Essential Naples - Summer 2021

Essential NAPLES Summer 2021

COMPLIMENTARY

SWFL’s Resource for Essential Living

SuperFoods for SuperKids Chef David Robbins

How to Have a Happy, Healthy Summer Vacation Theresa Edmunds, CHC

Type 2 Diabetes Management: It’s Not What You Think Denise A. Pancyrz

Oral and Dental Therapy Kills Bacteria Quickly Steven R. Frank

Sleep: What to Do When You Can’t Carol L. Roberts, MD

Did You Say a “Vampire” Facelift?

Mindy DiPietro and Kathleen Marc, MD

Health + Clean Your Tap Water of

Toxins and Chemicals > 10 + Call Me Cannabinoids: An Intro to CBD > 14

Finance + Independence and

Your Finances > 6 + Are You Practicing Mindful Wealth? > 38

Relationships + How to Break the Failed

Relationship Cycle > 6 + Experience the Most Fulfilling Relationship > 40

Purpose + GOMO Travel: The Future

of Assisted Travel > 36 + The Healing Power of Spiritual Awareness > 48

Confidence Guidance Confidence Through Through Guidance Confidence Through Guidance

Confidence Through Guidance

Nina Azwoir First Vice President, Investments tel: 239.687.5204 Nina Azwoir Nina Azwoir First Vice President, Investments LOCATED AT Firsttel: Vice President, Investments 239.687.5204 3401 Tamiami Trail North

tel: Naples, 239.687.5204 Florida LOCATED AT

3401 Tamiami LOCATED AT Trail North Naples, Floridamanagement services are offered through Wintrust Investments, LLC (Member FINRA/SIPC), founded in 1931. Trust and asset management Securities, insurance products, financial planning, and investment

3401 Tamiami Trail North Florida Investment products such as stocks,Naples, bonds, and mutual funds are:

services offered by The Chicago Trust Company, N.A. and Great Lakes Advisors, LLC, respectively. © 2020 Wintrust Wealth Management

NOT FDIC INSURED | NOT BANK GUARANTEED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT A DEPOSIT | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY Securities, insurance products, financial planning, and investment management services are offered through Wintrust Investments, LLC (Member FINRA/SIPC), founded in 1931. Trust and asset management services offered by The Chicago Trust Company, N.A. and Great Lakes Advisors, LLC, respectively. © 2020 Wintrust Wealth Management Investment products such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds are: Securities, NOT insurance products, financial planning, and investment management services offered through Wintrust Investments, LLC (Member FINRA/SIPC), founded in 1931. Trust and asset management FDIC INSURED | NOT BANK GUARANTEED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT A DEPOSIT | NOTare INSURED

BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY

services offered by The Chicago Trust Company, N.A. and Great Lakes Advisors, LLC, respectively. © 2020 Wintrust Wealth Management Investment products such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds are:

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(239) 263-0356

The B-12 Store

1 SUMMER 2021

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ESSENTIAL Naples

t

VITAMIN INJECTIONS at The B-12 Store

ESSENTIAL Naples SUMMER 2021

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< PAGE 10 “Clean Your TapXX Water of Toxins andBY Chemicals”

BY KENNY LU < PAGE “Article Name” DR

Photo: Michael Owen

CONTENTS

Summer 2021

Features

22 SuperFoods for SuperKids: Changing the World One Snack at a Time

By Chef David Robbins

Health

4 LETTER 6 BUZZ

5 Keep Autoimmune Disease at Bay

Ready? Set? GOMO!

8 Sleep: What to Do When You Can’t

Your CBD Store Offers HighestQuality CBD

Flying Eagle Kombucha— A Different Kind of Craft Brew

46 COMMUNITY

RESOURCES

47 HAPPENINGS

Relationships 40 The Most Fulfilling Relationship You Can Experience

By Dana Lee

Finance 38 Are You Practicing Mindful Wealth?

By Nina Azwoir, First Vice President of Investments, Wintrust Wealth Management

By Lynn Brewer

By Dr. Carol L. Roberts, MD

10 Clean Your Tap Water of Toxins and Chemicals

By Kenny Lu

12 Why You Need a Biological Dentist

By Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD

35 Oral and Dental Therapy Kills Bacteria Quickly

By Steven R. Frank

42 From Breath to Body: How Food and Flows Help You Let It Go

By Betsy Opyt, RD, LD/N, CDE, RYT

43 Conatus: The Psychology of Metaphysics

By David A. Kaplan and Wendy L. Feltner

44 Non-Surgical Knee Joint Pain Relief

By Dr. Richard Hiler, DABCN

By Dr. Josephine Perez, DMD

14 Call Me Cannabinoids: An Intro to CBD

By Stacy Bull

15 Did You Say a “Vampire” Facelift?

By Mindy DiPietro and Dr. Kathleen Marc, MD

16 Experience Luxury and Pampering at Praha Spa and Salt

By Oksana Acosta

18 How to Have a Happy, Healthy Summer Vacation

By Theresa Edmunds, CHC

20 Drink for Your Health

By Maddy Eagle

34 Type 2 Diabetes Management: It’s Not What You Think

By Denise A. Pancyrz

Purpose 30 FreedomFest 2021: The World’s Largest Gathering of Free Minds

By Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD

32 Healing with Scalar Light Force Fields

By Thomas J. Paladino

36 GOMO Travel: The Future of Assisted Travel

By Kerri Johnson, RN, EMBA

48 The Healing Power of Spiritual Awareness

By Yolanda Beckers

3 SUMMER 2021

Departments

28 A Fascinating Journey into Numerology and Healing

ESSENTIAL Naples

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LETTER

Hey, I’m Dr. Diane!

ESSENTIAL Naples

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SUMMER 2021

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“Our mission and intent is to support each reader’s wish to make a difference in their lives.

Together, we can make a difference in the local community.”

—Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD

elcome to the Summer issue of Essential Naples—a quarterly lifestyle publication in Southwest Florida for health-minded locals who desire credible information on holistic health and well-being trends. If this is the first time you’re picking us up, you’ll find our coverage is 100% local with expert content that interests both Naples residents and professional holistic practitioners. Essential Naples focuses on four essential lifestyle pillars— Health, Relationships, Finance, and Purpose. In each issue, you’ll find articles on wide-ranging topics from local experts in each of these areas who have offered infinite nuggets of wisdom to share with us all. Please connect with them, as they make this complimentary magazine possible.

2021 is bringing a ton of exciting changes to our media platform. I’m thrilled to announce I’ll be launching my own internet radio show this summer as part of the Transformation Talk Radio (TTR) network. TTR is a global positive talk radio and media network that I am honored to be collaborating with, and I’ll be featuring many of our own Essential Naples writers and local practitioners on my show whose voices need to be heard. My show will be weekly on Thursdays at 11 am. Visit www.essentialnaples.com to sign up for notifications to discover show topics and the fascinating guests I’ll be interviewing. TTR is an internationally syndicated show and broadcast globally on hundreds of AM/FM/digital radio stations. I’m so excited to be broadening our audience globally.

I’m hoping some of you will join me in South Dakota, July 21–25, at the annual FreedomFest 2021 Summit. FreedomFest is an intense three and a half days, and it’s different from any conference you have ever attended. Where else can you attend yoga in the morning, listen to world-renowned speakers on finance or geopolitics after breakfast, and choose from among a dozen breakout sessions with the world’s brightest thought leaders in the afternoon? Check out my article “FreedomFest 2021” for more information, and visit www.freedomfest.com and enter code Nutmeg50 for $50 off the registration. I’ll be speaking about “The New Psychology of Aging: Living Younger.” There are incredible studies being published now about the ability to reverse aging in humans through gene therapy, epigenetic cell reprogramming, inexpensive stem cell treatment, and regenerative medicine techniques such as NAD supplementation. I am beyond excited to be speaking at this event and synthesizing all this great information for attendees. Hope to see you there!

Wishing you health and happiness,

Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD Publisher & Owner, ELM Publishing

Health

Keep

Autoimmune Disease at Bay

By Lynn Brewer

Managing Autoimmune Disease with Nutrition

While there is no cure for autoimmune disease, that certainly doesn’t mean the symptoms can’t be managed. When it comes to restoring the immune system, diet is key. Nutrient deficiencies can play a huge role in autoimmune diseases—if we are deficient in any or all of these key nutrients, we are at risk of our immune system attacking our body’s own tissues.

Key Nutrients: Vitamin A Omega 3s B12 Magnesium Vitamin D Selenium K2 Zinc

Magnesium sulphate has been used for centuries as an effective cure-all, including reducing inflammation. And because inflammation is a common symptom of many autoimmune conditions, magnesium may indeed have applications in reducing this immune response, if not treating the cause of the disease.

How Floating Can Help

Research has shown that stress can aggravate the physical symptoms of many autoimmune diseases. Floating has been well established as a method of alleviating stress—because of the magnesium being absorbed through the skin during a float, floaters often find extra relief of symptoms related to autoimmune disease. Additionally, floating has been linked to better quality and frequency of sleep in general, which is important in immunocompromised individuals—insomnia is a frequent issue for those with any type of autoimmune disease, and lack of sleep only reinforces the cycle of fatigue and discomfort.

Many people with autoimmune diseases, as well as many other diseases, have found that spending time in a float tank can help boost the powers of concentration, helping to restore some of the mental acuity impacted by autoimmune disease.

When floating, magnesium is absorbed through our largest organ—our skin—via molecular diffusion, so there is no overload effect from floating for extended periods of time. The effects of float therapy are cumulative, and its many benefits are experienced when you float on a regular, frequent basis.

Come float for your health and wellness. •

Come be part of the Solution at Fort Myers Cloud 9 Float Spa today! Lynn Brewer, owner of Cloud9 Float Spa & Wellness Center located at 13710 Metropolis Ave., Suite #104 in Fort Myers. 239.887.4161 info@c9floatspa.com. www.c9floatspa.com. SWFL’s only Float Spa. See ad on page 37 >

“Floating has been well established as a method of alleviating stress— because of the magnesium being absorbed through the skin during a float, floaters often find extra relief of symptoms related to autoimmune disease.”

—Lynn Brewer

5 SUMMER 2021

utoimmune diseases are a group of more than 80 chronic, often debilitating, and, in some cases, life-threatening illnesses. According to the National Institutes of Health, up to 23.5 million Americans (more than 7% of the population) suffer from an autoimmune disease—and the prevalence is rising. Autoimmune disease is associated with a malfunction of the immune system that causes the body to attack its own tissues, and diseases such as lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and many others are directly related to a buildup of inflammation, which causes the body to mistakenly attack healthy cells, tissues, and organs.

One of the functions of the immune system is to protect the body by responding to invading microorganisms, such as viruses or bacteria, by producing antibodies or sensitized lymphocytes (types of white blood cells). Under normal conditions, an immune response cannot be triggered against the cells of one’s own body. In some cases, however, immune cells make a mistake and attack the very cells they are meant to protect, leading to a variety of autoimmune diseases encompassing a broad category of related diseases in which the person’s immune system attacks their own tissue.

ESSENTIAL Naples

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BUZZ ESSENTIAL Naples SUMMER 2021

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Ready? Set? GOMO!

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ave you ever been forced to contemplate the complexities of travel for medical necessity or leisure, for yourself or a loved one? GOMO stands for just that: Go More! GOMO Travel Companions bring ease and accessibility to those with travel challenges who wish to travel, domestically or internationally, for any reason. Founder Kerri Johnson launched GOMO Travel in 2019 to bridge the gap between her two favorite worlds— travel and medical care. As a registered nurse of more than 30 years, Johnson is not only trained in providing medical care, but in providing comfort and compassion to people with assisted travel needs as well. While navigating through the pandemic, GOMO Travel has completed nearly 100 trips. Armed with a superb team of Travel Companions, GOMO Travel is ready to help travelers get to their destinations, wherever that may be.

GOMO Travel is not only thriving through a pandemic, they’re providing peace of mind to those who are looking to connect with their loved ones across the United States.

Fran C., of St. Augustine, FL, stated, “As COVID cases increased in early 2020, it became necessary to travel from Florida to Honolulu to bring our sister back to a memory care home. It was amazing to see our sister, despite her advancing dementia, instantly trust and bond with Kerri, who even coaxed her into using a wheelchair for the first time. She truly has a gift in helping people feel safe and secure.” Providing concierge-level solutions to any assisted travel need, GOMO Travel is changing the future of assisted travel.

Are you ready to GOMO? GOMO Travel, LLC | 712 Cape Coral Parkway West | Cape Coral, Florida 33914 904.395.7500 | www.gomotravel.com See ad page 9 >

Your CBD Store Offers Highest-Quality CBD

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our CBD Store is Collier County’s first dedicated CBD store, with expert staff offering SunMed products in various forms. At Your CBD Store, we believe in bringing the highest quality CBD products to market. We formulate our products with our customers’ needs in mind, using other cannabinoids and terpenes to create unique synergies that increase efficiency, target specific ailments, and increase the binding of CBD. Our products offer USDA Certified Organic, gluten-free, vegan, and certified Kosher ingredients and are third-party lab tested for quality and safety. You can choose from water solubles, edibles, tinctures, soft gel capsules, and topical applications, and we even carry tinctures and treats for pets. SunMed products are intended to be used as an herbal supplement and no prescription is necessary.

We have two Your CBD Stores locations in Collier County to serve you, located at 1246 Airport Pulling Rd N in Naples and 317 N Collier Blvd on Marco Island. Or call us at 239.259.8654 for free local Collier County delivery or free shipping nationwide.

See ad on page 9 >

Want more BUZZ?

Checkout www.essentialnaples.com RELATIONSHIPS

How to Break the Failed Relationship Cycle Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD

FINANCE

Independence and Your Finances Caroline Wetzel, CFP, VP

www

Flying Eagle Kombucha—A Different Kind of Craft Brew

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lying Eagle Kombucha, SWFL’s first kombucha brewery and tap room, uses healthy, gut-friendly microbes and plants as alternative medicine to create a sparkling, uplifting beverage. When founder Maddy Eagle realized her then-home-brewed kombucha was a remedy for her own digestive imbalance and that the drink made her feel healthier and more energetic in general, she wanted to share the bubbly beverage with others.

The brewery went commercial in 2018 and after being mobile for two years, FEK opened a non-alcoholic kombucha bar inside of downtown Fort Myers’ Millennial Brewing Company. Flying Eagle helped inspire a spirit-free cocktail bar, The Apothecary, in the brewery as well. N/A drinks in a brewery?! Absolutely, your sober friends want great options for their brewery experience, too! Try a flight of five kombuchas, the “champagne-style” Elderflower served in a flute, and a beautifully crafted, non-alcoholic cocktail from The Apothecary.

Flying Eagle Kombucha is a light, dry, bubbly drink, fermented in large vessels with organic teas and botanicals for serotonin-boosting properties, and organic or local fruit. The kombucha brewery also features seasonal brews for their Community Garden benefit program. Entire refrigerated aisles are dedicated to different kombucha brands in Publix and Whole Foods— it has become quite the trendy bevy. But the FEK brewery is for locals, by locals. FEK can be enjoyed through delivery, and with their new subscription delivery program you save with AutoPay! Visit the FEK Tap Room inside Millennial Brewing in downtown Fort Myers, and their 35+ resale locations in SWFL. For more information, visit www.flyingeaglekombucha.com and follow on Instagram and Facebook: @flyingeaglekombucha.swfl See ad page 37 >

Essential NAPLES Vol. 2, Issue 1

Essential Naples is a quarterly lifestyle publication in SWFL for healthminded locals who need credible information on holistic health and well-being trends. Our coverage is 100% local with expert content that interests both local residents and professional integrated practitioners.

PUBLISHER/OWNER

Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD Diane@essentialnaples.com

Experience the New Praha Spa—formerly Salt Cave Naples

A Unique, Revolutionary Healing Spa & Salt Cave

DIR. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY/OWNER

Christopher Urso Curso@naturalnutmeg.com ESSENTIAL Naples

EDITOR

Lori Emelander essentialeditorlori@gmail.com MARKETING DIRECTOR

Linda Sciuto Linda@essentialnaples.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Jim Nissen

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jim@commandshiftoption.com

International Staff Beauty Inside and Out

DISTRIBUTION

Naples and SWFL, please contact curso@naturalnutmeg.com Essential Naples Magazine essentialnaples.com In keeping with our concern for the environment, Essential Naples is proudly printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks.

Essential Naples is a free publication supported solely by our advertisers and distributed throughout SWFL. Please email curso@naturalnutmeg.com for locations near you. © 2021 by Natural Nutmeg, LLC. All rights reserved. Parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, with permission. We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. We welcome your feedback.

OFFERING:

Organic & Natural Facials Clinical Skincare Treatments Therapeutic Massage & Body Treatments Nail Services | Nutrition Counseling 4962 Tamiami Trail N, Naples

239-403-9170 www.prahaspa.com

< PAGE 16 “Experience and Pampering” < PAGELuxury XX “Article Name” BY DRBY OKSANA ACOSTA

SUMMER 2021

ADVISORY BOARD

Nina Azwoir, Financial Deanna M. Cherrone, MD Véronique Desaulniers, DC Derrick DeSilva, MD Theresa Edmunds, CHC Jamie Kliewe, CHHP, LMT Betsy Opyt RD, LD/N, CDE Denise Pancyrz, Nutrition Josephine Perez, DMD

Health

Sleep:

What to Do When You Can’t

ESSENTIAL Naples

By Dr. Carol L. Roberts, MD

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SUMMER 2021

8 “The prime cause of insomnia in my patients is hormone deficiencies and imbalances. Low thyroid function can keep you awake at night and exhausted during the day.”

—Dr. Carol L. Roberts, MD

leep disturbances are a normal part of a normal life. We all have bad nights once in a while, but when sleep becomes an elusive goal most nights, when we lie in bed staring at the ceiling half the night, when we wake too early or fall asleep too late, our body suffers. So often, and especially later in life, the biggest health complaint patients have is lack of sleep. As we age, we are told, “Oh you don’t need as much sleep at your age!” If that were true, why do we fall asleep in the chair watching TV, or nearly crash the car because we can barely keep our eyes open? This is not normal, at any age.

would be better to take a hot bath. Add some Epsom salts to relax those muscles you were building earlier in the day.

Hormones and Sleeplessness

The prime cause of insomnia in my patients is hormone deficiencies and imbalances. Low thyroid function can keep you awake at night and exhausted during the day. Try using iodized salt or taking an iodine supplement to improve thyroid function.

Iodine is crucial for normal hormone function, brain function, and prostate and breast cancer prevention, but few doctors remember that. We are surrounded by minerals such as fluoride, chloride, Causes of Sleeplessness and bromide that can replace what little iodine Some of the reasons we don’t sleep are easy to fix.

Eating too late at night can give us heartburn—the we get from shellfish, seaweed, and iodized salt. fix is obvious. Alcohol will make us sleepy, but also Most Americans are very deficient in iodine and don’t know what that means or why it’s important. tends to wake us during the night when it wears Replacing iodine in the diet can often fix low thyoff—don’t drink most nights. Time in front of roid function (including its attendant insomnia). television screens, computers, or even our mobile devices can disrupt our sleep. Put away your phone Beyond that easy fix, you would need a doctor to help regulate your thyroid. and turn off the TV late at night—these remedies The sex hormones are crucial for normal brain are all within our capacity to implement without function, including sleep. Women do well with needing a doctor. progesterone replacement after menopause, Inactivity can be a source of restlessness as with little to no risk of cancer (it’s the pharmawell. The body needs movement. People who live ceutical version of artificial progesterone that in their heads, thinking too much and not using increases risk of cancer). Though you can buy their bodies in a healthy way, will have a tough over-the-counter progesterone topical cream, for time shutting off that busy mind at night. The proper hormone replacement therapy please see best remedy is an enjoyable activity that gets you a knowledgeable physician who uses bioidentical huffing and sweating—a least a little bit! The achormones. Sometimes different forms of this hortivity doesn’t have to be bone-crunching exercise; mone are required, and any menopausal woman it could be a half hour of dancing or pickle ball or who wants to be young, healthy, energetic, and whatever brings you pleasure, earlier in the day. well rested as long as possible will need the help It’s not good to get the blood flowing right before of a hormone-savvy practitioner. you try to sleep, however. Just before bedtime, it

Men are hormonally much less complicated—testosterone levels fall as they age, so they may need more to remain healthy. Poor sleep is an indicator that a man might be needing more testosterone; sexual dysfunction, loss of interest in sex, a growing waistline, and “man boobs” are sure signs of testosterone deficiency. Men also tend to get grumpy without their favorite hormone, so testosterone is absolutely a brain support treatment (and marriage support, too) for men as they age.

Melatonin is a hormone regulated by our biological clock. It is produced by the pineal gland at night from the same nutritional factors as serotonin, which is made in the daytime. Melatonin is cancer preventative and immune system boosting. It is so safe that, no matter how much was given, researchers were unable to kill a mouse with melatonin. For these reasons, I like to take 5–10 mg at night. This is also a good strategy for insomniacs.

Helping to normalize assisted travel so that seniors or anyone who needs assistance can travel, whether it’s to visit family, for necessary medical appointments and treatments, for relocation purposes, or simply because they want to.

GOMO Travel | 712 Cape Coral Pkwy W. | Cape Coral, FL 33914 kerri@gomotravel.com | gomotravel.com | (904) 395-7500 < PAGE 36 “GOMO Travel: The Future of Assisted Travel” < PAGE XX “Article Name”

BY DRBY KERRI JOHNSON, RN, EMBA

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Snuggling

Finally, here’s the fun part. Snuggle up to a partner or pet at night to help you relax and ease stress.

For those of us who don’t have a warm body to cuddle with at night and our cats or dogs won’t stay spooning very long, I recommend buying a large, fuzzy stuffed animal to hold close at night.

This may sound odd, but there is something primal and satisfying about clutching something to your heart at night. Make sure it’s not an allergy attractor for you; if so, a pillow may do the job just fine. Happy good night’s sleep! •

Dr. Carol L. Roberts is medical director at Naples Center for Functional Medicine and author of Good Medicine: A Return to Common Sense. Dr. Roberts has practiced functional, integrative, and holistic medicine for nearly 30 years. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 239.649.7400 or visit NaplesCFM.com.

See ad on page 19 >

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< PAGE 14 “Call Me Cannabinoids: An Intro toBY CBD”

BY STACY BULL < PAGE XX “Article Name” DR

SUMMER 2021

Learning techniques for shutting off the busy mind is always in order. Meditation, spending quiet time in nature, and reading an actual book at night are all good practices to adopt. So is a little homeopathic remedy called Coffee Cruda, made from raw coffee beans. In homeopathy, often the substance that would create problematic symptoms is given in special form (homeopathically prepared) to neutralize those very symptoms. Caffeine would keep you awake, but Coffee Cruda calms down a racing mind. It can be taken in the daytime to help alleviate stress. It is not a knockout pill; it is simply the song of a relaxed state of being.

for people of all ages

ESSENTIAL Naples

Learn to Turn off Your Mind

Concierge-Style Assisted Travel

Health

Clean Your Tap Water

ESSENTIAL Naples

of Toxins and Chemicals

By Kenny Lu

SUMMER 2021

10

“You can drink less with Spring Aqua, yet be better hydrated.”

—Gina Bria, Founder of Hydration Foundation

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lean, hydrating water once flowed freely on our planet. It is a gift from Mother Earth and at Spring Aqua, we believe Mother Earth got it right.

According to the Hydration Foundation, a leading research organization focused on actual cellular hydration, 99% of the molecules making up your body are water-based. At Spring Aqua, our goal is to provide water nourishment that is clean of toxins and is hydrating and life-promoting for your body.

Several world-famous mountain springs attract millions of people annually because of the healing properties of the water. The Netflix documentary Down to Earth features Zac Efron’s and Darin Olien’s visit to one of them, Lourdes Springs in France. Lourdes Springs is home to one of the most celebrated healing shrines in the world, with 4–6 million visitors a year, most of whom seek cures from drinking or bathing in the water.

Since the late 1800s, scientists have studied these springs, hoping to unlock the mysteries generating the miraculous results noted by visitors.

Through mimicking the rock layers, geology, and other properties outlined in scientific studies, We at Spring Aqua have developed our own version of the Lourdes water. As a result, we have created what we call the “Ecosystem in a Box”—Completely clean water and hydrating technology, the way Mother Earth intended it.

Rediscover Real Hydration

There are many ways to treat drinking water, such as reverse osmosis, distillers, filters, and bottled water, all ranging in cost and quality. Most focus on

purification but overlook an essential quality: the ability to sufficiently hydrate.

This is because at the cellular level, the water is not being absorbed as nature intended it. Studies have shown that being just 10% dehydrated can lead to chronic illnesses, and being as little as 2% dehydrated shows a measurable cognitive loss. Real hydration, then, is the fountain of youth and the foundation to health.

New research is showing us how the health of our cells is directly tied to the structure of the water inside of them. We’re all familiar with the three phases of water—liquid, solid (ice), and gas (steam). The discovery of structured water introduced a fourth phase, in which water takes on a thicker, plasma-like form. Structured water is only 10% denser but substantially more organized, leading to measurably higher water concentration at the molecular level, allowing for faster and more effective cellular absorption.

Research shows the amount of water we drink isn’t the real issue. Anthropologist Gina Bria, Founder of the Hydration Foundation and author of the book Quench, discovered that people living in deserts were often better hydrated than the average American, because they were eating plants to hydrate themselves. How could that be? The water in the plants is structured by nature.

Spring Aqua has successfully replicated the process by which plants structure water. The result: One glass of Spring Aqua water may be equal to two or more glasses of typical filtered water in hydration value.

Spring Aqua Unique Technology

Our Ecosystem in a Box turns your tap water into water that is clean of toxins and chemicals, hydrating, and life and wellness promoting. Our filters remove all the harmful chemicals and contaminants, but that’s only the beginning. In addition to properly structuring the water, we boost its power by adding dissolved molecular hydrogen, which is stabilized, unlike tablets and ionizers.

Integrative Functional Nutrition Specialist

Structure. Hydrogen. Ionized Minerals.

See ad on page 2 >

239-297-8844 healthyconceptsconsulting.com PAGE 42 “From Your Breath to and Body” BYFun!” BETSY OPYT, RD, LD/N, RYT CDE, RYT < Page 20 <“Stop Shaming Diet Have

BY BETSY OPYT, CDE, RD, LD/N,

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FEEL AMAZING SPINE & JOINT INSTITUTE

Regenerative, Physical, & Preventative Medicine

“Comprehensive programs for spine, joints, neuropathy, NEW and wellness.”

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edicare Friendly Options!

• Stem Cell Allografts • Exosomes • Platelet Rich Plasma • Ozone • Peptides • Nutritional IVs • Chiropractic • Massage • Float

Richard Hiler DABCN

239.330.1000 3031 Airport Pulling Rd N Naples, FL 34105 < PAGE 44 “Non-Surgical Knee PainName” Relief” BY BYDR DR. RICHARD HILER, DABCN < PAGE XXJoint “Article

SUMMER 2021

Kenny Lu has been an entrepreneur for over 20 years, with extensive international experience building businesses in the United States, Canada, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore and is fluent in English and Mandarin. He has been heavily involved in marketing, sales, business development, and fundraising. Kenny has worked with professional sports, nutraceuticals, beauty products, international business expansions, digital platform development, and his current venture, Spring Aqua water. Contact 206.913.8888 or kenny@springaqua.com, and visit www.springaqua.info/essentialnaples

Anti-Inflammatory Living Diabetes Management Corporate Nutrition Detox/Cleansing Gut Health Nutrigenomics Immune Building Weight Management Personalized Nutrition Allergies

ESSENTIAL Naples

You may notice the similarity between the terms “hydrogen” and “hydration.” This is because hydration is all about getting hydrogen into the cells. The dense, organized molecular structure of structured water is what effectively creates this absorption enrichment.

Hydrogen-enhanced water is a powerful antioxidant as well. With our system, one liter of water can be equal to consuming 750 bananas, 35 carrots, and four bags of spinach in antioxidant value. An important element missing in most filtered water systems are important life-enhancing minerals that get stripped out during the purification process. Spring Aqua replenishes them in a bio-available ionized form.

We call our system “WET Technology.” It is an award-winning, eco-friendly product, recognized

by WIIPA (World Invention Intellectual Property Associations) and certified by SGS, the world’s largest provider of inspection, verification, testing, and certification services. Our filter certification data is publicly available. WET Technology uses no electricity and no plastic bottles, fits under your sink, and wastes no water. Spring Aqua is the perfect solution for your in-home, healthy water filtration system. •

Health

Why You Need a

Biological Dentist

ESSENTIAL Naples

By Dr. Josephine Perez, DMD

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SUMMER 2021

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“We have known for quite a long time that there is a mouth–body connection.

Bacteria from the mouth travels through the blood stream to the organs.”

—Dr. Josephine Perez, DMD

biological dentist seeks the safest, least toxic and most conservative way to accomplish modern dentistry that is safe, functional, durable and esthetic. It is interesting how the term “alternative medicine” refers to a new holistic, integrative and functional approach to health...yet it has been in existence for thousands of years and “modern medicine” is about 100 years old.

Most people find the “alternative ways” because of a personal medical condition that has not resolved. Others, are well versed in holistic ways and understand and live by it. We have known for quite a long time that there is a mouth–body connection. Bacteria from the mouth travels through the blood stream to the organs. As a biological dentist, my mantra continues to be: A healthy mouth is a healthy body and a healthy life!

How Do You Find a Biological Dentist?

Ask questions! Most dentists today are mercury free, however, very few are mercury SAFE. Being mercury safe means you protect the patient from harmful mercury vapors while removing them. Specialized equipment is necessary as well as a strict protocol. A practice needs to be S.M.A.R.T. certified. This entails rigorous training and examination to minimize harm to patients and staff. Over the past few months, many have spoken about “the new normal.” Fortunately, our protocols in the office have always had universal precautions, but our S.M.A.R.T. certification eases us into even greater and extra precautionary measures than a traditional dental office. Our office is already biological, so we have been doing these protocols for a long time and do not need to “play catch up” to the new normal. Here are a few of the state-of-the-art offerings we have in our practice.

Compatibility Testing

Every person is different and every person’s toxic level is different. This is why the most important variable is finding the root cause. We encourage compatibility testing with everyone. It is extremely important to make sure what each person is compatible with and only then do we choose the appropriate materials. We all want to enjoy quality of life, so I strive for finding root cause so patients can know their own bodies and can live, play, travel, and dance to their heart’s content. It all begins with good food, and food is medicine.

Air and Water Purification Systems

We have state-of-the-art air purification and water purification systems. Our AC has always had MERV14 or better filters. Our air is surgical grade that not only traps bacteria, VOCs, mold spores, off gassing, parasites, and other toxins—kills them. We have specialized evacuation systems for aerosols, which we are using on every patient even if it’s just a cleaning. This aerosole EVAC system has silver impregnated activated carbon and an electrostatic filter. We have invested in specialized UV-C filters (222nm–254nm) that are left overnight.

Our ozone machine is producing fresh ozonated water all day; in fact, this ozonated water runs through our systems so that no biofilms are formed in any of the water lines. We have specialized PPE made to order and our masks are P100 respirators.

Homeopathy

We use homeopathics as much as possible and have them available pre- and post-treatments. We encourage healing with high-grade supplements

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Dr. Josephine Perez, DMD has been practicing dentistry for 29 years. She is a graduate of Tufts University School of Dentistry in Boston and interned at New Orleans Coast Guard/ Navy Base. Her holistic approach to dentistry encompasses each person’s unique and entire (or whole, therefore holistic) state of physical and emotional well-being. The ability to maintain health through preventive measures and treatments of oral disease is her priority. Dr. Perez focuses on the underlying condition, rather than only treating the symptoms. She tests for biocompatibility to find pathways to reduce inflammation and apply biocompatible and biomimetic materials, supplements, essential oils to restore and strengthen the oral cavity and ultimately, the whole body. After decades of restoring and transforming smiles, Dr. Perez has integrated total wellness into her oral health enhancement practice—a revolutionary style of dentistry. www.puredentalnaples.com.

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ESSENTIAL Naples

and disinfect with laser and ozone/O2 treatments.

We are also completely metal free, and our restorations are BPA and BisGMA free. We use fluoride alternatives and educate our patients on biomimetic toothpastes and adjuncts. We make our own sanitizers with 151-proof alcohol and high-grade, nonGMO, expeller pressed and/or cold pressed organic essential oils that we also offer to our patients. Our patients are offered a choice in their pre-treatment rinses: essential oil mouthwash, colloidal silver mouthwash, ozonated water or a peroxide rinse for 60 seconds.

We work with integrative doctors, naturopaths, chiropractors, healers, anti-aging specialists and the medical community because it’s all connected.

What happens in your mouth does not stay in your mouth. Be proactive and not reactive.

What we do as a profession is not compartmentalized. Compatibility matters, technique matters, isolation matters, quality materials matter, overall health of a patient matters, ability to process toxins matters…and genetics matter. Our staff is regularly trained in this comprehensive protocol. Nothing is too excessive for the health and well-being of patients and staff. We go above and beyond the required standards recommended by the CDC, FDA, and ADA. This “choreography” is continuously changing in order to become better and healthier.

We are a TEAM and we are all learning every day, we even learn from our own patients. We embrace change and welcome challenges. We are all just helping each other “home.” •

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BY DANA LEE < PAGE “Article Name”

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Health

Call Me Cannabinoids:

An Intro to CBD

ESSENTIAL Naples

By Stacy Bull

“CBD’s antiinflammatory properties are involved in regulating various functions in a number of areas that can be associated with sleep, appetitive, pain, and immune system response.”

—Stacy Bull

SUMMER 2021

14

Stacy Bull has been the General Manager for Your CBD Store Naples and Marco Island locations for the past 2 years. She has her Bachelor’s Degree in Health Care Administration from UW-Milwaukee. She has worked in various healthcare departments including Ophthalmology, Oncology, and Cardiology before getting involved in Cannabinoid Therapy.

She can be reached at 239.259.8654 or by email at naplesfl @cbdrx4u.com.

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C

annabidiol, commonly known as CBD, is a naturally occurring, non-psychoactive compound found in hemp plants. Unlike its cousin, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC Delta-9), CBD has no intoxicating effects as we typically see with THC-based products. CBD interacts with the receptors in our endocannabinoid system (ECS), our largest receptor system in the body, which is now being studied at a rapid rate due to its relatively recent discovery and identification in the early 1990s. We find that CBD and minor cannabinoids like CBG, CBN, and CBC are outperforming other compounds without the side effects that are caused by THC. Since ECS receptors are found throughout the body, dosing and interaction within the system changes as the form of the product changes. For example, using a topical lotion works best in a targeted area, while an oil-based tincture works best across our entire ECS. Learning about the ECS, determining what form of CBD to take, and understanding what amount of CBD works best are the most important steps to finding the right CBD product in today’s market.

in perfect synergy. Similar to full spectrum, broad spectrum products contain all compounds of the hemp plant but contain non-detectable amounts of THC. To achieve this, products are put through additional processing to remove as much THC as possible while preserving the other cannabinoids and other plant components. Broad spectrum products remain a great choice for customers who can’t have any traces of THC in their system, but still desire the same full-plant synergy. While CBD isolate does offer certain health benefits, studies are showing consumers may gain more consistent and intense effects from higher dosages of full spectrum.

This is important for customers to understand when deciding if a CBD isolate or full spectrum is a better option for them.

What to Look for When Shopping CBD Products

Look for products in which the hemp is sourced from a United States Organic Hemp Farm and certified by the State’s Department of Agriculture. CO2 extraction is the most regularly used extraction process, providing you with the What Can CBD Help With?

CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties are involved purest end product. During CO2 extraction, we in regulating various functions in a number of can extract other compounds found within the areas that can be associated with sleep, appetiplant, including terpenes, flavonoids, and other tive, pain, and immune system response. This is cannabinoids. Lastly, it is important to review the not necessarily a cure or treatment; rather, it is third-party lab report for your product. These reintended to help keep you feeling more like your- ports should be easily accessible on the company’s self. As always, we recommend starting a conver- website. Leafreport.com recently put about 3,000 sation with your physician before taking any CBD CBD products under the microscope to see how products, especially if you’re on any medication. many were being tested for purity or potency. “Of the 136 CBD companies, 42% tested all of their What’s the Difference between CBD Isolate, products for potency. Additionally, the vast majority of products tested were outside the limits Full Spectrum, and Broad Spectrum? of acceptable variance. The concentration of CBD CBD isolate is a crystalline solid or powder that stated on a product label must match the concencontains upwards of 99% pure CBD. Whole plant tration measured by the testing laboratory within extract, or full spectrum, contains all compounds a 10% variance.” This recent study shows that of the hemp plant, including the flavonoids, natural fatty acids found in hemp; terpenes; and other not all CBD brands are created equal and because CBD is not yet regulated by the Food and Drug Adcannabinoids (such as CBG, CBN, and the legal ministration (FDA), it is important to know what limit of THC). By keeping all compounds of the exactly is in—or not in—your CBD product. • plant, cannabinoids and terpenes work together

Health

Did You Say a

“Vampire” Facelift?

By Mindy DiPietro and Dr. Kathleen Marc, MD

A

Signs of Skin Aging

Platelet-Rich Plasma

Naturally found in your blood, platelets are a rich source of proteins called growth factors, which promote healing and regeneration. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) contains a higher concentration of platelets than the amount normally found in your blood. To create PRP, a sample of your blood is drawn and placed in a centrifuge, which separates out the platelets. These concentrated platelets are recombined with your blood plasma to make platelet-rich plasma, which is then reinjected into the problem areas.

PRP injections are a more natural alternative to Botox and fillers. Platelet-rich plasma is injected, just like a filler would be, to create and stimulate your body’s own growth factors. PRP produces collagen, hyaluronic acid, and elastin, and smooth the skin, maintaining the facial contours of the natural look of the patient. It is a truly regenerative treatment that involves harvesting the body’s

Vampire Facelift

For the “facelift,” the PRP is injected into various areas of the face to create a plumping effect. Using numbing cream and a very small needle (for almost no pain), the physician uses a specific method to reinject the woman’s own growth factors into her problem areas. These growth factors then activate multipotent stem cells already in the skin, tricking them into thinking they are responding to an injury and generating new, younger tissue. The procedure is safe because it’s free of toxins, utilizing the patient’s own blood to naturally create new tissue. The body begins to “repair” itself and regenerates collagen, elastin, and healing properties, which create a youthful appearance.

“The procedure is safe because it’s free of toxins, utilizing the patient’s own blood to naturally create new tissue.”

—Mindy DiPietro and Dr. Kathleen Marc

Vampire Facial

The facial works in much the same way as the “facelift,” but with tiny perforations in the skin instead of injections. These tiny perforations allow the PRP to penetrate into the dermal layers, and the results continuously improve the glow of the skin within two to three months. Many patients report smoother, firmer skin, a brighter complexion, and less noticeable dark circles.

Rejuvenate your face naturally. Your beauty will be revived with a natural face shape, increased collagen, smoother skin, increased blood flow, a youthful glow, and a younger appearance. •

As a leader in the industry, Aesthetic Treatment Centers always offers the latest technology in skin and body care. By combining their expertise through industry leaders, innovative procedures, and cutting-edge products, you will always receive remarkable results within the serene, inviting atmosphere of the Aesthetic Treatment Centers. Headquartered in Naples, FL, Aesthetic Treatment Centers is located in the Advanced Medical Building at 720 Goodlette-Frank Road, Suite 300, Naples, Florida. Online bookings available at www.atcnaples.com, 239.322.3790. See ad on the Back Cover >

15 SUMMER 2021

1. Skin color appears grayer because of less blood flow.

2. Facial shape appears collapsed and droopy as muscle and collagen decreases.

3. Skin texture becomes less smooth and skin looks worn, tired, or droopy.

Unlike most procedures, the vampire facelift offers a way of restoring shape and improving tone and texture as well as literally rejuvenating new and younger tissue. How is this done?

own wound healing and regenerative growth factors to improve skin texture as well as age-related changes like fine lines and laxity.

With just four to six PRP treatments over a twoto four-week period, patients are seeing results that last for up to two years—so over the long-term, it is a very cost effective and 100% safe treatment. With your own PRP, you don’t have to be concerned about toxins or chemicals being injected into your body.

ESSENTIAL Naples

re you seeing signs of aging in your skin?

Cosmetic surgery can remove excess skin and make you appear younger, but a surgical facelift may be more excessive than some people need. If you’re seeing these three signs of aging in your skin, you may be a perfect candidate for a vampire facelift or vampire facial. (Don’t let the name scare you!)

Health

Experience Luxury and Pampering ESSENTIAL Naples

at Praha Spa and Salt

By Oksana Acosta

SUMMER 2021

16 “Negative ions help you sleep by regulating your serotonin secretion, reducing headaches and sickness, and increasing the flow of oxygen to the brain, resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy.”

—Oksana Acosta

P

raha Spa and Salt, owned by Oksana Acosta, is the most upscale and luxurious spa in all of Naples. The new design and aesthetics of the treatment rooms and lobby exude pampering and comfort from the minute you step in the door.

Combining holistic, therapeutic, detoxification, and healing services with massage and skincare treatments, Praha Spa and Salt is the place to go for total body and soul wellness, inside and out.

Oksana builds on the location, services, and eleven years of experience of Andrea and the former Salt Cave spa in central Naples. Of course, the famous salt cave is still there, so stop by to enjoy a relaxing visit to the cave and indulge yourself with a facial treatment using products from organic lines to medical grade, professional peeling.

What’s New at Praha Spa and Salt?

• Experience Sunday yoga in the salt cave. Enjoy a slow-paced yoga class, holding beautiful poses, working on your breathing, and getting deep into some satisfying stretches. Develop your inner strength and heal your body and mind while enjoying all the benefits of the magical healing power of salt. Sundays at 11 am, $35 for one hour.

• Rejuvenate with self-administered vitamin shots. TB12 helps the body use fat and carbs for energy and creating new proteins. Lipo-Mino Mix is a fat-burning combination to help reduce appetite, build muscle, and promote healthy immune function.

• We are excited to introduce the G.M. Collin Skin Care line. G.M. Collin’s journey began in 1957, when Dr. Lapinet, a renowned Parisian dermatologist, pioneered the use of collagen pellicles on burn victims to help heal and regain the healthy look of their skin. Thanks to their

recognized expertise and innovative ingredients, G.M. Collin develops superior skin care products, from preventive care to combating the first signs of aging in mature skin, achieving unmatched results for all skin types and conditions. Praha Spa and Salt is one of the few spas to feature this line of skin care.

• The GMC medical skin care line featured at Praha Spa and Salt is born from their extensive expertise in clinical R&D skin care. Their scientifically proven, medical-strength formulas enhance the skin’s appearance and reduce the visible signs of aging. The ingredients are combined to provide unique, clinically proven results.

Beauty on the Outside

Our “Beauty on the Outside” offerings include the signature facial, Algomask facial with seaweed treatment, Sea C Spa facial with marine and vegetal ingredients, Hydrolifting facial with intense hydration, dermaplaning to remove dead skin cells, waxing, nail services, professional teeth whitening, and Collagen 90-II treatment. We also offer reflexology, therapeutic massage, lymphatic drainage massage, Himalayan hot stone massage, sports and deep tissue massage, prenatal and postnatal massage, and neuromuscular and myofascial release. Our massage therapists have over 25 years of experience helping people relieve pain.

Beauty from the Inside

Our “Beauty from the Inside” offerings include salt cave therapy, which normalizes certain chemical levels in the brain to improve outlook and mood.

Negative ions help you sleep by regulating your serotonin secretion, reducing headaches and sickness, and increasing the flow of oxygen to the brain, resulting in higher alertness, decreased

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17 SUMMER 2021

As the new owner of the popular salt cave, Oksana Acosta brings a youthful and vibrant approach to customer service. Her passion for self-improvement began as a youth growing up in the Ukraine. Oksana lived in Prague for many years, and in Czech “Praha” translates to “Prague,” naturally providing the name of her spa.

Oksana believes in the holistic approach of equal balance of mind, body, and spirit, and she is eager to share her secrets of success in achieving and maintaining a healthy and vigorous lifestyle through the various offerings and services her spa provides. Praha Spa and Salt is located at 4962 Tamiami Trail N. in Naples. info@prahaspa.com. 239.403.9170

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ESSENTIAL Naples

drowsiness, and more mental energy. Our other rejuvenating treatments include infrared sauna, which promotes detox and weight loss; bio-stimulation using electrical impulses to reshape the body and reduce cellulite; neurolymphatic therapy, which increases lymphatic drainage and increases energy; compression therapy, which reduces swelling and inflammation; the ionic detox footbath that eliminates toxins; and vacuum therapy, which increases blood circulation to eliminate fats.

Praha Spa and Salt still offers biofeedback—a new field of energy medicine that addresses the electrical properties of the body through stress reactivity testing of the energy field of the entire body. Our therapy works to relieve stress, balancing physical trauma and emotional trauma by stimulating the mind to naturally balance the body. Biofeedback can provide answers to many questions such as what foods to eat, if there has been exposure to environmental toxins, and any chemical sensitivities one may have. •

Health

How to Have a

Happy, Healthy Summer Vacation

ESSENTIAL Naples

By Theresa Edmunds, CHC

S

SUMMER 2021

18

“While on vacation, find a local market where you can put together a picnic. It will be much healthier than eating fast food or at a beach snack bar.”

—Theresa Edmunds, CHC

ummer vacations are great, but if you are trying to eat healthy or if you have a food sensitivity, they can be stressful. Time off should be fun and relaxing! With a little planning and these tips, your vacation can be everything you want it to be.

While travelling, we often find ourselves eating foods that we don’t really want to eat, usually due to convenience. Whether you are driving or flying, you can pack a lunch for your first day on the trip. If you have a plug-in cooler for your car, pack another day’s lunch. Bring along some healthy snacks—sliced veggies, fruit, hard-boiled eggs, nuts, granola bars, trail mix, and cheese and crackers are all good choices.

Food Sensitivities and Travel

If you have food sensitivities, make sure to bring along appropriate snacks. In a pinch, several snacks can make a meal. If there is a something specific you eat that is hard to find, take it with you to avoid the disappointment of not finding it at your destination. For kids with food allergies, don’t forget some special snacks and drinks; this can make the difference between a truly enjoyable trip and your child feeling deprived because they aren’t eating fast food. Also, be sure to have some special treats handy for a surprise. You never know what may come up (the ice cream truck coming around the corner!), and having a child’s favorite can make the difference between tears and smiles.

When you do have to eat on the road, look for better choices. Use your travel time to do some research. Many restaurants are offering healthy

options and if you have a sensitivity, you likely already know which chain restaurants offer options for you, so locate those ahead of time. And if you’re on a road trip, plan your schedule so that you arrive in the right place at the right time for meals.

Eat Healthy…In Your Hotel Room?

When making your hotel reservation, ask for a mini-fridge and/or microwave. There may be a nominal charge for these two appliances but having them in your room allows you to prepare simple meals as needed. Remember to pack a few essentials in your luggage if you are going to be making meals in the room. If you’re flying, be sure to pack these items in your checked luggage do you don’t risk them being confiscated when you go through security. Items may include a cutting board, a small paring knife, a can opener, a stick blender, a kitchen towel.

Free hotel breakfast is convenient and saves money but unfortunately, it is usually low quality.

Refined carbohydrates offer little in the way of nutritional value. You should feel free to choose some of the offerings and add some of your own. Bring a stick blender and make your own smoothie in your room. Bring a cooler for your smoothie ingredients.

If there is a gluten sensitivity, bring a toaster and your own bread product and if your hotel offers a Continental breakfast, take their gluten-free offerings up to your room.

Sometimes renting a house or staying at a hotel with a kitchen is easier if someone in the family has food sensitivities. Do your pre-trip research and find a store along the way that has organic products.

Have a grocery list ready before you get to your destination so you don’t forget any essentials. While on vacation, find a local market where you can put together a picnic. It will be much healthier than eating fast food or at a beach snack bar.

Dining Out on the Road

Eating Healthy with Friends

Theresa Edmunds is a Certified Health Coach focusing on all aspects of natural health. Using her Foundations for Health, she helps clients transform their health and their lives.

“Being healthier leads to feeling better which makes people happier, and happiness is what we are all striving for.” Contact her today for a free 20-minute consult to see how she can help you feel better and happier. Theresa@theresaedmunds.com or 734.308.7105. Available for speaking engagements and seminars.

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Biological Dentistry

We Understand that Oral Health is Fundamentally Connected to Overall Health

Biocompatability Testing To Find Pathways To Reduce Inflammation • Mercur y SAFE Practice • Metal Free Restorations • BPA and Bis GMA Free Fillings • Fluoride Alternatives • Ceramic Restorations

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4444 Tamiami Trail N, Suite 6 Naples, FL 34103

Josephine Perez, DMD

www.puredentalnaples.com

(239) 692-9623

Biological Dentist

12 Is “The Biological

BY DR. JOSEPHINE PEREZ, DMD < Page 14< PAGE “There a Dental Shift Dentist” on the Horizon”

BY DR. JOSEPHINE PEREZ, DMD

19 SUMMER 2021

If staying with friends, take your essential items with you. Stop for groceries before you arrive.

It’s okay to eat the way that feels best for you.

Watching carbs? Have some lettuce on hand to make a salad or turn a sandwich into a lettuce wrap. Plan ahead for day trips with the group; a little research will help you to be prepared. And keep a snack with you, just in case plans change at the last minute.

With a little planning before you head out to enjoy your vacation, you can feed yourself and your family well. Making the extra effort ahead of time will leave you feeling better and give you more energy to enjoy your vacation. If you need help navigating a food sensitivity, working with a professional can help you get—and stay—on the right track. •

Welcome to

ESSENTIAL Naples

An ever-increasing number of restaurants are serving organic and local food options. Farm-totable restaurants are on the rise; ask locals what they would recommend. Make sure a salad and veggies are part of dinner, for you and for the kids!

A local Facebook group dining page is a great place to find a good restaurant that can accommodate any food sensitivities you may need to consider.

If you order pizza, order a salad too—or stop at the grocery store and pick up veggies and dip.

If you offer the veggies to kids before the pizza, chances are you’ll get more vegetables into them.

Some pizza places are now even offering cauliflower crust for those who are gluten-sensitive or watching carbs. Look for a juice bar or health food store that offers fresh organic juice—having fresh vegetable juice can make up for those “not so healthy” choices while on vacation.

We provide an individualized, whole-body approach to health care including:

Carol L. Roberts MD, ABIHM

• Preventative Medicine & Health Optimization • Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy • IntellxxDNA™ Genomic Testing • Nutritional Analysis & Food Sensitivity Testing

Eduardo Maristany, MD

• Immune & Digestive Disorders Treatment • Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy • Infusion Therapy • Brain Health & Memory Support

Lindsey Berkson, MA, DC, CNS, DACBN

800 Goodlette Rd. Suite 270, Naples, FL 34102 NaplesCFM.com | 239-649-7400 PAGE28 8 “Sleep: WhatTestosterone to Do When You Can’t”BYBY DR. CAROL L.MARISTANY, ROBERTS, MD <<Page “Optimizing Levels...”

DR. EDUARDO MD

ESSENTIAL Naples

Health

Drink

for Your Health

20 SUMMER 2021

By Maddy Eagle

“Flying Eagle Kombucha has become a platform to educate people on gut health and plant medicine and now, after our sober-curious campaign, even more people have started to replace their alcoholic drinks with our kombucha.”

—Maddy Eagle

I

always knew I was born to start my own business. I didn’t always know what it would be, but I knew that I had to make a social impact. Fresh out of college, living in the state of boat life and beach fun, I did some traveling and soul searching out of the country and began to recognize a big part of my culture…alcohol. But why, when in 2016 alcohol consumption had been recorded as the seventh-leading cause of death and disability worldwide? Back in the States I found myself longing for meaningful social interactions—and for my memory of those interactions.

I started brewing kombucha in 2016 as a home remedy to help my digestive issues, and inflammation and pain in my joints due to gluten and dairy. But my journey to sober, satisfied drinking started even earlier than that—there was a greater path to find refreshments that tasted good, weren’t full of sugar, had no or little alcohol but still some bite…something I actually enjoyed that also contributed to the happy-gut, happy-mood link (a proven connection!).

The Remedy in Kombucha

My small-batch kombucha made its debut at The Alliance for the Arts GreenMarket in Ft. Myers with the intention to sell it to the yogis who were Maybe I wasn’t alone. I discovered sober-curious arriving every morning. I also started to source movements like Dry January, in which 100,000 local, unique fruits and herbs from the farmers Americans participated in 2020. Boomers, Gen at the market and began using my brand, Flying Xers, and other generations, both younger and Eagle Kombucha (FEK), as a platform to educate older, are analyzing how they feel about alcohol our coastal Floridian following on local harvests. consumption, and statistics show that many people are becoming increasingly sober-curious... The demand for our fresh and dry beverage really lifted off, we started to get repeat customers, and to keep a sober, balanced mind. There is truly a psychological shift that happens with alcohol con- many people raved about FEK being better than sumption. After the first couple drinks of alcohol, typical store-bought options.

Due to many positive reviews I knew my brew impulsivity increases, which helps explain why style and recipes were a differentiator, so I took we lose our inhibitions when we drink. If we lose our inhibitions, we lose our instinct. We may even the leap and went commercial in September 2018, and wholesale nine months after that. feel further from our purpose.

The Sober-Curious Movement

and has since transformed into a specialty kombucha brewery using medicinal botanicals and locally sourced fruits at the forefront of our flavors. We have shifted from a mobile bar to a non-alcoholic kombucha bar inside of a craft beer brewery, and helped inspire a spirit-free cocktail bar, The Apothecary, in the brewery as well. On a mission to uplift you, mind and body, Flying Eagle is full of those gut-friendly mood microbes and plant medicines and is a satisfying drinking experience. Try our “champagne-style” Elderflower in a flute! •

Flying Eagle uses herbs in their gut-friendly sparkling drink to support balance in the mind as well, with relaxing or serotonin-boosting properties, and spices for metabolic support. This sippable N/A bevy can even be enjoyed at home through their delivery option, and their new subscription delivery program with 10% off. Flying Eagle’s feel-good, refreshing probiotic elixir is waiting for you! Also visit the FEK Tap Room inside Millennial Brewing in downtown Fort Myers, and 35+ resale locations in SWFL. For more information, visit www.flyingeaglekombucha.com.

“I found that customers were coming back not only because of the taste, but because of the quality ingredients, the feel from our brand, and because they were finding their remedy.”

—Maddy Eagle

ESSENTIAL Naples

Building my business up on evenings and weekends, I was eventually able to quit my corporate job. I had a full farmers market season lined up for FEK, with six markets and our first news press article to start the season. In many magical instances, I found that customers were coming back not only because of the taste, but because of the quality ingredients, the feel from our brand, and because they were finding their remedy. I had customers, who had no idea what kombucha was, seeking me out because of my health story about the arthritic pain I had eased with my “booch.” I even discovered that people started using Flying Eagle as a gateway to healing themselves with other fermented foods and a more natural diet. What a blessing it was that I finally found my passion, and that I was helping people heal. FEK has become a platform to educate people on gut health and plant medicine and now, after our sober-curious campaign, even more people have started to replace their alcohol drinks with our booch.

In most of my customer interactions, I had déjà vu—that “I’ve been here before” feeling. But if you know déjà vu, you know that feeling is your fate being connected to reality. Flying Eagle has soared,

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BY DR

BY STEVEN R. FRANK

SUMMER 2021

More Than Than Just Just A A Mouth Mouth Wash Wash More

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SuperKid Aiden enjoys a rainbow of icy superfood deliciousness: (yellow) mango/curcumin + (pink) guava/pitaya/ beet + (blue) lemon/spirulina + (purple) acai/maqui

SuperFoods for SuperKids: Changing the World

By Chef David Robbins

“If only there were a category of foods that can be grown sustainably

that are naturally super rich in a wide range of the phytonutrients we need and can supply us with some of our macronutrients without an excess of ‘empty calories’... Wait! Yes, there is! It’s SUPERFOODS!” We’re Going to Skip the Comical Anecdote

All the food humankind has cumulatively produced over the last 4,000 years would not be enough to fulfill the snowballing global demands for food production in the next 30 years of Earth’s future, postulates a sobering speech from TED.com. By the year 2050 (assuming our current cultures, technology, and consumption patterns stay true to form), nearly all experts agree on these estimates: global population will be just shy of 10 billion

people; food production will need to increase by 70% of current volumes; 2.5 billion people are currently malnourished; 850 million people this year are food insecure. To meet the world’s explosive demands for feeding people and the production of biofuels, annual global crop production will need to increase by over 100% to a total of two billion tonnes (4,000,000,000,000 pounds) annually by the year 2050. Global data company Gro Intelligence predicts that within the next decade we will reach a global need of 214 trillio n calories.

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at a Time

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One Snack

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Within the past four decades, approximately 35% of the 1.5 million hectares of globally arable land has been documented to be significantly degraded by a combination of man-made pollutants/toxins and environmental factors such as top soil erosion, desertification, and increased sea levels. Regenerating and increasing the efficiency of this land is paramount. From year 1950, the global average ratio of per capita arable land will have decreased by more than 50% upon reaching year 2050 (meaning there will be half as much land per person available to grow food).

The global food industry accounts for 70% of all freshwater usage. The statistics abound in what appears to be an overwhelming and almost inescapable avalanche.

The many expert organizations presenting these eye-opening projections (including the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Resources Institute, Gro Intelligence, TED.com, National Geographic, etc.), offer a myriad of solutions. Among the widely varying political, ecological, and socioeconomic opinions a few common threads emerge, one being the significant need for a global and sustainable shift in our food culture.

How does one elicit such change and digest such daunting statistics?

1. We start by refocusing the narrative to “hopeful figures”; for each challenging projection, we find hundreds of new innovative, resilient, enthusiastic ventures and ideas toward course correction. From the megastructure, multinational arena to the grassroots community platform, we find an abundance of determination and hope.

2. We work to create long-term sustainability by rooting a strong foundation of these values in the little acorns that will grow into tomorrow’s great oaks—we feed our children with the same open-minded determination, innovation, and hope.

Tomatoes as an Adventure vs. Tomatoes as a Chore

So much in life simply boils down to our choices, which are both affected greatly by perception and conversely affect our perceptions. We are all born with the exact number of taste buds we will ever have. As we age, they degrade; kids may have as many as three times the number of taste buds as adults. Adult “super tasters,” people with a higherthan-average amount of taste buds, are able to have highly developed flavor palates. If we as children start off with effectively “300% better taste,” this would be the perfect time to learn to appreciate and enjoy a wide variety of foods and flavors.

There are four major components to how we develop our “sense of taste” (perception of flavors): 1. Physiology/physics: the physical molecular shape of the food and how these molecules fit the papillae on our tastebuds, 2. Neurochemistry: how are our brain chemically interprets and responds to these foods/flavors, 3. Emotional/psychological: deeply memorable experiences—positive or negative that imprint on us, 4. Cultural: how the beliefs/values/social norms of our community relate to food.

Being a father of two boys, I find it preferable to frame as much as possible as an “adventure.” My youngest, three-year-old Aiden, loves tomatoes.

Well, he loves tomatoes when he’s in the middle of a farm picking and eating them ripe from a two-meter-tall terrace loaded with hundreds of tomatoes, or he loves them when we make a homemade pizza party and it’s fun to choose the same toppings as dad. However, if he opens his lunch box at school and finds tomatoes, with an adult instructing him to eat his tomatoes (as a chore) before he can have his cookies, he’s likely to say “yucky” and push them aside.

The children of today will grow up into a world that will be faced with greater challenges regarding resources and sustainability than any prior generation has ever seen. They will have a huge responsibility in making sustainable and healthy choices for themselves and the planet in the next 20–30 years—choices that can have monumental impacts on the future of humankind and our green earth.

We can lay a foundation with them now to value and choose health/sustainability in the simplest of things: their summertime snacks!

The Vegetarian Lion: What Is the Foundation We Are Setting for Our Children?

Little Tyke, a celebrity of the 1950s with a well-documented (and controversial) story, was a fully grown healthy vegetarian lioness that lived for nearly 10 years with her keepers on a farm/ animal sanctuary in Washington. A rescue animal herself, she was raised from a cub on nutritionally dense vegetarian foods and grew to over 10 feet and over 350 pounds from whiskers to tail. Although a peculiar and debatable story, it undeniably causes one to think about nature vs. nurture. As our infants/toddlers transition to solid foods, we can create those positive and happy cultural views and indelible memories/emotions around delicious, fun, nutritious/sustainable foods, causing the components of physiology/physics and neurochemistry to fall into place. Through

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“adventurously” feeding our children organically grown superfoods (which can and should be as delicious as they are nutritious), they can learn to value this type of eating and the ecosystems needed to sustainably grow these superfoods. In doing so, we nurture our “little lion cubs” toward a sustainable shift in food culture.

The Problem and the Solution Aren’t So Far Apart

We’ve discussed food security/insecurity, shortage of mass/tonnes of food, and the trillions of calories of which we will be in deficit—but if we take the conversation one very crucial step further, we might find a solution much more attainable than we’ve realized. Nutrients. Yes, we saw that 850 million people are currently food insecure, basically meaning they do not have reliable access to mass food: i.e., basic calories or macronutrients (starches, fats, sugars, proteins,

etc.). Yes, this is problematic, but we’ve got a significantly more dire battle to fight when we see that currently 2.5 billion people are malnourished; meaning they are lacking essential nutrients, specifically phytonutrients (micronutrients—vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and so on, that come from plants). We also face the ever-growing problem of urban (food) deserts and yet another burgeoning generation made up of many individuals who have no connection to where/how fresh foods are grown and little knowledge of basic nutrition or how to cook simple, healthy meals.

With a world soon facing upside-down numbers regarding population and the arable land/resources needed to grow enough crops, proposed solutions will come in many formats. Some say we need to invest more in the overall global industry of producing food, others look to futuristic technology as the salvation; some push to strictly curb

Messy, lip-smacking food usually means yummy food, which holds true as picky eater Lily smiles in approval of her superfood ice pop.

(Unaware she’s eating beets.)

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Success! Spanning the generations is key. Grandma Kamela introducing Aiden to “malibu pink pop” w/ guava + pitaya + beet + goji

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population with policy (such as China), while others speak of farming crickets, meal worms, and algae.

As I look at my background in cultural ecology, knowledge of organic agriculture, international experience as an executive chef, and the most exciting adventure—being a dad of two boys—the basis of a realistic solution that we can attain begins to appear.

Even those of us who aren’t “health nuts” and “foodies” know some basics about the need of nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, beta-carotene, iron, DHA, and more in the healthy development of children. We also know that as adults, we should prioritize certain nutrients and activities to counteract the effects of stress and aging. Antioxidants, healthy fats like Omega-3, adaptogens, keeping a youthful attitude, and making time for “play” are all vital to our well-being.

If only there were a category of foods that can be grown sustainably that are naturally super rich in a wide range of the phytonutrients we need and can supply

us with some of our macronutrients without an excess of “empty calories...” Wait! Yes, there is! It’s SUPERFOODS! And many more companies/farms, including aquaculture, hydroponics, aquaponics, aeroponics, urban vertical indoor farming, and ethical small farm co-ops are popping up to grow and make more of these superfoods accessible.

Because of their high ratio of nutrient density to mass and calories, a significantly higher amount of nutrition can be produced in a much smaller space with far less energy and water consumption than other industrialized crops. The massive number of global crop production for year 2050 (much of which go toward livestock feed) and the amount of land needed to grow said foods can be significantly reduced. By growing and consuming more superfoods, we can make that global shift in food culture than can help us avert crisis.

When we begin to value eating a delicious organic heirloom vegetable just as much as wagyu beef, the whole system begins to change. As we voice our choices thru our purchasing power, supply and demand will shift along with costs, eventually allowing these superfoods to become more affordable and available to even more people.

Play with Your Food

You read that right—we shouldn’t lose our sense of food adventure as adults; this answer isn’t just for kids. If we as the adults don’t set the example, this shift in food culture won’t work. We need to prioritize regularly eating healthy, sustainable superfoods. If we keep a youthful spirit and shed the bitter, bad food experiences of the past, we will find an adventurous, diverse, delicious, and endlessly creative world of superfoods to cook with. You see, it’s not enough that we know about these superfoods; we have to teach our children about them, why they are so important, how to cook with them, to have fun with them, why ethical trade/sustainability/resource efficiency are important, and to create a lasting home for these superfoods in our culture, our homes, and our hearts.

All clichéd bits of wisdom aside, making these changes and instilling our youth with these positive habits and helping them to choose sustainable superfood summer snacks could help them grow into super kids who could change the world.

“For we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; rather, we borrow it from our children.”

—Native American Proverb

SuperFood Frozen Pops

Recipe:

Fo(u)r Fun SuperFood Frozen Pops

(Each recipe yields approx. 8–12 pops, depending on the size of your mold.)

For a fun presentation, try making a 1/4 of each recipe and layering the pops as they freeze!

Method for All Recipes

Malibu PINK Pops

Ingredients: • Red pitaya (dragon) fruit | 1 pint fresh fruit, cubed (or 4 tbsp freeze-dried powder) • Pink guava juice | 1 pint juice (or 8 oz fresh fruit blended with 2 oz water) • Strawberries, fresh | 1 cup rough chopped • Red beet juice | 1/4 cup (or 1/2 tsp powder) • Red cabbage powder | 1/2 tsp • Goji berries | 1/2 oz whole berries fresh or dried (or 1/2 tsp powder)

PURPLE Jungle Pops

Ingredients: • Blueberries | 1 pint • Acai berry juice/puree | 1 pint • Coconut water | 1 cup • Mulberries (may substitute blackberries) | 1 cup • Maqui berry powder | 2 tbsp • Ube (purple yam) powder | 2 tsp • Purple (black) carrot powder | 1 tsp

ORANGE Dream Pops

Ingredients: • Mango, very ripe | 1.5 pints fresh peeled and chopped • Oranges | 2 each, zested + juiced (may substitute 1/2 cup store-bought O.J.) • Carrots | 1/4 cup juice • Lucuma | 1/2 cup frozen pulp or 1 tbsp powder • Curcumin (turmeric) | 1/2 tsp powder • Honey, local | 2 oz (more or less according to your taste) • Vanilla Greek yogurt or dairy kefir (may substitute cashew puree) | 1 pint

Aqua BLUE Pucker Pops

• Lemons | 5–6 each, zested + juiced • Yuzu juice | 1/2 cup • Kombucha or water kefir | 1 cup (lemon or ginger flavor, something with a light color) • Coconut water | 1.5 pints • Citric acid powder | 1/4 tsp • Blue spirulina or phytoplankton | 1/2 tsp (add more for richer aqua color) • Miracle berries (Synsapalum dulcificum) | 12 each, fresh or freeze-dried.

Reserve; chew on these just before eating the popsicle, and something miraculous will happen! (The enzymes of the miracle berries will interact with the acidity, causing everything to temporarily taste sweet.)

For more info on these recipe and other free superfood/vegan recipes, follow on social media: @chefdavidrobbins @thenotaburger

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• Puree all ingredients in VitaMix blender until smooth | Pour into popsicle mold | Freeze + Enjoy • Optional: Reserve some fruit before blending, add to popsicles for texture and visual appeal

Chef David Robbins, an award-winning veteran of the international culinary world, has worked with Michelinand JBF-rated chefs, including Blue Hill’s chef Dan Barber. Robbins is devoted to biodynamic agriculture, slow foods, clean living, veggie-forward cuisine, and family businesses, and volunteers with local charities such as ECHO Farms and SWFL Children’s Hospital. “Growing up on a small family farm in Hawaii has given me a unique appreciation/ perspective for the places and people that produce our food.”

Robbins is also the founder of the SWFL startup “Not A Burger,” superfood plant-based protein patties (100% vegan/gf/non-GMO).

Made with local organic whole-food ingredients (including beets, quinoa, heirloom lentils, etc.), he hopes to offer a nutritious, delicious, and sustainable option to a growing industry of sometimes questionable plant-based foods.

Additionally, Chef David is available for private cooking classes, wine dinners, and personalized catering. Contact 239.347.2244 or email chefdavidrobbins@ gmail.com

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Why can’t the everyday foods we eat be made from sustainable ingredients packed with naturally occurring micronutrients? Can we have snacks that give us the interesting textures and flavor intensities we’ve come to crave without the processed ingredients and excess sugar/salt/fat/carbs?

Snacks that are packed with antioxidants, fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, adaptogens, and brain-boosting properties?

Can we enjoy fun, brightly colored, fully flavored, sweet frozen summer treats without questionable toxic artificial dyes/flavors—and they actually taste even better?

When kid-testing these SUPERFOODS for SUPERKIDS frozen pops recipes, we found that age makes a big difference. By ages 7 to 8, most kids seemed to have already picked up some strong preconceptions about foods and flavors from home, friends, and the media. The younger the better, starting with nibbles from ages 1–2 makes a big difference.

Overall, we find that it helps if you nail the presentation as best you can. Dazzle your kiddie customers with fresh and fun-looking frozen pops that contain familiar ingredients like strawberries, mango, blueberries, and yogurt (with the added superfoods). Try a fun surprise and don’t disclose all the ingredients until after taste testing is complete—then have a chat about it.

Further benefits for the adults making the recipes is keeping a youthful spirit, eating healthy and fun, and packing in antioxidants and other phytonutrients that can help us manage stress, anxiety, and healthy aging.

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A Fascinating Journey into

Numerology and Healing

By Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD

T

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“After my healing, I felt a deep sense of relief, lightness, and joy. I felt more confident in trusting my own intuition and inner guidance to make decisions.”

—Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD

hrough ancient wisdoms, numerology can derive a wealth of information about a person based on birth name and birthdate. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Zahid Hossain to discuss numerology and astrology and have an Astro-Palmistry reading.

Zahid was born into a noble Bengali/Indian family of Nawabs and several generations of famous healers, astrologers, and palmists. Zahid showed signs of having inherited his forefathers’ intuitive metaphysical abilities early in life. Fast forward many years, and the intense pressure of a corporate position caused Zahid to have three heart attacks, and his final wake-up call came when he had a near-death experience in the surgery required by his last heart attack. His guiding spirits made it clear to him he was to return and complete his life’s mission.

My session with Zahid was probably the most accurate reading I have had in my entire life. The amount of information he gave me was incredible, so I’ve tried to condense the things that stood out for me in terms of what I felt truly resonated.

Life Path Number

My birthdate is 2/8/1968, so my Life Path total is 7 (2+8+1+9+6+8=34; 3+4=7). The number 7 means my destiny lies with the mental and spiritual; the path of study and the search for life’s meaning. I couldn’t agree more, considering I pursued a PhD and have an obsession with

studying metaphysics and spirituality. Zahid told me a certain degree of solitude is necessary for my development. Again, spot on—I’ve gone on silent retreats and I can always tell when my soul needs alone time.

Birth Name Number

The analysis of my name was really fascinating, as Zahid explained vowel and consonant totals that correspond to what motivates me, how I relate to others, and what I want out of life. My vowel total is 5, which means I desire personal freedom and the chance to do new things. I’m often bored with routines and love travel because of the change of scenery and situations. I started my own business because the most important thing to me was the ability to have freedom in my work (when and where I work). I’ve lived in many different places (Los Angeles, NYC, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, and Maryland), and travel… well, don’t get me started. I still have much to do, but I’ve been all over the US, Europe, Hawaii, Caribbean, and did a two-month cross country trip in the west.

My consonant total is 11, and I’m shaking my head again because this number has followed me my entire life. I was born at 8:11, got married on May 11, more often than not my hotel room is number 11 or adds up to 11, I see 11:11 or 1:11 on the clock almost daily…it never ends. The number 11 means that I am an incredible visionary—I can

dream of creating a revolutionary new way of life and have visions that many can’t comprehend. I’m pretty good at manifesting these things, too. When I was growing up, my mother would always call me a dreamer because of my wild imagination.

My power number (the total of my name and birthdate) is 5. The number 5 signifies a life of freedom, variety, and change. Always open to new experiences, I seek out the curious and unusual—yes, you can find me on a ghost tour in any given city or chasing UFOs in Sedona. I am unconventional, unpredictable, full of surprises, and excel at doing the unexpected. Ask my friends: I’m the one to show up at the door on Halloween in full costume and makeup, toting a pre-made cocktail to share. Or I’m planning a bar crawl with games we have to play or dares to complete to win a prize.

Personal Numbers for 2021

Did you know that you carry a coded blueprint of your life on your palm? Zahid’s intuitive ability combined with a mastery of palmistry unlocks this code to uncover your capabilities, talents, potential, and strengths. One fascinating thing Zahid told me from my palm reading was that I was going to write a book—yes, that’s always been in the back of my mind. In fact, I actually have two or three outlines for possible books that I’ve been working on over the years. I’ve always felt like I didn’t know enough or have enough wisdom to write a spiritual self-help book (there’s that lack of self-confidence again!), but Zahid told me that I need to write about my life experiences and how I overcame struggles such as losing a parent at a young age, getting divorced, failing a dissertation defense, and becoming an entrepreneur. I better get to work!

Zahid and Bunny Hossain live and practice in Sarasota, FL. For more information, visit www.ehinstitute.com or call 941.870.4133.

“Crystals under the table and on your body...focuses on healing the Physical, Emotional, Mental, and Spiritual energy centers in the body.”

—Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD

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Astro-Palmistry

I also had the pleasure of having a healing session with Zahid’s wife, Bunny. It was one of the most loving, healing energy experiences I have ever had. Bunny’s style of healing uses many crystals under the table and on your body and focuses on healing the Physical, Emotional, Mental, and Spiritual energy centers in the body. The Physical encompasses injury, trauma, and disease; the Emotional encompasses feelings, emotions, and emotional trauma; the Mental encompasses thoughts, ideas, and limiting beliefs; and the Spiritual encompasses soul lessons, past-life, and inherited trauma.

Before my healing, she used a pendulum to measure the flow of energy in each of the energy centers. I was blocked specifically in my throat, heart, liver, neck, and spleen, as well as the sacral and root chakras. This means in past lives or in this life, I’ve experienced the following: Throat: suppressed creative expression/ limitations Heart: sadness/feelings of unworthiness/ abandonment Liver: resentment Neck: threats/no protection Spleen: anger/guilt Sacral: disempowerment Root: anxiety/fear of next steps I could absolutely relate to many of these experiences. Losing my father at a young age and having to be the support for my mother left me feeling unprotected and abandoned. I can also remember those feelings as a child—I was extremely curious and when I was about 4 years old, I had wandered away from my mother in a store to explore. When I went back to where I thought she was, she was gone. She happened to be in the next aisle, but I remember feeling terrified and alone.

I have had to work through a lot of anger and resentment in relationships with family, friends, and significant others. I tend to attract people that want to control me and if I allow it, I feel a deep resentment toward that person. After my healing, I felt a deep sense of relief, lightness, and joy. I felt more confident in trusting my own intuition and inner guidance to make decisions.

I am truly impressed by Zahid’s readings and Bunny’s healing, and thankful I was able to work with them to better understand myself and my life’s path. •

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Zahid also focused on my personal numbers for the year—a combination of my month and day of birth and the current year, 2021. So, adding 2+8+2+0+2+1=15; 1+5=6. In a 6 personal year, relationships are a major focus and some adjustments may need to be made. It is time to direct energies toward home, family, and friends.

Though some responsibilities may be heavy, meeting them wholeheartedly can add immense emotional richness to life.

Zahid also practices a system that combines Astrology with the perfect place for you to live. I was really curious about this, as I feel like I’ve been searching for that forever. Based on your sign and chart, specific places in the world will be more advantageous for love, career, and health. He told me the central coast of California, Ireland, France, and believe it or not, parts of Africa would be the best locations for me!

Healing the Physical, Emotional, Mental, and Spiritual Body

Purpose

FreedomFest 2021: The World’s Largest Gathering of

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Free Minds

30 SUMMER 2021

By Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD

“FreedomFest has been the leader in the liberty movement to bring together thousands of people committed to freedom.”

—Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD

F

reedomFest is an intense three and a half days, and it’s different from any conference you have ever attended. This year’s theme is fitting: Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise—where else can you attend yoga in the morning, listen to world-renowned speakers on finance or geopolitics after breakfast, choose from among a dozen breakout sessions with the world’s brightest thought leaders in the afternoon, watch a movie (and meet the director) during the day, and end the evening with karaoke? Since 2007, FreedomFest has been the leader in the liberty movement to bring together thousands of people committed to freedom—concerned citizens, educators, professionals, business leaders, filmmakers, politicians, celebrities, and policy makers.

“FreedomFest is an annual festival where free minds meet to celebrate great books, great ideas, and great thinkers in an open-minded environment.

It is independent, non-partisan, and not affiliated with any organization or think tank,” says Valerie Durham, Executive Director. The event was started in 2002 by Durham’s parents—her father had been President of the Foundation for Economic Education, an organization of top think tanks but

whose members were not sharing and connecting.

“FreedomFest is one place and one time where everyone who cares about liberties gets together and shares about diverse topics ranging from political and economic to health, intellectual, and financial,” says Durham.

FreedomFest 2021 will be held in Rapid City, South Dakota, from July 21–25 and includes more than 260 top-ranked expert speakers, breakout sessions, debates, mock trials, Anthem film festival, and over 150 exhibitors at the Tradeshow for Liberty. Speakers include comedian JP Sears; Dave Rubin, host of the Rubin Report; Gov. Kristi Noem (SD); Larry Elder, host of the Larry Elder Show; Dr. Drew Pinsky; Dr. Jo Jorgensen, former presidential candidate; John Mackey, founder of Whole Foods Markets; and our very own publisher of Natural Nutmeg and Essential Naples, Dr. Diane Hayden.

Mya Olson, founder of Health Freedom South Dakota, is a featured speaker this year at FreedomFest with her speech, “History of the Medical Mafia.” Olson was inspired to create a health freedom organization because she felt lied to by the mainstream medical community. As a result of a vaccine

inexpensive stem cell treatment, and epigenetic cell reprogramming. According to Cordeiro and other aging researchers, there are four genes that control the aging process. In one study by Dr. David Sinclair, a Harvard researcher, his team of geneticists were able to extend lifespan by two years in mice, which is equivalent to decades in humans. “Once we can reverse aging, it will be unstoppable,” says Cordeiro. “We are truly living between the last human mortal generation and the first immortal generation!”

FreedomFest attracts people of all ages and walks of life and across the political spectrum.

It’s open to anyone who enjoys a wide interest in books, art, music, film, science, philosophy, economics, health, technology, business, law, politics, and more. This event will revolutionize your perspective, open your mind to new ideas, give you an action plan, and most importantly, inspire hope that our society and world can be a place of freedom. You’ll have deep and meaningful conversations with people you might otherwise never have met, and you’ll leave with an experience you can take forward into your life that you won’t get from social media, a news byte, or a book. •

“FreedomFest is an annual festival where free minds meet to celebrate great books, great ideas, and great thinkers in an open-minded environment. It is independent, non-partisan, and not affiliated with any organization or think tank.”

—Valerie Durham, FreedomFest Executive Director

For more information or to attend FreedomFest 2021, visit www.freedomfest.com. Use code Nutmeg50 to save $50 off the $499 regular registration.

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The Liberty World Is Meeting at

Dr Drew Pinsky

John Mackey

Dr Jo Jorgensen

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Larry Elder

Dave Smith

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injury, her first child spent over a year on Miralax, an over-the-counter laxative that contains polyethylene glycol 3350 (PEG 3350), which is linked to tremors, tics, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, and aggression in children following its use. Mya has heard countless stories about adults and children being bullied into procedures and dropped from pediatric practices if the parents refused vaccines.

“Why do women no longer have a voice for their children, their parents, or themselves? We are a society that just wants a pill. How did we get here, and how do we get out of it?” asks Mya. Sadly, Mya’s sister-in-law passed away just a few days after receiving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. www.healthfreedomsd.org Jose Luis Cordeiro, author of the book La Muerte de la Muerte (the death of death), is also a featured speaker at FreedomFest 2021. Cordeiro states that by the year 2045, researchers will have figured out a way to not only stop aging, but reverse it. This will result in a huge cost reduction in healthcare, as 80% of one’s medical expenditures happen in the last five years of their life.

Cordeiro believes that everyone has the right to life. “I do not plan to die; I plan to be younger in 20 years than I am today,” remarks Cordeiro.

Some of these revolutionary technologies that will extend lifespan include the ability to correct the genome with gene therapy, elimination of zombie or senescent cells that cause aging,

Dave Rubin

Deirdre Nansen McCloskey

July 21 - 24, 2021

JP Sears

Sen Mike Lee

Tom Woods

Mount Rushmore, South Dakota visit www.freedomfest.com. UseAlso code Nutmeg50 to save $50 off the $499 regular registration.

Featuring: TK Coleman, Corey DeAngelis, Kerry McDonald, Charlie Shrem, Austin Peterson, Julie Borowski, Larry Sharpe, Elizabeth Nolan Brown, Lily Tang Williams, Caitlin Long, Doug Casey, Barbara Kolm,

Purpose

Healing with

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Scalar Light Force Fields

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By Thomas J. Paladino

“Scalar light always reports the present moment in time, as the scalar light dimension is always in the present moment: neither past nor future exists in the scalar light dimension.

Therefore, a photograph always reports the present, scalar light condition of its subject.”

—Thomas J. Paladino

S

calar light is a divine energy that is transmitted from the Sun of our solar system as well as the stars of the universe, and thus pervades the infinite universe. It is a carrier wave that imparts instructions for the universe—all energy in the universe initiates as scalar light and will subsequently degrade or convert into electromagnetic energy in many environments. The ability to harness and control scalar light will afford mankind direct and consummate control over nature. Then, mankind will once again enjoy the gift of the Divine Will and have dominion over nature. Genesis 1:26: “And He said: Let us make man to our image and likeness; and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and every creeping creature that moveth upon the earth.”

Scalar light is the divine essence of God and, accordingly, possesses a divine character. The Sun of our solar system and the infinite number of stars of the universe serve as “storehouses” for scalar light.

Scalar light is an infinite dimension and, therefore, the infinite universe is necessary to accommodate this divine attribute of the Creator. Furthermore, scalar light is eternal and thus does not experience entropy, as this divine energy cannot experience degradation or a diminution of its signal. Scalar light is not bound by time nor space, as the light of God cannot be subject to time nor space. Therefore, the scalar light universe is holographic and always exists in the present moment.

Scalar Light Force Fields Are Embodied upon Photographs

Every photograph of a person, animal, plant, or object possesses scalar light signatures or scalar

light intelligence. Each of these photographs is the real-time, scalar light representation of the actual state of being of that person, animal, plant, or object. Scalar light always reports the present moment in time, as the scalar light dimension is always in the present moment: neither past nor future exists in the scalar light dimension. Therefore, a photograph always reports the present, scalar light condition of its subject. Scalar light transcends time and because all time is consolidated into the present moment, the scalar light dimension possesses all moments in time. The age of a photograph submitted for a scalar light session is irrelevant as the photograph embodies the present, scalar light condition of its subject.

In practice, the photographs of people or animals utilized for the scalar light sessions will only report the real-time scalar light condition of the subject of that photograph.

Dr. Galen Hieronymus, a pioneer in scalar light research, was able to detect and subsequently chronicle scalar light signatures embodied upon a photograph of a person, animal, plant, or object. I have a profound respect for the research of Dr. Hieronymus and concur that all objects in the universe possess a unique scalar light signature that can be detected by a photograph. Scalar light is a new branch of physics that is distinct from electromagnetic physics. In other words, there are two dimensions: scalar energy and electromagnetic energy.

Furthermore, a scalar light force field embodied upon a photograph can be influenced by a scalar light instrument. The following are examples of scalar light signatures or scalar light force fields embodied upon photographs that can be influenced by way of a scalar light instrument:

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Thomas J. Paladino is the foremost authority on scalar energy phenomenon and he hosts a weekly LIVE Q & A session so you can ask questions and learn more about scalar science that has been hidden from the history books. Tom offers a 15-day trial to anyone interested to experience the benefits of his Scalar Light Standardized program. There are no visits to an office and you don’t even need to leave your house.

Simply upload a facial photo and healing light-energy is administered to your photograph every day during your 15-day trial. NO COST. NO OBLIGATION. www.scalarlight.com. Join the LIVE Q & A every Thursday at 8 PM EST. https://us02web.zoom. us/j/6062703050. Meeting ID: 606 270 3050.

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1. The ability of a scalar light instrument to assemble, influence, or transmute vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, hormones, neurotransmitters, digestive enzymes, phytochemicals, and other micronutrients embodied upon the scalar light force field of a photograph.

2. The ability of a scalar light instrument to disassemble, influence, or transmute the atomic bonds or molecular bonds of pathogens, toxins, chemicals, and other harmful substances embodied upon the scalar light force field of a photograph.

3. The ability of a scalar light instrument to reprogram, harmonize, or influence the seven meridians as well as the brain waves embodied upon the scalar light force field of a photograph.

The scalar light force field embodied upon a photograph of a person, animal, plant or object is the mirror-like, real-time representation of the subject of that photograph in the scalar light dimension. That is, a scalar light instrument will identify the exact scalar light signature of a person, animal, plant, or object by way of a photograph.

Hence, a photograph captures or embodies the scalar light force fields or scalar light instructions of its subject.

Remember, scalar light is a new branch of physics, and there are two energies in the universe: scalar energy and electromagnetic energy. Scalar light is a divine light that embodies the characteristics of God the Creator; thus, scalar light force fields are divine force fields that are embodied upon photographs of people, animals, plants, and objects. Therefore, these photographs possess a divine scalar light force field and can be detected and influenced by a scalar light instrument. •

Health

Type 2 Diabetes Management:

It’s Not What You Think ESSENTIAL Naples

By Denise A. Pancyrz

SUMMER 2021

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I

f you see diabetes ads or listen to well-intentioned health providers, you just may be like millions of people believing diabetes is fully managed with a low-carb diet and medication. This certainly can be true for some, but over time, most will see their diabetes progress with increased medication.

Learn the Truth About Naturally Improving and Reversing Your Diabetes High and erratic glucose levels does not limit itself to diabetes—it can lead to heart disease, stroke, dementia, and even cancer as well. Diabetes affects 422 million people worldwide; in the U.S. alone, over 34 million people have type 2 diabetes and another 88 million are prediabetic. The unfortunate truth is, many are undiagnosed and therefore go untreated. Receiving the diabetes diagnosis is alarming, leaving many people feeling there is no way to reverse the effects and that medication or insulin is the only long-term option to live with the disease.

Efficacy of Current Protocols

Current diabetes protocols rarely work and are not stopping or reversing this disease. Diabetes remains the seventh-leading cause of death in the U.S. and in some areas, it is the sixth-leading cause. Annually, over one million people are becoming diabetic.

Diabetes is also costly to treat—approximately $250 billion annually in the U.S. The only one winning the war on diabetes is the pharmaceutical industry.

Because of the significant income pharmaceutical treatments bring to this industry, the hope is that you will never learn that you can naturally improve or reverse diabetes.

Have you been told you need more diabetes medication? Your only option will be insulin. The medication protocol does not fix diabetes. It’s like trying

to stop a flood with a bucket. Diabetes medication is designed to lower the glucose levels in your bloodstream by targeting your organs to work differently or harder. Some medications will force your pancreas to produce insulin, just like the commercials tell you.

What they don’t tell you is long-term use can put too much strain on your pancreas, eventually diminishing its ability to produce insulin.

Natural Treatment for Diabetes?

The issue of confusion with diabetes medication is that in the beginning, it seems to work. Your A1c improves, you lose some weight, and your doctor is happy. When your A1c starts to creep up again, though, your dosage increases, or another medication is added to your day. How do you argue against medication when you are led to believe diabetes is genetic and there is no other way? While there may be a small genetic component, the truth is that lifestyle and environmental factors are the main driver of this disease.

Your lifestyle—how you live your life overall— dictates your health over genetics. Following a lowcarb diet by cutting out sugar is a short-term fix.

While this is important, implementing customized methods for long-term success is necessary because we are all different. Focus on nutrition is not just a diet program, it is a way to begin healing from diabetes. Following a diet that is not suited to you can inhibit improvement and keep you medicated. The right nutrition is just the tip of the iceberg in healing from diabetes.

How to Take the First Step

Know the health of your pancreas to set course for your personalized plan. Book a free consultation to discuss the most important lab test you will ever need. •

Denise A. Pancyrz is a Diabetes Reversal & Holistic Lifestyle Coach, speaker, and best-selling author of The Virgin Diabetic, Reverse the Effects of Type 2 Diabetes, Reduce Medication, and Improve Your Glucose Levels.

Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, Denise was prescribed four daily insulin shots with oral medication for diabetes and heart disease. This protocol helped to bring her glucose levels down; however, she did not feel as healthy and vibrant as expected. After changing her protocol by learning to rest and preserve her pancreas, she was able to eliminate all medication and insulin and regain her health. Book a free consultation at www.

ReverseMyDiabetes.net Call 888.848.1763 Email Denise@ ReverseMyDiabetes.net.

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Health

Oral and Dental Therapy

Kills Bacteria Quickly

By Steven R. Frank

urrent research has demonstrated a strong correlation between oral health and the following health issues: cardiac health, cognitive function, lung health, and cancer. The mouth is a significant entry point to the body and allows relatively unfettered access to the entirety of it. As a warm, moist place with ready access to digestible matter, it is quite a prime breeding ground for bacteria and fungus. These pathogens can then gain access to the blood, the digestive tract, and can be aspirated into the lungs. We are all familiar with the damage they can do to oral tissues and teeth; indeed, oral pathogens can affect every aspect of your physical health.

Oral Bacteria and Your Health

Oral and Dental Therapy Solution

Recent research done at University of Florida Academic Health Center in Gainesville, Florida, demonstrated that this biofilm can be penetrated and eradicated with an enhanced aqueous silver

“For normal maintenance, we can rinse and swish with an EASC once a week for five minutes after brushing to maintain a healthy oral balance.”

—Steven R. Frank

Home Care and Maintenance

For normal maintenance, we can rinse and swish with an EASC once a week for five minutes after brushing to maintain a healthy oral balance. This regular maintenance will reduce the extent of biofilm bacteria and slow the formation of dental plaques. Since it will attenuate the fauna and flora on the tongue, it tends to reduce halitosis (bad breath) as well.

Canker sores, oral herpes, and thrush can also be addressed in much the same manner. Although these are viruses and fungi, the same active agent, an EASC, works quite well at inhibiting viral replication. In the case of canker sores and oral herpes, exposure time is the key. It takes longer exposures to inhibit viral replication, so it is best to swish the EASC around the mouth (and hold it in the problematic area) for 10 to 15 minutes. This should be done several times during the day. With this one simple tool—an EASC such as “Oral and Dental Therapy”— you can handle many oral issues without caustic and harmful chemical mouthwashes or antibiotics. You can care for your mouth safely and naturally. •

35 SUMMER 2021

Not all oral bacteria are bad. According to a NIH study, 500 to 700 different types of bacteria can live in the human mouth. The typical individual will have as many as 300 at any one time. Some of these bacteria help digestion by beginning the breakdown of food; others secrete acids that destroy tooth enamel and connective tissue, causing tooth decay and bleeding gums. It is quite certainly important to limit sugars (or at least sugar exposure time) in the mouth as the damaging bacteria love to eat sugar.

But what else can we do?

Bacteria protect themselves from the very dynamic and challenging oral environment by producing a biofilm layer. This layer, often called a slime layer or an oral biofilm, is a polysaccharide matrix that helps them stick to surfaces and repel the agents of your immunity system. Regular brushing breaks down this layer, but it grows in places that can be impossible to reach with your brush. Oftentimes, these oral biofilms will hide out in the jaw pockets around teeth, where the bacteria will then feed on the gum tissues and secrete damaging acids that degrade the enamel of the teeth.

colloid (EASC). In fact, in a laboratory model without mechanical brushing action, this Oral and Dental Therapy demonstrated more than a 95% reduction in mature, three-day-old bacterial biofilms.

In clinical application and field testing, swishing with the Oral and Dental Therapy solution stopped numerous occurrences of bleeding gums and infections in cracked teeth in one day.

Of course, if you have a cracked tooth, an extraction is necessary. Preventative–aggressive rinsing before the extraction will limit the number of bacteria that can land in the new empty socket.

Then, after a clot has established in the extraction socket (usually 12 hours), gentle rinsing will maintain antisepsis during the healing process without antibiotics. Always rinse with an EASC before and after going to the dentist. Even a routine cleaning can damage tissues, which creates entry points for bacteria to cause infections. Additionally, probing below the gumline pushes bacteria into a region where they can proliferate with impunity.

ESSENTIAL Naples

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Purpose

GOMO Travel:

ESSENTIAL Naples

The Future of Assisted Travel

SUMMER 2021

36

By Kerri Johnson, RN, EMBA

“We are helping normalize assisted travel so that seniors or anyone who needs assistance can travel, whether it’s to visit family, for necessary medical appointments and treatments, for relocation purposes, or simply because they want to.”

—Kerri Johnson, Founder and CEO

I

did not grow up thinking I would start an assisted travel business. My childhood dream was to become a nurse, which stemmed from the fact that my dad had a serious heart condition. At that time, I unconsciously committed to devote my life to helping others. After years in clinical nursing, I pursued a medical sales career which led to working for global medical products companies and requiring extensive corporate travel. It was during these busy travel years that I encountered seniors traveling alone, and I remember always feeling worried for them that they may not make their connecting flights due to their mobility or general health issues and, more significantly, because they were traveling alone. I know now what I could not have realized then: the pieces of the puzzle for my life’s purpose were coming together.

Fast forward to 2017, when I found my biological father and realized that this life-altering discovery would provide the final piece of my puzzle.

While so happy to be given the chance to meet him, finding out he had dementia was heartbreaking. I would never know the full story of how I came to be, rather only see my reflection when I looked in his face. I was unaware of how I was about to shift the way I would help others—until I learned from his immediate family of the dreadful ordeal they experienced trying to get my father from Arizona

to Minnesota for treatment after he had suffered a falling accident. While the complications surrounding his interstate travel—dementia, age, mobility, physical state, luggage, who would/could accompany him, and so on—were insurmountable to his family, it gave me an epiphany that would soon come to fruition as GOMO Travel.

Founded in 2019 on the belief that no obstacle should prevent a person from traveling, GOMO Travel provides compassionate, concierge-style, assisted travel services, both domestically and internationally, to people of all ages. Our experience has shown there are three main pillars in the delivery of assisted travel services—safety, comfort, and dignity.

Safety

Our #1 priority is our travelers’ safety and well-being. We utilize wheelchairs and walkers to help with mobility, stability, and prevent falls. Since COVID, precautions are taken to clean, disinfect, and sanitize common areas of contact to prevent germ spread and contamination. GOMO Companion Nurses are medically trained (not certified nursing assistants, CNAs) to provide the first line of assistance if an emergency occurs with our travelers. For travelers with dementia, GOMO has significant experience with care facility relocations, employing Companions who are certified dementia practitioners (CDPs).

Comfort

Oftentimes taking a trip can be grueling for our travelers, so we strive to make their trip as comfortable as possible. We promote mobility by making sure our travelers are not stationary for long periods of time. Frequent restroom breaks are also promoted with the full assistance of our Companions to meet our travelers’ needs. In addition, our travelers’ family members are comforted by constant communication, so they have the peace of mind that their loved one is safe and in good hands. All GOMO Companions are screened (strict background checks, references, and indepth interviews).

Dignity

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Kerri Johnson, RN, EMBA, founded GOMO Travel in Jacksonville, FL, in 2019 as a way of helping make travel possible for anyone who needs assistance by pairing them with certified travel companions. GOMO Travel Companions log thousands of miles per year helping travelers get to their destinations safely, comfortably, and with dignity. Johnson, a registered nurse of 31 years, has built GOMO Travel into an industry leader by developing customized assisted-travel solutions for their travelers. In 2021, Johnson moved the company to Cape Coral, FL, to concentrate on the Tampa–Naples corridor. GOMO Travel is a fully insured and bonded Florida limited liability company. Contact GOMO Travel today at 904.395.7500 or kerri@gomotravel.com, and visit the website at gomotravel.com.

ESSENTIAL Naples

No one should feel embarrassed, ashamed, or marginalized just because they need assistance to travel. The joy, freedom, and passion that comes with taking a journey should be in reach for all travelers. GOMO travelers are treated with the utmost compassion, respect, and dignity. Our customized assisted travel and relocation solutions are designed with that in mind so that our travelers feel noticed, alive, and present. We respect their place in life and their natural right to travel and fulfill their life needs.

With travel predicted to increase throughout 2021 and into the post-pandemic future, GOMO Travel and our team of travel Companions help senior citizens, their families, and people of all ages take advantage of opportunities to travel freely and on their own terms. The name GOMO stems from the popular acronym FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)—we did not want seniors to sit home and miss out on the pleasures of life simply because they were afraid to travel. We want them to Go More…GOMO! •

ESSENTIAL Naples

Finance

SUMMER 2021

38

Are You Practicing

Mindful Wealth?

By Nina Azwoir, First Vice President of Investments, Wintrust Wealth Management

“Much of the scientific research about spending and happiness points to a clear connection between spending on experiences versus things.”

—Nina Azwoir

I

f the past few months have given you more time for introspection, use it to improve your financial plan in a big-picture way. Even for the privileged among us who still have our jobs, are not on the front lines with the pandemic, and have not had anyone close to us felled by COVID-19, the current crisis has brought hardships big and small.

Parents have confronted the daily struggle of trying to do their jobs while also home-schooling.

Adult children have not been able to visit their elderly parents. Graduations, weddings, and even funerals have been put on hold or “Zoomified.” Yet as difficult as it has been, there have been a few silver linings too, especially for those of us lucky enough to not be touched directly by the crisis. One of the most valuable is that pressing pause on our usual routines has given many of us the opportunity to take a step back, get out of our ruts, and take stock. What do we really value? What do we really

miss? What can we not wait to do when this is all over? What “necessity” of our past lives, whether the daily purchased latte or frequent meals in restaurants, are we finding that we are quite happily doing without?

Travel may be someone’s greatest longing, while others miss cooking and entertaining big groups of family and friends. Talking about how the pandemic has changed our thinking on a topic, or made us want to do more of something else, can help us feel like we are using the present situation productively. The current sense of isolation will not be for naught, because it is shaping how we intend to use our lives in the future, when we once again have a full set of choices before us.

Are You Allocating Your Time and Money with Your Intentions?

It can be argued that now is a good time to put a

What Expenditures Bring You Happiness?

What Is Your Definition of “Enough”?

Many of us are operating with an incredibly vague notion of how much we really need to save in order to achieve our financial goals and find security.

Even financial planners might rely on rules of thumb when setting your retirement savings target.

For example, they might assume that you will need 80% of your working income in retirement and extrapolate the rest of your plan from there.

As humans, we often have a natural tendency to reach for more more more, regardless of whether that “more” is actually bringing more happiness and security. Trying to keep up with the people around us, in terms of possessions and outward signs of success, can get exhausting and may not get us any closer to our life’s goals. That is why, in this period of limited activity, spending, and social contact, it is worthwhile to think through your own definition of enough, both now and for the future.

What Do You Want Your Legacy to Be?

When taking a strictly financial and estate-planning perspective, leaving a “legacy” is one of those topics that can seem overly narrow. It is about leaving assets behind for children, grandchildren, and other loved ones, as well as charity if we so choose. It is about making sure we do not burden the people we care about. Those are crucial considerations and they are why everyone needs an estate plan that How Are You Allocating includes wills, powers of attorney, and beneficiary Your Precious Resources? designations, among other key documents.

Investors should strive to make smart allocations While you are at it, why not think big picture of financial capital across opportunity sets, not about your legacy, too? What do you hope people just saving versus spending but also debt pay down versus investing in the market, how much to will say about you after you are gone? What life philosophy or pieces of wisdom do you hope that your allocate to retirement savings versus college, and so on. These are crucial topics worthy of significant loved ones will always associate with you? If you find yourself with a bit of extra time for introspecanalysis and introspection. Ultimately, the right tion, write down a few ideas along these lines. And answers are a matter of math (expected return on no, you are not too young to start thinking about “investment”) and personal preference. this. You can find templates for creating a “personMany of us pay much less attention to how we al legacy” online, but some good advice is not to allocate an even more scarce resource, our time, overthink it. Balance more serious ideas with more even though that allocation will ultimately have an even greater impact on whether we feel like we lighthearted ones. We all have credos that we live by; make sure your loved ones know yours. • have met our goals. Of course, some of our time

Nina Azwoir, First Vice President of Investments, Wintrust Wealth Management. © Morningstar 2020.

All Rights Reserved.

Used with permission.

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39 SUMMER 2021

As most investors know, the biggest determinant of whether you achieve financial success is how much you spend versus how much you save. But as important as it is to make sure your intake exceeds your outgo, budgeting can seem like sheer drudgery. Here is a different way to think about budgeting. Simply begin to take note of how various discretionary expenditures make you feel. It can be incredibly illuminating. Much of the scientific research about spending and happiness points to a clear connection between spending on experiences versus things. Many would also argue that many of life’s most memorable experiences cost very little.

expenditures are pre-ordained, the time we spend working or caring for children, for example. Even within those allocations it seems worthwhile to be more mindful, to help ensure that your allocation of time in a given day, week, or year aligns with your goals and vision for that period. An audit of how you are allocating your time currently is a good starting point. Technology tools can help you determine how much time you waste (uh, spend) on social media and other activities that could be detracting from your productivity and happiness.

ESSENTIAL Naples

fresh set of eyes on your financial plan, taking a similarly expansive view of it that you might not have been able to do when you were busy and mired in your day-to-day activities. Too often, one expert opined, financial plans (and planners) move straight to the “solution” phase, without stopping to ask some basic questions about what someone is trying to achieve and what their real problems are. What will constitute “success” for you over the next few years, not just in financial terms, but in life terms, too? Are you allocating your time and money in line with your intentions, what you find fulfilling, and what brings you joy? These questions are incredibly personal; no one else can answer them for you.

Whether you are well into retirement or early in your career, it can be easy to backburner questions like these and move straight to logistics, determining your asset allocation and minimizing taxes, for example. Those are all worthy pursuits, but if you find yourself with a bit of extra time to think a bit more broadly and introspectively about your financial plan, here are some of the key questions to ask yourself.

Relationships

ESSENTIAL Naples

The

Most Fulfilling Relationship You Can Experience

SUMMER 2021

40

By Dana Lee

D

id you know there are three stages of being in a relationship? Most people only experience stage 1 or 2, but stage 3 is the most fulfilling. Are you interested in finding out what the three stages of relationships look like? Interested in finding out how you can experience the stage 3 relationship? The first thing we need to do is clarify what each stage of a relationship looks like.

SECRET #3 in Relationship Secrets

“When both for Singles partners are A stage 1 relationship is one in which all you care operating in about is what you can get from the other person.

This level of relationship is extremely self-focused stage 3 there and you show little concern for the other person’s is extreme needs. This is clearly not a good approach and will transparency, only lead to temporary and shallow results. In a connection, stage 1 relationship, there is typically very little and freedom transparency but a great deal of manipulation to get one’s needs and desires met. People who opfor you both erate in a stage 1 relationship will move on to the to be who you next person as soon as the other person begins to really are.” realize they are being unvalued and used.

—Dana Lee

A stage 2 relationship is a relationship wherein you will give to the other person only if they have given to you. Because we are typically a give-andtake society, many relationships operate at this stage,

similar to going to a store to make a purchase and giving money in exchange for a product or service.

This way of living works really well in some parts of life, and relationships in stage 2 may be successful but can lack transparency, full trust, and can cause feelings of isolation. If one person pulls away because the other has not met their expectations, they may become a couple who coexists and experience a mediocre relationship at best.

A stage 3 relationship is one in which you are willing to give to the other person and meet their needs, regardless of whether they are meeting yours. In a stage 3 relationship, you choose to be completely committed to your partner and put their needs ahead of your own. When both partners are operating in stage 3 there is extreme transparency, connection, and freedom for you both to be who you really are. There is a deep trust and feeling of being truly loved and valued that the relationship naturally becomes one of giving on both sides. This type of relationship is the most fulfilling and beneficial for all of us.

You may be thinking that a stage 3 relationship is impossible, and you don’t want to get hurt again.

That’s why it is so important that you become the best version of yourself before entering into another relationship. You also need to slowly progress in the

relationship, first getting to know the other person on a non-physical level. This will ensure that you see the real person and not be blinded by the physical.

Practical Steps to Prepare for Your Stage 3 Relationship

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41 SUMMER 2021

Action Steps

Now that you understand what the three stages of relationships are, I would encourage you to write out the following action steps in your journal and answer them honestly. Then take the steps you need to prepare yourself for seeking that healthy, happy, and fulfilling relationship.

1. List two examples of each stage relationship you have experienced. List specific behaviors in each stage.

2. What was your personal responsibility in each stage?

3. List three things you can do to make sure you are equipped to operate in a stage 3 relationship. •

Dana Lee is a Certified Life Coach and owner of Relationship Secrets for Singles. If you’ve almost given up and need someone to help guide you, send me an email and we can set up a free online Zoom “Meet ‘N Greet” session to see if this program is right for you.

RelationshipSecretsForSingles@gmail.com; www.RelationshipSecretsForSingles.com.

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ESSENTIAL Naples

Luke 6:32–36 asks, are you really showing true love by loving only those who love you? Even those who don’t know God will do that. Are you really showing compassion when you do good deeds only to those who do good deeds to you? Even those who don’t know God will do that. If you lend money only to those you know will repay you, what credit is that to your character? Even those who don’t know God do that. Rather love your enemies and continue to treat them well. When you lend money, don’t despair if you are never paid back, for it is not lost. You will receive a rich reward and you will be known as true children of the most-high God, having his same nature overflow with mercy and compassion for others, just as your heavenly father overflows with mercy and compassion for all.

As I meditated on this passage of Scripture, it seems that in order to operate at a stage 3 relationship we need to have a relationship with our creator. From my own experience, from my creator I have learned to have my needs met and be filled with the strength I need in order to give. Another important, practical step is to self-evaluate and look at some past relationships you’ve experienced or witnessed and be honest with yourself about the role you played.

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Health

From Breath to Body:

How Food and Flows Help You Let It Go

ESSENTIAL Naples

By Betsy Opyt, RD, LD/N, CDE, RYT

SUMMER 2021

42

A

common misconception is that you have to be flexible to do yoga. Nothing could be further from the truth! Yoga is so much more than bending your body like a contortionist. Yoga means “yoking,” which means bringing something together.

Connecting your body with your breath, your mind with your body, your spirit with your soul—yoga is yoking every system and aspect of the body together to become more harmonious. Moving your body in and out of asanas facilitates movement in cardiovascular, respiratory, and lymphatic system to help detox the body and cleanse the mind. The lymphatic system plays an integral role in the immune functions of the body and is your first line of defense. Our bodies are meant to be resilient; it is our traditional lifestyles that can get in the way. Yoga is known to prevent disease, make you more mindful, and provide you with the tools for longevity living.

Yoga and Your Lymphatic System

Yoga does everything from improving digestion and circulation, balancing neurotransmitters, lowering blood pressure and blood sugars, improving your mood, and so on. One of the most important things yoga improves is the lymphatic system, which plays a dramatic role in the immune functions of the body and is our first line of defense against disease. We have to manually pump the lymph through our system through movement, and the flow determines our immune response.

Think of the lymph as the sewage system of the body, helping to rid of toxins, pathogens, and waste from the cells. If you sit all day and get little movement, the lymph stays stagnant and collects this waste, causing a buildup and therefore lowering your immunity. Lymph not only helps kill pathogens like bacteria and viruses and create white blood cells; it helps facilitate the absorption

of fats and fat-soluble nutrients in the digestive system as well.

What are some symptoms of an unbalanced lymphatic system? Inflammation in the joints, nutrient deficiencies, skin conditions, digestive disorders, headaches, sinus infections, excess weight, chronic fatigue, and increase risk of injuries and infections are some of the issues experienced if the lymphatic system isn’t functioning properly. The flow and movement of the outside body helps the flow of the organs and detox system inside the body. We need to adjust our thinking that yoga is only exercise, because in fact it is a healing workout that helps assist with vitality in all the organs.

Yoga and Your Diet

From mat to table, how does yoga yoke your flows to your food? Just as yoga trains the mind to be more focused and connected, it trains the body to do the same. You may find that on days you do yoga you crave healthier foods, drink more water, and make clearer eating decisions. When you do movements that help push the lymph, you ramp up your digestion and thus absorb nutrients better, push out bacteria and buildup in the digestive system to help eliminate bloat, and move fluids out of the tissue to reduce swelling.

The most important benefit of yoga, though, is what it does for the mind. It makes you calmer and more relaxed and can dramatically improve stress, anxiety, and mood disorders. You don’t necessarily have to attend a yoga class to receive any of these benefits. Yoga can be done at home, at a desk in a chair, or even deep breathing when you are in your car. Yoga can be done anywhere, at any time, and every day! Some simple stretching or movement and deep breathing are enough to help you relax the body, move the lymph, and learn to let go so your body will flow. •

Betsy Opyt RD, LD/N, CDE, RYT is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian as well as a Certified Diabetes Educator, Integrative & Functional Medicine Nutrition Therapist, and RYT200 yoga teacher. She specializes in nutrigenomics, gut health, food sensitivities, detoxing, inflammatory diseases, and longevity living. She also understands the importance of living a mindful life and incorporates her background of mindfulness and yoga teaching to her practice. Betsy is a professional speaker and advocate for healthy living and is available for individual consultations, group programs, and speaking engagements. Betsy also owns 4 Elements Yoga Naples, an outdoor balcony yoga experience. To learn more, visit www.healthyconceptsconsulting.com, www.yoga4elements. com, email betsy@ healthyconcepts consulting.com, or call 239.297.8844.

See ad on page 11 >

Conatus:

Health

The Psychology of Metaphysics

By David A. Kaplan and Wendy L. Feltner

T

Most scientific theorists find it far too simplistic to make a distinction between falsifiable science and unfalsifiable metaphysics. While a subject of debate, many have argued that today’s quantum mechanical physics borders on validating the metaphysical and spiritual. Terms like “God particle” and “Theory of Everything” have entered mainstream culture.

Psychologists require evidence that something works. A scientific experiment must be repeatable,

with consistent results. Many would argue metaphysics isn’t evidence based. But, it can be. In her paper for the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, Fiona J. Hibberd states: “We are attempting to identify the categorial features of reality because only then can we derive implications from them and justify our conceptual and methodological practices on that ontological basis. If the categories and their logic permeate the metaphysical structure of all situations, they are the universal “placeholders for knowledge” and “excluders” for error. This is what it means to say that metaphysics is in Psychology.”

This means that metaphysical practices aren’t simply something that can be dismissed as “woowoo.” Psychology provides a framework. As a point of note, complementary alternative medicine (CAM) practices such as Reiki, yoga, and herbal medicine are already in use in medical settings.

They are showing promising results. •

David Kaplan is a former software engineer and studying psychology at Harvard University. Wendy Feltner is a Reiki Master/Teacher, intuitive reader, and businesswoman. Together they own Mystical Bookshop in Fort Myers, Florida. 239.338.7816 | www. mysticalbookshop.com | 13141 McGregor Blvd # 7, Fort Myers, FL 33919.

See ad on page 41 >

43 “It is that striving that defines metaphysical virtue— overcoming the opposition makes us virtuous and creates joy.”

—David A. Kaplan and Wendy L. Feltner

SUMMER 2021

Science and the Metaphysical

ESSENTIAL Naples

he continuous drive toward perfection— some label that perfection as God, Buddha, Jesus, Allah, Spirit, and many other names—is how we derive happiness. In philosophical terms this is known as “conatus,” or striving and effort.

When our striving is free to succeed, we are happy; when opposed, we are sad or angered.

It is that striving that defines metaphysical virtue—overcoming the opposition makes us virtuous and creates joy. In psychological terms, we are beings with subjective realities living and existing in a natural universe filled with objective reality. Navigating those inner and outer realities is challenging at best.

Since ancient Egypt, tarot and other psychic activities have helped navigate life. While imperfect, these early activities helped—and continue to help—bridge the gap between people and create intimacy where none has previously existed. As Itai Ivtzan states: “Within the paranormal approach it is claimed by occultists that the tarot reveals the quality of the moment for a consulting individual. It is important to say that the cards cannot predict the future as if it is fixed and fated (in contradiction with common belief and common practice of many tarot readers).

The cards, therefore, portray opportunities, hidden motives, and potentials and do not describe unchangeable events. According to a variety of writers working with tarot, tarot cards allow the reader to deeply penetrate the meaning of the moment for a client by creating more awareness regarding its potentials and influences.”

So, in the sense that tarot readers can guide and help their clients find answers to problems, it can be quite effective. After all, one first needs to understand and empathize with others before they can advise them.

Health

Non-Surgical

ESSENTIAL Naples

Knee Joint Pain Relief

SUMMER 2021

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By Dr. Richard Hiler, DABCN

“The good news is, there are ways to treat knee and joint pain without drugs, steroids, or surgery.

When all else has failed, it is important to know that there are other treatment options available.”

—Dr. Richard Hiler, DABCN

O

ne of the common complaints among patients with knee and joint pain is finding effective, non-surgical treatment. Standard medicine often only masks pain and symptoms with addictive drugs and corticosteroid injections and many times, unnecessary surgery is recommended. The good news is, there are ways to treat knee and joint pain without drugs, steroids, or surgery. When all else has failed, it is important to know that there are other treatment options available.

Hyaluronic Acid Injections for Knee and Joint Pain

Hyaluronic acid injections are essentially a form of knee and joint pain treatment that are often used when other options, such as pain relievers, have been proven ineffective. Hyaluronic acid molecules serve as a lubricant and shock absorber within your joints. It is already found naturally within the body, although in individuals with osteoarthritis, large amounts of hyaluronic acid are often broken down and lost. Your body, and more specifically your joints, need hyaluronic acid for optimal functionality and if your joints don’t have enough, the absence

of an effective shock absorber means you can expect to experience regular stiffness and joint pain.

Hyaluronic acid is injected in the form of a solution or gel. The injection is given in the same way a normal shot would be and is injected directly into the knee joint. In most cases, you will receive a series of injections over a two- to five-week period, generally given one week apart to gauge their effectiveness.

Regenerative Therapies Using Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

Regenerative PRP therapy is a minimally invasive way to heal the underlying causes of your knee pain, rather than treating the pain alone. It can slow degenerative conditions and, in some cases, help damaged tissue regenerate and heal. At Feel Amazing Institute, the patient’s blood is drawn and spun in a centrifuge to separate the platelets from the red cells, white cells, and platelet-poor plasma.

Platelet-rich plasma contains growth factors that positively affect cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and intracellular matrix synthesis, all of which are involved in healing and tissue regeneration.

PRP as a source of growth factors can be used in musculoskeletal regenerative therapies. To enhance proliferation and regeneration, the PRP can be activated with the addition of calcium gluconate, ozone, and a protein concentrate. For difficult cases, the patient may receive a double or triple draw of blood to increase the number of platelets 200–300%. The discomfort with PRP is minimal, and there is little recovery time involved.

Ozone or Prolotherapy or Prolozone Therapy

Ozone (O3), natural vitamins, and/or natural sugars can be injected into a joint or muscle, promoting regenerative healing and minimizing pain.

Shouldn’t your bank: GO ABOVE AND BEYOND? We believe in offering friendly community banking service, plus great financial tools to help you now and in the years to come.

Save for a healthy tomorrow with a health savings account!

Schedule time to speak with a banker and learn more about what we offer at wintrustflorida.com/meetus.

Manual Therapies and/or Exercises

B ANKING C ENTER

ESSENTIAL Naples

There are thirteen muscles and four bones that make up the knee joint, all of which must work in balance. However, the muscles crossing the knee can get too taut or too loose, affecting the mechanics and bony alignment and causing pain. At Feel Amazing Institute, we have the expertise to recalibrate the muscle tone and improve the mechanics of the knee joint to give pain relief. Bracing, Kinesio Taping, electrical therapies, ultrasound, acoustic waves, and laser lights may also assist in the pain relief process.

3401 Tamiami Trail North | Naples, Florida 239-687-5200 | www.wintrustflorida.com Wintrust Banking Center is a branch of Lake Forest Bank & Trust Company, N.A. < PAGE 3838“Are You Practicing Mindful Wealth?”BYBY NINA AZWOIR < Page “Investing Can Be Complicated...”

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We’re Here for You

Dr. Richard Hiler, DABCN and his medical team offer a complimentary telephone consultation. For questions or to schedule an initial consultation the office can be reached at 239.330.1000. www.FeelAmazing.com.

3031 Airport-Pulling Rd N., Naples. Feel Amazing Institute has proudly served the Naples area with comprehensive Physical Medicine, Regenerative Medicine, and Chiropractic services since 1998.

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Dr. Diane

Podcasts

Dr. Diane interviews Essential Naples’ Expert Contributors in uplifting discussions about natural therapies, life purpose, green living, and how to live a healthier lifestyle with tips you can easily integrate into your daily life.

Register Online Now! www.essentialnaples.com

www

SUMMER 2021

Our office strives for excellence, and we are consistently furthering our education and techniques to improve the care we provide to you. If you are looking for treatment of bulging discs and/or herniations, neck or back pain, spinal misalignment and correction, sciatica, neuropathy (numbness and/or burning and pain in feet and hands), you have found the right place for your health care needs. We have comprehensive programs for injuries sustained in an auto accident or at work, or if you have peripheral neuropathy, balance disorders, or need VAX-D spinal decompression treatments. Whether you are suffering from chronic pain, recovering from an injury, or seeking overall improved health and performance, we have the skills and experience to help you work toward your goals. •

COMMUNITY RESOURCES ALTERNATIVE & HOLISTIC HEALTH SERVICE Your CBD Store

Naples & Marco Island 239.331.8073 NaplesFL.CBDrx4u.com

Local Experts In and Around Naples

The conventional approach to managing type 2 diabetes long term is not effective. Holistic lifestyle coaching helps to reverse the effects of diabetes guiding you away from counting carbs and diets. Coaching leads you to recognize many factors that affect your glucose.

Lower your A1c, stabilize glucose levels, increase your energy, and lose weight naturally.

DIAGNOSTIC BODY SCAN Andrea Geresdi, Owner We are the only dedicated CBD store and carry only the top products. We carry CBD water solubles, CBD tinctures, CBD edibles, CBD capsules, CBD vape products, CBD pet care, CBD skin care, and CBD topical creams. Our products are derived from 100% organic, non-GMO industrial hemp. Stop in!

ESSENTIAL Naples

ASSISTED TRAVEL

SUMMER 2021

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GOMO Travel

Kerri Johnson, RN, CDP, EMBA Cape Coral 904.395.7500 www.gomotravel.com GOMO Founder Kerri Johnson, RN brings the ideal mix of healthcare knowledge, travel experience, and business savvy to her role of CEO. Whether you or someone you care about has mobility issues, suffers from anxiety, requires medical assistance, or just doesn’t like traveling alone, GOMO’s travel companions for hire make traveling anywhere you want to go a reality again.

BIOLOGICAL DENTIST Josephine Perez, DMD

Naples 239.692.9623 www.puredentalnaples.com Dr. Josephine Perez, DMD has been practicing dentistry for 29 years.

She is a graduate of Tufts University School of Dentistry in Boston and interned at New Orleans Coast Guard/Navy Base. Her holistic approach to dentistry encompasses each person’s unique and entire (or whole, therefore holistic) state of physical and emotional well-being. The ability to maintain health through preventive measures and treatments of oral disease is her priority. Dr. Perez focuses on the underlying condition, rather than only treating the symptoms. She tests for biocompatibility to find pathways to reduce inflammation.

DIABETES REVERSAL COACHING Reverse My Diabetes

Denise A. Pancyrz Naples 888.848.1763 www.ReverseMyDiabetes.net Denise@ReverseMyDiabetes.net

Naples 239.297.9949 www.diagnosticbodyscan.com diagnosticbodyscan@gmail.com From the comfort of your home, receive a full-body diagnosis in one hour from a hair sample. The treatment sessions can help destress the body and mind, strengthen the immune system, relieve pain and inflammation, and balance hormones.

FINANCIAL ADVISOR

Wintrust Wealth Management Nina Azwoir, First Vice President Naples 239.697.5204 www.nazwoir.wintrustwealth.com nazwoir@wintrustwealth.com Nina Azwoir is a licensed Financial Advisor with over 17 years of industry experience. She is astute in the realm of wealth management, financial planning, and retirement solutions. Nina has the accumulated knowledge and perspective to help keep her clients and their financial future on a steady course as they navigate through life and retirement. Her highest priority is her clients and their families. Reach out to her to get your complimentary financial plan.

FLOAT SPA

Cloud 9 Float Spa Fort Myers 239.887.4161 www.c9floatspa.com Floating, also known as Flotation Therapy, has been used for years for its mental, spiritual, meditative, and physical benefits and has a vast amount of published research to support its claims.

HEALTH COACH

Theresa Edmunds, CHC Naples 734.308.7105 www.theresaedmunds@hotmail.com Educating clients about all aspects of natural health. Truly healthy food, living chemical-free and detoxing, healthy home, emotional well-being, stress reduction, movement, supplements/homeopathy. Helping you recover, enhance and protect your health. Providing the foundation that you need to live your best life full of energy and vitality.

HOLISTIC FUNCTIONAL HEALTHCARE Omni Balanced Life Center Naples 239.234.1608 Office@omninaples.com www.omninaples.com Omni Balanced Life Center brings a revolutionary style of healthcare to the marketplace. Our unique team style approach combines the expertise of multiple practitioners offering traditional and holistic treatments and services designed to bridge and transform the mind, body and soul creating lasting healing and harmony within. We work alongside western medical teams collaborating to offer the most advanced information available in research and science from all areas of medicine.

Naples Center for Functional Medicine Naples 239.649.7400 info@naplescfm.com www.naplescfm.com

Naples Center for Functional Medicine provides functional and integrative medical services. The practice focuses on treating the whole person, not just a single ailment. Led by Carol Roberts, MD, ABIHM, they utilize evidence-based solutions like functional testing, nutritional analysis, supplements, IV therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and more to improve patient health.

INTEGRATIVE & FUNCTIONAL REGISTERED DIETITIAN Healthy Concepts Consulting

Betsy Opyt, RD, LD/N, CDE Naples 239.297.8844 www.healthyconceptsconsulting.com betsy@healthyconceptsconsulting.com Betsy is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian as well as a Certified Diabetes Educator, Integrative & Functional Medicine Nutrition Therapist, and RYT200 yoga teacher.

She specializes in nutrigenomics, gut health, food sensitivities, detoxing, inflammatory diseases, and longevity living. Betsy is a professional speaker and advocate for healthy living and is available for individual consultations, group programs, and speaking engagements.

KOMBUCHA

Flying Eagle Kombucha Maddy Eagle, Owner Inside Millenial Brewing downtown Ft. Myers www.flyingeaglekombucha.com SWFL’s first Kombucha brewery and Tap Room, uses healthy, gut-friendly microbes and plants as alternative medicine and creates a N/A, probiotic-rich, immune-boosting beverage full of micronutrients, B vitamins, and amino acids. Stop by and see us, or available by delivery and in 25+ resale locations and farmers markets.

MEDICAL SPA

Aesthetic Treatment Centers Dr. Kathleen Marc & Mindy DiPietro Naples 239.322.3790 www.ATCNaples.com

MYOFASCIAL RELEASE/ MASSAGE Therapy on the Gulf Anthony Hansen, LMT Naples 239.262.8722 Anthony Hansen, LMT, founder of Therapy on the Gulf. We specialize in myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, and lympatic drainage. We do aromatherapy massage, pregnancy massage, and other types of massage and energy work. I am also a Qigong and Reiki Master. Candace VanRee, LMT and Teresa Kennedy, LMT are both highly qualified and do the same things that I do. For further information, please feel free to call us at Therapy on the Gulf.

NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS Nature’s Rite

Online 800.991.7088 www.mynaturesrite.com

Health & Wellness Sanctuary of SWFL

Oksana Acosta, Owner Naples 239.403.9170 www.prahaspa.com info@prahaspa.com

MEDITATION CENTER

Naples 239.269.2221 www.healthandwellnessnaples.com

METAPHYSICAL PRODUCTS Mystical Bookshop

David & Wendy Kaplan Fort Myers 239.338.7816 www.mysticalbookshop.com contact@mysticalbookshop.com Helping you help yourself, we specialize in products and information that light your path. Our passion and focus is offering books ranging from Energy Medicine, Self-Help, Sacred Sexuality, Natural Medicine, and Ancient Wisdoms. We also offer jewelry, crystals, yoga and workshops. Visit us in store or purchase online.

Praha Spa & Salt

Praha Spa and Salt owned by Oksana Acosta builds on the services and eleven years of experience of Andrea Geresdi and the former Salt Cave located in Central Naples. The famous Salt Cave is still here, so stop by and combine a relaxing visit to the cave with a facial treatment using products from organic lines to medical grade, professional peeling for the treatments.

PRIVATE CHEF Chefs For Seniors

Bill Springer, Owner Naples 239.776.1758 www.chefsforseniors.com/naples-fl bill.springer@chefsforseniors.com

Spine, Joint, and Neuropathy Care Richard A. Hiler, DABCN Naples 239.330.1000 www.FeelAmazing.com DrRHiler@aol.com Oftentimes, to simply inject a joint or nerve with stem cells for pain, inflammation, and degeneration is not enough. Boost regenerative capability and capacity with the addition of ozone, PRP, growth factors, peptides, myoneural therapies, and physical reconditioning.

RELATIONSHIP COACH

Relationship Secrets for Singles Dana Lee, CLC Naples 239.776.4350 www.relationshipsecretsforsingles.com relationshipsecretsforsingles@gmail.com Dana Lee is a Certified Life Coach and owner of Relationship Secrets for Singles. If you’ve almost given up and need someone to come alongside you, send me an email and we can set up a free online zoom “Meet N Greet” session to see if this program is a right fit for you.

SCALAR ENERGY HEALING Tom Paladino, researcher 805.364.3051 www.scalarlight.com

Tom Paladino has developed scalar energy instruments that are able to negate the molecular bonds of pathogens and their associated toxins, thereby providing relief for pathogenic disease. Scalar energy is the natural energy of the Sun as well as the stars.

HAPPENINGS SUMMER 2021 Wednesday, July 21

Wednesday, August 25

Wednesday, September 22

The Hidden Effects of Type 2 Diabetes 12:00 pm–1:00 pm. Free. You may be missing key information on how diabetes impacts your health.

Don’t confuse signs of aging with the effects of type 2 diabetes. Reverse the effects of this disease like diabetic neuropathy—that numbness in your feet— and even heart disease.

Online Webinar Register: www.ReverseMyDiabetes.net/services/training

Heal Diabetes with the Power of Food 12:00 pm–1:00 pm. Free. Changed your diet but can’t lose any more weight? Having a hard time choosing the food you should eat versus what you want to eat? Food as medicine and the revelatory benefits—certain foods can sabotage your efforts; learn why counting carbs may be a gimmick.

Online Webinar Register: www.ReverseMyDiabetes.net/services/training

Eating on the Run with Diabetes 12:00 pm–1:00 pm. Free. Stabilize your glucose levels during your busy lifestyle and learn that proper footwear and care can keep you on the move.

Online Webinar Register: www.ReverseMyDiabetes.net/services/training

47 SUMMER 2021

Empowering people to live healthy, conscious and spiritually aware lifestyles. Offering different modalities to realign and balance yourself, experience energy, vibrancy, and peace of mind. Individual and small group Yoga, personal consultations, meditation classes, Qi gong, and workshops

ORGANIC SPA

REGENERATIVE MEDICINE

ESSENTIAL Naples

Aesthetic Treatment Centers truly have something for every guest, whether it be relaxation, results, or both. We strive to offer organic product lines that are impactful and results oriented.

Chefs For Seniors offers menu planning, grocery shopping, and a weekly in-home professional chef visit. Meals can be customized for dietary needs (e.g. diabetic, renal, low-sodium) and Chefs work with your doctor or nutritionist. The Chef brings the ingredients and their own equipment and typically spends two hours per week in-home preparing meals.

Purpose

ESSENTIAL Naples

The Healing Power of

SUMMER 2021

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Spiritual Awareness

By Yolanda Beckers

“When we live with spiritual awareness, there is only oneness, acceptance, and love of the self and of others as the grace of one’s Divine nature.”

—Yolanda Beckers

T

he importance of spiritual awareness in our lives is not quantifiable. Understanding how body, mind, and soul are interconnected can empower us to live healthy, conscious, and spiritually aware lifestyles. By learning how to balance your energies, eat the right foods, and calm your mind, your being starts to feel complete again.

Have you ever asked yourself whether you have the higher awareness to know whether something is missing from your life? In addition to our physical body, we have an energetic body that can be enhanced to create physical changes resulting in healing, opening stagnated energy fields and experiencing the calming fluidity of life. The universe is working with us by opening these energy fields. All of our problems begin in the energy field before manifesting in the physical, so as we seek to heal ourselves and address our problems, is it not of the essence that we are looking in the right place?

So often, we hear stories from people who have been looking everywhere to find ways to heal themselves, without success. Understanding the energetic network, such as your mental communication, has a direct effect on the changes in your energy field, causing it to either expand or

contract—the latter of which will lead to us being unwell, since every disease has an emotional, mental charge to it. We know from long-term experiences, for example, that anger can lead to problems of the liver, sadness to lung issues, fear and anxiety to issues with the kidneys, and being worried and an overthinker can lead to pancreatic problems. By recognizing habitual behavior and changing your energy, your organs receive a charge of energy to release stagnation and the organs will begin to heal and become whole again.

By awakening our true selves, we start to connect with the Source from which the purest and highest energy flows. When we are open to receiving the love and wisdom from the Source, we are filled with Divine energy, guiding and inspiring us in all we do. In this awareness there is no separation of the self and life—everything flows in unity, beyond duality; everything and everyone is experienced as oneness, which resonates with a continuous flow of universal love. When we live with spiritual awareness, there is only oneness, acceptance, and love of the self and of others as the grace of one’s Divine nature. The Health and Wellness Sanctuary of SW Florida concentrates all of its modalities on this ultimate truth. •

The nonprofit Health and Wellness Sanctuary of SW Florida offers different courses and programs to empower people to live healthy, conscious, and spiritually aware lifestyles. The Health and Wellness Sanctuary offers many classes to help this process, such as private consultations, meditation, yoga, qi Gong, mindful classes, and certified courses and workshops.

Check out our course “Awaken, Grow Your Wings.” During this three-month self-transformation course, you will learn how to harmonize, attune, and balance your vital energy centers through clearing distorted resonance, meditation, working with Sacred texts to awaken the self, and more. Weekly sessions on Zoom or in live classes. We also offer individual guidance, if needed. Contact us at innerlightnaples@gmail.com or 239.239.2221 and visit innerlight-center.com. See ad on page 17 >

How Can Scalar Energy Change Your Life?

Take a 15-day trial of the Standardized Scalar Sessions with NO cost and NO obligation! https://nn.scalarlight.com

Scalar Energy balances your energy centers, disassembles health-robbing substances and assembles micro-nutrients.

“Scalar Light is a blessing. Definitely feel lighter, and more playful, and enjoying life.”

My body is feeling much lighter. I feel calm and at peace most of the time. When situations are difficult - I am more aware that it will pass. I have much more clarity. The explanations and references you send is very helpful. –Josette

“The fogginess, weakness, and lack of energy I’ve suffered with from Fibromyalgia is gone!”

After 16 years I can’t tell you how amazing it is to feel whole again.

I feel 20 years younger. I am astounded at the effects Scalar Light is having in my life. –Marise

Using a photograph of a person we can determine the emotional and physical health status of that person. The photograph appears to act as your body double. Changes in your state of being are reflected in the photograph continuously. Renewed energy, resilience to stress, better sleep, and even changes in mindset are just a few of the benefits.

Tom Paladino

(805) 364-3051 • TOLL-FREE 1-800-345-9851 • scalarlight.com

The O-Shot: An all-natural, painless, non-surgical procedure that can rejuvenate and revitalize vaginal function, giving you dramatically improved sensitivity and significantly enhancing your sex life.

O-Shot

The O-Shot® [Orgasm Shot®] can help: • Decreased libido (sex drive)

• Lichen sclerosus

• Stress urinary incontinence

• Lichen planus

• Dryness (with resulting painful intercourse) from Menopause or from Breast Cancer Treatment

• Postpartum fecal incontinence

• Decreased ability to orgasm

• Chronic pain from mesh

• Urge urinary incontinence

• Chronic interstitial cystitis

(239) 322-3790

atcnaples.com

• Chronic pain from trauma from child birth (episiotomy scars)

Aesthetic Treatment Centers is the newest aesthetic concept in Southwest Florida.

We specialize in minimally and non-invasive cosmetic services including fat reduction, body sculpting, wrinkle reduction, hair removal, IV hydration, and feminine rejuvenation.