Natural Nutmeg November 2022

By April Beaman, RDH, CTT

30 Reverse Your Type 2

By Jane Grant, RDN, CD-N

Healthy Pet

By Jennifer Beach

By Sharon Sklar,

By

By

By

Health

14

from

By Mica DeSantis, Energy Healer

16 Get to Know

By Jennifer Beach

20 Grief and Gratitude—Managing

By Erika Dworkin, BCHN®

36

By Dr. Roshni N. Patel,

38 How Trauma-Informed

By Charleen K. Miele, LPC

Finance

34

Dana!

By Dana R. Mascalo, CFP®, RLP®, AAMS®, C(k)P

Hey, I’m Dr. Diane!

Each November as we enter the holiday season, I encourage each of you to take time to review and reflect on the past year. With each passing year, I feel like that is more important than ever.

Ask yourself: What were your successes, your challenges, your surprises, and most of all, what do you have to be thankful for? What changed positively for you? Did you have more time with family, did you start a new career, did you have more time for yourself, did you conquer a health challenge or adopt a healthier lifestyle?

For me, I am so thankful for our readers, our dedicated writers and advertisers, our advisory board, our distribution company, and those places that continue to allow us to drop magazines when many locations closed or refused to allow free publications. I’m thankful for the wonderful team here at Natural Nutmeg who keep producing amazing and inspiring magazines—a huge thank you to Ashley Frament, Lori Emelander, Dr. Sonia Manganello, and Chris Urso.

“I believe in order to truly master the art of manifestation and send a message out to the Universe to bring us what we want, we must first be thankful for what we have.”

—Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD

This year, we completely redesigned the cover and interior design of Natural Nutmeg! The cover is more streamlined and allows additional article titles under our four pillars with page numbers for quick access to read. Articles are easier to find with our page numbers now at your fingertips. We also have a better structured layout and design for ads. This may go unnoticed to many of you, but it really makes for a better reading experience!

I launched a new manifestation/networking group with our holistic practitioners and together we’ve had some huge successes. Here’s what members of the group have accomplished:

• Set a goal to retire from her corporate position and transition into her spiritual practice in 12 months—she achieved it in 7 months!

• Set a goal to meet 50 new clients at a health expo and met exactly 50!

• Set a goal to increase her revenue by $10k/month in a year and achieved that in 6 months!

• Manifested $14k in sales one month to cover an unexpected expense!

• Wrote her first article and got published!

• Set a goal to lose 8% body fat and achieved it in 3 months!

• Manifested more time off and more vacations without a decrease in income!

I believe in order to truly master the art of manifestation and send a message out to the Universe to bring us what we want, we must first be thankful for what we have.

Don’t miss our additional special issue coming this December with the announcement of all of our 10BEST awards winners, in addition to great content, holistic business spotlights, and an Essential Living Resource guide that you can keep and use throughout all of 2023.

We wish everyone a healthy and happy holiday season and peace and light in 2023!

Wishing you health and happiness, Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD Publisher & Owner, ELM Publishing

Our

PUBLISHER/OWNER

Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD Diane@naturalnutmeg.com

DIR. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY/OWNER Christopher Urso Curso@naturalnutmeg.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lori Emelander essentialeditorlori@gmail.com

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Dr. Sonia Manganello sonia@naturalnutmeg.com

DESIGN DIRECTOR Ashley Frament layout@naturalnutmeg.com

ADVISORY BOARD Frank Aieta, ND Adam Breiner,

Mark Breiner, DDS Deanna M. Cherrone, MD Erika Dworkin, Dip.

Steven R. Frank

New Group Training: Akashic Field Healing from the 13th Octave

Akashic Field Healing is a profound healing modality where we access the quantum field or Akashic Records of an individual or group. This modality is a direct healing rather than the more common Akashic Field reading. Through Akashic Field Healing, we can access any unresolved trauma that is stored in the field and directly impacting your life and limiting your access to your future potential.

When combined with the 13th Octave, a conscious union within the heart of God/Source/One, your ability to delve into the deepest parts of your soul expands. This expansion clears the energy surrounding trauma so that your highest potential is limitless. Engaging in Akashic Field Healing from the 13th Octave Training will help you explore healing levels, remove blocks, and guide you towards helping others with their own healing.

Our goal for Akashic Field Healing from the 13th Octave Training is to show you how to access the Akashic Field for yourself and your clients. During our time together, we will use focused intention to open the connection to your Akashic Record and the Akashic Records of your potential clients, with their permission. Accessing the Akashic Records will uncover core unresolved traumas stored there. These unresolved traumas often spill into everyday life and get in the way of your true mission and so much more. We will also connect to the 13th Octave while being grounded here in your body, on the Earth plane. Through this training, we want to help you remember who you truly are. This training creates a vibratory resonance that recognizes your origin and mission.

During your training, administered via Zoom, you’ll work weekly with Eilis Philpott, Advanced AFH Practitioner, to learn this powerful and integral method of transpersonal psychology with quantum healing processes.

AFH from the 13th Octave Training will provide you with multidimensional growth and healing. You will be aligned with your true mission and have the tools to navigate your journey for years to come and help others navigate theirs.

Eilis Philpott is the owner of Soul Healing Journey, LLC, and the Academy for Soul Healing. She has been a healing practitioner and teacher for over 20 years, helping people understand who they are at a soul level.  With this healing, Eilis’s clients can attain a level of deep peace that they have not experienced in this lifetime. For more information about her services, visit SoulHealingJourney.com. For events and trainings, visit www. AcademyForSoulHealing.com. Connect at 203.767.5954 or  Eilis@SoulHealingJourney.com.

Give the Gift of the Divine This Holiday Season

This holiday season, Divine Treasures invites you to celebrate with decadent chocolate assortments inspired by a chilly winter wonderland. But we promise: they’ll bring warmth to those who receive them! As always, our aim is to create a holiday chocolate experience that is traditional in spirit, unique in design, and mindful of modern health concerns—which means never made with dairy, gluten, white sugar, or animal ingredients, and always handcrafted with organic European dark chocolate. With a new collection comes new variety, of course! Taste real flavor in each piece, whether its organic peanut butter blended in our signature ganache, organic cherries cooked into a luscious filling, or peppermint essential oil infused in a crispy chocolate bark. Fill stockings with our smaller Chocolate Tidings or Icy Treasures assortments, or gift your favorite person with an exquisite Polar Treasures! Every box is packaged with artwork by our in-house artist for a unique final product as beautiful as it is delicious. Craving a cup of cocoa or looking for a quick, satisfying gift? Snatch up a Hot Chocolate Bomb—a dark chocolate shell filled with our 70% single-origin cacao cocoa mix, giving your instant cup of cocoa a healthy dose of antioxidants! Visit us at our storefront in Manchester or on our website to learn more, shop the holiday collection, and peruse all our seasonal treats. Indulge with peace of mind that health-conscious care and local artisan quality are in each divine bite!

Written by Samantha Skeels, marketing and design with Divine Treasures, a gluten-free, vegan artisan treat shop located in Parkade Plaza, 404 Middle Turnpike West, Manchester, CT. Visit dtchocolates.com, email diane@ dtchocolates.com, or call 860.643.2552.

See ad on page 22 >

There’s Still Time to

Breathwork at The Sacred Self, LLC, in Newington—

A Different Kind of Healing

Part of

Charleen

K. Miele, LPC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor who started her journey as a teacher, church music director, and fitness instructor. She has now found a way to incorporate all of those passions into the work she does at her business, The Sacred Self, LLC in Newington. Charleen works with clients both in person and via telehealth and has recently added Trauma-Informed Breathwork to her work.

As an Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist, she has been humbled and honored to walk the healing journey with her clients by helping them to notice, acknowledge, and unburden parts in their system who have been forced into extreme roles.

She now offers her current therapy clients the addition of breathwork to reinforce the unburdening process. New clients are also offered the opportunity to experience IFS and/or breathwork through in-person and online sessions. Charleen is also currently offering group breathwork sessions online and will be hosting workshops and group sessions in person in the new year. Life coaching and spiritual life coaching, including breathwork and IFS work, are also available both as individual sessions and as packages of two, four, or six sessions.

Charleen will soon be offering self-paced online courses through her website as well as interactive groups that will meet for a series of weeks and will include lectures, discussions, journaling, and experiential somatic work through breathing and movement. She is excited to share this with the Natural Nutmeg community!

https://www.thesacredselfllc.com/ and contact Charleen at thesacredselfllc@gmail.com or call 860.614.8382. Located at 171 Market Square #102, Newington, CT. See ad on page 13 >

What’s New and Exciting at Vitathena Wellness—A Store without Walls

What’s new and exciting at Vitathena Wellness (VW)? There’s so much to announce with such immense gratitude, I don’t know where to begin!

You, the awesome Natural Nutmeg readers, voted VW, my store without walls, a 10Best Health Food Store for 2022. You also voted me a Readers’ 10Best Nutritionist for the fourth year. After my closing the 65-year-old Manchester Parkade Health Shoppe last year due to the pandemic, VW is enabling me to continue carrying out the mission that Spirit assigned to me over 13 years ago, when I was walking through the fire of my menopause journey desperately seeking self-empowerment. My online dispensary has over 14,000 products, including professional and national retail-brand supplements, natural body care, topicals, and other therapeutics. I also offer beyond-organic doTERRA Essential Oils for topical/aromatic/internal use.

I just launched VitathenaWellness.com, where you’ll find all you need to connect with me and start or continue your wellness journey. I’m available anytime through my new Secure Client Portal, or by text/ phone/email, to schedule a 20-Minute Complimentary Wellness Assessment or personalized nutrition consultation, answer your health and supplements questions, or refer you to another healer in my expansive network.

My chapter, “Midlife and Menopause: Mapping Your Path to Empowerment,” will be out this November in my new collaborative book with 24 co-authors, The Energy Medicine Solution: Mind Blowing Results to Live an Extraordinary Life. Through Essential Mapping Step 1, you’ll begin to learn how to manage your consciousness so you can move gracefully toward the future you desire. Go to my website to request Essential Mapping Steps 2–5.

Submitted by Erika Dworkin, BCHN (Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition®), Wellness Guide and former owner of the Manchester Parkade Health Shoppe in Manchester, CT (www.cthealthshop.com), which operated for 65 years. Erika is available for nutrition consultations and to speak to groups, in person or on Zoom. She can be contacted by phone at 860.646.8178 or by email at edworkin@vitathena.com. See ad on page 13 >

Dr. DI’s CORNER s

Charles Haamel, author of The Master Key System, says this about manifesting, “First, realize you have this power. Second, believe you can direct it. Third, center your thoughts on what you want and shut the door on every suggestion of fear or worry or lack. Once you gain that ability – nothing is impossible.”

Before I even knew what manifestation was, I was doing it. If you think back to a time from your childhood, you’ll remember you were doing it too. I was in 8th grade. A school dance was coming up in a month and there was this boy I was dying to go with. I would daydream how the phone would ring. I’d pick it up and he would be on the line. He’d say, “I was calling to see if you wanted to go to the dance with me?” I would visualize this happening day after day for weeks. Well, one day, about a week before the dance, that scenario played out exactly as I had envisioned it.

Everything we see around us had to first exist as a thought. Every product, every business, every building, every vehicle. I’ve realized that we manifest by utilizing things we cannot see. Our thoughts, our mindset, our consciousness. At first it may be hard to understand that one can make things happen without physically working harder at something. But if I think back to all of the things I knowingly manifested in my life –none of them were achieved by “working harder.” They were all accomplished by a fierce concentration of thought, an unwavering belief that it was going to happen, and taking small steps in the direction I wanted every day.

Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD, is an entrepreneur, mindset warrior, perspective shifter, and unshakable optimist. She holds a PhD in Exercise Physiology from the University of Maryland. She is a professional speaker and travels nationally to present spiritual and personal development workshops.

Is Your Pet’s Stress Stressing You Out? Dogs + CBD FAQs

By Jennifer Beach

For many of us, our pets are our fur babies. We love them, cuddle with them, and of course, we worry when they’re unwell. Thankfully, more natural options are becoming available to treat our furry friends, including CBD treatment. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about dogs and CBD.

Can CBD Help Dogs with Anxiety?

Traveling, moving to a new home, adjusting to new people or other pets, abandonment issues, fireworks, trips to the veterinarian or groomer… reasons for dog anxiety abound. CBD can be the solution for those looking for natural replacement options for prescription anti-anxiety drugs and their potentially harmful side effects. CBD can help anxious dogs settle into happier routines both situationally and over the long term.

Will CBD Oil Make Your Dog High?

There are very big differences between the two strains of cannabis. Pet CBD (cannabidiol) oil supplements are extracted from industrial hemp (sativa) plants, which have high levels of CBD and virtually no THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the compound that gives marijuana its psychoactive properties). Conversely, THC with levels large enough to produce a high is found in the marijuana strain, which contains very little CBD.

This difference is crucial because THC can be toxic to dogs but CBD is safe, so always make sure you give your dog CBD made for pets with 0.3% THC or less. Hemp CBD offers the calming your dog needs without the THC, so you can rest assured your dog won’t get high. If you give your dog CBD to calm them, they will simply experience mild relaxation.

How Much CBD Should You Give Your Dog for Anxiety?

You may need to do some experimenting to find the right dose because every dog and every situation is different. I always recommend 1–5 mg per 10 pounds of body weight.

Try a dose in the middle of the recommended range and watch for calming effects. You should notice a difference within an hour. If not, you may want to give more CBD to total up to the upper dosing recommendation. Your dog will not seem lethargic, just calmer, with less panting, pacing, and whining once you’ve supplied the right dose.

You can give your dog CBD situationally—for example, try CBD oil for dogs with grooming or car ride anxiety. You can also offer CBD oil consistently for a dog with chronic pain.

Can I Give My Dog CBD with Other Medications?

If you give your dog medications for anxiety or any other conditions, check with your veterinarian before using CBD oil. Holistic and integrative vets are usually very familiar with CBD and will easily be able to answer your questions.

Hemp CBD has been the drug-free solution for a happier, more relaxed life for many dogs, and it’s expected to be used even more widely as more dogs benefit from its calming properties.

How Can Natural Harmony Help?

Dogs love treats! Whether you’re looking to support longevity in your healthy pup or calm your nervous dog, CBD is a great addition to your pet’s wellness routine. Each Natural Harmony pet treat contains 5 mg of CBD and has a peanut butter flavor your dog will love!

Ingredients: Organic Peanut Butter, Chicken Broth, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Coconut Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Organic Applesauce (Organic Apples, Water), Agar, Honey Cinnamon, Citric Acid, Broad Spectrum Hemp Extract, Vitamin E.

Natural Harmony is a 100% organic, vegan, non-GMO CBD company based in Connecticut. Visit us every Saturday from 10–4 at Velvet Mill, 22 Bayview Ave, Stonington, CT, or shop online. Experience the purity and quality of our Natural Harmony Sleep Formula by visiting our online store at www.naturalharmony.life.

“Whether you’re looking to support longevity in your healthy pup or calm your nervous dog, CBD is a great addition to your pet’s wellness routine.”

—Jennifer Beach

Cleaning Up My Diet— A Lifetime of Change

by Sharon Sklar, BFA, LMT, CAR, and Warrior Queen

Istarted an ethical eating stand when I was six years old. I can remember our kitchen, where I stood, and the entire conversation as if it was yesterday. I was helping my mom make dinner and was asked to unwrap that white paper package she had taken out of the fridge. There was this red chunk of something I had never seen before. Mom told me it was our steak. I remember questioning, at first in my mind, then out loud, “Where does it come from?” Mom told me it came from a cow. I couldn’t imagine how it came out of a cow—did it poop it out? Did it puke it up? When I was told that the cow was killed and cut up into different parts—brisket, ribs, hamburger, steaks—I was horrified.

The Start of a Meatless Journey

My two grandfathers were butchers, but at that young age, I wasn’t defying my family or questioning their values. I was just grossed out. From that moment until I was twelve, my parents made me eat the meat that was served. Liver sat on my plate and I could not leave the table until I’d eaten. Steak had to be burnt to a crisp and smothered in Heinz ketchup for me to consider it edible. When I was twelve, my family went on a cruise in the Caribbean. My mom was tired of me order ing spaghetti every night and that night insisted I eat some meat. She ordered rabbit for me. By the time the dinner arrived all I could see in my mind was a puffy little tail, those big ears, and a cute button nose. I asked the waiter to take it away but my mother insisted I eat it. I stood up, screamed at the top of my lungs, “You can’t make me eat that!” and ran out of the dining room. It was never

spoken about again, and that was the end of mak ing me eat meat.

The only meat I consumed throughout my college years was all-beef Kosher hot dogs, tasty when smothered in ketchup and wrapped in bacon. There was no blood or bones, so it wasn’t as hard for me to reconcile with it. Who knew about nitrates back then?! The very day I graduated from college, I stopped eating any beef, chicken, or pork, embracing my role as an adult with my future ahead of me. That’s where I still stand, over forty-six years later.

Big Changes for Better Health

As I am constantly reading about food and nutrition, I decided to stop eating eggs about a year and a half ago. On some level I thought, if I haven’t eaten chicken in all these years, why do I eat eggs? They are like liquid chickens! They also carry bacteria so are sometimes used to deliver vaccines. Yuck.

My newest diet clean-up is living without sugar. I have craved sweets my entire life, and I believe my sugar consumption led to my breast cancer almost sixteen years ago—there was no history of cancer in my family. I have since read that sugar is “food” for cancer—and I had consumed a lot of it. It was in sauces, breads, my favorite ketchup, mayo…it is in fact a primary ingredient in many processed foods.

They say every addict has to hit their own bottom, and as a sugar addict I finally hit mine at the end of April 2022. I was making my famous double chocolate chip/walnut cookies for a par ty. After every few spoonfuls of dough onto the

“I have craved sweets my entire life, and I believe my sugar consumption led to my breast cancer almost sixteen years ago—there was no history of cancer in my family.”

—Sharon Sklar, BFA, LMT, CAR

cookie sheet, I would pop one into my mouth. I hadn’t eaten dinner and unconsciously and vo raciously ate the chocolate chips and raw dough as I baked the double recipe. I became nauseous, dizzy, and had a terrible headache. The next day, my knees and hands were sore and swollen, and that lasted five days. That was my bottom. I was inflamed and suffering for the first time because of my sugar intake.

Living Sugar-Free and Dairy-Free

I am now over four months sugar- and dairy-free. Giving up sugar was a necessary choice after that overdose this past spring. No longer eating cheese and other dairy came more from an ethi cal point of view when I saw a video about dairy cows. I felt, again, that repulsion I had for meat as a child, but now it was about dairy. Cheese is made from milk solids that hold the natural sugar, so it makes sense a sugar addict would also crave cheese.

I can’t say I feel better, because I felt fine before. But I’m not in active “gotta-have-it” mode around anything with sugar and cheese. I never want to relive that painful inflammation and feeling as though I had aged twenty years overnight. My changes are physical but also both mental and emotional. I feel freer.

So, who’s in charge? I am! There are no longer boxes of Dots (cheap corn syrup and food dyes) consumed late at night or countless slices of cheese shared with my dogs. I consciously decide what I’m feeling and act on what I need to address issues without drowning myself in sweets. It took years, but with age comes wisdom!

Ask yourself and be honest: Do you have some thing you need to release in order to live more fully? Is there something hidden in your behavior that seems to control you? You will be happy you looked and happier if you act on it.

Sharon Sklar is in her 42nd year of private practice as a Certified Advanced Rolfer. State licensed and the only Rolfer in Central CT, Sharon works with direct manipulation of the soft tissue of the body and movement re-education over a ten-session series to help her clients feel freer, get more balanced, and reduce chronic pain. Great for athletes, children, and adults recovering from the stress, injuries, or traumas of life. Inquiries are encouraged! Call 860.561.4337 for more info or to schedule a consultation. Inquiries are encouraged! www.SharonSklarRolfing.com . See ad on page 31 >

My Move from Surviving to Thriving

By Lauri Ingram

“My words of wisdom to others are: Keep searching. To ask questions… to wonder…to delight in living each day in awe of the mystery that surrounds us. To be present to the miracles around us, and listen deeply to what your soul is saying.”

—Lauri Ingram

We all have unique life stories, and I am no exception. After a Catholic education, I went to college, put aside my dreams of an architecture or art career, and majored in business. Immediately after college, I started working in the “new” field of Information Systems…this was the early 80s, after all! I did well, changed jobs on a few occasions, and built up my skills in project management and planning. Then came marriage…a child…my mother’s illness and passing…. marital problems…divorce…significant financial setbacks…depression…anxiety….

It was a lot in a short amount of time, too much too quickly…. Trauma.

I was in survival mode. Keep the job, pay the bills, and raise my daughter. I sought out therapists and medication to help me survive. And I did. I was in a bit of a fog, and my life had become work…not much outside of that except for my crafting hobby which became my oasis of joy.

Surviving Isn’t Really Living

About 10 years ago, in my mid-50s, as my daughter was out of high school and finding her own way, I realized that I was just surviving. My life was on the back burner. I realized I wasn’t feeling anything—that I was, in fact, numb. The years of antidepressants had taken their toll.

But I was fortunate to work with practitioners who helped me get off the medication, though it took a year and a bit of trial and error.

The fog lifted. I had a conversation with a work colleague during which I realized that I was just surviving, and I didn’t want to keep doing that. I was fortunate to have a good job and work with people I enjoyed, with plenty of opportunities to keep at my creative hobbies while I worked in IT

infrastructure. We talked about finding our “why.” Maybe it’s not what we do, but the meaning we find in it. I realized there was something missing in my life, but I didn’t know what it was.

The Spiritual Journey toward Living

My spiritual journey started like an avalanche. I had left behind my Catholic upbringing around the time of my marriage (that’s another story!), and I suddenly found myself seeking to understand the world around me. Is there a higher power? What created all of this? What is my intuition, anyway….which had always been a strong part of my life and my compass? Is it a coincidence that I’m suddenly meeting all these wonderful people, or something greater at work?

I began a meditation practice (thank you to the Deepak Chopra/Oprah Winfrey 21-day challenge!) and discovered mindful practices. This created space in my being for spirit to enter, and it did— very loudly.

I followed the breadcrumbs. I met one person, who introduced me to another person, who introduced me to energy work. I found a community of spiritual seekers and suddenly and inexplicably felt like I was home. I learned all about crystal healing and color therapy. I tried every modality I could to accelerate this rapid spiritual awakening, and I had fun doing it. It was also very painful, though, as I worked through healing a lot of the trauma from my life (and we all have it!).

But something inside me knew—just knew— that my life was changing. I had the opportunity to become an advocate for mindful practices where I worked, leading meditations and sharing resources with colleagues. It became part of who I was there, the mindful IT professional.

A New Path

Very unexpected, an undeniable call came to go to One Spirit Seminary and enter a two-year program to become an Interfaith/Interspiritual Minister. Interspirituality is the intersection of all beliefs, which is the common language of love— think spiritual, but not religious. To say two years changed my life (again) is a profound understatement. I then felt drawn to continue through an additional two years of Interspiritual Counseling at One Spirit, which deepened my own healing and trained me not only to be a minister to others but a companion/counselor and coach to those on their own journeys.

Over the past few years, the calling has continued to get louder and louder. It became more difficult to see myself continuing to do a job that no longer held my passion. I would work, waiting for the day to be over so I could do what I loved, which was starting to build a practice and work with people on their journey.

So, here I am, having left a successful, over 40year corporate career to follow my passion. Now I wake up every day to work with clients, create workshops, officiate weddings, and lead life transition ceremonies. I actually wake up each morning excited about what the day will bring. Was it easy? No. But…it is exciting.

I have developed many new practices and become deeply self-aware of who I am becoming through this process. I am constantly learning and creating, and deeply grateful for every experience.

I have looked back on my journey through developing a spiritual life map, which I do with my clients. In looking back, I see now that this is destiny. My interests, my traumas, and my decisions have all led me to this place. The threads of creativity, intuition, curiosity, imagination, and contemplation have always been there, even when I was a child. I just didn’t see it until I looked back on my life from a spiritual perspective.

My words of wisdom to others are: Keep searching. To ask questions…to wonder…to delight in living each day in awe of the mystery that surrounds us. To be present to the miracles around us, and listen deeply to what your soul is saying.

Ordained by One Spirit Interfaith Seminary and as a certified Interspiritual Counselor, I currently offer spiritual coaching and creativity sessions in person in my Bethany office, as well as by phone and Zoom. You can learn more about me at www.lauriingram. com or contact me by emailing lauri@lauriingram. com or calling 203.435.5650. See ad on page 17 >

Shift from Struggling to Conceive to Empowered Conception

By Mica DeSantis, Life Sketching Energy Healer and Conception Catalyst

The journey of bringing a soul into your life is more intricate than we have ever been taught to believe. Conception is not just a physical and biological act—you are cultivating a relationship with the soul of your baby. And this relationship starts long before you get pregnant.

Your Soul’s Journey

There are two important factors that most doctors won’t ever bring up:

1. Your energy.

2. Your connection with the incoming soul (your soul baby).

When you are on your conception journey, your entire life comes up for review. You are working with, clearing, and healing your own personal energy and at the same time connecting with your soul baby. These two factors not only affect trying to get pregnant but can also interfere with the process of adoption. Many times, an adoption arrangement can fall through or issues arise around a surrogate. The energetic blocks surrounding the experience are the same.

But there are ways to empower yourself.

When your energy is clear and in alignment with your soul, you can conceive. When you become a vibrational match to your soul baby, you are ready

to bring your child into this physical world.

Bringing your frequency and vibration into alignment with your soul baby is one of the key steps on the conception journey.

There are ways to improve your reproductive health before you try to conceive. Keep in mind that physical ailments have energetic roots or misalignment.

Are you having health challenges or pain?

Take notice of what in your physical body feels off. Explore the energtic root to that issue. For example, if you have a knee problem, ask yourself, “What will it take to increase my ability to forgive quickly so I can move on with my life?” Even when an issue seems unrelated to your fertility, it could be the very thing blocking you. Releasing this challenge will raise your vibration.

You can connect with your soul baby before, during, and after your conception journey. The relationship changes along the way because the soul has a different awareness during each phase.

Unexplained Infertility.

Let’s Stop Using This Term!

Although there are times when medical assistance is necessary for conception, energetic blocks can form in your body preventing

pregnancy. The diagnosis or term “unexplained infertility” should simply not be used. Just because you were diagnosed with unexplained infertility doesn’t mean you’re infertile. It means you haven’t conceived YET!

Just the word infertility by itself can cause fear and emotional blocks. Just because your delay cannot be determined in medical terms, it doesn’t mean you’re infertile.

There is no time frame for this very sacred event.

It’s time to start talking about how energetic blocks can be formed by feelings of guilt and shame…but can also be addressed and healed. The guilt around a past abortion can cause a delay in conceiving, not because you are being punished, but because you are carrying shame. The same is true regarding trauma from childhood and adolescence or a toxic relationship. Even the energy from past partners can cause blocks.

The ARC Process (Acknowledge, Release, Connect)

Your conception journey begins with your desire. The moment you decide to have a baby, the Universe starts shifting and bending to make that happen. You are co-creating this experience with life so get involved early in the journey. This is what empowered conception is all about. In this process, your entire life comes up for review. You must acknowledge your past.

You release all the things that are blocking you, that no longer serve a purpose, such as guilt, shame, fear, trauma, and control. Energy healing work, journaling, and meditation can be helpful tools. Work on changing your perspective of your past if you feel you are struggling. Allow this process to show you the things you need to address and heal. This is a gift.

Finally, connection…with your soul baby, with your higher self, and your guides. You don’t have to believe in all of these concepts, but I guarantee you a beautiful shift if you stay open to them.

You will gain clarity around what you need to shift. When you shift from “struggling to conceive” to an “empowered conception” not only will you increase your fertility, but you will expand your personal view of this life and your future life as a mom into something magical.

How to Shift from “Struggling to Conceive” to an “Empowered Conception” You don’t have to embark on this journey on your own. Whether it’s with me or another conception catalyst, you can expand your experience, feel supported, and heal. All the tools below are part of the process to help co-create bringing in your soul baby!

Prepare your energy for conception (Heart, Mind, Womb):

• Shift to the belief in your heart to you are meant to be a mother.

• Let go of what the journey should look like.

• Prepare your mind while opening your connection to the universe.

• Prepare your womb (energetically) to heal wounds and cut negative energetic cords.

• Open the channels for soul connection.

• While on your conception journey, know that the messages and intuitive thoughts you are receiving are real. Write down your messages! This is your journey…your path. When you approach it from a gentler perspective, with kindness toward yourself and your past struggles, you will be amazed at your transformation…and your new baby.

Mica DeSantis is a Life Sketching Energy Healer and Conception Catalyst whose featured offers include Empowered Conception/Soul Baby Connection and Creative Frequency Activation. With a background as a Reiki Master, Shamanic Practitioner, and Sound Healer, she recognizes and aligns areas that may be causing blocks. She is an intuitive who connects with soul babies to receive and share messages and signs. Mica works from an energetic and soul perspective with the goal to help women shift from “struggling to conceive” to an “empowered conception.” Contact Mica at 203.517.7674, or mica@lifesketching.com and visit www.lifesketching.com. Follow her on Instagram: @micablaise and Facebook: Life Sketching. Weston, CT. See ad on page 25 >

“The diagnosis or term “unexplained infertility” should simply not be used. Just because you were diagnosed with unexplained infertility doesn’t mean you’re infertile. It means you haven’t conceived YET!”

—Mica DeSantis, Life Sketching Energy Healer and Conception Catalyst

Get to Know CBD: The Most Frequently Asked Questions

By Jennifer Beach

You may have heard about all the healthrelated benefits of using CBD, but you’re still on the fence about using it. You have questions…and we have answers. Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about CBD!

What is CBD?

“The FDA does not allow us to make medical claims regarding the benefits of our products beyond recommending them for general well-being. That said, there is research to show CBD is effective in treating anxiety, depression, insomnia, arthritis, and other types of chronic pain.”

—Jennifer Beach

CBD is short for cannabidiol, the most dominant cannabinoid in the hemp plant. CBD is a non-psychoactive compound, meaning it will not get you high. CBD does NOT come from marijuana. Hemp and marijuana are both members of the cannabis family but are not the same. Hemp contains no more than 0.3% THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) the psychoactive compound found in much higher concentrations in marijuana. Hemp is naturally higher in CBD.

Is CBD legal?

Thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill (the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018), CBD products are federally legal to produce, purchase, and use if they meet certain conditions. To be federally legal, CBD must be hemp-derived and contain no more than 0.3% THC. CBD is extracted from federally legal hemp plants, so we can ship to all 50 states. You do not require a license or doctor’s note to purchase.

Will CBD get me high?

No, CBD oil cannot get you high as long as it contains 0.3% THC or less. All Natural Harmony products contain 0.3% THC or less. You will not feel inhibited in any way, shape, or form.

Will CBD make me fail a drug test?

Federally legal hemp extract has THC levels that are less than 0.3% by weight. This means our full-spectrum extracts contain trace amounts of THC. Although it isn’t enough to get you high, it could build up in your system over time and cause you to fail a drug test. For this reason, we also offer THC-free products made with pure CBD. These products test free of THC. Due to the varying nature of different drug tests and individual employer standards, this response should not be taken as legal advice—please consult your employer policy on hemp products for a concrete answer.

What is CBD used for?

In 2018, Epidiolex was approved by The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first CBD-derived medication for treating epilepsy. The FDA does not allow us to make medical claims regarding the benefits of our products beyond recommending them for general well-being. That said, there is research to show CBD is effective in treating anxiety, depression, insomnia, arthritis, and other types of chronic pain.

If you are suffering from a disease or illness, or believe you are suffering from a disease or illness, it is best to consult your healthcare provider. If you are interested in reviewing the studies performed on the benefits of CBD, you can search PubMed, the U.S. Government repository of medical research.

What is the difference between CBD and hemp seed oil?

Good question! Less reputable companies sell hemp seed oil claiming that it is CBD oil, so it’s important to know the difference.

• Hemp seed oil is made by pressing raw hemp seeds and collecting the liquid oil that is expelled. It is a good supplement and cooking additive and does not have concentrated cannabinoids.

• CBD extract is made by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of the hemp flower, not the seed. This concentrates the active cannabinoids and terpenes to very high percentages, resulting in the CBD oil we add to our products.

What is the difference between hemp and marijuana?

While they are both part of the cannabis family of plants, there are distinct genetic differences between the two.

Marijuana plants:

• Generally bred to have very high amounts of THC at the expense of other cannabinoids, including CBD.

• Are usually slender and bushy, with large amounts of flowers

Hemp plants:

• Contain large amounts of CBD and little THC. This means that hemp is an ideal plant for those seeking cannabis benefits without the intoxicating experience.

• Industrial hemp plants are taller and thinner with pronounced stalks and little to no flowers. Industrial hemp has a myriad of uses, including as a component of clothing, paper, rope, plastics, oils, and foods.

• Medicinal hemp tends to more closely resemble marijuana in appearance.

Legally, the two plants are separately defined by the Agricultural Appropriations Act of 2014,

which establishes “industrial hemp” as a Cannabis sativa plant with a THC concentration below 0.3% by weight.

How much CBD should I take?

Everybody responds differently to CBD, so the best approach is to try it out and titrate to find out what works best. Titrating is the concept of starting with a small dose and trying progressively larger doses until the desired outcome is reached. For most people, a daily dose of between 20 and 50 mg of CBD is most beneficial.

As always, consult your healthcare provider for medical advice.

How can Natural Harmony help?

Natural Harmony offers several 100% organic CBD product options.

• Oils: Natural Harmony 1200 mg Full Spectrum ($48) and 3000 mg Full Spectrum ($60) CBD oils contain a blend of pure hemp oil from small regional farms using certified-organic methods. Raw CBD oil is blended with fresh coconut oil for taste. Lab-tested for potency and purity. CBD tinctures are taken under the tongue or in a little juice or water. Using the built-in dropper, you can get a consistent dose of CBD every time. Contains THC.

• Gummies: Natural Harmony Orange CBD Gummies ($30) are a great way to take your CBD on the go! Each juicy orange gummy contains 25 mg of CBD and is THC-free.

• Topical: Natural Harmony Cooling Gel ($35) contains menthol and camphor bark oil combined with CBD to provide that cool sensation on tired or overworked muscles. Rub it in before or after a workout and keep moving throughout your day. This product just might become a gym bag essential.

Jennifer Beach is owner at Natural Harmony, a 100% organic, vegan, non-GMO CBD company based in Connecticut. Visit us every Saturday from 10–4 at Velvet Mill, 22 Bayview Ave, Stonington, CT, or shop online.

Experience the purity and quality of our Natural Harmony Sleep Formula by visiting our online store at www.naturalharmony.life.

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Grief and Gratitude— Managing the Stress from Loss

“Grief never ends. But it changes. It’s a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith. It is the price of love.”

—Author Unknown

By Erika Dworkin, BCHN®

Grief doesn’t come only from death or the dying process. If you’ve ever experienced any profound loss—of a job, home, business or business partner, fur-baby, or any other relationship, or if you’ve lived through trauma—then you’re no stranger to grief. If you’ve ever bottled up your pain because you didn’t think others would acknowledge it or tolerate it, consider now as a good time as any to find the courage to take your grief fully out of the closet, to honor and openly learn to understand it. If and when you do, you’ll reduce your stress and start to be able to address any number of health conditions that it may have caused or exacerbated. These might include IBS, ulcerative colitis, anxiety, depression, cardiovascular issues, immune challenges, or back and joint pain.

After losing my husband at age 39, and both of my parents, my business, and my dog in the past five years, I’ve learned how to cope progressively better with loss and grief. I suppose I’ve become what one friend lovingly called me: a Master Mourner. I now have many tools to move less scathed through the darkness that grief and loss invariably create. I hope the steps outlined here will enable you to begin healing and move forward, one step at a time.

Step One: Acknowledge That You’re Grieving

Unfortunately, like midlife, menopause, and other facts of life, nobody wants to talk about loss and grief, including physicians and medical schools. The problem with the lockdown on discussions of these uncomfortable topics is that it makes people sick. Unexpressed grief and pain create stress, which creates inward-turned energy that

can generate a wide range of health conditions and increase the risk for cancer, cardiac disease, substance abuse, and suicide.

Grief is a process, not a state of being, and it’s unique for each person. One hospice organization in Maryland defines the “grief cycle” as these seven stages. However, they don’t necessarily happen one at a time or in the order listed, and they can be repeated:

• Shock/disbelief/denial

• Anger

• Depression

• Searching/pining

• Panic

• Guilt

• Acceptance

Healing can begin once you emerge from denial and begin facing the impact your loss has had on you and your life.

Step Two: Claim Your Right to Heal by Grieving

The healthiest, most important thing you can do is give yourself permission to grieve in some way, your way. As someone who has experienced loss, you have the right to:

1. Experience your unique grief as long as you need (and leave it behind once you’re ready to move forward in spite of it).

2. Talk about your loss and grief.

3. Allow yourself to feel a variety of emotions (more on this below).

4. Respect your physical and emotional limits (use “No” as a complete sentence).

5. Use any healing rituals that feel right.

6. Embrace your spirituality to allow it to guide you down any workable healing path.

7. Ascribe any meaning to your loss that makes sense to you.

8. Treasure every memory that gives you comfort.

Step Three: Take Measures to Heal Gradually

Healing from any type of loss has no schedule or time limit. You may think you’ve recovered, and then, out of the blue, you may break down when something triggers a memory or brings out unexpected emotions. This doesn’t mean you’re crazy. On the contrary, such reactions are common and expected.

Feel It to Heal It

According to Robert Frost, the best way out is always through. As for surviving a significant loss, one might say one must feel it to heal it. Denial and stuffing feelings can’t make the event un-happen. As I’ve experienced, fully facing your feelings of loss permits them to process and move on and out of your body. (I had PTSD for fourteen years after my husband died before I was able to feel and release my feelings.) You might have one complete breakthrough session, or it may take intermittent awakenings—unexpected, irrepressible surges of sadness and pain. In every instance, above all, honor your heart.

Find Acceptance

Acceptance is a shift in perspective, not submission to a degrading situation. Accepting your loss means you’ve decided to acknowledge that you couldn’t control its occurrence and to stop resisting it. Accepting what you can’t change empowers you to move forward and do what you can about your loss. Accepting loss grants tremendous freedom from the pain caused by your desire to focus on what you don’t want rather than on what you prefer.

Focus on Gratitude

The glimpse of light that starts with acceptance can expand without limit through gratitude. Journaling your gratitude throughout your day will enable you to feel it more fully. Your gratefulness will feel more real and will increase in its healing power as you repeatedly acknowledge it. If you ever feel stuck and don’t know what to feel thankful for, consider these blessings: running water, electric power, a roof over your head, being

“It is better to light one small candle of gratitude than to curse the darkness.”

—Confucius

able to buy food and clothing easily, the aware ness that you’re moving toward a better future, recognition that things could be much worse, and the love of your friends and family.

Ease Your Suffering with Natural Therapies

Sometimes, no matter how much we want to change our viewpoint, we need help. The proper doses of natural remedies can relieve moderate depression and anxiety:

1. Flower essences, such as Bach Rescue Remedy and FES Grief Relief

2. SAMe, for depression

3. L-tryptophan/5-HTP, boosts serotonin

4. Fish oil, for depression

5. Co-enzyme B-complex, for stress

6. Vitamin D3, for depression

7. Anxiocalm, an echinacea strain

8. Ashwagandha, for stress

You might also benefit from energy-healing therapies.

Be sure to seek professional support and even appropriate prescription medications if the stress from your loss is more than you can handle naturally.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.”

—Melodie Beattie

Submitted by Erika Dworkin , BCHN (Board Certified in Holistic Nutri tion®), Wellness Guide and former owner of the Manchester Parkade Health Shoppe in Manchester, CT, which operated for 65 years. See this full article online at www.naturalnutmeg.com. To read more about this topic, contact Erika in November to get a copy of her chapter in the 25 practitioners’ collaborative book , The Energy Medicine Solution: Mind Blowing Results to Live Your Extraordinary Life. All statements in this article are practice- or scientific evidence-based, and references are available upon request. The statements in this article have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, are for educational purposes only, and are not intended to take the place of a physician’s advice. Erika is available for nutrition consultations and to speak to groups, in person or on Zoom. She can be contacted by phone at 860.646.8178 or by email at edworkin@vitathena.com. Ask about her office hours by appointment , FREE 20-Minute Wellness Assessments, and FREE Wellness Chats!

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Letter to a Caregiver

By Michele Beaule

Caregiver:

(n) A person who provides direct care to someone else; as for children, elderly; an injured family member/friend or the chronically ill.

Dear Caregiver,

I’ve seen you a thousand times. I’ve been you. Heart is as pure as gold. You tell yourself you got this. You don’t want to impose on anyone else. It’s your responsibility. You’re the fortunate one. They need you. The last thing on your mind is taking care of yourself. Who’s got the time? Well, guess what—you need to MAKE the time. Why? Because they DO need you. If you don’t, caregiver burnout is just lurking around the corner.

Yes, caregiver burnout is a thing! It’s not only physical exhaustion but also emotional and mental. Do you feel like you are running on fumes most days? How’s your attitude? Is your mindset pessimistic more often than optimistic? Do you have brain fog? Does every task feel harder than usual? These are some of the symptoms of caregiver burnout.

I know you feel guilty when you spend time on yourself rather than on those you are caring for. But eventually, this fatigue, stress, anxiety, and depression will catch up to you. These messages your body is sending are slowly becoming chronic. Chronic stress leads to chronic inflammation, which becomes high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabe tes, decreased immune response, poor decision-mak ing, and more. It’s a slippery slope.

Taking care of yourself is not a luxury or a reward for good behavior. It is necessary to continue doing what you do. Find a way to work in something for you each day. A friend of mine once said she “booked” her self-care time in her daily planner and highlighted it in a soothing color. She noted that just seeing the highlighted events reminded her how well (or not so well) she was taking care of herself.

Your self-care time doesn’t need a huge moment. It can simply be finding a quiet place in the house and having a cup of tea. We love Flying Bird Botanicals tea at Imagine Float. Hug your mug, feel the warmth. Inhale the aromas. Take a sip with your eyes closed. Let your mind settle and the chaos of your day melt away.

Maybe you have an unexpected opening in the day…skip cleaning the closet, forget the laundry… it will get done. It always does. Instead, make your way to Imagine Float for a 60-minute float session. Let the saltwater bath wash away your stress. Give your physical body that momentary respite from taking care of itself. Fall in and out of slumber. Rest your mind. Allow your wheels to slow down. Come out feeling more rested than you’ve been in a very long time, ready to take on the week ahead of you. If YOU feel good, those around you will feel good. It’s contagious!

Perhaps your body is sore, and you are feeling down. A single three-minute whole-body cryotherapy session at Imagine Float will turn that frown upside down and minimize those aches and pains. The cool air blowing on the back of your neck will stimulate your vagus nerve (one of the nerves that connect your brain to your body), which will trigger a relaxation response. You get an energy boost while feeling relaxed at the very same time. Not to mention your body will thank you too. Did I mention it only takes three minutes?

Caregiver, however you choose to care for yourself, all that truly matters is that you do. Do what you can to avoid caregiver burnout. You truly do matter, and those around you need you. Make yourself as much a priority as you do others. Everyone will benefit.

Sincerely, Michele Beaule, Your Biggest Cheerleader

For more information about our services, visit ImagineFloat.com or call today for a complimentary consultation: 860.255.7771. Imagine Float is a locally owned, award-winning, woman-owned wellness center in Avon, CT. We offer several innovative healing therapies that, when used in synergy, have endless benefits for your physical and mental well-being.

“Your self-care time doesn’t need a huge moment. It can simply be finding a quiet place in the house and having a cup of tea.”

—Michele Beaule

Don’t Pity Me

By James W. Osborne, MS, LPC

“Being compassionately present is to willingly enter the emotional field of the other, to bear witness to the suffering and to love them through the journey of their pain.”

Ihave a very dear friend who, several months ago, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. I spoke to her after she was released from the hospital after a month of treatment and chemo. One of the first things she said to me was, “I don’t want people to pity me.” I was dumbstruck and had difficulty wrapping my head around what she was saying. I interpreted “pity” as synonymous with compassion and caring. I made some weak comments about people caring about her and wanting to be supportive.

The look I received from her in response to my comment reminded me of Mr. T saying, “I pity the fool.” Then I understood. There is an element of condescension in pity that I had not considered. We pity the poor and homeless, not because we see ourselves in them but because we feel we’re in a better position than they are. There is an implied power shift of being “better than.”

This led me to consider other “words of support” we give to others that are often less than supportive—for example, “I’m sorry for your loss” when someone dies. I realize this has become standard condolence. Unfortunately, the person hearing this for the hundredth time doesn’t hear what is genuinely intended. It can seem nothing more than a trite/trivial comment that doesn’t relate to the moment. In my case, with the death of my parents, I was tempted to reply (resentfully), “I didn’t lose them; I know exactly where they are.”

Compassionate without Pity

So how do we show compassion/concern/care for others in their times of need? I suggest we stay present with them and speak from our hearts, offering support and loving kindness. In the case of my friend, I could say something that recognizes how I experienced the news of her illness and offer to be supportive:

“I have empathy for you (I am saddened to hear this…) and the situation you are in. It sucks, and I want to be helpful and supportive. You do not deserve this fate.”

Notice I’m not saying, “I’m sorry.” I did not cause or contribute to the cause of their illness. What I wish to communicate is that she matters to me, and I want to help in ways that will be meaningful or helpful to her.

In the case of the death of a loved one, we could say, “I wish you the strength and love of your friends, family, and faith to help you through this time. I want to be supportive in ways that will help you. Here are some gift cards from some of your favorite eateries and a delivery service that will deliver what you order.”

Notice I’m not saying, “Call me if you need anything.” We cannot expect the person to be the one to initiate the outreach. It is up to us to do things, not just offer assistance.

People who are truly compassionate recognize the pain people are going through and empathize

—James W. Osborne, MS, LPC

with them, acknowledging the human suffering without seeing the human as a victim. Supporting those around us who are in pain with caring and empathy, but without making them feel like victims to be pitied, is how we truly show we care and are compassionate. Mother Theresa is the ultimate personification of compassion without pity.

Be Present

Being present means staying with the person with their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. What is of central importance is what is being processed by the person. Are they thinking they’re responsible for their illness or for the death of a loved one? Are they feeling guilty for what they said or did not say? Our task is to just be with them. It is not our job to minimize any part of their experience or to tell them any version of these: “everything will be OK; everything happens for a reason; it’s God’s will.”

Being present means I stay with you in this moment. I hold you so you can cry, blather, or rant. I anchor you in caring and concern. I offer up my understanding as support. Being compassionately present is to willingly enter the emotional field of the other, to bear witness to the suffering, and to love them through the journey of their pain. It is not patting them on the hands and saying, “Don’t cry; it will be better soon.” It is true that everything changes. That doesn’t mean it changes for the better right away, if ever. We all are changed by the experiences of our lives. There are great joys that lift our spirits. There are great sorrows that leave us scarred. These experiences define us, and these experiences open us up to understanding others. As Ram Dass has so poetically stated, “we’re all just walking each other home.”

James W. Osborne, MS, LPC, has been one of Natural Nutmeg’s 10Best Winners for Holistic Psychotherapy/ LCSW/Counseling every year since 2018. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 40 years of clinical experience. He employs mindfulness, Jungian psychology, gestalt psychology, ACT, EMDR, and value-based techniques unique to the individual to support positive health changes. His undergraduate degree is in philosophy, and he views psychotherapy as philosophy in action. You can contact James at ProNatural Wellness Group in Berlin, CT, at 860.829.0707.

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Take Care of Your Immune System So It Will Take Care of You!

By April Beaman, RDH, CTT

Over the last few years, there has been a lot of discussion about the immune system. We are told to believe that pathogens (germs) are the cause of disease. Some may say this is a myth that has been promoted for decades by traditional medicine and the pharmaceutical industry. In fact, Louis Pasteur, a French chemist and microbiologist, revealed that pathogens were not the cause of disease. Pasteur acknowledged that the condition or environment of the body was the primary cause of the disease process and that pathogens were secondary.

The immune system, a complex system of organs, cells, and proteins, is designed to seek out and destroy pathogens and maintain balance if it has what it needs to function properly. So, the number one defense against disease and one of the most important things you can do for optimal health and longevity is to enhance your immune system function.

Immune System 101

The immune system is a complex, intricate, bodywide system that is utterly amazing! But it needs your help to keep it functioning properly and to defend the body against pathogens day after day. When pathogens are present, they can multiply quickly, leaving you vulnerable to many diseases. Imagine there’s a daily battle going on inside your body where pathogens represent the “bad guys” and the “good guys”—you guessed it—are represented by the immune system. With all its different cells, organs, substances, and chemical communications that exist primarily in the gut, this amazing system is designed to stand guard over the whole body. The immune system is the

first line of defense against “foreign invaders” (viruses, bacteria, microorganisms, and cancer cells) that are just waiting to multiply and take over the body.

When the immune system is functioning properly, you do not even notice it. On the other hand, when its performance is compromised, you will face illness. Dozens of factors can compromise the immune system; a less-than-ideal diet, consuming too much sugar, and chronic stress, just to name a few. In addition, studies have found that individuals who suffer from chronic inflammation or low body temperature will also experience low immunity. To enhance the immune system, look to these foods, herbs, supplements, and lifestyle habits.

Food • Bone Broth: Supports immune function by promoting a healthy gut and reducing inflammation. The amino acids and collagen found in bone broth help to seal openings in the gut lining and support its integrity. Since gut health plays a crucial role in immune function, consuming bone broth is an excellent immune system booster.

• Ginger: Due to its warming effects, it is believed that ginger helps to break down the accumulation of toxins within the organs. It is also known to cleanse the lymphatic system, helping to rid the body of toxins, waste, and other unwanted materials. Ginger is also considered anti-inflammatory and is known for its ability to treat disorders caused by infectious agents, such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

“The immune system is the first line of defense against “foreign invaders” (viruses, bacteria, microorganisms, and cancer cells) that are just waiting to multiply and take over the body.”

—April Beaman, RDH, CTT

• Green Tea: Contains antioxidants and immunomodulatory properties. It works as an antifungal and antivirus agent and may be helpful forimmunocompromisedpatients.

• Vitamin C Foods: Improve the health of the immune system by providing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The bestvitamin C foodsto add for a strong immune system include:

•citrus fruits, including orange, lemon, and grapefruit

•black currant

•guava

• green and red bell pepper

• pineapple

•mango

•honeydew

• parsley

• Beta-Carotene Foods: Beta-carotene has potent antioxidant activity, which fights against oxidative stress and helps reduce inflammation. Researcherssuggestthat beta-carotene can promote health when taken at dietary levels by eating foods rich in carotenoids vs. supplementation. The richest sources of beta-carotene foods are yellow, orange, and red fruits and veggies and dark leafy greens.

•carrot juice

• pumpkin

• sweet potato

• red bell peppers

• apricot

•kale

• spinach

•collard greens

Herbs

• Astragalus Root:A plant within the legume family with a long history as an immune system enhancer and disease fighter. This root has been used as an adaptogen inTraditional Chinese Medicinefor thousands of years. A recent review has demonstrated significant improvement in the toxicity induced by drugs such as immunosuppressants and cancer chemotherapeutics. Additionally, researchersconcludedthat astragalus extract has a beneficial effect on the immune system, and it protects the body from gastrointestinal inflammation and cancers.

• Elderberry: Has been used as medicine for thousands of years. Even Hippocrates, the “father of medicine,” understood that this plant was vital for enhancing the immune system. Elderberry’s health benefits include its ability to fight the common cold, the flu, allergies, and inflammation.

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• Ginseng: The roots, stems, and leaves of the ginseng plant have been used for maintaining immune homeostasis and enhancing resistance to illness and infection. Ginseng improves the immune system’s performance by regulating each type of immune cell, including macrophages, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, T cells, and B cells. It has alsoproven to possess antimicrobial compounds that work as a defense mechanism against bacterial and viral infections.

• Echinacea : The chemical constituents in echinacea are powerful immune system stimulants that can provide a therapeutic effect. Research indicatesthat echinacea has several benefits, including immunostim ulation, especially in treating acute upper respiratory infections.

Supplements

• Probiotics : Beneficial bacteria that help you digest nutrients that boost the detoxifi cation of the colon and support the immune system. Leaky gut is a major cause of a weakened immune system, food sensitiv ities, and autoimmune disease making probiotics supplementation and consuming probiotic foods advantageous.

• Vitamin D: A vitamin D deficiencyis associated with increased autoimmunity and susceptibility to infection. Researchshows that vitamin D works to maintain tolerance and promote protective immunity.

• Zinc: Often used as an over-the-counter remedy for fighting the common cold and other illnesses. Zinc can also help reduce symptoms and shorten the duration of such things.

• Selenium: This mineral is essential for im mune health. It is vital for boosting immunity and regulates excessive immune responses and chronic inflammation.

• B Complex Vitamins: These vitamins, including B6, B12, and folate (B9), are all essen tial to immune health and unfortunately, many American adults are deficient in them.

Lifestyle Habits

• Exercise: Incorporating physical activity into your regimen improves lung function, cardiovascular health, andenergylevels while reducing inflammation. Be sure to include 20–30 minutes of moderate levels of exercise daily to support overall health.

• Reduce Stress: Chronic stress can suppress protective immune responses, increase inflammation, and exacerbate pathological immune responses. One way to help reduce stress is to keep a positive mindset. Keep a

ADAM BREINER,

DAVID JOHNSTON, DO DAVID BRADY, ND, CCN

gratitude journal to write down the things you are grateful for during the day, or set a timer on your phone to remind you to practice a moment of gratitude daily. Furthermore, you can engage in uplifting activities such as dancing, playing with your kids or pets, watching a comedy, listening to music, reading your favorite book, or anything that brings joy.

• Improve Sleep: When you’re not getting enough sleep, the immune system will not be able to function properly. To improve sleep patterns, develop a nighttime routine that supports relaxation, and be sure to go to bed and wake up around the same time each day to help your circadian rhythm. To regulate immune function, aim for 7–8 hours of sleep.

• Sauna Use: Sitting in a sauna is designed to make you sweat through exposure to heat. Perspiration is one of the best ways to eliminate toxins from the body. The benefits of regular sauna use are countless: detoxification, improving immunity, cardiovascular health, reducing stress, and enhancing energy, along others.

• Limit Alcohol Consumption: Consuming too much alcohol can certainly impact immune function. Alcohol negatively impacts gut health, decreasing immune function and making the body more susceptible to harmful pathogens.Limit alcohol consumption to 1–2 drinks a week.

The immune system protects the body from various environmental challenges encountered daily, and even the healthiest of people get sick every now and again. It is important to consider what you can do to help take stressors off the immune system to allow it to function optimally. You can help support your immune system’s defenses against viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens by fine-tuning certain aspects of your health routine, such as diet and stress management. Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.

April Beaman, RDH, CTT, medical thermographer, is certified by the Professional Academy of Clinical Thermology and a professional member of Breast Thermography International. Beaman has worked in the wellness industry for over 17 years and provides medical thermal imaging and wellness support for both women and men. She is the founder of CT Thermography, located in Farmington, with satellite offices in Glastonbury, Hamden, Westport, CT, and Hadley, MA. Connect at 860.415.1150 or CTThermog raphy.com

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James W. Osborne, MS, LPC Counseling Services

Proven solutions using acupuncture, herbal medicine, and nutrition to heal the whole person.

Specializing in Women’s Health & Nutrition 203/698-0793 health@donnabunte.com www.donnabunte.com

Reverse Your Type 2 Diabetes with Lifestyle Change

By Jane Grant, RDN, CD-N

Type 2 diabetes continues to be a growing epidemic in our world. However, it is one of the few diseases that can be prevented. In recent years, an increasing number of young adults and children have developed the disease, and it has been estimated that 10% of Americans have type 2 diabetes, and about 25% have prediabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is expected that one-third of Americans will have type 2 diabetes by 2050.

Type 2 diabetes is a disease that affects how individuals metabolize sugar, a vital process in the body involving insulin that impacts how much glucose is in the bloodstream. High glucose levels can cause fatigue, thirst, and an increased need to urinate, leading to the development of the disease. If no action is taken and the symptoms persist, it can lead to significant health problems, including damage to the nerves, blood vessels, heart, and eyes.

Conventional Approach to Manage Diabetes

Conventional medicine continues to primarily use medications as an approach to control type 2 diabetes. While medications can normalize

blood sugars and regulate the complications that diabetes can provoke, they can have numerous side effects and don’t address the underlying cause. Recently, reference values of clinical laboratory test results were lowered, such as the hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) test that shows the average blood sugar (glucose) level over the past 2–3 months. As reference values are being reduced, more and more people are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Clinical laboratories set the reference ranges on different clinical laboratory tests based on the individuals who have had their blood drawn for specific tests. The majority of individuals who have frequent or regular blood draws are the ones who are on medication. In essence, driving the clinical reference values down puts more individuals at risk of being placed on medication.

Factors Contributing to Diabetes

Genetics plays a strong role for some individuals who develop type 2 diabetes, and environmental factors can trigger the genes. Hormones can also play a factor in developing diabetes. The hormone insulin delivers blood sugars to the cells and has a direct connection to the gut. If the gut is

“Recent evidence has suggested that physical activity combined with weight loss and a healthy diet reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 58%.”

—Jane Grant, RDN, CD-N

unhealthy, it can play a role in dysregulation with insulin, causing diabetes to develop over time.

Lifestyle is another factor that can either trigger genes to turn on or off and affect gut health. A functional approach looks for the root cause and makes lifestyle changes to provide the solution.

Lifestyle factors, including dietary habits and exercise, play a major role in developing type 2 diabetes. A diet high in refined flour, added sugars, processed foods with chemicals and preservatives, chemically altered artificial sweeteners, and trans fats have been a culprit that leads to weight gain and obesity, which have been found to be a link to developing type 2 diabetes. This type of diet is also responsible for causing inflammation in the body, oxidative stress, interference with our natural detoxification process, and altering the microbiome in the gut, all of which can lead to disease.

How Does Gut Health Play a Role in Type 2 Diabetes?

Diet has the most powerful influence on gut health and type 2 diabetes. Recent studies have looked at the microbiome of people with type 2 diabetes and have compared those results with individuals who don’t have the disease. They have found a significant difference in the microbial strains in each group. It has been found that about 75% of the food in the Western diet is either limited or has no benefit to the microbiota because it consists of a high-carb, high-sugar diet that became popular in the early 80s.

A meta-analysis has found that people with type 2 diabetes who took a probiotic daily saw a reduction in HbAlc levels, and there was no effect on their fasting glucose, insulin, or inflammation (CRP) levels. Furthermore, prebiotics lowered fasting glucose levels, improved insulin sensitivity, improved lipid levels, and lowered inflammation markers by 20–30%. From this, it appears that adding a probiotic with prebiotics and/or eating yogurt daily would provide benefits.

According to recent studies, the gut influences metabolic processes, including insulin. If the gut is not healthy, we’re not healthy, and that can play a significant role in developing type 2 diabetes. There are many factors that can be significant in developing the disease, so examining the root of the problem is the best, most effective way to make a positive impact.

Recommendations to Prevent or Manage Type 2 Diabetes

Recent evidence has suggested that physical activity combined with weight loss and a healthy diet reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 58%. Effective dietary

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and exercise changes can potentially even put the disease into remission. An effective change may include any combination of, or all of, the elements that follow.

•A low carbohydrate diet has been consistently shown to help prevent the onset of diabetes and reduce dangerous spikes in blood sugar levels. When 40% of the diet consists of carbs, it’s considered a low-carbohydrate diet.

• Include slow-digesting carbs that have a lower glycemic index, which will usually consist of a higher amount of fiber. This will allow the sugars to be absorbed slowly without spiking insulin or glucose levels. It is recommended to take 25 to 35 grams of fiber daily for good health.

• A 2021 study found that people with type 2 diabetes with a diet high in carotenoids had no vision impairments compared to those with a diet low in carotenoids. Carotenoids are antioxidants found mainly in yellow, orange, and red fruits and vegetables.

• Recent research indicates that eating yogurt daily would likely reduce the risk of devel oping type 2 diabetes, especially in women. It could help reduce their risk of gestational diabetes and improve their overall lipid profiles and fasting insulin levels.

• Consume fish high in Omega-3 fatty acids, as they reduce inflammation in the cells. When cells are inflamed, they won’t allow insulin into the cell. Decreasing inflam mation in the cells will improve insulin uptake, lower bad cholesterol (LDL), and raise good cholesterol (HDL).

• Eat foods that are high in potassium because it helps make insulin more efficient. Studies show that people with low potassium levels release less insulin, have higher blood sugar levels, and are more likely to devel op type 2 diabetes than those with normal potassium levels.

•Research has shown that a diet high in magne sium has been linked to lowering your risk of diabetes, and with people who have diabetes, it has helped manage blood sugars and increase insulin sensitivity.

• Clinical studies have shown chromium has helped reduce blood glucose levels and improve insulin sensitivity. Seafood like mussels or oysters are the best sources of chromium as they exceed the recommended daily intake. Include them in your diet once a week for maximal support.

• Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) protects the kidneys from diabetes-related damage and improves blood glucose levels for type 2 diabetes.

food into energy and is found in almost every cell in the body. To increase CoQ10 in the body, a supplement will be needed. You should speak with your healthcare provider to determine if this is the right course of action for you.

• Exercising for at least 150 minutes a week is recommended to improve or prevent type 2 diabetes. There has been evidence that a 15-minute walk after a meal has improved blood sugar more than exercising any other time of the day. However, it is always beneficial to exercise, no matter what time of the day it is.

Research continues to show that a diet-based approach to type 2 diabetes has had the greatest success. Here at Grant’s Nutrition and Wellness, we provide a functional approach to help guide our clients to adopt a healthier lifestyle practice to attain their health goals.

Optimize Your Nutrition

Medical Nutrition Therapy is a therapeutic approach to treating medical conditions and their associated symptoms by providing specific nutrition procedures that is provided by a Registered Dietitian (RD). MNT reduces the risk of developing complications in pre-existing conditions as well as improve the effects of existing conditions. Many medical conditions either develop or are made worse by an improper or unhealthy diet. One of the key components to improving health is the way we eat. When a customized meal plan is developed, it can reduce stress by knowing what you’re going to eat ahead of time and improve your health.

Medical Nutrition Therapy is used for a host of health issues, diabetes and prediabetes among them. Having a comprehensive nutritional assessment performed, developing a meal plan customized just for you, setting treatment goals, and being accountable through regular check-ins all work to prevent or manage type 2 diabetes and improve your overall health.

Jane Grant, RDN CD-N, is a registered dietitian since 2005 and has been trained in Integrative and Functional Nutrition to address the root cause of disease and help promote optimal health. Jane is the founder of Grant’s Nutrition and Wellness in Berlin, CT. She can be reached at 860.357.2282 or admin@grantsnutriton. com. Visit www.grantsnutrition.com, facebook.com/ grantsnutritionandwellness, and www.instagram. com/grantsnutritionandwellness.

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Ask Dana! A Column Where Personal Finance and Life Intersect

By Dana R. Mascalo CFP®, RLP®, AAMS®, C(k)P®

Upcoming year-end deadlines approaching! Con sider if these important tax and financial plan ning tips can make a difference in your financial life:

1. 2022 Income Tax Review. Now is the time to assess what your expected 2022 taxable income will be. Depending on your personal circumstances, consider tax planning strategies that can reduce taxable income now to reduce your tax liability, or…

Increase your taxable income now if you may be looking at higher taxes in the future. You could consider Roth conversions, funding pre-tax or Roth retirement plans, creative profit-sharing moves for business owners, tax bracket manage ment, gifting, and so much more.

2. Investment Gains/Loss Review. If you are an investor with taxable, non-retirement accounts, you may have experienced tremendous growth in your investments over the last several years, but 2022 has certainly been a tough year for certain investments. Now is the time for assessing realized capital gains and tax loss harvesting. Even though we are mindful of this for our client’s investment accounts all year long, the 4th quarter is the most wonderful time of the year…to manage the gains and losses in taxable investment accounts. Use this time to see how you have done with your investments and figure out if you want to sell to take any gains or losses in 2022.

3. Are you saving enough through your employer retirement plans? Take a moment now to check your paystub details and see how

much you have saved this year. December 31 is the last day for elective contributions through your employer plans like 401(k)s or 403(b)s. For 2022, the maximum contributions are typ ically $20,500 if you are under 50, with $6500 catch up if over 50 (total of $27,000).

4. Are you a small business owner without a retirement plan? If the answer is yes, there may be still time to set up certain plan types. There are also new rules in the state of Connecticut that may require you to have a plan. Ask your personal advisor or tax professional what the best plan is for your business, and if you don’t have an advisor, give our team a shout and we will be your guide!

5. Investment Allocation Review Time! Are you positioned for the current market risks that we are seeing today? With inflation, higher interest rates, recessionary concerns, international risks, political concerns and more, there are certainly many things to consider when positioning a portfolio for the future. Take this as a reminder to review your allocation and see if you are where you want to be, or simply review your accounts with a qualified advisor.

6. Feeling charitable? For those who make larger contributions, consider the following for the most bang for the buck: Qualified Charitable Deductions from IRAs (for those over 72), donating appreciated stock from taxable accounts, or clustering annual donations with donor-advised funds. This is often of interest for higher-income clients facing large tax bills.

“It is so important to make sure beneficiary designations and estate documents are up to date and correct…. It is advisable for higher net worth individuals to review their plans as soon as possible.”

—Dana R. Mascalo CFP ® , RLP ® , AAMS ® , C(k)P ®

7. How about your estate plan? At TrinityPoint, we ask our clients: “What would you like to have happen with your money if something happened to you yesterday?” It is so important to make sure beneficiary designations and estate documents are up to date and correct. Beneficiary payout rules have changed for inherited retirement accounts, and there may be possible higher tax rates down the road. It is advisable for higher net worth individuals to review their plans as soon as possible.

8. What makes you happiest? As one of our partners, Michael Smiley, says in his year-end planning with clients, “What makes you happiest? Set a goal to do more of that—whatever it is—over the coming weeks, months, and year ahead!”

Please pause and take a moment to consider the important reminders above. I think you will find yourself feeling grateful you did. And please remember, seeking outside advice from professionals when you need it for tax, legal, or financial advice can make the overall process easier and less stressful for you. If you don’t know where to turn, don’t hesitate to contact us!

Dana R. Mascalo, CFP®, RLP®, AAMS®, C(k)P® , is a Managing Partner with TrinityPoint Wealth, an indepen dent SEC Registered Investment Advisory firm in Milford, CT and Charlotte, NC. Dana advises high net worth clients with complex needs and is sought after by individuals, families, business owners and executives all over CT and the United States. Acting as their personal CFO, Dana looks at a client’s entire financial life with a visionary lens, advising on investment portfolios, retirement planning, stock options, life transitions, exit planning for business owners, customized advanced cash-flow planning and multi-generational wealth transfer strategies.

Disclosure: This material is provided by TrinityPoint Wealth for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for personalized investment advice or as a recommendation of any particular security, strategy, or investment product. Facts presented have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, however, TrinityPoint Wealth cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information. TrinityPoint Wealth does not provide tax or legal advice. See ad on page 33 >

Is It Possible to Slow Down— or Even Reverse—Aging?

By Dr. Roshni N. Patel, MD

“Dr. Patel cured my Lyme disease. I know that’s a pretty heavy statement to make, but it’s true. She also treated my cervical disk disease, my thoracic spine as well as my lumbar spine, and my SI joints. I am 65 years old and have been to many doctors over the years, including alternative practices. I never got anything close to these kinds of results. She is a true healer, kind, compassionate, and she listens to you. She has given me my life back.”

—Deborah Fox

In the groundbreaking book, Why We Age—and Why We Don’t Have To, by Dr. David Sinclair, a leading world authority on genetics and longev ity, Sinclair reveals a bold new theory for why we age. He states, “Aging is a disease, and that disease is treatable.”

This eye-opening and provocative work takes us to the frontlines of research that is pushing the boundaries of our perceived scientific limitations, revealing incredible breakthroughs that demon strate how we can slow down, or even reverse, aging. The key is activating newly discovered vitality genes, the descendants of an ancient ge netic survival circuit that is both the cause of aging and the key to reversing it. Recent experiments in genetic reprogramming suggest that in the near future, we may not just be able tofeelyounger, but actuallybecomemore youthful. At CEPRM in Farmington, CT, we believe this is attainable and work with patients to achieve it. This is the new field of high-performance medicine.

What Is High-Performance Medicine?

Just about everybody is looking to improve the way they feel. As we age, our body does not easily bounce back from the daily wears and tears of life. You can benefit from high-performance medicine regardless of whether you are sick and want to improve your lifestyle or are in peak physical condition and want to reach the next level.

The goal of high-performance medicine is to help you increase your overall productivity and output by optimizing your body at the cellular level. Among many other things our bodies can do, we have the ability to self-heal. By addressing our

bodies’ needs on a more holistic level, high-performance medicine unlocks our ability to protect, repair, and rejuvenate. The mechanism behind it employs infusion therapy using a customized cocktail to allow for improvedmitochondrial(the powerhouse of the cell) function.

IV Therapies

IV therapy is administered intravenously and absorbed into the bloodstream. Nutraceutical-based IV therapies allow for better absorption and must be done under a medical doctor’s supervision. Several conditions may benefit from IV therapy, including mental fog, neuroinflammatory conditions, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, TBI-related neurological disorders, and executive function issues.

Using IV therapy, we are able to help patients with neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory conditions. We’ve successfully helped patients who have the following medical conditions:

1. Lyme disease

2. Dementia and Alzheimer’s

3. Neurodegenerative conditions

4. Fibromyalgia

5. ADD and ADHD

NAD+ for Anti-Aging

We use a variety of nutraceuticals to customize an IV treatment, but research shows that one stands out by far. A total of four Nobel Prizes have been given to discoveries related to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) in the past century. In terms of anti-aging and brain-age-defying treatments, it remains the top choice.

Among its many functions, NAD+ plays a central role in energy metabolism, cell signaling, mito chondrial homeostasis, and cell survival. In preclinical and human studies, NAD+ levels decrease with increasing age, possibly because synthesis decreases and consumption increases. In preclinical models, several health conditions, including premature aging and neurodegenerative disease, are mitigated by NAD + repletion.

Replenishing NAD+ levels improves mitochondrial health, which translates into better and healthy aging and helps with age-related neurodegeneration and other neurodegenerative diseases. NAD+ helps the mitochondria fuel up, increases energy levels, and improves cellular signaling.

Discover What NAD+ Can Do for You

The Center of Excellence in Pain and Regenerative Medicine is a leading provider of quality regenerative medical procedures that provide lasting results for repair and rejuvenation. We provide the Brain Regen™ Protocol for busy executives, high-functioning individuals, professionals, and athletes looking for a boost in energy and much-needed clarity. As a result of this treatment, most patients report feeling a burst of energy and clarity with a sense of calm.

Using only the most innovative and cutting-edge technologies and therapies, our experts offer above-standard care to patients suffering from joint pain, back pain, the signs of aging, and more. Established in 2019, our primary goal is to provide regenerative medicine and concierge-based pain medicine. We aim to make a difference in how we practice medicine by spending the extra time to educate, heal, and care for our patients.

Dr. Roshni N. Patel is an Interven tional Pain Management Physician and she founded and established a pain management center at Grove Hill Medical Center and practiced in New Britain before moving on to open the Center of Excellence in Pain and Regenerative Medicine in Farmington, CT. Her practice offers interventional pain management and regenerative medicine procedures for patients seeking pain relief and improved quality of life. Dr. Patel is quadruple board certified in pain medicine, headache medicine, neurology, and brain injury medicine. She uses your body’s natural healing ability to repair damage to bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments non-surgically. With her quadruple board certifica tions, Dr. Patel is one of only two physicians world wide in advanced regenerative pain management techniques. Call 860.397.6179 to book a consultation and visit www.painregenmd.com.

The

in Lymphatic Massage Technology

How Trauma-Informed Breathwork Can Change Your Life

By Charleen K. Miele, LPC

Breathing. It’s something we do every minute of every day, mostly without thought. It’s the first thing we do when we are born, and it’s the last thing we do before we die. In between our birth and our death, we breathe in order to sustain our life. Thankfully, breathing is not something we have to remember or that we choose to do—it is done for us, through us, in us, by our incredible bodies. The fascinating thing about breathing is that it is done through the only system in our body that is both automatic and controlled. Our bodies will breathe for us automatically, and we can also choose to control the breath with various patterns, holds, paces, and volume. Amazing!

Breathwork has to do with manipulating our breath in a variety of ways with different outcomes and goals in mind. There are breath patterns to help lower anxiety, decrease the symptoms of depres sion, help increase our energy (which can also impact our mood and our motivation), and help us release the effects of trauma, which is what we will focus on here. We can use these breath patterns in our daily life and see and feel the effects they have on the brain and the body. In the process of discovering stored trauma and giving the body the permission and the means to release what no longer serves us, breathwork offers the opportunity to heal without the use of drugs or medical procedures.

You may be familiar with the popular book by James Nestor, Breathe. Nestor speaks more about the proper mechanics of the breath, which is wonderful information to be mindful of. But breathwork is powerful on a much deeper level as

well. If we look at many Eastern cultures and the history of many religious and spiritual traditions, the breath has always been considered sacred. We need to understand the importance and significance of becoming mindful of our breath, how our bodies breathe, and how deeper breathwork can assist us in processing stored trauma.

The Magic of Trauma-Informed Breathwork

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor who uses a framework of Internal Family Systems (IFS) with my clients, and I have recently added Trau ma-Informed Breathwork as a part of the healing process. I participated in a twelve-month training that included classes led by a Trauma Informed Specialist and a neuroscientist, and one of the types of breathwork I now offer helps to release the effects of trauma, and I have seen this truly change the lives of my clients in profound ways. We know that trauma is stored in the body. In fact, when I work with my clients regarding trauma, we acknowledge all trauma—little “t” trauma and Big “T” trauma. In the psychotherapy world, we refer to trauma not as what happened to a client, but rather as how their body reacted to what happened, how it stored that information, and even the meaning they have attached to what happened. In IFS therapy, there is a process called “unburdening,” when a client, in working with younger parts of us who experienced trauma, is invited to release the emotions, fears, beliefs, and the like, that resulted from that experience. It is a beautiful process.

“In the process of discovering stored trauma and giving the body the permission and the means to release what no longer serves us, breathwork offers the opportunity to heal without the use of drugs or medical procedures.”

—Charleen K. Miele, LPC

Breathwork can add an even deeper effect by engaging the body in the somatic release of the energy that has been saved, and even trapped, since the original experience. This often involves releasing energy that is not ours, but rather that of our ancestors, birth mothers, and so on. Witnessing this work and facilitating the process has been such a gift and I am excited to expand the offering to those who are interested. Come breathe with me!

Charleen K. Miele, LPC , is a Licensed Professional Counselor who started her journey as a teacher, church music director, and fitness instructor. Charleen works with clients both in person and via telehealth and has recently added Trauma Informed Breathwork to her work. She offers her clients the opportunity to experience IFS and/or breathwork through in-person and online sessions and is currently offering group breathwork sessions online and will be hosting workshops and group sessions in person in the new year. Life coaching and spiritual life coaching, including breathwork and IFS work, are also available both as individual sessions and as packages of two, four, or six sessions. Charleen will soon be offering self-paced online courses as well as interac tive groups that will meet for a series of weeks and will include lectures, discussions, journaling, and experiential somatic work through breathing and movement. Visit https://www.thesacredselfllc.com/. Contact Charleen at thesacredselfllc@gmail.com or call 860.614.8382. Located at 171 Market Square #102, Newington, CT.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES Local Experts In and Around Connecticut

ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture of Greater Hartford

Stan Baker, LAC 91 South Main St., West Hartford, CT 06107 860.836.1068

acupuncturestanbaker.com

Connecticut Family Acupuncture

ENERGY HEALER Life Sketching

Mica DeSantis Weston, CT • 203.517.7674 mica@lifesketching.com www.lifesketching.com Insta: @micablaise FB: Life Sketching

Mica DeSantis is a Reiki master and energy healer who specializes in helping people realize their dream of parenthood.

Dr. Steven F Hinchey, DMD

South Glastonbury • 860.633.6518 drhinch@agd.org • dochincheydmd.com

Thank you to our wonderful patients who trust our team to care for their improved oral health. Please let your family and friends know that a healthy, disease-free mouth will help your overall health. It is all connected—the mouth and the body. And we can help you get there.

100 Sycamore St., Unit 2, Glastonbury, CT 860.633.6022 • CTfamilyacupuncture.com

BREATHWORK

The Sacred Self, LLC Charleen K. Miele, LPC 171 Market Square, Suite 102 Newington, CT 06111 860.614.8382 thesacredselfllc@gmail.com thesacredselfllc.com

Licensed Professional Counselor (IFS level 2 trained); Trauma Informed Breathwork Facilitator; Life, Spiritual Life, and Wellness Coach. Somatically release stored trauma and foster healing as you discover your sacred self within.

CBD STORE

Natural Harmony 100% Organic & Vegan CBD Products 860.992.7213

naturalharmony.life

Nature’s Gi s

304 W Main St., Avon, CT • 860.995.4444 naturesgi s-usa.com/ Nature’s Gifts is an independently owned family run CBD Store in Avon, CT. Stress, sleep, and pain solutions available. Our knowledgeable staff will happily guide you through our gummies, tinctures, capsules, topicals, and raw flower offerings to find the perfect CBD product for your needs. Don’t pay too much for your CBD—stop in, say hello, and let us help you feel like you again.

COLON HYDROTHERAPY

FINANCIAL PLANNING

Dana Mascalo CFP®, RLP®, AAMS®, C(k)P®

Managing Partner, TrinityPoint Wealth 612 Wheelers Farms Rd. Milford, CT O ce: 203.693.8521 Fax: 203.693.8524 dana@trinitypointwealth.com

GLUTEN FREE DESSERTS

Divine Treasures, LLC

Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolates & Treats Manchester, CT • 860.643.2552 dtchocolates.com

Since 2007, Divine Treasures has been handcrafting chocolates with artisan tradition and unique flair in a vegan and gluten-free facility, all made with organic European dark chocolate. Visit not only for gourmet chocolate, but artisan non-dairy soft-serve sundaes and cheese alternatives, as well as a growing selection of signature desserts and savory frozen meals.”

HOLISTIC COUNSELING

James Osborne, MS, LPC, BCPC

ProNatural Physicians Group, LLC Berlin, CT • 860.829.0707 pronaturalphysicians.com

James Osborne is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Board Certified Professional Counselor, Board Certified PTSD Clinician, and a Fellow in the American Psychotherapy Association with over 40 years of clinical experience.

HOLISTIC DENTISTRY

Dr. Kevin Norige, South Windsor Smiles

112 Deming St., South Windsor, CT 06074 860.787.7212 • southwindsorsmiles.com

HOLISTIC PSYCHIATRY

David London, MD 567 Vauxhall St. Ext, #218, Waterford, CT 06385 Ph: 860.443.5822 Fax: 860.444.0581 davidlondonmd.com

HOMEOPATHY

Abby Beale, CCH RSHom(NA)

Homeopathy Healings HomeopathyHealings@gmail.com HomeopathyHealings.com • 413.426.1024

Want to get to the root cause of your chronic symptoms? Homeopathy can relieve the symptoms of depression, anxiety, women’s issues, headaches, digestive troubles, child behavior problems, and so much more. Contact Abby to see if homeopathic care is appropriate for you. Appointments possible over Zoom and Skype.

HYPNOSIS

Michele P. Rousseau, MA, CH 267 William St., Middletown, CT 06457 860.704.9054 • mprousseau@sbcglobal.net www.micheleprousseau.com

INTEGRATED MEDICINE

Tamara Sachs, MD

Functional Medicine & Integrative Care LLC 15 Bennitt St., New Milford CT 860.354.3304 • tsachsmd.com

Vitalized Performance Group

Glastonbury, CT • 860.800.6775 VPGwaves.com

VPG Waves is a holistic practice that offers acupuncture, colon hydrotherapy, naturopathic medicine, and GAINSWave therapy (shockwave treatment for erectile dysfunction, Peyronies’ disease, scar tissue, and pain management). We offer affordable programs that integrate holistic modalities to treat, prevent, and heal the root cause of our patients’/clients’ ailments. Handicap accessible.

Dr. Mark A. Breiner, DDS, FAGD, FIAOMT Fairfield, CT • 203.371.0300 WholeBodyDentistry.com

A recognized authority in the field of holistic dentistry, Dr. Breiner treats patients for a myriad of dental concerns including sleep breathing disorders, TMD, mercury toxicity, and hidden infections from cavitations and root canals. “If you have unexplained symptoms that won’t go away, the answer could be in your mouth.”

Dr. Sachs prevents and treats chronic illness by uncovering and correcting the underlying root causes of your health concerns while remaining respectful of the uniqueness and complexity that make us human. She comprehensively and thoughtfully creates personalized plans explaining why and how each area of your healing will be addressed.

MASSAGE THERAPY

Grant’s Nutrition & Wellness

Jane Grant, RD CD-N Berlin, CT • 860.357.2282 grantj@grantsnutrition.com grantsnutrition.com

Abundant Health Massage Therapy & Wellness

Farmington, CT • 860.778.0315 abundanthealthct.com

Kristina Mozzicato is Board Certified in Therapeu tic Massage & Bodywork by the NCBTMB and has been practicing massage for the past 12 years. She provides professional, therapeutic, customized sessions. In addition to massage, she offers cupping, medicupping, body contouring, Himalayan salt stone massage, and Reiki sessions. Convenient online booking.

NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE

Dr. Adam Breiner, ND Fairfield, CT • 203.371.8258 WholeBodyMed.com

Focusing on brain health and Lyme disease, Dr. Adam Breiner offers cutting-edge therapies that include hyperbaric oxygen, neurocognitive therapies, including sophisticated brain-imaging equipment to evaluate brain injuries and brainwave patterns associated with metabolic imbalances, infections, and allergies. Conditions treated include concussions, TBI, stroke, PTSD, ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, and more.

Naturopathic & Acupuncture Health Center

Dr. Marie Mammone, Dr. Renee Mammone, NDs, John Mammone, Licensed Acupuncturist 274 Silas Deane Hwy., Wethersfield, CT 06109 860.529.1200 • www.NAHcenter.com

Vis Wellness Center, LLC

Dr. Nicole Klughers, ND, PharmD, MSAc Rocky Hill, CT & Virtual Visits (234) 2-ACU-DOC hello@drnicoleklughers.com DrNicoleKlughers.com

West Hartford Naturopathic Medicine

Frank Aieta, ND 301 N. Main St., West Hartford, CT 860.232.9662 • www.DRAIETA.com

NUTRITION

Erika Dworkin, BCHN®

Certified in Holistic Nutrition Vitathena Wellness South Glastonbury, CT • 860.646.8178 edworkin@vitathena.com • vitathena.com

Through education, Erika empowers her customers to make the decisions that best enable them to maximize their well-being and longevity. She offers private nutrition consultations and speaks regularly about various health topics.

Jane is trained in integrative and functional nutrition utilizing a personalized, holistic approach to chronic disease and weight manage ment. Integrative and functional nutrition combines the very best of modern science, clinical wisdom, and integrative therapies to address the root cause of disease and promote abundant health.

PHYSICIANS, M.D.

Natural Health & Healing, LLC

Deanna M. Cherrone, MD 41 N. Main St., Ste 207, West Hartford, CT 860.677.4600 • naturalhealthandhealing.net

Optimal Health Medical, LLC

Henry C. Sobo, M.D.

111 High Ridge Rd., Stamford, CT 06905 203.348.8805 • www.drsobo.com Member, American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. Board Certified in obesity medicine, Dr. Sobo believes that the best of both medical and nutritional approaches to medical care is more effective than either approach alone. Dr. Sobo offers eight loss programs, IV vitamins, allergy evaluation and desensitization, stem cell treatments, bioidentical hormone replacement, PRP, and more.

REFLEXOLOGY

Holistic Hands

Tara Cornish, Specializing in Reflexology, Reiki, Aromatouch & Human Energy Scans

Torrington, Bantam, & Farmington, CT 860.921.830 • HolisticHandsCT.com

Tara Cornish is an IIR Certified Reflexologist and Usui Reiki Master/ Teacher since 2005. She also offers reflexology lymph drainage and energyfield measurement. These therapies are non-invasive and safe. Tara has seen amazing benefits using holistic approaches to help heal, relax, renew, and rejuvenate the body, mind, and spirit.

REGENERATIVE MEDICINE Center of Excellence in Pain and Regenerative Medicine

Dr. Roshni N. Patel

Farmington, CT • 860.397.6179 painregenmd.com

Dr. Roshni N. Patel offers intervention al pain management and regenerative medicine procedures for patients seeking pain relief and improved quality of life. Dr. Patel is quadruple board certified in pain medicine, headache medicine, neurology, and brain injury medicine. Dr. Patel is one of only two physicians worldwide practicing in advanced regenerative pain management techniques.

ROLFING® Rolfing®—The Art and Science of Body Change

Sharon Sklar, BFA, LMT, Cert. Adv. Rolfer West Hartford • 860.561.4337 sharonsklarrolfing.com

Rolfing®—The Art and Science of Body Change. A dynamic 10-session bodywork series that eases pain, improves movement, and restructures your body when you feel “out of whack.” A hands-on and educational approach that establishes order and balance after life’s injuries, stresses, and accidents. Since 1981.

SPAS/WELLNESS CENTERS

Imagine Float

290 West Main St., Avon 860.255.7771 • imaginefloat.com

SPIRITUAL COMPANIONSHIP

Lauri Ingram

Hamden, CT • 203.435.5650 www.lauriingram.com Services available in person, and via Zoom/Skype.

Lauri Ingram is an ordained interfaith/ interspritual minister, offering spiritual counseling, crystal dreaming, crystal light, and color therapy, along with workshops and ministerial officiant services.

THERMOGRAPHY

April Beaman, RDH, CTT

CT Thermography

Farmington and Glastonbury, CT 860.415.1150 • ctthermography.com CT thermography specializes in medical thermal imaging. Breast thermography is a compression and radiation-free screening tool that’s used to monitor breast health to detect physiological changes that may be early warning signs of a disease process. As a Certified Thermographic Technician, I help empower women to take a proactive approach following their thermography screening for optimal breast health.

YOGA STUDIO

Sacred Rivers Yoga

East Hartford, CT • 860.657.9545 sacredriversyoga.com

Paula Scopino, E-RYT 500-Hour, C-IAYT, CT Licensed LMT, YACEP, is the owner/director of Sacred Rivers Yoga and Allied Health Therapies and “Sacred Rivers Yoga for Every Body,” a Yoga Alliance 200- and 500-hour registered school, as well as a member of IAYT (International Association of Yoga herapy.)

2022

Wednesday, November 9 & Wednesday, December 14

Psychic/Spiritual Development, 6:30–8:30pm. $25 ($20 for elders over 65 and veterans)The Psychic/Spiritual Development Monthly Study Group Is meeting in-person again! (as well as Zoom). New members welcome! There is a strong connection between spiritual growth and psychic development. Every session starts with a positive, light-filling exercise and includes topics such as palmistry, oracle cards, pendulums, remote viewing, and spirit guides. Reclaim your natural gifts, assist others, and live your life more joyfully! We will meet on the second Wednesday of every month, unless otherwise noted.

Joyce St. Germaine, M. Ed., CHt., RYT-200. Join our email list and find detailed descriptions at thesacredjourney.biz

The Sacred Journey, 29 Davis Road, Burlington, CT 06013. Pre-registration required to save your in-person spot: 860.675.9706

Wednesday, November 16 & Wednesday, December 21

Shamanism, 6:30–8:30pm. $25 ($20 for elders over 65 and veterans) The Shamanism Monthly Study Group is meeting in-person again (as well as via Zoom)! New members are welcome; no experience needed! In this group, you will develop an understanding of crosscultural shamanism, the importance of ceremony, and become adept at journeying into non-ordinary reality. You will work with animal allies and spirit helpers, ancestors, and elemental energies. All dedicated and compassionate people who wish to initiate positive change in the world are invited. We will meet on the third Wednesday of every month, unless otherwise noted.

Joyce St. Germaine, M. Ed., CHt., RYT-200. Join our email list and find detailed descriptions at thesacredjourney.biz

The Sacred Journey, 29 Davis Road, Burlington, CT 06013. Pre-registration required to save your in-person spot: 860.675.9706

November 13

Online Breathwork Session, 7pm. $20 per person. the second Monday of each month, unless otherwise noted. Lead by breathwork practitioner Charleen Miele, owner of The Sacred Self, LLC. Themes will be noted on her website.

Register and make payments online at www.thesacredselfllc.com.

December 11

Online Breathwork Session, 7pm. $20 per person. the second Monday of each month, unless otherwise noted. Lead by breathwork practitioner Charleen Miele, owner of The Sacred Self, LLC. Themes will be noted on her website.

Register and make payments online at www.thesacredselfllc.com.

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