Natural Awakenings Metro Phoenix & Northern Arizona, December 2020 Edition

EE R HEALTHY LIVING F

HEALTHY

PLANET

SIMPLIFY

THE SEASON GIVE THE GIFT

OF FESTIVE EDIBLES

HOLIDAY TREATS

FOR PETS WRITING A NEW

WORLD STORY

THAT HEALS US AND THE PLANET HOMETOWN BENEFITS OF THE BUY LOCAL MOVEMENT

December 2020 | Metro Phoenix & Northern Arizona Edition | NaturalAZ.com

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IN POSITION TO HELP OTHERS! Health care is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States and Parker University’s health and wellness degrees are a great option for anyone wanting to help improve the lives of others through natural, non-invasive health and wellness.

Is a career helping through natural health and wellness for you? Do you want to bring your career and practice to the next level? Check out these degrees Parker University has to offer.

• Master of Science — Functional Nutrition • Master of Science — Strength and Human Performance • Master of Science — Neuroscience • Master of Science — Clinical Neuroscience • Bachelor of Science — Psychology • Bachelor of Science — Integrative Health Parker University has been named the second fastest growing university in North Texas and the forth fastest in the state of Texas.

For more information on these or other degrees at Parker University or to speak to an advisor today, call us at 800.637.8337 or email us at askparkeradmissions@parker. edu. Ready to apply? Go to Parker.edu today!

Accreditation Parker University is a not-for-profit university and is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Contents

Natural Awakenings is a family of nearly 60 healthy living magazines celebrating 26 years of providing the communities we serve with the tools and resources we all need to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet.

20

15 HARNESSING THE

28

SUBCONSCIOUS

The Potential of Hypnotherapy as a Tool for Growth

19 FRESH RITUALS FOR A NEW YEAR

20 A NEW STORY FOR THE WORLD

Re-Visioning the Script for a Healthier Society and Planet

24 GREEN BUILDING

36

AND DESIGN IN ARIZONA

26 PAY WHERE WE PLAY Boosting the Hometown Economy

28 REINVENT THE HOLIDAYS More Meaning, Less Stuff

30 WELCOME TO THE

NEW AGE OF HEALTH CARE: TELEHEALTH

32 THE GIFT OF YUM Homemade Treats Spark Holiday Cheer

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40

36 TOGETHER IN UNITY AND LOVE

38 MIND-BODY FITNESS How Mindfulness Benefits Workouts

40 HOLIDAY TREATS FOR PETS

Homemade Recipes They Will Love

DEPARTMENTS 10 news briefs 12 health briefs 16 global briefs 18 eco tip 19 inspiration 26 green living 28 healthy kids

32 38 40 42 43 44 46

conscious eating fit body natural pet visit us online classifieds business directory farmers' markets December 2020

7

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

letter from publisher

The Workout Habit

PHOENIX & NORTHERN ARIZONA EDITION PUBLISHER Tracy Patterson, BSc, MES DESIGN & PRODUCTION Patrick Floresca COPY EDITOR Sara Gurgen WEBSITE Locable Kyle Hass

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Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing.

T

he article “Mind-Body Fitness,” on page 38 in this month’s edition, really hit home. I’ve been trying to approach challenging things that I need to do for my health from a different perspective. Working out has always been an activity that I’ve tended to put off indefinitely, so I’ve become determined to rise to the challenge and make it a positive part of my lifestyle.

I’ve had numerous memberships at fitness studios over the years, but like many others, my great intentions resulted in a lighter pocketbook, no exercise, and a dose of guilt to top it off. It never became a habit, and therefore it was pretty much impossible to get a regular exercise regimen going. I eventually gave up the gym option, but a number of months ago it became apparent that I needed to get back to a better fitness level, and that it needed to be part of my lifestyle—not something “over there,” separate from the rest of my life.

I was pondering what to do, since all the gyms were closed down and it was more than 100 degrees outside (so not great hiking weather!), when I came across a personal trainer who has her own studio and does one-on-one sessions. I started at one half-hour session a week because that was all I could afford. I almost said no—I mean, what’s the point of doing it once a week? Then I thought: “Maybe it’s a place to start, and I can increase it over time,” and that’s what I’ve done. I found a few places I could cut back on financially, and now I train three times a week!

I’ve discovered that the big thing about exercise is how I approach it to begin with. Is it, “I’m so dreading this workout; I don’t feel like doing it today,” or is it, “I am so grateful I can work out; it makes me feel so good, and it’s an important part of my routine and my life.”? The self-talk and the actual habit of going are vitally important. And taking the advice in the article of being mindful and breathing properly before and during workouts are also aspects that I’m working on. It’s the most consistent I’ve been in, well, forever, when it comes to the gym, and the first time I feel as though it’s a positive, integral part of my lifestyle.

Happy Holidays! For me, it will be a time to reflect on everything I’m grateful for and set my 2021 goals. And this year, I will be able to enjoy the wonderful foods of the season while keeping my habit of working out to balance the scale, literally.

Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. Please contact us to find a location near you.

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

Check with a healthcare professional regarding the appropriate use of any treatment.

DEADLINE REMINDER! Please note that all deadlines (advertising and editorial) are the 10th of the month prior to the edition being published.

For example, December 10 is the deadline for all January edition submissions.

Natural Awakenings Magazine is ranked 5th Nationally in CISION’S® 2016 Top 10 Health & Fitness Magazines

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December 2020

9

news briefs

Pursue a Healthcare Career at Parker University

P

arker University (formerly Parker College of Chiropractic), founded in Dallas in 1982 by Dr. James William Parker, has more than 1,800 students and 34 academic programs, including its famed chiropractic program. During the COVID-19 crisis, students still deserve the best education, experience and degree that can be earned online without compromising any parts of their educational experience.

The university’s deep tradition, dedication to academic research, and integrated clinical application, positions students to become industry leaders across a broad spectrum of applied science positions.

Recognizing the serious need for natural, noninvasive health and wellness programs for aspiring healthcare professionals, those that feel a passion for improving others’ lives can find a fulfilling, meaningful career.

Parker also offers a Master of Science degree in Functional Nutrition, Strength and Human Performance, and Neuroscience and Clinical Neuroscience. Students can pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Integrative Health within its Health Sciences program.

Within integrative and noninvasive health realms, Parker offers programs in massage therapy, radiologic technology, occupational therapy assistant, and diagnostic sonography.

There are additional areas of study in natural, holistic and wellness programs.

Location: 2540 Walnut Hill Ln., Dallas. For more information, call 800-637-8337, email AskParkerAdmissions@Parker.edu or visit Parker.edu. See ad, page 5.

Advertorial

Lou Malnati’s Tastes of Chicago Shipping Deep Dish GlutenFree Pizza Online

T

he oldest family name in Chicagostyle pizza, Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, is now offering a new gluten-free deep dish option online at TastesOfChicago.com and which will be available in stores in January 2021. The pizzas are available in cheese to start, with sausage and pepperoni options coming soon. Each pizza is handmade from scratch with Lou’s recipe for a glutenfree crust, made primarily from rice flour, and the same high-quality ingredients that people love. The company’s Tastes of Chicago division has been shipping Chicago’s most iconic foods nationwide for more than 30 years.

Owner Marc Malnati says, “We’re committed to providing quality products that taste delicious. While developing this gluten-free crust, we would not compromise, no matter how long it took.

The recipe was a labor of love, and it was developed and refined by our team relentlessly, until they could proudly give it the Malnati seal of approval. We’re excited for our customers to try it, and know it will be worth the wait!”

Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria has more than 60 locations in the Chicagoland area, Arizona, Indiana and Wisconsin. A member of the Malnati family has been running the business since it started in 1971. The Malnati’s signature deep dish is made from a secret family recipe that has been handed down through four generations.

For orders and more information, visit TastesOfChicago.com. See ad on page 13 and in the Business Directory at NAChicago.com.

Check website for service times.

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Advertorial

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11

health briefs

Health Is the Greatest Gift of All! PolarAid users are enthusiastic to share their PolarAid experiences on how this simple, revolutionary wellness tool has changed their lives. From two of our longtime PolarAid users: “When I tested your PolarAid disc, it tested incredibly well. It transforms the ability of the organism to withstand the radiation. I was shocked, to say the least.

I started using the device myself and noticed significant changes. I tested the PolarAid disc on numerous other people and found that it worked on everybody. Needless to say, I started recommending people purchase one or two or the family pack and get the whole family involved.”

R.A., DC, ND, Kelowna, B.C. “This is a real gift and wellness tool, especially in this troubled pandemic age. What a masterful tool to balance your energies .... I am grateful! Thank you.” S.S., Tempe, AZ

Holidays special: Get the PolarAid family pack available at a 20% discount! Our 5+1 offer is now 4+2 for a limited time! $336 $272 For more information, including viewing an informative video on using the product, and to order, visit PolarAidHealth.com or call 450-486-7888. See ad, page 11.

Advertorial

Pile on the broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. In a study of 684 older Australian women published in the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers found those that ate more than 45 grams of cruciferous vegetables a day—about one-quarter cup of steamed broccoli or one-half cup of raw cabbage—were 46 percent less likely to have calcium buildup in the aorta, the main vessel carrying blood from the heart into the body. Fatty calcium deposits in the aorta are a key marker of vascular disease linked to heart attacks and strokes. “One particular constituent found abundantly in cruciferous vegetables is vitamin K, which may be involved in inhibiting the calcification process that occurs in our blood vessels,” says lead author Lauren Blekkenhorst, of Edith Cowan University, in Perth.

“Bulking up” evokes images of bodybuilders and possible steroid use, but new research shows that older people that simply eat lots of vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables have greater skeletal muscle mass than those that don’t eat these foods. Researchers from the UK’s University of East Anglia collected data from more than 13,000 people between 42 and 82 years old and reported in The Journal of Nutrition that the highest amounts of vitamin C correlated with the greatest estimated skeletal muscle mass—an important finding, as people older than 50 typically lose half a percent of muscle fat each year, leading to frailty and a lower quality of life. Sixty percent of men in the study and 50 percent of women were not getting enough vitamin C from food or supplements. “We’re not talking about people needing megadoses. Eating a citrus fruit such as an orange each day and having a vegetable side to a meal will be sufficient for most people,” says study co-author Richard Hayhoe.

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Retain Muscle Mass with Vitamin C

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Eat Cruciferous Veggies for Cleaner Blood Vessels

New!

GLUTEN FREE

DEEP DISH

PIZZA Lou Malnati’s new hand-made from scratch gluten free deep dish cheese pizzas are now available for shipping!

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December 2020

13

For a Healthy Baby, Take a Multivitamin, Exercise and Ditch the Devices

health briefs

Practice Yoga to Improve Atrial Fibrillation

The simple step of taking a daily multivitamin during pregnancy can reduce the risk of autism in newborns by 38 percent, report Chinese researchers that analyzed nine studies of 231,163 children, of which 4,459 were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

Another study from Kings College, London, of 1,555 obese, pregnant women, concluded that when they improved their diet and exercised, their children three years later had an average resting pulse rate of five beats per minute lower than the other children, a better glycemic response and slightly less obesity. Israeli research, published in the online journal Sleep, involving 116 men ages 21 to 59, found those that used smartphones and tablets in the evening and after bedtime had lower sperm quality with reduced counts and motility. Watching TV, another light-emitting source, during the evening also correlated with lower sperm concentration.

elly fairytale/Pexels.com

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Yoga postures and breathing may significantly reduce episodes of atrial fibrillation, suggests a new study— good news for the one in 11 Americans that suffer from its anxietyproducing palpitations, racing pulses, dizziness and shortness of breath. In the study, which was presented to the European Society of Cardiology, 538 patients underwent 12 weeks without yoga and then 16 weeks of attending 30-minute yoga classes every other day. During the yoga period, their fibrillation episodes were halved, dropping on average to eight as compared to 15 in the non-yoga period. Average blood pressure was 11/6 millimeters of mercury lower after yoga training. The patients also reported improved moods and energy. “Our study suggests that yoga has wide-ranging physical and mental health benefits for patients with atrial fibrillation, and could be added on top of usual therapies,” says study author Naresh Sen, M.D., of Sunil Memorial Superspecialty Hospital, in Jaipur, India.

ketut subiyanto/Pexels.com

Nap Less for Heart Health

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Metro Phoenix & Northern Arizona Edition

For normal nighttime sleepers, taking a midday snooze for more than one hour may hurt cardiovascular health, reports a surprising new study from Guangzhou Medical University, in China. After analyzing 20 studies of 313,651 people, researchers found those people that napped longer than 60 minutes after sleeping more than six hours at night had a 30 percent greater risk of death from any cause and a 34 percent higher risk of heart disease. However, for people sleeping less than six hours at night, naps of 30 to 45 minutes “might improve heart health,” says study author Zhe Pan. Napping, long thought to be healthy, is under increasing scrutiny, with some research linking it to high blood pressure, diabetes and poor overall physical health. A 2019 Swiss study, published in Heart, of 3,500 people concluded that napping once or twice a week reduces heart disease risk by 48 percent, but benefits decline with more frequent naps, perhaps because ongoing sleepiness can point to underlying health disorders.

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Harnessing the Subconscious

The Potential of Hypnotherapy as a Tool for Growth

Y

by Taylor Jablonowski

ou’ve likely seen in a movie or on television a depiction of a magician “hypnotizing” an audience member to cluck like a chicken; this unfortunate image comes to mind for many people when thinking of the healing art of hypnotherapy.

One of the most prevalent misconceptions about a hypnotherapy session is that you, as the client, are under the control of the facilitator, who can make you do whatever he or she pleases. In fact, the complete opposite is true: The receiver is in the driver’s seat.

However, because of myths, many people decline the opportunity to experience a formal hypnotherapy session.

During a hypnotherapy session, the hypnotherapist offers a variety of suggestions, which the client is free to accept or reject.

If a suggestion goes against your moral or ethical beliefs, or is in conflict with your goals, then you will easily refuse the suggestion.

What would you think if you found out that we all experience various forms of self-hypnosis on a daily basis? You enter a hypnosis-like state when daydreaming, becoming engrossed in reading, and even when sitting down to watch television. Even when you begin to go to sleep, your brain passes through a phase that resembles hypnosis; it is often the few moments before it’s “lights out,” where you are still aware of your thoughts, however they seem to be generating themselves. That is, in essence, what hypnotherapy produces. It is a very pleasant and relaxing experience, allowing you to let your subconscious out to play.

Hypnotherapy helps to facilitate a highly relaxed state of inner concentration and focused attention for those seeking relief or change in various areas of their lives. Many people have reported that, in just a few short sessions, stressors, such as phobias or addictions, have been lessened or, in some cases, completely disappear. A hypnotherapy practitioner can additionally serve his or her clients by also teaching them to hypnotize themselves at home

in order to reduce chronic pain, improve sleep, or alleviate some symptoms of depression and anxiety.

A growing body of scientific research supports its benefits in treating a wide range of physical conditions and behavior modifications, and there are a vast amount of reasons one may seek out a hypnotherapist beyond physical and mental relief. It has shown potential to increase productivity, clarify goals, remove mental blocks, and uncover subconscious motivations. Many high-performing professionals use hypnosis to help create a balance within their lives or assist in prioritizing their many obligations in a way that is healthy for their mind-body-spirit balance. Some even seek out hypnotherapists out of curiosity; in fact, there has been an increase in demand for practitioners specializing in past-life regression services.

Want to give hypnosis a try? It’s a safe and very rewarding experience.

At Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), you can experience the benefits of hypnosis by attending the specialty clinics offered throughout the year by calling 480-994-9244 or visiting the Specialty Clinic page on swiha.edu. These sessions can be offered in person or via a distance facilitation. If you’re called to be of service to others and interested in being trained in the art of hypnotherapy, SWIHA encourages you to schedule an appointment with an admissions coach to learn more by emailing Info@swiha.edu. SWIHA hypnotherapy classes can be taken online or on campus. See ad, outside back cover.

Advertorial December 2020

15

global briefs

Conscientious Director Amazon Climate Label Facilitates Greener Choices

daniel eledut/Unsplash.com

Amazon is labeling approximately 25,000 products with a Climate Pledge Friendly (CPF) designation to meet a commitment to become carbon neutral by 2040. The selection includes grocery, household, fashion, beauty and personal electronics products, as well as from brands such as Seventh Generation and Burt’s Bees Baby. CPF products are clearly labeled in shopping results, have additional sustainability information on their product page and are featured in a dedicated section of the online store.

The Seattle company, which currently delivers 10 billion items a year, has an enormous carbon footprint due to its commitment to speedy deliveries, transportation-related emissions and data centers. A paper in Environmental Science & Technology, published by the American Chemical Society, found that going to a physical store actually has a lower carbon footprint than shopping on Amazon because customers tend to buy fewer items at a time online. When they go to a store, they’re more likely to stock up and reduce the need for more trips.

California Passes Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act

California governor Gavin Newsom has signed the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act into law, which bans 24 ingredients from cosmetics and personal care products sold within the state. The list includes mercury, formaldehyde, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, endocrine-disrupting phthalates and long-chain parabens used as preservatives, among other chemicals. Many have been linked to breast cancer, reproductive and neurological damage, birth defects, organ system toxicity and developmental delays.

National standards lag behind the rest of the world and have not been updated since being created in 1938.

Despite the industry’s immense size, only two pages of the 829-page Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act govern cosmetics. The new California law will make products safer for everyone, but Black women stand to benefit more because they represent the biggest U.S. market for cosmetics. Environmental watchdog Treehugger notes that Black women account for an estimated 22 percent of the country’s $42-billion per year personal care products market, despite comprising less than 7 percent of the national population.

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Fast Foodie

MilkRun Gives Farmers Direct Sales

MilkRun a Portland, Oregon, comMilkRun, pany founded by farmer and entrepreneur Julia Niiro, is supporting local farmers on small farms by enabling them to sell produce safely and directly to consumers.

The online platform allows farmers to set their own prices, eliminating wholesalers, shippers and truckers. After consumers place orders, farmers deliver the produce to an aggregation hub where MilkRun boxes and ships it.

Niiro explains that while wholesale orders from restaurants have decreased dramatically due to COVID-19, direct purchasing from consumers is offsetting the losses.

By re-scaling, creating new safety practices and adapting to direct consumer demand, farmers are able to turn a profit during the pandemic. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, farmers receive roughly 8 percent of the purchase price from grocery stores, while MilkRun estimates a return of up to 70 percent of the purchase price through its platform.

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Skin Relief

Weather Wanderers The U.S. Geological Survey predicts that global sea levels would rise by about 230 feet if all the glaciers and ice caps on Earth melted, flooding almost every coastal city in the world. This disastrous possibility forces us to confront where current coastal dwellers would go if their cities uninhabitable. In 2017, of the 68.5 million people that were disbecome uninhabitable placed by sudden weather events that included floods, forest fires and intense storms, more than one-third of them were forced to leave their homes behind.

A 2018 World Bank report found that without tangible climate action, more than 143 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America will be forced to move to escape the impacts of climate change by 2050. According to the Institute for Economics and Peace, more than 1 billion people worldwide will live in countries with insufficient infrastructure to withTinyurl.com/EcologicalThreatMap). The Pacific Islands are expected to be stand climate change by 2050 (see Tinyurl.com/EcologicalThreatMap impacted especially hard because sea levels there are already rising at almost half an inch each year.

Tainted Taps

Shining Example

The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine has created WellExplorer, a new, interactive tool that allows residents and scientists to find out what toxins have been deposited in their drinking water as a result of hydraulic fracturing (fracking). Exposure to fracking fluid in drinking water has been shown to increase the risk of respiratory problems, premature births, congenital heart defects and other health problems.

Different fracking sites use a diverse mix of chemical ingredients, and individuals and researchers are often uninformed about the exact health consequences of living near a particular well. People can view the closest fracking sites in their state, learn which chemicals are used at those sites and view their levels of toxicity by entering their zip code.

WellExplorer can be obtained for free at WellExplorer.org or downloaded on Apple’s App store.

A recent study published in the journal Database found that operators of wells in Alabama use a disproportionately high number of chemicals that target estrogen pathways, as do those in Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania in impacting testosterone pathways. The information found through WellExplorer might be particularly relevant for those that use private water wells.

The California nonprofit Arctic Ice Project is proposing to scatter a thin layer of reflective silica glass particles over parts of the Arctic in an effort to protect it from the sun and help ice to re-form. Engineer Leslie Field, an adjunct lecturer and chief technical officer at Stanford University, says they are trying to break a self-destructive feedback loop.

An underrated feature of Arctic sea ice is the ability of its bright, white surface to reflect light. The frigid poles have acted for millennia as a massive umbrella that helps keep the planet cool and climate stable. Now much of that ice is rapidly melting. As temperatures rise, the reflective white ice dissolves into darker blue water that absorbs more of the sun’s energy instead of reflecting it into space. Warmer water accelerates melting, which means yet more absorption of heat, which drives further melting, in a cycle that is part of the reason why the Arctic is warming about twice as fast as the rest of the planet. In July, the ice cover was as low as it has ever been at the same time of year.

Saving Arctic Ice Using Glass Beads

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WellExplorer App Can Warn of Toxic Drinking Water

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Climate Refugees Could Reach One Billion by 2050

December 2020

17

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18

’TIS THE SEASON TO SAVE THE PLANET Eco-Friendly Holiday Ideas When the holiday classic Jingle Bells starts playing in department stores, Americans deck the landfills with extra trash. According to the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), garbage increases by 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day— or about 1 million extra tons each week—including 38,000 miles of ribbon, $11 billion worth of packing material and 15 million discarded Christmas trees.

As this waste decomposes, dangerous greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide are emitted, adding to the climate crisis. This season, include Earth on the gift list by reducing holidayrelated waste.

To stop the uptick of mailed catalogs, call stores and request to be removed from mailing lists.

Reusable shopping bags are not just for groceries. Bring them to malls and boutiques to cut down on single-use store bags.

Wrapping paper, ribbons and bows are beautiful, but create waste. Consider eco-friendly alternatives like towels, tablecloths, scarves and even socks.

According to NEEF, an estimated 2.6 billion holiday cards are sold in the U.S. every year. That’s enough to fill a football field 10 stories high. Be kind to the planet by switching to e-cards or making personal phone calls.

At the holiday table, use cloth napkins and tablecloths instead of paper. They’re festive, elegant and best of all, washable and reusable.

Forgo plastic cutlery, paper plates and single-use plastic cups, too. An extra dishwasher load is better than bags full of trash, plastic being the

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Track your health from the comfort of your own home

worst non-biodegradable culprit.

Social-distancing Americans are expected to flock to the internet for gifts. Consider saving the shipping boxes and packing materials for later use or donating them to a mailing center that would be happy to reuse them.

The most environmentally friendly gifts eliminate wrapping and shipping altogether. Here are some favorite low-waste ideas: ■ Charitable donations ■ Cooking, music, craft or other lessons ■ Passes to museums or amusement parks ■ Gift cards for restaurants or bookstores ■ Music downloads or spa treatments Most towns recycle Christmas trees and process them into mulch for use in parks. Contact a local waste management agency for details.

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inspiration

Fresh Rituals for a New Year

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he end of one year and the beginning of another marks a hopeful transition that many of us choose to celebrate with fireworks and glitzy parties.

Here are several New Year’s rituals to help us connect more deeply to our loved ones, to ourselves and to a richer sense of purpose as we embrace the promise of 2021.

Reevaluate the past year. While many people focus only on what lies ahead on New Year’s Day, consider taking a therapeutic and spiritual look at the past 12 months, evaluating personal accomplishments and deviations from goals and aspirations. Take note of lessons learned and challenges faced, as well as the top 10 highlights of the year.

Declutter. In Italy, people throw things out of their windows on New Year’s Eve; getting rid of items that are no longer of service is

just as important as welcoming the new.

In that spirit, this is a good time to gather clothing, books and other items collecting dust and donate them to a local charity where they may be useful to someone else.

in a sense of peace and harmony. Make sure the session begins before midnight and extends into the new year. This can be done at home alone, with friends or at a local meet-up group, yoga center or spiritual organization.

Formally invite prosperity. Many cultures around the world celebrate New Year’s Day with rituals that are meant to ward off bad luck and attract good fortune. Some of them espouse throwing money over the threshold the first time someone enters their home after the new year has begun. Here’s a modern twist: Gather the family together and bless a few coins or paper bills, either through prayer or as a statement of hope and anticipation. Then, donate the money to charity as a way to spiritually pay it forward.

Place special emphasis on the first 12 days. For many people, the first 12 days of a new year represent each of the 12 months to come. To set a positive course for 2021, spend each of those days exhibiting aspirations for the coming year, such as volunteering at a soup kitchen to manifest an interest in being more charitable, or reading a book about immigrants to become more culturally sensitive.

Spend New Year’s Eve in meditation. Quiet meditation or prayer is a great way to usher

Adapted from an Arcadia Publishing contribution.

December 2020

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A New Story for the World Re-Visioning the Script for a Healthier Society and Planet

by Linda Sechrist

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he most familiar form of human activity and the most natural way to describe what happens in our lives is through telling stories. Toddlers listen to stories that have contained the same archetypal characters acting out similar plots for millennia. In literature, folktales and myths all over the world, stories serve the purpose of providing life instructions and answering humanity’s fundamental questions about the nature of existence, such as who we are, where we came from, the definition of our purpose and the nature of our reality.

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In the 1980s, author and cultural historian Thomas Berry declared that humanity needed a new story that is less destructive and dysfunctional. Berry filled lecture halls, telling attendees, “We are in trouble now because we don’t have a good story.

The old story, the account of how the world came to be and how we fit into it, isn’t functioning properly. What once sustained us, shaped our emotional attitude, provided us with life purpose, energized action, consecrated suffering, integrated knowledge and guided education is no longer serving humanity.” As we are discovering globally through hard experience, the old stories of rugged individualism and conquering and dominating the natural world have run their course with grim results.

In the last four decades, fragments of a new story have been slowly emerging. Because it isn’t deemed worthy of mainstream media, the public is left in the dark about new, life-instructing stories capable of altering human civilization in positive ways.

Were these story fragments woven together in an anthology, chapters on climate, economy, religion, environment, science, politics, medicine, education, conscious evolution and community would constitute a useful account of ideas and concepts capable of bringing about a brighter future for humanity and the planet. These possibilities would surely capture readers’ imaginations.

New Climate Story

In Climate: A New Story, writer and activist Charles Eisenstein suggests that we need a new story that makes possible the more beautiful world our hearts know is

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achievable. The story, which he believes is attainable, calls for people, governments and organizations to embrace a partnership paradigm to protect, restore, regenerate and repair damages to our planet’s natural world, which we call the environment. Using indigenous wisdom, organizations such as the Pachamama Alliance and Bioneers are helping individuals worldwide to recognize that humanity is here to be in service to life. Creating the right conditions for revitalizing life is the opposite of our collective story that views the natural world only as a resource.

Eisenstein’s ideas for regenerative agriculture match those described in environmentalist Paul Hawken’s Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming. In October, Drawdown Georgia became the first state-centered effort to crowd-solve for climate change, with solutions tailored to Georgia’s unique natural, economic and social resources.

New Science Story Evolution biologist Elisabet Sahtouris’ stories about science shine a light on the broader perspective of life and science gained from studying multiple worldviews. A scholar of ancient sciences, Sahtouris reminds us that the original purpose of science was to find guidance for human affairs by studying nature. During a recent conversation with Ubiquity University founder Jim Garrison in the online Humanity Rising’s Global Solutions Summit, she says, “We have acted in opposition and made ecology subservient to our economy, using ecology as a set of resources for human economics. When we make our economy fit into nature’s economy, which we call ecology, we’ll have ecosophy, the ‘wisdom of the Earth itself ’ that occurs when a man knows how to listen with love.”

Sahtouris teaches corporations about ecosophy’s new view of a conscious universe and a living Earth in which we are co-creators. This, she believes, takes humans out of fatalistic victimhood so that we can become consciously active agents of our destiny. Lifting the fog of our selfimage as consumers of stuff gives humans the rights and responsibilities to live out our full co-creative humanity.

A Global Commons Sharing Solutions Through the daily sharing of stories with keynote speakers and panel discussions, Garrison increases the momentum of the Humanity Rising movement, which includes Ubiquity University students, program participants and more than 400 organizations that come together as a “global commons” to take counsel and share what they are developing for their own networks.

Humanity Rising was launched to try to leverage the crisis of the coronavirus pandemic into an opportunity for human renewal and increase our resilience to future challenges. This new form of real-life competency education delivered in TED Talk-style presentations, moderated dialogues, working groups, blogs, ongoing conversations, group discussions and other interactions provides participants a wide scope of possibilities and activities for working together for global solutions.

Economics Story

If British economist Kate Raworth writes a follow-up to her bestselling book Donut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist, she’ll certainly add a case study of her consulting work in Amsterdam, where her donut model is now embraced as the starting point for public policy decisions. Amsterdam is the world’s first city to make a commitment to Raworth’s concepts: “Out with the global attachment to economic growth and laws of supply and demand, and in with … what it means for countries, cities and people to thrive in balance with the planet,” as reported in The Guardian. The simple central premise of Raworth’s alternative to growth economics is that the goal of economic activity should be to meet the core needs of all within the means of the planet.

Interconnectedness Author Robert Atkinson’s contribution to the new story is his understanding of the underlying unity in all religions and all humanity, expressed throughout his book The Story of Our Time: From Duality to Interconnectedness to Oneness. “Nature is an embodiment of the divine, and the whole Earth is sacred. Its vast resources are our common heritage December 2020

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entrusted to us,” he says. “Humanity is one family. Having passed through the stage of childhood, humanity is now struggling to leave behind its adolescent ways while taking on new patterns of thought and action in approaching its maturity. Accepting the oneness of humanity as a biological fact, a social necessity and a spiritual reality will lead us further along our journey toward lasting peace.”

Atkinson believes global harmony is inevitable when we exercise our obligation to independently investigate reality and stop blindly and uncritically following various traditions, movements and opinions. He says, “I consider this as one of the main sources of world conflict.”

Undivided Wholeness

In a world engulfed by fragmentation, the film Infinite Potential: The Life & Ideas of David Bohm is a healing balm with the po-

tential to overturn our ideas about the world and ourselves. “The core work of David Bohm, considered one of the most significant theoretical physicists of the 20th century, is our essential interconnectedness and undivided wholeness from which we get a sense of our own interconnectivity,” says producer and director Paul Howard. “This realization makes it logical to start taking better care of ourselves, each other and planet Earth.”

Howard notes, “David was interested in the nature of thought and consciousness. Realizing that he wanted to develop full expression of his interests, he explored wider domains and investigated different worldviews with sages, philosophers and spiritual leaders such as the Dalai Lama, who called David his ‘science guru’. A lifelong concern with social and political change led him to develop the Bohm Dialogue, a form of communication aiming to break through our collective modes of habitual thought. He also spent time with indigenous people, searching for a new form of language in which to express his ideas in a more process-oriented way.”

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Indigenous Wisdom

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While the early church developed and grew in numbers by assimilating the wisdom of the world about it, including paganism, it neglected to assimilate the intuitive ways in that indigenous people knew the natural world, how it functioned and how intimately they were integrated with it.

Tribes around the globe have ancient extinction stories that foretold the crises we are collectively experiencing, as well as potential outcomes and possible solutions. In Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change, Sherri Mitchell (Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset) tells the story of the Mohawk Seventh Generation Prophecy. “The Onkwehonwe, or real people, rise up and demand their wisdom and way of life be respected and that the natural way of the Earth and way of life be fully restored. Teachings on the indigenous way of life are being sought after, and all that remains is that we work together to restore the Earth to a state of balance and good health,” she says.

Medicine and Community Thousands of people are gathering in online intentional communities associated with personal growth, healing and spiritual awakening. Jennifer Phelps, M.D., owner and director of Phelps MD Integrative Medicine, in Redding, Connecticut, practices mind-body medicine and is a faculty member of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, in Washington, D.C. A trained facilitator of small groups, she has been teaching trauma and stress healing via Zoom calls during the pandemic.

Initially, Phelps was concerned about how the levels of intimacy, trust and vulnerability necessary for individuals to develop a sense of cohesiveness and bonding could be formed via computer screens. By using the center’s model of self-care, self-awareness and mutual support that has its roots in indigenous culture, she felt her concern dissipate as group members began to bond quickly. “Our guidelines call for no cross-talking and no interrupting. Confidentiality is sacred. I’m a facilitator

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and a participant, which most models don’t allow,” says Phelps.

She speculates that the success of online bonding might be due to participants feeling safer in their homes with a little extra anonymity, noting, “Not being face-to-face seems to allow people to share more freely. These weird times are creating a commonality and a sense of community connection.”

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Conscious Choice Leah Lamb, a sacred storyteller in Topanga, California, defines her role as a seer far beyond the present moment. In Lamb’s online classes with her storytelling community, she loves sharing quotes by other storytellers such as Rebecca Solnit, “We think we tell stories; but stories often tell us … Too often stories saddle us, and they ride us and whip us onward and tell us what to do and we do it without questioning. The task of learning to be free is to learn to hear them; to question them, to pause and hear silence, to name them and then become a storyteller of your own story.”

“In our role of storyteller, we can’t be without understanding that we tell stories about how we are in the world as much as stories tell us how to be in world. Identify and notice your stories, then understand how they are running you, so you can consciously choose your place in them,” advises Lamb, who encourages her students to discover the genius of their own calling.

These are only some chapters in the new story that calls for each of us to be aware of the stories we live by, as well as those we tell ourselves and others. It also begs us to ask what is our role in the new story.

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings.

Connect at LindaSechrist.com.

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GrowHaus 2.0

Green Building and Design in Arizona

by Michael Krause

G

reen building is the practice of creating a building that in both construction and design is resource-efficient and environmentally responsible. This paves the way for sustainable health and wellness opportunities for individuals and communities,

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education and security—environmental, food and economic—and creates value and resilience for investors. Net positive approaches; ecological restoration; and building reuse, repositioning and revitalization are at the helm of the future of green building.

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The Rio Salado Project With a wide variety of standards, tools and programs to consider, the Environmental Protection Agency announced the Rio Reimagined–Rio Salado Project as the 20th member of The Urban Waters Federal Partnership designation this summer. Michael Krause—the winner of the American Institute of Architects International Ideas Competition for the Rio Reimagined 2018 and partner at Krause – Architecture + Interiors—describes the Rio Salado venture as “bringing education and food security to a historically depressed and disused area of Phoenix (a food desert).

The concept also recommends sustainable ways to fix a once perennial river that has

been forgotten since the Hohokam Indians disappeared from the valley.”

GrowHaus 2.0 is a remarkable ideation from Krause for the Rio project that comprises an education and resource center with interactive and socially engaging educational programs for the community, rotational hydroponics vertical farming, and aquaponics farming using recycled grey water. The project aspires to give access to education, training and employment; focus on social equity and integrative planning; be “water positive”; and signal a new identity with heightened expectations for the metro region by fostering climate adaptation and urban resilience.

Elevate 24

Building Reuse and Revitalization Repositioning of any building is a step to add to the property’s current value, and as opposed to ground-up construction costs, building reuse capitalizes on reduced development costs. In a growing market for green building, the value of repositioning is realized in integrating sustainability to reduce long-term operating costs.

Elevate 24 is premier workspace with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified office buildings in the heart of the Phoenix financial district.

The Krause firm provided the design solutions for this Class A building by optimizing building space and specifying materials and systems that simplify and reduce maintenance requirements—require less water, energy, toxic chemicals or cleaners, and provide appropriate ventilation and moisture control. Sustainable buildings also enhance the indoor environmental qualities by maximizing daylight, optimizing acoustic performance, and avoid the use of materials with high-VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions.

Elevate 24

Net positive approaches; ecological restoration; and building reuse, repositioning and revitalization are at the helm of the future of green building.

Sustainable Architecture and Engineering Optimizing the potential of various sites, energy use, and the protection and conservation of water are at the heart of and intrinsically what green building is. Projects like Elevate 24 and the Rio Reimagined provide tenants, investors and communities with sustainable solutions for years to come with optimized planning, and ecological restoration and landfill remediation by utilizing afforestation and low-water use farming. With a market in growing demand of energy efficiency enhanced by sustainable architecture and engineering, it is exciting news to see these developments come to fruition with positive and direct impacts on our environment, society and economy.

Michael Krause (Firm Partner, Senior Designer) joined the firm in 2017 after having worked for eight years in Denver, Colorado and Shanghai China, where he was an integral part of many highprofile national and international projects (more info: www.krauseaz.com/partnerannouncement).

December 2020

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green living

PAY WHERE WE PLAY Boosting the Hometown Economy

by Sandra Yeyati

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message we hear throughout the year, but especially during the holidays, is, “Buy local.” The idea is to purchase from locally owned and operated businesses.

Facing competition from big chains like Walmart or internet companies like Amazon, they need our support. But it’s not just a nice thing to do; consumers that buy local help build robust hometown economies with a long list of impressive benefits.

“About three dozen studies have found that two to four times more money stays in the economy for every dollar spent in a locally owned business rather than a nonlocal one,” says economist Michael Shuman, author of The Small-Mart Revolution, Put Your Money Where Your Life Is and The Local Economy Solution. “What’s more, the community enjoys a multiplier effect, generating two to four times more job opportunities, two to four times more income and two to four times greater tax collections. If your interest is in reducing poverty and raising social equality, locally owned businesses are your ticket to doing so.”

According to Shuman, cities that rely on just one or two large companies to drive their economies are far less self-reliant and less resilient than towns that support a diversified base of smaller, locally owned businesses. “The more you have control over your economy, the less likely you’re going to be hurt if one big company splits for Mexico,” he explains.

Cities that have many thriving local businesses enjoy other benefits, too. “We know

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from political science studies that they have higher rates of voting participation and volunteering,” Shuman says. “Sociology studies show lower crime and greater degrees of social organization and civil society. Health studies reveal that local business communities replace a lot of unhealthy, imported food with healthier, fresher, lesspackaged food that lowers rates of diabetes and obesity. Unique local businesses attract tourists. And because they shorten the lines of distribution and supply, we know they bring down carbon footprint.”

Phoenix business leader Kimber Lanning, who opened a record store in 1987 and an art gallery in 1999, has witnessed firsthand the transformative power of local commerce. “Doing business with people we know heightens our connection to place, and when we care about place, we’re more likely to vote, volunteer and give charitably.”

In 2003, Lanning founded the nonprofit Local First Arizona (LFA) to help local businesses thrive and eventually eliminate city, state and federal subsidies that multinational companies were receiving. “Big chains move in, claiming they’re going to drive so much sales tax revenue that the city should pay them to be there,” she explains. “Cabela’s [the outfitter chain] got a $68 million subsidy from Glendale to open one retail location. These sweetheart deals extract money out of the community that could have been spent on parks, libraries and fire departments, but instead goes to shareholders living elsewhere.” Responding to political pressure by LFA and others, Arizona passed a law banning these subsidies five years ago—a major victory—leveling the playing field for smaller businesses, according to Lanning.

As the author of 13 destination guidebooks, Florida-based travel journalist Karen T. Bartlett helps people discover the oftenhidden flavors and experiences unique to their own region, meeting neighbors and supporting the local economy along the way. “From kayak adventures and foodie tours to community theater productions and galleries featuring local artists, fun and meaningful ways to enjoy the distinctive offerings of home abound,” she says.

“Think local first,” Lanning says.

“Spend your money with people you know

in your community—from haircuts to oil changes. Use a local pharmacy. Go to the farmers’ market and move your money to community banks and credit unions.”

“For people to get excited about the purchase of a five-dollar hammer and not pay attention to where they have their mortgage is utterly irrational. Rank [in] order your business expenditures, which starts with your home, then probably goes to your car and then health care, and think about ways of localizing those things, rather than every grocery item,” Shuman advises.

“Usually, you find cheaper, betterquality goods and services, or at the very least, comparable options,” he says, adding that even if a purchase is slightly more expensive or a bit less convenient, favoring the neighborhood vendor is always going to benefit the local economy.

Sandra Yeyati, J.D., is a professional writer.

Reach her at SandraYeyati@gmail.com.

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healthy kids

Happy New Year: A Little Book of Festive Joy. “Perhaps most important is to have a conversation with children about buying less stuff and avoiding waste,” she adds.

“They may have their own ideas about how to reduce waste and relish the challenge of thinking about what they really want.”

REINVENT THE HOLIDAYS

Getting Creative

More Meaning, Less Stuff

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by Ronica O’Hara

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ike many parents, Alicia Hough, a corporate wellness expert in New York, used to go overboard plying her kids with gifts at Christmas. “I was always busy with work, which is why I thought that buying my children the latest or most trending toy in the market will make up for the time I’ve lost,” she recalls. “As kids, they indeed get excited with material gifts, but that joy is just temporary, and that’s what I realized throughout this pandemic. In the end, it’s the relationship with people you value that matters, and not these material things or celebrations.”

Hough, who considers the pandemic a turning point, is not alone. In this turbulent year, holiday celebrations will likely be smaller, quieter and less opulent for many families.

Yet the crisis has also set the stage for families “to create a holiday that is more in keeping with their values, finding deeper connection and meaning with less rushing around and spending less money,” says Laura Markham, a clinical psychologist and author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids.

Besides passing up traveling and parties for cozy pajama times, many families are seriously rethinking their gift-giving habits. Although presents are a beloved part of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa celebrations, many families have come to wonder how the shopping and spending has gotten so out of hand. According to Investopedia, in 2019, the average American spent $942 on holiday gifts, a figure that has steadily mounted in the last decade to total $1 trillion. An estimated $16 billion worth of those gifts are unappreciated and tossed aside, reports Moneyish.

This pandemic season offers “a chance to reset expectations if festive gift-giving has become excessive in recent years,” says Beth Kempton, author of Calm Christmas and a

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For Evan Porter, of Milton, Georgia, a parenting writer at DadFixesEverything. com, “Less clutter and fewer gifts are something we’ve been working toward anyway.” This year, he and his wife plan to drastically pare down their kids’ gifts, possibly using this formula: “Something to read, something to wear, something you want and something you need.”

Instead of presents under a tree, Dawna Campbell, of Bigfork, Montana, founder of ThetaHeartHealing.com, will give her kids an unplugged (and coronavirus-compliant) nature retreat where they can investigate the natural environment, work with animals and journal about how to make the world a better place.

For parents that want to embrace creativity, low costs and sustainability this holiday season, Kempton suggests the following gift-giving ideas: ■ Build anticipation with a treasure hunt or by opening presents over a period of time.

■ Incorporate a sense of wonderment with a wooden magic set or a storybook written by either or both parents that stars the child.

■ Surprise the children by transforming a room in the house into a winter wonderland or turning the garden shed into Santa’s grotto.

■ Offer a parent’s time, skills and attention in the form of promissory notes or a small token that indicates a future shared experience, such as a jar of homemade marshmallows tied with a label promising a family camping trip.

■ Give children items that they can use or eat that are handmade by the parents.

■ Invoke a sense of nostalgia that prompts family storytelling, such as a jigsaw that summons memories of putting together a puzzle with a grandfather 50 years ago.

■ Celebrate environmental stewardship by planting and growing a Christmas tree or Hanukkah bush.

Even gift wrapping can become a fun and eco-smart family game by challenging everyone to creatively repurpose everything from old maps and fabrics to magazines and paper bags, perhaps decorated with artwork and nature finds. If every American family wrapped just three presents in re-used materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields, estimates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However they are wrapped, gifts demonstrate in these unprecedented times that deep joy comes not from acquiring new stuff, but from caring for and giving to each other—especially our children. “In the end, the most precious gift parents can give their children this holiday is their attention, infused with a little bit of festive magic,” says Kempton.

Ronica O’Hara, a Denver-based health writer, can be reached at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.

Gentle Self-Care for Parents It’s been a long, hard year for many parents, and working to make the holidays special for the children may add another layer of stress and anxiety. That’s why it’s key to acknowledge any sadness one is experiencing.

“Feelings of melancholy are a reality for many people over the holidays, and this year it is likely to affect more of us than usual, given how so many of us have lost someone or something this year,” says Beth Kempton, author of Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year: A Little Book of Festive Joy. “It is vital to acknowledge these feelings and accommodate them, whilst also making space for joy. This comes down to talking about it, letting people know what you need or asking what they need and being prepared for the emotions to rise to the surface in the middle of things.” She suggests “putting some slack in your schedule, taking extra care of your health, reaching out for support and giving yourself permission to do things differently this year.”

Instilling the Giving Spirit in Kids

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hildren love getting gifts, but they also love the feeling of giving them, and the holidays are an optimal time to encourage this natural human impulse. Giving helps build their empathy and compassion muscles, which in turn makes for happier, more fulfilled lives, studies show.

Bridging the hug gap. With grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and family friends less likely to be sitting around the table this year, having kids open those presents when the loved ones are on the other side of the Zoom or FaceTime screen can help ease the pain of the time apart. Or children can put together a love package for them that includes drawings and notes to be opened on the other end of a livestream virtual gathering.

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Care for the community. “So many families have been devastated by COVID-19 and fires this year. And many of us have become aware of the cost of institutional racism to families of color,” says psychologist Laura Markham, author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids. “Why not discuss and decide on a family gift to make the world a better place? You could decide how much you would normally have spent on presents and give some portion of that away to help people who are struggling or support a cause that is important to you.”

Simple steps like giving neighbors homemade cookies or candies tied with ribbons can also do much to lift holiday spirits. With her kids, Beth Kempton, author of Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year: A Little Book of Festive Joy, makes up a batch of mince pie to share. “We might be wearing masks, along with Santa hats, and leaving the holiday treats on doorsteps instead of going in our neighbors’ homes this year, but we can still share holiday cheer,” she says. Alexandra Fung, CEO of the parent networking site UpParent.com, says her family in Chicago will provide gift boxes for families in need through their church or a local nonprofit and may work together to make blankets for traumatized and ill children using patterns supplied by the nonprofit Project Linus.

We are the world. Another approach is to give children a small sum to donate, perhaps $10 or $20, and encourage them to find a cause they care about in town or by researching online—from putting money in a Salvation Army Christmas kettle to saving rainforest animals. Or encourage them to find a humanitarian or environmental project to focus on over the holidays. At UpParent.com, kids can find 11 ways to help others around the world without leaving the house, like turning old jeans into shoes to help Ugandan children fight parasites or helping to track animals in the wild. The National Environmental Education Foundation at NeefUSA.org lists dozens of athome projects for kids, such as doing a home-energy audit, creating a compost pile and helping to identify wildlife caught on camera for a digital database.

December 2020

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"Telehealth is not new by any means...it began in the late 1960s.”

Welcome to the New Age of Health Care

TELEHEALTH

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by Paul Bernitt

he only thing more difficult than adapting to change is continuing to resist what has already changed. Change is inevitable and necessary, but too often our nature is to keep things the same. As things beyond our control continue to change, we must adapt. The only difference between a flexible and a rigid palm tree is the flexible one remains a tree while the rigid one becomes a pole.

A palm tree without the wind can cause it to become rigid, while a palm tree with wind can remain flexible and pliable, enabling it to survive the hurricane. Remaining flexible is key to building resiliency. Building resiliency protects us from things beyond our control.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, there was a lot of uncertainty about how to protect ourselves and others from this new virus. What we did know for certain was those considered vulnerable needed to be quarantined, and those in multi-generational hospitals and nursing homes needed to be quarantined for

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their sake and the sake of their loved ones. We learned to wash our hands and use hand sanitizer more often. We learned to cough into our arm rather than our hands. Now if we are feeling sick, we stay home. Our daily lives have changed as we practice 6-feet physical distancing and wear protective face masks in public.

While COVID-19 has caused a lot of inconvenience, difficulty and loss for many, it has also opened new opportunities to invite available technology to health care.

Telehealth is not new by any means. Remote patient monitoring began in the 1950s, and telehealth began in the late 1960s.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, remote monitoring and telehealth were widely used in rural areas where there was limited access to medical providers. While telehealth may not be new, the readily available technology is something new to most. Some of the fastest-growing companies are telehealth companies, as people are becoming aware of the ease and efficiency of telehealth.

There are two main types of telehealth covered by most major health plans, including Medicare. The first type is the use of the combination of audio and video for an appointment through technology such as Zoom. We use Zoom at TriVita Clinic of Integrative Medicine. In this method, the patient simply books a televisit on a specific day and time with his or her healthcare provider. After the appointment is booked, an email is sent to the patient by the healthcare provider with a link that the patient clicks on at the appointment time. Once the link is clicked, the patient is connected to the provider, and all the patient needs to do is turn on the audio and video that are clearly marked on the screen. It’s that easy.

The second type is a telephone call. For most primary care appointments, a simple telephone call will meet the requirements for a televisit. Visits such as prescription refills, diagnostic reviews, sick visits, and even new patient and annual physicals can be conducted over the phone. A member of our team will likely direct you to a simple online form prior to a new patient visit or an annual physical. When setting up a phone call, you can visit with your healthcare provider by simply booking the date and time for your appointment.

When your appointment time comes, your medical provider will call you and be able to conduct the visit over the phone.

Preparation before a televisit appointment can help ensure it runs smoothly. To make televisits work best, it’s advisable to

obtain a blood pressure cuff, a pulse oximeter, a glucose monitor, a scale, and other at-home medical devices. In many cases, your healthcare provider can write a prescription for these items and associated supplies. You can also securely upload medical records to your healthcare provider on our website. Prior to a televisit, you may want to conduct a Zoom meeting with a family member or friend to get comfortable using the technology. Most people who do a video conference call discover just how easy it is to use.

It’s important to keep up with your recommended appointments and not avoid routine medical care for many reasons. This includes going to the lab to get blood work done so your healthcare provider knows your medication is working, and keeping up with prescriptions, specialist visits, annual physicals and other routine care. Your healthcare provider knows what is safe and how to best care for you. Building the trust and rapport with your healthcare provider will put you in the best position to achieve your greater health and wellness.

Paul Bernitt, DHH, is the Director of TriVita Clinic of Integrative Medicine. The clinic offers televisits statewide and continues to provide not only televisits but onsite visits as well. The clinic uses both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local guidelines to ensure safety and security for both its staff and patients. Call 480337-4148 to book your appointment today. For more information, visit TriVitaClinic.com. See ad, page 13.

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conscious eating

The Gift of Yum Homemade Treats Spark Holiday Cheer

by April Thompson

G

ift-givers seeking memorable presents while avoiding holiday shopping stress need look no further than the kitchen. Edible homemade gifts make special, welcome treats, help slow down the shopping frenzy of the season and increase creativity in the kitchen. While 79 percent of recipients return some holiday gifts every year, food and handmade items rank in the top 10 treasured gifts, according to Survey Monkey research.

Mackenzie Burgess, a Fort Collins, Colorado, dietitian and recipe developer at Cheerful Choices, encourages holiday gift-givers to think beyond the Christmas cookie.

One of her go-to holiday gifts, a lentil and brown rice dry soup mix, features colorful dry ingredients layered in a Mason jar and the recipe attached with a pretty ribbon. “This shelf-stable dry soup mix is the perfect, plant-based meal to make on a chilly night, and makes for a unique, affordable and thoughtful gift,” says Burgess, adding that the Mason jars can be repurposed.

For a sweet but healthy treat, Burgess offers freezer-friendly energy bites, which can be made in large quantities in advance and frozen or refrigerated, then popped into jars at gift time. These gluten-free, vegan treats can be made with common pantry items, including a base of oats, nut butter and a sweetener like honey or agave, as well as “fixings” such as shredded coconut, dried cranberries or goji berries, chopped nuts, or chia or flaxseeds to boost the flavor and nutrition. Natural food coloring can also be added to foster a more festive look.

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To give a gift a “wow” factor, blogger Shelley Fulton, in Hudson, Ohio, recommends making a themed basket that may include a mix of homemade and purchased items. “You can take your signature spice rub or that homemade soup mix everyone raves about and expand into a gift basket with other products that support the theme, like barbecue tools for the spice rub or a kettle with cute soup bowls and a new ladle for the soup mix,” says Fulton, the creator of Two Healthy Kitchens. For the dog lovers on a holiday list, Fulton suggests making homemade sweet potato dog biscuits, which can be bundled in a dog bed with other canine comforts.

Stephanie Hafferty, author of The Creative Kitchen: Seasonal Plant Based Recipes for Meals, Drinks, Garden and Self Care, suggests handcrafted items like infused vinegars, herb salts, herbal tea blends or spice mixes for foodies on the holiday gift list.

Infused concoctions can be easily made by steeping a light vinegar like champagne or cider with rosemary, thyme or other perennial herbs, along with a spiraled citrus peel, for two weeks before gifting. “Infused vinegars look so lovely and go with so many winter dishes. They also have the advantage of being antiviral and having the shelf life of a few years,” says Hafferty.

Herb-infused olive oils make another gorgeous foodie gift, but Hafferty warns of botulism risk if the herbs are not completely dried beforehand and fully submerged in the oil. “Make this one closer to the time you plan to give it and include instructions to use within a few weeks,” recommends the Somerset, England, author.

Unusual spice mixes are another favorite gift of Hafferty’s, which can encourage home cooks to get creative.

“Ras el Hanout is a versatile Moroccan spice blend that elevates dishes to another dimension. You can upcycle an old tin and decorate it with images of Moroccan tiles and add a homemade booklet with recipe ideas,” she says.

For a hostess gift that will be eaten immediately, Fulton loves making fruit kabob bouquets, made festive by using red

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and green fruits like strawberries and kiwi cut into holiday-themed shapes like stars and bells. “This is a fun one to make with kiddos,” adds the blogger.

If concerned about preparing food items for someone due to COVID-19, Fulton suggests assembling a countertop herb garden or a handmade book of favorite recipes, with a promise to cook together soon.

The spirit that goes into holiday gift-making matters as much as the end product. Making thoughtful presents for loved ones is a great time to reflect upon our blessings, especially those that have blessed our lives this year.

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

Holiday Gift-Giving Recipes Lentil Brown Rice Soup

and parmesan cheese, if desired.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 4 months.

If presenting the soup mix as a gift, layer dry ingredients in a Mason jar and print recipe to attach to the jar.

1 cup green or brown lentils ½ cup uncooked brown rice ½ cup green split peas 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning 1 Tbsp dried parsley 1 Tbsp garlic powder ½ tsp ground black pepper 2 large vegetable bouillon cubes (1 cube should be equivalent to 1 Tbsp of granulated bouillon) 8 cups water

Recipe from Mackenzie Burgess, Cheerful Choices.

photo by Mackenzie Burgess, RDN

Optional: 1 medium yellow onion, diced 1 Tbsp canola oil 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, no salt added Optional: Sauté onion in oil in a large stock pot over high heat for 3 minutes. Add can of diced tomatoes.

Add dry soup ingredients and 8 cups of water to the same large stock pot (unless starting with this step). Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, covered with a lid. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with crusty bread December 2020

33

Christmas Cocoa Crunch Bark

Freeze for 1 hour. Break into pieces and enjoy. Store leftovers in freezer for up to 3 months.

YIELD: 30 PIECES

½ cup 100% cocoa powder, unsweetened ½ cup coconut oil, melted 2 Tbsp raw quinoa 2 Tbsp maple syrup ¼ tsp stevia ¼ cup dried cranberries ¼ cup pistachios, roughly chopped 2 Tbsp candied orange, diced in small pieces ½ tsp pink Himalayan salt 2 Tbsp white chocolate, melted (optional)

photo by Mackenzie Burgess, RDN

Recipe from Mackenzie Burgess, Cheerful Choices.

Toast raw quinoa over medium-high heat until slightly browned with a nutty aroma.

In a small bowl, mix together cocoa powder and melted coconut oil. Stir in toasted quinoa, maple syrup and stevia.

Pour mixture onto a plate or sheet pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper. Sprinkle pistachios, dried cranberries, candied oranges and salt over the melted chocolate mixture.

Drizzle white chocolate over the top and use a toothpick to create swirl effect if desired.

Ras el Hanout Spice Mix

photo by Stephanie Hafferty

This is lovely sprinkled onto roasting vegetables or added to falafel mixes, soups, stews and tagines.

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1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp ground nutmeg 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp fennel seeds 2 tsp cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick, ground 1 tsp smoked paprika or red pepper flakes 1 tsp black peppercorns

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1 tsp cayenne (optional for spicier version) 5 star anise ½ tsp ground cloves Seeds from 10 cardamom pods 1 tsp dried rose petals Dry roast the cumin, coriander, peppercorns, fennel and star anise in a cast-iron skillet until lightly toasted. This takes a minute or 2 and smells gorgeous. Cool and mix with the other ingredients, grinding in a pestle and mortar or spice blender until the mixture resembles a fine powder. Store in a glass-lidded container. This spicy mix is good for up to 6 months.

Energy Bites YIELD: 12 LARGE BITES OR 24 SMALL BITES

These energy bites are the perfect snack to grab and go. They’re completely customizable and take 5 minutes or less to make. It’s easy to create festive, colored bites for the holidays. Simply add one-quarter cup of oats into a bowl with 15-30 drops of food coloring and give it a stir.

Then, simply roll your finished balls in the food-colored oats.

Store in the fridge until ready to eat or pack into a jar for a gift. Store any leftovers in fridge for up to 1 week or the freezer for up to 3 months.

1 cup rolled oats or quick oats ½ cup add-ins (dried fruit, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, chia seeds, ground flaxseed, chopped nuts or a mixture) ½ cup nut or seed butter (peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, sun butter) 1 Tbsp liquid (plant-based milk, dairy milk, water, coconut oil) 2-3 Tbsp honey or maple syrup

photo by Stephanie Hafferty

Add oats, add-ins, nut or seed butter, and liquid to a large bowl. Stir to combine. Mixture should be slightly sticky, but still crumbly.

Add in honey or maple syrup, 1 tablespoon at a time, to reach desired sweetness. Stir until mixture starts to come together in a sticky ball. If the mixture is still too dry, add in 1-2 more tablespoons of liquid.

Place bowl in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to chill, then roll mixture into balls using hands.

Rosemary-Infused Vinegar This fragrant, versatile vinegar makes a delightful holiday gift that can be enjoyed for months.

Rosemary vinegar is delicious in salad dressings, sprinkled on vegetables (it is especially good on Brussels sprouts, cabbage and other brassicas) or added to sauces and homemade mayonnaise. It is also an excellent natural cleaner.

Fresh sprigs rosemary Light vinegar (organic apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar) Clean bottles Labels Wash the bottles and lids until they sparkle and then dry them thoroughly. Shake the rosemary sprigs to dislodge any dirt or insects if taken from the garden, then rinse and air dry.

photo by Stephanie Hafferty

Cut the rosemary so that it is 2 inches shorter than the bottle. This is so that all of the herb will be submerged in the vinegar. Place 2 sprigs of rosemary into each bottle. Cover with vinegar until the bottle is almost full and replace the lid.

Label creatively; a small sprig of dried rosemary tied to the outside of the bottle is a nice touch.

The vinegar will store for a long time in the refrigerator. When using in the kitchen, the level of vinegar will fall below the sprigs. When this happens, remove the rosemary—the vinegar will still taste of the herb. Use up any vinegar past its best as a bathroom cleaner.

Recipes courtesy of Stephanie Hafferty.

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

December 2020

35

Together in Unity and Love

by Kathleen Gould and Madalyn Johnson

T

he holidays have always been a time for reminiscing about the previous year and feeling gratitude for our many blessings. Although 2020 has been challenging, we can still find so many things to be grateful for.

This year saw many small businesses struggle, and some even closed forever, but there are things we can definitely do to help. Rebuilding our communities is very possible if we work together in unity and love. Instead of buying and supporting big corporate businesses, why not take time to shop locally? Supporting our local small businesses grows our community and helps it to flourish once again.

The stress of this year has also taken a toll on our bodies, minds and spirits, so remember to take care of yourself and your family’s health as well. Exercise, meditation, prayer and healthy foods go a long way to keeping us centered and in a grateful mindset.

Whole plant herbs can also play a huge part in nourishing our minds, bodies and spirits. These beautiful gifts of the earth are the original superfoods. In addition to their many herbal constituents, plants are naturally full of vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, free radical scavengers, and antioxidants. During times of extreme stress, look especially for these categories of herbs: Nervines—These nourish, strengthen and feed the central nervous system to help combat stress, anxiety and depression.

Examples are motherwort, lemon balm and passionflower.

Adaptogens—These work to counteract the effects of stress in the body, helping to protect the neurological, endocrine and immune systems. Examples are ashwagandha, Schisandra, Eleutherococcus, Astragalus, holy basil, and many of the medicinal mushrooms.

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We often think only of herbal teas or supplemental capsules, but there are so many ways to incorporate herbs into your life. You can cook them into your food; use herbal tinctures; make a really strong herbal infusion; strain into your bath to soak in those healing constituents through your skin; make them into beautiful oils, salves or creams for topical use; make a sachet; and the list goes on. Here are a few recipes to

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get your creative juices flowing for yourself or for great holiday gifts.

The following is a basic chocolate recipe—who doesn’t like chocolate?—that can be “herbed up” in your own special way.

Ingredients: 1 cup organic cocoa butter 1 cup raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder) ¾ cup local raw honey (or maple syrup) 1 tsp vanilla extract (homemade hopefully: Vanilla beans soaked in vodka or brandy) Pinch of Himalayan salt Start by melting the cocoa butter in a double boiler. Remove from heat and let cool a bit. Whisk in the honey or maple syrup very slowly. Whisk in the remaining ingredients until thickened, just a couple minutes. Now you are ready to mold this or to customize it. A few optional add-ins: cinnamon, maca, peppermint oil, orange zest from two oranges and powdered orange peel, coconut flakes, ground fennel seeds, lemon zest, and the list goes on and on. What flavors do you like? Maybe a nice box of assorted herbal chocolates is in order! After you add these “special” ingredients, spoon liquid into your favorite molds and freeze them for an hour or 2 until solid.

Staying in the chocolate world, how about a Maca Hot Chocolate? We make this at the SW Herb Shop frequently when we have morning classes. For a gift, you might want to add the mixed powders to a decorative glass jar and attach a note with directions on how to complete the drink. This recipe can be doubled or tripled to fit your needs. This too can be customized. Do you like savory, sweet or aromatic?

Mix your powders together: 1 tsp maca powder 1 tsp cacao powder (or cocoa powder, but try cacao; you’ll never go back!)

½ tsp cinnamon Add 2 teaspoons to a cup of warmed milk (any type of milk you like) and whisk. Add a small amount of honey if you like a sweeter version. Whipped cream or marshmallows take it up a notch—warm, delicious and energizing!

Another nice gift idea that does not include cooking is the making of dream pillows. If you’ve never tried it, we encourage you to give it a go! The combinations are endless, depending on your wants or needs. Simply take a large tea bag (5-inch by 4-inch) or a 10-inch piece of fabric, such as a remnant from a project you did, an old shirt of mom or dad’s, or maybe outgrown baby clothes that have great memories. Mix your herbal blend together. Stuff your tea bag and seal it or put a tablespoon or 2 in the center of your fabric piece and gather it up with a ribbon. Put the sachet on your nightstand … or if you dare, in your pillowcase. Sweet dreams! A few favorite dream herbs are blue lotus, calea, mugwort, damiana, chamomile, hops, lavender, lemon balm, motherwort, ashwagandha, holy basil, white willow and catnip.

Happy Herbal Holidays from all of us at SW Herb Shop!

Madalyn Johnson (left) and Kathleen Gould (right)

Kathleen Gould, registered herbalist, and Madalyn Johnson are proprietors of SW Herb Shop and Gathering Place. Gould has been an herbalist for 30-plus years and has extensive experience in herbal medicine. For more information, call 480-694-9931, or visit SWHerb.com or Store.

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fit body

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Tapping into Contentment

Mind-Body Fitness How Mindfulness Benefits Workouts

W

by Marlaina Donato

hen mindfulness approaches are applied to fitness training—which can be as simple as breathing consciously and tuning into subtle body sensations— the results can be fewer injuries, improved immunity, a lowered stress response, a brighter mood and a deeper commitment to staying fit. Being in the present moment can also spark enjoyment.

Research shows that mindfulness training can also significantly raise self-esteem, and women that cultivate meditative self-compassion experience a boost in acceptance of and satisfaction with their bodies.

“In nature, the bigger the eye of the storm, the more powerful the winds, suggesting that our workout potential and enjoyment is dependent not on how hard we push, but how calm and self-aware we can be,” says John Douillard, DC, author of Body, Mind, and Sport and the founder of LifeSpa, in Boulder, Colorado. “Slowing down and being aware of the body allows the mind to attend to muscles, which can increase blood supply, lymph drainage and replace a potentially damaging fight-or-flight response during a workout with a rejuvenating parasympathetic response.”

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Mindful fitness instructor Ellen Barrett, in Washington Depot, Connecticut, offers clients a full-body experience with a fusion of movement .and weight training. “We think mindfulness is some sort of yoga thing, but everything can become mindful. Jumping jacks and biceps curls can be mindful. It’s not the movement, but the awareness behind the movement. Mindfulness is about being present.”

Adding in balance training, tai chi and Pilates, and swapping a bit less time on the treadmill for a few moments of meditation or visualizing positive results can go a long way, say fitness experts. Debbie Rosas, founder and co-creator of Nia—a bodymind conditioning program anchored in martial arts and modern dance—underscores the importance of listening to cues.

“Notice any areas that feel tight, blocked, rigid and bound. This wisdom through felt sense and awareness will immediately alert you to stop, adjust and slow down.”

The Portland-based co-author of The Nia Technique points to the fun factor. “I believe that when you stop exercising and start moving, anything you do can bring you enjoyment. Do things that leave you feeling successful and motivated to do them again.”

Breath as a Compass

Practicing conscious breathing fortifies the positive impact of exercise and can prevent injuries like hernias that can arise when the breath is held during heavy lifting. “One of the most powerful tools for mindfulness during a workout is following your breath.

Mindfulness is the key, but it’s hard to be mindful when you’re breathing 26,000 times a day into the upper chest, activating a fight-or-flight response,” says Douillard.

Breathing through the nose instead of the mouth during exercise bolsters mindfulness, and as Douillard has demonstrated in studies, causes brain waves to shift from stressed beta waves to a meditative alpha state. “It takes longer to fully inhale and exhale during nose breathing, which creates a baseline of calm,” she says. “Don’t rush. Be

aware of the body breathing and feel each muscle contracting and relaxing with each rep and stretch.”

Chicago-based fitness expert Stephanie Mansour, host of the PBS weekly Step it Up with Steph show, concurs. “Sync your breath with your movement. Mindfully transition from exercise to exercise.” Mansour also suggests working out next to a mirror to improve alignment and avoiding the distraction that can come with having a workout buddy. “Another trick to improve form is to put on headphones and zone out by listening to white noise so that you have no distraction,” she says.

Exercising with deep body-presence is something we do for ourselves. “If you’re really paying attention, you can steer yourself towards invigoration and away from irritation. The body is always providing feedback, but we’re often too ‘out of body’ to notice. Giving full attention to your body is a big gift of selflove,” says Barrett.

“Breathe. Move. Be free,” adds Mansour. “This is your dedicated ‘me’ time and you can use it to feel good about yourself.”

Marlaina Donato is an author and composer.

Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

More Helpful Tips Body scan from Ellen Barrett: Establish a body scan ritual before working out. Either sitting or standing, close your eyes and take a second or two to focus on each part of the body with your mind’s eye.

Start with the feet and then move up to the ankles, legs, spine, etc.

Nasal breathing from John Douillard: Establish a comfortable, slow, nasal breathing rhythm in the beginning of your workout and try to maintain that throughout your practice. Give it time. It will take about three weeks of nose breathing practice to begin to run at the same pace or lift the same weight as you did before as a fight-or-flight mouth breather.

To begin: Breathe deeply in and out through the nose with each rep on the weight machine and lengthen your nasal breathing during cardio [workouts]. As soon as your nasal breath rhythm begins to speed up or you have to open your mouth to breathe, slow down and reestablish a comfortable rhythm of nasal breathing again.

Once the mindful calm has been reset, begin to increase your intensity, letting the nose breathing set the pace.

Breathing tip from Stephanie Mansour: Inhale on the easier movement and exhale on the more challenging movement. For example, inhale as you bend down into a squat and exhale as you press up to standing.

Pull your belly button in toward your spine in all workouts. Engage your core whether you’re working your legs, arms, back or chest.

Workout advice from Debbie Rosas: Do some research if you are new to working out. Go online and look for a teacher you feel aligned with in philosophy and workout approach.

Build slowly. Exercise teachers are trained to inspire you. Their inspiration can push you. Always do less than what you see and build when your body says, “I am ready for more. Let’s move faster and in a larger range of motion.”

December 2020

39

natural pet

HOLIDAY TREATS FOR PETS

Beware of These Troublemakers ■ Caffeinated products. Gary Richter, a holistic veterinarian in Oakland, California, and author of The Ultimate Pet Health Guide, suggests keeping caffeinated drinks and food away from pets. Caffeine contains stimulants called methylxanthines, and pets are much more sensitive to the effects of these substances than humans are. Ingesting even a small amount can make dogs vulnerable to caffeine poisoning, which can cause hyperactivity, panting, elevated heart rate, tremors, seizures and collapse. Seek immediate veterinary care for treatment if these symptoms develop in a dog.

leah kelleyPexels.com

by Tonya Wilhelm

C

ooking for our pets is a great way to ensure they are eating wholesome, nutritional foods. It’s also a fun way to customize a pet treat recipe to meet specific dietary needs. These three festive holiday treats will have a dog woofing for more and a cat purring for seconds. Choose organic, locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.

Pumpkins and apples are always at the top of the culinary list for holiday treats. Not only are these two foods safe for pets, they offer health benefits. Both are packed with fiber, which helps dogs feel fuller. It’s also good for digestive and colon health and can yield firmer stool. For the kitty friends, that fiber also helps move hairballs along. In addition, apples contain phytonutrients and flavonoids like quercetin, which are helpful in treating allergies.

The chia seeds in this pet pie not only help firm up the pie, but are packed with nutrients that naturally boost energy. Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids and are a great source of antioxidants. They also contain minerals, fiber, calcium, protein and vitamins A, B, D and E. Cinnamon and ginger are wonderful spices to use in pet holiday treats. Both of these warming spices improve digestion and soothe the stomach lining. Select Ceylon cinnamon, not cassia cinnamon, because the latter contains higher amounts of coumarin, which can harm the liver and increase the risk of cancer. Ginger may act as a blood thinner, so don’t use it if a dog is going to have surgery or is pregnant. It may also lower blood pressure and blood sugar, so if a dog has heart issues or diabetes, talk to a vet. When in doubt, leave it out.

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■ Artificial sweeteners. San Diego veterinarian Madison Rose says artificial sweeteners such as xylitol can cause a massive insulin release, leading to acute and profound hypoglycemia, or low-blood sugar, and hypokalemia, or low potassium levels. Marked by lethargy, ataxia, collapse, twitching or seizures, ingestion requires immediate veterinary care.

■ Raw, yeasty bread dough. This will expand when ingested, potentially causing a deadly twisting of the stomach.

■ Raisins and grapes. Common in holiday recipes, in large quantities, these can cause kidney failure in dogs.

■ Nutmeg. A toxin for pets.

■ Cooked bones. Not only are these choking hazards, they can pose a serious threat to the digestive tract.

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Homemade Recipes They Will Love

Pumpkin Apple Pie

JANUARY

yield: depends on size of molds

1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin 2 apples 5 eggs 1 cup goat’s milk 2 Tbsp chia seeds 1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon 1 tsp ginger Remove and discard the apple core and seeds. Place all ingredients in a mixer and blend.

Then set it aside for 10 minutes to allow the chia seeds to begin to expand.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into preferred baking dishes, either for a large pie or small, bite-sized muffins.

Bake approximately 15 minutes for small muffins or 40-60 minutes for a full-sized pie. Allow the pie to fully cool and set up before slicing and serving. Serve as a special treat to pets.

Portion the remaining pie into serving sizes and freeze for later.

Eggnog for Pets

Coming Next Month

Holistic Hospital Care Plus: Health & Wellness on a Budget

Raw eggs can be a healthy addition to any fresh pet diet, assuming the animal doesn’t have an egg allergy. Cow’s milk isn’t the healthiest option for dogs and cats because they don’t tolerate its high level of alpha-s1-casein protein. Goat’s milk is a healthier option because it contains extremely low to no amounts of this protein, allowing better absorption of the nutrients.

4 eggs 2 cups goat’s milk 1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon Blend all the ingredients. Either place a few tablespoons in the pet’s dish as a special treat or drizzle over the food.

Alternatively, place a silicone ice cube mold on a cookie sheet for support. The smaller the cavities, the better. Take the remaining eggnog, pour into the molds and place in the freezer.

Once frozen, pop out the treats and store them in a glass container in the freezer. Try serving one frozen treat to each pet every few days.

Turkey Meatballs Making treats for cats can be tricky. The best bet is to head to the meat department. Even the most finicky of kitties will gobble up this healthy treat.

1 lb ground turkey 2 eggs ½ Tbsp dried peppermint Preheat oven to 350° F. Mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well-blended. Form into tablespoon balls using your hand or scooper and place on a lined or ceramic cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes until meatballs are set (they will be extra eggy). Carefully remove and place on a cooling rack. Serve as a special treat. Place treats in a glass container and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze until ready to serve. Thaw completely before serving.

Tonya Wilhelm is a professional dog trainer, spreading the word about positive methods of preventing and managing behavioral issues with a holistic approach. For more information, visit RaisingYourPetsNaturally.com.

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Internationally Acclaimed Psychic Healer, Life Coach 617-697-8924 (Scottsdale) DivineLightMinistries.com

NATURAL DENTAL PARTNERS

White Star is a Spiritual Elder, Mystic, Medium and Master Psychic and Healer with 40 years' experience. She offers profound clairvoyant readings covering any subject. She can heal many conditions and restore emotional and spiritual wellness. Classes and trainings on psychic development and many healing modalities are available in person and online.

Dr. Mahn takes the time to listen to your concerns and uses his extensive experience to help you achieve better health. Author of A Healthy Mouth—The Missing Link to Optimal Health, he utilizes the latest advances in dentistry (low-dose digital X-rays and single-visit biocompatible restorations) to deliver the highest level of holistic dental care. Check the calendar of events page on his website for upcoming seminars. See ad, page 6.

DENTISTS INTEGRATIVE DENTAL ASSOCIATES Lisa M. Butler, DMD 4202 N 32nd St, Ste A, Phoenix 602-956-4807 • IntegrativeDental.com

Providing biologic dentistry personalized to fit your needs in a caring and supportive environment.

Offering many holistic procedures using the latest in modern technology. Dr. Butler is a member of the Holistic Dental Association and the International Academy of Oral Medicine & Toxicology.

Dr. Ingo Mahn 3134 W Carefree Hwy, Ste 9, Phoenix 602-775-5120 • MyNaturalDentist.com

PURE SMILES

Jason A. Jones, DMD 7231 E Princess Blvd, Ste 207, Scottsdale 480-585-1612 • PureSmilesAZ.com Exceptional dental service with dedication to comfort and compassion. We carefully assist each procedure and select the products to help preserve and protect your overall well-being. See ad, page 37.

123rf.com/Satori (Follow)

Kathy Gould and Madalyn Johnson, herbalists and proprietors, offer medicinal bulk herbs and specialty tea blends, herbal extracts, certification classes, community and therapist rental space, medicine-making supplies, and more. See ad, page 23.

Millennium Dental offers more than 40 years’ experience in holistic dentistry, including advanced general dentistry and an extraordinary knowledge of services found in complementary medicine. See ad, page 9.

COACHING

SALT CHALET ARIZONA

Pavel Gershkovich, CHP, CRP 5011 N Granite Reef Rd, Scottsdale 480-621-6041 SaltChaletArizona.com ArizonaLeechTherapy.com

Nicholas J. Meyer, DDS, DNM Dr. Jay Valiyaparambil, DMD 5705 N Scottsdale Rd, Ste D-110, Scottsdale 480-948-0560 MillDental.com

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Metro Phoenix & Northern Arizona Edition

NaturalAZ.com

DOCTORS BUTTERFLY HOLISTIC CENTER

Melanie Icard, NMD 1430 E Missouri Ave, Ste B127, Phoenix 480-599-8370 • PhoenixAntiAging.com Dr. Icard specializes in holistic anti-aging medicine, pain reversal, natural and traditional aesthetics, ozone therapy, and sexual health regeneration. She has extensive training in biological medicine, peptides, PRP, aesthetics and ozone therapy.

CENTER FOR INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE

ANN CHARLOTTE VALENTIN, NMD 16421 N Tatum Blvd, Ste 129, Phoenix 602-888-2320 • DrLotte.com Dr. Valentin specializes in Integrative Medicine and is trained in Botanical Medicine, Homeopathy, Nutrition and Pharmaceuticals. She treats many conditions, such as Menopause, Menstrual issues, Thyroid, Digestion, Allergies, Anxiety, Depression, Heavy Metal Toxicity, and many chronic and autoimmune diseases. Dr. Valentin has post-graduate training in Bioidentical Hormones and sees patients of all different age groups. See ad, page 34.

ENERGY HEALING ALORALOTUS AWAKENINGS SOUL HEALING STUDIO 4310 N 75th St, Ste 115, Scottsdale 917-202-3289 • AloraOrganic.com

Lorina Quigley is a psychic clairvoyant healer, teacher and empath who has honed her skills over many years.

Sessions usually consist of energy reading, clearing and healing with past-life information about wounds and gifts and life purpose. She also helps to create a greater connection to higher self, guides and soul reconnection. See ad, page 34.

KIM CARTER, MA, HTCP

15215 S 48th St, Ste 154, Phoenix Kim@IntuitiveKim.com IntuitiveKim.com Kim Carter is a Psychic and Healing Touch Certified Practitioner providing grounded, down-toearth guidance to those in transition or needing some clarity. Her intuitive readings offer insight into innate strengths, as well as challenges in moving forward.

Her compassionate, practical approach helps clients step into their authentic power to create balance and harmony in body, mind and spirit.

PEST CONTROL ARIZONA ORGANIC PEST & TERMITE CONTROL

Organic Pest Control 602-923-1457 • ArizonaOrganic.com

Avoid being exposed to dangerous chemicals when all-natural and safer alternatives work just as well and last longer. See ad, page 22.

PET CARE ANDREA SOBOTKA, AKA “CRITTER DOC”

ASAM, Sh. Reiki, HTAP Animal Communicator and Counselor 602-317-1543 • CritterDoc1@cox.net SpiritAnimalWisdom.com With a gentle healing touch, Andrea provides earth medicine and energy healing, animal communication, and intuitive counsel for pets and their people.

SPIRITUAL CENTERS THE SUMMIT LIGHTHOUSE® OF PHOENIX

4105 N 20th St, Ste 115, Phoenix 480-442-5020 SummitLighthousePhoenix@gmail.com SummitLighthousePhoenix.org Dedicated to sharing Saint Germain’s Violet Flame. All faiths welcome. Learn how you can become a modern day mystic. We are dedicated to sharing the Teachings of the Ascended Masters® to help you bring in joy and peace to the world. Learn what the requirements are to make your ascension. See ad, page 39.

UNITY OF MESA

2700 E Southern Ave, Mesa 480-892-2700 • UnityOfMesa.org We are a progressive, New Thought, spiritual community, exploring universal principles and practices. We offer practical spiritual teachings for meaningful and prosperous living. Sunday services, youth programs and a wide variety of classes are available each week. ALL are welcome here. See ad, page 10

RETREATS/WORKSHOPS EXPERIENCE NUTRITION GROUP LLC Melanie A. Albert Phoenix • 602-615-2486 ExperienceNutrition.com Facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

Plant-Based Farm-to-Table Experiences. Founded in 2010.

Hands-on intuitive interactive cooking workshops, classes, team building events, corporate wellness, and retreats for organizations.

Artisan plant-based catering, snacks and gift baskets.

SCHOOLS SOUTHWEST INSTITUTE OF HEALING ARTS

1538 E Southern Ave, Tempe 480-994-9244 Info@swiha.edu • swiha.edu

JANUARY

Coming Next Month

Health & Wellness on a Budget Plus: Holistic Hospital Care

Nationally accredited college offers holistic health and wellness degrees, diplomas, certificates of excellence, continuing education and personal development, oncampus and online. Financial aid available. See ad, outside back cover.

December 2020

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Tempe Meadows Farmers’ Market 1490 E Weber Dr Saturdays & Sundays 8am-2pm TempeMeadows.com

Local Farmers’ Markets

The Barn at Power Ranch 3685 E Autumn Dr, Gilbert Wednesdays 4-8pm RaysMarket.com

123rf.com/lola1960

The Capitol Farmers’ Market 1700 Adams St, Phoenix Thursdays late Nov-Apr 10:30am-1:30pm ArizonaCommunityFarmersMarkets.com

NOTE: Please check market websites and ArizonaCommunityFarmersMarkets.com for more information on days and hours, and any restrictions.

Ahwatukee Farmers’ Market 4700 E Warner Rd, Phoenix Sundays Oct-May 9am-1pm Jun-Sep 8am-11am Facebook.com/AhwatukeeFarmersMarket Anthem Farmers’ Market 41703 N Gavilan Peak Pkwy Sundays Oct-May 9am-1pm Facebook.com/AnthemFarmersMarket Care 1st Farmers’ Market 328 W Western Ave, Avondale Tuesdays Jul-Oct 8am-noon ArizonaCommunityFarmersMarkets.com Carefree Farmers’ Market 1 Sundial Circle Fridays Oct-May 9am-1pm Jun-Sep 8am-11am Facebook.com/CarefreeFarmersMarket Downtown Chandler Farmers’ Market 3 S Arizona Ave Saturdays Oct-May 9am-1pm Jun-Sep 7am-10:30am Facebook.com/ChandlerFarmersMarket Gilbert Farmers’ Market 222 N Ash St Saturdays Oct-Mar/Apr 8am-noon Apr/May-Sep 7am-11am GilbertMarket.com Goodyear Farmers’ Market 3151 N Litchfield Rd Saturdays Oct-May 8am-noon ArizonaCommunityFarmersMarkets.com

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High Street Farmers’ Market 5415 E High St, Phoenix Sundays Oct-May 10am-1pm Facebook.com/Farmers-Market-on-HighStreet-2244771575799425

Uptown Farmers’ Market 5757 N Central Ave, Phoenix Wednesdays Oct-Apr 9am-1pm & May-Jun 8am-noon Saturdays Nov-Apr 9am-1pm & May-Oct 8am-noon UptownMarketAZ.com Verrado Community Farmers’ Market N Market Pl & W Main St, Buckeye Sundays Oct-Jun 10am-1pm Facebook.com/VerradoCommunityFarmersMarket

Mesa Farmers’ Market and Flea 526 E Main St Saturdays 8am-1pm (winter hrs) 7am-noon (summer hrs) MesaFarmersMarketAndFlea.com

Vincent’s Saturday Market 3930 E Camelback Rd, Phoenix Saturdays late Oct-early May 9am-1pm VincentsOnCamelback.com

Momma’s Organic Market Park West, 9744 W Northern Ave, Peoria Saturdays 9am-2pm MommasOrganicMarket.com

NORTHERN ARIZONA

Old Town Scottsdale Farmers’ Market 3806 N Brown Ave Saturdays 7am-11am ArizonaCommunityFarmersMarkets.com Phoenix Public Market 721 N Central Ave Saturdays Oct-Apr 8am-1pm May-Sep 8am-noon PhxPublicMarket.com Power Road Farmers’ Market 4011 S Power Rd, Mesa Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm | Sunday 9am-4pm PowerrdFarmersMarket.com Roadrunner Park Farmers’ Market 3502 E Cactus Rd, Phoenix Saturdays Oct-May 9am-1pm | Jun-Sep 7am-11am Facebook.com/RoadrunnerParkFarmersMarket Sun City Farmers’ Market 16820 N 99th Ave Thursdays Oct-May 9am-1pm Facebook.com/Sun-City-Farmers-Market631299790224049

Metro Phoenix & Northern Arizona Edition

NaturalAZ.com

Flagstaff Community Farmers’ Market 211 W Aspen Ave, City Hall Parking Lot Sundays May-Oct 8am-noon FlagstaffMarket.com Prescott Summer Farmers’ Market Yavapai College, Parking Lot D 1100 E Sheldon St Saturdays May-Oct 7:30am-noon PrescottFarmersMarket.org Prescott Winter Farmers’ Market Prescott High School, 1050 Ruth St Saturdays Nov-May 10am-1pm PrescottFarmersMarket.org Sedona Summer Community Farmers’ Market Tlaquepaque/Creekside, 336 Hwy 179 Fridays May-Oct 8-11:30am Sedona-Farmers-Market.com Sedona Winter Community Farmers’ Market Wells Fargo Bank Parking Lot 2201 W State Rte 89A, West Sedona Sundays Oct-May noon-4pm Sedona-Farmers-Market.com

IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE OUR PARTNER HAS LAUNCHED ®

TRANSFORMING YOUR HEALTH CARE TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HEALTH & WELL-BEING Natural Awakenings is honored to give our dedicated readers the opportunity to be among the first members welcomed into the KnoWEwell community. With gratitude for our 26 years of readership and support, through our mission-aligned collaborative partnership with KnoWEwell, we are pleased to gift both individuals and providers with:

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Join for FREE at KnoWEwell.com INDIVIDUALS ENTER CODE: NAPUB60 (a $60 value)

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December 2020

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