garden with annual plants interspersed throughout. Adding beauty to the mix, perennial flowers—some of which are edible—are essential food for bees, butterflies and birds.

“Choose plants with different flower shapes, sizes and colors, as well as plants with a diversity of bloom times,” Walliser advises. “Opt for plants native to your region, as they have co-evolved with native insects and may provide better resources for them.”

EMBRACE BIODIVERSITY

“When you’re fostering biodiversity, you’re supporting the mutualism that naturally exists in wildlife. You’re increasing and improving ecological relationships,” says Murphy. Instead of planting monoculture rows in a vegetable garden, mix up the plants the way Mother Nature does, Walliser recommends. And if abandoning tidy rows of the same type of plant seems too unruly,

interplant the rows: a few beans, a tomato, flowers, then more beans and peppers, for example.

Another suggestion is to plant a variety of salad greens, carrots and radishes in a raised bed and interplant edible nasturtiums, chives and violets. “Interplanting makes it harder for pests to find their favorite host plant. It also makes it harder for diseases to spread from one plant to the next,” Walliser explains.

AVOID CHEMICALS

Skip the pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers. “Even organic pesticides can be harmful to pollinators and pest-eating beneficial insects like ladybugs, lacewings and others,” says Walliser. A chemical-free, biodiverse garden is a safe place for beneficial bugs. Trust that the good bugs will find the bad bugs and there will be balance.

A sun-kissed organic tomato from the garden will forever ruin us for grocery store produce. And when we sink our hands in healthy soil to retrieve a beet or plant seeds, we may feel a wave of positive energy because soil microbes have been found to work like natural antidepressants, making us happier and healthier.

“When we begin to understand the inner workings of our greater ecosystem through the ecosystems closest to home, such as our gardens and communities, we come to see that we each have the power to grow positive change beginning at home,” says Murphy.

Julie Peterson writes on health, wellness and environmental topics. Reach out at JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com.

SERIOUS SOMEONE GET ABOUT MEETING

Too Much Histamine

NATURAL SOLUTIONS TO AN EXCESSIVE ALLERGIC RESPONSE

by Carrie Jackson

Histamine is an organic chemical produced by the body as a protection from allergens. It is also found in some of the foods we consume. While certain levels of this compound are considered normal and healthy, an overabundance can cause troublesome symptoms—from runny noses and hives to intestinal discomfort and brain fog. Histamine intolerance, as this condition is called, is often caused by food triggers or the body’s inability to break down the excess histamine. Overthe-counter antihistamines promise short-term symptom relief but may have unappealing side effects. Long-term, drug-free resolution is possible with a little sleuthing and holistic lifestyle adaptations.

A WIDE ARRAY OF SYMPTOMS

“Histamine intolerance can affect every area of the body, including the brain. The inflammation created by excess histamine often leads to brain fog and other neurological symptoms,” says Michael Ruscio, a naturopathic practitioner, doctor of chiropractic, clinical researcher and author of “Healthy Gut, Healthy You.”

Symptoms of histamine intolerance often start in the intestinal tract with diarrhea and bloating and contribute to leaky gut. “If the sensitive gut lining is damaged, histamine can permeate to other areas of the body and lead to redness, swelling and itchiness, as well as respiratory issues, joint pain and anxiety. These seemingly unrelated symptoms can all have the same underlying cause, and patients, as well as

many doctors, are not aware of these connections,” says Arti Chandra, a Seattle-based family practice physician who is certified in functional medicine and serves as faculty at the Institute for Functional Medicine.

KNOWING THE TRIGGERS

“Mast cells, a type of white blood cell, are responsible for releasing histamine and other chemicals that cause inflammation. A histamine intolerance or exposure to highhistamine foods can lead to mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), where they release excess amounts into the body. Typically, enzymes will break down the histamine so that it doesn’t build up, but if the body doesn’t have the proper level of enzymes to break it down or if too much histamine is being released, then persistent symptoms can occur,” Chandra asserts.

Symptom management begins by healing the digestive system. “A healthy gut biome supports the body in producing one of the enzymes needed to break down histamine and can help lower inflammation,” she explains. “Dysbiosis, which is when the gut flora is out of balance, is often caused by the Standard American Diet, also known as SAD. Processed foods, fillers, chemicals, additives and other unnatural substances can all compromise the gut flora and gut function. Dysbiosis often leads to low levels of DAO [diamine oxidase], an enzyme in the gut that helps break down histamine. Some people can have a genetic basis for this—a mutation—that can also lead to excess histamine from impaired breakdown.”

SOLUTIONS FOR HISTAMINE OVERLOAD

Per Ruscio, “A simple, balanced, whole foods diet like the Paleo diet is a great starting point to calm inflammation and heal your gut. This means aiming for a variety of vegetables, fresh fish, eggs, meat, nuts and seeds, and fruits in moderation. If symptoms continue, try a low-histamine diet.”

Chandra suggests avoiding processed and fast foods, gluten, dairy, sugar and artificial sweeteners. Foods that are naturally high in histamine, including aged cheese, fermented foods, cured meat, alcohol, caffeine and tomatoes, can exacerbate symptoms. She recommends eliminating triggers for three weeks and slowly reintroducing them one at a time to see which are still problematic. “As the gut biome becomes stronger, the body may naturally be able to tolerate high histamine foods better; eating a diet rich in prebiotic foods and sometimes taking an appropriate probiotic supplement can help with this,” she says.

Environmental factors can also trigger histamine reactions. “The body produces histamine to ward off substances like pollen, infections, chemicals and mold. Many people get what they think are normal allergies in the spring, with symptoms like runny noses, watery eyes and a scratchy throat. However, if these symptoms occur year-round, it could be a sign of a

histamine intolerance or MCAS. Mold contains mycotoxins that are known to activate mast cells and lead to a histamine release. If someone is living in a building with mold and the exposure is continuous, it can lead to chronic inflammation and histamine issues. Proper air filters can help, but they ultimately may need to eliminate the mold or move out of the environment,” says Chandra.

While over-the-counter antihistamine medications may help, they can have a sedating effect and other side effects, including cognitive issues. Natural and holistic treatments work just as well and are often better tolerated by the body, Chandra says. “Quercetin, found in apple skin and onions, can stabilize mast cells and make them less leaky, as can luteolin, both of which are available in supplement form and in Himalayan Tartary buckwheat. Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine, and omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil or supplements have anti-inflammatory properties. Stinging nettles, another stabilizer, can be used as a tea or in supplement form. Spices such as curcumin are natural anti-inflammatories and a nourishing addition to any diet,” she advises.

Stress management can help reduce histamine reactions, too. “Stress can trigger mast cells, causing a release of histamine and other inflammatory chemicals, as well as causing dysbiosis and leaky gut,” Chandra says. “Breathwork and meditation, as well as restful sleep, can help reduce histamine intolerance symptoms, support the gut and contribute to an overall level of internal balance.”

Carrie Jackson is a Chicago-based freelance writer and frequent contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine. Connect at CarrieJacksonWrites.com.

Chandra suggests avoiding processed and fast foods, gluten, dairy, sugar and artificial sweeteners.

Gut Health for Kids CLEVER STRATEGIES FOR PICKY EATERS

by Sheila Julson

Tickle Their Palate

“Foods with probiotic-containing living cultures or fermented foods can add beneficial bacteria to the gut,” says Jill Castle, a Massachusetts-based pediatric dietitian and founding CEO of The Nourished Child, an online nutrition resource for parents. She recommends incorporating treats that are alive, tart and bubbling with healthful microbes.

“Parents can make sure they offer a variety of prebiotic and probiotic foods routinely at mealtimes as options to taste and try. The good news is there are many healthy, gut-supporting foods for children to eat,” she advises.

Yogurt with live or active cultures and kefir, a fermented milk drink, both contain these beneficial probiotics.

“Although kefir tends to be sour, some brands have flavored kefir,

such as strawberry, mango or peach,” Castle explains. “I’ve had great luck introducing this to children who are picky, because it’s smooth and creamy and tastes like a smoothie.”

She also notes that kombucha, a fizzy, fermented tea with live and active cultures, is available in fruity flavors that appeal to children. Pickles fermented over time with salt and water are a source of healthy bacteria

for the gut. And although cheeses are fermented, only a few have live, active cultures. Castle recommends gouda, mozzarella or cheddar.

Sneak in the Fiber

According to Dr. Joanne Aponte, a naturopathic doctor at Lakeside Natural Medicine, in Milwaukee, a diverse diet high in fiber is key to supporting a healthy gut microbiome. “All veggies are beneficial, but ones high in galactooligosaccharide (GOS) and fructooligosaccharide (FOS) prebiotics help grow and support healthy gut bacteria,” she explains. GOS-rich foods include beans, lentils and peas, along with broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, while FOS-predominant choices are garlic, onions, asparagus, artichokes and leeks.

Aponte also recommends chia, flax, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, which can be ground up in an inexpensive coffee grinder and added to smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt or home-baked goods such as cookies, pancakes or waffles. “Sunflower butter can be used to make cookies,” Aponte notes. “I make oatmeal-sunflower butter cookies that are packed with microbiome-supporting oatmeal, pumpkin, ground chia seeds and, of course, chocolate chips.”

For children that are choosy about vegetables, Aponte suggests making zucchini or carrot muffins with ground chia seeds or walnuts. Entice children to eat raw veggies by offering dipping sauces, such as teriyaki, ranch dressing or salsa. Aponte notes that skins should be left on vegetables whenever possible because they contain fiber, which helps feed the gut microbiome.

“It takes some experimentation, but encourage your child to try lots of different foods,” Aponte says. “Some kids might prefer a black bean spread or dip, or refried beans, versus eating whole beans. There are also pastas made with chickpeas or lentils. Veggies like onion or zucchini can be chopped small and hidden in spaghetti sauce.”

Most kids look forward to summer vacation, but the dog days can eventually lead to boredom and over-snacking. By creatively offering children healthy, diverse foods, presented in ways to please even finicky palates, parents can support microbiome health while establishing a lifetime of good eating habits.

Add a Pinch of Fun

Katrina Lien, the program development specialist for Sanford fit, a children's fitness program in rural South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota, suggests that parents find ways to engage and empower kids to make healthy lifestyle choices.

“Try offering new foods with foods that you know your kids already like,” she says. “When you introduce something new or unfamiliar alongside foods that are a well-known favorite, kids are more open to trying the unfamiliar food.”

Attempt to make foods more interesting and fun, Lien advises. “This can be done by how you arrange the food items on the plate or cutting foods into different shapes. For example, use a

cookie cutter to turn simple cucumber slices into a heart or a star.”

According to Lien, when parents involve their children in snack and meal preparation, kids feel included and excited to try the foods they helped create. Although getting kids interested in unfamiliar foods can be laborious and time-consuming, parents should remind themselves to be patient and remain consistent.

Sanford fit offers free, online resources through printable literature, videos, lessons and games at fit.SanfordHealth.org.

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

Protecting Pets From Lyme Disease

PREVENTION AND SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT TIPS

by Paige Cerull

When the weather is nice and we crave outdoor adventures with our pets, we may not want to think about Lyme disease, but it’s a good idea to take precautions to avoid an infection. One bite from an infected tick could lead to troubling health concerns. Despite the risks, there is no reason to hide indoors, as there are numerous actions we can take to protect our animal companions from infection and to relieve their symptoms should they contract the ailment.

Disease Prevalence in the U.S.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, Lyme disease is spread by bites from blacklegged deer ticks or western blacklegged ticks that carry the disease-causing bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. While cases have been reported in nearly every U.S. state, Lyme disease is most common in the Northeast, Upper Midwest and Northwest. A 2018 study published in Environmetrics found that the prevalence of Lyme disease in dogs is getting worse in the Northeast and spreading into regions that weren’t previously considered to be high risk, including areas in North Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Tennessee.

Symptoms in Cats, Dogs and Horses

Lyme disease affects animals differently. Veterinarian Erin O’Leary, founder of Heal House Call Veterinarian, explains that cats with Lyme disease are asymptomatic. “We

don’t see any symptoms in cats, so we don’t tend to test or treat for Lyme in cats,” she explains.

Canine Lyme disease is a different story. Per O’Leary, dogs often exhibit lameness that may shift among the legs. Fever and swelling in the joints are common. Dogs can also experience a serious kidney complication called Lyme nephritis that causes them to feel very sick, drink lots of water and urinate more. Two studies performed by IDEXX, a developer of diagnostic and software products for animals, revealed that dogs exposed to tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease, had a 43 percent increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease.

According to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, horses with Lyme disease may experience weight

loss, lameness that shifts among the legs, muscle tenderness, low-grade fever and swollen joints.

Preventing Tick Bites

Nicole Savageau, a veterinarian with The Vets, notes that pet owners can naturally reduce their pet’s risk of being bitten by a tick by keeping their yards in check. “Ticks prefer to live in areas with tall grass, weeds and leaf litter,” she says. “Keeping your yard tidy by mowing your lawn and removing any dead leaves or debris can help reduce the number of ticks in your yard.”

Pet owners may also use food-grade diatomaceous earth, a non-toxic powder, to help kill ticks in areas where pets like to spend time. Several natural fly sprays, many of which help to repel ticks, are also available for horses.

Removing a Tick

It’s important to carefully inspect pets for tick bites after spending time outdoors. “If you can remove the tick within 24 to 48 hours of the bite, it won’t transmit Lyme disease,” O’Leary maintains. She recommends tools like the Tick Twister or a pair of tweezers to safely coax a tick from their pet. “If you can get down to where the head is inserted and squeeze that with tweezers, that’s the easiest thing to do,” she says.

Savageau suggests keeping pet hair trimmed short, which can make it easier to spot and remove ticks, and cleaning the bite site with soap and water or an antiseptic solution to prevent infection. It’s important to watch for signs of inflammation or infection, like redness, swelling or discharge. “If any of these symptoms appear, or if the pet develops a fever or lethargy, the owner should contact their veterinarian for advice,” she says.

Caring for an Infected Pet

According to O’Leary, the antibiotic doxycycline is the best available treatment for Lyme disease, and giving the pet a bit of turmeric to eat can relieve inflammation, though it is best to consult with a veterinarian regarding the most appropriate treatment options and dosages. To reduce a fever, soaking a towel in cool water and applying it around a pet’s paws and ears will help.

Savageau highlights the importance of feeding pets a balanced and nutritious diet that supports the immune system, as well as supplements and other natural remedies. “This may include adding probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids to their food to support gut health and reduce inflammation. Herbs like echinacea may help stimulate the immune system and support the body’s ability to fight infections,” she says, adding, “Always consult with a veterinarian before starting any natural or alternative treatment for pets, as some may be harmful or interfere with prescribed medications.”

Natural Awakenings truly appreciates the hundreds of locations in New Haven and Middlesex Counties that distribute our monthly publication to their customers. Please continue to visit these businesses to support them and pick up our magazines! Reach out to Distribution@ NaturalAwakeningsNewHaven. com for new distribution location recommendations.

Paige Cerulli is a freelance writer in Western Massachusetts specializing in the health and care of pets.

Green Exercise RECONNECTING WITH NATURE

by Cristina Parker

Green exercise is not exactly a new concept. In a 2013 review of studies published in Extreme Physiology & Medicine, researchers concluded that physical activity in a natural setting as opposed to an indoor gym is perceived as easier and more fun, thereby boosting motivation. They wrote, “The nature element may help achieve a greater intensity of exercise without perception of effort changing.” In other words, people walk faster outdoors yet paradoxically feel as though they’re kicking back.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture found a positive correlation between green space and health. People that spend time in nature often experience a reduction in stress, cortisol levels, muscle tension and heart rate—all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. A 2021 study published in Frontiers in Psychology involving obese young people confirmed that exercising in nature led to improved stress recovery, enhanced attentional restoration and a reduction in negative emotions.

Exposure to sunlight is another benefit. According to Dr. Natty Bandasak, a physical therapist and founder of The Myokinetix Clinic, in New Jersey, “Getting vitamin D from the sun is much more impactful than the vitamin D absorbed from ingestible supplements. Just 10 minutes spent outside first thing in the morning can really set the day in a good direction.”

To maximize the benefits of green exercise, Rajeshwari Reddy, a physical therapist in Maryland, suggests a few precautions. “If you have any kind of vision issues, you should exercise midday when there is enough light to keep yourself safe, and if you suffer from seasonal allergies, try to avoid areas with flowering plants or trees,” she explains. “Standard walking shoes are different from running shoes, and the body mechanics of different activities require different levels of shock absorption. These oftenoverlooked components of an outdoor exercise routine can go a long way to keep you safe, avoid unnecessary injuries and ensure you are having fun with your new program.”

After choosing a suitable time and location, the next step is deciding what exercises to do. Dr. Christine Masterson, a physical therapist at Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group, in New York, says, “For those who desire supervision, joining a local walking or running group is an excellent option. Alternatively, for those who prefer independence, a selfpaced exercise routine is recommended.”

Both Masterson and Bandasak describe bodyweight-supported exercises as a perfect outdoor-friendly, equipment-free workout. Moving against gravity uses the person’s weight as a natural form of resistance. As a result, no dumbbells or

resistance bands are required. Pick a nice spot in the grass, on the sand or under a shaded treat and do sit-ups, heel raises, push-ups and squats.

Masterson suggests pairing calisthenics with walking. A sample routine could include a brisk walk to the park, followed by squats sitting and standing from a bench, then another brisk walk to a wooded area, followed by heel raises holding onto a tree trunk for balance. “In a bodyweight program, you can focus more on your form and movement pattern, then you can progress these exercises by increasing repetitions, rather than adding weights,” she notes.

Bandasak asserts that aerobic exercises like walking, jogging or hiking can be optimized by adding a grip challenge. “One factor strongly correlated with increased longevity is grip strength,” he explains. “Grip can be strengthened through your ability to hold onto objects like a pull-up bar at a playground or

stable tree branch in nature. If those items are not available, just holding any heavy objects by your sides as you walk can be beneficial.”

A key, take-home message when beginning any green-exercise program is to keep an open mind. There are so many activities we can enjoy outdoors. Reddy considers green exercise anything that gets the heart rate going, which can include diverse activities like golf, gardening in the backyard or swimming in a lake.

While getting the blood pumping, remember to breathe in the fresh air, listen to the songbirds and soak up the summer sunshine. Masterson is a proponent of outside yoga to refocus the mind and deeply reconnect with our surroundings.

Cristina Parker, a researcher, health content writer, educator and clinician specializing in neurologic disorders, limb-loss rehabilitation and adaptive sports techniques, holds a doctorate in physical therapy.

COMING IN THE AUGUST ISSUE Back to School

For some fitness buffs, it doesn’t feel like exercise unless they’re at the gym lifting weights, pedaling the stationary bike or hearing the grunts of others giving it their all. But there’s an emerging trend taking hold: green exercise. Prompted by a growing focus on reconnecting with nature, combined with the well-known benefits of physical exertion, outdoor workouts in natural settings and urban parks are all the rage. From daily walks around the neighborhood to calisthenics with the aid of a tree or yoga on the beach, the possibilities are delightfully endless for all ages and fitness levels. Medical pros are prescribing it for science-based reasons.

Gardening Therapy HEALING MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT IN THE YARD

by Sheryl DeVore

Gardening outdoors adds color and texture to yards and neighborhoods and, with the right plants, attracts pollinators, whose numbers are declining. It also can improve human health. The exercise, sunshine and fresh air promote mental and physical health, and so does our contact with soil microbes and the harmonious patterns of nature.

“Beingin the sunlight is a great way to get vitamin D, which is linked to mood and well-being. We spend so much time inside, where our perspective and thoughts can close around us. Getting outdoors can improve mindfulness and the sense of being in the moment, especially when we leave our phones inside,” says Pennsylvania-based psychologist Seth J. Gillihan, author of “Mindful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Simple Path to Healing, Hope and Peace.”

In a study of the health and well-being benefits of allotment gardening published in the Journal of Public Health, researchers measured the mood, self-esteem and general health markers of people given plots for gardening versus those that didn’t garden at all. The scientists found that the gardeners displayed significantly better self-esteem and experienced less depression and fatigue. The top three reasons participants gave for enjoying their time

tinkering in the soil were: being outdoors and having contact with nature (70 percent); feeling a sense of achievement (50 percent); and having the opportunity for restoration and stress relief (35 percent).

Cultivating our outdoor space also gives us a healthy perspective, helping us to accept our limitations and better understand our place in nature. “It’s easy to see in the garden how many things are outside of our control, such as rain, temperature and pests. We can do our best, but at some point, we need to let go,” Gillihan notes, adding that learning to let go is a lesson we can apply to other aspects of our lives.

When he faced a long-term illness coupled with depression, Gillihan built raised garden beds and planted herbs and vegetables. “I knew I needed to get more involved in something that would bring me a sense of reward and engagement. All of that creative effort really helped to bring me back to life,” he recalls. “In a garden, you’re exercising, but it’s not a repetitive thing like running, so that can make it more fun and seem like less of a task.”

“Digging, walking, carrying and squatting circulate our blood and release dopamine and endorphins in our brains,” says Karen Hugg, author of “Leaf Your Troubles Behind: How to Destress and Grow Happiness Through Plants.” “We feel more energetic and happier. Similarly, puttering in the garden or designing an ornamental bed is really about playing, and playing is integral to mental health.”

By merely observing greenery we can find peace and clarity. “A tree’s subdividing branches or the whorled arrangement of leaves are patterns that can calm the nervous system. If you look at plants during even a five-minute break, either indoors or out, you’re practicing a kind of relaxation therapy,” Hugg affirms.

A little bit of earth under our fingernails is good for us. “When you get your hands dirty, there are beneficial microbes in the soil that improve your health and well-being,” says Charlie Hall, professor of horticultural studies and department chair at Texas A&M University, who has researched the physiological, psychological and social benefits of plants.

According to Hall, horticultural therapy reduces stress and anxiety, enhances memory and attention span and can improve quality of life for those with physical, mental or cognitive challenges. Citing the example of disabled adults helping to run a garden center and greenhouse at the Brookwood Community in Brookshire, Texas, he notes, “Working together in a garden builds a sense of belonging. Even those who are not physically able to participate in those activities benefit. Just being in the garden can dramatically reduce the levels of the stress hormone cortisol.”

Gardening Tips to Improve Human and Planetary Health

n Choose a modest space outdoors or purchase small containers.

n Keep it simple and start small with just a few plants.

n Read books to learn about plant needs by region.

n Talk to nurseries that sell native species.

n Think of the garden as a refuge, a place to smell flowers and watch plants thrive.

n View gardening as a fun exercise.

n Join a community garden to cultivate flowers and vegetables in a social setting.

n Grow houseplants, herbs and lettuces to bring in the outdoors.

n Volunteer at a nonprofit that propagates vegetables for food pantries.

Sheryl DeVore is a frequent contributor to national and regional publications and has authored six books on science, health and nature. Learn more at SherylDeVore.wordpress.com.

The Sweet Tapestry of Summer

by Marlaina Donato

July is a heady mix of peak temperatures, sustenance from the soil and inspired invitations to make lasting memories. For gardeners, it is a lilting time of fruition in between rounds of hard work when one’s efforts can be harvested, eaten and appreciated. Summer’s apex brings wildflower tapestries woven with cricket-song and evenings punctuated by rolling thunderstorms, but it also can be a time for us to take a deep dive into the miracle of interconnectedness.

Visiting the local farmers market is an opportunity to be mindful of all that goes into our shopping bags and bellies: rain, sunlight, nitrogen-rich snowmelt and the vital fertility of topsoil. We can see everyday people in a different light, especially Earth-conscious farmers who choose to be birthing partners of the land.

Taking a walk outside can remind us that no life would be possible without the near-magical, unseen mycelium network beneath our footsteps. Summer’s delicate balance of elements ensures abundance, and we have a sacred opportunity to be part of that equilibrium. Each of us is a link in the chain of humans co-creating within the symbiosis of all other living things. Will we take away from this balance or add to it?

Adding to it does not require hours of time or money, but the motivation to make simple decisions for the greater good, such as leaving part of the lawn to grow for the winged ones or choosing an eco-friendly refillable water bottle over single-use plastic. Showing a child how to keep a nature journal can foster lifelong connections with the Earth.

We do our part when we joyfully become part of the landscape—witnessing, observing and allowing nature to go about her business. Making time for languid appreciation contributes to self-nourishment, something that is also vital to the whole. How many avian voices can you hear at sunset? How many colors can you find in a changing mural of clouds? The season of plenty offers a harvest of beauty.

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

2023 NATURAL LIVING RESOURCE

DIRECTORY

WELLNESS DREAM TEAM

Profiles & Business Spotlights

Page 35

• Terri O’Brien, C.Hyp

Page 36

• Fernwood Holistic Health

• Return To The Fire

Page 37

• Lydia Remembrance

• Lauri Ingram

Page 38

• Mary Albanese

• Reiki Will Travel LLC

Page 39

• Reiki with Eileen Anderson RN

• Renee Edge

Page 40

• Shirley R. Bloethe

• Sustainable Landscape Garden Design

Page 41

• Aiping Tai Chi

• Chi for Healing

Page 42

• Bradford Tilden, MM, CMT, UWT

• The Working Computer, LLC

Page 43

• Eagle Flight Healing LLC

• Nikken Wellness with Julie Clark

DIRECTORY LISTING CATEGORIES

Page 44

• Animal Communication

• Applied Kinesiology

• Ceremony Officiant

• Chinese Medicine

Page 45

• Chiropractic Services

• Coaching

• Computer Services

• Counseling & Workshops

• Energy Medicine

• Hemp Wellness

• Holistic Networking

• Holy Fire® Reiki

• Life Coaching

Page 46

• Massage Therapy

• Medical Thermography

• Nurse Practitioner

• Nutrition

• Psychic

• Shamanic Energy Healing

• Reiki

Page 47

• Sound Healing

• Tai Chi

• Transformation Courses

• Thermography

• Universal White Time Crystal & Sound Healing

• Wellness Center

• Wellness Promotions

upport Your Local Community of Practitioners!

Wellness DREAM TEAM Profiles

Terri O’Brien, C.Hyp

Master Joy and Success LLC

MasterJoyandSuccess.com

Practice summary, primary services offered: Dynamic audio and spotlight courses to feed the inner mind empowering, positive thoughts to transform personal thinking, attitude and mindset. Check our offerings under the MindShop tab.

What drew you to this profession?

I am interested why some folks can overcome obstacles and challenges and others stagnate and see the world of hypnosis as a means to access the inner mind for profound change. Our words and pictures of what we tell our mind are crucial to the success of our goals, and I was drawn to the simplicity and ease that deep relaxation and positive suggestions can do to make our visions come true. I develop impactful courses that focus on the conscious and subconscious mind to help others succeed, prosper and thrive.

What benefits should clients expect from your

Transform challenges and attitudes into a new you, one that is aligned with who you are now, and what you want to be, do and have. Every course we offer retrains your mind to think and act from a thriving and improved position to: upgrade your mindset to openness, possibility, positivity and opportunity; release old stories and unwanted, limiting thoughts and beliefs; wire in powerful, loving thoughts about who you are; and develop confidence and motivation to go after your biggest dreams and goals.

What is most important for Natural Awakening readers to know?

Our courses are enjoyable, easy-to-use tools to upgrade mindset and attitude and begin looking at life with a joyful, fearless, can-do lens. Personal change comes down to four circumstances: what you think about yourself and your capabilities; how you respond or react to what you are thinking and imaging; removing the resistance the logical, thinking mind has toward change; and committing to investing the time to do the work and take action.

Fernwood Holistic Health

1921 Boston Post Rd., #3, Westbrook, CT 860-661-5824

Info@FernwoodHolisticHealth.com

FernwoodHolisticHealth.com

Return To The Fire

Jody Grose

320 Kent Rd., New Milford, CT 203-731-7755

HealingBear11@gmail.com

ReturntotheFire.com

Business summary, services and/or products offered: Fernwood’s services include naturopathic medicine, acupuncture and Chinese medicine, wellness coaching, holistic esthetics and skincare, massage therapy, photobiomodulation (low-level laser) therapy, and healing infrared sauna sessions.

How is your holistic business different from that of others in your field?

Fernwood Holistic Health is a unique collaboration of holistic wellness and integrative health care practitioners. Fernwood provides the highest quality, advanced medicine and wellness services based on science, research and proven traditional methods in a relaxing yet professional environment.

What benefits should customers/clients expect from your services and/or products?

Each practitioner creates collaborative relationships with patients and clients. The result is individualized superior care and treatments to help each individual be their most vibrant, vital version of themselves! We facilitate healing from the inside out.

How is your business evolving in the coming year?

Fernwood has added practitioners and services since its inception in 2020. In the past year, we have added group offerings such as Breath Training and Stress Management workshops. We look forward to more group offerings in the year to come.

What do you most want Natural Awakenings’ readers to know about you and your services and/or products?

Fernwood’s practitioners and staff are a group of truly caring, compassionate and passionate professionals. The most common comment we hear from our patients and clients is, “I feel better as soon as I walk in the door.”

Business summary, services and/or products offered: Jody brings over 30 years of devotion to his personal healing and training to provide compassion, deep listening and experience to those seeking guidance. Jody’s life and practice has been informed by mentors, Native American spirituality, Buddhism, devotion to his own therapy and guidance from a therapeutic supervisor for over 30 years. The journey of counseling often involves unpacking false beliefs and old patterns while building internal awareness and empowerment to more successfully navigate relationships, life transitions and the challenges of being human—Soul Work.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

Jody’s practice is the confluence of his life experiences, training in counseling and group facilitation, while incorporating Native American and Buddhist philosophies.

What should a client expect from working with you?

Each program is designed with the invitation to deepen selfawareness while identifying old triggers and patterns, while also fostering full self-expression. A client should expect to feel the safety needed to explore their personal challenges in an environment that fosters curiosity. Within this container, transformation and healing are possible.

How is your business evolving in the coming year?

This year’s offering include one-on-one remote counseling, “The Invitation” men’s weekend, a father and son (ages 8-16) adventure weekend, a father and daughter (ages 7-16) bonding weekend, and an Adirondack canoe trip for five days in the serene wilderness. These trips offer participants time in nature, unencumbered by the distractions of daily life, which allows for the quiet of nature and the intention of community to guide our experience.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

This “Being Human” provides endless challenges and opportunities to become who you are meant to be. Jody’s experience has revealed, when with a guide, mentor or therapist, challenges have been transformed into opportunities to create meaning into his own life.

Lydia Remembrance

475-301-4952

Lydia@LadyDowntheLane.com

LadyDowntheLane.com

Practice summary, primary services offered:

I am a claircognizant, empathic spiritual/holistic doula. I offer spiritual awakening support, shadow work facilitation, spiritual and holistic eating guidance, and herbs for wellness, along with Reiki/chakra balancing and quantum hypnosis with a focus on trauma.

What first drew you to this profession?

When I became aware that all disruptions in an individual’s “health” starts with a disturbance at the energetic level. It is my strong belief that trauma, conscious or unconscious is the underlying culprit.

How is your work different from that of others in your profession?

After completing a 60-90-minute free strategy call, I will consult with my spirit guide ally team through meditation and ritual to establish a plan to guide my client to unravel limiting beliefs and behaviors.

What should a patient/client expect from working with you?

My philosophy is to first and foremost hold space with my client. I will unconditionally support them in achieving their goals by providing techniques to overcome 95% of thoughts that are fear-based.

How is your practice evolving in the coming year?

As this year unfolds, I plan on doing more-in person workshops and speaking engagements. I also plan to expand my outreach to include adolescents and younger children through the use of art.

What do you most want Natural Awakenings’ readers to know about you and your practice?

I am a quantum healing master practitioner, quantum hypnotist, Reiki master and Akashic Records practitioner as well as an herbalist. My business is primarily virtual; however, I also offer in-person sessions in nature.

Lauri Ingram

Lauri@LauriIngram.com

LauriIngram.com

Practice summary, primary services offered: Grounded in mindful practices, I assist clients to discover their true self and live authentically by uncovering, connecting and embracing their true divine nature. I also design and lead life event ceremonies.

What first drew you to this profession?

Ten years ago, while in the middle of a successful corporate career, I realized there was something missing in my life. I began a deep spiritual journey, which uncovered my true passion: helping others.

How is your work different from that of others in your profession?

I had a lifelong corporate career, which has now transitioned to a life as a spiritual advisor. I am grounded in the real world and work with many different modalities, including crystals, creativity and meditation.

What should a patient/client expect from working with you?

I work from an energy of unconditional love, non-judgement and seeking. With many modalities in my toolkit, I meet my clients where they are with what serves them on their journey.

How is your practice evolving in the coming year?

I offer services both in person and virtually, and my group events include Yoga Nidra and gentle sound healing, as well as regular community gatherings in creativity and spiritual exploration.

What do you most want Natural Awakenings’ readers to know about you and your practice?

Every encounter is an opportunity to help others, and to grow in my own practice of compassion, unconditional love and non-judgment. I truly love what I do and am grateful for the opportunity to serve.

Mary Albanese

ZenZu Animal Communication & Energy Work

Connecticut-based, globally available 203-589-0930

Mary@ZenZuac.com

ZenZuac.com

Practice summary, primary services offered: Offering clients the opportunity to gain a new perspective on their animal companions through animal communication and providing adjunct energy work, if necessary.

What first drew you to this profession?

Giving the voiceless the opportunity to speak and allowing humans to deepen the connection with their pets.

How is your work different from that of others in your profession?

I use an individualized approach and am part of your pet’s wellness team. I have been mentored extensively by one of the world’s top communicators. I am not self-taught or a hobbyist; this is my job, every day.

What should a patient/client expect from working with you?

An entirely new way of looking at and interacting with the animals around them and never looking at any animal in the same way again.

How is your practice evolving in the coming year? More teaching, on both individual and group levels, for people interested in learning more about their pets or those who desire to increase their stewardship of animals as a career.

What do you most want Natural Awakenings’ readers to know about you and your practice?

I’m not special. Everyone has the ability to communicate intuitively with animals—it’s just a matter of honing the skills.

Reiki Will Travel LLC

Cheryl Benanti

Various locations in Connecticut 860-966-0121

ReikiWillTravel@gmail.com

ReikiWillTravel.com

Practice summary, primary services offered:

Mobile Reiki sessions

What drew you to this profession?

I was searching for connection and various ways to help others. I took my first Reiki class and knew this was something I was meant to pursue and share with others. My passion is working with people to bring them a sense of calm and empowerment for their overall well-being. I encourage people to be comfortable in their own skin and be accepting of themselves in a safe environment.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

I offer in-home sessions, business wellness days and sessions in various office locations. In addition, I work with therapists who refer clients to me with anxiety, stress and related holistic health issues. I’m able to help alleviate those issues with Reiki treatments.

What should someone expect from working with you? Clients can expect a calming and relaxing experience in a safe space where their privacy is respected. A client testimonial states, “She brings knowledge, compassion, healing and strength to her clients.”

What changes do you have planned for 2023?

I’m looking forward to working with animals, especially horses after having such wonderful experiences already with them. I would also like to expand my practice in 2023.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

My practice is mobile and in various locations to make Reiki sessions easily accessible.

Reiki with Eileen Anderson RN

2838 Old Dixwell Ave., Hamden, CT 203-314-5401

eilande@comcast.net

ReikiWithEileenAnderson.com

Practice summary, primary services offered:

As a Reiki master practitioner, I offer Reiki Level 1 classes, which teach the student Reiki self-treatment as well as treating others. With Reiki 2, students who have completed Reiki 1 deepen their practice and learn to give distant Reiki treatments. I offer small classes and individualized instruction with plenty of practice time. I continue to offer Reiki sessions to clients at Whole Health Family Medicine.

What first drew you to this profession?

I was given the opportunity to become a Reiki practitioner by taking a course offered by one of my nurse colleagues who was a Reiki master teacher. We then treated patients, families and staff to enforce a calm, restful environment within the cardiac intensive care unit.

How is your work different from that of others in your profession?

As a retired critical care nurse, I am bringing my Reiki practice from the hospital setting to serving the community. I stress the importance of Reiki bringing balance emotionally and physically to the client, promoting rest and relaxation. I offer Reiki classes in the traditional style as a single modality for healing.

What should a patient/client expect from working with you?

My classes stress Reiki for self-care and treating others. There is ample time in my classes for practice and discussion. The client they are treating should enjoy a Reiki treatment in a calm, relaxed environment.

How is your practice evolving in the coming year?

I will be teaching a Reiki master class this fall at the Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center. Reiki classes 1 and 2 are available.

What do you most want Natural Awakenings’ readers to know about you and your practice?

My critical care nurse work has inspired me to take a holistic approach to health care. I have been offering Reiki treatments in Whole Health Natural Family Medicine, a place of serenity. In addition to teaching, I also facilitate Reiki shares where students and practitioners can practice together in a safe environment. I adjust my teaching to the needs of the individual. I adjust my teaching to an individual’s needs.

4 Brookmoor Rd., Avon, CT 860-681-3427

Renee@EdgetoHealth.com

EdgetoHealth.com

Practice summary, primary services offered:

Functional nutrition coach, taking a holistic approach to health by incorporating food, sleep, stress and fitness with behavioral change to bring about improved health, mood, attention and behavior. Specializing in the challenges of trauma histories.

What first drew you to this profession?

Seeing the impact of food on the attention, behavior and moods of my own children fueled the desire to share this knowledge with others who were struggling with behavior and impacts of trauma histories.

How is your work different from that of others in your profession?

First, it isn’t just about food; we consider all of the factors in your life, and how they impact you and your food choices. Second, it is about sustainable behavioral change, not quick fixes.

What should a patient/client expect from working with you?

In working with me, you will find that it is possible to honor your cultural foods and preferences, while making small changes to increase your overall health and wellness while addressing attention, mood and behavior.

How is your practice evolving in the coming year? This year will see the return of live workshops and sessions in addition to expanded virtual offerings via Zoom. I will take the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaching exam this summer.

What do you most want Natural Awakenings’ readers to know about you and your practice? Coaching promotes the development of your skills and understanding for sustainable change over time. Mood, behavior, sleep and stress are all impacted by the food you consume. Healing starts with your grocery cart!

Shirley R. Bloethe

Holistic Events, Wellness Promotions, Minister

860-989-0033

YourHolisticEvents@gmail.com

YourHolisticEvents.com

Practice summary, primary services offered: Holistic and wellness matchmaking, holistic events coordinator, ceremonies, referrals and consulting for websites, marketing and collaborations. Business experience spanning more than 40 years in multiple small businesses, both brickand-mortar and online. I have hosted holistic events for the last 35-plus years and have over 40 years of experience in the holistic community, connecting people with products, modalities and teachings by practitioners and businesses.

What drew you to this profession?

I have always been drawn to self-help and personal growth opportunities. My passion is to introduce people to their empowerment options through a variety of products, programs, modalities and organizations.

How does your work differ from others in your profession?

I have been involved in all types of businesses since my early years and also am a graduate of Hartford College in the Women’s Entrepreneurial Course. I was always on a holistic journey and in the early 1980s, I felt the pull to lead and learn all about wellness in the seven key areas of life: physical, spiritual, financial, family, career, mental health and education. Having connections to so many people allows me the opportunity to give great referrals. I know so many people who are excellent practitioners and I enjoy being a holistic matchmaker.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

As head of the Holistic Community Professionals, I will offer the 2023 11th Bi-Annual EXPO: Passport to Health and Wellness. This event features some amazing exhibitors and speakers. Showcasing quality, reputable, local businesses and practitioners to the public is a win-win opportunity. Additionally, as a holistic matchmaker, I will refer you to your perfect products, client or practitioner. I am happy to help and collaborate with you. My database of holistic practitioners and businesses spans the U.S., and I truly enjoy partnering with them. Natural Awakenings is the perfect partner to share information with the public about what I do.

Sustainable Landscape Garden Design

9B Pineview Dr., Branford, CT 203-836-7640

JimDoenges@

SustainableLandscapeGardenDesign.com

SustainableLandscapeGardenDesign.com

Business summary, services and/or products offered: Garden design. Jim Doenges has a deep passion for the details and brings decades of handson experience to every garden composition. He believes in the principles of sustainability and in the commitment to managing each property to maintain environmental integrity.

How is your holistic business different from that of others in your field?

Jim believes garden design is living art and treats the design as an artistic composition. He enjoys the result of seeing end users embrace all of their senses when interacting with the results of the composition.

What benefits should customers/clients expect from your services and/or products?

Extraordinary landscapes, exceptional service and lasting relationships.

How is your business evolving in the coming year? My goal is to continue to enlighten people to the benefits of being sustainable.

What do you most want Natural Awakenings’ readers to know about you and your services and/ or products?

Jim specializes in landscape design and embraces the philosophy of utilizing “Color, Balance, Harmony, Serenity, and Peace through Quality Horticulture.”

Aiping Tai Chi

49 Research Dr., Milford, CT 203-795-0203

Info@AipingTaiChi.com

AipingTaiChi.com/Links

Summary of education offered:

Aiping Tai Chi translates the ancient and esoteric teachings of tai chi and internal martial arts into a useable life manual to develop inner strength in body and mind so you can better navigate the forces of this stressful world.

What is your program’s vision and how is your education program different from that of others in your field?

We want you to experience the deeper benefits of tai chi beyond exercise and health. We introduce the internal martial arts concepts in a friendly way, so you can become a stressbender: becoming strong not hard, soft not weak.

What should students expect from working with you and your program?

Our programs are all about teaching you how to find your own center and how to maintain your center and balance through movement. Each class is an organic experience to deepen your understanding of your own center, beyond movement choreography.

Are you planning any enhancements/changes in the coming year?

We will continue to offer live instruction but will also expand our digital content geared towards beginners. Our instructional videos have already reached six continents and our social media platforms (@aipingtaichi) have over 150K followers. Follow us to learn more!

What do you most want Natural Awakenings’ readers to know about you and your program?

Discover a new dimension of tai chi at Aiping Tai Chi. Experience it not just as an exercise, but as an internal martial art, finding your center so you can stay relaxed and flow through life’s incoming and opposing forces.

Chi for Healing

Erik Harris

The Red Barn in Durham

352 Main St., Durham, CT

Erik@ChiforHealing.com

ChiforHealing.com

Practice summary, primary services offered:

Chinese medicine: tui na (acupressure), qi gong, cupping therapy, guasha, moxibustion, tong ren therapy, auriculotherapy and Chinese herbology. Also Reiki, medicinal aromatherapy, crystal therapy, sound healing, holistic health coaching, longdistance sessions and virtual appointments.

What first drew you to this profession?

My healing journey with chronic pain/illness led me to a variety of holistic healing practices. After finding success, I wanted to help others find ways to heal themselves using the tools that helped me.

How is your work different from that of others in your profession?

My practice is a collaborative approach to healing that focuses on the body, mind and spirit connection. I have 14 years of experience and have helped people heal from a variety of conditions.

What should a patient/client expect from working with you?

We create a safe environment so that clients can feel comfortable to go within and heal. We form a plan to achieve the client’s goals and give the client the tools they need to succeed.

How is your practice evolving in the coming year?

I have a new qi gong for chronic pain certification course on October 7-8. Join our membership group called Gaia Centric Living where we teach people how to heal chronic pain and illness with nature.

What do you most want Natural Awakenings’ readers to know about you and your practice?

I empower people to take a holistic view of their health to become more connected to the natural way of life. I support people through their healing journeys to become the best version of themselves.

Bradford Tilden, MM, CMT, UWT

Crystal Music Healing

The Center for Higher Living in Berlin

And remotely via Zoom

860-830-5841 • Info@CrystalMusicHealing.com

CrystalMusicHealing.com

Practice summary, primary services offered:

I am a spiritual health practitioner specializing in healing childhood and past-life trauma, empowerment and awakening. I offer Universal White Time (UWT) Healing and Gemstone Healing sessions and trainings. I facilitate angelic and shamanic sound healing experiences and teach people how to use their own voice for healing and transformation.

What drew you to this profession?

Discovering my music has inspirational qualities led me to the healing arts. How I became a White Time Healer is a story you can read in my chapter in the “Energy Medicine Solutions” book. These disciplines have guided me through personal health recovery, spiritual growth, empowerment and transformation.

How does your practice differ from others in your profession?

I have access to and work with some of the highest energies and angelic light-beings in this Universe through my trainings and initiations in Universal White Time Healing. Many of these initiations are available for my clients to accelerate their spiritual growth.

What should a client expect from working with you?

I aim to provide an effective experience. I listen to concerns and choose the best combination of my preferred tools (energy, sound, gemstones) to help my clients enjoy lasting change, and attain inner peace, empowerment and improved quality of life.

What changes do you have planned for 2023?

I offer session packages and a three-month Accelerated Healing Program. I am continuing to grow a local community of certified UWT practitioners, developing a sound healing certification program and offering the UWT Level 1 Energy Healing Class online.

What is most important for Natural Awakenings’ readers to know?

I am open to invitations to be interviewed and to travel to teach the UWT classes to local communities. Experience my sound healing live at the Bridge Healing Arts Center in Farmington every other Thursday evening.

The Working Computer, LLC

Gregg Allen

646-320-3639

GTA@GTA.earth

GTA.earth

Primary services offered: We partner with you for your technology needs, including computer repairs, upgrades, maintenance, consulting, and video and audio conversion. Support is available for all MacOS and Windows systems.

What first drew you to this profession?

I started at the ground floor when they first came out with Apple II. It was a new hobby at that point for most of us. What drew me in was the building aspect, the tinkering, the pushing the systems to do as much as they could handle. I enjoyed looking for the best way to configure a computer to get the best performance out of it. As the industry became more mature, I started a career helping people and companies overcome computer issues. The industry grew from a toy to an infrastructure that businesses came to depend on.

How is your work different from that of others in your profession?

I focus on home users and individuals with computer repairs, system optimization and backup solutions for a secure and private personal computer setup. We can also help with data recovery and repurposing older computers to keep them out of the e-waste.

What should a client expect from working with you?

I am focused on setting up clients with a right-sized solution for their technology needs. That can be accomplished by simply listening beyond the “what are you using it for.” I inquire what they want their end product to be and accomplish. Not too little, not too much and conscious of their budget.

How is your business evolving in the coming year?

I am hoping to bring awareness to what we can do for individual users and continue to build my client base through old-fashioned customer service with today’s technology.

Eagle Flight Healing LLC

Eagle Flight Healing LLC offers shamanic energy processes which release the past: the negative emotions, limiting beliefs and self-limiting agreements we created for safety as children, adolescents and in adulthood. The pain, shame, angers, guilts, abandonments and more of our experiences in childhood and in adulthood lives on within us if not released, affecting our health, beliefs, worth, mattering, deservability and choices; it can interfere with our dreams for the future. We create our reality with our dreams for the future. The processes I offer raise the energy of vibration of clients, helping them to feel lighter, present, grounded, more in touch with their authentic self, happier and more joyful.

My shamanic training was with Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D., The Four Winds Society, in Chile and the U.S. I am a certified light body healer, a Reiki master and a retired RN, having 36 years in the medical field as an RN. I studied metaphysics for over 25 years and bring metaphysics to my practice with inner child healing as needed and in other ways.

I believe in being of service, in conscious growth and healing, in authenticity, integrity, and in the connectedness of humans, Source and All That Is. My greatest joy is helping someone live more authentically with self-love, self-compassion and self-forgiveness as with these they have more to give.

Connect with Cathy Stubbs at 203-535-8849, Ca.Stubbs70@gmail.com and EagleFlightHealing.com.

Nikken Wellness with Julie Clark

Research and development company Nikken has invested over 46 years studying how to make our lives healthier. Through consultants like Julie Clark, MT(ASCP), Nikken accomplishes this by helping people achieve balance with the 5 Pillars of Wellness: healthy mind, body, family, society and finances. Nikken products make being healthy simple, convenient and affordable.

“I know that Nikken makes a difference in the lives of those who choose Nikken Wellness. I am a retired medical technologist who left my hospital ‘sick world job’,” explains Clark. “My husband and I have been using, loving and benefitting from Nikken for 25 years. Most people are on one of two roads, and I believe in prevention and not prescription. Good health is priceless, and prevention is the key.”

Clark helps those who are suffering physically or financially to feel better. She teaches about better choices, including organic, grounding, technologies of nature and more. “We create ‘wellness homes’ to give our bodies the environment needed for better health, with products to comfort and support the body,” she says.

Clark recommends the PiMag Waterfall System for purified, structured, mineralized, low-redox, magnetized and alkalinized water. The KenkoAir is a high quality (no ozone) HEPA air purifier, much like the CDC website recommends. She also notes the Magnetic Energy mStride Insoles, MagFlex back magnet and KenkoGround grounding mat. Some wellness products Clark suggests are Jade GreenZymes (nature’s super food) and Immunity, which is made of 14 strains of organic mushrooms in one capsule.

Connect at 203-206-8640, Jimc133@hotmail.com or JulieClark.MyNikken.com.

2023 NATURAL LIVING RESOURCE DIRECTORY

Our natural living resource guides offers a special guide to natural health, green living and personal empowerment experts in your local community. We hope that you will reach out to a practitioner, business or education service in the following pages to help you accomplish your personal vision for this year and support you along your lifelong journey of health and happiness.

ANIMAL COMMUNICATION

MARY ALBANESE

ZenZu Animal Communication & Energy Work

Mary@ZenZuac.com

ZenZuac.com

Mary works with clients around the world in person and remotely providing animal communication and adjunct energy work when needed. She is certified in animal communication and multiple energy modalities; has interviewed with NY Times bestselling author and psychic medium Allison DuBois; guested on Lauren’s Crazy Pet Show; trained with one of the world’s leading animal communicators, Joan Ranquet; and sits on the Outreach Advisory Committee of the Global White Lion Protection Trust, South Africa. In addition to private consultations, Mary offers mentoring to individuals and group workshops as well as presentations on animal communication and energy work for animals. See profile on page 38.

APPLIED KINESIOLOGY

KC CHIROPRACTIC & WELLNESS

Kevin Healy, DC

17 Woodland Rd., Madison, CT 203-245-9317

KevinHealy@sbcglobal.net

DrHealMe.com

CEREMONY OFFICIANT

LAURI INGRAM

The Liminal Studio

696 Amity Rd., Unit B1, Bethany, CT 203-435-5650

Lauri@LauriIngram.com

LauriIngram.com

Ordained interfaith/interspiritual minister, Lauri specializes in custom ceremonies for those who are spiritual, but not religious. Lauri creates meaningful and transformative wedding and commitment ceremonies, life celebrations, and baby blessings events to mark other life events. See profile on page 37.

CHINESE MEDICINE

Applied kinesiology is a neurological evaluation to find and treat dysfunction, addressing causes instead of chasing pains. Dr. Healy tests if a therapy alleviates dysfunction, finding immediate answers as to which provides the most improvement. Chiropractic, craniosacral, myofascial and acupressure are among the therapies Dr. Healy uses. Generally, no single cure exists as disease and dysfunction typically involve multiple areas of the body. The goal of any therapy—physical, chemical or emotional—is to improve function; a combination of therapies typically yields the best results. See ad on page 13.

CHI

FOR HEALING

Erik Harris

The Red Barn in Durham

352 Main St., Durham, CT

Erik@ChiforHealing.com

ChiforHealing.com

Chi for Healing integrates Chinese medicine with holistic healing practices to provide a multifaceted program to take back your health. Erik specializes in helping people suffering from chronic pain/illness to find and treat the root cause of dis-ease. He offers in-person and virtual consultations. See profile on page 41.

CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES

BALANCED BODY

CHIROPRACTIC CENTER

Dr. Jacqueline Flynn

223 Meadow St., Naugatuck, CT 203-723-5715

DrFlynn@BalancedBodyCT.com

BalancedBodyCT.com

Dr. Jacqueline Flynn is a chiropractor and about all things natural. She helps people of all ages achieve their best possible selves. She uses many techniques as well as nutrition and lifestyle to help you achieve your goals. Acupuncture is also used as an adjunct therapy.

COACHING

KATE GLENDON

KGCoachingInfo@gmail.com

GlendonCoaching.com

Instagram: kglendon_coaching

Uncover the possibilities of living a life filled with joy and vitality

by cultivating a positive mindset and prioritizing your overall well-being. As a mentor, Kate guides women in revitalizing their health and mood, focusing on movement, thoughts and nutrition. This all-encompassing approach empowers you to navigate every facet of your life with assurance, nurturing your mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. Are you prepared to transform your aspirations into tangible achievements? Setting goals and acting toward them is crucial to attaining personal growth and fulfillment. Visit GlendonCoaching.com to set up your free consultation and join Kate’s wellness newsletter.

COMPUTER SERVICES

THE WORKING COMPUTER, LLC

Gregg Allen

646-320-3639

GTA@GTA.earth

GTA.earth

Computer slow and glitchy?

We can assess your Apple or Windows system, and provide options to repair, upgrade or repurpose your computer. We partner with you for your technology needs, system optimization and backup solutions for a secure and private personal computer setup. We can also help with data recovery. See ad on page 21.

COUNSELING & WORKSHOPS

HEART OF THE MATTER

COUNSELING & WORKSHOPS

Jody Grose

203-731-7755

HealingBear11@gmail.com

ReturntotheFire.com

Counseling is a collaborative process where the transitions, challenges and traumas of life are viewed as a gateway into a more authentic life. With guidance to reframe their personal stories, Jody’s clients are empowered to free themselves from ineffective patterns and make significant personal growth. Call, text or email now for a free consultation. Workshops this summer: men’s, father & daughters, father & son adventure weekend, Adirondack canoe trips. See profile on page 36.

ENERGY MEDICINE

KATHY STALTER

Sanaré Wellness, LLC

Southington, CT 860-600-0106

Kathy@Sanare.Life

Sanare.life

The Future of Energy Medicine is here! This 24-unit Energy Enhancement System creates multiple bioactive, regenerative energy fields, including scalar waves and biophotons, that can assist your body’s ability to repair and heal itself from disease. The body can become capable of rejuvenating and recalibrating itself back to homeostasis. Appointment only.

HEMP WELLNESS

LAUREN MAGEL

Holistic Hemp Wellness

Green Compass Advocate

631-877-0441

LaurenMagel.GreenCompassGlobal.com/ share/191341

Lauren offers small group education sessions as well as 1:1 consultations. The more you know about hemp, the more power you have to implement it into your daily routine. Lauren will help you to identify products to help you feel your best every day. I offer a full line of USDA certified organic hemp wellness products that include full-spectrum and broadspectrum CBD, collagen, skin care, topicals and drink powders. Not all CBD is created equal, so let’s get you started with a brand you can trust.

HOLISTIC NETWORKING

HOLISTIC COMMUNITY PROFESSIONALS

Shirley R. Bloethe, Executive Director 860-255-8844

HCIinc.org@gmail.com

HolisticCommunityProfessionals.org

Holistic Community Professionals is an organization of holistic practitioners and businesses focused on improving health and wellness with products and services throughout New England. We also connect consumers with a wide variety of modalities, holistic products, and services as well as offering two expos a year at The DoubleTree by Hilton in Bristol. See website for details. See ad on page 11.

HOLY FIRE® REIKI

DAMARIS CRUZ

Holy Fire Reiki Master 203-338-1100

DCruz88@yahoo.com

TenderLovingReiki.com

Holy Fire® Reiki is a new form of Reiki that was introduced about three years ago. It is both powerful and gentle, and provides purification, healing, empowerment and guidance. Certified by the International Center for Reiki Training, July 2022. See ad on page 17.

LIFE COACHING

CHANNELING YOUR WISDOM COACHING

Lynda Mettler, ACC Transformation Coach, Reiki Master Quiet the mind to connect with the soul.

Lynda@YourWisdomCoaching.com

Channeling Your Wisdom Coaching is a whole-person approach that combines IFS “parts work,” life coaching, meditation and Reiki energy to cultivate compassion, heal old wounds and create meaningful change.

HCP

MASSAGE THERAPY

A MOMENT IN TIME MASSAGE, LLC

Jill Andrzejewski, LMT, RMT, Psychic 3490 Whitney Ave., Ste. 205, Hamden, CT

203-909-1108

JillaMomentinTimeMassage@gmail.com

AMomentinTimeMassage.org

We partner to set physical, mental and spiritual goals to empower you. I advocate gentle stretching, crystals and breath work to maintain grounded, calm feelings. Services: massage; Reiki; chakra balancing; angel tarot, oracle card and tea leaf readings; group events/ classes. A Moment In Time Treasures items available for purchase. Appointment only.

MEDICAL THERMOGRAPHY

CT THERMOGRAPHY

April Beaman

Main Office: 11 Melrose Dr., Farmington, CT

Satellite Offices: Glastonbury, CT; Hamden, CT; Westport, CT; Hadley, MA

860-415-1150

Info@CTThermography.com

CTThermography.com

CT Thermography specializes in medical thermal imaging, also known as thermography. Thermography is the use and study of thermograms for detecting and measuring variations of heat emitted from the surface of the body. A thermogram is produced by a highly sensitive, infrared camera that accurately maps temperature variations which are then analyzed by Board Certified physicians known as thermologists. Thermography screenings are effective to assess and monitor whole body health and can aid in the detection of inflammation, disease processes and cancer. Furthermore, this health screening tool is noninvasive, radiation-free and does not involve any contact with the body. See ad on page 7.

NURSE PRACTITIONER

KATHERINE DEL PRATO, MSN, FNP-BC

Owner of LK Optimal Wellness

Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner

Special Focus in Functional Medicine

203-439-6796

Info@LKOptimalWellness.com

LKOptimalWellness.com

Looking for a different approach to healthcare with individualized attention? Using evidence-based medicine, Katherine partners with motivated women to heal naturally from fatigue, pain and digestive distress so that they can have improved energy and quality of life. Together, we will identify the root causes to your vague symptoms and restore gut, mood and hormone imbalances. Optimize health and prevent disease!

TRUE HEALTH INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE

Caroline Braglia MSN, APRN, FNP-BC 7365 Main St., Stratford, CT 203-828-0229

TrueHealthIntegrativeMedicine.com

At True Health Integrative Medicine, we help our patients achieve optimal health outcomes by focusing on the root cause of symptoms, along with a patient’s biochemistry and history. We consider factors such as nutrient deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, sub-optimal thyroid function, genetics, sleep, environment, movement and other lifestyle components. Our services include bio-identical hormone replacement therapy/TRT (for men and women), thyroid optimization, weight loss and peptide therapies using functional medicine.

NUTRITION RENEE EDGE

Functional Nutrition Coach 860-681-3427

Renee@Edgetohealth.com

EdgetoHealth.com

Change attention, behavior and mood using food you will enjoy. Helping individuals make changes to their diet and food choices to bring about healing in their body and brain to promote behavior change. Coaching you through the development of habits that will allow you to make and sustain the changes you seek. See profile on page 39.

CAROLYN

PSYCHIC

COLERIDGE, LCSW

Bloomfield, CT 323-782-9085 (Text)

IntuitiveSoulHealing.com

Psychotherapist, intuitive and healer Carolyn Coleridge, LCSW, has a meditation and healing center in Bloomfield. With 28 years of experience, she is a metaphysician who teaches on working with the Universe to find life purpose. Coleridge hosts drop-in meditation classes on Saturdays at 11 a.m. Enjoy an array of crystals and spiritual books about growth and development. She teaches about dreams, intuitive development and clearing negative beliefs with ThetaHealing.com. Intuitive healings, readings and spiritual counseling are also offered.

SHAMANIC ENERGY HEALING

EAGLE FLIGHT HEALING, LLC

Hamden, CT 203-535-8849

Info@EagleFlightHealing.com

EagleFlightHealing.com

Eagle Flight Healing’s service provides transformative energy work helping clients resolve the traumas, pain, shame and struggles of the past. They experience new self-value and mattering, and feel more vitality, happiness and joy with which to enjoy life and dream the future. See spotlight on page 43.

REIKI

REIKI WILL TRAVEL LLC

Cheryl Benanti, Reiki Master, Life Coach Throughout Connecticut 860-966-0121

ReikiWillTravel@gmail.com

ReikiWillTravel.com

Reiki Will Travel LLC is a mobile service offering Reiki in your home, at your business or special events. Office space is also available. Cheryl provides in-person and over the phone tarot readings as well as small group tarot events. Group Reiki, horse Reiki and life coaching are also available. See profile on page 38.

SOUND HEALING

FEEL YOUR LIGHT

Katie Cavenagh

The Red Barn in Durham 860-655-5527

FeelYourLight.com

Katie@FeelYourLight.com

Facebook.com/KatieCav.energy

Embody your personal power and take control of your life. Offering sound healing, Reiki, Quantum Shifting, psychic oracle readings, meditation, spiritual coaching, mentorship and copywriting. Specializing in mindset reframing, vibrational alignment, reclaiming personal power, accessing higher consciousness and the power of words. Experience your pure magick.

TAI CHI

AIPING TAI CHI

Shirley Chock, CCWS

49 Research Dr., Milford, CT 203-795-0203

AipingTaiChi.com/links

Info@AipingTaiChi.com

Discover Aiping Tai Chi, a trusted resource for almost three decades teaching authentic tai chi, qigong and internal martial arts in CT. We were founded by the renowned Grandmaster Aiping Cheng and currently led by “The Stressbender” Shifu Shirley Chock. Join us on the journey harnessing internal martial arts to cultivate strength, resilience and intention in your body and mind. We welcome you to be a part of our international community of over 150K followers of all ages, gender and races across our social media platforms (@aipingtaichi). Discover what it means to be strong not hard, soft not weak. See profile on page 41.

TRANSFORMATION COURSES

TERRI O’BRIEN

MasterJoyandSuccess.com

Terri@MasterJoyandSuccess.com

Terri’s specialty is using her fear and hypnotherapy training to produce audio and instructional courses to rewire your internal mindset, tell yourself a better story and stomp our fear. Vastly improve your life and productivity by using these inspirational, creative and confidence-building courses. Visit the MindSHOP on the website to experience the sample audio course, Breathe, Relax and Let Go. See profile on page 35.

THERMOGRAPHY

B WELL THERMOGRAPHY LLC

Shirley Faith Prendergast, CTT, INHC Main Office: Milford, CT Satellite Offices: Stamford, Southington, Enfield, Guilford and more 203-915-9712

Shirley@BWellThermography.com

BWellThermography.com

B Well Thermography specializes in whole health thermal imaging. Thermography analyzes skin surface temperatures; a trained thermologist interprets areas that need further clinical evaluation. Thermography is an adjunctive, radiation-free, non-invasive, zero-contact screening that captures heat images of the breast and body to aid in the detection of cancer, toxicity and inflammation, and to monitor whole body health. All scans include a report review with a provider of their choosing.

UNIVERSAL WHITE TIME CRYSTAL & SOUND HEALING

BRADFORD TILDEN, MM, CMT UWT

Universal White Time (UWT) In person, Zoom sessions

860-830-5841

Info@CrystalMusicHealing.com

CrystalMusicHealing.com

Are you tired and frustrated? Experience the energy and benefits of UWT. Release anxiety, stress and trauma. Receive support for your spiritual development through gemstone healing, energy work, sound and guided visualization. Schedule a free discovery call today! Bradford also offers certification course for energy healers who want to learn grow more. See profile on page 42.

WELLNESS CENTER

ARTEMIS WELLNESS CENTER

87 Cherry St., Milford, CT 203-783-9802

Info@ArtemisWellnessCenter.com

ArtemisWellnessCenter.com

DrArtemis.com

Artemis Wellness Center is a sanctuary dedicated to holistic healing and rejuvenation. We offer a wide range of services tailored to nourish the mind, body and spirit. Our team of experienced practitioners is committed to guiding you on your wellness journey, providing personalized treatments and empowering you to achieve optimal well-being. Our comprehensive approach combines traditional and modern medicine with naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, functional nutrition, personalized nutraceuticals and seasonal Mediterranean detox programs so you can find balance, harmony and transformation. Experience the power of holistic wellness at Artemis Wellness Center today.

SHIKOBA WELLNESS AND HEALING

Angela Stevens, BA, CH, RYT, RMT

23 Saybrook Rd., Essex, CT

ShikobaEssex@gmail.com

ShikobaEssex.com

We understand that each individual is on their own unique life journey. We foster individualism through classes that meet you where you are. We immerse our clients in wellness, healing and self-discovery, striving to provide inspiration and joy in a non-intimidating environment that ensures all feel at ease. Offerings at Shikoba include yoga, meditation, hypnosis, Reiki, spiritual guidance and healing. Private classes and wellness packages available as well.

WELLNESS PROMOTIONS

REV. SHIRLEY R. BLOETHE

Pass It On LLC

860-989-0033

PassItOnLLC.com

Shirley has the intuitive ability to find just the right referral for anyone looking for health and wellness support. Whether it is a new or existing business owner (or the general public), her extensive resources will likely be a great match for your needs. She also is able to offer low-budget, effective solutions for holistic businesses and practitioners. See profile on page 40.

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