Natural Awakenings

H E A L T H Y

L I V I N G

Special Edition

H E A L T H Y

feel good • live simply • laugh more

Women’s Wellness

P L A N E T

FREE

NATURAL BEAUTY

Anti-Aging Skincare Turns Back the Clock

Mom-To-Mom

WISDOM Calming Advice for Fretful Kids

PEDAL POWER

Find a Bike that Fits Your Style

May 2012 | Broward Co., FL | FtL.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

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8 newsbriefs 12 healthbriefs 18 globalbriefs 21 ecotip 26 healthykids 36 healingways 40 greenliving 42 fitbody 44 wisewords 45 inspiration 46 naturalpet 49 askthetherapist 50 calendars 55 classifieds 56 resourceguide

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advertising & submissions

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.

22 A WOMAN OF

WELLNESS

by Malerie Bleich, LMHC

24 TAPPING THE EVER EVOLVING POWER 24

OF FEMALE ORGASM

FOR HEALTH

by Raven Cohan

28 THE LEGEND OF

THE LOST LIBIDO

by Joan E. Childs, LCSW

how to advertise: request a media kit, CALL 954.630.1610 On-line media kit: http://www.SusieQintl.com/pdf/na-media.pdf Deadline for advertising: the 10th of the month.

34 STRESS, MODERN

calendar (due by the 10th) date-specific calendar: http://FtL.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com/advertising/calendar/formmailer.

on-going calendar: http://FtL.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com/advertising/oncal/formmailer.

COMMUNITY RESOURCE GUIDE (due by the 10th): http://FtL.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com/advertising/annual/formmailer.

GENERAL INFORMATION: Links to online editions & more: http://www.SusieQintl.com/online regional markets Advertise your products or services in multiple markets! Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing franchised family of locally owned magazines serving communities since 1994. To place your ad in other markets call 954.630.1610. For franchising opportunities call 239-530-1377, NaturalAwakeningsMag.com.

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30 THE HORMONE

BALANCING ACT

by Kathleen Barnes

Editorial submissions(due by the 5th): news items: http://FtL.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com/advertising/brief/formmailer.

22 28

DAY LIFE AND HORMONES

by Dr. Hepsharat Amadi

30 38

38 WHEN DOES MY

CHILD NEED TO SEE A COUNSELOR?

by Yvonne Haase, LMHC

39 OPTIMIZING

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DIGESTION WITH DIET AND YOGA

by Fabienne Grossman

48 GARDEN YOGA

by Donna Torrey

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contact us Owner/Publisher/Editor Susan “SusieQ” Wood Consultant to the Editor Cheryl Hynes Art Director Robin White National Editor S. Alison Chabonais Tri-County (SE Florida) Advertising Susan Q Wood 954.630.1610 Distribution Luis Herrera & Richard May Co-Founder, Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation John Voell II 239.530.1377 3900 Galt Ocean Dr # 1403 Ft Lauderdale FL 33308 Phone: 954.630.1610 Fax: 954.630.1670 SQWood@gmail.com FtL.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com © 2012 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 $40 (for 12 issues) to the above address.

Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soybased ink.

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May 2012

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letterfromthepublisher

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ay we not only find but transform the strength within ourselves, moving forward with love and conviction, that what we do and share in the world is not only right but essential for personal and planetary growth.

At times, we may think we have nothing to say or do that is of value. I have been guilty of that. The longer I live, however, the more secure I am in knowing this is not true nor has it ever been.

Recently, I have been incorporating littered objects into my artwork. They are small statements of intent on raising awareness of our society’s apparent lack of responsibility for our environment.

To me, it’s taking care of the little things that is important, like not dropping a single bottle cap on the ground. It’s about personal responsibility. Littering is a reflection of a deeper illness, and one that is curable by bringing it to light. Every time I pick up litter or mention it to another, I believe I am helping to change the world’s consciousness. I hope you will take the opportunity to do the same. Consider claiming your little area of the world and pick up every piece of litter in that space. You may find it necessary to do it often as the wind redisbributes litter.

Not to be on my soapbox too long, I’d like to share some thoughts about women’s wellness. It’s not a far stretch, in this column, from one to the other. Sometimes I felt like I was the litter, one whose life could be easily discarded as unimportant.

My experience of near death at the hand of another dramatically changed my world view. It was a “struggle” for me to get past the place of low self-esteem and rebuild my life based more on love than fear. As a whole, women are taking more control over their bodies and lives. We have a

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tremendous opportunity in how we raise our children, when we seize that opportunity in a loving and respectful way.

This activity is ideally shared by others in our lives. As I have said in the past, life is a team sport.

Our society is slowly changing its attitude toward undervalued lives. We are waking up, naturally. It is time. I believe Natural Awakenings publications are helping us as a society in many ways. Our magazine brings a plethora of valuable resources for personal and planetary wellness and expands on the discussion around health from a wholistic perspective. I believe this information reaches deeper into our souls, and we are better able to respond to the truth of who we are and what we are doing in the world.

It ripples out beyond those readers I personally touch.

We are fed helpful information month after month; little by little, the bits of information / truth seep in.

We take ownership of the idea – not that we came up with it, but that we have incorporated it into our being... we have meaningfully integrated the information into our lives, thus making our lives more honest and supportive of that healthier lifestyle. It’s absolutely a journey.

You make a positive difference in my life. Make a difference in someone else’s by sharing a copy of this issue with a friend.

Know you’re essential to the evolving consciousness; plan on it.

Susan Q Wood Publishing Editor

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newsbriefs Celebrating Womanhood, Sisterhood and Life at the Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale

have a line-up of exhibitors that care about women’s needs: fine jewelry and fashions; health products; financial services; and more.

WIHC will bring women together for a day of education, inspiration, networking, professional development and lots of fun – learn more, grow professionally, and be inspired to live a happier, healthier life.

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nternational Holistic Center is pleased to announce “Celebration”, the first annual Women’s International Holistic Conference (WIHC).

This conference celebrates the uniqueness of womanhood by focusing on all of the areas that are important to her. The all day event will be held on Friday, July 13, at the Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale.

The program will feature speakers with expertise on subjects that really matter to women, such as health and wellness, business, finances, fashion, sex, relationships, family and spirituality. Each year a portion of the proceeds will be donated to a charity. This year they have selected Big Mama’s Team of Life, a local grass-roots organization dedicated to helping children and families. Additionally, they

For more information about the conference, sponsorship, partnership, exhibitor’s tables, silent auction and ticket sales, visit WomensInternationalHolisticConference.com or call 954.903.9426. See ad page 7.

The Search for Meaning

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o you find yourself with the feeling that there must be something more to life, something beyond what you already know? Each year you continue to seek for it, reading all the bestsellers in self-help, going to many seminars, only to see another year pass away with no real change in your life or in who you are?

Thousands of years ago, people came to the idea that man can acquire higher understanding. Schools rose to meet man’s search for consciousness and answers to life.

There are so many obstacles to overcome on the road to consciousness though - negative emotions, lying, identification, considering, imagination and more.

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Schools following the tradition of G. I. Gurdjieff and P. D. Ouspensky, (often called “The Work,”) focus on the development of consciousness and teach practical methods for struggle with mechanical reactions in order to bring about a change in being and understanding. Wisdom Through Action, is a School that takes one into “The Work”. Here you will learn an organic system of self-development, find ways to meet the challenges of daily life, and overcome inner obstacles through increased understanding, resulting in real change in one’s true self.

For more information call 888.889.9588 or visit our website at www.wisdomthroughaction. org. Se habla español. See ad page 29.

Capello Salon Introduces Sally B’s Skin Yummies

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apello Salon is proud to announce Sally B’s Skin Yummies as part of their dedication to an all natural beauty experience. Owner Debbie Caruso says, “This skin care is not just for those with sensitive skin or the organically inclined, but to raise awareness of the chemicals we put into our bodies. The skin is the largest organ of the body, and we do not realize that what we put “on” our skin goes “into” our body.”

Sally B’s Skin Yummies blends organic, natural and wildcrafted ingredients into luxurious skin care and cosmetic products that are both people and planet friendly. Developed by hand, all of Sally B’s products are nourishing, effective and, most importantly, non-toxic and paraben-free. Sally B’s principal focus is personal care products for both men and women, with their goal to provide education and resources for well-being, and to serve as an advocate for full and balanced living.

To learn more about Sally B products, go to www.sallybskinyummies.com. To experience this amazing skin care in person, stop by Capello Salon, 1421 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale, 954.609.2616. See ad page 8.

Healing Through Awareness

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hen someone is in pain, they have a hard time functioning. Whether you have a broken heart or a broken leg, you need rest to heal. Healing through awareness is the deepest rest you can achieve.

BodyTalk Broward helps their clients reduce or eliminate pain (physical, emotional, spiritual), sleep better and have less anxiety, so they can regain control over their lives and be stress free, healthy, vibrant and look years younger.

BodyTalk Broward uses a multifaceted approach, including individual sessions, workshops, group sessions, nutrition, movement and more, customizing a program to each client’s unique challenges. Because The BodyTalk system allows the body’s own healing abilities to effect change, clients see long lasting, ongoing improvements in health rather than short term symptomatic relief.

BodyTalk Broward specializes in the relief of Chronic Pain, Allergies, Arthritis, Digestive Disorders and Anti-Aging. No injections, pills or surgery.

Register for “Healing Through Awareness”, second & fourth Tuesdays monthly, 7:30 pm, 1975 E Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. See ongoing calendar for details. Space is limited; RSVP. Schedule a free consultation with Vondette Brinson, AdvCBP, International Lifestyle Trainer, Health and Wellness Coach, by appointment only including evenings and weekends, 954.226.3612, BodyTalkBroward.com. See ad page 56. natural awakenings

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Gemstone Therapy Practitioner Now Accepting Clients

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sabelle Morton Gemstone Therapy Institute intern and soon-tobe graduate, Herbert Wheeler, is accepting clients for private sessions. The Institute, founded in 2009, is a two and a half year curriculum that parallels any current academic/practicum, protocol driven modality in use today.

Using therapeutic quality gemstone spheres, the practitioner may address a single area of the body, balance chakras or support any of the 15 systems of the body. Using a Condition

Placement technique, the physical, emotional, karmic and mental energies associated with life issues that involve relationships, career, home, finance, etc. are collected and placed on a healthy area of the body. The condition, with a definite target area, can be worked with directly.

Other sophisticated protocols available to the client are Color Ray Evaluation and Clearing; Relationship Color Ray Assessment; and Belief Renewal Protocol. The Energy Clearing Protocol focuses on the physical, emotional, causal and mental levels as well as the cellular, molecular and atomic levels of your being.

Ongoing Self-Therapy is available in the form of gemstone energy pillules (similar to homeopathics), and sprays made from specific formulations to support the physical, emotional and mental bodies.

For more information, visit GemFormulas.com or contact Wheeler at 954.288.0775, HerbertWheeler@comcast.net. See ad page 58.

newsbriefs Eco-Art by SusieQ at ArtServe & the Greener... show at The Projects Artspace

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usieQ Wood has a multi-media piece called “BottleCapius Litterous” on exhibit at ArtServe Gallery, 1350 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale 33304. The show began midApril and runs through May 4.

Hosted by the Oscar Thomas Foundation, EcoArt showcases works of art by various artists “BottleCapius Litterous” who have created from the perspective of healthy planet, using what is considered junk or discarded objects.

Another work, “CAPtured in Time” will be featured in the juried show called “Greener...” at The Projects Artspace (F.A.T. Village Arts District), 523 NW “CAPtured in Time” 1st Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 through noon, May 12. She used her collection of littered bottle caps, small rusted washers, screws and paperclips found on the ground, all in various stages of decay.

ArtServe and F.A.T. Village both feature exhibits that serve local artists and organizations that support the arts. Wood has been a member of ArtServe for a number of years.

Wood does not subscribe to the consciousness of “starving artist” and strives to share that message. To learn more, you may reach her at 954-630-1610, visit SusieQArt.com, find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter. See ad page 58.

natural awakenings

May 2012

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healthbriefs

Dry Eye Disease

by Dr. Nathan Schramm, OD, CNS ver 3.2 million American women in the United States have Dry Eye Disease which, in severe cases, has been compared to be as debilitating as angina.

It is more common in older women, but affects many women in their 40s and 50s.

A transient blur to your vision that improves with blinking is usually associated with the beginning stages of Dry Eye Disease. Other signs include burning, tearing, foreign body sensation, and sometimes itching along the edges of the eyes. Dry Eye is more common in women over 40 due to hormonal changes, poor diet (excess omega-6s from processed foods, low intake of omega-3s), contact lens use, dry environment (air conditioner, overhead fan), allergy medication, smoking, cosmetics, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s Disease, and diabetes. Every 10 years you live you have a 20% greater chance of developing dry eyes.

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Fortunately, there is a natural treatment (and prevention) for this problem.

For my patients with this condition, I recommend 800-900mg EPA/ 500600mg DHA of omega-3s preferably from triglyceride-based fish oil; blackcurrant seed oil (omega-6) 160mg; and Astaxanthin 4-6mg. Along with the many benefits for the heart, brain, joints, hair, skin and nails, omega-3 fish oil can give you better quality tears. In addition, it may reduce your chances of developing wet macular degeneration. Omega-6 fatty acids have been clinically shown to increase tear production.

But too much omega-6 can become inflammatory! The proper balance of omega-6 to omega-3 is between 4 to 1 and 1 to 1. The typical American diet is about 15 to 1—very inflammatory!

(There’s a blood test I use that calculates the patient’s ratio and amount of omega3s in the blood.) To balance this ratio, limit vegetable oils (omega 6) from corn and soybean, cottonseed and packaged

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foods, and eat more omega-3 rich foods like salmon, sardines, grass-fed beef, walnuts and flax seeds. A recent study revealed that women with a high intake of omega-3s compared to those with a low intake had a 20% decreased risk in developing Dry Eye Disease.

Astaxanthin is a natural anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant that is found in red or pink colored fish such as non-farm

raised, wild Alaskan Salmon (6 oz. serving contains about 6mg). I recommend Astaxanthin in conjunction with fish oil and blackcurrant seed oil to help quench the inflammatory cascade and to better stabilize the ocular tear film. Preservative-free artificial tears can be used until this combination takes effect. Eyes do not develop this condition overnight, so expect this natural treatment to take one to three months for full effect.

Dr. Nathan Schramm is an Optometric Physician and a Certified Nutrition Specialist.

He is in practice with his wife, Dr. Julie Abraham, in Weston. Schramm and Abraham are currently accepting new patients and appointments can be made at 954.217.2992. See ad page 59.

This article does not replace the need for a yearly comprehensive eye exam by a qualified eye care professional.

Recipe for Strong Bones

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ost Americans get more than enough of the calcium they need from food, so taking a supplement can be unnecessary and even dangerous.

What many are not getting are the essential nutrients and other minerals that help calcium in its mission to help build strong bones.

The lifecycle of bones is not dissimilar to those of other types of cells, except that our ability to rebuild strong bones, called bone remodeling, can diminish with age, resulting in bone loss (known as osteopenia) or osteoporosis.

Collagen is the best known building block for healthy bones, and to build collagen, we need: vitamins C, D and K plus folic acid, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, boron, manganese, phosphorus, copper and strontium. Further, we need them all in correct proportion to optimize their effectiveness without overloading the system with

excess nutrients, which can cause damage.

Data culled from 12,000 participants in the 15-year Women’s Health Initiative launched in 1991 and recently re-analyzed at the University of Auckland, in New Zealand, for example, shows that [sustained? later in life?] excess calcium can actually cause heart disease and increase the risk of heart attacks.

The solution for maintaining strong bones is to look for a high quality supplement that contains all of the aforementioned ingredients with little or no calcium content.

For more information, call 888.465.4404 or visit NaturesRiteRemedies.com. See ad page 5.

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May 2012

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The Write Way to Lose Weight

healthbriefs

Eating Greens Can Change Genes

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n international team of scientists led by researchers at McMaster and McGill universities, in Canada, were surprised to find that consuming generous amounts of fruit and raw vegetables modified a gene designated 9p21, the strongest marker for heart disease. In one of the largest gene-diet interaction studies ever conducted related to cardiovascular disease, the researchers analyzed more than 27,000 individuals from five ethnicities—Latin American, European, Chinese, South Asian and Arab—and the effect their diets had on the target gene. They discovered that men and women with the highrisk genotype that consumed a healthy diet with plenty of raw vegetables and

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fruits had a risk of heart attack similar to individuals carrying the low-risk genotype.

“We know that 9p21 genetic variants increase the risk of heart disease for those that carry it,” says Genetic Epidemiologist Jamie Engert, joint principal investigator of the study, “but it was a surprise to find that a healthy diet could significantly weaken its effect.”

Source: PLoS Medicine

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ccording to a new study published in Psychological Science, the right kind of writing may facilitate losing weight. Participating women were given a list of significant values including creativity, religion, music and relationships, and asked to rank them in order of personal importance. Half the women were asked to write for 15 minutes about the value most important to them; the other half wrote about a value not among their most highly preferred but that might be important to someone else. The first group lost an average of 3.4 pounds during the next few months, while the second group gained an average of 2.8 pounds. Researchers think the weight loss may be due to increased self-esteem and strengthened resolve.

CHEESE IS BETTER THAN BUTTER

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espite traditional cautions against eating animal fats to keep cholesterol in check, Danish researchers have found that eating hard cheese is better for the arteries than consuming the equivalent number of calories in butter.

According to their study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, when hard cheese accounted for 13 percent of participants’ daily calories, their LDL (bad cholesterol) did not increase. When the same individuals switched to consuming more butter, their LDL levels rose. The researchers were unsure what caused the results, but noted that cheese contains a lot of calcium, which can increase the amount of fat excreted by the digestive tract.

Memory and the Pill

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esearchers from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) report that while birth control pills don’t damage memory, they can alter it. Women that were not taking birth control pills were better at remembering details than their peers on the pill. The difference makes sense, says UCI graduate researcher Shawn Nielsen, because contraceptives suppress sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone to prevent pregnancy. These hormones were previously linked to women’s strong left-brain memory by a UCI research group led

by Ph.D. Neurobiologist Larry Cahill. natural awakenings

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healthbriefs

Calcium Supplements Increase Heart Risk

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alcium supplements, usually taken to improve bone health, may increase the risk of heart attack by as much as 30 percent, according to the findings of the Women’s Health Initiative, a 15year research project established by the National Institutes of Health to address cardiovascular disease, cancer and osteoporosis.

“If you take calcium supplements, you’ll build up excess calcium in your system that, coupled with mineral deficiencies and imbalances, can cause plaque in arteries, kidney stones, gallstones and more,” says Dr. Robert Thompson, co-author with Kathleen Barnes of The Calcium Lie: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know Could Kill You. Instead, he recommends taking a trace mineral supplement, preferably in ionic form, whose electrical charge helps bond minerals with water, making the nutrients more easily absorbed. Such a supplement provides all needed minerals, including calcium, in the correct balance.

Flexible Work places Boost Well-Being

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etter sleep and feelings of health are among the benefits of a flexible workplace, according to a new study by University of Minnesota sociology professors that followed 608 office employees in a collaborating company. The initiation of a performance-focused work environment that redirected the focus of employees and managers towards measurable results and away from when and where work was completed, yielded positive markers. Employees that were allowed to routinely change when and where they worked, based upon their individual needs and job responsibilities, experienced improved sleep quality, higher energy levels, better self-reported health and a sense of personal mastery.

Source: Journal of Health and Social Behavior

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Acupuncture Cools Hot Flashes

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small, yet intriguing study published in Acupuncture in Medicine found that traditional Chinese acupuncture curbed the severity of hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. Fifty-three middle-aged, postmenopausal women were divided into two groups; one received such treatments twice weekly for 10 weeks, while the other experienced “sham” acupuncture with blunt needles that did not penetrate the skin. In both groups, levels of estrogen and other hormones were measured before the study began and before and after the last session.

Menopausal symptoms—hot flashes,

vaginal dryness, urinary tract infections and mood swings—were also measured before and after the treatments, using a five-point menopause rating scale (MRS) in order to assess their severity.

At the end of the study, the women receiving Chinese acupuncture scored significantly lower on the MRS scale, with hot flashes seeing the sharpest decrease.

The researchers explain that acupuncture boosts production of endorphins, which may stabilize the temperature control system of the body. They say that more investigation is needed because the study was small, but note that its results seem promising, suggesting that traditional Chinese acupuncture could be an alternative for women unable or unwilling to use hormone replacement therapy to relieve menopausal symptoms.

Sour News ABOUT Sweet Drinks

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rinking sodas and other sugarsweetened beverages may increase a woman’s risk of heart disease and diabetes, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2011. Middle-aged and older women that drank two or more such drinks per day were nearly four times as likely to develop high triglycerides and significantly more likely to develop impaired fasting glucose levels, plus increase their waist size. The study also noted that risk factors for heart disease and stroke developed even when the women didn’t gain weight.

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globalbriefs Tiny Baubles

Plastic Pollution Flows from Washday to the Sea A study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology warns that microscopic plastic debris from washing clothes made of synthetic materials like polyester, acrylic and nylon is accumulating in the marine environment and could be entering the food chain.

Concentrations were greatest near coastal urban areas.

Up to 1,900 tiny fibers per garment were released with each wash during the study. Earlier research has shown that plastic particles smaller than one millimeter comprise 80 percent of environmental plastic and are being eaten by animals and getting into

Oldie Goldies the food chain.

Mark Browne, Ph.D., an ecologist based at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a member of the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, advises, “Once the plastics had been eaten, they transferred from the animals’ stomachs to their circulation system and actually accumulated in their cells.”

The team took samples from 18 beaches around the globe, including sites in Australia, Britain, India, Japan, Oman, the Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa and the United States.

They found no sample that did not contain pieces of the microplastic.

Source: BBC

Honoring Elders’ Contributions to Community May spotlights Older Americans Month and the important role they play in sharing their experience, wisdom and understanding, and passing it all on to younger generations in meaningful ways. Youth that have significant relationships with a grandparent or another elder, for example, report that these relationships helped shape their values, goals and life choices, and gave them a sense of identity and roots.

Many communities have increased their efforts to provide opportunities for older adults, many that remain physically and socially active through their 80s and beyond. Trends show that people over age 60 account for a growing percentage of participants in community service positions, faith-based organizations, online social networking groups, and arts and recreational activities.

Lifelong participation in social, creative and physical activities has proven health benefits, including retention of mobility, increased muscle mass and improved cognitive abilities.

The interactions of seniors with family, friends and neighbors across generations work to enrich the lives of all.

Sources: Administration on Aging (aoa.gov) and ElderCare.gov

Women have to harness their power—it’s absoluely true.

It’s just learning not to take the first no. And if you can’t go straight ahead, you go around the corner. ~Cher

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Church and State Faith Begets Civic Activism The Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project affirms that religiously active people are more likely to engage in civic activities than others.

The authors say their findings counter the view that religiously active people are less engaged with the secular world.

The report found that 40 percent of Americans engage in some form of religious activity such as going to a church, synagogue or mosque, and feel better about their place in the larger civic community. They tend to be more trusting of others and more optimistic about their impact on their community and are more active in groups.

Religious teachings have a component of helping others at their core, points out Eugene Fisher, a professor of Catholic-Jewish studies at Saint Leo University, in Florida. “Civic participation would be a natural result of that push to help your fellow man,” he says.

The study similarly reveals a high level of digital participation by religiously engaged folks. Media expert Paul Levinson, author of New New Media, says, “The Internet is an amplifier of all that each of us are in our humanity.”

Breathe Easier

Great Days for Clean Air For nearly 100 years, discharges from two of Edison International’s coal plants have polluted the air over the city of Chicago, exposing area families to dangerous levels of chemicals while adding to the Earth’s greenhouse gases. But the people fought back and won, because

the city has quit using coal.

For more than 10 years, Chicago residents have been demanding their right to clean air and a safe climate.

Now, the Fisk coal plant, in Pilsen, and the Crawford operation, in Little Village, will shut down in 2012 and 2014, respectively.

Clean air activists in Ohio and Pennsylvania recently claimed similar victories. Utility provider GenOn will close seven coal plants in the

two states, including one in Portland, Pennsylvania, which has been deemed responsible for more than 500 asthma attacks and 54 heart attacks.

“These victories are not only for the people of Chicago, Ohio and Pennsylvania, but for local activists all over the country that are working to shut down dirty coal plants in their communities,” says Kelly Mitchell, of Greenpeace, in celebrating the announcement. natural awakenings

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ecotip Beauty Detox Put Your Best Face Forward Safely

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) estimates that the average woman uses at least 12 personal care products—including soaps, shampoos, cosmetics and lotions—every day, many of which contain potentially toxic ingredients. The David Suzuki Foundation states, “U.S. researchers report that one in eight of the 82,000 ingredients used in personal care products are carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins or hormone disruptors.”

Stacy Malkan, of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, advises, “Beware of bogus claims like ‘certified hypoallergenic’, meaningless marketing terms like ‘clean and simple’, and companies that do not list the product ingredients on their website.”

One of the most troublesome additives is paraben, a chemical preservative found in numerous products that mimics estrogen and may disrupt normal hormone function. Others include diethanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA), hormone disrupters that can form cancer-causing nitrates and are common ingredients of shampoos, shaving creams and body washes.

Various artificial fragrances are among the top five allergens around the world, and can also contain neurotoxins.

Triclosan and triclocarban, antimicrobial pesticides used in liquid and solid soaps, are toxic to the aquatic environment and disrupt thyroid function and reproductive hormones. Sodium lauryl and laureth sulfate—detergents common in facial cleansers, shampoos and shower gels—may be contaminated with carcinogens and neurotoxins and can irritate the skin, eyes and respiratory tract.

The EWG also suggests avoiding anti-aging creams with lactic, glycolic, AHA and BHA acids; hair dyes that contain ammonia, peroxide, p-phenylenediamine or diaminobenzene, and all dark, permanent hair dyes; nail polish and removers with formaldehyde; and skin lighteners containing hydroquinine. Forego sunscreen sprays and beware of oxybenzone; instead, use products containing at least 7 percent zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.

Children’s products are not immune, either. Steer clear of play makeup, including lipstick, nail polish and perfume; diaper cream that contains boric acid or sodium borate; baby wipes with Bronopol; and fluoridated toothpaste for youngsters under 2.

The EWG’s Skin Deep database (ewg.org/skindeep) provides easy-to-navigate safety ratings for many personal care products and ingredients. Their Quick Tips for Safer Cosmetics wallet guide informs shoppers how to read personal care product labels and make smart choices.

Sources: ewg.org; Environment.NationalGeographic.com; SafeCosmetics.org natural awakenings

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A Woman of Wellness

by Malerie Bleich, LMHC

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any women suffer, unaware, that they are in the throes of the illness of an eating disorder.

There are many patterns that constitute an eating disorder which is why many do not realize their problem. Compulsive eating and dieting, binge eating and bulimia, can be managed. Women can live free from self-obsession and compulsion.

The following is a character collage based on the lives of several women (all referred to as ‘she’) who have courageously faced their fears to create their own metamorphosis out of their small world of addiction.

She loves her life… now. She didn’t realize, until she experienced freedom from food and self-obsessions, how enslaved she had been.

She remembers life on the dieting rollercoaster. Seeing clearly from the vantage point of wellness, she remembers being immersed in the vicious spiral of mental and physical decline, recalling mostly her darkest night. It was the moment before she let others guide her into the world of the living! She never wants to again be that depressed woman who seemed happy to her friends. No one knew about her secret life with food.

It was her friend’s 40th birthday dinner. She ordered a salad while everyone else ordered full Italian dinners, sipping iced tea as others ate garlic rolls.

She didn’t eat much in public. This

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euphorically anticipating being alone with her allconsuming lover… food.

She started her food orgy in the car, finishing a box of donuts before getting home. She turned on the TV and mindlessly continued eating cookies, chips, cake and candy. Without looking at what she was digging her fingers into, she ate. Her stomach hurt… though nothing else; numb at last. There were no more laxatives in her secret place. Panicking at the thought of the food turning to fat and the scale showing a gain, she reached for her keys to go to the store for magnesium citrate and ice cream. Suddenly she was overcome with unconEvery diet was followed by binging. trollable crying, feeling Every binge began with the promise crazy, broken, frightened.

She was awakening from to starve the next day. She weighed her nightmare. herself several times a day, after She rarely asked vomiting and after the laxatives did for help, but that night their job. How she felt about herself she called a recovering friend. So began her jourdepended upon whether the scale ney into wellness. During showed loss or gain. the first therapy session night, she was about 20 pounds over she learned that she was her goal weight. Having been up and not weak but sick. Admitting that she down 50 pounds over the years, never could not control her eating was her first thin enough, she was on another diet. step into wellbeing. During therapy she She laughed and made jokes, engaged created an historical account of her eatin conversation while planning what ing behaviors, consisting of every diet, to buy to eat when she left. She was nutritional breakthrough program, detox

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and fasting protocol, every drug and liquid promising to be the ultimate answer to losing weight and keeping it off.

She believed each promise, not knowing she was an addict and these plans would only aggravate her condition. She also drank alcohol during dieting and on an empty stomach. Drinking helped her avoid eating. She hated the taste but liked the feeling of the alcohol and loved the high feeling of not eating. Every diet was followed by binging. Every binge began with the promise to starve the next day. She weighed herself several times a day, after vomiting and after the laxatives did their job. How she felt about herself depended upon whether the scale showed loss or gain. She dreaded visitors seeing her food stash or any evidence of her clandestine life. A life barely lived – wearily bandied by the tumultuous tides of binging, purging, restricting, over exercising and immobility, isolating and socializing.

During the course therapy she continued to learn about the serious and complex nature of her illness, which worsened over time. Her self-obsession was a powerful influence upon the progression of the disorder. Her mind focused on her body, looks, what she could and could not eat, situations, or lack of situations, ad infinitum. It was time to focus on her emergence into a life worth living. It was time to define her beliefs and actions and shape them into the self-supporting pillars of her identity.

She never worked so hard at anything in her life. Nor had she ever known such enduring and remarkably beneficial results. The therapist organized her goals into seven steps: 1) Correct view of food and self.

She was not a fixed entity but an organic, changing woman with inherent wisdom who could decide to live well and do what it takes to do so: a) Accept that she had an illness of mind, body and spirit which she tried to control and dominate. The more she tried the more ill she became. b) Counteract feelings of shame with compassion for herself and others with the same affliction. c) Approach food as medicine and no longer an intoxicant. The most difficult part was acknowledging the addictive qualities (emotionally and

physically) of certain foods (i.e. animal products, sugar and flour) and the need to abstain from them. Substance abusers do not have to live with nor consume drugs or alcohol to live. Food addicts, though, are enticed daily. They have to shop for, prepare or cook, store, eat and live with their drug. d) Identify and make peace with the feelings she voraciously ate to avoid.

This healing of view created an inner calm and a newfound freedom.

2) Clear Intention. She developed clear intention for her approach to eating as life-supporting.

3) Clear speech. She became aware of her speech and that it reflected her authenticity. Her intentions and speech now match her beliefs and direct her actions. She works consistently at saying what she means and meaning what she says!

4) Mindful action. She practices being conscious about her actions and cultivating appropriate responses to certain situations. She carries a cache of reliable tools in her mind to help her refrain from acting in old and harmful ways. She has friends to call, a quote to repeat like a mantra, a prayer to strengthen her resolve when she feels weak. She pre-plans her meals so as not to be caught off guard against her strong desires to give in “…just this time…”

She consistently attends Overeater’s

Anonymous and works that program of recovery with others. She knows her compulsive eating is a disease of secrecy and isolation and the condition of her wellness is interdependent with the support of others.

5) Apply effort towards maintaining health. She acknowledges resistance when it arises and counters it with clear visualizations of her life in wellness. She stays with her plan for eating and exercises moderately and regularly, doing what she always loved – dancing and yoga.

6) Practice meditation. Her meditation practice cultivates mindfulness – ensuring her commitment to her intention. She meditates daily – developing inner peace.

7) Daily Remembrance. She remembers where she came from and practices relating to her body as her vehicle for living – not her authentic identity.

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” ~ Buddha Malerie Bleich, LMHC is an eating disorders and substance abuse psychotherapist with over 25 years experience in the field of addictions and mental health. For a free list of eating disorders symptoms, visit MalerieBleich.com or email Malerie@MalerieBleich.com. See ad page 50.

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Tapping the Ever Evolving Power of Female Orgasm for Health

By Raven Cohan

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o you find yourself whizzing through this millennium? Because of the vast dissemination of information due to internet usage, it’s great that many more women are finally much more open to sexuality. As yet, due to society’s present failure to cohesively educate young and old about the latest findings on orgasm, there are a great majority of women who do not yet know how to claim their right to have a fulfilled sexual life.

Women do well to begin seeking out the ABC’s of the unlimited nature of orgasm. More men are learning to be sensitive to their lovers, and not necessarily help them, “achieve” orgasm (as if it is a prize won by those who exert the proper amount of toil). Are you a woman who can agree to learn to improve your knowledge of resources within your own body, mind and spiritual human self? The determination of how much orgasm you want at any time is up to you! You can learn to give yourself improved, full orgasmic pleasure with or without a partner (male or female). (Men can learn, too, but that’s

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A step by step way of how to move the focus of sexual excitement is an ancient understanding known around the world, but kept underground a wholly different article.)

How about it? Being fully sensitive and orgasmic is too important a part of your humanity to be relegated to a long list of things to get tense about in your busy life. Orgasm can calm you down, perk you up, and put a smile on your face that can last far longer than you often permit. You can become playful, like an innocent child. Your lover(s) and your own self can study a

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very interesting way to expand orgasm beyond the genitals, by tuning in to your internal routes of energy known as meridians, which in Chinese Medicine are so important to acupuncture, but can be tapped by you. A step by step way of how to move the focus of sexual excitement is an ancient understanding known around the world, but kept underground. Usually, people who have not trained only focus upon the genitals to create arousal. Studying the methods to fully focus sufficiently is what can bring about the intensification of pleasure, to all other loci.

Due to lack of understanding, cultural repressions and tensions, you have trained more often to inhibit than cultivate the necessary natural ways.

When you learn to bring your focus deeply into yourself through developing ‘mind-eye power’ (the internal ability to visualize, feel or speak commands to yourself as if an energy drill is in each place affecting you like acupuncture needles), you can train your orgasm to move to all parts of your body harmoniously.* That is the

true meaning of being a woman who is ‘multi-orgasmic’; it is not simply increasing the number of clitoral or genital orgasms per love-making session.

Learning these practices makes orgasm last longer because you have trained your mind to relax and extend the orgasm and then focus enough to bring it to your internal organs and your extremities. This can make the time you spend making love a spiritual cleansing and healing only because it is your most healing energy that’s been hiding from you! This is an ancient practice more commonly known as ‘Tantra’ or raising the ‘Kundalini’, which are two words from the ancient Sanskrit language said to be from ancient India. My teacher was long ago advised to use those Sanskrit words when speaking or writing to his Western students. They are certainly more known than the Chinese words. Yet there are different methods the various cultures use (like artists use different techniques to render a fruit bowl onto a canvas, so do practitioners who develop their Healing Love techniques).

There are now many teachers of Chinese Healing willing to share these teachings that are no longer being held as secrets. Belief plus my experience of over 30 years verifies for me, that the more able you are to give pleasure to yourself and/or another

through intimate connection with your internal life forces, the more likely you are to heal physical, mental and emotional wounds. You will be a more peaceful person because you will train to find the chemicals provided by your body that relax you. It is easier to approach healing in a relaxed state.

You won’t reach for pharmaceutical or illicit drugs of any kind. You won’t be seeking other external adrenaline or endorphin boosters when you can charge up your natural pharmacopoeia through the birthright of being fully orgasmic. You won’t become a ‘sex maniac’ either, because this intensified love-making is long-lasting.

Once you learn it, you don’t have to ‘achieve’ orgasm any more.

This method is so natural because you attend to your holistic energetic pulses that will be humming tunefully by practicing these methods. This energetic orgasm is like having a feast that is crafted by the world’s greatest chef. You know you can’t really enjoy a feast if you over-eat. You only get sick. You take your time to enjoy each delicate morsel. The finest ingredients and preparation deserve time making and savoring, both during the meal and long after. Usually it takes patient practice to feel like you are a great chef. You take your time and no longer want junk food! You learn to stay in the moment when you put your mind

into each millimeter of your body!

The Multi-Orgasmic Woman

by Mantak Chia and Rachel Carlton Abrams, M.D. is published by Rodale Press. This book has level-headed techniques you can use to transform old ideas and experiences of orgasm into newer and lovelier explorations.

Being a student of Mantak Chia since 1981, I was asked to contribute to this book. Hopefully this article has put the idea in your mind to research enhancements to your life. This is an oasis-like resource you are simply introduced to. It’s up to you to transform your life.

Beyond introductory readings, find for yourself some lectures. Keep adding information until you find a local teacher. In order to be touched, in an exciting new way, reach for your own self-evolvement.

Raven Cohan can be reached at 954.927.2836. She teaches ongoing classes of internal and external Chinese Medicine healing and spiritual development, and occasional workshops. Cohan has in the works a book with Grand Master Mantak Chia that will add to his many dozens of publications and DVDs. See TaoTLC.com for an announcement when the book is ready. See ad page 48. *There are prerequisites to follow in this system. It is a program where you commit yourself and slowly advance.

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healthykids

Mom-to-Mom WISDOM Calming Advice for More ‘Good Days’ with Fretful Kids

by Beth Davis

P

arenting has more than its share of stressful challenges, and today’s moms are often frustrated by conflicting advice. As families search for answers to daily issues, a more holistic and natural approach, known as conscious parenting, has been gaining momentum.

According to Lori Petro, founder of TEACH through Love, a child advocacy group and educational resource for progressive parents, conscious parenting comprises the spirit of cooperation, instead of traditional models of discipline and control. “We want to teach our children how to live in the world, explore, be creative, compassionate, learn appropriate expressions of emotion and think for themselves,” she says.

To help maximize the rewards for all, Natural Awakenings asked several forward-thinking moms for their best tips on how to handle some of parenting’s biggest challenges.

Surviving the First Year

As a certified Happiest Baby educator, mother of three and owner of Gummy Giggles Baby Boutique, in Yukon, Oklahoma, Lori Simmons provides parents with essential tools and knowledge to help calm unhappy babies. She notes that while deal-

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ing with a crying infant is simply part of being a parent, colic is a condition moms dread the most.

Making the baby feel as if he or she is still in the womb is key, she advises. “People try to not make any noise, but the reality is, babies often cry because it’s too silent.” She recommends swaddling the baby, swaying and shushing quietly in the baby’s ear—all to mimic the comforts of the womb.

The best advice that she gives any new parent is that it’s okay not to know everything.

“Just listen to your instincts and understand that each child will learn and grow at his or her own pace,” she says.

“Most importantly, relax and don’t sweat the small stuff.”

The best advice that she gives any new parent is that it’s okay not to know everything. “Just listen to your instincts and understand that each child will learn and grow at his or her own pace,” she says. “Most importantly, relax and don’t sweat the small stuff.”

Weathering Toddler Meltdowns

Petro says we can better meet the challenges of these years—including temper tantrums, biting, toilet training and sleep problems—if we understand these situations in the context of a child’s development. During early growth, exploration and change, children typically have trouble expressing their thoughts and feelings, and that can prove overwhelming for everyone.

So, what can adults do in the middle of a toddler meltdown? First, remember that it’s the rare parent that hasn’t had to deal with a tired, cranky, screaming toddler. Simmons admits to having handled her share of tantrums.

“They don’t understand their own frustration, so it’s difficult for parents to understand the reason for outbursts,” she observes. Her strategy is to take the stressed child out of the situation.

It helps to know that some hitting and biting is considered normal for

toddlers, especially if they see it as an effective way to get what they want. Parents can put an end to it much the same way they deal with other inappropriate behavior, advises Petro. She suggests remaining calm, finding the root cause of the situation and acknowledging the child’s feelings and needs. Understanding why the child is doing it is crucial to making it stop. “Conscious parenting operates from the premise that all behavior is communication to meet a need,” she says.

Addressing Adolescence

According to Certified Life Coach Clare Seffrin Bond, although the adolescent years can be difficult, there’s plenty that parents can do to nurture teens and encourage responsible behavior. “The best parenting advice I ever received was from my mom, who encouraged me to grow into parenthood—taking it day by day, without the expectation that I would be proficient simply through the act of giving birth,” says this mother of two, in Richmond, Indiana.

Rewarding relationships come through accepting the notion that children are individuals living their own

journey, rather than extensions of their parents. “What parents see or feel in a situation is not necessarily what the child is experiencing,” Bond explains.

“Taking the time to recognize the fact of individual realities can be huge in rethinking one’s approach to discipline.”

She recommends speaking to adolescents honestly—even when it’s painful—and listening to them, even when we may not want to hear, or believe, what they’re saying. “Stay in touch with the fact that your relationship with your children is absolutely huge in terms of their—and your— development as a happy and fulfilled person,” counsels Bond. “Work hard at remembering your own teen years, including the frustrations and disappointments. Empathy and respect are essential ingredients in successful human relationships at every age.”

To connect with Lori Petro, visit Teach-Through-Love.com; for Lori Simmons, GummyGiggles.com; and Clare Seffrin Bond, TheRoadToClarity.com.

Beth Davis is a contributing writer to Natural Awakenings.

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THE LEGEND OF THE

LOST LIBIDO

by Joan E. Childs, LCSW

E

veryone knows that over time, relationships shift – sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. This will depend on how you tend to it. Relationships are like gardens. They need nurturing, weeding and care if we want them to grow, blossom and maintain their beauty.

The time you give to your garden is no different than the time and care you give to your relationship. Communication in our relationships is as paramount as water to a garden. It is essential for survival.

In the beginning of all relationships, everyone puts their best foot forward.

When we enter the first stage, commonly known as the “falling in love” stage, all our boundaries collapse; we can’t wait to see each other and our sexual appetite

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is perennially aroused. But then comes the next phase, when the newness wears off, and we get comfortable. This is when our authentic self emerges. However, our survival self makes a grand entrance when we have a conflict. This concludes the honeymoon stage.

Usually, the first things that begin to evaporate are the barrage of multiple daily phone calls, the ‘I love yous’ along with our sexual desire. What follows is usually a shift in the show of affection – those tender moments that were cherished from the beginning, his arm around your shoulder, hand holding and good night kisses once a ritual, now begin to fade. It is replaced with discovering the deficits in our partner that were not

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visible in the first stage. Finding fault with each other is the first level of pollution to enter the relational space in which the couple lives; faults that were not evident in the first stage. Even if they were, we were not willing to see or acknowledge them. It’s a strange phenomenon, but once we get between the sheets, we project what we want to see on each other – not necessarily what is there.

These projections are often the cause of disappointment, disillusion and bitterness.

What is worse is that most people avoid communicating their feelings, fearful that being honest may upset the homeostasis of the relationship. The unconscious or conscious fear is that if I express my anger or hurt him/her, my partner might end the relationship. This is not true. The truth is that avoidance is worse. Avoidance brews “the collecting of stamps”, and one day, the energy that gets lodged, breaks loose and bites you in the ass.

We tend to act out what we don’t communicate. Acting out is taking a feeling and translating it into a behavior. Our feelings are energy: e- motions – energy in motion. Stuffing them only makes them stronger until our container can no longer contain them. So what happens is they come out the side, worse than if we spoke our truth from the get-go. Our insecurities rule our behavior and cause us to make poor choices.

One of the first things to lose its luster is our sexuality. When we are hurt or angry, we simply lose our sexual interest.

Effective communication is crucial. It will always make things better. However, most folks don’t know how to communicate effectively. They never had healthy models of behavior to learn from. Here

is a simple and effective communication model that will help convert fighting into a healthy disagreement; it’s called The Change Model. If used correctly, it will avoid triggering your partner into a knee jerk response that so often accelerates into a fight that takes off into every direction except your original intent. It’s simple, self responsible, using “I” messages that avoid the pain and discomfort that usually come from disagreements.

Here is what it looks like: When I hear/see (disturbing words or behaviors we notice from our partner) Our perceptions I feel angry, hurt, disappointed, sad, etc.

Our feelings What I imagined, thought, fantasized, etc.

Our interpretation What I need Our needs Can we agree?

Contract When we use words like ‘you’, ‘never’, ‘always’, (examples: You made me angry. You never consider my feelings. You are always late.), that becomes an invitation for a fight. When we use “I” messages (self responsible statements), it engages our partner into listening without becoming defensive. This allows us to be heard and understood. Our partners will not get defensive if we own our perceptions, feelings, interpretations and needs. Conflict resolution is the result.

Martin Buber, the Jewish philosopher, said that human beings are wired for connection. If we disconnect, we go into crisis. It’s only in a relationship that we can know who we really are. Neurobiology notes that we need another brain to resonate with our own.

The brain is the only organ in our body that does not regulate itself from within.

It needs another brain to do so. Buber states, “Our relationships live in the space between us which is sacred.” He also says, “The meaning is to be found neither in one of the two partners nor in both together, but in their dialogue itself, in this ‘between’ which they live together.”

Joan E. Childs, LCSW has been in private practice for 35 years in both Hallandale and Fort Lauderdale. She was the first affiliate of the John Bradshaw Center, specializing in second stage recovery and Inner Child Work.

Childs specializes in couples/marriage counseling (Encounter-Centered Couples Therapy) as well as individual and group therapy. Visit JoanEChilds.com or contact JoanEC@aol.com, 954.568.1004. See ad page 57. natural awakenings

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The Hormone Balancing Act Natural Strategies for Feeling Better

by Kathleen Barnes

H

ormones rule our lives; it’s a simple fact of biochemistry. In their role as the body’s chemical messengers, hormones affect every human biological system. Without them, nothing works correctly.

Women’s hormonal systems are as complex as men’s, although vastly different. They govern reproduction, plus every aspect of health—including metabolizing food, proper immune function, physical and emotional responses to stress and the aging of cells.

Teens and Early 20s

Puberty and the early reproductive years should be the physical peak of a young woman’s life; when she is physically active and full of energy and youthful health. It’s also the time when breasts develop, hips widen, pubic hair

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appears, menstruation begins, and she becomes capable of pregnancy.

The good news is that several studies by the National Cancer Institute and the University of California, Los Angeles, have shown that regular exercise undertaken at this age results in lower estrogen levels throughout a woman’s life, greatly reducing her risk of breast cancer and other hormonal cancers. Yet, C.W. Randolph, Jr., a leading bioidentical hormone physician and co-author of From Hormone Hell to Hormone Well, reports that the ideal hormonal balance is routinely upset today. Culprits are obesity among young American women and the everyday presence of toxic estrogenic chemicals in today’s dairy products and meat, personal care products, plastics, food containers, pesticides and herbicides, as well as car exhaust.

“These compounds often have chemical structure similar to estrogen and can act like estrogen when introduced into the body,” Randolph explains. “Over time, these substances can increase estrogen in the body, potentially causing problems.”

Categorized as xenoestrogens, these hormone disruptors can cause rapid growth in breast tissue and have been blamed for the appearance of breast tissue and even milk production in girls as young as 18 months and the early onset of puberty, particularly

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among African-American girls. They are also suspected in the rising incidence of breast cancer in younger women today.

Reproductive Years

Women in their reproductive years often experience extreme stress in struggling to balance family, work, relationships and a need for personal growth, along with economic challenges. Women’s health expert Dr. Christiane Northrup, author of The Wisdom of Menopause, blames the stress of modern lifestyles for hormone disruptions in women in their childbearing years. “The stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine can have long-term effects on all other hormones,” advises Northrup.

Concurrently, many women sacrifice self-nurturance in order to nurture others. The first result is often premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which Northrup calls a “lifestyle disease.” “We know that this problem seems to worsen with each subsequent child. That made the connection for me,” she adds, “that with growing families and responsibilities, women no longer take care of

Ways to Avoid Manmade Estrogens d Choose organic milk and dairy products. d Eat organic meats and wildcaught fish. d Avoid canned foods and plastic water and soda bottles. d Do not use lawn or garden chemical pesticides or herbicides. d Shed outdoor shoes before entering the house. d Avoid furniture made from medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and synthetic carpeting; these materials outgas toxic chemicals. d Use natural household-cleaning products, including baking soda and vinegar. d Choose natural personal care products, including shampoos, lotions and cosmetics.

themselves as well; no longer get the amount of exercise they once did. The body is quite forgiving in their 20s, much less so in their 30s.”

Part of the result is the attempt to reduce stress levels by eating high-fat and high-sugar comfort foods. Weight gain, blood sugar imbalances and sex hormone imbalances follow. “Excess blood sugar changes the way estrogen, progesterone and testosterone are metabolized,” Northrup explains. “PMS and other problems of the reproductive years often go away when you get your blood sugar balanced, but—here’s the rub—you won’t get it rebalanced unless you are addressing the very real stressors in your life.”

Due to the presence of xenoestrogens and Americans’ general fondness for processed comfort foods, women in their childbearing years are also increasingly afflicted by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition characterized by overproduction of testosterone and other male hormones.

Insulite Laboratories, in Louisville, Colorado, reports that infertility and

early onset Type 2 diabetes, another hormonal imbalance problem, are closely connected to PCOS. The first priority for every woman at any age, counsels Northrup, is to get blood sugar (glucose) under control. “Get a glucometer. You don’t need a prescription. If your blood sugar level isn’t between 80 and 90 in the morning, you need to look at your diet and lifestyle. Getting this under control will create hormonal balance in the vast majority of women. It’s so simple.”

Perimenopause

The next hormonal shift overlaps with a woman’s reproductive years. Symptoms of perimenopause, or the start of menopause and the end of childbearing years, typically show up between the early and late 30s.

These range from hot flashes, night sweats and insomnia to weight gain, fuzzy thinking and redistribution of hair on the body. Again, the presence of xenoestrogens and stress contribute.

Women of other cultures rarely experience the intensity of perimenopausal symptoms that Western women report. So does that make perimenopause a lifestyle disease, as well?

Emphatically yes, says Holly Lucille, a doctor of naturopathy, registered nurse and past president of the California Naturopathic Doctors Association. “Diet and lifestyle are absolutely essential to a healthy hormonal system,” which she explains in her book, Creating and Maintaining Balance: A Woman’s Guide to Safe, Natural, Hormone Health. “The biochemistry of the body is based on

vitamins and minerals. If we compromise food and lifestyle choices, we are not getting the nutrients necessary to have a healthy endocrine system.”

Weight gain is a particular concern during perimenopause. In their book, From Belly Fat to Belly Flat, Dr. Randolph and Genie James, co-founders of the Natural Hormone Institute, advocate a specific eating plan to override belly fat and related accumulating effects of excess estrogen. “In perimenopause, progesterone production usually declines rapidly, more than 120 times faster than estrogen or testosterone production. That’s what aggravates the symptoms,” Randolph notes. “Because women in perimenopause are usually still menstruating, they think their hormones are okay.”

“The more body fat you have, the more estrogen tips the hormonal imbalance,” says Lucille. “Those fat cells hold on to toxins and place more burden on the liver, making it unable to effectively metabolize those extra

Major Female Hormones d Estrogen is produced by the ovaries, adrenal glands and in several other parts of the female body. It is responsible for physical maturation, including development of breasts, regulation of the menstrual cycle and preparing the uterus to receive a fertilized embryo. d Progesterone prepares the uterus for pregnancy, maintains pregnancy and balances estrogen during cyclical fluctuations.

d Luteinizing hormone governs the ovaries’ production of estrogen and progesterone. d Follicle-stimulating hormone works in synergy with the luteinizing hormone to control the menstrual cycle and ovarian egg production. d Testosterone is present in women, although in far lower levels than in men. It serves as a component of healthy sexual desire and in maintenance of healthy bones and muscles.

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Seven Steps to Address Perimenopausal Symptoms 1. Good diet that’s heavy on organic foods and low in saturated fats

as adrenal support via an adrenal glandular supplement

2. Vitex, or chasteberry, to increase progesterone naturally and help balance excess estrogen

6. Regular exercise

3. Black cohosh extract, like that found in Remifemin, to control hot flashes and night sweats 4. Blood sugar stability 5. Stress management, as well

estrogens,” which are stored in body fat and brought into the body as xenoestrogens. “At the end of the day, estrogen is a messenger, and its message is to tell cells to grow and proliferate. That’s what we don’t want.”

When estrogen becomes dominant, several things happen, including a more rapid release of insulin from the pancreas, which triggers sugar cravings. “It’s not a willpower problem,” Randolph assures. “Too much estrogen causes you to pack on the pounds in the belly area, and belly fat produces more estrogen. It’s a vicious cycle.”

Lucille considers perimenopause the opposite of puberty and counsels, “While we are dealing with these changes, bringing some hormones on board for a short time can be a valuable tool.” However, she cautions, replacing anything isn’t the issue. “You have to look at the big picture,” she avers.

“Putting hormones into a toxic body is like putting gas into a dirty gas tank. We have to restore function first.”

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) has been a boon for millions. Results of the Women’s Health Initiative, a national study of women’s health between 1991 and 2002, involving more than 160,000 postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79, sparked more widespread use early in the 21st century, when research began to show the dire consequences of synthetic hormone replacement. The Million Woman Study of British women also found that taking synthetic hormones at menopause doubled 32

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7. Bioidentical hormone replacement, if symptoms become too uncomfortable Source: Creating and Maintaining Balance: A Woman’s Guide to Safe, Natural, Hormone Health, by Dr. Holly Lucille

the risk of breast cancer for women.

Northrup calls bioidenticals “nature’s ideal design,” due to the prescription of individually tailored doses, custom-made by compounding pharmacies. Although these are rarely covered by insurance, estradiol-only patches may be; however, additional progesterone and testosterone may still be necessary, depending on test results, according to Northrup.

Menopause

If a woman has had no menstrual periods for 12 months, she is considered to be in menopause. However, Lucille asserts, “Menopause is not a disease.”

Northrup touts menopause as the most creative and precious time of a woman’s life; it is often a time of spiritual awakening and self-fulfillment.

“When the female brain passes menopause, the brain changes,” advises Northrup. “In a sense, we move from alternating current to direct current; I believe that this is the way the brain encodes wisdom.”

“Yet there are women in their 60s that are still having hot flashes. What should they do?” queries Northrup.

Natural alternatives exist that are safe and effective. “Many herbs have been used for millennia that have estrogen-like properties, but do not have estrogen’s side effects,” Northrup says.

“There is huge confusion about this: Plant hormones have different structures than mammalian hormones and cannot act as growth hormones. If you

Foods to Reduce Estrogen Dominance d Cruciferous vegetables and green leafy vegetables with indole-3carbinol to decrease xenoestrogens, including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, celery and kale; two to three servings a day d Any citrus fruits, which have d-limonene to promote estrogen detoxification; one serving a day d Insoluble fiber as an estrogen binder, such as oats, berries, dried beans and apples; two servings a day d Lignans as estrogen binders, such as flaxseed, sesame seeds and flaxseed oil; two to three tablespoons a day Source: From Belly Fat to Belly Flat, by Dr. C.W. Randolph, Jr., and Genie James have too much estrogen, these plant hormones can actually protect against excess stimulation.”

Her favorite is pueraria mirifica, which has helped relieve perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms in 80 percent of her patients within days.

(Because the method of harvesting and processing supports effectiveness, Northrup likes Solgar brand PhytoGen.) She also uses maca, from Peru, for its phytoestrogens, vitex, black cohosh and omega-3 fatty acids such as those found in salmon for ongoing hot flashes.

How to Access Bioidentical Hormones Bioidentical hormone replacement requires a prescription hormone blend prepared specifically for each individual by a compounding pharmacy. It may include the three primary aspects of natural estrogen: estradiol, estrone and estriol, and will usually include progesterone and testosterone, if needed.

“An almost limitless flexibility of doses is available in capsule or cream form,” says Steve Metcalf, a registered pharmacist and owner of Metcalf

Pharmacy, a compounding pharmacy in Brevard, North Carolina. “Unlike conventional hormone replacement therapy, where the mentality of the pharmaceutical companies is ‘one size fits all,’ we can make the specific strength you need.”

To find a local compounding pharmacy, visit the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists website, iacprx.org.

“Some women go through these years and truly take their place as women of wisdom and power. They don’t need any additional hormone support; they have enough life energy coming,” comments Northrup. “Others may need to take some kind of hormone support their entire lives. Either way, no one should suffer.”

Kathleen Barnes is a natural health advocate, author and publisher. User’s Guide to Natural Hormone Replacement is among her many books. Visit KathleenBarnes.com. natural awakenings

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Stress, Modern Day Life and Hormones

by Dr. Hepsharat Amadi

H

ormones are some of the many chemical messengers that help our body’s functioning. They are secreted from many glands, including the ovaries and testes as well as the adrenal glands and thyroid; and estrogens, for example, are also synthesized in fat tissue.

One of the many functions of hormones is to help us maintain a relatively constant state internally in the face of possibly extreme changes in our external environment. Our nervous system, endocrine system, digestive system, and immune system are intricately intertwined and interdependent in helping us to maintain our homeostasis.

Many chronic health issues that affect us today have some hormonal component to them, but this is often not recognized or addressed by the majority of medical doctors. The reasons for this are that most doctors are trained not to consider the possibility that there might be a hormonal imbalance present unless the patient has rather extreme and obvious hormonal symptoms (e.g. hot flashes). Often, any type of imbalance that is thought to be primarily hormonal is relegated to endocrinologists to be treated, whereas the vast majority of people see their primary care

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Many chronic health issues that affect us today have some hormonal component to them, but this is often not recognized or addressed by the majority of medical doctors. doctor first and never ultimately see an endocrinologist.

Another reason why hormonal imbalances are under-diagnosed, besides the fact that they usually are not tested for, is that the way doctors have been trained to test for hormones is not likely to reveal all of the imbalances that may be present.

Most doctors consider blood testing for hormones to be the “gold standard” and yet this type of testing will not reveal many adrenal problems. Cortisol, which is one of the main hormones the adrenal glands secrete and which is key in helping our bodies cope with the effects of stress, is secreted in a circadian rhythm – highest in the morning and lowest at night. The best way for testing cortisol levels is to do saliva testing and submit several samples during the course of one day. Typically, a person only goes to a lab to have blood drawn once in a day. Whatever level their

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cortisol is at that time gives no information whatsoever about whether the levels being secreted at other times are normal for that time of day.

Additionally, the reference ranges of hormonal values vary widely (for example, there is a nine fold difference between the minimum and the maximum “normal” value of thyroid stimulating hormone). It is also possible that a level of hormone which could be considered “normal” may not be “optimal” for any given person.

One last factor is that there can be differences in the way hormones act in the body based on hormone-receptor interactions, so that the same amount of a certain hormone in one person’s body may be adequate, an overload or insufficient in another, depending on how optimal those interactions are.

Many factors of modern day life contribute to hormonal imbalances. Lack of adequate trace minerals in our food contributes not only to difficulty synthesizing and regulating our hormones, but at the same time, increased toxin exposure and stress place greater demands on our body to make hormones. Plastics, pesticides and herbicides act in the body as foreign estrogens, whereas birth control pills and other synthetic steroids such as those used in pharmaceutical treatments for asthma, rashes and allergies, act as foreign adrenal hormones. Hormones that are foreign to the body, while they may suppress symptoms in the short run, tend to cause further imbalances and problems in the long run,

as the body does not produce the proper enzymes to be able to metabolize and excrete them completely.

Some common symptoms that may be related to hormonal imbalances are: chronic fatigue, menstrual problems, headaches, musculoskeletal injuries that do not heal for a prolonged time, weight gain or loss, hair or skin changes, difficulties with attention and focus and mood.

What can people do to try to maintain proper hormone balance in the face of all the challenges of modern day living?

1. Improve digestion and elimination. Consume a minimum of 1 oz. of water daily for each 0.5 lbs. of body weight.

Eat lots of vegetables and fruits (preferably organic), moderate amounts of fish (with the exception of tuna and swordfish which are higher in mercury), and organic meat and poultry, or vegetarian protein combining that supplies all of the essential amino acids.

Avoiding wheat and gluten-containing grains, as well as whatever foods you have allergies to, is advisable since most people have sensitivities to these compounds; and eating foods that you are sensitive to drains your adrenals.

2. Make sure your elimination is brisk, not sluggish. Excess estrogens and the wrong types of testosterone are re-absorbed back into the body through a sluggishly moving colon. One bowel movement a day is not adequate. Colonics (colon hydrotherapy) can help return the body’s elimination to optimal.

3. Avoid alcohol, smoking, processed foods, sugar and pharmaceuticals as much as possible, since all of these tax the liver.

One of the liver’s tasks is to balance the hormones, and a toxic

liver finds this more difficult to do. Make sure to get adequate amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet (and by supplementation) as this is very important for optimal hormonal balance.

4. Be aware of your stress levels and take steps to manage them. Sometimes this can be as simple as making yourself unavailable by phone after your bedtime. Other times it may mean changing toxic relationships or job situations. Cardiovascular exercise, yoga, meditation, being in nature or listening to music can be very helpful in reducing stress.

5. If the above measures do not seem to be improving your hormonal balance within 2-3 months of initiating them, utilize practitioners who are accustomed to recognizing and balancing hormonal disorders without resorting to synthetic hormones.

Some examples of these might be acupuncturists, nutritionists, herbalists, homeopaths, chiropractors, naturopaths, and integrative medical doctors.

Dr. Hepsharat Amadi was the visiting medical doctor for the Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach from 1995 to 1998. Since May 2001, she has been in solo private practice in wholistic medicine, at 10220 W. Sample Road, Suite 3, Coral Springs, 954.757.0064. Her specialties include quantum biofeedback assessment and treatment (a form of energy medicine), lifestyle and nutritional counseling, along with homeopathic, herbal and nutritional supplementation and remedies. See ad page 34.

natural awakenings

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healingways

Anti-Aging Skincare Turn Back the Clock with New Treatments and Breakthroughs

by Linda Sechrist

With aging still a largely mysterious process, current seekers of perpetual youth and beauty are urging scientists to find ways to slow or even reverse it. New tools to fight lines, wrinkles and sagging skin excite the imagination.

T

oday’s anti-aging toolbox is filled with promise. Tools range from at-home strengthening and refining creams to commercial treatment technologies such as cold laser, intense pulsed light (IPL), light-emitting diode (LED), microdermabrasion, photofacials, and skin tightening and rejuvenating ultrasound. Acupuncture facelifts make use of ancient Chinese techniques. Then there are the more invasive injectables, fillers and chemical peels. How do we know what is

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Broward County, Florida

best for us?

Whatever one’s chosen tools, Hema Sundaram, author of Face Value: The Truth about Beauty—and a GuiltFree Guide to Finding It, believes that women at any age have every right to pursue the outward expression of their inner beauty. The Washington, D.C.based medical doctor and board-certified dermatologist, who specializes in cosmetic surgery, supports a woman’s freedom to choose, without embarrassment or criticism. She emphasizes the

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positive effects of cosmetic procedures performed for the right reasons and notes, “Restoring the balance between a woman’s inner and outer selves can transform her life.”

An at-home anti-aging regimen aimed at retarding time’s telltales and enhancing beauty lays the foundation for an effective partnership with an esthetician or dermatologist. Performed consistently, do-it-yourself treatments can help to maintain cosmetic work performed by skincare professionals. Popular, non-invasive techniques are explained here. Many take it a step further with a meditation practice designed to develop and project inner, spiritual beauty.

Gua Sha. This Chinese technique (pronounced GWA SHA) uses a small medicinal board to gently massage, manipulate and stimulate energy points along the face. The objective is to promote a normal flow of energy, or qi (pronounced KEE), and blood circulation and to remove toxins. It also supports, lymph drainage.

Gua sha activates inner vitality by stimulating both the superficial and deep muscles that control facial expression. Beauty benefits include a brighter complexion and a reduction in the appearance of wrinkles, dark under-eye circles and puffy eyes. It also lifts sagging at the neck and jaw.

Hypnox. This 25-minute guided hypnotherapeutic audio recording is touted as a natural alternative to the neurotoxin Botox. Instead of paralyzing targeted facial muscles, which inhibits natural facial expression, Hypnox targets and retrains the same muscles to stop habitual frowning, lip puckering and squinting. The process is said to promote overall relaxation, allowing wrinkles to fade away.

Facercize. Muscle resistance training helps tone and enliven the 30 muscles of the face to render more youthful-looking features. Muscle fibers literally smooth out, shorten and lift the attached skin on the face and neck.

Enzyme Mask. A weekly exfoliating fruit enzyme mask gently dissolves dead surface cells and embedded impurities, while restoring hydration.

Adding an organic, fruit-based peel of alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids supplies an ideal boost that can result in an even

Facial Contouring Primer

by Linda Sechrist

F

acial acupuncture uses 12 strategically placed needles in the scalp and neck at muscle attachment points to lift the face and neck. “Ten to 20 treatments refresh the face, regardless of your age,” advises Anna Baker, a doctor of Oriental medicine and owner of Faces by Dr. Anna, in Sarasota, Florida. Baker advises that the results of 50 treatments are frequently better than a facelift, from sculpting the jawline and neck profile to erasing lines and lifting droopy eyelids.

“Cold lasers, IPL and LED use gentle energy from light waves to act on cells deep in the skin, helping them to grow back stronger,” says cosmetic chemist and esthetician Elina Fedotova, of Elina Organics, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois. Of the three, she considers IPL the most dramatic.

Offered by many estheticians, ultrasound wands emit radio frequencies to stimulate skin cells through vibration. Used to diminish wrinkles and lessen the appearance of scars, it also facilitates migration of serum and mask ingredients to sink into deeper layers of skin. Note that because ultrasound penetrates to the blood level, any products used during the treatment should be only the purest and most natural.

Good genes, a brighter complexion and Association of Holistic firmer looking skin.

Care Practitioners, healthy lifestyle Skin Retinols. These Handel cautions that naturally occurring and skilled beauty techniques intended to forms of vitamin A are a move skincare products gentler, over-the-counter enhancements can beyond the outermost version of retinoids. layer—such as slow the clock of dermal They likewise promote microcurrent, cold laser, healthy cell renewal and ultrasound and LED— aging. collagen production. should be 100 percent ~ Dr. Hema Sundaram, Gentle Micronatural and organic. owner, Sundaram dermabrasion. At-home “Read labels to find the Dermatology, Cosmetic microdermabrasion kits USDA Organic seal and & Laser Surgery Center, work to reduce the visavoid subjecting skin to Rockville, Maryland, ibility of pores and fine synthetic chemicals and and Fairfax, Virginia. lines. Many come with ingredients that contain battery-operated brushpetroleum derivatives es, aluminum-free scrubs, balancing from crude oil; artificial fragrances, toners and moisturizing serums; look which frequently contain toxic chemifor natural ingredients. cals; and synthetic preservatives such as Microcurrent Facial Sculpting. parabens,” she advises.

“Electrical stimulation forces facial The ultimate responsibility for skmuscles to do sit-ups,” says Charlene incare is our own. When a healthy diet, Handel, owner of Skin Fitness, Etc., in sufficient sleep, exfoliation, hydration Carlsbad, California. Twenty years of and natural topical treatments are no experience with handheld commercial longer keeping gravity at bay, individuproducts have convinced this certified als of either gender need not hesitate to holistic esthetician that if the current seek help from skin-care professionals. can’t be felt, it isn’t doing the job.

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer Trained by Elina Fedotova, CEO of Elina Organics and founder of the for Natural Awakenings magazines. natural awakenings

May 2012

37

their children are handling these situations well.

Signs that your child would benefit from counseling: Change in appetite, eating more or less than normal Change in sleep patterns, nightmares, sleeping more or less than normal Bed wetting or soiling pants once completely potty trained Drop in school grades Dramatic change in friends or decreased interest in friends Talk of suicide or fascination with death Cuts or burn marks on the skin Withdrawn Acting out Fits of crying or anger

When Does My Child Need to See a Counselor?

By Yvonne Haase, LMHC

P

arents often ask me, “How do I know if my child needs counseling?” My response to them is usually, “Most children would benefit from having an impartial person to speak to in their lives.” Children want to protect their parents’ feelings and usually will not share what is upsetting to them, especially if it involves family issues. You as the parent are the best judge of your child’s behavior. Parents often bring their child in when they

notice changes in their child’s personality or behaviors.

Sometimes the need for counseling is obvious: a divorce, a new marriage, a death in the family, or there is a history of family violence or drug/alcohol addiction. These life stressors have an impact on your child; however, parents may not recognize this if the child is quiet, does not show signs of acting out, and continues to state they are “fine”. It is often easier for parents emotionally to believe that

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It is imperative as parents that we be proactive in our child’s health.

We don’t hesitate to take our child to their pediatrician when we notice that a cough has gone on for too long or a high fever is present. Why wait when we notice such changes to their personality? Being proactive shortens the therapeutic process and lessens the trauma for the child.

Counseling for children is typically short term. Once the child has developed a relationship with their therapist, they usually feel comfortable returning when other life transitions come up.

Yvonne Haase, LMHC is a psychotherapist, qualified parenting coordinator and a member of the Florida Adoption Council. She specializes in children, families and couples. She also does adoption counseling, home studies and counseling for parents going through divorce. Haase is a proud member of the International Holistic Center (IHC) integrative team. IHC is a boutique center that fuses conventional and nonconventional therapies to address problems at the core, not just the symptoms. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 954-903-9426 or visit IHCHealthFusion.com. Hear Haase co-host “Dr. King’s Health Fusion Hour” the third Thursday of the month at Noon on 1470 am or at IHC’s website. See ad page 29.

Optimizing Digestion with Yoga and Diet

by Fabienne C. Grossman, RD/LD, 200-RYT

O

ur bodies are made to move and it is as simple as this: if we do not move our bodies regularly, then we will not be regular.

There are many reasons a person may develop constipation or have poor digestion. Some factors that can contribute are diet, fluid intake, fiber intake, exercise (too much or too little), stress and medications. To aid our digestion and absorption of nutrients, one needs to assess these factors and identify which need to be improved. This article will focus on how using yoga and making some simple dietary changes can help alleviate constipation and promote good digestion.

Our autonomic nervous system is made up of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Our sympathetic nervous system, or fight, flight or freeze, is part of our biological makeup that helps us in time of danger. It stimulates different nerves, neurotransmitters and hormones in the endocrine system.

Our parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for the ‘rest and digest,’ and when activated our breathing is less shallow, our heart rate is decreased, and the muscles in our body are more relaxed, especially in the abdominal region. When the sympathetic nervous system is engaged, the heart beats faster and respiratory rate is increased. In current society, many people have their sympathetic nervous system in overdrive and symptoms include muscle tension, gastrointestinal distress, elevated pulse, sleep issues and disturbed breathing. Yoga helps to ‘reboot’ the autonomic nervous system by combining conscious breathing and asanas (postures) which help activate the parasympathetic nervous system and bring the sympathetic system more into balance. One of the reasons individuals feel a sense of ‘bliss’ after a yoga session is because their autonomic nervous system is more in equilibrium.

Following are a few yoga postures that can aid in optimizing digestion and alleviating constipation and are suggested to do first thing in the morning before getting out of bed:

1) Knees to Chest – Lying on your back, bring the right knee to your chest, inhaling and exhaling smoothly for 5 breaths.

Repeat with left leg. The right knee into chest aids motility of the ascending colon and the left knee aids in the motility of the descending colon. Bring both knees to the chest, wrapping fingers together or holding opposite elbows and breathe smoothly for 5 breaths. This posture aids in the motility of the transverse colon.

2) Reclined Cobbler’s Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana) With your back on the floor or bed, bring the soles of the feet together and let the knees come out to the side. Practice 5 smooth abdominal breathing inhalations and exhalations. This allows the abdominal muscles to relax and is considered very soothing.

Following is a list of ways that may improve digestion and minimize constipation: Drink 8 oz. of water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach (have it by your bedside table).

Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water daily.

Eat at least 3 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily.

Improving digestive health can be as simple as breathing more deeply, hydrating adequately, getting enough fiber and moving more regularly.

Fabienne C. Grossman is a Registered/Licensed Dietitian, 200RYT and owner of Weston Yoga, 2600 Glades Circle, Suite 400, Weston. She is available for private yoga and nutrition consultations and will be facilitating a Nutrition & Wellness Workshop on Friday, May 11 from 2 to 4 p.m. and a Gentle Yoga/ Restorative with Live Music on Sunday, May 20, 4 to 6 p.m. An Open House – Free Yoga Day with donations will be held May 5th. For more information, call 954.349.6868 or visit WestonYoga.com. See ad page 60. natural awakenings

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greenliving

Greenwashing Update

HOW TO BE A SMART SHOPPER

Reach Your Target Market Secure this ad spot!

Contact us for special one-time ad rates.

954.630.1610

by Ed Begley, Jr.

W

e may think we are protecting our family’s health and the Earth’s environment by buying eco-friendly products, but a second look at some so-called “green” products may reveal we’ve been led astray. When companies hurry to cash in with new product lines touting natural living products, too many of the changes are more cosmetic (new packaging, appealing earthy logos) than chemical; sometimes toxicity levels decrease in only minimal amounts. With green marketing campaigns in overdrive, how can we be sure that we truly are selecting a certified safe product?

Hijacking True Eco-Trends

Greenwashing occurs when more money or time is spent on advertising and labeling green characteristics than actually developing and implementing environmentally sound products and practices.

Words such as natural, non-toxic and 40

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eco-safe are now widely misused.

Although greenwashing has been around for nearly a quarter century, corporations today are committing to it at unprecedented levels as they go after the growing market for eco-friendly products.

Companies have duly noted that even the average Jane is now interested in protecting the environment and is willing to pay a premium to help. When products and services are really green, everyone wins; but when they are suspect, everyone suffers from a false sense of stewardship.

The hijacking of green by irresponsible corporations is aptly characterized

by Jay Westerveld’s initial 1986 report on greenwashing, first used to describe the reuse of towels in the hotel industry. His research implied that in-room signage stating that, “Reusing the hotel towels helps save the environment,” was more a ploy to increase reservations from patrons concerned about

their environmental footprints than an actual credo of hotel management.

One can hardly assert environmental responsibility based on laundry alone, but many hotels did, even though they were not participating in any other forms of resource conservation, recycling or waste reduction.

The bottled water industry is a more recent example. Amid mounting negative publicity about their unsustainable practices, these companies aggressively overhauled label designs and switched to thinner plastic bottles. Yes, the new form is less wasteful, but drinking bottled water remains among the most environmentally unfriendly habits; plus, drinking from plastic, made with petrochemicals, is unhealthy, according to a Harvard School of Public Health study published in 2011 in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Thankfully, the tide is turning in many companies with integrity.

For example, in the 20 years since Westerveld’s report, more hotels are starting to introduce genuine environmental reforms, but so much more progress is needed across the board in business that the true pioneers stand out. Unfortunately, given the creativity of evolving greenwashing tactics, it is becoming more difficult to distinguish between authentic eco-alterations and mere overtures to green living. Buyer beware still applies.

Green Products Must Walk the Walk

Here are some telltale signs of greenwashing.

Fluffy or ambiguous language.

Beware of terms such as all natural, true organic experience or free of [insert scary chemical name]. These terms are not government regulated, and mean nothing. Even the organic monicker has multiple definitions that are meaningless unless a product is certified organic by a respected institution that issues objective standards.

Partial or nonexistent list of ingredients. The entire list should be on the label for 100 percent transparency.

Unverified health claims. Many companies lie or outright fabricate claims or data. Demand to see

supporting scientific studies.

A questionable parent company. If a maker is owned by a company notorious for toxic outputs, chances are that the product’s formula has undergone only minimal changes from the original, non-green version.

Consumers are not powerless. “Our research shows that while some consumers blindly trust green product claims, a growing number are doing research on product labels or going online,” says Kevin Tuerff, president of EnviroMedia and co-founder of the Greenwashing Index. “Unfortunately, the Federal Trade Commission is way behind in issuing new rules on green marketing that would protect consumers and help our environment.” GreenwashingIndex.com was

launched in 2007 to help shoppers know how to identify vague or misleading claims and when they can be confident of product authenticity.

The good news is that more companies today than ever are honestly working toward becoming more green.

Smart shoppers will help them on their way by consistently making the right environmental choice, not just a marketing choice. Buyer be aware.

Actor, author and pioneering environmental activist Ed Begley, Jr., is a prominent figure in the green movement.

Begley’s Earth Responsible Products of plant-based, sustainable and rapidly biodegradable ingredients equal or outperform their non-green counterparts (BegleysBest.com).

natural awakenings

May 2012

41

COMING IN JUNE

fitbody

HEALTHY ESCAPES Getaways spark personal growth, optimal wellness and active adventure.

PEDALING

PLEASURE

Special Section:

Men’s Health

Find a Bike that Fits Your Style

by Randy Kambic

M

For more information about advertising and how you can participate, call

954-630-1610 42

Broward County, Florida

ay is here—National Bike Month—heralded by a new Outdoor Industry Association study, which reports that bicycling is adult Americans’ second-favorite outdoor activity, after running. Its popularity is not surprising: Biking provides energizing aerobic and cardio exercise, flexibility, freedom, access and simply makes anyone feel young and vital.

“Everyone remembers their first bike and learning to ride it,” says Micah Rice, managing director of national events with USA Cycling, in Colorado Springs. “Parents can tap into that interest and the entire family can participate in a ride around the block, along a bike path, on an adventurous bike trail or in a local group fun ride. Cycling is easier than running, because it is less hard on your body and you can ride at any pace or distance.”

Sometimes we ride to combine shopping with exercise on local streets; on other occasions, we eagerly traverse old rail lines or ride hillside moguls.

Having the right bicycle delivers the most from any experience.

Choosing Wheels

Knowing your style and primary

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planned uses are paramount. Leading manufacturers, including Cannondale, Electra, GT, Marin, Novara, Raleigh, Scott and Trek offer many models for men, women and youngsters. Categories range from urban, road or mountain to recreation, comfort or cruising.

Bikes designed for road and pavement are generally lighter and have more gears than mountain bikes, which are built with more shock-absorbing features, such as rugged suspension and rough terrain tires, plus more lower gears to help ascend inclines. Urban and commuting bikes feature a slightly more upright riding position that helps bikers and motorists to see each other better.

Steve Colmar, a sales specialist at REI’s Seattle, Washington, store, provides two key guidelines for choosing and using a bike. Regarding seat position, “Make sure your leg has a slight bend when your pedal is at its lowest point in its rotation. If the legs feel a little cramped, raise the seat.” Regarding handlebar position, “Many serious road bikers adjust handlebars to be a little farther away, so they can lean forward with more weight in their hands, while many casual riders prefer a more upright position, because that’s what they are

Fun Biking Tips Looking to get more out of your wheel time? Here are some bicycling trip tips from RoadBikeJourney.com. n Try a new route today n Bring a camera along n Join a riding club and attend a bike race n Invite your spouse or a friend to be a ride buddy n Track total mileage and roads via GPS n Use a heart rate monitor and log the encouraging stats accustomed to while sitting. Whatever you are most comfortable with works.”

He notes that REI (rei.com) master bike technicians nationwide provide advice on selecting a bike, as well as free public bike maintenance classes.

Cargo Carriers

Some riders feel that shouldering a knapsack is uncomfortable, inadequate or hinders pedaling. Bikes can be equipped with cargo-carrying capabilities to increase usability. Whatever the length of trip, having the gear to bring along key supplies will yield more utility and enjoyment: Think water, food, spare tire, cell phone, etc. What about bringing home some fresh produce from the farmers’ market?

For around-town use, go with a bike trailer for frequent large loads; smaller amounts can fit into one or two front and/or back bike bags. Local bike shops can advise.

Riding Resources

USA Cycling, the sport’s national governing body, is hosting 17 national competitions with expos around the country this year in mountain, road and track categories for juniors, collegiate, open and senior divisions, plus many other local events. Visit USACycling.org to search for nearby riding clubs and and year-round events.

Since 1986, the nonprofit Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RailsToTrails.org) has been using former rail lines and connecting corridors to expand bicycling opportunities. To date, the Washington, D.C.-based organization has converted 20,000-plus miles of rail-trails and is currently seeking to add another 9,000 miles. Its largest annual participatory event is the 335-mile Greenway Sojourn, from D.C. to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from June 17 to 24.

Many parks and recreation departments support off-road clubs that preserve and maintain biking trails, and statewide bicycling associations welcome participation. Also check for information and opportunities via AdventureCycling.org, BicycleFriendlyCommunity.org, BikeLeague.org, BikesBelong. org, ClimateRide.org, imba.com (International Mountain Bicycling Association) and PeopleForBikes.org.

Pedal power to the people!

Randy Kambic, in Estero, FL, is a freelance writer and a copyeditor for Natural Awakenings. natural awakenings

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wisewords

Intimate Relationships and the Spiritual Path

by Marianne Williamson

T

he common wisdom goes like this: that the myth of “some enchanted evening,” when all is awash with the thrill of connection and the aliveness of new romance, is actually a delusion… a hormonally manufactured lie.

That soon enough, reality will set in and lovers will awaken from their mutual projections, discover the psychological work involved in two people trying to reach across the chasm of real-life separateness, and come to terms at last with the mundane sorrows of human existence and intimate love.

In this case, the common wisdom is a lie.

From a spiritual perspective, the scenario above is upside down. From a spiritual perspective, the original high of a romantic connection is thrilling because it is true. It is in fact the opposite of delusion.

For in a quick moment, a gift from the gods, we are likely to suspend our judgment of the other, not because we are temporarily insane, but because we are temporarily sane. We are having what you might call a minienlightenment experience. Enlightenment is not unreal; enlightenment—or pure love—is all that is real. Enlightenment is when we see not as through a

glass darkly, but truly face-to-face.

What is unreal is what comes after the initial high, when the personality self reasserts itself and the wounds and triggers of our human ego form a veil across the face of love. The initial romantic high is not something to outgrow, so much as something to earn admittance back into—this time not as an unearned gift of Cupid’s arrows, but as a consequence of the real work of the psychological and spiritual journey.

The romantic relationship is a spiritual assignment, presenting an opportunity for lovers and would-be lovers to burn through our own issues and forgive the other theirs, so together we can gain re-entrance to the joyful realms of our initial contact that turn out to have been real love after all.

Our problem is that most of us rarely have a psychic container strong enough to stand the amount of light that pours into us when we have truly seen, if even for a moment, the deep beauty of another. The problem we have is not that in our romantic fervor we fall into a delusion of oneness; the problem is that we then fall into the delusion of separateness. And those are the romantic mysteries: the almost blinding light when we truly see each other, the desperate darkness of the ego’s blindness, and the sacred work of choosing the light of mutual innocence when the darkness of anger and guilt descend.

Marianne Williamson is an internationally noted speaker, author of 10 books, Unity Church minister and a teacher and student of A Course in Miracles. Her most recent workshops focus on the topic of Enchanted Love: Building the Inner Temple of the Sacred and the Romantic.

In our society, the women who break down barriers are those who ignore limits. ~Arnold Schwarzenegger

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inspiration

by Linda Sechrist

The Power of Place T

he qualities that make a place special to us are highly personal, and they often help us to define who we are. Whether the setting is a lake house, a mountain lodge, a seashore cottage or a backyard at twilight, our sensory connections to these special places shape us in deep and lasting ways. Childhood experiences of our hometowns and memorable spots where we ran free during summer vacations are often deeply embedded in our strongest memories.

This relationship to place is one that we carry within ourselves for a lifetime. Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner noted that his own “little postage stamp of native soil” was an inexhaustible source of material. Fellow Mississippian and Pulitzer Prize winner Eudora Welty wrote, “Place absorbs our earliest notice and attention, it bestows on us our original awareness; and our critical powers spring up from the study of it and the growth of experience inside it. It is to this place that each of us goes to find the clearest, deepest identity of ourselves.”

Psychologist Carl Jung lived nearly half his life in a home he built in the village of Bolligen, on Switzerland’s Lake Zurich. In his memoir, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, Jung remarked, “At Bolligen, I am in the midst of my true life, I am most deeply myself. At times I feel as if I am spread out over the landscape and inside things, and am myself living in every tree, in the splashing of the waves, in the clouds and the animals that come and go, in the procession of the seasons.

In Bolligen, silence surrounds me almost audibly, and I live in modest harmony with nature.”

Iona Dreaming: The Healing Power of Place, is Clare Cooper Marcus’ journal of her six months on the Scottish island of Iona. The author writes, “I feel pure in this place. It is as if there was no separation between my living, breathing, perceiving body and my soulnature. No posturing, no pretending. I am who I am—no more, no less. As my breathing slows and I relax, I experience the sound of the sea passing through me—not me hearing the sea, not me and the sea—just the sound. A breeze blows across my face; the sun shines on

my cheeks and forehead. For a moment, they seem to penetrate my body. Then, they just are. My body ceases to exist.

No Clare or ego or a specific person, but a manifestation of divine energy just like everything around me… our separateness just an illusion.”

These kinds of intimate experiences occur most often when we are in a relaxed or meditative state, or spending full-bodied, multisensory, openhearted time in nature. Such moments inspire the experience described by American Poet Robinson Jeffers in which we “fall in love outward.”

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings magazines.

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naturalpet

YOU DIRTY DOG! Tips for the Grooming Impaired

D

by Avery Mack

ogs can get into the darnedest messes, and when they do, these head-to-toe grooming tips will make cleanup easier—on both sides of the tub.

Shedding. Every dog needs a good comb-out to remove dead hair. When possible, do this outside, to reduce dander or flyaway fur in the house.

Use a tool suited to the dog’s coat from a pet store—a brush, comb or sawtoothed loop to get to the undercoat.

Matted Fur. Dog hair can felt up faster than a wool sweater in hot water.

Always comb the mat starting from the end. If it’s especially stubborn, cut the mat lengthwise to separate into two or three pieces before combing. Don’t cut the mat out entirely, which is as noticeable as cutting a wad of bubble gum out of a child’s hair. Move especially difficult mats into the tub and rub a conditioner into it (a show horse detangler works well).

Ears. Red, painful, inflamed ears or dark, tarry goo inside an ear means infection or ear mites; head to a local veterinarian for an appropriate salve

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or drops. “Breeds like the Maltese or poodles get ear infections from moisture held in the ears by too much hair,” explains Diana Immordino, a master groomer with Animal General Hospital, in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. “A professional groomer can show how to gently and safely remove the excess, and advise if a drying powder is needed.”

Teeth. Dogs love chicken- or liverflavored toothpaste; using a tempting flavor makes maintaining sparkling clean teeth and a healthy mouth easy to achieve at home. Brushing several times a week will reduce or eliminate the need to sedate the dog for a more costly professional dental cleaning.

Feet. Make it a habit to keep fur trimmed even with the pads, so the dog isn’t slipping on long hair. Trim to make a nice, semicircular paw, as viewed from above. Cavalier King Charles spaniels are the exception to the round paw look.

Baths. Have towels and a gentle shampoo close by. Then bring in the pet and close the bathroom door; it’s easier than chasing a wet dog through the house.

Use conditioner for mats only—a dime-sized blob is enough—not for dog hair overall. Rub it into the mat and let it sit for 15 minutes before combing out the tangle.

Small or shorthaired dogs can take a dip in the bathtub, but large, and/or double-coated breeds are best bathed outdoors or in a special tub in the laundry room, to keep fur out of the drain.

A spray attachment will help get water all the way to the skin for breeds like a Keeshond, Malamute or Siberian husky.

Bloodhounds, pugs, bulldogs and shar peis need extra care. “Separate the wrinkles, suds up, rinse thoroughly and be careful to dry between the folds,” says Immordino. “These breeds can develop yeast infections between the wrinkles.”

Have several towels ready and dry the dog’s entire body before opening the door, because most will bolt to shake themselves dry and rub on rugs and furniture. A hair dryer on the coolest setting can help if it’s kept away from the dog’s skin and the buzzing rush of air doesn’t cause anxiety.

Plucking. Harsh-coated, nonshedding dogs such as the Cairn terrier should not be bathed; strip their coat instead. “Plucking removes the soft, dead undercoat, allows a healthy, vibrant coat to grow and maintains a proper rough texture that repels dirt and water,” explains Patti McCully, a Cairn breeder in Arvada, Colorado.

“Baths soften the coat and would eliminate this auto-clean feature. Stripping doesn’t hurt the dog. There’s no stinky smell, either.”

Nails. If an owner is squeamish about cutting a dog’s nails too short, local rescue clinics often offer nail trims for a small donation. At home, use a handheld grinding tool with a dome safety feature from the hardware store, instead of grab-and-crunch clippers.

“The easiest way to do a dog’s nails is to have the dog do it himself, dragging its nails across a filing board,” counsels M. Shirley Chong, a clicker trainer in Grinnell, Iowa. “I teach people how to do this and it’s easy to train the dogs, because they enjoy it.” The trick is to put the board out of reach between supervised sessions

(ShirleyChong.com/keepers/nailfile.html).

Finally, when the family dog is having a bad hair day and time is an issue, a professional can save the day.

Mobile groomers make house calls, and regular grooming contributes to a sweet-smelling dog.

Connect with freelance writer Avery Mack at AveryMack@mindspring.com.

Doggie Grooming Recipes Skunk Odor Remover Formula 1 quart 3-percent hydrogen peroxide ¼ cup baking soda 1 tsp liquid dish soap, formulated to remove food oils Mix together at time of usage and immediately apply foaming mixture to affected areas. Avoid the eyes.

Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.

Discard excess solution by pouring it down the drain while running water; never store it, because pressure buildup can cause the container to burst.

Natural Citrus Flea and Mosquito Repellant 1 large lemon, including thick rind, sliced paper thin 1 Tbsp crushed rosemary leaves or 6-inch sprig 1 Tbsp aloe pulp or juice, as needed 1 quart hot water Place lemon slices in a bowl and add rosemary. For dry skin, add aloe pulp.

Pour a quart of near-boiling water over mixture, lightly stir and let steep overnight. Strain into a large spray bottle and refrigerate until needed. Shake well before spritzing the dog, at least twice a week or more often when bugs are most prevalent, including stomach and paws.

Primary source: VetLocator.com

Inner beauty should be the most important part of improving one’s self. ~Priscilla Presley

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Garden Yoga

by Donna Torrey

S

tudies have been done on gardening as a weight-bearing activity, which we know helps to prevent osteoporosis.

In a study done on 3,000 women, gardening tasks such as digging, raking, mowing, lugging, etc. done at least once per week, had a greater effect on bone density than jogging, swimming, cycling, dancing, walking or aerobics. Now this is some science that I can relate to!

While I appreciate the usefulness of gyms, exercise machines and the like, I just can’t help but feel that gardening is so much better. Simply being outside in the sunshine, allowing our skin to make Vitamin D which is known to prevent cancer, is reason enough to forego the expensive memberships and pick up my shovel.

A big bonus too, we can grow nourishing food, with vegetable gardens and fruit trees, tangible products of our sweating, striving, and yes, even painful muscles the next day. Also, when gardening, we are using all of our bodies: walking, bending, pulling, lifting, stretching, even contorting to pull that weed under the bush, employing bodily movements we were built to make.

What I appreciate most about gardening though, is that while we are getting the best exercise around, we are also creating something wonderful, practical and beautiful which enhances our psychological well-being as well. Seeing something mature from a seed that we have nurtured gives a special kind of meaningfulness to life – a sense of purpose and completion often missing in our modern day.

Garden Yoga is my sport of choice, and if you want to give it a try too, put on your straw hat and just go for it! You will not only transform your home, but your mind and body as well.

Donna Torrey is owner of The Garden Gate, a specialty garden shop in Pompano Beach. Be sure to check out Donna’s Garden Journal at DonnasGardenGate.com for timely gardening advice. See ad page 58.

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askthetherapist

A Woman Betrayed

Q:

Dear Karen Kaye, My 14-year marriage ended quite abruptly when my husband began picking fights with me and stopped committing to most of the family responsibilities and activities. He moved out and was very angry at me; then I came to find that he was having an affair. Please help me deal with this.

Thanks, Karol

A:

Dear Karol, The behavior you are describing stems most likely from the guilt that your husband has been holding in and repressing, probably over a period of time. The idea of any guilty party is ‘if I can get you to question yourself, then you won’t question me, and I can have the best of both worlds.’

This lack of conscience and/or consciousness usually sends one’s world crashing down; and it should. There is no way for a marriage to grow when one person is clearly not committed or mature enough with all the selfishness and distraction to lay a sturdy foundation.

This behavior is very difficult to pinpoint at the time you are going through it. Be careful; many men and women living through this experience try to blame themselves. Wouldn’t this be convenient for your husband? However, you have lessons to learn, and now is the time to connect with yourself. You cannot take on what is his character flaw. Any person who leaves a long-term marriage in this manner, who chooses not to face themselves or the problems of the relationship, will not make a very good long-term partner.

Unfaithfulness can also be a pattern due to a lack of coping skills in oneself and perhaps also witnessed in his or her family of origin. These persons are not usually adept at problem-solving in general.

Whether or not your marriage continues is not your main focus.

Your focus needs to be on grounding yourself (and your family if you have one) and not running after your husband. When a person is rejected, the kneejerk response is to seek love, acceptance, and commitment from someone who is very weak and confused, hoping this betrayal will not happen again. This is not a time to make decisions. Come out of the chaos and then evaluate the situation and this person with a trained professional.

The marriages that do make it through this “life-changing event” are the ones where the person (who has had the affair) comes clean completely, owning their past, blaming no one, and wanting very much to change. Even once the truth is fully revealed (which takes a long period of time), it takes a long-term commitment to change (from both partners).

Remember, you can only own your part and where you provided the opportunity, not what he did with it (which is his decision alone).

All the best, Karen Kaye, L.M.H.C. Karen Kaye has been in private practice for 27 years. If you would like to speak with her directly about this or any other topic, call 954.384.1217. See ad page 57.

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calendarofevents “Earth Awareness” ART EXHIBITS:

markyourcalendar

April through Friday, May 4 Eco-Art -Recycled exhibit - Free to public. Hosted by the Oscar Thomas Foundation, ArtServe, 1350 E Sunrise Blvd , Ft Lauderdale, 954.462.9191.

April through Noon, Saturday, May 12 “Greener...” - Free to public. An art exhibition that celebrates Earth, The Projects Artspace (F.A.T. Village Arts District), 523 NW 1st Ave, Ft Lauderdale, For more info: Francisco 954.537.9000

Friday, May 4 Couples Getaway Weekend & Workshop - 7pmSun 2pm. $650/couple. Join Richard & Diana Daffner. Bring greater joy, intimacy & passion to your relationship. Celebrate your love. Transform your relationship into a love affair. Siesta Key Beach, Sarasota, FL. 1.877.282.4244.

CLEAR LIGHT RETREAT for Eating Disorders (with or w/o substance abuse)

This special event with Malerie Bleich, LMHC will inspire & encourage anyone in stable recovery or slipping & sliding.

Food addiction is one of the more shame-based afflictions and one of the most difficult to manage. Malerie will offer fresh information, mindful meditation and spiritual enlivenment for the reinforcement and strengthening of your personal recovery process.

Fri. June 1, 7-9:30pm |Sat. June 2, 9:30am-4:30pm (includes lunch)| Sun. June 3, 9-12:30pm | Fee: $90 Bring a friend for $75 each.

Contact Malerie@maleriebleich.com or call 954-495-5295 to RSVP or inquire further.

Limited to 10 participants. For a free list of eating disorder symptoms please visit my website: MalerieBleich.com.

saturday, May 5 “A Figurative Dialogue 2” - 7pm-11pm. Free to public. An art exhibit of the works of Barry Gross.

On display in te North Beach Arts District, Barry Gross Studio, 3555 NE 32nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308. For more info, call 305.609.2463.

Saturday, May 12 Earth Day Every Day - 10am-5pm, organic/veganfood, activities for all, entertainment, music, art at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, 3109 E Sunrise Blvd, Ft Lauderdale.

Celebrate a Happy, Healthy Mother’s Day with Nutrition S’Mart - From 11am-4pm, taste samplings,

beauty demos, raffles and more!!!). Ste 101, 12594 Pines Blvd, Pembroke Pines, 954.437.0035 “Ask Mama” - 2-4pm, $20. Inspirational Comedy Show, an interactive comedy that sparks laughter & insight! Your Big Picture Cafe, 4900 S University Dr, Davie 954.252.5644

Saturday, May 19 Birth Your Book, Writing Intensive Workshop - all day. $125. Learn from top publishing industry professionals. Bridge Hotel, Boca Raton. Register early. Call 561.542.0271.

Free Dinner Seminar - “The Key to Stop Hurting and Start Healing Naturally”. Featured Speaker: Dr. Scott Gamm, Heron Bay Marriott Reservations Required: Call 954.369.1212 to reserve seats for you and your guests.

Coming in June

HEALTHY ESCAPES Getaways spark personal growth, optimal wellness and active adventure.

Special Section:

Men’s Health

For more information about advertising and how you can participate, call 954-630-1610 50

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markyourcalendar

markyourcalendar Do You Love Helping People?

Are You a Healer?

Learn the Art of Upledger CranioSacral Therapy with Carrie

Fisher, BS, LMT

Earn 12 CEU’s LMT’s, LAc’s, OT’s & ATC’s

Have You Wanted to Become a Coach But Just Didn’t Have The Training?

This two day introductory workshop provides techniques you can immediately incorporate into your existing practice.

Now is your chance. Demand for Developing a Healthy GPS (Guy Picking System) Coaching is increasing faster than I can keep up. I need coaches; people willing to do workshops, group coaching sessions and one-on-one coaching.

If you would like to make a difference in somebody’s life, while at the same time making money in yours, embrace this opportunity.

Call for Workshop Schedule

Women’s Health Partners 6853 SW 18th St, Suite 301, Boca Raton, FL 33433

561.289.2080

Wednesday, May 23 “Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting” - 6:30-8:30pm, $15. Presented by JoAnn Bromley. Become excited about becoming deliberate creators of a life filled with passion & purpose! Your Big Picture Cafe, 4900 S University Dr, Davie, 954.252.5644

Don’t let anyone tell you that you have to be a certain way. Be unique. Be what you feel. ~Melissa Etheridge

Training Starts Sat. June 2

upcoming events: Friday, July 13

For more information

Women’s International Holistic Conference.

Ticket sale, sponsorship, partnership & exhibitor opportunities. 954.903.9426.

call Dawn 954.817.1966 Dawn@DawnMaslar.com www.DawnMaslar.com

GROW Your Business

Secure this special ad placement!

Contact us at 954.630.1610 more information

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ongoingevents NOTE: All calendar events must be received via email by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines.

Email SQWood@gmail.com for guidelines and to submit entries. No phone calls or faxes, please. Or to submit ongoing events online visit http://FtL.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com/advertising/oncal/formmailer. Ongoing calendar items are listed for $15/month; billing is quarterly.

sunday Ft Lauderdale Center for Spiritual Living Services – 9am (short service) & 10:30am Full Celebration Service with Dr. Arleen Bump on relevant topics. Includes musical presentations.

1550 NE 26th St, Wilton Manors, 954.566.2868.

Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) – 11am– 12pm, Free, Inclusive, unprogrammed worship in the manner of Friends. 2nd Presbyterian Church, Multi-Purpose Rm, 1400 N Federal Hwy, Ft Lauderdale. 954.566.5000 Eckankar Worship Service – 11am–12 pm (1st Sun ea mo), free, Learn to sing HU, the most beautiful prayer, Hampton Inn, 4499 W Commercial Blvd, Tamarac, 954.465.9959.

Unity Church of Ft Lauderdale Services: 9:30am & 11am. Youth Education/Sunday School at 9:30am serv. Toddler & nursery care at both services. Rev. Tita Calzada, Minister. Unity Church, 1800 NE 6th Ct, Ft Lauderdale. 954.463.4359.

Sunday Celebration – 9:30–10:30am Power Hour Meditation & Discussion. 11am–12pm, Join us as we Envision & Expand our Community, Unity of Pompano, 261 SE 13th Ave, Pompano Beach, 954.336.1898.

Interfaith Worship Services – 10am (3rd Sun ea mo) Rev. Dr. Lori Cardona. See the image of God in yourself & in everyone around you. 1164 E Oakland Pk Blvd, Ft Lauderdale, 954.632.0605

Wisdom Through Action – 1–2:30pm, Teaching inner development in the tradition of G.I. Gurdjieff & P.D. Ouspensky. Now accepting students.

Various Ft. Lauderdale & Hollywood locations. Se habla Español 888.889.9588

Buddhist Meditation Classes – 10–11:30am, $11.

With Kelsang Norbu, Western Kadampa Buddhist monk. Drolma Buddhist Center, 140 W Prospect Rd, Ft Lauderdale. 954.537.9191 Center for Spiritual Living Boca Raton Sunday Service – 10:30am. Dr. Barbara Lunde gives life-changing talks that resonate all week. Music & warm hospitality. 2 SW 12 Ave, Boca Raton, 561.368.8248.

Unity Gateway Church – 10:30am, Sunday service & school, 3701 N University, Coral Springs, LaQuinta Hotel. 954.938.5222.

Jill Dahne Show – 3–4pm, WNN 1470am, 888.565.1470.

Consider a different kind of education for your child – 3–5pm, Free, (2nd Sun ea mo), Self Initiated learning in a democratic setting. Sunset Sudbury School, 4200 N 66th Ave, Davie 954.404.7785.

Vinyasa Flow with Amy – 6–7:30pm $5 first time, 15$ drop-in. End your weekend right! Appropriate for all levels. 2737 E Oakland Park Blvd (back courtyard of plaza), Ft Lauderdale, 954.540.8547.

Metaphysical Chapel of South Florida – Healing Service 10:30am, Worship Service 11am. 1881 NE 26th St, #100 breezeway (inside Congregation Etz Chaim), Ft Lauderdale, 754.300.1428.

Free Guided Meditation & Kirtan (Satsang) – 7–8:30pm Meditation followed by uplifting calland-response chanting & music. Yoga Warehouse, 508 SW Flagler Ave, Downtown Ft Lauderdale, 954.525.7726.

Tai Chi–Qigong Health Orientation Class – 10:30am–12noon (second Sun ea mo), Indoors in N. Hollywood Beach. Leavarn basics for six other weekly scheduled classes. Phone Senior Instructor of Universal-Healing Tao, Raven. 954.927.2836.

Sunday Evening Workshop – 8pm, $Love, Lecture, healings, billet readings & refreshments. The Haven for Spiritual Travelers, 1341 SW 25 Ave, Ft Lauderdale. 954.792.3866.

Services: The Parish of Sts. Francis & Clare, 10:30am, (& Sat 5pm, Wed 7pm) 101 NE 3rd St, Ft Lauderdale, 954.731.8173.

monday

Mindfulness (Insight) Meditation – 10:30am– 12pm, Free. Silent group meditation followed by a talk & conversation. 16 NE 4th St, Ft Lauderdale.

Call for details. 954.529.0886.

Zen Meditation – Silent sitting 7–8am, $Love, (Mon—Fri), 220 Commercial Blvd, #201 (2nd fl), Lauderdale By The Sea. 954.667.7317.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Ft Lauderdale Services – 11am (child care begins at 10:30), 3970 NW 21st Ave, Oakland Park. 954.484.6734.

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Amrit Yoga Class – 9–10:15am $10. Strengthen your Mind-Body connection with Amrit Yoga Leif Chiropractic & Healing Arts Studio 7301 NW 4th St, Suite 101, Plantation, 954.282.1131

nabroward.com

Power Vinyasa – 9:30–11am, $15, Intense class that welcomes all levels (also Wed & Fri), Just Yoga, 242 A Commercial Blvd, Lauderdale by the Sea, 954.600.9828 Therapeutic Yoga – 11am–12 noon. $10 first class.

Class incorporates mindful movement to stretch & strengthen the body. Weston Yoga, 2600 Glades Circle, Suite 400, Weston. 954.349.6868.

Pre Natal Yoga – 6pm Postures, Breath, Meditation to prepare for birth & motherhood. Modifications given for individual trimester & ability. Doctor’s note req. Red Pearl Yoga, 918 NE 20th Ave, 2nd fl, waterside, Ft Lauderdale. 954.828.1651.

Hathaflow Yoga – 6pm. Poses are modified to suit students at every level, (Tue Yin Yang; Wed Gentle; Thu Vinyasa Flow; Fri Flexible Strength), Yoga Dynamics, 4996 N Pine Island Rd, Lauderhill, 954.608.2446.

Stress Release Meditation – 6:30pm, $10, Relax, receive suggestions, create visualizations, live healthier. Modern Zen, 4282 S University Dr, Davie. 954.625.6775 Tai Chi-Qigong Health – Evenings 6:30–7:45pm.

1st 5 lessons, $5Love on beach, N. Hollywood at Franklin St & Surf Rd. Inside if rain, phone. Certif.

Instr. Raven 954.927.2836.

Living Effectively: An Anger Management Group – 7–8pm $25. Develop healthy ways to respond to difficult situations. The Community, LLC, downtown Ft Lauderdale. Directions: 954.533.9818.

Meditations 4 Moderns, Peaceful Mind, Open Heart. Non-denominational 7:30pm (1st & 3rd Mondays), The Unitarian Universalist Church of Ft. Lauderdale, Multi-purpose room. 3970 NW 21st Ave, Oakland Park. 954.232.5782.

Renewal Breath – 7:30 9pm, $20 (2nd & 4th Mon) Conscious Connected Circular breath, Active breath meditation, Rebirthing breath, Modern Zen, 4282 S. University Dr, Davie, 954.655.8059.

Women’s Support Group: Wonderful Women of Awareness 7:30–9:30pm. $20/ session, ongoing group–be more aware & committed to your own vision through re-education & support. Karen Kaye, LMHC 954.384.1217.

tuesday Vinyasa Yoga – 6–7:20am $15 (also on Thur), Start your day right & keep it going. Just Yoga, 242 A Commercial Blvd, Lauderdale by the Sea. 954.600.9828

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Raja Yoga Meditation – 10–11am (& 6:30– 7:30pm) Free. enjoy the peace & love within.

Hollywood Library, 2600 Hollywood Blvd, Roz, 954.962.7447.

A Course in Miracles Study Group, 10am– Noon (& Thur), Artserve, 1350 E Sunrise Blvd, 954.816.8090 (Ken) or 954.383.3790 (Markus).

American Holistic Nurse’s Assn – 7pm, (2nd Tue) Speakers on Holistic topics, Open to the public, Holy Cross Hospital, 4700 N Federal Hwy, Radiation Oncology Conference Rm / Cancer Center, Ft Lauderdale. 954.973.1928.

Coral Springs Metaphysical Club – 7pm, (3rd Tue ea mo, also Sun 1–3pm) Free, topics: Numerology, Handwriting, Auras, Near Death, Past Life, Kabbalah, Sondra & Chuck Zecher’s Estate, 12140 NW 10 St, Coral Springs, 954.340.7087.

Reiki Circle & Meditation – 7pm, Center For Human Development, 5809 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, 954.989.6400.

Solvent Serenity – 7–8pm, Debtors Anonymous, a 12 Step Program providing a resource for helping people manage their debt & compulsive spending. St. Anthony’s, 901 NE 2nd St, Ft Lauderdale (chapel gated entrance) 954.731.1757.

Chakra Healing Circle – 7–8:30pm. $Love (2nd & 4th Tues). Healing through Heart, Body, Mind & Spirit Awareness. Bridges of Wellness, 1881 NE 26th St, Suite 218, Wilton Manors, 954.530.6006.

Healing Through Awareness – 7:30–8:30pm, Experience freedom from pain, anxiety, & negative emotions, (2nd & 4th Tues), BodyTalk Broward, LLC, 1975 E Sunrise Blvd, 5th floor conference room, Ft Lauderdale, RSVP: 954.226.3612.

Reiki Healing Circle – 7:30pm, $5. Modern Zen, Be part of the Universal Life Force Energy. 4282 S University Dr, Davie. 954.625.6775 Free Reiki Circle Meditation – 7:30–8:30pm, donations appreciated. Complimentary healing method beneficial releasing stress & tension. Weston Yoga, 2600 Glades Circle, Ste 400; 954.349.6868.

Classes in Science of Mind Studies – 7:30 –9:30pm, (& Thur) Ft Lauderdale Center for Spiritual Living, 1550 NE 26th St, Wilton Manors 954.566.2868

Doctor Day at the Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine (ATOM) Intern Clinic – 9am–1pm. $60 per treatment. Acupuncture treatments given only

by Licensed Acupuncturists with special experience. ATOM, 100 E Broward Blvd, Ft Lauderdale.

Appointment 954.763.9840 ext. 201.

Yoga Basics – 9:45–10:45am Fundamentals of posture & breathing for strength, flexibility & stamina. First Class $10. (also Mon 6:30–7:30pm & Fri 9:45–10:45am), Weston Yoga, 2600 Glades Circle, Suite 400, Weston, 954.349.6868.

Meditation/Relaxation Class – 5:45– 6:30pm, free.

Guided meditation & relaxation led by Ina Lee. All levels. George English Park Rec Center, 1101 Bayview Dr. Ft Lauderdale. Call first, 954.463.4733.

Meditation & Reiki Healing Circle – 7pm, $5Love, Nature’s Emporium, 8041 W Sample Rd, Coral Springs 954.755.2223.

Sacred Space: Meditation & Discussion – Midweek “Life Me Up” inspiration & renewal. 7–8pm, $Love, (M-F) Bridges of Wellness, 1881 NE 26th St, Wilton Plaza, Suite 218, Wilton Manors, 954.530.6006.

Meditation/Intercessory prayer – 7–8:30pm, Group meets in private home. Join us to help heal a hurting world, Ft Lauderdale, 954.779.7458.

Restorative Yoga Class – 8–9pm, $Love. practice with pranayama, stretches, restorative poses & guided meditation. Weston Yoga, 2600 Glades Cir, Ste 400, Weston, 954.349.6868.

thursday Free Healing Clinic – 5:30–7:30pm Free (also Mon). Relieve stress. Heal physical & emotional imbalances. 4801 S University Dr, Suite 101, Davie. 954.434.0330.

Tai Chi–Qigong Health – Mornings 7:30–8:30am (thru Sun) 1st 5 lessons, $5Love. On beach, N Hollywood at Franklin St & Surf Rd. Inside if rain, phone. Certif. Instr. Raven, 954.927.2836.

Free Guided Meditation – 8–9pm (also Wed 5:30–6:30pm, Friday/Spanish 8–9pm, Meditation for stress relief, spiritual development & healing. 4801 S University Dr, Ste 101, Davie, 954.434.0330.

wednesday Laughter Circle – 8:45am. Free. Playful, breathing, stretching & laughing for health & happiness.

By Pavilion 4, TY Park, 3100 N Park Rd, Hollywood 954.989.3774.

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Gluten Support Group – 7pm, (3rd Thur each mo), free. Live a gluten free life. Share recipes, products, tips, guest speakers, Dr. Marianne Beck, 601 E Sample Rd, Suite 104, Pompano Beach, res.

954.782.4855.

Yoga for the Soul – 7pm, Satyananda style – Postures, breathing, Satyananda Yoga Nidra. All levels.

Urban Namaste, 915 NE 20th Ave, Victoria Park.

954.834.3186.

Wisdom Through Action – 7–8:30pm. Teachings in the tradition of G. I. Gurdjieff & P. D. Ouspensky. Various Broward Co locations, 1300 E Sunrise Blvd, Ft Lauderdale, Se habla Español.

888.889.9588 Successful Communication Practice Group – 7–9pm, $Love, Four Steps to Relationship Empowerment & conflict resolution. 320 NE 19th Ct, Wilton Manors. 954.793.7573 Tai Chi–Chi Kung/Tao Yin Classes – 7:30–8:30am (+Fri–Mon), Near shady lifeguard stand, Franklin St, N Hollywood Beach, Raven. 954.927.2836.

Reiki Circle – 7:30–8:30pm, $Love, Delmar Arts Academy, 2500 N Federal Hwy, Ste 103, Ft Lauderdale, 954.537.9278.

Buddhist Meditation Classes – 7:30–9pm, $11.

With Kelsang Norbu at Drolma Buddhist Center, 140 W Prospect Rd, Ft Lauderdale, A service of Drolma Kadampa Buddhist Center. 954.537.9191.

friday Hatha Yoga for Children & Parents – 3:30– 4:30pm, $120 for 12 weeks. Fun & relaxation!

Parent free (& Sat 8–9am), 704 E Atlantic Blvd, Pompano Beach. 954.480.6789.

Monthly Gallery Night, Meet the Artists, Show & Sale – 6–11pm, (second Friday ea. mo) A great gathering of varied talents. Host/Artist: Michael D. Colanero. Uncommon Gallery, 2713 E Commercial Blvd, Ft Lauderdale, 954.336.4305.

Ascension Ceremony – 6:30-8:30pm, Free, (1st Friday every month) Please wear white & bring your Intention, Doors will lock promptly at 7pm, RSVP a Must, My Energy Place, 2050 E Oakland Park Blvd, #205, Ft Lauderdale, Kathryn 954.306.8251.

Reiki Circle – 7–8pm, love donations appreciated (also Tuesday 7–8pm), Loving Lotus Center & Spa, Loving Lotus Center & Spa, 9395 W Sample Rd, Coral Springs, 954.344.4404 Enlightenment Through Dance - 7:30pm. $79 4 classes. Dance will be your mind, body & soul Guru. Modern Zen, 4282 S University Dr, Davie.

954.625.6775 Healing & Meditation Service – 7:30pm Center For Human Development, 5809 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood 954.989.6400.

Reiki Circle/Meditation – 7:30pm, $Love. Hosted

by Reiki Masters Mayra & Rose, Essentials Complementary Wellness Center, 2104 N Federal Hwy, Ste A, Hollywood. 954.921.7808.

Trigger Point Therapy CEU Seminars – 9am–6pm Levels 1–4 weekends starting 1st Friday of the month. CE 50–11565, Hollywood, Res. req. min.

4 students. 954.865.8310.

Reiki Healing Circle & Potluck Finger Food & Dessert Social – 7:30pm, (second Fri ea mo). $3Love. Reiki hosted by Usui Reiki Master Fred Levick in private home in W Broward. RSVP 954.742.2113.

Ascension Fair – Guest Healers by appt. 1-5pm, Free, (1st Sat ea mo) Networking & spiritual sharing. Visit our “Ascension Store”; My Energy Place, 2050 E Oakland Park Blvd, #205, Ft Lauderdale, Kathryn 954.306.8251.

Friday Night Reiki Circle – 7:30pm. $5 Love, Back by popular demand. Usui Reiki Healing & Meditation. Circle. Modern Zen Holistic Center, 4282 S University Dr, Davie, 954.279.8562.

Yoga in the Park with Lynette – 10am, (also Mon 3:45pm) $10, rain or shine, panoramic view.

Secret Woods Nature Center, 2701 W State Rd. 84, Ft Lauderdale. 954.357.8884.

saturday

Tai Chi/Chi Kung/Meditation –10am, For health & longevity–in the lineage tradition of internal kung fu masters, for all ages & levels, Sifu Andrew Chung, 2831 E Commercial Blvd, Ft Lauderdale, 954.224.9940.

Morning Chant for World Peace & Harmony – 7:30am. Free. Chant Om Namo Narayanaya for inner peace & planetary healing. Peace Garden, Yoga Warehouse, 508 SW Flagler Ave, Downtown Ft Lauderdale, 954.525.7726.

Tai Chi/Qigong Basics – 9–10am $10, Qigong practices & guidance on body alignment & proper energy foundation. White Crane Healing Arts Center, 7071 W Commercial Blvd. 2C, Tamarac.

954.721.7252.

Psychic Fair – (last Saturday ea mo) 11am–3pm, $15/15 min reading. Buy 2, Get 1 free. Tarot, Astrology, Mediumship/Psychic Readings. Metaphysical Chapel of South Florida, 1881 NE 26th St, #100 breezeway (inside Congregation Etz Chaim), Ft Lauderdale. 754.300.1428.

Spring Forest Qigong – with ThetaChange!

11am–12:30pm. First class “try one on us”, then $10/class. Participants leave class 1/3 stress & 1/2 pain! ThetaChange, Inc. at Point Pleasant Wellness Spa, 1732 NE 26th St, #202, Ft Lauderdale.

954.492.9750.

Community Acupuncture – 11:30am–2:30pm $30-$40 (also Mon 5–7pm & Wed 1–3pm). Relaxing & effective! Acupuncture treatments in a small group setting. Thrive Wellness Center, 1244 S Federal Hwy, Ft Lauderdale 954.713.6118.

Mission of Maitreya – 4–5pm, These sessions are to further explain & clarify the teachings. http:// www.Maitreya.org. 954.629.4873.

Vinyasa Flow with Dagmara – 4–5:30pm, $5 first time, 15$ drop-in, Weekly Vinyasa Yoga. Intimate, serene studio. 2737 East Oakland Park Blvd (back courtyard of plaza), Ft Lauderdale, 954.540.8547.

Reiki/Meditation/Discussions – 6pm (+ other topics M-F), Pine Island & I-595 in Broward, directions/info 954.330.1100.

Drum Class – 7–8pm. $10/class. African rhythms taught by director of Venus Rising: Women’s Drum & Dance Ensemble. All levels welcome. Goddess Store, 2017 Harrison St, Hollywood. 954.651.0541.

classifieds Classifieds are $4.50 per word for each three month series ($45 minimum charge).

EXAMPLE: 10 words = $45 for Jan., Feb. and March. Email content to SQWood@gmail.com or submit online at http://FtL.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com/class/formmailer Due date is the 10th of the month. Organized alphabetically by categories.

FREE ~ HELP WANTED ads*: Do you have a 20 hour or more a week job offer? We will print your first three months for FREE (Submit your LOCAL job offer with a maximum of 10 words. Pay only $4.50 a word over 10.) *Restrictions apply.

Business Opportunity

HELP WANTED

CURRENTLY PUBLISHING NATURAL AWAKENINGS MAGAZINES – Call for details 239.530.1377

Part time cashier at New Moon Books, Crystals and Candles, Inc. Paid per hour basis.

Knowledge of metaphysics preferable. Submit resume to: NewMoonBooksOnline@gmail.com.

for sale / for rent Massage Establishment for Sale/ Lease/Sub-Lease, Rent one/two rooms or pay per client, include colonic room, space for yoga/tai chi. Owner retired, will help. 8254 SR 84 Davie.

954.476.7770, C:954.536.5367.

www.SpiritSingles.org Leading online dating sites for individuals who share a passion for a healthy lifestyle.

List your ad here.... someone is LOOKING TO WORK WITH YOU.

services/CLASSES offered Reiki Classes all Levels CEU provider. Reiki circle Tuesdays, Center for Health, 954.491.6158.

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May 2012

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communityresourceguide Connecting you to the leaders in natural healthcare and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide email NAadvertising@naturalawakeningsmag.com to request our media kit. acupuncture Highpoint Healing and Wellness, Inc.

breast screening South Florida Thermography

Claudia Barrington RN CCT locations in Tri county area 954-422-8766 www.SFThermography.com

Valencie Exceus, AP, DOM 3500 North State Road 7, Suite 405, Lauderdale Lakes, FL 33319 954-390-0411 http://www.highpointhealing.com

A full service Oriental Medical Facilities focusing on healing the root cause of your health challenges using Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, Cupping, Moxibustion, Homeopathy, Vitamins and Supplements. We treat pain, menstrual cramps, fibroids, digestive disorders, hemorrhoids, stress, anxiety, insomnia, and many more. Call us today for a free 20 minutes consultation. We accept most insurances upon approval.

We use ancient medicine to heal the modern patient!

angelic readings

T h e r m o g r a p h y, t h e S a f e r, Painless, non-invasive breast screening option for women.

Offering earlier detection of breast disease than has been possible through breast self exam, doctor exam and mammography alone.

brainwave optimization Center for Optimal Health Linda Rowlands 1915 NE 45th St, Ste 103 Ft Lauderdale FL 33308 954-491-6158 linda.braintrain@gmail.com www.cfoh.biz

Brainwave Assessments and sessions Success in helping people with sleep, addiction, anxiety, stress, focus problems and more. Balance your Brain; Love your Life.

MARIA SCOZZARI, ATP®

Certified under Doreen Virtue, PhD English: http://celestialsession.vpweb.com Spanish: http://lecturascelestiales.vpweb.com 954-621-3568 Receive celestial messages regarding your personal relationships, health, goals and life purpose. Maria Scozzari is an Angel Therapy Practitioner® who can connect with your angels and help you find ways to heal your body, mind and heart.

We also offer Angel Workshops to develop and refine our communication with the celestial realm, Chakra Clearings, Reiki Sessions and Past Life Regressions.

BodyTalk

chinese medicine Dr. Yuexian Shi 3320 NE 34th St. Fort Lauderdale FL 33308 954-745-8060 2929 N. University Drive, #111 Coral Springs, FL 33065 954-510-4850

Vondette Brinson, AdvCBP, LMT 954-226-3612 www.BodyTalkBroward.com

Customized non-invasive holistic healing. BodyTalk, Quantum Entrainment. CranioSacral, Lymphatic Drainage, Massage, Access the BARS, workshops.

Anti-Aging and Joint health programs.

Broward County, Florida

Ayurvedic Center for Well Being Dr. Bryan Miller, D.C. 315 S. 21st Ave (Dixie Hwy), Hollywood, FL 33020 954-923-4444 www.AyurvedicHealers.com

Dr. Miller’s 35-year chiropractic practice includes Ayurvedic assessments, nutrition counseling, massage, trigger point, allergy avoidance, emotional release, cleansing/rejuvenation programs.

Auto accidents accepted. Lab tests at cost! See ad page 28.

Back In Harmony Chiropractic and Wellness Center, LLC Dr. Wei Sheen Chong 9960 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines FL 33024 954-604-5384 www.backinharmonychiropractic.com

Passionate about helping others improve their health naturally. Dr. Chong uses gentle spinal adjustments to remove nerve interference so your body can do the healing.

Dr. Bernard Burton, d.c.

2045 N University Dr, Sunrise, FL 33322 954-742-0332 www.betterbacks.com

Dr. Bernard Burton is a Holistic Doctor who uses chiropractic, nutrition, applied kinesiology, acupuncture, and craniopathy to find and fix the cause of your symptoms.

Kang-yun Acupuncture Center

BodyTalk Broward, LLC

56

CHIROPRACTIC physician

nabroward.com

20 years of experience in Chinese and Western Medicine. Teacher at Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine in Ft. Lauderdale. 40% off 1st treatment, Over 65, 10% off. See ad page 63.

Dr. Lisa Owen

8430 W. Broward Blvd., #250, Plantation, Florida 33324 954-745-8380 DrLisaOwen.com Dr. Owen uses proven methods to get you out of pain fast and improve your physical, mental and emotional health. Includes, Homeopathy and more.

Friends and Family Spinal Care Dr. Justin Brown, NUCCA Chiropractor 954-369-1212, Coral Springs www.familyspinalcare.com

Discover the upper cervical difference. We provide a gentle upper neck adjustment, restoring balance and health throughout the body. Call 954.369.1212 for special consultation rate. See ad page 2.

Spine & Sport Rehab Institute

Dr. Jeffrey T Berard, DC 286 S University Dr. Plantation, FL 33324 954-452-4600, phone 954-452-4652, fax info@getbackintothegame.com www.getbackintothegame.com We are a Chiropractic Wellness Clinic specializing in Sports Rehab, Active Release Technique (ART), Automobile Accident Injuries, Decompression Therapy, Massage Therapy and many other chiropractic and therapeutic services using the latest techniques, equipment, and technology to assure our patients are able to achieve the most favorable results in the shortest time possible.

SPIRITUAL RESPONSE THERAPY

COLON therapy

Dana Abreu 954-404-3176 www.graciapr.com

Physical Health Complex

Sandra Herrington, OMD, RN, LMT, CT 2544 No. Federal Hwy, Ft. Lauderdale 954-566-0444 Cleansing for health/energy.

Constipation, impaction, bowel rehabilitation, digestive disorders, candida detox, nutrition, living foods/wheatgrass. Individualized plans or Rx followed. Physician/ Instructor administered.

Established 1964. Clean, private, caring environment. mm966, ma6884.

counseling/therapy Cohen Counseling

Howard M. Cohen MS PA, Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern Wilton Executive Suites, 2312 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305 954-980-9628 howardm@cohencounseling.com At Cohen Counseling, we help clients whose lives are in transition. This positive experience helps them to manage their challenges to maintain a healthy balance.

coaching Divine Love Institute

Nancy Duke and Nancy Livingston 2832 Stirling Road, Suite H Hollywood, FL 33020 954-920-0050 Beautiful gift shop!

Wonderful Energy! See you there. Offering: Life Coaching, Akashic Records, A n g e l Wo r k s h o p s / Consultations Hypnosis/ NLP, Reiki/IET® Heal Your Life Workshops, Magnified Healing®. (CEU’s for IET Workshops) See ad page 11.

Kristen Bomas, P.A. 954-725-7200 KB@KristenBomas.com KristenBomas.com

Offering life coaching services to individuals, couples and groups.

Available to speak at your workplace for business and career development. Over 25 years in practice.

We want to serve as a channel using spiritual methods, which can help people to be themselves and to raise their level of consciousness.

dental health Brent J. Bracco, DDS – Comprehensive Dentistry 2467 E. Commercial Boulevard Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33308 954-771-5300 www.DrBrentBracco.com

Do you wait till it hurts to see the dentist? Enhance your smile at our new tranquil, state-of-the-art office. We have been providing wholistic family dental care since 1985. Most insurance accepted.

Mon – Thurs, 7:30am – 5pm.

Dental Spa

Dr. Gregory Gertsen, D.D.S. 3640-7 N Federal Highway, Lighthouse Point, FL 33064 954-941-7778 www.FLDentalSpa.com Let your smile be a sign of happiness and great health. An attractive, younger smile can be yours today.

Joan E. Childs, LCSW, DSW

2500 E. Hallandale Beach Blvd #503 Hallandale, FL 33009 1040 Bayview Dr # 408, Fort Lauderdale FL 33304 954-568-1004 JoanEC@aol.com www.JoanEChilds.com

State-of-the-art dental office.

Many treatment options. Make informed, good choices about your oral health.

Do you feel frustrated, lonely, misunderstood and stuck in your relationship? Do you feel a loss of connection with your partner?

There are ways to clean up the polluted relational space that has developed over time. Call Joan E. Childs, LCSW, a relationship expert with thirty-five years of experience.

Emotional Healing Healing Emotions Naturally

Cyndi Pletch & Berni Schyvinch 7731 NW 20th Court, Sunrise, FL 33322 954-747-4732 954-746-5746, fax cyndipletch@comcast.net www.cbusa.rema.org.es

Karen Kaye, Licensed Mental Health Counselor 2625 Weston Rd., Weston, FL 33331 954-384-1217 KarenKayeCares@bellsouth.net

There is no reason to live in the pain from the past. The pain is here to teach you. Together we rewrite your old script, creating a new path. 27 years reinventing individuals, couples & teens.

natural awakenings

Developed in Barcelona Spain, using a natural holistic approach to release ‘bad’ emotions, which cause physical and/or mental discomfort within the body.

No drugs, injections or hypnosis used.

May 2012

57

The Garden Gate

Farmers Market

Sears (N. side), Pompano Citi Centre corner/Copans Road and US1 954-783-GATE (4283) www.DonnasGardenGate.com

Marando Farms

1401 SW 1st Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315 954-713-6441 www.MarandoFarms.com

A unique garden center specializing in Florida native plants, butterfly and bird habitats, herbs, orchids, water gardening, organic gardening products, beneficial insects, garden decor and more!

Buy your organic local produce from a working farm. Fresh eggs, raw dairy, grassfed beef, fermented foods. Co-op, CSA and Community Garden.

Educational programs.

Please visit website.

Urban Farm Guru

Fine art

Miguel Afonso, Certified Permaculture Designer 954-793-8770, Pompano Beach, FL miguel@urbanfarmguru.com www.UrbanFarmGuru.com

Susan “SusieQ” Wood

954-630-1610 Susan@SusieQArt.com www.SusieQArt.com

Complete your home or office space with artwork that supports your vision; commission a custom piece to reflect your authentic self. SusieQ’s artwork will continue to communicate its personal message for decades to come. Call today for a studio appointment. See ad pages 49 and 60.

Passionate about sustainable living, we provide residential and commercial Aquaponics installations as well as expertise in Permaculture, Community Gardens and Food Forest Design.

Palm Plaza, Federal Hwy & 10 St, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441 954-288-0775 herbertwheeler@comcast.net www.gemformulas.com

Balanced Living, Inc.

Michelle Luongo, CFSC Certified Feng Shui Practitioner www.balancedlivinginc.com East Coast Academy of Feng Shui www.ecafs.net 888-272-7094

7071 W. Commercial Blvd. Ste. 2C, Tamarac, FL 33319 954-721-7252 www.whitecranehealingarts.com

Over 20 yrs. experience in acupuncture, herbs, nutrition.

Over 40 yrs. experience in Qigong. Authentic Taoist Lineage classes/private lessons in Tai Chi, Tao Yoga, Longevity Breathing & more. Healing & transformation through experience and education.

hypnosis Center for Holistic Options, Inc. Pamela Shenk, C.Ht. 4800 Northeast 20th Terrace, Suite 401, Ft Lauderdale 954-771-6226 4holisticoptions@bellsouth.net www.PamelaShenk.com

Hypnosis can help with stress, fears, weight, smoking, confidence, sports, test anxiety, substance abuse, sexual problems, pain management and much more. See ad page 47.

Gemstone Energy Medicine Herbert Wheeler

Feng shui

White Crane Healing Arts

Gemstone therapy is the sophisticated art and science of using therapeutic-quality gemstone spheres and formulas to harmonize, vitalize, and balance body, mind and emotions.

Michelle creates nurturing and life-enhancing environments through her consulting business and offers an opportunity to transform your life with the Feng Shui Certification Program.

HEALING ARTS

Integrative medicine Palm Beach Integrative Medicine John DeLuca, M.D. 4101 NW 4th St., Suite 211 Plantation, FL 33317 954-583-3335 www.PBIMedicine.com

Board-certified Internal and Anti-Aging Medicine.

Integrating the best of conventional, preventive and complementary medicine to conservatively treat the spectrum of conditions from complex medical and pain syndromes [the difficult cases] to physiciansupervised weight loss and longevity. Specializing in regenerative detoxification, medical nutrition, and Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement. Call for free cardiovascular evaluation.

Loving Lotus Center & Spa gardening Southern Deep Roots Edible Gardens & Landscapes

Lauren Gershon & Eric Morales 954-461-6765, Hollywood southerndeeproots@gmail.com www.southerndeeproots.com Facebook: Southern Deep Roots LLC

9395 W. Sample Road, Coral Springs, FL 33065 954-344-4404 LovingLotusSpa@gmail.com www.lovinglotusspa.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/ Loving-Lotus-Center-andSpa/196339177113452?sk=wa

We design, install, & maintain edible gardens at your home or business. Check out our website for all our products & services and give us a call for a free site analysis.

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Broward County, Florida

nabroward.com

We are a spiritual wellness center and spa where we pamper your body, mind and spirit! Our services include facials, massage and reiki.

We a l s o o f f e r t a r o t , astrology, intuitives and workshops. MM#28270

intuitive healer Dr. Deborah Armenti

561-285-1479, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea www.aMysticalAge.com Psychic Readings • Clairvoyant • Tarot • Guidance with the whys of past experiences; preventing re-occurances in present situations; help in paving the way for a more fulfilling future.

massage therapy Center for Optimal Health

1915 NE 45th Street, Suite 103 Ft Lauderdale, FL 954-491-6158 www.cfoh.biz

Therapeutic Massage specializing in Deep Tissue, La Stone, Lymph Drainage, Reiki, Reflexology & Craniosacral. By appointment.

Most insurance accepted. mm#9016.

organic BUYING CLUB

religious centers

Endlessly Organic

Center for Spiritual Living Boca Raton

866-944-9564 www.endlesslyorganic.com Receive a bounty of preselected fresh-picked organic fruits and vegetables delivered directly to your community or workplace at a discount. All produce is USDA certified organic. Coupon Code: NA15.

organic food Bm organics

Medical Spa Therapies Ellen Mills 754-235-6890 EllenM39@yahoo.com

Master therapist described as detailed, thorough, nurturing and compassionate. Tri-county Mobile/office. Therapeutic, O r t h o p e d i c , Ly m p h a t i c , Oncology, Asian/Tai, skin/nails.

30 years experience.

Introductory massage $40.

natural acupuncture Shudong Wang, M.D. (China) A.P. 4522 N Federal Hwy Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 954-772-9696 www.nacupuncture.com

28 years of experience in Traditional Chinese Acupuncture and herbs. Professor and clinic Director at Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine. See ad page 63.

Dr. Paola Weber 2960 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33306 954-330-3561 drweber@bmorganics.com www.bmorganics.com

Dr. Barbara Lunde, Director 2 SW 12 Avenue, Boca Raton, FL 33486-4440 561-368-8248 www.bocaspiritualliving.com

Sundays – 10:30 am Teaching Science of Mind, a way of life based on spiritual principles drawn from the major world religions. Classes, free of dogma and superstition, provide tools for living a fully functioning life.

Unity Gateway Church

O rg a n i c c a f e a n d m a r k e t specializing in nutrient-dense foods for your health! Offering organic prepared foods, raw foods, superfoods, fresh juices, shakes and coffee bar!

Organizer

Rev. Lana Charlton 3701 North University, LaQuinta Hotel, Coral Springs 954-938-5222 www.unitygatewaychurch.org

Podcasting or Free CD visit website. Sunday services and Sunday school, 10:30 a.m., Positive, practical, progressive Christian message, embracing all world religions. See ad page 39.

Life Organized by Bonnie, LLC 954-849-1023 Bonnie@OrganizeByBonnie.com www.OrganizeByBonnie.com

Restaurant ~ Vegan/Veg

Got Clutter! Get Bonnie! Clear your clutter, simplify your life.

Specializing in residential and student organizing and downsizing. Home care coordination. Assistance with life transitions. Complete confidentiality. Insured.

Gourmet Greenhouse

5809 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, FL 33021 954-518-0551 www.GourmetGreenhouse.com We are a vegetarian restaurant offering a variety of sandwiches, salads, entrees, soups and desserts.

Specials vary on weekly basis. Open 11am–4pm.

See ad page 39.

psychological/metaphysical OPTOMETRIc Physician Natural Eyes of Weston

2863 Executive Park Dr. #103 Weston, FL 33331 954-217-2992 www.NaturalEyesofWeston.com

Compassionate doctors dedicated to superior care of the eyes. From pediatrics to geriatrics we provide thorough eye exams in a supportive nutritional environment individualized for optimum eye health.

Transformational Awareness

Raul Gordillo, PsyD, CAP, CMHP Ragoher@aol.com transformationalawareness.intuitwebsites.com Transformational Awareness is an ongoing process that begins with the understanding of one’s psychological make-up, progresses beyond thought, and culminates with the realization that the present time is all there is.

Nuage Cafe

5903 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Parkland, FL 33067 561-674-8527 www.nuagecafe.org www.meetup.com/nuagecafe More

than a gluten-free

organic buffet... It’s a lifestyle!

Nuage Cafe is practically a community in itself. It offers incredible resources, from guest speakers on the cutting edge of health and science, to meetups for those interested in affirmations for love and abundance. Nuage Cafe is a little piece of heaven.

If you haven’t visited yet, run there now! There are two buffets daily, all-you-can-eat believe it or not, for $20! Unheard of for organic, raw, gourmet cuisine.

natural awakenings

May 2012

59

salon

structural integration

Stephen Anthony, abch

Core Energy Institute

2331 Wilton Dr. Wilton Manors 954-564-2323 www.TracyCarrollSalon.com www.

706 NE 3rd Ave Downtown Ft. Lauderdale 33304 954.298.3369

Feng Shui hairstyle consultations, American Board Certified Haircolorist, No ammonia / thio haircolor and perming, Hawaiian Keratin Treatment: Formaldehyde-Free, environmentally safe. 20% off first visit.

The Rolf Method of Structural Integration. Your body’s language tells everyone who listens a story of who you are. If you’re trying to change old habits, old pains, old injuries, old age, old beliefs and want to look and feel good mentally and physically, Structural Integration can give your body a brand new language. Change the way you hold your body and your mind will follow. #ma38092. See ad page 15.

wholistic physician

schools

Dr. Amadi’s Wholistic Health Center

PAIDEIA CLASSICAL ACADEMY

Dr. Paola Weber 2370 Hammock Boulevard, Coconut Creek, FL 33063 954-330-3561

An Orthodox Christian School of Excellence.

Pre-K - 8th grade, private, non-profit, educational institution nurturing children in the art of learning.

Classical, Green, Organic, on 10 acres!

Summit Questa Montessori School

Judy Dempsey 5451 SW 64th Ave, Davie FL 33314 954-584-3466 info@summitquesta.com www.summitquesta.com Grade Range: preK-8.

Year opened: 1991. Number of Students: 385. NonDenominational. StudentTeacher Ratio 15:1. Tuition Range: $7,150–$9,875, AISF, AMS.

Hepsharat Amadi, M.D., L.Ac. 10220 W. Sample Rd., Suite 3 Coral Springs, FL 33065 954-757-0064 954-757-2612, fax hepsharat.amadi@gmail.com www.dramadi.com

Primary Health Care with a Natural Approach including Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, Quantum Biofeedback, Weight Loss, Detoxification, Natural Allergy Treatment, Herbal and Homeopathic Remedies, Supplements, Nutrition and Lifestyle Counseling. See ad page 34.

Yoga Audrey Giron

Your Big Picture Cafe 4900 S. University Dr, Davie, Fl 954-252-5644 954-993-4673 Yogafull21@hotmail.com www.asimerio.com Facebook: Asi Me Rio (This is how I laugh) Laughter Yoga teacher, Certified from Dr Mandan Katharia school and Hatha Yoga teacher certified under Sri Naranda’s Yoga Teacher Training. Hatha Yoga (Spanish) and Laughter Yoga (English).

Hatha Class: Monday, Wednesday 9-10:15am.

Weston Yoga

2600 Glades Circle, Suite 400 Weston, FL 33327 954-349-6868 www.westonyoga.com Weston Yoga offers a variety of healing modalities, classes, and workshops. 21 regular scheduled classes a week. Beginners to advanced. First class $10.

in appreciation...

Community Resource Guide (CRG) Natural Awakenings Magazine Susan Wood 954-630-1610 SQWood@gmail.com www.FTL.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

Basic listing Feb-Dec: $99/mo includes 4 of 8 items: (1) business, (2) name, (3) address, (4) telephone, (5) telephone, (6) fax (pager, etc.), (7) email address, (8) web. PLUS: 25 words to describe your service, products or business. Photo $10 additional; extra words @ $1 each. Additional charge for CRG listing in January for those that are not under contract (Special Annual Edition).

Order Your CRG ad online today at: http://FtL.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com/advertising/ annual/formmailer.

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Broward County, Florida

nabroward.com

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Birmingham, AL Huntsville, AL Mobile/Baldwin, AL Little Rock/ Hot Springs, AR Phoenix, AZ Tucson, AZ East Bay Area, CA Los Angeles, CA San Diego, CA* Santa Barbara/ Ventura, CA Denver/Boulder, CO Hartford, CT Fairfield County, CT New Haven/ Middlesex, CT Daytona/Volusia/ Flagler, FL NW FL Emerald Coast Ft. Lauderdale, FL Jacksonville/ St. Augustine, FL Melbourne/ Vero Beach, FL Miami & Florida Keys Naples/Ft. Myers, FL North Central FL* Orlando, FL Palm Beach, FL Peace River, FL Sarasota, FL Tallahassee, FL Tampa/ St. Petersburg, FL Florida’s Treasure Coast Atlanta, GA Western NC/ Northern GA Chicago North Shore, IL Indianapolis, IN Louisville-Metro, KY Lafayette, LA New Orleans, LA Middlesex Co., MA Ann Arbor, MI Grand Rapids, MI East Michigan Lansing, MI Wayne County, MI

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Asheville, NC* Charlotte, NC Raleigh/Durham/ Chapel Hill, NC Monmouth/ Ocean, NJ North NJ North Central NJ Somerset/Middlesex Counties, NJ South NJ Santa Fe/ Albuquerque, NM* Las Vegas, NV Long Island, NY Manhattan, NY Rockland/ Orange Counties, NY Westchester/ Putnam Co’s., NY Cincinnati, OH* Oklahoma City, OK Portland, OR Bucks/Montgomery Counties, PA* Harrisburg, PA Lehigh Valley, PA Northeastern PA* Rhode Island Charleston, SC Columbia, SC* Grand Strand, SC Greenville, SC Chattanooga, TN Knoxville, TN Memphis, TN Nashville, TN Austin, TX Dallas, TX Houston, TX North Texas San Antonio, TX Tyler/Longview, TX Richmond, VA Southwestern VA* Seattle, WA Madison, WI Milwaukee, WI Puerto Rico

*Existing magazines for sale

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