Natural Awakenings Fort Myers/Naples- April 2022

E R F

E

HEALTHY

LIVING

HEALTHY

PLANET

why we need

wild places how to invite more nature into your life & landscapes

EARTH DAY 2022 EATING FOR THE PLANET DIET FOR A CLIMATE CRISIS BETTY OSCEOLA ON THE EVERGLADES BEST NATURE APPS FOR WILDLIFE EXPLORATION April 2022 | Collier/Lee Edition

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April 2022

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

COLLIER / LEE EDITION

Acupuncture Center of Naples CUSTOM PRESCRIPTION HERBAL MEDICINE for all your health concerns Dr. Cen has more than 25 years experience in Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine.

Arthritis • Chronic Pain • Injuries • Insomnia • Stress Menopause • Stroke Recovery • Shingles • Anxiety Migraines • Fibromyalgia • Well-being • Bell’s Palsy & More 5683 Naples Boulevard • Naples, FL 34109 Dr.Xiu Qiong Cen A.P., D.O.M Licensed Acupuncture Physician

Publisher Sharon Bruckman Editors Linda Sechrist

Martin Miron

Randy Kambic

Sara Peterson Design & Production C. Michele Rose

Lisa Avery Contributing Writers Linda Sechrist

Sandra Yeyati Sales & Marketing Christine Miller

Lisa Doyle-Mitchell Accounting Amie Delozier Website Kristy Mayer

CONTACT US 4851 Tamiami Trail N., Ste. 200 Naples, FL 34103 Ph: 239-350-0141 • Fax: 239-434-9513 swfl.NaturalAwakenings.com DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS Digital subscriptions are available through swfl.NaturalAwakenings.com.

239-513-9232

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Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books. ~John Lubbock

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Nature’s Virus Killer Copper can stop a virus before it starts

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By Doug Cornell

cientists have discovered a with a tip to fit in the bottom of the natural way to kill germs fast. nostril, where viruses collect.

Now thousands of people When he felt a tickle in his nose are using it against viruses and bacteria like a cold about to start, he rubbed the that cause illness. copper gently in Colds and his nose for 60 many other seconds. illnesses start “It worked!” when viruses get he exclaimed. in your nose and “The cold never start multiplying. got going. That If you don’t stop was 2012. I have them early, they had zero colds spread and take since then.” over.

“We don’t Copper kills viruses almost In hundreds of make product instantly studies, EPA and health claims,” university researchers confirm copper he said, “so I can’t say cause and effect. kills microbes almost instantly just by But we know copper is antimicrobial.” touch.

He asked relatives and friends to try That’s why ancient Greeks and it. They reported the same thing, so he Egyptians used copper to purify patented CopperZap® and put it on the water and heal wounds. They didn’t market. know about microbes like viruses and Soon hundreds of people had tried it. bacteria, but now we do.

Feedback was 99% positive if they used “The antimicrobial activity of copper copper within 1-3 hours of the first sign is well established.” National Institutes of bad germs, like a tickle in the nose or of Health. a scratchy throat.

Scientists say the high conductance Users say: of copper disrupts the electrical balance “It works! I love it!” in a microbe cell by touch and destroys “I can’t believe how good my nose it in seconds. feels.”

Some hospitals tried copper “Is it supposed to work that fast?” for touch surfaces like faucets and “One of the best presents ever.” doorknobs. This cut the spread of “Sixteen flights, not a sniffle!”

MRSA and other illnesses by over half, “Cold sores gone!” which saved lives.

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The handle is curved and textured to increase contact. Copper can kill germs picked up on fingers and hands after you touch things other people have touched.

The EPA says copper works just as well when tarnished.

Dr. Bill Keevil led one of the science teams. He placed millions of viruses on a copper surface. “They started to die literally as soon as they touched it.”

Customers report using copper against: Colds Flu Covid Sinus trouble Cold sores Fever blisters Canker sores Strep Night stuffiness Morning congestion Skin infections Infected sores Infection in cuts or wounds Thrush Warts Styes Ringworm Threats to compromised immunity CopperZap® is made in the USA of pure copper. It has a 90-day full money back guarantee. Price $79.95. Get $10 off each CopperZap with code NATA28.

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April 2022

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239.851.4729

letter from publisher

Nature Calling As we were preparing this month’s Sustainable Living edition, I mentioned to editor Linda Sechrist, “This is going to be a very Earthy issue!” To which she replied, “This whole planet—and definitely Collier and Lee counties—need all the Earthiness Natural Awakenings can shed.”

Linda should know, as a passionate, active participant in several local environmental organizations. Whether it’s serving as president of the SWFL RESET Center board of directors or sharing leadership with Georgie Goldstein, a young woman who helps to organize monthly RESET gatherings that stimulate conversation and public education, Linda avidly works to promote regenerative agriculture and protect what remains of our precious environment and clean water.

When Linda called me to say how excited she was to score a rare interview with Miccosukee Tribe Everglades educator and clean water advocate Betty Osceola, I was as excited about it as I was to attend a water blessing ceremony on the beach led by Betty last October. The night was magical and powerful, sitting in circle with fellow Earth warriors, sharing our offerings and intentions for the water, while being led by someone so grounded and rooted in her Earth medicine.

I like to visualize Betty as a youth traveling by boat with her tribe through the Everglades—the water still pristine and the birds and wildlife still plentiful. It’s a stark contrast to the Everglades boat tours she leads today, pointing out all the environmental destruction we must address. Betty reminds us in this month’s interview, “We need to step back and give nature a chance to heal itself.” Read more on page 22.

I’ve been blessed to have Linda’s passion and editorial skills for the past 20 years, as we’ve witnessed and reported the changes in our community, environment and natural health field. When I recently asked her what motivates her to overload her busy schedule with local environmental issues, she responded, “As I have been faithful to my dream of working through Natural Awakenings to educate readers about alternative ways to optimize their health beyond the doctor’s office, I’m now dedicated to educating people on what and why we all need to help restore the health of our planet. I don’t have grandchildren, but that doesn’t change my desire to leave the world a better place for future generations.”

Linda and I agree that there are plenty of resources and inspiration throughout this month’s edition to steer you toward making contributions to help our dear Mother Earth—we can only be as healthy as she is. Grab your friends and family and have some fun at the special Earth Day events listed on page 16, but don’t forget to spend some quiet time in nature so you can hear her whispers.

Happy April,

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Sharon Bruckman, Publisher

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

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Contents 16 EARTH DAY 2022

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Focuses on Collective Responsibility

22 BETTY OSCELOA

A Wise Native American Perspective

24 SPIRITED STRIDES Power Walk to Better Fitness

26 TECHNOLOGY MEETS NATURE

Apps Bring Us Closer to Flora and Fauna

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28 WHY WE NEED WILD PLACES

How to Invite Nature Back into Our Lives and Landscapes

34 EATING FOR THE PLANET Diet for a Climate Crisis

38 BUZZ-FREE DRINKING The Healthy Rise of Non-Alcoholic Beverages

ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS HOW TO ADVERTISE

To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, contact Christine Miller at 239-272-8155 or email ChristineM@ NaturalAwakenings.com for Collier County or Lisa Doyle at 239-851-4729 or email LisaD@NaturalAwakenings.com for Lee County. Deadline for ads: the 10th of the month.

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS

Email articles, news items and ideas to: NAeditor@NaturalAwakenings.com. Deadline for editorial: the 10th of the month. Or visit: swfl.NaturalAwakenings.com/ Resources.

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS

Submit print and online events at swfl.NaturalAwakenings.com/ pages/calendar-listings. Email NAMCalendar@Natural Awakenings.com with any questions.

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For franchising opportunities call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakenings.com.

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40 SPRING IS A STATE OF MIND

46 PEST CONTROL

Keeping Dogs Safe from Ticks and Fleas

DEPARTMENTS 10 news briefs 12 event spotlights 18 health briefs 20 global brief 21 community spotlight 24 fit body 26 green living 32 business spotlight

33 reader spotlight 34 concious 38 40 41 46 48 53 55

eating healing ways inspiration spa services natural pet calendar resource guide classifieds April 2022

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news briefs

Level-One Qigong Class at Sol of Life

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andace Tranter, owner of Supreme Health and Wellness, based in Cape Coral, will teach a level-one qigong class at 10:30 a.m. on April 24 at Sol of Life, in Fort Myers, to celebrate Earth Day. Participants will learn the gentle, slow-moving, ancient exercise that elicits healing energy to be absorbed into the body in the facility’s salt caves, providing a double dose of love from Mother Earth.

“Qi/lifeforce has its intelligence, so there’s no need to guide the energy where you think you need the healing; you will just hold the space for love and receive with open arms,” says Tranter.

“Grounding is an exercise that connects you energetically to the earth. It allows you to be more authentically in your body in the present moment and receive nourishing energy. It allows your body to use all of your talents and gifts, know their value in the world and give birth to your vision and goals.”

Cost: $45. Location: 2400 First St., Ste. 100. For more information or to register, call 239-745-2860 or email CandaceTranter@gmail. com. See ad, page 55.

Open House, Discounts at Trim and Tone Spa

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ree demonstrations of many services and treatments will highlight an open house event from 4 to 7 p.m. on April 20 at Trim and Tone Med Spa, in Naples. Opportunities to experience Cryofacials, ultrasound EpiWave facials, EmSlim Neo and red light LED therapy bed sessions will be provided for attendees. Special discounts are offered on EpiWave facials, Brazilian laser hair removal, Cryoskin and endosphéres, either individually or in packages.

“Endosphéres is a clinically proven treatment that targets cellulite at its root causes, not just its symptoms,” says Simon Mansell, founder of Artemis, the exclusive U.S. distributor of the technology. It’s like a high-tech deep tissue massage that leaves you smooth, toned and contoured.”

Location: 13020 Livingston Rd., Ste. 16. For more information and appointments, call 239-596-5522, email TrimAndToneSpa@ gmail.com or visit TrimAndToneMedSpa.com. See ad, page 23.

The

The

Store Juice Bar

Cafe The

Grocery

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2144 Tamiami Trail N • Naples, FL 34102

7am-9pm Mon-Sat • 8am-4pm Sun foodandthought.com

(239) 213-2222

Special Offer for Vfit PLUS Device

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or a limited time, the Tree of Light Center, in Naples, is offering a more affordable way for women to experience and gain the health benefits of their Vfit PLUS device. It’s an at-home, intimate, wellness solution for those wanting to strengthen their pelvic floor, improve sensation and enhance feelings of tightness from the system’s red light process.

Customers will also receive a storage case and a container of Photonic, a gel infused with hyaluronic acid and aloe vera.

The facility also provides full-body photon cleanses, infrared saunas, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved balancer pro and AARC LED chambers, among other treatments to help address other conditions.

Location: 806 Neapolitan Way. For more information or to make an appointment, call 239-692-9367 or visit TreeOfLightCenter.com.

See ad, page 25.

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Visit www.upstreammd.com for more information.

COVID-19 Unraveled Community Conference

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welve frontline medical professionals and community leaders will present information about COVID-19 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., April 9, at the Destiny Church Gathering Center, in Naples. The theme of the Let’s Talk Covid conference, “Education is Key. Fear is the Virus. Truth is the Cure,” sponsored by Scofield Productions, Inc., will be addressed by COVID-19 community leaders such as Dr. Brian Thornburg, a Naples’ pediatrician; Dr. Simone Gold, founder of America’s Frontline Doctors; Elizabeth A. Eads, DO, practicing family geriatrics; Nancy Vance, M.D., of Insight to Health & Wellness, Inc.; Janci Lindsay, Ph.D., a toxicologist/molecular biologist; Dr. George Yiachos, a cardiologist, and Dr. Mark McDonald, a psychiatrist and author of United States of Fear.

(239)444-5636 27499 Riverview Center Blvd., Suite 255 Bonita Springs, FL 34134

Ticket cost is $20. Destiny Church Gathering Center is located at 10610 Immokalee Rd. Purchase tickets at ScofieldProduction.com. For more information, email Carol DiPaolo, Carolvbod@gmail.com.

News to share?

Send your submissions to:

NAeditor@NaturalAwakenings.com Deadline is the 10th of the month.

April 2022

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Are you reAdy to feel greAt?

event spotlight

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hief Happiness Mentor of Bliss Revealed, Unmani Saraswati, JD, LLM, teaches the self-paced online program My Bliss Path and livestreams with subscribing members of the Blissverse Locals community. She also offers free videos and blogs at TheBlissverse.locals.com.

Today a chief happiness mentor, Unmani Unmani Saraswati draws upon her ongoing study of ancient wisdom concepts and life skills, 20 years of daily mediation practice and her work supporting thousands of clients through mindfulness and education in order to help them bring out their best selves, even in the midst of crisis.

She says, “Every human being has the ability to tap into the wellspring of joy and love at the root of all we experience. We only need to take the same steps that people have taken for eons to discover and perfect the journey of our lives as one of unconditional love. Quoting Eastern philosophy, in Light It Up, we cover three foundational concepts for happiness: primacy of the body, which calls us to take control of our health by ritualizing our self-care habits and skills; live where you’re at, reminding us that the first tenet of any personal development journey is to know thyself; and always be aware of your moment to moment experience, inspiring us to develop mindfulness practices and techniques used throughout the ages to wake us up to the vibrancy and joy available just from being alive.”

Unmani enjoyed a very successful 18-year career as a divorce mediator-attorney and law professor. A lifelong student of how to have a vibrant experience of life, she earned her credential as a certified massage therapist from the Institute of Conscious Bodywork in 1997 and graduated from Trika Institute’s seven-year Tantrik Yoga study group program in 2010.

For more information, visit Linktr.ee/BlissRevealed or email info@ BlissRevealed.com. See ad, page 32.

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April 2022

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event spotlight

How Should I Wear My Hair?

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A half hour long beauty consultation that analyzes a series of facial measurements to help determine the moSt Flattering hair Style that you can wear now.

Earth Day Environmental Celebrations We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last generation that can do anything about it. ~Washington State Governor Jay Inslee SWFL RESET Center Earth Day Celebration – April 22

On April 22 at 5 p.m., join the SWFL RESET Center and the Gulf Coast Chamber Orchestra’s Earth Day celebration. Music, art, poetry, storytelling, plants and community take center stage on the campus of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, located at 13411 Shire Lane (off Daniels Parkway), in Fort Myers.

Festivities include a wine and cheese reception with music by the Evan Carville Jazz Combo and an introduction to the RESET board of directors, a conversation with Joseph Bonasia, SWFL regional director for Florida Rights of Nature Network, about the Right to Clean Water constitutional amendment and a performance by the Gulf Coast Chamber Orchestra.

Plein air artist Paul Arsenault’s “Shorelines” paintings will be on exhibit, along with a Mother Earth pop-up photography exhibit by Lisette Morales McCabe, who will also have a traditional storytelling station.

The Gulf Coast Chamber Orchestra performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op.68, The Pastorale, begins at 7:30 p.m. The projection art of Lori Ersolmaz’s Poetic Films will be viewed during the performance intermission. Attendees of earlier RESET activities will receive a 25 percent discount. Millennial Brewery food and drink trucks will sell refreshments.

Register at ResetEarthDayCeleb.Eventbrite.com. Chamber Orchestra discount: My.GulfCoastSymphony.org/798?promo=earthday. See ad, page 15.

Collier Waterkeeper Earth Day Jamboree – April 23

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On April 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Cambier Park, located at 755 8th Avenue South, in Naples, Collier Waterkeeper’s Save Our Planet - Earth Day Jamboree commemorates the 53rd Earth Day with a family-friendly, nonpartisan, educational day of activities, speakers, music, entertainment and video clips. Seven distinctly designed zones in the park include family zone, art zone, agency, governmental zone, scholastic zone, civic zone, beer and food zone, enterprise zone and electric vehicle zone.

For more information, visit SaveOurPlanet.com. See ad, page 15.

Healing Artisan Jewelry Sage & Incense Aura Photos Crystals Readings/Healing Inspirational Gifts bam0309@gmail.com 501 Goodlette Road, Suite B-104 Naples, FL 34102 14

Collier/Lee Counties

(239) 228-6949 600 Goodlette Road N. Naples FL 34102

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Classes & Events Psychic Development 2 Monthly Psychic Fairs Goddess Gatherings Energy Healings

www.goddessiam.com

and

Gulf Coast Chamber orChestra Present:

Earth Day Celebration Celebrate Earth Day and Care of Creation with music, art, poetry, plants, and community.

Join us at 5pm on April 22 for a SWFL RESET Board Members reception, a conversation with Joseph Bonasia about the Right to Clean Water Constitutional Amendment, and time to explore our eco preserve. The Gulf Coast Chamber Orchestra will present an Earth Day evening celebration, and everyone attending the RESET events earlier will receive a 25% discount on performance tickets. Millennial Brewery food and drink trucks.

RegisteR heRe: resetearthdayceleb.eventbrite.com gulf Coast symphony oRChestRa disCount: My.GulfCoastSymphony.org/798?promo=earthday

April 2022

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EARTH DAY 2022 Focuses on Collective Responsibility

romolo tavani/AdobeStock.com

by Ronica A. O’Hara

Invest in Our Planet

As 1 billion people around the globe gather to mark Earth Day on April 22, they will be focusing on an increasingly critical goal: the need for everyone—governments, citizens and businesses—to do their part to combat climate change. “Everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable,” is the day’s emerging motto.

While Earth Day themes over the past 52 years have often centered on specific issues, such as plastic pollution and deforestation, this year’s broader theme, “Invest In Our Planet,” reflects a growing consensus that, at such a critical point for the Earth’s future, governments will not solve the climate crisis by themselves.

“Like the industrial, space and information revolutions, all sectors of society can and must play major roles—this time with the extraordinary responsibilities to get it right,” reads a statement from EarthDay.org. Activism involves not only lowering carbon emissions, but also making sure that the benefits of the coming Green Revolution are spread evenly throughout society, the statement says.

“In 2022, we all must enter into one part16

Collier/Lee Counties

nership for the planet,” says Earth Day President Kathleen Rogers.

Events, such as rallies and social media campaigns, aim to encourage action and legislation, as well as educate on corporate and personal sustainability. Art shows allow attendees to visualize a better future while data collection for citizen-based science research and workshops find ways to build local green economies. All are appropriate ways to participate this Earth Day, as well as clean-up campaigns and tree plantings. To learn about personal actions, including step-by-step instructions on how to organize an event, visit EarthDay.org.

Help Collier and Lee County celebrate victories and support future progress by participating in these local Earth Day 2022 events.

Earth Day 24,901-Mile Run/Walk Challenge April 1 through 30

The goal is to collectively see how many times participants can run the distance of the equator: 24,901 miles. Organizers need at least 415 people to commit to run at least two miles a day for the month to try to reach that number. Runners, walkers

swfl.NaturalAwakenings.com

or joggers of all fitness levels may join this epic challenge. Recruit friends, family and co-workers. Log miles and report them via a results page daily or weekly, which will be tallied toward the overall goal.

Free participation. For more information, visit ChallengeInMotion.com/products/ earth-day-challenge-24901-miles. Share the mission by tagging @VirtualRunChallenge and #EarthDayChallenge2022.

Onsite Paper Shredding Event 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., April 2

Collier County Waste Management offers onsite paper shredding the first Saturday of the month at three locations. The first 20 pounds are free. Additional shredding is $1 per pound.

Naples Recycling Drop-Off Center, 2640 Corporate Flight Dr.; North Collier Recycling Drop-Off Center, 9950 Goodlette Rd. N.; Tim Nance Collier County Recycling Drop-Off Center, 825 39th Ave. NE (next to the fairgrounds), Naples. For more information, call 239-252-7575 or visit CollierCountyFl.Gov/recycle.

‘Honor the Earth’ Nature Awareness Event 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., April 3

Cypress Cove Landkeepers is hosting its first “Honor the Earth” nature awareness event at the Gore Nature Education Center. Explore the trails throughout this 10-acre preserve and hear about the Floridians that lived here during three very distinct eras of Collier County’s history, and how they reacted to and worked with the environment.

Wildlife biologist Deborah Jansen will be sharing her decades of experience supporting the comeback of the Florida panther and answering questions about Florida’s state animal. Children’s activities include coloring with natural materials, rock painting, creating nature-inspired jewelry and potting plants to take home.

Admission and parking are free; donations are welcome. Location: 4261 40th Ave. SE, Naples, in Golden Gate Estates. For more information on event and organization, visit ccLandkeepers.com.

Lovers Key Earth Day Celebration 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., April 22 Join for nature programs, story time, upcycled crafts, beach cleanup and more.

Throughout the day, informal Earth Day activities and educational materials will be available for the whole family at the Welcome and Discovery Center. Reservations are required for all formal activities.

All programs are free with paid park entry.

Location: Lovers Key State Park, 8700 Estero Blvd, Fort Myers. For more information and to register, visit Bit.ly/april-22-events.

SWFL RESET Center Earth Day Event 5 p.m., April 22

Celebrate Earth Day on the 12-acre Fort Myers Unitarian Universalist Church campus featuring the art of Paul Arsenault; a conversation with Joe Bonasia, SWFL regional director for the Florida Rights of Nature Network, about the Right to Clean Water; and a cocktail reception with RESET’s board of directors, followed by a 7:30 p.m. performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op.68, The Pastorale, by the Gulf Coast Chamber Orchestra.

Location: 13411 Shire Lane. For more information, call 239-272-5778 or visit SwflRESET.org and GulfCoastSymphony. org/concert/gulf-coast-chamber-orchestraearth-day-celebration.

Save Our Planet Earth Day Jamboree 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., April 23

The Collier County Waterkeeper organization will commemorate Earth Day with many kids’ activities, electric vehicles, food and beer, entertainment, a petting zoo and vendors representing nonprofits, organizations and others at Cambier Park, in Naples.

Participating event organizations and entities include SWFL RESET Center, the League of Women Voters of Collier County, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Audubon Western Everglades, Tesla, Natural Awakenings, Justice 4 All Coalition, Water School of FGCU, The Right to Clean Water, Florida Rights of Nature Network, EarthDay.org, Campus Climate Corps and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Location: 755 8th Ave. S. For more information, call 239-784-0800 or email kcs@ CollierCountyWaterkeeper.org or visit CollerCountyWaterkeeper.org.

Earth Day at the Conservancy 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., April 23

Join The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, in Naples, for their biggest community celebration of the year, featuring live animal encounters, boat tours, food trucks, Bioblitz

nature walks, their brand-new Learning Adventures Bus, fun exhibitors and more.

Location: 1495 Smith Preserve Way. For more information, visit Conservancy.org/ earthday.

‘Ding’ Darling Day Takes Conservation Carnival to Lakes Park 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., April 24

To further its mission to reach and connect with underserved urban communities, the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge will migrate its 33rd annual “Ding” Darling Day celebration to Lakes Park, in Fort Myers. This year, the refuge will jointly observe Earth Day, which falls two days earlier on April 22, with “Ding” Day. Wildlife on Wheels will be at the center of the free “Ding” Darling Day at Lakes Park. Besides tours of the mobile nature experience, the refuge and DDWS have planned a full day of Conservation Carnival activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Special free outdoor activities include carnival games, prizes, Earth Day crafts, artist-inresidence programs, guided bilingual birding walks, a biking tour, snow cones and educational interactions with other local conservation organizations.

Location: 7330 Gladiolus Dr. For more information including supporting DDWS, call 239-472-1100 ext. 4, email Director@DingDarlingSociety.org or visit DingDarlingSociety.org.

Arbor Day Earth Day/ Mother’s Day Celebration April 30

SWFL RESET Center and the Lee County Circular Design Challenge will conduct tree planting as part of Russ Ringland’s Future Forestry program along Veterans Parkway, in Cape Coral. Attendees are invited to bring music, art, poetry, cameras and their love of trees.

For more information, visit SWFLRESET. org/events. An Eventbrite invitation will be posted on their Community Calendar with registration info.

April 2022

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olga/AdobeStock.com

health briefs

Eat Lots of Fiber to Improve Melanoma Outcomes A new type of immunotherapy that enables T-cells to fight cancer cells is proving hopeful for people with the deadly skin cancer melanoma, and a new study has found that a highfiber diet improves the effectiveness of the therapy. Researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported in Science that, by analyzing the gut microbiome in hundreds of patients, they found that higher dietary fiber intake was linked with disease non-progression among patients receiving immune checkpoint blockade therapy compared to patients eating little fiber.

The results were strongest in patients that ate the most dietary fiber, but did not take probiotics, a finding that was replicated with lab animals.

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Practice Good Dental Care to Lower Heart and Cognitive Risks A whopping 47 percent of U.S. adults over 30 have periodontal disease, and the consequences can be severe for their physical and mental health, suggests a new study in the journal BMJ Open. Researchers from the UK University of Manchester followed 64,379 people diagnosed with periodontal disease, including gingivitis, marked by swollen and red gums, as well as periodontitis, in which gums pull away from the tooth and bone or teeth are lost. The subjects, with an average age of 44, were compared over an average of three years to 251,161 people without the disease. Those with periodontal disease had a 37 percent higher risk of mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety and serious mental illness; a 33 percent higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases like arthritis, Type 1 diabetes and psoriasis; an 18 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart failure, stroke and vascular dementia; and a 26 percent higher risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.

“This research provides further, clear evidence why healthcare professionals need to be vigilant for early signs of gum disease and how it can have wide-reaching implications for a person’s health, reinforcing the importance of taking a holistic approach when treating people,” says Caroline Aylott, head of research delivery at the University of Birmingham Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research.

April 2022

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global brief

Inconvenient Convenience

Plastic On its Way Out at National Parks

igishevamaria/AdobeStock.com

A poll by Ipsos conducted for the ocean conservation group Oceana last November found that 82 percent of registered U.S. voters responding would like the National Park Service to stop selling and distributing single-use plastic items. The survey revealed broad appreciation for national parks, with around four in five respondents saying they had been to a park and 83 percent of previous park visitors looking forward to a return visit. Oceana Plastics Campaign Director Christy Leavitt says, “These polling results indicate that Americans, whether Republican or Democrat, want our parks to be unmarred by the pollution caused by single-use plastic.”

The results show broad support for a campaign led by Oceana and more than 300 other environmental organizations which sent a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland asking the parks to end the sale and distribution of plastic beverage bottles, bags, foodware and cutlery, and plastic foam products. The proposed Reducing Waste in National Parks Act would see such a policy enacted if passed. “The National Park Service was created to preserve these natural and historic spaces, and in order to truly uphold that purpose, it needs to ban the sale and distribution of single-use plastic items, many of which will end up polluting our environment for centuries to come, despite being used for only a moment,” says Leavitt.

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community spotlight

Maid Organic

Cleaning Services, Supplies and Our Health

by Linda Sechrist

M

aidorganic, a familyowned business located in Southwest Florida and Bristol, Connecticut, has had an effective solution to the problem of toxic cleaning products since 2008. Motivated while working for friends that were cancer patients, founder Sheila Gagne recalls reading about the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) investiSheila Gagne gation of more than 2,000 cleaning supplies on the American market. “EWG found that many contained substances linked to serious health problems, and that not only do fumes from some cleaning products possibly induce asthma, as well as the development of other respiratory problems, but also that common cleaning ingredients contain preservatives that release low levels of cancer-causing formaldehyde,” she says.

Creating her own formulas for safe, organic cleaning products became Gagne’s passion. “I wanted an all-natural approach, but I couldn’t find anything on the market. If it smelled good or wasn’t harsh, it performed poorly. I put my nursing background to work and built a laboratory in the basement of our house. It took one year of research and development for me to create the perfect ratios for our Maid Organic formulas, which we sell direct to consumer and that are the only products that I use in our residential and commercial cleaning services. Our formulas were clinically tested by an independent laboratory, and the report showed that they killed most hospital germs and were as powerful as harsh conventional commercial cleaning products,” says Gagne.

Proud of the research and thoroughness that goes into hiring a competent staff for the company’s commercial and residential projects, Gagne says, “We perform background checks and hire only those that meet our high standards, because not only do I want to give our customers peace of mind regarding who is cleaning their home, I want the peace of mind that comes from not having to worry about the people who are representing us.

We have a reputation to uphold, and our integrity is part of how we built the excellent reputation that we have. We care about creating a healthier home and environment. We want you to take us up on our tagline, ‘Do more things you love and leave the cleaning to us,’” enthuses Gagne.

For more information about Maidorganic cleaning services or products, call 860-550-1120 or visit MaidOrganic.com. See ad, page 47.

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photo by Lisette Morales McCabe

Betty Osceloa

A Wise Native American Perspective

by Linda Sechrist

A

ccording to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous people today safeguard 80 percent of our planet’s diversity, which acts as a crucial mitigator of climate change. Generations of Indigenous people, as well as Native American tribes, are critically concerned with the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity within their lands and territories upon which their livelihoods depend and in which their cultural identities are embedded. On this 53rd Earth Day, Natural Awakenings spoke with Betty Osceola for a Native American perspective on our SWFL environment.

A member of the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida from the Panther clan, Osceola is a Native American Everglades educator, conservationist, anti-fracking and clean water advocate. Born and raised in the Everglades, where at the turn of the 20th century the

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Miccosukee were still traveling coast-tocoast across subtropical wetlands by canoe, Osceola now captains and operates the Buffalo Tiger Airboat Tours on Tamiami Trail, near Miami. Born 20 years before her birthplace and family home were named America’s first national preserve, Osceola quips, “I live in the Big Cypress National Preserve, but I was here before it. I consider myself fortunate to have grown up so connected to nature when we still had clean water, plenty of wading birds and we could still live off the land, growing crops on the tree islands. Today the waters are too polluted to do that.”

Everglades National Park was intended for preserving a sliver of what was once a pristine Everglades ecosystem. With the layout of a complex system of Army Corps of Engineer-built canals that drained the land to make way for sugar cane production and subdivisions, phosphorous-laden runoff now flows into Miccosukee territory, which much of sits adjacent to the protected national park. Nutrient-rich runoff encourages the growth of weeds and invasive species in the tribe’s waters and regularly floods land that has become uninhabitable. These issues, along with Florida’s population growth (more than 1,000 people daily) and aggressive development, as well as resisting the Burnett Oil Company acquiring state permits to drill for oil in Big Cypress, are why Osceola spends time educating people and using her fleet of airboats to help the tribe conduct a twiceyearly water quality survey, used at times to fight persistent government efforts to cut corners on water restoration efforts.

We Thrive When Nature Thrives

Osceola advises, “Progress is learning from the past and understanding mistakes made. Progress is helping nature thrive.

When nature thrives, we thrive because we are nature. The educational system teaches that nature is to be controlled by man and that humans are not a part of nature. In my culture, we’re taught that to know where we’re going, we must know where we came from. Florida’s influx of new residents is unfamiliar with Florida’s history and environmental issues. Today’s generations only know today. They don’t know that in

my generation we had clean water, or how and why it’s now contaminated. They don’t know that the habitat for wading birds has been destroyed or eliminated by human development and agriculture. Lessons learned by someone’s past experiences and from their trials and errors are important to us. We can fall back on their guidance when we are moving forward. I’m one of last generations that was able to exist by living off the land. Today’s generations don’t know how to do that.”

Storytelling

She explains, “In our culture, storytelling is very important. We pass down stories so that our children know the history of the land and their ancestors. If you want to know the history of this land, talk to someone that’s been here for many years, to someone that’s grown up hiking the land or making their way through the islands, people who are good observers of the environment. Talk to fisherman who’ve provided food for their family from the water.

They’ve seen the changes, understand the water and fish and what conditions need to be in place for both to thrive.

“Indians have lived here for generations.

We understand the necessary conditions for migration patterns, things that need to be understood for healing the environment. I’m not for the way the Everglades Restoration is being done. I’m for healing environment.

People talk about saving the environment, they don’t understand what the environment needs. They are thinking management and control of things like where to send water, not where Nature needs it to be. Healing is different than fixing or controlling. In Big Cypress Preserve, Nature burns when it needs to burn. My late uncle said that nature is so confused. Mankind is creating fires, throwing off the cycle of nature.

“Experts have ideas on how to fix the environment, but they don’t understand the relationships between parts of an ecosystem, of which they are a part. People are disconnected from nature. They think they understand the environment, but they don’t. We need to step back and give nature the chance to heal itself. The COVID pandemic showed us that without human interference, nature started thriving.”

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Spirited Strides POWER WALK TO BETTER FITNESS

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e all know that the more steps we take in a day the better.

The Mayo Clinic advocates walking regularly to keep bad cholesterol in check, maintain a heart-healthy weight and keep blood pressure within a normal range. Power walking—going a mile in under 15 minutes—amps up cardiovascular benefits and takes metabolic conditioning to a new level.

Power walking involves taking longer strides, moving at 4.5 to 5.5 miles per hour and using the arms to propel motion, with or without light weights. “With this more intensive exercise, in comparison to everyday walking, one should note that

their breathing is harder and their heart rate is faster with power walking. Compared to someone who walks at a casual pace, a power walker can expect lower blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar and cholesterol numbers,” says Jason C. Robin, M.D., director of cardio oncology at North Shore University Health System, in Glenview, Illinois.

Walking as a Workout

In cases of severe coronary artery disease, certain heart muscle disorders, known as cardiomyopathy or valvular diseases, Robin recommends seeing a doctor before taking up fitness walking, but emphasizes,

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come in to restore and recharge with nutrient iv’s, oxygen, frequency, light, and vibration.

“Obvious injuries or illnesses aside, power walking is great for all ages, genders, sizes and fitness levels and is, in general, very safe with very few contraindications.” He suggests aiming for 15 minutes or less on a first endeavor, and after one week increasing the time to 20 to 25 minutes, eventually working up to 30 minutes. To complement power walking, he recommends resistance training to increase muscle strength and tone, protect joints from injury, and improve flexibility and balance.

Dave McGovern, walking coach and author of The Complete Guide to Competitive Walking: Racewalking, Power Walking, Nordic Walking and More!, points out, “The impact forces of walking, even high-level racewalking, can be one-third of what runners experience, so it’s a lot easier on the joints. Power walking doesn’t have many rules.” A 30-year veteran of the U.S. National Racewalk Team, McGovern underscores the importance of starting out with a regular, easy walk before progressing to a more vigorous pace.

To avoid and reduce injury, he advocates mindfulness of correct posture and taking shorter, faster steps rather than long, stomping strides. He trains on a variety of surfaces, including everyday roads, tartan (rubber) running tracks, treadmills, dirt trails, grass, and even the occasional concrete sidewalk. “Changing up surfaces uses your muscles in different ways, which can help prevent overuse injuries that crop up from too much training on the same surfaces day in, day out,” he says.

Practical Essentials

For optimal results on any surface, proper footwear is vital. “We would typically recommend a running shoe for any fitness-based walking,” says Josh Saint Cyr, store manager at New Balance, in Highland Park, Illinois. He notes that the right shoes are designed to help align gait and avoid pronation or supination that prompts the ankle to roll inward or outward with movement. “For a more customized experience, someone with medium or lower arches would want a shoe from the stability running section, and someone with higher arches would want a shoe from the cushioned running section.”

In cases of tight calf muscles, Saint Cyr recommends stretching as a daily practice, even on non-exercise days. “Rollers or massage guns can be useful for immediate relief, but ultimately, stretching will help by reducing or eliminating tightness.”

Taking it Up a Notch

Racewalking, the competitive and highly technical variety of power walking, takes place at track meets. “After you’ve built a base of miles, you can start sprinkling in some longer and faster workouts, and maybe even think about competition,” says McGovern. “There is a bit more technique involved in competitive race-

walking, but once you get the hang of it, it will allow you to go much faster.”

In the end, having a goal can be the best motivator. “For the athletes I coach, many of them in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond, racewalking and power walking gives a purpose to their workouts,” says McGovern. “One of my athletes has said that she hates to work out, but loves to train. Having the goal of a race over the horizon gives a lot of athletes a reason to get out the door every day.”

Marlaina Donato is an author and composer. Connect at WildflowerLady.com.

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TECHNOLOGY MEETS NATURE APPS BRING US CLOSER TO FLORA AND FAUNA

by Sheryl DeVore

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hile exploring Seattle, Jackie Lentz Bowman noticed some bushes filled with pink and orange berries. She discovered she could safely eat them by using the smartphone nature app called iNaturalist (iNaturalist.org). “I learned they were salmonberries and edible,” says the Chicago area photographer and birder. “I just had to try them. They were very similar to raspberries.”

Bowman is among a growing number of people using their smartphones to enhance their nature experiences. Phone apps are available for free or a modest price to identify

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mushrooms, bugs, birds, dragonflies, reptiles, beetles, wildflowers and other flora and fauna. “Whether it is to help identify a plant I’ve taken a photo of or to familiarize myself with what a bird looks like and sounds like, these are tools I’m always glad to have in my back pocket,” she explains.

At least 6,300 nature apps were available in 2015, according to Paul Jepson and Richard Ladle, Oxford environmental scholars and co-authors of “Nature Apps: Waiting for the Revolution,” a research paper published in the Swedish environmental journal Ambio. Such programs are only beginning to scratch the surface of what is possible. They write, “As most people own a mobile phone today, the app—though a small device—is a major way conservationists could be reaching a huge audience with transformative possibilities.”

Right now, some apps allow the user to point a smartphone to a plant or animal to get instant feedback on its common or scientific name. Others ask the user questions about what they are seeing and suggest an identity based on the answers. Some allow the user to interact with scientists, share their knowledge, record their observations and contribute to science.

Perhaps the most popular nature app is iNaturalist, which has all those features and more. “Our mission has been to connect people to nature through technology,” says Scott Loarie, co-director of iNaturalist, a joint initiative of the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society. “By 2030, we want to connect 100 million people to nature to facilitate science and conservation.”

The app began as a master’s degree proj-

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green living

photo by Jackie Lentz Bowman

ect at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2008, and today 2 million people have recorded about 100 million observations, covering one in six species on the planet. “iNaturalist has grown to the point where it’s helping take the pulse of biodiversity,” he adds.

Newcomers are often mentored and helped with identifications by volunteers that are experts in different fields. One example is a worldwide competition called the City Nature Challenge in which beginning and advanced naturalists document urban flora and fauna for several days.

During the event, people share their photos of plants and animals on iNaturalist.

During Chicago’s Challenge, Eric Gyllenhaal, who blogs about nature on the city’s west side, found an uncommon species. “A Canadian expert helped confirm the identification as a bronze ground beetle native to Europe,” says Cassi Saari, project manager of natural areas for the Chicago Park District. “It’s an introduced species in Illinois and could have implications for wildlife in the region down the line.”

Two other nature apps that Loarie likes are eBird (eBird.org) and Merlin (Merlin.

AllAboutBirds.org), both administered by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, in Ithaca, New York. With eBird, users can report on their phones a list of birds they’re seeing in the wild, including when and where, and the sightings are added to a database for scientific research.

Merlin is a field guide app to help folks identify the birds they are seeing. “Merlin has taken on authoring content with great descriptions of birds, something iNaturalist doesn’t do,” Loarie points out. “Merlin also just released sound recognition in the app, so people can identify birds by sound. It’s huge for birders.”

Award-winning nature photographer Adriana Greisman, of Phoenix, says she uses both Merlin and iBird (iBird.com), another field guide app, to identify birds in the wild and when processing photos. “These are great resources to identify unknown species and to learn about their behavior.”

The favorite app of Joyce Gibbons, a volunteer at the Natural Land Institute, in Rockford, Illinois, is Odonata Central (OdonataCentral.org), which focuses on

her passion—dragonflies and damselflies, collectively called odonates.

“I’ve loved solitary walks in the woods, prairies and other natural areas since I was a child,” she says. “I’ve always taken photos and tried to ID the many species I’ve observed. Now, with these apps on my phone, I feel like I am actually contributing to the scientific body of knowledge and connecting with other enthusiasts and not just keeping all this joy of discovery to myself.”

Sheryl DeVore is an award-winning author of six books on science, health and nature.

Connect at SherylDevoreWriter@gmail.com.

NATURE APPS TO LEARN BY AUDUBON GUIDE: Search a field guide to 800 species of birds found in North America with tips on places to find them (Audubon.org/app).

PICTURE INSECT: Identify thousands of different insects and learn about them using this entomologist in a pocket (PictureInsect.com).

PICTURE MUSHROOM: Identify thousands of different mushrooms using a smartphone (PictureMushroom.com).

PLANTNET: Identify wild plants by posting photos. Images are compared to thousands of images from throughout the world in a database (PlantNet.org).

SEEK BY iNATURALIST: Seek uses data submitted to iNaturalist to show suggestions for species nearby, but unlike iNaturalist, findings made with Seek will not be shared publicly, making it safe for children to use. Users can earn badges as they discover wildlife (iNaturalist.org/pages/seek_app).

TRAILLINK: Search a database of more than 40,000 miles of trails in the U.S. and download trail maps on a smartphone (TrailLink.com).

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Why We Need

WILD PLACES How to Invite Nature Back into Our Lives and Landscapes

by Sheryl DeVore

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the natural scene above them instead, as Hoffman witnessed in Great Britain.

Such regions that offer vast tracts of natural beauty and biodiversity are even found in and around major cities like Chicago, says Chicagoland nature blogger Andrew Morkes. “A wild place is also where you don’t see too many people, or any people, and you can explore,” he says. “You can walk up a hill and wonder what’s around the next bend.”

“A wild place could be a 15-minute drive from home where we can walk among plants in a meadow, or a tree-lined street, or front and back yard, if landscaped with wild creatures in mind,” says Douglas Tallamy, author of Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts with Your Yard.

Sustaining Our Species

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n a blustery day, Julian Hoffman stood outdoors and watched wild bison grazing in the restored grassland of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, fewer than 50 miles from downtown Chicago. For him, it was a wild place, affording a glimpse of what North America looked like hundreds of years ago when bison roamed the continent by the millions. “We’re witnessing, in a way that’s both terrible and tragic, just what the profound cost is of continuing to destroy the natural world,” he writes.

Saving wild places is critical for human health and wellbeing, say both scientists and environmentalists. But defining what a wild place is or what the word wilderness means can be difficult, says Hoffman, author of Irreplaceable: The Fight to Save Our Wild Places. “If wilderness means a place untouched by humans, then none is left,” he says. Even the set-aside wildernesses where no one may have ever stepped have been altered through climate change, acid rain and other human interventions.

Humans are also losing the wilderness that is defined as land set aside solely for plants and creatures other than humans.

Prominent naturalist David Attenborough, whose most recent documentary is A Life on Our Planet, says that in 1937, when he was a boy, about 66 percent of the world’s wilderness areas remained. By 2020, it was down to 35 percent.

A wild place can be as spectacular as Yellowstone, a 3,500-square-mile national park in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, filled with hot springs, canyons, wolves, and elk. It can also be as simple as a sky filled with a murmuration, or gathering, of thousands of swooping starlings, which once caused two teens to stop taking selfies and photograph

“We need these places to save ourselves,” says Tallamy, who heads the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. “Humans are totally dependent on the production of oxygen and clean water, and that happens with the continued existance of flowering plants, which are dependent on the continued existence of all the pollinators. When you lose the pollinators, you lose 90 percent of the flowering plants on the Earth. That is not an option if we want to stay alive and healthy.”

Our mental and emotional health is also at stake. According to a recent overview in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, studies have shown that natural settings can lower blood pressure, reduce depression and anxiety, and help the immune system function better.

People have saved wild places over time, of course. “The world’s ancient redwoods are still with us today because people in the early 1900s fought to protect and preserve what they could already see was rapidly diminishing,” Hoffman says. “In April 2022

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CREATING A WILD SPACE AT HOME In their book The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden, University of Delaware ecology professor Douglas Tallamy and landscape designer Rick Darke show how to create wild spaces in yards, including what and where to plant and how to manage the land. They advise homeowners to: Stop using pesticides and herbicides.

Replace non-native plants with those native to the region.

Reduce lawn space, converting it to native plants.

Leave leaf litter, withering plants and dying trees alone to provide shelter and food for wildlife. n Create a small pond or another water feature. n n n n

“Mourning cloak butterflies overwinter as mature adults. If you say, ‘Hey, let’s just clean up all of that so-called leaf litter,’ you could be cleaning up the habitat of mourning cloaks and killing them,” says Darke, who has served as a horticultural consultant for botanic gardens and other public landscapes in Texas, Maryland, New York, Illinois and Delaware. “That’s not litter. It’s meaningful habitat.

“A dead tree in your home landscape, called a snag, often contributes as much to the local ecology as a living tree,” he adds. “For example, woodpeckers build nests in holes or cavities in a snag, and countless insects find shelter and nourishment in the organic material of the snag.” the year 2022, we are the beneficiaries of those past actions. Yet less than 5 percent of those old-growth redwood groves are left, and we live in an age where we’re losing an extraordinary range of wild species; for example, 3 billion birds have disappeared from the skies of North America in just the past 50 years. That’s why people need to continue to fight for wild spaces.”

Community Crusaders

In researching his book, Hoffman went looking for wild-space struggles. In Glasgow, Scotland, he met people that fought to save an urban meadow from being turned into a luxury home development. “I’d never experienced as much joy in any one place as when I spent time with the community fighting to preserve this tiny meadow,” he recalls. “They campaigned and lobbied politicians, and eventually, the government backed down. And now the whole community is able to enjoy this site where a lot of urban wildlife thrives.”

Once-wild places may also need human help to again become wild refuges. The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, where Hoffman saw the buffalo, “was once an arsenal for the production of extraordinary quantities of ordnance for a number of wars,” he says.

After hundreds of die-hard volunteers dug out invasive plants, scattered seed and documented wildlife on the 18,000-acre prairie, visitors can now walk among big bluestem and golden alexander, and listen for the sweet song of meadowlarks in the grasslands and chorus frogs in the wetlands.

Conservation volunteers working to save wild places hail from every state. In fact, nearly 300,000 volunteers contribute more than 6.5 million hours of volunteer service a year to the U.S. National Park Service, from leading tours to studying wildlife and hosting campgrounds.

One doesn’t have to be an environmental crusader to save wild places, Hoffman stresses. Exploring local wild places and sharing them with others can help save them, as well. “We can only protect those places that we love,” he says. “And we can only love those places that we know.”

Sadly, roughly 100 million people, including 28 million children, do not have access to a quality park within 10 minutes of home, according to The Trust for Public Land. Projects, 30

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such as the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program, which enables urban communities to create outdoor spaces, can help. The U.S. Department of the Interior committed $150 million to the program in 2021. “Every child in America deserves to have a safe and nearby place to experience the great outdoors,” says Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.

A Homegrown National Park

Tallamy says one of the most important ways to get people to appreciate and save wild places is to begin in their own yards.

“We have wilderness designations. We have national forests. We have national parks.

We have 12 percent of the U.S. protected from development,” he says. “Yet, we are in the sixth great extinction. Our parks and our preserves are not enough. My point is that we have got to focus on the areas outside of parks and preserves.” He urges what he calls a “homegrown national park,” in which homeowners, land managers and farmers create a habitat by replacing invasive plants with native species.

Tallamy speaks from experience. He lives on a 10-acre former farm in Oxford, Pennsylvania. “It had been mowed for hay and when we moved in, very little life was here,” he says. “We have been rebuilding the eastern deciduous forest here, getting invasive plants under control and replanting with species that ought to be here.” He’s now counted more than 1,400 different species of moths on his property and documented 60 species of birds nesting within the landscape. “We have foxes who raise their kits in the front yard,” he says.

Lots of acreage is not required, he says. In Kirkwood, Missouri, homeowners created a wild place on six-tenths of an acre on which they’ve documented 149 species of birds. “If one person does it, it’s not going to work,” he stresses. “The point is to get those acres connected. When everybody adopts this as a general landscape culture, it’s going to help tremendously. By rewilding your yard, you are filling in spaces between the true wild places and natural areas. The reason our wild spaces are not working in terms of conservation is because they are too small and too isolated. Even the biggest national parks are too small or too isolated.”

bill/AdobeStock.com eurobanks/AdobeStock.com

Tallamy says people can create wild spaces in their yards by reducing the amount of lawn they have or even getting rid of it. They can grow native plants and discontinue the use of pesticides and herbicides, which are disrupting ecological function of wild places the world over, as research shows. Hoffman agrees, “We’ve cultivated a culture of tidiness. It’s actually very easy to welcome wildlife into your home places, often by doing fewer things, by not bringing the leaf blower out and by leaving some dead wood where it fell, which creates important shelters for insects, for example.

“Such wild yard spaces encourage wonder. Suddenly, the kids are out there and they can be absolutely fascinated by a small glittering beetle. For me, to experience the wild is to go to the shore of a lake, to be present in the mystery, to be among the lake’s reed beds, to see a marsh harrier sleek out of those reeds and to know you’re part of something much larger,” he says. “There’s so much joy and beauty and complexity in being in the presence of other lives besides human.” That in itself is reason enough to save wild places.

Sheryl DeVore has written six books on science, health and nature, as well as health and environmental stories for national and regional publications. Read more at SherylDeVore.wordpress.com.

LEARN MORE The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative, by Florence Williams Irreplaceable: The Fight to Save Our Wild Places, by Julian Hoffman

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A Life on Our Planet, Netflix documentary by David Attenborough Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts with Your Yard,

by Douglas Tallamy The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden, by Rick Darke and Douglas Tallamy

April 2022

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Women's Wellness

Bergtold Chiropractic & Skin Care

D

by Lee Walker

r. James Bergas well as concentration, told, founder of mental acuity, stress reduction, relaxation and Bergtold Chirosleep, all benefit from practic & Skin Care, in PEMF, which has been Naples, has been customused for fusing broken izing wellness plans for bones; alleviating severe clients for more than 20 untreatable depression years. He specializes in and treating postoperative combining traditional pain and swelling, as well chiropractic medicine as sleep difficulty, immune with innovative, modern system stress, circulation approaches to improvand sports injuries. ing health via a one-of-a Dr. James Bergtold kind wellness experience with a state-of-the-art facility featuring Compression Therapy industry-leading holistic services backed Compression therapy uses controlled presby science. Treatments include cryothersure to increase blood flow in the legs and apy, PEMF therapy, compression therapy, heart. It simultaneously supports veins, hydromassage and more. decreases edema and improves lymphatic Bergtold curates personalized wellness drainage, enhancing circulation and recovpackages available on an individual treatery, as well as reducing muscular aches and ment or monthly basis to cater to clients’ pain. Surgeons, weight-loss centers, body contouring clinics, professional sports differing needs and goals, such as athletic teams and other facilities all rely on comrecovery and overall improvement to pression therapy. mood. There is even a beauty package for enjoying a skincare or lash treatment while detoxifying through lymph drainage.

Hydromassage Hydromassage is a therapeutic technique Cryotherapy involving the use of warm water and Cryotherapy, known as cold therapy, pressurized jets to help massage muscles is a technique that exposes the body to and other soft tissues in the body. Also extremely low temperatures for two to four known as water therapy, it helps to inminutes. The temperature shock to the crease circulation and alleviate pain and body is reported to result in a number of soreness associated with exercise, as well health benefits, such as reducing migraine as certain medical conditions. Hydroheadaches, numbing nerve irritation, and massage offers many of the same benefits reducing arthritic pain and some skin of traditional massage therapy with the conditions. added bonus of water.

PEMF Therapy

Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) devices approximate the Earth’s magnetic field. General blood flow, oxygen and waste elimination, cardiac function, physical fitness, endurance, strength and energy, 32

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swfl.NaturalAwakenings.com

Bergtold Chiropractic & Skincare is located in The Wellness Suites Naples, located at 7935 Airport Rd., Ste 200, in Naples. For more information or to book an appointment, call 239-593-6788 or visit BergtoldChiropractic.com. See ad, page 19.

reader spotlight

Meet Jeanne M. Sweeney Work: CEO/founder of the Above Board Chamber of Florida Proudest achievement: Starting the Above Board Chamber of Florida in Lee and Collier County. We’ve just begun our 12th year working with local business owners. Our monthly meetings present a panel of experts that share their business knowledge and expertise.

Expectations for the future: Expanding and growing the Above Board Chamber with continued educational programs for businesses and non-profit organizations, helping them grow and thrive.

Favorite Websites: AboveBoardChamber.com is a very useful resource for the entire community. Here, members share their products/services, press releases, blogs, event planning, job opportunities and more.

Favorite things about Natural Awakenings: Natural Awakening educates and introduces me to many useful natural health alternatives such as foods that help us live longer, exercises that make us look and feel better, ways to deal with food disorders and even pet care and nutrition for our fur babies. These all help me and my family to stay healthy and reduce the need for doctor visits. I’ve never read a magazine with so much good information on so many subjects and so many I didn’t know existed. The Above Board Chamber of Florida is proud to distribute Natural Awakenings each month at our Lee and Collier County meetings.

Most frequented healthy food restaurants: I mostly cook all meals for my family.

Having good recipes from Natural Awakenings makes mealtime the best. When I eat out, I like restaurants that offer fresh fish. I also like good Indian or Japanese restaurants.

How I support my community: Making the invisible in our community visible.

We do this each month by making sure our nonprofits have a platform and a voice in our chamber.

Favorite inspirational quote: My own, “You should never keep a compliment that belongs to someone else.” Words of praise should always be passed on.

What you are doing to be the change you want to see in the world: I am listening and being still, as well as being kind and respectful, so I can better understand the decisions of others, as well as their point of view. I’m also helping our members recognize their inherent gifts so that they can grow their business and our community, making it a better place for all of us to live.

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conscious eating

Eating for the Planet DIET FOR A CLIMATE CRISIS

vector mine/AdobeStock.com

by Sheila Julson

W

hat we choose to put on our plates influences not only our physical health, but also the health of the environment. While much of the climate conversation focuses on the burning of fossil fuels, commercial food production—particularly livestock—uses large amounts of land, water and energy.

Wasted food contributes to approximately 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions.

Leigh Prezkop, food loss and waste specialist for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), says agriculture accounts for 34

Collier/Lee Counties

about 70 percent of the world’s fresh water use, while pasture and crop land accounts for about 50 percent of the Earth’s habitable land.

“The environmental impacts begin with the soil,” Prezkop explains. “Soil that’s depleted of nutrients loses its ability to capture carbon and produce nutrientrich foods. The long chain continues with the processing and packaging of that food, and then transporting it to grocery store shelves and, eventually, to the consumer’s home.”

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Eat Less Meat

Animal agriculture is the leading cause of climate change, argues author, screenwriter and playwright Glen Merzer in his latest book, Food Is Climate: A Response to Al Gore, Bill Gates, Paul Hawken & the Conventional Narrative on Climate Change.

“When we have 93 million cattle farmed in the U.S. and 31 billion animals farmed globally each year, they create mountains of waste,” says Merzer, a dedicated vegan of 30 years. “That waste infiltrates water supplies and causes contamination, such

When food is wasted, we’re not just throwing away food, but everything it took to produce that food is also wasted— the water, the fertilizer and the land. ~Leigh Prezkop as E. coli outbreaks, in foods like lettuce and tomatoes that are grown downstream.”

He adds that cows belch methane, a far more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and that grass-fed cows belch even more of it than grain-fed, feedlot cows. In addition, nitrogen fertilizers used to grow animal feed run into waterways. Overfishing and ocean warming threaten populations of phytoplankton, which sequester carbon dioxide and seed clouds. Deforestation to create grazing land may be the single greatest future threat to our climate because forests also sequester carbon and provide a home for diverse flora and fauna.

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Make Simple Swaps

Prezkop emphasizes that despite these problems with the industrial food chain, changing the way we produce food is also the solution. The WWF works with suppliers to educate and promote regenerative production practices. On the consumer side, changing the way food is produced can be achieved by changing people’s dietary demands.

“We don’t prescribe people to eat a certain way. We do believe different people and cultures have different dietary needs,” she says. “The global north eats a lot of meat, so we do recommend a plant-forward diet while still incorporating animal proteins, depending on individual dietary needs.”

Merzer argues that we have little control over fossil fuel burning, but we can control our diets. He promotes plant-based eating as a primary solution to climate change. Changing mindsets about “normal” traditions, such as having hamburgers on the Fourth of July or turkey on Thanksgiving, can be difficult, but achievable with the planet at stake, he says.

Sophie Egan, founder of FullTableSolutions.com and author of How to Be a Conscious Eater: Making Food Choices That Are Good For You, Others, and the Planet, advises to start small by looking at the foods eaten most frequently and identifying ways to make simple swaps. “If you have toast with butter every morning, that could be changed to a nut butter. A sandwich with cold cuts every day for lunch, that can be replaced with a roasted vegetables and hummus sandwich or an avocado sandwich. You can still eat something in a familiar form, but replace ingredients with loweremissions options,” she says.

If someone is intimidated by switching to an all plantbased diet, a flexitarian option emphasizing foods from the plant kingdom while enjoying meat only occasionally may be more sustainable throughout a person’s lifetime. Her book contains a “protein scorecard” from the World Resources Institute that lists animal and plant sources in terms

SCRAP VEGETABLE STOCK Those potatoes that start to sprout, the straggler stalks of celery wilting in the back of the crisper drawer or that pompon of green carrot tops can all be used to make vegetable stock. This is a very general recipe with plenty of creative license to get more mileage from leftover vegetables that normally would have been discarded.

Start by collecting vegetable scraps that typically aren’t used— thick asparagus ends, carrot tops and broccoli stems. Even wilted kale or limp carrots that are no longer good to eat fresh, but are still free from mold or mush, can be added. Coarsely chop scrap veggies and put them into a freezer bag. Store them in the freezer until four to five pounds of vegetable scrap have been accumulated. yield: about 3 quarts 4 to 5 lb vegetable scraps (can include the freezer bag of vegetable scraps, green tops from a fresh bunch of carrots, slightly wilted kale, turnips that are starting to turn soft or any combination) 2 bay leaves 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 2 medium onions, cut into quarters 6 quarts water Salt to taste Coarsely chop all vegetables and add to a large stockpot. (If the vegetables are still frozen, dump them into the stockpot; they’ll begin to thaw during the cooking process.) Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently.

Cook for about two hours or until the liquid is reduced by about half and the color begins to fade from the vegetables.

Let the mixture cool. Strain the stock into a large bowl.

Compost the vegetables, as they are now flavorless; all of the flavors have been cooked into the broth.

Strain broth a second time through a cheesecloth or sieve for an even clearer broth. Salt to taste and portion into Mason jars.

Store in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, or freeze if saving for later use.

Courtesy of Sheila Julson.

April 2022

35

kravtzov/AdobeStock.com

MUNG BEAN CURRY

3 cups water 1 cup dried mung beans 2 dry bay leaves ½ medium onion, chopped 3 cloves raw garlic, minced 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced ½ tsp turmeric powder ½ tsp yellow curry 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro or sweet basil 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice Black pepper to taste

Scoop away the white foam that forms on the surface of the water and discard. Simmer covered for about 40 minutes.

Add the onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric and curry, and continue simmering for an additional 20 minutes. Stir in chopped cilantro or basil, lemon juice and black pepper.

Serve over rice or another grain.

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Courtesy of Joanna Samorow-Merzer, reprinted with permission from Own Your Health, by Glen Merzer.

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Prezkop says approximately 40 percent of the food produced globally is lost while still on the farm or further up the supply chain. “When food is wasted, we’re not just throwing away food, but everything it took to produce that food is also wasted—the water, the fertilizer and the land.”

A recent WWF report entitled Driven To Waste cites new data indicating that food waste contributes to approximately 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions—nearly twice the emissions produced annually by all the cars in the U.S. and Europe.

Egan suggests using a shopping list; impulse buys can be forgotten and are prone to spoiling. Keeping food visible by putting fruits and vegetables front and center ensures they won’t be forgotten. Leftovers can be kept from languishing by designating a section of the refrigerator for food to eat first or a day of the week to eat leftovers for dinner. “You can freeze just about anything,” Egan says, from leftover bread to cheese, which can be shredded before frozen. Even scrambled eggs can be poured into a freezer container to use later. (For more ideas, check out SaveTheFood.com and Dana Gunders’ Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook.)

Nonprofits throughout the country are creating solutions to divert food waste from the landfills. Keep Austin Fed, a nonprofit comprised of mostly volunteers, helps neighbors experiencing food insecurity by redistributing wholesome, nutritious, surplus food from any food-permitted business. Volunteers pick up leftover food from urban gardens, rural farms, grocery stores and caterers serving area tech firms. All prepared food accepted and redistributed is handled by licensed food handlers. Executive Director Lisa Barden says that Keep Austin Fed redistributed 982,428 pounds of food, or the equivalent of 818,695 meals, in 2021, thus keeping it out of the waste stream.

Similarly missioned organizations exist nationwide. FoodRescue.us, with 40 locations in 20 states, provides assistance and even a dropoff/pickup app for people starting local groups. Since its founding in 2011, it has provided 85 million meals and kept 109 million pounds of excess food out of landfills. Its website offers a potent plea: “Fight Hunger. Help the Planet. Be the Rescue.”

Sheila Julson is a Milwaukee-based freelance writer and contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine.

swfl.NaturalAwakenings.com

elenabsl/AdobeStock.com

Cut Food Waste

Rinse the mung beans, then soak overnight in water. The next day, discard the water, rinse the beans again and add 3 cups of water and bay leaves. Bring the beans to near boil and reduce heat to simmer.

36

of greenhouse gas emissions per gram of protein from the worst offenders to the least, with beef (along with goat and lamb) being at the top.

Prezkop recommends eating a wide variety of foods. “Currently, 75 percent of food produced is from 12 plant species and five animal species, despite that there are thousands of varieties. This means there’s less diversity happening in the field. Diversity helps with regeneration and healthy soils. Producing the same crops over and over means there’s no crop rotation and no diversity happening, leading to degraded soils and deforestation to produce more of the same crop.”

Egan adds that diets that are over-reliant on just a few food sources like corn, wheat, rice and soy threaten the Earth and can lead to food insecurity. “Think of it as risk management with a financial portfolio: We have a diversified portfolio of foods available to feed a growing population, but as the climate warms, extreme weather events threaten yields because lack of fresh water and unhealthy soil threaten the planet and, ultimately, food production.”

Eating food that is as close as to its original state as possible is better for the planet. “The more food is processed, the more resources it took to get it to market,” Prezkop notes.

STEM CELLS TREATMENT IS USEFUL IN AN ANTI-AGING REGIMEN AND FOR TREATMENT OF DISEASE

by Chadwick C. Prodromos MD

I

founded the Prodromos Stem Cell Institute to bring safe, effective mesenchymal (adult NOT fetal or embryonic) stem cell treatment to patients who need it but cannot obtain it in the United States due to restrictive FDA regulations.

We evaluate patients in Chicago or Bonita Springs or remotely from all over the world and, where appropriate, bring them to the beautiful Caribbean Island nation of Antigua for treatment.

Stem cell treatment has been shown to decrease overall inflammation and provide other useful benefits in most patients. Stem cell treatment at our center in Antigua consists of a single, simple, rapid (under an hour), painless intravenous infusion of stem cells. In some cases stem cells are injected into the knee, shoulder, back or other painful area. All patients are enrolled in one of the clinical trials conducted by our 501c3 nonprofit research foundation (www.theforem.org).

MENTAL ACUITY: It is common for persons who have experienced mild memory loss or “brain fog” to report that after stem cell treatment they notice improvement in both areas. We validate this finding on rating scales applied before and after treatment to generate objective publishable data.

ENERGY LEVEL: It is also common for patients to notice a significant uptick in their energy level. This is a typical finding

in older patients but not generally experienced in younger patients under 30 years of age. Again we are documenting this on a fatigue scale to generate objective publishable data.

INCREASED VISUAL ACUITY: While this is a less common finding, a number of patients have described a definite improvement in the sharpness of their vision, particularly in discerning details at a distance. We believe this is probably due to improved pliability of the lens of the eye which tends to decrease with age, after the stem cell treatment.

EEG: In an effort to provide greater analysis of brain function we have partnered with Tim Royer PhD of Royer neuroscience (www.royerneuroscience.com).

Together we obtain EEG readings either locally or on Antigua before treatment in patients with cognitive or sleep issues who are interested in participating. Then after treatment repeat EEGs are obtained. The information obtained is used by Dr Royer to provide behavioral and performance therapy that can help cognitive function and also can improve sleep. Dr Royer uses this treatment effectively in numerous renowned professional athletes to optimize their on field performance.

ARTHRITIS: Patients generally notice that mild aches and pain are diminished or eliminated after treatment. In cases of severe arthritis we inject the affected joint. Most

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patients improve substantially and are able to avoid joint replacement or other surgery.

I personally perform all joint injections.

BACK/NECK PAIN: This generally responds especially well to stem cell treatment – usually just a simple epidural injection. Stem cells have strong homing properties and will seek out and help heal problem areas. Injections are performed by world renowned United States anesthesiologist pain specialists.

AUTOIMMUNE AND OTHER DISORDERS WE TREAT The following is a partial list of conditions we treat: AUTISM: Now clearly shown to be an autoimmune disease, it generally responds to simple i.v. stem cell infusion.

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: Consistently responds to a combination of i.v. and intra-articular (into the joint injection).

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: relapsing – remitting MS usually responds well. For chronic aggressive MS which does not, we have just begun a proven program using your own T cells to augment treatment.

HEART DISEASE/PARKINSON/ STROKE/SPINAL CORD INJURY PARALYSIS: We are beginning treatment with a similar paradigm and are now recruiting patients.

ED/PEYRONIE’S: Injection is performed by an expert urologist.

RETINAL DISEASE: Conditions that have shown benefit include: retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma. All injections are performed by an excellent ophthalmologist.

MORE INFORMATION: Please visit our website at www.thepsci. com. I see patients in the Chicago area and at 9400 Bonita Beach Rd. in Bonita Springs. Stem cell treatment is carried out in Antigua. Contact us at care@thepsci. com or call at 847-699-6810 x207 and speak to a member of our stem cell team.

See ad, page 13.

April 2022

37

healing ways

Buzz-Free Drinking THE HEALTHY RISE OF NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

by Ronica O’Hara

photo courtesy of Kerry Benson and Diana Licalzi

A

SOUR MOCK-A-RITA 1 cup and 2 Tbsp lime juice ¼ cup and 2 Tbsp orange juice 3 Tbsp agave nectar, plus more to taste 2½ cups and 2 Tbsp coconut water Few dashes of salt Lime wheels for garnish Lime wedges and sea salt to rim the glasses To salt the rims of four to six lowball or margarita glasses, pour a thin layer of salt onto a plate or a shallow bowl.

38

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Slide a lime wedge around the rim of the glass to wet it, or use a finger to apply the juice to the rim, then dip and twist the glass in the salt. Combine all of the drink ingredients in a pitcher. Stir.

Fill the rimmed glasses with ice. Divide the margarita mix among the glasses.

Garnish with lime wheels.

From Mocktail Party: 75 Plant-Based, NonAlcoholic Mocktail Recipes for Every Occasion, by Kerry Benson and Diana Licalzi.

swfl.NaturalAwakenings.com

s a former bartender, Katie Cheney enjoys mixing drinks for friends, and one night recently, in her San Francisco apartment, she tried out something new: an alcohol-free “Noquila Sunrise” made with a distilled, plant-based spirit. “I was actually pleasantly surprised.

Even though we were drinking nonalcoholic drinks, we still had just as much fun as usual!” recalls Cheney, who blogs at DrinksSaloon.com.

In New York City, Marcos Martinez has begun drinking virgin piña coladas when out on the town with friends. “The feeling is surprisingly great since I don’t wake up with hangovers. More importantly, I’ve realized that I don’t have to use alcohol as a crutch for my social anxiety,” says Martinez, who owns the black gay lifestyle blog TheMenWhoBrunch.com.

At Chicago’s Kumiko Japanese cocktail bar, owner Julia Momosé offers a menu of what she calls “Spiritfrees,” crafted without alcohol and with ingredients like yarrow, ume—a Japanese fruit—and cardamom.

“Folks comment on how they appreciate that it is ‘more than just juice,’ or how surprised they are at their depth, texture and complexity,” she says.

The “sober-curious”—people experimenting with alcohol-free beverages as a way of prioritizing their health and fitness over a short-lived buzz—are changing America’s drinking culture. For the first time in 20 years, fewer Americans are regularly drinking, reports Gallup, and tipplers are drinking measurably less than they did 10 years ago.

No longer stuck with a seltzer while dodging questions from inquisitive imbibers, today the sober-inclined can sip from a vast array of sophisticated choices—from

photo courtesy of Vanessa Young/ ThirstyRadish.com

You have your wits about you, you can drive if necessary, you are less likely to say or do something you might regret and you won’t have a hangover the next morning. ~Kerry Benson faux vodka in exotic, crafted drinks to prize-winning sparkling wines to low- and no-alcohol craft beer. No-booze options can be easily ordered at restaurants, picked up at supermarkets or delivered at home with a few online clicks.

“The best part about having a fun, non-alcoholic beverage in hand is that you get the taste and experience of a cocktail or beer, just without the alcohol and potential negative side effects,” says dietitian Kerry Benson, co-author of Mocktail Party: 75 PlantBased, Non-Alcoholic Mocktail Recipes for Every Occasion. “You have your wits about you, you can drive if necessary, you are less likely to say or do something you might regret and you won’t have a hangover the next morning. And alcohol-free drinks are usually less expensive than their alcoholic counterparts.”

Sober-curious strategies range widely. Some people start tentatively, but increasingly turn to non-alcoholic drinks because they prefer the taste, price and lower calorie count, as well as the diminished risk of heart and liver disease. Others may go cold turkey for a month or two to break a pandemic-induced habit, alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks at a game or bar to avoid getting tipsy, or drink a Bloody Mary for a weekend brunch and virgin versions during the week to enhance work productivity.

The sales of non-alcoholic beverages shot up 33 percent to $331 million in 2021, reports Nielsen, and online sales of non- and low-alcoholic beverages skyrocketed 315 percent. To compete for the Millennials-heavy market, distillers like Seedlip, Suntory and Lyre’s have created beverages evoking tequila, Campari and vodka; breweries like Guinness, Budweiser and Carlsberg and small crafters are offering robust-tasting near- and no-alcohol beers; and wineries are using distillation and reverse osmosis to produce fine, low-alcohol Cabernets, Chardonnays and other varieties. Niche products are growing: for example, Los Angeles-based Optimist Botanicals bills its gin-, vodka- and tequila-like botanical blends as being vegan, gluten-free and paleo- and keto-friendly.

On the home front, people are making their own concoctions, often with natural and herbal ingredients, such as pears, tomatoes, cilantro and spices. “Garden-grown produce, windowsill herbs and farmers market finds are the ideal foundation for recipes, from tea sangrias to shaken mocktails,” says New Jersey cooking instructor and recipe developer Vanessa Young, creator of ThirstyRadish.com. As an example, she says, “A slice of brûléed fruit gives a non-alcoholic drink a touch of smoky sweetness, plus it is so appealing in the glass.”

Substance abuse counselors caution that beverages that mimic alcohol may not be a good route for recovery from serious alcohol abuse because they can reawaken destructive patterns. And con-

sumers are advised to look carefully at labels. “Alcohol-free” beer contains 0.0 percent alcohol. “Non-alcoholic” beer can contain up to 0.5 percent alcohol, but some have been found to contain up to 2 percent—not desirable if pregnant or in recovery.

Still, says Karolina Rzadkowolska, author of Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You, “The popularity of alcohol-free drinks is changing a culture. We are going from a culture that glamorizes drinking at every social situation, with little valid excuse to decline, to a culture that gives people healthier options.”

Health writer Ronica O’Hara can be contacted at OHaraRonica@ gmail.com.

MAPLE PEAR SPARKLER ½ cup pure maple syrup ¼ cup filtered water 1 rounded tsp fresh pomegranate arils (about 12 arils, or seeds) 1 tsp fresh lemon juice ½ oz maple simple syrup 2¼ oz pear juice 2 oz sparkling mineral water Bartlett pear slices for garnish For the syrup, whisk to combine ½ cup maple syrup with ¼ cup filtered water in a small saucepan, and heat until small bubbles begin to form around the edge. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

In the meantime, to prepare the jewel-like pomegranate arils, score a fresh pomegranate cross-wise. Twist to separate into halves. Loosen the membrane around the edges and tap firmly with a wooden spoon over a bowl to collect the pomegranate arils. Continue to loosen the membrane and tap to release all the arils.

For each drink, gently mash the pomegranate arils with lemon juice in a muddler, then add the mixture into a cocktail shaker, along with the syrup, pear juice and ice. Shake to chill, and strain into a glass to serve.

Top with sparkling mineral water. Add a slice of ripe Bartlett or brûléed pear.

Courtesy of Vanessa Young of ThirstyRadish.com.

April 2022

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inspiration

Spring is a State of Mind

All of life depends upon nature’s green ambition, yet we tend to take it for granted, not unlike the faint whisper of discontent that hints at the need for change. In the darkness of our fear-based comfort zones, there is a thwarted impulse to take that class at the community center, plant new ideas or try our hand at something new.

tsuguliev/AdobeStock.com

by Marlaina Donato

E

very year, spring lifts us from lethargy, her blossomed enthusiasm nudging us to take down the curtains for an annual wash, clean out the closets, and plot this year’s garden. If we pause and listen carefully, we can also hear an invitation to shake off the winters of our lives—the failures, aborted plans and could-have-beens.

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Spring, in all her punctual glory, teaches us the vital necessity to court our passions, and there is no better time than now.

“I’m too old,” we proclaim. “I can’t do that,” we assume. “They’ll think I’m crazy,” we say. But spring begs to differ. The most delicious possibilities are those that give us stage-fright butterflies in the belly and wake us up at night with the nagging question, “What if?”

Perhaps, if the caterpillar could foresee its winged destiny, it would be too overcome with self-doubt to even begin.

Author Marianne Williamson says, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

As April puts on a new playlist of birdsong and our gardens remind us how to grow one inch at a time, we can make a point to wear that colorful shirt, begin the first chapter of a long overdue memoir or decide that we are deserving to fall madly, happily in love. For today, make an appointment with delight and put fresh flowers on the desk, walk barefoot after the rain or simply try on a new perspective. If we tune out the naysayer in our brains, we might even hear loved ones cheering us on. Spring, in all her punctual glory, teaches us the vital necessity to court our passions, and there is no better time than now.

Marlaina Donato is an author, composer and visionary painter. Connect at WildflowerLady.com.

spa services

Peptides and Red Light Therapy for Youthful Skin

by Yvette Lynn

P

eptides, the amino acids which are the building blocks of certain proteins such as collagen and elastin, are needed by the skin. Although the body naturally makes collagen, collagen production decreases over time, causing skin to look more wrinkled, less bright Before (left) and after and uneven. Considered safe, peptides are an ingredient found in many skin care products. “Applying a serum or moisturizer containing peptides can lead to firmer, younger-looking skin, and perhaps fewer acne breakouts,” says Ranita Kirshon, Trim and Tone Med Spa medical aesthetician, laser specialist and certified medical electrologist.

Benefits of Peptides While a collagen molecule is too large to penetrate the skin, peptides in a serum or moisturizer are able to penetrate the outer layer, which then signals cells to start producing more collagen naturally, which can lead to plumper skin, making wrinkles and fine lines less visible. In addition to collagen, peptides also can stimulate elastin fibers, which make skin look firmer and more taut. Different peptide combinations can help to build a stronger skin barrier, as well. The body’s first line of defense against ultraviolet rays, pollution

and toxins, this skin barrier can be damaged by over-exfoliation, as well as cigarette smoke, pollution and lack of sleep.

“Peptides help act as chemical messengers to the cadherins (cell adhesion molecules found in the space between cells) and strengthen them. Stronger cadherins create tighter bonds between cells. “When I combine Pepti-Lift and Pepti-Tone with red light LED therapy and radio frequency for skin tightening in my customized Red Anti-Aging Facial, clients enjoy a more youthful complexion by the natural stimulation of their skin’s own collagen production, as well as the reduction of fine lines, wrinkles, and inflammation,” says Kirshon, who emphasizes that there are no silver bullets or magic pills in skin care. “A daily skin regimen and a once-a-month facial are a must to maintain healthy skin.”

Trim & Tone Med Spa is located at 13020 Livingston Rd., Ste. 16, in Naples. For more information or to make an appointment, call 239-596-5522 or visit TrimAndToneMedSpa. com. See ad, page 23.

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PsychotheRAPist LocAteD in nAPLes

spa services

Sculpting the Body with Cryoskin Technology

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C Jennifer Vear Hoy MS, MS

Specializing in: • Depression • Anxiety • Grief • Addictions • Anger Management • Relationship Problems PEACEFUL SUMMIT COUNSELING, LLC. 1048 Goodlette rd north Suite 201 naples, fL 34102

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ryoskin spa technology administered by a trained Cryoskin technician at Mandala Spa, in Naples, offers immediate visible Before (left) and after results in cellulite reduction, slimming and toning. The treatment with an U.S. Food and Drug Administration-cleared, non-surgical device begins with heat at 40 degrees Celsius, followed by a decrease in temperature to minus-eight degrees for the duration of the 30-minute session. A water-based gel is applied to the skin where the Cryoskin wand-like device will be placed. “The gel is very special, as it acts as a conductor of the cold and is safe on the skin.

The best results appear from 15 days to three weeks following the first session and extends for several months afterwards,” says Elizabeth Nunez, owner of the spa.

The anatomy of fat cells does not allow them to survive below 17 degrees Celsius. When the temperature of the fat cells drops below that, programmed cell death, known as apoptosis, occurs.

Dead fat cells become cellular debris that flows into the bloodstream where the body’s lymphatic system works to flush it out via urine over the course of 14 days. Three to five treatments spaced out at two-week intervals are recommended for cryoslimming, cryotoning and cryofacials. All three treatments use essentially the same technology. The only difference is the setting to which the wand is programmed.

Cryoslimming: Cryoslimming sessions trigger the natural reduction in fat cells. “Whether the client’s intent is to reduce fat on the stomach, abdomen, thighs, arms, back, double chin or neck, cryoslimming is a very effective solution that produces noticeable results,” says Nunez.

Cryotoning: Cryotoning helps to stimulate collagen production which breaks down cellulite, leaving smooth, dimple-free skin.

Cryofacial: A cryofacial can be considered a kind of nonsurgical facelift, specifically designed to tighten the face, neck and chin. The stimulation of collagen production reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and improves skin texture and skin elasticity.

Mandala Spa is located at 300 Fifth Ave. S., Ste. 203-A, in Naples.

For more information or to make an appointment, call 239-5719880. Visit NaplesMandalaSpa.com. See ad, page 20.

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‘We Exist in Direct Proportion to the Amount of Chaos that We Can Sustain and Dissipate’

I

lia Prigogine said this upon accepting the 1977 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Life is a constant battle against chaos.

The only place where order arises spontaneously from chaos is inside living cells.

Our cells are dissipative systems. Due to their intensive storage of photons coming from photosynthesis, their energy is so far removed from thermodynamic equilibri-

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Women's Wellness

um that the second law of thermodynamics and thus the chaos principle become invalid. The only possible explanation for the high energy in the cells is their intense photon storage and amplification. If we feed on living plants that use photosynthesis, order and regeneration arise. If we feed ourselves with inanimate food, our cells degenerate and aging occurs. In addition, it has been scientifically proven that the intestinal flora has a considerable influence on our psyche and emotions.

World history was a constant alternation of order and chaos and frequently reflected people’s degree of health. If we order the inside of our cells, not only our biological system, but also our minds are in greater harmony and healthy people do fewer unreasonable things. “Mens sana in corpore sano est.” (A healthy mind exists in a healthy body.) (www.bircher-benner.com/en.)

The Physician of the Future

At the peak of his life’s work, Dr. Maximilian Bircher-Benner wrote the book The Physician of the Future. It is an autobiographical work by a great doctor who healed thousands of people and saved many lives; the description of the life of a doctor who always devoted his life to the search for truth and to encouraging humanity in the world around him. Studying his career can be fascinating for any reader. It’s a textbook describing a new kind of humanity and will be of interest for every young doctor as well as for nurses, lay individuals and, in fact, everyone who is professionally involved in dealing with people. It shows how to prevent illness and to attempt to cure the ills of humanity. It’s a book that it is certainly well worth reading.

For more information, visit Bircher-Benner. com. See ad, page 21.

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natural pet

Pest Control KEEPING DOGS SAFE FROM TICKS AND FLEAS

alexei_tm/AdobeStock.com

by Karen Shaw Becker

F

leas and ticks are different types of pests; so, when considering how best to protect a dog, it is important to make a distinction—fleas are an annoyance, but ticks can be life-threatening. Many veterinarians recommend specific chemicals as a preventive solution, but this is often just a knee-jerk approach that uses chemicals to control nature. Instead, consider more natural alternatives that are both effective and non-toxic.

Fleas 101

Fleas are related to ants and beetles, feed on blood, and their bites can lead to irritation and skin allergies. They aren’t typically attracted to healthy pets; so, one of the best defenses against flea infestations is to feed a dog a nutritionally balanced, species-appropriate, fresh-food diet that will help keep their immune system functioning optimally.

It is also important to remove the environmental factors that can negatively impact immunity, including: n Poor water quality. Make sure to provide fluoride- and chlorine-free drinking water. n Too many vaccines. Insist that the veterinarian runs titer tests instead of giving un-

necessary shots.

n Toxic household chemicals, including cleaning products and dog beds treated with

flame retardants.

n Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers used in the yard. n Toxic levels of electromagnetic fields from electrical devices in the home.

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Collier/Lee Counties

swfl.NaturalAwakenings.com

The Trouble with Ticks Ticks are a type of arachnid related to mites, spiders and scorpions. Because ticks feed on many different animals (including humans, dogs, cats, squirrels, mice, opossums and deer), they are quite good at acquiring and transmitting diseases, some of which can be life-threatening.

Unfortunately, a single tick bite can expose a dog to multiple pathogens, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and babesiosis. Luckily, most dogs mount an effective immune response.

Up to 90 percent of dogs may have been exposed to tick-borne pathogens, but most are able to fight off infection on their own.

The only way to know if a dog has effectively eliminated harmful bacteria is to follow up the typical blood test with a second test called a quantitative C6 that differentiates exposure from infection. Large num-

bers of dogs each year are unnecessarily treated with extensive antibiotic therapy because their veterinarians panic after seeing a positive exposure and fail to check for infection.

To catch tick-borne infections before they take hold, ask the veterinarian to replace the standard annual heartworm test with the SNAP 4Dx Plus (from Idexx Labs) or the Accuplex4 tests (Antech Diagnostics), which screen for heartworm, Lyme disease and four other vectorborne diseases. Completing one of these simple blood tests every six to 12 months is the best way to protect a dog. In tick-infested areas, if a dog tests positive on either of those two tests, it should also be screened for babesia exposure with a polymerase chain reaction test.

Safe Options to Chemicals

Before Reaching for a Chemical

n Natural, food-grade diatomaceous

There are safe, non-toxic alternatives for flea and tick control for dogs, and they do not have side effects, unlike virtually all forms of chemical pesticides. These include: n Cedar oil, specifically manufactured for

pet health

earth, applied topically

Pet parents should not automatically apply potentially toxic chemical agents to their dogs or around their home to repel or kill pests. The use of spot-on products may cause skin irritation, paralysis, seizures and even death, if used improperly, and there are effective, natural alternatives that are far safer. If these chemicals are used, follow these precautions:

n A fresh-food diet that is nutritionally

optimal and species-appropriate

It is important to bathe and brush a dog regularly and perform frequent full-body inspections using a flea and tick comb to check for parasite activity. If they spend a lot of time outdoors, be sure to check pets and people for ticks every night during tick season.

n Be very careful to follow dosing directions on the label. If a pet is at the low end of

a dosage range, use the next lowest dosage. Monitor the pet carefully afterwards for adverse reactions. Do not under any circumstances apply dog product to a cat.

n Every other month, rotate chemicals with natural preventives, including diatomaceous

earth, pet-friendly, essential oil products and natural deterrent collars. In many parts of the country, people can successfully control ticks with one chemical dose in the spring and one in late summer.

Veterinarian Karen Shaw Becker has spent her career empowering animal guardians to make knowledgeable decisions to extend the life and well-being of their animals. Visit DrKarenBecker.com.

n To detox a dog’s liver afterwards, give them a supplement such as milk thistle, a detox

agent that helps to regenerate liver cells, or chlorella, a super green food. Work with an integrative veterinarian to determine the dosage; one dose daily for seven days following any chemical flea-, tick- or heartworm-preventive application is recommended.

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Neem oil is not an essential oil; it is an expelled or pressed oil. It is effective because fleas and ticks are repelled by it, and it doesn’t bother pets sensitive to odors.

Catnip oil can also be used since it has been proven to be as effective as diethyltoluamide (DEET), the mosquito and tick spray humans use that has a number of toxic side effects. To add extra punch to the mixture, add five drops of lemon, lemongrass, eucalyptus or geranium essential oil.

Store the homemade pest deterrent in the fridge, and before a dog goes outside, mist them with it, being careful to avoid the eyes. The active ingredients, especially the essential oils, dissipate in about four hours, so the solution may have to be reapplied several times throughout the day.

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MONTHLY PLANNER may

women’s wellness

calendar of events The events described in this section were scheduled to take place at the time we went to press. Please check ahead to confirm their status.

FRIDAY, APRIL 1 Earth Day 24,901-Mile Run/Walk Challenge – Apr 1-30. Runners, walkers or joggers of all fitness levels may join this epic challenge. Info: ChallengeInMotion.com/products/earth-day-challenge24901-miles. See article, page 26.

Astrology School: Creating Charts – 6-7:30pm.

Magick School: Astrology Series lesson four, learn the basics and fundamentals of how astrology works. Symbols, terms, and meanings of the many signs. $50. Goddess I AM, 600 Goodlette-Frank Rd, Naples. GoddessIam.com.

SATURDAY, APRIL 2 SpelLIFE Women’s Wellness Summit Podcast – SpelLIFE 2022: An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure. Breakout session with Dr. Maristany and Dr. Berkson, from Naples Center for Functional Medicine, discussing anti-aging techniques, ways to activate different compounds in the body to keep healthy, and cutting-edge treatments. Info/tickets: aEuphoricLivingFoundation.org. See ad, page 55.

june

men’s health

Onsite Paper Shredding Event – 8:30am-4pm.

Collier County Waste Management offers onsite paper shredding the first Saturday of the month at three locations. The first 20 pounds are free. Additional shredding is $1/pound. Naples. Info/locations: 252-7575 or CollierCountyFl.Gov/recycle.

See article, page 16.

july food connection

Community Kirtan and Vegetarian Potluck – 5-8:30pm. Hosted by Linda Collins and Dan Gorney. Potluck (5pm) followed by kirtan. Bring a vegetarian dish to share and a mat or cushion for comfort. Chairs provided. Bring a musical instrument – chords and lyrics are displayed on a large screen for all to follow along. $20 love offering.

Unity of Naples Church, 2000 Unity Way. 775-3009.

UnityNaples.org.

SUNDAY, APRIL 3 The K9 Kitchen at the Cape Coral Animal Shelter 5K – 7-11am. Bring your dogs to the The K9 Kitchen booth to sample wholesome, premium, gourmet dog food, treats, and frozen Pup-sicles available for purchase. Mercola Market, 125 SW, 3rd Pl, Cape Coral. 599-9400. CapeCoralAnimalShelter.com/ event/rescue-run-5k.

learn about marketing opportunities at:

239-272-8155

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Collier/Lee Counties

‘Honor the Earth’ Nature Awareness Event – 10am-2pm. Hosted by Cypress Cove Landkeepers Explore the trails at the Gore Nature Education Center. Children’s activities, music, and more. Free admission and parking. Donations accepted. 4261 40th Ave SE, Naples. Info: ccLandkeepers.com. See article, page 16.

Rap with the Rev – 11:30am-12:30pm. 1st Sun. Whether new to Unity and want to know what’s next or a longtime member seeking spiritual expansion, join in the sanctuary after Sunday service for a one-hour gathering. Bring thoughts and questions, and dive deeper into the morning discussion. Free.

Unity of Naples Church, 2000 Unity Way. 775-3009.

UnityNaples.org.

swfl.NaturalAwakenings.com

Lunar Living Workshop – Noon-1:30pm.

Love Yoga Center, 4949 Tamiami Tr N, Ste 204, Naples. 692-9747. LoveYogaCenter.com. See ad, page 33.

MONDAY, APRIL 4 Spring Naples Fashion Week – Apr 4-11. A celebration of luxury and style, with more than a dozen events scheduled to benefit the nonprofit Youth Haven, a safe place for abused and neglected children and teens in Southwest Florida. Info/tickets: NaplesFashionWeek.com.

Acupuncture Clinic Group Experience – 6-7pm.

Join Tenelle Wilson, acupuncture physician, for this group experience that supports health and wellness.

The acupuncture session requires 30-minutes for full benefit, and includes five small, sterile, disposable needles placed on the ears. $30. CasaShanti, 2052 Cottage St, Ft Myers. 208-9872. Register: Eventbrite.com/e/copy-of-acupuncture-clinic-casashantitickets-293809741847.

TUESDAY, APRIL 5 Good Points Acupressure Harmony Release OneHour Webinar – 7-8pm. Acupressure for self-care with well-known Naples therapist Alvina Quatrano, LMT. Anyone can do it. Monthly offerings. Zoom event. $10. aohMassage.com/project/60-minutegood-points-seva-self-care.

FRIDAY, APRIL 8 Pre-420 Crohn's Wellness Festival in the Park – Apr 8-9. Noon-9pm. The first day of the Wellness Festival, which is in coordination with the city of Bonita Springs, will be a Celebration Day and Saturday will facilitate meetings with doctors and dispensing of products. Riverside Park, Old US 41 Rd. Info: 250-2323.

Psychic Fair – 5-8pm. Mini readings with some of Naples’ most experienced psychics and healers.

Services include: mediumship, tarot, reiki, angel, past-life, chakra balancing, intuitive, body scanning, oracle and more. $30/20 minutes. Goddess I AM, 600 Goodlette Rd N, Naples. 228-6949.

GoddessIAM.com.

SATURDAY, APRIL 9 Anxiety Relief Workshop – 9am-noon. With Jennifer Vear Hoy. Learn about the different types of

anxiety and how to deal with it. $50/session. Peaceful Summit Counseling, 1048 Goodlette Rd, Ste 201, Naples. RSVP: 450-8090 or Jennifervearhoy1@ gmail.com.

COVID Unraveled: Let’s Talk COVID Community Conference – 9am-6pm. Education is key. Fear is the virus. Truth is the cure. Hear from Dr. Brian Thornburg, DO, Dr. Nancy Vance, MD, several frontline medical professionals and community leaders. $20/ticket. Destiny Church Gathering Center, 10610 Immokalee Rd, Naples. Info: Carolvbod@ gmail.com. Tickets: ScofieldProduction.com. See news brief, page 11.

Empty Bowls Fundraiser for Community Cooperative – 11am-3pm. One-of-a kind handcrafted ceramic bowls made by Lee County school children and artisans as a reminder of those who go hungry in Lee County. A soup cook-off and soup sampling from local restaurants. Vendor area, including local artisans. Silent auctions.

Food trucks. Family friendly activities. Dance and music performances, and more. $10/adults, kids/ free, includes a ceramic bowl and soup tasting.

Centennial Park, 2000 W First St, Ft Myers. Info: CommunityCooperative.com.

Cambier Park Drum and Dance Circle – 6:308:30pm. Drummers of all nations and spectators are welcome to attend for community drumming, dancing, hula-hooping and self-expression. Familyfriendly. BYO chair. Check Facebook for updates.

Free. Cambier Park, 755 8th Ave S, Naples. Facebook group: SWFL Community Drum Circle.

SUNDAY, APRIL 10 Light Code Activations – 9-10:30am. Join for channeled energy, activations and messages. These activations can be shortcuts to ease and grace, healing and prosperity. $22. Goddess I AM, 600 Goodlette Rd N, Naples. 228-6949. GoddessIAM.com.

St, Ft Myers. 208-9872. Register: Eventbrite. com/e/copy-of-acupuncture-clinic-casashantitickets-293809741847.

tage St, Ft Myers. 208-9872. Register: Eventbrite. com/e/copy-of-acupuncture-clinic-casashantitickets-293809741847.

SATURDAY, APRIL 16

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20

The K9 Kitchen at the Cape Coral Farmers Market – 8am-1pm. Bring dogs to The K9 Kitchen booth at Cape Coral Farmers Market to sample wholesome, premium, gourmet dog food, treats, and frozen Pup-sicles available for purchase. Cape Coral Farmers Market, SE 47th Terrace & SE 10th Place, Cape Coral. CapeCoralFarmersMarket.com.

Trim and Tone Med Spa Open House – 4-7pm.

Learn about the variety of treatments and services and also obtain special savings on many of them.

Those that call ahead of the special event can receive free demonstrations of CryoFacials, ultrasound EpiWave facials, EmSlim Neo and red light LED therapy bed sessions. 13020 Livingston Rd, Ste 16, Naples. Info: 239-596-5522, TrimAndToneSpa@ gmail.com or TrimAndToneMedSpa.com. See ad on page 23 and news brief on page 10.

Anxiety Relief Workshop – 9am-noon. With Jennifer Vear Hoy. Learn about the different types of anxiety and how to deal with it. $50/session.

Peaceful Summit Counseling, 1048 Goodlette Rd, Ste 201, Naples. RSVP: 450-8090 or Jennifervearhoy1@gmail.com.

THRUSDAY, APRIL 21

Singing Bowls and Gongs Meditation Series – 6-7pm. 3rd Sun. Thru Apr 17. Dana Marie House will facilitate relaxing and meditative crystal bowls and gongs, in an hour of sound therapy bath in an outdoor courtyard under the stars. Bring a mat, bean bag, lawn chair or blanket and pillow. $20 donation. Weather permitting. RB Institute, Inc, 13550 Reflections Pkwy, 5-502 Ft Myers. Advance RSVP: 571-5234.

QuantumHealing-SacredSound.com/about.html.

Heart Over Hustle Women’s Weekend Retreat – Apr 21-24. 4pm, Thur to Noon, Sun. Hosted by Heart-Centered Souls, LLC. Filled with activities to indulge, connect and deepen relationships with oneself and others, attendees will refresh and renew their mind, body and spirit to create beautiful alignment with ease and grace allowing more peace, joy and abundance. $995 or three each of $375. Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, 5001 Coconut Rd, Bonita Springs. Info/register: 908-256-4090, HeartCenteredWorkshops@gmail. com or CindyRoros.com/heart-over-hustle-retreat.

MONDAY, APRIL 18

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

SUNDAY, APRIL 17

Acupuncture Clinic Group Experience – 6-7pm.

See April 4 listing. $30. CasaShanti, 2052 Cot-

SWFL RESET Center Earth Day Event – 5pm.

Celebrate Earth Day on a 12-acre campus featuring art, speakers, cocktail reception and music. Fort

Breath Empowerment – 10:30-11:30am. With Candace Tranter. Breath empowerment is a journey through the emotional, physical and spiritual body to clear away what no longer serves you. Emerge into the amazing salt caves at Sol of life, and come away buzzing in the frequency of love. $45. Sol of Life Salt Cave & Tibetan Tea House, 2400 First St, Ste 100, Ft Myers. 918-4716. 745-2860.

EmbraceTheDragonflyEffect.com.

The K9 Kitchen at the Pups & Peeps Block PAWty – 11am-3pm. While hunting for eggs, getting pics with the Easter Bunny and having a great time, stop by The K9 Kitchen booth to sample wholesome, premium, gourmet dog food, treats, and frozen Pup-sicles. McGregor Village Dr, Ft Myers.

HappeningNext.com/event/pups-andamp-peepsblock-pawty-eid3a08hwh8bb.

Reiki Circle – 5-6pm. Every 2nd Sun. Experience an atmosphere of healing while using reiki energy to remove blockages by balancing the many chakra energy channels for healing emotional and physical pain, non-invasive. $10. Goddess I AM, 600 Goodlette Rd N, Naples. 228-6949.

GoddessIAM.com.

Sound Bath with Harmonic Alignment – 5-6pm.

Love Yoga Center, 4949 Tamiami Tr N, Ste 204, Naples. 692-9747. LoveYogaCenter.com.

MONDAY, APRIL 11 Acupuncture Clinic Group Experience – 6-7pm.

See April 4 listing. $30. CasaShanti, 2052 Cottage

April 2022

49

Myers Unitarian Universalist. Info: 272-5778, SwflRESET.org and GulfCoastSymphony.org/ concert/gulf-coast-chamber-orchestra-earth-daycelebration. See articles, pages 14 and 16.

Earth Day Celebration – 10am-4pm. Nature programs, story time, upcycled crafts, beach cleanup and more. Throughout the day, informal Earth Day activities and educational materials available at the Welcome and Discovery Center. Lovers Key State Park, Ft Myers. Free with paid park entry. Register: Bit.ly/april-22-events. See article, page 16.

SATURDAY, APRIL 23 Anxiety Relief Workshop – 9am-noon. With Jennifer Vear Hoy. Learn about the different types of anxiety and how to deal with it on your own. $50/session. Peaceful Summit Counseling, 1048 Goodlette Rd, Ste 201, Naples. RSVP: 450-8090 or Jennifervearhoy1@gmail.com.

Animal Reiki I and II – April 23-24. 9am-6pm. With Patti. Become certified to provide reiki for animals.

Friday class is held virtually, by Zoom. Saturday is a field trip to work with animals. Prerequisite: Reiki I & II in any tradition. $375. RSVP: 774-209-9393.

Earth Day at the Conservancy – 10am-3pm.

Join The Conservancy of SWFL for live animal encounters, boat tours, food trucks, Bioblitz nature walks, exhibitors and more. Info: Conservancy.org/ earthday. See article, page 16.

Save Our Planet Earth Day Jamboree – 10am4pm. Hosted by the Collier County Waterkeepers.

Earth Day commemoration, vendors, entertainment, kids’ activities, electric vehicles, food and beer, petting zoo. Cambier Park, 755 8th Ave S, Naples.

SaveOurPlanet.com. See articles, pages 14 and 16.

Spring Shanti Serenity Spa Saturday – 10am5pm. Shift into Spring with a day of self-love.

Recharge, cleanse and rejuvenate at CasaShanti’s monthly spa day where you can experience services at special pricing. Choose a reading, reiki session, facial, or ionic detox footbath or any combination of services for 2022 wellness. $35-$45 sessions available. 2052 Cottage St, Ft Myers. 208-9872.

Cambier Park Drum and Dance Circle – 6:308:30pm. Drummers of all nations and spectators are welcome to attend for community drumming, dancing, hula-hooping and self-expression. Familyfriendly. BYO chair. Check Facebook for updates.

Free. Cambier Park, 755 8th Ave S, Naples. Facebook group: SWFL Community Drum Circle.

SUNDAY, APRIL 24 33rd Annual “Ding” Darling Day – 10am-2pm.

This year’s family-centric event will be making the “great migration” across the Causeway to Lakes Park in Fort Myers to bring the Refuge to our local communities and a wider audience. The move is part of a larger Refuge System-wide Urban Initiative.

Free. Lakes Park, 7330 Gladiolus Dr, Ft Myers.

DingDarlingSociety.org/articles/ding-darling-days.

See article, page 16.

Qigong with Sol – 10:30-11:30am. With Candace Tranter. Grounding is an exercise that connects energetically to the earth. Celebrate Earth Day in the salt caves and enjoy level one qigong for the most amazing grounding experience. All levels welcome, dress comfortably and hydrate before arriving. $45. $45. Sol of Life Salt Cave & Tibetan Tea House, 2400 First St, Ste 100, Ft Myers.

RSVP: 918-4716. CandaceTranter@gmail.com. See ad on page 55 and news brief on page 10.

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Collier/Lee Counties

MONDAY, APRIL 25 Acupuncture Clinic Group Experience – 6-7pm.

See April 4 listing. $30. CasaShanti, 2052 Cottage St, Ft Myers. 208-9872. Register: Eventbrite. com/e/copy-of-acupuncture-clinic-casashantitickets-293809741847.

FRIDAY, APRIL 29 Save A Generation Florida Tour 2022 – Stand against the war on democracy, free speech, civil liberties, and the right to govern your own body and your child’s. Info: TakeActionForFreedom. com/fltour/.

SATURDAY, APRIL 30 Arbor Day: Honoring Mother’s Day by Planting Trees – Join the SWFL RESET Center to plant trees as part of Russ Ringland’s Future Forestry program on Veterans Parkway. Bring music, art, poetry, camera, and your love of trees. Veterans Pkwy, Cape Coral. Info: swflreset.org/events-1. See article, page 16.

plan ahead SATURDAY, MAY 9 Cambier Park Drum and Dance Circle – 6:308:30pm. Drummers of all nations and spectators are welcome to attend for community drumming, dancing, hula-hooping and self-expression. Familyfriendly. BYO chair. Check Facebook for updates.

Free. Cambier Park, 755 8th Ave S, Naples. Facebook group: SWFL Community Drum Circle.

SATURDAY, MAY 21 Cambier Park Drum and Dance Circle – 6:308:30pm. Drummers of all nations and spectators are welcome to attend for community drumming, dancing, hula-hooping and self-expression. Familyfriendly. BYO chair. Check Facebook for updates.

Free. Cambier Park, 755 8th Ave S, Naples. Facebook group: SWFL Community Drum Circle.

ongoing events

sunday Community Yoga – 8:30-9:30am. Free the first Sunday of every month. Weekly classes include Monday and Friday at 9am, Wednesday at 6:15pm, and Sunday at 10:30am. $20/class with package deals available at MysticalBookshop.com. Free.

Jaycee Park, 4125 SE 20th Pl, Cape Coral. 338-7816.

Higher Shelf Bookstore – 9am-noon. Spiritual/metaphysical books, inspirational cards,

swfl.NaturalAwakenings.com

meditation CDs, sacred ceremonial instruments, jewelry, incense and more. Unity of Fort Myers campus, 1112 Ranchette Rd, Bldg B. 278-1511.

UnityOfFortMyers.org.

Mid-Cape Farmers Market – 10am-2pm. 125 SW Third Pl, Ste 200, Cape Coral. MercolaMarketcc.com.

Sunday Morning Celebration Service: Unity of Ft Myers – 10-11am. A spiritual community open to all. Experience loving acceptance and comfort during challenging times. Come listen to inspiring, empowering, and uplifting messages from Rev. Crystal. 1112 Ranchette Rd. 278-1511.

UnityOfFortMyers.org.

Sunday Celebration Service – 10-11:15am.

Spiritual inspiration from Rev. Denise Schubert and Rev. Claudia René. Musical inspiration by Amy and Jesse Hughes. Love offering. Unity of Naples Church, 2000 Unity Way. 775-3009. UnityNaples. org. Livestream at Facebook.com/unityofnaples or YouTube.com/unityofnapleschurch.

Sunday Night Spiritual Gathering – 5:30-7pm.

A Zoom venue for spiritual seekers to gather and have positive conversations. We teach and practice affirmative prayer and embrace our inherent divinity. Our principles are positivity as we work through life’s puzzles. Love offering. Obtain link by emailing RevLuluLogan@gmail.com. RevLulu.org.

Fort Myers Drum Circle – 7-9pm. Dance, drum, hoop or just enjoy the beats. BYO chair. Downtown Fort Myers Regional Library, 2450 First St, Ft Myers. Facebook page: Fort Myers Drum Circle. Info: Facebook.com/groups/fortmyersdrumcircle.

monday Lunar Flow – 7am. With Maggie. Love Yoga Center, 4949 Tamiami Tr N, Ste 204, Naples.

LoveYogaCenter.com.

Women’s CoDA Meeting – 10-11am. With Jennifer Bear Hoy MS. A 12-step program to find ways to create more loving relationships with ourselves and others. Peaceful Summit Counseling, 1048 Goodlette Rd N, Ste 201, Naples. 450-8090.

Grief Group Counseling – 2-3pm. With Jennifer Bear Hoy MS. Receive help and share memories in a group setting. Peaceful Summit Counseling, 1048 Goodlette Rd N, Ste 201, Naples. 450-8090.

Acupuncture Group Clinic – 6-7pm. With Tenelle Wilson, Acupuncture Physician. An acupuncture session requires 30 minutes for full benefit, and includes five small, sterile, disposable needles placed on the ears. $30. CasaShanti, 2052, Cottage St, Ft Myers. 208-9872. RSVP: Eventbrite.com/e/ group-acupunction-and-sound-bath-experiencetickets-265198565047.

Gentle Flow Yoga – 7pm. With Chrissie. Love Yoga Center, 4949 Tamiami Tr N, Ste 204, Naples.

692-9747. LoveYogaCenter.com.

supple, reduce fatigue and insomnia, and improve joint mobility and regulation of the autonomic nervous system. Bring mat (also available). Class package pricing available. $20. Lotus Blossom Clinic, LLC, 6710 Winkler Rd, Ste 2-3, Ft Myers.

277-1399. Preregister: JoanieFlavin@gmail.com.

LotusBlossomClinic.com.

tuesday Chair Yoga – 10:30am. With Carla Hyde. All levels.

Calm the mind as you stretch, strengthen, and balance the body. The chair offers so many possibilities for movement. $15/class or 5/$60. Heart Space Yoga Collective, 13451 McGregor Blvd, Ste 30, Ft Myers.

850-8177. HeartSpaceYogaCollective.com.

Live Music – 6-9pm. Rotating list of local artists entertain guests in the courtyard. Free. Food and Thought Courtyard, 2132 Tamiami Tr N, Naples.

Kundalini Yoga – 11am. With Dama. Love Yoga Center, 4949 Tamiami Tr N, Ste 204, Naples.

LoveYogaCenter.com.

saturday

Meditative Yoga and Yoga Nidra – 3:30pm. With Peggy Sealfon. Love Yoga Center, 4949 Tamiami Tr N, Ste 204, Naples. LoveYogaCenter.com.

Multidimensional Healing Group – 6:308pm on Zoom. Connecting and healing with spirit guides and loved ones in spirit.

Mediumship master Patti Wilson facilitates therapeutic conversations with loved ones that have crossed over and helps develop your own abilities in multidimensional communication. $30/class or $100/4-classes. Register: 2701876, SpiritualCoach@hotmail.com.

wednesday Qigong – 10-11am. Join JaySun (Jason) Wechs in person to learn and practice the ancient art of qigong (Sheng Shen form), a spiritual form of the practice.

Qigong has been taught in China for thousands of years. Experience and expand your own healing energy. $15. Lotus Blossom Clinic, LLC, 6710 Winkler Rd, Ste 2-3, Ft Myers. Register: 277-1399.

Strength and Stability Yoga – 6pm. Love Yoga Center, 4949 Tamiami Tr N, Ste 204, Naples.

LoveYogaCenter.com.

Wisdom Wednesday Service – 6-6:45pm. Midweek service on Facebook Live or YouTube. Engage in topics and conversations that awaken the mind, lift the spirits and open the heart. Musical inspiration provided by Amy and Jesse Hughes. Free. Love offering. Unity of Naples Church, 2000 Unity Way. 775-3009. Facebook.com/UnityOfNaples.

A Search for God Edgar Cayce Study Group – 6-8pm. Weekly study group meeting based on the Edgar Cayce Readings. New members welcome. 850-556-7604 or JanEselman@gmail.com.

In-person or Zoom. Free. Unity of Fort Myers Sanctuary, 11120 Ranchette Rd, 1120 Ranchette Rd. UnityOfFortMyers.org.

Calming Mind for Body Rejuvenation – 6:308pm. With Jenny Li Ciccone. Releasing and shifting

by EFT Tapping. Learn natural healing at all levels by removing hidden mind blocks and clearing stuck energies in the body system. Now in-person – HEPA filter in room, masks optional. $100/4 sessions. or Lotus Blossom Clinic, 6710 Winkler Rd, Ste 2 & 3, Ft Myers. 277-1399. Register: 851-5415.

LotusBlossomClinic.com.

thursday Guided Walk at CREW Flint Pen Strand – 9-11:30am. Join CREW Trust volunteers on an interpretive walk through Flint Pen Strand, a unique part of the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW). Tour the Kehl Canal, headwaters of

the Imperial River and through various habitats that are undergoing restoration. $5. 15970 Bonita Beach Rd SE, Bonita. Register: Eventbrite.com.

Iyengar Yoga – 9:15am. With Carla Hyde. All levels. Explore the art and science of letting go and experience gratitude and joy, all while enjoying the physical aspects of Iyengar yoga. $15 per class or 5/$60. Heart Space Yoga Collective, 13451 McGregor Blvd, Ste 30, Ft Myers. 850-8177.

HeartSpaceYogaCollective.com.

Love Flow Yoga – 5:30pm. Love Yoga Center, 4949 Tamiami Tr N, Ste 204, Naples.

LoveYogaCenter.com.

Crystal Bowl Service – 6:30-7:30pm. 2nd & 4th Thur. With Linda Collins. Bring a mat, pillow or blanket; chairs will be provided. Experience this serene, peaceful practice and melt into the divine with the gorgeous sounds of the singing bowls. $20 suggested love offering – no one turned away.

Unity of Naples Church, 2000 Unity Way. 775-3009.

UnityNaples.org.

Crystal Bowl Meditation – 6:45-7:45pm. With Jenny Hong. Participants will comfortably lie down or sit while the frequencies reverberate throughout the body, promoting deep relaxation and healing on all levels. Physical distancing and face masks required. $15. Lotus Blossom Clinic, LLC, 6710 Winkler Rd, Ste 2-3, Ft Myers. 277-1399.

Preregister: JennyLotusBlossom@gmail.com.

LotusBlossomClinic.com/events.

The K9 Kitchen at Bonita Springs Farmers’ Market – 8am-noon. Bring your dogs to the the K9 Kitchen booth at Bonita Springs Farmers Market and let them sample wholesome, premium, gourmet dog food, treats, and frozen Pup-sicles! And take some home. Free to attend. The Promenade at Bonita Bay, 26795 South Bay Dr, Bonita Springs.

Thek9Kitchenllc.com.

Gentle Beach Yoga Class – 9-10am. With Dr. Brian Healy. All levels and beginner-friendly. Bring sunscreen, insect repellent, water and at least one beach towel. A yoga mat is optional. Free; parking fee: $2. San Carlos Bay Preserve and Bunche Beach, 18201 John Morris Rd, Ft Myers. Info: 437-9355 or FortMyersAcupunctureMassage.com.

The Green Market – 9am-1pm. Fresh air and fresh produce make Saturday mornings worth rising for.

Discover an exclusive selection of locally grown, caught and cultivated foods and other products available for purchase. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 939-2787. ArtInLee.org/ experience/saturday-greenmarket.

SWFL Community Drum Circle – 6:30-8:30pm.

Meets on certain dates at Cambier Park, Naples or Riverside Park, Bonita. Drummers of all nations and spectators are welcome to attend for community drumming, dancing, hula-hooping and self-expression. Family-friendly. BYO chair. See event section for dates/locations. Check Facebook for updates: SWFL Community Drum Circle.

Live Music – 6-9pm. Rotating list of local artists entertain guests in the courtyard. Free. Food and Thought Courtyard, 2132 Tamiami Tr N, Naples.

Psychic Development – 7:30-9pm. With Heather Anderson. Develop your psychic gifts. Begins with a discussion inspired by source, work on your psychic abilities and conclude with individual readings in the group. Connect to your highest self and enjoy the energy of like-minded individuals looking to open themselves to the possibilities for expansion. $20. Center Of Eternal Light, 260 Professional Place, N Ft Myers. 599-4700.

CenterOfEternalLight.com.

friday Sacred Alignment – 11am. Love Yoga Center, 4949 Tamiami Tr N, Naples. 692-9747.

LoveYogaCenter.com.

Somatic Movement Workshop (In Person with Joanie) – 11am-12:15pm. 2nd Fri. These slow and mindful techniques can physically help reduce pain, mental stress, and emotional anxiety. Stay

April 2022

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community resource guide

COLON THERAPY

Connecting you to the leaders in natural health care and green living in our community. To find out how you can be included in the Community Resource Guide email NAMadvertising@naturalawakenings.com to request our media kit.

ACUPUNCTURE ACUPUNCTURE CENTER OF NAPLES Dr. Xiu Qiong Cen, AP, OMD (China) 5683 Naples Blvd, Naples 34109 P: 239-513-9232 • F: 239-513-9293 DrCenAcupuncture@gmail.com

Licensed acupuncture physician with 28 years experience in acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

Experienced in pain management, women’s health, insomnia, migraines, digestion issues and much more. See ad, page 6.

FORT MYERS ACUPUNCTURE & MASSAGE

Brian Healy, AP, DOM, LMT, CKYT 16680 McGregor Blvd, Ste 2, Ft Myers 33908 239-437-9355 FortMyersAcupunctureMassage.com 28 years experience treating orthopedic conditions of the back, neck, shoulder and knee using acupuncture, bodywork, Chinese herbal medicine, yoga and meditation.

Free phone consultations.

LOTUS BLOSSOM CLINIC

Acupuncture – Oriental Medicine David Martin, AP, DOM Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Estero, Bonita 239-277-1399 • LotusBlossomClinic.com Offering treatment for many health issues: pain, anxiety, stress, PTSD, fertility, heart, strokes, digestive and immune disorders. U.S. veterans: no cost with a V.A. referral.

PHYLLIS C. WEBER, AP

Acupuncture/Oriental Medicine 6249 Presidential Ct, Ste E, Ft Myers 33919 239-841-6611 • GulfCoastAcupuncture.com Specializing in pain, chronic disorders, overall wellness, allergy treatments (NAET) and kinesiology.

Acupuncture stimulates the body’s ability to heal all on its own! AP771.

AYURVEDA CHRISTINA CARLIN, AYURVEDIC PRACTITIONER

Ayurveda Clinic, Massage & Yoga Therapy 501 Goodlette-Frank Rd N, Ste A107, Naples 34102 • 239-450-6903 Practicing holistic medicine since 1987. Professional Member of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association, specializing in highly personalized Ayurvedic treatments and lifestyle consultations, Massage and individual Yoga sessions for chronic and acute problems. Pancha Karma, Shirodhara and skin care. Ayurveda and Yoga Study program available. MA0023929, MM0008584, FB0716888. See ad, page 6.

BODYWORK ART OF HOLISTIC MASSAGE Est. 1991 Alvina Quatrano, LMT FL MA 50896 For Info or Appt: 732-266-5276 AOHMassage.com

CDC guidelines followed (mask etc). Zero Balancing, Process Acupressure, Reiki. Webinar classes all discounted; call for registration. Reflexology, SEVA Stress Release, Insomnia, MT’s get CEs. Free self-massage video at AOHMassage.com.

PAULA TERRY, LMT

239-821-3088, by appt. (Collier & Lee) Trained at the Upledger Institute, Paula utilizes CranioSacral Therapy combined with Heart-Centered Therapy, Somato Emotional Release™, Lymphatic Drainage, love and nurturement to foster the healing your body needs. Doula services.

MA35358.

CHIROPRACTOR NETWORK CHIROPRACTOR Dr. Michele Pelletiere 3411 Bonita Beach Rd, Ste 302, Bonita Springs • 239-949-1222

N.S.A. Practitioner level III. “Healing waves” release tension throughout the body, increasing wellness and quality of life, promoting new strategies for a healthy spine and nervous system.

RB INSTITUTE, INC.

C. Robyn Berry, LMT, CRR, CCT, CLDT 13550 Reflections Pkwy, 5-502 & 5-503, Ft Myers • 239-939-4646 • RobynBerry.com Since 1994, gravity-enclosed UV/ Oxygen/Ozone sterilized medicalgrade water colonics, therapeutic, relaxing, chair, sports, prenatal massage, Craniosacral/SER, Heart Centered therapy, manual lymph drainage & XP2 System, visceral manipulation, HALO Photonic Blue-Violet Laser Botanical System, Asyra/Quest4 MSA Bio Meridian Stress Analysis, ear candling, Lakota YLEO Raindrop Therapy, Tuning Fork/Crystal/Bowls Therapy, reflexology, MPS, cupping, ozone steam cabinet and applied ozone therapies, infrared sauna, ionic foot detox by AMD, BEMER sessions, Power Plate, Hyperbaric Chamber, PER 2000 PEMF and notary. MM7376. See ad, page 42.

COMPOUNDING PHARMACY UPTOWN CHEMIST

Pharmacy, Compounding, Wellness Norman Ruiz-Castaneda, PharmD, Owner/ Pharmacist 2700 Immokalee Rd, Ste 24, Naples 239-431-4217 • UptownChemist.com Norman is a licensed pharmacist with 15+ years of experience, specializing in compounding. He offers a personable approach in consultation, practicing with integrative medicine and fostering a relationship with the prescribing doctor; creating a “hometown” pharmacy for all of our patients.

DENTAL HEALTH THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR DENTAL EXCELLENCE

Yolanda Cintron, DMD 2021 E Commercial Blvd, Ste 208 Ft Lauderdale FL 33308 • 954-938-4599 GoNaturalDentistry.com All phases of dentistry for optimum health, holistic, bio-compatible dentistry. Sedation dentistry. Removing of toxic metals, replacing them with bio-compatible materials. Laser dentistry for painless surgeries and extractions. Zirconia/ceramic implants. Natural bone augmentation/plasma rich growth factor. Oral DNA testing. Add gums to receding gums.

ROGER J. PINT, MPH, DMD

9200 Bonita Beach Rd, Ste 111 Bonita Springs, 34135 • 239-676-8730 BonitaDentalStudio.com Dr. Pint can join your health journey and play a role in minimizing toxicity; this includes protection while removing dental materials plus consultation. All X-rays are digital and minimal. See ad, page 44.

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DOG FOOD – PREMIUM

Carol L. Roberts, MD 800 Goodlette Rd N, Ste 270, Naples 34102 239-649-7400 • NaplesCFM.com

THE K9 KITCHEN LLC

TheK9Kitchenllc.com 239-898-0795 info@TheK9Kitchenllc.com Cape Coral residents Corene Petitpren and Kendra Locke, founders of The K9 Kitchen LLC, provide hand-crafted, premium, vet nutritionist-approved dog food and treats for nationwide delivery. See ad, page 45.

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE NAPLES CENTER FOR FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE

Dr. Lindsey Berkson, MA, DC, CNS, DACBN, CAN 800 Goodlette Rd N, Ste 270, Naples 34102 229-649-7400 • NaplesCFM.com Dr. Lindsey Berkson is a hormone scholar and functional medicine specialist focusing on hormones, anti-aging and medical nutrition at Naples Center for Functional Medicine. See ad, page 55.

NAPLES CENTER FOR FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE

Eduardo Maristany, MD 800 Goodlette Rd N, Ste 270, Naples 34102 239-649-7400 • NaplesCFM.com Eduardo Maristany, M.D. is a board-certified internal medicine physician trained in functional/integrative medicine, genomic interpretation, and anti-aging. Dr. Maristany incorporates genomic intelligence and cutting-edge tools to provide his patients with comprehensive genetic health risks and benefits, and a personalized health plan for optimal wellness. See ad, page 55.

BUSINESS BLOOMS when you advertise with us.

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54

Collier/Lee Counties

NAPLES CENTER FOR FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE

Carol L. Roberts, M.D. has practiced functional/integrative/holistic medicine for 25 years. She provides patients with testing to uncover causes of chronic illness, guidance in resolving health issues and education to assist the patient in her own healing. She is Medical Director at the Naples Center for Functional Medicine, formerly the Hughes Center. See ad, page 55.

ZORAYDA “JIJI” TORRES, MD, ABIHM, IFMCP

Internal Medicine, Functional Medicine Office: 239-444-5636 • UpstreamMD.com Dr. Torres is a board-certified internist with over 17 years of experience and knows the limitations of conventional internal medicine. She is among the few Certified Practitioner M.D.s, trained by the Institute For Functional Medicine. See ad, page 11.

HEALTHY DINING FOOD & THOUGHT ORGANIC FARM MARKET & CAFÉ

2132 Tamiami Trl N, Naples 239-213-2222 • FoodAndThought.com Open Mon-Sat 7am-8pm.

Florida’s only 100% organic market and café. Fresh produce delivered daily. Homemade breakfast, lunch and dinner. See ad, page 10.

HOLISTIC CENTER ACCESS HOLISTIC HEALING & HYPNOSIS Michele Durham, CH, MBA 840 111th Ave N, Ste 8, Naples, 34108 office: 239-301-3501 • cell: 239-776-2211 AccessHolisticHealing.com

Specializing in hypnosis, QHHT, NLP, SRT. Offering sound and light therapy, massage therapy, reiki, access bars, salt therapy, Conscious1Vibe crystals and bookstore. Joined by Dr. Daniel Stanciu offering IV Infusions and nutrition testing. See ad, page 44.

NATURAL & ORGANIC MARKET ADA’S NATURAL MARKET

7070 College Pkwy, Ft Myers 33907 Mon-Sat: 9am-8pm, Sun: 9am-7pm Ph: 239-939-9600 • Fax: 239-288-6210 AdasMarket.com Natural and organic produce and grocery items. Vitamins and supplements. Organic juice and smoothie bar. New Green Leaf Café. Market-prepared foods.

1000s of gluten-free items. See ad, page 13.

NATURAL & ORGANIC PRODUCTS ANATTA

447 Broadway, Ste 204 New York City, NY 10013 347-762-1268 • AnattaMarket.com Anatta is a global online marketplace for natural, organic and raw products from farmers worldwide.

The newly-formed company’s products include a variety of essential oils and waters, and its unique business model eliminates overhead costs by connecting customers directly with farmers.

MAGNETUDE JEWELRY

MagnetudeJewelry.com/LisaDoyle ljbluestar@hotmail.com 239-851-4729 We use the strongest Neodymium bio-magnets (4000 gauss) to attach our “‘tudes” to our bases.

These bio-magnets help to overcome the harmful effects of EMFs by increasing cellular energy and vitality. Interchangeable, beautiful and most are designed with powerful gems with your health in mind. See ad, page 8.

NUTRITION D-SIGNED NUTRITION, LLC

Dee Harris, RDN, LDN, CDE Bonita Bay Executive Center 3531 Bonita Bay Blvd, Ste 300, Bonita Sprgs 239-676-5249 • D-SignedNutrition.com Nutrition is our lifeblood. Healing with food starts with a personalized plan to address inflammation, nutrient insufficiencies, toxic burden and imbalances in the body.

See ad, page 49.

You didn’t come into this world.

You came out of it, like a wave from the ocean.

You are not a stranger here. ~Alan Watts

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MARCY HESS, BS

501 Goodlette Rd N, Ste C208, Naples 239-231-6028 ThePerfect10Strength@gmail.com Looking and feeling strong and healthy is the first reason for working with a nutrition coach.

Let me help you get back on track for life without dieting! See ad, page 52.

PLANT-BASED CHEF & CATERING LISA BROWN

classifieds

Fee for classifieds is a minimum charge of $25 for up to the first 20 words and $1 for each additional word. Must be pre-paid. Email listing, include billing contact info, by 10th of month prior to publication to: NAMClassifieds@ NaturalAwakenings.com.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY START A CAREER YOU CAN BE PASSIONATE ABOUT – Publish your own Natural Awakenings magazine. Home-based business

complete with comprehensive training and support system. New franchises are available or purchase a magazine that is currently publishing. Call 239-5301377 or visit NaturalAwakenings.com/mymagazine.

SERVICES THE FIDDLE FLOWERS FIDDLE GRAM – By JamesSteven Farnsworth. A wonderful gift of one dozen beautiful roses in a vase and gift card, plus a lovely mini-concert of violin or fiddle music. Special intro price: $55 local delivery. Call/text: 510-2927786, JsfViolin@gmail.com. TheHealingViolin.com.

Plant-based Chef & Educator 646-642-0083 FreeFlowingHealth.com Chef Lisa offers customized, personal, plant-based chef services and catering to busy professionals and individuals looking to eat healthier and feel better.

PSYCHOTHERAPIST PEACEFUL SUMMIT COUNSELING Jennifer Vear Hoy, MS 1048 Goodlette-Frank Rd N, #201, Naples, 34102 • 239-450-8090

Specializing in grief/loss, assertiveness training, anxiety, anger management, addictions, depression and relationship problems.

See ad, page 42.

TRANSFORMATIONAL WORKSHOPS SUPREME HEALTH AND WELLNESS Transformational Workshops Candace Tranter, MA, CQI Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita, Naples 239-745-2860 EmbraceTheDragonflyEffect.com

Energy transformer, women's workshops, classes and retreats. Emotional, physical and spiritual Empowerment through prayer, breath, movement, nutrition and nature.

YOGA MEREDITH MUSICK, LMT, E-RYT 2000 239-269-8846

Master Yoga Teacher and massage therapist with 28 years experience, serving Naples since 1999. Sundamaged skin repair clinician, Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage, sports and neuromuscular therapy, cranio facial and TMJ relief, heal injuries. Improve posture: alignment-based yoga and posture classes.

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