Natural Awakenings Phoenix & Northern Arizona, July 2019 Edition

EE R F

HEALTHY

LIVING

HEALTHY

PLANET

RECIPES INSIDE

FOREST BATHING Restores Body and Mind

CROPS IN THE CITY

Urban Farmers Break New Ground

COOLING HERBS Choices That Beat the Heat

July 2019 | Phoenix & Northern Arizona Edition | NaturalAZ.com

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Natural Awakenings is a family of more than 70 healthy living magazines celebrating 25 years of providing the communities we serve with the tools and resources we all need to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet.

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Contents 36 25

16 CROPS IN THE CITY

20

Urban Agriculture Breaks New Ground

20 ALICE ROBB ON THE Transformative Power of Dreams

22 HELP FOR HOME GARDENERS

Extension Agents at Your Service

26 TONING THE VAGUS NERVE Relief for Pain, Anxiety and Inflammation

28 THE GRACE OF ABUNDANCE

Five Practices to Create a More Abundant Life

29 DON TITMUS USES THE

FOREST GARDEN DESIGN TO BRING HIS LAWN TO LIFE

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30 FOREST BATHING

Mother Nature’s Rx for Body and Mind

32 3 WAYS TO ENJOY LOCAL,

SEASONAL ARIZONA SUMMER PRODUCE

36 SUMMER EATING The Herbal Connection

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38 ALL HAIL HIBISCUS! 39 HEALING IN THE GARDEN 40 DIFFERENT WAYS TO

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CONSUME MEDICINAL MARIJUANA

42 THE PURE JOY OF PLAY Why Kids Need Unstructured Fun

44 BEYOND ANTIBIOTICS

Pets Can Heal With Natural Approaches

DEPARTMENTS 10 news briefs 12 health briefs 14 global briefs 20 wise words 22 green living 24 eco tip 26 healing ways

28 30 36 42 44 45 46 48

inspiration fit body plant medicine healthy kids natural pet calendar classifieds resource guide July 2019

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

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

CONTACT US Natural Awakenings – Phoenix 17470 N Pacesetter Way Scottsdale, AZ 85255 Tracy@NaturalAZ.com NaturalAZ.com

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letter from publisher

W

e had a garden in our backyard when I was growing up, which was certainly nothing like the modern endeavors of today, as outlined in this month’s feature, “Crops in the City—Urban Agriculture Breaks New Ground,” on page 16, but it was our bit of dirt and I remember spending hours digging, weeding and eating the delicious vegetable bounty. That was back in the day when you had to soak crucifers, like broccoli and cauliflower, in salted water to get rid of the worms (which would float to the top, should there be any).

Many years later, my husband and I bought our first little house, and it came with an equally little garden! We decided we should try our hand at gardening because by this time, the vegetables we bought at the grocery store had changed to the point of being tasteless. It was so exciting to have a garden again, and as the “icing on the cake,” the seller had brought in some beautiful topsoil, so there was optimum chance for success in the short growing season where we lived at the time. So, we got to work seeding, which didn’t take long in the postage stamp-sized spot.

Well, I can only say, “Wow, what a crop!” We were overrun with veggies of all kinds—radishes, carrots, potatoes, onions, green beans, peas, among others. It was almost comical how the little square patch appeared to be almost bursting! And around a couple of edges we planted nasturtiums, as I had learned in one of my university courses on companion planting that they are good at repelling certain bugs. An added bonus was that we could top our fresh salads off with a few of these tasty, colorful edible flowers.

One day I was in the garden gathering some veggies and flowers for our dinner, and I suddenly had a huge bee after me. A little afraid of bugs, I was about to drop everything and sprint to safety, but hesitated for a second—just long enough to realize that it wasn’t the world’s largest bee, but, in fact, a tiny hummingbird! He was right there near my legs “buzzing” around, no doubt trying to accomplish what a bee would have been successful at: running me off and away from his garden.

I’ll never forget how bold that little guy was, and how we had many hummingbirds enjoying the garden that summer. They also loved our 10 hanging pots that sported an array of flowers—but that’s another story.

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.

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

For example, July 10 is the deadline for all August edition submissions.

news briefs

kudos

Free Class at Hypnotherapy Academy

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he Hypnotherapy Academy of America, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is excited to announce a special free two-hour class being held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23. The class will be facilitated by Tim Simmerman Sierra, lead instructor at the academy, who will be sharing three secrets to create positive life changes by showing attendees how their subconscious mind works.

“Feeling stuck, blocked or stagnant originates with limiting thoughts held at the subconscious level. Learn how the techniques taught at the academy are specially designed to liberate you from those thoughts and help you lead a more fulfilling life—enjoy more peace of mind and a joy-filled heart,” says Sierra, who will also present recent scientific research on Hypnotherapy Academy methods being used by the National Institutes of Health and will also discuss hypnotherapy as a career. “Integrate your interest in healing, the mind science and practical spirituality into a career helping people as a hypnotherapist.”

Sierra has been director and award-winning lead instructor at the academy for 23 years. He is a former two-term president of the American Council of Hypnotist Examiners. He is also on the board of directors for the International Board of Hypnotherapy, and the author of the definitive textbook, Medical Hypnotherapy, Principles and Methods of Practice.

Call 505-767-8030 to register and reserve your seat for this special free class. See ad, page 28.

McD Summer Night Ride Series

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elax in the magical experience of trail riding the desert nights at McDowell Mountain Regional Park (MMRP). Enjoy the beauty of silhouetted saguaros, the sound of trail beneath your wheels, and the chatter of night birds—all under the starlit skies.

This is the seventh year of the Night Ride Series, which is for all mountain bike ability levels. Upcoming rides take place on Saturdays July 13, August 3, August 31 and September 21. Choose your trails, your companions and your start time, from 7 to 7:30 p.m.

The ride begins and ends at the Pemberton Trailhead. Trail maps will be available.

Bring lights with a minimum of three hours of power. Riders are advised to bring both helmet and handlebar lights for optimum visibility. You are riding at your own risk.

Please be respectful of your own limitations as well as those of other riders. Plan to complete your ride around 9 p.m.; then join FHB for food, music and movies.

Location: 16300 McDowell Mountain Park Dr., MMRP. For more information, call 602506-2930, ext. 3, or visit MaricopaCountyParks.net/events.

Scottsdale Residents!

Take Action to Reduce Pesticides. Get more information and download the petition at ScottsdaleBelieve.com/petition.

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elanie Albert, founder and CEO of Experience Nutrition Group LLC, in Phoenix, was accepted into the Association of Food Journalists (AFJ) in the fall of 2018, and recently, one of her photos, showcased in the March 2018 issue of Natural Awakenings of Phoenix and Northern Arizona (“Eat Locally and Seasonally with Wisdom from Around the World: Three Steps to Enjoy Cooking and Eating with the Season”), became a finalist in the food photography category in the AFJ national competition.

The Association of Food Journalists recognized 45 finalists in its 2019 awards competition, which recognizes excellence in 15 categories. The competition received 373 entries, the largest in contest history.

Started in 1986, AFJ’s awards competition is the nation’s longest-running contest for food journalists.

Albert is honored to be recognized on a national platform for her work, and she says, “Thanks so much to all my farmer friends for all the beautiful food you all grow so passionately that makes my ‘food work’ so much fun and beautiful.

And thanks foodie friends around the world too for all your support this last decade as I’ve been living my passion.”

For more information about Melanie Albert, visit ExperienceNutrition.com.

AUGUST

Children’s Health plus: Natural Pet Care

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Children’s Natural & Integrative Health Providers • Nurturing Day Care Centers • Parenting Resources Art/Dance/Alternative Education Facilities • Natural/Organic Food Stores • Animal Organizations Pet Health Practitioners • Pet Food Vendors • Lawn Care Specialists... and this is just a partial list!

VIBRANT AT ANY AGE ISSUE

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

Age-Defying Bodywork

Oral Health

plus: Yoga Therapy

plus: Chiropractic Care

CONNECT WITH OUR READERS

THREE-MONTH EDITORIAL CALENDAR & MARKETING PLANNER Contact us to learn about marketing opportunities and become a member of the Natural Awakenings community at:

PhoenixAds@NaturalAZ.com July 2019

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health briefs

In further confirmation of the importance of the gut-brain axis, 18 Italian students at the University of Verona from ages 18 to 33 that took a freezedried mixture of four probiotics for six weeks experienced less depression, anger and fatigue compared to a control group of 15 that consumed a placebo. The positive effects continued, as discovered in follow-up testing three weeks later. The probiotics group also slept better.

The probiotic bacteria blend of 4 billion colonyforming units included Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus plantarum and Bifidobacterium longum.

Munch Nuts for a Healthy Brain

Emily Li/Shutterstock.com/Shutterstock.com

Seniors that ate more than 10 grams—about two teaspoons—of nuts a day were able to ward off normal cognitive decline and even improve their cognitive functions by up to 60 percent, according to University of South Australia researchers. The study was based on 22 years of records of 4,822 Chinese adults ages 55 and older; 17 percent of them ate nuts every day, most often peanuts. These seniors had as much as 60 percent improved cognitive function compared to those that didn’t eat nuts, and they showed better thinking, reasoning and memory. “Nuts are known to be high in healthy fats, protein and fiber with nutritional properties that can lower cholesterol and improve cognitive health,” says study author Ming Li.

Mega Pixel/Shutterstock.com

Sleep Better and Feel Happier With Probiotics

With the aid of a new infrared camera technology called optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), early Alzheimer’s disease can be detected by checking the back of the eyes for weakened and decreased blood vessels, reports a new study. Northwestern Medicine researchers reached the conclusion by comparing the vessels in the eyes of 32 people that exhibited the forgetfulness typical of early-stage Alzheimer’s with those of another 32 people with normal cognitive

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abilities. The vascular changes were detected non-invasively, without the need for dyes or expensive MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans. The technology quantifies capillary changes in great detail and with unparalleled resolution, making the eye an ideal mirror for what is going on in the brain. Early detection of Alzheimer’s is critical because existing therapies are more effective if they are started before extensive brain damage and cognitive decline have occurred.

Prokrida/Shutterstock.com

Get Eyes Checked to Detect Early Alzheimer’s

Maja Drazic/Shutterstock.com

Take B12 to Help With Parkinson’s

Emily Li/Shutterstock.com

Creativision/Shutterstock.com

Terry Putman/Shutterstock.com

Eat Mostly Plants to Ease Gum Inflammation The inflamed gum condition known as gingivitis is fairly common and often mild, but can be a precursor of more serious periodontal disease linked to Alzheimer’s and rheumatoid arthritis. German researchers at the University of Freiburg tested 30 people: half in a control group that did not change their diet, and half that switched to a diet low in meat and processed carbohydrates and rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, vitamin D, antioxidants, plant nitrates and fiber. After four weeks, those on the plant-based diet had significantly less gum inflammation and bleeding. They also lost weight and had higher vitamin D levels.

New research has found the basic micronutrient vitamin B12 may be the first good tool for averting the hereditary form of Parkinson’s disease, which accounts for about 15 percent of such cases worldwide. In lab tests, an international team of scientists found that AdoCbl, one of the active forms of vitamin B12, inhibits the activity of a mutated enzyme linked to Parkinson’s. Inhibiting this enzyme appears to help stabilize dopamine release in the brain.

Dopamine deficiencies manifest in the muscle rigidity and tremors that are hallmark symptoms of Parkinson’s.

Another recent study from the University of California San Francisco that included nonhereditary Parkinson’s patients found that symptoms worsened more quickly in early-stage patients that had low B12 levels than in those with higher levels of the vitamin.

Try Cordyceps to Strengthen the Lungs People suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, can breathe easier by taking the Chinese medicinal fungus Cordyceps sinensis, a new meta-analysis shows. Researchers at the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine conducted a review of 15 high-quality studies that involved 1,238 COPD patients and found that cordyceps significantly improved lung function, exercise endurance and quality of life with no report of any serious adverse effects. Cordyceps, which is said to relax and open the airways, has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as an anti-asthmatic, expectorant and cough suppressant.

Snack on Walnuts to Slow Growth of Breast Tumors

The gene expression in the breast cancers of women that ate a handful of walnuts each day for about two weeks changed in a way that suppressed the growth of the tumors, according to a small clinical study from the Marshall University School of Medicine, in Huntington, West Virginia. Five women in the experimental group with biopsies that had revealed breast cancer tumors ate two ounces of walnuts a day until their surgery two to three weeks later. Using cells taken during surgery, researchers identified 456 genes in the walnut-eating group that had significantly changed their expression and slowed tumor growth.

July 2019

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Too Blue

Cannabis is enjoying a renaissance of sorts, and one new application for hemp, the no-buzz industrial variety used in fabrics, oils and foods, is cleaning nuclear radiation from toxic soil and removing metals like cadmium, lead, mercury and other pollutants via phytoremediation.

Allison Beckett, a cultivation expert at Marijuana.com, says, “Industrial hemp has been used in areas of high radiation, such as Fukushima, [in Japan,] with promising results. Not only does hemp pull toxic, heavy metals from the soil, it actually improves soil structure, making it usable as productive farmland again.

Plus, hemp is a vigorous plant that absorbs CO2 rapidly, making it an encouraging solution to climate change.” Hemp phytoremediation has been used in Italy to clean up the small town of Taranto, where a steel plant has been leaking dioxin into the air and soil. The Pennsylvania Industrial Hemp Council and Lehigh University, in Bethlehem, are running a project to test the process in an arsenic-contaminated area in Upper Saucon Township that once harbored a zinc mine.

Alarm Sounded

Ireland Declares Climate Emergency

The Republic of Ireland is the third country worldwide to declare a climate emergency, with both the government and opposition parties agreeing to an amendment to a climate action report. “We’re reaching a tipping point in respect of climate deterioration,” says Climate Action Minister Richard Bruton. “Things will deteriorate very rapidly unless we move very swiftly, and the window of opportunity to do that is fast closing.” The UK governments of Wales and Scotland have also declared climate emergencies. Suggested responses include limiting oil and gas exploration, and issuing an additional biodiversity emergency measure.

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Aleksandr Kurganov/Shutterstock.com

Hemp to the Rescue at Detox Sites

The world’s oceans may be getting bluer, thanks to climate change. The effect is more likely to be detected by satellites than Earthbound people, and is caused by the depletion of marine phytoplankton as seawater warms. A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology published in the journal Nature Communications predicts that more than 50 percent of the oceans’ collective 140 million square miles of surface area will likely be affected by 2100. Marine ecologist and leader of the study Stephanie Dutkiewicz says, “These microscopic organisms live in the water and are the base of the marine food chain. If there are less of them in it, the water will be slightly bluer.” Phytoplankton serves as a food source for small sea creatures that are eaten by fish, squid and shellfish. If phytoplankton populations dip too low, vital fisheries in certain areas could be decimated.

Dangerous Dozen Produce to Avoid

The 2019 Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce (Tinyurl.com/ DirtyDozen-Clean15List) highlights increased pesticide use on up to 70 percent of conventionally grown U.S. produce. Several different types of pesticide, insecticide and fungicide residues are present on many fruits and vegetables. The Dirty Dozen list includes strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery and potatoes. The clean 15 list includes avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, frozen sweet peas, onions, papayas, eggplant, asparagus, kiwi, cabbage, cauliflower, cantaloupes, broccoli, mushrooms and honeydew melon. The EWG advises that eating organic produce, especially for pregnant and nursing mothers and young children, should be a national priority.

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Wonder Weed

Algae Loss Colors Ocean

AccuArt/Shutterstock.com

global briefs

Sunny Solution Piyaset/Shutterstock.com

Wastewater Turned into Hydrogen Fuel

Rob Crandall/Shutterstock.com

Action Alert

Greenhouse Gases Hit Landmark

Certainty that we are facing a climate crisis today and not just in the future was reached in May through an alarming milestone in carbon dioxide levels. Data from the Mauna Loa Observatory, in Hawaii, shows that the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached 415 parts per million, the highest ever recorded.

However, environmental organizations charge that ominous news like this is not being communicated to the public to the degree warranted. While the CBS, NBC and ABC nightly TV news reports combined devoted nearly 18 minutes of coverage to the birth of the royal baby between May 6 and 12, airtime regarding climate change and extinction during the same period only amounted to one minute and 21 seconds, and only on CBS. For more information and to get involved, including signing a petition to demand that the media cover the climate crisis and extinction more frequently and in greater depth, visit Tinyurl.com/ClimateCrisisCampaign.

Producing pure hydrogen is expensive and energy intensive, but a research team at the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, at Princeton University, used sunlight to pull hydrogen from industrial wastewater by using a specially designed chamber with a “Swiss cheese”-like black silicon interface. As reported in the journal Energy & Environmental Science, the process is aided by bacteria that generate electrical current when consuming organic matter in the wastewater; the current, in turn, aids in the water splitting. It “allows us to treat wastewater and simultaneously generate fuels,” says Jing Gu, a co-researcher and assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry at San Diego State University. The scientists say the technology could appeal to refineries and chemical plants, which typically produce their own hydrogen from fossil fuels and face high costs for cleaning wastewater.

Pastoral Pollution krugloff/Shutterstock.com

Drugs Found in Rural Rivers

Researchers at King’s College London and the University of Suffolk have found a diverse array of cocaine, pharmaceuticals and pesticides in UK river wildlife, as described in a study published in Environment International. The team collected samples of freshwater shrimp from five catchment areas and 15 different sites across the agricultural county of Suffolk.

Cocaine was found in all samples tested, and other illicit drugs, pesticides and pharmaceuticals were also widely recorded in the survey. Dr. Leon Barron, from King’s College London, notes, “Such regular occurrence of illicit drugs in wildlife was surprising. We might expect to see these in urban areas such as London, but not in smaller and more rural catchments. The presence of pesticides that have long been banned in the UK also poses a particular challenge, as the sources of these remain unclear.”

July 2019

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~Wendy Coleman

Wendy Coleman, founder of LA Urban Farms, works with chefs, resorts, hotels, universities and corporate clients to set up aeroponic tower gardens, such as these kale and lettuce crops.

Cultivate the City manages numerous gardens for clients around Washington, D.C., from elementary school gardens where kids learn to grow, cook and eat nutritious food to corporate gardens inside a new office building for lender Fannie Mae’s employee café. One of its crown jewels is a 6,500-square-foot rooftop garden on the Nationals Park baseball stadium, where edible flowers end up in cocktails and organic produce feeds fine diners and VIP ticket holders.

CROPS IN THE CITY Urban Agriculture Breaks New Ground

by April Thompson

T

he average American meal travels 1,500 miles to reach its plate, according to the nonprofit Center for Urban Education About Sustainable Agriculture. Yet, enterprising green thumbs across the country are bringing the farm back to plate’s reach, growing hyperlocal food in backyards, on rooftops, through indoor farms and more. City farming reconnects urbanites to their food sources while bettering the environment, communities, diets and health.

Urban agriculture, harkening back to the Victory Gardens planted to ward off food shortages during World War I and II, is nothing new. While today’s home gardeners have staked out balconies, window boxes and vacant lots in this

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locavore resurgence, noteworthy pioneers are forging a path to organic urban agriculture on a commercial scale—tapping into new technologies and markets, and turning challenges like dealing with space constraints into fresh opportunities.

A View From the Roofs

Take Niraj Ray, whose company Cultivate the City is working to transform urban food deserts in the nation’s capital into thriving local food systems. “We want to get more people interested in growing their own food and show them how they can grow more with less square footage through vertical gardens and sustainable techniques like [soil-less] hydroponic systems,” says Ray.

Ray grew his business organically, fueled by passion and curiosity, rather than any horticultural background. “I grew up in NYC, where I had nothing to grow on. When I moved to Florida for grad school, I had a huge backyard to play around with,” says Ray. Like many other urban farms, Cultivate the City offers a seasonal farm subscription known as a community supported agriculture (CSA) program that allows city dwellers to buy directly from local producers. Ray’s rooftop greenhouse, located on top of a local hardware store that sells his edible plants at retail, offers all the fixings for a healthy, diverse diet: hydroponic towers of leafy greens, trays of microgreens for corporate clients, specialty varieties of hot peppers for the company’s hot sauce and stacking cubes of an albino strawberry variety that Ray

photo courtesy of LAUrbanFarms.com

City planners need innovative solutions like vertical farming to feed the growing population.

We can grow at scale, with minimum space and environmental impact.

photo courtesy of LAUrbanFarms.com

crossbred himself. “There are so many ways to contribute to urban farming, from aquaponics to vermicomposting; it’s about finding your niche,” he says.

Growing Up With Vertical Farming

By 2050, it’s estimated that 9 billion people will be living on the planet—7 billion in cities. “City planners need innovative solutions like vertical farming to feed the growing population. We can grow at scale, with minimum space and environmental impact,” says Wendy Coleman, who began her California-based business LA Urban Farms in 2013. Today, Coleman’s team works with chefs, resorts, hotels, universities, greenhouses and corporate clients like Google and Ikea to set up aeroponic tower gardens across the U.S. and Europe.

With aeroponics, nutrient-enriched water is pumped through a garden tower to shower the roots of plants suspended in air. “It actually uses 90 percent less water than conventional growing, which is a huge benefit in a place like California, and avoids any kind of agricultural runoff,” says Coleman. In conjunction with urban farming partners, the business churns out 30,000 seedlings a month using aeroponic technology to grow for their diverse client base and working with chefs to plan seasonal menus around their produce.

Aeroponics and other innovative farm technologies are transforming spaces in cities across the U.S., reclaiming peripheral and idle spaces like alleys

July 2019

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hose that have never nurtured more than a houseplant shouldn’t be intimidated, says Wendy Coleman, founder of LA Urban Farms. “Growing food is easy and doesn’t require any special background,” says Coleman, who was green to growing when she started her business six years ago.

When growing commercially, find a niche, says Niraj Ray, of Cultivate the City. The company grows plants of ethnic or cultural significance to appeal to Asian, African and Latino populations, from the nutrition-packed moringa to okra, a staple of both Indian and African cooking, given it is a growing market for immigrant populations not served by most traditional garden centers.

Seek natural allies like sustainability-minded chefs to bolster an urban ag business. The farm-to-fork chef ’s movement has been a boon for beekeepers and farmers, with chefs acting as patrons of the farms, according to beekeeping expert Teresa Coldwell.

Sette Bello Ristorante, an Italian restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, funds vertical gardens at a community garden where the Coldwells have hives so its chef can have pure organic food like squash blossoms pollinated by local bees.

Urban farming has its pleasures and rewards, but can also bring hardships. Ray struggles with employee turnover when newbie farmers face the realities of working in the heat and rain, even from a sleek, trendy, rooftop garden.

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Breaking into Hives: City Beekeepers

“I had a backyard garden that wasn’t doing so well, and I thought it was the lack of pollinators, so I got bees; but then I realized I was just a bad gardener,” quips master beekeeper John Coldwell, of Fort Lauderdale.

Since this humble beginning in 2012 with a few backyard hives, Coldwell and his wife Teresa have been leading a movement to repurpose public land for “microapiaries” and provide apiary education for youth and adults throughout South Florida. Through their entity The Urban Beekeepers, the Coldwells offer beekeeping classes, consult with local governments, sell equipment and rescue “feral hives” to integrate into managed hives.

Joshua Resnick/Shutterstock.com

They’ve worked successfully with parks, airports, golf clubs and country clubs to put honeybee habitats on site.

Urban beekeeping works in synergy with city farms, as honeybees forage up to five miles for food, and in so doing pollinate a lot of crops. Seventy of the top 100 human food crops are pollinated by bees, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. “We often hear people say their garden is doing better than it has in years, thanks to the apiaries nearby,” says John Coldwell.

The challenges of growing at scale are a recurrent theme among urban farmers. Ian Marvy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) outreach specialist for the greater New York City area, ran his own urban farm, grossing six figures for 14 years. However, Marvy says most farmers growing in the city aren’t operating at a profitable scale or producing enough for everyone to eat local.

Even so, locally grown produce is a booming market in New York City.

Greenmarket, founded in 1976, operates more than 50 farmers’ markets, limited to vendors that grow within a 200-mile radius, some of whom take home five

LET’S GET GROWING

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or those interested in trying home growing or supporting metro area farmers, here are some resources for eating food grown in and around your zip code.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Urban Agriculture Toolkit walks prospective city farmers through all of the necessary steps to planning a successful urban agriculture operation, from soil testing to accessing financing.

Tinyurl.com/UrbanAgriculturalToolkit.

UrbanFarming.org features a clickable map of community gardens in the U.S. and beyond where neighbors can connect and grow together.

The FairShare CSA Coalition’s site (CSACoalition.org) offers an interactive Farm Search tool to find community supported agriculture (CSA) programs where city dwellers can subscribe to local farms and receive a share of the seasonal bounty.

The American Community Garden Association (CommunityGarden.org) provides resources for finding, starting and managing community gardens.

Local Harvest (LocalHarvest.org) has a searchable national directory of farmers’ markets, farms, CSAs and more.

goodluz/Shutterstock.com

Tips From the Pioneers

and warehouses to grow herbs and vegetables in abundance, using 90 percent less land by growing vertically, notes Coleman. “With our gardens, diners can see their food growing at their table; they get such a personal connection with their food. It’s an interactive way for hotels and restaurants to demonstrate their commitment to local, sustainable food,” she says.

figures on a good day, says Marvy. Interest in growing at the community level has also mushroomed, adds Marvy, who estimates that 90 percent of the city’s more than 500 school gardens weren’t there 15 years ago when he started this work. “The USDA has a huge opportunity here and nationally to make cities more sustainable and feed more people. I’m really excited and committed to that,” he says.

While urban agriculture efforts are sometimes criticized for catering to upper income residents that can afford to pay top dollar for specialty items like microgreens, many businesses and organizations are working on multiple fronts, with lucrative specialty crops helping to subsidize programs serving families lacking access to healthy affordable food.

Grow Ohio Valley takes an integrated approach to food sovereignty in Wheeling, West Virginia, and the Upper Ohio Valley. “This part of the Appalachian Rustbelt has lost much of its population, jobs and economic base over the last gen-

eration. We want to promote health and wellness through fresh food, while helping to transform the urban landscape from falling-down buildings and vacant lots into productive community assets,” says founder Danny Swan.

The operation’s food hub aggregates produce from small local farmers, providing a guaranteed market for their produce and the opportunity to reach a larger market, usually only served by food grown thousands of miles away.

The produce is supplemented by four urban farm sites run by the organization, including an apple orchard on the site of a demolished housing project.

Grow Ohio Valley also works to reach the “last-mile customers” that lack access to high-quality affordable produce via a mobile farmers’ market that goes to housing projects, senior communities and schools six days a week.

Their latest project, the Public Market, is a retail location on Wheeling’s Main Street that will serve as a year-

round farmers’ market. The organization is also building alliances between local farmers and healthcare providers through a project called The Farmacy. A partnership with a local free clinic, it targets people suffering from diabetes and other diseases linked to poor diets with a doctor’s prescription for organic produce offered free through the organization’s CSA. These urban agriculture pioneers are helping to not only grow food, but community, and are nurturing renewed connections to the Earth. City growing has so many benefits: decreasing packaging, costs and food miles traveled, making it easier to eat organic seasonal food and a more diverse diet. “The connection people feel when they plant seed and get to harvest the mature plant is transformative. Growing food is something we can all do to make a difference, for our health and the environment,” says Coleman.

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

SLEEP BRACELET

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Wearers have experienced:

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Alice Robb on the

Transformative Power of Dreams

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by Randy Kambic

e know and your study that sleep of them? is good for It was where it all got mental and physical started for me and health, but whether even though it was dreams can play a role eight years ago, I still is a fascinating topic. remember my first luWhen we journey into cid dream as if it was that state, science jouryesterday. If I hadn’t nalist Alice Robb feels had that experience we can reap even more of doing the exercises benefits and make our to elicit lucid dreamwaking lives more proing, I don’t know if I ductive, healthier and would’ve written the happier. book—although I’ve Her recent book always been fascinated Why We Dream: The Knowing you are by my regular dreams, Transformative Power lying in bed, but also which have been of Our Nightly Journey, vivid, and have often feeling, physically, that which blossomed from you are in another place, wondered what was a trip to Peru, posits a going on in my brain new way to look at our is very powerful. to produce them—esdreams including how pecially when I felt ~Alice Robb to recall and even influthey were affecting my ence them, and how doing so benefits us moods or my daily life. when awake. Rich with recent studies and evoking famous artists, thinkers and othHow is lucid dreaming different ers over centuries, she traces the intricate than normal dreaming? links between dreaming and creativity, and offers tips on how we can relish the intense In lucid dreams, you are aware that you adventure of lucid dreaming. are dreaming. A lot of people will be in Robb was a staff writer for The New a nightmare; it’s really scary, and you say Republic and has also written for New York to yourself, “This can’t be real, this must Magazine, The Atlantic, Elle, The Washbe a dream,” and then maybe you can get ington Post, the BBC and British Vogue. A yourself out of it. You can train yourself to graduate of Oxford with Bachelor of Arts prolong those lucid moments. Some people degrees in both Archaeology and Anthrodo it naturally while others can do different pology, she resides in Brooklyn, New York. meditation exercises to learn to gain awareness within their dreams.

Before you start trying to have lucid How did your experience in dreams, it’s important to have very good

Peru shape both your dreams

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photo courtesy Don Razniewski

HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE?

photo courtesy Don Razniewski

recall of your regular dreams. We’re all dreaming every night, every time we have a REM cycle, about every 90 minutes that we are asleep, even if you don’t remember your dreams. It’s easier for most people to improve their dream recall. It’s as simple as saying to yourself before bed, “I want to remember my dreams tonight.” The more intention you have, the more you think about your dreams during the day, can be enough to trigger you to better remember your dreams. If you pay close attention to your environment, looking and examining it and asking yourself whether it’s real, you will then ask yourself the same question in a dream.

How do you feel lucid dreaming can improve our overall well-being?

You can practice a speech you are worried about. If you are an athlete, you can mentally prepare. It can help with your mental health. You can use lucid dreams to confront your demons; you can summon someone that you want to have a conversation with and practice talking with them. They are awe-inspiring.

Knowing you are lying in bed, but also feeling, physically, that you are in another place, is very powerful.

What steps can we take to improve our ability to recall dreams?

Keep a dream journal. It doesn’t have to be pen and paper; you can speak your dreams into your phone in the morning or in the middle of the night if you wake up… whatever you can do to train yourself to hold onto them because if you don’t remember them when you wake up, then they will fade pretty quickly.

As soon as I started keeping a dream journal, I was amazed at how many I was remembering. When getting started, make sure to write something every morning, even “I don’t remember anything.” The habits will become ingrained and you’ll start to remember dreams.

Randy Kambic, of Estero, Florida, is a freelance editor and writer.

July 2019

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green living

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by Yvette C. Hammett

any home gardeners readily list flies, wasps and beetles among the “pests” in their gardens.

However, many of these are actually pollinators that help boost production of fruits and vegetables; others are beneficial insects that keep the real plant-killers at bay. A quick call to the local cooperative extension service can help sort out friend from foe—and that’s just the beginning of what this valuable, underutilized resource can offer.

Each year, millions in federal taxpayer dollars help fund county agricultural extension programs administered through the 108 colleges and universities that comprise the nation’s land grant university system. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which supplies the money, also helps fund science-based research meant to reach not only farmers, but home gardeners seeking advice on best practices.

The USDA is trying to do a better job of raising public awareness of

assistance that’s readily available, free of charge, especially now that it’s getting more funding.

Organic on the Rise

“The good news is that the 2018 Farm Bill provided increases for many of our programs, including the organic agriculture research and extension initiative program for which we received significant funding,” says Mathieu Ngouajio, program leader for the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

The USDA is eager to see the connections their constituents are making with the research. “We want to identify the needs of organic gardeners, and the best way to meet those needs to get our research into their hands,” Ngouajio says.

County extension agents are on the front lines of this effort, offering low- or no-cost soil testing, handbooks on a variety of local gardening topics and workshops on everything from making rain barrels and creating rain gardens

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to implementing eco-friendly pest control, cultivating native plants and employing best practices for organic gardening.

Master gardeners that volunteer their expertise are central to supporting extension outreach activities.

“We would love more business from the public,” says Weston Miller, an associate professor with Oregon State University’s extension service. “The public service of the master gardener program is to answer questions,” including what and when to plant and how much irrigation is required.

In Oregon, there are 3,500 master gardeners, with 650 volunteers in Portland alone. “We train master gardeners in how to use our resources and interpret the research to the public,” Miller says.

“There are trained volunteers in pretty much every county in the country ready and willing to answer any gardening question,” Miller says. For example, a new organic gardener might not know the correct soil amendments to use or how to start a composting pile to supplement the soil in an organic garden.

There is also a nationwide network called Ask the Expert (USDA.gov/ask-expert) and questions will automatically go to an extension staff person or master gardener in the area where the inquiring gardener lives.

pesticide, from plant, animal or mineral sources.”

The biggest area of confusion is that many people think organic means pesticide-free. But that is not always true. There is organic pest control, Miller says. “In terms of gardening, there are certified organic products you can use and still be organic.”

One thing to look for on a label is the seal of the Organic Materials Review Institute, which indicates the product is suitable for organic gardening.

However, there aren’t many good options for weed management, he adds. “You have to do weeding by hand or use an herbicide that isn’t organic.”

Another issue that extension programs can help with is making sure organic gardeners receive only scientifically researched information, says Nicole Pinson, an urban horticulture agent with the Hillsborough County Extension Service, in Tampa, Florida.

“Gardening information is available on websites and on social media. Some information that pops up is not researchbased, or they are selling a product and are not unbiased,” Pinson says. “We generally stick to recommendations we have been able to vet through research. When we make a recommendation, we give folks all of the options of what they can do.”

Reducing Confusion

To find a nearby extension office, visit Tinyurl.com/ExtensionFinder.

Many of those getting into organic gardening might feel confused as to what connotes organic, Miller says. “Organic gardening is using a naturally formed material for fertilizer and

Yvette C. Hammett is an environmental writer based in Valrico, Florida. She can be contacted at YvetteHammett28@hotmail.com.

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Eco-Friendly Outdoor Eating

Save Resources, Reduce Food Waste and More

Midsummer is prime time for outdoor family meals, barbecues and picnics.

Selecting the healthiest food, along with eco-friendly materials in preparing for the fun feasts, can fulfill a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle and conserve resources at the same time.

■ To keep uninvited flying pests like mosquitoes, flies and the like away from humans and food, apply natural repellents—many made of natural, essential oil; plant-based and foodgrade ingredients can be found at ChasingGreen.org.

■ GreenAmerica.org recommends using organic cloth, reusable mesh or string produce bags when grocery shopping; use bamboo utensil sets and plastic straw alternatives made of stainless steel, food-grade silicone, bamboo or glass.

■ According to WebMD.com, charcoal grilling of meat can expose us to two potentially cancer-causing compounds—polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that form when fat from meat drips onto hot coals and are “deposited on food courtesy

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of flame-ups and rising smoke,” and heterocyclic amines that “are produced when red meat, poultry and fish meet high-heat cooking.”

Instead, consider using a closedflame gas grill to reduce exposure to toxins and cook fresh and organic fruits and vegetables like zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, onions and mushrooms.

■ Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warn against eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish due to high levels of mercury, and to consume no more than six ounces of albacore tuna per week for the same reason. Some studies point to avoiding farmed salmon due to potentially high amounts of PCBs. Bypass larger fish of the food chain; look for those that have earned the Marine Stewardship Council or Aquaculture Stewardship Council labels.

■ The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently estimated that between 30 to 40 percent of all food in the country is wasted. To improve this situation, use glass containers instead of plastic bags to store leftovers. Also consider sustainable food wraps like Bees Wrap (BeesWrap. com). Made from beeswax, organic cotton, jojoba oil and tree resin, they seal and conform to the shape of whatever food is being stored.

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by Marlaina Donato

esearch is helplife for individuals sufThe vagus nerve ing doctors fering from numerous stems from the brain connect the dots conditions. One type to the abdomen like between seemingly unis a device that can be a communication related conditions like irimplanted by a neuroritable bowel syndrome, superhighway between surgeon, which sends rheumatoid arthritis, electrical impulses to your gut and brain. post-traumatic stress disthe vagus nerve in chil~Hannah Aylward order (PTSD), chronic dren that suffer from fatigue syndrome and fiseizures and adults with bromyalgia, revealing a common denominadepression as a supplemental treatment tor: the multitasking vagus nerve, the longest when surgery or medications are not posin the autonomic nervous system. sible or effective.

The superpower of this doubleThere is also a handheld, non-invasive branched cranial nerve lies in transporting VNS option called gammaCore, a U.S. Food major neurotransmitters along what is and Drug Administration-approved device known as the brain-gut axis. “The vagus that offers hope for sufferers of cluster and nerve stems from the brain to the abdomigraine headaches. Its effectiveness for men like a communication superhighway chronic pain management, as well as in cases between your gut and brain,” says Hanof epilepsy and depression, was published in nah Aylward, an Orlando-based certified the Neuromodulation Journal in 2015. holistic health coach and gut health expert.

PTSD researcher Imanuel Lerman, “Studies show that the vagus nerve reguM.D., and his colleagues with the Veterlates inflammation throughout the body.” ans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, found that VNS affects areas of the brain Promising Research responsible for processing emotional pain.

Recent studies have shown that vagus nerve The findings, published in the journal stimulation (VNS) can improve quality of PLOS ONE earlier this year, also show that

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VNS delays the brain’s response to pain signals in individuals with PTSD.

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Mental Health, Trauma and the Gut

When it comes to the vagus nerve, anxiety is physical. Post-traumatic stress is rooted in neurobiology and experienced in the body, not just the mind, says Arielle Schwartz, Ph.D., a Boulder, Colorado-based clinical psychologist and author of The Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Regaining Emotional Control and Becoming Whole. “This is why you can’t simply think or talk your way out of your trauma reactions.”

According to Schwartz, “Disruptions in the gut flora, which often occur with overuse of antibiotics, can have a significant impact on mental health. An imbalance in the gut can lead to an inflammatory response in the immune system and a wide range of disruptive symptoms.”

Aylward notes that 95 percent of the body’s mood-boosting chemical serotonin resides in the enteric nervous system, which governs the function of the gastrointestinal tract. “The brain-gut axis is becoming increasingly important as a therapeutic target for psychiatric and GI disorders,” she says.

Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and founding co-director of UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center, explains the trauma loop. “Developmental trauma impairs the integrative circuits of the brain and nervous system—the prefrontal cortex. When this happens, the brain will be hyperalert, interpreting some non-threatening situations as threatening.

“Learning to be aware of our internal state and learning calming techniques helps to regulate the autonomic nervous system and can go a long way,” says Siegel.

“High ventral vagal tone means having a state of calm.”

Vagus Power Everyone can benefit from increased vagal tone, which goes hand-in-hand with engaging the parasympathetic nervous system for optimum equilibrium at the cellular level.

Acupuncture, chiropractic—with a focus on the cranial nerves—massage, meditation, singing, laughing loudly, chanting mantras, gentle yoga and exercise, positive social interactions, belly breathing and chanting all make the vagus nerve a happy camper.

These activities promote relaxation and help to decrease inflammation. “As a certified yoga instructor, I can attest to a wide range of natural vagus nerve stimulation techniques, especially using the breath,” says Schwartz. “Diaphragmatic breathing creates a gentle massage across your digestive organs, releases the diaphragm and stimulates nerve fibers within the lungs. Heart rate is reduced.”

Brief exposure to cold water or cold air improves vagal tone and is a good option when anxiety is high. Eating cold-water fish like wild salmon or other foods high in omega-3 fatty acids such as walnuts, seaweed, hemp, flax or chia seeds provides vagal nourishment.

Marlaina Donato is the author of several books, including Multidimensional Aromatherapy.

Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

Vagus-Nourishing Diet Tips Advice from gut health expert Hannah Aylward: ✔ Eat plenty of vegetables, high-quality proteins, fiber and healthy fats. ✔ A diet low in sugar and processed carbohydrates supports healthy vagus nerve function by maintaining a healthy gut microbiome. ✔ Practice intermittent fasting, which stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (not recommended for people suffering from adrenal fatigue or high stress). ✔ Take probiotics. Lactobacillus has been shown to increase GABA via stimulation of the vagus nerve. Bifidobacterium longum has demonstrated it can normalize anxiety-like behavior in mice by acting through the vagus nerve.

July 2019

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inspiration

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The Grace of Abundance Five Practices to Create a More Abundant Life

by Meriflor Toneatto

A

bundance means plenty—a flowing of love, vitality, wealth, joy, prosperity, success and more. GRACE is an acronym representing five practices that can magnify abundance in all areas of life, including finances.

G = Gratitude There is tremendous power in being grateful, because what we focus on expands. Gratitude opens our heart to receive and give blessings. This puts us in a space to have more things to be grateful for.

Practicing gratitude can be as simple as saying, “I am grateful for…” or “I am thankful for…” If we find ourselves in a negative state, practice gratitude even for as brief a period as 60

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seconds. It will positively shift our emotion, thereby allowing us to be open to abundance.

R = Receiving To graciously receive can be as simple as accepting a compliment.

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There is nothing wrong with wanting more. The truth is that we can have more—as much as we are willing to receive.

A = Alignment The key way to get into alignment for more abundance is to know our purpose, follow our passion and work on releasing internal fears and doubts.

When we are in alignment, everything flows. There is ease and doors open for us. People, money and resources will show up on our path to help us achieve our goals. Therefore, we must always be awake to our goodness and take inspired actions to manifest our desires into reality.

C = Commitment

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Commit to gifting ourselves with an abundant mindset because our mindset is critical to our success. One way to quickly shift our mindset to the positive is to concentrate on our desire and ask ourselves, “What do I have to believe for this to be true?”

Our mind will creatively generate many possibilities that can get us excited, which then shifts how we think and feel to what is positive. As we do this, we will also create greater confidence in the knowledge that the universe is always working in our favor.

E = Expression Express our passion by first doing what we love. Then find a way to use our passion, purpose and life to serve others.When we do this, our world, our financial abundance and our joy will expand exponentially.

Meriflor Toneatto is the author of Money, Manifestation & Miracles: A Guide to Transforming Women’s Relationships with Money. Connect at Meriflor.co.

Permaculture is a design practice; it includes all aspects of life but is perhaps mostly known for food production.

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community spotlight

Don Titmus Uses the

FOREST GARDEN DESIGN to Bring His Lawn to Life

B

eginning in 1975, Don Titmus gained his professional skills in horticulture from a trade school in England. Several years later, he expanded into landscaping, and then after moving to Arizona in 1981, he continued in his profession. In 1991, Titmus moved into the current location of his homesite in Mesa. A blank slate presented itself, and he began the conversion from a wasteful lawn and a few ornamental trees to a xeriscape (low-water-use design) landscape. A little while later, he began his landscape maintenance business, which he still has to date. Ten years later, he attended a permaculture design course. Titmus continues both professional practices, using skills as needed for the location and occasion. Permaculture is a design

practice; it includes all aspects of life but is perhaps mostly known for food production. A primary part of the permaculture design is the assessment, with a practical approach to be inclusive and creative— never stuck in a “box,” always seeking the best options for the unique circumstances of the project, with each project being treated as an individual entity.

You may have heard about agroforestry, which has been used for many years by alternative food farms and is starting to become recognized more in commercial agriculture. Did your mom say, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”? Titmus says this about agriculture.

If you are growing hectares (there are about 2.5 acres in a hectare) of a single crop, then one bug invasion could wipe it out. Now you have nothing to buy the

food you are not growing (remember the eggs). By diversifying with the use of design, commercial agriculture can still happen within the design, using not just one crop but many crops of different plants, which is a safer bet during adversity. The design Titmus refers to is called alley cropping. Imagine fieldlong strips of a crop plant, 3 to 5 tractor widths wide, but each row has a different crop plant with windbreaks of tree crops 100 meters (or 110 yards) apart. The windbreaks are planted perpendicular to the damaging winds, creating the wildlife corridors necessary for biodiversity. Then the space between tree rows has five rows of different crop plants, and this design is repeated in the next alley and the next.

Each alley produces five crops, with decreased need for pest control, decreased wind damage and increased pollination, all in the same area of the old one-crop system. And now it has an element of security and production of more than five crops to equal or exceed the prior income level, but with less input.

Let’s take this design model and apply it to an urban/suburban situation like Titmus’. A concept first developed

by Robert Hart in England during the ’70s, the forest garden is the combination of many layers of food plants in a compact manner. Imagine you are in a forest—visualize the different trees, their heights and products. A tall tree layer is part of a windbreak but also gives a nut crop, and then a lower midrange tree layer—mesquite, perhaps, giving pods as food—or a taller citrus.

Next comes the shrub layer, which can include managed stone fruits, wolfberry and dwarf fruits (please note that plants don’t all need to produce food; other products are as welcome and needed).

Next is the herbaceous layer, which can July 2019

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Don Titmus is a permaculture teacher, living and demonstrating a sustainable lifestyle at his homesite in Mesa. He instructs and consults on many aspects of permaculture, including rainwater harvesting, veggies, energy saving, food forest production, and more. He can be reached at fdpc@4dirs.com.

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fit body The main purpose is not exercise or getting from point A to point B, but rather having a mindful, sensory experience in nature.

altafulla/Shutterstock.com

include rosemary, herbs, medicinals and some exotics. Then there is the groundcover layer (low-growing plants), which can include strawberries; flowers (insectaries); nitrogen fixers, like clover; and more medicinals/herbs. With the growth of the trees and perhaps some trellising, the vine layer adds even more biodiversity, such as grapes, berries and flowers. Then there is the final seventh layer, the root layer, which can include tubers, medicinal roots, peanuts, mushrooms and Jerusalem artichoke. This is a designed forest garden!

Now all of this depends on your circumstances, such as plant zone, altitude, climate zone, local microclimate, and food preferences. The strategy is the many-layered perennial plant design, but the local application is the recipe—trees/ plants are for your particular homesite (a banana in the Arctic is not advised).

And whether in a desert urban or suburban situation, water and food lie hand in hand. In Titmus’ permaculture classes, he advises folks to “plant the water first, then plant the plants!” This ensures healthier growth, since the greatest need of the plant is supplied, hopefully, by several sources, such as rain, irrigation and greywater. So what does this look like? A desert landscape would be shaped (graded) to directly and indirectly capture the rain into the soil and plant root zones, away from the impermeable surfaces, like roofs, driveways and paths.

Forest gardens are beneficial on a number of levels, and fun too! Start by doing some research, such as watching YouTube videos on forest gardening, attending permaculture classes, or purchasing a forest gardening book from a local supplier.

~Hannah Fries

FOREST BATHING Mother Nature’s Rx for Body and Mind

I

by Marlaina Donato

n 1982, the Japanese government coined the term Shinrin-yoku (“taking in the forest atmosphere” or “forest bathing”) to inspire people to visit and appreciate national parks. Today, that walk in the woods has become a medically recommended activity worldwide for improving immunity, reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, managing chronic pain and promoting better sleep. The research supporting the physical and mental benefits of forest bathing is so compelling that it’s advocated by the National Institute of Public Health of Japan and prescribed to patients there.

Researchers from the University of East Anglia, in England, examined years of studies and found significant evidence that experiencing nature has a positive impact on health. Published in the journal Environmental Research in 2018, the metaanalysis involving 290 million participants from 20 countries concluded that spending time in green spaces lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, and reduces the stress hormone cortisol. The study also noted a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes and death from heart disease.

Terpenes and Tree Therapy

Another recent review of studies, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, concluded that Shinrin-yoku can ease the symptoms of adult depression. “Forest bathing plugs us into something we all seek—a source of peace and well-being. The thing that first hooked me into being a forest bathing guide was reading the robust body of research that proves the benefits of forest bathing,” says Judy Beaudette, board secretary of Friends of North Creek Forest, in Bothell, Washington.

Melanie Choukas-Bradley, a certified forest therapy guide and author of The Joy of Forest Bathing: Reconnect With Wild Places & Rejuvenate Your Life, in Chevy Chase, Maryland, attests to the therapeutic value of forest bathing. “Even occasional nature immersion can have beneficial health effects that can last for days. Many doctors are now prescribing nature to patients. There’s an organization devoted to this called Park Rx America.”

She recommends just 20 minutes during a lunch break to sit on a bench or on the ground beneath trees.

altafulla/Shutterstock.com

There are many theories of why spending time in the woods or any other natural place makes us feel good; for example, findings published in the journal Toxicological Research in 2017 attribute the immune-boosting, mood-lifting benefits of forest bathing to natural terpenes released into the air by trees, especially conifers. Terpenes contain anti-inflammatory properties that strengthen the body’s natural defenses.

Sensory Immersion, Not Exercise Shinrin-yoku is intended to engage the trinity of body-mind-spirit.

“The main purpose is not exercise or getting from point A to point B, but rather having a mindful, sensory experience in nature. It isn’t some prescribed task you need to do, like pushups,” explains Hannah Fries, a poet and author of Forest Bathing Retreat: Find Wholeness in the Company of Trees. She communes with the wild for both health and inspiration. “Even if it’s only 20 minutes a week, go outside without a phone or other electronic device. Walk slowly. Look more closely. Listen. Smell. Touch. Interact with the living, breathing world around you. It’s that simple.”

Choukas-Bradley says that observance is key. Recalling her first forest bathing experience, she says, “We paid attention to our breath and tuned in to the sights, sounds and sensations all around us. I noticed a perfect spider’s web, just barely trembling in the slightest breeze, its creator clinging to the center.”

She recommends finding a “wild home”—a neighborhood park, garden or backyard tree. “Make it a practice to find a ‘sit spot’ where you can quietly observe beauty and are apt to feel a sense of awe. Psychology researchers have shown that experiencing awe has many positive effects on emotional health.”

It doesn’t matter if we commune with nature in a rural or urban setting, only that we remain dialed in to our surroundings.

“Forest bathing is a tool for slowing down our buzzing minds and practicing a secret superpower—the skill of consciously choosing what we put our attention on,” says Beaudette.

Marlaina Donato is the author of several books, including Multidimensional Aromatherapy. She is also a composer.

Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

A Simple Meditation

If you are passionate about healthy living and enjoy inspiring others to make choices that benefit themselves and the world around them, consider becoming a Natural Awakenings publisher.

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Forest bathing guide Judy Beaudette suggests: ■ Find something you can put your attention on that is natural— a plant, a stone, a bird’s song, a stream or a forest, the sky, even a tuft of grass or weeds growing out of a crack in the sidewalk.

■ Practice noticing something small in nature, like an acorn, a leaf or a grain of sand. Put it in the palm of your hand and for five minutes, notice the details. Keep noticing. See what thoughts come to mind and keep returning your attention to this small thing. After the five minutes have elapsed, write down your observations.

KICK OFF SUMMER WITH A MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIP Visit us at NaturalAwakeningsSingles.com July 2019

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3

The Farm at South Mountain, in Phoenix

Ways to Enjoy Local, Seasonal Arizona Summer Produce

by Melanie Albert

W

e hear it all the time: Eat locally, support your local farmers, and “eat with the season.” Why is this important, and how can we do it? We have so many options in the Valley of the Sun: farmers’ markets, farms, CSAs (communitysupported agriculture programs), home gardens, and community gardens. Enjoy local produce in a way that works best for you: shop at farmers’ markets, go directly to farmers, or grow your own.

Shop at Farmers’ Markets

Over the past decade, the number of farmers’ markets has grown tremendously in the Phoenix area, with weekend markets across the Valley in many communities. People often ask, “Which are the best farmers’ markets?” The best is the one that works for you. Is it convenient?

Is it close to home? Does it fit within your weekend rhythm? Are your favorite farmers and vendors there? We are fortunate that many local farmers sell their produce 32

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at several different markets, which is convenient. Check out a few markets, get to know the farmers, and enjoy these markets and fresh, delicious Arizona produce with your friends, family and community.

Go Directly to Farmers

Visit a Farm. Many of our local farmers host open house farm tours, offer cooking events, and even sell their produce in small shops, often with the honor system,

so you can stop by and purchase fresh veggies and fruit any time of the day or week. When we visit farms, we get to know farmers as people—hard-working and passionate—who are so dedicated to grow and harvest beautiful food for our communities. We also gain firsthand appreciation of the food we’ll be enjoying cooking and eating. As an added bonus, visiting a farm may become part of a self-care routine to slow down and enjoy nature.

Buy a CSA Share. To support local farmers, we can purchase a CSA share at the beginning of each growing season. CSAs often run for eight, 12 or more weeks, at $25-$30 per week, paid in full at the beginning of the season, financially supporting local farmers who are often small business entrepreneurs. With a CSA share, it’s fun to experiment with different farmers and receive foods growing that

week. Many farmers pride themselves on growing unique, specialized produce for us to experiment with in the kitchen. This is really “eating with the season,” and provides the opportunity to cook with exactly what’s growing and ready to be harvested each week; it also brings us close to our farmers and our land.

Grow Your Own

Growing your own is so much fun and can be part of a self-care routine. Grow your own right at home, or for a community experience, join a community garden, where you rent a small plot (e.g., 10 by 10 feet or 20 by 20 feet) and grow with your local neighborhood friends.

Community gardens are so inspirational because you can see, learn and be motivated by what others are growing.

Three Arizona Farm-to-Table Plant-Based Summer Recipes Our simple summer plant-based recipes showcase what’s growing locally in Phoenix this season. The produce is very hydrating and in sync with our hot summers, where our bodies naturally need more hydration. Think tomatoes, zucchini and other types of summer squash, tomatillos, peppers and melons.

To create the recipes, the author met with local Arizona lead grower Billy Anthony at the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain, in Phoenix. They carefully walked through the garden, got close to the food, and together determined produce to harvest to intuitively create these fresh summertime recipes.

Enjoy these tomato recipes with a wide variety of heirloom tomatoes grown by local farmers, such as Ceylon, Blush, Indigo Rose, White Cherry, Yellow Pear, Gold Nugget, White Currant, and Cream Sausage. Mix and match the tomatoes in the three simple, fresh farm-to-table dishes. Experiment with a variety of fresh farmers’ herbs—basil, oregano, lemon thyme and lemon verbena—and all kinds of mint: sweet mint, spearmint, orange, or even pineapple mint.

Summer Heirloom Tomato Salsa: Chopped Veggies

Summer Heirloom Tomato Salsa Enjoy refreshing raw chunky salsa with the bounty of local farmers’ heirloom tomatoes. To create a beautiful salsa, choose a few varieties and colors of your favorite tomatoes. Add a few cucumbers, such as Armenian, Persian or lemon. For extra flavor, add peppers, aromatics (onions, garlic) and fresh herbs for a tasty, refreshing local salsa.

Yields: 4 servings Simple Ingredients 8-10 small-sized heirloom tomatoes, rough chopped (3 cups) 2-3 medium cucumbers, rough chopped (2 cups)

2-3 medium peppers, rough chopped (1 cup) 3-4 green onions, rough chopped (1 cup) 4 garlic bulbs, minced ½ cup fresh herbs (spearmint, sweet mint, orange mint), rough chopped ½ cup fresh lime juice Pinch sea salt Garnish: herbs, edible flowers Simple Steps • Rough chop all veggies.

• Place all ingredients in a large bowl.

• Mix well with hands. Massage the tomatoes to release some juice.

• Season with sea salt to suit your taste.

• Garnish with edible flowers and herbs.

• Enjoy as a side dish.

• Refrigerate leftover salsa and enjoy the next day.

Summer Heirloom Tomato Salsa

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Roasted Arizona Farmto-Table Summer Veggies. Arizona Summer Herb Pesto.

Enjoy roasted summer veggies with fresh farm-to-table pesto at your summer cookouts.

Pair a few in-season local farmers’ veggies with the freshness of the pesto for a special summer dish that embraces local produce.

Roast or grill your summer favorites—tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, peaches and even zucchini with the blossoms—and add fresh herb pesto for a beautiful, tasty farm-to-table summer dish. The roasting or grilling caramelizes and brings out the sweet flavor of the veggies, while the pesto adds a cool, fresh contrast to the dish. Mix and match the herbs in your pesto based on what local farmers are growing.

Yields: 4 servings

Roasted or Grilled Veggies Simple Ingredients 4-5 medium heirloom tomatoes, sliced 4-5 tomatillos, sliced 2 peppers, sliced 4-5 small zucchini with blossoms, sliced 1 peach, sliced 4-5 green onions, sliced 5-6 garlic cloves, sliced 2-3 Tbsp olive oil Pinch sea salt Simple Steps • Preheat oven to 425° F. • Chop all veggies.

• Place veggies one by one into a medium bowl.

• Thoroughly coat with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.

• Place veggies and peach onto parchment paperlined sheet pan, veggies and peach not touching.

• Roast or grill for 12 minutes.

• Flip veggies.

• Roast or grill for 12-15 minutes.

• Remove veggies from pan when cooked.

Arizona Summer Herb Pesto Simple Ingredients 2 cups fresh herbs (e.g., Genovese basil, oregano, lemon thyme) 5-6 garlic cloves, minced ¼ cup fresh lemon juice Zest from one lemon 1 cup pecans, rough chopped ½ cup olive oil Pinch sea salt Garnish: fresh herbs and edible flowers Simple Steps • Place herbs into a food processor.

• Pulse until rough chopped.

• Add garlic, lemon juice and lemon zest, and pulse a few more times until combined.

• Add pecans and pulse to mix.

• Stream in olive oil while pulsing.

• Taste and add sea salt to suit taste.

Roasted Arizona Farm-to-Table Summer Veggies: Chopped

Arizona Summer Herb Pesto: Mise en Place

Plating • Mindfully plate the veggies and pesto.

• Garnish with fresh herbs and edible flowers.

• Enjoy.

Roasted Arizona Farm-to-Table Summer Veggies

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Raw Zucchini. Raw Red Tomato Sauce: Ready to Plate

Raw Zucchini. Raw Red Tomato Sauce.

Inspired by two of Arizona’s bountiful summer crops, zucchini and tomatoes, this quick, refreshing recipe makes a delicious lunch or dinner side dish.

Yields: 2 servings Simple Ingredients 1 medium zucchini, spiralized 6-7 red heirloom tomatoes, rough chopped (1½ cups) ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in water 1 hour, then drained and rough chopped 1 small pepper (corno di toro), rough chopped 3-4 green onions, minced (½ cup) Pinch sea salt 2 Tbsp olive oil Garnish: edible flowers

Raw Zucchini. Raw Red Tomato Sauce: Mise en Place

Simple Steps • Spiralize zucchini with spiralizer.

• Pour all other ingredients into a food processor and pulse a few times to desired chunkiness.

• Toss ¾ of the red sauce with the zucchini.

• Plate with extra red sauce, small tomatoes, fresh herbs, and edible flowers.

• Enjoy.

Melanie Albert, founder and CEO of Experience Nutrition Group LLC, in Phoenix, is the author of the awardwinning cookbook A New View of Healthy Eating and plant-based recipe blog at ExperienceNutrition.com, and offers cooking events, team-building events, corporate wellness programs, and retreats. Recipes and photos courtesy of Albert. For more information, visit ExperienceNutrition.com.

Raw Zucchini. Raw Red Tomato Sauce.

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PLANT MEDICINE

~Nathaniel Whitmore

SUMMER EATING

The Herbal Connection

by Kajsa Nickels

S

ummer is an ideal time to add a healthy dose of fresh, organic herbs to make cool salads, luscious smoothies and other hot-weather eats and treats. Herbs are not only a flavorful addition to any meal, they are also chock-full of health benefits, from lowering blood pressure and improving mineral balance to increasing immune support, hydration, energy and healthy skin.

Most people consider using herbs in small amounts as seasonings for recipes such as spaghetti sauce, soups or desserts. However, they are edible plants, just like kale and spinach.

Although they tend to have strong flavors when dried, fresh herbs are usually quite mild and can be eaten in large amounts like any other vegetable.

Cool Benefits “Summertime herbs are important for dealing with the heat and humidity that the season brings,” says Nathaniel Whitmore, a Chinese medicine herbalist and shiatsu massage practitioner in Milford, Pennsylvania. An herb that he recommends for this time of year is American ginseng, which, unlike its Chinese namesake, is considered a “cooling” herb and helps keep the body moist.

When combined with fresh chrysanthemum flowers, the result is a powerful elixir that both hydrates and energizes. “A piece of American ginseng root and a few chrysanthemums placed in a jar of water and set on a windowsill for a few days makes a great cold infusion,” says Whitmore. “You can store it in the fridge for a few days and drink it in small amounts at a time to benefit from its energizing and hydrating properties.”

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Soft-stemmed herbs such as parsley and dill can be used in large amounts in salads and summer sandwiches. Other heat-tolerant herbs that are easy to grow include lemon balm, rosemary, lavender, mint and basil.

“Lemon balm is great for headaches and insomnia that are common during summer heat waves,” says Michelle Schoffro Cook, Ph.D., an herbalist and doctor of natural medicine, in Ontario, Canada. “Basil can help reduce summer achiness, while lavender serves as a relaxant and an excellent bug repellant.”

In addition to relieving headaches and restlessness, lemon balm is also beneficial for those that suffer from high blood pressure.

A study in the Journal of Herbal Medicine reports that it is helpful in reducing blood pressure in patients with chronic stable angina.

Rosemary, another herb used for sleep disorders, was found to also help improve memory and decrease anxiety in a study conducted in Iran at the Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

One study in 2009 by researchers in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Allahbad, in India, revealed that polyphenols found in herbs and plants harbor antioxidant properties that can help reduce the risk of developing cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and neurodegenerative disorders.

Fresh Is Best While herbs can be used in their extracted and dried forms, the most significant health benefits are often found in the raw, organic plant. “Fresh is better,” says Whitmore. “This is especially true when it comes to the more aromatic plants such as basil and lavender. A lot of the more volatile constituents are lost during the drying process.”

Most herbs grow best in dry garden areas that receive at least eight hours of sun each day. Although some herbs can grow in partially shaded locations, they won’t be as flavorful. Many herbs can also be grown in containers or pots.

Maria Noël Groves, a clinical herbalist in Allenstown, New Hampshire, and author of Grow Your Own Herbal Remedies: How to Create a Customized Herb Garden to Support Your Health & WellBeing, lists lemon balm, Korean mint, anise hyssop and purple basil as among her favorite summer culinary and beverage herbs that are easy to grow in pots. These make easy pickings for wraps, salads, sandwiches and more. “Lemon balm can also be used to make infused water,” says Groves. “With lemon verbena, lemon grass or holy basil, the result is refreshing and calming.” Just take a few sprigs and place them in either plain or seltzer water. The result is a delicately flavored beverage that’s also healthy and hydrating.

Kajsa Nickels is a freelance writer and a music composer. She resides in northeastern Pennsylvania. Contact her at Fideleterna45@gmail.com.

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Summertime herbs are important for dealing with the heat and humidity that the season brings.

PLANT MEDICINE

Herbal Chill-Outs

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Lemon Balm Vinegar

This infusion can be used in place of plain vinegar in summer salad dressings. According to the Journal of Medicine, lemon balm is helpful in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. Combining it with apple cider vinegar adds extra health benefits to the mix, including digestion enhancement, detoxing and inflammation reduction.

2-3 cups fresh lemon balm, washed 1 qt apple cider vinegar Add coarsely chopped lemon balm leaves and stems to a 32-ounce mason jar. Add vinegar until lemon balm is completely covered.

Allow to sit in a cool, dark place for two to four weeks before straining.

From the book Be Your Own Herbalist by Michelle Schoffro Cook.

Used with permission from New World Library.

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photos by Stacey Cramp Used with permission from New World Library.

Dandelion and Violet Greens Pesto 1 bunch dandelion leaves 1-2 handfuls violet leaves 1-3 garlic cloves 1-3 oz Parmesan cheese 1 cup toasted, salted/tamari pepitas (pumpkin seeds) Juice of ½ lemon ¼ cup olive oil Coarsely chop the herbs and the garlic. Combine with a mortar and pestle, food processor or blender and blend until minced.

GOOD TO KNOW The Metaphysical Side of Tea Leaves

Ancient Chinese tea drinkers began to analyze and interpret the shapes and positioning of the tea leaf remnants in the bottom of their tea cups and noticed something remarkable.

Reading tea leaves became a method of divination. In the 1600s, tea became an import throughout Europe, and the practice of foretelling one’s future from tea leaves was carried across the sea and into other expanding continents.

Because of the large number of effects that tea has on the body, tea drinking is regarded as a unique and individual experience. There seems to be a tea that can help with any illness. With so many different combinations, flavors and blends, tea can be made specifically for what someone is seeking—either an enjoyable beverage, a mixture to combat illness and disease, to calm the troubled mind and spirit, or to create a metaphysical drink that transcends time and place.

Some believe that because of the individual experience and personal connection to the tea, the drinker influences the movement and ultimate placement and pattern of the leaves. The palette of leaves answers questions about the past, present and future of the person who drank the tea.

Many who participate in the process, either reading or receiving messages, believe that it is the psychic modality of psychometry. This ability allows a person to receive psychic messages from inanimate objects.

Reading tea leaves, however, involves reading an object that was once animate. The leaves were alive at one point and came from a plant that was very much alive as well. The energy that flows through every living body is interconnected. This connection allows for ethereal knowledge and communication with other planes of existence.

Tea is multipurpose. From beautiful flowers, plants, herbs, bark and roots comes a mystical sensation—tea. Used as the beverage of choice, medical remedy or to foretell the future, tea is known and used the world over, and will continue to reveal its magic to anyone willing to take a sip.

Add the liquids and blend to a puree. Serve with organic tortilla chips, crackers or veggie sticks.

Will keep for a few days in a tightly sealed container or frozen.

From the book Grow Your Own Herbal Remedies by Maria Noël Groves. Used with permission from Storey Publishing.

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• Put water in nonaluminum pot and bring to a gentle simmer.

• Add the rest of the ingredients.

• Cover pot and let simmer gently about 10 minutes.

• If you did not add Stevia to pot, then you can add some local honey while the tea is still warm.

• Take off heat and let steep two hours or overnight.

• Strain into glass jar and store in refrigerator.

• Drink and enjoy!

All Hail Hibiscus!

by Kathleen Gould

J

uly brings visions of hanging out by the pool with friends, barbecues and big pitchers of ice-cold iced tea.

There are some amazing herbs that can be used to create delicious and healthful tea blends, and hibiscus is at the top of the list.

Hibiscus has long been consumed by people all over the planet (specifically in warmer climates) as both a delicious drink and a potent medicine to treat a variety of illnesses. Did you know it can have amazing health benefits, especially for cardiovascular imbalances? There has been growing interest within the scientific community, and research studies, especially in the area of blood pressure and the circulatory system, are proving this out. It is said that regular consumption of hibiscus flower may help lower the chance of heart disease.

Hibiscus flowers are rich in antioxidants (help protect the cells from free radical damage), vitamins (especially vitamin C) and a huge host of minerals. An eight-ounce cup of hibiscus tea has about the same amount of vitamin C as an orange. This beautiful flower has traditionally been used for a host of imbalances. Here is a list of some things it’s used for: • Promoting an emmenagogue effect (stimulates menstrual flow) and helping women with irregular periods.

• In a shampoo or rinse for graying hair.

• As a cooling drink to help maintain body temperature in hot climates (perhaps helpful with menopause and hot flashes?).

• To support and/or boost the immune system.

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• Controlling cholesterol.

• Reducing blood pressure.

• As a diuretic to increase the flow of urination.

Herbalist and Mayan healer Rosita Arvigo has just one thing to say to doctors in this country: “You have forgotten your roots. And not only your roots,” she adds, “but also your leaves, twigs, flowers and stems. Red hibiscus is the midwife’s most important remedy for postpartum bleeding. Five open flowers, four closed flowers and nine of these leaves in a cup of water.

Boil it for five minutes, let it cool and drink it. But the flowers have to be red.

Red pigments in plants generally contain iron, and it’s plausible that iron-rich pigments might work better for disorders of the blood—which, after all, is itself red because of the iron in hemoglobin.”

Because hibiscus flower makes for such a nice tea, we are able to consume it more freely. In fact, traditional dosage is about three to four cups daily. Hibiscus flower can be a bit tart, so we usually either mix it with other delicious herbs or add a bit of honey to soften the taste. Here are two ways to enjoy your hibiscus tea.

Cooling Hibiscus Tea 8 cups water 3 oz dried hibiscus flower 2-4 cinnamon sticks Fresh slices of orange Pinch of Stevia (sweet herb) optional – Advertorial –

Note: When brewed as a tea, the flower produces a deep, rich raspberry color and a slightly bitter flavor (like cranberry).

Heart-Healthy Hibiscus Tea Blend 8 cups water 2 oz hawthorn berries 1 oz hibiscus flower 1 tsp dried orange peel 1 tsp lemon or lime peel 1 tsp dried ginger root Pinch of Stevia (sweet herb) optional • Put water and 8 teaspoons tea blend in nonaluminum pot, cover and bring to simmer.

• Take off heat and let sit to infuse for a couple of hours, or, better yet, overnight.

• Strain off herbs.

• Pour over ice and enjoy.

• Store the rest of tea in refrigerator.

When you live in the hot desert heat, then summer is the perfect time to cool the body down with hibiscus tea. Stay cool and enjoy.

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.SWHerb.com. See ad, page 41.

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are well known for their abundance of essential nutrients that are not typically plentiful in most people’s diet. This can have a beneficial domino effect on all of the body’s systems and support specific health issues.

Herbs benefit the ecosystem. Even in a small garden, planting herbs can benefit the environment. They are great for feeding pollinators and providing habitat for helpful garden bugs. Herbs are also great for accumulating organic matter and can draw up nutrients from deep in the soil. Many aromatic herbs are naturally resistant to pests and diseases and can even be used in homemade garden sprays to support plant health.

Healing in the Garden

by Rebecca Diane

G

ardening is good for the body and soul. If it weren’t obvious already, scientific research is finding interesting conclusions about the health benefits of playing in the dirt and connecting more with nature. The mere act of gardening has been shown to correlate with increased well-being and decreases in lifestyle-related diseases, behavioral issues, depression and anxiety.

It is quickly becoming clear that gardening could play a key role in one’s overall health and well-being.

Yet there is another opportunity to promote health that every gardener should know about. Growing medicinal herbs, which provide a variety of health benefits, is a priceless addition to the garden. Using even common herbs for simple at-home remedies and recipes can be life altering, providing an endless supply of potential healing.

Other great reasons to grow herbs in the garden include: Herbs are easy to grow. Many common herbs lend themselves easily to being

grown in small spaces or in pots on a patio. Some varieties are drought tolerant and can thrive in all kinds of environments, even in the desert. A lot of herbs are generally low-maintenance plants that will tolerate a bit of neglect and be more forgiving to beginner gardeners.

Herbs give and give. A lot of herbal plants can be trimmed and eaten right away, and can be snipped and used throughout the growing season. Garden herbs are often perennials, meaning they will come back year after year. With a little attention to their needs, usually in the form of water, mulch and the occasional pruning, they will give medicine (or flavor to your recipes) for years to come.

Herbs contain phytonutrients. Freshgrown herbs can be incredibly potent.

They are filled with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, flavonoids and endless other vital components that contribute to health. Many gardeners and herbalists choose to grow what is known as “nutritive herbs,” which are basically plants that

Now the fun part is just deciding which herbs to plant and getting to know the different health benefits they can provide. Although most herbs are quite safe, it is still important to research each plant and talk to your doctor before starting any herbal or natural therapy. Also be sure to purchase seeds or plants from reliable companies, as plant or seed mix-ups do occur.

Herbal plants offer so many benefits to gardeners and to the garden as well. In our modern, fast-paced world, gardening and connecting with nature is something that can give people a deeper understanding of the world around them. These plants have the power to promote health, and only add to the healing experience that gardening is.

Any gardener can cultivate the natural relationships and healing that growing herbal plants can provide.

Rebecca Diane is a mother, writer, herbal apprentice, and master gardener, with a degree in sustainable food systems. She is a backyard medicinal herb farmer who offers medicinal herb seedlings and holistic consultations to her local community. For more information, visit DescendantBotanicals.com or follow her desert gardening journey on Instagram or Facebook.

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Different Ways to Consume

Medicinal Marijuana

S

by Jeffrey Green

ince 1965, 40% of adults who have ever smoked have quit. In fact, 1.3 million people quit smoking each year in the U.S. Many people who want to transition from prescription medications to natural medicine can’t imagine moving toward medicinal marijuana.

For many, the idea of using this alternative medicine conjures visions of smokefilled rooms with joints, pipes and water bongs. Rest assured that if marijuana is being considered as a replacement for other types of medication, there are numerous choices that do not include

the inhalation of smoke.

Because marijuana has been under the microscope and broken down to its chemical value and worth, horticulturists are able to identify the most useful compounds of the plant. Combinations of different strain plants are common when developing the medicinal properties into products that deliver the medicine. The medicinal agents can be delivered in many different ways.

Smoking the flower of the plant is widely popular but does carry its own set of risks. The smoke is inhaled into the

lungs and begins absorbing into the body almost immediately, making it the quickest way to feel the effects of the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). The American Lung Association warns of the effects that smoke has on the lungs and is encouraging more research into different ways to consume the drug.

Vaporization is an alternative to smoking the flower, yet it’s still inhaled and has the same speedy delivery as smoking.

With vaporization, known as vaping, the flowers of the plant are heated to a point that releases the beneficial chemicals, but are not heated to the point of catching fire and producing the harmful smoke that affects the lungs. Vaping is also used to consume pure THC oils and in a solid concentration called “wax” or “shatter.”

This delivery method also limits most of the smell that is associated with marijuana smoke. For those who remain skeptical about inhaling these chemicals, there are still more ways to receive the benefits that cannabis has to offer.

There are dozens of edibles to choose from. Many dispensaries have their own brand of good eats. Many dessert items are available, but there are also vegan options, teas, honey and beverages.

Because the medicine is eaten and must be absorbed into the body through the digestive tract, the effects of cannabis are slow acting and can take up to an hour and a half for maximum benefit. Also, the medicine is being absorbed slowly and the benefits last longer than with inhaling the drug.

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PLANT MEDICINE

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Just like with prescription drugs, the dosing of marijuana must be an individual trialand-error process.

SW Herb Shop Summer Hours

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Like doctors determining the dosage of medications for optimum benefit, marijuana dosages must be experimented with as well.

Although a small 4-ounce chocolate ice cream may not seem like a lot, some contain up to 40 milligrams per container and is much too high of a dose for beginners who haven’t determined the best working dosage.

Many pharmaceutical companies include warnings of possible side effects in their advertising. Even as rare as they may be, death, different types of cancers or paralysis are just a few of the many dangerous and scary side effects that can occur with prescription drugs. People do not have to risk these kinds of side effects when trying marijuana as an alternative to prescriptions, even if they consume too much.

CBD (cannabidiol) is also an option for consuming the medicine. Coming in a variety of dosages, the oil is easily managed. It can be taken sublingually and has a rapid absorption rate. CBD doesn’t contain any THC, so it poses no risk and has no side effects.

When treating a disease, illness or condition, risks are taken. There must be a trial-and-error period when determining what dosage, and what product, does the most good with the fewest number of side effects. A doctor may prescribe too little of a medication for a specific ailment, only to find that the dosage was wrong for the patient. The doctor changes the dose and continues doing this until it’s been determined that the drug is working optimally for each specific individual. People can react differently to chemical compounds, and medicine being prescribed for a treatment could actually do more harm to the body than good.

Just like with prescription drugs, the dosing of marijuana must be an individual trial-and-error process. The good news is that there are numerous options on how to take, or consume, the medicine in cannabis. The risks taken with marijuana aren’t the same as those read at high speed through the duration of a pharmaceutical commercial, some of which are just plain nasty.

Thank goodness that nature is medicine.

And if you are out of town, traveling or its just too darn hot to get to the shop but need something, please order online: www.Store.SWHerb.com

or call us and we will take your phone order and mail it ASAP

Our next 5 week Herbal Certification Class starts October 19th, reserve your seat today!

Stop by for your Tea Blend Punch Card Buy 10, get the 11th FREE!

Our online store is OPEN:

www.Store.SWHerb.com

GOOD TO KNOW Throughout history, HONEY has been seen as incredibly useful in many different ways—and not just by bringing a little sweetness to our lives. Honey draws moisture from the environment, so when spread over wounds, from minor to major, it can dehydrate bacteria, which in turn speeds up healing.

According to the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine article “Honey: Its Medicinal Property and Antibacterial Activity,” honey is also packed full of antimicrobials, which prevent the spreading of infection.

Jeffrey Green, MA, is an educator and freelance writer. Green’s studies have led him to the world of plant medicine and its many benefits. His work is centered on educating the public on alternative medicine. Green can be reached at 520-437-8855 or JGreenphduoa@gmail.com.

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1

Give them lots of free time away from devices. Yes, they

might be bored at first—but boredom enhances creativity, partly by allowing for daydreaming, concludes a study from the UK’s University of Central Lancashire.

2

The Pure Joy of Play

Why Kids Need Unstructured Fun

by Ronica O’Hara

N

ot so long ago, kids would be shooed out the door to play and told to return home at meal time.

But the rising use of digital devices and kids’ highly scheduled sports and school activities, as well as parental fears about safety, has made that kind of unstructured play rare—with resulting drops in children’s independence, resilience and creativity, experts say. In fact, play has

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been shown to be so critical to children’s development that an American Academy of Pediatrics 2018 clinical report, “The Power of Play,” recommends that doctors write prescriptions for it.

“Play is not frivolous; it is brain building,” concludes the report. It defines play as voluntary, fun and spontaneous activities that engross a child, often resulting in joyous discovery, and includes imaginative

Encourage fun, rather than competition. By age 6, 60 per-

cent of American boys and 47 percent of girls are participating on organized sport teams, but three out of four kids quit sports by age 13—one major reason being, “I was not having fun.” Play, on the other hand, is based on pure enjoyment and spontaneous collaboration among kids, minus overanxious adult “sidelining”.

“When children play in their own ways, they generally play cooperatively. We adults impose competition, unfortunately.

Yet even in our competitive society, the really successful and happy people are the ones who are oriented toward cooperation,” says Peter Gray, Ph.D., a Boston College psychology professor and author of Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life.

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make-believe, experimenting and risktaking. It cites 147 studies showing that play builds skills critical for adult success such as problem solving, collaboration and creativity; decreases stress, fatigue, injury and depression; and increases range of motion, agility, coordination, balance and flexibility.

Here are some ways to up the play in children’s lives:

healthy kids

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Play is how children learn to create and govern their own activities and solve their own problem independently of adults.

play,” says Gray. “Moreover, the kinds of injuries that occur in free play are relatively easy to recover from.” As for the fear of kidnapping by strangers, the odds are very small—one in a million, according to the latest U.S. Department of Justice data. “Weigh the effect of the limits you place on your kids to prevent that very,

very, very unlikely possibility versus the fundamental importance for their own health and development of exploring freedom,” advises Brussoni.

Ronica A. O’Hara is a Denver-based freelance health writer. Connect at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.

~Peter Gray

3

Encourage them to take the lead. Let kids decide whether they

want to play with friends, siblings or alone.

They will happily make up their own games with lots of raw materials that are on hand—blocks, balls, puzzles, crayons, boxes, wooden spoons, old costumes and hats, sand, water, tarps and shovels. “Play is how children learn to create and govern their own activities and solve their own problems independently of adults,” says Gray. “Stated differently, it is how children learn to become adults. This value is destroyed when adults take charge of children’s activities.”

4

Explore Free Play OutsidePlay.ca: This online, 20-minute, self-quiz helps parents reflect upon their own childhood adventures and figure out a plan they feel comfortable with for their children’s unstructured “risky play”. Preliminary study data show that by three months, 93 percent of parents using the quiz had accomplished their goals.

“The Power of Play”: Tinyurl.com/ThePowerOfPlay-AAP This study by the Ameri-

can Academy of Pediatrics lays out the body of research on the benefits of unstructured play for children.

“Say Yes to Play”: A Psychology Today online article offers 12 strategies to encourage play, as well as additional references. Tinyurl.com/SayYesToPlay-PT.

Back off from hovering supervision. It can rob them of a sense

of ownership and accomplishment. Leigh Ellen Magness, a clinical social worker and registered play therapist in Athens, Georgia, grappled with anxiety as she watched her 5-year-old son clamber up a roadside sculpture designed for climbing. “He climbed so high that my stomach flip-flopped to see him so far from me. But I knew there was no better way for him to learn the limits of his own body than to test them,” she says.

Mariana Brussoni, Ph.D., an associate professor in the department of pediatrics and the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia, Canada, concurs: “When they’re given the chance, even very young children show clear abilities to manage risks and figure out their own limits. The potential for learning is enormous.”

5

Don’t worry. “The data show that

children are far more likely to get injured in adult-directed sports, where they are pushed to compete, than in free

July 2019

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Alternatives to Antibiotics

Beyond Antibiotics Pets Can Heal With Natural Approaches

by Karen Shaw Becker

L

ike people, pets can develop allergies to medications that are overprescribed, including antibiotics, which also have a long list of side effects—many of which are long-term. There is also the escalating problem of resistance, which is the result of too-frequent and unnecessary use of these drugs.

One of the most important things to know is that dogs and cats are exposed to antibiotics when they eat food containing the meat of factory-farmed animals, which includes about 99 percent of pet foods on the market today. The exception is a very small number that contain free-range, organic ingredients.

Antibiotic Resistance

In many cases, even when bacteria are exposed for the first time to a particular antibiotic, the majority will die, but some will survive and pass on that resistance to other bacteria. The problem is not that certain disease-causing bacteria are antibioticresistant, but that the resistance genes in any type of bacteria can transfer their ability to survive to billions of other bacteria.

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This is how superbugs are born.

These are a strain of bacteria able to withstand assault by multiple types of antibiotics. When a veterinarian can no longer eliminate bacterial infections with antibiotics, the life of the animal is threatened, and that’s the biggest concern.

If a veterinarian makes a diagnosis of infection, ask for a culture and sensitivity test. Otherwise, he or she is making a guess at what type of organism is present and the best antibiotic to treat it. Each time an unnecessary or inappropriate antibiotic is prescribed, the potential for resistance increases. Only in an emergency situation should a veterinarian prescribe an antibiotic before the culture and sensitivity test can be performed. The vet can then switch medications if necessary when the results arrive.

Giving the proper dose of the antibiotic at the proper intervals and using up the entire prescription is important, even if the pet seems to be fully recovered before the medication has run out. This will ensure the infection is totally resolved and prevent the pet from having to take another full course of antibiotics because

Many conditions for which antibiotics are often indiscriminately prescribed respond very well to a combination of natural therapies, including herbs, homeopathic remedies, nutraceuticals, immune system stimulants and specific nutritional interventions. Functional medicine veterinarians, a group that is thankfully growing in number, realize this and are able to partner with pet parents to offer alternatives to antibiotics.

A 2016 study showed cranberry extract to be as or more effective in preventing E. coli-related urinary tract infections (UTIs) in dogs as short-term antibiotic treatment. In addition, cranberry extract can help fight multidrug-resistant bacteria in dogs with recurrent E. coli UTIs. In a study of shelter dogs, researchers compared the use of probiotics to antibiotics to treat acute diarrhea caused by stress.

They concluded probiotic therapy was as effective as antibiotic therapy. In addition, dogs that were unresponsive to antibiotics appeared to benefit significantly from subsequent probiotic treatment.

Oregano oil, propolis, olive leaf, essential oils, colloidal silver and Manuka honey help reduce bacterial skin infections caused by methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with good success.

If a dog or cat isn’t facing a lifethreatening health situation, talk with the veterinarian about alternatives to antibiotics. In these situations, pet parents often find it beneficial to consult a functional medicine or integrative veterinarian whose goal is to treat these problems by starting with the least toxic options first.

Karen Shaw Becker is a proactive, integrative doctor of veterinary medicine who consults internationally and writes for Mercola Healthy Pets (HealthyPets.Mercola.com).

savitskaya iryna/Shutterstock.com

the first one wasn’t fully administered and the infection wasn’t effectively cleared.

It’s important to reseed the pet’s gastrointestinal (GI) system with friendly microorganisms—probiotics—during and after antibiotic therapy to reestablish a healthy balance of gut bacteria. This will also help keep a dog or cat’s digestive system working optimally and the immune system strong.

natural pet

calendar of events

Suitable for all mountain bike ability levels. The ride begins and ends at the Pemberton Trailhead.

Trail maps available. Bring lights with a minimum of three hours of power. Riders are advised to bring both helmet and handlebar lights for optimum visibility. Ride at your own risk. After the ride, join FHB for food, music and movies.

16300 McDowell Mountain Park Dr, MMRP. Info: 602-506-2930, ext 3, or MaricopaCountyParks. net/events.

Find More Events On Our Website!

NaturalAZ.com Click “Calendar”

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8

NOTE: All calendar events must be submitted online at NaturalAZ.com by the 10th of the month, and adhere to the guidelines that can be found on the submission pages. No phone calls please.

Pure Light and Reiki Therapy Level 1 – 9am5pm. Blending traditional Usui with other energy modalities to bring to you clearing and balance for self-treatments. $111. RSVP Judy Richter: 480-695-2002 or PureLight1111@gmail.com.

PureLightTherapies.com.

SATURDAY, JULY 13

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

McD Summer Night Ride Series – Starts 7-7:30pm, ends about 9pm. Other rides in this series: Saturdays Aug 3 and 31 and Sep 21.

Experience trail riding in the desert night at McDowell Mountain Regional Park (MMRP).

Suitable for all mountain bike ability levels. The ride begins and ends at the Pemberton Trailhead.

Trail maps available. Bring lights with a minimum of three hours of power. Riders are advised to bring both helmet and handlebar lights for optimum visibility. Ride at your own risk. After the ride, join FHB for food, music and movies.

16300 McDowell Mountain Park Dr, MMRP. Info: 602-506-2930, ext 3, or MaricopaCountyParks. net/events.

MONDAY, JULY 22 Massage Therapy Program – For those seeking a new, purposeful career or a part-time job for rewarding extra income. Morning classes begin.

Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, 1538 E Southern Ave, Tempe. 480-994-9244. Info@ swiha.edu. swiha.edu.

TUESDAY, JULY 23 Special Free Class – 7-9pm. Facilitated by Tim Simmerman Sierra, lead instructor at the academy, who will be sharing three secrets to create positive life changes by showing attendees how their subconscious mind works.

Also learn how to earn national certification in hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy Academy of America, Albuquerque, NM. Details/reserve seat: 505-767-8030. HypnotherapyAcademy.com.

SUNDAY, JULY 28 Purify and Accelerate Your Chakras – 1:30pm.

Free. In person at Summit Lighthouse of Phoenix, 4105 N 20 St, Ste 115. Statewide via https://zoom. us/j559549970.

plan ahead SATURDAY, AUGUST 3 McD Summer Night Ride Series – Starts 7-7:30pm, ends about 9pm. Other rides in this series: Saturdays July 13, Aug 31 and Sep 21.

Experience trail riding in the desert night at McDowell Mountain Regional Park (MMRP).

Suitable for all mountain bike ability levels. The

ride begins and ends at the Pemberton Trailhead.

Trail maps available. Bring lights with a minimum of three hours of power. Riders are advised to bring both helmet and handlebar lights for optimum visibility. Ride at your own risk. After the ride, join FHB for food, music and movies. 16300 McDowell Mountain Park Dr, MMRP. Info: 602-506-2930, ext 3, or MaricopaCountyParks.net/events.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4 Pure Light and Reiki Therapy Level 1 – 9am5pm. Blending traditional Usui with other energy modalities to bring to you clearing and balance for self-treatments. $111. RSVP Judy Richter: 480-695-2002 or PureLight1111@gmail.com.

PureLightTherapies.com.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17 Meditation + Insight Collage + Yoga Workshop – 10am-3pm. This is a workshop designed to quiet your mind and body; help you turn inward for selfreflection; create images that speak to that inner place in you that might come to you in meditation; nourish you with lovely delectables; and end with a gentle, focusing movement that will deliver you beautifully back into your day. Anyone is welcome. No prior art or yoga experience needed. $100, with complimentary breakfast snacks and lunch. Includes supplies. Restoring Balance Mind + Body, 2045 S Vineyard, Ste 139, Mesa. Sign up: Carmen@doclucia.com. Details: doclucia.com.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25 Pure Light and Reiki Therapy Level 2 – 9am5pm. The next step in your reiki journey to learn how to use your gift as a practitioner. $111. RSVP Judy Richter: 480-695-2002 or PureLight1111@ gmail.com. PureLightTherapies.com.

MONDAY, AUGUST 26 Massage Therapy Program – For those seeking a new, purposeful career or a part-time job for rewarding extra income. Evening classes begin.

Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, 1538 E Southern Ave, Tempe. 480-994-9244. Info@ swiha.edu. swiha.edu.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 31 McD Summer Night Ride Series – Starts 7-7:30pm, ends about 9pm. Other rides in this series: Saturdays July 13, Aug 3 and Sep 21.

Experience trail riding in the desert night at McDowell Mountain Regional Park (MMRP).

Certified Spiritual Healing Course – Six-month course (Sep 14/19-Mar 15/20). 10am-5pm. Gain skills and legal ability to open or enhance a spiritual healing practice, including hands-on healing, opening the third eye, crystal healing, chakra balancing, energy medicine, shamanic healing, brain therapy, and more. At the end of the course, you will be legally certified. Commitment: One weekend per month in Scottsdale and one retreat in Sedona. Info, including cost: 617-697-8924 or InnerLightla@msn.com.

DivineLightMinistries.com.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 Hypnotherapy Course – Next course begins.

Hypnotherapy Academy of America. 505-7678030. HypnotherapyAcademy.com.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 Psychic Development – 10am-5pm. Developing intuitive, clairvoyant and clairsentient skills. This course is for those trying to find their own inner strengths, and psychic and spiritual abilities. We will learn different ways to strengthen our abilities to communicate with those in the spirit world. All levels of ability are welcome. $95 until Aug 1; $125/after. Sign up: DivineSpiritualEssence.com.

New Vision Center for Spiritual Living, 18010 N Tatum Blvd, Phoenix. Questions.dse@gmail.com.

McD Summer Night Ride Series – Starts 7-7:30pm, ends about 9pm. Other rides in this series: Saturdays July 13, and Aug 3 and 31.

Experience trail riding in the desert night at McDowell Mountain Regional Park (MMRP).

Suitable for all mountain bike ability levels. The ride begins and ends at the Pemberton Trailhead.

Trail maps available. Bring lights with a minimum of three hours of power. Riders are advised to bring both helmet and handlebar lights for optimum visibility. Ride at your own risk. After the ride, join FHB for food, music and movies. 16300 McDowell Mountain Park Dr, MMRP. Info: 602-506-2930, ext 3, or MaricopaCountyParks.net/events.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Pure Light and Reiki Therapy Level 2 – 9am5pm. The next step in your reiki journey to learn how to use your gift as a practitioner. $111. RSVP Judy Richter: 480-695-2002 or PureLight1111@ gmail.com. PureLightTherapies.com.

July 2019

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6 Pure Light and Reiki Therapy Level 1 – 9am5pm. Blending traditional Usui with other energy modalities to bring to you clearing and balance for self-treatments. $111. RSVP Judy Richter: 480-695-2002 or PureLight1111@gmail.com.

PureLightTherapies.com.

ongoing events

PLANS CHANGE Please call ahead to confirm date and times

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19 Herbal Certification Class – Five-weekend format. SW Herb Shop and Gathering Place, 148 N Center St, Mesa. RSVP: 480-694-9931.

SWHerb.com.

Mediumship and Psychic Development – Oct 19-20. 10am-5pm. Two-day course.

Developing intuitive, clairvoyant, clairaudient and clairsentient skills. All levels of ability are welcome. $175 until Sep 1/$225 after. Sign up at DivineSpiritualEssence.com. New Vision Center for Spiritual Living, 18010 N Tatum Blvd, Phoenix. Questions.dse@gmail.com.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27 Pure Light and Reiki Therapy Level 2 – 9am5pm. The next step in your reiki journey to learn how to use your gift as a practitioner. $111. RSVP Judy Richter: 480-695-2002 or PureLight1111@ gmail.com. PureLightTherapies.com.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15 Reiki A.R.T., Master Certification Training – Nov 15-17. 10am-5pm. Increase the strength of the reiki energy, attune to the master symbol to use in healing, gain confidence in giving reiki at the advanced level, and learn to teach and attune new reiki practitioners to Reiki Level I, II, A.R.T. and Master. Learn how to charge and use crystals and stones and make a reiki crystal grid that you can use to send reiki to yourself and others as well as to manifest particular intentions in your life.

Learn a reiki aura-clearing technique to enable you to remove energetic contamination from the aura. $925. Gateway Cottage Wellness Center, 6770 W State Rte 89A, Unit 187, Sedona. 603-642-4949.

Natalie@WisdomWithin.co. WisdomWithin.co/ events/event/reiki-art-master-certification-training.

monthly Virtual Changing & Living on Purpose Group Coaching – Three-month groups in 2019/start Jul, Sep. With Dr. Melanie Chase. Clients are better equipped to change in their relationships, careers, life with more peace, joy, focus, and receive practical tools for making a change on purpose.

Discover insights through experiential learning, worksheets and applying insights with tools. Online participative, confidential meeting space. $450/mon includes two one-on-one sessions (up to 90 min); $350/early bird. Register: 971-266-1380 or Info@ DrMelanieChase.com. DrMelanieChase.com.

sunday Sunday Services at Unity of Phoenix – 9am & 11am. Lost your way? Join us and rediscover peace. Unity of Phoenix, 16th St and Greenway (NW corner). 602-978-3200. UnityPhx.org.

Sunday Services at Unity of Mesa – 10:1511:30am. A positive path for spiritual living. All are welcome. Nursery: infants thru kindergarten at 10:15am. Youth ministry classes in the Education Annex at 10:15am. 9am meditation group in the Annex. Unity of Mesa, 2700 E Southern Ave. 480-892-2700. Admin@UnityOfMesa.org.

UnityOfMesa.org.

Sunday Service at The Summit Lighthouse of Phoenix – 10:30am. Join us for an uplifting experience. Devotional plus Teachings of the Ascended Masters. All faiths welcome. Join us for lunch. Free. The Summit Lighthouse of

classifieds Place a Classified ad: $25 for up to 25 words, per issue. $1 per each additional word, per issue. Must be submitted online at NaturalAZ.com.

FOR RENT ROOM FOR RENT – Space to share in Old Town Scottsdale. $300 per month. Beautiful environment shared with two healers. Call Victoria at 480-560-1454.

OPPORTUNITIES ADVERTISE HERE – Are you hiring, renting office space, selling products, offering services, or in need of volunteers? Advertise your business needs in the Natural Awakenings classified ads section. To place an ad, visit Submit.

NaturalAZ.com/Classifieds-Payment-Page.

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TAKE ACTION TO REDUCE PESTICIDES IN SCOTTSDALE – Help to make Scottsdale the first city in Arizona that restricts the use of toxic pesticides. Details on how to sign the petition, collect signatures on your own, or volunteer for a signature collection event can be found at ScottsdaleBelieve.com.

Full petition at ScottsdaleBelieve.com/petition.

SERVICES/CLASSES RECOVERY SUPPORT SPECIALIST – Helping you evolve your own personal recovery plan, to be all that you were meant to be.

John Kai: 520-339-2315 (Central Phoenix).

Phoenix, 4105 N 20th St, Ste 115. 480-442-5020.

SummitLighthousePhoenix.org.

How to Transform Your Life – 11am-12:15pm.

The profound tools of transformation within Buddhist meditation give us the ability to become peaceful, kinder, more dynamic, confident, happier and more loving. Classes are based on the book How to Transform the Mind, by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. You can download it for free at HowTotyl.com. $10. International Kadampa Retreat Center Grand Canyon, 6701 E Mountain Ranch Rd, Williams. 630-2027757. epc@MeditationInNorthernArizona.org.

MeditationInNorthernArizona.org/flagstaff.

The Spiritual Quest – 1:30-2:45pm. Aug 4 & 18, Sep 1 & 15. Featuring a step-by-step pathway to higher consciousness with The Teachings of the Ascended Masters. Free. Attend in person or via Zoom.us/j803111520. The Summit Lighthouse of Phoenix, 4105 N 20th St, Ste 115. 480-442-5020.

SummitLighthousePhoenix.org.

monday Tai Chi Easy – 10-11am. With Shirley Kemper.

Offers ancient Chinese practices that promote optimal health, vitality and longevity. Newcomers welcome. Drop-in. $10-$15 donation. Unity of Mesa, 2740 E Southern Ave, Sanctuary, Mesa.

480-892-2700. Admin@UnityOfMesa.org.

UnityOfMesa.org.

tuesday Watercolor Art Classes – 9:45am-12:30pm.

With Allura Westly. All levels, beginner to advanced. Learn fluid color technique, drawing and composition. Small class of eight students.

No talent required, just a desire to create. Paradise Valley. 602-469-0524. AlluraWatercolor@cox.net.

BodyAwake Yoga – 7-8:30pm. Hatha yoga-based practice developed by Dr. Sue Morter. Focuses on anchoring your consciousness in the core of your body during actual practice time, allowing greater integration of mind, body and spirit both on and off the mat. $15/class. Unity of Mesa, 2700 E Southern Ave, Sanctuary, Mesa. 480-892-2700.

Admin@UnityOfMesa.org. UnityOfMesa.org.

wednesday Watercolor Art Classes – 9:45am-12:30pm.

With Allura Westly. All levels, beginner-toadvanced. Learn fluid color technique, drawing and composition. Small class of eight students.

No talent required, just a desire to create. Paradise Valley. 602-469-0524. AlluraWatercolor@cox.net.

Evening Service at Unity of Phoenix – 7pm. Lost your way? Join us and rediscover peace. Unity of Phoenix, 16th St and Greenway (NW corner).

602-978-3200. UnityPhx.org.

Gong Meditation – 7-8:30pm. 1st Wed. With Gretchen Bickert. Experience deep relaxation and uplifting meditation through the power of the gong. $10-$20 donation. Unity of Mesa, 2700 E Southern Ave, Sanctuary, Mesa. 480-892-2700.

Admin@UnityOfMesa.org. UnityOfMesa.org.

thursday Topical Thursdays – 11am-3pm. Stop by and learn why topical administration of CBD is a fantastic option, as topicals are higher in bioavailability than orally ingested compounds.

Try an in-store complimentary sampling of our organic CBD pain-relief cream and experience the wonder of CBD for yourself. CBD Store AZ, 3314 N 3rd St, Phoenix. Summer hours: Mon-Sat 10am-4pm. 602-292-6133. cbdNutritional.com.

Reiki & Singing Bowl Circle – 7-8pm. 3rd Thurs.

With Darlene Moore and Arne Richardson. Join in for a relaxing, healing experience. Singing bowls will be played to enhance the energy of reiki during this hour of energetic healing and expansion. Donation. Unity of Mesa, 2700 E Southern Ave, Sanctuary, Mesa. 480-892-2700.

Admin@UnityOfMesa.org. UnityOfMesa.org.

saturday Flashlight Tours at Desert Botanical Garden – Thru August. 7-9:30pm. All ages will have a blast getting hands-on during this self-guided nocturnal adventure through the garden. Check out the night-blooming plants, see the animals that come out after dark, feel the desert night air, and relax with some food and drink. Bring a flashlight and wear comfortable shoes. $14.95/adults; $9.95/ children; garden members and children 3 years and younger/free. 1201 N Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix. dbg.org/events.

Local

FARMERS’ MARKETS Take advantage of fresh, local produce from the best Arizona farms. Visit their respective websites for the most current information.

Roadrunner Park Farmers’ Market 3502 East Cactus Road, Phoenix Saturdays 7 to 11 a.m.

Ahwatukee Farmers’ Market 4700 East Warner Road, Phoenix Sundays 8 a.m. to noon

Tempe Meadows Farmers’ Market 1490 East Weber Drive, Tempe Saturdays and Sundays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

TempeMeadows.com

Care 1st Farmers’ Market 328 West Western, Avondale Tuesdays 8 a.m. to noon Carefree Farmers’ Market 1 Sundial Circle, Carefree Fridays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Gilbert Farmers’ Market 222 North Ash Street, Gilbert Saturdays 7 to 11 a.m.

GilbertMarket.com Mesa Farmers’ Market and Flea 526 East Main Street, Mesa Saturdays 7 a.m. to noon MesaFarmersMarketAndFlea.com Momma’s Organic Market Park West, 9744 West Northern Avenue, Peoria Saturdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

MommasOrganicMarket.com

I’ve always felt that having a garden is like having a good and loyal friend. ~C. Z. Guest

Phoenix Public Market 721 North Central Avenue, Phoenix Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon PhxPublicMarket.com Power Road Farmers’ Market 4011 South Power Road, Mesa Monday-Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

PowerrdFarmersMarket.com

The Barn at Power Ranch 3685 East Autumn Drive, Gilbert Wednesdays 4 to 8 p.m.

RaysMarket.net Uptown Farmers’ Market 5757 North Central Avenue, Phoenix Wednesdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon UptownMarketAz.com ArizonaCommunityFarmersMarkets.com ..................................

NORTHERN ARIZONA Flagstaff Community Market 211 West Aspen Avenue, City Hall Parking Lot Sundays 8 a.m. to noon FlagstaffMarket.com Prescott Summer Farmers’ Market Yavapai College, Parking Lot D 1100 East Sheldon Street Saturdays 7:30 a.m. to noon Sedona-Farmers-Market.com Sedona Community Farmers’ Market Tlaquepaque/Creekside, 336 Highway 179 Fridays 8 to 11:30 a.m.

PrescottFarmersMarket.org

July 2019

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community resource guide

COACHING

Connecting you to the leaders in natural health care and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide, email PhoenixAds@NaturalAZ.com or visit NaturalAZ.com and download our media kit.

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE CBD STORE AZ

Open Mon-Sat 10-4 3314 N 3rd St, Phoenix 602-292-6133 • cbdNutritional.com A CBD specialty store devoted to Hemp-derived cannabinoids.

C l i n i c a l stu d i e s show CBD is effective on Inflammation, Pain, Anxiety, Sleep Disorders and much more! Non-GMO, organic USA sun grown, and third-party lab tested.

Below 0.3% THC—No high and No card required. Open Mon-Sat 10am to 4pm. See ad, page 40.

NATURAL PAIN TREATMENT AND WELLNESS

SW HERB SHOP & GATHERING PLACE

148 N Center St, Mesa 480-694-9931 • SWHerb.com Store.SWHerb.com 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 41.

ART CLASSES WATERCOLOR ART CLASSES

Allura Westly 3611 E Sunnyside Dr, Phoenix AlluraWatercolor@cox.net 602-469-0524 • AlluraWaterColor.com

MacKenzie Kalt, Owner 8282 W Cactus Rd, Bldg E, Ste 144, Peoria 623-866-3023 • NatPainTreat.com Providing some of the most advanced natural technologies for those struggling with chronic pain, injuries, stress, migraine headaches, PTSD, insomnia, Lyme disease, autoimmune disorders, skin conditions, and much more. Visit our website to learn more. See ad, inside front cover.

RESTORE DETOX AND WELLNESS Kelly Baker, Owner 602-318-5965 EastValleyDetox.com

Products and Services to assist in drainage, detox and sustainability of health and wellness.

Specializing in colon irrigation, ozone sauna, far infrared sauna, lymphatic treatment, foot detox and holistic nutrition. See ad, page 43.

SALT CHALET ARIZONA

Pavel Gershkovich, CHP, CRP 5011 N Granite Reef Rd, Scottsdale 480-621-6041 SaltChaletArizona.com ArizonaLeechTherapy.com Our rooms are coated from floor to ceiling with multiple layers of pure, untreated salt from the Dead Sea. Providing relief for many health conditions. See ad, page 17.

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Allura Westly, master teacher, opens her sanctuary studio to all levels, beginner to advanced. Learn fluid color technique, drawing and composition. Small class of eight students. No talent required, just a desire to create.

CLEANING SERVICES BENNETT’S CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING

Valleywide Service • 480-994-4988 BennettsCarpetCleaningAz.com Eco-friendlycarpet and upholstery cleaning.

Featuring organic cleaners and odor removal products derived from renewable seed and vegetable sources. No perfumes, solvents or other hazardous products. No phosphates.

Products also available for in-home use. Licensed and owner operated since 1974. See ad, page 27.

DR. JACQUE JOHNSON

2Empower LLC Scottsdale • 480-226-9977 Dr.Jacque@2Empower.org • 2Empower.org Dr. Jacque Johnson is a certified Empowerment Life Coach and psychometric assessment specialist who identifies behavioral traits and cognitive footprints to assist with transition, grief, anxiety and achieving personal goals.

She also works with parents and children as an educational advocate and coach.

See ad, page 17.

WHITE STAR

Internationally Acclaimed Psychic Medicine Woman 617-697-8924 (Scottsdale) DivineLightMinistries.com 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 serious conditions and restore emotional and spiritual wellness. Classes and trainings on psychic development and many healing modalities are available in person and online.

See ad, page 24.

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. See ad, pages 4 and 25..

MY DENTIST

Dr. Michael Margolis and Dr. Stephen Kovar 2045 S Vineyard Rd, Ste 153, Mesa 480-833-2232 • MyDentistAZ.com

PURMAID

844-PUR-MAID PurMaid.com An eco-friendly home and office cleaning company and offers natural cleaning products. See ad, page 21.

A holistic and biological approach to your dental needs and overall health. Bio-compatible dentistry, esthetic dentistry lumineers/veneers, family dentistry and much more. See ad, page 3.

NATURAL DENTAL PARTNERS

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

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 9.

DOCTORS ANDREA PURCELL, NMD

3008 E Jeanette Ct, Phoenix 800-318-8582 • DrAndreaPurcell.com Dr. Purcell assists her patients by identifying and treating the underlying cause of disease. She specializes in Women’s Health, Hormonal Balance, Medical Nutrition, Body Detoxification, Prolozone Joint Therapy and Weight Loss. By taking a look at the whole body, emotion and diet, she then creates a personalized path to optimal health. This is HealthCARE. See ad, page 5.

ANN CHARLOTTE VALENTIN, NMD Center for Integrative Medicine 16421 N Tatum Blvd, Ste 129, Phoenix 602-888-2320 • cinmed.org

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 17.

ENERGY HEALING KIM CARTER, MA, HTCP

2045 S Vineyard Ave, Ste 139, Mesa 480-773-6599 KCarter444@gmail.com Kim Carter is a Healing Touch certified practitioner specializing in grief and loss, serious/ chronic illness and spiritual growth. Her emphasis is on empowering clients to recognize, trust and act on their own intuition. See ad, page 24.

HOLISTIC HEALTH PURE LIGHT THERAPIES

Judy Richter, LMT, RMT 3740 E Southern Ave, Ste 214, Mesa 480-695-2002 • PureLight1111@gmail.com PureLightTherapies.com With more than 20 years of experience, Judy can help you heal your body, mind and soul with therapeutic massage, cupping, essential oils, and healing energy modalities. The techniques used to stretch and release tension and tightness in necks and shoulders are unique and very beneficial.

Incorporating energy work to each session is powerful in balancing one’s energy to allow the body to heal naturally.

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 42.

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.

THANK YOU for your loyalty and support over the past 25 years.

MISSION STATEMENT:

To

EMPOWER

individuals to live a healthier lifestyle on a healthier planet.

To

EDUCATE

communities on the latest in natural health and sustainability.

To

CONNECT

readers with local wellness resources and events, inspiring them to lead more balanced lives.

July 2019

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RETREATS/WORKSHOPS EXPERIENCE NUTRITION GROUP LLC Melanie A. Albert Phoenix • 602-615-2486 ExperienceNutrition.com Facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating If You Are Reading This, So Are Your Potential Customers.

Intuitive cooking experience: workshops, cooking classes, team building events, and retreats for organizations. Learn simple culinary techniques; create plantbased healthy meals; enjoy beauty of food.

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SCHOOLS SOUTHWEST INSTITUTE OF HEALING ARTS

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

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 22.

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 21.

UNITY OF PHOENIX SPIRITUAL CENTER 1500 E Greenway Pkwy, Phoenix 602-978-3200 • UnityPhx.org

We are a friendly, loving, all-inclusive community that honors all paths to God and welcomes all people – regardless of race, beliefs or sexual orientation. Wherever you are in your life's journey, we invite you to visit us and discover your new spiritual home. We inspire people to live better lives. See ad, page 21.

SPIRITUAL CENTERS INTERNATIONAL KADAMPA RETREAT CENTER

PhoenixAds@ NaturalAZ.com

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Meditation retreats and classes in modern Buddhism; dedicated to providing the local and worldwide community an opportunity to learn and engage in Buddhist practice and meditation retreats. Everyone is welcome.

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