natural awakenings magazine ~ january 2011

1natural awakenings January 2011

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

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JANUARY 2011 | West Michigan Edition | www.NaturalWest Michigan.com

Special Edition

Health & Well-BeingCREATE YOUR 2011 WELLNESS PLAN

Foods That Fight PainNature’s Pharmacy

STEPS TO

BETTER HEALTH

Simple, Effective, Affordable

EXERCISE NOW!Stay-Focused Strategies

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2 West Michigan Edition NaturalWestMichigan.com

Naturopathy(Each year 600 hours)

Natural Health Educator .......................1st Year Natural Health Th erapist ......................2nd Year Natural Health Practitioner ................. 3rd Year Certifi ed Naturopath .............................4th Year

4th Year Graduates are Eligible for Doctor of Naturopathy National Test and Title

Massage Th erapy Th erapeutic Bodywork Practitioner ..1 Year

Holistic Labor ProgramDoula.......6 Months

All Classes Meet On WeekendsFri. 5 - 9 p.m., and Sat. & Sun. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Naturopaths - 1 per month • Massage - 2 per month

Individual Classes:• Herbology • Aromatherapy • Nutrition

• Live Food Preparation • Light Healing Touch• Refl exology • Homeopathy • And More!

503 E. Broadway • Mt. Pleasant, Michigan • (989) 773-1714www.nite-mtp.com

Mt. Pleasant is 90 minutes North East of Grand RapidsAccredited by the American Naturopathic Medical Association

15 Years of Excellence


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advertising & submissions

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How to AdvertiseTo advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 616-656-9232 or email: [email protected]. Deadline for space reservation is the 12th of each month prior to publication.

News Briefs & Article suBmissioNsEmail articles to: [email protected]. Dead-line for articles is the 5th of the month prior to publication. Sub-mit News Briefs online at NaturalWestMichigan.com. Deadline for news briefs is the 12th of the month prior to publication.

cAleNdAr suBmissioNsSubmit Calendar Events online at: NaturalWestMichigan.com. Calendar deadline is the 15th of the month prior to publication.

wHere to PicK uP NAturAl AwAKeNiNGsIf you enjoyed this magazine and would like to know where you can pick up a free copy in your area, please contact us at 616-656-9232 or email us at: [email protected]

follow us online...BeyoNd our full “cArBoN NeutrAl”diGitAl issue eAcH moNtH...

Check us out and connect with us on Twitter & Facebook!twitter — Find us at NaturallyWestMIfacebook — Find us at Natural Awakenings of West Michigan

Naturopathy(Each year 600 hours)

Natural Health Educator .......................1st Year Natural Health Th erapist ......................2nd Year Natural Health Practitioner ................. 3rd Year Certifi ed Naturopath .............................4th Year

4th Year Graduates are Eligible for Doctor of Naturopathy National Test and Title

Massage Th erapy Th erapeutic Bodywork Practitioner ..1 Year

Holistic Labor ProgramDoula.......6 Months

All Classes Meet On WeekendsFri. 5 - 9 p.m., and Sat. & Sun. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Naturopaths - 1 per month • Massage - 2 per month

Individual Classes:• Herbology • Aromatherapy • Nutrition

• Live Food Preparation • Light Healing Touch• Refl exology • Homeopathy • And More!

503 E. Broadway • Mt. Pleasant, Michigan • (989) 773-1714www.nite-mtp.com

Mt. Pleasant is 90 minutes North East of Grand RapidsAccredited by the American Naturopathic Medical Association

15 Years of Excellence

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

10 10 globalbriefs

11 ecobriefs

14 healthbriefs

17 inspiration

18 greenliving

23 wisewords

29 consciouseating

32 healingways

36 fitbody

38 healthykids

11 24 THE JOY OF HEALTH A Conversation with Dr. Dean Ornish on Lifestyle Changes that Foster Well-Being by April Thompson

26 FIVE STEPS TO BETTER HEALTH How Integrative Medicine Can Make Health Care Simpler, More Effective and More Affordable by Marco Visscher, Ursula Sautter and Carmel Wroth

29 FOODS THAT FIGHT PAIN A Tasty, Colorful Banquet by Michelle Schoffro Cook

32 HONORING OUR LIFE FORCE Energy Medicine Helps Restore Balance and Harmony by Linda Sechrist

36 EXERCISE NOW! Stick-With-It Tips Keep Your New Year’s Resolution Going by Gretchen Rubin

38 RAISING HEALTHY EATERS How to Train Children’s Palates from the Cradle On by Jeannette Bessinger and Tracee Yablon Brenner

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letterfrompublishers

It’s hard to comprehend that 2011 is already here. It’s been a good year for

West Michigan, for Natural Awakenings and for our family. Yet, as Kyle and I reflected on our progress, we feel we could have accomplished even more. So we decided that we will in 2011. So, we have made out our 2011 list of intentions, which are similar to traditional New Year’s resolutions. But we seem to accomplish more of them when we internalize them as intentions. In the past, we named a goal a resolution, when we took a detour, it was difficult to get back on track. Typically, we would give up on the whole list until the following year. When we set an intention, however, it gives us permission to mess up, try again right

away and keep working at it until we can check it off as accomplished. We also created a three page to-do list because I create lists for everything. I would make a list about all of my lists if I thought it would help. When I was growing up, Dad always had a yellow pad of paper nearby where he would write reminder lists and set an example for us kids, and it’s still true to this day. Kyle makes fun of my lists, but deep down I think he appreciates my organizational skills. A year ago, in our January 2010 publisher’s letter, we predicted that the year would be a good one for West Michigan and we’re glad we were right. We see many positive changes. Business are starting to thrive again, new businesses are popping up all over, old buildings are being restored to beautiful works of art thanks to Art Prize, and West Michigan is becoming much more conscious of ecologically friendly ways of operating. Kyle and I are proud to be a part of this community enlightenment and eager to see what more 2011 will bring. Natural Awakenings enjoyed a good year thanks to all of you, and we know that 2011 is going to be even better. We have exciting things in store, starting with our Natural Awakenings Network (NAN). This natural health care card program gives members amazing discounts on our area’s natural health and green products and services. We’ll also link into a national network, so that you can take advantage of discounts offered by providers around the country when you travel. If your business would like to offer a discount and be a part of the NAN card, the first year is free for all participating businesses. Give us a call and we can make it happen. For individuals interested in getting your hands on one of these amazing cards, stay tuned for upcoming details on how you can purchase one. We anticipate making the cards available in the next couple of months. Whether you had a rough or a ravishing 2010, January marks the beginning of fresh opportunities. The secret is in making lists, you know, so that you can start checking them off.

Wishing you a prosperous 2011!

Amy and Kyle

Subscriptions are availableby sending $30 (12 issues)

to the above address.

© 2011 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be repro-duced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing.

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

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

Natural Awakenings is printed on 100% recycled newsprint with soy based ink.

PublishersKyle & Amy Hass

EditorsS. Alison Chabonais

Scott GillisLinda Sechrist

Design & ProductionInteractive Media Design

Scott Carvey

PrinterNewsweb

Natural Awakenings484 Sunmeadow Dr. SEGrand Rapids, MI 49508

Phone: 616-656-9232

[email protected]

www.NaturalWestMichigan.com

COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY

Natural Awakeningsis locally owned and operated.

contact us


newsbriefs

Southwest Michigan’s only water birthing program.

SHORELINE WOMEN’S CENTER

WATER BIRTHING

Ask our midwives if Water Birth is for you!Contact: Shoreline Women’s Center

269.639.2720Monday through Friday

8:30 am - 5:00 pmEva Fronk, CNM Mercedes Moran, CNM

For More Information: Call: 269.623.5555 OR

Email: [email protected] www.circlepinescenter.org

February 11-13

Couples’ Massage Weekend

Circle Pines Center

Anusara Yoga Workshopwith Moses BrownMoses Brown, a Certified Anusara Yoga Teacher who has

been teaching throughout Maryland since 1991, will be at Expressions o f Grace Yoga January 28-30th for an Anusara Yoga Workshop . He also leads Anusara Yo g a Te a c h e r Trainings, Anusara I m m e r s i o n P r o g r a m s a n d teaches workshops both nationally and internationally. Moses believes that yoga should be a heart-opening experience that is both supportive as well as empowering to the student. His teachings create an approach that is physically dynamic, mentally stimulating and therapeutic. Moses brings focus, concentration, and mindfulness to his classes, weaving them together with playfulness, joy and FUN! This workshop is not suitable for those students who don’t enjoy laughter during their practice and who can’t sustain long periods of being happy without a reason.

For more information contact Expressions of Grace Yoga, 5270 Northland Dr NE in Grand Rapids. 616-361-8580 or www.eogyoga.com. See ad page 16 &28

Open HouseThe Yoga Studio, located

in a light filled East Hills storefront, has come a long way since 1978 when Carolyn Heines first began teaching out of a small room in her home. Long before the general public even knew what yoga was, Carolyn honed her teaching skills in countless locations across Grand Rapids in addition to her home. In those early years, Carolyn could be seen transporting yoga mats, blankets

and other yoga props from place to place which earned the studio the nickname “The Mobile Yoga Studio.” In 1998, Carolyn moved the studio to a dedicated space on Carlton Ave. At long last she was able keep all the yoga props in one place. After 2 more moves, the studio now employs 4 experienced teachers in addition to Carolyn: Chris Smith, Kat McKinney, Deb Weiss-Gelmi and Sarah Weber.

Moses Brown


Certified Nurse Midwife Susan Wente, CNM, Dr.Ph. has joined Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial Obstetrics and Gynecology. Susan’s approach to childbirth includes listening to each patient’s individual vision and working with her to customize an approach to childbirth that is uniquely her own.

She works with each woman to create:• A relationship of trust• A birth plan that supports individual choice• A joyous, compassionate birth experience• Treatment and health care support throughout a woman’s life stages

Susan also has the complete support of the three excellent OB/GYN physicians on her team, Melissa Bayne, DO, Tami Michele, DO and James Patenge, DO. Most insurance plans accepted.

Call 231.924.1212 for an appointment, or visit us at gerberhospital.org/html/obgyn.html.

You are here. So are we.

Welcome Susan Wente, CNM, Dr. PH, Certified Nurse Midwife

Childbirth Your Way

After 34 years of teaching and running The Yoga Studio on her own, Carolyn is delighted to announce that on January 1, 2011, Kat McKinney will become a co-owner of the studio. Carolyn and Kat will be working together to continue to provide the quality classes the Grand Rapids community has come to know and expect. Ownership of the studio will transition over the next 5 years as Kat learns the business side of operating the studio. Carolyn reports no plans to stop teaching just yet, but says “I am grateful to have a plan to leave the studio in such capable hands.” In addition to pursuing teacher certification in the Iyengar tradition, Kat is also a licensed physical therapist assistant. Kat says, “It’s an honor to become a part of the yoga community that Carolyn has created and nurtured over the years. I look forward to keeping Grand Rapids’ first yoga studio thriving for a long time to come.” The Yoga Studio is celebrating this new chapter of their history with an open house and invites the community to join them on Saturday, January 29 from 6:00 - 9:30pm at 955 Cherry SE Grand Rapids. Refreshments will be served.

For more information, visit The Yoga Studio’s website at www.gryoga.com or follow them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theyogastudiogr. See ad page16

New Pilates Studio Offers Reformer Private SessionsAlign Fitness of Holland Pilates studio is the only certified

STOTT PILATES studio in Holland, offering Pilates Mat and Barre Fitness group classes, and much sought after, Reformer

Private Sessions. “The amazing aspect of the Pilates Reformer is it forces you to discover the smaller muscles of the body; it teaches you body awareness,” explains Christine Towns, owner and STOTT Certified Instructor. The spring resistance allows you to work precisely and ensures good alignment. And the variable tension helps you to work through the full range of motion. For example, everyone knows that the majority of work in a bicep curl is done as you curl your arm up, but a bicep curl on the Reformer encourages you to control on the release as well, doubling the impact of a very simple exercise. Along with being the only STOTT PILATES studio in Holland, Align Fitness is also among the first in West Michigan to showcase Barre Fitness classes. Choreographed to today’s hottest music, the “Align at the Barre” class incorporates hand weights and other tools to add variety. The key to sticking to any fitness routine or class is variety, to always be challenging your muscles and your brain in new ways. This will help keep you interested and work your muscles more effectively because they never get used to the same routine.

Visit www.AlignFitnessofHolland.com to get more informa-tion on Reformer Sessions, classes and prices, or cal l 616-928-0929 to schedule a personal tour of the studio with Christine. See ad page 17


Jenifer Strauss

Workshop to Explore the Power of Story in RecoveryThe Leaven Center in Lyons welcomes story and teaching

artist Jenifer Strauss for a weekend workshop January 28-30th titled “The Power of the Recovery Story: Heal, Connect, and Advocate.” The program is designed for mental health consumers, providers, students, teachers, and anyone interested in the power of story to heal. “Our own life experience is mirrored in the stories that others tell,” Strauss explains. “When we know our own story, we understand ourselves better. When we listen to the story that others tell, we understand others and ourselves better. Only then can we

begin to heal our lives and help others do the same.” During this motivational and energy-injected workshop, Strauss will take participants on a journey of personal narrative, using her Personal Narrative Model called “Turning Points!”™ a storytelling and story writing tool for awareness, clarity, healing and recovery. They will travel down a road to healing one story at a time, arriving at the end with new understanding, tolerance, and acceptance. They also will come away with a tool for advocacy that will allow them to better serve themselves and each other in recovery, and which can be used long after the workshop concludes. The workshop begins Friday at 7:00 p.m. and ends Sunday after lunch. The cost is $215, which includes program, room and meals. Partial scholarships may be available. For more information and to register, visit www.leaven.org or call 989-855-2606.

Contact Karen D. Bota, Leaven Center. 989-855-2606 or at [email protected]. See ad page 47

Clean Energy = Michigan JobsInvesting in Michigan-made clean energy will inject

prosperity into the economy and stimulate new job growth throughout the state. Global demand for clean energy products is skyrocketing. By positioning ourselves as leaders in advanced-battery technology, solar component manufacturing and wind turbine production, Michigan businesses will cultivate global markets. In Michigan, we import 100% of our coal, 100% of our uranium, 97% of our petroleum and 80% of our natural gas. This amounts to more than $26 billion being permanently shipped out of the Michigan economy annually1. Homegrown clean energy ventures will produce jobs here in Michigan and keep money circulating locally. For more information visit www.2010cleanenergy.org/states/Michigan/

Source: 1 MPSC 2008 Michigan Energy Overview

Article from www.dleg.state.mi.us/mpsc/reports/energy/energyoverview/

2011 MichiganOrganic ConferenceThe 2011 MOC “Keeping the Local in Organic” will

be held at the Kellogg Convention Center located on the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing, MI. The conference will be held between March 4 and 5 and will include: a keynote speaker, educational sessions, an organic luncheon, and the popular “Taste of Michigan” event. Mark Kastel of the Cornucopia Institute will be the keynote speaker. New for this year MOFFA will host a special “Taste of Michigan” event and mixer featuring live music on Friday March 4 at the East Lansing Hannah Community Center.

For more information visit www.moffa.org. Source moffa.org.


The Body Center is ExpandingThe Body Center opens Yoga Studio &

Adds more Detox solutions with a Far Infrared Sauna. We are bringing Yoga Classes back to the North Side of Holland with our

totally remodeled Spa/Studio! Starting January, we will have six Yoga classes per week and Two free education/mediation classes per month. Check out our website for details. Add a Sauna before a class in January or February for only $7.50.

Contact Marcella Clark at The Body Center, 650 Riley Street, Suite A in Holland. [email protected] or 616-836-1271. See ad page 46

Yoga For Every Roomin Your HouseJinjer Stanton, a Minneapolis based yoga teacher and

writer has written a book called Yoga for Every Room in Your House (YFERIYH). YFERIYH is a cheerful how-to for using household furnishings as yoga props when there is too little space for unrolling a mat and spreading out. Many people who love yoga find it nearly impossible to do yoga outside of class, because of space limitations. This book makes it easy. If you view former obstacles as props, every room in the house can act as a yoga studio (or a piece of one). Key audiences are yogis with cramped living quarters, yoga students wanting to easily fit yoga into their daily lives, office workers wanting to avoid repetitive stress conditions and persons with disabilities who would like to do what yoga they can.

For more information visit www.jinjerstanton.com/Book.htm for additional information.

Quality of Life ExpoNatural Awakenings Puerto Rico announces the

celebration of its 7th annual Quality of Life Expo in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The event, to be held from March 4 through 6, 2011, has been the largest event focused on natural health, spiritual growth, fitness, nutrition and green living for the past six years in the Caribbean, with over 125 companies and organizations onsite offering information and resources.

Over a 100 lectures and demonstrations are scheduled t h r o u g h o u t the weekend,

presented by local and international guest speakers. With a wide range of holistic services, natural products, sustainable living, lectures and workshops, visitors will find new and fun ways to enhance their lifestyles. This year we will showcase a Women Empowerment Special Program, featuring internationally renowned Sierra Bender, author of Goddess to the Core, with workshops for female teens & adults. Registration is currently open for qualified exhibitors who have wellness as their main goal and valuable services to share with the public. Because space is very limited and the number of businesses represented per industry will be restricted, interested exhibitors are strongly encouraged to register now.

For more information visit www.expocalidaddevida.com or call toll free 1-866-692-7888 or 787-297-8818.

Launching New Health NetworkThe new Natural Awakenings

Network (NAN) will allow people to obtain membership cards that will provide discounts on products and services focused on wellness; green and sustainable living; and natural, healthy lifestyles. NAN’s extensive network across the nation will encompass practitioners of alternative and complementary medicine, including chiropractic, naturopathy, acupuncture, body work and energy work, as well as health and fitness clubs, health food stores, yoga centers, bookstores, green and sustainable living products, spas, vegetarian/healthy restaurants, and much more. Natural Awakenings is currently looking for businesses that focus on natural health, and/or sustainable living to become providers in our discount network. Providers must be willing to offer members a discount on products and/or services for a minimum of a 12 month period. As a Natural Awakenings Network Provider, You Can:

• Expand your customer base and increase your income• Receive referrals from our Customer Service Center• Be part of a network dedicated to promoting healthy and


We all have a hand in creating the community where we want to live.

Please support the businesses that support us...and be sure to mention you

saw them in Natural Awakenings.

It is the support of our wonderful advertisers that makes it possible to

provide this resource to you each month.

green lifestyles• Participate Free for the First Year • And many other benefits

For more information on how your West Michigan business can become a NAN provider, contact Natural Awakenings Magazine at [email protected] or call 616-656-9232. See ad page 25

Homesteading Workshop Series Continues by Making CheeseJoin experienced goat farmer Marge Perrin and

learn to make cheese in your own kitchen. This hands-on, introductory workshop will explore the lost art of turning farm fresh milk into delicious homemade curds. Marge will cover the equipment needs and basic principles behind the process. The emphasis will be on chevre, fresh soft cheese made from goat’s milk. Together, we will also make yogurt, as well as discuss and explore the many uses for homemade cheese and whey in baking and cooking. The workshop will include: samples, cheese to take home, recipes and a cheese culture to get you started. Circle Pines Center is located on 294 acres of rolling hills, approximately 25 miles southeast of Grand Rapids. Tuition includes two nights’ lodging; access to lakeside sauna and miles of x-country ski trails; and five delicious, from-scratch meals made with locally produced, organic ingredients.

For more information, visit circlepinescenter.org or call 269-623-5555. See ad page 5

KudosThird Coast Yoga Studio of Spring Lake is now a registered yoga school (RYS 200) and recognized by the National Yoga Alliance, a national organization committed to maintaining the integrity and professionalism of yoga teachers and teacher training programs. Third Coast Yoga School’s lead teacher, Gretchen Cline, E-RYT 500, is excited to be able to offer a program for those yoga students who want to deepen their own practice and those who want to gain the credentials and valuable teaching experience. The students in the class of 2011 will become certified and registered yoga teachers (RYTs) in May.

Visit www.thirdcoastyoga.com for information about current class offerings and the 200 hour level teacher training program. See ad page 17

January’s Amateur Photo Contest Winner...Joel Manning of Jenison. How beautiful does this moon look? It’s so big it almost looks close enough to reach out and touch. Congratulations Joel, you will be receiving a $60 Gift Certificate towards CranioSacral Therapy, Reiki or Raindrop Technique with Jan Atwood, LLC, Bodywork Practioner. Thank you to Jan Atwood for donating this

month’s prize. Jan Atwood’s ad can be found on page 39


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

globalbriefs

Vital SignsLifetime Educational Achievement is Up WorldwideWorldwatch Institute reports that people all over the world are complet-ing more years of schooling than ever before, according to the latest data out of Austria. Just over 3 billion, or 61 percent of the global population 15 years or older, had finished at least some secondary schooling during their lifetime as of 2010. That’s up from 36 percent in 1970 and 50 percent in 1990, and includes those who went on to even higher education. Hav-ing advanced to secondary school or beyond indicates that individuals are better prepared for the future.

Sources: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and Vienna Institute of Demography

Nature’s CureMonarch Butterfly Behavior Hints of Self-MedicationAs with many species, Monarch butterflies’ bright coloring warns predators of the insects’ potential toxicity, which in many cases is true. Biologists have now discovered that female Monarchs infected with a particularly noxious parasite will choose to lay their eggs on a more toxic version of milkweed, their basic food foliage, which works to reduce pass-along parasite infection in their offspring and is harmless to the larvae. “These experiments provide the best evidence to date that ani-mals use medication,” says Jaap de Roode, the biologist who led the Emory University study. Some scien-tists theorize that animals’ practice of self-doctoring by using nature’s medicine cabinet may be more widespread than we realize.

Our attitude toward

life determines life’s

attitude towards us.

~ Earl Nightingale

Sound PlayBirds, Like Humans, Sing Just Because They CanAnimal researchers like Gisela Kaplan, Ph.D., and Irene Pepperberg, Ph.D., have determined that birds not only sing to communicate daily needs, many engage in sound play, most often when they’re alone, but sometimes also when humans are present. Some species continually improvise their singing with new elements, phrases and sequences, reports Kaplan, a professor at the Research Centre for Neu-roscience and Animal Behaviour at the University of New England, Australia. Nightingales and canaries are among the avian virtuosos, reinventing their repertoire in each successive season, while the brown thrasher may hold the record at close to 2,000 song types. Nightingales, she notes, organize their compositions according to rules of con-struction similar to the way humans use syntax. These birds even create distinctive phrases that identify them as individuals. Kaplan’s own recordings of Australian magpies reveal how the bird’s voice moves across four octaves, varies its phrasing between staccato and legato, and embellishes sequences with vibrato, trills or deep overtones. More, it will close a completed song with a signature phrase, in much the same way that a painter initials a finished canvas.


ecobriefs

Green MarketplaceEnvironmentally Conscious Behavior is EncouragingWith more organic foods and sustainable products becoming available, it’s a bit easier to go green these days, and consumers are responding. The latest annual study by the Natural Marketing Institute finds that we are increasingly taking bags with us to the store, avoiding brands that don’t reflect our values and making better transportation choices, including carpooling and using public transit.

Reliable SourceAmericans Trust Scientists for Information on Global Warming

A national study of what Americans know about the causes and effects of global warming, along with potential solutions, reveals a general acknowledgement of our limited understanding. According to the Yale Project on Climate Change Commu-nication, only 10 percent believe they are “very well informed,” while 75 percent say

they would like to know more about the issue. Likewise, 75 percent want Ameri-ca’s schools to teach our children about climate change, while 68 percent would welcome a national program to make us all better informed. Overall, 63 percent of the Americans surveyed believe that global warming is occurring, but only about half of our citizens make the connection between human activities and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Just 25 percent have ever heard of ocean acidification. Meanwhile, a large majority incorrectly thinks that global warming is somehow related to the hole in the ozone layer and that banning aerosol spray cans and stopping rockets from punching holes in the ozone blanket are viable solutions to the problem.

Green Rollout2011 Launches Electric Rental CarsEnterprise Rent-A-Car leads the competition in rolling out the first round of rental electric vehicles this month in eight markets supported by charging stations. Customers can initially rent these gas-free vehicles in Los Angeles, Knoxville, Nash-ville, San Diego, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. The cars can be charged using a standard 110-volt home outlet or a 220-volt or 480-volt commercial charging station. Most EVs can travel about 100 miles on a single charge, accommodating the travel habits of the typical commuter that averages 30 to 40 miles a day. “With airport and neighbor-hood locations within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population, [we can] test the market viability of new alternative fuel technologies like the electric vehicle with daily commuters nationwide,” says Lee Broughton, director of sustainability for Enterprise Holdings, operator of the Enterprise, Alamo and National brands. The company already man-ages the world’s largest fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles, including nearly 7,000 gas/electric hybrid vehicles. Additional corporate sustain-ability initiatives include Enterprise Institute for Renewable Fuels’ re-search into biofuels aimed to reduce both energy use and energy cost by 20 percent over the next five years.

For more, visit KeysToGreen.com.

Gigantic GridGlobal Benefits of World’s Largest Public Computing ProjectA recent big idea has IBM’s World Community Grid tap-ping into the computing power of millions of linked personal computers to help solve the global water crisis. Scientists from China, Brazil and the United States will make use of formerly idle processing capacity among volunteered PCs to develop water filtering technology, clean up polluted waterways and find treatments for water-related diseases. While the idea of aggregating thousands of individual com-puters to create a virtual supercomputer to process data is not new, Grist.org reports that it’s the first time the approach has been used to tackle one of the planet’s bigger environmental problems. To do that, the scientists need to run millions of computer simulations as part of their Computing for Clean Water project. “They believe they can collapse tens or even hundreds of years of trial and error into mere months,” says spokesperson Ari Fishkind.

To join the Clean Water or Clean Energy projects, download the software at WorldCommunityGrid.org.


Helping you balance your mind, body and spirit.

SHORELINE CENTER FORINTEGRATIVE MEDICINE

Lori Dotson, M.D. • Berti Ferree-Young, R.N.

www.shch.org

Shoreline Center for Integrative Medicine950 S. Bailey AvenueSouth Haven, MI269.639.2833Monday through Wednesday and Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

At Shoreline Center for Integrative Medicine, alternative therapies are used in conjunction with conventional medicine to achieve optimal health

and healing. Our patient centered care is personally tailored for you to achieve your maximum health and wellness. We also offer laser hair removal, laser vein

reduction and skin care services with a full line of La-Roche Posay products.

ecotip

Retail SolutionsReuse, Repurpose and Recycle Plastic BagsStudies tell us that plastic grocery bags consume less energy to produce, transport and recycle than paper grocery sacks. The problem is that the vast majority of them do not get recycled. This modern “urban tumbleweed” clogs our gutters, kills wildlife and makes the world less beautiful. World-watch Institute estimates that the United States throws away 100 billion plastic shopping bags every year. Here are 24 ways to prevent that.

n Bring reusable totes and plastic bags to stores.n Go through the self-checkout to add more items to each bag.n Put items in a purse or briefcase or carry them out.n Use a plastic grocery bag to clean up behind the dog and scoop out the litter box.n Donate bags to a local dog park and animal shelter.n Wrap homemade bread in a clean, plastic grocery bag to keep it fresh.n Reuse plastic bags to pack lunches.n Line a cutting board for easy cleanup of messy jobs; collect vegetable shavings.n Use a clean bag as a non-stick surface for rolling out dough.n Substitute twisted bags for rope or plastic zip ties.n Use plastic bags as packing material, instead of Styrofoam packing peanuts.n Line paint trays with plastic bags before pouring in paint for easy cleanup.n Keep bags in the trunk of the car for emergencies.n Reuse plastic grocery bags as camping trip garbage bags.n Pick up bags at the park or along the road to collect garbage and recyclable litter.n Keep plastic grocery bags in the diaper bag.n Donate bags to local libraries, thrift stores and daycare centers.n For travel, wrap a plastic bag around the toiletry bag to contain spills.n Tie bags around both feet to keep shoes clean when traversing a muddy area.n Protect work surfaces with plastic bags when doing messy crafts.n Make recycled fabric tubes stuffed with plastic bags to block drafts and save energy.n Cut the bags into loops and knot them together into plastic “yarn,” to make braided rugs, woven baskets and crocheted bags.n Fuse plastic bags together to create plastic fabric.n Support companies that use recycled plastic, from makers of handmade African crafts to designer chairs and composite decking.

Source: Adapted from RusticGirls.com

Reusable totes can be an environmental boon, vastly reducing the number of disposable bags that wind up in landfills. If each bag is used twice a week, five reusable bags can replace 520 bags a year.

Source: Nick Sterling, research director, Natural Capitalism Solutions

Offering Health Coaching in use of Therapeutic Essential Oils, Cleanses,

Pain Relief, Hormone Issues, as well as Detoxing Foot Baths,

Body Balancing & Biofeedback Scans.

Call Clara: 616.698.6148

www.NaturalHealth4Today.com

For your first step to Weight Loss and more Energy, try the BeYoung Liver

Cleanse Recipe! Tastes delicious and only costs pennies a day.


For more information, contact: John R. Voell, Co-Founder 239-530-1377 or visit us online at NaturalAwakeningsMag.com

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healthbriefs

Natural Relief for Colds and FluWith cold season in full swing, it’s good to know that we don’t have to rush to

the nearest drug store to get relief. Using natural remedies—many of which may already be in the house—can be just as effective. Although such steps don’t claim to cure what ails us, they can bring comfort and often shorten the duration of illness by strengthening the immune system. Here are six helpful tips: Herbal Teas: Chamomile can help cold and flu sufferers relax and get much-needed rest. Hot ginger tea, spiced with cinnamon and a dash of cayenne, will keep the body feeling warm when we have the chills. Sage: Gargling regularly with sage tea disinfects the mouth; sage-based inha-lations further reduce inflammation of the mucous membranes. Garlic: Garlic is a natural antibiotic that also stimulates the immune system

and wards off complications such as bronchitis. Homeopathy: The homeopathic remedy Arsenicum album helps when one feels chilly and exhausted. Bel-ladonna is suggested when the symptoms are sudden and intense. Bryonia alba relieves headaches, coughs and irritability and Allium cepa is good for watery discharge.

Consult a holistic practitioner to determine potency and doses. Humidifiers: Nothing irritates sensitive nasal passages and sore throats like dry air. Add a few drops of eucalyptus food-grade essential oil to a humidifier to help open airways and clear congestion. Moist heat compresses: When plagued by a throbbing head and difficulty in breathing through the nose, try applying warm moist compresses—perhaps with a drop of peppermint food-grade essential oil—to the cheeks and sinuses.

Sources: AssociatedContent.com, eHow.com, HolisticOnline.com, WebMD.com

Build Muscle with Weightlifting LiteWe know that maintaining muscle mass is

important to good health, especially as we age. But is it really obligatory to lift heavy weights to keep muscles in shape? Not necessarily, says a new study conducted at McMaster University, in Ontario, Canada, which shows that effective muscle building also can be achieved by using lighter weights and pumping until the muscles in the targeted area are fatigued. “Rather than grunting and straining to lift heavy weights, you can grab some-thing much lighter, but you have to lift until you can’t lift it anymore,” says Stuart Phillips, associate professor of kinesiology at the university. “We’re convinced that growing muscle means stimulating your muscle to make new muscle proteins, a process in the body that over time, accumulates into bigger muscles.” The new paradigm contradicts current gym dogma and is welcome news for those who cannot lift heavy weights or simply don’t want to.

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The Scent that Helps Us SleepInsomnia, feelings of restlessness and irritability are

widespread symptoms that negatively impact our quality of life. But there’s an alternative to sleeping pills and sedatives, say German researchers. At Ruhr- Universität-Bochum, they have discovered that a nose full of jasmine scent is as effective in soothing, reliev-ing anxiety and promoting sleep as the most commonly prescribed medications. In their study, the researchers worked with mice that inhaled jasmine scent released into their Plexiglas cage, and then ceased all motion and sat quietly in a corner. The researchers explained that the calming scent molecules proceed from the lungs into the blood, and then are transmitted to the brain, where they affect neurons responsible for the sleep-wake cycle. When the mice were injected with a chemical variation of jasmine, the results were similar. In working to balance neurotransmitters in the brain, the researchers sug-gest that the scent of jasmine acts as strongly as a range of today’s psychotropic drugs. Remarks Bochum cell physiologist and smell researcher Hanns Hatt, “The results can also be seen as evidence of a scientific basis for aromatherapy.”

Brain Function Lessens with oBesity

New research from Northwestern Univer-sity’s Feinberg School of Medicine con-

firms that being overweight adversely affects the brain function of older women in terms of their memory,

reasoning and other mental skills. The surprise is that the effect appears to be even more pro-

nounced in women who carry excess weight around their hips, known as pear shapes, than those who carry

it around their waists, called apple shapes.

Mushrooms for HealthA new Agricultural Research Service

study reports that mushrooms may play an important role in maintaining health. Researchers found that white button mushrooms may promote im-mune function by increasing production of antiviral and other proteins that are released by cells seeking to protect and repair tissue.

Source: United States Department of Agriculture

Rethinking Calcium Supplements New research warns that calcium supplements can be associated

with a 30 percent increased risk of heart attacks. The findings were consistent across trials and were independent of the age and sex of those researched, as well as the type of supplement. The researchers stress that these findings only pertain to calcium supple-ments, and not to higher dietary intake through calcium-rich foods.

Source: British Medical Journal, 2010


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Whether we’re striving to eat healthier, spend less or listen more, we refer to our

stuckness with exquisite metaphors: We say “I’m frozen, paralyzed, ma-rooned.” We say, “I can’t get started” or “I just can’t stop.” When we make New Year’s resolu-tions, we are promising to become unstuck. But only 63 percent of us manage to keep those resolutions, ac-cording to a University of Washington study. The researchers reported that 40 percent of the participants kept their resolutions on the first try; for the oth-ers, it took multiple attempts. The passive verbs we use to de-scribe being stuck infer that it isn’t our fault. The hardest bit is admitting that our own choices got us here and keep us here. Sure, accidents occur—but humans are uncannily skilled at affixing balls and chains to our own ankles and swan-diving into quicksand. Becoming unstuck means first ac-cepting a harsh truth: that we’re lazy, scared and/or strangers to our true selves. Laziness often comes disguised as denial or avoidance. Reforming means making a change, and change is strenuous. So, try this: Think of becoming unstuck as a new sport or exercise you want to learn. Think of your weak, sore spots as muscles—mental, spiritual or financial ones—and find safe, small ways to “ex-ercise” them gradually. Like any form of fitness, this takes more than one muscle and more than one day. Move ahead gently and keep track of progress. Change means the terrors of risk and exposure, trading the familiar for potential failure. So, try this: Think of be-

coming unstuck as moving to a non-Eng-lish-speaking country. How would you prepare—or help a friend prepare—for that? By calmly researching the destina-tion before making the leap: Learn its language. Study its maps. Reach out to kind folks who already live there. Have coping strategies in place to deal with issues that will inevitably come up. Change means facing our own limitations; our own breadth. Can we change? Yes, but how much? The answer requires clear-sighted self-knowledge and crucial honesty. So, try this: Imagine the contest American Idol, with a twist; make it about the desired change. Then, imagine yourself as both contestant and judge. Give constructive criticism—and gracefully take it. Clinical Psychologist and study researcher Elizabeth Miller, Ph.D., con-cludes: “The keys to making a success-ful resolution are a person’s confidence that he or she can make the behavior change, and the commitment to making that change.” Remember: We do get to try again and can make behavior changes through-out the year, not only at New Year’s.

Anneli Rufus is the author of Stuck: Why We Can’t (or Won’t) Move On (AnneliRufus.com).

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greenliving

It makes no sense. First, there are the harsh chemicals used to clean the clothes. Most facilities continue to

use PERC (short for percholorethylene), a suspected carcinogen that is released in cleaners’ airborne emissions, from where it can eventually contaminate soil and groundwater. With as many as 35,000 dry cleaning facilities nation-wide, this poses a major public health and environmental concern. Additional commonly used dry-cleaning chemicals with toxic reper-cussions include petroleum-based solvents like Pure Dry, EcoSolve, and GreenEarth, a silicone-based solvent that breaks down into sand, water and carbon dioxide. Beyond the chemicals, standard dry-cleaning practices come with lots of built-in waste; the most obvious being the ubiquitous plastic garment covers and disposable hangers.

A New EraAware of their planet-harming public image, dry cleaners, many of which are small, family-owned businesses, have set out to reinvent themselves in recent years. Unfortunately, some-

times this involves little more than adding the word “organic” or

“green” to a company’s name. To be clear, customers must

inquire whether or not a particular cleaner

uses PERC or one of the other harmful chemicals to deter-mine if a green-sounding name has merit. The good news is that more dry cleaners across

the country are actually shifting to

alternative cleaning methods that leave less impact on the

environment. A new certification agency called the Green Cleaners Council (GCC) is helping to lend

weight to a cleaner’s green claims.

Fresh TechnologiesOne alternative to traditional dry-cleaning, known as CO2 cleaning, uses liquid carbon dioxide—the type used to carbonate soda—as its active solvent, mixed with dry cleaning detergent. During the cleaning process, the excess CO2 released is captured and reused. Even better, an Environmental Pro-tection Agency-approved wet cleaning method uses water and “environmen-tally preferable detergents” to safely clean delicate clothes, and emits no air pollution, nor does it leave hazardous waste behind. The only negative envi-ronmental impact with this approach is the use of additional water. The EPA estimates that 10 per-cent of the industry has shifted to wet cleaning, a number that’s on the rise. Intriguingly, all cleaners have the ca-pacity to wet clean at least some items using existing equipment, the agency reports, and some 3,000 establishments are likely offering some degree of wet cleaning (based on equipment sales). Ann Hargrove has the distinction of operating the first wet cleaning busi-

A GREENER WAY TO

DRY CLEANNew Eco-Friendly

Methods Help the Planet

by Brita Belli


ness in the United States. Today, she is a member of the GCC, providing the envi-ronmental certification the industry has lacked. Much like other green standards groups, the council rates dry cleaners based on a long list of environmental attributes. After verifying claims, the council awards cleaners between one and five leaves, based on their green credibility. “The nice part about what we’re do-ing,” says Hargrove, “is that once clean-ers fill out the form, we give them their ratings and give them an itemized list: ‘Here are some things you can do….’” She says no cleaner can earn a five-leaf rating while using PERC, but adds that new equipment is expensive and smaller steps deserve recognition, too. The GCC website offers a state-by-state listing of its certified green cleaners—yet many states still have none listed. The EPA provides another, more comprehen-sive, greener cleaners guide, which lists CO2 cleaners and wet cleaners by state. A Florida-based company, Sudsies, exemplifies the kind of entrepreneurs who have taken up the green cleaning challenge. It has earned a four-leaf rat-ing by offering wet cleaning and institut-ing a recycling program (Sudsies.com). “We use plastic hangers made from recycled plastic that can also be recy-cled,” says Sudsies CEO Jason Loeb. The company also has reduced paper and plastic bag use and prints its brochures on recycled paper. With the economy down, Loeb says it’s a tough time for the industry to take major green steps, so incremental ones may be the order of the day. He ob-serves, “For now, most of those with the time and money to invest in eco-friendly practices limit their investment to the use of a particular dry cleaning solvent, rather than moving to evaluate all areas of their environmental impact.” The Green Cleaners Council’s mis-sion to evaluate more cleaners should spark more widespread interest while helping customers to readily differenti-ate the green-in-name-only cleaners from those committed to cleaning clothes in a whole new way. It’s up to us to create demand.

Brita Belli is the editor of E – The Environmental Magazine.


greenliving

A crackling fire in the fireplace feels warm and cozy, but traditional wood-burning is a

major energy waste. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a blazing hearth sends as much as 24,000 cubic feet of air per hour up the chimney, along with about 90 percent of the heat produced by the fire and some of the heat produced by the home’s furnace. Fireplaces also generate a lot of air pollution. Wood smoke contains carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and fine particulates that can aggravate asthma, allergies and other health conditions. Several options are available for upgrading the family fireplace, both energy- and pollution-wise, without sacrificing coziness:

n Wood stoves. Units certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) generate only two to five grams of particulate matter per hour of operation, compared with 40 to 60 grams per hour from a conventional fireplace. Current units operate at 80 percent efficiency—similar to other home heating sources. They come as either a freestanding model or a unit that inserts into an existing fireplace; many come with blowers to direct heated air into the living space.

n Pellet stoves. Instead of wood logs, these stoves burn small pellets made from compressed wood and other plant waste, and produce so little pollution that they do not require EPA certification. Pellet stoves do require electricity to feed pellets into the com-bustion chamber (about 100 kilowatt-hours per month under normal usage), so they will not work during a power outage, unless powered by a separate generator. Like wood stoves, pellet

fabulous fireplaceKeep Heating Dollars from Going Up in Smoke


stoves are available as freestanding units or fireplace inserts.

n Gas fireplace inserts. Natural gas or propane-fueled inserts offer the warmth and ambiance of a fire without the need to load wood or pellets or dispose of ash. Gas inserts are up to 80 percent efficient and generate low levels of pollution.

Other options also exist for enhanc-ing the operation of an existing fireplace and preventing excessive heat loss:

n Tempered glass doors. Installation of airtight hearth doors enables the family to keep both the doors and flue shut when the fireplace is not in use.

n Heat-air exchange system. This

Stay cozy—and green—by following these suggestions for wintertime warmth.

n Stay informed: The Environmental Pro-tection Agency (EPA) is a comprehensive source of information and advice on the cleaner-burning wood stoves and fireplaces (epa.gov/woodstoves) and their efficient and safe operation (epa.gov/woodstoves/efficiently.html).

n Shop eco-friendly firelogs: A recent EPA study comparing emissions from real logs and brand-name artificial logs found that the firelogs emitted about 75 percent less carbon mon-oxide, 80 percent fewer particulates and lower chemical emissions than real wood. They also proved more ef-ficient, with a heat content of 12,620 to 15,190 BTUs per pound, com-pared to oak, which burns at around 8,300 BTUs per pound. Several companies manufacture firelogs made of recycled biomass products like wood sawdust, ground nutshells and coffee grounds. All are

improvement blows warm air back into the room, minus the smoke.

n Caulking air leaks. Provides a low-cost barrier to keep air from escaping from around the fireplace doors, flue and chimney.

n Lowering the thermostat. A good rule of thumb is to keep the house between 50 and 55 degrees when the fireplace is in use, and shut doors lead-ing into the room.

n Cracking open a window near the fireplace. Creates a healthier experi-ence by increasing fresh air flow and minimizing smoke inhalation.

Source: Adapted from Union of Concerned Scientists (ucsusa.org).

low-emission alterna-tives to cordwood. Some logs even pro-duce a natural crack-ling sound, without throwing sparks. Two to investi-gate: Pine Mountain Brands Java-Log

firelogs divert 12 million pounds of coffee grounds from landfills each year and feature recycled packaging (PineMountainBrands.com); Du-raflame’s firelogs have a 30-year track record creating heat from renewable resources (Duraflame.com).

n Follow instructions: For wood stoves and fireplace inserts, use only firelogs made from 100 percent compressed sawdust (no wax). Wax and biomass logs are intended only for open hearth fireplaces. Never add an artificial log to a natural wood fire that is already burning, as it could flare up. Don’t poke burning artificial logs because they could flare up; this also keeps any flaming wax from clinging to the poker and then dripping onto the floor.

Source: Adapted from EPA.gov.

more cool tips for Hearthside Heat


Community Spotlightby Kim Racette

In her gentle way, Carol Hendershot says that there is really no excuse not to take time for yoga. “When I make time for yoga there is more time in my day,” she says with a smile.

“My day just goes so much better.” With seven years of teach-ing and continuous learning, Hendershot and her certified in-structors help others learn the gentle art of yoga at Expressions of Grace Yoga & Books overlooking beautiful Versluis Lake in Plainfield Township.

Before discovering her own path and beginning this jour-ney, she was in the retail business world for many years, but a difficult period in her personal life forced her to make some hard decisions. “I spent time trying to figure it all out,” she says. “I had always been interested in Eastern Philosophy, and had practiced meditation for 35 years. That lead me from a trekking trip in Nepal to jumping out of airplanes-I was searching.” It was when Hendershot stumbled into a yoga class at a local studio here in Grand Rapids that she knew she had found it. “I fell in love with yoga,” she says. “I started going more and more, every chance I could get.” She began a series of training sessions, eventually reaching certification as a LifeForce Level 11 Yoga Practitioner. “I went to Massachusetts for a 200 hour session-over a month’s time- at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. After learning so many things I was so excited to get started,” she says. That began a period of time Hendershot likes to call “have mat will travel.” As a free-lance yoga instructor, she taught at various spas, medical organizations, and even in her own home. As her experience grew, she was introduced to Anusara Yoga, and once again began a series of training. “Anusara Yoga is amazing,” she explains. “It offers very refined biomechanical principles. It speaks to the alignment that supports the healthy movement of the body. Learning to sit, stand and hold correct posture can help people find optimal function.” Expressions of Grace Yoga has five instructors, all certified and inspired by the Anusara Yoga. All mats and props are provided, with the studio in a secluded room with plenty of space and light and quiet. “The quiet is helpful,” says Henderson. “The 15 to 20 students in each class need stillness to focus, and for a teacher it is wonderful to teach in this location.” Deep blue waters and sur-rounding grounds are home to an ever changing landscape, and nature abounds right outside the windows. “We’ve had wood-chucks, eagles, wild geese, all taking advantage of the lake,” says Hendershot. “The changing of the seasons is spectacular

to watch, and adds to the yoga experience.”

Expressions of Grace also offers various workshops and activities, and a pro-gram called Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction that is taught by Hendershot. “This is modeled after the Stress Reduction Program started by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979 at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and it has grown to become an international program used throughout the world,” she ex-plains. Begun and developed as a way to catch those falling through the cracks in the medical system, it was designed to help people manage chronic pain.” It is an 8 week program that has expanded to encompass anyone who needs to learn to manage stress, as well as various illnesses and other medical conditions. “Mindfulness is an ancient mind-body discipline,” explains Hendershot. “It is a program that gives people the ability to take charge of their life-to help them cope with life better, and grow towards better health and well-being.” The New Year is a time for reflection, new purpose, direction and renewal. It is also a busy time of year for Expressions of Grace. “Starting yoga is such a positive, healthy step for those who need relief from different physical, and mental difficulties,” says Hendershot. “Many who come here have back, hip, and shoulder problems. Or, they are in chronic pain and they have been sent here by their doctor. People feel better after Yoga. We see and hear that everyday as our students finish their classes. That’s how we measure our success.” The first class is free for new students, and there are many different packages of classes from which to choose.

Expressions of Grace also has an on site gift shop that sells products to support the yoga lifestyle. Mats, props, books, cloth-ing, teas, jewelry, candles, and aroma therapy products are all available. “It is a lifestyle,” says Hendershot. In this frantic life we lead, it’s good to slow down, stretch, and breath. Yoga is a mind/body connection, and a heart-centered philosophy. It’s a positive step forward in life.”

For more information About Expressions of Grace Yoga & Books call 616-361-8580 or visit the web site at www.expressionsofgraceyoga.com. The Studio is located at 5270 Northland Drive NE. Please call to register for classes, or for a complete schedule. See ad page 16 and 28.


wisewordsFilm Celebrates “The Heart To Lead”By Karen Adams

Looking back now, Cheryl Gould remembers being “called” by her intuition in 2005 to attend a women’s retreat, an event that introduced her to social activist Bonnie Kelley and changed both of their lives. You might say her heart led her there. Out of their friendship has grown the documentary The Heart To Lead, which celebrates the emergence of women’s “heart-centered leadership.” The film’s message is that the feminine approach to leadership, modeled on guiding and serving—rather than dominating—is something the world desperately needs right now. Included are interviews with women who share their world views; some of them are “icons” of the spirituality movement who were at that retreat. But many of them are not, and that is part of the point. The film also includes stories about women whose lives of service can leave them depleted if they are too isolated, and suggests that circles of support will help them, and will help the world as a whole. The film was just recently released, but women around the country, and the world, are embracing it.

Calling “Our Big Selves”Speaking by phone from her home in La Jolla, California, with Kelley by her side, Gould describes how it all began. She had been at a California resort with her husband, Dwight, seeking some much-needed rest, and she was drawn to a conference on spirituality. “I hadn’t done anything spiritual for a while and I was missing it,” Gould recalls. She needed that more than rest. While wandering through the event, she picked up a card that announced an upcoming “evolutionary women’s retreat” in Santa Barbara. She was intrigued, and despite the demands of her busy advertising agency back home, eventually decided to go. She is eternally glad that she did, for that’s where she met Kelley. Gould had no way of knowing that her need for spiritual connection would bear such powerful fruit. But she and Kelley, and all the women in the film, now know that such yearnings are common among women around the world. The film, and the heart-centered leadership it celebrates, is meant to be ac-cessible to anyone, because anyone, especially women, can do this work. “We’re just ordinary women who answered the call,” Gould says. “We became our ‘big selves.’” She and Kelley want other women to be able to do this, too, and to see how much of it they are doing already. Kelley adds, “Women turn to each other in times of crisis, and this is a time of crisis for our world.” The crises are numerous: war, natural disaster, rampant disease, poverty, starvation, pollu-tion, and on and on. But, as Rev. Mary Omwake says about the unconditional maternal instinct: “The mother heart is not going to let half of the world starve.”

We Need Each OtherIn the film, Inga Canfield, wife of Jack Canfield (author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series), describes the loneliness and depression that can befall women who try to do too much by themselves. “It’s a silent killer, and it can feel hopeless,” she says. “We need support.” She offers a heartfelt plea for women to help each other. Rev. Dr. Kathy Hearn echoes Canfield’s observation. Many women today have “exhaustion depression,” she says, and lose strength from within because they are so busy taking care of oth-ers. She uses the analogy of a woman pouring tea for everyone except herself, until the pot is empty. “That’s when it starts to

burn,” she says. “Women literally get burned out.” But the world needs our “bigger selves,” and it’s important, therefore, to reach out to connect with other women. Dr. Barbara Fields agrees. “There is this feeling of ‘I am not alone,’” she says, both in the sense of having support for the journey, and in the sense that we are responsible for others on this planet. When we do this for each other, Canfield adds, “it’s like turning on our own lights, one by one.”

Heart Intelligence: Inherent and InclusiveAuthor and “conscious evolution” activist Barbara Marx Hubbard, with whom Kelley has worked for a decade, says in the film, “The heart is the center of our intelligence.” It’s a scientifically proven phenomenon, she says, that shows how our brain waves align with our hearts in coherence. Heart intelligence doesn’t “teach” people how to be, an approach that differs from some other movements. “It’s inher-ent wisdom; it doesn’t have to be taught,” says Kelley. “Women already know this way of being.” They just need to trust it. And, she adds, this is not “women over men”; men have these qualities, too, and they are welcome and needed. They also can benefit from demonstrating and receiving this kind of leadership. For women who share their lives with husbands, sons, fathers and brothers, it may be necessary to explain: “This is important to me right now, to help the world in my way.” What’s different about all of this, Kelley notes, is that it’s not threatening, it’s not political, it’s not exclusive. It’s inclusive. In the film, Hearn quotes His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who once said, “The world will be saved by the western woman.” “We need ev-erybody’s talents, love and abilities to come forward,” Hearn says.

Global Allies for the Greater GoodThere was a moment early in the project when Gould turned to Kelley and asked, “We’re talking global, right?” Her friend said yes. The global element rang out loud and clear when they were invited to show their film to the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women in New York in March. They were grateful, but they were anxious, too. “We thought we were making the film for western women,” Gould recalls, “and then here were these women from all over the world.” They watched nervously as the women filed in, one by one, among them a princess from Africa and a woman from Lebanon wearing a Muslim habit. Kelley and Gould wondered what they would think. They audience was quiet throughout. Near the end of the film, the Lebanese woman started moving her lips. Gould and Kelley realized she was murmuring “Thank you.” Afterward, the women all applauded loudly. The Lebanese woman, a 38-year-old pediatrician named Fatima, spoke up. “Now I know that American women have the same heart that I have,” she said. “I’m so happy to know that we’re so much alike, that we care about the same things.” Those things being families, children, the environment, an end to war. She said it gave her hope. “The subtitle of the film is ‘Women as Allies for the Greater Good,’” says Kelley. “It’s meant to be an invocation and a call to action.”

For more information on The Heart To Lead DVD, accompanying guidebook, and more, please visit www.imaginethegood.com.

Karen Adams is an editor for Natural Awakenings magazine.


as a medical student. We’d cut people open, bypass their blocked arteries and tell them they were cured; then they‘d go home and continue to do the same things that caused the problem in the first place—smoke, overeat, drink too much, work too hard and so on. More often than not, their bypasses would get clogged up again, and we’d cut them open again and bypass the bypass, sometimes multiple times. That became a metaphor for an incomplete approach for me. Sometimes you need to use drugs and surgery in a crisis, but ultimately, you must address the under-lying cause.

What is the concept behind The Spectrum and how does it differ from other lifestyle programs?

The problem with most lifestyle-ori-ented health programs is that they are restrictive, all-or-nothing, fear-based ap-proaches. If you go on a diet or exercise program, sooner or later you’re going to go off of it. Then people feel like they’ve failed; it makes it hard to maintain Sustainable changes, on the other

For more than 30 years, renowned medical doctor Dean Ornish has led pioneering clinical research

proving that making simple changes in the way we eat and live can radically transform our health. He directed the first randomized, controlled trials dem-onstrating that lifestyle changes may halt or reverse the progression of even severe coronary heart disease, as well as early-stage prostate cancer. In collab-oration with Nobel Laureate Elizabeth Blackburn, Ph.D., Ornish also showed that healthy lifestyle changes can increase telomerase, and thus lengthen telomeres, the ends of chromosomes that control how long we live. Ornish is the founder and president of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, Califor-nia, and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Fran-cisco. He is the author of six bestselling books, including Eat More, Weigh Less and most recently, The Spectrum.

What sparked your interest in preventive medicine?

I got interested in doing this work when I was learning how to do bypass surgery

hand, are based on joy, pleasure and freedom. In our research, we found that the more you change your lifestyle, the more you improve and the better you feel. The better you feel, the more likely you are to continue these changes. The Spectrum is not a diet; it’s an overall way of living. If you overindulge one day, you then eat healthier the next. Let’s say, for example, that you want to lower your cholesterol or get your diabetes under control. You begin by making moderate changes that you choose. There’s no pushback because you set the pace. We’ll help track your progress, and if the changes are enough to accomplish your goals, great; and if not, then you can do more.

Who seems to benefit most from this approach, and to what degree?

One of our most interesting research findings was that the primary determi-nant of improvement wasn’t how old or sick people were, it was how much they’d changed their diet and lifestyle. The body has a remarkable capacity to heal itself if we simply stop doing what’s causing the problem. We’ve seen hundreds of thousands of patients slow or reverse the progress of life-threatening diseases when they make good changes. Such lifestyle changes can work not only as well as drugs and surgery, but oftentimes better, and at a fraction of the cost. Plus, the side effects are all good ones. When you begin to make improvements in diet and lifestyle, your brain gets more blood, so you think more clearly and need less sleep. Your brain can grow so many new brain cells that it can get measurably bigger in just three months. Your face gets more blood so you don’t wrinkle as fast. Even your sexual organs get more blood flow, simi-lar to the way Viagra works... and so on. That really motivates people to continue. We even found that when you make these positive lifestyle changes, your genes begin to change. We found alterations in more than 500 genes within the first three months—turning on or up-regulating the disease-prevent-ing genes, and turning off or down-reg-ulating the genes that promote disease.

wisewords

THE JOY OF HEALTHA conversation with Dr. Dean Ornish on lifestyle changes that foster well-being

by April Thompson


You stress the impor-tance of individual lifestyle changes, but what about changing our sick health care system?

We do need to look at the politics of health care and hold our leaders re-sponsible for some of the decisions that have created the mess we’re in. For example, after 16 years of lobbying, working with Medicare and members of Congress, we learned a few months ago that Medicare is finally covering our program for reversing heart disease. It’s game changing. If Medicare covers it, all the other insur-ance companies will follow their lead, and we can make these sorts of pro-grams available to people who most need them, rather than just those who can afford it. If we change reimbursement, we change not only medical practice, but also medical education. Otherwise, I could do a thousand studies with a million patients and it would always re-main on the fringes of medical practice.

For more information visit pmri.org or OrnishSpectrum.com.

April Thompson is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C. See April Writes.com

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In the words of Dr. Dean Ornish, founder and chairman of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, in Sausalito, California, “It is time to change not only who is covered,

but also what is covered.” There is an overemphasis, he says, on treating symptoms and on the idea that caring for our health is primarily the responsibility of medical experts, rather than of individuals themselves. Zhaoming Chen, a neurologist and chairman of the American Association of Integrative Medicine, describes the way things currently work. “We only treat the disease after it occurs.” With figures showing that 95 cents out of every dollar spent on health care goes toward treating illness, he notes that “The best way to reduce the costs is prevention.” Integrative medicine puts the patient, not the doctor or the

insurance company, at the center of attention, and it puts the focus on the sources of illness and not the symptoms. Health care costs are continually rising, but people are not getting any healthier. Here is a five-point prescription for the future of health care that applies the tenets of integrative medicine to make today’s health care simpler, more effective and more affordable.

1. Emphasize Illness PreventionAbout half of all American adults have a chronic illness, according to the Partnership for Solutions, a John Hopkins University-led initiative to improve care for Americans with chronic health conditions. Ornish claims that three-quarters of the more than $2 trillion recently spent on health care in a single year went to treat these kinds of conditions, includ-ing obesity. “All of these can be not only prevented, but even reversed through diet and lifestyle intervention,” he says. “It just seems so obvious to me that this is where we should be putting our focus.” There is a long way to go before prevention is on the national agenda. While prevention is indeed better than cure, we tend to reward those who find solutions for existing prob-lems rather than those who ensure that those problems don’t occur. “Prevention is boring,” says Ornish. Rather, “We need to focus on living better.”

Suffering from headaches and depression? Don’t let a doctor put you on drugs; instead, look for the underlying causes. High cholesterol? Try the Mediterranean diet, with a glass of organic red wine a day. The best way to win the war on cancer? Eat healthy, exercise and develop an active social life. An increasing number of physicians are realizing that this type of approach, geared to prevention and a conservative use of medications and technology, not only increases patients’ vitality, but saves lots of money.

How integrative medicine can make health care simpler, more effective and more affordable.

by Marco Visscher, Ursula Sautter and Carmel Wroth

Five Steps to Better Health


2. Promote Healthy FoodsRoberta Lee, a pioneer of integrative health care and primary care physician at the Beth Israel Medical Center Depart-ment of Integrative Medicine, in New York City, believes the first prescription any doctor should write should be about diet and lifestyle. “You can never lose by maximizing lifestyle management,” says Lee, pointing out that many conditions not easily diagnosed or cured in a con-ventional framework can be improved by dietary and lifestyle changes. “There are specific diets that promote wellness,” she says. “They reduce inflammation, [and] increase fiber, vitamins and minerals that come in the form of a lot of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.”

3. Focus on Lifestyle ChangesThe majority of health problems and risk factors for illnesses stem from the choices we make: how much time we invest working, exercising and relaxing; time spent with friends and outdoors; and whether we consistently take the stairs or the elevator. The Sanoviv Medical Institute, in Rosarito, Mexico, is located on a beauti-ful stretch of the Pacific coast, an hour south of San Diego. The recommended stay for most patients is two weeks. While there, they learn about and ex-perience a lifestyle based around stress reduction, emotional well-being, healthy eating and exercise. Many patients come in with cancer or multiple sclerosis; others come just to detoxify and clear out the accumulated effects of stress. The program includes dietary changes, supplements, daily exercise and a stress management plan supported by psycho-logical counseling and daily meditation. A 2004 study in The Lancet showed that lifestyle changes—quitting smoking, healthier eating habits, moder-ate alcohol consumption and regular exercise—can prevent 90 percent of today’s cases of heart disease, which currently accounts for more premature deaths and higher health care costs than any other illness, according to Ornish. “When lifestyle is offered as a treatment, it’s as effective and often more effective than what we’re now doing, at a fraction of the cost,” says Ornish. “We pay for all these inter-ventions that are dangerous, invasive, expensive and largely ineffective, and yet interventions that have been scientifically proven to reverse disease, are a simple change of lifestyle.”

4. Use Alternative TherapiesAnother way to reduce costs is to use alternative and complementary therapies such as homeopathy, naturopa-

thy, yoga and herbal medicine that can supplement and even replace conven-tional methods. Such complementary treatments work to nourish, nurture and augment the body’s own defenses. One alternative healing method that’s now beginning to find its way into hospitals is acupuncture, which has been shown, among other benefits, to help relieve pain, stress and nausea during pre- and post-operative care. Beth Israel’s Department of Integra-tive Medicine is bringing acupuncture into the hospital free of charge as part of a fellowship program for Chinese medicine practitioners. “The future of acupuncture is to be a part of best prac-tices in the conventional setting,” says Arya Nielsen, a nationally board-certified acupuncture specialist who leads the program. “The research is just too good.” The goal is to train both acupunc-turists and conventional doctors in the benefits of this technique so that it can be incorporated into Beth Israel’s best practices. “Even if physicians have time to read the acupuncture studies, what really makes it gel is when they see the results on the patient they treat,” says Nielsen. “The proof is in practitioners working side-by-side and people being able to experience what this therapy can do.” Chen points out that chemotherapy, surgery and radiation dramatically change a patient’s life, and people need strong support from family and friends to adapt to these changes. Chen believes

that treating cancer should involve both conventional and al-ternative medicine. “Patients also need some lifestyle chang-es: smoking cessation, minimizing alcohol intake, adopting a low-fat, high-fiber diet. Besides that, because [conventional] treatment may cause nausea and pain, patients may benefit from acupuncture, meditation, yoga and Tai chi. This will help them cope with pain better.”

5. Treat People, Not DiseasesAs Nurse Béatrice Fleury pours a steaming infusion of yar-row over a piece of cotton and then wrings it out, the aroma of the medicinal herb wafts over to the hospital bed where Eliane Perrot is waiting for her body wrap. When the com-press and a hot water bottle have been gingerly applied to her lower back and secured by a soft cloth sash, she leans back with a contented sigh. The compress will help her liver better metabolize the toxins that have accumulated in it after months of breast cancer therapy. The wrap’s warmth will also create a sense of temporary well-being, a precious feeling for the frail, exhausted, 65-year-old.

Another way to reduce costs is to use alterna-

tive and complementary therapies such as home-

opathy, naturopathy, yoga and herbal medicine that can supplement and even

replace conventional meth-ods. Such complementary treatments work to nour-ish, nurture and augment the body’s own defenses.


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Alternative treatments like the yar-row wrap are the order of the day at the Paracelsus Spital, in the Swiss town of Richterswil, outside of Zurich. Founded in 1994, the clinic is one of a handful of hospitals in Europe devoted to comple-mentary healing. In addition to orthodox treatments and drugs, the conventionally schooled doctors here also use therapies and medications based on the holistic approach to medicine inspired by the anthroposophy of Waldorf education founder Rudolf Steiner. “If you want to understand a per-son’s disease and support his self-heal-ing powers, it’s of central importance to look at the human being as a whole—body, spirit and soul,” says Paracelsus Medical Director Erich Skala. “This may require more time and effort, but it’s how you treat the causes, and not just the symptoms.” Dr. Daniel Dunphy, of the San Francisco Preventive Medical Group, believes the Paracelsus approach is what the United States needs. “You have to take time to get to know the patients and listen to their stories,” he counsels. “I want to know their personal history, their traumas, how they do at work, what they eat and at what times of the day—and then I know what to do about their problem.”

The Bottom Line Of course, the bottom line in the debate about health care is cost. Proponents of integrative health argue that the promotion of preventive steps such as eating healthy food and making positive lifestyle changes, as well as using complementary methods to treat the whole person and not just the disease, will result in “… the biggest return on invest-ment this nation could ever have,” in the words of William Novelli, a professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough

School of Business and the former CEO of AARP. Kenneth R. Pelletier, clinical profes-sor of medicine at the University of Arizona School of Medicine and the University of California School of Medi-cine, has been putting numbers behind the arguments for integrative health. Pel-letier has studied the cost-effectiveness of corporate programs to promote health and manage disease among employees. The programs encompassed everything from subsidized gym memberships and smoking cessation classes to biometric screening and serving smaller portions in company cafeterias. Pelletier found that companies with such programs in place realized healthier, more produc-tive workforces, fewer sick days and less staff turnover. He estimates that it takes, on aver-age, just over three years before firms see a financial return on this kind of investment. “These reviews clearly indi-cate that comprehensive interventions do evidence both clinical- and cost-effectiveness,” says Pelletier. “There’s

a very good payback. It makes us think about health as an investment.” More money, more pills and more technology don’t necessarily lead to better health. Advocates of integrative medicine generally take a “less is more” approach—less needless medications and medical procedures and more pre-vention and healthy personal lifestyle changes can add up to big financial savings and big improvements in an individual’s quality of life.

Marco Visscher is the managing editor of Ode, Ursula Sautter and Carmel Wroth are contributors. Adapted from an article that first appeared in Ode, the magazine about positive change.

“What we now have is not

a health care system; it’s a

medical delivery system.”

Dr. Daniel Dunphy, San Francisco Preventive

Medical Group


consciouseating

While many foods taste great, they can also be powerful healers, naturally packaged

in vibrant, multicolored disguises. Plus, these foods won’t cause the nasty, common side effects that often accom-pany the use of drugs. Here are some fabulous-tasting favorites that can yield extra benefits.

CherriesMuraleedharan Nair, Ph.D., professor of natural products and chemistry at Michi-gan State University, found that tart cher-ry extract is 10 times more effective than aspirin at relieving inflammation. Only two tablespoons of the concentrated juice need to be taken daily for effective results. Sweet cherries have also been found to be effective.

Other BerriesNair later found the same anti-pain compound in other berries, specifically

blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries.

Celery and Celery SeedsJames Duke, Ph.D., author of The Green Pharmacy, found more than 20 anti-inflammatory compounds in celery and celery seeds, including a powerful flavonoid called apigenin. Add celery seeds to soups, stews or as a salt substi-tute in many recipes.

GingerGinger reduces levels of pain-causing prostaglandin in the body and has been widely used in India to treat pain and inflammation. A study by Indian researchers found that when people who were suffering from muscular pain were given ginger, they all experienced improvement. New research from the University of Geor-gia supports these findings. If you’re taking medications, check with your

FOODS THAT FIGHT PAINA TASTY, COLORFUL BANQUET

by Michelle Schoffro Cook

health practitioner for possible herb-drug interactions.

TurmericTurmeric (Curcuma longa), the yellow spice commonly used in Indian curries, is well known for its anti-inflammatory properties and for suppressing pain without harmful side effects. Its main therapeutic ingredient is curcumin. Research from institutions such as the University of California, San Diego, and Cornell University indicate that curcumin appears to be a safe, natural alternative to COX-2 inhibitor drugs.

Fatty FishMany fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and herring contain omega-3 fatty acids that convert in the body into hormone-like substances that decrease inflam-mation and pain. According to research reports from arthritis specialists asso-ciated with the National Institutes of Health, omega-3 is an effective anti-inflammatory agent; ingesting fish oil acts directly on the immune system by suppressing 40 to 55 percent of the re-lease of cytokines, compounds known to destroy joints. Many other studies simi-larly demonstrate that eating moderate amounts of fish or taking fish oil supple-ments reduces pain and inflammation, particularly for arthritis sufferers.

Flax Seeds and Flax OilFreshly ground flax seeds and cold-pressed flax oil contain plentiful amounts of the omega-3 essential fatty acids. Do not cook with flax oil, how-ever, as it then can have the opposite effect of irritating the body’s tissues and causing pain.

Raw Walnuts and Walnut OilRaw walnuts and walnut oil also contain powerful omega-3 fatty acids that fight pain and inflammation in the body.

When it comes to relieving pain, food really can be the best medicine.

Michelle Schoffro Cook is a registered nutrition consulting practitioner and doctor of natural medicine. Her lat-est book is The Phytozyme Cure. Learn more at DrMichelleCook.com/HealthSmartNews.


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In William James’ famous hypothesis, “A new idea is first condemned as ri-diculous, and then dismissed as trivial,

until finally, it becomes what everybody knows.” In the field of energy medicine, the experiences of pioneers such as medical intuitives Caroline Myss and Donna Eden, natural healer Dr. Carolle Jean-Murat and Doctor of Chiropractic Eric Pearl validate James’ postulate. Initially disregarded by allopathic medicine, the energy medicine these healers practice operates on the belief that changes in the “life force” of the body can affect human health and heal-ing. They maintain that applying this

HoNoriNG our LIFE FORCEENERGY MEDICINE HELPS RESTORE BALANCE AND HARMONY

by Linda Sechrist

energetic perspective allows them to clinically assess and treat what they refer to as the body’s electromagnetic fields, in order to achieve a healthy balance in the body’s overall energy system. The modality has to do with energy pathways, or meridians, that run through our organs and muscles. The idea is to uncover the root causes of imbalances and harmonize them at an energetic level before they completely solidify in the physical body and manifest as an illness. Such imbalances may be brought on by, for example, such things as emo-tional stress and physical trauma.

Aid to Conventional TreatmentAs recently as 1990, the idea of using any form of energy medicine, such as acupuncture, Reiki, Touch for Health or the services of a medical intuitive in a hospital setting would have been con-sidered preposterous. Today, however, more medical institutions are combin-ing these types of treatment with tradi-tional allopathic medicine. For example, Children’s Memorial Hospital, in Chicago, a research-orient-ed emblem of Western medicine, now employs a Healing Touch therapist. The hospital, which perennially ranks among America’s premier hospitals, is the principal pediatric teaching hospital for Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Mehmet Oz, a leading U.S. cardiovascular surgeon, was the first to include a Reiki practitioner in his de-partment at Columbia University Medi-cal Center, in New York City. The New York Times reports that Oz allows the use of Reiki during open-heart surgeries and heart transplant operations.

More InsightMedical intuitives say they can recog-nize problems in the flow of the body’s energies and are able to accurately predict the kinds of physical problems that are likely to emerge before any symptoms are detected. Eden, who has had a lifelong ability to make health as-sessments that are confirmed by medi-cal tests, can look at an individual’s body and see and feel where the ener-gies are not flowing, out of balance or not in harmony, then works to correct the problem. “I was 22 before I discovered that everyone didn’t make their decisions after first seeing and sensing energy,” says Eden. Carolle Jean-Murat, a California licensed obstetrician and gynecolo-gist who now practices as a medical intuitive and healer, left her 30-year allopathic practice to focus on natural healing. Today, the native of Haiti spe-cializes in helping women restore their mental, physical and spiritual health. “I am a healer who has the capacity to


see, feel and hear whatever a client is going through, because I see them as a whole: energy, body, mind, soul and emotions,” says Jean-Murat. Dr. Eric Pearl, author of The Re-connection: Heal Others, Heal Yourself, demystifies the healing process. He teaches others (75,000 and counting) how to activate and use what he refers to as an all-inclusive spectrum of heal-ing frequencies. “Reconnection teaches people how to transcend the ego and its judgment, and reach a state of non-judgment observation,” explains Pearl. “Many of them describe their experi-ence simply as an internal activation of an advanced level of consciousness, in which awareness allows the perception of a multi-dimensional universe.” Pearl posits that as part of our growth as human beings, “We not only discover that we have become more, we understand that we can’t stand in fear, lack and limitation, and we can only offer ourselves as a vessel for healing for ourselves and others when we reside in oneness and love.” Pearl believes that it is part of everyone’s life journey to discover that they are an empty vessel, born to be filled with Spirit. By letting go of beliefs that block our ability to deeply understand this, we can harmonically converge with the lives of others at the level where we are all energy, as physics indicates. These practitioners agree that, while we all have some subtle sense of an animating force within us that is pure energy, we often ignore it. We go about our daily lives using this life force to perform our activities until it becomes depleted and illness manifests in a physical or emotional imbalance. While professional energy medicine practitio-ners are specifically trained to sense and honor the body’s animating life force and recognize its excesses and deficien-cies, they also believe that we can all learn how to work with this important facet of our being. It is our birthright to realize balance and harmony, and we can do this by learning to re-establish a healthy flow of communication within the body’s subtle energy system.

Linda Sechrist is a Natural Awakenings editor and freelance writer.


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Community Spotlight by Julie Hurley

Holistic Care Approach

Tucked away off the East Beltline in northern Grand Rapids, Holistic Care

Approach, an integrated wellness facility, has been growing steadily in the con-sciousness of the West Michigan public over the past decade. Owner Barb Meconis, a nurse for over 40 years, says that the philosophy of Ho-listic Care Approach is to be integrative versus alternative. Meconis says that holistic medicine and Holistic Care Approach are increas-ingly growing in the community. While not everyone embraces the natural medicine world, she has found that people usually follow the same arc when it comes to natural healing, which is skepticism, then curiosity and finally a sense of knowing. As awareness grows, so has her business. “People are on a journey, seeking to understand what natural medicine is. To that end, this past year, we’ve done a large renovation and addition,” said Meconis. “This speaks to the fact that natural medi-cine has a place in our community. Holistic medicine is here to stay; people are looking for it. It’s going to continue to grow.” Meconis says that the approach of holistic medicine is to offer options that allow the body to heal itself. “The body knows how to heal. What we do here at Holistic Care Approach is to offer services that allow the body to return to balance and to boost the im-mune system,” said Meconis. “We do this by focusing on mind, body, spirit and emotional aspects.” In addition to acupuncture, massage, Reiki, ear candling, infrared sauna, colon

hydrotherapy, and many other services, Holistic Care Approach also has a medi-cal doctor on staff. Medical Director, Laura Tinning, DO, is currently on staff at Metropolitan Hospital and also has a private practice at Holistic Care Approach. She helps oversee clinical decision-making for the clinic, prescribes medications, orders lab work and many other traditional Western medicine-based activities. While working with her patients, Tin-ning draws upon natural medicine. She spends an average of an hour with each patient, can use supplements instead of prescriptions, and oversees IV infusions, among many other things. This type of patient experience can make a big difference in the treatment of many serious and oftentimes preventable diseases now frequently occurring in our population. “We’re starting to see obesity and chronic disease in a younger population,” said Meconis. “We have to think about what is happening to our immune systems, our stress load, our water and food supply. What in our environment is causing us to have weakened immune systems?” Meconis says that childhood obesity is rising and kids are getting the diseases of the elderly, like diabetes and high cho-lesterol. It is predicted children born after 2000 will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. “The conditions we call chronic disease have developed over time,” said Meconis. “So treatment requires patience and or people to be in tune with their bodies.”


Recently, Holistic Care Approach has introduced the HCG Weight Loss Program at the clinic. Human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG, is a protein hor-mone that maintains pregnancy during the early development of the embryo. In weight loss, HCG mobilizes fat to the blood-stream. By implementing self-administered low-dose injections daily, the mobilized fat is used for energy, therefore resulting in permanent weight loss. “We researched this program for a while, tweaked it to our phi-losophies and rolled it out in the summer of 2010,” said Meconis. Dr. Chad Kotlarz ND, who is on staff at Holistic Care Ap-proach, administers the program, which can be done for three or six weeks, depending on the amount of weight the client and doctor determine is a safe amount to lose. Clients are screened and carefully chosen, as one needs to be healthy enough to do it. The program is targeted to those people looking to lose anywhere between 20 and 50 pounds, and it is not for the morbidly obese. As part of the program, the client needs to follow a prescrip-tive diet of 500 calories per day. Because the body is using the mobilized fat cells for its energy needs, it only requires a small amount of food to function. “This program is very safe,” said Meconis. “It does not result in muscle wasting. The average weight loss is between .6 and .9 pounds per day and it takes inches off the waist and hips.” Patients are seen weekly and follow-up is done with a nurse for waist and hip measurements and BMI. After the three or six week program, patients are given a maintenance diet to follow. If this is done properly, the weight loss is permanent. Irene Jones, 55, began the program in September after bat-tling with the belly bulge for many years. “I could lose weight on any diet, but I still had a bulge in my

stomach,” Jones said. “I wanted to try the HCG diet because I had heard that it actually reshapes your body.” After being on the three-week program, she lost 14 pounds. “I was never hungry,” said Jones. “In fact, I felt the best I have felt in years while taking the shot. I haven’t had heartburn since I began the program and my cholesterol went down.” In addition to the immediate weight loss, Jones also learned more about food and how she eats. “I know what I’m supposed to eat, and it’s made me more aware of what I put into my body,” said Jones. She recommends enlisting the support of family and friends on this particular weight loss journey. “My husband was so supportive throughout the entire pro-gram. What I ate, he ate,” she said. “I’ve also had a couple of friends go through the program as well. It helps to have a buddy to see you through it.” For those worried about the low-calorie approach, Meconis said that the calories consumed on this program are nutritionally dense. “These are life-sustaining calories and chosen with a specific purpose,” she said. In addition, the HCG itself protects the body from becoming hungry.” The cost of the three-week program is $400 and the six-week program is $650. This includes all office visits, plus the cost of the injections.

For more information contact Barb Meconis at Holistic Care Approach, 3368 E Beltline CT NE, Grand Rapids. 616-361-9221. See ad page 30

A married mother of two young children, Julie Hurley is a freelance writer with a strong interest in natural living and is the Director of Public Relations at Principia Media. Visit her personal blog at: ourlunch.blogspot.com.


2011EDITORIALCALENDAR

January Health and Wellness

February Balance

March Natural Foods

April Green Homes & Gardens

May Women’s Wellness

June Men’s Wellness

July Living Simply

August Vibrant Children

September Creativity

October Green Living, Blue Planet

November Local & Personal Economy

December Uplifting Humanity

ExERCISE NOW!STICK-WITH-IT TIPS KEEP

YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION GOING

Exercise is a key to happiness, as well as fitness, according to mounting research. Newsweek reports that

people who exercise are healthier, more energetic, think more clearly, sleep bet-ter and have delayed onset of dementia. Studies by the Karolinska Institute, in Sweden, and California State University are among those that further show why exercise leads to relief from anxiety and mild depression. Researchers at Leeds Metropolitan University have also demonstrated that people who exercise perform better at work. More, although it’s tempting to flop down on the couch when you’re feeling exhausted, exercise is actually a great way to boost energy levels, a conclusion supported by a metastudy conducted by the University of Georgia. They con-cluded that feeling fatigued is a reason to exercise, not a reason to skip exercise. But even when you admit that you’d feel better if you exercised, it can

be hard to adopt the habit. My idea of fun, for example, has always been to lie in bed reading, preferably while also eating a snack—but I’ve managed to keep myself exercising over the years by using these tricks on myself:

1 Always exercise on Monday. This sets the psychological pattern for the

week.

2 If at all possible, exercise first thing in the morning. As the day wears

on, you’ll find more excuses to skip exercising. Get it checked off your list, first thing. It’s also a nice way to start the day; even if other things don’t get done, you’ve accomplished that.

3 Never skip exercising for two days in a row. You can skip a day, but you must

exercise on the next day, even if it seems to be inconvenient at that time.

4 Give yourself credit for the small-est effort. One man I know said

fitbody

by Gretchen Rubin


that all he had to do was put on his running shoes and close the door behind him to get going. Many times, by promising myself I could quit 10 minutes after I’d started, I got myself to start—and then found that I didn’t want to quit, after all.

5 Think about context. Examine the factors that might be discouraging

you from exercising. Perhaps you are distressed about the grubby showers in your gym or recoil from running if it’s cold outside. Try alternatives.

6 Exercise several times a week. If your idea of exercise is to join

games of pick-up basketball, you should be playing practically every day. Twice a month isn’t enough.

7 Find a way to exercise that doesn’t always require you to shower

afterward. Each week, I really get into a challenging weight-training session, but it’s in a format that doesn’t make me sweat.

8 Look for affordable ways to make exercising more pleasant or satis-

fying. Could you upgrade to a nicer

or more convenient gym, buy yourself a new iPod or pedometer, or work with a trainer? Exercise is a high life priority, so these are worthwhile ways to spend some money if they help get you moving.

9 Think of exercise as part of your es-sential preparation. It readies you for

times when you want to be in especially fine form—whether in performance (to be sharp for an important presentation), appearance (to look good for a wedding or another formal occasion) or mood (to deal with a stressful situation).

10 Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Don’t decide

it’s only worth exercising if you can run five miles or if you can bike for an hour. A woman I know scorns exercise unless she’s training for a marathon—so she never exercises. Even going for a 10-minute walk is worthwhile. Do what you can.

11Suit up. Even if you’re not sure you’re going to exercise, go

ahead and put on your exercise clothes. Pack your bag. Put the dog’s leash by

the door. Get prepared. If you’re ready to go, you might find it easier just to go ahead and exercise. Sometimes a trivial thing, like not knowing where your shoes are, gets in the way.

12Don’t kid yourself. Paying for a gym membership doesn’t mean

you necessarily go to the gym. Having been in shape in high school or college doesn’t mean you’re in shape now. Say-ing that you don’t have time to exercise doesn’t make it true.

People often ask me, “So, if I want to be happier, what should I be doing?” and I always say, “The first thing to do is to make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep and some exercise.” It’s a stance backed up by research psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness. Good exercise is a good place to start, and makes it easier to act on other personal happiness-inducing resolutions.

Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happi-ness Project, blogs daily at Happiness-Project.com.


healthykids

According to the Nestlé Nutrition Institute’s often referenced Feeding Infant and Toddler Study (FITS), many U.S. children are eating a poor quality diet too

high in calories and too low in nutrition. About one in three older babies and toddlers are not eating a single vegetable on a given day, and eating habits don’t improve as children get older. Today’s typical American diet is clearly not working. According to a benchmark National Cancer Institute study, only 1 percent of all children between the ages of 2 and 19 years met all requirements of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Guide pyramid. Sixteen percent of the children met none of the pyramid recommendations. In 2010, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) reported that upwards of 23 mil-lion U.S. children and adolescents are now overweight or obese and currently at risk for other health problems associated with obesity. That’s nearly one in three children.

Early TrainingNationwide efforts to address these health issues have dem-onstrated that early prevention is easier than intervention

after problems have taken hold. Parents can begin cultivating healthy eating habits in their children right from the cradle. Establishing a few key parental practices can have long-rang-ing benefits for the family. The first tip is to keep a neutral attitude about food, even if it’s counterintuitive. When introducing solids to a child, it is helpful to present the foods in a relaxed, neutral way, with no pressure to eat them. As the youngster grows, avoid label-ing certain foods as good, bad or even healthy to sidestep the response, “This is good for me? I don’t like it!” Parents do well to remain patient. It can take up to 15 presentations before a child is willing to try something new, and then several tastings before they decide they like it.

It also helps to offer a variety of fla-vors from a very young age to familiarize children with many dimensions of tastes and textures. Though babies initially prefer sweet tastes above all others, as youngsters grow, their preferences tend toward what is familiar. When introduced early on to vari-ety and consistently offered healthy whole foods, including all the veggies, these come to comprise their preferred diet.

Continuing Practices It’s always wise to offer food to children only when they are actually hungry. When kids eat a continuous flow of simple car-

bohydrates, such as white crackers and sweetened cereals or even 100 percent juices, it keeps their blood sugar levels slightly elevated, which can create problems. Nutritionists see firsthand how such a diet prevents the

RAISING HEALTHY EATERSHow to Train Children’s Palates from the Cradle On

by Jeannette Bessinger and Tracee Yablon Brenner

America is in the midst of an epidemic of

childhood obesity that is creating a health

crisis for our kids.

“The first three years of a child’s life are a

window of opportuni-ty for forming lifelong, healthy eating habits.”

Dr. William Sears, author, professor of pediatrics at the University of California-Irvine

School of Medicine and found-er of AskDrSears.com


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true hunger signal from turning on fully, which in turn can cause little ones to act finicky about certain foods, especially vegetables. It can also prompt them to eat less of more nutri-tionally balanced foods on their plate at mealtimes. In children who have any type of blood sugar sensitiv-ity, the more sweet foods they eat, the more they will tend to want. If a parent wants to offer a sweet snack, include some additional fiber, protein or healthy fat to balance it, because these nutrients act as a time-release mechanism for sugars and will help to regulate a more natural appetite rhythm. According to the ADA’s Pediatric Manual of Clinical Dietetics, vegetarian children tend to be leaner than their non-vegetarian peers; it doesn’t mean that simply eliminat-ing meat is a recipe for obesity prevention. According to the ADA, a varied and appropriately planned vegetarian diet can meet all of a growing baby and toddler’s nutritional needs. But it is even more crucial to keep the blood sugar levels balanced in vegetarian toddlers, because they aren’t receiv-ing proteins from animal sources. On the plus side, young vegetarians are more likely to eat a broader range of fiber and micronutrient-rich fruits, veggies and beans. To encourage reluctant youngsters to eat more veg-etables, try roasting them, especially green produce and root veggies. Also serve a new vegetable in a way similar to one that they already like; e.g., baking homemade sweet potato fries cut in familiar shapes. Kid-size veggies like mini-broc-coli trees or baby carrots have appeal. Dressing up plain veg-gies with dips and shakers of a mild herb, spice, Parmesan cheese, ground seeds or wheat germ adds to the fun. Finally, encourage toddlers to help out in the kitchen by asking them to wash and sort the veggies or arrange them in a pretty way on the platter. If children are involved in prepar-ing foods, they are more likely to eat them.

Jeannette Lee Bessinger, an award-winning lifestyle and nutrition educator, and Tracee Yablon Brenner, a registered dietitian, founded RealFoodMoms.com. These certified health counselors have co-authored two practical guides for fami-lies: Great Expectations: Best Food for Your Baby and Toddler and Simple Food for Busy Families.

Protective Food Practicesn 80 percent rule: Don’t worry too much about what your child is eating outside the home. If s/he is eating a varied diet of high quality whole foods at home 80 percent of the time, everyone’s on the right track.

n Make the connection: Help a child understand the relationship between our food supply and the natural world. Visit an organic farm or help young ones start a garden.

n The pristine pantry: Put the child in charge of what foods they actually eat at a meal while parents stay in charge of the foods available. Keep unhealthy foods out of the house.


Best Solid Foods at 6 to 9 Monthsn Cooked and puréed vegetables such

as carrots, green beans, green peas, pumpkin, spinach, zucchini and summer and winter squash

n Cooked and puréed fruits such as applesauce, apricots, peaches, pears, prunes and raisins

n Raw and mashed fruits such as avo-cados, bananas, melons and papayas

n Soft-cooked whole grains such as iron-fortified brown rice cereal, oats and pearled barley

n Protein foods such as plain full-fat yogurt or small amounts of tahini (sesame seed butter—always thin and mix seed butters with other foods to prevent choking)

Note: At 6 to 7 months, choose one per day; 8 to 9 months, choose two per day, including cooked and puréed lentils and split peas and, if not allergic, egg yolk, hard cooked and mashed, or cooked into hot cereal, not more than three times a week, as well as medium, soft or silken plain tofu mashed (1 to 2 tablespoons), also not more than three times a week.

Tip: When introducing a baby to new foods, include as many vegetables as fruits to help train tiny taste buds to enjoy the bitter, sour and astringent flavors, as well as the sweet ones.

Best Foods at 9 to 12 Monthsn Add new cooked and puréed

vegetables such as beets, broccoli, cauliflower, kale and eggplant

n Add new raw and mashed fruits such as kiwi and mango

n Add soft-cooked whole grains such as amaranth, millet and quinoa

n Include cooked and minced whole grain pastas such as brown rice, quinoa and spelt

n Add more proteins, such as ground, hormone-free beef, lamb, chicken and turkey; introduce with caution in case of allergies: mild, soft chees-es (not raw) such as cottage, ricotta, cheddar and provolone; beans such as cannellini, navy, great northern (add a small amount of kombu or epazote to cooking water to increase digestibility of beans)

Tip: Baby’s pincer grip develops between 9 and 12 months, so retain small, soft pieces of food in their purées to pick out with small fingers.

Best Foods at 12 to 18 Monthsn Expand types of proteins to en-

compass fish such as wild Alaskan salmon, sardines, tilapia, cod (one serving per month to minimize ocean toxins), skipjack or chunk light canned tuna (no-sodium, no more than one serving per week)

n Include milk and whole eggs

n Add healthy fats such as small amounts of butter, ghee, coconut oil, chopped olives and coconut milk

Tip: At this age youngsters feel a new adventurousness about foods, putting all manner of things into their mouths. Take advantage of this window by of-fering a broad range of different food experiences.

Best Foods at 18 to 36 Monthsn From this point on, children can eat

all types of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and other types of protein foods

n Families at risk for food allergies can cautiously introduce allergenic foods such as fish, seafood, peanuts or tree nuts after 36 months, while monitor-ing their reception

Tip: Many toddlers go through peri-ods of finicky responses to foods. Be patient, relax and trust that over the course of a week, rather than any single meal or day, children are likely getting their basic nutritional needs met.

Healthy Eating at Every Ageby Jeannette Lee Bessinger and Tracee Yablon Brenner

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Note: Visit www.NaturalWestMichigan.com for guidelines and to submit entries. All Calendar events must be submitted online by the 15th of the month prior to publication.

saturday January 1New Year Open House & Free Yoga Class- 2:00-4:30 pm. Start the year off right with a free Yoga Class (Hatha w/Kundalini twist). The Body Center. Holland. 616-834-2596 thebodycenter.usWelcome The New Year- 6:00 pm. Join us New Years Day evening as Coptic Center director John Davis speaks on “The Power of Goal Setting, Personal and Planetary” and Coptic Minister Denise Iwaniw shares “Realizing your Potential”. Love Offering. The Coptic Center. Grand Rapids. 616-531-1339.

monday, January 3 Acupuncturist Open House-11:00 am-3:00 pm. Catherine Van Til, acupuncturist joining The ChiroFit Wellness Center, will be doing a meet and greet and will be available to answer questions regarding the benefits of acupuncture. The ChiroFit Wellness Center. 2249 Wealthy St. Suite 240. East Grand Rapids. 616-458-2348.

wednesday, January 5Guided Meditation and Healing Circle- 7:00-8:00 pm. Escape from stress and discover an inner world of calm, peace & joy through guided meditation, and energy healing from Healing in America-trained healers. $5. Holistic Care Approach. Grand Rapids. 269-929-6796.

thursday, January 6Hypnosis for Weight Elimination- With Bob Huttinga. Call for more information. The Healing Center 332 S. Lincoln, Lakeview. 989-352-6500 Not-Back-to-School Party- 11:00 am. Homeschool families! This is a party just for you. See what the library has to offer, complete a library scavenger hunt, hear stories and experience other fun and literacy rich activities. Free. GR Public Library-Yankee Clipper Branch. Grand Rapids. 616-988-5415 or grpl.org.

saturday, January 8Diaper Class- 10:00am. This free class is designed for parents or expectant parents interested in the benefits of using cloth diapers. Give-aways and meet with Ashley from Bootyful Baby Boutique. Hopscotch Children’s Store 963 Cherry Street SE, Grand Rapids. 616-233-4008Pure Meditation Foundation Class for adults-11:00 am-12:30 pm. Conquer stress, improve concentration, find inner peace, and so much more. $49 includes continuing support. Pre-registration required. Self Realization Meditation Healing Centre, Bath. SelfRealizationCentreMichigan.org. 517-641-6201

sunday, January 9Eckankar Worship Service-10:00-11:00 am. Come celebrate the Light and Sound of God. Dominican Center at Marywood, Room 4, 2025 East Fulton St, Grand Rapids. 616-245-7003.Spa Sunday-11:00-1:30pm. Beauty & health from the inside out and the outside in. Complimentary

Gentle Restorative Yoga class followed by Sense, a body and skin care line free of parabins and other harmful chemicals. Free. Muskegon Yoga Center. Muskegon. Reserve your spot a MuskegonYoga.com. 616-638-5625.FREE EcoTrek Fitness Snow Shoe Event- 4:00-5:30pm. With North Kent Co. Series Leader Terri Baumgardner. Pickerel Lake, 6001 Ramsdell Rd. Visit www.EcoTrekFitness.com.

monday, January 10Poetry, Puppetry, Music, and More- 10:30-11:30 am. Kevin Kammeraad, local children’s author and artist, will be performing songs from his CDs. Hop Scotch children’s store. Free! Grand Rapids. For more info, contact Stephanie Kammeraad at [email protected] or 616-233-4008.

tuesday, January 11How to do a Trigger Point Massage- 6:00 pm. With Dr. Michael Kwast. Learn what a trigger point is, what causes them, how to prevent them and how to get rid of them. 4150 E. Beltline Suite #4 Grand Rapids. Limited to the first 30 callers. Call 616-447-9888 to RSVP.

wednesday, January 12Metaphysical Basics Level 1 Session #3 Online Course- A total of 6 weeks of lessons. What is Metaphysics, Energy Basics, Elemental Energy, Color and Light, Meditation Basics & Chi. $75. Ken Gray Subtle Energies. Delton. Visit reikiconnect.com or call 800-260-4544 for more information.Individual Retreat- 9:00 am-5:00 pm. The time is yours to make of it what you choose. Meditatively walk the 20 acres of meadows and woods, sit and write beside the Grand River, or simply catch up on much-needed rest. $25-75. To register, contact Karen Bota at the Leaven Center: 989-855-2606. www.leaven.org.“Re-Open House” Party- 4:00-6:00 pm. ChiroFit in the Gaslight Village is celebrating their 2 year Anniversary! Please join us for a “Re-Open House” Party. The ChiroFit Wellness Center. 2249 Wealthy St. Suite 240. East Grand Rapids. 616-458-2348.Community Spiritual Drum Circle- 7:00 pm. Bring your own drum, or shaker, or you can play one of ours. A love offering is appreciated. Unity Church of Peace. Ada. 616- 682-7812.

thursday, January 13Hypnosis for Weight Elimination- With Bob Huttinga. Call for more information. The Healing Center 332 S. Lincoln, Lakeview. 989-352-6500 Individual Retreat- 9:00 am-5:00 pm. The time is yours to make of it what you choose. Meditatively walk the 20 acres of meadows and woods, sit and write beside the Grand River, or simply catch up on much-needed rest. $25-75. To register, contact Karen Bota at the Leaven Center: 989-855-2606. www.leaven.org.Reiki Share Group-5:30pm-7:30pm. For all Reiki levels. Come to practice, meet other Reiki

calendarofevents practitioners, share experiences and Reiki. Jan Atwood, LLC, 801 Broadway Ave NW, Ste. 436, Grand Rapids. 616-915-4144.Reduce Toxins & Lose Weight Through Nutritional Cleansing w/ Dr. Michael Kwast - 6:00 pm. Why am I tired and often need more energy? Why do I crave sweets? Why can’t I lose weight? Seating limited to first 30. Foundation For Wellness Professionals. Grand Rapids. 616-447-9888.

friday, January 14MAJIC Concert Series Presents Ralston Bowles- 7:00pm. Grand Rapids legendary singer/songwriter Ralston Bowles will feature music from his new CD “RALLY AT THE TEXAS HOTEL.” Suggested donation of $10 at door Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Grand Rapids. Grmajic.com. 616 456 1741.

saturday, January 15Getaway Weekend- A peaceful retreat center near Lansing, for $69.43, includes shared room lodging, delicious, home-cooked vegetarian meals Saturday lunch to Sunday lunch. Private room, services, classes, other dates available. Self Realization Meditation Healing Centre, Bath. SelfRealizationCentreMichigan.org. 517-641-6201.Essential Oil Training I-10:00 am-12:00 pm & II @ 1:00-3:00 pm. Come learn all about therapeutic essential oils, and how to incorporate them into everyday use. $10/class with advanced registration via email [email protected] or $20/class at the door. Offered at Minerva’s Hand. Spring Lake. 616-443-4225.Basic Astrology Class- 10:00 am-4:00 pm. Learn about the different signs of the zodiac, planets and the houses of an astrology chart. $50/day. Non-refundable deposit of $10/day required upon sign up and your birth chart info. The Healing Center. Lakeview. For more info call 989-352-6500. Guided Healing and Reiki Share - 7:00-9:30 pm. For Reiki practitioners. Come, enjoy. Please bring a meditation cushion. Donation only. Haelen Holistic Treatments. 147 Diamond SE, Grand Rapids. 616-446-6906.

sunday, January 16Getaway Weekend- A peaceful retreat center near Lansing, for $69.43, includes shared room lodging, delicious, home-cooked vegetarian meals Saturday lunch to Sunday lunch. Private room, services, classes, other dates available. Self Realization Meditation Healing Centre, Bath. SelfRealizationCentreMichigan.org. 517-641-6201.FREE EcoTrek Fitness Nature Hike- 8:00-9:15am with Northeast Series Leader Christi Otway. Fallasburg Park - Park Drive, Park by the historical bridge in Lowell. Visit www.EcoTrekFitness.com. FREE EcoTrek Fitness Snow Shoe Event- 12:00-3:00pm. With Muskegon Series Leader Lori McCollum. Duck Lake State Park Entrance on Scenic Dr., 0.8 miles north of Duck Lake Road. Outing will be rescheduled if not enough snow. Visit www.EcoTrekFitness.com.Reconnecting with Earth -A six week session discussion course hosted by Earth Institute of West Michigan. The first informational session is at Fountain Street Church on January 16, at 12:30. For details contact Lisa at 616- 942-6549 or [email protected]. Visit www.nwei.org.


tuesday, January 18Dyslexia Correction Program- 6:30 pm. New Chapter Learning will provide a free informational seminar on the thinking style, learning differences, and gifts of the visual thinker. Grandville Middle School. Grandville. All participants who wish to attend are encouraged to pre-register by calling 616-534-1385. For more info please visit newchapterlearning.net.Don’t be Chicken about a Whole Pastured Chicken- 7:00-8:30 pm. Chef Jana Deppe shows how to prep a chicken from your local farmer- butterfly, braise, stew tough parts, make stock, and enjoy recipes such as cordon blue, a roux sauce and more! Free. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. Grand Rapids. nourishingways.org 616-309-9147.

wednesday, January 19Not-Back-to-School Party- 9:30 am. Homeschool families! This is a Free party just for you. See what the library has to offer, complete a library scavenger hunt, hear stories and experience other fun and literacy rich activities. GR Public Library-Main Library. Grand Rapids. 616-988-5400 or grpl.org.Guided Meditation, Prayer and Healing Circle- 7:00-8:00 pm. Relax to guided meditation, and receive energy healing from local healers while church chaplains pray over your prayer requests. Donation. Unity Church on the Lakeshore, 41 So. Washington, Douglas. 269-857-8226.Voluntary Simplicity- A five session discussion course hosted by West Michigan Sierra Club and Earth Institute of West Michigan. The first informational meeting is January 19th, 7 – 8:30 p.m. For details contact Mary at [email protected] or Dolli at 616-453-3539. Visit towww.nwei.org.

thursday, January 20Hypnosis for Weight Elimination- With Bob Huttinga. Call for more information. The Healing Center 332 S. Lincoln, Lakeview. 989-352-6500 Dream Catcher Workshop- 4:00-6:00 pm. Learn how to make a dream catcher and take home the one you make. $25 includes supplies and pre-registration is required. Minerva’s Hand. Spring Lake. Call or email Jodi at 616-443-4225 or [email protected].

friday, January 21Winter Bridal Show of West Michigan- 5:00-9:00 pm. Brides, Grooms, Moms and Friends...the adventure of a lifetime starts now with one-stop wedding day planning! Exhibits and Fashion Shows showcasing the latest bridal colors, styles and trends. DeVos Place. Grand Rapids. kohlerexpo.com.

saturday, January 22History Detectives- 9:30 am-4:00 pm. A daylong event made up of six programs exploring various aspects of Grand Rapids history. Presented by area historians and members of historical and cultural organizations. Free. Grand Rapids. A box lunch is available for $6.00 and must be ordered in advance by calling 616-988-5400 or emailing [email protected] Bridal Show of West Michigan- 10:00 am-4:00 pm. Brides, Grooms, Moms and Friends...the adventure of a lifetime starts now with one-stop wedding day planning! Exhibits and Fashion Shows showcasing the latest bridal colors, styles and trends. DeVos Place. Grand Rapids. kohlerexpo.com.

Reiki I & II- 10:00 am-4:00 pm. Become attuned to Reiki and learn how to give treatment to self and others. $225 includes textbook. $50 deposit required to register for class a week prior to class.Minerva’s Hand. Spring Lake. Contact Jodi to register at 616-443-4225. Chakra Journey- 1:30-6:30 pm. Discover your shakti in this workshop designed to bring you greater awareness of your energetic anatomy. Cost: $60/entire workshop $20/chakra vinyasa class. Seva Yoga. East Grand Rapids. 616-458-2541.Partner Yoga- 7:00-8:30 pm. Enjoy a fun and unique way to experience yoga with a loved one or friend. It encourages cooperation and respect while offering the opportunity to relax and reduce stress. Yoga experience NOT necessary. $35/couple. Muskegon Yoga Center. Muskegon. Register at MuskegonYoga.com. 616-638-5625.Guided Healing and Reiki Share - 7:00-9:30 pm. For Reiki practitioners. Come, enjoy. Please bring a meditation cushion. Donation only. Haelen Holistic Treatments. 147 Diamond SE, Grand Rapids. 616-446-6906.

sunday, January 23Wild Winter Morning- 10:30-11:45am. Regular EcoTrek Session with owner Cari Draft followed by a Special Free Snowshoe event to Lake MI from 12:00-1:30pm. Hoffmaster State Park - end of Pontaluna, where it meets Lake Harbor Dr. Norton Shores - park in the Nature Center Parking lot! (snowshoeing canceled if not enough snow).

monday, January 24Music, Movement, and Monkeys- 10:30-11:30 am. Movement can build both your brain and your muscles! Wear your comfy clothes and gym shoes and join us for this high-energy time with musician Kevin Kammeraad. Hopscotch Children’s Store 963 Cherry Street SE, Grand Rapids. For more info, contact Stephanie at [email protected] or 616-233-4008.

tuesday, January 25CranioSacral Study Group- 7:00-9:00 pm. For Up ledger students/practitioners- $5. Holistic Care Approach. Grand Rapids. Contact Jamilah Tuuk for information at 616 340-0543 or [email protected].

friday, January 28Reiki I/II Training Class-9:00am-5:00pm. Learn this relaxation and healing method to use on yourself and your family and friends. $225.00. Jan Atwood, LLC, 801 Broadway Ave NW, Grand Rapids. 616-915-4144.Kids Night Out- 5:30-9:30 pm. Play, run, jump, and swing! Kids will enjoy an evening of activity and games. Dinner is included! Members $25 Nonmembers $30. Gymco. Grand Rapids. 616-956-0586.The Power of Your Recovery Story: Heal, Connect, and Advocate- 7:00pm (Friday)-1:00 pm(Sunday). Participants explore the power of the personal narrative creating understanding, tolerance, acceptance, and a tool for advocacy that will better serve themselves and each other in recovery. $190. To register, contact Karen Bota, 989-855-2606. leaven.org.

Nature’s Spiritual Connections Lecture w/ Moshe Daniels- 7:30-9:30 pm. In this lecture, we will examine each person’s role in the fulfillment of ancient prophecies in creating Heaven on Earth. Suggested donation $10 per person. Nature’s Spiritual Connections. Grand Rapids. To reserve your space please call 616-929-4204.

saturday, January 29Cartwheel Clinic- 10:00-11:30 am. Learn every child’s favorite back yard trick at a safe and positive place! Gymco. Grand Rapids. 616-956-0586.Reiki Level 1 w/Ken & Dana Gray - 10:00 am-5:00 pm. Discussion of chakras, Reiki 1 Attunement & the Reiki 1 symbol. Learn how to give and receive a reiki treatment. A great class for self-healing & spiritual growth. $75. Ken Gray Subtle Energies. Delton. reikiconnect.com. 800-260-4544.Essential Oil Training III- 10:00 am-12:00 pm & IV @ 1:00-3:00 pm. Learn all about the Raindrop Therapy technique for physical healings & all about Emotional Clearing Oils. $10/class with advanced registration via email [email protected] or $20/class at the door. Minerva’s Hand. Spring Lake. 616-443-4225.Nature’s Spiritual Connections Workshop w/ Moshe Daniel- 1:00-5:00 pm. Learn how to find harmony, balance, and joy in relationships through knowledge of Kabbalah and Alchemy. This will be an extension of Friday’s lecture. $40 per person. Nature’s Spiritual Connections. Grand Rapids. To reserve your space please call 616-929-4204.Yoga Studio CELEBRATION- 6:00-9:30pm. Kat McKinney is joining founder Carolyn Heines as co-owner of the studio! Join us in celebration. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome. Free. The Yoga Studo. Grand Rapids. 616-776-0836.The Power of Your Recovery Story: Heal, Connect, and Advocate- 7:00pm (Friday)-1:00 pm(Sunday). Participants explore the power of the personal narrative creating understanding, tolerance, acceptance, and a tool for advocacy that will better serve themselves and each other in recovery. $190. To register, contact Karen Bota, 989-855-2606. leaven.org.

sunday, January 30The Power of Your Recovery Story: Heal, Connect, and Advocate- 7:00pm (Friday)-1:00 pm(Sunday). Participants explore the power of the personal narrative creating understanding, tolerance, acceptance, and a tool for advocacy that will better serve themselves and each other in recovery. $190. To register, contact Karen Bota, 989-855-2606. leaven.org.

sAv e t H e dAt esaturday, march 52011 Genesis Health & Wellness Fair- 10:00am-3:00pm. Featuring local experts in nutrition, chiropractic care, children’s health, spiritual direction, holistic skin care, community supported agriculture, food sampling booths, activities for children, hands-on demonstrations and much more. Contact Ron Ward at [email protected]. Genesis UMC, 1601 Galbraith Rd, Grand Rapids. 616-974-0400.


ongoingevents

SmilingLotusYoga.com or call Smiling Lotus Yoga, 103 E. Ludington Ave, Ludington. 231-852-0849.Gentle 1st Chakra Hatha Yoga- 9:15-10:45 am. Drop-ins welcome. Classes meet at The Body Center. 650 Riley Street, Suite A, Holland, MI 49424. 616-834-2596. Visit thebodycenter .us for more information.Essential Oil Training- 1:00-3:00 pm. Different class offered each week, Therapeutic Grade Oils, Everyday Oils, Raindrop Therapy, Emotional Clearing Oils, & Spiritual Journey Oils. $10/class w/ registration via email heavenlyhealings @yahoo.com or $20/class at the door. Grand Rapids. 616-443-4225. Pilates on the Mat- 6:00 pm. Move with grace and flexibility at Holland’s ONLY STOTT PILATES certified studio with a total body workout. Align Fitness. Holland. AlignFitnessofHolland.com, or call 616-928-0929.Intermediate Hatha Yoga with Mitch Coleman – 6:15-7:30 pm. Drop-ins welcome. Visit WhiteRiverYoga.com for more information. Classes meet at White River Yoga Studio, 8724 Ferry St. Montague. 231-740-6662.Vinyasa Flow Warm Yoga- 6:30 - 7:45 pm. Drop-ins welcome. Classes meet at The Body Center. 650 Riley Street, Suite A, Holland, MI 49424. 616-834-2596. Visit thebodycenter.us for more information.Kripalu Yoga with Marro Spehar - 7:30pm. Gentle/Moderate. Drop-ins welcome. For more details visit our website at sevayoga.net. Seva Yoga Studio, 2213 Wealthy Ste 220, East Grand Rapids. 616-458-2541.

tuesdayGentle Hatha Yoga with Mitch Coleman- 7:45-9:00 am & 9:15-10:30 am. Drop-ins welcome. Visit WhiteRiverYoga.com for more information. Classes meet at White River Yoga Studio, 8724 Ferry St. Montague. 231-740-6662.Hatha Yoga- 8:30-10:00am. Learn Hatha yoga in small groups. Out of the Blue, Inc. 351 Cummings NW, Grand Rapids. Contact Deb Leonard for more info. 616-916-0015.Line Dance Lessons- 5:30 pm & 7:00 pm . Exercise and dance. This class is a little bit country, little bit rock-n-roll, with some latin music. $5. Naturopathic Community Center. Mt. Pleasant. 989-773-1714. www.nite-mtp.comBarre Fitness Class - 5:30 pm. Firm, tighten, strengthen, and stretch your way to a healthy, fit body in this exciting, new fitness class. Align Fitness. Holland . 616-928-0929. AlignFitnessofHolland.com.Free Natural Health Classes- 6:30 pm. Naturopathic Community Center. Mt. Pleasant. Free. For a schedule of classes, please call 989-773-3636. www.nite-mtp.com/nccmain. htmA Course In Miracles (A.C.I.M.) 7:00-8:30 pm. This self-study system is unique in teaching forgiveness as the road to inner peace and the remembrance of the unconditional love of God. Unity Church of Peace. Ada. 616- 682-7812.

Note: Visit www.NaturalWestMichigan.com for guidelines and to submit entries. Events must be re-submitted each month by the 15th of the month. Events subject to change, please call ahead.

All month longFresh and Healthy Asian Grocery Destination - First-time customers receive 10% off your $20 or higher purchase. Asian Delight Marketplace, 4463 Breton Rd, Grand Rapids. 616-827-1828Spilled Ink: The Book Club for the Rest of Us- 11/6-2/28. Sign up, read ten books, and win prizes! A great way for grown-ups to beat the winter blues. Free. All Grand Rapids Public Library locations. Find out more at grpl.org/spilledink or 616-988-5400.

sundayC3Exchange, Inclusive Spiritual Community: Awakenings- 9:00 am. Chants, meditation, prayer. No experience necessary. Come as you are. C3Exchange, Inclusive Spiritual Community, 225 E. Exchange Street, Spring Lake. 616-842-1985. c3exchange.org.C3Exchange, Inclusive Spiritual Community: Main Gathering- 10:00 am. Progressive spiritual teaching with music, meditation, discussion and children’s program. C3Exchange, Inclusive Spiritual Community, 225 E. Exchange Street, Spring Lake. 616-842-1985. c3exchange.org.Unity Church of Peace - 10:00 am. Celebrating God’s presence in human nature. Offering uplifting messages that are spiritual without being religious. Youth programs & Nursery. 6025 Ada Drive SE, Ada. 616-682-7812. www.unity-churchofpeace.org.Worship Service- 10:00 am. Coptic Minister Denise Iwaniw. The Fourth Sunday of each month we host this time of self-reflection and sharing. This month’s Love Offering will be new or used winter clothing. The Healing Center 332 S. Lincoln, Lakeview. 989-352-6500Hot Yoga- 4:00-5:30 pm. An intense practice combining traditional yoga poses and sequences intended to increase the sweat, thus detoxifying, toning and strengthening the entire body. $15. On-going. Satya Yoga Center. Saugatuck. 269-857-7289.The Coptic Center Sunday Series – 6:00 pm. An ongoing series of inspirational speakers, centering and the piano music of Karen Lauck as we explore Universal Truths. TheCopticCenter.org. Love Offering. The Coptic Center, 0-381 Lake Michigan Dr NW, Grand Rapids. 616-531-1339.Kriplau Yoga w/ Molly Ebers- 7:00 pm. Gentle/Moderate: basic practice of foundational postures & breathing techniques. $10-16 per class. Seva Yoga. East Grand Rapids. 616-458-2541.

monday50% Off BioMeridian Assessments- State-of-the-art profiling and tracking of all 58 meridians in the body with take-home color-coded charts to assess health progress. Call for an appointment. Grand Rapids. 616-365-9176.Yoga-Beginning- 9:00am. This is where you start. Learn the basic poses, strengthen, breath awareness and relax. For more information visit

wednesday50% Off BioMeridian Assessments- State-of-the-art profiling and tracking of all 58 meridians in the body with take-home color-coded charts to assess health progress. Call for an appointment. Grand Rapids. 616-365-9176.A Course In Miracles (A.C.I.M.) 9:00-11:00 am. This self-study system is unique in teaching forgiveness as the road to inner peace and the remembrance of the unconditional love of God. Unity Church of Peace. Ada. 616- 682-7812.Gentle 2nd Chakra Hatha Yoga- 9:15-10:45 am. Drop-ins welcome. Classes meet at The Body Center, 650 Riley Street, Suite A, Holland, MI 49424. 616-834-2596. thebodycenter.us for more information.Kripalu Yoga with Marro Spehar - 10:30am. Gentle and 7:30pm. Gentle/Moderate. Drop-ins welcome. For details visit sevayoga.net. Seva Yoga Studio, 2213 Wealthy Ste 220, East Grand Rapids. 616-458-2541.Regroup and Renew Hatha Yoga - 12:00-12:45 pm. Drop-ins welcome. Classes meet at The Body Center. 650 Riley Street, Suite A, Holland, MI 49424. 616-834-2596. Visit thebodycenter.us for more information.Spiritual Intuitive Guidance and Healing w/ Dawnette- 2:00-4:00 pm. Dawnette has been offering her life affirming approach for 16 yrs. Walk-ins welcome. Nature’s Spiritual Connections. Grand Rapids. To schedule an appointment please call 616-828-7401 or 616-929-4204. Course in Miracles -6:00 pm. Taught by Cindy Berry-Addis. The Healing Center 332 S. Lincoln, Lakeview. 989-352-6500.Pilates on the Mat- 6:00 pm. Move with grace and flexibility at Holland’s ONLY STOTT PILATES certified studio with a total body workout. Align Fitness. Holland. AlignFitnessofHolland.com, or call 616-928-0929.Zen Meditation Group- 6:30-7:30 pm. If you are new to meditation, please arrive ten minutes early for a brief introduction. Everyone welcome. $5 suggested donation. Naturopathic Community Center. Mt. Pleasant. 989-486-5782. thedharmafarm.comEducate and Mediate- 1st & 3rd Wednesday. 6:30-7:45 pm. Visit thebodycenter.us for more information. The Body Center. 650 Riley Street, Suite A, Holland, MI 49424. 616-834-2596.Winter Detoxification Class-7:00-8:30pm. Join Dr. Dan Gleason as he takes you through 21 days of detoxification. $50. C3 Exchange, 225 E. Exchange St., Spring Lake. RSVP required. 616-846-5410.

thursdayBarre Fitness Class - 5:30 pm. Firm, tighten, strengthen, and stretch your way to a healthy, fit body in this exciting, new fitness class. Align Fitness. Holland . 616-928-0929. AlignFitnessofHolland.com.Basic Astrology- 5:30-7:00 pm. With Gail Burmeister. $15. Call for more information. The Healing Center 332 S. Lincoln, Lakeview. 989-352-6500


...connecting you to the leaders in natural health and green living in West Michigan. To find out how you can be included in The Natural Directory log-on to www.NaturalWestMichigan.com/advertising.

cHiroPrActic cAre

dyNAmic fAmily cHiroPrActicDr. Ronson Dykstra & Dr. Ronda VanderWall4072 Chicago Drive, Grandville616-531-6050

Family owned and operated in the heart of downtown Grandville, Dynamic Family Chiropractic focuses on lifestyle improvements through living a maximized life. A safe and natural approach to health through the combination of exercise, nutrition, detoxification and chiropractic care.

scHAfer cHiroPrActicANd HeAliNG sPADr. Andrew Schafer 1801 Breton SE Grand Rapids, MI 49506 616-301-3000

Treating musculoskeletal conditions, and specializing in back pain, sciatica neck pain, and headaches. Also offering physical therapy, massage therapy, and postural awareness. Most insurances accepted. Breton Village area. www.grchirospa.com. See ad page 7.

clotH diAPersBootyful BABy BoutiQue, llcAllendale, Michigan 616-892-1525www.bootyfulbabyboutique.com

Modern cloth diapers that are proudly made in Michigan. A healthy choice for your baby, your wallet and our Earth. We love to help parents make the switch!

coloN HydrotHerAPyHArmoNy ‘N HeAltHMary De Lange, CCT., CMT.1003 Maryland Av., N.E.Grand Rapids616-456-5033www.harmonynhealth.net

Certified therapist since 1991 offering colon therapy in a sterile and professional environment. Using a holistic approach colonics relieve constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloat, poor digestion, back pain, body odor and more. See ad, page 39.

thenaturaldirectory

AcuPuNcturesAmir rAJANi, mdMedical Acupuncturist mmpc Internal Medicine890 S. Washington, Ste. 130 Holland: 616-396-1907www.mmpc.com

Medical acupuncture can be an effective treatment for many chronic conditions, including pain, fatigue, depression and anxiety. Samir Rajani, MD is certified in medical acupuncture and practices at mmpc Internal Medicine.

AlterNAtive HeAltHPrActitioNer

out of tHe Blue iNcNancy Despres RN, MBE351 Cummings NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49534616-453-4215www.OutoftheBlueInc.net *UPDATED*

Out of the Blue helps find alternative ways for achieving optimal health through the use of homeopathy, enzyme therapy nutritional supplements & hair mineral analysis. Now carrying homeopathic Hcg drops for weight loss.

AyurvedAmiNdful Body trANsformAtioNChad: [email protected] online at: myzconnection.myzrii.com Click “Join” to get preferred customer rates

How are you getting your daily supply of Haritaki, Jujube, Schizandra, Ginger, Amla, Turmeric, Tulsi, Green Tea, Guggul, and Gymnema? Experience what Ayurvedic specialists around the world already know!

BodyworKwHolistic KiNesioloGyHeAltH services, llcBarbara Zvirzdinis, WK, CMT616-581-3885www.WKHealthServices.com

Certified Massage Therapist offering Therapeutic & LaStone Massage. Certified Wholistic Kinesiologist, Reconnection Healing Practitioner, Certified Herbalist, Certified Acutonics Practitioner, Certified Reflexologist, and a Certified Matrix Energetics Practitioner. See ad, page 19.

Complete Yoga: Level 2 / 3- 6:00-8:00 pm. Join Michele for a full yoga practice of pranayama, theory, vinyasa, holdings, benefits of postures and more. All levels are welcome. $15. On-going. Satya Yoga Center. Saugatuck. 269-857-7289.Advanced Hatha Yoga with Mitch Coleman – 6:15-7:30 pm. Drop-ins welcome. Visit WhiteRiverYoga.com for more information. Classes meet at White River Yoga Studio, 8724 Ferry St. Montague. 231-740-6662.Yoga: Restore, Rehabilitate, & Detox- 6:30-7:45 pm. 650 Riley Street, Suite A, Holland, MI 49424. 616-834-2596. Visit TheBodyCenter.us for more information.Grand Rapids Buddhist Meditation Group- 7:30 pm. For group sitting and walking meditation followed by book study. Beginners welcome. Instruction provided. Free. Sacred Space. Grand Rapids. 616-452-2115.

fridayHatha Yoga- 8:30-10:00am. Learn Hatha yoga in small groups. Out of the Blue, Inc. 351 Cummings NW, Grand Rapids. Contact Deb Leonard for more info. 616-916-0015.Yoga-Intermediate- 9:00 am. Learn the basics. Holding poses longer and moving deeper into your practice and awareness of the core. For more information visit SmilingLotusYoga.com or call Smiling Lotus Yoga, 103 E. Ludington Ave, Ludington. 231-852-0849.Gentle 3rd Chakra Hatha Yoga- 9:15-10:45 am. Drop-ins welcome. Classes meet at The Body Center. 650 Riley Street, Suite A, Holland, MI 49424. 616-834-2596. Visit thebodycenter.us for more information.Kripalu Yoga with Marro Spehar - 7:00pm. Gentle/Moderate. Drop-ins welcome. For details visit sevayoga.net. Seva Yoga Studio, 2213 Wealthy Ste 220, East Grand Rapids. 616-458-2541

saturdayPranayama & Yoga- 7:30-8:30 am. Conscious breathing techniques and meditations to heal, balance and connect, followed by a complete yoga practice for all levels. Pranayama $5, Yoga $10. Classes on-going. Satya Yoga Center. Saugatuck. 269-857-7289.Gentle Hatha Yoga with Mitch Coleman – 9:00-10:15 am & 10:30-11:45 am. Drop-ins welcome. Visit WhiteRiverYoga.com for more information. Classes meet at White River Yoga Studio, 8724 Ferry St. Montague. 231-740-6662.Sweetwater Local Foods Market- 9:00 am-1:00 pm. Indoors at Hackley Health at the Lakes, Harvey St. 1/2 Mile South of Lakes Mall. Exit US 31 at Pontaluna Rd. Muskegon.Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series- 10:00-11:30 am. This specifically sequenced practice serves as yoga therapy, realigning the spine, detoxifying the body, and building strength, flexibility and stamina. $15. Ongoing. Satya Yoga Center. Saugatuck. 269-857-7289


eNerGy HeAliNGAmA deus®Beth Cosmos Grand Rapids: 616-648-3354 www.Ama-Deusenergy.com

Ama Deus healing energy method is a hand mediated technique aligned with love. The energy helps to enhance one’s own and others growth and awareness or physical and emotional healing. See ad page 33.

BArBArA ZieliNsKi,iNterfAitH PrActitioNer233 Washington, Suite 208, Grand Haven616-502-2078www.barbarazielinski.vepweb.com

Ordained Minister, NADA Certified Acupuncture Detoxification Specialist and Reiki Master. Cultivating healing and balance through Auricular Acupuncture for Addictions, Reiki, Integral Workshops/Coaching, Spiritual Care/Counseling, Life Passage Rituals/Ceremonies.

mAtriX eNerGeticsBarbara Zvirzdinis, WK, CMT616-581-3885www.WKHealthServices.com

Matrix Energetics is a system used to heal, transform and create new possibilities in your life. Using principles of quantum physics and subtle energy Matrix Energetics helps you to shift into a more balanced state. See ad page 19.

esseNtiAl oilsBe youNG esseNtiAl oilsClara Vander Zouwen616-698-6148www.NaturalHealth4Today.com

Offering Be Young therapeutic essential oils, MASAJI whole food drink, Organic meal replacement shakes, and Mineral make-up. Services: Ionic detoxing foot baths, Physical and Emotional balancing, biofeedback readings. See ad page 12.

HeAveNly HeAliNGs Holistic HeAltH servicesJodi Jenks - Reiki Master4434 Knapp St NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525www.heavenlyhealings.org

I am a Reiki Master that also does Essential Oil therapies including Raindrop Therapy, Emotional Clearing and Spiritual Journey work. Call or email for appointments or questions, 616-443-4225 or [email protected].

tHe Body ceNter-HollANdMarcella Clark, CMMT, CCHT650 Riley Street , Ste AHolland, MI 49424616-834-2596

Gentle, effective and professional colon cleansing designed to drop toxin levels and improve nutrient absorption. Get relief from bloating and constipation, fatigue and arthritis pain. Warm, secure environment. www.TheBodyCenter.us.

triciA e. GosliNGHolistic Care Approach3368 Beltline Ct NE616-481-9074

Offering an advanced client-centered dimension of colonics: gentle, safe and effective. Eliminate toxins and enhance well-being. 15 years of experience. Also offering Quantum Biofeedback sessions. I-ACT certified Instructor.

couNseliNGJANice de lANGe, PH.d 1514 Wealthy St. SE Ste 260, Grand [email protected]

A mind-body-spirit approach for trauma and abuse recovery, PTSD, low sense of self-worth, panic & phobias, anxiety, depression, relationships. EMDR & Energy interventions.

deNtistry / HolisticdeNtAl HeAltH & wellNess ceNterDr. Kevin P. Flood DDS4990 Cascade Rd SE, Grand Rapids616-974-4990www.FloodTheDentist.com

Comprehensive Holistic Dental Services – Amalgam Removal & Replacement. Bio-Compatible, metal-free materials, Low-Dose Digital X-Rays, Gentle Anesthesia. See ad page 48.

dysleXiA

New cHAPter leArNiNGSandra McPhallLicensed Davis Dyslexia Correction Provider616-534-1385www.newchapterlearning.net

Providing the Davis Dyslexia Correction® Program that has grown to be the most widely used program in the world correcting approximately 20,000 dyslexics per year with a 97% success rate.

HeAltH educAtioN ceNtertHe wellNess forum830 Forest Hill AveGrand Rapids, MI 49546616-942-7907www.WellnessForum.com

Educational programs for personal health improvement - Workplace wellness programs - Wellness Forum Foundation focused on school nutrition and children’s health - National conferences.

HeAltH food storesAffordABle NutritioNJoel D. Manning, CNC®, Owner7493 Cottonwood Drive, Jenison616-667-1346

Affordable, natural ap-proach to better health. Certified nutritional consultant. 20 years experience. Offering select high quality vitamins and nutritional supplements. Weight loss, cleansing, sports nutrition and more! Senior discounts.

HeAltH HuttGrand Haven - 616-846-3026Muskegon - 231-739-1568North Muskegon - 231-744-0852www.HealthHutt.net

Natural & organic foods, vitamins & herbs, sports nutrition, gluten free foods, books, natural body care and more. Open 7 days a week. See ad, page 19.

utoPiAN mArKetPlAce8832 Water St., Montague231-894-9530www.UtopianMarketplace.com

Our friendly, knowledgeable staff provides a personalized shopping experience. We have a large selection of gluten-free foods, clothing, jewelry, herbs, supplements, local foods, gifts and more. Open Mic events every month. See ad, page 5.

Holistic HeAltH ceNters

tHe HeAliNG ceNter352 S. Lincoln Ave, Lakeview989-352-6500www.TheHealingCenterOfLakeview.com

Naturopathic / Holistic Practitioners. Licensed Physician Assistant, Certified Natural Health Professionals. Private consultations. Counseling & Classes. Blood typing, acupressure, emotional release, iridology, homeopathy and more. See ad, page 20.


birth, bonding, strengthening the family, informed active participation, and lending dignity to women through their birthing experience.

full circle midwiferyservice, iNc.Patrice Bobier CM, CPMHesperia - 231-861-2234 www.FullCircleMidwifery.com

In private practice since 1982 - specializing in homebirth. Over 1200 births attended. Offering midwifery care that maintains a family-centered safe birth experience. Empowering women to stay healthy during pregnancy, give birth naturally and parent in the best ways.

Home BirtH PArtNers, llcSusan Wente, CNM, Dr. PH231-652-3247www.HomeBirthworks.comThis regions only Certified Nurse Midwife with 32 years experience – over 3000 births attended. Providing pre-natal, home and hospital births and postpartum care. Gynecological and Doula services available.

multiPle sclerosis

AmANdA GeertsHealth Coach616-502-2707www.amandageerts.com

Get support to take control of your health and your MS. Amanda Geerts received her Health Coach training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. See ad page 39.

reiKi

HAeleN Holistic treAtmeNtsConnie Jean Cunningham www.haelenholistic.com616-446-6906

Certified Usui Reiki Master and Karuna ® Reiki. Offering professional reiki treatments, classes, personal instruction and guidance. Specialized treatment areas include chemotherapy support, PTSD, phantom limb pain, stress, and spiritual expansion.

HeAl witH KAtieKatie Ray269-804-9307www.healwithkatie.com

Katie Ray is a Certified Massage Therapist and Reiki Master. Offering deep tissue and medical massage, Usui Reiki treatments, and healing attunements. See ad page 31.

reiKi HAusPaula Bojsen Holland: 616-392-1138www.ReikiHaus.comOffering quality Reiki classes & treatments at affordable prices. Certified Usui Reiki Master Teacher & Gendai Reiki Shihan. All levels, Reiki Master classes and Gendai Reiki Gokukaiden. Learn pure Japanese Reiki.

retreAt ceNtertHe leAveN ceNterLyons, Michigan989-855-2606www.leaven.org

A place of beauty on the banks of the Grand River where you can find rest and nourishment for your body and spirit. Offering workshops, retreats, and rental space year-round.

scHool/educAtioNNAturoPAtHic iNstitute of tHerAPies & educAtioN503 E. Broadway St Mt. Pleasant, MI. 48858989-773-1714www.nite-mtp.com

Educational Programs: Natural Health 1-4 Years, Birth Assistant 6 Months (1 weekend per month), Massage Therapy 1 Year (2 weekends per month), Individual Classes available. 15 years of excellence. See ad page 2.

sustAiNABledesiGN ceNter

edeN eNviroNmeNtsDenise Hopkins, AIA, LEED AP401 Hall St. SW Suite 231 Grand Rapids 616-956-5000www.EdenEnvironments.com

Enrich your home and work environment with beautiful, healthy, sustainable design and products. Architecture, interior and landscape design, flooring, paint, cabinets, counters, furniture, accessories. Styled by nature, designed to nurture.

wAterBirtHsHoreliNe’s womeN’s ceNter At soutH HAveNcommuNity HosPitAlEva Fronk, CNM and Mercedes Moran, CNM950 S. Bailey Ave. South Haven, MI 49090269-639-2720

Offering the only water birthing program in Southwest Michigan. Our Certified Nurse Midwives assist the mother during water birth delivery, in collaboration & consultation with our obstetricians. Call today to learn more. See ad page 5.

HomeoPAtHyBoB HuttiNGA352 S. Lincoln Ave, Lakeview989-352-6500www.TheHealingCenterOfLakeview.com

A Physician assistant since 1976, specializing in naturopathic and homeopathic care. Also, certified Silva Method instructor. See ad, page 20.

iNteGrAtive mediciNesHoreliNe ceNterfor iNteGrAtive mediciNeSouth Haven Community Hospital950 S. Bailey Ave. South Haven, MI 49090269-639-2833

Alternative therapies are used in conjunction with conventional medicine to balance your mind, body and spirit. We also offer laser hair removal, laser vein reduction and skin care services. See ad page 12.

KiNesioloGywHolistic KiNesioloGy HeAltH services, llcBarbara Zvirzdinis, WK, CMT616-581-3885www.WKHealthServices.com

Certified Wholistic Kinesiologist, Certified Massage Therapist, Reconnection Healing Practitioner, Certified Herbalist, Certified Acutonics Practitioner, Certified Reflexologist, and a Certified Matrix Energetics Practitioner. Specializing in muscle testing, massage, energy medicine, nutritional counseling, lectures and classes. See ad page 19.

mAssAGe tHerAPyscHAfer cHiroPrActicANd HeAliNG sPASheri Beth Schafer, CMT, Reiki Master1801 Breton SE Grand Rapids, MI 49506616-301-3000

We have multiple certified massage therapists offering relaxation (Swedish), deep tissue massage, and medical massage. We also offer Reiki, chakra balancing, and Ayurvedic bodywork. Breton Village area. www.grchirospa.com. See ad pages 7 & 30.

midwiferyBirtH soNG midwifery servicesYolanda Visser CM, CPMGrand Rapids 616-458-8144www.BirthSongGR.com

Homebirth services since 1982. Committed to facilitating natural

natural awakenings magazine ~ january 2011

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