Natural Awakenings Charlotte - July 2022 Issue

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THE HEALTHY FOOD MOVEMENT SUMMER TREATS TO BEAT THE HEAT CREATE A POLLINATORFRIENDLY YARD July 2022 | Charlotte Edition | AwakeningCharlotte.com

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Healthcare with a holistic approach NorthEast Internal & Integrative Medicine combines traditional primary care with evidence-based, alternative medicine therapies to promote wellness.

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July 2022

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(silver fillings) are removed using safe accredited protective protocols.

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Julia Simon, owner of Nourish Charlotte and Plant Joy, with a Beginners Guide to Going Plant-Based July 2022

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letter from publisher

Happy Dog Days

T

his month’s Natural Pet article, “Canine Calm: Anti-Anxiety Tips for Dogs,” which can be found at www.AwakeningCharlotte.com, reminded me of the dogs I’ve had that hated the Fourth of July. In fact my daughter was right there with them. Ever since I can remember, she’s hated loud noises; she covers her ears with her hands if she even thinks one is coming. I’ve always loved watching fireworks on the Fourth and still have fond memories of exactly where I watched the best shows, so I can’t relate. But I do understand that some of my pets were completely traumatized by the noise and that my daughter would rather skip the show altogether and stay inside.

The article lists several suggestions for soothing an anxious dog’s nerves, but my favorites are the ThunderShirt and the Anxiety Wrap, both of which are tight-fitting pressure vests. (Our Lab would have looked great in one!) I remember trying a weighted blanket once and feeling so relaxed and comforted with it on. Another suggestion is to speak with your pet—not just saying, “Goodbye,” but having a conversation, like “Goodbye, I have to go to work right now, but I’ll be home in four hours and we’ll go for a walk.” I can just see our German Shepherd tipping her head like she understood. I plan to implement these strategies with my next pet. I also can’t help but wonder if the pressure vest would work with my daughter, as it would be so nice to have her join us to view fireworks. I suspect not.

Wishing you and your entire family—pets and all—an enjoyable Fourth of July and a great month of July in general,

National Advertising Doyle-Mitchell Administrative Assistant Anne-Marie Ryan

Shannon

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Contents

Natural Awakenings is a family of 50+ healthy living magazines celebrating 27 years of providing the communities we serve with the tools and resources we all need to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet.

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14 THE HEALTHY FOOD MOVEMENT

18

Pandemic Trends are Shaping Better Local Food Systems

18 FLOWER POWER

Edible Blooms Add Flavor and Color to Summer Fare

22 COOL TREATS FOR HOT DAYS

DIY Recipes Even Kids Can Make

22

26 POLLINATOR HAVEN Create a Toxin-Free Yard for Critical Critters

ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 704-499-3327 or email Ads@AwakeningCharlotte.com. Deadline for ads: the 9th of the month.

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Email articles, news items and ideas to: Publisher@ AwakeningCharlotte.com. Deadline for editorial: the 9th of the month.

DEPARTMENTS 8 news briefs 12 global briefs 13 health briefs 18 conscious eating 22 healthy kids 26 green living 28 resource guide 31 gaston county

26

natural guide

31 classifieds

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Submit Calendar Events on AwakeningCharlotte.com.

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Visit www.AwakeningCharlotte.com for 2022 Event Calendar July 2022

7

news briefs

Okra Hosts 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training

Free Informative Webinar with Dr. Rajal Patel of WellcomeMD

W

he Soulful School of Yoga’s 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training, led by Dr. Felicia Hall, will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. on Fridays and 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays on August 26 to 28, September 9 to 11 and 23 to 25, October 21 to 23, November 11 to 13 and December 2 to 4 and 16 to 18, at the Okra Yoga Studio, in Charlotte. The course will educate on the importance of integrating the mind, body and soul within the practice of yoga and within our lives as it will dive deep into the history, philosophy, asana, anatomic biomechanics and sequencing of yoga.

Hall, an educator, healer and motivator at heart, is a Certified Athletic Trainer, Holistic Health Educator, 500 RYT and Yoga Practitioner. Having dedicated over 20 years to helping others heal and become the best version of themselves through resetting the way they think, redefining the way they move and renewing the way they feel, she developed the Soulful School of Yoga to help others come back to their soul through the practice of yoga.

ellcomeMD will present a free, informative Zoom webinar event on its Concierge 2.0 medicine program at 12:30 p.m. on July 13.

Participants will discover a great way to experience health care and learn how to achieve optimal health.

Topics will include the challenges posed by the traditional healthcare system for both the patient and physician; advanced testing and personalized medicine, and the benefits that this combination unlocks; how lifestyle medicine helps us feel better today and age better tomorrow; and a Q-and-A with Dr. Rajal Patel.

WellcomeMD is a Concierge Medicine practice that provides the personal relationship with their physicians that was once commonplace while taking advantage of the many advances in treatment and technology with doctors, such as Patel based in their Mooresville office, who uses an integrative, functional approach. Members experience medicine that is both more personal and more effective.

“Traditional Western medicine is too busy putting BandAids on everything,” explains Patel, who earned her dual Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health degrees from the University of Michigan, and who is proficient in all areas of primary care. “Doctors don’t have the time to sit down and actually listen and figure out what’s going on with a patient.”

Cost: $2,599. A payment plan option is also available. Space is limited to 15 to maintain integrity of the studies and ensure that everyone receives an abundance of personal attention. Location: 1912 Commonwealth Ave. For more information or to register, call 704-266-1443 or visit www.OkraCharlotte.com. See ad, page 3.

For more information or to RSVP for webinar, visit www.WellcomeMD.com/events. Locations: 8035 Providence Rd., Ste. B in Charlotte and 150 Fairview Rd., Ste. 325 in Mooresville.

Also call 980-294-4937 or email infoCharlotte@WellcomeMD.com or infoMooresville@WellcomeMD.com.See ad, page 2.

T

Excess Acidity Starts With What You Eat And Drink Symptoms such as heartburn, gout and indigestion often stem from excess acidity in the body.

Multiforce is formulated with the aim of providing a sustainable response to the root cause – excess acidity Scan to purchase Free Shipping when ordered on Multiforce website www.multiforcehealth.com 8

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coming in august

Self-Empowerment

Unity of Charlotte Presents More Senior Minister Candidates

Now Open

U

nity of Charlotte will present two leading candidates for the position of Senior Minister: Rev. Jim Ernstsen and Rev. Lisa Herklotz. They will host the Sunday Service at 9:30 a.m., and then participate in a workshop at 11 a.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott, 6023 Park South Drive in South Park, on July 24.

Unity of Charlotte has been seeking candidates to fill the position of Senior Minister since 2019. The married couple is the fourth set of candidates to meet with the community in a series of in-person services and workshops.

The couple, co-ministers in St. Cloud, Minnesota, from where they have previously conducted services for Unity of Charlotte via Zoom, are considering a move to Charlotte.

Unity of Charlotte location: 401 East Arrowood Rd. (Sunday Service is live and via Zoom). For more information or to sign up for their weekly newsletter, visit www.UnityOfCharlotte.org. See CRG, page 30.

Town Hall Meeting on Compass Integrative Health Center

The only Yoga, Meditation and Pranic Healing Center directly north of Charlotte in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains

Retreat for an Hour, a Day or a Weekend April-October. *Open all year for Virtual events

Offering 2 day weekend Pranic Healing courses

Certified Senior Pranic Healing Instructors Dr. Kenneth Williams Connie Williams, M.Ed.

• Seasonal Pranic Healing Courses April-October • Half and Full Day Retreats • Reduce stress and anxiety

Contact Us: 850-380-0561

BlueUnicornRetreat@gmail.com 152 N. Main St. Hillsville, VA 24343 www.BlueUnicorn.PlanetaryPeace.com

C

ammy Benton, M.D., ABIHM, IFMCP and owner of Benton Integrative Medicine, will lead a Compass Integrative Health Center (CIHC) Town Hall Meeting on July 20 on Zoom. She’ll provide an update on the progress toward completion of the facility and also let attendees know how they can help and what our next steps are to making this dream a reality.

CIHC is a nonprofit that Benton launched to ultimately build a new type of hospital that approaches illness with compassion using both traditional and integrative treatments to improve overall health. It’ll provide services such as telemedicine, urgent care, inpatient and outpatient care, birthing center, physical rehab, biohacking lab and medical research center and include a spiritual center and greenhouse/garden.

Along with traditional medicine, the center will use complementary therapies such as nutrition, acupuncture, chiropractic, sound healing, aromatherapy, craniosacral, light therapy, energy and spiritual medicine to treat patients.

“The ultimate goal is to open the first Integrative Hospital in the U.S. right here in the Charlotte area,” she enthuses.

To register for the July 20 Town Hall Meeting, visit www.BentonIntegrative.com/Events. For more information, to donate or volunteer, visit www.CompassIntegrativeHealth.com, call 704-775-6029 or email info@BentonIntegrative.com. See ad, page 25.

July 2022

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news briefs

IVY Integrative Offers Wide Array of Holistic Health Services

D

r. Chelsea Leander, Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Herbalist, Certified Bowen therapist and owner of IVY Integrative, launched the holistic clinic now in South End of Charlotte two years ago.

“Born out of COVID-19, an array of research-based practitioners joined forces to provide integrative health care all under one roof! Finally,” she says.

Other services offered in addition to those Leander is certified in include acupuncture, chiropractic, counseling and psychotherapy, perinatal care, endocrinology and medical

aesthetics, esthetics, herbal medicine, reiki, art therapy, massage and bodywork therapy, facials along with hormone replacement, nutritional and physical therapy.

Further, this beautiful, bright clinic prides itself on being affordable. They offer integrative packages, memberships and à la carte plans with finance options to facilitate treatment across an array of practitioners. “And it gets even better,” adds Leander. “You get to build your own holistic team,” which can start by arranging for a free meet-and-greet session for guidance on formulating a personalized health plan.

“It’s time to simplify life again,” she says. “Having a one-stop shop for all of our holistic health care needs doesn’t get easier than IVY.” Location: 1520 South Blvd., Ste. 228. For more information or to arrange for a free initial consult, call 704-569-5489, email info@IVYIntegrative.com or visit www.IVYIntegrative.com.

See ad, page 15.

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July 2022

11

Native Wisdom

global briefs

Robbie Girling, an associate professor of agroecology, and other researchers at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology at the University of Reading and the University of Birmingham discovered that air pollutants can confuse pollinators that use odors to navigate and move around and communicate. A study they published in Environmental Pollution shows that ozone and diesel exhaust significantly reduce the presence of pollinators, the number of times pollinators visit plants and how many seeds the plants produce. James Ryalls, one of the authors of the study, says, “Some bugs might get the first sniff when chemical compounds from a flower land on their antennae. They then follow that odor plume like a treasure map back to the plant.”

After feeding, Girling says insects such as honeybees learn which compounds lead to the tastiest flowers and return to them. But ozone and diesel exhaust can muddy those perfumes. “The [pollutants] can degrade the signal that they use, so they might not be able to find the flower anymore. Insects are under a lot of pressure at the moment from human influence, and when you start to push at things from all different directions, at some point, they can’t stand up to it. And they collapse.”

The former Loring Airforce Base, in Limestone, Maine, on the Canadian border, closed in 2007, is now owned by the Aroostook Band of Micmacs. The superfund site is so polluted that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency gave it a waiver, deeming it technically impractical to clean, being loaded with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), cancer-causing compounds commonly known as “forever chemicals." PFAS tend to bioaccumulate, building up in soil, water, animals and humans; they can persist for hundreds or thousands of years and have been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, liver damage and suppressed immunity.

In the spring of 2019, the Micmac Nation, nonprofit Upland Grassroots and their research partners began an experiment. Hemp is a good candidate for phytoremediation because it grows fast across much of the country. Its roots are deep and profuse to better absorb pollutants from the soil. By 2020, researchers discovered that the hemp plants were successfully sucking PFAS out of the contaminated soil via phytoremediation and hope that their example may help farmers that have discovered their soil is tainted. Micmac Chief Edward Peter-Paul says, “Anything we can do to contribute to making the environment better, we want to be a part of.”

JJ Gouin/AdobeStock.com

Polluted Air Stumps Bees and Butterflies

canva.com

Flawed Fragrance

Indigenous Efforts Use Hemp to Remove Forever Chemicals From Superfund Site

Chow Time

Attitudes Changing Toward Animal Rights

Image'in/AdobeStock.com

A new survey by the University of Exeter published in Social Psychological and Personality Science shows that children differ dramatically from adults in their moral views on animals. Researchers asked a group of 479 children and adults ages 9 to 11, 18 to 21 and 29 to 59 about the moral status and treatment of farm animals (pigs), pets (dogs) and people. The youngest participants said that farm animals should be treated the same as people and pets, and think eating animals is less morally acceptable than do adults. The two older groups held more traditional views.

The findings suggest that speciesism, the moral imperative that gives different value to different animals, is learned as we become socialized. Dr. Luke McGuire says, “Humans’ relationship with animals is full of ethical double standards. Some animals are beloved household companions while others are kept in factory farms for economic benefit. Dogs are our friends, pigs are food.”

McGuire notes, “If we want people to move towards more plant-based diets for environmental reasons, we have to disrupt the current system somewhere. For example, if children ate more plant-based food in schools, that might be more in line with their moral values, and might reduce the normalisation towards adult values that we identify in this study.”

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Charlotte Edition

AwakeningCharlotte.com

health briefs

Eat Grains to Reduce Inflammation and Liver Disease Risk

Polina Tankilevitch/Pexels.com

Although most Americans eat only one-third of the recommended amount, nutrient-rich, whole grains already have been shown to play a key role in safeguarding against obesity and metabolic syndrome. Two new studies establish their positive effect on cardiovascular and liver health, as well. Researchers from Columbia University that followed 4,125 older adults for 25 years found that lower inflammation and fewer cardiovascular incidents were correlated with higher amounts of fiber in the diet— particularly from wheat, barley, oats and other grains—rather than from fruits and vegetables. And a Chinese study in The Journal of Nutrition Researchers tested the blood of 1,880 people, half of which had nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, to look for markers of whole grain consumption. The subjects that ate more whole grains had a significantly reduced risk of developing the liver disease.

Don’t Assume Selfies Show True Facial Features

Polina Tankilevitch/Pexels.com

The more than 100 million cell phone selfies taken every day have produced an unanticipated outcome: a documented uptick in plastic surgery. Younger women in particular are increasingly showing cosmetic surgeons their selfies to demonstrate why they want to change the size or shape of their nose, but these concerns may be based on a distorted perception because selfies distort facial features, say researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern.

In their study involving 30 subjects, they took one photo 12 inches from the face with the arm bent and another at 18 inches with the arm straight. When comparing the 12-inch selfies against a third photo taken five feet away, the researchers found that, on average, the nose appeared over 6 percent longer and the chin seemed 12 percent shorter.

This created a distortion total of over 17 percent in the nose-to-chin ratio.

Selfies also made the base of the nose appear wider relative to the width of the face. “If young people are using selfies as their only guide, they may be coming to plastic surgeons to fix problems that don’t exist except in the world of social media,” says study leader Bardia Amirlak, M.D. July 2022

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THE HEALTHY FOOD MOVEMENT Pandemic Trends are Shaping Better Local Food Systems

Prostock-studio/AdobeStock.com

by Bob Benenson

L

ike so much else on the planet, the two-year coronavirus pandemic turned the health food world upside-down. “I found myself thinking real dystopian and wondering if people would be able to survive if grocery stores crumbled,” recalls Diana Mondragón, of Rockford, Illinois.

“That scary thought train reminded me that I want to learn how to be more self-sustainable.” Her once-occasional drop-bys to farmers markets are now an essential weekly ritual. “I want to support local farmers and food producers to help communities grow stronger and healthier,” she says.

When the long supply chains of the conventional food system became disrupted, many Americans found themselves feeling insecure about food availability for the first time in their lives. The industrialized food system that had operated so efficiently for many generations had relied on long and complicated supply links; when they broke down or became gridlocked, the result was empty supermarket shelves and long waits for home deliveries.

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Charlotte Edition

Add the economic repercussions and job losses, and about one in nine households lacked enough nutritious food to sustain a healthy life, report researchers from New York University.

Faced with the system’s shortcomings, a noteworthy outcome has been a surge in demand for healthier food production using sustainable and humane practices.

Unable to drop by a nearby grocery store and get whatever they wanted whenever they wanted it, many consumers began buying locally grown produce for both practical and environmental reasons. After two high-growth decades, farmers markets initially took a hit during pandemic closures, but they have since bounced back with renewed energy. A wide range of innovative solutions are being pursued by ecommerce entrepreneurs and food-equity advocates to get healthier local food into more hands and more neighborhoods.

Surging Concerns Sales of natural and organic products in the U.S. grew by about 10 percent in 2020, the year of the COVID-19 outbreak, and

AwakeningCharlotte.com

by another 8 percent in 2021, reports SPINS, a Chicago-based data research firm, in Nutrition Business Journal. Sales growth in that sector was six to seven times larger than for conventional products, which experienced barely any sales growth at all.

Helping spur the trend, cheap food at supermarkets isn’t so cheap anymore, making organic food look better by comparison. The research company Data Weave reported in March that conventional food prices jumped by 11 percent in the previous 12 months of the pandemic, while prices for organic food increased by a relatively modest 2 to 4 percent.

The price pressures on conventional food “will continue to go up rapidly,” says Matt Tortora, co-founder of WhatsGood, a Rhode Island-based food e-commerce company. “The war between Russia and Ukraine is going to exacerbate that issue.

And it seems like most of what’s going on in the world is going to affect our global supply chains even further, and in more profound ways than just our gas pump.”

Prostock-studio/AdobeStock.com

Food-to-Table Creativity

The dominance of supermarkets and big-box stores in the years following World War II greatly diminished supply and demand of farm-fresh local food.

A back-to-the-future trend that started taking hold a generation ago spurred a five-fold increase in the number of farmers markets across the nation, along with a proliferation of farms selling community supported agriculture subscriptions that delivered weekly batches of fresh produce to members. These increased sales enabled many small farmers to offset the body blow from business lost due to pandemic-related restaurant shutdowns; a number of them thrived, with record sales.

The signs for the 2022 outdoor market season have been encouraging. Green City Market, widely regarded as Chicago’s premier farmers market, reported more than 13,000 visitors in a six-hour span on May 7, even though the weather was still on the cool side and few spring crops were in season after a chilly and wet April.

At the same time, a previously littleused conduit for local health food sales— e-commerce—shows signs of spurring long-term growth. Some individual producers nimbly built out their webbased product sales by also providing home delivery, previously a rarity in the local food scene. For example, the e-commerce site Avrom Farm (AvromFarm.com), of Ripon, Wisconsin, sells not only its own products, but also goods from other farmers, and Three

FREE MEET & GREETS!

Acupuncture | Bowen | Chiropractic Counseling | Art Therapy | Perinatal Care Endocrinology | Medical Aesthetics Physical Therapy | Nutrition | Massage Naturopathy | Herbal Medicine 704.569.5489

| www.IVYIntegrative.com July 2022

15

Sisters Garden, of Kankakee, Illinois, which raises specialty vegetables, has converted entirely to e-commerce and home delivery.

Taking this concept to the next level is WhatsGood, which in 2014 began providing home delivery and pickup services for farmers markets in several cities. In the pandemic, the company became a lifeline to connect farmers with consumers at a time when stay-at-home orders and social distancing concerns

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Charlotte Edition

hampered or closed farmers markets.

Late last year, WhatsGood introduced a new business model that bypasses farmers markets to allow consumers to order goods online directly from farmers for home delivery. SourceWhatsGood. com now operates in 21 states. Tortora estimates that demand for local food is about 12 times greater than it was before the pandemic, even as supermarkets again start stocking more faraway-grown, conventional produce.

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Even Better for the Planet While the pandemic created a sense of urgency about healthier eating, it also elevated concerns about the health of the living environment. An April 2022 study issued by New York University’s Stern Center for Sustainable Business found that products specifically marketed as sustainable had a 17 percent share of the market for consumer-packaged goods, up from 13.3 percent in 2015. Nearly half of all products introduced in 2021 touted sustainability benefits, up from 28 percent in 2017. Organic food sales in 2021 amounted to $51 billion; 30 years earlier, that market was estimated at a mere $1 billion, says the SPINS report.

Now there is growing support to take stewardship of the land to the next level through regenerative agriculture practices which focus on building and maintaining the health and biological vitality of the nation’s soils, and in some cases, means restoring soils stripped of their vitality by conventional farming practices. It has been most heavily promoted by the Rodale Institute, based in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, which has developed standards for a Regenerative Organic Certified food label.

The sustainability issue resonates deeply with people like Katlin Smith, founder and CEO of Chicago-based Simple Mills, a 10-year-old company that’s widely recognized as the preeminent natural baking mix brand nationally. “I started the company after seeing what a huge impact food has on all of our bodies, and I realized how much we had processed the heck out of our food. And it was really undermining people’s health,” she says.

In the last two years, the company has expanded its focus to work with farmers to improve soil health and biodiversity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

It recently joined forces with the frozen smoothie company Daily Harvest and gluten-free frozen pizza maker Capello’s to advance regenerative soil practices in almond growing. “Regenerative agriculture is really just growing food in a way that leans into nature and builds a healthy ecosystem for all who are involved,” says Smith.

Supplying Underserved Communities Local food communities around the country are also playing an increasingly dynamic role in addressing food equity, access and security issues. Less than a decade ago, fewer than half of all farmers markets nationwide accepted federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for purchases. Today, backed

by U.S. Department of Agriculture funding, most do, with many markets accepting state-backed debit cards. To further increase access to locally produced food for lower-income families, many states provide matching shopping funds up to a certain limit, as do programs run by nonprofit organizations such as California’s Market Match and Double Up Bucks, run by the Michigan Fair Food Network.

To get healthy produce to people that live in urban “food deserts,” nonprofits are pioneering creative approaches. The Urban Growers Collective operates eight farms on 11 acres of land on Chicago’s Southside that combine education, training and leadership development with the growth of organic crops, which are then driven in a “Fresh Moves” bus to local community and health centers, and churches. Founded by food justice advocates Laurell Sims and Erika Allen, the Collective worked with a coalition of nonprofits during the pandemic to deliver boxes of free food to households in underserved neighborhoods across the city. The pandemic “forced us to do some of the things we’d been talking about, but said we don’t have time yet. We just dived in,” Sims says.

The dramatic impact of the COVID-19 crisis drove up local interest in the Collective’s community gardens, with the number of volunteers jumping from 10 to 50. “It made a lot of people realize this ain’t no joke. People close to us were passing away,” says farm manager Malcolm Evans, who started volunteering for the Collective a decade ago as a teenager growing up in a nearby public housing project. “People wanted to really know how to grow food. We’ve been doing it for years, trying to bring this to folks’ attention. Everybody needs to understand food and know where it comes from.”

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conscious eating

Flower Power EDIBLE BLOOMS ADD FLAVOR AND COLOR TO SUMMER FARE

photo courtesy of Marie Viljoen

F

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ruits, leaves, stems and roots are commonly eaten as part of a plantbased, farm-to-table diet, but until recently, the only flowers on the table were in a vase. Today’s health-conscious foodies are finding edible flowers to be a fantastic way to eat the rainbow, adding fun flavors and colors to all sorts of dishes.

Urban homesteader Holly Capelle turned her family’s backyard in the Portland, Oregon, suburbs into expansive edible gardens, enjoyed by their flowereating chickens and children alike. “We grow everything from seed, including 15 to 20 edible flower varieties, from spring through fall,” says Capelle. “I love to grow edible flowers for two reasons: one, to eat, and second, for the natural pest control they provide. I think of flowers as a beautiful army that I can eat along the way.”

Capelle’s favorite edible flowers are pansies and violets, as they “pop up again and again all growing season and make a beautiful garnish without overpowering flavor.” The home gardener likes to freeze the fresh flowers in ice cubes, press them on the outside of herb butter or dry them between pieces of wax paper to later add to the tops of homemade chocolate bars, along with dehydrated strawberries, lemon balm, mint or other botanical flavors.

The family’s fowl get in on the flower fun, too. “We make frozen treats for the chickens out of edible flowers, corn and strawberries, which they love in summer.

We also add dried flowers like marigolds to their nesting boxes,” she says, adding that marigolds, with their bright orange hues and distinct flavor, are great in scrambled eggs or as a substitute for saffron.

photo courtesy of Jan Bell

by April Thompson

FLOWER SPRING ROLLS WITH TAMARIND AND PEANUT SAUCE

photo courtesy of Jan Bell

by Tara Lanich-LaBrie Spring rolls are a great way to eat all the fresh veggies, flowers and fruits of the season, and they look like little paintings with flowers on the outside and different colors and textures throughout. In the summer months, our bodies naturally gravitate toward eating more raw vegetables and fruits to cool our system and attune to the season of lightness. The grounding aspect in these petal rolls comes from the root veggies and the piquant, velvety peanut sauce. They are easy to make with whatever veggies and fruits we have on hand and are a great meal to take on the trail. Gather whatever ingredients sound delicious at the local market or farm, forage some delicacies if you have the time and put on your favorite music to inspire making these rolls.

Package of spring roll wrappers/rice wrappers 2-3 cucumbers or summer squash, cut into lengthwise strips Edible flowers (optional) such as scarlet begonias, nasturtiums, rose petals, calendula, dandelion petals, sweet alyssum, radish flowers, bachelor buttons, violets, violas or pea flowers 1 bunch mint (about 1 cup) 1 bunch cilantro (about 1 cup)

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Combination of fresh root vegetables in an assortment of colors, such as turnips, radishes and carrots, sliced in thin sticks Spinach, nasturtium leaves or other tender green leaves to create a background for your petals 1 avocado, sliced thin (optional) Asparagus, sliced in thin sticks Red pepper, sliced thin, lengthwise 10-oz pack of thin rice noodles Snap peas, purple or green, sliced lengthwise

All of these ingredients are recommendations or suggestions meant to inspire, but they are merely ideas. Use what is available. Spring rolls are excellent with almost any combination of fresh ingredients. I use a general framework of one-third each of crunchy or harder ingredients, like cucumber, squash, radish and carrot; softer ingredients like avocado, peach, mushroom and iceberg lettuce; and flowers, herbs, leaves such as rose petals, calendula, basil, mint and squash blossoms.

First, prep all the ingredients and set up a space to roll and see all of the ingredients. It isn’t necessary to cut everything perfectly, and tearing lettuces or other leaves is a great way to save time and create texture. I like to have my ingredients separated by type or color to create the rolls like a painting, using a palette.

Have a bowl with water that is large enough to dip the spring roll wrappers. Next to this, have a plate that is large enough to hold the wrappers. Have bowls or plates or a large cutting board with all the ingredients laid out to access everything easily and quickly.

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For larger blooms like sunflowers, Capelle recommends pulling off the often-hard centers. “I often see whole zinnias on edible cakes, but no one wants to eat an entire zinnia. With daisies, for example, I will pull off the petals and recreate the flower on top of a dish, using peppercorns or chocolate chips in place of the center,” she says.

Capelle also loves chamomile for its distinctive, apple-like flavor that has the “feel of fall,” and dianthus, with a slightly spicy taste like cloves. “Nasturtiums are another super defender in the garden, with a delicious peppery flavor and nice orange pop of color in a salad,” she adds.

“Flowers brighten any dish up, especially hors d’oeuvres, omelets and soups. Pea soup is an ugly soup, but sprinkle some microgreens and a viola on top and it’s beautiful,” says Jan Bell, of Gilbertie’s Organics, in Easton, Connecticut. The 34acre farm, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, grows herbs, vegetables and microgreens in 24 greenhouses, including a microgreen blend with nasturtium and viola flowers. “If you pick the flowers on herbs, the plant will grow better and last longer,” Bell adds.

Flowers like wild violets, chive blossoms and common milkweed can add bold color and flavor to vinegar with pinkish purple hues that power up salad dressings. Bell also likes to dry chive flowers to use year-round. “They are a nice purple sprinkle to add to dishes when things are boring in winter,” she says.

Marie Viljoen, a New York City forager, chef and author of the cookbook Forage, Harvest, Feast: A Wild-Inspired Cuisine, incorporates numerous wild and cultivated flowers, including tree flowers like magnolia and black locust, into her hyperlocal, seasonal meals.

Even common garden roses can add a delicious dimension to dishes and drinks, according to Viljoen. “I like to ferment roses into a simple soda, using organically grown rose petals, honey or sugar and tap water. It’s ready within a few days, or else you can leave to ferment a few months to make a sipping vinegar,” she says. “You can also combine really fragrant rose petals with a neutral honey like clover, then strain after a few days for a rose water essence you can add to yogurt or other dishes.” Viljoen also uses rose petals as edible garnishes for deviled eggs or as edible plates for goat cheese balls on her gourmet picnics.

Some flowers are for the eyes only, however. Many can be poisonous, so it’s important to ensure a particular species is edible before digging in. Viljoen also advises carefully distinguishing between poisonous lookalikes when foraging: A delicious daylily and a toxic true lily look similar, but are in different plant families, for example. She also says to look for organically grown flowers that haven’t been sprayed with pesticides.

Quickly dip a rice wrapper into the water and place it onto the plate. Add flowers or individual flower petals to the wrapper.

Layer the petals to about a half-inch of the edge of the wrapper.

There is really no wrong way to create these rolls.

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

For more information, visit @themedicinecircle on Instagram or TheMedicineCircle.com.

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Starting in the middle of the roll, on top of the petals and background leaves, make a line of crunchier or “harder” veggies like carrot, cucumber or radish sticks. Add up to nine sticks about two to three inches long each to make a line in the center. They can be close together and on top of one another.

Next, add softer veggies or fruit (peach/mango/mushrooms/ avocado) next to or on top of the line of harder veggies. Now sprinkle on the cilantro/mint/basil (roughly 1 to 2 tablespoons total per roll, unless you love these flavors and want to add more). Add leaves, lettuces, sprouts or spinach on top of this center line. It doesn’t need to be perfect at all, so let things spill out and over.

Try to work as quickly as possible while adding ingredients; it will get faster as you make them. Then begin to lift one side of the roll using both hands and carefully pull up into the center of the roll toward the line of filling. Use your thumb to tuck the ingredients under and your fingers to bring more of the wrapper across over the line and then roll it all so the top goes under. You will need a small amount of the wrapper clear of ingredients at the end so it can seal with the roll you have made. (I don’t tuck the sides at all because doing it this way is faster and generally holds together better.)

TAMARIND AND PEANUT SAUCE 1 cup crunchy peanut butter (no oils, sugar or additives) 1 can full-fat coconut milk 4 Tbsp maple syrup 2 Tbsp (heaping) tamarind paste 3 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated ½ tsp sea salt, to taste Sprinkle of cayenne pepper Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Heat on low and stir or whisk until all ingredients are blended well. If you like a thinner sauce, add water, a tablespoon at a time, but wait a few minutes until it is incorporated fully. Peanut sauce thickens more as it cools.

SPICY MAGNOLIA SALAD CUPS

Take Your Next Step To photo courtesy of Marie Viljoen

Better Health

YIELD: FOUR APPETIZER SERVINGS All magnolia petals have a strong, gingery flavor with a hint of cloves or menthol, depending on the variety. Blooming through summer, North American southern magnolia flowers (Magnolia grandiflora) are the size of dinner plates. Their substantial, fragrant petals make beautiful edible cups for assertively flavored salads or ceviche. Here, blandly creamy avocado, crisp peppery radish slices, quick-pickled onion and a kiss of high-quality soy sauce fill the luscious petals with complementary textures and flavors. Pick the whole petal up like a taco and bite to get the full effect in a mouthful.

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1 ripe avocado, cubed 3 radishes, very thinly sliced 2-3 Tbsp quick-pickled red onion rings 2 pickled Japanese knotweed shoots (optional) ¼ tsp chili flakes 2 tsp soy sauce (like organic Ohsawa nama shoyu) Roasted sesame oil

QUICK-PICKLED ONION The heavy seasoning is important to make these pickles pop. Leftover pickles keep indefinitely in the refrigerator, and the flavorful brine is delicious in salad dressings. ½ cup white wine or rice vinegar ¼ cup water 1 tsp salt 2 Tbsp sugar 2 small red onions, thinly sliced into rings In a Mason jar, combine the vinegar, water, salt and sugar. Close the lid tightly and shake to dissolve the seasonings. Add the onions. Allow the mixture to sit in the brine for a minimum of 30 minutes before using.

To assemble the magnolia cups, arrange the avocado cubes, radish and pickled onion between the four petals. Season lightly with chili flakes and soy sauce. Add a few drops of the roasted sesame oil. Serve at once and inhale.

Recipe courtesy of Marie Viljoen.

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healthy kids

M

any of us have fond childhood memories of cool confections from the neighborhood ice cream truck on sultry summer days. By creating homemade, hot-weather treats with our kids, we get to enjoy the delights of fresh, seasonal produce and inventive flavor combinations, while also providing our kids with kitchen fun, healthy fare without unwelcome additives and summertime memories of their own.

“There are plenty of frozen treats from the grocery store that are in the natural or organic categories, but sometimes those still have levels of sweeteners, sugar or other preservatives that we don’t want or need,” says Annie Wegner LeFort, a Milwaukee-based chef and founder of the healthy living business EatMoveMKE.com.

She has been making frozen pops for her 13-year-old daughter Vera since she was a toddler. Anything that is homemade is more economical and has less packaging, Wegner LeFort says. Pop molds can be used over and over, and even cups can be used and reused as molds to reduce waste.

galitskaya/AdobeStock.com

Crafting Cool Treats

22

Charlotte Edition

AwakeningCharlotte.com

Making frozen pops can be as easy as mashing fruits and other ingredients in a bowl, pouring the mixture into molds and freezing them. A blender or a food processor can be used to make a smoother mix, with parents supervising younger kids.

Older children that know how to use small appliances can safely blend—and clean up—without supervision. Wegner LeFort notes that young kids might enjoy straightforward flavor combinations, but older kids with more developed palates can experiment with herbs or exotic concoctions.

Ms VectorPlus/AdobeStock.com

by Sheila Julson

iStock.com

DIY RECIPES EVEN KIDS CAN MAKE

Jenifoto/AdobeStock.com

Cool Treats for Hot Days

Jenifoto/AdobeStock.com Ms VectorPlus/AdobeStock.com

Parents can deftly blend vegetables and herbs into frozen pops and refreshing summer smoothies without being detected by finicky eaters. She recommends adding spinach to fruit blends with berries or dark-colored fruits: “You don’t even really see the greens. They are overtaken by the blue and purple fruits.”

Beets or beet juice, which is high in iron and vitamins, also add a beautiful color to berry blends. Cooked and mashed sweet potatoes lend a vibrant orange to red and yellow blends made with strawberries or pineapple.

Gwen Eberly, a Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based chef who teaches cooking to kids and teens through the Zest! cooking school, recalls making healthy, decadent, frozen orange cream pops with her mother and enjoying them on her farmhouse porch on hot summer days. “The original orange cream pops recipe came from a cookbook called More With Less, a compilation of recipes offered by Mennonite women in the 1970s,” Eberly says. She made them with her own children when they were young, and they became a family favorite. Now, as teenagers, they make the treats themselves all year long.

Other simple cool snacks include monkey tails—frozen bananas rolled in melted chocolate. “That’s a simple and healthy treat that can be topped with nuts or seeds. If you use dark chocolate, that helps cut down on sugar,” Wegner LeFort advises. Ice cream sandwiches can be made with either store-bought or homemade cookies and ice cream. “Those have endless options for creativity and different flavor combinations.”

Jessi Walter Brelsford, founder and “Chief Bud” at the cooking school Taste Buds Kitchen, based in New York City, recommends putting a fun twist on fruit salad with Rainbow Kabobs, which parents and kids can make together. “Our recipe uses fresh, summer favorites like strawberries, cantaloupe, kiwis and blueberries, but depending on your family’s preferences, you can easily make these with any fruit sturdy enough to go on the skewers,” she says. “Kids love helping out, so get them even more excited to be involved by using cool tools together, like a melon baller or crinkle cutter. It will help them practice fine motor skills and pattern recognition by threading the fruits onto the skewers in specific patterns.”

With a little encouragement and experimentation, kids will be proudly and happily creating their own delicious and healthy summer snacks.

Sheila Julson is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine.

ORANGE CREAM POPS YIELD: 8 SERVINGS 1 banana 1 cup vanilla yogurt, whole milk 1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice 1 Tbsp honey Combine all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour blended mixture into molds, leaving ½ inch for them to expand.

Freeze until hard, about 4 hours. When ready to eat, run under warm water and remove from the mold.

Variations: omit bananas or substitute milk with full-fat coconut milk.

Recipe courtesy of Gwen Eberly, adapted from More With Less.

VEGAN WATERMELON-BEET POPS YIELD: 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

iStock.com

¾ cup vegan vanilla yogurt ½ cup non-dairy milk 2 heaping cups frozen or fresh watermelon cubes 1 red beet, cooked, peeled and chunked 1 small frozen or fresh banana ½ lemon, juiced Add all ingredients to a blender and process on high until smooth.

Pour into popsicle molds and freeze solid.

Recipe courtesy of Annie Wegner LeFort.

July 2022

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MIXED BERRY POPS YIELD: 8 SERVINGS photo courtesy of Taste Buds Kitchen

2 cups mixed berries (frozen or fresh) 1 ripe banana ¾ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice 1 cup milk 1 cup plain yogurt 1 Tbsp honey

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Pour blended mixture into molds, leaving ½ inch for it to expand. Freeze until hard, about 4 hours. When ready to eat, run under warm water and remove from the mold.

Variations: omit bananas or substitute milk with full-fat coconut milk. For smoothies, add 2 cups of ice to the recipe and pour the blended mixture into a glass.

Recipe courtesy of Gwen Eberly.

RAINBOW FRUIT KABOBS YIELD: 18 SERVINGS 18 4-inch bamboo knot picks 9 strawberries, cut in half 6 oz cantaloupe, cut into balls or ½-inch cubes 1 banana, cut into half-moons 2 kiwis, cut into half-moons 18 blueberries 18 purple grapes

Direct Primary Care

Prepare fruit for kabobs. Cut strawberries in half. Cut cantaloupe into ½-inch cubes or use a melon baller to make balls. Cut bananas and kiwis into half-moons. Leave blueberries and grapes whole.

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Thread fruit pieces onto bamboo knot picks, placing fruit in the rainbow order of color: strawberries, cantaloupe, bananas, kiwis, blueberries and purple grapes.

Skewer the grape last, so that it can be used to cover the pointy end of the stick. Put one piece of each fruit on each skewer. Arrange the fruit kabobs decoratively on a serving platter.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Taste Buds Kitchen.

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green living

Pollinator Haven CREATE A TOXIN-FREE YARD FOR CRITICAL CRITTERS

A

imée Code has stopped trying to grow roses in her Eugene, Oregon, backyard, where the ground is too muddy for them to flourish. If we stick to plants that do well in our own region, they’ll be less susceptible to disease and pests, and we won’t need to use dangerous chemicals in our gardens, says the pesticide program director at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Code works to preserve invertebrate species that are threatened by habitat loss, climate change and pesticides. “Many of these animals provide valuable services,” she says.

“Solitary wasps feed their young certain caterpillars that we consider pests because they eat our crops. Riverbed mussels filter our water. Stone flies help break down organic matter. Bees are effective pollinators, helping to sustain our most nutritious food sources.”

U.S. bees are declining at alarming rates, thanks in part to neonicotinoids and other harmful pesticides, Code reports. The good news is that a few gardening modifications can provide food and safe haven for beneficial invertebrates, while keeping our families (and pets) free from scary chemicals.

Gardening Tips from Aimée Code Create a resilient garden with hardy, native plants that invite both pollinators and natural enemies like solitary wasps, lacewings and hoverflies, which help control pest populations.

Use restraint when trimming plants or clearing debris. Many bees create nests inside pithy stems and downed wood or underneath bunch grasses and fallen leaves.

Develop a greater tolerance for weeds, embracing a slightly wilder garden 26

Charlotte Edition

AwakeningCharlotte.com

aesthetic. Avoid using herbicides by mulching and manually pulling weeds before they go to seed.

A few pests in the vegetable garden are okay, as long as they don’t harm overall production. Search online for nonchemical solutions by vegetable type and location. As in farming, try rotating crops or look into companion planting to learn which plants work well together. Ensure the soil has what each plant needs. For example, blueberries require an acidic soil.

Pesticides address the symptom rather than the problem. Killing pests may be a temporary fix, but won’t address the underlying cause, so the problem will likely return. Even so-called “reduced risk” products contain concerning chemicals for pollinators. Always try non-chemical solutions first. For example, instead of applying a fungicide to address powdery

photo by Sandra Yeyati

rasstock/AdobeStock.com

by Sandra Yeyati

mildew, water the affected plant less and prune it to improve air flow.

Eco-Friendly Pest Management According to Ryan Anderson, community integrated pest management manager at the IPM Institute of North America, “Chemicals should only be used in a lawn or garden as a last resort, and even then, only the least amount of the least harmful product.” For reducedrisk and organic product lists, visit Tinyurl.com/EPAPesticideList and MidwestGrowsGreen.org.

Anderson laments the rampant overuse of noxious products, including glyphosate and 2,4-D, which are classified as probable and possible carcinogens, respectively, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer; commercial fertilizers that lead to nitrogen and phosphorus runoffs, threatening marine wildlife; and pyrethroid insecticides for mosquito control, which kill most insects.

He champions sustainable measures, starting with a reduction of turf grass. “People like sitting on their lawn, but try keeping it as minuscule as possible and plant native plants which require less maintenance,” he says. “Make sure you’re not planting grass where grass doesn’t want to grow.”

Consider an eco-lawn with microclover in the mix, Anderson advises.

“Clover recycles nitrogen and stays green in drought conditions, so you don’t have to fertilize or water, and you only need to mow eco-lawns once a month.”

Lawn Care Strategies from Ryan Anderson For weeds, the best defense is a dense, deeply rooted, turf grass system that will out-compete for air, water, nutrients and sunlight.

Aerate the lawn in the fall by removing narrow, three-to-six-inch-deep cores and leaving them on the soil. After a day or two, mow the cores over to return nutrients to the soil. Spread turf seed over bare-soil areas and over the entire lawn whenever aeration is conducted.

Before or after aerating, spread onequarter to one-half inch of compost over the lawn to promote a nutrient- and microbiology-rich, spongy soil structure. Visit CompostingCouncil.org for reputable suppliers and DIY instructions for high-quality compost.

Apply leaf mulch and grass clippings to feed and promote protozoa, bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter, recycle nutrients, inhibit plant pathogens, balance pH and aerate the soil.

Mow less often and as high as possible to minimize stressing the grass plant.

Lawns need only a single, one-inch watering per week.

Sandra Yeyati, J.D., is a professional writer and editor. Reach her at SandraYeyati@gmail.com.

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TRUECARE HEALTH AND WELLNESS

6487 Morehead Rd Harrisburg/N Charlotte 704-909-0355 Info@TrueCareHealth.com www.TrueCareHealth.com

Non-surgical body contouringsafely eliminating excessive fat and tightening skin with laser, lipo, fat-freezing and other technologies-weight loss and optimal health services with a functional medicine approach.

Schedule low price consult, receive credit toward services. See ad, page 15.

COLONICS HC WELLNESS CENTER & SPA

1308 E Garrison Blvd, Gastonia 704-823-1577 HCWellnessCenterAndSpa.com

Our principle service is Colon Hydrotherapy, but we also offer a wide variety of other services. We o ff e r b o t h t r a d i t i o n a l a n d alternative therapies to assist clients in achieving optimal health, wellness and balance.

COMPOUNDING PHARMACY STANLEY SPECIALTY PHARMACY

3120 Latrobe Dr, Ste 200 704-370-6612 StanleyRx.com

Charlotte’s most experienced and trusted compounding pharmacy. Skilled pharmacist can prepare custom medications to meet needs of the individual patient. Specializing in women’s and men’s health as well as veterinary medications.

CONCIERGE MEDICINE WELLCOMEMD

STANLEY SPECIALTY PHARMACY

3120 Latrobe Dr, Ste 200 704-370-6612 StanleyRx.com/CBD

Charlotte’s CBD experts.

CBD consultations available with a licensed Pharmacist ($50 per ½ hour). Consultation fee applied to any CBD purchase. Professional grade CBD products available in store and online.

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Charlotte Edition

Biologically minded family dental office offering 3D digital dentistry, preventative dentistry, safe mercury removal and sleep apnea screenings. In a relaxed and caring environment, all patients are given devoted time. Call the office today to request a new patient consultation.

See ad, page 4.

DIRECT PRIMARY CARE BENTON INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE & THE SKIN CENTER

16415 Northcross Dr, Ste B, Huntersville 421-B S. Sharon Amity Rd, Charlotte 704-775-6029 • BentonIntegrative.com

Affordable convenient Direct Primary Care from a personalized holistic perspective. Thorough and efficient care with nutrition as the foundation. We want to get and keep you healthy. Schedule a new patient consult today. See ad, page 25.

ECO-FRIENDLY LIVING RECYCLED COMPOST & MULCH

8035 Providence Rd, Ste 315, Charlotte 152 Fairview Rd, Ste 325, Mooresville 980-294-4937 · www.WellcomeMD.com

CBD

KEMPTER HOLISTIC DENTISTRY

3111 Springbank Ln, Ste F1 1000 Copperfield Blvd, Ste 160, Concord 704-782-0797 KempterDentistry.com

Experience concierge medicine that is more personal and effective. Comprehensive and proactive approach, limited number of patients, unhurried 30-minute consultations for a personal relationship with your physician. Schedule free tour today. See ad, page 2.

AwakeningCharlotte.com

140 Valleydale Rd • 980-314-3880 17131 Lancaster Hwy • 980-314-3845 MeckMulchMadness.com Supports a 360˚ from your yard to our facility and back again.

Mecklenburg County upcycles your yard waste to create highquality STA approved compost and beautiful mulch at a very affordable price. See ad, page 10.

SUSTAINABLE INTERIOR DESIGN

Claudia Josephine Design 860-796-3415 ClaudiaJosephineDesign.com

Proving that sustainable, ecofriendly design can still be stylish, Claudia creates classic, functional and beautiful interiors. Certified Green Accredited Professional.

Maria Killam True Colour Expert.

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE BENTON INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE & THE SKIN CENTER

16415 Northcross Dr, Ste B, Huntersville 421-B S. Sharon Amity Rd, Charlotte 704-775-6029 • BentonIntegrative.com The Carolina's only Integrative practice offering membership based Direct Primary Care and Functional Medicine wellness programs. Wellness programs are individualized to the patient and address the root cause of illness.

See ad, page 25.

GARDENING THE PATIO FARMER

Charlotte, NC • ThePatioFarmer.com ThePatioFarmer@gmail.com @thepatiofarmer on IG and FB Confidently grow food at home with Consultations, Installation and Maintenance Plans. Also, check out Plant Club for in-depth gardening know-how. Contact us today and start enjoying food from your own plants.

HOLISTIC CLINIC IVY INTEGRATIVE

1520 South Blvd, Ste 228 704-569-5489 · info@IVYIntegrative.com www.IVYIntegrative.com The only Charlotte area one-stop for holistic mind, body, spirit health services with packages, memberships, a la carte and finance options available. Book free meet & greet today. See ad, page 15.

HOMEOPATHY CAROLINAS NATURAL HEALTH CENTER

Dr Michael Smith 6404 Bannington Rd, Ste A 704-486-2448 CarolinasNaturalHealth.com C h a r l o t t e ’s o n l y d o c t o r specializing in homeopathy—a power system of natural medicine that stimulates your body’s natural ability to heal, without side effects. Anxiety, depression, ADHD, behavioral issues, eczema, auto-immune disease, hormonal imbalance, and much more. See ad, page 21.

HYPERBARIC THERAPY NIRVANA HYPERBARIC INSTITUTE

146 Medical Park Rd, Ste 110 Mooresville • 704-471-4100 NirvanaHBO.com

Dedicated to healing, forwarding the science of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and providing patients a tranquil place to heal. Highly effective in treating many conditions, some covered by insurance. See ad, page 11.

HYPNOTHERAPY LAKESIDE COUNSELING & HYPNOTHERAPY

Amy Bernstein, LCSW, LISW-CP, CH 8211 Village Harbor Dr, Cornelius 704-252-1568 www.LakesideTherapy.com Create new healthy habits this spring! Hypnosis helps with anxiety, worry, depression, sleep, health, clarity, confidence, healthy weight and more.

Customized hypnosis recordings included. Schedule your free 15-minute call today.

INTEGRATIVE PEDIATRICIAN INFINITE HEALTH, PLLC

Sheila Kilbane, MD 2201 Park Rd, Ste B 704-626-6771 • SheilaKilbane.com Dr. Kilbane is a board-certified integrative pediatrician who specializes in finding the root cause of illness including reflux, eczema, allergies, recurrent ear and sinus infections, asthma, constipation, abdominal pain and more.

NATURAL FERTILITY APOGÉE FERTILITY

610 Jetton St, Ste 210, Davidson www.ApogeeFertility.com 704-401-7428 (text) ApogeeFertility@gmail.com One of the few Mercier Therapy practioners in NC, Christan assists women in natural fertility and hormone balance. Supports all ages wanting natural approaches to pelvic issues. Book free phone consultation today.

See ad, page 4.

NATUROPATHIC PHYSICIAN INTEGRATIVE HEALER KATIE SUTTON

Intuitive Channel, Guided Meditation Coach 828-246-3335 ZenWithinAcademy.com Katie synthesizes a unique blend of healing modalities with selfactivation techniques–from sound and vibrational therapy, to intuitive channeling, to guided meditation– in order to deliver healings tailored to each person's needs.

INTEGRATIVE HEALTH COACH ASHLEY LOGAN WELLNESS LLC

Charlotte www.AshleyLoganWellness.com ashley@ashleyloganwellness.com @ashleyloganwellness on IG and FB

Duke Integrative Medicine Certified Health and Well-being Coach who works in partnership to empower and support you in achieving your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness goals. Book a free discovery call today.

CAROLINAS NATURAL HEALTH CENTER

Dr Michael Smith 6404 Bannington Rd, Ste A 704-486-2448 CarolinasNaturalHealth.com Diabetes, Depression, Digestive Disorders, ​A llergies, Autoimmune disease, A ​ nxiety,​ ​ ADHD. C h a r l o t t e ’s o n l y d o c t o r specializing in homeopathy. We focus on treating YOU to uncover the cause of your health condition and empower you to better health!​ See ad, page 21.

NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS ACID-REDUCING

MINERAL BASED MultiforceHealth.com Info@MultiforceHealth.com Achieve the right balance between alkalinity and acidity to support immune system and optimum health.

Manufactured under pharmaceutical standards.

Vegetarian, gluten and soy-free and available in 3 natural flavors. See ad, page 8.

July 2022

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ORGANIC SALON ORGANIC SALON LKN

427 E Mills Ave, Mooresville 704-883-6564 www.OrganicSalonLKN.com Harnessing nature's beauty with professional organic products while creatively designing the ideal hair routine and style to fit your life. Call today for a free consultation. See ad, page 17.

RETREAT CENTER BLUE UNICORN MOUNTAIN RETREAT

152 N Main St, Hillsville, VA 850-380-0561 BlueUnicornRetreat@gmail.com www.BlueUnicorn.PlanetaryPeace.com Join us in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Pranic Healing Courses, yoga, meditation, energy healing sessions and more.

April-October. Dr. Kenneth and Connie Williams, Senior Certified Pranic Healing Instructors. See ad, page 9.

SCALAR ENERGY PRODUCTS SUPRAGANIC HEALTH

704-920-0963 • Charlotte www.SupraGanicHealth.com cs@supraganichealth.com Scalar energy wellness and spiritual awareness aids.

Simple, practical, inexpensive, and imprinted with targeted scalar frequencies to help the body repair itself or work with your consciousness. Free shipping. 15% discount with NAM522.

SOUND & VIBRATIONAL THERAPY HARMONIC WISDOM

Certified Vibrational Sound Coach 586-291-3320 • Charlotte www.HarmonicWisdom.com Deep Stress Relief. Solfeggio tuning fork frequencies to help facilitate balance, change, and rejuvenation of mind, body, and spirit. “Everything in life is vibration.” A. Einstein. Call today for free consultation.

SPIRIT AND SOUND

Barbara Griggs, LSH, CVSP, CVSC barb.griggs04@gmail.com 248-321-6098 www.SpiritandSound.net Call today for free consultation. Discover avenues to overcome uncertainty and fear. As a licensed spiritual healer, intuitive, and Certified Vibrational Sound Practitioner/Coach, let's awaken the strength and commitment necessary to honor your journey.

SPIRITUAL CENTERS HEARTLIGHT SPIRITUAL CENTER

Rev. David Hulse, Spiritual Leader 7300 Mallard Creek Rd 704-599-1180 HeartLightCharlotte.org

We are a Spirit-Guided, HeartCentered, Christ-Conscious, Loving Family providing an empowering, universal, Christ-centered message grounded in the teachings of Natural Awakenings metaphysics.

Sunday Service appreciates the generosity 11:15 am. EmailofShine@HeartLightCharlotte.org. its distributors See ad, page 19. Natural Awakenings throughout appreciatesthe thearea. generosity of its distributors

Please consider supporting throughout the area. these major distributors by Natural Awakenings Please consider supporting there and picking appreciates theshopping generosity major each distributors up thethese magazine monthby of its distributors shopping there and picking from one of the racks. throughout the area. up the magazine each month Thank you! from one of the racks.

Natural Awakenings Please consider supporting Thank you! appreciates the generosity these major distributors by of its distributors Natural Awakenings appreciates the there generosity of its distributors shopping and picking throughout the area. up the magazine each month throughout the area. Pick up magazines monthly at: from one of the racks.

Please consider supporting Thank you! these major distributors by

shopping there and picking up the magazine each month from one of the racks.

Thank you!

30

Charlotte Edition

AwakeningCharlotte.com

SPIRITUAL CENTERS UNITY OF CHARLOTTE

401 E Arrowood Rd Sundays at 9:30am UnityofCharlotte.org

Unity features a vibrant Sunday Celebration Service at 9:30 AM, with inspiring messages from a rotating slate of guest speakers. Unity supports your well-being, prosperity and spiritual journey.

SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAIN CHARLOTTE

SustainCharlotte.org

A nonprofit organization working to inspire choices that lead to healthy, equitable and vibrant communities across the Charlotte metro region for generations to come.

Become a member today.

VETERINARIAN ATRIUM ANIMAL HOSPITAL

Kim Hombs, DVM, CVA, CVCH, CTui-Na 6520 McMahon Dr 704-542-2000 AtriumAnimalHospital.com Comprehensive holistic/ integrative animal medicine practice in the Charlotte region.

Alternative vaccine approaches, double certified acupuncturist and herbalist, cold and class 4 laser, TCM food therapy, Tuina, animal rehabilitation with underwater treadmill.

WEIGHT LOSS CAROLINAS WEIGHT LOSS INSTITUTE

Gastonia • 704-271-9757 Matthews/Ballantyne • 704-243-8560 CWLI.net Developer of the "40 Day Transformation" system, a physician designed and administered functional approach with programming tailored to the unique metabolism needs of each individual, to provide safe and sustained weight loss. Call for a free consultation.

gaston county natural guide Connecting Gaston County to leaders in natural health, wellness and green living. To find out how you can be included in the Gaston County Natural Guide, email Ads@ AwakeningCharlotte.com.

ORGANIC MARKET & SUPPLEMENTS ORGANIC MARKETPLACE

1012 S New Hope Rd, Gastonia 704-864-0605 OrganicMarketplaceNC.com 9am -7pm M/F, 9am-6pm Sat. Reliable community partner, local source for education, organic foods, personal care, products, supplements, aromatherapy, organic wine/beer and pet products. See ad, page 2.

To place a listing call 704-499-3327 or email Ads@AwakeningCharlotte.com

classifieds SPA

HC WELLNESS CENTER & SPA

1308 E. Garrison Blvd, Gastonia 704-823-1577 HCWellnessCenterAndSpa.com

Offering traditional and alternative therapies seven days a week to help you achieve optimal health, wellness and balance. Colon hydrotherapy, massage, far-infrared sauna therapy, energizing foot spa and yoni or v-steam.

WEIGHT LOSS CAROLINAS WEIGHT LOSS INSTITUTE

Lidia Adkins, CFMP, DC, PKT 216 S. New Hope Rd, Gastonia 704-271-9757 • CWLI.net

Developer of the “40 Day Transformation” system, a physician designed and administered functional approach with programming tailored to the unique metabolism needs of each individual, to provide safe and sustained weight loss. Call for a free consultation.

Fee for classifieds is a minimum charge of $25 for up to the first 20 words and $1 per word thereafter. To place a classified, email Ads@AwakeningCharlotte.com.

Deadline is the 9th of the month.

FOR SALE 5 ACRES IN MARION NC – Heavily wooded, lightly developed subdivision. 30 minutes to Linville Falls, 40 minutes to Asheville. 704-778-6863.

JOBS PART TIME MAGAZINE Delivery - needed primarily for Mecklenburg County delivering Natural Awakenings magazine. Fuel-efficient/ Hybrid/EV vehicle preferred. Work 1-2 days per month, paid per stop. Must be available during business hours. Info: 704-499-3327.

Help Your Body Heal Itself

With The Proper Natural Tools

Book your FREE consultation today.

DoctorDarrylND.com

$100 OFF New Patient Exam

CODE: DOCTORDARRYL100

Specializing In:

DIGESTIVE ISSUES EMOTIONAL WELLNESS WEIGHT LOSS CHRONIC PAIN

DARRYL ROBERTS, N.D. Board Certified Naturopathic Doctor

704-837-2420

Non-Invasive Therapies designed to treat pain, addictions and internal disorders.

3315 Springbank Lane, Ste 102, Charlotte, NC 28226 ~ DoctorDarrylND@gmail.com ~ DoctorDarrylND.com July 2022

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NOVEMBER 11th to 28th

Meet Your Guides

2022

Ebba P Karlsson

based in Charlotte, is the International True Star Coach and Founder of True Star Coaching™.

She is a spiritual guide, healer, and teacher and has studied with several coaches, spiritual leaders, and teachers worldwide.

SPECIAL INAUGURAL JOURNEY PRICE!

Initiation Trip: 13 day/12 nights with Sinai Extension, Integration Trip: 6 days/5 nights

Mohamed Abd El Aziz

National Geographic Expert An Egyptian National and Licensed Egyptologist has led Trips in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Sinai for more than 22 years.Following diverse academic Studies in Archaeology, Theology, Egyptology, and The Bible, Mohamed now specializes in ancient Egypt’s Biblical and Spiritual Art.

5949

$

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True Star Coaching presents

The 2022 Sacred Journey to Egypt

E

xplore ancient Egypt and learn about Atlantis and the mysterious path of INITIATION. This magical journey can act as a gateway to your subconscious and awaken an ancient past to unlock the mysteries within yourself.

We recreate the path of Initiation as the ancients did. Visit many temples and sacred

sites and reconnect to old energies. Awaken to your higher self and wisdom within to download the codes stored in the stones in the temples and surroundings.

www.TrueStarCoaching.com info@truestarcoaching.com

+ 1 980 213 7777

Limited to 20 people.