Natural Awakenings July 2016

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Real News that Matters

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SOIL SISTERS

Independent Media Tell Us the Truth

Women Farmers Come of Age

Kitchen Counter Cooking Classes

Locavore

LINGO

What All the Food Labels Really Mean

How Moms Can Change the World

July 2016

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Experience a Meal with Friends & Saladmaster Saladmaster offers the world’s finest premium cookware that is the healthiest and most convenient way to cook your favorite foods. The advanced design and construction of Saladmaster’s titanium cookware allows vapor seal cooking at a low to medium heat to preserve the nutrition in food, and without using added grease 31 or even water.

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to lightheartedly share information about cooking, and clean up after. There are several dates available this month, so book Ø Saladmaster changes life. Keep this in mind in healthy living, nutrition, business, etc. to everyone it your cooking show today. Call Charles Maples atshare 256-412-4896 to pick communications, and those experiences in can, without being a know-it-all. your date. an inspirational way.

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letterfrompublisher “The truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself.” ~ Augustine of Hippo

This July we celebrate Independence Day, which is a good time to reflect on what independence means.

Independence is freedom: the freedom to do what you want, and a freedom from that which does not serve you. This includes freedom from unwanted control or influence, whether it be obvious or subtle. Freedom of thought, freedom of belief, and freedom of expression: these are all manifestations of independence. I would also add freedom to choose what you put in your own body. Independence is the freedom to make your own decisions about your health and the health of your family.

Independence is liberation of the mind and the spirit, and of the body and its potential for vibrant health.

Let’s celebrate our freedom this Independence Day and every day of the year. In America, we are free to do many things, but the most important freedom we have is to choose what we think. We are free to do our own research, to ask questions, and to think for ourselves. We are free to form our own opinions and to live by them. We are free to find what works for us. We are free to discover the truth for ourselves and to access the information sources that we trust to deliver the truth to us.

It has been often said that a free press is essential to the functioning of a democratic society. Several of the Founding Fathers of what would become the United States stated this idea emphatically. The good news is that we do have a free press. The bad news is that it can be a little hard to find.

The free press that we have is the Alternative and Independent Media.

It’s not the mainstream media’s fault that they aren’t free. Their sponsors are enormous corporations who have a vested interest in maintaining much of the status quo, which often puts profits over people. These corporations are not shy about leveraging their power in order to shape the narrative and the content that is conveyed. The most common form of this control is in the omission of information.

There are many other ways in which information is manipulated.

It takes a lot to see through the propaganda. A change in mindset, an awakening of sorts. But once you do it becomes easier to detect the truth by a signal that is embedded in the noise. The truth has an energy and a vibrational frequency that cannot be mistaken. It comes from the heart.

Natural Awakenings is proud to be one of the voices in the Independent Media. Thank you for believing in us.

contact us Editor@Natvalley.com 256-808-8044 Publisher/Editor Advertising Sales Tom Maples Co-Publisher Cindy Wilson Design and Production Melanie Rankin Natural Awakenings in the Tennessee Valley 14 Woodland Ave Trinity, AL 35673 Fax: 256-217-4274 Facebook.com/natvalley Issuu.com/natvalley © 2016 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved.

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

Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. It is available in selected stores, health and education centers, healing centers, public libraries and wherever free publications are generally seen. Please call to find a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business.

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

We welcome your ideas, articles and feedback.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are available by sending $23 (for 12 issues) to the above address.

Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soybased ink.

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July 2016

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contents

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newsbriefs healthbriefs globalbriefs practice spotlight

14 consciouseating

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16 greenliving 18 healthykids 20 wisewords 22 24 27 29 30

naturalpet healingways calendar classifieds resourceguide

Natural Awakenings is your guide to a healthier, more balanced life. In each issue readers find cutting-edge information on natural health, nutrition, fitness, personal growth, green living, creative expression and the products and services that support a healthy lifestyle.

10 CINDY WILSON, SPECIALIZED NAIL CARE

by Tom Maples

12 REAL NEWS

THAT MATTERS

Independent Media Tell Us the Truth

by Linda Sechrist

12 18

14 LOCAVORE LINGO

What All the Food Labels Really Mean

by Judith Fertig

16 SOIL SISTERS

Female Farmers Come of Age

by Lisa Kivirist

advertising & submissions HOW TO ADVERTISE Display Ads due by the 15th of the month prior to publication.

To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 256-808-8044 or email Editor@Natvalley.com.

18 MOM’S KITCHEN

COUNTER COOKING SCHOOL

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Kids That Learn to Cook Grow Up Eating Healthier

by Jen Haugen

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS* Newsbriefs due by the 15th of the month. Limit 50-250 words.

Content limited to special events and other announcements.

No advertorials, please.

Articles and ideas due by the 15th of the month. Articles generally contain 250-850 words, with some exceptions. No advertorials, please.

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Calendar of Events and Ongoing Calendar listings due by the 15th of the month. Limit 50 words per entry. Please follow format found in those sections.

ADVERTISE WITH US TODAY 256-808-8044 -or- Editor@Natvalley.com *All submissions are subject to editing and will be printed at the publisher’s discretion. Article space often fills in advance. Deadline dates refer to the month prior to next publication and may change without notice due to holidays, shorter months, or printing schedules.

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20 LIZA HUBER ON

HEALTHY MEALS AND HAPPY KIDS

Start with Homemade, Organic Baby Food

by Gerry Strauss

22 COOL CHOW Icy Treats for Hot Summer Days

by Sandra Murphy

24 MAKE TIME

FOR DOWNTIME

Chilling Out Revives Body and Soul

by April Thompson

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newsbriefs New Staff and New Services at Dr. Jamie’s Wellness Center

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r. Jamie Bunis of Dr. Jamie’s Wellness Center welcomes three new members to her staff. Cheree Vasquez is a Holistic Health Coach who received her training from the Institute for Integrative Education’s cutting-edge Health Coach Training Program. Cheree provides Dana Carlisle, Cheree Vasquez, consultation and Dr. Jamie Bunis, and Carol Whaley coaching to help people make dietary and lifestyle changes to achieve optimal weight, increase sleep, and maximize energy. Dana Carlisle works the front desk and also assists Dr. Jamie with patient care. Carol Whaley is an insurance and billing specialist.

A new service offered at Dr. Jamie’s is hair mineral testing.

Since the mineral content of the hair reflects the mineral content of the body, hair testing can detect toxic metals in the body and also assess a person’s overall nutritional status, including deficiencies in specific nutrients. Hair mineral testing is extremely sensitive, accurate, and predictive. Various mineral imbalances revealed in hair analysis frequently lead to metabolic dysfunctions long before any symptoms start to manifest.

The data from hair mineral analysis provides a “metabolic blueprint” for each individual person that is of unparalleled scientific accuracy. With the detailed information found in a hair mineral analysis, an ideal program of diet and supplementation can be designed that is precisely calibrated to a person’s needs.

Dr. Jamie’s Wellness Center is located at 917 Merchant’s Walk, Suite A, Huntsville (behind Whole Foods). 256-3371946. See ad, page 24.

Jeffrey Rich, LMT, Received Advanced Training in Andean Cosmology with Adolfo Ttito Condori

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n late March, as part of his on-going shamanic healing study, Jeffrey Rich, LMT, traveled to Asheville, NC to spend five days receiving advanced training, ceremony, and mentoring from Adolfo Ttito Condori, hatun misayoq, Quechua for “high mesa carrier,” and master of the Andean Cosmology. Adolfo Ttito Condori, youngest Andean mystic in modern times to achieve this level of attainment, lives and works in Jeffrey Rich the Sacred Valley Cusco region of Peru, also traveling to the US to teach. He is only one of three practicing high mesa carriers working in Peru today.

Jeffrey’s time spent with Adolfo in Asheville involved instruction in the proper care and handling of his mesa, the sacred bundle of the Andean Cosmology. He received ceremonies of connection with its sacred stones, khuyas, “beloveds,” and with the surrounding mountains of the Appalachians.

Mountains are central to the Andean Cosmology. Jeffrey’s natal connection to Asheville and the Blue Ridge mountains have become essential to his healing work and to his own mesa.

Jeffrey also learned the proper creation of sacred offerings in the Andean style, sometimes known as the despacho.

Despachos are made with paper, sacred coca leaves (Bay leaves are used as a substitute in the U.S.), llama fat, corn, flowers, and Florida Water. Many prayers and sacred words of love go into the making of each despacho, and coca (Bay) leaves in groups of three are placed in symmetrical forms that have been used by the Andean paqos for centuries, pleasing to the mountains.

Jeffrey Rich, LMT #656, practices massage therapy, Family and Systemic Constellations and Shamanic Healing at the Shining Mountain Healing Center, 900 Wellman Ave #5, in Five-Points. Shining-Mountain.com. Jeffrey.Rich@gmail.com.

256-337-1699. See ad below.

Jin Shin Jyutsu® of Huntsville Sandra Cope Certified Jin Shin Jyutsu® Practitioner Assists healing through relaxation and restoring body harmony.

Animal companion sessions are available.

Office: (256) 534-1794 Cell: (256) 509-3540

1108 McClung Avenue SE Huntsville, Alabama 35801

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July 2016

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Introduction to Practical Philosophy Weekly classes inspired by the great wisdom traditions of East and West.

Increase peace and awareness in daily life through group discussion and mindfulness practices.

newsbriefs An Introduction to Pathworking the Qabalistic Tree of Life

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COPY SHEET

AD LETTER

his class will explore the 32nd Path of Tau on the Qabalistic Tree “ Very little is needed to make a happy life; of Life. Participants will have an opit is all within yourself...” portunity to undergo a guided pathworking, experiencing the essence of Marcus Aurelius Tau for the purpose of consciousness Ten Week Course - Monday Evenings - 6:30 - 8:30 pm expansion and personal integration.

Sept 12th - Nov 14th - $75 ($45 students & seniors) The approach will be Hermetic, using Qabalistic divine names, Egyptian imUnity on the Mountain agery, the Hebrew letter Tau or Cross, 1328 Governors Drive SE, Huntsville, AL 35801 and The Universe tarot card attributed Replaces Previous Copy cycles and transformation. to Saturn, Charles F. Blakely A discussion of experiences is encouraged for those who are comfortable sharing their pathworking, followed by a question and answer session. Prior knowledge of Qabalah is encouraged, but not required.

Charles F. Blakely will be conducting this informative workshop.

Charles is well versed in the Qabalah and has www.alabamaphilosophy.com studied it for 30 years. This workshop promises to deliver not 256-690-5110 only information but a practical and useful understanding of the Qabalah.

School of Philosophy & Meditation

Date: July 9, 1-3pm. Cost: $25. Location: The Dream Maker, 4004 Triana Blvd, Huntsville. 256-883-8446. Space is limited.

Pre-register at the Dream Maker to reserve your spot. See ad, page 23.

COLON HYDROTHERAPY

Cleanse.... Hydrate... Rejuvenate....

DETOX YOUR BODY FROM THE INSIDE OUT Colonics • Bio Cleanse • Infrared Sauna

www.hope4lifeal.com

256-270-8731 10300 Bailey Cove Road, Ste 7A Huntsville, AL 35803

MAD2562708731-A 6 Tennessee Valley

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Crystal Gridding Workshop

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earn the basics of crystal gridding with Melissa Posey. In this two hour class, Melissa will go over different types of crystal grids and how to arrange them. This is a class that will cover detailed step by step instructions on setting up the grid using crystals, and how to activate and benefit from them. In addition, she will cover how to set up a specific grid for tapping into and enhancing psychic abilities as well Melissa Posey as attracting more money into your life using crystal grids.

Melissa is certified in Advanced Crystal Healing and Sacred Gridding through the Love and Light School of Energy Medicine.

Date: July 16, 1-3pm. Cost: $30. Location: The Dream Maker, 4004 Triana Blvd, Huntsville. 256-883-8446. Space is limited.

Pre-register at the Dream Maker to reserve your spot. See ad, page 23.

healthbriefs

Calcium Pills Don’t Build Bone Health

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esearchers reporting in the British medical journal The Lancet, analyzed 44 studies on calcium supplementation or dietary calcium and bone fractures and concluded, “Dietary calcium intake is not associated with risk of fracture and there is no current evidence that increasing dietary calcium intake prevents fractures.”

Qualifying studies included more than 44,000 people.

A different meta-study from New Zealand’s University of Auckland, also published in The Lancet, reviewed 59 clinical and observational studies of calcium and bone density. The meta-analysis compared the effect of calcium doses of 500, 800 and 1,000 milligrams per day and found that bone density improvements ranged between 0.6 and 1.8 percent throughout the body during the first year of supplementation, but did not increase over time.

They concluded that the improvements in bone mineral density from calcium supplements were small and that results mirrored the increases seen from dietary sources, suggesting that neither method significantly improves bone health.

ADHD Meds Weaken Kids’ Bones

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Colorful Produce Slows Cell Aging

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new study announced at the 2016 annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons shows that drugs prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can weaken bones in children during a time of critical growth. This study tested 5,315 kids between 8 and 17 years old and compared the results to a subgroup of 1,967. Each child was given a bone mineral density scan on the femur, femoral neck and lumbar spine.

The children taking ADHD medications of Ritalin, Focalin, Dexedrine, Strattera and Vyvanese had lower bone mineral density in the femur, femoral neck and lumbar spine. At least 25 percent of the youngsters taking these medications were categorized as having osteopenia.

According to a 2014 Express Scripts study, prescriptions of ADHD medications to children in the U.S. grew by 36 percent between 2008 and 2012.

There are no strangers here; only friends you haven’t yet met. ~William Butler Yeats

new study published in the European Journal of Nutrition finds that an increased intake of carotenoids, powerful antioxidants found in plantbased foods, is associated with slower aging. The research tested 3,660 U.S. adults and measured blood levels of five common carotenoids: alphacarotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, combined lutein/zeaxanthin and trans-lycopene.

The researchers found that those with levels that were in the highest quarter had 5 percent to 8 percent longer telomeres compared to those with the lowest quartile of carotenoid levels.

Telomeres are located at the ends of DNA chromosomes and get shorter as we age. Longer telomeres indicate greater longevity.

Carotenoids are found in the yellow-to-red pigments in many yellow, red and orange foods. They are also contained in green foods where chlorophyll shields the yellow-red color. Alpha-carotenes are present in carrots, cantaloupes, mangoes, kale, spinach, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Beta-carotene is found in some of the same foods, and also tomatoes, apricots and watermelons.

Beta-cryptoxanthin is found in papayas, apples and orange peels. Lutein and zeaxanthin are found in some of the same foods, along with kiwifruit, grapes, oranges, zucchini and squash.

Some of the highest levels are in corn.

Lycopene is in tomatoes, watermelons, papayas, apricots and other redto-yellow foods.

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July 2016

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globalbriefs News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.

Farm-to-Work

GMO-Free Pioneer

New Grain Transport to be Contaminant-Free Large food companies that are switching to non-GMO (genetically modified) soy and corn products must still worry about their ingredients picking up GMO contamination through conventional supply chains. Now, Captain Drake LLC, a North Dakota grain plant, has acquired its own million-bushel terminal with dedicated rail cars used exclusively for GMO-free grains. President Mark Anderson maintains, “We’ll be able to obtain the best non-GMO commodities from three regions: North Dakota, Minnesota and Manitoba, Canada.”

In a 2015 Nielsen study of 30,000 consumers, 43 percent rank non-GMO as very important and 80 percent said they would pay more for foods that indicate a degree of healthfulness. Sales of non-GMO products exceeded $10 billion last year and are growing.

Anderson explains, “The supply chain needs to be tightened up and moved domestically. We consider this to be another strategic asset for food and beverage clients seeking suppliers committed to guaranteeing the integrity and purity of non-GMO commodities.”

Source: Tinyurl.com/NonGMOGrainTerminal

Fresh Veggies Come Direct to Offices Pioneering employers are now offering fresh vegetables to help employees improve their diet—and their health. Tech companies are even hiring professional chefs to prepare healthful lunches and snacks. In Texas, the Farm to Work program is making it easy and affordable for workers to pick up baskets of local produce at the office.

Participants aren’t required to pay an initial lump sum or commit to buying every week. Instead, they can sign up to receive produce in any given week. Other groups around the country are also looking into workplace produce delivery programs, and while many use the traditional community supported agriculture (CSA) model, others are experimenting with different procedures.

The Farm Fresh Program, in Bellingham, Washington, connects local farmers to employers interested in receiving weekly deliveries. Meanwhile, Farm2Work, in Arkansas, links local purveyors of produce, meat, eggs, dairy, pies, jams and jellies to area employers. New York’s Adirondack Harvest, a branch of the Cornell Cooperative Extension, started by helping a single farmer link to area employers. The next step, says Teresa Whalen, the group’s southern chapter representative, is working to persuade insurance companies to subsidize workplace CSAs in the same way they’re starting to subsidize gym memberships.

Source: FarmToWork.org

Visit our new location and let us take care of you.

256.534.2954 www.healingartshuntsville.com 525 Fountain Row in Huntsville — between Williams Avenue & Manning Drive downtown

Massage

7.5x3.25 0714.indd 1 8 HAC AdTennessee Valley

Structural Integration

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Reiki

Biomat Sessions

Reflexology

7/11/14 12:11 PM

Light Journey Reiki

Toxic Teflon

Scientists Increasingly Find It Dangerous According to a new metaanalysis of previous studies, Philippe Grandjean, of Harvard, and Richard Clapp, of the University of Massachusetts, concluded that DuPont Teflon, used for 50 years to make frictionless cookware, is much more dangerous than previously thought, causing cancer, birth defects and heart disease, and weakening the immune system.

Even though Teflon’s harmful perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is no longer produced or used, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found it in the blood of more than 99 percent of Americans studied, because it can be passed from mother to unborn child in the womb. The researchers say that the federal government’s recommended “safe” level, set in 2009, is as much as 1,000 times too high to fully protect people’s health. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has yet to set a legal allowable limit for its presence in drinking water.

Barbara Caioli, RM Barbara@LightJourneyReiki.com LightJourneyReiki.com

256-716-8419

Source: EnvironmentalHealthNews.org

Low-Cost Largesse

Nonprofit Grocery Sells Good Food at Low Prices The biggest challenge to healthy eating in poor neighborhoods isn’t always access to healthy food; it’s whether people can afford to buy it. A year ago, Doug Rauch, former president of Trader Joe’s, opened Daily Table, a nonprofit grocery in Boston, to take action. It gathers nutritious food that would otherwise be wasted and then sells it at low prices. After learning about food insecurity in the U.S. and that approximately 40 percent of the food we grow is thrown out, Rauch decided to address both problems by offering this new option for people that don’t want handouts.

The store now has 5,000 members and hundreds of daily customers, with plans to expand to new locations. “The challenge we have in America is that the food system is designed from the farm on up to create calories that are cheap and nutrients that are expensive,” he says. “People on the lowest economic rung get squeezed the hardest.”

Rauch partners with vendors to get excess food, such as fruit just slightly too ripe to make it through the standard supermarket system, that chefs turn into ready-to-eat meals like prepared salads and soups, or entrées that can cost less than $2.

For more information, visit DailyTable.org.

Learn how your past Lives affect the present and the future

Delsie Hill Past Life Intuitive and Counselor

DelsieHill@hotmail.com 256-508-7874 natural awakenings

July 2016

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practicespotlight

CINDY WILSON Specialized Nail Care

by Tom Maples

C

indy Wilson is the first Certified Foot Care Nurse (CFCN) to practice in the state of Alabama.

Her practice, Specialized Nail Care in Decatur, fills a professional services gap between non-medical nail salons and MD Podiatrists in the Tennessee Valley.

Who is a good candidate for Specialized Nail Care? Anyone who has trouble trimming their own nails or who would simply like a trained professional to do it for them. Also, anyone with a medical condition that needs regular monitoring or anyone with a condition that makes self-care of the feet difficult can benefit from Cindy’s services. This includes people with circulatory disorders, blood clots, visual impairments,

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Feet, toes and toenails are not always at the top of people’s health checklist, but they should be. decreased dexterity or strength in their hands. For someone who is bed-tochair bound and can’t leave their home, Cindy provides home visits to make foot care accessible and convenient for the clients and family.

Cindy’s journey to create Specialized Nail Care began with her own dissatisfaction with nail salons for her own pedicures. Cindy had been an RN for twenty-six years, working in hospitals, home health and hospice care.

Her nursing background caused her to

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think about foot care from a medical perspective. What were the alternatives? Podiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in feet, but routine nail clipping and trimming is not necessarily a good utilization of time for a highly trained MD. Some podiatrists refer their patients to nail salons for routine toenail trimming. Cindy had already formed her opinion of the uneven quality of professionalism and care available at nail salons. There is very little training involved regarding clients with special medical needs.

What about diabetics? What about people with ingrown toenails? What about people with foot ulcers or other foot problems that should receive the attention of a medical professional? The person doing routine nail trimming is in an ideal position to evaluate and catch potentially serious problems if they have the medical training to be able to recognize them and the know-how to write up a clinical note to send to the client’s doctor.

To Cindy’s surprise, there was no category of practitioner anywhere in Alabama below the level of MD who provided routine foot care with a medical eye and a nurse’s touch. She researched and found that there was a relatively new training certification that has been offered by the national Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board since 2005, offering the designation of Certified Foot Care Nurse. Cindy received her training in this program at Emory University in Atlanta and was awarded her CFCN credentials in March 2014.

Cindy’s supervising physician is Dr. Kathy Sparacino, an internist in

Alternative Medicine Associates ...Treating Causes Not Symptoms

Decatur who helped Cindy brainstorm the idea of starting Specialized Nail Care.

“Dr. Sparacino had been talking to me about her patients needing routine foot care and wanting a better place to send them than nail salons,” says Cindy. “This was about the same time that I was thinking along these lines myself, and the idea took off after she volunteered to be my Medical Director.”

Feet, toes and toenails are not always at the top of people’s health checklist, but they should be. Feet tend to get ignored because they are usually covered up and out of sight, or are too far down to reach or to even see clearly for many people as they get older. Many people, at any age, have trouble trimming their own toenails.

“A lot of people just don’t give their feet the attention they need,” says Cindy. “Many people don’t wear the proper shoe size. As we age our shoe size changes. When we were 25, we may have worn a size seven, but by the time we are 50, we may have gone up a size or more. This compresses the toenails.”

“Wearing improper shoes does damage to your feet. This includes high heeled shoes, wrong sized shoes, tight shoes, shoes with pointed toes, shoes that are too narrow, or shoes that don’t have good support in them,” she says.

Cindy’s services include: washing feet, foot soak, trimming and filing of nails, cleaning debris from around and underneath nails, removing callouses, sensory testing, and patient education on proper footwear and foot care.

Sensory testing helps to identify early signs of neuropathy and sensory loss in the feet, that can be caused by diabetes or other conditions that cause nerve problems.

Testing is done with a thin plastic filament touching designated spots on the feet to see if the patient can feel the probing. If the patient can’t feel the probing certain spots then Cindy will include this in the clinical notes that she sends back. Some sensory loss is a natural part of aging, but too much of it should be noted and followed up on by the physician.

Specialized Nail Care services do require a physician’s prescription. This is usually handled by a phone call and a fax between Cindy and the physician’s office, so the client does not have to go through their physician to get the script.

An in-office visit costs $40 and usually takes 45 minutes to an hour. An in-home visit cost varies depending on location but does not exceed $65, and is available anywhere in Huntsville, Madison, Decatur and surrounding areas. Clients of Specialized Nail Care usually return for a trimming every six to eight weeks or longer, as needed.

Specialized Nail Care is located at 900 Flint Rd SE, Decatur 35601. To schedule an appointment, call 256-476-6537. See ad on this page.

Natural Health Care IBS • Reflux Anxiety Fibromyalgia Depression Skin Allergies Candidiasis Hormone Imbalance Chronic Fatigue Restless Leg Syndrome Adrenal Fatigue Nutritional Assessment Thyroid Problems Multiple Chemical Sensitivities

Call for your appointment Today!

Debra V. Gilliam N.M.D. Naturopathic Physician 1230 Slaughter Road, Ste E Madison, AL

256-325-0955

When you need more than a Pedicure Providing nail and callus care to those with • Diabetes/Pre-Diabetes • Circulatory Problems • Visual Impairments • Arthritis • Parkinson’s Disease • Dementia • Strokes • Hip/Knee Replacement • Diminished Strength • Thick/Long Nails Call Today for Your Appointment!

pecialized Nail Care 1900 Flint Rd., SE Decatur, AL 35673 256-476-6537

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REAL NEWS THAT MATTERS Independent Media Tell Us the Truth

by Linda Sechrist

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n virtually all aspects of life, we are influenced consciously or subconsciously by mainstream media messages. Today, six media giants—Comcast, The Walt Disney Company, Twenty-First Century Fox, Time Warner, Viacom and DirecTV—control the vast majority of what we watch on TV and in movies, listen to on the radio and read in books, newspapers and magazines. According to Ben Bagdikian, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The New Media Monopoly, this handful of conglomerates form a cartel that wields enough influence to affect U.S. politics and define social values.

Thirty years ago, before many mergers and acquisitions, 50 corporations owned nearly all of American media.

Today’s infotainment and rhetoric, misrepresented as news, is leading millions to conclude that these colossal powers do not exist to objectively report the truth.

Mainstream Media’s True Colors

Although a recent Gallup Poll reflects Americans’ lack of trust in mainstream media’s reporting of news fully, fairly and accurately, fair reporting was what HarperCollins, a prominent publisher, expected upon the 2016 release of 12

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New York City holistic psychiatrist Dr. Kelly Brogan’s A Mind of Your Own: The Truth About Depression and How Women Can Heal Their Bodies to Reclaim Their Lives. They were shocked when the book was boycotted.

“The New York Times, Dr. Oz and Good Morning America refused to schedule author interviews or write book reviews. There wasn’t a whisper anywhere on mainstream media about my evidenced-based book on how women can holistically recover from depression without a single prescription. HarperCollins was baffled. I was their first credentialed author who spoke out against pharmaceuticals,” says Brogan.

So Brogan turned to independent outlets, including print, online and social media, her own website, newsletter lists and word-of-mouth. Her work soon broke through into three of the top bestselling book lists: USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and The New York Times. That example serves as clear proof of the importance and power of independent media to furnish the public helpful and in-depth information on wide-ranging topics that mainstream broadcast media typically only cover in 30- to 60-second blurbs or not at all.

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Dr. Mark Hyman, chair of the Institute of Functional Medicine and director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, learned Brogan’s lesson early on. “Independent media have been crucial in disseminating my life’s work. Given the misinformation being spread by regular news and government channels about weight and health, we deserve to hear the truth about what’s in our food, toxins in our environment and how we can truly heal our bodies,” says Hyman, a nine-time bestselling author.

Independent Voices

Today’s independent media landscape shifts at warp speed. With 24/7 Internet access to websites, both groundbreaking journalism and grassroots perspectives appear in original articles and blogs. Outlets include independent online radio, TV shows, newspapers, filmmakers and “citizen journalists” armed with smart phones instantly transmitting images and updates via YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. From a growing recognition that such media play a vital role in shaping a more informed and engaged citizenry, more attention is again being paid to the need for real news that matters. Breaking the reign of junk food news generators is the mission of ProjectCensored.org, a media research program at California’s Sonoma State University.

Billions of dollars are spent annually on webinars, podcasts and e-books exploring health and healing, self-help, spiritual enlightenment and creativity, indicating a reading audience with a hunger for deeper wisdom. Since 1973, New Dimensions Radio, co-founded and hosted by Justine Willis Toms, has featured many of the world’s most respected wisdom keepers. “Guests exclaim how refreshing it is to speak in-depth and at length. Mainstream, commercially based media consistently present sound bites on how things are breaking down and not working, without opening thought to constructive visions for a future that benefits all life and the planet,” says Toms.

“Independent media have broken away from dependence on the moneyed interests holding tight reins on the news and information they publish. Because we’re listener-supported, public radio is

free to explore a wide range of timely and timeless topics,” he says.

Leaning away from one-sided views gives independent media space to expand people’s perspectives and positive expectations for the future.

The seven-time Pulitzer Prize-winning Christian Science Monitor international news organization was established in Boston over a century ago to till human thought and thereby improve human lives via an uplifted journalistic standard.

“Its quiet insistence for human rights and against tyranny; for generosity and against selfishness; for intelligence, charity, courage, integrity and most of all, for progress and hope—surely that has helped,” remarks John Yemma, current columnist and former editor.

“We work to uncover where progress is occurring, even though headlines proclaim the contrary. There are always two sides to a story,” says Susan Hackney, a senior director with the Monitor, which consistently resists the sensational in favor of the meaningful.

Magazines such as Natural Awakenings, Mother Jones, The Optimist and Yes! are likewise stirring up conversations on meaningful issues via larger perspectives with a focus on tangible solutions. They address such areas as the damaging health and environmental effects of genetically engineered food, championed by Jeffrey Smith, founder of the Institute for Responsible Technology.

“Europe could kick genetically modified ingredients (GMO) out of their food supply because their mainstream media covered the health dangers, while U.S. mainstream media ignored them and kept Americans in the dark.

Independent media in the U.S. enable democracy and consumer-inspired transformations of all kinds. Knowledge has organizing power,” advises Smith.

Success Stories

With Fran Korten at its helm, the adfree, subscription-supported, nonprofit Yes! is helping to reframe our biggest issues. “Mainstream media, dependent upon advertisers that would have us believe that we can buy happiness, celebrate stories of the rich and powerful, leaving everyone else feeling small and powerless. Independents can help resist such ways of seeing the world, help people see a different path to suc-

We in America are the best entertained and least informed society in the world. ~Neil Postman, media theorist and educator cess and happiness and perceive themselves as change agents.

Together, we share engaging stories of how people are carving out new ways of living that hold the hope of a world more in balance with the living Earth and where everyone’s inherent worth and dignity are recognized,” says Korten.

Allan Savory, founder of the Savory Institute and originator of a holistic land management systems approach to recover and preserve sustainable resources, underscores the need for change leaders and independent thinkers. “As we ponder who they might be, we realize it’s not those that discover new, counterintuitive insights, but those that spread the knowledge. The groundbreakers are pioneers like writers, poets, artists, speakers and social networkers. After 50 years of trying to understand the intense institutional resistance to and ridiculing of my work of managing complexity in a simple manner, holistic management is now quickly spreading globally. This is only due to social networking, independent writers and my TED talk that went viral,” observes Savory.

Laurie McCammon, change leader and author of Enough! How to Liberate Yourself and Remake the World with Just One Word, contracted with independent publisher Red Wheel Weiser to get her message out. “It’s been building awareness of forbidden knowledge—that we each have unrealized potential to affect reality by changing our thoughts. We can nurture a shift in global culture away from an existing way of life that has bred fear, lack and a belief in scarcity,” explains McCammon.

She suggests that to preview a new vision of, “I am enough and have enough,” and, “We are enough and have enough,” we should look to the fertile fringes; small communities of intentional and conscious people actively reinvent-

ing society. “Look at what independent media are reporting on; as well as their unprecedented use of new terms such as organic, wellness, sustainability, permaculture, transition town, sharing economy, social responsibility, biomimicry and the butterfly effect,” says McCammon.

The existing worldview, with all of its core assumptions and rules, aims to restrain awakening individual and collective consciousness. McCammon observes, “As long as the ‘old story’ was told repeatedly by mainstream media with conviction, it could command our attention and make us doubt our inner story. Trusting that the outer world had our own best interests in mind meant that there was no need to turn within.

This is changing. Thanks to farseeing, courageous and strong enough independent media, there’s been an overturning to a more wholesome story of mind-body-spirit, abundance, innovation, collaboration and cooperation.”

Mainstream and independent media coexist like two sides of a coin.

Mainstream media’s talking heads tell us how to act and think while independent media invite us to engage, educate and think for ourselves, dig deeper and take action. Without independent media, we would know little about the benefits of the ever-evolving grassroots movement of holistic, alternative, complementary, integrative and functional medicine. Nor would we know the truth about climate change; the health advantages of plant-based diets and community gardens; food deserts and nutrition-related illnesses; the prevalence of environmental toxins; signs of spiritual progress; alternative education; and the benefits of eco-villages to people and the planet.

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. Connect at ItsAllAboutWe.com.

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ocally grown foods are more likely to have been bred for flavor and nutrition than durability and a long shelf life, says Emily Akins, outreach director for the Kansas City Food Circle, a cooperative that links residents with farmers that grow and raise organic and free-range food. An added benefit is getting to know the farmer and being able to ask the questions—and receive the answers—that are important to us.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that local food sales totaled $12 billion in 2014, up from $5 billion in 2008. They continue to grow.

Organic or Certified Organic Consumers want to know the difference between organics and certified organics.

Today’s number of U.S. certified organic operations has jumped nearly 300 percent since 2002 to more than 21,700.

Although a certified organic designation might be the preferred index of

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how foods are grown and raised, it is not always possible for certain foods in some climates. Sometimes there’s a tradeoff in buying organic foods in the carbon footprint of its transport to market.

According to the Sweetwater Organic Community Farm, in Tampa, Florida, “Organic refers to a specific method of growing and processing foods, and is defined as produce grown, packaged and stored without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or irradiation.”

To be considered certified organic under the Code of Federal Regulations 7 CFR Part 205, products must meet these standards: n No harmful chemicals have been applied to the land for at least three years. n Farmers and processors are inspected annually by a certifying agency. n Farmers and processors must keep detailed records of practices. n Farmers are required to maintain a written organic management plan.

Certified Humane When we buy local cheese, poultry or meat at the farmers’ market, we sometimes see a certified humane notice. One such producer is Baetje Farms, outside St. Louis, Missouri. Their highly regarded goat cheeses offer traceability via a lot number, so buyers can know exactly which milking the cheese came from.

In factory farming, which often involves penning or caging animals that never go outdoors, “certified humane” means that this producer meets Humane Farm Animal Care standards: n Fed a nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones. n Provided proper shelter with resting areas and sufficient space. n Animals have the ability to behave naturally.

Veronica Baetje says her farm’s goats receive organic mineral supplements and locally grown alfalfa hay in addition to pasture grass every day. She adds, “They are free to choose what they prefer to do, whether skip and run up a hill, lie under the shade of a tree, soak up some sunshine or play with their herd mates.”

Wild Food At times, farmers’ markets will offer foraged foods from the wild or wild game.

Sources are listed online at EatWild. com. “Few of us will go back to foraging in the wild, but we can learn to forage in our supermarkets, farmers’ markets and from local farmers to select the most nutritious and delicious foods available,” says founder Jo Robinson, in Vashon, Washington.

For example, Dave and Sue Whittlesey, at High Wire Ranch, in Hotchkiss, Colorado, raise bison (buffalo) and elk that they sell both through local stores and at the Aspen Saturday Market. The wild game is 100 percent pasture-fed, non-GMO (no genetically modified feed), gluten-free and not given hormones or any antibiotics unless the animal is sick.

Trusted Sources The land, climate and growing season dictate the best natural farming practices for each area, often described along with their products on farm and farmers’ market websites.

Wisconsin’s Dane County Farmers’ Market, in Madison, provides detailed descriptions of farm products and agricultural practices so customers can make informed choices. Sometimes, the type of farm makes a difference. “We are intentionally human scale,” says Virginia Goeke, of Sylvan Meadows Farm, in Viroqua, Wisconsin.

“We choose to husband our land to promote harmony and synergy. We are creating a sustainable farm ecosystem where herbal meadows, prairies, heirloom gardens, orchards, woodlands, and rare breeds of livestock and wildlife flourish.”

Sometimes, we’d just like someone else to do the food curating for us. The Kansas City Food Circle requires member farmers to take a pledge to follow certain agricultural practices. “When you buy food from our members, you can rely on the co-op’s pledge that it’s been certified naturally grown or that the farmer has USDA Organic certification,” says Akins.

Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative, the joint effort of 100 small-scale family farms providing fresh, organic, seasonal produce, in Leola, Pennsylvania, gives similar assurances.

The USDA reports that 160,000 farmers nationwide are currently selling to their local markets via farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture organizations, restaurants, groceries and institutions, generating health, social, economic and environmental benefits for local communities. It keeps growing because we keep asking questions.

Judith Fertig blogs at AlfrescoFood AndLifestyle.blogspot.com.

Healthy Foods Lexicon Grass-fed—Beef or milk cows fed on grass. The benefit is leaner, betterflavored meat and more omega-3s, plus fuller flavors in milk, butter and other dairy products.

Heirloom—Older, non-hybrid varieties of produce, including fruit trees, herbs and vegetables.

Foraged—Native foods gathered from the wild, rather than cultivated. Examples: wild mushrooms, fiddlehead ferns, mulberries, native pecans, black walnuts and native persimmons.

Heritage breeds—Ancestral breeds of poultry and livestock that often take longer to reach market weight, but have more flavor.

Free range—Poultry raised outdoors where they are free to range over natural vegetation.

Local—Grown or raised within a threehour driving radius of the consumer’s purchase site.

Pastured—Livestock raised on pastures instead of factory farms.

Traceability—Precise tracking by a farmer that informs the consumer of which chicken hatched a specific clutch of eggs, which farm grew a cantaloupe and which mill boiled down and bottled the sorghum syrup.

Wild-caught—Fish that live and are caught in open lakes, streams or oceans.

For more current agricultural, market and trade terms, visit LexiconOfSustainability.com.

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Innovation, independence and vision drive women to use their organic farm ventures to create a livelihood, express themselves and do their part to change how America eats.

greenliving

SOIL SISTERS Female Farmers Come of Age

by Lisa Kivirist

M

ore women are becoming farmers, bringing with them a passion for producing organic and sustainably raised fare and transforming America’s food system. The U.S. Census of Agriculture reports that their numbers rose by more than 20 percent between 2002 and 2012, to 288,264.

Historic Roots

“Women have played an integral role in farming for centuries, but in the last 100 years they’ve started to self-organize and be recognized for their important work,” says University of California garden historian Rose Hayden-Smith,

Ph.D., author of Sowing the Seeds of Victory: American Gardening Programs of World War I and editor of the UC Food Observer. “During that war, the Women’s Land Army of America, a female-led initiative, recruited nearly 20,000 mostly middle-class urban and suburban women to enter the agricultural sector as wage laborers at farms, dairies and canneries, often in rural areas, where farmers urgently needed help while the male labor force was off fighting.”

Women also helped feed Americans during the Victory Garden era of World War II. “It’s also estimated that more than 40 percent of fruits and

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vegetables consumed on the American home front then were grown in school, home, community and workplace gardens,” says Hayden-Smith, possibly resulting in America’s highest period of produce consumption ever.

When the commercial organic industry launched in the 1990s, women organized to provide overlooked and undervalued perspectives. The wakeup call for Denise O’Brien, an organic vegetable farmer and owner of Rolling Hills Acres, near Atlantic, Iowa, came during the farm economic crisis of the preceding decade. Although still considered “just” farm wives, “It was the women on the farms that had foreseen where things were heading, because they often kept the accounting books, though nobody took their voices seriously,” O’Brien recalls.

This launched O’Brien’s agriculture activism: balancing farming, raising children and serving as a national advocate and spokeswoman for women in agriculture in an ecological and just food system. In 1997, she launched the Women, Food and Ag Network to collectively advocate for a stronger voice.

“Throughout history, women in agriculture have been relegated to providing assistance, rather than making decisions,” O’Brien explains. “It’s up to us as women to collaboratively support each other while challenging the system.”

Cultivating Change

For her 50th birthday, Paula Foreman gave her life a new chapter. She launched her midlife “second act” in 2007 with Encore Farm, a name that serves as a rallying mantra for her peers. “The name is a tribute declaring that fresh starts and new beginnings can happen at any age,” explains Foreman, now an urban

farmer in St. Paul, Minnesota. Embodying this business moxie, she chose to specialize, producing one thing very well: organic dried beans.

Relinda Walker, of Walker Organic Farms, outside Savannah, Georgia, represents a cadre of “boomerang” farmers; women that return to the land to continue a family farm with a commitment to organics. Like many farm kids, after college, Walker left to pursue a corporate career in the city. Then the 9/11 terror attack shifted her priorities. “All roads led me to coming back home and growing food,” she says.

Launched in 2005, Walker’s farm was one of southern Georgia’s first organic operations, yielding specialty varieties like rainbow carrots in vivid shades of purple, orange and red.

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Young women in their 20s and 30s are adding energy, diversity, vibrancy and fresh outlooks to the female farming movement. Lindsey Morris Carpenter runs Grassroots Farm, in Monroe, Wisconsin, a diversified operation of certified organic vegetables and pastured livestock, in partnership with her mother, Gail Carpenter.

“A crucial key to farming happiness is being a good neighbor,” she shares. “I call around when I see livestock and pets outside of fences; maintain my fences; share my garlic and potato seed; and always invite neighbors to parties and events, even though they may not attend. Even if others’ personal lifestyle and farming philosophies are radical opposites, we still have our physical location and appreciation of nature in common, and that’s big.”

“The women farmer movement is just a toddler,” sums up O’Brien. “We’ve come a long way, but we’re not there yet, especially with representation on the national leadership platform.” It’s easy to support female growers at local farmers’ markets. Cultivating change can be rewarding—and tasty.

Lisa Kivirist is the author of the new book Soil Sisters: A Toolkit for Women Farmers and a senior fellow at the University of Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture. Her family runs the energyindependent Inn Serendipity Farm and B&B, in southwestern Wisconsin. natural awakenings

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nvision walking the supermarket aisles and picking up a favorite pasta sauce and breakfast cereal, then adding favorite fruits and vegetables to the cart. When we think about the grocery brands we buy or our go-to recipes, they tend to begin with one common thread— the influence of our mothers—our first teachers about food and cooking.

In their Project EAT study, University of Minnesota researchers found that Mom has the biggest impact on the family’s eating habits and continues to play a significant role in our food choices, brands and how we cook, even influencing our ideas about health itself by their example.

Cooking Together

Most of us learn about cooking from our mothers, and one way moms have a tremendous impact on their children is by collaborating on recipes and cooking meals together. The idea of an at-home “kitchen counter cooking school” doesn’t focus on a hard and

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fast course on cooking; instead, it’s a place where family members gather around the counter and cook together.

This almost guarantees that meals will be healthier and more fun, affording a sense of ongoing adventure where kids can explore ingredients from around the U.S. and even the world. Consider creating a “United States of My Plate” project by preparing a recipe from each state during the summer, and then rating the recipes based on taste and flavor (startup tools are at ChooseMyPlate.gov).

Our senses are engaged during food preparation activities. While chopping red peppers for a recipe, we are noting their appearance, feeling their texture, smelling their fragrance, hearing the sounds of preparation and likely tasting some on the spot. Involving more of our senses as we explore our food makes the whole activity more enticing. It helps to adopt Julia Child’s motto: “Learn how to cook, try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless and above all, have fun.”

Moms can change the world by teaching their kids healthy cooking lessons at home and planting an organic garden together.

Gardening Together

The freshest ingredients come from our own gardens and produce the most delicious meals. Gardening as a family can change the way everyone looks at food through the simple act of planting, growing and harvesting. Knowing where everything on the plate comes from makes us more mindful of the energy it takes to grow food, and kids will naturally eat what they help grow.

Moms can change the world—right in their own yard or patio—with the power of a traditional or urban garden.

Just one square foot of organic gardening space can yield half a pound of fresh fruits and vegetables. A 300-square-foot garden can produce 150 pounds each summer; plus it provides a good workout.

In 2011, I started a teaching garden at our local supermarket as a means of showing kids how to grow their own food, with the hope that it would also inspire their families. The goal was to plant the seeds for healthier habits that would last a lifetime. During its first four years, 52 percent of the students’ parents noted a more positive attitude about fruits and vegetables exhibited by their own children. After participating in the program, one mother shared her young daughter’s noteworthy query, “Mom, could you go to the store and get me some Swiss chard?”

By planting gardens and creating kitchen counter cooking schools at home throughout America, our country could become victorious in ensuring that families are healthier. They will be eating healthier foods, working out in the garden and learning about food in a whole new way, all while connecting in a family activity.

Jen Haugen, a registered and licensed dietitian and certified master gardener, is the author of The Mom’s Guide to a Nourishing Garden. She blogs at JenHaugen.com.

Voices of Experience Tips from Registered Dietitian Moms “It’s not going to be a Norman Rockwell-like experience. It’s going to be messy, and everything associated with it might take 10 times longer than anticipated. It’s not about the outcome, it’s about the journey.

“Allow your children to participate in the cooking process by giving them age-appropriate duties in the kitchen.

We’re talking about rinsing produce in the colander, ‘looking’ at cookbooks, stirring, scooping, squeezing and setting the table. As they grow older, give them more to do.” ~Robin Plotkin, Dallas “Every other Wednesday, each child had to cook dinner. I gave them a piece of paper with fill-in-the-blanks.

Every Sunday, they had to turn in their menu so I could go grocery shopping.

Now, both my kids cook really healthy meals.” ~Chere Bork, near Minneapolis-St. Paul

“Teaching someone else solidifies your own knowledge; I knew if her brothers taught my 8-year-old daughter, it would boost their own confidence, too. I always start by teaching about some food they are excited to make on their own. Then I start asking them to help with meal prep.

Pretty soon, they have an arsenal of skills and can prepare a meal by themselves.” ~Niki Strealy, Portland, Oregon “Let your kids experiment in the kitchen.

My first couple dozen creations didn’t taste good, but I eventually developed a sense of what did and didn’t work.

Giving this freedom nurtures a sense of creativity in the kitchen. It’s much easier when spatulas and rolling pins are childsize, like those at CuriousChef.com.” ~Amy Gorin, near New York City

“Have kids look through kid-friendly cookbooks and scroll through their favorite recipe app. My girls regularly pick out recipes they would like to try for our next meal.” ~Suzanne Farrell, Denver

“We watch videos together that demonstrate proper techniques. Everyone is designated an ‘official taste tester’.” ~ Jillian O’Neil, New York City

“Giving them choices makes them feel like they’re contributing, and lets them put their own twist on a recipe.” ~Naomi May, Charleston, South Carolina

Primary Source: Adapted from JenHaugen.com.

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homemade, organic food for their little ones. It’s all about enabling parents to provide a legacy of health, all wrapped up in love.

How did becoming a parent boost your relationship with organic foods and health?

I was raised on a diet of mostly fresh, homemade, food and knew it was something I wanted for my own children. At that point, I knew the basics; that it was healthier and tasted better than store-bought baby food. The more I learned, the more I became fascinated by how switching to an organic diet positively affects our health.

Liza Huber and her four children

Liza Huber on Healthy Meals and Happy Kids Start with Homemade, Organic Baby Food

by Gerry Strauss

F

or many actresses, landing a role on the hit show Passions would be a career highlight. For Liza Huber, daughter of soap opera icon Susan Lucci, a successful acting career was

one step en route to her calling as a mother, public speaker and entrepreneur. Her inspiration was to launch Sage Spoonfuls (SageSpoonfuls.com) to make it easier for parents to make

Why is it vital to introduce organic food during a youngster’s early development?

America’s food supply is loaded with more chemicals and GMOs [genetically modified organisms] than ever before.

I believe, as many others do, that the rapid rise of food allergies in children is a direct result. Many chemical pesticides and artificial flavors and colors are known to contain carcinogens, suspected hormone disruptors and neurotoxins.

It is widely believed that even small doses of these common pesticides can have lasting negative effects on a child’s health. I believe that teaching our kids about the importance of fresh, organic food and the potential dangers of a con-

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ventionally processed diet helps set the stage for a lifetime of healthy choices.

How do homemade organics and packaged organics differ?

Store-bought baby food, organic or not, is processed to have a long shelf life of up to two years. So much of the nutrient content is lost during processing that most manufacturers artificially add it back in, but aren’t obligated to inform consumers. The added nutrients are synthetic and aren’t absorbed by the body the same way as naturally occurring nutrients.

The taste, color and aroma of commercial baby food isn’t as appealing. By feeding your baby a steady tasty diet of fresh, homemade, organic baby food, you greatly reduce the risk they’ll grow into a picky eater. Plus, making your own baby food is three to five times less expensive than what is store-bought.

Homemade food has a far smaller impact on the environment compared with commercial manufacturing, transportation and packaging. By the time a baby turns 1, they will have eaten from nearly 700 jars or pouches of storebought baby food that generally end up in landfills, because little is recycled.

Which favorite foods do you love to make for your babies and why?

I focus on whole foods. Great first

What’s the best gift a mother can give her child?

foods include bananas, apples, butternut squash, pears, avocados, peas and sweet potatoes. Once a baby has successfully tried a couple of these, start mixing them together. Banana and avocado, apple and butternut squash, and peas and sweet potato are good combos. They’re loaded with nutrients and antioxidants, easy to make and yummy. Avocados’ healthy fat is also essential to brain development.

There’s nothing more important to a child’s overall health and well-being than being raised in a loving, warm environment where they feel safe, loved and important. My deep love for my children guides every decision I make for them. A mother’s intuition is a superpower.

Gerry Strauss is a freelance writer in Hamilton, NJ. Connect at GerryStrauss@aol.com.

What key lessons learned from your mother have you carried forward with your young family?

Two lessons really stick with me: “Stay open and leave room for life to surprise you,” and “You can have it all… just not all at the same time.” In my teens and 20s, I was a meticulous planner, disappointed if things didn’t go exactly as I wanted. Amazing things happened after taking Mom’s advice to leave myself open to wonder.

Growing up, I saw my mom have an amazing career, yet also be a fantastic wife and mother. Her secret, and now mine, is to prioritize and focus on one thing at a time, whether it’s work, kids or my husband. This way, everything in your life gets 100 percent of your attention some of the time, rather than trying to do everything at the same time, which rarely works.

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naturalpet

COOL CHOW Icy Treats for Hot Summer Days

by Sandra Murphy

I

tasty ways. After removing strings, n 2015, manufacturers of commerfill celery logs with plain yogurt and cial dog and cat foods and treats freeze. To serve, cut into one-bite issued 28 recalls, some for multiple pieces appropriate for a dog’s size. products, due to the potential presAnother easy favorite is fillence of listeria or salmonella bacteria, ing an ice cube tray two-thirds full mold, dangerous levels of cumuwith Greek-style or traditional plain latively harmful propylene glycol, yogurt mixed with diced strawberries inadequate thiamine, elevated levels or whole blueberries of vitamin D, off odors Use the freshest and freeze overnight. or labeling problems (Tinyurl.com/PetFood ingredients, organic For cats, omit the fruit and instead add bits ManufacturerRecalls). and non-GMO (no of mercury-free waterIn response, homemade treats have grown in genetic modification) packed tuna or salmon as a special treat. Add popularity to ensure that pets enjoy safe and where possible; tuna fresh or dried catnip to healthy snacks. or salmon in a pouch catch Kitty’s attention.

“Once when fixing “Most summer is safer than BPA- dinner, I dropped a fruits work naturally to piece of frozen yellow cool the body,” advises canned fish. squash and the dogs Cathy Alinovi, co-author dove for it,” says writer Livia J. Washof Dinner PAWsible: A Cookbook of burn, in Azle, Texas, of her ChihuaNutritious Homemade Meals for Cats huas. “Nicki waits for things to hit the and Dogs, in Pine Village, Indiana. floor; Nora showed her game face and “Healthful treats, made from the best won the Squash War.” ingredients, are a good way to take a “Obesity is the number one nubreak from summer heat.” tritional disease affecting our pets, so She suggests taking a refreshing summertime activities that avoid overlook at low-calorie fruits and veggies heating are vital for overall health,” says such as stuffed celery used in creative,

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Veterinarian Jeff Werber, a veterinary medical journalist with a Los Angeles practice. “Proper nutrition is critical— not only to the foods we feed, but to the treats we give.”

Twelve years ago, Rick Woodford’s Belgian Malinois/Labrador mix, Jackson, was diagnosed with lymphoma. In order to keep him eating, Woodford shared his own food.

Jackson lived an additional four years, in part due to improved nutrition.

“Portion control is important,” he says.

“What’s right for an 80-pound dog is way too much for a 30-pounder.”

Woodford, the author of Feed Your Best Friend Better and Chow, lives near Portland, Oregon.

Frosty Paws is a lower lactose version of ice cream for dogs and discriminating cats. Recipes for homemade versions can be found online. The basics are one ripe, mashed banana, 32 ounces of plain or vanilla yogurt and two tablespoons of honey, all mixed in a blender and frozen in small ice cube trays. Variations may substitute goat’s milk yogurt or add a quarter-cup of strawberries, cranberries or blueberries for antioxidants in lieu of the honey.

Frozen vegetable broth, primed with added bits of cooked chopped spinach, broccoli, carrots or a small cheese cube, is a hit with dogs. Cats like theirs with tidbits of chicken, turkey or a few shreds of cheese.

Using a bone-shaped ice cube tray lets humans know it’s the pet’s treat.

“When I was developing frozen treat recipes, my husband came in from the yard one hot afternoon and went straight to the freezer,” says Paris Permenter about John Bigley, co-authors of The Healthy Hound Cookbook, in Cedar Park, Texas, who live with mixed breeds Irie and Tiki. “I watched him eat two helpings of the dog ice cream and then told him what it was. We often share our food with our dogs. It was nice for them to share their goodies with us!”

The bottom line for the best summertime treats is to go healthy, be creative, use fresh ingredients, don’t overindulge and stay cool.

Connect with freelance writer Sandra Murphy at StLouisFreelanceWriter@ mindspring.com.

Creating Health and Harmony through Nature Crystal Lightbed Sessions

New Thought Gifts • Crystals • Gemstones Essential oils • Crystal Lightbed Sessions • Candles Massage Therapy • Salt Lamps • Reflexology

4004 Triana Blvd SW, Huntsville

256-883-8446

Facebook.com/DreamMakerHuntsville

DreamMakerShop.com

“I was the last person I thought that would benefit from this...

Ten sessions later I am telling everyone about rolfing.” ~S.H., Birmingham

Advanced Rolf Practitioner Susan K. Jeffreys Consultations Available

Find out what Susan K. Jeffreys and Structural Integration can do for you!

Call (256) 508-3351 Today Susan K. Jeffreys, AL Lic #249 525 Fountain Row • Huntsville, AL 35801

Unity Church on the Mountain 1328 Governors Dr. SE, Huntsville, AL 35801

What’s Happening at Unity Saturday, July 9 8am-12pm UNITY WORK DAY!!

Sunday, July 17 Guest Speaker, Debbie Preece

Contact Us

256-536-2271 UnityOnTheMountain.org UnityChurchontheMountain@gmail.com

StructuralIntegrationHuntsville.com Structural Integration in the method of Ida P. Rolf

Reverend Carol Landry “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Ongoing Classes

Weddings A t

Unity ChUrCh on the MoUntAin

Sunday 11am

Children’s Sunday School (ages 4-9) upstairs

Wednesday 6:15-7:45pm

A Course in Miracles

2nd Thursday of Each Month 6:30-7:30pm

“Youth Group” (ages 10 yrs and up) Snack provided. Bring a friend!

Parents welcome, too!

Sunday Discussion Class – 9:30am Sunday Worship – 11am Meditative Silence begins at 10:55am

The perfect place for couples planning an elegantly simple ceremony.

For more information go to:

UnityChurchWeddings.com or email us at

UnityChurchWeddings@gmail.com Non-traditional, interfaith unions and commitment ceremonies are always welcome!

natural awakenings

July 2016

23

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Dr. Jamie’s Wellness Center 917 Merchants Walk, Ste A Huntsville, AL 35801 256-434-7977 DrJamiesWellnessCenter.com Located just behind the new Whole Foods.

24

Tennessee Valley

by April Thompson

H

ere’s something to add to our to-do list: nothing.

Americans today work more hours than ever before, foregoing hardearned vacation days and spending more time with electronic devices than with friends and family. The temptation and pressure to do more at the expense of needed rest are great, but failing to take time out to recharge our minds and bodies can have serious consequences, according to experts.

Downtime is most acutely needed in the workplace. In a survey of nearly 20,000 workers, The Energy Project and Harvard Business Review found that 59 percent of them were physically exhausted, emotionally drained, distracted and lacking purpose.

Headquartered in Yonkers, New York, with offices in Europe and Australia, The Energy Project has helped hundreds of businesses, including Fortune 500 companies, create healthier, happier and higher-performing workplaces. The company takes its cues from elite athletes that carefully build rest and recovery periods into their training schedules. “Just as your body needs

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sleep and food to function optimally, so does your mind and spirit,” says Annie Perrin, an executive vice president with the project.

There’s a mounting body of neurological research to buttress the analogy. Important assimilation of learning and “meaning making” occurs in the resting brain, according to Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, Ed.D., associate professor of education, psychology and neuroscience at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and author of Emotions, Learning, and the Brain. When our minds are allowed to wander, they engage a network of interacting brain regions that together are thought to play a key role in building our ability for inward reflection and recollection, known as the default mode network. Immordino-Yang’s research suggests that such activation during restful moments is positively associated with the recalling of memories, envisioning the future and even developing a moral foundation.

“This network seems to be more engaged when we aren’t actively gathering information or working on

an external goal,” remarks ImmordinoYang. Zoning out on TV or video games doesn’t produce the same brain benefit because, “It’s about looking inward rather than outward,” she says. The default network does engage when introspection occurs during nurturing social interaction, such as while enjoying a reflective conversation with friends or family. She recommends banning technology and other distractions during periods spent in activities that bring joy and meaning so that we are present in a mindful way.

The Energy Project ushers clients through a comprehensive energy audit, using exercises to expose specific personal habits that lead to diminishing returns in both work and play time. In one exercise, workers are asked to rank current incoming emails from one to five, with the highest number equating to, “I need to respond immediately.”

Most rate nearly no fives, says Perrin, a realization that has helped many people change their email habits.

While change can be hard, Perrin suggests creating new, healthy rituals through repetition, which taps into the brain’s desire for automaticity. For example, she advises workers to schedule “renewal breaks” every 90 minutes after completing a block of high-priority tasks. “If you’ve been sitting, move; if the mind has been active, do something to quiet it, like meditating or simply closing your eyes.” She also suggests

finding workers to buddy up with and schedule mutual breaks to help support and hold each other accountable.

Immordino-Yang suggests that another practice to maximize the value of downtime is to combine it with exercise. “A walk can be rejuvenating,” she says. “While the body is engaged, the mind is free to wander.”

The Energy Project calls on managers to model these downtime activities for their employees. Some companies have instituted policies that limit sending email from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., as well as during weekends and vacations, so staffers don’t feel compelled to read and respond to keep up with work.

Setting limits is even more crucial for young people with minds and habits that are especially malleable. “I see teenagers taking their phones into the bathroom or bed to text in the middle of the night. Parents need to put a stop to this,” counsels Immordino-Yang.

“The brain needs uninterrupted rest to work at its best.”

Learning that being a productive employee or an emotionally available parent requires giving ourselves a break and gives us permission to rest.

We find that downtime is not just good for ourselves, but also for our families and workplaces.

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

A Course In Miracles Study Group 9:15am Sundays 1-Hour Mystery School 11:00am Sundays

Affirmations, Music, Mystery Message, Fellowship, An Open Communion Table

Public Clearance

7:00pm, Friday July 15th

Ongoing Classes:

Intro to Tarot - Tuesdays Intro to Metaphysics - Thursdays Looking Ahead:

Meditation Class

7:00pm, Mondays Aug 8th - Aug 29th Metaphysics 201 Class Clearance and the Consciousness Chart 7:00pm, Thursdays Aug 25th - Oct 27th Our labyrinth is always open for your meditative walks.

The Whispering Heart A heart-based healing center with the latest health and wellness technologies Dynamic Infrared Sauna • BioMat In Light Wellness System MusicGlove Therapy • Healing Touch Aromatherapy and Essential Oils Coming soon: Mild Hyperbaric Therapy

All services just $1 per minute

256-822-1108 1221 13th Ave SE, Decatur

MON-FRI 10am-5pm SAT 10am-3pm

Walk-ins welcome, or call for your appointment today

Let the Magic Begin 4208 Holmes Ave. NW Huntsville, Alabama 256-895-0255 www.lightofchristcenter.org

natural awakenings

July 2016

25

LIVE A LIFE OF PURPOSE Join Us in Spreading the Light.

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We are currently expanding across the U.S. and Canada. To find out more about starting your own Natural Awakenings magazine or acquiring an existing one,

call 26

239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com/mymagazine

Tennessee Valley

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calendarofevents THURSDAY, JULY 21

Email Editor@Natvalley.com for guidelines and to submit entries.

Huntsville Summer Gallery Tour – Free, informal showcase of local galleries the Huntsville Museum of Art. Info, maps and participating galleries at GalleryTour.org.

MONDAY, JULY 4 4th of July Fireworks and Concert at Village of Providence – 6pm. A free Music in the Park event and one of North Alabama’s largest free fireworks shows. The free fireworks show will begin at dark.

Village of Providence Park, 7 Towne Center Dr NW, Ste 102, Huntsville.

FRIDAY, JULY 22 WC Handy Music Festival – All day, July 22-31.

This 10-day long series of primarily music events occurs in and around the Shoals and honors William Christopher “W.C.” Handy and the music of Northwest Alabama. Many events are free or $5 or less. Includes many children’s music and education activities. WCHandyMusicFestival.org.

Concerts in the Park – 6:30-8pm. Huntsville Concert Band and Huntsville’s In the Mood Big Swing Band. Free. Bring your own seating. Leashed pets welcome. Big Spring Park, outdoor stage of Huntsville Museum of Art, downtown Huntsville.

MONDAY, JULY 25 Concerts in the Park – 6:30-8pm. Reginald Jackson and Friends plus Calypso Vision. Free. Bring your own seating. Leashed pets welcome. Big Spring Park, outdoor stage of Huntsville Museum of Art, downtown Huntsville.

TUESDAY, JULY 5 Tuesday Evening Concerts at The Library – 6-7pm. Classic swing tunes with Shriner’s Swing Band. Free. Huntsville Main Library, Atrium, 915 Monroe St. Huntsville. 256-532-5940.

FRIDAY, JULY 8 Friday Night Art Walk – 5-8pm. Shop local in Downtown Huntsville with a wide variety of artisans and live music. Free. Downtown Huntsville Square.

SATURDAY, JULY 9 Crazy Cat Person Party – 11:45am. Join us for a fun-filled all ages cat themed party. Madison Animal Rescue Foundation will have cats and kittens available for adoption at this event. There will also be snacks, crafts, and activities. Madison Public Library, 130 Plaza Blvd, Madison. 256-461-0046.

An Introduction to Pathworking the Qabalistic Tree of Life – 1-3pm. Charles F. Blakely. Explore the 32nd Path of Tau on the Qabalistic Tree of Life with guided pathworking for consciousness expansion and personal integration. $25. Preregister at The Dream Maker, 4004 Triana Blvd.

256-883-8446.

MONDAY, JULY 11 Concerts in the Park – 6:30-8pm. Blue City plus Emily Joseph Band. Free. Bring your own seating.

Leashed pets welcome. Big Spring Park, outdoor stage of Huntsville Museum of Art, downtown Huntsville.

Got Events?

Get Noticed!

Thousands of Natural Awakenings readers are looking for healthy options.

Call Today! 256-808-8044 Editor@Natvalley.com

TUESDAY, JULY 12

SATURDAY, JULY 30

Stories Under the Stars – 6:30-9pm. Theme: “Coming Home.” Grab a blanket and some lawn chairs and enjoy the sunset view during an evening of music and live storytelling that showcases the history of our community members. $10. Burritt on the Mountain, 3101 Burritt Dr, Huntsville. 256536-2882.

Shambhala Training Level I: The Art of Being Human – 9am (Sat), 12pm (Sun). Meditation instruction and practice wtih Janet Bronstein from Birmingham Shambhala. New meditators are welcome.

This program is the first in the Shambhala Training series and is open to all. Healing Arts Center, 527 Fountain Row, Huntsville. 256-534-2954.

FRIDAY, JULY 15 All Has Meaning – 7:30-8pm. Inspiring stories and insights from Harold Klemp, spiritual leader and acclaimed author of more than sixty books on Eckankar. Learn for yourself why all has meaning for the Soul going home to God. Free. WOW (Knology) Cable Channel 11 (Huntsville/Madison).

256-534-1751. Eck-Alabama.org.

SATURDAY, JULY 16 Crystal Gridding Class – 1-3pm. Melissa Posey.

Learn different types of crystal grids and step-bystep instructions for how to arrange, activate, and benefit from them. Learn specific grids for tapping and enhancing psychic abilities and attracting more money into your life. $30. Pre-register at The Dream Maker, 4004 Triana Blvd. 256-883-8446.

SUNDAY, JULY 17 Guest Speaker, Debbie Preece – 11am. Unity Church on the Mountain, 1328 Governors Dr SE, Huntsville. UnityOnTheMountain.org. 256536-2271.

MONDAY, JULY 18 Concerts in the Park – 6:30-8pm. JED Eye plus Dirt Circus. Free. Bring your own seating. Leashed pets welcome. Big Spring Park, outdoor stage of Huntsville Museum of Art, downtown Huntsville.

MONDAY, JULY 19 Tuesday Evening Concerts at The Library – 6-7pm. A variety of barbershop performances for the summer with the Barbershop Harmony Society.

Free. Huntsville Main Library, Atrium, 915 Monroe St. Huntsville. 256-532-5940.

markyourcalendar Holistic Huntsville 2016 Learn about natural health and wellness lifestyles. Meet local holistic health practitioners and businesses who provide products and services related to healthy living. Meet other people with a similar vision of a healthier, more natural approach to life.

Saturday, July 30 • 10am-4pm UAHuntsville Conference Training Center Exhibit Hall, 410 Ben Graves Dr.

Admission Free HolisticHuntsville.com HolisticHuntsville@gmail.com

plan ahead SATURDAY, AUGUST 27 Eldenbridge Institute Fall Permaculture Design Course – 8am-5pm (six alternating weekends starting 8/27). The complete 72-hour Permaculture Design Certification (PDC) course, covering the principles for designing sustainable and regenerative systems. Includes energy, food, water, and natural buildings. $995, discount for students/seniors. Madison. Register online at Eldenbridge.org.

natural awakenings

July 2016

27

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Tennessee Valley

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Apply concentrated DermaClear to affected areas once a day or as needed. It can be thinned with water for a lighter, invisible consistency. Do not cover or bandage the area; clothing may be worn when dry. Conditions usually improve in just a few days and the soothing, cooling effect is felt immediately. There is no expiration date, just add water and stir to refresh.

Natural Awakenings DermaClear is the perfect resource to try after people have turned to conventional medical treatments that failed, – but because DermaClear is so inexpensive, free of side effects and drug interactions and easy to apply, why not try it first?

ongoingevents

friday

Email Editor@Natvalley.com for guidelines and to submit entries.

Public Clearance Session – 7pm. Third Friday each month. Learn effective healing through reception and application of Divine energies. Light of Christ Center, 4208 Holmes Ave, Huntsville.

256-895-0255.

sunday A Course in Miracles Study Group – 9:15am.

Shared reading and group discussions. Extra books available. Light of Christ Center, 4208 Holmes Ave, Huntsville. 256-895-0255. LightOfChristCenter.org.

saturday Bailey Cove Farmers Market – 8am-12pm. Fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables of all kinds, along with eggs, meats, artisan breads, flowers and other locally produced products. St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 12200 Bailey Cove Rd, Huntsville.

Revealing Service – 9:45am. Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, Huntsville. 256-8838596. CSL-Huntsville.org.

Celebration Service – 10:30am. Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, Huntsville. 256-8838596. CSL-Huntsville.org.

Unity Church on the Mountain – Worship Service 11am. Adult Book Discussion 9:30-10:30am. Children’s Sunday School 11am (ages 4-9). Unity is a positive path for spiritual living. All are welcome!

1328 Governors Dr SE, Huntsville. UnityOnThe Mountain.org.

1-Hour Mystery School – 11am. A different service each week including ritual, music, and a message in an open, loving environment. Light of Christ Center, 4208 Holmes Ave, Huntsville. 256-895-0255.

LightOfChristCenter.org.

A Course In Miracles: Integrating the Lessons Through Heart Centered Listening – 4-5:30pm.

For students of ACIM daily lessons (workbook) or text. Donations accepted. Healing Arts Center, 525 Fountain Row, Huntsville. RevWandaGail@ gmail.com.

monday Acupuncture Happy Hour – 4-6pm, Mondays and Thursdays. A 30-minute ear acupuncture treatment that will de-stress, detox, relax and re-energize you.

No appointment necessary. $25. Alabama Holistic Health, 204 Lowe Ave SE, Ste 3, Huntsville. 256801-9162. ALHolisticHealth.com.

Prenatal Yoga – 5:15-6:15pm. Perfect for pregnant and new moms, this 60-minute class builds strength and endurance, increases flexibility, and helps the mother-to-be prepare for birth. Taught by Marcy Evans RN, BSN. The Yoga Center of Huntsville, 500 E Pratt Ave. YogaCenterOfHuntsville.com.

tuesday Latham Farmers Market – 3-6pm. Buy from farmers who sell the fruit, vegetables, meat, and poultry grown on their own farms. Latham United Methodist Church, 109 Weatherly Rd SE, Huntsville. LathamFarmersMarket.com.

Meditation – 6pm. Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, Huntsville. 256-883-8596. CSLHuntsville.org.

BodyFlow – 6-7pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Yoga/Pilates/Tai Chi-based exercise class that

builds strength, tones your body and leaves you feeling centered and calm. Part of the Les Mills Fitness Program. $10/class and no contract. New participants are always welcome. Madison Ballroom, 9076 Madison Blvd, Suite E, Madison, AL. 256-461-1900. MadisonBallroom.com.

Military Stress Acupuncture Clinic – 6:30-8pm.

For active duty and veterans with Military Stress, PTSS, PTSD. Acupuncturists and massage therapists available to relieve stress or pain. Donation only.

Alabama Holistic Health, 204 Lowe Ave, SE, Ste 3, Huntsville. 256-801-9162. ALHolisticHealth.com.

wednesday A Course in Miracles Class – 6:15-7:45pm.

Unity Church on the Mountain, 1328 Governors Dr SE, Huntsville. 256-536-2271. UnityOnThe Mountain.org.

Satsang – 6:30pm. Through group discussion and inquiry, we reveal the innate wisdom of the one presence living life as each one of us. Meditation 6pm.

Led by Rev. David Leonard. Center for Spiritual Living, 308 Lily Flagg Rd, Huntsville. 256-8838596. CSL-Huntsville.org.

thursday Winchester Rd Farmers Market – 4-7pm. Local Farmers sell local fresh produce, vegetables, herbs, flowers, dairy, meats, eggs, bakery items, and much more. GracePointe Church, 2940 Winchester Rd, New Market, AL. The Greene Street Market – 4-8pm. Downtown Huntsville’s open-air market for fresh, locally grown vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers. Local produce, grass fed beef and pork, free range chickens and eggs, and more. Local artisans. Eustis Ave between Greene and Franklin Streets.

Youth Group – 6:30-7:30pm, 2nd Thursday of each month. 10 years old and up. Snack provided. Bring friends! Parents welcome, too! Unity Church on the Mountain, 1328 Governors Dr SE, Huntsville. Info: contact Amy Landrenau, AmyLandrenau@aol.com.

Madison City Farmers Market – 8am-12pm.

Fresh, quality produce, food products, and handcrafted items, all grown or made in the Tennessee Valley. Trinity Baptist Church, 1088 Hughes Rd, Madison, Alabama 35758. 256-656-7841.

Lowe Mill’s Open Air Market – 9am-1pm. Shop local farmers, artisans, and makers for your organic vegetables, handmade jams jellies and cheeses, and more. All products produced or grown within 125 miles of Lowe Mill. Free. Lowe Mill, North Parking Lot, 2211 Seminole Dr, Huntsville. 256-533-0399.

Artist Market – 12-4pm. Local artists and others are invited to set up a booth and sell their wares to the public. There will be art, jewelry, vintage clothing, records and more for sale. Admission free. Flying Monkey Arts Center at Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Dr, Huntsville.

Crystal Light Bed Sessions – 1-4pm. A 20-minute crystal light bed session that will relax, de-stress, balance and re-energize your energy system. $20.

Dream Maker, 4004 Triana Blvd, Huntsville. 256883-8446. Facebook.com/DreamMakerHuntsville.

Community HU Song – 1:30-2pm. Join others in singing HU, an ancient love song to God that can help and uplift you in countless ways. Held each Saturday (except 7/2). Huntsville ECK Center, 900 Wellman Ave NE #3 (near Five Points). 256-5341751. Eck-Alabama.org.

Ballroom Dance Party – 7:30-10pm. Beginner group class 7:30-8pm, introduction to different ballroom dances each week. Practice dance party 8-10pm, for all levels of dancers. No partner needed. $10/person for group class and party. Madison Ballroom, 9076 Madison Blvd Suites C/D, Madison, AL. 256-461-1900. MadisonBallroom.com.

classifieds Fee for classifieds is $1 per word per month.

To place listing, email content to Editor@ Natvalley.com. Deadline is the 10th of the month.

HEALTH COOKWARE SALADMASTER sales and service. 256-412-4896.

natural awakenings

July 2016

29

communityresourceguide Connecting you to the leaders in natural healthcare and green living in our community. Email Editor@Natvalley.com to request our media kit.

ACUPUNCTURE ALABAMA HOLISTIC HEALTH, LLC Dr. Christina L. Berry, Ed.D., ACI, ADS 204 Lowe Ave, Suite 3, Huntsville Info@ALHolisticHealth.com 256-801-9162

A holistic approach to health and wellness, specializing in pain management, weight loss, natural detoxification, and mental health improvement. Auriculotherapy/ Ear acupuncture. Massage therapy. Reflexology. Lifestyle consulting. Diet and supplement recommendations. Hydro-colon cleanse. Ionic detox.

See ad, page 21.

THE NEELEY CENTER FOR HEALTH

600 Saint Clair Avenue SW, Bldg 5 Suite 11 Huntsville, AL 35801 256-716-4048 Hours: T-F, 9am-5pm, Sat 8am-12pm House calls by Appointment Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Chinese Herbology, Pastoral Counseling, Beam Ray Therapy, Rapid Eye Technology, Emotion Code Technique, Nutritional Supplementation, Detoxification, BioMat.

CHIROPRACTOR DR. JAMIE BUNIS, DC

Dr. Jamie’s Wellness Center 917 Merchant’s Walk, Ste A, Huntsville 256-434-7977 DrJamiesWellnessCenter.com Comprehensive chiropractic and wellness services. Applied Nutritional Analysis Testing (ANA) and nutritional counseling.

Standard Process® high-grade nutritional supplements.

Aromatherapy. Essential oils.

Detoxification. Multiple styles of massage, including Qi-ssage. Free educational classes on many healing modalities. Located behind Whole Foods. See ad, page 24.

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Tennessee Valley

COLON HYDROTHERAPY HOPE FOR LIFE COLONICS

Tina Pencola Owner/Certified Colon Hydrotherapist 10300 Bailey Cove Rd, Suite-7A Huntsville, AL 35803 256-270-8731 • 256-684-0020 Hope4LifeAL.com Tina.HopeForLife@outlook.com Our goal is to live long and live strong. Young or old, male or female, healthy or sick, will benefit from an internal cleansing. Mention this ad and get $10 off your first colonic session. See ad, page 6.

JARVIS NATURAL HEALTH CLINIC 1489 Slaughter Road, Madison 256-837-3448

I-ACT Certified Colon Hydro Therapists. Do you know that 80% of your immune system is in your colon? Bathe your body from the inside to improve health. Colon irrigation aids in soothing and toning the colon, which makes elimination more effective.

ESSENTIAL OILS CINDY WILSON

Young Living Independent Distributor 256-476-6537 Cindy@AlabamaAwakenings.com Want to know why everyone is talking about essential oils?

Learn more about essential oils, their uses and how to safely use them. Classes held monthly or schedule your class with friends and family. For more information call or email.

FAMILY MEDICINE MADISON FAMILY CARE

Chad Gilliam, M.M.S. PA-C 1230 Slaughter Road, Suite C, Madison, AL 256-722-0555 MadisonFamilyCare.com Madison Family Care provides medical care for patients of all ages and uniquely blends Natural and Prescription medicines together to help speed the patient’s recovery. Madison Family Care is the patient’s clinic of choice when they would like to understand how natural medicines work along with prescription drugs. See ad, page 32.

Facebook.com/natvalley

FENG SHUI FENG SHUI BY TRUDI GARDNER Trudi Gardner, M.S. 256-772-6999 Tygard2000@aol.com

An interior design philosophy that invites serenity and reduces stress. Feng Shui design concepts brings positive energy into your home and office to encourage Prosperity, Well Being, Harmony, and Balance.

FOOT CARE SPECIALIZED NAIL CARE

1900 Flint Rd SE Decatur, AL 35601 256-476-6537 Cindy@SpecializedNailCare.com Nail care for those that need more than just a pedicure.

Physicians order required for care. Care includes footbath, trimming nails, thinning of thick nails, and removal of calluses and corns. For more information call or email. See ad, page 11.

HAIR SALON CJ HAIR AND ART STUDIO

CJ Denison 105E Church St Madison, AL 35758 • 256-603-9018 Specializing in N AT U R A L Hairstyles.

Cuts with Texture and Movement. Specializing in Fine Hair, Razor cuts, Men's Hair Pieces with A NATURAL Look. Specializing in Hair Color OFF the Scalp. Hair Painting. A Safer way to Color or HiLight Your Hair to Help in Decreasing the Exposure to the Scalp. HEALTHY HAIR is HAPPY HAIR. Also Original Art Work and Private Art lessons available. Call Today for YOUR Appointment.

HEALTH & FITNESS HEAD-TO-TOE TRAINING 8006 Madison Pike, Ste 5 Madison, AL • 256-772-2006 HeadToToe@knology.net Head-To-Toe.com

A Mind/Body Training Center specializing in Core Training, Corrective and Therapeutic.

Offering all facets of training: group and personal. Pilates (both matwork and apparatus), Thai/yoga massage, Flowmotion, PilatEASE, CoreABS and more! Membership packages available.

HOMEOPATHIC CONSULTANT JOAN SCOTT LOWE

1901 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. South Birmingham, AL 35209 205-871-1288 Joan@HomeopathyForWellness.com HomeopathyForWellness.com Call or email Joan Scott Lowe, Homeopathic Wellness Consultant, to determine your individual constitutional remedy, the FDA-approved nontoxic homeopathic remedy based on the totality of your mental, emotional, and physical condition, chosen according to the Law of Similars (“like heals like”).

Achieve wellness and freedom from illness!

HYPNOTHERAPY MARSHA MATHES

Certified Hypnotist 3313 Memorial Parkway, Ste 116 Huntsville, AL 35801 256-698-2151 MarshaMathes.SkinCareTherapy.net Hypnosis is a tool to assist you in countless ways to heal your past, empower your present and create your future. Hypnobirthing classes, quit smoking, weight loss, nail and lip biting, teeth grinding, insomnia, anxiety and stress relief, phobias and fears, pain relief, sports enhancement, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), current and past life regressions.

MASSAGE THERAPY RON GRAY, LMT #36

The Dream Maker 4004 Triana Blvd SW, Huntsville 256-883-8446

Chi of Life Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, LLC 614 Madison St, Ste #4, Huntsville 256-812-1284 • BodyWorkByJL@gmail.com ChiOfLife.MassageTherapy.com Assisting your well-being and recovery from discomfort and injury using a variety of Swedish, deep-tissue and neuro-muscular techniques. Energy-based work including Reiki and Reflexology.

All services performed in a caring, secure environment. Limited outcall available.

NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE ASSOCIATES

REIKI LIGHT JOURNEY REIKI

Barbara Caioli, RM 7500 Memorial Pkwy SW, Ste 114 Huntsville AL • 256-716-8419 LightJourneyReiki.com Reiki refers to the universal life force energy that is found in everything. Reiki works through gentle, focused touch or intention for the purpose of healing and balance. Light Journey Reiki offers healings as wells as Certification Workshops.

See ad, page 9.

STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION

Dr. Deb Gilliam, N.M.D. 1230 Slaughter Rd, Ste E, Madison, AL 256-325-0955

JACI HOGUE

Dr. Deb treats a variety of health problems using natural means.

She looks for why people have symptoms and treats the root cause of those symptoms. Dr. Deb is highly regarded in the integrative and natural approach to wellness. Every patent is unique, and she individualizes treatment for their optimal wellness. See ad, page 11.

A complete system of body education that balances the physical body, improves posture, and helps resolve chronic pain.

Created by Dr. Ida P. Rolf in the 1950s, Structural Integration has been scientifically validated and has withstood the test of time, as millions of people have enjoyed the remarkable benefits.

256-656-4108 JaciHogue@gmail.com

SUSAN K. JEFFREYS

NUTRITION COUNSELING & HEALTHY COOKING HEAD 2 TOE CHANGE, LLC

Dana Sims, BS, MA, Plant-Based Nutrition, Certified Wholistic Rejuvenist (CWR) 204 Lowe Ave, Suite 3, Huntsville 256-323-1265 • Head2ToeChange.net Healthy Shopping/Label Reading.

Learn Foods to Avoid Pain/ Inflammation; Chemical Cuisine: Do You REALLY Know What You’re Eating? by Dr. Gloria Gilbere. Individualized meal plans prepared for people who have a specific diagnosis and require strict dietary needs.

©2011 HOWARD L. BINGHAM

Over 24 years experience providing an original mix of massage therapy modalities including Polarity Therapy, Craniosacral Therapy, Energy Balancing, Neuromuscular, Deep Tissue, Myofascial Therapy, Reiki, and Lymphatic Drainage.

Works in harmony with the body’s inner wisdom, gently guiding your session with integrity, intuition and skill. See ad, page 23.

J. L. JONES, LMT, AL #3610

Advanced Practitioner Lic.#249 Dr. Ida P. ROLF method 525 Fountain Row 256-508-3351 • RolfGuild.org Serving Huntsville since 1995 “When the body gets working appropriately, then the force of gravity can flow through. Then spontaneously, the body heals itself.” —Ida P. Rolf. See ad, page 23.

What can one person do?

Nelson Mandela

INSPIRATION

natural awakenings

July 2016

31

Age Healthier, Live Happier!

Check for the Seal to make sure your doctor is a

GIVE YOUR BODY WHAT IT NEEDS: Bioidentical Hormone Pellet Therapy for Women & Men • Regain energy, muscle strength and greater ability to lose weight • Increase mental clarity Financing • Feel younger and happier again Available • Increase quality of life while preventing age-related illness For more information on hormones, visit

BHRTvideos.com

$200 Coupon Valid only for new patients

MADISON FAMILY CARE and WELLNESS CENTER

Chad Gilliam, M.M.S., PA-C • Dr. Gary Adams, M.D. 1230 Slaughter Rd, Suite C • Madison, AL 35758

256-722-0555 • MadisonFamilyCare.com This coupon covers your initial hormone consultation, examination, and lab work!

Mention this month’s issue of Natural Awakenings when you call to make your appointment.

We hope to see you at Holistic Huntsville 2016 on July 30!

HolisticHuntsville.com

A U G

YOUTH – THE NEXT GUARDIANS OF THE EARTH

Give Them the Tools They Need Advertise your products and services in Natural Awakenings’

Empowering Youth and Creativity Issue To advertise or participate in our next issue, call 256-808-8044